HOT SPOTS in CA: The American Cinematheque (and the "Dark Blood" of River Phoenix)

Exterior wall of The Egyptian Theatre, home #1 to the American Cinematheque.

The benefit of living in Los Angeles is the access to all things cinema. Hollywood, as the home of the Movies, honors the industry like nowhere else. It's the perfect landing place for movie hounds, as it has countless venues for junkies to choose from when selecting where and when they want to see what. Grauman's Chinese (now TLC-- the learning channel???), the Egyptian, the Silent Movie Theater, Old Town Music Hall, the Laemmle chain, LACMA, AMPAS, Fairfax Regency, Cinespia at the cemetery, etc, are some of the community's darlings. They screen the classics, the forgotten jewels, the restored, the cult favorites, whatever your flavor is. Each locale has its own personality and generally cheaper seats than the average movie chain, which only plays the latest block-bruiser. Depending on the monthly menu or retrospective that's happening, one can pretty much spread herself around like a celluloid slut (Oh, I get mine, trust me) and take advantage of experiencing films on the big screen-- the way they were meant to be seen and increasingly aren't.

The American Cinematheque has been in operation since 1981 and is a non-profit organization that presents films, historical or cinematically related lectures, and guest appearances at both the Egyptian and Aero Theatres. The Egyptian is much more notorious (and right in the center of Hollywood), as it was one of Sid Grauman's many over-embellished movie palaces. Renovated and technologically modernized, the interior has changed quite a bit. For example, the seats used to stretch from the screen all the way to the entry door, as there was no popcorn and thus no concession stands in the early days. However, remnants of the former glory remain, and much of the original artwork has been restored. The hieroglyphics outside and ornate pattern detail on the entry ceiling, as well as the still impressive ceiling décor in the theater itself, provide a bit of forgotten ambiance, though the result is nowhere near the original splendor. The Egyptian typically gives tours of the theater and screens a brief documentary called "Forever Hollywood" at least once a month on Saturday, if not every other Saturday, in addition to its many other screenings and programs.

The Egyptian Theatre ~ 6712 Hollywood Blvd. ~ Los Angeles, CA 90028

As its sister theater, the Aero directs its focus into honoring all the different filmmakers, performers, and genres by featuring varying retrospectives, whether these reference the cinema of various countries, time periods, movements, what-have-you. The look of the theater is less exciting and historically relevant than the Egyptian. Aside from the brightly lit marquee, the building is thoroughly contemporary. It's charm lies in the unlikely films it presents, as well as the plethora of celebrity guests it hosts for Q&A sessions regarding particular films. Anyone from Eva Marie Saint to Jane Campion and the Cast of Bright Star may show up, and the movie house plays everything from The Unknown (1927) to The Harder They Come (1972). Located between Brentwood and Santa Monica, it's a bit of a hidden treasure on the West side, and the intimate attendance at most screenings makes one (#me) feel like a member of a very select club-- the Cinemat 'Pack, huzzah!

The Aero Theatre ~ 1328 Montana Avenue ~ Santa Monica, CA 90403

Most recently, just prior to the 20th anniversary of River Phoenix's death, I was fortunate enough to attend a screening at the Aero of his last, uncompleted film with director George Sluizer: Dark Blood. The "lost film" is always a dagger in the heart to flicker aficionados, and-- similarly to James Dean-- River's premature death certainly makes every product of his work more precious. (He would pass away due to a drug overdose in the early morning hours of Halloween, collapsing on the street outside The Viper Room). As the film was left 10 filming days short, there are missing scenes from the finished project, as well as some that Sluizer had to remove due to their lack of coherence within the limited final product. Working with what he had, the director was able to save the film from destruction when the members of the Phoenix family tried to seize it and Ted Turner, the studio, et al refused to refinance further shooting/editing. It took the director some time to face this past demon, but he used the money from his own pocket to put the piece together, restoring the film himself, adding voiceover dialogue where needed to explain missing sequences, and editing the remaining images into a fluid and somehow fittingly detached but provocative story.

Poster handed out at the October 29th screening.

