Out For Blood.

No, its not the title of a new movie on which I am working.

Someone stole my wallet at the gym today. I am not in New York, I am in Los Angeles.

I am now an illegal immigrant. I have no wallet. I have no ID. No credit cards. And no cash. Thankfully, I still have my phone and my keys. Otherwise, it would be even worse.

Ive cancelled all my cards. While canceling my AMEX, the operator told me my card had just been used at a gas station. Fucker took it right to the pump to gas up.

I am literally furious. I cannot replace anything I’ve lost from L.A., except my AMEX (which they will send anywhere) and my license (Dave is sending me a duplicate license I had in my apartment in New York). I’ll have to convince someone I know to cash a check for me – for tomorrow, to get through, that’s what is going to have to happen.

Fun stuff, I know.

Grumps.

Car

I may have slightly mortgaged my manhood to do this, but at least it wasn't monetarily expensive. Yes, I know its kind of a girly car for a strapping youngish fellow like me, but I am a sucker for convertibles and this thing was a great deal and is in nice condition and looks decent for going to meetings where people judge you by this kind of thing. And it gets 33 miles to the gallon supposedly, which doesn’t’ suck for the environment or for my depleted wallet. And did I mention it was cheap. So if it isn’t the most macho of cars, forgive me. Maybe I am getting in touch with my feminine side. Anyway, when you come to LA I’ll pick you up from the airport in it, we’ll ride around with the top down and you’ll get it.

Where’s he been?

My hard drive died out of nowhere two weeks ago. It took them a week to figure out that the data was totally unrecoverable (ugh) and then it took another week for me to get my computer back with a new hard drive. I have it back, and its somewhat glitchy. I am paranoid now about losing more data, and I am even more paranoid about not having the computer for any further length of time.

Life has been pretty normal the last few weeks, despite the lack of computer. Well, its been normal for not having a computer, which is agony. Agony, I tell you. Agony. Enough (ok).

I am back now. I don’t have much to say right at the moment, but here’s a few snippets.

• Met George Clooney again the other night at the Stone Rose. He and I were both head bobblingly buzzed, and he kept telling me to get home saft. I hope he wasn’t telling me to leave. He was pleasant as he always is. I think he should run for governor.
• I had a weird LA club experience last weekend, which involved me being repeated kissed on the mouth by a young, comely lass whose acquaintance I’d never met. She was going to kiss me on the cheek after I took a picture for her and her friends, and I demurred. After four kisses over a ten minute period, she vanished.
• I’ve joined a gym in LA, and been very good about going. My roommate is a workout fanatic and I’ve been ten days out of twelve or thereabouts since I’ve joined. I’m feeling pretty healthy and mostly sore as a result.
• The hovel improvement works continue to mount, but more is still necessary. I am eagerly awaiting a new bathroom floor to take us out of the nineteenth century (seriously).
• I am also shopping for a car. For those who don’t know, LA is the used car capital of America. What I mean by that (and since I am the one who decided it’s the capital, this meaning is quite important) LA is the best place in the United States to buy a used car. Why? Good question. Because (1) everyone in LA has a car, (2) everyone wants a new car every two years, (3) so there are tons of cars for sale, making it a buyer’s market, and (4) the dry weather means that cars don’t rust, or have many of the other problems associated with wet and cold weather. I am thinking, convertible.

That’s about all for now.

Grumps

Finished Product

Well, it came out pretty well. Not my best effort ever, but a solid showing.

Now I Know Why Italians Have Big Kitchens

Trying my best to make lasagna in the hovel. Its not easy. Few pans, no counterspace, no cutting board (um, yeah), no pot covers. Multitasking like hell on every piece of cutlery and pottery. Its in the oven now, we shall see.

Grumps

Sex In The City Trailer

At risk of losing my status of card-carrying member of the He Man Woman Hater's Club, I watched the trailer for the Sex and the City movie. And it looks pretty funny. Decent. I'm not holding my breath waiting or anything, so don't get carried away.

And don't get me wrong, this doesn't mean I am going to go see it when it comes out. Its almost definitely a cabler for me. But having had, shall we say, an aversion to the concept when I heard about it being made, I have to reverse field a little bit. I tend not to like TV to Movie movies, and this one sounded a bit like squeezing the last drop out of the lemon. It may be, but I suppose that doesn't by itself make it a bad movie.

Grumps.

"My Brother" at the 2008 Image Awards

We won.

No we didn’t. But hey, at least we were nominated. John Sayles’ Honeydripper, which I haven’t seen, won the Best Indie Film Award. I am totally cool with losing to John Sayles.

The Awards were fun, and long. We did the red carpet (myself, and the four main cast members other than Vanessa). Did a few interviews, like Extra. Don’t know if they’ll be anywhere online.

Night before, at the party, got to hang with Vanessa for a while and catch up. She stayed for a while, usually she makes an appearance and she’s gone.

At the Awards themselves, the crowd was pretty stacked : Denzel (won twice), Vanessa (won), America Ferrara (won), Tyler Perry, bunches of famous folks. And the honorees were Stevie Wonder, who performed, Aretha Franklin and Ruby Dee. Quite cool.

But by the afterparty, I was a little tired of being in the Tux. I stayed for an hour or two at the Beverly Hills Hilton (which was quite a drive from the Shrine Auditorium which is way south and east of Beverly Hills).

Anyway, I am parablogging, which means that this is perfunctory and not a great post. Sorry bout that. Here's a pic of Christopher Scott and I from the afterparty.

It comes out on my birthday!

I spent much of my youth watching Indiana Jones movies, or waiting for Indiana Jones movies to come out. From the first of the movies, my closest childhood friend, David Brandewiede and I would ditch school when these movies came out (also for some others, like Gremlins, I remember ditching). We'd gather whatever money we had to buy tickets and head to Roosevelt Field mall in Garden City to see the opening day matinee. It was tradition, and there was very little discussion about which movies deserved us to ditch. We were very much on the same page (or, er, frame...of mind) on that, and there was no doubt, the Indiana Jones movies were at the top of the list. Raiders was 1981, and Temple of Doom was 1984. These years were primely influential in my wanting to be a storyteller, a filmmaker.

Watching this trailer, I got a euphoric excitement that felt like childhood again. Glee, I'd call it. The Last Crusade came out in 1989. Its been almost 20 years, but it looks like they've still got it.

The Great (and Grumpy Fave) Roy Scheider, RIP 11/10/32-2/10/08

They dont come any cooler. From Jaws to TFC to Fosse to Marathon Man. He will certainly be missed. And remembered.

Image Awards Brunch

Heading to the NAACP Image Awards Nominee’s Brunch to accept the nomination on behalf of “My Brother.” Seems weird that Tony Lover isn’t here, but I guess that I’ll be an acceptable subsitute.

This sets off a whole week of Image Awards stuff, the pre-gala, the Awards show, and the gala itself. Should be fun. I have my suit on today, got a tux for the Awards show (even though our category’s awards, Best Indie Film, isn’t part of the televised show on Fox, grump grump.)

Smell ya later.

Greg

Back in LA

Yes, I’ve left New York again on a one way ticket. I came yesterday morning, took some god-awful 6AM flight. The flight was super-bumpy, but I had some valium or something similar, so I was entirely freaking out despite the fact that it felt like the plane was literally skidding sideways across the sky at moments (mostly over Colorado). Scott D. and I grabbed the same flight. Got to my place in Hollywood, and then took a nap for a few hours, woke up, ran to the grocery store to stock up a bit on essentials. I took a few calls on various projects on which I am working, dealt with some work drama (since I have no personal life, I have little, if any, personal drama), and got to bed early.

Still jet-lagged, I woke at about 6:45, with the clear feeling that I would be sleeping no later (I am a late sleeper, and 9:30 is not out of the question on a regular night). Still, waking up in the chilly bungalow in LA early in the quiet AM wasn’t so bad. I finished two long neglected screenplays, did some other catchup, and its not quite ten AM. Had a little breakfast, and I’ll be jumping into the shower shortly to get ready for a meeting with Jonathan Shestack’s company (Airforce One, Dan In Real Life) about yet another project we’ve been putting together with those folks.

While the hovel has improved with some nice wine-colored paint since I went to NY in early January, courtesy of bungalow-mate Mike, it still needs more work. The paint job definitely helps though, and I got upgraded with a fancy car rental even though I paid for a compact. So things are OK. I am more pleased with being back than I thought I would be.

Lets see where the day takes me – gonna be a busy one.

Grumps.

Tellmehowitends

Gotta love it. How can you not. Rachel, ok, maybe you didnt love it, cambridge dweller that you are.

The streets are full of revellers. They are loud and happy and less rowdy than you might expect.

Woo hoo. Its over, the NY GIANTS are SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS.

Not at all grumpy.

Joker, Lemme Hear Your War Cry

With an admittedly minor mohawk, ready for the Superbowl. Go Giants.

Role Models

First, can I start by saying, this being sick stuff is really more boring than anything else. Thankfully, I’ve found a role model, one I can study while on the recline.

