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...

Aftermath

By now you should know that it is finally over. Yes, this semester has finally ended. I think that I can now look back on the adventure and comment that this was the most difficult and challenging semester I’ve had to endure yet. That might not be saying very much; many people the world over endure much greater challenges academically then I’ve had to endure, but for my faculties, it was tasking.
But it was interesting too, especially the final days leading up to the end of the semester. If you’ll indulge me for a minute, I’d like to recount those days, simply because the people involved and the events that transpired meant very much to me.

Starting off, I need to recount the tale of the end of my film class, Post-Production. This was especially meaningful because it was not only the end of that class, but also the end of several classes and a journey I began in late August. Through this class I had my very first experience with film. And because of the teachers involved, I was able to learn a great deal about the industry I one-day hope to work in, or at least aspire to. Yes, even though they called it “Boot Camp” it was a great experience for me. Let me take you back two weeks ago before I tell you about the end though, and then I will recount the last day of class to you.
Yes, two weeks ago I suffered a reality check. In fact, this entire series of classes has been one big reality check. But perhaps the biggest lesion I had to learn was the one about my limits. As you can probably guess, we were expected to edit our films and present them on the final day of class. Myself and another student neglected to do this over the last few weeks because we were trying to get access to Final Cut as well as a person who could help us edit our pieces on Final Cut.
After spending several weeks going through numerous channels, both professional and personal, I settled upon asking Alex to show me how to use Final Cut. Cocksure arrogance and a healthy dose of ignorance told me that I didn’t have to settle on using iMovie like the other students to edit my film. I was wrong.
After spending several hours plodding around in Final Cut, my fellow classmate and I decided to bail on Alex and retreat to my house to edit our films on iMovie.
We churned out rough cuts of our films in a matter of 4 hours. It was tremendously stressful, both a mental challenge and a test of patience, which was heightened by the reality that our films were due in less then one week. I can’t help but think matters were worsened by the fact that we had spent so long waiting to get access to a program that neither one of us knew how to use. That was time we should have spent editing our films, time that I should have spent realizing I just couldn’t do that much so soon.
Thankfully, we finished our films on time and came out of the ordeal with a healthy dose of humble pie to placate our experiences.
I think the best experience came the following week however, when I screened my films along with my fellow classmates on the final night of class. That screening felt like the fruition of all my hard work during the semester:

Screening 1 – Production Classroom – Tuesday, Dec 8th:

I screened my two student films, Pantomiming and Outside In, along with my commercial for Bic Pens, for the very first time on December 8th. The films went over well with the class, and I get the feeling that everyone felt satisfied for all of the hard work they put into these projects. My initial support in the school (and my first teacher), Dr. Price, seemed pleased by Pantomiming. I was glad to see it, especially since her and I had our fair share of differences at the beginning of the semester.
As for my other film, Outside In, I was very pleased with the results. I was also happy to have both Gabe and Alex attend the screening. During my introduction to the film I put Gabe on the spot by shouting out, “hey look, there’s an actor from the film!” to which the entire class turned on Gabe (who was huddled in the back corner of the room) and applauded.
Many people were impressed by his performance, myself included. Gabe has a unique style that I think is starting to emerge. I was glad to have him in my second student film, and I’ll go on record as saying that I doubt I’d like it nearly as much if he weren’t in it. And I’m not just kissing up here; I really mean it. He made that screening great.

Screening 2 (Surprise Screening) – Turquoise Room – Thursday, December 10th:

After my first screening the teacher asked a few of her students to stay behind and chat with her for a few minutes after class. The way she played it up, I assumed I was going to get some heavy criticism that she didn’t want the other students to witness.
But, it turned out to be quite the opposite. In fact, she asked several students to join her on December 10th in the Turquoise Room (The theater/entertainment room at the school where I saw Noi Albinoi) to screen our films. Apparently, there was some kind of arts festival that takes place every year at the school. Being included in it was an honor. When I got to the screening room that Thursday however, I had no idea as to what film the teacher wanted me to play for the audience: Pantomiming, or Outside In?
When she got there she gave me copies of both films and told me to choose.
I had overheard during the festival that time was running dry and that some pieces were going on too long, so, I decided to screen Outside In since it is the shorter of the two. Also, I backed up my decision by picking Outside In through a game of eanie meanie minie moe. Outside In was moe - it caught a tiger by its toe.

Once again, we were asked to give a short introduction to our films before screening. Now, I’m not fond of doing that, especially since I have nothing prepared to say about my films. So I figured I’d just say whatever.
Thankfully, I got an idea of what I would say by listening to the other student’s in their introductory speeches. You see, each time someone would get up to screen their film, they would apologize for it and ask that the audience not be offended at what they were about to see. Honestly, I didn’t think we were required to say, “Hello, my name is blah blah and I hope you are not offended by my film”.
Dr. Price agreed with this sentiment. During the presentations she turned to me and said, “It’s our job to offend people Brock”. I couldn’t help but smile. When I got up to the mic, chuckles emerged within the audience. The microphone stand had been adjusted for a much taller person, you see. Watching me crane my head upward to talk into the mic must have been quite funny, so I took advantage of it.
“Hello, hello” I said.
“Hello!” the audience enthusiastically replied back.
“My name is Brock. Brock H. Brown. And I’m told that it’s my job to offend you.”
The audience erupted in laughter.
“That being said, here’s my film”.

After the screening on Thursday, I got the bright idea to walk all the way from Scottsdale Community College to Fashion Square Mall. (I don’t have a car, so I decided to walk all the day down to the mall) I was worn out after I got there, but I got there all right. Instead of hanging out at the school all day, I spent my time waltzing around the mall; quite a nice way to cap off the festival I must say!

As for my other two classes, Biology and English, they ended in a similarly pleasant manner. English as you know ended with me being exempt from the final exam. Biology closed with me giving yet another presentation, but it was one I was glad to give. This presentation, on Progeria Syndrome, was the final thing I would do for the entire semester. After that I had a nice and unexpected lunch with Josh.

Now that it is finally over I can’t help but look back, weary and amused, and appreciate the free time I have. I must recuperate however. Make no doubt about it, this winter vacation is going to be much needed, especially after my last few months of Mimes, mailboxes and deadlines. I can finally devote time to some of my personal pursuits…like writing my screenplay.
Yes, I must shamefully admit that I had to shelve my screenplay in order to finish the semester on time. That means that I won’t be entering a screenplay in this year’s Phoenix Film Festival. It feels like I’m betraying something grand when I say that, and believe me, making that decision was incredibly difficult. But when I reviewed all of the other things that were going on at the time, I realize that I had no time to spare. Every waking moment I had (save for a few rest moments to preserve sanity) was filtered off to some important and time-consuming task. Placing a screenplay on my plate meant that something else would have escaped my attention. And that wasn’t something I was prepared to do.
Have I betrayed Johnny Boscow? Yes, he would have been ashamed at me. I never had the time to realize my next character, the Opium Eater. But now that my schooling is over for the semester, I’ll get a chance to begin and complete my second full-length screenplay.

Another thing I’ll finally have time for is blogging. Yes, more blogging. I’m sorry to say that my blogging activity has gone down recently. Well, some people wouldn’t be ashamed, they’d say, “Hurrah, I’m free!” so maybe I should say that I’m mildly annoyed.
Either way, I’ll try and finish that film character list I started (which was ironically created to spike blog activity) as well as attempt to post more often.
Hopefully, you’ll read along with me as I lay down my thoughts here on Eyes Like Static. Maybe the other guys will be able to stumble in and post too. I think most everyone I know is busy with something very important right now, so chances are you’ll have to stick out the rest of the year with me. But that’s fine, right? At any rate, it’s inevitable.

Another trailer

Here's one more trailer for you guys, Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds. It looks pretty cool to me. I like the visual at the end of the trailer with the horizon aglow in fire and ash as suburbia looks on. Very cinematic.
This would have been a cheap trick, but I also thought it might have been cool to have a piece of the original Orson Welles narration running over the trailer instead of that current narration. It's still powerful though.

