The only video you need to ever watch. Ever.
Do I? Do I have permission? Do I?
Your life will be better after watching this.
Eric Wareheim is an Alinea fan?
I interviewed Tim & Eric the other day about Billion Dollar Movie, and who knew?
What have you been reading lately?
EW: I’m reading a book called Life, On the Line, it’s a cooking book by chef Grant Achatz. I’m really into his food.
And I sure do regret it.
We all went over and listened to Willie smile.
Fanfarlo – Shiny Things
I did the wardrobe styling/costumes for this video.
Behind the scenes fun: I sewed all the bracelets/hairpieces the night before, as well as hand painted the shoes. To get the leotards I went to a magical warehouse called Danny’s Warehouse where everything is 10 dollars and dug through bins that are taller than I am, looking for six matching leotards. I couldn’t find the kinds of judges outfits that I wanted, so John drove me to Walmart at midnight the night before. We ate Sonic, it was freezing cold in Lancaster. By the time I arrived on set the next day I’d slept two hours out of the past thirty-five. It was a beautiful shoot.
King Washington – Bawl and Change
Oh, did you want a new favorite band?
The Whitest Kids You Know
This is just a log for today, January 6th, 2012. Please write down the most privileged thing you’ve said or thought today. Multiple entries accepted. My first of the day is below.
9:35a – “Did you listen to that Adventure episode of This American Life? It was pretty phoned in, in my opinion.”
She had a nose ring.
She slides the papers across to me and asks if I am so excited about my new car.
I do not look up, I say: “It’s just another material posession.”
She laughs brightly and I sign my name twenty times or more.
Carmen Classy Christmas
The best part about going to the Christmas party of a bunch of film industry people is they make a serious invite.
Film.com Reviews
A Roundup of our reviews for the weekend.
I wrote these:
Young Adult
We Need to Talk About Kevin
Other people wrote these:
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
New Year’s Eve
The Sitter
If you comment on this post…
I’ll say something insanely insulting to you.*
*So make it good so I have plenty to work with.
More Destruction Party
The posters are done, my hair is washed, 128 people have RSVP’d for the premiere tonight. We’re going to figure out a Google Hangout soon for all Flockers to watch the movie if they want to, but let me get through today first.
Here’s an embarrassing video where people say nice things about me and you can see everyone scurrying around on-set.
This has been a crazy year. Almost the punchline to a joke I can’t quite remember.
“Oh man, 2011.”
“Yeah, that’s a good one.”
Destruction Party poster
Thought I’d share this here.
Premiere is next week on Sunday. If you’re in Los Angeles, let me know.You should come.
Best of Fall TV
What’re you guys liking this season?
1. Up All Night
All people I love, hilarious and just as they’re about to annoy me it saves itself.
(also, I worked half-day on the pilot.)
2. Boardwalk Empire
Not the best show, but pretty much appointment television for me.
3. Allen Gregory
I started watching cause Lacey’s in it, and I really like it. Animated crazy-fest with Jonah Hill and Will Forte.
4. Walking Dead
Addicting. Not great, but addicting beyond belief.
5. Boss
THIS IS THE BEST SHOW I’VE SEEN IN A LONG TIME. MAKE IT HAPPEN.
What’ve you been watching?
And then nothing happened.
Last night at dinner, John and I were trying to decide if I should get the two enchiladas. I went through a thought process in my head, “Well, they have flour tortillas so I’d have to ask for the corn tortillas, which are smaller so they’d probably only make two but then they’d be smaller than the flour ones unless they made a third one to compensate, but I doubt it.” So I chose to get the fish tacos. Later on, John said the exact. same. thing. as above, as a reason for me not getting the enchiladas. I stared at him in wonder and said, “I literally thought all that like ten minutes ago.” Which he took the wrong way and said, “Well I guess we just don’t need to talk anymore.”
Later:
We’re standing outside the restaurant as he tells me a story from childhood, of which the ending result was that someone got divorced. “That’s true though isn’t it? Half of all marriages end.” We stared into the street for half a second and then he said “…in sweatpants.” To which I replied, delightedly, “You’ve been reading billboards again!”
It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
That’s right kids, remember this ad from last year?
IT’S STILL RUNNING ON ALL NETWORKS.
Best TV Hair
One of our writers over at Film.com wrote an article about the characters with the best hair, and I don’t know why but it makes me laugh.
Laura Roslin is the president of the last remnants of humanity, but she is also the president of having the best hair ever in the history of the universe. Laura Roslin’s hair is the reason the phrase HBIC was coined. When I look at Laura Roslin’s hair, I am overcome with love, and also jealousy. It’s a complicated feeling.
