"Midnight Rider" Videos

I don't have words today. This video is moments before the train ran into this crew. Director Randall Miller recently accepted a plea deal to serve 2 years in prison and 8 on probation. Executive Producer Jay Sedrish and 1st AD Hillary Schwartz received 10 years of probation each. Charges were dropped against Jody Savin.



This is the scene on the bridge.


Happy Filmmaking, and RIP, Sarah.

Moment of Silence for Sarah Jones

Tomorrow, the parents of Sarah Jones ask those in the film industry to have a moment of silence before the first shoot of the day.  Jones died on-set a year ago while filming in Georgia. If you are affiliated with the film industry, please honor this moment of silence. If you are on-set and you see something dangerous, report it, possibly with this app.





Be safe and happy filmmaking!

Remembering Ebert: 1942-2013

MTV: http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com

If you were alive in the 90s, you remembered that dynamic duo that make film criticism into its own artform. Sadly, that duo is no longer with us. Today, Roger Ebert died from a reemerging cancer only reported to the public two days ago.

Even the racists today on that website I won't dare link to gave Ebert his props today (Ebert was in love and married to a successful woman named Chaz who just happens to be black). Ebert was probably our most celebrated film critic, a true cinephile who sometimes would give an otherwise questionable film a second look. And we loved him for it. A quote from his final blog post: "So on this day of reflection I say again, thank you for going on this journey with me. I'll see you at the movies." RIP.

Guns and Cinema

One week after a disturbed young man took the lives of over two dozen people, the NRA responds with its inflammatory response. While the politics of gun control go beyond the scope of this blog, the NRA did blame what it calls "the culture of violence" perpetrated by our modern day media.

Excuse my French, but blaming movies, television, and video games on what can be considered acts of terrorism is complete and utter bullshit. It has always been bullshit. And it will always be bullshit. Our modern society is actually less violent than previous civilizations. After all, we no longer watch public executions in our city squares or watch slaves fight to the death in arenas.

We do, however, watch both bad and good guys with guns in movies. We almost expect it. We have watched anti-heroes like Dirty Harry threaten criminals with "the most powerful handgun in the world". We watch how the West was won, but we have also watched two unlikely cops become partners over and over again.

Guns have become as American as apple pie and baseball. National cinemas reflect the culture of the host nation. Media did not give us our gun culture. Our gun culture gave us our media.

Factcheck: NRA blames media for gun violence | Poynter.

Happy filmmaking!

The Innocence of Filmmakers

On the anniversary of our now fabled 09/11, angry mobs in Egypt and Libya attacked US embassies. In Libya, a US ambassador and three other Americans were killed. While this Libyan attack may have actually been linked to a predetermined al-Qaida plot (because killing diplomats is always a good way to start a war), news sources report that the violence has been linked to outrage over an anti-Islamic American film.

One can argue that the filmmaker has the right to make this film, especially if he is American. One can argue that making such a film is embarrassing, intolerant, and irresponsible; especially since any depictions of the Muslim prophet Mohammad are forbidden in Islam. One can argue that the filmmaker put himself in danger, following the footsteps of Theo Van Gogh. One can argue that if he is Coptic, he may have placed other Coptics in danger. One can also argue that the actions by Islamic extremists, including the choice to attack US embassies, have nothing to do with the film or its maker. Terrorists of any religion or creed are opportunists by nature. There are many arguments to be made about who is right and who is wrong. However, this is a filmmaking blog. We'll focus on the film heard around the world.

The Innocence of Muslims is an amateurish production, shot on what appears to be a soundstage. The film has financial backers and consultants with alleged ties to the Coptic and Israeli communities. The cryptic "Sam Bacile", now revealed to be Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, had been previously convicted on fraud charges. Five million dollars spent, and real sand wasn't even used. That is half the budget of your average 90s-era, star-studded romcom. Given the filmmaker's reputation, I say the backers were severely duped. The Innocence of Muslims is the type of video that no one would ever pay attention to, and no one did until recently. The original video was posted more than two months ago.




No wonder Muslims are offended. But there is something else. Watching the video above, you might notice something is a little....off. Not just the blatant oversimplification of a major world religion. I have read Jack Chick tracts more accurate. But technically speaking, something is off. The dialogue seems overdubbed. And it is painfully obvious. Then you realize something even more sinister than offending 1/7 of the world's population is at play.



That's right. The actors in the film were mislead about the production.To them, the film was titled Desert Warriors. It's one thing to lie to your actors to get a good performance out of them. Hitchcock did it all the time. It's another thing to put a price on the head of your actors in order to further your own cause. And as predicted, a fatwa has been declared on the actors. If you are going to make a film insulting a large part of the global population, at least have the balls to let your actors in on it.

