The other Janis Joplin film revives duel

It seems like I've been writing about the Janis Joplin movie duel forever--actually about 10 years. Now word is that Lee Daniels is, perhaps, maybe, possibly, going to direct one currently untitled version as early as next year. I'll believe it when I see it. But Amy Adams is attached to star as a much-prettier-than-Joplin Joplin.

The other version has also talked about filming soon with Martha Marcy May Marlene director Sean Durkin helming and Nina Arianda starring as Joplin.

As I recall, the two films have rights to different Joplin songs.

Will either film in Texas? Probably at least in part since she was raised in Port Arthur and later lived in Austin.

Terrence Malick filming again at Austin City Limits fest

We've got confirmation that Terrence Malick's untitled film formerly known as Lawless--which has been lensing around Austin of late--has already been spotting filming at the Austin City Limits Music Festival, which just kicked off. And, yes, Ryan Gosling, was in front of--and in this case behind--the camera. See more pix here.

And somewhere in this video, actress Rooney Mara is supposed to be on stage dancing as the Black Keys perform.

Friday Night Lights' Peter Berg says, 'Quit it, Mitt'

Peter Berg, creator of the Austin-shot TV series Friday Night Lights says I know Coach Taylor,  Coach Taylor is a friend of mine. You, Mitt Romney, are no Coach Taylor.

In other words, quit using the coach's slogan: "Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose" that Berg wrote.

Berg was behind both the Friday Night Lights film and TV show, but they are both based on Buzz Bissinger's book of the same name. Bissinger, who has long bashed Romney, now suddenly has come out in support of him. He's also shown himself to be a bit of a crank, if not a total nut. Bissinger and Berg are cousins, making it even more interesting.

Now word from actor Kyle Chandler, who is wisely keeping out of the fray.

Spencer's new book examines 'Secret Sex Lives'

Suzy Spencer gets her photo snapped for our Austin Chronicle interview.

Check out my interview with Suzy Spencer (it's all about sex) in today's Austin Chronicle about her new book Secret Sex Lives. (Did I mention the sex?) Here's the beginning (which is somewhat about sex):

Meeting Suzy Spencer at the IHOP to discuss her book Secret Sex Lives: A Year on the Fringes of American Sexuality seems both appropriate and wrong. Scanning the mostly middle-aged and older crowd, I can't help but wonder if these are the very people in the book – the sometimes sad, sometimes funny folks prowling Craigslist for extramarital sex partners, swinging, swapping, and playing out new and oh-so-naughty roles.

"The first advice I got was to meet my sex sources at the IHOP," Spencer says. "It's because of all of the security cameras. I was told to sit where the camera would be pointed at them." She points up, and I see the camera staring down at me. "They're just regular everyday people," she says of her sources. "The majority of them you wouldn't think were doing this if you met them on the street. For instance, the guy I call Coyote in the book is a regular good old boy who just happens to cheat on his wife."

You can read the rest (which is full of talk about SEX!) here. Enjoy.

Virgin Mary image appears in college's 'weeping wall'

An image of the Virgin Mary has appeared in the residue from a wall outside Austin Community College's Rio Grande campus that appears to weep water.

Perry's new film commish marks a shift in focus

Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced Monday that Heather Page is the new Texas film commissioner. She's got an interesting mix of background: she's worked for the Texas Film Commission (which is housed in Perry's offices), she's an actual working camerawoman and she's an at-large member of the industry lobbying group the Texas Motion Picture Alliance.

Her predecessor Evan Fitzmaurice, as well as his brief temporary replacement David Morales, is an attorney from Perry's staff. His legal background was seen by many as a desire to focus on cleaning up the process of distributing film incentive payments aimed at attracting film, television and videogame projects to the state. It was also a means of keeping the commission quietly chugging along--emphasis on quietly.

To mention the obvious, Page is also a woman, which is a plus considering allegations of sexual harassment involving former film commish Bob Hudgins just prior to his stepping down in 2010.  Hudgins, who had worked actively in the film industry, was instrumental in getting the Texas Legislature to approve a film incentives program. He was dynamo who pulled the state's many different regions together.

So the latest announcement can be seen as an effort to move back to the original role of the Texas film commissioner: attracting projects to the state.

Just one question: will Page  talk to the media? Hudgins saw that as part of his job. Fitzmaurice began referring all calls to the Perry's press office where they mostly died a slow death of despair.



Here's the press release from Perry's office:

Gov. Rick Perry has named Heather Page of Austin director of the Texas Film Commission. The commission supports Texas' growing and diverse media industries, and helps increase Texas' competitive position worldwide as a production destination. Page is an accomplished motion picture camerawoman, having worked on major feature films and television shows such as Revenge, Friday Night Lights, Armageddon and The Green Mile. She is a former workforce training administrator for the Texas Film Commission, where she helped implement the Workforce Training Program created in 2007 by the Texas Legislature. She is a board member of the Society of Camera Operators, chair of the International Cinematographers Guild Scholarship Fund and co-founder and director of Beyond the Lights Celebrity Golf Classic.

Page received a bachelor's degree in cinema from Denison University, a master's degree in cinema studies from New York University, and a certificate in graduate cinematography studies from the American Film Institute.

Photos begin to surface from Terrence Malick's Austin film shoot

The first action photos are starting to surface from the Austin shoot of Terrence Malick's film formerly known as Lawless. Ryan Gosling and Rooney Mara join Malick in this shot taken this week. See more photos here at Justjared.com.

For my earlier report on the film, which is set in the Austin music scene, go here.