Sunday, May 10, 2009

Coachella Road Trip







PHOTOS (TOP TO BOTTOM, LEFT TO RIGHT)
  1. DEX ROMWEBER & HIS TRUSTY SEARS MANUFACTURED AXE.
  2. KARLOTTA AT CRANKSHAFT CROSSING, DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK.
  3. WILD FLOWER BLOOM.
  4. INYO MINE.
  5. YES IT DOES SNOW IN PARTS OF DEATH VALLEY, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
  6. I AM REALLY GLAD MY LIGHTING REFLEXES SAVED THIS TORTOISE.
  7. A SECRET GARDEN.
  8. LOST HIGHWAY, ROUTE 666.
  9. SATAN'S RANCH.
  10. CHEMICAL PLANT.
  11. INDIAN COVE.
  12. A POSSIBLE LOCATION WHERE SHERIFF COX WILL TORTURE THE ACID MAKER.
  13. WILL & AIMEE AT THE CHAINS OF LOVE.
  14. COACHELLA SUNSET.
  15. LEONARD COEN.
  16. MEAT IS MURDER, MORRISSEY: HE WAS A TOTAL CRACK UP... REFERRING TO THE CONCESSIONS, "OH THE SMELL OF BURNING FLESH, I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN BEAR IT..." THEN HE RIPS OFF HIS SHIRT... CLASSIC!
  17. THE WALRUS IS PAUL.
  18. DRIVE BY TRUCKERS.
  19. GROOVY MAN.
  20. TIME FOR ANOTHER TEQUILA AND A BEER.
  21. THE GUY WHO CREATED THIS NEON MISTING TENT.
  22. THE X MUST BE KICKIN' IN ON THESE TEENS.
  23. FIRE BREATHING MADNESS!
  24. TURBO NEGRO, "ARE YOU READY FOR THE DARKNESS?".
  25. THE SIDESHOW.
  26. MASTADON.
  27. SAUSAGE VENDORS IN LOVE.
  28. THE MISTY HORDE.
  29. JOHN SILVER SMOKES A GRIT AFTER A RALLY AT THE POOL.
  30. THE GANG ON ANOTHER MISSION.
  31. PORTRAIT OF THE GANG.
  32. THE CHICK FROM MURDER CITY DEVILS SMOKES COOL.
  33. THE MURDER CITY DEVILS.
  34. TIT TAT.
  35. PIT CAM.
  36. X
  37. SUNSET ON THE LAST DAY.
  38. THE COACHELLA TORCH.
  39. THE MISTY ZONE.
  40. THE CURE.
  41. THE WALK OF FAME.
  42. THE GETTY.
  43. THE GETTY, NO. 2.
  44. THE BURGUNDY, LOUDER THAN EVERYTHING ELSE.
  45. DEPECHE MODE AT HOLLYWOOD & VINE.
ALL PHOTOS ©2008 JAMES JACKSON : ANY REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN CONSENT.

After a very long writing session on Satan’s Ranch™ I finally busted out on a much anticipated road trip in search for film locations. Since I had been offered a supreme poolside accommodation timely with Coachella, the music festival had also become part of the mix. Thank you very much to Will and Aimee!!!

The trip kicked off in San Francisco where I had caught a very long awaited show with the Dexter Romweber Duo. If you’re not familiar with Dex look him up, he is often cited as a major influential talent with notable musicians, most prominent with his former band The Flat Duo Jets. On another incidental credit he is also the writer and performer for “Ask Me How I Live” the feature song for which I had obtained the rights to use in my film “A Short Affair”.  When I heard that by fate he and his sis Sara who now form the current Duo were also to play in Nevada at the time I was to pass through Reno, I made a promise to make the date and film which I did (check back for a later posting). Thanks to Mr. Farley the proprietor of the very cool Saint James Infirmary for the Guinness!

