My Time Off From a 9 to 5

Okay, quick blog. This is just to clear some things up for a few people because I'm getting sick of implications.

For those who don't know, I took some time off from working a day job for about 5 months. Ami had just scored a decent job and we figured it up to find that we'd be able to live off of her income for at least a little while. Being the supportive wife that she is, we made a deal where she allowed me to focus on my art if that when a certain time span ended, I'd get some sort of job to start pulling my weight again.

For some reason, a lot of people thought that by me staying at home and not working a 9 to 5 that I was somehow just a lazy ass who did nothing. Well, I'll have you know that I've been busting my ass for these past months trying to get my film off the ground. Anyone who works in this field knows how much work is required to go into such a task and I found myself being able to focus on it without any other distractions. You have to plan, you have to budget, you have to rehearse, you have to send e-mail after e-mail, make phone call after phone call, write and re-write, lock locations, put together a pitch package, work on your business plan, plan and hold fundraisers, find investors, and so on. This takes time. On top of that, being the good and responsible person that I am, I also did ALL of the house work around the apartment. I know we only have a one bedroom, but Jesus can it get messy and quick. All of this kept me busy throughout my days and I feel like I'm closer to achieving my dream because of it. Thank my lucky stars that I have someone like Ami willing to do such a thing for me.

Have we suffered for it? Yes, at least a bit. I was planning on doing a lot more work as an extra on some of the TV shows around here and promotional gigs, but there wasn't a lot. We don't have a lot of money to play with, but every artist must suffer for their art. I'm lucky enough to have a woman by my side who's willing to suffer with me.

The time frame has ended and I'm pretty much working full time as a substitute teacher. I'm also actually really enjoying it. So, the wait feels rewarding. I am also still busting ass on my movie. I have a date set in my head and I plan on making it happen this time.

This was an agreement between my wife and I. It's really no one's business but our own. However, I felt I needed to share.

So, please. People I meet, people I know, good friends even...stop implying that I was being some kind of slacker because I took time off from work to focus on my art. That was not the case and really, you have no idea in the end. You implying such things just pisses me off.

Thanks.

Update on Billi & Theodore

Hello all.

So, I have an announcement to make about Billi & Theodore that may disappoint some, but we at Short Pictures Independent feel very positive and excited about this. I have decided to push the start date on production back a few months to early 2011. Now, I know we pushed it back once already, back when we were really gunning for a December 2009 start date. However, in this situation, it was more my choice to push it back instead of being forced to push it back because of lack of funds.

Let me explain. I have someone very close to me who believes in me and wants to support me willing to invest some money into the project to make this thing happen. However, they can't do said investing until early next year. Seeing that some of our leads on investors are dragging their feet and our Kickstarter page is moving at a trickle, it only makes sense to delay our start date to a time where we know we'll have some money to do it.

On that same note, I have also decided to kill our Kickstarter page to make the move over to Indiegogo. The positives to this decision are based upon the fact that whatever you raise through Indiegogo, you get to keep. There isn't a silly time limit and it isn't all or nothing. This makes me feel a lot better about it. If we only end up raising $2,000 of our overall goal, at least we get to keep it and put it towards the film! I hope everyone who has pledged a donation will take the time to "transfer" said donation to the Indiegogo page found here:

http://www.indiegogo.com/Billi-Theodore

To those of you who have pledged, you will be receiving a personal message from me explaining the situation and I hope it will persuade you to take the time to give the amount you intended to give on our Indiegogo page.

So, yeah, things are looking up! It finally seems as if this movie is happening, but not exactly when we imagined it. That's the movie industry though, unfortunately.

I hope everyone will continue their support for this project and will continue to help us try to make this dream of ours a reality.

Thanks for reading.

SXSW - Day Six

Need to catch up?

SXSW - Day One
SXSW - Day Two
SXSW - Day Three
SXSW - Day Four
SXSW - Day Five

Day six was hump day during the festival and was the first group of films my good friend Nathan Minger was able to join me for. He was pretty tired and it was his first day in Austin, so we didn't see as many films as I would have normally seen, but we saw some great ones.

The Films

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THIS MOVIE IS BROKEN


I was a moderate fan of Broken Social Scene before seeing this. I had heard some of their songs prior to the film and knew about them, but this film helped my interest grow. The reason I was so excited to see this flick was because of the concept. Basically, it's a concert film for BSS combined with a narrative film. So, the filmmakers filmed a concert of Broken Social Scene's in Montreal (I believe) and then filmed a scripted "feature" film that ties into the concert film.

The narrative part of the film tells the story of Bruno and Caroline, who just woke up next to each other after having a one night stand. However, Bruno has been into Caroline for a long time and has always tried to make a move. After they wake, he finds out that she's moving to France for school and he must think of a way to spend her last day in Canada together and to reveal his true feelings to her. That's where the concert plays in.

