ROCK 'N' ROLL HOTEL -- A FEW WORDS OF THANKS
Read how I got kicked out of Hollywood here!
Read my screenplay Global Village Idiot here for free!
New! Follow me on twitter as @RussDvonch. I'll be tweeting and posting every day until the premiere showing of Rock 'n' Roll Hotel on August 30th at the Byrd Theatre in Richmond, VA...
Thanks!...I think...
Still working on a big post which needs more editing time, so tonight I’d like to spend a few minutes expressing my gratitude towards the people who made possible the benefit screening of Rock 'n' Roll Hotel on Monday August 30th, at the Byrd Theatre in Richmond.
If success has a thousand fathers and failure is an orphan, I guess that makes me the court-ordered baby-daddy of the red-headed stepchild known as Rock ‘n’ Roll Hotel.
So far, it appears I’ll be the only cast or crew member to appear at the Richmond screening who isn’t a Richmond native. By default, that makes me the Hollywood go-to-guy of the whole production when it comes to guilt by association with the film.
Happy to be of service!
Eh...I’ve suffered the vicissitudes of Hollywood before. Rock ‘n’ Roll High School was a flop when it was first released, and now it’s considered a classic of the era. So I’ve had my share of ups and downs in my career…although, admittedly, this is quite possibly the Marianas Trench of career downers.
But I’ve always had an even-tempered outlook on life, and the events that transpired happened so long ago that whatever sting they had has long since dissipated.
So when I was contacted about the story in Style Weekly, I was happy to tell my experiences on RnR Hotel and eager to be associated with the screening. True, it is not objectively a good film, but I suspect it will make for an enjoyable evening, anyway. I’ve always had a pretty breezy outlook on life, and I expect August 30th to be a brisk, spanking breeze of an evening.
So let me spend a few moments on this blog thanking some of the people who made the revival of RnR Hotel possible.
Dale Brumfield and his article in Style Weekly did a great job of creating a coherent narrative from the cold ashes of the movie. Nearly every time I read a story in the paper, about which I have personal knowledge, the reporter always gets it wrong. I’m pleased to say that Dale is an exception – his article was a very thorough and fair-minded account of what happened, and it filled me in on a lot of details of which I had no knowledge.
If it weren’t for his interest, persistence, and love of Richmond history there’d be no story and no fundraiser. So everyone associated with the film and its benefit screening owes him a debt of gratitude. I know I do.
I’d also like to thank Jason Roop, editor in chief of Style Weekly, who gave Dale the space he needed to tell the story, and who has tirelessly promoted the Byrd screening. I suspect he is one of the chief reasons why sales have been so brisk.
And I’d especially like to thank Rachel Sweet, her father and her associates for allowing the film to be screened. They didn’t have to, but they did it anyway, and I am really grateful for their generosity of spirit.
Despite the wave of nostalgia that I’m experiencing with the revival of RnR Hotel, there is still a nagging regret that I have about it. I believe that the film was doomed from the start, and Dale’s article puts its finger on the ultimate source of the film’s failure. If I don’t finish the big post by tomorrow, I’ll talk about that next.
But this Monday? All that will be forgotten, and I’m gonna party like it’s 1982. See you there!
Read my screenplay Global Village Idiot here for free!
New! Follow me on twitter as @RussDvonch. I'll be tweeting and posting every day until the premiere showing of Rock 'n' Roll Hotel on August 30th at the Byrd Theatre in Richmond, VA...
Thanks!...I think...
Still working on a big post which needs more editing time, so tonight I’d like to spend a few minutes expressing my gratitude towards the people who made possible the benefit screening of Rock 'n' Roll Hotel on Monday August 30th, at the Byrd Theatre in Richmond.
If success has a thousand fathers and failure is an orphan, I guess that makes me the court-ordered baby-daddy of the red-headed stepchild known as Rock ‘n’ Roll Hotel.
So far, it appears I’ll be the only cast or crew member to appear at the Richmond screening who isn’t a Richmond native. By default, that makes me the Hollywood go-to-guy of the whole production when it comes to guilt by association with the film.
Happy to be of service!
Eh...I’ve suffered the vicissitudes of Hollywood before. Rock ‘n’ Roll High School was a flop when it was first released, and now it’s considered a classic of the era. So I’ve had my share of ups and downs in my career…although, admittedly, this is quite possibly the Marianas Trench of career downers.
But I’ve always had an even-tempered outlook on life, and the events that transpired happened so long ago that whatever sting they had has long since dissipated.
So when I was contacted about the story in Style Weekly, I was happy to tell my experiences on RnR Hotel and eager to be associated with the screening. True, it is not objectively a good film, but I suspect it will make for an enjoyable evening, anyway. I’ve always had a pretty breezy outlook on life, and I expect August 30th to be a brisk, spanking breeze of an evening.
So let me spend a few moments on this blog thanking some of the people who made the revival of RnR Hotel possible.
Dale Brumfield and his article in Style Weekly did a great job of creating a coherent narrative from the cold ashes of the movie. Nearly every time I read a story in the paper, about which I have personal knowledge, the reporter always gets it wrong. I’m pleased to say that Dale is an exception – his article was a very thorough and fair-minded account of what happened, and it filled me in on a lot of details of which I had no knowledge.
If it weren’t for his interest, persistence, and love of Richmond history there’d be no story and no fundraiser. So everyone associated with the film and its benefit screening owes him a debt of gratitude. I know I do.
I’d also like to thank Jason Roop, editor in chief of Style Weekly, who gave Dale the space he needed to tell the story, and who has tirelessly promoted the Byrd screening. I suspect he is one of the chief reasons why sales have been so brisk.
And I’d especially like to thank Rachel Sweet, her father and her associates for allowing the film to be screened. They didn’t have to, but they did it anyway, and I am really grateful for their generosity of spirit.
Despite the wave of nostalgia that I’m experiencing with the revival of RnR Hotel, there is still a nagging regret that I have about it. I believe that the film was doomed from the start, and Dale’s article puts its finger on the ultimate source of the film’s failure. If I don’t finish the big post by tomorrow, I’ll talk about that next.
But this Monday? All that will be forgotten, and I’m gonna party like it’s 1982. See you there!
Posted by Henry Halloway at 8/24/2010 7:59 PM 
Categories: Rock 'n' Roll Hotel, Me Myself and I
Tags: rachel sweet Rock 'n' Roll Hotel Dick Shawn Judd Nelson Donna Mckechnie Colin Quinn
Categories: Rock 'n' Roll Hotel, Me Myself and I
Tags: rachel sweet Rock 'n' Roll Hotel Dick Shawn Judd Nelson Donna Mckechnie Colin Quinn
Russ - you are too kind! I sincerely appreciate the kind words, and right back at you -- your enthusiasm and assistance in this work was far and beyond what I expected from a "Hollywood" type, which clearly you are not. I can;t wait for all of us to get together on Monday!
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My wife and I are excited for this on Monday! We're doing our best to get others to come. Thanks for being a part of helping Richmond keep a great landmark!
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