What up with the future of film

What is the future of film? Will the slippery slope of flacid and generic comedies and action dramas continue? Or will the current teeny and tweeny boppers enchanted by Zac Efron lead a violent musical revolution in the film industry? I don't know, but we can only hope for the best.
One thing to be hopeful about is in the interest the industry and the viewers have shown lately for "indy" films. The onslaught of films like Little Ms. Sunshine, Juno, and Slumdog Millionaire, to mention a few, are expanding the general public's acceptance of intelligently entertaining films whose value lies in more than their special effects, big explossions, or Hollywood A list casts.
Another important aspect of the new age of film is the availability of studio grade production equipment and editing software to the general public. This combined with the possibilities the internet offers the everyday man in the way of publishing and distribution of their home produced films is expanding the spectrum of creativity and individuality in film. This has given rise to such singular pieces of work as Rennaissance, There Will be Blood, and Special.
So, all in all I think that the future of film is a very exciting one and one that will surely be filled with great stories and glimpses into very interesting paradigms.

Twitter

What the hell is up with twitter? Is anybody in this? There are people left and right just bitching about their pathetic lives all day. Telling me what their eating, who they just saw, what they're thinking of right now, what color their stool is. I don't care... Nobody cares.
Anyways, there are so many things wrong with twitter that I cannot explain that I have decided to leave it up to the professionals. This is a video that explains everything that is intrinsically wrong with twitter in a way that is easy to understand for everybody. Funny cartoons. Roll it!

http://current.com/items/89891774_twouble-with-twitters.htm

Music

You know how every time you ask somebody what kind of music they like or listen to, they always, invariably, answer, "Everything," or "all kinds."
"Everything," how curious because I have never actually met anybody who listens to everything. We all have our very distinctive likes and dislikes. We all have that one certain sound or quirk of ear that just doesn't go with us. Some hate country, others can't stand rap, or jazz, or emo, or what ever it might be, but nobody loves just everything.
A better way to answer this question is one that I heard over the past weekend. When I asked this cute girl I met at the club the previous question she gave a very resolute answer. She said "I like anything and everything that's good." Now take that. Put it in your mouth. Chew on it a little.
"Everything that's good." Wow. And she's right, that is the most inclusive response to the answer. She will listen to any kind of music that doesn't suck. And she's right, because every genre has a great number of great sounds and songs, it has to otherwise nobody would listen to them. Usually there are a number of good songs that get a movement started and then all the other bands and rip offs begin to copy and mess up that sound. Don't you think?

The end

And so went the year. It seems like just yesterday we began our semester and all the complaints that come with it. All the work, the teachers, the stress, everything that distracted us from our social affairs and entertainment wants. But now it's nearly over. We are getting to the end of a long road built on hard work and fastidious hours of study. This is not to say that the end is any easier than the beginning, no, if anything it is harder. Finals are coming around the bend, extra credit exercises trying to make up for the lack of commitment you showed during the year, and of course, the dreaded final. This is provably the most stressful time for students. And yet it is bitter sweet. It is almost time for summer, the beaches, the sun, the babes, everything. And it seems only fitting that Spring is popping up and lighting up our days. Not taking into consideration of course, the crazy weather we've been having lately. I mean, seriously, snow in April...
But, anyways, I know we still have a couple of weeks left of school but I have already gone into my summer state of mind, so take this as a pre goodbye. Goodbye

Neil Gaiman

I have a favorite author that I just love. His name is Neil Gaiman. He has written all kinds of stuff throughout his career. Novels, short stories, essays, poems, tv shows, movies, comic books, songs, etc. He was recently named "the most famous author you have never heard of" by like GQ magazine or something.
Maybe you've seen the movie "Stardust" with Robert DeNiro and Michelle Fifer, or this summer's "Coraline?" Well those are both his stories and so is the "Sandman" series of comic books and graphic novels if anyone's a comic book reader.
Hi writes in the realm of science fiction and fantasy and his style is dark and brooding but very poignant and comical at times. His characters can be a bit stereotyped at times but they all have the ability to surprise. I guess his greatest talent is in the creation of his worlds. He mixes just the right amount of reality into his fantasy and this keeps the reader grounded enough to feel a connection with the events in the works.
Well, anyways, he's coming out with a new book soon I think it's called "The Graveyard Book" and I hope that everyone checks it out, it's sure to be awesome.
Here's a link to his page so you can check him out.

