OK. So I don’t blog for a week. More than a week. Now I am home for Saturday night, writing, sitting around, reading old movie reviews at RogerEbert.com (which I very much recommend) and I thought of a good list post, so even though I just posted, I wanna start this one off. The list is one Happy will definitely appreciate – It’s the “That’s the Guy From” List, meaning a list of the character actors that we have seen a million times, but their names have never quite crossed into the public consciousness (based upon normal people’s knowledge, not yours, Happy).
So lets hit it.
1. Vincent Schiavelli - With that unmistakeable mug, the face of a corpse (he actually died this year), appearing in movies from Cuckoo’s Nest to Batman Returns to Better Off Dead.
2. Wallace Shawn - Best known as The Sicilian from The Princess Bride. "Never go up against a Sicilian when death is on the line."
3. Henry Silva - Always the bad guy, in so many different cultures, too.
4. Alison Janney - A happy choice.
5. Tony Goldwyn - Shouldn't be on this list, too good an actor (and quite the acting coach as well, apparently.
6. Dan Hedaya - One of the top character actors over the past twenty five years. Made his mark first in Coen brothers movies and on Cheers, as Nick Tortelli.
7. Frank Whaley - Great in Swimming With Sharks, a personal fave. Also a good director, but number seven on the whose that guy list (no Its not a Madonna song).
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Feelin’ kinda lazy.
I went out last nite to Ultra. My friend and new biz associate Ryan was hangin’ there with a bunch of friends and invited us to come meet him.
Ultra is this chic newish lounge, with the velvet rope, the huge bouncers, and the models, the whole deal. So it’s the shit in NYC, for whatever that is worth to you. I’ve been going to clubs in NYC for the last twenty years, since I was 16 going to Tunnel on the west side on Manhattan, getting chosen in by door men who thought I was a 25 year old investment banker (thank god for Willy Wear suits and limited lighting). So while I do like going out to these new exclusive places (Why not?), I have seen basically everything (except for seeing a topless woman give a lapdance at Cain on Wednesday nite, a first for me to see that in a club).
So I am going out to this ultra hip lounge for drinks and chillin and dancing. Whats the best thing to do first?
Right.
Karaoke.
So I meet my brother Rich and my sister (in town for Thanksgiving this week) at Karaoke 17. Now I used to be a little bit of a karaoke whore, which is the term I use for people who get a little bit too into it. I used to go quite a bit, a few times a month, spend an entire evening belting it out. I even went to karaoke in Bulgaria one nite when I was there recording the score for “My Brother.” I know, ultra cool.
***********************FILM ASIDE*************************************
BTW, I am watching the remake of “When A Stranger Call” and while I think it’s a great premise and I think Camille Belle is sexy as hell and a good actress to boot, and the movie is very well made, I am not quite sure that it cuts the mustard. It just doesn’t pack the punch of the original – she just found out that the Caller is inside the house. And I am just not that spooked. Now I knew it was coming, because I am a fan of the genre and I saw the original last year, when I was prepping for a horror movie that I never ended up making (though it was made with other producers). I watch tons of horror films as a form of instruction when I make one, both to remind me what I think works, and as much, or more, what doesn’t.
It just seems to me that while there isn’t enough here to carry a story for 90 minutes, and I’ll be damned if its readily apparent to me why it worked OK the first time and now, its falling short. I think its just too focused on the one character being traumatized, without interruption, and her breasts just aren’t big enough when she is running around. Did I say that. Im not even a boob guy. Never mind.
It just turned into The Shining, with the dude trying to break down the door to get to her, Not scary. And hes walking after her and the kids are crying kinda goofily. OK, enough about this, I am moving on. But I still love Camille Belle. Total fox (and shes getting all wet in the pond now, hehe- OK, maybe the movie isn’t so bad after all).
*******************************************************************************************************************
So I am at Karaoke, but my voice is really no where near where it was, strength wise. I do a few tunes, Steve Miller Band’s Take the Money, Cheap Trick I Want You, and my standard, Journey Don’t Stop Believin’. Also a little Clapton, some G&R, and Brandy, What A Fine Girl from the Looking Glass.
Haveta say, I haven’t lost it. Kid has still got it.
Went over to Ultra to meet Ryan. He actually told the girl at the door, Mia (I think, you know, you’re typical supermodel with a clipboard who watches to make sure that regular folk cant enter without the grace of someone far cooler, which I may pretend to be, but that’s why they call it pretending) and she said hi when I mentioned his name and then rather than just comping us and letting us in, actually walked us inside and took us to Ryan’s table. I guess I am a big shot now.
The place was fun (places populated by 80 percent women, and a very good looking crowd at that, for some reason tend to be fun, not only for guys but for the women too, because women don’t seem to mind being in groups that are mostly female, as opposed to us guys who dread the sausage party). We drank, danced a bit. Bitter shook her thang and was having a great time with 24 year old boys hitting on her. While Richard had left, Newman had replaced him, meeting us just before we got there. A good time had by all, thanks to Ryan’s seemingly never ending supply of hospitality.
We left at three AM or so, and Ive barely left the bedroom today. I didn’t think I drank that much, but it musta added up. So I’ve been home. Briefly contemplating going out, but I think its one for them, one for me on this Saturday nite, though (I am told) the weather is gawgeous.
Hope you all had a great thanksgiving.
Grumpy
Ultra is this chic newish lounge, with the velvet rope, the huge bouncers, and the models, the whole deal. So it’s the shit in NYC, for whatever that is worth to you. I’ve been going to clubs in NYC for the last twenty years, since I was 16 going to Tunnel on the west side on Manhattan, getting chosen in by door men who thought I was a 25 year old investment banker (thank god for Willy Wear suits and limited lighting). So while I do like going out to these new exclusive places (Why not?), I have seen basically everything (except for seeing a topless woman give a lapdance at Cain on Wednesday nite, a first for me to see that in a club).
So I am going out to this ultra hip lounge for drinks and chillin and dancing. Whats the best thing to do first?
Right.
Karaoke.
So I meet my brother Rich and my sister (in town for Thanksgiving this week) at Karaoke 17. Now I used to be a little bit of a karaoke whore, which is the term I use for people who get a little bit too into it. I used to go quite a bit, a few times a month, spend an entire evening belting it out. I even went to karaoke in Bulgaria one nite when I was there recording the score for “My Brother.” I know, ultra cool.
***********************FILM ASIDE*************************************
BTW, I am watching the remake of “When A Stranger Call” and while I think it’s a great premise and I think Camille Belle is sexy as hell and a good actress to boot, and the movie is very well made, I am not quite sure that it cuts the mustard. It just doesn’t pack the punch of the original – she just found out that the Caller is inside the house. And I am just not that spooked. Now I knew it was coming, because I am a fan of the genre and I saw the original last year, when I was prepping for a horror movie that I never ended up making (though it was made with other producers). I watch tons of horror films as a form of instruction when I make one, both to remind me what I think works, and as much, or more, what doesn’t.
It just seems to me that while there isn’t enough here to carry a story for 90 minutes, and I’ll be damned if its readily apparent to me why it worked OK the first time and now, its falling short. I think its just too focused on the one character being traumatized, without interruption, and her breasts just aren’t big enough when she is running around. Did I say that. Im not even a boob guy. Never mind.
It just turned into The Shining, with the dude trying to break down the door to get to her, Not scary. And hes walking after her and the kids are crying kinda goofily. OK, enough about this, I am moving on. But I still love Camille Belle. Total fox (and shes getting all wet in the pond now, hehe- OK, maybe the movie isn’t so bad after all).
*******************************************************************************************************************
So I am at Karaoke, but my voice is really no where near where it was, strength wise. I do a few tunes, Steve Miller Band’s Take the Money, Cheap Trick I Want You, and my standard, Journey Don’t Stop Believin’. Also a little Clapton, some G&R, and Brandy, What A Fine Girl from the Looking Glass.
Haveta say, I haven’t lost it. Kid has still got it.
Went over to Ultra to meet Ryan. He actually told the girl at the door, Mia (I think, you know, you’re typical supermodel with a clipboard who watches to make sure that regular folk cant enter without the grace of someone far cooler, which I may pretend to be, but that’s why they call it pretending) and she said hi when I mentioned his name and then rather than just comping us and letting us in, actually walked us inside and took us to Ryan’s table. I guess I am a big shot now.
The place was fun (places populated by 80 percent women, and a very good looking crowd at that, for some reason tend to be fun, not only for guys but for the women too, because women don’t seem to mind being in groups that are mostly female, as opposed to us guys who dread the sausage party). We drank, danced a bit. Bitter shook her thang and was having a great time with 24 year old boys hitting on her. While Richard had left, Newman had replaced him, meeting us just before we got there. A good time had by all, thanks to Ryan’s seemingly never ending supply of hospitality.
