It's been so long since I've update my blog that I figured why not do so with some lovely human misery... my own.
If you follow me on Twitter than you know that yesterday morning I awoke to a very maddening sight. My car a 2002 Monte Carlo SS Pictured here, was broken into the night before.Now unfortunately I'm not stranger to having my car broken into. Let me run the short gambit of my car's history.
I bought my car from AutoGallery in 2006, October 17th to be exact. It was a joyous day, and I was as happy as I could be. But that feeling would not last for very long. In the summer of 2007 while I was attending College Sturgeon Height Collegiate my car was vandalized and I had a litre of water poured into my gas tank by some punk kid. (kid was never named) And even more unfortunate for myself was the fact I drove all the way the Unicity Shopping Centre to buy a video game and when I got back to my car the water had worked its way into the intake. The result was a $80 tow to the mechanics (which was a ripoff seeing as the tow truck driver didn't have to drive any more than 10 blocks) and then a $400 labour charge to the mechanic because it took so long to separate the water from he gasoline. Fun time. In the winter of 2008 I went out to my car to go to school. I opened my door and hoped in, and looked around realizing that I most certainly did not leave all of my Cd's lying all over the place. Hoping out of the car I noticed a nice pinhole underneath the door handle confirming my theory of being broken into. That repair cost $500 but I only had to pay my $200 deductible.
Just this past winter as my school chums and I were going out to Lockport to do our Manitoba travel assignment I was pulled over for speeding and was issued a ticked (which I still have to pay) and was also ordered to take the tint off of my windows for being too dark. After slicing my hand open three time I decided I wasn't the right person to be doing in so I took it back to the dealership where I bought the car almost 5 years prior. Not only did they take the tint off for me, but they didn't even charge. Great customer service! Here in lies the problem, because one of the reason I though I was broken into the last time was because my tint was so dark that you can't see inside and criminals wonder whats in there. As I found out being able to see inside is also bad if you leave you iPod in plain sight. FOOLISH! Because my car was broken into and then they tried to steal it, thanks to the immobilizer they couldn't but they did rip apart my dashboard pretty good. Now my car may be written off but the blue-book value is still high and I don't think that repair will equal the cost of writing my car off.
Here's where it gets really sticky though. I recently just signed a 14 week contract with EPIC Information Solutions (thanks to Kenton Larsen for posting the job on his blog) to film and produce a series of promotional and training videos for their company. Unfortunately my video camera was in my trunk and that was stolen too, along with some other items. This really sucks because EPIC stated in the contract that I must use my own equipment. Now they are good people at EPIC, and I hope we work something out, but I feel like my job may be in jeopardy.
I suppose things could always be worse, and I'm not to broken up about it, but I do hate how poorly this city and MPI treats victims of car theft and break ins.
Hey everyone this is the montage that Jeremy Jack and I created. It's on Funny or Die right now and it's getting viewed a lot. Please rate it funny!.... Well if you think it's funny that is.
I went to see Clash on Friday night, opening night. We got there an hour early and there was already 3/4 a theatre full of people waiting in line. Not a good sign, but we ended up getting our favourite seats anyway.
I remember watching the original Clash of the Titans when I was a kid, it was an alright movie, but I hated it as a child. There wasn't enough interesting things going on to keep me entertained. Watching it now I still don't like it, however the stop motion animation by the masterful Ray Harryhausen are fantastic here. This film was his last picture doing these effects and the only one in which he worked with assistants. Quick note about the 3-D. It's worthless. See it in 2-D and have more fun.
The movie was a great reboot and had all the right people in it. Sam Worthington as Perseus, Liam Neeson as Zeus, Ralph Fiennes as Hades(Voldemort) and the gorgeous GemmaArterton as Lo. All the actors do a fine job of making their roles seem important. Sam Worthington, who's been in everything these days, proves he is adept at playing different roles competently.
The action scenes are wicked, with some very cool fight scenes involving giant scorpions, being the most exciting. The Medusa fight was awesome, if not a little short lived, but the suspense leading up to the actual fight was palpable.
Now to the Kraken. Yes, it was awesome to look at, it sounded wicked, although to me it's roar was significantly quieter than in the trailer. Why that is, I'm not sure. The scenes where the Kraken is destroying Argos is cool, but when you finally see the Kraken in full, it doesn't last long. Kind of disappointing, but cool nonetheless.
