cineSOURCE magazine

Randy Gordon, cineSOURCE’s Most Prolific Writer
by Doniphan Blair

J. Randy Gordon (lft) and Doniphan Blair in front of the Sonoma Film Festival sign, 2023. photo: R. Gordon

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AFTER RANDY GORDON CONNECTED
with cineSOURCE in 2009 and we reviewed his book "Busibuzz", about buzzwords and catch phrases in the business and entertainment world, he began pitching me articles. Over the last 16 years, Randy ended up researching and writing the first drafts of over 20 pieces, on a wide variety of subjects, some of which are among cineSOURCE's most interesting articles.

The first great one was about an incredible woman sailor, P.J. Panzica, who also directed the documentary "The America's Cup: 150 Years In The Making" (2013), all of which—Panzica, her film and the Cup—we covered in "Steady as She Films: Panzica’s America’s Cup Doc". "A fast moving survey," according to our review, "her film nails down the sometimes despicable truths about a sport where the rules are invented and then circumvented, usually by the all-powerful Cup-holder, with one thing in mind: Win at all costs—sometimes including life itself." We ran "Steady as She Films" in time for the Bay Area's America's Cup in 2013, which we also attended—it was fabulous!

Oracle's majestic 72 footers breach the Golden Gate. photo: courtesy GGYC

A mere one month later, Randy revealed his love for sports in "Siegel Triumphs in Muhammad Ali Doc". "He was also one of sport's greatest poets," Randy wrote about the visionary Ali. By the way, I would give Randy the byline, as I did in that article, if he did most of the writing. We would share it, if I did the lion's share, and the article would be just by me, if I had to rewrite it from the ground up, which was my way of trying to incentivize better writing.

"In addition to his most famous couplet, 'Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee,'" Randy continued about Ali, "there were dozens of others, veering from profound insight—"It's just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up."—to advanced sagacity." Randy applied similar insight to the film itself, "Hardly a typical sports doc, 'Trials' pieces together a mosaic of Ali's controversial years... which climax in the lead-up to, and aftermath of, his Sonny Liston championship bouts."

Surfer.com provides the classical shot of Bianca Valenti, San Francisco's queen of the big wave riders. photo: Sachi Cunningham

Another great story, on a topic close to my heart, was "San Francisco Surfer Girls Charge Hard in New Doc". Not only did Randy research and interview the makers and subjects of a great film, “It Ain’t Pretty” (2017) by Dayla Soul, also a surfer, we focused on Mavericks, the big-wave competition that comes to Half Moon Bay, near the Bay Area every year, and figures in the climax of that film. "We soon meet Bianca Valenti, a Marin County resident, who started surfing as a kid and became a world-class 'charger' (balls-to-the-wall surfer)." Valenti's struggle becomes the core of the film and her quote concludes the article: "Be brave! Be bold! Have fun! Play bigger!!!'"

By the way, Randy is also an enthusiastic representative or, shall we say, hustler for cineSOURCE. Indeed, in 2017, he started getting cineSOURCE business cards and, since then, has received 6,500 cards, three times my own number.

Another story of a scrappy underdog concerned the Irish musical duo, Dave Browne and Dave Rooney, endearing gents whom we met in 2020 at the Napa Film Festival, which cineSOURCE had been covering since 2010. Randy became fast friends with the Daves, as he called them, and wrote "Making and Breaking Records: An Irish-American Band", about their film, "An Irish Story: This Is My Home" and world record for gigging in all 50 American states.

Napa was also the setting of another article, "Films (and Film Writers) Fly High Over Napa", arguably our best, where we imitate Hunter S. Thompson, albeit me writing the whole thing as if I'm Randy, while I play the Dr. Gonzo sidekick part, albeit as Randy's photographer. I think the opening three paragraphs, not to mention the 11 hot photographs, did the job nicely:

'Out of control writer' Randy Gordon (lft), 'filmophile' Nancy Holland and 'photographer' Doniphan Blair, at the Napa Film Festival, 2016. photo: unknown

I'm blasting my two-bit Corolla through South Napa's fecund farmland, looking for that special full moon that's supposed to be rising in the East, my head also blasting from cineSOURCE's "Martini Party" last night (11: is that excessive?).

It's closing night at the often incredible Napa Valley Film Festival. Unfortunately, I'm running late, having barely made my daughter's soccer match in time to pick her up before the Soccer Mom snitches notify my ex.

My evening is scheduled similarly tight. First order of business: find the fine, film-ophile Nancy Holland, who bailed on an important open house (she's a part-time realtor) to meet me and cash in on my swear-to-die promise of a great film and closing party. Second, locate the photographer, Blair, who cineSOURCE finally deemed me worthy of assigning, to cover my interview with Alan Kropf, director of the festival's closer, "Pisco Punch: A Cocktail Comeback Story".

And so it went, through over 20 collaborations, arguing half the time and trying to get Randy to edit more. You know how some writers like long, anecdotal intros to set the tone? Well, Randy loves them so much, he believes in having two or three! Regardless, I would edit the copy down, Randy would negotiate some of it back, and we would strive for that perfect tone—just aggressive enough, not too many factoids—which abides a good writer-editor relationship and makes for better writing.

Thanks Randy, and I look forward to your next submission, as cineSOURCE itself is "blasting its two-bit Corolla" through the pressing issues of the day: Trump's Conspiracism, Ukraine and Arab Zionists, but also as the Napa and Sonoma film festivals, which we love and will continue to cover, despite their periodic cancelling of cineSOURCE's coveted "all festival" pass.

Since this article is going out in April, when cineSOURCE does its Oakland Issue, here are three more Randy articles, which happen to be about Oakland sports films: Al Davis Memoriam: RaiderNation Keeps Winning in Oakland, Linsanity: Doc On Unique Player, and Still Standing Tall: East Bay Football.

Posted on Apr 06, 2025 - 05:47 PM