We left at three AM or so, and Ive barely left the bedroom today. I didn’t think I drank that much, but it musta added up. So I’ve been home. Briefly contemplating going out, but I think its one for them, one for me on this Saturday nite, though (I am told) the weather is gawgeous.
Hope you all had a great thanksgiving.
Grumpy
Friday, November 17, 2006
Whats with all the quitters in the blogging world?
Seems like in the blogging world, every week, someone is quitting something. They might be quitting dating. They might be quitting blogging? They might be quitting blogging about dating, or dating bloggers.
But what it all really seems to amount to, more than anything else, is an announcement of something that is bound to change in like two days. Or three.
I don’t think its any terrific big deal, and I am writing about it probably because it popped into my head after reading two blogs in a rom that I frequent, one announcing that someone was going to stop dating (or looking to date) and the other (BITTER) an updated blog from someone that I am quite glad has decided to continue blogging, after saying that perhaps they wouldn’t be so bloggy for a bit (DAVE).
Now, I believe in changing your mind when it makes sense. Im not stuck with a decision forever, if it doesn’t work for me. But it just seems that people get pretty capricious with what they say and do on their blogs.
(Aside: I think there are a number of women I have met who have this behavior in real life, and so maybe its not so miraculous that I see women online with the same characteristics. Dave, however, well, we can write it off to an emotional moment, and rightfully so. You’re a little bit chick I guess.)
But what about commitment. Honesty. Don’t falsely lead me on to think A, when its gonna be B twenty four to seventy two hours later. I’m invested and then I have to rethink your whole psychological dilemna.
And is it something particular about blogging that makes people try to draw these lines in the sand, very demonstrably, about life changes that they are making. Changes they are making in the way they live, they love, they leave.
But really, you just cant believe everything you read.
And Dave, Bloggers do it while watching The Empire Strikes Back, which really stands up to todays crappy sci-fi wanna-be tentpole summer popcorners.
But what it all really seems to amount to, more than anything else, is an announcement of something that is bound to change in like two days. Or three.
I don’t think its any terrific big deal, and I am writing about it probably because it popped into my head after reading two blogs in a rom that I frequent, one announcing that someone was going to stop dating (or looking to date) and the other (BITTER) an updated blog from someone that I am quite glad has decided to continue blogging, after saying that perhaps they wouldn’t be so bloggy for a bit (DAVE).
Now, I believe in changing your mind when it makes sense. Im not stuck with a decision forever, if it doesn’t work for me. But it just seems that people get pretty capricious with what they say and do on their blogs.
(Aside: I think there are a number of women I have met who have this behavior in real life, and so maybe its not so miraculous that I see women online with the same characteristics. Dave, however, well, we can write it off to an emotional moment, and rightfully so. You’re a little bit chick I guess.)
But what about commitment. Honesty. Don’t falsely lead me on to think A, when its gonna be B twenty four to seventy two hours later. I’m invested and then I have to rethink your whole psychological dilemna.
And is it something particular about blogging that makes people try to draw these lines in the sand, very demonstrably, about life changes that they are making. Changes they are making in the way they live, they love, they leave.
But really, you just cant believe everything you read.
And Dave, Bloggers do it while watching The Empire Strikes Back, which really stands up to todays crappy sci-fi wanna-be tentpole summer popcorners.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Airplane Bloggin
Sorry I haven’t blogged since before I left. It was a crazy busy week on all fronts during the week I spent in California. Russ and I headed out there together to get some work done on individual projects and on a project we are working on together.
I got out there on Saturday nite and immediately headed to a house in the Hills for a party at a well-known producer’s house, off Laurel Canyon Rd. Now, I live in New York, I’ve spent a total of three weeks or so in LA during the past fifteen years (all this year) and needless to say, when I go to a party in the Hollywood Hills I don’t really expect to know anyone beyond the people with whom I showed up (and in Hollywood, even knowing the people with whom you’re traveling is an “IF”).
So wrong.
I walked in and I knew five or six people at the party from the forty people there. A producer with whom I worked on The Ten, a producer/line producer who worked with Johnnie G. (I think as a prop master), and the beautiful young actress Katherine Winnick. Also a well known NYC entertainment attorney, Steven Beer, from the same firm that my brother works for in Miami, and one or two more people. All of sudden, heya, I am on the scene. And I know people.
I guess all the networking is paying off.
The next few days were spent attending the AFM, which is the total meet market (pun intended) that its made out to be. As Johnnie said, a Fellini Film. Borat was there, but I musta missed him. Did see David Carradine, hung with a slightly egotistical Fred Williamson, met with bunches of biz people, and pitched a project to Focus, that seemed to be well-received.
Also, one nite we crashed the Google Party at the AFM. We basically talked our way in, and it was a good one. I guess those google guys are doing OK. Ran into Dan Mirvish, Slamdance cp-founder, and invited him to serve on the Jury of the next PictureStart Film Festival (aka the Home Film Festival). He accepted, so I guess we’ll be seeing him in NYC. I like the idea of having someone from Slamdance there, given my recent production deal with them.
At the Google party, I also ran in Oldenburg Alum Chris Stromopolous, who I met first in 2004 at Oldenburg. Chris did something very unique as a young man. With two of his friends, Chris, at the age of eight, began a scene by scene remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark, exactly the same as the real deal (or as close as they could get - a dog played the monkey and chris, I believe, played Indy), complete with rolling boulders, etc. It took Chris and his friends ten years or so. After they were finished they put aside their opus, and went on with their lives, until years later, someone got a copy of the film to Steven Spielberg. Her was very impressed and thought it was a great story, so he sent it to Scott Rudin. Voila, three years later they are close to a final script from the writer of Art School Confidential, Chris is producing, and the movie is supposed to be shot in Alabama in 2007. A great story.
Rest of the week was many meetings, get togethers and as common in LA, lots of driving around. Went to New Line, CAA, and made a bunch of other stops, including a lunch/pitch session with a legendary tv producer who produced both Star Search and Solid Gold, the type of guy who pitched directly to the decision makers at the networks. And he liked my idea.
“My Brother” screened to a crowd of 450 people of so at the Writers Guild Theater on Doheny on Friday nite, and that seemed to go very well.
But the big professional highlight of the week was the Slamdance release, which kicked off a bunch of press, with Angel Baby Entertainment appearing in Variety, Hollywood Reporter, IndieWire, Reuters and IMDB News all on one day, and in the LA times over the weekend as well. I met with the Slamdance people, and they are all very excited about going forward with the deal, as are people in the industry who are talking about various distribution alternatives with the movies made out of this production deal. Also, dropped off Hot Baby for the first time, and The Insurgents, which already had gotten good marks from its initial screening at Slamdance. Hopefully, one or both of the movies will be playing at Slamdance. Either way, I will be there, giving away a ten thousand dollar check to the writer of the winning Horror Script in the Competiton.
BTW, trying to figure out a name for the brand of movies coming out of the competition and production deal – the first idea I’ve had was “Screaming Voices” which pays some homage to the Writers who fuel the competition and also obviously makes sense for the Genre. Gonna keep thinking. If you have any suggestions, lemme know. Maybe I’ll get one I like better.
After the screening, I went to meet Heidi’s sister, Kristina, who attends USC and is, personality-wise, a spitting image of her older sister. She was definitely the coolest girl in the very hip and crowded place we met, Monroes, as her co-revellers seemed to make very clear. She’s an actress as well, and she has quite a presence, I think she’ll go far.
The irony of coming home is that perhaps two of the most important conversations I had in LA ended with my counterparty asking me when I am back in LA. Like, can I come back next week. Ugh. I like LA. I hate flying (especially when there is turbeulence, like there is right now). But for obvious reasons, looks like I am going to be a bi-coastal blogger for the time being.
I got out there on Saturday nite and immediately headed to a house in the Hills for a party at a well-known producer’s house, off Laurel Canyon Rd. Now, I live in New York, I’ve spent a total of three weeks or so in LA during the past fifteen years (all this year) and needless to say, when I go to a party in the Hollywood Hills I don’t really expect to know anyone beyond the people with whom I showed up (and in Hollywood, even knowing the people with whom you’re traveling is an “IF”).
So wrong.
I walked in and I knew five or six people at the party from the forty people there. A producer with whom I worked on The Ten, a producer/line producer who worked with Johnnie G. (I think as a prop master), and the beautiful young actress Katherine Winnick. Also a well known NYC entertainment attorney, Steven Beer, from the same firm that my brother works for in Miami, and one or two more people. All of sudden, heya, I am on the scene. And I know people.
I guess all the networking is paying off.
