JUXTAPOSITIONS

This weekend, at a Brookline deli, I ran into Alfred Guzzetti, noted documentary filmmaker and one of the pioneers of personal documentary. I was with Gary Marino, whose MILLION CALORIE MARCH, the story of his battle against obesity, on which I am working, is an entirely different kind of personal documentary. Alfred is head of Harvard's filmmaking program amd has had a film, PICTURES FROM A REVOUTION, shown in the New York Film Festival. Gary is head of Harmon-Marino Entertainment, a company that provides entertainment and develops media presentations for corporate events.

The deli is across the street from the Coolidge, where in my visits, along with those to Kendall Square, I run into more film community people and fillm buffs than I do at the seasnal networking events that are sponsored by Imagine or High Output. At that same deli, I've also run into Ross McElwee and Robb Moss, two award winning documentarians themseves and also members of the Harvard fim faculty.

Gary didn't meet Alfred, and other than such chance meetings, there's little opportunity for that to happen. But I would like to hear what the two men might have to say to one another. Perhaps nothing, but now that the old Boston FilmVideo Foundation is gone, there is no other place or organizatin to make that possible.

HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS - SECOND VIEWING

Some films get better with multiple viewings Fellini's 8-l/2 goes to mind, which I didn't even like until I had seen it four times' others get worse (I can's believe I alctualy thought Mark Robson.s PEYTON PLACE was a great movie- Maybe I had a crush on both Terry Moore and Diane Vars.) More recently, it was Almodovar's TALK TO HER, which I saw three times over a two month period. Each time I was more deeply moved.

The latest is that great visionary director Xiang Yimou's HOUSE OF THE FLYING DAGGERS. My favorite film at the Toronto Film Festival, for months I thought it was also the best film f the year. After seeing it last night, I still think it is an astonishing film. The cinematography is breathtaking, the color scheme more functional that that of his earlrlier HERO, and the sound design is amazing. And, althugh I had felt the human story was more compeling that the earlier two martial arts epics, I found myself less moved. Lots of people have commented on the last reel problems. But for a film that almost redefines "willing suspension of disbelief," one can make the case the over-the-topness that makes the "liebestod" of DUEL IN THE SUN seem like a model of restraint. Baz Luhrman move over.

Perhaps for a film like this, the freshness of the stylistics and the directors extraordinary vision made it a jaw-dropping first time experience. On the other hand, on a second viewing, that is to be expected, and the genius can be appreciated,, but, in terms of story, HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS is neither WUTHERING HEIGHTS nor ROMEO AND JULIET. For me, now, it is an almost great film from one of the world's great directors.

DAVIS SQUARE AND BUFF

After six years of having the Boston Underground Fim Festival all over town, risking parking tickets and wasting gas, and splitting the audience, why didn't it occur to me earlier to consolidate all activities in one place? I sort of had this earlier when I ran most of BUFF at the old Revolving Museum in Fort Point Channel, but Ive never been able to recreate it. Not only has David Square become festive in its own right, but it is perfect for BUFF. We'll have two screens at the Somervile Theatre, for 35mm and DVD, eith Jimmy Tingle's on 38 Cameron for panels and special video presentations, and Someday, the Burren and the legendary Johnny D's ffor handing out. And that spacious lobby of the theatre is terrific for festival headquarters. Now all we have to do is find the money.

THE ALLOY ORCHESTRA, ROGER MILLER and FROTAGE

Frotage - a French word for "rubbing"- a term used in art, is about the organization of chance elements. This would seem to be a variation on a term for editing-"montage". This is the concept behind much of musician Roger Miller's work on display at the Paradise Lounge in Allston though March 2. And "chance" is, incidently, the name of Roger's son.

There is certainly a lot of random juxtaposition going on in Roger's creative life right now.
t\There is the show, where on opening night, he and Larry Dertsch played a set under their Binary System duo, a progressive set that combines some Alloy moments, but harkens bak to Roger's days with Birdsongs of the Mesozoic. In fact, their closing number, caled variously "Oceonography" or "Blue Ocean" reminds me f one of the most beautifully melodic of Roger,s compositions, "Orange Ocean."

Then there is Mission of Burma, entering its third year of being reunited after almost 20 years, , with gigs on the West Coast in a couple of weeks and in Boston in April. The film about their reunion, whose working title is aptly named INEXPLICABLE, will be ready in June, In fact one of early Burma tunes was "Max Ernst," the artist who, among other things, practiced "frotage."

Finally, there is the Alloy Orchestra, with the silent Hitchcock film BLACKMAIL * (see earier bog) Roger has been with them about half of their fifteen year existance. In fact, their coming together for classic silent films, was somewhat by changce. When I was programming the Coolidge and had booked the Giorgio Morodor restored version with its awful pop soundtrack to show for some architectural convention, Erica Max, my managing director, said not to worry, that we could get our old friends Roger of Calb\eb Sampson (the founder of the Alloy) to "whip something up: That night, by chance, we ran into Caleb at the Coolidge, we asked him, and the rest is history. When Caleb died suddently a few years ago, Roger was brought in, His percussive, often atonal rhythms seemed perfect for the Alloy.

And they did a great job with BLACKMAIL. As manager Ken Winokur says, the group has evolved to be more in the service of the film than in drawing attention to themselves. Occasionaly, I miss the melodies of METROPOLIS and THE WIND, and I like the bombast of Eisenstein's STRIKE (Roger's first score with the Alloy) and THE GENERAL. Other favorite scores include Harold Lloyd's SPEEDY and the Miller rescored NOSFERATU. BLACKMAIL was more understated, but it help me to rediscover the film and appreciate its expressionist underpinnings.


