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p.s. Hey. The blog's five day-long 5th birthday bash starts tomorrow and concludes on Saturday, the actual date on which this place was born. I'm pretty sure a lot of you have made sure that all of you are going to enjoy yourselves. A few people said they were going send in their birthday gifts a little late, and, if those people are still intending to do that, you need to get your contributions to me by tonight at the very latest, okay? What else ... oh, no one showed interest in submitting work to the blog's writers workshop when I asked the other day, and I thought I'd throw out that possibility one more time in case you missed the query or are feeling shy. If you're interested, just let me know. If there's anything else I need to tell you today, it has vanished. ** Kier, Hey. Got the birthday gift, and thanks a ton, pal. ** Oscar B, I got your gift too. Wow, awesome. Maybe we can make it to Rimbaudmania today if the place is open. Let's talk pronto. ** Casey McKinney, Hey, man. I've somehow missed the Bieber/Flag mash-up, but that will be easily rectified, I guess. Oh, yeah, terrific review of Mr. Greer. Let me ... Everyone, courtesy of the great Casey McKinney and his majestic website Fanzine, here's a smart, excellent review by Jim Ruland of the top tier writer and my former book touring buddy James Greer's new and incredible novel 'The Failure'. The review and the book come with my highest recommendation. Thanks for the visit and alert, C. ** David, At least to my teenaged ears, the hype was a lot tastier than the album. ** David Ehrenstein. I like Curt Boettcher, as I think you know. I remember trying to put together a post about him ages back and finding very little to work with. Now that you've reminded me, I'll try again. Thanks a lot for the astral projection links/side voyages. Very, very interesting. ** Bernard Welt, I'm not sure if 'Enter the Void' is very up your alley or not. I will say that the trailers give you little squibby examples of the film's style and a few of the 'catchier' bits, but they're not a good representation of the film as a whole. The good old reliable Onion. ** Slatted Light, I'm pretty sure 'EtV' is going to have real problems getting shown in theaters outside of Europe unless Noe agrees to some censoring, and I sure hope he doesn't, and I can't imagine he would. Well, even more heavy drooling going on over here about Blake's new novel than there was before you helped fill in its blank. Speaking of drool, I sure can't wait to see that pamphlet and your horror film going-over piece. Where do you think they'll end up being seeable? My novel inches forward. I'm working on it almost constantly. It has very complicated insides and this very facadey voice that are proving very tough and slow going to get aligned and right, but as stressful and mind sapping as the process is right now, I feel fairly optimistic. Thank you for asking, man. ** Chris Stamm, Hey, Chris! Awfully good to see you. ** Steevee, Yeah, agreed about 'EtV's emotional dimension. I wonder how critics will deal with it. So far, the things I've read have predictably been either over the moon or dismissive and condescending. No kidding about interesting questions for Noe. That'll be a dream interview if the powers that be are wise enough to green light it. ** Sypha, You should try Noe. 'Irreversible' shouldn't be too hard to come by. ** Alan, Hey. I'm a little surprised that the forceful schematics of Noe's films bothers you. I thought that you like me love that kind of stuff. Anyway, 'EtV' is more ... I don't know, fluidly realized than his earlier films. The formal structure is careful and meticulous like in his earlier work, but the film's surface is more smeared, smeary, and the combo is quite fascinating. ** _Black_Acrylic, Very happy for you about the Leeds United promotion. If you can objective about them, what do you think their chances are given the teams standing in their way? My guess is that 'EtV' would only open properly in theaters and the like in the UK in a significantly censored form. Or I should say in England. Is Scotland as dictatorial about the content of films? Maybe the film will somehow sneak through, but, from what I know of the UK's practices when it comes to movies and content that could be considered pornographic even if it so completely isn't, I imagine the chances of a theater release aren't great. ** Wolf, Hey. Dude, 'Enter the Void' is so not the movie you've decided it is. There's not a remotely rich character in the movie that I can remember. It's so not about partying and club going and naked chicks, etc. The trailers just lift pieces of those rare scenes because they're the only hooks for a film that is a whole lot stranger and