"Catch and Release"

Sunday was a busy day.
After getting home from Chicago, I watched the Iowa basketball team lose, watched a disc of "24" Season Three, watched the Pacers lose to the Pistons, then went out to catch a movie by myself.

I've been wanting to see "Catch and Release" for a good amount of time. I first heard about last summer, when Kevin Smith blogged about working on the film. Then, they screened it at Vulgarthon last year, and it got some good reviews. Finally, the trailer actually made it look like a good flick. These days, if I don't see something before it comes out - thanks to my awesome friends - then I generally never go to see it. I'm not a fan of watching films in crowded theatres - "Inland Empire" at the Music Box was NERVE-WRECKING, but I survived. Anyways, I was afraid if I didn't force myself to see the flick this weekend, then I never would. Finally, I convinced myself that on a cold Sunday night, the theatre would probably be close to empty. And I was right. Two couples, a single lady, and myself populated the theatre.

The film is pretty good. It takes some turns that I didn't expect from this type of genre, and it stayed away from most stereotypical plot devices that I did expect. So, it was a pleasant surprise on many levels. The dialogue was pretty good, and fairly funny. The story worked in a slow revealing type of fashion, however a couple of events felt a little too rushed. With a run time a little over 2 hours, it was odd for a flick to feel like it was forcing things to happen. But, a lot does happen in the film.

It was my kind of film. Now, it didn't hit on my same emotional level as "The Last Kiss" did, but it didn't need to. It still opened my mind, and forced me to think about and address things in my own life.

First, it reminded me that in love, we don't always get what we want. No matter how close we come, it can always be taken away. Also, when we have feelings for someone, more often than not, they do not return those feelings - which only hurts the heart. Love is an interesting thing, and the things we do for love, and because of love, might not always yield the greatest results. It shows how difficult it is to move on with your life. And I know I related to that - I'm still stuck at the apex of a hill, wanting to go forward and get as far away from this hill as I can, but then I think about the trip up the hill - and how much I enjoyed it. And it makes me want to go back down the hill, and climb it again - even though the hill just wants me long gone. Moving on is tough - well, at least for me. I can only hope that one day, someone comes along who helps me down the hill, and onto the next one. Because, I've lived. I've learned. And the next hill is going to be much easier, and more fun.

Second, it reminded me that life has to change. It's evolution. It's life. It's constantly moving and changing. People make decisions, and no matter how close of friends you are, they make the choices that are best for them. Things change. People change. It all changes. And to sit around and think that your perfect life, with friends, family, and everything else is always going to be around is a facade. It's a mirage. Life, overall, is a let down. And the highs are always ruined by the lows.

Third, it has confirmed in my mind that I don't mind kids. I think I'm not a fan of babies - but like a four year old, I think we would rock out together. The kid in the film is awesome. And while I've spent a good deal of my life living in fear of having a son, I think it would be a wicked good time. Someone who would want to hang out with me (because I'd be THE MORE WICKED COOL father) and someone to play with - because let's be honest, I'm still a kid at heart. Throwing the football. Playing catch. Shooting hockey pucks in the driveway. I can't do those things, if I don't mentally grow up and prepare myself for it. And now, I think I want it to happen. I'm still scared out of my mind about it - but I also see it as a lot of fun.

I guess I'm just finally hitting that point. I've lived a good and fun life. I've done a lot of things. And there's a natural progression to achieve. A place to arrive at. And begin 50 when my kids are in high school is NOT something I'm interested in. I want to be there for every sporting event, play, musical, whatever they decide to do with their lives.

Interesting how a flick about relationships and a kid can make you re-evaluate your entire life.

And after the film, while driving home, I was thinking about everything I've been writing about - and some things that I didn't write about - and I thought about my "promise" to Heidi, that I'll write a new script. And I think I've got the basis and beginnings of a new storyline, that I hope to develop. It's rough. It's going to need a lot of thought, love, and work - but I think in few weeks time, if I give it some serious time - I might be working on the next script. I don't know how I'm going to make it - I don't know who is going to help. I don't know how I'm going to come up with all of the money to pay my actors, but I'm going to start with the script. And I'm going to see what kinds of reactions I get.

Because, Heidi reminded me of one thing: I love to tell stories. With words. And with pictures. So, I should keep doing what I love...

Intrepid, eh?

I often refer you my readers over to Peddie's Blog. And today, while reading it for myself, I noticed something "new" to me - I don't know how long he's done this, but I just noticed it today.

Peddie has given nicknames to most of the bloggers that has links to. There's "The Random Blogger", "The Sports Blogger", "The Baking Blogger", "The Weekend Blogger", etc...

Then, there's what he calls me: "Shane White - The Intrepid Blogger".

Now, I consider myself a very intelligent person, but I will admit when I have to look into something. Aside from knowing the automobile, I wasn't completely sure what "intrepid" meant, so I looked it up. And here's the definition I found (www.m-w.com):

"Characterized by resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance."

Again, I came across a word I wasn't 100% sure of the meaning. So, I looked up "fortitude":

"Strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage."

This statement is so true, in many ways that most of you don't know about. But, if you stick with reading this blog, in the future - you will understand.

I think I am going to have to take this as a compliment, I don't know if it was meant to be - but it's an interesting way to look at myself, and one that I wouldn't have done without having to look into the meaning of these words.

Peddie, if I ever get word "Intrepid" tattooed on my body - I want you to know it's going to be a direct result of you putting the word (and definition) into my mind.

I guess I'm just taken back by learning the definition. It's probably the only positive adjective anyone has ever used to describe me...

