Wednesday, April 30, 2008 Reaper gives up the lips POST A COMMENT Here's a funny video clip with the cast -- (and crew) -- of the CW show -- Reaper lip-syncing to Public Enemy's Can't Truss It. In my humble opinion, 'far as devilish-paranormal-campy-but-not-too-over-the-top-teen-shows, this one ranks right up there with Smallville in terms of good solid fun. Labels: CW, Reaper posted by Henry Cruz at 9:31 PM Kid's Alright... POST A COMMENT At the Tribeca Film Fest. this week: The screenwriter Harmony Korine -(for Larry Clark's "Kids" - about-out-of- control teenagers) - is in town plugging his new flick "Mister Lonely." - self described as "a perfect non-sense" - adds, he "has no interest in explaining his films. Rather, he prefers the disjunctions and dissonance that come from not knowing..." Yeah, there's an eerie sense of calmness in just saying I don't know...kinda sets you free to explore. I did like these words-of-wisdom from Mr. Korine: "Everyone always takes so much time trying to explain things and set things up," Korine said. "But I like the idea of just feeling things, letting it go through you. I don't understand why everything has to be explained or why everything has to make sense, or everything has to say something, because it doesn't." I buy that, because life...well, it's not all neatly packaged. And I'm all for celebrating the messy parts of human kind. Source: LA Times Labels: Harmony Korine, tribeca film festival posted by Henry Cruz at 9:18 AM Tuesday, April 29, 2008 China Athlethes' go for the cash... POST A COMMENT For better-or-worse: We're like the bad-boy's your Mamma warned you about...'speaking of the dramatic shift towards Capitalism in places like China...'greed is good and it's effecting the athletes migrating here and even there: "It's necessary to offer financial prizes to athletes -- otherwise we can't make them keep working for us," said the head of the Sports Administration office in Liaoning province. "Attitudes about sports in China have undergone a dramatic shift from the days when the government focused on collective gain rather than individual accomplishment. Those changes have helped foster the development of a new kind of athlete, one whose sacrifices result in fame and fortune -- and, if the athlete has a distinct personality, national celebrity." Now, it's all 'bout Fame, and they wanna get "paid" too - Whoo, yeah - boi...The revolution will be televised, (and it'll all be sponsored by by McDonald's and Budweiser). Source: Washington Post Labels: capitalism, China, Culture, News Trends, USA posted by Henry Cruz at 12:08 PM Monday, April 28, 2008 defending the web with virgins and sex POST A COMMENT It's kinda got that 60's-hippy-free-love, or just plain 'ol euro-trash-y-done-right feeling...Saving the Web, one virgin at a time...by telling folks about complicated subjects like Net Neutrality...let's face it us-virgins love-us a T & A release -(Yeah, I was a virgin once). And Tania here is ready to take one for the team...and we love her for it. Whoa, let's take a step back...what the f* is Net Neutrality - (sounds like a complicated liberal-hippy term like tree hugging)... here's a basic 101 video primer from the Daily Show: “I will make love with every virgin who defends the Internet.” Say Tania...using sex to help the web...Under Net Neutrality legistlation All traffic will not be created equal....guessing, like anything too good, big companies want to make sure they control how the traffic on the web gets to us -- via your service provider -- (making sure they stay on top)...so, what can I do about it (other than getting some free pu-tang) -- to make sure "big daddy" doesn't take away all my web candy...find out about it, spread the word to other virgins. In this case, knowledge, or rather limiting knowledge is the true power. Source: MSNBC.COM Labels: net neutrality posted by Henry Cruz at 3:29 AM Sunday, April 27, 2008 One Hour Film School POST A COMMENT Here in NY - the Apple Store and Tribeca Film Fest is sponsoring a "One-Hour Film School" -- promising "everything you need to create your own documentary or feature film. You supply the spark, we’ll supply the low-cost digital filmmaking techniques. Thursday, May 1, 5:00 p.m." -- as someone that is just wrapping a short film...I'm more of the mindset, like this comment from Clive Owen recently, talent aside, decent ideas aside..."filmmaking" takes "focus..." and ultimately, you have to be really passionate about that idea...'cause a good film takes a good chunk of "time." Source: Apple Store Labels: ideas, indie film, tribeca film festival posted by Henry Cruz at 2:22 PM A Bloody Good thing... POST A COMMENT As May Sweeps in Fans of the CBS vampire drama "Moonlight" are wet for a bloody good ride... The good news: this Friday's return of Moonlight did win it's timeslot,(pulling a 7.99 million viewers and a 2.1/6 in the 18-49 demo). The detective-vampire has a cult-ish following, but fans are still on pins and needles whether it'll be back for a second-season. Wreaking of desperation...fans have coordinated with