Hollywood, of all industries, is forgiving of it's employees' oft-times dangerous habits. Read this David Carr’s NYT profile of Robert Downey Jr   and revel in the cosmic irony of addiction-marketing synergy

[Downey’s] romance with mood-altering chemicals didn’t end after he got out of prison. By 2003 he was an uninsurable serial relapser famous for being pulled out of hotels or other people’s homes in an addled, disheveled state. As a movie star with a lot of pals, he lived a life beyond consequence until he finally wore out the endless mercies of the entertainment business. After he was fired from his spot on Ally McBeal, the bottom finally came, at a Burger King of all places.

On or around Independence Day in 2003, he stopped at a Burger King on the Pacific Coast Highway and threw all his drugs in the ocean. And while he was sitting there chewing on a burger, he decided he was done. This being America, five years later you can walk into that Burger King, and if you order a Kids Meal you can get your own Robert Downey Jr. action figure, wrapped up in gadget ware. (And what does Tony Stark want when he escapes his kidnappers? A good old American cheeseburger — from Burger King, natch.)

It seems Burger King is poised for a come-back as well.

"I like LA 'cause it's sort of blank, I'm not super-influenced by eight million cool things happening around me like I would be in New York. It's quieter so I can figure out what I'm thinking. Weirdly, LA helps me do more personal work," Thumbsucker director and graphic artist Mike Mills tells Blankscreenmedia in a brief, comic Q&A. "I love time travel, do it often. I most like going back to just after World War I in Europe, visiting the Dadaists and the beginnings of what would become the Bauhuas scene. I'm not so interested in re-design[ing] anything, but I'd love to see and feel what it was like when those people were making those things, I think the art world really has developed little since all those strategies began. But what do I know about such things, I live in LA after all, and talk to my dog all day."

We liked Jim Connell's film Saul Goodman (scroll down for our review) so much we shot him an email full of questions and he was kind enough to answer them.

 From the press kit I saw that you are self-taught in computer animation and you also act, write, and direct. How on earth do you find the time?A: That's a good question because, for this project, time was the biggest hurdle. Not only did I have to model, surface, and manually animate this thing in my spare time (I've a full time day job), but I had two old Mac PC's handling the rendering workload. So, I had to schedule jobs to render while I was sleeping, traveling or on vacation. A few scenes lasting only 8 or 10 seconds took several weeks to render. That's the biggest reason it took 2 1/2 years to complete. 

 In addition to a good action/thriller/noir/- Geez, I run out of genres- it is also a film of ideas, very modern ideas of whats' going on today.

A: Those are the kind of movies I like though. I either like movies based on one BIG idea ("Matrix") or ones that explore several interesting ideas ("Minority Report") in a fun and entertaining way. I also like movies that are just about conversation and debate. If you think about it, "JFK" is a 3 hour movie where a bunch of people argue over an abstract conspiracy, schedules and forensics. That's it. There's only one head shot, and you have to wait 2 1/2 hours to see it. But Oliver Stone hits the fast-forward button, turns up the volume to 11 and we're riveted...at least I was anyway. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the brainless stuff too. I'd wait in line for four hours to watch Schwarzenegger rip some dude's arms off, and wouldn't feel the least bit guilty.

 Who are some of your influences, in terms of film and literature?

A: In many ways, "Saul Goodman" was a homage to Oliver Stone in general, "JFK" in particular. Especially during the 90's, his films were the most personal, excessive, visceral and ALIVE you could find. It's hard to go to a theater nowadays and really be surprised. One can be impressed with the special effects, or admire the artistry, but it's really hard to be genuinely surprised. Filmmakers like Stone, Tarrantino and Paul Thomas Anderson are able to consistently confound expectations and pull the audience into what feels like uncharted territory. I can still remember seeing "Pulp Fiction" to a packed audience on opening night. By the time the hillbillies let loose The Gimp, the audience was on pins and needles....no one knew where this ****ed up movie was going next, but we knew it would be cool, or sick, or funny, or all three. 

 What's involved in the animation process?

A: After I recorded the voices from John and Eric, I'd import into a character animation program, lip sync and animate them. I'd then import that scene into Lightwave, surround it with objects and sets (some of which I licensed, some I designed) and set up the scenes. Since most of the action in "Saul" is a re-enactment of one of the Old Man's stories, I also literally synced the action to the dialogue. I would count exactly how many seconds it took the Old Man to say something (e.g. 10), break that down into frames (e.g. 300), decide how many shots were required to re-enact that statement (e.g. 3) and then budget how many frames I gave each shot (e.g. 100/150/50). This pre-planning was meticulous, but basically meant I had very little editing to do.....it was the old 'measure twice cut once rule'. 

