STILL HERE -- Jump Scares, Gore Ratings, and What to Watch if You're Staying in on Halloween

STILL HERE is a new column by Jasper Magazine editor Cindi Boiter

I remember being invited to  a Halloween costume party in my early 20s when we lived in DC and being flummoxed by the invitation to “dress up” in a costume for the event. Dress up? Like a child? I thought. This was in the early 80s and all I could think was that Halloween was for children and  I had no idea how to approach “dressing up” as an adult. Thankfully, the years have passed and taught me that Halloween may be for children, but it is also a sacred night for so many of my LGBTQ+ friends who love the holiday for the personal and aesthetic freedom it has traditionally allowed, as well as artists and creatives, like my friends Bohumila Augustinova and B.A. Hohman, who treat Halloween the way they treat their daily lives, with creativity and panache.  

In any case, I’ve learned my lessons about Halloween, and now I recognize that I don’t dress up primarily because I’m too lazy. That said, I appreciate the spookiness of Halloween, as seen through the eyes of my grandchildren, and I love a free night that allows me to stay in and watch scary and, sometimes, esoteric films.  

To that end, I took advantage of having filmmaking friends who know much more about scary flicks than I do and I asked a few of them to recommend some films to watch on Halloween night. But because I’m a wimp I also asked them to indicate whether there are scare-jumps in their recommended movies (I hate them!) and to rate the films for gore with 1 being OK for wussies (me!) and 5 being grossest. 

Thanks to Thaddeus Jones, Chris Bickel, and David Axe for helping me out. Here’s what we came up with.

David Axe, independent filmmaker 

SKINAMARINK (2022)

“A divisive and unique cinematic nightmare. No jump scares, just dread.”  (Axe)

Gore Rating - 1

Jump Scares - 0

~

CUCKOO (2024)

“A trippy and atmospheric horror set in the German alps. Several jump scares.” (Axe)

 Gore Rating -2

Jump Scares - many

Chris Bickel, independent filmmaker

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968)

“No real jump scares, but an unexpected ending. The movie that started everything and ushered in the modern horror era. I watch it every Halloween. “ 

Gore Rating – 2

Jump Scares - 0

PIECES (1982)

~

“Amazing Eurotrash slasher movie”  

Gore Rating – 4

Jump Scares -1  

~

THE MIDNIGHT HOUR (1985)  

“0 on the gore scale, just dumb fun. No jump scares. Made-for-TV comedy horror with Levar Burton and Sheri Belafonte. Kind of hard to find, but worth seeking it out for stupid fun. It's like if Michael Jackson's Thriller was a feature-length TV comedy.” 

Gore Rating – 0

Jump Scares – 0

Thaddeus Jones – independent filmmaker

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (2008)  

Oskar, an overlooked and bullied boy, finds love and revenge through Eli, a beautiful but peculiar girl. (IMDb) 

Gore Rating – 3

Jump Scares – 2

~ 

SLITHER (2006) 

A small town is taken over by an alien plague, turning residents into zombies and all forms of mutant monsters. (IMDb) 

Gore Rating – 5

Jump Scares – 2

  ~

TRAIN TO BUSSAN (2016) 

While a zombie virus breaks out in South Korea, passengers struggle to survive on the train from Seoul to Busan (IMDb) 

Gore Rating -2

Jump Scares – 3 

~

 THE SHINING

Stanley Kubrick classic based on the Stephen King novel starring Jack Nicholson

Gore Rating – 2

Jump Scares --3

Jones also mentioned one of my favorite horror films, The Fly (1986) starring a very cute Jeff Goldblum and a porcelain-skinned Geena Davis. I favor the zeros when it comes to jump scares and gore, and Thad gave The Fly a 4.5 on gore with 1 jump scare, which made me feel brave af. But I wonder if, like me, Jones also prefers the 1958 version starring Vincent Price with David Hedison as his brother who, spoiler alert, ends up with the arm and head of a man, but the rest of his body, a fly, feebly and frighteningly muttering those infamous words that are still tattooed on my brain, “Help me. Help me!” 

If you’re staying in and watching something horrific on Thursday night, let us know  what you have queued up.

 HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

REVIEW—Pater Noster and the Mission of Light By Wade Sellers

The entire cast carries you through the film, but Bickel’s tongue-in-cheek record store comedy turned blood-soaked escape film pays off in a great way that I haven’t seen in any level of filmmaking in quite some time. 

Mike Amason stars as Pater Noster in Pater Noster and the Mission of Light

Simply put, Chris Bickel knows how to hit you in the face with his movies. His third micro-budget indie feature, Pater Noster and the Mission of Light, is a wonder of what pure will, a solid vision, dedication from indie-film lovers, new technology, and a load of talent can create in the current indie-film world. An end card after the credits states that Pater Noster and the Mission of Light was made in West Columbia for what you can buy a used car for. Bickel gives that number as $20,000. Every dollar of that budget ends up on the screen along with pints of blood and sweat from a crew that found a labor of love, and a cast that is both seasoned and practically pulled off the street. 

On the surface Pater Noster and the Mission of Light is a cult film. Pater Noster and the Mission of Light is a 70s religious group that has been off-the-grid for decades. What they do have is a slightly sought after catalogue of self-produced music that is worth a lot of cash to collectors. That’s how we meet Max, played by newcomer Adara Starr. Max works at the local indie record shop when a local vinyl trader tries to cash in one of his Pater Noster records and not so subtly mentions that he has a secret spot where more of the Pater Noster catalog sit. Max sweet talks and slips the collector a few bucks and hits the store herself, hoping to cash in. Max does find the stash and heads back to the record shop with her PNATMOL find. 

