Notes from the Parlour...
May 2005


Of course, the first thing everyone said when I was asked to do a shoot with legendary countercultrue photographer Charles Gatewood was- will you be keeping your clothes on? Hell, not only would I be fully dressed, but I would be donning a full-length leather and fur coat, velvet hat, and gloves, traipsing through sinister spots in "old" San Francisco on what turned out to be a record-breaking afternoon heatwave of 92 degrees! Make-up artist Melissa Wagner (bless her heart) followed me around with an arsenal of face powder and bottled water as I tried to stave off the meltdown, climbing countless hidden stairways and steep alleyways in North Beach. The whole crew lost about six pounds in water weight that day.
This may not sound dark and mysterious, but it was a photo shoot for the possible cover of San Francisco Noir. (The abundance of sunlight did make for some extraordinary shadows.) Editor Peter Maravelis of City Lights Books thought I would be the perfect cover girl for the upcoming anthology, and Gatewood the ideal candidate to snap the photos.
The book is now in final production stages and whether the publishers choose to use any of these shots is anyone's guess. But, we got some beautiful images, and enjoyed quite a strange, sweaty, Sunday hike and lunch together. Gatewood was quite sweet and presented me with a full set of photographs. I was honored.

In April, I was in New York City beginning work on a fabulous new film project- Ice Cream Ants, a surreal thriller written and directed by award-winning Brooklyn screenwriter Jeremy Carr, and produced by Sageworx' Marc Calamia. I play a dangerous femme fatale named Mona who continuously haunts the dreams of an unamed man and holds the key to his identity.
Before shooting began, I was doing pre-production here in the Bay Area, getting a cast made of my own face! In a strange, erotic sequence, I appear wearing a mask which eerily resembles my own features. Special effects master Jonathan Horton has been responsible for some big-time memorable moments-- Jeff Goldblum's costume in The Fly, designing the look for the animatronic creatures in Anaconda and Free Willy among others. Jonathan did an amazing job of keeping me calm while he painstakingly plastered this thick material all over my face, covering my eyes, nose and mouth. I could only breathe through two tiny openings in my nostrils (no straws were used! Jonathan says he's too precise for that!) The hardest part was sitting absolutely still for the 15-20 minutes or so it takes to harden, keeping a natural expression...fighting the urge to flinch and move muscles. I could see someone having a big time panic attack in this situation-- time to practice those meditative breathing exercises...I said to Jonathan- "What happens if I suffocate underneath all this gunk and you don't realize? " He replied-"Well, then I'll have an authentic Jill Tracy Death Mask to sell on Ebay." Fortunately, for some, I survived. Thanks Jonathan.

Five masks, some painted, some translucent with painted eyeballs, were shipped to the set, arriving in New York to greet me. Rehearsals and shooting are ready to begin. And yes, the mask scene is going to be gorgeously unsettling to say the least.

Ice Cream Ants stars Marcus Ashley and Tom Noonan along with a cast of the most enchanting and eccentric characters you could imagine! I spent some time with Tom Noonan at last year's SlamDance Film Festival; it was lovely to reconnect with him.
So far, the experience has been pure pleasure! The Ants crew are some of the most talented and kind people I've ever worked with. Jeremy Carr is talking with me now about the filmscore. I treasure the fact that I can immerse myself full-sensory into completely different aspects of a project.
Stay tuned to Notes from the Parlour for behind-the-scenes photos and Ice Cream Ants updates! We're in the thick of it...

Although I've had little downtime in New York, I was able to meet up with kindred sister-in-spirit, musician Nicki Jaine, for a couple of leisurely late-night dinners. We shared our amusing war stories, and a mutual sweet tooth. Projekt's Sam Rosenthal (her partner in Revue Noir) took us to one of his favorite Ethiopian restaurants. I was treated to an exclusive hand-burned copy of Revue Noir's brand new CD-single which is now available through the Projekt website. You may also purchase Jill Tracy CDs directly through Projekt. Diabolical Streak is featured in the Dark Cabaret section of their online Lobby. For further ordering info, visit the Merchandise page. We appreciate your support of independent artists; it's the only thing that allows us to continue to do what we do.

And speaking of dark kindred spirits, thank you to the great guys at Fangoria TV for featuring The Fine Art of Poisoning (my short film with animator Bill Domonkos) in their new Monster Mondays series at NYC's Pioneer Theatre! The Fine Art of Poisoning makes its UK debut at the acclaimed Filmstock in June. Visit the festival's website for screening times.

The brand new repressing of Into the Land of Phantoms is now in stock! Projekt has it, as well as CD Baby and Amazon. The artwork is gorgeous...a perfect album to conjure both muses...and monsters. (Ahhhh-- most often one in the same.)

Last, but not least- I can die a happy woman, as I saw Gang of Four (original line-up! long-time heroes!) perform at The Fillmore upon a return to San Francisco. Jon King and Andy Gill...my God, this is what matters, isn't it? Damn the imitators. The new breed of regurgitated musical product may master the costume and the swagger, but none of the poignancy, substance, and the intention of the original artistry...even 20-some odd years later.

I'm still swooning...

Jill Tracy

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