Happy Filmmaking.

RIP: Mike deGruy and Andrew Wight

Less than a week ago, two fellow filmmakers and close friends died together in an helicopter crash off the Australian coast. Australian Andrew Wight and American Mike deGruy were found 97 miles north of Sydney, in Nowra. DeGruy, an Emmy and BAFTA-award winning marine documentary filmmaker, is a fellow Mobilian. Not just any Mobilian, but a card-carrying advocate of the river deltas and bayous that make up our home.



From his website:

Mike deGruy was born on December 29, 1951 in Mobile, Alabama. It was here, at the confluence of 5 rivers, with an amazing delta flowing through rich swamps of alligators, birds of every flavor, fish, deer and snakes, all emptying into Mobile Bay and finally the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico, that Mike gained his enthusiasm for the ocean - a love that continues to this day.

We also both eventually left Mobile for the California sun, but that is another story. DeGruy probably spent most of his life convincing people he's not from Louisiana.

Here is deGruy discussing the now infamous BP Gulf Coast oil spill.



Happy Filmmaking!

von Trier declared "Persona Non Grata" at Cannes

Filmmakers sometimes make remarks that ignore political and social sensitivities. We must remind ourselves that we are artists, not politicos. That is unless, you are a politico filmmaker (e.g., Michael Moore, Morgan Spurlock). Our job is to entertain, inspire, inform, and educate. In that order. Well, Cannes declared Lars von Trier a persona non grata at its festival amid his inflammatory comments surrounding Hitler. He may have had the right to say it, but he probably should not sympathize with the Nazi Leader, especially in France. Or anywhere in Europe for that matter. Don't worry about von Trier as he will most likely bounce back from this in a few years.

In case the phrase is new to you, persona non grata status is usually reserved in the political arena. Basically, it means "unwelcome person". In some countries, declared personas non grata will be prosecuted if caught trying to reenter that country. Talk about visiting those Latin lessons!

Happy Filmmaking!

Sunset: Jane Russell (1921-2011) and Gary Winick (1961-2011)

Film legend Jane Russell and indie filmmaker Gary Winick both died today. While Russell's cause of death can be assumed to be old age (she was 89), Winick succumbed to brain cancer one month before his 50th birthday. Rest in Peace for both.

Sunset: Blake Edwards 1922-2010

Director Blake Edwards (Breakfast at Tiffany's) died today at 88. This Okie is famous for his collaborations with Peter Sellers and Henry Mancini. RIP, Mr. Edwards.

Sunset: Irvin Kershner (1923-2010)

Irvin Kershner, director of arguably the best Star Wars franchise film, The Empire Strikes Back, died last Saturday. The 87-year-old Trojan lost his battle with lung cancer. Let the Force be with him.

Happy Filmmaking.

Sunset: Leslie Nielsen (1926-2010)

Funnyman Nielsen passed today at 84 of complications of pneumonia. We all know Nielsen from the Airplane series, which was the forerunner for many movie parodies. RIP, Nielsen.

Happy Filmmaking.

Sunset: Dino De Laurentiis (1919-2010)

Image from Film Reference

Dino De Laurentiis, legendary producer of films such as La Strada, Hannibal, and *gasp* Mandingo, died today at 91. Even in his old age, De Laurentiis was still producing. Most of us wish we can secure work that spans one year, let alone 7 decades! RIP, Mr. De Laurentiis.

Happy Filmmaking.

Sunset: Tony Curtis 1925-2010

The great, talented, and prolific Tony Curtis has passed. This is truly a sad day for film lovers everywhere. Just remember, nobody's perfect (get it?), but Curtis was a flawless actor. RIP, Spartacus.

Happy Filmmaking.

Why so quiet on TIFF

I haven't been ignoring the 35th Toronto International Film Festival. indieWIRE pretty much has it covered. While it will be great to go to Toronto, 300 films would tire this blogger out. Fortunately, indieWIRE has the manpower to see and review nearly all of the largest indie previews of the year. The winners are actually being announced as I write this.

The best news I've heard out of TIFF: distributors are buying! Don't take my word for it, here is the latest buzz on TIFF. Great festival, Toronto.

Happy Filmmaking!

Sunset: Claude Charbrol 1930-2010

One of the fathers of the French New Wave and a frequent contributor to the Cahiers du cinéma has died. Monsieur Charbol was 80 years old. His films include Bellamy, Les Cousins, and La Femme infidéle, which was remade in the US as Unfaithful. He joins Eric Rohmer, who died earlier this year, into the eternal stars. Rest in Peace, Claude.