OK, so he isn’t a real role model. He’s a character on television. Hank Moody, played by David Duchovny. Yes, so he isn’t a real person.

The show is Californication. Its about a New York writer who moved to Venice California. He is a confirmed bachelor with some intimacy issues. He hasn’t quite figured out the whole L.A. thing, or the whole relationship thing. But he’s got an artist inside, and he’s got love in his heart.

Maybe he’s not so much a role model. Maybe he’s an imaginary twin – he might just be a step or two up the ladder. Maybe, actually, down the ladder. I don’t know, on the ladder. Its close.

And its very entertaining.

Sickly Grumpy

Im sthcick. Yes, with the fever. The flu. Its going around

Two nights ago, I thought I’d avoided it entirely. I was chipper. I even cleaned, ugh, the bathroom. I had a lot of energy. I was positively spritely.

But yesterday was a different story. Achy, then dizzy, then achy and dizzy. I stayed in bed for much of the day, little appetite. My appetite returned by late evening, which I hope was a sign that I was feeling better.

In addition, the last two nights, bad dreams. Some nasty 9/11 dreams mixed in with dreams where I think I’ve woken up and I am seeing things that I don’t expect to see. Then I really wake up and realize that my roommate wasn’t fucking some random girl on my couch in the common area of our apartment. It wasn’t much like him to do that, anyway.

I woke this morning feeling a little bit better. The cough, the congestion, is a little bit better, but the dizziness and weakness and general malaise is gone. I feel better overall and I’d gladly trade a dizziness for a cough anytime.

Hopefully by tonight I’ll be back in the saddle and off the wagon. I’m heading back to LA next week, and I’d like to make the most of New York. It would help to be ambulatory.

Grumps

Taxi-Cab Blogging

After an intermoinable wait in the baggage claim at the, erm, terminal, I have my bag and I am in a taxi headed from JFK Airport to my place in Battery Park City. I felt like I was playing beat the clock, because the red eye from Salt Lake was scheduled to land just before six AM, and NYC traffic begins in earnest not much later than that. By the time I was at the carousel, and then when the bags came out 20 minutes later, it was after 6:30 and we were getting into the traffic danger zone, where the traveling times can really change (movie reference anyone).

Anyway, we seem to be doing OK, though it’s a long trip to my place. I slept a bit on the flight, probably more than an hour uninterrupted. Three glasses of complimentary red wine in the Delta lounge did the trick – I’ll have to remember that for red eyes.

It feels pretty toasty in NY right now compared to the blizzard I left.

Flashback to twenty hours ago, Park City was being slammed by several feet of snow. Due to the late flight, I grabbed a ride from the Lodges into Old Town, and spent most of the day at a friend’s house (or the one he borrowed for Sundance). Even getting to that house was tough, and turned out that the big backpack (rather than suitcase) was a wise choice. My ride into town hadn’t been able to make it up Woodside, the street I needed to get to,…

Uh, oh, traffic. Hmmm.

Anyway, since he couldn’t get there, I ended up putting the pack on my back and fording heavy snow banks in a white out blizzard to find my destination. A suitcase wouldn’t have been good, especially because I had to climb straight up several hundred feet of stairs to get up to Woodside, which runs across the Park City Mountain.

Otherwise, travel was good, all things considered. While the roads were closed earlier for the blizzard, by the time my ride to the airport arrived at nine PM, everything was cleaned up, open and moving nicely.

And the traffic seems OK on the highway at the moment, here in the present tense. I think we’re on the BQE. Wasn’t paying attention. The cabbie went a weird way , triboro bridge. That’s traffic avoidance.

OK, not so interesting.

Its nice to be back in NY again. So looking forward to my apartment, to having a relaxing week before heading on the road again sometime soon.

I am kind of planning to head to the Image Awards, just in case My Brother wins its category, though I have my serious doubts. However, I suddenly don’t have a ticket because Anthony Lover, the director, gave the two tickets we were allocated away to Donovan Jennings and Chris Scott, two actors with Down Syndrome who stole the movie. Im cool with that, but I am not cool with plunking down $500 for my own ticket. I have my sources out looking for a ticket, comp., for me, but we shall see. I am pretty firmly not going to pay for one, so if I cannot get a ticket, I guess I wont be going. And if we win, then Vanessa Williams, who is nominated for Ugly Betty as well as being a huge part of the reason that My Brother is nominated, can accept on our behalf. Certainly, having her accept for us, there are worse things.


Have a good morning.



Grumpy (yes, a little).

Winding Down

Winding down from the ‘Dances in Park City. Last two days were frenetic at moments, relaxing and slow as well. After the Slamdance Awards on Friday night, where we announced “The Punished” as the Horror Competition Screenplay Winner, some of the crew went up the hill to a random “Industry” party.

I stuck around for the Slamdance after party, which had great tunes playing. Eric Presley, with whom I am working on a few projects, stuck around, as did numerous new friends Meredith, Katie, and their crew.

We never made it up the mountain ourselves, and in fact, by one AM or so, I went to the condo, picked up my stuff, and went to Eric’s hotel at Prospector Sq., because the condo was going to be at maximum occupancy Friday night.

In the morning, I walked forty five minutes or so in the snow into town, iPodding it all the way, and working up a bit of a sweat. Devlin came and got me, and took me back to the Condo, which despite the crowds, was a little more comfy and spacious than the hotel room (or a lot more, actually). Victor Garcia and I hung out and watched movies, until heading into town around nine with Eric to meet his friend Kalif.

Kalif is a stylist who did the clothes for a bunch of the artists playing at Harry O and the Zone Bar all week, including LL Cool j, Jason Mraz, and Michelle Branch. We were backstage with him, talking as he packed up his stuff to send back to LA. He is working some projects with Eric. Anyway, Kalif ended up walking us into the $1000 per plate Chef Dance (comped, of course), where we sat with the organizer of the event, Bethenny Frankel, who you may remember from the Martha Stewart Apprentice (never watched it myself). She was overwhelmingly gracious to a bunch of gate crashers, and told us all about the event (probably the hardest ticket at Sundance- even Redford himself attended, and he endorses nothing), and its history, while we sample the five courses prepared by the celebrity chef for night ten of Chef Dance.

After Chef Dance and a little more packing of the styles of Kalif, we headed across the street to the Spur, to watch the Mayor of Park City play with his band. It was a very Grateful Dead vibe. I was wiped out by now though, so it was back to Prospector Sq. Lodge.

Eric left today, but not before hooking me up to a room at the opulent Lodges at Deer Valley. Its where all the studio big wigs from Disney and Sundance Festival sponsor HP executives stay. Its rustic and sparse, matching an “outdoorsi-ness” with 1000 thread count sheets and some of the best hot cider in the lounge that I’ve ever tasted. At the same time, its outside of town, and while I think they have complimentary shuttles back and forth, I don’t want to push my luck after getting the free room. So I did a little shopping in their grocery area, and I am camped in my deluxe room (looks like a suite to me, though I am told its just a deluxe room), watching television, and catching up on reading.





Looking forward to heading back to NY tomorrow, even if only for a week or ten days. Its been a fun few days, peppered with a bit of stress, but overall a good time. Nice to have friends.

Slamdance Winners....Meet "The Punished"

'Parade' takes top Slamdance prize
By Gregg Kilday

Jan 26, 2008
Tom Quinn's "The New Year Parade," which looks at the effects divorce has on a family, was named the Grand Jury Narrative Feature winner at the 14th annual Slamdance Film Festival, which ended Friday.

The Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary Feature went to Greg Kohs' "Song Sung Blue," which focusses on a husband and wife singing duo who pay tribute to the music of Neil Diamond. "Blue" was also the audience award winner in the documentary feature category.

The awards were announced at closing night ceremonies in Park City as the fest, which began Jan. 17, drew to a close.

The two winners -- both from first-time filmmakers working with budgets of less than $1 million -- will be screened at New Yorks' IFC Center next month.

Grand jury prizes also went to: Andrew McPhillips' "Blood Will Tell," animated short; C.A. Voros' "The Ladies," documentary short; Michael Langan's "Doxology," experimental short; and Daniel Mulloy's "Son," best narrative short.

Other audience award winners were Ryan Piotrowicz's "The Project," named best narrative feature, and Gloria Kim's "Rock Garden," best anarchy film. Jonathan Lisecki's "Woman in a Burka" received the Spirit of Slamdance Award.

Writer awards were handed out to: Anthony Meindl, "The Wonder Girls," feature length screenplay; Will Harman, "Easy Pickins," short screenplay; Barbara Marshall, "Stage Six Pandemic," teleplay; and Damian Lahey & Ian Ogden,"Child in the Dark," creative excellence award for the horror screenplay competition.

Tony Mosher took top horror screenplay honors for "The Punished," and Slamdance, Angel Baby Entertainment and Maverick Films will produce a feature film based on the script.

Sascha Drews & Ezra Kyrbus won the Kodak Vision Award for best cinematography for their work on "Portage."

The award winners shared more than $200,000 in cash and prizes.

