I just came back from my first two production meetings (smooshed into one), and already the crew is behind me and wants to rebel against the theacher over a few fine points her and I disagree upon. Wuh-oh. "Hold on" I told them, "do your job, and we'll be cool, I'll handle it.".
Heh,
-Brock
So last night I went location scouting with my Location Manager (Lee) for our short film, Pantomiming. We didn’t stay out too long, (I think he was giving me subtle hints that his wife wanted him back home at a decent hour) but we managed to pick out a few locations that were suitable for the film’s backdrop. The thing about Pantomiming is that the story completely unfolds on one location: a grimy little street corner plastered in trash with a brick wall dominating the background. I thought finding a street corner like that in downtown Phoenix would be relatively easy, but once we got down there we weren’t sure where to go to look for it. We ended up just cruising around looking for something suitable. We ended up finding a Bank 1 made completely out of brickwork. Red brickwork. It isn’t a street corner per say, but if you shoot on the side of the building where the bank’s sign is out of the way, and where the automatic tellers aren’t visible, then it looks like one. So shoot me, I’m shooting a bank for a street corner. It’s not like I’m filming in Toronto and then passing it off as New York.
The other location we found in the downtown area was this back alleyway to an art supply store. It wasn’t as perfect as the bank’s brick wall, but it was grimy and edgy looking. In the end I think we’re going to go with the bank back-lot. But I’ve been wracking my brain today trying to think of something that might be as good if not better then the bank. The bank back lot looks exactly like the street corner I see in my head, but you know…always the perfectionist. What about Copper Square? Maybe.
We also went down by the Bank 1 Ballpark, but that was a total loss. I want a brickwork street corner, not a modern street corner.
At any rate, I think I’ve got my camera set-ups figured out for the shoot. (A camera set-up is an overhead view of the location with the various camera positions and cast members mapped out. It’s like a director’s morbid version of Risk.)
Now here’s where things could get interesting: I think I may have to work on a second script to carry over into the rest of the program. Pantomiming will be filmed on September 25th, which means I can’t carry it over into my next class. Thankfully, I’ve got a second idea on the backburner that could work…
The only thing I haven’t had to worry about for the project thus far has been the music. It’s going to be Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl for sure. No other band has the character and personality needed for this film. I think I've even got the song picked out.
Modest Mouse posted their new video for Ocean Breathes Salty on their website. It's about an odd little kid with glasses who discovers Isaac Brock in a bird suit with a broken wing. One of the best moments of the video shows the little kid nursing Brock back to health. It's...odd. There's some nice use of colors and wide-angle shots too.
This morning was absolutely sublime. I sat inside the corridor before my Biology classroom reading material out of Nine Stories, and no one had any idea who I was. No one even noticed me. That sense of animosity, that feeling that I didn’t even matter in the grand scheme of things was outright intoxicating and absolutely essential for my good mental health. You see; I take my biology class at a completely different college then the one I take my film production classes at. At my day-college I’m just some kid who hangs around the laboratories. To the girl who sat across from me as I built plastic molecules, I was just a sheepish little boy. But when I had to step up before the entire class on Tuesday night I ceased being that sheepish boy and became Brock H. Brown the auteur. And it was outright frightening.
Characterizing and articulating my thoughts and feelings regarding this (now school sponsored) project has been difficult. Of course, I could begin by first describing the overwhelming feeling of ecstasy I experienced when I was given this distinction. In fact, I could even go back a little bit and describe how satisfied I was to be recognized among the four class “finalists”. But more likely, I’m better off highlighting the surreal disposition I held myself in the following morning. “Did that just happen?”
Maybe I’d be better off describing how inept I’ve suddenly become at articulating my artistic and creative impulses. (I could tell you that it’s because I no longer feel like one of the “alienated ones”, that it’s as if I no longer have a right to muster indignation in my work anymore) I could describe all of these feelings and feel wrong for stating them because in the end, I have no right to complain. Moreover, it’s just a stupid student project.
But it’s gotten me thinking none the less; especially when I had to stand up in front of the entire class and hunch over a podium judging how much each student is worth to the school’s project. That age-old adage of how disenfranchised artists often end up falling prey to the woes of the spotlight is true.
It’s just awkward, but in a completely new sense. Before, I had to look up to speak to my fellow classmates. Now, they look down. And I apologize, but to have a girl repeatedly tell you “she’s happy she didn’t have to sleep with anyone to get on the project” is just creepy.
Anyway, I’m sorry. Enough ranting. It’s just stifling: Tuesday night I sat on a bench and had this great talk with a fellow classmate about ‘his vision’. He told me about all of these great skate videos he filmed; about the great locations he’s found and about how much fun he has making films. And then 20 minutes later I stood in front of the class and told him he wasn’t right for the job of DP while the teacher looked on approvingly.
When that happened I pulled a Thom Yorke, I mentally checked out of the hotel so to speak. "I’m not here, this isn’t happening."
English with Marco is comparatively better. It’s a droll subject, but it’s nice to be in a class where I don’t have to ‘hire’ anyone.
Nevertheless, my creative interest in the project hasn’t diminished in the slightest. I spent all day today looking up pictures of actors so I could visualize my characters. And I’ve also snatched photographs by famous artists in order to shade the look of the film.
Back when Gabe, Rebeckah, Alex and I visited the Getty museum in California, we saw a great exhibit of ‘genius photographers’. By tracking down that exhibit online, I’ve been able to find plenty of inspiration for the imagery of my short.
Yeah, I’m a little taken back by the experience. But I’m also excited to begin working on my film. I wanted Gabe and I to have a bigger presence in the Phoenix film society; maybe this is our doorway.
The worst part of it? You can buy The Passion of the Christ, packaged with two cans of Coca Cola’s C2, a free issue of Sports Illustrated or Entertainment Weekly, free CD-Rs, and some money saving coupons!
Lord have mercy.
It's been over a week since I've posted! What a loser I am. I just haven't been able to think of much to post about. Let's see what I can come up with.
Well, I purchased some stuff. Jeff Buckley - Grace: Legacy Edition was one. It's a double CD, DVD set. The first being the original album remastered. The second being some Grace session songs. "Forget Her" on that disc was a previously unreleased track. I like it a lot. Apparently it's being released as a single. I couldn't figure out what station would play it. Something The Zone would've played a few years ago. I'm not so sure now. They've changed too much.
The DVD has an updated EPK and four music videos from Grace.
I also ordered Dr. Strangelove and Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography. Summary:
Cameramen and women discuss the craft and art of cinematography and of the "DP" (the director of photography), illustrating their points with clips from 100 films, from Birth of a Nation to Do the Right Thing. Themes: the DP tells people where to look; changes in movies (the arrival of sound, color, and wide screens) required creative responses from DPs; and, these artisans constantly invent new equipment and try new things, with wonderful results. The narration takes us through the identifiable studio styles of the 30s, the emergence of noir, the New York look, and the impact of Europeans. Citizen Kane, The Conformist, and Gordon Willis get special attention.
Then, for the right price, I'm hoping to get something to make a little noise with.
Man, this heat is getting really old, really fast. I stood outside after my Biology class this morning and it felt like a thousand degrees were melting away my skin and burning my hair ashen. Hopefully it’ll cool down soon. Last year I think the heat lasted until mid-October.
So tonight I’ll be taking my first big test in Pre-Production. I have to define the elements of the Canon Scoopic and be knowledgeable about its technical capabilities. It’s not going to be too difficult, but a few of the terms and definitions tend to sway awfully close to one another. Hence, my biggest fear is confusing one aspect of the camera, like the focal plane, with another, such as the film plane.
Also noteworthy about tonight’s film class is that we’ll be introducing our scripts for our personal short film project. Each script is supposed to be around 3 minutes in length and since we’ll be shooting on non-sync cameras, there won’t be any dialogue. I’ve decided to go for a Keystone cop approach with my short film by playing up the silent angle. Hopefully, the class likes my script, because the story the students pick as “the best” gets completely funded and sponsored by the school. A free ride? Yes please.
On September 1st the Phoenix Film Festival will begin accepting submissions for short films and screenplays. They haven’t posted the complete rules yet, but as you probably know “I’m Not Crazy” is automatically submitted to the festival. I think Gabe and I talked about working on another one to submit as well, but we haven’t decided on anything definite yet. And if I get my student short finished on time, I plan to submit that one too.
