Slog - Comments on This Week in The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger Grant Cogswell on Drugs, Satanists, Tori Spelling, and the Making of Cthulhu "I was the screenwriter, fundraiser, second-biggest investor, PR hack, extras coordinator, and a sometime producer of the largest, most expensive locally produced film ever made in Seattle. It took five years, it cost $1 million, and its extremely slow projected return may have broken the bank for local distribution-quality films for the foreseeable future. It ruined my health, driving me to the brink of suicide twice, and from sobriety back down into a drinking life (and, briefly, the cocaine life below that), and aggravating a chronic muscle... Copyright 2008 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:00:43 -0800 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 14:27:06 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Mr. Poe Grant deserves a power hug.

]]> Mr. Poe http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1040675 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1040675 Housekeeping Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:06:03 -0800 Comment by tiffany i like lindy's article. liberal mother superiors rule.

]]> tiffany http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1040680 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1040680 Housekeeping Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:15:35 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle Anything with Cthulhu is a-ok with me - and Grant's a great guy.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1040703 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1040703 Housekeeping Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:50:44 -0800 Comment by scary tyler moore brendan, Francia Russell and Kent Stowell did not ignore Jerome Robbins during their PNB tenure. they couldn't afford him. he charged high high prices for performance rights and even if you could afford him, he could still turn you down if your company didn't meet his professional standards. Francia told me that san francisco ballet had a very rich patron who wrote a big check every time they wanted a Robbins ballet. all PNB could afford was Fanfare, a corny kid's piece that didn't require much rehearsal or technique. i bet they still paid through the nose for it.

]]> scary tyler moore http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1040705 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1040705 Housekeeping Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:52:11 -0800 Comment by Explorer The 'downward slide' of Dungeons & Dragons?!

Also in this issue: shark jumping-- a look back in slow motion.

]]> Explorer http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1040708 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1040708 Housekeeping Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:56:57 -0800 Comment by demo kid Cogswell may be a good guy and he may be in a bad state but Cthulhu was a complete abortion. Some good scenes and a great male lead but almost totally unwatchable.

]]> demo kid http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1040730 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1040730 Housekeeping Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:21:05 -0800 Comment by Mr. Poe @6

I agree. Minus the male lead.

]]> Mr. Poe http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1040744 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1040744 Housekeeping Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:28:40 -0800 Comment by PopTart I commented elsewhere about it yesterday but I'll re-comment here, Lindy's article on the strip club buffet is wonderful, fabulous, awesome, hilarious, sad, knowing, oh geez I don't have enough words for it. I was laughing so hard I thought I'd barf.

]]> PopTart http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1040827 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1040827 Housekeeping Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:10:04 -0800 Comment by 'KOYAANISQATSI' FAN Cthulhu: to be certain of its spelling, I had to cut and paste the title - a movie I almost saw @ last year's SIFF but probably saw "La Vien Rose" instead.

I googled "cthulhu" so that:

(1) I could learn how to pronounce it, and (2) I would understand the word's provenance.

I feel bad that Grant lost his ass on the project, but whenever your perceived audience cannot spell or pronounce the movie title, you're probably not standing at the clue busstop. Sorry.

]]> 'KOYAANISQATSI' FAN http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1040888 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1040888 Housekeeping Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:42:09 -0800 Comment by mike That Cthulu piece is fan-freaking-tastic. Don't die, Grant.

]]> mike http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1040919 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1040919 Housekeeping Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:01:04 -0800 Comment by Greg Who wants to help me organize a trip down to Portland for Lindy and friends?

]]> Greg http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1041160 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1041160 Housekeeping Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:45:41 -0800 Comment by John Galt With regards to the "Cthulu" piece; you've _got_ to be kidding.

With all due respect, "Cthulu" was a trainwreck of a production that produced a bad film. In short, a failure.

That in itself, is fine. Making films is hard, and perfectly worthy people fail for all sorts of reasons. But this article is a self-important collection of excuses.

But even as tiresome and trite as it is, it might pass without comment. But to punctuate the wallowing with slights against much better films and to declare that your failure has doomed all other efforts is really beyond the pale.

]]> John Galt http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1041257 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1041257 Housekeeping Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:37:51 -0800 Comment by Paulus Shut up, John. I love you, Grant.

]]> Paulus http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1041532 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1041532 Housekeeping Thu, 05 Jun 2008 18:29:37 -0800 Comment by John Galt That's great. Love him all you want - he's still a tool.

I would offer an example, from the article in question, one of the first of the many excuses to follow. He was a "caretaker" of a property. A property at which he brags of hosting all-night parties. A property that was robbed. His response? The freeway noise drowned out the burglar alarm.

Wow, really? You mean to tell me that the background noise in that house was as loud as the burglar alarm? I find that hard to believe. It is much easier to believe that Grant just slept through whatever, due to the exhaustion, drugs or other excesses he makes a point of later in the article

The aside of his stint as a caretaker serves as a model for the rest of the article - everything is someone else's fault, and he deserves pity for being driven to take drugs and isn't he so noble, high, and poor.

But hey - he got a lot of people high and laid during a five-year party that he talked other people into paying for. Which is a real talent - nobody can take that away from him

He ends with "We want another chance. We want to live like that again." That's great. No self-awareness, no sense that he has any idea of the tragedy that he's responsible for. Just him wanting someone else to pay for this fantasy life of his.

Go ahead and love him - from the sound of the article he won't even remember who you are. But if that's your thing, have at it.

]]> John Galt http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1042090 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_week_in_the_stranger#c1042090 Housekeeping Fri, 06 Jun 2008 14:27:06 -0800