For those of you familiar with myself and my blog, you already know my involvement with the Soskas. You could say I am indirectly responsible for bringing Dead Hooker In A Trunk to my home Australia - after discovering the beautiful Twisted ones through blog-gurus Kristy Jett and Hannah Neurotica, I made it my mission in life to organise a small screening in Sydney, with so much excitement, support and love from Jen and Sylvia in making it happen. Just as I was securing a small venue, I had the exciting news that a major festival had picked up on some of the hype generated by my humble blogs and facebook page, and of course the snowballing momentum of this instant modern Grindhouse classic - a film which some (including myself) has resurrected the genre to a wider audience and paved the way for self-starting film makers everywhere to be inspired to just do what they are passionate about - making films no matter how restricted budget or resources may be.
Everything about this is positive, right? In the wake of a string of festival triumphs, awards, now major dvd distribution, and so much support and championing from the horror community, the Soskas can do no wrong. Or so we all thought......
And then there was the Roxy Theater. This establishment (In Saskatoon CANADA, no less) was due to screen a double feature including DHIAT, and flipflopped and withdrew the film from screening - why, you may ask? This film is a zany, fun, tongue-in-cheek, madcap masterpiece. It's not realistic or based on any real crime, and the women portrayed in the film by the kickass twins themselves and the incredibly talented and beautiful Rikki Gagne, are powerful and funny and smart and and and.... You get the idea! Even the hooker herself has an identity, a sad figure who dies from circumstance, a victim in the purest sense, not a glorified hole or object not cared about, a subject of mockery such as in the popular "black comedy" Very Bad Things, a highly accepted film which essentially promotes machismo bonding between males after they kill a prostitute in a Vegas hotel room. So, to quote the 25th letter of the alphabet, Y?????????
The name. The name. The name. Yes, I just repeated this three times. I bet it still hasn't sunk in yet. They BANNED a film from being shown because of its NAME. They BANNED a film from being shown because of its NAME. They BANNED a film from being shown because of its NAME. I am sitting listening to Rodriguez - Cold Fact just to keep myself calm.
So what is to be done about this perfect example of douche-baggery? It's already gaining more momentum than a sumo wrestler on a ski jump (humour! Ratty is back from his rage) with petitions, blogs galore, letters being written and forwarded, facebook sharing of every single step of this now only 2-day-old travesty is in FULL effect. Be a part of this and show The Roxy and any other agents of control that the horror community is bigger and stronger than they could ever dream, and something like this simply fuels the fire of resolve and strengthens the bonds we share to bring them and their house of cards reality crashing down with a casual flick of our tongues and pens.
Here are some links to assist in this process.
The open letter itself - (write one of your own, even if it is 3 words long - "You suck ass", "Eat Buffalo Gnard", "WE WILL OVERCOME", something like that.
http://twistedtwinsproductions.blogspot.com/2011/04/open-letter-to-roxy-theater-in-regards.html
The change.org petition started by the amazing Scott Ruth of the National Horror Examiner:
http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-the-roxy-theatre-in-saskatoon-canada-that-you-support-dead-hooker-in-a-trunk
You may have noticed that this is the first issue of A Safer Injection that has no pretty pictures, I just wanted your full attention on this topic. For every obstacle there is a motivation to jump higher. For every act of putrid conformity there is a rebellious uprising. For every loss there is a victory. My small victory came last week, when the soon to be launched OneUp Microcinema in Perth Australia contacted me directly to screen DHIAT as one of their first features. I would do just about anything for Jen and Sylvia, if in reality the three of us were faced with a Dead Hooker In A Trunk, I would absolve them from blame, take the rap, do the time and write to them every day from the big house.
I feel strong as I finish this piece, though writing it has literally brought tears streaming down my face when I think of how much of a part these incredible women played in rescuing my belief in myself, helping me to return from the brink of drug addiction, homelessness and self abuse and even suicidal thoughts, to be just another horror blogger. But I know to them, I am so much more than that, and for that I will end with 3 words of my own for both of them.
I love you.
Till next time! (likely later today, I gotta counter this with more yuk-yuks!)
Joel Ratman Wells
You know, if a theatre wants to pass on a movie, that's fine. It's their right to turn a flick down for all sorts of commercial reasons, but to "yank" a movie that has been given a place and to do it because of the title, is just beyond me. Did they not ask the title of the movie in the first place? Were they lied to about the title?
ReplyDeleteFortunately, so long as other theaters are willing to show it and DVD companies distirbute it and cable companies air it, censorship will hav eno real effect on this movie. It will live on and find its audience. They may just have to travel further to see it.
Your passion is endearing and refreshing!! Jen and Sylv seem to bring out the best in all of us. Great read. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteTessa - Vancouver.
Keep Fighting the Good Fight, and remember they Tried to ban THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE because of It Title!! This will only Make DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK a must see Cult Classic!! I will definately Spread the Word!!
ReplyDeleteI remember when The Twins and I were getting The Vancouver Premiere of DHIAT together at my old stage and screen home, The Rio...It is amazing to see what these fine foxies go through JUST to get the title 'understood'...especially with the fact that when making this film, Canada's, Now Notorious as a fellow Vancouverite (I didn't say Human tho..)was waiting behind bars, so he didn't have to answer to the families and fiends of approx. 75+ dead and missing East side Prostitutes. Unfortunately, however, Pickton was so good at 'rendering' the 'remains'...well, only finding actual body parts connected DNA wise to 24 identified woman...without any 'body', over 50 DNA patterns were simply...*stored*.
ReplyDeleteThe funny thing about the film, without spoiling it...Is the title really does play on exactly what I refer to a very poignant sense of Irony, has very little to do with the fact that the deceased is a Hooker, but...Is anything but forgotten, or treated like one...
Maybe if people had not 'misplaced' their integrity, lost to Hollywood rip-offs that tell you EXACTLY what most plotless crap they put out, Perhaps the very same morons that deemed lyrics in 'Money for Nuthin'(by Dire Straits, a song heralded in the 80's, both for content and talent, is now banned simply because they use the word 'Faggot') is a reflection of how much e depend on what the great and almighty Internet has done to ruin the theatre experience, and instead...allow folks to illegally watch films at home, free, as opposed to folks having nada problems with spending 50$ to go see a friggin 3D re-make....
If you have not seen this incredible Canadian film...(WE do have em up here, see HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN AS WELL...) and keep in mind, that Saskatoon is a very Religiously inclined city....(and farming community as well..) It is sad to see such a beautiful, lush, theatre still standing just for the very purpose to show films like this stands tall, but because of those that run it, have fallen from Indy Film grace, and again, having NOT seen the film, only makes them look worse, as, IF they had taken a closer inspection and watched it...? They just may of learned something...Now? They look like the assholes.
Well done Rat Man!!
Miss.Gory Rae
Canadian Horror Hostess...
It's always been my dream to have moms and mine love documented on that silver screen for the world to see! We love you son!
ReplyDelete