Year end Music

Top ten in no particular order...

MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Fleet Foxes - S/T
Ladyhawk - Shots
Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Department of Eagles - In Ear Park
Blitzen Trapper - Furr
Portishead - Third
Beach House - Devotion

It's been such a good year I can't come up with just ten...

She and Him - Volume 1
Black Keys - Attack and Release
Black Mountain - In the Future
Stereolab - Chemical Chords
Chad VanGaalen - Soft Airplane
Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely

Stay tuned for the top ten movies

Everything Louder Than Everything Else

a new blog following the exploits of our first narrative fiction film...

everythinglouderthan.blogspot.com

VIFF VS. THE SICKNESS

My movie going experience has been pitiful to say the least at this years VIFF. Here is what I managed to see.

Wonderful Town- Slow moving Thai movie about people who smoke and lie on freshly made beds (heavens no, not a the same time, that's a fire hazard) pining for that person they recently met. Oh yeah and the main character gets killed and thrown in the river cause he slept with the help. Note to self: don't sleep with Thai chamber maids in the wake of a Tsunami.

Sweet Food City- The tough hooker at the center of this so-bad-it-made-me-laugh was not quite as interesting when she took off her wig. The wig deserves some type of award. It was the only thing in this movie that I marveled at. Sweet Wig City.

Sparrow- Johnnie To, Pickpockets and heavy handed bird metaphors.

Christmas Tale - If Michael Bay (with Paul W.S Anderson as a consultant) tried to take a stab at the Northern European domestic drama. Employing every stylish trick known to Madison avenue this film had no time or concern for character motivations. That is probably why all the critics love it. They misconstrue this as complex characterization. I just call it "not putting in the work that the audience deserves". Oh, yeah and it's in french so that helps the critics pad a couple of extra stars into the rating of this laughable feces receptacle. I would expect this from Hollywood but from France it's just inconceivable. If you like this, you are not allowed on any of my future film sets.

Still Walking - No, it's not a remake of a 70's exploitation flick. Yasujiro Ozu: Cira 2008. this is how domestic dramas should be done.

Night and Day - Hong Sang Soo epitomizes the director who constantly makes the same film. I liked Turning Gate but I am becoming increasingly bored with his variations on the plight of the Korean manchild.

Three Monkeys - Too close to the screen to really take in the great cinematography on this one. It was well acted and directed but there where a few things that were far too convenient to be taken seriously. In the end though I was mostly pissed off cause I didn't see any primates.

For the last couple of days I've been really sick. If you call really sick being pounded in the head with a ball peen hammer for 12 hours. Seriously I couldn't sleep, read, watch TV, surf the internet, make stupid jokes or play video games. So what I did was prop myself up on the couch in sort of a cross between sitting and lying down position and put my hand on my forehead. I closed my eyes and put on episodes of Dr. Katz, just so I could hear something to take my mind off the sinus headache from Hades.

Mona deserves many kisses, accolades and gold stars for putting up with me and missing a potentially great film. She went to Capers and got me some great organic food. The thing that was the sweetest though was when I ran out of sinus relief pills she drove me to the all night drug store (at 2 am).

The worst is over now.

Unfortunately, I had to cancel plans to run the Victoria Marathon on the 12th. When I'm better I'll run the distance on my own; on a course that I choose. One without an entrance fee.

I am planning something cinematic. News to follow

More TIFF Videos

Here are the rest of the TIFF videos...


WLWG AT TIFF #2-Fregnents from When Life Was Good on Vimeo.


WLWG AT TIFF #3 - Lemmings from When Life Was Good on Vimeo.


WLWG AT TIFF #4 - What could happen? from When Life Was Good on Vimeo.


WLWG AT TIFF #5 - The city thing from When Life Was Good on Vimeo.

Back from TIFF

Hey Y'all, I'm back from TIFF 08. What a crazy week it has been. It's my first time being on a winning team at one of these events and I have made a few observations...