Chewing gum is really gross

Here's the very bizzare trailer for Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Buy Guitar Now!

I'm giving up my baby. No, not the human baby. My Gibson SG Standard that I longed for so long. It was too good for me. Plus, I'm really liking the drums. PLUS, once I sell that and my amp, I'm going to use the dough for the same Panasonic mini-DV camcorder Josh has.

I will keep my acoustic for sure. I figure if I actually write any songs and need some electric, I can head to Josh's and track that. Right, Josh? ;-)

Bastardos!!!

Last night our car (Alero) was broken into. Many, many of my precious CDs are gone! At least 60. If anything good can come out of this, I hope those thieves expand their musical tastes.

That's unpossible!

Chairs scraping, the hum of vending machines and the hollow din of a scant few people chattering to one another. I'm sitting here at a computer in the barren school lounge, typing this post, after having the most unexpected experience of the day.
Tonight I was supposed to take my English exam, but no more. Did the teacher get sick? Nope. Did the school have a fire? Ha! Nope. I got a good grade on my last research paper, that's what. I was completely astounded. That's not to say I typically do a poor job on my work, but I didn't expect to do a good enough job to be exempted from the final exam. That never happens. And in this semester, this semester of trial and temptation and stress and tribulation upon my wildest dreams, I utterly did not expect to get a good grade in English. A respectable grade? Sure. A passing grade? Well, even at my worst I'd hope to at least "pass". But hey, things turned out all right.
Now I'm here in the cavernous school lounge, unloading the adjectives I would have used on tonight's exam here on my blog.

Good news for people who love bad award shows

So the Grammys where announced. Like the Oscars, that's no excuse for an award show - the categories are meaningless and the selections pandering. BUT, something happened this year that I think few people expected. Ever.

Yep, Modest Mouse snagged some nominations.

Float On was nominated for "Best Rock Song" and "Good News for People Who Love Bad News" was nominated as "Best Alternative Music" album. They have stiff competition for "best alt album" from Bjork, Wilco and Franz Ferdinand and in best rock song they're going up against the likes of Green Day, U2 and Velvet Revolver. Unlikely that they'll win, but still, it's nice. I never expected the band who sung about eating snowflakes on paper plates to get this far. Craziness.

On the dl

Keeping my head down for the next little while...posting shorties like this. Got a ton of work done yesterday. Lookin' good.
Here's some props for next semester:

Laters.

-Brock

Stuff in the mailbox

A shame I don't know anyone who sounds like Rod Sterling...

I picked up the above two DVDs yesterday. Actually, I went to get Spider-Man 2 and happened across Hero. I didn't know it came out as well. I already have the Asian version, but none of the special features are in English or subtitled. I can't wait to see them again.

I haven't had the chance to pick up Owen's new album yet, perhaps I will this Saturday, when he performs at The Modified. That's right, if you live in Phoenix and I know you...I expect to see you there.

Cover

Check it out, Ray just finished the cover on Outside In. If you didn't know better you could almost swear this was a movie by some talented director.

Lazy, Forgetful

I had planned to post all about my San Francisco trip, but I've given up. Too lazy and I've forgotten what we did. Sure, the details aren't important, but, I've had to put it off too long. In fact, I just now uploaded my Colorado trip pictures. Check 'em out: http://photos.yahoo.com/gbloyer.

Final Cut

Final cut of my commercial: Done

Final cut of my films: Done late next week

Success!

Hey, I'm already posting more. Someone else has been posting too...

10 and 9

10: Napoleon Dynamite

The film Napoleon Dynamite represents a range of opinions that is varied at best. Many hail it as the essential independent film of this generation; a masterful blend of style, oddity and uniqueness that remains a staple for the indie genre. Others simply label it as “a funny movie”, nothing more.
Napoleon Dynamite on the other hand stands as an essential film character for our generation. Whereas half of the characters expressed on this list will be taken from films that are much older then I, Napoleon stands as a character that was birthed under the cultural views and influence of our time. He’s a mixture of two ideals that have been revisited over the past few years. One being that kitsch is good, the other being “you guys are retarded”. Regarding kitsch - style and dress from the 80’s and 70’s has become fair game, and often preferable. With television like that 70’s show and Freaks and Geeks, Napoleon is the end product of a catalyst developed throughout the thread of the past few years. Bold ties, Afros, decidedly dorky glasses, he is the reestablishment of an old time fashioned after the needs of our current era.

His character on the other hand is unique and confused. The tagline to the film, “He's out to prove he's got nothing to prove”, seems to sum up the general feelings shared by many today. His spun tales of wolverines and unicorns are so unbelievable that he couldn’t possibly stand a chance of misleading us. His character is unique in the sense that he rivals in the unique. Ironically, he may also be a slandering of the unique, simply because of how he dresses and how he acts. Napoleon’s hit and miss, unassuming verbiage smacks of dialect expressed by younger kids throughout the mid 90’s. Such outlandish expressions as “You guys are retarded!” still manage to pop up every now and then.

But what earns him iconic status has been his assimilation into modern quotation. I hear people quoting Napoleon Dynamite all of the time. Sure, it gets a little old, but at least it’s taken some of the heat off Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Napoleon may have cemented himself in our minds through visual appearance and character, but his dialect earns him the label of “cinematic icon”.

9: HAL

Voiced by Douglas Rain, HAL represents the first time a cinematic character has stood for the “all seeing eye” in a film. Beforehand, most characters were probably stationed in the physical realm, but his character is unique in the sense that he has no physical body to speak of. He’s iconic however, due to his glowing red eye.
An interesting thing could be drawn from the bright orange (and later on blazing red) glow of that eye. One of the deepest held convictions behind humanity is that the further along we progress with technology, the more emotionless we become. The film’s astronauts are a true representation of this fear. Kubrick decided to shoot them in cold blues and dull grays for most of the film, and their personalities leave little for the viewer to take interest in. Ironically, the humans seemed to throw their emotions upon their technology when they progress beyond needing them. HAL is thus jealous, possessive, begging and aggressive. He is the raw and unadulterated emotion that humanity has come to forget. It is only later on in the film when Dave is threatened with death that his instincts for survival decide to kick in. Wisely, Kubrick begins to shoot Dave in bright oranges and yellows to heighten the emotional intensity of rediscovering humanity’s core.
HAL stands as the catalyst for this event, and his iconic status has elevated him into numerous pop culture references and jokes. Today he is the first image that comes to our mind when we think of Artificial Intelligence, and he is probably one of the more memorable characters taken out of a Kubrick film. Interestingly, David, the boy robot from Kubrick’s final work, A.I. was originally planned to be HAL in the early stages of life. Although the idea was tantalizing, it’s good that Kubrick left HAL alone in the confines of 2001. HAL was an iconic creation from the get go, and he remains one to this day.

The 10 most iconic film characters (in Brock’s mind)

I think that I’ve proven myself unable to post on a regular basis. I’ll go for days, sometimes weeks on end without a single post, and then, as if a thief in the night, I explode with a flurry of posts out of nowhere. That’s probably not very fulfilling or enjoyable on my part. So, I’m going to have to give myself a bit of an incentive to post every day of this week. I’m going to compose a blank list for myself to fill in (and for you to read).
This list was inspired by the recent Rolling Stone list, “The 20 Most Iconic Rockers of All Time”. Instead, I will be delving into the 10 most iconic film characters…in my mind. Every day this week, I will unleash two new characters upon you unsuspecting bloggers. By the end of the week we ought to have 10. But first, let me establish a few rules for myself:

• Character is based on visual appeal, performance, and cohesive mixing of the two. In other words, visual appearance and action must reflect, and hopefully be an extension of the character derived from within the performance. The film character logically then must be established cinematically. And cinematically means both visually, and in terms favorable to the fictional narrative.

