Love Actually... is a Wormhole of Time Travel Insanity

(***Santa had a few when he wrote this so you may want to take a peek, its long as fuck but well, WELL worth it...***)

Released on 14 November 2003, Bridget Jones Diary Director Richard Curtis' extremely popular, Christmas-themed rom-com, Love Actually, is absolutely one of the most sloppily made, incoherently edited time-travel shitshows in recent memory. To establish this, I'm going to analyze the film's first act, that is, 30 minutes of absolute insanity.
After the beautifully sappy and sentimental opening sequence narrated with a relaxed sense of Holiday cheese by the ironically venerable Hugh Grant, we see an Iggy Pop-like has-been rock star, played with irony and vigor by a terrific Bill Nighy, recording a shithouse Christmas pop song, but according to the editing logic of the film's opening, the song appears on the radio the very next day. The film is cut to appear as the film's first several scenes are actually one full day and unfortunately, this makes Love Actually appear as one of the most confusing, incompetently cut motion pictures I have ever seen. My theory is that this film is actually about time-travel. Not just any time travel, sweater-induced time travel to be specific...

- (5:29 mark) Why is Liam Neeson calmly working at home when he should be preparing for his wife's funeral later that morning (the funeral would have to be in the morning because of time of year - and when we do get to the funeral at the 15:10 mark, which based on the overall editing logic of the film, is still clearly either the morning or early afternoon)? To prove this, the wedding, which is cut in-between and parallel to the funeral, features two sequences, a ceremony and a reception, which have to happen on the same day AND during daylight hours.

- (5:45 mark) Emma Thompson appears. Pay attention to the film closely; at no point in the film is any relationship established between Liam Neeson and Emma Thompson. NONE. Why are they talking on the phone? What is the nature of their relationship? Are they siblings? Fucking prove it. It is NEVER made clear. So why is she cooking with peppers (as she speaks with her daughter who is just about to leave for school) when she should be preparing for a funeral for a person we are not certain she has ever met. Her relationship with Neeson is never made clear so how the fuck does she know his deceased wife? And here's a better question, we know she is married to Alan Rickman's character (this is clearly established later in the film) so why doesn't she attend the funeral with him, regardless of his relationship with Liam Neeson? This makes zero sense. It's also never made clear why she can't continue to speak with Liam Neeson's character on the phone even though it's the morning of his wife's funeral and she has nothing better to do than cut a bell pepper at 9 a.m. What a bitch.

- (5:55 mark) Colin shows up to deliver some muffins and sandwiches to people in an office. Pay close attention to his outfit. Then pay close attention to actress Heike Makatsch's wardrobe (this is NOT Jeri Ryan as many people assume). This will be important later.

- (6:15 mark) Colin then works at a wedding reception later that day. We know this is the same day because we cut from him at the office, and then cut to the movie shoot with stand-ins Martin Freeman and Joanna Page, we then cut to the wedding where Keira Knightley walks down the aisle and then cut to the intro of the Prime Minister (played by Hugh Grant, who is terrific by the way, I fucking love Hugh Grant), and then back to the vows of the wedding ceremony. The wedding ceremony establishes THE SAME DAY regardless because we keep cutting back to it. So for those of you keeping score, Colin went from handing out muffins at the office to catering a wedding on a weekday afternoon - the same day ALL of our central ensemble is introduced.

Based on the film's editing logic, Heike Makatsch appears in the same outfit on the morning of Colin's pre wedding muffin delivery and the following day, which begins at the 18:04 mark, meaning this character either wore the same outfit two days in a row OR we are repeating the events of the previous day in which Laura Linney goes to the work in the morning, gets sexually harassed by Alan Rickman (more on this later), and then attends a wedding with Colin Firth for some reason (keep this in mind, the film never establishes a relationship between Linney and Firth either - they never speak again or appear in the same scene again). At the 20 minute mark of the film we hear Bill Nighy's song on the radio - this means that at 2:43 pm UK time (according to the 8:43 am Brazilian time clock on the wall behind fake Jeri Ryan's desk) the song was playing on the radio, either the day after it was recorded, or on the sweater-vest wormhole repeat of the first day. Therefore, according to the Heike Makatsch sweater-vest time travel theory, that song is released the same day it is recorded.

- (8:30) The secretary introduces Natalie (a member of the household staff) to the Prime Minister, with "she's new just like you." Natalie says during the introduction, "I had a premonition that I was going to fuck up on my first day, " This is contradictory to everyone's reconstructed wormhole memory of previous events at the 23:36 mark, when Natalie mutters, "the other bloke liked the boring biscuits," meaning she did, in fact, work for the other Prime Minister - otherwise how did she know this? So we have confirmation that Natalie is both new to her job YET she tells her new boss that she has worked there before. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom fails to questions this (One of MANY instances of the ridiculously incompetent work of both MI-5 and everyone working at 10 Downing Street. More on this later) This makes no sense. Neither does Natalie's own time travel sequence in which she comes in wearing a black dress at 23:26, the VERY next scene - which begins a mere ten seconds later- she is wearing a completely different outfit (pay attention closely to the color, necklines, and the fact that she has a WHITE sweater-vest now, eerily similar to Heike Makatsch's earlier sweater-vest time travel device). Although, there is no established change in time or day, the 10-second shift to which I am referring to is filmed as if we are in the same day and we know this because Hugh Grant is wearing the same suit and tie in two different locations at a very specific interval - tea time. Once again, further evidence of sweater-vest related time travel.

