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Please stay on topic/s–in this case tonight’s film Camp Casserole; Anthony Pedone and his film festival organization ExChange, the making of Casserole Club, Palm Springs, DIY, or swapping casserole rescipes. If you’d like to discuss today’s other newsworthy matters, please find a post elsewhere on FDL to do so. Thank you. And yeah, I tpye badly…

Welcome to Firedoglake Movie Night, everyone from Camp Casserole our guests in the audience at the Art of Brooklyn Film Fest, and thank you all so very much for being here tonight!

testing from jane

testing from iris

hello from anthony

Your welcome. Good to be here…

hi iris

I love the site! What a great idea!

hi girls!!! thanks for showing up!!!

Hi Iris and Jane. Please refresh you browsers regularly –

hi ant hi sheilo

Sitting next to Pedone – Jen Grace

Mark!!!!

and by girls i mean michael and mark

Hey Anthony. So we’re actually inviting people in the audience during hte screening ot ask questions! as well as our FDL readers.

my peoples……

If no one shows up but us we can just have an online reunion party!

Hi Sheila…

Hi Jane!

Hi Miss Jen!

Hi Jane!!!

there are 5000 screaming fans, they have we love kevin richardson banners

Im in Wisconsin at a family bbq!

It was Anthony’s idea..

How did each of you come to be involved in Caserole Club and by extension Camp Casserole (and Anthony I noticed in the credits of c. Club you were a Manson news announcer!)

Yes! Maybe we could shoot a commercial through all of our Skypes…!

I’m here, but my internet is being as slow as dial up! LOL

i have the distinct pleasure of sitting with her now.

Hi Everyone

Hi wifey…

Tell them I said hello.

Hello all you lovely people.

I’m in Steve Balderson’s “stable” of actors. I am usually in most of his films, and Camp Casserole was an extension of that.

yeah i was. that was the initial hook into the film was to recreate the news cast

WE SHOULD!!! I still have my Culture Shock wigs lol!

I was taking an acting class with Susan Traylor (Sugar)’s sister as the instructor. Susan saw me in a play at our class theater and thought I would be a good fit for the film. She told Steve Balderson about me. Steve gave me a call and sent me the script. I immediately was drawn to the story, and the rest is history…

me too!!!

I met Steve Balderson when I was in Watch Out. I responded to a Myspace post in regards to shooting that film. I slept in my car in Wamego.

I was then involved in some of the pre-production for Casserole Club. I was originally going to be a crew member. Then I was offered the Ned role (played by Stuart Bennett). Then offered the role of Leslie.

Get out of town. You know I am from Milwaukee, right?

I’m also part of Steve’s “stable” of actors. ;-)

Reunions planned already?

Will the two movies ‘tour’ together?

Hi Iris!!!! Your interview in Camp Casserole is my favorite. The life I live and love and you nailed it…

Seriously, Michael? I’m from Oconomowoc/Milwaukee!!

Elliot, it would be super cool for the 2 movies to tour together. They are both augmented by each other.

the movies are doing a tour now on DVD…camp casserole is a dvd extra on the july 7th release of The Casserole Club on Breaking Glass Pictures

wow!!!! Thank you so much!!!! xoxoxoxo great director, what can I say…. hehe

What?!?!? How did I not know that! I am from Franklin (southwest suburb) by muskego/hales corners/west allis. Went to Pius Xi.

I kinda feel like every movie we do with Steve is a reunion of sorts. Only more fun, because instead of family you’re related to it’s family you pick. :-)

We should do a live tour (i.e. Rocky Horror). Everyone can dress from the 60s and throw casseroles at the screen!

Yes a great double feature!

So you shot this without permits in a city that isn;t very friendly to unpermitted filmmaking– what were some of the challenges. And why was Palm Spring chosen?

We did the world premiere of Casserole Club with the Screening of Camp Casserole at Raindance Film Festival, and shot another film while we are all there. The film is called Culture Shock and is out now on the festival circuit.
Things are moving really fast for both Steve and I and we have lots of stuff happening, so the idea of a tour is hard since Casserole Club is on Dvd and ON Demand right now, but Camp Casserole is a good tool in the festival circuit to push the film.

To watch Casserole Club followed by Camp Casserole would be a great night of viewing. You’d be able to see that the chemistry in Casserole Club is actually real, even though the couples were imaginary.

