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Notes
from Austin, Volume 2 #28
LODGER's Notes
Thanks to Ambush magazine for mentioning filethirteen.com
as one of "BoyToy's Top Ten Websites of the Time..." Other
sites mentioned include:
www.bestgaylinks.com
- Best Gay Links
www.chaosinaustin.com
- A Great Chronicle Of Life
www.1112.net/lastpage.html
- The LAST Page
www.damon2k.com
- One of Momma's Boyz
www.abw.homepage.com
- Austin Babtist Women
www.pride4life.com
- Pride Gifts
On Thursday night, I went over to the Austin
Film Festival offices and met some folks who are working
on the festival. I have been asked to help look at films in
the preliminary stages of picking films for the festival.
This is an interesting opportunity for me to not only see
a wide variety of films and shorts, but to also met several
people in Austin who are involved in film. I'm really looking
forward to all of this. I've already watched several shorts
and found one or two that were truly exceptional. So far,
everyone on the festival staff seems really nice and interesting.
I think I'm going to have a really cool autumn!
I don't want to talk about getting my car fixed. I spent way
more than I really wanted to. But (knock wood), so far the thing
runs like a dream. It has some electronics problem that cost
an arm and a leg. The guy at the shop, when I picked it up and
paid the $900 tab said, "You must really love that little car."
Well, I guess I must.
My pal Web, who helps me out here at filethriteen, was in town
over the weekend. We hooked up on Friday night and watched the
tapes of the Lube TV episodes I have done. Web was laughing
so hard at John Christensen, that he missed most of my clever
quips. Oh well. I never realized how damn funny John is, until
I saw Web's reaction to him.
We also tuned into "After Midnight with Aaron, live on cable
access (Channel 16, Friday nights at midnight). I wanted to
show Web how gay Aaron is, but he didn't get any dings on
his "gaydar." Of course, Web is straight, but I guess straight
people can have gaydar too, just not as finely tuned, perhaps.
After we watched the show for a while, however, I think Web
was seeing things my way. What is this show? Why do they do
it? It could be such a great show if Aaron and Christian Side
(I can't stand this guy) would just do something - anything
- worth seeing. Let the callers call up and be vile, so what.
I spent a bit of time this weekend at the Alamo Drafthouse.
On Saturday, I was there to catch the short films "Balloon
Fish" and "Delirium."
On Sunday, I went to the "God
of Cookery," part of their Hong Kong series.
The shorts on Saturday were preceded by a live song from
Jolly John and The Jellymakers. This is sextet of college
aged guys who plays some real Bluegrass Hillbilly music. The
had a guy playing a washboard! I was surprised no one was
playing a jug. But they were awesome! Really entertaining.
They also did some songs during the intermission between the
two shorts that were quite nice. This would be a fun band
to see play live as an opening act for country shows, or at
street festivals and such. They really sounded great.
There were a lot of kids in the audience and they seemed
to like the music as much as the adults did. Then an older
gentleman from the film got up and sang a song for us. I think
his name was Big Bill, I can't remember exactly. He was amusing.
All in all, it was the kind of event you could take your child
and your parents to.
After "Balloon Fish," a cute little short for kids, someone
associated with "Delirium" got up and announced that the film
was definitely not for children. This was an understatement.
The damn thing was hardly suitable for adults. It was really
distasteful in many parts. Sometimes hilarious, but never
in good taste.
Sunday, I stood in line for a few minutes to see "God of
Cookery," part of the Alamo's ongoing Hong Kong film series.
The heat was bearable but hot and the folks in front of me
insisted on bitching about it. "I would pay extra to go in
early" one of them spouted. Doesn't anyone enjoy the communal
moments of waiting in line for events anymore?
The folks behind me were all in their forties yet the two
males blattered endlessly about comic books. It was almost
like being in Park City again as this one guy started talking
about his "deal with Comedy Central" and "my agent" and "being
10 minutes from Chinatown when he was in L.A." Later they
started discussing the "draft" of scripts they had read for
the "Spider Man" movie and how he was going to have this thing
that spins a web or something. Did I mention that these guys
were in their forties?
