Huh. I had a somewhat different take on the documentary. It was an impressive portrait of the artist, considering all the interviews conducted, archival digging, and extensive editing of the images and sound. However, I was bothered that not one mention was made about the artist’s sexuality, and I called the filmmaker out on this point during the Q&A that followed the first of five Tribeca Film festival screenings. “Why did you make this choice? Was he asexual?” I was even more annoyed at the director Mary Jordan’s weak and glib answer: “I didn’t want to categorize him.” Huh? It’s OK to DESCRIBE the artist as a photographer, a filmmaker, a performance artist, an auteur and a nonconformist, as iconoclastic, radical, avant-garde, anti-capitalist, cantankerous, and even mad, but if you that he’s gay –- clearly related to his status as an outsider and having rejected societal norms -- suddenly you’re CATEGORIZING him? Glossing over how someone’s sexuality contributes to their personality, life, and art is SO 1970s, and Mary Jordan should be ashamed of herself. She better have a better answer (if not apology) for her omission if she’s going to face the audiences at the San Francisco Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, which has selected the film for screening in June.
# posted by  Thor @ 5/05/2006 1:51 PM  

 
Dear Thor,

Like his work, in a way Jack Smith transcended sexuality; a sexually liberated being. Jack disliked sexual categorization...lesbians, dykes,
bois, girls, femmes, homo, bears, trannies, etc...Jack wrote that he hated this, and did not want to be included in these implicit divisions through
categorization.

In my film, I felt no qualifier necessary for Jack....simply he was a great artist not requiring a "gay/queer/bi" modifier. This is the idea I meant to
convey to you. In truth, and for the record, it appears he preferred men, but also was known to love women as well. Again, I considered this
secondary or even tertiary to celebrating his work and ideas. His work says it all.

Sincerely,

Mary Jordan
Director, Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis
# posted by  Jack @ 5/08/2006 12:55 PM  

 
While I have yet to see the film, I am waiting for it to go into general release. I have been very unhappy , hearing that Mary Jordan seems to want to control the reality of Jack smith's life to the point where she has said according to several people who contacted me after she did post screening speeches at Tribeca...not only the comments posted here ..alluding that Jack was not gay..an obvisous nod to mary sue Slater, jack's homophobic sister, who was not ashamed that Jack had Aids, the subject simply disgusted her, but she had been ashmaed of Jack's homosexuality for decades as a born again Christian and siad this quite clearly after Jack's death. The idea that "Jack loved women" except in the usual gay male way is ABSURD. Jack was a 70's style gay male complete with the proclivity for anonymous sex, which he spoke about often among friends. Jack was very clear about being a homo and about being queer..he simply did not want to be refered to as a "Gay" filmmaker or artist..understandable.

The other thing I keep hearing about from Mary Jordan's after show talks is her remarks that I , Penny Arcade, only met Jack shortly before he died. Which is a lie and patently absurd. Despite the fact that I was involved with Jack since 1967, Mary Jordan continues to make these comments for her own aggrandization, hiding completely the truth about both the end of Jack's life, his alienation from his sister for over 30 years, his refusal to have her contacted either when he was in the hospital or upon his death, which I chose to do on 'compassionate grounds" .

At Jonas Mekes's request I wrote this after Jack's death for Film Culture for people who wished to know how Jack died. Certain parts were edited out of the essay (the part about Allen Ginsburg and Irving Rosenthal) when Ed Leffingwell published it in the catalogue for PS 1's retrospective of Jack's work which I fought to have happen, at a time when Jack was ignored by the Art world and art institutions..Yes, A major retrospective within ten years of his death..here is my Film Forum essay..does this sound like someone who met Jack the week before he died?














The Last Days and Moments of Jack Smith
Legendary Filmmaker, Theatrical Genius and Exotic Art Consultant
November 14, 1932 - September 18, 1989
by Penny Arcade

It took Jack 30 minutes to walk down the six flights from his apartment to the street where Ivan Galietti and I waited by my car. The six flights that he used to lope down in less than 5. "Bring the car," Jack had commanded on the phone, “I want you to take me to the hospital." Ivan and I stood nervously, glancing at the doorway waiting for Jack's great slouching form to emerge. "Jack will never climb those stairs again." I said to Ivan. “No,” Ivan replied glancing over at the still empty Doorway, "I don't think so. He's too weak. This is it." Suddenly Jack lunged thru the door, his grey wool coat flapping wildly around his emaciated form. His head thrown back, slightly cocked to the left, while the rest of his body seemed to be veering to the right. There was chaotic motion yet he was standing still. Wide eyed, his eyes raking the sky, arms flying heavenward, he cried out, addressing the roofs of First Avenue: “Now I know why we cannot have bowls of gravy!" Jack, covered in cheap gold and silver chains from midnight binges on Home shoppers network, looked out of place in the August light. "Oh! I look like a wino!” Jack said catching his reflection in the jewelry store window. “That's why I have to encrust myself in jewels! When people see you are sick or poor they just ignore you. They treat you like shit."
Kurt Lavine, Jack's upstairs neighbor, helped Jack into the car and slipped into the back seat. We said goodbye to Ivan. As we pulled away from the curb Jack turned to me and said earnestly, "We have to find a malted before we do anything else. I've almost completely given up on finding a banana split in this god forsaken town."
# posted by  penny arcade @ 5/16/2006 11:57 AM  

 
The movie was weak, the director was self-important and simply didn´t add up for me or the group of friends that came to see the film at tribeca.
Surely there will be people saying all sort of things about Jack smith, please remember that an interesting person doesn´t make an interesting film...this was the case.
# posted by  Anonymous @ 6/05/2006 7:24 PM  

