In the middle of the night, usually after engaging with some creative sort of thing, I take to Twitter and just begin to ramble in a disjointed way about some nagging topic that is then on my mind. This is one of those rants. 20.May, 2015. -The Management.
Finally saw Ex Machina tonight. My big take away is that it gave me what so many movies just don't. In a much different way and in a much different sense than what Mad Max did. But it is the same kind of thing.
I'm kind of in a mindplace where movies of a certain type either don't give me what I want, or give it to me in a very expected way. I got from Ex Machina and Mad Max this past week what I wanted to get from say, Inception or Prometheus, but just didn't. There are a handful of movies like that in the past couple years. It is a weird mix. Certainly it never seems to be on this level when I do.
Hard to explain what I mean when I say "on this level." I guess I always regard things like Moon and Children of Men as movies I wanted but didn't know I wanted. There's a spirit, a tone. Usually, it is not as publicized. Not as "out there" - advertised, available, etc. When it is, it is not popular.
Attempting to think of what sort of movies have done that. Dredd. Mentioned Moon, and Children of Men already. Ex Machina and Fury Road now. Silver Linings Playbook. Weirdly, The Winter Soldier. Under the Skin, maybe. Mentioning as far back as Children of Men, I'd have to add the double Eastwood threat of El Torino and Million Dollar Baby.
All of these movies reflect to me a style or a philosophy that calls back to my film school mindset. Not exactly auteur style. But close. And there have been other movies I've liked, or I've even loved in that timeline, but don't get this same, vague reaction out of me.
And see, even that doesn't work as an explanation, because I can't stick Winter Soldier in with a lot of those others. But there's a kind of storyline, a kind of storytelling, that is both simple in approach, but complex in execution. Lends to trust as a fan.
And like I said, the best I kind do is to name things I didn't get that from, that I guess I either expected to, or thought might be there? What I expected from the Prometheuses, the Avatars, and the Inceptions, I got from Ex Machina and Mad Max: Fury Road. What is that x factor? That maybe I didn't want to see this, or didn't think I did, but then I did?
Something that invoked that same feeling from, like, the first time when I watched The Conversation, or A Clockwork Orange, or Taxi Driver. But I want to say it has something to do with being pulled into someone else's indulgences.
Anyway. Ex Machina. Would recommend. Will definitely re-watch. It is 3:30 and I am wired after seeing it. Well done.
Showing posts with label Twitter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Twitter. Show all posts
Quietly, he mentions his hiatus.
Bit odd for me, to go over a week without posting. I'm not sure. I don't think it's happened since that week I stayed with Kyle, and started using Twitter with any real frequency.
I don't have a great deal in the way of updates on writing or work. "Nova" is still pretty much done, still at 25 pages. Done with rewrites, I just pull it up every now and again to read, check. Make sure everything is polished and perfect. I was going to submit it over the weekend, but I just decided to hold off, use the last couple of days to go over it, talk to some people about it. If you've helped, if you've even offered to help, thank you. So much.
I'm sorry I haven't talked about what all this is for. I am submitting "Nova" someplace, but beyond that I don't feel comfortable saying what or where. I don't know if there are any rules against this, talking too much about the work, or where I'm sending it, so I'm just not going to risk anything. I'll probably talk about it at greater length later, especially if it looks to be panning out. Honestly, and you can call this superstition, or melodrama, I'm starting to feel a little like this space is becoming an idea graveyard -- any project I spend anytime talking about tends to just linger here and die. So look at this as me holding off on the whole big "I'm doing this!" post, and then following it up later with a smaller "Well, that's not happening..." update.
I'm going out in a couple of hours. Some errands in town to run, get some pavement under my feet. Maybe have lunch, or see a movie. As much as I hate to give the daylight hours any credit, it does tend to get the old brain firing, and maybe I'll have some idea what I'm going to work on next. I've talked before about how odd it is to "finish" something. And there's also a lot going on right now that has zip to do with writing, and while everything feels like it should be slowing down, it hasn't yet.