But what’s especially noteworthy about the festival (to me anyway) is the screenwriting submission. Make no mistake; I’m going to submit another script this year. It’ll be a completely new story that I’ll begin researching and writing at the end of September. If it turns out to be half decent then chances are it’ll replace “Last Rights with Johnny Bosocw” for the 2005 festival/contest circuit. Johnny had a good run, but I can’t submit him to all the same contests again next year.
Hey everyone, what’s new?
It’s been quite some time since my last post, and I apologize for that. If I had both the time and the energy to post more, I guarantee you I would. But, I promise to try my best to make up for the lost time. In fact, I’m going to attempt posting every single day this week. If I’ve got a minute to spare, you’ve just earned yourself a new post.
That would be my favorite performance of the film. Why? I like it simply because of how anguished and conflicted Li plays his nameless warrior. Where Broken Sword has empathy for the warrior who lays down his weapon, Nameless only seeks to sate the bitterness in his heart. All the other performances are masterfully played and well-executed as well, but I can’t extol them all.
The other aspect of the film I regularly enjoy is its sheer visceral power. The camera set-ups, shots, use of color and frame speeds make this a film a thousand times more visual then any Kung-Fu film to date. Truly, Yimou Zhang was obsessed with the visuals possible for a film like this. (I think my favorite moment is in the ‘Chess House’. The angles and slow-motion really play up the rainfall trickling down and exemplify the ‘lyrical nature’ of martial arts and music.)
I have to admit though that it was also a bit disappointing due to the translation and transfer of the original movie. Gabe mentioned to me during the film that the colors looked a bit darker and the film a little bit grainy. I began to notice this too. As for the translation… well, it left much to be desired. They seemed to take out the poetic nature of the dialogue, and the story even felt a little dumbed down for American consumption. It’s a fantastic movie, don’t get me wrong, but they seemed to loose a plethora of small visual and story qualities in the American release.
I was glad to see it though. I had a long week. As I mentioned earlier, this was my first week back in school. It was good, and the classes were in many cases quite easy, but the sheer amount of homework the teachers assigned quelled my enthusiasm. I’m overjoyed to be busy, but at the same time I long for my lethargy.
Getting back to movies, I’ve been adding plenty of ‘new favorites’ to my DVD collection recently. Just a few weeks ago I purchased my latest favorite film of all time (tied with A New Hope) ‘The Graduate’. And last night I snagged a copy of Dr. Strangelove. I haven’t watched ‘The Graduate’ yet, but I did watch Dr. Strangelove today, and I appreciated it even more since the last time I viewed it. It’s truly a remarkable piece of cinema. Also noteworthy is the fact that it seems even more applicable to today then it may have been ten years ago.
That’s all I can say for now. I’ll post my write-up for my short story “Blood on the Golden Shores” tomorrow. Also, anything else that seems to come to mind will surely be mentioned right here.
Ta ta,
Brock
Gabe and I are posting it up over at Leonard Hughes today. Speaking of which, Blood on the Golden Shores is finally up. I'll put up some notes and thoughts about the story in a little bit. Read it and then stay tuned for my discourse.
This morning I got my first kick of the Fall Semester. As many of our readers may recall, I’m a college student who likes to ramble about his college rumblings from time to time. These rumblings were put on hold over the summer as I went on trips with friends and family to see bands and visit amusement parks. But today the fun came to an end. That’s right; today I entered myself once more into the halls of learning for the fall semester of college. And I couldn’t be happier. Why anyone would be happy in a school environment is beyond some people’s comprehension, but I’m simply more satisfied with learning. I feel sated, alleviated, and to some extent, that I’m being put to good use. Now don’t assume that I’m sniffing my nose at summer writing. Scripting and writing little stories for myself is still a primary form of self-enjoyment, but it’s nice to be making progress in school.
What’s even nicer is that after this semester I will have “cleared the breaking point” so to speak. Most, (and maybe even all) of my prerequisite courses will have been completed at the end of this semester and I’ll have done away with the core film classes (or as Scottsdale likes to refer to them, the “Boot Camp”).
Class breakdown:
Biology 100 – The study of life; examination of basic scientific principles; a crash course in chemistry: Biology 100 promises to be all of these things. At least, that’s what the introduction to my textbook says. Either way, I’m greatly looking forward to this class, as I’ve always been fascinated by science. True, I’ve spent most of my time devoted to the pursuits of literati, but like all geeks, I enjoy learning about molecules and atoms from time to time.
English 102 – A subject I enjoy all too well. English 102 is a course that I neglected to take back in 2003 because I suspected that English 101 was all that was needed to satisfy my prerequisites in this field. Apparently, I was wrong. Either way, I’ll be taking this class with Marco this semester. Marco had previously taken English 101 and wanted to take 102, and so I thought to myself, “what the heck, at least we’ll have fun”.
Boot Camp: Pre-Production/Production/Post-Production – The real meat and potatoes of my college experience. I’ve been building up to these courses for a year now. This is the unhindered, unadulterated study of the mechanics of filmmaking. Everything, from storyboards, to scripts, to call sheets, to the actual filming is covered from the ground up in this course. The classes are sequenced to mimic the production of a film. I’ll start off this month by developing an idea for a short film, scripting it, storyboarding it, and bringing it together to prepare for actual shooting.
I don’t remember exactly what started me in the new direction, but Alex and Rebekah played a big part. They weren’t listening to anything that wasn’t already being played on the radio, but one day they made a couple purchases based on someone’s recommendation. I don’t know who that was, but I’d have to thank them as well. The newly acquired albums were Where You Been by Dinosaur Jr., and Juandice by Lucy’s Fur Coat.
Juandice immediately became their album of the moment, and with good reason. They hailed from San Diego (I think), but they played a hard, southern-style rock that was a lot of fun. Alex and Rebekah hadn’t even touched Where You Been so I decided to borrow it. Man, I’ll never forget the moment I first listened to it. The very first chord hit me like a freight train. Then there was his voice. The deep, nasally depression that was J Mascis.
Then there were the Smashing Pumpkins. That was due to Alex and Rebekah, and hearing “Disarm” on the radio. I’ve listened to Siamese Dream probably more times than any other album I’ve ever owned. I’d put that one on repeat before going to bed. I did that many a night.
Another song that hit me hard the first time I heard it was “Stars” by Hum. That one I heard on the radio. Hum took me many places.
I can go on and on, but those were the big ones.
I’ve had a plethora of harsh feelings regarding Weezer over the past few years and it all began with the Green Album. More recently those feelings soured with my sudden distaste of Maladroit. Now, I languidly watch the band’s website every day as they chart their return to the studio in attempt to record their 5th studio album. Recording at a breakneck pace, Weezer plans to get as much work done as possible before the band’s diminutive leader Rivers Cuomo heads back to school. And as I type this I can’t help but think to myself, “If they pick up where Pinkerton left off, they could once again be my favorite band”.
I’ve always liked Pinkerton. To many it was the stepson of Rivers Cuomo that won its way into the hearts of Weezer fan everywhere. But to me it will always be “the second best”. That night though it felt like something much more; for me it sounded like the continual spark of a movement that never really saw its fulfillment in my eyes. I didn’t say anything like that at the time, I simply sung along to the music with the rest of the car.
And then a few days ago I resurrected Pinkerton from my CD collection and gave it another spin…and then another...and then another. All in all, I must have listened to that album 20 times in the past few days. Why, I couldn’t possibly fathom. That is, I didn’t understand it until I began to grapple with the fact that Weezer used to be my favorite band. That’s right, used to be. Radiohead holds the mantle these days, but back when I was new to the world of music, before I even had a CD collection, Weezer stood as the undefeated champions of my youth. As sappy as this may sound, they were the musical icons I choose to represent “my voice” in the world. Rivers Cuomo and his band of geeks became my generational spokesmen. And then they wrote the Green Album. I can’t quite accept that straightforward, mechanical exertion of music, but Cuomo seems to be absolutely fond of it. Personally, I’ll take the unhinged, raw expression of feeling found within Pinkerton.
