THE SMALLEST STAR

Saint Petersburg, RU

2011-07-22T11:13:00.000-07:00

I've just returned from the Kinoforum Film Festival in Saint Petersburg, Russia where I'm known as Кори Макэби. Below are images from my trip.

I left home on July 8th. I was flown Business Class in a seat that could turn into a bed.

I had a direct flight from NYC to Helsinki, followed by a short flight from Hilsinki to Saint Petersburg. I arrived on July 9th. That afternoon I spent the day with filmmakers Tricia Regan (NYC) and Gregor Jordon (AU). They were on my flight. We were shown around Saint Petersburg by our friend, Gregor's handler.

The following evening was Kinoforum's opening ceremony. A black tie/red carpet event.

The ceremony was followed by a screening of Pedro Almodovar's new film, THE SKIN I LIVE IN. It was presented by the film's DP, Jose Luis Alcain. Here is a clip of Jose and I the following morning exploring the Russian Museum.

Later that afternoon I gave a workshop at the WORD ORDER bookshop. I forgot my camera for this event.
Later that night I met for drinks with filmmakers Vahid Vakilifar, Atousa Bendeh, and Marcus Lenz. With the help of Vahid's handler, Pavel Snop, we broke into a near by building and climbed onto the roof.

This time of year there is only 3 hours of darkness. It's called the "White Nights season." This clip was taken 1 block from my hotel at 10:00 at night.

Stingray Sam screened the following afternoon at the Mikhailovsky Theatre. Here is the theatre as seen from the stage during tech-check.

The Russian translations did not arrive, so my translator translated live during the screening. Here is a backstage look.

The screening was a success, thanks to the spontaneous efforts of my translator, Daria Kasimanova.

Later that night I attended the ballet of Don Quixote at the Mariinsky Theatre.

The next afternoon I was driven to the country where I dipped my hand into the Baltic Sea...

and gave a Masters Class at the Campus Metropolis.

That evening I attended the Governor's Reception at the Peterhof Palace where we were treated to a Baroque Opera in the garden.

After the opera we were taken to a fantastic dinner at the Palace.

I dined with my friend, Icelandic filmmaker Fridrik Thor Fridriksson.

After the reception we went to a Karaoke bar. I later sang Smoke Gets In Your Eyes by the Platters.

The next morning we took a tour of the Hermitage Museum. Here is a woman cleaning the window.

That evening we were taken to the Peter & Paul Fortress where a symphony was taking place, followed by fireworks over the river. The man in white pants is my friend, actor/poet Esteban Feune De Colombi from France & Argentina.

The following afternoon I was part of a round table discussion that went on for quite some time.

That evening was the festival's closing ceremony. It was another Red Carpet event. The woman in the flowered dress is the festival's director and my good friend Olessya Gankevich.

The closing ceremony was followed by a reception at the Russian Museum. My camera had died by that point. It was stunning.

On July 16 I returned home to NYC by way of Helsinki. I've never had a more wonderful time.
Thank you to everyone at Kinoforum and to all of my new friends.
Your friend,
Cory
corymcabee.com

West coast tour diary: May/June 2011

2011-05-26T17:37:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the West Coast Tour. I will try to update this blog at least once a day.

Friday. June 3 2011. Seattle, WA.
We woke up in Seattle. Here is Todd and Howard the fish. Howard lives in a tank in the hotel lobby.

After breakfast Bobby and Todd took a trip to Wave Hound surf shop where Bobby sold his surf board. If you're a surfer in Seattle please know that it's a good board.

In the afternoon we went to the Columbia City Theater. It's a beautiful venue with great sound.

Below is the view from our hotel room window. (strong language)

We are now on our way to the venue. After tonight's show we will pack up for an early flight back to NYC.

Thank you all for joining us on this tour. Our next shows will begin at the end of the month in NYC. We'll post the dates here.
Thank you again,
Cory

Thursday. June 2 2011. Olympia, WA.

We woke up in Portland, OR at the home of our good friend Howard Arron. We ate breakfast and hit the road. Below are some scenes from our journey to Olympia, WA.

We had a great time performing at the Northern where we met some very nice people. Among them was the band Romanteek who we shared the stage with. After our show we were given a tour by lead singer, Ruby Valentine and guitarist, Matt "Le Matt" Buscher. They showed us a well in the middle of town. We all drank from it.

At the end of the tour they invited us into their studio for wine and chocolates. Here is a look at the kitchen.

We left in the early AM and drove to Seattle, WA.

Wednesday. June 1 2011. Portland, OR.

We woke up in Coos Bay, OR. Here is the view from our hotel room window.

We drove to the ocean where Bobby put on a rubber suit outside of our van for surfing purposes.

The water was difficult, but Bobby was still able to catch a couple of waves. Here he is returning from the ocean.

We drove for hours on our way to Portland. The drive was beautiful.

We were late for soundcheck, but our friends at the Woods in Portland stayed in contact with us through the afternoon and did a fantastic job when we arrived. It's a great venue. Not long ago it was a funeral home.

Tuesday. May 31 2011. DRIVE DAY. CA to OR.

I woke up hours before Bobby and Todd and went out for a diner breakfast. This is how most days begin. Below is the view from my seat at the counter.

We drove through Yeti and Paul Bunyan country. Here is a picture of Bobby standing near a talking Paul Bunyan statue. The hand, head, and one of the eyes moved.

We entered Oregon in the late afternoon. It was a beautiful drive.

We ate at a fish place next to the ocean and kept driving north until midnight.

Monday. May 30 2011. Eureka, CA.

We woke up in Oakland, CA and drove through San Francisco. We passed a couple of my old homes. Here is where lived during my final few years in SF as seen from the freeway. It's the Hotel Utah Saloon. This is where I wrote the final draft and created the storyboards for The American Astronaut.

We drove North across he Golden Gate bridge. I once walked across this bridge. It takes a very long time and there are no bathrooms.

We stopped at a general store in the hills of Healdsburg, CA. It looked like a barn, but with fancy foods. Below is a photo of their salt assortment. It included (left) Northeast Alder Smoked Salt, Cypress Mediterranean Black Salt, Maiden Sea Salt, and French Salt.

We met our friend Caitlin at the store and drove to her house. Caitlin has taken many photos of BNS throughout the years. This is the view from her yard.

Caitlin showed us a collection of Tintype photos that she had recently created.

Her husband Richard was the editor for our 1994 musical film, The Ketchup & Mustard Man. Below is a clip of Richard introducing us to the chickens in his bathtub.

Below are 5 short clips of their dog. I took these as we said our goodbyes.

We drove a long, rainy evening through the mountains of Hwy 101 on our way to Eureka.

Thank you all who braved the rain to join us at our show at the Alibi. We had a great time.

Sunday. May 29 2011. San Francisco, CA.

We started off our day with a visit to the beaches of Capitola, CA. Bobby surfed while Todd and I drank coffee and watched. Here is a clip of Bobby catching a wave.

We were met by our good friend, legendary surfer and board shaper, Michel Junod.

We then drove to our old home town of San Francisco where we shared our 4th and final evening with the lee Vilensky Trio.

Below is a photo of Lee and Bobby playing together before soundcheck. Lee was one of the original members of the Billy Nayer Show. He performed with us for 5 years. A character in our film The American Astronaut was named after him.

Bobby's surf board remained on stage during our performance. Here is a short clip of Bobby during soundcheck.

Here's a clip of Lee Vilensky during Bobby's drum soundcheck.

Thank you Lee Vilensky for joining us these past 4 nights and thank you all for coming to our SF show at the Bottom of the Hill. We had such a great time. The Billy Nayer Show is now on the to perform in Eureka, CA and beyond!

Saturday. May 28 2011. San Diego, CA.

We began the day at a motel in Camarillo, CA. Here we are loading the van and making decisions.

We stopped for lunch at the historic Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, CA. The table sugar was pink and there were sweet pickles on my burger. It was extra fancy.

Here is a short clip of Bobby and Todd readjusting the surf board straps on top of the van.

Here is the view from the van interior as Bobby and Todd readjust the surf board straps on top of the van. Some would call it a "win-win situation."

Here we are approaching the Alternative Cafe in Seaside, CA. It was a great evening and our hosts were most gracious. We will be back.

Friday. May 27 2011. Los Angeles, CA.

Below is a photo from soundcheck at the Downtown Independent in beautiful Los Angeles. During our performance my pedals and amps picked up mobile phone and wireless transmissions. Rewiring my gear became part of the performance.

Thursday. May 26 2011. San Diego, CA.
Below is the morning view from our hotel room window.

After breakfast Bobby bought a cheap surfboard, or "beater board" for the trip. He will sell it in Seattle. Here he is loading it into our van.

Below is a clip of Bobby surfing at Tourmaline.

Here is tour manager Todd after a swim.

We returned to our hotel to find the Lee Vilensky Trio playing stickball in the parking lot.

Later that evening The Billy Nayer Show, the Lee Vilensky Trio, and our friends of the musical group, Roxy Jones performed at the Soda Bar. Below is the poster that the venue created.

More soon.
Cory
For movies, music and more www.corymcabee.com

The American Astronaut stuff.

2011-04-18T10:45:00.000-07:00

Hey my friends,
New things are happening. We are in post-production for our new film. The film should be complete by the end of the year. The edit is coming together nicely and Bobby and I (The Billy Nayer Show) are now creating the soundtrack here in Chinatown, NYC.