-There is a two tier system: Hollywood and Canadian Cinema. Unfortunately we reached the upper echelons of the Canadian world but weren't able to crack through the stratosphere to hang out with Michael Cera and Zooey Deschanel.

-There is such a thing as too much free food and booze

-Naked Sushi is never a good idea.

-Is it possible for a show as lame-ass as E Talk to have a good party? I'll ad the caveat: Ben Mulroney was in attendance.

-The Holiday Inn on King has gone all Boutique hotel on our asses. Gone are such frivolities as storage space and ergonomics.

-I was overly optimistic about doing one video podcast a day. Being a social animal I got caught up in the networking and all night parties. I will be posting three more on this blog very soon.

-The programmers at TIFF are the nicest and coolest people ever. For those of you who don't know who I speak of they are: Jesse Wente, Matthew Hays, and Steven Gravestock. They were are personal guides to the event and just the most accommodating folks you could ask for.

-Mona and I need to come back there some day with a film of our own.

When Life Was Good at TIFF 08

In anticipation of the When Life Was Good entourage going to Toronto, I put together a 3 minute video. Check it at Vimeo...


When Life Was Good at TIFF 08 - #01 Prequel from When Life Was Good on Vimeo.

The next one should be up early morning on September 5th and then every day after that until the 9th if I can keep up.

PNE Hangover

I know my body is changing when I am totally leveled by a day at the Pacific National Exhibition. This is how it went down though. My mom and 8 year old niece were in town for a few days which meant I had to put on my entertainers hat.

The first day was fairly basic, I only had to go to the Aquarium but yesterday I had to go to Vancouver's annual fair. I was tired when I arrived there at just after noon but my niece made it pretty clear she was gung-ho to go on as many rides as possible. So to prepare for this I had a 1/4 chicken, mini donuts, an ice tea and as the rides loomed closer and closer I decided to have a Rockstar energy drink. My stomach had been feeling a little queasy that morning but I thought none of it. My niece and I bought ride wrist bands and god dammit were gonna get our 40 bucks worth. If an 8 year old can handle it, so should I. Wrong, very, absolutely, surprisingly, WRONG.

The first two rides were OK: The Swings and a tilt-a-whirl clone. Then we approached the Orbiter. This is similar to the Octopus but larger and as I found out packs a hell of a lot more G-force. During this ride my stomach started to disagree with my choice of entertainment. I could feel the puke making it's way up my throat. I kept it down thankfully but I was completely disoriented and shaky afterwards.

My niece was unfazed as she ran to the next ride. I told her I almost ralphed but she didn't react. I want to go onto the pirate ship; she shrieked. I managed to stall her but I still wanted to try to go on a couple more gentle rides to get my money's worth. A fools plan but I didn't want to piss away good money.

When we finally got to the Pirate ship I sat closest to the side so as not to get any vomit on my fellow riders if I had to hurl. I didn't get sick but I felt like an old lady. After we got off I finally put my foot down. Nothing short of coating her in warm bile would have convinced her otherwise so I had to tell her firmly that I needed some time to collect myself.

During all this my mom was safely ensconced at the Casino. When we met up with her we decided we would escort my niece to the different rides but I wasn't going to go on anything that involved shaking, dropping or vigorous flailing. In the end I went on 8 rides and my niece went on about 16. One ride (1001 Nachts) she went on 5 times.

As soon as I got home I went right to bed (even the car ride home was making me ill). Today my legs and buttocks hurt. Which is all very troubling to me since I've been training for a Marathon and just last week I went for a 25 Kilometre run with very little after effects.
When I saw my niece this morning she was fine. Damn kids.

Off to TIFF

As you may or may not know I am going to the Toronto International Film Fest as part of the cast of When Life Was Good. I am very excited about this trip because I really think Terry (the director) really has something with this film and that many people will respond favourably to the subject matter. Many other exciting things are in the works. which I will tell you as they happen. I just hope I get to meet Don McKellar

Bad things happening to good people

A little something about the movie This is England...

