Read You Like a Book Day Thirteen: Last Day and Goodbye
The only saving grace about having the French Hotel is the fact that I can sleep in. Got to the hotel at around 9:30pm on Wednesday. Got some juice, tuned the radio to KFOG and watched the Daily Show and read the San Francisco Bay Guardian "best of the bay"
This year there was no category for Best Improv Ensemble. No category for Best Comedy Show. Just best comedian and Best Theater. ACT (as always) got it. The closet any comedy group got anything was 18 Mountain Warriors guys for Best Sketch Writers.
Head over to the set in the morn. The scene is Tony (Dante) being found on the ground by myself, Karen Black and Ricardo Gil. It is tense. I don't really know what is going on. All I know is it is tense on the set. At one point there is a tense moment with Bob and Tony...and I just look around and finally say "Well, I'm running away" and went outside to have a smoke.
I do my last and final line "Looks like you got the shit kicked out of you"
It is a looking down shot of Dante POV from Dante. They have stuck me in the middle of this shot and I'm a pretty tall person compared to Karen Black and Ricardo (who happens to be a Dwarf)
They tell me to bend down some. I do. They shoot it. Then they finally put me down on one knee on the same level as Karen and Ricardo. The floor is hard tile. I ask for something to put under my knees, because I'm wearing a dress. They get me a knee pad. We walk into the scene and Ricardo accidentally runs into it. Bob goes "Can we get that out of there??"
Karen gets peeved "SHE NEEDS SOMETHING FOR HER KNEES!!" she says as she has her blanket under her. She looks at me and says "Good god. Like you don't deserve kneepads for your stockings!!" It was incredibly super sweet of her...but at that point I just wanted the scene done. I said "Thank you Karen...but lets just do this."
Four takes later it is done. Other takes of picking up Tony off the floor later...there is the scene with Gina, Tony and Karen. Lord knows why they asked Ricardo and I to stay in there...but they wanted shadow of us fixing the place up. Fine. I don't remember how many takes we did...between tense stuff going on...and some store guy in the back talking really loud and walking in camera shot trying to set up the store for real for 10am...but it was what it was.
We were released to see if we were needed. I knew we were done. We have lunch...they go back in...I lay down on the bed. It is 12:30. I fall asleep.
Around 3:15 I wake up. I ask what is going on.
They tell me I'm released.
"Really? When did this happen"
'Around 1:00pm"
"...why didn't anyone wake me up"
"You looked so comfortable"
I put on my regular clothes. and chill some more. The wrap party is at four. I get all my original stuff from Marianna packed up (my remaining makeup, my earrings an leather wristband, my buckle shoes)...and I donate to Marianna my mesh shirt with is now just ripped to shit. She gives me the lace top that I wore to match the dress she gave me a few weeks ago. Sweet! A new negro outfit.
I head to find Ricardo at Cesar's He is already gone, so I walk up to Bob's house for the wrap party. Ricardo is just pulling up in his car with his wife.
We are the first ones there.
Lots of food and a crap load of wine. everyone shows up. I hang out a lot with Sophia and the tech crew. I get an Angel of luck from Barbara to bring more money into my pocket. I drink a lot of wine. I joke around. One of the grip guys worked with Biafra and a lot of the punk bands here in San Francisco. he is pretty damn choice and hung with him a lot. We were talking about hitting Zeitgeist, but I started getting tired.
Bob does a speech. I don't know Bob comes off...well..not particularly nice when he speaks in public. He is the kind of guy, where you look at the person sitting next to you and say "Wow...he really thought that was funny?" But, people were appreciative.
The party starts breaking up and Judi gives me a ride home. Before I go...I find Karen Black.
"Karen. I never do this. I really don't. But like I said, I have been watching you perform for years. May I have your autograph?" She seemed really happy about this and was super sweet in grabbing a pen. I got out a part plate and had her sign the back:
Shaun -
Best Wishes to a wonderful talent
Karen Black.
It is now pinned to my corkboard. Next to my SAG pin.
Judi and I end up side tracking to my fave bar Rich's and have a nightcap and talk about everything girl and love and film. She is a great lady.
I head home and lay down. I got to get up early to be in Santa Cruz. I tell Tony Amendola "I would see him around" He is such a nice, dear sweet man. We both know we will probably never see each other again. At least until preview.
I'm laying down. I turn on Seinfeld. It is the episode where Elaine is in the sauna and trips and lands into Jerry's current girlfriend's breasts. It is also the episode where Kramer thinks they guy in the sauna is Rushdie. His name is Sal Bass. I have watched this episode a million times. This time I sit upright from the couch.
Great god. Sal Bass is Tony Amendola. I guess I will see him more than what he thinks.
This film was possibly one of the most incredible experiences of my life. It might be the worse thing I have ever done in my life caught on film...but the process of making it was a wonderful one and something I will always remember.
posted by Shaun at 7:53 AM