more metaphysical than that. It's no more about druggies than '2001' is about astronauts. If it's about anything, it's about the Tibetan Book of the Dead's concept of death. I don't know if you'll love it or otherwise, but don't avoid it because you think it's an edgy lifestyle movie. It's not that at all. Nice beaver dam, I must say. Everyone, courtesy of Wolf, here's a 850 mm long beaver dam. You've got to see this. ** Ken Baumann, Hey. Oh, yeah, I remember reading your thing on 'EtV' on HTMLG, and now I'm greedy to revisit it, of course, and I will. Everyone, here's our pal Ken Baumann writing on 'Enter the Void' on HTMLGIANT if you're interested. Well, we're in sync. I'm still flying and daydreaming from the experience. I'm very, very curious to see it again, and I've been thinking or wondering if my questions about the through-line aren't my problem, i.e. a weak moment mid-film on my part as I over-thought that level of the film's build. I mean, Noe couldn't have pulled off 'Irreversible' if he didn't have an incredible grasp of how narrative works in film. Anyway, I want to see how the 'story' feels when I know what's coming, basically. I saw it in a theater that was maybe 75% French teenagers and people in their early 20s, and the general reaction was interesting. No one walked out, and there wasn't any sighing or signs of discomfort at all. Rather, after a while, the theater was buzzing with nervous, giddy conversations as the younger audience members couldn't seem to help but share how amazed they were feeling and check in with their friends. It was very interesting. Yeah, to avoid spoilers, I'll wait to gab with you about it as soon as I get to see you next. Damn, so wish we could talk our heads off about the film and everything else right now. ** JW Veldhoen, Dude, that was fun. ** L@rstonovich, One more big hug for giving the blog the privilege this past weekend, and one more sorry for allowing those link screw-ups to escape my attention for so long. RIP: your computer? ** Paul Curran, Hey, pal. You kind of need to see 'EtV' 'cos I really, really want to tete a tete with you of all people about it. ** Empty Frame, Gosh, you're doing quite well for yourself, my friend. Damn, that was both lovely to read both for your blissiness and all-senses-on-high-alert state and as a heavily Siren-like travelogue. Wowzer, enjoy, duh. Yeah, I love Denton Welch a lot. I'd say do 'A Voice Through a Cloud' next if you haven't read it. I did hear about Brighton's Green MP, yes. A bright pinspot of news in that grim mess. As of this morning, it's sure looking like a Lib-Tory coalition, which is just fucking appalling. ** Bollo, Nothing against 'Inland Empire', which is sublime in my book. 'EtV' is just more swervy and more hyperactive, style-wise. Like 'IE' is a fog rolling in where 'EtV' is like whirling spiral moving in. ** The Dreadful Flying Glove, Thanks for the BBC iPlayer link. I'll use it wisely. Very good news about that 'Exit' sign. Man, that's going to be start of something awfully interesting. Dude, an Annette Peacock Day that's somewhat or largely or even entirely about you is not, I repeat not a problem. Au contraire, as I like to say sometimes with a thick American accent. ** Dennis Cooper, You fucked up, man. ** Bill, Glad to know Vienna has cozied up to you. I need to get myself over there. For the Aktionist museum floor alone. Nitsch is still doing performances? I didn't know that. Is it happening while you're there, and will you go, if so? ** Davidc, Wow, goodness gracious, David! It has been a while. What a total pleasure! And you're coming to Paris? Oh, yeah, I definitely want to see you guys. I insist, in fact. What are your dates? I get back from nine days in Brest on the 25th, and then I'll be in Paris and as free as I ever am through the first of June. Yes, the d'Orsay show is good. There are a few good shows about. I'll tell you more. Let me know your Paris dates and coordinates when the time is right. Much love to you and D.! ** Blendin, Well, I only 'like' things I really like, so ... uh, yeah. Potentially excellent week ahead, good, check. Back to studio working mode maybe, good, check. Secret art project is slightly less secret now that the words 'wood shop' have appeared in the same sentence, good, check. Silly present not silly at all, good, check. ** Chilly Jay Chill, I haven't seen any sign that 'Trash Humpers' is coming to France. If it's rolled out or rather trickled out like 'Mr. Lonely' was, I'm going to need to scour the listings in order not to miss it. This is France, so I would guess we'll get to see it. 