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Last
night I went to bed before anyone else. I just couldn't take
anymore, there was no way that I could stay awake my head
hurt way too bad. I think I caught a slight cold. But, today
I was rested and ready to go.
We woke up at about nine, I filmed Lodger and Stubby for a
second sleeping, then it was time to go. We all watched Harry
Knuckles, an insane film that Stubb had told me about after
catching the last few minutes yesterday.
Then Lodger, Web and his wife. Me and Stubb hung back for
a bit While he finished a few things on the site, I watched
a wonderful documentary called "Moonshine" which I highly
recommend if you're reading this. I watched this and Harry
Knuckles on screener tapes that Slamdance provides the media
with. It's a very good idea. Right before we left Stubb and
I looked over the schedule for Slamdance and layed out a game
plan to try and structure our day by, which ended as soon
as we parted ways right after we got there.
He went on to see Rock Opera and I went to see 7-teen sips
at Slamdance main theater. When I got there the place was
pretty dead, so I went right up and asked if I could get a
ticket with my media pass. The girl handed me a ticket and
told me that it was the last one. But, then I got jerked all
around and had to go to the media desk and speak with somebody
there about it before getting the ticket.
When I get back there some guy's talking to the two girls
behind the desk. So, I patiently wait my turn and get out
the screeners I had borrowed so I wouldn't be wasting anybody's
time when I got up there.
So, they finished and I step up and ask them what exactly
are the rules on getting tickets and such if you are a part
of the media and have a pass. To which they inform me that
you can only have this or this or some such shit that didn't
really piss me off just slightly annoyed me. Until I went
to hand them the screeners and they tell me that the desk
isn't open yet. Now, all I want to do is hand them some fucking
videos and all they have to do is turn around and place them
on the shelf two feet behind them, but I guess if you're off
the clock you're off the clock. And I thought they did this
for the love of film. They finally hand me a notepad and pen
and tell me to write my name and the name of the site which
I do. Then leave.
I decide well, if I can't get in here no big deal everyone
wants you to see their films so I walk back down to Nodance
and a guy is peddling his film out on the steps so I ask him
what time it starts. He says "It actually started a few seconds
ago" so I run up the escalator and head in.
I came in I think about ten minutes into it, but it turned
out to be okay, because it was a very entertaining film. I
sorry I didn't catch the beginning of it.
Afterwards the filmmaker and his subjects, who were the makers
of last year's Nodance winner "The Big Muddy" stand up and
do a little Q&A session. The director of the subject film
has another this year on the circuit called "Central Garden"
which I've heard is extraordinary despite the ending. Anyway,
they were a very nice group of people.
Then they showed "Warm Blooded Killers" which I wasn't very
impressed with, except the actress who played the main guys
sister and partner in crime. She was very good. The director
got up after this and talked a little about it in a very informal
Q & A in which he said his budget was fifty-five thousand
dollars. Now, this doesn't seem like much, but I did leave
out one very important fact about the "film" and that's that
it was shot entirely on DV. That's alot for a video, I don't
care what anybody says. This is just one of the many that
have amazed me with their "Low" budget. Some shorts I've seen
have cost around seventy-five thousand and others very close.
This blows my mind. I guess I'll just have to make one before
I can really talk though, so I'll shut my mouth on that.
Since, being let down by the last screening I decided to hit
the streets to hand out flyers and do a bit of filming. This
was very nice wandering around a city that new to me all alone
and not have to do a thing really except make the video I
was making and take care of some of my responsibilities on
the site.
I
filmed all of the flyers that people have put up around town
and flyers that even I have handed out and thought that that
could make a very cool subject. The careless disregard to
which people will promote their films. I actually filmed a
guy sitting in the middle of the street on a blanket just
to get attention for his film. There were others who were
on the street filming him but not saying anything so I ask
"What're you selling?" which he proceeds to tell me after
a little prodding. I don't think he was sure I wanted him
to sell it to me. He after I said he was the bomb and walked
off he said that I'd given the best set up he's heard all
day. I almost had to lay the burns on the camera guys who
were actually getting paid. I shot some more of stickers on
traffic signs, flyers on the ground next to trashcans where
people carelessly threw them, etc. As I was filming I came
across a guy who was about to hang one up nearby so I asked
if I could film him. He said sure and come to find out he
was promoting "Gigantic" the film that Tom Twyker (director
of Run Lola Run) produced. He was very nice and I actually
held one to help him. I wander all around some more and got
some great stuff. I come around the corner to find Kyle Mclachlan
just chillin' on a bench talking to someone. I told him "Sorry
but I gotta be the bad guy" and I film him for a second which
actually didn't come out cause I pressed the record button
on and off too fast. Oh well, it was the spirit of the thing
and that he was cool about it.
I met up with Stubb a few steps down and tell him what I had
just seen and he of course doesn't believe me until he goes
over and films him himself.
Then
we walk a little further down to Cisceros where we were supposed
to meet the gang and Mark David (director of "Sweet Thing").
We go in and he's there so we all talk for a bit about this
evening's events and such and I give him a t-shirt. I had
never met him before, but he seemed very nice, I hope to tape
him in the days to come running around and such promotion
his film.
