Tag Archives: Bodacious Boots

Cowboy Boots

Cowboy Boots Factory Made


I was saving the bonus material on my Bodacious Boots DVD for a rainy day, like today. Cowboy boot galleries, extended interviews and a tour of the Lucchese factory in El Paso … this DVD’s “B-side” is a boot geek’s dream come true.

The footage of the Lucchese factory is amazing for a couple of reasons. Compared to a small custom boot shop there are soooo many, many machines… like the specialized machine that smooths the side seams and then the one that power turns the tops. But really, what I found equally amazing was that each machine still came with a set of hands. For me… there was something charming in how each boot is passed from hand to hand to hand to hand to hand again…each with a task to do.

And yet, there are still tasks that they can’t find a machine to do like pegging a sole. So they hire a man to do it, over and over again…all day long. And his speed and rhythm and precision resemble, well… a machine.

This video includes a great clip of a welt machine in action (photo.) I saw a welt machine for the first time, when I visited Champion Attitude Boots in El Paso. Joey Sanchez explained that the machine was one of the reasons boot companies have historically stayed in such close proximity. Few shops could afford a welt machine, those that could had a hard time keeping one running. When I was visiting with Joey, there was a steady stream of boots coming in the back door…dropped off and picked up by other shops. Every photo I took was a mess because the worker’s hand were always just a blur.

Cowboy Boots

Update.


Shoot. Looks like I’ll be missing a great movie and a swell party.

If you’re like me, and can’t go to the Bodacious Boot “sneak peak” showing… all is not lost. The folks at AMS Production Group are planning one (or more) star-studded premiere screenings of Bodacious Boots once it’s finished and rendered in all its high-def grandeur.

Stay tuned for more info.

P.S. The next screening will be on a weekend to make travel plans easier. See you there!

Cowboy Boots

Rough Cut

Yeehaw! “Bodacious Boots” is almost done. Come sneak a peek at the first-cut of “Bodacious Boots” on opening night at the 20th Annual Dallas Video Festival.

This high-spirited ode to the cowboy boot is directed by Tim Wylie and produced by Laura Neitzel.

Through interviews with boot makers, collectors, and aficionados like Lyle Lovett, Kelly Le Brock, Dr. Laura, Chef Dean Fearing, Kinky Friedman (and yours truly) …Bodacious Boots takes a broad look at the art, history, and culture of the Western cowboy boot, and explores the qualities that elevate this humble piece of functional footwear into an object d’art and quintessentially American icon.

What:
“Bodacious Boots” screening
at the 20th Annual Dallas Video Festival
(Ticket info at videofest.org.)

When:
Tuesday, July 31 7:30 pm

Where:
Angelika Film Center
5321 E. Mockingbird Lane (Dallas, TX)

You are also invited to the official opening night party of the Dallas Video Festival, featuring the spaghetti-western surfer-twang of The Big Guns (also featured in Bodacious Boots.)

When:
9 pm to midnight

Where:
AllGood Café
2934 Main Street (east end of Deep Ellum) Dallas

…Kindly rsvp to lneitzel@amspg.com.

Cowboy Boots

Think About Cowboy Boots


Think 117. Watch the entire program or fast forward 18:03 minutes into the segment for an interview with Laura Neitzel and a clip from the upcoming film, Bodacious Boots.

In this short clip…you’ll catch a glimpse of bootmakers Dave Wheeler, Lee Miller, and the hard working folks at Rocketbuster. The film also includes interviews with talented boot collectors Lyle Lovett and John Tongate.

The 20th Annual Dallas Video Festival begins Tuesday July 31st and runs through August 5th. Laura Neitzel’s film “Bodacious Boots” opens the festival on July 31st at the Angelika Film Center in Dallas at 7:35pm. More information about purchasing tickets, theaters, and films being shown during the festival is available at www.videofest.org.