Happy Filmmaking.

Yes, we Cannes!

So I'm talking about Cannes five days after it ended. Sue me. I was busy.

In an excuse to visit Côte d'Azur and mark it as a business expense, hundreds of filmmakers, distributors, and buyers flock to the coastal town every year to see acts of intellectual pretentiousness on celluloid. But seriously, how can one hate a film festival that exists because everyone was sick of Nazi films?

This year, Tim Burton led the prestigious film jury. Also, legendary filmmakers Woody Allen, Lars von Trier, and Jean-Luc Godard (yeah, that one!) showcased comeback films.

So, how was Cannes this year? Well....

"....was far from a stellar year." -FilmBlog at The Guardian

Ummm. Ok. Well, they are Brits. Brits only have a taste for tea. How 'bout an American?

"...I said that this doesn’t seem to be a very good Cannes. Her answer was, 'No masterpieces so far.'”-Howard Feinstein, Filmmaker Magazine

Well, I subscribe to Filmmaker Magazine and it's possible the editors have impossibly high standards. Another news source?

"...a lack of star power and too few movies generating genuine buzz sapped the festival of excitement." -Reuters

Ok, do these guys count? Reuters is still kinda British. Hollywood, Your take?

"...it looked as though Cannes 2010 would be remembered as the year of the volcano and not much more, so uninspiring were most of the films in competition" -Justin Chang, Variety

F*** you, Variety. Moving on.

There was one surprise. A film called Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul (say that 10 times fast!), won the Palm d'Or. The film beat out British indie golden-boy Mike Leigh and Mexician-American indie powerhouse Alejandro González Iñárritu who both went home with nothing.

We salute you, Mr. Weerasethakul. Happy Filmmaking!

Dumb and Dumber, blame the internet?

Is the internet really making us dumber? Of course there is some argument there: I'm one of the faceless millions who uses Google to spell-check. But is it really making us dumber? Or worse, is it killing professional film criticism?

Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune seems to think so. With the democratic approach that is the internet, Page concludes that time-honored critics like Roger Ebert, Elvis Mitchell, or Leonard Maltin are losing their shirts to the "amateur" critics of imdb.com or Netflix.

He has a point. There seems to be a lot of people out there that would give Soul Plane a 10 on imdb.com because it was "hella-crazy, fo' sho!". You also have the trolls who believe every popular movie despite its critical and/or commercial successes is "the worst movie, ever." But, I think Mr. Page gives too much credit to these folks, and not enough to the folks between Ebert and norbitlover_92.

There are some great critical analysis on the internet that come from non-professionals who know what constitutes a great film. Some might be Team Goodfellas versus Team The Godfather, but can ultimately conclude both are considered "good films". It's safe to assume choosing between Team Amadeus and Team Santa Claus Conquers the Martians is not purely based of personal preference.

Some viral professionals gladly use the internet to their advantage. Like the super-funny guys at spill.com. I'm a big fan. Their analyses balance everyman rhetoric with a hint of professional criticism.

I would take the internet with a grain a salt. Like television before it, it can be used for good (PBS!) or it can be used for evil (Jersey Shore).

Happy Filmmaking!

Year in Review--2009

Today, CNN posted this article in support of independent film (or at least low-to-mid budget films), as well as the dismissing the Hollywood blockbuster that has been dominating box offices in the recent years. Mr. Charity notes the the higher the Hollywood film budget, the less money alloted for smaller, but not as profitable, films. It's a recession trend that only makes sense to Hollywood.

Yes, 2009 has had many mediocre box office baits, but the article highlights some gems, mostly of the indie nature. The film that gets the top honors is the Coen Brothers' A Serious Man. Other films on the "best" list include the critically acclaimed The Hurt Locker and Two Lovers.

Hmmm, films that are considered the worst: well, Transformers 2 is one (I never can remember the entire name). Good job, CNN.

Happy Filmmaking!

Joaquin Phoenix Quits Acting for Music!

The younger brother of the late River Phoenix told Associated Press last week that Two Lovers was his last film. The actor wants to focus more on his budding music career. He earlier displayed his musical talents as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line.

Phoenix started his acting career as a child, acting along side of his siblings. He gained critical acclaim for his roles in To Die For, U-Turn, and Gladiator.

Two Lovers, produced by 2929 Productions, is scheduled for USA release 13 February 2009. The film already previewed at Cannes, Hampton International, and London Film Festivals.


The Variety article is here.

Happy Filmmaking!