peaces

Short film produced and co-written by Paula Bird. Starring Jack Serino, Trish Monaco and Piper (yes, the dog). The video is very dark because of digital rendering and uploading to YouTube. But you’ll get the point, I’m sure.

Reluctantly I joined PBX and a friend for an afternoon movie in Hollywood. I wasn’t reluctant to join for fun. I was reluctant about the movie choice: Ironman. I just think taking two hours to sit still for a single film is a lot to ask in today’s world. In my world today, that is.

Our friend arrived earlier and bought our tickets for us. Naturally we were running late. We knew the movie would probably be sold out so we were concerned about finding seats together. Little did we know the Arclight Theater sells assigned seating. Nice.

I settled into my second-row aisle seat, preparing to nap, because as I said, I had no interest in seeing Ironman.

There was no nap.

Know what I love? When I’m pleasantly surprised by my overwhelming love for a film I never would’ve chosen to see on my own.

By the middle of the film I was cheering for the main character Tony Stark - who I am completely in love with. I mean, I liked Robert Downey Jr. before seeing this movie but now I’m head-over-heals in love with him.

So much in love that when we came out of the theater and saw the above Ironman Suit (pictured) on display - the same one I rolled my eyes at on the way in - I went goo-goo-gah-gah when I read the sign at its feet:

Actual suit worn by Robert Downey Jr. in Ironman

Our friend leaned in and joked, “It might still smell like him.” PBX captured my gah-ness on video (proof coming soon). I felt (and looked and sounded) like a kid on vacation in a foreign land. Sixteen years in this town and I was the biggest tourist-dork in sight.

I don’t care. It was awesome! I’m an Ironman fan. He’s going to save the world.

Oh yeah, and pictured is the car he drove to the red carpet gathering in the movie.

Yup. Starstruck. That’s me. I hate it. But I can’t help it.

All it takes is for me to be honest with myself (in here) and my heart starts to lighten up.  I just need to feel free to express these sides of myself.  And the only person with the authority to grant permission is me.  So, yeah, there it is.

I guess this Birthday to come is bigger than I was willing to admit.  It’s been a few years since I’ve had a big birthday celebration.  I’ve been considering one this year.  Perhaps.  We’ll see how I feel as the days pass.

For now I’m trying to remember to do loving things to feel good about myself.  Like waxing my legs and getting a hair cut and doing a week long intestinal cleanse and drinking superfood smoothies and playing music and writing and creating.

It gets difficult to keep my head up when I’m not working.  Money isn’t coming in but it keeps going out.  Funny how that happens.  Not funny-haha.  Not funny at all really.  It’s stressful.

Truthfully, not as stressful as working in madness.  I was sick and losing sleep and gaining even more wrinkles.

Work will come.  I’m putting the energy out there.  I certainly have caught up on lost sleep these past few free days.  I’m ready to return to full time work again.  That’s how it should be.  Work hard for 6 or 8 weeks then take a full week off.  Return completely refreshed.

On the creative life front — Last Friday we were interviewed for a documentary on sex education.  I was reminded of “that movie” and the “pink booklets” the girls got in sixth grade and “don’t let the boys see it.”  Things seem (and should be) so different today.

Saturday we were asked to be extras in a friend’s movie.  We played tourists on Hollywood Blvd, asking Marilyn Monroe for a photo.

Sunday we had a film crew at hour house for an upcoming film shoot in our house next week (unless the date changes).

What’s that you ask?  Is there a video?  Why YES, there is a video that corresponds with our exciting mundane lives!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH LOS ANGELES LIVING - HOLLYWOOD TO HOME 

Enjoy.  Off to record a song.

I just came from a screening of a movie that is in its final post-production stages.  It’s in such early stages that the website is just a single flash intro page and the project is “untitled” according to IMDb.

My Suicide is an excellent, very intense, emotionally charged, honest and crazy break-thru film about a “media-obsessed high school geek” who plans to film his suicide as his class project.  He hooks up with the most perfect/fucked-up girl in school and they film every moment as they plot their deaths together.  It’s YouTube gone wild — but with a much bigger budget — so all elements of filmmaking are there.

And it works. Brilliantly.

This is the first film to really expose lives of (some? most?) teens today - in a handheld, green screen, webcam, viral video-ish live-action/animation kind of way.  They call it a comedy.  Perhaps it’s a dramedy.  I cried. hard. twice.  I winced. twice, that I can remember.  I laughed many times at the absurdity of real-life moments.  But not the kind of laugh that hurts my cheeks and makes me want to relive the moments by quoting the characters.  No.  More like the ah-ha, intelligent kind of laugh that reveals truth through irony.  I left with a lot to think about - creatively and emotionally drained.