The next few days were spent attending the AFM, which is the total meet market (pun intended) that its made out to be. As Johnnie said, a Fellini Film. Borat was there, but I musta missed him. Did see David Carradine, hung with a slightly egotistical Fred Williamson, met with bunches of biz people, and pitched a project to Focus, that seemed to be well-received.
Also, one nite we crashed the Google Party at the AFM. We basically talked our way in, and it was a good one. I guess those google guys are doing OK. Ran into Dan Mirvish, Slamdance cp-founder, and invited him to serve on the Jury of the next PictureStart Film Festival (aka the Home Film Festival). He accepted, so I guess we’ll be seeing him in NYC. I like the idea of having someone from Slamdance there, given my recent production deal with them.
At the Google party, I also ran in Oldenburg Alum Chris Stromopolous, who I met first in 2004 at Oldenburg. Chris did something very unique as a young man. With two of his friends, Chris, at the age of eight, began a scene by scene remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark, exactly the same as the real deal (or as close as they could get - a dog played the monkey and chris, I believe, played Indy), complete with rolling boulders, etc. It took Chris and his friends ten years or so. After they were finished they put aside their opus, and went on with their lives, until years later, someone got a copy of the film to Steven Spielberg. Her was very impressed and thought it was a great story, so he sent it to Scott Rudin. Voila, three years later they are close to a final script from the writer of Art School Confidential, Chris is producing, and the movie is supposed to be shot in Alabama in 2007. A great story.
Rest of the week was many meetings, get togethers and as common in LA, lots of driving around. Went to New Line, CAA, and made a bunch of other stops, including a lunch/pitch session with a legendary tv producer who produced both Star Search and Solid Gold, the type of guy who pitched directly to the decision makers at the networks. And he liked my idea.
“My Brother” screened to a crowd of 450 people of so at the Writers Guild Theater on Doheny on Friday nite, and that seemed to go very well.
But the big professional highlight of the week was the Slamdance release, which kicked off a bunch of press, with Angel Baby Entertainment appearing in Variety, Hollywood Reporter, IndieWire, Reuters and IMDB News all on one day, and in the LA times over the weekend as well. I met with the Slamdance people, and they are all very excited about going forward with the deal, as are people in the industry who are talking about various distribution alternatives with the movies made out of this production deal. Also, dropped off Hot Baby for the first time, and The Insurgents, which already had gotten good marks from its initial screening at Slamdance. Hopefully, one or both of the movies will be playing at Slamdance. Either way, I will be there, giving away a ten thousand dollar check to the writer of the winning Horror Script in the Competiton.
BTW, trying to figure out a name for the brand of movies coming out of the competition and production deal – the first idea I’ve had was “Screaming Voices” which pays some homage to the Writers who fuel the competition and also obviously makes sense for the Genre. Gonna keep thinking. If you have any suggestions, lemme know. Maybe I’ll get one I like better.
After the screening, I went to meet Heidi’s sister, Kristina, who attends USC and is, personality-wise, a spitting image of her older sister. She was definitely the coolest girl in the very hip and crowded place we met, Monroes, as her co-revellers seemed to make very clear. She’s an actress as well, and she has quite a presence, I think she’ll go far.
The irony of coming home is that perhaps two of the most important conversations I had in LA ended with my counterparty asking me when I am back in LA. Like, can I come back next week. Ugh. I like LA. I hate flying (especially when there is turbeulence, like there is right now). But for obvious reasons, looks like I am going to be a bi-coastal blogger for the time being.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Slamdance Writing Competition - Production Deal
We’re live, and I am damn happy about it. The Angel Baby (Ahem, yes us) sponsorship of the Slamdance Horror Script Competition is up and running on their site, thanks to me and John Sawyer (who, as usual, does boatloads of work without taking any credit), and Peter and John from Slamdance.
I love this concept. Here it is….
Slamdance is the top genre film festival. The one that introduced to you horror classics like Zombie Honeymoon. It just is a great program, done by filmmakers whose dedication to the independent film world has been unwavering since their inception. And now, as one of the biggest and best festivals in the world, they sponsor script writing competitions for new talent. They are bringing it out, just like they’ve been doing for years and years.
And now, Angel Baby Entertainment is going to partner with Slamdance, to take the best of the best from the wildly popular script competition and make a movie from it every year. So the writer that wins will get his script bought (at a nice fair price, I might add) and made into a movie.
Y’all will never guess where this writer will get to see his movie premiere the next year.
OK, ya guessed it, at Slamdance in a special screening, in front of the genre fans and the industry and everyone else he needs to have see it.
Pretty cool, huh?
I love this concept. Here it is….
Slamdance is the top genre film festival. The one that introduced to you horror classics like Zombie Honeymoon. It just is a great program, done by filmmakers whose dedication to the independent film world has been unwavering since their inception. And now, as one of the biggest and best festivals in the world, they sponsor script writing competitions for new talent. They are bringing it out, just like they’ve been doing for years and years.
And now, Angel Baby Entertainment is going to partner with Slamdance, to take the best of the best from the wildly popular script competition and make a movie from it every year. So the writer that wins will get his script bought (at a nice fair price, I might add) and made into a movie.
Y’all will never guess where this writer will get to see his movie premiere the next year.
OK, ya guessed it, at Slamdance in a special screening, in front of the genre fans and the industry and everyone else he needs to have see it.
Pretty cool, huh?
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Dis-concert-ing?
I went on a date tonite. We hadn’t been out before, and I am of course going back to California on Friday nite, so there was limited time to get together before I leave for a week or so. Not or so. A week.
Anyway, I don’t think I am going to start blogging about my dating life again. We all have seen where that can lead. Interestingly enough, the person with whom I went out has also seen where it can lead – she used to have a blog about dating in NYC.
How many of these things are out there, anyway? Perhaps I’ll check after posting.
And for anyone who thinks that this isn’t a new person, but that this blogger is someone I have spoken about on here before, you’re wrong. Control your imagination (Dawn). All that is as over as writing about it is. As in, moveonmofo.org.
Thing is about this date, is because of the limited time before I was leaving for Cali, we decided to do something kind of untraditional on a first date (not water sports, Lozo). We went to a rock concert. A good old fashioned rock concert, with loud music.
Now I wondered about this a bit before accepting. A couple of reasons why include, spending 60 bucks on my ticket for a date I might not enjoy, plus food and drink and whatever else; the relative inability to have a conversation during a concert that was sure to be loud (it was); and maybe the most important, did I like this band enough to go to one of their concerts. I am not a huge concert fan, as I am not a huge fan of crowds. I love music, but the vibe of the concert has to be right. Otherwise sometimes I can’t wait for it to be over.
The band, you ask? What band? Alice in Chains, with a new lead singer.
I was overwhelmingly pleasantly surprised by the concert. It was really great, the band put on a great show. I even knew a bunch of songs I wouldn’t have been able to mention had someone asked me to name song by AIC. Some of course, I knew I knew. They were great, the vibe of the crowd was cool. Just nice all around. I think one think that helped the vibe of the place is that their fans are adults, mostly. They began, I am told (my date lived in Seattle for ten years, where she was a college DJ at a big school, so I’ll take her word for it), in the late eighties. As a result, many of their fans are my age or thereabouts (I am 36). So less annoying kid shit at the concert. Very few teens, from what I can see. Just an adult crowd loving a great show put on by a great rock band. It’s a little weird to me that the singer that replaced Len Staley (sp?), who died of a heroin overdose I think, sounds a lot like him. You’d think they guy would want to take a different approach. But, in any case, it worked and they sounded terrific and I highly recommend them, thought tomorrow nites show is sold out, SRO.
So far as the lack of conversation, it was a little bit of an issue, but since we got together before for a bite and there were intermissions etc. I guess not too much of an issue. Still, maybe not the best first date to get to know each other. “Course, if you have a good time on a date, that makes it a good date, no?
Grumps
Anyway, I don’t think I am going to start blogging about my dating life again. We all have seen where that can lead. Interestingly enough, the person with whom I went out has also seen where it can lead – she used to have a blog about dating in NYC.
How many of these things are out there, anyway? Perhaps I’ll check after posting.
And for anyone who thinks that this isn’t a new person, but that this blogger is someone I have spoken about on here before, you’re wrong. Control your imagination (Dawn). All that is as over as writing about it is. As in, moveonmofo.org.
Thing is about this date, is because of the limited time before I was leaving for Cali, we decided to do something kind of untraditional on a first date (not water sports, Lozo). We went to a rock concert. A good old fashioned rock concert, with loud music.
Now I wondered about this a bit before accepting. A couple of reasons why include, spending 60 bucks on my ticket for a date I might not enjoy, plus food and drink and whatever else; the relative inability to have a conversation during a concert that was sure to be loud (it was); and maybe the most important, did I like this band enough to go to one of their concerts. I am not a huge concert fan, as I am not a huge fan of crowds. I love music, but the vibe of the concert has to be right. Otherwise sometimes I can’t wait for it to be over.
