INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT — TAPE #67, SIDE #2
Q: Mark Russell Bell
F: Fiona Manning
J: Jeff Hightower, restaurant staff member
B: Michael Paul Russell, my twin brother
(“MARK”)
F: Didn’t it turn off?
Q: I turned it over.
F: You turned it over? I was told by Steven Seagall how he was looking for a spiritual script.
Q: He’s one of your clients now?
F: He’s been trying to do a project on the Dalai Lama but — he’s got a deal with — I think it’s Paramount.
Q: Columbia I think.
F: Columbia?
Q: Or Warner Bros. One of those.
F: Anyway, the guy that was head of his production company quit — has gone to another company. So he’s restructuring. And he’s been trying to do a project on the Dalai Lama but the film company is not interested. They say to him that his audience don’t want to go see him . . . Dalai Lama or whatever. His interests really are spiritual.
Q: Does he know the Dali Lama?
F: Yes. He just went to visit him over Christmas. (“YEAH”)
Q: Just like Oliver Stone did — I mean he’s done spiritual — like “The Doors” was sort of a spiritual movie in some respects. What about your friend who used to work for him? What is she doing now?
F: Lisa Moiselle is head of development for Miramax.
B: I brought this for your sweetheart.
Q: No thank you tonight but what’s your name?
B: Florabelle.
Q: What?
B: Flower belle.
Q: Oh okay.
B: Have a nice . . .
F: Thanks.
Q: Did you want a rose?
F: No thank you.
Q: They’re symbols.
F: I know but I hate them. I hate being accosted while we’re eating dinner. Don’t you?
Q: I just didn’t want Mighael to be jealous.
F: (small laugh)
Q: I don’t want your car conking out anymore. No really. One of the times — the last time we were supposed to get together for the movie my horoscope said something to the effect of ‘Don’t go out with this person tonight. She doesn’t appreciate you.’ That’s what my horoscope (“NO”) said.
F: Really?
Q: And then you called and said you were having car trouble. Isn’t that weird? (“COUNT THE GOODNESS”)
F: Why does he do that?
Q: He’s jealous. He’s possessive. (“PLEASED”) It’s like I said. This is why I’ve been having problems finding a soulmate because I already have One and the fact that He is a nonentity (“FAIL”) in terms of physicality (“LEARN”) means I’m a very sexually frustrated person. (“YEAH”) And I think sex is definitely more of a fantasy than a reality anyway for most people . . . (“MEAN”) there’s a difference between sex-sex and fantasy sex and love. (“JOHNSON” “STAPLES” “MARK”) But they’re all very fun with the right person. I was just reading somewhere that sex is like the icing on the cake but you can have too much icing. (“FRITZ”) Right? (“BUT” “DIE”) So, anyway, tell me some more. What was that time that (“WRAPPED IN YOUR SLIPPERS”) the head of development for Oliver (“HAPPEN “) saved his life?
F: He had a drug overdose. When he went to Southeast Asia to do “Platoon” —
Q: Or was it “Heaven and Hell” — “Heaven and Earth”?
F: No. When he went to do “Platoon,” he became addicted again to opium. So he’s made several trips back there and he buys huge quantities of it and basically does it all day — smokes it all day. And she went into work on a Saturday morning and found him at his desk (“I SAW IT” “HI”) almost dead. And she called 911. He was taken to hospital and it was only through the intervention of his publicist that it was kept out of the papers. And instead of being grateful, he was upset first of all that she ruined his high. And, second of all, that she didn’t call the publicist. She said, “If I called your publicist who wouldn’t have been home, you’d be dead.” His wife called her and thanked (“UP”) her (“AD” or “ADD” “N”) and said, “You saved my husband’s life.” But she was really upset that he was doing drugs and she broke it off with him. They got back together. In the meantime, he was having an affair with someone in his office. And he went back to Southeast Asia to make “Heaven and Earth,” excuse me, and met another girl there — (“A”) Vietnamese girl that he’s since had a baby with. And he called Lisa one day. She was in a reading with me and she gets this emergency phone call. He’s in the Beverly Hills Peninsula with (“CHARL”) Charlie Sheehan and Woody Harrelson, having an orgy with these hookers. And one of the girls ODed while Woody was inside her.
Q: Did — oh she ODed?
F: Woody’s still fucking her and this girl’s dying. And she had to go over — and basically pries Woody off her.
Q: (laughs)
F: And rush her to the hospital. And then she had to smuggle Woody and Charlie and Oliver out of there (“HI MARK”) without the press finding out.
Q: That’s funny.
F: She said it was like Fatty Arbuckle all over again. She said if people had seen such debauchery in this room, their careers would have been finished.
Q: (giggles) Are you kidding? It helps them now.
F: Well things like Fatty Arbuckle I mean —
Q: Look at Hugh Grant, (“MEM”) no.
F: I think the thing about Hugh Grant is that he did a really dumb thing. It’s very European what he did, actually.
Q: Yeah.
F: I know this probably sounds weird but I think (“THAT’S VERY WELL”) his feeling was it was better to go and pay some girl that he’s not going to get involved with for a blowjob than to have sex with somebody that could really be a threat to his girlfriend.
Q: But you can get HIV that way, though.
F: Getting a blowjob?
Q: Yeah.
F: He probably didn’t realize that. I mean it was a dumb thing to do. I mean there are classier ways of doing it but — I think the girlfriend’s an idiot for taking him back but that’s just me.
Q: The hooker has been doing pretty well too.
F: Thank you very much, Hugh Grant, yes.
Q: So now who are the biggest stars that you do readings for now? (“DID YOU READ LIKE”) Mary Stuart Masterson or people like that?
F: No. She’s come into the shop but I would say the biggest — I read for Wayne Newton but I mean he’s not — he’s kind of passe. (“ED”)
Q: By the way, what was that actress —
F: Steven Seagall I’d have to say is pretty big.
Q: But we have interesting (“YEAH”) people in common — you and I. Like remember that actor I interviewed for — what was that film? (“PAUL R”) “Flesh and Bone”? That you also like. (“BITCH”) I mean it seems that sometimes the actors that I meet are ones that you also like. What was his name? I can’t remember his name.
F: You mean Rutger Howard?
Q: No.
F: Tom Berlinson, no?
Q: No. The one that his wife is with a weird Southern name? (“A”)
F: Oh. Scott Wilson.
Q: Scott Wilson.
F: I’ve since met him.
Q: Did you notice his name has ‘son’ in it too?
F: Yes.
Q: Scott Wilson.
F: Heavenly.
Q: Heavenly. Oh my gosh.
F: Where do they live?
Q: I think it was in the Hollywood Hills somewhere.
F: That’s right. (“WHERE THERE’S”)
Q: Oh my God.
F: Yeah. Because I went to — I read at a party where he was at. He kept trying to get a reading with me. So did Powers Boothe. I have to tell you Powers Boothe has the most incredible magnetism.
Q: Really? What do I — do I have — what do you find about me? (“SO”) Because you interact with all these famous people and what makes me so individualistic? And unique. If anything. (“WATSON”) Somebody once said that they saw an aura around me.
F: Well everyone has an aura. Yours is yellow. You’re very visual . . .
Q: Really?
F: So you have a yellow aura which means that you see things (pause) (“PROBABLY”) probably as a movie. Like when you’re writing you probably —
Q: I think we all do. Writing is like a movie.
F: Not all writers do though.
Q: Oh really?
F: You probably —
Q: Oh I do.
F: — see it already. You know you see pictures. (“YEAH”)
Q: I dream movies too.