- (13:57-14:07) The credited editor, Nick Moore, clearly pancaked several scenes together to ensemble-group all the characters together on the same day, this is called "force-binding" and to prove this theory - the black PA, Tony (played with droll wit by Abdul Salis), is seen at the movie shoot at the 14:07 mark with Martin Freeman and Joanna Page. Now these two characters are in the same outfit they were in at the 6:20 mark so we know that Tony was there earlier in the day. So based on the films editing logic, Tony went from the movie shoot, to the wedding, and then back to the movie shoot within one minute of elapsed real time. To further prove this, when Tony speaks to Martin Freeman and Joanna Page at the 14:25 mark, he says (while they are in the same clothing that they were in at the 6:20 mark), "time is tight, we gotta wrap this up..." He says this despite the fact that he went from his supposedly stressful, demanding position on a professional film set to a wedding where he proceeded to just fuck-off and read a magazine and then back to the movie set. Maybe we wouldn't be so pressed for time if you just put down the spank mag and did your fucking job, and maybe this one scene wouldn't take five fucking weeks to shoot according to the film's timeline (these two characters are filming one scene in one location in one room for almost five full weeks, how epic was this love scene for fuck's sake?). To illustrate this point even further, Martin Freeman and Joanna Page can be found still introducing one another from identical repeating scenes at 6:20 and 14:25. (Both are wearing sweaters. Woooooo)

- (15:10 mark) We see Emma Thompson alone at the funeral - why is her husband, played by Alan Rickman, not with her? This makes zero sense especially when you consider that Alan Rickman is the boss of what ever the fuck office he is running. I think he can take the day off - especially when you consider that based on the Heike Makatsch sweater-vest time travel theory, the only actual work he seems to be doing is organizing horseshit office parties and getting people laid, To prove this theory, go to the 18:30 mark, Rickman advises Laura Linney (his employee mind you) to sexually harass another employee, Karl (Rodrigo Santoro).

- (17:17 mark) Laura Linney and Sheriff Rick (Andrew Lincoln) appear in a scene together for no apparent reason, they have no further contact and their relationship is never explained. Oddly enough, Heike Makatsch's character later establishes an acquaintance with Lincoln although they never appear in any scenes together so what is the relationship between any of these people?

- (18:04) The rare establishing shot of morning on the Thames, followed by late afternoon what-the-fuck-hi-jinks at the sexual harassment factory led by Professor Snape and the time-traveling sweater-vest brigade. Rewind to 5:55, fake Jeri Ryan appears in the same outfit in each of the scenes; so is it the next day OR is this first instance of a knitwear related wormhole?

- (24:53) Colin is wearing the same outfit from the opening muffin-delivery sequence (5:55), meaning he too traveled in time from the morning of the wedding to a week later to discuss his plans to travel abroad in search of sex with loose Wisconsinites.

This barely gets us through the film's opening 30 minutes. We haven't even approached the picture's horrifically incompetent third-act denouement. Stay tuned for the second second half of this scatter-brained, nightmare Christmas comedy.

Love Actually - Jamie & Aurelia - SWEET SCENE - ( Colin Firth & Lucia Moniz )

Love Actually 2003 - Jamie & Aurelia - SWEET SCENE - ( Colin Firth & Lucia Moniz ) One of my favorite scenes. Language barrier is never a problem. Haha. They...

Miami Vice

Yup, Miami Vice. It's come to this. Actually, this is a fucking fantastic movie. Surprisingly enough, this is one of Director Michael Mann's most poised, balanced, and compelling brushstrokes, and I'll admit, considering the Chicago native's impressive canon: Thief, Manhunter, Last of the Mohicans, Heat, The Insider, Collateral, this is a bold, valiant, you could even say audacious position. But, something to consider - there is no stronger, more engaging male-female juxtaposition than that of Isabella and Sonny in any Michael Mann picture. Released on 28 July, 2006, Mann's ninth feature to date, Miami Vice, is not only wickedly entertaining, adventurous in scope and translation, it's a fun fucking movie. Now I don't have fun in movies, not anymore...I can't relax, I over think the process, but this picture possesses some tremendous set-pieces, its action sequences are exhilarating, practical, hyper-realistic, its cast first-rate, I mean take a look at Sonny's god damn mustache for fuck's sake. That shit says in no uncertain terms, "playtime is over."

