KGB Productions

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...