MONSTER IN A BOX

US, 1992, 87 minutes, Colour.
Spalding Gray.
Directed by Nick Broomfield.

Monster in a Box is a very entertaining screen version of a Spalding Gray monologue. Spalding Gray specialises in monologues - and was directed by Jonathan Demme in his Swimming to Cambodia. Gray is also an actor who has appeared in small roles in such films as The Killing Fields and Beaches and appeared on stage on Broadway as the stage manager in Our Town. The film was directed by Nick Broomfield, best known for such documentaries as Soldier Girls and features like Diamond Skulls. He focuses on Gray performing to a live audience - but with versatility of camera movement and styles, keeps audiences engrossed in the monologue and Gray's performance. Gray is an eminent storyteller and keeps the audience fascinated by his tales about himself and his attempt to write a novel, Impossible Vacation, which had reached 1900 pages after 4 years and was A Monster In a Box. He also intersperses the monologue with personal stories, with observations on Los Angeles and New York, on Moscow and Film Festivals, on the New York stage critics.

The film is continually interesting, invites the audience to understand the speaker, but also offers a great observation about the American way of life, American attitudes and presuppositions, American behaviour.

1. The impact of a filmed monologue? The ideas behind Spalding Gray's monologues, American, the media and show business? autobiography, observations on things?

2. Spalding Gray and his performing on stage, the stage performance filmed - and turned into a movie? Colour photography, Gray's movement, the use of close-ups, tracking for variety? atmosphere?

3. Spalding Gray and his career as writer, monologue speaker, actor? His stage and screen persona - and his persona for audiences? The real Gray?

4. The effect of his monologue, Gray's articulation, his storytelling, his ironic powers of observation, his moving people seriously, the comic turns?

5. The variety of themes: Gray in himself, the effort of writing, the desire to write, the effect on himself, moving to the New England community, back to his New England roots, the isolation of the community, his relationship to Irene? His wanting to get out? The Novel, The Impossible Vacation?

6. How autobiographical the presentation - going back into the 60s, the experiences of the 60s, his relationship with his mother and its tensions? The amusing stories about learning to hang out? The son and the impossibility of going very far for his holidays and returning to his mother? The story of his being stranded on Bondi beach, the sexual overtones? The death of his mother - and the absence in Mexico? The comments of the typist, about the quality of the novel? Seeing it as The Monster in the Box and his indications in the film on how far he had progressed with the novel?

7. The music score and its atmosphere, often ironic atmosphere? The theme of relationship with mother? The tensions, her death, Gray's absence in Mexico? Going to the funeral later as some kind of catharsis? His relationship with Rene - and her sharing, in his life, producer, commentator? The AIDS scare episode and its affect on him?

8. Los Angeles, the apartment and the sunny weather, the sun following him throughout the house, his becoming lethargic? The commission to meet people not involved in the film industry? Seemingly impossible, going out and interviewing people - and two weeks without hypochondria as he did the program for television? Home box office and the request for a program on people who had experienced UFOs? The funny satire on these people - and the observation that they were never improved in their quality of life by these close encounters? The need for a change of weather his wanting to be cold and rugged up? Thanksgiving, the spider bite, his fear of AIDS, going to New York, going to see the doctor, the psychoanalysis and its effect - and his telling the doctor the story? The doctor supporting the various ventures to get his mind off himself? The humour about psychoanalysis and therapy?

9. Russia, the jokes about the- Soviet Union, his story about saving money by taking his own Vodka, the Hermitage art gallery and the American stars and the school children photographing the stars, his being ousted? The premiere of his movie - and the funny comments about the lack of translation and subtitles? His speech?

10. The invitation to perform in Our Town? His admiration for Thornton Wilder, his roots in New England? The exhilaration of the performance - and the story of the actor who was sick during the crucial scene? The reaction of the New York critics - and his comment on them?

11. A glimpse of Spalding Gray as writer, as entertainer, as person?