I was supposed to go check out "Smokin' Aces" tonight - a flick I've been pumped about all week. But, my buddies decided to watch "Epic Movie" first (a flick I have NO desire to see), and were going to be starting "Smokin' Aces" too late for me. Doesn't this suck? "Back in the day" I wouldn't care how late I had to stay up to watch a movie I wanted to see - but now, 8am comes REALLY EARLY!!! But, to have my nights and weekends off - I'm willing to deal with it. So, I'm going to be in Chicago all weekend - maybe I'll try to catch it while I'm there - if there's time.

The other film I really want to see this coming week is "Catch and Release". I hope to catch it soon. Here's the trailer:

The Spot

The Spot is the new bar that has replaced P.S. O'Rourke's.

My first statement is a tough one: Everything that I never got out of O'Rourke's, I can get out of The Spot. I love Sloan and Flea to death, they are some important people in my life. But, they didn't want a sport bar - and I kind of always did. The Spot is very much a sports bar.

The Spot is very much a hybrid. It still feels like O'Rourke's, it still feels like home. It still feels like the bar that I have so many wonderful memories from. O'Rourke's is where I met Kristen. O'Rourke's is where I filmed a lot of scenes from various films of mine. O'Rourke's was were I was guaranteed to have a friend at. Sloan and Flea didn't care about having a hugely popular bar, they wanted a place for themselves and their friends to hang out, and they treated the regulars better than I've ever seen people treated. P.S. O'Rourke's was a Speakeasy, a Watering Hole, and place for friends to sit around and just talk. On the weekends, they made their money with live bands - which Sloan never really cared for, but needed the added revenue on the weekends. But, no matter what time of day, or what day, Sloan or Flea would be there, and the waitresses treated us like no one else ever did. It was a special place, and always will be - I've got so many wonderful memories from there.

But, it's in the past. It's gone. I can't have it again. But, the other day, when we learned The Spot had opened, my friends and I found time to go there and check it out. That time turned out to be tonight. And tonight, I learned something wonderful: A former waitress, Jamie, and her husband - along with two of their friends - are the new owners of the bar. And they have done an AMAZING job with the place.

It's brighter. It's not so dark anymore. There's a sports theme, with various mid-west team banners hanging all over the place. There are HD Plasma TVs all over the upstairs, and four HD projection screen TVs on the main level. There is even a private room with it's own HD TV. The biggest improvement is the bathrooms, which have been completely redone. They look nothing like before, and are BEYOND amazing!

As I was leaving the bathroom, it happened:

"SHANE!!!"

I was told that Jamie left before I got there, so I wasn't expecting it. But, it turns out that she was just sitting at the bar. She ran up and gave me a hung, and I spent the next 45 minutes talking to her and her husband and finding out all the details about how she/they got from the closing of O'Rourke's to opening the building as their own. It was an interesting story - and I am REALLY proud of Jamie. If you read this regularly, you know one of my life-long ambitions is to own my own sports bar. So, this will be the next best thing. Jamie introduced me to the entire staff, and introduced them to me. They are all really cool, and very much like the "family" that was lost when O'Rourke's closed. Also, one of the former waitresses (and former love of my life) is supposed to come back and start working there. So, it will be awesome to see her again.

They have removed a lot of the couches. Most of downstairs is all tables and chairs. They have done a lot of tile-work on the downstairs, as well as added the big screens. Upstairs has lots of brand new leather love seats, which are very comfortable. Tonight, the NFL Network was re-airing the Colts/Patriots game - in condensed format - so we watched that and talked about the game and the Super Bowl. There is a chance that we are going to end up having our Super Bowl Party at The Spot. We talked to Jamie about it, and she made some suggestions to us. So, we're going to see how everyone feels.

It's so cool. It's still got the vibe of O'Rourke's, but with a different feel. Jamie told me she felt the same way I did when the bar closed - that she was missing a part of her life - and that was part of her motivation to buy the building and get the place re-opened, but make it a little more hip and appealing than Sloan and Flea. So, it's a nifty hybrid. It's got the old vibe for people like me, combined with the new appealing sports bar theme.

I finally have somewhere that I feel comfortable going again. It feels like home again already.

I highly recommend it, if you're looking for a cool place in Castleton - and if you actually like sports.

"Primevil" SUCKS

Yeah, F.Y.I. - IT SUCKS!!! DO NOT SEE IT.

I thought "Lake Placid" was bad.
I thought "Anaconda" was bad.

Those two films are OSCAR-WORTHY compared to this.

I saw it for one reason: Dominic Purcell. He had his moments, but it was NOT worth sitting through. Orlando Jones has two good one-liners. And there is ONE "surprise" that I didn't see coming. Other than that, BAD, BAD, BAD. And I'm NOT being my typical critical self. I went in with NO expectations, and wish that I wouldn't have wasted my time.

I hadn't hung out with Justin and Phil since Christmas, so that was another reason I went. We had lots of laughs, but it was still a HORRIBLE flick.

Probably the WORST FILM I've seen in 2007. Granted, it's the ONLY film I've seen in 2007 - but that's BESIDES the point. At the end of the year, I'll guarantee it's in my BOTTOM FIVE.

Don't waste you time, you will regret it...

Inland Empire

Sibley and I have made plans to attend a special screening of "Inland Empire" (Official Site) in Chicago on the weekend of the 27th. David Lynch is distributing the film himself, and according to the website, he's going to be at the screening that night.

It's going to be an awesome trip, but it got better when my buddy Heidi found out I was coming into town, and sent me this, in an email:

"I'm totally down for it. At the very least, though, we TOTALLY have to hang out. So let's keep in touch about it. You can't come to my city and not hang out with me - that would be illegal."

It's always nice to have someone act like they actually WANT to hang out with you. As cool as the weekend was going to be, it's looking like it's going to be even more fun than I hoped for.

