Lari the Leper

ABANDONED

2006-09-09T00:40:00.000-07:00

I'm moving somewhere else to neglect.

my mom's desktop

2006-08-18T22:01:00.000-07:00

At my Mom's this weekend taking care of her cats while she's camping. Lo and behold this invades my glance while trying to waste time on the interweb.

TREK IS DEAD. LONG LIVE TREK.

2006-07-22T16:45:00.000-07:00

Ahh San Diego. Once upon a time you would get great comic news from the San Diego Comic Con. Now Quesada (the Editor in Chief at Marvel) makes a point of making the big announcements at the Chicago Con so it doesn't get drowned out by the Hollywood shit (By shit I mean stuff, not shit.). But that's fine cause what great movie buzz comes from the Con every year. The Fox panel sounded the best with the cast of RENO: 911 appearing in character and the same for BORAT.

But the official announcement for the new Trek. Suprisingly retro look. J.J. Abrams is now officially signed to produce with an option to direct. Him and LOST co-creator Damon Lindelof (who finally has gotten around to writing the 3rd issue of Ultimate Hulk vs Wolverine)are writing. I was a little worried for my boy Abrams after the box office of MI:3 (which is the best pure action film I've seen in quite some time.) but I guess Paramount is putting the blame on Cruise for that which pleases me 'cause Abrams did great work considering it was his a) first feature and b) his first feature being a tentpole title. Either way I'm glad it was Abrams and not JMS rebooting trek 'cause after reading his pitch it felt like a B5 retread.

Question: would it be too hackneyed if they got Dr. Cottle from BSG to play Bones in the reboot? Like have him play the exact same character just different names. Though maybe this time they'll be brave enough to make him the bigoted xenophobe (is that redundant?) we all knew Dr. McCoy to be. I saw it in his eyes, fantasizing about dragging that soulless devil-eared monster by horseback through the decks of the Enterprise.

The B&B presents: BEAT THE HEAT! WWII winter warfare

2006-07-08T19:37:00.000-07:00

We'll be taking a break for the next few weeks to watch something other than trash (don't fret it will also be a staple as long as I have a say in things). This week, well the headline says it all.

Mon. July 10th

7pm BATTLEGROUND (1949): Following a single infantry unit of the 101st Airborne during the Battles of Bastogne and the Bulge. Don't expect an action war film but an early attempt to tell a more truthful war film focusing on the psychology and morale of these soldiers running low on supplies, the harshest of winter conditions and being surrounded by German forces. And look Ricardo Montalban's in it. Huzzah!

9pm Cross of Iron (1977): To my suprise Sam Peckinpah only made one war film and this is it. Here we have James Coburn as Steiner, a German corporal and recipient of the Iron Cross leading a platoon of German soldiers in the Russia of 1943, when the German Wehrmacht forces had been decimated and the Germans were retreating along the Russian front. But conflict ensues when a new commander, Captain Stransky (Maximillian Schell), takes over the platoon and becomes increasingly envious of Steiner's Iron Cross. It's friggin' Peckinpah. You owe to yourself to check it out.

Next week: new night, new living room and some Wong Kar Wai. Classy!

Masturbating and eating Potato Salad

2006-07-08T17:20:00.000-07:00

I am not fucking happy at the moment.

Got sucked off by a dude and didn't even know it.

2006-05-19T00:51:00.000-07:00

After years of avoiding I decided to finally watch an online episode of Bait n Switch. Don't know it? Well it was a porn site in the tradition of Bang Bus but funnier in concept (though there are many out there who find Bang Bus funny. They're called misogynists.) where a hot girl in a van lures young men into the van, blindfolds him and he unknowingly gets sucked off by a dude. I don't know if there was some hilarious catch phrase when he took off the blindfold or what the usual reaction by the duped guy was 'cause when I came across the site or a link to it I was jerking off. And really I don't want to see some dude suckered into getting head from another dude while I'm jerking off. Which I guess is comforting since it means I'm not gay 'cause seriously I've been wondering lately.

