SHOOT YOURSELF IN THE FACE WITH AN ELEPHANT GUN?

(In retrospect, perhaps this should be aimed at the people responsible for making this film rather than those who were somehow entertained)

No! Do not do this, that is, unless you enjoyed a little something called "Derailed." If this is you, and you did enjoy the film. I am so sorry. Maybe the elephant gun was a little harsh, but PLEASE do not procreate.

I cannot believe this (not using the word film) thing was made. It was so unwatchable, so poorly written. Here is my gift to you: Jennifer Aniston is the bad guy, she's married to the normally brilliant Vincent Cassel, but you figure this out the minute you see them together (he's "raping" her). There, now I've ruined it. If you had any interest or thought you might like to see this thing, you owe me, big time. I may have just saved you 2 hours of your life. 2 hours I will never get back. Live! Get out there and live those 2 hours! It's too late for me.

CAPOTE

"Crapote?" Just kidding. It was fine, I suppose, although it did feel a bit neutered and grey.

Now, on to more important things. Stream of consciousness style...

A hole in my heart. By Lukas Moodysson. That fucker was crazy. There were only a few of the zoomy bits that annoyed in the otherwise perfect "Fucking Amal," but there was a lot of "Requiem for a Dream" style directorial masturbation. Is all film (or in this case video) direction simply masturbation on some level? Probably, so we'll let that go. But, the thing I might not be willing to let go is the lack of heart. I love the "Boogie Nights style porno can act as a nice surrogate family" feeling, but the goth kid with the flipper hand is really fucked, and in a very traditional familiar way. Gecko and his father are the enemy, and there is no getting around that. The father's pathetic attempts to connect to his son just don't ring true enough.

Fearlessly performed, and brilliantly acted, this film isn't all bad, it's just missing it's heart. The scene where the two men, having just assaulted an aspiring young pornlet, play marbles is brilliant. The shooting (air guns) scene, a cliched situation played that way, could have been so much stronger. But played as it was, with fake blood and "dreamy" flashbacks, the whole thing feels like the worst eighties music. In fact, this film feels just like the 1980's.

I'm going to watch Moodysson's earlier film, Together, and then we'll see what's up. I just know this fucker's a genius.

A gut level feeling had me praising this film (to friends and in my mind), but after that wore off all I was left with was an emptiness, a hole in my...nevermind.

It is an uneven, and actually, kind of a shitty movie after you sit with it for a few days.

WEBSITE UPDATE

VISIT THE ALL NEW WEBSITE.

The centre of the Ashley Park universe has been updated. New look, new site for the short film "DO YOU MIND IF I TELL YOU A STORY?" and many other updates!

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT AND RESULTS IN MORE FILMS

YUMI IN LOVE is happening. Right on schedule. In the spirit of doing it right, I'm going to shoot a short film this month (or early April - Toronto FF deadline April 28th) for festival submission and just to stay sharp for the big shoot this summer.

ONE DAY SHOOT (hopefully) in the beautiful British Columbian Spring.

So, a little time off the big show to do the little show. Hopefully some of the fantastic group of actors that came out for Yumi will lend their considerable talents to this little Non-Union festival short.

Let's shoot this thing. Small crew, short script, great cast, good times.

OFF TOPIC

The greatest name for a band, or perhaps the most fitting, as it turns out, is TOOL.

Why is TOOL the greatest name for a band? The T-Shirt. One word TOOL. The perfect description of the person wearing it. I suppose if there was a band called IDIOT it might work, but not quite as well.

CRASH

If this film is meant to take place in a fairy tale land where coincidence doesn't exist, it's an okay populist (and sensationalist) film with good cinematography. If it's supposed to take place in contemporary Los Angeles, however, Crash is a very weak film (with good cinematography) that embarrasses the discerning film viewer with almost each and every unbelievable scene.

This film has absolutely nothing in common with Magnolia or Short Cuts. Those films are head and shoulders above this one. Crash is, however, a mildly entertaining film. As each impossibility happens, you can't imagine what unbelievable coincidence is to follow, so you keep watching. Like any accident, you can't look away.

The "red box." Like we didn't see that one coming a "ham-fisted" mile away.

CASSAVETES

"A tax shelter is never a good film"

Cassavetes goes on about how the young filmmaker can get excited walking out of a film executive's office because he has been granted money and opportunity. Cassavetes walks out of that same office upset, not because he doesn't need the money, he does in fact desperately need the money, but John Cassavetes knows he can't take it. He knows taking that money will destroy any real possibilty of creating his art.

More...about the two versions of The Killing of a Chinese Bookie to come...

FOUND ON PARIS CRAIG'S LIST

Fake Russian Girls

Nice one

I got, You got

Dear Fat Girl on the Plane

SHOW ME LOVE (Fucking Amal)

IMDB - Show Me Love

My friend Rob demanded I see this film. It took me forever to get around to it. This is the greatest high school film I have ever seen. Welcome to the Dollhouse doesn't even come close. Not Ghost World, not Heathers, not Grease. It's like Rock n' Roll High School crossed with Spanking the Monkey with a "nice" Virgin Suicides tonality. I could write an essay on this film, but I have to write a film of my own. A trailer for Yumi in Love.

Lukas Moodysson is the man.

NOAH LIVES INSIDE MY HEAD

The Life Neurotic

Interview with Noah Baumbach. From Bergman to Cassavetes, to Rohmer (including my fave Claire's Knee!), Baumbach has an almost IDENTICAL list of influences for The Squid and the Whale as I have posted and imagined for YUMI IN LOVE (perhaps there is a collective unconscious at work). The Squid was handheld, I've been thinking the same. Crazy. Maybe. But it just might work...

REVERSE SHOT

Go here

Great site featuring "East meets West" style film exploration. You should see it.