"Lost in Space"...the movie, the TV show (old AND new), Blade Runner, and...Whatever?

Last night my son and I was texting and he said he just finished watching the DVD series I sent him last week, "Childhood's End" by Arthur C. Clark. He said he was great and "pretty messed up". He said he was just starting to watch the old "Lost in Space" movie from 1998. His DVD player had broken so I had also sent him one of those and he was going through his old DVDs.

Yesterday I had been watching the new Apple+ show, "The Day of the Jackal", which is very entertaining. And was binging the new Amazon Prime series, James Patterson story, "Alex Cross" with Aldis Hodge. I've liked his performance through many a series, so I was looking forward to it. But I hadn't seen "Lost in Space" for a while so I said now I wanted to watch it tool

Today I went into my DVD library to find it and watched it. Then I put on the director and writer commentary which I'm listening to now while rewatching the film and writing this.

All this got me thinking.

In 1993 I had started LgN Productions with a friend so we could shoot the 25th anniversary documentary for the Lost in Space TV show. My son and I also liked the more recent Netflix Lost in Space series. Much more mature version. 

When my friend and I realized no one was going to do a 25th-anniversary LIS tribute show, we were stunned. HOW? Why? Someone should make something for it! By the way, I'm mentioned on the IMDb page as executive producer. Last good Nerve Productions was restarted for my 2018 short film homage to Edgar Allen Poe in, "The Rapping".

He had worked on one of the LIS "Tech Manuals". There was a devoted fan base as there was for Star Trek, though I suspect not as big. We found many years later there was another done in Australia, but hey, we did our in America. 

There's was 25th anniversary from its first airing (1965) while ours was from its last year (1968). Ours had a lot of unknown info from my friend vast fan knowledge as host, and some interesting bits, even if rather low production quality. For ours, my video editor at the cable station broke and we had to wait for it to be sent to California, fixed, and returned. 

Why didn't we use one of the other five editing bays? We tried, the master tape wasn't working properly on them. When the fixed machine returned a month later, the master tape worked perfectly. Which is why I think when it was cablecast to the public, the mainstay of the music soundtrack did not play. I'm hoping now to somehow get that back and make a digital copy that includes all the soundtrack. Thankfully this had not affected the on-set recording of our host's speaking.

It never worked quite right with my master VHS videotape. Some of the video clips we used had been from multi-generational recordings and are not clear but are of video footage that many would never have seen. You can see it here, but I'm warning you, it's rough. My films these past so many years are much better and the many awards I've won prove it. That work decades ago taught me a lot about managing talent, producing, editing, crew, creation, all kinds of things that came into play more recently and really paid off.

There is a listing of music at the end credits which are never heard during the film. That's an issue with the damaged editor and I just a couple of weeks ago bought an old Panasonic editor from a Canadian production company to try to clean it up a bit. As was public access cable in the 90s, licensing wasn't an issue as it is today. So when I uploaded it to Youtube years ago, I got a lot of license hits for it, but it's good to go, just can't make money off of it. When I never had anyway. 

As it turned out it's an interesting experience in what we did with a problematic  Panasonic VHS tape editor. It was cablecast around the Greater Seattle area in early 1994, twice for public access cable TV at Viacom Public Access Cable station on Roosevelt Street near the U District where I lived in various places for a while as I spent a very memorable seven years or so working at various jobs at the University of Washington. Public Access back then was the Wild West of TV. Some amazing stuff on there and some who had shows then eventually moved into commercial cable.

My friend and I had previously for years argued about the Lost in Space vs Star Trek issues of which was better? I couldn't stand Dr. Smith, who as a hardcore sci fi reader since childhood found to spoil the series most of the time. He however loved that character. I saw Star Trek as science fiction and speculative fiction but LIS as silly fantasy. He would laugh and say, "you don't think ST was fantasy too?" Well...I'd counter that it was far more pure sci fi than LIS. An argument we used to have back then about the Star Trek vs Star Wars, sci fi vs space fantasy.

I would like to point out a serious flaw in the original LIS TV show. They seemed to utterly forget about a medical doctor on the flight. You send a family to the other side of a galaxy with no medical personnel? Or did they expect Dr. Smith to trap himself during a moment of sabotage? That was fixed in the movie by making Judy a doctor. They also updated gender roles in the film so the women (and kids) had more purpose than existing. Or homemaking.

Eventually, we agreed both were good (but ST was better, yes, he'd disagree). He had convinced me of one thing. The first five b/w episodes were good. After that something changed. He'd argue the ridiculous Smith had his brain broken because he wasn't cryogenically frozen and lift-off had damaged his brain. I would counter with "Uh huh, didn't happen to our real astronauts. But we agreed in the end if that was the conceit, then, maybe...OK.

