Gray can make the English language jump through hoops like none other. He recounts a number of events, tied together by his writing of a manuscript (the "Monster" of the title), some sad, some uproariously funny, all in his characteristic, sarcastic manner. If you liked "Swimming to Cambodia" you will love this one. I actually thought this was a bit more interesting and better told than "Swimming to Cambodia". A real masterpiece.
11 Reviews
A man has to have an interesting persona, to get the audience interested
MarieGabrielle25 November 2006
in his descriptions of CAA, platinum card lunches in Hollywood, psychoanalysis, a vacation in Provincetown he never took, and free trips to Nicaragua, financed by Columbia pictures.
It sounds narcissistic, but Spalding Gray (possibly because of his unusual personality) ropes the audience in, laughs at himself (perhaps because he did not take the Hollywood thing oh-so-seriously) and gets us to care.
This monologue is not just about "The Killing Fields", or "Swimming to Cambodia"; it is more a pastiche of events, as he sees them. Some of the lines are classic, as when Gray meets with the esteemed talent agents at CAA. The conference table is ..."full of them, tanned, healthy, fresh from drinking blue-green algae from an Oregon lake...there are no drugs now in Hollywood".
This was before the tragedy occurred. Many of us will miss his off-balance humor. 9/10.
It sounds narcissistic, but Spalding Gray (possibly because of his unusual personality) ropes the audience in, laughs at himself (perhaps because he did not take the Hollywood thing oh-so-seriously) and gets us to care.
This monologue is not just about "The Killing Fields", or "Swimming to Cambodia"; it is more a pastiche of events, as he sees them. Some of the lines are classic, as when Gray meets with the esteemed talent agents at CAA. The conference table is ..."full of them, tanned, healthy, fresh from drinking blue-green algae from an Oregon lake...there are no drugs now in Hollywood".
This was before the tragedy occurred. Many of us will miss his off-balance humor. 9/10.
The Best One Man Act In Hollywood
meddlecore5 October 2013
In this monologue, Spalding Gray has returned to exploit his incredible storytelling abilities, which he will use to take us on a psychological journey through his experience of attempting to write a book (which he calls "the Monster")- after having two previously successful monologues (that is, excluding his uber-rare monologues on LA and a Personal History of American Theatre), a minor acting career (most notably in Joffe's "The Killing Fields"), and the death of his mother.
As always, he puts on one hell of an entertaining performance. I still like "Swimming to Cambodia" better, but he puts on an equally amazing performance in this piece. It's just that there isn't as much of a cinematic touch put on the film- as compared to "Swimming" and "Gray's Anatomy". The focus here is all on Spalding.
Spalding Gray is truly a master storyteller that must be seen to be experienced. I regret not getting an oppourtunity to see him live...before he passed on and all. Thankfully we have these brilliant testaments, which he has left us with. 9 out of 10.
As always, he puts on one hell of an entertaining performance. I still like "Swimming to Cambodia" better, but he puts on an equally amazing performance in this piece. It's just that there isn't as much of a cinematic touch put on the film- as compared to "Swimming" and "Gray's Anatomy". The focus here is all on Spalding.
Spalding Gray is truly a master storyteller that must be seen to be experienced. I regret not getting an oppourtunity to see him live...before he passed on and all. Thankfully we have these brilliant testaments, which he has left us with. 9 out of 10.
Don't read unless you know the final story of Spalding Gray
doncasual-113 July 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I really enjoy watching Spalding Gray's monologue films. The dry wit and humor, the self-deprecating approach to his insecurities and even those things that he felt pretty strongly about.
I was watching his "Monster in a Box" (1992) film this morning (July 13, 2007) and, again, enjoying his recollections about his professional and personal life since he made the previous hit, "Swimming to Cambodia," (1987).
And then it hit me...
Spalding Gray is dead. I'm watching a film record of a man who supposedly committed suicide by jumping off the Staten Island Ferry into the East River sometime in January, 2004.
His body wasn't found for nearly two months (March 9, 2004) and, by that time, the only thing that they believed they could recognize of Spalding Gray were the pants still clinging to the body.