Seeing Roger Miller in three separate creative roles in a six day period was something new. I've known Roger for 23 years. My son, who is involved with INEXPLICABLE, first met the Burma boys in myl iving room watching classic avant=garde films at that time. Watching him play before almost 800 people at the Simerville Theatre or with Binary System before 45 people at the Paradise, I could te;;it was all the same, as I'm sure it will be when be performs at that bastion of bourgouise art, Lincoln Centre. It's aways been about music for Roger. Except for his political passion against Bush, he remains argey abivious to other aspects of pop culture. When a longtime friend and fan of his talked about meeting and getting a job with Theo Epstein, Roger seemed to be blissfully unaware f who Theo is.

So, a lot of Roger/s career trajectorary has been :frotage, and occasionaly inexpicable. But his life has been unified by his passion for making music. And, I;m glad it's coming together for him.

MORE END OF YEAR OSCAR MUSINGS - THE AVIATOR FALLS

Like the Hughes plane that crash lands in the Los Angeles area, THE AVIATOR i s beginning to lose altitude. Maybe it's my reaction to its getting ll nominations, but there is no way this film compares to MEAN STREETS, TAXI DRIVER, RAGING BULL, GOODFELLAS, or even KING OF COMEDY or ITALIAN-AMERICAN. The love of Hollywood comes through and the Technicolar palette recreation is astonishing, as is Cate Blanchett's recreation of Katharine Hepburn. But although DiCaprio is decent, neither in his acting nor in the writing is there any sense of the man as a whole. A myth maybe, but not a man. The Freudian stuff at the beginning doesn't do the work. It's good, glossy entertainment like the other non-rigorous Scorcese hit, THE COLOR OF MONEY. For a director of vision making a film about a man of vision, we ought to have had more.

There are still some end of year films for me to see. Certainly, CLOSER, and if any director would be interesting for his stage to screen adaptations, Mike Nichols of WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF Iwith more than a little help from Haskell Wexler) and ANGELS IN AMERICA, is certainly a must. In spite of my having loved CENTRAL STATION, I've avoided Walter Salles' MOTORCYCLE DIARIES, partly because of its alleged sanitized portrait of Che. And I suppose I have to see BEING JULIA, if only to prepare for the championship rematch with Hilary Swank. Once I've dne this, I'll probably post my ten best ist among the Oscar nominees, and a corresponding l0 best list of films that were not nominated.

MISSING SUNDANCE

After havimg gpme eight years in a row to Sundance, this is the third that I haven't. In spite of the many friends and colleagues that are there, I can see them in more intimate surroundings at home. I rarely got any work done at Sundance. Also, the parties I could get into had more wannabes than players.

The years I went I did enjoy, and, for me, from a professional standpoint, it was good to be part of the mix. And the New England representatin was stronger. For almost l0 years in a row, there was a narrative film from New England in competition; in the case of documentary, it was almost l5 years. And, because I knew so many people, I could help newcomers get oriented. Then, too, there was a functioning Massachusetts film office, which would organzie a breakfast or a cocktail party for those of us from the region. For me, the self-proclaimed elder statesman of New England independent film film, it was a must. But, no more. There is no organized New England presence. Furthermore, tickets are harder to come by, and the Festival has become more spread out and more commercial. I have more fun at the regional festivals I attend and participate in, and aso at Toronto, which retains its sense of intimacy in spite of its vastness.

So, I prefer the boutique festivals, like Northampton, Woods Hole or New Haven, in which I partipate, or Maine, Green Mountain, Provincetown and Newport, which I occasionally attend.

This year at Sundance, there is no representative from Northampton, and that's not a problem. We know enough people in Park City to advise us on films we ought to be showing, if there any we could get, and as Northampton goes through its growing pains of finding not only financial solvency but also fimin identity, its developing board and supporters give it plentyto work with. One of the great things about both Northapton and Woods Hole is that those fromn the outside who do come not only have a good time but find them professionally valuable. And they tell their friends in the business to participate. That cannot happen in a festival as large as Sundance.

So, I do avoid the expense. And, because so many people I regularly work with are in Park City, I get work caught up on. I only wish we didn.t have all the snow and cld that is normally associated with Sundance.

THE OSCAR NOMINATIONS

What can be said? It is not an exciting year, but neither are most years. I'm sorry there is such a nomination gap between the mostly exhilatering but overlong, uneven and not great THE AVIATOR and the deeply moving and somewhat spiritual MILLION DOLLAR BABY. That HOUSE OF THE FLYING DAGGERS only got an award nomination for cinematography is quite an injustice. Other injustices incude Paul Giamatti's being overlooked for SIDEWAYS, ditto Jeff Bridges for DOOR IN THE FLOOR.

What was a pleasant suprise was the much deserved nomination of Mike Leigh as Best Director for VERA DRAKE. In terms of his handling of actors and his sense of how long to hold a shot, he is ulnmatched. That he pushed out the director of FINDING NEVERLAND makes this nomination all the sweeter.

SILENT BLACKMAIL

Like THE LODGER, Hitchocock,s firstWrong Man film, BLACKMAIL fascinates b ecause it predates so many motifs Hitchcock would deveop later on. In this case, it not a wrong man but a wronged man a crin=minal who is chased to his death through the dome of the British Museum, ,while the woman who killed her would be rapist goes free.

