New Project: Update 1

The man in the photo is my doc partner John. Take a good luck because he's sober (mostly) and that's rare. Then, look at what he's holding. It was a small camcorder that got dropped out of the window of a limo, run over by a rastafarian 4-door and then dragged by a boat.

Curious how that can happen? I bet you are....stay tuned true believers....

Bob...Allen. Allen, Bob...

I simply cannot wait for the new Todd Haynes movie "I'm Not There." This year and last have been unexpectedly "Dylanccentric" due to his biography (ies), the Scorsese doc (which is frigging...awesome) and his lil tour than included Santa Rosa, right where I live. He's also playing this summer at the "joke" venue...Styx and Def Leppard are there 2 days later. I may actually go to Styx/Def Lep, but thats another blog entry.

I've always really loved Dylan, but he's so unapproachable as an artist and his back catalogue is so amazing, I always felt like a major late comer getting into him. Anywho, I sucked it up (and illegally downloaded tons of stuff) and now I'm up to snuff for the most part. Hence this late night entry and the new movie...which features a few different people playing Bob Dylan. Here...it's Cate Blanchett and a certain comedian playing a certain beat poet. It's all pretty awesome and brilliant if ya ask me!

New Project

So this Saturday, I start a new doc project with my partner, John. I don't want to give too much away, but my real time friends know what it is and it's going to ruuuuule! By rule, I mean...totally, totally rule. I will say this...

There's alot of heartbreak in the world. Our democracy is crumbling around us, life's unfair, gas prices are ridiculous. People on our own soil...hell...in our own towns are starving and no one takes notice. As commoners in society, we really have no voice and sometimes, it's up to the music and filmmakers of the world to enlighten us. Our next film will touch on none of those issues. It will not solve or strike up a single conversation on the state of the world...per se.

All I will say is...if you like ridiculous, id driven entertainment but not as blantantly stupid as "Jackass," you're going to want to get in line now to see what we got cookin'. We shoot Saturday and I hope to have pics up soon to give you a better sense of the project.

New five a.m. songs!!

Sorry for not posting....I've been soooper busy. Ugh. I long for the days of not having a job and writing stuff all day. Blogs, screenplays, movie reviews. Alas, it doesn't pay well and if you don't get paid, you can't buy beer. Plus, personally there hasn't been much going on. Or so I thought. Then I realized I neglected to announce that FIVE AM, the band that I manage (and that also consists of my friends) have "released" the 3 songs they recorded up in Cou-Town. Or, Vancouver, BC if you will. These songs are amazing All three. I definitely think the song "Be Still" is pop perfection and you'd have to be a totally cynical asshole to not like it. I AM a cynical asshole and I love it. It's beautiful.

Although I love all three songs, my second favorite is the song "Lillian." When I first heard it, it took me aback. Having heard it live I always had it pegged for a more Americana sound. Pedal steel, a harmonica....maybe a wurlitzer. But the bands producer, Jeff Dawson, took it and crafted it into an even more beautiful creature that I really love now. At first, it took time to dig it because I had it turning out differently in my mind, but that's why you pay good producers. To make something special.

Anywho, the guys are back and we're currently plotting our attack and that's no easy task. I once managed a band that had 11 members and trying to get them to agree on gigs, albums, set lists and who's sitting by who in the van was brutal. Now that our little "team" has started evolving, I see those days happening again. And that's fine. In fact, it's something I look forward to because it's alot like making a film. We're all hoping and thinking and plotting in our own minds and when you get together, you have to hash it out. But it's a good feeling knowing we're all pushing in the same direction. "What" direction that is...I have no idea...but we all want to succeed and that's what's important.

PLEASE listen to the new songs >>>HERE<<< and chime in if you get a sec.

Hi-larious

When I was at CineVegas, I was totally, totally blown away by this movie called "The Living Wake." The guy who wrote it and stars in it, Mike O'Connell is a comedian out of L.A. and I'd never heard of him. But I say now without hesitation, he's a genius. He's like a dirtier Zack Galafanakis and that's a good, good thing.

Here's a video he did that alerted Mark from Film Threat to his brilliance. It's nothing like "The Living Wake," but it's still really funny...