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Koo-Koo for Cocoa Puffs aka Dig ‘Em the Frog is my best friend
Been a long time.
Let’s get down to business, shall we?I have been at my school almost 2 years now, not stopping. It’s amazing how quickly time passes. Sometimes, I forget I’m alive, other days, I can’t feel more alive. It really depends on the mood, and some of the lighting.
I’ll be honest though, I’ve been tired for a while now. I haven’t stopped going to school, and have had almost no real breaks from any of my work. I love it here, and I’m happy, but the problem is that I have a crap ton of major work I have to do before I proceed to the next step. After finishing this quarter, I will have 3 quarters of classes I will have to take, on top of having to prepare my first real major endeavor; my Thesis project. I also have no idea what I want to write/direct for my Directing 2 class, AND I have to start writing my feature. I have a plan, you see, a plan to try and make myself stand out from the crowd, not that I don’t already. I just have to be keen on what I’m trying to make, because based on it, I could possibly get a REAL JOB directing a film. It has to be good though, REAL GOOD, and I don’t want to rush that.
I’m truly very tired. It’s not easy trying to coupe with all these different things going on in my head. I still don’t have a girlfriend, and I finally came out with that on Facebook. The response was that everyone already knew, which kind of made me feel like shit. I just felt like I was beating around the bush I guess. It’s not easy talking about stuff like that. Everyone asks me about it. Hell, the Gay Hairdresser who cut my hair today said, “We’ll get you a girlfriend.” It’s the last thing I want to think about, but one of the biggest things on my mind.I was driving a friend to Chinatown earlier, talking about this, and he said that myself being in a relationship, or finding validation in others, is not the key to happiness, and I totally agree. But my problem is that I have NO IDEA what being in a relationship is like. None. Zero. Zilch. Nada. I don’t think I’m looking for validation as much as I’m looking for confidence. I already follow the beat of my own drum, but in that department, I’m still having a lot of trouble. It’s really the only thing left as far as what I could want in my life right now. Alas, it is not meant to be, as I have tried, but I have failed, at least for the moment. I suppose my day will come sooner than later, but being almost 25 is a bitch. To me, it’s humiliating. I know that a lot of people have died not ever experiencing feelings for another, but I’m not one of those people.
Anyway, back to the main part of this: my break. I’m taking a quarter off this coming spring, a period of roughly 3 months or so, give or take. In this time, I plan on doing 3 separate things:
Get back on a diet, exercise, and lose weight
Write my scripts every day
Move out of my current apartment into new digs
The last one is particularly important because the place I live in now has turned into a real shithole since I moved here. I’m not going to lie, I’ve been more disgusted by its state than usual, and that’s saying something.
But yes, finally, I have accepted that I need to get my shit together, again. I guess everything happens in cycles, and that’s fine by me. I just wish that I could have gotten a kick in the ass sooner. Hopefully, my break will be the respite I need to keep on trekking.
I know y’all like my writing, but I think that I might take a break for a while with these types of posts. I’m probably going to stick more to funny/cool pictures with witty responses like I always do. That being said however, I do like to write, so I’m sure the occasional post will come up here and there.
Well, that’s all for now. I hope the New Year has been treating you well so far.
- H
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2013 Oscar Predictions (well, most of them)
Hey everyone,
I’ve separated this list into two categories. The first is what I think will win, and the second is what I would choose. I’m doing this to be politically correct, and fair. Unfortunately, I didn’t see absolutely EVERYTHING, so I may be abstaining in some votes in my personal choices depending.
Without further ado…
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: The Avengers (Prediction), The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Personal)
BEST SOUND EDITING: Zero Dark Thirty (Prediction)(Personal)
BEST SOUND MIXING: Skyfall (Prediction)(Personal)
BEST ORIGINAL SONG: Skyfall (Prediction)(Personal)
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Lincoln (Prediction), Skyfall (Personal)
BEST MAKEUP: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Prediction)(Personal)
BEST COSTUME DESIGN: Lincoln (Prediction)(Personal)
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: Life of Pi (Prediction), Abstain
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Life of Pi (Prediction), Skyfall (Personal)
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: Amour (Prediction), Abstain
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Lincoln (Prediction), Abstain
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Django Unchained (Prediction)(Personal)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables (Prediction), Abstain
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln (Prediction), Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained (Personal)
BEST ACTRESS: Emmanuelle Riva, Amour (Prediction), Abstain
BEST ACTOR: Daniel Day-Lewis (Prediction)(Personal)
BEST DIRECTOR: Steven Spielberg, Lincoln (Prediction), Abstain
BEST PICTURE: Lincoln (Prediction), Django Unchained (Personal)
You will probably notice I left out a few, namely the animated features. I want to be absolutely fair in my assessment, as I saw none this past year. I love animation, but I don’t really see those films in the theater anymore. Maybe I will more when I’m older and have kids.
