World Without End

I Love This SO Much

2011-11-29T17:35:00.001-08:00

Take one look at this and try to say that we are alone.

The Gift of Apollo

2011-11-01T16:51:00.000-07:00

There are no words, truly, for how saddened I am by humanity's insistence upon politics and war over imagination and inspiration. Perhaps it was growing up on Star Trek and Cosmos, perhaps it was watching shuttle launches on the classroom TV, perhaps it was simply my own inherent desire to one day see it for myself... but I have spent my life taking for granted the inevitability of man's ascent to the heavens. And by that I mean, of course, our ascent into the stars.

It has to be inevitable, really, if we are to survive as a species. And yet day after day, year after year, decade after decade, generations succumb to the exhausting mire of violence, of conflict, of paranoia. And from this all emerges a cynicism that renders me dumbfounded. How is it that a people with such potential and ambition have thrown in the towel on what should be - what must be - a matter of global importance to a degree that such goals are now once more laughed at or looked upon with scorn? It is as though we never had the ambition in the first place.

It's why I feel no politician, no candidate, represents me. There is no one holding office or currently occupying a seat of power who inspires me to dream, who promises the greatness of man's abilities, who will take the money spent on the military and defense and give it instead to NASA.

In five years NASA will, if all goes according to plan, return to the stars with a new spacecraft. And it's my hope to take my family to Florida to watch the launch. I will not allow my son to grow up without that dream. I will not allow him to dismiss our greatest achievements or let them slip to the dusty archives of human history from which we cannot recall even the lessons learned from previous wars.

Better, surely, that we once again take for granted not another attack from some extremist foreign or domestic, but rather mankind's place in the awesome vastness of creation.

I Wish I Had Written This

2011-10-21T17:17:00.000-07:00

An amazing blog entry by Greta Christina about atheists and their anger.

Click here to read it. And please do read it.

Jim Jefferies On Religion... and pandas

2011-08-25T15:39:00.001-07:00

Telos

2011-08-19T15:13:00.000-07:00

Atheism is a Meager Worldview

2011-08-12T10:35:00.001-07:00

Click through to see the image bigger and magnify.

Source

Bertrand Russell on God

2011-05-20T11:26:00.001-07:00

The Opposite of Faith

2011-04-18T10:47:00.000-07:00

This was a comment I wrote responding to a post on my Uncle Dave's blog. Seeing as I've been writing more in his comments section lately than on my own blog, I thought I'd share this particular thought as a post here.

Even Mother Teresa died doubting the existence of her god.

I think the trick may be to live a moral life, as she did, not because we were told to by some deity or because we fear the repercussions of sin in some afterlife, but because doing so creates more happiness in this world than a life of dishonesty and wickedness.

I'm not even sure I believe anything in this world is inherently right or wrong, good or evil. All I know for sure is the observable effects of a person's actions. And with that in mind, I fail to understand why anyone would intentionally act in such a way as to cause another person unhappiness or suffering.

That's not to say I'm not guilty of it, only that I don't understand why I do it. And that, for the most part, I try not to do it intentionally.

And yet there remain in this world believers, priests and disciples both, who would insist our moral actions be dictated by some invisible entity. If such a belief never led to unhappiness, I'd say where's the harm in it. But, as we know, belief in a deity is arguably the number one cause of unhappiness in the history of this world.

And so I ask: why can't we just be good... because it makes the world nicer? Why do we NEED a god? Why do we insist on treating ourselves like little children incapable of self control or discipline?

When are we going to grow up?

Watch this

2011-04-14T11:20:00.000-07:00

Super trailer

2011-03-25T12:29:00.000-07:00

Well, once again IFC has completely eff'd up the sound mix, but here is the trailer I cut for the new movie Super. Check it out and go see the movie! It's awesome!

Kelly and I got to go to the movie's premiere this past Monday, and while our interactions with celebrities were limited to three strange run-ins with one of the dudes from House and the ridiculous after-party entrance of Steven and Liv Tyler, we had a great time! It was fun seeing lots of famous people, drinking free drinks, and pocketing samples of tanning products (one of the event's sponsors had a table of goodies out). And Kelly is 99% sure that Ellen Page's character in the film was based on her. She may actually be right, too.

As always, be sure to click through and watch the video on YouTube Proper, since Blogger seems perpetually incapable of smartly resizing HD videos. Enjoy!

Footprints

2011-03-11T11:06:00.000-08:00

by Mary Stevenson, 1936

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only.

This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord...

A Few Things That Are Making Me Happy These Days

2011-01-25T22:28:00.000-08:00

I have much to update you on, Gentle Reader. The big thing being Tristan's second birthday and his first trip to Disneyland. But the truth is I have yet to edit together a video of the trip, and I have been compiling this little post since January 5. So I might as well put this one up to help pass the time until the Disneyland post is done.

Here, my friend, you will find a few of the things that have been making me happy lately. A terrific New Year's celebration at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, awesome music videos, funny YouTube clips, cool websites I have found, and some other gems. (Since Blogger and/or YouTube is stupid and can't format the videos correctly for this page, you may wish to click through and watch the videos on YouTube proper so that they aren't cropped.) Take your time and enjoy!

The official website of actor Jeff Bridges

Five Year Mission, a Star Trek themed band that is genuinely and surprisingly good.

Vardo, my favorite cafe on Main Street in Venice.

My new favorite painting:

Amanda Rogers, a singer/songwriter with the voice of an angel.

I've been watching Mad Men. I'm in season 3. Here is my favorite scene of the series so far.

I Can't Get Behind That! #3

2010-11-18T23:37:00.000-08:00

The Shat said it best:

So here are even MORE things I can't get behind! Feel free to share your own!

Drivers on Topanga Canyon Road
I drive Topanga almost every single day to get to work. Maybe the prettiest drive in LA, but I fear its enchantment suffers a bit at the hands of locals who try to teach commuters like me a lesson by getting in front of us and driving 20 mph under the speed limit. Gah. The average speed limit on Topanga is 45mph. Look, I'm all for taking 'er easy and driving carefully on this potentially treacherous road, but when someone with one of those "Enjoy Topanga slowly" bumper stickers cuts me off at the Mulholland fork and then proceeds to drive the length of Topanga at 20mph, never once using any of the "slow traffic" turnouts, he is not encouraging me to enjoy the scenery. He is being a dick.

Oh, and I understand if you're driving a rig or hauling some massive burden of lumber or machinery through that windy road. It can be wily and you should take your time. But if you are driving along Topanga Cyn Road and look into your rearview mirror to see a looooooong train of cars inching their way along behind you, USE THE TURNOUTS. That's why they're there!

The Cost of the Service Call Goes Toward the Repair
Who came up with this idea? What a crappy business model. I pay you $65 or more per hour to come out and assess the situation with my hot tub or fence or tree or whatever it is that needs to be repaired. When you determine what the problem is, the cost of that assessment fee goes toward the repair. Noooo. Here's how it works: I go with the person who does a free estimate. Who knows, maybe you're better at the job than he is. Maybe you would have charged less for the overall repair. But I'll never know, because your way of doing business just lost you the job. Way to go.

Oh, um, hi again. Yeah so, er, sorry about earlier. No, I couldn't find anyone who does a free estimate. When are you available to come out?

Restaurants and Bars With TVs
Dear Viper Room... here's the deal. I came here to see my friends' band play. I did not anticipate having the new episode of Lost spoiled for me via Closed Captioning on the TV right behind the stage. But thanks. Now I don't have to watch it when I get home. (yes, I know Lost is no longer on the air. But this happened a while ago and it still bugs me.)

As a side note: ah, this Crave Cafe place sure is a nice place for brunch at 10:30 on a Saturday morning. Here, Tristan, eat your eggs. (spooning food into toddler's mouth) No, buddy, don't watch the TV. Say, what's on that TV? Oh, dear lord! It's... it's... a news story on stillbirths! WHAT THE FU-

The TSA
Why even fly anymore? Seriously. I mean, if I am in LA and want to spring over to New York or Colorado just for a quick weekend trip, sure, I guess I have to take a plane. But if I'm just going from LA to San Jose? Why would I?

Standard metal detectors and x-rays have been swapped out in favor of new devices called Backscatter scanners that essentially photograph you naked:

Already stories have been cropping up of security employees high-fiving one another as a hot girl walks through. Those who know me well know I have no personal issue with that aspect of it. I'd go pretty much everywhere naked if I could (the way things are headed, that may be an airport security requirement soon enough). But no way am I going to expect my wife and son to go along with this procedure, particularly since the side effects of the new higher radiation x-ray have not yet been conclusively determined.

A person can opt out of walking through the scanner, of course. But the alternative is a full body frisk, one that by most reports tends toward the invasive. Breast groping, cheek spreading, exploration between underwear and skin, manhandling (if you catch my drift). By many accounts those who elect not to go through the scanner are made examples of, so as to encourage others in line to simply go through the machine. As a result, at least one rape survivor has been devastated (you really should read that article). A breast cancer survivor was forced to show TSA agents her prosthetic breast. Several pilots have themselves refused to take part in either the scanning or the patting down, and planes have been grounded when these pilots are sent home and suspended. A flight attendants' union is up in arms over the procedure. There are even people planning a "National Opt-Out Day" for November 24, just to jam up the system as much as possible on the busiest travel day of the year. My mother-in-law recently walked through the scanner at LAX with little concern. And for many I'm sure there is little worry. Heck, Lewis Black even makes a solid argument when he says "I get to go from New York to San Diego in five hours, and someone touches my balls? That's a great deal!"

I don't know, though. Something about the entire situation stinks of invasion. Of both privacy and dignity. And it stinks of the gradual erosion of our basic human rights.

New Jersey legislators have been the first to put their feet down:

Listen to this:

Now watch this:

Anyway, to allow for the time it takes to accommodate these new procedures, the TSA recommends arriving up to two hours before your departure time, even for a domestic flight. Consider then that flying from LA to San Jose would suddenly take nearly as long as driving there, and that it would still cost more than six times as much, and it becomes a no-brainer.

People don't drive enough anyway. Get out there, people. See the country. Traffic is too light these days.

Now, some might argue that these new steps are necessary to prevent terrorist attacks. To this I say that if terrorism among nuns and middle class housewives and college students heading home for Christmas is so prevalent that this is what's required, then geez. Just another reason not to fly.

There are always going to be terrible people. Evil people. But if we go through every single aspect of every single day in fear then what does that mean but that those people have won? That they have succeeded in spreading terror?

I say no. If flying means paying through the nose just to succumb to the repercussions of that one asshole in five million who one day boarded a plane with a razor blade in the sole of his shoe then count me out. Anything can be used as a weapon anyway. The soda can you order from the flight attendant can be folded in half and torn apart to create a jagged edge. But you can't go through life thinking like that. As Edward R. Murrow once said, " we will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason."

At the end of the day we need to trust each other. We need to believe that the person sitting next to us on the bus or on the plane isn't out to kill us. Because without that fundamental belief, what do we have? What remains? Of our humanity? Of our reason for going on another day? What is left but ignorance?

The Glorification of Ignorance
Have I touched on this in a previous post? Maybe so, but it warrants mentioning again. What is with this current direction in which the U.S. seems headed? The perception of education and thoughtfulness as elitist or - dare I speak the word - socialist? I had hoped that Jon Stewart's speech at his rally might spark about the nation a new sense that no, we will not let the stage be taken solely by the morons of this nation. Though they speak the loudest they have the least to say, and enough is enough. But that wasn't really even the point of his rally. And well, by now we know how this latest election went. Lower-income households voting against their own best interests and a state $19 billion in debt once again voting down a proposition that could generate massive revenue. Personally, I'm of the mind that if you voted against either same-sex marriage or the legalization of marijuana, you should no longer be allowed to complain about the state of California's deficit. (see what I did there? The state of California's... oh, forget it.)

Oh and one more thing, people. Sarah Palin is not, nor has she ever been, attractive. Had John McCain chosen Diora Baird as his running mate I'd be singing a different tune. But no, dudes. Show some self respect. Sarah Palin looks like she smells of old coffee spilled onto the floor of a chicken coop.

