Jim Jarmusch

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Jim Jarmusch
Jim Jarmusch

Jim Jarmusch (born January 22, 1953 in Akron, Ohio) is a noted American independent film director.

Contents

[edit] Background

Jarmusch obtained his B. A. from Columbia University. Before graduating from New York University's school of film, Jarmusch decided to drop out of the program and funnel his scholarship funds into his first feature. His advisor at the time, Thaddeus Sebena, helped to support the release. This resulted in his first film, Permanent Vacation, which introduced audiences to the deadpan style that he would later develop in Stranger Than Paradise and Down by Law.

[edit] Career

Jarmusch's first major release, Stranger Than Paradise, was released to much critical acclaim. Recounting a strange journey of three disillusioned youths from New York to Cleveland to Florida, the film broke many conventions of traditional Hollywood moviemaking, and to this day is still considered a landmark work in modern independent film.

In 1995, Jarmusch released Dead Man, a film set in the American West in the 19th century starring Johnny Depp and Gary Farmer that has been called a Western movie, an "anti-Western," and a "post-Western" by various critics. The film has been hailed as one of the few films made by a Caucasian that presents an authentic Native American culture and character, and Jarmusch stands by it as such; however, critics have both praised and decried the film for its portrayal of the American West, violence, and especially Native Americans[1]. The film was shot in black and white by Robby Müller, and features a score composed and performed by Neil Young.

Following artistic success and critical acclaim in the American independent film community, he achieved mainstream renown with his far-East philosophy-themed take on a crime film set in New Jersey, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, starring Forest Whitaker, which also featured a soundtrack by the Wu-Tang Clan's RZA.

One of his major projects is an ongoing series of short films called Coffee and Cigarettes. The original six-minute film appeared on Saturday Night Live in 1986, featuring filmmaker Roberto Benigni and comedian Steven Wright. Three years later, he released Coffee and Cigarettes: Memphis Version, with actor Steve Buscemi, which was eight minutes long. The next 12-minute installment was in 1993, Coffee and Cigarettes: Somewhere in California, featuring musicians Tom Waits and Iggy Pop.

In 1993, Jarmusch said, "I've shot two more which are waiting to be edited, and I've scripted two or three more. Although the intention is for them to work separately as short films, I plan to shoot around 12 to 14 and put them together for a video release." [2]. These were released in 2004 as Coffee and Cigarettes. The movie consists of 11 installments (the 1986 Coffee and Cigarettes, Memphis Version and Somewhere in California being segments 1, 2 and 3), featuring, among others, Jack and Meg of The White Stripes, Cate Blanchett, RZA, GZA, Bill Murray, Steve Coogan and Alfred Molina.

[edit] Sons of Lee Marvin

Jarmusch is the founder of The Sons of Lee Marvin, a humorous 'semi-secret society'. Members of the society reportedly include musician Tom Waits and actor John Lurie, both of whom have worked with Jarmusch on several occasions. Richard Bose, Nick Cave, Iggy Pop (who has also worked with Jarmusch), Thurston Moore, Mickey Rourke and Neil Young are also rumored to be members. The entry criterion for the club is that the person must have some physical resemblance or plausibly look like a son of the actor Lee Marvin — as such, women are not allowed to join. Most current members also share what seems to be a beat mentality in that they represent and express the lives of the down and out.

The club supposedly meets occasionally to watch Lee Marvin movies together. Its members perpetuate the joke in the media.

"I'm not at liberty to divulge information about the organization, other than to tell you that it does exist. I can identify three other members of the organization: Tom Waits, John Lurie, and Richard Bose. You have to have a facial structure such that you could be related to, or be a son of, Lee Marvin. There are no women, obviously, in the organization. We have communiques and secret meetings. Other than that, I can't talk about it."
—Jim Jarmusch: Interview: Vol. XIX - No. 11, 1989: pp 146-150.

The real son of Lee Marvin objected to the existence of the organization when he encountered Waits in a bar.[2]

[edit] Filmography

[edit] Director

[edit] Other production credits

  • Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005) (special thanks)
  • Clerks (1994) (special thanks)
  • When Pigs Fly (1993) - Executive Producer
  • Sleepwalk (1986) - Camera Operator/Cinematographer
  • Burroughs (1984) - Sound Recordist
  • Der Stand Der Ding (The State of Things) Portugal (1982) - Composer
  • You Are Not I (1981) - Producer/Cinematographer
  • Lightning Over Water (1980) - Observer

[edit] Acting credits

  • Sling Blade (1996) ... Frostee Cream guy
  • Cannes Man (1996) ... Cameo
  • Blue in the Face (1995) ... Bob
  • Iron Horseman (1995) ... Silver Rider
  • In the Soup (1992) ... Monty
  • The Golden Boat (1990) ... Stranger
  • Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989) ... New York Car Dealer
  • Candy Mountain (1988)
  • Helsinki Napoli All Night Long (1987) ... Barkeeper #2
  • Straight to Hell (1987) .... Amos Dade
  • American Autobahn (1984) .... Movie Producer
  • Underground U.S.A. (1980) - Sound recordist

[edit] Appearances as himself

  • Magacine 2005 (2005) TV
  • Punk: Attitude (2005) TV
  • Excavating Taylor Mead (2005)
  • Cinema Mil (2005) TV
  • Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004) TV
  • Rockets Redglare! (2003)
  • Hollywood High (2003) TV
  • Chaplin Today: A King in New York (2003) TV
  • Focus on Jim Jarmusch (2002) TV
  • ¿Quién es Alejandro Chomski? (2002)
  • V.I.P. (2001) TV
  • Screamin' Jay Hawkins: I Put a Spell on Me (2001)
  • SpongeBob SquarePants (2000) TV
  • Lee Marvin: A Personal Portrait by John Boorman (1998) TV
  • Space Ghost Coast to Coast (1998) TV
  • Divine Trash (1998)
  • Pop Odyssee 2 - House of the Rising Punk (1998) TV
  • Year of the Horse (1997)
  • We're Outta Here! aka The Ramones (1997) Video
  • R.I.P., Rest in Pieces (1997)
  • The Typewriter, the Rifle & the Movie Camera (1996)
  • American Cinema (1995) TV
  • Tigrero: A Film That Was Never Made (1994)
  • Fishing with John (1991) TV
  • Fräulein Berlin (1983)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Hall, Mary Katherine: "Now You Are a Killer of White Men: Jim Jarmusch's "Dead Man" and Traditions of Revisionism in the Western". Journal of Film and Video 52:4 [Winter 2000] p. 3-14
  2. ^ Film Comment 28:3, June 1992 [1]

[edit] Further reading

[edit] External links

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