My non-Oscar winning friend, dissident Cuban-American filmmaker Agustin Blazquez, who made "Covering Cuba 3: Elian" (has it even played in Los Angeles?) emailed to say that UCLA film school colleague Alexander Payne won an Oscar for "Sideways." I was in Vienna, at the Opera, watching Aida, I think--or asleep--during the broadcast from Hollywood. So I missed the big moment. (Oscar show producer Bill Cates used to be chairman of the film/tv production department at UCLA, btw).
In any case, Agustin's letter reminded me that Payne named an off-screen character with my very own moniker in his "Citizen Ruth." You can hear it on the tape deck in the car that the protagonist listens to, some pretty straightforward tips on real estate investing. The film is sort of interesting, and Payne has some talent.
At any rate, it is proof that we were at UCLA film school together. He was perfectly nice to me, though I always had a feeling that he thought I wasn't cool enough. I guess he was right. At the time, Payne had a pretty blonde girlfriend, also a UCLA film student, who I remember for her "witchy" pointed shoes. They were a cool couple, they made a film about a relationship of some peculiar kind. He's still making films about relationships, it seems.
I don't think I'm mentioned in "Sideways," though.