All this being said, there is something important we should all still keep in mind. Myself included.

News
As it's become clear that there is no reliable, trustworthy source from which to objectively learn the goings on of the world, where does one turn? My technique is probably the same as yours: read a bunch of different websites, listen to NPR, and then try to triangulate the truth using these sources as your reference points. How close do I get? Hope and pray, I guess. But it beats the hell out of humoring this country's preferred Monster of the Week: the Latest Thing To Fear! Be it swine flu, terrorists, the dangers of moisturizers in the home, or whatever the Fear of the Week is, network and 24-hour cable news is exhausting. And again, enough is enough. Vote with your remotes, people. There's always an episode of Star Trek on somewhere.

The Way Avid Handles Effects
Hey here's one only a couple of you will care about: Avid sucks at effects management! Okay, I understand that whatever's on the topmost layer is the dominant effect. That makes sense. But if I drag something else on top of an existing effect shouldn't it automatically push the effect that's there down one layer, thereby making the new effect the dominant effect? Instead, I need to think backwards. Anticipate what I'm going to want on my uppermost layer and then work down from there in terms of dominance. That. Is. Retarded. Someone at Avid needs to study how Final Cut Pro handles effects. You can pile as many effects as you want into one clip, then double click the clip in your timeline and manage the dominance of the effects there. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Why - WHYYYYY - must Avid make everything difficult difficult lemon difficult?

P.S. I've heard that Avid 5 mimics many of the features of Final Cut. If effects is one of them, then awesome. But I'm not on Avid 5 yet, I'm on Avid 4. So I am not aware yet of that change, if it exists.

Wankers Who Say Movie Trailers Suck
Here's an argument I'm sick of hearing:

Trailer editing is what annoys me the most. It becomes so blatant. I don't know when this trend started, but every cut is a fade in-fade out. Look at every trailer now and they're all like that. Its not the use of computer editing, its the formula behind trailer editing which is so strict now, and has been, every trailer has to be cut the same way. The same techniques, fades, dissolves, fade in-fade out, you just get these little bits of information. Its this dumb sort of way of advertising, its moronic, the whole package, its put together so idiotic, I don't know how or why this began or what the reason is for it, because trailers used to be a lot different, they were creative and each one had a little bit of style to it, but then the marketing niche formula started. They're all the same, they're all advertising to the same idiot mentality. It’s almost impossible to tell what a film is going to be like from trailers now. They all look the same and they could look good or bad depending on what your interpretation of what that is. I guess they figure that makes it look great, so whether the film is good or bad it doesn't matter.

That quote is from an interview the "Journal of Interstitial Cinema" did with Damon Packard, the underground filmmaker I myself interviewed a while back (read my interview with Packard here). And it's completely idiotic.

Let's start with this idea: every trailer has to be cut the same way. The same techniques, fades, dissolves, fade in-fade out, you just get these little bits of information. Its this dumb sort of way of advertising, its moronic, the whole package, its put together so idiotic.

Oh my gosh. My brain can hardly process how much ignorance there is in just that one statement. Is the trailer for Domino cut the same way as the trailer for The Social Network? No, of course it's not. What does that even MEAN? "Every trailer has to be cut the same way..." is he talking about structure? Style? Seriously. Because speaking as a professional trailer editor, this is asinine. You use the techniques that are appropriate to the trailer you're cutting. There's no one over my shoulder telling me "this trailer has to be cut using lots of fades". At least not during my first cut. Oh, this just betrays a complete ignorance of both the movie advertising industry AND what it's like to be a professional editor.

Someone else recently made this argument to me:

Given how bad the films are, how can the trailers NOT be a hyped hopped juicehead job in order to "sell" the picture? WTF are you gonna do as trailer editor of SAW 17: 3D JASON VS. MICHAEL MYERS to make it anything more than just another tired variant on:

1. Flash cuts.
2. Adobe filters.
3. Sped up footage.
4. CGI'd shots.
5. Rehashed score.

You know, there are tools at our disposal. And we can use them or not. Again, I reiterate that you do what's appropriate given the film, and you work with the tools at your disposal given the limitations imposed by the studio or producer. CGI shots? Really? That's a problem? Any shot with CGI in it is now evidence of a crap movie? Adobe filters? So this guy obviously uses Final Cut or Premiere, by the way, since he's referencing Adobe. But whether we're talking Adobe or not, Sapphire plugins or Boris FX, should I refrain from using an effect entirely? Is the use of a plugin evidence of a bad editor or, as this numbskull is arguing, a bad movie? Rehashed score? If you don't have access to the score of the film, if the score of the film sucks, if you can't clear a certain cue, what are you gonna do? What if the score from The Day After Tomorrow is the exact thing you're looking for? Are you gonna deliberately use something else?

I also take umbrage at the argument that movies today suck. Heck, a San Diego film critic recently retired from his job because, he says, the declining percentage of inspiring films these days leaves him with a declining sense of hope. Fair enough, I guess, though I would argue with anyone who says this period in film history - which has given us modern classics from the likes of Paul Thomas Anderson, Peter Jackson, Danny Boyle, Terrence Malick, Tarsem Singh, David Lynch, Ridley Scott, Gore Verbinksi, Errol Morris, Chris Nolan and the Brothers Coen, along with stellar new indies like Catfish, Exit Thru The Gift Shop, Monsters, Garden State and I could go on and on - is anything less than a third Golden Age. Consolidation of studios and distributors, along with easy access to cameras and websites like YouTube, have changed the game, to be sure. And perhaps made it easier for garbage to rise to the surface. But the good stuff still far outnumbers the bad. Alas, I'm getting off topic.

The Hills Have Eyes 2 was a sequel to a remake and had a terrific, original teaser. There can be artistry in advertising, regardless of the product. It all depends on who's at the keyboard. Shrugging off the entire enterprise based on some similarly dismissive attitude toward contemporary cinema is idiotic.

Is the trailer for Marmaduke crap? Oh, it's an almost sublime symphony of suck. But it goes without saying that I am not on the same page as the person who watches the trailers for Little Children or Gone in 60 Seconds and says there's no art there.

Movie trailers have grown SO MUCH as an art unto themselves in the past twenty years that to dismiss them just pisses me off. And not just because I make a living editing trailers. But because even before I worked in trailers, even back when I was a kid, great trailers inspired me. I am a better editor and visual artist today because I grew up loving movie trailers. And to be able to meet and work alongside the brilliant editors who cut those pieces I loved when I was growing up continues to be a complete thrill to me.

Are there crummy trailers? Of course there are. Are there crummy movies? Are we even debating this?

You know what else there will always be? Crummy people, dead set on taking a dump on whatever excites you, whatever it is you love. Sometimes it's hard to ignore them. Sometimes they get elected to office. Sometimes they get hired by the Transportation Security Administration. But at the end of the day they're still losers. And if they can't or won't see the artistry and influence of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre trailer, I can't get behind them.

On a related note, I never did share with you Gentle Readers the latest piece I cut. So check it out, the teaser for the new Coen Bros. movie True Grit:

Sony Vaio P Series Webcam Test

2010-09-12T18:50:00.000-07:00

Howl trailer

2010-07-16T19:23:00.000-07:00

Here it is! The trailer I cut for the new movie Howl, based on the poem by Allen Ginsberg. New York Magazine just called the trailer "excellently edited"!

Also, all the music in the trailer was done by my best friend Linus Lau, so check it out!

HEY CHRIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-07-08T10:46:00.000-07:00

My Two Favorite People

2010-06-06T23:45:00.001-07:00

To Catch a Predator

2010-04-22T18:01:00.000-07:00

How "Apocalypse Now" Should Have Ended

2010-04-15T16:53:00.001-07:00

In his new column describing the shot-by-shot screening of Aguirre, The Wrath of God held last week in Boulder, CO at which Werner Herzog himself was present to answer questions and tell stories, Roger Ebert's editor Jim Emerson writes:

The good part of Francis Coppola's Apocalypse Now (1979), made not long after Aguirre was released in the U.S. in 1977, owes much to Herzog's jungle epic -- in atmosphere and sometimes particular images. For all the malevolent mayhem of Kinski, at least Herzog had that face and that Richard III posture to work with (though the voice in the German version is actually looped by someone else). When Coppola got all the way upriver all he found himself with was a fat, bald Brando and a non-ending.

Seeing as Apocalypse Now is one of my favorite films, I took umbrage at Emerson's dismissal of Brando, who I think is a mad genius in the film. Emerson is right, though, when he points out the ending as the film's weakness. Calling it a non-ending is a bit uncharitable, but I've always felt that the ending is little off. Specifically that it goes on a beat too long.

If you recall, Willard kills Kurtz, then walks out of the temple and stands at the top of the steps overlooking all the natives and cult members. Then he and Lance get into the boat and drive away. We then hear Kurtz's voice say "The horror, the horror..." Recurring imagery dissolves in and out, culminating in the image of a stone statue's face. Fade to black.

According to the Wikipedia entry on Apocalypse Now:

When Coppola originally organized the ending of the movie, he had two choices. One involved Willard leading Lance by the hand as everyone in Kurtz's base throws down their weapons, and ends with images of Willard's boat pulling away from Kurtz's compound superimposed over the face of a stone idol which then fades into black. Another option showed an air strike being called and the base being blown to bits in a spectacular display, consequently killing everyone left at the base.

I'm not sure why Coppola felt those were his only two options. Personally, here's what I'd have done: have Willard kill Kurtz as is. Have him walk out of the temple, stand at the top of the steps overlooking all the natives. All the natives gaze back up at him in his bloody, insane glory. And CUT TO BLACK.

That's it. How perfect would that have been? Willard ends up becoming what he set out to destroy. Every time I watch the movie I think the same thing. I wish he'd ended it right there. Don't get me wrong. Apocalypse Now is a masterpiece. But Emerson is right when he calls it a "non-ending" because as it stands the ending does not resolve Willard's journey. He does what he set out to do and then leaves. I'm oversimplifying it, of course. But by ending the film with Willard having become the new godhead of the Kurtz compound, the film would have become an even darker meditation on the nature of power and madness.

It's what I'd have done, anyway.

The Good, The Bad, The Weird trailer

2010-04-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

In case you have yet to see it, here is the trailer I cut for the truly awesome Korean western The Good, The Bad, The Weird!

If I were making the new Karate Kid movie...

2010-03-15T22:07:00.000-07:00

I feel like maybe I'm alone in my enthusiasm for the new Karate Kid remake. Hey, I was just as skeptical as everyone else when I first heard they were making a new one, and that they were casting Will Smith's son as the kid and Jackie Chan as Mr. Han, the Mr. Miyagi role. But I'll be darned. Personally, I think everything I see from the film looks great. There's so much to like about it. I love the casting. Gotta say, Jaden Smith looks awesome in this. So does Jackie Chan. When in the trailer there's that great shot that pushes in on him with the sun over his shoulder and he says "Everything... is kung fu," man, all I can think is "I'll follow you anywhere, Jackie Chan!" Taraji P. Henson (the only good thing about The Curious Case of Benjamin Button? Discuss.) is eeeaaasssyyy on the eyes. I love that the Cobra Kai are basically a giant army in this movie. I love the look and scope of the film.

But okay, here it is. If I were the one making the new Karate Kid movie, here's what I'd have done:

Jaden Smith plays Dre Parker, a kid in LA being taunted by bullies. None of this moving to China business. He is taken under the wing of a master karate instructor named... wait for it... Daniel LaRusso. Yes, Mr. Miyagi's old student is himself now a badass karate teacher. Or maybe he's still running his bonsai tree shop from Karate Kid III and offers to teach young Dre because Dre reminds him so much of himself. So he begins to train Dre just as Miyagi taught him, in preparation for a final tournament in which Dre will face off against the head bully, just as Danielsan once did.