I did as a child however, love the boy and robot B line plots. I saw it as a series from the boys point of view. My friend contends that it's actually from Dr. Smith's POV and so he is the focus of much of it and some of the skewed orientations are because they are from mad Dr. Smith's versions. Some apparently think it was from Penny's diary. Whatever.

I also had (have? I can't remember) a copy of the Space Family Robinson comic book (the one shown above from a stock photo I found online).

Was there ever a Lost in Space movie director's cut released?

Yes, sort of. It turns out there was an extended cut of the 1998 Lost in Space movie directed by Stephen Hopkins, but it wasn't officially marketed as a "Director's Cut." My DVD has extra cut scenes, so maybe it was just putting those into the film. The extended version includes about seven minutes of additional footage and was released on DVD. The added scenes provide more character development and context to the storyline but do not significantly alter the plot.

However, as to a fully reimagined director's cut that changes the film in a major way, such as what happened with Blade Runner or Justice League, no such version exists. Stephen Hopkins has not indicated dissatisfaction with the theatrical release, and the extended cut is the closest to an alternative version of the film.

Regarding the Blade Runner versions. I loved both versions. The original for its originality and the narration never bothered me as I was also a fan of old noir. And the director's cut for it's pure sci fi format which was confusing a bit, but only made it more enjoyable to a sci fi/noir purist.

Regarding Blade Runner, and as exposition for this type of thing...

The original Blade Runner (1982) was released with a voiceover narration largely due to concerns from studio executives that the film's complex story and slow pacing might confuse audiences. Here's a breakdown of the reasons and process:

1. Studio Concerns Over Audience Comprehension

• Early test screenings revealed that some viewers found Blade Runner difficult to follow, especially its philosophical themes, ambiguous character motivations, and visual storytelling style.
• To make the plot clearer, the studio insisted on adding a voiceover narration by Deckard (Harrison Ford) to explain key points of the story, his thoughts, and the world of the film.

2. The Noir Influence

• Ridley Scott envisioned Blade Runner as a neo-noir science fiction film, and noir traditionally includes hard-boiled detective narrations. The studio leaned into this concept to help the film feel more familiar to audiences.
• The narration was intended to evoke the classic style of films like The Maltese Falcon or Double Indemnity, but many fans and critics felt it was clunky and out of place, undermining the film's atmospheric subtlety.

3. Harrison Ford's Reluctance

• Harrison Ford was famously unhappy about recording the narration. He reportedly believed the film was better without it and delivered the lines without enthusiasm, hoping the studio wouldn't use them.
• In later interviews, Ford suggested the narration was imposed by executives who misunderstood the film's tone and that his flat delivery might have been intentional sabotage.

4. Audience and Critical Reception

• The theatrical release of Blade Runner with the narration divided audiences and critics. While some appreciated the guidance, others felt it detracted from the film’s immersive visual storytelling and left little room for interpretation.

The Subsequent Cuts

Ridley Scott's dissatisfaction with the narrated version led to the eventual release of alternative cuts:

1. Director's Cut (1992): Removed the narration and introduced a more ambiguous ending, aligning with Scott's original vision.
2. Final Cut (2007): Fully restored Scott’s intended version with enhanced visuals and no narration, solidifying its status as a masterpiece of atmospheric science fiction.

The studio's decision to include the narration was a classic case of creative differences, with commercial considerations clashing with artistic vision. The backlash against the narrated version highlights how much audiences came to value the film's subtle, visual storytelling over time.

Anyway, back to the original thread about a director's cut of LIS...

Too bad, I'd like to see the original version where they had made it as a more adult-oriented film.

Apparently, I'm not alone in that wish! The 1998 Lost in Space movie initially aimed for a darker, more mature tone, closer to science fiction epics like Aliens. However, studio decisions shifted the film toward a family-friendly blockbuster, reflecting the source material's campy charm but losing the grittier edge some fans hoped for.

Reports from production hint at a more complex, ambitious script that was trimmed down, with certain darker elements and character-driven moments removed. For example:

• Doctor Smith's arc was allegedly more sinister and layered, in line with his morally ambiguous nature in the original series.
• The time-travel subplot and character relationships were more intricate but got streamlined to prioritize action and effects.
• Some more adult themes, like the struggle for survival and psychological stress of the Robinson family in deep space, were likely toned down.

While no full "adult cut" or original version has surfaced, the idea of revisiting that concept in a modern adaptation would certainly resonate with fans of grittier science fiction. It’s also worth noting that Netflix’s Lost in Space series leaned into a darker and more serious tone, possibly reflecting what the 1998 movie might have been with more creative freedom.

But how does that compare to the series released many years later?

