Ch-ch-ch changes

Well I wasn't lying when I posted that last blog at the beginning of the year. I've been suuuper busy. It's funny that my last post detailed my taking over managerial duties at Film Threat because now, I'm trying to remove myself from that site and find a new home for my writing. It hasn't been easy and the story behind it isn't worth getting into on here but I will say it makes me pissed, sad and frustrated.

The thing about film writing right now is....print film critics are getting fired left and right and newspapers are going under. Since it's an electronic world, many of these writers are starting blogs or jumping on board with established film websites. Since these people have a solid rep because they are paid "professional" writers, schlubs like me are getting passed over pretty quick for established writing jobs because bigger names are available. Plus, I kind of painted myself into a corner at Film Threat by reviewing mostly arty, small indie films. There's no money in writing about that stuff for bigger webpages so adding me to their site maybe doesn't make sense.

I will say that for once in my life, the nagging feeling that I totally suck isn't bogging me down. I'm confident in my writing. The timing to move on is just really shitty. So, I'm doing less at Film Threat and not running any admin stuff at all. In fact, I've really taken a break from writing since SXSW in March which was shitty for me this year. While it feels good to take a break, I miss covering film festivals and writing reviews. I have some new stuff in the works though and more on that soon.

Anyway....since we last spoke I....

- Attended the AVN Awards in Las Vegas. It's the porno awards...and it was an incredible trip. Just ridiculous and silly and I had a blast.



- I went to SXSW and had a bad time. Saw some great movies though and kept my partying to a minimum, save for a night out at the dance halls with a friend who's wife is having twins this summer.

- I went to AFI Dallas which was killer. That festival knows how to get it done. Very inclusive feeling, several awesome films, great parties and some of the bets panels I've seen. Plus, I got to be ON a panel which was alot of fun. Dallas is no Austin, but I have several friends from Dallas so it was great to see them and I made some new pals as well. That trip definitely made up for my SXSW "mood pocket."

Plus my new personal photographer, Kelly Williams, took that photo at the top of this post and that's the best photo of me EVER taken!

I've been working on my thesis which has proved more difficult that I thought. I can't get a groove going. It's only 30 pages and I've pushed my graduation back to this summer. But man...I can't get it going. I know what I want to say and I know how I want it to look so eventually it will just come pouring out of me, but until that time....I feel kind of lost and frustrated. Patience though. It'll happen soon I think.

I thought I would get back into the groove by posting here again so here goes. Sorry for bailing but I've just been enjoying being home with my wife, daughter and dog and recuperating from an insane year of travel. Now, I'm broke but feel really great about laying some seeds at festivals I loved attending. I'm going to try and come back to them this year as a juror or panelist (or, both) and then after, that, I should have my first feature length documentary ready for festival travel! More on that soon.

In the meantime....I'm BACK!

My March song.

March is probably my favorite month...next to October. I've always loved October cuz the weather here's always superb. Plus, it's my bday and Story's bday too...plus Halloween. But March is so fresh and sunny, yet rainy. plus, I get to go to SXSW every year.

Before I headed out to SXSW, I had some much chronicled Steve Poltz shows around here and I got both his new albums about a month before I headed to Austin. His song "Rains" reminds me of my daughter...plus, it's a way cool song. One night when I wouldn't leave Steve and his band alone at SXSW, I finally had the nerve to tell Poltzy that that song is about my daughter (which is a cheeeesy ass thing to say and I should know better, but I was drunk, tired and really missing my family) on my way out of their showcase. He stopped when I said it (and if you can get Steve Poltz to stop...for anything...you've accomplished something) and he said, "It is. It is about your daughter." But he said it in a way that was both funny and serious. Like, we both knew it wasn't but maybe I needed to hear that it was...or something. I dunno. I love that guy.

So, here's the video for Steve Poltz and the Cynics' Song "Rains." I hope you like goofballs and hamsters:



FYI...."Street Fighters Face" is my favorite song off the new record and here's Poltz doing that one as well as my third favorite song on the album:

http://www.kpbs.org/blogs2/index.php/culturelust/comments/steve_poltz/

Smooth.

So I simply cannot wait to go to South by Southwest this year! It's my most favorite thing to do ever as it's all movies, music, beer and BBQ. Basically it's my bible camp. Last year I was equally psyched and then somehow misread my flight info and missed my flight by a day. It was like someone stole all my Christmas presents I was so upset. I just went home and crawled into bed and waited for Saturday so I could fly out.

So today I've been stressed as my wife and child have the flu and I can feel it coming on. Plus, I have a review to write and a big article for Film Threat....plus packing and tying up loose ends at work. So I look at my flight info and come to find out, I leave tomorrow (Thursday) not Friday. It was almost a crappy deja vu!! Luckily, I caught the error on my part.

Still, what a moron I am. Who doesn't check their flight infoWHile I'm not too bummed because I'll get to be in Austin a day early, I now have less time to do all the stuff I gotta do. And what am I doing? Writing a blog. Genius.

The other good thing is my Austin buddy Kelly alerted me that STYX is playing the RODEO tomorrow night so that's a MUST SEE EVENT.

Viva Austin!!!