Harry-Os and Gavin

Been in town for a few days, and quite frankly, its been quite amazing.

The condo that the VidShadow guys booked for the trip is gorgeous. Its not quite walking distance to Main St. but it’s a very short trip to town by car, from Deer Valley North, where we are, maybe just five minutes.

I drank wine on Wednesday night after getting here, and hung back while the rest of the crew went out to Harry-O’s and saw LL Cool J. I am from Queens, like LL, so while I can respect that, I didn’t feel much of a loss. I only had two hours of sleep before getting on an early flight Wed morning so staying home and getting a solid nine was a good idea. Even if the revelers came back at two AM and started yelling my name and pounding on my door. I hid and went back to sleep.

Yesterday. Different story.

After doing some work in the morning, we headed to Star Café to see some music. It was a Sundance pass only thing, and huge lines, but Cheri got us on the ASCAP list and we walked right in. Once I get in there, I see my friend, Gavin DeGraw (he does that “I dont wanna be” that is the theme from One Tree Hill or something like that, I can never remember). I know Gavin a bit from NY because he’s close friends with Joe Coots. I say hi, and after he finished his set, he hangs with us. We were waiting for hours because of the rumor that Crosby Stills Nash and Young were gonna play – Neil Young eventually did show up, but only sang backup on my least favorite Neil Young song. It was a little annoying, because I skipped a screening to wait for CSNY and then, well, nothing.

After the music, Gavin came back with us to the condo, and we sat around and bullshitted for a while. He had to bounce to a dinner, and we headed to see a new friend play guitar rock at a little restaurant on Heber, before heading to Harry-O’s again. Harry’s was a mad house, but our group was connected and once again, we walked right in. It felt like Vegas, actually, with the dancing girls and a really great cover band doing every dance tune you can think of.

I danced my feet off for like three hours straight. I haven’t danced like that, that ferociously, for that long, in years. I wasn’t even drinking really, just chugging water because I was really working up a sweat. I was feeling it, no doubt. I think my group was a little taken aback, because I tend to project, shall we say, a reserve.

Late in the evening, Gavin came and met up with us, and hung for a bit before jumpin on stage to do some Al Green, driving the crowd (particularly the women) into an absolute frenzy. We kept it up for another hour or so, at which point I was on pure adrenaline.

And now, the next morning, I feel like I ran a treadmill for fifteen miles. In a good way. Hey, at least I am not hungover.

And the Slamdance awards are tonight.

Grumpy

Airplane Bloggin’: Park City the Second

God awful early flight to Salt lake City out of Newark. Its frigid cold when I get in the cab, but I know that this cold bear little in common with the cold I’m going to experience when I get to Park City for the Dances (Slam and Sun).

As I stepped up to the cab stand outside my building, immediately one car pulls forward to pick me up in front of the cab at the head of the line, whose driver is not in the car. That driver comes running up and they start arguing about whose passenger I am. They each plead their cases, but I explain that I am not King Solomon. I don’t want to decide. I get into a third cab and depart.

And now I am sitting in the middle seat (a very small middle seat) on a Delta flight bound for Salt Lake. I only slept three hours because I couldn’t fall asleep. Gonna try to get some winks on the flight, and avoided coffee this AM so maybe I’ll get luck.

(Later)…
In fact I did get lucky and caught some zzzz’s on the plane. Not overwhelmingly refreshing, and had to take a pill to make it happen. However, I’d rather be a zombie for an hour than one all day. Now I need to eat.

Currently, I am in a van to Park City from Salt Lake, which is a forty minute trip through the mountains. Seemed to take forever to get to the gate and then to get on the shuttle after we landed, but its still just after noon and we are closing in on Park City. The shuttles absolutely full, so we’ll have to wait and see about how long it will take to dump my stuff at Slamdance Headquarters (the Treasure Mountain Inn) for the afternoon.

When I went to bed last night, and even more so when waking up at the crack of dawn this morning, I really wasn’t too enthusiastic about coming to Park City. But now, with the cold yet sunny day we’re having, pulling into town, I am beginning to get my positive mind frame back. We haven’t shot the last Slamdance winner yet, and we’re about to announce the second annual winner of the Horror Competition. In fact, I imagine the finalists are already posted on Slamdance’s website.

Time to pack up to get out of the van. Talk to y’all later.

Grumpy (and Sleepy)

Post-script
The fully stocked condo is SWEEETTTT. Really nice. Big. Comfy. And full of wine, beer, soda, red bull, snacks, sandwich stuff and real food for cooking. Looking like its gonna be a decent time. Certainly wont be freezing or starving.

Dem darn Oscar nominations

BEST PICTURE
"Atonement" (Focus Features)
A Working Title Production
Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Paul Webster, Producers
"Juno" (Fox Searchlight)
A Dancing Elk Pictures, LLC Production
Lianne Halfon, Mason Novick and Russell Smith, Producers
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)
A Clayton Productions, LLC Production
Sydney Pollack, Jennifer Fox and Kerry Orent, Producers
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage)
A Scott Rudin/Mike Zoss Production
Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax)
A JoAnne Sellar/Ghoulardi Film Company Production
JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Lupi, Producers

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
George Clooney in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)
Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax)
Johnny Depp in "Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros.,
Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
Tommy Lee Jones in "In the Valley of Elah" (Warner Independent)
Viggo Mortensen in "Eastern Promises" (Focus Features)

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Casey Affleck in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (Warner Bros.)
Javier Bardem in "No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage)
Hal Holbrook in "Into the Wild" (Paramount Vantage and River Road Entertainment)
Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Charlie Wilson’s War" (Universal)
Tom Wilkinson in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Cate Blanchett in "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (Universal)
Julie Christie in "Away from Her" (Lionsgate)
Marion Cotillard in "La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse)
Laura Linney in "The Savages" (Fox Searchlight)
Ellen Page in "Juno" (Fox Searchlight)

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Cate Blanchett in "I’m Not There" (The Weinstein Company)
Ruby Dee in "American Gangster" (Universal)
Saoirse Ronan in "Atonement" (Focus Features)
Amy Ryan in "Gone Baby Gone" (Miramax)
Tilda Swinton in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)

DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson - "There Will Be Blood"
Ethan Coen & Joel Coen - "No Country For Old Men"
Tony Gilroy - "Michael Clayton"
Jason Reitman - "Juno"
Julian Schnabel - "The Diving Bell And The Butterfly"

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Brad Bird - "Ratatouille"
Diablo Cody - "Juno"
Tony Gilroy - "Michael Clayton"
Tamara Johnson - "The Savages"
Nancy Oliver - "Lars and the Real Girl"

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Paul Thomas Anderson - "There Will Be Blood"
Ethan & Joel Coen - "No Country for Old Men"
Christopher Hampton - "Atonement"
Ronald Harwood - "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
Sarah Polley - "Away from Her"

ANIMATED FEATURE
"Persepolis" - (Sony Pictures Classics) Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
"Ratatouille" - (Pixar; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Distribution) Brad Bird
"Surf’s Up" - (Sony Pictures Releasing_ Ash Brannon and Chris Buck

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"Beaufort" - Israel
"The Counterfeiters" - Austria
"Katy?" - Poland
"Mongol" - Kazakhstan
"12" - Russia

ART DIRECTION
"American Gangster" (Universal) Art Direction: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Beth A. Rubino
"Atonement" (Focus Features) Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
"The Golden Compass" (New Line in association with Ingenious Film Partners) Art Direction: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
"Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount) Art Direction: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax) Art Direction: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson

CINEMATOGRAPHY
"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (Warner Bros.) Roger Deakins
"Atonement" (Focus Features) Seamus McGarvey
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn) Janusz Kaminski
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) Roger Deakins
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax) Robert Elswit

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
"No End in Sight" (Magnolia Pictures) A Representational Pictures Production; Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
"Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience" (The Documentary Group) A Documentary Group Production; Richard E. Robbins
"Sicko" (Lionsgate and The Weinstein Company) A Dog Eat Dog Films Production; Michael Moore and Meghan O’Hara
"Taxi to the Dark Side" (THINKFilm) An X-Ray Production; Alex Gibney and Eva Orner
"War/Dance" (THINKFilm) A Shine Global and Fine Films Production

ANIMATED SHORT FILM
"I Met the Walrus" A Kids & Explosions Production; Josh Raskin
"Madame Tutli-Putli" (National Film Board of Canada) A National Film Board of Canada Production; Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski
"Même Les Pigeons Vont au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go to Heaven)" (Premium Films) A BUF Compagnie Production; Samuel Tourneux and Simon Vanesse
"My Love (Moya Lyubov)" (Channel One Russia) A Dago-Film Studio, Channel One Russia and Dentsu Tec Production; Alexander Petrov
"Peter & the Wolf" (BreakThru Films) A BreakThru Films/Se-ma-for Studios Production

