Saturday

"Robert Altman's 60's TV shows"
"Afraid of Everything"
"Get Bruce"

It was hard to drag my ass outta bed at noon on Saturday, but I did.

The Robert Altman TV shows of the 60's, an episode of "Bus Stop" and "Combat!," were to be shown at the State Capitol in the Capitol Auditorium. Sometimes fate is a good thing and just a few weeks ago, my parents had visited and since my mom is such a history buff, we went to the capitol and walked all around it. I thought it was cool and, luckily, it helped me today cause I knew how the Capitol was laid out and where parking was and such. Parked right next to the Capitol. You can actually just waltz right in on a Saturday afternoon, which was awesome. Saw a girl with a AFF badge and got directions. Everyone is always so nice at these things. The marble luster of the capitol continued into the screening room. It was a beautiful venue for the event. I guess it was held here because the Museum of Radio and Television was involved.

After a short wait, where we were informed that Mister Altman was on his way, he arrived. He came and talked to some festival folks who were near me and I heard them discussing how to pace the event. Altman was very nice and willing to do it as they pleased. Wherever he went, after this, he seemed to be followed by a beautiful young woman or two. After a short intro by Alan Glover of the Museum of R&TV, Altman got up, made a few brief remarks and we watched the first episode, a 1961 "Bus Stop" starring Fabian ("A Lion Walks Among Us" written by Ellis Kadison based on a novel by Thomas Wicker). The humorous thing about this episode, of course, is that it sparked a Senate hearing on violence in television in the early 60's and by 90's standards, it is almost as tame as a Disney flick. There is a tiny bit of blood and lots of Hayes code sexual innuendo, but there is nothing near what one sees on most TV these days, so the piece is quite dated. It has that "over the top" feel of old TV melodramas and B pictures. But it also had wonderful Cormanesque bebop dialogue that young pop idol Fabian spews out so gleefully during the proceedings. A quite enjoyable piece, especially seen in the context of viewing "Attack of the Bat Monsters" the night before. The language of 50's film and TV is quite interesting. It is the antithesis of subtle, it's bold and overly dramatic and so theatrical. I truly love it. Perhaps because, by today's standards, it is so pretentious.

There was an intermission and I got up to stretch my legs. Out in the hall, a guy and girl were talking and he said he had made a short called "Slappy the Clown" which was showing before "American Detective," so I assume he must be James Crowley. Inside, I glanced over at Altman and he was talking to a young woman. The couple behind him were leaning in so far, I thought they might fall over into his lap. I thought it was funny that they were so rude as to stick their faces right into Altman's space, then the guy leans back and it's Lyle Lovett, who of course has been in a few Altman films. I guess celebrities don't need me worrying about their personal space anyway.

After the intermission, we saw a "Combat!" from 1962 which was quite good. Called "Cat and Mouse," and written by Altman. Gently subversive (in it's final moments) and packed with a tension filled plot, the film is a wonderful example of an artist discovering subtlety. Altman is just getting his chops here and it shows. It's really an excellent episode. Vic Morrow, the star of the show looked so young and handsome and it was interesting to see him in this context, having previously only known him as the older actor who died while filming "The Twilight Zone Movie" in the 80's. Albert Salmi also had a wonderful role and his chemistry with Marrow was quite good. The program says the episode has an "anti war theme" but this is a bit of hyperbole. What it actually has is a sparse realism that was virtually unseen in television, let alone WWII dramas, even 15 years after the fact.

Altman got up and answered a round of questions. He hadn't seen these episodes in several years and he seemed to enjoy the experience, and rightly so; They were excellent examples of what was surely "cutting edge" TV from the 60's. Happily, all of the questions stuck to the context of his TV work and, although I really learned nothing new, I did enjoy hearing him speak. Even Lovett asked a question.

After the event, I looked around a bit to see if I could see any more celebs but didn't. I did see the lady from last night who knows Harry Knowles, so I conveniently bumped into her on the way out. We talked a bit about "Attack of the Bat Monsters," Vic Morrow and our plans for the night's viewing. I finally had the wherewithal to introduce myself to her and she told me her name as well. She is extremely nice but knowing that she knows Knowles, I sometimes feel like she's picking my brain. I guess it isn't really fair to do the same to her and not tell her I have my own website as well. When next we meet...

