The podcast dives into the quirky and campy world of "Vegas in Space," a film that began production in the early 1980s and was finally released in 1991. The hosts discuss the unique charm of the movie, which blends elements of science fiction and drag culture, showcasing a narrative filled with colorful characters and humorous twists. They explore the film's significance within queer cinema, highlighting how it serves as a testament to the artistic vision of its creators, who worked tirelessly to bring their project to life despite limited resources. The episode features lively banter among the hosts, reflecting on their personal experiences with the film and its impact on their understanding of gender and identity. As they reminisce about their first encounters with the movie, listeners are invited to appreciate the eclectic nature of "Vegas in Space" and its enduring legacy in the realm of genre films.

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Mentioned in this episode:

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Food About Town hosted by Chris Lindstrom, focusing on restaurants, food and drink of all kinds, and whatever topics I want to cover! https://foodabouttown.captivate.fm/

Level Up Coffee Podcast

Level Up Coffee Podcast: Level Up your coffee game. Wade Reed and Aaron Pascucci, two coffee professionals discuss coffee and the culture surrounding it. https://levelupcoffee.captivate.fm/

Joe Bean Coffee

Joe Bean Roasters Joe Bean Coffee (@joebeanroasters) - Coffee that lifts everyone. Use promo code Lunchador for 15% off your order! https://shop.joebeanroasters.com

Sweet Pea Plant Based Kitchen

Based in Rochester, NY @sweetpeaplantbased is a plant-powered kitchen creating transformative ways of wellness. Harnessing the power of food as medicine, we help you realize your happiest, healthiest self. Use promo code Lunchador15 for 15% off your order! https://sweetpeaplantbased.com

Good point.

The following footage is certified PG.

Pretty great.

It's anomaly presents with your friends, the podcastronauts.

Sounds like a lot of supernatural baloney to me.

Supernatural, perhaps baloney, perhaps nothing.

Hi, everybody.

It's anomaly presents, the podcast about the genre movies that inspired a genre film festival.

That's the Anomaly Film Festival.

Dryden Theater.

In your mind, in your heart.

That's where it is.

My name is Matt Austin.

This is the Anomaly Presents podcast.

We are here to talk movies.

Had a moment?

Sorry.

Sorry.

Mike was about to drop.

I'm not being very mindful, very demure.

I'm not being very concerned.

Yeah, we're of the moment, everybody.

Yeah.

Wow.

We're hip.

We're hip.

We're with it.

We're hip.

We're with it.

Yeah.

So this is the.

As you ostensibly notice, this is a podcast about movies.

My name is Matt Austin.

We have the podcast or not.

With me tonight, I've got Kristen Pelk Pacheco.

Good evening, everybody.

Or good morning.

Or good middle of the night, depending on when you're listening to this.

I hope it's middle of the night.

I hope you fall asleep listening to our melodious voices.

Yeah.

Sky Murphy.

Hello, my name is Sky.

I accidentally let out the largest belt.

Don't tell on yourself.

Don't tell on yourself.

That probably myself.

It didn't.

I don't know if it made it.

It was real close to that one.

When that one slurped away and I couldn't get to my mute button fast enough.

It's because these seltzers are so bubbly and they're lovely.

The reason why we were cracking up was because we're all trying to hold together and what we can't do is that so thank you.

Hi.

I'm happy to be here.

That's right.

Also, sky, before we go any further, I just want to ask what flavor Seltzer are you enjoying?

And by extension, are we enjoying.

Toasted coconut?

Bipolar.

It is bipolar.

Wow, that's.

That's very specific.

Damn.

The SSRi's are right in there.

Like what?

How's it work?

You said what?

What, you need a prescription or.

Yeah, amazing takes in, but once it.

Does, toasted coconut is actually a really good flavor for polar.

Just saying.

It's solid.

Yeah.

And last but certainly not least, Megan Murphy.

Hello.

I hope it's the middle of the night.

Good night.

Good night.

We're not watching you.

Do you want to do a little ASMR, do you want.

Is this.

Oh, yeah.

Hey.

Hey.

Film fest.

Film fest.

La, la, la.

Yeah.

We did it.

Nailed it.

We did it.

There we go.

Yeah.

Crushing it.

Yeah.

So this is the podcast about movies.

We're going to talk about one movie in particular tonight.

Is.

Is our want.

It's a film that I've been hearing about from the Murphy siblings, I think the entire time I've known them, probably.

I mean, I'm assuming the first month or two it must have come up.

No, I guarantee it.

I guarantee it.

I'm pretty sure.

Pretty sure.

We were sitting in Magnus's living room and I heard the phrase for the very first time in my life, Vegas in space.

And it's probably in Magnus's living room at this point.

I don't want to.

If anyone remembers anywhere else.

No, no, it's there.

Perfect.

So we are, we are here to finally, after eight years, talk about Vegas in space.

I have been waiting, waiting and what I suck at waiting.

Well, good news.

I'm going to make you wait longer because we have the trailer to show everybody.

So I'm going to warn everybody.

So the trailer is about 3 hours.

3 hours long.

It's three minutes long.

Really.

You're going to get about 90 seconds of, uh, description of the plot.

You're probably going to get about another 40 seconds of music and then back to the plot for another minute or so.

Just so you're not sitting there going, am I listening to a weird surf rock radio show?

Nope, it's just the trailer for Vegas in space.

If you're watching on video, you'll see all of the delightful video antics.

So here we go.

On three, two.

Uh oh.

I didn't hear any audio.

Right.

I didn't hear the audio either.

So pretend you heard awesome surf rock.

Yeah.

And then three minutes later you must have just like disassociated.

But we're back.

Yeah, we totally just wormholed that.

So in lieu of a trailer, Murphy's, would you like to describe the plot of Vegas in space?

What.

What we're going to do is we're going to have Meg say words and I'm going to interject.

Yeah, that sounds good.

Sounds right.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I know.

It's, it's, it's, it's the, you know, it's an age old story of in the future, you know, you have your earth, I guess, military.

