EMAV Film Review: "Jay Sebring....Cutting to the Truth"

A moment from "Jay Sebring....Cutting to the Truth"

When the general public hears about Jay Sebring, it’s almost always as a sort of afterthought in the story of the Manson Family murders. As the new documentary “Jay Sebring….Cutting to the Truth” points out, the Manson Family victims of August 9, 1969, are generally listed as Sharon Tate and “others,” with Sebring, Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, and Steven Parent lumped together under that dismissive label.

With “Cutting to the Truth,” Las Vegas filmmaker Anthony DiMaria, Sebring’s nephew, attempts to provide his uncle with the kind of full, complex biography that’s rarely accorded to murder victims, especially those targeted by notorious killers like Charles Manson. As DiMaria points out, there have been countless books, movies, and TV shows about Manson, but “Cutting to the Truth” is the first one about Sebring.

This is obviously a personal project for DiMaria, who was only a small child when his uncle died but retains strong memories of the man he loved. DiMaria spent years working on “Cutting to the Truth,” and the effort shows: This isn’t just a small-scale family affair, although DiMaria interviews his own parents (his mother is Sebring’s sister) and other family members.

Before being reduced to a statistic in the Manson saga, Sebring was a pioneering hairstylist who worked with nearly every major male star of the 1960s, and DiMaria lands big names like Quincy Jones, Robert Wagner, Paul Anka, and Nancy Sinatra, among others, for interviews in the film. It’s clear how long DiMaria spent working on the movie when Dominick Dunne and Dennis Hopper show up, talking about their friendships with Sebring, in footage captured before their deaths more than a decade ago.

An interview with Hollywood and TV star Robert Wagner is among several in the film.

It’s not just the big-name interviewees that mark “Cutting to the Truth” as an impressive production. DiMaria effectively weaves together interviews, archival material, and onscreen graphics to tell the story of his uncle’s life, from Sebring’s days growing up in Michigan to his stint in the Navy to his efforts to establish an entirely new brand of men’s hairstyling in Los Angeles. The movie makes a strong case for Sebring as an important style innovator, possibly the first person to treat men’s hairstyling with the same creativity and dedication (and price) as women’s hairstyling. Among other achievements, Sebring created Jim Morrison’s iconic look from the early days of The Doors, and styled Kirk Douglas’ hair for “Spartacus.” Fashion icons including Vidal Sassoon and Fred Segal praise Sebring’s skills in the film.

DiMaria paints a full picture of Sebring as a complex human being, delving into his personal relationships with family and significant others (including Tate, whom Sebring dated before she married Roman Polanski) along with his professional accomplishments. DiMaria rehabilitates the image that the media created of Sebring as a deviant and a coward in the initial weeks following the murders, and in the process, he delivers a strong statement about the treatment of all high-profile murder victims. Sebring is getting his movie thanks to his connection to celebrities and the dedication of his nephew, but most victims of notorious murderers aren’t afforded the same treatment.

DiMaria also interviews Quentin Tarantino, who created one of the only multi-dimensional portrayals of Sebring onscreen in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” in which Sebring was played by Emile Hirsch. “Once Upon a Time” is clearly an important catalyst for “Cutting to the Truth” finally being completed and reaching an audience, but of course in its way it’s just another sensationalized treatment of the Manson murders. DiMaria understands the prurient interest that may draw viewers to stories like this, but once he has their attention, he presents them with a thorough, heartfelt tribute to his uncle’s life and talent.

“Jay Sebring….Cutting to the Truth” is available on September 22 on all major VOD platforms.

Paul Atreides: Author, playwright, critic, and now screenwriter honors 9/11 with his new work

An interview with Ralph Stalter, Jr. and writer Atreides about his new film

EMAV critic and author Paul Atreides.

Paul Atreides is a writer with a prolific pen not only as a leading theatre critic for Eat More Art Vegas but as a published author and produced playwright. Our own Ralph Stalter caught up with Paul after shooting wrapped for his new 9/11 inspired screenplay, FUSION, now in post-production.

The Interview:

Your website identifies you as an “AUTHOR, PLAYWRIGHT, THEATER CRITIC, COLUMNIST”, all of which put you on the “writer’s side” of the creative process. Is that where you’ve spent most of your career?

