#16

IN THIS ISSUE

The Vortex - "Dirty Money"

More Rich and Kelly stuff

Aljohns on Oltorf

"American Movie"

Miss Xanna Don't

Kevin Smith and I (heart) Video

Jim Bruno and "Beyond Words"

The Forum

The Cinemaker Co-Op

Rock Opera

The Vortex - "The Cabaret of Broken Dreams

Sunday was Halloween and time change. But I didn't know about the time change till almost 6pm... well, 7pm. No wait... Anyway... I was going to meet Kelly cause we were going to the Vortex to see a play called "Dirty Money" and I was a little early so I stopped at this burger joint to get a bite. I picked up the Austin Chronicle, a little late this week, and begin to thumb around. That's where I saw a blurb about the time change and snapped that I was over an hour early for me and Kelly's "date." So I drove around a bit, went and ate some ice cream and then went to ABCD's, Austin's Best Compact Discs. (It's not, by the way). Bought a Dinosaur Jr. CD and PiL's "Happy?" CD.

Earlier in the day, Kelly had called to set up plans and we talked for almost an hour on the phone. I found out he used to book shows for local bands in Houston into a place called the Abyss and other clubs while he was still in high school. We talked about punk music, Straight Edge (a philosophy of sorts where punks refuse to do drugs, drink or have sex - never quite understood that one!) and about the movie "Another State of Mind" which is one of my all time fave punk flicks. Kell is just so damn multi-faceted.

Went and picked up Kell and he drove us to the Vortex. He's really a cool guy and I joked about how it was a "date" and stuff. He's not gay, of course, but he's very comfortable around me and that makes it fun and joyous to be around him (this week anyway).

Got to the Vortex and sat around a bit. It was kinda slow, being Halloween and all, and for a while I thought it might be a performance for 2 tonight but more people showed up as it got closer to 8. Some of them were in costumes and stuff.

Kelly and I discussed his acting some as we waited for the play to start and also the possibility of him working in a film I am considering making. It's at a rather early point now, still gelling in my head, but I have a part that he would be awesome in, if he could delve into it. It's a possibility, at least. We talked about sexuality in acting and in performing and nudity and such. Ironically, there would be a small amount of male nudity in the play we were about to see.

"Dirty Money" is a play set in the Eastern Block in the future, in a time where prostitution is legalized and hookers are called "Sexual Service Providers." To evoke drama, playwright Lisa Peschel adds a conservative American woman who travels to Europe to condemn prostitution into the plot. In America, in the future, things are pretty much the same as they are now, it seems, at least where prostitution is concerned.

The play had problems, but overall, I really enjoyed it. The acting, though a bit amateur at times, was fun and lively. The actors, perhaps because the house was so small, seemed to relax and really get into the piece after a bit and the play sprang to life as it progressed. There were some corny parts and a few rough spots, but I still enjoyed myself. The text of the play could be a tad ham-handed in spots but the actors seemed to move past this with ease or simply make them a part of the show. Elissa Michelle Linares, as the main character Heike, was cute and spunky and vibrant without being obnoxious. I actually cared about her plight and I cared what happened to her within the confines of the plot. Cameron Schaefer was giddy without being goofy as Bridget. Angie Ray had a hilarious moment as Uta, a sort of futuristic Oprah. And Dan Waller actually made us care for his rather bland Rudi. Heather Barfield, like many in the cast, started a bit shakey but her American hooker Christine became a wonderful character and she actually had several humorous moments in the later parts of the play. These actors brought forth what were the high spot of the evening.

Perhaps the only problems with acting came from Jason Yau's seeming inexperience. He, along with Ray, had the disadvantage of being the only ethnic minorities in the play, so that it was a bit obvious when they performed in multiple roles. Rays's hooker and student were indistinguishable from her Uta. Still, her overacting made her charming and fun. I found it very easy to like her no matter what she did. Conversely, although Yau was adorable and had a sweet and humorous moment as a young serviceman, his male prostitute and flitty council member left a lot to be desired and caused the piece to lag in parts.

The direction by John Steven Rodriguez seemed a bit slapdash and awkward. There was far too much movement and pretentiousness in the transitions. A "bed" was repeatedly pulled out and pushed back under the stage when it seems a better and more permanent arrangement could have been made for the prop with some thought. The play popped back and forth in time, with sometimes-interesting effects, but Rodriguez's direction seemed incapable of rectifying this part of the staging. All in all, there was to much "transitional" business going on and it distracted from the fluidity of the performance.

