Dear Mike,
Hey buddy! You know, all we need is Mike Wilson to write an article or two and we could have an all Mike staff. First and fire all the other writers and we wrote this letter on the train to Toronto. I had to dig out my birth certificate and change of name form before going to Windsor because Carol (of all people) got stopped and had her car searched the last time she crossed the border: she couldn't prove she was a citizen. "Show me," said the bitchy border guard — like we all carry our passports with us.
Tried to see Bruce Campbell the other night — the Nat Sci bldg was filled to the brim when we got there after a frigid walk across campus. As we (my friend Shawn — the guy who worked on that movie that David Warner was supposed to be in) tried to make our way to the end of the line (four flights up) one of the AAFC guys announced, "if you don't already have tickets — go home." The worst part? Haveing to walk back across campus to my friend Paul's house. And I'm going to Toronto of all places — not Memphis or Florida or anyplace warm.
We ended up hanging out and I finally found that Ephrom Katz Film Encyclopedia at Tower Records (of all places — neither Borders I tried had it).
Also got Freaked for $6! One of the best of '93. Did you watch Squeal of Death yet? The attempt to see a Sam Raimi weekend would have completed that began with seeing The Quick and the Dead on Friday (after driving to the DFT and realizing I only had $2 — not enough to see Dr. Strangelove — my only chance to see it) and it's weird but Carol liked it a lot more than I did. I think I was expecting more of a Leone inspired work. Lots of cool camera-work but Sharon Stone was actually emotional — a far cry from the cool contempt of Clint Eastwood. I do recommend it, though. The more I think back to it the more I liked it.
That night I watched the tape called Sam Raime (sic) Shorts from VSofM — all in all it was pretty lame. Is Scott Spiegel an asshole or am I mistaken? All of the movies he directed were experiments in comedy — one of them was neat because it had a lot of stuff to be used in Evil Dead 2 — it was about a woman fending off the Hamburger Helper hand and one of them was a groan-fest chocked full of jokes that might have been funny when I was seven but played out when I was eight.
I've never seen Intruder but I have seen (and couldn't make it through) Thou Shalt Not Kill... Except he was also involved with Chris Gore on that stupid Red movie (the one about the prank phone calls).
There were a few cool things on the Raimi tape — a parody of Raiders of the Lost Park, a commercial for a radio station (with a guy that looked a whole hell of a lot like Bruce Campbell in the background), and trailers for both Evil Dead films and Crimewave (back when it was still The XYZ Murders).
So far I've copied Gunfire and Viva Leone for you — I'll send you the tape after I put Mad Max on it. Viva Leone is an awful copy — it's a PAL transfer and flutters like mad. It also seems framed way too low in some of the movie clips. But who is there — almost as much as Sergio himself? None other than Christopher Frayling — the author of that other Spaghetti Westerns book. I called the publisher — it's out of print and they won't run me off another one. Went to John King — it wasn't there (but I did get a cool Eastwood book). It is at the U of M library but they won't let me check it out. After all the money I paid them they won't trust me with (or even give me) a $20 book.
At Tower I also saw that Hard Boiled is out on disc. I can't remember what his involvement is, but Roger Avary has something to do with it (he's on one of the audio channels or something).
Took The Color of Night home the other day. I forgot how much Carol and I disagree about that movie. I really dig all the cheesy cinematic stuff. Jane March is just damn scary, though. The writers at "Movieline" really give her the once-over in the new March issue.
Also rented Alive — even though Ethan Hawke is in it. I saw the beginning of it at Comcast the other day — too bad it was the best part — I was expecting the whole movie to be as good.
Maybe you can help me remember the movie I saw with a relatively big cast where the director (or the editor) seemed to anticipate me starting to wonder about what the other characters were up to and — bang — there they were. Couldn't have been Short Cuts — it was too contrived. Well, regardless, Alive was not blessed with such a story. First it's Vincent Spano's movie then Ethan Hawke reappears after a long absence (he was unconscious) and Vincent Spano turns up missing. The movie really needed to let us know what all of the characters were doing because if they were off-screen for more than a few scenes I thought they were dead.
Did you like those tapes I made you? How's the job hunt going? I finally got hired at Comcast. I really want to get a job at Thomas Video or someplace else closer to Carol's.
How's Michelle?
I've included an article from last Sunday's Free Press about Sam Raimi.
I really want to do my own movie — if I could only stop buying stuff.