When I listened to Pinkerton the other day I felt like I came to a crossroads with my “former favorite band”. Knowing that a new album may be just around the corner, I can only hope that they pick up where Pinkerton left off. I just want Weezer to be a group of songwriters now, not rockers and most certainly not song technicians.
And so here it is: Let’s say their next album fulfills the promise set down by Pinkerton. Let’s say that Weezer’s 5th album disregards the poppy sound beloved by our current MTV viewers, and immerses itself in the dark innuendo and self-depreciation enjoyed by the band’s real fans. If such a thing were to happen, and I’d be completely surprised if it did, then I’d be willing to give the champions their crown back. That’s right. Weezer could be my spokesmen again. Their music could be the soundtrack to my life once more. Pinkerton proved that Cuomo had a songwriting talent that went unappreciated by a generation of teeny-boppers, and if Cuomo has any sense during these recording sessions, he’ll let that talent create a work that can once again reflect the thoughts of fans like me.
Thanks for enduring that casting call. A less self-indulgent post later. For now, what's up with The Wire? Maybe it's post tour let-down, but it's been a while since I've read anything from Nanna and his crew.
In the next screenwriting contest I plan to enter, one of the prizes for the top three winners is a possible meeting with a major motion picture studio. Not that my script could make it that far (although I’d certainly be pleased if it did), but still, it got me wondering who I’d suggest the studio cast for the film if I ever made it that far.
Yeah, I’m a looser. I’ll get to edit my short story today, I promise! But let’s just play “what-if” for a moment.
What if “Last Rights” got optioned to be made into a feature film? Who would play who?
Johnny Boscow – Johnny Depp
screenplay description of Boscow - "Across the nightstand, sitting cramped on the right side of the bed, is JOHNNY BOSCOW, 31, tall dark and contrite."
The story’s weird main character, despondent late night host Johnny Boscow, would be played by the weird actor Johnny Depp. (Similarities between the character and actor’s first names are unintended by the way; I wrote the part as a possible role for Gabe. But if you know your late night history then you probably understand why I chose to name my main character Johnny).
Depp’s frantic, more satirical and world weary persona would have to be shown in this film. Brock H. Brown would coach Depp to play the part like “a good boy scout who’s escorted an old lady and her very heavy packages for one block too many”.
Albert Reily – Philip Seymour Hoffman
Johnny’s spiteful and self-serving head writer (and later sidekick) would have to be played by a unique and organic character actor. He’d have to be able to be sweet as sugar one moment and then black and acidic as bile the next. Hoffman is the perfect build for Albert, and his skills would enable him to play the roll well.
Max Powers – Bruce Campbell
Who better to play late night’s b-list host then b-list actor Bruce Campbell? He’s got the goofy, overly heroic build and the charisma to face off against Depp in a TV “winner takes all”.
Robert Gleck - Dylan Baker
Baker is yet another fluid character actor who also has the right age and mettle to take on the considerable role of the plot’s secondary character, Johnny’s producer. Baker would have to wear a headpiece that would make him look like he’s balding, but other then a few light makeup changes, he’s primed to be the man behind the stage, freaking out at the loss of sponsors.
Gabe, you should have my short story by tonight. I'm gonna run through it quick to clean it up and then you can read it and tell me what you think.
You readers out there who have been waiting for it, be patient. I figured, why post just snippets when I can clean it up and have the entire story online this week?
Brock and I have posted pieces of our scripts on The Study of Leonard Hughes. Brock, where's the short story?
So I just listened to that Owen song Gabe posted. I’m floored. It’s very mellow but very powerful sounding. I think I might have to devote more attention to those guys in my next few music purchases. In fact, I need to write a list of the albums I intend on purchasing.
Hey, check this out:
I didn’t know that Conan O’Brian was going to release some DVD’s. This is great. The first one is supposed to highlight his 10th Anniversary special (which I never saw) while the second is a much-needed Triumph the Insult Comic Dog DVD. I was just sitting around the other day thinking to myself “You know what? I have DVDs of the Simpsons, Futurama, and King of the Hill. But where’s my Conan O’Brian DVD’s?” I wasn’t sure what I wanted in a Conan O’Brian DVD, but I knew I wanted it.
Relatively stable, relatively able... Currently listening to American Football. Soothing. Mike Kinsella, from the aforementioned band, has an acoustical project by the name of Owen. Also available from Polyvinyl Records. Good stuff. In fact, have a taste.
I'm in very high anticipation for this Jeff Buckley release: Grace - Legacy Edition. Hauntingly beautiful.
Gabe clearly devalues himself as a writer; he's got an ability that oftentimes goes underappreciated. Still, he can’t deny his brilliance in using that old blog to post our literary creations. Now we can post our short stories without fear of cluttering up our main blog. What’s more, I’m eager to see Gabe’s work. Check the The Study of Leonard Hughes out later, because I’m going to post an excerpt from “Blood on the Golden Shores”
Do you ever have one of those days when the underlying cinematic inspiration behind the world unravels itself to you? I know that sounds odd, but stick with me here. I had such an experience last night and early this morning.
The first experience came last night when the skies darkened and the wind began to rustle. It’s this time of year when you can feel the air bulging with the humidity of Monsoon Season. In summers past the rains have been unforgiving in their downpour. But this year we’ve gotten scarcely more then a drizzle. That was until last night, when the skies seemed to utterly explode with water. It might have been dry around other parts of the valley, but nearby my house the rain was gushing down in sheets.
And it was nice. The rain cascading down my back porch like a waterfall, puddles turning into rivers in the street, it was cinematic. Being inside my house during the storm made it all the more surreal.
And then there was this morning. I had a dental appointment and I had to leave the house around 6:30. Sleep came fairly easily when I went to bed, but I woke up about an hour and a half earlier then I intended. And I couldn’t coax myself back to sleep. So I got up and decided to see what the world would be like at that hour.
At first I didn’t know what to do, so I put on my headphones and wandered around the house looking at the brightening sky outside. Appropriately, when the darkness began to recede I popped in Failure’s Fantastic Planet and listened to “Daylight”.
(I also listened to “The World At Large”. You can question the rest of Good News all you want, but the epic simplicity of that track marks it as a masterwork.) But the point I’m trying to make here is that I had no idea how amazingly visual these things could be. I knew they were, but for some reason it struck me as extra pertinent last night and today.
Anyway, enough sentimentality; I think its time we consider two albums I’m looking forward to:
Of course, I am tempted to download the rest of the album. But I’ve managed to keep myself restrained so far.
The other album I wanted to look into was Chris Broach’s new Firebird Band release (which I think is entitled The City at Night). I really liked the last Firebird album. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I believe it may be one of my favorite albums of the past five years. Hence, I’m really excited about this next release. Check out the message board on their official site. They’ve asked fans to tell them where they should play in support of the new release. I’ve seen Broach with Braid, but I’d like to see one of his solo projects.
Once, a long time ago, I had an idea for Brock and I to collaborate on a story. We'd take turns writing, using each other's last post as the basis for the next. I basically let that die but the site never did.
Now, it will be the spot that Brock and I will post our short stories, or story ideas. It'll probably be mostly Brock, as my time is nearly non-existent. Plus my creative juices just don't flow as nicely as Brock's. We'll update you here on newly posted material.
The site is: The Study of Leonard Hughes.
Man, I've been in a depressive rut at work for a week and half now. I can't seem to shake it. I get better once I leave work. Can I get worker's comp for work related depression? So, I fittingly listen to Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. The blog is now my couch.
The Ghost of Jimmy Stewart. Soon to be short story? Perhaps. I never finish writing anything I say I will, so don't count on it.
"The ghost of Jimmy Stewart walks into Fredrico's, a hip Hollywood night club..."
Glug, glug, glug...
I mean, uh...
A sitcom eh? I dunno. I don't really like sitcoms. I think there's a few here and there that I've found to be inventive and funny, but the whole Darma & Greg/Will & Grace thing turns me off from wanting to write one. It's like that episode of the Family Guy:
Want to write the next hit sitcom? Bravo channel is doing a reality series for it. It's called Situation: Comedy. Brock, get on it!
Today Brock has reached the 21st year of his life. On to the 22nd.