We are still planning to shoot Werewolf Hunters of the Midwest this Fall. I will keep you posted as that time approaches.

For the past 10 years all of The American Astronaut props, costumes and set pieces have been sitting in a storage space in Queens, NY. After 10 years the producers decided to shut down the space and asked me to do the honors. I was sad to think of throwing so many beautifully crafted items away, but there was no longer a place to keep them. By chance, a fan of the film wrote to me from Pittsburgh, PA asking if I would sell him a prop from the film. I told him that he could have everything if he would empty out the space. He and a young lady-friend took a bus from Pittsburgh and rented a U-haul when they arrived. The three of us spent several hours packing everything into the U-haul, including my ship console. We had a wonderful time. Below are the last photos that I was able to find.

That was Samuel Curtis and the Blueberry Pirate before they became Stingray Sam and Fredward.

These dresses were made of shower curtains and plastic flowers. I kept two of the dresses. One to hang in my office and one to store.

This Polaroid was hidden under a box for 10 years.

This is the only picture of our boys from the Ceres Crossroads. I'm forever grateful to these gentlemen and to everyone else who worked on that film. It's always good to see their faces.

This picture was taken last month at a drive-in in Memphis, TN. It was sent to me by the Indie Memphis Film Festival. That's me and Gregory Russell Cook on screen. I worked with Greg last summer on the new film that I am now editing.

The Billy Nayer Show will be taking a break to do a West Coast tour. Dates are listed below. I hope we see some of you out there.

I often receive emails from people searching for copies of our work. If you would like to buy a copy of THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUT, STINGRAY SAM or our new BNS record look here: http://www.corymcabee.com/store/

More updates soon.
Your friend,
Cory McAbee
of The Smallest Star
corymcabee.com
Twitter

March 2001

2010-11-24T12:09:00.000-08:00

Hey my friends,

I have been away from my blog for a little while because I'm in post-production for a new film. I'm very excited about this film. It should be nearing completion this fall. At that time we are planning to begin pre-production on a film that I've been trying to get off the ground for a few years. It's called Werewolf Hunters of the Midwest. The screenplay, music and storyboards are in place. There have been times over the past few years when individuals have signed on to produce it, but tripped at the starting gate.

Between now and then we will do some BNS shows. We're planning to begin with a West Coast tour. I'll keep you posted on all of it.

I've posted 6 musical clips at corymcabee.com and on Youtube and Vimeo.
The performances posted were filmed and recorded live at Mavericks Studio, NYC in early October 2010.
-music by The Billy Nayer Show.
-filmed by Scott Miller and Josh Van Praag
-recorded & mixed by Karl Derfler.
-edited by Andrew Blackwell.

The Skinned Rabbit is a pre-production teaser for our upcoming feature film, Werewolf Hunters of the Midwest. We'll begin production in 2011. The other five numbers are featured on our new release, BNS PRESENTS.

The clips are presented below in 3 formats.
Please post them everywhere.

I hope you enjoy them.
Your friend,
Cory McAbee
@ The Smallest Star
corymcabee.com
twitter.com/corymcabee

BNS SCREEN: Includes all 6 clips.

YOUTUBE:

The Skinned Rabbit

Glue

Henry Joe

He's Flying

Joe's Hat (Hatter)

Riding Horses

VIMEO: (Vimeo embed code supports iPad, iPhone, Flash and more)

The Skinned Rabbit

Glue

Henry Joe

He's Flying

Joe's Hat (Hatter)

Riding Horses

www.billynayer.com

Abbreviated illustrated history of tweets. Sept 24 - Nov 2

2010-11-04T06:39:00.000-07:00

Captions sent from the road via twitter.com/corymcabee
Columns Hotel. New Orleans, LA:

tweet- Sep 24^th. 1:33 pm: I'm in New Orleans @ my hotel / built in 1883 as a private mansion. I arrived after breakfast. They made me eggs & grits anyway. I'm happy.

The Columns Hotel is where they filmed Pretty Baby in 1978. The place looks the same.

tweet- Sep 24^th. 3:45 pm: Just ate a po-boy sandwich on Bourbon St. I only get here once every few years, so I kinda gotta. My hotel is a 30 min streetcar ride away.

I made a video on the New Orleans trolley that I call, “Spot the Murderer.” It’s a lot like Where’s Waldo. Give it a try:

Give up? The answer is, “none of the above.” When I see a jogger I like to pretend there was a murder, or someone stole their clothes, or there’s a big sale going on somewhere.

Detail from Bourbon Street:

tweet- Sep 24^th. 6:58 pm: TONIGHT in NEW ORLEANS. STINGRAY SAM. TULANE UNIVERSITY TECH DAY. FINE ARTS CENTER, 1733 CONSTANTINOPLE ST. I'm heading over in a few.

After the screening we went to d.b.a. on Frenchman St where we listened to 007 perform & drank Tito's vodka from Texas. Afterward we had burgers and shakes at Camellia's grill in the Riverbend area.

tweet- Oct 1^st. 7:31 am: On my way to JFK. Going to the STINGRAY SAM screening at the ELLENSBURG FILM FESTIVAL, ELLENSBURG, WA. It is now pouring rain in New York.

tweet- Oct 1^st. 9:13 am: Flight is delayed. Last night Bobby Lurie, Karl Derfler & I worked on new music for my small film project. The autoharp has again expanded.

Mavericks Studio. Bobby and Karl:

tweet- Fri Oct 1. 4:46 pm: Landed in Seattle! In flight I enjoyed watching the 1975 World Heavyweight Title Fight, Muhammad Ali vs Joe Fraizer III. Thrilla in Manilla.

tweet- Fri Oct 1. 6:33 pm: I'm in Ellensburg, WA. It's about 2 hrs east of Seattle. STINGRAY SAM screens tonight at 7PM opening the ELLENSBURG FILM FESTIVAL.

View from my hotel room window in Ellensburg, WA:

tweet- Oct 2. 01:47 am: We won! STINGRAY SAM BEST OF THE FEST ELLENSBURG FILM FESTIVAL, ELLENSBURG, WA.

tweet- Oct 3. 10:17 pm: Made it. I'm in line for a cab at JFK. It's cold out. I'll Twit again very soon. Over and out.

tweet- Thu Oct 7. 09:17 am: Monday, my son (age 2) swallowed a penny. Last night it came out all acid burned & rainbow beautiful. I have it in my pocket. I'm keepin it.

tweet- Thu Oct 14. 6:19 pm: @ the studio rehearsing for next week’s show & west coast tour. Blackwell is here editing live BNS clips from last week. I'll post them soon.

Here is one of the seven clips that Blackwell was editing when that tweet was sent:

tweet- Sat Oct 16. 3:52 pm: I'm in the jellyfish room at the New York Aquarium at Coney Island. It's also a beautiful Fall day outside on the boardwalk. I recommend it.

My son in the New York Aquarium Men’s room:

tweet- Mon Oct 18. 8:05 pm: Tomorrow, Tues. Oct 19. 11PM. The Billy Nayer Show performs @ Cake Shop. 152 Ludlow in NYC, Friday we'll be in Seattle, then down the coast!

tweet- Tue Oct 19. 11:35 am: I just tried on a new suit. Looked nice, but I couldn't raise my arms above my head. Salesman said if I stood on a chair I wouldn't have to.

tweet- Thu Oct 21.10:42 am: Just boarded our plane - NYC to Seattle. Bobby got the aisle seat. I got stuck in center. I've had my ribs removed for just such an occasion

tweet- Thu Oct 21. 9:51 pm: 2 hours earlier we picked up my 30 yr old autoharp from Pete d'Aigle @ d'Aigle Autoharps. He souped it up for me. He does great work.

A flower pot statue of Pete erected outside of his shop.

tweet- Thu Oct 21. 11:49 pm: We're at the Showbox in Seattle watching Mexican Mask Wrestling & Burlesque with our good friend Cathy Sorbo as ring announcer.

Lucha VaVoom:

tweet- Fri Oct 22. 17:22 pm: WE WON! Stingray Sam just won for Best Director and Best Music/Original Score at Fantastic 2010 in Montevideo, Uruguay. Thank you Uruguay!

tweet- Fri Oct 22 5:43 pm: Picked up our tour manager Todd Merrill @ airport. Tonight The Billy Nayer Show performs @ Rendezvous Jewel Box. 2322 2nd Ave. Seattle WA.

Todd:

tweet- Sat Oct 23. 12:16 pm: Seattle: Last night was a blast. The venue sold out, the crowd was great, but our drink tickets were only good for PBR. 2 out'a 3 ain't bad.

Bobby setting up his drums back stage at the Rendezvous Jewel Box Theater:

View of our hotel. Seattle, WA:

tweet- Oct 23. 6:35 pm: We're back on the road heading from Seattle to Portland OR for tonight's show @ Berbatis Pan. 231 S W Ankeny St. We'll see some'o ya tonight!

View from our hotel room window. Portland, OR.

tweet- Sun Oct 24 11:11 pm: We've just crossed the state line from OR into CA. HWY 199. Deep in the heart of Yeti country USA. Raining like heck. Missed sound check.

tweet- Oct 25 6:15 pm: We are @ tsunami hazard zone, Moonstone Beach. I just saw a seal swimming a few feet from me. Then I saw a log and said it was a seal.

