Film Fun

Caught a handful of films at the LA Film Festival this year. Bummed I missed Dear Lemon Lima, even after they added an EXTRA screening, but out of the ones I did get to see, these were three notables:

Stella
Director: Sylvie Verhyde



This film was absolutely enchanting. Best coming of age story made in a long time. I'm partial to the story of the misfit, but not the dopey, sissy Little Miss Sunshine kind of misfit. I like the misfit that most resembles the ones I grew up with and looked up to. Stella is the story of a girl who probably grew up to be the coolest person on the planet. Word on the street is that it is the story of Sylvie Verhyde, the film's director. Sylvie, I just want to tell you, this is the kind of movie that Sofia Coppola would give her right arm to make. I can't imagine a more perfect film. Thinking of it now, I'm filled with the same fire and wonder that I walked away with after the screening. That feeling didn't fade until I fell asleep that night. Truly, a fantastic film. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone here, but prepare yourself for the undertow. I didn't want to leave this movie for a minute, and as soon as it has US distribution, I'm taking everyone I know to go see it.


We Live in Public
Director: Ondi Timoner



This documentary is part of the movement I am starting to identify as the TOP-DOG Documentary. These documentaries have a distinctly Hollywood flavor, and like my fake genre's first commercial success, Dogtown and Z-Boys, these films say "Hey, in case you didn't know, our generation was the best one ever, and whatever you do now is because we did it first". I find myself in a tough spot with these films. I'm drawn to them, because they always have the potential to shed light on subcultures that I have at some point felt a part of, but as soon as I start to feel a part of things, I'm reminded that the filmmaker, and the subjects of the doc should be remembered as THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT EVER MATTERED. The viewer should stay behind the velvet rope and be happy to be in the presence of ORIGINAL GENIUS. Of course, for those in the know, these films always reveal that there are predecessors being ignored, and the hunger for celebrity and recognition ultimately does shed light on the sub-culture... just not always a good one. I was hooked on the story about Joshua Harris, and as his story unfolded, it became clear why even though I was spending hours online, on IRC, and sending emails in 1993, I never once heard of this guy or a single one of his projects. Thanks to film (and if Harris has his way, television) Joshua Harris will be back on someone's front page, and I have a feeling he's going to get a thrill from the fame in Hollywood that comes from having once done something people in NY got excited about, but can barely remember now. When this hits theaters, go check this out with your inter-nerd friends, see for yourself. There isn't much in the film that will shock you outside of the idea of one person spending so much money on something so fleeting, and having nothing to show for it but a festival hopping documentary.


Paper Heart
Director: Nick Jasenovec



I missed out on all the earlier buzz about this movie, which I'm actually pretty happy about. I even had Giant Robot 60 in my hands the day of the screening I attended, and HELD OFF of reading the interview with Charlyne Yi so I could walk in fresh. I knew it was going to be funny, I knew it would only deepen my passionate love for Michael Cera, and I knew that I was going to like it. Check out the interview with Charlyne in GR. It's a fun read, and it made me like the film even more. Charlyne Yi and Nick Jasenovic do a tremendously good job wrangling the hours of footage they had for this film, and they tell a fantastically fun, and original story. This is going to be in theaters soon, and this will be another one I will urge all my friends to see. This movie has the power to defrost at least a few of the outermost layers of the iciest hearts.

My general rule is to support the projects of anyone who supports Giant Robot, and Michael Cera and Martin Starr used to come in to GR back when GR60 cover artist Deth P. Sun used to work there. That was a good era. This issue of GR brings it around in a way that I love. It's a perfect way to commemorate 15 years of a company that strives to inspire, recognize and celebrate good things!

Deals on Drawings

Now's a good time to make wise investments. Art always counts to me! With mega-corporations like Google not being willing to shell out bucks to talented peeps for their mini masterpieces, it's a good time to show your appreciation for creative endeavors by buying work from your favorite people out there.

Peter Thompson is one of my faves, and he's got some good deals going with his $50 drawings. Check them out on Flickr. This one makes me happy, but someone beat me to it... no worries though, there are still a ton of great pieces still available!