Interesting stuff regarding Corgan. He was slamming former Pumpkin James Ihan on past posts. It would seem that the only former bandmate Corgan gets along with is Jimmy Chamberlin...
Moving away from the sometimes dark, sometimes unbearably sunny alt-rocker, I should note that there's a new album by folk-singer, groove master, country-boy extrordinare Beck on the horizon. This new album has been reported for some time as being much more in line with albums like Odelay and Midnight Vultures. You can read all about it on Pitchfork. They even have some songtitles from the new album and info on a surprise collaboration.
There's a new message from Billy Corgan at his site. He's currently working on a new album. He also has some "not so kind words" about former Zwan mates. Ouch.
Do any of you Pumpkinheads know what's up with Adore? I was listening to my copy the other day and it's scratched beyond repair. I need to replace it, but it appears to be out of print. Yes? I just looked online, though. I have yet to visit the local music shop.
(No spoilers)
Shyamalan has developed a well crafted ability to draw in his viewers. He does this with character development, music, tense drama and other methods. These methods are often compared to Hitchcock’s. He takes stories that could otherwise be deemed ridiculous if done by another director, and makes them engaging. I very much agree with Roger Ebert when he said:
“...the writer-director, has been successful in evoking horror from minimalist stories, as in ‘Signs,’ which if you think about it rationally is absurd -- but you get too involved to think rationally.”
I was only disappointed with the movie as it came to its near end. The first 90 minutes were just as engaging as his previous two works. Then, there were the two surprises. The first being too obvious, though, I had not guessed it. It was one of those surprises that makes you blurt out “that’s it?” It completely made sense but didn’t match the intensity of the build up.
The second twist, the one that was supposed to be “the big one” also did not trigger a climatic emotional response. In fact, it was one of my few guesses. Would I have thought different if it wasn’t one of my guesses? I sincerely doubt it. The major flaw was that the “shock” was more appropriate for the characters of the movie, the newest generation of the villagers. We as an audience simply cannot relate to the contrast. Did Shyamalan confuse the newest generation of villagers for the audience? It felt like it.
Perhaps after Josh sees the movie, we can openly discuss the specifics of the “surprises.”
They say that this review has a surprise ending...
Yes, after months of heated anticipation I finally got a chance to see M. Night Shyamalan’s latest work The Village Saturday night. Shyamalan gained my admiration years ago with his dark portrayal of a hero’s ascension in Unbreakable. He cemented that admiration with Signs, a work that smacked of Hitchcock influences and techniques. With slow moving and methodical plots I saw a direction that gracefully revealed the cinematic landscape of his stories. His brilliant cinematography and visuals didn’t hurt either. Yes, until now the name M. Night Shyamalan was associated with the words “sublime cinema”. But with The Village the young filmmaker has produced a film of high expectations and mediocre achievements.
This new movie revolves around the story of a small isolated 19th century village and the fearsome race of malignant “creatures” that live in the surrounding woods. The villagers, holding themselves to a pact with the creatures, have agreed to never enter the woods. Likewise, the creatures have agreed to not disturb the peace of the quaint community. However, when the film begins, that pact between man and creature is wearing thin.
It’s around this basic premise that Shyamalan develops the film by focusing upon Joaquin Phoenix’s character Lucius and the relationship shared with romantic interest Ivy Walker, played by Bryce Dallas Howard. Despite Ivy’s blindness and Lucius’ introversion, the two develop a strong connection with one another. Shyamalan always created strong characters, and through this blossoming relationship the Village enjoys some of its strongest moments. The story is lean and fast; the cinematography is picturesque; but above all the story’s characters were nicely crafted and dimensional. Howard in particular lovingly plays Ivy as being colorful and emotive. Lucius is revealed by Phoenix as being quiet and contemplative. Even Adrien Brody, an actor I normally dislike, nicely pulls off the mental simplicity and thickness of his character Noah Percy. With masterful performances and well-written characterizations Shyamalan develops the first half of the film as being a fluid character drama. As I enjoyed this first half I couldn’t help but think to myself, “I can’t understand why this is getting mixed reviews”.
But then the film takes a turn for the worse. A sharp twist in the plot forces one of the film’s protagonists to make a harrowing journey into the forest inhabited by the violent creatures.
Sadly, too many new ideas and themes are expressed during this latter portion of the film. Many of these ideas have thin ties to the stronger plots introduced in the beginning of the story. Moreover, such new elements barely manage to germinate over the rough landscape of the second half and few feel truly connected with the strong characters and emotions of the first half. It’s as if Shyamalan mashed together enough ideas for two films, one being his usual suspense fair and the other a romantic character drama. Yet, while one would imagine his suspense roots taking over in the story, you can’t help but feel like he’s asleep at the wheel. The story construction throws out revelations and then backs up and tries to build suspense through plots that it previously dismantled. Motivations grow to be unclear and the delightful interplay between the film’s characters becomes muted.
And as for those who hope for salvation by his signature “twist” at the end of the film, don’t hope for too much. Yes, even the film’s ending, almost guaranteed to be a doozy, only ends up feeling like it was tacked on at the last minute. It’s abrasive and dull. By no means is this ending complementary of the film’s plot like so many of Shyamalan’s previous finales.
You want a real shocker of an ending? Here it is: after a string of masterworks M. Night has created what can be called his first real disappointment. Perhaps the real disappointment lies in the fact that this let down comes about due to his trademark suspense techniques. They were innovative and witty in Signs. Here they’re simply gimmicky and intrusive. The monsters, if they can be called monsters, are revealed with difficulty and awkwardness, completely unlike the amiable progression of the aliens in Signs. And by the time the “surprise” ending is over, the story wraps up leaving the viewer feeling no delight whatsoever in the story’s resolution. M. Night has failed with The Village. He made a film that was unique in its own right and then forced the atmosphere of his previous works upon it. You heard me; The Village was mediocre. You wanted a surprise ending and you got it.
The new Canon XL2 mini-DV camcorder looks pretty sweet. Sorry for the long post, but I must list these. Here's the new major features:
16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratio shooting formats
With an increasing consumer shift towards widescreen TVs that deliver the full width of film-based theatrical movies, plus the resulting need for productions in the 16:9 aspect ratio, Canon's XL2 offers both the standard 4:3 aspect ratio and the 16:9 widescreen TV aspect ratio. Representing the ratio of the screen width to its height, the 4:3 aspect ratio is that of the common TV screen, and is the most commonly used aspect ratio in broadcasting today.
The 16:9 aspect ratio is the more common aspect ratio for film-based movies, and produces full screen playback on widescreen TVs. 16:9 also is the world standard aspect ratio for HDTV.
By offering a camcorder that is able to be switched between the two aspect ratios, Canon opens the door for multiple production options with the same camera -- the XL2.
Variable frame rates
60i / 30p / 24p (2:3 and 2:3:3:2 both with 1/48th second shutter speed) frame rates are available in the XL2.
The demands being made on the video production community to be able to provide solutions under a multitude of different scenarios have been met with the Canon XL2. It delivers 60i, 30p, 24p (2:3 and 2:3:3:2) frame rates. 60i (interlaced) is the standard video frame rate that has been in use for decades; it's what you see on your home TV, and is captured by handheld consumer camcorders. Progressive (non-interlaced) scanning mimics a film camera's frame-by-frame image capture. 30p, or 30-frame progressive, a non-interlaced format, produces video at the rate of 30 frames per second, delivering spectacular clarity for high speed subjects. Shooting in 30P mode offers video with no interlace artifacts.
The 24p frame rate, for example, is now widely adopted by those planning on transferring the video signal to film. But film/videomakers turn to 24p for the "cine" look even if their productions are not going to be transferred to film, simply because of the "look" of the frame rate. Also just as important as 24p, is the shutter speed of 1/48th per second. This is the standard shutter speed that movie cameras use. The combination of 24p frame rate and 1/48th perfectly mimic a motion film camera.
24p with 2:3 pulldown produces video with the look and motion of film. (24p, used in conjunction with a cine gamma curve on the XL2, produces images that have similar tonal characteristics as film. This mode is used when the finished video will be shown on television. 24p with 2:3:3:2 pulldown, is used when the video is going to be transferred to film. The 2:3:3:2 pulldown allows to editing software to extract true 24 frames a second.