You may also notice that some of my abstains are quite major in my personal predictions. As I stated, I have NOT seen everything. My predictions are based off the analysis that I have done so far based on the films. I feel that this is justified, as the Oscar race is as much political as it has to do with quality (which is unfortunate). Normally, I do not come out with a list before the Golden Globes, as I usually use that as a lighting rod going forward, but I have decided to make an exception this time because I have NOT seen a lot of the films.
I hope you enjoyed this list. I had fun writing it.
- H
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Thoughts: Django Unchained
Django!
I have so much to say about this movie, and only so much I can say without giving away anything, but I’ll do my best.
Django Unchained may not only be one of the best movies of 2012, but one that, literally and figuratively, sparks the dynamite. The subject matter is not for the faint of heart, dealing with slavery, which is rarely seen in a realistic and horrifying context, which is part of what gives the film its power. Granted, as with any good western, blood is flying everywhere, but the atrocities are kept enough at arm’s length that it makes you painfully aware of the plight of what African-Americans suffered at the hands of Whites.
This is the interesting part; Django Unchained is NOT entirely a western. It’s actually closer to a blaxploitation film overall, which had been the influence of some of Tarantino’s earlier work. It definitely feels like a Spaghetti Western, but it really isn’t. It’s a very fine line that Tarantino rides, and it’s amazing that he’s able to make almost 3 hours slip by.
That is not only a testament to his writing, but the acting is overall, is some of the best in any film ever made. Not one people feels underutilized, or developed. Their personalities may be larger than life, but the subversive, incredibly intelligent dialogue (some of Tarantino’s bravest and finest to date) keeps your attention every time someone says a single word. I would like to particularly give kudos to Leonardo DiCaprio, who gives his best performance ever as the manipulative slaver Calvin Candie. Considering the other nominees this year, Leo has the Supporting Actor Oscar in the bag. He’s really that good, as are most Tarantino villains.
The only major problem I have with the film comes at the end of the second act, but it’s a story problem. It only lasts about 10-15 minutes, and it doesn’t hurt the film overall, it just slows it down a little bit when it shouldn’t. It also features a cameo by the great director himself.
When all is said and done, should you see Django Unchained? Well, if you like movies, and you don’t mind being reminded of America’s dark past, of course. Is it violent? You bet! Is it fun? Very! So what are you doing? Go see it!
- H
P.S. Fritz is awesome.
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My Top 10 Favorite Movies: Summer 2012 Edition
Thought I’d recant my favorite films once again. Not much has changed, save for switching things around.
Here they are:
1. Pulp Fiction
2. Taxi Driver
3. A Clockwork Orange
4. The Godfather Part 2
5. Full Metal Jacket
6. Seven Samurai
7. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
8. Blade Runner
9. Raiders of the Lost Ark
10. Aliens
Honorable Mentions:
The Big Lebowski, Boogie Nights, Oldboy, The Empire Strikes Back, Sunset Blvd.
Obviously, you can tell that I love character driven material, as well as action, sci-fi, noir, and everything in between. I’ve seen a crap load of films (somewhere over 2,000), and I continue to watch. I have a lot more favorites, but these stick out for me as some of the best.
Thing is, some of my favorite filmmaker’s films are not on this list, but I will save that for another time.
- H
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The Human Condition.
This week is the clusterfuck of all clusterfucks. Everything good, everything bad… It’s pretty much happened.
I started the week with a BANG, producing a short film on Tuesday morning from 2am to 11am. It was hellish, but went well overall. I don’t think I can complain too much about it since I have yet to see any of the footage, and I was more concerned about getting to bed. I slept 14 hours after that, so I’d say it went pretty well.
Yesterday was horseshit. One of my classmates didn’t have a single fucking person on his crew, and it was the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen performed. I had to do 5 different things at once, plus he didn’t have a fucking clue what he wanted going in. I know I might be a little harsh, but a project like this, you can’t fuck around. It’s how it goes. I take this shit seriously. I wish other people did, but I guess that’s how it goes.
Retarded Dystopian movies starring dead bitches don’t help my mood either.
And finally, last night, I wrote 4 1/2 pages of my first feature script. I didn’t feel the need to write more, even though I should have. I thought they were great. My teacher thought they were shit, but he and my classmates tried to help me. I was hurt because it was what I imagined in my head, but I guess that my vision isn’t always the best version of it. It still doesn’t feel too good.
Now? I’m reminiscing about not having a girlfriend, being a bit of a pervert, and accepting that I intentionally isolate myself in order to not get hurt because I’ve been hurt so many times. I’m also preparing for my first directing project in almost a year, which happens on this coming Wednesday.
