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Twenty-Something Review

Cinema Crazed reviews "The Long Slow Death of a Twenty-Something"

"Very much in the tradition of "Five Easy Pieces" about a society void of a true purpose and a man aimlessly looking for one..."

Twenty-Something Poster

A very minimalistic poster for twenty-something.



J~R

The Wanderer King Breakdown

Now that Four Tanks is done...we are now on to pre-production of The Wanderer King, more specifically the script break down, check out details at 4reelz.com

Cowboys Vs Aliens

Looks cool



Whoops wrong trailer...here we go.

More Books

Here are the books I've been reading through-out the past couple of months. I would strongly recommend reading any one of them, particularly if you are a fan of Sci-fi. As for "The Road" I would strongly recommend you read it regardless of your particular tastes.


This was a re-read for me. My friend "Flatbed" (See Side Panel ->) let me borrow this book back in college. Really great read, in fact it is one of the few books I have taken the time to re-read. They have been talking about making this into a movie since like the mid-90s. I hope when it happens they pull it off. A visual rep of this book could be amazing.


This book has some amazing scale to it and is surprisingly an easy read. I have not finished it yet however because I started on the next book "The Road" due to the fact that I had been wanting to read it and it has been suggested to me by multiple people. Foundation so far has been very interesting in both plot and characters. However I feel as though the writing is a little mechanical and blunt, where as a writer like Ray Bradbury can be more eloquent .


I saw this as a film before I read it as a book. I am about 75% done with this book and let me tell you, I am really enjoying it. It makes me respect the movie so much more reading this book because the movie is very, very on point with the feel and themes that the book evokes. The writing is also interesting. It reminds me of Ernest Hemingway almost... a mix of experimental, narrative and at times short hand poetry. It meanders through following a father and son in the dead and dying landscape, almost as if without any meaning or direction. All this in a good, thought provoking way.

This is next on my list, I have it sitting amongst the pile and I skimmed through it a bit. The world (universe) building is incredible. Matching Lord of the Rings in scale and detail. It's funny that it was the first David Lynch film I ever saw many years ago...I thought it was very interesting even then.

Bunny Robot!

I have to laugh at how much of a guilty pleasure this movie will be.

A Lesson in Cartography

I just finished two maps for the intro to the Four Tanks and a Healer cartoon...Here's one of them with title. Now all that's left is to throw them in After Effects and animate them together. On a side note this is my 50th post...yeah woo, yeah!

The Walking Dead - So Good It Deserves Another Post

Here's an amazing fan made intro that I think should be the intro to the show.



J~R

The Walking Dead

Well I can't believe I waited this long to post about "The Walking Dead" coming to AMC on Halloween - I'm sure you all know by now. I have been reading the comic on and off for the past month and they are great.

I hope the show is as good.
J~R

Top 10 Films Of The Decade

As 2010 comes to a close I thought I would put up a list of the movies, from 2000-2010, that I could watch over and over again. There were many movies that I had to leave off the list. Perhaps even some I would consider technically better, again this list is a list composed of movies I watched and then wanted to watch again and again and again.

Here's the list. What's your list? Post it at the bottom.

10. There Will Be Blood

I drink your milkshake!

Daniel Plainview is by far one of the most interesting characters in movie history. I found my disposition of his character to change from viewing to viewing. Sometimes thinking he was a relatively straight forward character with certain goals and motives. Other times I found myself strangely sympathizing with his character. It's an amazing performance that shows what greed can do to people.



9. Mulholland Drive

Silencio...

One of my first film research papers in college was titled "Inside the Mind of David Lynch". I had just watch Mulholland Drive and was thrilled by it. The pacing methodical, the acting (Naomi Watts) is excellent, and...uh, what was up with the guy behind Winkies anyway? Definitely a masterpiece of interesting, disturbing, satirical surreal meta-film quality that only David Lynch could pull off.



8. Watchmen (Ultimate Cut)

Who Watches the Watchmen?

On any other top ten list for best comic book movie you would probably be looking at "The Dark Knight". I can not disagree that it is one of the best comic movies and performances of the Joker seen as of today. However, I love the "Watchmen" graphic novel more than any Batman comic put together. It is packed with layers of meaning and symbolism that can not be matched. The movie delivers on all these levels and more. And despite what Alan Moore may think about the movie industry...They got this one right! And with a better ending too.



7. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

"All you need to make a movie is a girl and a gun,"
Jean-Luc Godard

This is one of those movies, like the "Princess Bide" I could watch anywhere, anytime, in any mood. I am a big fan of Noir and I really like it when movies try to update the genre today. (See "Brick" also.) The movie is funny, many times it knowingly breaks the rules of cinema as kind of a wink and nod to the audience and I enjoy every second of it.



6. Oldboy

Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone.

If you are not floored in one way or the other by a first viewing of this film there could be something wrong with you. Throughout the decade I have been seeing more and more excellent films come out of South Korea. Chan-Wook Park is no exception. After seeing his Revenge trilogy along with his new film ("Thirst") He has proven himself an auteur who knows his craft. There is a film language you can see. A filmmaker with a diamond-cutters eye.



5. The Road

Are you carrying the fire?

A good movie not only entertains, it inspires. That being said, this might be the most important film of the decade. John Hillcoat directs a masterpiece that may seem like a simple story on the surface. But the questions that lay underneath are chilling. Who are we really under all the bullshit? Are we really good? We would like to think so. When faced with great adversity the best and the worst is brought out in people. While hope and love may be seen as weaknesses, this movie shows that, above all, they are the most important virtues.



4. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

...And my Axe!

Who can argue with this cinematic achievement. The Lord of the Rings is undoubtedly one of the greatest collections of films to come out of this decade and will be remembered for may to come. I love the books and thank God for Peter Jackson's devotion to them. The scale of the three movies is immense, the landscapes are beautiful, the world feels real and the character feel like they belong to that world. Are there flaws, yes. Is it a movie you'd want to watch on a daily basis, probably not. Is the Lord of the Rings undeniable epic and fantastic, absolutely. I'm very glad they decided not to make it back in the 60's staring the Beatles.



3. Survive Style 5+

What's your function in life?

This is one of those movies where after the first viewing many people will say..."I don't understand it, but I like it." Survive Style 5+ is nothing short of amazing. The visuals are interesting, the characters are weird, and it's got heart beating among the funny, crazy, antics. This is a movie I could watch any day of the week. I didn't want it to end.




2. Kingdom of Heaven (Director's Cut)

What is Jerusalem worth? Nothing...Everything

Ridley Scott is one of my favorite directors and I must say of all his films this by far is my favorite. More than "Alien", More than "Gladiator", More than "Blade Runner", this is in my opinion is his masterpiece. Now I must stress, I speak of the Director's Cut. The theatrical cut is also amazing but no where in comparison to the DC. Every stitch of this film, from the vast landscape visuals, to the battles, to the characters, is near perfect. I will say while I think Orlando Bloom does a good job in the film...he is not on par with the level of it and excluding that, the film is perfect.



1. Inception

Dreams feel real while we're in them.

Whoa, surprise, my number one movie is also the most overrated movie at the moment. Go figure. But if you look through my blog history, you'll know that I have been anticipating this movie since it's...well, inception, onto IMDB. I have been interested in dreams and dream control (lucid dreaming) for the past couple of years and therefore am naturally drawn to this kind of source material. All things considered I have to say my expectations were not let down in the least, and as you might be able to tell, they were very high to begin with. The movie is beyond interesting and hits on all levels of cinematic criteria. I look forward to buying this and watching it many many times.


J~R

Offical Trailer: Four Tanks and a Healer

What is Animated, Epic, Funny, Cool, and neatly wrapped in an awesome premise.

Four Tanks and A Healer.

Check it out.

True Grit

When I told my Dad they were remaking True Grit, I was surprised that it was my Mom that chimed in..."How can they remake that, it's already perfect." Well if that is true I think the Coen Brother's just made something a bit better than perfect. This movie looks awesome.

Superman: Man of Steel

It seems that Zack Snyder has signed on to direct the new Superman movie Man of Steel. After seeing Snyder's faithful direction on Watchmen along with Christopher Nolan signed on as producer; I for one am excited to see how this will turn out. I'm going to go out on a limb and say probably better than the Avengers movie.

On IMDb

The Long, Slow Death of a Twenty Something is now up on IMDb and is currently being submitted to Festivals.

Check it out.