I'm REALLY getting excited about the trip. I LOVE Road Trips, hence my East Coast drive. We're spending the night in Chi-Town, so it should turn into a really fun 48 hours. I'm hoping to some more road trips this summer. I'm trying to talk Zach into hitting Rondeau in Canada again. I have a feeling that multiple Weekend-Get-A-Aways are in store for 2007. Maybe some more to go back to Chicago?

Also, related to Sibley, is THIS ARTICLE from the Indy Star. Sibley is supposed to be in charge of the IMAX, when it opens. CONGRATS, bro. You know I'll be hitting you up for IMAX tickets, right???

2006: A Year in Shane

So, here it is: 2007.
And with that, I've taken some time today to think back over the past 365 Days - the year that was 2006. It was interesting. Lots of ups. Lots of downs. Lots of stuff happened. And I'm taking the time to list (with some pictures) some of the Top Threes of 2006, in various categories. So, here's a recap of 2006 - from Shane's eyes and mind.

Top Three Places I Visited in 2006

1. The Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center in New York City.

One of the last places I got to visit this year, but also one of the best. A place I'd been dreaming about seeing for so long, and thanks to Letha and Jason, I finally got to see it. It sure was amazing.

2. The Pier at Santa Monica, at Sunset.

The family trip to Los Angeles back in March was an amazing trip, filled with lots of fun times, but the night we spent in Santa Monica, and saw the sun set over the ocean was just beautiful.

3. The Campground at Rondeau State Park in Canada.

Zach's Bachelor Party took Zach, Jason Romberg, and myself into the heart of Canada to spend four days in the woods. Camping is always an awesome time, and since we haven't made a trip to Brown County in a couple of years, this was an awesome time. Three guys in the woods, talking about life under the stars. It was such a great trip.

Top Three Films I Saw in 2006

1. "The Last Kiss"
Probably the best film about relationships I've seen in a long time. So many different perspectives and concepts of love and relationships, you're sure to identify with one of them. Perfect flick.

2. "The Prestige"
Probably the best storytelling of any film I've ever seen. Non-linear editing results in so many questions before answers, and allows three different time lines to intertwine with each other. This film also has THE BEST ENDING of any film since 1999 - PERIOD.

3. "Thank You For Smoking"
Just a flat-out hilarious film, that is wonderfully written and acted. Yes, some scenes are a little outlandish, but overall I think it's a wonderfully fun time, and Aaron Eckhart does an amazing job.

Top Three Albums I Bought in 2006

1. "Commit This to Memory" by The Motion City Soundtrack.
2. "Let Love In" by The Goo Goo Dolls.
3. "How to Save a Life" by The Fray.

All great rockin' albums, which I still constantly listen to.

Top Three Singles Released in 2006

1. "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol (from "Eyes Open")
2. "Lips of an Angel" by Hinder (from "Extreme Behavior")
3. "Feel the Silence" by The Goo Goo Dolls (from "Let Love In")

Top Three Concerts I Went to in 2006

1. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra
2. Pearl Jam
3. The Goo Goo Dolls

Top Three Sports Moments in 2006

1. Reggie Miller's Jersey being retired.
2. The Eastsiders Basketball Team winning the ISSA Class B Championship.
3. Big Al Harrington returning to the Indiana Pacers.

Top Three T.V. Shows I Watched in 2006

1. "Lost"
2. "Prison Break"
3. "How I Met Your Mother"

Three Biggest Surprises of 2006

1. The Divorce.
Yeah, this one takes the cake. One year ago today - I never would have seen it coming. I knew we were having problems, but I honestly believe some separation and time apart would help us figure out our feelings for each other. I guess she figured out her feelings - which wasn't a good thing for me, and it was a pretty big shocker when I got the paperwork in the mail.
2. Jason Moving.
When Jason and I were into film together, the guy told me he didn't think he would ever move to Los Angeles, because he didn't want to leave his family and friends in Indianapolis. So, when he was presented with the opportunity to move to Boston, I was first surprised that he was thinking about it - and more surprised with his final decision. I can still remember the night he told Annette and I that he was going to stay here in Indy, and turn the job down. It wasn't more than two hours later I was hanging out with him, when he told me he was going to take the job. I quickly went from "happy Jason was staying" to "bummed Jason was leaving". Another surprise to my life in 2006.
3. Dad Goes to Iraq.
I never would have imagined, until I was told, that my Dad would be going to Iraq. He's not exactly a 20-year-old infantryman. So, the government sending him over to Iraq to do some work was Out of Left Field, in my opinion. Luckily, he went and made it home safe - but it was still kind of a surprise to find out he was going.

I'm hoping for a good 2007.
I've got some life plans in order, and hope they work out.
I'm holding off on going back to school - so that I can spend the next few months getting my living arrangements worked out (finding an apartment downtown) and getting a new job. I plan to start talking to a counselor at IUPUI in the next few weeks, so that they can start setting me up and enrolling me in the classes I want to take in the fall. This will also give me a chance to save some money and start applying for financial aid.

I've only made one resolution for 2007.
And I think I'll be able to keep it. I've already started on it, and I think I can keep up with it. My resolution for 2007 is to get myself into better shape (which includes losing some weight). I've been riding 10 Miles a Day on the bike for five days a week, for the past three weeks - so I just need to keep that up. I've been lifting free weights and just need to continue doing that as well. Finally, no more soda. Juice, Water, Gatorade, Powerade, anything but soda. By the Spring, I want to be regularly running the canal downtown (hopefully living close enough to jog to the canal, and then jog the whole thing).

Well, 2006 sure changed my life.
Lots of ups.
Lots of downs.
Lots of good times.
Lots of lonely nights.

Somehow, I have a feeling 2007 is going to be a lot of the same...

...but I guess that's life.

I'll see you again in 365 Days, with another list. I hope you all have a WONDERFUL 2007.