A great effect, however, was a futuristic "machine" that acted as a answering service, doorman and health tester. Using cheap but effective means, Rodriguez made the idea of a futuristic "appliance" work with seeming ease. It was a bit cheesy but overall it added to the interest of the piece and reminded us of the futuristic tone of the setting.

Peschel tries to create a multi-textured play with no clear moral implications. Her ideas about the right and wrong of prostitution seem modern and sensible. But she injects a bit of realism and schmaltz into the final act that we see coming a mile away. Still, her heroine, Heike, is a strong character and, thanks in part to Linares, the play makes us think about the implications of legalized prostitution and the many ideals and conflicts this implies. Although a bit obvious in parts, the text also conveys much thought onto a subject which leaves many of us stymied. In the end, Peschel tries her best to make no moral decisions for us. But her wavering between ideals probably causes more confusion than provokes thought. And her ending seems to make it easier for those with objections to legalized prostitution to walk away feeling righteous about their mores. In the final analysis, however, although this should be a sort of "hotbed" issue judging by the play's demeanor, it is actually fairly old hat. Kelly and I never once discussed the theme of the piece after we watched it. It did not evoke thought or debate betwixt us.

After the play, we hung out a bit and Kelly and I noticed a little guy in a rather "gay" leather get-up. Kelly asked me what I thought of him and I quipped that I doubted it was a costume (for Halloween). We went outside and the little guy came up to us, and introduced himself as the director, John. He was extremely nice and as we talked, he introduced us to several people in the cast and crew. Kelly talked to him a bit about acting and he gave him several suggestions on how to get into the "scene." (I'm sure he was jealous of me being there with a cutie like Kell.) We talked to Waller about his nude scene. I complimented Linares on her performance.

I had noticed a really cute, lanky, fey boy sulking around in an Enoesque Glam rock costume (frilly jacket with no shirt and leather pants, dark lipstick and rouge) and I was delighted when he came into our circle. His name was Daniel and he is an actor as well. We talked a bit. He is going to be in "Despair's Book of Dreams and the Sometimes Radio," a new play by Kirk Smith, at the Vortex in January. He was very nice and I left hoping to see him on stage in the future.

We went back to Kell's and met up there with Rich and sat around and BS'ed until about 3 am. A friend of theirs named Eric came over too and he was cute and sweet and nice, but rather quiet. He passed out pretty quickly. I showed Rich some footage I had edited that we shot when Kelly came over last week. Then Rich whipped out a tape that had some of his early stuff on it. Bastard's early work is even good. The first thing he showed us was the first piece he and Kelly had ever made which was goofy and pointless. Kelly played a sort of... "Mentally challenged" guy (not really a stretch for him --- just kidding!) Still, I liked it. Then there was a sort of long and silly piece about a guy in the park waiting to meet a girl called "Timothy Gets Stood Up," I believe. It was a little too long but kinda funny. The topper though, was a piece Rich had entered into a contest a few years back and won first place with. It was very smart and fresh and creative. Obviously the work of a high school student, but still quite well done. Called "The Ledge," it's the only piece I've seen by him that had titles and "end credits" with music and stuff. I really liked it. It was made when Rich had long hair and a goatee and he looked so different. He's much cuter now.

We talked for a long time and Kell goofed on us for hours on end. He went into an elongated "mime" piece that was just weird. Although Kelly is one of the most unusual people I have ever met, and even though we don't see eye to eye on all things, I'm just sort of crazy about him. He's never, ever boring, that's for damn sure.

Went for lunch to a place called Aljohns on Oltorf, a pizza place. It wasn't very good. It was expensive, not very tasty and took forever. The girl behind the counter was nice but a complete airhead.

As I was leaving, I saw a flyer on the wall for a missing girl. She looked to be college aged. What was weird was that it said, in big black bold letters on top, "Vanished." Not "Missing" or "Reward" but "Vanished." This was eerie.

Upcoming gigs for Miss Xanna Dont:

11/17 Antone's 11/29 The Forum (for ladies only)

12/03 Gaby & Mo's

The Highway Department actually has a website about the construction at http://www.i35austin.com

Went to see "The Limey" at the Dobie and they had a trailer for "American Movie" on the film. This documentary looks hilarious and awesome. They had a preview of it at the Alamo last week or so and I wish I would have went. Can't wait to see the thing. For some reason, I thought the guy in the film (it's about a guy in the Midwest who is trying to make a low budget film) was kinda slow or something. He doesn't look very bright in the poster. But the trailer proves that assumption wrong. He's just a normal guy trying to make a movie. It looks awesome.

Whats up with all the long haired cuties cutting their hair. Anthony Kedis is a fox either way. But why... Ahh. changes... I think Wiley cut his hair too. There's a new picture on his website that has him with short hair. He looks awesome.

