Gettin' Whupped by an Angel

I'm back from Iowa and have some late night updates from the last few weeks.
My arms are still a little screwy with this fun tendonitis experience, so not lots of typing, but some pictures!

A few weeks ago, before my trip to Iowa, we went down to Anaheim with Amanda and Kim (fellow Bostonite) and watched the Angels kick the Red Sox to the curb (or rather to the dugout.)






THEN, while in Iowa for our family reunion last week I happened upon this picture that belies my loyalty to the Sox (and I never even knew I was that big a fan!) How cute was I? :)



I left the pillow in the foreground to impress upon you the true nature of a 70's living room.

Be back with more pics from the Heartland tomorrow!

Hammy's Boomerang Adventure

Official press release for the short & the other DVD content I produced (Hammy singing our Hedge version of Jingle Bells - or as Hammy does it Jingle BURPS!) - on sale October 17th!!




"What happens when you combine the ever-mischievous RJ the raccoon, three curious porcupine kids, a boomerang and a video camera? Not to mention a flighty squirrel. You have the all-new mini-movie, "Hammy'’s Boomerang Adventure."

Now that RJ and the gang have settled back into life in the forest, he and the porcupine kids Bucky, Quillo & Spike decide to have a little fun with their friend Hammy. With video camera in hand, they decide to start filming their own prankster reality series that sheds light on the weird and wacky habits of one manic squirrel. But before their fun goes too far, the overprotective Verne steps in and finds himself shell shocked once again.

The original cast from "“Over the Hedge" star in this comedic take on friendly animal observation. Bruce Willis (the “Die Hard” franchise, “The Sixth Sense”) stars as the roguish raccoon, RJ; Emmy winner Garry Shandling (TV's “The Larry Sanders Show,” Garry Shandling'’s Show”) voices the overly cautious turtle, Verne; Steve Carell (“The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” TV'’s “The Office”) voices the hyperactive squirrel Hammy; and the precocious porcupine kids are voiced by Sami Kirkpatrick (Bucky), Madison Davenport (Quillo) and Shane Baumel (Spike).

DreamWorks Animation'’s "“Hammy's Boomerang Adventure"” was directed by Will Finn, an established character designer, story artist and animator who most recently directed “Home on the Range.” The mini-movie was produced by Kate Spencer and executive produced by Bonnie Arnold, with Bruce Seifert serving as associate producer. The story is by Tom Owens. "Over the Hedge"” directors Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick served as creative consultants on the project."

Can TED change the world?

Although our world often feels small and little coincidences inspire us to say "what a small world" - it is still an exceedingly LARGE world to FIX. And FIXES it defintely needs. (No matter your religion or your politics you have to agree with that.) There is hunger and disease, an inevitable pandemic in the next 3, 10, 15, 30 years... There are wars that flare up based on agendas no one really knows anything about... There are genocides that slip through the cracks of history and are lamented only after it is too late for the comfortable "first world" countires to do anything about it.
The world as an organism is often an overwhelming thing to me and in that light I suppose it is surprising that we haven't blown the whole planet up already. However, I find brief moments of faith in people who ground the problems for me with their belief that there is a way to plan for the worst, support the best and make the most out of what we have. There are people who fight every day for hunger to be eliminated one person at a time, for polio to be wiped out one country at a time. And they understand that this is what it takes - tackling everything one step at a time. These people help me believe there is something we can all do and it is worth it for us to fight for our future, for our planet, for what is right.
We hear lots of news stories about wealthy capitalists fighting for their dollars to be protected. They could care less if 10% of their fortune could feed a small country, or give the millions of poor in their OWN country health care.
However, there are those that are wealthy, brilliant, at the top of their professions - people that actually have the power to direct the state of the world and the human race, even if it is just bit by bit... and some of these people get together every year to talk to each other about their goals, their dreams, and what the future might hold.
Each year 1,000 such people congregate in Monterey, California at a conference called TED.

You can download podcasts from their website (click on the title of this blog entry) and watch many of the speeches. I watched one about the new interface technology for computers, it was very Minority Report and yet actually possible and manufacturable.

One of the ones that blew me away was Larry Brilliant's simple presentation about polio and the Bird Fly pandemic. He was one of the 3 TED prize winners. Each prize winner is supposed to craft a wish (as wide in scope as they can think of ) and the TED foundation will help make that wish a reality. (That's right, they're modern day leprechauns.)
Larry Brilliant's wish is to create a system of early alert for disease around the world. From reading the blurb about his wish I did not realize why this was such a ground breaking enourmous wish. After watching the podcast it struck me to my core that the lack of funding and support for the type of program he wants to create is absoutely, literally insane. Watch the podcast and see for yourself how SARS was stopped in its tracks and how close we came to a pandemic and how the entire world being over run by a disease with no cure (the global economy standing still) rests in the shaky grasp of the bureaucratic WHO and a band of citizens around the world scraping to keep up.