Hope you don't mind what I did with yr articles. I'm a bit heavy-handed as an editor at the moment. Thanx for the use of the Sundance program — the pix transferred really well. I still have plenty of good ones waiting for your next article.
I still haven't heard from a lot of places I sent my zine to for trades but I'll include a list of some really good ones I've gotten.
Both last week and this week's "Entertainment" mention Showgirls — damn. You really went to high school with that woman?
I feel so dumb forgetting to put Serial Mom on my top ten list. I couldn't remember when it came out. I can't remember if I complained about all the shoe shots in I.Q. either.
I think I might put an ad for Carnosaur 2 on my back cover but I don't want it to be misconstrued as anything but a rip on "Film Threat" and their perpencity to advertise & promote complete shit. I can see taking the advertiser's money but to do pretend that Carnosaur, Double Dragon, The Fantastic Four, etc are any good is a wrong-doing.
I read the other day that Ultraman has been on the air in Japan (in some form or another) for over 25 years! That's over 400 episodes! Too bad Lucas couldn't keep it up for more than two films. I'd really like to rewrite the third movie — but that's just too damn geeky.
By the time you read this Oscar nominations will be out and I'm sure you'll be as perplexed as I will. Take care. Hope you enjoy issue #2 of CdC!
—Mike
[A reprinted Detroit Free Press article about Sam Raimi and the making of "The Quick and the Dead" accompanied this letter in the original zine; as syndicated newspaper content rather than Cashiers du Cinemart's own writing, it isn't reproduced here.]
Dear Jeff,
Greetings from T.O. — that's Toronto to us U.S. folks — that's United States to those Canadian folks. Well, I'm not actually still in Toronto — I originally wrote this on the train ride back.
I had a great time. The best part was the first night there. I brought "Asian Eye" with me — that zine you got me from Tower — and used it as a guidebook to all the cool theaters and video stores in and around Chinatown.
After a quick nap Carol and I headed over to the Far East theater and then the Pearl. The Far East had some interesting looking films and the Pearl is now closed or turned into some sort of market. We had plenty of time before the next show at the Far East so Carol and I decided to make the trek down to the Golden Harvest — and am I glad we did.
The first thing I saw when we got throught the doors were two posters for Drunken Master 2 and Twin Dragons! And it only got better from there.
We went in and bought tickets — we didn't even care for what movie — the guy in the box office started running down what it takes to get a membership and I told him he could save the spiel because we wouldn't be getting back right away (although we'd like to) since we are from Detroit.
"Oh, really? How'd you find out about the theater?"
I then told him the whole story about how you bought me "Asian Eye" and before I knew it I was shaking hands with — how do you do? — none other than Colin Geddes — the creator of "Asian Eye!"
It was super cool. We chatted for a little while before the show and a long while after. Of course, as luck would have it they were having an arty-farty Zhang Yimou retrospective and we saw The Big Parade. It was kind of cool but I would have rather have seen anything else that has played or will play there in the next month. They're playing a whole lot of great films — they had and will re-run a full series of cool Jackie Chan movies. They recently re-opened the theater and they premiered Chan's newest film — Rumble in the Bronx (shot in Vancouver, of course). And I've enjoyed or have heard good things about everything else they're going to show (except Savior of the Soul which I thought was awful).
Talk about a great job, though. The guy is totally into Cantonese films and is now the house manager at the Golden Harvest theater — a nice, big, restored theater dedicated to a great genre. Imagine, now he'll have even more clout when he gets interviews (he talked to Chan for an hour a few months back) — "Yes, this is the manager of the Golden Harvest in Toronto."
It was a great deal of fun chatting with him about movies. I told him I'd send him a copy of CdC — hope I didn't dis him too much.
Went to A2 last weekend to see Bruce Campbell. He was there hosting Army of Darkness for the Ann Arbor Film Co-op's 25th anniversary. As it was totally mobbed, Shawn & I ended up hanging out with Mow for the evening (since Rodney dissed him).
We went to Tower and I picked up a single by Pizzicato 5 — do they play "Twiggy Twiggy" on Rochester radio? It's a hit on WHYT and I really like it. If you haven't heard it I'll send you a copy.
Did you see "Entertainment Weekly" a few weeks ago? I loved the "Hamlet" thing.
I got that copy of Black Shampoo from Video Search of Miami — it's incredible. I'll send you a copy as soon as I can. They subtitles are no big deal (no direct translation for — "Next time you come around my shop breakin' things, sucka, pick on me, brutha.") but there are at least thirty extra seconds! This is like finding the missing footage from The Magnificent Ambersons to me.
