A New Year and a new post...

2009 is over and a big welcome to 2010!

A lot is already on the horizon of this year with my first production of an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and (hopefully) the shooting of our company's 2nd feature-length picture looming in the horizon. It's going to be a good year.

I have done a lot of movie watching lately or rather movie-watching worth mentioning including The Deer Hunter (1978) for the first time! I know, right? What the hell? Where have I been and why have I not watched this before? I have no suitable answer for you, but I can say that the film was just as great as it was hyped up to me to be. Christopher Walken was indeed excellent and certainly deserved that Oscar from where I'm standing. Robert De Niro was in his prime and a young Meryl Streep was just as honest and as captivating as she is now.

I also watched Being There (1979) and was placed in further awe (if that is possible) of Peter Sellers. This was the man's second last film before leaving us and I cannot believe he did not receive the Oscar for it. The character was genuine, honest and entertaining and the story and supporting cast did nothing to take away from an overall great plot. If you get the chance, I highly suggest both of these flicks!

Here's to a year of great movie watching/making! Bring on 2010.

In praise of a good zombie movie...

Hello again,

Something that I feel has been decidedly lacking up until this point in time has been my love of zombie movies and their importance in my film-education. So, let me make this very clear - I love zombie movies. The first feature film made by our company, True Hype Productions Inc. was a zombie movie and believe me that was neither a light-hearted decision nor a mistake. Horror movies are often the starting point for many up-and-comers in the film industry who want to sink their teeth in (pun intended). Peter Jackson is very well known for the Lord of the Rings trilogy and King Kong (2005), but started off with movies like Bad Taste (1987) and Braindead (1992). Ridley Scott directed both Gladiator (2000) and Black Hawk Down (2001) but it was Alien (1979) that really put him on the map (and yes, I DO consider Alien a horror movie. And of course Sam Raimi has the Spider-Man franchise now... but The Evil Dead (1981) was there for him in the beginning and will still be there at the end of the day (just like a zombie if you don't shoot them in the head).

(For Christ's sake shoot it in the head!)

When I hear people say that they don't like zombie movies, I think they just haven't seen a good zombie movie. Now, I generally like zombie films, but I am not so blind that I think all of them are fantastic. Indeed, I know a good many of them are absolute garbage. It's all just a matter of taste. I'm not a huge fan of the John Russo-lead Living Dead series... but I still realize that they have their place in zombie-lore. Personally, I find the George A. Romero-made (just plain) Dead series way more compelling. And it would appear that the box office would agree with me, I might add.

So what makes a good zombie movie and what makes a bad zombie movie? Ultimately, much like any other good movie from any other genre, I think it comes down to getting the audience member engaged in the story to such a degree that they end up relating to the characters and situations involved no matter how far fetched they might appear from the outside. I have never been to a concentration camp but I was deeply moved by Schindler's List (1993). I was not onboard the Titanic (1997) but I was incredibly compelled when I was watching it sink. WALL-E (2008) doesn't even exist anywhere but within our imaginations, but I still wept like a kid with a skinned knee in that film.

Like I said, a good zombie movie that stands the test of time will usually manage to do a number of things that are quite difficult when you put them down on paper, I discover. One - they will manage to generate fear out of the idea that slow-moving, easy to kill and/or outrun (by classic zombie movie "rules") ghouls are coming to eat everyone and anyone en masse. Two - the story will centre around some inevitably-flawed-in-some-way characters, some of whom you know will eventually die but cannot help but hope for against all odds. Three - the zombies themselves will be subtly used as catalysts to illustrate a bigger problem that exists within the humans themselves. The unthinking and uncaring hoard will make us stop and think about our own actions and what we would potentially do if in the same situation as the characters.

We are afraid of zombies because within them we see a grotesque reflection of our own humanity. They are walking reminders that we ourselves will die eventually and give rise to our uncertainty of what happens after that - none of us know for sure. They are unrelenting, will not listen to reason and will stop at nothing to consume what they desire...  elements that have been paralleled with human-nature in a couple of good zombie movies of mention. In the end, the audience member gets sucked in and willingly lets themselves go into the story. If you have not seen a good zombie movie, I suggest Night of the Living Dead (1968), Shaun of the Dead (2004), Fido (2006) and 28 Days Later (2002)... although there is some debate as to whether 28 Days Later truly adheres to being a "zombie movie." I think it is. All of these movies, have heart, good character development and use zombies to tell a bigger story that applies to a wide audience while still staying personal.