The great Iranian Filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami is interviewed by THND's Keith Uhlich. Kiarostami has an upcoming retrospect at MoMA. Excellent. Do check it out.

I could not let this one slip by. Alex Williams interviews David Lynch in the NYTs about Inland Empire (see our review) and his new book on meditation. Lynch says "To be a grown-up and to do what you want to do is the most swaying prairie grass. “But this doesn’t happen for most people. Sadly, they have to make ends meet....I heard Charles Bukowski started meditation late in his life... He was an angry, angry guy, but he apparently loved meditation.” Of course, just as meditation never got Mr. Lynch over a taste for the macabre, it never quenched Mr. Bukowski’s famous thirst for whiskey. “Well, maybe in time, it would have,” Mr. Lynch said with a smile. “In the meantime — just more enjoyment of the whiskey.” (via Movie City Indie)

Many viewers and critics consider HBO's The Wire to be the best show on television. Here's Writer/Creator David Simon talking with Slate:

Slate: If you had to sum up what The Wire is about, what would it be?

Simon: Thematically, it's about the very simple idea that, in this Postmodern world of ours, human beings—all of us—are worth less. We're worth less every day, despite the fact that some of us are achieving more and more. It's the triumph of capitalism.

Slate: How so?

Simon: Whether you're a corner boy in West Baltimore, or a cop who knows his beat, or an Eastern European brought here for sex, your life is worth less. It's the triumph of capitalism over human value. This country has embraced the idea that this is a viable domestic policy. It is. It's viable for the few. But I don't live in Westwood, L.A., or on the Upper West Side of New York. I live in Baltimore.

That's why it's the best show on TV.

David Lynch talks about Inland Empire with Laura Dern and Justin Theroux (sp.?) at the New York Film Festival. He offers insight into the filmmaking process and how the film came about. Clocking in at nearly 3 hours, it might be possible that Lynch did not get distribution offers but I doubt it. The Uropians would have jumped in if no else ponied up. Check it out.

- Scott Foundas interviews Filmmaker Andrew Bujalski. : "Part of me wishes that I had the kind of attention span it would take to be a novelist, but I don’t think I could do it, because it requires you to stay locked up in your own brain and feed off of your own energy for an incredibly long time. I feel like the opposite of that is what’s thrilling about filmmaking. There are so many other life forces to draw from."

  Jonathan Marlow has a rare and excellent interview with Czech Filmmaker Jan Svankmajer whose new film Lunacy opens in the US this week:

"For me, my work is actually a sort of auto-therapy. This is how I use it. But it doesn't really work forever, it only works for sometime and then, when it's over, I again have to make a new film. Actually, the auto-therapy is the process of filmmaking. When I am making a film, it's my self-therapy but everything that comes after that is just killing me again. It's something like festivals, this life after death."

Wow. (greencine)

The Guardian has a good interview with Pedro Almodovar about his new film Volver, going back to his roots, and working with old muses.

One of the goals of this site is to promote emerging filmmakers and one such filmmaker is Writer/Director Douglas Elford-Argent. Working with his wife, triple-threat Actress/Screenwriter/Editor Wendy Elford-Argent and Producer Ted Willett, they have put together a very professional film for very little money. Below is an interview HIT had with Doug by email:

First, congratulations on your feature “AfterThought.” I was fortunate enough to be at the premier at AFI and really enjoyed it. 

Thank you
 
Doug, give us a bit of background on you and your partners involved in the project.

I opened a production company just over a year ago, 30 Something Productions, LLC in order to make AfterThought. This was also mainly to start creating independent films here in LA. I had a company in London, England, but wasn’t too happy with how they were marketing themselves. I met Ted Willett, my producing partner, and we decided to help one another to raise money and start making quality features for under a million dollars. 
 

Can you tell us a little about pre-production and how you approach this part of the filmmaking process?

My wife, Wendy, wrote the screenplay. The whole idea was hers. When we took a trip back to her hometown of Waupaca, WI, we noticed the overwhelming support from the town; Police, Fire, High Schools and Local Businesses opened up their arms to us. The majority of the financing came from Waupaca. Newspapers continue to print updates informing the town of our progress. 
 

