Notes from Austin, Volume 2 #22

Including:

Things to do this week (6/30-7/6)

The Anti-Harry Knowles

The Show with No Name

Country Music Television

KOOP's Stonewall Fest at the Rainbow Cattle Company

Miss Xanna Don't

Kevin DuRard

Jackie Martino

Sean Wiggins

Daniel Link

Lourdes Perez

1/2 Mad Poets

Stewed Tomatoes

Elizabeth White

Hobble

Micro-Film

Bowie

Douglas Sirk

Wiley Wiggins

Things to do this week (6/30-7/6)

thru 7/1, Highlander - Alamo Drafthouse - MIDNIGHT

thru 7/30 - Soul Picnic (The music of Laura Nyro) - Scottish Rite Opera House

thru 8/13 - Tapestry: Music of Carole King - Zach Scott Theater

6/30 - Films Released Nationwide

PERFECT STORM (GEORGE CLOONEY, MARK WAHLBERG)

ADVENTURES OF ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE (ROBERT DENIRO)

TRIXIE (DIR - ALAN RUDOLPH)

ALICE AND MARTIN (FOREIGN)

6/30 - Films Released in Austin

GROOVE (Dobie)

6/30-7/3 - Sound of Music (film) - Paramount

6/30 Punchy - Zero's Corpus Christi

6/30 - Roots - Stubbs

7/1 - Delbert McClinton - Stubbs

7/2 - HONG KONG SUNDAYS - HOLY WEAPON - Alamo Drafthouse -8 &10

7/2 - Shelby Lynn - Lazona Roas

7/4 - Willie Nelson 4th of July Picnic - Southpark Meadows

7/5-7/6 - Mountains of the Moon (70mm) - Paramount

7/6-7/9 - CITY OF LOST CHILDREN - Alamo Drafthouse

7/6 - HOBBLE - Flamingo Cantina!!!!!!!!

7/6 - Punchy - Maggie Mae's Austin

One. Harry uses his real name. His contributors often don't. Sometimes this may be to protect them so that they can continue to be allowed access to information and to "spy" for Harry. In my book, there is nothing wrong with that. I, myself, do not use my real name. Big whoop.

Two. All on-line film critics wish desperately to have the access Harry has. My God, that's my goal. To be flown to Hollywood, hang out with filmmakers and stars and see their works in progress, read their scripts, make suggestions. Even better: Be flown to film festivals, hobnob with stars and filmmakers, be a judge, host seminars. THAT'S THE LIFE WE ALL WANT! Harry was the trendsetter, the originator. He's the Little Richard of film webmasters! The key is, his readers need to know their source. No one, by this point in time, thinks Harry is doing his site on all his own funds. Trust me kids, it's not possible. I, myself, have accepted free passes to films and "screener" video tapes of films so that I might watch them and review them. This simply allows me to save some bucks. It's an awesome courtesy paid to reviewers by film distributors and filmmakers. The difference between Harry and myself is that a lot of my "screeners" come from low-budget filmmakers who are trying to get their start, who can seemingly get press nowhere else. Trust me, when the Coens come calling, asking me to fly to Hollywood and check out their rough cut, I will not be saying "no" and invoking journalistic ethics.

I have only been in Austin around a year and often, when I tell people about filethirteen, they suggest that I am trying to be the "new Knowles" or the "anti-Knowles." That was never my intention. I have massive respect for Harry. I have avoided talking about it on the site because I never really felt myself a "competitor" to the man. He, like Richard Linklater, is one of the reasons I moved to Austin. Harry and Linklater put Austin ON THE MAP, cinematically. I respect both of them immensely for this.

I am not a regular visitor to "Ain't It Cool" because Harry and I have vastly different tastes. In this way, perhaps I am the "anti-Knowles." Or perhaps, in a reference that Harry would understand, I am the "bizarro Knowles." I am his opposite in many ways. He likes to talk about the big Hollywood films. I am more interested in indie films, low budget films, local films and backyard productions. Trust me, as filethirteen grows, and I am allowed access to more Hollywood product, this will change slightly. But one of the main reasons I do this site is my love of Austin and my desire to celebrate it's unique cultural attractions. When I can finally afford to quit my day job and do this site full time, you will find more Hollywood news and information. But you'll also find more news and information about local music, local venues, local plays, local art exhibits and local film production. That is what I want filethirteen to be about.