Sadly it doesn't appear to exist anymore. At least by searching through 15 pages of a google search with "bait", "switch" and "porn" (yes the filter was turned off). So no hilarity for me. If anyone knows if it still exists give me a heads up. I want to see at least one episode to at least ease my curiousity.

In the meantime I guess there's always the BITCHMOBILE. The best is the one with the shy Christian dude.

Playing with photoshop

2006-04-15T00:04:00.000-07:00

My buddy Dave came over to give me tips on Photoshop while I worked on pieces for my portfolio. I so far only have six pieces so far and I need 16 to 20 to show.

The first is for my friend Nick who's going to start releasing tapes of his harsh noise. It's more of a test than what he'll actually release but I believe it's a step in the right direction. He liked it so that's a-ok with me. Second is a silk screen idea. Comments?

Debt

2006-04-06T15:38:00.000-07:00

Finally finished paying off the Best Buy card yesterday. It was kinda cool 'cause the final bill was for less than $10. Easiest bill I've ever paid. Though I doubt I'll stop feeling the debt pressure until my MSPs and Overdraft are paid off. I'm cool with the VISA debt for some strange reason. Maybe I won't be after I take out the student loan. eeee. Feel weird that in my attempt to get a better paying job or career, to get a better handle on my low cash income, I decided to spend several years in school amassing larger debt. Seems backwards. Well at least I didn't take that abestos cleaning job in Surrey. Why that job appealed to me I'll never understand.

I want the Duke to be my daddy.

2006-04-06T12:51:00.000-07:00

In a quest to keep writing I've decided to start posting reviews in an efforts to build up something resembling essay writing skills. Never being academically minded I've never put much effort into learning. So criticisms on simple things such as grammar and sentence structure would be appreciated.

RIO BRAVO (1959)

To quite a few people John Wayne along with Elvis represents the evil of the old rich conservative white male. He was friendly with Nixon and Reagan, supported the Vietnam War, advocated a "Hot War" instead of the pussy "Cold War" and of course there's this quote from a 1971 Playboy interview, "I believe in white supremacy until the blacks are educated to a point of responsibility. I don't believe in giving authority and positions of leadership to irresponsible people.". Dammit though if I want someone watching my back or desperately need approval of my character from it'd be the Duke.

I've only seen two of his films, including Rio Bravo, so I'm far from an expert but Wayne's screen persona is currently my ideal on masculinity along with countless others generations previous. I want to watch more to learn about honour, self respect and doing the right thing even when it seems impossible. Of course this could me gearing up for my Halloween costume this year (hint: his idol is John Wayne). In Rio Bravo all these traits I hope to emulate are on display.

Wayne playing small town sheriff John T. Chance arrests Joe Burdette, brother of powerful rancher Nathan Burdette. The rancher employs the services of many hired guns to get his brother out. With his loyal crippled deputy Stumpy, Chance deputizes local drunk Dude (Dean Martin)to help keep Joe Burdette behind bars until the marshal arrives. Further complicating things is Chance's blossoming romance with Feathers (Angie Dickinson), a card dealer who just came into town on the last stagecoach along with Colorado Ryan (Ricky Nelson) riding guard.

I was expecting a siege movie along the lines of Assault On Precinct 13, Act One ends, everyone's holed up ducking from bullets being fired into the building. Not so with Rio Bravo. The movie is waiting for Burdette's men to show and make a move creating more anxiety than thrills. During the wait we have to watch Dude deal with the DTs all the while trying to get his self worth back so he can be useful during the final shootout (before he was a drunk he was damn fast and accurate with a gun). Chance's "recovery program" for Dude certainly isn't the kindest following the lines of, "be nice to him and he'll fall apart in small pieces."

The romance, between Chance and Feathers, feels fresh and real, well as real as any Hollywood film from the 1950s can be. The awkwardness, regretful forwardness, regretful holding back and the flat out emotional anarchy (it should be said it was Feathers going through this emotional rollercoaster, Chance was too worried about the upcoming siege). Maybe these more observant traits were common in classic films but they aren't now when it's only every three or four years you might touch upon a film that has a clue how the emotion love actually moves a person.