Cooking

I don't know about anyone else but I for one am infinitely chained to fast food joints for sustenance. I imagine that this is the same fate as a greater percentage of college students. Well, fast food is not always the healthiest of choices and especially not if you're trying to practice sports or watch your weight, but really, who has the time, money, or patience to prepare a healthy meal every day, let alone for every meal. Well, I have come upon the answer. Campus Cooking is a site filled with easy to follow, cheap, and tasty meal options and recipes geared specifically towards the busy college student. Check it out:

http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Campus-Cooking-the-Advanced-Course/Detail.aspx

What to blog about

I have no idea what I should blog about today. There is nothing really exciting or blog worthy happening in my life right now but it has become a responsibility and I will stick to it. I guess I could talk about the video games I enjoy playing. Mainly FIFA. For all you Americans, that's a soccer game and yes, it is the shit.
I could also talk about my Spring Break in which I did absolutely nothing. It was marvelous. I went back to Huntsville and stayed with my parents for a week. A whole week of free delicious food, HD television, and no school.
Besides that I have little more to say. I watched a couple of good movies this past week. The new Wolverine movie was pretty good. I watched it online and it was the Beta version, you know, the one where all the effects are not completely finished and so every other shot turns into a 3d render of a crash dummy flying through the air, or you get to see the strings still pulling on the back of the actors. It's actually pretty insightful into some of the magic that goes into making a big budget movie.
Let's see. Well, the semester is almost over, and I'm not gonna lie to you, I am more than glad. Glad to be done waking up early and worrying about tests and project deadlines and the such.
Well, I think that should be enough so I'm gonna do us all a favor and stop right here. See ya

Ms Annie's

You have got to to to Ms. Annie's in the middle of no where. It is a delicious steak place where the meat is always tender, the chicken always tastes like chicken, and the potatoes are the perfect complement to any dinner selection.
I have just recently started working there after my previous job went awry and it's the most fun job I have ever had. The people there are great and the ladies are, for the most part, beautiful. The only thing that I would change is the location of the place. It's about forty minutes from home and at least thirty from anywhere else. The road that it's on is completely deserted except for a couple of "Dollar Generals" and the staple "Piggly Wiggly."
The money is not the best for the same reason that not a lot of people know about it, and those who do don't always want to drive out all that way. I am only working two nights a week which could also be a reason for the lack of money but that's the condition with which they hired me. The business is slow during the rest of the week and they only needed help for Fridays and Saturdays.
And so, I would like to take this opportunity to invite everyone to visit Ms. Annie's Steak House and Beer Garden just past the Tennessee state line. Come on, ya'll

Travel

I have a new addiction in my life. It's not a drug, a drink, or even a substance at all. It's actually an addiction to the Travel Chanel. Have you ever sat down and actually watched the programing on this channel? They have some of the most amazing cinematography of any cable television channel I have ever seen. This is better stuff than Discovery, or NatGeo. They have all kinds of cool shows about beaches, food, sports, survival, etc.
They also have a great new ad theme called "The Bug." The slogan is that when you catch the travel bug you just have to get out and see the world. They have four main programs that support this new slogan each one with its own distinctive host. They are "No Reservations," with Anthony Burdain, "Sexiest Beaches," with that chick from "The Girls Next Door," "Dahani Tackels the Glove," with Dahani Jones, a professional football player, and "Man vs. Food," with some big guy.
Each one of these shows takes on the world in a very distinctive way. While Burdain explores a nation through the regional food, that one chick goes out to the party destinations and the nightlife, Dahani competes in their sport, and the fat guy eats all their strangest dishes. It's like the total experience of the place.
If you don't regularly watch the Travel Chanel you have to try. Just be warned that it is addictive and it will hold your attention for the rest of the day and days there after.

Rags to Riches

Have you ever seen a show on VH1 called "The Fabulous Life?" It's basically a quick run down of celebrities' outrageous spending. From multi-million dollar mansions to multiple thousand-footer yachts.
Just today I watched an episode of this show that focused on the "rags to riches" stories of some of today's wealthiest people. From Ibrahimovich's orphan beginnings in a little town in Russia and ending up the sixth richest man in the world, to Oprah's amazing story of success and over spending. The overall feeling of the show is one that creates simultaneous feelings of dreamy fascination and the greenest of envy.
The best part of the show was the end section where they turned the tables and began discussing "Riches to Rags" stories. How does Mike Tyson go from a net worth of over $300 million to having a back account that makes mine look healthy. Well, you might cite the gold-digging wives and lack of prenuptial agreements, or the bad investments in real estate, but really, it's $300 million.
They mentioned another ex millionaire actress that misspent a similar amount of money in record time to end up poor and our of the biz. This girl bought a town. That's right, a town. What the hell does anyone need a town for, or what do you do with your own town, who knows. But one thing's for sure, it's a great way to waste a lot of money.