the American Red Cross for a series of charity blood drives...I'd suggest they save the gimmicks, and write better-- darker vampire-type-scripts; either way, I'm a sucker for my sci-fi...so, I'll be tuned in. Source: TV by the Numbers Labels: CBS, Moonlight, TV Shows, Vampires posted by Henry Cruz at 2:33 AM Saturday, April 26, 2008 Saving the Kids? POST A COMMENT That Gordon Lee case, (down in bumble-fuck-GA), is a good example of religious extremist abusing that "save the kids" motif. Lee (a store owner) was up on multiple charges in an incident where a minor, participating in a community Halloween celebration giveaway, got the Comic Book (pictured below). So, what's behind the multiple charges? That comic book in question featured a cartoon scene that illustrates the first meeting between a nude Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. Lord forbid Junior steps inside the Museum of Modern Art and catches a glimpse of the painting with Mommy-Madonnas-tats on display...I think you'd find kids are a little more savvy these days...and cartoons ain't gonna taint their mental growth. Research now proves that stick-your-head-in-the-mud attitude fails our kids, and just plain wastes money that could be better spent to educate our children so they can avoid life's pitfalls. I'm talking about programs like the "abstinence program" -- that is now being shown not only -- "does not cut teen pregnancy rates..." -- but instead such stupidity of hiding-basic-facts: "ignores the fact that teenagers are sexually active and fails to give them accurate medical information or advice on safer sex." -- hence an upsurge in STDs..."They don't touch on subjects like sexuality, STDs (sexually transmitted diseases), birth control - it's not allowed because of abstinence-only education." Reported the BBC News. "Teens are curious and they want to experiment and if they know what's out there and they have the correct information, they're going to know how to protect themselves and prevent an unwanted pregnancy and an STD," adds Maryland high school student Melissa. Bottom line, if you want to save the kids, make sure they have all the tools to do the right things. Source BBC News Labels: Culture, teen abstinence posted by Henry Cruz at 3:52 PM Friday, April 25, 2008 NY: an abortion of justice? POST A COMMENT "Don't Shoot me," were three sad words that echo in my head from the grave. The 50-shot trial, with Bell as the victim of trigger-happy cops that put new meaning to: "shoot first...and don't stop shooting 'til 50 shots." The defense claiming the unarmed man brought the tragedy on himself. I'm going to suggest that they could have fired a few shots...but, fifty shots? - that sounds a tiny bit over the top...against an un-armed man. NYC Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, who originally said the shooting "excessive" back in 2006, released this statement: "There are no winners in a trial like this. An innocent man lost his life, a bride lost her groom, two daughters lost their father, and a mother and a father lost their son." "An ugly pattern is emerging in New York. This was a massacre, this was not a shootout." Said the Rev. Jesse Jackson. Yeah, 50 bullets = massacre, that 'bout sums it up... it's a sad day to be a New Yorker. Source: New York Daily News Labels: NYC, race relations, unjustified verdict posted by Henry Cruz at 9:17 PM Just Give it Away... POST A COMMENT "You can always spot an amateur...here is the number one tell sign of an amateur writer," I overheard someone say the other day. "They are the folks focused on getting copyrights for their work." Thinking they had that one original idea...yeah, good luck with that. Which leads me the biggest trend on the web: the rise of "freeconomics," as suggested by the editors of Wired Magazine, which is being driven by the underlying technologies that make everybody a user. So, as technology moves more to a "google-ish" business model ...the cost of production is less and less...so, what's left? The craigslist.org model that focuses on charging for premium ads... And then you only have: Ideas...But, you say, "Writers often have the same ideas," though they will go out and develop them differently. How do we maintain our originality? You could work months on a story or even years perfecting it's and then it's rejected because a similar one was just published. Yeah, most of the really good ideas have already been used...and abused. With the web, everything is very much about: How fast can you go? And getting it: now...so, what do you do? You give it away...eek, Free? Giving it away free allows you to claim a stake on that "idea." Like a turf war of ideas....Yep, look at the book "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" -- it's available totally free on the web and yet it's become a number one hit on the Times best seller list. Why would people pay for something that they can get for free? In a free market you'll always get folks that want the "premium" model. Now, you just figure out how to make a premium model out that to pay your bills