I was just driving around, listening to New Radicals CD. Went to I (heart) video and rented "Clerks." I have not seen any of the Kevin Smith films (What! What kind of indie film website guru do you think you are!?! I put my fucking trust in your opinions and you've never even seen Goddamn "Clerks." Fuck you Lodger!) I'm trying to see all 3 Smith films so I'm prepared for "Dogma." It's not that I wasn't interested in seeing them. I just never got around to it. Anyway, I was driving around thinking about how much I liked "Crazy in Alabama." And how I liked "The Bone Collector." Haven't seen a movie I hated since the AFF. Anyway, I'm starting to feel like Bill Harris. Remember him? He was this redheaded weirdo who used to be on Showtime all the time. And he tagged all his stuff... "Bill Harris in Hollywood... We'll talk again." (Eventually, this became a lie since I haven't seen him in eons.) Anyway, when Siskel and Ebert left PBS in the 80's to do their own syndicated show, they put Bill Harris and Rex Reed together for "Sneak Previews" on PBS. Remember Rex Reed? He was a sniveling homosexual film critic. (Okay, he was THE sniveling homosexual film critic!) Imagine a bitter Paul Lynde and that's Rex Reed. So Reed would hate EVERYTHING. And Harris LOVED everything. They were silly together. Like snot and perfume. But I loved it. I miss that show. It was sort of the epitome of the 80's. Anyway, I feel like Bill Harris, all of a sudden, loving a film like "Crazy in Alabama." I suppose it's a mess. But it's just so sweet and kitsch. Only a foreigner, like Antonio Banderas, would make a film that has the Civil Rights Movement and the Women's Rights Movement as 60's kitsch. It's just awesome. It's so Almodovar without being Almodovar. I love it. I'm right.

A Pun: Boy the links people will sometimes go to to get laid.

Rage Against the Machine is live in the studio on MTV. Excuse me Mr. Rage, but isn't MTV the machine?

An e-mail from Jim Bruno who is working on a local film called "Beyond Words:"

We wrapped production and principal photography in July, and you're probably wondering, "What's up with Beyond Words!"?

Well... After crashing and burning following production Bruno finally picked up the pieces and began posting the film! It wasn't easy at first--there were hardware, software, and wetware issues that had to be resolved (the most challenging were the wetware issues, but I won't get into that).

In September, a 5-minute test clip was cut from the very heart of the film--the scene in which Alvin tries to get June to swear--and June tries to get Alvin to read (tough one, eh?). The clip was shown at a meeting of the Digital Storytellers Alliance here in Austin, and there was a great deal of support for it. Post was finally underway!

Since then, a rough of the first seven minutes was created and presented at the November meeting of the D.S.A., and that too met with some very supportive comments. My thinking was..."Just wait! We've hardly scratched the surface of Austin's wacky underworld!"

A rough of the first 7 minutes can now be seen online in the form of three black and white clips; they're based on QuickTime 3.0 (or 4.0), and may take you a while to download if you've got a 56K modem or less.

Still, my hope is that you'll have a chance to see the clips and scribble a note or two in the Guestbook that links off the movie pages.

All is going splendidly. My goal is to have a rough cut completed by late winter/early spring. I would love to have the project completed by mid- to late-Summer in time for submission to any festival that might consider digitally-based content. If there is enough support, we'll look into doing a transfer to film in late Summer/early Fall.

Jessica, Renee, Becky, and Adriana are all well, and Bruno is in the midst of scheming and dreaming up new ventures and adventures. Stay tuned, I hope begin working on episodic shorts early next year.

Warmest wishes,

Jim jb@avfilms.com

p.s. The clips can be found at http://www.avfilms.com/movies.htm The Guestbook is at http://www.avfilms.com/guestbook/guestbook.html

A bookworm meets up with the librarian from Hell... Only to discover a life "BEYOND WORDS!"

Learn more at http://www.avfilms.com

The Austin Gay and Lesbian Film Festival continues to have special screenings now and then. They currently seem to have films showing on Tuesdays, sometimes at the Dobie. For more info click http://www.agliff.org

The Alamo Draft House should have a new winter calendar out soon.

On Saturday, I worked all day. Came home and goofed around. Looked for a Rockets or Spurs game on TV but found none. Took a nap. About 45 minutes into it, Tim called and we talked for a good long time. He's finally moved to Austin with his g/f and I'm so glad he's here. He's going to work with Rich and Kelly and me on some projects.

As I've said, I'm trying to do the Kevin Smith fest before "Dogma." Look for reviews here soon. Already watched "Clerks" and "Mallrats." I'm in love with Jason Mewes. But more about that later. Returned "Clerks" to I (heart) Video but someone else had "Chasing Amy" out. I have to rent it before "Dogma."