I'd say go see it while it's in theatres but go 2-D and save your money.
Sorry, no vlog this week. Being busy with the magazine project has pushed filming to the backseat, actually more like the trunk. Now this brings me to the point of this blog.
Staying Calm, Cool and Collect.
My philosophy when it comes to CreComm.
We all know, or at least us CreComms do, that CreComm is tough. It's most likely the most stressful and time consuming thing we've done with our lives. And make no bones about it we're all going through our own personal hell right now. Trying to juggle every assignment we have, video montage, IPP proposal and panel, magazine project, script writing, magazine fair, magazine printing. Of course then add on working part or full time, having a home life, and trying to find time to eat, sleep and have a social life. It's tough, but we're all managing well enough.
There are a lot of freak-outs in CreComm, things go wrong, time gets eaten up by other things, procrastination or you just forget. But freaking out just adds to a bad situation and only makes it worse.
My philosophy is to just stay calm. Above all else, no matter what happens just stay calm. It's a tough thing to do, but trust me, it makes getting back on the horse a much less painful and quicker experience.
For example, a lot of you know that last week as Lennie and I were working on our magazine project and finishing up for the day we lost 10 pages of our magazine when our file got corrupted while we were backing up some of my pictures. Yeah it sucked, and it put us back almost an entire day. It was the second worst thing that could have happened, but I just stayed calm, in fact I laughed. It wasn't a funny situation, but laughing is way better than loosing your mind.
Believe me it's so much more beneficial for the sanity of the group to just stay calm. There is no point in sitting there being angry because you have to do something over again. Just get over it and move on.
Last week I took on a story for the Projector where I had to write about a new documentary called Graphic Sexual Horror. The film was put together by Anna Lorentzon and Barbara Bell. I had an interview with Bell and decided I'd post that here, because I couldn't use all of the great quotes she gave.
1. What possessed you to make this movie?
After Insex closed, Anna and I wanted to do a project together. But when we were throwing around some ideas, all we could talk about were the funny, strange, and poignant things that happened at Insex. We wanted to make a feature film, but didn't have the money for it, so we decided to to do the documentary first to draw attention to our work.
2. Was it difficult to contact the people from insex? How did you go about contacting people who were either anonymous or went by aliases?
Anna had scheduled the models at Insex, and so had some contact information. But it was still very hard. Even after we were able to find a particular model or staff person, many didn't respond, or said no, or just didn't show up. The people that were most interested were those that are still working as bondage models or are working in the industry in some capacity.
3. The subject matter and visuals are something that many people would find very disturbing. How have your audiences received the film?
We've had some walk-outs, but only a few. I thought there would be lots. In general, I have been pleasantly surprised that most people have been able to process the material and the direction of our film and talk about it in a fair-minded, mature manner. Of course, you always get those few that already have their minds made up and just want to lambast all porn, or PD in particular. But I would say that the response has been very positive.
4. Do you warn anyone viewing the movie before hand that the content may disturb them?
Yes. Depending on the venue. Sometimes we aren't given a chance to say anything before the film. But the advertising should give them a clue.
5. Most documentaries present a bias, but GSH does not. Was there a specific reason for doing that? And what side are you on personally?
I don't like documentaries, movies, talk-show hosts - whatever - that tell me what to think. I dislike material that is clearly biased. We're showered with it in America. Even so-called socially conscientious documentaries are generally put together to make you angry about something. I'm rather fed up with it.
As far as PD and Insex, I am not actually on a side. I think it is a complex subject with real human beings who have their own strengths and weaknesses. I simply wanted to paint a picture of the situation as I experienced it at Insex. I think that adults should be allowed to make their own decisions as to whether or not they want to engage in this type of activity, both on a personal level and a professional level. Some people find it exhilarating and healing. Others have bad experiences - like in ALL of life. One reason why I wanted to make the film was to show that these individuals aren't that much different from anyone else. And that they are doing a job. And that the work environment isn't that different than other work environments. It is very easy to scapegoat a business or make assumptions about the "exploitation" of women when you don't know anything about the situation. I see this type of activity being isolated out and treated as criminal much like gays and lesbians, in the past, were treated as criminals. Even psychiatrists used to consider homosexuality a mental illness. Which is exactly why we didn't have so-called "professionals outside the industry" talk about it in the film. The bias about this kind of work is so over-riding, I don't know if an unbiased outside source even exists. I recently spoke with one of the models that was in the film and she was told by mental health professionals that her preference for this kind of sexuality is an illness that must be treated.