Co-Existance: God and Evolution

DISCLAIMER:
Okay, here's the deal. My theory basically only works when combined with itself. You won't be able to attempt to apply it to your own theories - because it requires basically all of its own parts to function. It's also based on a NON-LIBERAL interpretation of some Biblical passages. You may, or may not agree - but I ask that you don't try to assimilate your own theories to disprove mine. PLEASE feel free to explain and discuss you rown theories - I would LOVE to hear them! But, I just ask that you understand ALL THIS IS - IS A THEORY, and I'm not trying to sell anyone on it - or disprove anyone else's theories or thoughts. Finally - Peddie, this is for you!

The important aspect to my theory is the following:
God knows no time. Time is irrelevant to God. A minute is like an hour, and so forth.

It is believed that Moses wrote the Book of Gensis. Where the creation of the world/universe/Earth, etc... is recorded. So, during one of Moses' and God's "Hang Times" - God talked to Moses and told him what to write in Gensis. And God probably explained this to him:

"Moses, between you and me, I did not create the world in six days, but to make things easier for humans to understand, we are just going to call each period of time - one day."

Thus, the SIX DAYS were created, when in actuality, these "six days" spanned 4.5 Billion Years. (give a take a couple of million, we'll get into that soon...)

So, YES - Scientists are right with their "age" of the Earth. I'm afraid too many narrow-minded religious people aren't willing to take into account that each "day" that was written about, might not have been an actually 24-hour period, but instead a simplified way for God to talk to us. Otherwise, the Bible would read like this:

"On the first Billion Years, God created Light and Darkness. On the second billion years, God created Water. Etc..." (Obviously a PARAphrased version...) A "day" just probably seemed easier in vernacular.

So, here it goes:
"Day One" - A Billion Years.

"Day Two" - Another Billion. Up to Two Billion Years Old. A billion years sounds like just enough time for Vaalbara to seperate (starting 3.2 Billion Years ago) and form the modern continets, over another billion years - because God told it to.

"Day Three" add a Billion Years. Now, we're up to Three Billion.

"Day Four" add another Billion. Up to Four Billion.

"Day Five" - God creates "Creatures" NOT "animals", "Creatures".

So, after Four Billion Years of the Planet Earth existing (which felt like four days to God), he finally put some life on the planet. Now, if the world is 4.57 Billion Years Old, we are now looking at 570,000,000, Years ago.

Scientist believe Dinosaurs arrived on the planet 230,000,000 Years ago. Obviously, there is a minor flaw in someone's math. Perhaps the Scientists are a few hundred million years late with the arrival of the dinosaurs, or a few hundred million years over the life of the Earth, or perhaps God stayed up late one "day" and it was a little longer than One Billion Years. I can only imagine who long it took himt o perfect the stars... So many solar systems... Maybe he took a little extra time to create another planet of lifeforms? And that caused one of his "days" to run a little longer...???

"Day Six" should have started in 3995B.C. (I'll cover that in a second). Meaning, "Day Five" was actually 569,996,005 Years Long (give or take).

569,996,005 Years is PLENTY of time for dinosaurs to rule the earth, while other smaller creatures lived on Earth also.

Now, if Scientists are right about the "catastrophic event" which ended the dinosaurs existence 65,000,000 years ago - then that would give 64,996,005 Years between the End of Dinosaurs are God creating "man". PLENTY of time for the atmosphere to settle down, become breathable again. Plenty of time for the smaller creatures on Earth to continue to reporoduce, and adapt to their various living conditions.

And here is where I may lose some people's faith: 64,996,005 Years is enough time for God to evolve SOME Monkeys into semi-homo-sapien form.

Let's look at it this way: Out of EVERY creature on the planet only two of them share the same number of chromosomes (46, 23 from each parent) Humans and Monkeys. It's a little bit of a coincidence, don't you think? Environmental Adaptation, over millions upon millions of years could have led to a group of primates eventually adapting and evolving into a very human-like being. Perhaps, the "Iceman" was one of these pre-homo-sapiens, who was potentially part primate, and not fully developed as a thinking human being???

So, where do Evolution and Creationism cross paths? I honestly believe the answer is a simple one:

Genesis 4:16.

"And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden."


And what happened in the Land of Nod? Cain is said to have created the cityof Enoch, and fathered seven children. Who lived in the Land of Nod? And how was Cain able to father children?


Living in the Land of Nod, were the semi-homo-sapiens, who "evolved" or "adapted" from primates. Cain had children. These children were hybrids. And over the next few thousand years, they helped mankind shape its self as an extremely diverse group of people - with thousands upon thousands of variations that make each person unique. Heck, if all of these people lived in the Middle-East, it's very probable that these "hybrids" are actually responsible for the way "White People" look???


So, my long and short answer: Evolution Happened - BECAUSE God WANTED it to, SO THAT when Cain killed his brother, he would have a community for Cain to end up at. God planned evolution to take place, so that it would "catch up" with his human creations, at the exact moment that he wanted it to happen.


The Earth is as old as the scientists say.
Evolution happened, similar to how scientists believed.
God ALLOWED all of this to take place - because it ALL was part of his PLAN.


Oh, and my final arguement towards the "mating" between Cain and a semi-homo-sapien is the following:

Cheers!!!

This is a picture of me with the original Bull and Finch logo - the name of the bar BEFORE the TV series.

Jason and I just spent a couple of hours there and it was a really good time!

Long blogs coming tomorrow...

Ice Skating!

I'm in the middle of skating at Wollman Rink inside of Central Park! I LOVE the ice! There is a wicked cool skater chick doing wicked cool skating tricks in the middle, she rocks! This is awesome!!!

Serendipity 3

We've finished dinner at Serendipity 3 - now Jason and Letha are sharing a frozen hot chocolate (don't ask me?).

