Two quick memories:
- Mark Sandman, the late singer/bassist of Morphine, was wandering around Hollywood Express one night with four videos in his hand. We had a promotion where you could rent five not-new releases for four nights for ten bucks, and it was close to closing and I was keen to go home. So I approached him and recommended Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. He took it and was on his way. The next time he saw me there, he made a point of telling me it was the only one of the rentals he'd enjoyed, and moreover that in real life he'd been to the crazy house with the indoor-outdoor swimming pool featured in the film.
- Roger Ebert attracted a shitstorm when it came to light that he'd panned a movie, Tru Loved, after watching only ten eight minutes. He later ran a second, equally damning, review of the lousy thing after people protested the fairness of not giving the movie an even shake. This same movie was the subject of an absolutely terrible film-series selection meeting fight that soured me so I stopped participating for years after. Some jackasses lobbied for this gay After-School Special -- with fucking Bruce Villanch! -- based on its thematic rather than filmic merits (both sucked, if you ask me). It made the cut and inspired one venue that'd been part of the film tour since its inception to drop out for good, rather than screen a film it wouldn't otherwise book. I will always be grateful to Ebert for that feeling of sweet vindication when he panned that piece of shit, too.