What makes it Hitchcockian is the moral ambiguity. The woman isa engaged to a fairly dul workaholic Scotland Yard detective. Upset with his work habits she goes off with an artist with whom she has previously flirted. He takes her to his apartment to see his etchings. He makes advances, and she stabs him.

Unknown to her, the boyfriend sees her going off with the artist. He gets assigned to the murder case. He finds her torn glove and conceals it, knowing that she was there and possibly thinking she had sex with the artist. When circumstantial evidence points to the criminal who is the would be blackmailer of the title, she wants to confess the truth, but the boyfiend won't let her talk. On her was out of Scotland Yard, she confesses to her boyfirend that she did it. The film ends with a full frame close up of the artist'spaining of a laughing clown opointing at the camera,

Jardly a happy ending, and you can't imagine the couple living happily ever after. This forshadows the "Happy" endings of films like THE 39 STEPS an d REAR WINDOW. But more reevant is the ending of MARNIE, where a "cured" Tippi Hedron walks with her husband (Sean Connery) into the flattened depth of field of the obviously painted Baltimore Harbor.

OSCAR NOMINATIONS - IN ADVANCE

By now I've read about a dozen predictions for the Oscar nominations, and it seems most of the punditsare on the same page. We do know that MILION DOLLAR BABY, SIDEWAYS, and THE AVIATOR will be nominated, that Jaime Fox will get noninated for RAY, that there will be another face off between Hilary Swank and Anette Bening, and that CLOSER will land a couple of Supporting Actor nominations. In a year of lots of very good films, but, with one exception, not great films, it wi be hard to be disappointed. MILLION DOLAR BABYdoes stand out from the pack, and, of the frequently mentioned nominees, FINDING NEVERLAND stands out for its banality, overcooked sweetness, and for being the most inauthentic biopic of the year

I know the Oscars are not necessarily a sign of quality. Does anyone remember the much monimated LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING or PEYTON PLACE from the 50s, but one can nly wish.

Therefore, knowing that NEVERLAND will get more nominatioins than it deserves, there are others I'm afraid wil not be recognized. For Best Picture, KINSEY, for film and director, as well as Liam Neeson's best performance in years (Laura Linney may well get nominated for her variation on the long suffering wife, but Lynn Redgrave's surprise cameo should have some mention). Foreign fims are aways iffy, but the astonishing HOUSE OF THE FLYING DAGGERS ad the moving MARIA FULL OF GRACE should have a chance. For Best Director, Pedro Almodovar work in the NC=l7 BAD EDUCATION will get overlooked. although it certainly is a directorial tour de force. In the Best Actor category, Jeff Bridges performance in DOOR IN THE FLOOR as well as the screenplay for it, will likely be lost, partly due to its early release (what would have happened if ETERNAL SUNSHINE had come out later?} and partly due to its subtle and abstract downbeat ending. And, of course, there's no chance for the heart rending MOOLADE or STORY OF THE WEEPING CAMEL, or, on the other end of the spectrom, the inventiveness of LEMONY SNICKET.

So, we;ll se what happend Tuesday morning. Usually, there are some peasant surprises.

MILLION CALORIE MARCH, NEXT STEPS

Having turned 65 a few days ago, it's great being involved with a project that is taking me in a new direction. Usually, I wrk as a strategic advisor to local productions, either in the development stage or in the marketing phase. But, with MILLION CALORIE MARCH, I wil have sme input to the final product. In additin to strategy, I am helping in defining the editing process and selecting theeditor who must wade through the hours of footage and try to shape it. But, I am more involved with content than with strategy (It is true that Barnes and Nob le did ask for a list of film festivals that we would be sub mitting to - there is a book that Barnes & Noble has published) In reading the book, we are determining what part might be relevant for back story, whether through recreated scenes, interviews or voiceover. And there is the question of what footage to shoot for the training period leading up to the Boston Marathon and the shooting of the "running" of the Marathon itself.

Now, the only ttick is whether I will apply some of the essons f THE MILLION CALORIE MARCH to myself, When I have meetings with Gary Marino, he b uys me salads

LESS PONY TROUBLE iIS MORE

I met with the creator of PONY TROUBLE today. Without money, he has already shot oven l-3rd of the film. He must have a devoted (perhaps demented_ cast and crew. Nevertheless, he is ining up serious potential investors, and I will try to find serious sources of for distribution. None of them will put up money, but for possible investors, they woud like to see letters of interest. From what I;ve seen, getting the investment is a sure thing. But I do want to visit the set sometime soon.

TOSCANINI'S ICE CREAM, SOMEDAY CAFE and BUFF 2005

Sitting behind me at PIGS AND BATTLESHIPS at the MFA was none other than Gus Rancantore, the somewhat scruffy and unkepmpt owner of the must awarded Toscani's Ice Cream and the Someday Cafe in David Square. A wonderfully unpretentious variation n the Renaissance Man, Gus, who previously produced ad promoted the martial arts series in my days at the Coolidge, is helping out BUFF 2005, which, if we get the funding, wil be held entirely in David Suare. Already we have Don Herzfeld, Bill Plympton, disciples of Gaspar Noe and a special screening of the legendary THUNDERCRACK. And Gus is great with programming ideas, leads and help with getting advertisers and sponsorship. It's great to be working with him again.

