Stay warm, isn't that what she told him, he wasn't sure, his heart was pounding in his ears at the time. His tech theater teacher said there would be extra credit given if they went to the local production of some holiday play. He could think of a few other ways to spend his time but his grades were slipping so every little bit helped. No way he was going to summer school or repeating his last year.
He made some mental notes on the scenery and costumes and had to admit that it held his attention but then...she came in. She was an angel, literally and figuratively. She was playing some kind of Christmas angel but she was more captivating than the whole play itself. His whole attention was devoted to the stage and he hoped she'd come back in the second half. She didn't until the curtain call. The cast asked the audience to join them in the lobby for some refreshments so he stuck around.
What's her name? He searched through his program to find it. Was she Angel #1 or Angel #2? Shit, he thought, she's right there, what now? Be cool, he told himself, just be cool. Please, God, do not let my voice crack or anything fly out of my nose for the next twenty minutes.
He tried to smile and say hi. He had seen an old movie once where Carey Grant introduced himself to a woman and she told him her name. It worked, thanks Carey! He was feeling every one of his seventeen years as he tried to make small talk and compliment her on her performance. She smiled, said thank you and hugged him. After another brief exchange she said she had to go and change and hugged him again and probably said stay warm.
His head was filled with day dreams as he turned up his collar to the North wind and walked back to his moms car. It wasn't until he got in that he realized he could still smell her perfume on his coat. He just sat there for a minute and breathed it in. He had no idea how to get in touch with her but he knew he wanted to see her again. He didn't want to roll down his window when he went to the drive-thru window of the fast food place, but he had no choice. Besides, he'd have to air out the car anyway. Two rules of the mom mobile-no food and no girls. He breathed in one last time and rolled the window down to place his order.
Friday, December 2, 2016
December Newsletter
It's the last month of the year, the home stretch. I would like to take a second and wish you the happiest of whichever holiday is your choosing and congratulate you on making it this far in 2016. We lost another icon. Mr. Leonard Cohen is no longer with us. It seems as though all of his press releases over the last few months have been about accepting his mortality and embracing the next step so it's hard to say that it's a complete shock but it always sucks when someone who's music and writing has been a part of your existence is now absent. I'm Your Man is one of my desert island albums, which one is yours? I wonder how many times we'll hear Black Star, Bad Magic and You Want It Darker as we get closer to the end of the year.
On a more cheerful note, Ronda Rousey is getting back into the octagon against Amanda Nunes on December 30th. I've always wanted to see her fight live but considering that it's taking place in Vegas ($$$) and the nosebleed seats are $95.00 with prices going into five digits the closer you get ($$$$$), this is not going to be that time. I'll just watch it on t.v. like everybody else.
Do you have a reader on your gift list? Are you just looking for something interesting to get you through the day? Here's what I've read lately, maybe you'll get some ideas-
My movie list is considerably shorter than last month since I've been working more than watching but, since man cannot live on the written word alone, here's something you might want to check out-
Ashby-This movie came out last year and probably made its way through the festival circuit. Mickey Rourke plays a retired hitman who's neighbor is high school kid that just moved in. The kid gets a school assignment to talk to an older person and find out their story. I'll set up the premise for you, but you'll have to watch the movie to find out the rest. I really enjoyed it.
Doctor Strange-Wow! Have you seen this yet? The visual effects are incredible and need to be seen on the big screen so don't dawdle. I've been a cursory Doctor Strange fan since I was a kid. One of my cousins introduced me to him but I was always more of a Captain America and Daredevil fan to get into the mysticism of the good doctor. Here again, I'm not going to give away all of the plot points of the film, I'll just say go see it and enjoy.
Hacksaw Ridge-Say what you will about Mel Gibson, I enjoyed this movie. He branched out and tried some new things stylistically and you hardly recognize it as a Gibson film. I'll let history provide the spoilers and just say go check it out.
Home For The Holidays- This has kind of become a Thanksgiving tradition at my house. An all-star cast, each playing at least one of your relatives. If you get the chance, read the short story by Chris Radant.
Juggernaut- This has been a favorite of mine for a while. Richard Harris, Omar Sharif, Anthony Hopkins and Ian Holm in the same movie about a mad bomber who'll blow up an ocean liner if he doesn't get his money! If you've seen it then you know what I'm talking about, if you haven't seen it then remedy that now!
A Perfect Day- Benicio Del Toro, Tim Robbins, and Olga Kurylenko are overseas aid workers in The Balkans. It's a dramatic comedy that kind of reminds you of No Man's Land ('01). Watch and enjoy.
Pieces Of April- Thanksgiving is not complete until you've seen this movie. This is probably my favorite Oliver Platt role. The whole cast is good, don't get me wrong. It really gives a little pull on the heart strings.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles- John Hughes set the gold standard for Thanksgiving films with this classic. Steve Martin and John Candy are great together.
Rambo: First Blood Part II- Every so often, I'll take these off the shelf and remind myself of how good they are. I usually start with First Blood but anymore that's just one I enjoy more in December or, at least the winter months. I'll keep this short or else I'll just go on for paragraphs about the whole series. It's everything I shouldn't like in a movie but do- the first one is based on a novel and it went on for three more sequels...and I love them all.
Rambo III- Oh how the times have changed. Once the Mujahadin were our allies and our all-American fighting machine helped them defeat the Ruskies. Ignoring the dated politics of this film, it's still pretty fun. I have a guy that I rent prop weapons from who was an extra rebel horseman in the climactic finale. He'll tell me all kinds of on set stories, most of them are cautionary since he broke his leg when his horse went down in a scene. The Ultimate Edition dvd has a few deleted scenes.
Rambo- Our boy is a little older and a hell of a lot more jaded in the fourth chapter. The blu-ray has a directors cut that also has a director commentary. About the only noticeable difference in the directors cut, aside from pieces expanded a little here and there, is that you find out what "is". Personally, I think it completes the scene a lot better, not really sure why it was cut aside from time restraints.
A quick note for you t.v. watchers- if you get the chance, check out Alfred Hitchcock Presents. I'm currently in season five and the show is incredible.
That's about all I have for this month, again I'd like to wish you all a happy holiday and hope to see you in the new year!
On a more cheerful note, Ronda Rousey is getting back into the octagon against Amanda Nunes on December 30th. I've always wanted to see her fight live but considering that it's taking place in Vegas ($$$) and the nosebleed seats are $95.00 with prices going into five digits the closer you get ($$$$$), this is not going to be that time. I'll just watch it on t.v. like everybody else.
Do you have a reader on your gift list? Are you just looking for something interesting to get you through the day? Here's what I've read lately, maybe you'll get some ideas-
A Life In Parts by Bryan Cranston- Back in October I had the chance to attend
his…well, I’m not sure what to call it…book signing/interview/speaking engagement
(?). It was presented by a local bookstore and the price of admission paid for
a copy of his new autobiography that he was promoting. He didn’t sit at a table
and sign each book as people filed by which is why I’m hesitant to call it a
book signing. He did, however, sign 100 copies beforehand and they were
interspersed throughout the piles. When you take into consideration the number
of people that The Uptown Theater holds, 100 is about a handful. I was just
happy to be there and get a book, no sense in getting my hopes up. The
bookstore owner interviewed Mr. Cranston who would then give very elaborate
answers to the audience. The whole experience was rather unique and informal.
It was fascinating to listen to him tell of his early days (he worked on
Alligator(!!) as a special effects p.a.) and, of course, his time on Malcolm In
The Middle and Breaking Bad. I was hoping to hear more about Trumbo but I guess
that’s another story for another time.
The book is
written in a series of short vignettes so it’s perfect if you’re at work or a
bathroom reader. It covers his childhood through his Tony Award winning
performance in All The Way. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Cranston fan (you
will be by the end) because the book is not just about him but the journey of
an actor exploring his craft. I really recommend it.
My movie list is considerably shorter than last month since I've been working more than watching but, since man cannot live on the written word alone, here's something you might want to check out-
Ashby-This movie came out last year and probably made its way through the festival circuit. Mickey Rourke plays a retired hitman who's neighbor is high school kid that just moved in. The kid gets a school assignment to talk to an older person and find out their story. I'll set up the premise for you, but you'll have to watch the movie to find out the rest. I really enjoyed it.
Doctor Strange-Wow! Have you seen this yet? The visual effects are incredible and need to be seen on the big screen so don't dawdle. I've been a cursory Doctor Strange fan since I was a kid. One of my cousins introduced me to him but I was always more of a Captain America and Daredevil fan to get into the mysticism of the good doctor. Here again, I'm not going to give away all of the plot points of the film, I'll just say go see it and enjoy.
Hacksaw Ridge-Say what you will about Mel Gibson, I enjoyed this movie. He branched out and tried some new things stylistically and you hardly recognize it as a Gibson film. I'll let history provide the spoilers and just say go check it out.
Home For The Holidays- This has kind of become a Thanksgiving tradition at my house. An all-star cast, each playing at least one of your relatives. If you get the chance, read the short story by Chris Radant.
Juggernaut- This has been a favorite of mine for a while. Richard Harris, Omar Sharif, Anthony Hopkins and Ian Holm in the same movie about a mad bomber who'll blow up an ocean liner if he doesn't get his money! If you've seen it then you know what I'm talking about, if you haven't seen it then remedy that now!
A Perfect Day- Benicio Del Toro, Tim Robbins, and Olga Kurylenko are overseas aid workers in The Balkans. It's a dramatic comedy that kind of reminds you of No Man's Land ('01). Watch and enjoy.
Pieces Of April- Thanksgiving is not complete until you've seen this movie. This is probably my favorite Oliver Platt role. The whole cast is good, don't get me wrong. It really gives a little pull on the heart strings.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles- John Hughes set the gold standard for Thanksgiving films with this classic. Steve Martin and John Candy are great together.
Rambo: First Blood Part II- Every so often, I'll take these off the shelf and remind myself of how good they are. I usually start with First Blood but anymore that's just one I enjoy more in December or, at least the winter months. I'll keep this short or else I'll just go on for paragraphs about the whole series. It's everything I shouldn't like in a movie but do- the first one is based on a novel and it went on for three more sequels...and I love them all.
Rambo III- Oh how the times have changed. Once the Mujahadin were our allies and our all-American fighting machine helped them defeat the Ruskies. Ignoring the dated politics of this film, it's still pretty fun. I have a guy that I rent prop weapons from who was an extra rebel horseman in the climactic finale. He'll tell me all kinds of on set stories, most of them are cautionary since he broke his leg when his horse went down in a scene. The Ultimate Edition dvd has a few deleted scenes.
Rambo- Our boy is a little older and a hell of a lot more jaded in the fourth chapter. The blu-ray has a directors cut that also has a director commentary. About the only noticeable difference in the directors cut, aside from pieces expanded a little here and there, is that you find out what "is". Personally, I think it completes the scene a lot better, not really sure why it was cut aside from time restraints.
A quick note for you t.v. watchers- if you get the chance, check out Alfred Hitchcock Presents. I'm currently in season five and the show is incredible.
That's about all I have for this month, again I'd like to wish you all a happy holiday and hope to see you in the new year!
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
November Newsletter
Greetings all, I see we've survived another year without finding razor blades in the apples and needles in the Tootsie Rolls. Were you tricked or treated? My big holiday plans consisted of working and laundry with a staged reading of Ghostbusters thrown in the middle. For those of you in the KC area, check out The Buffalo Rooms calendar for these staged readings, they come around about once a month and they're amazing. It was a great way to ring in the holiday and wrap up the month. Here in November I'll be throwing myself more into my writing since I have two scripts and a book that have been long neglected. It's time for Jack to become a dull boy.
I guess you could call this writing season. The other production companies I work with are either editing or looking to the next project. That's about status quo for us at Merry BanD. I've been in research mode lately as we cut our way through this jungle called editing. There have been technical aspects as well as subtle nuances that surfaced that we're working through. I would say that we're on schedule but we haven't really set a schedule so I'll just say that every day is progress.
There was a lot of letting my geek flag fly last month as you'll soon see. The book list is short but if you're looking for a movie suggestion or five, read on.
Without Fail by Lee Child-This is the sixth book in the Jack Reacher series. I've enjoyed them all and recommend them to anybody interested. The first book is called The Killing Floor and it's amazing but, not to diminish the rest of the series, being the first, it's the passion project, the one he could take his time writing and get everything perfect. That's why I'd say read the first two books to get a fair gauge of the series. In Without Fail, Reacher is hired by the Secret Service to do an audit on their security of the Vice President elect. The only spoiler I will give you, the jaded reader, is to give up thinking like Stephen Hunter and just go with it.
Persuader by Lee Child-Yes, this is book seven and yes, 3/4 of this book starts to feel like Child is feeling the pressures of a contractual obligation. It holds your interest, don't get me wrong, but it just kind of wanders around. The series is currently on book nineteen or twenty so I know that it picks back up because the general public will only put up with mediocrity for about three books before it sees the pattern develop and moves on. Two other things give me hope for the next book, though. One is the last 1/4 of the book. It may start off slow but it comes back around fast. The second is that I'm one book away from the one they based the first movie on. Somewhere in the next book Child gets his groove back. I'll get around to it soon.
Okay, here's the movie list I promised you. There are a couple of duds and a couple of surprises but hopefully you'll find something of interest.
3 Days Of The Condor-How can you not think this movie is cool? I've been a fan for a while so when I started doing research for my spy thriller, I looked to a favorite. Robert Redford (you'll see this name again in this section) is a C.I.A. analyst (code named Condor) who is on the run after his section gets taken out by a hit squad. If you're a first timer or a veteran viewer, check this out, it's worth it.