And what’s this I’ve read about a Pyrex movie based on the “commercials” shot during down time?

I’ve known steve for about 17 years now, and we’d been looking for a project to work on for awhile. Then he saw me in a play in NYC in 2010 and asked me to look at the role of marybelle. And that’s how I met all these jokers.

If we don’t organize that Michael, we can just make that part of our daily life.

Starring the Queen Bee herself, Ms. Wiedlin…

palm springs???? are you kidding me? it is 1969 eternally in Palm Springs.

Scandalous….

I got a very Cassavetes vibe wtching Camp Casserole, maybe because of the clothng and decore, but also form the ensemble feel. And Anthony, I loved the black and white, it was beautiful.

Yes, a THIRD movie was shot during production of Casserole Club & Camp Casserole. It’s called “The Pyrex Glitch” and it stars all the people in the other 2 films. It’s a sci-fi comedy

Pyrex is a crazy project….it is close to the finish line.
we have great people on that film.

if camp casserole is cassavetes…Pyrex is Dali…

Steve always shoots without permits. A lot of Casserole Club is shot indoors, but for the exteriors we just shot really quickly. I know we actually drove out to a mountain to film my scream. I literally jumped out of a vehicle, screamed, then jumped back in and we left. lol

Did everyone contriubte casserole recipes to the making of the film? And was their “chicken divan” which features left over chicken, thawed frozen broccoli, curry powder of course, cream of mushroom soup?

That would be hysterical.

Were the landlords at the rentals aware of the project, or was there a cover story?

All the ladies did. The gentleman contributed booze labels and cigars…

I think everyone found their own recipes. At least I know I did. We also actually made all of them for the shoots to really eat.

And our “story” was that we were there on a writers retreat, if anyone asked.

Weren’t we on a writer’s retreat? I think there was even a made up story about doing a makeover for friends when the make up was discovered?

I don’t know if people really realize how insane it is that we made THREE movies during that period, for basically NO money!! It is crazy fun, but crazy challenging as well.

I believe we were having a “writers retreat”…

I believe we were having a “writers retreat”…or something like that. ;-)

I think we also had a “massage day” with signs posted lol

Oh yeah, the property owners would never have rented to us if they knew we were making movies. BUT…we were VERY respectful of the homes, no damage, no noise, etc

I collect vintage Better Home & Gardens cookbooks. I have a fascination with aspics, in particular. That’s where I got my recipe. But I converted to it vegan so I could eat it.

One movie a week, basically lol

At night we’d be all drunk and backing, and Steve B (bless his heart) would be like the Hall Monitor: ssshhhhh!!!

we had boys jumping the fence looking for action and peeking through the windows….Jane got spotted at the health food store….by here voice

not “backing”, ” I said “cackling”

I’d say we left the homes better than how we found them. I know we cleaned our mini home top to bottom with bleach about a week in lol

Yes. Boys jumping the fences, indeed.

No noise other than underground commercial shoots being held outdoors at 3am… HA

Welcome so many fascinating folks to FDL – it’s an honor to have you here. Just in from work so not caught up yet but I did note the reference to vintage BH&G aspics and got so hungry!

Well, for people not familiar w So Cal culture, Palm Springs is a major gay party town, and I’m pretty sure HOWEVER rowdy we may have gotten, it was nothing compared to the boys renting houses during White Party!

I collect Sunset Magazine cookbooks and other post-war through 70s cuinary curiosities

The recipes took me right back to the 60s when I was a kid and my mom was constantly making ever more disgusting casseroles. Can honestly say that casseroles make me gag.

I hear that.

I can honestly say that snorting pixie stix makes me gag….. i can still feel the burn from our pyrex shoot…

True, true!

I have a Sunset Magazine “Cookies” Cookbook…

I know the green bean casserole and the hashbrown casserole still get made at all my family holidays lol

It was so refreshing ot see an ego free reality shoot, everyone focused on haivng fun while getting it done. How did Daniela Sea get involved? Is she also a Steve Balderson regular?

Late one night we tried to recreate a scene from Valley Of The Dolls starring Iris as Neily O’Hara, snorting pixie stix out of Pyrex dishes. “Sparkle, Pyrex, Sparkle!”

