Friday, December 30, 2011

4PLAY: TAMPA - Chad State's "Cruising"


I want to begin again investigating intentions and meaning surrounding and embedded in FOURPLAY: TAMPA as we ramp up for the film's Sundance screenings in January. Screenwriter Carlos Treviño received as a gift from TAMPA actors Matt Hislope and Josh Meyer (the talented duo behind Austin's Rubber Rep Theater) the new photo essay book CRUISING by Chad States.

I've posted one of the photographs from the book above. For me, the wonderful feeling I had upon first reading Treviño's screenplay is also to be found in the photography and accompanying essays in States' book, where consensual, adult sexual actions, so often demonized and marginalized culturally, politically and legally, are recuperated and invested with humanity and the accompanying spirituality of "connection" almost completely missing from popular media representations.

"In Cruising, Chad States portrays not so much a parallel universe but one just down the street and only partly camouflaged. He begins to describe a social overlay where the interplays between assertion and marginalization of male sexualities are constantly in flux and while regular public sex is being expressed the forces that directly harm, discount, isolate, ghettoize, and assimilate erotic outsiders are, at least for a few moments, kept at bay," states Gordon Brent Ingram in his Cruising on the Margins accompanying essay.

I hope, in some small way, FOURPLAY is a similar work, perhaps not so much assimilating erotic outsiders as at least giving them their "due," for I feel their actions are far more prevalent and normal than the homogenizing forces of popular culture would care to admit. After all, that which we marginalize is the part of ourselves we care not to admit exists.

- Kyle


Wednesday, December 7, 2011

4PLAY: TAMPA - Going to dance in the Sun...



OK, we can finally spill the beans ...
FOURPLAY:TAMPA is screening at Sundance 2012! 32 U.S. short films were selected from 4,083 [US] submissions and over 7,675 total shorts submissions. Them is LOOOOOOOONNNNNGGGG odds, and we are ecstatic to be included in such find company. Best XMAS gift we could've received!

If you like this FOURPLAY project, please help us spread the word by suggesting to "open-minded" friends that they either follow the blog or "like" our Facebook page. In the days leading up to Sundance we'll be sharing a "making-of" short doc here on the blog (a little too raunchy for Facebook, so ONLY posted here) and more interviews from cast and crew.

- Kyle

Saturday, December 3, 2011

4PLAY: NC-17 for sex but not for violence?


A re-post from the world of Facebook, wondering why NC-17 is only reserved for adult sexual content in America and for not violence (prompted by this IndieWire article)?

Well, I don't really wonder about that because I think it's pretty obvious that America is a violent nation (e.g. highest murder/incarceration rate in the world!) where violence is normalized in media, games, sports, et al, ad nauseum, but adult conversations and content about sexuality is repressed and hidden ... conveniently retaining its power to help sell a lot of SHIT to us through advertising.

Anyway, see Kirby Dick's THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED to get the low-down on the MPAA and the history of X, R and NC-17. I think it is quite relevant to our little old FOURPLAY, especially when we try to figure out, especially theatrically, how this film will get out the world.

PS - Exciting news coming next week...

Kyle