Shane Meadows movie about skinheads in early 80's England is a bracing smash in the face. The acting is top notch, the cinematography is grainy and unrepentant; the kind of sickly depressing stuff the BBC was pumping out in the 70's. A friend of mine said the look of British films of that era would actually make him sick to his stomach. This is a celebration of that anti-aesthetic movement.

It's a guys movie if there ever was one. Similar to John Tutuorro in 5 corners or many or Joe Pesci in Good Fellas the director puts front and center a character that is a ticking bomb. You just know something bad is going to happen to one of the good kids in this movie. It just stressed me out so much I could barely watch it.

The character I speak of is a real twisted fuck who's fresh from behind bars. He's about a decade older than the rest of his gang and prison has sure turned him into a four-star white supremacist. He's got all sorts of unresolved issues with the nice skinheads and a real thing for one of their girlfriends. He gets a few good monologues in before he starts his violent rampage.

One of the few sympathetic characters was Woody, the Skinhead who chose not to be a racist. They don't see eye to eye as you can well imagine. So, he's ousted and the white power dude is the defacto leader of the gang. If Woody would have had more screen time I would have really gotten into this movie. This is the point where I was gonna turn it off. Then Meadows throws in this added bonus: it's the Wood man's girlfriend that the ex-con is after. Let the love begin.

Don't get me wrong I can understand why people like this movie. I just don't like the way I felt at the end of it. I love Von Trier, Haneke, Park Chan Wook and Bergman so I guess if the pill is forced down my throat by an artist I can handle it more. "Oh god that is so violent but look at the framing"...kinda thing.

I guess the documentary realness of it hit me too hard. Meadows, you won but am I really envious of the prize?

The 12 year old kid who is the actual lead in this film really didn't do much for me either. It's true I'm not a big fan of movies through the eyes of kids but that's not really why I didn't like this film.

I'd have to say the little bit of hope at the end didn't make up for all the shit I was put through.

I feel I have to watch a few episodes of Dr. Katz to really purge myself of the mean little bastard of a tale.

It's in Belgium

What a phenomenal movie In Bruges is. I mean...I just hate Colin Farrel just like the rest a yas' (except for his role in The New World) but this movie was just bigger than his ego. This movie flattened his myth in one bloody swing.

I knew something was going on with this flick when I heard it was directed by Martin McDonagh who did Six-Shooter; a truly fantastic short that won an Academy award a few years ago.

At first blush it seems like another kick at the Lock, Stock and Two Smokin' Barrels formula. What it ends up being is the best British crime movie since Sexy Beast. I like it even more than SB as it takes it's roots in plays such as Waiting for Godot (Beckett) and the Dumb Waiter (Pinter). Yes, this movie is full of existential angst (Anyone heard of Theatre of the Absurd?) and every frame has a powerful nihilistic charge to it... but it's funny as fuck to boot. It's alive and heading for the grave in and addictively giddy way.

You really should see it if you like non-traditional crime films and ever since Pulp Fiction I know that's what I've been looking for. Hope you will agree.

In Edmonton for some Wedding stuff

I'm here again in Edmonton. I know I was just here in May. What brings me here you ask? Weddings. That old tradition where your need to make you commitment to someone becomes a legal matter. Crazy, I know.

To Quote Steve Malkmus: " I don't need a Minister/ to call me a groom".

So, I managed to go for a long run because I'm training for Victoria and I can't take time off, there are no vacations from this Marathon I've signed up for. I went down to the river valley on Wednesday and boy was it a hilly 25k that I blindly dove into. I thought this city was flat until I did that monster of a run. If there would have been one more hill I would have collapsed. Boy does it make me appreciate the Stanley park Seawall. I took yesterday off but today I'll try for a 10k.

I tried to do a pre-wedding video but Kerry and Kirstie didn't have enough free time to donate to the project so we scrapped it. That's OK though because it allowed me to just relax and Hang out with my Dad and Mom.

My Dad's Birthday is coming up so Mona, My Sister and I went in on a Wii for him. Cathy, his friend Harvey and Him just loved it. They played Golf and Bowling for most of the afternoon. It's amazing how people who have never played video games pick up the Wii. I guess that's why it's so successful.

