December 4th

“They say they never really miss you till you dead or you gone so on that note I’m leaving after this song.”

- Jay Z “December 4th”

Who are we before or after we die? Perhaps through the present? Why am I blogging? Why do I exist? Why does anyone? No I’m not trying to sound like some existentialist motherfucker of a professor or an analyst – but seriously consider this question – Why do I do what I do? I want to be a filmmaker, as if you couldn’t tell from this blog. I want to be the next this, the next that, I could have name-dropped instead of saying this and that, but I didn’t so that’s progress in some sense. You know, a problem is that people often don’t watch what they put out there. And writing this – that is, this text I’m composing at this very second, this very moment, when I’m under the influence of alcohol may not be the most intelligent move of my writing career, but the passion flows from my head to my heart to my fingers and I’m not going to stop that, and anyone who wants to tell me to – here’s my message: FUCK YOU!. I’m laughing at that, because that was kind of funny.

I want to relate my entry here to the quote I posted at the beginning. Jay-Z’s song “December 4th” means something important to me. No, I did not endure a life 1 millionth as hard as any rapper that I or my peers/companions listen to. But, the emotions in December 4th by Jay-Z show a similar set of humanism that is present in a Shakespeare, Williams, or any kind of dramatic work for that matter – and that is precisely what I relate to in the matter.

Rappers in a way are the modern poets of our generation. When I say rappers I don’t mean the BS and the popular songs – I mean take a look, a literal examination of the words that these men convey. Sometimes, these rappers are just artists, poor men with talent. They are the Michelangeloes or the Leonardo Da Vinci’s of our time – when I lay on that analysis what I precisely mean is this: you do not have to be an art snob (this means a guy walking down the upper east side sporting a corduroy jacket eating a scone drinking a venti latte from Starbucks)….

So here’s my take: “Party and Bullshit” by Biggie Smalls, “December 4th” by Jay-Z is as culturally aesthetic and artistically significant a work of art as a sonnet by William Shakespeare, “#16” by John Donne, or a painting by the greatest fucking artist around. All are analogous, all = one another. That’s how I feel, and I know there are people on the same wavelength, and I know there are people who ride on others.

Reasons to be Pretty Reading

Well, today was an important day. It's Sunday at Connecticut College, which means a few things: 1. the campus is mostly hungover. 2. the students, of which whom are hungover, have to start their work which they didn't do. but for me it means 3. today we have a reading of the most updated shooting script for my upcoming film Reasons to be Pretty, an acid-tongued, romantic comedy drama. When I say romantic comedy, I don't mean that Garry Marshall "Valentine's Day" or "Pretty Woman" kind of bullshit. I'm trying to create my own tone for this film here, even though I've adapted it from Neil LaBute's play.

I had my reading with my four-person cast: Will Brown, Elizabeth Krieg, Stew Steele, and Kristin Hutchins. Everyone was amazing in their roles today. It was Will's first day and he read the part spectacularly. I wasn't sure how it was going to work out with him since I cast him on sort of a random impulse last semester, but he is and will always remain my first choice for the role - he embodied the character very well with a sense of honesty/tenderness, and at the same time conveyed great humor.

Krieg was born to do the role I cast her in and she knows that, she HATES when I say that because she feels that brings pressure, but she knows this is the case, and Stew and Kristin were even more brilliant this time around then they were before.

The script we read this time around (this was our second reading) was cut down to 19 pages, which means we run at 19 minutes. Ideally, we want to get it down to 15, and I think it will probably be at about 15:55 by the time all is said and done.

There are some mishaps in the script. The thing that is troubling most involved right now is the ending - I find it to be polarizing which is part of the intention. In fact, my whole cast sort of ganged up on me telling me how I should change it - oh actors. They did offer clever advice between the four of them, but I did explain to them that I am the captain of the ship, I am the director and that this is my movie and I also promised not to let them down - so I have to make sure that's a promise I keep.

The ending we have, I'd rather not give away on my blog because I'd rather people see my movie in its full essence when it's completed. I'm using this blog more as a way to keep track of production mentally, as a journal if you will. It did piss some people off today at the reading, but one of my most trusted colleagues also told me it was brilliant even though it needs some dialogue repair. My movies, or my work for lack of better word, generally tends to part seas in audiences...so I don't intend for Reasons to be Pretty to be any different in that regard. As long as I'm making something of quality and interest to people...

Up here I will have festival lists, submissions, shooting days/schedules, reports/thoughts/commentaries. If you would like to read a script and give me thoughtful advice, I'd be happy to get you involved.

We will be shooting all interior scenes on the college campus for convenience. Other scenes will be done in and around the New London area.

Starting a new film is like a brand new adventure. I haven't directed anything (worked on multiple projects since, just not in the director's chair) since my last film Twenty-Four-Hundred in 2007 when I was a senior in high school. Directing is an adrenaline rush for me...I need it. I need to be on a set manning a camera, taking a shot, guiding actors into thoughts and dialogue, and finally putting it together as an artistic pastiche. It completes a part of me, it's a passion that I can't describe not in words or in acting, it's just something in my blood and my head - I would say from my heart too because it does come from there, but I definitely feel it the most in the blood.

