It's away....

Our first major festival submission is off. We've got more coming up though, and more work to do.

We're also prepping our next slate of pitches as well.

You can never have too many projects on the back burner.

But, we've decided to take the weekend off to reconnect with our friends and families and to forget about the movie for a few days so on Monday we can attack it with a fresh pair of eyes.

But, I'm going to try to post a short story (or two) over the weekend. And maybe another editorial.

Festival Deadline

Yeah.....

The unanimous decision from the screening last Sunday was that the film was too long. Of course it was, we let people suffer through a three hour cut. But in the intervening week and a half we've lopped off most of the fat and are killing ourselves perfecting the rough cut (oxymoron, I know) for the big festival deadlines that are going to hit at the end of this week.

So...

We're all still like zombies with our eyes bleeding in front of computer monitors still...

Wing Attack Plan R

I wrote a new editorial for the Huffington Post.

It's about Bush's Farewell Address.

Let me know what you thought.

Teen Titans Go!

Derek drew a four page Teen Titans comic that I wrote for him to show off his drawing.

Click here to read it.

Let me know what you thought.

Easy Street and City Lights

Radio West hosted their annual silent film night. In it's third year, tonight's show showcased the Tramp himself, Charlie Chaplin.

After a live broadcast of Radio West where they discussed the life and influence of Chaplin, we were treated to Easy Street accompanied by a live organist and then City Lights on glorious 35mm. (if you listen to the broadcast, I actually asked the last question of the evening about Chaplin's connection to Salt Lake City.)* The conversation on stage was enlightening, as is the norm for Radio West and as soon as the program is uploaded, I would recommend you all check it out.

Easy Street was the first on the program and I'm not sure if I've ever laughed so hard in my life. This was a short that came out in 1917 and featured Chaplin's Tramp enlisting as a police officer because he needs a job. Obviously, wackiness ensues when he is able to temporarily subdue the large, wrecking ball of a man tearing everyone apart on the street near the police station. It's a one-reeler comedy and delivers the laughs and isn't afraid to go out on a limb (no, really, Chaplin does battle with a speed-shooting, would-be rapist. Seriously.)

The main feature was City Lights (1931) and I can't imagine they could have picked a better pairing of films. City Lights is perhaps one of the saddest and sweetest films I have ever seen and encapsulates so much of what made Chaplin amazing. He has physical pratfall sorts of bits that showcase his prowess, mistaken identity bits that feature his amazing command of the craft of silent film and emotional moments that truly wrench the heart.

In fact, the love story in this film rivals the great love stories of all time. The blind girl is one of the most sympathetic and adorable love interests to embrace the screen and it tears your heart out of your chest when she's laughing at Chaplin at the end of the film. And when she finally recognizes him.... Jeez.... There wasn't a dry eye in the house.

The most interesting thing I found about this film, though, is that it's only mostly a silent film. It's a sound picture, but it's a pantomime. There are sequences where the soundtrack is vital to the film and couldn't be separated from it (the gunshots and the bit with the whistle, for instance) and those sounds and sequences in time with the action on the film is almost shocking and startling when you first see them because you don't expect anything but a music track.

Seeing a films like these with a sold out crowd in a 1000 seat theatre with a live organist accompanying the short was an experience nothing short of breathtaking. It's very easy to see why Charlie Chaplin was the largest star of his time or, arguably, of all time.

*In a bizarre side note to the day, the rebroadcast of Radio West from earlier in the day to fill the time slot vacated by tonights special event, I also called in for a question and comment for the show. So I was on both broadcasts of Radio West today. Not even Doug Fabrizio can say he did that. If you click here, it's about 1/3 of the way through. It was a show from more than a year ago about Nature Deficit Disorder. Derek should be happy, I was talking about Pirate Club and using popular media to encourage kids to play outside.

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

I've just been blown over by a film.

After yesterday's screening of the rough cut, we all took the day off from our documentary and I've been dying to see The King of Kong since it was released around in these parts a couple of weeks ago. That's not true, I've been dying to see it since I heard about it, months and months ago.

Tonight was the night, though, and I went to go see it.

This is everything a film should be. Not just a documentary, but any film. It was dramatic, funny, had heroes, villains and twists and turns around every corner.

Nothing I can say will do the film justice. You just sit back and watch it unfold and wonder how the filmmakers were able to get access to all of the participants enough to put together a film this solid.

Why don't films like this get a wider release? Everyone and their cousin will love this movie. Everyone. This is the Rocky of video game movies and I guarantee there are more gamers than boxing fans. So, go so it. Prove to the powers that be that films like this deserve wider releases.

I'd go on, but really, what you should do is stop reading this right now and go see the film. And I'd really rather watch the film again myself than continue writing about it.

Seriously.

Also: SPOILER:

I was really saddened to learn that Billy Mitchell is the current Donkey Kong Champ by 300 points. I looked it up when I got home....

Rough Cut

We've been working non-stop on the rough cut. In fact Elias, Steve and myself have been editing in shifts (2 on one off) for the last 4 days without a break. And we've all been up at least 20 of the last 24 hours, so pardon my delirium.

But the screening is today and I'll let you know how it goes.

If you want to come, call me.

It's at noon, so you better hurry, though.

Excitement Personified

This was released officially from Lucasfilm and announced by Shia Labeouf on the MTV-VMA's.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull....

Jesus, this movie is going to be cool.

The Swillers, Thunderfist and Big John Bates...

....tonight at Burt's Tiki Lounge. We need a drink and a band to take the edge off of editing.

Come. Commiserate with us.

still editing....

all three of us are going crazy....

I hope our blog posts will resume as normal soon....

Did everybody make sure to check out the videos from below? That would certainly keep you occupied until we can come back with more regularity....

videos....

Waiting for footage to rip, I put together a list of links of video from projects I've done.

Check it out.

editing....

We're still eyeballs deep in it.

So..... yeah...