Shaenon K. Garrity ([info]shaenon) wrote,
@ 2008-03-21 17:35:00
Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Oh, man, this week I did the funnest thing. Andrew and I went to a screening of Young Frankenstein, one of my all-time favorite movies (along with Annie Hall, The Muppet Movie, and Wings of Desire), at the beautiful Castro Theater. As if seeing Young Frankenstein on the big screen wasn't enough, it was followed by a Q&A and book signing with Gene Wilder. Gene friggin' Wilder!



As you can see, we were totally gobsmacked. I don't think I've ever seen such a big grin on Andrew's face.

(Post a new comment)


[info]sirspamdalot
2008-03-22 12:59 am UTC (link)
Yay!

For a second as I skimmed your post, I thought you were saying Wilder was in Annie Hall, The Muppet Movie, and Wings of Desire, and I briefly crossed into a richer universe.

(Reply to this)

[info]usmcnavgeek
2008-03-22 01:17 am UTC (link)
Gene Wilder! That is completely awesome. One of my first favorite movies was the first Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Later on I moved on to Blazing Saddles.

Anyway it's, well, completely awesome that you got to meet him. I am envious.

(Reply to this)

[info]ldragoon
2008-03-22 01:22 am UTC (link)
How great! I don't know why, but I thought Gene Wilder was DEAD! SO GLAD he's alive still. He'll always be my favorite Willy Wonka.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

[info]andrewfarago
2008-03-22 01:28 am UTC (link)
I've heard this three times in the past few weeks, twice today.

My guess is that it's a combination of the relatively low profile he keeps nowadays and the fact that his second wife, Gilda Radner, died from Cancer in 1989. Wilder had his own bout with cancer in the late 1990s, which probably adds to the misconception.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

[info]ldragoon
2008-03-22 01:59 am UTC (link)
I forgot he was married to Gilda Radner. That's so sad. She sounded like a brilliant performer.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

[info]madspark
2008-03-23 06:11 pm UTC (link)
Oh yeah, Gilda Radner was brilliant... as is Gene Wilder. Awesome.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

[info]docmanhattan
2008-03-22 01:49 am UTC (link)
I am CRAZY JEALOUS. That is too awesome.

(Reply to this)

[info]indigoskynet
2008-03-22 01:51 am UTC (link)
Look how avuncular he is.

I'm so jealous!

(Reply to this)

[info]badtzphoto
2008-03-22 02:22 am UTC (link)
That is so awesome. I'm envious!

(Reply to this)

[info]cwright
2008-03-22 02:28 am UTC (link)
That makes my heart warm

(Reply to this)

[info]beatonna
2008-03-22 02:41 am UTC (link)
so amazing!!

(Reply to this)

[info]greenapple2004
2008-03-22 02:46 am UTC (link)
Awesome sauce! The Producers and Young Frankenstein were hugely important to my formative years.

(Reply to this)

[info]ladybrick
2008-03-22 03:26 am UTC (link)
Totally fraking awesome!

(Reply to this)

[info]nevikmoore
2008-03-22 03:56 am UTC (link)
Aaaagh! I am so freaking jealous!

(Reply to this)

[info]_fluffy
2008-03-22 04:31 am UTC (link)
Wow, he certainly looks like Zombie Paul McCartney nowadays.

(Reply to this)

[info]cousin_sue
2008-03-22 12:19 pm UTC (link)
Was he nice?

I always figured he would be really nice.

I have loved him in Blazing Saddles (hot amusing man in a black cowboy outfit!), The Producers, Young Frankenstein, and The Silver Streak.


(Reply to this)(Thread)
Hello!
[info]eric_williamson
2008-03-27 09:02 pm UTC (link)
my goodness, I keep running across your posts in LJs that I read.. :)

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)
Re: Hello!
[info]cousin_sue
2008-03-27 11:58 pm UTC (link)
That's because Great Minds think alike!

(Reply to this)(Parent)

[info]nsingman
2008-03-22 02:21 pm UTC (link)
I'm not sure, but I get the feeling you guys are pleased.
:-)

That's so cool! What a great way to cap the experience!

(Reply to this)(Thread)

[info]acoustic_rob
2008-03-25 06:39 pm UTC (link)
If their grins were any wider, the tops of their heads would have fallen off.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

[info]flyingbex
2008-03-22 05:17 pm UTC (link)
Wow, I wish I'd known about that!

(Reply to this)

[info]gorgeousgary
2008-03-22 05:24 pm UTC (link)
Major coolness!

Not as exciting, but in keeping with the theme, we went to see the Austin Lounge Lizards Thursday night. They've added a cover of "Blazing Saddles" to their reportoire.

(Reply to this)

[info]rantarn
2008-03-22 08:24 pm UTC (link)
Did he make you return the everlasting gobstopper before you left?

(Reply to this)(Thread)

[info]shaenon
2008-03-23 01:31 am UTC (link)

I have to admit I had an irrational fear of triggering the terrible rage Willy Wonka revealed when Charlie took the Gobstopper. That's the thing about Wilder; there's that strange, unpredictable energy just below the surface.

But he remained calm even when the audience tried to make him sing, so I guess I was safe.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

[info]epileptikitty
2008-03-24 04:21 am UTC (link)
"Nobody becomes an actor because he had a happy childhood" -
William H. Macy (the Fargo guy)

(Reply to this)(Parent)

[info]d_morris
2008-03-23 03:01 am UTC (link)
All I can think about with Gene Wilder besides his terrific performances is the Mr. Show News Special where they have the report about Gene Wilder's Ghost. I feel like a terrible person.

(Reply to this)

[info]makkabee
2008-03-23 08:22 pm UTC (link)
That is so cool. Gene Wilder's done some amazing stuff -- there was a stretch in the late 60s and early to mid 70s that the man could do no wrong.

I just recently found out that Wilder originally wanted to play Hedley Lamarr in Blazing Saddles and Mel Brooks wanted John Wayne for Wilder's part. Wayne thought the script was hilarious but the part wasn't right for him. Gotta love DVD commentary.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

[info]shaenon
2008-03-23 09:14 pm UTC (link)

In the Q&A, Wilder said he always wanted to play the Waco Kid, but Brooks wanted him for the Hedley Lamarr part and was set on having an old cowboy actor play the Waco Kid. Wilder got the part at the last minute when the actor Brooks had cast got the DTs on the first day of shooting.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

[info]makkabee
2008-03-25 03:56 am UTC (link)
You're right, I was getting some of the details mixed up. Been too long since I've watched the thing, I guess.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

[info]khyungbird
2008-03-24 03:09 am UTC (link)
I have always had a strange (platonic) love for Gene Wilder, myself. It's a shame he's sort of drifted out of the film business, but I really have to read his books someday.

(Reply to this)
holy crap
[info]clawxco
2008-03-25 04:00 pm UTC (link)
that's awesome.

gene wilder is one of the coolest dudes ever.

(Reply to this)

Create an Account
Forgot your login?
Login w/ OpenID
English • Español • Deutsch • Русский…