Due to my Frankenstein-related 2025, my Substack had to take a back seat. It’s 2026 now!
I interviewed Ryan Czerwonko and Hannah Hale about Adult Film’s upcoming production of Cimino’s Defeat – opening tomorrow at Torn Page! It’s about the film director Michael Cimino, both legendary and cautionary tale. I’m seeing it in a couple of weeks but I really wanted to touch base with these artists and see what they were doing with Adult Film, which has grown in leaps and bounds since I first interviewed Ryan in 2023.
We talked about Michael Cimino, of course, but it was a free-wheeling open discussion about 1970s cinema, John Ford, the importance of hope, the state of theatre right now, Rainer Fassbinder, Polly Platt, Tally Brown, John Cassavetes, the gradations of masculinity and femininity and the expression thereof … as well as their plans for Adult Film. I’ve been tangentially “involved” with this group for a couple of years now and have attended some of their events (they also screened my film in one of their short film festivals). I find what they’re doing thrilling. They’re living the dream, as far as I’m concerned, and I’m always interested in hearing from people who are really DOING it.
Cimino’s Defeat is running at Torn Page from January 20 – February 14.