That way it basically does what the newest Star Trek movie did. It would be both a sequel and a reboot. Younger audiences wouldn't have to have seen the originals for it to make sense to them, but everything would have this whole other level of meaning, like, when Danielsan teaches the kid the crane kick. That cool shot in the new movie where Jackie Chan is holding the kid over the side of the dock? Imagine that with Macchio holding the kid instead of Chan. I don't mean to wax on poetic, but just imagine that awesome shot where Chan says "Everything... is kung fu" with the sun behind him.... but imagine it with Macchio. "Everything... is karate." Or when Dre says his line from the trailer "I don't want to be scared anymore," Danielsan can respond with that great Miyagi line from Karate Kid III: "It's okay to lose to an opponent, but you must not lose to fear!" I get chills just thinking about it. And having Macchio in the film would pretty much justify using Bill Conti's amazing Karate Kid theme that you know will be absent from the new Jackie Chan movie.

But here's where it gets interesting. Because the bully that Dre has to face off against is also being trained by a master sensei. And her name is Julie Pierce, who, in case you don't remember, was the character played by Hilary Swank in The Next Karate Kid.

So we have two students of Miyagi, each prepping their own pupil. And in the end the pupils go up against each other in the tournament. And, of course, the rival instructors (Macchio and Swank) have a romantic history. Because, you see, maybe they were introduced to each other by Mr. Miyagi back in the day. Maybe they got married. Maybe they split up. There's all this history between them. And now they're using their pupils as a way to work out their issues with each other and try to outdo each other. But, of course, they were both taught by the same man, Mr. Miyagi. So each already knows what the other knows.

But this is all just in the B story. Because the A story is still focused on Jaden Smith and his defeat of the bullies and winning his own girl. THAT'S the main story of the film. So in that sense it IS a remake, and no one HAS to have seen the other movies before seeing this one. The B story, about Daniel and Julie's history and rivalry and their shared discipleship of Mr. Miyagi, that's all in the background. Subplots. Glances across the room. Maybe a scene or two where they talk about it. That's there and it's self contained. You'd understand what's going on without any prior knowledge of the characters. But if you HAVE seen the other movies, everything takes on a deeper meaning. Then maybe by the end Daniel and Julie have seen the error of their ways. Realized that their behavior has gone against the teachings of Miyagi. There is reconciliation. Lessons learned. Romance rekindled. Etcetera, etcetera. Maybe Dre, wiser now, lets the other kid win the tournament. Audiences would never see that coming.

Fudge. Now I wanna see THIS movie. Now the new Karate Kid with Jackie Chan is sounding lamer and lamer to me. Oh, sigh.

Notes on The Godfather

2010-03-02T18:06:00.000-08:00

What follows presumes a knowledge of the Godfather films. If you've yet to see these masterworks, you may wish to avoid reading this post, as it provides no plot synopses and contains spoilers up the wazoo.

This past weekend Kelly and I had an impromptu Godfather marathon. Over three nights we watched Parts I and II, and got about half an hour into III before hitting the sack Sunday night. We've yet to finish the movie (which says something in itself) but will soon.

This was Kelly's first time seeing the movies. I'd seen all three many times before, but it had been seven or eight years since the last time I'd sat down and really watched them all in a row. I was living with my buddy Manash at the time, and our friend Azad was crashing at our place. And at any given time over a period of perhaps two weeks one of us was watching one of the Godfather movies. They were in constant rotation. And opinions abounded. Me, I preferred Part II. But it's true that the first two movies really are inextricably linked. The third is another matter.

In watching the films this time, I was struck first off by how much more suspenseful the first movie is than I remembered it being. And how like a beautiful chess game the second is. Moves and countermoves, with strategies and motivations often known only to the characters until - and often past - the very end. I've read essays that even now question who in fact ordered the hit on Michael. Pentangeli or Roth. For my money, it was Roth. And I say this mostly because of Fredo's confession to Michael in the lawn chair.

And Pacino, what an actor! The change Michael undergoes over the course of the first two films is epic, but his performance is so understated. Punctuated by moments of explosion, yes, but first and foremost a slooooowww burn that just sits like magma beneath the surface, waiting to erupt. What particularly blows my mind is how clear his thought process is throughout the second movie. How subtle and how wordless he can be, and yet how much he says. You almost don't even realize how much Michael's changed until the last flashback at the end, when you're reminded what he was like at the beginning of Part I. And your mind is blown. Your heart broken.

But there are a few specific things that really came to mind while watching the movies that made me want to write this post. The first is a matter in the first film.

Michael is in the restaurant bathroom. He's feeling behind the toilet for the gun, and he starts to panic. It's not there. We cut back to the restaurant, where Sollozzo and McCluskey are eating. They turn and look toward the bathroom as if to say "What's taking him so long?" We then cut back to the bathroom. Michael's still fumbling around behind the toilet, then he stops. Pauses. And pulls down the gun. We then watch him walk back into the restaurant, sit down, and there's that awwwwesome slow push in on his face as he works up the nerve to stand up and shoot both men in the head. Amazing scene. Classic.

But if I were Coppola, I'd have done it like this: Michael's feeling behind the toilet for the gun, and he starts to panic. It's not there! We cut back to the restaurant, where Sollozzo and McCluskey are eating. They turn and look toward the bathroom as if to say "What's taking him so long?" We then cut back to the bathroom. Michael's still fumbling around behind the toilet, then he stops. He pauses. We then cut right to him walking back into the restaurant and sitting down. And the scene goes on as before, with that awwwwesome slow push in to his face. Only this time, because we cut out of the bathroom early, we don't know whether or not he has the gun... until he stands up and starts shooting. Seems to me that would take an already intense scene and make it just that little bit more suspenseful than it already is.

I know, I know. I'm second guessing the master. But that's not the only thing I'd change.

In the second movie, it's so obvious that Pentangeli was supposed to be Clemenza that it's distracting. Hey, don't get me wrong. Michael V. Gazzo, who played Pentangeli, was awesome. I loved the guy. But the character is clearly supposed to be Clemenza. They even set it up in the first movie by having Tom Hagen say "I always thought it would be Clemenza." And then in Part II we see Vito meet Clemenza, we see their first crime together, we see the birth both of Clemenza's awed respect for Vito but also his jealousy and discomfort with the man's power. Clemenza and Tessio both. Tessio, who goes on to betray the Corleones in Part I.

My friend and coworker Ben Chavda, who knows more about the history of The Godfather than I, explained that Clemenza was supposed to be in Part II, but the actor, having had a taste of stardom after Part I, demanded that his screenwriter wife write all his dialogue. Coppola was like "Uhhhh..... no." So he replaced Clemenza with Pentangeli and had a character mention that Pentangeli took over after Clemenza died of a heart attack. "That was no heart attack," another character then intones ominously.

So I said to Chavda, you know what I would have done if I was Coppola? Just recast Clemenza. Because it's clearly supposed to be him. It's more of a betrayal if it's a character we knew in the first movie. There's all this setup leading to that character betraying the family. I dunno, Chavda told me. Those actors are pretty iconic with those characters. Abe Vigoda as Tessio, the actor who played Clemenza, you can't imagine anyone else. To which I replied: Exactly! 'The actor who played Clemenza'! You don't even remember his name! You totally could have recast him!

Turns out the actor who played Clemenza was Richard Castellano, whose name might be household now had he not overplayed his hand back in 1973.

Okay, so let's say Castellano is too iconic. Too associated with the role of Clemenza to recast him. Let's say you've already made the call to replace the character with Pentangeli. Then here's my Plan B:

Write Pentangeli into the flashbacks! You've got this whole other storyline in the movie following Vito's rise to power. We see him meet Clemenza and Tessio. And we see him hanging around with this other guy, the son of a grocer. This guy is in love with a local actress and ends up as Vito's assistant when he's running his affairs out of the olive oil importing office. The character is Genco Abbandando, played by an actor named Frank Sivero. That character plays no part in the modern storyline and is, for all intents and purposes, totally replaceable. MAKE THAT CHARACTER FRANKIE PENTANGELI. That way Pentangeli was there from the very beginning, making his betrayal really sting in the modern storyline! But Dan, you say, Genco is the namesake of the olive oil company the Corleones use as their front! To that I say fine, so change the character's name to Genco Pentangeli! Done! Next?

Okay, so that's it. Those are the changes I would make to The Godfather. Other than those things, man, those first two movies are pretty freaking perfect. It really is a world you live in, sink into, and just want to explore. Like Blade Runner. Like Avatar. Like Red Riding. It's more than a film. It's a universe. And watching them again, I can't help but be reminded WHY these movies are as lauded as they are. They are masterpieces.

Bruce the Funny Dog

2010-02-18T14:58:00.000-08:00

Speed Demon

2010-02-14T10:35:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Tristan!

2010-01-12T23:44:00.001-08:00

It's so hard to believe that it's already been a whole year since our boy was born! It's definitely been tough at times. And between a pretty rough trip to Maui, in which he (and Kelly, and I) got some sort of food-poisoning-like stomach flu, and now "cry-it-out" sleep training, the little dude hasn't had the best couple of weeks. But it's been an amazing year! Full of all sorts of strange feelings and experiences that must be known only by other mommies and daddies. I'll confess that there are days when the full scope of our commitment to this boy sinks in, and I am both humbled and terrified. And yet I love him SO much, SO unconditionally, SO deeply and SO personally, that when friends and coworkers and even family ask how he is, or what it's like being a parent... well, it's all I can to keep from blubbering like some weepy preteen girl watching Titanic.

It blows my mind to think of how much there is still to come. The other day our nieces and nephew had a slumber party at our house and I showed them all Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. None of them had ever seen it before, and OHHH, I felt so much joy watching their faces as they watched the movie, all I could think was HOW MUCH FUN it's going to be to show Tristan Star Wars for the first time. Indiana Jones. E.T. Pee Wee. Goonies. Star Trek. Lord of the Rings. The Wizard of Oz. Spy Kids. Heck, Monster Squad! Even to be there the first time Jaws scares him.

I think about the school plays to come, the sleepovers, the days at the beach swimming and throwing the frisbee. I can't wait. I CAN'T WAIT! And yet I want to slam on the brakes... wait, wait, it's all going too fast! How is it that he's saying "Daddy" and "Mommy" already? How is it that he's standing and creeping along the table? How is it that he's started stacking blocks instead of just knocking them down? Just yesterday he was a little podling in my arms, listening to me read him Series of Unfortunate Events. Now he deliberately knows which parts of the tactile books have the fuzzy scarves or the bumpy mittens. How quickly will it be that he's begging us to buy him candy at the checkout stand of the grocery store? That he's learning to ride a bike? That he's writing and drawing stories of his own? Ooohhhh, I can't wait! I'm so excited for him to really start talking. To know what's on his mind!

Anyway, I could go on and on. But it's 12:03 and his birthday is over. I had to work late tonight and barely got to see him today. Didn't even get to sing him Happy Birthday. But I'm going to make up for that come Saturday, when over fifty people converge on our house, whether we're ready for them or not, to celebrate our little dude's big day! He's going to play with all his other baby friends, and you better believe he's going to try cake for the first time! It should be fantastic!

I love him so much, I can't even put it into words. I've got to take a moment, though, to say CONGRATULATIONS, MEGAN AND KEVIN!!! Connor is a beautiful baby and I know you'll both be terrific parents. And if you feel for him anything of what I feel for Tristan, he's a lucky, loved little guy.

Bah Bay

2009-12-21T07:34:00.000-08:00

Whistleblower

2009-12-16T23:34:00.000-08:00

What Would YOU Like, Little Boy?

2009-12-13T18:16:00.000-08:00

How about a nice... football?

Saint John of Las Vegas trailer

2009-12-01T16:35:00.000-08:00

I finished the trailer for Saint John of Las Vegas a while ago. Before the trailers for either Brief Interviews With Hideous Men or Green Zone went to finish. I don't know why it took so long for this one to go online, but anyway, here it is. Once again, the sound mix sucks. And on my computer some shots look out of sync that should not look out of sync. But don't get me started on it. Sigh. Maybe it's just my computer. Anyway, have a look.

