Holiday Season

So, "The Holidays" are off and running. I haven't posted a personal article in a long time. I know I have a lot of loyal readers and you deserve more than Slashfilm stuff.

Doing the housewife gig, the holidays were huge. Being the neatness and organizational freak that I am, I had books just listing all the many special traditions I gave my kids, since I never really had any of that. We built gingerbread trains, carols and wreath-making and pageants at church, countless parties and events, presents. travel, a huge tree... you name it. It was over the top, but, at that stage I was all about the kid/family thing. It was community, family fun. I still love some of that but, frankly all the kids want to do today is build rollercoasters. Since it's all in a virtual world, and doesn't make a mess, I'm happy and free to write my little X-mas letter post here.

So, the band situation is good. I'm in a new band that I really like. It feels more stable and secure than previous bands, that always seem to fall apart as soon as the first person decides to make it a low priority. At the same time, I've enjoyed being in a number of bands because they all add to your understanding of what garage bands are like and how fucking fun they are. As far as I'm concerned, the garage band is the greatest thing since sliced bread. What's not to like?

On the movie front... I had some inspiration after watching some little films on Ourmedia. I couldn't believe I could actually watch videos so easily on a Mac, thank god for Quicktime. I've been stymied on the last project, Valley Fog, because one of the actors moved and the footage already shot can't really be put together in a way that makes sense. I just don't have a full story arc there.

I don't know if I've ever gone through the plot of the film but, basically, it's about two thirty-something couples, both interracial. Jason and Shari are married and very successful. Nick and Greta are sorta wanna be. Nick and Jason worked at a start-up. Nick carried the weight, had all the good ideas and then got shafted once they got bought out. Was it color? He's Hispanic. Anyway, the two couples are partying and all sorts of issues are raised having to do with success in the Valley. What is success, what's attractive? Jason finds Greta a delightful, artistic, sensual, interesting free spirit in comparison to his ex-singer, ex-exec, now completely frustrated, housewife wife. They end up kissing, revealing. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, it turns out that Nick and Shari had a little history back at Stanford and sparks still fly.

So, what I've decided to do is something that sort of saved Chicago and forms the basis of a number of romantic comedies I can think of. Although, I'm not sure I want to turn this into a comedy. Anyway, what I'll film next is a group of people who are friends with one or several of the above characters, and they will be discussing the above scenario. If it's Greta's friends, they be discussing how she is selling out by going for rich Jason, being disloyal to Nick... or maybe some will echo or justify her motives. Or maybe it'll be the Apple-like execs laughing over Nick coming to Jason for funding or connections and ending up throwing his girl into the deal... too bad about Nick, he had Stanford law and we all know he's the brains behind Tunematch, but, hey, the guy's a pain in the ass. Or maybe it'll be the hens clucking over poor Shari, they'd bring a loaf over but, hey, she's black and just doesn't fit in.

I've also thought about a follow up scene with Jason and some singer in a bar having a conversation about his past, his frustration with his marriage and loss of his music career. He'll also refer back to the little party (the part I've already filmed and will weave into the story) and they will end up having an affair. I think that's enough of a story arc. Without that, the story pretty much ends at, well, all these people see something in another's partner that they don't see in their own partner, and they want to see more of in themselves and their lives. I think the additional footage will flesh out aspects of the story that I doubt will come through with just the film I have.

At the same time, I plan to start a new little documentary called Heaven. Most of the film will just be snippets of various and assorted people answering the question "What is heaven". The subject of heaven came up with Mike the other day and I even started a post on the subject but kind of got lost in it. I think/hope I did convey to Mike what I think heaven is. The answer underlies every decision I make, every breath I take. It inhabits and imbues our lives with meaning. It's like Don Juan told Carlos Casteneda, death is always over your shoulder. We always live in the shadow of death, we know our time is limited, and it's ours to live as we wish, but always with a view to our future and ultimate reckoning... right? I mean, if you don't even get that much...

So, I think the answers to this question will be interesting and illustrative and if they don't form a film... I'll add more, like you do with a a painting, or post, or song. For me, heaven is the state of your mind when you die, if you've led a life fully, everything felt, everything operating... in harmony, your mind, your body, your soul... all running like a well-maintained car. Problem is, so many people encounter pain and shut down parts of themselves. Some, probably most, people die like I lived for so long, in denial of my sexuality, my need for fun and stimulation and artistic expression and the ability to say what I think and be who I really am. I see these mild, vapid, colorless people doing the work, charity or otherwise, going to church. I'm sure they expect a front row seat to Jesus in the afterlife, and will probably get it. But heaven is more than that.