THE LONG, SLOW DEATH OF A TWENTY-SOMETHING/

Exit Through The Gift Shop - A Banksy Film

If you don't know who Banksy is, you should. He is the greatest graffiti/street artist that has ever lived. The theme of his art goes beyond sub-culture. His art motif and mystique is counter culture, political parody, and 100% satirical; in the same way you think of Fight Club's Project Mayhem spray painting a BIG SMILEY FACE on the side of a major corporate building. It's amazing and now it seems as though there is a documentary being made around the hi-jinks.

Below is a trailer and some of his art work.




STREET ART BY BANKSY


J~R

Four Tanks and a Healer New Pics

These are some new pics from Four Tanks and a Healer. An awesomely animated sequence from Jacob Drake, can't wait to start editing and getting the sound effects going.



J~R

The Long, Slow Death of a Filmmaker

Thoughts on my mind as we wrap up post-production on "The Long, Slow Death of a Twenty-Something" and prepare to bring our baby into the world.

- Editing has been long and grueling. First, it's neat to see the footage coming together. Then, it's fun to piece it together how you want it. Then, a few weeks in, it starts to suck having to create perfectly timed transitions between scenes while keeping an eye on the pacing of the entire film. There's also the color grade, which means every single shot must be colored individually, and the audio clean up, where some lines must be dubbed, fitted, and tweeked to fit the scenes. There are continuity issues where a different take has to be used... and you don't HAVE a different take! There are audio lapses where two actors talk at the same time and you only need one actor's line. There's all that and way, way more to worry about. If it wasn't such a creative outlet, it would suck. Hell, it sucks anyway...and I love it.

- Showing the trailer was a huge relief for the three of us (Justin, Jake, and myself) as we finally got to show the world we weren't crazy and that there really was a movie that didn't suck. Also, Jake and I had been editing nonstop for weeks and it was nice to have a brief moment of achievement.

-I was reported for spamming on Facebook when I posted our trailer everywhere but I don't give a shit. Bumping into people from Stow, where I grew up, lets me know that we really spread the word. Almost everybody I see, no matter how long it's been since we've spoken, tells me they've heard great things or that our film looks awesome. Big fish/small pond, maybe, but it's still a sign of good things. Our trailer was shared on Facebook a total of 655 times. Some were friends. Probably 100 were me alone. Others were by friends of friends or total strangers. There's a good buzz. Just have to get the right people to notice and good things will come.

-Feels good to have finally made "the big one". It's not a production-quality spectacle, but it's the first film I've made where I'd be confident enough to show it to Spielberg himself and I know he'd have good things to say. Some criticisms, too, obviously... but it's got heart and it's entertaining. I always knew I was going to dedicate a film to my late father, but I wanted to wait until the film was actually worth a shit. It's finally time.

-Travis, who plays Joey (a good-hearted but directionless slacker) in the film was telling me about his lack of contentment at his landscaping job and how he identified with the film's message about growing up and moving on before it's too late. I told him he was young (he's 22 I think) and that he had plenty of time to fuck up still. Walking away, I hear Vince (28) mutter that "Larry thinks he's older than he really is." I immediately put my foot in my mouth upon realizing that Vince works the same job as Travis and that I basically just insulted him. I felt like a dick. Sorry, Vince. Didn't mean it that way. Still, that situation tells me that there will definitely be some people put off by our film or offended by it's "get up and do something" message. Clint openly made this clear to me, saying that "It can kind of make you feel like shit if you're not doing anything." I don't like that it will hurt people, but I do like that people can relate and will (hopefully) find some sort of motivation in it. It's not too cornball-preachy tho and is pretty down to Earth. Sometimes the truth hurts. Still better than feel-good BS. The over-all message of the film is to shut the fuck up, stop talking about doing something, and actually DO IT.

-I also know that there are plenty of friends (and, particularly, a few ex-girlfriends) who will assume the characters are direct representations of them. Sorry to say, but it's just not true. The girlfriend in the film is an amalgam of about 4 different ex-girlfriends, none of whom were anywhere as evil as Donna, played by Marisa Zakaria. Some of the events in the film are based in truth, but no woman I've ever met was as clueless and cruel as the girl in our film. That being said, it was still an awesome chance to get shit off of my chest and make piece with the way things are. In my opinion, people are pretty horrible to each other and I never felt I had a way to express how I felt about that until now. The movie, while crude, less-than-tactful, and somewhat offensive at times, has a really good heart at it's core. The protagonists are NOT immune to being full of shit and are not just preachers on high horses. They are, in fact, a huge part of the problems they hate.

