Toback Vs. Mailer: The Incident

Directed by Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie

With James Toback, Michael Chaiken, Hailey Benton Gates, Larry Sloman and Jacob Perlin

Directed by Josh and Benny Safdie, this punchy short features James Toback recounting a bizarre, years-long rivalry sparked by a drunken argument with Norman Mailer over bourbon versus Scotch—an ego duel that escalates from boozy barbs to a tense Jets–Browns stare-down and a few jabs to the gut. A brisk, first-person tale of bravado, celebrity circles, and the fine line between literary legend and street-corner scuffle.