KGB Productions

So I've been re-writing a screenplay of mine, and I'm suddenly more and more liking it. Of course I have no idea on how I'll get this into production, but for now I'm enjoying the experience of writing a new screenplay. As all of you know there are several stages a filmmaker goes through with his or her film. At any one of those stages the project can fall apart, or go through some drastic changes. I enjoy the writing stage , but it's a lonely one, and it all happens in your head. I know from experience that what is put down on paper is usually only a blueprint and that with more and more outside influences come change. It's a good thing and a bad thing. You as the originator of the idea have to know what is a good idea and what isn't. That person is called the director, and it's you're job to direct the project to a good and satisfying conclusion. In other words you NEED to know what happens and you need to get form point A to point Z. A director...

Okay I had to write this after seeing Jim Jarmusch’s film "Broken Flowers " starring Bill Murry as Don Johnston. It is a very little odd tale of a man who gets a letter supposedly from one of his many girlfriends that tells him that he has a son. The women’s identity is unknown, and there lies the mystery and the adventure that our hero takes. I can’t say I’ve seen many of Jamusch’s films, and the ones that I’ve seen I’ve either been impressed or just plain confused. To say Jarmusch is an acquired taste is an over simplification of his films. You either love it or hate it. There seems to be no middle ground with the Jamusch’s films. I was turned on by Jamusch’s first film " Strangers in Paradise ". Basically it was telling of a story all in master shots. There are no real close-ups in the film, and the film is heavy on dialogue. " Strangers in Paradise " was the film we talked about in film school. It came out in 1982, and it was just at that time as I st...

Okay so I've been thinking about it more and more, and so why not. I've been saying that this blogs purpose is to reach like minded people like myself. Filmmakers, film enthusiasts, and people who just love the cinema. Call me crazy but the cinema is a passion of mine. Heck I even made a film that's how crazy I am about the cinema. I've learned valuable lessons in what to do and what NOT to do, yet with all its headaches I still want to make more films. I'm finding it frustrating to move on, and do another film. Since this time of year is a time of reflection for most of us I too have also been doing just that. So what am I getting at? Well if you are a reader of this blog I thank-you whole heartily for reading these meanderings of this crazed person. I also want to extend my thanks and give you a chance to see the film that I did. Just send me your mailing address to: kgbproductions AT gmail DOT com. I check on this email every so often, so I'll check it in...

So the other day I cruised the web. I sometimes do this to see what’s new & different in the world, and as Time Magazine proclaimed ALL of US to be the person of the year I began to look at some of us. As an aspiring filmmaker I kind of have a vested interest in all this. After all don’t I want my films to be seen by a lot of people? Isn’t that what a filmmaker does? He or she communicates through their films in a form of entertainment. Well now with such things as MySpace , and YouTube we now ALL can communicate with each other and entertain too, so the walls of mass communication are starting to crumble. No longer does a studio or a media conglomeration have sway in what we see or watch. Variety has sprung up, and WE are all stars of our own lives. But wait hold on for a second. Weren’t we stars of our OWN lives before? We’re we NOT important before, as we are now with all our media outlets available to us? I would think so, or are we living our lives as we always have bee...

So how do I begin? I've been writing a screenplay that was so-so, and is slowly becoming something I'm interested in. I've been reading a lot of film criticism blogs lately, and I sometimes feel as though I'm not culturally empowered. I always feel as though I'm playing catch-up. I do read, and go to movies, but in my older age I've become more selective. Maybe it's a time thing. There are only a certain amount of hours in the day that I can create or try to indulge in my film making endeavors . After that theirs work, family, and sleep. So where do I try and catch up? Well let's see. If I cut in on my sleep time I'll be a big grumpy mess, who will eventually rap his car around some tree, so sleep is good and it's better to have more of it then less of it. Trust me as you get older you'll feel it. Then theirs family time. Let's see I grew up with a father who worked hard, and had little time for his family. It kind of sucked, and I ne...