LIVE-ACTION SHORT FILM
"At Night" A Zentropa Entertainments 10 Production; Christian E. Christiansen and Louise Vesth
"Il Supplente (The Substitute)" (Sky Cinema Italia) A Frame by Frame Italia Production; Andrea Jublin
"Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)" (Premium Films) A Karé Production; Philippe Pollet-Villard
"Tanghi Argentini" (Premium Films) An Another Dimension of an Idea Production; Guido Thys and Anja Daelemans
"The Tonto Woman" A Knucklehead, Little Mo and Rose Hackney Barber Production; Daniel Barber and Matthew Brown

VISUAL EFFECTS

"The Golden Compass" (New Line in association with Ingenious Film Partners) Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris and Trevor Wood
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End" (Walt Disney) John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and John Frazier
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro) Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl and John Frazier

COSTUME DESIGN

"Across the Universe" (Sony Pictures Releasing) Albert Wolsky
"Atonement" (Focus Features) Jacqueline Durran
"Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (Universal) Alexandra Byrne
"La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse) Marit Allen
"Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)

DOCUMENTARY SHORT

"Freeheld" A Lieutenant Films Production; Cynthia Wade and Vanessa Roth
"La Corona (The Crown)" A Runaway Films and Vega Films Production; Amanda Micheli and Isabel Vega
"Salim Baba" A Ropa Vieja Films and Paradox Smoke Production; Tim Sternberg and Francisco Bello
"Sari’s Mother" (Cinema Guild) A Daylight Factory Production; James Longley

FILM EDITING
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal) Christopher Rouse
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn) Juliette Welfling
"Into the Wild" (Paramount Vantage and River Road Entertainment) Jay Cassidy
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) Roderick Jaynes
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax) Dylan Tichenor

SOUND MIXING
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal) Scott Millan, David Parker and Kirk Francis
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter Kurland
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney) Randy Thom, Michael Semanick and Doc Kane
"3:10 to Yuma" (Lionsgate) Paul Massey, David Giammarco and Jim Stuebe
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro) Kevin O’Connell, Greg P. Russell and Peter J. Devlin

SOUND EDITING
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal) Karen Baker Landers and Per Hallberg
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) Skip Lievsay
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney) Randy Thom and Michael Silvers
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax) Matthew Wood
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro) Ethan Van der Ryn and Mike Hopkins

ORIGINAL SCORE
"Atonement" (Focus Features) Dario Marianelli
"The Kite Runner" (DreamWorks, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Participant Productions, Distributed by Paramount Classics) Alberto Iglesias
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.) James Newton Howard
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney) Michael Giacchino
"3:10 to Yuma" (Lionsgate) Marco Beltrami

ORIGINAL SONG
"Falling Slowly" from "Once" (Fox Searchlight) Music and Lyric by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova
"Happy Working Song" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney) Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
"Raise It Up" from "August Rush" (Warner Bros.) Nominees to be determined
"So Close" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney) Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
"That’s How You Know" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney) Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz

MAKEUP
"La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse) Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald
"Norbit" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount) Rick Baker and Kazuhiro Tsuji
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End" (Walt Disney) Ve Neill and Martin Samuel

Park City Shuffle

Im heading off to Park City for Slamdance (and Sundance) on Wednesday at the crack o’ dawn. Second year of the competiton for Best Horror Screenplay. I wasn’t sure until just today whether I was actually going to go. I am going. And I am looking forward to it. I don’t know where I am going after that – whether I’ll go to LA or come back to NY. My plane booking is that I am coming back to NY. We will see though.

We’ve got some great screenplays coming in, and picking the best one isn’t going to be so easy. There are least three or four very strong candidates. I hope we (the judges/producers) can reach a consensus on the screenplay winner.

Speaking of movies (how rarely do I do that), I went to the National Board of Review screening of Cloverfield this past Friday. For the uninitiated, Cloverfield is a Godzilla type story which definitely evokes a 9/11 feel. It does so on purpose, without a doubt. I am not the sort of fellow who likes to give away the ending, so I won’t, although I think the marketing of it does so a bit. (Stop reading if you’re worried about any of that, though I am going to be very careful not to give anything away).

It’s an interesting film. Some of the photography is so bouncy at times, though, that I got a little bit nauseous about two thirds of the way through the movie. But other than that (and I was a bit hungover, juiced on caffeine and hadn’t eaten, so maybe it wasn’t totally just the jumpy handheld), I liked the movie, and was definitely entertained despite some script holes and goofiness.

It did feel, watching the film, like seeing some 9/11 stuff all over again. In its oblique approach to the events of 9/11, it was some how more affecting than some of the movies I’ve seen that directly discuss those events. I am not sure why – perhaps its just that I had more in common with the experiences of the characters in Cloverfield than in some of those other films. (I did find United 93 quite affecting, but maybe for different reasons).

Don’t read this and think that Cloverfield cannot be viewed as simple escapism and a monster movie. Most of the time, that’s exactly what it feels like. It doesn’t come across as a diatribe on politics or anything else, and given the topic, that’s definitely to its benefit.

America seems to agree, as its headed for a monstrous 50 million dollar opening. Yes, monstrous. Couldn’t resist.

"MY BROTHER" nominated for NAACP Image Award

My Brother, which I produced for Anthony Lover, has been nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Best Independent Film.

Here is the competition in the category.

Outstanding Independent or Foreign Film
• “A Mighty Heart” (Paramount Vantage)
• “Dirty Laundry” (Codeblack Entertainment)
• “Honeydripper” (Emerging Pictures)
• “My Brother” (Codeblack Entertainment)
• “Persepolis” (Sony Pictures Classics)

We could use some press at the moment, so this is great news. I hope that we win. The Awards are to be televised live on Fox on February 14th. Don't know if I am going yet.

Grumpy

Seems Like Old Times

In the category of oldies but goodies, and in light of the dearth of good comedy these days (Jason Reitman and the Farrelly Bros. notwithstanding)…

Ray Stark’s production of Jay Sandrich’s “Seems Like Old Times” is one of two terrific comedies pairing Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase, both at the very height of their talents (and popularity), the other being “Foul Play.”

While Sandrich is and was mostly known as a television director of comedy, his direction is perfect for this script, written by the incredible Neil Simon. Yes, it has a certain sitcom-iness but it raises to another level, because of the scope of the screenplay and the performances by leads Hawn, Chase, Charles Grodin, Robert Guillaume, and T.K. Carter. And Sandrich keeps the hijinx moving perfectly along.

Its interesting, I was reading a review by Roger Ebert of a movie from 1998. He quoted as follows:

“Stanley Kauffmann, the great film critic of The New Republic, was on Charlie Rose's show the other night, sharing the discoveries of 40 years as a film critic. What he has noticed over the years, he said, is that we are getting more good dramatic films than in the old days--but fewer good entertainments. It is easier to excel at drama than at comedy.”

This is true. Comedy has become a rare success these days. Good thing for movies like Seems Like Old Times which retain their sense of humor, a few decades later.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005V5NS/imdb-button/

Golden Globe Winners

MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
"American Gangster" - Imagine Entertainment/Scott Free Productions; Universal Pictures
WINNER: "Atonement" - Working Title Productions; Focus Features
"Eastern Promises" - Kudos Pictures - Uk Serendipity Point Films - Canada A Uk/Canada Co-Production; Focus Features
"The Great Debaters" - Harpo Films; The Weinstein Company/MGM
"Michael Clayton" - Samuels Media and Castle Rock Entertainment a Mirage Enterprises/Section 8 Production; Warner Bros. Pictures
"No Country For Old Men" - A Scott Rudin/Mike Zoss Production; Miramax/Paramount Vantage
"There Will Be Blood" - A Joanne Sellar/Ghoulardi Film Company Production; Paramount Vantage and Miramax Films

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
Cate Blanchett - "Elizabeth: The Golden Age"
WINNER: Julie Christie - "Away From Her"
Jodie Foster - "The Brave One"
Angelina Jolie - "A Mighty Heart"
Keira Knightley - "Atonement"

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
George Clooney - "Michael Clayton"
WINNER: Daniel Day-Lewis - "There Will Be Blood"
James McAvoy - "Atonement"
Viggo Mortensen - "Eastern Promises"
Denzel Washington - "American Gangster"

MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
"Across The Universe" - Revolution Studios International; Sony Pictures Releasing
"Charlie Wilson’s War" - Universal Pictures/Relativity Media/Participant Productions/Playtone; Universal Pictures
"Hairspray" - Zadan/Meron Prods./New Line Cinema in association with Ingenious Film Partners; New Line Cinema
"Juno" - Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production; Fox Searchlight Pictures
WINNER: "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" - Parkes/Mac Donald and Zanuck Company; Warner Bros. Pictures

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Amy Adams - "Enchanted"
Nikki Blonsky - "Hairspray"
Helena Bonham Carter - "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"
WINNER: Marion Cotillard - "La Vie en rose"
Ellen Page - "Juno"

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
WINNER: Johnny Depp - "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"
Ryan Gosling - "Lars And The Real Girl"
Tom Hanks - "Charlie Wilson’s War"
Philip Seymour Hoffman - "The Savages"
John C. Reilly - "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story"