My biggest problem with the film is that the story isn't that interesting. It's an awesome idea to make a concert film more entertaining (if you're not that into straight concert films, that is), but if this movie was on its own without the greatness of Broken Social Scene to back it up, it would have been generic and on the verge of rubbish.So, as a film, it's pretty forgettable, but as a concert film with that little touch of story, it's pretty entertaining. It's a nice break from the music.

I give the film a 7 out of 10.

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GET LOW


I knew very little about this movie before waiting in line for the screening. I read the synopsis, but all I really knew was that Bill Murray was going to be there in person and that was enough for me. Then, come to find out, Robert Duvall and Sissy Spacek was attending as well. Score!

The film tells the story of a small town and the hermit, named Felix Bush (Robert Duvall), who lives on the outskirts. His reputation isn't the best as many stories have been spread over the years. Felix decides to throw a "funeral party" for himself pre-death so that he can hear all the stories that have made him a legend. So, he goes to Bill Murray's Frank Quinn, the local funeral director, to make it happen.

It's a really touching film, showing how perspective plays into what people spread about others. One little rumor can explode and ruin someone's reputation. In some cases, this sort of spreading of lies can make someone more myth than man. That has certainly happened to Duvall's Felix.

Everyone is at the top of their games in this flick. Duvall gives a layered, mysterious performance that pulls you in and makes you curious to find out more. Murray is great as always and plays the comedic relief terrifically. Sissy Spacek plays her role rather sweet, her character (Mattie Darrow) being someone who cared for Felix before the incident that ruined his life took place. Spacek has a way of playing Mattie as being reserved, but still obviously having feelings for Felix, allowing them to show every once in a while. They were all just great.

This is certainly a character piece that's very, very charming. I'd love to see it again.

I give the film a 9 out of 10.

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SUCK


This movie is great. It tells the story of a rock band, touring through Canada, and their struggle with their female bassist (I think?) who has just become a vampire. Seeing how much everyone loves her and how awesome she rocks, members of the band start to debate if they should all make the jump to the vampire lifestyle. Gigs in shitty bars, thirst for blood, a vampire hunter played by Malcolm McDowell, and eventually a battle with the original vamp who turned them are nothing for a rock n roll band.

This movie is just good times. It obviously doesn't take itself too seriously and is more comedy than horror, but it works rather well, especially seeing how vampires these days are being played too melodramatically. I applaud the filmmakers for making vampires fun while giving a rock n roll flair and filling this flick with tons of laughs.

I give the film an 8 out of 10.

That's a wrap on day six!

SXSW - Day Five

Need to catch up?

SXSW - Day One
SXSW - Day Two
SXSW - Day Three
SXSW - Day Four

And yet again, I've taken for-fucking-ever to post the next in my series of SXSW blogs. By the time I'm done with these, it'll probably be SXSW time again. Let's hope it doesn't come to that. There's only three more after this! We can do it! You just gotta believe!

Enough excuses, here's blog five!

The Films

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TINY FURNITURE


In earlier installments of this blog series, I had said that Cyrus was my favorite film from the festival. Well, honestly, I don't know if that's necessarily true and it's only because of this film right here.

Tiny Furniture tells the story of a young woman named Aura, played by the film's writer/director Lena Dunham, fresh out of college and who has moved back to New York City to live with her mother and sister. She went to school in Ohio for film and has had moderate YouTube success with one video. She's lost and doesn't know where to go from here.

What I love right off the bat is that this is a film about this woman who isn't necessarily drop dead gorgeous (though she is cute), isn't really looking for a relationship, and is trying to figure out the next step in her life. It's really feminist in that regard. The next step isn't to find a man who could possibly figure it all out for her like many movies with female leads showcase. It's about her taking control of her emotions and desires. It's an amazing character piece in that regard.

Every character in her life is fully realized and the actors playing them are brilliant, especially the mother and sister played by Dunham's own family members. There's a chemistry there that couldn't be present if it were not for them being related. The other characters represent different parts of Aura's life and give layers to the emotions represented. It's just an all around great cast who know how to mix the drama and comedy really well.

For this only being Lena Dunham's second feature, she has a hell of a future ahead of her that I'm currently really jealous of. Her film was a huge inspiration for me and I hope to have similar success.

I give the film a 10 out of 10.

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NARRATIVE SHORTS 3

These two flicks are the ones that really stick out in my mind from this section of shorts.

CIGARETTE CANDY


A soldier returns home from Iraq with a lot of weight on his shoulders...obviously. His family is throwing him a little cook-out to celebrate his return. He's haunted by this beautiful teenage girl who keeps giving him seductive glances and his father who's pushing for him to give a speech on the good things they're doing in the war that aren't true. Seeing the inner struggle of the lead character is fascinating and the actor playing him is top notch.

KELPThe story of a man who leaves his wife and family for kelp. Yes, the strange plant found in large masses of water and yes, it's pretty hilarious.