while doing it, and we're all good (sorta, kinda). Labels: Books, freeconomics, ideas posted by Henry Cruz at 2:19 PM Thursday, April 24, 2008 Does Jesus have baby-daddy issues? POST A COMMENT Hollywood's got a Michael Moore-ish History-of-RE-visionism and "F-ing" with the status quo...so I look at that pending book, by the Director of "Total Recall" - (yeah, that film title "Total Recall" might be a clue us in as to his passion for a good 'ol sci-fi yarn) -- as more of a convenient search for the truth: Stir-the-pott...Mr. Paul Verhoeven, (who also blessed us with that classic burning-bush-scene, with a younger Sharon Stone, in "Basic Instinct"), is suggesting according to Fox News that the... "Virgin Mary may have been a rape victim, the book will also say that Christ was not betrayed by Judas Iscariot, one of the 12 original apostles of Jesus, as the New Testament states." Now I'm not a religious nut, nor am I one to get all up people's bizness - (what Mary does in her private time is not our bizness, and I know quite a few ladies claiming to be Virgins, who are a little-too-loosey-goosey down there to honor such claims, but I don't hate them for trying) -- plus, I doubt we can call somebody and collect any forensic evidence...so all this become a hearsay parade...like the folks at Fox News pushing that Bush was smart for invading Iraq. And there are those people that even claim Jesus was a black man (which might help in stopping every white women I met from grabbing their purse in elevators, so I'm all for it)...yeah, that's also possible. But, since we are dealing with a mythology that was man-made...I'll buy Dan Brown's view of hi-story: "Since the beginning of recorded time, history has been written by the "winners" (those societies and belief systems that conquered and survived)." Source: Fox News Labels: Books, religion posted by Henry Cruz at 4:34 AM Tuesday, April 22, 2008 Where my party people at...? POST A COMMENT I'm liking this music video from Nelly and Fergie: Labels: new music video posted by Henry Cruz at 6:32 PM Grandma * gone * WILD? POST A COMMENT I watched recently Tina Feys' 30 Rock on the subject of Cougars (40-something women who date much younger men)...'not sure what she would make of Grannies with "boy toys" -- as depicted in the movie Vers Le Sud - which shows true stories of Granny's-sex-tourism...(ya'll can read all about it here) The old-bitties are Blaming it on the "beautiful young man with the most incredible, fit body, begging" to go to bed with them -- but the article also points out... It's usually very cash and carry: "Poverty is rife. Then, over the past ten years, planeloads of mature single British women have started arriving, their handbags full of cash. They're fit, good-looking men and it didn't take them long to realise that there are rich pickings here." -- Bringing new meaning to wrinkled-joys. Source: Daily Mail (UK) Speaking of Tina Fey...this flick looks pretty good: Labels: Culture, economy, Trends posted by Henry Cruz at 5:29 PM Monday, April 21, 2008 Globally: not all the same! POST A COMMENT LOCATION MATTERS? Are you a East versus West turf kinda-person? I never thought location much mattered. I'm more along-that-old-saying, "If you Cut Me, Will I Not Bleed..." - which hints that we are all kinda-made-from-the-same-stuff inside, so thanks Newsweek for F-ing with my head. Yeah, well...you live, you learn. I'm trying. According to this Newsweek Article (Blame the Bugs), location not only helps to form the way we think, it also effects our immune system. So there might be some truth behind another saying: What hurts you doesn't hurt me, it makes me stronger (if I'm on the right coast)! For example, The USA... "epitomizes individualistic, do-your-own thing cultures, ones where the rights of the individual equal and often trump those of the group and where differences are valued." Versus folks in Japan that... "exalt the larger society: behavior is constrained by social roles, conformity is prized, outsiders shunned..." So, The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence (if that fence is someplace-far-far-away). Or how many pathogens....confused yet? (your ass must be from the west coast)... "Societies that arose in places with fewer pathogens had the luxury of individualism, which is less effective at limiting the spread of disease but brings with it other social benefits, such as innovation." So basically, Your-Moms-Better-Than-Anyone-Else's (if she's from the right coast)..."For years scientists have scratched their heads over why collectivism declines with distance from the equator, and why living in colder regions should promote individualism (you'd think polar people would want to huddle together more). The answer seems to be that equatorial regions breed more pathogens." So along that thinking multi-racial people might create the best of all-worlds...in theory at least. Source: Newsweek Labels: Culture, environment, Health, race relations posted by Henry Cruz at 11:57 PM Visiting personal projects POST A COMMENT I sat in a "screenplay" workshop, (with