The Subject

I think that Josh mentioned a little while ago on his blog that he wanted me to dish out the torrid tale of my latest film, The Subject.
Truly, when I say it’s a tormented tale, believe me. I could wax intellectual by writing several charmingly depressed paragraphs on the utter disappointment of my latest venture, but I won’t. One of my resolutions this semester is to become a more positive person inwardly, as well as outwardly.
It all started with my previous blunder, Wildlifeless. Maybe you recall the screenplay that was posted many months ago on Leonard Hughes? Well, Wildlifeless was going to be my project this semester for Cinematography class, and as I found the project getting out of hand back in February, I decided to place some boundaries upon myself. Namely, I resolved to set forth a date for my filming.
Setting down a date is both good and bad. It’s good because it forces you to start working like mad to get the entire production together. It makes things happen. But, it can be a very bad thing when nothing wants to happen, despite all your efforts. With the date of March 26th in sight, Wildlifeless was starting to prove itself a bear to get moving.
Sure, I had oodles of set-ups, storyboards, character descriptions and screenplay notes at my disposal. And yes, I had contacted numerous plant rental agencies throughout the valley. But no one called me back. My crew, despite my numerous efforts, fell flat at the notion. And I was starting to think that I had gotten myself in over my head.
About three weeks before filming, I decided to pull the plug on Wildlifeless. I can still remember my distaste on the ride home from a particularly fruitless greenhouse visit.
I had produced a nice little booklet for plant farms and greenhouses here in the valley entitled “Brock H. Brown’s Wildlifeless”. Inside the booklet was the full screenplay to Wildlifeless, a list of required plants, a secondary list of acceptable substitutes, and screencaps from my previous films, as well as a short pitch. The last page of the booklet was a list of numbers to contact me at. I wistfully stated, “looking forward to doing business with you” at the close of the proposal. No one took it.
After the whole thing imploded on me I remember walking through a store and seeing a card with a quote by Winston Churchill on it. It said, “If you’re going through hell, keep going”. So I decided to keep going.
However, let it be noted that I decided to keep going with a different battle plan. I decided to set Wildlifeless aside for a better time and instead shoot a story I had recently come up with entitled “The Subject”. I’d drop the outline for The Subject, but if I actually do film it in the coming weeks, I’d rather keep the story under wraps. I hope you understand.
Anyway, The Subject was still an ambitious tale to tell. But it was nowhere near the breadth and scope of Wildlifeless. Moreover, I rather liked the story. I did write another story during this period entitled “Hornsby and the Void Luminous”, but I’ve come to hate it. It’s so smart and intellectually funny it makes me sick. Of course, plenty of students at school thought it was great, but I just hate that screenplay with a passion. It was a cry for help in more ways then one. It said, “help, I’m floundering in cinematography” while at the same time saying “help, I’ll never be loved” and still managed to say “aren’t I terribly witty?” It was puerile crap.
Let me take a moment however to state that I love the title. It’s a great title. For those brief 5 seconds when my writing was on its game, I came up with one heck of a title.
After the festering disappointment that was “Hornsby” I came up with “The Subject”. At last! Here was a story that could stand next to “Wildlifeless”. Here was a story that expanded upon every one of my typical conventions, while at the same time inventing several new ones. This was not only possible, but it was desired.
When I told my classmates about this new story idea, several reacted quite positively. In fact, some people have professed it to be a better story then Wildlifeless. Wildlifeless only gets finer with age and I still desire it now more then ever. But, I’ve come to love The Subject in every way I wanted to love Hornsby.
With March 26th looming in the horizon, I hit the ground running. I had to compile my thoughts on the story, come up with strong cinematography ideas and get together props and actors in a scant few weeks. It was possible though. I felt it all coming together. And then something terrible happened (The first of several terrible things actually, and now that I look back upon it, I realize that it was in fact the most gentle of blows).
My casting director, whom I will not name at this time, decided that he didn’t want to arrange an audition for my film. He didn’t want to even help me cull out actors from an extensive list of possible candidates. In short, he completely bowed out. This was a blow to me for a couple of reasons: A) this guy wasn’t just some nameless student in my mind (although he is now); he was the guy who helped me cast Pantomiming. He did a good job in helping me find what I wanted. To discover him as an incompetent heap on this picture was a blow among blows. I don’t like the guy, but I respect him for doing a fine job for me in the past. B) In performing a king favor among favors, I agreed to act in a film he was shooting for Directing class. I rarely act. In fact, at the moment there are only a handful of people I’d act for. He wasn’t one of them. But I did it anyway, as a gesture of kindness. C) I was filming in one week.
So, as you can imagine, I was in a bind. I quickly set to work looking for actors to play the part.
Let me just step aside a moment here and make light of something positive that did come out of these disquieting events. During this period I had planned to be shopping for costumes and props. I couldn’t very well do it now that I was engrossed in casting the entire film. Then, in the ultimate gesture of kindness, Joshua and Angie Provost stepped in and helped me gather the essential props for the film. And man, they did a fantastic job. Angie made a paper-doll (one of the most essential props in the film) that completely overshot all my finest expectations. And Josh? Well, he picked up some of the coolest looking black goggles I have ever seen. In short, they really came through when no one else would. I was deeply pleased and moved by their help. If the film ever does get made, they and several other people who helped at this time are getting heavily credited. They can request my help any day.
Okay, now it’s time to jump back into the depression. The Subject was falling apart. I was floundering in the acting department when Gabe decided to step in and help. He even auditioned for the part, and played it splendidly. But, one more monkey wrench was thrown into my plans.
Weeks before the shoot I had reserved the studio at the school. In fact, I’m not going to lie; I had written The Subject with the school’s studio in mind for the piece. I had originally planned to film Wildlifeless in the studio by building an entire jungle (yeah, now that I read that sentence, it’s no wonder the film fell apart), but now I could use it as my mental institution.
But, with a little less then a week before the shoot, I lost the location. How? The school had conveniently lost my paper work. Let me say that I don’t hold them responsible. It was a mistake, and if I had been a smarter person, I would have made several copies of the paperwork. I didn’t. But I learned from my error and I’m actually pleased that I pulled something important out from a harrowing process.
With the shoot only a day away, I decided to pull the plug, yet again. It was worthless at this point. And why bother trying? If I cobbled something together in the mere hours before the shoot, it would have been a cobbled mess. It would have gone against all the fine planning I had done weeks before. Instead I spent the weekend alone shooting a hundred feet of random cinematography ideas I wanted to test. I’ve never been so lonely in my entire life.
The Subject wasn’t down for the count however. I decided to take one of my fellow cinematography students up on his offer and borrow some of his shooting time in the studio the following weekend. This student had also reserved the studio for an entire day, but he only needed it for half a day. I could pick up the rest of his time and shoot most, if not all, of my movie. It was yet another gesture of kindness, and I accepted.
That week, things started to swing up. Gabe had to bow out on account of his wife Rebeckah being ready to have her baby, but I managed to pick up another fine young actor who was willing to play the part. I was extremely excited to work with this actor on account of the fact that he could take directions. He knew the actor’s language well. And the more I learn about directing, the more I prefer to work with actors who know the language and who can take directions (the way they’re supposed to be taken).
That’s part of why I wanted to work with Gabe – I had finally learned how to give directions properly, and he had been trained to take them properly all along. But this actor could take directions too!
Anyway, things were working out. My biggest gripe during the time was that I was getting a nasty cold and sneezing rather profusely. But I wasn’t really nervous. Even the night before the shoot, I was ready to get the thing done and over with.

That night, I woke up with a nosebleed. I used to get nosebleeds when I was younger, but I hadn’t gotten one in quite some time. I’m not kidding when I say that I was a little taken back by it. I got it to stop rather easily though, and went back to sleep still anxious for the shoot.
When I arrived on the shoot the next day, I could tell that I was sick. I felt it in my bones. But I also had a maddened desire to get through the day intact. I wanted to help my friend out on his shoot and also pull through a successful turn on my own shoot. I wanted to walk away from the studio that day feeling like a conqueror.
As we wrapped up my friend’s shoot however, I got a second nosebleed. This time around it was much more serious. The blood was quite dark, and after half an hour of pressure, the bleeding wouldn’t stop. Actually, it was getting thicker.
I must confess, I was just going to stuff cotton balls and tissue up my nose and keep going. That would have been capitally stupid however, and Josh convinced me to get to the hospital.
We left immediately and met my parents at the hospital, who waited with me for five hours while I bled out in the waiting room. When we finally went back, the doctor decided to cauterize my nose. Cauterization, you will recall, is when they use a hot soldering iron to wield a blood vein shut. It worked like a charm. Aside from the discomfort of having a hot iron shoved up my nose, there was also the final discomfort of a rather beautiful young nurse (around my age actually) watching the doctor shove packets of gauze and gelled tissue up my bloodied nose. As she turned away in disgust I thought to myself, “Hey, when I loose, I loose hard baby”.

So how did I feel when the whole thing was done? Terrible. Utterly defeated. I had overcome casting issues and location difficulties, only to have my very life thrown on the line. This film was out to kill me. In one final grand swoop to bag my determination and quell my enthusiasm, it decided to resort to petty violence.

All in all, I have no problem looking back on the incident and recalling the tale. Granted, I learned some important lesions from the event.
If I were a smarter man, I would have used the cinematography class for what it was purposed: to shoot a couple hundred feet of tests for grander story ideas. I probably would have shot a hundred feet of film as test shots for The Subject and a hundred feet of test shots for Wildlifeless (in additional to digital video tests). And then, I would have used them as references for when I actually decided to do the films.
Also, I wouldn’t have let myself get so glum. I really loathed myself during the whole fiasco. Maybe that contributed to my downfall, but I don’t think it did. I just think it made the blows all the harsher.