For me, heaven is the ultimate understanding, the ultimate connection to God. It's truly seeing the big picture, the people and experiences and fears of your life, the growth and understanding and love, how it fits into the world, understanding where the world is going, seeing the changes and rooting for humanity, sending your love and messages out from the other side the way you did in life. What excites me is the world.

What seems to excite others is the sense of inclusion, but that's not the true direction of heaven. Those people need to face themselves, then God. Then they can truly be a beacon to others. If I had to answer the question in six words:

Heaven is letting go of fear.

Anyway, I'll probably bookend the film with nice sky shots and references to one of my favorite songs, Imagine, which drives the Bible thumpers wild with its suggestion that peace on earth might be easier if we didn't adhere to rigid definitions of heaven. But, I would sing the song without the "no" in the first line. Imagine there's heaven. Then there'll be lots of separate but plausible definitions. In may ways, they'll be similar. Point is, we can still believe. Just because we have angry violent people in our world does not mean heaven has no validity or meaning. Don't blame the religion, if it wasn't religion, it would be race or some other difference. People who envision heaven in terms of personalities and inclusion/exclusion will always find those differences.

Remember my original movie discussion of Valley Fog? Yes, even here in one of the most progressive areas in the world, people can't handle even the slightest amount of real diversity or challenge to their way of thinking. The women all clamor to have their kids play with the richest one, the men all clamor to get in deals with the richest one. No one is really looking to expand their thinking, they are mostly looking for ways to profit and are happy to learn a bit about the world in the process. Rarely do they really look inside and see the ruts and dissatisfactions of their lives.

They can't look in, they can't even really look out... yet they think their exclusive heaven club will be great. Yes, letting it all hang out is risky. You have to face the fear though, if you always err on the side of constriction, you end up very small and restricted.

For all I know, Dan Glickman has a Google alert on his name (we all should) and has seen my attack of him and is stealing my movie ideas as we speak.... so Halle Berry as Shari. Good ideas manifest... to wit, my Indieflix idea. A while back, I floated around the idea for a company built on the Netflix model for what I call below the bar films; films too small for Netflix to bother with.

This still leaves a lot of great films, as you will find out if you click on the link at your right... to Indieflix. Yes, they even "stole" the name. It's a slightly different business model and I support the company, even if I'm not profiting from it. My next big idea, should any one of you high-powered mavens be interested, is a multi-function "store". I put store in quotes because, although there will be objects to buy there, such as hardware, software... even a snackbar, the revenue will flow from other sources as well. For example, there will be a studio set with drum kit and PA where bands can practice for an hourly fee, there will be computers set up where amateur filmmakers, musicians and producers can do their thing in a community-like environment. There will even be a theater area showing films and live music, all throughout the day.

What we want to do is make a fun place for people to hang out and express themselves, easily, in an environment that inspires them by keeping the bar low. You don't have to be Spielberg or Bono, you can just go in to have a muffin and see what people are doing. I'm sick of walking downtown and have nothing to do but look at clothes, furniture and iPods, since we weren't lucky enough to get a Studio at the Palo Alto Apple store. Jobs does have the right idea, but I would like to see something even more expansive, with a business model based on revenue from usage.

There is one place, called The Jungle, where they do high quality printing during the day, have a snackbar, hangout spot with comfy chairs & magazines, and they have garage bands play there on Friday nights. But, no staff to help people with interactive media, no ongoing, open access to creative mediums. I envision a place you can walk in any time, there will always be something creative happening.

OK, OK enough of this you say? Is this supposed to be personal? Where's the juicy stuff? Well let me just say this about that. I've never made a cent off this blog, no one ever clicks on the ads, despite being so fucking targeted that they actually advertise Eric Clapton tickets when I posted about Cream. Did you notice the ads for marriage counseling when I ran "You Can't Help Who You Fall In Love With"? I can't wait to see what they come up with for this post. Anyway, you're not getting the juicy stuff for free. It's a wonderful life, made all the sweeter by going all those years in the dungeon. The life I had before seems like a pale shadow, of caring more about status and conformity, than about true happiness and fulfillment.

So, enjoy the holidays. And if for you, it's about towing the line, and you're not happy, do yourself a favor and think about the small boxes of fear that hold you back in life. You can always make changes.