I believe the film was shot in Hi-Def? The picture and sound were excellent. Tell us a bit about the decisions you and your DP made in terms of equipment.

A lot of people get HDV mixed up with HDCAM. They are two different cameras. We used HDCAM, a larger camera with higher resolution and contrast. It was the same camera they shot Star Wars Episode I on. You have to understand where your film will end up. Most filmmakers assume it will be picked up at Sundance and be screened in all theaters across America, but we knew from the get-go that AfterThought was a DVD release. If it’s shot right, it’s almost impossible to tell 35mm and HDCAM on a regular TV. It was a lot faster to shoot HD than film. Playback was instant and gave you more of an idea of the finishing look. Film playback is low and you can only watch performances. Many directors are turning to HD as the medium of choice. Superman Returns and Miami Vice were shot on HD. 
 

Many folks were blown away by the sound recording and mix as many lower-budgeted films suffer from bad sound. How did you guys pull it off?

It all counts on the ‘Production Sound.’ Dennis Haggerty did an amazing job. All the actors were clip mic’d and of course we had the boom mic. Our ‘Post Sound Designer,’ Garrard Whatley, was so grateful for Dennis’s clean recordings, but Garrard also recorded all Foley sound for a 5.1 mix, it was important to get the sound right. 
 

I believed you worked with pro and non-pro actors? What were some of the challenges casting and working with the performers?

It’s hard to call certain actors pro or not pro. We were casting for a non-union show, which means no regular Screen Actors Guild actors could be used. Some SAG actors have a different status with the union and were able to do both. Most of the actors were excited and keen to be in a feature regardless. Some actors ended up paying out of their own pockets to be in the film and were professional all the way through to the screening.  
 

How about the logistics while shooting in Wisconsin? You folks shot at several locations.

The town was about 2 miles square so company moves didn’t hurt us too much. We were able to get all our locations for free, which helped our ‘post production’ budget. Everyone gave more than we asked, Wendy and I were married not too far from Waupaca, so we knew exactly who to approach for food and the making-of video. 

Tell us a bit about post on the project? I believe it was done here in LA?

Yes all post was done in LA. Wendy cut an off-line edit of the picture alone, then the sound files from this ‘locked picture’ are handed to the sound designer (Garrard Whatley). He decides on what works and what dialogue needs to be replaced via ADR (Audio Dialogue Replacement). The off-line picture, in the meantime, is handed to the ‘On-line’ editor (HD Studios). They color-time the film while the DP (Marc Menet) and I supervise. Finally we were ready to ‘ marry’ the picture to the sound back to the original HDCAM format. The thing I love about LA is that, even as an Indie filmmaker, the big companies are out there to help smaller people like me. 
 

Doug, you are originally from the UK, I believe. Compare making films there to here in Hollywood.

Completely different, it’s like ‘chalk and cheese.’ England has the best technicians in the world, but the mentality in England is so far from Hollywood. Over here there are people willing to take meetings with a no-name director, they listen and are prepared for the most outrageous stories. In England, there is a certain way and style to making films. That is why we have suffered in the past decades. We need a studio system in London, but right now, all we really have is a place for Americans to shoot. 
 

What’s the strategy for getting your feature “AfterThought” out there for people to see? The festival route or going to straight to a distributor or broadcaster?

Since we have unknown actors we need to take it to a few Festival screenings. This announces to the distributor that our work is worth buying, I have currently mailed out about 20 DVDS to festivals, all in America. My film is very commercial, so I am unclear on how it will work at festivals. I can say it was made to be sold, not to be 'different'. 

What’s up next for your and your collaborators, Doug?

I am in negotiations with creators for a 22 million dollar film based on the Dr. Seuss Kids, and I am also rewriting and plan to re-shoot a film I did called 25%. This is a road movie to be shot for $400,000 or near to that. 

Thanks a bunch for taking the time to answer our questions and HIT wishes the best of luck on “AfterThought.” 
Thank you.

Kevin Smith talking with Ray Pride:

"For years, I've been fuckin' inundated with people saying, it's time for you to stretch as a filmmaker, it's time for you to grow as a filmmaker, whether visually or just narratively. People always want you to be better and to do more and go further and it's like... I, I don't want to. These are the stories that I want to tell. After twelve years, don't you get it, Harvey? This is what I do. I enjoy doing it and you guys turn a profit off of it, so why do I need to do a Green Hornet movie?"

