Hellz Bellz

 
  

So my long time friend, OG film accomplice (Fear Control Cinema: "X-FACTO" (1992) "Vertical Smile" (1993)) and world class snowboarder Rob Dafoe has tied the knot this last weekend to the lovely Jen... or should I say tied the noose??? Heh, heh... just kidding. The event held at "Bill's" ranch (the man who invented the bar code, I kid you not) was quite the perfect setting for the happy gathering. I did get to meet Bill, he and his wife were quite generous hosts. Not many can offer up a 19th century schoolhouse fit to the last detail as a chapel let alone claim one as their very own. I have to admit that was impressive as were the subtle modern design elements incorporated into their barn. Rob on the other hand is like me, a poor ass filmmaker. He and his new wife are so broke that when some one rings the doorbell they have to yell ding dong out the window.  Remember you still have a year to get the newlyweds a little something, why not buy Rob a copy of his own film, "From Ground to Glass", a very beautiful and stunning portrait of his quest to make wine while learning from those who have. I'm sure he would appreciate the gesture!

Behind the Scenes...

Check the video link below to watch a clip on a "behind the scenes" for the upcoming webisode of NBC's "My Own Worst Enemy" which I had previously mentioned in my posting  "The End of Summer". If you watch closely you will notice that I gave a stellar performance in the role of "the guy who stands around looking important" while Drew from Cutthroat Studio and his two lovely assistants Ericka & Christina install the gag on actress Amy. Mastermind Drew Peirce and his lovely cutthroats are slated to helm the special effects for my forthcoming horror film "Satan's Ranch". 

"Satan's Ranch"

Dear Fiends,

The haunts of Halloween are near, an annual affair which is the focus of hatred and odium for my dear mother. Needless to say she’s not exactly enthusiastic on the news that I have recently locked the storyline for my next film “Satan’s Ranch”. She finds it particularly “terribly gross”. Heh, heh, heh… I miss those Saturday nights as a young child when I would beg her to let me stay at my grandparents so as I could sneak up the stairs at midnight to secretly watch “Creature Features” as did so many other demented children. Man, those were the good old days, the very forming of my sick mind under blue filtered light. Satan’s Ranch will not actually be the first horror film I’ve worked on, but it will be the first of my own. I’ve have posted a link to obtain a synopsis on the Lumanox Pictures website. There are already some sub rosa goodies in the works for this project so I promise to post a few details as developments permit. So kiddies, in the vein and spirit of thingz all horror have a terror-rific ghoul’s night out… and fangs-a-lot!!!

FRISCO FREAKOUT!!!

      

  
 
Here's a few pics from the weekend...

PHOTOS FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, LEFT TO RIGHT : 1) A RARE SIGHTING OF ROCK POSTER ICON, ARTIST & LEGEND STANLEY MOUSE (HE WAS ONE OF THE FEATURE SUBJECTS WHEN I WAS ART DIRECTOR OF JUXTAPOZ). 2) THE ONLY CHICK AT THE TRPS ROCK POSTER FESTIVAL FINDS THE SECRET SERPENTS. 3) THE OVERLOAD OF VISUAL EPHEMERA HAS TWISTED JUSTIN'S OPTIC NERVES. 4) ITALIAN POSTER COLLECTIVE OTHERWISE KNOWN AS MALLEUS. 5) FREAKY PHIL FROM ARTROCK IS HASSLED BY THE MAN FOR BEING A PUBLIC NUISANCE AFTER "BLOWIN' THE DOOR" & THROWING PROJECTILES AT FESTIVAL ATTENDEES. 6) CHUCK SPERRY FROM THE FIREHOUSE TRIES TO HUSTLE A SHELL GAME. 7) MY HOMEMADE CALAMARI SALAD. 8) THE POSTER FOR THE "FRISCO FREAKOUT" AT THEE PARKSIDE BY ALAN FORBES. 9) PRIME SUSPECT NUMERO UNO. 10) DIRTY! 11) WOODEN SHJIPS PERFORMED A PSCHE FUZZED RENDITION OF NEIL YOUNG'S "VAMPIRE BLUES". 12) IT'S A FRISCO FREAKOUT NEATO LIGHT SHOW DURING THE WOODEN SHJIPS SET.

ALL PHOTOS ©2008 JAMES JACKSON : ANY REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN CONSENT.

The Sword, Black Cobra, & Bison...