In closing, I’ve learned important lessons that will stick with me for life. 1) Always remain positive. 2) The finest stories lurk just behind the worst. 3) Shoot plenty of film and/or digital tests before committing to big ideas. 4) Never give up.

Those are important lessons to learn…hard ones too. I don’t regret anything though. In fact, I’m rather glad it all came crashing down. It will always be…memorable. And hey, I did end up resorting to writing several “charmingly depressed paragraphs”. But I enjoyed writing them.

Daily

You should check out Bob Nanna's new blog, The City On Film Daily. The name is rather appropriate, as a "daily" is what a filmmaker gets back from the telecine lab showing the footage he shot the day before. Out in the field, directors and cinematographers watch dailys regularly to make sure the film is going along as hoped.

Of course, he could just mean "daily" in the sense that "I'll post here daily". In that case, my ironic little discussion of the blog's fantastic title is meaningless.

You’re Living All Over Me…All Over Again

A couple weeks ago, Merge Records reissued Dinosaur Jr.’s first three albums, all remastered – Dinosaur, You’re Living All Over Me, and Bug. When I had my CDs stolen a while ago, YLAOM and Bug were included in the thieves’ loot. The reissue date had become much more anticipatory from then on.

YLAOM and Bug were theme albums of my teenage life. Each a score to my emotions when they were filled with angst and/or depression. Though the albums originally were released many years before my teens, 1987 and 1988, respectively, I never viewed them as relics. After recently listening to them again, they still hold up. How can you get better than a song about a rabbit, figurative of a girl, and call it Little Fury Things?

The production value on the original recordings were never that good, but it was a personality trait of the albums. They wouldn’t be the same if they were re-recorded. However, there is marked improvement in the sound quality of the remasters. The lows are more noticeable and it’s easier to hear the different guitar tracks. Each disc also comes with some goodies, like videos and live tracks.

Long live the dinosaur.

Beck me

I caved and bought the new Beck album today. I'm listening to it for the first time right now, but so far it's great. Pitchfork was way off in my opinion. This is his best work since Mutations, and possibly my favorite album of 2005 thus far.

Full review later.

Brightness

Hey Gabe, check it out: Bright Eyes is coming back for the second leg of their tour...

06-08 Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre
06-09 Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre

A Perfect Day for Salinger

This is a very cool website.

We'll be appearing on Inside the Actor's Studio next week

This morning Josh, Angie, Gabe and myself went to shoot our interview for the Phoenix Film Project’s Screen Wars.

I’m not sure if I can even say anything about it. They made us sign this whole disclaimer and asked us not to talk to the press. I didn’t ask if I could blog about it. Whatever. I’ll just give you the low-down on our interview: It was weird. Very weird. I’m not sure if we were any good, (and I darkly suspect that I was very bad) but I’ll have to wait and find out. The whole thing is just a blur now that I’m home.
I’m sure the show is going to be great however. I’m very excited to see the films and interviews involved. Everyone at the interview kept telling us how much he or she liked Intense Math, but we just kind of shrugged it off. I hope they didn’t think we came off as too aloof. I’m sure they understood we were more bowled over by the whole experience then anything.

-Brock

Worries, Pt. 2

My woes aren't so bad regarding my film anymore. Matter of Chance came to the rescue in the form of Josh and Angie. They helped me gather props, costumes, materials and other items for the film. In fact, I think we've got a surplus on props...some of this stuff...actually, a lot of this stuff can be used again in future films. A nice big credit is in store for Angie's family, who donated some outstanding items. They've taken this thing to a whole other level.
Also, I've managed to get a fog machine for this venture. I think it'll add a nice layer to my cinematography. Thanks to Chad for that contribution.

The acting side of the piece will have to work itself out. I've found that one thing generally has to work itself out before the shooting date of a film. Last semester, it was locations. This semester seems to be actors. It's like a running theme chosen at random; maybe next semester I'll have a drought in costumes and props.

I've got a lot of friends though, at the school and everywhere else, who can fill in roles. I'm not worried.

Friday night Josh showed me George Lucas' first film, THX 1138. I'm ashamed to say that I hadn't seen it until now. But, let me just comment that I was completely astounded by it, all in terms of story, directing and cinematography. As you probably know, THX was a take on Lucas' student film (of the same name I believe) that took place in the grim, yet sterile future. Consumerism reigns, humanity is quaffed. Finally, one man decides to break out of the constrictive system and attempt to regain what humanity lost.

Some of the shots in this film were incredible. And I mean, just outright picturesque. Lucas really had some dynamic imagery in his youth. That's not to say that he hasn't remained powerful in his use of images, but I think he was easily at his strongest with this film. The story, like most Lucas stories, borrows from popular myth and fiction, but is so nicely executed, that it replaces those myths and fictions. It's a warning against consumerism for the sake of consuming. And I think it holds special weight in this time.

I went online to the Internet Movie Data Base and checked out the trivia for THX, and I found some interesting things:

The underground chase near the end was shot in a not-yet-completed segment of the BART subway system in San Francisco.

I commented during this part of the film that the location Lucas found was really unbelievable. Josh mentioned that he believed it to be the incomplete bay area transport. He was right.

George Lucas claims that the scene where technicians mess with THX's nervous system, sending him into comical spasms, was drawn from his antipathy towards the doctors who treated him after his near-fatal car crash as a youth.

Probably one of the most bizarre scenes in the movie and one of the most disturbing was this scene. It was almost comical. These two attendants were watching THX and playing around with his nervous system, switching around controls and twisting dials, all without scant a clue as to what effect it might have on his body.

To provide the large number of extras required, George Lucas contacted the Synanon drug rehabilitation facility. He found many recovering drug users who were quite happy to be shaved bald for the movie.

Is that all I have to do to get extras?! Sign me up.

To provide the voices of the unseen overseers and announcers, George Lucas contacted San Francisco-based theater group The Corporation. He gave them brief character outlines, and allowed the actors to improvise all the "overheard" dialogue in the movie.

That last bit is of special interest, because Josh is currently working on announcer voices for our film AGTC. I find it ironic that the group who did Lucas' voices was "The Corporation", a name that we used in early story outlines to reference the umbrella organization that would later become AGTC.

-Brock

Coming Soon

From the man who brought you the truth.

Worries

I’m incredibly worried at the moment.

Yeah, it’s the usual production woes – but the thing is, this time around my big gripe lies in casting. Oh yes, casting. I received e-mail today from a student at the college who is serving as my casting director, and he’s told me that he hasn’t really gotten the word out yet about my film. Yes, the film that’s shooting in a week and a half. Yes, The Subject.
I was worried that I might be rushing into this thing, and it would appear that I might have been right. Casting takes time: time to get the word out, time to set up an interview, and time to review the applicants. I can still do it, but now I’ve got the pressure of doing it myself. (Yeah, I had the entire job shoved off on my shoulders.) By the time I’m done filming, I’ll also be the cinematographer, editor, and who knows what else. It’s a film that demands a 5 to 10 man crew and I’m working most, if not all of it.
And it’s annoying. I don’t expect people to come running at my beacon call whenever I have a film, but I also don’t like doing ten jobs at once. It doesn’t help when I’m trying to smooth over my cinematography/directing skills. Dealing with every task in-between can be a real burden.

I think I just need to keep my cool. If it gets too stressful I’ll just take a moment for myself, let the situation glaze over, and then jump back into the fray once I’m straight. I have links to a couple of talent agencies in the valley. Now, all I have to do is peruse the talent and pick out a few key faces to feature in my film. I like how I said “all I have to do” in that last sentence. It underplays the value of what I had hoped to mine out of the casting experience.
I had hoped to spend some time shuffling through talent and finding an actor who could serve as a crazy person. A person who could take the role with all seriousness and tonality, yet, all humor as well. I wanted an actor who could link up with me on my thought process and story nuance (I think that generally, the actors I've gotten out of casting haven't been able to do that. They don't get the "punchlines" so to speak, or they just don't like them). But, it just isn’t going to happen.
I have faith. I still believe that things could turn out all right as long as I spend some time working over these selections. But I’m not going to hope for anything special.
Thankfully, I think Josh and Angie might be able to help out with two of the roles. Soooo...that's two down, and four to go.

And here’s the big kicker about the whole thing; I was going to spend the day working on shot sheets, production schedules, ordering film and catering arrangements. I guess those things will have to wait.

Matter of Chance to the 10th Power

I'm sure you've heard the news by now. I gotta say, it's very cool. First of all...kudos to Gabe for writing the great script, and kudos to all the performers for making it a very enjoyable film. And thanks to Josh for taking the helm on this one. I'm pleased with the fruits of our hard work.

The Observed

I acted for Josh, now Josh has to act for me. And he's gonna be wearing these:



Screenplay for my new film "The Subject" will be on Leonard Hughes later today.

Float On, Kids

This is sick, and quite hilarious.