Surfers in the San Francisco Bay where Jimmy Stewart jumped in to save Kim Novak in Vertigo:

Bobby and Lee Vilensky at soundcheck. Café duNord. SanFrancisco, CA.

tweet- Oct 27. 05:30 am: Because of a family crisis The Billy Nayer Show will not be able to complete the tour. Shows in Sea Side, San Diego & LA will be postponed.

Everything turned out fine and the canceled shows are now being rescheduled.

tweet- Nov 2. 10:18 am: New CD by The Billy Nayer Show is here. Truth be told, it's my #1 favorite record. Find out why @ http://corymcabee.com/store/bnsOffers.php

More soon,
Cory McAbee @
The Smallest Star
corymcabee.com
twitter.com/corymcabee

Kazimierz Dolny, Gen Con Indy & Chicago

2010-09-07T13:04:00.000-07:00

I’m sorry it has taken this long to update The Smallest Star. Since my last post I have been to the Two Riversides Film & Art Festival in Kazimierz Dolny Poland, Gen Con Indy festival in Indianapolis IN, presented Stingray Sam & The American Astronaut at the Chicago Art Institute, moved my home from Brooklyn to Queens, and created a non-budget feature that I’m very excited about. I will give you more details very soon. (It’s not Werewolf Hunters Of The Midwest, but that film is still happening)

Here are photos from my recent travels. They feature pictures from Kazimierz Donly Poland, an old medieval village and one of the few places that the Nazis did not destroy. Polish people go there for summer vacations.

Below is a photo taken from a clearing on a hill where 3 tall crucifixes stand. I was told that the original crucifix was placed there to ward off the Black Plague. My hotel room widow is directly under the car that is parked in the village square.

The next two photos were taken from my hotel room window. The images overlap at the gray building with the two open windows. On the hill at the left you can see the three crucifixes where I stood when I photographed the overview of the village square.

This is a wooden well that stands in the center of the square. It has been there for centuries and is a village landmark. There’s a very old inscription on the well that says the water is safe, so I filled up a bottle with water from that well and used it as my drinking water for the first couple of days. Someone from the festival saw what I was doing and told me that it wasn’t a good idea. They asked if I was feeling okay. I said sometimes.

Meals were included as part of my hotel stay. It was a different style of service. There was food and drinks placed on a few of the table. I would seat myself at a table and start eating. A waitress would see me and bring additional courses. Then I would leave without tipping or giving my room number. They knew who their guests were. Below is a photo of the room-temperature drink that would be waiting on the tables at lunchtime.

This woman was selling home cooked cheese-loafs and shoes on the corner.

There was a castle a short walking distance from the square. In past years it was used as a venue for festival screenings. This year it was roped off for an anthropological dig.

Polish posters for The American Astronaut were hung around the village. It made my day to see two girls stealing one. I took one myself.

All of the electrical poles were made of brick with beautiful blue glass transformers.

A couple of days after I returned to NYC I attended a screening of Stingray Sam at the Gen Con Indy convention in Indianapolis, IN. Gen Con Indy is a gamer’s convention. Many of the participants come in costume. There were a lot of Sailor Moons in attendance. I met this gentleman in the hotel restroom as he was reapplying his neck makeup.

A couple weeks later I had the honor of presenting Stingray Sam & The American Astronaut at the Chicago Art Institute. The screenings took place outdoors in the garden area of their new modern art building. It was the first event held in this new space. The photo below was taken during sound-check.

Below is the view from my hotel room window.

My next trip will be to New Orleans & Ellensburg, WA, followed by a tour of the Billy Nayer Show in support of our new upcoming album. I will also be in post-production of my new feature while working in pre-production on Werewolf Hunters Of The Midwest. I’ll keep you posted as to how all of it is coming along.

Thank you so much for checking in. I hope to see you out there soon.
Your friend,
Cory McAbee
@ The Smallest Star
www.corymcabee.com

JULY 2010

2010-07-28T17:34:00.000-07:00

Hey my friends,
Please click on the image below for a free download of a new song from The Billy Nayer Show's upcoming album entitled, BNS Presents. The song is called Henry Joe. I hope you like it.

I've just returned from the Revelation Film Festival in Perth, Australia.
I would like to thank my friends from the Perth festival for a wonderful time:
Jack Sargeant, festival director (Perth AU)
Richard Sowada, festival chairman (Melbourne AU)
Toni Clancy, our caretaker (Perth AU)
the rest of the crew at the Revelation Festival and the crew at the Astor Theatre
Conor Horgan, director of One Hundred Mornings (Dublin Ireland)
Stefan Popescu, writer/director of Nude Study (Sydney AU)
Katherine Berger, producer of Nude Study (Sydney AU)
Jennifer Maas, director of Wheedle's Groove (L.A. USA)

Attached are photos from my recent travels.

The Hotel Northbrige. My hotel in Perth.

Me in Perth Australia in Winter in July.

My hand and wedding ring in the Indian Ocean on the shore at Fremantle. I've dipped my wedding ring in many bodies of water. This is its 3rd ocean.

Me (top right corner) buying a souvenir tea-towel in Fremantle.

Power lines with glass transformers.

I have also just returned from the Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival and convention in San Diego, CA where Stingray Sam won Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Film!
Here are a couple of pictures of Superman from the convention.

Next week I will be at the Two Riversides Film and Art Festival in Kazimierz Dolny & Janowiec Poland, home for a couple days, then to Indianapolis for the Gen Con Indy convention.
(details below)

While on the road I will be twittering. Please join me at http://twitter.com/corymcabee
If you are in any of these areas please come out and say hi. I'll see you soon.
Your friend,
Cory McAbee
www.corymcabee.com

Stingray Sam soundtrack now available on 12" LP. Remastered to 180 Gram audiophile virgin "clear" vinyl in a beautiful, re-designed, gatefold jacket by graphic artist, John Borruso. Available at www.corymcabee.com/store.

Billy Nayer Show booking:
Panache Booking / Michelle Cable
michelle@panacherock.com
415-246-5405

JUNE 2010

2010-06-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

The Art Film Festival in Bratislava, Slovakia will present STINGRAY SAM.
June 22. 11am & July 2. 8pm

June 23rd, 8pm I will be presenting STINGRAY SAM at The Sycamore.
located at 1118 Cortelyou Road. Brooklyn, NY.
Intimate space with limited seating.
Ticket for Screening of Stingray Sam

June 30th, 8pm THE BILLY NAYER SHOW will perform at The Sycamore.
located at 1118 Cortelyou Road. Brooklyn, NY.
Intimate space with limited seating.
Ticket for The Billy Nayer Show

I hope to see you soon.
Your friend,
Cory McAbee
www.corymcabee.com

MAVERICKS LIVE

2010-05-24T14:07:00.000-07:00

It used to take Bobby and I about 2 weeks to make a Billy Nayer Show record. Our last effort took over two years. During that time I wrote STINGRAY SAM.

Upon its completion we put the new record on hold and began recording the Stingray Sam soundtrack. A week before beginning pre-production for Stingray Sam we staged two live performances of our yet to be released material at Maverick Studios, NYC. Both evenings were filmed and recorded.

In anticipation of the Fall release of our next album entitled, "BNS Presents The Billy Nayer Show" we have posted clips from our last concerts. The songs included on the widget below are "Mars," "James Gang." and "Two Flies." More clips will be posted closer to the release of the record.

Musicians include:
Cory McAbee (Stingray Sam) - vocals, electric autoharp
Bobby Lurie (Cubby) - drums
Crugie - (Quasar Kid) - guitar
Frank Swart (Bartender) - bass

Director of photography: Alan Jacobsen
2nd camera: Jonathan Furmanski
3rd camera: Johnny Daukes

Recorded and mixed by Karl Derfler
Edited by Andrew Blackwell

Please post this clip wherever people might enjoy it.
More clips are available at The Billy Nayer Show's new web site, www.corymcabee.com/billynayershow.

More soon.
Your friend,
Cory McAbee
www.corymcabee.com

MY BLUE IGLOO

2010-04-25T18:20:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of January I posted a blog entitled “What I Did Over Christmas Vacation.” It featured photos of an igloo that I built and painted in Wisconsin. I received emails from people who had enjoyed the photos, so I wanted to give a quick re-cap and then show you what happened to the Igloo. It collapsed and melted in early March 2010.

WHEN WE LEFT OFF...

BUT THEN...

and that brought us into Spring.
More soon,
Cory McAbee
@ The Smallest Star
www.corymcabee.com

10 YEARS AGO TODAY

2010-04-07T08:16:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,
Ten years ago today we were recording music, shooting cowboy shadows and editing our first feature. Please join me as we prepare for the 10 Year Anniversary of THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUT!

To kick things off we have done up our website! www.americanastronaut.com

-Explore the our New Flash SITE for never before seen production Polaroids and stills with audio commentary. X

-See newly discovered images on the IMAGES page. X

-Watch film clips and more on the MEDIA page. Post them on your Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, Delicious & Digg. X
(like so)

You can also find our re-mastered, re-released ‘The American Astronaut DVD’ in its new fancy digi-pack and much more at my store. X

Please take a look. I hope you enjoy the new material.

More soon.

