Live Chat - February 7, 2001
Moderator
Hello
everybody! Rutger just entered the room!
Welcome back Rutger!
Rutger
Goodevening or goodmorning depending
on your timezone!
Question
Any news about your projects
yet? I'm so surprised I can't think of any
questions!
Rutger
Forthcoming
projects are none. I'm working/talking and
developing. Need to see people. Takes some
time. Is fine with me. I have a nice Newsletter
in my Mac which will be on the web in about
a week. Telling you about this and that.
What's going on. Never a dull moment.
Question
How does it feel to be back to Europe? I'm
an American living in Europe now for 10
years and it's very strange for me to return
to the US - I sort of feel foreign. How
about you when you return to Europe?
Rutger
I've
always felt kind of foreign but there is
only one piece of grass I call home. But
I'm in Amsterdam right now. It's wet, cold,
windy but nice.
Question
Do
you have any information on your recently
completed projects? Will Jungle Juice have
a theatrical release? And do you know when?
Rutger
What
is so great about the Internet is that the
moment anybody hears anything about me,
they tend to come here and ask. But to answer
the question: "I HAVE HEARD ZILCH". I have
no idea what is going on.
Question
Did
you like working with Lina Wertmueller?
Rutger
Working
with Lina was a joy. We got along really
well.
Question
Just
wanted to say thanks for putting my short
story online. Made my year.
Rutger
Gordon,
I like the short storything. I haven't read
yours yet. Will soon. All the others I'm
up to par with. Some really good ones there
too.
Question
You
have taken us all by surprise! How is Ineke
now?
Rutger
Ineke
is recovering slowly. It's a hell of a cold
and she needs medicines for a damn month.
Question
Rutger,
any chance that you will be in Italy in
the near future for your projects? Your
Italian wolfpack is strong!
Rutger, no matter what you say. WE LOVE
YOU HERE IN ITALY!!! But could you say something
nice anyway!!! LOL
Rutger
Rowanne,
I may come to Milano in the next month or
two. Possible. It's a strong no. 1 on the
wishlist.
Question
Rutger,
my wishlist is even stronger than yours!!!
Do you like Italy? I know that Ladyhawke
was filmed in part at the castle just outside
Parma.
Rutger
When
I worked on Ladyhawke it was my first time
ever in Italy. I drove the big truck around
to Cortina d'Ampezzo, L'Aquila - close to
Rome, and to the castle close to Vicenza.
It was very exciting. Had a lot of funny
adventures. With the carabinieri. With a
sweater that had been stolen by some guy
but because it was such a LOUD sweater and
I had described it so well, the carabinieri
caught the guy three days later because
he was wearing it.
Question
This
is my first time here and Rutger shows up.
Pretty cool. I'm wondering, not knowing
how often you chat in here, is this kind
of refreshing and home thought evoking,
to be able to log on from around the world
whenever you want? I'm sure it would make
me feel better at times in the same situation.
Rutger
Dear
Gordon, I think about it, it's amazing,
almost gross and totally mindblowing. But
that's where I live. Not all the time. But
somewhat. A spectator most of the time.
But this is my first time too. I don't really
feel comfortable with announcing me coming
to the chat. I think I'll just join randomly
and quack. It feels less shiny.
Question
Do you have any more information about
your Starfish organization?
Rutger
Starfish
is developing its arms gently, in all modesty
and slower than I would wish. It's a fact
of life. I can motivate people somewhat
but after I left the islands, people's lives
took over. But it's working. We've just
decided today that its help will be focused
on the needs of infected children. They
can only get help on the mainland. So we
buy some tickets. That sort of thing. I
promise to keep you informed as it gets
more tools and width. Thank you for asking.
Question
What
can we do to help or to contribute to the
association?
Rutger
I'm setting up a website for Starfish.
The moment it's up and running I will inform
you about activities and it will be a LINK
from this site.
Question
Rutger,
what was it like directing yourself in The
Room? Difficult or easy? Was it tempting
to be lazier or opposite?
Rutger
To
me directing is better than not. When acting
there is no directing. Then we watch &/or
just know what was wrong. If you are on
your own the inner dialogue is always between
YOU&YOU. But with a partner you get a different
bounce. Like that.
Question
What kind of books do you prefer?