• The characters must be chosen from a pallet that favors both the popular, and the obscure. In other words, I can’t just pick a bunch of famous movie icons simply because I know everyone will recognize them. I’m not going to be throwing down Bogart characters or referencing Marilyn Monroe from “Some Like it Hot”. The characters have to be unique, iconic, and maybe even a little bit obscure.

• The character may overrule my personal distaste for the film he or she appears in. So if I love a character, but dislike a film, then that character has the right to overrule my distaste of the film and be established on the list regardless of my personal feelings. If I love the character and the performance, then so be it.

• Everything else is fair game. “All is fair in love, war…and motion pictures.”

Tomorrow we’ll kick it off with 10 and 9 on the list.

Prime

Transformers, robots in disguise!

The Albino(s)

The third and final teacher in my production block is Icelandic. When she first walked into the classroom a week or two ago I was struck by a number of things about her. But I was mostly struck by her hilariously weird personality. She's just crazy. Anyway, she's got us writing an outside paper on film editing, and while she allowed us to make our own choices over what we would view, she strongly recommended we come to the school and watch an Icelandic film she was hosting for the public: Nói albinói.
I could name a number of films that I'd love to take a bite at, films with unique and bizarre editing styles. Buuuuut...she was not only strongly recommending we see this Icelandic film, she was also offering extra credit to any film student who showed up. I couldn't resist. So, I took in the Icelandic film Noi Albinoi, a story not unlike many previous stories about alienation and social isolation.

I won't spew out another review, I promise, but I thought it was funny how remarkably similar Noi is to other misunderstood protagonists. Like say...Edward Scissorhands? Or maybe even...Powder? I hadn't noticed how similar all of these outcasts were to one another! Pasty, white, somber, and often bald. And who can forget how such characters happen to attract the very pretty "ideal girl" that other characters in the film are unable to woo. But they always happen to loose her in the end.
I liked Noi though. Nowhere near as much as Edward Scissorhands, but it was a nice film. Oh yeah, the editing was very cool, the music was great and I liked the cinematography.

Superb style.

Incredible Unbreakable

This morning was the first morning I can remember when I didn't open my eyes and feel...sadness. - Unbreakable

Job depression is a common theme often explored in Superhero stories. This theme is especially prominent in current superhero drama popularized on the big screen. The breakthrough case seemed to come from M. Night Shyamalan's 2000 film, Unbreakable. Here was a story about a man discovering the vast, superhero-like powers within himself and the underlying evil present within others. Shyamalan's character of David Dunn is a petty and unsatisfied man. In scenes capitulated throughout the film we discover that Dunn is deeply dissatisfied with his wife, his job, and life in general. When the film’s co-star presents a solution to him, David Dunn's life seems to rise up from the disillusioned ashes embodied by his workplace and family troubles. He discovers at the end of the film that saving lives is his true calling, and that his life sequence was merely an attempt to find his true calling: that of a protector.
Pixar Animation Studio's new film, The Incredibles, takes up this theme and expands upon it after the fact. Picture a film years after David Dunn has set aside his green smock. Imagine a film where he has retired from his life of protection. Picture a film where the solution to his depression is already imminent, yet relief is held in suspension by opposing forces. And picture a film a little bit lighter hearted. Piece all of these elements together and you just might get Pixar’s The Incredibles, a story about retired superhero Bob Parr and his dysfunctional, repressed family.
Bob Parr, much like David Dunn, has a need in life. He has the need to protect others. His incredible strength (ironically, much like Dunn's strength in Unbreakable) drives Parr to seek out and ensure the safety of others. But here's the real twist: Parr and other superheroes are placed under deep restriction by the government. After a hairy lawsuit depicted in the beginning of the film, Superheroes like Parr were deemed unsafe and suppressed by the government into normal, suburban lives. It is within this premise that we begin to explore a character story similar to Shyamalan's. Bob Parr has a need in life. And while he has the advantage of knowing what that need is, he is unable to fulfill it. Dryly underscored like a mid-life crisis, Parr’s needs send him off on a quest to help a mysterious organization. As wacky as the premise sounds, watching it unfold is even more fun.

The Incredibles has earned a plethora of kindly reviews, and it deserves every one of them. It's a tremendous piece that was written and directed by Brad Bird, whose other achievements include The Iron Giant and a renowned run on The Simpson’s. Bird's characters have flair unlike any other Pixar creation to date. Brimming with Superhero clichés and subtle irony, these characters inhabit a world that manages to poke fun at the Superhero archetype without succumbing to the tasteless mockery exhibited by past films. And yet, part of the reason why the film remains so successful in that regard is because the story itself seems crafted with a true reverence for the genre.
It's obvious from the commercials and teasers that this is a piece unlike any other Pixar story to date. Other films from the studio were obviously crafted under a particular atmosphere. This atmosphere follows a rule that promises great fun to kids, while at the same time throwing off a few subtle winks to the adult viewer. It was a remarkable technique that made many of the studio's films, from Monster's Inc. to the essential Toy Story 2, unforgettable. While The Incredibles seems to roughly follow this technique, the film also seems to be running along a different line of development.
I must say that it gives off a malicious air at times. There's no doubt about that. Moreover, it seems to be underlying with a snickering type of humor that almost feels as if it could rub off as offensively to one viewer as it might charmingly for another. It's a sharper film, and that's why it works.
I think the film’s abrasive characters contribute part of this sharpness. Truly, the only likeable character in the film is Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible. He's good-natured and genuinely pitiful most of the time. The other characters, including Parr's wife, and the film's villain, Syndrome, all exert an air of arrogance. In some cases many of the characters are even dislikeable. And this is what makes them so brilliant; Parr's wife is a perfectionist and a snob. Syndrome is a whiner and a snotty showoff. Even the family’s child, Dash, acts like a pretentious, competitive little brat. This sharpness expressed by the film's characters sets it apart from other Pixar films.
Arguably, the only character of questionable popularity in previous Pixar efforts was Kevin Spacey's character in the film A Bug's Life. And yet his performance is one of the most memorable for me. In my personal opinion, this edginess places The Incredibles second only to Toy Story 2. Brimming with nostalgia trips (like the classical James Bond designed island in the film) and a varying story archetype, Brad Bird has created a film that succeeds without completely pandering to the Pixar mission statement. I wouldn't question Pixar's films in any way, but this is the first one that attempts to set itself apart from the pack, and it pays off tremendously.

Now that I've spilled some of my thoughts regarding the film, I wanted to wax nostalgia for a moment about one of the film's voice over actors, Jason Lee. Lee plays the films' villain, Syndrome. His character is truly a maniacal performance that I'd equate with Kevin Spacey's in A Bug's Life. Lee's performance was especially notable for me however, because of his past. Lee is a skateboarding legend. He first broke onto the scene in the early 90's by mastering the 360 flip. Lee was part of the movement that shaped skateboarding into what it is today. He even appeared in the legendary skateboard video, Blind Video Days, directed by none other then Spike Jonze. Lee has kind of popped in and out of the indie film scene over the years, but I find him most memorable for his impact on the skateboarding culture. I was glad to see (or rather, hear) him in the film.

Driftwood

Gabe here, popping my head in.

I enjoyed the Firebird Band show. I think I like the CD. The problem is that their first CD had a lot of guitar, very minimal electro elements. In fact, the only electro element about it was the drum machine. Since I'm mainly a guitar-oriented person, I'm very dissapointed off-the-bat, since the new album is mainly "electro rock" with very little guitar.

Also, I'm a big fan of Chris Broach's voice. It's very prominent and raw on the old CD. On the new one, it's often layered with an effect. On some songs, if I didn't know who I was listening to, I wouldn't have known it was Broach.

However, I don't dislike the album, and there are a couple songs that stand out that I like very much. I just have to get used to the departure from the earlier sound.