The plot follows a vacationing couple as they travel through the deserts of Arizona (actually Utah, I believe-- the cinematography alone is enough to make the film worth seeing). The brash and irreverent Buffy (Judy Davis) and her stoic but silently boiling actor-husband Harry (Jonathan Pryce) wind up stranded in the middle of nowhere after their vintage car breaks down. The playful tension between the couple quickly takes on a more sinister edge in this isolation, revealing the truth behind their disintegrating marriage. When Buffy spots and hikes toward a distant light in the hills, she finds the small cabin/tee-pee of a character known only as Boy (Phoenix), who takes the couple in and promises to fix their car and see them safely to their next destination. Unfortunately, their three lives become violently entangled as Boy's attraction to Buffy becomes not only threateningly potent but fearfully dominating, his obsession over her creating an oppressive atmosphere, which is only fueled by the sinister history of their surroundings...

The story takes place in the space formerly used as a nuclear testing site by the U.S. government. Many people, including Boy's young wife, died of cancer as a result of the contamination. Certain areas remain condemned-- sad, dusty ghost towns with the lingering stench of death upon them. This stain of history is echoed by the stain in Boy's blood. He is a quarter Native American-- his grandfather married a white woman. Additionally, said grandfather was allegedly an incredibly unbalanced and depressive personality. As such, Boy carries on this "dark blood." Proud of his heritage and unapologetically bitter against the yuppies who destroyed and forgot this wasted land, he frequently bursts out venomous torrents of his own invented wisdom. Crafting Kachina dolls to adorn his handmade bomb shelter-- complete with an extensive candelabra that doubles as a library (you have to see it to believe it)-- he knows that the great wave of man's error will come again. When it does, he wishes to go underground, taking Buffy with him to create a new age of man-- one totally pure and within his control.

Judy Davis and River in Boy's romanticized fall-out shelter of delusion. As she stares
at his altar of hand-made Kachina dolls, she is mesmerized by the deep focus and 
care he has put into this creation and turned on by his deepening fixation on her.
Allegedly, Davis was a nightmare to work with, and she and River were mutually
intimidated by each other, but there is a depth to their love
scenes that is quite compelling.

River is amazing in the role. Wavering between a raging, crazy old man in a 22-year-old's body and an innocent and vulnerable child, he uses his spiritual conspiracy theories to protect him from the loneliness of his isolation and status as an existential cast-away. He believes that he has willed Buffy to him, and when he delivers this information to her, you believe it. Judy Davis, as his increasingly willing and then terrified prey, is equally remarkable, providing layers of sexual tension and surprising softness that escalate into moments of sheer panic. Pryce, for his part, is the frustrated "white man," lost in the maze of his country's past poisons, cleverly exemplified as he literally wanders in the canyons of the desert, desperate to be freed of this collective residual guilt, but unable to escape it until it has had its vengeance on him. The film truly is something 'dark.' Mysterious, poetic, jarring, unexpected... It takes the viewer to places he or she perhaps doesn't want to go, but the voyage of this macabre Odyssey somehow rings so true that one can't help but be on the side of its surprising anti-hero, even when he rattles your bones.

In addition to watching the film, the Q&A with the now 90-year-old Sluizer proved very informative and equally soul-fulfilling, as his recollections, struggles, and triumphs revealed a lot about the process of bringing the film to the screen and additionally honored his departed friend. Also in attendance was author Gavin Edwards, who was signing copies of his recently released biography Last Night at the Viper Room: River Phoenix and the Hollywood He Left Behind. This, as with most awesome Hollywood book related events-- including another past Kirk Douglas one I attended at the Egyptian-- was provided by the Larry Edmunds Bookshop. (Keep your eye on these guys. They host cool things all the time). 

Oh this? This is Kirk Douglas' autograph. On my book. That I own.
This is why AC and LEB are awesome.

So, for those living in the area or those hoping to visit, you can add this to your list of things to do in Hollywood. This city can be as annoying as the traffic jams are long, but as my depictions of the aforementioned theaters hopefully prove, there is this one great condolence: there is absolutely no reason one should ever, ever be bored in L.A. La Land.

MENTAL MONTAGE: Eerie Uncanny

Movie stars seem to have it made-- living lives of luxury, lying carefree on their bed of roses... However, every rose has its thorn, so imagine the sting! When we watch one of our shooting stars fall to earth, we ask ourselves how someone so "blessed" could come to such tragedy. At times, it seems that some people are just guided by a blacker fate. Odd premonitory events or strange post mortem occurrences often seal in our minds the image of a fallen idol as doomed from the start. In the wake of yet another demise-- that of Corey Haim-- here are a few examples of uncanny coincidences in celluloid history that seemed to echo the tragedies that have or would soon befall our Kings and Queens of the screen. These oddities beg the question, Is it all happenstance, or are we all entwined in some kind of twisted destiny?