Green Zone trailer

2009-10-27T11:40:00.001-07:00

And here is the trailer I cut for the new Matt Damon movie Green Zone, from director Paul Greengrass (United 93, The Bourne Supremacy & Ultimatum).

Once again, some wonky choices were made in the sound mix without me there, but overall I'm pretty happy with the piece. Particularly since I've been working on this movie since 2007, so getting the trailer finish on it after all that time feels pretty good.

The other cool thing is that I was able to use music by three friends of mine (Dan Wool, Mike Patti, and Paul Henning) in this trailer, which helped them out a bit financially and made the piece ten times better.

Watch it embedded below, or watch it in HD here. Hope you dig it!

What a Fun Day!

2009-10-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend we had! On Saturday our friends Shane and Lori got married in what was easily one of the best weddings I have ever been to. I'll post some photos as soon as I manage to get them off of Kelly's sister's camera, but just to paint the picture: It was a costume wedding, with all the guests in costumes. The ceremony was held at the site of the Old LA Zoo, in one of the old bear caves. And the officiant was dressed as Elvis in a bear suit. A man named Hannibal with an amethyst in the middle of his forehead sang "Your Song," Shane wore a killer sort of rockabilly suit with alligator skin boots, and Lori was absolutely stunning in a blue Quinceañera dress that they modified to turn into a very piratey ensemble complete with rhinestone skull and crossbones on her back and long feather in her hat. It was amazing, uniquely them, and, above all else, truly heartfelt. Their vows were perhaps the most honest, beautiful vows I've heard at a wedding (except my own, of course!)

The Quinceañera dress reminds me that I never posted anything about our neighbor's daughter's Quinceañera, which we went to a couple weeks back. A lot has happened lately and I haven't really had much time for any substantial blogging (not to mention that, as Wil Wheaton says, it's tough to write a blog and a novel at the same time). It was tons of fun and I will post photos soon. Basically, there will be a catchup post in the next week sometime.

But first things first. It was a great weekend! Saturday was the wedding, and Sunday was Tristan's first time on the swings at the park as well as his first trip to the pumpkin patch!

As is my way, I have put together a little video of the day's adventures. Enjoy!

Check and Mate

2009-10-08T11:54:00.000-07:00

This Is Too Cool

2009-10-01T12:16:00.001-07:00

Apparently this video was made by students at UQAM, Université du Québec à Montréal. It blows my mind. For a fun game, see if you can count how many people are in this video. Then see if you can count the number of shots.

There is no originality left in film advertising

2009-09-24T13:37:00.001-07:00

Intelligent Life

2009-09-18T18:50:00.000-07:00

YES! YES! YES!

2009-09-09T18:04:00.000-07:00

SO. MUCH. TO. SAY.

I will admit to having felt frustrated over the last months by President Obama's radio silence regarding the lunacy of those nutjob critics of health care reform. But man, he did us proud tonight, boy whew.

As for South Carolina Congressman Joe Wilson's shouting out "Lie!" when Obama stated (truthfully) that his health care plan would not insure illegal immigrants, I'm seriously troubled that such blatant disrespect for a president - who, by all evidence, seems to be making a genuine good faith effort to find a middle ground between the aisles - would find praise anywhere or with anyone. Particularly since Wilson was wrong. By this I mean not only that he needs to get his facts straight, but also that his is the "side" that has generated such public calamity with ACTUAL lies about death panels and socialism.

Even John McCain said Wilson's outburst was "totally disrespectful -- [there's] no place for it in that setting or any other and he should apologize immediately."

And so, less than an hour later...

"This evening I let my emotions get the best of me when listening to the President's remarks regarding the coverage of illegal immigrants in the health care bill. While I disagree with the President's statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the President for this lack of civility." - Rep. Joe Wilson.

Additionally, the non-partisan organization FactCheck.org has debunked the claim that health care reform would mandate coverage for illegal immigrants. See for yourself here.

Whoop whoop!

Brief Interviews With Hideous Men trailer

2009-09-03T18:07:00.000-07:00

It only took a day for the "Apple.com exclusive" to wind up on YouTube! I love the internet! Below is the trailer I cut for Brief Interviews With Hideous Men, the directorial debut of John Krasinski (Jim from The Office). Check it out!

Sigh

2009-09-02T15:37:00.000-07:00

Geordi's Dead! OMG!!!1!!! - UPDATED

2009-08-27T14:57:00.000-07:00

This blog post is strictly for the absolute geekiest among you. Seriously. I'm not joking. If you aren't going to be able to follow some pretty obscure Star Trek references and appreciate gently messing with people on YouTube, this might be a good time to check outta this one. No hard feelings.

Now that's out of the way... so, I've been gently messing with some people on YouTube. If you go to the video for Part 5 of the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Timescape," and jump to 4:45 into the clip, you'll see that when the runabout flies into the beam the Romulan ship disappears.

Several viewers, having missed Picard's line a few minutes earlier ordering Riker to beam Geordi off the Romulan ship, thought our intrepid blind engineer was still on the warbird when it vanished. And so people were posting comments like:

kmg4: "They didn't show how they cured LaForge. "

and

Satak8: "Did he died?"

and

Nishiki83: "picard told riker where he was, and they had to beam him to sick bay. i'm sure he was okay. :) "

to which I responded with:

dannyboylee: "He disappeared along with the warbird. Strange way to kill off a major character, but it's ballsy, you have to admit."

This is the exchange that ensued:

Gaeilgeoir: "'We successfully evacuated the crew of the Romulan ship.' -This would also mean Geordi, since he was onboard their ship. He didn't get killed off."

dannyboylee: "No, I read an interview with Rick Berman and Michael Piller in an issue of Star Trek: The Official Fan Club magazine where they said that in this episode Geordi is officially killed off. And that the Geordi we see in every subsequent episode is a clone. And that one of the stories that is subtly running through all the rest of the episodes that they never actually fully explored was the idea that every character KNEW Geordi 2 was a clone except for Geordi 2 himself. Pretty crazy!"

Gaeilgeoir: "um, it's pretty bizarre to follow through with majjor plot development like that but not follow through on follow-up explanations and/or stories to back it up. RB & MP worked too long on the franchise and I'm sorry, I'm not sad to see one of them gone cuz damn, ST needs some fresh blood. That's mainly why Star Trek:Enterprise got canned..."

dannyboylee: "Well, what's interesting about Enterprise is that apparently if the series had continued, the pilot, Travis Mayweather, would at some point have been captured by an alien race that would have made dozens of copies of him as a way of working out the kinks in their cloning experiments. Because they hadn't mastered it yet, all the clones would be blind... and you'd learn that this was the source of all the Geordi clones. So all of Starfleet knew Geordi was part of an old group of clones but him."

wickedeststeve: "picard told riker that geordi was in the romulan engineering section, and to beam him to sickbay. so not sure why you all think he died."

dannyboylee: "According to Michael Piller, Geordi was replaced with a clone while on the Romulan ship, so the Geordi that they beam directly to sickbay was a clone. The actual Geordi disappeared with the warbird. This is why for the rest of the series Geordi is actually a clone. And these clones, as I stated in my previous comment, were all based on Travis Mayweather, from an unshot episode where he would have been abducted by aliens and cloned. The imperfect cloning technology resulted in blind clones."

woodie62: "What date was that mag where you read this? I'd like to read it myself. . . ."

dannyboylee: "It's a rare magazine. And it's out of print. Very hard to find."

sunnchilde: "I never realized before now that Geordi never came back from the Warbird. The "clone" nonsense is weak. Damn. I'll never be able to enjoy this episode again."

Why You Shouldn't Shop at Petco

2009-08-26T14:54:00.000-07:00

Someone posted a thread on Reddit a couple days ago asking "Do you have any interesting stories from working in retail?" to which someone responded with this:

I worked at Petco for a year when I was first out of high school. Here are some things you may not know about Petco:

- The first chore of the morning, 2 hours before the store opens, is checking all the enclosures and aquariums for dead animals and removing them.

- I'm not talking about a quick glance. I'm talking about getting a big carton and a net and scooping the hundreds of dead fish into the carton. Sometimes half the fish would die overnight in the summer.

- Similarly, about half the hamsters from each shipment end up dead either before someone buys them or right after some little kid gets a hamster as a present, just in time to ruin their birthday.

- If you return a dead animal within 14 days, you can get a refund, but you have to bring the corpse in.

- All these little corpses are shoved in a giant chest freezer in the back room, the same room where sick animals are stuffed while they're "treated" (usually with the wrong medications and administered in the wrong way) until they die and go in the freezer too.

- Every couple weeks somebody has to clean out the freezer and drive the corpses to a veterinarian who can send them for incineration.

- Oh, and if a fish gets sick, you're not allowed to isolate it to prevent it from infecting the others. You have to let them all get sick and most die.

- Official store policy if an animal gets pregnant because of an accident or a broken enclosure is that it should be isolated in a back room until it delivers its litter and then the babies should be adopted out or put into inventory and sold. Unofficial policy at most stores is sell the pregnant animals for snake food first to avoid dealing with a litter.

- Official store policy if an animal is sick or injured is to take it to a veterinarian or have a veterinarian come to the store. Unofficial store policy, again, is sell it as snake food to save money.

- Official store policy is that any associate can refuse a sale if they don't feel the animal will get proper care (with the exception of "feeder" animals which are the two most intelligent and personable species sold, rats and mice, yet aren't deserving of the same protection somehow). Unofficial store policy is that any associate who refuses a sale will get verbally berated and possibly fired.

- Where do all these animals come from? I'm so glad you asked. At most Petco stores, they come from Rainbow Exotics, a giant warehouse whose CEO once bragged about his brilliant idea to control escapees by inviting stray cats into the warehouse to catch and eat them. They've been videotaped stomping on animals to kill them and holding down female rabbits while a male rapes them instead of letting them mate naturally. Yeah, it was PETA who taped all that, but having dealt with them in the past, I believe it's true. If you refuse to take a shipment because the animals are sick, the delivery person will go outside and kill them rather than waste time and money shipping them back to the warehouse.

Don't buy animals from chain pet stores. Please.

Interview: Damon Packard

2009-08-16T07:33:00.000-07:00

The first in a series of interviews with artists, filmmakers, writers, musicians, and editors whose work I admire.

WARNING: some of the videos embedded and linked to throughout this interview (specifically The Untitled Star Wars Mockumentary) contain graphic images, language, and subject matter that some of my readers may find offensive. I implore you... if you think there is any chance that you might possibly be one of those offended or put off by these videos... please DO NOT watch them. By all means read the interview, but I would rather not receive any emails or phone calls saying that these videos were inappropriate to post. They are videos indicative of the work of the artist being interviewed, and are therefore completely integral. You have been warned.

Sometime in 2002, I stopped by a video store in L.A. called Cinephile and found sitting outside on the sidewalk a stack of DVDs, all of the same movie, Reflections of Evil. I grabbed a copy, and my buddy Linus grabbed a couple copies.

Turns out its director, Damon Packard, made thousands of DVD copies and self-distributed them by leaving copies in front of stores and inside mailboxes and by mailing copies to any industry professionals to whom he had access. Henry Rollins is one of the film's most well-known advocates. And yet to this day I have met only two or three other people besides myself who have actually watched the thing. Oh, don't get me wrong, I've met dozens and dozens of people who have heard of the movie. Who somehow stumbled upon copies just like I did. But even these people typically just left the DVD unwatched on their shelf, or used the DVD case for one of their own projects and tossed the disc.

Which is a shame, because Reflections of Evil is one the coolest, weirdest, scariest, funniest underground films I've ever seen, telling the epic three-generation saga of one family and the sugar-addicted, morbidly obese, used-watch-selling main character (played by Packard) on an hallucinatory search for his sister, who went missing at Universal Studios in the 1970s. Along the way we see a young Steven Spielberg on the set of his first film, Something Evil, a nightmarish trip to Six Flags Magic Mountain, and a terrifying sequence in downtown Los Angeles that leaves the viewer unable to ever listen to The Carpenters' "We've Only Just Begun" in the same way ever again.