After bragging to store owner Sam, played perfectly sly and bitter by Bickel regular Morgan Shaley Renew and her co-worker and friend Abby, played smartly by another familiar face to Bickel films Sanethia Dresch, Max and Abby head to Max’s house to get high and soak in the Pater Noster find. Later, the co-workers hit a blood-soaked show featuring a local thrash metal band “Lunacide,” filled in by Columbia area band and Metal Blade recording artist Demiser. Filling out the group of friends is Gretchen and Lunacide drummer Jay Sin, played by Shelby Lois Guinn and Josh Outzen, respectively. Bickel’s curation of this group is a great homage to past horror film friend group dynamics. The friends head back to Max’s for a post-show afterparty. Max finds a mutual Pater Noster lover in Jay Sin and the Mission of Light mystery grows from there. With a brilliant cameo by the saxophone swinging 80s film icon Tim Cappello as Dennis Waverly, a conspiracy filled radio host leaning heavily on Art Bell, the friends get a stern warning of swimming in the Pater Noster pool. Moments later, another mysterious call is received from supposed Pater Noster surrogates, and the next morning the friends are in a car being chauffeured to the Pater Noster compound.

He mixes his blood with the blood spilled later in the film.

Bickel wastes no time getting his group of friends, and the audience, into the meat of the white robed, smile just a bit too wide, Pater Noster welcoming committee and their compound. Soon getting us in front of reclusive Pater Noster himself. Mike Amason plays Pater Noster, and brilliantly chews every line of dialogue Bickel gives him through to the end of the film. Once the friends enters the interior of the Pater Noster compound, that’s when Bickel starts cocking his fist further back, readying it for the audience’s face. 

Pater Noster and the Mission of Light’s greatest strength is Bickel’s growth as a filmmaker and growing chops as an editor. His willingness to inject a fair amount of tongue-in-cheek humor in the first half of the film also loosens up the audience for the bloodbath to come. He mixes his personal experiences working in a local indie record store with locally known Columbia fixtures, name play, and street addresses that will only resonate with locals. This makes the movie better because it adds Bickel’s personal roots with his loosely fictional settings and characters in the films. He mixes his blood with the blood spilled later in the film. 

Adara Starr stars as Max in Pater Noster and the Mission of Light

As the film gets into its 20th minute, the pacing seems to slow a bit- not boring, but methodical. Make no mistake Pater Noster is a micro budget B-Movie, but Bickel doesn’t rush the story. With B films there is pressure to get the blood before the eyes of the audience as soon as possible. And that audience is quick to give up and walk away. Bickel does a fantastic job of allowing us to know what we need to know with each of the characters as we get to the first level of the last act. 

Technology is the other advantage Bickel has with his third film. The visual look of the first half of the film is what it needs to be, nothing fancy, straightforward. There is no pretention here. When we move into the insanity of the third act, Bickel starts to flex the experience he has gained from his previous two features. Losing his Director of Photography two weeks prior to the first shoot day, Bickel took control of the camera himself. For a movie with a decent budget this can be incredibly stressful, for an indie horror feature with a 20k budget and 100 or so volunteers, off and on, crew members, you lose years off your life.  

Visually the last act is a bit of a marvel. Lit just enough to set the tone but not distract, the direction and camera work create an atmosphere of insanity. Bickel’s slow(ish) pacing at the top of the film is balanced with a frenetic pacing at the end. Somehow, he makes this digestible. Add a soundtrack of aural horror and everything blends into a beautifully psychotic escape sequence by those left alive. He successfully takes the audience into the maddening world that Capello’s radio host warns us about. Yes, there is blood. Gallons more than in previous Bickel films. But as the deaths mount when the Pater Noster cult reveals their true intentions, and their naked bodies, the audience can only grip their seats tighter and move closer to the screen. I viewed the film at a private screening with a small audience of 25 or so. We all gleefully soaked it in with the slyest grins on our face. 

A last-minute addition for the lead role, Adara Starr brilliantly turns Max from a cherub faced 20 something into a Carrie-esque crazed young woman over the film’s 90 or so minutes. All other supporting friends make the most of their life-or-death moments with no fear. Intentional or not, Bickel’s casting of the round-faced Starr contrasts her beautifully against her sharply featured friends.

This is the type of indie movie that is possible now. The camera that Bickel used is affordable to everyone. It allows capturing beautiful images in low light. It allows a filmmaker with Bickel’s experience and talent to create the horrific moments he makes in this film. Would a larger budget have served him well, of course. But how much larger? These movies aren’t made for a wide audience. They certainly are made with a pure love and Bickel’s love for the medium is caked all over Pater Noster. You can see Tobe Hooper and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre here. You can see some Rosemary’s Baby mixed in with Friday the 13th, even a taste of Clerks (if unintentional). And you can imagine the many gruesome horror titles that Bickel knows, and we don’t, that he is wearing on his sleeve at every part of the production process. 

Morgan Shaley Renew, Adara Starr, and Shelby Lois Guinn in Pater Noster and the Mission of Light

Pater Noster and the Mission of Light is a wild punch in the face of a horror film, and I suggest seeing it no matter your taste in movies. It’s a testament to the new way filmmakers can make the film they love in the city or town they live in. The entire cast carries you through the film, but Bickel’s tongue-in-cheek record store comedy turned blood-soaked escape film pays off in a great way that I haven’t seen in any level of filmmaking in quite some time. 

The Nickelodeon’s indie film roots no longer exist in this city and it is time to seek other outlets.

Pater Noster and the Mission of Light has its world theatrical premiere at the Independent Picture House in Charlotte on October 5th. The film is mixed in 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound. It will stream on Night Flight during the month of October. 

The film features a soundtrack created by musicians local to Columbia, South Carolina. Prior to the film’s release, Bickel premiered music videos for each song of the soundtrack. These videos will be available on the Blue Ray release in 5.1 Dolby. An 18-minute short film prequel will also be included on the Blue Ray. 

Pater Noster and the Mission of Light is premiering in Charlotte, North Carolina and not Columbia. The Charlotte premiere is due to the Nickelodeon Theatre, located on Main Street in downtown Columbia and Bickel’s preferred theatre for the premiere, not being able to find time in their schedule to screen the film. There has been a lot of back and forth through social media about this situation, and reasonable arguments can be made from both sides. 