Next, off to Central Park for ice skating!

Manhattan Island

A shot looking back in on New York City, taken from the observation deck of The Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island - its a breaktaking view.

Islands

On the ferry, heading towards the Statue of Liberty, and then on to Ellis Island.

The Show

The Nederlander.
Rent.
I saw it.
It was amazing.
More later.

The Reason for the Trip

So, this picture shows the entire reason for the trip. The tree at Rockefeller. It is too surreal to be here seeing all the holiday stuff. The trip is already worth it - and we've got soo much more to do over the next two days. Next, dinner at the Hard Rock!

Watched "The Fountain"

So, I knew it was the last night for "The Fountain" at my buddies Phil and Justin's theatre. So, with the night off - I knew I needed to check it out before I didn't have a chance.



First off, the SPOILER-FREE parts...
It's different.
It's not what I expected from Darren Aronofsky.
There was no "hip-hop editing" involved in this film.
It REALLY shows how he has matured as a filmmaker, and can tell an amazing story.
This IS his BEST film - to date.

What I know I liked: The UBER-non-linear editing. Not only were there three timelines being edited together - they were being edited together out of order. Giving you questions before answers - and giving you ideas before you found out the truth. Granted, I was able to figure out about 90% of the film - and the 10% I didn't figure out, I don't know if I was supposed to.


The film is really an AMAZING love story. The story of a man who spends 1,000 years trying to fullfil his love to a woman. His passion. His determination. His obsessiveness. Hugh Jackman is AWESOME. PERFECT. WONDERFUL. If there was EVER a question about his acting (which there WAS NOT after "The Prestige") this film proves he's an amazingly capable actor on so many levels.

Jason refuses to think about how Dougray Scott would have been as Wolverine - and now I refuse to think about how Brad Pitt would have been in this film. Because Hugh is BEYOND perfect. Rachel Weisz does a pretty good job, but her character is pretty limited, and I could potentially see other talented females playing this same part. Not to downplay how good she was, but it wasn't overly amazing, but her roles is nowhere near as big as Hugh's.

The story is plain and simple. Find the Foutain of Youth, hidden by God and protected by the Mayan Empire. Use this knowledge to bring Spain into power, over the church. Fast-forward 500 years to the "present" when our Main Man and his Lady are living in the present, however she has a brain tumor which is slowly killing her. Tom does extensive tests on Primates and is close to discovering a way to save her, although the cure helps with health - it does not reduce brain tumors in primates. Izzi is writing a book - which very much resembles their life 500 years ago, and before she can finish it, she asks Tom to write the final chapter.

Fast forward to another 500 Years in the future, when Tom is traveling through space - fulfilling a destiny and a promise he made to Izzi - based on a conversation they had regarding the spirituality of the Mayans and how they viewed death.

Simple, right? At times it's a little confsuing, but eventually gives you the clues you need to come up with your own answers to the questions that are posed.

The film is an AMAZING new look at Sci-Fi filmmaking. I VERY MUCH compare it to "Donnie Darko". And now, I'll move on to MY theories about the film...

SPOILERS below the picture!!!


So, here's my honest theory.
I don't believe there are actually three timelines going on.
I believe that these characters are in "The Present" and that's IT. PERIOD.
Izzi is obsessed with the Mayan Empire and their philosphies on life and death. Mostly on death now, as she knows her "end" is coming soon. She becomes obsessed with the idea of death being the birth of life. The concept the Mayans used to explain the birth of the world, how one man gave up his life and the world grew from him.

Izzi is a VERY good author, and has written the majority of her book. However, she does not know how to finish it. She lies this burden on Tom. She writes a very good and very vivid book - and when Tom reads it, he places himself and Izzi into the story.

Post Izzi's death - Tom attempts to write the Final Chapter, which is when he hallucinates the visions of the future. His obsession with his wife leads to his visions of the future and fulfilling the promise to her - that he would save her. Knowing that she is dead, the only way to fulfill the promise to save her, is to bond her body with a tree, and carry that tree into a nebula - allowing her to be "reborn".

This IS NOT REAL. It takes place in Tom's head. This is why the Future and the Past are connected in the final sequence of the film - because it's Izzi's story in Tom's head merged with his hallucinations for the future - at which point his brain causes them to collide. This is why "Present Day Tom" is not involved in the sequence - because it happening inside of his head, as he attempts to fulfill his promise of saving Izzi.

While the names "Isabel" and "Izzi" are VERY similar, and are meant to imply that they are the same person - I DO NOT believe that they are.

Also, in support of my theory: Tom and Izzi NEVER discuss their past together. They make NO MENTION of spending 500 years together. Present Day Tom doesn't EVER do ANYTHING that even hints at the fact that he's well over 500 Years Old. I DO NOT believe the past ever "happened". I can only believe that Tom visualizes it all in his head, from the story Izzi has written.

The only time there is any mention of time passing is when Future Tom is looking at the tattoos on his arms and claims "It was you that kept me company through all these years..." And since we know he didn't "start" tattooing himself until after Izzi's death - then again, he can only be reffering to the Present to the Future - disregarding the Past Tom.

I have to stand by my theory.
"The Present" is the ONLY reality.
"The Past" is in Tom's head, based on Izzi's book.
"The Future" is a hallucination inside Tom's head, as he attempts to deal with the lose of the love of his life, and his brain's attempt at fulfilling his promise to "save" Izzi. Because, in the end - his final attempt to save her life, came from an idea SHE gave him, in the "present".

The film is about LOVE and OBSESSION.
Izzi is obsessed with the Mayan Empire and their philosophies on death, and rebirth.
Tom is obsessed with saving Izzi's life.
And they have a love that transcends time and space. Figuratively and Metaphorically.

That's my theory.