PIGS AND BATTLESHIPS or HOGS AND WARSHIPS

On yet another occasion when I chose not to go to the latest theatrical offering, I went in the snow to a sparsely attended screening of Imamura's l96l classic (or not so classic) PIGS AND BATTLESHIPS, one of the films that the late Susan Sontag chose for her series done for the Japan Society. A chaotic film about a chaotic society, it is set in a coastal community which both exploits and is exploited by the American sailors who occasionally come to port. Peopled with petty thieves, prostitutes and yahoo-like Americans, the film goes from almost slapstick comedy to the grim brutality of a gang rape. It is both funny and brutal, albeit a bit long. Imamura was a great talent. I'm glad I got to see this one.

Monika Mitchell

Monika Mitchell is a determined woman. Five years ago this week, Monika and I were in Park City, and her short film NIGHT DEPOSIT, starring Christy Scott Cashman as a black market sperm bank operator, was in competition in Slamdance. I got a credit as Executive Producer. That was nice, but it was Monika who was the driving force. Her tenacity got the film a picture on the front page of the arts section of the Salt Lake City Tribunem etc. It also wn first prize in its class.

Monika, who had worked at Mike's City Diner in the South End in order to have enough money to make ends meet while comnpleting the film, has left Boston for LA. There she met John Cirrne, a Canadian bred actor-comedian who wrote and starred in BREAK A LEG, a feature film black comedy, which Monika got a chance to direct. It won a prize in Las Vegas , was shown in numerous festivals, and got a small theatrical distributor, Panorama Entertainment, run by my friend Stuart Strutin.

Monika married John in Toronto, got pregnant and moved to Vancouver, meanwhile directing a TV series. The baby was born and it seemed all is where, until Monika had to have surgery (and still does); their apartment building had a fire and their apartment was flooding, forcing them to move. Nevertheless, they have a new place and Monika, with surgery ahead, is in the process f negotiating some future film projects, including a feature film versin of NIGHT DEPOSIT. The tenacity that carried NIGHT DEPOSIT to an award at Slambance should carry her through n Vancouver.

SCOUT PRODCTIONS

Can you believe the recent Boston Globe magazine cover piece on David Collins where he looks like the Ed Harris character from THE HOURS? And can you believe their largely redunnant QUEER EYE show would spawn a companion piece? I wish they would return to indie film production, with such quality films as SIX WAYS TO SUNDAY and SESSION 9, and, perhaps, come back to Boston.

Local Screenings

On a snowy, TV dominated night (Patriots and Golden Globes) about l0 of us assembled over beer and pizza to watch some short films submitted for festivals I'm involved with. One was Newton rsised, Hollywood-basedAllan Piper's THE ROOMMATE FROM HELL. Piper, who made his first feature STARVING ARTISTS in Cambridge, retains his understated humor and absurd vision to good effect. The other was Joe Gotta's NUMBER 2 PENCIL, an abitious short that grew during the shooting. With a very good surrealis sensibility, it boasts a [rptagpost wjp gpes frp, geel tp hero for reasons that are out hof his control. The problem is that Savage, the actor and good screen presense, is too good looking to effectivey believe he's a geek. And, the film has an ulnweildey 37 minute length, which makes it difficult for festival programmers. Nevertheless, Gott's on to something. It's very well filmed and reasonaby well edited. If it's shortened, it could be quite effective.

On Turning 65

More than turning 60, 50, 40, and I was of the generation that was affected by "don,t trust anyone over 30", 65 is the most turning point marker of them all. After all, Social Security, Medicare, and my very small retirement plan from my teaching days do kick in. Yet I don't see myself as retired or retiring. I hope I can die with my boots on (once I thought I might fall asleep and die in a porn house, or at least a movie theatre) . But, it's nice to be invlved with the creative development of the MILLION CALORIE MARCH film, which has serious film festival aspirations, and to be an advisor to a film involving people less than hlf my age, as in PONY TROUBLE, a highly possible project about a group of people who had been obseessed with My Little Pony.

For my birthday weekend, my brother Jim came up, and it was a weekend long smooze fest (with more eating than someone who is involved with a film on obesity ought to have indulged).
It was a weekend for savoring with old friends, new friends, and reaizing that, at age 65, what a wonderful support network I have.

Thank you all for being a part of my life.

The High Output Party

Maybe there is more vitality in the Boston film community than I thought. Three days after the truly fun and mostly successful Imagine party, came the High Output party in Canton. True,there were more people. But that may have been in part that there was free admission, an open beer and wine bar, lots of food and a band, whereas the Imagine party cost more. But at this event which Jim Hirsch does mostly annually as a thank you to his customers throughout the year, there was a gathering of different people from the film community. Both Imagine and High Output's parties were for the industry, but High Output had more people who are actually making their living in the industry. And, I saw only three other people who were at the Imagine party.

Moody Street was represented with THE LEGEND OF LUCY KEYES crowd (John Stimson and Mark Donadio_. Picture Park, Geoff Briggs, cinematographerEd S;attery, photographer Jean Hangarter, Federico Muchnik, sound people, gaffers, and very few actors, who were in abundance at the Imagine party

Perhaps Imagine and High Output should someday joun forces, since both of them attract industry people, with very little overlap. Yet, with people like Lucia Sma;;, Austin DeBesche, Robb Moss, Alice Stone, Mark Hankey, Michael Williams, Eron Lobel, Sam Kauffman, Maureen Foley, Margaret Lazarus and the BLUE DINER people nowhere in evidece, there still needs to be a more comprehensive gathering for the greater film community.

