#8

I think gay people have finally made it. They are using the Smith's song "How Soon is Now" to sell cars on TV.

I posted my review of "Illuminata," the new John Turturro film, on the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com) and recieved the following reply via e-mail (my review states that the film will be compared to "Shakespeare in Love"):

"I hope it won't be so compared: it will demonstrate how foolish can be the press, considering this film was made a few *years* ago (at least three), long before "Shakespeare in Love."  I worked as an extra: I can be seen at the top of the theatre steps as Christopher Walken's carriage arrives (and as Walken is pelted with peanuts).  I am at the left, bearded (at the time), prominent nose (this exterior was shot in Brooklyn).  Later (still before the leisurely opening credits really end, I think) I can be seen in the audience while Turtorro speaks to the audience (the theatre stage and audience was shot in Jersey City, New Jersey in a church/school).

What we shot we could not even see the stage: they had up a white screen for light reflection.  They were just shooting us.  We were told how to react and at what point.  Originally when Turtorro comes out there was to be far more reaction from the audience.  It works that the audience now just sits there, wondering if what they see is part of the play.

I am at the very far left of the screen, almost in darkness, rather close on me, sitting (interestingly enough) next to me (just beyond me) is my mother wearing the blue dress.

I've lived in Los Angeles now for coming on four years.  "Illuminata" is listed at 1998 as that was when it was first shown in Cannes, apparently. I've been waiting patiently for its release, and finally saw it yesterday."

regards,

Geoffrey Gould

http://home.earthlink.net/~realbadger/res-play.htm

Wow - two letters in one day. Bob Ray, director of "Rock Opera," responds to the review I wrote of his film:

"hey, thanks for the good review.  i'm glad you enjoyed the film.  i hope i didn't come off as too full of myself, but i was pretty nervous and drunk and running around trying to be the diplomat and all.

In case you were wondering, the chicken chase scene was shot on Super 8 negative film.  I painted Jerry blue and the chicken pink (that's how I got the colors all tweaked out).  I had the lab transfer the film as a negative and that's how we got it to be washed in red (the negative base has a orange-red color to it that they take out when making the positive print for projection, I had them leave it in for the transfer).  By the way, the chicken was not harmed.  The feathers that Jerry spit out were from a feather duster & the chicken is happily living at a free range chicken ranch (although I'm not sure if its still pink)..

Also, we projected the film via video and someone had been messing with the contrast and brightness on the projector, because it was all washed out and had very little contrast.  Under ideal situations (either on a television if on video, or projected from a film print) it would look a lot better.

thanks again for the write up and check out the web site if you get a chance:" http://lonestar.texas.net/~crashcam/

---bob .

Saw a preview of "Mystery, Alaska" which I liked. Although I'm a huge David Kelley fan and it is reminiscent of "Picket Fences" (which is my 2nd favorite TV show of all time) in some ways, so maybe I'm biased.

Top 5 TV shows of all time:


1. Twin Peaks
2. Picket Fences
3. The Dick Van Dyke Show
4. All in the Family
5. Saturday Night Live

I remember in the 70's when we got a copy of "The Book of Lists," which I see now may have had a more profound effect on me than any Kurt Vonnegut I ever read.

If you're a David Fincher fan and you can't wait 2 more weeks for his "Fight Club," go see "Stigmata." It isn't a rip-off of "seven" story- wise, but visually, it pays homage to/rips-off Fincher in every frame. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I'd rather be despised.

I have these dreams every once in a while and in them I am going to a movie theater that I have never been to before. The places are always old theaters and inside they are like mazes with confusing stairs and never ending curtains, usually deep black or dark red velvet, which hide walls and doors, and there are several doors that lead to nowhere and things like that. Or they lead up stairs to places that are old and dusty and not used anymore. Invariable I get lost and turned around and confused, missing the begining of the movie. When I do finally get to see the film, I constantly waver between seeing the film and actually being in it. So one minute I am watching a film where a man is going to jump on a moving train, and then the next minute, I am on top of the moving train myself. Although, I kinda know I'm in a movie and I'm upset because I've missed the beginning. So I don't know why the man was jumping on the train. And therefore, I don't know what to do once I have found myself on the train. And I again curse myself for missing the begining of the film and I curse the theater for not being more understandable architecturally. I am not sure what this means.

Weird synchronicity - the day I know I am going to screen "An Ideal Husband," a film based on an Oscar Wilde play, I find out that UT is having an exhibit of some of Wilde's things - correspondance, postcards, pictures and the like, I believe. Also, Wilde's grandson, or great- grandson will be here to give a lecture and an actor is going to read my favorite Wilde book, "De Profundis" as well as a part of this. I'm kind of a Wilde freak so this is pretty cool to me. Too bad "An Ideal Husband" is rather lame. I'm really disappointed in Rupert Everett this year. This and "Inspector Gadget." Bad show, old man.