6. Was the subject matter difficult for you to stomach?
My first experience when seeing PD's work was - whoa, this is too much. But then, I can't stomach horror films either. And I'm not into porn. Yet at the same time, I could see something in his work that was more than porn. And that completely intrigued me. PD's material pretty much trashes the illusion that there can be a line drawn between pornography and art - in the same way (but more intense) as Maplethorpe. Because there are clearly artistic elements.
Once you become accustomed to the medium in which he is working, you can then gain an appreciation for the energies he elicits both from within himself and some of the models.
Clearly, if you have a fetish that falls in the category of PD's work, then you will have a completely different reaction to the material. Again, a bias against it exists in part because most sexual expression is taboo in our society. And because a small number of people possess this particular sexual orientation, most people won't have an initial positive reaction to it. Even those that enjoy BDSM can find PD's material difficult. We used a quote from a female Insex member near the beginning of the film talking about this very issue.
7. Barbara, you're a novelist, a musician and a filmmaker. Is there one above all that is your favourite?
I began as a musician and writer and still see myself that way. To me, making this film was about the storyline, the writing aspect. But I learned so much about how to use image. An amazing documentary I saw recently is called "Touch the Sound." It is about Evelyn Glennie. But the director, Thomas Riedelsheimer, used remarkable sequences of image and sound to create a marvelous shift of consciousness in me much like poetry or listening to Arvo Part. So I find myself thinking about image as a medium more often.
8. What is the main message behind GSH?
To me it is about the people. That they are real people that deserve our respect as we would respect anyone. But the reason I found myself spending time at the studio was that the extremity of the situation was like a spotlight. The climate at Insex illuminated the complexities found in all of life. It made certain profound problems of being human very clear. That is the message behind Graphic Sexual Horror. It's about marvel and obsession. It's about greed and how it drives us. It's about how two people negotiate an outcome while in a very tricky terrain of money and emotion.
9. How long did it take you to make the film?
We made the film in a little over two years.
10. Whats next for you?
I am presently re-working my website, barbarabell.com, in order to post one of my novels online for free. The first chapter is now online. I am also working on the screenplay for a movie based on my experiences at Insex.
Our very awesome CreComm Grad committee put together a great event as a fundraiser for us this past week. It was a blasty blast and we raked in over $700 beans! That beats the hell out of a bake sale any day. It was a great event and I was there to capture it all on video. Here are the highlights!
Probably the most well known radio drama of time is the October 30,1938 War of the Worlds broadcast by Orson Welles. It was a retelling of the HG Wells story about martians landing on earth and zapping us all into dust with ray guns. The radio drama started off like a regular newscast and, although prefaced with an introduction by Welles, if you were tuning in late it was very easy to assume that this was a real live broadcast. I listen to it every Halloween on Coast to Coast AM. If you have time, listen to it in it's entirety.
I thought I'd post the article I wrote for my magazine project. Our magazine - Rebel Yell - is a magazine about activism. Exploring local and international causes around the world. For my article I wrote about how sometimes protesting can cross the line. I scored an interview with Shirley Phelps-Roeper from the Westboro Baptist Church and we discussed how the church goes about their protesting and if it's making an impact. I also spoke with Chris Vogel, a pro-gay activist, and founder of the Manitoba Gay and Lesbian Archive.
I'll warn you first, the language in this article is EXTREMELY OFFENSIVE and if you're sensitive to any kind of anti-gay sentiment I wouldn't read any further. It is also important to note that I DO NOT support any of what Phelps-Roeper is saying.
God hates fags. At least, that’s what the Westboro Baptist Church wants you to think.
The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) was founded in 1955 by Fred Phelps and is still run by him today. The group is best known for the hate-based picketing of funerals of dead soldiers with signs that say “Fag Troops,” along with similar messages. These rallies are organized by Shirley Phelps-Roper, Fred Phelps’s daughter.