The band, you ask? What band? Alice in Chains, with a new lead singer.
I was overwhelmingly pleasantly surprised by the concert. It was really great, the band put on a great show. I even knew a bunch of songs I wouldn’t have been able to mention had someone asked me to name song by AIC. Some of course, I knew I knew. They were great, the vibe of the crowd was cool. Just nice all around. I think one think that helped the vibe of the place is that their fans are adults, mostly. They began, I am told (my date lived in Seattle for ten years, where she was a college DJ at a big school, so I’ll take her word for it), in the late eighties. As a result, many of their fans are my age or thereabouts (I am 36). So less annoying kid shit at the concert. Very few teens, from what I can see. Just an adult crowd loving a great show put on by a great rock band. It’s a little weird to me that the singer that replaced Len Staley (sp?), who died of a heroin overdose I think, sounds a lot like him. You’d think they guy would want to take a different approach. But, in any case, it worked and they sounded terrific and I highly recommend them, thought tomorrow nites show is sold out, SRO.
So far as the lack of conversation, it was a little bit of an issue, but since we got together before for a bite and there were intermissions etc. I guess not too much of an issue. Still, maybe not the best first date to get to know each other. “Course, if you have a good time on a date, that makes it a good date, no?
Grumps
Brand New Day
We’ve made peace, I think. There won’t be anything more on this from here, so if you’re stopping by to look for drama, you’ll have to look elsewhere. I’ve moved on. You are, of course, welcome to stay and enjoy (or not) whatever else I write about, but if your jumping back and forth looking for grease, well, Im not selling that anymore.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Final Warning
People should know that if she keeps up the Grumpy-bashing, in a manner that doesnt allow me to defend myself or even address it, I am going to out her, and she doesn't want that to happen. I am restraining myself in view of the fact that it is very clear how much her "privacy" means to her, which, yes, is IRONIC (and if you can't understand why, I suggest you find somewhere else to waste your time).
Peace out.
Update:
And bashing in private may not be as obnoxious as doing it on an open blog, but its still unjustified (if one actually listens to both sides of the story), and still cause for me to defend myself. Someone just called to ask if I was going to disclose this person's activities to their workplace. Before the last bit here, hiding the blog, which only makes me think that she has decided to continue the bashing but just doesnt want me to be able to read it, I said no. Now, its almost like she is trying to force me, if I care to defend myself, to open up a whole different can o' worms unrelated to family members reading her blog.
Do I want access? No. What I want at this point is a simple promise to leave me out of it, permanently, to which I will, at this point, promise to return the favor. How would I know the difference? Try me.
Last:
Im not gonna out her, to anyone. I want this to be over. Its over on my side. Hopefully, she'll see fit to do the same.
Peace out.
Update:
And bashing in private may not be as obnoxious as doing it on an open blog, but its still unjustified (if one actually listens to both sides of the story), and still cause for me to defend myself. Someone just called to ask if I was going to disclose this person's activities to their workplace. Before the last bit here, hiding the blog, which only makes me think that she has decided to continue the bashing but just doesnt want me to be able to read it, I said no. Now, its almost like she is trying to force me, if I care to defend myself, to open up a whole different can o' worms unrelated to family members reading her blog.
Do I want access? No. What I want at this point is a simple promise to leave me out of it, permanently, to which I will, at this point, promise to return the favor. How would I know the difference? Try me.
Last:
Im not gonna out her, to anyone. I want this to be over. Its over on my side. Hopefully, she'll see fit to do the same.
Back to Cali.
Going back to Cali, Cali, Cali. Going back to Cali (inappropriate chorus excised).
So a studio bit on 4Chosen. Great news. We need to go find a little more co-financing money, but its very exciting to be in partnership with an enthusiastic distributor on a great project that will mean a lot for audiences (I think its going to be an important movie) and for me personally.
So Jon D. and I head back to California. The American Film Market (AFM) is going on starting Nov. 1. It is, quite simply, the monster of all film sales events, where American movies are sold to worldwide distributors. Some movies are already made, like Transamerica, the producers of which smartly waited til post-oscar run to sell many of the territories.
We’ll hit the AFM, and build some meetings off of it. Everyone is out there during the AFM (who isn’t out there all the time). Plan to hit some majors and some indie labels of majors (already set a meeting with one of those). Also there are some indie finance companies we should meet.
Also, My Brother plays for the BMW Blackfilm.com series. We just had a screening at the Rialto in Atlanta, and next on tap is the screening at the Los Angeles Writer’s Guild Theater. Its our first “industry” screening. Very exciting as well.
Hit me up if you'll be in LA and want to attend.
Grumpy
So a studio bit on 4Chosen. Great news. We need to go find a little more co-financing money, but its very exciting to be in partnership with an enthusiastic distributor on a great project that will mean a lot for audiences (I think its going to be an important movie) and for me personally.
So Jon D. and I head back to California. The American Film Market (AFM) is going on starting Nov. 1. It is, quite simply, the monster of all film sales events, where American movies are sold to worldwide distributors. Some movies are already made, like Transamerica, the producers of which smartly waited til post-oscar run to sell many of the territories.
We’ll hit the AFM, and build some meetings off of it. Everyone is out there during the AFM (who isn’t out there all the time). Plan to hit some majors and some indie labels of majors (already set a meeting with one of those). Also there are some indie finance companies we should meet.
Also, My Brother plays for the BMW Blackfilm.com series. We just had a screening at the Rialto in Atlanta, and next on tap is the screening at the Los Angeles Writer’s Guild Theater. Its our first “industry” screening. Very exciting as well.
Hit me up if you'll be in LA and want to attend.
Grumpy
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Get Er Done - Top 25 Teen Movies Finally
FINISHING UP. 10.28.06
OK FINAL VOTE _ CHECK MY LAST COMMENT AND LETS FINISH IT UP. People stop the madness, this has gone on way too long. Relationships have begun and ended (and new ones started despite crushing emotional blows?) in the time that its take to finish this list.
TWO MORE (Unless we can remove St. Elmo's Fire).
NEVER DID FINISH THIS LIST- LETS NOT GET LAZY NOW PEOPLE, SIX MORE TO GO@@$#$%@%#
Writing late nite, well, not that late. But anyway, heres an idea for a post, something that will at least capture bitter’s imagination. Lets make a list of the top 25 teen movies of all time. I am gonna start with one, and then whoever posts next can just add a name. Then we can have a little discussion about whether the new additions get to stay on the list.
****
UPDATE: TEEN MOVIES ARE LIGHT FLUFFY FARE THAT ARE FUN TO WATCH, NOT HEAVY DRAMATIC STUFF LIKE RIVER'S EDGE OR THE GREAT MOVIE FROM THIS PAST YEAR, BRICK (WHICH WOULD OTHERWISE BE CLOSE TO THE TOP OF THIS LIST).
****
1. Cant Hardly Wait – The best karaoke scene of all time – a totally great cast, including cameos, and J.L.H.
2. The Sure Thing - About what most high school guys dream about through high school.
3. Fast Times At Ridgemont High - Awesome, totally awesome. Nice move Hamilton.
4. Grease
5. Porkys
6. Heathers
7. Breakfast Club
8. 16 Candles
9. As keeper of the Blog, I am putting up another genre - Revenge of the Nerds.
10. Ferris Bueller's Day Off - Totally great kids movie.
11. Risky Businesss (come on, how could I have forgotten this, doesnt even need to be seconded)
12. House Party (with M. Lawrence stinkin up the big screen in his first role)
13. Dazed And Confused
14. Cant Buy Me Love - Standard formula teen movie, done oh so well.
15. American Pie - The rise of Eugene Levy ("We'll just tell your mother...we ate it."
16. Bring It On - Just cause we know how much Happy loves Eliza Dushku.
17. Mean Girls - By popular consent, and because we need a little modernism here.
18. Say Anything - Chicks dig the Cusack-man holding up the radio over his head outside her window. "Who do you think you are?" "With all due respect Sir, Im the guy going with your daughter to England."
19. Weird Science - Perhaps not the greatest piece of intellectualism, and I always found Anthony Michael Hall's sidekick (whats his name Happy) really annoying - but Hall, Downey Jr., Paxton, and the bald guy from the Wes Craven movies of the 70's, how bad could it be.
20. Clueless (despite Alicia Silverstone) - people get a clue
21. Last American Virgin - Cause every teen movie list needs an entrant guaranteed to make you want to chug a bottle of Drano, and this is ours
22. Valley Girl - Yet another classic entrant, with a spacey Hollywood boy Nick Cage with chest hair shaved in a V. and a classic blond haired bad guy (a 80's movies staple, see Some Kind Of Wonderful, Karate Kid, Better Off Dead, One Crazy Summer, etc).
