TAG DES AUDIOVISUELLEN ERBES

The wonderous Goodtime Charlie international British artist known as (re)Phil Collins was his usual happy go lovely self at the opening at HAU 2 foyer for the festival Im Rahmen von “Treffpunkte”. Phil was presenting my heart’s in my hand, and my hand is pierced, and my hand’s in the bag, and the bag is shut, and my heart is caught, an audio installation that will run until the 26th of October. The vivacious Mr. Collins will give an artist talk on the 26th at 8pm. I love the concept of phonograph record booths beautifully designed and this installation looked gorgeous in the HAU2 foyer which has been renovated along with the new management of HAU.
Phil Collins installation features the collaborative efforts of GULLIVER survivalstation for the homeless located in the centre of Cologne where Phil is a professor at the art academy.  In Cologne  anyone could use the set up phone booths for unlimited local and international calls on the agreement that the calls would be recorded and anonymised. The selected material was posted to a group of international musicians like Scritti Politti, David Sylvian and Planningtorock and made into 7 inch vinyl records where you can luxuriate in the record booths and hear the results. Seen canvasing about: film historian and curator Marc Siegel with his ladylove intermedia actress/director Susanne Sachsse who is Phil Collins vinyl sleeve cover girl and Bruce “Judy” LaBruce the Canadian auteur in town for the German opening of his latest film Gerontophilia.  It was nice sitting outside the WAU Cafe during dindin chittle chatting with Judy who of course was filled with a plethora of the most scandalous international gossip that as you all know I am not one to gossip so you won't be hearing about it from me.

SCHMUTZIGES GELD

My insane sister of the clothe the divoon fantabulist Lady Bunny of New York City’s Greenwich Village formerly of Chattanooga, Tennessee just sent me a copy of her latest dance single “Pussy This Good Waits For No Man” featuring Groove Addixs which is a deliriously saucy retro disco flavoured ditty with a positron mantra to chant. Even Jehovah of Armies is wrapped up in the House of the Lady Wabbit and her unique singing style with its devotional peckerwood intonation and school marm Bobbi Gentry drawl. Miss Bunionopolous is one of the hardest working queens I know and has been writing songs for more mainstream recording stars like Britney Spears and collaborates often with some modern producer types. Of course I am not familiar with the world of the current recording and music business, but I love supporting my best girlfriends so run out to the record store or download her material. Those of you who are young and up on technological gadgetry will know what to do.

LISTEN/DOWNLOAD ALL MIXES HERE:

https://soundcloud.com/enrichedrecords/sets/groove-addix-ft-lady-bunny-lately-all-mixes-enriched-records/s-FxbqLYOUTUBETEASER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DELqIMZMNV0

PACKEND ODER PEINLICH?

My first time in Cologne for the Gefuehls Echt 20 Hoerspielforum presented by the wonderful folks of The Film und Medien Stiftung NRW.  Was thrilling to say the very least. Whenever someone pays for my travel by train first class I get excited, plus my extra large and comfy suite at the boutique Hotel Santos on Daober Strasse 22-26 with its perfect breakfast and accommodating staff was just beyond pleasure. My hotel was just minutes away from the famous Koeln Dom(the giant medieval Cathedral)

I was the opening speaker at the congress and my artist talk took place at the WDR Radio and TV station in their opulent Nato-Saal on the 6th Floor. I felt like I was giving a speech at the League of Nations after the first world war. Upon arrival in Koeln my gracious hostess the lovely and vivacious Anke Morawe, her sexy and well organized assistants Bruni& Claudia took me for a glorious artist dinner at the Restaurant Ludwig im Museum on Heinrich-Boell-Platz where we scarfed down a ten course meal. Then we hung around the Hotel Santos bar for a nitecap of the local lemonade flavoured brewski which was a delicious treat. On the first evening of the Congress there was a special concert by the Austrian musician Soap&Skin in the kleiner Sendesaal of the WDR. I only got to see half of the show because I had to use the lavatory and once you left the auditorium the strict guards wouldn’t let you re-enter. The other participants in the Congress were Michael Lentz, Jan Plamper, Rebecca Link, Tim Staffel, Paul Plamper(who recommended me for the gig), Cristin Konig, Zeitblom, Gaby Hartel and German filmdirector Oskar Roehler. On the train back to Berlin someone committed suicide by jumping on the track, which delayed my return by several hours. Once I reached the Hauptbanoff I was given a cash refund of 40 euros and some change for the inconvenience. Not bad considering I didn’t pay for the train ticket.