Naturally, updates on in progress stuff will continue [re: Calamity Cash and the Town with No Name]. Definitely keep checking Justin's website, along with his own sketches, he's still putting up comic panels. Pay attention to that bar on the right hand side of the blog, too -- I know things have moved around a little, and I've expanded my tweets from three to five in my Twitter Bar, to showcase some of the articles and blogs that go up by writers or journalists that I know personally [or in rare cases, am just really into]. It's sort of a real-time answer to this idea I had for permanent links -- this at least keeps everything fresh, you know what you're seeing there is current, and Twitter just works better than some of the blog roll programs I've messed with.
Permanent links are still in the cards, too. I just keep getting hung up on little things about them. For now, this is better.
Hopefully won't be another week until my next post. If it looks that way, might do a post just to be posting. Deep down, I think people probably hate those, but they keep me limber. Also have some prose I might break out, though that means some editing and Jesus God I'm a little sick of that.
I don't have a great deal in the way of updates on writing or work. "Nova" is still pretty much done, still at 25 pages. Done with rewrites, I just pull it up every now and again to read, check. Make sure everything is polished and perfect. I was going to submit it over the weekend, but I just decided to hold off, use the last couple of days to go over it, talk to some people about it. If you've helped, if you've even offered to help, thank you. So much.
I'm sorry I haven't talked about what all this is for. I am submitting "Nova" someplace, but beyond that I don't feel comfortable saying what or where. I don't know if there are any rules against this, talking too much about the work, or where I'm sending it, so I'm just not going to risk anything. I'll probably talk about it at greater length later, especially if it looks to be panning out. Honestly, and you can call this superstition, or melodrama, I'm starting to feel a little like this space is becoming an idea graveyard -- any project I spend anytime talking about tends to just linger here and die. So look at this as me holding off on the whole big "I'm doing this!" post, and then following it up later with a smaller "Well, that's not happening..." update.
I'm going out in a couple of hours. Some errands in town to run, get some pavement under my feet. Maybe have lunch, or see a movie. As much as I hate to give the daylight hours any credit, it does tend to get the old brain firing, and maybe I'll have some idea what I'm going to work on next. I've talked before about how odd it is to "finish" something. And there's also a lot going on right now that has zip to do with writing, and while everything feels like it should be slowing down, it hasn't yet.
Naturally, updates on in progress stuff will continue [re: Calamity Cash and the Town with No Name]. Definitely keep checking Justin's website, along with his own sketches, he's still putting up comic panels. Pay attention to that bar on the right hand side of the blog, too -- I know things have moved around a little, and I've expanded my tweets from three to five in my Twitter Bar, to showcase some of the articles and blogs that go up by writers or journalists that I know personally [or in rare cases, am just really into]. It's sort of a real-time answer to this idea I had for permanent links -- this at least keeps everything fresh, you know what you're seeing there is current, and Twitter just works better than some of the blog roll programs I've messed with.
Permanent links are still in the cards, too. I just keep getting hung up on little things about them. For now, this is better.
Hopefully won't be another week until my next post. If it looks that way, might do a post just to be posting. Deep down, I think people probably hate those, but they keep me limber. Also have some prose I might break out, though that means some editing and Jesus God I'm a little sick of that.
Twitter joins us, and not much else...
As you can see on the right, visitors to the blog can now view my last three Twitter updates. There's also an option to see my page and follow me there, which I honestly expect to lead to more spam than good. But we'll see, and at least now if I get stranded sans internet, and do something worth talking about, it can be viewed/accessed from here. I ended up going with just a standard JAVA/html code sort of thing with it, as all the Twitter widgets I found seemed a little obnoxious for this relatively minimal blog.
I moved a couple of things around as well. You'll notice "Trendsetter Links" is gone, replaced with a far more generic "Links" header that includes not just the previous sites but a direct link to my Facebook page [An addition that I hope will make it a bit easier for anyone looking for me to actually find me. If anyone is looking for me, that is]. And while it may look like the move is symbolic of me pushing "Trendsetter" aside, well... it is. We're doing "Nova" right now, and there's just not a wealth of new information as it concerns TS. When "Trendsetter" eventually reclaims our focus as project number one, I expect it'll also reclaim it's place at the top of the blog. Until then, all links are still there and working, and available at any time, they're just further down this page.
I have, naturally, been kicking around the idea of starting a "Nova" blog, but Kyle hasn't really mentioned it, and for my purposes I can't see the sense in running one on my own, and just regurgitating the information I post here. Still, that doesn't mean there won't be one as we get closer to shooting time, and naturally I'll keep everyone informed, and probably pimp it out mightily if and when it eventually appears.