F: That’s what I mean. People with yellow auras do that but people with yellow auras also get headaches. Do you get headaches?
Q: Whenever I don’t eat. (“O[R]”) Tension headaches.
F: Right.
Q: Yeah. What color aura do you have?
F: I have a yellow aura. Auras change but yours is primarily —
Q: Oh my God. Look — on the back of that it says (“A”) Sussman Celebrity Photographs. (“A”) There are also a lot of people in my life (“WITH THE W[ORD]”) with the word ‘man’ in it. So I have a lot of people I know who have the word ‘son’ in it —
F: Or ‘man.’
Q: And I keep getting ‘son’ and ‘man’ so it’s like I’m ‘son of man.’ (“HAPPY “ACTUALLY”) (Be)cause — and bells. You know that. ‘Bel bell belle.’
( . . . )
F: He did —
Q: William Friedkin?
F: William Friedkin did a movie with Mary McDonnell.
Q: “Blue Chips.”
F: “Blue Chips.” She absolutely hated him. She came to me for an emergency reading one day. She thought the movie was about to be terminated three weeks into shooting because he fired the entire crew. (“YES”) He had this whim one day and fired everyone. I said, “No no no, it will continue.”
Q: Is that drug-induced or not?
F: Yeah. (“A”) She said he was completely deranged. (“IT LOOKS AWFUL”) You know, one day he’d be nice, the next day he’d be firing people. But I said to her, “No no no, the cards are telling me that the film will go ahead. But he had terrible problems with Nick Nolte. Very temperamental. They had terrible problems. I mean it should’ve been a really straight-forward movie. And Nick wasn’t drinking. He was being a good boy and on his best behavior. And (“BUT BUT BUT”) I think it was only because Nick wasn’t drinking on —
J: Are you two doing okay here?
Q: Yes. (“NO”) Can I bring you anything?
F: Can we (“YEAH PLEASE”) wrap these? Mark’s going to take these home.
J: Okay. (“NOW WORN A”)
F: The — this . . .
J: Take these from you sir?
Q: (coughing again) Yes. (Or “YES”)
J: Alright. I’ll be right back.
F: Thank you.
Q: By the way, what’s your name?
J: Jeff.
Q: Jeff. And last name?
J: Hightower.
Q: Hightower.
F: That’s a great name.
Q: Where are you from?
J: Yeah, it is. I’m from Northern California. (“AND”)
Q: Is that like an Indian name or just a weird name?
J: No, I me(an) I — my dad had convinced me when I was little a little kid it was but absolutely no Native American. It’s English — there’s some (or “THERE’S SOME”) — the Hightower comes from an English background.
Q: That would be a good actor’s name. Are you an actor too?
J: Yeah (“YEAH”) but that is my normal name. But, yeah, somebody had said that to me before.
Q: You have like a River Phoenix quality.
J: Really?
Q: What do you think? Do you think so?
F: Yeah.
Q: Yeah. (“OKAY WE[LL]”) My book might be good publicity for you.
J: (laughs)
F: I’ve been meaning to ask you — do you have any straws?
J: Oh yeah. Did you need a straw?
F: Can I get one? Yeah. Thank you.
J: Can I get you a cappuccino or coffee or anything?
F: Do you want a coffee?
Q: Just some more water.
J: Okay. Alright.
F: We were talking about — Friedkin. (“YEAH”) So he was a complete jerk.
Q: Because (“NO”) he and Sherry Lansing — when I see photos of them that James took they look like they’re so in love. And knowing his history I just wonder how could this be? How can they be so in love?
F: They probably are but I mean, you know, basically everyone thinks he’s completely crummy.
Q: Well I know why he’s in love with her. (laughs) I mean you know.
F: She gets him work. (“AND”)
Q: Yeah.
F: She kind of green lights anything he wants to do.
Q: Well “Jade” — I mean that was a huge — “Blue Chips” and “Jade” were both huge bombs.
F: Oh I’ve heard huge stuff about that. (“SOMETHING VERY DIFFERENT”) He was not with Sherry. He went up to Northern California . . . Washington state? I have a client that was an actor . . .
Q: For which movie?
F: “Jade.”
Q: “Jade.”
F: They shot —
Q: Oh in San Francisco I think.
F: San Francisco. That’s where it was. I knew it was up north. But they used parts of a house in Washington state and parts of (“BUS”) a museum. The Paul Getty Museum in New York to look like the house where that collector guy is murdered. And she was telling me that Friedkin wasn’t with Sherry at the time. He was on his own up there. And he and Eszterhas were complete whores up there. She just said it was really embarrassing.
Q: You mean was he cheating on Sherry? (“GOD”) Oh my God. (“CALL THEM”)
F: She said he (“SPIRITUAL”) and Eszterhas were the sickest men she’s ever met. (“YEAH” “YEAH” “BELL”)
Q: And who said this again? (“YOUR”)
F: A client of mine who’s (“OH”) the art director on . . .
Q: And being in the film industry she knows a lot of real sickos out there.
F: She said David Caruso was okay but he had no charisma. It’s really interesting. When I said to you Powers Boothe has charisma, I was at a party reading and literally the guy walked into a backyard. It was Rick Baker, the film make-up guy. He’s a client of mine and I was reading at his party. And there were about a hundred people there. I mean enormous film stars, very famous people in their own rights. In fact, Don Simpson was at that party but anyway people who are very famous and successful in their own rights turned to jello when Powers Boothe walked into the room. He’s not a big star but I have to say I have never met anyone and I’ve met a lot of famous people, no one has that kind of charisma that that man has. And it was really funny because who should he walk into this party (“HELP ME HELP ME”) with but Scott Wilson. (“NO”) I’m not sure if I told you this story. I turned to jello because you know I’ve just loved Scott Wilson forever. I looked at them and they looked so out of place. Everyone else was dressed up at this party and they’re all down to the nines. Powers Boothe was dressed actually very — well he was wearing jeans and a turtleneck sweater and a blue yachting jacket so he looked great. Scott Wilson was wearing jeans and like this Western shirt and those black happy shoes — those Chinese happy shoes. And he looked really shifty-eyed and uncomfortable. And he was chain-smoking furiously. He looks quite old. I was really shocked and he’s like completely gray but anyway they were like together all night talking and Powers Boothe’s wife was with him. (“DAMN”) And guys were just like falling over themselves to get to Powers Boothe. They just couldn’t believe he was there.
Q: Who were?
F: Guys. At the party — falling over themselves to get to Powers Boothe.
Q: But it’s not sexual or anything?
F: It’s just like, “Oh my God, honey, it’s Powers Boothe.” You know, they said he was — he’s just like everyone’s — (waiter brings something) thank you. He’s like everybody’s favorite actor.
Q: He’s not even on the A list.
F: I’m telling you. You ask anyone. They all say, “Oh God, Powers Boothe.” And yet the guy doesn’t work. And I think it’s because he chooses not to. He could do anything. But he came over to me — Powers Boothe —
Q: He doesn’t work for the same reason me and you don’t get our books published.
F: Yeah.
Q: And I hope that’s about to change.
F: Powers Boothe came over and said, “Do you have any time?” And I had this waiting list three pages long. I was dying to read for him. What was funny though was that I said to the woman who had the party — Scott Wilson kept looking at me and I kept looking at (“CHRIST”) him because I wanted to read for him too. I said, “Do you know him?” And she said, “No, I don’t.” I said, “That is one of the greatest living actors in America.” And she said, “That’s really weird. Somebody else told me that. Who is he?” I said, “Scott Wilson.” And she goes, “Yeah but what’s he been in?”