Not initially. I spent about 34 years in theatre; acting, producing, directing – both as a vocation and an avocation.. A lot of that was spent “doing floors and windows” as we used to say at the Omaha Playhouse: That entailed doing whatever was necessary to get the show opened on time.

In general, why do you write?

It’s soothing. And frustrating. LOL. At first it was to occupy time after losing my job in 2011 during the economic downturn. I take on subjects that matter to me and it’s a way to get my thoughts and opinions out into the world.

Where, and when, did you come up with the initial story idea for FUSION?

It started as a writing exercise in 2012.

Can you share with us your personal process and timeline for FUSION’S story development as a written piece, prior to involving others in its publication and/or production?

I wanted to try my hand at the infamous passage in A Tale of Two Cities, and thought two victims of the attack would serve that well. Once I had the basics down, I sent it to Maralys Wills (A Circus Without Elephants) to see what she thought. Her response was, “This is a disaster. It’s confusing.” I rewrote it again and again. As I struggled with the initial prose, the proverbial light bulb went on: This is a stage play.

Many studies suggest that we are more likely to remember negative experiences over positive experiences. What are your expectations for a film that focuses on the 20th Anniversary of the September 11th, 2001, attack on the United States?

The attack was the first against the U.S. on our soil since Peral Harbor but 90 different countries are represented in the list of victims. Well, I would hope it touches an emotional nerve with people. I mean, that’s what art is supposed to do, right? For good or bad.

Timothy Cummings and Gabrielle Harris in FUSION with The Asylum Theatre.

How did FUSION progress from a stage play into a short film, and was this your first experience in film production?

I read a press release about the Museum looking for exhibits for the opening. I submitted the script as a performance piece – something that could be done either inside or out near the reflecting pools. They liked the idea, but said live performances were not in the plans. They suggested I get it filmed. The hunt was on and I had no idea what filming entailed.

What would you say are the challenges of involving others in publication and/or production of your work?

It’s different for prose than it is film or stage. With fiction and nonfiction, you work with an editor to revise and tighten a piece but, in the end, it’s still yours. With film or stage, once you send it out into the world, it no loner really belongs to you. You have to be able to let someone’s interpretation of your words come to life – and that may not reflect the original intent.

If you weren’t working in the arts, what other job do you think you would be doing?

That’s a tough one. But, I suppose Civil Engineering – it’s what paid the bills until 2011. It’s still creative in a way.

How did you end up in Las Vegas, and has that community impacted your writing career in any way?

Uncle Sam dropped me here with my stint in the Air Force. The only impact Las Vegas has had on my writing career would be as a critic and columnist. It began with a column for Las Vegas Night Beat, a monthly magazine. When Anthony DelValle, the theatre critic and columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal passed away, I tossed my hat in the ring by sending sample critiques. I worked for the RJ until Adelson purchased the paper and cut all the arts coverage. Shortly after that, Sarah launched EatMoreArtVegas to fill the gap and invited me on board.

Check out Paul Atreides work on paul-atreides.com.

Any future projects that you’d like to tell us about?

I have two projects in the works. One is adapting my World of Deadheads trilogy into a cable television series. That’s been on the back burner since Ian Drazen, then development director for Pretty Pictures, the company behind Nurse Betty and Rain Man, asked if the film rights were available. Obviously, they didn’t take an option. Now, I hope to get Brad Falchuk, Ryan Murphy, and Ian Brennan (American Horror Story, The Politician) interested.

The other is a stage play about the hiding of abusive priests by the Catholic Church. It’s just gone through a critique by Davenport Theatrical in New York (Kinky Boots, Spring Awakening) and they gave it glowing remarks. I’d like to find a company to usher it to production in New York.

Of your many “roles” -- AUTHOR, PLAYWRIGHT, THEATER CRITIC, COLUMNIST – is there one that you prefer over the others?

It depends on my mood! LOL. But, probably author – I’ve certainly written more fiction than anything else.

How did you, or your collaborators, make the connection to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, and come up with the idea of donating the film for exhibit purposes?

Donating the film was always my plan since they were the ones to originally suggest filming. I can’t count the number of film production companies that told me, “That’s old news – who cares?” It took years to find a team that thought it would be worth it. This came about on a fluke, during a conversation with Tim (Timothy Chizmar Productions). He asked to see the script. Three days later he called to say he had an entire team ready to take it on. Did the donation angle for the 20th Anniversary make the difference? I think so, maybe.