And if anyone has any feedback, thinks something might need moved around, might look better here or there, just let me know. I'm always open to suggestions.
This has been a bad week for the blog, not because I couldn't post, but because I really didn't have anything that felt like a real update. I have been working on the final draft of "Nova" since a little before my previous post on Monday, and not making a lot of headway despite putting in quite a lot of time on it. I'm not even entirely sure why I'm not making much progress, but if I had to guess it's because I'm a little terrified of making too many sweeping changes. I like where it is. I just want to make it a little more natural, because there were a couple rough edges at the read.
The read. I said I was going to talk about that more. Well. Not today. But likely very soon, maybe when I've got a last draft I'm pleased with, and I can talk about why I did what I did.
I also worry the reason for my slacking this week was because of the "week off." Which is ridiculous, Kyle and I worked our asses off on "Nova" last week, but since I wasn't able to post, I'm a little worried I've fallen out of the habit. Expect some bullshitty entries in the next week or so, as I force myself back into the routine.
I wish I had some more to say about "Nova." Kyle's been incommunicado this week, despite the notes I've sent along, though I'll admit there's really been nothing pressing with me that's needed his attention. Right now, the worst that seems to come up is scheduling conflicts, and I've yet to get to that place where having too much to do is a problem [as long as said "too much" stays in this creative vein]. Which is my way of saying I've also been discussing some future projects with people as well, and though I can't really talk about it, between "Nova" and a few other things, 2010 could be a very big year for me.
I can talk about working on "The Familiar" a little. My strange vampire script is long overdue for a re-write, and thanks to my current place of residence I've been able to walk around a lot of the settings I put in the movie, and really get into the right head space for the work. The actual writing and re-writing I've done on it has been pretty minimal, but my mind really gets to racing when I'm actually standing in spot where a big scene takes place -- and the re-writes that seemed so daunting a year ago suddenly aren't that dreadful anymore. The only regrettable part is my big finish is set in a cemetery that doesn't actually exist, which does me no favors since my god does that ending really need work.
I'm sure I'll talk about it more, as I'm actually writing it. Tonight, it's more "Nova" work, with hopes for a breakthrough so I don't get discouraged about my lack of progress [too late]. Generally, I like this sort of fine-tuning, but there's just something that's not quite working out loud as it works on the page, and that's driving me crazy. Especially since I don't have people to just read it to me over and over.
Not that anyone would ever say I was getting tired of the sound of my own voice, either.
More soon. Cheers.
I moved a couple of things around as well. You'll notice "Trendsetter Links" is gone, replaced with a far more generic "Links" header that includes not just the previous sites but a direct link to my Facebook page [An addition that I hope will make it a bit easier for anyone looking for me to actually find me. If anyone is looking for me, that is]. And while it may look like the move is symbolic of me pushing "Trendsetter" aside, well... it is. We're doing "Nova" right now, and there's just not a wealth of new information as it concerns TS. When "Trendsetter" eventually reclaims our focus as project number one, I expect it'll also reclaim it's place at the top of the blog. Until then, all links are still there and working, and available at any time, they're just further down this page.
I have, naturally, been kicking around the idea of starting a "Nova" blog, but Kyle hasn't really mentioned it, and for my purposes I can't see the sense in running one on my own, and just regurgitating the information I post here. Still, that doesn't mean there won't be one as we get closer to shooting time, and naturally I'll keep everyone informed, and probably pimp it out mightily if and when it eventually appears.
And if anyone has any feedback, thinks something might need moved around, might look better here or there, just let me know. I'm always open to suggestions.
This has been a bad week for the blog, not because I couldn't post, but because I really didn't have anything that felt like a real update. I have been working on the final draft of "Nova" since a little before my previous post on Monday, and not making a lot of headway despite putting in quite a lot of time on it. I'm not even entirely sure why I'm not making much progress, but if I had to guess it's because I'm a little terrified of making too many sweeping changes. I like where it is. I just want to make it a little more natural, because there were a couple rough edges at the read.
The read. I said I was going to talk about that more. Well. Not today. But likely very soon, maybe when I've got a last draft I'm pleased with, and I can talk about why I did what I did.
