Fuzzy Role Models

I should go to bed, but will post instead.

See what I did there? I rhymed. 

Went to catch a showing of The Muppets with Red last week, and was amazingly entertained – and not “amazingly” in such as I was surprised to be entertained, but my level of being entertained was amazing. Keep up folks, I can’t waste web space explaining everything for you.

Thought about fuzzy, multi-colored puppets for the following two days, and came to the conclusion that the Muppets are a great source of open minded motivation towards multiculturalism.

There’s a green frog that plays protagonist. Blue weirdo married to a chicken. Pink backup singers to a purple caveman rhasta. And flying penguins. Lots of flying penguins.

In the Muppet world, there is no color, national, ethnic, or even species based division. Their world is built on music, fun, and friendship. They teach us and make us laugh.

This may have been the most fortunate time for them to make a comeback.

_______________

Odessa Chen - Deer Perspectives

Ending Note: Mahna Mahna

Growing Older

Oh so very tired. But that's hardly out of the norm, so...

What's the above picture look like to you?

When I was a kid, I didn't have many friends - none really until junior high. I made friends up. In my head. I met a new person a week ago that struck me as having absolutely no creative process whatsoever. Like, none. As though that spot in the human body where creative thinking usually resides, was instead, replaced with tapioca. Or Jell-O. Or some other inane, mediocre dessert that nobody would ever be excited about.

In contrast I met another new person just today that struck me as intelligent, open-minded, and absolutely in love with art. Needless to say, I was enraptured. She'll be back by the shop tomorrow - let you know how it goes.

This past Friday, went into the city with DS and Stucco to a film night thrown by Sam, of Autofuss. We hung with some hipsters, watched Total Recall, and had awkward conversation with some caterers.

Stucco: "Which one you like more?"
Me: "Could go either way. Ro-sham-bo?"

Finished the evening back in Oakland, where we met with NY at a Korean bar we've been frequenting since somewhere around 2005. It's the type of place where I'll never know what it's called, underage youngsters drink heavily, and smoke billows out if you hold the door open too long. Reminds me of my own youth.

Christ I'm old.

_______________

Radical Face - Ghost Towns

Ending Note: This Sunday is Canadian Thanksgiving. Be nice to your local Canadian.

Roots and Webs

The person above is a filmmaker. I've known her for a number of years now, and at times, we understand each other clearer than we do our own selves. Of this project, and her passion for film, there is no understating her love for what she does.

Believe that when you watch the video, you're taking part in something greater than yourself, because she has the capability to take this project and run further than you probably ever will with anything in you entire life.

_______________
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros - Mondo Bongo
Ending Note: The Kickstarter program is a wonderful thing.

Finding Home: Part I

Spent this morning back in SF, taking a tour of a couple studios for rent. I wasn't expecting to find a place of interest, and that's exactly what I accomplished. Despite this fact, I still felt a bit deflated and disheartened at the start of my lackluster search for a new place of residence; so, I went to my cafe to find some solace.

You seen Garden State? There's a line that goes:

"Maybe it's like this rite of passage, you know. You won't ever have this feeling again until you create a new idea of home for yourself, you know, for your kids, for the family you start, it's like a cycle or something. I don't know, but I miss the idea of it, you know. Maybe that's all family really is. A group of people that miss the same imaginary place."

So what does living on your own mean? If you've not anyone to share the imaginary place, then do you have family? This brings us to another point from Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events:

"And remember one thing, my darlings, and never forget it: that no matter where we are, know that as long as you have each other, you have your family. And you are home."

This quote actually speaks to me a greater deal; it removes the requirement that a consensus be reached between a group about the same idea. Instead, all you need are your loved ones, and you have a home - geography, physical confines, mutual agreement, they're not needed as long as you share care and fondness with others.

Working backwards, went to brunch with Red yesterday at The Hobnob, where they tried to convince me that this is french toast:

Me: "That's not french toast."

Red: "That's french loaf."

It looks like three fillets of trout, I know, but they assured me that this was a plate of french toast. If you ever happen by the place, I suggest you try their Three Cheese Baked Mac 'n Cheese.

Lastly, during the trailers before watching The Trip, we caught one for a film was saw in Sundance. It's dark, powerful, and epic. Keep an eye out.

_______________
Blind Pilot - Two Towns From Me
Ending Note: Trout is a funny word.

Rekindled Celluloid Love

The Boss is in L.A. right now. We needed to refresh our supply of some gear, and trade in a leased dolly.

The Boss: "So I picked up the nice shiny new Fisher."

Me: "Did you get the one with the flames and racing stripes?"

The Boss: "No. Went for the skulls instead."

Me: "Good choice. Keeps the operators on point."

Last night went to catch a showing of The Roundup at the Castro. Was able to catch it now, before a theatrical release, through the SFJFF that's still going on. Ever since hitting Sundance this past year, I've rekindled an appreciation for film that I had lost for a while.

