Part Seven of Father Geek's Cool Film Experiences...
2. Living thru Tarantino's August of 1996 all night HORROR MARATHON at the Dobie in it's fantastic Egyptian Room. A fitting place for the horrors that would unfold before the dawn's first rays were to grace us. Harry's back was almost broken, he had trouble keeping his balance, getting up once he sat down was difficult, his walking was unsure, and stairs were a real nightmare. The Dobie is a second story venue with a 6 story parking garage. Bummer! Harry insists on going, a little problem like not being able to walk will not stand in his, or my way! We knew this would be a lifetime of recollections type of event. The Films? I'm not even sure what we saw.
Ultimately the flicks were not even why we were going, it was the affair, the camaraderie of 125 fellow film fanatics, Tarantino's bigger than life personality, the challenge to last till dawn, the promise of weird prizes for the hearty, the dream of a Woodstock-like experience for the Horror Film fan. It was a quest that drew pilgrims from across the globe. Would it be so? Well, lets see, we saw Price in CRY OF THE BANSHEE, Mexico's LEGEND OF THE WOLFWOMAN, the never before seen in an American theater Italian gore fest THE BEYOND, the sexy farce THE GIRL FROM STARSHIP VENUS, a piece from the Price Poe series THE WITCHMASTER GENERAL (aka THE CONQUEROR WORM), and a couple of others.
Harry and I watched the films. We watched the steadfast. We noted their dwindling numbers. Who among us could withstand the scorching blast of the Nietzschian Fires before which all great lovers of the motion picture arts must stand? Who from our shrinking folds would dare to cross through those blistering flames, to climb the cliffs, to conquer the mount and raise their fist against the invading dawn? The hours creeped by on cat's paws. The hum of the motor stilled, the last ember of projected light faded away. The truth would soon be known. The lovely Monica was there on the heights with us bubbling over with life, and a lad of 15 who would grow to become Quint had made it too. After the last show the crowd had shrunk to less than 35, but more than Quentin thought would make it, he had not enough prizes for the worthy. What to do?
QT threw up yet one more test for the unsullied. He decided to toss the treasures to the remaining faithful. Harry forgot his ailing back, his stone of Sisyphus, and launched out of his front row center seat to capture his guerdon of horror, his laurel of fortitude, his profit of abomination. He hit the floor facedown, sliding across it's mixture of beer and pop he achieved his goal, a small, inexpensive rubber centipede/girl, a bug/babe of honor and will, but he was stretched out on the Egyptian Room floor, like the human/worm prize he clasped in his hand, he could not rise up to stand in the glory he had earned. Like Randion under the wagon in the rain Harry slithered his way back to his seat. With time and great effort he finally stood upright, but he moved like the macabre mummy in who's temple we were standing. We cautiously, painfully made our way down the perilous stairwell to the east and into the early grey of the morning light..... The Dawn... of the Dead.
1. Right now the experience that sits atop my film going memory inventory is the December 16th world premiere of THE FACULTY here in Austin at the Paramount Theater, our own golden age cinema palace. Why? Well, both my kids are in it for starts. Also I got to know the teenagers in the leading roles, Elijah, Josh, and Laura spent alot of time over the three months of shooting in our backyard watching features, cartoons, trailers, anything I would tread up. They liked my cooking and I liked them alot, not because they were movie stars, but in spite of it. Just real good real kids. I now look at their work with an almost parental pride. I know thats weird, but its also true.
Further I was on the set alot, ALOT, and you can't do that without becoming attached to the film emotionally, without looking forward with joy to its final release. Also I know and like Robert and his wife and naturally have a strong interest in their work. This also helped light the fire under the evening's happenings for me. Add to all the above reasons the fact that the event itself was grand, in a magnificent setting. The pre-party and buffet at Antone's Home of the Blues (with live music) where I've seen B.B.King, Freddie King, Lightning Hopkins and others; the post-party at Liberty Lunch (with Flame Trick Subs & Satan's Cheerleaders) where I've seen Joan Jett, Patti Smith, Wendy O. Williams and dozens of others over the years; the after-after party at Kerby Lane Cafe, these all just capped off a wonderful evening on the day that Harry's sister Dannie graduated from high school 1/2 a year early and premiered in her 1st movie. From a father's point of view, just WAY-WAY-TOO-COOOOOL!!!
OK there they are, the grandest of the grand of FATHER GEEK's film going recollections, or are they? Oh man, how stupid could I be? I left out seeing STAR WARS with 5000 fanatical Mexican Geeks on the Reforma in Mexico City over the Christmas holidays of 1977, I left out my Birthday in 1957 when I saw CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN with a dozen buddies and then we all camped out in a fort made of old Christmas trees that night telling scary "urban legend" stories, I left out the 12 features like SCARFACE, TIGER SHARK, THE BIG SLEEP,and HIGH SIERRA that Harry's Mom and I watched with Howard Hawks back in the Spring of 1970, I left out seeing TRAVELER with Bill Paxton & Forest Whitaker, or REANIMATOR with Stuart Gordon & Bob Burns, or NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET with Wes Craven & Tobe Hooper, or PLEASANTVILLE with Gary Ross & John Landis, or SHENANDOAH with Jimmy Stewart & Katharine Ross, or THE GENERAL with incredible live music by Guy Forsyth, or THUNDER ROAD with the bottle of free Thunderbird, or SUPERFLY with free 40's of malt liquor, or "DRUG NIGHT" at the Alamo with special "Herb" pizza, or "SEX NIGHT" at the Alamo with... well you know, or the "TRIBUTE TO KUROSAWA" night with free warm Saki, or the "TRIBUTE TO SAM FULLER" night with free cigars . Oh man, the floodgates are open now. There's just tooooo much!!! I can't... hold... them... back!!! Help!!! Help meeeeee!!! I'm drowning!!! HELP MEEEEEeeeeee!!!