I also worry the reason for my slacking this week was because of the "week off." Which is ridiculous, Kyle and I worked our asses off on "Nova" last week, but since I wasn't able to post, I'm a little worried I've fallen out of the habit. Expect some bullshitty entries in the next week or so, as I force myself back into the routine.
I wish I had some more to say about "Nova." Kyle's been incommunicado this week, despite the notes I've sent along, though I'll admit there's really been nothing pressing with me that's needed his attention. Right now, the worst that seems to come up is scheduling conflicts, and I've yet to get to that place where having too much to do is a problem [as long as said "too much" stays in this creative vein]. Which is my way of saying I've also been discussing some future projects with people as well, and though I can't really talk about it, between "Nova" and a few other things, 2010 could be a very big year for me.
I can talk about working on "The Familiar" a little. My strange vampire script is long overdue for a re-write, and thanks to my current place of residence I've been able to walk around a lot of the settings I put in the movie, and really get into the right head space for the work. The actual writing and re-writing I've done on it has been pretty minimal, but my mind really gets to racing when I'm actually standing in spot where a big scene takes place -- and the re-writes that seemed so daunting a year ago suddenly aren't that dreadful anymore. The only regrettable part is my big finish is set in a cemetery that doesn't actually exist, which does me no favors since my god does that ending really need work.
I'm sure I'll talk about it more, as I'm actually writing it. Tonight, it's more "Nova" work, with hopes for a breakthrough so I don't get discouraged about my lack of progress [too late]. Generally, I like this sort of fine-tuning, but there's just something that's not quite working out loud as it works on the page, and that's driving me crazy. Especially since I don't have people to just read it to me over and over.
Not that anyone would ever say I was getting tired of the sound of my own voice, either.
More soon. Cheers.
Various updates: Calamity Cash, Familiar, and Twitter
Few things to cover, mostly business-related.
Quite a lot of work was done on "Calamity Cash" during my week or so of radio silence here on the Mojo Wire. Justin has posted samples here, here, and here on his blog, going from most recent to least. Some may have been posted here before, and as always, I encourage you to click on M.R.C.R.W.
Justin's been trying something different with the way he's working on pages, doing five or so at a time, and then getting to the computer work, which has seemed to up his output considerably. I remain impressed with how well the pages are coming out, and am excited that we've crossed the half-way point and are getting deep into the action of the story. Just recently sent me the finished pages, and I can't say enough about how amazing they look, and how he's made at least one of my dreams come true, by putting an exclamatory "COCKBLOCK!!" in a situation I'm almost 100% certain it has never been before.
Proof positive that if something is awesome, it's more awesome on a motorcycle.
Lately, I've also talked a lot about working with a photographer -- the purpose being to take some pictures of Elk River for a movie I'd written [Re: The Familiar]. Regrettably, it looks as though those plans aren't going to be working out anymore. While the photographer I tapped seemed very committed to the project, she now feels she's unable to fit me into her busy schedule, and I'm left a little out in the cold. I had a lot of hope for the collaboration, and felt like I put myself out there a little bit for a fellow artist. While the timing is no longer as pressing as it was, it is difficult for me to have put so much time into preparing for something, and then have it fall apart like this. Such is life, I suppose, and best to look at this as a learning experience, pick up, and move on.
No hard feelings to any of the parties involved. Some things just don't work out as they should. If anyone is a camera jockey, or knows one who might be interested in pro bono work with the possibility of a payday in the distant future, leave a comment in this entry, or e-mail me at mojo.wire.productions@gmail.com.
Finally, in a smaller note, I'm giving Twitter a try. My user name is, surprise, "themojowire." I feel slightly like I'm selling out for having it, and I blame John completely for starting me on it. Near as I can tell, the program is just a sewage drain into a shallow trench of trivialities where anyone can troll the internet, real life, or people talking about the internet and real life in 140 character bursts. Unless, of course, you live in Iran [you don't].
So why have it at all? There are a lot of things I originally intended to do in this blog [talk about what I'm reading, watching, or the music I'm listening to] which I quickly shuttled in favor of trying to keep the focus on writing and my creative process. And being honest with myself, there's really nothing terribly interesting or professional about me talking about how I'm digging the Detroit Cobras, or how Matt&Kim's album "Grand" makes me smile. The same is true about links to articles I'm reading, thoughts about pro wrestling, or even political musings -- all stuff I toyed with in this blog earlier on that never really took. I'm hoping this can be a place for that.