Matter of Chance

2nd Place - Best Cinematography

AGTC

Best Story

AGTC


Huzzah

Post Mortem

I think it’s time for a recap on my feelings regarding the Oscars. Speaking of which, did anyone watch them? I was over at Gabe’s house briefly on Sunday night with Josh, Gabe, Micah and Alex, but we just watched some of our Matter of Chance films. (We also watched the new 48-Hour flick and some basketball.)
Hence, I didn’t get to see any of the Oscars until I got home around 8:00 or 8:30…which is fine with me. The award ceremony itself bores me. I’m merely interested in the ramifications of who wins.
It was a no-thrills bunch however. In fact, I’m not shocked that Scorsese was duped again, or that Eastwood pigeonholed the top awards. And yet, I can’t say that I’ve seen all of the movies and performances entered in this year’s races. But the choices seemed logical enough, if uninspired.
In face-offs like Best Supporting Actor, the only thing I can really offer is my support of Alan Alda. And the only reason I’m offering such support is because I haven’t seen Morgan Freeman’s performance in Million Dollar Baby. But hey, it’s Morgan Freeman. He’s earned that Oscar and I’m greatly interested in seeing the film that earned it for him.
Cate Blanchett’s Supporting Actress Oscar was noteworthy to me however, simply because her performance was unbelievable. I really enjoyed her lucid tenaciousness in portraying Katherine Hepburn.
And then we had Jamie Foxx’s unrelenting portrayal of Ray Charles, earning him his first Best Lead Oscar. Was it deserved? I think so. His ability to mimic Ray Charles, right down to the nuance unseen by his peers and contemporaries, is uncanny. Leonardo DiCaprio also deserved, but he can’t compete with a performance like Foxx’s. Interestingly enough, I was relieved that Depp didn’t win. I mean, come on, he deserves to win, but not for one of his most understated, autopilot performances. No, an actor like him who crafted a career out of performances the Academy shied away from should win on the basis of such bizarreness. Depp deserves recognition for one of his future freak performances, like Willy Wonka or Edgar Allen Poe.

Finally, we had the best director and the best picture, neither of which I can comment upon. I would have chosen The Aviator, but I haven’t seen Million Dollar Baby yet. I’m unsure of what I would think after such a screening, but I’m betting that I’d be satisfied with Eastwood’s sweep. As for Scorsese? Well, he never needed an Oscar to vindicate himself anyway.

You think about yourself too much

Gabe is right, Digital Ash in a Digital urn is great.

We just may have a new champion.

Oh, and check this out, a possible prop from what could be my next movie. Yes, there was a safari club. No more. But hey, this will be a subtle wink to that era.

Mission: AGTC - Timeline: 48hours

Pre-production at the Matter of Chance offices

I was going to update the blog over the weekend, but I got caught up in the aggressive shooting schedule for Matter of Chance’s new film, AGTC. Josh however, managed to blog an extensive post, after the shooting had commenced, with screencaps and a bit of commentary behind the narrative.
Even though the workload was difficult, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
One of my teachers said that filming a movie is much like going into battle with your own personal army. You have your equipment and weaponry (camera) and you have your soldiers (the director of photography, director, actors, gaffer and so on). To further the analogy, another teacher of mine said that whenever you shoot outside a controlled setting like a studio, you are shooting inside a hostile environment. This means that the elements within the location may not provide amiable backdrop or conditions for your composed image.
Since I have exclusively filmed projects outside a studio environment, I can well attest to this statement. In fact, this weekend seemed to confirm that analogy all the more in my mind. Yes, we were a small task force that moved in to secure the required footage. Our base of operations was Josh’s computer room and our map to victory was a screenplay that he, myself, Micah and Angie brainstormed over late Friday night. With our soldiers in check and Josh at the helm, we combed over a hostile location for the larger part of our Saturday afternoon.
I think what made the location so hostile was the vast number of people swarming in and out of the public library. That made it difficult to film and I think personally, difficult to concentrate.
Yes, this time I filled in as an actor. I have to say, I was reluctant to do it, but Josh had told me that it was his preference for me to play an acting role. In retrospect, I’m glad I acted in the film. It helped me to see how difficult it is for actors to establish an interesting character for the duration of a film. And I was only playing a role for a short 7-minute movie!
At any rate, it is difficult to develop a character within a 48-hour period. Much less, develop a character when you aren’t an actor, but merely an aspiring director with more technical knowledge then acting knowledge. But, I tried.
I think that overall, the movie works very well as a group piece. Yet, the film does have great photography, score and CGI post-production graphics. The story is also interesting. However, in my opinion, I am not sure if the audience is going to appreciate the overflowing detail we loaded into the film. We’ll see…

I think that the two most awkward moments during the filming for me was having to shoot in a bathroom stall (as other people were coming in to use the facilities) and having to run up a flight of stairs right in front of library personnel.
While running, I had to stop for a moment and catch my breath. When I stopped I apologized to Josh and prepped myself to tackle the steps once again, but Josh told me to wait up. In fact, he said: “I think we’re freaking the library people out”. Sure enough, I looked over to find one of the librarians and a couple attendants looking in our direction with a hint of malice and discomfort.
I can’t blame them – we were running full-tilt up the center staircase in a library for crying out loud.
When the day had come to an end, we all regrouped at Manuel’s for some Mexican food and a well-earned break. After that, Josh and Micah flew headfirst into an ambitious editing block, with Josh at the computer keyboard editing footage and Micah at the piano keyboard composing music to the film.
I will always remember our work on “I’m Not Crazy” fondly, but I think it is safe to say that we stepped it up several notches with this year’s 48-Hour Challenge.

Between the hectic shooting schedule over the weekend, Josh and I briefly discussed plans to launch a new website devoted to Matter of Chance Productions. This website was brought into consideration for a number of reasons, one being that we’ve finally begun to amass a number of nicely constructed projects for ourselves. Moreover, we have had several people approach us with ideas for music videos and other projects. So, this website is a natural step.
We didn’t talk a whole lot about content, but Josh tossed around a few ideas that ought to make the website worth visiting. I think it’s safe to say that we’re getting a nice beginning for ourselves.

Sick of Being Deep

Well, The Casket Lottery has, pretty much, finally made it official.

its been awhile. while some say, no news is good news, this might be quite the contrary. its been said, and pretty much determined that the casket lottery has "broken up". it may be true. we never really talked about it, but it seems like that is the current status. we all still get along swimmingly, but got sort of tired of the routine i guess. maybe we'll play again sometime, but that doesn't look like anything that will happen in the near future. we are still playing music in one form or the other. junior has been playing drums and rehearsing for a new appleseed cast recording. he's also teaching quite a few young drummers how to fall in love with music and not go to college. stacy is living the married life and currently making a video game with some friends. he's also playing music with me on some of my own songs that i'll be recording this summer. as well as said tracks, i'm also playing in a very loud band with sean ingram, of coalesce, sam hoskins, of the elevator division, and quite possibly another handsome dude, from another cool band, playing bass. more news on all of those projects as it comes.

I'm glad Nathan will be working on his own music. I'm going to go sulk now...and listen to some Casket Lottery.

Details

I gotta say that the amount of details we've put into this 48-hour film challenge is scary. Matching costumes, ID badges, a secret pen to hold microchips...it's gonna be crazy. If Josh doesn't at least get a 2nd or 3rd for Best Cinematography, I'll be peeved.

Geek Love

You must check out Try Avoidance to see stills from our upcoming movie Intense Math! Peruse the screenplay at http://members.cox.net/gbloyer/IntenseMath.doc if you like.

Productions of Grandeur

Tonight I had a quick little meeting with my art director for my up-coming school film project. It went pretty well and I think she’s starting to feel the vibe of the piece.
Last week when I began discussing the scope and enormity of this new film with her, she practically had a complete shutdown. She was interested in the project, but was unable to fathom the number of people we’d need to recruit from among the school ranks to make it work. It didn’t help that she wanted two people to help oversee the art direction.
I think her biggest worry was trying to match the continuity of the environment shot to shot. Shooting on location is always easy in that regard because the environment is self-preserving; you always have to work around it, but you never get the feeling that elements have changed as the story has progressed. But, since I’ll probably be working in the studio and creating an environment from scratch, she feared matching the continuity of each shot into the entire mosaic the environment represented.
Soooooo, I basically just took a few hours every day this week to sit down and plot out the entire environment for her. I did it from how I saw it in my head. However, I didn’t take into account camera movement while doing this; instead I envisioned the environment as a complete entity that actually existed in the real world.
Then, I went in and broke this environment down into sections. Each section referenced a point in the script where the character was. These sections represented the vast whole of the environment that I had created.
After that, I plotted out overheads of each section and how they could be created in the studio environment. I listed camera and light positions, character movements, f-stops, and what not. By knowing where everything was, I was able to block it out to show her how much we had to show on the camera, what had to remain continuous throughout the film, and what we could leave out. Some parts of the environment that I created in my initial projection didn’t end up being shown on the camera.
Once I showed all this to her she began to realize how easily and economically we could create it. She knew the grand environment, what was involved in it, and how she could break it down into manageable chunks for the various takes.

Sometimes, convincing people is tough, especially these days. Last semester no one knew me. But after shooting a few films and becoming familiar with my fellow student body, I’ve earned the reputation of being a “challenging” director who comes up with ideas that are “difficult to execute”.
My Director of Photography for Pantomiming, Chad Einwalter offered me some support over this issue. He sympathized that it’s terrible when no one wants to take on a tremendous challenge, yet urged me to continue creating challenges, if only to test my own boundaries. That was encouraging for me to hear.
My upcoming shoot is very difficult however. If I cannot get required elements and contributors aligned up in the next few days, I’ll probably trash it and move on to my secondary idea. That’s a tough call to make, but I feel that my secondary idea is very strong. It would also be easier to execute. In that sense, it wouldn’t be like I’d be giving up anything.

I think its of interest to note how I’ve become accustomed to night blogging. Could this become the normal routine? Possibly. For some reason I’ve just grown distasteful of blogging during the day. I have absolutely no problem reading other people’s posts and commenting on them, but I just don’t feel like writing my own posts. I think it’s more of an unloading process at night. During the day I often feel like I need to come up with topics and various subjects to discuss.
In the here and now, my ideas are free flowing. I just write and fill up the blank.

Now, I don’t want to present some overkill on the much analyzed Super bowl game of last weekend, but I do want to offer some thoughts about the various trailers shown during the game’s commercial break.
Two in particular caught my interest, War of the Worlds and Batman Begins:

Batman begins is going to be a very motivating film. It has a great look, yet at the same time it has managed to leave out the stylized edginess that Burton used to characterize his take on the series.

