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I Found It At The Movies: 1933: Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse (Fritz Lang)
I'll start by saying that of all my top picks, this is absolutely one of the most tenuous. I like this Lang film, but there are probably another seven or eight by him that I like even better (The Big Heat, Metropolis, M, Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, Moonfleet, The Woman in the Window, You Only Live Once). Anyway, as I remember it, the thing that most impressed me with this film was Lang's extraordinary inventiveness.
May 28th, 2010 | Category: I Found It At The Movies | By Jeffrey Goodman
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' . $phpAds_raw['html'] . ''; } ?>I Found It At The Movies: 1932: La nuit du carrefour (Jean Renoir)
I have only seen this once, and it was 15 years ago. But it struck me at the time and has stayed with me ever since as perhaps the most atmospheric noir film I've ever seen. I don't mean to frustrate with this choice, as I know most people haven't seen it. I hope, though, that people will seek it out and that eventually, as the years pass, it will no longer be one of these undiscovered Renoir gems.
May 26th, 2010 | Category: I Found It At The Movies | By Jeffrey Goodman
My Life as a Blog: 6 Reasons Steve Jobs is Like Kim Jong-il (And Why That Might be a Good Thing)
I don’t think there is anybody around who is more of an Apple admirer than me. I’ve owned four of their computers, three iPods, one iPhone, Final Cut, Logic and lots more. I pressure everybody I know to make the Apple switch, because I think that would make their life better. When Bill Maher recently said on his show that what this country needs is “Jobs,” as in Steve Jobs, I called out “Yesss!” But then I thought about it. Really? Would our government be better if it was run by a genius like Steve Jobs? It sure would seem that way. But still, Steve Jobs? The man does have has a few pesky qualities, to say the least.
1. Secrecy: Guarding against industrial espionage is a high priority for all sorts of companies, as is controlling the timing of new product announcements until the most advantageous time. But I believe it is fair to say that no company protects its secrets more than Apple. Workers are forbidden to talk to outsiders about what happens at work, including relatives. In Cupertino, California (home to Apple headquarters) most Apple employees aren’t allowed to go to other areas where other projects are in development.
Today, North Korea is one of the most secretive countries in the world—it guards its borders tightly and no travel is allowed without a Soviet-style “escort.” People from South Korea are rarely given visas and no journalists are allowed in on tourist visas. Still, you’d have to score this one for Kim, because there are North Korea tours and no Apple office tours—even for the people who work there.
2. Antipathy to Journalism: When secrets are vital, then journalists must always be the enemy. There can be no other way. Within what is possible in your world, you must do everything to stymie them or stop them outright. The North Korean Constitution theoretically protects freedom of the press, but only if serves the interests of the government. Journalists aren’t allowed into North Korea with tourist visas. Despite this, some western journalists have managed to cover the country. Laura Ling and Euna Lee were only near North Korea when they were jailed, setting off an international incident. Kim was setting an example and discouraging others.
Nearly all requests for interviews with Jobs are refused, and it’s fair to say that the ones that are accepted aren’t particularly hard-hitting. Recently, Time Magazine sent a non-journalist, British actor/writer Stephen Fry to cover the iPad launch. Apple super-fan and 13-year-old Nicholas Ciarelli created a Website, “Think Secret,” dedicated to finding out about Apple’s hidden plans. Over the years, Ciarelli received numerous cease-and-desist letters from Apple, until they filed a lawsuit against him and he was forced to shut the site in 2005. As has been widely reported, Gizmodo.com recently ran a story revealing the new iPhone after an Apple employee left one in a bar. Days later, California’s Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team entered editor Jason Chen’s home without him present, seizing four computers and two servers. So what we have is a journalist who has presented all his information in a public way to the world, being treated in the same way as a hacker, a terrorist, a collector of child pornography—all people who are engaged in heinous illegal activities. The point is to make an example.
3. Cult of Personality: Per the current North Korean constitution, Kim is now the “Supreme Leader,” although he is also referred to as the “Dear Leader” and the “Great Leader.” He receives the standard totalitarian dictatorial goodie bag enjoyed by Stalin, Mussolini, Mao, Hussein and so many others—giant posters, massive statuary, military parades, the whole shebang. His image is familiar the world over: Big glasses, Eraserhead haircut, and Mao-chic matching gray pants and shirts.
Jobs’ personal power comes first from being brilliant and creating some of the most wonderful products ever. He has an adoring following because he totally deserves it. As far as I’m concerned, anybody who disagrees with that is either uninformed, a moron, a jerk or all three. I am not joking. Bart Simpson deserves a spanking:
Secondly, you don’t see or hear from him much, and that adds to his mystery and our excitement when he does appear. There are very few photos of him for a man of his stature. We generally see him when he’s onstage presenting a new Apple product, which he does with such skill that you want to sign on to all the secrecy that enabled the show. His uniform is a black turtleneck, jeans and sneakers, which he wears at every Apple presentation, and legend has it, every day period. But I’m not trying to make cheap shot, comparing his outfit to totalitarian garb, as it is not an unusual thing for highly focused creative types—Stanley Kubrick did the same thing.
