Distributing content without the Suits

 

 

 

 

 

 

WEBISODES…the movie maker’s answer to diminished funding and short attention span, coming soon to a wristwatch near you! No, aficionados of quality drama, the sky is not falling. It’s just the delivery system to the customer that is changing. Once again. Silent to Sound. Nickelodeon to Picture Palace. Big Screen to Small Screen to BluRay. Now, as the computer in all its forms takes over your harried life, it provides you with analgesic entertainment. Snacks not banquets, for a world on an accelerating treadmill.

As the business we love recovers from the double whammy of industrial action and fiscal implosion, original production for the web will expand and be the meat and potatoes for regular working actors and technical craftsmen. In the burgeoning digitally democratized world of recorded entertainment, low cost will assist The Creatives in maintaining greater creative control.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A leading writer/producer of the fabulous FARSCAPE series, Richard Manning, has devised a way cool Sci-Fi police procedural entitled FUSION exclusively for the web, and invited me to direct the pilot and as many episodes as I wanted, when the series is funded.

FUSION, shot in two days with a very small crew, premiered at the FARSCAPE convention last Sunday to great response.

FUSION is now on line. The baited hook is out, we‘ll see who bites. Click the eye for the link:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ricky Manning sees the show as a, well, fusion of science fiction, horror, romance, and suspense, with a sprinkling of mystery and a dash of police
procedural — in short,  a broad-spectrum dose of genre.

Looking ahead through his writer’s bible, there are stunning twists and turns of plot and character to come. Also interesting to me is creating the off kilter, dystopian world in which these characters live; offices, shops, streets, apartments, we know these places, yet there is something strange about them. Genre fans, sipping their java, as they gear up for - or need help coming down from -  the workday,  will get a kick out of this series.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please let me know your reaction.

The future of genre episodic is in bite sized mouthfuls. As production values increase, more eyeballs will be lured to advertiser sponsored webisode series.

So, in the on-going labor negotiations, it is time, in my humble opinion, for both sides to give a little ground and settle this thing before the end of this year, so this under-employed town can launch into the New Media Era with confidence. Perhaps Nikke Finke, Hollywood’s best source, can enlighten us as to the prospects for settlement.

Did my Lesbian Rambo predict the election?

In 2005, I wrote this opening scene.

EXT.  WASHINGTON    DAY

An American flag fills the screen, rippling gently in the wind, as credit titles and stirring music begin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dissolve to an aerial montage: the Washington Monument, the White House, the Capitol Buildings, etc. (Stock). A morning news broadcast fades up.

                             NEWSREADER (VO)

In an historic unanimous vote, Congress passed the universal health care bill at 3 am this morning. This is seen as solid evidence of the new bipartisan spirit on Capitol Hill that was promised at the last election. Swift passage through the Senate is expected and the bill could be on the President‘s desk as early as Friday morning.

Dissolve to aerial shot of the Vice Presidential motorcade on the freeway.

                              NEWSREADER (VO)

In other Washington news, Vice President Walker leaves today on a six nation tour to promote the President’s initiative on global warming…

CUT TO: Air Force Two in flight, buffeted by a heavy storm…

Hey, Film Guy, what delusional universe are you living in? A Utopian Washington doing the people’s business with efficiency and compassion? And this less than a year into Bush’s second term, with Karl Rove predicting a permanent Republican majority? Pull the other one, it‘s got bells on. Reviewers, a humorless breed by and large, missed the irony and snorted derision. Of course they were not going to like this movie anyway. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My assignment was to develop, produce and direct a Lesbian Rambo derivative that could, with a few simple substitute scenes, be sold to broadcasters intolerant of gay themes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The concept was this: Air Force Two crashes in the Pacific, and the Vice President (DAVID KEITH), together with his gay secret service bodyguard (the magnificent MARIEL HEMINGWAY) and glam reporter (JILL BENNETT) are washed ashore on a remote island held by ruthless insurgents. The rebels, led by a crazed US mercenary (DAVID MILBERN), hunt the VP for ransom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Big mistake. Mariel Hemingway slaughters them all. Think of it as a campy homage to 80’s right wing gun porn, but with only enough money for a 14 day shoot. Check out the trailer here.

I accepted the budgetary challenge, because it amused me to make a film that Vice President Cheney could sit and watch with his proudly lesbian daughter, each identifying with different characters.

The movie could have started with the poker game scene on Air Force Two, but since Darth Vader had given the office of Vice President such a bad name, I added the opening montage to help create a sympathetic image for the VP, before the audience even meets the character. Then David Keith’s wry charm takes over, and we care about the character’s fate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hence the Utopian Washington, mocked by critics. Yet, miraculously, here we are, but 3 years later, at the dawn of a new era in American politics, where the social change implied in that voice over news report, is now within sight.

I am not clairvoyant. I was just trying to fix a dramatic problem! IN HER LINE OF FIRE (mildly lesbian) or AIR FORCE TWO (straight and less fun) should be judged in the context of a 14 day shoot fueled by a budget best described as the smell of an oily rag.

The work of Steve and Bennique Blasini of BFX Imageworks creating the crash of Air Force Two, and lots of digital gunfire/collateral damage was a great help. The staging of gunfights goes a lot faster if the safety concerns relating to blank ammunition and pyrotechnics are not an issue. Just aim the empty weapon and CLICK! The Blasinis will do the rest. To see more of these digital wizards at work, check out their website: BFX Imageworks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As for Washington, it will take a lot of wizardry to repair that dysfunctional institution, but at least the world now has a leader with a powerful intellect willing to try.