Wow! Yeah, it's really a bitch, that's what is so hard about making these darn lists, you get to second guessing yourself, right and left. What to leave in? What to leave out? What to put first? What to put last? What about the 1957 premiere of THE PRIDE AND THE PASSION in NY with Sinatra and Sophia on stage that my Dad took me to right after climbing to the top of the Empire State building? What about my Grandmother taking me to see WHEN THE DALTONS RODE and then telling me I was related to the outlaw brothers afterwards? What about the premiere of FROM DUSK TO DAWN at the Paramount with that outstanding introduction by Tarantino at his absolute best? What about seeing 1976's KING KONG in Mexico City and then later that same night our family sneaks in the exit of a circus bigtop only to find to our surprise the full size Kong model from the film being used as the centerpiece to the whole show? What about Harry's Mom (Helen) and I watching THE YOUNG LIONS, MURDER MY SWEET, HITLER"S CHILDREN, and 9 others with William Dmytryk in the early 70's? What about seeing and hearing Lang's METROPOLIS with a live music score by ST37, or Eisenstein's immortal THE BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN with a dynamic original score by the Golden Arm Trio (really 9 musicians), or Chaney's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA with vital pipe organ music played by a guy dressed as the Phantom on a Grand Guilgoul set? What about seeing 1958's HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL at the Texas in S.A. with Jerry Lee Lewis banging out Great Balls of Fire live on stage. It would just be wrong to leave them off this inventory!
It's just soooo painfully difficult, this near compulsive list making, this cataloguing of ones' treasured recollections. Should I include my crying when Clark Gable dies in a car wreak in TO PLEASE A LADY when my Mom took me to see it on New Years of 1951 and we get home to discover that my Dad and his brother almost died in a rollover on their way to the Cotton Bowl at about the same time? Should I include my hiding behind the seat when the Indians stormed across a stream firing arrows and throwing spears in the 3-D western CHARGE AT FEATHER RIVER? Should I include what went through my heads when I first saw BEHIND THE GREEN DOOR in that plush San Francisco Mitchell Brother's Theater with Bobby & Stella during the Spring of 1974? Should I include the excitement of the family seeing BATTLESTAR GALACTICA in Mexico City 8 months before it was released in the US? How about my friends and I trying to figure out how they got that actor to fit into the Cyclops costume in SEVENTH VOYAGE OF SINBAD? Those legs, how'd they do it? How about that same group trying to figure out how they cut those guys' heads off in BLACKBEARD THE PIRATE? The camera was right on them, it must of been real? How about the guilt I had for rooting for the Nazis in 1958's ENEMY BELOW, and for feeling empathy for the Jap commander in BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER KWAI? How about the anger and frustration Harry's film collecting "uncle" Bob showed us on his birthday when I informed him that Elvis had died earlier that day, he tore apart his projection screen and we had to watch the pre-selected 16mm print of LOVE ME TENDER on a sheet hung upon his wall? How about that button-popping pride I had for helping to bring DEEP THROAT to a University of Texas campus theater? (Believe it or not it was shown in the theater used by the French Dept., and we had to go to court to force UT to let us show it)
Then there's all those non-film, film events like Johnny Weissmuller babysitting Harry all day in his room during an early 70's Houston Comicbook & Film Convention, or another Tarzan, Jock Mahoney, holding Harry over his head and letting out with a tremendous jungle yell for the local television crew at another 70's Houston Con, or when I met the Lone Ranger in Dallas, or the 1st Buck Rogers at D-CON, or the Cisco Kid, Mr. T, Fu Man Chu, and Eddy Munster. How about running into Chief Scar, or when Harry crawled under the barrier at Hollywood's CARS OF THE STARS (now defunct) jumped into the space truck and started hugging the real, original ROBBY THE ROBOT around it's leg. What about those major geek fests at Forrey Ackerman's house with all those rooms of super cool movie stuff to swim in? This is just way, way too hard, I better quit while I'm ahead, or am I really? Anyway, this is FATHER GEEK signing off for the time being and wishing you all many wonderful movie memories for the future and make sure to come visit me again in the AINT IT COOL MUSEUM.
Part Six of An Exploration of the Greatest Film Experiences Known In Father Geek’s Life Span!!!
Home | News | Coaxial News | Reviews | Forums | Collectibles | Harry's World | Links | Pot Luck | Search | Contact
This site is © 1999 by Harry Jay Knowles