Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Waves
I watch movies as someone who desperately wants to make more
movies. I try to find inspiration in everything I watch, whether that
inspiration motivates me to create something similar, or cautions me to avoid
themes and techniques completely. In real life, I’m constantly putting images
into aspect ratios; I’m listening to songs on repeat and creating montages
around them. There is a mechanism in my brain that does not allow me to
experience situations idly. I am always trying to frame my experiences into
a film.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
I Am Alive: Watch Now
It’s been one hell of a long journey to get to this point,
and I’m so grateful to anyone who spends some time watching my latest film, I
Am Alive.
Time to pull back the curtain and let it all play out.
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
I Am Alive: Official Trailer
Ahead of the release of my new short film, I Am Alive, on
October 19, I’m thrilled to share the film’s official trailer.
Memory. Pain. Sadness. I wasn’t interested in pulling punches
with this film. The exercise was to tell a very specific story and push it as
far as it could go.
If you’re familiar with my work (which, by the way, thank
you!), you may see some friendly faces in the trailer. Nick Dostal, whose film,
There
I Go, I shot and edited in 2016, and Andrew Bongornio, who gave a devastating
performance in my film, Wait,
are absolute powerhouses. Mikki Hernandez
is new to my troupe, but after witnessing what she did in I Am Alive, you can bet we’ll be working together again.
Monday, October 14, 2019
WAIT: Watch Now for Free
With my new film, I Am Alive, coming out this Saturday, a
few people have asked me how they can see my previous film, Wait. Until now,
Wait has been behind iTunes, Amazon, and Vimeo pay walls, but I figured it was
time to finally make the movie more easily accessible.
Wait was my first feature film; a labor of pure love
that was equally rewarding and grueling to make. If you’d like to give the
movie a look, it is embedded below, along with the film’s trailer.
And if you’re a crazy person, and want to read my exhaustive
breakdown of Wait’s genesis, production, and release, you can scroll through that series here.
Thanks so much for watching and reading! I’m so thrilled to share I Am Alive on October 19!
Saturday, October 5, 2019
My New Film: I Am Alive
Here we go! I’ve been a little quiet on this blog and social
media lately, and that’s because for the past 12 months, I have been working
steadily on my new film, I Am Alive.
And after a year of writing, producing, shooting, editing, and
mixing, the movie will be released for free on my Vimeo page on October 19,
2019.
I Am Alive is a short film about love, loss, and
family. I was lucky enough to make it with some very talented people who mean
the world to me, and I am so excited to share it with you all in a few weeks.
I’m trying a somewhat different distribution approach this
time. In the past, I detailed the making of my films, Earrings and Wait,
while I was actively producing them. For I Am Alive, I’ll reserve my comments
about the film’s production (which went great!) until after the film is
released. But look out for more pictures and a trailer for I Am Alive
before its release on October 19. Stay tuned!
Monday, September 23, 2019
My Favorite Scene: Jarhead
My grandfather died a few weeks ago. His name was Robert Withrow,
he was 94 years old. Robert was known as “Whitey” to everyone who knew him, a
nickname he acquired early in life due to the jet-white hair he had from his birth
until his passing day. But his grandchildren knew him as Pap, and Pap was a
very good man.
Monday, August 26, 2019
In Character: Michael Madsen
Michael Madsen doesn’t like to stand still. At least not for very long. His characters move, they assess, they act. And whether Madsen is playing a shit kicker, cow puncher, mob boss, or psycho thief, there’s an unpredictability to his characters that is so appealing. Michael Madsen inhabits his roles with a unique persona that is equal parts charm, menace, vulnerability and rage. Madsen’s imposing figure makes him a suitable choice for the many antagonists he’s played so well, but his capacity for emotional openness is something that has helped make many of his roles so memorable.
Friday, July 26, 2019
Top 56 Things I Love About The Hateful Eight (that no one talks about)
I’m fresh off a first viewing of Quentin Tarantino’s masterful
new film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and while I wait until I can
marvel at that film again, I thought it’d be fun to highlight a few things I love
about Tarantino’s previous film, The Hateful Eight.
There are three versions of this film: The Roadshow Version
that Tarantino displayed in 70mm in select cinemas, the somewhat shorter Standard
Cut that was widely released in theaters and on Blu-Ray, and the Extended Version currently on Netflix. I’ll be covering the Standard Cut for
this post, but if you’re a fan of this film, check out the Extended Version on
Netflix. Tarantino oversaw the assembly of it, and it’s a really cool narrative
experiment.
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Top 10 Darius Khondji Films
Looking at cinematographer Darius Khondji’s entire career,
it’s interesting how he’s been able to balance classic with experimental, muted
with neon. He can shoot one of the most visually dark crime thrillers ever made
one year, then turn around and land an Oscar nomination for shooting a
traditional biopic the next year. As we wait to see what visual wonder he
brings to the Safdie Brothers’ Uncut Gems later this year, here’s a look
at some of Khondji’s finest work to date.
Saturday, July 13, 2019
Too Old to Die Young
Nicolas Winding Refn’s new Amazon series, Too Old to Die Young,
is a lot of things, many of which are equally maddening and fascinating. It takes
just a few minutes into the first episode to realize how the show is going handle
the passage of time, which proves to be one of the most telling things about
the entire series.
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
Top 10 Films of 2019 (so far)
We’re halfway through 2019, and while I haven’t seen everything,
I mostly feel good about what I have seen, and I’m excited for what’s to come.
Feel free to share your favorites so far this year as well!
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
In Character: Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel has been one of our finest screen actors since
he exploded on the screen in Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets. Thankfully, those
two have maintained their collaboration (bring on The Irishman!), all while
Keitel has carved out an astounding career for himself. Frankly, I can’t
believe I haven’t covered him in this series yet. Maybe it’s because there are
so many great performances to choose from. If I didn’t include yours, please
feel free to share!
Thursday, May 30, 2019
Top 10 Benoît Debie Films
Audiences are guaranteed something every time they watch a
film shot by cinematographer Benoît Debie: no matter what the film
is about or how good it is, you can
guarantee it will look great. Debie
has mastered cinematography-as-character; when his work is at its best, Debie’s
camera acts as its own character, fully immersing you into the film. Here’s a
look at some of the finest work he’s captured yet.
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
In Character: Chelcie Ross
Chelcie Ross is the man. After receiving a Bronze Star for
serving in Vietnam as an officer in the U.S. Air Force (an achievement that can
justly define a life), Ross quickly became, and remains, one of the finest
character actors working in film and TV. While Ross has been decorated
handsomely for his previous profession, his acting work is the gift that keeps
on giving. Anytime this man appears on screen, he makes whatever he
is in that much better.
Thursday, April 11, 2019
Top 52 Things I Love About Miami Vice (that no one talks about)
The wheel came back around on Miami Vice. When the film was released in the summer of 2006,
critical and audience reception was cold. But today, it seems like every
few months there’s a new think piece hailing the film as brilliant. Those
articles are great, because they encourage people to watch the movie for the
first time, or revisit it with fresh eyes. Me? I’ve always adored the film, and
I’m always looking for ways to explain my appreciation of it. (Please note that
I’m going to spoil all major details about Miami
Vice. And a few about Heat.)
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