Few words on Ricky Nelson who doesn't do much in this movie except look pretty, be good with a gun and sing a period inappropriate song. Gods, he's so pretty one of my viewing partners commented that he's metrosexual before there was metrosexual, I followed with the less clever observation that his face would make a good cum dumpster then the only girl watching with us said I look like Ricky Nelson which made me cringe with conflicting feelings.

Rio Bravo is now one my favorite movies and it should be yours. I can't wait to see it again. If anyone is looking for a gift for me a copy of the screenplay would be adored.

GHOSTS OF MARS (2001)

I'll be briefer on my thoughts on this John Carpenter film.

After reading several positive IMDB comments I ignored my friends' warnings and put this on hoping to see a wrongly maligned and overlooked gem. Those IMDB contributors are either overly forgiving or just stupid.

Set 200 years in the future a Martian Police Unit, consisting of Natasha Henstridge, Pam Grier, Jason Statham and Clea Duvall, are sent to a remote mining outpost to fetch and transport back outlaw Ice Cube for Martian justice. Unbeknownst to them (really do "them" ever really know?) at this mining outpost they dug up an alien artifact unleashing the spirits of the warrior ghosts who possess the bodies of perceived alien invaders, here meaning human, and kill the lot of them.

If I read the script for this movie and was aware of the cast and director I would've been convinced this movie was going to rock beyond compare. An aggressively lesbian Pam Grier, Jason Statham speaking, a villain by the name of Big Daddy Mars, Ice Cube and elements of Carpenter's successful past efforts (Assault on Precinct 13 and The Thing), these stewed together should have made a great genre effort.

Obviously inspired by such films as Bava's "Planet of the Vampires", Hammer Studios' "Quartemass and the Pit" and pulp sci-fi short stories of the Clark Ashton Smith variety, "Ghosts" fails to capture any sort of mood or atmosphere instead relying on getting to the next action sequence as quickly as possible. This leads me to believe this might not be Carpenter's fault, that there might be or have been a slower cut allowing for the aforementioned mood and atmosphere to settle in before the studio (here Screen Gems subsidiary of Sony Pictures) cut it more to their fast paced sensibilities. Only a theory but one that makes sense to me.

Ghosts of Mars is the most frustrating of movie watching experiences, the missed or fouled up opportunity.
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I've just realized these were my first written reviews ever. Let's see how much better I can get.

Camera doesn't work.

2006-04-02T23:54:00.000-07:00

Same problem as before. Video dropouts during playback. Well I have a six month warranty so I'll drop it off tomorrow. In regard to one of the shorts footage looked alright. I become more wooden with each take. Our eyelines are fucked in one exchange. Well, work around it.

Can't find my high school transcripts in the folder I keep all my academic papers. Hopefully if I can call Total Ed tomorow morning, they can make a copy and I'll be ready for an appointment tomorrow.

Oh nevermind. Found it.

Room mate might get me evicted.

2006-04-01T11:44:00.000-08:00

As I should have expected the 20 yr old bar hopper is making a racket. I doubt a large one but enough to infuriate the noise sensitive house manager here, who has threatened eviction. Lovely. Might have a new room mate on a line. Either way he's out on the 1st of June. Though maybe, for the sake of current potential room mate, I should sublet to some unknown til September 'cause no matter what happens in the future I want some place new. A place for a fresh start.

On another note got the camera fixed so I'll be uploading footage tonight from a couple of amateur short shorts I've been involved in the last few months. Maybe you'll see some You Tube links here next week. Fingers crossed.

2006-03-23T01:36:00.000-08:00

It was either actually work on the buildings or not have this up tonight. I'll do better next time. Suckers you have to watch my growth from minimal skill. HAHA.

The other shoe has dropped.

2006-03-20T02:15:00.000-08:00

Will kindly accept hugs.

I hope for no more shoes.

So tired.