This is why you love'em.

When the Devine Carpenter was asked "How many times should I forgive my Celebrity if she trespasseth against me?" to which the Beloved said: "Seventy times seven." With that in mind:

"Levin asked Hilton about such comments as, "Paris is just an overused human condom," "Paris is like a fart in a mitten. You know it's there, you can't stand it, but you can't get rid of it," and "Would you please drop over dead or commit suicide you damn slut."

Hilton said "I'm far less promiscuous than any of my friends." As for the infamous sex tape with ex-lover Rick Solomon, Hilton said "I'm judged because of something that an ex-boyfriend did to me. I'm not a slut at all."

Hilton says that many of the TMZ comments are "very hurtful" to her and that some make her cry. She says "They think I don't have any feelings." (TMZ)

Ray Pride has a great interview with Actor now Writer/Director Grant on the making of his first feature film Wah Wah. " I thought if a story like this suffered from “NYPD Blue” [jiggering] it would drive me nuts. And I know that’s the fashion for almost any cinematography now, this reluctance to actually allow the camera to rest on somebody’s face for more than two nanoseconds without jiggling it around or moving it. The cinematographer thought it was a fairly radical departure because he expected that’s what I would be after."

The AV Club interviews Writer/Actress/etc. etc. Amy Sedaris (Strangers With Candy):

AVC: Is there anything else you want to talk about?

AS: I don't.

LAWeekly's Scott Foundas talks to Director Bryan Singer about the Man of Steel, suburbia, and looking down on it all:

"Singer is on his second gin and tonic, and for the first time all evening, he seems to fully let his guard down, speaking to me less as a potentially unfriendly journalist than as a sympathetic fellow traveler. “Suddenly you wake up one day and you’re 40 years old and you’re like, ‘Whoa! What have I done?’” he says. “Well, on one side of my life, I’ve done quite a lot. On the other side, I’ve done nothing. On the personal side, I’ve really not evolved at all.

“I bought a house, and it had no furniture in it for four years, until someone finally said, ‘Hey, let me help you find some furniture for your house.’ Because I was happy to live like a college student, like I did in my dorm. It sounds a bit sweet and charming, but it’s actually a product of not acknowledging the passage of time. When you’re a filmmaker, you judge the passage of time in films, not in years — and sometimes films take more than a year. So I don’t realize it, but a good piece of time has passed since film school.” (laweekly)

Peter Greenaway is one of my favorite Artist-Filmmakers. Ticklebooth points us to a 39-minute interview with him that's just great. He has some new projects coming out so it's just in time.

Ray Pride of Movie City Indie has an excellent interview with Mr. Al Gore (don't look back in anger):PRIDE: As a son of Kentucky to a son of Tennessee, I have to admit that of all the moving or daunting things in the film, the last shot got to me. Made me teary.

GORE: The river.

PRIDE: The meandering, muddy, pastoral river, which could be lost to climate change.

GORE: Looks like scenes you’ve seen…

PRIDE: [looking toward a nearby poster] And this is a scary poster.

Best quote in the film is Upton Sinclair's [“It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.”]  

"I first went to Japan in December 2004...just by myself, the trip being self-financed like always," Innaritu said. "I was looking for a Lolita kind of star, not quite attractive in an obvious way but one that you can really have some bad thoughts about her, but not quite in that way. It was difficult."

-Mexican-born director Alonzo Gonzales Innaritu (Amores Perros and 21 Grams) talking to Jeff Wells about his new film Babel which will premier at the Canne Film Fest.

Sujewa Ekanayake premeired his feature "Date Number One" Saturday night in the DC, the City of Love. Chuck Tryon of the Chutry Experiment has an excellent review. (he beat us to it, dang it) However, we do have an interview with Sujewa we did a couple of months back and will run our own review very soon. In the meantime, get to know Sujewa. We're sure you will dig'em.

What led you into filmmaking? Say, as opposed to painting or punk rock?