Following a brief fishing expedition I had departed from US 395 near Big Pine on a three day diversion where the weather had made for a very rough off road adventure through Death Valley, Mojave, and Joshua Tree. I had discovered very beautiful hidden valleys carpeted with wildflower blooms, abandoned mine ruins, a crazy tortoise, and a lost town along Route 66. The wild winds and occasional rain showers had not finally settled until the time I had made my final camp at Indian Cove. From there I took the back door route on Old Dale Road through Joshua Tree National Park and popped out San Berdoo Canyon into the Coachella Valley where I had been greeted by great friends, lovely ladies, cold beer, cool water, beautiful skies and a very impressive festival overall. Only a few days had passed but it was one of those daze where it had seemed liked weeks.

It was a hard stumble the morning after Coachella to San Diego where I made for a quick script delivery to The Count and a fancy feast downtown where I cooled the jets with a couple cold tall boy PBRs and a nice robusto. The next morning brought a sweet sip of vintage grape The Count has aged in oak barrels before I was off to the final destination.

It was the late afternoon when I had pulled off the 101. There she was, the muse – a beautiful brown tanned brunette stripping totally naked on the sidewalk on Franklin, yep – this was Hollywood all right. The irony was that after all the pictures I had shot on this trip thus far there was not even one left in the camera for this jewel. And of course it didn’t stop there, that is the nature and the one thing you’ve got to love about the grid, it is a dirty pretty rumpus. The last surprise was a flash flood of ten thousand people, massive stage rigging, helicopters, and battalions of cops at Hollywood and Vine. It turned out to be a free Jimmy Kimmel performance by Depeche Mode, they were actually a good note on which to end it all before heading back through the desert for more scouting and finally, home sweet home.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Warhol Screen Tests


Dean & Britta play the Velvet Underground’s “Not A Young Man Anymore” to Andy Warhol’s screen test of Lou Reed drinking a bottle of Coca Cola. “13 Most Beautiful… Songs for Andy Warhol’s Screen Tests” was an event held by the San Francisco Film Society at the Palace of Fine Arts in which 13 screen tests in all were projected accompanied by the dream pop line up. Other screen tests included Paul America, Edie Sedgwick, Denis Hopper and Nico. Each test was originally shot on 16mm black and white film at 16fps for a total of 4 minutes per during the years of 1964-66.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Willie Nelson


 
 
So I went to the old Fillmore Auditorium to see another one of the Highwaymen Willie Nelson, the first had been on assignment for Thrasher Magazine to review Johnny Cash. I drank a lot of whisky that night. Good thing Willie is into burning grass 'cause I have a few more days on my sentence. Willie was one hell of a picker, so was his son. Damn, the whole band rocked the blues and some good old country.

PHOTOS (TOP TO BOTTOM LEFT TO RIGHT): 1) HATCH SHOW PRINT. 2) WILLIE. 3) WILLIE & HIS GUITAR TRIGGER BACKED BY BEE SPEARS & THE JUDGE. 4) BEE SPEARS. 5) THE PINE BOX BOYS.

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



Sunday, January 4, 2009

My Own Worst Enemy

"My Own Worst Enemy" webisode has been released... I was there to watch production first hand with Drew and the girls from Cutthroat Studio who rigged this scene with bad blood. Related posts October 21, 2008 I October 1, 2008

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Happy New Year

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


Hey Kids,

Happy New Year from the Blotter Blag! Playing a little catch up here... since my last entry I have been slammed with my day job and the final story line for my next film project "Satan's Ranch". With the closing of 2008 there has not been much news outside of an epic little ski trip where I had made history with a ride on Jackson Hole's inaugural cruise of "Big Red". The timing of storms through Wyoming and Utah could not have been more perfect as I had fresh powder at Grand Targhee, Jackson Hole, Park City, Snowbird and even Tahoe! There are some decent shows rolling through the Golden Gate so with time permitting I will post a few pix and or a blurb or two... in the meantime here are a few snaps from my last trip. Hail 2009!

Monday, November 17, 2008

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!