Mental Funeral Zine: February 2010

From DVD MANIACS FORUM:

It's true. the following is an e-mail from one of the few people who knew he was battling cancer for the last year...

It is with great sadness that I report the passing of Jamie Gillis, who died today in New York at the age of 66 after a battle with cancer.

A wonderful and charismatic man and most treasured friend, he will be greatly missed by his partner Zarela, his family, his many friends, and countless fans around the world.

He will be cremated at a private ceremony. In lieu of flowers, Jamie requested that contributions be made to the NYC Police Athletic League, an organization that helped Jamie as a boy and continues to assist children in New York City (http://www.palnyc.org/800-PAL-4KIDS/Donate.aspx).
It's true. the following is an e-mail from one of the few people who knew he was battling cancer for the last year...

Despite the immense grief we feel for the loss of our friend, we are comforted by a quotation from Albert Camus that Jamie often quoted to us: ‘Happiness, too, is inevitable’.

I know alot of the more recent Gillis fan are because of his work in Waterpower and his home movie series Walking Toilet Bowl. No doubt I myself a fan of both. But mypersonal fave of Gillis's porn work is Fiona On Fire.

Review taken from IMDB:

"Shaun Costello's Fiona On Fire is by far one of the most successful and original adaptations of any so called mainstream film into a herdcore setting. Based on Otto Premenger's classic 1944 film Laura, Fiona On Fire(made in 1977, the same year Eruption, the hardcore take on Double Indemnity was released), is a smart balance of the classic story mixed with great 70s visuals of seedy New York City. Amber Hunt stars as Fiona, a successful model who is shot and killed by a mysterious assailant. Her fiancé(Jamie Gillis)is the prime suspect. A street smart detective is brought in to investigate the case and discovers a small address book in which Fiona had stored her various friends and lovers information. Tracking down the people in the book, the detective begins to uncover the bizarre truth about Fiona's kinky life and ultimately her murderer... Seen on a 10th generation bootleg(viewed only because all current releases are severely cut), Fiona On Fire would appear to be nothing more than a cheaply made, poorly shot, washed out piece of junk. Not true! Shot on an almost six figure budget on 35mm film in widescreen, all of the film's subsequent VHS and DVD releases have either been cut or cropped to 1.33:1, destroying the films originally magnificent look. Although the acting is not always top notch, the script is tight and puts a great deal of new wind into an already famous plot. The direction is solid and very competent. The cinematography(although hard to appreciate when almost a third of the picture is missing)is crisp and adds to the gritty feel of the film. Costello was a master of bringing out the sublime and seedy sides of New York and this film perfectly captures those aspects. A pity films like these will never have the official releases they deserve while at the same time anxious millions await the next "Unrated Special Edition" of Hollywood's latest teen sex bomb"

I'm not bothering with a history of Jamie but instead present a interview with him from 1996 and an excellent critique of the Walking Toilet Bowl series. Both a interesting insight into his true to life sexual depravity.