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We have updates from some of our prolific film directors and reflections from our 50th Reunion.
After our reunion, Michael Shoob writes that he had not been back to campus since our graduation so he says, “it was quite a mind-bending experience for me. Being there for the first time in half a century reminded me of one thing: I felt lucky to have had the opportunity to come to Wesleyan, and I’m sure many of our classmates felt the same way.” Michael reports in early April that he had finished shooting Road to Everywhere, a new feature film that he was directing and writing. He says Road to Everywhere “is a follow-up nearly 30 years later to my film Driven, which I also wrote and directed, about a group of LA cab drivers. Driven premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 1996.” He says, “A number of the actors from the original film reprised their roles and they had a memorable experience shooting the movie in Los Angeles and on the Navajo Reservation in Page, Arizona.” He says they anticipate a festival run for the film starting in the fall and adds, “None of this would have happened without Wesleyan.”
Billy Burke says, “Occasionally, another warm memory from our wonderful 50th Reunion pops into my head. The President’s Dinner on Friday night was held in Beckham Hall, a beautiful venue. Highlights included remarks by President Roth, amiable bar staff who know how to make a gin and tonic (Mike Robinson was designated driver), and the musical stylings of Blackwall Hitch. Many thanks to our classmate, Paul Fletcher, and the other members of that fabulous band. The ’60s–’70s music and associated slide presentation choreographed to each song brought it all back.” Billy says he’s been having a great time working with his son and his son’s new law partner on messaging and marketing. They became best friends in the Marine Corps while serving two combat tours in Iraq. After their enlistments were up, they went their separate ways. Billy reports, “Each earned his BA and JD. They just formed a law firm right here in Centennial, Colorado. I’m very proud.”
Ron Medley says he has managed to use his “Middletown hideaway to pretty good advantage since our reunion. My brother and sister, Jim and Linda, had a wonderful time reenacting our last visit to Middletown together, which was over 50 years ago. Amanda Broulik and Lydia Casparie from Wesleyan met us with a golf cart and we had a blast tooling up and down Foss Hill on a beautiful July afternoon. And, I’ve had two meet ups with Rob and Rich Charney, solving the world’s problems and dissing the Oscars over pasta at Mondo’s. Coming soon: an oral history presentation before Professor Jesse Nasta’s African American Studies class on the racial history of Middletown.”
Marc Levin says he had two major film releases in April: On April 16 his latest HBO documentary, An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th premiered on HBO and MAX. He says, “The film looks at the evolution of political violence through the lens of the Oklahoma City bombing—from the roots in the early ’80s to the reverberations up to January 6. With the threat of political violence and civil unrest growing every day, this film is especially timely and relevant. It is the history of now.” Then on April 26, his feature film Slam, which won the Grand Prize at Sundance and the Camera D’or at the Cannes Film Festival, was re-released in a newly restored digital 4K version thanks to the the Academy of Motion Pictures, the Sundance Institute, and UCLA. The film was also featured at the UCLA preservation festival on April 6 (SLAM | UCLA Film & Television Archive).
Marc also has a documentary on guaranteed income, It’s Basic, traveling the festival circuit. He says it won best documentary at the LA Downtown Film Festival, and had a screening on April 9 at the Cleveland International Festival: https://www.clevelandfilm.org/films/its-basic.
He says, “Busy spring for us here at Blowback Productions.”
Dr. Michael Fossel, known worldwide for his work including his book, Reversing Human Aging, has a brief update, telling us that his new Academic Press textbook is out.
Finally, we are all deeply saddened by the loss of the spirited Dave Moffenbeier. As if it were yesterday, I remember his intelligence in the classroom and his talents on the Wesleyan football team. A group of us huddled up and recruited Dave to join us in the spring of senior year on the rugby fields. He was an integral part of that team that went undefeated. His middle name could have been “Invictus.” Class secretary Seth Davis ’72 writes in his notes: “Another loss, although not from our class, but another good friend and Delta Tau brother, was that of Dave Moffenbeier ’73. Moff fought tenaciously against a vicious form of cancer for over 20 years before leaving us in February.”
That’s the latest news from you for now.
PETER D’OENCH | pgdo10@aol.com