Errata is a web journal written by Robert Davis who has neither spent a night in a ghost town nor pulled a turnip from the earth. He doesn't even know if turnips grow in the ground. Perhaps on trees, like candy corn. Therefore, Errata is a non-commercial project.

Observation #1: It may be appropriate, when leaving a movie theater, to say "mysterious."

Observation #2: It may be appropriate, when leaving a movie theater, to say "mysterious" at the top of your lungs. Bring your eyebrows together before you say it. Effective!

Observation #3: Same for books. Even at libraries.

There is a prize for people who correctly guess the thing about Metropolis, Nevada.

Except where the text specifically states otherwise, Errata's vagaries are indicated vaguely and its authors are indistinct in the traditional way of the Internet, except where the authors lay claim to their work. In some cases Robert Davis lays claim to work that is not his own but has been abandoned like so many ghost towns. Except where held presently, fistfuls of dirt are suspended via dispersal, or dispersed via suspension (in the air), and thus their dissolution is their transcendence, or their transcendence is their dissolution. And yet our eyes tear, and our vision is impaired, demonstrating for the umpteenth time that one entity's gain is another's fit of sneezes. Except where indicated, storms shall outlive the clay upon which they rain, unless storms are improperly delimited by their clouds, which dissolve, rather than by their inevitable return. Thus the clay loses, unless the clay is said to own the storm, to use it to make itself heavy, to make itself cling to white garments, refuse dispersal, cake upon the facades of abandoned buildings, and sit like Man [sic] upon the earth where it is pelted by a storm that it owns. In which case the clay still loses, if you ask us.

Some of the above is legally binding and should be considered a mental contract between Errata and those upon whom it acts. The bit about the prize should be considered an overstatement insofar as prizes differ from dirt and prize dispersal differs from dirt dispersal. Please recall that ownership is a weight and, therefore, hope that you do not win the prize.

One day Errata or its representatives will call upon you for a favor. It is expected that you will hop-to without delay.

You may contact Robert Davis by email unless it's about the rock that was thrown in anger. The rock is more properly called a clod. Why do you continue to raise the topic?

3 July 2004

Festival Budget Crunch?

Here's an email that was sent yesterday to members of the group that sponsors the San Francisco International Film Festival:

Dear Film Society members,
Every year, the San Francisco Film Society aims to bring to the Bay Area as many filmmakers as possible during the San Francisco International Film Festival. Unfortunately, we do not have enough hotel rooms at our disposal in order to accommodate everyone. Currently, we are looking for different ways in which to accommodate our filmmakers, and we believe that the comfort of a home offers a nice alternative to a hotel.

We are looking for people interested in providing temporary homestays for our filmmakers during the upcoming 48th San Francisco International Film Festival, April 21 - May 5, 2005. ?Many of our guests include short filmmakers [therefore, even a tiny bed would do] and youth filmmakers with a chaperone. ?One of the benefits of a film festival is the interaction between the filmmakers and their audience. ?A homestay gives the filmmakers an opportunity to be embraced by the community and assures that they fully experience the wonders and diversity of the Bay Area. With your assistance in providing these filmmakers housing, we would be able to achieve our goal of including all of the filmmakers wishing to come to the festival.

Hosting a filmmaker is an excellent way for members and friends to show their support of the Film Society and the Festival. If you, or someone you know, would be willing to host a filmmaker, please contact us at XXX@YYY as soon as possible. ?If you do respond, this letter will be followed by a questionnaire that will be sent via e-mail in order to gather basic information on hosts and accommodations.

We hope to hear from you!

Filmmakers, come to San Francisco to show us your new movie. Enjoy the city's beautiful vistas and 1000 world-class restaurants. Marvel at the nearly-vertical hills and the cable cars that climb them. Gaze at the many lovely hotels, towering, whimsical, and quaintly elegant... as you stroll past them on the sidewalk and wonder what we're doing about the homeless problem.

You want room service? Let me see if Aunt Mabel will make you some eggs.

Posted by davis | Link

Reader Comments

July 5, 2004, 10:53 AM

Tod Booth

I've actually received this same email three times in as many weeks, from three different sources at the Fest, which adds an even louder note of desperation to it.

July 5, 2004, 11:55 PM

davis

And of course this is after they effectively doubled the cost of membership for many members last year. (They did away with individual memberships in favor of dual memberships, only.)

I'd love to see the balance sheet for a festival this size. It's hard to figure out how it could be in such a fix (and really, I'm only guessing) when so many screenings that I attended this year were packed with people.

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