Charles Schulz Philosophy

So, the other day, when I made my somewhat "disappointed with life" posting - I got an email from my mother, who reminded me of Charles Schulz's Philosophy, and I'm a little late in copying it on here, but I thought it was something worth sharing (Thanks Mom!)



The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read the e-mail straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners .

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with

Easier?

The lesson:
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care .

Pass this on to those people who have made a difference in your life.

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia." -Charles Schulz


Side note:
I bought my first box of Reese's Christmas Trees this afternoon. It might be earlier than usual, but I'm addicted to the Peanut Butter - after all those Pumpkins I was eating...

National TV Rachel

Rachel Illingworth, the lead from "Reunion" has landed an EVEN BIGGER role than her previous appearance on the History Channel's Dillinger Episode. Last night, Rachel was a featured extra on the show "Cold Case". She got a good minute or two of screen time - during PRIME TIME on a NATIONAL show! It's great to see people I've worked with making their way up the Hollywood Studio System Ladder.

Here's a shot of Rachel from "Reunion" in 2003:

And just three short years later, she's on "Cold Case" on National TV:


CONGRATS to Rachel! Keep up the GREAT WORK!

Lucky Change of Events

I was supposed to work tonight.
I drove all the way to work, and I was there about five minutes, when one of the other managers walked in the door. I knew this manager was schedule off - because he usually works Friday nights, and I usually have them off.

As it turns out, he requested this Friday night off a long time ago, and since then his plans have changed. Since he works a pretty set schedule - he didn't even think about the fact that he wasn't scheduled. I was more than willing to work - I had nothing planned for tonight. But, when he turned to me and said, "You wanna take off?" - I DID NOT turn him down.

I changed clothes. Ran some errands. Then made my way to the Wheeler Arts Center, so that I could watch "The Last Five Years". I was planning on catching it tomorrow night, after work, but with my newfound free evening (and the fact that I couldn't find anyone to go with me Saturday night anyways...) I decided to catch the show - since I would be doing so alone, no matter what.

Now, this frees me up tomorrow night, so that I can go and watch the Pacers preseason game. And I'll be sure to do this - since the news said that Jackson is going to likely be playing, and with the Detroit reports saying they are going to try to lock up Jackson - I'd like to see him play as much as I can!!! So, everything worked out for the best.

Ever since I bought the CD for "The Last Five Years" and read all of the notes inside, I've always had my own vision of how the production played out. While I was already emotionally attached to the lyrics and the music - I am SO GLAD that I've finally witnessed the production live.

It's one thing to know the songs, but it's SO AMAZING when you're watching the actors portray the characters. The blocking was done very well, and the characters really played well off of each other. Since its basically a lot of soliloquies - the non-singing actor did a great deal of non-verbal communication. It was great to see them interacting, and reacting to each other. And their duet was done so well. The emotions they achieved were amazing. Both actors did SPECTACULAR jobs! I was really impressed, and depending on my schedule next weekend (I know Saturday night is OUT), I might try to catch it again, if I'm free next Friday night.

One thing I wish they would have done was use a couple of extras. Just a pair. In one scene, Jamie is supposed to be talking to a buddy of his, and telling that he's falling in love with this girl (Cathy). Instead, he just sings to himself - which actually turned out to be a funny scene, as Jamie was climbing all over the furniture of the apartment. The second is a scene where Jamie has an affair. In this production, they just used the couch, and it looked like Jamie was singing to the pillow - and someone who didn't know they show, might actually think he was talking to Cathy - since he never gives this woman a name, instead using "pet names" for her in the song.

I understand the production was, more than likely, done on an insanely tight budget - which is why none of these changes or alterations caused me to not enjoy the show. I just, sadly, feel like certain parts of the story minorly suffered - because some audience members might not instantly be able to figure out what was going on.

I've done a lot of reading on the production, so it was interesting to see how this one was done. They changed a good number of things, but the story was still in tact, and that's the most important thing. Anyone who was seeing this for the first time (aside from being a little confused by the storytelling) would never know anything was changed.

The funniest change was that they added ten years to the characters age - to compensate for mildly older actors. They go from being "24" to "34" in one song, and "28" to "38" in another. It took a second, when it happened, just because I knew it was the wrong word in the song. Again, to anyone else, they wouldn't have any idea - it doesn't effect anything.

The one scene I was really looking forward to was "The Next Ten Minutes" - which is their duet in the middle of the production - and is supposed to include their wedding. While this might have been implied throughout the scene - it starts and finish in their apartment.

Another scene they changed involved changing a car ride to a train station. Okay, that's not a big deal.

Now, here is something I'm glad they altered: "The Next Ten Minutes" is supposed to be the first time they ever share the stage - and that's NOT how they did it tonight, and I liked it very much - the way they did it. While I can understand the "power" and "meaning" behind making this scene their first together - I liked seeing their interaction in other, previous, scenes.

ALTHOUGH, I think this answers one of my own questions: I was a little disappointed in costume design. The actors wore one outfit for the First Act, and a completely different one for the second. I wish they would have either stayed with the same costume - or changed them more often between scenes - which would be MUCH easier to do, if they had 4 to 5 minutes to change while the other actor was singing. The was it was done tonight, they exited for a brief second - while the other began their song, and then they quickly were back on stage, interacting. Again, the lack of costume changing didn't bother me, I just wish they would have stayed with the same costumes for the second half.

Speaking of the "first" and "second" halfs - I was surprised to see there was an intermission. Listening to the 14 songs on the CD, it only runs about 1 hour and 10 minutes, or so. And I've read that in other productions its done as a One Act. There were a few lines of spoken dialogue, which is missing from the CD, but not enough to make it that much longer. The show began at 8:00pm, it had a 15 minute intermission, and I was still in my car and on the road by 9:40pm. I suppose some of the other people needed to use the bathroom...?