99 Homes-If you blinked, you missed it in theaters. It came out earlier this year but it's set during the housing collapse a few years ago. Michael Shannon gives a great performance (as usual) as a realtor trying to survive in its wake and Andrew Garfield is a man who loses his family home but then becomes part of the system that screwed him over. It almost feels like Wall Street for the housing market. It's worth your time just for Michael Shannon.
After. Life- I picked this up at the library because it was in the horror genre and the cast intrigued me. Liam Neeson is a mortician who has a gift for communicating with the dead and Christina Ricci plays a school teacher who recently died in a car wreck. Justin Long plays her boyfriend. I'm not going to tell you too much in case you actually see it. The film is well made but it's not one you have to rush out and track down.
All The Presidents Men-Robert Redford (there's that name again) produced this movie and as a result, ended up starring in it as Bob Woodward. Dustin Hoffman plays Carl Bernstein and together they write a series of stories that eventually brings down a presidency. This is another long time favorite that I don't have enough good things to say about. If you can find the two disk version, get it. There's a commentary track by Redford that gives a lot of insight to the making of the film as well as supplemental material that covers everything from behind the scenes of the movie to Watergate and the history of investigative journalism. Check this one out!
Always Watching: A Marble Hornets Story-A found footage movie about found footage... The story had some potential but the execution (no pun intended) is poor. A news magazine crew is doing a story about what happens to houses after the owners have been evicted (the dark side of 99 Homes?).They come across a house that isn't like the rest. There's still furniture, food in the fridge, even a child's homework still on the kitchen table. It's like the family just dropped everything and left. You always saw this scenario in horror films so I thought it was interesting to see the after math through a different lens. Unfortunately, it starts a downward spiral from there. For journalists, they suck at research. They manage to get just enough information on the family that occupied the house but then they stop. What about the mysterious figure in the videos they found? Who is he? What happened? When did he first appear? Where did they study journalism? The movie has its moments but they a few and far between. I picked it up in the spirit of the holidays but now that it's over, I'm going to say don't waste your time.
The American- This came out six years ago to a limited release and lukewarm reviews. I don't understand why. This movie is pretty good. George Clooney plays a gunsmith for hire who's work takes him to a small Italian town. It's hard to talk about without giving away too much so I'll just say go watch it.
American Graffiti-The one movie George Lucas got right the first time. This played as a revival at the first of the month. It's always great to see this one on the big screen although the sound mix is a little off since they converted it to digital. It's like they couldn't decide what to put through which channel so they just took turns with it. The movie's still enjoyable though. The boom shadow at The Hop and the reflection in the roof of the car just seem to add to the charm that you forget about on the small screen. One of these days I'll have to take a field trip to Van Ness, just to check out the diner.
Quick relevant story-about 17-ish years ago, Candy Clark and Bo Hopkins were at a car show signing autographs. I went, got autographs, listened to the stories about the movie and when the crowd thinned out I started asking them about Tentacles (I don't think Hopkins enjoyed making this as much as I enjoyed watching it) and Blue Thunder. It was a fun afternoon.
American Ultra-It creeps me out sometimes how similar this is to Order 86. We finished the script before it came out so I know there's no plagiarism or power of suggestion, there are just so many ways you can tell a spy story and I'm sure we all had the same influences. That being said, it is a fun movie and if you get the chance, check it out.
Annie Hall-Early Woody is still the best. Check it out, you'll enjoy it.
Argo-Ben Affleck's opus. This movie really gave me a whole new respect for the man. His attention to detail is incredible, the story is based on fact and having lived through that time when the hostages were being held, I found it interesting. It's the story Ted Koppel didn't tell you. Quick media nerd fact-Nightline on ABC started as a recap of special reports about the Iranian hostage crisis. Quick film geek fact-Affleck based his C.I.A. interior lighting on the newsroom lighting in All The Presidents Men. Visually, it works but when you find out why Pacula lit the newsroom the way he did, it seems a little odd thematically.
The Assassin Next Door-This is a 2009 import from Israel that i think may have lost a few things in translation. It stars Olga Kurylenko, who's big claim to fame is Quantum Of Solace. It centers around the friendship that grows between two women as one is trying to get out of an abusive marriage and the other is trying to distance herself from being a trigger man for the mob. It's very okay.
The Beaver-Jodie Foster directed and starred in this film about a man who suffers from depression and learns to express himself through a hand puppet. Unfortunately, this movie got a bad shake when it was released because it also stars Mel Gibson and this was right after his notorious arrest. Hopefully, he'll take a couple of more roles as the villain and people can exorcise their hatred on his dying corpse as the hero rides off into the sunset and then, after all of the Haterade has passed, he can get back to doing movies like this. I guess we'll just have to see how Hacksaw Ridge does. Whether you love him or hate him off screen, on screen the guy's great and I miss seeing him in roles like this. Check it out, it's pretty good. It'll make a good companion piece to Foster's holiday classic, Home For The Holidays.
The Big Easy-The sleeper hit of 1987 is back, well, on this list anyway. The classic murder mystery set in the city of New Orleans with Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin! I enjoy the shit out of this movie. I've been a Quaid fan ever since Breaking Away. The film also has Ned Beatty and John Goodman who was still working his way up from Foot Locker commercials on his way to oh-yeah-that-guy status. Been a while since you've seen? Do yourse'f a favor 'cher and make you up a pot o' dat gumbo and take a look.
The Bourne Ultimatum-I shouldn't enjoy this movie as much as I do but dammit, it's just a good spy thriller. Back when there were only three Bourne films, they had the sense to wrap up the trilogy and give you all of the answers that they had been dangling in front of your face for two previous films. Plus, the action sequences are bigger and better than the last two because they had expectations to meet. The first two films aren't bad but this is the one I keep coming back to. The Waterloo Station scene alone is worth your price of admission. Fun random fact-while I couldn't do anything as elaborate as The Waterloo Station scene in Order 86, I did have a similar idea sparked by a different Ludlum novel that could have worked if only we'd had more extras...that's showbiz.
Captain America: The First Avenger-The first time they actually made Cap work outside of the comic book. There was a serial, there were a couple of made for t.v. movies that made Reb Brown a household name but that's about all they did, and another failed attempt in 1989 that eventually turned up on cable. Chris Evans really did a good job of bringing the character to life and it's one of the few times you get to like Neal McDonough.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier-With the origin story out of the way and after The Avengers team up, Cap finally gets his own story. It's a great spy thriller that also takes the Marvel Universe and shakes it up. We meet Nick Fury's boss (Robert Redford, him again), HYDRA has infiltrated SHIELD, we meet The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Dr. Zola, mercifully, is portrayed in a more realistic fashion. It's just an all around great movie. I should probably break down and buy the trilogy seeing as this is the second time I've checked it out from the library. Sometimes the mood just hits.
Charade-Here's another great film that Order 86 owes a few things to. I never blatantly stole from it, but most times during re-writes I couldn't help asking myself, what would Peter Joshua do? Track down the Criterion edition, there's a commentary by Stanley Donen and Peter Stone.
The Crazies-Made in 1973 by George Romero, this is an example of guerrilla film making in its natural habitat. What it lacks in production value, it had to make up for in story. This film was plagued with financial problems but still managed to get made. Ultimately, I think, the low budget quality almost gives it a documentary look. It's not great but well worth a look if you're a Romero fan.
Cul-De-Sac-This is an early film from Roman Polanski that almost captures the spirit of the French New Wave films of the early 1960's. It's filmed beautifully in black and white and star Lionel Stander, Donald Pleasence and Francoise Dorleac. I know most people go ga-ga over it but I thought it was pretty good. I loved the technical side of it but the story line didn't really grab me. Still, it's worth a look.
Dracula A.D. 1972-What's Halloween without a Hammer film? Christopher Lee reprises his role with Peter Cushing playing the grandson of his arch nemesis. If there can be descendants of the Van Helsing line, why can't there be descendants of Dracula's familiars? Johnny Alucard (get it? Spell it backwards) has the vial of the counts ashes that his forefathers gathered 100 years ago and now, with the help of Van Helsing's great grand daughter, he will bring Dracula back to have his revenge. High art? Hardly, but it's a lot of fun. If you were a fan of Marvel's Tomb Of Dracula, you'll see a lot of similarities, so it works on a nostalgia level.
Idiocracy-It's hard to believe that in ten years Mike Judge's parody film is almost a documentary. Luke Wilson is part of a military experiment where he was supposed to be cryogenically frozen for a year but due to budget cuts, he got warehoused and wakes up in the 24th century to discover the world has become stupid. Check it out, it's funny because it's true.
In Like Flint-The last movie in the Derek Flint series. Both movies are just so much fun. James Coburn plays the ultimate spy who has to save the world again and take on women's lib. Despite being part of our mantra while making Order 86 (it's not that kind of movie), I felt the urge to revisit it just because of that mid-'60's Cinemascope look that both of the movies had. I don't know that we ever had that many lights at our disposal to make our film look like that.
Jack Reacher- At the time this came out, it was a glass of fresh, cool water. The movie is intelligent and you love it for that. Tom Cruise is the polar opposite of the character in the book but he gets into the character and makes it work. I still enjoy this movie.
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back-If you haven't seen it yet, go now. It's different from the first one and in a good way. I'm not going to spoil it, I'm just going to say go.
The Magnificent Seven ('16)-I was luck enough to see this for free so I got my moneys worth out of it. It's not as bad as I thought it might be but it sorely lacks the character development that is essential to this story. Given the option, I'd say go see any of the other variations on this story and you'll be happy.
Our Man Flint-Set up as a parody of the super spy genre, these movies are fun. I remember seeing them as a kid and enjoying them more than James Bond. Derek Flint made me thirst for knowledge. To be able to get a chemical analysis of a poison dart and narrow down which region of Europe the would be assassin came from because of a bouillabaisse recipe, was amazing to me. Of course, I knew it was just a joke, but it got me thinking, what if somebody could be that smart? Like Sherlock Holmes? Between Derek Flint and Buckaroo Banzai, I learned that you can pursue all of your interests and put them to work.
Shin Gojira- A Japanese Godzilla movie?! Yes, please! Earlier in October, there was a one night run of this movie in a couple of local theaters. It's been sixteen years since Toho has put out a Godzilla movie and this one doesn't disappoint. I'm usually a bigger fan of his movies when he actually goes up against another monster but in this one he just invades Tokyo and the Japanese have to find a way to stop him. It seemed only appropriate that I take my Godson to see this since we saw Godzilla 2000 together. Of course, this time we didn't have to fake a dentist appointment to get him out of school early. Oh, don't look at me like that, the boy turned out just fine. He went on to graduate college AND he's a Godzilla fan, my job here is done.
Straight-Jacket-'Tis the season for a William Castle movie and this one has Joan Crawford in it. Written by Robert Bloch, it tells the story of a woman who comes home 20 years after being in an asylum for killing her husband (Lee Majors in his first movie). People start winding up dead when she's around...hmm....is mother having a relapse? Far be it for me to cast dispersion's on Bloch's work, a friend of mine says I tend to repeat themes in my work, but if you're thinking you might have seen this in Psycho II, I'm not going to say you're wrong.
Thunderbolt And Lightfoot-I ran across this one at the library and I'd always thought I'd seen it on t.v. but the synopsis wasn't ringing a bell so I picked it up. It's Michael Cimino's first movie and it's really good. That was a rare treat to find an early Clint Eastwood movie that i hadn't seen before. If you get the chance, definitely check it out.
Well folks, it looks like I've run out of things so I'll just sign off here and say have a good holiday and I'll see you next month.
I guess you could call this writing season. The other production companies I work with are either editing or looking to the next project. That's about status quo for us at Merry BanD. I've been in research mode lately as we cut our way through this jungle called editing. There have been technical aspects as well as subtle nuances that surfaced that we're working through. I would say that we're on schedule but we haven't really set a schedule so I'll just say that every day is progress.
There was a lot of letting my geek flag fly last month as you'll soon see. The book list is short but if you're looking for a movie suggestion or five, read on.
Without Fail by Lee Child-This is the sixth book in the Jack Reacher series. I've enjoyed them all and recommend them to anybody interested. The first book is called The Killing Floor and it's amazing but, not to diminish the rest of the series, being the first, it's the passion project, the one he could take his time writing and get everything perfect. That's why I'd say read the first two books to get a fair gauge of the series. In Without Fail, Reacher is hired by the Secret Service to do an audit on their security of the Vice President elect. The only spoiler I will give you, the jaded reader, is to give up thinking like Stephen Hunter and just go with it.
Persuader by Lee Child-Yes, this is book seven and yes, 3/4 of this book starts to feel like Child is feeling the pressures of a contractual obligation. It holds your interest, don't get me wrong, but it just kind of wanders around. The series is currently on book nineteen or twenty so I know that it picks back up because the general public will only put up with mediocrity for about three books before it sees the pattern develop and moves on. Two other things give me hope for the next book, though. One is the last 1/4 of the book. It may start off slow but it comes back around fast. The second is that I'm one book away from the one they based the first movie on. Somewhere in the next book Child gets his groove back. I'll get around to it soon.
Okay, here's the movie list I promised you. There are a couple of duds and a couple of surprises but hopefully you'll find something of interest.
3 Days Of The Condor-How can you not think this movie is cool? I've been a fan for a while so when I started doing research for my spy thriller, I looked to a favorite. Robert Redford (you'll see this name again in this section) is a C.I.A. analyst (code named Condor) who is on the run after his section gets taken out by a hit squad. If you're a first timer or a veteran viewer, check this out, it's worth it.