Miami Vice is a high-octane, high-tension, high-impact actioneer, intel-op military-grade drama, and intelligently written, clandestine romance. It is tense, self-assured, yet disorienting with its ambition. It's complex, web-like narrative so elaborate its almost ridiculous; the film is so fucking multi-layered, so self-important, so hysterically macho and contains so much vague, political posturing made even more byzantine when elucidated, the $135 million effort almost collapses under its own weight. But, with all the testosterone-infused gunfire, all the Miami chutzpah-braggadocio, this gonzo outpouring of violence and chauvinist zealotry confidently, effortlessly orbits around A MAN AND A WOMAN. Sure the fucked-up fairy tale of Sonny and Isabella is cursed, we know this from the onset - cue the scene below...

:20-second mark of this clip. We see a car's wheel separate their bodies - foreshadowing the distance that will inevitably come between them and the immediacy of their relationship, rare is love so powerful and urgent. Cuba, still suffering from our decades-old embargo, seems stuck in time, as if to suggest that this doomed love affair is about to suffer a similar fate.

Great scene, but even better is the film's ending. Gong Li and that handsome Irish prick that goes by the name of Colin Farrell are so god damn good together, you are simply hypnotized by their bond. At the film's 2:10:00 mark, Sonny whispers to her...

"A man named Frank is gonna come in a boat, and he will run you to Cios de Habanos. From there you can find a way to Havana, where no one will follow you, including me..."

And then the most inspired moment in the film: Isabella looks at Sonny, heartbroken, but this information is safeguarded within those stoic, serious eyes. Without muttering a fucking word, Sonny Crockett cautiously glances back towards her, hoping, I suspect, that she will ask him to come with her. But this love story is a cautionary tale, isn't it? She keeps her mask on, and why not? It has been used to protect her for so many years. And that facade, so delicate, just a tear away from crumbling. But, she keeps her gaze locked on the sea ahead of her. Crockett's eyes, on the other, shake at their foundation - it's a melancholy and effective scene; strangely poignant, subtle, and touching - odd for such a tumultuous and violent picture.

Isabella then counters..."remember what I told you...time is luck..."

Cautiously, Sonny replies, "Our luck ran out."

Then at 2:10:35 mark, there's a profile two-shot where the two star-crossed lovers become one. Amazing ending. Perfect anti-hipster fodder. For all you hoodlum-romantics, especially those that fancy comfortable silences, there is nothing more erotic than a film that stresses the notion of showing and not telling.

"Bad Idea" scene from Miami Vice 2006

An excellent scene from a great movie Miami Vice... Quote: Sonny: "This is a bad idea." Isabella: "This is past a bad idea." Sonny: "And it has no future."...

The Limits of Control

What if I told you that a film existed that comingled the fluid, melancholy precision of Tarkovsky's Solaris with David Lynch's penchant for the obscure and the bewildered? Only Lovers Left Alive Director Jim Jarmusch's puzzling espionage and ecstasy thriller, Limits of Control (2009), is that outlandish concoction. There's a scene early on in this picture that is straight out of the 1972 science fiction epic, where Isaach De Bankolé can be seen driving through the tunnels of Madrid (accompanied by the bold, steady rock-rhythm attached below) - a dazzling re-creation (although its unclear if this is intentional, either way its a brilliant homage) of the scene in Tarkovsky's Magnum Opus where Kris Kelvin (Donatas Banionis) drives through eerily similar structures in Moscow. The film then uses more binary Lynchian tropes where gonzo surrealism is utilized simply to underscore tension, not to provide a narrative fulcrum. It's an insane, borderline personality disorder synthesis but the film contains so much calculated hubris and possesses such a strong supporting cast (Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Bill Murray, Paz de la Huerta, Gael García Bernal, and Hiam Abbass), we glide through the proceedings effortlessly. It doesn't hurt that the appropriately atmospheric score and soundtrack are spellbinding; before Jarmusch hooked up with Jozef van Wissem (the duo known as Squrl), his Bad Rabbit quartet provided the film's slick, symphonic undercurrent.

Bad Rabbit-Sea Green Sea (The Limits of Control)

A sort of chronological sequence of Jarmusch images against one of the tracks from his latest film "The Limits of Control". The track is actually made by...

A Return to Screenwriting

      I started working on my first original screenplay in four years. I am going to try to get this ready for a Fall shoot. It is a very small movie, limited budget, modest scope but ambitious in metaphor and idea. I'm not certain why I don't enjoy screenwriting as much as I should since the process comes second nature to me, but I have never really embraced it. Oddly enough, I possess the pedigree to label myself as a professional film critic; I write poetry and movie outlines on a daily basis, but I do not consider myself a writer. I suspect film editing is my writing and this is why screenwriting has taken a backseat for so many years. Anyway, I'll update the new projects' progress here. Original work can take upwards of a year, but I don't have that kind of time - I'm looking at completing a first draft within 4 weeks. The goal is a completed third or fourth final draft by the end of July. This is a very time-sensitive and time-specific project and my window started collapsing weeks ago. Additionally, I have two films nearing the end of a lengthy, post-pro process to consider and to complicate matters, I am also involved in 9 short and feature film projects, and from my chair, it looks like all of them should be in some stage of pre, post, or principal by June. Could be a busy, busy Summer. Returning to the Director's chair this year was inevitable, but I will admit, working on a new script is a surprise.