SMPTE time code
The Canon XL2 offers many on-camera enhancements to help capture high-quality footage, including features commonly found on broadcast camcorders. Among these is the placement of a SMPTE time code on the tape. SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) time code is a digital signal that assigns a number to every frame of video, representing hours, minutes, seconds, frames, plus some additional information. The SMPTE time code is used to identify a precise location on a video tape, a mainstay of professional editing allowing all tape and equipment to work together for precise editing.
You can choose Drop, Non-Drop, Rec Run and Free Run modes. Also provided is User bit settings, allowing the inclusion of reel number or other user data.
The XL2 also generates SMPTE color bars with 1 KHz tone (-12dB and -20dB). SMPTE color bars with tone are the standard method of setting up video and audio monitors and edit suites. By using industry standard color bars and tone, the XL2 fits in with all production equipment.
A celebration indeed! We’ll have to plan something and think about what we want to say for the 500th post. I think we’re also about a year and a half old. We’ve definitely stayed committed to this blog, even when we thought that we had no readers.
To answer a question Gabe posted a few posts back, yes, I will be posting my short story here on the blog. I can’t be sure when I’ll do it, but it’ll be before the end if August. I finished writing it and now I’ve got to go through the tough work of rewriting and polishing it up.
I’m sorry to hear that Anchorman was less then great. You’ll have to post your thoughts on Damon and The Bourne Supremacy if you see it Gabe. I think you’ll agree with me on the camerawork, but we might be split on the criticism of Damon.
I need to get that Dear Your reissue. I purchased 24 Hour Revenge Therapy a while back and I’ve enjoyed it immensely since then. The song that this place is named after is “I Typed for Miles”, and I must say the song title alone denotes everything about a post on our blog.
For those of you who have been yearning for a copy of Jawbreaker's Dear You, you can get it as of February 23rd, thanks to Blackball Records. Somehow that passed me by, probably because I already own the album that went out-of-print and became hard to find.
Jawbreaker was a punk band in the early 90s that are now quite influential. I really like to rock the Jawbreaker. The singer, Blake Schwarzenbach, fronts Jets to Brazil and is one of my favorite lyricists. In fact, the title of our blog was lifted from one of his Jets to Brazil songs.
"Dreamed I was a fireman. I just smoked and watched you burn."
"Honey, it's depressing what depression does to some."
"It hasn't been my day for a couple years. What's a couple more? And if I go, don't forget the one good thing I almost did. I learned your name without words."
All from Dear You. He just kept getting better with Jets.
Nice posts, broheimer! Can't wait to read your short story. Will it be posted?
Nice review of The Bourne Supremacy. Funny you should mention Damon's acting. I listened to Ebert and Roeper's review (Two Thumbs Up)and they thought his acting was great, even mentioning that he's underrated. I also think he's underrated but I'll have to see this movie to see how it was. Roeper thought this movie was one of the best of the year.
Was Brock's opinion of over used handheld camera work only noticeable to his "eyes in training?" Would the casual movie goer sit through and not pay notice? Coincidentally, right after reading Brock's review, a co-worker came in and was relating his experience of having seen this movie over the weekend. The chaotic camera shots was one of the first things he brought out, negatively. Too bad.
Over the weekend I saw Spider-Man 2 again, and Anchorman. The latter had it's hilarious moments, but failed to meet expectations over all. It's better as a renter.
This morning at work I sat outside and wasted about 20 minutes on an extended non-smoking smoke break. The breeze was quite pleasant, but the sun still hot.
As I see it, this film’s key to success, aside from its status as a sequel to a highly popular film, lies in three specific areas. They are the film’s lead actor, Matt Damon, the film’s allegedly “smart” storyline (that’s minus the fluff of a Bond flick), and the film’s rugged, washed out cinematography. These three points, which could have served to make this a uniquely engaging film, instead served to crop up as its greatest mistakes.
Starting with Matt Damon, we come to the indispensable fact that he’s really nothing more then an emotionless robot. Many could argue that a covert operations specialist would be void of emotion, trained to be bland and tasteless. Others could just as easily argue that this is a movie. And if the character isn’t engaging or elicit empathy in some way with the audience, then there must be problems with the character and/or the actor. In this case I thought it was Damon who made the slip-up. No matter what happens in the film, his character Jason Bourne, accepts it with the quiet gravity and personality of a wooden marionette. When he does display some sense of emotion he falls pray to the cookie-cutter emotional responses common in 9 out of 10 actors.
Regarding the film’s plot however, I tend to be a bit more forgiving. True, it was a mess of espionage and double-crosses, but I think we’ve come to expect that from our spy films. Spy films offer a unique opportunity; when a plot hole exists in the story, simply cover it over with “missing files” or “information that’s encrypted”. The Bourne Supremacy, like any other spy film, builds for itself a history that’s muddled in secret missions and devious government programs. While its choking thickness is something I’d normally slander a film for, I feel I can let this issue off with a warning. The Bourne Supremacy you see is merely a cinematic manifestation of everything we’ve come to love in modern serial television. Shows like 24, Alias and a host of others coast by week after week on contorted plotlines like this. If the people love it why change it?
But the biggest and most unforgivable mistake of the film lies in the cinematography and camerawork. This is without a doubt some of the worst camerawork to be committed to film this year, and the most railing thing about it is that you just know it was done on purpose.
Most, if not all of the film seems to be shot on a very shaky handheld. Why? Probably because the director of photography and the director felt that it would give the movie a cool, edgy and independent look. It doesn’t, it just looks unprofessional. Shots fail to frame up; views seem to wander on and off the characters, and to worsen the matter the editing is sharp and fast. And the film’s strengths suffer because of it. There’s a car chase sequence in this film that’s just fantastic. It’s truly a contender for being as well done as the respective sequences in Ronin or the French Connection. But it’s all lost due to the shaky hand-held camera. There’s a reason why the steady cam was invented. And believe me, no matter how much of an aesthetic appeal some filmmakers think a handheld has, there are entire legions of independents that wish they had the budget to use a steady cam.
All in all? Fine, but just like the samurai genre, I’ve yet to see a good spy film that’s definitive of this generation. The Bourne Supremacy had what it took to become a noteworthy film, but it wasted its strengths because of a few misplaced weaknesses.
What follows is an account of the blogger Brock H. Brown's travels...
In writing a detailing of my experiences at the Braid shows, I came to two conclusions: The first is that Gabe, being the bigger fan, wrote a much stronger summary. The second conclusion is that a justification of Braid's excellence is pointless. History has already written volumes on Braid's worth. Hence, instead of spending your precious time and emptying my vocabulary, I'd much rather expound upon the band's dynamic. Don't worry; you can rest assured that the shows killed. In my exploration of Braid's live inner-workings however, you will come to an understanding of that.
First and foremost, you need to take into account that Braid is a vastly different band then Hey Mercedes. I say this because in my observation of Hey Mercedes live I've noticed that Hey Mercedes is primarily a "frontman" band. Although influenced by its other members, it’s shaped by the stage presence of its frontman, Bob Nanna. But in order to see the difference between Hey Mercedes and Braid you must throw in Chris Broach. And the second you do that, the group ceases to be a "frontman" band and becomes a counter-balancing act. Broach is quite simply the frontman opposite Nanna. Nanna is poppy, thoughtful, whereas Broach is dark and emotive. In essence, Bob Nanna croons the audience with his feelings; Broach unloads them like caps from a semi-automatic. Nanna was always a performer of want, and Broach one of need. And this dynamic between the two, this contrast shows greatly in a live performance.
That isn't so say that Broach’s lack in Hey Mercedes makes that group worthless, just that his presence is part of what made Braid so worthwhile.
The truly haunting moment during the shows came however at the end of the night. Closing with the last song on Frame and Canvas, "I Keep a Diary", the boys who became Hey Mercedes gradually exited the stage, one by one, until the audience was left with the visual commentary of a solitaire Broach whom strummed the song's final chords.
Being able to see the Braid shows with Gabe, Rebeckah and Alex was a real treat. But the secondary purpose of my trip to California was a hook-up with my family at a two-day stint in Disneyland.
Aside from being able to enjoy the added presence of my aunt, uncle and young cousin (they all flew in front Salt Lake City just to be there) I got to enjoy some of the rides at the massive theme park.