As an independent filmmaker who has made his living as a filmmaker in Columbia for 25 years, my take is simple. You can’t be taken seriously as a supporter of independent filmmakers and independent films in the city you operate if you don’t have a plan in place to screen local filmmakers and their work at a reasonably short moment’s notice. 

No film on the Nickelodeon’s current schedule starts past 9:30pm. Pater Noster is a perfect midnight film. The first showing in Charlotte, 100 miles away, sold out in a few hours. The Nickelodeon has deep roots in the independent film community in this city. It is where most local filmmakers, including myself, first saw their work on a theater screen. The Nickelodeon staff should be seeking out and celebrating local filmmakers. The answer should not be “we won’t have room for a few months” but should be “we will make this work.” I would gladly like to pop my head in to a 9:30 screening of Beetlejuice 2 on an upcoming Monday screening to count heads. The Nickelodeon’s indie film roots no longer exist in this city and it is time to seek other outlets.

Pater Noster and the Mission of Light 

Written and directed by Chris Bickel

 

Starring

Adara Starr as Max

Sanethia Dresch as Abby

Morgan Shaley Renew as Sam

Shelby Lois Guinn as Gretchen

Josh Outzen as Jay Sin

Mike Amason as Pater Noster

REVIEW: Bad Girls -- Chris Bickel's 2nd Feature Film Embraces a New Paradigm for Indie Filmmaking

The democratization of access to equipment and technology has given creators an ability to create films that are deeply personal, or in the case of Bad Girls, a film that is like a blitzkrieg with moments of Zen sprinkled throughout. When that equipment and technology is put in the hands of someone like Bickel, who isn’t afraid of putting every ounce of energy and passion into his filmmaking, you get an achievement like Bad Girls. - Wade Sellers

Whether you click your phone, hit your spacebar on your computer, or hit play on your DVD remote, when you start director Chris Bickel’s 2nd feature film Bad Girls, make sure you are in a comfortable seat because you won’t be leaving it for the next 97 minutes. 

There are plenty of accolades to spread around but the major achievement of Bickel’s micro-budget 2nd feature is the director’s ability to create an overwhelmingly inviting atmosphere from scene one. The film is violent and bloody from the start and Bickel commits to his script from the first frame to the bullet and blood-soaked end. 

At its heart, Bad Girls is a hyper-violent, drug induced road movie that follows the main characters Val, Carolyn, and Mitzi Ann on the run after they rob a strip club, steal a car, and begin a night of violence that is fueled by the search for love, and bullets. A lot of bullets.

The three women who play the leads are the beautifully balanced center of Bad Girls. Bickel flexes a lot of clever low budget filmmaking tricks throughout the film, but a director can never escape bad casting. It's hard to look away from Morgan Shaley Renew the moment she appears center screen. Renew’s “Val” is strong, on a mission, and in charge, and the actor creates a magnetic performance. Shelby Guinn’s “Carolyn” and Sanethia Dresch’s “Mitzi Ann” are expertly balanced as Val’s co-conspirators. These three actors didn’t demand your attention throughout the film. 

Bickel’s choice for a supporting cast doesn’t disappoint either. Mike Amason plays nasal spray sniffing Special Agent Mike Cannon with a fun campiness that doesn’t turn into caricature. Special Agent Cannon chases the girls during their terror spree with the help of Special Agent McMurphy played by Dove Dupree. Dupree’s straight man to Amason is a fun turn from the normally dumbed down partner roles.

It’s a night that finds the Bad Girls terrorizing young lovers, beating obnoxious bar patrons, kidnapping rock stars, and fighting redneck white supremacists. 

Bickel and Shane Silman’s script is solid, with some incredibly funny throw away lines hidden throughout the film. And Bickel isn’t too proud to put his influences in a box, shake them up, and mix them with his growing adeptness to a relatively new style of indie filmmaking that has become more prevalent in the past 5 years. 

Bad Girls couldn’t have been made more than 5 years ago.

Bickel could have raised the same money (the film was made for $16k) and pulled a crew together to shoot his script on video, but something has changed in recent indie filmmaking. The democratization of access to equipment and technology has given creators an ability to create films that are deeply personal, or in the case of Bad Girls, a film that is like a blitzkrieg with moments of Zen sprinkled throughout. When that equipment and technology is put in the hands of someone like Bickel, who isn’t afraid of putting every ounce of energy and passion into his filmmaking, you get an achievement like Bad Girls. 

No detail is overlooked. Poor production design and bad audio can kill a film. Both excel in Bad Girls. The original and previously recorded music are used perfectly. The difficulty of taking an independent voice and translating it into an independent feature film when you have limited resources cannot be understated. 

The real achievement of Bickel and his film is the ability to understand the resources in front of him, ignore those saying it can’t be done, and bring together a group of people committed to helping make your vision a reality. Bad Girls is part of the new wave of American filmmaking- stories from creators who choose only to make films on their terms because they can. 

Once you start Bad Girls, you have just about 90 seconds to decide to back out before you find it impossible to pull away for the next hour. I suggest you hop in the car with them and just enjoy the ride.

Bad Girls

Directed by Chris Bickel

Written by Chris Bickel and Shane Silman

 

Review by Wade Sellers

CORONA TIMES - Wade Sellers Catches Up with Multidisciplinary artist & filmmaker Chris Bickel

Chris Bickel - all photos courtesy of the artist

Chris Bickel has been a staple in the Columbia creative community for a couple of decades. From his imprint on the local and national punk scene to masterminding one of Columbia’s favorite karaoke show for years, he leaves an incredible mark on any genre he touches. Despite earning a Media Arts degree from the University of South Carolina, he never ventured into filmmaking until a few years ago when he directed the wildly popular THETA GIRL. After being named the 2020 Free Times Best Filmmaker in Columbia Jasper decided to check in with Chris and ask about the progress of his new film and see how he has adjusted to the new landscape we live in.