And what makes a bad zombie movie? The same thing that makes a bad drama, romantic comedy to science fiction - devices in story being used only for the sake of being used, empty effects and characters, writing without development or consideration and lack of integrity within the plot to name a couple. Don't get me wrong, a bad zombie movie that knows exactly what it is and delivers to such a degree that somehow the "bad" becomes "good" is fantastic! But a zombie movie that treats the audience like they are morons in a spiteful way will be easily forgotten by casual viewers and diehard fans alike.

So in conclusion, get out there are watch a good zombie movie. Do yourself a favor! And to all of you zombie movie fans out there reading this... also do yourselves a favor an go to a museum, read a book or write a letter or something. Yeah, I know who I'm talking to... I can smell my own. 'Nuff said.

Too Long Away...

Alright, wow it's been a long time since I last posted! Again... I let it happen again... I know...

And I don't even really have an excuse for it, either. Maybe if nothing notable had taken place or maybe I was in a coma or something but no, it's been pretty damned exciting over the past couple of months, I gotta say. Actually, it's been REALLY busy and exciting! So yes, let's go with that angle - it has been SO busy and exciting that there had really been no time to even think about posting... sure... yeah... that's the ticket...

What has happened? Well, to begin with the performance of Reefer Madness: The Musical went off with jubilation and exhilaration being felt by people in attendance both on and offstage. I will jump at the opportunity to work with Joint Effort Productions anytime in the future (take notice Vancouver theatre scene) and consider it to be an honor to be involved.

I have also began and finished production on a series called World War Geek that was the expansion of a short we did last year with the Crazy 8's Film Festival called Pi Day. I don't want to give too much away, but will only tease with the information that the series involves Luchadore wrestling, LARPing (youtube that for a hilarious education if you're not already familiar), math, love, friendship and a giant paper-mache' shark. Keep your eye out for this one - it will NOT be boring, to say the least

The film festival circuit for True Hype Productions Inc's first feature Yesterday has only gotten more and more bad ass in the time between when I last posted. I had the birthday of my life on July 18th in beautiful Montreal, Quebec (my first visit!) when our film played to a near sold-out audience and a truly great response! In fact, it was such a great response that some wonderful people present who represent the Austin, Texas-based Fantastic Film Festival (very accurately named) thrilled us all by inviting our movie to play out there - resulting in another first time (not the last time) visit to a beautiful city. The culture and people in both cities can only be described as breathtaking. After the viewing in Montreal we explored the older part of the city and rounded out the day with a party almost literally on the river with the local fireworks festival in full regalia. In Austin, I watched 16 awesome movies in 4 days which included the world premiere on Zombieland with Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone and Jesse Eisenberg in attendance! We also were privileged enough to meet Mr. Sam Rockwell (a great guy and [fun fact] the actor I would choose to play me in a movie about my life) in the airport on the return trip home and I am pleased to report he is as friendly and as amiable as I could have hoped. Great guy.

Other more than mentionable films included the U.K.'s The Children which scared me more than any movie has in a long time, Van Diemen's Land from Australia which was set down-under, featured English, Irish and Scottish characters and was narrated in Gaelic and House of the Devil which felt like watching a lost classic from the 80's. All in all, the Fantastic 'Fest in Austin had such a great line-up of movies that I had complete confidence to walk up to the box office at anytime and just get a ticket for whatever was playing. I, in fact, did that very thing many times out of that 16 and was never disappointed. I also cannot leave out the wonderful volunteers who seamlessly and graciously kept the event moving with a cheerful disposition (at 8 in the morning sometimes) and did it all just so they could "see the movies." Hardcore, my friends. My hat goes off to all of you.

The theatre was also spectacular! It smelled just like a theatre should smell with popcorn, candy and greasy heaven mixed into a darkened room. Yup, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema located on South Lamar in Austin, Texas is officially my favorite movie theatre. I will be back there again next year if they will have us.

Upon returning home to North Vancouver I began the re-rehearsal of the play The Thing About Men. We originally performed this piece at the Presentation House Theatre in 2008 and were lucky enough to have it remounted with the Arts Club Theatre Company in a touring capacity around the Greater Vancouver Area. It was my first time working with the Arts Club and look forward to the possibility of doing it again in the future. It was an absolute joy, both personally and professionally to be working with such great, warm-hearted people on the stage and off the stage. It was also my first time working on a Union show and it could not have been a better one.