Went to The Forum and dropped about $35. It was a dreadful night, full of the worst that Austin's gay bars has to offer until I met an awesome bartender named Sylvester. I hate to describe people by race but it works, so... Sylvester is black. And he's fun and cool and witty and lovable. He just worked me slowly with his affable charm until I was having a great time. There was some other asshole at the bar, who said he used to work there. He told a weird story about someone coming up to him looking for cocaine. He was just a dickhead. The kind of putz that makes me hate gay bars. Even worse than the fluttering queens. The Forum is full of so many typical idiots. Maybe because it's a college town you get these young men who turn into these ridiculous floating queens because it's the first opportunity they've had to be free. That's what kills me about gay guys. They have to just fly. I do the same Goddamn thing. It's actually kind of revolting. Given the opportunity to be relaxed, we queen out like big homos. It's a weird, sad, frustrating thing. Really so goddamn unattractive.

Anyway. Sylvester was fun. The best bartender I've had in Austin. Makes me not so upset about having to go back to the Forum. Some of my new gay friends have suggested that they will take me out on a tour of some of the gay bars in Austin. I hope so. Somewhere out there is my bar. I feel it calling.

Sunday - got up after noon and went to Arbor 7 to see "Breakfast of Champions." Got home around 4:30 and called Tim. We were going to a meeting of the Cinemaker Co-op that one of the members of the group invited me to. These, of course, are open meetings and I would encourage anyone who wants to make films in Austin to go to the next one. What's great is that lots of people bring film and show it and talk about it. The interest of the Co-op seems to lie in 8mm and Super 8mm filmmaking. However, as I learned tonight. If you bring video or 16mm they will allow you to show it at the meeting. This is a invaluable service to Austin filmmakers. You get an audience and an arena to show your work, even a work in progress or just some footage.

We got there early and talked to some folks who arrived right after us. These were some interesting college aged guys and our conversation revolved around mainstream filmmaking, discussing Cameron, George Lukas and the like. It was great to just be in a room of strangers and discuss film. A wonderful experience. Another guy there was a camera guy who was actually working in the filmmaking field as a profession.

The meeting starts with folks showing their work. The first thing we saw was a silent reel (can't recall if it was 8 or Super 8) shot recently here in Austin of a conductor working outside. This was either Walter Thomas or Thompson. Not sure. He is sort of an unusual conductor whose work is of a multimedia nature. He conducts with several visual hand cues. And herein lies the rub. The film was awesome, no doubt about it. But I viewed it in the context of an opening statement by a couple of guys in the group (including the filmmaker) who explained Thompson's work. Had the film simply been shown without a narrative introduction, I think, perhaps, it's effectiveness might have been diminished somewhat. Viewed in the context of knowing what I was seeing, the reel was visually beautiful, perfectly paced, and had some wonderful, seemingly accidental lighting flourishes that were breathtaking. Had I seen it cold, the image of a man outdoors simply making weird hand gestures might have seemed pointless and slightly pretentious.

I found out later the filmmaker was Aaron Valdez whose work I had seen (and not liked) on the opening night of the Cinematexas. Valdez told us of some of his plans for exhibiting the film with some other footage that seemed quite interesting. I have heard several people praise Valdez's talent and he seems quite possible of developing forth from the promise of this praise.

The guy running the projector showed a couple reels of some arial footage he had shot. It wasn't particularly interesting, but it brought forth several ideas and inspired commentary and discussion. Which leads me to this part of the group: Much of the discussion is of a technical nature. There was a lot of talk about film stock, development, cameras, techniques of shooting, etc... Stuff I am not very interested in. But the group had several members (and visitors) who were interested in this arena. I thought this group might be a bunch of filmmakers all only interested in making their own work. But there were several "crew" (for lack of a better word) type people who seemed genuinely interested in helping others produce their films. This is awesome. The one thing seemingly missing from the group was anyone simply interested in "acting."

There was some footage of a bike decorating contest show. 2 reels. It was shot rather poorly with hand-held I thought. But again, this was raw, rough footage, not a finished work. I wrote down these notes as I watched however, which I hope will aid me in my filmmaking endeavors: "Quick, short shots. Don't waste time. Don't waste film. Pace fast - a day = 3 minutes." Although I am more interested in video than film, per se, I will admit this. 8mm is a much more immediate medium. While it isn't expensive, really, it isn't cheap. To buy and develop a roll of film running about 3 mins is around $15-$25. Assuming, of course, that you already have the camera and equipment. You can rent a camera and equipment from Cinemaker, however, as my friend Tim pointed out, they sort of pushed this idea like Amway during the meeting. So, when you shoot on 8, it's all about the moment. It's hard to edit as this requires some equipment and patience. Shooting it "in the camera" is surely the best route. However, this requires a certain ability and intuition. In 8, there is no going back. What you shoot is now. While video is immediate because you shoot it and can see it right away, 8 is immediate because it is all about "the moment." Like theater, there is no going back, very little fixing. It's all about NOW. And, of course, seeing that "now" in two weeks when you get your film back.

