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His Greatness Stemmed From His Passion: Roger Ebert 1942-2013

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:36:18 -0400

I struggled all weekend with the idea of writing about Roger Ebert’s death. For one thing, I disdain obituaries. Reading several textbook, pre-written Ebert obits from countless media outlets was truly depressing. Then I came across rogerebert.com Editor Jim Emerson’s piece. Emerson, having known Ebert for nearly 20 years, managed to be personal without being sentimental. It’s a truly poignant and beautiful piece (and not overlong). How could I write anything better? I might as well just provide the link to his piece on my blog (right here) and leave it at that.

But something was nagging at me. Emerson knew Ebert, he was a friend to him. I of course did not, yet I felt like he was an integral part of my life and my journey as a filmmaker. Ebert’s reviews meant so much to my 15-year-old self, who would devour his reviews, then head down to the local video store and grab the beat up VHS copy of The Maltese Falcon & Bonnie & Clyde.

It wasn’t just his writing ability (which was phenomenal) but his passion and genuine love for film as a medium that truly made his words as powerful as they were. There are reviews that he has written that I enjoy as much as the films themselves. That is the passion Ebert brought to his work.

After several days of struggling for the right words, someone better wrote them for me. This morning I stumbled upon James Berardinelli’s piece on Ebert, and this specific segment spoke directly to the heart of what I wanted to say:

“Famous people die every day. Most of the time, we pause for a moment to acknowledge their achievements then move on. We don’t know them. We know what they did. With actors, we might recognize their faces and voices, but our memories of them are of the characters they played. With someone like Ebert, however, it’s different. Everything he wrote - reviews, columns, blogs, interviews, tweets, etc. - was personal. He didn’t hide behind an alter ego. So the sense that readers “knew” him wasn’t misplaced. And that’s why his death is felt so keenly by so many - not because he is “greater” or “more famous” than anyone else but because he let us get close. Even to those who never met him, he was a friend and companion.”

I never met Roger Ebert. But to me, he was a friend, and I will miss him.

maskednocturnalvigilantism: Charisma as Natural as GravityBy...

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 07:09:29 -0400

maskednocturnalvigilantism:

Charisma as Natural as Gravity
By Christopher Nolan

One night, as I’m standing on LaSalle Street in Chicago, trying to line up a shot for “The Dark Knight,” a production assistant skateboards into my line of sight. Silently, I curse the moment that Heath first skated onto our set in full character makeup. I’d fretted about the reaction of Batman fans to a skateboarding Joker, but the actual result was a proliferation of skateboards among the younger crew members. If you’d asked those kids why they had chosen to bring their boards to work, they would have answered honestly that they didn’t know. That’s real charisma—as invisible and natural as gravity. That’s what Heath had.

Heath was bursting with creativity. It was in his every gesture. He once told me that he liked to wait between jobs until he was creatively hungry. Until he needed it again. He brought that attitude to our set every day. There aren’t many actors who can make you feel ashamed of how often you complain about doing the best job in the world. Heath was one of them.

One time he and another actor were shooting a complex scene. We had two days to shoot it, and at the end of the first day, they’d really found something and Heath was worried that he might not have it if we stopped. He wanted to carry on and finish. It’s tough to ask the crew to work late when we all know there’s plenty of time to finish the next day. But everyone seemed to understand that Heath had something special and that we had to capture it before it disappeared. Months later, I learned that as Heath left the set that night, he quietly thanked each crew member for working late. Quietly. Not trying to make a point, just grateful for the chance to create that they’d given him.

Those nights on the streets of Chicago were filled with stunts. These can be boring times for an actor, but Heath was fascinated, eagerly accepting our invitation to ride in the camera car as we chased vehicles through movie traffic—not just for the thrill ride, but to be a part of it. Of everything. He’d brought his laptop along in the car, and we had a high-speed screening of two of his works-in-progress: short films he’d made that were exciting and haunting. Their exuberance made me feel jaded and leaden. I’ve never felt as old as I did watching Heath explore his talents. That night I made him an offer—knowing he wouldn’t take me up on it—that he should feel free to come by the set when he had a night off so he could see what we were up to.