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LE DONK AND SCOR-ZAY-ZEE


I was really looking forward to this mocumentary starring Edgar Wright regular Paddy Considine. However and disappointingly, it was only moderately funny. There's a lot of potential here, but it doesn't quite get there for me. It's not one to skip entirely, but it's certainly not bursting at the seems with laughs.

I give the film a 7 out of 10.

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PASSENGER PIGEONS

This is going to be a film I remember for a very long time. Not really because of the film itself, but because of the circumstances I saw the film in.

Imagine you're a filmmaker who has had some success. You've made a few iconic films others look to for inspiration. Now, imagine you're sitting in the audience of a film that's largely influenced by your style. Wouldn't that be trippy and surreal? Well, that's sort of what happened in this film.

Passenger Pigeons is a film largely influenced by the work of David Gordon Green. The southern style, the slow burn storytelling, the multiple storylines converging...all felt like a lesser piece of Green's work. And I'm sure you can guess by now that David Gordon Green was in the audience a few rows ahead of me. I really wanted to pick his brain after the screening just to see what he thought. That would be hella weird for me as a filmmaker, personally. Though, I can admit, I hope to have this experience someday.

The film itself was okay. The acting and story was a bit dry and the sound wasn't really that great, but it was somewhat engaging. It's probably my least favorite David Gordon Green flick. Oh...wait...

I give the film a 6 out of 10.

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SKATELAND


Skateland was a film that got a hell of a reception at SXSW. The filmmaker behind it was from Austin, so all his friends came to the screening and hooted and hollered throughout. It was a tad annoying, but I could feel the excitement in the air for their friend and I could respect it.

The film, however, was only okay. A lot of people have been praising it as a modern Dazed and Confused. I couldn't really shake the feeling that it was nothing more than a Dazed and Confused rip-off. I mean, it was pretty good, but I've already seen the film once and done way better by Linklater. Plus, the lead guy was pretty awful. I couldn't really stand him.

I like the work that went into making it feel like the 70s, I liked the story for the most part, and the side characters could be entertaining. I would just rather watch Dazed, though.

I give the film a 7 out of 10.

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THE LOVED ONES


Now, here's a movie that took it's love for a certain type of film and genre and made something new out of it. The Loved Ones is a horror flick that tells the story of a boy who refuses to go to prom with the weird girl in school and the crazy hell he has to pay for doing so.

This flick, lovingly crafted in Australia, really took me by surprise. I knew nothing about it, honestly, and when I was in the middle of it, I couldn't help but smile the whole time. It's one of those horror films that doesn't take itself too seriously, but still provides something extremely fucked up and cringe-worthy. There's laughs, there's tension, there's gore, and there's a badass ending. What more could you ask for from an awesome flick like this?

I give the film a 9 out of 10.

And day five is a wrap!

Billi and Theodore on Kickstarter!

Okay, so I know I have been awful with keeping up with this thing. I had a series of blogs reviewing what I saw at SXSW, but I never had the time to finish them off. It's not to say that I never will, but I really felt the need to post this blog seeing that you all can help me make my dreams a reality and that there has been some confusion on how it works.

So, as many of you know, I wrote a screenplay last year called Billi and Theodore which I tried to film in December. Because of investors backing out and other elements, it just didn't work out.

Now, we're trying again! We've made a page on Kickstarter, a website which allows most anyone to post their project with the idea of it being funded in three months. People interested in helping the project make a donation through the site. The makers of the project will provide incentives to people who donate various amounts.

However, the idea behind the site is that it's all or nothing. If the project doesn't reach it's goal by the end date, then the makers get nothing. On the flip side, no money is taken from the people donating until the project reaches it's end date and is successful.

With my project, I'm trying to get $11,000 by October 11th at midnight. Unless that goal is met, I get no money whatsoever and anyone who donates will only have their money taken out of their account on October 11th if that happens. We are already 3% there, but I know we should be doing better.

We really appreciate everyone spreading the word on the project, but I also hope that everyone posting links will also give at least $10 to the cause. We figured it up and if only 600 of my 670 friends on Facebook gave merely $19 towards the project, we would be well funded. Seeing that some very generous backers have already given more individually, that makes the amount even less.

Enough of me blabbing. I will let my pitch video and Kickstarter page do the rest of the talking. I hope that, now having a better understanding on how it all works, you will all put a little bit towards making my dream a reality.

For everyone who has ever believed in me, helped me, or supported my dreams and aspirations...I need your help now more than ever.

Thanks!

Billi and Theodore on Kickstarter!

SXSW 2010 - Day Four

Need to catch up?

SXSW 2010 - Day One
SXSW 2010 - Day Two
SXSW 2010 - Day Three

Been a while, hasn't it? Some would probably give up on doing a series of blogs on a month old film festival, but not me. I stick to what I say I'm going to do and flippin' do it. The only reason this wasn't done sooner is because I was trying to complete a screenplay for a competition called "Script Frenzy." Now that I've heard some rather good news, I've become a little distracted in the creative front of my life. I'm trying to focus on something a little more important than the screenplay I started. Plus, I was writing what I considered to be a pretty good idea that probably needed a bigger budget for a lower budget. Some things might have been a little compromised. I'll revisit it someday. Now, onto the fest.