I also think that as time goes on, and I get busier with some of this film stuff, it might be rad to be able to send updates in real time from my phone to whatever set or anything I'm working on. Honestly, I might be too busy, but if I'm not? That'd be pretty useful gadget to have, and if I suddenly get serious with it, expect it to be integrated into this site in some way.
For now, I just use it as a place to be faux clever, crass, and mopey. Wouldn't recommend it if you're looking for information, or to be entertained. Still, I'm told it gets fun when you start following people, so this is me, giving it the old college try.
Shalom.
P.S. I would also like to send a message to my friend Kaley, and her family. I know since Steven's death they occasionally check this space, and I want to send them my condolences for their recent loss. Each one seems to make all the others sting that much more.
Quite a lot of work was done on "Calamity Cash" during my week or so of radio silence here on the Mojo Wire. Justin has posted samples here, here, and here on his blog, going from most recent to least. Some may have been posted here before, and as always, I encourage you to click on M.R.C.R.W.
Justin's been trying something different with the way he's working on pages, doing five or so at a time, and then getting to the computer work, which has seemed to up his output considerably. I remain impressed with how well the pages are coming out, and am excited that we've crossed the half-way point and are getting deep into the action of the story. Just recently sent me the finished pages, and I can't say enough about how amazing they look, and how he's made at least one of my dreams come true, by putting an exclamatory "COCKBLOCK!!" in a situation I'm almost 100% certain it has never been before.
Proof positive that if something is awesome, it's more awesome on a motorcycle.
Lately, I've also talked a lot about working with a photographer -- the purpose being to take some pictures of Elk River for a movie I'd written [Re: The Familiar]. Regrettably, it looks as though those plans aren't going to be working out anymore. While the photographer I tapped seemed very committed to the project, she now feels she's unable to fit me into her busy schedule, and I'm left a little out in the cold. I had a lot of hope for the collaboration, and felt like I put myself out there a little bit for a fellow artist. While the timing is no longer as pressing as it was, it is difficult for me to have put so much time into preparing for something, and then have it fall apart like this. Such is life, I suppose, and best to look at this as a learning experience, pick up, and move on.
No hard feelings to any of the parties involved. Some things just don't work out as they should. If anyone is a camera jockey, or knows one who might be interested in pro bono work with the possibility of a payday in the distant future, leave a comment in this entry, or e-mail me at mojo.wire.productions@gmail.com.
Finally, in a smaller note, I'm giving Twitter a try. My user name is, surprise, "themojowire." I feel slightly like I'm selling out for having it, and I blame John completely for starting me on it. Near as I can tell, the program is just a sewage drain into a shallow trench of trivialities where anyone can troll the internet, real life, or people talking about the internet and real life in 140 character bursts. Unless, of course, you live in Iran [you don't].
So why have it at all? There are a lot of things I originally intended to do in this blog [talk about what I'm reading, watching, or the music I'm listening to] which I quickly shuttled in favor of trying to keep the focus on writing and my creative process. And being honest with myself, there's really nothing terribly interesting or professional about me talking about how I'm digging the Detroit Cobras, or how Matt&Kim's album "Grand" makes me smile. The same is true about links to articles I'm reading, thoughts about pro wrestling, or even political musings -- all stuff I toyed with in this blog earlier on that never really took. I'm hoping this can be a place for that.
I also think that as time goes on, and I get busier with some of this film stuff, it might be rad to be able to send updates in real time from my phone to whatever set or anything I'm working on. Honestly, I might be too busy, but if I'm not? That'd be pretty useful gadget to have, and if I suddenly get serious with it, expect it to be integrated into this site in some way.
For now, I just use it as a place to be faux clever, crass, and mopey. Wouldn't recommend it if you're looking for information, or to be entertained. Still, I'm told it gets fun when you start following people, so this is me, giving it the old college try.
Shalom.
P.S. I would also like to send a message to my friend Kaley, and her family. I know since Steven's death they occasionally check this space, and I want to send them my condolences for their recent loss. Each one seems to make all the others sting that much more.
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