Short video inspired by Grey Gardens

Grey Gardens has been loosely used as an inspiration by many artists over the past few years, and I tend only post items that more closely tie to the documentary and the Edies, but this blew me away. Beautiful and poignant.

And, doesn't the bird look quite a bit like Edie?

From YouTube, by gazm393, on 24 April 2008

Birdy Beale

Based on Grey Gardens with music by The Knife

Source

Malcolm Gets on his role in the upcoming Grey Gardens film

I've posted relevant excerpts below. Very interesting!

Thanks to The Angry Gimp's comment for drawing my attention to this!

From Man In Chair, by Eric, on 20 March 2008

In the Spotlight: Malcolm Gets

MIC: You just finished filming a new version of Grey Gardens, based on the original documentary, playing George "Gould" Strong. I don't remember him being in the documentary. Was he?

MG: They talk about him. There's a section where they're playing Big Edie's album and Little Edie says something like "Mother dahling had the most wonderful accompanist. His name was George Strong. We called him Gould." And then Big Edie goes "He was the most brilliant man I ever met. He was more brilliant than Mr. Beale."

MIC: It's sort of intimated in the musical, Grey Gardens, that he was gay. How did you handle that aspect of the character in the film?

MG: When I auditioned, there was one scene that was a confrontation between Big Edie and I, and she said something in the scene about some "friend" of mine in New York City, and I get really defensive about it.

After I got the part, I met the director, Michael Sucsy, and they had cut those lines. He said to me, "Gould may very well likely have been gay, or bisexual, but back then he could never have been open about it."

And he said, "Besides, I think it's more interesting, too, if he and Big Edie probably had a physical relationship even if Gould then eventually left her to go off to live a life with another man somewhere."

I think the thing we were all interested in was not making him a clichéd character. I mean, there's a real connection between Gould and Big Edie and whatever their situation, it served them both.

I guess that's a long winded way of saying it should be pretty subtle. But c'mon, we have a party scene and I'm wearing better clothes than anyone else in the room….

MIC: What was the script based on? It doesn't sound like it's based completely on the documentary.

MG: There were two writers, but the main writer/director is Michael Sucsy, and Michael was obsessed with the documentary.

Michael just started researching everything he could about that time period. He met everyone who's still alive. I wore a ring that belonged to the real Gould because Michael had interviewed Gould's nephew.

Ben Bradlee, who runs the Washington Post, owns Grey Gardens now, and he and his wife have restored it to the way that it probably was, so Jessica Lange (Big Edie) and Drew Barrymore (Little Edie) and Michael actually went and the Bradlees had them stay at the house for a week—which I really envy.

Michael had researched everything and written a script based on that. Our film covers 1936 to 1980. It goes back to where they first moved into the house all the way through after Big Edie died.

MIC: When's it coming out?

MG: I think in the fall. You know, I'm not sure. Sex in the City is coming out in May, I know, because the posters are all over town.

I also can't imagine Grey Gardens being a summertime movie. It's just too dark.

I got Grey Gardens and they chopped off all my hair. And then it became all about my hair. It was like, both production companies were screaming at each other. Sex and the City was saying I couldn't cut my hair, and we had to cut my hair for Grey Gardens. So they did cut my hair and eventually they had to make me hair pieces for the second part of the Sex and the City filming.

Source

Documentary about Grey Gardens the Musical to screen in Los Angeles on 22 April

That's right!

From BroadwayWorld.com, on 18 April 2008

Grey Gardens: From East Hampton to Broadway, a new documentary film by East of Doheny with Albert Maysles, will have its premiere Los Angeles screening on Tuesday, April 22nd at 7:30 p.m. at The Landmark Theatres (Theatre #12, 10850 Pico Boulevard, Westwood, 250 seats).

Source: here and here

Los Angeles Art Weekend honors Al Maysles

From Los Angeles Times, by Booth Moore, Times Fashion Critic, on 20 April 2008

Celebrity party fashion: A love fest for filmmaker Albert Maysles

Albert Maysles' documentary 'Grey Gardens' inspired countless designers.

Little Edie Bouvier Beale is one of the fashion world's most beloved icons, thanks to documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles and his 1975 cult classic "Grey Gardens." His 100-minute documentary has inspired countless designers, including Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors to name just two. So it wasn't surprising that last weekend's dinner for Maysles, 81, was a love fest, hosted by Barneys New York and Bottega Veneta creative director Tomas Maier as part of Los Angeles Art Weekend.

On the roof at Barney Greengrass, photographer Lisa Eisner -- capturing the flamboyant spirit of Little Edie in a fabulous tie-dye vintage dress, pink sequin Manolo Blahnik pumps and a pink feather boa -- traded camera secrets with Maysles, while filmmaker Liz Goldwyn nuzzled up to him as if he were her grandfather. "He really took me under his wing," she said of Maysles, who did principal photography for Goldwyn's 2005 burlesque documentary, "Pretty Things."

Dustin Hoffman said he turned to Maysles' 1968 film "Salesman" when he was preparing to play Willy Loman in "Death of a Salesman" on Broadway in 1984. "It's about the pain a person can go through while living in a free country," Hoffman said. "And it's more relevant now than it's ever been."

Diane Keaton, Mitch Glazer, Kelly Lynch, Bret Easton Ellis, Brett Ratner and China Chow were also there; Barneys fashion director Julie Gilhart showed off her copy of the new book, "A Maysles Scrapbook," to Maier, who was in from Miami for less than 24 hours.

But Maysles, whose Rolling Stones documentary "Gimme Shelter" predated Martin Scorsese's new release "Shine a Light" by nearly 40 years, was the main draw. And when he stood up to speak at dinner, the room fell silent.

"I don't know what all the fuss is about this Jewish boy from Boston," Maysles said, chuckling. "It seems to me we still have more to do to get closer to capturing those endearing moments that are not about conflict or violence but teach us about what it is to be human.

"I remember when I was growing up in the 1930s, my father had a strap that he used. And one day my father struck me, and after he did it I saw him with his head against the wall, crying. He could have told me 1,000 times after that how much he loved me, but it didn't mean as much," he said. "All my work is about renditions of love. And sometimes the most important moment is when everything becomes quiet."

Source

Release date for Eva Beale's book rescheduled: July 2008

The following is an email that went out to all who pre-ordered the book. Thanks to all who sent this in!

By Verlhac Editions

Your Verlhac Editions Order: Edith Bouvie Beale of Grey Gardens, A Life in Pictures

Greetings:

We are writing to inform you of the official release date of the book you ordered, "Edith Bouvier Beale of Grey Gardens, A Life in Pictures." Our revised release date has been scheduled for early July, 2008. We had initially planned for an earlier delivery but encountered delays, and we sincerely thank you for your patience in waiting for your order to be fulfilled.

The books will be arriving from Europe and shipped directly to the address you provided with your order.

Again, we apologize for the delay and anticipate that you will be pleased with the book once you have received it. You will receive an additional email confirmation when your order has shipped.

Thank you,

Customer Relations,
Verlhac Editions

Edith Bouvier Beale of Grey Gardens: a Life in Pictures
192 pages, 180 pictures, 9.8x11.4 inches, hardback w/ dust jacket
Foreword by Peter Beard, introduction by Bouvier Beale, Jr, $75
First print run: 2,000 numbered copies
isbn 978-2-916954-06-6