A documentary on speculative fiction writer and essayist Harlan Ellison.A documentary on speculative fiction writer and essayist Harlan Ellison.A documentary on speculative fiction writer and essayist Harlan Ellison.
Photos
Edie Adams
- Trina Yale in 'The Oscar'
- (archive footage)
Tony Bennett
- Hymie Kelly
- (archive footage)
Stephen Boyd
- Frank Fane in 'The Oscar'
- (archive footage)
Tom Snyder
- Self
- (archive footage)
Elke Sommer
- Kay Bergdahl in 'The Oscar'
- (archive footage)
Jill St. John
- Laurel Scott in 'The Oscar'
- (archive footage)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDirector Nelson was only 24 when he first videotaped Ellison at a typewriter for a March 1981 PBS documentary about science fiction and fantasy writers - footage that is included in this film
- Quotes
Harlan Ellison: Most writers I know run that idiotic number about "Oh, I like to have written but I don't like to write. It's hard work."... Of course it's hard work. If it weren't hard work, everybody would be doing it. And the better you do it, the harder the work is... Art is supposed to be hard.
- ConnectionsFeatured in An Evening with Sharp Teeth (2009)
Featured review
Solid Documentary
DREAMS WITH SHARP TEETH is a low-budget documentary about Ellison made by Erik Nelson that dates back to 1981, when Nelson interviewed Ellison for TV. Various friends and associates provide on-camera commentaries about Harlan Ellison's fiction, career, romances, personality, and how he affected their lives and world views. However, the majority of screen time is taken up by Ellison himself: reading passages from stories, telling jokes, relating childhood memories, showing us around his amazing house (nicknamed The Lost Aztec Temple of Mars), talking candidly about social issues and writing projects, or just bumming around Los Angeles. Even though there's about 60 clips of Ellison on YouTube, fans should grab DREAMS WITH SHARP TEETH because it's a priceless distillation of the phenomenon that is Harlan Ellison, warts and all.
The only problem is that at 96 minutes, the documentary is too brief. Maybe that's a compliment? For example, the archive clips could have run a few minutes longer without tormenting people's bladders and taxing the film's editor. The US DVD includes snippets of story readings, footage of the premier in LA, and an extended chat with Neil Gaiman over pizza.
The only problem is that at 96 minutes, the documentary is too brief. Maybe that's a compliment? For example, the archive clips could have run a few minutes longer without tormenting people's bladders and taxing the film's editor. The US DVD includes snippets of story readings, footage of the premier in LA, and an extended chat with Neil Gaiman over pizza.
helpful•62
- Bosch
- Nov 22, 2009
Details
- Runtime1 hour 36 minutes
- Color
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Top Gap
By what name was Dreams with Sharp Teeth (2008) officially released in Canada in English?
Answer