It's stayed with me since I first watched it, and I've watched it a few times since. I love it so much, in fact, that through the modern miracles that are MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube, I have since become friends with Packard, even going so far as to lend him costumes for - and very nearly work as a puppeteer on - his most recent film, an adaptation of Hayao Miyazaki's manga, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. Incorporating live action against backplates of Miyazaki's own animation, as well as puppetry and beautifully choreographed action, it's a terrific experiment that hints at a heretofore untapped reservoir of potential mainstream appeal in my favorite underground filmmaker.

Throughout his oeuvre, from Reflections to the so-insane-you-have-to-see-it -to-believe-it Untitled Star Wars Mockumentary, to SpaceDisco One (a sequel to both Logan's Run AND 1984) all the way through his multitudinous other short films and finally the Nausicaa adaptation Tales of the Valley of the Wind, Packard has established himself not only as an absolutely brilliant editor, but as one of the most important voices in contemporary independent film, whether you've heard of him or not. Even as he struggles to make his films with absolutely no money, losing his car and nearly his apartment in the process, he continues to set an example for all starving artists, all guerrilla filmmakers, all who worshiped cinema in the seventies and eighties and now find themselves distressed at the saturation of filmmaking-by-committee and studio idiocy. This man is our figurehead. And he was awesome enough to take some time out late (or really early) this past Saturday night to answer some of the questions I've been dying to ask.

Did you really just wake up? It's 12:25am.

Yea I fell asleep at 3pm or 4pm. Woke at 11.

That schedule gives me a sense of the hours you keep. Pretty standard for a starving artist, yesno? In bed at 3pm, wake up at 11pm, commence editing.

Yea usually but not always. It tends to change, work its way around the clock.

What are you working on these days?

Well, normally I would say nothing. Just trying to survive and not succeeding very well, and that’s still the case. However there is one film I still hope to make, The Untitled BBC Documentary.

In the same vein as the Untitled Star Wars Mockumentary?

No, that was shaped around wrap-around footage. This would be interviews with British scientists/physicists, etc. in between dramatizations.

A straight doc?

Partially, yes. But actors playing scientists and mostly scripted commentary. Hoping to find actors good at extemporizing but that can be difficult.

What are the actors-playing-scientists going to be saying?

Lets just call them scientists. They'll be talking about life in the dead zone. The period we're in now. A time not meant to exist. And a variety of other subjects including the conflict of perceived realities, etc. It's an end of the world piece as made in the end of the world. We're in it now, it happened. We just don't know it.

Okay, you're gonna have to expound upon the idea of "conflict of perceived realities"... as in, everyone sees things differently, so who's to say what's true?

Yes, more or less exactly. The conflict of realities affects everything.

Awesome.

It's nothing new but it's more about how the manipulated perception of reality has changed. For example, mainstream creative sensibilities in the early 1970's contrasted with now.

So, more of a commentary on how reality is perceived differently as a result of mainstream manipulations in cinema and art? And how it changes over time?

Yea I want to specifically focus on cinema and art. The Dark Knight praised with ratings higher than the Godfather films, that sort of thing. It's the same with everything. What’s wrong with that picture? What the hell reality are other people experiencing? All these awful contemporary films heaped with praise, it boggles the mind.

So... thoughts on the last Indiana Jones film?

Another good example, people are fiercely divided on that.

Where do you stand on it?

Most seem to agree it was a disappointment. But it makes no difference if the majority support it and it makes money, as in everything. And obviously a good film and a successful one have absolutely no relation to each other anymore. I think they used to many years ago. The most worthless garbage is what makes the profit margin.

Watching Reflections of Evil in particular, one gets the sense he’s watching the work of someone who has been let down by a hero, that Spielberg – a man you grew up idolizing – has somehow become everything you hate about Hollywood. Is this a fair assessment?

Well. A little bit, yes, but that’s happened with everyone. It's affected everything.

Elaborate.

Well, I think most artists we grew up idolizing somehow end up disappointing us at some point, especially after the end of the 70's, the firm hold of the 80's/90's and now into the present period where everyone is performing at their worst! If they’re managing to even survive. And that applies to those that started at their peak in the 80's.

Any exceptions? Are there any filmmakers you idolized who haven't let you down?

I'm trying to think. Even KUBRICK let me down.

How so?

Eyes Wide Shut. Though again, people are divided. The conflict of realities.

You didn't like Eyes Wide Shut?

I was horridly disappointed when I first saw it. I still basically feel the same.

It's my least favorite Kubrick film also, but what disappointed you about it?

I guess expectations were too high. I like the subject matter, I just think I feel the film ultimately goes nowhere. maybe that was intentional or there's something I don't get. The film feels like it builds and builds and nothing ever happens. Do you agree?

My problem with Eyes Wide Shut goes beyond that.

Yea I could say more about it.

It's one of the few films where my personal disagreement with its overall thesis keeps me from really loving it. That said, it has some amazing sequences.

It was disappointing.

Let's flashback. When did you start making movies? What was your first movie?

Technically speaking it was around 1979. A minor animation short made for class. But I seriously got into it in 1982.

Do you still have a copy of it?

No, lost long ago. And many of my early super8 films are lost.

What happened in 1982?

1982 was the ultimate year of inspirational cinema.

Yeah?

I HAD to start making films.

Which movies inspired you?

Almost everything that year. Blade Runner, The Thing, Road Warrior, Trek II, Creepshow, Dark Crystal, Conan, you name it… it came out! And that’s only the tip! 1981 was quite a year too. And those are just the MAINSTREAM films. Think of how drastically mainstream films have gone downhill. I could care less about 99.9% of mainstream films nowadays.

What was the last mainstream movie you saw that you really loved?

Was The Wrestler a mainstream film?

Sort of. I think that counts as mainstream.

As for the mainstream films that inspired me then and the ones now, absolutely NOTHING. In fact they have just the opposite effect. I mean the SFX blockbusters and genre films.

What about The Assassination of Jesse James?

Yea that was good, but again a smaller non-mainstream release. You see how dramatically things have changed?

So which of YOUR films do you consider your first "real" movie?

First real movie, maybe Dawn of an Evil Millennium, about a demon who comes to earth, soups up a 1970 Oldsmobile and goes on a road-kill rampage. A cop (Frank Bift, modeled after Blade Runner’s Deckard) goes on the chase. Hard to say, though, they were all no-budget super8 experiments. If I had some money or backing things would have been different.

How DO you subsidize your films?

How do I? I don't. I mean I do, but they are generally made over long periods of time via scraped together pocket money.

Didn't you finance Reflections of Evil through some sort of trust fund?

Reflections was the ONLY time I had some money to make a feature.

What was the budget on Reflections?

About 80-90k. Mainly because it was shot on film.

Whoa, that's a lot more than I thought it was.

Well, remember about 60k were just film, telecine, transfer and conversion costs all accumulated. The production itself probably cost around 20-30k. Maybe less, hard to say.

How long did it take to shoot?

Took about a year to make. Quite a contrast to my other films like SpaceDisco, Nausicaa, StarWars Mock, etc. which cost NOTHING. Couple hundred dollars. However keep in mind... my early super8 films still cost in the thousands… simply because of film costs.

Were you working day jobs to finance them?

The super8 films?

Yeah.

Yes. Day and night jobs. Remember it took many months, years... where as it should've taken a few weeks in some cases. This is always the pitfall of indie filmmaking. What should take a couple months is drawn out to years only because of the MONEY problems. Reflections came together quickly, and I was taking my time. Why? Because the MONEY was there. I didn't have to worry about the rent every month. It makes a difference. And the catch 22 is always, when you’re working full time, you don't have the time or energy, even if you do have a few extra dollars.

Where do you get your gear from?

I bought everything in the past. About 10k of the budget on Reflections was equipment. I sold it all.

There have been so many other interviews out there where you've gone into detail about the process of making Reflections. I'd like to focus instead on the project you just recently completed. Can you tell me about your adaptation of Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind?

It was an exercise in futility.

Okay, you're going to have to elaborate on that.

I'm kidding, ehh, lets see. Well, I wanted to create a visual love letter to Miyazaki as SpaceDisco was a love letter to the spacedisco era in some capacity. Nausicaa was more or less another recent no-budget experiment. In many ways I really feel I shouldn't have even bothered without some money--as with ANY film.

Why do you feel it was not a success?

Because the final result is basically disappointing in lieu of severe limitations. It could have been something, with just a little money. You can't shoot much of a story with a few actors on location and $100.

Creativity can never triumph without budget?

No, I think it thrives better with LESS money but there's less and then there's NOTHING, and it's a huge difference. If you have nothing, don't even bother.

You once said of the Lord of the Rings films: “I don't know why people cannot grasp the basic concept of books are books, movies are movies, they work in different ways, and not all books translate well into movies.” Couldn’t one extend this question of medium transcendence to different filmmaking forms as well? Is there ever a time when an anime is an anime, and a live action film is a live action film? Seeing as Miyazaki chose animation as his medium, what prompted or inspired you to translate it to live action?

Well, Miyazaki is only the template, it's not even much of an adaptation. I was more interesting in making an original piece. And for the most part it is, it only incorporates the character. It would be impossible to adapt that story anyway. Again we're talking a no budget experiment/extended trailer promo. If I had some money to work with you think I'd be fooling around with these things?

When making your films, is distribution in your mind? It seems you truly do make films purely out of the love of the art. How important to you is some form of mainstream success?

Well, yes but distribution possibly in another timeline or dimension. Perhaps my films were more suited to early 70's mainstream distribution? Hard to say. I don't WANT to necessarily make them purely for the love of art, I would hope there is mainstream success, but these days? Compromising a vision is not the answer either. And this is obviously a big problem with mainstream films, they are all microcosms of compromise diluted through focus groups, producers, and group mentality. Not just mainstream but indie films too. Even the smallest of productions, once you have backers and producers, forget it. Unless you find a supportive millionaire willing to let the artist free and then you still won't have much of a chance getting distribution.

Are you an artist reliant on happy accidents? How much planning do you do before a shoot?

Oh yea, I sometimes design whole films around accidents. I plan as much as possible, but on a zero budget sometimes it's better to go with the flow. Sometimes not. But yes, I should be fair in saying, I like the improv / accidents approach.

Describe your process. Do you use a script? Storyboards?

Usually a treatment, sometimes a shot list but these days rarely even that. I used to be more about storyboarding and such. Certainly a detailed treatment for the actors, but it's all about the execution. Very important to keep in mind, this is mainly because of working in the zero budget realm. It's very important for me to stress the issue about working in a zero budget realm and how this dictates the subject, story and style.

Robert Rodriguez said when you have no budget you should write around what you have access to. Is that how you do it? If you have access to a school bus, write a school bus into your script.

Pretty much yes. Exactly.

Are your films scripted? Or are they mostly just outlined?

Mostly outlined, but only because I'm not Paddy Chayefsky and I couldn't find actors good enough to interpret a dialogue-driven story with no money anyway. You see the predicament?

I know the predicament firsthand, man.

If I could hook up with a Tennessee Williams or Truman Capote I’d rather be making films like The Hospital or Night of the Iguana.

And when shooting, do you anticipate how you will edit it? Or is that a separate process for you?

The editing is something I never worry about, get enough coverage and you’re fine. Even if you don't (and that’s often the case) there are always ways around it.

Take the Carpenters scene in Reflections of Evil. Did you shoot that sequence knowing you were going to use The Carpenters?

Yes, absolutely. That whole montage was planned.

Alright, man. I unfortunately don't have the luxury of the schedule of a starving artist, so I'd better go. Thanks so much for doing this. I could talk to you all night.

Alright. I still have your costumes.

There you have it! I've already got a few more interviews lined up with some musicians I love, so stay tuned for those in the coming weeks and months. And now, as a little bonus, here is SkateBang, my wife Kelly's personal favorite piece by Damon Packard:

Touchable Holography

2009-08-07T11:35:00.001-07:00

Could the Holodeck be a reality in our lifetimes?