JASPER: Chris how have you been adjusting to the pandemic? How has the shutdown affected you personally?

BICKEL: It hasn't really affected me that much. My day job (record buyer at Papa Jazz Record Shoppe) never really stopped. Although the store was shut down for a bit, I was still in there working. We wrapped shooting on my new film (BAD GIRLS) right before the pandemic started, so I've been in post-production on that during my evenings and weekends -- so pandemic or no, I'd still be holed up at home working during this time. I'm not the most social person in the world anyhow, so aside from the general feeling that the world is ending, the pandemic has affected me very little. 

JASPER: After the run of Theta Girl ended it seems you went straight into producing your new film Bad Girls. Was producing a 2nd film so soon after Theta Girl your plan from the start?

BICKEL: After THETA GIRL was finished, I did the festival circuit with it for almost a year while trying to pin down distribution -- which ended up being something of a fiasco (par for the course in indie film). Once THETA GIRL had a legitimate release, I began work on a second film called SISTER VENGEANCE. I wrote that script with Shane Silman, casted it, and then set up a production schedule. The lead quit a few days before the first shoot day, having decided that traveling every weekend from Atlanta for two months was going to be too difficult. I tried to recast, giving myself six months to fill that lead role but I couldn't find anyone locally that I thought was a fit, so I shelved SISTER VENGEANCE and set about writing BAD GIRLS which was loosely adapted from a stage play called GIRL GANG RAMPAGE, written by Shane. What may have seemed to someone from the outside as jumping right into BAD GIRLS from THETA GIRL, actually involved -- to me -- a lot of false starts and wasted time.

JASPER: Give everyone a taste of what Bad Girls is about.

BICKEL: Here's the log line: "After robbing a strip club, three desperate teenage girls lead a misogynistic Federal Agent on a lysergic cross-country chase, scoring a duffle bag full of money, drugs, and a crew of willing kidnap victims along the way.” I see BAD GIRLS as a punk rock road movie somewhere at the intersection of FASTER PUSSYCAT, KILL KILL and DOOM GENERATION. It's an existentialist fantasy wrapped in the package of an exploitation film.

L-R Shelby Lois Guinn, Morgan Shaley Renew, Sanethia Dresch

JASPER: Theta Girl received great reviews and had great fan response. What was the biggest part of the learning curve for you in directing your first feature?

BICKEL: The hardest part of filmmaking is people wrangling. Working on such a small scale, budget-wise, you end up wearing many different hats and it's impossible to be a master of all of them at once.

JASPER: What experiences did you take with you from Theta Girl to producing Bad Girls to make it a better overall production experience?

BICKEL: The first time you do anything you make a million little mistakes. One hopes that in their second time around they can half the number of mistakes. The number one thing I've learned is that you can't plan ahead enough. The more you think through before the day of shooting, the easier it is when unforeseen problems arise. 

JASPER: How has the shutdown affected post-production and the release of Bad Girls?

BICKEL: The only thing affected really is the release schedule. I still don't know if a theatrical premiere is a wise decision, nor do I know if doing a festival run is a good idea. I may have to rethink the method in which the film is rolled out. I honestly don't even know if we'll have a country left after November. I'd like to have the movie out by December -- if, you know, there's still an America.

JASPER: Micro budget/indie film production can be intensely satisfying and a bit self-abusive in the physical toll it can take. How has your experience been finishing Bad Girls?

BICKEL: I'm not on a deadline, so I'm working at my own pace to make it the best thing it can be. Viewing it as an underground film, it's going to have warts by the very nature of its low budget and the lack of experience of everyone involved (myself included). But I think people are willing to overlook the flaws as long as they are entertained. So, my main focus during this time is doing whatever it takes to ensure that the movie is wholly entertaining and hopefully thought-provoking. All of this would be easier with money to pay other people to do some of the work -- money to not need a "day job." I consider this an obsessive hobby. So even when I'm pushed to the point of exhaustion, it's still FUN for me -- even if in a masochistic way.

JASPER: Any words of wisdom for new micro budget indie filmmakers?

BICKEL: Finishing is the most important thing. 

-WS

First Fridays are about Lowbrow Cinema - Friday September 5th

 

The First Friday Lowbrow Cinema Explosion began in October 2013.  The Nickelodeon invited Bickel to curate a “B movie” series, and he enthusiastically ran with it.  Bickel says, “Rather than do straight ‘B movies,’ I wanted to have the series profile movies which fit a loose set of parameters that I like to call ‘lowbrow.’ We’re mostly dealing with horror and exploitation titles, all with elements that I’d describe as ‘over the top.’”

Past films include Rats: Night of Terror, Pieces, Black Christmas, Hard Ticket to Hawaii, Dolemite, Maniac, Cannibal Ferox, Blood Feast, Bloodsucking Freaks, Pink Flamingos, and MS 45.  Of these films, Bickel says, “Pink Flamingos was the biggest crowd we had.  Black Christmas creeped people out the most.  Hard Ticket to Hawaii had the audience laughing the most.”

While these are all films that Bickel loves, he selects the films in the series “for their authenticity of execution as well as their over-the-top content.”  He tries to pick “the most mind-meltingly oddball films from the golden age of splatter and exploitation.”  Upcoming films include Ilsa She Wolf of the SS, Female Convict Scorpion: Jailhouse 41, Cemetery Man, Silent Night Deadly Night, Sleepaway Camp, and My Bloody Valentine.