It doesn't matter.

They're on a ship and they're all dudes, but they're.

They're.

The empress of Earth is sending our intrepid crew to.

Here's the thing.

I'm gonna.

I have to not say some of the words.

I think, um, we're just going to call it Vegas in space.

Uh, it is.

The name of the planet is a particular body part because this movie's very campy.

Don't worry about it.

Got to go see the film.

But anyway, so they have to go because, uh, the Empress there is having a party.

But also, there's a problem of her missing gems.

And the gems keep the planet together because Vegas is a pleasure planet.

But the most important thing is it's only for women.

So.

Oh, no.

What's our dude crew gonna do?

They take pills that instantly.

And this is just the thing that in the future, you just take a pill and you.

And you change, unless you take two because you think you need more, and then you just disappear.

So then all of a sudden, ba bam.

We have three people left, three sassy ladies.

And they have to go undercover, of course.

Of course, to find these gems.

So they are going to be.

To make sure I'm getting these words right, they are going undercover as an authentic mid 20th century Earth showgirl cover group.

So they both have to perform at this planet, but also solve a crime.

And there's all sorts of characters.

And I'm going to tell you just the one thing that just kind of sums this up.

This was based on a party.

A party.

Only other movie I know that was based on a party is the last of Sheila, and that was Stephen Sondheim and Anthony Perkins.

So strong company.

That's what I'm saying.

Like, if you want a solid movie and then, like, shenanigans happen.

But it is a campy, fun romp.

It was made for, basically in chunks, as they had money.

The director, Philip Ford, and the lead co writer, makeup artist designer, made all the miniatures, I think did most of the dresses.

Doris Fishe.

And basically, anytime they got cash, they would continue filming this film in apartments with any drag queen in San Francisco they knew.

And they met more drag queens as the years went by.

So they're all in the film.

And it was this labor of love that they did, they worked on.

And in a way, it's amazing that it exists because.

Right.

Kind of before they were able to totally finish it and before the San Francisco premiere, Doris Fish died.

So in a way, it's so amazing that they are able to have this testament to like, this artistic vision.

Like, yeah, we don't have a lot of money, but we have a lot of chutzpah and we have glue and we have glitter and a lot of neon fake fur.

Apparently Doris bought it like by the roll, by the real, and then figured out what she was going to do with it later, which was make this movie.

So that's the energy in this.

Like, we're going to put out a show and all our friends because a couple of people, they work together at God, what's it called?

It was called like sluts a go go.

Like, that was their like, artistic collective.

So they basically like, we're gonna make a movie.

Cause we like movies.

And it took them longer than they thought, but they never gave up.

And now it exists.

Vegas in space.

It was a part of my.

Hold on.

Yeah, great job.

That's why.

That's why I had, I had nothing to add.

Nothing.

It was wonderful.

Oh, hang on, hold on.

I have something for this.

Yay.

I literally had nothing to add because that was perfect.

But this movie was literally a part of my queer like identity journey.

It was the first time that I had like seen on tv a drag queen had perceived what camp was and I got to sit next to my sister like in the middle of the night basically, and watch this film that is just like just camp and weird and odd and like, not what I would be like, not the Power Rangers I was watching at the time.

Right.

Which is still campy, by the way.

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

That's kids camp to get you ready for the adult camp.

Yeah, but it was wild and I still, every time I watch it, I'm like, I did not perceive it that way as a kid, but like, it's between that and two.

Wong fu.

Thanks.

Ever seen Julie Newmartaine were like my favorite films.

And when I was twelve and people asked me what my favorite film was and people had no idea what I was talking about with either of those films.

Thank you.

USA up.

That's my Rhonda sheer.

I was just going to ask if that's what that was on and that's where you saw it.

Yeah, they actually, and it's up on YouTube.

I'll put a link.

They actually had Philip Ford and Miss X, who is the queen of police veneer and also the empress of earth.

And they have a segment where they're talking about it all on one bed for like back and forth the entire time.

So it was just such a great introduction to like, that kind of energy, like, when you're a kid, you're up a little too.

Probably a little too late than you're supposed to be.

And you're watching this, you're like, this is amazing.

This is the best thing I've ever seen in my life.

Thanks, Rhonda.

That had feel, like, the most, like, clandestine, bizarre thing.

This is what happens when grown up.

Yeah.

But it's hilarious to think about Vegas in space because it is a very chaste movie.

Yeah.

They use adult words sometimes, but it's like a silly romp.

Like, if you think, yeah, they're just.

Going strange adults, but it's drag.

It's just.

Yeah, they're just dressing up and they're having fun.

Yeah, there's a little.

Yeah, good.

But.

And it is one of those things, like, as you get older, though, then you start to get some of the bits or the things that they say a little bit.

Yeah.

I mean, even outside of the words that they're using.

Right?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

But, like, I would still call it very PGD.

Like, even the more adult things they're saying, it's.

I don't know if sex exists in this world.

It's all just.

It's shopping and taking either legal or illegal beauty supplements or stealing gems or robot dolls.

Like, it's that level of, like, that's what an adult.

It feels like, kids playing adults.

And I think that's part of, like, it's that version of drag where it's like, look at me.

Look at me.

I'm an adult woman.

And everybody in this movie, whether or not sis or.

Or any.

Or just, like, anybody, they're all doing, look at me, I'm a lady, and I love it.

Those beauty pill transformations.

Oh, my God.

We're like magical girl transformations.

Every time I'm like, what are we gonna get?

Hair's getting.

Yeah, yeah.

Wigs getting better.

We know how I feel about wigs.

The wigs getting bigger and better.

The outfits are getting better.

Well, I was reading a whole making of, and they literally said we wanted them to look better, at least our three main characters, every time you see them.

So that first transformation, they look a little washed out.

Like, they need.

Like, they need a hairdo.

Like a hair style.

They need a little more makeup, but that's okay.

This is, like, their first day as ladies.

They got to earn it.

