Every once in a great while, we have a chance to fight for the meaning in our lives, to stand up and face the oppression, and speak our mind for all it’s worth. If there’s a message you can stand behind, make it count. Most recently, I too the opportunity to fight for a cause that argues, “You are what you eat.”

Sometimes you don’t have to be too political to get the point across. Especially if you do it in the form of comedy. That was precisely the case with my friend and filmmaker, AA (recent survivor of Coachella wind storm – see last blog). He had the foresight to pool our talent together to make a few short pieces for Hormel’s Black Label bacon contest. It was a chance to represent bacon lovers everywhere, which I found ironic since I don’t consume bacon myself. But the striped meat does have an undeniably cultish following. So we got creative. While AA put together the production, I wrote up a couple strips of bacon scripts with my friend, Cole Baker (in which we both acted in). AA and his crafty cameraman shot us at our most ridiculous, and in one day we filmed three different pieces, with pan grease to spare. Here’s a couple of our bacon-laced props for you to savor:

After only two weeks, AA managed to edit the first piece and has uploaded it for consideration. So here it is: a little something we like to call “Baconomics.”

 
 
Some films can take you to the corner of the earth and back. Others can keep you local. The experience can be long, ironic and unpredictable but in the end, there’s always a story. A few weeks ago, I hit the road with my good friend and filmmaker, AA to premiere his new film Winter Storm at the Arizona International Film Festival. It was a weekend away from the hounds of LA (long overdue) and we were excited about the road ahead. We’d taken a similar trip to Phoenix a few years back and just like the last time, we got excited as soon as Don Quixote’s dreamscape appeared past the hill:

The windmills were just what we needed, and our imaginations were finally set free (bouncing with ease inside our compact rental car). It released us into vacation mode and and we rebooted our minds with story ideas and career mantras the rest of the way to Arizona. The seven hours it took to get to Tucson went by in no time. Once we arrived in town, we abandoned our iPhones and decided to explore the neighborhood fare. We ended up on the wrong side of town but managed to consume a meal o’ local grease (with food on the side). After we dined, we discovered a cultural landmark at the local supermarket:

After we had a chance to settle in, we arrived at the festival’s opening night gala. They handed out complimentary rootbeer floats and then showed a charming feature called The Story of Luke (highly recommend it). The next morning, we had a great time connecting with other filmmakers and their iPhones. We got a chance to explore the town and saw some great old sites. Instagramming madness ensued. When it finally came time for Winter Storm to premiere, we had nestled in quite nicely and were enjoying the Tucson experience (especially the free hotel WiFi that allowed us to continue updating our Instagram accounts). The most important thing was that the film played well and the reactions were encouraging. Take a peek if you haven’t already:

During a Q & A session, AA mentioned his ability to attract unexpected weather on the set of his films. Not only while shooting Winter Storm, but on his prior effort, June Gloom (see last year’s trip). At one point, someone clever suggested, “You guys might want to consider making a movie in sunny weather instead!” That drew a minor chuckle from the crowd. AA’s laugh was late to form but it came through. I wanted to respond with, “This is indie film, schmucko, where sunny days turn into rainstorms. So don’t piss down our back and tell us it’s rainin’!” But instead we smiled and I even said, “Great idea, buddy!” Either way, we all had a good time. Winter Storm had left its mark.

On the drive home, we talked about the films and the people we met. For the most part, we were making decent time. We stopped once for coffee (our default savior on every journey to and from nowhere) and another time at a gas station where we watched for cops and drank a celebratory beer. Hours later, we were finally getting closer to home. Once we reached the outskirts of Coachella, we started to experience a whole new kind of problem… WIND. The only condition our films had not truly prepared us for. In a matter of minutes, the sand along the highway was obscuring our view. Our compact rental felt like a guppy in a whirlpool – no fun. Engaging in an barrage of delirious commentary to best enjoy our predicimant, we struggled to drive through the windy deluge.

The whole time I expected to get blown off the road. We had the vents closed to shut out the air. Maybe it was the lack of fresh oxygen, but I kept hearing that guy from our screening repeat his genius reminder, “You guys might want to consider making a movie in sunny weather instead!” The visibility was brutal, but somehow our crappy rental car braved the powerful winds. The traffic had definitely slowed but it never stalled completely. It was only until we reached our favorite landmark, when we realized that the windmills had our back.

