Winter Movies Ahead

If your anything like me, you probably have some DVDs somewhere on your Christmas list, if you can wait until Christmas. Some of the great movies I saw in the theaters that are now coming on DVD include: 1. Inglorious Basterds 2. District 9 3. Public Enemies 4. Star Trek 5. The Hangover 6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Now we talked about good DVDs, let's mention what's coming soon theaters. Some coming in the next few months include A Single Man, Invictus, Crazy on the Outside, Prince of Persia, and Alice In Wonderland. I think the movie coming out soon that everyone's talking about is Avatar. I saw a 3D preview of it last weekend when I went to see Jim Carrey's A Christmas Carol. I have to say, it looks pretty awesome. I like a handful of James Cameron's films, specifically Aliens. What makes me curious though, is I wonder if everything is going to be in 3D soon. Clearly, I love 3D, however, I sort of wonder how this will affect the attitude toward smaller, independent films. On one hand, I think 3D helps the viewer feel to be more a part of the narrative. On the other, I feel it might distract what is interesting about the film. I'm pretty happy that the new Disney film, The Princess and the Frog is going to be hand drawn and in 2D, because I don't feel that there is enough of that.

Bus Crashes and Guitars

Sunday, just outside of Albany, New York, Weezer's tour bus crashed from an ice slip. There were a few injuries, the largest being lead singer and (on and off?) guitarist Rivers Cuomo who to a small cut to the spleen and a small puncture to the lung. Doctors report his injuries are not fatal. Reports claim the other injuries were less serious. Cuomo's wife and two year old daughter who were on the bus were unharmed.

Awkwardly and completely unrelated, Weezer has just released a new album named Raditude. It's the band's most Pop oriented album, that even features a club song I Can't Stop Partying which features rapper Lil' Wayne. Despite the new album's accessibility, the album's overall songwriting is a little stronger than their last few albums. In the mid-nineties, Weezer released an album this critics at the time hated called Pinketon. Despite the lack of sales and acclaim, in went on to be the most influential album in the second half of the 1990s, and was credited for inspiring the indie emo movement. Cuomo said he hated the album for years, and wouldn't play it live. Despite still refusing to play the songs like, Cuomo has recently come to like it and it's message. Do you think bands should be able to choose what songs they play life regardless of the audience?

You pick your friends, but what about your actors?

We filmed a movie for BVFA this past week, it was fun. We're having some technical difficulties, but it might turn out fine, we'll see. Anyway, it gave me an interesting idea to blog about.

Basically, when we, as college students, make films, we don't necessarily go through the same casting process that hollywood executives go through. To be judgemental and make a generalization, one of three things usually happen: 1. You give parts to your friends. 2. You hold auditions for people you know, who you may or may not know well. 3. You hold auditions open to the public.

This BVFA film was really the first film I directed when I wasn't directly people who I had mostly known for years. On one hand, I felt it was more appropriate because I didn't feel the need to give the actors roles that I thought they would like, because I felt it was more business. On the other, I kinda felt the communication was a little more awkward, I was kind of afraid to yell or give acting advice. However, the issue I have had in the past with directing people I've known for a very long time is that I'm afraid that some sort of disagreement or clash that I've had in the past with the person might screw up the work chemistry. So what do you think, who are you most comfortable working with?