This event is a fundraiser to complete the new documentary made right here in New Mexico - BIRTH OF THE ACID WESTERN.  Donations can be made right now by clicking here!

Film Scholar Julia Smith will introduce a newly restored (!) THE DEVIL'S MISTRESS, discuss her research in the director's film archive at NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY and screen the trailer for BIRTH OF THE ACID WESTERN, her documentary inspired by the film!  Post screening discussion, Q&A, etc. to follow!

ABOUT THE DOCUMENTARY:  an uncovering & telling of the lost Las Cruces-made 1960’s feature film, “The Devil’s Mistress.” Made by Brooklyn-raised NMSU English professor, Orville “Buddy” Wanzer, this film is an early version of the countercultural  “acid Western” sub-genre, and the first film ever made in Las Cruces. Through archival research, community stories, and local experts, this documentary reveals Wanzer’s unique influence on New Mexico filmmaking and uncovers the hidden value of his iconoclastic life and art through a cinematic exploration of the American West.

ABOUT THE FEATURE FILM:  Las Cruces NM's first feature film that put the city on the map as "The Hollywood of the Southwest" when NMSU English Professor Orville "Buddy" Wanzer and small cast of locals released it to a national premiere at the Rio Grande Theater in 1965.   Drawing inspiration from the stark desert landscape, Wanzer wrote, directed, and edited this occult Western, originally titled, “Bruja,” and also co-founded WGW Pictures with two friends, Gregory & Wesmoreland, to bring his vision to life on a shoestring buget. Influenced by European filmmakers, Wanzer blended psychological realism with the provocative allure of American B-movies, tapping into the drive-in movie craze of the era. The Devil's Mistress stands as a unique cinematic experience, merging art-house sensibilities with pulp entertainment.