Screenings take place at 11:00 pm on Friday nights, and the audience is fairly warned about what they are getting themselves into.  While the films undeniably push multiple boundaries, the series has been incredibly well received.  Bickel says, “After the movies I am generally thanked for bringing something to the screen that someone had only ever heard about or showing something someone remembered renting on VHS when they were a teenager and thought they would never get to see in a crowded theatre.”  Bickel would like for attendees to learn something new about this type of cinema that’s most likely quite different from what they’re used to, but he mostly hopes people enjoy the film and have a great time.  The films do go “too far,” but the audience seems to appreciate them for this very reason and be willing to go “too far” along with them.  “Columbia is suddenly more open-minded than we all thought!” says Bickel.

- Abby Davis

Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS will be playing at the Nickelodeon Theatre on Friday, September 5^th at 11:00 pm.  Tickets can be purchased at www.nickelodeon.org.

Song for Jeffrey By Alex Smith, Sports Editor, Jasper Magazine

A few miles down the road from the fortified compound that houses Jasper Magazine, something is cooking at The Free Times in the Rant And Rave section, and when something starts to cook on that burner, the responses can go on longer than some of the threads on Chris Bickel's Facebook posts, only it's not inter web realtime, so that means weeks. I wanted to throw my pat of butter onto this particular griddle in a somewhat public forum before everybody forgets how the whole fucking thing started (I'm just as guilty as the next: we have given ourselves the attention span of gnats with this internet thing-I hear heckles that 'this internet thing' is what is allowing me to have my say about something while it's still remotely topical…just remember, if you're close enough to hear you're close enough to chew the face off of…).

  Ed [Madden, Poetry Editor] and I were in the bullpen out at the compound at Muddy Ford about a week ago, grinding the pigment out of wildflowers to use for the various colored ink for the upcoming issue (you don't just write when you're on staff at Jasper). As the man said so long ago, "we spoke of movies and verse, and the way an actress held her purse, and the way life and times could get worse…" Then we spoke of Jeffrey. Ed mentioned somebody bitching about our mutual friend Jeffrey Day and one of his less than enthusiastic notices concerning some or other arts related event here in town. We agreed not only that bitching about a review was unwarranted and whiny, but that (you can quote me on this) Jeffrey Day is the best all-around arts critic writing in Columbia. Imagine my surprise when, perusing the new issue of the Free-Times the next day [June 26-July 2], I got to the very last words that weren't ad copy, and they read, "I found a little Jeffrey Day dribble in my Free Times this morning (Arts, June 20). Apparently, the guy is like treatment-resistant gonorrhea; you may think he’s gone, but he ain’t."

I love the Free Times. I have had a man-crush on its editor since I saw his band open for The Violent Femmes when I was 15 years old. When it comes to full coverage journalism in Columbia, The Free Times has no competition, and their work is consistently terrific. And, like most people, I love the Rant And Rave section. So, let me make it completely clear that in no way am I trying to defame The Free Times when I say, in regard to the quote above: Fuck. That. Shit.

Here are a few more choice words in regard to that quote. I've known Jeffrey for going on 25 years, and I consider him a friend, but my anger about those words being said about a friend is beside the point, and what's more, personal, and I'd like to keep this out of that realm. I will, therefore, dispense with attempting to address the anonymous coward who spilled that bile onto the back page of an otherwise decent news rag, and try to look at the bigger picture.

The above quote is indicative of a problem some of the people involved in Columbia's arts community have that can end up being fucking deadly: everybody wants press, but none of them are willing to take criticism from anybody who knows what they're saying. First, let me say that, if you're an artist and you can't take the ugly words the same way that you take the kind words that people say about your art, if you can't be humble in the face of adulation and venom, throw that towel in. Now. You're a kiddie swimming in the big person pool. Get out until you've grown up a little. Beyond that, if our arts scene (which, listen, don't get me wrong, seems to be flourishing and cohering so successfully at this point that it's making me nervous) is nothing but a bunch of people smiling and waxing each others' cars, the whole thing will either burn bright very briefly and then die (again) because, take my word, that kind of enthusiasm can not be maintained without serious drugs; or those grinning waxers will turn around after telling you they love your work and tell somebody else how shitty they really think it is, this behavior will proliferate, and the whole thing will fizz out like a soggy sparkler and die (again).

Be honest about what you think and feel when you experience a work of art, and be willing and able to back it up, especially if your thoughts and feelings are negative. This will create dialogue, which will create working and personal relationships, which will create community. That's one thing.

The other is, for FUCK'S sake, we artists should get down on our knees and praise Allah for allowing us to have an art critic like Jeffrey in this town. Jeffrey is knowledgeable about enough aspects of both visual and performing arts that he can write incisive criticism about what he sees, whether it's a review of a musical at Town Theatre, a symphony performance at the Koger Center, or the latest show at the Columbia Museum of Art. He does so without any bells and whistles, without flexing his intellect publicly, and in such a way that a person reading his reviews does not have to be an aficionado to understand what he has written. He has been a paid writer for virtually every print outlet that covers the arts in Columbia, and when times got tough, he continued to do it for free online. Somehow, Jeffrey sees it all, and he reports on it honestly and thoroughly. People have faulted him for being too harsh a critic as long as I've known him, and, again, let me say it: Fuck. That. Shit.

Jeffrey has seen what the arts community in this city is capable of, and the reason we should be grateful for him is that he holds us to that high standard, and if we weren't around to know about the standard he's holding us to, he'll be glad to tell us about it. He is a good man. He may be a grumbling, naysaying curmudgeon sometimes, but if he knows you, he'll laugh at himself with you about it, especially if you're like me, and he knows that you'll only put up with his grumbling for so long before you pull out your tickle-bat and whack him with it (I'll tell you more about the tickle-bat some other time).