THELMA TODD

In the film Monkey Business, Groucho Marx, as usual, filled his dialogues with puns, zingers, and one-liners that left audiences howling with laughter. With new leading lady, (and star of the month), Hot Toddy, he had a whole new bag of witticisms he could use to play off her beauty, sex appeal, and naughtiness. It is strange that one of the funniest bits in the film would later lose all of its hilarity.  

Monkey Business was already hitting close to home with Thelma. Her character is trapped in marriage to a gangster, just as she would be married to underworld pawn Pat DiCicco. Of course, she would later become involved with another mobster-- Lucky Luciano. However, this example of art-imitating-life is chicken feed. It is Groucho's line in the film that sends the real chill up the back of your neck:

• "You're a woman who's been getting nothing but dirty breaks. Well, we can clean and tighten your brakes, but you'll have to stay in the garage all night."

Four years after this film was released, Thelma would be found dead in her garage. The joke is no longer funny. Hearing it now, one feels saddened and a bit uncomfortable. Odd coincidence or foreshadowing?

SHARON TATE

Roman Polanski, who was always something of a notorious figure, would become even more troubled and haunted after the brutal murder of his beautiful wife, Sharon Tate. Sharon was one of the many victims butchered by the demented "Manson Family" in 1969. Clearly disturbed by the loss, Polanski used his work to communicate his resulting inner demons. The violence he would inject into his later films seemed symbolic of his tortured memories. Some would speculate that Polanski was cursed for making the devil-themed film, Rosemary's Baby, which explored the impregnation of a woman by Satan himself. Perhaps in conversing with occult leader Anton LaVey, (for research during the production of the film), he inadvertently opened a door to a certain evil that would later claim his wife's life, and ironically, the life of his own unborn child.

However, this is all spiritual conjecture. It was later, while shooting his adaptation of The Tragedy of Macbeth, that a truly chilling and concrete episode occurred. In keeping with the most savage of Shakespeare's plays, the film was packed with violence, obsession, and blood. Indeed, during one sequence, much of the cast and many of the extras had to be covered in fake blood. One small girl, drenched head to toe in red, caught Roman's eye. A pretty little thing, the contrast of her innocent eyes and blood-caked face spoke to him. She seemed nervous and a bit frightened by the ensuing chaos, so he approached her, perhaps hoping to calm her. He then politely asked her name, to which she replied: "Sharon." One can only imagine his reaction, for his thoughts certainly went right to another blood-soaked beauty.

RIVER PHOENIX

Hollywood and every teenage girl alive mourned the loss of River Phoenix when he shockingly died of a drug overdose on Halloween morning of 1993. A promising young actor, River overcame many personal tragedies to arrive at super-stardom by giving performances filled with nuance and intelligence. However, all of the old ghosts who remained locked in the back of his mind, ones he never really faced or dealt with-- mostly because they involved misuse by his own family-- drove him to bury himself unnecessarily in drugs and alcohol. Had he received counseling or been supported by a stronger system, his life may have been a very different story.

Or would it? It seemed that River was hexed from the start, not through any kind of magic or voodoo, but by his very name. It would take time for people to make the connection after River collapsed outside The Viper Room in Hollywood-- supposedly after receiving a bad "hit" from personal friend, John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers-- but an anagram of River's name spelled out his very doom: River Phoenix = Viper Heroin X.

JUDY GARLAND

When Judy Garland began making films, audiences were immediately charmed by the awkward little girl with the big voice. However, it wasn't until she had her world turned upside down by a tornado in The Wizard of Oz that she really took Hollywood by storm. This film changed her life, and despite all of the ups and downs that would follow, she would always remember the making of this film as one of the highlights of her career, as well as one of the fondest memories of her life.

Judy would go on to make many movies and sing many songs, but it was "Over the Rainbow" that sealed her forever in the American heart. Despite her addictions to drugs and alcohol, people could never really turn their backs on her. They always recalled the nervous and vulnerable child underneath, who-- at heart-- just wanted to go home. We lost Judy far too soon, but she will live on forever because of her participation in one of the greatest films of all time. I think she knew this too. Fittingly, on the day of her death a tornado swept through Kansas. Perhaps this was Judy taking her final bow... She certainly liked to go out big.