You know, they got to want it.

Yeah.

And then it's just something to watch.

Like, oh, look.

Look at the glamour.

It's being soaked in the.

What is.

Oh, because as we learn, I think, not to get too ahead, but I think with Princess angel, when she's introducing them to Vegas in space and giving them a tour, she goes, Vegas in space is an oasis of glamour in a universe of mediocrity.

I'm like, yes, I'm in.

I feel like we should clip that for our intro.

Oh, yeah.

100%.

Absolutely.

That's anomaly.

Sometimes when we can together, we're trying real hard.

We're trying so hard.

Every time I looked at Princess angel, it reminded me of, um.

Actually, she looked like, well, I guess Lady Gaga from the applause, like, era.

Like, same.

I don't know what it was.

The same face shape, eyes.

It just.

I was like, color.

Yep.

Yeah.

Beautiful princess angel, who could never be an evil robotic doll.

Never.

She's so.

She's got her little pink hair and her little pink.

Oh, my God.

I just love the look of Princess angel.

And, like, she already has brat vibes, and she just gets brattier as the movie.

Like, the whole final where she's like, no, I took up their mind.

I'm like, I love her.

Isn't that all of us?

Like, no, I took them.

I wanted.

I lost it when she hid those gems in her wig.

Aw, it was so amazing.

Of course.

Where else, where else should we do?

Should we go by plot?

I can lead us.

I can lead us through.

No worries.

I can get us through Vegas.

I mean, the movie barely goes by plotinous.

Yeah, yeah.

When you get to that second half, I.

It's just a party.

I think that's mostly the party.

Uh, yeah.

So our crew, who, uh, my favorite thing.

So I love their.

Their girl names because we get a Debbie, a Sheila, which, like, of course.

And then, uh, Cap, Lieutenant Dan, Tracy, because Tracy Daniels.

I was like, yes, yes.

That's the star name.

That's like.

That's why.

Yeah, she's the lead.

Okay.

So I love it.

I love it.

And they.

They are introduced, and at first, I think that they meet, um, Princess angel, who's like, co emperor or vice empress of Vegas in space.

It's a little nebulous.

And she.

Assistant.

Yeah, below empress, but, like, right hand.

And we don't know.

We don't know.

She's a doll, though.

She's very doll like.

I think we're supposed to assume that she is biological.

At this moment, though, it's not really a big secret when they're like, yeah, she's a doll.

Yeah, of course.

She's nuts.

She moves like a doll, but she's like, showing them around.

So we have the scene where we see Vegas in space.

And as I said, this was filmed in people's apartments.

So Vegas in space here is a large enough room that they could like, put some pillows, a couple tables to be like storefronts, you know, some shiny fabric over here.

They're making do with what they got.

Oh, those models are great.

Like the, like the city models and what they do.

The little perfume bottles.

Yeah, and little.

It's always a joy when we get to see all that stuff.

I was really impressed by those models.

You get like little miniatures that, then we get like wide shots, we get close shots of, they're talking about like, all about.

We get info dump about why Vegas in space is the way it is and how the jewels are guerillinium.

And that's what the emperor's jewels are.

They're very important, the garlinium.

But we also get shots of like the UFO traffic up in the sky and the different queens talking about, oh, my God.

I was like, oh, God, I gotta go hang out with those tired queens.

You know, you get the vibe know, which is like tourists and then tired queens, they're all tired of over it.

They're wealthy, they're bored, and they just don't want to hang out with their loser friends.

Yeah, most of them are like queens or empresses themselves.

So they're all like, oh, I gotta show up.

Because the empress is having like this, what does she call it?

A off world sleepover Slumber party, which apparently she has every year.

This is what royalty does in space, everybody.

So you have people and it's kind of giving you the vibe like it's all, they're like drag queen friends doing a character wearing a lot of it is like very bright colors, like yellow skin, green skin, because it's like sixties.

Sci-Fi the brightest wigs, like that sparkly gold one.

Very Juno.

Wait, is that her name?

The one?

The drag queen that paints her face blue?

Juno.

Oh, it does.

Kind of like an alien character does.

An alien character, that's sounds right, but.

I don't have the whole.

Yeah, I would say that she was.

A hundred percent in Vegas in space.

Oh, I love it.

So they're getting that.

And then eventually, uh, our folks are brought in to see the empress.

Who knows who they are?

They have their cover story.

They are the show girls from the 20th century, which either most people don't know and yet know enough to want autographs.

It's a little like, strange about what's happening in this group that has just been created.

But it's also, for me, it's imagination, reality.

We're just undercover, but also, everybody knows us, and we're amazing.

And also, we don't have to practice.

We're just going to be really good.

Oh, yeah.

And then you have, like, the queens who are just like, yeah, from Earth, that backwater planet, like, making me think of X Men 97.

Yes.

From our milky Way ghetto.

Oh, that fits in perfectly.

Yes.

So they see the empress, and she's explaining, like, okay, so here's the deal.

The girlinium, the jewels, stop the planet from breaking apart because they're.

They've been having earthquakes.

And she's told everyone, oh, I'm making this happen for my.

My party.

And everyone's just, like, shaking around.

And when they have an earthquake or when a ship shakes, it's all star Trek.

Like, oh, no, go to the side.

Oh, no, go to the side.

My favorite kind of acting.

It's so good.

Charming as hell.

But they're like, okay, so we gotta figure out who steal, who might have stolen this here.

I'm gonna have you work with my queen of police, who is also my chief suspect.

Cause she's evil.

But also she's the queen of police.

The queen of police.

All very little girl esque like, right?

And then queener shows up, Miss X as Vineir.

And, oh, my God, I love her so much.

Like, there's, like, the white face paint, the eyebrows, the cape.

I'm like, that is what the queen of police would look like.

Full on Norma Desmond get up.

Yeah.

Oh, yeah.

Tired of everyone else.

Like, just, I'm trying to do my job, and I'm surrounded by buffoons.

Yes.