Jeffrey wrote a review of a play I directed in 2005 that has been the kindest thing written about any single artistic endeavor I've been involved with. It ended with the phrase, "…one of the ten best plays to be performed in Columbia in the last ten years." No shit. It was such a good review that I started telling people I'd paid him to write it, or that myself and the cast had gotten him loaded, like Joe Cotten in Citizen Kane, and finished the review for him after he passed out. He also wrote a very poor review of a show I directed in 2000 that I thought was perfect. Ultimately, I believe it was that poor review that made Jeffrey my friend. He would come sit and talk with me and whoever I was with (or vice-versa) when we'd see each other out at the bars or around town. I noticed that, for a long time after that poor review, he didn't seem to come and sit and talk when I saw him, and at first it puzzled me, but then, I realized that he probably thought I was pissed at him about the review (reading that Free Times quote and thinking about how much of that bullshit he's probably had to endure over his career makes me feel naive for ever wondering why he would have thought he should approach an artist with kid gloves). I saw him out one night. I was a little in my cups, so I told him that he needn't ever worry about me being an asshole to him if he wrote a bad review of one of my shows because, ultimately, good or bad, I wasn't doing it for him. I think most people would have been more than a little off-put by some drunk jerk coming up and telling them that they didn't care what they thought, but after that, Jeffrey seemed so much more relaxed and willing to talk when we would see each other.

The part I'm not sure about is whether I told him about the quote. After his bad review came out, I happened to read an interview from the 60's with Miles Davis. To bolster the esteem of the cast of the play Jeffrey had panned, I printed this quote out and hung it backstage:

"I get sick of how a lot of them write whole columns and pages of big words and still ain't saying nothing. If you have spent your life getting to know your business and the other cats in it, and what they are doing, then you know if a critic knows what he's talking about. Most of the time they don't. I don't pay no attention to what critics say about me, the good or the bad. The toughest critic I got, and the only one I worry about, is myself. My music has got to get past me and I'm too vain to play anything I think is bad."

What came after this, which I left out for my cast, but include here, is this:

"No, I ain't going to name critics I don't like. But I will tell you some that I respect what they write -- Nat Hentoff, Ralph Gleason and Leonard Feather. And some others, I can't right off think of their names. But it ain't a long list."

The list might not be long, but this vain, self-critical artist is glad to say that Jeffrey Day is on it.

-- Alex Smith, staff writer, Jasper Magazine

(Alex Smith has written about The Next Door Drummers and artist Cedric Umoja for Jasper Magazine. In the upcoming issue, releasing on July 12th, he writes about music director Tom Beard, Lighting designer Aaron Pelzek, and experimental musician C. Neil Scott. Alex Smith is NOT the Sports Editor for Jasper Magazine.)

[Vista] Queen of the Night?

Jasper is very much a 21st century kind of guy, so when he hears of old tropes like "beauty pageants" he usually turns up his nose in distaste.

Usually.

But when a pageant has been turned on its head the way that Larry Hembree, past executive director of the Nickelodeon Theatre and incoming executive director of Trustus Theatre,* has turned this year's [Vista] Queen of the Night Pageant, you can safely assume that many of the tired old trappings that typically make beauty pageants so declasse have been tossed out with the trash. (Apologies to Chris Bickel, pageant contestant.)

Starting with the gender and sexual orientation of the contestants.

Hembree is taking us back to the glory days of the Vista Queen Pageant when hetero gentlemen the likes of Jakie Knotts and Sheriff Leon Lott donned their gay apparel and fought it out like proper the proper bitches they are for the crown and the title of Vista Queen. Recent pageants, though exceedingly entertaining, have featured, let's just say, gentlemen to whom lip gloss and eye liner felt a little more natural.

Contestants hiding their candy this year include Chris Bickel (featured as the centerfold of Jasper #002,) the mighty Tom Hall, our buddy Otis Taylor, news anchor Anderson Burns, actor Gerald Floyd, and Historic Columbia's director of Cultural Resources, John Sheerer.

Clay Owens is the stage manager, and Terrance Henderson (featured in Jasper #001) is the choreographer -- Alexia Bonet and CJ Grant will be serving as out hosts.

Judges are Ya Ya Queen Debbie McDaniel, who is also a generous sponsor, Sarah Luadzers from the Congaree Vista Guild, playwright, Robbie Robertson, and City Counselor Cameron Runyan.

The winner of the title of Vista Queen will be adorned with a beautiful sash, sponsored by your friends at Jasper Magazine and handcrafted by the hardest-working-artist-in-Columbia, Susan Lenz.

Tickets to the event are sold-out, as well they should be, but for those lucky enough to have scored a ticket, doors open at 6 and the show starts at 7.

For additional information, visit www.trustus.org or visit the event page “(Vista) Queen of the Night” on Facebook.

*(Full disclosure - this blogger sits on the Trustus Theatre board of directors.)

Have YOU Written Your Six Word Arts Essay Yet?

We did it for the third time last night. Gave people a slip of paper, a Sharpie, and two thumb tacks and asked them to write what the arts meant to them in the form of a six word essay then pin it up on a board. The first time we did it was last Saturday afternoon at Clark Ellefson's new studio space on Huger Street back behind One Eared Cow. (The space is pretty phenomenal -- I can't think of anything in the city that compares to it in quality of design. Look for an article on Clark and his space in the July issue of Jasper Magazine.) We were celebrating Artista Vista with a poetry reading conducted by Kendal Turner. Lots of lovely poets came out to share their words -- and we were all inspired by the display of Jen Rose's exhibition, Neural Foliage. (Jen's work, which involved three constructions of three large canvases, lit from within, is inspired by her work with and interest in mental illness -- fascinating and beautiful.) Congratulations to Jen, by the way -- this exhibition marked the completion of her her work for her MFA.

Back to the Six Word Art Essay Project -- We'd been interested in inviting the community to take part in something like this for a while, having heard about similar projects on NPR, so the time seemed right. We followed up our first session on Saturday afternoon with another one that night at the Indie Grits Closing Party in an old bank building on Main Street. (My condolences if you missed this party. It was one of those nights when the vibe was right and it was just a great event. Special thanks go out to Wade Sellers who put together a pretty tight little interactive film experience, as well as the good and godly gentlemen of the Greater Columbia Society for the Preservation of Soul who spun like mad for us.) Over the course of these two events we chalked up several hundred essays.

