Zoë Kravitz is an accomplished multi-hyphenate creative who recently added “director" to her impressive list of roles in showbiz. Her debut as a feature filmmaker, the horror movie Blink Twice — starring Channing Tatum and Naomi Ackie — takes us on a journey to a billionaire’s private island… where some seriously creepy events start to unfold.
More: Zoë Kravitz on making her directorial debut with Blink Twice (The Treatment, 2024)
For her Treat, Kravitz reflects on a childhood favorite, Bugsy Malone. The 1976 film is directed by Alan Parker and stars Scott Baio and Jodie Foster. She marvels at the film’s clever conceit of children stepping into adult roles within a whimsical, musical universe. Kravitz loves how the film exposes the absurdity of adult behavior by blending imagination, heart, and innocence in such a unique way. She also gives a shout-out to a young Jodie Foster for her captivating performance.
More: Zoë Kravitz says her High Fidelity character is impulsive, selfish, fear-driven (Press Play, 2020)
This segment has been edited and condensed for clarity.
I'm gonna talk about a film called Bugsy Malone, which is directed by Alan Parker, starring Scott Baio and Jody Foster. It's about these children that are playing adults, and they're kind of living in this alternative universe. They all wear suits, drive cars, go to speakeasies, and have apartments.
So I watched this as a kid and usually films that are made for children, they lack a certain amount of respect for the children that the movie is for. But Bugsy Malone is a musical, and the other incredible thing is that the kids in the film lip-sync to adult voices. And they have guns and when they shoot each other, it's whipped cream.
The absurdity of adults and what we do is so highlighted by these kids who are playing adults and trying to have really serious conversations. It's poking fun at adults in a really intelligent way.
God, these performances. Jodie Foster. I was obsessed with Jodie Foster as a kid; the charisma is off the charts and her character [is] called Tallulah. I used to dress up and put on my mom's boas and walk around singing “My Name is Tallulah.” I was just obsessed with the character.
It's just one of the most complex films that I think has ever been made. The combination of imagination, heart, and innocence is just spectacular. Alan Parker is a genius.