“Obey your God, that is your duty,” says Phelps-Roper, 52. “Fear and obey God, and give the glory of all his amazing works. Hurricanes, dead soldiers, that fag disease AIDS and decapitated Canadians.” That last part refers to the August 2008 beheading of Tim McLean on a Greyhound bus just west of Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. The WBC attempted to come into Canada to protest his funeral. Almost everyone was denied entry, although a few did get into the country, but none appeared at the funeral.
I ask Phelps-Roper to explain her motives for coming to Winnipeg. McLean was just a regular nice guy who had his young life tragically and horrifically taken away from him, no?
“I want to connect the dots for you,” explains Phelps-Roper. “Dot A, your rebellion against the commandments of God, to dot B, you beheaded and snaked upon the carcass of your fellow countryman.” So just so we’re all clear now, Tim McLean was murdered because of his rebellious nature against the word of Phelps-Roper’s God. I wonder why that was never discussed on the news as a possibility.
Freedom of speech is a remarkable thing. It gives us the power to say whatever we want and is the backbone of any activist group. We wouldn’t have protests if free speech didn’t exist. This is what gives groups like the WBC the right to say the outrageous things they do. It is also freedom of expression that allows them to take their opinions to the street and have their protests, just like everyone else.
Therein lies the hypocrisy in their argument against homosexuals. Is it right to condemn them for using their freedom of expression by being homosexual? The short answer is no, but let’s put the wisdom of Phelps-Roper back into the equation.
“God gives both the responsibility and the right to do what we do. Homosexuality is an abomination,” Phelps-Roper laughed, then added, “You have two gay rights, AIDS and hell.” That certainly isn’t the same gay rights I’ve always heard about. I think it’s time we hear from someone on the opposite end of the spectrum for some clarity.
Chris Vogel, the founder of the Manitoba Gay and Lesbian Archive, played a big part in pro-gay activism in the 1970’s. Vogel, now 62, is a very friendly open-minded person who – get this – hates no one. Hopefully this is enough of a contrast. It would be easy to understand that as a gay man, he has faced some serous prejudice in his life. It must feel enraging to see signs that say “God Hates Fags.”
“It causes a slew of emotions. It makes me angry, and sad, I also think it’s humorous sometimes just because of how ridiculous these people are,” says Vogel. “However, it is also important to understand that what they do and say don’t matter, and that prejudice will go away one day.”
Vogel is soft spoken, but you can tell that he is still very passionate about gay rights. Surprisingly enough, he doesn’t think the WBC should be held back from getting their message heard.
“There is a time and a place, of course. Protesting the funerals of dead soldiers is a completely different animal than holding a protest in front of a government building,” Vogel says. “Let them protest to their heart’s content. If you’re a reasonable person, you’re not going to buy what their selling, anyway.”
I bring to Vogel’s attention Phelps-Roper’s belief that the WBC has “bound this generation to their standards.”
“These people are very closed-minded,” Vogel laughs. “The church does a lot of lying. They have to make up these ridiculous claims so that people will listen to them. The truth of the matter is, they’re the minority.” We may think that homosexuals are a minority but the numbers of gay, lesbian and bi-sexual people are constantly on the rise. “Historically and socially everything is going right for the gay community,” says Vogel, “and no amount of closed-minded sign holders is going to stop that.”
I was invited this past Saturday to attend the private screening of Sean Garrity's new film Zooey & Adam. I'll be posting my review of it after it's released in the Projector.
Sean was very humble when thanking everyone who helped and supported him while making the film and he seemed very genuine about how important they were in the films completion and success.
After that he screened the movie for us. All of us in CreComm have been talking about it since Sean came to the school and screened the trailer for us. I know a few of us don't want to go because they feel like it might be too intense and real for them and after having seen the movie I can say that, if you feel that way, don't go. The movie is great and the subject matter is very heavy, but for clarification let me just say this. The movie is NOT about rape, it's about the struggles that happen afterward with raising a child that may or may not be yours. To be fair though the rape scene is terrifying.After the screening we all got up and left the theater and went outside to partake in some great food and drinks that we all provided FREE OF CHARGE. (Man I LOVE events like this!!) I got another chance to speak with Sean and told him what I thought of his movie, we chatted for a bit but there were so many people who wanted to talk with him that night so I made sure to not monopolize his time. It would have been easy though, Sean is living my dream.
