What a year 2008 has been! Here’s a look back at a few of the bigger goings on here at Casa Comstock:

 

1) The Swiss Family Comstock Sails the High Seas
Last Winter we piled ourselves, our children and our pets into a 30 year old sloop and headed off to find adventure. We found that and plenty more. All hands survived, no worse for wear. Some lessons were learned too, and we even had a little fun! You can read more in the blog post Not Dead Yet

 

2) Tony Tangles with the Australian Art Establishment over Censorship
Upon our return, Tony promptly fell into a vicious flame-war with Australian writer and critic Allison Crogon over the Australian intelligentsia’s response the the seizing of Bill Henson’s photography; the gist being, “Where were you and your fancy friends when the police were showing up to stop my films from being screened?” Hilarity ensued! Start with the following link and if amused, work your way around the blog with appropriate keywords: A Modest Proposal

 

3) Damon & Hunter and Ashley & Kisha play the Tel Aviv Int’l LGBT Film Festival
The screenings of Damon & Hunter and Ashley & Kisha at the Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival marked the first time our films have screened in Asia. That leaves Africa, South America, and Antarctica!
Meet me in Tel Aviv

 

4) Comstock Films No On Prop 8 Fundraiser
Nothing like setting the rights of your fellow citizens to a popular vote to get the party started! Sadly the ballot measure (barely) passed. But no regrets about the $1800 we sent to NoOnProp.org to try and defeat it:
Vote No on Prop 8

 

5) Google Says Clitoris is Unsafe at Any Speed
These days it’s not enough to be a filmmaker. You’ve got to be a marketeer and semi-professional Google expert. Tony updates George Carlin’s famous routine for the New Searchable Era ™. The story was picked up by Susie Bright, Jezebel, WebProNews, and others:
Penis = Safe, Clitoris = Unsafe
http://googlesbannedwords.blogspot.com/

 

 

6) YouTube, Not MyTube
We started to play around with using Youtube to promote our films, only to find out that joking about sex is okay on YouTube, and so is murder. But taking sex seriously? Sorry buddy, that’s a TOS violation!
YouTube, not MyTube (How Hysterical Hypocrisy Hurts Us All

 

7) Bill and Desiree, Finally Finished!
And after all that, we even got a movie out! BILL AND DESIRE: LOVE IS TIMELESS is finished and ready to go!

In the DVD Shop
http://shop.comstockfilms.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11&products_id=14

First Reviews
http://www.comstockfilms.com/blog/tony/2008/12/15/may-touch-redeem-us/

So there it is, 2008 in a nutshell. What a year it’s been! So what about looking forward?

So Much for San Francisco Values?
Christmas Day Violet Blue raised up our Google SafeSearch Story as one of the 5 Under-covered Stories of 2008, and just like the last time we broke a Google search/sex related story, editors at the San Francisco news outlet have separated themselves from the pack by refusing (over Violet’s objections) to link to ComstockFilms.com. That’s right. Time.com, TheAtlantic.com, and a host of other national publications have linked to ComstockFilms.com, but now The San Francisco Chronicle joins KQED/PBS in “protecting” it’s readers from our site.

I don’t think this is insignificant, and I’m ruminating over what this and other developments in search, content filtering, complaint-driven Web 2.0 systems and other trends mean for independent cinema, and sexual culture on the internet. It’s not all bad news, but I think there are big changes coming. More thoughts on this in the New Year.

Introducing Michael Trainor, Editor
Last Summer I put an ad in Mandy for an assistant editor. After reviewing over 100 resumes/reels, I have finally (finally) found someone who seemed like he “got it”; not just the films we make, but the bigger picture of what it means to commit yourself to a life in the arts.

Michael is nearly young enough to be my son, so in addition to his youth and energy, he brings a post-internet perspective to the party, and working with him has been fantastic. By the time “Bill and Desiree” was finished, the only appropriate thing to do was to (some what reluctantly) remove my name from the editor’s credit and put his in. That makes “Bill and Desiree” the very first film that I’ve directed that I haven’t edited; and some people have called “Bill and Desiree” our best film yet. Look for Michael’s name on our upcoming films.

Upcoming Films
With Michael’s help, we’re hoping to get the remainder of our backlog out the door in short order. The changes referred to above lend a certain sense of urgency to getting those films finished, and tackling a few more films I want to make while making them is still possible. Specifically:

* I’d like to make a film about a gay couple that’s been together at least as long as Peggy and I have been together (our 12th anniversary is in a few days.)

*Over the years we’ve received more than a few really nice notes from straight black couples asking when/if we’ll make a film with an African-American couple. This is something I’d like to do we still have the chance.

*The Fisting Film. As mentioned now and again, the second couple we ever did a “study” with enthusiastically incorporated vigorous hand-play (aka fisting) into their lovemaking. Anyone who’s ever seen fisting between a loving couple knows that it is not the diabolical act that it’s made out to be. I’d like to make a film that tackles this myth and the bizarre notion of “obscenity” head-on.

If all this sounds a little cryptic and dire, please don’t be worried. Nothing I see coming constitutes an existential threat to our family. In the early part of this decade a seem opened up, and we (with some considerable trepidation) walked through it; and what had been a curious hobby became an even more curious way to make a living. 

As a result we’ve been able to put some images and ideas in the world that I am very proud of, and the reception these films has received has been heartwarming. With your support, I’ve been given an incredible opportunity to support my family making films I believe in very deeply. For an artist, there is no higher affirmation.

But nothing lasts forever, and who would want it to anyway? We look forward to 2009 and beyond ready to embrace whatever comes, and with little doubt that whatever comes, we will adapt and make the most of it. Here’s hoping the same for all of you!

From me and Peggy, here’s wishing all of you a happy and prosperous New Year!

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 28th, 2008 at 12:47 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.