Rutger
Some
of the ones I read. I read too little. I
love reading. But it comes after writing
myself. And I haven't even started poems
or my biography, which will be an audiobiography.
Soundbytes. But it means writing it first,
then recording it. I'm ashamed of not reading
more. Another loss. Life's soooooooooo short.
Question
Rutger,
what is your preferred role to play-the
baddie like in The Hitcher, the Romantic
Hero like in Ladyhawke or the supporting
character like in Amelia Earhart? By the
way, what was it like to work with Diane
Keaton?
Rutger
Diane
Keaton is one of the most interesting actresses
I have worked with. Great. What intelligence,
what sense of humour. I'm
an actor. I own a tool, or a gift, or instinct.
I can go many places with this. I like variety.
I hate molds. After one dies is the only
place for a mold. It doesn't matter.
Question
Rutger,
you are a true Aquarian, always showing
compassion to those less fortunate. It's
lovely to see amidst such apathy in the
world. I wonder, had you not become an actor,
what would have been your calling?
Rutger
A
spacecadet, a muffin, a willow, a horse,
a doctor, a shrink, a vet. That rhymes.
Question
Rutger..Legend
of the Holy Drinker is one of my favourites!
Was your character difficult to get inside?
Rutger
It's one of my BIG favourites too. I'm too
close to the subject. I don't really know
about difficult or inside. What was hard
was the fact that Ermanno Olmi hardly speaks
English. A translator needed to be there
all the time. I feel we broke an incredible
barrier doing that film. I made a very interesting
documentary on the making of, which hasn't
been shown. Ermanno had never allowed anybody
to photograph him. He liked the film. But
it's in a vault in LA. Waiting to be released.
Question
Do you have a favourite film of all the
films you have done? If so, which and why?
Rutger
Blade Runner
Question
Why Blade Runner?
Rutger
BLADE RUNNER
needs no explanation. It just IZZ. All of
the best.
There is nothing like it. To be part of
a real MASTERPIECE which changed the world's
thinking. It's awesome.
Question
To
me The Legend of the Holy Drinker is too
much moving. I cannot re-watch it. How do
you feel when you see yourself crying in
it?
Rutger
Crying
is one of the very few things that irritate
me. Because it is mostly over the top. As
long as the audience feels what's going
on. Contained is more than enough. Tears
don't fool me. They are no proof, necessary.
I watch the character when I watch my movies.
There is hardly much self.
Question
Are
you referring to tears in movies only or
also in real life?
Rutger
We're
talking about movies with very few tears.
Even "tears in rain" was more rain than
tears. But it's there.
Question
And
is there a difference to you between crying
and getting moved?
Rutger
How
many ways are there to be moved & crying?
How many ways to be moved without it or
how many ways of crying are there without
being moved, really? This is a very wide
territory. Can't club that one in a tiny
hole.
Question
Are
you enjoying being back in The Netherlands?
Rutger
It's
my homeland. It's very nice.
Question
Rutger,
qual'è il tuo sogno in questo momento?
Rutger
AMSTERDAM.
Question
Rutger,
which is according to you the primary message
conveyed by The Room?
Rutger
The
story of The Room is told through the voice
of a man who has died and does not exist.
The question remains if he does. The question
remains if there is a design which we can't
decipher. The question remains that death,
or life have reason or meaning. Or do they.
Life is such a delicate thing. It may be
transparent one moment for some, it may
not be. Or just not for some others. If
a message can be translated from a film,
the film has lost its identity. A message
for me kills or eliminates the colours I
like.
A film mostly speaks in images. The way
I know IT got me is that I walk out of it
in a certain mental state. Sort of how you
feel reading a book that holds you. L'année
dernière à Marienbad. Coming home. The cuckoo's
nest. Crying game. Fargo. The woman in the
sand. Just some titles.
Question
I
like to infiltrate myself in the tiny holes
of the mind. What about you and why?
Rutger
What's the ugliest part of your body? This is Frank Zappa in one of his songs. He sings ''Itsah tha Mihnd!''. Well, yeah, that also. But it's precious. It has possibilities. And we're just starting to use some of it. My arm and neck are killing me. I will leave you now and take a hot bath. Wish you all well. I'll do it again.
Moderator
Thanks
everybody for being here. Let's meet again
next time, same place. All the very best!
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