Kiss of the Spider Woman

Culture is very important to my parents. Without lecturing or torture, they somehow instilled in me a desire and appreciation for art. I remember accompanying my father to far away movie theaters tucked away in a hidden corner of some strip mall or winding our way through narrow pathways amongst palm trees toward a brightly light marquee all in an attempt to see an art film that had sparked his curiosity. I vividly remember all of the movies I saw with him as well as all the quirky and charming theaters we traveled to.

One of the films I remember being most struck by was The Kiss of the Spider Woman. I was reminded of the film, which I haven't seen in over twenty years, while listening to a really remarkable interview with one of the film's primary actors, William Hurt. During the interview, William Hurt described his approach to acting and qualified what truly great acting is in an utterly inspiring and fascinating way. It made me want to make much more of an effort to watch great performances and not be distracted or romanced by clever, ironic dialog or special effects. Below I've listed some other films in which I believe William Hurt delivers a memorable performance, all of which are readily available for check out at the Austin Public Library.

Altered states
Body heat
A history of violence