99 Homes-If you blinked, you missed it in theaters. It came out earlier this year but it's set during the housing collapse a few years ago. Michael Shannon gives a great performance (as usual) as a realtor trying to survive in its wake and Andrew Garfield is a man who loses his family home but then becomes part of the system that screwed him over. It almost feels like Wall Street for the housing market. It's worth your time just for Michael Shannon.
After. Life- I picked this up at the library because it was in the horror genre and the cast intrigued me. Liam Neeson is a mortician who has a gift for communicating with the dead and Christina Ricci plays a school teacher who recently died in a car wreck. Justin Long plays her boyfriend. I'm not going to tell you too much in case you actually see it. The film is well made but it's not one you have to rush out and track down.
All The Presidents Men-Robert Redford (there's that name again) produced this movie and as a result, ended up starring in it as Bob Woodward. Dustin Hoffman plays Carl Bernstein and together they write a series of stories that eventually brings down a presidency. This is another long time favorite that I don't have enough good things to say about. If you can find the two disk version, get it. There's a commentary track by Redford that gives a lot of insight to the making of the film as well as supplemental material that covers everything from behind the scenes of the movie to Watergate and the history of investigative journalism. Check this one out!
Always Watching: A Marble Hornets Story-A found footage movie about found footage... The story had some potential but the execution (no pun intended) is poor. A news magazine crew is doing a story about what happens to houses after the owners have been evicted (the dark side of 99 Homes?).They come across a house that isn't like the rest. There's still furniture, food in the fridge, even a child's homework still on the kitchen table. It's like the family just dropped everything and left. You always saw this scenario in horror films so I thought it was interesting to see the after math through a different lens. Unfortunately, it starts a downward spiral from there. For journalists, they suck at research. They manage to get just enough information on the family that occupied the house but then they stop. What about the mysterious figure in the videos they found? Who is he? What happened? When did he first appear? Where did they study journalism? The movie has its moments but they a few and far between. I picked it up in the spirit of the holidays but now that it's over, I'm going to say don't waste your time.
The American- This came out six years ago to a limited release and lukewarm reviews. I don't understand why. This movie is pretty good. George Clooney plays a gunsmith for hire who's work takes him to a small Italian town. It's hard to talk about without giving away too much so I'll just say go watch it.
American Graffiti-The one movie George Lucas got right the first time. This played as a revival at the first of the month. It's always great to see this one on the big screen although the sound mix is a little off since they converted it to digital. It's like they couldn't decide what to put through which channel so they just took turns with it. The movie's still enjoyable though. The boom shadow at The Hop and the reflection in the roof of the car just seem to add to the charm that you forget about on the small screen. One of these days I'll have to take a field trip to Van Ness, just to check out the diner.
Quick relevant story-about 17-ish years ago, Candy Clark and Bo Hopkins were at a car show signing autographs. I went, got autographs, listened to the stories about the movie and when the crowd thinned out I started asking them about Tentacles (I don't think Hopkins enjoyed making this as much as I enjoyed watching it) and Blue Thunder. It was a fun afternoon.
American Ultra-It creeps me out sometimes how similar this is to Order 86. We finished the script before it came out so I know there's no plagiarism or power of suggestion, there are just so many ways you can tell a spy story and I'm sure we all had the same influences. That being said, it is a fun movie and if you get the chance, check it out.
Annie Hall-Early Woody is still the best. Check it out, you'll enjoy it.
Argo-Ben Affleck's opus. This movie really gave me a whole new respect for the man. His attention to detail is incredible, the story is based on fact and having lived through that time when the hostages were being held, I found it interesting. It's the story Ted Koppel didn't tell you. Quick media nerd fact-Nightline on ABC started as a recap of special reports about the Iranian hostage crisis. Quick film geek fact-Affleck based his C.I.A. interior lighting on the newsroom lighting in All The Presidents Men. Visually, it works but when you find out why Pacula lit the newsroom the way he did, it seems a little odd thematically.
The Assassin Next Door-This is a 2009 import from Israel that i think may have lost a few things in translation. It stars Olga Kurylenko, who's big claim to fame is Quantum Of Solace. It centers around the friendship that grows between two women as one is trying to get out of an abusive marriage and the other is trying to distance herself from being a trigger man for the mob. It's very okay.
The Beaver-Jodie Foster directed and starred in this film about a man who suffers from depression and learns to express himself through a hand puppet. Unfortunately, this movie got a bad shake when it was released because it also stars Mel Gibson and this was right after his notorious arrest. Hopefully, he'll take a couple of more roles as the villain and people can exorcise their hatred on his dying corpse as the hero rides off into the sunset and then, after all of the Haterade has passed, he can get back to doing movies like this. I guess we'll just have to see how Hacksaw Ridge does. Whether you love him or hate him off screen, on screen the guy's great and I miss seeing him in roles like this. Check it out, it's pretty good. It'll make a good companion piece to Foster's holiday classic, Home For The Holidays.
The Big Easy-The sleeper hit of 1987 is back, well, on this list anyway. The classic murder mystery set in the city of New Orleans with Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin! I enjoy the shit out of this movie. I've been a Quaid fan ever since Breaking Away. The film also has Ned Beatty and John Goodman who was still working his way up from Foot Locker commercials on his way to oh-yeah-that-guy status. Been a while since you've seen? Do yourse'f a favor 'cher and make you up a pot o' dat gumbo and take a look.
The Bourne Ultimatum-I shouldn't enjoy this movie as much as I do but dammit, it's just a good spy thriller. Back when there were only three Bourne films, they had the sense to wrap up the trilogy and give you all of the answers that they had been dangling in front of your face for two previous films. Plus, the action sequences are bigger and better than the last two because they had expectations to meet. The first two films aren't bad but this is the one I keep coming back to. The Waterloo Station scene alone is worth your price of admission. Fun random fact-while I couldn't do anything as elaborate as The Waterloo Station scene in Order 86, I did have a similar idea sparked by a different Ludlum novel that could have worked if only we'd had more extras...that's showbiz.
Captain America: The First Avenger-The first time they actually made Cap work outside of the comic book. There was a serial, there were a couple of made for t.v. movies that made Reb Brown a household name but that's about all they did, and another failed attempt in 1989 that eventually turned up on cable. Chris Evans really did a good job of bringing the character to life and it's one of the few times you get to like Neal McDonough.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier-With the origin story out of the way and after The Avengers team up, Cap finally gets his own story. It's a great spy thriller that also takes the Marvel Universe and shakes it up. We meet Nick Fury's boss (Robert Redford, him again), HYDRA has infiltrated SHIELD, we meet The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Dr. Zola, mercifully, is portrayed in a more realistic fashion. It's just an all around great movie. I should probably break down and buy the trilogy seeing as this is the second time I've checked it out from the library. Sometimes the mood just hits.
Charade-Here's another great film that Order 86 owes a few things to. I never blatantly stole from it, but most times during re-writes I couldn't help asking myself, what would Peter Joshua do? Track down the Criterion edition, there's a commentary by Stanley Donen and Peter Stone.
The Crazies-Made in 1973 by George Romero, this is an example of guerrilla film making in its natural habitat. What it lacks in production value, it had to make up for in story. This film was plagued with financial problems but still managed to get made. Ultimately, I think, the low budget quality almost gives it a documentary look. It's not great but well worth a look if you're a Romero fan.
Cul-De-Sac-This is an early film from Roman Polanski that almost captures the spirit of the French New Wave films of the early 1960's. It's filmed beautifully in black and white and star Lionel Stander, Donald Pleasence and Francoise Dorleac. I know most people go ga-ga over it but I thought it was pretty good. I loved the technical side of it but the story line didn't really grab me. Still, it's worth a look.
Dracula A.D. 1972-What's Halloween without a Hammer film? Christopher Lee reprises his role with Peter Cushing playing the grandson of his arch nemesis. If there can be descendants of the Van Helsing line, why can't there be descendants of Dracula's familiars? Johnny Alucard (get it? Spell it backwards) has the vial of the counts ashes that his forefathers gathered 100 years ago and now, with the help of Van Helsing's great grand daughter, he will bring Dracula back to have his revenge. High art? Hardly, but it's a lot of fun. If you were a fan of Marvel's Tomb Of Dracula, you'll see a lot of similarities, so it works on a nostalgia level.
Idiocracy-It's hard to believe that in ten years Mike Judge's parody film is almost a documentary. Luke Wilson is part of a military experiment where he was supposed to be cryogenically frozen for a year but due to budget cuts, he got warehoused and wakes up in the 24th century to discover the world has become stupid. Check it out, it's funny because it's true.
In Like Flint-The last movie in the Derek Flint series. Both movies are just so much fun. James Coburn plays the ultimate spy who has to save the world again and take on women's lib. Despite being part of our mantra while making Order 86 (it's not that kind of movie), I felt the urge to revisit it just because of that mid-'60's Cinemascope look that both of the movies had. I don't know that we ever had that many lights at our disposal to make our film look like that.
Jack Reacher- At the time this came out, it was a glass of fresh, cool water. The movie is intelligent and you love it for that. Tom Cruise is the polar opposite of the character in the book but he gets into the character and makes it work. I still enjoy this movie.
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back-If you haven't seen it yet, go now. It's different from the first one and in a good way. I'm not going to spoil it, I'm just going to say go.
The Magnificent Seven ('16)-I was luck enough to see this for free so I got my moneys worth out of it. It's not as bad as I thought it might be but it sorely lacks the character development that is essential to this story. Given the option, I'd say go see any of the other variations on this story and you'll be happy.
Our Man Flint-Set up as a parody of the super spy genre, these movies are fun. I remember seeing them as a kid and enjoying them more than James Bond. Derek Flint made me thirst for knowledge. To be able to get a chemical analysis of a poison dart and narrow down which region of Europe the would be assassin came from because of a bouillabaisse recipe, was amazing to me. Of course, I knew it was just a joke, but it got me thinking, what if somebody could be that smart? Like Sherlock Holmes? Between Derek Flint and Buckaroo Banzai, I learned that you can pursue all of your interests and put them to work.
Shin Gojira- A Japanese Godzilla movie?! Yes, please! Earlier in October, there was a one night run of this movie in a couple of local theaters. It's been sixteen years since Toho has put out a Godzilla movie and this one doesn't disappoint. I'm usually a bigger fan of his movies when he actually goes up against another monster but in this one he just invades Tokyo and the Japanese have to find a way to stop him. It seemed only appropriate that I take my Godson to see this since we saw Godzilla 2000 together. Of course, this time we didn't have to fake a dentist appointment to get him out of school early. Oh, don't look at me like that, the boy turned out just fine. He went on to graduate college AND he's a Godzilla fan, my job here is done.
Straight-Jacket-'Tis the season for a William Castle movie and this one has Joan Crawford in it. Written by Robert Bloch, it tells the story of a woman who comes home 20 years after being in an asylum for killing her husband (Lee Majors in his first movie). People start winding up dead when she's around...hmm....is mother having a relapse? Far be it for me to cast dispersion's on Bloch's work, a friend of mine says I tend to repeat themes in my work, but if you're thinking you might have seen this in Psycho II, I'm not going to say you're wrong.
Thunderbolt And Lightfoot-I ran across this one at the library and I'd always thought I'd seen it on t.v. but the synopsis wasn't ringing a bell so I picked it up. It's Michael Cimino's first movie and it's really good. That was a rare treat to find an early Clint Eastwood movie that i hadn't seen before. If you get the chance, definitely check it out.
Well folks, it looks like I've run out of things so I'll just sign off here and say have a good holiday and I'll see you next month.
Saturday, October 1, 2016
October Newsletter
We are now in October. The temperatures start dropping, the leaves will soon be changing colors and falling to the ground and everything starts turning orange and black in anticipation for the upcoming holiday. Pumpkins and candy sales rise and the t.v. is filled with horror films. That's always my personal favorite. Of course, it's a little bitter sweet because I enjoy watching the old classics and the contemporary classics and realize that without the Whales and Brownings there would not be the Carpenters and Cravens, but where have we come since then? Eli Roth's torture porn? Franchises and remakes? Recently you've had The Green Room and Don't Breathe but these are few and far between. At least Lionsgate has kind of woken up to the fact that they've made the same movie about a dozen times with a different title and the public doesn't give a damn or a dollar any more.
One of the main problems with the horror genre is that once upon a time you could go into a darkened room with a group of strangers and share an experience of having the shit scared out of you by a chainsaw wielding escaped mental patient chasing co-eds through the dark woods or abandoned house but now, in the times we live, that seems like Club Med. One man (or woman, insanity doesn't discriminate) with one objective-to kill you. They may be hiding in the attic or the basement, closet or even under the bed, but if you're vigilant and well armed, you can make it through until morning.
Now, you can get shot standing on a street corner, blown up in a bar or poisoned by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The random shit happens-ness of life has been amped up to ear bleeding levels, so what are you going to show people that will scare them and hit them where they live?
It would have a small demographic so it would have to be shot on the cheap bu I've had an idea running around my head where the electricity goes out and there's no internet and people have to talk to each other and leave their homes in order to communicate. Those of you over thirty are just thinking, yeah...and? Those of you under twenty-five are thinking oh my God, no wait, I'm showing my age, OMG, I'd be in the fetal position on the floor of my closet waiting for the wolves to get me.
Every time I think about writing a horror film, I'm haunted by Behind The Mask: The Rise Of Leslie Vernon. It was written and directed by Scott Glosserman and it is brilliant. I kick myself regularly for not writing it. He doesn't necessarily re-invent the wheel but he does put one hell of a hubcap on it and take it to a creative place. Check it out, you won't regret it.