I also got a chance to talk with Tom Kennan (Adam) we spoke briefly about what it was like to film the movie, and how emotionally draining it was. They were all great people and it was a great event.
Lastly I'd really like to thank Anne Dawson, the ex-CreComm who put the whole event together. She gave me the press kit and a screener of the movie which was really awesome. She went above and beyond the call of duty and I thank her.
If you can get out to see it, I highly recommend going. Do it quickly too because the movie is only in limited release and end Feb 4.
For my creative writing class we had to attend a play put on by Theater Project Manitoba called In The Chamber. What the title means exactly I couldn't tell you, nor can I explain what the play really was about. I can however let you know what I thought about it.
The play starts out with a man and women wrestling for control of the covers (Has it ever occurred to couples that they can have their OWN blankets?) and then an oddly placed handjob scene that made no sense in context to what happens next. (Of course this might be just because I'm not the well versed in the nuances of theater)
The stage goes black and when the lights come back on we watch as a man goes through an epiphany moment as he records a video of a presentation he was going to do at a farm safety convention. He then goes into an hour long monologue about 15,000 pigs burning to death in a fire. It was a heartfelt and genuinely well acted speech, although I just couldn't find enough reason to care. The actor Gordon Tanner plays the part so well you'd think he wasn't acting at all.
-Intermission-
Lights up bring us into a restaurant scene where a man who just quit his job is giving a speech to his "friends" (Friends is in quotations because this again is really just a one man show and the people are represented by balloons). The man discusses the death of his son and the circumstances surrounding his death within the Health Sciences Center pediatric facility. His son, born with Downs Syndrome and a malformed heart, spent most of his life in and out of the hospital. The acting again is superb, and the actor Steven Ratzlaff makes me feel like he isn't acting at all. Unfortunately I really didn't care about the story and felt completely disconnected. The play ends with a waiter (played by Gordon Tanner from the previous act) talking with the man about a fight he's having with his wife, which in my mind is completely separate from what his previous speech was about. (again this may just be because I don't really read into what the script is deep enough to understand the underlying issues)
I'm torn. I loved the acting, hated the stories. I did like it but I know that the only way I'll ever see anything like this is if I'm forced to go or have to go for another assignment which is pretty sad.
Theater is not for me, but I really did give this one a try.
Another year has passed and it's for some reason very contagious to recap the year that was. I love Top 10 lists and have been thinking for a long time about each placement for this list.
Remember these are all personal choices.
You all know how it works.
Top Ten Movies of 2009.
10. Taken. (Released in Canada Jan 09) Easily one of Liam Neesons better movies, this one was a sleeper hit. The story revolved around an ex CIA operative (Neeson) sees his daughter off on her trip to Paris. Neeson's character is a quiet, but very lethal man and you feel very sorry for him in the first 20 minutes. His estrangement from his daughter and desire to be in her life is at the forefront of his mind. Neeson's daughter gets kidnapped and he is told by his CIA buddies that he has little time to find his daughter before she is sold into sex slavery and is gone forever. Great action scenes, combined with a solid script and some great camera angles make this movie one to see. 9. The Hangover. Easily the best comedy of the year. Great script, fantastic comedic timing, dumb story, but that only works to the movies credit. The movie centers around a bachelor party gone wrong (Hooray for original ideas!) and when the group can't find the groom, things get crazy. With one great scene after another, it easily makes the 9 spot. Would have been higher had it had more staying power, but I felt bored after the second viewing.
8. Pandorum. I'll be honest, this movie was not what I was expecting, but what it was, was great. It took the great psychological fears of being alone, in the dark, and in the most dangerous environment imaginable, space. And combined it with a great reboot of your average killer alien. The ending was a surprise and it was a welcome one. It just needed to NOT have Denis Quaid in it.
7. Haunting in Connecticut. I think this movie is very underrated. It's a classic ghost story that aired in what was supposed to be a one off show on the Discovery Channel, but the popularity of it spawned a mini-series. Filmed in Teulon Manitoba and featuring a Winnipeg born actor Erik J. Berg this movie set a very creepy tone. The story revolves around a family that rents a new home to be closer to the hospital for their son who has cancer. He needs to be closer to the hospital because treatment is so hard on his body. Eventually the boy starts seeing things in his new house, is it real, or is it just the stress of his body fighting to stay alive? This is something that played a big part in the TV show, but the movie was hollywoodized to be more entertaining. And that's ok, but this is a main gripe for fans of the show. Listen for great creepy music in the trailer and easily the best opening and ending credits sequence this year!
