[… and work is on progress on the mural that will adorn the hitherto blank wall of 418 Montezuma and the Jean Cocteau Cinema.
Here’s a few sneak peeks at the work in progress.
Do come join us for our big unveiling on Tuesday at 5:30. Reception to follow at the Wheeler Gallery.
For all you New Mexican out there… and for travellers passing through the Land of Enchantment… we have lots of cool stuff coming to the Jean Cocteau Cinema these next couple of months, starting this Friday when we open EVEREST.
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We also have some cool special events and booksignings coming up.
On October 6, WILLIAM GIBSON, the father of cyberpunk, will be here for an interview and Q&A, and to sign copies of new novel THE PERIPHERAL. Reserve your copies early; we expect a sellout, as with many of our author events.
From October 9 through October 14, we’ll be hosting a WES CRAVEN RETROSPECTIVE, to honor the late great director whose death on August 30 saddened millions of his fans. I had the honor of working with Wes once — he directed one of my TWILIGHT ZONE episodes, though sadly the episode was gutted by CBS before broadcast. A great guy, and an immense talent. We’ll be showing several of his best known films, and hope to bring in some special guests via Skype.
On November 8, another author event. This time we are bringing in bestselling author DEBORAH HARKNESS. Harkness was originally scheduled a few months ago, but flight delays forced a cancellation… but this time we hope the airlines will be more helpful, and get her to Santa Fe on time.
We had sold-out houses for our burlesque performances earlier this month, so we’re going to do it again… this time with the SUICIDE GIRLS!
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Alas, our small (very small) stage at the JCC isn’t big enough to accomodate all the Suicide Girls, so we’ll be offering a somewhat downscaled version of their usual show… but that should still be pretty kickass, and there is something to be said for an intimate setting. And as everyone who has seen them knows, the Suicide Girls never disappoint.
That one should be a sellout too. Tickets are $35 (18 and over, please) and can be bought on the JCC website at http://www.jeancocteaucinema.com/event/suicide-girls-blackheart-burlesque/?instance_id=36360 . A portion of every ticket will be donated to our friends at the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary down in Candy Kitchen.
See you at the show!
Blank walls beware!
Is there anything as boring as a blank wall?
The windowless back wall of 418-420 Montezuma, the old building that houses the Jean Cocteau Cinema, the Wheelhouse Gallery, Wild Hair Salon, and a dozen assorted offices has been largely featureless… well, for decades, since they knocked down the building that once attached to it, way back when.
Here’s the way it looked when I acquired the building in 2013:
Pretty ugly, I think you’ll agree. The back of the building fronts on the tracks of the Railrunner and the Santa Fe Southern Railyard, so there are often trains back there… but nothing else, aside from weeds, stumps, and some garbage. Not the most attractive scene to greet visitors arriving in our City Different for the first time on the Railrunner.
Of course, we cleaned out the garbage, cut down the weeds, and re-stuccoed when we took over the building, two years ago. After that the back wall looked like this:
Better, I think you’ll agree. Cleaner. But still boring, still blank.
I couldn’t let that stand. To me, “blank” means “blank slate,” and that means art. So I commissioned John Pugh, the world famous muralist and trompe l’oiel master whose previous work I blogged about downstream, to paint a mural for the back wall at Montezuma.
John has been at work on it for a year and a half, and tomorrow he will arrive in Santa Fe to begin the process of installation. The official unveiling of the latest John Pugh “narrative illusion” will be next week, Tuesday, at 5:30 pm. Come and join us. There’s no charge, and a reception will follow in the Wheelhouse Gallery next door.
Coming into Santa Fe by train will never be boring again.
[
Ogre Jenni speaks to you! Hi.
First and foremost—I have to clarify something. This might disappoint a few of you, but I am not George R.R. Martin pretending to be a real human female pretending to be an ogre—although that would be hilarious. I am, in fact, just a real human female pretending to be an ogre who works for and loves the Jean Cocteau Cinema. All the opinions expressed by Ogre Jenni are, in fact, only Ogre Jenni’s.
Disclaimer aside, science fiction authors Melinda Snodgrass and Steven Gould will participate in a Q&A and book signing at the Cocteau on Thursday, September 17th at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are available here! Snodgrass will read from her newest novel, Edge of Dawn, and Gould will read from his latest book, Exo.
Melinda Snodgrass’ Edge series takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The protagonists of Edge of Reason, Edge of Ruin, and the latest from the series, Edge of Dawn, are humanist individuals who stand for a rational and scientific approach to comprehending the universe. They are locked in a desperate conflict with the “Old Ones,” ancient—and Lovecraftian—beings who use religious extremists and their superstitious methods to carry out their designs. Apparently there are even worse monsters in Albuquerque than Walter White! Anyway, the Old Ones ultimately seek domination over humankind through the vehicles of magic and dogma. The series’ main protagonist, an APD cop named Richard Oort, fights to save humanity from these dark i
Steven Gould’s Jumper series is a great set of sci-fi novels about people who can teleport. The first Jumper novel follows a teen named Davy who learns he can teleport, or “jump,” when he is about to be brutally beaten by his father. Narrowly avoiding the belt, Davy suddenly appears at his public library. After a few more harrowing experiences, he learns to control his ability and use it at will. Exo, the latest novel in the Jumper series, features Davy’s daughter, Cent, as the protagonist. To avoid the malintent of certain government agencies, Cent explores the possibility of “jumping” into outer space.
