Last night the Morgellon hosted me, Skye and Arthur, with our new friends Jordan, Annie and Dane.
We watched Mike Kelley’s Day is Done, disc 1 (maybe 100 minutes of the 169 minute total).
It was great.
The other night Skye and Amy and Jack and I watched Showgirls.

I really have a desire now to have my own theater, wherein I can show movies for friends and strangers (who may become new friends) all the time.

How cool would it be to show Showgirls, Wizard of OZ, The Wall, Battlefield: Earth, The Devils, Zardoz, and Day is Done one night? With popcorn and hot dogs and soda and candy? In a theater with a mathemagical ceiling, a chandelier collision, ratty old seats that feel really lived in, crushed velvet curtains, and a twelve foot wide screen?

Super cool.

If only we could relocate the Morgellon to someone’s house, and 23E Studiots could take turns programming and hosting.

In other news,
we’ve had a lot of people come in inquiring about what movies we’re playing. And many who thought we were a new business in town, a little theater showing second run films it seems.
And yesterday I received a call from a gentleman who was at the Chinatown movie night (where one of the other gallerists shows curated flicks in the courtyard) Saturday. He stopped by the Morgellon after the first set of flicks down the way and picked up a card.
The next day he called to see if he could rent the Morgellon one night a month for a film series. I saved the message for the archive.
We spoke yesterday and I explained to him that we weren’t a real theater. He was very surprised.

All of which leads me to believe that we have created a really stupendous piece here with the theater and lobby and iconography. Despite being the work of 30 plus people, the Morgellon is a unified and coherent space. An act of true transformation, worthy of our patron saints, Athanasius Kircher and John Dee.

A year from now, we may need to build the New Morgellon Theater to show all the different films that come out of our footage.

Yesterday I missed my flight to Omaha. I think I’ll tool around here and then head back sooner than later. Also yesterday, some time between showings, three young men, maybe 20 years old walked in to the Morgellon and said “So what movies are you playing in your movie theater”. Jacked talked to them for a while and I heard one of them say something like “Oh, so this isn’t a regular movie theater?”. I think it would be cool to get Jack set up on the blog, because I’m sure she would have some things to write about.

It’s not final, because not all of the crew has weighed in, but I’m really excited that we might name the theater

The Morgellon

What a great name for a theater.

I was brainstorming names with Skye and Elise today and we came up with that. It’s frakkin’ sexy is what it is.

S&E showed me a couple of rough edits they made from the Making Of footage. Okay, yeah, I’m almost always excited, I know, but seriously, they looked so good. And not just because I think this project kicks ass.

Or maybe just because I think this project is really exciting.
I don’t know.

In good news, my friend Mik mentioned to me that he thought his girlfriend, my friend Adi, had a full size popcorn machine. And indeed we may be digging that out of storage come July 6 or 7 to drive down to LA and install in The Morgellon. Sweet!

I met with investors yesterday and today. I’ve begun collecting money, which is cool. Of course, I’ve begun spending it, too. Jake got a check for $1000 today for the architectural model. And I spent almost $400 on materials for Carol-Anne’s and Keturah’s ceiling. I spent $70 Fed Ex’ing screens to Jake (and of course Fed Ex delivered them several hours later than promised and paid for.) Another $100 went to Alex to buy DV tape. Etc.

But we’re still unbelievably close to our budget. I can’t believe that every time I do the budget it evens out one way or another.

Jonny is working on the arcades, he just sent me an invoice for the joysticks. Our theater is going to so kick-ass. Popcorn, candy, soda, and an arcade. Hell, we’re gonna have trouble getting people into the theater to watch the film our lobby will be so cool.

Speaking of which Kathryn put the sleeves on my usher uniform last night. She’s making pants next. Jack and I are going to look so good in our matching outfits.

My main concern at this point is the ceiling. We’re three weeks out and it is simply impossible to have a meeting where Ted or David can make it. Both canceled on Thursday, our final build meeting. I spent an hour and a half on the phone with David that morning. And twenty minutes with Ted that night. As it stands I think it’s safe to say they have adopted antithetical opinions as to how the ceiling is best installed. I suspect the hammer waiting to fall in my future is the installation of the ceiling, as we still have no plan and no budget estimate for it. And I’ve decided to re-measure everything the day I get back to L.A., Weds.
LOL
Every stereotype you hear about working in the building industry it turns out is true. Even in a small gallery when installing a temporary wall and drop ceiling.

Tomorrow I meet with Ali and Terry to go over plans for the concession stand. Which I haven’t yet drawn up or figured out. So, obvs every stereotype you hear about artists and musicians is likely true, as well.

These are two of the greatest human beings ever!!!!!

So much love in my heart for them. You can’t even imagine, unless you have a pet.

Jack and Marissa