6. The Fourth Kind. I have to say right off the bat that this movie has a very niche market. It revolves around "real" recordings of hypnosis sessions documented by the "real" Dr.Abigail Tyler a therapist in Alaska. Patients claim to be visited by owls at night, and while under hypnosis, we find that the "owls" are the most frightening species ever! The movie jumps from the "real" recording to reenactments of these session with actor MillaJovovich and other notables who fill in for key rolls in the story. The highlight of this movie is the shocking hypnosis sessions that take place in the second and third acts of the movie. I jumped in the theater at one point because I was expecting the scare to have some build up. This movie also has an ending that some people will find surprising but I saw it coming. Great experience, and it's always good to see a director try something new.
5.Collapse. There were a few great documentaries this year (special mention goes to the amazing "Tyson") but this one really stood out for me. I just recently watched this but it left an impact on me that I just can't shake. Without going into to much detail the movie is one long interview with Michael Rupert. This man basically details how the economy of the world will collapse. Government, Safety, Food, Oil, everything is coming down. Believe him or not, this is a great movie with a guy who is very passionate about what he is preaching. He wants to help, but no one is listening.
4. Inglorious Basterds. Wow. Just wow. Quentin Tarantino better get an Oscar nomination for this film because it is brilliant! Writing, pacing, acting, shot composition, violence, everything is damn near perfect. If Christoph Waltz doesn't get a nomination for his chilling and flawless role as Colonel Hans Landa we should all petition. This movie was pretty long at almost 2 and a half hours but I was never bored during any of it. Watch. This. Movie!
3. Paranormal Activity. I'm proud to be the first one who signed the online petition to bring this movie to Winnipeg, and my name is even in the credits. (Seriously, look for it!) This movie was actually made in 2007 but wasn't officially released until late this year, after a very long campaign in which people "Demanded It" to come to their city. The movie had a small budget of roughly $15,000 and it was shot in the director Oren Peli's home. Although I'm not a fan of the Hollywood ending, this movie embodies everything I love about film making. It has scenes where I just can't imagine how they did it on such a low budget and scenes that just scare the crap out of you. I wasn't really scared at all in the movie, but a lot of people were. The thing I love about movies like this is that we, the audience, already know it's going to end up badly for these characters. We do everything we can to wish that they wind up ok, but going in we know it's not going to be good for them. The Cinderella story for 2009, and my number 3. Paranormal Activity.
2. District 9. This movie blows my mind. The story, the directing, the special effects, the sci-fi, the aliens, the EVERYTHING! This movie creates a story that is cohesive as not only a standalone but as a allegory to the apartheid. This movie was originally a short film called Alive in Johburg that was made by Neill Blomkamp in 2005. It was picked up by Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings, King Kong) and Neill was told to, "go crazy". He did and it worked. This movie was my number one until late December when my now number one came out.
Alive in Johburg
1. Avatar. Did you expect anything else? My full review is the blog entry previous to this, read here. I'm not gonna say much other than, this movie is unlike anything I have ever seen before. Yes it does have a few script problems and similarities to other movie, in principal. But I've never been to a world like Pandora, no one has, except James Cameron. This movie is something that needs to be experienced and I will see it again when it goes to IMAX. This is now the fourth all time highest grossing movie, and James Cameron's second movie to make over 1 Billion dollars. Yes Billion.
Check out Kenton Larsen's Blog for other great movies that I didn't add to my list.
I'm 21 and just finished getting my degree in broadcasting.
Looking to get into the Television Industry to begin with until I can find a way to break into movies.
My current projects are:
The Bonus Stage: A video game review show hosted by myself and my friend Tom Higgins, the youtube channel is here. http://www.youtube.com/user/TheBonusStage09
And a independent film I'm writing,directing and producing called The Trainman
Follow me on Twitter
www.twitter.com/JeffAWard
Now unfortunately I'm not stranger to having my car broken into. Let me run the short gambit of my car's history.