2006-03-13T14:34:00.000-08:00

Just finishd draft 2 of current script I'm working on. Well it's not a script so much as an intinerary of where the cast is. My opinion and further explanation of this project I'll keep to myself until it's completed or I've burned all my bridges regarding this film. Just know it's not my project.

Have to wake up in 5 hours (I guess not that bad) to shoot something that is partly mine and actually reflects my sensibility. Will hopefully help get this taste out of my mouth.

Maybe soon after I do two or three things I can finish that short a lot of you worked hard on.

Listening to me blather away, too lazy and scared to write specifics. Defying my own mission statement. Oh well. Too tired to get into it.

Liked this comic. Maybe you will too.

http://www.citypaper.com/news/story.asp?id=11574

2006-03-10T01:40:00.000-08:00

Need to learn how to draw girls better.

2006-03-08T22:55:00.000-08:00

2006-02-27T03:27:00.000-08:00

2006-02-26T23:12:00.000-08:00

FAN OF POPULAR DOMESTIC CONSUMER PRODUCT.

2006-02-21T23:28:00.000-08:00

Swiffers are good. The landlords and the house manager are re-doing the hardwood floors at my place. Lots of dust. So rushed this morning I forgot to put the cats away. Luckily the woman doing the work put the cats and the litter box in my room. Suprisingly my room doesn't smell like cat shit (or the smoking has diminished my sense of smell). Also forgot to cover the amp and dvd player. Hope the layer of dust that covered the living room won't damage them too much. Oh well.

Writing again. Seems to be the only thing I can do to please myself. Masturbation so not cutting it anymore. Either real thing or nothing at all. Ok not true but I think it while masturbating. Oh god I'm a self loathing masturbator. Eh, better than being a jerk-off.

Found a way to make me care about my current gig. Goes a long way towards actually doing the work.

Hope I don't hurt or kill anyone tomorrow. Wish me luck, I don't think my faith in God will be enough.

Doing OK considering...

2006-02-02T10:34:00.000-08:00

Thanks everyone for the open ear and supportive words. I'm doing ok. We're doing what we can for what's best for both of us right now. So yeah.

Give me a call if you want to hang out.

IF YOU ALREADY SMOKE I RECOMMEND NOT QUITTING.

2005-12-13T00:24:00.000-08:00

Though I further recommend you don't start in the first place.

Haven't been this emotional, paranoid and irrational since puberty.

EVIL FILM SCHOOL

If anyone reads this before Fri. Dec. 16 go to the Blim on 17th and Main (On 17th just west of Main on the North side). Why? Well Mariko and I are putting on our first public movie showing (though those who would read this probably also read Mariko's blog so why I am doing this?). Since it's Christ's supposed birthday soon (which I'm thinking of boycotting next year due to not liking or want anything to do with the Cult of Christ. heh.) we've programmed something with a whole Christmas thing with Santa and Satan. It's produced by K. Gordon Murray, the same guy who made some of the Santos movie from the 60s. It's all colorful and lovely. Very much made for the kiddies and is a joy to watch (if you can stand convoluted plots)...I guess. We haven't watched it yet but we have it on good authority it is all the things I said it was. Either we're very excited to see it, especially with an audience so you should come.

DEN OF SIN

As for right now just finished our second Verhoeven night (If you don't know what I'm talking about why are you reading this [besides the fact this writing is on a public space]) with Keetje Tippel and the first half of Soldier of Orange. Keetje Tippel is now one of my fave fem movies (Flavia the Heretic being my first. MEN SUCK! They have dirty penises and the diseased mind to use them.). I've now seen every Verhoeven film available on Home Video in North America and I can safely say with the exception of his first feature he has not made a bad movie (I'm including Hollow Man because of Kevin Bacon and see through Gorilla. Jerry Goldsmith's score is really good too. He knew how to write a good thriller [See also Basic Instinct].)

The movie itself is a nice Moral Tale about not selling out for cash, cash turns you a whore or pimp. It's basically about a girl's rise in society and consciousness from dirt dirt poor (think background characters from Monty Python and the Holy Grail except their 19th Century Dutch conterparts. fuck) to worker, to whore, to rich guy's girlfriend to well, I guess her own lady. She's got class in the end what I can say? Well if I was a better writer a lot more.