YEAR OF THE BIOPIC

Just as documentaries hit new audiences this past year, sowas there a proliferation of biopics, some good, as in KINSEY, and some not so good, as in DELOVELY. Critical response, though, has been mixed. One connentator criticized THE AVIATOR because it played loose with some of the facts. THE AVIATOR may have some flaws (I realy liked most of the film), but among them weren't necessarily the rearrangement of facts. Did anyone criticize Shakespeare for the historical innacuracies of his history plays?

The Imagine Party

Tuesday night's party at the International was in several ways, quite successful. There were about l50 people networking and catching up. Manyfamiliar faces from the old Mass Media Aliance were there. And it was an industry party..

But I was also aware of who wasn't there - with one exception noone from the film press, and with another single exception, noone from film academia. Although there was some representation frm the commercial industril portion of the community, there were far too many actors, most of them wannabes. In the past, I've gone to events like this, and the next day an event at the Coolidge. Both are well attended, but often there may be an overlap of only two or three people (myself included). At the Imagine party, Iwonder where the Ross McElwee's, John Gianvito,'s Ray Carney's of the area are, or even Gerald Peary, who is the godfather guru of regional independent film. Even on the production side, there was no Mark Hankey of Picture Park or Rob Sprouill of FilmShack or representation from the animation or documentary community or WGBH.
True, it was a successful party and certainly Carol Patton is to be commended for her heroic efforts in puyblishing Imagine, with very few resources. But the party did serve to remind me that as small as the media community in the Boston area is, it is still compartmentalized, and there is neither the unbrella organization nor the leadership to make this group cohesive enough to positively affect the climate for film and television production.

But - long live Imagine!

MILLION DOLLAR BABY

If most films are about redemption, than Ckint Eastwoo'd new film not only involves redemption, but also salvation. It is only incidently a boxing movie. With the exzception of the monkey movies, there's always been a spiritual and moral element to his work, especially in UNFORGIVEN and MYSTIC RIVER. He takes those concerns further here in a way that is both disturbing and deeply moving. The minimalism of "the Man with No Name" has found its way into Eastwood's directing style. That style combined with his concerns make him something of the Robert Bresson of contemporary American cinema. In several scenes you can see that he is underplaying a melodramatic moment. This is no ROCKY.

And the performances are as good as you've heard, particularly Eastwood's who plays off hhis iconic status. Morgan Freelman is his usual excellent self, but his character is too familiar as the wise old black man who provides the moral fulclrum. He is the narrator, and there'stoo much voice-over.

One further comment, a commendation to the film critics who have avoided talking about what goes on in the last act of the film.

I'm still coming to grips with this film, and I'm sure I' ll blog on. But noone who takes film seriously (and perhaps life itself) ought not to

Flawed Secections, Pt. 1

Next Sunday. I'm having a screening night for the first round of submissions for the Boston Underground Film Festival (BUFF) It will be a sociable beer and pizza night. Most of those present will be veterans of the process, but there will be newcomers. The newcomers wil already have taken home previous entries, most accepted, but some rejected, and have reported on them, without knowing which ones were accepted or not. Their responses will give me a clue to their future responses to the films they will be previewing.
All films need to be seen by at least two people all the way through. Any film receiving a 5 or above (on a 1-10 scale) will be seen by me. Cases can be made for films that I might not necessarily respond to. Further considerations, especially with marginal flms, concern program balance, scheduling concerns, and other matters like whether the filmmakers will attend and whether they will help promote the showing of their film.
Obviously, there's more to the process than that, but it does have to start with knowing and trusting those who are screening the films, and it does start with beer and pizza.

Anticipation - MILLION DOLLAR BABY

Tomorrow night, I'm going to see Clint Eastwood's latest, MILLION DOLLAR BABY. I hear there's a dark ending. Several of you have commented on my having liked the doom-laden MYSTIC RIVER and ROAD TO PERDITION. Artistic concerns aside, there's no question that I am drawn to fatalistic works, whether it be the two afore-mention Jacobean tragedies or to film noir, or to doom related romances. I'm an enormous fan of the underseen Nicholas Ray film IN A LONELY PLACE, with Humphrey Bogart and the great Gloria Graham. I also like the original WUTHERING HEIGHTS. In the same vein, I remain a champion of the un-Westernized IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE as the best film of the decade. And, Eastwood's UNFORGIVEN is my favorite American film of the 90's. You, see, I'm such a cheerful guy. After all, like Woody Allen, I grew up on Ingmar Bergman. So, I do anticipate MILLION DOLLAR BABY, for, in the crap of American cinema since l980, in Eastwood's works from PLAY MISTY FOR ME to MYSTIC RIVER, I've found a commeriial director with whom I've been able to connect in the darkness.

FENCES AND FINGERNAILS, OR, A LITTLE CASSAVETES GOES A LONG WAY

The other night I went to see a "rugh cut/premiere" screening of West Roxbury raised Garth Donovan's second feature FENCES AND FINGERNAILS in Belmont. There was a good turnout (over 200), mostly family and friends/cast and crew and a smattering of other interested parties from the film and ideo community.

I wanted to like the movie, partly because I like Garth, like films done in the Cassavetes style, and because I so thoroughly disliked his first film, EVERBODY'S GOT ONE, a film about a screenwriter (how boring) done with a level of humor that makes JACKASS look sophisticated., that I felt a little guilty.