Sunday Rising Stars, Falling Stars was packed with anxious music lovers eager to see Sissy Spacek in her Oscar winning role as country music legend Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner’s Daughter 1980 directed by British film director Michael Apted. Ms. Spacek and Beverly D’Angelo as Patsy Cline do their own singing in the film and were sensational. The Arsenal Institute for Film and VideoArt was transformed for the evening into the Grand Ole Opry and my partner in grime Daniel Hendrickson the Scandinavian Muzlim jihadist looked incredible in his country&western attire complete with bolo tie while he plucked at the piano through my introduction. During the chitlins&hogmaws wine reception the celebutants gathered around Arsenal Empress Stefanie Schulte Strathaus--- famous curator and film historian Marcuse Siegelstein(Marc Siegel) bombshell actress and filmdirector Susanne Sachsse, studkin Axel Lambretta, diva extroidinaire Zazi de Paris who is one of the stars of the most famous TV show in Germany Tat Ort(Scene of the Crime)Laurie Anderson’s trusted confidant and film editor suprema Ruth Schoeneger with her hot girlfriend, modern dancer Assaf Hochman, scholar Shaka McGlotten currently living and working in Berlin as a Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The muscular Mr. McGlotten is also an Associate Professor of Media Studies at Purchase College-SUNY, the home of Pepsi Cola. He will be giving a talk in English on Octobert 15th 7:30pm at ICI Berlin. Also scene and heard at my monthly event: a gaggle of gorgeous young UDK boys flitting and flirting about with the Tunisian/German acting hungthrob Elyas M’Barek and his hunky pal Lino Rettinger, Richard Hilfiger the 22 year old skater son of clothes designer Tommy Hilfiger, American film ingénue Sam Claflin related to the late Baby Brian Tennessee Claflin of Club Pork @ Ficken 3000, Trevor Burgess the chief executive of C1 Financial and Jason Grenfell-Gardner of IGI Labs, both wealthy CEO’s and art patrons who love giving money to struggling cute male artist types who have large genitalia. Oh and it was also nice seeing at RSFS a woman from Los Angeles now living in Berlin who is an old pal from the Mormen Utah days of the late performance artist Curtis York who died of Mrs. AIDS back in the 1990s. Curtis York use to be part of the Highways Performance Space scene in Santa Monica and he was also one of the featured performers at the infamous Naked City - Act Up LA Benefit that I hosted back in 1991 in the last century.

Received a lot of emails asking about the new book by Chloe’ Griffin on John Waters star Cookie Muehler. Well Chloe is going on tour with the book so mark it in your calendar when she comes to a town or city near you.

TORONTO OCT. 2nd Book Launch for Edgewise: A Picture of Cookie Mueller by Chloé Griffin featuring a reading, multimedia presentation, and conversation between the author and poet Damian Rogers. Clint Roenisch Gallery 190 Saint Helen’s Avenue 7pm

MONTREAL OCT. 9th Book Launch for Edgewise: A Picture of Cookie Mueller by Chloé Griffin
Featuring a reading, multimedia presentation, and conversation between the author and Joshua Pavan. Librarie Drawn & Quarterly 211 Bernard Ouest 7pm

NEW YORK OCT. 15th Book Launch / Opening Night: Pictures in the Smoke
A book launch party celebrating the opening of a four day exhibit of archival material used in Edgewise. Participant Inc 253 East Houston Street 7pm
OCT. 16th No Credit, Cash Only: Cookie in Film and Video A visual lecture on Cookie’s acting career, featuring images and clips from the films of John Waters, New York No Wave classics, and 1980s art videos. Hosted by Dirty Looks NYC’s Bradford Nordeen. Participant Inc
253 East Houston Street 8pm OCT. 19th Another Boring Day: A night of readings from Cookie Mueller’s writing Featuring Richard Hell, Chi Chi Valenti, Sharon Niesp, Max Mueller, Susan Lowe, Max Blagg, Eileen Myles and others reading from their favorite stories by Cookie Mueller. Participant Inc 253 East Houston Street 7pm

BALTIMORE OCT. 25th Book Launch for Edgewise: A Picture of Cookie Mueller by Chloé Griffin Featuring readings by the author and surprise guests. Atomic Books 3620 Falls Rd. 7pm

CHICAGO OCT. 28th Book Launch for Edgewise: A Picture of Cookie Mueller by Chloé Griffin Featuring a reading and multimedia presentation by the author. Quimby’s Bookstore
1854 W North Ave 7pm

