I adore Winnipeg. I love the curious quiet. I love the odd streets. I love the nighttime thunder storm after a long hot day. I love the collection of characters, staring at cars after eating grilled, processed cheese salmon sandwiches (processed, they don't lie about the cheese). I love the confusing drug stores. I love the Kit Kat markets. I love how leisurely cabbies take you to your destination. Angelenos might find them dilatory drivers. They're simply calm. And they're always friendly.
I love the gorgeous hotel I'm currently residing. A national landmark of chateau, Francois I style, complete with opulent ornamentation, steep roof lines, and my favorite -- turrets. It's also haunted. Even better, opening in 1913, it was formerly the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway hotel and offered luxury to weary train travelers. As many know, I love trains. Alas, I flew to Winnipeg.
And I love the resplendent, primal, epic, bizarre, baroque grandeur of Guy Maddin's aesthetic as he crafts his newest, ambitious project right here, in his Winnipeg. Keyhole, starring Jason Patric, Isabella Rossellini and the great Udo Kier, and a series of short films called Hauntings. Enchantment all around. And work. And the dress. And the hair. And for Mr. Maddin casting me as elegant Udo Kier's gun moll girlfriend...and his kidnap victim...and his wife...and a woman on a wolf...well, I'll explain more later. Processed dream. And no salmon sandwiches. So far.
But the Winnipeg washrooms, I suppose, like many, can be quite woeful.
I literally gasped when I saw you. Sooooo gorgeous.
Posted by: Tess Alexandria | July 15, 2010 at 10:33 AM
When are you going to make a feature?
Posted by: Sam | July 15, 2010 at 12:13 PM
Oh, how I needed to see what you glanced up at!
Posted by: Ebertchicago | July 15, 2010 at 02:10 PM
Udo Kier is the luckiest German in ZA VERLD!
Posted by: Erich Kuersten | July 15, 2010 at 02:41 PM
Started out "3 Women" and ended up "Mulholland Drive".
Posted by: Sterling Wilson | July 15, 2010 at 03:33 PM
This is really beautiful and sort of brilliant and I can't figure out why. I have watched it about ten times now. I'm mesmerized. I cannot wait to see how Guy Maddin, who I consider a genius, has filmed you. And bonus points for using some Joe Meek. Jesus. And you're an amazing writer too. You might be one of the coolest women living. Maybe that is why I can't stop watching.
Posted by: Dan | July 15, 2010 at 07:48 PM
As a sometime northern reader,I was surprised to see you are in my hometown working on Guy Maddin's "Keyhole" which also stars Jason Patric and Maddin's old friend and associate, Isabella Rossellini. If you get a chance,wander down from your hotel to The Forks nearby at the junction of the Red River of the north and the Assiniboine River.It is just down from the train station.I've never been there but I believe there is also an old trains museum in the area. Funny,we natives regard Maddin as a quirky local who makes strange non mainstream films. Then we're shocked when Roger Ebert names "My Winnipeg",one of the top 10 films of the decade. To the north of the city is the giant Lake Winnipeg. Maddin has a cottage at Gimli and once made a film set in the lakeside community and resort.
Posted by: H.L. Atkinson | July 15, 2010 at 11:58 PM