Music Make You Lose Kontroll

Hungarian filmmaker Nimrod (Neem-Rode) Antal's movie Kontroll is one of my favorites. When I was getting my haircut I was asked what my favorite movies were and so many came to mind that none of them came out of my mouth--that feeling that as soon as you're called upon to opine on something on which you're expert, you totally choke. But now, in the aftermath, I can with a cool head say that Kontroll is totally up there.

I made Kate put it in her queue (we watched it the other night) and again I was struck by how beautiful and gritty and visually unconventional it was. The writing is top, the characterizations hilarious and human, and it was shot entirely underground in the Budapest subway system. The story just never stops rolling.

That's it. (Aside from the fact that every time I brought it up with her, Kate would sing, "Music make you lose Kon-troll," in a German accent.)

Lightsaber Movies

If there were more hours in the day I would totally be out there doing projects like this and would be proud to join the legions of Star Wars fans who make these incredible videos.  These are my absolute favorites and I stayed up till 3am watching a lot of them.  They're humorous, inventive, and technically proficient. . . and made with love.

Behold!  

CONCRETE HUSTLE

RYAN vs. DORKMAN

The sequel: RvD2

THE WINNING ENTRY of LCC 4

IT Award Nominations

Well, It's official: I am a nominee for two Innovative Theatre Awards!

The entire cast of Fight Girl was nominated for Best Ensemble, and I was personally nominated for Best Actor in a Featured Role. The ceremony was tonight and a lot of awesome downtown off-off companies were there, including Kelly and Jason from Flux, the gang from Nosedive, and many, many more.

Our show had seven total nominations, we had nine people in the cast (plus a load of friends), and every time they called our names we shouted our hearts out. It was awesome to be in such good company and to reunite with such a great group of artists. The IT Awards Ceremony will be in September when we find out the winners. It's a good crop, so tensions are high...

Here are some links:

Vampire Cowboys

http://http://www.nyitawards.com/

Sweet, Sweet Fourth of July (or, That Blueberry Pie Was Amazing)

In a book I read in college, a writer has a recurring dream that publishers shout, "Hats off, gentlemen! Hat's off!" after finishing his manuscript. I really love this phrase as a universal salute to people who do an excellent job at something.

Well, my hat is off to Elizabeth Marks.

Thanks to her, Kate and I were well-fed and treated like royalty over the Fourth of July weekend. I have never seen such concerted efforts to make an event special. She went shopping for three days getting the food. She coordinated our travel and accomodations. She got us (once successfully and once not so much) seats at the famed Berkshire landmark Jacob's Pillow (Or just, "The Pillow", egh. Formerly, Ted Shawn and his Men Dancers, a name we took endless delight in repeating to ourselves later in the car). It was truly amazing. The thoughtful activities just kept on coming and we delighted in them all.

Among the highlights were picnicing with Kate's aunts and uncles, rowing in a halting, self-defeating fashion across Big Bowman Pond in Taborton, making a fire pit in the driveway that roared all night, and eating the best lunch ever at Jiminy Peak. The Alpine Slide was pretty good, too, although Kate takes the cake for doing an unprecedented triple-flip on the bungie-assisted trampoline...

Kate and I had a wonderful time and we cannot wait to go back. 

Thanks, Wizzawee!