开云体育

Marissa Meyer, author of the Lunar Chronicles books
Catherine Keener, great actor, i've now seen 43 of her films
Edward James Olmos, another great actors, i've seen 28 of his films
Susan Sarandon, another great actor. i've seen 78 of her films
Jordan Strassner, a dear friend i met on set. did a great photo shoot with her
and me as i was costumed in the play 9/11- the Al Qaeda Press Conference

Back in the 1980s, in the early days of the Austin Film Society, its founder Rick Linklater (before he became a filmmaker) noticed me at AFS screenings and once told me, "You're the guy who goes to all the foreign films." One of the highlights of 2013 for me was the opportunity to get to be IN a foreign film, a Danish one, no less. The film, "The Idealist", is scheduled to open in Copenhagen next fall. I was in two scenes: one shot in Bastrop and another at the UT library in Battle Hall (representing the National Archives). The film had the most relaxed set I've ever seen for a paid film (and the pay was double the normal local rate). The 1st Assistant Director was the husband of Sandy Segura Alcala, a wonderful former student. Their son was one of the PA's for the film.

Back in 2006 Deb Abbott wrote a short film ("Mommyhood" ) with a role written for me. She finally wrote another, "Dawn", with another role for me (I get to die in this one -). She has some additional filming of my scenes that will be shot in 2014.

"Greenbelt" was completed (and it's great) with one final scene (as the Austin icon, Leslie) for me. () I was an extra in Jon Favreau's "Chef". And I had a small role in "Time Will Pass" (an excellent ACC film: ).

I rarely do live theater, because of the enormous time required for rehearsals. But when a play is written for me, that changes the equation. In 2005 I was in a Dave Miller play ("Dear Mr. President"). In the years that followed he occasionally told me that he planned to write a play in which I would portray Osama bin Laden's spokesman. Late in 2012, he finally started writing it. He had planned to complete it during Christmas, but didn't finish until early January, a week before the performance. The play, "9/11- the Al Qaeda Press Conference" was part of Fronterafest. I was able, barely, to memorize the final half of the play in the final week. The play ran twenty-two minutes and I have 99% of the dialogue!! Two friends, Lisa del Dotto and Nicole Franco, joined the cast as reporters, with one line each, and Nicole's friend Veronika Riha, dressed in full burqa, was my "assistant". The performance went well and a member of the audience shot a video of it for me. (.)

I attended all thirty tapings of "Overheard with Evan Smith". Highlights were Reza Aslan, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Tony Hale, Tony Kushner, John Sayles, Nancy Pelosi, Sonia Sotomayor (wonderful), Amy Tan, Neil deGrasse Tyson (one of the best ever). If you're interested in attending future tapings, subscribe at /g/UpcomingOverheards.

Notable people I saw this year: Lalo Alcaraz (cartoonist), Dave Zirin (sports writer), Condeleeza Rice, Joaquin and Julian Castro, Jessica Alba, Junot Diaz, Klaled Hosseini ("The Kite Runner"), Karl Rove, Susan Sarandon, and Edward James Olmos.

I got some great autographs this year: Christopher Durang (I've seen 20 productions of his plays. "Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You" is his best-known work.), Chloe Sevigny, Catherine Keener (for years one of my favorite actors), Marissa Meyer, P.J. Hoover, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and Elaine May.

I had four photo sessions this year, and all resulted in lots of fun and great photos: Jordan Strassner, Bethany Harbaugh (our third session), Caitlin Mack, and Stephanie Acosta. Stephanie's was unique because her young son was present and wanted to get in as many pictures as possible (ironic, since Stephanie noted that he often hides when she tries to take pictures of him).

Once again, for the seventh consecutive year, I read 365 books (the grand total is 8749. I should reach 9K in 2014). The best nonfiction books: "The Death & Life Of The American School System" by Diane Ravitch, "Voluntary Madness" by Norah Vincent (her time in three loony bins), "Paul On Mazursky" by Sam Wasson, "Tomatoland " by Barry Estabrook, "Hello Goodbye Hello" by Craig Brown (unusual anecdotes on various celebrities), "Parting The Waters" by Taylor Branch (civil rights), "Learning To Live Out Loud" by Piper Laurie, "Garbology" by Edward Humes, "Wrecking Crew" by Kent Hartman (the backup musicians for tons of hit songs in the '60s & '70s), "Joe DiMaggio A Hero's Life" and "What It Takes" (the latter is on the '88 presidential campaign. Both by Richard Ben Cramer), "Free Lunch", "Perfectly Legal", and "The Fine Print" (all three by David Cay Johnston - his books are very highly recommended), "Man Without A Face: The Unlikely Rise Of Vladimir Putin" by Masha Gessen, "The American Way of Eating" by Tracie McMillan, "My First Movie" by Stephen Lowenstein (interviews with 20 great filmmakers), "Round Ireland With A Fridge" (Tony made a drunken bet that he could hitchhike around Ireland with a fridge in a month. Then he tried to actually achieve it), "One Hit Wonderland", and "Playing The Moldovans At Tennis" (all three by Tony Hawks - who I discovered via Just a Minute), "The Dangerous Animals Club" by Stephen Tobolowsky, "TheAnti-Romantic Child" by Priscilla Gilman (about her autistic son), "Marilyn: The Passion & The Paradox" by Lois Banner, "Going Clear" by Lawrence Wright (superb work on scientology), "Gulp" by Mary Roach, "One Summer: America 1927" by Bill Bryson, "Triple Agent" by Joby Warrick (about the Lebanese who killed several CIA agents in Afghanistan by means of suicide bomb), "Kill Anything That Moves" by Nick Turse (the truth about the Vietnam War) , "Heads in Beds" by Jacob Tomsky (the hotel industry).