Later in the day, went up north, to the "other side of town" to the Arbor 7 for "Afraid of Everything." My friend Web was coming in to town via plane to hook up with me for the night. Got there early and waited around for a while. J.C. and his bro arrived close to film time and we went into the auditorium. Bro has his head shaved to play "Dracula" in his college's production of that play later this month. I am hoping to go see it. Web showed up looking clean and spiffy at the last minute.

"Afraid of Everything" is Bergman meets Jarmusch's "Stranger than Paradise." Imagine if you took the clinched, claustrophobic, stylized, squeaky clean slate of Bergman's most celluloid of films and threw a 90's wild child into the mix. That's basically what this film seems to be to me. It's a great idea and one that is expanded upon perfectly here.

The acting by the triumvirate of thespians here is nothing short of masterful. The perfect, synchronized, anal-retentive world of a young urban couple is brought to us in rich, vivid detail. There are moments on the screen where nary a word is spoken, and yet everything we need to know to understand these two are brought forth in precise, intricate, minute actions. The way the husband serves dinner, the way the wife pours the wine, these visual clues inform us of the intense, tightened world these two inhabit. Nathalie Richard and David Aukin are wonderful in these moments.

But their true life comes from how they react with the wife's younger, free-spirited sister when she comes into their sphere. The wife, still recovering from a traumatic accident, welcomes the diversion. But her reasons for this take a while to become clear to us. The husband, meanwhile, finds his long repressed feelings coming to the surface of his psyche. Sarah Adler, as the sister, is a beautiful, vibrant, breath of fresh air in the film, and in our film vocabulary. This is a character whose subtle motivations weave like silken threads into the plot. Her most reserved of moments only allow her carefree attitudes to seem all the more pleasing. The chemistry this trio shares is something quite special. And they quiet, unusual, yet perfect moments between Adler and Aukin are quite interesting.

Writer/director David Barker has crafted an excellent script. In the film's Q&A session, he told us he had spent several days working with the cast in rehearsal and that is quite evident. While it truly must be his work with his actors that have shaped the film, his work behind the camera has moments of unique pleasures as well. The opening shot, of a blurry Statue of Liberty, gives us an indication of what is to come. Yet Barker, wisely, never resorts to cinematic gimmickry or artistic posturing to pepper the film. He focuses on character and let's the visual speak for themselves in most cases. Cinematographer Deborah Lewis, an Austinite, films the proceedings in rich, textured black and white. Stunning, sterile and yet beautiful, the film is never boring to look at. It's visual sense is much of it's charm, walking that precarious line between art and pretense and rarely falling by the wayside.

Unfortunately, the film has a minor problem at it's end. A truly dramatic moment is not milked for all it is worth and, truth be told, it is unclear exactly what happens, or at least it was to me. Baker has a moment in the film, a small rash act, that even had audience members gasping with surprise and he seems to let this idea simply disintegrate at the film's ending. Perhaps he meant it to be slightly ambiguous. Perhaps I was too thick to glean it. Or maybe I am correct in saying that something small is missing here, a brief moment, a tiny verbalization. A clarification of sorts.

Still, "Afraid of Everything" is a great film and one that will surely deliver the actors and those behind the camera the kudos they richly deserve.

A not so brief intermission: Web had brought some flyers for the website to Austin as we have both worked pretty damn hard on getting things together for filethirteen. Perhaps you got one of those and that is why you are reading this now... We gave a few out at Arbor. A shitload out at the Paramount and some at the Dobie and Alamo as well.

So, some cool "pimping the site stories:" The best has to be that Web spoke briefly with Buck Henry and gave him a flyer. Afterwards, Buck came out front to smoke a cigarette and Web spoke with him again. "What's up Boss," he said to Buck. This is truly a great opening line for a conversation with a celeb. Mr. Henry was charming, polite and relaxed. I am always afraid to talk to "famous" people because I am sure everything I say sounds either stupid, pretentious or both. But enough about my phobias... more damn name-dropping.

Mark David, the director for "Sweet Thing," has got to be a merchandising genius. Have you went anywhere in town where the festival is happening and not seen his flyers, posters, or standees? I am eagerly awaiting his film and I wish it wasn't showing tomorrow night opposite the Pedro Almodovar. Thank God it is also showing later in the week. David seems like a really focused and interesting guy. The blurb for his film in the AFF program has my curiosity peaked. I have seen him several times handing out flyers and talking to people about his film. This is so cool. This is what it's all about goddammit!