Besides some incredibly mind-melting fun with quantum entanglement teleportation (have a fun time going down that rabbit hole—I’m stuck down here – SOMEONE HELP ME!!!), Gould knows that the teleportation of complex systems (like human bodies) isn’t really plausible. However, for the sake of awesome storylines and metaphorical possibilities, he develops an imaginative system for how teleportation could work in this world. This system is still based off of some very cool—and real—physics. If you’d like to hear a little bit more about how his jumpers jump, listen to this interview with Gould on Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy via Wired. Otherwise, visit us at the Cocteau on the 17th and get yourself a personalized book!
Hello again from Ogre Jenni!
A Virginia-based burlesque company, Blacklist Burlesque, will perform at Santa Fe’s hometown theater, the Jean Cocteau Cinema, on Monday, September 14th and Tuesday, September 15th. Blacklist Burlesque promises a hilarious and sexy parody of George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series. View the specific times and purchase tickets here: http://bit.ly/1Kggk3a
Here are some silly quotes from Blacklist Burlesque:
“For the night is dark and full of rhinestones.”
“Arya gonna come see us? Aw, c’mon, you gotta have a Sansa humor!”
Blacklist Burlesque refers to themselves as the "first name and last word in Richmond, Virginia and beyond for neo-burlesque and nerd-lesque shows." They already had me at "Burlesque," but they won my tiny black heart with "nerd-lesque."
Holy fishnets, Batman! I did not know that “nerd-lesque” was even a thing until we booked Blacklist Burlesque’s Game of Thrones-themed act at the Cocteau. Apparently, in the world of nerd-lesque, there are Star Trek cabarets, super hero acts, high fantasty burlesque shows, and—quite frighteningly—Cthulhu strip-teases. There are just some things in this universe that the human mind shouldn’t be exposed to. Or maybe I should just get out of my lair every once in a while.
For those who don’t know the basic history of burlesque, it is an art form that has thumbed its nose at upper-class cultures and social conventions for hundreds of years. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the umbrella term “burlesque” covered many varieties of theatrical lampooning or “travesty.” In the 19th century, burlesque producers and performers would take specific arias and oratorios from famous operas, and rewrite the lyrics for comedic effect—just like “Weird Al” Yankovic! In other words, the middle and lower classes got to knock “serious” art off of its pedestal from time to time.
But what about the strip-tease, the feather costumes, and the pasties, you ask? Strip-tease, an important aspect of modern and neo-burlesque, became standard around the 1930s. Think of the bawdy cabaret culture of the 1930s—and then the pin-up girls of the 1940s and 1950s. Now this is just a brief overview from a humble ogre, so if any of you readers have any interesting or tantalizing tidbits to add about burlesque, please leave a comment—and see you at the show!
We have a cool week coming up at the Jean Cocteau Cinema, for all of you in Santa Fe and Albuquerque and environs, or anyone who just happens to be in the neighborhood.
On Friday and Saturday, we’ll be featuring live magic by the amazing JOEL WARD. See the post below by Jenni (who insists that she is an ogre, not a minion).
On Sunday, September 13, we’ll have the one-and-only FELICIA DAY, queen of the geek girls, here for an author event, interview, and signing. She’s on tour, promoting her new bio YOU’RE NEVER WEIRD ON THE INTERNET (almost), and of course we’ll have stacks of copies on hand.
And come Monday and Tuesday, for those two nights only, the Cocteau will be presenting BURLESQUE with a GAME OF THRONES theme.
Advance tix for all of these available at the Cocteau website: http://www.jeancocteaucinema.com/
Do move fast if you want tickets. Especially for Felicia, whose show is almost sold out.
Oh, and we still show movie too.
((More detailed announcements about Felicia’s appearance and the GAME OF THRONES burlesque will be appearing here soon, courtesy of Ogre Jenni)).
(((I will leave this open for comments, but please, STAY ON TOPIC. The post about Joel Ward just below drew a bunch of off-topic comments and questions, all of which have been deleted. No questions about my books or the Tv show here, please, and no more Puppy poop.)))
Ogre Jenni here – yes "Ogre" is my awesome job title. Nice to meet you!
Jean Cocteau Cinema, our lovely little cinema in Santa Fe, proudly welcomes comedian and magician Joel Ward to our stage on Friday, September 11th and Saturday, September 12th. You can find out specific showtimes and purchase tickets here!
We love magic shows at the Cocteau, and we seek out a variety of magicians with unique personalities and theatrical stylings. Take some of our previous magic shows for example. The Amazing Misty Lee brought a spooky Victorian elegance to her seance-themed performances, and Francis Menotti's magic possessed intellectual, surreal, and art historical qualities. This time around, we have a stage thief named Joel Ward. Think "Vegas!" We're pretty sure that stars and beautiful ladies sparkle around his head at all times. Joel's act is flashy, funny, and incredibly polished. His "prestidigitations" (commonly known as 'sleight of hand') are simply awe-inspiring. No dumb ol' quarters will be pulled from behind people's ears—try flocks of flaming doves or sequined assistants (chopped in half or whole—we don't know.)
Okay, I can't absolutely promise flocks of flaming doves or portions of sequined assistants, but I can promise plenty of audience participation. And regular magical doves. In other words, expect nothing short of perfection. *
A little bit about Joel Ward:
Joel was a World Champion Teen Magician by age 15, and he placed 1st at the International Brotherhood of Magicians annual competition, which is the World’s Largest Magic Organization. He performs hundreds of shows per year, and he has been featured on the Bonnie Hunt Show, The Masters of Illusion, and for the Barnum & Bailey Circus show, Boom A Ring. He has also made appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and on Comedy Central's Tosh.0. In other words, he's kind of a big deal.
Watch the highlight reel below for a taste of what Joel Ward will bring to the Cocteau! See you there!
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* No regular magical doves or sequined assistants will be harmed during Joel Ward's performances.
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