23. St. Elmo's Fire - The Brat Pack goes wrong, and to me, easily the worst movie on the list. But what can I say, I merely keep this list for y'all. P.S. Does any male reader like this movie. And how much overacting can one movie have.
24. Footloose - How did we miss this one. The late, great Chris Penn dancing, SJP in a minor role, and Kevin Bacon in his first six degrees impacting role.
25. American Graffiti - The original, great teen movie from a director known world wide for Sci-Fi classics (and would-be classics), George Lucas. Supported by his mentor Francis Ford Coppola, every major other than Universal said "forget it kid, no one wants to see this." It was a sensation, needless to say, grossing 115 million dollars, and introduced to America movie audiences the Teen movie (as well as helping boost the careers of Harrison Ford, Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, Charles Martin Smith, McKenzie Phillips, Cindi Williams, and Suzanne Somers as a hot blonde in a tight teeshirt.
Honorable mention to Three Oclock High, Empire Records, 10 Things I Hate About You and many others I am sure I am forgetting.
OK FINAL VOTE _ CHECK MY LAST COMMENT AND LETS FINISH IT UP. People stop the madness, this has gone on way too long. Relationships have begun and ended (and new ones started despite crushing emotional blows?) in the time that its take to finish this list.
TWO MORE (Unless we can remove St. Elmo's Fire).
NEVER DID FINISH THIS LIST- LETS NOT GET LAZY NOW PEOPLE, SIX MORE TO GO@@$#$%@%#
Writing late nite, well, not that late. But anyway, heres an idea for a post, something that will at least capture bitter’s imagination. Lets make a list of the top 25 teen movies of all time. I am gonna start with one, and then whoever posts next can just add a name. Then we can have a little discussion about whether the new additions get to stay on the list.
****
UPDATE: TEEN MOVIES ARE LIGHT FLUFFY FARE THAT ARE FUN TO WATCH, NOT HEAVY DRAMATIC STUFF LIKE RIVER'S EDGE OR THE GREAT MOVIE FROM THIS PAST YEAR, BRICK (WHICH WOULD OTHERWISE BE CLOSE TO THE TOP OF THIS LIST).
****
1. Cant Hardly Wait – The best karaoke scene of all time – a totally great cast, including cameos, and J.L.H.
2. The Sure Thing - About what most high school guys dream about through high school.
3. Fast Times At Ridgemont High - Awesome, totally awesome. Nice move Hamilton.
4. Grease
5. Porkys
6. Heathers
7. Breakfast Club
8. 16 Candles
9. As keeper of the Blog, I am putting up another genre - Revenge of the Nerds.
10. Ferris Bueller's Day Off - Totally great kids movie.
11. Risky Businesss (come on, how could I have forgotten this, doesnt even need to be seconded)
12. House Party (with M. Lawrence stinkin up the big screen in his first role)
13. Dazed And Confused
14. Cant Buy Me Love - Standard formula teen movie, done oh so well.
15. American Pie - The rise of Eugene Levy ("We'll just tell your mother...we ate it."
16. Bring It On - Just cause we know how much Happy loves Eliza Dushku.
17. Mean Girls - By popular consent, and because we need a little modernism here.
18. Say Anything - Chicks dig the Cusack-man holding up the radio over his head outside her window. "Who do you think you are?" "With all due respect Sir, Im the guy going with your daughter to England."
19. Weird Science - Perhaps not the greatest piece of intellectualism, and I always found Anthony Michael Hall's sidekick (whats his name Happy) really annoying - but Hall, Downey Jr., Paxton, and the bald guy from the Wes Craven movies of the 70's, how bad could it be.
20. Clueless (despite Alicia Silverstone) - people get a clue
21. Last American Virgin - Cause every teen movie list needs an entrant guaranteed to make you want to chug a bottle of Drano, and this is ours
22. Valley Girl - Yet another classic entrant, with a spacey Hollywood boy Nick Cage with chest hair shaved in a V. and a classic blond haired bad guy (a 80's movies staple, see Some Kind Of Wonderful, Karate Kid, Better Off Dead, One Crazy Summer, etc).
23. St. Elmo's Fire - The Brat Pack goes wrong, and to me, easily the worst movie on the list. But what can I say, I merely keep this list for y'all. P.S. Does any male reader like this movie. And how much overacting can one movie have.
24. Footloose - How did we miss this one. The late, great Chris Penn dancing, SJP in a minor role, and Kevin Bacon in his first six degrees impacting role.
25. American Graffiti - The original, great teen movie from a director known world wide for Sci-Fi classics (and would-be classics), George Lucas. Supported by his mentor Francis Ford Coppola, every major other than Universal said "forget it kid, no one wants to see this." It was a sensation, needless to say, grossing 115 million dollars, and introduced to America movie audiences the Teen movie (as well as helping boost the careers of Harrison Ford, Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, Charles Martin Smith, McKenzie Phillips, Cindi Williams, and Suzanne Somers as a hot blonde in a tight teeshirt.
Honorable mention to Three Oclock High, Empire Records, 10 Things I Hate About You and many others I am sure I am forgetting.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Unfinished Biz BUMP- TOP 25 TEEN MOVIES OF ALL TIME
OK FINAL VOTE _ CHECK MY LAST COMMENT AND LETS FINISH IT UP. People stop the madness, this has gone on way too long. Relationships have begun and ended (and new ones started despite crushing emotional blows?) in the time that its take to finish this list.
TWO MORE (Unless we can remove St. Elmo's Fire).
NEVER DID FINISH THIS LIST- LETS NOT GET LAZY NOW PEOPLE, SIX MORE TO GO@@$#$%@%#
Writing late nite, well, not that late. But anyway, heres an idea for a post, something that will at least capture bitter’s imagination. Lets make a list of the top 25 teen movies of all time. I am gonna start with one, and then whoever posts next can just add a name. Then we can have a little discussion about whether the new additions get to stay on the list.
****
UPDATE: TEEN MOVIES ARE LIGHT FLUFFY FAIR THAT ARE FUN TO WATCH, NOT HEAVY DRAMATIC STUFF LIKE RIVER'S EDGE OR THE GREAT MOVIE FROM THIS PAST YEAR, BRICK (WHICH WOULD OTHERWISE BE CLOSE TO THE TOP OF THIS LIST).
****
1. Cant Hardly Wait – The best karaoke scene of all time – a totally great cast, including cameos, and J.L.H.
2. The Sure Thing - About what most high school guys dream about through high school.
3. Fast Times At Ridgemont High - Awesome, totally awesome. Nice move Hamilton.
4. Grease
5. Porkys
6. Heathers
7. Breakfast Club
8. 16 Candles
9. As keeper of the Blog, I am putting up another genre - Revenge of the Nerds.
10. Ferris Bueller's Day Off - Totally great kids movie.
11. Risky Businesss (come on, how could I have forgotten this, doesnt even need to be seconded)
12. House Party (with M. Lawrence stinkin up the big screen in his first role)
13. Dazed And Confused
14. Cant Buy Me Love - Standard formula teen movie, done oh so well.
15. American Pie - The rise of Eugene Levy ("We'll just tell your mother...we ate it."
16. Bring It On - Just cause we know how much Happy loves Eliza Dushku.
17. Mean Girls - By popular consent, and because we need a little modernism here.
18. Say Anything - Chicks dig the Cusack-man holding up the radio over his head outside her window. "Who do you think you are?" "With all due respect Sir, Im the guy going with your daughter to England."
19. Weird Science - Perhaps not the greatest piece of intellectualism, and I always found Anthony Michael Hall's sidekick (whats his name Happy) really annoying - but Hall, Downey Jr., Paxton, and the bald guy from the Wes Craven movies of the 70's, how bad could it be.
20. Clueless (despite Alicia Silverstone) - people get a clue
21. Last American Virgin - Cause every teen movie list needs an entrant guaranteed to make you want to chug a bottle of Drano, and this is ours
22. Valley Girl - Yet another classic entrant, with a spacey Hollywood boy Nick Cage with chest hair shaved in a V. and a classic blond haired bad guy (a 80's movies staple, see Some Kind Of Wonderful, Karate Kid, Better Off Dead, One Crazy Summer, etc).
23. St. Elmo's Fire - The Brat Pack goes wrong, and to me, easily the worst movie on the list. But what can I say, I merely keep this list for y'all. P.S. Does any male reader like this movie. And how much overacting can one movie have.
24.
25.
TWO MORE (Unless we can remove St. Elmo's Fire).