I've been hearing about this for some time, and what makes it more interesting is that a BIG time director is actually distributing his own film. David Lynch is a filmmaker who you either love or hate. There seems to be no middle ground with a David Lynch film. " INLAND EMPIRE " is a 3 hour film, and maybe that's why Lynch is doing what he is doing. After all a filmmaker's job is to get his or her film seen by as many people as he or she can, and doing it through the Internet is a good way to go. Lynch already has a fan base, and he has been getting a lot of free publicity by being interviewed by the press, and standing out on the corners of Hollywood promoting his film. Over at the workbook project there is an interview with Eric Bassett . Bassett is a managing partner of Absurda . Absurda handles all of David Lynch’s interactive properties and is currently overseeing the DIY release of David’s newest digital feature, INLAND EMPIRE. Promotion is more...

So it’s Christmas and the networks blast there holiday favorites. Some how the movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” starring Matthew Broderick has become one of those movies that gets played a LOT during this time of year. The funny thing about the film is that it doesn’t have anything to do with Christmas. “Home Alone”, “Planes Trains & Automobiles”, heck even it’s a “Wonderful Life” I can understand why they play these films when they play them. But Ferris Bueller’s Day Off? What’s that all about? Well I do have a theory, so I’ll give it a shot. What does this film by John Hughes have to do with the holidays? Absolutely nothing, but as like all John Hughes films they do stir up memories for it’s audience, and right now those memories are very fresh. Why you ask? Well “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off was released in 1986. It was one of John Hughes most successful films, so a lot of people saw it. Now flash forward to today, and what do you have but adults having a nostalgia trip when they se...

It's been a while since posting, and I just thought I should write something. Being that it's the holiday season things get busy in our household. With two boys dreaming of race cars, trains and Christmas trees it gets harder to concentrate on my movie endeavors . I'm still writing, and experimenting, but time is at a premium. Also I haven't been too happy in the quality of my writing, so maybe there lies the crux of the problem. I've already come to realize that in order for me to make another film it is going to take some time for me to pull it off, and if I'm going to spend a lot of time on a film it better be a GOOD one, and something worth saying. In essence it better mean something to me. Money is also a factor, but more importantly its about what I want to say. Life is too short, and I want my boys to look at my films someday and maybe get a clue on who I am or was. Of course it's hard. Film is a collaborative venture, but it takes just o...

I just found out that Don Dohler passed away last Saturday. If the name sounds somewhat familiar it's because Dohler was responsible for such films as: The Alien Factor , The Galaxy Invader , Fiend , Nightbeast , and Vampire Sisters . He also published a magazine called Cinemagic which was bought by Starlog Group back in 1979. I was a kid back then who desperately wanted to know more about moviemaking. I would devour each issue when it came, and I even bought two books Dohler put out about Special effects & stop motion photography. This was way before the Internet, and it was comforting to know that others had the same interest as I did. Dohler's films were done on the cheap, but at that time it was a lot of money. Dohler was fortunate to have some films when the Star Wars craze hit. He sold his films to TV stations who demanded product. His films were a bit on the amateur side, but they were filled with love for the genre. If you want to hear an interesting interview with...

Okay I saw this on Matt's web site, and was intrigued about the idea that Andy had about a film criticism Blog-a-thon , so here's my take on it all. How does a person judge a film? A question asked for some time now. I mean I've always been intrigued by the French New Wave, and most of those filmmakers started as film critics, and I do sometimes here review a film I've seen. It's inevitable I guess. I'm a lover of movies, and so it's a natural progression that I write about them. But what can I bring to the table that would make my film criticism special or unique. With the internet now there seems to be a new crop of film critics who put more heart into their work then the simple jaded film/TV reviewer does that usually writes for a publication. That's not a bad thing. Passion is good, and I've met some reviewers who came off cold, and just too business like. I guess its par for the course especially if you do writing reviews as a profession. Imagi...