After a Fashion
Stephen is going to affairs and fundraisers as if his life depends on it. Oh, right.
By Stephen MacMillan Moser, Fri., April 25, 2008
PIES & DOLLS If you don't think Valley of the Dolls is the greatest movie ever made, then, well ... you're just wrong. Last Tuesday's VotD benefit (yes, um, it was for me) at the Alamo Drafthouse at the Ritz was spearheaded by my beloved sister, Margaret, who worships this movie as much as I do, and introduced by fellow VotD fanatic, dear friend Joel Mozersky. Many friends showed up, but I was surprised at how many of the people there I did not know. But like Helen Lawson sings in the movie, "It's my yard, so I will try hard to welcome friends I have yet to know."... Mildred Pierce, starring Joan Crawford in her 1945 Oscar-winning performance, is being shown on Sunday, May 4, 2pm, at the Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar (note that it has been moved from the Alamo at the Ritz). The fundraiser (um, for me again) is a pie social, hosted by my fellow Chronicle cohort, food critic, and author Virginia Wood and will feature extraordinary pies donated by so many different bakers and restaurants and all the Amy's Ice Creams you can eat. There will be quite a few surprises unveiled as well, but the real star of this event is the movie. Poor Mildred. No matter how many pies she makes, she just can't please her greedy sociopathic ingrate slut of a daughter, Veda, of whom Eve Arden's character says: "Personally, Veda's convinced me that alligators have the right idea. They eat their young." Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at www.originalalamo.com.
WEEK IN REVIEW Okay, it's the season for the Social Olympics here in the Swish Alps, and I am suited up and ready to slalom through my calendar. Seems like there are always at least two things to attend every night. Last Thursday was Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival's big fundraiser, Bloom, on the rather blustery fifth-floor pool level of the new AMLI Downtown. The party rocked, but I spent most of the time trying to keep the wind from blowing my faux Versace shirt up around my chest... Then it was directly to the preview party for the Heritage Society's Antiques Show, where I saw things that were older than me. Imagine... Saturday was Zach Scott's fundraiser Red, Hot & Soul, which was predictably fabulous. I especially liked the woman in the lobby who received a text message from her friend across the room asking, "DTDMMLF?" Poor thing had no idea what her friend meant. Silly girl. It means, "Does this dress make me look fat?" I ran into glamorous local singer-songwriter Natalie Zoe, whom I've known since I was, um, 17, and hijacked her for the rest of the evening... Then I dragged Natalie to the Octopus Club's big fundraiser ArtErotica, an event that's always a sexy, eye-popping experience. This year's party brought in more money than any previous ArtErotica. Of course it did: There were naked people everywhere – on the walls and in the flesh!
AGENDA Thursday, April 24, 7-10pm, you know Estilo will be showing faaabulous new things at tonight's Through the Looking Glass, their spring fashion show... Friday, April 25, 8pm, UT's graduating seniors show their fashion designs at the Frank Erwin Center with a preshow exposition at 5:45pm. Free!... And for real style, see me at the crack of dawn on Saturday, April 26, dressed in some form of Seventies drag. I'll be working at pit stop No. 1 for the Hill Country Ride for AIDS. But don't let that scare you from riding or supporting the ride – run to www.hillcountryride.org, and sign up to ride, volunteer, or support the riders.