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
"Bee Movie" - DreamWorks Animation; DreamWorks Animation
WINNER: "Ratatouille" - Pixar; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Distribution
"The Simpsons Movie" - Gracie Films; Twentieth Century Fox

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"4 Months, 3 Weeks And 2 Days" (Romania) - Mobra Films; IFC First Take
WINNER: "The Diving Bell And The Butterfly" (France And USA) - A Kennedy/Marshall Company And Jon Kilik Production; Miramax/Paramount Vantage
"The Kite Runner" (USA) - Dreamworks Pictures Sidney Kimmel Entertainment And Paramount Classics Participant Productions Present A Sidney Kimmel Entertainment And Parkes/Macdonald Production Distributed By Paramount Classics
"Lust, Caution" (Taiwan) - Haishang Films; Focus Features
"Persepolis" (France) - 247 Films; Sony Pictures Classics

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
WINNER: Cate Blanchett - "I’m Not There"
Julia Roberts - "Charlie Wilson’S War"
Saoirse Ronan - "Atonement"
Amy Ryan - "Gone Baby Gone"
Tilda Swinton - "Michael Clayton"

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Casey Affleck - "The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford"
WINNER: Javier Bardem - "No Country For Old Men"
Philip Seymour Hoffman - "Charlie Wilson’s War"
John Travolta - "Hairspray"
Tom Wilkinson - "Michael Clayton"

DIRECTOR - MOTION PICTURE
Tim Burton - "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"
Ethan Coen & Joel Coen - "No Country For Old Men"
WINNER: Julian Schnabel - "The Diving Bell And The Butterfly"
Ridley Scott - "American Gangster"
Joe Wright - "Atonement"

SCREENPLAY - MOTION PICTURE
Diablo Cody - "Juno"
WINNER: Ethan Coen & Joel Coen - "No Country For Old Men"
Christopher Hampton - "Atonement"
Ronald Harwood - "The Diving Bell And The Butterfly"
Aaron Sorkin - "Charlie Wilson’s War"

ORIGINAL SCORE - MOTION PICTURE
Michael Brook, Kaki King, Eddie Vedder - "Into The Wild"
Clint Eastwood - "Grace Is Gone"
Alberto Iglesias - "The Kite Runner"
WINNER: Dario Marianelli - "Atonement"
Howard Shore - "Eastern Promises"

ORIGINAL SONG - MOTION PICTURE
"Despedida" from "Love In The Time Of Cholera" - Music By: Shakira, Antonio Pinto, Lyrics By: Shakira
"Grace Is Gone" from "Grace Is Gone" - Music By: Clint Eastwood, Lyrics By: Carole Bayer Sager
WINNER: "Guaranteed" from "Into The Wild" - Music & Lyrics By: Eddie Vedder
"That’s How You Know" from "Enchanted"- Music By: Alan Menken, Lyrics By: Stephen Schwartz
"Walk Hard" from "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" - Music & Lyrics by: Marshall Crenshaw, John C. Reilly, Judd Apatow, Kasdan

TELEVISION

TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
"Big Love" (HBO) - Anima Sola and Playtone Productions in association with HBO Entertainment
"Damages" (Fx Networks) - FX Productions and Sony Pictures Television
"Grey’s Anatomy" (ABC) - ABC Studios
"House" (Fox) - Heel and Toe Films, Shore Z Productions and Bad Hat Harry Productions in association with Universal Media Studios
WINNER: "Mad Men" (Amc) - Lionsgate Television
"The Tudors" (Showtime) - Showtime/Peace Arch Entertainment/Working Title/Reveille Productions Limited/An Ireland-Canada Co-Production

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
Patricia Arquette- "Medium"
WINNER: Glenn Close - "Damages"
Minnie Driver - "The Riches"
Edie Falco - "The Sopranos"
Sally Field - "Brothers & Sisters"
Holly Hunter - "Saving Grace"
Kyra Sedgwick - "The Closer"

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
Michael C. Hall - "Dexter"
WINNER: Jon Hamm - "Mad Men"
Hugh Laurie - "House"
Jonathan Rhys Meyers - "The Tudors"
Bill Paxton - "Big Love"

TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
"30 Rock" (NBC) - Universal Media Studios In Association With Broadway Video And Little Stranger - Inc.
"Californication" (Showtime) - Showtime Presents In Association With Aggressive Mediocrity, And Then…, Twilight Time Films
"Entourage" (HBO) - Leverage And Closest To The Hole Productions In Association With HBO Entertainment
WINNER: "Extras" (HBO) - BBC And HBO Entertainment
"Pushing Daisies" (ABC) - Living Dead Guy Productions, The Jinks/Cohen Company in association with Warner Bros. Television

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES -COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Christina Applegate - "Samantha Who?"
America Ferrera - "Ugly Betty"
WINNER: Tina Fey - "30 Rock"
Anna Friel - "Pushing Daisies"
Mary-Louise Parker - "Weeds"

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Alec Baldwin - "30 Rock"
Steve Carell - "The Office"
WINNER: David Duchovny - "Californication"
Ricky Gervais - "Extras"
Lee Pace - "Pushing Daisies"

MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
"Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee" (HBO) - A Wolf Films/Traveler’S Rest Production In Association With HBO Films
"The Company" (TNT) - Sony Pictures Television
"Five Days" (HBO) - HBO Films In Association With BBC Films
WINNER: "Longford" (HBO) - A Granada Production in association with Channel 4 and HBO Films
"The State Within" (BBC America) - BBC America, BBC

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Bryce Dallas Howard - "As You Like It"
Debra Messing - "The Starter Wife"
WINNER: Queen Latifah - "Life Support"
Sissy Spacek - "Pictures Of Hollis Woods"
Ruth Wilson - "Jane Eyre" ("Masterpiece Theatre")

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Adam Beach - "Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee"
Ernest Borgnine - "A Grandpa For Christmas"
WINNER: Jim Broadbent - "Longford"
Jason Isaacs - "The State Within"
James Nesbitt - "Jekyll"

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Rose Byrne - "Damages"
Rachel Griffiths - "Brothers & Sisters"
Katherine Heigl - "Grey’s Anatomy"
WINNER: Samantha Morton - "Longford"
Anna Paquin - "Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee"
Jaime Pressly - "My Name Is Earl"

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Ted Danson - "Damages"
Kevin Dillon - "Entourage"
WINNER: Jeremy Piven - "Entourage"
Andy Serkis - "Longford"
William Shatner - "Boston Legal"
Donald Sutherland - "Dirty Sexy Money"

Back in NY

I cannot believe I forgot to airplane blog. Despite the fact that i've been away in California for three months, it occurs to me that this is the longest period of time in several years that i've stayed in one place, that I haven't been on an airplane (at least I think it is). Anyway, no airplane bloggin'. It didnt even occur to me.

I did do a lot less bloggin', at least true blogging rather than simple reposting, while I was out there. Not sure why, because I have less to conflict with my blogging time in LA than in NY (at least I think that is true).

Where is my head at?

Could not sleep and it just hit me

Richard Kiel and Quentin Tarantino? Have a look. Long lost relatives?

Big Apple

I am headed back to NYC finally, probably late next week. Been three months, and it wont be for that long, but its overdue. I haven’t slept in my (real) own bed in forever. Looking forward to seeing friends in NY. I may stay for less than a month (could be shorter than that, even). I need to catch up on some stuff though, and being back may help me clear my head.

I haven’t felt much like writing recently, as things remain promising yet difficult. I’m muddling through the way I usually do, though.

Greg

Zeitgeist The Movie

Ranging from the obvious to the incredible to the terrifying, take the time and watch it. I am not saying its all accurate or that it doesn't point in a certain direction (doesnt the news and media generally). It is, to me, worth your time.

The Flower of the Fence

Yes, I like horror movies. I dont mind them at all. But they arent all I do.

Here is a project thats been up and down for four years, before My Brother, before The Insurgents, before any of that. The project is called (now) "The Flower of the Fence." If you're not touched after watching this clip from the real-life people feature on Oprah, you probably need to have a heart transplant. (Dawn, stop crying, its happy).

The Poughkeepsie Tapes

A Day in the Life?

It was a very Hollywood type day today. Well, kinda, sorta in a way.

After working from home this morning on a few issues related to various things not related to Slaughter, I headed in the pouring rain (not very Hollywood, though December and January are rainy in LA) over to CAA with my friend Ki Moon, the Prince (as I call him for his amazing popularity). The rain makes things a mess here, and people cannot drive when it rains. But the trip over to CAA’s new-ish digs in Century City was uneventful, and we got there in plenty of time for the screening of Paranormal Activity.

Paranormal Activity is a movie which was shot super low budget and which will play Slamdance next month. It evokes a lot of different supernatural horror movies, including The Exorcist, The Amityville Horror, and most of all, The Blair Witch Project, because of the documentary format and because of the nature of the production. I don’t want to pick it apart here, and I am not going to review it, because it hasn’t even been released yet and I don’t want people finding this and having it influence their decisions, in either direction. I went in totally blind with few expectations and I think that is the best was to approach a movie like this, to let it stand on its own merits.

