George Hickenlooper’s “Hick Town” is not about St. Louis
My pal George Hickenlooper, the former St. Louisan whose “Factory Girl” demythologized both Bob Dylan and Andy Warhol, continues to surprise. During the writers’ strike last winter, the long-time conservative came out as a union sympathizer. Now he’s directed a short get-out-and-vote video featuring Barack Obama.
The YouTube video is a preview of a series called “Hick Town” that George is developing with producer R.J. Cutler. It’s about George’s cousin, John Hickenlooper, who happens to be the mayor of Denver.
No word yet on where or when the full “Hick Town” series will air, but I’ll be watching. George is a fine documentarian–I recommend his “Mayor of the Sunset Strip,” about ageless fanboy deejay Rodney Bingenheimer–and I spent my idyllic ’60s childhood in Denver. Back then, it really was a cow town. And St. Louis was a glittering oasis where I dreamed of someday moving.
Life continues to surprise.
I went to SLUH right after Hickenlooper graduated. His art and talent permeated the hallways, yearbooks, and classrooms. You could just tell he was special. All those murals are painted over now. But back then it was a amazing to walk the hallways and see the different landscapes he could create.