NEVER DID FINISH THIS LIST- LETS NOT GET LAZY NOW PEOPLE, SIX MORE TO GO@@$#$%@%#
Writing late nite, well, not that late. But anyway, heres an idea for a post, something that will at least capture bitter’s imagination. Lets make a list of the top 25 teen movies of all time. I am gonna start with one, and then whoever posts next can just add a name. Then we can have a little discussion about whether the new additions get to stay on the list.
****
UPDATE: TEEN MOVIES ARE LIGHT FLUFFY FAIR THAT ARE FUN TO WATCH, NOT HEAVY DRAMATIC STUFF LIKE RIVER'S EDGE OR THE GREAT MOVIE FROM THIS PAST YEAR, BRICK (WHICH WOULD OTHERWISE BE CLOSE TO THE TOP OF THIS LIST).
****
1. Cant Hardly Wait – The best karaoke scene of all time – a totally great cast, including cameos, and J.L.H.
2. The Sure Thing - About what most high school guys dream about through high school.
3. Fast Times At Ridgemont High - Awesome, totally awesome. Nice move Hamilton.
4. Grease
5. Porkys
6. Heathers
7. Breakfast Club
8. 16 Candles
9. As keeper of the Blog, I am putting up another genre - Revenge of the Nerds.
10. Ferris Bueller's Day Off - Totally great kids movie.
11. Risky Businesss (come on, how could I have forgotten this, doesnt even need to be seconded)
12. House Party (with M. Lawrence stinkin up the big screen in his first role)
13. Dazed And Confused
14. Cant Buy Me Love - Standard formula teen movie, done oh so well.
15. American Pie - The rise of Eugene Levy ("We'll just tell your mother...we ate it."
16. Bring It On - Just cause we know how much Happy loves Eliza Dushku.
17. Mean Girls - By popular consent, and because we need a little modernism here.
18. Say Anything - Chicks dig the Cusack-man holding up the radio over his head outside her window. "Who do you think you are?" "With all due respect Sir, Im the guy going with your daughter to England."
19. Weird Science - Perhaps not the greatest piece of intellectualism, and I always found Anthony Michael Hall's sidekick (whats his name Happy) really annoying - but Hall, Downey Jr., Paxton, and the bald guy from the Wes Craven movies of the 70's, how bad could it be.
20. Clueless (despite Alicia Silverstone) - people get a clue
21. Last American Virgin - Cause every teen movie list needs an entrant guaranteed to make you want to chug a bottle of Drano, and this is ours
22. Valley Girl - Yet another classic entrant, with a spacey Hollywood boy Nick Cage with chest hair shaved in a V. and a classic blond haired bad guy (a 80's movies staple, see Some Kind Of Wonderful, Karate Kid, Better Off Dead, One Crazy Summer, etc).
23. St. Elmo's Fire - The Brat Pack goes wrong, and to me, easily the worst movie on the list. But what can I say, I merely keep this list for y'all. P.S. Does any male reader like this movie. And how much overacting can one movie have.
24.
25.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
More of the Same
Been working like mad, taking four or five meetings in a day since I've been out in LA. Its really been busy and very productive, especially my meeting with Image today. Basically a mutual admiration society.
I will probably post a description of my travels all over LA, Malibu, and the Valley (well, a couple of Valleys - San Fernando and San Gabriel), but for now, I am heading out. I have really been out only one time, for the Black Film Awards (which were great and so was the afterparty, hung with Anthony Anderson, who did a nice job in The Departed), for quite a while. I went out very briefly last nite, and had dinner with my friend Jay and his roommate in Venice Sat nite (I've decided Venice would be top of my list should I ever live here). No really Hollywood type partying except for the BFA's.
So tonites the nite- my LA actress friend is coming down from the valley (maybe I should call her my Valley actress?) and we'll be going to a trendy Hollywood restaurant than my friend Paul B. Victor, who everyone knows recently as the boss on entourage, recommended. I stopped by yesterday to check it out and its a great scene.
Got a surprise call yesterday from someone I didnt expect to hear from. Havent decided if I am gonna write about it. We shall see.
Grumpy O. Selznick
I will probably post a description of my travels all over LA, Malibu, and the Valley (well, a couple of Valleys - San Fernando and San Gabriel), but for now, I am heading out. I have really been out only one time, for the Black Film Awards (which were great and so was the afterparty, hung with Anthony Anderson, who did a nice job in The Departed), for quite a while. I went out very briefly last nite, and had dinner with my friend Jay and his roommate in Venice Sat nite (I've decided Venice would be top of my list should I ever live here). No really Hollywood type partying except for the BFA's.
So tonites the nite- my LA actress friend is coming down from the valley (maybe I should call her my Valley actress?) and we'll be going to a trendy Hollywood restaurant than my friend Paul B. Victor, who everyone knows recently as the boss on entourage, recommended. I stopped by yesterday to check it out and its a great scene.
Got a surprise call yesterday from someone I didnt expect to hear from. Havent decided if I am gonna write about it. We shall see.
Grumpy O. Selznick
Friday, October 13, 2006
NY vs. LA
Been in LA 24 hours. Due to my recent, ahem, popularity, I think Im going to move previous posts down the page. Onward and downward. Let the spiral begin.
I know everyone talks the talk about Los Angeles being such a terrible city, but lets face some facts about the city.
First, the weather. Yeah there is smog. But New York has smog too, and its friggin cold half of the year. Edge, LA. No doubt.
The women of both cities are beautiful. And smart, though I’d give the edge on smart to the east coast. But maybe that’s just the crowds Im running with, respectively. But I’d say NY on smarts, maybe LA on looks.
Not gonna go through some exhaustive list, but everyone I meet out here asks me if I either live out here (OK honest question) or if I am planning on moving out here. Talked with a friend today and she and I had the same discussion. She’s lived out here, and told me that she thought it was a terrible place to visit but a great place to live. I guess I could see that.
Moving on. Traffic is abysmal here. When it rains (and it did a bit today) people cannot drive for shit. They can’t really drive when its sunny. And you are constantly in your car, here. Doesn’t seem like there is any way to avoid it.
Edge NY.
I don’t really know many people out here. My former roommate is here. I have various biz contacts, and a few acquaintances. But that’s it. I have my whole network of friends in NYC, many of whom Ive known since high school or thereabouts. Hard to replace that.
I need to find some way to spend more time out here. Im looking at sharing a house or apt. with two other guys who live here. Throw in some money for a place to crash while I am here. The hotel thing is OK, but its not cheap and I need to get out here and not have to worry too much about the cost.
BTW- I love those sensitive neandrethal commercials. Like the neandrethal on the moving sidewalk who sees the ad and gets upset. Classic. That dude is great in the commercials. Total non sequitur, but the commercial just ran. I actually tevo’ed that commercial last week so I could rewatch the guy’s performance.
No plans for evenings other than Sunday at the black film awards. I guess I have to spend some time making evening plans, and not just day plans (meetings etc).
The beleaguered grumpy.
I know everyone talks the talk about Los Angeles being such a terrible city, but lets face some facts about the city.
First, the weather. Yeah there is smog. But New York has smog too, and its friggin cold half of the year. Edge, LA. No doubt.
The women of both cities are beautiful. And smart, though I’d give the edge on smart to the east coast. But maybe that’s just the crowds Im running with, respectively. But I’d say NY on smarts, maybe LA on looks.
Not gonna go through some exhaustive list, but everyone I meet out here asks me if I either live out here (OK honest question) or if I am planning on moving out here. Talked with a friend today and she and I had the same discussion. She’s lived out here, and told me that she thought it was a terrible place to visit but a great place to live. I guess I could see that.
Moving on. Traffic is abysmal here. When it rains (and it did a bit today) people cannot drive for shit. They can’t really drive when its sunny. And you are constantly in your car, here. Doesn’t seem like there is any way to avoid it.
Edge NY.
I don’t really know many people out here. My former roommate is here. I have various biz contacts, and a few acquaintances. But that’s it. I have my whole network of friends in NYC, many of whom Ive known since high school or thereabouts. Hard to replace that.
I need to find some way to spend more time out here. Im looking at sharing a house or apt. with two other guys who live here. Throw in some money for a place to crash while I am here. The hotel thing is OK, but its not cheap and I need to get out here and not have to worry too much about the cost.
BTW- I love those sensitive neandrethal commercials. Like the neandrethal on the moving sidewalk who sees the ad and gets upset. Classic. That dude is great in the commercials. Total non sequitur, but the commercial just ran. I actually tevo’ed that commercial last week so I could rewatch the guy’s performance.
No plans for evenings other than Sunday at the black film awards. I guess I have to spend some time making evening plans, and not just day plans (meetings etc).
The beleaguered grumpy.
Done
I will no longer discuss Single Girl. Dont even ask.