'Un Lac' is gorgeous, really fantastic, I think. I did finally see it, obviously. I like all of Grandieux's films, but I think that might be the first time he really went for it or for his fascinations and strengths in a pure way. You should definitely watch it. The last I heard re: the new Malick is that he's trying to get it finished in time to premiere at the Venice Film Festival but that it's in no way certain that he'll able to make the deadline. Take care, man. ** Joseph, Hey. 'Willow' as in the movie not as in Buffy's best friend, right? My weekend was all right, I think. Yeah, it was good. Mostly worked on the novel, which is what I should have used the weekend to do. ** Inthemostpeculiarway, Hey. Yeah, I can't think of an artistically justified 3D movie off the top of my head. Well, Robert Wilson made a 3D animated film that's great and is nothing but art, but I don't think it was ever in theaters. 3D can be extra fun, and extra fun is A-okay in this godforsaken world, you know? Oh, they're different friends. You always say 'my friend', and I was mindlessly compiling your friends into one mega-wattage friend. I'm sure they're just as terrific individually as they seemed when they were all mushed together. That really sounds like allergies to me. I mean, your skin hurt. That's so allergy with a capital A. I'm sorry they ganged up on you all weekend. You're a trooper. 41 unanswered text messages! You're a popular guy unless your cellphone is constantly pinging like mine does due to its ... host, server, system, I don't know what you call it. You know, like AT&T ... thinking that every time some tiny bit of news happens, I need a text message to tell me about it. My weekend: I don't think much happened on Saturday. I did the novel thing. I almost finished setting up the blog birthday posts. Oscar helped me figure out how to do something with Photoshop. I craved decent Mexican food hopelessly. My dad had to be taken to the hospital in Hawaii because he was mysteriously very dehydrated, but he's okay now. I diddled with a theater text I need to finish by next weekend. I got into how beautiful this tree outside my window that's covered with these crazy pyramid-shaped flowers is. I forget the rest of Saturday. On Sunday, Yury asked me if I want to go see A Place to Bury Strangers in concert with him this week, and I said sure, and we bought tickets. He then went off to see 'Enter the Void' with some friends, and he returned four hours later as in love with it and blown away by it as I was, if not even more. I did novel stuff, blog stuff. I had to do this little email interview for the French newspaper Liberation, and I did that. I needed to do my laundry last week, but I didn't, and I really, really needed to do my laundry yesterday, but I didn't, so now I really, really, really need to do my laundry today. I ate and smoked and showered both days. I think that's kind of the whole story, barring some phone calls and trips to various stores that now escape my memory. Are you feeling better today, I hope? If so, or if not, tell me what happened. ** Justin, Hi. I got your present, and it's more than enough and plenty great, and don't worry one little bit. Next week ... you mean next week, not this week? If so, let me check to see how safe the blog will be to use at your dad's place during that time period. Okay, Monday will be a problem. Thursday, mm, is maybe kind of a little iffy but not too bad. Wednesday is when I'm posting the movie poster quiz thing that you inspired me to make, so you'll have to check the blog that day at least. ** NB, Sir. Okay, no more than $100 a night, Los Feliz area or thereabouts. Let me see what I can come up with, and I'll hit you with what I find tomorrow. I'm guessing with that budget the hotel itself doesn't need to be anything special, right? Clean, well located, cable TV, hopefully WiFi, etc.? ** Paradigm, Hey, Scott! Great to see you, my friend. Saying 'EtV' is like a video game is pretty lazy. A utopian video game played while on very trippy drugs maybe. My world is going pretty well. Lots of work right now: mostly the new novel and the new theater piece. So I'm busy and stuck sitting at this computer a whole lot more than I'd like considering it's springtime in Paris, but so it goes, and I can't complain. What about your world? Where are you living right now, and what projects are you currently engaged in? ** Misanthrope, Shit on the meds/money thing. Someone and I were just talking the other day about how weird and amazing it is to fill a prescription at a pharmacy here in France and then be asked to pay the equivalent of four dollars tops. America sucks so hard. Your mom got away, ha ha ha. Aren't dreams wonderful! ** Monday's post is now officially in the bank. The post itself: you guys were so nice with all of your gift giving that the blog decided you deserved 50 treehouses. See you at the party.
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