Your friend,

Cory McAbee

www.corymcabee.com

twitter.com/corymcabee

RELIQUARIES

2010-03-08T09:20:00.000-08:00

I went to Northern California to visit my family. While passing through San Francisco I noticed that they had painted The Hotel Utah green. I lived there for a few years.

I returned to NYC for 2 days, then went to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as a guest of the Produção CineEsquemaNovo Festival. My wonderful hosts took me to the top of Sugar Loaf.

There I made a short film entitled, “Go Monkey.”

On my last day we had lunch in an area called Santa Teresa. There I saw some graffiti that shared a theme with a pencil drawing that I did for The Billy Nayer Show during my years at the Hotel Utah.

When I returned to New York I took my family to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There I saw a Reliquary that contained the tooth of Mary Magdalene. I thought it was beautiful, though I couldn’t help but think that it had been knocked out by the person without sin who threw the first stone.

I then realized that my wife was wearing a Reliquary. It’s a sturdy, metal locket that can be found at pet stores. They are meant to be worn by cats. They usually carry a paper note with information in case the cat should get lost. This one holds my daughter’s baby-tooth.

I have one on my key-chain that holds my daughter’s first fingernail clippings, my son’s fingernail clippings, and my wife’s hair.

I’ll be posting more things more often. If you haven’t seen my new store, please have a look.
http://www.corymcabee.com/store

More soon.
Your friend,
Cory McAbee
@ The Smallest Star
corymcabee.com

AUSTRALIA

2010-01-23T15:57:00.000-08:00

I’ve just returned from Australia where I had a fantastic time. These photos were taken with my phone.

This is the view from my apartment window in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

A half a block down was a small alley called Hosier Lane. It was here where I saw my first kangaroo, as well as some other beautiful graffiti.

On the other side of the alley, across Flinders Street was Federation Square, where our venue, the Australian Center for the Moving Image, was located. ACMI has been screening THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUT one Friday every month for two years.

I was also a couple of blocks away from the Flinders Street Train Station. On weekends this place was filled with smart, young couples looking for a good time.

One afternoon was spent exploring FITZROY, where I enjoyed “flat whites” (good coffee), beer, and a hamburger that included 1 fried egg and cooked beets. It was pretty damn good. I liked the way the homes looked in that area.

We took a drive into Victoria’s wine country and visited the Healesville Animal Sanctuary. A dozen or so wild Australian Ibises gathered around us as we enjoyed our wine, cheese and blueberries.

My one evening in Adelaide was fantastic. The MERCURY CINEMA screening of STINGRAY SAM was well attended and lots of fun. Afterward I was taken to a pub at the GRACE EMILY Hotel where I had the honor of performing with the band, BILLY BOB’S BBQ.

The following morning I had breakfast on the beach. A couple of “flat whites,” fried eggs, and a pile of bacon as big as your head. I put my left hand in the Southern Ocean. That’s the 3^rd ocean it’s been in.

That evening I returned to Melbourne and walked through a beautiful park called the FITZROY GARDENS. There were large fruit bats flying around and the place was crawling with possums. Their possums don’t look anything like our possums.

I want to thank Richard, Roberta, Kate and all my friends at the ACMI for bringing me to Australia, for hosting the premier of STINGRAY SAM and for taking such great care of me. I also want to thank Toby, Joe and the gang from the MERCURY CINEMA, Shane McNeal, the SA Film Commission, Sonja Souter @ RADIO JOY FM, Rob Jan @ RADIO 3RRR, Peter Krausz @ RADIO 3CD, Katie Weiss @ BEAT MAGAZINE, the GRACE EMILY, BILLY BOB'S BBQ, and my friends at TWO FINGERS cafe.

In February I’ll be visiting family in California and attending screenings in Brazil. I’ll tweet you from Brazil at http://twitter.com/corymcabee

I have been posting film clips on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/user/fakeequator. Please visit and post the hell out of them.

Or you can always post the hell out of the handsome screen below:

More soon.
Cory McAbee
@ The Smallest Star
www.stingraysam.com
www.corymcabee.com

WHAT I DID OVER CHRISTMAS VACATION

2010-01-01T18:57:00.000-08:00

I spent the Holidays with my wife's family in Wisconsin. On my first day I thought it would be fun to build an igloo with my daughter Willa.

We used a plastic box to build bricks. The snow was powdery and difficult to work with. Willa worked with me for a couple of hours, then went inside. I continued working until the evening.

Around sunset I began building an arch for the doorway. It was a nice arch, but as it grew dark I became impatient and began to rush. It collapsed.

The next day the snow was perfect and I was able to build a handsome igloo.

Just as I had finished it became warm and began to rain. It rained all night and most of the following day.

My igloo stood strong and was intact after the rain stopped, but it was smaller and had a large dent on the South side where the rain and sun had worked it over.

I thought it would be a nice idea to paint the inside with the hope of having a tea party in it with Willa.

The inside was still large enough for two adults to sit comfortably. Amy visited me inside the igloo toward the end of my 3rd day of painting.

The paint froze to the surface of the ice. When it became warm the details on the South wall became blurred. It was only noticeable when the sun shined through the wall.

In the evenings the igloo was lit by candle light. It warmed the interior of the igloo.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I'm looking forward to getting back to work.
I'll see you in 2010.
Your friend,
Cory McAbee
@ The Smallest Star
www.stingraysam.com
www.corymcabee.com

LIVE DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY

2009-12-18T05:47:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for coming to our Live Director's Commentary for STINGRAY SAM. For those of you who couldn't attend, we will make it available to you very soon as part of our ongoing special features release series.

The evening was introduced by cast member Caleb Scott. Caleb appears in episode #4 of Stingray Sam as "The Famous Artist."

The commentary took place on Sunday evening, 12/13/09. 7:00PM at UNION POOL. (484 Union Ave. Brooklyn) It was filmed in the same room where Episode #1 was filmed.

Above shows the opening scenes from Episode #1 being presented on the same stage that it was filmed on. Below are different photos taken during the commentary.

At the end of the evening I was joined on stage by my daughter Willa Vy McAbee. Willa appears in episode 4 through 6 of Stingray Sam as "The Carpenter's Daughter."

I will let you know the status of the Live Director's Commentary, as well as other projects that we are working on. We have some exciting plans for 2010. We'll keep you posted.

Here's a Free Download for the Holidays. It's the FREDWARD song as seen in STINGRAY SAM. Just a click away. http://t.opsp.in/CDnG

More soon,
Cory McAbee
@ The Smallest Star
www.stingraysam.com
www.corymcabee.com

FORBIDDEN CHROMOSOME

2009-12-10T18:41:00.000-08:00

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, MY FRIENDS!

I hope you will like episode #2 of STINGRAY SAM, "The Forbidden Chromosome," featuring the FREDWARD song. You can download a cleaner version at www.corymcabee.com and/or post the hell out of this one on your Facebook, Blog, Twitter, Myspace, or what-have-you. It's a gift that keeps giving.

If you're in NYC this Sunday, Dec 13th at 7PM please join us for the filming of our LIVE DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY for STINGRAY SAM. UNION POOL. 484 Union Ave. (at Skillman Ave.) Brooklyn.

I hope to see you there.
Your friend,
Cory McAbee
@ The Smallest Star
www.stingraysam.com
www.corymcabee.com

STORE & SEATTLE, PORTLAND & OSLO

2009-11-26T18:21:00.000-08:00

MY DVDs ARE IN!!!!

STINRAY SAM DVDs ARE IN!

THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUT DVDs ARE IN!

You can find them at our NEW store at: www.corymcabee.com/store/store.php

STINGRAY SAM DVD

THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUT DVD

If you're in NYC on Sunday December 13th at 7:pm you should come to the Stingray Sam "Live Director's Commentary" shoot at UNION POOL. 484 Union Ave. (at Skillman Ave.) Brooklyn, NY.

Below are some appointed views from my most recent travels. It was a wonderful trip. A lot of butt-time on air planes, but well worth every frequent flier mile.

View from Hotel Room Window. Seattle, WA.

View from Hotel Room Window. Portland, OR.

View from Hotel Room Window. Oslo Norway

I’ll be hitting the road again in January. Next stop, Australia. I'll Twitter my way through all of it. http://twitter.com/corymcabee. Until then, please visit the new store at www.corymcabee.com/store/store.php. There will be more items added very soon.

I hope to see you soon.

Your friend,

Cory McAbee

@ The Smallest Star

www.stingraysam.com

www.corymcabee.com

LEEDS ENGLAND

2009-11-16T11:03:00.000-08:00

I've just returned from the Leeds International Film Festival.
I've attached some photos that I took with my phone.

Hotel Elevator

View from Hotel Room Window

Hyde Park Picture House.
This is the exterior of the festival's main venue. It's a beautiful old cinema. STINGRAY SAM was presented here three times during the festival. I also had the pleasure of speaking here on a five hour panel with my friends Brad Watson, Kerry Prior & Robin Cowie.

Hyde Park Picture House projection booth.
This is one of the venue's 35mm projector with our projectionist, Michael Sharples. We had a small problem. He Fixed it.

Leeds City Market exterior.
Leeds Market is, in my mind, one of the 700 wonders of the world.

Leeds City Market interior.
Many of these shops are family run businesses that have been passed down through generations.
There was a hallway of butcher shops lined up in a row. The butchers stood in front of their stores and yelled about their meats. It sounded like a fight, but it attracted their customers.

