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“A group of New Yorkers caught up in their romantic-sexual milieu converge at an underground salon infamous for its blend of art, music, politics, and carnality.” This is how John Cameron Mitchell’s film Shortbus is described in a tagline on the Internet Movie Database; the reviews and previews from various sources promise a movie that is shocking in its numerous unsimulated sex scenes. The first time I heard of the project was when my friends Hunter and Damon told me–forgive the poor paraphrasing–”Hey, we’re going to be extras in John Cameron Mitchell’s new film! …Yeah, we’re having sex on-screen as part of a big orgy.” I was pretty shocked, but as time passed and the film was delayed again and again, I have to admit the whole thing faded to the back of my mind, brought back sporadically by certain discussions, such as the one I had on Myspace with singer-songwriter (and one of the stars of the movie) Jay Brannan, who filmed a scene during which he sang the “Star-Spangled Banner” while sucking a huge cock. From what I hear, the movie was partly–or more than partly–based on the CineSalon parties thrown weekly by the fabulous Stephen Kent Jusick, starting in 2001 and continuing three years onward. Those parties preceded my move to New York, but the event came back in full-force last night and it was my privilege to be in attendance this time. Sarit Michaeli, the other force responsible for the CineSalon behemoth, came back to New York for two weeks from Tel Aviv, and she picked a fabulous Greatest Hits screening of queer and political (and politically queer) films. It was a beautiful evening. There were a few bad apples there, moochers and ingrates, but for the most part it was a very communal experience, people being very friendly, sharing food and good conversation. Almost everyone was very free-spirited and interesting, full of stories and love. Two of the filmmakers were in attendance, and the Q&A sessions were insightful. As for the sex, it wasn’t wall-to-wall nudity and craziness, but I do know that the night stretched into morning with six naked bodies entangled in an orgasmic heap. No Shortbus, but it was an interesting way to see the night end, an homage to the days of the famous salons, and a specter of hope that they will return. filed under: misc | comments: Leave a commentLine and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed:
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I’m extremely interested (as a film student) in this CineSalon event. You have sex at this, too? All the more intreguing….
Comment by Jake — July 28, 2006 @ 12:43 am
These are very kind words, Scott. Thanks for the write-up, I had no idea your were going to blog about the Salon. I just wanted to credit the two filmmakers in attendance, Jim Hubbard (who showed his 1989 film Elegy in the Streets) and Peter Cramer (who showed his 1990 film Black & White Study). Both generously let us show their films for free. (Jim Hubbard’s films are available for rent from the Filmmakers Coop in NYC. http://www.film-makerscoop.com/) All the films at CineSalon are screened on film, and the other night it was all 16mm. Other titles included Report by Bruce Conner, Dyketactics by Barbara Hammer, Fuses by Carolee Schneemann, New York Is Disappearing by Heiko Kalmbach and more. I’d also like to thank Aries DeLaCruz for making the entree, Campanelle with Yellow Pepper Sauce. We also had Spinach & Arugula with Spicy Pumpkin Seeds and Apples. Special thanks to Ethan Weinstock and Scott, who helped clean up the next day. That’s my least favorite part of the Salons, so the willingness to pitch in is very much appreciated! Thanks to everyone else who otherwise contributed to a great evening! We hope to have more Salons, perhaps not weekly again, but we may have to institue a reservation system–we were over capacity, right off the bat!
I’m always looking for more 16mm and Super8mm films to show, so if there are makers of experimental or avant-garde film out there, please get in touch!
Further clarifications: the real focus of the event is and always has been film, food and community, as Scott noted. Sometimes, later at night, people get it on, and that’s great, but CineSalon is not a sex party. In Shortbus, John Cameron Mitchell has reasonably conflated two different kinds of events that I have been involved in–my CineSalons, and a variety of art-sex parties I’ve organized in conjunction with others. But Shortbus, in which I have a small part and feel very close to, is a fiction, not a document. The reality of CineSalon is more mundane (and more possible!) than anything in Shortbus.
Comment by Stephen Kent Jusick — July 28, 2006 @ 2:40 am
omg, you’re the hottest New Yorker I’ve ever seen!
Comment by Clare — July 29, 2006 @ 12:56 pm
[…] Based upon New York’s cinesalon scene, which I blogged about on 26 July after attending a revival of sorts, Shortbus examines the interconnected of New Yorkers in a city so big and unreal that Mitchell portrays it as a cartoon between movie segments. He moves from window to window, filling in pieces of the puzzle as he goes along, and the picture alternates between disturbing, depressing, delightful, and delirious. The ups and downs of love and life have rarely been looked at so honestly and unflinchingly. […]
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