Grumpy
Addendum
For the record, the only potential hateful email I sent was one of disappointment about D's reemergence within 15 hours or so of it ending. I guess I might have a right to have a feeling about that. It sounded like they'd been talking all along (since clarified) and that made me upset. How would you feel? I still think it was a really bad idea (she obviously did too, eventually, after reading her blog posts from before)).
Grumpy
Addendum
For the record, the only potential hateful email I sent was one of disappointment about D's reemergence within 15 hours or so of it ending. I guess I might have a right to have a feeling about that. It sounded like they'd been talking all along (since clarified) and that made me upset. How would you feel? I still think it was a really bad idea (she obviously did too, eventually, after reading her blog posts from before)).
Smoke Does Equal Fire
I have to be better about not listening to all these people in the peanut gallery about this and that with respect to my relationships. When I have a view on something, I should just go with it – I have a very good sense of people (if not always myself). When something seems off, it almost always is. I spent a lot of time learning about relationship dynamics. Why would I disregard that effort entirely - do I really need this advice. Bitter, Gus, sorry. Next time, I am on my own. No offense, but maybe my standards are different from yours. Or different from yours on my behalf.
I am not gonna go into specifics, but needless to say, I am a little grossed out. Against my better judgment, I did something and allowed it to continue, and now I see quite clearly that I should have gone with my instincts sooner rather than later. By taking so much longer, I invested myself and my emotions more than I should have, and now, I feel a little bit nauseous about the whole thing.
One time, with an old flame, is one thing. A second time, in four days, with an idiot, a confirmed idiot, is, sorry to say, same old story.
UPDATE
The foregoing is a description of how i feel. It isnt a bashing of SG. She doesnt deserve to be bashed. Shes a great girl, she just needs to make better choices.
I am not gonna go into specifics, but needless to say, I am a little grossed out. Against my better judgment, I did something and allowed it to continue, and now I see quite clearly that I should have gone with my instincts sooner rather than later. By taking so much longer, I invested myself and my emotions more than I should have, and now, I feel a little bit nauseous about the whole thing.
One time, with an old flame, is one thing. A second time, in four days, with an idiot, a confirmed idiot, is, sorry to say, same old story.
UPDATE
The foregoing is a description of how i feel. It isnt a bashing of SG. She doesnt deserve to be bashed. Shes a great girl, she just needs to make better choices.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
"My Brother" Sweeps the Harlem Int'l Film Festival Awards
News Flash
At its second festival and New York premiere, my film My Brother has swept the awards at the Harlem International Film Festival. The Movie won the Best Picture Audience Award, Best Actor for Nashawn Kearse, and Best Actress for Vanessa Williams.
Because I cant resist, here is the press release, (and its easier than writing something clever - I drafted the release late last nite, so if its got errors, lemme know),
LIBERTY ARTISTS’ “MY BROTHER” SWEEPS HARLEM INT’L FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS, WINNING AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST PICTURE, BEST ACTOR (NASHAWN KEARSE) AND BEST ACTRESS (VANESSA WILLIAMS)
My Brother to be released in theatres Jan/Feb 2007!
(New York, New York- July 2006) – The Harlem International Film Festival has awarded Liberty Artists’ production of writer-director and Academy Award nominee Anthony Lover’s “My Brother,” the Audience Award for Best Picture, as well as the Best Actor Award for Nashawn Kearse and the Best Actress Award for Vanessa Williams. The Award marks the Picture’s second top award in its second festival screening.
“My Brother” was previously awarded the Grand Jury Prize for Best Picture at the American Black Film Festival, its first festival screening. In addition, the ABFF also presented “My Brother” star Christoper Scott the Founder’s Award for his work in the film. Christopher is the first African American actor with a severe developmental disability (Christopher has Downs Syndrome) ever to win a major film award.
"My Brother" was produced by Gregory Segal, Gingi Rochelle and Leslie Ann Fouche. The director of photography is John Sawyer. Michael Malagiero executive produced.
The film, which will be marketed in conjunction with the Special Olympics (headed by Tim Shriver) and the National Institute for People With Disabilities (headed by Phil Levy), is expected to hit movie theaters in January 2007.
Liberty Artists has taken a new approach to filmmaking for the African American audience, creating films that touch on the African American experience in a meaningful and spiritual way. My Brother is a unique, compelling story about two underprivileged brothers from Brooklyn, New York, their quest to develop as young men, and retain their commitment to one another.
In the starring role, Nashawn Kearse (as Isaiah) shines, handsome yet vulnerable, as a new face to audiences, but one who is on his way to become very familiar. Nashawn has been seen recently as Caleb Applewhite on Desperate Housewives.
Vanessa Williams, a star of stage, screen, and radio, can be seen on ABC’s hit Ugly Betty, opposite America Ferrara.
Tatum O’Neal (as love interest, Erica), the youngest Academy-Award-winning actress in history, will be seen upcoming in the lead role on “Art of Betrayal” from MyNetworkTV and Fox Television.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
All Roads Lead to ....LA
I’ve been looking at so many different opportunities these days with respect to producing. Its made something occur to me, which is, that success in this business, even as a producer, has an awful lot to do with momentum.
For example, I am in the process of negotiating a deal with another company to do movies for a limited price. I won’t say what limited is, but its actually quite a decent budget, bigger than most of the movies I’ve produced to date.
Thing is, having this deal introduced me at the same time a new biz partner, a very large home entertainment player that is going to distribute most of the movies I make under this first situation. They are looking for product generally (product means content) and need to build their company. They have interesting tie-ins, as they have a huge music catalog and have interest in exploiting that too.
At the same time, I have been working on this project, with Jon D., one that has some hot young singers involved. Guys who every 14 year old girl follow on the internet. One of them, quite frankly, is like the next Usher. And its not that far away.
With this project, there are a couple of studios sniffing, more and more intently, with the package that has come together. But even without one of them on board (and one of them is supposed to give us an answer within the next few days), this other home entertainment company very well might want to fund the project themselves.
And still further, at the same time, I’ve been working on the Brooks deals with JG. We have an investment bank excited to be on board and the biz plan is almost done and they seem raring to take it out. We plan to do movies primarily oriented towards home entertainment. And where could we place these movies we make under the Brooks deal for home vid.
Which takes me to the next step, which is to go sit down with New Line and talk to them about doing co-productions on some of their old movies titles, as remakes, sequels, etc. We provide funding, they provide favorable distribution terms, we all make out. And then it occurs to me, that this project, the one with Jon D., could be a perfect fit for New Line (could also fit as Columbia, or Lionsgate, or a number of other places as well). But having the reason to sit down at New Line, and the credibility afforded by having all these things to offer, is a catalyst.
My job is to mix and match to get the projects going. And the thing I think I’m maybe best at is mixing and matching (maybe negotiating too, cuz Im kinda stone faced and that plays well).
At the same time, to me, it seems that this project I’ve been working on for two years, one of the first bigger movies I got involved in trying to produce, is going to die on the vine. There just doesn’t seem to be a whole lot left to try. It’s a good script, but its just not desirable commercially at this time, and though it’s a beautiful story (feature on Oprah not once but twice) and should be told, we’ve been unable to package it in a manner that gets anyone excited. And the person who’d been keeping it moving along, to the extent that is has been moving along, quite frankly has run out of ideas. I don’t blame him, he’s tried everything, orthodox and otherwise, and we’re down to what he senses is a last ditch financing option, and what I sense is a crock of nonsense. We shall see, if he’s right, maybe the movie gets made. If not, well, its basically done.
It’s a tough part of this business. There is a whole lot of stuff out there to choose from, and timing plays a huge role in getting things moving.
Sort of like relationships sometimes.
The Fearless Grumpy (hehe).
For example, I am in the process of negotiating a deal with another company to do movies for a limited price. I won’t say what limited is, but its actually quite a decent budget, bigger than most of the movies I’ve produced to date.
Thing is, having this deal introduced me at the same time a new biz partner, a very large home entertainment player that is going to distribute most of the movies I make under this first situation. They are looking for product generally (product means content) and need to build their company. They have interesting tie-ins, as they have a huge music catalog and have interest in exploiting that too.
At the same time, I have been working on this project, with Jon D., one that has some hot young singers involved. Guys who every 14 year old girl follow on the internet. One of them, quite frankly, is like the next Usher. And its not that far away.
With this project, there are a couple of studios sniffing, more and more intently, with the package that has come together. But even without one of them on board (and one of them is supposed to give us an answer within the next few days), this other home entertainment company very well might want to fund the project themselves.
And still further, at the same time, I’ve been working on the Brooks deals with JG. We have an investment bank excited to be on board and the biz plan is almost done and they seem raring to take it out. We plan to do movies primarily oriented towards home entertainment. And where could we place these movies we make under the Brooks deal for home vid.