Some of the 2006 Speakers were:

SIR KEN ROBINSON - Senior Advisor, The J. Paul Getty Trust - "This visionary cultural leader was knighted in 2003 for his achievements in creativity, education and the arts. He advises governments and global corporations on the urgent need to reshape our ideas of intelligence and creativity for the 21st century, especially through radically new approaches to education."

SAUL GRIFFITH - Inventor - An innovator, inventor, and adrenalin junkie with a unique approach to problem-solving, his recent projects include: a technology for slashing the cost of prescription glasses, a way of teaching science through cartoons, and an open source website showing how to make an array of incredible devices.

PENELOPE BOSTON - Cave and karst researcher - She finds undiscovered organisms deep in the highly mineralized environments of caves and works to determine whether they might have pharmaceutical or biomedical applications. She is also passionate about the search for life beyond Earth and is working on ways to find and sustain life on Mars.

NICHOLAS NEGROPONTE - Founder of MIT Media Lab - He is currently leading the $100 laptop initiative. The laptops he is developing will be sold to governments and issued to children in an effort to provide every child in the world access to knowledge and modern education. (If you watch his podcast you will see that the execution of this program is not a matter of if, but when, he is moving forward on the force of sheer will power.)

NAT IRVIN - Futurist - He founded Future Focus 2020 to engage urban communities in futurist thinking. He works with young people to examine the social, political, economic, technological and environmental issues that are expected to have the greatest effects on urban communities by the year 2020.

MAJORA CARTER - Founder, Sustainable South Bronx - Brought up in the South Bronx, this 2005 MacArthur Fellow has devoted her life to implementing sustainable development projects in her neighborhood that fill the community with beautiful green space, create jobs for its residents, and protect the environment.

LARRY BRILLIANT - Public Health Visionary - He helped manage the World Health Organization's successful smallpox eradication program in Asia, founded an organization which has restored sight to more than two-million blind people, and also co-founded the online community, The Well, to name just a few of his accomplishments.

AL GORE - Since becoming a private citizen, Vice-President Gore has been shaking up influential audiences the world over with his powerful warnings on climate change. He has also launched the innovative cable news channel, Current, which aims to bring an independent voice to a target audience of people ages 18-34.

There are even speakers I don't necessarily agree with, in terms of their belief system or morals, but that's the coolest thing about TED - it's a foundation that is truly democratic. There is room for all opinions and ideas to be heard.

Please check out the web site and the speakers, I'm sure there is inspiration there for everyone not just me, after all it's a small, small world.

The Best Celebration of Over The Hedge Yet!!

My little cousin Devan's 8th birthday (EIGHT! I can't believe it!)
Check out the cake, how cute is that!!!
Our artists couldn't have done a better layout for RJ and Verne.

So we FINALLY found a portable air conditioner at Lowes today, thanks to Bethany Harnois who is also living in lack-of-air-conditioner-hell.
It took a half-hour for Mike to hook up the tube through the window and ta-daa we have cool air blowing!
Mom, if you are reading this I hope you're excited. On the down side we have less room in the office for the blow up bed, but on the up side you WILL have cool air blowing on you!
We're not saying we want any more of the 116 degree days, but we're ready if they come.

Here's an interesting thing - this week's "30 Days" was about an atheist living in a Chirstian household. They mentioned this theme park in Orlando .... no not the one that you all visited when you were twelve, but a whole new twist on the idea of "Holy rollers" :) It's called "The Holy Land Experience" and you too can experience it at http://www.theholylandexperience.com/
They crucify Jesus daily for you to experience live, yup that's right I said live crucifixion, fun day for the kids. Hey, maybe Mel Gibson can get a job as a reenactment Jesus if he washes out in Hollywood!

Gotta sign off for now - big day tomorrow - I have hand therapy in the morning and am helping my previous director on his new project, which should take a day or two.

See ya on the flip side.

