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{{Short description|American film director (1935–2021)}} |
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{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2021}} |
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{{Infobox person |
{{Infobox person |
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| name = Milton Moses Ginsberg |
| name = Milton Moses Ginsberg |
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| image = |
| image = |
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| caption = |
| caption = |
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| birthname = |
| birthname = |
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| birth_date = {{birth date|1935|9|22}} |
| birth_date = {{birth date|1935|9|22}} |
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| birth_place = [[The Bronx]], [[New York (state)|New York]], U.S. |
| birth_place = [[The Bronx]], [[New York (state)|New York]], U.S. |
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| death_date = {{death date and age|2021|5|23|1935|9|22}} |
| death_date = {{death date and age|2021|5|23|1935|9|22}} |
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| death_place = [[Manhattan]], New York, U.S. |
| death_place = [[Manhattan]], New York, U.S. |
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| othername = |
| othername = |
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| education = [[Columbia University]] (BA) |
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| occupation = Director, Writer, Editor, |
| occupation = Director, Writer, Editor, |
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| years_active = |
| years_active = |
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| spouse = Nina Posnansky |
| spouse = Nina Posnansky |
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| website = |
| website = |
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| awards = |
| awards = |
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}} |
}} |
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'''Milton Moses Ginsberg''' (September 22, 1935{{spnd}}May 23, 2021) was an American film director and editor. |
'''Milton Moses Ginsberg''' (September 22, 1935{{spnd}}May 23, 2021) was an American film director and editor. He was noted for writing and directing ''[[Coming Apart (film)|Coming Apart]]'', a 1969 film starring [[Rip Torn]] and [[Sally Kirkland]], and ''[[The Werewolf of Washington]]'' starring [[Dean Stockwell]]. |
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==Early life== |
==Early life== |
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Ginsberg was born in [[The Bronx]] on September 22, 1935. |
Ginsberg was born in [[The Bronx]] on September 22, 1935. His father, Elias, was employed as a cutter in the garment district; his mother, Fannie (Weis), was a housewife. He attended the [[Bronx High School of Science]], before studying literature at [[Columbia University]], where he obtained a [[bachelor's degree]].<ref name="NYT obit">{{cite news|title=Milton Moses Ginsberg, Unconventional Filmmaker, Dies at 85|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/12/movies/milton-moses-ginsberg-dead.html|first=Richard|last=Sandomir|date=June 12, 2021|access-date=June 12, 2021|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> |
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==Career== |
==Career== |
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===''Coming Apart''=== |
===''Coming Apart''=== |
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Ginsberg directed his first feature film, ''Coming Apart'', in 1969. |
Ginsberg directed his first feature film, ''[[Coming Apart (film)|Coming Apart]]'', in 1969. It starred [[Rip Torn]] as a mentally disturbed psychologist who secretly films his sexual encounters with women. [[Sally Kirkland]], who was simultaneously filming ''[[Futz! (film)|Futz!]]'' at the time, also stars.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Howard |title=Rip Torn, Sally Kirkland, and the Sexual Revolution on Stage and Film |work=The Village Voice |date=March 13, 1969}}</ref> The film was shot in a one-room, {{cvt|15|x|17|ft}} apartment in [[Kips Bay Plaza]], on a budget of $60,000. Shooting lasted three weeks.<ref name=Smith>{{cite news|title=After 'Coming Apart,' a Life Did Just That|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/09/10/movies/after-coming-apart-a-life-did-just-that.html|first=Dinitia|last=Smith|date=September 10, 1998|access-date=June 12, 2021|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> Ginsberg filmed the entire movie with one static camera setup, in a manner simulating a non-constructed "fake documentary" style, influenced by [[Jim McBride]]'s ''[[David Holzman's Diary]]''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Horwath |first1=Alexander |editor1-last=Elsaesser |editor1-first=Thomas |editor2-last=King |editor2-first=Noel |editor3-last=Horwath |editor3-first=Alexander |title=The Last Great American Picture Show: New Hollywood Cinema in the 1970s |date=2004 |publisher=Amsterdam University Press |isbn=90-5356-493-4 |chapter=A Walking Contradiction (Partly True and Partly Fiction)}}</ref>{{rp|86}} |