Day four was my first true full day of movies. At this point, I should have just changed my mailing address to the Alamo Drafthouse because I was living there for the rest of the week. I saw some great full lengths and a lot of shorts (which is going to be a pain for me to write about).
I apologize now for how short these reviews are going to be. Obviously, long reviews take more time and I want to try and get these blogs done quickly.

The Films

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SOME DAYS ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS

Official site!

This is a simple piece, but one that seemed to speak to me the loudest. There's three main story lines being told throughout the film, none of which are incredibly complex. However, seeing the lives these people long to have or that they want to give to others really shows a complexity.

My favorite storyline concerned Eli, played excellently by the lead singer of The Shins James Mercer, who longed for the day where he didn't have to work a shitty job with an asshole boss. What can I say, I related greatly. He spends most of his free time with his step grandfather. They seem to be best friends and his grandfather has a car which he needs to use quite often. Hearing the grandfather talking about love and how he outlived those he was married to gives this film a power unlike any other I saw at the fest. You get invested into these characters and they say these profound, yet simple, epiphanies and it just astounds you.

It's amazing to me how the simplest person can have the greatest grasp on life while everyone else is trying to make it all so complex and this film represents that idea quite well. This being Matt McCormick's first feature is a true achievement. It's just a beautiful little flick that I'd love to add to my movie collection. Lets hope they get a distribution deal soon!

I give the film a 9 out of 10.

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Narrative Shorts 1

There were eight shorts in this category and I will only be highlighting the ones I loved.

BIKINI LIGHTERS

It's amazing to me how many times a coming of age story can be told, but in various different ways. In this short, a boy is becoming aware of his sexuality because of some lighters that display women in bikinis. He also notices a teenage girl making out with her boyfriend. This, of course, comes back to bite him in the arse. Great little flick here.

PANCAKE BREAKFAST


My absolute favorite short from the festival. It has my sensibilities and it's amazingly funny. It's about a guy who jokes around with his girlfriend about sleeping with her best friend who happens to be a dude. He begins to worry when his girlfriend starts to play along over a pancake breakfast. Great, great short!

SNAPSHOTS


Seven love stories that were gorgeously shot in New York. This is what New York, I Love You should have been. Though, the lack of any homosexual love kind of dampers it for me (if you're going to have seven different stories, you really couldn't find room for ONE gay love story?).

GIRLS NAMED PINKY


Oh, what a twist! This is a great little short with a hell of a twist.

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Narrative Shorts 2

Again, I'm only going to highlight the ones I absolutely loved.

HAVE YOU SEEN MY HAIR?


Trippy short right here. It all takes place from the point of view of someone who has lost their hair. It was originally going to be a commercial for a hairstylist in New York, but evolved into something so much more. You need to see it to believe it.

BLACK OPS ARABESQUE

Hilarious! When you're backed into a corner by men with guns wanting the little girl you have sworn to protect, what are you going to do? Dance, of course!

THE BIG FIDDLE

A complex, intertwining film that glued my eyes to the screen till the shocking end. There's so much going on that it's hard to explain. So, just try to search this film out!

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STRANGE POWERS


Official site!

I'm not going to lie to you; I have never heard of The Magnetic Fields until I saw this documentary. I had unknowingly heard some of their songs before, but I would have never been able to tell you that they performed them. I am glad I saw this film merely for the fact that I now know who they are and how great they are.

This documentary focuses primarily on Stephin Merritt, lead singer, song writer, and general performer of awesomeness for The Magnetic Fields. He's such a layered artist and though it might seem hard for many to relate to him because of his hard outer shell, he's actually pretty easy to care about as a subject. He just wants to make the music he wants to make and fuck all the naysayers. He wants to love who he wants to love without being judged. He is Stephin Merritt and if you don't like it, get the fuck out. That's his attitude and I loved it. I want to be his best friend, honestly.

This is a well made doc that showed me the greatness of a band I might have missed if I hadn't taken the chance to see it (and it wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for Earthling being filled up).

I give the film an 8 out of 10.

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ALL MY FRIENDS ARE FUNERAL SINGERS


Official site!

Here is a film I was looking forward to greatly and was the first disappointment I experienced at the fest. It tells the story (I use the word story loosely) of a psychic who is forced to live with various ghosts who have yet to cross over to the after life. This film was made primarily to showcase the songs of a band Califone, who play three of the ghosts who are featured often. The coolest part about this screening was the fact that Califone actually played live as the movie screened behind them. They were awesome. Unfortunately, the movie did not live up to the experience for me.