 
  

 
This month seems to certainly be living up to its moniker, ROCKTOBER DUDE!!! Last night was another sludge fest with The Sword, Black Cobra, and Bison down at Slim’s. This time I was sure not to miss the opener Bison who had descended from the northern peaks of British Columbia and who seemed high on rocking Frisco. Next up was the magnet that was the real draw of my attention, Black Cobra. Last time I had seen this furious two-piece was at the Elbo Room where unfortunately there had seemed to be technical difficulties. I had heard rave reviews going back to their set at the Saviours gig (see Saviours gig) for which I was late. As to give them a fair shot I took home their newest release “Feather & Stone”… I was impressed. There is no doubt, this band is raw and has it’s own brand of power which translates live like a relentless raging beatdown. Following were the more polished The Sword who formed outta Austin Texas. Even though they were rockin’ a metal brand for the ladies they still managed to swirl a few drunks into a mosh. They are set to tour with Metallica for “Death Magnet” in a couple o’ weeks.

PHOTOS LEFT TO RIGHT FROM TOP : 1) SHOW POSTER BY ALAN FORBES. 2) BISON BABY. 3) BISON LAYS IT ON. 4) BLACK COBRA WAILS. 5) A FULL FLEDGED POUNDING. 6) NEATO COLORS. 7) THE SWORD RAMPS UP FOR GROUPIE FEST. 8) BASS MANIA.

ALL PHOTOS ©2008 JAMES JACKSON : ANY REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN CONSENT.

Opeth, High on Fire, & Baroness

  

 

Welcome dear fiends for this installment of thee ol’ Blotter Blag in which I have found myself yet again staring deep into a cauldron of heavy metal! Yes kiddies, it was another Frisco freakshow of headbangin’ metal mania, this time a sold out show at the Regency’s Grand Ballroom for Opeth, High on Fire, & Baroness… Yet again I was late and had missed the opener, what's with these early shows these days, eh? As it turned out I ended up finding a niche up front for the majority of the High on Fire set. The Oakland triad yet again unleashed a metal tempest for which there would be no comparison. This had been my first experience at this venue and I was pretty impressed with the whole set up, I hope to see more shows here. The Grand Ballroom has that turn of the century haunted vibe as in "The Shining" kind of way which was well suited for this sort of show. You never know, maybe Al Bowlly himself had played here back in the day. I had but one critical commentary though, the sound hags behind the knobs were pretty stingy on the board. During the High on Fire set I was perched on some cabinets that weren't even being fed. My ears should be ringing right now and for the heavy price tag of this show I should have had a heavier dose. Needless to say those cabinets had kicked on for Opeth – its that old headliner trick again! Opeth started out pretty solid then began fading into a string of ballads and long interludes between songs. But I’ll tell ya – those crazy Swedes, I’d never seen a headbangin’ keyboardist before, not even in any of Al Jourgensen’s line-ups. It was also kinda kooky how they all wore the tour’s tee shirt too, there must be a story behind that in which I am totally disinterested. Overall I was really surprised that this show sold out, I had wanted to stay to squeeze all my money’s worth but truth be told I had the urge to split before the atomic weight of the evening rose to helium.

PHOTOS (DANG! CURRENTLY RELIANT ON THE IPHONE DUE TO THE RUIN OF MY DIGI SNAP SHOOTER) CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT : 1) HIGH ON FIRE. 2) SOULED OUT. 3) OPETH ROCKS THE FRIZZY FREAK HAIR AS THE BALD SECURITY GUARD THINKS "SH-EHH-AHHH... I HOPE MOS DEF BE NEX WEEK, SHIZZZ..." 4) INSIDE THE BALLROOM A PRE WWII SWASTIKA MOTIF; THE WORLDS MOST CONTROVERSIAL SYMBOL. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

ALL PHOTOS ©2008 JAMES JACKSON : ANY REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN CONSENT.

Snaps From Valley Film Festival

Last year the Valley Film Festival in North Hollywood signified the final stop on the circuit for my film “A Short Affair”. The film billed as the tragic romance of a voyeuristic dwarf was one of a select number of films to screen at the historic El Portal Theatre in the NoHo arts district. It’s been over a year’s time but the festival director finally made good and delivered some pics from the screening by the staff photographer, so here ya go!

PHOTOS TOP TO BOTTOM : 1) STANDING NEXT TO CINEMATOGRAPHER LARRI ZULU (RIGHT) CAN ALMOST MAKE ANYONE LOOK COOL. 2) IN THIS SNAP LARRI SWEATS IT OUT FIELDING QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE AND DISCUSSES THE FINER DETAILS OF MIDGET PORN (IS THAT MUSTACHE REAL???).

