Under the Influence: Miranda July on SEX, LIES, AND VIDEOTAPE

​When the KAJILLIONAIRE director saw Steven Soderbergh’s indie landmark as a teenager, she was transfixed by its exploration of desire mediated by technology, a theme that would later emerge in her own boundary-pushing work.​ In this video, she talks about the lasting influence the film has had on her intimate approach to cinema.

[@scotia7326]

One of the greatest independent movies ever written. 💕

[@cassiecarpenter]

It’s in my top 10. That score! It’s so simple and mesmerizing, like a play. It ushered in the independent film movement (unfortunately due to Harvey Weinstein) of the nineties. Soderbergh wrote a sequel in quarantine... I hope we get to see it.

[@stevemorse108]

A very interesting presentation on a masterpiece.You brought up some points that didn't occur to me It found resonance with me because I had obsessed about an ex of mine for years like the central protagonist in the film and had transformed her into a mythological being and in the process I lived in the shadows of my own obsessions. The catharsis Spader's character experiences really moved me and the realization that he was living in a dream world wasting his life. Your observation of his and her speech style is excellent. The connection between them because of their psychological impairments is also excellent. I thought that the last scene which, if memory serves Spader is sitting outside his house and some drops of rain fall on his face is a subtle metaphor because for the first time in years the outside world or reality obtrudes itself on him or he is aware and interacting with it. It was indeed a highly original and masterful film. Thank you for your insightful presentation.You are right that those having sex have no true intimacy whereas those who are impaired arrive at intimacy. Interestingly when John and Anne are in bed and share a moment of intimacy when he has lied and is pretending that his lack of interest in having sex with her results from being overloaded with work it doesn't last because he looks bored and gets back up and out of bed...i.e. lies kill true intimacy. I too watched one video tape Dead Calm when I was in a depression after my relationship ended with the girl I was obsessed with because it was the only video I owned.I realized after that my life was in a dead calm and I had sombered into a quasi psychotic or at least highly neurotic state...watching a huit clos or intimate drama depicting a dysfunctional psycho-drama.As you may know both Plato and Aristotle warned of the future deleterious effects of technology.....interesting predictions....portable phones, video tapes, infotainment that confirm Huxley's predictions of societies imploding from within and the gadgets of consumerism. The scene where Spader's character receives real intimacy from Anne after she realizes that he had shut himself off from it as she had due to neurotic barriers is a form of powerful epiphany.The balance between physical and emotional intimacy is achieved through the catharsis of their confrontation. The director apparently put all his money into this film and the cast agreed to participate in this tenuous venture for small salaries all working together to create a film of real stature and would pave the way to new perceptions and ways of filming. I would be interested to watch your films..any links? Thanks and best regards from Switzerland.

[@markroberts1301]

That was an amazing review! I'm very interested to see Miranda's work now. SLV was one of those movies that was unlike any other I had seen at the time. It is great to hear someone dissect it, and break it down in this way, as she said it is kind of hard to discuss with a casual film watcher because of the criteria most apply to what is "good"

[@LouisFPak]

Truly great film. Thanks for sharing your thoughts as a creative person…I remember you from somewhere back then. I will say this about that period of time, the New Age folks…older than me…I’m 63….say that the late 80s were a time when our global consciousness rose dramatically. It did for me, but I couldn’t see it. Somehow this movie captured that…the silence in the ending…when all has been said…that…that sense of the that ‘ the present moment was wholly a new level of reality’. …because the characters had exposed all the lies….that’s ‘ the thing’ that it’s about. It’s about transcendence ….a better newer level of reality.

[@r.t.aegean3236]

Many thanks and many blessings to you for posting this podcast on KZbin. Hopefully, it will spark the interest of a few "KZbinr's" to check out "Sex, Lies, And Videotape". If I could only recommend one film to someone, it would be this one. It is so original, and gently explores that very human concern : sexual intimacy. Is it too idealistic to say that one of the most Divine, Holy, and Sacred aspects of being human is in sexual intimacy? And yet - at the same time, realistically - the human sexual instinct, the human sexual drive, energy, force, power, pressure / whatever the dang thang IS ... seems to be all out of proportion to anything / everything else connected to being a healthy human being. It may be that with present and future generations, this film will somehow, someway, guide the way to a beautiful sexual enlightenment. P.S. "Criterion Collection" : As far as I am aware, there has not been a "novelization" of the film published. Are you aware of any such "novelization"? As was mentioned in the video, I am aware that the script, etc, has been published.

[@jmp01a24]

Was nice to hear a review from a young woman's perspective. I remember the movie well. It made an impact on me, watching it when I was about 16-17 yo. I really liked the honesty about talking freely about a taboo subject.

[@dyutiparnaguha8693]

She had hella cool parents.

[@Theomite]

How could she turn out the way she did if she didn't?

[@dyutiparnaguha8693]

@@Theomite True dat.

[@nicolaszhu6327]

Creepy parents

[@MarsMellow84]

Have always heard about this movie but have never seen it. I'm totally going to now!

[@fotoautomatmusic]

Watched this in the mid 90s but no idea how, would never have watched it at home with folks so it tustve been late night movie after they'd gone to sleep. I remember because it fascinated me and. I watched sex and the city from 1998 when it came out and I was just 15 and know id seen this before. Amazing film.Managed to pick up a nice 2nd hand copy of the soundtrack on vinyl recently too, Cliff Martinez score is amazing.

[@heatherpaar6982]

Loved James Spader. Yum

[@LECITIZENTEN]

I’m a huge Soderberg fan, but how she feels about Sex, Lies and Videotape is how I feel about Me and You and Everyone We Know.

[@sc0408]

one of my favorites!!! excellent film

[@KiKifulton]

It would be nice if the movie was available on Criterion app.

[@Andreaseye]

Amazing movie! I own only 2 DVDs of films and this is one of them. The other is “Amelie”.

[@liannahuang1434]

wow the clear influence of this on all fours

[@leonbarnett8813]

Such a good movie

[@KayButtonJay]

One of the best of the 90s

[@YodasPapa]

89

[@johnsonapioras8697]

Great movie

[@deanlock2986]

I hope you one day do an Adventures in Moviegoing with July

[@clairebaumfalk4459]

Same

[@AlonsoRules]

the camera never lies

[@eduardocampos5739]

Yes! I’ll be expecting kajillionaire in the closet ASAP! Invite Evan to take her picks and Miranda too! Loved hearing July talk!

[@qui_etes_vous]

I'm so getting this movie on netflix

[@condors1972]

nice to meet a fellow obsessive

[@Enr227]

Technology as bridge or obstacle

[@rufuspipemos]

SL&V was made for $3 million. One hundred of these movies costs the same as one awful Star Wars movie.

[@7heavenlyvirtues]

😊

[@ODjangoo]

8:11 lol. back and forth

[@dominicgamboa2554]

Gen Xer indulgence

[@condors1972]

Not everybody

[@vaskylark]

Cynical much?

[@deengew]

what a redundant way to explain that movie, no duh

[@seedier]

probably because she was just giving a synopsis??? HUUUDURRRR

[@johnsonapioras8697]

Great movie