On-Location Production Stills from ASHLEY

On a cold, surreal day in March 2011, Ashley star Tony Lee Gratz and I drove to the Motor City for some relatively inexpensive, apocalypse-esque production design, courtesy of capitalism and the death of the American Union. Suffice to say, the location is perfect for an End-Of-The-World feel; depressing as it may be. The middle building in the B/W picture directly below this text was used by us a shooting site for two reasons: One, it was adjacent to the abandoned, but picturesque Michigan Central Train Depot (one of the primary set pieces in the film) and Two, it was absolutely bizarre. Apparently made out of cork and hand painted by a pastel-crazed schizophrenic, this was only one in a long series of breathtakingly strange images provided to us, free of charge, by Motown.T he Hotel on the left still stands but these two homes were demolished in July, 2013. This serves as a fitting tribute to one of the many Ashley shooting sites that have since been destroyed. 

Favorite Scenes: I Love Frances Ha

One of the great intangibles about being a devoted and sometimes obsessive movie connoisseur is that you are usually able to identify with ease your favorite scene from a new film immediately upon its conclusion. And sometimes, when the stars are perfectly aligned, this scene makes you fall in love with the film long before it ends. So regardless of the denouement, regardless of the 3rd act, regardless of the resolution, the scene is so strong, and says so much about you and the Universe or reality in which you inhabit, the conclusion doesn't matter, because the scene itself was enough. Fortunately, Greenberg Director Noah Baumbach's (The Squid and the Whale) second effort with the uniquely charming Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha, is so good that the film that surrounds this core scene has several near-perfect moments, some are fantastically whimsical, poignant, and at times melancholy  but none have the feeling, the emotion, truth as this one. Off the record, I love Greta Gerwig; she is an odd mash-up of all of the great and former lovers in my life - she possesses all of their bizarre bravado, delicate wit, savvy intellect, and contempt for conformity. Here she perfectly describes what it is TO BE IN LOVE - perfectly articulated by a woman who is not motivateed by a man. This is refreshing as fuck. I fucking love this movie for it represents everything that is missing in the vast majority of American films, women that are both strong, confused, intelligent, happy, sad, uncertain, brave, scared, the gamut. Frances is not identified through her sexuality and this film is not about her trying to find a man to further complete this identification. In fact, this film is almost androgynous in this respect. Most films take the position that a woman only has one if we understand her through the eyes of a relationship-status. Her sexuality must be understood, it must be apparent. Frances Ha takes an almost groundbreaking approach  to this issue by keeping it squarely on the backburner because sexual status doesn't really matter when we are trying to understand who she is. The bullshit pressure many women or films in general feel to complete the standard courtship to coupling ritual is ridiculous. It is persistently misogynistic and dull and creates this impression that a woman's place is to complete this tired, conventional coupling cycle and not grow as an individual. Watch this scene, fall in love with it as I did, and I guarantee you'll fall in love with the movie. It's a beautifully made take on the rites-of-passage and coming-of- age woes of a late-20s dreamer. 

Jeff Scott Townsend's Blind

   One of the benefits of shooting a massive art film that requires a great deal of non-diegetic insert work, aka "B-roll" or 2nd Unit work, is that you are left with large amounts of supplemental material. Make no mistake, I have tried extremely hard to keep everything I have shot (not necessarily for but with Ashley in mind) in the film (over 6,000 distinct shots and counting), but sometimes there is redundancy (for example, I have footage at this same location with several actresses for reasons all my own). But, when you have an exquisite, picturesque location (such as the Kenosha harbor at sunrise or sundown) coupled with a vibrant, charming actress there is no such thing as footage left on the cutting room floor.
   The footage you are about to see was taken in early 2012 (this further illustrates my point on how long this film has been in production) and was shot as background/flashback footage; "memory gospels" for the main character - and this is how the narrative is delivered throughout the film. This footage was going to end up as gorgeous "filler" for my complex, byzantine web of an End Titles sequence; a sprawling, 14-minute montage comprised of over 4 hours of completely unused 2nd Unit work. But, the images were so beautiful, I thought they deserved a second life beyond playing second fiddle to credits. I started thinking about a short film with music as its primary narrative drive or what some call a music video (I loathe this term, it seems so antiquated now, and seems to short-change both the music, and the musician, not to mention the film-making apparatus of the entire process). And then I thought to myself, what piece of music? I needed something that was also in dire need of a second chance; a harmonic, whimsical, and tranquil tune that invokes such feelings as love, passion, melancholy, and most of all, hope. Where can I find another artist similar to myself with a library of previously unreleased work? Hmmmmmm?
   Director David Lynch (Elephant Man, Dune, Blue Velvet, Lost Highway) famously said that image and music were "married" when the symbiosis worked in such a fashion where you could not imagine one without the other. Dove composer Jeff Scott Townsend's song Blind was amazingly subjected to what I like to call the "Lost Works" category; it had not found a home, but that does not mean that it did not deserve one. Quite the opposite actually. I knew the footage below required a strong piece of emotional support via music; something melodic but impactful, catchy yet poignant, emotional and playful. I first heard Blind months ago and immediately said that I would find the images to articulate the songwriter's specific emotions (knowing true genesis and inspiration is not impossible), although it could take some time to identify such specific beauty. On Thursday, I realized this footage could represent the nucleus of such an endeavor - 72 hours later, low and behold, we have the most efficient inspiration possible.
   The video below represents the pairing of a very gifted musician and a filmmaker with an eye for the natural world. Blind was photographed on-location in the marina district of downtown Kenosha, Wisconsin. This short film represents the end result of about 2 hours worth of shooting - exactly 184 setups over the course of two different days at the exact same beach. The footage with Annie Walaszek was completed on a cold, windy day - January 27th, 2012, to be exact; while the sunrise footage was shot on the chilly morning of March 27th, 2011. Once again, this should demonstrate how long I have been collecting footage for Ashley and should also underscore why you should never, ever delete or discard anything. Metaphors abound. Enjoy!