Yeah, Mickey Mouse is a corporate bastard, and Eisner has enough money to mass-burn his greed in the world's most expensive bonfire, but the immense fun of the park quelled every anti-corporate slogan that normally emerges from my mouth. Besides, why should I let the brutal opinions of the anti-corporate cannibal within me interfere with family time? We all got to go on cool rides like Indiana Jones, and the brand new Tower of Terror. My Mom, a normally timid person, went for some of the most gut-wrenching rides at the park, like the Tower and even Disney California's loopy, vomit churning roller coaster.
While I have yet to fully get behind roller coasters, I did go on the Tower of Terror. And let me tell you, the free fall experience of you and 20 other people hurling down a metal shaft into absolute darkness is far worse then anything a mere roller coaster could throw at you. My Uncle tended to think so too: "The rush of speed on the coaster is completely different then the feeling of free fall. I just felt like my stomach was trying to force a way up my throat there."
Still, there were a few oppressions that befell us at "the happiest place on earth". Namely, the tormenting heat. "Hey! I thought Disneyland was in California," you say, "not Phoenix". I thought so too, but apparently, California is going through a patch of warm weather right now. And the combination of heat and being dropped down dark shafts serves to drain the stamina very quickly.
The other downside? This would be the un-ending vendetta between my family and "Splash Mountain" (or the 'log-raft' ride for you non-Disney folk). For years we've tried to ride that infernal attraction to no avail. Massive lines and time constraints always kept it out of our schedule. But this year would be different. This year we got "fast-passes" to the ride, allowing us to skip ahead of the throngs of people and experience the ride at our comfort. It was all coming together when, in my family's moment of triumph, the park shut Splash Mountain down due to "ride difficulties". What?! You mean the ride had won again? Next year...it’s end game for the log-rafts.
After Disneyland we made the trek down to San Diego and stayed a few days on the beautiful Coronado Island. While I could let my volatile disposition pass subtly at Disneyland, I couldn't help but comment a few times on the snooty disposition of Coronado and Hotel Del. And a few others in my family couldn't either. You see, us Browns, we're not wealthy, but we do enjoy spending time in nice places. And Coronado, despite all of its catering to society's "upper-crust", is a relaxing and sociable place to visit. The Hotel Del is always nice to stay in, more for its architectural impression then its elitist tendencies. It was built about a hundred and sixteen years ago, and it still smacks of the rich Victorian era. The dark woodwork and shining handrails, they were a lone Bohemian’s entire dream in the 1800's. And they're still nice surroundings. Besides, spending time on Coronado, despite the riches, added much needed inspiration for my short story. It does reference the island's "golden beeches and shores" after all.
Recently purchased DVDs:
X-Men 1.5
Superman: The Movie
2001: A Spacey Odyssey
Yup, trying to fill up on the older movies.
Yo, Brock, why is it we don't have a link for comments that actually says "comments" instead of the time stamp? I went through the comments settings and didn't see anything.
Before I start with a big post sometime tomorrow, I'll nip a few little things in the bud tonight.
-You can post comments now. Click the time links at the end of every post to see the comments for that post. (I.E. 10:46)
-I've tried several times to write a short story, but over my trip I got near to finishing one for the first time. And now that I'm back, I plan to do the deed. I began this short story when I was on the road with Gabe and his wife to see The Casket Lottery back in May, and I've nearly completed it with this trip. It's entitled Blood on the Golden Shores and once it's done I'll let you read it.
-Josh and his bro's blog is delicious. I loves me some "Try Avoidance".
-Star Wars, Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith. And yes, I'm a nerd.
-Brock
...I'm back to save the universe. As you've probably guessed, I couldn't access the net while I was over in California. I'm sorry about that. But I'm back now, and I promise to tell you plenty about the trip in the coming days. Good post Gabe! He hit the nail on the head; Braid was...surreal.
“Surreal.” It was uttered repeatedly over the weekend. How else would you describe seeing a favorite band for the first time, five years after their demise?
My wife, Rebekah, and I ventured on a six hour trip to California to see the temporarily reunited Braid. Brock and Alex accompanied us. We saw them perform at the Chain Reaction in Anaheim on Friday night, and at the El Rey (awesome place, converted from an old theater) in Los Angeles on Saturday night. Surreal.
The crew took the stage. Bob, Chris, Todd and Damon. The anticipation, culminated over a couple of months, plus the ocean salty air, created a dreamy atmosphere. Was it a dream? So real.
The four of us were quite familiar with Bob, Todd and Damon, having seen them several times as Hey Mercedes. But Chris Broach adds quite a dynamic with his playing and pained yells. If I had seen them before, I think I would’ve said “dang, it’s like they never broke up.” But I guess they were still working out some rough edges at the beginning of the tour. Therefore, I was happy to see them near the end of it.
Braid had become my life’s theme around late ’97. I had the chance to see them on two occasions. Couldn’t make either. They broke up. I was devastated. So, I’ve tried to make it up by seeing them three times on their reunion tour. I rocked out with my fellow Braid devotees, yelling every lyric at the top of my lungs at all three shows. My vocal cords took a beating too. All in good fun. Bob Nanna joked at the Phoenix show after having Jimmy Eat World open – “it’s good to support the local, struggling bands.”
They played all shows with equal intensity. I can’t begin to describe it. I don’t have the words. Perhaps Brock will do it.
Thank you, Braid.
Monday I got back from a three day weekend in California. Braid was the reason. And it was good. More on that later.
Brock's family came through Sunday to begin their week long stint in the area. So, Brock's still over there. His hotel should have Internet access. Will we see a post from Brock in Cali? Post it up, Brock!
Also, Cop 633 in Chunking Express, is Broken Sword in Hero! Didn't even recognize Tony Leung Chiu Wai.
Yes, I'm Not Crazy will be screened, along with about 48 others. They'll be shown at the Harkins Centerpoint in Tempe on Wednesday, July 21st. Tickets are $5 and can be obtained from the Phoenix Film Festival office (602-955-6444).
He's the same cinematographer? That's crazy!
Hey everyone, I'm Not Crazy will be screened on the 21st. I think I have the details in an e-mail Gabe sent me. I'll post them and if you're a Phoenix resident and you're not doing anything that night, maybe you can jaunt on over and see our flick on the big screen!!
On another interesting note regarding Wong Kar Wai, is that he's used the cinematographer Christopher Doyle a few times. He's Australian but he's filmed quite a few Chinese movies, including a new favorite of ours, Hero starring Jet Li. He also filmed Rabbit Proof Fence, a very enjoyable movie.
Well, thanks for the words regarding our film man. Maybe I'm hard on myself, and yeah, I think you pretty much nailed our flick's flaws. Still, you can't help but ponder. Oh well.
However, they recently stopped playing it at 1:00 in the morning on Cartoon Network. Now they play it on Saturdays, I think. Still, it bothers me to no end. I enjoyed being able to watch it nearly every night of the week. It’s by far my favorite Japanese Anime and quite possibly one of my favorite shows of all time. Quite simply, I’m going through Cowboy Bebop withdraws. So I think I’m going to end up buying the series collection on DVD. Sequentially of course, but I’d like to have it because of a few episodes in particular.
Speaking of Asian entertainment, I also wanted to mention that I enjoyed the film by Wong Kar Wai. I’d love to see some more of his work, particularly Fallen Angels. With regard to his films it’s also interesting to consider his work methods. I’m probably going to explain this incorrectly, but I think what Josh told me about his method is that “he gives his actors an overview of the story and the situations and then lets them act it out as they may". Regarding that, the results he gets from his actors is extraordinary. His films, for lack of a better comparison, seem to be the cinematic counterparts of a J.D. Salinger story.
Moving on to a few tidbits of musical news, you might find it fitting to know that Modest Mouse is currently filming their next music video for the single “Ocean Breathes Salty”. While there’s no real information given regarding the video aside from the single itself, Modest Mouse do plan to appear on Late Night with Conan O’Brian on the 21st. It’s presumed they’ll play Ocean Breathes Salty, although the crowd might riot if they don’t play "Float On". Of course they could always end up playing a non-single, like they did on Letterman with “Satin in a Coffin”.