4. Affection for 1984 Iconography:
5. The Will to Go it Alone: Kim Jong-il created devastation, including a terrible famine by cutting off relationships with long-time trading partners like China and Russia (and obviously, South Korea).
Steve Jobs has a tendency to create his own standards rather than use the ones that have been established by others. Legal MP3 downloads from all other companies will play on an iPod or iPhone, but nothing that’s downloaded from the Apple store can be played on a non-Apple product. The iPhone only is available from AT&T, so if I talk really fast, five percent of my calls don’t cut out—but that’s okay, I love my apps. Anybody can have a phone that makes calls. Currently, he denies users of the iPad access to nearly all the video on the web, by making it unable to function with Flash. It has been reported that he is developing a Flash alternative called Gianduia. Unless he budges on Flash, iPad users will go to their graves without ever having access to the Web that every computer has. But if any of them want to call me to complain about it, they should make sure they use my land line.
6. Hard-Knuckled Management Style: Both are pretty tough cookies. Suffice to say, neither of them have seen much point for carrots when there are so many sticks lying around.
The Contrast: Despite the six points I have enumerate above, there is an important difference between the two of them. Kim is a psychopathic monster who has brought devastation on millions of people, and with his nuclear arsenal, is one of the biggest threats the world currently faces. On the other hand, Jobs is a super-talented guy who has brought much wonder and joy into the world.
Despite everything I’ve written in this post, I wish my life had gone differently and I had had the chance to work for Steve Jobs. He might have yelled at me, but that wouldn’t have bothered me one bit. I’m a big boy, and I’ve worked in the film business for 30 years, for Christ sakes. But all my best teachers in school and life have pushed me to do my utmost. They accepted nothing less. I know that he would be just like that. I’m sure I would be a much better man today if I had worked for him, and it would give me a lot of pleasure to know that I had played a role in Apple.
I started this post attempting to sort out in my mind whether it is better to have democracy, or to have an effective, superb leader—even if kind of autocratic. You can disagree with me, but I’d go with Jobs any day. Democracy, as it currently exists in this country is an abject failure. What is going on in Washington today bears the same relationship to what the founding fathers created as acts of child rape do to Jesus’ words. Every single one of these “politicians” is corrupted by their weaknesses—for power, for money, for the adulation of the crowd, for the childlike need to have their egos constantly buffed and, increasingly, to manipulate their staff members to have sex with their ugly-ass selves. That is to say, they are all too human, and it just makes everything worse to have a big f*cked-up porridge of them. But how about one benevolent king?
Imagine going into the House and Senate and throwing every single one of the bums out. Then let Steve Jobs come in with his crew. I bet that in no time at all he’d have cleaned up the BP oil spill, provided Health Care with a public option, provided real reform for Wall Street and eliminated global warming. Plus there would be apps! Maybe he would be mean sometimes and make inexplicable decisions, and probably it would be arduous for everybody, but at the end of the day you know what? He would be right most of the time. And our country would be in much better shape than it is today.
It sure as hell would look better.
Reid Rosefelt is a veteran film publicist based in New York City. He has promoted hundreds of films, for such diverse moviemakers as Jim Jarmusch, Pedro Almodóvar, Errol Morris, Ang Lee and Werner Herzog. His personal clients have included The Sundance Institute, IFC and HBO Films, as well as Harvey Keitel, Ally Sheedy and the late Adrienne Shelly. His production publicity credits include Desperately Seeking Susan, The Godfather: Part III and, most recently, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire. His blog can be found at http://my-life-as-a-blog.com/.
May 23rd, 2010 | Category: My Life As a Blog | By Reid Rosefelt
My Life as a Blog: How I Think “Lost” Will End: Just Like it Began
It’s hard to believe there have only been 118 hours of “Lost.” Now there are only three-and-a-half hours left, and there will be no more new episodes. As this is my last chance to prognosticate about the show, I’m going to use this blog post to express my current theories.
May 16th, 2010 | Category: My Life As a Blog | By Reid Rosefelt
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' . $phpAds_raw['html'] . ''; } ?>I Found It At The Movies: 1931: La chienne (Jean Renoir)
I hate to admit it, but the first time I saw this I was in my favorite theater in Paris (Le Grand Action), and I fell asleep. I'm sure it was during one of my "three or four films in a day" binges and I just couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. Anyway, I think I finally saw it for the first time in its entirety during the fall of 1996—and it's haunted me ever since.
May 12th, 2010 | Category: I Found It At The Movies | By Jeffrey Goodman
My Life as a Blog: Boom! Slam! Pow! Kiarostami! Yeah!