On the flip side, the male characters (Ben, Joey, Tom) are all based on all of my closest male friends, but they're all merged together. Off the top of my head, I'd say that:

Ben = Me, Derby, Aaron, Clint, Travis
Tom = Me, Vince, Aaron, Pitts
Joey = Vince, Travis, Pitts, Clint

Of course, if I were to write that list up again right now (only a few seconds later) it'd be pretty different. Those are rough layouts but mostly true I think. I didn't have a chart going in. You just write what you know and you draw from who you know and what you've experienced. Every time Ben and Tom argue in the film, it's basically two sides of Larry having an argument. The selfish voice vs. the attempting-to-be selfless voice. The guy who wants to live and let live vs. the guy who can't stand the world around him.

- Astounded by the amount of people praising what we've shown who I figured would hate it. Douchebags and stoners alike seem to dig the trailer, even tho it's clearly knocking douchebags and stoners. That's a good sign. Still, no matter what, somebody watching our film will take something the wrong way. Somebody will be offended. Such is life.


- As for quality, we're really onto something here. I spend most days editing with Ruby and Justin (mostly Ruby tho) and there are times when we're ready to shoot each other. It's natural, obviously, to have two people clashing nonstop over editing. Some studios are infamous for siding with an editor and having a director removed from the editing room, doomed to give up the baby he'd created and trust somebody else to raise the kid right. Other times, the editor is fired for not complying and a newer, more obedient one is put in his place. There are some pretty crazy director vs. editor wars that have raged in the history of filmmaking, often dividing the crew into two teams. All that being said, Ruby and I are doing just fine. We're both emotionally attached to it, so we both have strong opinions. When he's editing, I do my best to leave the room or watch a movie. No backseat driving. Besides, in the end, I get my way if I really push it. After all, if it sucks, it'll be my name they rip apart. On the other hand, if it's awesome, I'll get all the credit.

-During this trying and stressing time, Ruby's becoming a member of the family. 3 year old Rylee's first words coming in the door every day are "Hi, Ruby".

-Speaking of that, just took a break from editing to pick Nathan up at school. 1st grade. Jesus. Gotta pay more attention to things around here or I'll miss them. I do a pretty good job making time away from working on films to play with the kids, but I could do better. Could definitely spend more time with Shannon. The problem is that there simply isn't enough time in the day. Still, I need to try. They're troopers. She knows it'll all make sense in the end.

-Just shipped off a copy of the film to LA for Mark Ordesky and Marisa Zakaria to review. I know the middle needs some work to be less boring, but all-in-all, we've got it. Sometimes, you ask an expert for advice and you get the exact thing you were looking for. Other times, you use part of the advice and tweek the rest with your own judgement. You simply cannot listen to everybody, tho. As a parent, I can't listen to every parent, grandparent, aunt, and uncle's advice when it comes to parenting. Often times, all those opinions contradict one and other and become a big mess. You just take the parts you agree with and abandon the rest. Such is filmmaking. Even the bad ideas are part of the process. So, when they give me a list of things to do or change, I use my own judgement when considering them. It's a team effort, through and through.

-Years ago, I'd have written about all the people who no-showed on me or flaked out. I have to say that my current (and smaller) crew is pretty on-the-ball. Justin's energy and patience levels are probably somewhere in the negatives, but for the most part, he and Ruby know their shit and get it done. Marisa handles the business and paperwork as our company's president, and everybody else did their job and then got out of the way. Gone are the days of fifteen close friends giving me zero respect and all attempting to direct and produce over top of each other. We've really got a system down here. Ordesky once said "It looks to me like you've got a lot of people sitting on the bus who think they belong on the bus just because they've always BEEN on the bus. That's not how it works. Everybody has to earn their spot." I can gladly say that that problem is long gone and that weight has been lifted. Everybody did great on this film. We're growing up.