That energy all day long.

And she's like, okay.

And I know some other stuff, but she's basically like, you have to get them all on the same side.

So she has a talk with, like, Tracy.

Yeah, yeah.

I was like, let me show you what it's like on the outside, which is one of my favorite things, because she's like, let me show you the color dial.

And turns it down.

And everything's in black and white.

She's like, yeah, these.

These planets can't hold color.

We have to use artificial me.

And this was all filmed on film except for the nightmare sequence.

So when they made this, they had to film in black and white and in color, literally lock down the camera and film both chunks and then merge.

Them so that effect, like, Nora, I didn't know.

I didn't see if it was a financial choice.

That they went to black and white because the film stock was cheaper, apparently.

And I'm reading.

I'll have a link.

This is from Philip R.

Ford's.

Like, he has a whole, like, it's from.

It's a blog spot paint website.

And it's.

It's basically talking about his entire, like.

Like, how they did it.

And he said that they both wanted that.

Plus, Miss Xdem wanted a whole black and white sequence because she loved film noir and she wanted her character veneer to have some of that dramatic.

She was right.

Yeah, the vision.

See, I thought it was maybe either a financial choice because of, you know, black and white foam shot.

Could be financial.

I mean, I'm sure that was helpful too, because that was one of their biggest costs, considering at least a couple.

Couple times they sent it to the lab and it got screwed up.

Yeah.

Like, more than once.

But they go to her.

Her castle that she has on the edge of the city, and then she raises the whole thing.

Yeah, I can just do my own thing and.

Yeah, yeah.

I could also, like, you know, she can't.

She gives, like, she's a bit.

It has a bit of a heart of gold.

Yeah.

So you're like, okay, so all of a sudden, like, Tracy Dan is like, you know what?

This is just a test.

We're cool now.

So that's over.

And we get a little bit about the planet and, oh, my favorite thing about, there's a creature there, a drag, who's like a monkey with a feather boa and, like, fish nets.

And one bit of information is like, yeah, we did, like, a study of the DNA, and we think that women might be descended from drag, which is hilarious.

I love that idea.

I love that inversion.

Like, in this letter, drag is the source.

Just a fun thing to throw in there.

They're playing around with, like, all of the fun stuff, but then they real.

I think it was at that point where, uh, Veneer has a.

Wait, wait a second.

It would take a devil to be devious enough to steal the gems.

A devil or perhaps an angel.

And that's how she figures out it's probably Princess angel.

Like, we're at that level.

Have we seen any evidence?

No.

The words connect.

Yes, we're just connecting dots over here.

Is really how it goes for galaxy brain idea.

Everyone else.

And that basically brings us to, like, the final piece of the film, which is like, the last half is the Empress Nueva's sleepover.

Although queens are showing up and they hate going there.

It's so tired.

Oh, what 20th century showgirls.

This is bullshit.

Both.

They have to do snooping, but also make the.

Make the show performances.

Yeah, we see a performance.

They should have practiced.

Yeah, probably.

I gotta be honest, it was.

It was a lot of, like, we can do it.

We have to do it.

I guess we have a big enough wig.

You can do it.

No, but that's okay.

That's okay.

They take all of their pills.

They have the, like, little bit where they're showing off their lingerie.

Yeah, they're a state assigned lingerie.

The planet, like, gives them lounging outfits, which I love.

And then a little bit of ending where, like, veneer chases Princess angel around all over.

Just chases her everywhere.

And then eventually there's an earthquake, and Princess angel falls down the pink first steps and explodes.

And everyone's like, oh, my God, she was a doll.

It turns out Princess Nueva has these princess angel dolls.

Sure.

And it ends.

Yeah, it ends with, Tracy Daniels is going to stay and be the queen of police for a while because video needs a vacation.

Honey, you look tired.

It was at planet Mexico or planet New Mexico.

It's good for your skin.

The other two get promotions.

Two of the guards become also members because they didn't like their job.

Fair enough.

They were treated like crap.

And at the very end, you see Princess Empress Nueva open up another box of a princess angel doll.

I had nightmares about that.

Damn royalty.

Never learned.

There's other stuff that happens, but that's the gist of it, right?

Like, it's a deep plot, but it's a reason for fun stuff, for sequins and wigs.

So many wigs.

And music.

Like, that's all original music.

All that, like 60 style.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

It's really fun.

Like, beach party bingo type music all the way through it and.

Absolutely.

Yeah, it's so.

I've talked enough.

How did other people like this?

I have heavy nostalgia for it, so I can not be unbiased.

I am of two minds.

I wish I had seen it earlier, but I don't think I would have gotten it earlier.

I feel like if I'd seen it as a teenager, I would have gotten it from, like, the.

I like mystery science theater, and this looks like a mystery science theater movie.

Most of those jokes would have gone so far over my head as a kid from a cow town that I would have no idea.

I probably would have missed that.

There were drag queens at a certain point as well.

No, I can see that.

Like, not understanding.

Like, oh, yeah, they took a pill.

Yeah, it's Sci-Fi yeah, I can see that.

They took a pill.

Now there's all these women in this.

Yeah, yeah.

Well, two of them are women originally doing.

Yeah, I mean, there's just all these layers to it.

Right?

Like, you know what?

In.

In Vegas, in space, anyone can be a drag queen.

Gender does not hold you back in any way.

You take the pill and your hair gets biggest, and you take more pills.

And your hair gets even bigger.

Exactly.

If you take them all at the same time, you evaporate.

That's the only thing.

You know what's funny about that?

So apparently he was supposed to be in the film longer.

He was like the pianist at the.

The sluts of go go.

And then he realized, oh, this is gonna take a lot more time than I thought.

And he basically said, how about this?

What if my character takes two pills and evaporates right now?

Kill me, kill me.

Write me out.

Write me out.

The time commitment.

I don't.

I don't have the dedication the rest of you have.

He probably looked around and was like, oh, they're like in it.

This is not a one weekend thing.

Yeah, no, this.