Little Miss Brilliant...Cinematic Vacation Continued

Saw "Little Miss Sunshine" last night and a Q&A with the writer. The movie is friggin brilliant. Mike Arndt (the writer) was seemingly actually annoyed at how much $ the film was sold for at Sundance because he feels now the only thing that the press and the industry focuses on is the $ and not the content (for better or worse.) Very good point. But he should know that there is actually a REASON that this film was sold for the most of any film yet at Sundance, it is surprising and heart breaking, sweet and meaningful, in a way very familiar, you watch it and it makes you want to go home and write a movie (as a friend of mine said.) The problem is it is so good that it makes you want to go home and write THAT movie because all the moments make so much sense and fit together so well that it feels like, "of course WHY didn't I think of that?!"
It will likely open across the states slowly and based on word of mouth so look for it in your area and GO SEE it. You will fall in love with Frank, Richard, Olive, Dwayne, Grandpa and Mom just as I did and you won't feel like you are being manipulated into doing so.

The one interesting thing (which is belied in my previous sentence) is that the core of the film revolves around all of the characters having these insane "wants" that are so far out of their reach they have that much farther to fall... except for the Mom who is a more reactionary character and seems to keep them all tied together and moving forward. (I think this is why I can remember all of the characters names except hers.) But if I had thought of it soon enough last night that is the one thing I would have liked to ask Mike Arndt is what does Mom want, besides her family to all get along and be safe, etc.? What is her job? What is her plan for the future?

The other thing is at dinner last night I thought of two other films I've watched during my Cinematic Vacation 2006 and forgot to include in the previous review post.

Winter's Passing - Starring Will Ferrell, Ed Harris, and Zooey Deschanel - One of the better Zooey films of recent, she's just as moody as usual and not particularly emotive, but it's a fairly well told story of her famous author father who has become a hermit and is being taken care of by Will Ferrell and british ex-student of his. Zooey's character maneuvers the psychological pitfalls of growing up, owning up and opening up. 3 out of 10.

Thumbsucker - Starring Lou Taylor Pucci, Tilda Swinton, Vincent D'onofrio, Keanu Reeves, Benjamin Bratt, Vince Vaughn - Director and co-writer Mike Mills adapted this film from Walter Kirn's novel. There is a great discussion between the two of them, very open and casual, on the DVD extras. The film deals with the age-old theme of awkwardness (at any age), loneliness, feeling like an outsider, not knowing your path in life, long term relationships - well obviously lots of things. Lou does an incredible job and sadly I don't think this film is going to get as much exposure as it should. RENT THIS MOVIE. 8.5 out of 10.

They say "You can't go home again" - Luckily Hollywood can do it for you...

Hollywood is invading my past.

Uma Thurman is going to spend some time in my home town shooting her new movie In Bloom, directed by Vadim Perelman (House of Sand and Fog.)

Evan Rachel Wood (Upside of Anger & Running with Scissors star who plays Uma as a young girl in In Bloom) will be the one actually walking the halls of my former Middle School, Sheridan. And how inspiring it will be for her...not. (That will be a funnier line once you see the Borat movie.)

The thing that is kind of creepy to me is the movie is about a girl who lives through a school shooting and it haunts her the rest of her life. The poor kids who currently go to the school will have to see their own school (which has never experienced a shooting) altered through the eyes of fiction and hopefully it will not taint their world with the possibilities of such horror, believe me sometimes New Haven felt close enough on its own.

Set Adrift on Memory Bliss

I finally bought the original PM Dawn "Set adrift on memory bliss" the other night, one of my favorite songs of the 90's, it kind of rolls of over you in a nice comforting wave. I think I've listened to it, ummm, 20 times today :)
Had acupuncture this morning, it went well. I think it helped my arms a few years ago so we thought we'd try it again. I stopped last time because the doctor was also a chiropractor and insisted on cracking my neck, I got tired of saying NO every visit. (He also wanted to fix my pelvic bone which is tilted, and explains my belief my whole life that one leg is dramatically shorter than the other - so their middle school gym teacher...)
The doctor who did the acupuncture today was actually a family practitioner whose business is mostly western medicine, but she felt that there were some illnesses that the cure did more (or different) damage than the disease and she wanted a way to assist the pain without medication.
She said that clinically they tested acupuncture and found it works about 70% of the time and sometimes only as a placebo, which at least still "cures" you.
I liked her because she was very down to earth, although she uses acupuncture for so very few things that I think I still might like to find someone who is a little more of a believer. I don't know, I think there might be something on the spiritual side to the energy that the doctor shares with you... and although she talked about chi and how you are born with your chi and it slowly dies throughout your life (more so during traumatic moments) and she mentioned your "other organs," your true heart etc. she's still very clinical about all of it and didn't think that acupuncture would help with my TMJ (or at least she didn't know how to do it.)
She's sending me to phyical therapy for my arms at the same time so we can also address muscle issues head on.
Despite all the little medical issues the good news this week is for 2 days in a row my blood pressure was 170/80 and my cholesterol is 155 and my blood tests were all good. Yeah. TMI? Sorry.
Odd thought strain for the day - there was some floaty thought passing through my brain about my unborn children and the war in Iraq and WHAT will they think about why we are so involved and will I at any point have to convince my child not to go fight over there? Where does this stuff come from? No idea.