Bush Movie Director endorses Obama. What? Explain…

Oliver Stone and I have one thing in common. We are the only two directors to have made a film about a sitting Administration. Like still in Office. Perhaps gasping for breath, as the air outside grows thick with scorn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I thoroughly enjoyed W. It is both thought provoking and fun. Every voter should see it. As for my movie, read on and decide…

For six months after I had made DC 9/11: TIME OF CRISIS my agents could not get me a meeting.  “I’m not hiring the guy that made the Bush movie” was one comment. “I can’t forgive you for helping Bush get a second term!” was another.  My name became Leni Reifenstall on the list of cable movie directors, guilty of making TRIUMPH OF THE SWILL. This is ironic, given my life long leftist voting record.

When the then President of Showtime Jerry Offsay calls you late at night and asks you to take over a movie shooting in less than 2 weeks, you say yes. Even if not a word of the script may be changed; because that was the deal Showtime had to make when acquiring the project, even so, you say yes. You don’t step aside when a man who green lit 4 of your pictures comes to you with a problem.

The docudrama script was clearly intended to show how a well informed, articulate President took charge of Government and rallied the people in an unprecedented crisis. Each scene was factually based, but shaped to emphasize the President’s analytical powers and his off-the-cuff eloquence. We have never seen such a whip smart Bush before or since.

Despite the well researched depiction of real events, the underlying purpose of DC 9/11: TIME OF CRISIS was to polish the image of the President 14 months before the next election J Hoberman’s insightful review, linked here, identified the category of Propaganda tool: Stalinist “Father Of Our Nation” Myth Movie.

But I believe Propaganda is a two edged sword. It often reveals more about the Propagandists than they realize. With 20/20 hindsight, they might regret some of the hubris  liberally sprinkled throughout.

So, Rumsfeld actually said at a Pentagon breakfast on the morning of the attacks: “Something’s coming, something big…”

Bush actually said: “This will decidedly not be another Vietnam.”

Hmm, I wondered, as I read the script over and over: do they really want to be on record as saying some of these things? In a way, the film is like a Project for the New American Century Infomercial, as approved by Karl Rove. No left wing media filter this time, folks, this is the straight skinny, straight from Headquarters. I knew I was directing a film that would be vilified by all except right wing media, yet, with the passage of time, have historical value as an authentic example of Neo Con thought, styled as advocate docudrama.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The invasion of Iraq started during the shoot. It was a little surreal to  enter my Toronto  hotel room after 14 hours of filming characters planning the Iraq war, then switch on CNN and watch those plans being carried out. Don’t they realize this will not be as easy as they claim, I wondered.

The cast, almost all Lefties, expressed similar disbelief, but like me, had a duty to honor the contract we signed to shoot the script as written. I encouraged each of them to find tone and quirks that could operate beneath the surface of the dialogue. I think Timothy Bottoms convincingly captured the Bush swagger. John Cunningham made the patronizing Rumsfeld a truly scary guy. I supported Greg Itzen’s smoothly conceited Ashcroft by shooting a key speech in low wide angle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Karl Rove’s Machiavellian instincts are clearly visible in Alan Royal’s cunning interpretation. No disrespect to W.’s wonderful Thandie Newton, but I prefer Penny Johnson Jerald’s impersonation of Condi. Though in W. I must acknowledge that Thandie’s first appearance in angle, lighting and voice mimicry is a bulls eye, producing an audible gasp from the  audience I saw it with.

 

None of our subtle embellishments caused a stir among The Watchers back at Party HQ. My staging of a Bush cabinet meeting with the President striding back and forth along the table issuing assignments to his key lieutenants like a brigade commander was ruled a good choice, not ironic hyperbole. But adjustments were ordered from time to time. On day 2, I had allowed Bush to be too angry in a frustrated outburst on Air Force One. “Brian, the President would not lose control like that…” I had to re-shoot that close up on our last day. The eagle eyed will notice Timothy Bottoms has gained a little weight between wide shot and close up.

 

There was a monumental weight of responsibility on Timothy’s shoulders every day of the shoot, but he always carried out the brief with dedication and expertise On that last day the inner liberal Tim had to bust out. On the final take of the scene in the Marine One set, while the camera was still rolling, he jumped onto the window seat, pulled down his pants and mooned the world while uttering a derisive stream of Bushisms relating to international consensus, if my memory serves. The Watchers were evidently not Watching that last day, but I think those tapes have since been destroyed.

Sidebar:  During the shoot, and for months afterwards, my home phone would occasionally make clicking sounds during calls. A number of times during post, I would switch on my computer and find my email sorted in a random order. Make of that what you will.

 

 

Timothy Bottoms’ performance within the straight jacket of a role built from lego blocks of political exposition is nuanced and masterful. He deserved an Emmy nomination but politics often trumps professionalism in the awards game. Brolin’s W. is equally masterful in a broader style. And he will get an Oscar nomination.