Passing by the majestic field of white propellers, we watched the sand particles loosen mid-air. Before we knew it, the traffic had cleared. It was pretty incredible. We made it home alive and in a daze about what we had just seen. With our lack of sleep, we felt as giddy as Don Quixote. Nothing could stop us. It was our way or the highway. Two filmmakers and their duty… “to dream the impossible dream.”

(See more pictures from our festival trip here)
 

 
 
Last month, I was pretty thrilled when I found out on Twitter that Dubstar was reuniting. An official return tour. Their music (I believe) is the most under-appreciated of the mid 90s. For some reason I can’t explain, I’ve been hearing their song “Stars” in a re-occurring dream I’ve had since the age of 6. Not their original version, but the remix (below). So if you think about it, that simply means this music is before its time.

If you’ve never heard of Dubstar before, look out for them this time. Because these guys have heart. And talent. And they’re FUCKIN’ British. I hope this little comeback they’ve got brewing really does them some justice. To close in signature random form, here’s a clip from a Czech documentary made about the band in 1997:

 
 
I wrote my first script when I was 16.

I was sitting in the back of a bus, listening to Crystal Method on my Sony Discman. The people around me smelled like absolute shit. City shit. Yeah. After school on the hardly reliant 217 line. Chugging along from Washington, going north on Fairfax. I was listening to “Keep Hope Alive.”

I turned it up and started playing with the volume like a baby with a dimmer switch. As the old RTD screeched to a stop at Pico, I could see the people cluttering around each other to get off. The song helped it feel like they were waiting in slow motion. Then my eyes drifted… to the bottom of the swinging rear doors. There were two faint blue lights at the bottom, banging wildly, a few inches above the bus floor. One of them was flickering. Then I imagined that little light turning off. And then the rest of the lights turning off. Absolute darkness. I even closed my eyes to keep it going. When I opened them again, I was looking at a homeless man. He was studying me. Plainly trying to read whatever the hell I was doing at that moment. His disposition was calm, focused. Before I could absorb that fully, he descended through the rear doors. As the bus pulled away from the curb, I tracked him outside, through the graffiti etched window. He was walking casually, past the Mo’ Better Meaty Meat Burgers, into his own world.

Once I lost sight of him, I restarted the track. I was prepared to listen to “Keep Hope Alive” the entire ride home. As the bus stopped at Wilshire, the bulk of the passengers emptied out. I watched them scatter out the doors, in front of what my mom always called “The Mayco” (pictured at top). I noticed another vagabond sitting on the bench, his head buried in his hands. I started to wonder if the homeless dude from Pico was still walking north on Fairfax… and what time it would be the moment he crossed paths with the man on the bench. I skipped past the track on my Vegas album and went to the finale, “Bad Stone” — one of those songs that launches you (or just me at the time) immediately into thought:

The Crystal Method – Bad Stone

I got off at 3rd Street, and walked with my soundtrack into the park, towards the basketball courts. When I got there, I sat on the top of the bleachers, overlooking an empty baseball field. My friends arrived, and started playing basketball on the court behind me. We nodded heads from afar, and then I began to write. I wrote for what felt like a while. But in reality, I was only in labor for about 50 minutes before giving birth to my first script. I didn’t really look over it much, I just sorta thought it was done. I was more amazed that my friends hadn’t interrupted me once. I stuffed the five pages of furious storytelling into my backpack and went to go play some ball. My friends were still there, and I caught a few games of 3 on 3.

The script was called Bus Transfer. It was pretty much a silent film, with close to no dialogue. But it felt like a story I knew how to tell. A few months later, I transferred the script to Microsoft Word. I stayed up in front of my horribly slow Supermac, using “Elements of Screenwriting” as my guide to mimic the format.

In a few days, the script was done. I stole a handful of brads and printed 3 copies. 10 pages each. To this day, I have never revised it. Just the title page. And that was only to change the address every time I moved. Seven different addresses with the same story. Never filmed, still waiting to get made.

One day.
 

 
 
Before 2012 comes to a close, I thought I’d share some of the top cinema experiences I had this year. Unlike some of the other hot lists out there, this is not an Oscar prediction list. It is simply a list of 7 standout titles I enjoyed in theaters and at home.

