I just flew in from Washington, and Man! are my arms tired!
I did the first unit photography for my best fiend’s new move, Night for Nixie. Here’s how the Bellingham Herald* describes it:
The premiere was held at The Factory, a club in downtown Bellingham. Judging by the “box office receipts”, there were about 100 people there. The place was full and some people had to be turned away. Good thing there’s another show at 3B on the 15th. (PNW Dopers take note. Clambake will also perform at that showing.) The film opens with a pregnant woman sitting in an office. A white-coated doctor enters and explains that the baby is fine. “A perfect specimen.” He goes on to describe the baby’s entire life. It’s a Sanmento teevee commercial that promises the ability to know such things through genetics research. Another ad follows, with the doctor on a sheep farm. The audience howled! Success! The film is chock-full of obscure references to the Illumitati which most people may not get. Characters include “Bill G.”, “Henry K.” and “Madeline A.”, along with a sleazy detective from Pilkington’s Detective Agency Inc. (Lee Bowers – a reference to the Kennedy assiasination), a hooker called “Cindy Chatterbox” (whose scene received uproarious laughter), a spiral-eyed denizen of the extraterrestrial enclave of Fogtown (Allegro Washington), a red-cloaked 18" eye (Edward), a female Mexican Wrestler (Luna Lungcrusher), a seven-foot all-black robot with a video screen for a face, and of course Nixie the soul-stealing spider.
For some reason, it’s impossible to find a projection screen in Bellingham so after I arrived there we drove up to Vancouver, B.C. to rent one. We also rented 40 folding chairs from a local place. As the movie played, I listened for audience reaction. Some of the laughter was of the “Oh-there’s-my-friend-so-and-so” kind. I noted that especially when Naked Bicyclist rode by, but it turned to genuine laghter when he passes – or throws – the first clue to Lee Bowers. The laughter continued at all of the appropriate places. I was concerned that the audience would not “get” the Chatterbox scene, but after some nervous laughter (the scene starts with Lee Bowers “slappin’ the big-nosed Rasta man” in front of his lap-top computer) everyone was rolling at Chatterbox’s performance. There is an automobile tire chain in the PNW that advertises “Free beef!” if you buy a set of tires. People from outside of Washington may not “get” the Olde Tyme Pest Control ads (starring Captain Happy) that promise “Free meat!”, but I think most people would understand the incongruity of it. At the end, we knew the premiere was a success!
While my fiend was accepting congratulations I folded and stacked the chairs, then mixed with the crowd. There were some other local filmmakers there (one recently finished a 16mm production called Beat Angel about a reincarnation of Jack Keroak and another has a 35mm science fiction project in production). We went over to my friend’s house and had a little party. One of the guys from Clambake showed their B&W music video The Totaly Unwarranted Attack of the Zombie Gravediggers and he, my friend and I talked about shooting something in August. Since some people had to work on Monday the party broke up early and I hit the rack as the last guest left at 0230.
Since I have 16mm film equipment and lighting, my fiend has DV and editing equipment, and other friends have audio studios, we’re thinking of forming a production company in Bellingham. Commercials and stuff, plus features. Very tempting indeed.
I hope I don’t violate any rules here, but there is a flash presentation on my friend’s website. There are also two photos there as well.
And that’s how I spend my 4th of July vacation.