JOHN BARRYMORE

John had a select pack of pals that he regularly spent his time with. This tight-knit group included the likes of artists (John Decker), actors (John Carradine), and writers (Ben Hecht). One such comrade was Gene Fowler-- intellectual and journalist extraordinaire. As with all of John's friends, Gene respected and adored John, and was devastated when he saw "the great profile's" physical and mental condition crumbling. John was a tough man to love, but those who knew him best stuck by him and remained loyal to the man beneath the monster.

One of John's most cherished possessions was a cuckoo clock that sat in his Beverly Hills home. It had ceased to work long ago, but it remained sitting against the wall for guests to admire. When John passed away on May 29, 1942, Gene (right) thought it befitting to set the time on John's beloved clock to his time of death at 10:20pm, forever immortalizing that fateful hour. However, when Gene approached the dial, he froze. The clock already read 10:20! Strangely, John and his clock had died at the same time, only years apart. Was the cuckoo eerily predicting the hour of John's passing?

Hollywood offers glamour, prestige, adulation, wealth, and a variety of other assorted splendors, but it seems that its underbelly is just as gruesome as its face is fair. Sometimes, the horrid events that take the world by storm seem almost preordained, for in looking back, you can find the signs screaming "Beware!" to the unwitting victims who walk the Boulevard of Broken Dreams. Too many take the chance of treading on this brittle path and suffer the consequences. Though their deaths serve as a shocking wake up call to us, we can only hope that they themselves are now finally able to rest in peace.

MENTAL MONTAGE: Abuse in Art

Well, the latest development in land of Effed up Human Behavior is the incestuous relationship that Mackenzie Phillips had with her father, John Phillips, of the Mamas and the Papas. Why? Just.... why???

As disturbing as this is to hear, it is not the first time I have come across similar information, which seems to run rampant in Hollywood in particular. Sex, when not used for pleasure, is most often used as a tool for power, so when the typical, insecure pervert feels the need to exert themselves over someone, it comes as no surprise that they choose the most helpless victim: a child. Following this reasoning, the solution to keeping the rape quiet is to choose a family member, who almost certainly will keep the information hush-hush, as they are both a) ashamed, and b) trust their attacker, so would see their speaking out as a betrayal.

Suffering the indignities and shames of such a situation, of course, breeds inner demons, which the victim is forced to deal with for the remainder of his or her life. It is no wonder that so many souls turn to artistry to deal with and exorcise their deep pain and confusion. The list of those who have martyred themselves on the silver screen after such attrocities is long indeed.

Margarita Cansino, aka Rita Hayworth, was molested by her own father (Eduardo) at the tender age of 13, while the two were touring on the road. In a dancing duo with Eduardo, Rita not only had to endure the exhausting rehearsals and routines he put her through, but when they began traveling, away from her mother, Rita was also forced to fulfill other "obligations." Supposedly, the first night the incest occurred, Eduardo was drunk and didn't know what he was doing, but that didn't stop him from repeating the act numerous times after. As a result, Rita developed into a shy, self-effacing woman who barely spoke above a whisper. She would repeatedly fall into the hands of numerous controlling men, including the eccentric Orson Welles. She would do anything to please the men in her life, and when she couldn't, when her relationships failed, she always thought it was her fault. The true Rita was a far cry from the sensuous, forceful vixen she portrayed on the silver screen. It was only there, in bright lights, that she had the sexual power and that she controlled men. It was only there that she was worshiped; in life, the men she worshiped, and trusted, were the same ones who debased and humiliated her. Perhaps the Alzheimer's she suffered from in later life was a godsend- blocking out all the painful memories from her past.

A similar story comes from Clara Bow, who uncovered a shocking memory about her own father when she entered therapy in her later life. The vivacious "It" girl came alive on the screen like a lightning bolt! But in her private life, she masked many horrors and personal pains that plagued her, driving her to insanity (she was diagnosed as schizophrenic) and suicide (luckily her sons found her dying body before it was too late to save her). Like Rita, it was Clara's father who betrayed her. For years, supposedly beginning in her early teens, Clara was taken advantage of again and again by Robert, the one man she should have been able to rely on. Of course, her mother, who was clinically insane, was no help to her welfare, and Clara once woke in the night to find Sarah Bow holding a knife to her neck. Having received no affection or love from her parents, Clara spent her life capturing the hearts of millions, though it always left her empty. She would have numerous affairs with the likes of Gary Cooper, Gilbert Roland, and husband Rex Bell, constantly searching for male approval and love, but she was never able to trust any kindness from a man as genuine. She died alone in her home in 1965.