I'm currently writing a short script based on Pinocchio, entitled Driftwood. I don't know if I can do this without violating copyright issues, but it is a loosely based, darker version. I was full of visions at the Firebird Band show and I spewed them off to Brock. This included greeting cards such as "Thank you for the monkeys."

Yo

Hey all, what's new? I'm gonna post something long tomorrow. A few reviews and stuff...things that I saw and listened to and I need to comment upon.

For one, I'm listening to this new Firebird Band album, and so far I'm liking it a lot. It's waaaaay more electronic then their first effort, but I've always been a fan of the synth. I think there's only one song with an actual guitar in it. I'll give you a review, but I likes it.

Anyone catch Modest Mouse on SNL last night? I meant to watch it, but well...I was at the show. Bah.

-Brock

Another poster for you

Here it is, the official Charlie and the Chocolate Factory poster.

I think it's fair to say that Depp's Wonka looks completely unlike Wilder's. Which is cool.

Such a tease...

Here's a teaser for one of the films I was cinematographer on:

Soon, the world will know the Truth...

04:60:7:28 - New post enters frame

Tonight I have to log in the timecode on my first film and prepare the second to send out to lab and telecine. Oh boy.

I mUst be LoOsiNg my mInD...

ManScare

MANSCARE!

The Face of Music

I went to the feedback forum at the Edge 103.9 office last night. Eight of the ten invited made it. Something happened that I should have foreseen. Those that were there, cared about music in general. Who else would make the effort? The majority audience of the Edge, was grossly misrepresented. And that’s a good thing. I don’t have any backing stats, but it is my educated guess that the main Edge listener is your High School teenager. I don’t think there was anyone under 20 at the forum and they were all male. In fact, I’d say a couple of them were in their early 30s.

The forum was moderated by someone from L.A., not affiliated with the Edge. We started by filling out a survey, with questions very similar to a previous on-line survey. Then the moderator asked for our answers and we discussed. Everyone there was for more variety and less “big hit” repetition. However, most everyone there felt the Edge was close to be being a great station, not much more to change. One of my answers stated that the Edge “was definitely better than before, but still needed a long way to go.” He came back to me and asked my why and how. I stated that the Edge is playing more of a variety of songs, but that the majority of the bands played are still on corporate record labels and it would be great to hear more independent bands. I also mentioned that my fat CD case is still 95% filled with bands that aren’t played anywhere on the radio. He asked what my top three current CDs were and I mentioned a few and no one had heard of them. He mentioned that I seemed knowledgeable of the independent scene and asked how I stay up on that. I just said “Internet, word-of-mouth, and concerts.”

So, it all went pretty well. I got a free CD out of it also. I think we’ll have a decent FM radio station here in Phoenix. As long as they have enough listeners that advertisers will still want to spend money. Will we have the perfect station? Most likely never. In order for that to happen, it’d have to be privately financed or at a college. And there are some colleges that have awesome stations.

Peel Pictures & Audio

BBC News has a cool feature on John Peel with pictures and audio.

Synch it up!

If you haven't already heard by now, on last weekend's Saturday Night Live, there was a technical difficulty with Ashlee Simpson's second performance. The wrong vocal track came on for her to sing, or lip synch, along to. Oops! If you didn't get the pleasure of seeing her awkward moment, catch it here.

There have been all kinds of excuses coming out since the incident, from her, her record company, even her father. The big one being that she lost her voice before the show due to acid reflux.

Apparently it was the drummer's job to play the track. I don't know if he messed up, sabotaged it, or the machine messed up, but the record company will probably can him as a scapegoat. I love it when pop stars are exposed for what they are...puppets.

Radio Revolution

Years back, about nine or ten, there was an AM radio station in Phoenix that was kick-butt. It was called The Q. I even remember the call letters, KUKQ, 1060 AM. They played a plethora of independent, punk, ska, and other music. How cool was it? Go to the link and check the Nov/Dec '91 playlist. It lists "Rhinoceros" by The Smashing Pumpkins. It was were I discovered some new bands that shaped my CD collection, like Jawbreaker, Sublime, Fugazi and more. They even had a weekly program were they played some new music, and had the listeners help pick the new song. Then it died.

One of the current local radio stations, The Edge 103.9, was your average, "play all the hits the kids love" radio station. Then, probably due to some corporate cut-backs, it was dropped. It then resurfaced with a new frequency (106.3 was the original) and new ownership. It was now independently operated! They were touting the phrase "independent radio." We were then blessed by independent music flowing through the air waves, right? Wrong. The playlist didn't change one bit! We got to hear the same old crap. I believe it had to do with the fact that the program director was a former manager, or something, from the old Edge. She still had the same mentality.

Then, a few months ago, The Edge didn't have DJs blabbing, and they started playing a variety of songs not heard in a while. Then, every once in a while, an announcement from the new owner would play, asking listeners to call or email him, giving him feedback on what they wanted from their local independent radio station. They even had a feedback form to fill out on the website. After a few weeks, the DJs came back on and the format had changed a little. It's better, still a long way from great, but it is better than before. They don't repeat songs as often, and they play some songs from the alternative/grunge era, plus some good 80's songs as well.

I signed up for their "Insiders" email list. Early this week they sent out an email, saying that the first 10 people to reply, would be invited to the station to discuss more ways they can improve. I'm one of the ten. Tonight, at 8:00 PM, I go to The Edge and let my/our voice be heard. I hope I'm not alone. I don't want to contend with 9 teens wanting their pop-punk back. I'll let you know how it goes.

The Everlasting Blogstopper

It’s quickly becoming that time of year again… Yes, for many movie fanatics, the winter season is a beloved period of time in which many get to view great (or awful) films for the very first time. Moreover, moviegoers get a chance to check out preview material for new and upcoming films, like Tim Burton’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”.
Ah yes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Do you remember when Gabe first mentioned that film on the blog? I do, and I also remember how interested I was to learn that Johnny Depp was chosen for the role of the enigmatic candy maker, Willy Wonka. I was equally astonished to hear about Burton’s plans for the film in the coming months, like his inclination to tell the story from a darker vantage point. My appetite was further whetted by the rumored plotline for the film: a tragic tale about Wonka’s fall from grace. Even more telling was the fact that Depp himself cast the character of Charlie with a good friend of his, Freddie Highmore. The original film itself serves as the catalyst for the boiling cesspools of interest inherit in this new adaptation. And since people are greatly interested in seeing how Burton approaches the remake of this film, they’ve also become curious about what the new characters will look like, namely Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka.

Photographer Darren Goff managed to snag a very rough headshot of Depp as Wonka. It’s not very telling but it does confirm the suspicion that Depp would be a gloomier, wicked version of Wilder’s classic character.


Now here’s where my issue with the film comes into play. Whenever someone begins describing Depp’s Wonka as a more sinister version of Wilder’s Wonka, I can’t help but roll my eyes. I can completely understand Burton’s desire to bring out some of the darker subject matter inherit in Wonka’s psyche. And there should be no question that Depp is one of the few actors who could pull the character off without stepping on Wilder’s toes. But my beef lies in the fact that writers and critics often downplay Wilder’s sinister nature in their praise of Johnny Depp’s characterization. Personally, I thought Wilder’s performance was deeply sinister, wicked and even a little bit frightening. If I had to outline some of the creepiest performances I’ve ever seen, I’d count Wilder’s Wonka as one of the top few. It wasn’t a brilliant performance because he was seeping with edgy subject matter and was beheld in a sinister manifestation. It was brilliant because Wilder let so many of those darker connotations go unsaid. It was a mastery of understatement. Wonka was unaccountable for his actions in many ways and his egotistical and childlike personality made the performance special. It was a subtle piece
I sincerely hope that Depp isn’t just tacking his performance with the “a more sinister approach” label. Defining it that way is like adding sugar to Pepsi. It’s overkill, and it’s the fastest way to proving that Wilder may have been the only man to capture the character perfectly. At least, that’s just how I see it.