Speaking of movies and moving on to cheerier subjects, Order 86 now has a rough cut! It's two hours and thirty-three minutes so, needless to say, we have some editing to do. Our ideal length was ninety minutes so the cuts will be many and brutal if we are to hit that objective. Local bureaucracy is forcing us into a Sophies Choice moment about the scene where a car blows up. Maybe in the next movie...whatever that may be.
In other movie news, IX Productions adaptation of A Midsummer Nights Dream has wrapped and they will be editing that and hope to have it in a festival near you by next year. Keep an eye out for it.
I guess we've reached the point where I pass along some reading suggestions, so in the spirit of Nick Hornby, let's get started-
Taliban Shuffle (a.k.a. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot) by Kim Barker- This is the memoir of a journalist who, while working for The Chicago Post, was a foreign correspondent in the Middle East in the early 2000's. It's a great journey of self discovery as well as the political scene in Afghanistan and Pakistan. If you liked the movie Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (the first Tina Fey film I've actually enjoyed), then you will love this book. Think of it as a directors cut or, in the language of my people, a direct quote from a reliable source.
Tarzan And The Jewels Of Opar by Edgar Rice Burroughs-In the fifth installment of the adventures of the ape-man, Lord Greystoke finds himself in financial dire straights so he straps on his loincloth and hunting knife and is off in search of treasure. Unfortunately, during a cave in, he gets slammed in the head with a chunk of marble and reverts back to his early youth. Will Tarzan realize who he really is in time to save Jane from being sold into a sultans harem and save the family estate? Sorry, no spoilers here, you'll have to read the book to find out. If you liked the first four, you'll enjoy this one.
Jungle Tales Of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs- This book is exactly what the title implies, a collection of short stories that mainly focus on Tarzan's life in between events of his earlier life as depicted in the first book. It kind of feels like a cross between Burroughs emptying out his attic and a contractual obligation. The stories hold your attention but, personally, I expected a little something more since he was dealing with the short story method. If you take some of the novels and boil away all of the getting up and going to work and hard luck situations that make for a good serial, you'd have a really exciting short story. These just seem to wander around a bit, luckily, they're only about 10 to 13 pages long so by the time you get bored, they're over. Worth a look if you're a fan.
By-line: Ernest Hemingway by Ernest Hemingway-This is a collection of articles that he wrote spanning various wars and his time in Cuba. Pretty fascinating stuff from a master wordsmith, especially if you're into journalism or Hemingway.
The Revenant by Michael Punke- This is the mostly true story of Hugh Glass, a frontiersman who was attacked by a grizzly bear while in the service of a trapping company. He was abandoned by his companions to die but he did not oblige them. There was a movie by the same name (it's really good) but, comparing the book and the movie is kind of like comparing the Benchley and Spielberg versions of Jaws. If you want to read a great tale of the determination of the human spirit, read this book.
I feel like I've been slacking on the movie watching scene lately but here are some recommendations that maybe you haven't seen in a while or haven't seen at all-
48 Hrs.-You can't go wrong with early Walter Hill. The story telling was great, the casting was spot on and he has this really cool editing style that he started using in The Warriors and perfected by Streets Of Fire. He used a subtle variation in Johnny Handsome but managed to get away from it before it became cliche. If it's been a while, check it out, it's still good, just avoid the sequel.
Batman v. Superman-The Ultimate Edition-I hated Man Of Steel but the sequel is actually enjoyable. The only reason this movie wound up on my watch list is because DC was using it as a spring board for their Justice League film. On that level, it kind of fails but as a narrative story that brings the two icons together, it works. You don't have to see Man Of Steel to enjoy this one but for those of us who endured the first one, there is some pay off. If you have no interest in this or any of the DC Universe films, don't bother, but if you missed it theatrically now's your chance to see the whole movie.
Days Of Wine & Roses-I've seen this movie about a dozen times. It's awesome! It makes my list of all time great films. When I saw that there was a version of the DVD where Blake Edwards did a commentary, I snatched it up in a heartbeat. To hear the maestro talk about one of his finest films...I could barely sit still. To hear about how certain scenes were constructed and what went on behind the scenes, to find out from the man himself about the ending he felt so strongly about that he sent Lemmon and Remick out of the country so the producers couldn't re-shoot it...these and more questions were about to be answered! Unfortunately, Edwards hadn't seen the movie since it came out in 1962 so he spent most of his time reacquainting himself with it. This would be cool to be in the same room with him as it happened but on an audio commentary, it's a little south of cool. There were a few stories so it's not a complete waste of time and energy but it would have been better if this were his second viewing. Worth a look (or listen).
Don't Breathe- What happens when the "ideal score" goes wrong? Three small time burglars think they've found the big heist when they discover that a blind man has a safe full of money. Unfortunately, he's not your average blind man and ends up hunting them throughout the house. It's an interesting film with some really good moments but the film makers really sold themselves short on tension building by relying on score over sound effects. Slightly disappointing but still worth a look.
Hell Or High Water- This movie is incredible, go see it, that's all I'm going to tell you.
Man On A Ledge- Don't look it up online, don't read the synopsis, just watch it. I'm not going to say Wow, it's great! but it is worth your time and the less you know going into the better off you are.
Red Heat-Another Walter Hill film, this one from 1989. I remember seeing this theatrically and enjoying it but, even then, I remember the wonder wearing off by the following week. That's not to say that this movie is bad, it just seems muddled, like there were too many chefs in the kitchen. It's worth a look if you're a fan but this is one of his lesser works (but still better than Another 48 Hrs.)
Finally, for my television watching friends, there is Daredevil season 2. If you thought season one was good, wait until you see this one. I know I'm behind the curve on this for most of you since I don't have Netflix, but on the off chance you haven't seen this yet, check it out. There's even one of the great moments of television in one of the episodes where Daredevil takes on a biker gang. You'll know it when you see it and you'll go daamn, what just happened? and rewind it and watch it again.
That's all I have for now. I'll sign off and get back to the editing. Have a good month!
One of the main problems with the horror genre is that once upon a time you could go into a darkened room with a group of strangers and share an experience of having the shit scared out of you by a chainsaw wielding escaped mental patient chasing co-eds through the dark woods or abandoned house but now, in the times we live, that seems like Club Med. One man (or woman, insanity doesn't discriminate) with one objective-to kill you. They may be hiding in the attic or the basement, closet or even under the bed, but if you're vigilant and well armed, you can make it through until morning.
Now, you can get shot standing on a street corner, blown up in a bar or poisoned by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The random shit happens-ness of life has been amped up to ear bleeding levels, so what are you going to show people that will scare them and hit them where they live?
It would have a small demographic so it would have to be shot on the cheap bu I've had an idea running around my head where the electricity goes out and there's no internet and people have to talk to each other and leave their homes in order to communicate. Those of you over thirty are just thinking, yeah...and? Those of you under twenty-five are thinking oh my God, no wait, I'm showing my age, OMG, I'd be in the fetal position on the floor of my closet waiting for the wolves to get me.
Every time I think about writing a horror film, I'm haunted by Behind The Mask: The Rise Of Leslie Vernon. It was written and directed by Scott Glosserman and it is brilliant. I kick myself regularly for not writing it. He doesn't necessarily re-invent the wheel but he does put one hell of a hubcap on it and take it to a creative place. Check it out, you won't regret it.
Speaking of movies and moving on to cheerier subjects, Order 86 now has a rough cut! It's two hours and thirty-three minutes so, needless to say, we have some editing to do. Our ideal length was ninety minutes so the cuts will be many and brutal if we are to hit that objective. Local bureaucracy is forcing us into a Sophies Choice moment about the scene where a car blows up. Maybe in the next movie...whatever that may be.
In other movie news, IX Productions adaptation of A Midsummer Nights Dream has wrapped and they will be editing that and hope to have it in a festival near you by next year. Keep an eye out for it.
I guess we've reached the point where I pass along some reading suggestions, so in the spirit of Nick Hornby, let's get started-
Taliban Shuffle (a.k.a. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot) by Kim Barker- This is the memoir of a journalist who, while working for The Chicago Post, was a foreign correspondent in the Middle East in the early 2000's. It's a great journey of self discovery as well as the political scene in Afghanistan and Pakistan. If you liked the movie Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (the first Tina Fey film I've actually enjoyed), then you will love this book. Think of it as a directors cut or, in the language of my people, a direct quote from a reliable source.
Tarzan And The Jewels Of Opar by Edgar Rice Burroughs-In the fifth installment of the adventures of the ape-man, Lord Greystoke finds himself in financial dire straights so he straps on his loincloth and hunting knife and is off in search of treasure. Unfortunately, during a cave in, he gets slammed in the head with a chunk of marble and reverts back to his early youth. Will Tarzan realize who he really is in time to save Jane from being sold into a sultans harem and save the family estate? Sorry, no spoilers here, you'll have to read the book to find out. If you liked the first four, you'll enjoy this one.
Jungle Tales Of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs- This book is exactly what the title implies, a collection of short stories that mainly focus on Tarzan's life in between events of his earlier life as depicted in the first book. It kind of feels like a cross between Burroughs emptying out his attic and a contractual obligation. The stories hold your attention but, personally, I expected a little something more since he was dealing with the short story method. If you take some of the novels and boil away all of the getting up and going to work and hard luck situations that make for a good serial, you'd have a really exciting short story. These just seem to wander around a bit, luckily, they're only about 10 to 13 pages long so by the time you get bored, they're over. Worth a look if you're a fan.
By-line: Ernest Hemingway by Ernest Hemingway-This is a collection of articles that he wrote spanning various wars and his time in Cuba. Pretty fascinating stuff from a master wordsmith, especially if you're into journalism or Hemingway.
The Revenant by Michael Punke- This is the mostly true story of Hugh Glass, a frontiersman who was attacked by a grizzly bear while in the service of a trapping company. He was abandoned by his companions to die but he did not oblige them. There was a movie by the same name (it's really good) but, comparing the book and the movie is kind of like comparing the Benchley and Spielberg versions of Jaws. If you want to read a great tale of the determination of the human spirit, read this book.
I feel like I've been slacking on the movie watching scene lately but here are some recommendations that maybe you haven't seen in a while or haven't seen at all-
48 Hrs.-You can't go wrong with early Walter Hill. The story telling was great, the casting was spot on and he has this really cool editing style that he started using in The Warriors and perfected by Streets Of Fire. He used a subtle variation in Johnny Handsome but managed to get away from it before it became cliche. If it's been a while, check it out, it's still good, just avoid the sequel.
Batman v. Superman-The Ultimate Edition-I hated Man Of Steel but the sequel is actually enjoyable. The only reason this movie wound up on my watch list is because DC was using it as a spring board for their Justice League film. On that level, it kind of fails but as a narrative story that brings the two icons together, it works. You don't have to see Man Of Steel to enjoy this one but for those of us who endured the first one, there is some pay off. If you have no interest in this or any of the DC Universe films, don't bother, but if you missed it theatrically now's your chance to see the whole movie.
Days Of Wine & Roses-I've seen this movie about a dozen times. It's awesome! It makes my list of all time great films. When I saw that there was a version of the DVD where Blake Edwards did a commentary, I snatched it up in a heartbeat. To hear the maestro talk about one of his finest films...I could barely sit still. To hear about how certain scenes were constructed and what went on behind the scenes, to find out from the man himself about the ending he felt so strongly about that he sent Lemmon and Remick out of the country so the producers couldn't re-shoot it...these and more questions were about to be answered! Unfortunately, Edwards hadn't seen the movie since it came out in 1962 so he spent most of his time reacquainting himself with it. This would be cool to be in the same room with him as it happened but on an audio commentary, it's a little south of cool. There were a few stories so it's not a complete waste of time and energy but it would have been better if this were his second viewing. Worth a look (or listen).
Don't Breathe- What happens when the "ideal score" goes wrong? Three small time burglars think they've found the big heist when they discover that a blind man has a safe full of money. Unfortunately, he's not your average blind man and ends up hunting them throughout the house. It's an interesting film with some really good moments but the film makers really sold themselves short on tension building by relying on score over sound effects. Slightly disappointing but still worth a look.
Hell Or High Water- This movie is incredible, go see it, that's all I'm going to tell you.
Man On A Ledge- Don't look it up online, don't read the synopsis, just watch it. I'm not going to say Wow, it's great! but it is worth your time and the less you know going into the better off you are.
Red Heat-Another Walter Hill film, this one from 1989. I remember seeing this theatrically and enjoying it but, even then, I remember the wonder wearing off by the following week. That's not to say that this movie is bad, it just seems muddled, like there were too many chefs in the kitchen. It's worth a look if you're a fan but this is one of his lesser works (but still better than Another 48 Hrs.)
Finally, for my television watching friends, there is Daredevil season 2. If you thought season one was good, wait until you see this one. I know I'm behind the curve on this for most of you since I don't have Netflix, but on the off chance you haven't seen this yet, check it out. There's even one of the great moments of television in one of the episodes where Daredevil takes on a biker gang. You'll know it when you see it and you'll go daamn, what just happened? and rewind it and watch it again.
That's all I have for now. I'll sign off and get back to the editing. Have a good month!
Sunday, September 4, 2016
September News Letter
Greetings all,
We're in the home stretch for the end of summer so make the most of it! Why is summer always the shortest season? I'll have next month to wax poetic over the seasons, for now, let's enjoy it and talk about the good times.