Yet, I worry that the character of Bruce Wayne is going to loose something in this new translation. Wayne is supposed to be brooding, dark, intense. Yet, in this trailer he’s making wise cracks about the Batmobile color. That may only be a comic relief moment, and one of few that actually make it into the final cut, but I felt that it was a tad inappropriate for a character of Wayne’s concentration.

I’d like to finally note that the cinematography for the Bat-Cave is breathtaking, absolutely stunning.

And then we had the trailer for War of the Worlds, which was very unimpressive and rather meandering. I know that Spielberg was trying to capture the feeling of the moment, which was obviously a feeling of terror, but I under whelmed. He could have said so much more in the limited space he was given, yet he didn’t. Don’t get me wrong however; I respect the director’s decision to keep so much unsaid. I can admire his choice to keep his best stuff under wraps until the film actually comes out. But, I just felt like Spielberg showed way too little.

Even some rapid, quick cuts of tantalizing images would have been neat because it would have had the net buzzing for days with screen caps and dissections. Oh well.

This weekend is the Intense Math shoot. We’re shooting in the Phoenix Library. Josh has been stocking up on lights, gels and a dolly. We ought to have plenty to work with. Hopefully, Gabe will be satisfied. I’m especially excited for this shoot because it will be the first time we’ll all be working together. Gabe and Josh have done some great things while working together, so I can only hope to add something to the team and learn to work from their creative process.

Lately

Ohhhh man, tough night at the races.

I can’t believe how tired, and yet at the same time, how energetic I am. I think all these late nights have conditioned me into sleeping later and later. Before you know it, I’ll be one of those people who wake up and do everything at night and then sleep during the day. That must be terrible for your skin. But it wouldn’t really matter; I have pale skin already.
I have been making some progress during these late nights however…writing.
Writing, thinking, blocking out angles, all kinds of things I might normally be adverse to doing during the day. Actually, I have been working hard during the day as well. Either way, it’s all coming around to my benefit. I feel like I’m really learning a lot. I’ve been reading tons of books, plotting out numerous short films, writing screenplays, developing new ideas and honing my abilities. And yet, it’s been very pleasant as well. It’s almost like a solitary existence.

Anyway, I’ve been trying to get into contact with some plant rental houses in the valley. Yes, you heard me, plant rental houses. Never mind what for, what matters is if they can help a student trapped within his own destitution. I think they can, but we’ll see.
I also feel ashamed that I haven’t blogged in a while. Truth be told, I haven’t had much to blog about. I could write out posts to numerous different things I’m working on, but that would merely be histrionic. And you’re sick of histrionic Brock, I’m sure.
I am gearing up for some shooting this weekend with Josh and possibly Gabe. We’re planning to work on this short screenplay that Gabe wrote a few weeks back. It’s really a nice little story with plenty of good lines and interaction between the characters. I think it’ll be fun to block out, shoot and edit.
And then next weekend of course is the 48 Hour Film Challenge. Gabe will be gone, but Josh and I will take care of that one. I may even call up a few schoolmates (if Josh thinks we’ll need more people) and try to get them involved.
Ah, see? I went and became histrionic.

That’s that: I don’t know when I’ll blog again, so don’t expect anything.

Ghost of Jimmy

My silly little story on Mr. Stewart is up at The Study of Leonard Hughes. It was inspired by a conversation in Hollywood with my wife and Brock. It originally was to be longer, but I got stuck where I left off. It's probably better that way.

Inspired by True Events

It’s been a while since I last posted. I feel like I’ve been gone for a long time. I feel like a recluse. I haven’t even shaved in over a week. I’m grizzly.

I’ve been super busy since my Grandmother passed away. I’ve been working on the baby’s room and then flew to Mississippi for the funeral the last weekend of January. Despite the air of sadness, we came back to the house after the funeral and had a good time. I hadn’t seen my cousins in over a decade. We released tension through knife and flame throwing. No exaggeration. The flame throwing involved some Bacardi 151. That should give you an idea of the atmosphere.

A few days after returning, it was back in the air for me to Salt Lake City. Rebekah, Sara, Joel and I went up for the weekend. Joel and I did some snowboarding at Brighton. It was the best snowboarding I’ve ever done. The trip was much needed for me.

Not this coming weekend, but next, I’ll be going back to Mississippi to drive back a U-Haul of stuff. Marco has generously offered to come along. We’ve both done it before. When I bought my Eclipse on eBay, it was located in Mississippi. Marco and I flew over and drove it back. I can tell you right now, it’s not that exciting of a drive.

I’m depressed I have to miss some filmmaking because of everything going on. But, with everything I’ve been experiencing, there may be some life-inspired scripts in the future.

Love You Gone

Sadly, you have probably heard by now about the disbanding of Hey Mercedes. It is an unfortunate event to witness when a favorite band breaks up. Gabe and I have had to experience it several times over the last few years. The Great Casket Lottery scare back in the day nearly tipped the scales, but I think the harshest we have had to cope with recently has been Small Brown Bike’s dismantling. But this…this is a blow without recourse.
Hey Mercedes was a band like no other. They did not boast the popularity of The Get Up Kids, or the fame of Saves the Day, and they most certainly did not rake in the money like numerous other Vagrant bands. But, if I have noticed one singular assessment among their loyal fan base over the course of their breakup, it has been the respectful
acknowledgement that they had class. Hey Mercedes belonged in the pages of The New Yorker. Their dialogue seemed to fit right in step with the picturesque pentameter of famous authors such as Schickler and Salinger. Groups like Saves the Day waxed pre-pubescent anguish over girls they had met in High School. Hey Mercedes was the band that spent its evenings in the smoky parlor over a few lamented tales of bitterness and revenge. They were easily one of the best groups of musicians to grace my collection from the moment of their conception, and they will be missed.

Action

Last night was my first night of Motion Picture Directing. I can’t say that anything terribly life changing happened during the class, but I think it is going to be fun. It is a very different atmosphere from my last semester. So far, I’ve only got one of my former crewmembers in this class, Brandon Steed, the 1st AC for Pantomiming. I’m also supposed to have Pantomiming’s casting director, but he was absent the first night (doh!).
The really interesting thing is that our teacher is actually a member of the Directors Guild of America. His professional name is Johnny Dust. I looked him up on the DGA website after class and found out that he directed commercials for Intel, Pepsi and McDonalds. In fact, one of the things he commented on during the class was his ability to get students freelance jobs with commercial agencies. Who knows?
Anyway, he started the night off with a little anecdote for the class. He once saw this documentary in which the director interviewed a serial killer who was on death row. He was a decidedly bad fellow – a rapist, a murderer, a sadist, sick and brutal in every way imaginable. In his lifetime he had done unspeakable things, and here he was, locked away because of the crimes he committed. The filmmaker rolled the camera and asked him point blank: “If you could do it all again, would you do it differently?”
The criminal sat there for a while, thinking to himself. Then, he looked up at the camera, and said: “If I could do it all again, I would like to direct”.
Some people in the class laughed, but a couple took on disgusted expressions. The teacher said that it was a nice illustration to introduce the world of motion picture directing and what kind of a mentality people believe directors as a whole have.
Regarding our curriculum, he said that he would teach us how to improve our skills in handling actors, but that he wasn’t an actor’s director. In fact, he said that the most indispensable tool a director has is cinematography (and he expects us to be proficient in it).
Overall, it will be an interesting class. Brandon and myself are the two youngest students in the class. Everyone else seems to be in their mid to late 20’s. And since we’re fresh out of production, I think most of the class sees us as snotty upstarts. I’m sure I’ll get to know them in time though.

On a different note, I rented the Village today and watched it for the first time since I saw it in the theater. I think I appreciated it a little more, but I’m still not a fan. However, I did pick out one element of the film that I think was the best in comparison all other films released this year. You’ll know what it is when I give my “best of 2004”…

…Whenever that is.

Game, set, match

Interesting night...interesting night indeed. More tomorrow.

I see skies of blue...

So, let’s talk about this new Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy movie. As you may or may not know, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was a popular book series written and developed by Douglas Adams. Adams, who frequently dabbled in both television and video games as mediums to explore the story, was adamant before his death about getting the stories translated into film. He had even penned a screenplay for such a movie. Now, here we are, sadly without Adams, yet with the presence of the first Hitchhiker movie looming upon us.
Without a doubt, considerable attention has gone into the creation of this film. Months, nay, years of preparation have preceded its conception. Endless debates and ponderings over the need for such a film have perpetrated even Adams’ most loyal of fans. And yet, here it is.
After watching the teaser trailer and reading extensively on the film, I have a number of positive expectations for the movie, but a couple of concerns as well.
First and foremost, the best thing that can be said about this movie is the extraordinary casting. Martin Freeman as Arthur Dent seems to be coolly calculated, Zooey Deschanel as Trillian is nicely played, and Sam Rockwell is always a welcome presence. Throwing in a few seasoned professionals like John Malkovich and Alan Rickman is smart. Overall, they seem to be playing their cards right in this area. The names are recognizable, but thankfully not overtly so.
The second best thing the movie has going for it is the director, Garth Jennings, who is a virtual unknown to mainstream film. Gabe pointed him out to me as the director of Blur’s ridiculously hilarious Coffee and TV music video. Aside from that, he hasn’t really had much experience in the industry. The most notable thing that could be said about the last few years of his work has been his job designing title sequences. However, if the sense of humor and style present in Coffee and TV is any indication, he just may be the right man for the job. It’s also nice to know that the film will not emerge from Jay Roach’s questionable talents (who is now only a producer). Roach, who directed Austin Powers and Meet the Parents, was formerly a concern I nurtured over this film. He is a funny enough director, but in a purely mainstream sense. The Hitchhiker brand of humor tended to stray away from that realm and into the bizarre.