Just Peelin'

Broncos embarassed on MNF. I saw it coming.

John Peel, famous for his "Peel Sessions" has passed away. I have the sudden urge now to pull out the Smashing Pumpkins' Peel Sessions.

Today, right after work, I'm dropping off "The Glove Box" to the Phoenix Film Project. Here we come.

I can feel

Just last night I was feeling a little bit depressed for various reasons. I think more then anything I was coming down from the extreme pressure and stress related to the final three films I shot this weekend for Scottsdale Community College. Unfortunately, I was asked to be cinematographer on all three films, and in some cases asked to do a little bit more. It was a very stressful and trying situation for me and I spent many a moment thinking to myself, “I really wish I was hanging out with my friends right now or doing something else”. Thankfully, that was the last batch. Unless I film something with Gabe and Josh, I’m done putting my eye through a diopter for the rest of the year.
But like I said, the pressure, my required presence and the anti-climatic letdown after the shoot all served to dampen my spirits. I ended up spending the rest of the evening listening to the last two songs on Grandaddy’s Sumday, ‘The Warming Sun’ and‘ The Final Push to the Sum’. They’re not terribly dour songs, just vaguely self-critical. And when I get depressed I seem to self-criticize.


However, there is a beacon of hope. Yes, there is something else behind this shell of blank-eyed youth. Something driving his visage throughout the glum and sun-drenched dust of this week’s harshness. The Glove Box. Oh yes, I’ve been waiting for quite some time to see the final cut put together by Gabe and Josh, and very soon the wait will be over. This Thursday at the Valley Art Theater I’ll (hopefully) get a chance to see their final product on the big screen, along with a plethora of other short films put together by local visionaries. Just last night Gabe told me that they extended the submission deadline for the contest, which only serves to prove just how big Phoenix’s local film scene has gotten. And it’s a close-knit community as well. When I was filming one of the student films, an actor on the set began chatting with the crew about the contest and mentioned that he put together a film with none-other then our former screenwriting teacher. What a hoot! The premise he described sounded very cool as well. So I’m looking forward to that.
I guess the other thing that has begun to lift my spirits has been the recent acquisition of freedom: freedom from work, freedom from commitments, and freedom from student films. Now I can spend the rest of the year editing my own work and focusing my mind upon whatever subject I choose. Sure, papers will be due, and I’ll have to attend class, but that stuff is null in comparison. I think I’m most looking forward to getting to work on my next screenplay. And I’m also pleased to be able to spend time with my friends and family.

Oh yes, and I’ll get to blog more. Right? That’s got to be an upside.

On a side-note, I checked out that new U2 song Vertigo today. Yeah, I actually bought it from iTunes just because of their commercial hype. But get this: I actually liked it. I didn’t love it, but I thought it was a great deal better then anything found on their previous album “All That You Can’t Leave Behind”. In answer to your question, no, I didn’t pay for that self-indulgent tripe. My cousin burned it for me. But I was still equally dissatisfied by their lurid tunes and glitter-littered pop rock. This new song Vertigo is a little bit better and a little bit more like my favorite U2 tune, "Sunday Bloody Sunday". But then again, I’m not a big fan of U2. My appreciation for them comes about because of borrowing War from Gabe and realizing that some of my favorite bands, like Radiohead, borrowed a great deal from the Irish group.
Moving on…

I’m anxiously looking forward to checking out Ted Leo’s new album, “Shake the Sheets”. It hasn’t gotten very favorable reviews, but I’ll decide for myself if it’s a valid Leo album.

And that’s that.

DVD Format War

News on the ongoing format war. It's looking like the blue laser technology may win out.

Who's Your Daddy?

Poor Pedro.

Yes, it's true. My wife's pregnant with a due date of April 8th. Just about everyone has known for a while. I felt weird blogging about it, so I haven't. But plenty of people have baby watch blogs, I'm sure. Will I? Heck no. But I'll make the announcement.

Miscellaneous

The Broncos and their #1 defense stifled the Raiders. It's a good day anytime the Raiders lose.

Jandek makes his first ever appearance.

I feel like I'm in the film industry with The Glove Box, starring in Brock's movie and filming i hate you when you're pregnant for Alex at The Modified. It's fun seeing him once or twice, but anymore than that... My wife hates that name for obvious reasons.

My wife and I bought a new stove. I'm excited. Now to see if I can properly blame the old stove for bad bakes.

We've been experiencing wonderful weather in Phoenix this week. It is for that reason I don't want to work.

Stuff

I haven't looked at Second Nature's website in a long time, but when I was just now scrolling through the news I saw that Rocky Votolato's new album comes out Spring 2005. And it's called "Makers". Great!

Side note: I got my first film back from the lab. Now I get to edit it.

My second film

So I shot my second film today, with Gabe and my crew, at Postal Connections of America. I'm waaaaaaayyy too tired to type up a long post, or think of anything meaningful, but I felt that Gabe did a really good job. Especially since we were filming on cue, with very little rehearsal in between shots. We did do many takes of various shots however, especially complex ones, so I hope I sated Gabe's acting desire. Either way, he did a great job, and so did the store's manager. Yeah, the store's manager, Fred, was in the film. It's an inside joke within an inside joke, but for a guy who had never read the script and only knew the basic outline, he played the part very well. It was an honor to shoot in his store, especially since so many other mailbox rental stores turned me away.

So the film will either be called The Other Side, or, perhaps the more dynamic, Outside In. You kind of have to understand the story to understand the titles...but I'll explain it later.

Anyhoo, like I said, Gabe did a bang-up job. He took the day off from work, and I owe him money for stamps. But he was great. I knew he would be perfect for the part. My first film, Pantomiming, had a very happy-go-lucky character. So I knew right off the bat that I wanted my next character to be a little darker, a little more disturbed. Gabe was the first actor that popped into my head for the role. He's edgier then previous actors I've worked with. It seems like there's something going on inside his head in every scene, and we're only privy to little glimpses of it. So, he turned around a fantastic performance. Visually, I'm happy with the film as well. We pulled off a few technical/experimental exposures and shots that I was a little too timid to try on my first film. I hope it paid off for this story.

So that's that.

1st run

I got off my team's first film shoot about two hours ago. Overall, I think it was productive, but I'm going to be reading up and studying hard before my shoot next week. You can tell who had experience on the set and who didn't. I just hope it was a good learning experience for those who haven't gotten a chance to work with the equipment before, and I know it solidified a few of the things I had a grasp of. Now I just want to keep increasing and strengthening my knowledge. The more the better.

Something familiar...

Yeah, we'll do something biiiig for the 1000th post. It'll take us a while to get there, but we'll have plenty of time to plan.

I've got nothing important to say, but feast your eyes on this. It's the Episode III teaser poster. After watching the A New Hope DVD, this new poster seems especially potent.

Smile

Oh, man! The 500th post was supposed to have been marked with a special post. Brock, you blew it. Just kidding man! Your "Onward and Upward" post was the 500th. Way to go. We'll do something big on 1000.

Speaking of Pet Sounds, Smile was released last week, almost 40 years later. It’s the album that was supposed to have been the grandiose follow-up to Pet Sounds. Issues came up, Brian Wilson went mental, and the album was shelved. The album became mythical, legendary. Boots started popping up everywhere through the years. What was recorded was released in much later years, but without Brian Wilson’s supervision.

So, recently Brian Wilson decided to revisit Smile. But instead of working with the originally recorded material, he decided to redo the whole thing. Not to change it so much, but to have freshly recorded sounds. One major drawback to this, is his voice. It’s definitely not the same. His backup group “The Wondermints” did do a great job in carrying the high notes and harmonies, but it’s just not the same as when it was Wilson and company in their peak.

I haven’t had the chance to listen to all of it at a decent volume yet, so, once I do, maybe I’ll review it. Already, though, it has its high points.

