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The shedule for this day:
9 AM: Live appearance on Channel Three's GOOD MORNING FROM MEMPHIS.
(Director Mike McCarthy, Starlets Cori Dials and Ivy McLemore) Producers Emmy Collins and Wheat Buckley got on camera in the very last little minutes of our spot. After our appearance I was slipped a note by a tall african-american camera man that said, "Please take me with you!" signed "LeRoy". It seemed like the kind of desperate attempt I just couldn't turn down, so LEROY was called up and handed a camera at the Premiere and After Party, It's his footage that you see on these Blip TV links (graciously edited together by RICK O'BRIEN). (I have no idea what LeRoys last name is.)
Noon: BBQ feast at MEMPHIS BBQ SHOPPE
with many of the cast and crew along with our guest of honor MARK AUSTIN (formerly of K5 Independent and now with his newly founded Breakaway Media) had come in from Los Angeles to see what all the excitement was about.
And a special thanks to our sponsor in this meal, THE MEMPHIS AND SHELBY COUNTY
FILM AND TELEVISION COMMISSION AND MEMPHIS ED.
Lots of poster signing going on!
2 PM: MEMPHIS INDEPENDENT STUDIO:
Our new band (following the defunct Fingers Like Saturn) is THE NEHILISTICS! We had a two hour window to practice at Chris Swenson's Studio so thats what we did. This was the first (and only) time the band had ever assembled under one roof. Prior to this our one song was a virtual on line creation called AM I TOO DARK FOR YOU. Now we have some blip video of that nights show! I had written a song for AMY LAVERE called LOUSY PRETENDER and we even gave that a shot as well. POSSIBILITES was the cover song hold over from the FINGERS by way of THE ROCKROACHES.
5 PM: Back at home:
I think I got a disco nap but im not sure, because soon after Paul Woodard (POLI SCI CLONE) showed up to help me get my dad over to the theatre ahead of time. Soon arriving were my brothers RONNIE & CHICO HARRIS and my Uncle Dan (who was opening for IMPALA and The NEHILISTICS that night). Wheat's wonderful mom SAMMY had cooked something awesome and there was excitement all over the kitchen. Then ROBIN TUCKER showed up in her 1970 Cadillac (with failing brakes!) to set up a grand entrance for me and Cori to arrive at Studio on the Square.
7 PM: THE CIGARETTE GIRL PREMIERE
(co-hosted by INDIE MEMPHIS FILM FESTIVAL and the ON LOCATION: FILM FESTIVAL, respectively) was the greatest night of my artistic life in Memphis. My multi-faceted take on rock and roll, comic books, and CINEMA all came to fruition at the midtown movie theatre STUDIO ON THE SQUARE. (Thanks to Jimmy and Nancy Tashie for this wonderful venue!) Most of the clips you see here are the arrival of me and Cori Dials at the theatre, greeting folks outside and in the busy lobby (Two sold out shows and a third screen opened up at the last minute) and the midnight shows that followed over the next two nights.) I must also thank the many writers who had good things to say. To name a few: JOHN BEIFUSS, CHRIS McCOY, CHRIS HERRINGTON, and CHRIS DAVIS!
THE CIGARETTE GIRL AFTER PARTY @ NOCTURNAL
RICK and PAM O'BRIEN (The O'BRIEN DECEPTION) produced a wonderful Afterparty at the former world famous Antenna Club now called NOCTURNAL owned and operated by DOUG FRUITT (kudos to bartender CHRIS MARQUEZ). BRETT MAGDOVITZ sold merch and let people in for free (if you paid to see the movie that got you in free at the afterparty!). Our cigarette girl for the night was FLAVIA HITE serving up jello shots called "Nicotinis". ROB THOMAS made 100 beautiful silk screen posters from BRIAN DIXON'S provocative design: an homage to "Eyeful" magazine covers from the fifties. Sexy women on primary colors (head-spinning at the time) featured Bettie Page and others. The DAN BALL foto of a revealing CORI DIALS on this particular homage brought a touch of seventies mens magazine covers to the overall design and I had to wonder if our glorious sponsors, the MEMPHIS & SHELBY COUNTY FILM AND TELEVISION COMMISSION would find as many cultural clues inside it's candy coated sensuality as I did. There was no problem; everyone in midtown is hip. I guess I must get some leeway by being the godfather of independent cinema in memphis. These posters were so "stealable" however I had to be careful where I placed them. I felt like I was turning midtown Memphis into Sweden circa '73. Lot's of parents were there to see their offsprings work, who I previously thought were only hatched ...like IVY McLEMORE and WHEAT & CORI DIALS. Very strange but that's my hang up. DJ BUCK WILDERS did his thing and then the bands played: THE NEHILISTICS, DAN THE MAN, AND IMPALA (SCOTT BOMAR and the boys have been playing my movie events since 1992! Yowsa!) This was the fourth band I've been in that's played that particular corner of real estate. Of all the show stoppers, It has to be mentioned that the O'BRIEN DECEPTION went a little bit further than just hanging the MEMPHIS FLYER sponsorship banner. PAM O'BRIEN served white cake (always a hit!) off the pool table and RICK O'BRIEN made an astonishing ten foot tall VICE CLUB CIGARETTE that actually smoked! This recreation of the iron cigarette which sits on top of the Sears Building in the movie was the hit of the party and where v.i.p.'s got their picture made. (Social scene writer MICHAEL DONAHUE ran a picture of the behemoth in the Commercial Appeal!) I think the kick of the night for me was seeing my Uncle DAN THE MAN from Tupelo (who had never played Memphis before) dancing with hot LAUREN JENKINS & vivacious AMY LAVERE at the historic ANTENNA CLUB. What a night. I should make more movies just to have parties like this one! (JMM)