97 minutes
Directed by: Erik Nelson
East Coast Premiere



Harlan Ellison firmly believes that being a writer is no different than any of the slew of occupations one could choose in life. Writing is a job, and a difficult one at that. DREAMS WITH SHARP TEETH serves up everything you've ever (or perhaps never) wanted to know about the life and work of the man behind some of the greatest speculative fiction ever printed, televised or projected. Wielding a tongue much sharper than any sword, Harlan is a literary gladiator willing to do combat in the name of the working writer shouting a battle cry of "Fuck you, pay me!" Throughout his career, he has maintained a monstrous vitality and colossal talent that causes Hollywood producers to fear for personal safety, publishers to weep within minutes of a missed deadline and women-lots of women-to swoon.
This film captures and displays Ellison like a marooned extraterrestrial in a capsule. Footage of Harlan from childhood to the present day imparts insight into this author's constant tenacity and his inexhaustible, often cantankerous character. Ellison's close friends testify to Ellison's significance through stories that range from the hilarious to the horrifying. The most interesting moments of the film by far, though, come from Harlan himself. Whether recalling an assault on a movie studio suit or touchingly reminiscing about happier moments in his childhood, the man simply captivates. Director Erik Nelson has created a worthy portrait of one of the most respected, praised and award-winning writers of the modern era. It will surely last into the future and whatever lies beyond.

-Mark Anastasio