Q: He won an award for “The Ninth Configuration.” What was that about? I didn’t see that movie.
F: It was incredible. What I was going to say to you is this. I said, “Well how did he come here?” (“YEAH”) And she said, “Oh he’s a poker-playing buddy of my husband’s.” Powers Boothe and Scott Wilson play poker with Rick Baker and his clique of Toluca Lake guys. So I thought that was funny. He looked totally out of place.
Q: Oh this is the perfect time for you to talk about your little run-in with — was it David Carradine? Who was the one who wanted to work with you on something? Which actor was that?
F: Oh. Robert Blake.
Q: Oh that’s it. That —
F: The one that I’m really upset about is Don Stroud.
Q: All these people you could really help.
F: But Don Stroud — I wrote a book about him. I sent it to him. Never heard a word. I called him and he gives me this crap about “I’m getting four or five scripts a day here. I’m too busy to read your book.” And there is a part of me that knows (“YEAH”) that I should’ve just left it at that —
Q: Yeah.
F: — but I was so incensed at the way he talked to me like — I got him a job. You know, if it wasn’t for me he wouldn’t have had work last year. I got him an episode of “Walker, Texas Ranger.” He knows I got it for him. He got twenty grand for it. That’s nothing to sneeze at.
Q: (overlapping) Sneeze at.
F: He could’ve just said, “Well thanks a lot. When I get some time (“BITCH”) I’ll read your book and (“I’L[L]”) I’ll call you.” (“BOY”) That would’ve been nice.
Q: And for you — for him that’s nothing but to us that’s a lot.
F: To him it is something. The guy’s bankrupt. I happen to know he’s gone bankrupt, see?
Q: Yeah but I’m saying from the days when he was making the big money. (“MONICA”)
F: Listen, when the guy’s going into read for episodic television, you know he’s having problems. He had to go in and read to get it. So I know he’s not getting four or five (“FI[VE]”) scripts a day. He doesn’t know I know half the stuff about him. He’s living in this terrible dump —
Q: (laughs)
F: — on Sunset Boulevard. I know all this stuff. I gave him work. The guy’s bankrupt. He’s had his car repossessed. I get him a job. He still treats me like he’s this huge movie star. I mean, “Don, you’re sixty years old. You’re not getting work, baby. Let’s be real.” So I was so incensed by what he said to me that I wrote him this letter. Did I tell you this? (“YES”)
Q: Um-huh — no but I like hearing (it).
F: So I wrote this letter and I did say to him, “I really found it (“FORKS”) — well yeah it wasn’t really necessary for you to tell me that you’re getting four or five scripts a day because if ‘Carnosaur 2’ and ‘Divine Enforcer’ come up as the picks of the litter, I’d hate to see what the rest of them look like.”
Q: (small laugh)
F: And he calls me back — the one phone call I get from him — telling me to go fuck myself and I’m a little cunt and a bitch and fuck yourself man — I mean every swear word under the sun — “and don’t ever call me again.”
Q: This sounds like my relationship with Mighael sometimes.
F: “Don’t ever call me again. Fuck yourself little girl — little make-up girl from England.” I find out there’s some make-up girl he worked with called Fiona that he didn’t like —
Q: Ohhh.
F: — and he thought I was her. (“A”)
Q: Oh that’s why there was — he didn’t respond. Ohhh.
F: Yeah. (“CHOIR”) But still I didn’t deserve to be treated like that.
Q: But don’t you think sometimes that me and you —
F: Hi.
J: Here we go.
Q: — have just been under a dark cloud.
F: Yes. Yes.
Q: And I think it’s Mighael. I guess we’re ready for the (check) — oh there it is, okay. (“HI” “MY”) I definitely think that basically (“NO”) it’s like the one thing that I got at Alhambra—the people channeling Mighael—was that He’s really into people proving love in various ways so I guess it’s like — and like that — I showed you that at the bookstore. That little thing about failure is like happiness. I guess it’s because you appreciate things more (“WHEN”) when you have a lack of success.
F: Yeah but it gets old after a while, doesn’t it?
Q: Yeah and I keep telling Him that. But I guess —
J: Thank you very much.
Q: Thank you very much. (“GREAT”) But I think it has to do with He wants to make sure that everyone has an equal amount of joy and happiness in their life.
F: But the thing was I wrote to Don Stroud again. I made sure I was out of town. In fact, I sent it the first week in September when I went to Maui — just a one paragraph letter. This is (tape recorder malfunction) . . . (tape recorder malfunction)
Q: For some reason, it stopped running. My tape.
F: I know. I just realized — I just had a feeling it wasn’t going. (“NOW”)
Q: He stops it sometimes when He does not want me to talk about certain things. So He stopped it now. Now you’re a witness.
F: Yeah . . . it wasn’t going.
Q: And I turned it back on. Plus we’ll need him to get our waiter for us because he still hasn’t picked up my visa card.
F: Let him come back.
Q: So, anyway, thank you very much. Mighael thanks you.
F: Thank you. I’m glad I got this. I’m going to spend time going through this. (“BUT”)
Q: Right now, since you are psychic, what do you think Mighael is feeling for (tape recorder malfunction)
( . . . )
F: Hello?
Q: Oh hi Fiona?
F: Yes?
Q: I just wanted to let you know I did put batteries back into my tape recorder and I just wanted to give sort of a conclusion to the interview just for my tape. You know? Are you on the other line?
F: Yeah. Let me call you right back.
Q: Okay.
F: I’ll call you right back.
Q: Okay, bye.
F: Bye.
( . . . )
Q: Hello?
F: Yes.
Q: Okay yeah, it’s working. So the good thing about this new tape recorder I have is that when the batteries get weak or die, it shuts off so you don’t have any diminished vocal . . . (listening device malfunction)
F: Oh I see. (“YEAH”)
Q: So I don’t know if it’s phenomena or not, it just was strange that it just happened to die at the moment I asked you about my relationship. I’m not going to ask again because I don’t want these batteries to die but you know I’m a little insecure about my relationship because I just find it hard to channel love all the time when I have the frustrations of trying to get a book published. But, anyway, so thank you for a nice night. (listening device malfunction)
F: Thank you. But you’ve got to remember too part of it, you know — you’ve just got to keep telling yourself only love is real.
Q: Exactly and that’s what I keep doing. On the way home I was thinking to myself, “You know, I really don’t care if my book is published or not; or I sell my scripts — I just want Mighael to love me. And I always think (“THAT”) “Well I can make Him love me by the book being a success.” I mean I know I won’t have a life because of the controversy and the celebrity and everything but (“I JUST WANT”) I just want to do whatever’s best for Him. So sometimes I do the wrong things because I try to figure out what He wants me to do. So it’s very complicated. But I — I don’t know — love is the most important thing. That is the theme of my book. Love is the only religion, etc.
F: Good.
Q: And, anyway, so it was fun. So I let you — dropped you off. (“WE”) Passed Gelson’s and you told me — in fact, if you want to tell me real quick that Shelley Winters story, that would me great. For my book.
F: Which one? The Shelley Winters?
Q: Yeah. It — wasn’t that in the parking lot of Gelson’s?
F: She was in Gelson’s and I was in the line behind her and she — Shelley Winters was dressed in layers and layers of clothes. It was like she had gotten dressed, forgot she was dressed and then put on more clothes on top of it. Because she was wearing a pair of slacks and three or four different dresses and a winter coat. And it was a very hot day and she looked like a bag person. I remember you said in the car “That’s drugs” and actually that rings true. It could’ve been because she was all over the place. She was yelling at everyone because she was going, “Don’t you know who I am?” I mean she was really obnoxious.