Sujewa:   Awareness of mortality: yes, it's true, I may die one day.  So, "what awesome challenging (& legal) thing can I do (holding up liquor stores is out, not legal) during my time on earth?" was the Q I asked myself.  I had always been creative & a thinker, and had a good sales skillz & entrepreneurial bent (this was when I was taking a look at myself at 18), and Spike Lee was getting well known for his indie filmmaking activities, & I liked the movies in general, and I wanted to have a positive impact on the world, so I decided to become a filmmaker.  Indie filmmaking was the most accessible path to that goal.  And now DIY filmmaking is the most accessible path, as far as I am concerned, for that goal.  So I do that.  I also draw, maybe I'll paint one day.  I am pretty sure I'll start a indie/punk band one day.  Got an accordion that I am itchin' to play.

- Did you grow up in DC? If so, has it shaped your creativity or 'mindset', aesthetic?

Sujewa: I was born in Sri Lanka.  Moved to America at 12.  Maryland from 12 on.  Then I moved to DC proper around 19 or 20 years of age.  Lived in DC for about 6 years.  Now I live just outside of DC, in Kensington, MD.

The following things have heavily affected my mindset/creativity/aesthetic: 1.  The ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, 2.  The wars & the violence in Sri Lanka, 3.  The love-hate relationship developing countries have w/ the West, 4.  Buddhism (not a Buddhist, was raised in that faith, but now I use some of their useful ideas in my thinking), 5.  DC punk rock: Fugazi, The Nation of Ulysses, etc., 6.  Jim Jarmusch movies, Spike Lee movies, Rick Schmidt books, Hal Hartley movies.  7. Hot women.  That's just a few things off the top of my head.

- Give us some folks and work (film, music, books, art,) that have inspired you.

Sujewa: Some people: Spike Lee, Jim Jarmusch, Tom Waits, Ian MacKaye, Ian Svenonius, Rick Schmidt, Ani DiFranco, Mark Andersen, Jon Moritsugu, Sarah Jacobson, Todd Verow.  Some work:  Mystery Train, In On The Kill Taker, Jitterbug Perfume, The Unbelievable Truth, On The Road, Plays Pretty For Baby, She's Gotta Have It, Amelie, Northern Exposure, Nighthawks At The Diner, We Real Cool, Invisible Man, Drugstore Cowboy.

- How did "DNO" come about?

Sujewa: In an earlier movie I made, "Wild Diner", there was a date scene, possibly one of the most enjoyable scenes in that movie.  That got me thinking about doing a whole movie about a series of dates.  Then I wrote the script & shot the movie.

- Can you talk about the casting process abit?

Sujewa:  Posted Actors Wanted signs on the web & elsewhere.  Had an audition, 2 days long, saw about 40-50 actors.  Had them read a couple of pages from the script, selected actors that I thought would do a good job & would be easy to work w/ (of course I was wrong on a couple of those selections:), all in all it worked out very well in the end).

- What is your first priority when you make a film? Writing, directing, casting, editing   etc?

Sujewa: Every single item that makes up the movie is important for me.  Ultimately you have to deliver an excellent product/work of art/entertainment to the paying audience member.

- What has been the most challenging aspect of making the film?

Sujewa: I've had to master new technology (XL1s cam, Final Cut Express), so that slowed things down a bit.  Other then that, making a feature is a major commitment, I have at times been frustrated with the long period of production that a feature requires, but in general I am cool w/ it.  Making a good movie is hard work & a lot of work.  But for me it is definitely worth it.

-  You are one of the spear headers of the Indie DIYD? Can you talk about the genesis idea, your   expectations, etc. abit?

Sujewa: DIYD = Do It Yourself Distribution, for anyone who doesn't read our blogs daily :)  I was inspired by punk rock.  When I was in film school in Chicago I saw an album by a band called Fear (i think that was the name, early Dave Grohl band) and it was put out by a then unknown to me DC label called Dischord - that was my introduction to the punk DIY world.  I really don't have any special expectations besides seeing me do a good job making the movie available to interested customers.  And staying at least slightly profitable on the business aspect of things, no "living in the red" man :)

- In addition to making features, blogging, writing manifestos, DIYD, and God knows what else, how in the hell do you have enough hours in the day?

Sujewa: I have a flexible dayjob @ a bookstore that is a 15 min walk from my house, & a relatively simple life (no kids yet :).  I know people who have families & multiple jobs & still make art/do business, so it is possible to do, I guess you just have to be disciplined about how you use your time & resources.  Filmmaking & related activities are as important as eating or sex to me, so I make time for those things.

Thanks Sujewa. We really look forward to the film.