EMAV Film Review: 'Viena and the Fantomes' now available via VOD

Back in the early 2010s, local film production company Lola Pictures got the chance to bring major indie filmmaking to Las Vegas with two feature films, Matthew Ross’ “Frank & Lola” and Gerardo Naranjo’s “Viena and the Fantomes,” thanks to support from Tony Hsieh’s Downtown Project and the then-new tax credit program for filming in Nevada. “Frank & Lola” premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and went on to moderate acclaim and a small-scale release, and it stands as one of the better onscreen depictions of Las Vegas, with its use of Downtown locations in its story of the relationship between a volatile chef (Michael Shannon) and his fashion designer girlfriend (Imogen Poots).

“Viena and the Fantomes,” however, spent six years in limbo after being shot in 2014, with rumors about behind-the-scenes troubles and a difficult editing process. It was finally released to VOD on June 30 with almost no promotion, ending up as a footnote to Downtown Project’s moviemaking efforts (which never went beyond the two movies) and the tax credit program (which has since been scaled back). It’s also a footnote in the career of writer-director Naranjo, who was an indie-film sensation after his 2011 festival favorite “Miss Bala,” and had set “Viena” as his major follow-up project. Instead, as “Viena” sat on the shelf, Naranjo spent his time working in TV, directing episodes of “Fear the Walking Dead” and “Narcos,” before returning this year with another festival favorite, “Kokoloko.”

It’s impossible to say what “Viena” would have looked like in Naranjo’s original conception, and the version that was eventually released has the feel of a compromised movie, with a brief running time and a choppy, impressionistic structure that comes off like it has pieces missing. “Viena” isn’t a success, but it isn’t entirely a failure, either, and even this truncated version has some strong thematic and artistic elements. Chief among them is the performance from Dakota Fanning as the title character, a sort of combination roadie and groupie for post-punk band The Fantomes (the movie appears to take place sometime in the 1980s, but like a lot of the plot elements, it’s not entirely clear).

Viena tags along with the band as it travels across the country, in a sort of caravan of trucks and RVs, with band members, support staff and hangers-on. She first hooks up with fellow band employee Keyes (Frank Dillane), but when drummer Freddy (Jeremy Allen White) dumps his girlfriend Susi (Evan Rachel Wood), Viena steps up to fill that role. Susi also may have been the band’s road manager, although no one has a particularly defined role in the operation. Even the band itself is barely defined, shown onstage only very briefly, and it takes at least half the movie to figure out which characters are musicians and which characters are part of the crew.

That hazy approach is frustrating, but it’s also an effective way to convey the blur of life on the road, where every town looks the same, and shows are just brief breaks from the monotony of driving and partying. Viena is both desperate for approval from the male band members and defiantly independent, and her treatment as the equivalent of currency between Keyes and Freddy shows the casual misogyny of the supposed counterculture. Those themes are as indistinct as the plot details in the movie’s first half, but Naranjo coasts by on the burnout rock and roll vibe, which makes it even more jarring when the plot suddenly asserts itself in the final act.

When Jon Bernthal shows up as the band’s manager (or possibly an A&R rep?), pressuring Viena to placate the increasingly volatile Freddy, the movie turns dark and violent, losing its gauzy sense of lost time in favor of unmotivated assault. Rather than seriously exploring the nastier side of rock and roll excess, the shift in tone feels exploitative and ill-considered, ending the movie on a clear sour note rather than the undefined unease that preceded it. Even so, Fanning remains a strong presence as Viena, who refuses to be controlled by the men who push her around.

The movie’s delayed, low-profile release also means that Lola Pictures never got a chance to show off how well they could utilize Vegas-area locations to stand in for other parts of the country. “Viena” doesn’t take place in Vegas and doesn’t feature any familiar Vegas landmarks, instead making use of surrounding wilderness and highways, along with nondescript buildings and alleyways in town. It goes along with the movie’s dreamlike feel, in which times and places all run together as the band travels along a never-ending tour. Buried somewhere in the disjointed edits, uneven characters and abrupt plot developments, there might be a movie that gives those themes the resonance they deserve.

“Viena and the Fantomes” is now available via all major VOD outlets.