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Independent film maker Michael Almeryeda has just finished shooting a film in New Orleans called "Happy Here and Now," which may or may not be in theatres by the end of the year. He's another one of many who came here and got seduced by something he can't really describe so he's making a movie to try and exorcize the demon that is his awareness of that something special which is the pulsating undercurrent of life in New Orleans. With a mere million dollar budget he has a cast which includes Clarence Williams III (Linc from the old Mod Squad), Liane Balaban (up and comer), Ally Sheedy, and David Arquette.
Purportedly this will be a film wherein the "details, personalities, and images are more important than the plot itself."
In the words of Almeryeda--"There's a fair bit of declaration of place. New Orleans is definetly a character in the movie. It's a cliche that this is a magical place, but it is. The local atmosphere seems charged. I hope to capture something unrelated to the familiar postcard images we see in the movies--the voodoo, the vampires, the cemetaries, the French Quarter. I hope to capture New Orleans in a way I've never seen it on screen before--a style of living, a pleasure of life, the spirit and the people."
I applaud your effort Mr. Ameryeda, a worthy cause indeed, and I have a jealousy for your method which has you here and gone in a year's period with a story or product which may or may not ring true while I think I'm going to spend most of my life here, with the same result.
Look for this one. (Bill, the flick also includes John Sinclair, the poet with the great voice but whose work does not overwhelm me, but that you mentioned to me once because you heard about his history which includes a prison term for a small amount of marijuana, and Ernie K-Doe, and, last but certainly not least, your boy, Quintron.