This evening, I attended a screening of the 1979 Bob Fosse film All That Jazz at the Motion Picture Academy. A brand-new, restored print — in stereo, which the original release was not — was followed by a brief panel with some of those involved in the film's creation. Unfortunately, the movie was preceded by a long, condescending speech by some U.S.C. film professor who didn't seem to realize we weren't there to hear him explain the film to us…and badly, at that.
After about ten minutes of him telling us what was in this movie we were about to see, the house was getting audibly restless. You could hear muttered remarks and, pretty soon, everyone began applauding every time he came to the end of a sentence, hoping he'd get the hint and stop. On and on, he went, oblivious to the fact that he had long since worn out his welcome at the mike. Finally, he said, "Lastly…" and there was a huge burst of cheers and applause — but still he soldiered on, concluding only moments before we would (don't ask me how) have gotten our hands on tar and feathers. Unfortunately, since he consumed so much time at the outset, the panel at the end was truncated, and most people left before it started, anyway.
In-between, we saw the film, which I discussed in an article here on this site. Seeing it with an audience, as I haven't done since its initial release, I'd forgotten how funny so much of it is…and how so many wonderful moments occur just because of the slightest look or reaction on Roy Scheider's face. It was really a film meant to be seen on a big screen and with a big audience and, viewing it that way, I found myself enjoying it much more than I ever have on home video. I still have mixed feelings about the basic propriety of Fosse's portrayals of himself and those around him…but it really is an amazingly effective film. One of these days, I hope to write a really long article about it. If I do, I promise not to try and read it to a theater-full of filmgoers waiting for the movie to start.