ABEL RAISES CAIN at The Morris Museum of Art

You know how they say a picture is worth a thousand words? The opposite applies to a picture of the Rosemary Inn. You cannot do justice to this magnificent structure within the confines of two dimensions. The stately home with its grand columned entry and ornate wood-paneled interior was unreal and the latter would certainly make any beaver drool.
We stayed at Lookaway Hall, the mansion across the street from Rosemary Inn. Both 'houses' have a rich history and the story of their loving resurrection is as interesting and entertaining as the inn's two owners, Kelly and his wife, Diana, who went out of their way to make us feel at home.
Earlier in the day, we were racing against the clock to make it from Greenville, NC to Augusta, GA in time for the screening. It was something like 7 hours of driving time. My dad and I were delirious and suffering from car fever by the time we arrived at the museum. It was somewhat surreal when we pulled into the museum lot and noticed next door a perfectly preserved 1950s TV station, a relic of the past frozen in time.
I'm finally viewing ABEL RAISES CAIN through fresh eyes, from a more conservative viewpoint. Taking a look around at the older adults gathered to see the film, I wondered if my fears of offending another audience in Georgia would come true. My dad and I are like "The Gong Show" meets Lenny Bruce during the Q&A sessions. I never know when he's going to take it over the top and if we'll be escorted off stage as a result.

All in all, the reception to the movie was positive, although I did see one man with a sour expression hurrying out the door afterwards. The weird world of the Abels was perhaps a bit TOO weird for this particular gentleman. But the museum director, Kevin Grogan, seemed to be enjoying himself when I peeked over at him during the screening. That meant we were in the clear and wouldn't be arrested after all!
It's fun to show the film to college kids one night and then baby boomers and active seniors the next and receive an almost identical response (one that's filled with laughter).

My dad and I celebrated the evening with cold pizza and long hot baths in giant tubs in our respective rooms at the inn. On the road again in less than 24 hours, Orangeburg, SC here we come!

Location:Augusta, GA

[The above entry was originally posted on the Southern Circuit - Tour of Independent Filmmakers blog on 2/9/11]

ABEL RAISES CAIN in Greenville, NC

Flying from Atlanta to Greenville shaved a few years off my life. The turbulence was so severe, we dropped what felt like forty stories in a matter of seconds. Some people screamed. My dad was seated three rows behind me. I looked back at him and it seemed like he was actually enjoying the terrifying ride!
I'm kind of relieved that the remainder of the tour consists of mostly driving. Flying is for the birds!

I knew the day was going to present various challenges when a TSA agent painstakingly removed every single item from my carry-on luggage (including undergarments), one by one, with creepy blue rubber gloved hands. It was the box of 'Abel Raises Cain' DVDs that aroused suspicion. Apparently we're setting off alarms everywhere.
At last, we made it to Greenville, NC. On our way through the outskirts of town, we passed a string of abandoned cabooses covered in graffiti and a Hooters on the corner of Hooker Road (seriously). From our hotel room, we could see the Wal-Mart across the street. It looked strangely beautiful to me for some reason, I had to capture an image of it.
I decided to give Michael Crane a quick call to let him know that we had arrived safely (without a parachute) in Greenville. Last minute arrangements for my father and I to speak before a class of graduating ECU media students proved to be successful. We teased a clip from the film and spent a little over an hour discussing my dad's pranks and independent filmmaking.
The screening of ABEL RAISES CAIN at Speight Auditorium on ECU campus started with a few digital mishaps that ended up transforming into one of the most artistic presentations of our film I have ever seen...our movie played in stereovision! Truly unprecedented, the image was double projected onto one large screen!
It was a small lively crowd consisting mostly of students and some members of the community. Overall, the audience reaction to the film was great. I almost want to say that the stereovision enhanced the viewing experience!

After the screening and Q&A, my dad was interviewed by a reporter from the ECU campus paper and we had fun saying goodbye to everyone (a special thanks to Mike Dermody and his students, especially Morgan, Lauren and Megan for all of their help).

Once we were all packed up, I treated my dad to a root beer float at 'Sup Dogs, the local watering hole. Next stop, Augusta, GA. Let's hope we don't offend any more Georgians!

Location:Greenville, NC

[The above entry was originally posted on the Southern Circuit - Tour of Independent Filmmakers blog on 2/8/11]

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