KGB Productions

It is with a very heavy heart that I report that Sydney Pollack passed away Monday afternoon at his home in Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles. Pollack was considered an actors director because Pollack started out as an actor. Pollack studied under the renowned Stanford Meisner, he then spent several years cutting his teeth in various areas of theater, eventually becoming Meisner's assistant. He worked on such shows as "Playhouse 90", and "Alfred Hitchcock presents". By the 1950's after appearing in several Broadway shows Pollack went into directing. He began on TV series such as "Naked City" and "The Fugitive," then moved to film. Pollack's first full-length feature was "The Slender Thread". Sydney Pollack went on to direct such films as: " The Way We Were ", Three Days of the Condor , Absence of Malice , Tootsie , which won best picture. In 1985 Pollack won an Oscar for best director for his film Out of Africa sta...

I recently read an essay about the Indiana Jones movies being responsible for the dumb box-office thrill ride films that preceded it . Carrie Rickey in Sundays Philadelphia Inquirer wrote that she wasn’t a fan of the films and hated what happened to films after the Indy films were released. I had to think for a moment and really wonder if this was true. Rickey says that “she cannot muster enthusiasm for a franchise that has done so much to dumb down movie scripts, ramp up movie tempos, perpetuate colonialist stereotypes, and marginalize women”. Does she have a point I wondered and so I went off and did a bit of research to see if she was right. Raiders was released in 1981, and I was still in high school. When it came out I thought it was one of the best films I had seen in a while. Of course I was 17 at the time, and my tastes for the cinema were that of action adventures and horror films. There were several other films in 1981 that fascinated me and entertained me such as Arthur, ...

How does one get better at ones craft? Easy. You learn by doing, and thereby is the crux of the problem. I haven't been doing as much as I should. Filmmaking isn't easy, but with the digital revolution it has gotten a bit easier to create something. All you need is a DV camera and a computer with a fire wire port. Yet the Internet is littered with all sorts of videos, and video clips. Has anyone taken a look at YouTube. The website contains a lot of interesting videos along with some (okay a lot) not interesting videos. Seems everyone has a web cam or a DV camera. But I'm more traditional. You have a story, you write a script, and you get your talent & start shooting. There's a process, and I like it. It can get complicated, and expensive, but it really isn't that hard. The hardest part in all of it is to get the people together at a particular time. You all know my thoughts on pay or non payment of talent. I've come to the conclusion of "...

On occasion I head on out and try to see what's new at the local video store. You know that building that has a lot of DVD's where you choose which movie your going to watch that evening. It seems like yesterday when there were so many of those mom & pop stores that had actual video cassettes of movies that you once saw or never heard of. In the 80's it was all about action adventure, horror videos & porn. Very few studios released their films onto tape as quick as they do know. Today it seems as though a film that was playing three months ago is easily available on DVD soon after its release. It's the nature of the beast. In todays marketplace there are companies now such as Netflix that deliver DVD's to your door. It has become a consumer orientated driven business. At one time you get a name actor in your film & have some exploitative elements in your film and you were guaranteed a release, but now it's different. The DV revolution kind of put a m...

Ever since hearing about the making of Iron Man I've been interested in what the filmmakers will do with one my favorite Marvel comics superhero. To say that I wasn't disappointed is an understatement. So it was with excitement and a little glee that I saw Iron Man today, and I wasn't disappointed. Directed by Jon Favre , the director who has brought you movies such as Made , Elf , and Zathura: A Space Adventure directed Iron Man. Favre does a great job, and gives his actors some real space to actually act. The screenplay is written by Mark Fergus , Hawk Ostby , Art Marcum and Matt Holloway who give Iron Man some very funny dialogue, and an interesting origin. Iron Man starts off with a bang, and it involves you the audience to invest in the character of Tony Stark who is played by Robert Downey Jr. Downey has fun with the character, and it shows. Downey is a top notch actor, and I hope this propels Downey into more juicer roles. I hear that he is in two other films th...

There have been a couple of blogs in recent time that have just recently stopped, or if you prefer gone off-air? I've mentioned one of them in my previous post about The House Next Door where it's creator Matt Zoller Seitz has gone on to concentrate more on filmmaking then journalism. Also Raymond Young of the blog Flickhead announced around the same time that his blogging days were over. I actually liked both blogs & hate to see them go, but understand whole heartily why they left. I've always been a proponent of getting off the computer and get into life. It's a dual edged sword this blogging. On one hand you sit at a computer alone, and type things about yourself, others, or opinions you or someone else has. By doing so you get involved with stat meters, and statistics on who is reading what. It winds up to be all about numbers sometimes and not content. That's the evil side of blogging. The good side of blogging, and yes there is a good side of blog...