My biggest problem is how it seems that the film has no real focus. We have parts of a story with the psychic, random interviews with a select few ghosts, and then long and drawn out musical sequences with the band Califone. It doesn't mesh and it left me feeling really unsatisfied. I mean, it could have worked, but no one told them certain parts of the whole was just stupid. I'm all for artistic expression, but this is one piece of art I just can't appreciate. It's choppy, sloppy, and all over the place. The music, however, and the experience I had with the band playing live was great. Watching the film without Califone would have been truly terrible.

I give the film a 4 out of 10.

And day four is wrapped!

SXSW 2010 - Day Three

Not caught up on days one and two?

SXSW 2010 - Day One
SXSW 2010 - Day Two

Day three was the first day I had the opportunity to see multiple movies and was also the last full day Ami could attend with me, sadly. It was a bright, sunny, 70 degree weather day. A perfect day to spend in a dark theater.

Towards the middle of the day, the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar started to get busier and we were forced to miss one of the movies we were waiting for. So, we didn't see as many as I would have liked, but we still saw a good amount.

The Films

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THE MYTH OF THE AMERICAN SLEEPOVER

Official site!

This was one of the films I was looking forward to seeing the most originally. I saw the trailer about a week before SXSW and it looked really good. The film itself was good for the first half. After that...not so much.

This is a film where the filmmakers got amateurs for the lead roles. Where most filmmakers either know how to make the amateurs believable or know how to elevate some other areas of the film to make up for the lack of actual actors (see Soderbergh's Bubble or Van Sant's Elephant), the director behind this piece couldn't make it work in his favor. After about half way through the film, the "acting" started to grate on me. I can only stand so much of the lead boy's blank stares as he's searching for the girl of his dreams, or the indie girl's coy head turn and smile, and so on before it began to wear on me.

My biggest problem with this movie is the storyline involving the Scott character, creepily searching out these twins who are much younger than him and who he heard had a crush on him when he was a senior and they were freshmen in high school (he is now in college). I absolutely HATED this storyline. HATED it. Brett Jacobsen is an incredibly annoying actor (at least in this) and I would groan whenever he would come on screen. His storyline is just...pathetic, creepy, and pointless. I really, really, really hated it. Guh.

Besides some other leaps of logic that seem to escape these kids (okay, so you got nailed with an egg on your chest and you walked all the way home to wash your shirt with a wet wash rag and not just change it? Really?) there are some points I liked. Most of it involved the indie girl who I referenced above (sorry, I can't find her name/character on IMDB). Her story really engaged me at times, but again her acting started to wear on me. So, even she lost me after a point.

It had potential, but lazy filmmaking hurt the film overall. Ami liked it though, so I wouldn't say skip it completely. If it interests you, check it out! I do wish there was an option to skip that twin storyline altogether, though.

I give the film a 6 out of 10.

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ANIMATED SHORTS

Seeing that there were twelve shorts in whole, I'm only going to highlight my absolute favorites.

THE ORANGE


More info!

A short about an almighty orange and its life on Earth. The animation was so simple, but the story so grandiose. What if God was in an orange on Earth? That's essentially the story and it works very well. Quite funny to boot.

BYGONE BEHEMOTH


More info!

A claymation about an out of work movie monster. Think Godzilla if Godzilla was an old struggling actor. It's very poignant and quite sad. The filmmakers put a lot of emotion into this short. It tugged at the heart strings pretty hard. Damn you, CGI! Why must you put all these practical effects monsters out of business?

THE COW WHO WANTED TO BE A BURGER


More info!

Hilarious! The crude animation and use of trumpet to give the cows voices works brilliantly. Seeing this little calf working out to try and become a hamburger is pure gold.

THE ART OF DROWNING

More info!

A rotoscoped short about a man drowning and how he's not seeing his life flash before his eyes much like everyone says he should. The voiceover raps philosophic while we see these beautiful animations animated over live actors. It's a wondrous little piece that worked well for me.

ONE SQUARE MILE OF EARTH


More info!

I love animals that talk and act like people (hence coming up with Fox and Bear). So, my love for this short is pretty self explanatory. Two guys playing all the characters makes it even better. It's just funny, funny stuff.

DOWN TO THE BONE


More info!

Absurd, grotesque, and hilarious. Need I say more?

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JIMMY TUPPER VS. THE GOATMAN OF BOWIE


Official site!

This was my first midnight screening at SXSW and luckily I got into everyone I tried to get into. This one really set the bar high, though. It's a found footage movie in the vein of The Blair Witch Project or Cloverfield, but where those films feel a bit fabricated, this film actually did not.

This tells the story of Jimmy Tupper, the friend no one really likes and who everyone's confused as to why he's there. He drinks too much, smokes too much, and just generally annoys his friends. One night, Jimmy passes out because of too much drinking and won't wake up. So, his friends decide to teach him a lesson and dump his passed out body in the middle of the woods. The next day, they go searching for Jimmy to find him angry as all hell and screaming about being dragged through the woods by the Goatman of Bowie (a real urban legend apparently). Of course, no one believes him. So, Jimmy sets up camp with a camera to prove everyone wrong.