This week I will be in Seattle WA, Portland OR & Oslo Norway. I'll Twitter when I get there at http://twitter.com/corymcabee

Your friend,
Cory McAbee
@ The Smallest Star
www.stingraysam.com
www.corymcabee.com

GRANADA SPAIN

2009-11-03T05:41:00.000-08:00

I've just returned from Festival Internacional De Jovenes Realizadores in Granada Spain.
I've attached some photos. Most of them were taken with my phone.

hotel elevator

View from my hotel room window

View from my hotel roof

Alhambra (exterior)

Alhambra (interior)

Pampaneira / La Alpujarra

This photo was taken by the festival 10 minutes before screening STINGRAY SAM at Teatro Isabel La Catolica. THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUT screened the following night at Filmoteca De Andalucia.

The travel continues in Leeds England, Seattle WA, Portland OR, Oslo Norway, Melbourne Australia, Adelaide Australia...ect. I'll see you very soon.

Your friend,
Cory McAbee
www.corymcabee.com

Back in NYC!

2009-10-06T17:51:00.000-07:00

Hey my friends,

I´m in NYC for a couple of days, then I'm off again. This weekend I'll continue in Memphis TN where I'll screen STINGRAY SAM, THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUT, eat some BBQ and see some friends.

I don´t travel with a computer. I will post when I can. In the meantime, please check in with me at twitter.com/corymcabee.

Had a great time in SF, Boulder, Denver, Reykjavik, Lund, Copenhagen, Austin and Minneapolis these past few weeks. Below are some images. (click photo to enlarge)

Los Angeles Bathroom Floor.

How to see the PINK PANTHER in these floor titles.

Choose 4 across. The outside tiles are the ears, the inside 2 tiles are the eyes.

The 3 below it are the cheeks and nose.

The 2 below are the lips.

The 1 below is the chin.

I sit and watch the Pink Panther pop in and out all over bathroom floors.

Reykjavik, Iceland. View from hotel room window.

Hotel exterior. Lund, Sweden.

Painting on wall in hotel breakfast area. Lund, Sweden.

View from hotel room window. Lund, Sweden.

My lunch. Copenhagen, Denmark.

View from hotel room window. Copenhagen, Denmark.

View from hotel room window. Austin, Texas.

View from hotel room window. Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Next I'll be heading to Memphis Tennessee, Philadelphia PA, Kaoshiung Taiwan, Granada Spain, and Leeds England. I'll post when I'm able.

Stingray Sam is now available at www.corymcabee.com/store/.

More stuff soon.

I'll see you soon.
Your friend,
Cory McAbee
at The Smallest Star
www.stingraysam.com

SEPT 17TH. SF. RED VIC.

2009-09-16T17:04:00.000-07:00

Hey my friends,

We had such a great time last night at our LA premier of STINGRAY SAM.

Those of you who attended the screening, thank you so much.

And to those of you who joined us online, I can't thank you enough. You created a new kind of theatrical experience. The constant scrolling of text on the silver screen as you commented on what was being said as it was being said, and the conversations between the comments as the conversation in the theater continued was amazing.

LOOK AT THIS!

It's EPISODE #1 of STINGRAY SAM and the first episode of our online mini-documentary series, STINGRAY SAM: BEHIND THE SCENES. A new BEHIND THE SCENES episode will be presented weekly at www.stingraysam.com. STINGRAY SAM is now available for purchase exclusively from our website, www.stingraysam.com right now until ever after at . The downloads look beautiful!

Tomorrow night STINGRAY SAM will have it's San Francisco premiere at the Red Vic. I just arrived in SF with the 35mm print as my carry-on. I'll drop it off tonight and see some of you tomorrow. I'm very much looking forward to it.
Your friend,
Cory McAbee
@ The Smallest Star
www.stingraysam.com
www.corymcabee.com

P.S. I'll see the rest of you in Boulder, Denver, Reykjavik, Lund, Copenhagen, Austin, Minneapolis, Moscow, Memphis, Kaohsiung, Granada, Melbourne and Adelaide. If you can't make those dates I'll Twitter you gently about them. http://twitter.com/corymcabee

"Stingray Sam" leaves one begging for more at one unflaggingly delightful hour."
-- Variety

THIS TUESDAY, SEPT 15TH

2009-09-11T08:29:00.000-07:00

Hey friends of STINGRAY SAM,

LOOK AT THIS!

It's the new high-def online version of STINGRAY SAM: EPISODE #1
AND...
the first episode of our online mini-documentary series, STINGRAY SAM: BEHIND THE SCENES.

A new BEHIND THE SCENES episode will be presented weekly at www.stingraysam.com. The series will begin on September 15th after our date at the movie theater. We can either meet at the Downtown Independent Theater in LA or live on the screen below.

At 7PM PST on Tuesday the 15th this billboard will host a live broadcast of our theatrical premiere of STINGRAY SAM from the theater. Following the event, if you have a question you would like to ask, feel free to join the conversation by entering the chat. The video chat option will allow you to be projected onto the theater’s silver screen.

Please share this event with your friends by posting the billboard to your Blog or Web Page. You can share Episode #1 and "Behind The Scenes" on your Blog, Web page, Facebook or Myspace accounts as well.

September 15th also marks the date that STINGRAY SAM will be available for purchase exclusively from our website, www.stingraysam.com. We have a lot to offer you. We'll have iPod compatible digital downloads, DVD's, STINGRAY SAM T-shirts, and for those of you who enjoy music, the soundtrack. All of this and more, so be sure to visit our store after the party.

This Tuesday's event will also take place at www.stingraysam.com.
I'll race you to Hollywood.
Your friend,
Cory McAbee
@ The Smallest Star
www.stingraysam.com
www.corymcabee.com

P.S. The DOWNTOWN INDEPENDENT THEATER ( 251 S. Main Street. Los Angeles) will continue to screen STINGRAY SAM throughout the week while I will be racing you to San Francisco, Boulder, Denver, Reykjavik, Lund, Copenhagen, Austin, Minneapolis, Moscow, Memphis, Kaohsiung, and Granada. If you can't make those dates I'll Twitter you gently about them. http://twitter.com/corymcabee

"Stingray Sam" leaves one begging for more at one unflaggingly delightful hour."
-- Variety

JAPAN: FIRST CONTACT

2009-07-21T05:57:00.000-07:00

F.A.Q: “Why doesn’t THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUT screen in Japan?”

A: THE AMERICAN ASTONAUT had its Japanese début in 2006. The premier was arranged and sponsored by TOKION MAGAZINE / JAPAN. An outdoor screening took place at YOYOGI PARK, one of the largest parks in Tokyo.

Drawing by manga artist, Boshi Fujiiro

A new 35mm print was made for this event. We contacted a company in France that had created French subtitles for a 35mm print years earlier. We asked the French company to recommend a Japanese translator. The French company said they also do Japanese translations. The new print was shipped to France, subtitles were burned onto the print, and it was then forwarded to Japan.

After the Yoyogi Park screening it was reported that the French translated subtitles were "confusing and made no sense to anyone." The print was retrieved by a friend of a friend who cut off all communication and disappeared with our print.

Reviews and translations provided by staff member at TOKION MAGAZINE prior to screening:

「どういうわけか、立派なSFミュージカル映画。そのわけを考える

だけでも楽しい。」 ―　品川　亮　（STUDIO VOICE 編集長)
Splendid SF musical film, somehow. Only thinking of the reason why amuse you.
- Ryo Shinagawa (Editor in chief, Studio Voice magazine)

「金星だろうが、宇宙の果てだろうが、そこに地球人がいるだけで、ポッと＜何だか恥ずかしい素粒子＞が充満する。なるほどな真理。それにしてもこういう音像がフィルムに焼き付けられてる事は意外に貴重だ。」― 山岡信貴 (映画監督)　
Earthman fulfill any space, even Venus or the end of universe with "kind of embarrassing elementary particle". The truth that make sense. Actually, it's precious fact that sound image is printed in the film.
- Nobutaka Ymaoka (film director)

「トリップ感あふれるB級でカルトなシュールリアリズム。モノクロームがエロティックに呼吸する。」 B-class, cultic surrealism full of Trip. Monochrome is erotically breathing.
「幻覚の闇からアンダーグラウンドが目を覚ます。怪作「ピンクフラミンゴ」をしのぐインティペンデント映画の金字塔」―　田名網敬一 (デザイナー)
Underground is opening its eyes in the darkness of hallucination. It's a monumental film which exceeds A strange piece "Pink Flamingo"
- Keiichi Tanaami (Artist)

「COOL!! ROCK!! 過去のような未来のようなミュージカル臭くてウェスタン…．一体なんじゃこりゃ？！　観たら　はまる！！」―　土屋アンナ（歌手／女優／モデル）
Cool!! Rock!! it seems past and future. It's musical like Western.... What hell is that?! Once you watch it, get addicted!!
- Anna Tsuchiya (Singer/ Actress/ model)

「ロサンゼルス・タイムズで見たよ、oh Boy。宇宙のA Day In The Lifeをコビー・マクビーが90分に凝縮！」
I've seen it on Los Angels Times, oh Boy. Cory McAbee condensed A Day In The Life to 90 minutes!
- Takashi Nemoto (Illustrator)

We hope to screen STINGRAY SAM in Japan. Nothing has been arranged as of yet. All suggestions are welcome. In the meantime, please post the below link/trailer everywhere.

