Journal

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

Australia. Edinburgh. Aristocrats.

Er, to respond to the several people who wrote in to let me know that they are heartbroken that I'm apparently now an American, no, I don't have a US passport. I have an extremely battered British passport, and when I get back to the US I'll write to the nice people at the British Embassy in Washington DC and fill in the forms and get a new one. No plans to become an American citizen. I like being English.

...


I asked Ineke, who represents Headline Books in Australia, for information on the signings and events in Australia, and I got this back from her.


Date: Monday 18th July
Time: 6:30pm - 8pm
Format of event - talk with q&a then signing
Enquires tel no: 03 8664 7014
Venue:
State Library of Victoria
Village Roadshow Theatrette
Entry 3,
La Trobe Street
Melbourne
Cost: $10 full, $5 concession
Are bookings required? SOLD OUT - FULLY BOOKED, NO PLACES LEFT. Only 3 items per person can be signed.


Date: Tuesday 19th July
Time: 4-6pm
Format of event: signing session only
Enquires tel no: Tel: 02 6239 3633
Venue:
Gaslight Books, Fyshwick
Unit 10/ 83 Wollongong St
Fyshwick 2609
Cost: Free
Are bookings required? No, but patience is. Please note only 3 items per person can be signed.


Date Tuesday 19th July
Time 7pm
Format of event - q&a with Colin Steele followed by book signings
Enquires tel no: 02 6125 4144
Venue:
Lecture Theatre1
Manning Clark Theatre
One Union court
ANU
Cost: None, it�s FREE!
Are bookings required? No � but it�s advisable to turn up early ie: 6.30pm. Please note only 3 items per person can be signed.



Date: Wednesday 20th July
Time: 12:30pm-3pm
Format of event: Signing Session
Enquiries tel no: 02 9267 7222
Email: sf@galaxybooks.com.au
Venue:
Galaxy Bookshop
143 York Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Cost: None
Are bookings required: No, BUT, we are expecting a lot of people for this event, so arrive early and please be patient. Please bring no more than 3 ITEMS to be signed.


Date: Wednesday, 20 July
Time: 5:30pm
Format of event: Straight signing session
Enquires tel no: 02 9262 7996
Venue:
Books Kinokuniya
Level 2, The Galeries Victoria
500 George Street
Sydney, NSW
Cost: Nil
Are bookings required? Bookings essential. Please call 02 9262 7996 to reserve your spot. Please be patient. Please note only 3 items per person can be signed.


Date: Thursday 21st July
Time: 7.00 for 7.30pm
Format of event - Neil to talk, do a bit of a q&a, then sign (3 ITEMS per person). His new book, MIRRORMASK on sale, along with backlist and we're taking preorders - at a special, discounted, on-the-night price for ANANSI BOYS.
Enquires tel no: Pulp Fiction Booksellers, 07 3236 2750
Venue:
The Atrium,
Anzac Square Building (Pulp Fiction's building!),
Edward Street
Brisbane
Cost: $15.00 - food and wine provided.
Are bookings required? ESSENTIAL!!! Ticketed event - admission by ticket only!!! Please note only 3 items per person can be signed.


...

MirrorMask is at the Edinburgh Film Festival this year!

http://www.edfilmfest.org.uk/movies/show/mirrormask/

Not sure if you're out of the loop, or you've been trying to keep it hush-hush, but the cat's out the bag!

Tickets can be booked online from Friday 15th July.

Can't wait to see it.

Stu Corrin


I knew about it, but I'm not allowed to announce film festivals here until they've said anything themselves. There are a few more coming up over the next few months.

...

You may remember me talking about a film called The Aristocrats here. I saw it at Sundance, and have seen it again since, and strongly believe that it's one of the best films about art and being human I've seen. It's also a hundred comedians telling or talking about one dirty joke. It's amazing. (If you don't remember, or you want to refresh, use the neilgaiman.com search facility at http://www.neilgaiman.com/search/search.asp and search for Aristocrats.) Anyway. As good a film as you'll see...

If you live in the US, it looks like you won't see it if you have an AMC or a Loews cinema near you, I'm afraid.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8561995/

Blase added that even if "Aristocrats," which showcases a string of comedians telling the same vaudeville-era dirty joke, performs well when it opens in limited engagements July 29 in Los Angeles and New York, AMC will not try to secure it for one of its 3,500 screens.
"We are trying to program more specialty films in our theaters, but we are very selective," Blase said. "We've made a business decision and evaluated all the factors and we will stick with that decision."



Which is a strange thing to say: If the film does well and people want to see it, we won't show it, and that's a business decision.

If it was, we won't show it because we don't like it, or we don't want people to see it, that would at least be honest.

Spread the word. Because you want to see The Aristocrats. Honest.

I wonder if there's anywhere one can complain. (Does a quick google. Looks like there are lots of ways to contact AMC at http://www.amctheatres.com/contactus/index.html.)