What I will say is that it does have merit, and is genuinely chilling at many moments, and that the acting is excellent. And anyone who reads this blog knows that, in my less than humble opinion, it is good acting that allows a movie to be frightening. Why? Because being frightened at a movie is about empathy with the characters, for the most part, and if you don’t empathize because you don’t believe them, this vital link in the chain breaks down and you have schlock. And this is not schlock. I wish them well.

From the screening, I headed into enormous traffic, the combination of rush hour and the rains. (It was a lotta rain, hence the plural).

I had planned to head home after dropping off Ki Moon, but because of the traffic time was short so I headed straight over to one of the most famous theatres in the U.S., the Arclight Hollywood.

Its very impressive.

The place is like a mini-museum for film stuff, or at least for posters. They play themes from old movies. There is a gift shop and a bar inside the theatre, and the fourteen dollar tickets entitle you to be ushered to an assigned, plush seat in a stadium seating auditorium. It’s a very good place to watch a movie.

I hadn’t eaten since lunch and it was closing in on 7:30 so I got a chicken sausage sandwich, which was a glorified kilbasa but not very expensive, surprisingly (for a movie house). While I was ingesting quickly, so that I wouldn’t be eating in the theatre, after the first big bite, Scott Wolf from Party of Five says to me (seriously, and out of the blue) – “ Hey, that looks really good, did you get that here?” I have my mouth full of food and I was kinda surprised to look up and see him standing over me. I gulped and told him that it was. He inquired what it was, and then he was gone. He was quite Scott Wolffy in his exuberance. Anyone who knows him from TV or maybe from Go will know what I mean. (Last night I sat next to Juno director Jason Reitman in a Japanese place next to the Beverly Center. Ive met him a few times and congratulated him on Juno, which I haven't gotten to see yet. He said he was very much looking forward to the NBR Gala and wanted to thank everyone for supporting him so thoroughly. I told him he made it easy. So its just been that kinda week).

Then Meta, a new friend from LA, and I headed into theater number three for PT Anderson’s There Will Be Blood.

What can I say? A masterpiece? An instant classic? Yes. And Yes.

Now I don’t mean that he doesn’t have his own imprint. He does. But this was Kubrick – type filmmaking. It was like a Kubrick movie in so many ways, as if Kubrick had directed Citizen Kane. That’s what this felt like. It was so impressive in so many ways. I cannot imagine that this won’t be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. I haven’t seen all the contenders, but this sets the bar so high. So high. And DDL and Paul Dano, and Ciaran Hinds and everyone. It’s a wow movie across the board. Don’t miss it.

And then I came home and starting typing. In the rain.

Grumps.

Freddie Fields, RIP (A little history) - From Deadlinehollywooddaily

He passed away last night at approximately 9:15 PM at home surrounded by his family. (Left, Freddie and Corina Fields.) I hear a service is planned for Friday at 2:00 PM in Westwood. During his career he founded and operated one of the world's largest talent agencies, Creative Management Associates (CMA), which today is known as International Creative Management (ICM). Fields' roster of talent at CMA included Robert Redford, Al Pacino, Paul Newman, Robert DeNiro, Gene Hackman, Michael Caine, Woody Allen, Barbra Streisand, Jacqueline Bisset, Liza Minnelli, Steve McQueen, and such renowned directors as Arthur Penn, Steven Spielberg, Bob Fosse, Mel Brooks, Sidney Pollack, George Lucas, Francis Coppola and George Roy Hill. Fields also conceived and created the First Artists Production Company with clients Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Barbra Streisand, Sidney Poitier and Dustin Hoffman, forming the first independent cooperative film company in some fifty years. Towering Inferno, Dog Day Afternoon, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Papillon, The Sting, American Graffiti, Star Wars, and The Godfather are just a few of the dozens of major motion pictures which were packaged under Fields' guidance during his years with CMA.

In 1981, Fields was named President of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Film Co.'s motion picture production division. After serving for a year in that capacity for MGM/UA Entertainment Co., he became President and Chief Executive Officer of MGM Film Co.

But it was as one of Hollywood's top agents -- perhaps even the top Hollywood agent of his day, that Fields will always be remembered by myself and everyone else.

Fields with his CMA partner David Begelman were throwbacks to the early days of Hollywood -- a more romantic, more exciting, and, frankly, more fun time when agents were showmen who lived for the glitz and the glamour of their business lives. They loved the prestige, the parties, the lunch tables at Ma Maison. They had more in common with Charles Feldman and Leland Hayward than Lew Wasserman or Abe Lastfogel. They were also the recipients of the first historical upheaval in the agency business with the breakup of MCA. Its dissolution left a huge vacuum: seemingly overnight, the agency business was fragment, an alphabet soup of boutiques all watching and circling one another to see who would make the big move. CMA was seen as hip, sexy, fun -- the agency as ongoing party -- perfectly suited for the new aesthetic and ethos of the ‘60s.

But Fields and Begelman were quintessential dealmakers, the best of the day. Their lucrative movie packages and imaginative backend deals pushed the envelope of how talent was compensated in Hollywood. The knew how to use power, and more importantly, were not afraid to use it. They got a thrill out of bullying studio heads and forcing them to accept rich deals for their stars which in the past would have been considered unthinkable. It was no accident that Fields’ name for packaging was “pre-producing.” The reason they were drawn to studios in the end was because they decided being an agent did not give them enough status; for the true stature in the Industry back then still came with being a buyer not a seller.

Like many agents, Freddie Fields gained entry into show business through family connections. His father, Jack Fields, ran a hotel in the Catskills called the Queen Mountain House and was the first in the summer resort business to see the advantage of booking entertainment for his guests. Soon, the Catskills became a regular stop on the variety tour circuit, and Fields was pulling in headliners like Al Jolson and Eddie Cantor. When Jack Fields died at the beginning of the Depression in 1929, his five-year-old son, Freddie, his four other sons and his wife were left to fend for themselves. Fields’ mother worked two job to keep the family going, moving from town to town. Fields worked odd jobs, even once a bellhop in Miami, before entering the service. But even then he knew he was a great salesman. “I was always selling, even when I was a kid,” Fields once told me. “When I was in the Navy, the guys in the military band put a group together, a dance band, and I was booking them.” By the time he left the service, Fields had caught the showbiz bug. He asked his older brother, well-known band leader Shep Fields, to let him play trombone. He wasn’t very good. So one day, Shep asked his agent, Abbie Greshler, if he could get Freddie off his back. As part of Fields’ training, Greshler handed his two stars Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis over to his protege. Then Fields moved to talent agency behemoth MCA with Martin and Lewis in tow.

In 1960, he left MCA to start Freddie Fields Associates. Within two months, Fields’ best friend and fellow MCA agent David Begelman, joined him. Together they renamed the company Creative Management Associates, or CMA. That the name came from rearranging the MCA initials was no coincidence. From the first they decided they wanted an elite management business that would represent only the ten top people who were the best in their field. Fields had left with Phil Silvers, star of The Phil Silvers Show, which had captured the Emmy for best comedy series three years in a row. He also had second wife, the celebrated actress Polly Bergen (Bergen was his second wife; Fields would have four in all). Based in New York, the two managers quickly signed Joanne Woodward, Paul Newman, Henry Fonda, Jack Paar and Lauren Bacall. But Fields and Begelman never had any intention of abandoning the agency business. The two men followed closely the Justice Department’s ongoing anti-trust investigation of MCA, which was heating up in 1960, the year they went out on their own, and would continue for the next two years. When MCA was forced out of the agency business, CMA jumped in.

Their specialty seemed to be “difficult” clients, like Judy Garland. Later, when they signed Barbra Streisand, Peter Sellers and Steve McQueen, “we were accused of being masochists,” Fields joked. Fields moved west to open new CMA offices on Sunset Boulevard, while Begelman stayed behind in New York. Fields became a center of Hollywood’s active social scene in a new wave of clubs like the Whiskey A-Go-Go just down the street from CMA’s headquarters. It wasn’t uncommon in the corridors of the agency’s headquarters to smell the acrid odor of marijuana wafting from inside the offices. Fields turned his Mediterranean-style Beverly Hills mansion into a second headquarters, holding morning staff meetings with his agents around the pool. The two-story house, filled with antiques and sporting a projection room and “audition” facility, became one of the town’s hot spots.

Fields savored the killer CMA reputation. When Fields was trying to sign actor James Coburn, hot after Our Man Flint in 1966, Fields showed up at Coburn’s home for a breakfast meeting, took off his jacket, and strapped conspicuously to a shoulder holster was a Colt .45. After a stunned second, Coburn roared with laughter, then signed with Fields on the spot.

