Cinekink Las Vegas Day Two – Let the Films Begin

Waxie Moon

After a day spent at the rooftop topless pool, yes, life out here in the desert is that rough, we excitedly piled into a cab and made out way to the Onyx Theatre, located in the Commercial Center, for the first day of screenings.

Lisa Vandever & Dr. Carol Queen arrive at Cinekink Las Vegas

Yesterday’s schedule was Waxie Moon, Bring It, and My Sexuality: A Sensory Experience. The best thing about an alternative film festival, besides the rather obvious – seeing amazingly fresh films that explore viewpoints outside the “norm” – is the ability to interact with the artists directly involved in making these works. Seeing a film and then hearing the back story -what ran through the actor’s mind, why the director filmed a scene in that manner, what led producers with no formal training to start making films – really helps you to look at what you’ve just seen greater understanding, bringing a new depth to the experience. If you have an insatiable intellectual curiosity, alternative film festivals are for you. So come on, Las Vegas, get your butts and brains down to the Onyx today because we have another day of amazing programming for you.

That said, I now have to gush about Waxie Moon. We first met Marc Kenison, in glorious Waxie regalia, glitter, lashes and a vintage suite everyone coveted, at the Erotic Heritage Museum for the wine & chocolate gala. But hearing him and director Wes Hurley talk about the film was truly one of the highlights of the day. Instead of talking about it, I’ll leave you with a Youtube clip of one of the many outstanding performances in the film.

After the film, Marc told us how he was uncomfortable that day, the stones made walking in high heels a challenge, the water was frigid and a random dog was tagging along making him nuts. And yet, once he saw the completed piece, how much he felt indebted to Wes for understanding the character even more than he himself did. Watch. And then search out Waxie’s other videos on Youtube and should you have the opportunity to see Waxie Moon, seize it.

Cinekink panel discussion at Onyx Theatre

A panel discussion, with Lisa Vandever, Jessica King, Julie Keck and Dr. Carol Queen, moderated by UNLV’s Dr. Lynn Comella, followed My Sexuality: A Sensory Experience, where we learned that this wonderful film which explored the sexual side of five very diverse women was a student project. Astonishing. Carol, by pointing out that the self esteem building experiences these women went through all focused on very traditional images of femininity, got me wondering what it would look like and what the women’s reactions would have been if in addition to learning pole dance and getting fitted for corsets, they’d been asked to butch it up.

And so begins another day. Albeit one that started two hours earlier then I would have liked. My Mac apparently prefers East Coast time and I jolted awake thinking it was 9:30 AM not the 6:30 it actually was. When she came back carrying our Starbucks venti bolds to discover my little timing error, Diva was not at all amused.

Today’s programming begins at 1PM and includes Yes, Mistress, a film shorts program that asks (and sometimes answers!) the question: “How may I be of service?” Swingers, S&M Judge and Best of Cinekink, a special screening of shorts deemed the year’s best. The jury-selected awards were determined during the latest run of CineKink NYC.

(Cross-posted on Tied Up Events)

On the Red Carpet... Modern Love is Automatic

During the CineKink NYC/2010 festivities, Ivy Liegh chats with cast and crew of Modern Love is Automatic, including director Zach Clark, actresses Maggie Ross and Melodie Sisk, and cinematographer Daryl Pittman.





The stylized film, which won a CineKink Select Award for Creative Vision, asks some burning questions: Will Lorraine’s secret life as a dominatrix be revealed? And will Adrian sell enough mattresses to be featured in the big coupon spread? In pursuing their hidden desires and misguided dreams, both girls find their paths crossing in ways they never expected.

On the Red Carpet... Anti-Samaritan Hotline

During the CineKink NYC/2010 festivities, Ivy Liegh chats with director A. Tad Chamberlain about his film, Anti-Samaritan Hotline.



The film, which won a CineKink Select Award for Creative Vision, is a "comedy about death, despair, suicide and sado-masochism."

Action Alert: Vote for the Yodeling Dominatrix!

Don't ever say we're not timely! Well, okay, lots of times we're not, but tonight we're responding to an urgent plea from CineKink alum Tonya Bezra, who writes:

There was just an amazing act on America's Got Talent where a woman did a really cute 50's domination scene... but the judges "gong showed" her off so she couldn't even finish.  The judges all expressed disappointment at her not staying with what she had done in the qualifying rounds which was "yodeling dominatrix" like in a more pvc cat woman look.  My heart just went out to her.  Because it was clear that she didn't want to be a one-gimmick pony and the 50's housewife dominatrix thing was so cute.  Anyway, so my fantasy of fantasies is that people will call in and vote for this woman.  Her name is Manuella Horn.  To vote for her you dial 1-866-602-4505.



Here she is, above, doing a retro-themed roleplay performance on tonight's episode.

And here is Manuela's infamous appearance as the "Yodeling Dominatrix", when she made the first qualifying round back in June.

You have until 6 am ET/3 am PT to cast your vote and fulfill Tonya's fantasy!

Lady Heather alert!

Tonight's episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation will reprise one of our favorite prime-time characters, Lady Heather, the mysterious sometimes love interest of the tortured Gil Grishom.

Are they meant to be? You can weigh in on the program's message-board--but first, check out this CBS-compiled retrospective:



Oh, yeah--and tune in tonight. Soon, even! (Though you can probably also find the episode here...)

Sizzle sells! (Maybe.)

Mazel tov to one of our favorite CineKinksters, Lolita Wolf, for her prize-winning suggestion in Violet Blue's recent competition to determine the best sex-related ad campaign. Lolita's entry, last year's "Dominate Winter" interactive campaign for the Cooper Mini, which featured a cat-suit clad dominatrix encouraging the user to put the car through its paces.



Violet's criteria for the competition were pretty inclusive - by "sex-related I mean just downright sexy and hot, or incredibly clever, controversial, or just plain fun" - and a slew of tasty examples can be found in both the comments to that post and in her follow-up announcing the winners. (Both of which we've bookmarked and will be pillaging far into the future.)

And this week, Violet moves on to the question of whether sex can actually sell a product, bringing in AdRant's Scott Hall to ruminate with her on how much of it's a help and how much of it is just hype and sizzle.

Well, we're not sure how many Aspvik units it helped move. And we're way late for Violet's deadline. But for our money, our all-time favorite sex-related - and sex-positive! - ad continues to be Ikea's Neighbors.



Scratch that. We totally want an Aspvik, now!