The films in 2006 that I am most eagerly awaiting:
Isabella
. Over the last year, I've become a huge fan of Hong Kong writer/director, Edmond Pang Ho Cheung. His is one of the freshest, most interesting voices in film today. Every work has been something different and he doesn't play into many conventions. Beyond Our Ken has become one of my favorite films of recent years and I can't wait to see what else Mr. Pang has up his sleeve.
Brick
. Heard about this one at Sundance in 2005 and then forgot about it. Then the trailer surfaced. It's already been released in other cities, but it's still awaiting its opening in Utah in two weeks. Bringing a film noir sensibility to a modern high school setting should prove interesting at the very least.
Election 2: Harmony Is a Virtue
. I like Johnnie To. I liked Election. And the buzz on this one is very good. Also, I'm looking forward to Exiled, the sequel to To's The Mission.
Marie Antoinette
. Sofia Coppola's new film looks like an interesting take on an interesting character. I'm game.
Little Miss Sunshine
. The Sundance buzz on this film was fantastic. Recently, I saw the trailer. It looks like the sort of film I can really get behind. The cast, at any rate, is stellar.There's probably some that I'm missing here (in fact, I know I'm missing at least one - I swear I had it a moment ago), or films that I'm not even aware are in production, but this is what I'm most looking forward to at the moement. If Wes Anderson's The Fantastic Mr. Fox actually happens this year, add that to the list. I'm also looking forward to Goro Miyazaki's debut Tales from Earthsea, the American release of Lady Vengeance, the Coens' Hail Caeser (if it happens), and Tenacious D's The Pick of Destiny.
Also, despite not seeing the first two, I'm making a point of not seeing The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. What are you doing, Justin Lin?
Last night, something happened at the White House Correspondents Dinner. Something that truly made me proud to be an American. I am, of course, referring to Stephen Colbert's routine (on YouTube, in three clips). It's bold. It's funny. It's brilliant.
If you're a gamer at all, you're aware of the fact that the next-gen Nintendo console codenamed "Revolution" is now known as the Nintendo Wii (pronounced "we"). My initial reaction was, and I quote from a message board post, "WHY YOU GOTTA PLAY ME LIKE THIS NINTENDO?!" But it's settled a little now. It's still kind of awkward to say, but that, too, will settle. I remember when "Dolphin" was officially dubbed "GameCube," I had a similar reaction: It was the stupidest name for a console ever. But now I say it freely, unblinking.
The important thing is that the Wii has me excited about gaming again. My GameCube has sat mostly unused for a long time. My last roommates used it far, far more than I did. In fact, I only played it a couple times during the eight months I lived there, while it was on almost every waking hour (which were pretty long hours in my apartment). However, Nintendo promises to add an entirely new dimension to gaming with its 3-D movement detection and peripheral attachments. The mind reels at the possibilities. Despite not being much of a gamer these days, I'm all over this shit.
The Streets' new album, "The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living," was released in the US on Tuesday, which is when I bought it. On this album, Mike Skinner tells us all about the apparent zaniness that is being one of the UK's hottest celebrities. There are songs about sex, reckless spending, and crazy amounts of prang. Thematically, it's not nearly as accomplished an album as "A Grant Don't Come for Free," an album that plays out like a novella, an album that I refer to as one of the greatest works of narrative ever produced. The last three or four tracks of "Hardest Way" especially lose me. I'm not sure what Skinner is trying to tell us here, though do I like these tracks, still. Most of the album, however, has a very self-aware air that I can totally get behind (for example, "Memento Mori"). The sound is fantastic, though. It's considerably more expensive and polished-sounding than Skinner's previous albums, yet still retains the greatness of the Streets sound.
All in all, I still think it's a fantastic album and would recommend it to even newcomers.
The shoot for "The Mustache" began a little late on Saturday, giving us some added pressure, considering the amount of time that we had Mark was limited. It was regrettably moot, though, because in the midst of shooting the second scene, Mark's car (which was the car we were using and a very important part of the film) ran into a major problem. So we had to cancel shooting for the rest of the day. We'll pick it up again in a couple weeks when we all have time. Oh well. Such is life.
Instead, a bunch of us ate burgers and watched American Dreamz. It was alright.
But then, later, we watched the Wong Jing-directed Stephen Chow/Andy Lau film, God of Gamblers II. If you're not familiar with the story, the Chow Yun-Fat vehicle God of Gamblers was a smash hit in Hong Kong. It was insanely popular, which is understandable, because it's fantastically entertaining cinema. Then Jeff Lau directs Stephen Chow and Ng Man Tat in a spoof entitled All for the Winner, which was also insanely popular and started Stephen Chow down the path to superstardom. Chow Yun-Fat isn't in God of Gamlbers II, but rather Stephen Chow's "Saint of Gamblers" character teams up with Chow Yun-Fat's protege, Andy Lau. And it's pretty awesome mo lei tau. Hardly Chow's best work, but it was fun.
The Streets' new album, "The Hardest Way To Make an Easy Living" streets tomorrow. I already have my copy on hold at work.
Lately, the Decemberists' "Castaways and Cutouts" album has not left my car CD player. Honestly, I would say its their weakest album, but that really does nothing to discredit it. It's still fantastic. I can't stop listening to "The Legionnaire's Lament."
While at Borders today, I came up with an idea. It was a grand idea, and I was very satisfied to have come upon such an idea. "I ought to write some of this down so I can remember it," I said to myself. I turned to do just that and lost it. Gone. Totally. I have no idea what it was. That sucks.
But I also came up with an idea for a script while at my other job. For a while I was apprehensive that I was aping too much from Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Doppelganger (a film I love deeply), but I think it's different enough. I'll think about it for a couple more days and then begin writing it.
That's it for tonight. I need to do something about my shitty audio recording situation, because I really need to start working on some of my animated projects, but they're all fucking stalled because I can't record anything.
Regardless of what I'm working on, I always want to be working on something else. In the midst of trying to finish my script for a film called "The Mustache," I've ended up writing half the screenplay for another project I've been thinking about, "Purple Blob Things." "The Mustache" is set to begin filming next Saturday. There's just one scene left to write, but damned if it just isn't coming. It'll happen, though.
It will be the first Bombdotcom movie in over a year. Considering that this time we're not working with a deadline (our last production, "The Great Sandwich Adventures" was shot in the three days before it was due and was still being edited an hour before the deadline), I'm going to really take some time to polish up the editing. "The Mustache" will star Mark Andrus and Sam Butler.
With any luck, this summer, we'll also get around to shooting something I intended to direct last summer entitled "The Importance of Tolerance." Most the cast dropped out at the last minute (okay, in all fairness, it was a full three hours before we were supposed to begin shooting) and the project fell through. Also, we're considering shooting one of Joseph Schlegel's scripts.
New on the site today is my latest entry into the Drawing Board's monthly drawing jam - a rendition of actress Kristin Kreuk.
Today, I came across a trailer for a Legend of Zelda feature-length fan film currently in postproduction. While the actual finished product will likely be of dubious quality, it's an endeavor I can totally support. I will admit that deep inside me, there is a desire to be a part of something that I love so much that I'd be willing to totally ruin for everyone else by making a shitty film.
This morning, I've finished watching an anime that many friends cite as among their favorites, GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka. I, too, was totally caught up in the escapades of the greatest teacher Japan has ever seen, despite a few points of frustration (the Vice Principal character, for one). But I'd recommend it.
That's all for now. I'll keep you posted about the production of "The Mustache" as it progresses.
