Bash Compactor: The Undead Give Head
Halloween may be weeks past, but for me, it never ends. Last Sunday night I found myself cavorting with zombies, ghouls and drag queens with blood on their faces.
It was the final night of the 23rd MixNYC Queer Experimental Film Festival at Theatre for the New City, and a crowd was gathered to check out the world premiere of [L.A. Zombie (Hardcore)], the new flick from Canadian auteur Bruce LaBruce.
Like always, I arrived late for the show, but was elated to discover MixNYC existed in my time zonesince the film hadnt even started. First, there was a party. Theatre for the New City was bedecked with installations, props and decorations making the place feel like a cozy tropical paradise rather than a 70-year-old, faded arts venue. Go past the hospitality desk to the Quentin Crisp Room, someone told me as I entered. Imagine my surprise to find a bunch of tasty morsels from the queer arts world lounging on oversized pillows, enjoying an open bar.
Hey sexy! a devilishly handsome fellow with blood coming out of the corner of his mouth called to me. Who are you? I asked. Surprisingly, it was drag beauty Epiphany Get Paid, dressed as a boy. Yep. Those lips, those eyes. I look this way part of the week, he said. 50 Fags, the film he appeared in had played earlier in the week. Artist Scooter LaForge came out of the 8 oclock Zombie screening raving about the film. Then 6-foot 4-inch Machine Dazzle walked through the door and, before you knew it, he was lying on the ground licking my manicured toes and feeling up my dress. This was way better than any other parties Id been to lately.
I was a little sad when we all trudged into the theater to watch the film. Id heard lots about LaBruce, and L.A. Zombie (Hardcore) was billed as a madcap combo of zombies and sex. Sure nuff, the muscular star, Francois Sagat, played a homeless zombie who rose out of the sea and proceeded to do it with a series of adorable dead junkies and gang bangers. The good news is the minute he started screwing them, theyd miraculously revive.
On a bathroom break, I ran into Executive Director of MixNYC (and former Dumba mastermind) Stephen Kent Jusick wearing a Roman helmet made out of magazine pages. This is a great party, I told him. I adore the way you guys redecorated the space! Jusick said the designer Diego Montoya created all the installations but the theater was taking them down. No way! I screamed. Why does every place in New York have to tear down cultural treasures? LaBruce was right. Maybe a zombie could hump the building and all of the decorations would magically come back to life. [Gerry Visco]