"WORLD'S LARGEST" MAKES SOAP LAKE AND GIANT LAVA LAMP FAMOUS AT SXSW FESTIVAL
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"WORLD'S LARGEST" MAKES SOAP LAKE AND GIANT LAVA LAMP FAMOUS AT SXSW
FESTIVAL
AUSTIN, TX - Terri Lee Duffy A few days before the world-famous South by Southwest Festival
(SXSW) opened in Austin, Texas, on March 12 this year, I received the Soap Lake e-mail update from
Eileen Beckwith. The news included an announcement for the world premiere of a new documentary
named World's Largest - with Soap Lake and the Lava Lamp in it. Showing in Austin! At SXSW!
Greg and I made plans to attend as Soap Lake Foreign Correspondents.
Apparently the filmmakers had spent quite a bit of time filming Soap
Lake residents about the Giant Lava Lamp. The Soap Lake project was
part of the documentary's examination of small towns with the World's
Largest Walnut and other kitschy americana must-see monuments
designed to draw tourists, dollars, and free advertising, for the purpose
of increasing the tax base and creating jobs.
As locals, we typically just hide out while the festival is in town. Traffic
goes way up. Downtown streets are closed for the event. If you live
here, you just buy enough food and drink to survive and pray you don't
have any appointments in the city. But a SXSW film in Austin that
includes Soap Lake friends, acquaintances, and the Giant Lava Lamp
project that I worked on with you guys? This was worth the foray!
World's Largest had three showings during the festival. It was playing once at the Alamo Drafthouse
downtown and twice at the Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar. We didn't have SWSX film festival
passes ($450), so we figured that our best chance of getting in was the third (and last) showing. We
crossed our fingers that we would be able to get in and marked our calendar. What an opportunity!
On Saturday, March 20, we boot-scooted to the Alamo Drafthouse for the 11 a.m. showing. We went up
to the table and asked the SXSW ticket people if we could buy a ticket for World's Largest. They said
they thought that there were a few seats left and that we could get in. Ten dollars each and we were on
our way.
As we came around the corner inside the darkened theater, we were pleasantly surprised to find it
almost completely full. Remember that this was the 3rd showing and it was 11 a.m. of the last day of
the festival. We found two seats - sandwiched between a couple on my left side and an older fellow on
Greg's right.
My intention was to not talk a lot during the
movie - even when we saw you guys on the
screen. But when World's Largest began, I
couldn't help myself. I blurted out, "Oh my God,
that's my building." Quietly, but yes, I did. They
zoomed in on the sign on the door at 135 E. Main
Street - "AFTER 10,000 YEARS, THE LAVA
RETURNS." This is the connection between the
area and the Giant Lava Lamp. You could even say,
"It's the lava, stupid!"
WORLD'S LARGEST has now introduced Soap
Lake to the WORLD! Nobody really knew how
much screen time the Giant Lava Lamp and
residents were going to get. It was literally half
the movie. Soap Lake and the Giant Lava Lamp
started the movie, ended the movie, and were
woven throughout.
For the first ten minutes, the camera panned
around town. People who were on screen
included Francis Jensen, Brent Blake, the cook at
the Wild Turkey Cafe, people at the Soap Lake Businessmen's Club. Then they switched for another ten
minutes to towns with the World's Largest Turkey, the World's Largest Ear of Corn, the World's Largest
Walnut (my favorite after the Lava Lamp).
Then we went back to Soap Lake for another ten
minutes or so. The filmmakers did extensive
interviews with Brent, and then Burr and Eileen
Beckwith. Everyone talked about the town and the
possibilities for the Lava Lamp project. Mayor Wayne
Hovde was asked if it was true that Soap Lake is the
poorest city in Washington. Mayor Hovde said, "Well,
we don't like to dwell on that. But yes, it's true."
Marina Romary was on screen, voicing her support of
the Lava Lamp project. Brent talked about what the
Lava Lamp could mean for the town economically and
how welcome new jobs would be.
Next, the scene shifted to Jamestown, ND. The
World's Largest Buffalo was in a parade, with a guy on
the buffalo throwing candy to the tiny crowd. The
World's Largest Sandhill Crane, the World's Only living
female albino buffalo, the World's Largest Killer Bee in
Hidalgo, Texas were all explained by the people in their small towns. Kimberlee's Boutique hosted the World's Largest Peach, then there was the World's Largest Jackrabbit, Bunny, Pheasant, Apple. They filmed an event similar to Groundhog's Day, with the release of a large pheasant. The way he flew determined if there was going to be good hunting. The rest of the movie proceeded like this -- going to small towns across the country that had built the World's Largest something and done so years ago, and then cutting back to Soap Lake. Most of the roadside attractions were nearer to the end of their life cycle. This provided the contrast with Soap Lake and its victories, struggles, conflicts, and ultimate failure (so far) to erect the Giant Lava Lamp - even with Target Corporation paying to send seven semi-trucks and a free giant lamp and all the worldwide publicity that the project generated. Scotty Stokoe (Chief of Police at the time) was interviewed. Don Johnstad was on screen. Kathi Trantham talked twice about the mud, the lake, the project. Al Lundberg was sitting in the cafe talking about the project. People swimming in the lake were shown, as were several early Revitalization Committee meetings. Brent, Eileen, and Burr ended up with the most screen time. The film covered events in small towns, what it took to erect their World's Largest attraction, as well as operating expenses, a small amount of vandalism such as the World's Largest Black Mallard being tipped over and whitewashed, the arms cut off of the World's Largest Boll Weevil. How many people actually came to see the World's Largest Swedish Coffee Pot and the World's Largest Loon and the World's Largest Egg in Winlock, Washington. They talked to civic boosters, landmark caretakers, and locals.