I'm still enjoying my new job. It's still kind of a jet lag to work all day and still have time to do something besides run home and catch a few hours of sleep before heading out to the next job. The fact that I have benefits like health insurance and a 401k just amuses me. When did I become this guy? Will they realize that I'm an impostor and ask me to leave? Like summer, just enjoy it while it lasts.
The big news of the day-Kansans experienced their first earthquake! Thanks to the fraking in Oklahoma, we got the aftershock of a man made earthquake. It was my second and it felt pretty much like the first. The only difference is that when I was in California the experience was "Huh, so that's an earthquake?" This time the experience was more like "Wholly shit, how did a large dog get into my apartment and under my bed?" Living in the midwest, you're first thought is not earthquake.
Ever since George Kennedy passed away in February, I've been dreading the day that we'll need somebody with experience to save us from natural disasters. Irwin Allen, Charlton Heston, Lorne Green, Paul Newman and Steve McQueen are all gone. Robert Wagner taught a generation to be suave and debonair while solving mysteries but his attempts at rescue went up in flames, literally.
Sure, Roland Emmerich has blown up the world a couple of times but the all-star cast just finds a way to rebuild from the ashes. What if the only people left to save us in the face of a natural disaster are Dwayne Johnson and O.J. Simpson? I think I may have just stumbled across Roger Corman's next movie, or mine. I'll need a lot of Kickstarter money for that cast, not to mention the special effects. Dragons and horses are nothing compared to a natural disaster.
At least I've been putting my off time to good use and reading. It's always good to expand your mind.
13 Hours: The Inside Account Of What Really Happened In Benghazi by Mitchell Zuckoff with the Annex Security Team. I found this little gem on audiobook. It's read by the author and is the tale of what happened on September 12th, 2012 at the U.S. Lybian consulate. This is a great read (or listen) and is one of the few books that I've read that captures the chaos of the moment and even afterwards, doesn't have an explanation of all of the facts. If you're interested in history, check this one out.
I'd like to take a second here to address any readers that may be under 25 (Ha! Like I have readers of any age, but I digress). I'm not encouraging or discouraging your future plans but if you want to go where the money and excitement is, think about the armed forces. The Navy has The SEALS, the Army has the Green Berets, the Air Force has The Para-Jumpers and the Marines have Recon. You'll have to do your own research on The PJ's and Recon but I know that The SEALS and Green Berets will put money in your pocket. You get your base pay (admittedly, it's not much but it improves with rank), jump pay, demolition pay, dive pay, language pay, hazardous duty pay, overseas pay and there's probably a couple of other pay checks I'm forgetting about. Here's where you're planning for your future, while you're in and getting all of this training and money, one of the fringe benefits is a top secret clearance. Six years or more go by, maybe you stay in for the full twenty to collect the pension, now you take that training, experience and top secret clearance and go to work for one of the civilian contracting services. With the downsizing of the military, these guys are more in demand than ever. Now you're really rolling in money. It won't be easy and it won't always be fun but if you like travel and can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, it's something to think about.
Carsick by John Water-This is another one I picked up on audio, partly because I needed something to listen to in the car and mostly because it's read by the author. I saw him in a live show not so long ago (even wound up on the cover of a local newspaper while waiting in line for an autograph, but that's another story for another time) and he was talking about the book since he had come through Kansas while writing it. The book is about his adventures hitchhiking I-70 West from Baltimore to San Francisco. It's broken up into three parts as he talks about the best possible rides, the worst and finally, what really happened. If you're a fan, you'll love it. I found it a little inspirational for the next time I visit my folks in California. I'd never get a book deal out of it (Potential Pitch Meeting-Me: I have this manuscript about my adventures while hitchhiking to California. Publisher: Yeah right, I read it fifty years ago when Kerouac wrote it, come back when you have a good idea.) but it might make for an interesting story in a news letter. I guess I have some time to figure it out.
The Return Of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs-I'm still working my way through this series. The ape-man has left the jungle in pursuit of civilization but manages to find himself back in Africa as an Envoy. If you enjoyed the first book, give this one a chance.
The Beasts Of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs-Chapter Three in the saga of the lord of the jungle. This time he has fallen victim to a plot of vengeance and must do what he can to reunite himself with his wife and child.
The Son Of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs-Following in his old mans footsteps, young Jack Clayton finds himself in Africa and up to his neck in trouble. You can definitely tell that Burroughs was a serial writer. If you've made it through the third book, give this one a look. It's a little reminiscent of the first book but in a good way.
Stranger In A Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein- I've been trying for a while to make it through this classic, which, for one reason or another I'd start only to set down after a few chapters. If this has happened to you, go ahead and pick it back up and finish the damn thing, you'll thank me later.
Order 86 by Alex Paxton- Yes, I'm still working on the novelization of the movie. I have developed a whole new respect for Sylvester Stallone's work ethic. Fresh off of Rocky, he finally gets a green light for an earlier script that he wrote, Paradise Alley. He directed and starred in the movie as well as sang the opening title song AND did the novelization. As Paradise Alley is being released, he's filming Rocky II that again, he wrote, directed, starred and did the novelization all while recovering from a torn pectoral muscle that he suffered in pre-production (this is how he got the inspiration to make Rocky fight right handed). Kind of puts life into perspective, doesn't it?
Of course, I've also managed to sneak in a few movies. One of the downfalls of summer is that most of the good movies wait until fall to come out. Here are a few I've seen recently.
Anthropoid-This is based on the true story of the assassination of SS General Reinhard Heidrich, Hitler's third in command. It came out in limited release and probably won't get recognized for anything but it's an interesting story and worth your time.
The Finest Hours-I had intended to see this when it hit theaters earlier this year but missed the chance. It's an above average Taco Bell movie. If you've seen the preview then you pretty much know what you're getting into. The parts that keep you watching are what you don't see in the preview so I won't spoil that if you happen to see this.
Foreign Correspondent- A Hitchcock classic about an American newspaper man who stumbles across a plot by enemy agents to further the war effort for Germany. It's really good and I highly recommend it, especially if you can find the Criterion edition of the DVD which has a second disc of bonus features which are pretty interesting.
Hunt For The Wilderpeople- It's almost a comedy of errors that find a young boy and a man at first stranded then on the run in the New Zealand outback. Directed by Taika Waititi, it's not as comedic as Things We Do In The Shadows but it's still really good and worth your time. I'll be curious to see what he does with Thor: Ragnarok.
Jason Bourne- I saw this one out of morbid curiosity since it's a spy film. It's very okay. I didn't hate it, I just don't feel that it brought anything new to the table. The first three films built a story and moved it forward with each chapter. These last two have just been flat. I think it's safe to say that this is another franchise that I'm done with.
Lost In Translation- I haven't seen this movie since the theaters and I'm happy to report that it's still damn good! Check it out the first chance you get.
The Pink Panther- The 1963 Blake Edwards classic that started it all. If it's been a while since you've revisited this movie, do yourself a favor and track it down. It even has Robert Wagner. The special edition DVD has some cool behind the scenes stuff as well as a commentary by Edwards.
Planet Of The Apes- There's a 4k digital edition that currently making it's way around the country. When it comes to your town, check it out. There's a reason it's a classic. Seeing it on the big screen is one of those rare treats that you just can't duplicate at home. There's also an interesting sound mix. The Goldsmith score is great to hear played through a theatrical sound system but it's the subtle things that happen when there's no score. There are actually some quiet moments that just don't seem to find their way into contemporary films. It's even more interesting to see how far backwards the MPAA has come. There are three naked men, Chuck says "damn" about three different times and you see people getting shot on screen and the movie is rated G. Hey hey MPAA, how many films have you censored today?
Suicide Squad- I've heard a lot of people knock this film and I have to say that it's not that bad. It's not exceptionally good, either. Margot Robbie is definitely the saving grace of the movie. I want her for my next movie, no matter if it's the comedy or the natural disaster film. Wait for home video, maybe they'll do a directors cut like Batman vs. Superman.
Order 86-Richard is still hard at work editing his fingers to the bone. I've seen part of it and it's looking good. This is what Oliver Stone was talking about when somebody asked him about the film making process and he replied, "inch by mother fucking inch." We're still waiting to blow up the car.
Well, that pretty well sums up my month. Hopefully you haven't been too bored with it, maybe it even brought the slightest trace of a smile. My job is done here. See you next month.
We're in the home stretch for the end of summer so make the most of it! Why is summer always the shortest season? I'll have next month to wax poetic over the seasons, for now, let's enjoy it and talk about the good times.
I'm still enjoying my new job. It's still kind of a jet lag to work all day and still have time to do something besides run home and catch a few hours of sleep before heading out to the next job. The fact that I have benefits like health insurance and a 401k just amuses me. When did I become this guy? Will they realize that I'm an impostor and ask me to leave? Like summer, just enjoy it while it lasts.
The big news of the day-Kansans experienced their first earthquake! Thanks to the fraking in Oklahoma, we got the aftershock of a man made earthquake. It was my second and it felt pretty much like the first. The only difference is that when I was in California the experience was "Huh, so that's an earthquake?" This time the experience was more like "Wholly shit, how did a large dog get into my apartment and under my bed?" Living in the midwest, you're first thought is not earthquake.
Ever since George Kennedy passed away in February, I've been dreading the day that we'll need somebody with experience to save us from natural disasters. Irwin Allen, Charlton Heston, Lorne Green, Paul Newman and Steve McQueen are all gone. Robert Wagner taught a generation to be suave and debonair while solving mysteries but his attempts at rescue went up in flames, literally.
Sure, Roland Emmerich has blown up the world a couple of times but the all-star cast just finds a way to rebuild from the ashes. What if the only people left to save us in the face of a natural disaster are Dwayne Johnson and O.J. Simpson? I think I may have just stumbled across Roger Corman's next movie, or mine. I'll need a lot of Kickstarter money for that cast, not to mention the special effects. Dragons and horses are nothing compared to a natural disaster.
At least I've been putting my off time to good use and reading. It's always good to expand your mind.
13 Hours: The Inside Account Of What Really Happened In Benghazi by Mitchell Zuckoff with the Annex Security Team. I found this little gem on audiobook. It's read by the author and is the tale of what happened on September 12th, 2012 at the U.S. Lybian consulate. This is a great read (or listen) and is one of the few books that I've read that captures the chaos of the moment and even afterwards, doesn't have an explanation of all of the facts. If you're interested in history, check this one out.
I'd like to take a second here to address any readers that may be under 25 (Ha! Like I have readers of any age, but I digress). I'm not encouraging or discouraging your future plans but if you want to go where the money and excitement is, think about the armed forces. The Navy has The SEALS, the Army has the Green Berets, the Air Force has The Para-Jumpers and the Marines have Recon. You'll have to do your own research on The PJ's and Recon but I know that The SEALS and Green Berets will put money in your pocket. You get your base pay (admittedly, it's not much but it improves with rank), jump pay, demolition pay, dive pay, language pay, hazardous duty pay, overseas pay and there's probably a couple of other pay checks I'm forgetting about. Here's where you're planning for your future, while you're in and getting all of this training and money, one of the fringe benefits is a top secret clearance. Six years or more go by, maybe you stay in for the full twenty to collect the pension, now you take that training, experience and top secret clearance and go to work for one of the civilian contracting services. With the downsizing of the military, these guys are more in demand than ever. Now you're really rolling in money. It won't be easy and it won't always be fun but if you like travel and can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, it's something to think about.
Carsick by John Water-This is another one I picked up on audio, partly because I needed something to listen to in the car and mostly because it's read by the author. I saw him in a live show not so long ago (even wound up on the cover of a local newspaper while waiting in line for an autograph, but that's another story for another time) and he was talking about the book since he had come through Kansas while writing it. The book is about his adventures hitchhiking I-70 West from Baltimore to San Francisco. It's broken up into three parts as he talks about the best possible rides, the worst and finally, what really happened. If you're a fan, you'll love it. I found it a little inspirational for the next time I visit my folks in California. I'd never get a book deal out of it (Potential Pitch Meeting-Me: I have this manuscript about my adventures while hitchhiking to California. Publisher: Yeah right, I read it fifty years ago when Kerouac wrote it, come back when you have a good idea.) but it might make for an interesting story in a news letter. I guess I have some time to figure it out.
The Return Of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs-I'm still working my way through this series. The ape-man has left the jungle in pursuit of civilization but manages to find himself back in Africa as an Envoy. If you enjoyed the first book, give this one a chance.
The Beasts Of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs-Chapter Three in the saga of the lord of the jungle. This time he has fallen victim to a plot of vengeance and must do what he can to reunite himself with his wife and child.
The Son Of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs-Following in his old mans footsteps, young Jack Clayton finds himself in Africa and up to his neck in trouble. You can definitely tell that Burroughs was a serial writer. If you've made it through the third book, give this one a look. It's a little reminiscent of the first book but in a good way.
Stranger In A Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein- I've been trying for a while to make it through this classic, which, for one reason or another I'd start only to set down after a few chapters. If this has happened to you, go ahead and pick it back up and finish the damn thing, you'll thank me later.
Order 86 by Alex Paxton- Yes, I'm still working on the novelization of the movie. I have developed a whole new respect for Sylvester Stallone's work ethic. Fresh off of Rocky, he finally gets a green light for an earlier script that he wrote, Paradise Alley. He directed and starred in the movie as well as sang the opening title song AND did the novelization. As Paradise Alley is being released, he's filming Rocky II that again, he wrote, directed, starred and did the novelization all while recovering from a torn pectoral muscle that he suffered in pre-production (this is how he got the inspiration to make Rocky fight right handed). Kind of puts life into perspective, doesn't it?