Still Life Goes On

2009-07-30T10:22:00.000-07:00

The latest email from my friend in Iran, announcing the newest issue of Life Goes On In Tehran as well as expounding a bit more on the state of things there.

Worth a read. And, as always, worth a look. This latest issue is particularly haunting, considering the context.

---------

Dear Freedom Loving LGOITers,

The new so-called issue of Life Stands Still in Tehran is now live. It's not that life doesn't go on, it does, people still shop, laugh, get haircuts, go to restaurants, take showers, drink fruit juice and even find the time to watch movies in the theater. But to say that it goes on is to act as though nothing has happened. To say that it goes on is to disrespect those who have died fighting for their simple demand of having their votes count. To say that it does, is to misrepresent what life in tehran FEELS like. Because while we live our lives and mind our own business, there is a fire under the ashes that is on the verge of an eruption. So instead of the usual, for time being I will continue to capture not the life, but the still life. For it is the still life that better captures the mood. For this issue I have gone underground - literally.

http://www.lgoit.com

Best,

A.

Our Wedding Rehearsal

2009-07-27T23:59:00.000-07:00

I finished editing our wedding video (finally!) several weeks ago, but have been having a heckuva time getting it small enough to fit on a DVD while still looking great. And since our DVD player went kaput and I've also been having a frustrating go of it with Blu Ray players (bought one player, had lip sync problems... returned it, bought another, STILL having lip sync problems... I am at my wit's end!) I have not yet been able to run multiple tests on compression settings and how they look on the TV.

But the video is done, and at some point it'll be on DVD. And one of the Bonus Features that will be on the DVD is a video I edited of our wedding rehearsal! It was shot in 16x9, so I took the opportunity to upload it to YouTube as my first foray into taking advantage of their widescreen aspect ratio.

Check it out below! Depending on your browser, you may need to click through to see the video as it's meant to be seen. Or, you can just click here.

The Scene of the Crime

2009-07-23T08:21:00.000-07:00

Our Trip to the Amazon

2009-07-22T09:05:00.001-07:00

I was going through some old tapes and I came across some footage from the trip Kelly and I took to the Amazon back in 2004, shortly after my cousin Tessa's wedding. Enjoy!

And We're Off to See Harry Potter!

2009-07-19T21:53:00.001-07:00

From Friday night. Take special note of the excellent lightning bolt scar on my forehead, courtesy of master makeup artist Linus Lau!

Our Little Sweet Pea

2009-07-17T08:21:00.000-07:00

Steve Swings Tristan

2009-07-14T22:46:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun little video Kelly took of her dad and Tristan when she visited Florida back in May. Check it out! Tristan's laugh is hilarious!

Break-King Weeds

2009-07-13T16:34:00.000-07:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Better things are happening in television right now than in film. My wife Kelly and I are big fans of Breaking Bad, the OTHER show on AMC, the first being Mad Men. It stars Bryan Cranston, the dad from Malcolm in the Middle, as brilliant high school chemistry teacher Walter White, who learns he has lung cancer and not long to live. As a way of raising money to leave for his seven-month pregnant wife and their seventeen-year-old cerebral palsy-stricken son, Walt teams up with a former student of his to cook and distribute crystal meth. His meth is super, super pure, becomes a phenomenon in the drug culture of Albuquerque, NM, and before anyone knows it, Walt's brother-in-law, the DEA agent, is hot on the trail of ABQ's newest drug kingpin.

It is a BRILLIANT show. So funny, and suspenseful, and sad. And suspenseful. Super SUPER suspenseful. Like a more domestic version of The Shield. Yet I know only one other person who watches it. He is, of course, hooked on it. But whenever I ask people if they've seen it, or tell them what it's about, they almost always respond with the exact same sentence: "Oh... you mean like Weeds."

Over the last year or so I have heard over and over how good Weeds is, and, having never seen it, could only shrug when people would bring it up in response to Breaking Bad. So, finally, Kelly and I rented it. So far, we've watched the first eight episodes of Season 1. And what's the verdict?

I like it a lot! It's tons of fun, the writing is super sharp, and watching the show is like eating candy. You can easily pound a whole disc in one night. On top of that, Mary-Louise Parker is painfully hot and Kevin Nealon is hilarious.

That said, it is no Breaking Bad. Not even close. Where Weeds introduces characters and storylines only to abandon them carelessly and never mention them again, Breaking Bad doesn't make a move without purpose. Where Weeds cheats hardcore by showing scenes and sometimes even introducing whole plot points in the "Previously On" that never happened in previous episodes, Breaking Bad is so intricately plotted and planned out it puts Lost to shame.

Consider: over the course of season 2 (which just ended) four episodes begin with an abstract black-and white shot of an eyeball floating on water that goes on to reveal a stuffed teddy bear, missing an eye, sitting at the bottom of a swimming pool. With each successive episode that begins this way, the opening sequence goes on a little longer, showing more of the scene. A person in a hazmat suit fishes the bear out of the pool, sticks it in an evidence bag. We follow them into the front yard of the house. It's our main characters' house. There are two bodies on the driveway being zipped into bodybags. Whose bodies? We can't tell. That brings us three episodes in on this sequence of intros. They culminate in the season finale, which finally reveals what this black-and-white sequence has been building up to all season... and it is unbelievable. It's so unpredictable, in fact, that my first reaction was actually "Nooo.... that was too out of left field. That couldn't have been what they intended all season." But then you go back and examine those opening sequences. And suddenly every little detail, from the angle of smoke on the horizon to the TITLES of the episodes, prove that the writers are in fact geniuses. And that yes, the entire thing was planned.

I'll give you one more example of how brilliant this show is. About a third of the way into season 2, our main character Walt is becoming a pretty big figure in the New Mexico drug world, going by the name Heisenberg and showing up for meetings in shades with a black coat and hat. This brings us to an episode that sums up the entire story up that point in the form of a mariachi song. You have to see this to believe it:

That was the opening of an episode of Breaking Bad. See what I mean? It's funny, ridiculous, but suspenseful at the exact same time. AND it gives you all the exposition you need without it ever feeling like exposition.

The truly amazing thing about the show is how, like The Shield before it, it centers around a thoroughly unlikable protagonist and somehow makes you care for him and root for him. It takes this really brilliant guy, Walt, who is clearly the smartest guy in the room, and has him struggle and claw his way through life, making rookie mistakes that make you smack yourself in the face. But at the same time you think to yourself "I would do it the same way he's doing it." Ask yourself: what would you do if there was someone who knew your secret and was threatening to blackmail you... and then you find yourself standing over that person's bed as they overdose and begin choking on their own vomit? Would you save that person's life? Or would you let that person die, knowing that they will take your secret with them?

By the end of the second season it's become clear just how far-reaching Walt's actions have been, and just how huge the consequences of those actions are. Created by Vince Gilligan, who wrote many of the best episodes of The X-Files, the ones that started off funny but ended up giving you chills, and who also played the Fluke Monster who hid in the PortaPotty, Breaking Bad is epic, it's terrifying, it's hilarious and it's heartbreaking.

I have no doubt that Weeds will, over its run, venture further into the suspenseful aspect of main character Nancy's chosen profession as suburban pot dealing mom. But any way you slice it, the storytelling of the show just doesn't compare. As I said, it's a lot of fun, and I will watch it through to the end. But Breaking Bad is on a whole other level. It's not even playing the same game.

Now I know, I know. People get very protective and defensive of the shows they love. But do me a favor. If you're a fan of Weeds and think it's truly great, watch Breaking Bad. By the end of season 2, if you can honestly say Weeds is the better show, well, I look forward to that debate!

Speaking of amazing shows no one is watching, why is nobody watching Kings? Apparently its ratings have been so low that it's already been canceled, which boggles my mind. It's reminiscent of the deaths of Arrested Development, Firefly, Swingtown, and the near death of 30 Rock until Sarah Palin made people realize how awesome Tina Fey is.

Kings is the richest, most literate television show since Deadwood. And I don't say that lightly. Deadwood is in my top three faves. Writeups will call the show a retelling of the biblical story of King David. And yes, it is in many ways. But truth be told, the show works on levels beyond that.

Where to begin? The plot is complex, but suffice it to say it centers around the malevolent King Silas (Ian McShane, who may be my favorite actor), who rules over the fictional kingdom of Gilboa, standing in as a monarchic version of the United States. A group of prisoners are taken by the enemy nation of Gath and one soldier, David Shepherd, crosses enemy lines to rescue them. Unbeknownst to David, among the prisoners is Jack Benjamin, the king's son. And so David becomes a national hero and crucial chess piece in the world of Silas and his kingdom. He falls in love with Michelle, the princess, and learns of corruption running so deep it tests his faith and loyalty in ways that will tear him apart.

Central to the show's premise is the concept that Gilboa is not simply a monarchy, but one deeply rooted in religion. One of the king's advisors is a minister who claims to speak directly for God. People talk about God a lot in this show. His whims and desires hold sway over many of their decisions. But periodically throughout the series, certain things happen that suggest that, in the world of Kings, God is not simply an object of faith. He is scarily, physically real. And if He is anything, He is an Old Testament God. Vengeful, capable of great cruelty.

What this show does so brilliantly is force the viewer to constantly reevaluate his/her loyalties. Who is the good guy? Who is the bad guy? Is the king's brother-in-law, plotting a coups from behind the scenes, really the man we should fear?

This, and the show breaks your heart. In the pilot episode there is a scene where David stands before the Gath army and delivers a monologue that had me blubbering like a little girl by its end.

That was the scene that had me hooked. I will grant that that first episode ends with a scene that plays as a goofy misstep for a show so serious and grand in scope. But in light of everything that had come before, it had won me as a regular viewer. And sure enough, the show is like a great novel.

Kelly is quick to point out how Shakespearean it is, and she's absolutely right. Characters and dialogue play like the greatest of literature's tragedies, and specifically like those of Shakespeare. The parallels are constant.

So why is no one watching? I've asked some friends, and one of them said that it looked like something that would get cancelled soon, so he didn't want to get invested in it. Well, turns out he was right. And that's a shame. It's a shame that so many of the best shows get the axe before people have even had the chance to discover them.

I suspect Kings will end with much unresolved. I don't see how they can wrap everything up in the last couple of episodes. But still, if it does make it to DVD, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Especially if you consider yourself a fan of great television. In fact, all the episodes are online here. This is not CSI: SVU. This is not Criminal Minds. This is not any of the schlock out there that runs for twenty years and yet never breaks new ground. Kings is consistently challenging, rewarding, and breathtaking.
I, for one, will miss it.

Six Months Old!

2009-07-12T23:13:00.001-07:00

Tristan is six months old today! And I swear he just gets cooler by the day! Kelly has an awesome video of my boy cracking up over on her blog.
Check it out!

2009-07-08T13:17:00.000-07:00

Kelly is the best wife ever.

Kirby Enthusiasm

2009-07-07T10:03:00.001-07:00

On Father's Day, June 21 2009, the Lee family and its various extensions gathered for the beautiful wedding of my awesome cousin Pete and the amazing Grace. While there, at Memorial Park in Loma Mar CA, our five month old son Tristan met his second cousins Kirby (six months old) and Margaux (four months old) for the first time, and a new friendship was born! Check out the video below! My boy will be six months old on July 12th and if you haven't already, check out my wife Kelly's latest blog entry to have your mind thoroughly blown.

Life Stands Still in Tehran

2009-06-29T17:41:00.000-07:00

The latest issue of
Life Goes On In Tehran speaks volumes more than may, at first glance, seem apparent.

Reza Aslan on The Daily Show

2009-06-25T10:34:00.000-07:00

I have so much to post here it's ridiculous, so many weddings and engagements to give a cyber WOOHOOO to (CONGRATULATIONS, JESSIE AND CHRIS!!!), so many great new photos and videos of Tristan to share (guess who's eating solid food...) but all that will have to wait until I have some free time to sit down and blog. In the meantime, here's a video of fellow Santa Clara University alum and all around brilliant author/speaker Reza Aslan on The Daily Show a day or so ago. I respect this guy so much, he always blows my mind, and it's great to hear him echo the sentiments of my friend's email. Take a look.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Reza Aslan

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Jason Jones in Iran

How You Can Help

2009-06-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

I received the following email from my friend in Iran, who, as constant readers know, was one of the groomsmen in my wedding and is the creator of the phenomenal photo blog Life Goes On In Tehran.

