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Show R6 - COYER - CCT12 RED - 2003 by Jacob Stringer photos by Gabriel Rutherford 7 When I walked into Trent Harris' newest office in Salt lake City, I knew I wouldn't refer to him as Mr. Harris and wait for him to invite me to call him Trent No, Trent's not 1 ' like u 14 ft 11 that. The nature of his films most notably the cult hits "Ruben and Ed" and "Plan 10 From Outer Space" and the oversized, wide-mout- h Budweiser ' being put to his lips as I entered somehow reassured me that just Trent would suffice. Plus, I had talked to Trent before. He once gave me and offers workshops through the Utah Film and Video Center at various times throughout the year. But, here I was, a part of the media wanting to get past the mediasubject barriers and get right down to the dirty, friendly conversations. So, I did- n't turn on my tape- recorder, as I - most often do, and I didn't even open for the my trustworthy note-pa- d were we in his of time the majority office. We talked about his newest work, "Casing Cambodia," his older work that is now getting attention and a mass of accolades, such as "Beaver Trilogy," traveling ar ound Utah and the world, familiar acquaintances, film festivals and girlfriends, current and past. Trent said things likeThe problem " with Sundance is that there are all these people now making movies for. a Sundance audience. If I see mother i about t wentsomething angst with ; kids shooting-u- p slapping his elbow-p- it with the backside of his hand iii every o&er scene, I'm going to kill myself" But, after the conversation started to dry out in the office, it was quite apparent we, or better yet I, needed a drink to help moisten up the conversational flow. Trent chose the Cabana Club, located in downtown Salt Lake City. Complete with bad paintings and a piano bar in the middle of the floor not to mention the lounge atmosphere the choice seemed appropriate. Via sat at the bar, two of the five people in the place, and started on our deluge of drinks Trent's accent- - . ed by the occasional cigarette and frequent trips to the restroom. "I love Utah," Trent began, telling his story. "My father was a used-ca- r salesman from Idaho, and we moved here to Salt Lake when I was a kid. I could live elsewhere if I wanted. I just 4. don't want 1 4 fe r 1 Off s r i 1 xm? - feW- a story tip , 'VW- 1 - ononecf ths most interesting Utah artists out there, Bob Moss. I also have contemplated taking a screen-writin- ' 13 MfeajBhwijlflii him ii ii iiiw K.r r.f i.li g course from him for years he teaches during the summer at the U, to." understood perfectly what he was talking about. Utah is great. I think it's probably the inherent "Mondo" nature of the state--to borrow the term from Trent's book Mondo Utah, which is about all things and people odd or crazy in Utah often driven by the force of God. I remembered one of Trent's quotes I read a. while back and couldn't help but ask him, "Would you really consider yourself obsessed I verts?" He laughed into his third round of drinks and answered a firm yes, backing himself up with. "Obsession is our friend," and, "People are often afraid of eccentricity when instead they should be - . embracing it" I believed him. I ordered another drink while he went to the restroom. I pondered eccentricity. He came back, propped ; himself up on the stool, and told me about working on Mayor Rocky Anderson's congressional campaign a few year s back and how the relationship ended ugryC - v "The thing is, he's a great rnaycr," he said. Over the course of a few more rounds I lost cotmt after ihe , about one of his favorite rjftovfes-DavLynch "Lost HighvrayJ -his recent fixation with.iCa1' Winslet loved "Hideous id Kinky" and "Hoh.i Smoke," hated the "God-i-- " awful Titanic," and his fove for surrounding himself with the right ; - people, like local artists Alex Caldiero and Scott Carrier as he put it, "people obsessed with doing real things." The night was drawing late, we'd both had our share of Utah's liquor, Trent had films to view and I had a story to write, so we took our leave. But, in the spirit of communication, we planned to get together to d watch a couple of his films at a later date. Obsession, eccentricity, mondo and heroic perverts; these things, I thought, are what make Trent one of , . over-regulat- unre-lease- Crispen Glover plays Olivia mm Newton-Daw- n in the three with heroic per- - MMMUlL.. o |