Finally, there was a video shown of some footage originally shot on 8mm. One piece of this, where a TV remote control unit was used for interesting and humorous effect was quite good. The overall footage bgan with some "artsy" footage of a hand holding a light bulb. Although it was nothing new, it was done well. For some reason, it held my interest. There seemed to be a subtle eroticism to it. It did go on a little too long. And later, on this same guys tape, was some interesting color footage of the stained glass windows in a church and some B&W stuff of a guy fondling a brick before hanging out on the side of the highway. Again, this was just footage, not someone pretending to present a "film." And it was quite visually interesting.

After a bit, when the viewing was over, we were all asked to introduce ourselves and tell what we were interested in. I had sort of lambasted Cinemaker Co-op's opening night at Cinematexas and many of the filmmakers, whose works was shown that evening, were in attendance. For a bit, after this, I felt that the group were trying to justify their existence and their work to me. This was totally unnecessary. They, and their work, have every right to exist, and to continue as they are. Just as I have every right to comment upon it, report upon it and, even, become a part of it. All in all, I truly enjoyed my visit to the Co-op and plan to attend more meetings in the future. Assuming, of course, that since the meetings are open to the public, they will have me.

Upcoming Cinemaker Co-op events include "Angels and Insects" this Saturday 11/13 at the Artplex (1705 Guadalupe). There will be refreshments and some presentation of some 1 minute short films. There is also a Super 8 workshop on Sun 11/14 from noon-4pm. Cost is $50 for non members. Finally, the Co-op is allowing entries for their winter "showcase," "Tiny Prophecies," until 11/19/99. There will be a presentation of selected entries in early December. There is a link to the Cinemaker Co-op page on the links page and you can also call them at (512) 236-8877 for details about all this stuff.

Answering machines are important in the way that God is important. You think that you need one, but actually it just means more annoyance, more responsibility and more time away from the things you'd really like to do.

Notes from Bob Ray, the filmmaker responsible for "Rock Opera:"

Beth Sams, the super bad ass web designer, has given the Rock Opera web site a facelift. The site now contains killer new graphics, a link to the Rock Opera trailer, up to date journal entries, more photos, a mailing list and a merchandise page.

So check it out: http://crashcam.home.texas.net/

We now have over 5000 hits! So hooray for us and many thanks to Beth·

Rock Opera CD Release Party That's right folks, the long awaited Rock Opera CD will be available on December 4th, just in time for X-mas (it's the perfect stocking stuffer). The CD will feature a ton of Austin bands including: Fuckemos, Ed Hall, Cherubs, Butthole Surfers, The Titz, The Crack Pipes, El Flaco, Antebellum, Horseshit Gunfire, Pong, El Insecto, PigPoke, Witchbanger, Squat Thrust, Honky, Tallboy and more.

The CD Release Party will take place at the Red Eyed Fly on December 4th and will feature: Honky, Fuckemos, Pocket FishRmen, Voltage, and The Titz.

The CD will be available for purchase at the release party, in local record stores, or you can buy direct from the web site: http://lonestar.texas.net/~crashcam

Rock Opera to play at the San Francisco Independent Film Festival (January 6-14) West coast, here we come. We're bringing our nasty Texas-style rock and roll picture show to San Fran this January for the San Francisco Independent Film Festival (January 6-14). Director Bob Ray and the star of Rock Opera, Jerry Clark, will try to drag their sorry carcasses out to the fest (pending the cash required for travel).

If any of y'all live in S.F. or know of anyone who'll help out the cause by spreading Rock Opera propaganda in the area, please drop me a line at crashcam@texas.net. We'd love to get some fliers and stickers out and about in the bay area.

The Vortex is repeating "The Cabaret of Broken Dreams" on Sunday night. For more info see Notes from Austin #12...

Lots of cool stuff going on now and happening soon in Austin... Look for more news about "The Vortex," The Alamo Draft House's Winter season, Cinemaker Co-op, Rich and Kelly, AFS' "Pigs Pimps and Pornographers," AGLIFF screenings, and Kevin Smith's "Dogma..." soon on filethirteen...