See the movie, I feel I haven't done it near justice except maybe when I remarked while watching it, "If I had a choice between being running off with a rich Rutger Hauer or whoring my body in order to feed my family. I'm running off Hauer." Pretty chill night with just enough people showing up to fill the couch and chair, no more (I'm always pleased when it's not packed with people). Note of interest Mariko was the KO of the night quarter of the way through Soldier of Orange. Everyone left pretty much when it was revealed it was 2 and a half hours long. Pussies. They may try to excuse themselves with "It was 11:30. It was late.". Are we that old that 11:30 is late. Damn.

ONE OF THE BIG TWO COMICS ON THE WEB

Weird thing Joe Quesada (Editor in Chief at Marvel Comics) said last friday;

"Right. For the longest time I've been an advocate that fans will always want the tangible book in their hands, and I came to that feeling because of what I saw as the reading habits of most folks on the net. But recently I've been a convert, I'm watching a very young generation of kids who are born into today's computers and I realized that my take on this was completely selfish and was coming from a point of all that I knew and not what was really happening out there. My generation and those before me found comics on racks, we found them at stores, we found them as marked up collectables or as mylared treasures. So as I discovered them, that is how I prefer them. But there is a time coming, when for some kids the very first time they read a comic they'll be reading it on their computer or their phone or PDA. That's what comics will be to them and that number of kids will grow rapidly. Fans ask how we can bring the price of comics down; this is how it may happen."

"While much of the existing and aging fanbase is uncomfortable reading off the screen, that's not the case with new readers. For younger audiences, more used to getting everything they want off a close, bright-lit screen, reading comics online is as valid and acceptable an experience as reading them off the page. Plus, the colours are brighter, the lines sharper, there's no dulling brought on by a printing process.

"Some people have wondered why the industry has not been attracting new readers, even as the Hollywood machine goes to work. The reality appears that they have been, it's just the new readers haven't been paying. They have bypassed the inconvenient, expensive and often non-existent comic shop and have gone directly to their peers, who upload comics in return for respect and admiration.

"Comic companies, especially the big two, need to think about how they can make their product available at a cheap price, for download."

Eep. So I guess I'm one of the older generation (I'm only 25 dammit!) 'cause I HATE reading comics on a computer monitor. Panel structure is totally shot. Try following a conversation spread over a two page splash page. Ick. Of the four passions in my life I can really only do two of them on the computer, masturbating and watching TV. Movies and comics, I must be a backwards freak, but I need those enjoyed on the couch. The couch is coincidentally the only place in the house I don't like to masturbate. Note to reader; never eat my baked goods. Back to point this is encouraging news, this whole get it at a pretty decent price on the internet is a good idea. I actually WANT to pay for episodes of LOST just so I can support an already hit show. The price is just right. Apparently cheap encourages spending who knew.

MOVIE EXHIBITION

I may have a few comments about the soon demise of the current Theatrical Exhibition business but it's probably obvious to everyone now. I love movies. See on average 6 a week (had it my way it'd be more like 14+ a week). I hardly see anything in the theatre anymore. Chronicles of Narnia? Haven't seen it. Harry Potter? Nope. Capote. I have a free pass, haven't got around to it. How did this happen? What used to be my absolute favorite activity, even more than the intimate company of a lady* is now just a huge depressing drag. I feel like a culture warrior trying to fight off the bombardment of ads and crap music. This are common bitches but valid ones that are driving away movie lovers as they now watch movies on DVD with better picture quality than a few week old film print. The theatre owners response to this growing threat to their business? More ads, higher prices. Awesome idiocy. In the end only the modest festival theatres and rep theatres will survive (as barely as they are now).

I POSTED?

Don't think just 'cause I rambled here I'll be posting more. Just strangely acted on the whim. Besides no one commented on the photo-shopped thing I did below. It was for a noise (project or band? [What do you call it if it's just one guy]) thing this guy at work does. THE RITA. I think it's rad so ummm fuck you guys for not caring.

