ABEL RAISES CAIN on the road

Our visit to Hapeville turned out to be quite memorable indeed. Between Eileen the innkeeper's funny personality, her infectious laugh, and the delicious food she prepared for us, I could have easily parked myself at that B&B for a few more days. I found it incredible that despite its proximity to the city and the airport, Hapeville, GA seemed almost caught in another era.
I'm a romantic at heart. I love old billboards, soda fountains and the sound of distant trains approaching in the night. Hapeville has all of these things.

Before skipping town, we met with Teresa Hollingsworth, Senior Program Director at South Arts, to sample some local cuisine. She took us to Mary Mac's, the only remaining Southern tea room in the city.
Everyone from Lena Horne to James Brown and Tim Conway to Lester Maddox has eaten here (I was mesmerized by all of the wall photos). I've decided that my new diet will only consist of fried green tomatoes from this point on. I have been deprived, you Southerners are so lucky.

Superbowl Sunday means absolutely nothing to me, I'm sorry to say. My dad, on the other hand, is glued to the tube. It's really difficult to avoid football on this particular day, but I try my best. I took the opportunity to visit with dear old friends who live in the Atlanta area as well as pay a visit to the King Center, where I spent some quiet time alone. While my best friend is camera shy, her little funny hound came out to greet me.
Goodbye, Georgia. We'll be back.

Location:Hapeville, GA

[The above entry was originally posted on the Southern Circuit - Tour of Independent Filmmakers blog on 2/7/11]

ABEL RAISES CAIN stops in Hapeville, GA

The tour has officially begun and I assure you, it's already off to an adventurous start! First, I would like to thank South Arts for making this experience possible. Taking the film on the road and introducing new audiences to my dad's work brings me great joy. I can only hope that it's reciprocal!

Today it seemed like an eternity before we escaped the maze that is called Atlanta airport (the guy wasn't kidding when he said to "cross the bridge to the train that will take us over the water and through forest" to get to the car rental desk) AND the extended travel sequence didn't end there. An accidental scenic route added an additional hour or more to what would have been a 3-mile trip had I not been directionally challenged!
You can imagine the beautiful sight for sore eyes the Maison LaVigne in Hapeville, GA was after a day-long journey.

While I'm really looking forward to our two-night stay here, I will confess I'm a little disappointed that our screening at the church was canceled. It turns out that my father's pranks surpass borderline offensive and are genuinely offensive. It wasn't the fault of the naked animals. My dad clothed these back in the 50s and 60s when he ran The Society for Indecency to Naked Animals.
In fact, it was the Sex Olympics and All Nude Choir that caused 'Abel Raises Cain' to be pulled. Out of context, these things sound mildly lewd to be sure. But they were scenes in my mom and dad's satirical film, called 'Is There Sex After Death?' My parents were poking fun at the sexual revolution back in the early 70s. But their movie was mistaken for pornography and they faced unique challenges distributing it as a result. They were perpetually censored and it's quite interesting to find ourselves in a similar situation forty years later. But it's completely understandable, as the screening WAS to be held in the town's historic church!

My disappointment stems from the fact that the community of Hapeville was not allowed to see my dad's story on the big screen. I think the folks here really would have enjoyed it. For the most part, people are moved, inspired or amused by my parents and their pranks. But truthfully speaking, their satirical humor CAN be a little over the top at times. I guess it's dependent upon the context and the lens through which the humor is viewed. For me, the weird world of the Abel's was always normal!

Location:Hapeville, GA

[The above entry was originally posted on the Southern Circuit - Tour of Independent Filmmakers blog on 2/5/11]

'Abel Raises Cain' TOURS THE SOUTH!

We are happy to announce that ABEL RAISES CAIN has been selected to participate in the South Arts Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers! Jenny will be traveling with the film throughout the month of February 2011.

For detailed info regarding the screenings, please see ABEL RAISES CAIN Southern Circuit Tour. The final Tour Dates, Venues & Locations are:

Tuesday, February 8, 2011
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC

Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Morris Museum of Art
Augusta, GA

Thursday, February 10, 2011
I. P. Stanback Museum & Planetarium
Orangeburg, SC

Friday, February 11, 2011
New Orleans Afrikan Film and Arts Festival
New Orleans, LA

Saturday, February 12, 2011
Acadiana Center for the Arts
Lafayette, LA

Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art
Auburn, AL

Thursday, February 17, 2011
Tupelo Film Commission
Tupelo, MS

Monday, February 21, 2011
O'Keefe Cultural Center/Anderson Museum of Art
Ocean Springs, MS

Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center
Birmingham, AL

Please come out and see the film as it was meant to be seen... with an audience where laughter can be infectious! For further info, please visit: Abel Raises Cain Southern Tour 2011

April Fool's Day is Alan Abel's National Holiday

I'm not sure if this happens to anyone else, but I received this strange email not too long ago:
"Hi Jenny, I was a friend of your dads. Asked me if I wanted to buy the caboose....wanted me to storm the Phil Donahue Show as a terrorist...other stuff....this may seem like a stupid question, but, did your dad die and when? Thanks."

The problem with planting your own obituary in the New York Times prematurely is that nobody knows for sure what the truth is. This was my father's intention. His way of achieving immortality. Thanks to IMDB, emails of this nature are somewhat frequent.

My dad made me eat hair when I was a kid, claiming it was high in protein. He thinks that mothers who breast-feed babies in public are committing indecent acts with their 'naughty nipples.' He formed the KKK Symphony Orchestra to promote a kinder, gentler Klan, founded Omar's School for Begging for those who need cold hard cash and fast, and he promoted Euthanasia Cruises for folks who want to expire with others in luxury.
Yep, that's my dad. Where the fantasy ends and reality begins, no one knows for sure. One thing I do know is that fifty years later, Alan Abel is still cited for concocting one of the most famous pranks in history, The Society for Indecency to Naked Animals, in 1959.

Alan and Jeanne Abel celebrate 50 years together!

I'm trying to imagine what it would be like to be married to the same person for 50 years. It's rare, in this age of soundbytes, to even want to listen to the same person for more than 30 seconds, let alone be with them day and night for 5 continuous decades. With the Abels, it's either true love or complete insanity. Or both. After rethinking that, I believe that being 'crazy' has kept them young. Their relationship centers around a deep friendship combined with a creative partnership and a hauntingly similar sense of humor (which is sick, I might add).

So 9/11/09 is my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. I thought it would be fun to pretend that they've known each other all of their lives, starting from when they were little up to the point at which they first met. I compiled this series of photos in honor of their celebration. Is that weird? Yes, but what do you expect from an Abel?








Happy Anniversary, mom and dad! May you have many more happy and weird years together!


photo by Nikki Audet