Oh, God, I’m glad I missed that one! #Ouch

Exactly! I’m fascinated by yesterday’s notions of comfort and gourmet meals. There’s something lovely and nostalgic and also ridiculous in looking back at things we used to eat.

iris you were such a trooper. you just got there that day, and were down for what ever with no introduction. I will never forget your willingness to just immerse yourself in our psychosis

Pleasant renamed me Pyrex Berry after that…..

Daniela Sea is a close friend of mine. I read the script and immediately thought that she would be perfect for Jerome! I knew that she was looking to do more “feminine” roles…

Okay, now I’m sad I missed it lol! That sounds too funny.

Daniela was incredible. She also contributes heavily to the direction of the message, and really gets the DIY community.

Peasant had a pot luck white trash party at Club Lingerie and casseroels were encouraged. I free-formed a tuna casserole with all generic brand noodles, the necessary cream of mushroom soup, crushed bbq potato chips and for the vegetable: OKRA. It got eaten. as m mom used ot say,”Done or raw, it fills the craw.”

Daniela was incredible. Loved working with her so much. Such a great approach to the work.

okra is my favorite of the slimy vegis

Starina, there’s footage for you to see, oh boy there’s footage…

Have you seen the Voncent Price Treasure of Great Recipes? It is beautiful. also the Larousse Encyclopedia of Cooking? Both feature color photos that are a little off, and the latter has a recipe for avocado and strawberry salad, which is basical a tower of the slice two ingredients.

Daniela is an amazingly calm and supportive energy. She was so positive and embracing of the experience.

Oh god. I have to look for that.

My mom’s best/worst dish: macaroni & Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup with hot dog slices. Makes me queasy just thinking about it. But it also reminds me of my happy childhood (food abuse not withstanding).

Anthony cna you tell us a little about ExChange, your film festival project?

My mother used to make tuna casserole about once every other week. Ingredients: 1 box kraft mac n cheese, 1 can cream of something soup, 1 can of peas, 1 can of yellow tuna. i LOVEDDDD it!!!

The funny thing is, that during this shoot I was exposed to a bunch of new modern ways to think about eating. I’d never eaten Kale (Daniela) or heard about Paleo (Michael, Mark, Susan). It ended up changing my life!

Michael Maize, wait, are you my brother I didn’t know about???

Daniela does have amazing energy. Just being around her is like a nice, warm blanket of calm. :-)

yeah Film ExChange is a 6 festival international film network.
We travel to Brooklyn, New Orleans, Corpus Christi, Austin, Victoria and Hamburg Germany to find films to compete for the Crossroads Award in Victoria TX April 4-7.

What is this Paleo that I am bring credited for?

Wow, that is a classic. My grandma made one with rice a roni (beef flavored), tuna and bell peppers. My mom’s were kinda good: Enchilada pie Layers o hamburger cooked in enchilada sauce and canned corn, cheese layered with flour tortillas.

Also chili relleno pie–condensed milk, eggs, adnd cheddar cheese pured over canned chilis.

There there’s tamale pie…you get the idea

Very very eager to see Camp Casserole!

Q for the principals: Have you seen A Walk On The Moon (big budget, studio, but a ‘small movie’ as it were, and New York/Jewish take on the same time period)?

If so, can you say how Camp Casserole might (in the Best-Of-All Cineplexes) fit side-by-side with it? Or if you wonder that eventually Amazon would offer the two as a twin box set?

I am at the first stop tonight. Art of Brooklyn Film Exchange. We are screening 3 films here tonight, a short film called The Strange ONes, Pillow and Camp Casserole. In fact Jen grace and I are headed to the Q&A now. be right back!!!!

A Paleo casserole would be challenging. kale rules. I put it in my smoothies.

I know. First Waukesha and now Macaroni casserole. What’s next? Pyrex implants?

Didn’t everybody have Campbell’s condensed pea soup with mom-added hot dog slices?

My mom would make that and it was the only way I’d eat tuna lol~

I always loved the hot dog slices in Spaghetti-Os. But the meatballs even more. I would save all the meatballs for the end, as they were my favorite. I wonder if anyone has ever made a Spaghetti-O casserole?