Q: You lose sensation in the extremities.
F: Oh do you?
Q: Yeah. And you just — your body temperature goes haywire.
F: She started screaming to everyone, “Don’t you know who I am?” And this young boy came running over to bag her groceries and she’s like, “What’s your name, young man? I’m putting you in my new book. I’m writing my third book. What’s your name?” And he told her and then he took her groceries out. And I only had —
Q: You don’t remember what it was, do you?
F: No.
Q: Okay.
F: I only had a couple of things so I ran out after him because I was kind of fascinated by this whole thing. And this guy’s wheeling her trolley out and he’s loading up her stuff in the back seat of her car. And she goes, “Not the ice cream.” And she rips open the lid of the ice cream and she’s just scooping it down — her hand — down (in)side with her hand. I mean she was just force feeding her ice cream down her throat and the guy and I just were looking at her because I was parked next to her. And I just couldn’t believe it. She was just telling him, “Oh, you know, you could be a movie star” and all this stuff and she’s just hogging down the ice cream. It was pretty creepy.
Q: So it’s interesting the synchronicity when I’m around you. I mean for example it sort of began with your battery dying and then it ended with my tape recorder batteries dying.
F: I know. Isn’t that weird?
Q: And plus there was ‘son’ — like you talked about that apartment near Robertson and then Gelson‘s and then I passed the John Anson Ford theatre on the way home.
F: You got home really quickly.
Q: Oh yeah. I know I do. I always go against traffic for some reason. It’s amazing.
F: You know what it was? You dropped me off and I knew He wanted you to get home.
Q: Yeah.
F: Didn’t you kind of feel like you had to go?
Q: Yeah. I always feel that way. And when I got home I channeled love to Him for like fifteen minutes.
F: It was so funny I just knew He, like, wanted me — like He was happy we had time together but then —
Q: He was happy because I was able to cathartically bitch a little bit and get out some of the anxiety I’d been feeling.
F: Right.
Q: So it was very therapeutic. I guess this was in lieu of my hypnotherapy session. Next week I have hypnotherapy on Monday. But, anyway, so I feel very good about everything.
F: Good.
Q: You know? Michael called me too so I’ll give him a call and see what he wants. And everything is fine. Thank you.
F: It was fun. No, as I said, I really felt like He wanted us to go out and have fun. He wanted us to talk rather than see a movie but then He wanted you to get straight back home again.
Q: So I could channel love.
F: . . . it was a really funny feeling. When you got home so quick, it didn’t really surprise me.
Q: Yeah.
F: Because you were home in less than ten minutes I think.
Q: Yeah. There was no traffic. In fact, I very rarely have traffic. (“IT’S JUST”) I’m lucky that way. But (“BUT”) I don’t know. What do you — I mean try to be aware of the word ‘son’ and ‘man’ and ‘bell.’ I mean everywhere I go I see these words. And let’s see what else is there — well that’s enough. Plus, there are all these kinds of (“YO[U]” “YOU KNOW”) religious symbols. Like ‘Christian.’
F: Well there’s ‘man’ in my last name.
Q: There is?
F: Manning.
Q: God, you know I didn’t even realize that. I mean this is how dense I am. (“I MEAN LIKE”) Right near, you know, where I live on Clinton, I can’t remember the name of the street but it’s got a ‘bel’ in it. You know — right here in front of Clinton. (“NO”) And so I mean obviously (“THIS HAS”) this has all been in the works for many years: my book (“AND ALL THESE”) and all these celebrities (“YOU KNOW”) named ‘man’ and you know. I don’t know — it’s just weird. I still — I guess I am going to go ahead and do the letter to Sherry even though — I’m not quite sure if I am or not. (“BUT”) You know, you did say “yes” at one point so I think I’ll do it very nice and do it very — I don’t want her to think I’m stalking her so I’ll just do it very nice and just sort of politely. And just say “Well you know like you even have the word ‘angel’ in your street” or something. Not so she would ever think I was stalking her. So, anyway, I feel very happy. (“HAVE” “SO”) Good luck with your dinner with James on Thursday.
F: Thanks.
Q: We also have the same mutual friends. Oh my God, I just remembered something else.
F: What?
Q: Doug Lindeman. M — A — N.
F: How is he?
Q: Oh, you know, he’s still living with Jay. (“AND”) Of course, Jay’s last name is Marc and his previous boyfriend was named Michael. You know? I’m going to interview him for my book too. But it’s just so funny — all these names. And no one’s ever going to believe that they mean any — they’re going to think it’s chance but that’s the whole point in terms of synchronicity.
F: Hold on. Don’t go away. Hold on.
Q: Okay.
F: Mark?
Q: Yeah?
F: I’ve got to take the — you know I’m doing this volunteer work tomorrow and I’ve been trying to get this girl coordinated to —
Q: Good for you.
F: — look after this guy. So —
Q: Just tell me the name for the synchronicity and then I’ll let you go.
F: Her name? Lisa.
Q: Oh you don’t want to give me her last name?
F: I don’t know her last name.
Q: Okay, I bet it’s something.
F: Okay.
Q: Okay, bye.
F: If it is, I’ll call you back. Bye.
( . . . )
Q: Hi, Mike?
B: Hi.
Q: So I had dinner with Fiona tonight. We missed the movie so we ended up — she ended up giving me great gossip for my tell-all book on Hollywood. So now I’ve got great stories from you, James, Fiona, Diana Widom — I mean it’s really coming together. Not that — (“YOU KNOW”) I don’t know. But guess what else I got in the mail today? (“THAT”) That artist who does ‘The Hun’? He’s going to be making a personal appearance this Saturday at A Different Light.
B: Ickk.
Q: No, I’m going to go. I’m definitely going to go and say hello and get an autographed book. He’s got a, no, color autographed book (“YEAH”) from Tom of Finland company that he’s autographing so I’m going to go. I mean he (let me) inter(view him for the book) — (“AN[GEL] I”) you know Mighael likes him and I sort of like him even though I like subtlety and romance. And Mighael’s much more — I don’t know. Anyway, I better quit while I’m ahead. (listening device malfunctions) . . . Hello?
B: Hello?
Q: . . . it stopped working I think. Oh Mighael — God, He’s such a mess. (listening device malfunction) . . . anything about Him that isn’t accurate and He gets upset. I don’t know what You, Mighael — I wish Mighael would tell me what his taste was in terms of sex. I mean I know He’s very — uh oh, did you hear that?
B: Um-uh.
Q: Did you hear that?
B: No.
Q: I guess I’m coming to the end of the tape because it keeps beeping. Yeah. So, anyway, (“SO” “WH” “A”) what’s new with you?
B: Nothing.
Q: I’m going to have lunch with Larry on Thursday (“WHAT A MESS”) if you want to join us. Do you want to join us?
B: Maybe. If I can.
Q: And how’s Chris La Monte?
B: Fine.
Q: Any new (“CALL”) —
B: Her secretary quit after a week today. (“WHA”)
Q: What was her secretary’s name?
B: I don’t even remember. Lisa I think.
Q: And what about — any new clients or any clients leave or anything?
B: I started my St. Petersburg film festival work. Giorgio Moroder left a month early.
Q: Oh.
B: I don’t blame him.
Q: There’s nothing you can do for him.
B: Exactly.
Q: It’s like when Mamie Van Doren’s husband — (“YOU KNOW”) he was into the big band era and then rock came in and there was just nothing that could be done. It’s like some people have their time in the sun and then “help.”
B: Right. (“THE”)
Q: The fashions change.