More soon,
Cory McAbee
@ The Smallest Star
www.stingraysam.com
www.americanastronaut.com

F.A.Q. & Urinals

2009-07-13T14:13:00.000-07:00

Last week we finalized our 5.1 audio mix for our 35mm prints and DVD release of STINGRAY SAM. Below is a photo of Karl Derfler at work in a 5.1 mixing studio. The studio is located in New York’s Time Square. The image projected on the screen is of Mars.

I’ve been receiving regular emails asking similar questions. Below are the answers to the recurring questions.

- The name change from THE BILLY NAYER SHOW to “AMERICAN ASTRONAUT” was a temporary placeholder while developing several projects, producing a new feature film, and experimenting with new forms of distribution. We will now continue as THE BILLY NAYER SHOW.

- Our music was removed from iTunes while reconstructing our own store. The BNS catalogue has been returned to iTunes as of last week. Our own store will be available again in September when we launch our new site corymcabee.com.

- We’re still working towards producing WEREWOLF HUNTERS OF THE MIDWEST. After a couple of false starts over the past few years, WEREWOLF HUNTERS OF THE MIDWEST is again moving forward. I’m growing my hair for the character that I will play.

- STINGRAY SAM continues to play festivals around the world (see bottom of this page for a schedule). We will be releasing STINGRAY SAM in mid-September 2009.

Until its release we are offering free downloads of our theatrical trailer & featured song MARS from episode #1. Both are iPod and iPhone compatible. Click on either of these two download buttons for the free items.

- The files will be sent immediately to your email address.

large button/trailer

or

small button

Please help us with the release of STINGRAY SAM by posting our download buttons directly onto your Blog, Web Page, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Digg and/or Delicious accounts by clicking “share”. From there your friends will be able to download the free music and trailer.

SHARING INSTRUCTIONS:
Sharing the button is relatively simple. Click "SHARE” on either of the above buttons.

For Facebook:
1. Click the Facebook icon
2. Log in (if you’re not already logged in)
3. Add a personal note (tell them what it is)
4. Click "Share" at the bottom of the page. The button will then appear on your Wall as a status update. You can also send it as a message to friends.

The same process can be used on MySpace, but you have a choice to post it in the “About Me” section, as a Blog post or as a Bulletin. For music and band pages you will need to post it as a Blog or Bulletin.

For Websites and Blogs click on “Copy Embed.” The code will be “Copied” and ready to “Paste.”

It’s easier than it sounds.

Because of the boring nature of this post I have attached photographs of urinals that I have taken over the past couple of years while on tour with BNS.

If you would like to read recent reviews from Cinevegas see:
We Are Movie Geeks
Indiewire
The Rebel Yell

I’ll see you very soon.
Your friend,
Cory McAbee
@ The Smallest Star

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK. USA

Atlanta, Georgia. USA

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS

LEEDS, ENGLAND. UK

ASBURY PARK, NEW JERSEY. USA

LISBON, PORTUGAL

BRISTOL, ENGLAND. UK

CABAZON, CALIFORNIA. USA

NEW YORK. USA
JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS

NEWPORT, KENTUCKY. USA
If you imagine the flushing-handles to be noses
it would appear that the one on the left is
making a fool of itself.

www.stingraysam.com

STINGRAY SAM/ July 4

2009-07-05T16:30:00.000-07:00

I have a few weeks off before the world tour of STINGRAY SAM continues. I'll be rejoining the festival circuit in POLAND at the SOPOT FILM FESTIVAL. I'll take photos and keep you updated.

Below is a photo taken from the window of my Brooklyn apartment on July 4th. In the foreground is the EMPIRE STATE BUILDING lit in red, white and blue. The fireworks in the background took place across Manhattan over the Hudson River. There were no fireworks over the East River this year.

Also on the 4th of July audio engineer Karl Derfler arrived in New York to begin mixing the STINGRAY SAM soundtrack for CD release as well as a separate mix for our new 35mm film prints. Below is a futuristic moment captured on July 5th 2009 at Mavericks Studio, NYC.

Please check in for further updates as the process continues. We would love for you to be a part of it.

More soon,
Cory McAbee
@ The Smallest Star
www.stingraysam.com

STINGRAY SAM DIARY / June 2009

2009-06-22T05:50:00.000-07:00

Our Brooklyn premiere started June 6th on the roof of the Brooklyn Technical High School in Fort Greene, Brooklyn as part of the ROOFTOP FILM FESTIVAL. The evening began at sunset with live music by THE WOES. When it was dark STINGRAY SAM was screened to an audience of over 400 people. After the screening I gave a Q&A while leaning on a cane that was given to me at the Bellevue Hospital emergency room after a skateboarding accident. This evening was the first time in many days that I had been able to leave my apartment.

ROOFTOP screening. Brooklyn, NY.

The Brooklyn screenings continued as STINGRAY SAM was presented as part of the BROOKLYN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL at the Brooklyn Heights Cinema.

The following week was spent in Las Vegas, Nevada at the CINEVEGAS FILM FESTIVAL. Before the Nevada premiere on June 12th, I was given the Red Carpet treatment at The Palms hotel/casino. Supporting actor Michael Wiener and short film director Emily Carmichael accompanied me.

Red Carpet. The Palms. Las Vegas, NV.

Michael Wiener has attended several festivals in support of STINGRAY SAM. He can be recognized by his elegant attire (or as Mac Word spelling & grammar check would put it, “His elegant attire can recognize him.”)

Michael Wiener. Las Vegas, NV.

Also screening at Cinevegas was Jennifer Kroot’s IT CAME FROM KUCHAR, a documentary about filmmakers George and Mike Kuchar. I am proud to have been interviewed in this documentary as a friend of George Kuchar.

George & Mike Kuchar. The Palms. Las Vegas, NV.

Shortly after our Las Vegas screenings STINGRAY SAM was presented at the SOUTH SIDE FILM FESTIVAL in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The senior programmer for this festival, Graham Stanford, was LEAD CARPENTER during the production of STRINGRAY SAM. (Graham also has a sneak cameo in episode #4)

Bethlehem Steel. Bethlehem, PA.

For our final screening in Bethlehem, co-stars Crugie and Willa Vy McAbee joined me for the Q&A.

(left) Me, Willa, Crugie.

July will be spent in NYC. We will be constructing our new websites, creating a distribution plan, mixing the soundtrack for release, assembling a DVD and posting our new store. I will keep you updated. Festivals begin again in mid-August and continue throughout the year. Screenings are scheduled in Poland, Iceland, Sweden, Milwaukee, Austin, Memphis, Israel, Ramallah, Taiwan, Spain, Russia, Leeds England and Oslo Norway. In the meantime I hope you will take advantage of our FREE ITEMS. Download an iPod & iPhone compatible trailer & song from STINGRAY SAM for free by clicking on the widget below.

You can help us spread the word by posting the above “free download” widget directly onto your Blog, Web Page, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Digg and/or Delicious accounts by clicking the “share” button. From there your friends, fans, patrons and associates will be able to download the music and video for free. When we give a free gift we like to give the hell out of it.

More soon,
Cory McAbee
www.stingraysam.com

STINGRAY SAM DIARY, April - May

2009-05-13T07:32:00.000-07:00

The month of April began in Sarasota, Florida at the SARASOTA FILM FESTIVAL.

View from hotel room window. Sarasota

The weather was perfect and there were a great many beautiful lizards roaming the sidewalks.

April screenings continued for STINGRAY SAM in Los Angeles at the DOWNTOWN INDEPENDENT THEATER, located at 251 S. Main Street. This California screening of STINGRAY SAM was a sneak preview used to kick off a week long run of our feature film, THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUT.

View from hotel room window. Los Angeles

While crossing an intersection on foot we saw a swarm of bees performing their mating ritual at the base of a fence in a center street divider.

The following week we arrived in Amsterdam for the IMAGIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, a.k.a. 25th AMSTERDAM FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL.

View from hotel room window. Amsterdam. Rembrandt Square.

STINGRAY SAM was in competition for the audience’s SILVER SCREAM award. Dominating first place was LET THE RIGHT ONE IN. STINGRAY SAM took first place away from LET THE RIGHT ONE IN for a short while, but then came in at a close second. Coming in at a close third was the martial arts fantasy film, CHOCOLATE.

Netherlands review at
http://twitchfilm.net/site/view/imagine-this-stingray-sam-review/

Netherlands interview at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abWUVWRTczk&feature=channel_page

We returned to the USA and went directly to Boston for the INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL OF BOSTON where we were housed in a beautiful hotel that had for the past century been a maximum security prison.

View from hotel room window. Boston

At the end of April we arrived in London for the 8TH LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM, a.k.a. SCI-FI LONDON.

View from hotel room window. London

While in London McAbee made his pilgrimage to the location where the exterior scenes for the 70s television drama UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS were filmed. In the series the home was located at 165 Eaton Place. The actual location was 65 Eaton Place. The number 1 had been painted on the home exterior for production purposes.

The building is now a private residence that is currently undergoing reconstruction.

McAbee drew the UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS logo on his white t-shirt with a Sharpie Pen and posed for photos with the construction workers.

We returned to the USA in early May and headed directly to Baltimore for the MARYLAND FILM FESTIVAL.

View from hotel room window. Baltimore

While there we visited the grave of Edgar Allan Poe.

