Review of SHADE
Just like the letters section and the comic book itself of Shade, the Changing Man, it’s fun to read a review where Shade is capitalized and referred to:
Shade the Movie film review.
Blog
Shade Rupe’s Subversive Cinema Presents
Shugo Fujii’s LIVING HELL
Click here for the Fangoria mention.
Shade Rupe’s Subversive Sinema presents:
Shugo Fujii’s LIVING HELL
JULY 5TH - 7:00 PM
PIONEER THEATER
155 EAST 3RD STREET (AVENUE A)
Check the Pioneer Theater website for more info.
William Friedkin’s CRUISING at BAM!
See New York as it once was in all its sleazy ’70s glory. Nobody behaves this way anymore, at least in public, and not on film. Should be a fun evening though one day I’d love to see someone screen it outdoors at night in Central Park. From the BAM calendar:
Saturday, July 3rd at 2, 4:30, 6:45 & 9PM
Cruising
What in the world? Pacino goes undercover to find a murderer in the
underground Village S&M scene. This film provoked boycotts from gay-advocacy groups
and shocked audiences with its rawness, subject matter, indictment of corrupt
police (a Friedkin trademark), and seeming disregard for narrative logic.
Without question one of the strangest major studio films ever made, it will leave
you slack-jawed.
Tony Randall (Arthur Leonard Rosenberg) - Good Guy
February 26, 1920 — May 17, 2004
Through John I met Tony Randall and his lovely wife Heather and his two children Julia Laurette and Jefferson Savini. I would only see Tony during National Actors Theatre events and plays, though on one occasion Heather invited John and I over to read a few parts of her friend’s play and Tony arrived after a benefit he had attended.
Tony Randall was always gracious, kind, smart, funny, and cool. He was everyone’s friend and was helpful in a million ways to everyone around him. He started the National Actors Theatre with a million of his own dollars, and went out finding the rest. Through an internship at NAT, Heather Harlan and Tony met, and the rest is history. Tony had a previous marriage of fifty years to Florence Gibbs that ended with her passing due to cancer.
John and I were on 45th Street on Friday, May 20th, in front of Avenue Q when Jack Klugman and his girlfriend Peggy Crosby walked by on their way to buy tickets for Raisin in the Sun, so we offered a hello and condolences. Jack, Peggy and Tony were all on stage in 1998 at the Lyceum Theater on 45th Street for the National Actors Theatre production of The Sunshine Boys, with Jack and Tony in the main roles.
A few moments later we walked towards Broadway and walked past Eric Idle and Mike Nichols. Through John and Tony Randall and Fred Walker at NAT I learned a lot about theater and Broadway and the Plaza Hotel where NAT often had fundraising events.
I only have nice things to say about Tony Randall, and his wife Heather, and Fred Walker, and NAT.
The latest news I’ve heard is that Pace University will continue its relationship with the National Actors Theatre.
Tuesday night John and I had a nice walk through Central Park, walked by Heather and Tony’s place, and walked down Broadway to be in Times Square at 8pm for the one-minute dimming of the lights in tribute to Mr. Randall.
Thank you, Tony. A good man all around.
Mmmmmm… The Loews Jersey!
Spent Friday night and most of Saturday at the lovely Loews Jersey in Jersey City. Boy, moviegoers really were treated very well for some years in the early part of the 20th century. The Loews Jersey opened September 28, 1929 as a grand movie palace. The whole idea of these enormous movie palaces was to get people into the theater. Now the whole idea is to get you in and get you out.
The last time I was at the Loews Jersey was for the screening of the 1910 Edison Frankenstein, which was amazing to see in such a place. The Friends of the Loews Jersey have done even more work than when I was there a year ago. They meet every weekend and clean and paint and polish and all that. It’s just incredible that something so amazing was left to ruin, and even more amazing that anyone would vandalize it, but such is American life. The same American social mechanisms that produced such a glorious monster also contribute to its demise.
Off for the summer, the Loews Jersey will reopen in the fall with a 75th Anniversary of the opening of the theater itself. I’ll post some pictures at some point. This weekend was just super with Mr. Ray Harryhausen there to introduce Jason and the Argonauts, a Saturday matinee of This Island Earth, and a 50th Anniversary screening of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea in the evening. Superb entertainment!
London - Paris — 1st report - 8:10 UK time
I wish I could type more but I’m on a French keyboard and it’s a bit awkward finding the keys. John and I spent a week in London doing quite a few tourist things, saw three plays, met a few British actors, and spent way too much money. London is just too damn expensive for a Statesman right now, with the dollar being worth half the pound. So a L6 sandwich will run you $12. Even tightly budgeted we did not walk away unscathed.
More on all this later, maybe a week or so, or until I find an English keyboard. Hunting, pecking, and correcting takes too long, and there is much more Paris to enjoy. Paris… more later!
Cheers!
Shade
SHADE, the movie
Luckily Sylvester Stallone’s character is not named Shade, but his new film is. They’re of course referring to some sort of sleighthand in card playing, though I’m sure the posters around the world will have a few people thinking of me, and it’s nice to be thought of!
So many movies this month!
Yes, New York is expensive. Yes, it’s really hard to live here. Yes, it’s noisy and people can be rude. But MAN do we get to see a lot of movies here! Woo hoo!