 

The battle I most regret losing in the editing process was not being allowed to reflect the length of time Bush continued to read to the school children after receiving word of the crash into the second tower. I wanted to superimpose a title to that effect. The word came down from on high. Absolutely not. The issue was ultimately glossed over by a dissolve. Just about every scene in the film has an issue or spin that divides Left and Right. I hope that the perspective of the last 5 years gives the film a new flavor, a MONSTER’S BALL of ideologues, whose pronouncements now drip with dramatic irony. Erik Lindegaard’s recent article linked here - DC 9/11 is the new Reefer Madness!  - hits the nail on the head. So I wish my film a long and fruitful autopsy. Here’s my concept for the sequel:

I was, at the time of DC 9/11: TIME OF CRISIS, a political quietist. In Australia, where voting is compulsory - as it should be everywhere - I would see graffiti at election time: Don’t vote, it only encourages them. After the Labor government of Gough Whitlam was subverted in 1975 by a paper coup, much as the 2000 election was in America, I had come to the cynical belief that democracy was just political theatre, designed to make us feel we have a hand in how our lives are run, while in fact the major power blocks behind the scenes that fund the political candidates to put on this charade, do much as they please with the nation’s resources Political activism, while inwardly satisfying, was ultimately futile. And now, unpatriotic, as defined by our Rulers Who Know Best.

Why have I changed my mind? Two words. Barack Obama. Here’s an inspiring man with a clearly brilliant mind who could actually rally the country at a time of national crisis, and more importantly, keep it rallied. Obama showed he could come from nowhere, outfox Karl Rove’s dirty tricks (or Enhanced Election Techniques to reflect this Administration’s flair for Orwellian New Speak), and now be on the brink - we pray - of a two term Presidency that could staunch America’s wounds and transform the way government operates. Democracy works. Activism works. If we all participate.

GENRE MOVIES - the really smart ones are no longer in English…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A blue cheese hamburger in one hand, a microbrew ale in the other, a comfortable seat, and a big screen in front of me…does Cinema get any better than that? After my week of Fantastic Fest at the Alamo Drafthouse, my local multiplex pales by comparison.

Today’s post will conclude my observations on America’s biggest and best genre festival, but fond memories will linger; not just because I got to present a couple of my old films to appreciative audiences, but because the Alamo Drafthouse staff so obviously cared about proper presentation - like in focus with good sound all the time! - and quality food, quickly and unobtrusively served. I am used to film crews going that extra mile for quality during production, but I rarely see that same enthusiasm in exhibition, that all important retail end of the process. The major theatre circuits could learn a lot from Alamo Drafthouse. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At last, all over the world, indigenous film industries are embracing GENRE, and spicing up familiar tropes with their own cultural ingredients. What particularly distinguishes foreign language genre from its English language counterparts is the attention paid to the quirkiness of character. Take a look at this trailer for THE SUBSTITUTE, a Danish riff on MY STEPMOTHER IS AN ALIEN. There are no subtitles, but you get the idea.

The sweetly demented Paprika Steen is brilliant in the title role. Hollywood will come calling soon if they haven’t already. Matching her are some outstanding child actors playing a bunch of slackers and whiners, who cannot convince their parents that the substitute teacher is in fact the vanguard of an alien invasion. The movie is enormous fun, frequently laugh-out-loud funny, though you may not want to eat chicken for a few days. However, the US trailer chooses to play down the laughs in favor of a more traditional Sci-Fi horror approach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The US trailer chooses to expose a key surprise VFX shot, the first and more startling of the two VFX shots in a particular sequence. The Danish trailer only uses the second shot, the reverse angle. Its effect is thus more oblique. Those that see this trailer are less likely to anticipate the money shot when that sequence starts.  Please compare and contrast both trailers if you wish to comment. I’m interested in your thoughts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also from Denmark, is FIGHTER, a riff on THE NEW KARATE KID, which gave Hilary Swank her start. Here’s an extract. This movie will certainly put a spotlight on Semra Turan, a Danish martial arts champion, totally convincing in her first acting role. Where FIGHTER differs from other Kung Fu Girl Wants To Be Champion flics is the nature of the obstacles in her path. She is a Turko-Danish teenage Muslim with very conservative parents who forbid her to train alongside men, and want her to consent to an arranged marriage. The complexities of culture clash and family politics are powerfully realized, resulting in the social drama being as compelling as the many fight sequences.

The Karate Hellcat movie that everyone is waiting for is ONG BAK director Prachya Pinkaew’s latest - CHOCOLATE, for which his protégé Jeeja Vismistananda trained for five years. And it shows.

In Jackie Chan movies they run the painful accidents of the shoot in the end credits. Here the Thai trailer showcases them as an incentive to customers. The plot is borderline incomprehensible, particularly the first 20 minutes, and its use of autism as a gimmick is tasteless, but in a Muay Thai action picture, who cares? The final jaw dropping, bone breaking 20 minutes are worth the price of admission alone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s great when a first time director really hits it out of the park. After award winning shorts, Na Hong-Jin demonstrates he is a major talent with THE CHASER, his riff on the chase the serial killer when nobody believes you genre. The trailer certainly covers its visceral thrills. But the movie offers much more depth of character as a hard boiled ex-cop rediscovers his humanity. It was the last of five movies I saw that day. It was utterly riveting for its entire 123 minutes.

