KGB Productions

Okay so after reading Filmmaker magazine’s blog I had to chime in on this. In the latest entry Scott Macaulay talks about the debut of where independent film is headed, and he sites two films that are fueling the fire of this discussion. They are Andrew Bujalski's Mutual Appreciation , and Kelly Reichardt's Old Joy . I have not seen Reichardt’s film, but have seen the trailer in a theater near me. I have on the other hand seen Bujalski’s Mutual Appreciation , and his first film called Funny HaHa . I also have seen Reichardt’s first film River of Grass awhile back, and it was that film that introduced me to Larry Fessenden a filmmaker I admire very much. What kind of got me steamed was the assumption that these two filmmakers are what are defining the American independent film scene of today. In the post Macaulay talks about the discussion about the independent film scene today and where Reichardt’s and Bujalski’s films fit in. Both films seem to be introspective dramas t...

  The above picture is from the shooting of my film “ Deadly Obsessions ”. On this day I took over my cousin & her husband’s house and ran a bit late. The funny thing is that I didn’t use as much footage from this location as I thought I would. In the script Rebecca and Lisa have a bit more conversation with each other, but as I found out in the editing this slowed the picture down considerably. So I took out the footage, and tossed it, but while shooting it I thought I needed it. It was in the script, and I liked it, but after repeating viewings it just killed the flow of the film, and even now looking back I can say that I’d cut some more out of the film to shorten it, but I let sleeping dogs lie. After all it wasn’t “ Heaven’s Gate ” which originally clocked in around 4 hours on its first cut. I did little damage to my cousin’s home, but I was reminded of some scuff marks I had left. Let this be a lesson to all up and coming filmmakers. No matter how small or how little da...

Sven Nykvist died today. He was one of my favorite cinematographers. He'll always be associated with Bergman , but he did do so much more, and he was a great cinematographer. I put him in the same league as Nestor Almendros another cinematographer who passed some time back, but they were very similar. They used simplicity and achieved dramatic results. There is so much more to say about him and his work, but it will have to wait till another post. He was 83 and he was considered the Master of light. God speed Herr Nykvist.

The other week I got to see the movie " Factotum " starring Matt Dillon , and Lili Taylor. It’s based on the writings of Charles Bukowski . Bukowski work was published through self-publications that the author did or published by the underground magazines and press of the time. The movie is based on one of Bukowskia’s books called “ Factotum ”. The word factotum is an old word, which means “a person with many responsibilities, and/or a general servant. The movie depicts Matt Dillon’s character Henry Chinaski a drifter of sorts who had many jobs & who battled the bottle also. The movie is a character study, and the characters that inhabit the world of Henry Chinaski are very interesting. I have always liked Lili Taylor as an actress. She doesn’t do anything halfway. She immerses herself into any role she plays. I first noticed Ms Taylor in the film “I shot Andy Warhol” where she plays Valerie Jean Solanas. She was great as Lisa Kimmel Fisher is the HBO’s series “Six Feet ...

So I recently came across a film that was picked up by IFC. The film is called “ Failure ” and is written & directed by Chris Suchorsky , and it’s about how he failed in making his film. It’s a amusing look at no-budget filmmaking, and its many pitfalls that most first time filmmakers fall into. It’s also very funny, and I was laughing throughout the film. What the film reminded me of my teenage years. It was there that I experienced most of what Mr. Suchorsky experienced in making his films. The no shows, the giggling actresses, and the off set shenanigans that happen when friends work together. Brought back a lot of bad memories, and ones that were quite frustrating. The DVD has two versions of the film. One the IFC version, which is 30, minutes long, and then there is the film fest version, which runs 34 minutes. There are some bonus materials on the DVD too such as a audio commentary with the filmmaker and his two co-horts that helped him. The film goes by fast, and it’s well ...

So I’ve wanted to do this for some time now, and figured this is as good a time as any to start reviewing & also telling you all about other indie work. After all there are a lot of other people out there doing their own thing, and a lot is worth mentioning here. So I’ll start with a film called “ The Box ” by Pete Bauer . No we’re not related or anything. Pete is based out of Florida, and he has his own blog too. I first became aware of Pete when he reviewed my film “ Deadly Obsessions ” for the web site Microcinema . He made some valid points about the film, and I believe I even had purchased a book about microcinema filmmakers he wrote called: “ 20 questions: The Interview series ”. In the book Mr. Bauer interviews several micro-budget filmmakers about their films. The book as well as the interviews in it are insightful, and worth reading. So I ordered a copy of his film “ The Box ” from his website, and decided to take a look. “ The Box ” is a drama about a girl who accidenta...