Prince of The City
No one likes a rat. Sidney Lumet’s epic cop film takes it upon itself to truly define why. This under-appreciated 1981 masterpiece stars Treat Williams in arguably his only great role, along with every bulky New York actor with a mustache at the time. Based on a true story, Prince of the City introduces an untouchable NYPD detective team as their most celebrated partner (Daniel Ciello) agrees to go undercover for a special commission. In doing so, he risks exposing his own NYPD secrets at a federal level.

This film plays like a stunningly shot documentary, with every scenario carefully calibrated with Detective Ciello’s emerging paranoia. Hard to do when you’ve got characters floating around with names like Rocky Gazzo. With enough tension and tough guy one-liners to hold crime film lovers over for a weekend, the cop politics in this film are worthy of study, and challenge you to distinguish the true difference between justice and loyalty.

Best quotes of the film: (1) “I know the law! But the law don’t know the streets.”
(2) “I’ll tell you what I’m in a position to do, and that’s throw you out the fuckin’ window. It’s only the fifth floor, but I’ll try to aim you so you land on your pointed little head.”
 
Shoot the Moon
Albert Finney and Diane Keaton star in this rare and moving family drama directed by Alan Parker. Thanks to the success of Redford’s Ordinary People in 1980, a small number of intimate films about marriage and divorce were able to see the light. This 1982 film is easily one of the best to come from that time. Keaton’s performance alone is like nothing you will ever see her in today.

Shot with haunting grace and paced with real intelligence, Shoot the Moon will test your emotions (and surprise you) more than most marital dramas can.

Quote of the film: “You were changing diapers and scraping shit off walls… you were creating LIFE! And what was I doing? Staring at the fucking Bermuda graph and counting the god damn dimples on a golf ball.”
 
Fingers
This eclectic James Toback film is another rarity. Made in 1978, this is a low budget New York character piece that just sticks. Harvey Keitel stars as an aspiring pianist who is always playing, no matter where he goes. Walking the streets blasting classics with his tape player, Keitel mixes his musical inspiration with some very sketchy and dangerous people, including his own father (and a ‘pimp’ cameo by Jim Brown).

If you’ve ever seen a Toback film (Two Girls and a Guy, Black and White), it’s usually about the kind of people you would hate to meet. But with a sharp sense of story and some bold shots of street spice, Toback’s films are ripe with entertainment. Running at a slick 82 minutes, Fingers will light a fire under your film bucket before you know it.

Quote of the film: “Do you believe this? This is the Jamies, man! “Summertime, Summertime!” – the most musically inventive song of 1958! What are you eating? Shrimp? Are you gonna tell me this song doesn’t go with your shrimp?”
 
Taking Off
This Milos Forman film was so uniquely impressive that it still stuck with me ever since I wrote about it a few months ago.

You can read my review in full here: Connecting and Taking Off

Lincoln
Out of all the big budget films that came out this year, I feel this one spent its money with the best intentions. Beautifully crafted throughout, Lincoln is a special kind of achievement for Steven Spielberg. Experiencing it on the big screen during its first week in release allowed me to enjoy the timing. As Lincoln portrays the bitter stalemates in the old world of American politics, I felt an ironic silver lining when comparing it to the current Republican vs. Democratic battleground of today.

But more importantly, Lincoln excels as an actual transport into the man who was Abraham Lincoln. It seems pointless to compare Daniel Day Lewis’ performance to any other actor’s this year — maybe because his was not a performance, but a fully executed reality that we are now lucky enough to experience. Lewis’ innate ability to capture Lincoln’s aura and convictions is nothing short of amazing. Most remarkably is that he does so quietly, never out-staging his fellow actors. If he hadn’t, I may not have noticed that Tommy Lee Jones was also showcasing the absolute peak of his abilities. Aside from a few excusable spoon-fed moments, I can finally say this is Spielberg’s best film in a long time. Lincoln is a four score, four star epic I will gladly watch again.

Quote of the film: “Each of us has made it possible for the other to do terrible things.”
 