( . . . )
(“NOW”)
B: Don’t forget about Charles Manson. Charles Manson.
F: Didn’t it turn off?
Q: I turned it over.
F: You turned it over? I was told by Steven Seagall how he was looking for a spiritual script.
Q: He’s one of your clients now?
F: He’s been trying to do a project on the Dalai Lama but — he’s got a deal with — I think it’s Paramount.
Q: Columbia I think.
F: Columbia?
Q: Or Warner Bros. One of those.
F: Anyway, the guy that was head of his production company quit — has gone to another company. So he’s restructuring. And he’s been trying to do a project on the Dalai Lama but the film company is not interested. They say to him that his audience don’t want to go see him . . . Dalai Lama or whatever. His interests really are spiritual.
Q: Does he know the Dali Lama?
F: Yes. He just went to visit him over Christmas. (“YEAH”)
Q: Just like Oliver Stone did — I mean he’s done spiritual — like “The Doors” was sort of a spiritual movie in some respects. What about your friend who used to work for him? What is she doing now?
F: Lisa Moiselle is head of development for Miramax.
B: I brought this for your sweetheart.
Q: No thank you tonight but what’s your name?
B: Florabelle.
Q: What?
B: Flower belle.
Q: Oh okay.
B: Have a nice . . .
F: Thanks.
Q: Did you want a rose?
F: No thank you.
Q: They’re symbols.
F: I know but I hate them. I hate being accosted while we’re eating dinner. Don’t you?
Q: I just didn’t want Mighael to be jealous.
F: (small laugh)
Q: I don’t want your car conking out anymore. No really. One of the times — the last time we were supposed to get together for the movie my horoscope said something to the effect of ‘Don’t go out with this person tonight. She doesn’t appreciate you.’ That’s what my horoscope (“NO”) said.
F: Really?
Q: And then you called and said you were having car trouble. Isn’t that weird? (“COUNT THE GOODNESS”)
F: Why does he do that?
Q: He’s jealous. He’s possessive. (“PLEASED”) It’s like I said. This is why I’ve been having problems finding a soulmate because I already have One and the fact that He is a nonentity (“FAIL”) in terms of physicality (“LEARN”) means I’m a very sexually frustrated person. (“YEAH”) And I think sex is definitely more of a fantasy than a reality anyway for most people . . . (“MEAN”) there’s a difference between sex-sex and fantasy sex and love. (“JOHNSON” “STAPLES” “MARK”) But they’re all very fun with the right person. I was just reading somewhere that sex is like the icing on the cake but you can have too much icing. (“FRITZ”) Right? (“BUT” “DIE”) So, anyway, tell me some more. What was that time that (“WRAPPED IN YOUR SLIPPERS”) the head of development for Oliver (“HAPPEN “) saved his life?
F: He had a drug overdose. When he went to Southeast Asia to do “Platoon” —
Q: Or was it “Heaven and Hell” — “Heaven and Earth”?
F: No. When he went to do “Platoon,” he became addicted again to opium. So he’s made several trips back there and he buys huge quantities of it and basically does it all day — smokes it all day. And she went into work on a Saturday morning and found him at his desk (“I SAW IT” “HI”) almost dead. And she called 911. He was taken to hospital and it was only through the intervention of his publicist that it was kept out of the papers. And instead of being grateful, he was upset first of all that she ruined his high. And, second of all, that she didn’t call the publicist. She said, “If I called your publicist who wouldn’t have been home, you’d be dead.” His wife called her and thanked (“UP”) her (“AD” or “ADD” “N”) and said, “You saved my husband’s life.” But she was really upset that he was doing drugs and she broke it off with him. They got back together. In the meantime, he was having an affair with someone in his office. And he went back to Southeast Asia to make “Heaven and Earth,” excuse me, and met another girl there — (“A”) Vietnamese girl that he’s since had a baby with. And he called Lisa one day. She was in a reading with me and she gets this emergency phone call. He’s in the Beverly Hills Peninsula with (“CHARL”) Charlie Sheehan and Woody Harrelson, having an orgy with these hookers. And one of the girls ODed while Woody was inside her.
Q: Did — oh she ODed?
F: Woody’s still fucking her and this girl’s dying. And she had to go over — and basically pries Woody off her.
Q: (laughs)
F: And rush her to the hospital. And then she had to smuggle Woody and Charlie and Oliver out of there (“HI MARK”) without the press finding out.
Q: That’s funny.
F: She said it was like Fatty Arbuckle all over again. She said if people had seen such debauchery in this room, their careers would have been finished.
Q: (giggles) Are you kidding? It helps them now.
F: Well things like Fatty Arbuckle I mean —
Q: Look at Hugh Grant, (“MEM”) no.
F: I think the thing about Hugh Grant is that he did a really dumb thing. It’s very European what he did, actually.
Q: Yeah.
F: I know this probably sounds weird but I think (“THAT’S VERY WELL”) his feeling was it was better to go and pay some girl that he’s not going to get involved with for a blowjob than to have sex with somebody that could really be a threat to his girlfriend.
Q: But you can get HIV that way, though.
F: Getting a blowjob?
Q: Yeah.
F: He probably didn’t realize that. I mean it was a dumb thing to do. I mean there are classier ways of doing it but — I think the girlfriend’s an idiot for taking him back but that’s just me.
Q: The hooker has been doing pretty well too.
F: Thank you very much, Hugh Grant, yes.
Q: So now who are the biggest stars that you do readings for now? (“DID YOU READ LIKE”) Mary Stuart Masterson or people like that?
F: No. She’s come into the shop but I would say the biggest — I read for Wayne Newton but I mean he’s not — he’s kind of passe. (“ED”)
Q: By the way, what was that actress —
F: Steven Seagall I’d have to say is pretty big.
Q: But we have interesting (“YEAH”) people in common — you and I. Like remember that actor I interviewed for — what was that film? (“PAUL R”) “Flesh and Bone”? That you also like. (“BITCH”) I mean it seems that sometimes the actors that I meet are ones that you also like. What was his name? I can’t remember his name.
F: You mean Rutger Howard?
Q: No.
F: Tom Berlinson, no?
Q: No. The one that his wife is with a weird Southern name? (“A”)
F: Oh. Scott Wilson.
Q: Scott Wilson.
F: I’ve since met him.
Q: Did you notice his name has ‘son’ in it too?
F: Yes.
Q: Scott Wilson.
F: Heavenly.
Q: Heavenly. Oh my gosh.
F: Where do they live?
Q: I think it was in the Hollywood Hills somewhere.
F: That’s right. (“WHERE THERE’S”)
Q: Oh my God.
F: Yeah. Because I went to — I read at a party where he was at. He kept trying to get a reading with me. So did Powers Boothe. I have to tell you Powers Boothe has the most incredible magnetism.
Q: Really? What do I — do I have — what do you find about me? (“SO”) Because you interact with all these famous people and what makes me so individualistic? And unique. If anything. (“WATSON”) Somebody once said that they saw an aura around me.
F: Well everyone has an aura. Yours is yellow. You’re very visual . . .
Q: Really?
F: So you have a yellow aura which means that you see things (pause) (“PROBABLY”) probably as a movie. Like when you’re writing you probably —
Q: I think we all do. Writing is like a movie.
F: Not all writers do though.
Q: Oh really?
F: You probably —
Q: Oh I do.
F: — see it already. You know you see pictures. (“YEAH”)
Q: I dream movies too.
F: That’s what I mean. People with yellow auras do that but people with yellow auras also get headaches. Do you get headaches?