People seemed to like taking a moment and making a contribution, so we pulled the board back out again last night for First Thursday and I'll be damned if we didn't collect almost a hundred more essays. Some are serious and some are silly, but they're all worth reading so we'll be running them in the July issue of Jasper. And we may even collect more entries at our next event, the Jasper #5 Release Party in the Garden.

So, if you haven't submitted your are Six Word Art Essay yet -- or if you have and another brilliant insight has been visited upon you, feel free to comment in the spaces below. We'd love to hear what you have to say.

Jasper chats with Shane Silman, Director of Plan 9 from Outer Space, Live and Undead

When Jasper walked into the back room of the Tapp's Building on a cold day in January, you could tell that, though the folks sitting behind a long folding table were quiet and contemplative, something cool was going on. We'd heard that there were to be auditions for a stage play of the absolutely horrible movie, Plan 9 from Outer Space, so we thought we'd pop in and see what was up. It was almost as cold inside as out, as Billy Guess motioned us into the space and we stood at the back for a while observing what was going on.

Behind the table in warms coats and, in a few cases hats, sat Shane Silman, Nick Dunn, Chris Bickel, and Kara Nelson. Before them a middle-aged man read from a script marked "Confidential" in red letters. Nobody looked impressed. (He didn't make it into the play.)

Flash forward just three months and a successful Kickstarter campaign later, and here we are on the brink of the premiere of the live action play Plan 9 From Outer Space -- Live and Undead based on the film by Ed Wood. Jasper checked in with director Shane Silman yesterday to see if we could tie up any loose ends. We gave him six questions  -- and he gave us plenty of answers.  Have a look below.

1. What should viewers NOT expect from the show?

They should not expect to be bored. If at any time the audience gets bored, we've failed. But we have taken extreme measures to make sure that we do not fail. Everything is on our side. All we need now are the Live Earth Audiences.

2. What's been the greatest challenge?

The greatest challenge has been fighting against time itself, our universal adversary. The amount of time, money, and sheer human effort that it took to get 25 people together in a room, all at one time, over the course of three months, over and over again, and the myriad setbacks and struggles that we encountered - and are still encountering, even in this final week - in bringing Ed Wood's universe to life, have been unexpectedly Biblical in scope and difficulty.

As a result, I have a completely renewed respect for Ed Wood, the man and the artist, and the trials that he faced in bringing his stories to the world. Creating art - whether visual, film, or performance - is not an easy job. Far from it. Our task, as artists, is to make it look easy.

3. Do you recommend folks who haven't seen the film watch it (or Ed Wood) before attending?

Absolutely. I highly recommend seeing the film before coming to see the play. Don't believe the claims of “Worst Movie Ever Made.” Although flawed, certainly, it is nevertheless incredibly entertaining. In my opinion, the “Worst Movie Ever Made” should equal “The Most Boring Movie Ever Made,” and Plan 9 is definitely not boring. Viewing the original film first will only enrich the experience of the “Live and Undead” version that we have created.

Another reason to watch Plan 9 from Outer Space, the movie beforehand, is that it may help you win your very own copy of it. We'll be giving away 9 brand new special edition DVD copies of Ed Wood's original film before each performance, based on correct answers to a list of 'Plan 9'-related trivia questions devised by me.

And yes, I also highly recommend the film Ed Wood, starring Johnny Depp as Ed Wood. In addition to being a terrific film in its own right, Johnny Depp is especially brilliant as Ed Wood. I would also recommend any of Ed Wood's other films, although I might be biased, since I'm a fan.

4. Who is the most likely of your actors to steal any given scene?

One of the things I really love about this story is that even though it's a huge ensemble cast (18 people), there's not a single thankless role. Everyone gets a chance to shine, everyone has great moments, and every character has classic Ed Wood dialogue - except, of course, for the non-speaking zombie roles. Their reward is that they're the stars of the show in the way that the shark is the star of Jaws. They're iconic, they're everyone's favorite characters from this story, everyone's there to see them, and they didn't have to memorize any lines.

Chris Bickel is incredible as Criswell, Mandy Applegate is perfect as Vampira, Scott Means is the ultimate Zombie, Larry Hembree is the best Bela Lugosi we ever could have hoped for, Nathan Dawson and Emily Meadows are adorable as Jeff and Paula Trent, and Nick Dunn is especially hilarious as Eros. And the list goes on and on. Everyone has the opportunity to steal any scene that they're in.

If I had to choose one person, though, I would have to single out Gerald Floyd, as The Alien Ruler. He's only onstage for about 7 minutes, but he is absolutely going to steal the entire show. He's a comedic genius, and this role couldn't be more perfect for him.

5. What is the appropriate alcohol to drink while watching the play -- and will it be available at the Tapp's Center?

Ed Wood's drink of choice was Imperial brand Whisky, although I'm not sure if that even exists anymore.

The Whig will be operating a cash bar at Tapp's during the show, so whatever gets it happening for you, dive in.

Just designate a driver, be responsible, and watch out for Flying Saucers.

6. Anything else you want to say?

The only other thing I'd like to say is that our main goal with this show, from the very beginning, was to have fun. We've been having fun with this story and laughing and having a blast in private rehearsals, nearly every night, for almost three months. And now we're finally ready to let the rest of the world in on it. We want to share the laughs, the excitement, and the fun of what we've been creating all this time. We're inviting everybody to this show as if it were a three-day party, with Plan 9 at the core of it. We're going out there to honor Ed Wood and the spirit of his work, and to just have fun with each other. We want you to have just as much fun as we're having onstage, and we hope to see you there.

For more information on Plan 9 from Outer Space check out the official website.

2012 Resolutions for & by Columbia artists & arts lovers

We know that you all have your own resolutions to worry/quickly forget about, but we thought you might like a peek into what's going on in the brains of some of your friends and neighbors. Here's a small sample of what we heard from folks when we asked them

What would you resolve for 2012 for the Greater Columbia Arts Community?