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Critical reception was mixed. |
Critical reception was mixed. ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'' reviewer [[Richard Schickel]] praised Torn's performance, Ginsberg's inventive use of camera and sound, and the "illuminating" portrayal of a schizophrenic breakdown.<ref>Schickel, Richard. "Cracking Up On Camera" Life, October 17, 1969</ref> Critic [[Andrew Sarris]] gave it a less-favorable review, and the film was a commercial failure.<ref name=Smith/> The film later attained a cult following among critics and filmmakers.<ref name=Smith/> |
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In a 1999 volume of ''[[Film Comment]]'', Ginsberg |
In a 1999 volume of ''[[Film Comment]]'', Ginsberg stated: |
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| ⚫ | {{Blockquote | ... the film was about a psychiatrist encased in his own reflection, using a hidden camera to record his own disintegration. The film was also about the pleasures and price of promiscuity, and about the form and duration of cinema itself - or so I hoped. And to a degree that still embarrasses, it was about me. Appropriate, the title, ''Coming Apart''.<ref name=FilmComment1999>{{cite journal |last1=Ginsberg |first1=Milton Moses |title=How to Fall Into Oblivion and Take Your Movie With You: COMING APART |journal=[[Film Comment]] |date=1999 |volume=35 |issue=1 |pages=4–6 |jstor=43454642 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43454642 |issn=0015-119X}}</ref>{{rp|4}}}} |
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{{Quote| |
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| ⚫ | the film was about a psychiatrist encased in his own reflection, using a hidden camera to record his own disintegration. The film was also about the pleasures and price of promiscuity, and about the form and duration of cinema itself - or so I hoped. And to a degree that still embarrasses, it was about me. Appropriate, the title, ''Coming Apart''.<ref name=FilmComment1999>{{cite journal |last1=Ginsberg |first1=Milton Moses |title=How to Fall Into Oblivion and Take Your Movie With You: COMING APART |journal=[[Film Comment]] |date=1999 |volume=35 |issue=1 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43454642 |issn=0015-119X}}</ref>{{rp|4}} |
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}} |
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===Subsequent work=== |
===Subsequent work=== |
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In 1973, Ginsberg wrote and directed the satirical horror film ''[[The Werewolf of Washington]]'' starring [[Dean Stockwell]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Malcolm |first1=Derek |title=Yawning space: Derek Malcolm reviews more new films |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79466970/yawning-space-derek-malcolm-reviews/ |access-date=June 13, 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=October 23, 1976}}</ref> |
In 1973, Ginsberg wrote and directed the satirical horror film ''[[The Werewolf of Washington]]'' starring [[Dean Stockwell]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Malcolm |first1=Derek |title=Yawning space: Derek Malcolm reviews more new films |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79466970/yawning-space-derek-malcolm-reviews/ |access-date=June 13, 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=October 23, 1976}}</ref> Eschewing the minimalism of his previous feature, Ginsberg demonstrated a more technically complex film style.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Puchalski |first1=Steven |title=Slimetime: A Guide to Sleazy, Mindless Movies |date=2002 |publisher=Headpress/Critical Vision |isbn=1-900486-21-0}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4igSDgAAQBAJ&pg=PT246|title=The Werewolf Filmography: 300+ Movies|publisher=McFarland|date=February 6, 2017|last=Senn|first=Bryan|page=238|isbn=9781476626918}}</ref> |
