CHECK OUT RICK CASTRO- FERTILE LA TOYAH JACKSON VIDEO SCREENING- SEPT 8TH!

FERTILE LA TOYAH JACKSON

Sunday, September 8, 2019, 7:00 pm

Plummer Park - Long Hall Courtyard

7377 Santa Monica Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90046
FREE!

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Rick Castro, Fertile La Toyah Jackson, miniVHS on HD video, 52min., 1993
RESTORATION PREMIERE!

Vaginal Davis launched her groundbreaking publication Fertile La Toyah Jackson in the late 1980s. The photocopied zine brimmed with local art and music factoids, with styling and photos by Rick Castro (working under the alias Beula Luv), pieces of celebrity gossip and quickly established the queercore music scene by detailing (one could argue “exaggerating”) Ms. Davis’ musical projects: Cholita; The Afro Sisters; Black Fag; and Pedro, Muriel and Esther. Establishing Davis as an erstwhile chronicler of the alternative musical movement, Tower Records even signed an international distribution deal for the black & white 8.5x11” publication. Dennis Cooper likened its loquacious contents to Kenneth Anger’s Hollywood Babylon series, on account of its insider gossip, celebrity sex stories and fantastic lore that the Davis presented as fact.

In 1993, Davis teamed up Rick Castro (Hustler White) to make Fertile move. Together they created two VHS volumes of the zine, which captured the zeal of the publication, but also documented Los Angeles in transition, as shows like Melrose Place began to make their city streets a mass culture stomping ground. Posing as an MTV VJ, Davis walks the Santa Monica strip for segment “Streetwalker Fashions” interviewing the trans sex workers there, transforming the boulevard into a red carpet affair as she asks, “who are you wearing?” Other chapters depict lost West Hollywood haunts like Eat A Pita, The French Marketplace and the mirrored hustler haven, Numbers. Brimming with local talent, like Taste of Latex editor Lily Burana, Iris Parker of Madame X, RuPaul even makes an appearance, as she promotes her breakout single “Supermodel” and sits for a one-on-one interview with Ms. Davis. 

RICK CASTRO & FERTILE LA TOYAH JACKSON- CIRCA 1994

Dirty Looks is thrilled to screen a new restoration of Fertile La Toyah Jackson Volume 1, produced with the support of the City of West Hollywood Arts Division’s Transgender Arts Initiative, under the stars of West Hollywood and in the former hustler haven of Plummer Park. Copies of Dirty Looks Volume 4 will be distributed at the event, featuring a chapter chronicling the title, with contributions by Rick Castro, Joshua Chambers-Letson, Rudy “Bleu” Garcia, Brontez Purnell and Linda Simpson.

Rick Castro is a Los Angeles-based photographer, filmmaker & writer known for his work focusing on fetish and desire. In 1994 Rick's VHS footage of hustler interviews inspired Bruce LaBruce to collaborate as co-directors/writers for the film Hustler White, (1996). The film was a great success internationally and is listed by the Los Angeles Times top 100 underground films of the 20th century. Castro also directed a documentary for MTV called, Plushies & Furries, (2001) the first mainstream project about the furry community. Fertile LaToyah Jackson video magazines, (1993) are examples of Castro’s early raw, jovial film work with then unknown “blacktress" Vaginal Davis as star. 

Vaginal Davis is the internationally revered intersexed doyenne of intermedia arts and sciences. She takes public discourse to Dementia 13 levels as she spells out the queer and blatino experience in her own inemitable fashion creating new words out of thin air and crashing bull-in-a-Madame Mau China-Shop style over notions of propriety and reality.

This event was made possible with the support of the City of West Hollywood through a Transgender Arts Initiative grant.

ALL PHOTOS- RICK CASTRO AKA BEULA LUV

PLEASE HELP LURLEEN

my longtime- dear-doll of a friend LAUREN PINE had a serious accident last year. she survived being hit by a dump truck in NYC. she susatained numerous permenent injuries include the lose of her left leg. she has always be a caregiver and true badass. please donate if you can-

lauren pine gofundme-

HER LOST FAMILY OF 43 YEARS

a Kyle Le Documentary. Special Thanks to Kim and Jon for sharing their story with us and allowing me

to be a part of their family experience. I am forever grateful to have been able

to produce this video and to get to know such great people. Kim worked as a child maid and helper to a family with an American GI husband in Saigon in her early teenage years. Her mother lived in poverty and needed Kim and her sister's salary in order to raise her other children, so the two sisters were put to work. 

Kim had a chance to go to America where the family didn't allow her to go to school or go outside. She was basically a prisoner. Eventually, she escaped by faking a pregnancy and she had to move away to another state. When she came back, the family who brought her over disappeared along with Kim's background. Only the American GI's wife knew of Kim's origins but she was cruel and evil. She didn't even mail all of Kim's letters back to her mother. Her mother was never told of her whereabouts or condition. 

Years passed. No clue, no names, no known locations,

everything was a faint memory to Kim until the family who brought her over's son

was found by Jon after endless days and weeks of searching. 

He provided an important clue to the whole mystery with the form of an address

and that's where I came into the picture.

BELLUM ON TRUMPWORLD- UNTIL IT'S GONE

 TODAY- SEPTEMBER 26TH- 2017- TUESDAY- 10:40AM