Assault on Precinct 13
This 1976 John Carpenter cult favorite has been on my list to watch for years. I had no idea how good it was going to be. Featuring some of the most chilling shootout sequences ever shot, it’s so incredible to know how little this film was made for. With only a fraction of its $200,000 budget spent on the the actual film production, it’s impressive how ‘Hollywood’ this film looks.

In fact, indie filmmakers should take note — this is a high concept idea, executed with essentially one location for most of the action, starring no-name actors. It works like a charm because it milks its premise like a champ. Looking at just the music and action alone, it’s very easy to see why so many people love this film.

The less I say about this one, the better. Seek it out, and make sure it’s the original version, rather than that clunky remake starring Ethan Hawke.

Quote of the film: “In the meantime, I got this plan. It’s called “Save Ass”. And the way it works is this – I slip outta one of these windows and I run like a bastard!”
 
Detachment
I saw this in the theater earlier in the year and it pulled me in like a tractor beam. Not only does this film reveal a much needed message about education’s obstacles in America, but it captures the heart of what we have left to give. I’m going to simply exclaim that this is Tony Kaye’s finest achievement since American History X and easily Adrien Brody’s most enthralling performance since The Pianist. If only this film could have stayed in the theaters longer.

Shot by Kaye himself and starring many other fine actors such as James Caan and Lucy Lui, Detachment gives us more than what was missing in Dangerous Minds, and does so without asking for your permission. Its gritty realism is stark but in the end, beautifully justified. If you are a teacher or want to see what it’s like out there, I strongly suggest you rent this now.

Quote of the film: “So to defend ourselves, and fight against assimilating this dullness into our thought processes, we must learn to read. To stimulate our own imagination, to cultivate our own consciousness, our own belief systems. We all need skills to defend, to preserve, our own minds.”

 
 
With the final presidential debate airing tonight and Ben Affleck’s Argo continuing to make a dent in the box office, America’s political season is hard to miss. I decided to test my thematic appetite by revisiting a film from 2000 called The Contender. It fits nicely into the ‘political thriller’ genre, inspired by films such as All The President’s Men and The Parallax View. This film, however, is a different breed than those preceding it, and a bit more CNN in tone than a movie like Argo. Rod Lurie’s The Contender takes us behind closed doors in D.C. and into the fast-paced nuances of party campaign strategy. Rather than using conspiracies and gun play, this story relies on insider savvy and our sense of justice.

What I remember as a well-reviewed film when it was released, The Contender is now 12 years (and 3 presidential terms) old. The film follows the action that unfolds after the president decides to nominate a female vice president (played by the talented Joan Allen). The confirmation process gets sticky, as her past is probed at relentlessly by a GOP committee chairman with ulterior motives (played by Gary Oldman). The pace is fast and reflective, and the acting is solid all across party lines. Especially memorable is Jeff Bridges, who plays President Jack Evans with playful grace and charm. Ironically, his Chief of Staff is played by Sam Elliot who was there to endorse Bridges as “The Dude” in The Big Lebowski. These two guys mesh well.

Coincidentally, Jeff Bridges can be found bowling in both films, but what really fascinates me about The Contender is its historical perspective. Most noticeable at first is the film’s timely yet deliberate references to Bill Clinton’s impeachment. Using a sense of humor, Lurie really allows the audience to feel an immediate familiarity with this kind of dog-eat-dog battle between the Democrats and the Republicans.

Watching the film now, during the heat of a presidential election, makes it even easier to compare the storyline to the actual dirt the parties try to dig up on each other today. Actually, since this movie was made, below-the-belt campaign punches have reached Rocky 3 levels.

The Contender is sportsmanlike in its environment, because even if it’s obvious which party the filmmakers want you rooting for, reality checks come often.

In one scene, Joan Allen argues with the president’s advisers that responding to the chairman’s heated allegations would make her “no better than he is.” Sam Elliot looks her in the eye and responds unflinchingly, “We are no better than he is!” This film is bold, and manages to show the true suspense that can unfold during a political vetting process. But like a good ol’ American film can, it champions values. It reminds us there are politicians with integrity, who hold their ground under tabloid fire. As Joan Allen’s character says in the film, “Principles only mean something when you stick to them when it’s inconvenient.”

