Entertainment Weekly Won’t “Grade” Jennifer’s Body

Haven’t posted a movie blog in awhile…
I’m flipping through the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly (which I got by forfeiting a truckload of frequent flier miles I’ll never use) and I come across the section of recently reviewed movies. Little one paragraph summaries of recent movies along with a letter grade, always towing that [...]

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Adam Sandler/Seth Rogen film in Sausalito?

My brother calls me this morning. He never calls unless it’s something truly important that he thinks I need to know–and he’s right in this case!
He’s taking a break on his job in Sausalito, somewhere off Bridgeway (I’m still not sure what his job is) and he spots a film crew shooting something, cameras hooked [...]

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How Long to Rewrite a Screenplay?

Two things about rewriting screenplays with the intention of selling them, winning Oscars, etc.:
1. It’s pointless.
2. Most of you need to do it.
#2 is easy to address. In decade plus that I’ve participated in screenwriting workshops I’ve suffered through painful dreck where I simply wanted to submit a page of notes saying “Don’t quit your [...]

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Ricardo Montalban & Patrick McGoohan RIP

Two acting legends died in the past 24 hours. They had brief moments of stardom, but they had something even cooler in my book, monster supporting characters. A star’s role is greatly enhanced by a by a pro supporting character and these guys delivered.
Ricardo Montalban. Sure, he’s the head dude on Fantasy Island, but my [...]

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A Marin Filmmaker’s Journal #1

Getting the script in shape…
I was reading the writer of Urban Cowboy’s journal and it was really cool learning about all the ups & downs involved with making that film. Since one of my projects this year is to write, direct and score a new short film, I thought it would be cool to document [...]

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My movie is finished! Marin County Cinema!

It was a long journey to get this seventeen minute epic finished, but somehow we did it! Last Breath is now up on Youtube for your viewing pleasure. Talented actors and crewfolks braved hot and freezing temperatures to get this thing shot and I’m thanking them a million times over.
Much of this was shot in [...]

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John Travolta Beats His Wife…

You can’t hear it, but I’m laughing like Pee Wee Herman at my inflammatory title. Heh-heh!
I get into the occasional “spirited” debates with people over Travolta movies, two in particular. The first is Saturday Night Fever. Pop culture phenomenon when it came out, the possible reason I wore a bad polyester shirt in my kindergarten [...]

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Socha: Begged, Borrowed & Stolen Film Festival

Hanging out in The Mission tonight, checking out a cool little film festival that’s been brewing for the past couple months. It’s called The Socha Film Project because it takes place at–surprise–The Socha Cafe, 3235 Mission @ Valencia. Bay Area filmmakers get to show off all their latest works, from quick experimental pieces to extended [...]

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Why America Needs A Dose of Bollywood…

Yup, it’s tough being an American these days. We have a government by the people, for the people doing everything AGAINST the people they’re supposed to represent. The economy sucks, a lot of our pop culture sucks (the mainstream, anyway). Even our most well known foods are kinda lame when you get down to it. [...]

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My Un Chien Andalou Experiment

Awhile back I composed a new musical score to Bunuel/Dali’s Un Chien Andalou, a really bizarre surrealist short film. The first film I watched the first day in UC Santa Barbara’s Film Studies program. Really screwed with my head. I wanted to get some scoring practice with the home studio tools and taking revenge on [...]

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