On Foreshadowing
Note: This article contains spoilers for both True Grit (the new one) and Casablanca. If you have not seen either of these films, please exercise caution while reading this. “One must not put a loaded rifle on the stage if no one is thinking of firing it.” -Chekhov I watched True Grit last week for the first time. This was perhaps the best decision I have made in a while. It’s nice to watch a truly good film for those moments of casual inspiration, and…
For the Fun of It…
I don’t remember if it was a movie or not. I do know that somehow my brother and I had gotten hold of a camera and weren’t about to let go. I was about nine, he was eleven and we were hanging out with two other boys in Farmington Hills. They had a big house that was pretty much deserted during the day so we had free reign to make or do whatever we wanted. Among four unsupervised adolescents, this can go one of two…
The Latest News…
Sorry I have been out of the loop this week. I have been hard at work on my first video piece for LAist.com! I have never produced anything “hard news” before, so it is a little rough, but I think it turned out OK. I am getting more interested in documentary film making, so I am starting to consider this a first step. From here, who knows, right? And the workshop is pretty cool, too. If you are in LA, and are a filmmaker, you…
Ivan Passer on Directing
Last weekend I was lucky enough to see Czech director Ivan Passer speak about his film Intimate Lighting at the Silent Movie Theatre. It’s an awesome movie, one filled with moments of humor, emotion, and wisdom; all of which feel understated and real. Written in 1965 while Czechoslovakia was under communist control, it’s a truly beautiful, incisive look at small-town life—independent, sly, and even slightly subversive. After the show Passer answered questions from the audience. I was fascinated to learn that all but one of…
The Short Film: What Works?
Last week I was lucky enough to attend another Open Projector Night at the Hammer at UCLA. In case you haven’t heard how this event works, directors submit videos and they are played on the big screen for two minutes. At any time, the audience can shout down those videos and at the two minute mark, they get to choose (based on applause) whether to keep the tape rolling. I won’t talk about how my film did, suffice it to say I was unfairly judged….
Recent Comments