Doll suicide: The End of an Era

Turns out Marlene was haunted after all - sometime after the conclusion of Halloween, she unlocked my office door, snuck out onto the porch, re-locked the door from my the inside with her weird powers and then waited until I woke this morning to do the unthinkable: doll suicide. Yup, Marlene knows that every morning I open the rear door, check the temperature outside, and then start my day. So she waited patiently all night so I could see her do the unthinkable. Turns out my sister was right. And now sadly, this tragic tale of  irksome plastic possession is over. Until next time readers.  

Least haunted doll ever joins the KISS Army...

Ahhh Marlene, bored from a total lack of purpose now that her standing as a total fraud has been exposed, has decided to enlist as a Knight in Satan's Service. I mean, you never know till you try right?

My coffee maker is probably more haunted than this doll...

I mean seriously, my piece of shit, $12 coffee maker from some 3rd-World bunghole has all the attributes of some haunted shit.

A.) It makes random, strange noises.

 B.) It works when it wants to - turning on and off at its own leisure. 

 C.) It's fucked. 

 D.) Coffee is addictive, therefore the Devil is truly inside. 

In other news, on Saturday morning while sleeping soundly in a hotel room, I woke at 3:30 a.m. ON THE FUCKING DOT! However, Marlene was safe and sound at my home. Could she have generated enough haunted mojo to affect me 65 miles away? I doubt it. I did give her a new awesome hairstyle and a Faberge Egg for some reason.

End Without End: The Sun Never Sets on Forever. The Making of Ashley - A Filmmaker's (Post) Apocalypse.

There are over 300 sunsets in my new film. That's right. 300. Why? The same reason that just this past weekend (10/20/2013) while shooting at the scenic, serene Holy Hill Basilica in Hubertus, Wisconsin, I made the decision to add the footage to my post-apocalyptic epic. The reasons...

Because these images beautiful. 

Because I can extract meaning from its images. 

Because I can. 

Because I can not stop.

You may know others that have made "post-apocalyptic" films, but Ashley is a true epic for it possesses a production history of great magnitude, it has developed a bizarre, yet fascinating mythos about it. The film has been forged by obsession, built out of madness, and over time has defied those limitations of being "just a movie." Ashley has become not just a piece of artistic expression, creative output, and experiment in self-discovery, it is an extension of its creator, and letting it go has become difficult. As this film moves into its final phase of production, this 4-part journal will serve as my catharsis.

PART 1: GENESIS

The creative process is almost impossible to articulate because both the sources of inspiration and true genesis are difficult to identify. Where did this movie come from? How did we get here? What am I doing? 

Film School, Chicago, 1997. I spent a lot of time during film school trespassing through dozens of abandoned buildings, and navigating through some rough neighborhoods. I shot a plethora of 16mm B/W Reversal of the Windy City's more impoverished areas. These experiences became the seeds for this film.  But, the idea really began to take root in downtown Kenosha, Wisconsin when I lived in what appeared to be a derelict, and practically abandoned part of town. In fact, the area is still adorned with such condemned, depressing structures, some struggling businesses, and a terrible long-term business strategy  Oddly enough, it is here (where some of the film is shot), where Ashley began to take shape. The neighborhood maintained a gloomy, listless atmosphere, it was sad even - especially in the Winter where seclusion is the norm for many in Wisconsin. The first and final season of the year is tough for many; they retreat during the cold months, they hibernate physically and psychologically. Those downtown Kenosha Winters; those were peculiar, and lengthy. Those long, drawn-out cold spells were tolerated from an apartment right off  Lake Michigan. Fortunately, artistic types, such as myself, well…we turn this hermit-like existence on its head and with much introspection, get creative. So in 2004 I bought a Sam Cooke Greatest Hits CD (remember those?) and used his soulful, melancholy spirit to write the first drafts of my "2004 untitled post-apocalyptic film." In fact, many of the gospel singer's best songs were featured in the my first cut of the film; this cut, a bloated, but beautiful 6 hour and 17 minute “long version" as I like to call it, utilized tunes such as "A Change is Gonna Come," "Another Saturday Night," “Bring It On Home Tonight,” and "Hem Of His Garment” (an amazing decision in retrospect, this being such a devoutly religious song – however, my respect for such an amazing talent supercedes matters of faith). The screenplay would undergo many changes as various subplots would be eliminated and or altered significantly; the most important of these goes chronicles the main character’s complex marriage. A decision to truncate the subplot between husband and wife arose from my concerns over replicating Director John Hillcoat’s 2009 film The Road based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy. Additionally, as shooting began, several other facets of the screenplay were altered, namely the main character’s experiences while serving in the military and his subsequent PTSD he suffers once he returns to civilian life. We will discuss these aspects of the story in future blog posts.  