Musician Chris Powell says,

“I'd like to see ColaTown artists in residence resolve to double their output and involvement in 2012. Isn't the world ending this year or something? May as well quit your dayjob and pump out some jams. Nothing to lose!”

Arts Supporter Tracie Broom says,

“For those who extol Columbia's virtues as a cultural destination already, keep it up! Positive talk adds to our city's collective unconscious and its outward appearance, making it more attractive to creatives, knowledge economy workers, investors, & companies who could, down the road, become arts sponsors! For those who range from kind of negatory to downright pessimistic about Colatown, I challenge you to employ my mother's old tactic when you feel the urge to denigrate our city: if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.”

Visual and Performing Artist Alex Smith says,

“Work together, and if you can't, cut the backstabbing rumor-mongering bullshit and address the problem directly. If you can't be adult enough to do that, you are a community of one (or two if you can get your B.F.F. to go along with you) and you are dead weight on the barely floating boat of a community that the rest of us are trying to create here.”

Visual Artist Susan Lenz says,

“A great New Year's resolution for the entire Columbia arts community COULD be to use an all inclusive, good-looking, easy-to-navigate, totally complete arts calendar if Santa brought it to us!

Individually, I've always made "professional" New Year's resolutions. Past years were for Mouse House and dealt with trying to find personal time for art. Like the stereotypical "go on a diet" resolutions, they never worked. Finally, I forcibly downsized Mouse House and my New Year's resolutions started being about my creative process and artistic goals. Amazingly, I've been successful with every resolution. Three years ago my goal was to get "real, quality gallery representation". It took until September ... but I'm now in the Grovewood Gallery in Asheville. Two years ago my goal was to find a professional, juried or adjudicated affliation ... and now I'm a PAM (Professional Artist Member) of Studio Art Quilt Associates. Last year my goal was to get a solo show in an accredited museum ... and I had "Personal Grounds" with my Decision Portrait Series at Waterworks Visual Arts in Salisbury. I haven't set my goal for 2012 but I'm open to suggestions! It's got to be a "big goal" ... something really worth the effort!”

Performing Artist Chris Bickel says, (and we really like this,)

"I'd like to see the arts community resolve to be more self-critical and open to constructive criticism. While it's extremely important for a small and growing art scene to be a supportive community, that support can sometimes devolve into glad-handing which doesn't serve to create an atmosphere where artists challenge themselves. We should seek to be constructive with our criticisms and thick-skinned enough to take them.”

No matter what you reject or resolve, Jasper Magazine wishes you all a wonderful 2012 filled with new projects, cooperation, busy calendars, inspiration, productivity, community involvement, and accomplishment.

Happy New Year!

Love,

Jasper

Wishes from and for the Columbia Arts Community for Christmas - Part I

One of the best Christmases I can remember celebrating with my friends happened over twenty years ago. We were all young and economically challenged -- Coles, Cathy, Natalie, Margaret, and I -- but we loved each other dearly and wanted to give one another the world. So we decided to stuff each others' stockings with wishes for the things we most wanted our friends to have. Once we let go of the obligation to give one another material things, we were free to give them any wish we chose. Vacations, book deals, confidence, sleep. It was liberating and it made us seriously consider how we might improve the lives of the people we loved if money and time and power and even magic were at our disposal.

In this same vein, Jasper asked Columbia artists and arts lovers what they would like Santa to bring to their beloved arts Community this Christmas. Answers are still coming in, but here's a start on what folks had to say.

Please feel free to comment on these wishes below, and do add some wishes of your own.

In the meantime, Merry Christmas from your friends at

Jasper - The Word on Columbia Arts.

From Tom Poland

I’d like for Santa to bring the arts community a big bag of confidence, commitment, and energy. Being an artist often means working in isolation wondering if your work is good or wondering if it makes a meaningful contribution to society. Being sure of your work and

yourself generates the strength to keep plugging away at your chosen craft. When you believe in and commit to your art it does make a meaningful contribution. The journey is a long one, a marathon, and rewards go to the patient and persistent.

From Alexis Doktor

I feel that most often the problems that I'd love to see fixed don't lie within the arts community, but those that hold the strings. I wish Santa could bring a new found respect and intrigue to those that don't currently appreciate the arts. That maybe people would see the beauty in our movements, our music, our work, our soul, instead of which gamecock has the most field goals or who just got benched. The artists I've met in Columbia, whether performers or fine artists, all share something: passion. And it seems that every year funding gets smaller, and concerns are turned elsewhere. The artists here live out their resolutions every day... do what you love, and do it often. Personally, I'd love to see the Main Street first Thursday arts fair grow and grow. It's such a wonderful forum for artists of all kinds. I'd like to see more funding given to the companies that work SO hard on SO little (i.e. Workshop Theatre, Columbia City Ballet, Trustus, SC Shakespeare Company, and the list goes on). I'd like to see a new governor who understands and appreciates that taking away arts and good education from our children hurts everyone, because they are the future!

From Natalie Brown

I would love to see an arts incubator space open up, and/or live/work artist spaces in the downtown area. Bonus points if the ceilings are high enough for a circus arts school.

From Chris Bickel

I'd love to see Santa bring us more alternative spaces for display of works. I'd like to see more businesses open up their walls to local artists. We're seeing more of this lately in Columbia, and it's a trend I'd like to see continue. It's an aesthetic improvement to the business and good exposure for the artist.

From Chris Powell

I'd like Santa to bring us all some unification, concrete goals both as a community (and as individuals), continuing inspiration gleaned from our daily lives, and the energy and eagerness to help our fellow artist in THEIR work as well as the open mind to accept their criticisms.

From Alex Smith

Integrity. Honesty. A ten ton sack full of hundred dollar bills.

 From Elena Martinez-Vidal

Funding and audiences!

Merry Christmas from Jasper!