Top Five Favorite Films of All Time

As a film student, I feel it is important that my loyal readers should know not necessarily what I consider to be the best films of all time, but what are my favorite films of all time. RottenTomatoes does this feature where people come on and speak about their top five favorite films, and so I feel I should do something similar.

1. Ran (1985) Dir: Akira Kurosawa

Kurosawa has been revered immensely by some of the best directors of our time, like Coppola, Scorsese, Spielberg, and Lucas (just to name a few). His epic adaptation of William Shakespeare's King Lear is a masterpiece in itself - with beautiful cinematography, acting, set design, and story. Kurosawa takes liberties with the play -but makes it all work. He went beyond the job of director and took it a step further, constructing buildings and creating authentic explosions, painting full scale storyboards, and using thousands of extras and production necessities to create a marvel of a film, it is my opinion that Ran is the best film of all time.

2. Rashomon (1950) Dir: Akira Kurosawa

Though it is over half a century old and under 90 minutes long, Rashomon has not at all lost its touch. What may have made this film so famous is the way it manipulated narrative. So many films in Hollywood and around the world have borrowed ruthlessly from this film, but what elevates Rashomon beyond these other mundane titles is the human feeling that comes with the film. The acting is so convincing, the direction is so daring, and the pacing is so perfect, that Rashomon his the high mark on all levels.

3. Raging Bull (1980) Dir: Martin Scorsese

This movie is on most top critics' lists, and there's a reason for it. Scorsese's shooting style and technique, his choice to shoot the movie in black and white, and his depiction of machismo is what elevates this film beyond the typical sports movie. Robert DeNiro's portrayal of Jake LaMotta is unflinching and brings out the method actor that Hollywood used to have. This film is a study on humanity, and it chronicles the rise and fall of one of the greatest fighters of all time, and brings in an unconventional character who tragically destroys his own life, a man who does not fit in with the world, with a hot temper and fists of steel - a mad man; a raging bull.

4. The 400 Blows (1959) Dir: Francois Truffaut

I never thought the French New Wave would influence me so much until I saw this film. This semi-autobiographical account is a story of growing up, and as we see the challenges that the protagonist Antoine faces, we realize the importance of morality and childhood in our everyday lives. Beautifully shot and written, The 400 Blows was the start of a new era in film-making, it began a trilogy and the career of one of the world's greatest directors.

5. 8 1/2 (1963) Dir: Federico Fellini

The first time I saw this movie - I hated it. I had no idea what was going on, I felt lost and bored. But when I re-watched it and took a second, third, then fourth glance, I realized how important of a film it was. As personal as it is imaginative, it contains Marcello Mastrioni's best performance as the womanizing morally conflicted Guido, incredible black and white cinematography, and clever writing that reminds us that this film is a drama, a musical, a comedy, an everything - it is life.

Other of my favorite films include: The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Lawrence of Arabia (1961), A Clockwork Orange (1971), The Godfather Parts I and II, Apocalypse Now (1979), Pulp Fiction (1994), La Vita e Bella (1998), La Dolce Vita, Citizen Kane (1942) - of course.

Top Ten Films of the 2000's

Top Ten Films of the 2000’s

By Matthew Gentile

There Will Be Blood (2007)

There Will Be Blood is a film that teaches us a lesson about the enticing appeal of greed, corruption, and hunger. While based on Upton Sinclair’s novel Oil, Paul Thomas Anderson goes far away from the page, creating the story of a California Oil Prospector played by the always-worth-watching Daniel Day-Lewis, who took home the Gold for this movie (and deserved it). The cinematography is captivating, and the pacing of the film is unique in that it may be the strangest structure of a story ever – but it works, and that’s the beauty of it. Anderson’s unflinching epic of the fatal flaws of materialism- and his ability to connect realistic fiction at the turn of the 20^th century to today’s various economic and sociological issues makes this movie universal. Paul Thomas Anderson is the most dynamic filmmaker of his time, and possibly the most talented.

No Country for Old Men (2007)

The Coen Brothers have balls. To create a movie that for the first three fourths, is the most tense, thrilling, cat-and-mouse action story, and for the last quarter, is a monologue driven sequence, in a city like Hollywood for a mass audience around the Planet Earth, takes courage. This to-the-grave loyal adaptation of Cormac McCarthy novel has one of the best screen performances of all time from the extraordinary actor Javier Bardem, and has a production value like no other – with incredible set design, Roger Deakins’ consistently excellent cinematography, and enthralling/engaging action sequences that with clever timing create all kinds of tension for the audience. It is not a typical entry in the Coen Brothers’ body of work, but it is most certainly their best.

Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

Guillermo Del Toro gave creativity another name with this film. This fantasy/fairy tale epic, set during the Spanish Civil War, gives us a little girl named Ofelia, whose imagination (like her creator’s) is so vivid and fascinating – that despite the dreadful horrors of the reality surrounding her, she can find salvation. The sets, computer generated imagery, animatronics, special effects, war sequences, and costumes help create a world that has not been seen before.