Q: Whenever I don’t eat. (“O[R]”) Tension headaches.
F: Right.
Q: Yeah. What color aura do you have?
F: I have a yellow aura. Auras change but yours is primarily —
Q: Oh my God. Look — on the back of that it says (“A”) Sussman Celebrity Photographs. (“A”) There are also a lot of people in my life (“WITH THE W[ORD]”) with the word ‘man’ in it. So I have a lot of people I know who have the word ‘son’ in it —
F: Or ‘man.’
Q: And I keep getting ‘son’ and ‘man’ so it’s like I’m ‘son of man.’ (“HAPPY “ACTUALLY”) (Be)cause — and bells. You know that. ‘Bel bell belle.’
( . . . )
F: He did —
Q: William Friedkin?
F: William Friedkin did a movie with Mary McDonnell.
Q: “Blue Chips.”
F: “Blue Chips.” She absolutely hated him. She came to me for an emergency reading one day. She thought the movie was about to be terminated three weeks into shooting because he fired the entire crew. (“YES”) He had this whim one day and fired everyone. I said, “No no no, it will continue.”
Q: Is that drug-induced or not?
F: Yeah. (“A”) She said he was completely deranged. (“IT LOOKS AWFUL”) You know, one day he’d be nice, the next day he’d be firing people. But I said to her, “No no no, the cards are telling me that the film will go ahead. But he had terrible problems with Nick Nolte. Very temperamental. They had terrible problems. I mean it should’ve been a really straight-forward movie. And Nick wasn’t drinking. He was being a good boy and on his best behavior. And (“BUT BUT BUT”) I think it was only because Nick wasn’t drinking on —
J: Are you two doing okay here?
Q: Yes. (“NO”) Can I bring you anything?
F: Can we (“YEAH PLEASE”) wrap these? Mark’s going to take these home.
J: Okay. (“NOW WORN A”)
F: The — this . . .
J: Take these from you sir?
Q: (coughing again) Yes. (Or “YES”)
J: Alright. I’ll be right back.
F: Thank you.
Q: By the way, what’s your name?
J: Jeff.
Q: Jeff. And last name?
J: Hightower.
Q: Hightower.
F: That’s a great name.
Q: Where are you from?
J: Yeah, it is. I’m from Northern California. (“AND”)
Q: Is that like an Indian name or just a weird name?
J: No, I me(an) I — my dad had convinced me when I was little a little kid it was but absolutely no Native American. It’s English — there’s some (or “THERE’S SOME”) — the Hightower comes from an English background.
Q: That would be a good actor’s name. Are you an actor too?
J: Yeah (“YEAH”) but that is my normal name. But, yeah, somebody had said that to me before.
Q: You have like a River Phoenix quality.
J: Really?
Q: What do you think? Do you think so?
F: Yeah.
Q: Yeah. (“OKAY WE[LL]”) My book might be good publicity for you.
J: (laughs)
F: I’ve been meaning to ask you — do you have any straws?
J: Oh yeah. Did you need a straw?
F: Can I get one? Yeah. Thank you.
J: Can I get you a cappuccino or coffee or anything?
F: Do you want a coffee?
Q: Just some more water.
J: Okay. Alright.
F: We were talking about — Friedkin. (“YEAH”) So he was a complete jerk.
Q: Because (“NO”) he and Sherry Lansing — when I see photos of them that James took they look like they’re so in love. And knowing his history I just wonder how could this be? How can they be so in love?
F: They probably are but I mean, you know, basically everyone thinks he’s completely crummy.
Q: Well I know why he’s in love with her. (laughs) I mean you know.
F: She gets him work. (“AND”)
Q: Yeah.
F: She kind of green lights anything he wants to do.
Q: Well “Jade” — I mean that was a huge — “Blue Chips” and “Jade” were both huge bombs.
F: Oh I’ve heard huge stuff about that. (“SOMETHING VERY DIFFERENT”) He was not with Sherry. He went up to Northern California . . . Washington state? I have a client that was an actor . . .
Q: For which movie?
F: “Jade.”
Q: “Jade.”
F: They shot —
Q: Oh in San Francisco I think.
F: San Francisco. That’s where it was. I knew it was up north. But they used parts of a house in Washington state and parts of (“BUS”) a museum. The Paul Getty Museum in New York to look like the house where that collector guy is murdered. And she was telling me that Friedkin wasn’t with Sherry at the time. He was on his own up there. And he and Eszterhas were complete whores up there. She just said it was really embarrassing.
Q: You mean was he cheating on Sherry? (“GOD”) Oh my God. (“CALL THEM”)
F: She said he (“SPIRITUAL”) and Eszterhas were the sickest men she’s ever met. (“YEAH” “YEAH” “BELL”)
Q: And who said this again? (“YOUR”)
F: A client of mine who’s (“OH”) the art director on . . .
Q: And being in the film industry she knows a lot of real sickos out there.
F: She said David Caruso was okay but he had no charisma. It’s really interesting. When I said to you Powers Boothe has charisma, I was at a party reading and literally the guy walked into a backyard. It was Rick Baker, the film make-up guy. He’s a client of mine and I was reading at his party. And there were about a hundred people there. I mean enormous film stars, very famous people in their own rights. In fact, Don Simpson was at that party but anyway people who are very famous and successful in their own rights turned to jello when Powers Boothe walked into the room. He’s not a big star but I have to say I have never met anyone and I’ve met a lot of famous people, no one has that kind of charisma that that man has. And it was really funny because who should he walk into this party (“HELP ME HELP ME”) with but Scott Wilson. (“NO”) I’m not sure if I told you this story. I turned to jello because you know I’ve just loved Scott Wilson forever. I looked at them and they looked so out of place. Everyone else was dressed up at this party and they’re all down to the nines. Powers Boothe was dressed actually very — well he was wearing jeans and a turtleneck sweater and a blue yachting jacket so he looked great. Scott Wilson was wearing jeans and like this Western shirt and those black happy shoes — those Chinese happy shoes. And he looked really shifty-eyed and uncomfortable. And he was chain-smoking furiously. He looks quite old. I was really shocked and he’s like completely gray but anyway they were like together all night talking and Powers Boothe’s wife was with him. (“DAMN”) And guys were just like falling over themselves to get to Powers Boothe. They just couldn’t believe he was there.
Q: Who were?
F: Guys. At the party — falling over themselves to get to Powers Boothe.
Q: But it’s not sexual or anything?
F: It’s just like, “Oh my God, honey, it’s Powers Boothe.” You know, they said he was — he’s just like everyone’s — (waiter brings something) thank you. He’s like everybody’s favorite actor.
Q: He’s not even on the A list.
F: I’m telling you. You ask anyone. They all say, “Oh God, Powers Boothe.” And yet the guy doesn’t work. And I think it’s because he chooses not to. He could do anything. But he came over to me — Powers Boothe —
Q: He doesn’t work for the same reason me and you don’t get our books published.
F: Yeah.
Q: And I hope that’s about to change.
F: Powers Boothe came over and said, “Do you have any time?” And I had this waiting list three pages long. I was dying to read for him. What was funny though was that I said to the woman who had the party — Scott Wilson kept looking at me and I kept looking at (“CHRIST”) him because I wanted to read for him too. I said, “Do you know him?” And she said, “No, I don’t.” I said, “That is one of the greatest living actors in America.” And she said, “That’s really weird. Somebody else told me that. Who is he?” I said, “Scott Wilson.” And she goes, “Yeah but what’s he been in?”
Q: He won an award for “The Ninth Configuration.” What was that about? I didn’t see that movie.