There was only about 25 of us in the crowd. A group of 10 elderly women in the front row. A group of 10 elderly men and women in the back row. A young couple who sat DIRECTLY in front of me. A young lady and her grandmother (I assumed) who sat on the stage left wing. And then myself alone in the middle row. It's a fairly small theatre, with a small amount of seats, but it was nice and made you feel very close to the action. I felt very involved - as opposed to large venue, where I FEEL like all I'm doing is WATCHING.

It was amazing. It got the "theatre bug" going in me. I'm looking forward to seeing as many productions as I can over the next few weeks. Especially once we get into Christmas Season. it's my FAVORITE time of the year, and I'm going to support as many Christmas Productions as I can. Perhaps next year, I can get involved in some. Or, I can dust off that script I have for the "Christmas Flick" about a group of random families who get caught in a hospital ER room on Christmas Eve - when a blizzard hits, and knocks out all the power. It proves to be a very small town, as all of the people who are trapped realize that they interact with each other on a daily basis, but are too busy to notice each other. Eventually, they band together - and for the sake of the children - put on a Christmas Play. Romance, Forgiveness, and new Friendships all emerge from their snowed-in night. Last year, about this time, I had a great group of people lined up to try and shoot it. But, it didn't end up happening. And I didn't give it enough attention this year - to have it prepared to film. Maybe next year... right?

"Feast"

First off, I COULD NOT HANDLE IT ANYMORE!!!
I was tired of lying around the house - I ALWAYS have to have something to do. I CAN NOT just sit around and do nothing. My attention span is SHORT to begin with, and after almost a week of lying around, I can only watch so much Poker, and so much ESPN. I HAD TO get out of the house. And with the foot healing up, I felt like I could drive to work.

I wanted to sit down with my new boss and talk to her about "the future". Sadly, we don't agree on some things. Granted, I'm often hard-headed, but after being in this business going on 8 years - I think I know some of what I'm talking about, and I feel that I've earned some of the things I'm asking for. Sadly, she doesn't see things the same way. So, we're trying to work on a compromise. I think things will eventually work out, I've just got to stick with it/her for a while. She just sees things differently, and... I don't know. It will all work out. I can already tell that things are going to be MUCH BETTER at work - to start with, I was completely prepared to pick up some shifts this weekend. But, NO. I was told to take this weekend off. Finish getting healed. And come back to work on Monday. Right on!

Now, I did get "suckered" into doing some work tonight - but I'm not going to complain. I sat around and built up a bunch of movies - because I'm trying to pull my weight (I just wish I would have remembered to bring my iPod!) and I was waiting around for my friends to arrive to watch "Feast"...

What can I say about "Feast"???

What can I say?

IT ROCKS! IF you go with a group of friends. IF you're all in the mood to have a good time. IF you enjoy CRAZY OVER-THE-TOP ZANY WACKED-OUT RIDICULOUS GORE. We laughed from the first minute to the last shot. This script was GREAT! It was such an amazing ride. Things popping out of everywhere. Violent gory deaths. It was SO MUCH FUN TO LAUGH AT. BUT - I (personally) needed to watch it with my friends, because if I didn't have someone to turn to, and laugh with, I don't think it would be as funny. This is something I REALLY want to watch with ALL of my friends at our Halloween Party. (And THANKFULLY it's being released on DVD on Oct. 17th!)

It's BONKERS.

I'm laughing right now, remembering the RIDICULOUS one-liners. The gags work. The suspension of disbelief is VERY HIGH! It was just fun. It's NOT an Oscar Worthy flick, by any means, but I really enjoyed it. Too funny. Too funny.

If you live in Indy. And you like HORROR flicks. And you like FUNNY HORROR FLICKS. And you like RIDICULOUS OVER-THE-TOP ZANY CRAZY FUNNY HORROR FLICKS - then you should hit Republic Theatres on FRIDAY or SATURDAY NIGHT ONLY!!! Grab some friends, and get ready to enjoy a good time. If you're not from Indy - then check out THIS LIST to see where its playing near you.

We got into a discussion about "The Last Kiss" tonight, and I've made up my mind that while ALL YOU AWESOME PEOPLE are going to see "Feast", I'm going to try to catch "The Last Kiss" again this weekend. I know a couple of people who have said they want to see it, so hopefully I can convince someone to tag along with me. I really wish I was working more recently... There's some cheap Colts tickets available for Sunday's game - but I really can't afford them right now. BUMMER. I guess I'll have to watch it on T.V. AGAIN this weekend.

It's late. I need sleep. PEACE WORLD!

"Crossroads" Premiere

So, since I came back to Indy earlier than I planned - I was able to attend an event that I originally was really upset that I was going to miss. The premiere of Steve "Papaw" Pyatte's film "Crossroads".

Thankfully, my friend Annette was kind enough to be my driver, and accompany my gimpy self to the screening. Although, I think I would have traded the pain of driving myself, for all the "cripple" comments she made throughout the night... I'm just thankful she wanted to go, and kept me company.

She was also kind enough to play "photo girl" for us, and got recruited to snap a bunch of pictures on various cameras. Here's a pair from the evening:

Steve "Papaw" Pyatte and Myself.

Myself, "Papaw" and fellow filmmaker Chris Allen.

It was a REALLY great time. I got to me Michael Garcia - who wrote the original screenplay. He came into town from Texas. We've talked numerous times via email, so it was nice to put a face to the name. I got to see regulars like Jim Dogherty, Don Becker, and Joe Martin. And I hung out most of the night with Chris Allen. I also got the chance to meet and talk to Daniel Risk - who basically took over what I started, and helped Papaw get this thing finished.

