SXSW
2002 - Day 7 - Thursday March 14, 2002
After work, Allan Campbell picked me up at my place
and we headed to MYEC. I asked Allan to drive because
the ignition switch in my car has been acting weird.
I’m afraid it’s going to get stuck in the on position.
I need to get that checked out.
We went to the MYEC and we were way early. We decided
to check out the food court. Some young man who looked
like Ben Savage was behind us in line. After we sat,
I told Allan that I should go up to him and say, “How’s
Topanga?” Allan didn’t get it. He’s never seen “Boy
Meets World.” Oh duh. He’s straight.
I went into the restroom and Allan went into the
theater. When I came in he was talking to some guy about
film. This guy was from Houston originally and had worked
on rap videos for The Ghetto Boys and other rap bands
in the 90’s when Houston was going through its popular
Third Coast phase with rap. Like everything in Houston,
it died pretty quickly. When the work dried up the guy
moved to Austin. He and some of his friends want to
do shorts. Allan was trying to hype me and the cable
access show to the guy. Apparently Allan doesn’t realize
that everyone who comes to Austin thinks they’re going
to make films. I thought I was going to make films when
I got here too.
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ZigZag
author Landon Napoleon
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We were watching “ZigZag,” a film by David
Goyer and the novelist who wrote the book on which
the film is based (Goyer adapted it as a screenplay)
was there for a Q&A. His name is Landon Napoleon.
It was interesting for SXSW to have a writer at
a screening; that’s more an Austin Film Festival
type thing. It be more obvious for SXSW to have
the guy there who did the score. And this film
had the score (by Grant Lee Phillips) pumped way
up!
After the screening, we went to the Paramount.
We only had 30 minutes to get there (It’s like
7 minute drive) and Allan got paranoid we’d be
late. I don’t like to be late either but I knew
we had plenty of time. Plus, I like to sit in
the third row, so I almost never worry about having
a seat I like.
On the way I called J.K., my friend who is
a boy, and asked if he wanted to meet us for dinner.
We were going to see Chris Smith’s “Home Movie”
and it only runs about an hour, so I knew we’d
be out a little after 11pm. J.K. wasn’t sure what
he wanted to do (he was about to get in the shower!)
so I agreed to call him after the film.
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After the film Allan and I decided to go
to Katz’s. J.K. was going to Boyz Cellar and some of
our mutual friends were there and he wanted me to come.
I didn’t feel up to it. The festival drains me and I
am way to tired to party. Plus a guy J.K. thinks is
cute was going to be there (this guy doesn’t seem to
know he’s alive) and I didn’t want to see J.K. flirt
with him all night. It just seemed like a bummer waiting
to happen, so I opted out.
Plus I kinda hate the Boyz Cellar. I went there
with my friend Mike and J.K. and they drank free all
night. Guys were even shoving money into Mike’s pants
(or so he claimed). Maybe he just knows how to work
it. It was ridiculous. The Boyz Cellar simply reinforces
the standard acceptance of young men being objects of
beauty who should have money showered upon them. It
reinforces the idea that in the gay culture, youth is
a commodity. It’s repulsive to me, in a way. I was discussing
this with Allan Campbell and he suggested that the same
sort of value system was in place in straight bars where
the owners place attractive young women in the crowd
so guys will buy more drinks for them. I know it’s a
standard, accepted thing in culture. Doesn’t mean I
like it though.
Tomorrow I’m hoping to see CQ. That’s got me hyped.
Lodger @ SXSW2002
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