Also from Korea was a spectacular nod to the Westerns of Sergio Leone entitled THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE WEIRD that reworks Leone’s Civil War piece into 1940 war torn Manchuria. It’s a veritable banquet of Leone set pieces from all of his work. Even a bit of the Hong Kong-Leone derivative DRAGON INN is thrown in. But that dark quirky sense of humor that has distinguished so many recent Korean films elevates the picture way beyond mere homage to A Great One. Song Kang Ho - I loved him in THE HOST - does play Weird/Ugly the original Eli Wallach character with more layers and such gusto that he drives the movie. You can’t wait for him to be back on the screen. The trailer gives you some idea of the scale of the top notch action. No doubt you winced at the horse stunts. As did I. But I was pleased to find out in the end credits, they used animatronic horses for those shots.

 

 

If you like your GENRE a little more sophisticated/exotically flavored than the standard English language variety, then you will probably have as much fun at these movies as I did. In GENRE, as in life, character counts.         

Movie gossip! O.M.G.!

Message to Russell Crowe: please don’t gossip. As a frequent victim of gossip, you should know this.

“You know, I worked with Leonardo when he was 17 on ‘The Quick and the Dead [1995],’ ” says Crowe. “He was a virgin, and he’d talk about that constantly. So I’m hoping we have some time so he can fill in what’s happened in between, maybe show some photos, because I’m sure life’s different now.”

Although  this interview first surfaced a year ago, it clearly blindsided Leo at this recent Access Hollywood appearance.

Sure, it’s meant as a joke. NBD. Call me old fashioned, but I believe Secret Guy Stuff should remain between Guys. (But Girls can let us in on Secret Girrl Stuff anytime)

So why tell? Surely, Russell, you are not trying to imply that you have a bigger dick than Leo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Incidentally, audiences, sparse though they were in 1992 for HAMMERS OVER THE ANVIL, had a brief opportunity to see more of Russell Crowe than any other of his movies revealed.  (DVD Sales will now increase)  

Here’s Leo’s comment!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I loathe and abominate celebrity gossip media. At their core, those rumor rags, blogs, and trash TV shows cater to that base instinct - Envy, the inevitable counterpart to celebrity worship: You’ve got so much more than I have, I want to see you suffer.

Celebrity gossip is the twinkling tip of a toxic iceberg, that soils social discourse, promotes unkindness, and diverts attention from the serious issues of life.

 

 

 

50 years ago, Hollywood scandal sheets served only dedicated movie fans; now they are a cancer that can poison the value system of any elementary student with an iPhone. To end the scourge of gossip, we have to start with ourselves, every day. Even the exalted.

 

 

 

 

 

This week you can see alpha dog Russell Crowe deliver another riveting and nuanced performance, as does the former virgin (BTW, it was 18 for me too) Leonardo DiCaprio in BODY OF LIES, opening this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of all the recent studio movies dealing with US foreign policy, this one should take the most money at the box office. Smart script, big stars, taut direction, satisfying conclusion. The political rhetoric is organic, understated but effective. A thinking person’s thriller. Let’s hope it has a big opening weekend.

Intelligence surveillance also figures in the latest dark comedy of human ineptitude from the Coen Brothers, BURN AFTER READING. In fact, it makes an interesting companion piece to BODY OF LIES. 

Both depict an intelligence community out of touch and out of control. Both portray human communication as the dialogue of the deaf. Brad Pitt’s hilarious airhead demonstrates once again his flair for quirky character  -  he and Johnny Depp should do a buddy movie -  and did Frances McDormand, with eerie prescience, somehow channel Sarah Palin when devising the perky narcissism her character required? I guess I’m having a Twilight Zone moment.

Both movies are worth seeing on the big screen.

More Fantastic Fest Foreign genre films next time.

Upcoming Horror Movies…

More about the movies I saw at Fantastic Fest. Here’s bit of a Trailer Park (embedded in the many posters), that distills some of my Fantastic experiences that week into a few minutes. You will get a sense of how Horror has evolved over the last 50 years. From “Boo!” to “Rip your entrails out!” and how today the focus of interest, even identification, is more with the killer than the victim.

The Alamo Drafthouse was the perfect venue for SPINE -TINGLER, the William Castle story. Castle was an old school showman who forged an alliance with exhibitors to install the inter-active gimmicks that put queues round the block for his low budget scare pics like THE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL. He finally achieved a little peer recognition when he produced Polanski‘s ROSEMARY‘S BABY. It’s great to see his story told.

So, to ensure the optimum audience reaction, the Alamo Drafthouse team, as fellow showmen, replicated the TINGLER gimmick - Percepto! - by wiring up selected seats, to tingle the posterior of the occupant at specific moments. Unfortunately, due to a conflicting screening, I did not get to experience this electrical act of unusual friendliness, as TINGLER audiences had done in the late 50’s. But two generations later, the Fantastic Fest audience also screamed their glee just as loudly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This well illustrated documentary’s measured style was an interesting counterpoint to Mark Hartley’s express train rocumentary NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD, which also screened at Fantastic Fest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both titles deal with Cinema, so are best viewed on the big screen, and both are destined for every film lover’s DVD library.

Genre always benefits from men behaving badly. SAUNA, DEAD GIRL, DONKEY PUNCH, ACOLYTES are splendid examples of the pitfalls of moral relativism, and the fate of men who break the 11th Commandment - Thou Shalt Not Assume.