I will miss Spalding Gray very much and I am appreciative of the knowledge that he will still visit me every now and then when I turn on the television and happily discover one of his old films is being broadcast. But here's the point of this comment here in IMDb: Watching "Monster in a Box" reveals a high degree of potential insight into what is to become of Spalding Gray seventeen years into the future. All you have to do is listen... and think, "This man will commit suicide seventeen years from when he spoke these words." Think about this, what he said in Monster in a Box"... He is talking about the Christmas holiday season approaching. The only way he knew it was coming was because he had heard something about it on the radio. And for some reason or another (I didn't catch this part) he wanted to participate in a suicide telephone helpline, where he might help people who had become despondent and suicidal during the holidays.
In order to join the suicide hotline "team," Spalding had to undergo a written test and then be interviewed by team leaders who were to determine his suitability to the task of stopping others from killing themselves.
He "failed" the interview. One member of the interview team told him that it would be a good idea if he (Spalding) sought psychological counseling. This confession got a good laugh from the audience... but I knew something they didn't - and I thought about it: Perhaps helping others to stop from killing themselves might have been the best form of counseling Spalding Gray could ever have had. I'm not sure.
Despite the fact that Spalding Gray had been habitually despondent ever since an auto accident in Ireland in 2001 had left him suffering from severe nerve damage, he had always struck me as being a tortured soul on the edge of self-destruction. His mother had committed suicide (he comments in the film about his own mother's severe despondency and how, on one occasion near the end, she had asked his advice on how she could best end her own life). It makes you wonder if suicide could somehow be genetic.
Anyway, I thought that I would share this thought with you and - along with me - watch "Monster in a Box" again sometime in the future, and pay particular attention to the hidden asides and innuendoes of a suicide yet to come. If you note something of interest, maybe you'll share it with me... You can comment on it in the IMDb blog or chat room or whatever they call it at the bottom of the IMDb "Monster in a Box" web page. I'll start a "thread" in there called "Staten Island Ferry." Come and add your comment.
I was watching his "Monster in a Box" (1992) film this morning (July 13, 2007) and, again, enjoying his recollections about his professional and personal life since he made the previous hit, "Swimming to Cambodia," (1987).
And then it hit me...
Spalding Gray is dead. I'm watching a film record of a man who supposedly committed suicide by jumping off the Staten Island Ferry into the East River sometime in January, 2004.
His body wasn't found for nearly two months (March 9, 2004) and, by that time, the only thing that they believed they could recognize of Spalding Gray were the pants still clinging to the body.
I will miss Spalding Gray very much and I am appreciative of the knowledge that he will still visit me every now and then when I turn on the television and happily discover one of his old films is being broadcast. But here's the point of this comment here in IMDb: Watching "Monster in a Box" reveals a high degree of potential insight into what is to become of Spalding Gray seventeen years into the future. All you have to do is listen... and think, "This man will commit suicide seventeen years from when he spoke these words." Think about this, what he said in Monster in a Box"... He is talking about the Christmas holiday season approaching. The only way he knew it was coming was because he had heard something about it on the radio. And for some reason or another (I didn't catch this part) he wanted to participate in a suicide telephone helpline, where he might help people who had become despondent and suicidal during the holidays.
In order to join the suicide hotline "team," Spalding had to undergo a written test and then be interviewed by team leaders who were to determine his suitability to the task of stopping others from killing themselves.
He "failed" the interview. One member of the interview team told him that it would be a good idea if he (Spalding) sought psychological counseling. This confession got a good laugh from the audience... but I knew something they didn't - and I thought about it: Perhaps helping others to stop from killing themselves might have been the best form of counseling Spalding Gray could ever have had. I'm not sure.
Despite the fact that Spalding Gray had been habitually despondent ever since an auto accident in Ireland in 2001 had left him suffering from severe nerve damage, he had always struck me as being a tortured soul on the edge of self-destruction. His mother had committed suicide (he comments in the film about his own mother's severe despondency and how, on one occasion near the end, she had asked his advice on how she could best end her own life). It makes you wonder if suicide could somehow be genetic.