Poe's grave. Archie Williams. Cory McAbee. Ry Russo-Young

Please join us next month at:

ROOFTOP FILMS. Brooklyn, NY
Brooklyn Technical High School
29 Fort Greene Place (Fort Greene)
Saturday. June 6th.
8:00PM: Doors Open
9:00PM: Screening Begins

CENEVAGAS. Las Vegas, Nevada. USA.
www.cinevegas.com
Friday, June 12th @ 9:00 PM
Saturday, June 13th @ 11:00 AM

SOUTH SIDE FILM FESTIVAL. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
FESTIVAL DATES: 06/16/09 - 06/21/09.

Download an iPod compatible Trailer & song FREE from Stingray Sam!

We hope to see you soon,
The Smallest Star
stingraysam.com

INTRODUCTION TO SMALL SCREENS

2009-02-22T19:23:00.000-08:00

In December of 2006 Cory McAbee was commissioned by the SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL to create a short film for distribution on mobile phones. The film he made was a micro-musical entitled RENO.

To create a “mobile film” McAbee chose three styles that people were already used to seeing on small screens: still images from digital cameras, bodega security monitors and video loops. The subject for the film was a singing cowboy bragging about his travels through Nevada on a Honda 50 to a store security camera. The Cowboy (McAbee) performed a dance that was captured from four different angles and then edited together as one dance performed by four characters.

The dance footage was filmed at the Bancroft Community House in Arlington, Virginia, a 100-year-old church that is rented out for private functions.

A 160 degree greenscreen was created out of paper by McAbee, post-production supervisor/editor Lea Prainsack and director of photography, co-producer and editor Todd Rohal.

McAbee and Rohal have worked together on such projects as the LEEDS FILM FESTIVAL TRAILER, GOODBYE CALIFORNIA video, and Rohal's feature film THE GUATEMALAN HANDSHAKE.
Lea Prainsack worked as Post-production supervisor for STINGRAY SAM.

The bodega, clerk, and little girl (Willa Vy McAbee) were filmed on location at the Greenpoint Fruits & Deli MKT in Brooklyn, NY. Still images of the store’s interior and exterior were used in collages created by graphic designer, John Borruso.

above: illustrations by John Borruso.

The film RENO was presented as one of five films created for THE SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL GLOBAL SHORT FILM PROJECT. A sixth film was created separately for India’s Bollywood film industry by director Sanjay Gupta. The films were presented at 3GSM. Barcelona, Spain. February 2007.

FIRST MOBILE FILMMAKERS
NATIONAL PALACE. BARCELONA, SPAIN. 2007
(left) Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine), Diya Mirza (Bollywood Actor), Maria Maggenti (Pucinni for Beginners), Sanjay Gupta (Bollywood Director), Cory McAbee, Justin Lin (The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift), Jody Hill (The Foot Fist Way / HBO's East Bound And Down)

The music for RENO was created from early basic tracks recorded as part of an ongoing recording project by BNS Productions' musical group, AMERICAN ASTRONAUT.

AMERICAN ASTRONAUT
MAVERICKS STUDIO, NYC. 2008
(left) Karl Derfler, Bobby Lurie, Frank Swart, Crugie, Cory McAbee

RENO is available for viewing at: http://www.sundance.org/globalshorts/index.asp?film=film5

More soon,
The Smallest Star
americanastronaut.com
stingraysam.com

SUNDANCE 09

2009-02-04T07:49:00.001-08:00

We are very happy to report that the premier of STINGRAY SAM was a big success at the SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 09. To everyone who attended, we thank you. To those who could not be there, we will do our best to make the film available to you in the future. We'll keep you posted as to our progress.
Below are images from the event.

above: FESTIVAL POSTER.
design by John Borruso

above: POSTCARD
photo by Alex Write
design by John Borruso

above: McAbee at the Sundance Filmmakers Lounge.
background photos by Fred Hayes

above (left to right): Cast members Michael Weiner, Crugie & producer Becky Glupczynski. Park City, Utah. USA

above: View from Hotel Room Window. Park, City, Utah. USA

More soon.
Your friend,
The Smallest Star
stingraysam.com

STINGRAY SAM: part 1

2008-12-07T00:56:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to announce the completion of our new film, STINGRAY SAM!
STINGRAY SAM is a 6 part musical mini-series.
Individual episodes are approximately 11 minutes in length.
The project was written, designed and developed for small screens and formatted for screens of all sizes.
STINGRAY SAM will have its world premiere at the 2009 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL as part of the NEW FRONTIER program.

Written, directed & starring Cory McAbee as STINGRAY SAM
Co-starring Crugie as THE QUASAR KID
Narrated by DAVID HYDE PIERCE

Music by AMERICAN ASTRONAUT

AMERICAN ASTRONAUT members as seen in STINGRAY SAM
left: Swart, Lurie, McAbee, Crugie

For more information or to view a trailer for STINGRAY SAM visit the official website at:
www.stingraysam.com.
The trailer is also available on Youtube: STINGRAY SAM.

Below are lobby cards created for all 6 episodes.
We hope to see you at our world premiere.
More soon,
The Smallest Star

lobby card: episode 1

lobby card: episode 2

lobby card: episode 3

lobby card:episode 4

lobby card: episode 5

lobby cards: episode 6

stingraysam.com
americanastronaut.com

LETTERS FROM EARTH

2008-10-15T14:50:00.000-07:00

After the DVD release of THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUT (film) complimentary copies were sent to various people. Below are the first 3 responses received:
(click on images to enlarge)

LETTER 1: NASA
NOTE: NASA was sent a package containing 1 DVD, several American Astronaut stickers and a letter requesting that they submit the film to the crew's entertainment library.

RESPONSE:
"This is to acknowledge receipt of your correspondence and accompanying DVD entitled "The American Astronaut". Although I don't work at the Astronaut Office, I will be glad to redirect your material to the Astronaut Crew Quarters at Kennedy Space Senter to make it available for viewing by the astronaut corps.
Please allow me to take this opportunity to thank you for your contribution and to wish you well in your endeavors.
Barbara Kirkland
Unsolicited Proposal Officer"

LETTER 2: Noam Chomsky
NOTE: A DVD was sent with a note saying that I hoped he would enjoy the film.

RESPONSE: (via email)
Cory, Just a note of thanks for sending the film. I hope I'll be able to work out a way to see it, but can't really promise anything. It's a rare luxury for me. Noam

-

LETTER 3. Prince William
NOTE: McAbee called Buckingham Palace to let them know that he had sent a gift. The conversation was quick and uncomfortable.

RESPONSE:
"Dear Mr. McAbee,
Thank you for sending Prince William a copy of your DVD The American Astronaut. I will ensure that it is laid before His Royal Highness.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs. Claudia Holloway"
-

We are now in production of a new film!
More soon,
The Smallest Star
AMERICAN ASTRONAUT
THE BILLY NAYER SHOW
BSG RECORDS STORE

MARK BRECKE: HEART OF GOLD/BALLS OF STEEL

2008-09-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

If you have ever approached members of the group after performances in Northern CA it is very possible that you have been introduced to their good friend Mark Brecke. He is a quiet, gentle, charming and polite man.

Mark is a filmmaker and photographer. He got his start by creating super-eight art films to screen behind punk bands. He’s unaffiliated with any media outlet. He has no credit cards and travels the SF Bay Area mostly by bicycle.

Mark Brecke (left). Cory McAbee (right). Brooklyn NY

On the evening the above photo was taken Mark had just returned from the Darfur region of Sudan, where he lived for five weeks with the roving rebels of the Sudanese Liberation Army.

Photo by Brecke.

The photographs that Mark took in Darfur were meant to be a part of an ongoing project concerning worldwide violence, but the experience took Mark into a different direction. Mark used these photos to created a film called THEY TURNED OUR DESERT INTO FIRE. It’s a documentary that he made while traveling across the US by train on his way to Washington DC where he arranged a presentation of his work in Darfur. Mark showed his pictures to fellow train passengers and explained very simply to them what was happening when the photos were taken. Their responses were captured on video and audio-taped for National Public Radio. When Mark arrived in DC he handed out handmade flyers to invite people to a presentation that he had arranged. As a result his photos were hung in the Senate rotunda on Capital Hill.

The handmade copy machine flyers that were handed out in DC were in keeping with his usual tactics. In most cases Mark created his own fake press passes to get into war zones and Senate chambers. He used to carry Xeroxes of American $20 bills to bribe drunken border guards.

THEY TURNED OUR DESERT INTO FIRE has recently won the International Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the 31st São Paulo International Film Festival in Brazil, and the Best Feature, International Human Rights award at the Artivist Film Festival in Los Angeles, CA.

The money from his film is being donated to Doctors Without Borders.
Mark sells photographs to help finance his work, but he doesn't consider himself a freelancer, because that suggests he gets paid for his pictures.

That's Mark Brecke.
http://www.desertintofire.com.

More soon,
The Smallest Star

AMERICAN ASTRONAUT

LEEDS

2008-08-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

Inventor Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince filmed the first known motion picture footage in Leeds England in 1888.

above: Louis Le Prince

His first experiment was entitled the "Roundhay Garden Scene" in which Le Prince’s wife’s family moved about in their garden in the district of Roundhay.

above: Roundhay Garden Scene

For his second experiment Le Prince filmed 2 seconds of traffic crossing the Leeds Bridge in downtown Leeds.

above: detail of Leeds Bridge

In 2005 the LEEDS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL commissioned Cory McAbee to create a trailer for their 19th year.