And like it I did, although among the people I talked to I was clearly in the minority. But there was plenty to like. Garth himself aims to please, with an amiable on screen persona. And his minimalist approach evoked more the Kurasmaki brothers than John Cassavetes. This is partly aided by the performance by his sister Savann in the seemingly lead role of Samantha. With the exception of one scene, her character is asked to express a small emotional range, so, like a Kurisake heroine, we are forced to read things into her thoughts and feelings that aren't necessarily expressed.
she also remended me of the one good thing in the otherwise deplorable movie THE GOOD GIRl - Jennifer Anniston's title role, where a close up on her mostly expressionless face told volumns And the core story, about a young woman arriving at self-determination (I think), however familiar a story it is , remains compelling.

BUT - in terms of style, it did feel like a Cassavettes wannabe blended with Dogma 95, with no clear understanding of either of those styles. Even if he was trying to capture a documentary feel, there were way too many out of focus shots and an unevenness in framing and lighting that were more distracting than illumating. Unlike the filmmakers he aspires to , there was no coherent style. And he didn't do enough with his sister. There were at least two scenes where a reaction shot would have provided greater emotional depth.

But there are problems with the narrative as well. I think it's the woman's story, but Garth, who plays and is her borther, has what seems to be a parallel story about his own battle with alcohoism. How else to explain a ridiculous scene of his nameless lover waking up to find out that he ha peed in his bed, or the crude expolistion in a scene where he picks up a woman at an AA meeting (that is not supposed to happen in the earlydays of AA), and tells her his life story. It does serve to get us back to the hockey scenes at the very first part of the movie, a motif that has been lost for 75 minutes, but it is dramatically clumsy The expository nature of this scene fails to garner less emotional support for his charcter than any single silent shot of his sister. If he is todo further editing, and he needs to, khe needs to cut down on his own scenes, and get the audience to follow the emotional trajectory of Samantha.

Garth is an enthusiastic and determined filmmaker. But his anarcictecknique doesn't work, because he doesn't seem to understand the very conventions of filmmaking he's either trying to overthrow or is utterly ignorant of. Cassevetes' approach to filmmaking resulted in several masterworks that revealed the bottoms of the souls of human beings. In making this intensely personal film mostly about real family situations, he does a disservice to his subject matter. Certainly, Garth is too close to his subject matter to gain the aesthetic distance the project needs.


as I said, I did like sitting through the film, and, I know, make films about what you know, But Eugene O"Neill was a master playwright before he wrote his most intensely personal and painful play LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT. Garth, a filmmaker not without talent and knowledge, ought to have waited. Both he and his family could have been better served.

Davis Square in Somerville

Somerville's Davis Square has become a great destination With its cafes (Toscanini owner Gus Rancatore owns the Someday) bistros (the new Sauce and Gargoyles), bars (The Burrin and the legendary Johnny D's) and theatres - live - J9immy Tingle's and the Somerville (which is about to get DVD prjection) it would be the perfect place for a fim festival. And all the venues would be within a four minute walk of one another. More later_

Stating the Obvious - Write a Script First

Every know and then, I think the advice I give to possible clients is no better than stating the obvious. But then again. Earlier today, two guys, who had trouble finding me even though they used Mapquest, besides the fact that I live on a major artery. I should have known. One of them had called earlier this week to show me something. I thought he had shot some footage that could be part of a longer film, or at least a preview. No, what they brought me were a handwritten series of random thoughts for some sort of horror film. They even brought me some crude ball-point pen sketches of what some of the characters would look like. They wanted to know if I could get them in touch with someone who could make the film. Although one of them seemed authoritative on the films of Wes Craven, their knowledge of classic horror was non-existent, or even of such less than classic films like Herschell Gordon Lewis' BLOOD FEAST 2. That they should write o synopsis or a treatment,, let alone a script, was a revelation to them. They thought they they could bring their ideas to someone and get the film made. Of course, I'm cynical enough to that that this does happen in Hollywood. I think it more often happens in South Florida

But years ago, a middle=aged man paid me to write his handwritten script that he gave to me in notebooks with a text that was out of sequence. n And my friend from Wyoming mentioned in an earlier blog, has written scripts which she refuses to change a word of, and wont think of writing a synopsis, treatment or even a pitch line.

I Blog, therefore I Am

For almost a month now, I'v been slogging through blogging. I haven't yet found my blog voice. Of course, three months ago, I didn't even know what a blog is. (When it comes to computers and some other aspects of technology, I'm something of a Luddite.) My first contact with a blog was when a former intern said that I was being unfairly maligned on the blog of one of my clients. When I finally found out how to see his blog, I was angry. I called him =, He apologized, make amendations, and he is still my client (I've even blogged farable comments on his project). But something lke this only adds to the problem of finding a blog voice

When some people (( think they're friends) suggested I put a comnponent of this on by website, I gave a not too hesitant agreement. I have never kept a journal or a diary, and when I wrote I was always past deadline (most recently my ESTABLISHING SHOT colume for Imagine) But doing this on a daily basis is good discipline. It forces me to collect my thoughts, and, in some random way, organize them. But I am aware that other people read them, so I tone down the ranting and raving that I might otherwise do. I hesitate to offend someone, but I feel a blog ought to provoke controversy. Already, two people have taken offense at what I've writting, sensing personal criticism. But I feel I haven't gone far enough in that direction.

I am glad people are responding. I've received comments by phone and by email, and as a work toward finding by blog voice. The more interesting have come from responses to my comments on film festivals rather then responses to individual films. I'll probably respond to these comments through another blog, rather than an individual one.

After all, if I'm taking the time do do this, I ought to saywhat I really think, rather than ust put out yet another opinion on something like THE AVIATOR.