When you get into the edit suite after shooting a movie, you feel a responsibility to an actor who has trusted you, and Heath gave us everything. As we started my cut, I would wonder about each take we chose, each trim we made. I would visualize the screening where we’d have to show him the finished film—sitting three or four rows behind him, watching the movements of his head for clues to what he was thinking about what we’d done with all that he’d given us. Now that screening will never be real. I see him every day in my edit suite. I study his face, his voice. And I miss him terribly.

Back on LaSalle Street, I turn to my assistant director and I tell him to clear the skateboarding kid out of my line of sight when I realize—it’s Heath, woolly hat pulled low over his eyes, here on his night off to take me up on my offer. I can’t help but smile.

Rest In Peace, Heath.
April 4, 1979-January 22, 2008

life: 45 years ago today, “2001: A Space Odyssey,” premiered at...

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 07:04:07 -0400

life:

45 years ago today, “2001: A Space Odyssey,” premiered at the Uptown Theater in Washington D.C. See amazing photos from the set of the film here.

(Dmitri Kessel—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images)

"Let me tell you a story. The day after Columbine, I was interviewed for the Tom Brokaw news program...."

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 15:02:17 -0500

“

Let me tell you a story. The day after Columbine, I was interviewed for the Tom Brokaw news program. The reporter had been assigned a theory and was seeking sound bites to support it. “Wouldn’t you say,” she asked, “that killings like this are influenced by violent movies?” No, I said, I wouldn’t say that. “But what about ‘Basketball Diaries’?” she asked. “Doesn’t that have a scene of a boy walking into a school with a machine gun?” The obscure 1995 Leonardo Di Caprio movie did indeed have a brief fantasy scene of that nature, I said, but the movie failed at the box office (it grossed only $2.5 million), and it’s unlikely the Columbine killers saw it.
The reporter looked disappointed, so I offered her my theory. “Events like this,” I said, “if they are influenced by anything, are influenced by news programs like your own. When an unbalanced kid walks into a school and starts shooting, it becomes a major media event. Cable news drops ordinary programming and goes around the clock with it. The story is assigned a logo and a theme song; these two kids were packaged as the Trench Coat Mafia. The message is clear to other disturbed kids around the country: If I shoot up my school, I can be famous. The TV will talk about nothing else but me. Experts will try to figure out what I was thinking. The kids and teachers at school will see they shouldn’t have messed with me. I’ll go out in a blaze of glory.”

In short, I said, events like Columbine are influenced far less by violent movies than by CNN, the NBC Nightly News and all the other news media, who glorify the killers in the guise of “explaining” them. I commended the policy at the Sun-Times, where our editor said the paper would no longer feature school killings on Page 1. The reporter thanked me and turned off the camera. Of course the interview was never used. They found plenty of talking heads to condemn violent movies, and everybody was happy.

”

- Roger Ebert (via squid-skywalker)

Thinking about submitting something for...

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:28:50 -0500

Thinking about submitting something for this…

fakecriterions:

-TWELVE DAYS LEFT TO ENTER OUR SECOND ANNIVERSARY CONTEST-

CAGE MATCH - The Films of Nicolas Cage

Pick your favorite Cage film. Make a cover. Photoshop it, draw it, make it out of cardboard and macaroni, whatever.

- ONE entry per person, so choose your film wisely and design it creatively.
- E-MAIL ENTRIES ONLY. You can tag it on Tumblr if you’d like, but only entries received via email will be considered. Send them to fakecriterions[at]gmail.com, with the subject line “Fake Criterions Cage Match.”
- ONLY THOSE ENTRIES RECEIVED VIA EMAIL BY 11:59PM EST NOV. 28 WILL BE CONSIDERED.

