Wednesday, February 16, 2011

DIE HEIMKEHR DES VERBANNTEN
My beautiful novelist friend Ms. Lisa Teasley(Heat Signature) told me back in Los Angeles last week that I would meet a man when I got back to Germany. Not only have I met a young good looking man in the form of Kai Fabian, but yesterday a new man made himself known to me, one who is very wealthy, handsome and powerful. His name is Marco Schroeter and is a finanzchef with Nokia Siemens Network. With all this good luck lately, something bad is going to happen I know it.Fortune never smiles but in my case it just laughts right in my face. If I looked for a horseshoe I suppose it would bop me right on the nose. . .
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This morning Love Camel and I went to the Forum screening of the cute tiny gay Argentine director Marco Berger’s atmospheric feature film Ausente. I loved the sophisticated poetic sound design and music on this film and its melancholic flair. The director must be a shrimper because the film starts off with a nice large extreme close-up of a well formed young male foot.
The actor playing the juvenile lead Javier de Pietro is beyond gorgeous with a sensual lisp when he speaks. From some of the showboating questions from tired LGBT people in the audience during the Q&A it seems like if a movie isn’t a simple minded sensitive coming out story they just can’t seem to allow themselves to grasp it.What fools.
It seems like I won’t be the only one celebrating a birthday in London. Ms. Beth Ditto of the Gossip is also in London and will have a huge soiree on Feb 19th. My party is the 20th so I am looking forward to the Ditto shindig and seeing the lovely singing superstar lady and her sexy manager Annie Oakley of Sex Workers Art Show.
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Just read that a Nazi cache of uncovered prewar 3D footage has been unearthed. At the Berlinale this year there was a rash of 3D movies, and it seems like we are in for another bombardment of 3D flicks that hasn’t been seen since the early 1950s. Well hidden in the Berlin Federal Archives were two 30 minute black and white propaganda films made in 1936 that were found by Australian director Phillippe Mora who is prepping a feature length docu on how the Nazis used images to manipulate reality. Mora made a film called Swastika in 1973 that featured previously unseen color reels from Hitler’s home movies shot on 16mm by Eva Braun.
With this new Nazi discovery we see that the National Socialists were way ahead of Miss Hollywood by over a decade in devoping the 3D medium, which is now enjoying an international renaissance. See what you learn from reading this blog.
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Urgent! Mark in your calendar the premiere date of March 6, 2011 for Pierrot Lunaire by Arnold Schoenberg directed by Tante Judy LaBruce featuring music conducted by Prmil Petrovic, production design by Cyril Duval of Item Idem, costumes by Zaldy, and starring the luminous Ms. Susanne Sachsse. This will be the event of the year so don’t miss it.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

EINFACH KOMPLIZIERT
Love Camel and I went to Potsdamer 88 the Forum Expanded site to see the new film installation Blind by Swedish artist Annika Larsson that explores the facility around vision and sightlessness that shows a group of blind footballers on the pitch. This is a challenging piece for me in that blindness is something that i dred.
Later caught up with Baby Diaper Joel Gibb of the Hidden Cameras and grabbed a quick bite to eat at this little Asian fusion place at Potsdamer Platz next door to pasta chain Vapianos. Besides being a talented musician and young man possessing great beauty, the Baby Diaperr can really spin a great yarn and was very compelling in telling us about how a certain cinematographer whose film is in the Panorama Section of the Berlinale had a major freakout or quasi nervous breakdown, became disruptive in the Berlinale offices and his director basically had to get him to thee nunnery fast----as on a quick flight back home. Such is the pressures associated with modern filmmaking. Both Joel Gibb and Lovel Camel seemed to think that the film Bullhead written and directed by Flemish director Michael R. Roskam was compelling, but not as much as its handsome lead actor Mattias Schoenaerts an easy breezy piece of humpy eye candy supreme. I didn’t see this film, but wanted to just because of a picture of its central character with his shirt open displaying an impressive rack and a very large, strong shnozola.
On a side note now that digital filmmaking is the norm can all these technology whizes do something about the numerous gaffes and glitches adherent to the screening of digi helmers? Sorry, vier haben keiner zimmer fur auslander---I was only asking.