HA

GET OUT OF TOWN! Check it! http://www.mommyskitchen.net/2009/03/super-easy-sapaghetti-os-casserole.html

Hi ….internet was acting up

The things we learn!

I haven’t seen A Walk on the Moon…I’ll have to check it out.

How on script did you all stay?

Goodness there ARE Paleo casseroles!

Michael, you’re freaking me out! I would do the same thing with the Spaghetti-O’s meatballs! My mom would get annoyed and say “I don’t understand why you can’t eat it all together”. lol I never liked the plain or the hotdog slices spaghetti-O’s though, only the meatball one.

Finally! Welcome Sugar. Oh how I’ve missed you so. I never should have left you… X Max

yeah, haven’t seen it, will definitely check it out…

Hi Susan! Welcome. Jump on into the Lake and tell us one of your fave stories about make the Casserole films!

NO WAY!!!! I’m totally making that just for the heck of it!8-)

Ha! Crazy! Ya – I didn’t really like the plain or hot dog ones either…

Susan – Obviously it is your love scene on a picnic blanket in front of cars rushing by…!

I’m a verbatim kinda gal. But we did ad-lib some…

Hi Susan!

No offense j Grace but yes Max, you made the wrong choice!

When I went to see it (1999), afternoon in a small screen quadplex (originally a single screen shopping center theater), I was the only one in the theater, sitting in the back, and the movie wasn’t starting, well after the time. I figured the projectionist couldn’t see me, so I moved up and gave a ‘Hey!’ up to the booth. When Janis Joplin’s Summertime came on the soundtrack (on Diane Lane’s radio first), my eyes overflowed, the dam burst.

Did anyone else ever have macaroni salad with macaroni, peas, SPAM, and mayonnaise?

We stayed to the script, but there were scenes like the dinner scene and pool orgies, where ad-libbing definitely came into play.

I love that version of Summertime…It always gives me the chills.

Not as bad if you call them frankfurters. ;o)

The picnic scene was, the shooting of it, was Balderson to the MAX(pun intended). It was supposed to be Sugars secret hideaway, where shed go to think, to convene with nature…and sure it looked that way BUT just on the otherside of the bushes was the main draG og palm springs and we had no permits and it was a sex scene AND……

Ms. Traylor….hello!

me too…. i want to listen to it when we get done…

yes. and velveta for an extra punch!

AND…..?!!!

and… cars were zooming by at 40 mph. We def had to shut the world out and focus in on the passion. p.s. not that difficult with a Tiger like Sugar on your side…

I love that song.

Yeah, the Cheap Thrills/BB&THC version. Keeping it ‘real’. By 1999, several versions with Kozmic Blues and Full Tilt Boogie had been released or bootlegged.

I was a sort of Jill-Of-All-Trades for the films, and found the location where we shot the Sugar/Max picnic/sexscene. It was so funny because we were about 100 feet from City Hall, and about 20 feet from the busiest street in Palm Springs. But shot from a specific location, it looked like a quiet peaceful oasis. Kudos To Michael & Susan for pulling off that scene considering we were so “EXPOSED”.

AND … it was magical…we were all alone for that time there and we went in and shot and it was dreamy and when it was over we all turned around and then there was the rest of the world!!!

Velveta! LOL. My grandma makes the best macaroni using only velveta, milk, and butter lol. It’s so addictive.

I loved Velveeta! Decades before microwaves, you could zap Velveeta just by looking at it!

….thats pretty much how the whole movie felt with all of us all the time….we all had each other, our backs that is

what were each of your characters. I learned about you in real life (though I knew Iris before this) thorugh Camp Casserole, but what were you screen characters’ stories/personalities? (yes I am ordering Casserole Club and DVD!)

Kudos to you Sheila for finding such a great location. I love the agave and the waterfall, etc…!

Yes! Everyone had everyone else’s’ backs! A way to make movies that has probably mostly disappeared.

I was MAX

married to Jennifer Grace (Marybelle) and having an affair with Susan Traylor (Sugar).

I was Leslie Holleran. I played myself in the film…

And was the affair spawned by the neighborhoodCasserole Club–the 1969 housewives cooking, the men drinking etc– or was it in place beforehand?