 

I enjoyed the you never know who might be a serial killer twists and turns of ACOLYTES, which is stunningly shot against fresh Queensland locations. Director Jon Hewitt handles the suspense and violence set pieces with flair, and makes insightful observations on the twisted thinking of psychopaths.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More feral youth bring themselves undone in DEAD GIRL. It’s clever piece of low budget film making, exploring the theme that necrophilia can be fun. It’s very disturbing, yet not handled in an exploitative way. But I was left wondering: Is today’s high school life really a breeding ground for sociopathy?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think SAUNA must get the sustained creepy atmosphere Award, which really helped suck me in to its alternative universe. Check out the trailer.

This Scando-Chiller actually lowers the temperature in the room, in a good way. It’s Arthouse, but very engrossing, as it embroiders further on Bergman’s theme: life’s a bitch and then you die. But it seems you don’t go to Purgatory when you die; it’s already here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DONKEY PUNCH - Very Bad Things on Raymond’s Luxury Yacht - is a remarkable piece of work for 24 days of shooting at sea, by day and by night. Director Olly Blackburn shot as much as possible in sequence to help the actors maintain consistency during long intense performances. Not to block-shoot, given the complex schedule, was a bold decision but it has entirely paid off. He brings searingly truthful performances out of a young cast, as they wrestle with deep moral conflict, some acting professionally for the first time. Because of its concern for character, DONKEY PUNCH has a greater reality level than many higher budget pick off the cast one by one suspense horror pieces. It’s snappily shot and the outcome is satisfying. Though I am now thoroughly scared of everyone under 25. And yachts. But I look forward to Olly’s next one. Another Brit film maker successfully launched.

ALIEN RAIDERS displays similar professional promise in the hands of first time director Ben Rock. I know the challenges of a 15 day shoot. He delivers a very solid job that hits all the beats. And it is good to see Matthew St. Patrick on the screen again. (He performed strongly in my TIDES OF WAR) Thanks to an excellent script, there are enough surprises and real human drama going on, so you don’t mind that the monster is largely suggested till the end.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Suggestion also reveals its power in THE BURROWERS, a classy horror western. (That genre hybrid has come a long way since its first incarnation -THE FIEND WHO WALKED THE WEST in 1958, starring Hugh O’Brien, who went on to become TV’S Wyatt Earp, and legendary producer Robert Evans in the title role.) Director JT Petty creates an authentic sense of the 1870’s not just in costumes and settings but in the racial divisions and social customs and conflicts that divide the characters. This makes their peril at the claws of TREMORS type ancient creatures all the more interesting. I loved the ironic ending.

I was sorry due to conflicting schedules to have missed Wicked Lake. Nothing like a dose of lesbian cannibalism to kick start the day.

Wicked Lake trailer here.

Next week my Fantastic Fest action favorites.

Five days of Fantastic Sex, Food, Wine, Cinema, more Wine, Gore and more

 

Fantastic Fest is the most fantastic, satisfying festival I have ever been to in 35 years of sporadic attendance at such events.

Located at the Alamo Drafthouse, a stylish new breed of multiplex in Austin, Texas, FF does not cater to cinema snobs or pretentious culture vultures, rather it provides the grass roots genre/fantasy fan with an eclectic selection of movie treats from around the world, some of which are just as intellectually and artistically grounded as anything that Cannes or Venice has to offer.

                                                                                                                 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shuttles are provided for regular pick up and deposit at the major hotels, but if you travel by car, there are acres of parking in front of the theatre. (Nothing worse than cutting it fine for a movie, then finding nowhere to park.) Lobby screens play trailers from the upcoming schedule; and posters old, new, and rare, decorate your passage to the theatre of choice. Then there is comfortable stadium seating (with leg room for us tall people. Woohoo!) in front of a bench that runs the length  of each row. On slips of paper provided, you write your food and drink order from an extensive three course menu, then stick it upright in the groove at the rim  of the bench. It doesn’t take long before your server returns, first with the booze, then the food, always staying low so as not to obscure the screen. Last orders are taken half way through the movie.

The standard of projection is excellent. Focus and light level is monitored constantly. Also there is no sound bleed thru from any other theatre. I remember, at one foreign festival, confronting the projectionist who had played reel 3 of DEAD END DRIVE IN ahead of reel 2. “Catastrophe…je suis désolée,” he said with studied indifference, a bent Gauloise hanging from his lip. No way was he going to stop and correct the mistake, the screening schedule was too tight. Hijo la chingaso!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bill Murray at the Lockhart Cavern Party.

No, the Alamo Drafthouse cares deeply about providing their patrons, be they Festival audiences or regular year round Austin moviegoers, with the best possible Cinema experience. This is the vision of Alamo Drafthouse founders Tim and Karrie League, and their hard working staff and volunteers carry out that mandate with enthusiasm. Because they all love movies. They are a splendid example of what exhibitors used to be before television - showmen.