Inside the Alamo, after I had taken a seat and ordered,
some folks asked me to move and I said no. Anytime you move
after you order at the Alamo, you run the risk of them screwing
up your tab. I should have relaxed about it because Jeremy
and Daniel were handling my section and they know what they
are doing. The Alamo had some segments of Hong Kong films
playing with electronic dance music on. Some of these segments
were downright avantgaurd. One of them had a girl with a magic
lyre. Another one featured a evil-doer who couldn't stand
it when you "talked glib..." Some of the subtitles on these
things are just ridiculous. There was a "Mask" rip-off and
a segment where a guy's crotch continually caught fire and
was stamped out by his cohorts. Through it all, this obnoxious
lady who asked me to move (who had a bunch of kids with her)
kept reading the subtitles out loud. Sheesh.
Finally, at way too far past 7pm, Tim got up and began to
announce the film. He gave out prizes and then mentioned that
their was going to be an very adult scene from a Hong Kong
film shown. Sure enough, this soft core porno, filmed in the
style of a kung-fu fight came on and this women with all the
kids got up and left. Bout time. It's a bar for chrissakes,
not just a movie theater.
"God of Cookery" was insane! Insane. The only thing that
ruined it for me was the entree I ordered. The Alamo has Asian
food during these events. Let me be clear: Avoid the Curry
Chicken. It was pretty bad. Luckily I had a slew of Hard Core
Ciders to wash it down with.
Monday night, I went to Casino El Camino. It was busy but not
packed. A female DJ was spinning the hits. She played far too
much 50's JD junk for my tastes. I rather hear Sid's version
of "Something Else" than the original Eddie Cochran. I said
hello to Casino and we talked a bit. They were playing "The
Bridge Over the River Kwai" and Casino told me that Alec Guiness
had died. I had not heard that. Didn't we just lose John Gielgood
a few weeks ago?
Casino also mentioned, when I brought up the Sons of Hercules,
that they are playing at the Continental Club on 9/1. They're
also working on some tracks in hopes of recording a new record.
Cool.
Ivan, Monika and Kathy were all behind the bar so I never
had to wait for my next drink. I love the staff there. I thought
about getting a burger but opted instead to head over to the
710 Room just to see what was going on. It was pretty dead.
They had a horrible band playing named The Mon$ters Ate Her
or something like that. (They'll be back on 7/14 according
to the 710 flyer). All they did was play songs about pot and
beg the audience for a joint. It was awful. I ordered a Woodpecker
Cider on draft and it was $5.50!!!!! $5.50, that's ridiculous.
It's on draft. It should be cheaper - not more expensive than
a bottle!
Okay - Big Surprise! - I love the Fox TV show "American High."
What a great idea. Sure, it's a unapologetic rip-off of "The
Real World." But this isn't about people having to deal with
strangers or trying to make it in the big bad world... except,
of course, it is.
I was a bit mislead about the show or mistook it for another
show or something. I thought all these kids were in separate
parts of the country filming themselves. Maybe that's a different
show. This is a program that focuses on one particular high
school and deals with several of the student's personal and
school lives. There's a gay guy, a young girl who kinda wants
to be a singer/songwriter, a young man who seems to have a
mild form of ADD, or did at one time, who does gymnastics
well. And their sphere of friends and more, I think. (I missed
some of the early programs).
But these kids are so unique and so interesting. It's a
treat to be invited into their lives. They are so bold and
so outrageous and so out there and so in your face. Just like
teenagers. No fear, man. And nothing but fear. Wow. It's awesome.
This young gay guy is a real model for youth. He's so unashamed
(and rightly so) and watching him expose himself so bravely
to a National viewing audience is amazing stuff. This is so
important for gay youth. Just to know there is someone else
out there like you. Not "a carbon copy" of you but someone
who is going through the same things as you, and working through
the same problems as you. Now this guy, Brad, he has it made.
His parents and friends seem very supportive. He's having
to face himself. And that is the biggest challenge of all.
My two favorite moments:
Brad, the gay guy, and his straight friend Robbie hang out
and discuss their relationship. Eventually Robbie gives Brad
a tummy fart to show how to get him excited. It was very funny,
and sweet and nice.
Morgan gets a job teaching gymnastics to disabled and mentally
challenged people and learns a little bit about being responsible.
This damn show almost always had me in tears. This is awesome
TV.
Things
to do this Week (8/11-8/17) : Lodger's
picks: "Dark Side of the Rainbow" at the Alamo Drafthouse,
All Day Punk-a-Thon at the Flamingo Cantina.
Austin
News :
aGliff announces it's schedule. Austin Film Festival announces
several guest speakers for Heart of Film Screenwriter's panels.
Hollywood
News : Leonardo Dicaprio on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted
List, "Around the Fire" on Video/DVD and CD but on a 10 most
wanted list...?
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