-----

Dear Friends,

I am sure all of you are aware of the current situation in Iran. I've been meaning to send a mass email to everyone sharing my thoughts on the matter. But frankly I don't know how to tackle the subject and present a fair perspective on the events taking place. I just hope that basic human rights are observed and peaceful protests are not met with violent acts of vigilante by any one group or organization associated with either one side. My commentary will have to wait for a perspective only time can give me. For now I am but one observer and the complexity of the drama as it unfolds is too much for me to digest.

That said, I have a favor to ask of you. There is something you can do if you're in the States to help. You can call your congress men and women, your senators and governors and demand that they don't interfere in Iran. President Obama has been handling the situation wonderfully. Last thing he wants is to appear to be meddling in Iran's internal affairs. Because then the people in the far right will connect the home-grown Green Uprising movement to America and that will be the end of the movement as we know it. With that excuse they will manage to suppress all opposition and arrest and possibly kill dissident voices. Unfortunately the neo-conservatives think eight years of being in power wasn't enough to ruin the world, so they are now calling for support of Iranian dissidents. This is VERY DANGEROUS.

For example Rep. Pence and some Republican leaders are to hold a press conference supporting Iranian dissidents today (Thursday, June 18th, 2009) at 1:45 p.m. at the House Radio/TV Gallery, H-321 in the Capitol in Washington D.C. If you're in the DC area, PLEASE go protest and have your voices heard. I am beginning to think that all the evil in the world is done by those in the far right in any country who are always in favor of war, not peace, conflict, not dialogue and fear, not hope. You probably can't stop this one event from taking place, but from now on, stay active in condemning any politician who is not in line with President Obama who wants to meddle in Iranian politics. Have them let the Iranian people fight their own fight for their own rights in their own country. Remind them that any outside threat or interference will be damaging and eight years of failed Bush policy is a clear example of that approach.

Best,

A.

Iran, So Far Away

2009-06-17T17:17:00.000-07:00

As an American, I don't know how or even that Mousavi would be any better than Ahmadinejad. All I know, from my distant vantage point, is that something major is happening, perhaps the beginnings of another revolution, and that one of my good friends, one of the groomsmen at my wedding, is right there in the middle of it all. When last we spoke, the day after the election, he told me there was no doubt the thing was rigged. I hope he's okay.

Tristan Rolls Over! (now with SOUND!)

2009-06-09T01:53:00.000-07:00

The footage you're about to see was recorded two weeks ago, just before Kelly, Tristan and I left for Ashland, OR for our friend Chris Lagasse's wedding.

It is only now, in the calm of the hurricane's eye, in this brief respite between adventures, that I am at last able to share this remarkable historical document with you, Gentle Reader.

BEHOLD, ladies and gentlemen! The astonishing.... roll:

Happy Birthday to Linus

2009-06-08T15:02:00.000-07:00

Kelly's Blog

2009-06-04T11:34:00.001-07:00

For all of you who come to this blog hankerin for a Tristan fix only to find some boring rant or movie review, you're in luck!

My lovely, beautiful and brilliant wife Kelly has started her own blog! And methinks it will be overflowing with cute baby goodness and more frequent stories of our personal lives.

You can find it here. Have fun!

Ashes to Ashes

2009-06-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

I have much to share of the exploits of the last few weeks, but not enough time in the day to get around to writing and editing video and posting photos of all of it, and likely won't be able to get around to it for another week or so. So in the meantime, here is something to tide you over.

This is easily the coolest short film I've seen in a long, long time. And the first movie I've seen since I rented the Bollywood musical Kal Ho Naa Ho that actually inspires me to want to make a movie again.

It's a French film called Ashes to Ashes, and the next time you find yourself with sixteen minutes to spare, I highly recommend watching it in fullscreen HD. Fair warning, it is pretty violent. But it's great.

I Can't Get Behind That! #2

2009-05-18T11:55:00.000-07:00

The Shat said it best:

So here are some MORE things I can't get behind! Feel free to share your own!

Arco

Let us consider the worst gas station on the planet. With its inability to accept payment at the pump and requirement that you queue up at the payment kiosk and wait your turn. Swipe your card and punch in the number of your pump on the keypad covered by a piece of metal that, while presumably there for security purposes, forces you to angle your wrist awkwardly so to reach the buttons. Then after pumping your crappy fossil fuel into your antiquated horseless carriage, you once again get in line for your receipt, should you need one.

Who came up with this design? Who approved it? I can't get behind it!

Checkstand Culture

I can't get behind any of it!

iPhoto
The weakest link in Apple's iLife package, iPhoto somehow manages to appear as if it were designed by marmosets rather than by the design/programming team at Apple. It is perhaps the least intuitive, most frustratingly stupid program I've ever seen. If I'm using iTunes, and I need to find the actual file of a song, I can select the track and hit Command-R to REVEAL THE FILE in the Finder. If, however, I'm using iPhoto, there is no such option. And selecting a photo and getting info on it does not tell you what "Roll" that photo is in. So finding a particular photo involves using the Finder's Search function. iPhoto ostensibly has the ability to do basic photo editing within the program. But any changes you make - fixing red eye, sharpening, making a picture black and white - are only saved and visible within iPhoto. The actual file remains unchanged. So you can make those changes to a photo, then upload the photo to Facebook or send an album off to be turned into a book, and the photo that is uploaded or the book you receive will not represent the edited photo. iPhoto is application design at its worst. A lack of intuitive performance wrapped in self-righteous superiority. I can't get behind it!

Blogger
Blogger is a bit more humble, yet no more intuitive. We all use it to publish our blogs. We have all no doubt encountered its problems. And yet Blogger does not change or improve. Sometimes uploaded photos are clickable to view a higher resolution, sometimes not. Often, when adding an image, specifying the size you'd like the image to be doesn't make any difference. Also, adding an image adds it not where your cursor is, but rather at the top of the post, at which point the author must either drag the thing line by line down to where he/she wants it, or copy and paste. Sounds simple enough, until your realize that the window in which blog posts must be written (the window in which I'm typing right now) is not expandable. So posts that rely heavily on images and layout (like the "Checkstand Culture" section above) are excrutiating to compose and edit. What Blogger needs to do is make the Add Image function smarter and make the Edit Post window expandable, so that it can fill the entire browser window so the workspace on my seventeen inch monitor isn't reduced to a five inch box. Unintuitive functionality? I think you know whether or not I can get behind that.

Mass Idiocy
On our honeymoon, my wife and I stayed at the Grand Hyatt on Kauai. A wonderful hotel. And while perusing the art gallery there, I fell in love with the CD they were playing over the speakers and asked if I could burn myself a copy. Sure, they said, and handed me one of their already-burned copies of the terrific album "Lei of Stars". I took this CD to the Business Center at the hotel, which I was told had computers with CD burners. I'd like to burn a copy of this CD, I told them. Sorry, the girl at the desk said. No can do. These CD burners can only burn pictures. Not music. And by using iTunes you might be able access sensitive hotel information.

Yesterday I went to Costco to get some photographs scanned and put on a CD. No can do, the woman at the counter with the zombie gaze told me. You don't have a scanner? I asked. No, she answered. Any idea if there's someplace nearby that can do it? I asked. Anyplace that has a scanner, she responded.

The people we elected to lead the country were for eight years responsible for perhaps the most overt and grievous violations of our constitution in history. Even now new facts come to light daily that must doubtless strain the allegiance of the unquestioning "patriot". And yet still they persist in their loyalty to that regime and to the republicans for which it stands. Barack Obama orders a cheeseburger with mustard only (which my dad also orders) and Sean Hannity and his kind make out like the president is some shee-shee elitist. This is what they spend their time on the soapbox spouting:

And then, of course, there's this.

I don't know if it's a recent thing, or if people have just always been this way. But is everyone an idiot? There is no excuse in this day and age for a twenty-something woman to actually think that a computer can only burn pictures to a CD and not music, or that by using iTunes to dupe a CD I might be able to hack my way into the hotel's secret files. I can think of a million other examples, but really, this entire blog post is an outlet for my venting at the general idiocy of my fellow man, so suffice it to say: yes, everyone appears to be an idiot. And I can't get behind it.

The Gentle Readers of this blog are, of course, the exception to this rule, as evidenced by their continued, you know, reading of this blog.

In The Loop trailer

2009-05-15T18:44:00.000-07:00

The trailer I cut for the hilarious political comedy In The Loop went online today, though strangely as a Funny Or Die exclusive. Check it out below! And in other trailer-related news, my trailer for Che has been nominated for Most Original Foreign Trailer at this year's Golden Trailer Awards. Keep your fingers crossed!

Renaissance, Man

2009-05-15T10:35:00.001-07:00

Kelly and Tristan are in Florida visiting her folks, and once again it is weird having the house to myself. I have several projects I'm hoping to finish up before she gets back, though, so hopefully within the next week or so our wedding video will finally be done!

This past weekend was a fun one, apart from dealing with (and paying for) issues with Kelly's car. On Saturday we (just barely) made it to see the new Star Trek movie (a review is obviously forthcoming), and on Sunday we celebrated Mothers' Day with the first trip for both Tristan and Kelly to the Renaissance Pleasure Faire!

It was a great day, and I've made a little video of it. Check it out!

Noooooooooo!

2009-05-05T22:55:00.001-07:00

Very Thin Ice

2009-04-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

Almost 800,000 people have already watched this on YouTube, so it may not be new to you. But it was new to me when Manash showed it to me last night. And while I still think the "Rap Chop" is better overall, the Katie Couric section of this video BLOWS MY MIND.

Check it out:

Let's Roll!

2009-04-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

Kelly called me this morning to tell me that she finally saw Tristan roll over! Until now we've only seen the evidence, having put him on his tummy then turning around a second later to find him on his back... but now we actually have an eyewitness!

Next step... video documentation! Stay tuned!

Ketchup Post

2009-04-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

Eighteen days have passed since last I posted, and much has happened in that time. Here, in brief, are some highlights of the adventures of the last two and a half weeks.

On April 16th our friends in Surgeon Marta played the

House of Blues on Sunset Blvd! Surgeon Marta, you'll recall is the excellent band in which Kelly used to sing backup, and they put on a great show. The sound mix was frustrating though, and all the instruments were super hot while the vocals were completely buried. They either need their own sound guy, or House of Blues needs one who knows what he's doing. Probably both.

Anyway, it's pretty cool to have watched Shane and Lori and the gang pull their stuff together over the last several years. The band has gotten really tight and really good. And their album, Race to the Red, which was just released, is terrific. I highly recommend it.

Uncle Steve was in town for a big exciting education conference and he and I, along with Linus and Mateja, made a killer night of it. Drinks at the HOB, then food at the Saddle Ranch, then back to the HOB for the show. After the show, Steve and I continued the party like rock stars until 3:30 in the morning... cuz that's how we roll. I can't speak for Steve, but I definitely felt it the next day. But hey, you gotta do it every now and then to remind yourself you're not eighty. Gnome sayin'?

The week or so that followed was pretty great at work, and I hope to have the fruit of that labor up here pretty soon for you all to see.

Lots of expenses have been hitting all at once, and despite a great job and a solid tax refund, I confess to feeling more anxious about the financial situation lately than I usually am. Replacing a fence, fixing sprinklers, fixing our hot tub, paying for flights and hotels for upcoming trips to Oregon, Florida, and Lake Tahoe, not to mention that almost every day our neighbor rings our doorbell to discuss trimming the tree between our houses, or, rather, cutting the whole sucker down (which is what he prefers to do... I'm trying to convince him otherwise), and , of course, the mortgage and the bills. And amid it all I've been hunting for a good deal on the Samsung NC10 netbook. And I realize that much of my anxiety is psychological. I'm actually doing fine. But something is wired strangely inside me, and I'll find myself stressing about cash one day, then realizing everything's cool the next, then the day after that I'll worry again. And I think it all stems, actually, from talking with a financial advisor, who made it clear to me in no uncertain terms that I should definitely have X amount of money in my bank account as a safety net. I should have X many IRA accounts, X many savings accounts, a will, an education fund for Tristan, and so on. And it makes me feel like I'm never gonna have enough, or like I'm never gonna be able to have any fun because I need to save every single goddamn dime.