Of course, I've also managed to sneak in a few movies. One of the downfalls of summer is that most of the good movies wait until fall to come out. Here are a few I've seen recently.
Anthropoid-This is based on the true story of the assassination of SS General Reinhard Heidrich, Hitler's third in command. It came out in limited release and probably won't get recognized for anything but it's an interesting story and worth your time.
The Finest Hours-I had intended to see this when it hit theaters earlier this year but missed the chance. It's an above average Taco Bell movie. If you've seen the preview then you pretty much know what you're getting into. The parts that keep you watching are what you don't see in the preview so I won't spoil that if you happen to see this.
Foreign Correspondent- A Hitchcock classic about an American newspaper man who stumbles across a plot by enemy agents to further the war effort for Germany. It's really good and I highly recommend it, especially if you can find the Criterion edition of the DVD which has a second disc of bonus features which are pretty interesting.
Hunt For The Wilderpeople- It's almost a comedy of errors that find a young boy and a man at first stranded then on the run in the New Zealand outback. Directed by Taika Waititi, it's not as comedic as Things We Do In The Shadows but it's still really good and worth your time. I'll be curious to see what he does with Thor: Ragnarok.
Jason Bourne- I saw this one out of morbid curiosity since it's a spy film. It's very okay. I didn't hate it, I just don't feel that it brought anything new to the table. The first three films built a story and moved it forward with each chapter. These last two have just been flat. I think it's safe to say that this is another franchise that I'm done with.
Lost In Translation- I haven't seen this movie since the theaters and I'm happy to report that it's still damn good! Check it out the first chance you get.
The Pink Panther- The 1963 Blake Edwards classic that started it all. If it's been a while since you've revisited this movie, do yourself a favor and track it down. It even has Robert Wagner. The special edition DVD has some cool behind the scenes stuff as well as a commentary by Edwards.
Planet Of The Apes- There's a 4k digital edition that currently making it's way around the country. When it comes to your town, check it out. There's a reason it's a classic. Seeing it on the big screen is one of those rare treats that you just can't duplicate at home. There's also an interesting sound mix. The Goldsmith score is great to hear played through a theatrical sound system but it's the subtle things that happen when there's no score. There are actually some quiet moments that just don't seem to find their way into contemporary films. It's even more interesting to see how far backwards the MPAA has come. There are three naked men, Chuck says "damn" about three different times and you see people getting shot on screen and the movie is rated G. Hey hey MPAA, how many films have you censored today?
Suicide Squad- I've heard a lot of people knock this film and I have to say that it's not that bad. It's not exceptionally good, either. Margot Robbie is definitely the saving grace of the movie. I want her for my next movie, no matter if it's the comedy or the natural disaster film. Wait for home video, maybe they'll do a directors cut like Batman vs. Superman.
Order 86-Richard is still hard at work editing his fingers to the bone. I've seen part of it and it's looking good. This is what Oliver Stone was talking about when somebody asked him about the film making process and he replied, "inch by mother fucking inch." We're still waiting to blow up the car.
Well, that pretty well sums up my month. Hopefully you haven't been too bored with it, maybe it even brought the slightest trace of a smile. My job is done here. See you next month.
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
August Newsletter
Welcome to August, everybody! There has been a lot going on since last we spoke so let's get to it, shall we?
What have I been reading, you ask? I have recently started a series that I should have read years ago, but for reasons that are inexpiable, I never did. I'm talking about Tarzan Of The Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I read the first two books back in high school and just stopped for reasons only an ignorant high school kid could tell you. I have been a huge fan of the ape-man for as far back as I can remember and after telling myself that I'll get around to reading the books eventually, that day finally showed up. I can't recommend this book enough. There's a reason it's a classic! Go pick it up today!
I started a new job last week. I'm now working at Aldi stocking shelves, running the register and all of those other things that go along with working in a grocery store. It's not glamorous but it pays better and has more hours than baby sitting drunk people ever did. I'm enjoying the process of picking up a new skill set, although sometimes I feel like Stanley the bellboy. I almost thought I had a new project in the works until it occurred to me that i was just remaking a classic. Oh well, more on that later.
Things on the movie front haven't been as fruitful as usual, partly due to lack of interest and I've been in research mode so my tastes have been all over the place. Although, comedy seems to be the common denominator running through the list, so if you're a comedy fan you might find this next part interesting, if not, just skip ahead and I'll see you in a couple of paragraphs or so.
As I mentioned before, The Bellboy is one that I've seen and enjoyed lately. It was written, directed and produced by Jerry Lewis who also stars in it and has a cameo. A couple of things you might not know about The Bellboy-Lewis always got credit for inventing the video assist, THIS is the movie he created it for, AND he did it before the invention of video tape so he basically had video screens all over the set so he could see what the camera saw wherever he happened to turn his head. He also did The Bellboy out of necessity to save Cinderfella from being released as a summer movie. He had everything set for Cinderfella to be released as a holiday movie, that was its sole purpose, but Paramount needed a movie, a Jerry Lewis movie, for their summer release schedule. Lewis told them that they would have a movie for the summer but they had to promise to release Cinderfella at the holidays. This was January. He wrote a 140 page script in 9 days while doing two shows a night. What did you do today?
Cafe Society is the new Woody Allen film. It's worth your time and is more memorable than his last film, Irrational Man (oh yeah, that was his last film, wasn't it?). While I appreciated the ending, it did teach me how I don't want to end my next film, more on that later.
Cinderfella is one that I had to revisit after hearing everything about it in The Bellboy dvd. It's enjoyable and has some great bits (the ring inscription cracks me up just thinking about it) but, personally, I thought the ending felt forced. Lewis the writer takes for granted that you know the story so he can fast forward to the ball without the details but, when I'm expected to believe that the princess falls obsessively head over heels in love with this guy after one dance, it just didn't gel for me. Watch it and tell me what you think.
I discovered Kiss Of Fire at the library while just randomly walking around. You might find it under another title, Claudine's Return. It was made back in 1998 and stars Christina Applegate. Storyline wise, it'll hold your attention if there's not much going on around you but it's really a character study. I haven't seen one of those in a long time and, while it was refreshing, I don't feel the need to go back. Again, lesson learned:this is what I don't want my next project to be.
At first I held off on seeing The Legend of Tarzan because of a bad preview that showed CGI apes and flashbacks of his childhood. With no sound, it just looked like another origin story movie which I really didn't want to sit through again. Eventually, I saw a different preview and realized there might be a little more to it so, curiosity got the better of me and I went. I did enjoy it and recommend it, especially if you have kids, they'll think it's cool and you might just enjoy it too. Yes, there is way too much CGI but at least there are no Phil Collins songs and unlike Tarzan And The Lost City, you don't walk out thinking it was okay, sort of. If nothing else, at least it inspired me to finally get off my ass and read the books.
I'm just going to recommend The Man Who Loved Women and let you decide if you want to see the Francois Truffaut or Blake Edwards version. Surprisingly, both are good. Maybe you still have some Haterade tainted memories of the Edwards version, but let that go, it's time to judge the movie on its own merits and not a misleading preview.
A Midsummer Nights Dream, the movie I'm working on with IX Productions, is almost finished with principle photography. The goal is to be wrapped by September. It's looking pretty good and sounding even better. It should be making an appearance at a film festival near you by next year.
After watching The Bellboy and Cinderfella, I had to revisit The Nutty Professor. This is definitely one of my favorite Jerry Lewis movies and if you haven't seen it lately, you need to fix that.
Last, but by no means least, we only have one scene left to film in Order 86. That's the good news. The bad news is that we're blowing up a car and city councils get really touchy when you use words like blow up and fire. We're hoping to be wrapped by September as well, God willing and the river don't rise (or the mayor says no).
With the latest project so close to being complete (and by complete I mean that we still have a few months of post production work), I've been looking around for our next project. Depending on which one of us you talk to, it could be a fantasy film or a western. However, dragons and horses are expensive. What to do, what to do? I have this idea for a crime thriller, but apparently its not ready yet because there's a comedy idea that keeps gaining dominance. At first I just wanted to write it down to get it out of the way but I keep coming back to it and thinking that maybe it's not the box office harakiri that I originally thought it was. Right now, I have an outline and I've started a rough draft. Maybe I should do two shows a night, I feel comparatively lazy.
There are just a couple of more things in closing before you're done with me. For the series watchers, check out Alias Smith And Jones. Well, check out season one and most of two when, unfortunately, Pete Duel committed suicide and Roger Davis was forced to take over the role of Smith due to contractual obligations with the network. This is an early series that was created by Glen A. Larson and Roy Huggins took over. It's interesting to see where these guys started to find their rhythm before moving on to other more successful shows.
Also, I've recently been involved with a couple of web series. I was an extra in an episode of Captives that's being put out by Collective Vision Studios. I was originally supposed to be a reporter but wound up being a cop (the eternal typecast). Technically, I play two cops since in one scene I'm walking away from the camera and in the next scene I'm walking around the scene facing the camera. You get bonus points if you spot me just out of focus in the background of another scene with my "partner" Amber Dawn. We were supposed to be looking serious and busy but in reality she was just showing me some youtube clips of her past work (shhh, don't tell the director).
The other web series is called Group and it's put out by IX Productions. I'm doing my standard role of recording sound. It's a comedy and the episodes aren't that long so if you get the chance check it out. Captives is more dramatic and runs a little longer than five minutes but still worth the time.
Well, it looks like that's my month in review. Hopefully next month I'll have better news so until then...
What have I been reading, you ask? I have recently started a series that I should have read years ago, but for reasons that are inexpiable, I never did. I'm talking about Tarzan Of The Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I read the first two books back in high school and just stopped for reasons only an ignorant high school kid could tell you. I have been a huge fan of the ape-man for as far back as I can remember and after telling myself that I'll get around to reading the books eventually, that day finally showed up. I can't recommend this book enough. There's a reason it's a classic! Go pick it up today!
I started a new job last week. I'm now working at Aldi stocking shelves, running the register and all of those other things that go along with working in a grocery store. It's not glamorous but it pays better and has more hours than baby sitting drunk people ever did. I'm enjoying the process of picking up a new skill set, although sometimes I feel like Stanley the bellboy. I almost thought I had a new project in the works until it occurred to me that i was just remaking a classic. Oh well, more on that later.
Things on the movie front haven't been as fruitful as usual, partly due to lack of interest and I've been in research mode so my tastes have been all over the place. Although, comedy seems to be the common denominator running through the list, so if you're a comedy fan you might find this next part interesting, if not, just skip ahead and I'll see you in a couple of paragraphs or so.
As I mentioned before, The Bellboy is one that I've seen and enjoyed lately. It was written, directed and produced by Jerry Lewis who also stars in it and has a cameo. A couple of things you might not know about The Bellboy-Lewis always got credit for inventing the video assist, THIS is the movie he created it for, AND he did it before the invention of video tape so he basically had video screens all over the set so he could see what the camera saw wherever he happened to turn his head. He also did The Bellboy out of necessity to save Cinderfella from being released as a summer movie. He had everything set for Cinderfella to be released as a holiday movie, that was its sole purpose, but Paramount needed a movie, a Jerry Lewis movie, for their summer release schedule. Lewis told them that they would have a movie for the summer but they had to promise to release Cinderfella at the holidays. This was January. He wrote a 140 page script in 9 days while doing two shows a night. What did you do today?
Cafe Society is the new Woody Allen film. It's worth your time and is more memorable than his last film, Irrational Man (oh yeah, that was his last film, wasn't it?). While I appreciated the ending, it did teach me how I don't want to end my next film, more on that later.
Cinderfella is one that I had to revisit after hearing everything about it in The Bellboy dvd. It's enjoyable and has some great bits (the ring inscription cracks me up just thinking about it) but, personally, I thought the ending felt forced. Lewis the writer takes for granted that you know the story so he can fast forward to the ball without the details but, when I'm expected to believe that the princess falls obsessively head over heels in love with this guy after one dance, it just didn't gel for me. Watch it and tell me what you think.
I discovered Kiss Of Fire at the library while just randomly walking around. You might find it under another title, Claudine's Return. It was made back in 1998 and stars Christina Applegate. Storyline wise, it'll hold your attention if there's not much going on around you but it's really a character study. I haven't seen one of those in a long time and, while it was refreshing, I don't feel the need to go back. Again, lesson learned:this is what I don't want my next project to be.
At first I held off on seeing The Legend of Tarzan because of a bad preview that showed CGI apes and flashbacks of his childhood. With no sound, it just looked like another origin story movie which I really didn't want to sit through again. Eventually, I saw a different preview and realized there might be a little more to it so, curiosity got the better of me and I went. I did enjoy it and recommend it, especially if you have kids, they'll think it's cool and you might just enjoy it too. Yes, there is way too much CGI but at least there are no Phil Collins songs and unlike Tarzan And The Lost City, you don't walk out thinking it was okay, sort of. If nothing else, at least it inspired me to finally get off my ass and read the books.
I'm just going to recommend The Man Who Loved Women and let you decide if you want to see the Francois Truffaut or Blake Edwards version. Surprisingly, both are good. Maybe you still have some Haterade tainted memories of the Edwards version, but let that go, it's time to judge the movie on its own merits and not a misleading preview.
A Midsummer Nights Dream, the movie I'm working on with IX Productions, is almost finished with principle photography. The goal is to be wrapped by September. It's looking pretty good and sounding even better. It should be making an appearance at a film festival near you by next year.
After watching The Bellboy and Cinderfella, I had to revisit The Nutty Professor. This is definitely one of my favorite Jerry Lewis movies and if you haven't seen it lately, you need to fix that.