Which takes me to the next step, which is to go sit down with New Line and talk to them about doing co-productions on some of their old movies titles, as remakes, sequels, etc. We provide funding, they provide favorable distribution terms, we all make out. And then it occurs to me, that this project, the one with Jon D., could be a perfect fit for New Line (could also fit as Columbia, or Lionsgate, or a number of other places as well). But having the reason to sit down at New Line, and the credibility afforded by having all these things to offer, is a catalyst.
My job is to mix and match to get the projects going. And the thing I think I’m maybe best at is mixing and matching (maybe negotiating too, cuz Im kinda stone faced and that plays well).
At the same time, to me, it seems that this project I’ve been working on for two years, one of the first bigger movies I got involved in trying to produce, is going to die on the vine. There just doesn’t seem to be a whole lot left to try. It’s a good script, but its just not desirable commercially at this time, and though it’s a beautiful story (feature on Oprah not once but twice) and should be told, we’ve been unable to package it in a manner that gets anyone excited. And the person who’d been keeping it moving along, to the extent that is has been moving along, quite frankly has run out of ideas. I don’t blame him, he’s tried everything, orthodox and otherwise, and we’re down to what he senses is a last ditch financing option, and what I sense is a crock of nonsense. We shall see, if he’s right, maybe the movie gets made. If not, well, its basically done.
It’s a tough part of this business. There is a whole lot of stuff out there to choose from, and timing plays a huge role in getting things moving.
Sort of like relationships sometimes.
The Fearless Grumpy (hehe).
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Single AGAIN.
Some of you may have been aware that, for the past month or so, I have been seeing someone new. Someone who reads this blog. Someone I actually met through this blog (and hers as well, and Bitter's).
This girl is great. There can be no denying she is a terrific person. She has it going on.
Yet, for some reason, we couldn’t make it work. Apart from any other issues that might have existed or developed, we just couldn’t get along, We argued perhaps more than half the time we spoke. From the beginning this seemed to be the case (once we’d met). And I can’t persist in that kind of environment. My work is plenty stressful, and I absolutely need my personal life to be placid. Fun, but peaceful.
This was not.
To compound that, she was talking to my sister, my sister was talking to her, Happy was emailing with her (Dunno why?, doesn’t matter), and everything was under the magnifying glass for me because she wrote about it quite often on her blog. When she was upset, happy, irritated, etc., there it was.
I had a hard time conceiving of the long term situation with her, because of the constant arguing. During law school I had a relationship that started similarly – it didn’t last and it ended badly. So I saw only a slim hope of success. I always felt this since we’d had these initial issues, but she was more optimistic. That was a problem for me, because I didn’t want her to be ALL IN, for me not to be, and for her to feel too hurt as a result.
So when it came down to it, I saw little reason to expect that we had a realistic shot. I told her I’d be willing to hang out, but I didn’t really see it going anywhere. And because I couldn’t see that, she decided she didn’t want to hang out at all anymore.
Was I wrong? At 36, is there a good reason for me to have continued. To perhaps shaded conversation more positively about this relationship than I perceived it? I don’t think so. Did I not have enough faith that things would get better- I don’t know why I should have. The history didn’t point to a better future. So I am single again, and while its OK with me, I hope she’s OK, and it isn’t the happiest of evenings.
Grumpy
This girl is great. There can be no denying she is a terrific person. She has it going on.
Yet, for some reason, we couldn’t make it work. Apart from any other issues that might have existed or developed, we just couldn’t get along, We argued perhaps more than half the time we spoke. From the beginning this seemed to be the case (once we’d met). And I can’t persist in that kind of environment. My work is plenty stressful, and I absolutely need my personal life to be placid. Fun, but peaceful.
This was not.
To compound that, she was talking to my sister, my sister was talking to her, Happy was emailing with her (Dunno why?, doesn’t matter), and everything was under the magnifying glass for me because she wrote about it quite often on her blog. When she was upset, happy, irritated, etc., there it was.
I had a hard time conceiving of the long term situation with her, because of the constant arguing. During law school I had a relationship that started similarly – it didn’t last and it ended badly. So I saw only a slim hope of success. I always felt this since we’d had these initial issues, but she was more optimistic. That was a problem for me, because I didn’t want her to be ALL IN, for me not to be, and for her to feel too hurt as a result.
So when it came down to it, I saw little reason to expect that we had a realistic shot. I told her I’d be willing to hang out, but I didn’t really see it going anywhere. And because I couldn’t see that, she decided she didn’t want to hang out at all anymore.
Was I wrong? At 36, is there a good reason for me to have continued. To perhaps shaded conversation more positively about this relationship than I perceived it? I don’t think so. Did I not have enough faith that things would get better- I don’t know why I should have. The history didn’t point to a better future. So I am single again, and while its OK with me, I hope she’s OK, and it isn’t the happiest of evenings.
Grumpy
BUMP - Top 25 Teen Movies of All Time
Writing late nite, well, not that late. But anyway, heres an idea for a post, something that will at least capture bitter’s imagination. Lets make a list of the top 25 teen movies of all time. I am gonna start with one, and then whoever posts next can just add a name. Then we can have a little discussion about whether the new additions get to stay on the list.
****
UPDATE: TEEN MOVIES ARE LIGHT FLUFFY FAIR THAT ARE FUN TO WATCH, NOT HEAVY DRAMATIC STUFF LIKE RIVER'S EDGE OR THE GREAT MOVIE FROM THIS PAST YEAR, BRICK (WHICH WOULD OTHERWISE BE CLOSE TO THE TOP OF THIS LIST).
****
1. Cant Hardly Wait – The best karaoke scene of all time – a totally great cast, including cameos, and J.L.H.
2. The Sure Thing - About what most high school guys dream about through high school.
3. Fast Times At Ridgemont High - Awesome, totally awesome. Nice move Hamilton.
4. Grease
5. Porkys
6. Heathers
7. Breakfast Club
8. 16 Candles
9. As keeper of the Blog, I am putting up another genre - Revenge of the Nerds.
10. Ferris Bueller's Day Off - Totally great kids movie.
11. Risky Businesss (come on, how could I have forgotten this, doesnt even need to be seconded)
12. House Party (with M. Lawrence stinkin up the big screen in his first role)
13. Dazed And Confused
14. Cant Buy Me Love - Standard formula teen movie, done oh so well.
15. American Pie - The rise of Eugene Levy ("We'll just tell your mother...we ate it."
16. Bring It On - Just cause we know how much Happy loves Eliza Dushku.
17. Mean Girls - By popular consent, and because we need a little modernism here.
18. Say Anything - Chicks dig the Cusack-man holding up the radio over his head outside her window. "Who do you think you are?" "With all due respect Sir, Im the guy going with your daughter to England."
19. Weird Science - Perhaps not the greatest piece of intellectualism, and I always found Anthony Michael Hall's sidekick (whats his name Happy) really annoying - but Hall, Downey Jr., Paxton, and the bald guy from the Wes Craven movies of the 70's, how bad could it be.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
****
UPDATE: TEEN MOVIES ARE LIGHT FLUFFY FAIR THAT ARE FUN TO WATCH, NOT HEAVY DRAMATIC STUFF LIKE RIVER'S EDGE OR THE GREAT MOVIE FROM THIS PAST YEAR, BRICK (WHICH WOULD OTHERWISE BE CLOSE TO THE TOP OF THIS LIST).
****
1. Cant Hardly Wait – The best karaoke scene of all time – a totally great cast, including cameos, and J.L.H.
2. The Sure Thing - About what most high school guys dream about through high school.
3. Fast Times At Ridgemont High - Awesome, totally awesome. Nice move Hamilton.
4. Grease
5. Porkys
6. Heathers
7. Breakfast Club
8. 16 Candles
9. As keeper of the Blog, I am putting up another genre - Revenge of the Nerds.
10. Ferris Bueller's Day Off - Totally great kids movie.
11. Risky Businesss (come on, how could I have forgotten this, doesnt even need to be seconded)
12. House Party (with M. Lawrence stinkin up the big screen in his first role)
13. Dazed And Confused
14. Cant Buy Me Love - Standard formula teen movie, done oh so well.
15. American Pie - The rise of Eugene Levy ("We'll just tell your mother...we ate it."
16. Bring It On - Just cause we know how much Happy loves Eliza Dushku.
17. Mean Girls - By popular consent, and because we need a little modernism here.
18. Say Anything - Chicks dig the Cusack-man holding up the radio over his head outside her window. "Who do you think you are?" "With all due respect Sir, Im the guy going with your daughter to England."
19. Weird Science - Perhaps not the greatest piece of intellectualism, and I always found Anthony Michael Hall's sidekick (whats his name Happy) really annoying - but Hall, Downey Jr., Paxton, and the bald guy from the Wes Craven movies of the 70's, how bad could it be.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
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