The Contender may be a work of fiction, but it plays today as a bit of a time capsule. George Bush was elected just months after the film was released, and after watching the film I wondered: Was this possibly the turning point in American politics? Maybe it’s just the movie talking, but I imagine there was still a trace of party bipartisanship left on Capital Hill before 2000, a chance at actual negotiation before payoffs and corruption caused such a sad divide between the Blue and the Red. Maybe if the shift hadn’t been so great, Obama would have had it a few gray hairs easier today. With a slightly more leveled playing field, he may have shown more of the checkmate tenacity Bridges displays in The Contender. Whether that ever becomes a reality or not, this clip can at least assure us that no matter what situation we’re in, “The Dude” abides:

 
 
If you’re reading this right now, you are a human. This blog post is being published online for humans to read. If we can think, speak a language, walk upright, or pay taxes, we are human. But why am I writing this? Who would overlook something so obvious?

Well, sadly, these last few weeks, many of us have. And I’ve become increasingly frustrated about it. As world order has taken hit after hit, I keep hearing the reaction, “Those people are animals.” Seeing that phrase become a part of people’s vernacular is intensely aggravating. So much so that I felt it was about damn time I took out my internet loudspeaker and let my own reaction bellow out: “NO!! THAT IS WRONG!! YOU CANNOT CALL PEOPLE ANIMALS.”

First of all, it’s not fair to animals. They’ve got enough problems dealing with our habits already, and they don’t deserve that comparison. But most importantly, if you have a problem with what other people around the world are doing, you cannot look at anything as pure evil and just dismiss the circumstances completely. More of us are forgetting that we are all humans in very different conditions, some that are filled with hopelessness and oppression.

I wasn’t going to bring this up. I’ll admit that for the sake of maintaining daily focus, I had put myself on a politics-free diet. But that’s proven to be harder than watching my weight on a 3 day cruise — in between the presidential election and all the turbulence happening across the world, how am I supposed to count my news calories? Even some of my friends (many who hardly follow current events) have been reacting to the headline volcanoes of late. There’s no denying that there’s been some very nasty energy in the air… and it’s contagious. The economy is hurting, more people are becoming impatient with progress, and now they are more easily perturbed. In turn, they are not thinking as clearly. That often spawns prejudice, and then racism. Serve that with a side of fear, and you’ve got poison.

It’s gotten worse these last few weeks as I’ve listened to people react to the protests that took place in Libya and in the extremist pockets of the Muslim world. Personally, it’s been very upsetting, and it’s been hard to stay objective about the actions that anti-American extremists have been taking. However, what hurts me even more is that ugly from-a-distance reaction, “Those aren’t people. They’re animals.” The fact is, it no matter how you feel, those words are senseless, and very characteristic of the events transpiring! Take a moment to look at the reality, and process the information as a fellow human. Consider some of the root causes before blurting something out like that. Every time I hear it said, it’s like my joystick is stuck and I have to just watch a ridiculous onslaught of Mortal Kombat 3 “Animality!” moves over and over again. It’s like it never ends:

Well, there’s nothing quite like video games to illustrate how we’re so used to senseless violence. But reality, as we know, is much more complicated and fragile. In the case of Egypt, yes, there are undoubtedly some very dangerous mindsets at work, but there is also cause and effect. When the frustrated and oppressed reach an absolute low point, chaos emerges (especially when those in power cynically and expediently stoke the flames). What’s worse is the media will capitalize on that chaos in a sensational way and that makes it even harder for the rest of us to gather our own perspective once we hear about it.

All I ask of you if you’re reading this, is no matter who you are and how you feel, take some responsibility before you react. Words have power, so be careful how you throw them around.

 
 
At least two of the five people who read The LB Tip have inquired why I haven’t been writing as much. To which I answered, “Good question, fan-base, good question.” Lately, it’s just been too damn busy.

In July, I helped launch a funny web series called Sevvy Hounds. I co-directed it with Mike Schindler who conceived, wrote and produced the series based on his own experiences in the corporate world. He had made a discovery a few years back that there is an entire subculture of office workers who are dying to get laid off. Not fired, but you know, let go… so that they can score a sweet severance package. “Sevvy” was the insider’s term Mike created for the story of two office rebels who will do anything to get laid off and paid off. You can even look it up in your local online dictionary.