This might be longer.

Pulled the old Harrison forward.

I'll do it, but you got to get me out of here.

Yeah, you gotta get me out.

I liked it.

I think it was really enjoyable.

That second half, I think, like, that nightmare sequence, I'm like.

It starts to drag a little bit, I feel like.

But pun was intended at that point.

They had.

What I ride was they had decided they really want to make this a full length film, so why not a dream sequence?

Also, Doris Fish had a.

An early VHS recorder, which not a lot of people had.

So that is on video because they had access to one.

Yeah.

And they wanted to do it like MTV, not to shoot the whole thing, because I don't think they would know how to.

And like.

Yeah, that wasn't their.

Their idea was a film.

You know, like a film.

And I think this is a little early to do a straight to VHS.

Yeah.

Cuz at that point, it probably would have been the mid eighties at that.

Yeah.

When they started.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It was, what, 81 when they started?

I believe so.

So I have to look up the exact.

But it was.

Right because night.

Yeah, 91 is when they finished and it came out.

So.

So, yeah.

Technology for making movies changed dramatically in those ten years.

Yeah.

When were laser discs around?

We had a couple of those.

We had trading places and some other movie in those.

And they were like this biggest.

Right.

In that same timeframe.

It's probably like the mid eighties.

Yeah.

Because it's like laserdisc and VHS.

Yep.

We're both at the same time.

How big a player did you need to play those damn things?

Big.

Big enough to put a disc in.

Yep.

It was like a record player.

Sorry, my brain went cloudy with a chance of meatballs.

You can't run away from your.

There was that with.

With a little.

Little smidgen, a little milieu of French Stewart in there, too.

It was good.

So.

Sorry.

Okay.

It was good.

It was good.

Yeah.

So they were big.

It was like VCR size, maybe a little bit bigger because they're like twelve inch things that you had to feed into the thing.

And because it was basically like a giant cd or record size cd.

Wild to me.

Yeah.

Barely any of them work anymore, too.

Fun fact.

Is it because, like, they degraded?

Right.

Because isn't that, like, the concern with cds, basically, DVD's and Blu rays, is that they're not a long term.

They decay.

So from an archival perspective, they're.

Yeah, they're not long term.

Yep.

So a lot of you print out.

Movies, the flip books.

Yep.

Exactly.

And then do origami with them.

Um, yeah, fun fact.

Fun fact, too.

If you burned a cd back in the day, chances are it's not going to play anymore anyway.

Yeah, my mixtapes aren't gonna play anymore.

Probably not.

I had a burn.

Meg had to burn the entire soundtrack to the Buffy musical.

And you're telling me if I were to pull that dvd now, I can't listen to it anymore?

You're gonna want to find that streaming someplace, friend.

No, I'm sure I legally bought that.

Oh, my sister legally bought.

Get it from the library, our tried and true best friends.

The library followed closely by to be.

That's right.

If it's not on to be, which, by the way, this film is streaming, but only on Amazon prime or the Troma app.

Fascinating.

Because this is a trauma film.

Yeah.

This is Vegas in space has always been kind of weird.

Like, on a streaming site.

Like, if you don't own it, it will pop up and then disappear.

And, I mean, I won't blame trauma because I just won't blame them.

But also, I don't know what they're doing with their rights.

Trauma rights are like whack a mole.

I find.

I will say that out loud in front of God and country because, yeah, that's the way it goes.

Like, their stuff comes up and leaves.

Often they just make it so that the demand is, like, higher or that you'll buy physical media.

But then are they even making physical media, like.

Especially something like Vegas in space, which is very much of a time and place.

It's very much a singular creation that could have only been made by those people at that time.

Yeah.

And I think it has something to do with queer culture in the eighties to nineties.

Like, the folks making this were in the middle of all of that, you know, San Francisco in the eighties, you know, like drag queens and artists in the eighties.

This is, like, for me, an important, like, it's campy as hell, but I think it's an important part of, like, queer cinema.

I really do.

Like, it's.

Yeah.

And that was going to be my question is, how many other documents of, you know, ten years of the, the San Francisco drag scene are there outside of this movie?

You know what I mean?

It's kind of a, almost a yearbook, I guess, because they brought in new people constantly as they came through their, the cabaret or whatever.

Yes.

Like any.

Yeah.

Any ambulatory drag queen in San Francisco period of time was in this film.

Like, please come here.

We gotta, we have to have a crowd.

And it's people.

Oh, yes.

They start bringing him in more and more.

And I was like, ah, yes, the she Hulk drag queen.

I think you're my favorite.

Like, but it was literally that as they meth other people, as the years went by, they're like, okay, cool.

You can be in this scene or you can be in that scene.

You know, it had that, that feeling like no one had to audition.

It was just, let's make this thing with the people that we do art with, that we entertain with, and that's rare.

And it's really cool to see, you.

Exactly.

Like, um, I was reading, you know, the, the director's whole thing, and he was talking about how he really thought he was going to be a director.

Like, he went to film school.

Like, his whole plan was, you know, and he's like, okay, like, this took longer than I thought, but when it came out, it got some, some attention, you know, and he took some meetings and stuff, and it just didn't happen.

Partly because at that point, uh, drug use, which he literally says, like, I, you know, that we, we, some of this is powered by drugs, everybody.

But also this, the idea that, like.

At this point, I can't imagine a movie that takes ten years in San Francisco has anything to do with any kind of drug use or abuse.

But I love that he's like, in a way, kind of like, at this point in his life, inquiries, like, I'm not going to be the, like, director.

I thought I was right, but I made this.

I made this.

I made this with my friends who ended up becoming, like, his artistic family for ten years, you know?

And he's like, I love that this exists.

You know, if this is the thing I made that people know about, then you could do a lot worse, you know?

Oh, for sure.

I love that.

I love that.

And there's such a style to it, and there's such a.

An aesthetic to it that, yeah, you.

Know, black and white in color.

Like that dream sequence of going to Veneers Castle, where they're, like, going phasing in and out.