Paddock Lake, Wisconsin. 2010. While shooting my science-fiction suspense film Dove throughout the State of Wisconsin and Michigan, I met a Milwaukee-based actor named Tony Lee Gratz. After discussing my desire to begin work on a “small, in-between Winter project” (in-between meaning the film I would produce and direct while cutting Dove in early to mid-2011 as I prepped my still-to-be-made-revisionist frontier western Tormenta, Gratz signed on as shooting was expected to take us into no later than Fall, 2011.

Ashley officially began principal photography on Saturday, February 19^th, 2011. As of this writing, Sunday, October 21, 2013, the film is still considered to be in-production as I am continuing to add new footage to the now 11^th cut of the film. To understand the grand complexity of this film and the sheer volume of footage at hand, try to imagine a standard PC-based linear editing platform such as Final Cut pro or the far more efficient Adobe Premiere CS6. Now construct a timeline in your mind that goes on for 66 hours. That is how much footage I have amassed for this picture. Ashley’s catalog of coverage possesses over 400 folders, that is, footage taken from over 400 separate days of shooting. The current 103m cut contains over 4,000 edits, 71 different pieces of music, 140 effects shots - footage taken in almost a dozen states over the course of its immense production. To make things even more interesting, I recently determined that over the course of shooting, the total cost of Ashley has remained relatively small; less than $2500K.

Today, Sunday, October 21^st, 2013, marks the 976^th day of continuous production.

For next time...PART II: SHOOTING THE FILM AND THE TRILOGY de NATURA et FORMA 

Production notes on the ABCs of Death 2 - Search for the 26th Director contest

"M is for Mutation," my short film entry to the ABC's of Death Part 2 contest is now complete and officially submitted. In case anyone was wondering, the winner of this contest will have their film attached, along with 25 other Directors (each filmmaker being responsible for a letter of the alphabet) from around the world, to the 2014 sequel produced by DraftHouse Films and distributed by Magnet Releasing. The winner will also receive $5,000. The original ABC's of Death film had a similar contest in 2013 with British-born filmmaker Lee Hardcastle's claymation short "T is for Toilet" winning in surprising fashion.

Shot over the course of 5 days between 9/18 and 10/10, this editing exercise was extremely fun to cut, produce, and direct. It was  made very efficiently and with very few production problems with the exception of our on-location issues while shooting at the nuclear power plant in Zion, Illinois. Shooting at a nuclear power station has its issues, for one thing - there is a significant amount of hidden surveillance and it is intense. Now granted, security should be apparent to the public and admittedly I was shooting coverage of a federally regulated nuclear power plant. However, the actors and I stayed on public property during shooting and we were quite conspicuous. We weren't carrying any backpacks or large pieces of equipment. We had no sound recording devices either. We had one camera and nothing else. Nevertheless, these people are NERVOUS - I don't recommend shooting at this location or any nuclear facility in general. On our first day of shooting at this facility, lead actor Tony Lee Gratz and myself were approached by two "civilians" within the span of an hour asking strange and somewhat obvious questions. Both Tony and myself are convinced that these men were actually undercover security employees. Of course, we could be paranoid, but their behavior was really odd. As we moved to the Southern edge of the power plant, I witnessed a man following us, keeping an eye on or movements, and he may been speaking into some type of walkie-talkie. Once again, he could have just been a curious bystander, but I seriously doubt it. Here's why I think my paranoia is valid. After we returned from the Southern edge of the plant grounds, a white van parked within 25 yards of us. The drive rolled down his window and began taking photos and/or recording video of us. Was he plant security? Fuck, I sure hope so. So, was it all worth it? Would I shoot there again? Of course I would, I'm a crazy person.

All in all, I am satisfied with the way this film turned out for the simple reason that this project is not finished. It was always my intention to complete a much longer version of this film - this is primarily why I shot over 90 minutes of footage. When the snow begins to fall, I will return to the power plant with my actors and makeup guru Sarah Sharp to construct the ending we did not have time to shoot due to the limitations of this contest and the fact that reconstructing Winter during a rather warm Indian Summer can be a tremendous undertaking. Later this year, I will return this film to its original form; that is a 10-12 minute, true-in-every sense-of-the-term "Director's Cut." Assuming we do not win this contest, we will lose the "M is for Mutation" title and re-name the film; this title is pending.