I’m not stretching myself too thin anymore, but I’m still healing from stretching far beyond what I thought I could. It seems to me that for every good thing I do for someone else, a bad thing occurs to me personally. Why is this? Does the universe hate me so? I know I haven’t been great lately, but I try so damn hard…
I just wish that my efforts were rewarded with something more tangible, something less toxic, and something exciting to wrap around. I feel like I’m losing part of that spark that makes me me.
Maybe I’m just all balled up inside. Twisted, feeling under-appreciated, majorly hurt. Doesn’t matter how good things are going, I truly feel this way. What appears fine on the surface, isn’t necessarily what’s true deep within.
With my birthday around the corner, I have nothing planned, nothing to do, and everything I want to happen. I wish I didn’t feel like I was so alienated from my friends.
It all boils down to the question I always ask myself; Why is it I can save everyone else, but I can’t save myself?
- H
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Revenge of the Giant Face
FADE IN:
INT. HENRY’S APARTMENT - NIGHT
HENRY ABRAMS, a mildly overweight but handsome looking 23 year old, sits at his desk, writing a blog…
INSERT: HENRY’S HANDS TYPING AWAY
An example of how a screenplay is structured, and also an example of where my mind has been at.
I have never been more focused on my work than I have now. Socially, things are getting interesting as well. I still haven’t found anyone to rub my genitals or stimulate my mind, but I can’t say that thought is bogging my down like it once was. I have too much on my plate, and Daddy’s hungry for more!
Currently, I’ve been writing, producing, and getting ready to start taking my directing classes. Needless to say, I am excited, confident, and I feel more prepared than I would have been last year. Things are constantly shifting as always, but now the shifts are more noticeable, and smaller. My confidence is the highest it’s been ever, but not to the excess of cockiness. I have people around me to keep my grounded, and people who actually give a damn.
Sure, I don’t visit with others as often as I’d like to, but bonding through mutual love of Entertainment and Media has only served as a positive, and is helping people to see who I really am.
For the first time ever, I can honestly say that I like who I am. That is an achievement for me. For those that know me, they know that I am oversensitive and incredibly self-conscious, watching every move I make, and analyzing as situations develop. But I am starting to lower my stress levels regarding my psychological state. I just try to be me, 24/7, 365. Stress in my workload is, of course, different, but not as it once was. I can handle whatever is thrown at me, and I adapt. I always appreciate a challenge, and if I fail, it’s a learning experiment.
Such astuteness can only benefit myself in the future, but it depends on the cost of what I may or may not accomplish. I have to be uncompromising in my vision, while still being able to accept criticism and use it to develop moving forward. I worry that sometimes that maybe I am too far gone from what I had intended, but something happens to shift me back and realize that things are not as bad as I had thought.
I see the true shift in mentality on the horizon, the one that will define me, and what I hope to achieve with my life. I finally have a clear vantage point to level the actions taken versus what others expect. Things are good.
I will be posting up 2 links towards the end of the month, “Scrambled Love”, in which I acted, and “Flamingo Rhapsody”, which I produced. I am very proud of the work I did on both projects, and I hope that you will be too.
I am being embraced by my community, my friends, and it feels good.
- H
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Thoughts: The Artist
Hey folks.
I don’t normally post about really good movies I see(save for my twitter reviews), but I’ve been known to go into more detail about films of recent times that I TRULY love. Drive was the last one. Now, The Artist.
There are a lot of great things I could say about The Artist, but the main thing is this: Take the chance.
I am more than aware that most people have the attention spans of small animals, and the general consensus is that a silent film would be boring. I’m here to tell you that is not the case.
As a fan of silent film, I understand how important a visual is more than almost anything. Sometimes, it’s better to let the image speak for itself rather than have an excess amount of dialogue. Have you ever noticed how quiet it gets in most films in the quiet before the storm? Having no sound opens all kinds of doors, because it allows the audience to take in the visual, which adds quality to the emotion. Here’s another thing; have you ever noticed how sometimes saying nothing and showing emotion has more of an effect than if you said it to them? The face hides no lies, and it tells more tales than one could care to tell.
That is the true strength of The Artist: The Acting. Jean Dujardin gives one of the single best screen performances I have ever seen. He (technically) doesn’t say a single word in the film, but his emotion is all too powerful. Berenice Bejo also gives a great turn as the loveable Peppy Miller, but is not in it as often as the trailers would have you believe. It’s Dujardin’s show here, and he nails it.
The other thing I love: Adding modern themes into a film that takes place almost 100 years ago. It makes it that much more understandable, and true to focus on some delicate issues. It has a high level of complexity, despite not having nearly a single spoken word.
The Cinematography is outstanding, totally nailing that Old Hollywood silent era, while adding in modern techniques and High Definition. Black & White is a great tactic in conveying the narrative, but also the nature of the time period. The score is phenomenal, and does what every good score should do; build drama and narrative to the image. Most people remember a soundtrack because it was GOOD, not because they half-assed it.