Well... that pretty much brings us up to speed for the moment, I suppose. Yes, these postings should now become more habitual although I hope my life remains as exciting. Take care for now, anonymous readers who may or may not be there. 'Nuff said.

A Lot To Report...

Wow. It has been quite a while since I have updated and there is a lot that has happened in that time... so let's get right into it!

First of all, a little while back our company's (True Hype Productions Inc.) first feature-length film, Yesterday had it's official Canadian film fest debut at the Okanagan International Film Festival. The organizers of the festival were kind enough to put us up out there and we got to spend a beautiful couple of days with some great folks talking shop and watching movies. One of the highlights for me was the early morning houseboat tour - very nice. Wait. Let me just make clear that it was a tour on a houseboat around a body of water with lunch and drinks provided... not a tour of the inside of a houseboat. Although if it were a really great houseboat that might be okay, I suppose.

By the way, unfortunately our Whistler 72 Hour Film Contest submission (that was eventually titled Grave Expectations) did not place in the competition... but all is not lost! We still have a lot of faith in what we put together and are currently looking at what other audiences it might be suitable for. I'll be sure to keep all updated to what's happening, unlike the past couple of weeks.

Most recently, members of our company (including myself) were privileged enough to have attended the London International Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Festival! It was one heck if an awesome experience in every way. 

It was exciting for many reasons - none of us had ever been "across the pond" so to speak before, so it was a brand new place with a ton of history behind it. The people were kind, professional and beyond supportive. Our film played in the Apollo Theatre in Piccadilly Circus and we were put up in a beautiful apartment at a 15 minute walk away from it all. We were there for just just under 7 days which was the perfect amount of time to do and see a lot but still have a great excuse to come back for lack of getting everything done. I think that I got about 12 hours of sleep total on the trip, but I regret nothing at all. We got to show our movie to a great audience in a wonderful city. 

I also got to see Sir Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart onstage in a production of Waiting For Godot! It was, without exaggeration, the best theatre watching experience I have had in my life. Speaking of theatre - I'm also part of a production of Reefer Madness: The Musical at the moment!... but maybe more on that next time.

Whistler 72 Hour Film Competition 2009 - Filming

We had a good day of shooting today, one that I spent most of in my underwear, taped around the hands, mouth and ankles and in the back seat of my car. I also had traces of both real and fake on various parts of my body. In short - good times had by all. 

We shot in our usual form: a combination of planning and improvisation, which is more than fine with me. We got some fantastic dialogue between our two Thug characters. It's amazing how two "straight" (referring to the straight-man/funny-man method of comedy) characters on paper can somehow become the "funny" ones in practice. Unexpected... but nonetheless, it was a very cool development to be part of. The project didn't focus especially on the two Thugs, but I would love to see them more flushed out and explored in another story.

The footage felt good to shoot and I look forward to how it looks in editing. Ah yes, editing... something I am eager to learn more about as I further realize the power it wields over a film. It can make or break a comedy, reveal or hide a character and infinitely more. 

And now have become very tired and am on the verge of rambling incoherently. More to come later...

Riding With 'The Wild Bunch' (1969)

That's right, it took me this long to finally watch one of the greatest western movies of all-time. The Wild Bunch might have been made 40 years ago (as of this writing), but it still proves to be just as entertaining nowadays. 

The film caused quite a bit of controversy when it was released in '69... and I can definitely understand why that would be. The movie is violent, bloody, raw and gritty. It contains swearing, nudity, the blatant slaying of women and children, and wanton sex and avarice. All of this may be quite commonplace with the films of the present, but it was truly shocking to the viewers and critics 4 decades ago. To tell you the truth, it's still somewhat jarring to see all of that if only in comparison to other films of that era. William Holden shouting, "Bitch!" and shooting a woman from 10 feet away is not something you see everyday.

The movie parallels a number of different movements of the time. The Vietnam War effort was starting to wear thin with a generation of the American public who, up until this battle, were being inundated with coverage of the glory and honor of combat. But, with the help of improved and simplified filming techniques, the public was finding out that this was sadly not the case. The Wild Bunch was right there with a hard-hitting, violence filled account that was very much a diversion from the mysteriously bloodless and romanticized westerns of old. However, there was an unintended side-effect to all of the guts and carnage. It was originally meant to expose violence and battle as the unglamorous human follies that they are. In a strange turn, though, the before-unseen editing style combined with the revolutionary action and stunt sequences proved more exciting than disturbing (in the long run) and left audiences wanting more. 