Harry's site also seems to relish printing "spoilers" (information that gives away the plot or plot points of a movie) to films. This is one of the least attractive things about his site to me. I hate "spoilers." If you read my reviews, you will often find that I expose almost nothing about the films. I hate film reviews that are nothing more than glorified synopsis. Can you imagine how awesome it might have been to see "Blair Witch Project," without any pre-knowledge about it? Without any hype? Only then would it truly be as an effective movie as it possibly could have been. Those lucky souls who sat down in Park City and saw the film not knowing anything about it; How I envy them. They had a true film "experience." The rest of us were relegated to a "hype" experience. I purposefully try to remain "ignorant" about most films before I see them. One of my biggest pet peeves are "trailers" for films that reveal too much. Oft times, trailers for Hollywood product tell the entire film. "Double Jeopardy" was a perfect example of this. Yet the film, which was also a piece of junk, grossed fairly decent numbers during it's run this year. Only when we, the consumers, begin to demand less hype about films before they are released, will we see a change in the way Hollywood markets it's product. I don't think this will happen anytime soon. Sites like Knowles', and many others, rely on this hype for their livelihood. It is the public's thirst for information about films that eventually fuel grosses, for Knowles and for distributors.

I knew that Knowles and I were vastly different when he appeared on "Siskel and Ebert" last year and claimed to not like actor Matthew Lillard. A statement like that immediately made me question his opinions. But at least Knowles admits the truth, as I try to do. His opinion of a Matthew Lillard film will obviously be biased because he does not care for the actor, who is, generally, goofy, toothy and weird. My opinion, on the other hand, will be flavored in the opposite because I find Lillard quite a cutie. I enjoy looking at him for 100 minutes on the silver screen, no matter what he's doing and I appreciate his quirky, new wavey persona. The key to understanding and appreciating both Knowles and myself is in understanding and appreciating that we are honest. The viewer/reader knows where we are coming from because we do not hide the obvious. In fact, we relish it. Harry's is a geeky slacker, suspended in adolescence, who loves comic books as much as he does old sci-fi B-flicks and "Star Wars." I am a middle aged gay guy desperately struggling to retain his youth who has a sweet tooth for punk rock, David Lynch and black and white avant-garde.

Yes, I agree that, in many ways, Knowles is in Hollywood's "pocket." But this is obvious from reading his site. To quote the title of one of local actor and filmmaker Wiley Wiggin's "underground" video projects, "Know Your Source." Knowles would only be in the wrong if he purported to be something he is not. I don't think it is fair to accuse him of that. He proudly states that he is a "film geek."

As for me, well, I'm beginning to like being called "The Anti-Knowles." Comparing me, in any way, to this innovator and Austin living legend, is one of the greatest compliments I can imagine.

Another thing Savlov has been mentioning in his column is the cable access show, "The Show with No Name." One of the most interesting weekly events for access viewers, other than the beloved LubeTv and the abysmal "Reed Deal," "Show" featured rare film and video moments from a wide variety of sources and styles. I myself was fortunate enough to catch the rare and little-seen Todd Haynes short, "The Karen Carpenter Story" on the show a few weeks back.

Another show I caught recently had host Charlie Sotelo showing some old Bill Hicks stand-up video footage from early in his career. At the end of the program, Sotelo showed a Nike commercial which ran several years back that featured John Lennon's "Instant Karma." Savlov says that this was directed by David Fincher. Sotelo is known for showing cool things of this nature. Unfortunately, Acess TV's rules say something about showing a commercial not being allowed and their host, and his show, was suspended from the air for 90 days. This borders on the ridiculous.