He didn't have to do that.

But it was like, oh, I learned a thing in film school.

Let's do this, let's do that.

There's so much fun visual stuff, which probably was part of the reason it took ten years.

But also, like, let me try all my things.

Like, watching it, I kept thinking about Pee Wee's Playhouse.

I was about.

It has that same aesthetic and energy.

Yes, yes.

It makes me wonder.

Cause they're kind of contemporaries, right?

Cause I think Pee Wee's Playhouse ran from like, 86 to 90, early nineties, 91, 92, somewhere in there.

And I think they were in, like.

Like, the la comedy scene is where a lot of that stuff came from, if I'm understanding correctly.

Like the original, like, adult kids version of Pee Wee's Playhouse.

Yeah.

But I'm wondering if some of the artists that worked on Pee Wee's Playhouse came from San Francisco in any kind of way, because they.

There's definitely a shared aesthetic or shared energy, or it could just be parallel thinking because there's this certain genre of person, like, you know.

Yeah, the West coast vibes.

West coast vibes.

Gay west coast or west coast vibes.

You know what I mean?

Like, I.

Yeah, queer West coast vibes.

Plus it's that I stayed up too late and watched all these b movies.

Yep.

And now I have, like, you know, plan nine from outer space and.

Yeah, so this is what my aesthetic is.

It's all these beach blanket bingo slash, you know, UFO movies where you can see the fishing line, you know, and, you know, creature from another planet and all that shit.

Like those, like, real bad fifties B movies that, like, kind of dovetailed in with that alternative culture.

Because Pee wee is kind of like a similar alternative culture thing for LA, right?

Yeah.

He was kind of, like, hand in hand with the punk scene and I think partially in the queer scene in LA.

It's that similar artistic language, I think.

But it's kind of interesting to see that parallel thinking I've talked for way too long now.

No, that was good.

Like, I was like, oh, I should bring that up.

And then, boom, you were there.

Nailed it.

Yeah.

I have a question for sky.

Yes.

Also, don't ever apologize for talking, so.

Oh, that's not true.

You should never say that to me.

I said, in this situation.

I was.

At a heart, Blanche.

I was going to say, you guys will all regret that one day.

No regrets.

Okay, so, sky, so as being younger, when you first encountered this, what do you think the things that, like, young sky was, like, drawn to in Vegas and space, what.

What were the first things that, like, you were like, oh, this is fun.

Like, what was it?

Do you.

Do you, like, remember.

There were colors.

Yeah.

And then the camp was just.

I think I was just born.

First of all, I was born the gender neutral equivalent of a queen.

Okay.

That's just what I was.

Right.

So, like, real bitch saw.

Real bitch.

Right.

So that's what I.

That's what I first saw was, like, this is the camp I shit ever, um.

Like, the glamour of it.

Like, the glamour of it.

Yeah, like, the glamour of it.

The camp of it.

I also, like, very young saw crybaby.

Right.

And you and her get on the John Waters train.

You got me on the.

Yeah.

And I think this was.

This was the pre John Waters train.

Right?

Yeah.

But, like, in a less would eat dog shit way.

Right, but, like, lessons.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

As I said, version of a kind of camp.

You know, weirdly enough, it's.

I was oddly drawn to it because I was, like, scared of angel.

A princess angel.

Oh, yeah.

Either you don't like dolls?

I don't like dolls.

She's genuinely creepy.

That little genuine music when she's walking.

In, like, a safe way, but very intense and very creepy.

And that's the first time I watched something and was like, this does not feel safe or good, but, like, I want to keep watching it.

So when I know what happened to these drag.

Like, and I was also trying to.

I was like, what.

What is this gender thing happening?

Right?

So I'm also trying to process, like, wait, what?

I don't have to be what gender I am right now, but, like, it wasn't the word gender.

It was just like, I don't have to be what?

Like, the vibe I am right now.

So then I'm also drawn to it just as a queer because I'm like, I have options of things.

And then, wait, I can wear wigs and be fabulous, right?

So that's what drove me at a very young age, was, like, options, right?

Fabulous options and drama.

I love that you said that while you were working on your eyebrows.

Yeah, yeah, you do it.

You sipped your polar, and then you're like, yes, it was.

Yeah, yeah, it feels real good.

Yeah, that was.

Yeah, that was great.

About the most perfect thing you could have done while explaining that.

And I'm blown away by what you just said, too.

Yeah.

That's incredible to kind of have that realization at however old you were at that point.

I can't even tell you how old I was.

It was mostly around the time that I was also figuring out how to bake.

And then when I would be up in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep, I just bake a cake and make the frosting from scratch.

And then my mom would wake up in the morning and be like, where the fuck did this cake come from?

And it happened so many times.

And then I was like, ma, I'm.

I'm not having sleeping problems.

I'm midnight baking cakes.

Memorize.

And then memorizing the lyrics to, uh, music videos.

Because in the middle of the night, that's when MtV would play nonstop music videos, and I'd put captions on.

So I just memorized music videos.

Memorize, uh, the lyrics.

And then.

Because other than that, you had, like.

No, you had nothing.

We didn't even have, like, a to z lyrics at the time.

There was nothing to give me lyrics.

There's no, like, the little fold outs of the cds.

Yeah.

Which.

And then wasn't 100% of the time.

Was 100% of the time or in the cassette.

Oh, my God.

They were so tiny.

I forgot.

Yeah, forget and.

And then watch, like, me too.

Up all night movies.

Yeah.

On random channels.

Yeah, that's.

I'm curious.

I'm sure someone's done this study, um, about, um, queer culture and cable and be able to see more stuff.

Especially, like, before parents were super aware of the stuff.

You could watch later, but you could just kind of watch later.

I mean, not.

Not just queer culture.

Also sexuality.

Also, like, just, what do I think an adult is?

Like?

on cable.

Oh, yeah, 100%.

Yeah.

Or even, like, getting things from block, like, renting things without your parents.