Yesterday I went to see Iron Man 2 and, as usual—SLAM!—there were—BLAM!—a lot of—CRASH!—trailers. It was almost a relief to see the Grown Ups trailer. At least the lame jokes weren’t ear-splitting.
May 10th, 2010 | Category: My Life As a Blog | By Reid Rosefelt
I Found It At The Movies: 1930: The Blue Angel (Josef von Sternberg)
I first saw The Blue Angel during the Summer of 1996, only a month or two after graduating college, at one of these great theaters on Rue Mouffetard in Paris. I saw it at like noon or maybe even 10 a.m. (a great Parisian quirk, many of the art houses open early). Needless to say, it was a great day.
May 6th, 2010 | Category: I Found It At The Movies | By Jeffrey Goodman
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' . $phpAds_raw['html'] . ''; } ?>I Found It At The Movies: 1928: The Passion of Joan of Arc (Carl Theodor Dreyer)
Seeing The Passion of Joan of Arc the first time, the way that I did, remains one of the most memorable cinephile experiences I've ever had (and probably will ever have).
May 4th, 2010 | Category: I Found It At The Movies | By Jeffrey Goodman
My Life as a Blog: Raising Arizona Film Festival
By this point I’m assuming most people are sick of hearing about the new “Show Me Your Papers” law in Arizona, so I thought I would annoy you with it one more time. (If you are just coming back from a long hike in the Adirondacks and don’t know what I’m talking about, you can get a roundup here.) Anyway, I was thinking, why not a Raising Arizona Film Festival dedicated to the best “Show Me Your Papers” movies?
May 4th, 2010 | Category: My Life As a Blog | By Reid Rosefelt
I Found It At The Movies: 1927: Sunrise (F.W. Murnau)
I've seen Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans twice in theaters. The first time must have been in France. But I can't remember the exact year or theater. The second time was definitely in Los Angeles, probably in 2000, at the Silent Movie Theater.
It had two different musical scores the two times I saw it, which is not terribly uncommon for films of this period. But this tendency is something that can really alter the experience for me.
April 27th, 2010 | Category: I Found It At The Movies | By Jeffrey Goodman
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' . $phpAds_raw['html'] . ''; } ?>My Life as a Blog: MSNBC/FOX News, “Lost,” “Fringe,” “V” and the Coming Apocalypse
I never miss an episode of “Lost,” “Fringe,” or “V.” Although my wife and I are both left/liberal, we watch both MSNBC and FOX News. Melissa, my wife, thinks it’s important to listen to the other side.
It can get tiresome because “Lost,” “Fringe,” “V” and MSNBC vs. FOX are all the same show: They’re all about two radically opposing forces gearing up for war, and possibly the apocalypse.
April 25th, 2010 | Category: My Life As a Blog | By Reid Rosefelt
I Found It At The Movies: 1926: Nana (Jean Renoir)
I have decided to write about my favorite film for each year from 1926-2008. First up, Jean Renoir's 1926 Nana.
April 23rd, 2010 | Category: I Found It At The Movies | By Jeffrey Goodman
My Life as a Blog: Bill Forsyth: That Sinking Feeling
Once I got a job writing the press materials for a movie made by one of my favorite moviemakers, but he was known as a stickler, so I was worried there were going to be a lot of rewrites. In the end he just said, “It’s fine. But take out all the exclamation points. I don’t think I’m the kind of guy who talks in exclamation points.”
April 18th, 2010 | Category: My Life As a Blog | By Reid Rosefelt
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' . $phpAds_raw['html'] . ''; } ?>My Life as a Blog: Life Cycles of the Rich and Famous
EMBRYONIC CELEBRITY: The fame of a pre-born child of celebrity parents begins after the pregnancy is announced in the mass media. This is the only celebrity cycle without a name requirement.
April 11th, 2010 | Category: My Life As a Blog | By Reid Rosefelt
My Life as a Blog: Why Don't Movies Finish with "The End" Anymore?
Last night I was at a party and I glanced at the TV, playing at the other end of the room: There was the montage of old end credits, one “The End” after another. I don’t know if it was a commercial or something else. But it got me thinking.
March 30th, 2010 | Category: My Life As a Blog | By Reid Rosefelt
Cinema Law: Screenwriter Rights
Cinema Law: Screenwriter Rights
Q: When a writer sells the rights to his script to a production company, I understand that the writer no longer has the right to option his script to other production companies, even if he receives a better offer. That being said, does the writer lose all creative control once he signs his name on the dotted line? Can the production company go ahead and hire whatever director it wants and even change the entire tone of the script without the writer's approval? Basically, what say does the writer have in a project once his script is sold?