I myself had a discussion with John Christensen and Mark Brauner about this subject and the three of us were stymied by this. Sotelo did not show the commercial in order to receive any remuneration. He also did not show it to promote Nike shows. His goal, which was apparent to me, was to remind us of the horrible misuse of Lennon's classic to sell shoes. If anything, the airing of the commercial was an effort to mock it's very existence, a not-so-subtle reminder of one of the worst and most troubling marketing strategies ever, commercialized anti-commercialism.

Were Sotelo may have erred, as far as I can tell, is by showing the commercial without commenting upon it in any way. He allowed it to stand alone. This hardly justifies a 90 day suspension. Worse yet, it simply means yet another hour on access that won't be filled creatively. Instead, I am sure, we will be forced to endure (i.e. tune out of) another hour of God talk, conspiracy theories, anti-American militia mentality, or phone-in shows laced with difficult-to-hear, drunken callers spewing profanity whilst giggling intensely. Oft times, cable access proves that America and American television is a vast wasteland of ignorance and small-mindedness.

Austin is no exception.

I saw his CD at Best Buy for $9.99 but when I saw one of the songs was called "I Think She Likes Me," I put it down. No - not because it's was a hetero song - Jeez. It just seemed like stupid teeny-bopper crap. I think I'll wait till I see the CD at some used store for $8.

Okay, I understood the problems and I agree with coordinator and hostess Miss Xanna Don't that her co-host fucked up the event. Xanna had arranged, coordinated and worked out a schedule for the event. She had busted her tail. Her closeted co-host, a fat, stand-up comic whose name I never did catch, sprinkled the event with drag queens, stupid comedy acts and boring stunts. The only act he contributed to the evening of any note was Omar Lopez, a jazz violinist who simply rocked. But his other atrocities simply ground the evening to a dead halt. Xanna had prepared an evening of awesome bands, most of them lesbians. Her co-host only knew drag queens. It was an embarrassment for men.

Some of the acts were quite exceptional, although the start was quite shakey. Austinite Robin Redman began the proceedings with a two song set that was one of the most horrendous local music acts I have ever had to endure. It was God-awful. Thankfully, soon he was replaced by Elizabeth White, a Houstonian and one of the many lesbian folk singers to grace the stage that night. Miss White has a long way to go but she was a welcome relief to Redman.

http://www.robinredman.bizland.com

http://www.elizabethwhite.com

Up next was an wonderful UT student named Kevin DuRard who played piano and belted out tunes with the limp-wristed ferocity of a post-nuclear Peter Allen tribute singer. DuRard is, without a doubt, a major talent. He also reminded me, for some odd reason, of Houstonian David Bean, who fronted the awesome local new wave trio, The Judy's, in the early 80's. His piano playing and his compositions are top-notch. DuRard's songs, especially "Shimmer" (a wonderfully lyrical ode to relationships between queens and butchs) and a song about living with a lover on a 50 acre ranch, were wonderful show-stopping tunes. Making his debut, DuRard played keyboards, accompanied only by a drummer, with competence and skill. But his singing voice, though loud, left a lot to be desired. Out of key, far too operatic and far too powerful, DuRard left one wondering if his CD, "Shimmer," might showcase his talents far more effectively. Granted, this was his first show in Austin, so one hopes that the performer will improve as time evolves. DuRard either needs to give himself over to his camp qualities and really go full force with them, or go in the opposite direction and power down a notch or three. Perhaps a little echo and reverb on his voice would help as well. I look forward to seeing what the future hold for him. http://www.kevindurard.com

Durard was followed by Jackie Martino, a self-proclaimed "Yankee" from Connecticut. Martino proved herself a competent and engrossing performer. Whispy yet powerful, her songs and her voice proved to be wonderful expressive tools. She simply outshined anyone that had been on stage prior to her performance. She's also a warm and effervescent person, as I learned from speaking with her after her set. http://www.edenwaymusic.com

Martino might have been the most awesome performer of the night if she wasn't overshadowed by another lesbian folk singer by the name of Sean Wiggins.