I was “The Broad” a very small scene in Casserole Club. I’m more involved with Camp Casserole. It was all fun…

Websites – Camp Casserole – screenings

Website – Casserole Club

I had a verrrry small role in Casserole Club, I was the disapproving Church Lady. In Camp Casserole I am more of an instigator/rabble rouser.

That’s part of why I love indie film making-There really is no “that’s not my job”, the attitude is “this needs to get done, now lets do it”.

Trippy thread, Lisa. Thanks.

You had some really great points about DIY and controlling the creative end of things as well as the mode of production–you now have your own publishing company…

I played Kitty Bloom.

The affair started the night of the first “party.” I believe Sugar had the hots for me (Max) for awhile before that. But, it took a bunch of alcohol to get the wheels grinding, I mean turning…

I hope we’re not too dizzying lol ;-)

The ladies had the brilliant idea to invite the husbands to come be the judges of a cooking club contest….a couples dinner….after a couple of drinks there were games and one thing led to the next….

thank Lisa, I do… Punk Hostage Press, we’ve been doing this D.I.Y. thing for so long now, it’s way more fun, don’t need anyone’s permission…

I think most of the characters were in an unhappy place, they just weren’t admitting it to themselves. It took a few sips for the mortar to start crumbling…

Aloha, Lisa, and to all the Camp Casserole Crew…!

What a totally kewl experience it must have been, ya’ll…! *g*

Did you play pass the orange?

but a large unprecedented presence every minute of every day as the jack of ALL trades, girl friday!!!!! Amazing, you were. Every minute of every day!!

Starina, I feel like saying they were “unhappy” is reducing it to a black-or-white scenario. To me, it’s more like a slippery slope of complacency that just gets pushed a little down an unknown path.

Welcome CTuttle! Yes it def was an extremely KEWL experience!

Working on movies with Steve is always a fun experience. He finds the most amazing people to work together.

Oh Susan, how I miss being your retarded lesbian lover! (FYI: I played Susan’s retarded lesbian lover in Balderson’s previous film: “STUCK!”.

Ha! The characters played turn to the person on your right and tell them something you love about them!

A Jack of all trades, Master of none, can still get sh*t done…! ;-)

Very true. To me it was (at least for my character) that she was in a major state of denial. This was the push towards a brick wall of “wake up”.

Sorry, on your left!!!

No. All good. Loving it, really.

Next week on Aug 13 we have JOBRAITH AD with director Kieran Turner, which debuted at Outfest, and is screening for Angelenos at Cinefamily as part of Allison Anders’ Don’t Knock the Rock Fest. You can see the trailer here

To my Sugars great fortune Max was on her left

So, Lisa. Is this chat ending in 3 minutes?

Your mouth is a chasm of beauty…

Everyone, this has been such a FUN experience! I loved Camp Casserole, loved having you all here, and can’t want to watch Casserole Club when it comes in the mail!

yes it is sadly ending in 3 mins…2 now

And thanks fo rthe casserole inspirations!

Carry on Casserolers!

However, you all can keep going all night! People pop in an out of threads, we don’t turn off the light!

The comments will stay open for 24 hours

Love you! All

Sheila – see you in Oconomowoc…

Merry Casseroling, Everyone!

What were some of your most eye-opening experiences in dealing with each other under such conditions…?

XOXO

I am so happy to be talking w my beautiful talented friends. Mark, I missed your input, and just wanted to point out, you are NOTHING like Leslie, which makes your performance, in my mind, ten times more powerful. You are a master at why you do.

Bye everyone!!!1 xoxoxo

It’ll go on as long as ya’ll want to comment, Michael…! Welcome to the Lake…! *g*

Well, you’re basically living together, so it’s a lot like summer camp (if you ever went as a kid). The first day your parents (or in this case an airplane) drops you off, and you don’t know really where you are, or where you’ll be sleeping. It starts off with everyone just kinda getting used to being around one another, but by the last day everyone is comfortable.

Seeing so much skin and “parts” in a two week timeframe. Def eye-opening!!

BYE ALL…!!!

I can dig the Summer Camp like conditions, I can tell ya some serious tales about my 20 yrs of Uncle Sam enforced ‘living conditions’…! ;-)

Mahalo Nui Loa, ya’ll…! *g*

xoxo, Michael!

Haha, I’m sure this was a little less strict lol

Thanks everybody — now to go bake that SpaghettiOs casserole