ALL PHOTOS ©2008 JAMES JACKSON : ANY REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN CONSENT.

The End of Summer

  
     

Property obligations have stolen much of my attention for the past two months of the summer, however, I did manage to play hooky the last week of September to go kayak fishing in Tahoe. Not far from where Mark Twain had once torched down the forest with a run-away campfire I hooked the largest fish I ever have in my entire life. With the power to drag me around the lake I had guessed the monster must have been a giant brown trout. With my hands cramping from reeling and reeling, I suddenly had felt tapped into Ol' Hem's vibe of the old man of the sea. It was awesome! But the disappointment came when not far from the boat the fish had slipped off the hook, it has just been one of those summers. I did manage to catch a few tasty rainbows nevertheless. Then suddenly, an urgent call suggested I bomb down to Hollywood to meet up with a couple of producers. 

Though I did not have use of my digi snap shooter I did manage to snap a few pics here with the iphone last week behind the scenes. Thanks to Cutthroat Studio and the producers and directors of NBC’s webisode unit for inviting me down to check out the set.

PHOTOS LEFT TO RIGHT FROM TOP: 1) WHERE DO YA WANNA GO? 2) CHIMNEY BEACH 3) OFF THE BOW OF THE KAYAK EARLY AM. 4) MY OLD HOLLYWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD GETS ITS OWN FACELIFT. 5) AN IMPLANT IS INSERTED INTO THE ARM OF ACTRESS AMY. 6) LARRI ZULU IS A CREEP ON SET AS THE CUTTHROAT CREW APPLY A SPECIAL EFFECT APPLIANCE. 7) A CASE OF LUBE WAS FOUND ON THIS SET 8) IN THIS SIGNAGE DEPICTING THE SAM CLEMENS STORY THEY OMMITED THE SCENE WHERE HE GETS DRUNK AND BURNS DOWN THE FOREST. 9) ON BOARD THE YELLOW SUBMARINE.

ALL PHOTOS ©2008 JAMES JACKSON : ANY REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN CONSENT.

Witchraft

 
Again we are creeping towards that dark corner of the year we know as Halloween. What better way to celebrate this time around the loop than with the Swedish doom metal outfit Witchcraft whom I caught this last Saturday night at a former bordello, the Great American Music Hall in SF. Due to entanglements I had missed the band I really wanted to see, Graveyard. My friends at the show couldn’t help but let me know how great they were; time and time again – thanks! Witchcraft came off pretty heavy though and fortunately they stuck to most of the material from “Firewood”. The truth is I’d go to just about any decent show at this joint. If you’ve been then you know, if you haven’t then you’ll have to find out.

ALL PHOTOS ©2008 JAMES JACKSON : ANY REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN CONSENT.

Outside Lands

 

   

If it wasn't for some friends rolling into town I would have skipped the Outside Lands music festival held this weekend in Golden Gate Park. Considering the rip off ticket prices, obscene hidden fees, massive crowds, congestion, huge lines, and transportation issues, the line up didn't seem really worth it -- and this was supposed to be a festival? Where's the fire breathing midgets and the knife throwers?  

Don't get me wrong though, I was there to see Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. I have to admit I was kinda fired up on that since I'd never seen them. You can't go wrong with a vetted rocker like that -- that is unless you hire a shitty sound outfit out of Berkley whose PA blows out about seven songs in and stalls the show flat. Petty rocked it though, you can tell he's a cool customer and I had thought his support by Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals was fairly solid.  But, for more than half the price you could have caught a more intimate show at the Fillmore, and if the big attraction was the festival itself -- all I can really say is anyone can rent a big top -- rows of overflowed porta poty's, heaps of trash, and dozens of beer gardens don't make much for a festival. There needs to be some action! The few attractions like a couple art installations were thin. There were a few pretty girls though and I did have a good time. I may even give it another shot if there's one next year with a better lineup -- otherwise the wallet rape carries too much shame.

PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: 1) THE POSTER 2) THE STAGE & A SEA OF SHEEPEOPLE 3) THESE WINDMILLS WERE MADE OF WOOD, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE EXCITING TO HAVE WATCHED THEM BURN ALA BURNING MAN 4) YOUR TYPICAL CONCERT GOERS, DRUNK PASSED OUT DUDE AND COOCHY SHOT 5) PETTY, PETTY, & YET MORE PETTY  6) THE OMINOUS WATCHERS

ALL PHOTOS ©2008 JAMES JACKSON : ANY REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN CONSENT.