In 5 days I saw SAUNA, ACOLYTES, DONKEY PUNCH, CHASER, CHOCOLATE, ZOMBIE GIRL: THE MOVIE,  THE BURROWERS, ALIEN RAIDERS, FEAR(S) IN THE NIGHT, THE SUBSTITUTE, DEAD GIRL, THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE WEIRD, FIGHTER, SPINE TINGLER!, in addition to hosting my MAN FROM HONG KONG and TURKEY SHOOT and joining Mark Hartley in Q & A for his NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD. There were many more titles I did not have time to see. More on these movies next blog. But for now, click on the wonderful shot from a personal favorite of mine, the 100 Best Kills Party:

 

 

 

 

 

FF’s great line-up is courtesy of founder and head programmer Tim League, co-founder Harry Knowles (Ain’t It Cool News - it was wonderful to finally meet the great Harry), with additional programming by Alamo Drafthouse Cinema executives Karrie League, Zack Carlson and Lars Nilsen. Also contributing was Todd Brown (Twitchfilm.net), and Blake Ethridge (Cinema is Dope). And a special word of praise for tireless Thomas Hanawa, the Robo-Warrior of problem solvers; also guest manager and Yellow Rose of Texas Jill Lewis, one of the sweetest girls on the planet.

A generous quote from Todd of twitchfilm.net: “Man From Hong Kong director Brian Trenchard-Smith is the guy you most want covering your back in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.” Thanks Todd. He runs a great site. Check it out.

“There was also skeet shooting, debates, boxing, swimming, 100 Best Kills, World Air Sex Championships, karaoke, cave dwelling and Texas BBQ. A fabulous and exhausting time I strongly recommend to anyone choosing a festival to attend. You will not be disappointed.

I sat so long and dined so well at the Alamo Drafthouse that I must ramp up my exercise schedule for the next couple of weeks, starting today with three hours of fencing, my particular hobby. I leave you with a short film sent to me by my Hawaiian fencing buddy Colin Chock, that in some way captures the exhilaration of this great combat sport:                                       

 

 

My Crimes Against Cinema on display at FANTASTIC FEST!

Must be brief, because my presence is required at another film festival. It’s a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it…

After a fantastic reception at the Toronto International Film Festival, Mark Hartley’s NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD will screen at the Alamo Drafthouse as part of Fantastic Fest! in Austin, Texas. I will be there to present two of my Guilty Pleasures that are featured in NQH. The high camp splatter movie TURKEY SHOOT - 1984 meets The Camp On Blood Island and they play The Most Dangerous Game - will have its first big screen uncut presentation in America since New World released an MPAA censored version in 1983.

So for educational purposes, here is a tasteful portrait of an ante-bellum turkey shoot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, by way of contrast, here is the original trailer I made for TURKEY SHOOT in 1981.

I will also be presenting my first narrative movie THE MAN FROM HONG KONG shot in 1974. (Click the poster for Fantastic Fest page.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It will be interesting to see these action pictures with a young American audience. Good quality action depends on the skill of the stuntman. Many of the films featured in NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD contain the work of Australia’s greatest stunt pioneer - Grant Page, whose career I managed for its first 5 years. I watched him do a full burn fire gag last month. He’s 69! Still going strong! He gets older; his girlfriends get younger. He is a truly amazing human being.
Here’s a taste of some of his early work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DANGERFREAKS is available for internet download.  More on Grant Page in another blog.

GUNS, TESTICLES, COKE: more adventures in Co-Production Hell

Dare I say - take a long, hard look at that picture, which brings a new dimension to the term woody? Dr. Freud, your slip is showing. As you can see, I am a sick puppy with a twisted sense of humor. Somehow, I want to believe that the decision by the relevant executive at the publishing house back in the early 60’s to use this particular still as the front cover was not a perversely funny accident; rather, it was the work of a subversive mind, devising a time bomb joke for a cynical future generation to unearth. For nearly 50 years his/her private irony has squeaked by without notice…till now.  But no. Those were more innocent times. How could it have occurred to anybody involved? But if it had…It would make a good episode of MAD MEN. (What a great show that is.) Another episode of MAD MEN could center around the Advertising agency that lured Glenn Ford into this cigarette ad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tobacco not withstanding, Mr. Ford lived to be 90.  And he was in good spirits on arrival for Day 2 of the Assassins shoot, his second and last scene in the picture. It also involved Taylor Lacher, the actor he had brought with him. They had become buddies on the set of CADE’S COUNTY, a high profile but short lived series in 1971. I had actually visited the set as promo exec of Sydney’s Channel 9, who had purchased the show, and watched Mr. Ford do a scene with Taylor Lacher (not the older man pictured on Mr. Ford’s left). Little did I know as I observed Mr. Lacher discreetly from the side that I was watching an actor who would, nine years later, spit on the ground in front of me as a gesture of his contempt for a creative decision I had made. My directing style does not normally produce this kind of response, by the way. But that encounter was a pleasure yet to come.  Day 2 was the business in hand, scheduled to finish early so trucks could take off for location in Ixtapa. Pressure was on to get through the betrayal and murder scene (only the climax to the whole story!) as fast as possible, with a Spanish DP who spoke no English. This movie was my personal LOST IN TRANSLATION. Mexican crews are great, incidentally. 10 years later I did 12 episodes of TARZAN in Palanque with a fantastic crew. They got the job done and made it fun.

