Susan Doll has posted an overview of my Facets Night School lecture on Todd Haynes’ I’m Not There from earlier this month on the Facets Features blog. I’m exceedingly grateful to her for including quotes from some of her students who were in attendance concerning their reactions to both the film and my presentation, especially since there were a fair number of walkouts during the screening. (In the best midnight movie tradition, the film proved extremely divisive, with the audience seemingly split between those who found the film a pretentious bore and those who wanted to stick around afterwards to discuss what they found fascinating about it).
You can read the full blog post here:
Chicagoans can catch more Night School screenings between now and April 21st. In particular, I’d like to remind my students that 20 points extra credit is available should they decide to take in any of the remaining sessions. (For more information, visit the extra credit page of your course website.) The full Facets Night School schedule can be found here:
White City Cinema 
March 30th, 2012 at 8:22 pm
“Most of the students acknowledged that they would not have gotten much out of the film without Michael’s presentation.” nice job,man!!
My wife is a huge Bob Dylan fan,I did not remember that film much,only Blanchett’s performance stood out for me.I wish I had been there!!
March 30th, 2012 at 9:10 pm
Your wife has good taste!
March 31st, 2012 at 11:29 am
“All my films have divided audiences intensely. The most interesting films that have ever been made have always done this.” Todd Haynes
Thanks for the interesting read on I’m Not There.
March 31st, 2012 at 10:37 pm
Great quote. Thanks for stopping by, Lux.
You might be interested in a couple of my earlier Haynes related posts:
Mildred Pierce and the Increasingly Fine Line Between Cinema and Television
Suppositions on a Film Concerning Dylan
April 1st, 2012 at 3:13 pm
Michael, I actually had read your original posts at Expecting Rain at the time and replied to you (I posted as Jones St there) It was surprising to me then how hostile many of the Dylan fans were before even seeing the film! Many of them warmed up after seeing it, especially with your intelligent posts to guide them.
For my part I started a livejournal for I’m Not There before its release but it remains at the Suppositions stage. Nevertheless, I’m pleased at the connections it proposes. Take a look if you wish, the link is below, you can click the “Start here” link to start from the beginning.
April 1st, 2012 at 6:07 pm
(The link to my I’m Not There journal is actually my under name)
This is a fun and brilliant site in case you haven’t come across it:
Film Dialogue in the Lyrics of Bob Dylan:
http://dylanfilm.atspace.com/index.html
April 1st, 2012 at 7:07 pm
Thanks for the links to both sites. I had seen that brilliant Dylan/film dialogue site years ago but had forgotten about it. Your own I’m Not There journal offers a very thorough overview of the film and its reception.
On Dylan’s birthday this year, I plan on posting a major article on my ten favorite references to Dylan in the history of cinema (in movies that are NOT otherwise about Dylan).