Director David O. Russell freaks out during filming

Oh, YouTube! You’ve done it again.

It took a long time to come out, but someone has posted footage of Director David O. Russell going off on Lily Tomlin. Once again, this shows the power of “new film.” It’s another of those clips that captures someone saying or doing something they probably shouldn’t. And it plays out better than any movie you could write.

No one’s disputing the pressure, paranoia and tension that can work its way onto a movie set. Getting a movie made period is probably one of the hardest things to do. Making that movie good is sometimes beyond anyone’s control. But there is no directing course or book out there that advocates this approach to working with actors. Everyone has different ways of working, but a hostile director is never going to bring out the best in people.

Two thumbs up on this clip of a director going berserk and making an ass of himself. My favorite part is watching him prance around yelling “Grow up! You’re not a baby!” It’s ironic given how immature he looks during these lines. Maybe he should go back to spanking the monkey.