So, fast forward to…Taylor has to pull a gun, harangue his Onassis type boss (Glenn Ford)  then shoot him. As I set up the first shot, an argument broke out between Mr. Ford and one of the producers. It degenerated into name calling, hissed loudly at each other while the crew worked around them as if nothing was going on. OI! But the first few set ups went smoothly enough, then came the actual gun firing moment. When he saw the armourer load the pistol, Mr. Ford’s mood changed. He came to me quite agitated, and stated that he had a mortal fear of firearms. Puzzling, I thought, given the number of westerns he had made. By reputation he had the fastest draw of any Hollywood actor, firing at 0.4 of a second, faster than John Wayne or Gunsmoke’s James Arness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He was a Rear Admiral in the Naval Reserve. In 1967, he volunteered to serve three months in Vietnam, spending some of his time under bombardment, and accompanying five special forces missions. So what’s the problem with the quarter load blanks? He took up hang gliding at the age of 64, for God’s sake! OI!

As he was costumed in his own clothes, (another smart decision by the American producers to save money) he was not prepared to be squibbed. He begged me to allow him not to be in any shot in which the gun was fired. I had hoped to have him pumped full of lead Peckinpah-style. So much for that wild idea. I looked to a producer. He shrugged and walked off. Brave, brave, Sir Robin. Of course, actors have a right to be nervous around firearms. The tragic loss of Brandon Lee was a safety lesson to the whole industry. I knew: You pick your battles. This was not one of them. So, I set it up as: an insert of the gun firing/cut to Glenn Ford clutching his chest dropping out of frame/cut to a wide 2-shot. He completes the fall, etc. When I called “Cut” on that shot, he got up and approached me, beaming from ear to ear. He put one arm round my shoulder to hug me…

Then I felt his other hand cup my balls and give them a quick squeeze.  “Oh, thank you, thank you so much for doing that, I really appreciate it…” I recall him saying. It was over in a flash. I lurched forward, disguised my gasp as a big laugh, Whoa! Ho Ho! Just jocular locker room humor, nothing to see here, folks. Of course, I did not think Glenn Ford was gay. He had brought with him wife number 3 (out of a total of 4), actress Cynthia  Hayward, also a cast member from CADE’S COUNTY. (She treated my wife, another beautiful but younger blonde, with lofty disdain.) There was nothing sexual in Mr. Ford’s act, rather it was a demonstration of power, a direct metaphor for our relationship during his two days of work. He had me by the short and curlies the entire time. Perhaps it was a parting handshake for satisfactory service. So the only way to take it was as a compliment. How many directors have the privilege of getting their balls squeezed by a star from Hollywood’s Golden Age in front of the entire crew? I am deeply blessed. By way of comparison, perhaps this is a good time to remind everybody of how a director/star relationship can turn out.

 

That must have been quite a set to work on! So was mine, Once Upon A Time In Mexico… Not as spectacularly volatile as Huckabees of course (click the poster to see what I’m talking about), just a daily slog through ugly mud. This was a movie made without a completion guarantor, but with a plethora of producers, all of whom felt entitled to give the director conflicting notes. Their ranks expanded weekly, as the Americans sought to repair their cash flow crisis by offering potential investors executive producer credits, and a holiday trip to our Ixtapa hotel. Some took the trip at the company‘s expense, then reneged on the investment. All were given to me to look after, like lost dogs. “Hang out with the director. Ask him anything you like.” Which they would sometimes do in the middle of a take.  I have a motto with car crashes: if in doubt, blow it up, or at least set fire to it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was able to indulge this practice only once, as the budget see-sawed. Another time when money was short, the stock ratio was cut. I countered by saying in front of cast that I could no longer afford close-ups. The stock ratio was restored. Our passports however, which were taken from us for visa processing - “just a few days, nothing to be concerned about” - they showed no sign of returning. My wife and I developed a contingency plan should the movie collapse, freezing or losing our passports. We would take a bus to Juarez and phone Margaret’s brother Rick, a former detective, who would drive across the border and collect us. It helped that Chuck had a huge platonic crush on my wife. In my presence, he would occasionally pretend to be a vampire and try to bite her on the neck. (She has a lovely neck, by the way) It was as close as he would ever come, he said, to playing a vampire on the screen, which was, in fact, his heart’s desire. But a hit western series had typed him solely for gun carrying roles. Even though his politics was to the right of Attilla The Hun, we got on famously. He was a true Hollywood Character. A former Brooklyn Dodger, Chuck was often guest sports commentator on NBC till he accidentally dropped the ‘f’ word during a primetime live telecast, startling the nation, and endearing him further to his male fan base. Chuck told us not to worry. He was an honorary Treasury Department Agent, a rank awarded to him because of the Department’s affection for The Rifleman series.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Treasury Department windbreaker he wears in the movie was a gift from them. He would make a phone call if necessary, and we would be home. Matters finally came to a head in the sixth and last week. Still no passports, and the Spanish producer Carlos Vassallo wanted the hero (Chuck) to participate in an armed robbery of a security truck and shoot the innocent guards. I pointed out the damage to audience identification with the hero. So I was fired. Vassallo took over the last few days of the shoot, and gave himself co-director credit in the territories he had sales rights to. Chuck just gave me that it’s Chinatown look. Later he commiserated with me over wine and cocaine. In vino, veritas. In white powder, hubris. I prefer the vino. He did give me some good advice. Call people on their shit right away. If you see producers are weak, take control; do it diplomatically, but take it. You only have power during the shoot. Of course, it helps to have a bond company to appeal to, which we did not. The Day of the Assassin experience stiffened my backbone. Over the years since then, I have been sent in by completion bond companies to take over 4 films late in prep or early in shooting, and several more in post. Such assignments require juggling the age old contradiction: Make decisions. But be flexible.