Over at the House next door theres a conversation between Matt Zoller Seitz & Keith Uhlich . Matt is and was the creator of the blog The House Next Door ", which has been a blog of all things related to TV & film. It has many contributors, and it's a blog where you want to go to read some thoughtful reviews & opinions on film & television. It now seems as though Mr. Seitz is headed off to do other things after over 17 years as a journalist. In his conversation which you can hear here Matt and Keith go over their influences and memories of filmmaking as they were growing up. Being I guess around the same age as Mr. Seitz I have almost those same memories. He mentions two films that though aren't significant masterpieces they seemed to have a strong influence in us deciding what we wanted to do or were interested in. The mentioning of the magazine of " Famous Monsters " is also relevant. I wasn't too big of a fan of them, but I had a f...

Independent filmmaking isn't for the weak. Take Jeff Nichols feature film " Shotgun Stories ". It is being released just now after completing principle photography in late 2004. Nichols explains that he didn't have enough money to shoot his second unit footage, so he waited a year and raised the necessary funds to shoot it. Nichols eventually signed on some producers that helped him find funding to finish the film in post-production. "We chose to shoot this film in 35mm in the anamorphic 2:35 aspect ratio. When I was fifteen I was fortunate enough to see a re-released print of Lawrence of Arabia in the theater. I'll never forget how the landscape helped define that story and the affect that had on me. I've wanted to tell stories in scope ever since. Southeast Arkansas, where our film was shot and where I grew up, is a place filled with breathtaking landscapes of cotton fields and farmland. I wanted audiences to see this place the same way I see it, in sco...

Don't walk run to this link. I came across it from IndieFilm, but I was very moved by this short film. The man's name is Phillip Van , and it's a well done short. There's an interview with the director here . The name of the piece is She Stares Longingly At What She Has Lost

Okay. Sometimes I just LOVE the Internet. It connects people that you ordinarily wouldn't connect with. Take the video here. The filmmaker's name is James Rolfe, and he has a site called http://www.cinemassacre.com/ . I have to say his little documentary tugged at my heart. I remember doing the things he did. Only back when I was growing up and making backyard productions it was Super-8 or 8mm. This little documentary about James hits home. It's entertaining, and inspiring. I marvel at the quantity of his films. In a society where everyone and his cousin are making films now this brings back a time where making movies was a strange and cool thing to do. I've lost that FUN in making films, and want to so much get it back. Filmmaking was and is a vital part of my psyche, and it took another filmmaker to realize that. Thank you Mr. Rolfe. Take a look at his work. get inspired. I know I am, and the best thing is that he lives around Philly. How cool is that. Enjoy!

In the past few days I've been thinking a lot about film, and filmmaking. I've talked as much about the subject as I can, and it's time to do something. I came across one of " Deadly Obsessions " actresses' web page, and saw that she had several video clips up on her work. Irene has always been an inspiration to me. To say I learned a lot from her is an understatement. I just wish sometimes I could go see more of her work on stage. It's been awhile since seeing her, and just yesterday I took a trip down memory lane and watched the audition tapes I made for the cast of the film. I'd like to post them, but the entire tape is over 30 minutes, and finding the time to digitize and compress the video seems impossiable to schedule, but maybe sometime soon I'll get to it. But I also like to compliment my entire cast in the film. They helped me a lot, and it is because of them that I REALLY want to do another film. I've been thinking about what to do...

I've been writing more here about films I've seen then films I want to do, and that is a bit annoying. So here's a post from the heart, and what I've been wrestling with. I had seriously considered folding the company known as KGB Productions, Inc. There has been little activity, and I certainly haven't made any profit from the company. It cost me about $150 to $200 dollars a year to keep it open a year, and it has always been something of a reminder to me of why I formed the company in the first place. And that reason was and is to make movies. I haven't been doing that, and it bothers me. My day job as a media technician for a school district keeps me busy. I cover events, sports, and award ceremonies for their in-house cable outlet. I like what I do, and I like the people I work with. I'm also frustrated in that I know I can do more, and I have other things I want to say. That's where KGB Productions comes in. It's my outlet. My wife is a partner ...

I have to say that when I saw David Fincher's film " Fight Club " when it first came out I didn't like it. I'm not too sure why. The film struck me as being over produced & a bit pretencions. After seeing it twice I have to say that the film has grown on me, and I see Fincher's genius at work. The film isn't just about a couple of boys starting a "fight club", but something a lot more. Finchers films are dark, and brooding films with an undercurrent of subversiveness that makes one smile. " Se7en ", " Aliens 3 " The Game ", " Panic Room " & " Fight Club " all have several themes running through them. What these films also have in common is their darkness. In Fincher's world the world is not beautiful but filled with decay, and violence. Fincher photographs and presents these worlds in their own beauty. I would compare Fincher to dirctor David Lynch, but Fincher is more rough, and sinister....

I just recently watched David Cronenberg's film " Videodrome " again, and found that it still really holds up, and actually is a really fantastic film. I've been a Cronenber g fan for sometime. His films such as " The Brood ", " Rabid ", and " Scanners " are very horrific in a cerebral sort of way. I've always said that Cronenberg was the thinking man's horror director. The topics in his films were delicate subjects taken to extremes, and that's why I think h is films are so visceral. Even today the films he's made in the past still send a chill down my spine. Cronenberg knows how to get under our skin, and sometimes literally that happens in his films. But back to Videodrome , which was released in 1983. For me I was in my early years of college, and Cronenberg had a deep influence into what I wanted to do, and that was filmmaking . In 1981 when Cronenberg released his film " Scanners " I read an article in...

