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
John Waters: Change of Life, February 7 – April 15, 2004
at the New Museum, New York City
The New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York City is mounting a retrospective of John Waters’ photographic and sculptural works that will open February 7 and run through April 15. But the big news for fans is that in addition to approximately 80 photographic and sculptural works, they will also be showing three of John’s VERY early films that have only been shown once in Baltimore.
Hag in a Black Leather Jacket (1964) (17 mins)
Roman Candles (1966) (40 mins) and
Eat Your Make-Up (1967) (45 mins)
will be continuously screened in the gallery space during the exhibition. For more on these films, visit the Dreamland Filmography. In addition to Waters’ artworks and early films, the exhibition features an installation by his longtime production designer, Vince Peranio. John will be in attendance at some special events planned for later in the Spring.
For directions to the museum, hours of exhibition and more information, please visit the New Museum‘s site. Harry N. Abrams is publishing the accompanying catalogue.
Post-Orlando Chinchilla Freakout
Oh dear.
I was all excited and was planning on writing all about the ultraglee at DisneyWorld from Sunday to Wednesday but I came home today and saw Olive and Valentine and then looked closer at Valentine and wondered why she was so white, and so much smaller, and then realized: somehow the chinchillas had been mixed up and so instead of the safe, non-baby-producing combo of Olive/Valentine, Micha/Rainer, we were now in chinchilla overloadville.
I called Amy and she said she kinda thought something was up when she let them out, but she wasn’t sure. Ya see, Amy had sent me an email saying something to the effect that she might not be available to check on them so I asked our really nice across-the-hall neighbor Mandy if she would mind coming over and checking on food and stuff.
So somehow during all this the chins got mixed up.
I hope we don’t have chinnie babies in three months. That’s interbreeding. This ain’t West Virginia!
More on DisneyWorld soon. I must sleep. We were waking up at 7 to get on the park buses by 8 to get in early as resort guests. It’s amazing how much we were able to do. If these two weeks were the least-populated days in the parks, I’m never setting foot in them during the high season. You might get 5 rides in in an 8-hour day. We rode the Haunted Mansion five times alone on Sunday! Yay!
Movies Movies Movies Movies Movies
Boy have I been seeing a lot of movies lately! I’m usually watching a few at home and in theaters, but with the Not of This Earth festival going on at Walter Reade I’ve been seeing a LOT of movies lately. If no parentheses, then film was at the Walter Reade.
Dec. 23 – Kill Bill Part 1 (7th time!) (Loews 42nd Street E-walk)
Dec. 25 – Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Astor Place)
Dec. 26 – A Boy and His Dog
Dec. 27 – Demon Seed
Dec. 28 – The Seventh Victim (double feature)
Dec. 28 – The Uninvited (double feature)
Dec. 30 – The Fury
Dec. 31 – Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Jan. 02 – Punishment Park
Jan. 03 – Avalon
Jan. 06 – Chungking Express
Jan. 07 – Dial M for Murder (in NaturalVision!) (Film Forum)
Jan. 08 – The Butterfly Effect (Loews 42nd Street E-walk)
Phew! That’s 13 flicks in 2.5 weeks! At home I’ve been watching tons of stuff to from two Claude Lanzmann films (Tsahal, and A Visitor from the Living), two Val Lewton (Cat People, Curse of the Cat People), Takashi Miike (Ichi the Killer), two Abel Ferrara (The Blackout, New Rose Hotel), Django, Bound, and more! MOVIES!
It’s going to get really bad in February. The Jerzy Kawalerowicz festival starts on the 29th, and Film Forum will be my second home as Un Chien Andalou and L’Age d’Or are playing for a week, followed by The Tenant for a week, then Umbrellas of Cherbourg, then the Orson Welles festival starts, then the 3-D festival! Agh!
MOVIES!
November 19-20, 2003
November 19th was both the screening and Pinewood Dialogue for Tim Burton‘s Big Fish, and the first of two nights of release parties for the new Diamanda Galás double-CD sets. I had the Diamanda ticket for some time and tried to exchange it for the next night when I got my Tim Burton ticket. Couldn’t do it, and thought I’d run down to Diamanda right after Burton.
Sadly there was some confusion as to whether Mr. Burton would be visiting with theatergoers afterwards and I lost a half hour of Diamanda time standing around waiting in the lobby talking with other folks. He apparently was slightly ill and didn’t come out at all. I was slightly bummed because the usually friendly assistant guy at AMMI, Peter Dowd, was in an upset mood and barked out some anger about ‘trying to meet the stars’ when asked about Burton, so some glum was upon me, combined with the rainy night, and I got back to the city around 10:30. I could’ve almost tried for Diamanda, whose show started at 9:30, but whatever. Lateer I read she was to perform a Tracey Nelson song and I’m sure it was ‘Down So Low,’ darnit.
I came home to find a message from Gaspar Noé, director of Irreversible and I Stand Alone. So the next day was much more fun. I gave a call to the cell phone number given, which turned out to be Mike Ryan’s number. Mike did locations on a few Todd Solondz movies, produced Todd’s latest, and was location manager on Far From Heaven. Gaspar and Mike picked me up in the afternoon and we drove around a bit while Gaspar videotaped the New York streets for location ideas for his next film. We checked out Chisholm Larsson Gallery where Gaspar picked up a nice French Holy Mountain poster and we visited the new J. Fields Gallery which is now just a workshop and barely a gallery. I really wish now I had taken pictures of the old place. I don’t know when I’ll ever see such a huge space displaying such huge international posters again. Waaaaah!
Mike took of and Gaspar and I did some interview in his hotel room, but the outgoing phones were not working and he had to make calls from a pay phone:
So I went back home and Gaspar called around 10 pm and came by with his friends Ryan and Erin, and it turns out we had a few mutual friends including Joel St. Germain who also contributed to the ‘On The Prowl’ edition of Xavier Laradji’s Timeless. Ryan has the most gigantic collection of bizarre, out-there, obscure films, second only to Steve Puchalski. It was fun hanging out and watching stuff but I felt kinda bad that most of my stuff was in storage as we’re still getting ready to paint. There were still a few fun things to share, and it was nice having neat fun cool people to hang out with for a few hours.
So marked the first two days of an incredible whirlwind of entertainment and adventure. Nov. 19-Nov. 27, 2003 were just nine days of adrenaline and glee.
Look! I’m in Polish!
Studiuje jezek polski w Hunter College. Moj nauczyciel ma na imie Krystyna. One jest bardzo zdolny.
This pic was taken last week of September and published halfway through October in the weekend edition of Nowy Dziennik. She got my name backwards and calls me Rupe throughout the article, but whatever, I’ve never been in Polish before!
Lubie Polska! Na zycie!
No, I’m not dead
Just lots and lots of stuff going on. Tons of freelance proofreading at the beginning of the month, and from the 19th on tons of out-of-town visitors from Paris, Finland and my parents in town from the Mojave Desert.
I’ll get it all sorted out and written down, but here’s a pic from out August 17th visit to Madame Tussaud’s in the meantime.
Shade
UK publisher Headpress and Shade Rupe have joined forces to release a book of the last 24 years of Shade’s interviews with various creators of darker art: DARK STARS RISING.
(Read More)
