Speak Your Mind
Idle banter with people who pay to see the movies!
Hollywood Invaded by "Outsiders"!!!
(The Artists Next Door -- Excerpt from "exPRESSo Magazine", Volume V, May 2000)
by
Justina Williams
Entering Astoria bar, Bohemian Hall, the group of Tom Graney, Bob Menasian and Mike Maurer resemble a triumvirate of irreverent school boys, only bigger and smarter – and this time aiming their cheerily acerbic wit not at teachers, but big-budget filmmaking.
The three are the creative base of "Hollywood Outsider"; a no-holds barred "mega-zine" of movie reviews whose merciless commentary gleefully prods the often-bloated celluloid of Hollywood. Which is not to infer that the zine doesn’t contain positive reviews, or that art-house films are exempt from their pillory – the following is a review of indie flick, "The House of Yes".
"We’ve seen this type of low budget film before – 5 actors and about the same number of sets. Yet another example of the type of project that actors love to be in but that’s not as much fun for the audience to watch. There’s lots of ‘acting’ going on here," (Tom Graney, "Hollywood Outsider", September 1998).
Like chocolate chip cookies, sandwiches and other life altering inventions, the creation of "HO" was an accident, but one which it’s proud parent Graney, and equally beaming godparents, Menasian and Maurer, are proud to usher into the world. Though like most parental figures, they do hope the publication will buckle down and start supporting itself. But in the meantime all three currently maintain day-jobs in the film industry.
"Hollywood Outsider" began in January 1998 when publisher/editor Tom Graney was sending out a host of screenplays for review, and not getting much response. After deciding to watch a fuselage of films in order to discover what sells and why, he figured that as long as he was doing the research, he might as well write up his responses and put them together in a newsletter. The first rudimentary edition had 30 reviews, no photos, a staple in the corner and was handed out for free – and received many positive responses. Shortly thereafter, Menasian and Maurer joined the quest. Notes Graney, "I fooled them into joining. They thought this was going to be fun!"
The three describe the zine as a way of reviewing mainstream films with a downtown attitude. As such many writers will only write anonymously. Muses Graney, "That should be an indication of what sort of publication it is."
Each edition reflects a gamut of interests and tastes. A brief listing of the February 2000 content runs from "Bowfinger", and "American Pie", to documentary "American Movie", and "The Emperor and the Assassin." Meanwhile, regular contributors range from romantic flick reviewer Katherine Gerhardt to "Dirty Dan," "a connoisseur, (cono-sewer?)" of straight to video soft-core porn.
Currently, the bi-monthly magazine has grown to an average of 40 pages, and
hosts 17 contributors.
Both Maurer and Graney trace their initial interest in movie making back to the debut of "Star Wars". Though, Maurer confesses to a hint of earlier interest, compliments of "The Deep", starring Jacqueline Bissette. "I was like 10, 11 at the time, and her swimming in a white T-shirt was enough for me – I was like, ‘Movies are great!’
In terms of contemporary notables the three recommend, "Boys Don’t Cry", "American Beauty", "Central Station", "South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut", "Welcome to the Dollhouse" and "Happiness", as well as foreign releases, "Shall We Dance" and "Cinema Paradiso". "No one should see a double screening of those two unless they hand out boxes of Kleenex at the door," says Maurer. "Fag-got.", mutters Graney under a fake cough. "You’re a soulless prick, Graney! You have a lump of coal instead of a heart!", chimes in Menasian.
Anyway, in New York "Hollywood Outsider" can be found at Virgin Megastores, Forbidden Planet, Village Comics and Posman Books. Unfortunately, their current issue is months overdue because they have not received payment from their distributors. To prevent "HO" from becoming extinct, and save the creators from their day jobs, contact them at:
Hollywood Outsider
PO Box 5636
Astoria, NY 11105
email: ho@hollywoodoutsider.com
The Interview with exPRESSo (Vol. V, May 2000)
Some "HO's": (left to right) Mike Maurer, Tom Graney, Bob Menasian & George Higham
What is your distribution?
Maurer: It’s a niche market…
Menasian: That sounds nice, it sounds special instead of really,really small. Distribution is 1,000 a month, and probably a third of it is in Los Angeles.
Graney: … and another third in Michigan and Colorado.
Maurer: … 'Big in Michigan,' we should put that on the cover!
What kind of feedback do you get?
Menasian: People seem to like to read it in the bathroom.
Maurer: They tend to say, "I was reading it in the bathroom, and I was struck by…"
Any great "Hollywood Outsider" moments?
Maurer: Among our previous readers has been Martin Scorcese.
Graney: One of our writers, "Guido Sanchez" – he’s an editor (he has a pseudonym to protect his identity and his livelihood!) – was editing something Martin Scorcese was thinking about producing, and Guido left a bunch (Hollywood Outsiders) out when Martin was there to look at the latest cut. And while Scorcese was sitting there getting bored, he picked one up and sort of thumbed through it. And then put it down. And probably has no recollection of ever having looked at it at all. But it was a big moment for us!
Menasian: Well, I had heard he was seen walking into the bathroom with an issue…
Graney: … and he complimented us on the quality of the paper. He said, "it was very soft"!
What upcoming films are you looking forward to seeing?
Menasian: Ridley Scott’s "Gladiator".
Maurer: I don’t know if I’m looking forward to it, but I’m curious to see the "Lord of the Rings" films that are coming out starting next year.
Graney: This is major geek stuff…
Maurer: Don’t listen to him, he knows nothing about films or movie making. "Lord of the Rings" comes out Christmas 2001, 2002 and 2003. It’ll either do amazingly or be embarrassingly bad.
What would your teachers have said you would all grow up to be?
Graney: hm… that’s a tough one. I guess one teacher called me and a friend, "Heckle and Jeckle," so maybe a cartoon?
Maurer: Working in a convenience store, or burger joint in Florida and being late everyday to work – the only job I could get after flunking out of the Astronaut training program.
Menasian: A garbage man, or maybe an auto mechanic or something like that. I always got, "I really recommend you go to tech school" from my guidance councilors.
Is "HO" different from what you initially thought it would be?
Graney: Yeah, I thought it was going to be successful… I mean, financially successful. I can’t complain about the content. Actually, I’m very proud of the content. I think it’s much better than most of the industry-puppet publications available right now.
Maurer: By now, I thought we’d have been bought out by Larry Flynt Publications and distributed in four colors nationally.