the talented Marilyn Horowitz at the helm), and she had everyone in the room write a TV Guide like teaser of film you want to write. And then she would re-spin it, playing the role of what "sells" -- to help make the story more "Hollywood marketable and ultimately more sellable." It kinda bummed me out that everything in the film biz needs to be neatly pitched and overly marketed (like a science project)...'leaving little room for personal stories. In that world films like "The Visitor" might never get made (unless an A list actor was pitched as the lead). I know that film is an expensive medium, I get it. And people need to watch a part of themselves up on the screen, so they can relate to and spend ten bucks...blah, blah, blah. In my perfect world, perfectly pitched and marketed films would be underdone and a lot more messier. The Visitor Granted this story doesn't rock my world: "The Visitor, stars 60-year-old Richard Jenkins as plain, unremarkable Walter Vale, a lonely suburbanite who teaches economics in Connecticut. Walter undergoes a profound transformation after meeting two illegal immigrants in desperate straits." -- I like knowing that such personal films are still possible. Labels: indie film posted by Henry Cruz at 4:22 PM Sunday, April 20, 2008 Put down that X-box...? POST A COMMENT That which hurts us, well...um, 'will just make you hungrier. No, really. That X-box -- (or the X-box gen of kids) -- is actually changing the amount of accidents happening in the "outdoors" -- I'm talking about that article that points out: Most "Children are now more likely to be hurt falling out of bed than from a tree." According to the daily mail. Geez, Kinda gives new meaning to that Avril song with the line: "you're so delicious..." So, let's sing it out: Hey, hey...you, you...you know it's not a secret, eating and eating and more eating ...'will give you a fat ass... -- (okay, I'm no Avril) -- but, it got me thinking... the million dollar idea: Since the X-box has already captured the imagination of kids (it's like crack without the crack pipe), how 'bout a hybrid - x box ...the creative folks that can come up with a video game that actually makes it fun to shake your ass (that's a freebee folks)...discuss. Labels: Exercise, News Trends, Obesity, videogame posted by Henry Cruz at 5:06 AM Friday, April 18, 2008 Spurlock strikes Gold! POST A COMMENT It's one of those ideas that you wished you came up with...'That super-sized docu-guy "Spurlock" is back with a movie that looks kinda cool; I really enjoyed his Mac-Daddy take on eating McDonald's for a month...and he's really funny (along the line of a Michael Moore funny -- without the politics)...oh, wait, scratch that...a movie about Finding Osama...might somehow be political (I mean, look where we ended up looking for him, in Iraq...) Here's a clip: ** somebody give him a TV show already! Labels: documentary, movies posted by Henry Cruz at 2:29 AM Thursday, April 17, 2008 Getting your hands dirty...online POST A COMMENT Talking Books Today, so here's a 'little known' interesting Fact: Did you know...Best Selling Sci-Fi Author Kurt Vonnegut once managed a SAAB dealership, go figure. I don't manage a dealership - (not yet at least - sounds like a "Dirty Job"), but, I have been writing a few hours each day, and apparently with all the bloggers who have gotten book deals....it's become sorta a trend to write your books online. Let me back up, I'm also reading this week, a really funny book, Christopher Moore's "A Dirty Job" - (because, we all know you need fuel for that creative fire, and the number one rule for writing: read, read read...hoping something sticks and good stuff comes back up). If you're out there writing novels a 'sudo' trend is doing a online collab, check this out: Calling all writers! The LA Times presents "Birds of Pardise." One of their writers, Steve Lopez wrote the first chapter, and he'll write the last. But the stuff in between is being written by the "readers" (and hopefully writers who can put two sentences together...all happening online) -- So, check it out here. It could be your big break on getting your work seen, and being the next Kurt Vonnegut (or the even funnier Christopher Moore)...speaking of writing, here's a short vid with George Lucas who talks about his own daily writing habits, sounds a lot like my own: Labels: novels, Trends, what I'm reading, writing posted by Henry Cruz at 2:03 PM Wednesday, April 16, 2008 Love me 'some Tribeca Film Fest.... POST A COMMENT This past week, I stopped by a 'cheese and wine' meet and greet event for the Havana Film Festival; and the big theme or frustration among filmmakers seems to be a viable "distribution" ring (seems piracy is very legal in some countries). That was a warm-up, for me at least, to get out my 'play-nice' hat. The cool thing about being an INDIE filmmaker living near New York City, is that we do have Bobby de Niro's Tribeca Film Festival. Which is a great spot for film lovers to meet the film makers (and hear what they have to say). I'll be doing another cheese and