We gave a flyer to a nice girl who asked for another one once she saw I had went to the Cinemaker shorts on Day 2. We talked more and she told me she was friends with Holly Hester who made "Lord of the Road." Once I told her I had been pretty mean to her friend, she didn't want the extra flyer anymore. I told her than Ms. Hester was more than welcome to respond to my criticism on the site in any way she wanted to. She said her friend was probably too nice to do such a thing. Ms. Hester did seem quite nice. Perhaps I was too hard on her. Perhaps, like Jesus, she was too easy of a target.

As "Get Bruce" was about to begin, 4 attractive young ladies approached us and gave us their flyer. They are UT filmmakers who are looking for actors for the new short, "Lady Porn." The film is a billed, by their flyer anyway, as a "comical approach to female fantasy." They are auditioning males and females, ages 20-40 later this month here in Austin. For more details, write them at ladyporn@yahoo.com and tell them filethirteen sent ya.

My electricity just went out for 2 seconds, my computer glitched and I lost my entire "Get Bruce" review. It was damn good too. The film is so funny and so great that I will rewrite the entire thing for you here and now!

"Get Bruce" is a tremendously funny film about openly gay Hollywood writer Bruce Villanch. Maybe you've seen him? He's the rather large, bearded, red-headed guy who always wears funny t-shirts and has been on the new "Hollywood Squares" with Whoopi Goldberg.

Did I say it was tremendously funny? By that I mean it is double-you-over-in-pain hilarious. Did I say Villanch was openly gay? By that I mean he is kick-the-goddamn-closet-door-off-the-hinges gay.

Villanch has worked with the great ones. And surprise, it's several of the great ones known for their appeal to gay audiences. Bette Midler, Whoopi, Lilly Tomlin and Roseanne share the screen with Billy Crystal, Robin Williams and Paul Reiser. Many of these give hilarious, elongated interviews with Villanch and describe their relationship. Villanch has worked on every benefit and every awards show Tinseltown has offered up in the last ten years or more. He practically wrote all those great songs Crystal sang to open the Oscars. He wrote for Whoopi there too. He's worked with them all. And many more are here for brief moments, Ann Margaret, Carol Burnett, Liz Taylor, Stephen Segall, Nathan Lane all stop in for moments as well.

Villanch doesn't just rely on his Hollywood friends to fill the film however. Nor does director Andrew J. Kuehn. There is Villanch's life story here to interest us. His wonderful Jewish mother is an awesome character and her love for Villanch is echoed by all the stars who appear here. The film isn't done in a self-promoting manner, however. Villanch may be around for the proceedings but instead of an "Ain't I great" documentary, Villanch simple seems to allow us to enter his world. It happens to be a world inside of Hollywood, so that helps it be more interesting. But Villanch's wit, his charm and his story is more than enough to make a film out of, if need be. Still, the stars here, like Crystal and Williams, who are known for their ability to improv, spend wonderfully enormous amounts of time on screen cracking us up and making us die laughing. It's great stuff.

Most importantly however, in it's final moment, "Get Bruce," after making us bust our proverbial guys repeatedly, breaks briefly for one quiet, sweet, personal, tender moment. Villanch gets serious and, in receiving an award from a gay organization, opens up his wonderful humanity to us. It's a poignant, real and deeply moving moment. One that begins to bring tears to our eyes. But before the first saline droplet falls, Villanch somehow manages to gather himself, makes an amusing and light-hearted yet perfectly delightful quip, makes us laugh once again, and disappears back into the film. But this one moment, this extraordinary instant in time, stays with us long after the film ends. It's one of the most wonderful moments in film I have ever seen.

Is "Get Bruce" a gay film? Not really. It is the story of a Hollywood insider who just happens to be gay. It's about Villanch's wonderful show-biz connections and how he relates humanly to the mega-stars whom he works with. It's a loving look at celebrity and how that world really works.

Is "Get Bruce" a gay film? You bet your ass it is. And it's one of the best damn gay films I have ever seen...

After "Get Bruce," Web and I went to the Alamo and the Dobie to pimp a few more flyers but we were getting hungry and tired. We went to Katz Deli for a late dinner. Afterwards, I spoke with the nice hostess who had seated us at a rather horrible table and gave her a flyer. Surprise! She's a film student at UT. She just got here from Ft. Worth a few months ago. We talked briefly of her plans, UT, Cinematexas, my website, other websites. It was a nice ending to an awesome day.

I fucking love Austin. I can't believe I live here. With all due respect to my mother and father, whom I love dearly, I am home. At last, I am finally home.