Where will technology be...

in the next five years? I believe that's a more difficult and profound question than it might have been if posed, say, ten years ago. You see, a decade ago, this type of question would have raised in people a sense of wonder and hopeful expectation for the future. One would look back at the imaginings of your favorite sci fi authors and tv shows and create envision a future with flying cars, servant robots, and where one's color and religion no longer matter for all are equal in the eye of a perfect society.
But no more. Now when we think of the future of technology we think in terms of the loss of boundaries, both personal and societal. With the rapid increase in digital communication, the borders and deliniations of countries and states, and even physical devides, are becoming absolete and irrelevant. Your physical location is no longer an impediment in communicating with, or even working for somebody on the other side of the world. This increase in people's digital reach is already having an effect on the way nations relate with each other. The development of the Euro a few years back is one such example. The whole of continental Europe's economy is now ruled by one single currency. There are talks of taking a similar approach in Americas in the near future.
As for personal boundaries, you can't go a day without hearing about identity theft, copyright infringement, and the misuse of personal information on social networking sites. Everyone is looking for ways to protect their new found virutal identity. This future looks more like Orwell's "1984" than a Saturday morning episode of "The Jetsons."

Spring Break

I wonder what everybody is gonna be doing for Spring Break. More than that, I wonder what I'm gonna be doing. You see, this will be the first year that I spend Spring Break in Florence, Alabama. Not to say imply anything about he entertainment offerings of the small town, but, t is a bit lacking when compared to larger cities like, well, any where else.
Let's see, there's the bars: Mug Shots, On the Rocks, etc. These are all good and all, but they can get old quickly, I mean, the same people at the same places at the same time. There are also the clubs. That I know of, there are two main clubs that everyone goes to on the weekends; Lui, Lui's and El Rey. For the purpose of dancing the night away in a haze of alcohol abuse, these places are great, but only for those purposes. I mean, Lui's is basically a big warehouse with a beer cooler and a cover charge.
Spring Break can also be a great time to catch up with the new movies that have come out throught the year that you didn't previously have a chance to see. Do we even have a movie theatre in Florence, though?
As for food, what happened to the Chinese food in this town? And the Mexican Food, and anything else of quality for that matter. All I see everywhere is Mickey D's and the BK Lounge. Of course, that's not to put down the great places like Riccatoni's and, well... There again, a lack in selection.

What up

It's been a while since I blogged but today i have a special kind of feeling. A rushing inspiration that wants me to write, speak loudly, and be all I can be. No, I'm not gonna join the army, at least not yet. If the situation continues as it has these past few months then those $20,000 might become more enticing. But for now, I'm just gonna continue to dream and shoot for the stars.
Some of the current projects taking control of my life are things that I have always had a curiosity about.
I am continuing my experimentation with video and digital manipulation of the same. I still can't quite get a grasp of that ever elusive "Wonder Years" look but I can only keep trying and trying until i get it or i give up.
My roommate and I are working on a spec pilot for a radio show we want to do. The whole thing is proving more difficult than I had originally expected. There's the pressure to fill a whole hour with quality entertainment and nonstop hilarity. We have to pick out just the right songs so that they won't conflict with the other shows on the air and their individual specialties. You can't be playing a JayZ song right before the hip hop show, you know. And the most daunting of our conundrums, we have to keep a very careful eye on everything we say. We can't cuss even slightly and we have to keep our inappropriate remarks to a nil.
Besides that, I am also working on two television commercials, a web site, and a foreign language. Man, did I pick the wrong time to learn French. Oh, well, I guess I'll survive.
Late.

Black Friends

I just got done reading this very interesting article on the GQ website that dealt with racial diversity in one's social circle. Specifically the article was about a certain editor of the magazine that had posted a bulletin on Craigslist.com advertising for a black friend.
The obvious references to the sexual connotations that might be transcribed from the title of the post aside, he went on to describe the responses he received and the actual meetings he had with the people who did respond.
The whole process, he retells, began at a party when one of his two black friends was unable to make it, thus cutting the number of black friends he had by half. He was struck by the fact that if just one of those two guys moved away or stopped liking him, he would only have one friend of color.
At this point in the article he asks the reader to consider his own situation. How many black friends do you have? This might not be something that you think about often, or ever even, but really, how many black friends, or just friends of a different ethnic background do you have?
This situation had an even deeper layer for me because of my specific situation. I am a Mexican guy who grew up in Mexico, with Mexican friends and a very tight relationship with my Mexican family, but who, by various twists in fate, is now living in a dominantly white city and hangs out mainly with white friends.
Now, it's not all that stark for me, I do have plenty of Mexican friends back in Huntsville, where I'm from, and I do still talk to my family in Mexico, but all of my best friends are white. Is that even weird? I don't know.
The point is, For a society that prides itself being a very accepting nation with peoples of all cultural, religious, and racial, backgrounds that are judged not by these standards but rather by the worth of their personalities and work ethics, we as individuals are not living up to the dream.
I mean, we just voted a black man into office as the leader of our nation and most of us don't even have a single black friend.
Just something to consider.