Our Judges (in alphabetical order):

- Kasia Cieplak-von Baldegg, The Atlantic
- Molly Eichel, Philadelphia Daily News, The AV Club
- Jake Fogelnest (jakefogelnest.com), Sirius XMU, The Fogelnest Files
- Lacey Mitcalef, lulinternet
- Paul Scheer (paulscheer.com), NTSF:SD:SUV, The League, How Did This Get Made
- Chris Sims, Batmanologist & Senior Writer- Comics Alliance

The Prizes:
1st: In the process of being acquired.
2nd: TBA
3rd: A wonderful collectible Nicolas Cage postage stamp from an exotic land.

Again, thanks to Zach Osif and Brice Baum for their wonderful Cages for our poster. DOWNLOAD AND PRINT FOR YOUR HOME OR OFFICE: Here’s the PDF.

The fine folks at Criterion have nothing to do with this.

As you wish….

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 08:04:54 -0400

As you wish….

R.I.P. Cinematographer Harris Savides (1957-2012) | The Playlist

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 15:34:00 -0400

R.I.P. Cinematographer Harris Savides (1957-2012) | The Playlist:

This is incredibly sad news. An amazing artist and fellow SVA alum.

bryanwashere: Can we talk about how great the Carnegie Mellon...

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 12:49:26 -0400

bryanwashere:

Can we talk about how great the Carnegie Mellon University H. John Heinz III College Error Page is? If you don’t get the reference, we should not be friends.

"Cutting PBS support (0.012%) to help balance the federal budget is like deleting text files to make..."

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 16:07:02 -0400

“Cutting PBS support (0.012%) to help balance the federal budget is like deleting text files to make room on your 500G hard drive.”

- Neil deGrasse Tyson

thisistheverge: Siri’s strange movie reviews: it’s tough being...

Wed, 03 Oct 2012 17:18:23 -0400

thisistheverge:

Siri’s strange movie reviews: it’s tough being a robot

You may or may not have noticed that sometimes Siri says crazy things. We recently noticed that Siri summarizes movies in a pretty funny way, too. Siri seems to have a distinct preference for Sci-Fi (who can blame her?), though she also has a few words to say about the classic Wizard of Oz, as well as Pixar’s Toy Story.

Sight & Sound 2012: Quick Thoughts

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 15:18:00 -0400

Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo topped the critics list for the greatest film of all time

For those of you who have yet seen it, Sight & Sound released their annual list (which they do once a decade) of the “greatest films of all time”. Being that they are the most respected film magazine in the world, the list carries weight for many people as being “The List”. Here is how 2012 panned out (with my personal thoughts below):

Critics Picks: Director’s Picks:

1. “Vertigo”   1. “Tokyo Story”
2. “Citizen Kane”   2. “2001: A Space Odyssey”
3. “Tokyo Story” 2. “Citizen Kane”
4. “The Rules of the Game” 4. “8 1/2”
5. “Sunrise”   5. “Taxi Driver”
6. “2001: A Space Odyssey” 6. “Apocalypse Now”
7. “The Searchers” 7. “The Godfather”
8. “Man With a Movie Camera” 7. “Vertigo”
9. “The Passion of Joan of Arc” 9. “The Mirror”
10. “8 1/2” 10. “Bicycle Thieves”

- In regards to the critics, I think Vertigo unseating Citizen Kane feels like what it is, a critics pick. Hitchcock is commonly referred to by critics as cinema’s greatest director (so much hyperbole in this post). I can’t argue with the selection or support it. I can say I personally think the inclusion of Man with a Movie Camera over such films as The Godfather or Battleship Potemkin feels hollow. Additionally, City Lights didn’t make either top 10, and that saddens me on emotional level.

- Strangely, I think the directors made the most egregious error on either list with their exclusion of F.W. Murnau’s timeless Sunrise. I’m personally of the opinion that there are 5 films that redefined what cinema was. They destroyed our concept of what the movies were capable of and rebuilt it again. Leaving out Birth of a Nation due to its controversial content, that leaves four films. Those four films, for me, are Sunrise, Citizen Kane, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and The Godfather. These films transcended not genres, but the entire idea of the medium as a whole. We could argue each titles “order” or “individual significance” until we are blue in the face, but they belong on any top 10 list. So the lack of Sunrise from the world’s greatest living director’s worries me greatly.