Mr. Gibb also enjoyed Miranda July’s sophomore film effort The Future.I was surprised that I liked her debut feature Me and You and Everyone We Know. Ms. July had performed at my 90s club/performance space Sucker at the Garage-the punk rock Sunday afternooon beer bust and t-dance. I'm sorry to relate that a pic featuring a talking kitty cat didn’t really peak my Lesbianic interest so I had to pass on her latest quirkster offering.Tomorrow is a Forum screening of the Argentine film Ausente by Marco Berger whose last feature Plan B was very well received. I’ve heard Mr. Berger’s latest flicker has some nubile young men in it, so of course its going to register well with the Vagimule doll.
But what really had me gushing tears was Marie Losier’s feature film collaboration with Genesis P. Orridge and Lady Jaye called the Ballad of Genesis & Lady Jaye. Only someone with such a playful approach to film and video as Ms. Losier could have produced such thrilling and captivating results. The Pandrogynous couple Genesis and Lady J. Breyer’s very existence was one of whimsy and unshackled exploration. Seeing footage from House of Domination at Jackie 60 of Lady Jaye echoed to me how deep is the loss of such a beguilingly gracious, charming and multifaceted young woman, someone of my generation who made New York such a thrilling place in the 1980s and 90s, and who was part of a scene of fascinating powerful women artists. I’ll never forget how much fun we all had being a part of the Womanizer exhibition at Deitch Projects in Jan, 2007 that was curated by another powerhouse goddess Kembra of the Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black.
I had moved to Berlin In the fall of 2006, and Lady Jaye’s sad passing was Autumnal 2007.
I see a new renaissance for Genesis and Lady J. with this film project.There was such a pre buzz about the film before the Berlinale and now that its been screened I can see a majesty of events unfolding and swirling around those complex and wonderous super beings that are Genesis and Lady Jaye.
All the underground royals were present at the screening with a SRO crowd too numerous and varied to elaborate upon here. Empress Stefanie Schulte Strathaus of Forum Expanded did an amazing job as moderator of a Q&A after the the screening and in the Arsenal Foyer was a sophisticated champagne reception that not only celebrated Genesis and Lady Jaye but Marie Losier and Irish filmmaking studkin Paul Rowley’s birthday. It was so nice to have some quiet moments with Genesis Breyer P., Miss Stefanie,Trixie Cordua, Nanna Heidenreich, Tim &kJohnny Blue,Uli Ziemons, Daniel”The Muslim” Hendrickson,Morrison Edley of Psychic TV(who was going to be DJing later in the evening at CCCP Club on Rosenthaler Str. Last time I saw Mr. Edley was when he was with Miss Guy and Toilet Boys when they played my ClubSucker at the Garage in Silverlake back in 1997) and film historian Marc Siegel who was the facilitator of a discussion with Genesis after the screening of Ghosts#9 which features footage shot in and around the Beat Hotel in Paris and other Beat Films of Burroughs and Bryan Gysin that film director Derek Jarman helped Gen to identify and Catalogue back in 1980. Later in the festival Gen Breyer P.Orridge, Morrison Edley and Tony Conrad do a concert at the Hebbel Theatre as part of Forum Expanded Stage Saturday Feb 19th at 10pm

Monday, February 14, 2011

SCHAFKRANKHEIT
Running around the Berlinale with Love Camel is riotous. I didn’t know that Camel aka Andrea Novarin has written three books on cinema. Its because of these books that he got hired to work at the British Film Institute. His Dictionary of Italian Cinema 1970-79 in two volumes A-L and M-Z is a must have as well as his other tome Russ Meyers Un Erotomane Incallito, and also a small press edition of a series of essays on Gay Cinema that he edited.
We went to the Delphi to see a color and wide screen offering from Japanese Director Shibuya Minoru-- The Days of Bad Women 1958 which is just hilarious with its Kento appropriation of Hollywood Regency décor. The actor playing the teenage nephew of the male lead is like a Japanese version of John Gavin---- he is just that handsome and hunky. Let me tell you I wanted to rip his clothes off when he makes his appearance halfway through the film.