Really, like, looking at what it is.

Because that's how I saw jawbreakers, like, in fifth grade, because, like, oh, yeah, this looks like.

Yeah.

Sleepover movie for the girls.

No, like, wow, fifth grade is on job break.

That's.

And I.

I of the mind that this is mostly positive because it's still safe exploration.

You're like, you're just.

You are, like, getting information.

I think.

I think it's important, I think, at least for most kids to be challenged and maybe made a little afraid, a little uncomfortable and something that you can turn off.

Like, literally, like, I don't know what I just saw, but you can then think about it and then go, you know, like.

Or also some folks just, like, they're where they live or who they live with, would never even let them know that certain things exist.

Like Vegas in space, you know?

I feel like it can be like, little, like, be like little gateways.

Yes, this exists.

Don't forget.

You might not be able to do anything about it now, but now you can't unsee, you know?

But, like, that's the same way I think about, like, horror films, too.

Like, little, like, you.

You feel you discovered something, so it's important to you now.

And then you can process it.

And I think that helps you on your journey to adulthood is like, we don't have a situation where we're like, hey, go hunt your first tiger and come back and you're an adult.

But, so we don't have that, like, ritualized as much.

But for us, at a certain generation, maybe the ritual was, yo, I saw something on tv last night that might make me not sleep for a couple days.

But I also feel that I'm on the other side of something.

Yeah, it's real involved.

Yeah.

Our hunting was seeing chopping mall on monster vision.

I'm like, what?

Mine was watching Terminator two and then doing flips off my mom's bed and cracking my head on a nightstand.

Yeah, mine was watching the ventriloquist from killer clowns from outer space.

Back when I was terrified of horror.

I had it in my head so much worse than it actually is.

I literally was like, oh, shit.

There was like, yeah, like, what do you.

But I think it's.

It's funny because I talk to people a lot and in other spaces that I move in, and they're just, I don't watch anything horror.

I don't like it.

I don't like it.

Like, I don't.

I don't want to be scared, but that's part of the thrill.

Like, I like, like some movies I watch and yes, I'm not scared.

Some I like to watch because it makes me scared.

Or some I've fooled myself into believing I'm not scared.

And then I come home and I think the radio is talking or like, I think I'm possessed and it's the radio.

So it's like, anime was boring.

I didn't feel anything.

I'm in my house, the lights are out.

I'm like, oh, shit.

I don't know.

How many times is it, like a teen and in my young twenties where I would go to a horror movie, have, like, the time of my life, be laughing.

Then I would get home and my grandmother would have every weird light on in the house and all of the curtains open.

So I just clenching, just trying to close every blind being like, please don't kill me.

Please don't kill me.

Like, good.

The good vibes immediately came to a screeching halt.

But, you know, I don't know.

And I feel like I don't know if people, like, as a kid don't watch it or they watch the wrong thing, like, too young.

I think a lot of times that's what it is.

They just caught the wrong one, not the one that really, you know, it's the roller coaster you never want to ride again versus, like, the fun one.

Like, or their friend watches it or their friend makes you, or their friend doesn't tell you what a saw movie is.

That is one you don't want to see.

Okay, maybe not even.

And it's all three.

And there's a pit of hypodermic.

Oh, no.

Okay, and then your friend.

And then somehow you are, you know, in college and you don't know well enough to just walk out of a movie theater.

Yeah.

Orchard.

Yeah.

The entire time.

So anyways, I have come out of that, obviously.

I'm like, that's why I'm advocating it for it more than anything is.

I think you can, you can find your own strength in a fictional challenge or, you know, or say, like, bring it back to say, like, a queer cinema situation.

Know a thing that exists that you didn't know existed.

Even if you're, like, not ready to completely process it, it's there for when you're ready, right?

You know, it's like, hey, it's there.

It won't.

Like, next time this comes around, you might be like, oh, wait, a second.

Wigs, huh?

Like, I feel like it just, like, you know, I just.

I.

You know, it's that whole thing of, like, there's a difference between, like, a dangerous childhood experience but.

Or one that feels dangerous, but it's not.

And it helps you.

Like, I think, you know, it's being challenged.

I think, you know, sometimes, like, as a very terrified young kid, as a kid who did not like horror and stuff, I'm glad I was able to come to it on my own way.

Challenge myself occasionally.

Go like, oh, God, I can't go to that spot of the rental store.

But then I could take a peek.

I could take a peek, or I could catch something.

Like, I think you don't know what your own level is unless you're testing it.

You don't know where your boundary is until you accidentally cross and go, oh, shit, went too far.

Yeah.

Again, in a safe thing like entertainment and art, where you can always turn it off.

You can close the book.

You can do that.

You know, you can test your own boundaries.

You can learn new things.

I also feel like they can also be, like, bonding experiences.

I always think of fondly watching because I don't.

The only horror game I can play is until dawn.

But that's similar to, like, a movie, right?

So.

But many, many years spent watching my older brother and my older cousin play resident evil and Silent Hill and all of those games and me, you know, either hiding behind a pillow or being, like, the command center.

Like, try this, try that.

But, like, all of us.

You know what I mean?

Like, fond memories of all of us being scared, playing these, you know, games or watching them together.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

I made friends for life decisions.

Oh, man, we should not have watched this, put you together.

You're traumatized together.

What are we saying, man?

I said, I've made friends for life.

Doing that was how I made my.

In a freshman year in college, we had two experiences that we all bonded over, and it was playing resident evil one.

Yeah.

With all the lights out in my one friend's room, and the other one was watching event Horizon, some of a.

Good Sam Neil's goes crazy movie.

Event horizon is awesome.

And we should really do that one day because I stand by that as being a damn good movie.

But, yeah, we all watched it in the dark, in the my friend's room.

And then I had to walk back to my dorm room.

I walk in, oh, shit, I would have slept with the floor.

Wait, so I walk in, it's pitch dark, my roommate's asleep as soon as I open the door, the phone rings and I pick up the phone and it's my roommates or my friend's girlfriend that was watching the movie with us, just making the event horizon noises.