We will resume production on this film within the next few weeks, as usual, I will keep you posted....

Mani Ratnam's Dil Se is fucking amazing and what happens when a film genius has ADD.

Sound familiar? Chaiyya Chaiyya was made alarmingly popular by its inclusion onto the OST for Brooklyn’s favorite troublemaker, Director Spike Lee, and his rather clever 2006 heist film Inside Man. However, long before American audiences were privy to this catchy Hindu riff, it was the centerpiece to one of the most ingeniously constructed musical set-pieces in cinema history. Released on 21 August 1998, Dil Se (From the Heart) is a sweeping, magnificently-conceived socio-political epic set during great strife and  turmoil in modern-day India. It is the third film in maverick Director Mani Ratnam’s trilogy (after Roja and Bombay) that depict the human condition and its struggle against a sometimes oppressive Indian political machine and its military. Ratnam, the source of a blog post all its own, is a God-like figure in Bollywood circles, he almost single-handedly revolutionized Indian cinema - he made a quantum leap in Hindu film-making with his lofty ambitions, grand scope, and visionary, albeit radical techniques. One of these is on display below – this “on the train” sequence from Dil Se is fucking spectacular. It’s achievement is absolutely unparalleled – considering the extreme difficulty of navigating multiple units on the moving Ooty train (the Nilgri Mountain Railway) in the rugged, mountainous Tamil Naduin section of Southern India. In this sequence popular Indian star Shah Khan proves how far a young man will go to get laid; he will assume command of a sleepy, rural train of rural farmers, teach em how to get jiggy with it in lockstep with dozens of other bandits and political dissidents with virtually no formal dance training on board on a moving train. Now to appreciate this set-piece properly one must understand how famed Indian DP Santosh Sivan and choreographer Farah Khan went about splitting up the 6 and a half minute sequence. By employing 8 units over the course of 11 days (5 days for the group choreography master shots)  the Dil Se team was able to complete over 650 camera setups, impressive considering the trek between Point A and B for the on-train stationary camera units was 7 miles, this round trip was made an astonishing 24 times. That is 48 sweeps through rocky, turbulent, and sometimes violently unpredictable terrain during the rainy season mind you. Here are those units:

1   1.)    Unit 1 was the helicopter APU unit, aerial photography or “sweeps”. Most notable the brilliant composed right to lefts at 3:40 and 4:00.

2   2.)    Unit 2 was composed of the stationary tunnel unit, these sequences were  captured utilizing tripods mounted to the train superstructure, aka shooting on “sticks.” The most impressive example for this unit is at 3:00 mark, where we have some fluid movement through the tunnel without cutting, the lighting unit bringing up keys and fills during the 4 second voyage through darkness. Positively amazing. 6:10 you have a group exit into the tunnel and to finish. Ridiculous.

3   3.)    Unit 3 was comprised of a smaller band of operators capturing 9 different tracking shots on the sides of god damn mountains, they utilized over 2500 feet of track although only one of these shots is utilized in the current cut of the film at the 5:28 mark. This is ridiculously complicated on a flat surface, try accomplishing it on the side of cliff while a train whizzes by you at 40 mph.

4   4.)    Unit 4 was the group choreography unit, the most notable bring 1:51 and 5:58, these sections took 4 and half days to complete according to Producers.

5   5.)    Unit 5 was composed of all the stationary C/U’s and Medium shots, the most impressive being some of the stunt work at 1:06, and 1:45 we see the rare match cut C/U, these were most likely eliminated from the final cut as these actors are obviously lip-syncing and the proper coverage was easier to obtain from distance.

6   6.)    Unit 6-8 are what American crews call 2^nd Unit, that is coverage not involving the primary actors – best examples of these are 4:22, :42, 4:10, and 4:59.

7   7.)    Unit 7 – distance crane work. :44 second mark. (These are the vast majority of your set-ups, approximately 215 of the 655 employed). 3:25 is jaw-dropingly amazing.

8   8.)    Unit 8 – proximity crane work. 2:22 keep an eye on this slick piece of cinematography, the crane comes up 60 feet vertically to make a 180 follow through. Unbelievable. At the 6 minute mark you have up and over and reverse as the train moves under the crane system and its operators at 40 mph.

Keep in mind that the vast majority of these individual shots were done at least once for a minimum of a full 35mm magazine, that is a little under 20 minutes or 4 miles. Please note that there were over 650 camera setups. Give Dil See Editor Suresh Urs and his team of 44 assembly men and apprentice editors credit – combing through the 1.4 million feet of film shot for this 160m epic was a tremendous undertaking (although to put this in perspective, my still-in-post-production epic Ashley is 66 hours long stretched out on a timeline, that is roughly 1.2 million feet of film and I am cutting it single-handedly because I am mentally ill). I think the current cut of Dil Se shoes incredible restraint considering there are only 142 cuts (trust me) during the 6 and half minute running time. Incredible patience considering the almost 700 camera set-ups. That is a fuckload of coverage. A fuckload. And keep in mind there were no special effects employed in this scene, no rear or front projection, no practical camera tricks, no post-production SFX, nothing. Old school hubris and bravado. Gangster film-making; the Bollywood Michael Cimino at his most resurgent. If you’re not gonna risk your life shooting the fucking thing, why bother? Beautifully fucking illustrated.