There are about eight frames during the pool scene where you get to see Mrs. Simpson have more frottage with Mr. Jonathan and there is about twenty-nine seconds and sixteen frames more of the exchange between Brenda and Jonathan in Jonathan's room between the: "I don't know—" and the "—Fuck that."
I watched Talk Radio the other day — I really recommend it. It's not great but it's interesting — the sound design is excellent.
How's your new place? Is your VCR working? I'm sure you know about Morrissey having a new album out in a few weeks. I'm so out of it — as far as music goes. I had no clue that either Sonic Youth or Faith No More have new stuff coming out — I think I'll skip the SY.
It's strange but four years ago I would have been all over T.O.'s tremendous record stores but this time I stayed out of all but one and spent more time at places like The World's Biggest Bookstore (this must be in ft2 because Borders puts them to shame as far as selection goes) and Suspect Video — a really cool video store where I picked up some cool zines.
I got an issue of one called "Trash Compactor" that I actually ordered out of the back of "Asian Eye" because it was the Blaxploitation issue. Maybe they tried to mail it to me a year later but the post office couldn't find 907 E. Huron because it is totally gone — razed to the ground. It was pretty cool but misses out on a lot — not one mention of John Daniels.
At the one record store I went to — Sam the Record Man (no relation to Sam of the defunct Sam's Jams) I bought The Finger Man — a video I've had on back order at B. Buster for over three months (it'll probably be there when I get back).
At the bookstore I got an unauthorized biography on Vanilla Ice. I can't remember what I did with "Ice on Ice" — his autobiography — but I bet Chorkey probably has it — along with my John Travolta biographies, disco books, and tv theme cd's.
The train ride home is turning out to be a lot crappier than the ride here. I'm totally cramped and nauseous (it's rocky and hot).
Does Rochester have its own affiliates or does it get Buffalo stations? I saw a lot of Buffalo tv in zee 'otel and they mentioned the big R a few times.
We are never gonna make Windsor in 4 hours. I really need to come visit you some day. Lieberman called me the other day to again extend the invitation to Chicago. It was nice to get a full four days off when it feels like I've worked everyday for the last few months. And yet I have more bills than ever.
They just announced that we're going to have to take buses from London to Windsor because of a derailment up ahead. Oh joy.
The best way I could tell that I was not in the U.S.? When I would go into bars, restaurants, etc they didn't have OJ coverage on. Wish me luck.
Take care buddy.
Mike
Dear Mike,
I read the premier issue of CdC. I read with abject horror the Inside Edition-type objectivity of your zine. It made me laugh, cry, and most importantly think (not a lot, mind you, I have to save my energy for 9-5). Please accept my symbolic $6.66 donation.
Sincerely,
Guy
Mike,
I guess I should have written you a while ago but honestly I just did not feel like writing. It is not because I hate you. People move away they make new friends, new connections. This is not something I should have to explain to you or something I should feel guilty for. And this is the last time I will tell you this — You did, said nothing wrong. You are not less of a person because I did not return your letters. — So relax and invest your time and energy in the people who surround you in your daily life. Invest time in yourself. You are worth it!
Sharon
P.S. Your magazine is shameless self-promotion. I could stick a marker up my butt and fart out a better one.
Dear Mike,
I like your zine, very info-packed. Did you know they did "City on Fire" on MST3K back when it was on cable access?
Dyna
P.S. — I know where John Daniels is... he teaches US History at a local high school here.
Hey there Mike,
Thanks for your cool zine. Dug the Film Threat article. I also had to sit through Little Women. Aghhh!
Cheers,
John
Hi Mike,
Thanks for the Cashiers Du Cinemart. Great cover and title — the only problem is it takes about 2 minutes to read. Any magazine that attacks Ethan Hawke and Blockbuster is cool by me, though. If you're going to write about Pink Lady and Black Shampoo in upcoming issues, that'll be cool, too.
My favorite seventies movie is Switchblade Sisters... a Jack Hill movie. And even though Reservoir Dogs rips off a ton of movies I still like it a lot. Pulp Fiction is seriously overrated, though it was fun; it reminded me of a collection of really twisted Rockford Files episodes, if that makes any sense (kinda had that feel).
I think you're off to a good start and, as you expand it and keep going, I think you'll have something really cool.
Rich Osmond
Mike,
Hey, buddy! Way to go! I like the layout but you need some more pictures! Keep up the great work, pal.
Don Lessner