At first, I imagined making a web series would be easier than making the usual film, but hell no, it’s a formidable beast in it’s own right. After we wrapped production, it became more like a business than anything else: building partnerships, spreading the word, and promoting it to new types of audiences – quite the experience buffet. We planned our attack the best we could and decided we’d release an episode every Friday for five weeks, just like paychecks. Now that we’ve released the finale, everyone has the opportunity to sit back, grab a bevvie and watch the Hounds go after their sevvies. I make a few cameos myself — see if you can find me:

The show has brought in over 11.5K (views) on YouTube so far. In the end, the dancing hamster/baby trick videos always get more clicks, but I’ve learned this is a totally different way to screen your material, that requires patience. Patience on the internet? Isn’t that fictional? Perhaps it feels that way at first, but all of a sudden… right when you think it’s not working, random people start to respond and comment, and the process becomes truly engaging.

Sevvy Hounds is a piece of office comedy, a nice young genre I’ve always enjoyed, with plenty of untapped potential. Many of us can relate to getting stuck at a dead end job, and daydream about working the system, sticking it to the man, or getting back what we’re really worth. For those reasons alone, I hope the series continues to penetrate cubicle screens. If you’re sweating the 9-5, this show might just be for you.

Launching this web series has been a fun ride, and as a way to thank our supporters, we’ll be dropping an “improv-style” BONUS episode onto on our channel — September 5th. Like its predecessors, this little epilogue will have no shame.

 
 
The best thing about watching movies is that no matter how many you see, you will never see them all. But there’s nothing as satisfying as discovering the one you can’t believe you missed. Recently that happened to me with a film by Milos Forman (best known for Amadeus and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest). I’ve seen so many of Forman’s films but had never run across his 1971 effort, Taking Off.

Taking Off was the first picture Forman made in the U.S. and it’s easily one of the most refreshing pieces I’ve seen in the last few years. The film follows a married couple (played by Buck Henry and Lynn Carlin) searching for their runaway daughter. The story inter-cuts creatively between their experience and an exposé of a new generation coming alive at an “audition.” Taking Off poses some unique questions that still feel completely alive and relevant today. Can two worlds share an inner discovery together or is every new generation too disconnected from the conventions of yesteryear?

Milos Forman finds wonderful ways to let the elements of his story breath and does a remarkable job commanding what I believe to be his signature trait: crowd scenes. Only in his films do scenes with over 50 people look so intimately real, allowing you to engage in simple colorful actions between how we sit and observe each other. With Taking Off, the atmosphere is purposefully an expressive one, and somehow every actor appears as important as the other. Even the musical cameos fit like a glove. I never expected to see a young Kathy Bates singing like I did here:

Taking Off is funny, dramatic, and touchingly outlandish. I hope you can take a moment to seek it out. It’s a unique piece of social commentary and I hope it continues to get discovered by the kids to come.
 

 
 
As all the Hollywood blockbuster releases roll out this season, the theaters will once again be packed with popcorn, action, and superheroes. It’s tough to see past all those big budget explosions and find the indie films. So when the summer hits, I usually go more out of my way than usual to catch the smaller films on the big screen. I’ve watched my share of trailers recently, and these are a few of the titles I have on my radar:
 
Dark Horse
This is the latest effort from the eclectic Todd Solondz (Welcome to the Dollhouse, Happiness). It looks clever, and it could be more accessible than his usual film. That’s a good thing; more people need to see what this guy is capable of. Plus, some (like me) could argue it’s already worth the price of admission based on the all-around greatness of Christopher Walken’s hair. (Limited release, Summer of 2012)

 
Polisse
This French film took home the Jury prize at Cannes. The trailer is powerhouse art film teasing at its best. And it’s clear this may be a raw and potent piece of filmmaking. Maïwenn, the film’s director (who also acts in the film), is getting quite a bit of praise. The review snippets alone have me fully primed and ready to go. (Playing Now)

 
Killer Joe
I took one look at Matthew McConaughey in this trailer and I was sold. This is definitely dark and twisted territory and the word on the interwebs is that this is the best film William Friedkin (The Exorcist, The French Connection) has directed in years. It may not be for everybody but hey, that’s probably why it’s rated NC-17 . (Release Date: July 27th)