The Year's Best in Film

Not having yet seen MOOLADE, OTORCYCLE DIARIES, or MILLION DOLLAR BABY yet, I can still say is was a good year for film. Not a great year, but a good year. My favorite was Xiang Yimou's HOUSE OF THE FLYING DAGGERS. but it has some last reel credibility problems. Nevertheless, it has almost as spectacluar matial effects as CROUCHING TIGER, and just about as specacularity as the work Christopher Doyle die in HERO, but, unlike the other films, it has an emotionally compelling story. I am not a fan of love stories, but maybe because of the excessive nature of the emotions, this one worked for me.

After that, itr would be hard for me to rank the films. I certainly liked SIDEWAYS, but it did'nt astonish me as much as Alexander Payne's two previous films. BAD EDUCATION is must see, as is KINSEY, my favorite biopic of a year filled with biopics. I also liked THE AVIATOR. Scorsese & co. seemed to be having a good time. My only problem was I wasn't made to believe the transition between dementia and Hughes" pulling himself together for the hearings and the Spruce Goose. Most of the film's energy goes into the first half. There was the Iranian film about the pubescent girl trying to pass as a boy, and there was the vastly underrated DOOR IN THE FLOOR, with a subtle script and an even more subtle performance by Jeff Bridges. And, family films were actually good, certainly better than the overrated ELF of last year. THE INCREDIBLES and LEMONY SNICKET went places that went beyond formula. But the triumph was the third HARRY POTTER, with nothing to violat its PG ratimg. there was an atmosphere of dread. Also, where do you get a chance to get four reat actors in a single scene: David Twewlis, Alan Rickman, Gary Oldman , and Robby Coltraine in the same scene.

After I see MILLION DOLLAR BABY, I'll elaborate more. And, as many people know, I'm an enormous Clint Eastwood fam.

LEMOM SNICKET

Why is everyone so down on LEMONY SNICKET? I found it to be wonderfullyimaginative, certainly moreso that the bland FINDING NEVERLAND. It is Tim Burton-esque, but the darkness is integral to the story rather than being an affect. It belongs in the company of other dark children's films like the great Dr. Seuss 5000 FINGERS OF DR. 'T', the second BABE, WILLY WONKA,, and the third HARRY POTTER. Jim Carrey seems to be having the time of his life as the unambiguously evil Count Olaf. The cameos (except the uncredited and ubiquitous Dustin Hoffman's) are effective, and the art direction is astonishing. The sense of foreboding in this PG family film is courageous. I was totally caught off guard by this thoroughy mermerizing film.

Holiday Business

HappyNew Year to all! I, for one, am glad 2004 is over. Between the election, Iraq, the tsunamis, and financial and family problems, it's been rocky. With several interesting (paying) projects, retirement income, and a sense that, politically, things couldn.t get worse, I embrace the arrival of 2005.

But I do wonder whether some of the people I work with even were aware of the holidays. I know filmmakers can be an obsessive lot, but calls on Christmas Eve, appointment scheduling on Christmas Day, a call about submission info at ll:00 pm on New Year,s Eve and asking for a script consultation at Noon on New Year,s Day seems like a luttle much. I know that I'm notorious for late night phone calls and leaving messages on office machines in the middle of the night, but even I respect holidays.

What ths portends for the New Year I won't guess, but have a Happy New Year anyway.

Indie Screenwriters & New Year's Resolutions

Unless it's a close friend, Iusually won't take on a creeenplay unless I know in advance that the writer is willing to do at least one rewrite. If one is a client, there are usually several drafts. I don/t charge much, and there are usually several drafts, but unless writer is willing to take and act upon input, there is no point. Filmmaking is, after all, a collaborative process, and there are many changes between script and screen. Control freaks beware!

I try not to impose my own vision of what the film should be, but to help the writer realize their own vision, even if its something like LOBSTERS IN LOVE, wherein a blonde bimbo mistakenly takes a obster enhancing potion which makes her, when she gets horny, turn partially into a lobster. One memorable scene is when she is making out with her hunk of an Italian-American boyfirend and her hand tirm into a lobster claw when she attacks his crotch. Let's hear it for taste
And although I would never pretend to write a script (lthose who can do, those who can't teach), I have no patience with paid script consultants (remaining nameless, since I went to the party thrown by one of them yesterday afternoon), who, when they do write a script and are daring enough to do a staged reading, reveal an unweildy, narcissistic piece on unlistenable trash that would drive any unwitting would-be writer away.

Which brings me to this writer who lives in Wyoming. With a vivid sense of character and a florid sense of drams, but no sense of structure, she wasts to do no rewrite, wants to cast the film herself (she pursues Kevin Kostner, John Goodman, Patty Duke, etc. It's thoroughly delusinal. And she has no money nor access to money. And yet, encouraging type that I am, I did nothing to dispel her delusions. That is, until New Year's night Which makes me think that doing so is a kin of New Year Resolution - to only talke on projects that have a real possibility. After all, at my age, I'm not building a career; I only want to use what I know to help others build theirs.

MILLION CALERIE MARCH, II

Another meeting with Gary Marino, the man behind the Million Carolie March, the most promising project I've been involved with since SESSION 9. Here is a project that already has put together its elements. Almost 85% of its financing is in place, the marketing strategy has been planned, including hiring a national publicist, a book has already been published, and a Sports Entertainment executive is ready. With the timeliness of the topic, and the immannce of the star's running the Boston Marathon in April, and the attendant publicity, this looks like a winner. And, I get a chance to help in the design of the film, from the alreadyu shot footage of the march from Jacksonville, FL to Boston, to shaping the training footage, the Marathon footage and the back story, whether it be told through voice-over, archival footage , interviews or restaged footage, as in the near accident that was one of the things that served as a wake up call.