The month of March:
February 2nd, 3rd: Bertolucci premieres, February 6th: John Waters opening at the New Museum
Boy have things been fun and wild! The week before the London trip was just jam-packed with exciting adventures. One fun thing was running into Scooter McRae’s girlfriend at the first Bertolucci premiere for The Dreamers. I actually left the movie and went and got a haircut because I knew I’d be seeing the film the next night at the official premiere at the Beekman. I did think I saw Jeremy Thomas on the stage, but didn’t see him later at the reception downstairs. The assistant curator guy at AMMI is still being a dick to me, and I can only take it back to wondering if Tim Burton would be visiting afterwards in the lobby. Man, that entire point in history, and today, would be so different if I merely walked up to the stage and said hello. Instead I missed Diamanda Galas, the AMMI guy is a dick to me, and even the supercool and awesome David Schwartz seems like he’s looking at me like I’m crazy or something. And while I freely admit that I’m a bit of a different duck, I know that I’m not one of the drooling freaks who glom on to celebs, so whatever.
The next night was a lot more fun as Norm and I met up with Richard and M—– (nameless because of later actions) at Patsy’s (even though we went to different ones - a benefit of cell phones for sure) and then went down to the Beekman. Tons of papparazzi snapping pics and Liv Tyler walks in and I never really thought about her much before but she is gorgeous in person, just beautiful, and tall. Michael Pitt was there of course, dressed like a skater boy, but the other two leads were nowhere to be seen. The movie plays, it was fine and fun and had a hard-on, which is extremely rare on American screens, and had some nice movie reverence scenes.
Afterwards we move on to Gustavino for the party, and that was a blast. What a neat place! It’s built under the 59th St. bridge and has two levels. Lots of fun up there. Michael Pitt is really nice and Norm had worked with Jonathan Demme before on Melvin and Howard so we talked to him a bit, and Richard introduced us to Jeremy who is super cool and it’s great to see that Cronenberg, Roeg and Bertolucci have someone like Jeremy working for them.
M—– wanted a snapshot of her with Liv Tyler because she was her stand-in on an early film Inventing the Abbotts. So I had to get a snapshot too, just ’cause. Liv was really nice and sweet. It was eye-opening while sitting next to Bertolucci to have Liv asking him for a film role she could really use, that would really ‘bring her out.’ Everybody wants something else than what is going on in their lives I guess.
We hung out pretty late and then separated and went back and crashed at my place.
On Friday of that same week was the press preview for John Waters’ new show at the The New Museum of Contemporary Art. Carl and Norm joined me for that and there were a ton of people there. What an amazing show! A cream of the crop for John Waters fans.
TONS of his art photo stills up on the walls, arranged in corners and stuff, plus three-dimensional artworks, a couple dioramas representing moments from his films, plus the amazing opportunity to see all three of John’s early shorts that he never shows to anyone. I asked him about this and he said he wants to let people just walk in for a few minutes and get a few snatches rather than watch the whole thing. Then it’s like the rest of his show, taking frames out of other movies and letting those frames contrast and compare with other stills. Fun!
Norm, Richard, and I went back the next night for the actual opening which was swamped. We saw a few people like Steve Buscemi and Michael Almereyda and the always cool Dennis Dermody and Dolores Deluxe
but I didn’t see Henny Garfunkel who I had just talked to earlier in the day. Norm and Richard and yes myself were really hungry because we had been recording rather than eating. Again, as I say below, I feel that leaving early on my own for this event and staying in touch by cell phone may have been better.
I’m a little peeved because we were recording other stuff that day and got done late and I John was getting off work and I said we’d meet him at 6:30 and we didn’t get down there until almost 8pm!!! I left John a message which was fine but sadly he called back on his cell phone which I had but had left in the coat of my pocket in Norm’s room when I ran up to Richard’s room to show him some pictures I had just picked up. I thought about it when I left to go upstairs but thought I’d be back right quick, which I was, but not quick enough. Norm tried to grab the phone but couldn’t find it before John had left a message that he was going to come home. It was really cold outside then and I hate it that John was standing outside. That was definitely a time for me to just take control and get going. I didn’t get to see Henny, I didn’t get to meet with John, and I barely had any time there. Prior obligations must take precedence sometimes, and I’m sure given the address Norm and Richard would’ve found the place fine. And I had John’s cell. C’est la vie.
I hate it that John didn’t join us that night, for many reasons. John’s met Mr. Waters a few times at the bookstore he works at and says hi. So that would’ve been great. Then we went to Yaffa Cafe afterwards which is always fun. Then we went to Kim’s Video quickly, then ran up to the Empire State Building at night, which had no lines at all, and was great for Richard because he’s never been up there and he’s such a HUGE King Kong fan, and a gorgeous cool night it was. Totally clear for miles around. I would’ve loved to have shared this with him. *sigh* Still a lot of fun! I just like to share those things.
Portobello Road, London, England
First time in London. As with Paris I’ve found a greater understanding of all the movies I’ve seen about the people and places. The accents seem ‘normal’ here rather than forced as they’ve felt in movies. A very different way of living, at least out here on Portobello Road where I’ve been staying with a director friend.
As my travelling partner has recently had surgery we’re moving a bit slow and pretty much staying in one place, but it’s quite nice to be here. I’m hoping John and I can make the Paris trip next month and toss a few days in London into the mix. I’d like to see this city with someone else without the encumbrance of business to bog us down, although I’ve been having a blast doing interviews and traveling about transferring materials and such.
A nice taste. I noticed a marquee displaying a three-dimensional Chitty Chitty Bang Bang design and while normally I would have a hard time ponying up the pounds for such an event, something is calling me in that direction… we’ll see what plays are on John’s plate when we do make it back. I know that Endgame with Michael Gambon must be on his list.
Shade