Movie Making

Making a movie is serious business. There are so many little things that go into it that people are not aware of. You have to come up with an idea, write a script, bitch with your coproducer for weeks about the script. Change the script some twelve times. Revise the script seven more times after that. Bitch some more. Find the actors. After your first cast bails on you, find new actors. Get Drunk. Rewrite the script; the idea was dumb anyways. Come up with equipment for the shoot. Reshoot after realizing your lack 0f knowledge and preparation of the equipment put a big stupid watermark over all your footage and an annoyingly high pitched beep over the audio track. Get drunk. Clean up the mess from last night's drunken swaree (a mustard throwing fight may sound like a good idea, but seldom is.) Fuck it, we're not really doing anything, let's go get drunk again... At the Mexican club. Who the fuck is this Anel girl in my bed? Who the hell calls their kid Anal? Get back to work! You've got a deadline. Skip class. Go to work. Do the dishes. Fuck it, we'll just buy disposable. Watch a movie. Get inspired. Get back to work! Call the actors. Get them ready (Thrift Mart!) Your coproducer's A.D.D. is seriously colliding with the production of this film and generally pissing your A.D.D. off. Get drunk. Look for music for your movie. Should we worry about plagiarism? Where's my left shoe? Begin the editing process. Bitch with your coproducer about the editing process. Get drunk. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Whatch an incredibly bad Mexploitation, straight-to-video-released movie. Write a blog. Finalize the movie. Give it a title. Fantasize about all the cool things you're gonna get when you're rich, and what hot actresses you're gonna sleep with. Realize you're not willing to share Tina Fey. Bitch with your coproducer about it. Make a list. Come up with a complex set of rules for the picks on the list. You did it! You finished your film and nobody important got hurt... you know it... Get drunk!

What to watch

What do we watch? What is worth watching? Who makes that decision?
Who is in charge of picking the stories that will be showing up on our theaters and television screens? Because he's not doing a very good job.
Today was a lazy day for me, as are most of my Sundays. I woke up late, a desperate attempt at recovery from the head aching result of last night's happenings. After a long hot shower and a thorough tooth brush, I hit the movies.
What a great time to go to the theater. It's Sunday afternoon, the air outside is cool, there's nothing on television, and I don't have a girlfriend. Life couldn't be better.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Have you heard of it? Have you seen it? Let me tell you, It's the shi_
Hands down the best movie I have seen in quite a long time. The suspense was there. There was a solid story to follow, great characters with real feelings, and lives you can actually care for. That plus the strange curiosity to see what Brad Pitt will look like at the age of 90. And yes, he's still cooler than you'll ever be.
It was hard for me not to spill out in a loud roar of tears at at least seven points during the movie. I mean, if I may make a suggestion, this is a movie you want to watch at home and in the company of nobody but you and your favorite blanket. This way you can cry your lungs out without the fear of public humiliation. Plus it's just not very comfortable to cry in front of potential mates.
Now, I know what you're saying. "Wednesday, you're just gay and can't handle your shi_"
Well, let me tell you... Fuc_ off.
So what is the purpose of this posting? The point is coming, don't worry. After the movies and the diner and the looking around the mall, and all that, it being a Sunday afternoon, there was nothing else to do but go home and, you guessed it, play ping pong.
After being humiliated multiple times by my virtuoso fourteen year old brother, I chose to instead watch a movie.
Wanted. Have you heard of it? Have you seen it? Don't.
This skewed copy of the Matrix is not worth the box that it's packaged in. The best part of this movie was previews.
So my question is:
What kind of super executive CEO, sitting in his multimillion dollar office overseeing the skyscrapers of New York or the ever expanding city plan of Los Angeles, smokes enough crack to allow for the funding of productions like Wanted?
As I understand it, it is not a cheap endeavor, making a movie, so wouln't you want to spend all those millions on a movie that is actually good and doesn't suck?
But that's just me.