What Happened To Me? I Left Seattle.

Right: The view from my commute.

So, I've been absent for awhile. What happened what this. I was scheduled to interview Crispin Glover, during his January visit. An hour before the interview, I was notified that I was being laid-off. The next day I was getting ready to see Crispin Glover present What Is It? when my landlady notified me that she was going to sell the condo I'd been leasing. I'd like to think that losing my job and apartment had nothing to do with Crispin Glover. The following week, the heating broke down in my building, a mouse took up residence in my wall and the zipper on my sweater broke. I decided to move to San Francisco.

I flew down to see what I could line up. Three weeks later, on Valentine's Day, I got offered a job in the Financial District. A few days after that, I signed a lease on an apartment in Pacific Heights. I flew back to Seattle, packed up my shit and here I am, living a stone's throw from Lafayette Park, riding the cable car home from work, eating dinner in Chinatown, knocking back drinks at Tosca [Wim Wenders 'favorite bar in the whole, entire world']. My life is a fucking Rice-A-Roni commercial.

It all happened so vertiginously, I sometimes wake up and ask myself, "How did I get here?" Like Judy Barton, I often feel this isn't real my life, but an impersonation of somebody else's. Things aren't helped by the fact that I pass by the Brocklebank Apartments nearly every day. Hopefully, I won't be falling off any belltowers, anytime soon.

Veering between excitement and nostalgia, I find new and wonderful things to do, as I continuously miss my life and friends back in Seattle. Luckily, some things continue to be the same. Movies, for instance. San Francisco is a real film town. Not just because this city has inspired a significant number of memorable cinematic moments, but also because they show a lot of films here. Granted, there's nothing quite like the vastness of SIFF, but there are numerous festivals, one of which, the San Francisco International Film Festival, is right around the corner. So, along with Anne Hockens, I shall continue to contribute to SIFFblog, as a sort-of foreign correspondent. In fact, I still have that Crispin Glover thing to transcribe... In the meantime, I have some SFIFF scheduling to figure out.

Image of Pacific Heights' classic architecture from SFTODO.

Miscellany

Just a quick note to let readers and authors know a few things:

1. Comments are screwed up. I still haven't been able to figure out why; I am working on it, but I don't have the limitless expanses of time needed to do a true line-by-line trace on the code to find the error. I have begun looking into professional hosting options for the site.

2. If professional hosting adds to my expenses too much, then the next resolution to the problem is to do a clean reinstall of Moveable Type; this also requires a system-wide upgrade of the operating system on the server, changing the local email-handling program, and fiddling with several other major webserver components. I would estimate the job would take about 16 hours total work time and basically a full weekend of fiddling, research, homework, fuckups, and rebooting. Thus, I'm a tad reluctant.

3. Another alternative would be for me to begin building a new server on an existing extra computer in my house. That's a better approach as it would involve less random rebooting and server disruption.

4. Site traffic has been holding steady at 250 to 300 site visitors daily. That is good news and what I was hoping to see for the project by this year. As a result, in with several other websites I run, I think I might be able to cover current hosting costs directly by implementing Google AdWords. Again, this is a research project for me and I will check in before I implement any advertising solution.

5. I don't think the RSS-based local movie times feed is coming back soon. I am looking at alternatives but do not expect to see a good solution. One which occurs to me is to simply gather the movie times manually and include selected listings as a regular content feature here. I feel that perhaps we should be doing this anyway - wouldn't it be convenient to be able to easily find the schedules for every local cinematheque in one place? Add regional silents to the mix (cough, David, cough) and the site becomes a crucial information resource for the audience we're writing for as well as a critical soapbox.

Works for me

KUOW is flogging this evening's The Works as featuring a segment on movie blogs. Will John and Matthew keep it local? Tune in at 8pm!

Thanks for the Mentions, GreenCine!

Bill Kennedy recently brought it to my attention that the fine folks at GreenCine have been keeping an eye on Siffblog (also known as SIFFBlog and Seattle Film Blog).  

On 5/25/05, they noted, "[The] Stranger's isn't the only blog covering the fest; Tablet may be defunct, but its Siffblog thrives."