As a student in college studying film making, it became a labor of writing papers, renting equipment, vying for position over rivals in class - work. Entering into the industry as crew, film sets became battlegrounds where you just wanted to make it out alive; the wounds were not just physical, but moral and mental - work. I had lost that wonder and appreciation - the love.

It wasn't until Park City that I remembered what it was about films that initially got me on such a simple, basic level. Being surrounded by hundreds of people that were all gathered in genial appreciation for the event, looking forward to each film, socializing with strangers that had traveled to that town for the same reasons, it energized you; you felt alive. 

It wasn't until after the festival that I reflected on this, and came to realize that that feeling wasn't just accessible via Sundance, but in watching movies in general. If you let them, they can take you elsewhere, and that sort of displacement brings new breath to your own life; you gain perspective and a respite for those ninety minutes.

So I try to make at least one showing to the festivals that roll through - get a little and give a little back.

_______________

Gym Class Heroes - Cupid's Chokehold

Ending Note: The Roundup was a very well done, good movie. You should check it out.

You're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat

The Chronicle of Wedges, Cont'd...

You know, if you're into that

At work, The Boss and I try to keep things a little loose and silly - helps to get through the day. Recently we had a production rent from us called "Animals On Parade". Here's the rental on the white board.

Last night, met up with some friends to catch a showing of Jaws at the Paramount.

(The main stage and organist.)

(The ceiling.)

 

(The Marquee.)

Sorry the photos are so blurry, but it's low light shooting in a movie theater, whadaya expect?

_______________

Sigur Ros - Dial: Revenge

Ending Note: A girl was shot in front of Gaylord's on Piedmont. Oakland, you're despicable.

Cabinetry and A Movie

Yesterday, went over to Oakland to help DS and NY with a washing machine/cabinetry project that included moving an erector set, fractions, a lil smoke, and a bunch of tools.

We done good.

Later that evening, headed into the city...

The event was presented by Film Night In The Park, an organization helping to keep the privately run, movie theaters in the bay area up and running. The stone steps of Union Square weren't very comfortable, but the wind was kept out by the buildings, and it never got very cold; the Korean food in our bellies, and six pack of Fat Tire didn't hurt either.

(I've no idea who this guy was, but he kept talking about shaving his balls with the girl next to him.)

These two are tops.

_______________

Feist - The Limit To Your Love

Ending Note: I miss the city.

Living The Dream

Nearly gave myself a hernia today.

Had to load a truck at work, and there wasn’t enough room, so I decided to store a 12K fresnel on a shelf.

This, folks, is one of the main reasons I gave up the freelance electrician life – after eight years, I’ve acquired a bum wrist, bum knee, bum back, and bum shoulder.

Only bums I’m interested in nowadays are directly connected to cute brunettes. Zing.

Opposite of this, is something I found attached on the front of one of our trucks that’s been out on a low budget feature for the past three weeks.

This (as scary as it seems) is one of the things I miss most about the set life; the silly, moral boosting, crew bonding shenanigans that goes on to just get through the show. That, I do miss, and wish I hadn’t given up.

Me: "What'd you do today?"

Wonger: "Went to work. You know, living the dream."

Me: "Yeah?"

Wonger: "Yeah. Wasn't my dream, but you know..."

_______________

The xx - Heart Skipped A Beat

Ending Note: You should go watch Beginners. Yeah, you should.

You Can Learn A Lot From Dirty Movies

Been thinking about movies a bunch lately. Ones I’ve seen in the past, ones I want to see sometime soon, ideas for new ones that will never be made; theory and actual production swirling in my head. I think it’s my brain’s attempt to drive me to an air conditioned movie theater, and out of this infernal heat.

Unlike most everyone else that I’ve met in the film industry, my schooling was based solely on a theoretical background rather than hands-on. This has meant that I have no idea how to operate a film camera, or what exactly XLR is, but could pursue a job teaching film courses, or write a trashy review column in some local rag somewhere.

Used to think that the screenplay was the most important part of the whole bagel; set the backbone of the story, give direction to the whole project. Then came the underappreciated lighting world where I took on the role of the martyr, slaving away without a nod of appreciation to make the picture beautiful. Now, I’m a vendor. This is possibly the farthest I could have traveled from the origins of my studies while still being in the film industry.

It’s funny, the routes we travel.

You ever seen ‘Clerks’? A fantastical, absurd, lewd story about a convenience store in Jersey; I know, sounds wonderful, but it has it’s place in the study of film. One of the running themes, as well as lines, is, “I’m not even supposed to be here today.”

 And that’s the thing. None of us are supposed to be anywhere we currently are. In a warehouse filled with lamps and cats, on a hilltop with the mother of your child, in a trench with bullets flying overhead, in a hospital bed with over starched sheets – none of this was planned, but here we are, making choices and trying to live by some morals and a few beliefs.

As tough as it might be to believe, we’re not doing so bad. If you keep making choices, you’re always going in the right direction. "Write that down."

_______________
Northern State - iluvitwhenya
Ending Note: I'm hungry. I want lasagna.