E-Love is an uber French film directed by Anne Villaceque that benefits from a sterling starring role by lovely Anne Consigny, the sexiest 50 year old ever to grace the screen. Her dalliance with a handsome African man is smoldering, but the love scenes with the Arab Muslim came off as a tad racist and disturbing. Being a woman of a certain age myself I can certainly relate to the main character’s journey of desire and longing.
I had almost forgotten that I am in a documentary about Bruce La Bruce in the Panorama section of the Berlinale called An Advocate for Fagdom by the beautiful French woman Ange’lique Bosio.I share screen time with Susanne Sachsse, Gus Van Sant, John Waters, Harmony Korine, Bruce Benderson, Glenn Belverio, Richard Kern,LA film critic Ernest Hardy and a host of others in this talking heads PBS style documentary film. The After Party at Schwuz was also for Mario Losier who has a documentary that debuts tomorrow called The Ballad of Genesis and Lady J.
Tante Judy LaBruce was DJing at the soiree and I saw a rash of folks having a wonderous time like German experimental film god Wilhelm Hein and his art photog girlfriend Annette Frick, Matt Johnstone who is now a movie publicist, Little Matt changes occupations every quarter, Gian Paolo Marzi of the Milan Gay & Lesbian Festival who has aged so much I didn’t even recognize him, Michael Bryntrup, longtime LaBruce producer Jurgen Brunning, Claudia of the Milan Festival, ‘Fucking Different’ Kiki Peterson, Art Forum writer Travis Jeppeson, Cyril Duval of Idem,Idem, Anna Muelter of HAU, and big peniled Jay Crisfar the star of Otto-Up With Dead People. Sorry if I forgot anyones names but i am writing this at 4:30am and I’m about to pass out on my laptop computer.
Before heading out to the party I saw my favorite Spanish actress Carmen Maura in the French film Service Entrance, the title in the press kit but on screen it was called The Women of the 6th Floor directed by Philippe Le Guay that is set in 1962 and features a nice ensemble cast headed by La Maura who was present at the screening and looked enchanting.
No major gossip this time out at Berlinale, just the same old talk about festival head Deiter Koslick being an out of touch socialite who knows nothing about cinema but got the job because it was thought that he would bring more corporate sponsorships, but actually with him on board the festival has lost sponsors. I am also quite amazed how the various sections of the festival hate each other and don’t cooperate with the Competition area thinking that the festival is all about them and the clout of big name stars they bring to the table, and that the other parts of the Berlinale Festival are just coasting on the Competitions shiny coattails. Pray tell me your opinions on the subject.
LE SACRE DU PRINTEMPS
The Vagimule Davis doll just may be in love. Yes can you imagine it? The boy is named Kai Fabian, and he is just the cutest little German thing born in 1984. I don’t want to jinx it so I won’t say anything more, but yesterday after seeing the press screening of Wm Wender’s Pina I spent most of the day and evening with him canoodling. I got so carried away with this young boy who I met through Martin Kaymer that I almost forgot about poor Love Camel coming to stay with me during the Berlinale Film Festival. Kai Fabian drove me back home to the Cheese Endique Trifecta just in time as Camel was arriving.
Now back to Pina. As most of you know, Ms. Bausch in the late 1990s approached me in LA when she was doing a new piece at UCLA Live! And we spent quite some time together with her filming me performing at Club Sucker and just observing my way of moving and gesture. She was a very sweet woman and very calming to be around. I took her to a bunch of latino drag clubs which she delighted in. I never saw the finished product as I was in Europe when it premiered at UCLA but I am sure it was divine in seeing this film. Ms. Bausch died in 2009 and she and Wm Wenders who were pals had always wanted to make a dance film together, so he did it with the cooperation of her company Wuppertal Dance Theatre. The film is in Digital 3D and is as epic as her work is profound. The film musical and dance is the perfect conduit for 3D. The only 3D musical was the 1953 MGM hit Kiss Me Kate, and it’s a wonder that no one else has explored that territory till now.