On the first of May in the year of 2014 I travelled to the famed Texas Theatre of Oak Cliff, to catch a rare screening of a film that has become a secret mainstay for me since I first saw it on VHS(yes, that is correct) back in 1999 or 2000. It got my attention, initially, because it starred a familiar face from a television show that is, to this day, irreplaceable as the greatest sit-com of all time. In case you have not figured it out, I am referring to Patrick Warburton, who played as David Puddy in several episodes, beginning in season six, of the legendary series known as “Seinfeld.”
I just happened to find out about this screening when I was on a different assignment at the aforementioned movie venue and there it was, although not too glorious, a poster of “The Woman Chaser.” I thought to myself, “A film which I love and have never had the chance to see on the big screen? It might be a once in a lifetime opportunity with this one.” For some reason, ever since I turned the big 3-0, I have found myself uttering those words much more frequently than ever before. However, in THIS case, it might well be the truth of the matter. Only time will tell.
As a bonus, it was proclaimed that the man himself, Patrick Warburton, would be present for a Q & A. “Woohoo!” I thought. “THIS is a chance I might never have again in my lifetime.” Needless to say, I did what was necessary to secure a ticket for this event. It was certainly more than just a screening.
I eagerly anticipated not just all these things, but also the venue itself. I am sorry to say it, but it is true: movie theaters like the Texas Theatre of Oak Cliff are all but gone from our mainstream and even NON-mainstream society. I wonder if this is the case overseas, as well. If I may sum it up, the Texas Theatre was a treat, in and of itself, regardless of why I was there in the first place. I arrived quite early, just in case of traffic delays and other people attempting to do the same thing. I sometimes wonder why I do that, but for THIS night, I did NOT. I simply retrieved the ticket and prepared myself with notes and a recorder. I even sat down at the bar and enjoyed a beer and a shot, just to loosen things up, so to speak. As time rolled on and the light flickering through the windows began to dwindle in the face of the setting sun, the crowd grew, but not to the point of making me feel overwhelmed. I happened to even have a brief moment of courage (or perhaps, boredom) and made small talk with an attractive-looking woman who had sat down beside me (not totally by choice, I would wager). Who really cares, though? I was not here to meet anyone, except maybe a minor celebrity. No, no, no! I was there to sit down to a movie of which I am a fan of and, hopefully, enjoy the experience with others like myself, or otherwise.
After a quick, disappointing announcement from a member of the crew at the theatre, the director of the movie, Robinson Devor, was introduced and assured us that a Q & A would still take place, via Skype. Well, this did not seem too reassuring, but hope springs eternal, as some would say.
There are things you can never prepare for when you watch a film with others. It is a completely unique experience and even surreal. “The Woman Chaser” was probably too odd for most movie-goers to really enjoy and/or appreciate and the movie itself was made on a budget that would probably be considered small, even by independent film standards, but some filmmakers, including the principles of the project, really DO care less about the money and fame and more about the quality of their work and just be able to do what they love, even if it is not as glamorous for them as it is for others in the business. I strongly feel that Patrick Warburton is one of those types of actors, but what do I know? I am just a fan AND a critic: the kind of person who would know the least about what he or she is talking about.
As I had seen this film numerous times, unashamedly so, I knew what to expect for myself as a viewer, at least on the surface. The same things I had always found humorous about this movie still made me laugh, but now I was joined by dozens of others in the uproar, for the most part. You know a new definition of Nerd-dom when you discover that you are the only person laughing at a handful of key moments during the show. Still, there is something so gratifying about seeing “The Woman Chaser” ON film and ON the big screen. Even the outdated technology of VHS tape restores a certain amount of visual aspects to film. HERE, the movie had been left untamed. It was raw, but fresh; ugly, but sterling. It was an experience I will not soon forget. One moment, apart from the others, really stood out: a glaring few seconds in which the vast majority of the audience was laughing hysterically and I was NOT. It took me aback and left me befuddled. “So this is what a director and a writer experience when they show a film to a new audience,” I thought to myself. I do not wish to sound superior or like an elitist. I have never made a movie. I would not know the smallest thing about what that entails, but this was my time to be with THIS film in THIS way and it was nothing short of mesmerizing, if I am allowed to be overstated (just this once, right?). To see a movie in a different way than you ever have before is a learning experience, as much as anything else. I really learned a lot.
The Q & A was really just an extra, tasty side to an otherwise satisfactory meal. Patrick Warburton DID indeed join us by way of Skype and I was grateful to be able to ask him a question over the phone and have my brief time in the spotlight. The director was just as gracious and I was pleased that I was not the only one who had curiosities about the movie to ask. I will never know what that experience was for those surrounding me, but it would not matter anyhow. When you have your eye on something and YOU connect to it, does it ever matter what anyone else thinks? Should it? Movies are a work of art, plain and simple. Art is subjective by its very nature. Art, therefore, is not like so many other things in this universe, is it?