Blogger: Michelle Borok - Create Post

I also have to save pennies for the party at Yosemite Studios this week. Sad to hear this will be the last of the parties, but also secretly pleased that studio residents will be letting go of some gems. Sometimes it makes me feel dirty to buy stuff off of my friends, but I suppose it's a good thing in the long run.

Depression

I'm reading You Can't Go Home Again by Thomas Wolfe. Look Homeward, Angel is one of my favorite books, but this novel is starting to push it out of the running for number one.

Books seem to have the ability to show up and get read at the right time. The internet hustles for relevance, but books have an easy, quiet knack for it. The last book I finished was Reading Lolita in Tehran. I started it ages ago, and it was such a dull read that it took forever, but now it's paying off. Reading another text about the experience of the educated elite in the Middle East, and about women dealing with the changing political climate in Iran , has certainly added to the interest in what's going on in Iran right now - but more interesting now is how Americans are responding to what's happening on the ground. There's this passionate (as much passion as a person can gather from behind a keyboard) response to what's happening there, that I can't seem to get caught up in... not when I've seen how much democratic freedom Americans have been willing to give up in this country without the slightest hint at a fight.

I suppose that universally, we fall into the same political and economic cycles, despite scholar's best efforts to document the errors of the past. Is it formulas in place that we can't fall out of line with? Is it just complacency? Knowing that what we ignore now won't make an impact until we're too old to take responsibility for it?

Thomas Wolfe reflected on the Great Depression in the 1930s, and what his characters spoke of then is true now.

Different time. Different faces.

Same place. Same mistakes.

From George, Wolfe's central character, and not so thinly-veiled mouthpiece:

"Sometimes it seems to me... that America went off the track somewhere -back around the time of the Civil War, or pretty soon afterwards. Instead of going ahead and developing along the line in which the country started out, it got shunted off in another direction - and now we look around and see we've gone places we didn't mean to go. Suddenly we realize that America has turned into something ugly - and vicious - and corroded at the heart of its power with easy wealth and graft and special privilege... And the worst of it is the intellectual dishonesty which all this corruption has bred. People are afraid to think straight - afraid to face themselves - afraid to look at things and see them as they are. We've become like a nation of advertising men, all hiding behind catch phrases like 'prosperity' and 'rugged individualism' and 'the American way.' And the real things like freedom, and equal opportunity, and the integrity and worth of the individual - things that have belonged to the American dream since the beginning - they have become just words, too. The substance has gone out of them - they're not real any more..."

Sigh.

I need to spend more time with puppies and ponies.

Karaoke Lunch Break!!

Just as I was feeling that I was losing touch with karaoke in my life, it came on like a song tsunami to remind me I can never let go. Last month's trip to NYC had me back on the mic with Anne and her bachelor party posse from Brooklyn. We went to a spot in Chinatown that felt very LA, except for the late last call, and better dressed people.

It felt good to be back.

Last year's birthday was marked by a great dinner with friends, and then an awkward karaoke session with people from my different social circles all in the same place. We were sharing karaoke stylings, music selections and an intimate space without much harmony. For year 33 I did Disneyland instead, and my karaoke fix came later with Martin.

Last week we went down to Max Karaoke on Sawtelle for our first (and hopefully not last) karaoke lunch break! It was a challenge we were both down to tackle - cram as many songs as possible between us for the next 60 minutes, then return to work energized!

I should have kept count of how many we knocked out, but I was too busy looking for my next song. It was probably 6 or 7 a piece. Not all of them were winners, and I tried to mix it up with songs that were new for me, but we were both eager to maximize time and quality.

Later that night, I was surprised to get a second shot at karaoke magic in one 24 hour period. Lana texted about meeting up in K-town for karaoke at Rosen's with her posse and friend in from NYC. I was sick (infected with disease from touching things at Disneyland) but I had to try.

A few shots of Maker's and some Bud Light chased with OB helped me power through the illness, and Lana's crew picked crazy good songs to keep us going until after last call. I can't imagine a better way to have started and ended the day. Well.... unless I did this version of one of my karaoke faves: