bone blog #25

sunday am, in a flash of inspiration we kicked back our flight to be filmmakers one more day. Our server for breakfast was tina [holiday inn overland park w.] Yeah I got 4 kids, I'm home schooling them and working two jobs, I'm divorcing my husband, you guys seem so nice, please take me with you. staso has this ability where he can get complete strangers to tell him their most intimant details.   I can get anybody to tell me everything.

highlight # 1 got to the theater early and witnessed Guy Maddin and Ben Meade making a super 8 film in the theater. It was great to see them in action. It seems guy got in early the morning from toronto [see bone blog 2a] and they immediately began making a film. First shot was ben meade laying on the ground filming an opencockpit plane containing guy maddin filming him, there was a pilot. I just caught the end but the casting was fantastic, and the direction to a 4 year old kid, just get in the shot and we'll give you some popcorn was refreshingly old school.

highlight # 2 [n.b.f.] Anne nordas' film "red is the color of" played to a packed house at the 1:30pm screening, [we now know the best time slot for kansas city], Her film was a lot more than sexy it had the audience drenched in pulsating waves of unrequited desire, hands were starting to roam, well staso's. It's a story of two artists, one successful, Mary. One not, David.   In between them expertly playing both sides of a broken fence was the nymphette that being artist's we've always dreamed about. Set in a calculating art world,  Mary is a blood painter  and has attracted the attention of young misguided girls with nothing to do who have formed a fan base called the bloody marys, add in the above mentioned art world, some   botched suicides,  a sensitive faithful husband and the pic unfolds. The dialogue is smart and sassy and surprisingly unL.A. and the performances, especially the two women, are soulful. Great, NO bullshit film. coincidently we couldn't help but notice [see bankrobberlondon.com for pete doherty's blood paintings]

This was followed by Amour Legende - A film set in the desert with the keys locked in the car, this was the 1st act. In spanish, english, japanese and mandarin. A little dificult to follow.

More compelling was "The rich have their own Photographers" a doc by Ezra Bookstein about Milton Rogovin. this guy is the shit, a former huac victim and optimetrist he commenced his photographic carreer in his fifties, shooting his Buffalo NY neighborhood, the Lower West Side. His work captures the residents of this decayed, detiriorating forgotten neighborhood in all their glory. Since he's still alive at 97, he returned every decade to photograph his subjects if,   they were still alive. Many weren't.  Ezra Bookstein handles this film with the grace that it deserves. Check it out! www.tellingimagefilms.com, [a tip the photographer Rogovin enjoys hearing from people, leave an e mail] www.miltonrogovin.com
it's in links.

Next, was the ronald brothers Netherbeast, a fun corporate vampire film w/ a bunch of inspired television [you know them Judd Nelson, Robert Wagner] actors. But after 10
hours in the dark, we were suffering from severe theaterbutt [new word].

The evening ended at the KIFF hospitality room for Ben Meades [33] birthday - cake-bud light and tequilla in a bucket, don't ask.

stay tuned for the coney island fest.

glimmer away.




far as i got

bone blog #24

bonesters,

saturday a.m. up early with linda our driver and downtown to the nelson atkins museum of fine arts in kansas city mo., standouts - a duco black paint head on burlap by Jackson Pollock from 52 - A dekooning woman - a giacometti chariot - the 1st warhol silkscreen Baseball 62 - a great Milton Resnick from 78 - a guston "wall" and a sensual kiki smith installation. A brief tour of kansas city with bill [local d.p.] then back to the abandoned mall for the films.

"strictly background" Jason Connels first feature - a well casted l.a. doc about background extras [the extras he chose to follow were perfect] The film was a thoughtful portrait of the unknown striving for their day in the sun, while living in a friends garage. Got a good sampling of   Doug Lantzs' "from the 50 yard line" - a doc about PRO high school marching bands, cute flag girls. Our 2nd sample was "intervention" a concept very close to bonefilms black heart, but a little sensitive for our perverted taste. Where's the discipline?

Back to the hotel to freshen up with our N.B.F., anne. The usual, beer, cigarettes, shower and make up and our only chance to sample a classic kc b.b.q. at jack stacks, across from the dead mall housing the theater. Staso was too nervous to eat and buck had a hard time getting it down too, anne norda [n.b.f.] had no problem. Being the seasoned newyorkers that we are, we didn't think the short walk across the highway and through the parking lot was too tiring, but the response from the driving public to our pedistrian habits was quick and cruel, BUY A CAR - BUY A CAR, LOSERS. At the theater Staso made the mistake of asking how many tickets were sold and then glad he hadn't eaten when they answered. A last minute rush on tickets and the film started. Staso did the intro and then hit the hallway for a quick nervous joint, he was busted and escorted outside to the parking lot next to the dumpsters for a little quick discipline then kindly let back in. Although small our audience was sophisticated, enthusiastic and supportive. They GOT it - giving Steve Buckley a standing ovation which turned the Buckster the color of tomatoe soup. The Q n A was great, many compliments to the talent, Caprice and Cindy were awesome, I love rudolfo how come he's not here - the writer, how much was scripted? - and to the d.p. It looked fucking great.

Then it was into the van, our hard working driver/filmmaker linda drove us through the deserted night time to streets to the club [blue something?] at 18th st. and Vine, for some kansas city women and a bottle of kansas city wine. The band was a local electrical sub station that could light half the city. From what I was told, the alto sax player was the best in the country, the drummer was no slouch, and the singer "I wanna big fat daddy" wasn't taking any prisoners. the night ended at bonefilm hdquts K.C. for a late night talk fest. OUCH.

Quick note: Guest of Honor filmmaker Guy Maddin had to leave the festival at 4 a.m. saturday morning to collect "the Toronto prize" at the closing ceremonies of the Toronto film festival, though very self depreciating about the prize he did manage to say, I finally beat Cronenberg. [Guy is an all around film enthusiast, approachable, gentle and weird just like we like our filmmakers]

new word: Lepricano, c.c. the ticket gal defing her ethnic heritage, Irish and mexican.

Best art: don grahams' sculpture of charlie parkers' head and brains.