"I don't believe in surrenders. Nope, I've still got my saber, Reverend."

What started in Mid-June when I was a kid has since moved up to the first weekend in May. It's the Blockbuster Summer Season! Hey, Batman Forever only left me slightly jaded. Jon Favreau returns to the helm with Iron Man 2 starring Robert Downey once again. I just hope he can keep that unblockbuster feel the first film had for the most part. Yeah, the final fight was a scam and surely rushed through production. Still for the first time I gave a crap about the drunk rocket-footed Bruce Wayne. Whoops, I mean Tony Stark. In the "new" Robin Hood The duo of Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe return, and I'm just thankful Bryan Adams didn't. I have faith in this one. He gave us BLADE RUNNER, enough said. With Jonah Hex I get Josh Brolin and Megan Fox in one spot! Acting and eye candy, I can't lose! So very stoked for Toy Story 3 and Christopher Nolan's Inception starring Leonardo DiCaprio! I'm sucker for Paul Rudd so Dinner for Schmucks makes the list for sure. Low on the list, but still with promise comes the buddy cop comedy The Other Guys with Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, and yes Samuel L. Jackson. Joinin' 'em are Sylvester Stallone's The Expendables starring Jason Statham, Jet Li, and Mickey Rourke. I know I'll discuss 'em as they hit the silver screen. Keepin' my mind open for all these films and a couple others. Can't wait to see 'em and decide. No, not you, A-Team!



Just got my hands on Super Street Fighter IV, and I must say the game is epic in every way. Only building upon it's predecessor. As of this blog my mains are Ryu, Ken, Guy, Gouken, and I dabbling a bit with Cody. Metsu Hadoken!



On the celluloid side of my life. Peeped on the Shaw Brothers classic that's often imitated never duplicated The 5 Deadly Venoms. Also, on Blu-ray Akira Kurosawa's Sanjuro and Yojimbo from the Japanese monster house that did so much more than just Gojira [Godzilla] Toho studios. These films sing with an authentic, simplistic, and yet elegant ebb and flow much like those of John Ford of which yet again I watched his masterwork The Searchers. John Wayne performance is awe inspiring and in some ways chilling in his animalistic drive for revenge. Lastly, the noir by which others are judged The Big Sleep starring Humphrey Bogart and the stunningly beautiful Lauren Bacall.

It may surprise you but I also read books, and as of late I've gone through Why We Make Mistakes by Joseph T. Hallinan and the very pithy George Lucas's Blockbusting: A Decade-by-Decade Survey of Timeless Movies Including Untold Secrets of Their Financial and Cultural Success. Both were those change your way of viewing/thinking kinda books. I recommend both highly.



Over at the Gone to the Undead Blog I've gone and posted our teaser trailer which I also present to you here, but for the full scoop hit the link. The Minneapolis 48 Hour Film Project returns June 18th-20th and I can't wait to meet the challenge and insomnia! Stay tuned.

Repetitio Est Mater Studiorum

FIRST TIME [RECUT]

Here is the recut I made of Standby Productions entry in this year's Minneapolis Film Race.

I tweaked some of the time of the cuts, mostly for comedic timing and also to keep the film under four minutes as it had to in the contest. Added in the opening Standby Productions animation created in one night at QCTV studios during last year's 24 Hour Film Race by the talented Justin Tholl. Also, the dialogue about handing over the phone, and a few miscellaneous shot and take changes. To see the edit seen at the 24 Hour Film Race theatrical premiere [click here].



Shout outs to all the folks who helped make it happen once again! Rich Millhouse Oxley, Clayton Ebeling, Kassandra Langum, Nicki Andert, Joseph Young, Brian Hoskins, Samantha Hanus, Daniel Steinberg, Mccrae Olson, Justin Aarestad, Vashti Knazze, Joey Giovelli, Jesse Feltz, Bre Füss, Alana Bloom, Justin Cooke, and Frank Gores. Also, to the Langum's who gave us a house to call homebase, and Saint Therese for giving us a shooting location.

On the recent watch list: once again The Hurt Locker which truly is raw and is indeed a near perfect motion picture. It's like a nasty car crash, only with this it only gets more jarring upon a second take. No Country for Old Men [flawless victory], The Phanton, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, and the Blu-ray release of the theatrical cuts of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. My jaw hit the floor when I saw middle-earth in high definition! Let's not get into those eerie specular highlights. More coming soon, stay tuned! RRRrrrRRRrrr...

Parvis Imbutus Tentabis Grandia Tutus