McAbee’s first concept was to focus on the conspiracy theories surrounding La Prince and the Thomas Edison Corporation. La Prince relied on devices owned by the Edison Corporation to file for the patent of his invention. The patent was met with endless delays. In 1890, while traveling to the US for the first planned public demonstration of his invention, La Prince mysteriously vanished from a train. His body and luggage were never found. Over a century later a photograph was discovered in a police archive of a drowned man who is believed to have been La Prince.

Shortly after the disappearance Edison claimed patent for the motion picture camera and projector. In 1898, Le Prince's son Adolphe came to New York to fight the Edison Corporation on behalf of his late father. Though he was defeated in court by the Edison legal team he continued to pursue. Two years later Adolphe Le Prince was found shot to death on Fire Island near New York. It was presumed to have been either suicide or a hunting accident.

McAbee had planned to make a 45 second documentary and wanted to incorporate samples of the original test footage. At the time he was only able to locate very tiny and pixilated frames from the Leeds Bridge footage. After studying the frames he made the discovery that every person in the film was doing something. He abandoned the La Prince VS. Edison conspiracy theme and focused on the footage itself. The new idea was that these were the first motions ever captured on film, therefore the first time that any of these motions had ever been performed. Because it is primarily a sci-fi/fantacy festival McAbee gave the trailer a Victorian “Invasion Of The Body Snatchers” twist.

To make the poor resolution frames work on a large scale McAbee went over each of the frames with pencil to minimize the pixilation and to smooth out the details. He enlarged each of the altered frames on a Xerox machine and then xeroxed each of the copies. This gave the graphite an ink-like quality. The process was historically fitting in that La Prince recorded his images on paper film. Not celluloid.

above: hand-altered 8.5 X 11 xerox

The audio track was developed and recorded from start to finish in less than 2 hours by Lurie, Swart and McAbee.

above: Lurie, Swart & McAbee - Leeds, England.

19th LEEDS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL trailer
-
FILM CREDITS INCLUDE:

CORY McABEE / WRITER / DIRECTOR / PRODUCER
TODD ROHAL / EDITOR
BOBBY LURIE / MUSICAL PRODUCER
ALAN FARMELLO / AUDIO ENGINEER / MIX
RECORDED @ MAVERICKS STUDIO. NYC

CORY McABEE / VOCALS / ELECTRIC AUTOHARP / HARMONICA
FRANK SWART / BASS / BASS VI
BOBBY LURIE / DRUMS

COMMISSIONED BY THE LEEDS INTERNATIONAL FILMS FESTIVAL. LEEDS, ENGLAND
ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE FOOTAGE BY LOUIS LA PRINCE. 1888

More soon,
The Smallest Star

American Astronaut
The Billy Nayer Show
BSG Records

The real LEE VILENSKY

2008-07-27T16:45:00.000-07:00

In the film THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUT actor PETER McROBBIE played the character of Lee Vilensky, owner of the planet Jupiter.

In real life Lee Vilensky was a member of THE BILLY NAYER SHOW during the early 90s. He performed as bass player both on stage and in the film THE KETCHUP AND MUSTARD MAN.

After more than four years with BNS Vilensky suffered a hearing injury and was unable to perform. He left BNS and began writing short stories. The majority of his stories were derived from his years of experience as a cab driver. Throughout the past decade many of his stories have been published and Vilensky has been a featured guest at some of the California Bay Area’s most prestigious literary events. Below is a sample of his work.

Vilensky . Porchlight Series . Cafe Dunord SF '07

More soon
The Smallest Star

American Astronaut
The Billy Nayer Show
BSG Records

ROPE ME AND RIDE ME
by Lee Vilensky

It must have been around ’94, or ’95, and I was third in line at the Stud Bar, located at 9th & Folsom. Around 1:00 AM a young man stumbled out the front door, and up to the first cab. He was tall and thin, around 22 years old, and a dead ringer for Iggy Pop, circa ’73. He was wearing a pink cowboy hat, a cut-off t-shirt, with some writing on it, and nothing else, and by nothing else I mean no pants, underwear, shoes, socks, watch. I remember thinking that cowboy boots would have been a nice touch. The first cab driver waved him away, barely looking up from his newspaper. The second driver shook his head violently (side to side, not up and down), and drove away, in what seemed like indignation. Even his cab looked pissed off. So now it was on me. Seems like I’m always dealing with the nuts. I’ll be 6th in line at the Hyatt Regency, the first five cabs get business people, I’ll get the 70 year old man dressed like Mary Poppins, smelling of urine.
Billy the Kid walked up to the passenger window, I hit the door locks, raised the window to a 2 inch crack, and thought, “no way this guy gets in my cab, but let’s see what he’s got to say for himself.” He didn’t say anything, just held a piece of paper up to the window. On the paper was a name, phone number, and an address in Concord, CA., with directions to the address, written out, and a little map. I asked him if he needed a ride to Concord. He shook his head up and down. I told him to “move along little dogie.” He produced a cell phone, dialed a number, and motioned for me to lower the window and take the phone from him, which I did. What the hell, I was in it now for a laugh, and maybe a story at the cab yard. You can never have too many good stories to tell the fellas, and this one had all the earmarks of a beaut. I put the phone to my ear and there was already a woman on the line yelling, “Hello, Hello?”

Me: “Hello.”

Woman: “Hello?”

Me: “Hello.”

Woman: “Hello, who is this?”

Me: “I’m a SF cabdriver. Who’s this?”

Woman: “Oh hello. I’m Billy’s mother, Mrs._________. Is Billy there with you?”

Me: “I don’t know. Was Billy wearing a t-shirt that read,…… ‘If you can rope me, you can ride me’, last time you saw him?”

Mrs.________: “Yes, yes, that’s him. Can you drive him home, to Concord?”

Me: “Ma’am, we’re in San Francisco. That’s a long, expensive ride, approximately $95, plus bridge tolls.”

Mrs. _______: “That’s fine. Just bring him home and I’ll pay you.

Me: “He’s not wearing any pants. ANY pants, and he’s high on what seems to be a volatile combination of drugs, alcohol, life.”

Mrs._______: “Oh he won’t give you any problems, I promise. Billy is just……..a free spirit.

Me: “Ma’am, if he soils the cab, in any way, you will be held responsible, which means, you will clean up the mess, plus pay a $50 cleaning charge on top of the $95 fare, plus, PLUS all bridge tolls.

Mrs._______: “I understand completely. Let me talk to Billy.”

I handed Billy the phone and he talked to Mom for about 2 minutes. Actually he didn’t utter a word, just nodded his head, up and down, up and down. I wondered why this guy couldn’t, or wouldn’t speak. Was he an honest to goodness mute, or perhaps too high for vocalization, or involved in some sort of protest, or religious ritual? I didn’t care anymore that he was naked and his balls and ass were going to be rubbing against my nice clean interior (rear seat). Why the hell didn’t he say something? It’s always the little shit that’ll drive you mad. I unlocked the doors, and Billy started to get in the front with me, but I immediately, and emphatically pointed to the back. He handed me the well worn Xerox with instructions to his house, and got in back. The ride was completely uneventful. Billy behaved himself, although I kept my rear view mirror aimed at him the whole way. I was waiting for the meat cleaver, although I noticed that he didn’t seem to have one when he got in. But I’m not one to let my guard down. He stayed awake the whole time, never spoke, and barely moved. The directions were impeccable, and I pulled up to the address within 45 minutes after leaving the Stud. Mom was out the door and handing me cash before I could turn off the meter. She gave me $105, thanked me, grabbed Billy, and went inside their house. I drove 2 blocks, pulled over, turned on my dome light and inspected the rear seat. It was clean. I remember it was a warm night in Concord, much warmer than in the city, and I took a moment to enjoy the balmy air. I thought about a couple of things, that I no longer recall at this time, then leaned over and smelled the approximate location where Billy had been sitting. I shouldn’t have done that.

ROPE ME AND RIDE ME- copyright 2003 Lee Vilensky

APPOINTED VIEW

2008-07-10T09:28:00.000-07:00

While looking online at the amateur travel photos of a stranger’s vacation in Reykjavik I came across a picture that was not like the rest. It was the view from the girl’s hotel room window. The caption read, “The view from my hotel room.”

After making this discovery I have made it a practice to document the view that is appointed to me when I check into a hotel. Some views are mine for a short while, some for several days.

SANTA ANA, CA. USA
2006

OXFORD, ENGLAND
2007

NASHVILLE, TN. USA
2005

BARCELONA, SPAIN
2007

NEW MEXICO. USA
2006

LISBON, PORTUGAL
2006

LOS ANGELES, CA. USA
2007

LONDON, ENGLAND
2005

NANTES, FRANCE
2005

LOS ANGELES, CA. USA
2006

CABAZON, CA. USA
2006

SOUTHPORT, ENGLAND
2005

TORONTO, ON. CANADA
2005

ISTANBUL, TURKEY
2005

OREGON, USA
2006

LEEDS, ENGLAND
2005

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND
2005

AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
2005

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND
2005

WABASH, IN. USA
2003

More soon,
The Smallest Star

photos by McAbee

americanastronaut.com