Those being the good things, it’s time to move into the bad.
The first bad thing is the occasional change having taken place, differing the film (rather annoyingly in my opinion) from the book. Most notable among these changes is the alteration of Sam Rockwell’s character, Zaphod Beeblebrox. Formerly, he had two heads, which was quite amusingly played out by Adams numerous times in the prose. Yet the producers and director have thought it apt to change his dual head into a much smaller head that comes out of his nose. I’m sorry, what? Adams’ concept of the character was absurd, but this interpretation is so far, unfavorable. If they are so willing to completely and utterly slaughter one concept, who is to say that they haven’t already abolished others?
The second thing that bothers me is the mindset behind the creation of this film; basically it stands like this: Since Men In Black worked, this will work. Which is an unfortunate way to approach the film. If they’re trying to mold the humor around the style of the Men In Black films, then it’s safe to say that they’ve completely missed the comedic styling of the book, and to a greater extent, Adams. Adams was self-depreciating, mocking, off-color and politically correct to the point of being incorrect. Men In Black was simply concentrated buzz, absurdity for the blind. Very little of the humor was rooted in cultural implications, which the Hitchhiker humor seemed to thrive upon.

Of course, the teaser trailer and poster have raised my anticipation. And there is a singular beacon of hope that might very well propel this film into being a very successful endeavor: Douglas Adams’ guidance. The fact that he begun working on the film, laying the groundwork, before his death is a very comforting thought indeed.

Back to the grind

Tonight is my first night back in school. I’m elated to be back, but I’m also unsure of what might lie in store for me. Whatever the case, I doubt that it will be as harrowing as last semester was. The first class tonight is Motion Picture Directing. There is no actual filming that goes on in this class. Rather, we are given actors and an outline and spend the rest of the semester overseeing various responsibilities, building up to the creation of a film. I imagine that once the class ends and we don’t have any footage to detail all of our hard work, the experience will feel very anti-climatic. Yet, it’s nice to know that I won’t be producing two films at once…again.

Tomorrow night is Cinematography. I suspect that it might be the most difficult class of the semester. However, the arguing principle behind this logic goes like this: Cinematography could be boiled down to a science, but Motion Picture Directing lies in what can’t be measured and tested. I guess it’s more of a touch and go thing with Motion Picture Directing, which might make it an exceedingly difficult class that could very well dwarf Cinematography.
And then, next Monday I have Screenwriting II. I expect this to be the easiest class of the semester, since all we have to do is write.

Good enough

Over the weekend I saw In Good Company, staring Topher Grace and Dennis Quaid. Now, I’ve recently stopped reviewing movies and stuff here on the blog, but I felt like I had to mention this one in passing, only because it came very close to being very good. Yes, it was actually a very ambitious film. The themes explored in the story are thematic narratives that Gabe and myself have attempted to explore in our own stories and screenplays. Yet, while he and I made noble attempts, this film comes very close to nailing the subject of corporatism and cutthroat business practices to the wall. The subject is very darkly explored in the first half of the film, which takes delicate time to lie out the difficulties corporate politics and over-ambition have on marriage and family life. It also sketches out the current climate of lay-offs and empty kindness in the workplace. I think what really sold me on the theme of the film was the direct reference to major companies and firms taking on the visage of self-propelled, self-governed countries. That fear has been predicted for a long time, and now that it seems to be coming to a full-realization, the filmmakers have decided to waste no time in pointing it out.
In Good Company isn’t a great film, but it has a respectable amount of substance and it comes dangerously close to the mark of being memorable.

Weezer

I just heard that the new album single goes by the name of "Beverly Hills".

Drop in

Hey everyone, what’s new? Or should I say, what’s shakin’? I haven’t posted over the last few days, but I will. I just wanted to drop in and let you know that I hadn’t forgotten to blog. I’ve got a few topics I’ll post before the weekend.

Super Element

If you guys didn't already know, The Fifth Element: Ultimate Edition came out today in celebration of Brock's list. Actually, it's release is not related to Brock's list.

Just picked it up during my lunch. I was always dissapointed the original didn't come with any features. Best part? This comes with the SUPERBIT version. Nice. There's an informative review at DVDFile.com.

Oh yeah, The Village came out today also. ;-)

Rebuilding

Went to Zia's last week and went through my list of stolen CDs to find any used copies. Found nineteen. Not bad. Not what I wanted to use my year-end bonus for, but at least I have something to get my CDs back with. I still have a long way to go. Once I've drained my used CD resources, I'll have to go new. Hopefully DeepDiscountCD will have a few.

How was my weekend? Not bad. We were supposed to go to Snowbowl but we chickened out because there was a good chance of storms up North. Our vehicles aren't equipped. Ends up that the storms are happening now. Oh, well, we're shooting for this weekend.

Watched the Broncos lose. It's what I expected really, but, c'mon! I think Peyton's a crybaby. I really hope the Patriots give it to them (Y'all can come over and watch it at my house).

Round Up

Hello everyone, how was your weekend?

Mine wasn’t too bad. It was uneventful and mostly languid, but I made the best of it. School is just one week away for me, so I spent the weekend organizing the information about my classes. Categorizing my school history, I logged all of the classes I have taken and all of the classes I have remaining. Thanks to this, I got a fair estimate that I’d be done with film school by the end of this year. That’s good to know, and it’s also good to physically see all of the progress I have made. Sometimes its difficult to tell what you’re doing and what goal you have in mind when you’re right in the middle of it.
Aside from that, there was nothing memorable about the weekend. I wrote a short screenplay on Friday, which I’ve posted over at Leonard Hughes. It is entitled Wildlifeless. It’s kind of an offshoot from the era I’m currently studying for my next feature length screenplay.

I’m ashamed to say that I’ve anxiously been awaiting the re-launch of Pitchfork News (which has been delayed for another day). I mean, where else can I get daily updates on independent and semi-industry music? Tons of places, I’m sure. Pitchfork is the only one I know though, and the only one I’d happily disagree with. They’re the website I love to hate.

Well, the iconic character list is finally done. In case you missed it, here’s the entire list, from start to finish:

1. Dr. Strangelove
Stuart Little - prank #1
2. Darth Vader
3. Indiana Jones - 4. The Man With No Name
5. James Bond - 6. Willy Wonka
7. Gigolo Joe - 8. Leeloo
9. HAL - 10. Napoleon Dynamite
Kickoff Post


Also, as you probably know, Josh is back from his trip to Boston. He managed to post every single day he was there! In case you missed those posts, here they are, from day one to day fourteen:

Josh's Crazy Trip: Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14
La Fin
Bonus Post: On Making Chinese Movies

At last, the saga is complete.

1. Dr. Strangelove

When Dr. Edward Teller, the inventor of the Atomic Bomb, died in 2003, the media called him “Strangelove”.

The name was an especially cruel jape if you consider all of the other things Teller did in his lifetime. He was also the head of the research for Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative, an attempt to disarm nuclear weapons in space. Tied directly to that was his involvement with laser weapons technology, a new field which Teller championed. Such devices as the F.E.L. (Free Electron Laser), a weapon that toggles the electrons within an atom – freeing them – to create a more powerful laser beam, came about due to his involvement with laser technology. Moreover, Teller was the head of recruiting at the San Francisco based Livermore Weapons Laboratory, a collective of the top minds in the world, all bent towards doomsday research. At his craziest, Teller attempted to develop a laser that could be fueled by the power of a nuclear explosion. With those things in mind, many thought he earned the name of “Strangelove”. Kubrick might have been one of those many people who thought him deserving of it.

Strangelove and his undying mockery
Yes, Teller and other scientists often had a number of things in common with the fictional weapons chieftain. Many scientists who gained influence in the 50’s and 60’s had fled Nazi rule in the 40’s. Although history never recorded it, many might have been divided up piecemeal with other countries once the Nazi regime had come to an end. These weapons designers were quickly put to work in their field of specialty.
They massed power, whispered unknown words into the ears of leaders, and influenced the air of animosity that characterized the Cold War. And Kubrick asked why.
Jeremy once pointed out that Dr. Strangelove did not even show up until halfway through the movie, despite the fact that it was named after him. And yet, he is clearly the centerpiece of this darkly comical opus. Strangelove was a mockery of everything Teller and other influential scientists were. He was an unabashed jab that was masterfully carried out by Peter Sellers (and the seething edge of his sting is still felt to this day). Time went by, wars began and ended at the advice of people like Teller, and Strangelove remained the cruel joke of retaliation.

Every doomsday weapon must have a brilliant mind behind it, you see. And Strangelove was among the very first of such minds to be characterized in motion pictures. He’s the quintessential mad scientist who is tinkering with the fate of mankind to achieve his own ends. At the end of the film, when depression sinks in for the loss of humanity, Strangelove rejoices at the resurrection of his beloved fascism. His forced, yet restrained speech when he utters the word “slaughtered” is a glimpse into his psyche. And his rogue Nazi hand, one of the few things about Strangelove’s persona still pledging allegiance to that bygone evil, seems to have more control over him then even he has.
As such, Strangelove is a commentary on the very nature of weapons scientists and their influence. Strangelove seems to barely maintain an inkling of control over himself. Ironically, the President never stops taking him seriously.

The waroom where Strangelove dwelt

Kubrick was a great fan of Sellers’ performance. In fact, word has it that he couldn’t stop laughing when he was filming Sellers’ war room sequences. Did he know he had created something profound? Would Kubrick suspect that Strangelove would come to represent the vast collective of evil masterminds and madmen throughout the ages? Perhaps. But perhaps he was genuinely touched by the sheer hilarity of the character.
And so it is; Dr. Strangelove continues to remain iconic to this day. Crazy scientists have never really outgrown Kubrick and Sellers’ caricature of their mentality. Their pegging of that era and those unseen historical figures was so acute that it remains credible even now. Of course, real life isn’t nearly so satirical as Strangelove, and Kubrick’s grasp wasn’t meant to be definitive. It’s merely a funny, new creation – the mad scientist and his evil plot.