Modest mouse will also be playing at the Celebrity Theater here in Phoenix on the 23rd. Unfortunately I won’t be able to see them as I’ll be on vacation in San Diego. Before I head over to San Diego though I’ll be with Gabe, Rebeckah and Alex at the two Braid shows in L.A. With all the good reports of their tour so far, I expect this to be not only a fun trip but also a fun set of shows.
And as always I’ll take along reading material for the trip. At Coachella I had Moby Dick and for The Casket Lottery I brought Sherlock Holmes and Earnest Hemmingway. This time I’ll be bringing Don Quixote. We toss around jokes about the Curse of La Mancha often enough that I’ve unavoidably become interested in La Mancha itself and the character behind the story, Don Quixote. When I thought upon what I should bring to read for this trip I ultimately decided that I might as well read the book itself. Who knows? Maybe Gilliam will never finish it. Maybe years from now I’ll set out to complete Brock H. Brown’s version of Don Quixote. (not really)
Yes, I still live. We're proud to have come across a sole reader, our friend, Josh Provost.
Ah, the artiste and his constant self-degredation. Brock, your performance is nary the cause of our failing to make the top 25. Besides, I had a visible laugh as well. Those could have been cut, but the real problem was in the focus of the film. The majority of that being a character that was insanely retarded doing crazy stuff (no offense to the mentally handicapped). As funny as it was, it took away from the theme of "escape." However, we definitely had a better film than some of those that made it. We can only blame that on the judges who have a affection for the mundane and ordinary.
Brock and I were able to enjoy a viewing of a Wong Kar Wai film (Chungking Express) at Josh's house. It was enjoyable and I would like to see more of his stuff.
According to At Ease, Radiohead will begin work on their 7th album in 2005. Check it out.
Right now I’m in the middle of rewriting my script. I had begun the rewriting process quite a while ago but neglected it until now. Rewriting is very difficult; it involves a lot of problem solving, plenty of thought and analysis and a little bit of self-meditation. And you never quite know if you’re fixing the problems with the script or simply creating more. I’m working on the rewrite now though because I want to finish the script and have it as polished as I can in time to send it into this contest. I’m going to see if Gabe, Alex and maybe Rebeckah can read it this time as well and offer insight.
Now, as you probably know, whenever I get involved in some writing endeavor, I tend to squelch on my posting duties here at Eyes Like Static. But I’m going to do my best not to let that happen this time. In fact, I’ve got some items in particular I want to mention later this week.
And guess what? This time next week I’ll have seen Braid, twice. Future Brock is such a fortunate dude…
When I last blogged nine days ago, I denoted that I had much to “talk about”. “Complain about” would be the better wordage, for I had just come from seeing the 25 films that won the Phoenix 48-Hour Film Challenge. Yes, Alex, Kevin, Gabe and his wife, and myself had gone to the screening of the top 25 films in order to see what beat us. As it turned out, it wasn’t much.
That’s not to take away the vision and finesse beheld by the sole “greatest film” of the night, Klac, but it is to say that aside from a few films, very little stood out as being great, or even better then our film. My reasoning behind that is this: One of the top ten films was nothing more then a taping of a bunch of guys sitting around and “discussing” what they should do for their project. Once you realize the laziness that must go into creating a project like that, you can’t help but feel the very fiber of your integrity being eaten away.
Yes, some of these films were bad.
In more then one scene I can’t help but crack up from everything that’s going on around me. If you think it’s funny to watch Kevin Ross, the guy in the sports gear, prance around our washed out office screaming “superbowl”, then just imagine what it was like to physically be there and have him scream it into your face. I couldn’t help but smile every now and then. And wouldn’t you know it, the takes in which I’m smiling are the ones in which Kevin and Gabe give their starkest, most poignant representations of their caricatures. Still, the point hit home within me. I felt that I had costed us the screening. Deep down I believed, and still do believe that because of my numerous crack-ups, the judges decided to pass on us.
Yet that irks me to no end, because the rest of the film came together quite nicely. I have to say that even though my performance was bad, Gabe’s and Kevin’s were quite good. Moreover, the cinematography (I feel) was quite good for a short film that cost virtually nothing. And that’s not me tooting my own horn there; we all had our say in the visual look and feel of the film. Many of those angles are mine, yet I’d wager that Kevin and Alex have just as many. Gabe happened one of my favorite shots, the placid fish-eye shot that represented a security camera.
I guess what I’m getting at is that just because I screwed up my performance doesn’t mean that the other guys and the film itself deserve to be penalized. And that’s probably not what happened, but it’s certainly the theory that’s been running through my head.
After the screening I felt quite despondent. I couldn’t help but consider “if we got beat by stuff like that, what does that have to say about our dream of being filmmakers as a whole?” I was crestfallen. Thankfully, a midnight screening of Spider-Man 2 was the perfect remedy.
With all of these characters intertwining one another and being driven apart by Spider-Man, I felt that Rami had succeeded in recreating the very essence of the comics. That sole essence is this: Peter Parker doesn’t win. Even though he keeps Spider-Man a secret he still ends up paying merely because of his secret persona’s existence. It’s a catch 22; his friends and loved ones aren’t close to him because he keeps himself deliberately at a distance. Yet by revealing his identity, his friends would surely destroy him.
Also noteworthy about the film is Alfred Monilia’s performance as Doctor Otto Octavius, or as he’s later referred to as Doc Ock. The charisma and interplay between him and Peter Parker was nicely done. He’s certainly established as one of the better performances in this series.
Sorry for the lack of updates, but I've sort of been a little weird the past few days. I haven't been unstable or anything, I simply mean that my desire to blog has been null. The first thing that comes to mind for mentioning is that our film didn't make the cut in the 48-Hour Film Challenge. It's no big deal, it was our first effort to submit a short to a contest after all. Moreover, we did it in less then 48 hours, which, for a group of relative beginners, is pretty damned good. And, we all love the short. Who cares if some film board doesn't? For a first effort I'll always cherish it.
That's right, yo. Roll out the red carpet for Matter of Chance Productions! Ours, and 45 other short films, will be viewed and judged this Wednesday. The top 25 will be shown at a screening next week. I sure do hope we make it.
If you'd like to see this little film of ours, I'll have a link for it in our Links section shortly. It's around 20-something MB.
When he released his much anticipated reunion album with the E-Street Band in 2003, multi-platinum artist Bruce Springsteen introduced his fans to a dark and somber work that characterized his feelings regarding the attacks on the Twin Towers. His album, The Rising distinguished the artist’s newly revealed opinions on the heated controversies and social issues that marked the day. But he wasn’t the first, and surely not the last to express such views. Since then everyone from Bono to Sparta, Radiohead and the Flaming Lips have taken the time to address their concerns both publicly and musically regarding the world’s current state of affairs. Their opinions are ardent and their views nothing short of strong.
Now flash back six years to 1998. The Beastie Boys have just unleashed their latest studio masterpiece, Hello Nasty, a wild, frenzied marriage of rock, hip hop and rap. The beats are bombastic, and the rhymes silly. With videos for their devastatingly popular singles, Body Movin’ and Intergalactic, the Beasties prove to fans everywhere that they’re just out to have a good time.
But after Hello Nasty nothing happened. Six years dwindled by. The world changed. The kids who had listened to the Beasties in high school grew up, possibly got married, moved on and got jobs. Divisive social elements struck hard worldwide and still the Beastie Boys remained silent. Bruce Springsteen and a plethora of other artists released their so-called defining works on the events surrounding September 11th, 2001. But on June 15th, 2004 the Beasties kept quiet no more.
There had been talk for months on end of a new Beasties album, but to actually hold it in your hands is nothing short of surreal. Also surreal is the very serious, social conscious views expressed on this album. As previously noted, the Beasties were known by their strictly party attitude. They often had smart, witty concepts and rhymes, but to see them throw their lot in with such artists as Springsteen and others by commenting upon the tragedies of September 11th is unexpected.
If that weren’t enough of a shock to the system, listeners will also be taken back by the album’s sparse, nearly void sonic landscape. Hello Nasty was vivid, lush. Its beats, samples and loops oftentimes borderline overcrowded. But on To The 5 Boroughs the Beasties have room to spare in their empty, almost hollow sounding hip-hop elegies. Surely, both the politicking and emptiness are intentional and reflective of the album’s subject matter: the ultimate dirge to New York and current events.
