No one can ever quite predict what Bill Murray is going to do from moment-to-moment. One day, Murray might crash a wedding party, and on the next night, join strangers for a round of karaoke. However, Murray has been known to occasionally share his love of poetry in unexpected places. This week at SXSW, Entertainment Weekly spotted Murray giving a live reading of Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s “Dog” while accompanied by the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.
#BillMurray reading a poem about a dog is something you never knew you needed…until now. @isleofdogsmovie #SXSW pic.twitter.com/z7GkTsy4rG
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) March 18, 2018
Ferlinghetti wrote “Dog” in the ’50s, and the line about Congressman Doyle as “just another fire hydrant” may have been Ferlinghetti’s commentary on the real Congressman Clyde Doyle, who was a part of the House Un-American Activities Committee. The rest of the poem appears to celebrate the innocence of the titular dog and his unique perspective on life. “The dog trots freely in the street and sees reality.†It’s hard to argue with that!
Murray came to SXSW to promote his role in Isle of Dogs, the upcoming stop-motion animated feature directed by Murray’s frequent collaborator, Wes Anderson. It takes place in a dystopian future where dogs have been forced to live apart from humanity; Murray provided the voice of Boss, a dog that attempts to help a boy named Atari reunite with his own canine companion. Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bob Balaban, and Jeff Goldblum portray the other dogs in Boss’ pack. It will be out in theaters on Friday, March 23.
What did you think about Murray’s reading of “Dog”? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
Images: EW/Fox Searchlight
Doggos galore!
- Instagram photos of dogs in food.
- Halloween parades for dogs.
- Dogs visiting a drive-through bagel shop.