See yez later

*like how I said "intimate company of a lady" instead of "pussy". It's cause I'm gentlemen dammit.

2005-11-21T19:12:00.000-08:00

2005-08-21T19:19:00.000-07:00

So yeah it won't work.

2005-07-12T21:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry the following will only make sense to those who were at the DEN OF SIN last night. Why don't I explain it. I got to be somewhere.

Anyways here's what was in the envelope. Sadly it won't work for me because;

a) I don't believe in God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit.

b)I'm not sending them $17.

c) I'm not that stupid.

Well a sorta Mission Statment...I guess.

2005-01-25T01:46:00.000-08:00

As you can see opened up this blog here. The reason? Awhile now I've needed a diary for myself to catalogue the massive screw-ups I'll make on my films. Just starting out on this whole life goal thing and I'm thinking I might not know everything that it takes to be any good. Just finished shooting a short that I didn't flog myself after watching dailies. That was pretty nifty. I only majorly (majorly apparently not a real word) compromised myself, and thus the work, twice but I'll get to that later. So this blog is partly a production diary and sadly yes dear reader, a place for me to bitch and moan about my personal bullshit. Sorry. I'm sure down the road I'll have over a thousand words on how I don't have a real personality, maybe even a soul. So fair warning this is more for myself than creating a dialogue on my innermost personal secrets. Hopefully none your innermost personal secrets that you have trusted with me over the years don't end up on here on public web space. Yep, got myself a place here to note artistic errors and successes (uplifting!) and a place to puke up turmoil, pain and yes kiddies joy and happiness. I'll try my best not to censor myself, unfortunately that means once in a while I'm gonna say things people don't want me to say or hear. You have been warned.
Focus dammit!
As I said! Just finished shooting a short film. Little comedy piece. People yell at each other, silly faces are made and the potential viewer will laugh. That's the plan at least. Got mostly good footage and the shots I didn't get good footage of was a result of me either not being specific enough or not pushing enough. Communicating the specifics should be an easy hurdle. I'm just a little scatter-brained in general so it's take's a little more effort on my part to blurt out the right thing I want at that moment. I've gone into long diatribes about how this will cut and the music I imagine for this moment when an actor asked, "Do you want me to walk to my mark like this or like that?". I MAY have overcomplicated things by not saying, "Yeah I want it like this.".
Not pushing enough? Now I'm passive aggressive, I fear confrontation. Say someone on set just isn't in the mood to do something. I shouldn't go, "Oh you're in a bad mood. Dang I don't want to do ANYTHING to heighten your stress. We'll just shoot this shot in the foot but hey as long as you're comfortable with this. I'm still an all right guy? You still LIKE ME right? YOU STILL THINK POSITIVELY OF ME!? Good. I'll keep the bitterness and disappointment towards you buried deep down inside which I'll express in a "joke" three weeks later. I didn't get what I want in this shot but whatever. CUT!". And theeennn I have a shitty shot that will devalue all the great stuff around it. So big no-no's from now on.
Oh yes I also compromised myself completely twice (still got good footage but I was not on the ball). What do I mean by compromise? By saying cut and moving on to another shot without getting exactly what I want. I settled and hopefully the short won't get fucked up as a result. The first time was on the second or third day (if I had diary then I'd know exactly when and why) because I just didn't know better. The second compromise was on the last day because I felt everyone (again myself included) was fed up with the whole thing. There was no love in the set. No excitement. Just getting it done. So from now on I guess I have to be a cheerleader as well.
Have an AD (Assistant Director) on next show. Someone to crack the whip and get everyone (myself included) in a professional mindset ready to work and keep them working for close to 12 hours.
So I need to not be so much with the mumbly, scatterbrained, passive aggressive directing thing and be more assertive and confident in the original idea and myself with the work. Or have an AD to not be those things and make sure the cast and crew don't know I'm a mumbly, scatterbrained, passive aggressive bitch.

See this being about boring personal shit. Told you so.

And it's poorly written too.

I'm editing soon so back with more...