Fishing with John
John Lurie's Cult Wildlife Show
John Lurie's haunting music beautifully accentuates the already odd atmosphere surrounding the fishing exhibitions; specifically the title song sung at the beginning of each episode, inspired by Satie's Gymnopedie No. 1; the song has gained a certain cult status of it's own.
Episode 1: Montauk with Jim Jarmusch
The first episode features independent film legend Jim Jarmusch (Broken Flowers). As a long time collaborator with John Lurie on such movies as Permanent Vacation (1980), Stranger Than Paradise (1984), and Down By Law (1986), Jarmusch is the natural choice.
The fish in question is the shark. So, John and Jim set out on a fishing boat off the coast of Montauk, Long Island in search of the cold-blooded killer. It's only a matter of minutes before Jarmusch is questioning his decision to join his friend, stating, Why am I here?
Eventually a Hemingway-esque battle will ensue between the guys and the elusive shark. But, unlike The Old Man and the Sea, no real lessons will be learned.
Episode 2: Jamaica with Tom Waits
Lurie and Waits paddle a canoe along a winding river through a lush green jungle; Waits seems quite enthused to be on the journey; singing an impromptu song entitled River of Men. Once on shore, the sight of Tom Waits and John Lurie walking on the beach in short-shorts pondering the beauty of driftwood is an early indication of the humorous tone this episode will take.
They spend the night before their fishing trip in conversation with John's friend Leon. The scenes are quite lovely, shot in a golden hue, with a taste of Lurie's more subtle music wafting through.
It's not surprising to discover in the course of this episode, everything that comes out of Tom Waits' mouth is either very funny or simply poetic, or both.
Once on the boat, Tom gets seasick. John suggests throwing up, but Tom replies, I hate to throw up such a beautiful breakfast. So, they return to shore and join in on a lively game of cards with Leon.
Tom and John return to sea, and catch multiple red snapper. With nowhere to put the fish caught, Tom suggests keeping them in his shorts, and for a little while he does; proclaiming his own brand of catch and release: catch, put in shorts, then release.
Episode 3: Costa Rica with Matt Dillon
Matt Dillon squirms in his seat as the small prop plane carrying himself and John Lurie ducks and dives in and out of clouds along the determined route leading to the jungles of Costa Rica. On land, John and Matt mount horses to carry them through the picturesque landscape on their 3-day trek.
They meet up with a supposed wise man who imparts his vast wisdom and knowledge in the art of fishing; John only understands part of what the wise man says.
Apparently, the one thing John did pick up from the wise man, was instructions on how to do a fishing dance that would guarantee catches. John and Matt dance the dance very awkwardly, in the hopes that it will bring many fish their way.
They take to the river; John asks Matt if his name is a stage name; the answer is no; as a matter of fact, Matt explains that when his parents named him, they truly didn't believe the show Gunsmoke would last past one season; the Narrator announces, Gunsmoke was one of my favorite shows.
The magical wise man arrives as an aberration and delivers the restless men an abundance of fish to catch, and thus ends the show.
Episode 4: Maine with Willem Dafoe
Ice Fishing in the sub zero great north region of Maine with Willem Dafoe; the guys build a fishing hut out of scattered debris, the Narrator remarks, real men doing real things.
Three days and no fish. Just endless views of barren snow covered flat lands. So cold, the two men don't really speak. According to an extensive interview conducted with John Lurie after Fishing With John had ended, he and Willem had actually spent many vacations together in real life, which inspired the concept for the show.
Four days and still no fish. And after day five, cheese crackers, blood circulation, and frost bite become top concerns over fishing. Sadly, the show ends with the narrator announcing, that after five days, John Lurie and Willem Dafoe died of starvation.
Episode 5, Parts I and II: Thailand with Dennis Hopper
Narrator: Amazing, John Lurie is still alive. Dennis Hopper waits in his luxurious hotel room in Bangkok for a call from John. They meet in the airport, and quickly dash off to embark on what the narrator claims to be a very dangerous trip to find a mythical sea creature known as The Great Squid.
John notices early on that Dennis is eating an inordinate amount of sugar: candy bars, chewing gum, and soda pop. No explanation is ever given. Of course not. Their destination is uncertain, along the way, there will be the hilarious sight of Frank Booth playing ping-pong, dressed in a striped t shirt and blue jeans, wearing a faux jewel encrusted baseball cap; as well as a bewildered Hopper wandering through the streets of a tiny village looking for a Diet Coke.
The One That Got Away
Fishing With John, with it's strange and beautiful music, eccentric monotone narration, and leisurely pace, is a pleasant diversion. It's ironic that no matter how far astray John Lurie took his guests, or how far off course he steered his boat, the show ended up at the same place, as the fishing shows he set out to parody: a couple of guys sitting around shooting the breeze, waiting for the fish to bite.
Fishing With John
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