But it is still a subtle wink….

1. Stuart Little

Surprised? No doubt you are.
The iconic status that Stuart Little reaches is no doubt in part to the clever screenwriting of M. Night Shyamalan. True, each and every character Night created, from Joseph Cross' Joshua A. Beal, to Adrien Brody's Noah Percy, stood as a testament to the overstated beauty of a cinematic icon. But it is Michael J. Fox's vocal treatment, the brilliantly animated character, Stuart Little, who came to represent not just the iconic flair of the Children's genre, but motion picture history itself. His presence here on the list could be counted as a representation of every character ever created, and as a representation of the cinema itself.
Larger than life, with an uncanny smile, Little launched an entire career from this character. He never really deviated from its path for that matter. However, as the fun-living mouse, his character holds the most respectability. Here, he is truly a cinematic icon, and not just some rip-off of so many other rip-offs.
The iconic status of this character is especially interesting to note, because it caused so many other things to take root in filmmaking. What’s more, his legendary presence was sealed because of a number of things not necessarily attributed to Fox's performance.

Ha, ha, ha! Oh, man that cracks me up! Did I actually fool you? Probably not.

Random 1

Man oh man, I just finished the write-up for the last character. It's sitting here, all formatted and ready to be posted, lying in wait in the Eyes Like Static storehouse. I'm gonna let it sit for a few hours though, just so I can come back later and look it over one last time. I catch more mistakes and tend to disagree with my own words if I wait long enough. Anyway, since that's all done I don't really feel like making a long post. I'll just note some things:

So I've been sick for the last few days. I can't even believe it, I feel like it's been one cold right after another. I think I'm finally getting better, but it took long enough. I've enjoyed reading Josh and Jeremy's posts in the meantime. I've also been listening to that new Ted Leo album, which I finally purchased. It's good, really good.

Oh yes, we'll be making some new movies soon. Very soon, I'd expect. Don't worry Gabe! We'll get on it, right away. I think we should get to work on Matt's music video ASAP though. Yes, we have our first actual client, although we're giving him a music video for free (way to go Gabe! (just kidding)). We'll see how that turns out. And hey, we've got the next film challenge to look forward to. And maybe a few other things. Soon enough, I want to put together a reel of the best parts of our combined footage. We can use it to sell ourselves to prospective buyers (sell our talent that is).

2. Darth Vader

Admittedly, I am a big Star Wars fan. However, let me interject here for a moment with a thought: my enjoyment of the series has had absolutely no bearing at all on my selection of Vader as the second most iconic character. None at all. Consider the promotional material for the prequel series and I think you’ll understand why:
For the release of Star Wars, Episode I: The Phantom Menace, George Lucas released a lovely one-sheet poster depicting a young Anakin Skywalker with the menacing shadow of Darth Vader looming behind him. Then, in 2001, Lucas released the very first teaser trailer for Star Wars, Episode II. It was a collection of images set to the tone of Darth Vader’s ominous breathing. Finally, for the last Star Wars film, Revenge of the Sith, the director established a trailer that once again revealed the classic villain in all his glory.
Even when we step away from the promotional material for the latest Star Wars film and consider the linage of the previous films we’re faced with a bombardment of the character. On cereal boxes, action figures, t-shirts, magazines and numerous other items, Vader’s insipid mask is proudly plastered.
Is this repeated use of Vader as a promotional tool purely a matter of coincidence? Absolutely not! It’s calculated and specific, intended for public consumption. Lucas and his marketing team know the impact of the character, and they’ve maximized the use of Vader’s image in every possible manner to profit from that impact. In fact, I doubt that the promotional material for the recent Star Wars films would have been as successful without Vader’s overbearing presence. It’s unfair to give you the impression that he’s the ultimate trump card however.
Vader’s iconic nature may have been used to a vast effect in promotional materials the world over, but he is primarily an iconic character because of the brilliance and creativity that went into establishing him. A number of people are to be applauded for this. First and foremost, the character’s design, a ghoulish concoction of black leather and blinking “life support”, can be attributed to the artistic influence of production designer Ralph Macquarie and Industrial Light and Magic. His skeletal mask, a death’s head of terror, was masterfully sculpted together by production artists and visual effect craftsmen. His haunting respiratory system, that deep hissing noise that emanates from whatever scene he happens to be occupying, is the offspring of Foley Artist Ben Burt. Last, but not least, his voice; a sinister tambour vile enough to be a character in and of itself, can be attributed to the vocal performance of James Earl Jones. Without any of these contributions in place the character would have failed. But, when put together, they give birth to a maniacal, devious character…one that has come to symbolize evil in film for several generations. And if Lucas’ use of Vader in promotional material stands as an indication of the future, it is likely that he’ll continue to symbolize cinema evil for many generations to come.
That is why I’ve selected Darth Vader as my second most iconic film character. He’s the reason why lists like these are created! Of course, it could be argued that his recent sullying at the hands of Lucas’ prequel saga diminishes the character’s resonance. Yet, it could just as easily be counter argued that the character’s original magnificence was never brought into question. A few actors have attempted to portray the man behind the mask, and have failed. But the original performance was never a failure. The group of people I mentioned created an icon, and no matter how many follies Lucas creates, that original iconic character can never be taken away.

The 10 most iconic film characters of all time: 3 and 4

4. The Man With No Name

Until Sergio Leone, Westerns were largely un-cool. Driven by crotchety old men who had some self-righteous ax to grind, the Westerns of old were characterized by languid plots and small-minded narratives. Although many are still remembered fondly today, very few have the cinematic panache to stand apart from the genre as a piece of film legend. They lacked style. They lacked presence. And then, in a salute to grandeur itself, Sergio Leone gave the Western its greatest champion.
True, each and every character Leone created, from Eli Wallac’s Tuco, to Angel Eyes, stood as a testament to the overstated beauty of a cinematic icon. But it is Clint Eastwood’s character, The Man With No Name, who came to represent not just the iconic flair of the Western genre, but motion picture history itself. His presence here on the list could be counted as a representation of every character Leone ever created, and as a representation of the cinema itself.
Larger then life, with an uncanny death-glare, Eastwood launched an entire career from this character. He never really deviated from its path for that matter. However, as The Man With No Name, his character holds the most respectability. Here, he is truly a cinematic icon, and not just some rip-off of so many other rip-offs.
The iconic status of this character is especially interesting to note, because it caused so many other things to take root in filmmaking. What’s more, his legendary presence was sealed because of a number of things not necessarily attributed to Eastwood’s performance.
The costume and visual look for instance was a large contributor to his iconic radiance. Some have pointed out that people would have never worn such crazy clothing in the West, but here it doesn’t matter. In Leone’s west, the larger you are, and the more presence you have, the better.
Leone’s choice of shots and angles in covering The Man With No Name also attribute to his iconic status. Extreme close-ups of Eastwood’s scathing eyes, so close that you can practically see the texture in his skin pores, have become an icon unto themselves. Other tasteful close-ups, such as his hand as it compulsively reaches for his gun holster, or his looming presence as he stands over a field of blank desolation, all blend together to make him larger then life. Simply put: The Man With No Name made the Western hero cooler then any other protagonist to grace the silver screen.






3. Indiana Jones

One of the more famous rumors surrounding directors Steven Spielberg and George Lucas has been their alleged desire to film a James Bond flick. Apparently, this desire first took root years ago, and some have said that both directors pursued the project to a certain extent. However, those are just rumors. Additionally, Lucas and Spielberg never really went through with filming a Bond picture. Whispers and gossip are all that remain of the lucrative Spielberg/Lucas Bond flick. Something else was left over though.
Yes, neither one have denied the fact that Indiana Jones was a character Lucas created to channel their inspiration for a James Bond story into their own creation. They even got the original Bond, Connery, to play Indiana’s father in the final film of the series. Yet, along the way, Lucas tweaked a few things about the character and made them his own.
First and foremost, Indiana Jones resides in the late 30’s to 40’s. The earliest that Bond showed up was 60’s. Likewise, Indiana seems to be missing a number of subtle intricacies that Bond thrived upon, like that icy disposition or general sense of preparedness. Jones is also a scholar, and not just some brainless agent sent to do some overbearing government’s bidding. He lives for the thrill of the hunt and the attainment of some mystical artifact (not his next female conquest).
So why is he on the list? If he’s just some James Bond knock-off, why am I squandering the third best spot on the list over Spielberg’s aborted ambitions? Well, his character deserves special recognition because of how truly iconic he is. Everything about him makes him an icon. His fedora, whip, leather jacket, and personality all mark him as a top cinematic icon. Even the score by John Williams seems to be an extention of the character’s personality.
What’s more, you always get the sense that he’s always going to be escaping some danger or uncertain death, only to fall into the hands of some greater demise (which, he’ll eventually escape, leaving him at the mercy of some other doom). He is a never-ending cycle of trickery and showboating, a character who exists purely for popcorn enjoyment.
And because of that, Indiana Jones is the third most iconic film character of all time. Heck, he is the reason why lists like these exist. Not including him would have been a crime…

The Drive to Cinematize

Since Brock's not getting off his butt, I'll have to post. Just kidding, bro!

I'm highly motivated to do a new film project. I don't care what I do either, be it actor, director, cinematographer, or gaffer. Part of it has to do with the fact that it's been a little while since my last project. Part of it is that I've seen quite a few great movies lately. Part of it is reading about all of Josh's daily experiences up in New England. Also, Brock, Josh, and I have yet to work all together on the same film. I do believe that once we all team up, magic will happen. Cinema magic, mind you.