The filmmaker, Andrew Bowser, said that there are sections of the film where he only did one take and when he got back to watch the footage, the mini-DV fucked up and screwed up the audio. Any other director would go back and shoot it again, but seeing that he wanted this "found footage" to feel as real as possible, he left it in and it actually works! It was hilarious because it's this scene where Jimmy Tupper (also played by Andrew Bowser) is cursing his friends and his shitty life with a heartfelt monologue and all you hear is every other word as he paces around his campsite. It was really funny. Also, there's a part of the film at a graduation as if Jimmy's using a tape someone already used before. It was great and worked quite well.

What really won me over was the climax and the ending in general. It's just so Goddamn great, man. I don't want to ruin any of it for you in case this does get its deserved proper distribution. Just know that it's awesome and that it calls for a great sequel.

I give the film a 10 out of 10.

And with that, day three is wrapped!

SXSW 2010 - Day Two

For my experiences from my first day at SXSW, click this link:

SXSW 2010 - Day One

My second day of South By was just as short as the first. I had an audition earlier in the afternoon and couldn't make it to any of the films because of that (totally worth it, I hope). I was, however, extremely excited for this day at SXSW because of one particular film: Cyrus.

I have been a huge fan of the Duplass brothers since my friend Kyle Cates and I happened to watch a movie from the library called The Puffy Chair by pure chance on one particular movie night in Erikson hall on campus. It was a such a simple film, such a beautiful little film, such an inspiring film that really blew me away. They did so much with so little! I went on to write The Station because of that inspiration (wish I had a finished product to show everyone...) and have been trying to think of ideas that can be as easily made as that flick ever since.

The Duplass' inspired a movement called "mumblecore" which is, essentially, films that are shot with low grade equipment, with little money, and are mostly improvised by the actors. This movement has exploded over the past few years and has given voices to some great filmmakers who were probably unable to make their films prior to said movement.

I don't want to get too far into the Duplass bros. and their work seeing that I want to write a blog specifically highlighting that in one of my filmmaker blogs (coming soon...). What we're here to discuss is their latest and greatest (which is also their first studio film), Cyrus!

The Films

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CYRUS


Now, before I get into the film itself, let me get into the happenings before the film. I came to the Paramount (where most of the big films premiered at the festival) with the mindset that we were just not going to get in. I saw what happened with Kick Ass and I didn't want to get my hopes up at all. Ami and I met up with Bayless who was already in line in front of the Paramount for Micmacs. As much as I would have liked to have seen that film, I was much more concerned with Cyrus which was my most anticipated film of the festival. Seriously. I was more excited for this film than even Kick Ass.

So, as everyone entered the theater for Jeunet's latest, Ami and I shuffled to the front of the line to wait for Cyrus...three hours before the film would actually start. Hooray.As we waited, Ami and I met a new friend named Kathe and we relished in our love for Ain't It Cool News and their free screenings. As we chatted, we noticed the lines were getting longer. The crowds were getting bigger. My hopes were getting smaller.

As the clock ticked closer to showtime and the people who had just witnessed Micmacs (have heard mixed things on that one. Still want to see it though) exited the theater, the volunteers for SXSW started to roll out the red carpet. I did not know who to expect. I was just crossing my fingers for the Duplass brothers, but what I got was so much more. Not only were the Duplass brothers there, but John C. Riley, Jonah Hill, and even Edward Norton, who wasn't even in the movie, walked the carpet towards the theater as my geekiness started to swell up. I wanted to see this movie so bad and wanted to hear them talk about this movie so bad. I was ready to kill a badge holder to get in.


Rumors started to spread about the lines wrapping around the building. I was going to be extremely upset if I didn't get into this film and passed up the opportunity to see Micmacs. As my spirit got crushed more and more by people worrying and press getting into the theater and this, that, and the other, a glimmer of hope appeared. One of the volunteers for the film must have heard us worrying because she assured us that we would get in. "Oh, no worries," she said. "This theater holds 1,200 people."

I looked her in the face and I said, "I swear to God, if you're lying to me..." She told me she wasn't and sure enough, we were soon walking in to the Paramount! Glory be to the highest!

After a quick introduction to the film by the Duplass brothers (SQUEE!), the film started.


Cyrus is my favorite film from SXSW. The Duplass brothers have taken a concept probably seen in countless movies, television shows, books, and various other forms of entertainment and have made it their own. Everything feels so real. The relationships are believable (yes, even Riley and Marisa Tomei). These characters feel like real people. The documentary filmmaking only helps in that it makes us feel like flies on the wall as we witness these incredibly awkward, extremely hilarious, and amazingly realistic scenes unfold.