We
all head out and go our separate ways again, Lodger and Stubb
to a Sundance screening, which Stubby scored yesterday from
the director of the film "Snow Daze" and Me, Web and Netty
go out on our own down a little ways where we come across
a news crew doing an interview with none other than Jason
Priestly. Web tells me aloud "Dude it's Luke Perry go up to
him", I notice that it's not and correct him before he makes
an ass out of somebody. It was really funny. So, I walk up
and give him a flyer for the site (Web gave him a t-shirt)
and tell him good luck with his film "Barenaked in America"and
he tells me the same even though I just told him I was from
a website. Oh, well he's a very busy guy and extremely nice.
After our interest in him fades we notice that a few feet
away a few people are taking pictures with some woman who
looks very familiar but none of us can seem to put a finger
on it until Netty points us in the right direction, then I
say Molly Shannon (Saturday Night Live's Mary Catherine Gallagher).
She starts walking towards us and we agree that, yes this
is Molly Shannon and since we all like her work so much we
want a picture, so right when we go to ask she says "I'm not
Molly Shannon sorry" and keeps walking. We all don't believe
that she isn't and would rather believe that possibly she
is and has just snubbed us.
We
go back to the car so we can return to the condo for a bit.
I realize that it's a little after five and remember that
they are going to give out press tickets for Mr. Priestley's
film which I wanted to see before meeting him. So, I go back
to the Slamdance media desk at five like they had told me
to earlier. But, apparently there has been some sort of miscommunication,
so I get a little more of the runaround, a little more of
the attitude and this makes me decide to blow the whole thing
off, I am really disappointed with Slamdance by this point.
Some of the folks are very nice, like one of the girls at
the media desk I'm not sure of her name but the others need
a nap I think or at least a little break.
We go back to the hotel for a bit.
When
we get back into town Web notices John Popper from Blues Traveler
just hanging out on the sidewalk talking to fans so me and
Netty go and take a picture with him continuing on with a
theme that's been going on all day. Her taking pictures with
stars she doesn't really like or know like Jason Priestley
and Kyle Mclachlan.
I
eventually head out on my own again to find Stubby and Lodger
to get a ride back into town later. I go first to Slamdance
to see if possibly he's hanging around or viewing a sci-fi
flick he wanted to see called "System Noise" which I caught
the last fifteen minutes of and was pretty impressed with
what he had to say until the director got up to speak, he
was a little too cocky for my taste, but oh well let the art
speak for itself.
After
the screening I still can't find the others anywhere so I
decide to wander about the streets and hand out the bundle
of flyers I still had left. I was doing a really good job
until two cops passed and tell me of the ordinance that prohibits
this so I agree to stop, but ask if they would mind me recording
them telling me this, which they didn't. People should have
more of a sense of humor about themselves, maybe I'll work
on that too.
I
freely wander for the next hour or so hoping to find them.
As I was walking I notice that a block down there was a large
crowd and lights from television camera. So, realizing that
something big was going on I decide to head over and check
it out. Sure enough it was a Films for Aids charity party
I think, or something of this sort and when I walked up a
young girl was being interviewed who I think was Kirsten Dunst,
but I'm not positive. I was gonna take a picture but didn't
want to be to annoying so I let it pass. She finishes up and
walks inside. Then somebody says "Hey Johnny can I ask you
a few questions?" and here comes Johnny Rotten of Sex Pistols
fame. I can't pass this up, I have to retain my title as the
king of celeb shots of this trip, so I go to take the picture
but the flash takes too long and I get him when he's made
it inside, so the photo turned out a little shitty but you
can make if out if you knew who you were supposed to be looking
at and wanted to believe. The crowd calmed down when it looked
like no other stars were gonna pass so I decided to head out
too, since I got the pen ultimate of shots.
I
wander about some more until I come back to the Slamdance
building and decide to take a seat on the steps. I tried to
get the number to the hotel but they didn't have a listing
and when I went to locate my shuttle schedule I found that
I had left it at the house, so I was stranded until I found
the others.
As
I was sitting on the steps a couple of guys start talking
and one of the says that he was the executive producer on
"Pi", which makes me turn around and ask him to confirm this
to which he does and to which I reply "You're a fucking badass"
then just walked off. They probably thought I was a freak,
but oh well. That's what I felt was right, show my love but
not overburden, I don't like to do that.
I
don't have anywhere to go but to the bed and breakfast that
Web was staying at for his b-day. Where we had also ran into
the "I'm not Molly Shannon" woman who we talked to for a bit
and turned out to be very nice her name was Shawna (I'm not
sure how to spell it). So, anyway since I didn't have a ride
back. He called me a cab.
It
gets there, I get in and head for home. It picks up a few
people along the way. One of which was the editor on the Orson
Welles film "It's all true". I got to talk to a guy who edited
for Orsen Welles. Now, if this isn't pure insanity then I
can't imagine what would be. This is a perfect example of
how unbelievable it is here, the fact that some nobody can
rub elbows with somebody that is very well established and
even further that they're very cool. I love this time I have
been able to spend here it's been great and I have two and
a half more days of it. I hope, but am sure that it will not
disappoint.
TIM
the wonder Horse
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