-When I gave Ordesky and Marisa a list of fanboy icons who I thought could narrate our film and elevate it (artistically as well as marketability-wise), Mark immediately set to contacting Trey Parker (South Park) through his agent. It's a long shot and probably a "no", but the list is long. Business-wise, I think we should get a Kevin Smith, a Louis CK, or even a Brandon Routh or Adam West, but personally I'm a big fan of guys who are less famous but equally talented. I'm a huge fan of Sam Maccarone and Dian Bachar (TheTVFantastic.com) for instance, and while they don't have the same name power, I'd love to get somebody like that to narrate. Ricky Gervais would be awesome. We'll see where it goes and everything is just talk til something actually happens.

-The guys want it to go to Sundance. So do I, but I won't be discouraged either way. I'm thinking about the market and whether or not certain people "approve" or "accept" our film doesn't matter to me. It's good, it has an audience, and it WILL sell. There are a number of paths to that destination. I'm just happy knowing we're on our way. The "how's" don't mean a thing.


-The worst part of filmmaking is that you can work nonstop and work your ass off and still keep gaining weight.

~Larry Longstreth

The Long, Slow Death of a Twenty Something (Trailer)

The trailer is finally here in all it's glory. Just finished the second rough cut today. It's going to be awesome.

Typography

I'm a huge fan of typography. Here I have posted a couple of my favorites and a couple I did for class projects. The Robbing Main Street type was for an intro to a short film about college kids robbing campus stores to pay their tuition. My other one is taken from the famous pencil trick scene from the Dark Knight, that was for a Final Cut/Motion class.

Abbott and Costello "Who's on First"


Fight Club


The Big Lebowski


Robbing Mainstreet Intro


The Dark Knight "The Pencil Trick"

New 4Reelz Website

Made by Me! Check it out.
www.4reelz.com

J~R

Sucker Punch

So if you were to combined every nerd fantasy into one movie, including but not exclusive to: Giant Robots, Samurai, Giant Robot Samurai, Dragons, War, Sci-Fi, Steampunk, Cyberpunk, Cabaret?, and Girls in School Uniforms wielding Guns and Swords, all wrapped up into an Alice in Wonderland Format...You get something like Zack Snyder's new movie Sucker Punch.

Nick Brandt Photography

My friend was telling me about this guy's stuff the other day and it is simply amazing. If you are at all interested in Photography you should check it out.

More Behind The Scenes

Hot Off The Press

Hey Ma we made the papers!

Me, Larry, and Justin filmed at the Medina County Jail this week and there happened to be a reporter there. Check it out.

J~R

Four Tanks and a Healer

Had fun editing this trailer with Justin and Larry. Waiting for the full episode now.



J~R

Read More!

What I've currently read, am reading, and what I will soon be reading.

Just finished this amazing alternate universe graphic novel. The "what if" Superman that answers the question, what if Superman had landed in a small farm town in Soviet Russia instead of America. The implications are fascinating. Anyone interested in political history should not hesitate to check this out.

Have been reading this one on and off. It's a good starting point for anyone interested in steampunk or historical fiction.

I have started this book I think 5 times now. If you can not tell from the cover, this book is thick, over 1000 pages. It is not an easy read either. The book is chock-full with historical plot, settings, both real and fictional, as well as a myriad of characters. It is very difficult to get into this book but the few times I have it's been great. This is definitely for more of an advanced reader in the steampunk, historical fiction genre.

Just ordered this the other day and am eagerly waiting to read it. Joe Louis is one of the greatest and most underrated and under-reported athletes of the last 20th century. His story is amazing and one that reflects the failings of America's recognition towards hero's such as Joe Louis. It's a shame they have not made a bio-pic that illustrates this.

What are you reading?

J~R

Behind the Scenes

Here is a raw (unedited) behind the scenes preview of the film I have been currently working on with the 4Reelz crew.

The Long, Slow Death of a Twenty-Something - BTS from Blurry Dude on Vimeo.

Kriadiaz

New Metal Band in Cleveland Ohio. The Names Kriadiaz. The Guitar player is from Mushroomhead. I was asked to film a concert and edit this promo with my friend Vince - Check it Out.



J~R

Ruby Auto Group

Made some graphics for Ruby Auto Group...None of them will be used however.








J~R

Dream Machine Part 2

New information has come to light on the Dream Machine.



It's called 'Inception' and it looks like best movie of the year.

J~R

4 Reelz

I have been working on a couple of logo's for 4 Reelz.com...Check em' out.