The year Begelman moved west in 1968, with protegee Sue Mengers in tow, the two CMA partners also made their first business move to expand their “Cartier” agency, entering into negotiations to buy the General Artist Corporation, which had powerhouse agents Marty Baum and Sam Cohn. Soon after, the partners took CMA public on the American Stock Exchange. Not only were security analysts, who didn’t understand what a Hollywood agent was anyway, lukewarm to the offering, but the reaction of the financial press was devastating. By 1970, CMA’s stranglehold on the talent was so firm Fields and Begelman could indulge their every dealmaking whim. The more unorthodox the deal, the better. Fields and Begelman were masters of structuring contracts that called for incredibly complex and creative forms of compensation for their stars, including percentages on movies’ profits and even rollbacks, an almost unheard-of concept at the time. The duo popularized perks that would later become common demands for A-list talent. The two did and undid deals with such relish, coworkers suspected aloud that they actually broke up a deal on purpose just to see whether they could put it back together again. Fields became the king of movie packaging. But, along with the dealmaking, there was a darker side to Fields and Begelman that made even their most loyal clients keep one wary eye open when doing business with the pair. The two agents had a habit of playing fast and loose with the truth, even to each other. Fields told me of the time an unexpected royalties check for Judy Garland showed up on his desk one day and he told his secretary: “The question is not whether I tell Judy, but whether I tell David.”

But agenting had begun to lose its luster for both men. Fields always had nothing but contempt for the image of agents as, he put it himself, “guys with big cigars who pinch girls’ fannies and carry actors’ golf clubs.” They felt ten percent was fine, but the real glory -- and the real money -- was in producing. Though he denied he was envious, Fields had been prickly ever since his rival Ted Ashley left agenting to head Warner Bros in 1969. So Fields' brainchild was First Artists Production Company, the first star cooperative since Charlie Chaplin’s United Artists fifty years earlier. Then Begelman announced he was leaving to join Columbia Studios. Fields with left behind to fret over petulant stars, skyrocketing expenses and a sinking bottom line. For Fields, the fun went out of the business. There were no more practical jokes. No more good cop, bad cop. There was only a seemingly ever-increasing, ever-suffocating overhead. And a growing sense that the time had come to move on. On November 4, 1974, the Hollywood trades confirmed what had been rumored for years and hotly speculated in recent weeks: that Marvin Josephson’s International Famous Agency was merging with CMA.

In fact, Fields had been negotiating with Josephson on and off for two years. In the 18 months since Begelman’s departure, the CMA chieftain had become increasingly disillusioned. He wanted out. On January 1, 1975, CMA was officially folded into IFA. A new, publicly held superagency was formed. Josephson claimed the title of chairman and named his new company International Creative Management, an amalgamation of both agencies’ names, which was quickly shortened to ICM. The deal called for Josephson to pay $6.10 a share, bringing the total price-tag for CMA close to $6 million. It was a sweet deal for Fields. The agent controlled 147,341 shares of CMA stock; at Josephson’s price of $6.10 a share, he landed an immediate windfall of nearly $900,000. In addition, the CMA founder was named president of ICM, working on a 33-month management contract and drawing a $250,000-a-year salary. But the crafty Fields had negotiated an even more important provision for himself: an escape clause. After just six months, Fields could take his money and run. Josephson, however, never really considered the consequences of an ICM without Fields. In fact, he bought a shell of what CMA had been. Fields had outsmarted him.

Not easy bein' green

For those of you who googled 2girls1cup after i posted about it, here's an amusing and not gross apology (dawn). its funny. en-joy. (because of language, careful where u watch).

The heat is on.

Been in some hot water.

In more ways than one.

Thanks for asking.

Hovel Pics

The Hovel Bedroom- in a partial stage of completion. Please note the grubby green, yet perfectly sanded walls.

Hovel, Ext. One. The landscaping, now with most of the garbage removed (some construction materials remain), is actually pretty nice for a "city" dwelling" in central Hollywood.

Hovel Bedroom sheetrock serenade, self explanatory

Hovel Kitchen, with chic missing tile collection. To be upgraded to 20th century next Sunday.

Hovel Hallway, newly primed and partially painted.

the view from the cheap seats

Mike, the occupant of the other half of the Hovel.

Hovel Improvement.

Spent most of the day on hovel, er, home improvement. I sanded all the drywall plaster. Had to pull all the furniture out of the way, and then sanded down the room. I had left this for so long because I didn’t want to do the work unless I knew I was staying. I had the wall put up and the ceiling put up, and now that I know I’ll be here (when in LA) for a while, I have taken the next few steps towards turning this into a bachelor hovel instead of your plain old ordinary hovel.

My bedroom in the bungalow has been painted a sort of army fatigue green. Gives it a nice dirty look that just cheers up the morning. I am thinking, now that the sanding is done, to paint it wine, burgundy, to add some soft lighting, as the first step to take it up a level. Im even considering wall sconces. We’ll see.

But today, did a fair amount of work and its quite a bit more liveable all of a sudden. Less hovel-ly. Which is good.

So with the doors freshly painted, the room sanded and ready for painting, all I need is some heat and we’ll be cooking.

I can’t wait to shower off some of this paint in the 55 degree cold shower. Gonna hit some high notes for sure.

The Coldest Winter

The Rocker Kids are gone, but their legacy lives on (like Foreigner’s?).

Im sitting in the bungalow bundled up in sweats. My blood has apparently thinned to the point where I am cold in 55 degree weather. Chilly. How does this happen so quickly that I undergo physiological changes making me into an Angelino. I don’t know – let me call my life coach and ask her (not!).

But its chilly, and we have no gas til Monday. It will be about a week, all in, with no gas. There is a small space heater in the Bungalow that Mike and I leave in the hallway between the bedrooms, but its cold. These are not the most significant fallout from the lack of heat (and neither is the fact that the dryer is somehow half-gas and half-electric, so it spins the laundry without really drying the laundry).

It’s the shower. No hot water.

I’ve been showering all week in a shower with no hot water. No luke warm water. Nothing like that. Just cold.

Undertake an experiment for the sake of science. Go into your bathroom, and turn on the cold water in the shower. After disrobing, get into the cold water and see how long it takes before you begin to shiver and drool on yourself. If you make a minute, well, you’ve more constitution than me.

I get in there, and steel myself. I try to take showers in less that one minute, because there is a mirror across from the shower, and the sight of me shivering and drooling in the shower, well, it doesn’t swell any part of my being with pride (not that parts of my being, er, are swelling whilst a shower). I gave myself a crew cut this week to speed up the shower process, though people who’ve made films with me know I am likely to do that anyway before starting production on a film.

The gas turns on Monday, so I have only a few more cold showers to which I can look forward. Then its back to the monotony and comfort of normalcy.

On the positive side, the crew of migrant workers that has been retrofitting the house, bungalow and surrounding grounds back to humanity is almost done. They were slow, but I think they’ve finally run out of time. The junk is 90 percent gone, and though there are some construction materials spread around the grounds, I think most of them are getting discarded today. We are actually fairly close to realizing the vision I had of the place when I took it, and Mike and the new house tenant (adults all, rockers none) seem to share the vision.

So there’s that.

Work has been stressful. I am not going to write about it. I may write something about it when its in the past. At least I have a nicer, if chillier place to which to return at the end of my stressful days.

NBR Announces Awards

The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, a venerable awards organization whose Awards Gala I co-produced last year (John Gallagher produced it), has announced their awards for 2007.

Best Film: No Country for Old Men (Miramax/Paramount Vantage)
Best Foreign Language Film: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Miramax)
Best Documentary: Body of War (The Film Sales Company)
Best Animated Feature: Ratatouille (Disney/Pixar)
Best Director: Tim Burton, Sweeney Todd (Dreamworks/Paramount)
Best Actor: George Clooney, Michael Clayton (Warner Bros.)
Best Actress: Julie Christie, Away from Her (Lionsgate)
Best Supporting Actor: Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward, Robert Ford (Warner Bros.)
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone (Miramax)
Best Directorial Debut: Ben Affleck, Gone Baby Gone (Miramax)


Best Ensemble Performance: No Country for Old Men (Miramax/Paramount Vantage)


Breakthrough Male Performance: Emile Hirsch, Into the Wild (Paramount Vantage)


Breakthrough Female Performance: Ellen Page, Juno (Fox Searchlight)


Best Original Screenplay (tie):
Diablo Cody, Juno (Fox Searchlight)
Nancy Oliver, Lars and the Real Girl (MGM)


Best Adapted Screenplay: Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men, based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy (Miramax/Paramount Vantage)

The Bulgari Award for NBR Freedom of Expression
The Great Debaters (The Weinstein Company)
Persepolis (Sony Pictures Classics)

Top Ten Films (in alphabetical order):
Atonement (Focus Features)
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward, Robert Ford (Warner Bros.)
The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal)
The Bucket List (Warner Bros.)
Into the Wild (Paramount Vantage)
Juno (Fox Searchlight)
The Kite Runner (Paramount Vantage)
Lars and the Real Girl (MGM)
Michael Clayton (Warner Bros.)
Sweeney Todd (Dreamworks/Paramount)



Top Five Foreign-Language Films (in alphabetical order):
4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days (IFC Films)
The Band's Visit (Sony Pictures Classics)
The Counterfeiters (Sony Pictures Classics)
Lust, Caution (Focus Features)
La Vie en Rose (Picturehouse)

Top Five Documentary Films (in alphabetical order)
Darfur Now (Warner Independent)
In the Shadow of the Moon (Thinkfilm)
Nanking (Thinkfilm)
Taxi to the Darkside (Thinkfilm)
Toots (Mememsha Films)

Top Ten Independent Films (in alphabetical order):
Away from Her (Lionsgate)
Great World of Sound (Magnolia)
Honeydripper (Emerging Films)
In the Valley of Elah (Warner Independent)
A Mighty Heart (Paramount Vantage)
The Namesake (Fox Searchlight)
Once (Fox Searchlight)
The Savages (Fox Searchlight)
Starting Out in the Evening (Roadside Attractions)
Waitress (Fox Searchlight)

Career Awards:

NBR Career Achievement: MICHAEL DOUGLAS
William K. Everson Film History Award: ROBERT OSBORNE
Career Achievement in Cinematography: ROGER DEAKINS




2girls1cup didnt make the cut.