Keep an eye out for the shot at 1:09, Ratnam stealing a page from my playbook (wink, wink).

Marlene and Herzog

Marlene, the haunted French doll from the fiery pits of a shitty, rural barn sale, watches on adoringly as I export M is for Mutation utilizing the far superior editing platform that is Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 (No, that wasn't a paid advertisement). I've been sleeping really well lately - and in an ironic twist, I guess I owe it all to this supposedly cursed piece of wax and plastic (sarcasm). It looks like Marlene is about to call her favorite film company...of all the possibilities, through this life and the next, she chose mine. I'm honored. Incidentally, that business card is using an iconic image, the single greatest metaphor for film-making and life; the "ship over mountain" still that has been burned into my psyche since I first laid eyes on maverick German Director Werner Herzog's Magnum Opus, Fitzcarraldo, during my film school days.

M is for Mutation Update

M is for Mutation, my ABC's of Death II short film contest submission, is now in the final phase of the post-production process. We are anxiously awaiting composer DC McAuliffe's score. Once the film's music has been laid down, there will be some minor adjustments to make regarding timing and we should be ready for submission. Featured below in this BTS still are actor Tony Lee Gratz and makeup effects artist Sarah Sharp.

M is for Marlene

Check it out, Marlene is a big fan of this year's biggest internet-indie horror sensation; the ABC's of Death II short film contest. Apparently, the spirits of her horrific possession have singled my film out - what an amazing coincidence! Of course, Marlene is a by-product of the undead so I wouldn't call this a ringing endorsement. Nothing to report at this time, other than I fixed her hat. I may cut off some of my own locks and glue them on to her weird egg-shaped melon.  

Haunted Doll goes Gangstuuuur

Remember the clown doll that terrorized Robbie Freeling in Director Tobe Hooper's classic, 1982 haunted house tale Poltergeist? Yeah, this the opposite of that. I did mange to find Marlene some bling, then armed her, and check out that handsome devil on the right. Gangstuuur. As far as the actual haunting goes, I slept pretty good last night, I think I dreamed I was in the desert. I didn't wake until 7 a.m. On a side note, Marlene does smell like cabbage and she may be tilting backwards; although I'm 99.9% certain I'm actually moving her as I make periodic adjustments for her photos. At this point, I'm placing the odds of her being actually haunted by anything other than my own subconscious manifestation of some childhood trauma at 0.0000001%. Cheers!

New doll fails to impress in first attempt to haunt

My first evening with the haunted doll, I'm going to call her Marlene, was largely uneventful. She not only failed to wake me at the horrifyingly pre-determined time of 3:30 am, but ironically enough, I slept like a baby. I briefly dreamed about a new movie I'm developing but other than that, I was in no mood to deal with the craziness of the condemned. I fastened a button of my stunningly handsome 1987 Little League photo upon the haunted plastic corpse and gave her a token of one of my trips to France. Admittedly, her stupid hat may have moved like one millimeter in the past 6 hours but that was probably a result of Mr. Squeakers jumping onto my desk looking for Sour Patch Kids. So far, no dice ghost hunters. I'll keep you updated.

Anton Bernardo's Eastside-Milwaukee film finds a title

SSF swingman Anton Bernardo's new hush-hush relationship drama will be titled "Varying Degrees." The avant-garde, experimental film is said to be produced in a manner similar to Lars Von Trier's controversial Dogme 95 format. The infamously reclusive Bernardo is apparently quite fond of the Dutch-based filmmaking philosophy which stresses a minimalistic approach to the craft.

Shooting continues this week. Here are some on-location BTS stills from the film. Cinematography by Anton Bernardo.

  

Stupid haunted doll my Mother bought from the Devil

My sister and some of my extended family believe this ragged old hag of a doll is possessed with the power to get this...to wake you every morning at 3:30! Noooooo! As Colonel Kurtz would say, "The Horror, The Horror! I'm an atheist, I don't believe in the afterlife or in the supernatural, therefore my family's tale of terror is positively comical. However, out of respect to my dear Mother, who apparently paid money for this admittedly bizarre-looking plastic woman of leisure, I'm going to keep this in the place I spend the most time: my home-office - near all my computers and many of my current projects. Maybe it will become my muse - watching me longingly from my bookshelf. Perhaps she will feed my insatiable appetite for creation while simultaneously planning my cold-blooded murder. On occasion, I will take the doll to my bedroom and place it on my nightstand so that it can watch over me while I sleep. As we move along, I'll add some personal possessions to the doll (such as the handcuff keys already attached to her weird right hand, don't ask why I have handcuffs). Occultists say this is the best way to attract the spirits that inhabit the doll to me. I'll maintain and update this until November 1st, by then I will be dead or this will be the most boring blog thread in history. Enjoy!