Hailing from the East coast, but now living in L.A., Wiggins is a force to be reckoned with. It would be too easy to compare her with Melissa Etheridge. In fact, I'm sure that many will do just that. But her strength lies in her powerful voice which consistently emanate from her mouth and her equally aggressive guitar-manship. Wiggins won us all over from the first few chords she blared out at us and never ceased, during her 30 minute performance, to amaze. Her cover of "Me and Bobby Magee" seemed brand new in her hands. Seeing Wiggins come into her own, and we will do just that over the next few years, will be an amazing experience. She is, without a doubt, the most remarkable and strong solo performer I have seen in years. http://www.gogirlsmusic.com/seanwiggins

Other Austinites on the bill included Daniel Link and Lourdes Perez. The former was a male keyboardist who performed bluesy yet angst-ridden tunes with a guitarist to accompany him. (Hasn't any of these performers heard Tom Robinson's "Glad to be Gay?') Perez, meanwhile, sang in Spanish but explained the content of her tunes in English to the small group gathered in the bar. Although an awesome performer, Perez was in the wrong venue and her drowsy, far-too-classical, downbeat set drove almost all the attendees out of the bar. It's too bad, because her work was flawless. I understand she opened for the Indigo Girls last year here in Austin and I can see that her work is much more suitable for an event where everyone is provided a seat. As much as I liked her songs, as she was accompanied by a cellist, violin and piano player, I still felt an urgent need to rock out directly after her set. My wish was answered by the Half Mad Poet, an all-female trio from Kansas that were as heavy as heavy can be. http://www.mp3.com/daniellink

http://www.lourdesperez.com

Unfortunately, by the time the Poets took the stage, I was pretty toasty and pretty dragged out. After 5 1/2 hours of high drama and some pretty awful performances, I was feeling as thin as the crowd was. I opted to leave during their set and miss the Stewed Tomatoes, a Chicago pop punk group that was to finish out the event. http://www.halfmadpoet.com

One member of the Tomatoes did provide me with a mini CD-Rom of my very own which features a video for the tune "Smoke My Cowboy." It makes me wish I would have stayed to see them perform. The Tomatoes, by the way, are up for a GLAMA award. I'm not sure what that acronym stands for, but I bet I can guess the G and the L. http://stewedtomatoes.com

Perhaps KOOP and Xanna tried to pump far too much entertainment into just one evening. Perhaps the added mind-numbing boredom of drag queens and non-comedic comedians simply drained me (and not in a good way), far too early. But at least I was able to hear some really interesting music and be turned on to some artists that may just be the next big things! Jackie Martino and Sean Wiggins will inevitably become very popular. They have talent, charisma and skill. Lourdes Perez will also continue to make a name for herself. She is far too skilled and perfect not to be considered a remarkable performer. And DuRard shows every sign of growing into a remarkable talent. His songwriting and keyboard playing skills easily match some of the most impressive musicians of the past few decades. I can easily see him becoming another musician who will gain massive acclaim from Austin audiences and critics.

I have to send Xanna a thank you note for bringing all this diverse talent to Austin. Too bad that there is not a gay community in this town to support it. Too bad it has to be labeled as "gay." Too bad it had to languish between tired drag queens. Stonewall was over 30 years ago and while I appreciate the heritage and the history of being gay in America, and I know that the struggle is far from over, often Austin seems like a town that seems to negate the need for such labels. Especially when it comes to entertainment. Next year, could we have the showcase of gay talent at Antones or Waterloo Park? Let's just call it a festival and promote it to everyone. You didn't have to be gay to enjoy the majority of the true musical acts on the program at the KOOP Stonewall Media Festival. I don't mean to bash down a stereotype, but some straight people have taste too. The world deserves to hear Wiggins and Martino and Perez and DuRard. All the world. http://www.koop.org

"This is Spinal Tap"

A Barbra Striesand produced documentary about early female filmmakers.

Neil Simon's "Plaza Suite"

A&E's Top 10 Most Important Moments in Automotive History

Kittie's video for "Charlotte" (It has a cute model guy in white cotton briefs)

Woo-fucking Hoo! I can't wait!

Of course, the magazine does only come out every 6 months, currently, and it does cover a wide variety of film topics, including many national films, so it isn't as "exclusive" as it may first appear.