A disgruntled participant of last year's 48-hour film contest, put on by the MCAI of Arizona, is putting on his own. It is entitled "The Almost Famous Film Festival." Details can be found at www.ballboy.net. Much to my sadness, I'll be out-of-town during the contest. Brock and Josh, go get 'em!

An old friend who really got me into checking independent movies and such emailed me a short script. He moved to Oregon a few years ago, then to Texas. Now he's in Tucson, not too far away. In fact, I first started a blog with him reviewing movies, called "Gabe and Jeremy's Movie Reviews." This was quite a while before Brock and I started one. We actually did it when he was living in Oregon. We tried to see the same movie the same weekend and review it. I hope to work on his movie soon as well.

January 11th, The Phoenix Film Project will be announcing their next film challenge. They say it will take the next step, whatever that is. But I'm excited to do it.

Don't forget about the Phoenix Film Festival coming up in April. I'm debating whether or not I want to return as a volunteer. It was fun, but a lot of work. Plus, I only got to see two movies.

Way of the Future

Last night, over free chips and salsa, and flaun (sp?), Gabe mentioned that I hadn't posted in a while. Yeah...I haven't. Sorry about that. I was so diligent about it last week that I figured no one would notice my absence for a few days. Besides, I didn't really feel like posting for some reason. However, I will probably finish the list this week. 4 and 3 will be later today or early tomorrow. Make special note of this however: characters 1 and 2 will be posted separately. They're important enough that they merit their own separate post. And here's a clue...they're antagonists, not heroes of any sort.

I saw Ocean's 12 and The Aviator over the weekend. Ocean's 12 was terrible, in my opinion. There were a few moments that had a spark of genius, but generally I was disappointed. The Aviator on the other hand was remarkable. It may be a serious contender for my 'best picture of the year'.

-Brock

Parker

Anywho I also saw Spanglish. It was an emotionfest. Let's all cry. Wah Wah Wah, alright now that that's over let's talk with long pauses and little meaningful dialogue and solve our problems. -Parker

Made me laugh...

Behold...

View Brock's second student film, starring me, here. Through the last two films, I've discovered I have a mannerism. It shall die.

I'll host this one for about a week, then I'll put up Brock's class project Pantomiming, starring real actors.

The 10 most iconic film characters - 6 and 5

6. Willy Wonka

You know him as the crazy man in the top hat. Rogue candy-maker, Willy Wonka, was a notable children’s literary figure before he was ever a film character. But it was with this movie in 1971 that the character earned widespread recognition. Willy Wonka from that point on was a memorable character to nearly anyone to place his or her glance on his visage. Many people have suggested that it was his colorful attire that prompted this recognition, and still others suggest that it was the bizarre nature of the movie itself that cemented him in viewer’s minds. But recently, most attribute his iconic nature to Gene Wilder’s uncanny performance.
If you’re looking for dark undertones, look no further. Willy Wonka seemed drenched in them. When he wasn’t coyly stringing his pint-sized contestant winners along, he was grimly alluding to moral hubris and inbred greed. He was a child’s character that took a few moments to address the unreality of his film in a very creepy manner. These dramatic underpinnings coupled with the character’s natural mannerisms have engrained him in most everyone’s mind. Not everyone may recognize all of the characters on this list, but I’d wager that everyone would know who Willy Wonka is. And that’s the true success and iconic status of the character. Poor Depp - here is to hoping he fairs well. He’s taking on an icon himself.

5. James Bond

James Bond almost didn’t make the cut. This is mostly because of the atrociously bad presence his films have had on the industry lately. Sure, they make a plethora of money, but they’re just terrible films. But, I had to give the character sway, especially since I considered his truest incarnation to be in the form of Sean Connery.
Actually, when you consider the James Bond films of that era, they weren’t anything spectacular either. Much more important films were being made at the time, and James Bond was merely a stopgap to an audience that refused to take in anything culturally obscure or dramatically different. And yet, no matter how much more important the other films may have been at the time, you can’t deny the fact that the public at large doesn’t really remember any of them. They do remember James Bond.
He’s changed a little bit with each different actor to take the helm, but he was best defined and represented when Sean Connery played him. Dapper, wry, coolheaded, and an unfortunate womanizer, almost everything about his translation of the character is memorable. And he is iconic as well. Whereas my earliest choices on the list were choices that may not seem iconic to everyone save for myself, here is a character that is iconic to everyone and secretly detested by myself. Well, I don’t dislike Bond actually, and if I have to give way to popcorn cinema (where most of the iconic characters come from anyway), then I’ll gladly give way to James Bond. As he was played by Roger Moore? Forgettable. Timothy Dalton? Regrettable. Pierce Brosnan? Bombastic. Sean Connery? Iconic.

The 10 Most Iconic Film Characters - 8 and 7

8. Leeloo
I considered replacing this character with a “better performer” when I first put together my list. I mean, come on, let’s face it; Milla Jovovich isn’t an actress. She may appear in numerous movies and grace the covers of film periodicals the world over, but by no means can she be counted among the host of serious actresses that populate the silver screen. However, I decided against replacing her character. In fact, I think she earned her nomination on my list fair and square. The role she played in The 5th Element certainly has all the trappings of an iconic film character: a memorable disposition, popularity among those who viewed the film, and a hint of the cinematically visceral. Spending most of the film performing ridiculously unbelievable stunts, or shamelessly uttering globs of slurred, broken English, one can’t help but be enamored by her caricature. Milla Jovovich may be a laughable actress, but herein lays a character that seems cast explicitly for her unabashedness.
The 5th Element teemed with overblown experiences. From the scene chewing of veteran actor Gary Oldman, to the bombastic drawl of Chris Tucker, this is a film that proudly courts itself an overreaching result of a bad drama class. In such a hostile environment, Jovovich seems timid. Her audacity is far outshined by everyone else “acting” in front of the camera, and for much of the film, her character remains engrained in our minds by the subtle shyness she manages to convey. Yet, in a gaudy ballet that materializes in the second half of the film, her tepidness gives way to a theatrically laughable brawl in which she takes on a gang of alien cronies. Now, when I say laughable, don’t assume that I’m waxing judgmental here. The sheer ridiculousness of the scene, replete with kung-fu trickery and Three Stooges sight-gags, can’t help but be made all the more real by Jovovich’s unsightly acting. It’s here that her character reaches iconic status. When the under-acting of the first half of her character manages to set the scene on fire with celluloid salability, then you can be assured of her iconic place on this list.

7. Gigolo Joe

People who worked closely with Stanley Kubrick before his death often spoke of Gigolo Joe as being a particularly harsh character…that is he was harsh before Spielberg got a hold of him. Stanley Kubrick originally had a much more volatile persona in mind for Gigolo Joe. Wither this meant a character who was embittered by the shackles of humanity, or one who had advanced beyond trivial matters and transcended a world of petty pursuits is beyond you or I. Kubrick never got the chance to realize the character. He left that to the man who had directed films like E.T.
Such ruminations can’t help but be considered in a narrative like this however. Especially since Gigolo Joe turned out to be so much more then the sum of Artificial Intelligence itself. Viewers gobbled him up.
I credit this success to a particularly inspired performance by Jude Law (but I suspect the foundation to be laid by the master himself).
Whatever the case, Gigolo Joe was a character that worked on a number of levels. He boasted the audacity of any Kubrick character, yet the compatibility of every Spielberg character. His glassy porcelain skin and glossy hair translated well on the screen, and his persona was heightened by his hapless, unapologetic excitement.
Take a few scenes into consideration and I think you will agree. Note for one, the widening of his mouth as he rumbles through the unsightly neon tunnel (in the shape of a widened mouth) while on the quest to reach the city. Or take notice of his final remark as he is magnified away by the authorities at the end of the film; “I was. I am!”
Speaking purely for kicks here, Jude Law mastered the giddy wide-eyed enthusiasm of Gigolo Joe and gave viewers a longing for the darker version Kubrick kept to himself. And even though he is a recent character, he is still the best and the most iconic (in my opinion) to come out of a recent Spielberg film.

Buy now!

I woke up Saturday morning with a scratchy throat and a tingly nose. Shrugging it off, I told myself that there was no way I was getting sick; it just couldn’t happen. Then I spent Sunday afternoon feeling sapped of all energy. My eyes were drooping and congestion was mounting. By Tuesday evening there was little doubt in my mind that I was sick.
Still, I have to commend myself for managing to remain well for so very long. Usually, I’m treated to a healthy dose of colds and viruses throughout most of the winter season. This year I got off fairly easy. And wouldn’t you know it, I’m already starting to feel better! I think I might be completely recovered by Friday.

The horror...the horror

Am I the only one sickened by the latest batch of Old Navy commercials? Tell me I'm not the only one who would proudly deck that kid who says "what a deal" at the end of every spot.

post highlighting Modest Mouse's commercialism #4,879 ---> Speaking of commercialism, maybe you’ve heard of the favorable turnout for Modest Mouse in the latest batch of “year-end” lists? Yes, Modest Mouse, a band that once represented the very core of the indie mentality has now garnered reputable nods from industry standards like Spin Magazine and others.

Spin magazine (who crowned Coldplay as the Best Band of 2003) has chosen to bestow the title of Best Band upon Modest Mouse for 2004. And the blogs are aglow with discussion. Neither Gabe nor myself are as receptive of Modest Mouse’s latest album, Good News for People Who Love Bad News, as the media is, but I’ve come to regard it as one of the better things to happen to commercial rock. Especially with the recent bombardment of alleged saviors, commercial music needs saving by reluctant heroes now more then ever. And who better then indie-rock’s champions supreme?
I think this mentality was best cemented in my mind when I was wandering through the bookstore the other day and I came across the Spin magazine boldly proclaiming MM as their newfound heroes. The magazine interview was nothing special, but it did offer a particularly nice insight from Isaac Brock. With a leering eye towards recent sensation Usher, Brock (not me, him) boldly stated “you can just tell that guy’s gonna pump records out as fast as he can”. It was this statement that softened my glance towards him and Modest Mouse a little bit.
Others have put it more eloquently then I, but the sentiment remains the same; in a world of blatant lip-syncing and shameless commercialism, can you find a band like Modest Mouse, who would willingly play a dirge like “Satin in a Coffin” on David Letterman, at fault?