 
The memory of the brilliant Mr. Smith will ring some noise for the filmmaker, not sure how she was on the 2006 most something¨¨ ¨something list..
have anybody seen other work of hers? I search and nothing came up... wait..no, nope, nada, I wonder how this lists are made...hard proven work?
# posted by  Anonymous @ 6/05/2006 7:29 PM  

 
with all the "she said/he said...."
My two cents.... the doco was not that great
( I wonder if Mr. Macalau was watching the same film..)I was at one screening at TRIBECA
One good thing, It made me interested on knowing more about the artist
peace
Alexander Paine
does anyone knows of any other doco on Smith's?
# posted by  Alex Paine @ 6/06/2006 5:28 PM  

 
Whilst Jack Smith was an interesting subject to make a film on, Mary Jordan's film did not have the depth and was very one-dimensional. I wanted to know more about what it felt to be gay in the 60s/70s...also, Jordan put Smith on a pedestal and did not examine his life critically. The film lacked in layers and depth, and I'm surprised that it has received any acclaim giving it's many failings.

I tried to find out what other films Mary Jordan has made, as her bio lists many others, but could not find anything. Perhaps this is her first film, which explains her lack of experience in delving deeper into the subject matter.

Pity that a good subject for a doco was never properly realised. I give the doco 2 stars - one for Jack and one for the filmmaker for trying, eventhough she ultimately failed.
# posted by  Anonymous @ 6/24/2006 8:15 PM  

 
It seems that Penny Arcade has to constantly defend her weak position. I actually saw the film and thought it was incredible. A huge amount of work. The previous posts reveal to me a ridiculous sense of envy and most likely Penny Arcade trying to continually spread her hate for the filmmaker who did for Smith more then she did with his archive for over 10 years. Anyone of merit or with a sense of art can not deny this film being a great work of art and a brilliant portrait. Its been screening in America with audiences raving about it. Mary Jordan in an interview says again and again that this is her first ever feature, and is proud to be a first time filmmaker. I mean, what an accomplishment.
# posted by  Anonymous @ 6/27/2006 4:32 AM  

 
I think the above comment is written by the filmmaker herself or one of her cronies. Mary Jordan does not paint herself as a first-time filmmaker - if you look at the bios she has written about herself, you will see that she claims to be an award-winning documentary filmmaker of human rights films inc. one on genital mutilation. But search the internet, and you will never find these alleged films because they do not exist. She is the master of deception. She is a self-important, bullshit artist. She has commodified Jack Smith and plans to make money from using his name. He would be turning in his grave if he knew how she has mis-appropraited his art.

The film was far from brilliant. But I admit, it wasn't a bad effort. The only thing the film has going for it is all of Jack's work and film. It is all archival. The footage shot by the filmmaker, however, was contrived and a poor attempt to imitate Smith.

Furthermore, Mary Jordan has painted herself to be the poor, struggling artist in a vain attempt to liken herself to Jack Smith who really did suffer for his art. Let it be known that Mary Jordan has considerable wealth that she has hidden offshore. She is far from the poor struggling artist. She likes to build her reputation on other peoples work ie. Jack Smith.

My condelences go out to Jack Smith who would not have allowed her to make a documentary on him. I heard Jordan speak at Tribeca and was surprised at how much praise she heaped upon herself. Self-agrandiosement is what she seems to know best.
# posted by  Thomas Smith @ 6/28/2006 1:49 AM  

 
This is looking like a personal vendetta against Mary Jordan. I saw the film. I thought it was an enormous amount of work. Sounds like jealousy to me.
# posted by  Craig B. @ 7/05/2006 12:02 PM  

 
Strange that people seem so set on putting down the film/director. I saw the film a few days ago at the LFF and thought it was pretty good. The only thing I wasn't so sure about was the use of the moving camera during the interviews, it didn't work fully but I guess you can't retract that sort of idea at a late stage once you've filmed everyone.

Also, for what another practically anonmynous opinion is worth, does it not seem likely that the directors previous work would not be listed online simply because it wasn't involved in film but rather tv or something like that which doesn't have comprehensive coverage on imdb?

I thought the film itself was admirable, partly in it's pure scope to rediscover and edit such rare footage, it seems like it must've been a mammoth amount of work to produce. Obviously Jack Smith's work speaks for itself, but as you'll know if you've seen the film, most of the later film wrk has never been edited (except by Jack at live screenings) and the efforts of the current film's editors, music-makers etc is fantastic producing a great rendition of the footage.

Anyway, I shan't harp on any-longer. See the film and at least give it a chance, life's too short for such petty bitchiness. However, I'm sure Jack would appreciate the theatricality of all this, if not the meanness. Good luck to you Mary Jordan, your film is not at all bad (and as a Masters student researching things I bow down to your 5-year research effort!).

Chris Scales, London
chrischrisdoodah [at] hotmail.com
# posted by  Chris Scales @ 10/29/2006 6:55 PM  

 
Filmmaker Mary Jordan is hot!
# posted by  Anonymous @ 5/29/2007 11:16 PM  

 
Film maker Mary Jordan is a hot MESS and a SCAMMER.
# posted by  Anonymous @ 7/16/2007 4:56 PM  

 
What kind of people are these bloggers? Sounds like envy and their own self hatred. People with obviously nothing better to do. Get a life. Its just an article on a film review.
# posted by  Anonymous @ 8/03/2007 3:48 PM  

 
Youre going down, Jordan.
# posted by  KEVINKNOWS @ 2/16/2009 5:38 PM  

 
Saw Jordan speak in LA at a film screening. Incredibly smart and inspiring. The film was unlike any doc I have seen in a long time. Wonderful work.
# posted by  Anonymous @ 2/27/2009 4:21 PM  

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