F: It was incredible. What I was going to say to you is this. I said, “Well how did he come here?” (“YEAH”) And she said, “Oh he’s a poker-playing buddy of my husband’s.” Powers Boothe and Scott Wilson play poker with Rick Baker and his clique of Toluca Lake guys. So I thought that was funny. He looked totally out of place.
Q: Oh this is the perfect time for you to talk about your little run-in with — was it David Carradine? Who was the one who wanted to work with you on something? Which actor was that?
F: Oh. Robert Blake.
Q: Oh that’s it. That —
F: The one that I’m really upset about is Don Stroud.
Q: All these people you could really help.
F: But Don Stroud — I wrote a book about him. I sent it to him. Never heard a word. I called him and he gives me this crap about “I’m getting four or five scripts a day here. I’m too busy to read your book.” And there is a part of me that knows (“YEAH”) that I should’ve just left it at that —
Q: Yeah.
F: — but I was so incensed at the way he talked to me like — I got him a job. You know, if it wasn’t for me he wouldn’t have had work last year. I got him an episode of “Walker, Texas Ranger.” He knows I got it for him. He got twenty grand for it. That’s nothing to sneeze at.
Q: (overlapping) Sneeze at.
F: He could’ve just said, “Well thanks a lot. When I get some time (“BITCH”) I’ll read your book and (“I’L[L]”) I’ll call you.” (“BOY”) That would’ve been nice.
Q: And for you — for him that’s nothing but to us that’s a lot.
F: To him it is something. The guy’s bankrupt. I happen to know he’s gone bankrupt, see?
Q: Yeah but I’m saying from the days when he was making the big money. (“MONICA”)
F: Listen, when the guy’s going into read for episodic television, you know he’s having problems. He had to go in and read to get it. So I know he’s not getting four or five (“FI[VE]”) scripts a day. He doesn’t know I know half the stuff about him. He’s living in this terrible dump —
Q: (laughs)
F: — on Sunset Boulevard. I know all this stuff. I gave him work. The guy’s bankrupt. He’s had his car repossessed. I get him a job. He still treats me like he’s this huge movie star. I mean, “Don, you’re sixty years old. You’re not getting work, baby. Let’s be real.” So I was so incensed by what he said to me that I wrote him this letter. Did I tell you this? (“YES”)
Q: Um-huh — no but I like hearing (it).
F: So I wrote this letter and I did say to him, “I really found it (“FORKS”) — well yeah it wasn’t really necessary for you to tell me that you’re getting four or five scripts a day because if ‘Carnosaur 2’ and ‘Divine Enforcer’ come up as the picks of the litter, I’d hate to see what the rest of them look like.”
Q: (small laugh)
F: And he calls me back — the one phone call I get from him — telling me to go fuck myself and I’m a little cunt and a bitch and fuck yourself man — I mean every swear word under the sun — “and don’t ever call me again.”
Q: This sounds like my relationship with Mighael sometimes.
F: “Don’t ever call me again. Fuck yourself little girl — little make-up girl from England.” I find out there’s some make-up girl he worked with called Fiona that he didn’t like —
Q: Ohhh.
F: — and he thought I was her. (“A”)
Q: Oh that’s why there was — he didn’t respond. Ohhh.
F: Yeah. (“CHOIR”) But still I didn’t deserve to be treated like that.
Q: But don’t you think sometimes that me and you —
F: Hi.
J: Here we go.
Q: — have just been under a dark cloud.
F: Yes. Yes.
Q: And I think it’s Mighael. I guess we’re ready for the (check) — oh there it is, okay. (“HI” “MY”) I definitely think that basically (“NO”) it’s like the one thing that I got at Alhambra—the people channeling Mighael—was that He’s really into people proving love in various ways so I guess it’s like — and like that — I showed you that at the bookstore. That little thing about failure is like happiness. I guess it’s because you appreciate things more (“WHEN”) when you have a lack of success.
F: Yeah but it gets old after a while, doesn’t it?
Q: Yeah and I keep telling Him that. But I guess —
J: Thank you very much.
Q: Thank you very much. (“GREAT”) But I think it has to do with He wants to make sure that everyone has an equal amount of joy and happiness in their life.
F: But the thing was I wrote to Don Stroud again. I made sure I was out of town. In fact, I sent it the first week in September when I went to Maui — just a one paragraph letter. This is (tape recorder malfunction) . . . (tape recorder malfunction)
Q: For some reason, it stopped running. My tape.
F: I know. I just realized — I just had a feeling it wasn’t going. (“NOW”)
Q: He stops it sometimes when He does not want me to talk about certain things. So He stopped it now. Now you’re a witness.
F: Yeah . . . it wasn’t going.
Q: And I turned it back on. Plus we’ll need him to get our waiter for us because he still hasn’t picked up my visa card.
F: Let him come back.
Q: So, anyway, thank you very much. Mighael thanks you.
F: Thank you. I’m glad I got this. I’m going to spend time going through this. (“BUT”)
Q: Right now, since you are psychic, what do you think Mighael is feeling for (tape recorder malfunction)
( . . . )
F: Hello?
Q: Oh hi Fiona?
F: Yes?
Q: I just wanted to let you know I did put batteries back into my tape recorder and I just wanted to give sort of a conclusion to the interview just for my tape. You know? Are you on the other line?
F: Yeah. Let me call you right back.
Q: Okay.
F: I’ll call you right back.
Q: Okay, bye.
F: Bye.
( . . . )
Q: Hello?
F: Yes.
Q: Okay yeah, it’s working. So the good thing about this new tape recorder I have is that when the batteries get weak or die, it shuts off so you don’t have any diminished vocal . . . (listening device malfunction)
F: Oh I see. (“YEAH”)
Q: So I don’t know if it’s phenomena or not, it just was strange that it just happened to die at the moment I asked you about my relationship. I’m not going to ask again because I don’t want these batteries to die but you know I’m a little insecure about my relationship because I just find it hard to channel love all the time when I have the frustrations of trying to get a book published. But, anyway, so thank you for a nice night. (listening device malfunction)
F: Thank you. But you’ve got to remember too part of it, you know — you’ve just got to keep telling yourself only love is real.
Q: Exactly and that’s what I keep doing. On the way home I was thinking to myself, “You know, I really don’t care if my book is published or not; or I sell my scripts — I just want Mighael to love me. And I always think (“THAT”) “Well I can make Him love me by the book being a success.” I mean I know I won’t have a life because of the controversy and the celebrity and everything but (“I JUST WANT”) I just want to do whatever’s best for Him. So sometimes I do the wrong things because I try to figure out what He wants me to do. So it’s very complicated. But I — I don’t know — love is the most important thing. That is the theme of my book. Love is the only religion, etc.
F: Good.
Q: And, anyway, so it was fun. So I let you — dropped you off. (“WE”) Passed Gelson’s and you told me — in fact, if you want to tell me real quick that Shelley Winters story, that would me great. For my book.
F: Which one? The Shelley Winters?
Q: Yeah. It — wasn’t that in the parking lot of Gelson’s?
F: She was in Gelson’s and I was in the line behind her and she — Shelley Winters was dressed in layers and layers of clothes. It was like she had gotten dressed, forgot she was dressed and then put on more clothes on top of it. Because she was wearing a pair of slacks and three or four different dresses and a winter coat. And it was a very hot day and she looked like a bag person. I remember you said in the car “That’s drugs” and actually that rings true. It could’ve been because she was all over the place. She was yelling at everyone because she was going, “Don’t you know who I am?” I mean she was really obnoxious.
Q: You lose sensation in the extremities.