THE BUSKER

A few postings ago, I talked about "tweeners," films that weren't edgy enough for the art houses but aren't big enough for the megaplexes, but are good films nevertheless. Such a film is THE BUSKER, a magnificently shot and nicely acted film by Steve Croke, filmed mostly in Lowell. (Lowell has never looked better) The story, which involves a l3-year old violin prodigy whose father was shot in a racially motivated killing, who takes to the streets with his violin and develops a relationship with a young black girl, could pass for an AfterSchool special in lesser hands, but it is the kind of film that could do well on the festival circuit.

I watched a rough cut screening in my living room/office the other day with the director and two of my helpers. These helpers, Dima and Izzy, were anything but mainstream viewers. Dima, a reclusive genius who dotes on Werner Herzog, Poe and vampire movies, helped me start the Boston Undergound Film Festival, and Izzy, whose taste in films is just right for this year's BUFF, both applauded the film. Whie more bad movies are getting made, too many good films are falling by the wayside. It's like the indie film version of the Bush Administration, with the growing gap between righ and poor, and perhaps good vs. evil.

The Value of Interns =- Kim, Kat and a Kitten

Why do I have so many good interns? .I run a very casual operation for working with producers. The operation runs out of my living room. I am blessed with getting quite a number of volunteer interns, very few seeking course credit. They come less for Local Sightings than the contact Local Sightings can provide to the larger film community Their ages run from 20 to 39. Some have gone to other and perhaps greater things. Almost half are still in touch. But with Kim things took an unexpected turn. Kim graduated from Emerson, and applied for a paying position with the Boston Underground Film Festival. There is no such thing as a paying position. Nonetheless, she communtes sometimes twice a week from her paying job in Newburyport and her home in Haverhill She had lost connection, and her incredible Italian=American work ethic had gotten her nowhere.

Since she came to me, she continues to maintain two jobs, one full time, the other part. She has helped redesigne my web site, become the point person for the film series I run in Lowell, performed as a valued volunteer for the documentary film festival in Newburyport, is receiving a 2nd AD credit for her work on #2 PENCIL and has revived her social life.

On the other hand, when she came into work earlier this week, other than her usual conscientious work for Local Sightings, she saved an animal. Rather, her dog did. Things are so casual here that she could bring in her dog, a German Shepard mix called Nugget, to hang out with my dog, Volcano. A week earlier, I had adapted a semi-feral killen, who, upon encountering the "ca, sual"atmosphere of my home, freaked out and headed for the walls. I thought all was lost. No sign, whatsoever, for SIX days. Then, Nugget went into the kitchen, started crying. Kim said she only did this if there were a cat present. I tilted my stove and briefly saw a furry head. The kitten was alive.

The kitten still didn.t come out. I set out food, which was eaten when noone was around, and to days later the Animal Rescue League came around to set a trap. I have my kitten- thanks to Kim and Nugget.

Obviously, some of this is facetious. But I remember an intern called Kat, with whom I am still in touch. She came to me more than five years ago , while still student at BostonCollege. She came to my messy living room and told me she was thinking about an internship with the big advertising film Hill-Holliday. I did offer her an internshiop, and she accepted. For two years, she performed as Assistent Director of Local Sightings and Managing Director of the Boston Underground Film Festival. Because she went with Local Sightings, she has not only a better resume, but has chosen a career trajectory that keeps her in the biz (She lives in Santa Monica and studies acting.)

Interns a valuable, but only if you empower them. Yes, the routine work has to be done, but most of them can handle atrue responsibility. And, who knows, one of them might be able to save a kitten.

Tweeners

The definition of independent film is becoming fuzzier. No longer can you count on an independent film pushing the evelop in either form or content. Sometings they are only low budget versions of conventionally structured Hollywood films. Suchfilms are known as "tweeners," films that no chance of playing the multiplexl but are not arty enouch to survive the withering gaze of critics and patrons of the art houses. Regional film festivals see a lot of these, and when the 55-plus crowd sees them, there is the inevitable, "Why can't we see more movies like this?" at the Q&A.

Very few distributors can handle tweeners. One such is Stuart Strutin of Panorama Films somewhere in West Chester. Avoiding the glare of New York and LA media, he recently played Scott Baio in THE BREAD MY SWEET for 68 weeks in Pittsburgh

BAD EDUCATION

Any film my Pedro Almadovar has to be treated as something of an event. And the NC=l7 rated BAD EDUCATION is no exception. Magnificently designed and intricatly plotted, the film is almost too clever for its own good. The film within a film takes sexual abuse by /catholic clergy for granted, and builds a never not fascinating story around it. In fact it is so self=referential, oblique references to the early LAW OF DESIRE, with Antonio Banderos getting butt-fucked for at least l0 minutes, it seems almost autobiographical. And, of course, there are the ironies of the characters from real life not being as attractive or interesting as the ones who are cast in the movie.

But, as involving as BAD EDUCATION can be, it often feels like a high grade Coen Brothers movie. Just as the Coen brothers finally got around to creating characters whom one could care about in MILLER'S CROSSING, so had the measurably more talented Almadovar done o with TALK TO HER (which I saw three times in a month) So BAD EDUCATION, having ts biographical origins in pain and creativity, is so caught up in its cleverness that it never bothers to develop characters that one truly cares about

Nevertheless, it is one of the must=see films of the season from one of the world's major directors.