 That being said, The Wild Bunch does prove to be a classic western in a number of other aspects. I appreciated the amount if wordless information that was communicated with looks, body movements and revealing shots (camera shots, that is). The final walk at the end of the movie is bad-ass, character revealing and quietly iconic. Speaking of characters, the actors were ironclad in their skin... and by that I do not mean wooden, but solid and unwavering. They were time-honored but there weren't stereotypes, and it was interesting to see these characters dealing with their own mortality - and by that I mean both within the movie and the broader concept of the "myth of the old west" changing. Apparently, John Wayne blamed the film for destroying the myth of the old west, but when you're through changing - you're through. So perhaps it was time for the western to evolve. 

In closing, I feel that The Wild Bunch still holds up today. If you haven't seen it before, I highly suggest it. If you have, it could always use another watch. Hats off to not only one of the great westerns, but one of the overall greats. 'Nuff said.

Kovac Watches The Watchmen (2009)

Recently I had the pleasure of watching the movie adaptation of the much beloved graphic novel Watchmen. I had read the novel before and was anticipating the release of the film, which has certainly gone through it's fair share of tribulations before finally making it's way up onto the big screen. I must say that I was not disappointed.

To anyone who might not have seen the movie or have read the book yet - maybe stop reading now. 

First of all I think that the opening sequence that combined Bob Dylan's classic 'The Times They Are A Changin'' with some of the most iconic and influential images of the century was fantastic. It immediately set the mood, explained the universe and engaged the audience with something familiar while at the same time giving new and crucial information. The use of timeless/very much of the time music would be a running through-line within the movie that saw more greats like 'All Along The Watchtower' performed by Jimi Henrix, Janis Joplin's 'Me and Bobby McGee' and '99 Luftballoons' by Nena make appearances. The prototypical 'Hallelujah' by Leonard Cohen even made a showing... and in the midst of a steamy sex-scene at that - very appropriate indeed. Who can say no to those low, bass vocals backed up by soul singers?

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the film stuck pretty close to the source material, but I suppose that would be expected with Zack Snyder at the helm. The movie had a fairly long running time at 2 hours and 45 minutes, but it was interesting, visually stunning and, in short, I didn't get bored. To tell you the truth, a lot of the story contained in the initial 12 volumes of comic had to be paired down in order to make it into one movie - things like the Black Freighter story line, which is understandably absent from the movie, but will be appearing as an animated extra on the DVD. 

The casting of the film was near perfect with Billy Crudup as Dr. Manhattan, Patrick Wilson as The 2nd Nite Owl and Malin Akerman as the 2nd Silk Spectre. The show was easily stolen, however, by Jackie Earl Haley in the role of Rorschach. Mr. Haley delivered a performance that was tormented, exciting and just this side of insane without becoming nonsensical or alienating. I cared for the character and identified with him... acting success. The only dent in the cast-armor I could point out would have to be Carla Gugino as both the Silk Spectre of the past and of the present. I found her past Silk Spectre completely believable... but when I watched her play an older version of herself, I found myself feeling that I was watching an actress in old-person makeup trying to play an old person and ending up with a caricature of what it means to be elderly. 

The story of Watchmen is pretty vast and complex and, as such, the film in it's one and only installment was forced to deliver a lot of information in a short amount of time. Again, for the most part I feel that it achieved this to a high degree of success, but there were a couple of places that suffered as a result of these time constraints, the biggest of these being the emotional attachment and significance to some of the characters and the events in their lives. As needed exposition was delivered, some of the character's back-story or grounding had to be only hinted at, condensed or ushered out completely. In the end this left the job to the actors to convey a lot with only looks, short bits or dialogue and reactions. But again, I think they pulled this off in fine form. Rorschach's individual defeat-while-still-standing-proud as revealed when he takes his mask off is one of the most powerful images I have seen in a while. 

All in all, I feel that Watchmen was both a good adaptation and a good film standing on it's own. The special effects were amazing while still serving the story. The performances were top-notch and believable. The arc was quickly paced without losing the audience. The best comic-book movie ever? Probably not. A good contender for one of the greats? I'd say that's a pretty good call. 'Nuff said.