The Crispin Hendrix Experience

Here's kind of what I saw:



What's interesting is how different my performance was. Crispin's voice didn't have that high pitch, which makes this seem more comedic than it was last night. Our performance was much darker, and while funny at times, drew on a different part of the audience. I like how his energy level and his own mood completely change not only the mood of the piece, but the meaning.

In Atlanta, he was at the Plaza Theatre on Ponce, which as he said is an old vaudeville theatre, later made into a movie theatre. The segment seen in this clip is from the first part of the evening. I think he really dug the environment, and let it kind of inspire him, for it was much more dramatic and less frivolous than the clip above. The physical setup was different as well. In Atlanta, he stood on stage in front of a large screen, and the pictures from the book were projected behind him. There was a spotlight on his face and shoulders, and the rest of his body was sort of in shadows. As he read, he did a kind of physical performance as well, periodically gesturing to the screen, melodramatically.

As far as the reading itself...I find it really interesting what he's doing with language. His books are actually old books he's found and then gone into and blocked out sections or deleted entire pages, and written and doodled on. When thus altered and re-read, the words take on entirely new meanings, or shades of meaning. Regardless of what he said to me last night, I find the whole process totally surrealist - there we sit, waiting for the 'story', and all we get is this stock almost-narrative, with recognizable forms, themes and images (death, love, revenge, childhood, maternity) but no actual meaning other than what we bring to it, and draw out of it.

This reading/performance sets up the next portion of the evening, the film itself. I won't go into the film, as it's virtually impossible to discuss. It's something that has to be seen, as so much of it is visual and experiential. But I will say that the process of viewing runs parallel to the experience of watching Crispin read from the books. There are glimpses of things...images, actions, dialogue...that sort of draw on stuff in the viewer's mind, but don't do anything else. Most of the film is told in the viewer's mind, based on previous knowledge or experience. The images simply serve to pull out what's already there. Brilliant.

The last part of the night was the best in many ways. As Crispin said, he travels with his film, partly because he's very protective of it, but also because it provides a kind of interactive viewing experience not found very often anymore. For me, his being there was crucial, partly because of my insane admiration (= schoolgirl crush) on his cute ass, but also because so much of the film depends on the interaction before and after the film. Like he said, in keeping with the vaudeville history of the theatre, his presence and performance is essential to how we experience the film, as it frames the viewing, both temporally and visually, completely coloring what we see when we view the film.

Plus he's cute as a doll. Did I mention that?

Should I go back tomorrow night?

Saw Crispin Hellion Glover tonight...spent four hours watching him perform, seeing the film, What is It?, listening to Q & A, and then spent a moment having a book signed, picture (forthcoming!) made, and chatting with him. He's lovely, charming, warm, friendly, and real smart. Damn. I got a big crush now.

So should I go back to see him again tomorrow night? Or would that just make me a creepy stalker?

...cough cough...

Barack Obama

I got all choked up watching Obama accept the nomination tonight. I was so blown away by his speech and his ideas and his intelligence and his presence I don't even know what to say. Normally I don't take any interest in politics whatsoever, but tonight was surprisingly emotional for me. I'm very moved by what Obama is all about. God bless.

Men I'm Obsessed With, Part I

I have a few celebrity crushes, I admit it. Today we will discuss one.

Crispin Glover.

Crispin is a guy I'd be really good pals with if we moved in the same circles, or if we were in high school together or something. He embodies everything I go for in a man...he's talented, very intelligent, and wonderfully insane. There's something about him physically too that drives me wild. I like imperfection, and his slight off-ness, both physical and otherwise, is just fabulous. Here's a clip from a 1991 movie, "Rubin and Ed," in which he stars with Howard Hesseman:



Though I love this film, my favorite one of his is called "Little Noises," which stars Crispin, Tatum O'Neal, the guy who played Rachel's boyfriend, Joshua, on "Friends", Rik Mayall from "The Young Ones," among others. It's a beautiful movie, really funny yet really sad, too. It has one of the most beautiful kissing scenes ever. I can't find even a teeny clip of it anywhere, which is a shame. Here's the only photo I could locate out there:


While I love the crazy, off-the-wall, experimental nature of what he does, the truth of the matter is that his intelligence pulls me in more than any other quality. I love how he knows he's smart and creative in a way that lots of mainstream people just don't get, and he isn't afraid to let you know it. Crispin has this way of talking that makes me want to jump in and argue with him. Like here, as he discusses the role of Grendel, which he plays in the recent film "Beowulf":



And here, as he discusses, among other things, his film, "What is It?" I have one of the books that he has in his lap, by the way. Autographed. Oh yeah.



Artaud would be so proud!

In putting this blog entry together, I went to his website, www.crispinglover.com, and found that he is making an APPEARANCE in Atlanta at the Plaza Theatre in three weeks, screening his movie "What is It?" and (gulp) signing autographs. Holy crap. Wish me luck...

Baudrillard - La Disparition Du Monde Réel