Passports returned, and back in LA, we got a call from Chuck to see how we were. He did not drop us, as many might. We would meet occasionally for lunch before I returned to Australia 2 years later. Once he picked me up in his Mercedes, with a photo medallion of the Pope hanging from the rear view mirror, and a 357 Magnum in a cowboy holster mounted on the passenger side of the drive shaft, ready for a quick draw. Once a Rifleman, always a Rifleman. Vale, Chuck, you made your mark.

Glenn Ford squeezed my balls! Dispatches from the Dark Side of Co-Production, Part 1

Probably my fondest memory from a train wreck of a movie I shot in Mexico 28 years ago. That, and doing a line of coke with THE RIFLEMAN, the law and order TV icon of the 50’s, who decided to cheer me up one night near the end of the shoot. For the record, the temporary euphoria was not worth the headache and loss of sleep, so I never became a coke head. It is a pernicious drug, and I am surprised it still claims as many smart young people as it does, particularly in the video game industry.

But I’m getting ahead of myself, hopefully like the trailer that hooks you with that provocative scene/premise/stunt. I loved the trailer of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA which shows just one scene reflecting all the promise the movie offers, rather than a bunch of snippets that give away character development and gag lines. In the combat sport between studios for top weekend dollars, today’s trailers give too much away. Sorry, I digress. Old trailer maker. Just had to get that peeve off my chest. So, back to the Movie From Hell. Here’s a little taste of the mood of the set.

EXT.    MEXICO CITY QUARRY    DAY

A film crew have set up a tall camera platform in a vast quarry to position an actress against the best background. The director’s insistence on this particular vista of production value has cost time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sound is being recorded, not always the case in Mexican movies at that time. The actress, SUSANAH DOSAMANTES steps forward and commences a key speech. Watching from the rear is her husband and co-producer of the movie CARLOS VASSALLO. He notices two crew members some distance away conversing in low tones.

VASSALLO
(Bellowing)
SILENCIO!  COÑOS!

(For non-Spanish speakers, the use of the letters C & N should give you a clue, as would my opinion of CNN‘s Glenn Beck.) At this evidently habitual behavior, his wife would flinch, and her performance flatline, and today is no exception. But the crew would be quiet till the next take

All directors, at some point in their career trajectory, find themselves hanging on to a runaway train; despite best efforts, things turn to custard on a daily basis. More often than not, The Movie from Hell is a co-production.

Foreign locale, fast money, giant egos, high pressure schedule - make a volatile witches’ brew, even before you factor in deep rooted national resentments. A co-production is a business model designed to diminish trust between nations.

Mexico, Spain, and the US were the partners, which meant that the Spaniards felt superior to their Mexican brothers, and the Americans felt superior to everybody. Each country gave undertakings to deliver certain elements of cast or crew. Disputes arose immediately. The American director bailed when his deposit failed to arrive. His agent, who was also mine, immediately slotted me in there, so within a day, the American producers, unbeknownst to me, offered their partners a replacement director: “the man who made  the last Bruce Lee movie.” I had in fact made a documentary about the late Bruce Lee, “The World of Kung Fu.” The Mexicans thought they were getting “Enter The Dragon” director Robert Clouse. Their disappointment was palpable when this misrepresentation became clear on the first day of prep in Mexico City. Must say, my sphincter tightened a little too. I had arrived in a war zone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next disappointment followed quickly. Jill St. John,  a charming lady whom the Americans had promised as the female lead, got tired of waiting for her deposit and took off for the ski slopes of Aspen. The Americans were in default. So the Spanish producer had the right to the next choice. He chose his wife, SUSANNAH DOSAMANTES, a local and talented soap opera queen, still popular in Latin television today, but whose name would not generate the same foreign sales interest as DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER Bond girl Jill St. John. The Americans ground their teeth.

Her first shot required her to run for her life to a parked car across cobblestones. She insisted, bless her, because of the way she would look in a subsequent scene, on wearing impossibly high heeled boots, against my advice. Naturally, she sprained her ankle in the first rehearsal. Her husband blamed me. Naturally. The shot, a nice dynamic convergence dolly, was abandoned.

During pre-production, as the bullets continued to fly around me, I had one thing to look forward to. On Day 1 of shooting, I would be working with one of my screen heroes Glenn Ford, already in the 40th year of his career, with so many memorable roles.

Gilda (1946), the original 3:10 to Yuma (1957) and Superman (1978)

 

 

He had been hired fresh off playing Superman’s father. Fee 100K for 2 day’s work. Chingaw! Pricey, but his name would elevate the picture. He had also been promised that an actor friend of his Taylor Lacher would play a key supporting role. Unfortunately the producers had also promised that role to the writer, who learned about it the day Mr. Ford arrived, and was summarily demoted to non-speaking villain number three.

The writer was a decent man, still in a lot of pain due to the death of his teenage son from leukemia. One night in a beachside bar in Ixtapa, he railed at the sky and challenged God to prove His Existence by striking him dead with a Thunderbolt. I shifted a little in my seat, but counted on God’s forbearance…or at least accuracy. A Smart Thunderbolt, perhaps. Does God do collateral damage? These were questions that ran through my mind, as the challenge was repeated with mounting anger. But no Thunderbolt came. God had a more lingering fate in store for both of us: Death by Co-Production.