Mona comes today which is awesome cause I miss her somethin' fierce. Tonight we stay over a Kerry's and then it's the Wedding tomorrow. We did the rehearsal last night and the Justice of the Peace scolded Ed, Jamie and I (the groomsmen) for talking. Apparently she was an ex-school teacher. At the end she got real heavy on us and stressed that she would not marry two people who had been drinking. If that was the rule no one would ever get married.

Mona is videotaping the Wedding but this time I'm the best man so I won't be shooting I'll just try to come up with a few good zingers to send the video over the top.

Terry's gone and done it again

Terry Miles, who never ceases to amaze me, has finished filming his third feature film. This one is called the Red Rooster and I was glad to be a part of the last day of production.

Mona and I went down to Relish (the restuarant the were filming at) last night to get some behind the scenes footage and help out with the production however we could. As with Terry's last film (When Life Was Good) he is a crew of one most of the time. He did have one other person helping him on this film but last night he was all alone. I did some focus pulling and some grip stuff but pretty much he did it all himself. Mona filmed some stuff but had to get up early so she left just after 11.

The production wrapped at around 2am and by what everyone was saying it seems like he completed another relatively stress free film experience. The proof of this is he's worked with his two leads (Casey and Kristine) on two features and about a dozen short films. People are loyal to Terry because he's a good guy and treats you well on set. Sounds simple but most new filmmakers get this part wrong. They get so stressed out and end up alienating the entire cast and crew. So, I'm glad to say I've learned a lot from Terry and when Mona and I do our first fictional feature we will be putting a lot of what Terry does into practice.

I can't wait to see the finished film.

Training for the 42K

It's been 8 years since I've completed a marathon, so having had enough time to completely forget the pain, I've decided to run the Victoria marathon on Oct 12th. Out of the dozen marathon's I've completed it was my favorite. The course is gentle and the climate is mild.

A few things have changed since 2000 in the world of long distance running.

First off, I now use the Nike-ipod combo to track my pace and mileage. This handy little device allows me to listen to my favorite tracks while having a soothing female voice give me pace and distance updates at the push of a button (or automatically if I choose). The clothing hasn't changed much but there seems to be a lot of new nutrition supplements and performance enhancers. I'm just glad the shoes are still squishy so as to take the pounding away from my knees.

My longest run to date is 18 kilometers but I will build up to around 32K. The new thinking is to build up your longest run to about 70% of the distance. This way you don't burn yourself out before race day.

I did have a little scare a few weeks back when my hamstring seized up but I went to my massage therapist and he got me back running in a matter of days.

More on my progress as it unfolds

Freelance, whatever that means

Hello all. I am now no longer employed at the Hotel. I now free to pursue my creative and artistic goals. This will mean having to eek out a living doing freelance editing gigs in the mean time though.

I am listening to a lot of great music at the moment. At the top of the list is Fleet Foxes, a band on subpop, who conjures up memories of CSNY, Band of Horses and My Morning Jacket. These long haired dudes who loves the reverb-heavy multi-part harmonies have really gotten to me. Whenever one of their songs comes on the ipod during a run my pace quickens. White Winter Hymnal is my fav right now but there are lots on great ones on this disc. I am told they are friends with Cave Singers so hopefully I can meet them the next time they are in town.

Mona and I went for a walk through our neighborhood and took a few pictures...

Off to Edmonton

I know I haven't been on this blog thing for a while but hey I'm here now.

I've been doing a lot of stuff over the past few months...

- I quit the Hotel I work at; my last day will be June 30th

- I am now getting a lot of work as a freelance video editor

- I saw and thoroughly enjoyed Iron Man

- I still think foreign films are tops (yes I'm talking about you Woman in the Dunes and Four Months, Three Weeks, and Two days)

- Mona and I are happy to be making the transition from Doccos to Drama (It will be a slow process but it will happen, I assure you)

- I am training for the Victoria Marathon which takes place Oct 12

- I can't wait for the Ten Kens album to come out and set the music world on fire!!!