Tid-bits

Long post 'morrow...

-Blogger says we've got 503 posts. Right on! Congrads Gabe! We've obviously had plenty of success with this blog. Thanks to everyone who reads it and comments on it too.

-So Billy Corgan is done with his new album. I hope, hope, hope it's good. I really like the Pumpkins stuff, but I'm not a huge fan of Zwan. He seems really angry as of late (thanks to his ex-bandmates) so maybe this new album will be a little edgier then Zwan.

-Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney are recording an album together I guess. That's neat. I heard they did a song together, but that it was terrible. Still...I got interested in McCartney's songwriting a few months ago, and I know Gabe's a Pet Sounds nut; hopefully this will live up to our tastes.

-So I hear that Josh saw the Forgotten, and he thought the camerawork was a little shaky. Gabe saw The Bourne Supremacy and he thought the same thing. What is it with shaky camerawork and Hollywood these days? It doesn't work folks. I think they're either (a) Trying to get that "indie" look in their films or (b) like Josh said, using the shots to underscore the confusion felt by the story's characters.

(a) Trying to get the "indie" look is a bad idea. Major motion pictures have resources at their fingertips that I'll probably never be able to touch. They should enjoy them and make the movies look good so I have something to look forward to. (b) You can convey confusion in ways less annoying.

-I'm lovin' the new Star Wars DVDs. They're great. Yeah, they are also lacking in a lot of ways, but it's Star Wars. No, let me rephrase that, it's GOOD Star Wars. The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones are good for fun and all...but the old movies were the best. I'm really glad they're finally on DVD.

-Also, I picked up that Weezer DVD. I hear their new album is "done" as well. Well, done as in the recording is done. Who knows if Rivers will reject this one as well?

-Brock

Post It Up, Peeps!

It has been quiet around the blog front. I have been pretty busy at work, plus I don’t have much worthwhile tidbits to blog about.

Brock, I read your review on the new The Moon is No More album. Sorry, I happened to see it in our blog as a draft. I was like “hmm, what’s this?” I hope you don’t feel violated. I thought it was a great review and you should post it. I don’t think Josh and Jeremy will feel bad that you trashed it. KIDDING! It was actually a pretty glowing review.

I do want to record a song and post it. I’m tired of not having one under my belt. I’m sort of a perfectionist when it comes to writing a song. I’ve had many ideas and I’ve started a few in the past, including a Modest Mouse cover. But I always find something I don’t like and trash it. Even if it’s just a minor “strummed the strings a little funky” thing, I get rid of it. I really need to let go. I’m going to try hard. I may even have something by Monday. Stay tuned. Any advice from you seasoned writer/recorders?

Go/No Go

It's been unusually quiet around the blogs this week. I think everyone's either busy with work or school or life and no one has had the time to post much of anything. I did write up a lengthy review of Josh and Jeremy's Jeffery L. Allen that I wanted to post, but I'm not sure if it's the most honorable of things to do. (I didn't think of that when writing it, I just tend to write reviews out of habit). Either way, it's a good album. It's been in pretty heavy rotation in my CD player for the last few weeks. You should check it out when it's released.

Congratulate Yourselves

Jeffery L. Allen - Album Review

When I first began compiling my thoughts about Jeffery L. Allen, I questioned if I should even be writing a review of the album. Two friends of mine recorded Allen after all. Don’t get me wrong; it wasn’t that I feared upsetting them with what I had to say. Rather, I questioned my own personal abilities as a critic and a writer to objectively review their material. I had laid down sharp standards for the likes of Radiohead, Modest Mouse and the Beastie Boys. But I also didn’t personally know any of those artists. Josh and Jeremy are two guys who I talk to regularly online (and in Josh’s case, regularly see in Phoenix). I consider them good friends, I enjoy their blog, and I think they’re nice guys. Regardless of what quality the band lends itself to, crappy or not, I considered that I might not be able to offer anything truly constructive about their album as a result of that friendship. Thus, I decided to pose even higher standards upon my two friends. If I had been critical about the Beastie Boys, I’d be even harder on Jeremy and Josh. If I’d critiqued Modest Mouse, I’d question every little hook and beat The Moon is No More threw my way. In short, I’d run my friends through the strainer.

And in spite of it all, I ended up enjoying the album anyway.

Yes, The Moon is No More delivered on their long awaited first album with a unique tale about divorce, dissolution and the depression that follows. Beforehand, 727 records could boast about groups like Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl. Now, the label’s two co-founders have something of their own to boast about.
The large part of that boasting has to do with the band’s unique storytelling methods, which sharply follow the arc of the album’s character, Jeffery L. Allen. Allen’s story (and two other stories the band has yet to release) adapt from Moon’s inspired lyricist Jeremy Provost’s book Sans Hands. Because of this source material the record follows a tight narrative structure. And while the music is enjoyable on its own, the key to really appreciating the songs (and on a larger scale, the band) lies in following the story they weave. Thankfully, it’s not a hard story to follow. Side A is labeled “husband & wife” and side B goes by “parents and children”, giving us a substantial clue into the album’s theme. Family dissolution. And neither of the band’s contributors offers a sugarcoated peak into this family’s tragedy. Instead, they seem to prolong and heighten the pain experienced by Allen and his progeny, focusing special attention on the younger victims of the divorce (after all, it’s the children who hurt the most). In the album’s grand scheme of things the band has taken the jaws-of-life and ripped apart the shell of a tortured and grievous family. Their bed of lies, addictions and ultimately regrets are showered out with a healthy dose of self-contempt, and we’re there to witness it all.
There are some strong moralities to take away from these songs as well. In “It’s the Children Who Hurt the Most: Part II”, the lyrics mournfully throw out lines like “drew up a prenup, thought it would cure all” and “though indefinitely ruined, we’ll be paying generously, you’ll find an end, the best of therapy”. Elsewhere, the band repeats what seems to be the album’s magic word “try” in lyrics like “when all else fails, try avoidance”. Jeremy Provost is especially skilled at reversing substandard, prepackaged phrases humanity has collected in a less then conventional fashion. With clever bits of dialect like “we’ve sowed what we’ve reaped”, you’ll be reading and rereading the album’s lyrics for any other nuggets of wisdom.
Yet, even though the story and lyrics receive well-earned praise, the music also deserves some mentioning

Yes, the music: Understand that I’m not trying to put anyone down here, but for a pair of brothers who run a self-founded record label, the music is surprisingly proficient. Odd, but proficient.
Yet perhaps the peculiarity inherit in Jeffery L. Allen contributes to its likeability. There’s a great juxtaposing of characters gathered within the album’s confines. But part of what keeps those characters together is the singularly bizarre, yet logical structure of its songwriting. More often then not we’re treated to weepy acoustic ballads, but occasionally we get a few upbeat, electrically sizzling rockers. (Not that I’m going to keep talking about the lyrics, but you should really make sure you follow the narrative structure in these instances to make sure you’re not fooled by the song’s poppy tempo.) Edgier moments like these are an interesting glimpse into the band’s electronic persona. But the real winners of Jeffery L. Allen (musically at least) come in the form of the band’s slower, toned down laments. “It’s the Children Who Hurt the Most: Part II” is one of the finest examples of this languid, careful brilliance. In songs like these, the band shows their greatest promise, hinting at an anticipated future of songwriting that can only move upward and onward. Ironically though, it’s one of the earliest compositions Josh and Jeremy Provost put together that holds the most weight.
“Come and Gone”, the album’s second track provides the perfect smash cut from the jaggedness of the album’s opener and also serves to nicely sum up the dilemma faced by our leading protagonist, Allen. I could go on and on about the levels of meaning and impact the song has on the album as a whole, but I can’t waste precious words when I should simply be listening. It’s just a brilliant little song. Like most artists waxing nostalgia about their own work, Josh and Jeremy Provost are likely to downplay the song’s significance. One could note its considerable age. In all truthfulness though, this song, along with several others, offer a glimpse into the great promise this project holds. If these softer laments prove to be the band’s most convincing efforts, The Moon is No More could look forward to a prolific songwriting career.

