Tuesday night after the screenings I came home and did some writing then watch "Commander in Chief," the new TV show about Geena Davis being the president and "The Practice," which has just gotten silly. I like the new Davis show. I read some reviews saying it was typical potboiler type of stuff but I think it's pretty smart and interesting. Yes, there's a villain, played wonderfully by Donald Sutherland (for those of you working at "People" and "Us" and "EW," Sutherland was in a little movie called "M*A*S*H" and was pretty well known for his liberalism in the 70's and 80's, so his work in this vehicle is known in the industry as "Playing Against Type."

Anyway, I had to work during the day on Wednesday and after work, I headed home to chill for a bit before heading to the Arbor to see "Loggerheads" and "Cycles of Porn." I didn't really want to see the latter but Johnny Oh! did, so I opted to stay and watch it with him (a big mistake).

Got to the Arbor and saw Craig in line (with no Lance in tow) so I went up and said hello. The Agliff volunteers were handing out more of the Logo TV network coke mirrors that were also in our goodie bags. Um, hello, Logo? Yes. It's 2005. Coke mirrors are soooooo 80's! Or are you trying to say, by handing out little vanity mirrors, that fags are a bunch of snooty vain bitches? Either way, I am way insulted. Craig and I chatted a bit and he said he may miss a show at Agliff on Friday because he is a huge "Wallace and Gromit" fan. There's no accounting for taste.

As we went in, I saw cutie volunteer Kevin. For those of you keeping score at home, there are actually two Kevins who volunteer and I have begun to call the other, who has a shaved head, Kevin 2 and the one I have a boy- crush on Cutie Kevin.

Lonny Giles got up and introduced the sponsors for the film, a rep from Logo and someone from Project Transitions. The latter, early in his speech, used the word "witness" as a verb as in "I am going to witness to you." (Not what he said, but you get my drift). Craig, pedantic Johnny and I discussed that for a bit. It was like they were automatically offended and shut down because someone used "religious" terminology. Well, Craig anyway. John, I think, just mentioned it.

Another thing both of them mentioned, early in the screening of "Loggerheads" was just how awful the video presentation of the movie was. Now, I love music but I am not an audiophile. I don't have a fancy stereo or anything. A jambox or a walkman is fine for me. As long as I can hear a song and it sounds half-way decent, I am good with it. I am a cinephile but not a technophile when it comes to movies. As long as I can see and hear them I am pretty good with it. I don't care if something was shot on 35, 16, 8, DV or home video equipment, as long as it is compelling and there is some thought put into what is presented. But even I was totally disheartened by the presentation of "Wilby Wonderful" and "Loggerheads" at Agliff this year. They looked like shit. And if I noticed and Johnny noticed and Craig mentioned it, you know it is bad.

The film was preceded by a trailer for the Spanish language film about lesbians trying to get pregnant, "The Favor;" the sponsor reel with electronica dance music and a short called "Overdue Conversation." Craig hated this short but I thought it was awesome. (The filmmaker was on hand and Lonny had introduced him after the PT presentation.) In the short, two men sit and videotape one and other as they sit face to face in the park. We see, via split-screen, the image each of the men is capturing of the other with a camera pointed back at him. The film is - or at least appears to be - a documentary where the two men discuss their penchant for anonymous sex. This predilection, we learn, is in fact how they met. But the true nature of the film, the "overdue" part, was the revelation to one and other of an unspoken truth: That both men were HIV positive.

Craig hated one of the guys in the short because he talked about how he didn't think he had a responsibility to reveal his status to those with whom he engaged in anonymous sex. I found this revelation to be honest and thought-provoking. Craig actually lifted up his hand and mocked shooting the guy. This disturbed me so much that I actually had to whisper for him to stop. While I understand Craig's anger at the man's actions what he failed to consider was that this man was being honest and his frankness was a "lesson" for all of us watching the film. Johnny, who works in public health, later commented that the short reminded him of a common axiom among health care professionals dealing with HIV and AIDS: Negative people tend to assume that everyone else is negative and positive people tend to assume that everyone else is positive. While "Overdue Conversation" runs a little long, it is probably one of the most daring, honest and interesting short documentaries I've ever seen at Agliff.