Some of the roadside attractions - such as the World's Largest Lemon - had become obsolete. Because of urban growth and city encroachment, there are no more lemon orchards, it's no longer an egg town, there are only 32 olive trees left. The biggest problem was that people would stop, snap a photo, then get in their car and leave. It was clear that if the town didn't offer other reasons to stay for a meal, or shop, or sleep overnight, the roadside attraction wasn't enough to hold the tourists. The most exciting part of the film for me was the groundbreaking ceremony because for a few seconds, I appeared on screen. Before I saw myself, though, I heard myself hollering encouragement. I said to Greg, "I think that was me yelling." He agreed. It was me. The entire groundbreaking ceremony was filmed. The golden shovels. Al Lundberg and Mayor Hovde speaking. Eileen Beckwith wearing her MUD FUN SUN teeshirt. Another exclamation from me - I designed the logo and put Wavin' Ray on it (he is the central Columbian petroglyph figure that Soap Lake should adopt as their official mascot). The architectural models were shown, as well as the Lava Lamp cake at City Hall. George Sharp appeared on screen and talked about how he helps small towns try to find ways to boost their economy across the state and how he is working with Soap Lake on the project. One funny moment was when Francis Jensen was interviewed and said, "God bless K-Mart for giving us the Lava Lamp." The filmmaker said, "Wasn't it Target?" Mr. Jensen laughed and admitted that he'd mixed up the company names. The mayor came on screen and explained the copyright issues and the reason that the sign said, "FUTURE HOME OF THE SOAP LAKE LAVA LIGHT." Or Lava Motion Lamp. Or whatever. I can't remember who spoke for all of us, but someone - Al Lundberg? - did say that no matter what they call it, we will always call it the Giant Lava Lamp. The final screen of the movie was a black background with the following in large white letters: The Lava Lamp remains in pieces. That was sad.
The filmmakers did a good job of being non-judgmental. They are not trying to steer you to an obvious
conclusion. It was interesting seeing the end of the lifecycle of roadside attractions and those who tried
to keep them relevant, even with the world changing around them.
However, as I reflected on the whole experience, I came to the conclusion that there is something really
different about the Soap Lake Giant Lava Lamp project. For one thing, it is WAY COOLER!!! I didn't see
any other World's Largest attraction that could hold a candle to it. Even if it didn't create one single job,
people WOULD come to Soap Lake because a Giant Lava Lamp is so weird. It would say to the world,
hey, this is a creative, artistic, wacky town. And NONE of them generated the millions of dollars of free
worldwide publicity that the Giant Lava Lamp did - and still does today.
If Soap Lake can't put up the Lava Lamp, why don't you declare the Fremont District of Seattle as Soap
Lake's sister city and sell it to them? Put in the contract that they must call it the SOAP LAKE LAVA
LAMP. Then in Soap Lake itself, put up a giant sign down that points toward the coast and says, "GIANT
LAVA LAMP - 175 MILES WEST."
Of course my humble opinion is that Soap Lake should do whatever it takes to get the lamp erected.
Selling it to Fremont to hang out with the Giant Rocket and the genuine Statue of Lenin is the second-
best use of it.
The worst thing to do is just to let it rot in the dirt.
I really liked what one fellow from another state said about his World's Largest. He said, "I think every
town needs something special. Don't you?"
Good job to everyone! You are officially famous! Now this film is challenging you – what will you do
with your new fame?
POSTSCRIPT
After the credits rolled and the lights came
up, the couple sitting to my left immediately
leaned over and said, "Did you guys live in
Soap Lake?" We had quite the conversation
about you guys, how I had owned a building in
town, had been on the Lava Lamp Committee,
had written the business plan for the project
that we presented to the City Council, and
then how we had moved to Austin four years
ago. They were so thrilled to get an insider's
view on the movie!
Greg was engaged in conversation by the
fellow to his right. Turns out that Bob Wade
builds giant things. He was a SWSX pass
holder. Bob had tried to attend both the first
and second showings, but they were both sold out and he couldn't get in! Check out his website at www.bobwade.com. He has built giant attractions out of Volkswagen Bugs (and more) in Houston and other major cities, for major corporations and enterprises. POST POSTSCRIPT When I got back home, I changed my Facebook profile photograph to one taken of me standing under the WORLD'S LARGEST sign in the movie theater. A few hours later, I was contacted by Amy Elliott, one of the filmmakers. Her question to me? Who are you? After I explained what was up, we chatted for quite awhile. She said she was sorry that I hadn't come up to her, said she would have dragged me on stage as a genuine Soap Lakian. I told her I was sorry, too, but the first and second showings were sold out. She wasn't able to attend the third one and was back in New York. It sounds like there is going to be a showing at the Masquer's Theatre. I hope the whole town attends. It should be quite the event. Blow the roof off! And let me know when you have set a date. We will try to attend if at all possible. Here is the Facebook page for World's Largest - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&gid=14695904860 POST POST POSTSCRIPT Just in case you didn't know, the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin is probably the coolest movie theater in the world. It is wacky, a huge creative draw, and world-famous in its own right. Oh, and they serve food and beer with movie-themed names. When you sit down, there is a menu on the wood bar in front of you. You write your order on a notepad, rip off your slip, and prop it up in the slot. The waitress then picks it up, and you get to enjoy a Royale with Cheese and a fine beer with your film. It was just the most amazing place to see Soap Lake popping up in. You guys blew my socks off.
And Wavin' Ray says hey!
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