In short, I forgive you Modest Mouse, I forgive you.

Winter...

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Not to be confused with Christmas. I do love the winter season, and miss scenes like the one above.

You've been chosen as an extra in the movie adaptation to the sequel of your life. - Pavement. Ever feel like that? Josh - no offense taken, ever. But the brief discussion of Pavement has got me listening to them lately, and that line is one of my favorites.

I had to at least pop-in here. I haven't posted much and Brock's been getting on me to post. Get off my back, Brock! Just kidding, bro. Hopefully I can join in on the "end of the year" lists. We'll see.

Lethargy

It’s been relatively quiet around here for the last few days. I have a number of things that I would like to delve into, but I haven’t really gotten around to any of them due to a lack of drive. Yes, you heard me - a lack of drive. I think when a person hits the ground running, and doesn’t stop running for a very long time, they collapse when they get a chance at lethargy. Being able to enjoy some time away from school has been nice, and I’ve really enjoyed catching up on unseen movies.
It was mentioned to you that I wasn’t terribly satisfied with the music industry this year, but I did plan on listing some of my favorite reissues. It seems that Pitchfork beat me to it. I think I’ll still lay down a few of my own thoughts though. There are a number of reissues that Pitchfork failed to cover in their list, and I’d be pleased to link you to my thoughts.
In other news, the screenwriting is coming along well. I haven’t begun any actual writing yet, but I have been doing a tremendous amount of research on the subject of opium. It’s dark subject matter to delve into, but I suspect my research will serve me well.
I did take some time out of my busy schedule (ha!) to register for next semester: I’ll be taking cinematography and screenwriting II. We’ll see how that goes when I jump back into the student life a few weeks from now.

In the meantime, I’m already brainstorming over my favorite movies for the past year. As mentioned, it has been a great year for movies. I really couldn’t pinpoint an exact time when there wasn’t something in the theater that I wanted to see. Now I’ll get down to the grit of the matter and compose my own “Eyes Like Static Awards for Cinematic Relevance”. (Inside joke abound.)
I know that the Oscars and other prestigious award shows are going to neglect some fine work from 2004 and play the game of politics when they hand out their statues. So I’m going to mimic their categories in my own selections and try to pick some winners that they might not even consider worthy of being a nominee.
That means I’ll cover…

Best Actress
Best Actor
Best Supporting (for both)
Best Cinematography
Best Director
Best Film


Will Lemony Snicket nab the best cinematography...or will The Village beat it out?

Anything else that pops into my head is fair game as well. These selections of mine won’t be spoken of until the “new year” however. I still have a few films to see before I can make a fair decision.

Finally, even though I’ve been lethargic for the last few days, I did manage to put together a mix to commemorate the end of the year. On the way to the screening a couple of weeks ago, Gabe and I listened to a mix he compiled that went by the name of “the Sad Mix”. And it was a somber mix all right. He put stuff from Cat Power, Frou Frou and The Beatles on his mix, composing one dour tape. Yes, even the Beatles were unhappy. Anyway, he inspired me to make my own mix. I tried to take it from the opposite tempo however:

Paperface – Weezer
Sierra – Cursive
The Final Push to the Sum – Grandaddy
I’ve Got It All (Most) – Modest Mouse
Havalina – Pixies
Electrify – The Beastie Boys
I’d Rather Dance With You – Kings of Convenience (Gabe introduced me to this one)
The Way We Get By – Spoon
Needle in the Hay – Elliot Smith
Rocky Raccoon – The Beatles
Macaque – Failure
Art – The Firebird Band
Please Die – Nowhere Man and A Whiskey Girl
Judy is a Punk – The Ramones
4. – Fatigo (The song from Gabe and Josh’s The Glove Box)
Alabaster – Rocky Votolato
I’d Rather Be Wine Drunk – The City On Film

A little bit more upbeat I suppose…save for a few tracks.

The Performance of a Genius

Saw Ray tonight...no lengthy review right now, but Jamie Foxx was great. I felt like the movie itself was good, but his performance a stroke of brilliance. Fans of the music will like it, but Foxx's recreation of Charles is enough to draw anyone in.

Skip me ahead to 2005

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events came out today. Will I see it? Oh sure. In fact, there is plenty of good buzz about the cinematography.

So, I think I’ve finally gotten a list of “albums released in 2004 that I’d like to pick up”. I must say, I personally didn’t feel that this was a great year for music. It started out pretty good, but it kind of fizzled out towards the end. I think 2005 is going to be a much better year for music, especially since we’re promised new releases from:
Rocky Votolato
Beck
Hey Mercedes
Radiohead (maybe)
Weezer

That being said, I’m not sure I have enough albums from 2004 to compile a “best of” list for this year. I probably could, but it would be a very scant list. (I would like to compile a “best of” list for movies however).
Here are the albums that I’d like to purchase from this year:

Bjork – Medulla

I like Bjork…this one may be weird however.

Ted Leo – Shake the Sheets

This album has not gotten very positive reviews, but I listened to a sampling of it, and I liked what I heard. It is a carbon copy of Hearts of Oak, but it is still good. He writes better rock music then the latest trendy garage band, regardless of it being a copy of his older work.

Brian Wilson - Smile

I need to join Gabe on all the Beach Boys lovin’…

Pavement – Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain

“What’s that” you say? Yes, Pavement. This is an old album, but they released a deluxe edition of it this year. I’ve never heard much of Pavement, and I don’t own any of their records. Now that they’re repackaging their classic works in deluxe editions, replete with bonus tracks and Peel sessions, I seem to be hitting the Pavement fix at just the right time…

Owen – I Do Perceive

I should have bought this at the Owen show a week or two back. I just hadn’t heard much of Owen and I wasn’t sure if I’d like it. But I really enjoyed the show and I’ve liked the free Owen songs Gabe has stuck up here on the blog. I need to get this.

Nanners and Cream

Last night Gabe and I took in Bob Nanna’s solo project, City on Film at Modified Arts. The show was great, although Nanna only played 8 songs or so. However, I didn’t expect him to bust out a lengthy set, as it was only Nanna, an amp and an acoustic guitar. If you’ve gotten the chance to see Nanna perform live (minus Hey Mercedes or Braid) then you probably know what he tends to play: Hey Mercedes and Braid songs, a few originals and some covers. He started the set off with "Boy Destroyers" from the Hey Mercedes “Looses Control” LP and ended it with "A Dozen Roses" from Braid’s Frame and Canvas. He did take one request (grudgingly) from a fan, but I wasn’t familiar with the song. Surprisingly, he delivered a nice cover of Lifter-Puller’s "Secret Santa Cruz" in between the set, which was an unexpected choice. (But, a nicely done, unexpected choice.) I think I was slightly disappointed that he didn’t play “I’d Rather Be Wine Drunk” though. Yeah…I know; that was his secret, exclusive song on his 2004 mix tape. But still I was hopping he’d perform it live. (It's on his new EP after all)
I would have bought a CD, except he didn’t have any to sell. He mentioned new music out on The City on Film website though. Check it out.

Speaking of CD’s, Gabe asked me on the way over to the show what I had purchased lately. I haven’t gotten the chance to discuss my latest purchases with him, and so he suggested I list some here on the blog. But when I got home and started to think about it, I realized that I haven’t purchased much of anything lately. In fact, I could narrow my recent music purchases since September down to 4 CD’s! That was tremendously shocking to me, yet at the same time, I hadn’t suspected I had purchased a plethora of new albums. Still, I was a little questioning. I picked up tons of CD’s over the summer; what was it about the winter that caused my music habits to take a dive? And then it hit me: film school.
It’s hard to spend money on CD’s when you don’t have any money I guess…

Anyway, those 4 CD’s that I purchased were nothing extraordinary. 3 of them were CD’s I had been planning to purchase for a long time, and only one CD was a new album released just this year.

Massive Attack – Mezzanine

I didn’t mention this purchase on the blog since it’s primarily electronica music. As you know, I love the electronica. But I didn’t really feel the need to mention this one on the blog. It’s a good CD and I’ve listened to it quite a bit, but it’s definitely a taste that would appeal to Alex and myself: nonexistent guitar-work and an abundance of synthesizers.

Cursive – The Ugly Organ

Probably my personal favorite of my recent purchases, Cursive’s The Ugly Organ is a great album that I neglected to add to my collection for a very long time. I recalled numerous times riding with Gabe, listening to this album, which led me to ask myself, “Why haven’t I gotten this yet?” I’m interested in checking out some of the other Cursive albums, but this is a great one. In retrospect I would add it to my best albums of 2003 list, and probably rate it fairly close to the top.

The Firebird Band – The City At Night

I got this album at The Firebird Band concert Gabe and I attended a few weeks ago. I like the music and I’m a fan of the new direction Chris Broach is taking. Like Gabe, I’m a little disappointed that his voice is so heavily distorted and filtered throughout the album, but I like it nonetheless. Still, I do wish there were more guitar songs…

The Beatles – The White Album

This one is pretty much an essential purchase and I’m shocked that I hadn’t picked it up earlier. I ended up buying it after I heard the song “Rocky Raccoon” in filmmaking student Ray Garcia De Leon’s car. Some other favorite songs from the album are Cry Baby Cry, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Helter Skelter, Martha My Dear, Dear Prudence, and The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill.

I need to compose a list of new music I want to purchase...