While I feel David Walker is a knowledgeable film critic and applaud his attempt at "full disclosure," I can't help but think the readers of Willamette Week would have been better served by having someone else review the movie The Sexy Chef [WW, Jan. 28, 2004].

While Walker freely admits to having "helped with production" on The Sexy Chef (its official website credits him as Associate Producer), he omits the fact that the website also lists him as a partner in the film's production company, Spiral City Productions. I would assume that means Walker also has some kind of financial investment in the film and, as such, more than a critical interest in its success. Even if this is not exactly the case, there's enough of a gray area that I think it at least creates the appearance of a conflict of interest.

In his review, Walker also states that The Sexy Chef was "one of the best-received films at last year's Longbaugh Film Festival," but fails to mention that this event is put on by Willamette Week. So now we have a movie reviewed by a partner in the film's production company, citing audience acclaim at a festival run by the reviewer's newspaper. Please tell me that I'm not the only one who sees this as little more than shilling. And I could even accept that, as long as every one of these facts was clearly spelled out by Walker in his assessment of the film. Unfortunately, he chose to gloss over a few minor details.

Walker has every right to make The Sexy Chef a "WW Pick," though I came out of the movie feeling much less enthusiastic about it than he did. (I thought it was an admirable first attempt, particularly on such a tight budget, but it lacked compelling enough characters to make up for a rather pedestrian storyline. In other words, it was no Clerks.) However, his raves would carry far more weight if they were put in the context of a more complete disclosure on his part.

Walker wrote, "The Sexy Chef rises above most of the pitfalls of ultra-low-budget films." Perhaps if he were less directly involved, he could have felt freer to tell us which "pitfalls" the film doesn't rise above. That would have made for a much more insightful review.

David Benedetti
Northeast Flanders Street

David Walker responds: As a filmmaker as well as a critic, the appearance of conflict of interest can arise when I write about films produced by people I know. That's why I acknowledged in my review of The Sexy Chef (WW, Jan. 28, 2004) that I served as a resource for filmmakers Ian and Tyson Smith. Here's how I was involved: I introduced the Smiths to some of the actors eventually cast in the film and helped secure one particular location. For that, I was given an associate producer credit, a common throwaway recognition. I didn't ask the Smiths for a credit, and contrary to Mr. Benedetti's implication I received absolutely no money from the project, nor will I ever receive money from them (or expect any).

Beyond film reviewing, though, I do draw upon my local and national contacts as the director of WW's Longbaugh Film Festival. To ensure quality programming--and to broaden programming beyond my taste--all of the films shown at the 2003 festival were screened by at least two other people besides myself. (The second Longbaugh Film Festival will take place April 2-4, 2004, at the Hollywood Theatre.) My involvement with Longbaugh, and the fact that this is a WW event, should be well known even to casual readers; still, I should have mentioned it again.

Other local media gave positive reviews to The Sexy Chef before its screening at Longbaugh last year, as well as previewing it before it was shown at the Hollywood Theatre last week. Attempting to set aside my personal relationship with the filmmakers, as a critic I claim the movie was one of the most popular films at last year's festival because (a) it was an entertaining movie, and (b) the theater was packed. Mr. Benedetti is free to disagree with me; unfortunately, he appears to have mistaken a clash of tastes for a conflict of interest.

CARRION COMMISSION

Picture video poker as a water buffalo that the retailers (lions) have brought down (at no small risk) and are sharing. The state (hyenas) wait on the edge, and are allowed to carry off sizable portions, in fact about 65 percent. A few politicians (jackals) dart in for an ear or bit of skin, and although irritating, are nothing compared to the vultures (journalists) who sink up to their necks in the corrupted carcass and cry bloody murder ["New Deal," WW, Feb. 11, 2004].

OK, as the owner of the Crackerbox Tavern (a modest establishment), maybe I am biased. But retailers have gone into debt for hundreds of millions of dollars for the lowest commissions in the nation, while contributing hundreds of millions to Oregon coffers. Now, because politicians mismanaged PERS (to the tune of billions), they want to change the equation?

Amusement vendors traditionally charge about a 50/50 split for providing machines. If you want to sell your wares in my tavern, that's fair. Now, because Democratic governors have mismanaged almost everything in Oregon and feel their bloated PERS bellies shrinking, the hyenas are desperate. The jackals are inciting the buzzards into a pack mentality, and on the edge of the abyss a red-assed baboon is back from Iraq (from one disaster to another)... and sniffing the carrion.

Wayne Kigerl
Owner, Crackerbox Tavern
Northeast Portland Highway

THE VAST LEFT-WING CONSPIRACY

A Feb. 11 Mailbox letter ["See BS"] condemned WW for finding fault with CBS's rejection of MoveOn.org's anti-Bush ad. Just days after this rejection, CBS accepted a pro-Bush advocacy ad. The media is mostly owned by several large conservative corporations, yet naive and/or disingenuous right-wingers still claim that that right-wing bias doesn't exist.

The writer made an even more ridiculous claim: that MoveOn.org is a front group for the DNC and George Soros. I wish the DNC had more to do with MoveOn! While MoveOn is getting more disaffected, formerly non-voting progressives into the political process, the DNC still focuses on kissing conservative Southern butt with its unappealing swing-voter strategy, which still does not attempt to tap into the non-voting progressive majority. The only candidate who has used and advocated the MoveOn-type strategy (and who was the winner of the MoveOn primary), Howard Dean, has been routinely trashed by the DNC establishment since he entered the race. And if Soros wants to support MoveOn, more power to him! Do right-wing hypocrites think rich people (and now poor people) should only be allowed to support pro-war Republican liars?

The letter was signed "Chris Hawes, Boring." It should have been signed "Chris Hawes, Mean, Stupid and Annoying."

Tom Soppe
Southeast Harold Street