I have diabolical.

Yeah, Candace was worst.

One time I'm over at my friend's house and he's like, he makes me sit down and play the playable trailer.

The silent hill turns off all the lights and makes me put, like, the head, the headphones on.

Oh, not headphones.

Yep, yep.

And so I'm freaking out, and whatever, we end up finishing it.

I get home and I lived with two other people at the time, and when I get in, one of the lights that is never on is on.

My bedroom is at the end of a hallway.

And if you've ever watched playable trailer, you're literally just kind of going around in circles in a hallway.

So I go into my bedroom, and then I'm like, you know what?

I'll calm down with a little snack.

So I walk into the kitchen, and as soon as I get back into the hallway, I hear a thud and the scream I let out and go.

Booking it down to my bedroom.

And I'm like, nope, we're never leaving this again.

Oh, no.

Listen, I'm not trying to top everybody at all.

What I will say is I used to work outdoor ed, so I worked at some camps and then this movie called Hills Have Eyes.

No.

Yeah.

Oh, my God.

Why?

The remake?

I'm watching that.

Well, no, unfortunately, I didn't get tricked into it.

I didn't know what the film was, and some of the other people were like, let's watch this.

And I, very silly under peer pressure, didn't do my due diligence to figure out what it was, and instead in pitch dark in a cab.

And guess who had to walk back to their cabin.

No.

Through pitch dark forest.

No.

And nobody would do it.

Nobody would walk.

So we had to walk in a group.

And when, I mean, we walked in a group, we were all touching because I was worried somebody else would scare somebody.

So we all walked, and then we got to the middle of where all the cabins were and they're like, you got to break off.

And I said, you got to break off and walk to your cabin.

You got to break off and walk to your cabin.

Wait, has to be the last one.

We all had to be quiet because sleeping twelve year olds were in the cabin.

And so we had to get back to our adult side that has no door or anything without screaming.

And let me tell you.

These children snored.

And so all I hear is all these scary sounds, and I'm like, I'm gone.

Yeah.

And I'm telling you, I felt something breathing down my neck as I'm walking to my cabin.

And I'm going.

And then I get in, and then I wake every single kid up.

And then I pretended like, no, accidentally, because I'm breathing so hard.

Oh.

And then I get into the cabin and there are like, kind, hi.

What happened?

And I said, nothing.

This is a dream.

Go to sleep.

I see.

Still professional.

You're like, you know what?

I.

Apparently, I'm the adult in this situation.

Keep it together.

There are kids that to this day, they're like, Jeremy sky came into our cabin.

What was that?

But check this out.

I have.

I don't even remember the movie except for one particular part.

And it's awful.

Everything else is out of my head because of how scarred I was.

Popped it out.

The.

I have one vivid image, and it fucking sucks.

See, these are all wonderful moments that made us the people we are today.

That you, too, can now have at our film festival in November.

I couldn't do it better.

KP.

Have KP's brother Todd.

That was beautiful.

I learned from the best.

I just.

It was wonderful.

Yeah.

So, yeah, we have a film festival.

It is true.

KP is speaking the truth.

It is November 6 through the 10th.

It is the anomaly film festival.

It is anomalyfilmfest.com.

for details.

What movie are we showing?

Great question.

We're trying to figure that out ourselves right now.

We are watching hours upon hours upon hours, working hard every day to find the best in independent genre film to put up on our screens for you.

So come and have that.

That shared experience that we were just talking about that KP so eloquently described there.

Way better than I could.

Yeah, it is.

It's coming quickly.

It's, uh.

It's wild how fast it's coming, huh, guys?

Gonna be the fall soon.

Yay.

It's gonna be fall soon.

Um, yeah, so November 6 through the 10th.

It is, uh.

It's gonna be fun.

We're so excited.

There are so many good.

We're there.

You don't have to watch anything alone.

We promise you.

In fact, we guarantee you you won't be alone.

We'll be there.

Oh, God, that crossover.

Okay, I gotta, like, stop crossing over into creepy.

Yeah.

Don't.

Don't creep them out.

Don't creep them out.

We need to show up for the movies.

Um, no, I'll be locked in the office upstairs if I go.

Too rambunctious.

Also sounds creepy that we locked people in.

Office.

It's a whole flight up.

I barely.

Oh, I do have access to like some screening room.

It's fine though.

Don't worry.

I was gonna say, if you're looking for Meg, she'll be staring at you creepily from the balconies.

Will you hear that?

Might be me.

Yeah.

Come.

Come join us.

It's gonna be a great year.

The stuff that we're seeing.

Oh my gosh.

It rivals the stuff we've seen in prior years just to try to figure out what we've got.

It's an embarrassment of riches.

So we don't have enough time to show it all.

So it's going to be.

It's going to be wild.

So we're going to show everything at double speed.

That's right.

At the same time we're going to show the exact same time.

Don't do it.

But we're doing it.

So if you're a fan of Mike Lee, this is the year for you to show up to the anomaly phone festival.

We're going to show them regular, I promise.

Don't let my shenanigans.

I'm kidding.

Those shenanigans.

We take pride in how we project the movies.

We have world class projectionists that take the utmost care in putting the films up on the screen for you.

So yeah, historic in the historic.

Little theater.

Historic driving theater.

World class projection.

So yeah, it's anomaly filmfest.com.

check out the socials.

Anomaly film fest.

Meg keeps us on top of all the cool things happening in the world of genre film and the world of anomaly.

And hope to see you soon.

Uh, yeah.

The potato misses you.

Or hasn't met you yet.

Do you not know what I'm talking about when I say the many eyed potato?

Would you like to know?

Come to the theater.

I don't think that was creepy.

I stand beside that.

That one was intriguing and enticing.

Yes, I agree.

We'll.

We'll leave on that.

Thanks, everybody.

And Emily loves you.

See you next time.

This has been a presentation of the Lunchroar podcast network.