Groovy Austin music scene calendar


9/13 - Roedelius - Flamingo Cantina
9/15 - Bob Dylan and Paul Simon - Frank Erwin Center
9/16 - Little Feat and Dr. John - Lazona Rosa
9/17 - Tom Petty & HB - Frank Erwin Center
9/22 - Chemical Brothers - Austin Music Hall
9/23 - They Might Be Giants - Lazona Rosa
10/1 - Abra moore - Lazona Rosa
10/1 - Motorhead - Backroom
10/2 - Loudon Wainwright III - Cactus Cafe
10/2 - Margaret Cho - Paramount Theater
10/5 - Cheap Trick - Lazona Rosa
10/6 - Tricky - Lazona Rosa
10/7 - Willie Nelson - Stubbs
10/9 - Paul Rodriguez (comedy) - The Backyard
10/9 - The Damned - Backroom
10/10 - Robert Palmer - Lazona Rosa
10/13-15 - Mandy Patankin - Paramount Theater
10/15 - Public Enemy - Stubbs
10/17 - Moody Blues - Frank Erwin Center
10/18 - Frontline Assembly - Backroom
10/28 - Sick of it All - Backroom

I wanted to see Margaret Cho but the cheapest tickets are $28! I could get laid for $28 (and drunk!)

The Cannibal Film Festival is this weekend and next weekend at the Alamo. In addition to some cheesy stuff, they are showing "Eating Raoul," "Delicatessen" and "Night of the Living Dead." - all midnight shows, I believe. I hope to catch a couple.

The Vortex has an interesting play about teenagers in the future on stage but I am not sure of what the title is; I couldn't figure it out from the review in the Austin Chronicle. I think it's called "Bullet Train Through Adolescence." Showing thru 9/19. I'd like to check it out. There is also some play in town about a black woman who was a sideshow freak 100 years ago because she supposedly had "the biggest butt in the world." They are staging it in a Big Top type tent, I believe, downtown.

There is a script competition being held where you can submit your script and then watch it as it moves through the judging process online. It costs $50 to submit a script and Harry Knowles (of www.Aint-It-Coool-News.com) is one of the judges. The web site is www.screenplayoff.com

Two films out at the Dobie I really want to see - "Twin Falls Idaho" and "Trick." Oh - and when will I breakdown and see "Hands on a Hardbody." So many films... so little time...

Chad Holt from "Rock Opera" responds to my review:

"Hey Lodger this is Chad Holt the "horribly unfunny stand-up comic". Boy imagine saying that with my dick Lodgered in your mouth. (It's big .... ask anybody.) Glad you liked the movie.What was wrong with the act at Ruta Maya? Was it the acoustics? the sweating? the nigger jokes? Where are you online from? No don't tell me --> next thing you know I'm in prison and then who's gonna raise my kids? Your next of kin? I won't have it. I'll keep you posted on my next act so you can come and give me another scathing review you faceless prick. Till then, i'll see you At the Movies."

And I respond:

"Now c'mon Chad - you didn't think you were funny at Ruda Maya did you? Although, I will admit, some of your act is much more funny in retrospect. The crack whore with a mouth full of cheese taking a piss at your carport makes me laugh now... that is pretty insane. I think I tuned out by the time you got to the "nigger jokes..." I always turn out idiocy. You were very funny in the movie. Now, go take your ego and stroke it in the corner somewhere... good boy..."

lodg (better to be a facelace prick than  a prickless face - ask anybody)

Went to the Cannibal Film Festival showing of "Cannibal Ferox" on Friday night. Harry Knowles and his clique were front and center. Tim, the owner of the Alamo, got up in his jungle safari outfit with pith helmet and made some really funny opening announcements. He told us that since they were serving human flesh with the Festival, someone had called the Health Department and they were working hard to clean up and get ready for an inspection. Don't know if this was a joke or not but it was damn funny. The food at the Alamo is always great so it should have been a joke. But, then again, some people are assholes and it's highly possible somebody called. "Cannibal Ferox" is a hilariously bad flick. Apparently Sage Stallone, Sly's son, took the 80 grand he made off of appearing in "Daylight" and remastered the film for release. I don't know if he paid for the ludicrious English dubbing (the film is Italian), or what but it was a great investment! Too bad it is only part of the festival for one night. I hope it's out on video somewhere. For some reason, the cannibals in the film seemed to delight in torturing genitalia, both male and female. Maybe because it is the softest part of the flesh. The director also loved to show animal mutilations on screen. Pretty gnarly stuff.