It ain’t nothin’ but a party
That was fun!
Just got back from Patricia Rogers’ and Scott Denning’s house in a beautiful part of the Río Grande valley north of Bernalillo. It’s a wonderful setting: an old rambling adobe house, an enclosed patio out back shaded by an ancient cottonwood tree, open green fields all around. I was lucky enough to get to attend the cast party there for Gimme Skelter, the latest film written and directed by my long-time pal Scott Phillips. While Pat and Scott D. are truly lovely people and the God and Goddess of Hosting, this party was actually hosted by Scott’s partner Jen (who for some inexplicable reason is credited as Jen the Ruiner in the film.)
Aside from the fact I’m friends with Pat and Scott and sundry cast and crew members, I was also invited ’cause my birthday was a week ago Friday. Lucked out there, huh?
Right off the bat I met Gunnar Hansen, a big amiable white-bearded bear guy. It didn’t strike me until shortly thereafter that I’d just shaken hands with Leatherface himself. I’ll admit I’ve never been a colossal fan of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but as I told Mr. Hansen as he was leaving, it’s always a privilege to meet a cultural icon. I also got to meet various other cast and crew folk - altogether a most excellent bunch.
Got to see Ken Hall, who grew up with Pat - while I’d heard of him for years, I actually never met him until he was a Media GoH at Archon a few years back. He’s a multi-talented guy who’s worked in almost every aspect of film-making. His latest feature was The Halfway House, notable for its production value. Which was a phrase Scott P. (hereinafter referred to as Scooter to avoid confusion) taught me, meaning “nudity.”
Saw Devin O’Leary, who’s been a true trouper and endured many hardships and degradations in sundry of Scooter’s flicks. I thanked him for setting up the NM authors feature in last week’s alibi. (Here’s a link to my interview.)
I talked with a bunch of old friends, such as Pat (Scott D. wasn’t there, sadly; had to work), Scooter, and Wendy Jay and her precocious younger daughter Shannon (who brought books to read in case she got bored. How great is that?) Wendy’s in the movie, as is her older daughter, Sarah Turner, whom I understand kindly provides some of the production value.
It was also great fun just to sit and listen to others talk. Hearing stuff like Ken telling Gunnar a story about an incident at some recent horrorcon which involved Sibyl Danning, arguably the queen of the Scream Queens, and them asking each other if the rumor that Scooter’s one-time housemate Linnea Quigley had dated Al Gore was true (Lord, I hope not!), was completely priceless.
Also, passim, in cruising the invaluable imdb.com (I admit that I have no power over the Internet Movie Database) I learn that Gunnar Hansen is a) Icelandic; and b) stars in a 2008 release called Reykjavik Whale Watching Massacre (click the link if you think I lie!) Which is just entirely cool in so many ways.
As if that weren’t swellness enough (but wait! There’s more!) Patricia then brought out a birthday cake - devil’s food with chocolate frosting! - which she had most kindly made for me. With Wendy’s help she lit the candles. I blew them out - they were numerous, if nowhere so numerous as my actual years (which would have required several cakes.) I blew them out and everybody sang Happy Birthday to Me. Even the numerous folk who had no idea in Hell who I was joined in with a will and a heart, which was sweet of them all, and I thank them. Then again, I know theater people are like that, and I guess movie people are too.
So I came home. I’m going to the 10:00 PM showing of Skelter at the Guild Theater - excuse me, Cinema - and needed to hold back some energy.
And so in the end I had not just one but two birthday celebrations. I’ll write up the one I eventually did indeed get at Archon when I find some space here shortly. While having a party for me was not the main object of either fandango, I think you’ll agree with me in that I don’t mind a bit. In fact now in a week’s time I’ve had two of my best birthday parties ever!
Thanks, of course, to Pat and Jen and the two Scotts, and everyone else who made it all so darned great.
And, oh - it occurs to me that some of my posts might strike some as name-dropping. To which my answer is, “Yes, huh!” I’ve been lucky enough to get to meet and become friends with many fantastic people during my life. Being as this is my personal journal site and all, I figured to let y’all in on it.
It’s all part of my Chief Aim in Life: to have fun and then share it with you.