- CTG

criterioncollection: In 1987, the Criterion Collection released...

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 16:42:46 -0400

criterioncollection:

In 1987, the Criterion Collection released BLADE RUNNER on laserdisc.

CTG: So where’s the blu-ray CC?

oldfilmsflicker: theacademy: “Blade Runner” remains a seminal...

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 14:55:07 -0400

oldfilmsflicker:

theacademy:

“Blade Runner” remains a seminal sci-fi vision, and its score by Oscar-winning composer Vangelis is also an electronic masterpiece. Here’s a comprehensive background on the film’s innovative soundtrack.

criterioncorner: Teaser Trailer: THE GAME (dir. David Fincher)...

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 15:18:41 -0400

criterioncorner:

Teaser Trailer: THE GAME (dir. David Fincher) 1997

“Admit to yourself that it sounds intriguing.”

so Criterion will *finally* be releasing David Fincher’s The Game this september, and i’m convinced that this new dvd / blu-ray will result in a serious critical re-appreciation of this late-90s gem. the extent to which Fincher’s film involves and provokes its audience in such a deceptively transparent thriller is remarkable, the movie’s structure operating like a reminder of the agreeable trickery upon which the cinema itself relies. and those stringy lines you see on Criterion’s gorgeous cover art? well, fans of the film will recognize the shape they take, but they also harken back to that element of manipulation that’s been integral to the film’s identity since the very first teaser trailer…

CTG: I need to be honest, as fond as I am of this film, I’m unsure it is deserving of a Criterion release. I mean as far as “90’s twisty noirish puzzlers” go, it sure is fun, but there were superior efforts from the decade that should get a criterion treatment (The Usual Suspects, for example). Although I am intrigued by whether or not Fincher will oversee part of the transfer. Can’t wait to see how the Blu-ray looks.

Never Trust a Trailer: Lesson 1 - The Grey How they marketed it:...

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 15:27:06 -0400

Never Trust a Trailer: Lesson 1 - The Grey

How they marketed it: “The guy from Taken fist fights some wolves”

What it actually is: A solid meditation on man’s innate will to survive (with the Man vs. Nature dynamic serving as an epic backdrop). Not a perfect film by any means, but a very solid effort from Carnahan. Also ends on a perfect note. Recommended.

- CTG

Neil Gaiman: I am so very proud of Amanda...

Thu, 31 May 2012 16:55:39 -0400

Neil Gaiman: I am so very proud of Amanda...:

neil-gaiman:

She’s in the last seven hours of her Kickstarter. She’s got a warchest to make and promote her CD, to film videos, to go on tour, to print her art book. And just importantly, she’s changed things: her phone is ringing off the hook with calls from The Economist, Spin, The Wall Street Journal,…

CTG: The key is having the fan base to begin with (Like Gaiman mentions). But it is quite a fantastic thing.

A Bittersweet Farewell

Tue, 29 May 2012 15:18:09 -0400

A still from my Undergrad Thesis film: ”Losing Track” (2006)

Ten years ago I entered New York City as a wide-eyed 19-year-old, very green and wondering what my future held. New York was a very different place at that time. The shadow of 9-11 still hung heavy, you could smoke cigarettes in bars, the East Village became my comfort zone, and being a film director was the only thing that occupied my mind.

In those ten years, I have not had many constants. I’ve held half a dozen jobs, worked on more film sets then I can count, gone through a few significant others, and had basically every other aspect of my life evolve and change. But the School of Visual Arts was always a constant. That is, until today. Today I gave my notice of resignation as the Systems Administrator of the Final Cut Pro lab.

When you’re young, it’s easy to say the words ‘I want to be a director”. Knowing what you want in life truly is half the battle, and I knew exactly what I wanted. Being 19 and naive, I thought it would be easy. I would find “the path” and follow it. But like any artist can tell you, there is no path, no education, no road map to reach your goals. Every artist must craft his or her own path. Being a filmmaker is not like being a doctor. All the schooling in the world really doesn’t get you anywhere.