- I think my sister is going to get the most kick ass wedding video (that we are shooting for her this weekend as a gift; two camera shoot and killer video editing skills)

- I know Let Me Be Fictional has been rejected from several film fests but I still love it and wouldn't change a thing

- I still love you Scarlet but just step away from the mic (or at least stay away from the Tom Waits catalog)

- I've fallen for another Scarlet and am gonna get me two of those cameras when they come out in early 2009

- Lovin' the PS3 that Mona got me for my Birthday. When I feel I deserve it I'm gonna get GTA IV

Out for now, will post more and with greater frequency.

Two new videos worth a look

These two videos caught my attention the other day. The New Pornographers video really helps to feed into the cult of Bejar but in a really trippy way.

Sick, but still in the fight

I've had a sinusy-cold-energy-sucking thing going down for about a week now but my head still feels pretty clear. We still haven't heard anything back from SXSW yet. I suspect we will hear from them by next Friday. I think this is a good sign.

Mona is busy in the other room editing some of the wedding video. It will be my turn later today. It looks like we are almost done.

Next week I am going to be doing more editing for a mixed martial arts program. Yes, there will be grounding and pounding. It's fun and I get to work with Paul who is a cool guy who listens to decent music. After that hopefully Mona and I will be able to work on our own stuff for awhile.

We saw Dance Party, USA last night at the Vancity Theatre. It is one of the more poetic and lyrical entries in the whole Mumblecore phenomenon. I really enjoyed it and found it to be a lot like the last couple of Gus Van Zant movies. It's basically about teenagers partying and drinking but without all the mainstream cliches plopped on top. There is a serious tone to it through the use of long lenses and very quiet moments. You can tell why Benten films chose to release it on DVD. All in all I would recommend it to people who like the same arthouse fare that Mona and I champion.

Well, it's back to editing.

LMBF trailer now on youtube

thought we'd put this everywhere. If you haven't seen it....

Top Movies of 2007

It was a great year for movies that's for sure. I still haven't seen all the movies I've wanted to because some of the supposed best of 007 are not yet playing in Vancouver.

Theatrical

No Country for Old Men
The Savages
Margot at the Wedding
King of Kong
The Host
Red Road
Day Night, Day Night
Paris J'Taime
Inland Empire


Film Fest Favs

Paranoid Park
Edge of Heaven
The Red Balloon

Movies I still need to see
2 Day in Paris
Youth Without Youth
4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days
Manda Bala (Send a Bullet)
Romance and Cigarettes

and of course

There Will Be Blood

Video Discoveries

Cache
Great Happiness Space
The Devil and Daniel Johnston

Biggest Disappointments

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Eastern Promises
I'm Not There (although the soundtrack kicks ass)

Let Me Be Fictional website up and runnin'

Go to our shiny new website...

www.letmebefictional.com

It's pretty basic and may need some tweaking over the next months but it's up and the trailer's there.

In related news we've submitted to 8 film fests so we'll keep you posted over the next few weeks to our status (accepted or rejected).

The Savages

Mona, Ryan and I just saw The Savages today. This is the kind of movie that Mona and I would hope we could make one day. Everything about it plays into what we love about cinema.

The story is pretty simple, a brother and sister are forced to take care of their aging father after his girlfriend dies. This is the stuff of TV melodrama, sure but in the hands of the director/screenwriter Tamara Jenkins and two of my favourite actors Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney this material just soars above the competition.

The way the scenes unfold and linger is what all domestic dramas aspire to. Sure it's not a flawless film but it feels exactly the way it should: natural. There is absolutely not exposition, you are literally thrown into these peoples lives and little by little you learn about them, but not too much, just enough to want to know them more.

There are no great triumphs or wrap-ups in this movie. It's depressing as hell and makes you want to cry in more than a few scenes but in the end it inspired me to write the feature Mona and I want to make this year. Now if we can just hold onto this feeling we have right now until post production.