Nevertheless, I did say I would be critical with my friends. And even though they surpassed my expectations, any casual listener could pick out a few minor gripes here and there. A few of the songs for example tend to run a bit too short. It’s not that they’re bad. If anything, the disappointment is a testament to what kind of grip the band places upon its listeners. The quick cut-off leaves the listener wanting more. The unique music and Jeremy’s trademark lyrics manage to overwhelm such miniscule problems however and serve to make the album something more then it’s smallest flaws. When the final track ends and the disc stops spinning you realize that Jeffery L. Allen is a tale of human tragedy and ignorance. It’s about ego and scars that can only heal with time. It’s a tribute to the human experience, and it’s a mockery of everything that attempts to romanticize the human experience. Jeffery L. Allen isn’t an album; it’s a person you know. Just don’t try and avoid him.

Onward and upward

At 4:00 AM this morning I wrapped up filming on my first short film at Scottsdale Community College, Pantomiming. To say it was arduous would be saying it in the least. It was a very difficult film to make and it was very trying because I'm still struggling to learn the roles of the director and the roles of the other crew members. For example: when confronted with a technical problem in the look of the film, the various department heads would come to me and ask me what the shot had to look like and what the visual elements were. Instead of telling them about the vision I saw in my head I started telling them how to fix the problems they were experiencing. "Well, take it down a stop, increase the focal length" and so on. It was an interesting shoot because I got to experience for the first time what a director does in the traditional Hollywood studio sense. Which is work with the actors. A director telling the lighting crew how to solve a problem doesn't work apparently, even if the director knows how to fix the problem. That's a hard lesson to learn because I feel like if I know how to fix the problem, then I should be able to speak freely. There were a few clashes here and there. A few times I could see a problem coming down the pipeline and I would bring it to teacher’s attention, and she would merely say "Brock don't worry about it". When the problem finally manifested itself I was stuck telling her "when I see a problem, regardless of where it is, I'm going to point it out, because now it's screwing me up." Still, it all came together quite well. It was a learning experience for me on many different levels. I had to learn what people expect from a director, and I got to learn what the director should expect from himself. Namely, if you can control things within your field of vision and within what's happening on the set, do it. Don't listen to the traditional "Hollywood" roles. That method of working is fine within a certain extent, but when problems start to arise it becomes very difficult to solve problems unless you've got your own method worked out.

So now I've begun thinking about post-production; the editing of the film, the various color corrections and the DVD. Oh yes, the DVD. I want to mention that before I end this post because I think this DVD (and the one I'll devise for my second student film) is going to be really great.
For Pantomiming, I had a member of my crew on the set with a video camera taping the entire filming of the short. I don't know how much footage he ended up with, but I think it'd be safe to say we've got 30 minutes of documentary style "behind the scenes" coverage. 30 minutes...for a 3-minute film. If that weren't enough, I had a photographer there documenting the entire process. So when I finish the DVD, there will be a plethora of special features.

Here's what I'm planning:

Audio Commentaries

The Director's Team Commentary:

Commentary with,

-Brock Brown, Director
-Jon Paullin, Assistant Director
-Chad Einwalter, Director of Photography

The Gaffer's Team Commentary:

Commentary with,

-Leon Cowan, Gaffer
-Cory Barnes, Lighting Crew 1
-James Petersma, Lighting Crew 2
-Marty Murawski, Lighting Crew 3
-Tom Robinson, Lighting Crew 4

30 Minute Documentary

Behind the Scenes Production Stills

Outtakes

Original Actor Audition Tapes

If it all works out in post-production, I should be able to have all of those things on the DVD.

So, I'm glad it's done. Now I move on to the next short. I'm not gonna talk about that one though, because I think I talked the process to death with this one. But hey, guess what? Gabe will be playing the starring role in the next film. Crazy, huh? This will be some more experience for him to test out his budding actor skills. Here's to that flick.

-Brock

Promised to the Night

There I’m standing in a dirty and claustrophobic elevator, standing next to Gabe, his wife and my brother Parker, when this lady in a business suit and sneakers squeezes in. I’m not kidding you; she was wearing a grey suit, very empowering, with a pair of what looked like jogging sneakers. An odd combination. I must admit however that she was a perceptive one. She caught on to the mood of the night soon enough. “Quite a big show they’re having over there” she said, in reference to the Mesa Amphitheater. Gabe informed her that it was the Pixies paying, to which, she surprisingly replied, “No kidding? Frank Black, right?” For a nighttime businesswoman in sneakers, this girl knew her music. We all smiled immediately and nodded. Yeah, it was Frank Black we were going to see. “Long time coming, huh?” she asked. It was an outright crackup.
Yeah, it’s been a long time coming, especially for fans of the rock group. The Pixies called it quits years ago due to disagreements between Frank Black and Kim Deal and have only recently joined back together. During their departure, the band’s reputation grew notorious within the music industry. The likes of Kurt Cobain, Thom Yorke and Isaac Brock extolled the virtues of the outlandish musicians in their absence, and the public only grew fonder of them. Songs like “Tromp Le Mond” and “Velouria” were popularized in tributes pieced together by Weezer and Braid while their most infamous song, “Where Is My Mind”, grew into a slow burning classic. When the band announced their reunion earlier this year, sheer pandemonium resulted.
Following a mini-tour in small-time Canadian and American cities, the Pixies culminated their grand reunion in a show-stopping performance at the 2004 Coachella Festival. I was there. Gabe was there. And we both knew that we had to see them again when they came to Phoenix.
So there we were, on our way to the show helmed by Frank Black and his cohorts. By the time we arrived the band had just launched into their set, which was a powerful combination of old and even older material. Classics that swept the Coachella Festival were met with great response at the Mesa Amphitheater. The band broke out songs like “Here Comes Your Man”, “Monkey Gone to Heaven” and “Velouria” to sate the responsive crowd. But much to my pleasure, they also dished out a few songs they hadn’t played at Coachella, songs like “Subbacultcha”, “Is She Weird”, “River Euphrates” and “Planet of Sound”. And there were a few rarities to characterize the set as well (like “In Heaven” “The Holiday Song” and “Winterlong”).

Thanks to Black’s onstage persona and the musicianship of his band mates, it was an energetic and lively show. As good as Coachella? Probably not. But part of the reason why Coachella was so good was because it was their grand reentrance into the music scene. By the time they hit the Mesa Amphitheater, everyone knew that they were probably going to stay together and record a brand new album. Everyone had seen them on the cover of Spin or read about them on Pitchfork. Yes, if their performance at the Mesa Amphitheater proved anything, it’s that the Pixies are here to stay.

On a related note, I just wanted to mention how cool the Mesa Amphitheater was. I’d never been there before. But Gabe and Rebeckah were right in telling me that it was a great venue. Not a bad seat in the house. In fact, it kind of reminded me of one of my favorite venues, the Coors Amphitheater in San Diego. Definitely the kind of place you want to see a band at.

Relive the Reunion

There's a very good quality recording of Braid's reunion show in Champaign at The Highdive at Cloak and Dagger Media. Get it here.

There's also a feature with David Bazan.

Blissful Colorado

OK, I’m back. My sweet, sweet vacation is over. I’m just now posting about it because I had a pile of work to do upon my return. Welcome back me. Total fish count: 9.

My wife, Rebekah, and I had a grand ol’ time in Colorado. We were enveloped in perfect weather and beautiful scenery. We caught up on much needed relaxation.

We first headed to the mile-high city, Denver, where we would catch the Sunday night NFL match between the Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs. This was our second trip to the stadium, but our first for a regular season game. The two teams are heated division rivals, which greatly added to the anticipation and excitement of the game. The game did not disappoint. It was a close one until the fourth quarter when the Broncos pulled ahead for good.