However, women aren't alone in their victimization. One of the greatest philanderer's in Hollywood history, John Barrymore, was molested by his stepmother. Having already lost his own mother in death, the young John was left with no woman to support or nurture him, save his grandmother, who may have been the only woman he ever truly loved. Having a brutish, alcoholic, and womanizing father, John lacked a sturdy masculine figure to guide him as well. Ashamed and alone, John would spend his life disappearing in alcohol, venting his brilliant talents on the stage and screen, and punishing every woman he met for the sins of his stepmother. Womanizing was a competitive sport among his friends, the "Bundy Drive Boys," which included John Decker, Errol Flynn, and W.C. Fields. John used sex to exert his power over the female sex, but having a life that was filled with revenge and frivolity did not satisfy him. He had never had love; he had never had trust. Later, his own daughter, Diane, would claim that he had tried to rape her. True or not? Who knows, but based on his background it doesn't seem unlikely. John lost himself to the bottle and died prematurely at the age of 60. Perhaps his most famous role was in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the story of a man failing to suppress his inner monster.

One of the most recent massacres of innocence was suffered by River Phoenix. River was born into a hippie, free-loving family that soon entered a cult known as the "Children of God." Among other things, this "community" taught its followers to love God, love each other, and have sex as often as possible to celebrate the beauty of the body and unity of the human spirit. Sounds innocent enough, except they also instructed children to "experiment" with each other as often as possible, until they reached the age of fifteen. Then they were to abstain until marriage... at which point they could have sex as often as they liked and with as many partners as they wished. Couples were encouraged to swap partners, parents were encouraged to sleep with their own children, grandfathers with granddaughters, etc. etc. etc, because it was all about "Love." River would later recount losing his virginity at the age of four, though he later claimed he had been joking, probably at the instruction of his agent. Over the years, friends have reported that he revealed being molested by his own mother, and God knows who else, during this time at the COG.

Later, River's parents would recognize the "corrupt nature" of the community, and high-tail it out of there. But, the damage had already been done. River, and most probably his sister Rain, had already been corrupted. Joaquin, Summer, and Liberty, who were all born post-cult, may have been saved from these experiences, but who knows. All his life, River would have a close, and some say uncomfortable, relationship with his mother, Arlyn, whom he always referred to as "Mommy." A sensitive child, River would always be more concerned about pleasing others than pleasing himself, which revealed itself in his generosity and attention to animal rights. Forced to be a breadwinner, River was single-handedly keeping his family fed, and though his parents preached "love love love," it seems a little odd that they should put so much pressure on a child's shoulders. We all know how his story ended. While acting provided a good outlet for his demons for awhile, he was later unable to quell his personal tragedy, and took to drugs and alcohol. The sidewalk outside The Viper Room will always be famous as the place where River Phoenix OD'd.

I could go on all day with story after story about this subject... But I think this is enough to sufficiently depress me for now. The sad thing is, with all the talent these people possessed, it is a wonder where else they could have gone had they not been hampered by tragedy and self-loathing. There are those that would argue that, had they not experienced these terrors, they would not have been the supreme artists they were. I disagree. I believe they were born with their beautiful gifts, and had they been fostered and nurtured, they probably could have lived longer, healthier lives and produced more impeccable works of art. (Meryl Streep remains one of the greatest actresses of the day, and I would hardly describe her as "tragic"). These few stars felt alone in their sorrow. They had no one to turn to and no one they felt they could trust. Their pain festered, never being confronted, and never dealt with, until it drove them to ruin.

It is sad what human beings do to themselves, punishing themselves for sins not their own. We all feel alone, rejected, ashamed... But had Clara, Rita, John, or River had the confidence to reach out, I am sure there would have been no end to the people that would have helped them. Sadly, it is much harder to see our beauty and strengths than it is our flaws. These actors used their onscreen personae to reveal their vulnerabilities, their weaknesses... But refused to do so in life. Actors on stage, and actors off. I can only hope they are at peace at last.