Cinematic Vacation July 2006

Stay - Interesting cinematically and slowly unwinds to reveal that the whole film is actually encapsulated in a very small moment in time. It might be scary to say but I could really identify with the feeling of going crazy and starting to question the definition of reality. 6 out of 10.

Ultraviolet - All action, pretty limited, some great effects, 2 out of 10.

Last Holiday - Fun, exactly what I expected, 5 out of 10.

Borthers Grimm - A little tedious at times, but there are moments that I really enjoyed the 2 guys, Matt Damon more so than Heath who felt like he was pushing his character a little too over the top. I think I like the idea of the film more than the execution of it. 4 out of 10.

Dick & Jane - For the most part it's what I expected and I had pretty low expectations. The one thing that was interesting was the idea that they connected the whole scam to the Enron and corporate scandals which was very timely. 3 out of 10.

Devil Wears Prada - Best thing about the film was the company! Saw it with Pilar and Catherine. It was a feel good movie, I swear that Anne Hathaway is like the ativan of actresses. It's not that she's vanilla or boring, but she makes you feel like everything is going to be ok. Both her and Meryl were a joy in this film, it manages to be a chick flick with a little weight so you don't feel completely like you were just watching air. For what it is I think it's a 7 out of 10, especially because it manages to focus more on Anne's path in life and not just on her happy Hollywood Ending.

Why We Fight - Watched it twice. Hard to watch and yet riveting at the same time. A great next puzzle peice in all of the information on why we start wars and what are all the agendas that drive the fighting. Key person in the documentary is the father that lost is son in 9/11 and has a dramatic shift during the shooting of the documentary as he starts to question what is being done on behalf of certain people and large corporations in the name of his son. 7 out of 10.

Underworld Evolution - As satisfying as the first one. Kate Beckinsale pretty much rocks the vampire thing and the action is great, good popcorn film. 4 out of 10.

Two for the $ - Surprisingly good. Pacino and Matthew McConaughey are actually a pretty good pair. It's the standard part for both of them so they both seem very comfortable living as the characters. Emotionally they both run a little deeper than you expect for what was sold as a sports movie on speed. 4 out of 10.

Prime - Meryl strikes a 2 for 2, she does a pretty goo mixture of therapist/Jewish Mom in this and Uma manages to not remind me of every other Uma movie (which is what usually happens) and plays the neurotic every-girl who finds love in the wrong place. 5 out of 10.

Find Me Guilty - True story. Both the plot and the following: Vin Diesel with bouffant hair as an italian mob member who will not snitch on his compadres. Gets a little slow, but Sidney Lumet stays out of the way of the story and you will truly forget that it is Vin at some point and actually feel somethng for the murderous mobster. Vin captures some of his characters real life charm, which evidently helped in real life as well. 4 out of 10.

Everything Illuminated - Fascinating. Interesting characters, excellent acting, the story unravels in an intriguing way and keeps you hooked. The cinematography is beautiful, helps paint the story along with music and directorial choices that you feel but don't mind being aware of. Completely agree with all the scenes they cut out (which were in the extras.) 7.5 out of 10.

Nine Lives - Nine short stories told cinematically. Watch it, the sketches are vibrant, heart breaking, some familiar, some fantastical, watch it and the extras with the Director who is an interesting fellow as well. 7 out of 10.

3 burials of Melquiades Estrada - You feel dusty just watching this movie about the border town and Mexico. The friendship between Tommy Lee Jones and Melquiades, although you hardly see them together, is the most pervasive part of the film. I didn't really understand what happened in Mexico - was Melquiades lying about his wife or was she re-married and too scared to admit that she loved him and wanted his body? 6 out of 10.

CARS - It is paint by numbers animation. Some very cute moments with some very familiar characters and structure. We seriously need to STOP putting music montages into animation, especially the ROMANTIC montages! Way too long, would be served by tightening some of the familiar sections and moving Owen Wilson's natural laidbackness along a little. All of us that saw it last night also seem to agree that we never forgot that it was Owen Wilson and never got into the character as his own character/world.