Yet, despite being expressed with deep conviction and feeling, the political opinions and social views become tiresome. While it’s certainly nice to hear the views of a group of artists you love and respect it’s a little bewildering to hear them express basically the same thing as everyone else.
True, their slanders of Bush and his companions are delivered in the typical Beasties fashion, “Is the U.S. gonna keep breaking necks? Maybe its time we impeach Tex. By the time Bush is done, what will be left?”. It’s just a bit surprising to find out that such views could be expressed in the typical Beasties fashion.
Take it as you receive it I suppose, there may be some who will find their political focused rapping conducive and enjoyable. Personally, I’d much rather hear rhymes more consistent with the theme developed in the lead single, Ch-Check It Out.
But how are the songs themselves you ask? Well, after waiting six years for new Beasties material, anxiously hoping that their next album would be as good as Hello Nasty, if not better, I can sum up the music itself in one all-encompassing word: Great.
The sparseness is bound to turn some people off to the record, but others will see it for what it truly is, the defining element. Check Your Head had its musical diversity, Ill Communication its groves, and Hello Nasty its sheer complexity. But To The 5 Boroughs will thoroughly be defined by its sparseness. And all for the better I say.
The loops and samples exude a vicious edginess and mood unlike any other Beasties effort. The beats, although simplistic, are genuinely catchy and even a bit clever. And although I haven’t gotten the chance to listen to the album on a true sound-system, I’m sure that these songs, when properly backed up by lots of base, will absolutely blaze.
One song of note I’d like to mention is “An Open Letter to New York” which is without a doubt, the masterpiece of this album. Other reviews (the Pitchfork one for example) criticize this song for its general word-pictures of New York City, contending that a more defined, abstract view of the city was called for to express its beauty. I’d stand to object, for in this song, the rapping draws the listener to appreciate New York even if he or she has never been to the metropolis. It develops a common appreciation and understanding with its listeners; in other words, by using easily understood themes in expressing the majesty of New York, no one gets left out in enjoying this track.
After six years of heated anticipation, it’s nice to see the Beastie Boys back in business. Fans have been longing to be reintroduced to their geeky hip-hop saviors for years. But the album’s failing rests in the trio’s inability to completely deliver upon that longing. With much of the rapping the Beasties decided to toss out most of their slap-dash comic references in favor of a political slant. While the music is darkly refreshing, the views aren’t. It’s all been said before, just not rapped. But it never had to be. That’s the album’s failing, and yet at the same time, it’s not a devastating one. It’s still a fine Beastie Boys record, full of hot beats and choice samples. And I should say, it is nice to have the Beasties back. I’d rather hear their opinions than Bono’s.
I think that for a first video, our filming went generally smoothly. There were a few problems here and there and things that we had to figure out, but otherwise it was great. I also think it’s going to be a good video. Gabe showed me some of the footage he captured onto his PC earlier this week and it looks astoundingly better then when I first saw it on the camera’s playback screen.
It was merely a taste though for what’s to come. The Phoenix Film Challenge updated their time requirements for all entrees; all videos must be no longer then 5 minutes (or is it six?). I’m hoping that things work out for us and that we’re able to guide our project through the 48 hours. But there are a number of factors I’m going to be paying close attention to throughout the shoot. First and foremost, I want to make sure that if Alex and Kevin bring Canon XLS1 cameras to our team that Gabe and I are able to adequately use them without spending too much time learning how. Secondly, we won’t have a substantial amount of time to think up and create our video. Moreover, it isn’t just Gabe and I shooting the video, its Gabe, myself, plus Kevin and Alex. We all know one another very well, but I’m hoping that no differences in opinions or creative conflicts arise. With the time and the new members to the team, I don’t want to get forced into bypassing some important first stage of the film’s creation, like minor storyboards, a treatment or script.
Those are just some of the worries that have been filtering through my mind. I’m perfectly sure that nothing will go outlandishly bad, but still, it helps to expect everything to go bad. I think we’ll all have to just trust in one another and learn to interact and work accordingly.
I purchased some new (old) music earlier this week when I got The Pharcyde’s masterwork Bizarre Ride II. I’ve only known the Pharcyde briefly, but their music video and Fatlip’s documentary on the Spike Jonez DVD encouraged me to check them out. I was even more prompted into their music when Gabe related to me that he had seen them years back at Lollapalooza and that they were a good group. Thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed.
Bizarre Ride II is an amazing record. Despite being more then ten years old it still strikes me as a stunning accomplishment. The beats, grooves and overall atmosphere created by the group marks it as a nice companion piece to another defining record of that time: The Beastie Boys’ “Check Your Head”.
Speaking of the Beasties, their new album comes out next week!
Well, Brock and I finished up filming for our video. It went well and it was pretty fun. We got a taste of how much work can be involved with these things, and what can go wrong. On to editing.
Here are a few links to Salon's articles on "Pay for Play."
Pay for Play
Payola City
The Day the Music Died
Gabe sent me an article today about the current standard of “payola” in the record industry, and having just read it I can’t even begin to express my anger and distaste at all of the corruption going on in music. The sheer volume of bribery and shady tactics going down is boggling. Maybe Gabe will post the article, but rest assured, there’s a plethora of crap going on behind the scenes that listeners aren’t aware of.
And it makes me Mad. Mad enough that I remembered this crazy idea of mine to become a disc jockey, an idea that sprouted in my mind shortly before I entered college. I wanted to become a DJ primarily so I could play the music I wanted hear. I remember riding around with Alex during the summer, picking up lunch, or shopping for video games or whatever, and listening to the radio, only to be put off by all of the repetitive music we heard. Avril Lavigne, Britney Spears, Blink-182, they all sounded the same. I wanted to become a DJ so I could play stuff like Braid or Hum, or whatever it was I currently liked, stuff that didn’t get played.
But this seedy business going on in the music industry rekindled my desire, with a completely different objective: smite Clear Channel and all of the money-grubbing middle-men bastards who are bullying radio stations into playing the latest 3 minute teeny bopper ballad.
It’ll never happen. The most I could ever hope for would be to work at a campus radio station for a semester or two. Besides, I can infuse my anger and disgust into my films, and possibly reach a much wider audience.
Enough rating, sorry you had to endure that. I should focus on something positive now. For one, Gabe is going to pick me up in 20 minutes so we can go film. I think we mentioned a while back that we planned on doing some music videos for some of our favorite groups, and tonight we’re seeing that vision realized. Gabe’s got his camera, and some new equipment, and we’ve both got ideas for a video for The Casket Lottery’s song “Leaving Town”. I don’t think the band would mind. After all, it’s not like Clear Channel would allow the video to be played without a little payola.
Speaking of Chris Broach, I just received in the mail yesterday, the L'Spaerow CD. I started listening to it this morning and it sounds pretty good. A bit like The Firebird Band. I also got, Kill Bill vol. 1 - Soundtrack, Mogwai - Young Team and The Firebird Band - Archives.
Tonight: Rocky Votolato @ Modified.
Do you realize that tomorrow, Braid (one of the finest indie bands of the 90's for the uninformed) will play their first show since 1999? They broke the hearts of fans everywhere when they broke up in 99, but now they're back together, playing their reunion tour. Check out the link at the side, and be sure to see them.
It’s funny; I was going to say, “Sidewalk Star” is actually kind of neat sounding (in a weird way). But now that I know where you lifted “Matter of Chance” from, I’m all the more enthused about the team name. Maybe years from now we’ll be the top Phoenix production studio, Matter of Chance productions. Heh heh… Yeah, I realized we should have a link since it is a Phoenix cultural event. Maybe some of you readers are planning on entering the event too!
Tomorrow I send off Brock and my team's registration form for the 48-Hour Film Challenge (thanks for the link at right, Brock). So far, the team consists of Brock, me, Alex Rotundo and Kevin Ross. We will be called "Matter of Chance" which was repeated several times in the beginning of Magnolia. So, I kind of lifted it from there, though it is a general phrase.
Brock, I'd imagine that someone, somewhere, would have used that split-screen or picture-in-picture technique, but I can't think of any off hand.
