Dreams With Sharp Teeth
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[photo of Harlan and Staci, (c) Enzo Giobbe/StarLens.com]
"Have you ever read a word I've written?" Harlan Ellison challenges, shoulders squared, chin up, eyes unwavering as they bore into mine. "Indeed, I have," I reply. He nods slightly, seemingly satisfied, and doesn't ask what, exactly, of his I have read. (For the record, here's my 2005 review of one of his short stories, Bleeding Stones. And, I've read other works but haven't reviewed them.)
'Harlan Ellison' may not be a household name, but the notoriously irascible icon certainly was a name in my childhood household. Harlan and my mom — Nancy Bacon: writer, Hollywood columnist, and sometime cheesecake model) — used to hang out, back in the day. I heard a lot of Harlan stories growing up, and finally met him myself, briefly, in 2001.
Now, some six years later, I have the opportunity to interview him on-camera in regards to the new documentary about his life, Dreams With Sharp Teeth (which alludes to many things, but the most literal explanation is that it's also the title of one of his most well-regarded short story collections).
Unfortunately for me, I am in the position of having to interview the notoriously mercurial scribe before having seen the film. I'm relegated to questions like, "So… this movie is about you, but for those who haven't seen it, how would you describe it?" My hair is turning blonde, just remembering it. Eventually the conversation devolves to the subject of Harlan's underwear (going in much the same direction as my recent interview with film director Edgar Wright), but I feel fortunate he went very easy on me. (I'm glad he likes my mom.)
Later on, after the screening of Dreams With Sharp Teeth and during the Q&A, the feisty 73-year-old picks a fight with an audience member who tries to wander onstage to ask his rather vague question. Harlan's life has been tumultuous to say the least, but clearly nothing has tempered his "cranky Jew" temper.
That's not my choice of words. I'm more P.C. than that. Which might explain why I'm not at Neil Gaiman's level of stardom — you see, towards the end of the doc, Gaiman, a longtime friend and colleague of Harlan's, sums the man up by saying: "You have to accept that you have somebody who is partly one of the greatest writers of the 20th century… and partly an impish and furious 11-year-old boy. Or possibly nine-year-old boy. Or possibly a five-year-old boy. And it's all part of the same thing… at the same time he's a cranky old Jew whose does not enjoy his cranky old Jewdom, he revels in it. He is building this cranky old Jewdom like some people live in castles, he lives in Cranky Jew World."
If Cranky Jew World is anything like the portrait presented in Dreams With Sharp Teeth, I want to buy a summer pass. Director Erik Nelson's documentary is the most funny, delightful and insightful film I have seen in quite some time. No comedy this year has coaxed as much raucous laughter from me, and no drama has moved me as much.
Some might say the doc is one-sided, as it follows its filterless subject over his years of writing for print, television and movies, and offers insights from friends such as Gaiman, Robin Williams, and Ronald D. Moore. But as Harlan explained to me in our interview, Nelson didn't have to get any sound-bites from adversaries because, "You are your own worst enemy, Harlan."
According to Harlan, the TV is a brain-blunting "box" and he makes some good points (nuggets wrapped in a rant) about that, so perhaps it's ironic that casual fans will more than likely know his name from the Star Trek episode he wrote in 1967, The City on the Edge of Forever. Or The Outer Limits episode, Demon With A Glass Hand. He also admits he dashed off a script for the insipid series The Flying Nun, just for the opportunity to slip under Sally Fields' habit (if he kissed though, he's not telling).
A truly multifaceted tale-weaver of many genres (and much-lauded award winner), Harlan is best known for horror and science fiction — and he expects to be paid for it, handsomely. "It's hard work!" he proclaims. "I sell my soul, but at the highest rates." Although nearly every filmgoer will enjoy the larger than life player in this 90- some minute presentation, writers will especially relate (or take exception, as the case may be).
Harlan is one of the few true literary "characters" still living — Tom Wolfe and Jackie Collins are a couple of others, but their personalities seem more like affectations than existences once you've seen this Academy Award -worthy documentary. For instance, can you picture Ms. Collins mailing a dead gopher to her publisher's office? Would Mr. Wolfe ever wear his hair in a faux-hawk, or scream obscenities at passing motorists?
I won't continue to elaborate, so you can experience it for yourself: Dreams With Sharp Teeth, as all good life stories do, shows us the subject in childhood, teen age, prime, maturity and old age. And it leaves you wanting to know even more.
Catch it on the big screen if you can (there's no distributor as of yet), or wait with bated breath for the DVD and see it on your TV (sorry, Harlan).
Note: This film was screened at The Aero Theater as part of its 7th Annual Festival of Fantasy, Horror & Science-Fiction 2007
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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson
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View some clips from the documentary at the official website, Creative Differences