It took a few minutes initially to get over the shock of this new media expression.  The film seems to defy all rules of screenwriting and filmmaking (ok maybe not all).  Teen angst: the next generation.  No sugar-coated fabrications this time.

It’s the stuff parents don’t want to see - but really should.

This one’s a hit.  Be ready for some real emotion and real talent.  If you do see it when it’s released, let me know what you think.  I’m curious.

Do you remember posts I wrote last year about gruelling long days, early freezing cold mornings, running around for Starbucks donations, getting paperwork in order, organizing cast and crew - all as part of my first attempt at being the 2nd Assistant Director of a short film? It was a love/hate relationship to say the least. I learned a lot and had a mostly great experience. Aside from the obvious reasons I chose to work on the project (namely - PBX was the 1st Assistant Director), I especially liked working with the director, Nicola Marsh. She’s a smart, witty and talented woman.

Anyway, that film, LAST EXIT, just won 3rd Runner Up in the Short Movie Awards category at the 8th Annual PlanetOut Sundance Film Festival.

You can actually watch the entire film (all 12 minutes of it) here. Click the link then click on “Last Exit” and let me know what you think.

We went to the movies yesterday - first time in … a long time. Aside from student films, I can’t remember the last movie I saw at the theater. It might have been last summer - with PBX and PBX-Jr.

Now I’m stuck on figuring it out. I know we saw Pirates and The Devil Wears Prada. After that, the fall is a blur.

Anyway…

We saw Pan’s Labyrinth yesterday. A sweet little sci-fi fantasy — NOT! Be warned. This is not the movie we expected to see. I’d describe it as a violent, thriller-tragedy - with nothing held back. Very well done. Great acting. It’s a Spanish film - subtitled - and I even stayed with it. If you know me, you know I despise having to read while watching a film. Subtitles take me out of the story because I’m a slow reader. However, this film moved slow enough for me. I found myself spinning my hands trying to move the story along.

I’m still trying to figure out if I liked the story or not. Just because it wasn’t what I was expecting, doesn’t mean it wasn’t good. It was so heavy. We went to an early show - but it knocked us out for the rest of the night.

Be careful - it has an R rating - not just for the mature theme - but definitely because of the graphic violence. And I mean graphic. I could hardly watch some of it. Many of us were squirming and squealing in our seats. It was very discomforting.

At one point I was angry - hating the movie. It was then that I realized it must be a good film - anything that makes me feel so strongly. I hated what was happening on so many levels. This story grinded my soul in a deep way. At the very same time, I feel a deep sense of respect for the filmmakers and actors involved. Compassion like no other for the protagonists and deep rage for the antagonist. It’s the only way I know to explain it.

I’m being vague because I don’t want to spoil the story.

QUESTION: If you have seen, or you plan to see (or not) Pan’s Labyrinth, what are your thoughts?

I love when I am emotionally moved by a movie - especially one I think I’m not going to like.

I just finished watching V for Vendetta for the second time this weekend. I was most resistant to adding this movie to our Netflix queue. Even after its arrival, it sat in our DVD player for almost a week. We waiting as long as we could. It had to be watched.

I’m not so good with writing reviews. It’s particularly difficult for me to review a futuristic, political, sci-fi flick. Probably because I try to convince myself that these are not my “type” of movies. However, I’ve been enthralled with many from this genre (1984, A Clockwork Orange, Fight Club). Perhaps today it’s more difficult to miss the similarities between the messages in these movies and what’s going on in our country today.

The title threw me way off. V for Vendetta sounded like a thrill-kill flick (like the Kill Bill series, of which I can’t watch for more than thirty seconds due to the graphic violence). Turns out, it’s not. Don’t get me wrong, V is violent. I can name three significant scenes I watched through my fingers. But there’s a message of empowerment and freedom - overcoming fear by overthrowing the totalitarian government, knowing truth, thinking for oneself - that spoke to the core of me.

Natalie Portman did an amazing job on this project. Even her British accent. I wanted to find flaws. I tried to distract from the film and criticize her botched-britt-ness. I’m no expert but her accent never took me out of the story. That’s what matters. I had to readjust my ears when listening to her native tongue during interviews on the DVD extras.

And who didn’t fall in love with V? Seriously, I can’t be the only one whose heart skips a beat at the thought of his sensitivity, his brilliant mind, and his sexy English accent. And that face! Who wouldn’t love a Guy Fawkes mask? Okay, maybe not-so-much the face. Amazing how the man behind the mask can be so alluring. Proof that love is internal.

Anyway, that’s what I did tonight - and last night. I’ve also read a few articles - the history of Guy Fawkes, some reviews of the movie, comparisons of other utopian/dystopian classics, and the list goes on.

Did you see V for Vendetta? What are your thoughts?