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After a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 1975, Ginsberg became depressed and withdrew from filmmaking.<ref name="NYT obit"/> |
After a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 1975, Ginsberg became depressed and withdrew from filmmaking.<ref name="NYT obit"/> He returned to directing in 1999 and 2001, with the short films ''The City Below the Line'' and ''The Haloed Bird''.<ref name=Smith/><ref name=FilmComment1999/>{{rp|6}} |
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After his final feature film, Ginsberg primarily made a living as a film editor,<ref name=Smith/> working on two [[Academy Award|Academy Award-winning]] documentaries, ''[[Down and Out in America]]'' and ''[[The Personals: Improvisations on Romance in the Golden Years|The Personals]]'', among others.<ref name="NYT obit"/> |
After his final feature film, Ginsberg primarily made a living as a film editor,<ref name=Smith/> working on two [[Academy Award|Academy Award-winning]] documentaries, ''[[Down and Out in America]]'' and ''[[The Personals: Improvisations on Romance in the Golden Years|The Personals]]'', among others.<ref name="NYT obit"/> He edited both parts of the miniseries ''[[Fidel (2002 film)|Fidel]]'' (2002) for director [[David Attwood (film director)|David Attwood]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Television Review – Castro's Road, a Historical Pageant|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/26/arts/television-review-castro-s-road-a-historical-pageant.html|first=Ron|last=Wertheimer|date=January 26, 2002|access-date=June 12, 2021|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref name=BFI>{{cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b9fa4c12f|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210612233508/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b9fa4c12f|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 12, 2021|title=Milton Moses Ginsberg|publisher=British Film Institute|access-date=June 12, 2021}}</ref> |
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==Personal life== |
==Personal life== |
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Ginsberg married Nina Posnansky, a painter, in 1983. |
Ginsberg married Nina Posnansky, a painter, in 1983. They remained married until his death.<ref name="NYT obit"/> |
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Ginsberg died on May 23, 2021, at his apartment in [[Manhattan]]. |
Ginsberg died on May 23, 2021, at his apartment in [[Manhattan]]. He was 85, and suffered from cancer prior to his death.<ref name="NYT obit"/> |
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==Filmography== |
==Filmography== |
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|1969 |
|1969 |
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|''Coming Apart'' |
|''[[Coming Apart (film)|Coming Apart]]'' |
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|Director |
|Director |
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|<ref name=BFI/> |
|<ref name=BFI/> |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ginsberg, Milton Moses}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ginsberg, Milton Moses}} |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:1935 births]] |
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[[Category:2021 deaths]] |
[[Category:2021 deaths]] |
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[[Category:Artists from New York City]] |
[[Category:Artists from New York City]] |
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[[Category:Film directors from New York City]] |
[[Category:Film directors from New York City]] |
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[[Category:People from the Bronx]] |
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[[Category:Columbia College (New York) alumni]] |
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Latest revision as of 05:32, 15 October 2023
Milton Moses Ginsberg | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 22, 1935 |
| Died | May 23, 2021 (aged 85) Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
| Education | Columbia University (BA) |
| Occupation(s) | Director, Writer, Editor, |
| Spouse | Nina Posnansky |
Milton Moses Ginsberg (September 22, 1935 – May 23, 2021) was an American film director and editor. He was noted for writing and directing Coming Apart, a 1969 film starring Rip Torn and Sally Kirkland, and The Werewolf of Washington starring Dean Stockwell.