My early years as a student at SVA were vital to my development, specifically on a technical level. One important thing to mention is this: I believe in film school. Please don’t misconstrue my intention; by no means do I believe that you “need” film school to be a successful filmmaker, but I do believe that film school can help shape you as a filmmaker. Nothing angers me more then when a famous filmmaker stands up at a podium and uses the soap box opportunity to tell young, aspiring filmmakers “Just grab a camera and shoot”. I have always found that to be some of the most careless advice possible. Would you go out and fix an old car with no mechanical knowledge?

Unless you are a prodigy (I assure you, they are few and far between) it is important to study and learn the craft of filmmaking. Whether that means you read a book, take a class, or work as a production assistant on a film set, it still means performing some sort of research on your part. Putting in the time and effort and taking the craft seriously is first and foremost. Those who feel they can just “pick up a camera and shoot”, are both arrogant and naive.

The industry is much different today then it was for me (only ten short years ago). Digital was not a mainstream option. HD video did not exist on an affordable level, and even the expensive HD was visibly inferior to film on every level. That gap has closed very quickly. So genuinely, more people are picking up those cameras and shooting. The business side of the industry is changing just as rapidly. The web has become a more viable option for distribution (or at least, as means to getting your work seen).

When I left school, I had no idea how I was going to get where I wanted to be. I worked on sets as a Production Assistant, but I hated it (as most do). It was menial and it was a “path to producing”. I was dead-set that I was to be a director (because remember, “it’s just that easy”-where is a font for sarcasm when I need it). After a year of frustration, an opportunity arose, and I returned to my alma mater.

Coming back to SVA was originally supposed to be “means to an end”. A paycheck and some health insurance while I worked on my own projects. But quickly, I found myself falling deeper into my work here, and before I knew it, I was running the editing facility and providing assistance to the younger filmmakers as they pursued their dreams. There is something very rewarding about teaching and providing for someone who truly wants to learn. Last month, at our annual thesis awards ceremony, the student who won Best Documentary thanked only four people. Her parents, her advisor, and myself. It hits you hard when you realize your work affects these young artists.

My journey to where I am as a filmmaker today is not what I expected. It involved a lot of freelance work I didn’t want to do. It involved a few gigs I loved, and a few I hated. But it all leads somewhere. You never know who will watch the work you do, and when an opportunity might arise that changes your perception of where that elusive path is heading.

I look at my new opportunities not as a step “forward” or “up”, but just as one more road that I carved towards fulfilling my artistic goals. If you had told me when I was 22 that I would be producing TV, I would have laughed you off. But these are all steps across that path that you dig out for yourself.

My advice to all of you aspiring filmmakers is simple. Never stop learning. Never stop reading. Absolutely no gig is too small. Do not let people take advantage of you. Know that your time is worth money. People will always try to get you to do as much work as possible for as little money as possible. Work hard, know your worth, and always do what makes you happy.

thisistheverge: David Cronenberg sides with digital: ‘I have no...

Tue, 22 May 2012 09:22:02 -0400

thisistheverge:

David Cronenberg sides with digital: ‘I have no particular affection for film whatsoever’

What’s the one thing Cronenberg will miss? “The smell when you open those film cans.”

CTG: Discuss amongst yourselves (or in the comments section)

criterioncorner: Tilda Swinton photographed by Agnès Varda at...

Fri, 18 May 2012 11:57:49 -0400

criterioncorner:

Tilda Swinton photographed by Agnès Varda at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.

(VIA strangewood)

CTG: Normally don’t post celebrity shots, but from an aesthetic standpoint I absolutely love this photograph. Something about it hits me.

"…when businesspeople take credit for creating jobs, it’s a little like squirrels taking credit for..."

Thu, 17 May 2012 13:13:17 -0400

“…when businesspeople take credit for creating jobs, it’s a little like squirrels taking credit for creating evolution. In fact, it’s the other way around”

- Nick Hanauer, from a presentation TED won’t show (via zeitvox)

CTG: I’m shocked by TED on this one. Their bi-partisan argument is as flimsy as a wet noodle.