BERLIN, Germany NOV. 6th Book Launch for Edgewise: A Picture of Cookie Mueller by Chloé Griffin Featuring a reading and multimedia presentation by the author. Hosted by Wolfgang Tillmans. Between Bridges Gallery
Keithstrasse, 15 7pm NOV. 7th A Woman in Flames A day and night of screenings, showcasing Cookie’s three memorable film appearances. Arsenale: Institut Für Film und Videokunst TBA NOV. 9th A Pool Painted Black: A night of readings from Cookie Mueller’s writing Featuring Sharon Niesp, Max Mueller, John Heys, Françoise Cactus, and others reading from stories by Cookie Mueller. b_books verlag TBA
ABOUT THE BOOK Cookie Mueller (1949–1989) was a writer, an actress, a mother, and an icon. Edgewise tells the story of Cookie's life through an oral history composed of more than 80 interviews with the people who knew her, including John Waters, Mink Stole, Gary Indiana, Sharon Niesp, Max Mueller, Linda Yablonsky, Richard Hell, Amos Poe, and Raymond Foye. The contributors take us from the late-1960s artist communes of Baltimore to 1970s Provincetown and New York, through 1980s Berlin and Positano. Along with the text, Edgewise includes artwork, unpublished photographs, and archival material and photography by Philip-Lorca diCorcia, David Armstrong, Robert Mapplethorpe, Peter Hujar, and others. For more information: www.cookiemuellerbook.com contact: edgewise.cookiemueller@gmail.com
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My former Malmo Art Akademy student Stine Omar of the popular electro band Easter along with her juicy partner Max Boss have been in my former birthtown of Los Angeles staying with my good pal Hector Martinez at his fancy compound in Silverlake overlooking the reservoir. They will be performing at Dr. Jennifer Doyle’s art space Human Resources and will also have a screening of their quirky art video serial. All my peeps in LA be sure to check them out:

Dear Ms. Davis

We are back at Hectors house. We eat well, drink fancy liquor and talk about you constantly with love and admiration. Your picture is hanging so pretty on his wall and i wish you were here to join our adventures.Finally we have a working videocamera and so this week we will get on to shooting the american scenes of the evil gas, maybe we will even get out to joshua tree. People are talking to us on the street and taking us to their galleries. We never say no and have learned that in the streets of america if you smile at someone they smile back most of the timeOn thursday we will screen the evil gas at a place called night gallery. it will be outdoors at 8. maybe you want to share this on your blog so we can fill the seats with some good taste ass? Here is the link to the event http://www.fb.com/events/310528865815118/Then we play the concert on human resources on saturday. http://www.fb.com/events/383766245119184/ I will find jennifer doyle and say hi!
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Was reminded by a pushy publicist in an email that I never wrote anything about the new David Cronenberg film Maps to the Stars. I was invited to a private screening ages ago which also included drinks,dinner and a gift bag of expensive facial products and electronic goodies that I don’t know how to use and will just wind up giving to my young interns. This is what happens when your blog is read by millions of devoted fans and corporate entities see you as someone having influence over the buying and purchasing habits of the masses.

Anyways here is what I think of Maps to the Stars:

I adore the ginger haired actress Julianne Moore who is muse to my old pal the film director Todd Haynes. Well in all honesty I met Todd Haynes and Ms. Moore through film director Richard Glatzer who use to do the 1990s performance club Sit&Spin and Trade with Jeffrey Hilbert that I was a regular performer at. Richard Glatzer and his paramour Wash Westmoreland and I had a falling out many years ago so I got excommunicated from their Hollywood scene and friends, so to be 100% transparent I am not really close anymore with Todd Haynes or Julianne Moore. But I still like them and respect their talent. I loved Todd Haynes film’s Safe and Far From Heaven with Julianna and his amazing glam musical Velvet Goldmine and adaptation of James Cain's Mildred Pierce starring Kate Winslet. Ms. Moore just won the acting prize at the Canne Film Festival for her role in Maps. I felt that the films co-star Mia Wasikowska actually deserved the acting prize as her performance was much better. But Julianne was certainly no slouch and exposed herself in ways that weren’t the most flattering to a vain actress. The same thing goes with John Cusack and Olivia Williams (Ms. Williams is always fab in everything she is in) I use to have a crush on Cusack back in the late 1980s. Cusack is tall for a Hollywood actor, but now in middle age he looks very Death in Venice with his jowels and died black hair. The teen star character played by Evan Bird in Maps should have gone in a more realistic creepy direction that is more in line with what Hollywood is all about when it comes to sexually exploiting young boys, but Bruce Wagner who wrote the script must have gotten cold clammy feet on that score. The best part of the flick is that the French surrealist Paul E’luard’s poem “Liberte” is intoned throughout the film.

Maps doesn’t always work because it still isn’t as over the top as the real Hollywood. And believe you me I know what I am talking about here. But it still is a pretty good depiction of the town though its not as clever or insightfull as David Lynch’s Muhholland Drive or Inland Empire. One of the best movies about Hollywood is the Tuesday Weld 1970s film Play It As it Lays which Bruce LaBruce remade in 1994 as Super 8 ½.