And the best fiction: "Cinder", Marissa Meyer's sequel to "Scarlet"; all of Alex Berenson's books, which feature his character, John Wells. And all of P.J. Hoover's YA books.

I saw lots of movies, as always. The best feature films: "Captain Phillips", "For My Father" (an Israeli film), "Fruitvale Station", "Enough Said", "Instructions Not Included", "Wadjda", "Dallas Buyers Club", "Philomena", "Short Term 12", "After Midnight" and "Twelve Years A Slave"

The best documentary films: "The Network" (about an Afghan radio/TV network), "Before You Know It" (about 3 gay senior citizen - directed by my friend PJ Ravel), "Chasing Ice" (climate change is made real by means of still photographs recording glacier changes over extended time), "Bert Stern: Original Madman" (ad man, photographer (including Marilyn's final photo sessions)), "Blackfish" (the truth about the SeaWorld parks), "To Be and To Have" (a French teacher in a one room school), "Inequality For All" (Robert Reich), "Sole Survivor" (four who were the only survivor of a plane crash), "At Berkeley" (the latest documentary from the legendary Frederick Wiseman - it airs on PBS in January. Wiseman is 84 and working on his next film!! I discovered that the public library had about two dozen of his films that I hadn't seen. I've really been enjoying seeing more of his work. So far, the favorite of these new ones is "Blind" (about a Blind School in Alabama). Sadly, before I was able to watch all of them, five were withdrawn from the collection).

I was finally able to complete listening to all of my BBC "Just a Minute" shows (about 850, counting the TV shows). The show broadcasts a new series in February 2014 (listen to it at
). The program is in its 47th year; Nicholas Parson, the host, is still going strong at age 90 (he just made the Queen's list); he's never missed a broadcast (). I also finished listening to 254 Burns and Allen shows from the '30s through 1950 (George Burns and Gracie Allen) (). A recent addition, which I'm really enjoying are BBC versions of stories of Roald Dahl and most of the works of Charles Dickens. And thoroughly have been enjoying "Dead Ringers." The "Just a Minute" shows are so great that I've started listening to them a second time, as well as "You Bet Your Life" and "My Word." I suspect it'll take many months to finish this, since my source keeps adding new shows to my collection.

By the beginning of 2013 I had almost completely recovered from the October 2012 accident, but was still feeling pain in my right leg's hamstring and lower calf. My doctor authorized PT and with the help of a great physical therapist, the problem was solved after a few weeks. In December I received a settlement offer of $30,000 for the accident, but then discovered that the payment could not proceed until a $69,000 hospital bill was settled. Apparently, first the auto insurance is tapped for costs, then the health insurance company, and last of all, Medicare. Hopefully all this can be sorted out early in 2014, but the process seems to move at a glacial pace.

I had a colonoscopy and got a positive report. Late in the year I discovered that I had developed a case of tinnitus (ringing in the ears), which I suspect will be an intermittent problem for the rest of my life.

For the first time I walked at least 400 miles every month and never less than 10.6 miles on a day (always a challenge during SXSW and the Austin Film Festival). For the first time I walked over 5000 miles: final total 5202 miles. I was able to avoid driving 96% of the time. As a result I only needed to fill the tank once.

I attended two of the wonderful Will Wallace Workshops this year, always both helpful and great fun.

I saw thirty-two plays this year. Standouts were "Noises Off", "Spoiler Alert This Is How My Life Ends", and "Single Black Female".

I had major renovations done to my house. The contractor I hired, Jeff Durawa, was someone I taught thirty-three years ago. He replaced my kitchen floor, replaced my clothesline, repaired my back fence, installed a new shower and bathroom ceiling, found me a new stove, and painted the bathroom and kitchen. He should finish the job early in 2014.

The subject of my master's thesis, Shawn Phillips, returned to Austin for the first time in three years, still going strong at age 70. His wife's parents recently passed on, so he plans to move back to the U.S. from South Africa in 2014.

I saw over forty former students this year. I met Kristen Carrillo while she was on campus for a workshop. Kristan Rivers was visiting from Shanghai. Ian McDowell was selling his art while we were filming a scene for "Greenbelt". Ada Scarborough was in "Chef" with me. Erica Hendrix was at a UT screening of a film her son was in. Joshua Robertson was on the crew picking up my trash. Tiffanie Alexander had a going away party; Shawn Bode, Rick Alexander, and Jason Nobles were there. I attended the 20th McCallum reunion and saw Chris Garrett, John Bradford, Angie Rojas, Josh Adkinson, Alexia Raven, and Lori Scott. I crossed paths by chance with Austin Lane, Justin Sadowski, Yvonne Kimmons, Johnny Plair, Arthur Graves, Clarence Wilson, and Alan Leifeste. I helped Allison Daniel Hay make a copy of a video of her offspring. Stephanie Acosta joined me for the 10th reunion screening of School of Rock (which included a Q&A with Jack Black and all but one of the "class" members). I lunched with Jessica Briseno and Teua Ramirez. I met Mike Hartman to advise him on acting. Mary Voorhees Meehan and Jennifer Nash had an art exhibit where I saw them, their art and Tricia Voorhees Burnight, Sara Facundo, Amy Hyman, and Genevieve Guinn. Adrienne Overton used her DJing skills at her sister's store; her brother Volma was there. I saw Albert McGee at the bookstore where he works (curiously, across the street from Lamar Middle School). And at the McCallum 10th reunion I saw Rachel Richey, Mynor Alvarado, Jared Mink, Tiffanie Alexander, and Tasha Siebenaler.

I hope all of you have a great 2014