On 5/30/06, they added, "[Of] course, the Siffblog is thriving, too."

Just a couple of quick plugs, but every little bit counts. 

GreenCine image: Wikipedia.  

E. Steven Fried: Bio - Part Two

E. Steven Fried didn't have have time to write a bio, but we managed to catch a few minutes with him for this interview:

Q: You moved here several years ago from New York where you had some minor involvement in the local film scene. Have things been different for you here in Seattle?

A: Yes, I've noticed that turkey is really popular here.

Much more so than in New York. Whenever I go to the deli to get lunch I notice half the customers are ordering turkey sandwiches. It's not so much the choice of turkey that mystifies me as the fact that the quality of sliced turkey meat here is so poor that I don't understand its popularity. It's this overly processed stuff that tastes nothing like fresh carved turkey. Why anyone would want to eat it is beyond me.

Q: Do you have any observations beyond things relating to turkey?

A: Yes. Deli meats here are, in general, not as good as in New York. Try finding a good slice of roast beef or corned beef. And pastrami? Forget about it. On the other hand you can find good salami without too much difficulty.

Q: I meant, specifically, your film related observations.

A: Oh, well, you may not find as many film-related things here, but I've found that the film scene is very accessible. At least, I've had a lot more opportunity to do things here than I ever did in New York. At least, that's the way it has worked out for me.

Q: So you see a lot films.

A: Yes, I see a couple of films a week.

Q: And how about SIFF. How many times have you attended?

A: I've been going every year since I moved here. So, this year will be my fourth SIFF.

Q: How many films do you usually see?

A: The first year I only went to the Secret Fest screenings, the next year I saw sixteen films and last year I attended about thirty. This year I hope to do at least forty.

Q: Do you have any funny SIFF stories?

A: Yeah, last year I was going to see 9 Songs, but right before the screening I spilled a drink on my white jeans and went home to change. If there was one film I was not going to attend with a big wet stain on my crotch it was that.

Q: Do you have a SIFF strategy?

A: Yes, I try to bunch the films by location, to do as little traveling as possible. I live within walking distance of most of the theatres, but it helps if I can consolidate the locations.

Q: How early do you typically get to each film?

A: I usually arrive an hour or so before each screening and am often the first person on the passholder's line.

Q: Since you tend to be at the front of the line are you willing to save a space for someone?

A: If I know them or they're important. Actually, forget the second part. Only if I know them. I don't care how important they are. If I don't know them, they get nothing!

Q: That's nice to know. How can people spot you in order to um.... act accordingly.

A: I'll be the guy with the Chris Meloni's smile.

Q: Well, thanks. Hope you enjoy SIFF this year.

A: You too, pal.

Image: Thanksgiving Leftovers Turkey Club from Bon Appetit (photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Kaitlin Wayne, prop styling by Gerri K. Williams). I was unable to find the original image, which included the key words Fanelli and Oberdana (artist/photographer).-ed, Sept 18, 2024

Anne Hockens: 2006 Bio

 

My love affair with film started as a child when I saw The Thin Man on television. It turned into a life long fascination. I've worked in the video rental industry since 1989 which has allowed me to support my movie watching habit and get paid to talk to people about film. I've managed On 15th Video, www.on15thvideo.com, since 1998. In 2000, I started as a film critic for the local television show Club Diversity. I also reviewed theater productions, guest-hosted and worked as an assistant director on the show until it's final season in 2005. In 2002, I co-hosted and researched In The Celluloid Loop, which analyzed film in depth by exploring the works of different directors and genres. In 2003 my production company, Prometheus Unbound Productions, produced Look or Listen, which aired re-creations of Old Time Radio shows. In 2004 I created The Lively Arts which currently airs as part of SCAN's Prime Time Line Up. This show alternatively focuses on film, old time radio, and the local performing arts scene. I also contribute to Halstead, an online gothic serial written round robin style, www.naboomboocomics.com/halstead/index.htm. I am very excited to be combining my passions for writing and film for SIFFBLOG.

Image (Myrna Loy in The Thin Man) from The Film Experience.