The Spirit Of Independents

So, here we are. It’s Tuesday. The official kick-off day for the Borderlands Film Festival, of which I am one of the organizers. Everything is in readiness. Our opening night film is queued up, along with 80-something other films, spread out over six days of independent film, workshops, seminars, ceremonies and parties. Tickets are on……

Baked Goods

I’m finding the older I get the more “anniversaries” clutter up the memory banks. Seriously, I have anniversaries for everything. Or maybe it’s just a way for me to keep track of things. A mental filing system, if you will. With that in mind, this year is a big one. Apparently threes and eights are……

Art Of The Con

Everything moves slowly here in the Southwest. It’s one of the demons I battle on an almost daily basis. Having been born and bred right here in New Mexico, I’m very familiar with the “land of mañana” mentality. Being away for 25 years, however, eating dogs and swimming with sharks in San Francisco, Los Angeles……

The Devil In The Detail

There’s a kind of magic that happens when putting together a feature film project. Sure, everybody says that, but having been on the inside, both now and years ago when I worked for Paramount Pictures, I can tell you, watching a project like Lady Belladonna’s Night Shades take shape is truly marvelous. To go from……

The Sacred And The Profane

I’ve seen a few plays this season, staged at the venerable, time-honored locations, but none have had the visceral punch that The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot, staged by the little troupe that could, Dona Ana Repertory Theater, leveled at its audience last night. A well-deserved standing ovation capped what had to be the most……

The Dark Lady Rises

Lady Belladonna’s Night Shades is quickly becoming a reality. After an extensive month-long search, involving some of the most talented actresses from all across the state, our dark lady has been cast in the form of local performer and provocateur Tawnya Bass. Our supporting roles have also been cast in the form of trusted and……

Who Will It Be?

And so the search is on. Who will be our Lady Belladonna? Who will assay the role of our Mistress of Perdition, Top Soul Broker in the Abyss and hostess of Lady Belladonna’s Night Shades? We’ve got a few strong contenders, based mostly on the headshots and resumes we’ve taken in, but we really won’t……

The View From Down Under

Okay, it’s been a while since I gave an update on the local film industry, as seen from the trenches. Hold on to your soft sticks, boys and girls, I’m about to lower the boom. If you live in southern New Mexico and have been paying any attention at all to the news, you’ve probably……

April Showers

I don’t believe in glory days. Or, rather, I don’t believe in the recognized usage of the term. Over time, it has become my belief that every day has the potential to be a glory day. Sure, some days are better than others, but for the most part, 16 hours is plenty of time to……

2015, The Year That Was

One of my favorite authors, the incomparable Ray Bradbury, once said, “Love what you do and do what you love. Don’t listen to anyone else who tells you not to do it. Imagination should be the center of your life.” For the better part of 25 years, I have been doing just that – following……