SXSWf 2006

Julie and I made the trek down to Austin for SXSW Film. Small Town Gay Bar, Shadow Company, LOL, Inner Circle Line and Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon all stand out. But TV Junkie is the one that I’ve been thinking about over and over. This guy, Rick Kerkham, kept a regular video diary from the age of 14. He documented his rise from TV news reporter in Wichita Falls, to Las Vegas to Inside Edition, and then his fall as he struggles with drug addiction. Over 3000 hours of footage edited down to 98 minutes. You watch him smoking crack, being arrested by the cops, he and his wife fighting in front of his kids, and even attempting suicide in his truck. He has a journalist’s detachment from the situation no matter how horrible it is as he describes what he’s going through. This experience, the capturing of a narrative in someone’s life is one reason why I go to movies.

During the Q&A the directors revealed that Rick was in the audience. Then Rick revealed that his ex-wife, who is featured prominently in the movie, was also in the audience. I can’t begin to describe how odd it was for me to have movie life intrude into my real life. I use the word intrude because Rick wasn’t playing a character in the movie, it was him. So it’s not like when you ask actors about the character they play. Rick was taping the audience for one of his video diaries. This only compounded the the strangeness of what was happening. I am disappointed the movie didn’t garner more buzz. The filmmakers are from Dallas so I’m hoping it gets a screening here because I’d like to see it with an audience again.

For the record I saw The Last Western, Small Town Gay Bar, Reel Shorts 1, Jumping Off Bridges, AMERICANese, TV Junkie, KZ, Shadow Company, Eve and the Fire Horse, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, Live Free or Die, Autumn’s Eyes, LOL, Heavens Fall, Population/436, Dance Party USA, Inner Circle Line, and Maxed Out