The Hurt Locker (2009)

In a decade where multiple low-grade films about the Iraq War were released, The Hurt Locker was hailed by many critics as the best one of this bunch – but that is such an understatement. What makes this film so special is not the screenplay (though it’s quite great) or that it’s a war movie, but it shows us that we don’t need big special effects, correction, we don’t need a production budget of $200-300 million to make a great action movie. With the use of swift hand-held photography and Kathryn Bigelow’s top drawer direction, The Hurt Locker not only tells the story of a war that’s end is overdue, but the story of the people who are out there fighting every day, fearing for their lives, and serving their countries.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is an expose of Charlie Kaufman’s genius as a screenwriter. He has a magical ability to create stories that no other writer in Hollywood can think of, this, as his follow-up to Adaptation and Being John Malkovich is by far his greatest achievement. This movie could be looked at as a chowder of these genres/aspects: science fiction, dystopian ideals, romanticism, the power of love, and the ability of the human mind. The film proves that love conquers all, as does great storytelling.

Adaptation (2002)

While Eternal Sunshine showed off Charlie Kaufman’s innovative mind in a more straight-forward way, Adaptation demonstrated his ability to apply his creativity, and write a self-reflective screenplay that cleverly conveys an excellent story. This is not another film about show-biz– it’s a coming-of-age tale about a man and his imaginary twin brother, who together, discover the art of story, the science of botany, and the magic of moviemaking. Nicolas Cage takes on two roles, playing Charlie Kaufman and his imaginary twin brother Donald Kaufman – and plays the role to ultimate perfection, reminding us of what a good actor he can be when under the right light. Chris Cooper steals every scene he is in, and Meryl Streep follows with her consistencies delivering a performance that is to me her most sophisticated one in years.

Sideways (2004)

My brother and I watched this film when we were 14 and 16 years old in a hotel room at Disney World on a family trip – and we could not stop laughing at the visual humor! The depressing dramatic depths and the crazy comedic extremes juxtaposed together in Sideways makes it a truly remarkable film. Alexander Payne every time around directs the perfect dramedy. Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church are not only hilarious as their characters, but they represent the maturities and immaturities of the types of men they portray and take it even a step further.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2001)

Ang Lee is one of the most gifted filmmakers around. He has made so many great films in the past twenty years since and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is his most impressive achievement to date. With great fight sequences, vivid imaginative story, visual triumph (the cinematography is spellbinding) – Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon incorporates martial arts violence and narrative structure in an equivocated logical way.

Lost in Translation (2003)

A cleverly crafted mood piece is always a delight. Sofia Coppola’s beautifully shot, cleverly written, and appropriately minimalist piece is with no doubts one of the most swiftly put together movies. Bill Murray here brings not only his deadpan humor, but he creates a character that the audience can both sympathize and empathize with, as it depicts the disoriented feeling that comes about with traveling and culture shock. With just the right amount of humor, pithy dialogue, romance and drama – Lost in Translation is an absolute must-see.

The Wrestler (2008)

Sometimes, great art requires audiences to endure difficult viewing. Such is the case with Darren Aronofsky’s latest effort, The Wrestler. The performances by both Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei are two of the best acting jobs done in the past twenty-five years. And the pain, of watching Rourke’s performance allows us to see an actor who gives an unhinged performance – indulging/immersing him into the role so organically with nuance and subtlety. Shot with a meager budget of $4 million, The Wrestler not only gave us an understanding of the “fake” sport of wrestling, but it solidified Aronofsky as the most courageous director around, who unlike many of his contemporaries - will not sell his artistic integrity.

The Film Scholar versus The Film Critic

Critics and scholars represent an ample amount of the people who publicly analyze films. What I am trying to ponder (and believe me, I want your help on this), is the difference between film scholarship and film criticism. The latter, I feel, can be very easy and enjoyable for writers. For us cinephiles, we know that sometimes, ripping apart a bad film can produce the same amount of enjoyment as watching The Godfather (or whatever films may be among your favorites).

I engage in film criticism a fair amount for someone my age, as I write for the college newspaper, but what I find to be more astonishing and sophisticated as a study is scholarship. When I say scholarship, I mean learning about the cultural contexts of film, the sociological representations, gender/racial portraitures, and then considering how that is represented with formal elements of cinema like narrative structure, cinematography, lighitng, mise-en-scene - just to name a few.

I was one of the however-many millions who watched The Golden Globes this past Sunday. As I sat there and consumed this guilty pleasure, the one moment of that entire four hour ceremony that meant ANYTHING significant to the future of film was not Cameron's boast about how 3-D effects are changing everything, or Drew Barrymore's train wreck of a speech, it was Martin Scorsese's speech about the preservation of film.

When I watched him, I did not see a critic, a hater, or someone who rips films apart for a living, I saw a man who loves FILM, not digital tapes, or the FUSION camera, or 3-D technology, but film, film prints, film stocks, film projectors, the idea of watching little frames click around a wheel and shine through a beam of light.

There is nothing wrong with film criticism, in fact, I love it because I do it. But film scholarship, in my opinion at least, is much more admirable.