2girls1cup.com

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Bug

William Friedkin, Billy. The Exorcist. French Connection. Some pretty remarkable work.

And now, Bug.

I mean, whoa. Holy cow. What the hell was that. Is something burning?

Bug is a play that was made into a movie for Lionsgate. It still sometimes feels like a play. Except for Friedkin’s amazing eye, it would probably feel exactly like a play. Or a very overwritten, very stagy movie.

But Friedkin’s immense talent saves it. And if you think Ashley Judd is boring, see this movie. It will change your mind. She’s terrific - revelatory.

And Michael Shannon, who is this guy. He’s incredible, a ball of energy. So interesting to watch. He doesn’t stop, he never gives the audience a breather.

I feel like the actors were on crystal meth during filming. I can’t recall that level of intensity in movie acting, maybe ever.

Its interesting to note that the movie was marketed by Lionsgate as a horror movie. Even the name of the movie makes it sound like it should be a horror movie. And I suppose that it’s the result of the modern movie marketing machine that a movie has to be classifiable in a genre for marketing bundles and demos. It has to be. It just does (why?).

But Bug isn’t a horror movie, though its cringe inducing and horrific in turns. There is plenty of horror. But if you’re expecting your typical Eli Roth mayhem, or even Rob Zombie or Cronenberg, forget it. Not gonna find that here.

I recommend it. I think for a lot of people it’s a love it or hate it kind of thing. I’m a little more love it, but I probably view this kind of work less extremely than a bunch of us. And I appreciate the acting and editing and directorial choices with the camera so much. There isn’t a move in the movie that wasn’t considered. Such a sure hand Friedkin displays. He’s been doing this a long time.

I am rambling. You get the point. Rent it or buy it.

The Devil's Rejects

It’s a wild crazy ride, and one that’s certainly not for everyone. But it’s a great story, strongly told in its own way but with references to classics both within and outside of the genre.

Rob Zombie’s The Devils Rejects somehow escaped my attention its first time around. Its now come out as part of a three disc set with House of a 1000 Corpses, Zombie’s first flick, together with a behind-the-scenes making of documentary, 30 Days of Hell.

Corpses was a very interesting homage to B-movies, with some great moments. It had style, and it was referential within the genre in its own way. Rejects takes a very big leap forward, though. It sports a great cast of familiar faces and horror icons, but used in a way that never becomes played, because the characters are well written enough that these genre stars get to do something that they haven’t been seen doing time and again.

The soundtrack, coolin' in its own right, gives the film a throwback feeling and drives the story forward. I found the photography, by documentary legend Phil Parmet, stellar, and the editing and vis FX work was amazing. The story was textured through the FX and editing in a manner that made the transitions vibrant and exciting, but without even losing track of the narrative.

For horror fans and filmmaking fans, I very much suggest you check the 3 disc set. With terrific box art and retooled intros and extras on the DVDs, its definitely on the holiday shopping list.

Grumps

Insurgents Review from NY Press

This Insurgents review is from the NY Press. I redacted it slightly because it has some spoilers in it, but you can check the nypress.com site if you want it unspoiled.

******

The indie thriller The Insurgents addresses political discontent and terrorism in post-9/11 New York more intelligently and honestly than its big-budget counterparts. It had a short run at Cobble Hill's cinema and is now available on DVD.

The Insurgents focuses on a foursome of would-be terrorists planning a Downtown Manhattan attack, and the film's ostensible protagonist is the group’s lone female member, ex-sex worker Hana (Juliette Marquis). The narrative is constructed around her participation in the attack, particularly as she becomes a bargaining chip the men deploy to keep each other in check. Their discontent with the current political climate does not, apparently, include discontent with its misogyny. James (Michael Mosley), the object of Hana’s faked affection, is a pawn to Robert’s machinations. Hana’s slightly more genuine love interest is Iraq veteran Marcus (Henry Simmons), sent home after an accident. Epitome of the emasculated brute type, Marcus articulates a frightening nothing-to-lose abandon that confuses the personal with the political: if he can’t assert his masculinity by fucking women, the logic goes, he might as well die attacking the system that destroyed his manhood (and some less-important things like Iraq). The plot’s mastermind is Robert (John Shea), a charismatic leftist author and ex-CIA agent whose charm and intelligence bring his three co-conspirators onboard. In the most disquieting moments of writer-director Scott Dacko’s film, Robert’s eloquent diatribes tap into viewers’ cynicism and discontent, nearly eliciting our support for his scheme.

As double-crossings and covert agendas emerge, however, The Insurgents starts to focus less on terrorism and more on acting. The talented cast members strive to decipher each others’ performances, all the while trying to maintain their own multiple roles. Between its political drama investigation – how can individual citizens change a spiraling system?– and its more classic thriller elements – how many lies can each character convincingly balance? – the acting and writing in The Insurgents keeps it compelling and nerve-wracking to the last moment.

Dear Blog

Dear Blog,
Ive meant to write. Really I have. But Ive been so busy, you know. I am in preproduction. I told you that. Not much more than that, but I did tell you that. And because of that, Ive been busy. Really, I have.

Its been a really difficult time so far. Almost like a black clowd following me around. And at the same time, everything is so promising. Its like a soup, half delicious and aromatic and gorgeous, and the other half rotten, rancid and turned. Just like that.

But maybe, today, we turned a corner. We hit bottom, sorta, or the perception of maybe having come through the most difficult of things, random difficult things that were impossible to predict and even harder to avoid.

Dear Blog, I’ve gotten older in the last three or four weeks, certainly a lot in the last two weeks. Stress is my new best friend. I say hello when I wake up, and goodnight when I fall asleep, well knowing that stress will be there to greet me in the morning when I open my eyes. She’s a very faithful friend. But she’s overstayed her visit as a houseguest, and I saw her pack a few things up today, and Im hoping that she’s leaving for good. Or at least for a while.

I always say that producing a movie can be a rollercoaster- Don’t get on. Well, blog, I did. I got on. And I am just hoping to have it level off for a while, perhaps slow down near a side rail, so I can get both feet back on the ground for a while.

Grumps

South of Pico - First review - Boxoffice.com

http://boxoffice.com/reviews/2007/10/south-of-pico.php

South of Pico

By Barbara Johnson

October 25, 2007 9:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Premiered at the American Black Film Festival

South of Pico is immediately reminiscent of Crash, only better. It's a similar type of film, taking a multifaceted cast, each with their own stories, and putting them in situations that make the audience ask themselves what they would do under the same circumstances. The film, which is based on a real-life incident, is director Ernst Gossner's first feature.


The action takes place over the course of approximately four hours. In trying to deal with their lives during this interval, the five main characters make decisions and struggle against things they can't change. By the time the five storylines intersect, the characters have all been brought to a point where they are ready to… well... to say it would be a spoiler.


The film is not manipulative, nothing is included for shock value, and everything seems to flow seamlessly. Although a film with this kind of structure risks lacking tension, this film gets around that problem by expertly inserting us into the emotions of the five main characters. The pace is slowest at the beginning, as we're getting to know these people, but then the film builds each storyline to a crescendo, and we're glued to the screen.The cast members play well off of one another (this was a consideration during casting), and no one steals the show unintentionally. They each get their moment.


Although the film raises questions, it offers no solutions. There's no Hollywood ending. But we don't walk out of the theater with a sense of dissatisfaction, either. Instead we walk out deep in thought; this film exists to show us what humans are capable of and make us question ourselves. In the hands of a less talented director, writer, and cast, the film might not have worked. There's a delicate balance to be struck in a film of this kind, which runs the risk of being either heavy-handed or inexplicable. But South of Pico strikes exactly the right balance.


Distributor: TBD
Writers: Ernst Gossner, Richard Marcus (story)
Director: Ernst Gossner
Cast: Kip Pardue, Richard Simmons, Gina Torres, Soren Fulton, Paul Hipp, Jimmy Bennett, Car'ynn Sims, Giovanni Lopes
Release Date: TBD
World Premier: American Black Film Festival, October 25, 2007