Last, but by no means least, we only have one scene left to film in Order 86. That's the good news. The bad news is that we're blowing up a car and city councils get really touchy when you use words like blow up and fire. We're hoping to be wrapped by September as well, God willing and the river don't rise (or the mayor says no).
With the latest project so close to being complete (and by complete I mean that we still have a few months of post production work), I've been looking around for our next project. Depending on which one of us you talk to, it could be a fantasy film or a western. However, dragons and horses are expensive. What to do, what to do? I have this idea for a crime thriller, but apparently its not ready yet because there's a comedy idea that keeps gaining dominance. At first I just wanted to write it down to get it out of the way but I keep coming back to it and thinking that maybe it's not the box office harakiri that I originally thought it was. Right now, I have an outline and I've started a rough draft. Maybe I should do two shows a night, I feel comparatively lazy.
There are just a couple of more things in closing before you're done with me. For the series watchers, check out Alias Smith And Jones. Well, check out season one and most of two when, unfortunately, Pete Duel committed suicide and Roger Davis was forced to take over the role of Smith due to contractual obligations with the network. This is an early series that was created by Glen A. Larson and Roy Huggins took over. It's interesting to see where these guys started to find their rhythm before moving on to other more successful shows.
Also, I've recently been involved with a couple of web series. I was an extra in an episode of Captives that's being put out by Collective Vision Studios. I was originally supposed to be a reporter but wound up being a cop (the eternal typecast). Technically, I play two cops since in one scene I'm walking away from the camera and in the next scene I'm walking around the scene facing the camera. You get bonus points if you spot me just out of focus in the background of another scene with my "partner" Amber Dawn. We were supposed to be looking serious and busy but in reality she was just showing me some youtube clips of her past work (shhh, don't tell the director).
The other web series is called Group and it's put out by IX Productions. I'm doing my standard role of recording sound. It's a comedy and the episodes aren't that long so if you get the chance check it out. Captives is more dramatic and runs a little longer than five minutes but still worth the time.
Well, it looks like that's my month in review. Hopefully next month I'll have better news so until then...
Friday, July 8, 2016
July Newsletter
Okay, wow, it's been a while since you've heard from me. Some of you may be thinking, "why don't he write?", others of you may not care, either way I'm here and we're about to get caught up on the past few months.
I'll kick this off with a couple of books that I've read. Admittedly, I've been slacking on the reading front but these two really caught my attention. The first is The Nice Guys by Charles Ardei. Yes, it's an adaptation of the Shane Black and Anthony Bagarozzi script but it seems to make up for some of the faults of the film. What?! Shane Black made a detective movie that's lacking? I hate to speak ill of the maestro but it really kind of felt like a greatest hits compilation. The movie is worth your time but the book is able to go places where time constraints and editing can't take you.
The second book is The Black Badge:Deputy United States Marshal Bass Reeves From Slave to Heroic Lawman by Paul L. Brady. I discovered this gem while doing some research for a different project but, man, this guys life is fascinating. The author is the title characters' great nephew so he has some really interesting insights from family history. If you're looking for something off the beaten path, give it a look.
On the derby front, The Victory Vixens won the Rink of Fire for the second year in a row. The All-Stars have a game coming up later this month when they go to Lincoln, Nebraska for a rematch against The No Coast Derby Girls. The Mad Maxines won the game they played in KC last month so hopefully The All-Stars will win this one. Their record on the road has been a little lacking this season but hopefully they can pull it up and have a decent showing by the end. Plan B, on the other hand, won their first game and have two more in the next two months. Let's hope they can continue their streak.
2016 seems to be the year where death comes off of his holiday. Facebook has earned the nickname Obituarybook. It seems like it all started with Lemmy Kilmister and David Bowie, take out the icons and start whittling away at the rest. If you're in KC, Classic Album Sunday is doing a Bowie tribute show closer to the end of the month. It's the anniversary of The Rise And Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars and the rest of the show is just all Bowie all the time. Look for it on fb to find times and location.
'16 struck a little closer to home in the last couple of months. Dacia Toll, maybe you knew her as Alice, lost her battle with cancer in March. If you ever made it out to Studio 28 in Olathe in the last ten years, chances are pretty good she pushed the start button on your movie. Tim Warder a.k.a. Coach Ice had a heart attack last month. It happened a week before the Rink of Fire so in his honor we now call the trophy The Tim Warder Cup.
On to cheerier subjects! Marvel Studios put out a new movie, maybe you heard about it, it's called Captain America: Civil War. I really enjoyed it, but I'm slightly biased because I'm a Captain America fan. This is the first movie I've seen twice in the theaters this year. It's not that movies have been exceptionally bad this year, they just haven't grabbed me to the point where I want to see them again.
Order 86 is trudging along through that blissful torture we like to call production. We've finished principle photography and just have a couple of pick up scenes left. Unfortunately, one of them is blowing up a car. You'd think it would be easy to find a place to do that but then you'd be wrong. I'll bet Corman doesn't have these kinds of problems.
Another project I'm involved with is the IX Productions film version of the full length Midsummer Nights Dream by William Shakespeare. It's still in production and I record sound when I'm not involved with Order 86. It almost feels like a vacation to be on a set where you're not in charge of everything. I've adopted the mantra Let Go And Let Lolo (Lolo Loren is the director/producer) while I'm on location. If something goes wrong with equipment or there's a problem with talent or a location-Let Go And Let Lolo- and all my problems suddenly condense to just audio. It's kind of liberating sometimes. While we're on IX Productions' sound department, if you're a filmmaker, keep an eye out for Amber Joy. She doesn't have much experience yet but give her another couple of projects and she'll be your go-to girl.
Speaking of other peoples sets, I was in a music video back in March. It's called Republicrat by Shadowsin. At first I was just in a crowd scene but then I was a grip when the director needed somebody to hold a reflector. It was kind of amusing to see non-movie people get excited to take over my job when I needed to get back into the crowd for a continuity shot. My big moment came later when we changed locations and it was supposed to be the next day. The director wanted the crowd to be an angry mob so we were all given things to throw but then he said that he needed somebody to charge "the candidate"s car. "I need somebody angry and physically imposing...oh, you, in the back, come over here please." I'm head and shoulders above the "security agent" so we had to go through how I'd approach the car a few times without looking like a suicide bomber or that I'd plow through the other guy. Eventually, we got it figured out and the rest is on YouTube.
July is an awesome month for live music. This Sunday, Garbage is playing at The Uptown. What are your thoughts on their new album, Strange Little Birds? It took me about three listens to really warm up to it. I had made the mistake of going to the website to find out when the album was coming out and clicked on the video for Even Though Our Love Is Doomed. It just felt like The Discovery Channels greatest hits and, in my opinion, went on far too long. I don't recommend the video, but the album is pretty good if you haven't picked it up yet.
KISS is coming back through town in the middle of the month. They have a new live album coming out in August so it's time to strap on the leather and put on the make up!
It's been about thirty plus years but I'm finally going to see Duran Duran! They come through at the end of the month on their Paper Gods tour. I thought it was about on par with the other albums they've put out in the last decade. It's not something I listen to repeatedly but I don't hate it. That's one of the things I really like about this band is that as long as they've been around, I have never disliked a single or an album. Admittedly, Thank You is my least favorite album but I get why they did it and none of those songs suck, I just think it's a waste of time and effort when a band puts out an entire album of covers. Also, as an added bonus, Chic is opening for Duran Duran. I didn't think those guys were together any more, let alone touring.
One final thing and then I'll be done with you. I know that there are a lot of television watchers out there so I'll let you in on something I found not too long ago. It's called Alcatraz. I'm guessing it played on ABC back in 2012. It deals with a cover up behind the explanation behind the closing of the prison. If you watch the first episode and get into it, stick with it, if it doesn't grab you then forget it.
Well, I think that's all I have for now. I hope you all made it through the holiday with all of your fingers and toes and eyebrows. Stay safe, the world is a crazy place and it's just getting more insane. Hopefully, I'll have a lot more good news to report in the coming month. Until then.
I'll kick this off with a couple of books that I've read. Admittedly, I've been slacking on the reading front but these two really caught my attention. The first is The Nice Guys by Charles Ardei. Yes, it's an adaptation of the Shane Black and Anthony Bagarozzi script but it seems to make up for some of the faults of the film. What?! Shane Black made a detective movie that's lacking? I hate to speak ill of the maestro but it really kind of felt like a greatest hits compilation. The movie is worth your time but the book is able to go places where time constraints and editing can't take you.
The second book is The Black Badge:Deputy United States Marshal Bass Reeves From Slave to Heroic Lawman by Paul L. Brady. I discovered this gem while doing some research for a different project but, man, this guys life is fascinating. The author is the title characters' great nephew so he has some really interesting insights from family history. If you're looking for something off the beaten path, give it a look.
On the derby front, The Victory Vixens won the Rink of Fire for the second year in a row. The All-Stars have a game coming up later this month when they go to Lincoln, Nebraska for a rematch against The No Coast Derby Girls. The Mad Maxines won the game they played in KC last month so hopefully The All-Stars will win this one. Their record on the road has been a little lacking this season but hopefully they can pull it up and have a decent showing by the end. Plan B, on the other hand, won their first game and have two more in the next two months. Let's hope they can continue their streak.
2016 seems to be the year where death comes off of his holiday. Facebook has earned the nickname Obituarybook. It seems like it all started with Lemmy Kilmister and David Bowie, take out the icons and start whittling away at the rest. If you're in KC, Classic Album Sunday is doing a Bowie tribute show closer to the end of the month. It's the anniversary of The Rise And Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars and the rest of the show is just all Bowie all the time. Look for it on fb to find times and location.
'16 struck a little closer to home in the last couple of months. Dacia Toll, maybe you knew her as Alice, lost her battle with cancer in March. If you ever made it out to Studio 28 in Olathe in the last ten years, chances are pretty good she pushed the start button on your movie. Tim Warder a.k.a. Coach Ice had a heart attack last month. It happened a week before the Rink of Fire so in his honor we now call the trophy The Tim Warder Cup.
On to cheerier subjects! Marvel Studios put out a new movie, maybe you heard about it, it's called Captain America: Civil War. I really enjoyed it, but I'm slightly biased because I'm a Captain America fan. This is the first movie I've seen twice in the theaters this year. It's not that movies have been exceptionally bad this year, they just haven't grabbed me to the point where I want to see them again.
Order 86 is trudging along through that blissful torture we like to call production. We've finished principle photography and just have a couple of pick up scenes left. Unfortunately, one of them is blowing up a car. You'd think it would be easy to find a place to do that but then you'd be wrong. I'll bet Corman doesn't have these kinds of problems.
Another project I'm involved with is the IX Productions film version of the full length Midsummer Nights Dream by William Shakespeare. It's still in production and I record sound when I'm not involved with Order 86. It almost feels like a vacation to be on a set where you're not in charge of everything. I've adopted the mantra Let Go And Let Lolo (Lolo Loren is the director/producer) while I'm on location. If something goes wrong with equipment or there's a problem with talent or a location-Let Go And Let Lolo- and all my problems suddenly condense to just audio. It's kind of liberating sometimes. While we're on IX Productions' sound department, if you're a filmmaker, keep an eye out for Amber Joy. She doesn't have much experience yet but give her another couple of projects and she'll be your go-to girl.
Speaking of other peoples sets, I was in a music video back in March. It's called Republicrat by Shadowsin. At first I was just in a crowd scene but then I was a grip when the director needed somebody to hold a reflector. It was kind of amusing to see non-movie people get excited to take over my job when I needed to get back into the crowd for a continuity shot. My big moment came later when we changed locations and it was supposed to be the next day. The director wanted the crowd to be an angry mob so we were all given things to throw but then he said that he needed somebody to charge "the candidate"s car. "I need somebody angry and physically imposing...oh, you, in the back, come over here please." I'm head and shoulders above the "security agent" so we had to go through how I'd approach the car a few times without looking like a suicide bomber or that I'd plow through the other guy. Eventually, we got it figured out and the rest is on YouTube.
July is an awesome month for live music. This Sunday, Garbage is playing at The Uptown. What are your thoughts on their new album, Strange Little Birds? It took me about three listens to really warm up to it. I had made the mistake of going to the website to find out when the album was coming out and clicked on the video for Even Though Our Love Is Doomed. It just felt like The Discovery Channels greatest hits and, in my opinion, went on far too long. I don't recommend the video, but the album is pretty good if you haven't picked it up yet.
KISS is coming back through town in the middle of the month. They have a new live album coming out in August so it's time to strap on the leather and put on the make up!
It's been about thirty plus years but I'm finally going to see Duran Duran! They come through at the end of the month on their Paper Gods tour. I thought it was about on par with the other albums they've put out in the last decade. It's not something I listen to repeatedly but I don't hate it. That's one of the things I really like about this band is that as long as they've been around, I have never disliked a single or an album. Admittedly, Thank You is my least favorite album but I get why they did it and none of those songs suck, I just think it's a waste of time and effort when a band puts out an entire album of covers. Also, as an added bonus, Chic is opening for Duran Duran. I didn't think those guys were together any more, let alone touring.
One final thing and then I'll be done with you. I know that there are a lot of television watchers out there so I'll let you in on something I found not too long ago. It's called Alcatraz. I'm guessing it played on ABC back in 2012. It deals with a cover up behind the explanation behind the closing of the prison. If you watch the first episode and get into it, stick with it, if it doesn't grab you then forget it.