Onto the film: The film makes its point. And I have high respect for ANYONE who can complete a project. The film has a VERY straight forward message, and it hits it. It sometimes overkills it, however - at the screening, the played all of the "Bonus Features" from the DVD right after the film, and we had a HUGE into by Steve, so I might have just been overloaded with "the message" - perhaps in smaller doses, it wouln't feel the same.

The problem with me (one of MANY) is this: When I watch any film, for the first time, I critique it - for its technical aspects. That's just how my brain works. There's many films that when I see them in the theatre, I claim and swear that they are horrible - and once I watch it on DVD, I realize its not that bad. It's RARE that a film like "The Last Kiss" comes along, and I'm SO involved in the story (because of an amazing script) that I do not look at the technical aspects of the film.

Sadly, as with most indie flick, the dialogue just didn't get me hooked - so I started technically watching the flick. It probably did NOT help that I've read the script numerous times - and knew the story. For some reason, this just sadly happens with too many indie scripts - MINE INCLUDED - we are too focused on the words, and disregard the fact that this is a visual medium. It's something that I've attempted to work on, and it's tough. It's a tough thing to move past the words, and move into the fact that the visuals are more important to keeping people interested. It's a visual medium - with dialogue to accompany the visuals.

So, here's my semi-technical comments: The editing at the beginning and ending were very good. Lots of quick cuts, cut to music, it flowed, it didn't sit on one shot too long, it felt like a good edit. The middle was a little SLOW. They focused too much on the dialogue - and didn't allow their actors to move. They stood still - they didn't move. It kept cutting between the same two shots, except to give me a Close Up of the same angle. Visually, I was bored with what I was seeing. I understand that they were more concerned with getting their message, but I'm going to argue that more people than not, are going to be visually bored. And the problem is that when you visually bore the audience, they shut off their ears to hearing the dialogue, because their eyes have given up. It's very simple to create movement between people. Have them walk around. Have one of them go off and do something, and force the other one to follow. Something. Anything. Film is a visual medium, and if you're going to chose it to tell your story, then you need to make sure you're satisfying the audiences visual needs. If the story is the only important thing - then it should be a book.

The one thing that I CAN NOT say ANYTHING negative about was the music/score. It was GREAT. It was PERFECT. Watching the credits - it looked like it was all pre-recorded stuff, and they MADE IT WORK for the film. I thought the music was well cut to the scenes, and they worked as if it was perfectly written for the flick. It really set the mood and the tone for what was going at various points. It also worked REALLY well at various moments when "shock value" was being used. The music really added another depth to the flick.

The film is essentially a high-end PSA. It's anti-drinking and driving, and it does an EXCELLENT job of conveying its message. It shows you the remorse in the characters. You do feel their pain. It was ambitious. It was a big project. And for a first-time director like Steve, it was a HUGE step. I'll guarantee it was a massive step over what "Consternate" was. And if this is where Steve's learning curve is beginning - then he's got a HUGE potential to tell amazing stories and with the right work, homework, and research into the art of filmmaking - he's got a chance to go on to bigger and better things.

In today's society, ANYONE and EVERYONE believes that they can make films. Look at YouTube or MySpace or Google Video, they are overcrowded with lots and lots of bad products. And its because all of these people hear stories about filmmakers - one in a billion chances - and they think that they can do it too. They don't take the time to read the books, watching the bonus features on DVDs (Ten Minute Films School Segments 1, 2, 3 and 15-Minute Film School), read magazines (1, 2, 3, 4), do homework - and TRULY learn the mental reasoning behind filmmaking. Filmmaking is a mental work - because through millions of perfectly arranged pictures - you have to tell a story. Mise-en-Scene is a basic principle that I felt was lacking in "Crossroads" - it felt like the just had people stand "where they should be" - then worked their shots around the actors, instead of arranging their actors to make a more dynamic shot. I REALLY hope that Steve takes the time to look into a few books that go into the technical aspects of setting up four framing and shots, and then also looks into some of the books which deal in the psychology of framing a shot. How the audience interprets various set-ups. I think he's got MAJOR potential, and like I said, he's already WAY SURPASSED my first film. It's also wonderful to see someone who is so kind, so caring, and so giving with himself - that you can't but hope he makes it far. He's got a wonderful attitude, and deserves lots of respect and acknowledgement for his work on the project.

I also have to THANK Steve, he said A LOT of nice things about me in his introduction to the film, and again in closing. It was very nice for someone to acknowledge those who he's worked with. It was an amazing time, and I'm so glad to have been able to attend. And I'm glad to add "Crossroads" to my DVD collection.

Following the showing, Chris Allen asked if we wanted to catch a bite to eat, so we all hit the Steak-N-Shake, where we talked and TALKED film forever. We talked a lot about the curent state of the film community in Indy. We talked about his upcoming project. We talked about past projects. When Chris and I sit down, we TALK and TALK film. The last time we did lunch - it turned into a 4-hour meeting. He's an AWESOME guy, and someone that I really respect.

It was a good night for Indy Indie Film - and I hope more people get to see the film, as lots of hard work and time were put into it. I'm also looking forward to the IndianaActors.com Film Festival in March. I am looking forward to seeing a lot more indie films, and getting to spend more time with fellow filmmakers - talking film and enjoying each other's company.

Tonight was awesome - because it REALLY reminds me how much I love doing this. And hopefully it will help me carry on in developing the scripts I'm working on. Now, I'm looking forward to spending a day, or two, in Chicago to see some more cool flicks, and much like in Boston, get a feeling for how filmmakers from others parts of the country/world are doing.

Annette and I somehow got onto the topic of the film "Love Actually" on the drive home - so I HAD TO put it in and watch it. So, I'm going to do that - get my foot up - and try to get healed.

FOR HEIDI: Who asked me how involved I was in the project, HERE is a link where I go into details about how the project was born, and what I had to do with it. ENJOY!