The Duplass bros. aren't known for their complex story lines. I mean, lets be honest, their films prior to and including Cyrus aren't wholly original. What sets them apart is the acting and the actors they get involved with their film. Their films are so simple, but these actors bring so much to the table and make them enjoyable. Mark Duplass did that for Puffy Chair, Greta Gerwig did that for Baghead, and now Jonah, John, and Marisa are doing that for Cyrus. I would also say that the Duplass' films have great dialogue, but seeing how so much of their movies are improvised, it's hard to give credit to them alone. I can, however, give them credit for being so bold and allowing the actors to make something so completely organic.

People worried that Jonah Hill is playing the same character he supposedly plays in every movie, do not fret. This is Jonah being straight. Sure, the guy's fucking hilarious throughout, but when drama is called for, the kid does it well. Hell, everyone does great. No one is off in the slightest in this flick. My only regret is that Mark Duplass didn't have a part. I love that guy.

Overall, this film is hilarious and fun. It's awkward as all get out, but it's also very enjoyable. I cannot wait to see what the Duplass' do next (something being produced by Jason Reitman I hear).

I give the film a perfect 10 out of 10.

After the film, we were graced with one of the worst Q&As I've been a part of this side of The Boy In the Striped Pajamas premiere in Indianapolis. Jonah Hill even jokingly called some guy an asshole for his awkward question he asked ("Did you sign onto the project because you knew Marisa Tomei would be wrapping her legs around you?"). I was just embarrassed for everyone asking questions and it made me miss my midnight screening of Monsters (luckily I got another chance...).

Overall, though, a great night. On to day three!

SXSW 2010 - Day One

So, South By Southwest has ended. Friends have come and gone. I've finally gotten the chance to have a good night of sleep and time to reflect. Seeing I didn't really have the opportunity to write about my experiences while I was actually experiencing SXSW and that I'm not a paid writer who would make time for such a thing when sleep sounded so much better, I've decided to write a series of blogs that sum up each day and what I saw. This will all be focusing on the film side of things seeing as I didn't experience the music side at all save for the free She and Him concert on the last Saturday.

This is my first TRUE film festival experience. Sure, I've been to the Heartland Film Festival and the Indianapolis International Film Festival, but I only went to a few of the films on the schedules when those were in town. At SXSW, I was at the festival pretty much all day from the beginning to end. Also, I experienced this festival with a film pass. A film pass is basically a step below a badge in that pass holders get seated after all the badges in line are in the theater. It was at times a smart purchase, but at other times an aggravating one.

I'm going to try and keep all my thoughts limited. I don't want each and every blog to be too bloated. If I feel a love for a film or feel a particular part of the festival needs more attention, I will give it that. However, I don't want it to feel like a chore to read each blog. Thus, I'm going to keep them as brief as possible. I hope you enjoy!

The Films
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KICK ASS


...is a film I didn't get in to. However, I did wait in line for two hours to try. I will say that even though we didn't get in, it was a great way to see how the festival worked. Being submerged into the atmosphere by waiting in line for possibly the most anticipated film of the festival was really great. I got to see Christopher "McLovin" Mintz-Plasse and I had an overwhelming since of excitement being able to stand where I was, thinking about the week ahead.

One good thing that came from standing in line was seeing Nimrod Antal, director of Predators. I had worked on Predators for a day, but never got the chance to meet Mr. Antal. Thankfully, my friend Nathan Bayless had and Nimrod told us that he'd try to get us in to the Predators sneak peek that was happening that evening. We were cautiously ecstatic, to say the least.

I will say that it really aggravated me that evening when I hopped on Twitter to read tweets from various online critics that I follow who were bragging about seeing Kick Ass for a second time. How fair is that? Why not give us other people a chance to experience it, douches? Oh well. It'll be out in a few weeks anyhow.

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PREDATORS


After not getting in to Kick Ass, the wife (exhausted from the previous week) decided to head home and Mr. Bayless and myself meandered around Austin for a bit. Seeing how we were burned on the Kick Ass screening, we didn't know if we wanted to wait in line again for The White Stripes doc, but we did for a bit. That is until Bayless got a hold of Nimrod...who got us in to the sneak peek.

So, we rushed from the Paramount over to the Ritz on 6th street, told the people we were on the list, and were ushered into the theater as I laughed in the faces of the badge holders who had been there since noon (not really. I'm not a complete ass. I know that feeling too well to laugh in their faces).

What we saw were two trailers (one of which is online now) and a scene from the film where Larry Fishbourne (I will always call him Larry ever since I saw him credited as such in the Nightmare on Elm Street sequel Dream Warriors) decloaks in full Predator armor and surprises our heroes. The trailers gave me chills along with reluctant hope. I know Nimrod and Rodriguez really want to make this film something special, but I am still trying to keep my expectations low. The clip was pretty good. Some of the acting was questionable, but clips out of context (and without complete effects) are always a little off. It will be cool to see it fully realized in the complete film in July.

Then we got a Q&A from Nimrod and Robert, got to see the animatronic head from the original Predator (who is making a come back in this new film), and got some nice goodies to take home including a SXSW exclusive poster signed by Robert Rodriguez (which you can see above).