F: Oh do you?
Q: Yeah. And you just — your body temperature goes haywire.
F: She started screaming to everyone, “Don’t you know who I am?” And this young boy came running over to bag her groceries and she’s like, “What’s your name, young man? I’m putting you in my new book. I’m writing my third book. What’s your name?” And he told her and then he took her groceries out. And I only had —
Q: You don’t remember what it was, do you?
F: No.
Q: Okay.
F: I only had a couple of things so I ran out after him because I was kind of fascinated by this whole thing. And this guy’s wheeling her trolley out and he’s loading up her stuff in the back seat of her car. And she goes, “Not the ice cream.” And she rips open the lid of the ice cream and she’s just scooping it down — her hand — down (in)side with her hand. I mean she was just force feeding her ice cream down her throat and the guy and I just were looking at her because I was parked next to her. And I just couldn’t believe it. She was just telling him, “Oh, you know, you could be a movie star” and all this stuff and she’s just hogging down the ice cream. It was pretty creepy.
Q: So it’s interesting the synchronicity when I’m around you. I mean for example it sort of began with your battery dying and then it ended with my tape recorder batteries dying.
F: I know. Isn’t that weird?
Q: And plus there was ‘son’ — like you talked about that apartment near Robertson and then Gelson‘s and then I passed the John Anson Ford theatre on the way home.
F: You got home really quickly.
Q: Oh yeah. I know I do. I always go against traffic for some reason. It’s amazing.
F: You know what it was? You dropped me off and I knew He wanted you to get home.
Q: Yeah.
F: Didn’t you kind of feel like you had to go?
Q: Yeah. I always feel that way. And when I got home I channeled love to Him for like fifteen minutes.
F: It was so funny I just knew He, like, wanted me — like He was happy we had time together but then —
Q: He was happy because I was able to cathartically bitch a little bit and get out some of the anxiety I’d been feeling.
F: Right.
Q: So it was very therapeutic. I guess this was in lieu of my hypnotherapy session. Next week I have hypnotherapy on Monday. But, anyway, so I feel very good about everything.
F: Good.
Q: You know? Michael called me too so I’ll give him a call and see what he wants. And everything is fine. Thank you.
F: It was fun. No, as I said, I really felt like He wanted us to go out and have fun. He wanted us to talk rather than see a movie but then He wanted you to get straight back home again.
Q: So I could channel love.
F: . . . it was a really funny feeling. When you got home so quick, it didn’t really surprise me.
Q: Yeah.
F: Because you were home in less than ten minutes I think.
Q: Yeah. There was no traffic. In fact, I very rarely have traffic. (“IT’S JUST”) I’m lucky that way. But (“BUT”) I don’t know. What do you — I mean try to be aware of the word ‘son’ and ‘man’ and ‘bell.’ I mean everywhere I go I see these words. And let’s see what else is there — well that’s enough. Plus, there are all these kinds of (“YO[U]” “YOU KNOW”) religious symbols. Like ‘Christian.’
F: Well there’s ‘man’ in my last name.
Q: There is?
F: Manning.
Q: God, you know I didn’t even realize that. I mean this is how dense I am. (“I MEAN LIKE”) Right near, you know, where I live on Clinton, I can’t remember the name of the street but it’s got a ‘bel’ in it. You know — right here in front of Clinton. (“NO”) And so I mean obviously (“THIS HAS”) this has all been in the works for many years: my book (“AND ALL THESE”) and all these celebrities (“YOU KNOW”) named ‘man’ and you know. I don’t know — it’s just weird. I still — I guess I am going to go ahead and do the letter to Sherry even though — I’m not quite sure if I am or not. (“BUT”) You know, you did say “yes” at one point so I think I’ll do it very nice and do it very — I don’t want her to think I’m stalking her so I’ll just do it very nice and just sort of politely. And just say “Well you know like you even have the word ‘angel’ in your street” or something. Not so she would ever think I was stalking her. So, anyway, I feel very happy. (“HAVE” “SO”) Good luck with your dinner with James on Thursday.
F: Thanks.
Q: We also have the same mutual friends. Oh my God, I just remembered something else.
F: What?
Q: Doug Lindeman. M — A — N.
F: How is he?
Q: Oh, you know, he’s still living with Jay. (“AND”) Of course, Jay’s last name is Marc and his previous boyfriend was named Michael. You know? I’m going to interview him for my book too. But it’s just so funny — all these names. And no one’s ever going to believe that they mean any — they’re going to think it’s chance but that’s the whole point in terms of synchronicity.
F: Hold on. Don’t go away. Hold on.
Q: Okay.
F: Mark?
Q: Yeah?
F: I’ve got to take the — you know I’m doing this volunteer work tomorrow and I’ve been trying to get this girl coordinated to —
Q: Good for you.
F: — look after this guy. So —
Q: Just tell me the name for the synchronicity and then I’ll let you go.
F: Her name? Lisa.
Q: Oh you don’t want to give me her last name?
F: I don’t know her last name.
Q: Okay, I bet it’s something.
F: Okay.
Q: Okay, bye.
F: If it is, I’ll call you back. Bye.
( . . . )
Q: Hi, Mike?
B: Hi.
Q: So I had dinner with Fiona tonight. We missed the movie so we ended up — she ended up giving me great gossip for my tell-all book on Hollywood. So now I’ve got great stories from you, James, Fiona, Diana Widom — I mean it’s really coming together. Not that — (“YOU KNOW”) I don’t know. But guess what else I got in the mail today? (“THAT”) That artist who does ‘The Hun’? He’s going to be making a personal appearance this Saturday at A Different Light.
B: Ickk.
Q: No, I’m going to go. I’m definitely going to go and say hello and get an autographed book. He’s got a, no, color autographed book (“YEAH”) from Tom of Finland company that he’s autographing so I’m going to go. I mean he (let me) inter(view him for the book) — (“AN[GEL] I”) you know Mighael likes him and I sort of like him even though I like subtlety and romance. And Mighael’s much more — I don’t know. Anyway, I better quit while I’m ahead. (listening device malfunctions) . . . Hello?
B: Hello?
Q: . . . it stopped working I think. Oh Mighael — God, He’s such a mess. (listening device malfunction) . . . anything about Him that isn’t accurate and He gets upset. I don’t know what You, Mighael — I wish Mighael would tell me what his taste was in terms of sex. I mean I know He’s very — uh oh, did you hear that?
B: Um-uh.
Q: Did you hear that?
B: No.
Q: I guess I’m coming to the end of the tape because it keeps beeping. Yeah. So, anyway, (“SO” “WH” “A”) what’s new with you?
B: Nothing.
Q: I’m going to have lunch with Larry on Thursday (“WHAT A MESS”) if you want to join us. Do you want to join us?
B: Maybe. If I can.
Q: And how’s Chris La Monte?
B: Fine.
Q: Any new (“CALL”) —
B: Her secretary quit after a week today. (“WHA”)
Q: What was her secretary’s name?
B: I don’t even remember. Lisa I think.
Q: And what about — any new clients or any clients leave or anything?
B: I started my St. Petersburg film festival work. Giorgio Moroder left a month early.
Q: Oh.
B: I don’t blame him.
Q: There’s nothing you can do for him.
B: Exactly.
Q: It’s like when Mamie Van Doren’s husband — (“YOU KNOW”) he was into the big band era and then rock came in and there was just nothing that could be done. It’s like some people have their time in the sun and then “help.”
B: Right. (“THE”)
Q: The fashions change.
( . . . )
(“NOW”)
B: Don’t forget about Charles Manson. Charles Manson.
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