I sat down in my usual area and within a matter of seconds, Barbara Morgan of AFF came up on the stage and introduced the film. She told us that there would be a Q&A and then a wine tasting after the screening since it was sponsored by a wine company. She introduced the director of the film, Ben Younger, who make a couple of quick comments and then the lights dimmed to applause as he left the stage.

The AFF trailer played and I felt like it had become really tiresome. If you are putting on a film festival, it is so important to have as many short introductory trailers as possible. At least the Sponsor Reel has a really nice and unfamiliar song by Li'l Cap'n Travis, so it hasn't become boring. In fact, it kinda makes me want to buy their CD.

During the opening film stuff, John arrived with a large popcorn and told me that the concession guy he has a thing for wasn't there. He offered me a napkin, which in essence was offering me some popcorn and I said no thank you.

During the movie there was a loud cunt sitting in the group next to us who said the most asinine things out loud during the film. You know, one of those fucking morons who says shit like "That's a green couch" out loud when there's a green couch on the screen. I wanted to shout, "You're not in your living room you stupid bitch" but somehow managed to restrain myself.

During the film someone gets in an argument and says, "Tell me to shut up again" and that made me smile considering my altercation with John the other day when he told me to shut up.

Sometimes toward the end of the film, SXSW wunderkind Matt Dentler came in and sat in the row ahead of us. ### After the film, Phil Scanlan came out and did a Q&A with Ben Younger which was really interesting. The director mentioned his first film, "Boiler Room," quite a few times and told us about the autobiographical references in the film including the fact that his mother is a therapist.

After the Q&A, I walked to my car with John and quickly said goodbye to go to the Dobie to see Jay Edwards' "Stomp! Shout! Scream!" A cute volunteer with a shaved head at the door asked me my name. I wondered if Edwards would be looking for me because he sent me some of his hilarious short films a few years ago and we've even shown them on "Lube TV" a few times. One is this humorous horror spoof that subtly pays homage to "The Creeping Terror" while the other is aimed more at lampooning 60's Sci-Fi interplanetary travel films with a twist of Marlon Brando in "The Island of Dr. Moreau" at the end. They're both very funny.

Anyway, the young guy at the door turned out to be a local filmmaker named John something or the other (it sounded like he said Elway but I doubt that's it) who sent me an e-mail about sending me a short film he made called "Del Fuego." He brought up my TV show, so I figured it must be a short if he was sending it so we could consider it for "Lube TV." I told him to send me an e- mail but like a dumbass, all this week I have forgotten to carry around my little one inch pins that hype the site and didn't have one to give him. There was about eight times this week I was thinking I wish I had one to give this person or that person but I just kept forgetting to put them in my bag. This bullshit of having The gay and lesbian film festival Agliff and AFF both in October now has just got me frazzled.

The screening was in the Egyptian room at the Dobie, which is as angular and disjointed as Mickey Rourke's face in "Sin City." I was early but there was quite a crowd at the theater. I sat in the second row and eavesdroped on two guys behind me having a mundane "Star Wars" discussion but at least one of them was contrary and didn't think much of the films. That's pretty rare. (You don't see that much anymore. You might see it in the desert.") Umm... where was I. Oh yeah, two guys and a girl came and were sitting in the front row ahead of me. The girl was about to sit in front of me when she suddenly asked, "If I sit in front of you will you be able to see?" Without thinking, I blurted out, "No" and she began to move to a really bad seat on the other side of her companions so I snapped and said, "But you can. It was nice of you to ask." To my surprise, she said, "I am not feeling so bitchy today" and sat in the further chair. I thought about inviting them to sit in the row with me but I figured if they wanted to do that they would figure it out for themselves.

The guys behind me continued their typical "film geek" conversation and were talked about some book called "Kung Fu High School" and some sort of bidding war that went on with it in Hollywood.

A guy named Chris Holland of AFF introduced the film and mentioned that the Village Voice was sponsoring all the screenings at the Dobie, which I think is pretty cool. He also told us that Jay Edwards, the writer/director of "Stomp! Shout! Scream!" would not be in attendance but that since Edwards was the producer of Adult Swim's "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," there would be a video apology from Edwards in a "style we might be familiar with."

The short AFF intro "Indian vs Vikings" was followed by a humorous short film called "Who's on First?: The Movie." This was a clever short film about a guy renting "Day after Tomorrow," Before Sunset," Before Sunrise," "48 Hours," "se7en," "10," and "After Hours" and trying to figure out when they were due back. For example, he is told the film "The Day After Tomorrow" is due back the day after tomorrow. (You get the idea.)

After the short, there were some Adult Swim style "bumps" which explained that Edwards had returned to work on the "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" movie. It was cute and funny and instead of ending with the typical [adult swim] it ended with [austin film festival] which I thought was cool.

After the film, I was leaving through the Dobie food court and some folks were gathered around watching the TV. The World Series game was on and the Astros were up at the bottom of the 9th with the score tied and men on base with only one out. I stayed and watch the 'Stros blow this opportunity with a group of folks who were as disappointed as I was. I walked to my car and listened to the game on the way home and then went home and turned on the TV and watched 4 more innings. Eventually the 'Stros lost in the 14th inning. It was not only the first World Series game played in Texas but also tied for the longest W.S. game by innings and set a record for the longest W.S. game by time at over five hours.

Since I finished reading Douglas Coupland's "Girlfriend in a Coma," I've went back to reading "The Snakepit Book" by Ben Snakepit (AKA Austin's own Ben White). I like "Snakepit" a lot. It's very simple and yet it kinda reminds me of my old "Notes from Austin" columns. It was particularly ironic (at least in the Alanis Morrissette sense of the word, which is really "coincidental") because the section of comics I was reading the book mentioned "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" four or five times.

Tomorrow is Lars Von Trier's "Manderlay." I have no doubt that I am going to tear that shit up!

Lodger @ AFF2005