Whitney Cummings on lady writers
I talked to Whitney Cummings last night at a Paley Center event for her new sitcom Whitney. I asked her about her views on lady writers having difficulty in the industry and she had this to say:
“I don’t know, I guess I’m confused when people say that, I guess I don’t see that. I know the numbers might say that. I don’t think its because they’re not qualified, I think it’s because they don’t want to do it because it’s a shitty gig. It’s the same reason women don’t play football, because we’re not stupid enough to play a sport that you have to put on a helmet to get in there, it’s a bad idea. I think a lot of women are qualified to higher level writing jobs but they’re kind of like “This is torture, I’m going to do something that’s easier and more fun.” I think it’s the same reason that there’s less female comedians, it’s just a really grueling life and they are not masochistic, they’re smarter.”
I don’t know what I think about that, exactly.
Interim TV Editor of Film.com
As many of you know, I am a lady journalist who writes about movies and does interviews, and have been since 2007. Man, 2007 — I was twenty-one and thought I knew everything, especially how to write. I read Pajiba at the time, and they had a new writer whom I wrote an email to, congratulating him on the new job. It turned out he was someone else, someone who liked my writing and wanted to give me a job. I was too privileged to realize this didn’t just happen to people, especially not to people who want to write about movies for a living. My editor helped me enormously, getting me in contact with the right people, and I started to do interviews and write critically about film. Then things got really tough, the economy tanked and [ed. note: I just stopped writing here, see? NOT GREAT.]
“In a way he was like the country he lived in. Everything came too easily to him. But at least he knew it. ” — A Country Made of Ice Cream
Well, I’m still figuring out how to write, but people have had faith in me, and I’m proud to say that today marks the end of my first week and a half of acting as the Editor of the TV portion of Film.com. It’s only until November, and then I’m not quite sure what will happen, there’s some ideas though and all of them good. It’s quite a change, a lot more pressure being the head of a department with writers that report to me, a lot more money, and I’m embarrassed to say it’s… hard, working every day. Knowing that there are things that I must do every day no matter what is kind of a useful grounding system though. Yes, “work”. Too privileged, really. I don’t know everything, especially about how to write, but I feel proud of where I am, but it still doesn’t feel like enough. Today the world, tomorrow the moon.
Calvados and Dried Currants
You won’t understand why, and I can’t embed the video, but you need to go see Lukas Volger perform this review from a Chowhound comment thread. It will change your life, I know it has changed mine.
Two minutes of your time, a life more fulfilled — I promise.
Destruction Party trailer
This guy’s kind of small, so head over to our website to see the full flavor.
Excited. Nervous. Sleepy.
Working on a feature script.
Gucci Gucci – Kreayshawn
I don’t think that any of you will like or understand this, so no hard feelings, but this is so in my cathedral (I don’t do wheelhouses) I can hardly stand it.
I like to imagine the undertone is “One big room, full of sandwiches.” But the absolute best part is her sidekick, ‘Lil Debbie. My friend Jon described her as the human equivalent of a handbag, simply an accessory.
Best Coast – Our Deal
The new Drew Barrymore directed video of the Best Coast song “Our Deal” is pretty great.
Featuring Chloe Moretz, Alia Shawkat, Donald Glover and more kids you might recognize.
Bellflower
If you see one movie this year that incorporates a love story, a bromance, flame throwers, an impending apocalypse, and the most beautiful cinematography you’ve seen since Malick, make it Bellflower.
This is what they mean when they say independent film. I saw Bellflower three days ago, and then again last night at the LA premiere, where the flame-throwing muscle car Medusa was in attendance, and most of the cast and crew were as well. The feature film, which cost $17,000 all told, was shot over the course of several years by a group of friends, without permits or permission. They shot digital utilizing three cameras that were hand-built for the project, including two that have tilt-shift components built into them. They submitted to one festival, Sundance, on a whim (and because they only had money for one festival) and the film sold quickly. The script (written by director/star/DIY king of the world Evan Glodell) is really funny, gorgeous doesn’t even begin to describe the cinematography, and the effects are entirely practical. There isn’t a thing about this movie that I didn’t like and this is probably my #1 movie of 2011.
“I literally went into Home Depot and $60 later, I walked out with a functioning flamethrower,” he said. But the more elaborate one in the film incorporated a backpack that held a scuba-type tank filled with diesel fuel. “I love that one because it’s pretty and it shoots really far,” he said. “And you can refill it quickly. Theoretically if you were in the battlefield and you needed a flamethrower, you could fight with that one.”
Adam Yauch, the founder of Oscilloscope Laboratories, the film’s distributor, was so enamored of the flamethrowers that he requested one for him and a child-size version for his daughter as part of the distribution contract.
Seriously, if this film is opening anywhere near you, you simply must see it in the theatre. I’ve never seen anything like it. It opens this Friday.
A day in the life.
Adam Brody and Keith David prepare a scene for Double or Nothing. Wardrobe and Production Design by yours truly.
(Not sure of the photo credit, will add when I find out.)
Happy Birthday, Cindy!
Many happy returns of the day, hope it is filled with the nearness of love, the feeling of contentment and the spark of champagne. We love you.