December 14th, 2009 | Category: Cinema Law | By Chad Fitzgerald
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' . $phpAds_raw['html'] . ''; } ?>Adventures in Self-Releasing: Live Stream Days Away
We’re five days away from the live drawing for The Last Lullaby prizes. I hope to see many of you there. It’s the first time we’ve done something like this. It should be an unusual and very fun event.
November 13th, 2009 | Category: Adventures in Self-Releasing | By Jeffrey Goodman
Adventures in Self-Releasing: Social Networking & Paranormal Activity
We’re five days into the online release of The Last Lullaby, and sales have been strong. But I’m always looking for other ways to spread the word. My recent efforts include posting on Facebook walls; I’m targeting affiliated groups with the most members. For instance, Sprague Grayden is in our movie and also has been on "24," so I posted on the walls of the most popular 24 Facebook groups—things like that. I’ll let you know about other efforts as we move forward.
October 23rd, 2009 | Category: Adventures in Self-Releasing | By Jeffrey Goodman
Notes from Overboard: Spanish Caravan
Just as my brain recovers from the trip to Deauville, someone sneaks up from behind and thwacks it with a giant tennis racket. As a result it lands in San Sebastian, Spain about seven hours before me and stubbornly keeps its distance. The five days there play like a slightly damaged DVD with only flashes of coherence breaking through.
October 22nd, 2009 | Category: Notes from Overboard | By Tom DiCillo
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' . $phpAds_raw['html'] . ''; } ?>Cinema Law: I Shoot, He Scores
Q: After the original composer for my film submitted his score, I found it to be almost unlistenable and rejected it. I hired a new composer to score the film, and this time the music worked much better. The original composer agreed that he'd be paid after the score was completed and I'd had a chance to listen to it, but since I thought he did a horrendous job, I refused to pay him and now he's threatening to sue me. Do I still need to pay him the original amount, or since his work was less than adequate? Is there something else I can do alleviate the situation?
October 20th, 2009 | Category: Cinema Law | By Jeremiah Reynolds
Adventures in Self-Releasing: DVD Release Tomorrow!
Tomorrow, October 17, I’ll be releasing the first edition DVD of The Last Lullaby in Shreveport. It should be a memorable time signing DVDs and celebrating another significant milestone with some of the movie’s core group of support. That’s Saturday. Then Monday, October 19, is the online launch, when people outside of Shreveport can begin buying the DVD off the movie’s Website (www.thelastlullaby.com).
October 16th, 2009 | Category: Adventures in Self-Releasing | By Jeffrey Goodman
Adventures in Self-Releasing: The DVD Release—It's Official
The next major step for The Last Lullaby is official. Here’s how I have decided to put it together:
We will have a world premiere DVD release and signing of The Last Lullaby at Giuseppe’s in Shreveport, Louisiana, Saturday, October 17th from 2 - 4 p.m. The movie on the 17th will sell for $20. Then, the movie will be available from our Website (www.thelastlullaby.com) beginning October 19th. If people buy online, the movie will also be $20. But, people could receive a 20 percent discount, depending on where we end up in our promotions.
October 1st, 2009 | Category: Adventures in Self-Releasing | By Jeffrey Goodman
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' . $phpAds_raw['html'] . ''; } ?>Cinema Law: Old Footage, New Media
Q: An obscure actor appears in a 30-second TV commercial in 1966. In 2009 he wants to put the long-forgotten commercial on his Website. Any reason why he shouldn't be allowed to do this?Read the Whole Post...
September 30th, 2009 | Category: In Theaters Now | By Suann MacIsaac
Adventures in Self-Releasing: Building Buzz Around the DVD Rlease
All right I’m getting close to releasing a limited, first edition DVD of the movie. As I’ve said before, this is something we’ll be offering off the Website (www.thelastlullaby.com) and in conjunction with Neoflix.
I’ve been thinking of ways to increase the interest around the DVD. Obviously, we don’t have a huge marketing budget and can’t afford television spend or even print ads. So, as an independent moviemaker, what can you do to make enough noise to build awareness around you and your movie’s release?
September 25th, 2009 | Category: Adventures in Self-Releasing | By Jeffrey Goodman
Cinema Law: Location Permission
Q: The trailer for my first film was recently posted online. A brief scene in the movie (which also appears in the trailer) was filmed at a local restaurant parking lot, which I never asked permission to use. Now, the restaurant’s owner, who had no knowledge of the film prior to the trailer's release, says he'll sue me unless the restaurant receives some sort of compensation. Does he have a case?
A: It appears that the restaurant owner believes that he has the right to compensation because his property and perhaps the trademarked name of his restaurant appear in your film. In all likelihood, that claim would fail. Obviously, a property owner has no right to compensation merely because his parking lot appears on screen. Imagine if a moviemaker filming in Times Square needed a license from every building, restaurant and store owner? This is untenable and not the law.
September 22nd, 2009 | Category: Cinema Law | By Gregory Korn
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