Honestly? It’s really hard to say The Artist is some kind of achievement. Silent Films have been made before, Black & White is nothing new… But you wouldn’t be doing the film any justice just by assuming that.
What it does, it does so well, it’s hard to point out a single flaw with the film. And coming from me, that in itself is an achievement.
SEE IT. LOVE IT.
- H
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Drive: Film Review
Normally, I’m not one to go into too much detail about how I enjoyed a film, but Drive is a special case for me. Not only can I not describe it in words, I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s certainly not for everyone, but it’s definitely the best movie I’ve seen all year, and one of the best in the past couple of years.
The film is paced much like a Summer Blockbuster, but with a feeling of also Kurosawa-esque slow shots as Nicholas Winding Refn takes his time and ratchets up the intensity tenfold. The Synth-Pop Soundtrack adds almost an 80’s style sensibility, but never takes you out of the action and perfectly fits the mood of each sequence.
It is a brutally violent film, in some cases it shocks you because you don’t know what’s going to happen next, much like a Tarantino film. It is overall very quiet, and the narrative story-telling is mostly told in Ryan Gosling’s reactions throughout the film. The acting is superb, without a single hitch in any performance by the actors. Incredible, in your face cinematography provides a sense of gruesome pleasure in all the small moments and is quick to remind you that you are just along for the ride.
I can’t say enough about this modern masterpiece. An American setting with European sensibilities make this one of the most unique and compelling movies possibly ever made.
If you love film, or even have an inkling to see the film, you will find something to love about Drive.
- H
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What I Know (Not Much)
I don’t know shit!
Sure, I know I have an encyclopedic knowledge of entertainment. I can quote hundreds of movies, I’ve watched hours and hours of special features. I am constantly trying to watch, rewatch, and analyze shots. I look at special effects, read screenplays, and watch interviews.
I also have an intimate knowledge of how games work, mechanically, and artistically. My name is in the credits of two videogame titles (even though they kind of suck), and I’ve been a gamer for most of my life.
And finally with music, I have great friends who know a lot about it, I have taken a college class on it, and I’ve also ventured off into my own territory, not normally listening to newer music, and appreciating what’s come before.
Do you see the pattern here? I’m obsessed with knowing everything, but most of all, I am obsessed with quality.
Movies either tend to be good or bad for the most part. Some are very good, but most are mediocre at best. The problem I have is when I critic comes into a movie expecting it to be the best thing he’s ever seen in his life, and then goes off on a tangent about how it sucks and doesn’t explain his case very well. More importantly, what kind of film was he reviewing, and does he have a personal bias with it?
I would use Cowboys & Aliens, which I very much enjoyed, as a point. You see, the main issue for most will come from the title. It says it all. There’s Cowboys, and there’s Aliens. It’s simple, and effective. Passing off this idea automatically as ridiculous does not allow one to experience the film and appreciate it for what it truly is. This was not made for an Oscar audience, this was made as a fun and frantic summer blockbuster, and what it does is incredibly effective.
Because of bias about the subject matter, some reviewers did not enjoy the film. But do they go in with prior knowledge? Or do they go in without knowing anything at all? Obviously, it is always going to be different, as opinions vary from person to person. I liked the movie, others may find it strange, maybe even boring! But don’t dock people’s effort. They tried their best. Some movies end up being crap from the start, sure, but sometimes, the magic just isn’t in the air, even with a great concept.
So what do I know? I know that I’m wrong about a lot of things, and that I don’t know all there is to know about entertainment, nor will I ever, but that doesn’t make me feel any less different about what I want, or my most abundant obsession: doing the best I can with what I have.
And it continues…
- H
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Unsettling Allegory
What’s up y’all.
I’m tired. The first week of class was great, but waking up 3 days at 7:30, getting over a cold, and smoking weed, has worn me the fuck out.
I got my first couple of assignments including doing a scene from a movie, and writing a letter trying to sell myself. This is what Hollywood is all about.
Some of my classmates want to be Directors, other want to be Actors, Producers, and Editors. I know what I want, and it seems as though I fit in perfectly with this crowd. It’s too bad I haven’t seen any new movies lately. I wanted to see Rango, Paul, and a bunch of other ones, but I was distracted. It sucks not being able to watch them for another few months till they’re out on DVD/Blu-Ray, but there’s still plenty of old movies I haven’t seen. I do plan on seeing Your Highness and Hanna in the next few days, but other than that, there’s nothing in particular that I want to see until next month.
So my passions again dictate my actions. Not such a bad thing, but too much passion can cause abrupt and unhinged thought processes. Maybe I should lay off the weed for a little while.
- H