Then we were off to Steamboat Springs, a ski resort community. Thanks to Rebekah’s Aunt and Uncle, they provided us a stay at their condo free of charge. You can’t beat that. There’s a long stretch of the I-70 freeway that goes right through the Rockies. It’s surrounded by gorgeous scenery. Plus, you get to drive through one mountain via the Eisenhower Tunnel. Fun.

Steamboat Springs is only 42 miles from where I was born and lived for 14 years. Despite living that close, I’ve only been to Steamboat previously a handful of times. Too bad, since it’s much nicer than Craig.

We visited a couple of lakes, one in which I fished. I mainly fished out of the Yampa River, though. There I caught 6 Rainbow Trout. At the lake I caught two Cutthroat Trout and one at a river in Durango on the way back. It happened to be behind our motel there so I thought “what the heck, I’ll fish it.” They were all very small but I caught a nice fat Rainbow that was around 10 inches.

The weather was mostly in the mid 70s. One day it was in the low 60s and that night’s low dipped down to the 30s. Crisp! One of my favorite things I did there, besides fish, was to sit outside on the patio at night and drink hot chocolate in a t-shirt and shorts.

On the way back we took the Million Dollar Highway through the San Juan Skyway. Spectacular views there. Oh, the trees were changing colors so that added to everything.

We coudln't pass up the Four Corners either. It's the only place in the U.S. where you can be in four states all at the same time!

Well, I could go on and on. I took a ton of pictures. Once I get them back I’ll post them up somewhere for all to see. They’ll tell the rest of the story.

Tonight

Tonight the Pixies are playing. And I've got film class. Quick decision: I'm going to the Pixies.

I mean, nothing's due really. Our storyboards are, but I already showed mine to the teacher weeks ago. If I don't show up with the storyboards, it's not like she's going to say "well gee, Brock must have decided not to do the work". And it's The Pixies. I planned on going to this show months ago.

I'll just go to class tomorrow.

-Brock

Return

I think Gabe and Rebekah got back from their trip today. I hope the rest of their trip went well.

Pushed back

I hear that Beck just pushed back the release date of his new album from October 25th to early 2005. Boo I say, boo.

Kirby

Hey everyone,

I know it's been a long time since I've written a post, and I apologize for that. It's just that I've been quite busy, and things haven't been going too terribly well lately. Today was the first day I felt like I wanted to get online and write a post. And I feel bad at the same time because this post will probably sound a little self-indulgent to some of you, but let's just get it over with.

Like I said, things hadn't been going spectacularly. When I last left off I had chosen the San Carlos as my location for Pantomiming and I was gathering everything together in preparation for filming. But after that, things began to take a turn for the worse. It all started out last Tuesday when my location manager, Lee, came into class with some bad news about the San Carlos. He informed me that they were absolutely fine with me filming there. But he also told me that they were currently putting in a new handrail all around the sidewalk. (Why they’re doing it, I have no idea.) The thing is, while I had their cooperation, I couldn’t use the location. This new railing system would completely ruin my shots and make use of a dolly utterly impossible.
So the San Carlos was out. To top things off, one of the program supervisors was beginning to show concern over the amount of light we'd need in order to properly expose the film. I've stated time and time again, Pantomiming is supposed to be black and white; it's a tribute to silent film and the perfection it reached. The problem is that all film types have a certain Exposure Index (EI). Black and white film for 16 mil' (in our price range I believe) can only shoot up to 200 EI's, which is just terrible for a nighttime shoot. The program supervisor practically begged me to consider shooting on color film because we could get up to 800 EI's out of it. He adamantly stated that I could turn the film black and white in postproduction and he'd make sure it still had the look and visual feel I wanted. Using his advice as my guide, I agreed to shoot on color and turn the film black and white in postproduction.
There will still lighting concerns though, and in order to address them (and solve the San Carlos debacle) we had to go out and find a new street corner.
So we found one on the corner of the AT&T building in downtown Phoenix. It was getting decent readings on the light meter and it fit the look of the street corner I saw in my head, so I decided to submit it. But AT&T decided against it. They were displeased for various reasons about my wanting to shoot on their corner. Moreover, some of our shots required that we position the camera in the streets. In order to do that, the city insisted we hire two cops to block the streets off and patrol the area. What’s more, the Phoenix Film Commission informed me that they had to make sure no major events where happening downtown during the eve of our shoot. They'd need a week to get back to us. With the cops, AT&T and the Phoenix Film Commission looming over my shoulder, I decided that the school would probably want to cancel the project. To make matters worse, I had just gotten off a sinus infection a few days earlier and was infected by a second cold. I was sick, my movie was falling apart, and I had a casting call I had to attend on Friday.
Morale was low, my crew was depressed, and I felt horrible.
Somehow, I managed to keep a straight face. I confined myself to my house and attempted to get better the day before the casting call. I still entertained some hope that at the very least, the casting call could produce some viable talent for the school to use in the future. Apparently, my casting director struck a deal with a major talent agency here in Phoenix. He agreed that we'd give his actors an exclusive first look if he provided the school with plenty of talent willing to do student films. I considered that if the school was worried about my film, they also had to be giddy with this great new connection we had snagged them.
But none of that changed my outlook for the film. I was unbearably grim. I thought to myself, "no matter how great the students think my script is, no matter who believes in my story, there's nothing that can get this film back on its feet in time for our deadline".

And then I met the Mime.

My casting director had been jumping through hoops all week to find a professional mime for the film. He'd contacted all of the major drama schools and universities in the valley, investigated agencies, and even scoped out private entertainers. The result was coming into contact with a drama teacher at ASU (I think) who had studied pantomiming for years. He was very interested in my project and considered doing it himself (even though he wasn't any spring chicken). I was greatly pleased, but when I arrived at the casting call I found out that this elder mime wouldn't be able to make it. He was sending over one of his finest students instead. This student, a pantomime by the name of Kirby, was infamous in Phoenix mime circles. He's the mythical, untouchable performer of the Phoenix mime world, a virtual unicorn. I stepped out of the studio we were using to do a few things and when I stepped back inside there he was. Six foot three, lanky and articulate. It was obvious by my first glance alone that he was the pantomime I had heard so much about.
And then we got to see him perform. I should add that anything I say about his performance would be a drastic understatement. I couldn't praise his brilliance enough. He started out his little performance by getting trapped inside an invisible room. He eventually found a ladder out of the room, climbed to the top of a building and crossed a high wire to the other side. Then, he pulled an umbrella out of his pocket and jumped off the building only to land inside yet another imprisonment. Finally, he found a way out, picked up his invisible box, and with great effort, set it down next to our desk.
It was incredible.
The various issues plaguing me about the location melted away and I knew right then and there that this movie would be shot, and it would be one heck of a ride.
The actresses auditioning for other parts were obviously intimidated by Kirby's brilliant performance. Still, many of them managed to interact with him quite nicely. I think more then anything he brought out charisma and humor in my other actors that even they didn't know they had. What's more, he began offering me ideas and insight about the story that made my visual gags and plotline even more hilarious and expressive. We had only known each other a short period of time and already we were working as actor and director to propel my character into something very real, something very tangible and unique.

After that I managed to work out the location issues with my teacher. There's a place on campus behind the soccer court that looks like a seedy downtown district. Students have used it time and time again in their films, and we decided that it would be the best place to shoot the movie. This way I don’t have to worry about all of the underlying issues and difficulties attached to shooting in downtown Phoenix.
All in all, I don't feel any better, and I hate the fact that I've been too sick to do little else then go to school, but I think things are back on track. We had a little hiccup, but my teacher told me that it's my right of passage. I say, let's get to work.

Delightful

Well, we're having a very fun and relaxing time here in Steamboat Springs, CO. Rained yesterday. Did some fishing. Fish count is at five. Small, but fighters. We trek back on Friday. See you soon!