wine event next week, rubbing noses (feeling out the vibe from filmmakers and producers) -- with the folks at "Film in the City -Tribeca Telling Our Stories" Reception...this years line up looks pretty cool! check them online: Tribeca Film Festival Labels: indie film, receptions, tribeca film festival posted by Henry Cruz at 3:11 PM Friday, April 11, 2008 videogame wars: patently offensive? POST A COMMENT The King -- (um, actually Stephen King) -- has way-ed-in on the debate to criminalize those violent video games when it come to kids. The pending bill would make it "illegal to disseminate material to minors that depicts violence..." -- in effect saying "violent videogames are pornographic and have no redeeming social merit." -- Now, we can debate the social merits of the classics like: "MILF Invaders part 6" (on another day). But, to simply say that "porn" and "video games" are along those same lines is...well, kinda stupid. Isn't it more like comparing "apples" and "jockstraps" (or whatever you're into). The two just don't fit together, and ultimately, as King suggests -- "parents" should be at the helm of what their kids are playing...not "politicians" who "take it upon themselves to play surrogate parents." The bigger issue to me, if you're going to go there, are the links of sitting around on our collective fat asses -- whether just playing innocent video games, or watching the three hour recap of American Idol gone wild -- all while stuffing our faces with Domino's....I'm talking about the issue of Obesity. Now, if you really want to save the children, let's grow a pair and pitch a bill on meatier issues that effect people's lives. In the meanwhile, I've got left-over Pizza in the fridge to deal with (hey, it was 3-pies for 20 bucks, can't beat that). Labels: Obesity, stephen king, videogame, violence posted by Henry Cruz at 1:54 PM Up on...'Saving Cats...? POST A COMMENT We all need someone to "lean on." Someone who might...um, feed a stray cat...or rescue him from a tree. I think that's the concept of this Blake Snyder book: "Save The Cat!" with the ominous tag: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need -- which is a book that talks about the characters we spend time with on screen. Do they all need "heroic" qualities...personally, I love me a F-up -(ed) person fighting for control.... I heard rumblings about it (from various members) at my recent script 'meet up' script and get that 'likeable' characters on the screen are what turn a good movie into a great one. I wonder how Tony Soprano would fit into that thesis. Although, he did have enough issues that we can relate to... Labels: Books, screenwriting posted by Henry Cruz at 1:32 AM Thursday, April 10, 2008 Skin Color Matters POST A COMMENT Should it be a big deal if you're "stopped and questioned and frisked unnecessarily?" -- maybe not in the "big picture" of life. But, what if, as what has been reported by the NYDailyNews that "race is the reason many people are stopped" -- granted, "racial profiling" is not new. And after getting your face pushed down, you do get used to it. It's a way of life. I don't commit crimes, but I get that even today "the color of your skin" is still an issue. I do have many friends (mostly younger folks) that don't get the "big deal" or why this may cause resentment towards police. But then again, they aren't getting stopped or accused because they look a certain way. Labels: NYC, race relations, Subway posted by Henry Cruz at 2:59 PM Wednesday, April 09, 2008 Finding that meet up... POST A COMMENT It's that Oprah-(ish) need for feeling 'connected' with other folks; and a few words of advice from a pal. Let's rewind a bit. Over the past few years, I took a few screenwriting and fiction courses at Gotham's Writing Workshop -- mainly to keep the story alive. From a wee baby, I've always dreamed of 'telling stories.' I think I still have my cartoon strips that I wrote when I was twelve years ago...yonder days of writing and drawing my cartoon strip. It was not for fame and fortune, rather out of need of a creative outlet...so, over the years, I stayed in touch with that dream. In the word of blogs. It's sometimes hard not to keep out there. It's become, in a weird way back to daily story. Where the mundane can lift off the page and share our space. Or something like that. Any-hoo, I really enjoyed my two swings at this meet up and wanted to step up on my tiny soap box and tell people about it. Meetup.com is a free spot, where you can join meet up groups of people of like minds. Check them out, and find your own meetup...did I mention their free. I've settled on a cool NYC screenwriting group, great devoted folks! It's a bit big for my taste. I'm more small group type of person, but they are hardcore about writing and that's a really really really good thing. Labels: meetup.com, screenwriting group, writing posted by Henry Cruz at 1:49 PM     ARCHIVES October 2005 . November 2005 . December 2005 . August 2007 . September 2007 . October 2007 . November 2007 . December 2007 . March 2008 . April 2008 . May 2008 .