You ever take your mom to a movie without realizing that the movie has some scenes you’d rather not watch while sitting with your mom? Well, imagine taking your mom to a secret screening at Sundance, and the film ends up being Lars Von Trier’s full penetration epic of vulva closeups and rack focus jizz shots, Nymph({})maniac. That’s what happened to Skeleton Twins director Craig Johnson and his 64-year-old mom Julie.
Variety interviewed her about the experience:
Did you think the story was interesting?
I thought it was an interesting story, and my husband Steve was pretty reluctant to stay for the movie. But when he go the part where the older gentleman [Skargard] pulls out the Izaak Walton book and they start comparing graphic sex to fly fishing, Steve leans over and says, “This looks interesting. I’ll stay awhile.”
“I wasn’t interested in a film about sex and filthiness, but I never considered it might be a metaphor for fishing.”
What about all the nudity?
I wasn’t put off by the nudity. But I thought the montage of all the different male genitalia was totally unnecessary.And the love scenes?
Well, I wouldn’t call them love scenes. She’s a nymphomaniac. She wasn’t even really paying attention. I don’t know much about nymphomaniacs. But my understanding is they are kind of insatiable.
Man, I want Craig’s mom to review everything. “I don’t know much about terminators, but my understanding is that they’re kind of into killing.”
Did you ever close your eyes?
That’s something I told Craig I would do if it got too bad. But I did not. I might have looked away a little bit during the montage of penises, because frankly that wasn’t very attractive.
There are some more spoilery thoughts of hers in the article, but to make a long story short, she gave it a B. Fair review, Craig’s mom, fair review.