Early life[edit]
Ginsberg was born in The Bronx on September 22, 1935. His father, Elias, was employed as a cutter in the garment district; his mother, Fannie (Weis), was a housewife. He attended the Bronx High School of Science, before studying literature at Columbia University, where he obtained a bachelor's degree.[1]
Career[edit]
Coming Apart[edit]
Ginsberg directed his first feature film, Coming Apart, in 1969. It starred Rip Torn as a mentally disturbed psychologist who secretly films his sexual encounters with women. Sally Kirkland, who was simultaneously filming Futz! at the time, also stars.[2] The film was shot in a one-room, 15 ft × 17 ft (4.6 m × 5.2 m) apartment in Kips Bay Plaza, on a budget of $60,000. Shooting lasted three weeks.[3] Ginsberg filmed the entire movie with one static camera setup, in a manner simulating a non-constructed "fake documentary" style, influenced by Jim McBride's David Holzman's Diary.[4]: 86
Critical reception was mixed. Life reviewer Richard Schickel praised Torn's performance, Ginsberg's inventive use of camera and sound, and the "illuminating" portrayal of a schizophrenic breakdown.[5] Critic Andrew Sarris gave it a less-favorable review, and the film was a commercial failure.[3] The film later attained a cult following among critics and filmmakers.[3]
In a 1999 volume of Film Comment, Ginsberg stated:
... the film was about a psychiatrist encased in his own reflection, using a hidden camera to record his own disintegration. The film was also about the pleasures and price of promiscuity, and about the form and duration of cinema itself - or so I hoped. And to a degree that still embarrasses, it was about me. Appropriate, the title, Coming Apart.[6]: 4
Subsequent work[edit]
In 1973, Ginsberg wrote and directed the satirical horror film The Werewolf of Washington starring Dean Stockwell.[7] Eschewing the minimalism of his previous feature, Ginsberg demonstrated a more technically complex film style.[8][9]
After a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 1975, Ginsberg became depressed and withdrew from filmmaking.[1] He returned to directing in 1999 and 2001, with the short films The City Below the Line and The Haloed Bird.[3][6]: 6
After his final feature film, Ginsberg primarily made a living as a film editor,[3] working on two Academy Award-winning documentaries, Down and Out in America and The Personals, among others.[1] He edited both parts of the miniseries Fidel (2002) for director David Attwood.[10][11]
Personal life[edit]
Ginsberg married Nina Posnansky, a painter, in 1983. They remained married until his death.[1]
Ginsberg died on May 23, 2021, at his apartment in Manhattan. He was 85, and suffered from cancer prior to his death.[1]
Filmography[edit]
| Year | Title | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Coming Apart | Director | [11] |
| 1973 | The Werewolf of Washington | Writer and director | [11] |
| 1986 | Down and Out in America | Editor | [1] |
| 1990 | Listen Up: The Lives Of Quincy Jones | Editor | [11][12] |
| 1995 | Catwalk | Editor | [11] |
| 1997 | Pronto | Editor | [11] |
| 1998 | The Personals: Improvisations on Romance in the Golden Years | Editor | [11] |
| 2000 | Sidney Poitier: One Bright Light | Editor | [11] |
| 2002 | Fidel | Editor | [11] |
| 2005 | A Father... A Son... Once upon a Time in Hollywood | Editor | [11] |
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f Sandomir, Richard (June 12, 2021). "Milton Moses Ginsberg, Unconventional Filmmaker, Dies at 85". The New York Times. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
- ^ Smith, Howard (March 13, 1969). "Rip Torn, Sally Kirkland, and the Sexual Revolution on Stage and Film". The Village Voice.
- ^ a b c d e Smith, Dinitia (September 10, 1998). "After 'Coming Apart,' a Life Did Just That". The New York Times. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
- ^ Horwath, Alexander (2004). "A Walking Contradiction (Partly True and Partly Fiction)". In Elsaesser, Thomas; King, Noel; Horwath, Alexander (eds.). The Last Great American Picture Show: New Hollywood Cinema in the 1970s. Amsterdam University Press. ISBN 90-5356-493-4.
- ^ Schickel, Richard. "Cracking Up On Camera" Life, October 17, 1969
- ^ a b Ginsberg, Milton Moses (1999). "How to Fall Into Oblivion and Take Your Movie With You: COMING APART". Film Comment. 35 (1): 4–6. ISSN 0015-119X. JSTOR 43454642.
- ^ Malcolm, Derek (October 23, 1976). "Yawning space: Derek Malcolm reviews more new films". The Guardian. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
- ^ Puchalski, Steven (2002). Slimetime: A Guide to Sleazy, Mindless Movies. Headpress/Critical Vision. ISBN 1-900486-21-0.
- ^ Senn, Bryan (February 6, 2017). The Werewolf Filmography: 300+ Movies. McFarland. p. 238. ISBN 9781476626918.
- ^ Wertheimer, Ron (January 26, 2002). "Television Review – Castro's Road, a Historical Pageant". The New York Times. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Milton Moses Ginsberg". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on June 12, 2021. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (October 5, 1990). "Listen Up: The Lives Of Quincy Jones movie review (1990)". www.rogerebert.com. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