Now, obviously a lot of that advice is right on. All of it, really. And I've been following it. And it feels good. But at the same time, I know people with $15 in their checking account. In the grand scheme of things, I am doing JUST FINE. There is no freaking reason for me to stress about an extra $100 for a plane ticket except that now I have it drilled into my head that I need to have a certain amount in savings and that my mind keeps thinking about the fence, and the sprinklers, and the tires on Kelly's car, and the rubber strip on my car that flew off on the freeway and needs to be replaced. Sigh. What's wrong with me. In any case, I'm glad now that Chris and I are flying to San José and driving with the boys up to Tahoe rather than flying straight there. A road trip sounds more fun to me anyway.

This past weekend was a perfect weekend. Relaxing, chill, and filled with friends and fun. On Saturday Kelly, Tristan and I went to visit our friend Melanie at the Lazy "J" Ranch booth at an Earth Day fair at a local school. It was pretty absurd... funny for us and frustrating for her and her coworker, as their booth had been set up in the armpit of the school grounds, far away from where all the kids and events were. The cherry on top, though was that their booth was a demonstration of archery (what that has to do with Earth Day is a mystery to me) and the school had arranged them so that the target was against a fence on the other side of which was.... the street. So kids were shooting arrows that would ricochet off the target and fly over the fence into the street. At one point a very angry pedestrian made his presence known, arrow in hand.

My wife about to contract swine flu.

Kelly and I have become fans of La Frite, a nice little restaurant on Ventura. We've been there three times now for brunch and every time they've been totally cool with us having Tristan with us, the food is always a bit greasier than I'd like, but the vibe is so cute and comfortable that I suspect we may become regulars. The fact that it's right next door to Earth 2, our comic book store in the valley (Hi De Ho is still our place on the west side), doesn't hurt, so we went there for lunch after visiting Melanie.

That night we were having Kelly's brother Brian over for dinner and he had the idea to grill up some steaks. "Why not invite some more people over?" Kelly said. So we ended up having a modest little shindig at our place.

Me, Linus, and the Bens proceeded to engage in some pretty geeky conversation... movies, TV, books, trailers, and movies some more.

It was great. And I wondered a bit as we talked what Kelly, Mateja, Melanie and Brian were discussing in the living room.

I later learned that this was at least part of it: Mateja explaining to the others that she had taught herself to speak the Elvish language from Lord of the Rings. "Oh," someone said, "like those people who learn to speak Klingon?"

"Klingon?" Mateja rolled her eyes, "PUH-leeeaase. Those people are so nerdy." Her reasoning was that Tolkien was an actual linguist who invented the Elvish language before even writing the books, complete with proper conjugations and everything... and that Klingon was just gibberish.

Anyway, Mateja, thought you'd appreciate this:

It was a really fun night, and I can't wait to do it again. I love being able to talk and talk and talk with my fellow geeks from work without having to worry about getting back to work!

The next day saw me, Kelly, and Tristan to the LA Times Festival of Books at UCLA, where we met up with Melanie and visited our supertalented friend Sina at the Hi De Ho booth. He was there promoting and signing copies of his new novel(la) Cedric Hollows in Dial M for Magic. Yes, this young man has already published a comic book series and a novel. He is making me feel like a serious underachiever. So we said hi to Sina and his friend Amber Benson (who many of you may remember as Tara on Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and we even made an appearance on the LA Stories blog on Zannel.com.

All in all, a fantastic weekend. Next weekend, though, I really need to get back to work on my backyard. I was all gung ho a month or so ago about fixing it up and then got lazier and lazier each week. But now it's time to get serious!

My parents are in Brazil, and on Mother's Day they return to the States with my grandmother. So get ready for a plethora of photos in which Tristan meets his great-grandmother for the first time!

Speaking of Tristan, I have tons of new photos and videos of him. The little boy just blows my mind more and more every day. I can't believe how lucky we got. But those photos and videos will have to wait until the next post. I have too many of them and it's taken me way too long to post all of this.

Until then I leave you with this, which may be the greatest YouTube video I've seen in the past month. Adios, amigos.

Moon trailer

2009-04-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

The trailer I cut for Moon went online today, and here it is. I'm a bit bummed that it's an IGN exclusive, since it has all that crap watermarked on it and the sound's not that great, but hopefully there will still be a beautiful looking and sounding HD version appearing on Apple.com at some point.

I'm really happy with this piece. Check it out! And then go see the movie when it comes out, because it is awesome.

UPDATE: A beautiful HD Quicktime version has been posted on Yahoo Movies! Check it out here!
UPDATE 2: And now it's up at Apple.com!

This One Goes Out to My Sister

2009-04-09T18:08:00.000-07:00

How Did We Never Notice This Before Now?

2009-04-08T15:26:00.000-07:00

It would appear, as the source site says, that Disney made one movie, and has been tracing it ever since.

God, I Hate Fox News

2009-04-08T11:32:00.000-07:00

Seriously? SERIOUSLY???

Let's get on the same page here.

The following is from Answers.com:

Known by his television personality name Mister Rogers, Fred Rogers spent his lifetime helping children and families grow up emotionally. Wearing his trademark sweaters (actually knitted by his own mom) and sneakers, his slow and steady voice has become recognizable to generations of viewers. Born in Latrobe, PA, he was often sick as a boy and spent a lot of time by himself until he was 11, when his sister was born. He moved away from home to attend Rollins College in Florida, where he studied music composition. Immediately upon graduating, he was hired by NBC for several entry-level positions. In 1952, he married concert pianist Joanne Byrd, and they later had two children. The couple moved back to Pittsburgh when Rogers got a job developing the program schedule at WQED, the first public television station in the U.S. He worked as a producer, puppeteer, composer, and organist for The Children's Corner, hosted by Josie Carey. It was here that he first got the ideas for the characters King Friday XIII, Daniel Striped Tiger, and Lady Elaine Fairchild. During this time, he also attended the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Child Development. In 1963 he was ordained as a Presbyterian minister and encouraged to continue making quality children's television. After making his first attempt at hosting his own show for the CBC, he created Mister Rogers' Neighborhood for PBS in 1968. He was not only the host, but the composer, voice actor, and lyricist as well. It became the longest-running show on public television, ending with his retirement in 2001 after almost 900 episodes. He also wrote many children's books, released several albums, and founded the nonprofit company Family Communications, Inc. Throughout his career, he has been presented with numerous awards and honorary degrees, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. After a short struggle with stomach cancer, Fred Rogers died in Pittsburgh, PA, on February 27, 2003. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

Here's an excerpt from another brief biography, also from Answers.com:

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood has differed from many other children's television programs because Rogers has actively sought to converse with his preschool audience, not to talk at them. He also speaks to them on their level and holds a genuine interest and concern in their lives and problems. The focus and emphasis of each show is on children and their individual needs and feelings. Just as his grandfather McFeely had done for him, Rogers has sought to validate the preschoolers' existence and lives. He has endeavored to do this by constantly reinforcing their positive images of self-worth and reminding them that they are special individuals who are well loved.

The pace of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood is leisurely, and things happen in real time as opposed to the hyper-kinetic jump-starts and flashy cuts and edits of most other programs aimed at young people. There is an established, comfortingly simple routine which starts off each episode of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Rogers enters the set and begins to sing the show's theme song, a folksy, whimsical tune that urges everyone to join in and become a neighbor. The theme song of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood is one of his most famous self-penned songs. As he sings, Rogers changes from his business attire of dress shoes and a sport coat into the more comfortable sneakers and cardigan sweater which has become one of his most identifiable and endearing trademarks. His look has become such a part of American popular culture that one of the cardigans that his mother knitted for him hangs in one of the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.

The show's guests and neighbors drop by Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and help to deal with the issues of the program. This shows the children in the audience that their feelings and concerns are shared by many others who have also been scared, frightened, apprehensive, alone, happy, and sad, to name but a few emotions. Also part of the show is the daily journey by trolley to the "Neighborhood of Make-Believe" where puppets like Daniel Striped Tiger, King Friday XIII, Queen Sara, and Lady Elaine help to deal with the day's issue in a fantasy-like setting. In this portion of the program, Rogers is content to let the puppets do the explaining and remains offscreen.

During the 1960s and early 1970s, Rogers branched out and released six children's music albums. He also has written several books for and about his preschool-aged audience. The books deal with such diverse, real-life events and episodes as going to the doctor, going to school, going to day care, step families, cancer, and death. These issues and the assorted feelings and emotions which arise in response to them have formed the basis of many of the more than 700 episodes of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Many of the shows have been rebroadcast over the years (especially the first day of school series), although Rogers has tried to create about fifteen or so new episodes annually to make sure that the show remains relevant and in touch with the youth of today. He has also produced the PBS programs Old Friends … New Friends which aired from 1978 to 1981 and Fred Rogers' Heroes which aired in 1994.

Rogers told the Boston Globe that the essence of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood is "talking about how important the inside [of a person] is in comparison to the outside. Whether the children can use that message right then, at least they can hear it and in some way be comforted by it." Rogers believes that the real test of the show's merit and worth comes when the television is turned off and the show's message is put into practice in the preschooler's day-to-day interactions in the real world.

The strength of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood is its constant focus on building and nurturing the self-esteem of young children. According to the official Mister Rogers PBS website, Rogers achieves this by "repeatedly stressing the unique value of each human being-the traits that make us who we are and no one else."

In recognition of his many years of tireless effort to improve the quality of children's broadcasting, Rogers has been honored with numerous awards, including two Peabody Awards, three Emmy Awards, the Ralph Lowell Award from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in 1975, and a special Christopher Award in 1984. In addition, he has received thirty honorary doctorates from universities and colleges throughout the United States. Child study experts have praised him for his natural ability to effectively relate to preschoolers. He was also honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1998. In the Tribune-Review website, Rogers mentioned the epitaph he would like to be remembered by: "somebody who cared for his neighbor and his neighbor's children."

I'm of the mind that we oughta canonize Fred Rogers. And here these nimrods are vilifying the guy.

That there is anyone out there who actually considers Fox News a legitimate source of news and/or commentary boggles the mind.

If, Gentle Reader, you are among that misguided lot, I ask you to simply use your head. They called Mr. Rogers evil, man. Mr. Rogers. Think about that.

Everybody Do the Tristan Roll

2009-04-06T20:36:00.000-07:00

Well, this has officially become one of those blogs. It seems all I post about these days is Tristan. Sorry, but the little dude is just SO awesome.

According to Kelly, today he was lifting his legs and rolling over on to his side. When she saw him do this, Kelly laughed and cheered, and, seeing that he'd made his mommy proud, Tristan started doing it more, cracking himself up and flirting with his mom.

As soon as Kelly grabbed the camera, of course, he got distracted and stopped doing it. But she did manage to catch the last few seconds of one of his rolls. I can't stop watching it. Just LOOK at the pure joy on his face in the beginning!!! (click HQ to watch it in High Quality)

I LOVE THIS BOY!!!

Mirror Tristan pt. 2

2009-04-01T15:10:00.001-07:00

Mirror Tristan

2009-03-29T02:13:00.000-07:00

The other day Kelly put Tristan down on his belly, turned around for second, then turned back around to find him on his back! Did our son, who turns 11 weeks old on Monday, roll over for the first time? We haven't been able to recreate the event, but the evidence seems to suggest that it happened! We hope to obtain direct proof soon.

CODENAME: Tristan

2009-03-25T18:15:00.001-07:00

OCCUPATION: Being awesome.