I've sort of established a e-mail relationship with the publisher of "Micro-Film," Jason Pankoke, and he was nice enough to send me a copy of the most recent outing. What a plethora of interesting articles. Like a good film mag should, it has already introduced me to a wide variety of talent and product that I was formerly unfamiliar with. The current issue has interesting articles about lesser-known but important talents like Maya Deren, an avant-garde filmmaker in the first half of the past century whose work I want to know more about; Bill Viola, a multi-media artist who uses film in many of his works; Mark Pirro, a low-budget filmmaker (""Nudist Colony of the Dead," "Curse of the Queerwolf") who has made a move to digital video with his new film "Color-Blinded;" and Kevin DiNovis, whose gender-bending and unique film "Surrender Dorothy" covers a relationship that discusses dominant and submissive roles. These are all talents that I learned much about and am now dying to see their work. DiNovis' film, in particular, is a work that has received much attention at festivals but is yet to find a distributor. It seems fascinating.

The latest issue of "Micro-Film" also has an interview with Chris Smith, the director of "American Movie" and a essay/love-letter by Pankoke concerning Dave Forry, the original publisher of "Famous Monsters Magazine." All in all, it's an exceptional read and an awesome resource for filmmakers and film lovers.

Find out more at http://www.artisticunderground.com/mf_unbound/

And tell Jason I said hi.

Anyway, after he left (he was on his lunchbreak), I went to OfficeMax and bought a folding table. I had my TV and VCR's on the floor and one of the reasons I hadn't been using them to mess with editing video and such was because of their location. I also went to Best Buy and got a cheap little VCR. And while I was at it, I stopped by Fuddruckers.

I set up my new "editing bay/multimedia center" in my living room and immediately began dubbing a copy of Bowie's "1980 Floor Show" for John Christensen. I got inspired and whipped out a lot of old Bowie stuff I had on VHS, like "Love You Till Tuesday," "Ziggy The Concert," "Black Tie WhiteNoise" and some Tin Machine stuff I had taped off MTV in the early 90's. I enjoyed watching some of this old stuff and making John a little compilation VHS tape which I dubbed (is that a pun?) "The Bowie Showboat." This title comes from the name Bowie used in the late 60's (right around the release of "Space Oddity") for Sunday afternoon shows he used to put on at a club in London which featured other local band he was acquainted with.

I had to watch it afterwards, of course. It was pretty cool. I remember when I used to make friends audio compilation tapes. Now I do video, I guess. I thought it was cool how John Cusack talked about making them in "High Fidelity." I guess it was kind of blind and foolish of me to think that I was the only person in the world who enjoyed making tapes for other people and myself. I think compilation tapes, audio and video, for friends make awesome gifts. Thoughtful and personal.

It has still been hard for me to watch these Sirk films with a crowd because they have become camp and evoke much laughter at some of the corny lines. I understand this but it almost seems like sacrilege to me at times to laugh at these films. They are fiercely important. For one thing, they are classic examples of "melodrama." By their very nature, they are overtly dramatic and over-the-top. This is why ferocious seriousness was demanded fromt he actors. They must, in all the Sirk melodramas, treat each line as if it were being ripped out of their hearts. It's of penultimate importance to the pace and the evolution of the film.

As are the music cues. In melodrama, music swells as emotion does. When a character is being flirtatious, or down right slutty, music must accompany it. When the seemier side of life is being exposed, jazz must be played on the soundtrack. These are registered trademarks of melodrama. Before they could become cliches, they had to become immensely popular and used. Sirk, and to much the same extent, George Cukor and several lesser know melodrama-tists of the time worked a perfected and well-thought out cinematic language to evoke feelings and emotions and responses from their audiences. It is a cinematic language of cues and deliberateness that is the foundation on which all modern drama is dependant. Sirk was a master at this. His work is, by no means, and in no way, camp. It's serious history. And film students and scholars would be wise to study his work.

For more on Wiley, check out my interview with him at filethirteen.com as well as his own website at http://fringeware.com/anathema/bios/wiley.html

That's a wrap for this week. lodger2000