Lining up for hours, pre-show and post-show parties, dressing up in costume “for the movies”… it would shock these girls to realize it, but they are not different from Trekkies, Star Wars fans and Comic-Con geeks. There’s nothing wrong with that; personally, I find it amusing since I assume many of the SATC geeks think they are the farthest thing from… At least they can take solace in having redefined “geek chic”.
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The Hollywood Reporter ran an article last Friday describing the rapidly growing and thriving entertainment scene in Dubai. The closing paragraph delivered what has to be the quote of the year so far, from Abdullatif al-Sayegh, CEO of Arab Media Group: ”[it’s] good that Dubai is on the radar screen of the world’s major reporters… [it’s] not so good that we are paying twice or three times as much for concerts as do promoters in the U.S. and Europe.” Hmmm, kind of what everyone in the U.S. feels about the price of gas? Sorry, al-Sayegh, no sympathy here.
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I’ve been a bit slow in announcing this… TALES FROM BEYOND won the Bronze Jury Choice Medal of Excellence at the soundtrack-focused 2008 Park City Film Music Festival, which ran concurrently with Sundance. If you would like to buy the soundtrack, please click below:
FOR AUDIO SAMPLES OR TO DOWNLOAD:
Film Music Downloads
TO BUY ON CD:
Amazon.com (CD)
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Yesterday I posted on how relevant Network remains today and later that same night I hear on the news how Britney Spears is released from the hospital in the company of Dr. Phil. Everybody’s always playing for their share of the media, no matter at whose expense. Where does it end?
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I watched Network for the first time tonight. Probably a film I should have seen a long time ago, but that’s neither here nor there; everybody I know, both inside and outside of the history, has a list of movies they should have already seen.The mark of a truly great film, beyond the technical elements of acting, writing, directing, production value, etc., is that it stands the test of time. This is all the more true when the movie deals with a topical issue; relevancy is hard to maintain. It’s scary watching Network to think that this film was made 37 years ago! If we consider that the media, societal and corporate cultures of Network were already in place during the seventies and then compare them to those of today, both the similarities and the progression are downright frightening.Perhaps we should all rewatch Network as a warning, to be cognizant of just how dangerously far we have already come and what may be in store for us in the future.
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The soundtrack for my film TALES FROM BEYOND was released today on CD and via digital download. Here is the official description from the label:
TALES FROM BEYOND (David James Nielsen) / MovieScore
MediaMovieScore Media’s third release in the ‘Discovery Collection’ is also the label’s second album featuring music by up and coming composer David James Nielsen (Haunting Villisca). In 2004, Nielsen wrote the superb orchestral score for the Tales from Beyond, an Twilight Zone-inspired feature comprised of four stories written and directed by Josh Austin, Nate Barlow, Eric Manning and Russell Scott. Hosted by Adam West (who played Batman in the 1966 movie), the film won the Best Film Awards at the A.K.A. Shriekfest and the Modesto Shockerfest. Nielsen’s score adds a sense of gothic darkness to the film’s opening and ending, and provided different colors for the four different episodes - atmospheric sustained string writing for the ‘Abernathy’ segment, cool jazz for ‘Nex’s Diner’ (arranged by Robby Elfman), experimental and quirky for ‘Life Replay’, and uplifting and emotional for ‘Fighting Spirit’. On album, the result is a very entertaining listening experience and a treat for any fan of dark, mesmerizing horror film music with a touch of class.
FOR AUDIO SAMPLES OR TO DOWNLOAD:
Film Music Downloads
TO BUY ON CD:
Amazon.com (CD)
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Volkswagon has a new spot out that I love for its clever integration of the small print. A guy stands at the bottom of a hill while a train of silver Volkswagon’s weave their way down a windy road towards him. After splashing through a puddle, the lead car stops opposite the man. The driver rolls down his window and the guys asks him, “Professional driver on a closed course?” The driver nods yes once in reply.
At least for me, this commercial really stood out from the morass of advertising muck for the innovative way it took the “professional driver on a closed course” small print with which we are all familiar and made it integral to the commercial itself. Although this was a normal ad, the art of integrating a message within an engrossing creative concept will be the key to successful television advertising in our TIVO ad-skipping age. “Story” spots already experience better audience retention than more traditional ads. Expanding these techniques to the reinvention of the commercial paradigm will be crucial for advertisers hoping to get their message across in the years to come.
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My film “Tales From Beyond” has been accepted into the 2007 South African Horror Fest at the Labia Theater in Cape Town, South Africa, October 26-31, 2007. Please visit http://www.horrorfest.info for more info.
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Although no official title has been declared, Lucasfilm has registered the following possible titles for the long-awaited Indy IV with the Motion Picture Association of America:
Indiana Jones and the City of Gods (rumors of this title have already circulated)
Indiana Jones and the Destroyer of Worlds
Indiana Jones and the Fourth Corner of the Earth
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Indiana Jones and the Lost City of Gold
Indiana Jones and the Quest for the Covenant
Since all the major studios, their subsidiaries, and large indies register titles on the MPAA list as a measure of protection (those titles registered first get priority), odds are the eventual title may very well be one of these.
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In a ruling long overdue checking the current Federal Communications Commission’s recent hitherto infringements on our First Amendment rights, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals tossed out the FCC’s (forevermore, the First amendment Crime Committers) ruling that a slip of the tongue would land broadcasters a fine for indecency. The attitude emanating from Washington lately in regards to indecency has been downright frightening, and the Appeals Court ruling is a breath of fresh air in an atmosphere reeking of a witchhunt.
According to Cynthia Littleton in Variety, what is most amusing about all these proceedings is the response issued by FCC chairman Kevin Martin (solely by him and not the commission as a whole). Martin’s statement comes across as downright petulant in asserting “Hollywood will be able to say anything they want, whenever they want”, accusatory in frequently referring to the “New York Court” (as if the location of the court influenced the ruling), and shocked that the court would dare question the FCC’s judgement.
What I wonder about is Martin’s motivation behind the sentiments expressed in his statement. Are these the ravings of a megalomaniac so used to getting his way that he is incapable of dealing with the situation when things don’t work out as planned? Or does Martin have a personal vendetta against Hollywood which he will exact at all costs? Or is he simply an idealogue waging a crusade to coerce his views on others, no matter what rights are trampled in the process? To some extent, he may very well be motivated by all of the above.
As bad as these are, let’s hope for our country’s sake he’s not coming from an even more sinister place.
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