Anyway, I thought that I would share this thought with you and - along with me - watch "Monster in a Box" again sometime in the future, and pay particular attention to the hidden asides and innuendoes of a suicide yet to come. If you note something of interest, maybe you'll share it with me... You can comment on it in the IMDb blog or chat room or whatever they call it at the bottom of the IMDb "Monster in a Box" web page. I'll start a "thread" in there called "Staten Island Ferry." Come and add your comment.
Best of genre
caa82125 November 2006
Three of the things you can say about Spalding Gray are: he certainly marched to the beat of his own "drummer;" he was never at a loss for words; and he obviously felt that those watching and listening to him would be interested in every aspect of his life, experiences and thoughts - no matter how trivial at times.
Most of us are not quite as far "off the wall" as he was. Most of us aren't as interested in sharing the most minute parts of ourselves with others - even one-on-one or in small groups, let alone on stage.
But that doesn't make it any less-interesting to watch and listen to this erudite, unusual man. And after seeing one of his performances, on reflection, we can find many of his articulate musings were perhaps more relevant to our own lives and thoughts than we may have first thought.
Granted, he was a "New York/avant-garde" type of personality, and undeniably a bit "strange." (There are those who would maintain describing someone as "New York" and strange" was being unnecessarily redundant.)
I give him a "10" for the talent he presents in this genre which is his specialty.
Most of us are not quite as far "off the wall" as he was. Most of us aren't as interested in sharing the most minute parts of ourselves with others - even one-on-one or in small groups, let alone on stage.
But that doesn't make it any less-interesting to watch and listen to this erudite, unusual man. And after seeing one of his performances, on reflection, we can find many of his articulate musings were perhaps more relevant to our own lives and thoughts than we may have first thought.
Granted, he was a "New York/avant-garde" type of personality, and undeniably a bit "strange." (There are those who would maintain describing someone as "New York" and strange" was being unnecessarily redundant.)
I give him a "10" for the talent he presents in this genre which is his specialty.
Spalding Gray at his best
framptonhollis30 August 2017
His voice projects every emotion imaginable in a matter of seconds...fear, confusion, sarcasm, irony, sadness, hope, happiness, etc., etc. Spalding Gray is a different kind of performer, a man whose monologues have continued to enthrall and inspire me ever since I first came across them. In "Monster in a Box", Gray recounts the years he spent writing a massive nearly 2,000 page semi autobiographical novel after his mother's suicide. Constantly being sidetracked by his own, absurd misadventures, Gray's life becomes a whirlwind of comic mischief and insightful self reflection.
This piece allows the viewer to get inside the head of one of the performing arts' most underrated geniuses. Gray thankfully left his mark on the world before unfortunately deciding to have his own experience with suicide, one that be rid America of one of its greatest, funniest, and most unique talents. "Monster in a Box" is among his very best work as it combines all of the elements that made his work so fantastic and entertaining, particularly his humor and heart. Often outwardly wacky and quirkily comical, this film also contains moments of subtle poignancy. Whether this is truly a tragedy or a comedy by nature is up to the audience to decide. From my perspective, it further proves my ongoing theory that life is neither tragedy nor comedy, but rather a whirlwind of those two emotions; two emotions that aren't as clearly defined as we seem to think they are, two emotions far more similar than they appear.
This piece allows the viewer to get inside the head of one of the performing arts' most underrated geniuses. Gray thankfully left his mark on the world before unfortunately deciding to have his own experience with suicide, one that be rid America of one of its greatest, funniest, and most unique talents. "Monster in a Box" is among his very best work as it combines all of the elements that made his work so fantastic and entertaining, particularly his humor and heart. Often outwardly wacky and quirkily comical, this film also contains moments of subtle poignancy. Whether this is truly a tragedy or a comedy by nature is up to the audience to decide. From my perspective, it further proves my ongoing theory that life is neither tragedy nor comedy, but rather a whirlwind of those two emotions; two emotions that aren't as clearly defined as we seem to think they are, two emotions far more similar than they appear.