In short, twas nice!

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Even though I didn't get to experience the films I wanted to on opening night of the SXSW film festival, it was truly great to go to what I got to go to and being immersed into the experience head first. It was a hell of a start to a hell of a week.

My Oscar Reflections

Another year's Academy Awards have come and gone and I haven't been this happy with the winners since the 79th awards show three years ago (way to go Marty!). Sure, Sandra Bullock got her predicted and undeserved Oscar, but for some reason I am okay with that now. It might be the fact that I had all ready come to terms with the inevitable or it might just be that the ending of her speech really won me over. Whatever the case, this is the first year in a while where I was pleased with most of the Academy's choices.

THE SHOW ITSELF

Is it just me or did this show kind of suck? I love Neil Patrick Harris, but his opening musical number wasn't funny...at all. And don't get me started on Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. Their jokes fell flat faster than COP OUT at the box office (ZING!!!). What happened to the golden days of award show hosts with people like Billy Crystal? His opening parodies of movies always killed. I remember the year TITANIC was nominated and Crystal was super imposed into various scenes of the film. I was rolling on the floor with laughter! I don't think there has been a show that has made me laugh that much since. The only host who really came close for me was Jon Stewart and maybe Chris Rock.

The problem with Martin and Baldwin was...I don't really know. It should have worked. I really like Steve Martin as long as he's not trying to fill the shoes of Peter Sellers and Baldwin gets a lot of laughs from me on 30 Rock. What happened? Perhaps they played it too safe? Probably. Plus, there weren't nearly enough sketches for them to stretch their comedic wings. I enjoy breaks in the awards with funny sketches here and there. They were completely absent this year save for the musical number at the beginning which I all ready stated bombed big.

On the subject of breaks from the awards, when did they decide not to perform the nominated original songs? I always enjoyed that! I really wanted to hear "The Weary Kind" live! Damn you, Academy!

Add some interpretive dance into the show where dancers were breaking dancing to THE HURT LOCKER score and doing the robot to the UP score and you'll find it kind of sucked overall. Step it up, Academy!

Finally, you have the tribute to horror films toward the middle of the ceremony. It was great watching all my favorite horror films and monsters presented through a clip show wonderfully during the Academy Awards, but why did they have to have those TWILIGHT fucks present it? And why was a clip from one of those films included in the tribute? TWILIGHT isn't horror, people. It's a tween romance. There's nothing horrific to be seen (save for maybe the acting or effects). God, that was a huge misstep.

One thing they certainly got right was the tribute to John Hughes. That was beautiful and moving. I also liked Ben Stiller as a Na'vi, though I would have liked to have seen what Sacha Baron Cohen came up with that they cut because of inappropriateness.

THE AWARDS

Like I said above, the awards given were pretty spot on, if a little expected and predictable. There always seems to be a year where the Academy awards the filmmakers who they are expected to award and then years in between where they kind of surprise everyone. It's really all about politics I suppose. This year was definitely a year where they gave it to the expected winners and, honestly, this is one of the few times that might be okay with me.

THE HURT LOCKER was the big winner and deservedly so. While if I had any true choice in the matter Tarantino's INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS would have swept the thing, I was just fine with Bigelow's film doing it.

A lot of hate has surfaced against THE HURT LOCKER after the final award was given (quite clumsily and haphazardly by Tom Hanks. Still irritated by that), which is probably to be expected, but I don't get it. People are claiming it's an unrealistic portrayal of modern warfare or something and that it's overrated. Well, what true narrative film presents its subject, real world or not, completely realistically? RAY told the story of Ray Charles' life from birth to death. However, the filmmakers fabricated parts to make the film more entertaining. Like Ray's flashback and visions of his brother. How do they know he even had those in such detail? It's for entertainment. You want realism? Watch a documentary.

I'm getting off topic. Give the best actress award to Gabourey Sidibe and that's really the only change I would make.

WHAT THE ACADEMY AWARDS MEAN TO ME

Every year I watch the Oscars with a twinkle in my eye. I know it's predictable, I know it's pretty corporate, I know it's all about celebrity status and fashion, but damn it, I can't help but dream about being there one day. Ever since I was a young lad I fantasized of receiving one of those golden bald men. I would practice my various speeches in front of my bathroom mirror during commercials and just gaze in wonder at the show itself. Seeing how excited recipients like Roberto Benigni and Cuba Gooding Jr. got when they were approaching the stage and giving their speeches, I couldn't help but see myself reacting in the same fashion.

It doesn't truly matter who wins or who loses in the end (well, at least at this point in my life). What does matter is the fact that I'm at home watching avidly, cheering or screaming in anger loudly, and dreaming a little dream of being a nominee. That'll be the day, friend. That'll be the day.

Overall, a good year for movies, but the programmers need to bring back some of the magic that was lost this year.