What can I say about this film that hasn't been said before. You either think it's a masterpiece or it's a pretentious piece of crap. There is no middle ground here. " Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas " is based on the novel by Hunter S. Thompson . The novel is about his journey to LasVegas in 1971 to cover the Mint 400 motorcycle race. Along with his buddy Doctor Gonzo Hunter's vacation turns highly irresponsible and reckless as the two consume copious amounts of illegal drugs , commit various acts of fraud , and generally wreak havoc upon the citizens of Las Vegas. Like I said you either will love this film or not. I happen to be in the later camp. To sum it all up the film is visually creative, but also repetitive and devoid of character development. Johnny Depp plays Hunter S. Thompson (aka Raoul Duke) and Benicio Del Toro plays Dr. Gonzo Hunters partner in crime. The film is littered with skits of the two wasted on drugs. The film feels like it was sho...

Based on a Eric Rohmer movie called " Chloe in the Afternoon " about a marriage & infidelity Chris Rock's movie " I think I love my Wife " seems to be an update on the theme. What may have looked good on paper doesn't translate too well on the screen. I understand that the theme is a universal one, and one that many directors have done. I guess the studio saw Chris Rock was doing it, and he would be able to put a hip new fresh slant on the old theme of marriage & infidelity. Only thing is that this movie doesn't know whether it wants to be a comedy or a drama. There are some comedic pieces in the film that feel forced, and the narration that Chris Rock does gets annoying at times. From the coming attractions I thought this had some potential, but after seeing it on cable over the week-end I have to tell you I was a bit disappointed. The film does have some interesting casting choices such as Steve Buscemi as George Rock's co-worker & f...

What possessed me to watch Brian DePalma's movie " Body Double " the other night I really can't say. I'm a fan of DePalma's and I do remember always laughing at his tributes to Hitchcock in his films. "Body Double" is a film that takes strongly from Hitchcock's " Vertigo " and " Rear Window ", and DePalma does it brilliantly. Roger Ebert said it best in the beginning of his review of the film that it bears repeating: " Body Double " is an exhilarating exercise in pure filmmaking, a thriller in the Hitchcock tradition in which there's no particular point except that the hero is flawed, weak, and in terrible danger -- and we identify with him completely. The movie is so cleverly constructed, with the emphasis on visual storytelling rather than dialogue, that we are neither faster nor slower than the hero as he gradually figures out the scheme that has entrapped him. And the casting of a Hitchcockian average guy als...

To begin with " American Gangster " has two good performances by Russel Crowe , and Denzel Washington . The picture directed by Ridley Scott is an interesting crime drama about the rise and fall of Frank Lucas a heroin kingpin from Manhattan in the early seventies. It is also about Det. Richie Roberts who eventually brought down one of the most powerful drug lords of America while at the same time cleaning up NYC's corrupt police force. This is of what epics are made for, but American Gangster doesn't feel epic. Instead it feels like a long "Law & Order" episode. The art direction and cinematography of the film is quite good, and it exudes that 70's era flavor. NYC was in decay, and the big apple had a few worms in it. The performances from both Washington, and Crowe are good, but nothing we've already not seen. Crowe's performance echos Paciono's performance in the film "Serpico", and Washington's performance gives us a bit...

I just happened to catch the movie Hot Fuzz on last night on one of the cable stations, and was thoroughly entertained by the film. Written by Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and directed by Edgar Wright Hot Fuzz is a spoof on the cop genre. Mr Wright is also responsible for the movie Shaun of the Dead which is a spoof of the zombie genre. Wright plays it more tongue in cheek throughout the film, and there are some funny laughs in the film which you don't see coming. The only problem with the film is maybe it's length at 122 minutes. I enjoyed the story, and the set-up, but I do know that sometimes audiences want more laughs and quicker pacing, Maybe that's why it didn't do as well as it should have when the film came out. Yet the soaring, rocking climax of the film more than justifies any pacing issues, and I'll tell you if you're waiting for the explosions and gunfire you won't be disappointed. All in all I liked this film, and I had a fun time. Simon Peg also w...

"John Adams" the mini series that is showing on HBO on Sunday nights is a interesting film about the man who served as our second president, and who many consider the voice of "The Declaration of Independence". Staring Paul Giamatti as John Adams and Laura Linney as his wife Abigail the series could be easily called John & Abigail since it describes their 54 year old marriage and love story. With that and the backdrop being the revolutionary war "John Adams is a dramatic piece of film making. Budgeted at over or about 100 million dollars the production value of the series is fantastic. The actors, the sets, and even the costumes are stellar. Produced by Tom Hanks's company Playtone, and HBO "John Adams" is a film that shows how the characters lived back then with unflinching candor. The screenplay written by David McCullough is one that portrays how the events actually transpired. McCullough wrote his Pulitzer prize novel about John Adams by d...