The sound of one man talking
bandw18 February 2007
I watched this mainly because I liked "Swimming to Cambodia," but for me this is a lesser effort. It takes no small ego to think that you can keep people's interest for ninety minutes by sitting at a desk and telling what's been happening to you for the last several years. Gray has more success at this than most, but the stories he tells here about living in Los Angeles, traveling to Nicaragua, dealing with an AIDS scare, being the stage manager in a production of "Our Town," and so on, just did not captivate me.
The music, sound effects, lighting changes, and varying camera angles (that I presume were intended to make this monologue more interesting) I found distracting. And Gray himself engages in some unnecessary histrionics.
This film is not without its moments but I doubt that I will remember much about it in a week. It will be best appreciated by more devoted Spaulding Gray fans than I.
The music, sound effects, lighting changes, and varying camera angles (that I presume were intended to make this monologue more interesting) I found distracting. And Gray himself engages in some unnecessary histrionics.
This film is not without its moments but I doubt that I will remember much about it in a week. It will be best appreciated by more devoted Spaulding Gray fans than I.
Appalling, Vacuous Crap
Planar_Being29 August 2021
What was I thinking? Who, other than a close relative, would give 10 stars to this horse-manure? The guy is not even funny once. He exudes a sense of entitlement as "a witty guy," but turns out to be a bag of wind. Worse than Dinner With Andre, though I didn't think that would ever be possible. My despair for humanity would now be unendurable but for the one thing that keeps me going when all else fails: the FFWD button.
Monologue in a Theater
CharlesPeterWatson30 August 2004
It isn't a movie but a monologue performance on film and a really good monologuist performance by Spaulding Gray. Anecdotes embellished for storytelling are patterned to fit in with flashbacks to the "Impossible Vacation" that sits atop the desk.
Gray theatrically converses with the audience and other viewers of the performance, at times with the minimalist-synthesized score by Laurie Anderson to accentuate the mood. You will feel both the attempt for Gray to come full circle and the subtle depression Gray exudes through his retrospections well into the performance.
Anyone who has lost someone close to mental illness or has lived a life like that of Spaulding Gray will empathize as they watch this series of strange adventures into writing, acting, relationships, society, and the simile of personal solitude to self-realization whenever experiences unexpected encounters through one's own ambling.
Gray theatrically converses with the audience and other viewers of the performance, at times with the minimalist-synthesized score by Laurie Anderson to accentuate the mood. You will feel both the attempt for Gray to come full circle and the subtle depression Gray exudes through his retrospections well into the performance.
Anyone who has lost someone close to mental illness or has lived a life like that of Spaulding Gray will empathize as they watch this series of strange adventures into writing, acting, relationships, society, and the simile of personal solitude to self-realization whenever experiences unexpected encounters through one's own ambling.
How to make a movie about nothing
Jonathan-1330 September 1998
Jerry Seinfeld has nothing on Spalding Gray. This is one of the more unusual 90 minutes you will spend, as Gray discusses the trials and tribulations of writing a screenplay.
The entire movies shows Gray sitting at a desk, looking straight ahead. He deals with personal and professional relationships, religious and ethical beliefs; and yet somehow manages to hold your attention.
Not for everyone, but you can actually watch it in parts, or even flick back and forth if it's on TV. The snippets of Gray's life sometimes seem real, sometimes unbelievable, but always give a feeling of truly looking into another person's soul.
The entire movies shows Gray sitting at a desk, looking straight ahead. He deals with personal and professional relationships, religious and ethical beliefs; and yet somehow manages to hold your attention.
Not for everyone, but you can actually watch it in parts, or even flick back and forth if it's on TV. The snippets of Gray's life sometimes seem real, sometimes unbelievable, but always give a feeling of truly looking into another person's soul.
Absorbing monologue.
yeahman1 April 2000
Actor/monologuist Spaulding Gray sits behind a desk and spends an hour-and-a-half talking to an audience about the years he spent composing his autobiographical novel "Impossible Vacation." If this sounds remotely interesting to you, then you're probably gonna love it. Gray has a talent for being funny, sad, and insightful all at the same time; he's much more than a teller of witty tales. And he's rarely dull. After watching this film and his "Swimming to Cambodia" (also recommended), I can honestly say that I would pay money to listen to this man talk any day of the week.
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