Now here's the weird part: "Overdue Conversation" was made by Charles Lum, the man who made the most horrible short I've ever seen at a festival, which screened last night with "Liberty in Restraint," "Indelible." Just goes to show you that only a true artist and filmmaker can make great and horrible films. Those who make the mediocre are never artists. Lum's "Indelible" may be the worst thing I've seen in a long, long time but, at least, it did provoke a strong guttural reaction for me and isn't that what film (and art) is supposed to do?

During the film I realized I had forgot to set my cell to vibrate, so I had to turn it off. With my new phone, to turn of the ringer you have to go to the ringer setting and slowly lower the volume to zero (to get to vibrate). This is loud and annoying. When I turn off the phone, it just says goodbye. I mention this because one thing that I have not heard anyone say once when introducing a film is, "Turn of your cell phones and pagers." That used to be Agliff's ex-Executive Director Scott Dinger's mantra at the wrap up of his introductions during previous fests.

After "Loggerheads" Craig decided to go and meet up with Lance, who was playing tennis. Before the film, while Johnny was getting snacks I asked Craig how old Lance was and he told me 36 which just floored me. He looks way younger. Anyway, after we said goodbye to Craig, I got in line to get Johnny a ticket for the boys shorts the next night, dubbed "Boy-o-Rama" by Agliff, while John went and got us refills of popcorn and Coke. An attractive and lanky young man was sitting behind the table but he wasn't doing the ticket computer. I wished he was. He was so cute. I think he had been helping the bartenders on the opening night party and Johnny and I lusted after him and after a few drinks, when I was in Lodgey mode, I even said to the Johnny, "Did you tell him he was cute?" and he looked up and smiled coyly.

While he was helping people who walked up with questions, an oddly dressed young man came up and said he was from Kings and Things. This is a wonderful troupe of girls who dress in drag as guys and do lip-singing and more on stage. I saw them perform last year before a documentary about a traveling troupe of "drag kings" (and then later at the now defunct gay nightclub Sidekicks - which is currently threatening to re-open as a La Bare's club - a wannabee Chippendales rip-off) and I guess this year they were performing before "Venus of Mars." I had kind of wanted to see that film but Johnny wanted to see "Cycles of Porn." Wish we would have just split up.

In the theater before the movie, instead of music videos there was this old industrial short called "Perversion for Profit." It's a 1950's era anti- porn propaganda film which has become humorously outdated of course. I think I've seen it before at the Alamo Drafthouse or some other place. The audience loved it - LOVED it - and hooted st it and heckled it throughout. The biggest guffaws came when the name of the sponsor of the night's screening popped up in the corner of the screen: Wet lubricants.

Jenn Garrison, the cutest girl-boy I've seen in a long time (imagine if Howdy Doody mated with Alfalfa from Little Rascals and k.d. lang at the same time - her pic with me is on Day one this year) got up and introduced the film and recognized the filmmaker of the short preceding the film, Eric Freedman. His piece was called "Strip Mine" and it was about guys meeting through personal ads. It was odd though, with text on the screen in the style of an on-line profile juxtaposed against black and white home movies of an underground garage type area while a narrator told the story of meeting someone via a personal ad. There were also images of photographs with the people "cut out" and transformed into "anonymous" silhouettes via CGI effects. It wasn't particularly good or interesting.

Johnny and I talked about "Cycles of Porn" in the theater and lobby and parking lot for ages after the movie was over, as is our wont. Then I went home, had some dinner from Taco Cabana and watched some TV. Tomorrow is "Twist," the gay version of Dickens' "Oliver Twist," which I am looking forward to. I am going to skip the shorts program at 7. I am getting movied out. I need a break.

Giving away the bitter!

Lodger2005