Etaix all kinds
“Come and join me in my enchanted world of visual comedy!”
Last Thursday I slipped out of my screening of BLESSED EVENT at the Art College (more on that later when I find a moment) and off to Filmhouse to see Pierre Etaix screen his film LE GRAND AMOUR and talk about it (via an interp). The film was awesome and is discussed in this week’s edition of The Forgotten over at The Daily Notebook. Awesome enough to make me realize I need to see ALL of M. Etaix’s films — and a cursory look at YOYO convinces me even further. Etaix is a major comedy talent whose entire body of work has been buried by a legal dispute for decades. Now he’s back, and by God, I intend to celebrate the fact!
Also at the screening was my friend from Screen Academy, Tamara, who had a moving encounter with M. Etaix — her grandfather was a clown in Belgium who worked with Etaix back in the day, it turns out. I was astonished: it seems you can know a person for years without learning the crucial information that they have clown blood.
shadowplay 
November 18, 2010 at 3:07 pm
Jerry Lewis is a major Etaix fan.
November 18, 2010 at 5:25 pm
He is indeed — see link. A fan and a collaborator. Etaix was asked if there was anybody he’d like to work with today, and he smiled beatifically and sighed and said, “Jerry.”
November 18, 2010 at 8:40 pm
“I was astonished: it seems you can know a person for years without learning the crucial information that they have clown blood. ”
A good friend recently learned she had a great great grand relative who was a mime, and is seeking to have this information expunged from her ancestry.
November 18, 2010 at 9:30 pm
It’s better to be open about these things, I feel, rather than “passing for off-white”.
November 18, 2010 at 11:03 pm
Welcome to my world! Given my last name, this has been an ongoing source of anxiety for me. I’ve been seeing a therapist lately, but I believe she’s mocking me as she conducts our sessions in “charades” form.
November 19, 2010 at 10:54 am
This devastating news from Tamara had me musing on the difference between Belgium and France. Me – “Is it like Scotland and England?” David looked horrified. “No. It’s more like Canada and The States.” Me – “Good thing I didn’t say that to Tamara then.” David – ” If you had, she probably would have ‘pied’ you.” Me – ” Yeah, her ‘clown blood’ woud have taken over and she wouldn’t be able to stop herself !”
November 19, 2010 at 11:10 am
http://www.ovguide.com/tv_episode/clown-virus-season-5-episode-2-the-goodies-221879
November 19, 2010 at 11:41 am
Many times I’ve wanted to respond in just such a manner, but found myself contained within an invisible box of which I was unable to find the boundaries. Upon release, I’ve often found myself walking against an incredibly strong wind that pushes me back so much it appears to observers I’m doing the moonwalk.
November 19, 2010 at 12:40 pm
It’s a very real illness. And sometimes hard to diagnose, since it often resembles the equally-real “attacked by invisible objects” syndrome.
November 20, 2010 at 1:16 am
You’ll find you can better handle the clown blood issue, once you decide if you’re the “laughing on the inside” or the “laughing on the outside” type. Laughing up your sleeve like a film critic is not an approved alternative.
November 20, 2010 at 7:41 am
@ Glenn; After that comment, I’m laughing on the inside AND the outside.
November 20, 2010 at 1:31 pm
I used up all my clown jokes in Cry for Bobo.
November 20, 2010 at 5:57 pm
You know, I’ve heard of Etaix and seen writeups, but have never actually watched one of his films. Any good place to start?
November 20, 2010 at 7:17 pm
You might have to wait a little while until they’re all fully available again, but Le Grand Amour and Yoyo are both magnificent.