Well, I think that's all I have for now. I hope you all made it through the holiday with all of your fingers and toes and eyebrows. Stay safe, the world is a crazy place and it's just getting more insane. Hopefully, I'll have a lot more good news to report in the coming month. Until then.
Thursday, February 18, 2016
February News Letter
Hello again,
Well, we seem to have made it to another month. I can't complain about the weather, the movie is coming along, and life is busy but in a good way. Order 86 is going to start filming at the end of the month. We have our big table read coming up in a couple of days. The script is going through some last minute changes and I'm sure there will be two or three more changes before we're done filming. These are good things and the changes don't alter the story line so it shouldn't take long. After casting we decided that we could put in a knife fight to help develop a character. The actress really seemed to warm up to the idea, so I'm working on choreographing a knife fight as well as a few gun battles and some hand to hand fights. Spy thrillers aren't as easy as they look.
The sci-fi comedy I'm working on for IX Productions has two more shooting days! It's called Zoink! and will hopefully be playing at a festival near you in the not too distant future. Also, keep your eyes out for She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not. This is another film from IX that I recorded sound for and is my first producer credit!
There's an independently produced short that I'm doing stunt choreography for called Rivals that will start filming next month. I had a fun conversation with the director the other day, I'm a little surprised that Homeland Security didn't show up.
Me: Hi, I'm filling out my calendar and I'm wondering when you're shooting?
Director: (this date) in March and (that date) in April.
Me: Got it. What day are you killing the family?
Director: Ha! I don't know that anybody has ever asked me that question. It'll be on the first day.
Me: What kind of weapons did you have in mind. Will it be a knife like last time?
Director: Yeah, I figured at most the character would have two knives. I don't have my location locked yet, but I figured you'd probably get some ideas when we finally have the space.
Me: Yeah, I tend to work best when I know what kind of space I'm dealing with.
Okay, here's the fun part, read that again, omitting her side of the conversation and imagine that you're in the middle of a coffee shop and this phone conversation is happening at the next table. I have a fun job.
In sports news, The Roller Warriors are hosting a co-ed game tomorrow night at our new home in Memorial Hall! You can follow all of the action by going to The Wheel Press' new facebook page or just visit the website and the story will be there soon.
Speaking of websites, don't forget to visit www.order86movie.com and Merry BanD Productions . Before I sign off for another month, I'll leave you with this thing I wrote last week when I was having a crisis of creativity. Take care.
We finally decided on a cast for Order 86. After spending several hours in an all -night hash house, my co-producer and I were still stymied as to who should be our female lead. The choices for male leads were relatively easy. We both had a short list of two to three names for each role, some only one name, and through process of elimination, we were able to agree. When it came to Jen, our female lead, we had the same three names on our list but we couldn’t decide which one actress was better qualified.
Eventually, we decided to sleep on it and come back to it later that day. I got five restless hours of sleep and finally just got out of bed. In an effort to take my mind off of things for a while I put a movie on. This was a mistake. I was watching Girl On The Bridge. I hadn’t seen it since the theaters, sixteen years ago, but I remembered that I really enjoyed it. If you’ve never seen it, watch it, it’s still amazing. Patrice Leconte was so on top of his game when he made this one. Some of the trick photography doesn’t have the same impact it did back when the digital age was in its youth, but the cinematography is still pretty incredible. The story line also has a refreshing spin.
Unfortunately, this did not help me to forget my troubles for 91 minutes, it only reinforced them. Vanessa Paradis is the title character and the more I watched, the worst I felt. Through the script and the camera and no shortage of talent and beauty on her part, you as the viewer really start to feel something for this character along with Daniel Auteuil. If you don’t fall in love with this character, just a little bit, the whole movie becomes a waste of time. The producers really knew what they were doing. I started wondering how long they had to look to find the right girl. How long was I going to have to look? My problem wasn’t that I couldn’t find one but that I’d found three.
I started thinking back to earlier in pre-production when I’d had an actor set back. I came up with the brilliant idea to scrap the whole spy story and just do a nature documentary about penguins. People like penguins and you can get them on their marks by waving fish at them. No drama, no problems. After bringing this idea to the creative team, we decided it would be cheaper and easier to use puppies. People like puppies almost as much as penguins. We toyed with the idea for the better part of a half hour and they eventually persuaded me that we could actually make a spy film with human actors.
The more I basked in the glory of Girl On The Bridge, the more my addled, sleep deprived brain started to find solutions to my problems. I could scrap the whole popcorn movie mentality and make it in black and white. If I changed the DP’s last name from Bolen to Bolier, I could probably get away with artistic camera angles and subtitle the whole thing. It could play twice a day for a week at that twin plex down the street that everybody knew about but nobody went to. Instead of Order 86 I could call it Girl With The Chip. Of course, then reality tapped me on the shoulder and reminded me that I still didn’t have a girl…oh, yeah. I’ll bet Selznick didn’t have these kinds of problems.
The upside of this story is that while I was watching a film to escape my problems, my co-producer spent his morning re-watching the audition tapes. When we met up for our scheduling meeting, he told me about his epiphany. It was more productive than mine. We went back to his place and had a three woman Enter The Dragon death match where we scrutinized every nuance of their performance and for a while we were still at a stale mate. By tape number three though, we were starting to drink the same kool-ade. I still can’t say that we’re not going to film it in black and white with subtitles and artistic angles but I can tell you that Girl With The Chip will be Laurie Winkel.
Friday, January 22, 2016
January 2016
So, here we are 22 days into a new year and so much has happened. We've lost Lemmy, Bowie and so many others. Cancer seems to be on the come back folks, so watch yourselves.
I started my winter right by going to a warmer climate. For a few days, I went to California and visited the folks and watched a bunch of movies. I didn't see a bad one the whole time I was out there but a few that you should keep an eye out for are-
Anomalisa- Directed by Charlie Kaufman, based on a radio play that he wrote for a competition. He came out and did a q&a with the co-director and producer.
A Heavy Heart (a.k.a. Herbert)-A German drama. Writer/Director Thomas Stuber was there for a q&a, very cool guy.
The Revenant-Yeah, that movie. It was a sneak preview and Producer Mary Parent did a q&a after the film. She has a lot of cool stories.
Schneider vs. Bax- An action comedy from the Netherlands.If you get the chance, check it out.
Spy Time (a.k.a. Anacleto: Agente Secreto)-A Spanish spy comedy. It's pretty good, but I'm a little biased towards spy films, more on that later.
One of the bigger highlights of the festival for me was actually in a movie that had been out for a while and I'd written off until Redbox. Every year, they have this series called Talking Pictures where they show a movie (sometimes it's one that's been out for a while, other times it's about to come out, just depends). I tried getting into this a couple of years ago when they had Javier Bardem talking about one of his films. I stood in the stand by line for an hour with nothing to show for it but flat feet. Most of the time you can anticipate the guest because the festival will have a big awards ceremony either the day before or after so if you're paying attention, it's not difficult. I sort of suspected that Matt Damon might be there but since he wasn't receiving an award, I wasn't willing to bet on anything. I was just happy to finally get a ticket to this thing after being turned away so many times. Bring out a producer or even a film historian from NASA, it's all good.
A big advantage to knowing people in the same city as a big film festival is that you get to borrow their car so you're not at the mercy of public transportation. I happened to be borrowing my moms convertible, the only way to travel in California! I had a movie right before The Martian screening and another one shortly after it. Public transportation would have screwed me so big shout out to mom!
I made it out of the first movie (Schneider vs. Bax) and down the street to the next theater in time to park and find the line just as it started moving. Found a seat, got comfortable and then they made an announcement. It appeared that today's guest, Matt Damon, was running late because of foul weather from his departure point, but they expected him to arrive by the time the movie was over. Okay, cool, Matt Damon is going to show up. I felt like one of the last people in America who hadn't seen the movie by this point but after two and a half hours, that changed. I really enjoyed it, more than I thought I would. After the credits rolled, the woman in charge of the screening comes back out and announces that Matt Damon's plane still hasn't landed but it should in the next 20 minutes. If we were willing to be patient, Matt Damon and Ridley Scott would be there to discuss the movie. This was too good to be true! Ridley Scott was going to be here?! I'll not only wait, I'll volunteer to pick them up from the airport! I have a car, it's a convertible and it's mostly highway from the theater to the airport. I could discuss films with Ridley Scott and audition for Bourne 5 at the same time, win-win, right? Unfortunately, they already had people in place for this contingency so I missed out on that opportunity but they were willing to refund my ticket for my next movie which started in about 15 minutes at a different theater.
They did finally show up and it was interesting to hear what they had to say about the making of the movie. Eventually, they had to go and as an interesting trifecta, although I can't swear to it since I didn't get that close of a look at him, but I think their security was being handled by Cliff Stewart. For the non-security geeks out there, this guy has been called the bodyguard to the stars, total bad ass in the private security world.
That was the first half of the month, in more recent current events, I'm about to start casting my own movie. It's a spy thriller called Order 86. We've been working on this since September of last year and it's been a real uphill climb but the pieces are finally starting to fall into place and if we can make it over the last of the hurdles then we'll start filming at the end of February. Feel free to visit the website www.order86movie.com as often as you like. We have a team of editors that are constantly updating material, all in the name of your entertainment. There's also a link there that if any of you feel like making a donation to the cause (subtle hint, art's not cheap), you can do so.
If you'd like to audition or sign up for a crew position, send an email to info@order86movie.com and let us know your preference.
That's about all I have to report for now. Work is still work and when I'm not there, my life seems to be filled with spy films. Thanks for reading and tune in next time when I'll have an update on casting as well as my opinion on that big awards ceremony coming up in February.
I started my winter right by going to a warmer climate. For a few days, I went to California and visited the folks and watched a bunch of movies. I didn't see a bad one the whole time I was out there but a few that you should keep an eye out for are-
Anomalisa- Directed by Charlie Kaufman, based on a radio play that he wrote for a competition. He came out and did a q&a with the co-director and producer.
A Heavy Heart (a.k.a. Herbert)-A German drama. Writer/Director Thomas Stuber was there for a q&a, very cool guy.
The Revenant-Yeah, that movie. It was a sneak preview and Producer Mary Parent did a q&a after the film. She has a lot of cool stories.
Schneider vs. Bax- An action comedy from the Netherlands.If you get the chance, check it out.
Spy Time (a.k.a. Anacleto: Agente Secreto)-A Spanish spy comedy. It's pretty good, but I'm a little biased towards spy films, more on that later.
One of the bigger highlights of the festival for me was actually in a movie that had been out for a while and I'd written off until Redbox. Every year, they have this series called Talking Pictures where they show a movie (sometimes it's one that's been out for a while, other times it's about to come out, just depends). I tried getting into this a couple of years ago when they had Javier Bardem talking about one of his films. I stood in the stand by line for an hour with nothing to show for it but flat feet. Most of the time you can anticipate the guest because the festival will have a big awards ceremony either the day before or after so if you're paying attention, it's not difficult. I sort of suspected that Matt Damon might be there but since he wasn't receiving an award, I wasn't willing to bet on anything. I was just happy to finally get a ticket to this thing after being turned away so many times. Bring out a producer or even a film historian from NASA, it's all good.
A big advantage to knowing people in the same city as a big film festival is that you get to borrow their car so you're not at the mercy of public transportation. I happened to be borrowing my moms convertible, the only way to travel in California! I had a movie right before The Martian screening and another one shortly after it. Public transportation would have screwed me so big shout out to mom!
I made it out of the first movie (Schneider vs. Bax) and down the street to the next theater in time to park and find the line just as it started moving. Found a seat, got comfortable and then they made an announcement. It appeared that today's guest, Matt Damon, was running late because of foul weather from his departure point, but they expected him to arrive by the time the movie was over. Okay, cool, Matt Damon is going to show up. I felt like one of the last people in America who hadn't seen the movie by this point but after two and a half hours, that changed. I really enjoyed it, more than I thought I would. After the credits rolled, the woman in charge of the screening comes back out and announces that Matt Damon's plane still hasn't landed but it should in the next 20 minutes. If we were willing to be patient, Matt Damon and Ridley Scott would be there to discuss the movie. This was too good to be true! Ridley Scott was going to be here?! I'll not only wait, I'll volunteer to pick them up from the airport! I have a car, it's a convertible and it's mostly highway from the theater to the airport. I could discuss films with Ridley Scott and audition for Bourne 5 at the same time, win-win, right? Unfortunately, they already had people in place for this contingency so I missed out on that opportunity but they were willing to refund my ticket for my next movie which started in about 15 minutes at a different theater.
They did finally show up and it was interesting to hear what they had to say about the making of the movie. Eventually, they had to go and as an interesting trifecta, although I can't swear to it since I didn't get that close of a look at him, but I think their security was being handled by Cliff Stewart. For the non-security geeks out there, this guy has been called the bodyguard to the stars, total bad ass in the private security world.
That was the first half of the month, in more recent current events, I'm about to start casting my own movie. It's a spy thriller called Order 86. We've been working on this since September of last year and it's been a real uphill climb but the pieces are finally starting to fall into place and if we can make it over the last of the hurdles then we'll start filming at the end of February. Feel free to visit the website www.order86movie.com as often as you like. We have a team of editors that are constantly updating material, all in the name of your entertainment. There's also a link there that if any of you feel like making a donation to the cause (subtle hint, art's not cheap), you can do so.
If you'd like to audition or sign up for a crew position, send an email to info@order86movie.com and let us know your preference.
That's about all I have to report for now. Work is still work and when I'm not there, my life seems to be filled with spy films. Thanks for reading and tune in next time when I'll have an update on casting as well as my opinion on that big awards ceremony coming up in February.
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