After a Fashion

Your Style Avatar in the TFHOF make-up room with JoBeth Williams (center) and Cybill Shepherd (right). "I was so nervous when we filmed the scene [The Last Picture Show] where I had to undress on the end of the diving board – I thought God was going to strike me dead. Then I got up the next morning and had my oatmeal and life went on," said Cybill. "Me, too," said JoBeth, "It was my first scene in any movie and my only scene in Kramer vs. Kramer. I was petrified." Note that Your Style Avatar is the only one of the three pictured above who has not appeared nude onscreen. Praise Jesus. (Photo By Gary Miller)

PREPARTY I'd apply for the job of a scullery maid if it meant I could spend more time in Deborah Green's home. Though she's sold it and this may be the last big shindig she throws there, the Texas Film Hall of Fame sponsor preparty could be a fitting finale. I spent most of the party by the pool with my swans, including our entrancing hostess and Katy Hackerman (you can call her Mrs. Robert Walker now), Lea Buffington (it was our anniversary), and TFHOF gala co-chair Carla McDonald (of whom Evan Smith said, "She makes us better."). I also spent time with my friend Werner Campbell, SXSW's wrangler to the stars, who was also at the preparty. Over the last year, every time he and I would interact, the exchange always ended with some sort of reference to his girlfriend Julia Cuba. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," I always thought, "Julia must be pretty good in bed or something for him to keep yammering away about her." Then, one day, Werner finally pressed a DVD of Troop 1500 in my hand. I had no idea why this documentary was so important to him, but because I think director Ellen Spiro is a goddess, I watched it. I kept seeing this woman named Julia in it, and her profoundly moving work with the daughters of incarcerated mothers … and it dawned on me, like a brick falling through my marshmallow brain, that this was the Julia that Werner kept wanting to tell me about. And now, Julia is a goddess in my book too. Your life will not be complete until you see Troop 1500. It will broadcast on Tuesday, March 21, 9pm, on KLRU-TV.

PARTY TFHOF 2006 might have been renamed Texas Film Hall of Flame – it was hotter than Hades, but the fired-up attendees dished out approximately $400,000 after expenses for the Austin Film Society. "Death to all dull garage-sale-esque silent auctions," said Mme. McDonald after she devised her brilliant candy lottery scheme, which cooked up $38,000 of the proceeds. AFS's Rebecca Campbell and Wendy Anderson and their amazing staff remained glamourous while working like field hands to make the event happen … and it was a happenin' event. No one could forget that TFHOF's beloved emcee Ann Richards was not in attendance, after her recent cancer diagnosis, but Evan Smith did a fine job of carrying the show in her honor, especially by quoting Richards as saying, "It's cancer of the esophagus, not cancer of the larynx. They'll never shut me up!" Richards' old friend Cybill Shepherd choked up while talking about her onstage (and backstage too). Backstage there was a special room provided for Lyle Lovett's band, laden with goodies that remained untouched all night, except by passersby who sneaked handfuls of M&Ms, Doritos, and Wintergreen LifeSavers. I went to www.thesmokinggun.com to see if those provisions were in his contract rider, but his rider was not listed (our lovely Lucinda Williams, however, was listed, notable for modestly suggesting that "any extra nice touches, will be greatly appreciated."). At brunch the next morning, Lyle said that he was so happy to have had the chance to sing to say "thank you" for his honor since playing music makes him comfortable and acceptance speeches don't. The only time the backstage green room was silent was during Matthew McConaughey's windy acceptance speech, in which he not only referenced his own conception and birth, but how his father died after having sex with Matthew's mother. Outside, the legendary John Sayles communed with the legendary Kris Kristofferson, whom he directed in Lonestar, and I eavesdropped while Sam Sheppard chatted up two attendees: He was transfixed by the woman's hair, and when her husband bragged about marrying a great New York girl, Sam leaned over and said, "Never marry a Minnesota girl."

ASSORTMENTS I have now truly reduced my age – not by lying, not by injections of cow urine, not by surgery, but by joining MySpace (www.myspace.com/mrmoser1). Be there or be Cher… Congrats to Austin's Maximum FX Wellness Spa & Salon for being named one of the 200 fastest-growing salons by Salon Today magazine… Austin Lyric Opera presents Lights, Camera, Opera at the Austin Music Hall, Friday and Saturday, March 24 and 25. "It's not an opera, it's a party!" For more info, see www.austinlyricopera.org/tickets/LCO.asp. Also, plan on attending ALO's Le Bal de l'Opera 2006, Saturday, April 1. Go to www.austinlyricopera.org/support/auction2006.asp.