The Sick Dating Game

In the latest iteration of The Dating Game From Hell, we now have the cute couple of Dan Glickman and Bram Cohen. The spurned lovers are now as cozy as the Shawn Fanning/ Wayne Rosso /Andy Lack love triangle. Every day we are treated to another news story touting the industry’s new storebought poster child. The message is the same one that they spewed out from the Grokster battle in the High Court, “See, filesharing is dead, there’s no business model there and your boys are easy to buy.”

And, in a way it’s true. The twenty-something hackers are happy to be courted. It’s better than the alternative; prolonged persecution. Most of the journalists who write up these stories, and they are appearing on all the entertainment and tech vehicles constantly now, are like the old Vietnam War journalists, they just write up the industry quotes, they almost all read the same.

I’ll tell you what they won’t. Filesharing is not going anywhere. The operation of the BitTorrent site is unaffected by their little disclaimer. In the five years they have been claiming the death of these P2P networks, they have only grown, and they will continue to grow.

The entertainment conglomerate was a monarchy. There was a coup. Now there is a system of checks and balances. When the industry wants to pull its little tricks, like bait and switch Yahoo, offering up the $5. price point as, apparently, some kind of sick joke, or Disney pulling its successful DVDs off the shelves to drive up sales of their lesser titles, like Sony buying every copyright in sight so they can jack up prices ad infinitum, like the music labels tying to push their already exorbitant price points up on iTunes…etc., there is now a consequence for them. People will turn to networks of consumers who provide alternatives.

Without those checks in the system, we would be at the mercy of an incredibly consolidated industry that is determined to use artistic content as investment. What we should be investing in is the creative impetus of humans everywhere who are sick of being treated like drones that will just buy whatever art is promoted to them at whatever price the industry decides to charge. We have been empowered by these P2P networks. They give us choice. We need to approach these stories critically and assess our choices as consumers and participants in the creative currency of our culture.

AMAs

If you taped this Disney debacle instead of sitting through three painful hours, I'll point you to the twenty minutes worth watching. Rob Thomas, yes, made me cry. He's the most emotive, expressive singer around today and his songs are filled with such love for his wife. You just hear it so clearly. In If You're Gone, he tells her, yeah, I'm a rock star, groupies galore, but, don't worry baby, I'm all yours.... and you really feel he means it. Last night he told his wife, who is suffering from an autoimmune disease, I'll be there for you, no matter what. If that doesn't affect you, go find your heart.

Next, Santana & Los Lonely Boys.. talk about simpatico. I rarely hear licks as distinctive Carlos'. It's relatively easy to identify a voice, but to have that kind of signature come through a musical instrument as directly as he does... it's unusual. Since it was left to the legends last night... Annie Lennox just amazes me with her range. Dave Stewart was there too and they did a killer Sweet Dreams.

The Stones are always worth watching, a live feed of their Salt Lake City show came at the end. Poor Mick looked pretty stressed trying to rock those Mormons. Biggest assault of the evening, and there were many... Disney sticking its teen queen Lindsay Lohan right after Rob Thomas... thank god for all the reverb... did I hear her apologize at the end?? I felt I deserved a personal apology from Dick Clark and Iger after that yawnfest.

Movielink Inks Fox

Movielink is a website that allows you to buy or rent major, and some indie films, directly online, assuming you have broadband and a PC. The company is a joint venture between MGM, Paramount, Sony, Universal & Warner Bros., and has non-exclusive agreements with Disney & Miramax, among others. The addition of Fox today establishes Movielink as the company to watch in terms of VOD online. Looks like the studios have learned a lesson from the music industry; offer your product online, or we’ll do it for you.

I can’t tell you much about the operation of the service. As soon as I clicked on the site I was immediately fed a default screen that said, basically, screw you Mac user, stick to your iPod cause all you’re getting is Lost and other Disney fare, and even that only as long as Pixar & Disney stay in contract.

Also, the price points are still way too high here. For god’s sake, you’re not making disks or distributing them, how long do we have to support these seven figure corporate salaries to get content here?

The internet is not paying out on democratization yet. We’re seeing it marred by the same big business domination as every other medium. I do think that will change. Studies show that 26% of teens are producing content online, 76% are blogging. These kids have grown up looking for content through internet search, they do it naturally. They don’t need to be spoonfed, like their parents. I’m sure Movielink will do well, I hope so, it’s a step in the right direction.