The Netflix Lost in Space series (2018–2021) takes a much darker and more serious approach compared to the 1998 movie, aligning more with modern science fiction storytelling while still appealing to a broad audience. Here's how they compare:

Tone and Themes

• 1998 Movie: The film aimed for a balance between family-friendly adventure and darker science fiction but leaned heavily on late-90s blockbuster tropes, including campy humor, flashy CGI, and action sequences. The darker themes that were initially intended were toned down for broader appeal.
• Netflix Series: The series embraces a more grounded and serious tone, focusing on survival, family dynamics, and moral dilemmas. It explores themes like resource scarcity, the psychological toll of isolation, and the moral ambiguity of characters like Dr. Smith.

Characters

• 1998 Movie: Characters retained their archetypes from the original series, but some, like Dr. Smith (played by Gary Oldman), were given a darker, more villainous edge. The Robinsons felt a bit one-dimensional, with their personal struggles largely overshadowed by the action.
• Netflix Series: Characters are more nuanced and complex. Maureen Robinson is portrayed as a strong, resourceful leader, while John Robinson grapples with being a distant father. Each of the kids has distinct arcs, and Dr. Smith (played by Parker Posey) is a master manipulator, making her a compelling and unpredictable antagonist.

Visuals and Technology

• 1998 Movie: Relied on early CGI, which was groundbreaking for its time but now looks dated. The Jupiter 2 and robot designs reflected the era's love for sleek, futuristic aesthetics.
• Netflix Series: Utilizes modern VFX and practical effects to create a realistic and immersive look. The alien environments and the robot have a more organic, mysterious design, adding to the sense of wonder and danger.

Storytelling and Pacing

• 1998 Movie: Condensed storytelling with a focus on spectacle over substance. It tried to introduce time travel and emotional arcs but struggled to balance them effectively.
• Netflix Series: Episodic format allows for deeper exploration of the story and characters. It builds tension gradually and often focuses on problem-solving and teamwork under duress, which aligns with classic science fiction storytelling.

Dr. Smith

• 1998 Movie: Gary Oldman’s Dr. Smith was overtly evil, with less emphasis on cunning manipulation. His transformation into a spider-like monster in the finale was a bold but divisive choice.
• Netflix Series: Parker Posey’s Dr. Smith is a master manipulator who survives through deceit and psychological manipulation. Her character is morally ambiguous, making her both relatable and terrifying.

Overall Reception

• 1998 Movie: Mixed-to-negative reviews, with criticism for its uneven tone and dated effects but praise for its ambition and Gary Oldman’s performance.
• Netflix Series: Generally well-received, with praise for its visuals, character development, and emotional depth. Some criticism centered on pacing issues and occasional reliance on conveniences in the plot.

The Netflix series is closer to the "adult-oriented" version of Lost in Space that the 1998 movie might have been. It balances the family-friendly appeal with serious, thought-provoking science fiction, while the 1998 film is more of a flashy, popcorn adventure that now feels like a product of its time.

Well, sooner or later, someone will re-envision it.

Compiled with the aid of ChatGPT

Walkabout Thoughts #56

My thoughts, Stream of consciousness, rough and ready, while walking off long Covid and listening to podcasts… July 17, 2023, Monday

Weather for the day… 67° starting out, 72° when I got home

Podcast Deja News by Rachel Maddow, final episode of the season: Episode 6: “Hello America, this is Addis Ababa.” This episode is relating our defense of Ukraine, through to something that happened many many years ago in 1935 when blacks signed up to defend an African country, Ethiopia who were a member of the League of Nations, precursor to the UN, when there were only two black governed nation states in Africa. This was Mussolini, the Italian fascist, not the current fascist Putin in Russia. Mussolini thought if other countries are taking land in Africa, why shouldn't we? So instead of our decision to support Ukraine against Russia today, in 1935 America decided not to for Ethiopia against Italy. This is that story. Mussolini conjectured, they take over another country in a continent where other nations have colonized them. Why was that wrong? Because the era of colonization was over, dumb ass.

An anthropologist once said, "The human race is designed to raise up certain individuals and then take them down. While they were raised up in being something new, different, maybe better (hopefully), at some point they become an irritation to the overall organism and must be eliminated. Thus in example, Jesus was raised up and then eliminated. Where is that happening today and with whom? And are they that useful to humanity or just a small minority who have wrested power to abuse the entire nation (organism) as we see when authoritarianism takes countries over? To be sure at times a majority gets into it, supporting it.

I have published two of my screenplays as books, but for only a short time. I ordered my own copies, and when I receive them, I’m going to turn them off. I'll leave them there until these are produced as films and then, turn them back on again. “The Teenage Bodyguard", is a biopic and true crime story that’s been winning awards. I worked with producer, Robert Mitas (who was a producer on films with Michael Douglas) as consultant and producer to rewrite it is a shorter screenplay. 

But this is the longer original, a very well researched screenplay that got his attention. The second screenplay book I published is my horror and kind of comedy, “Gray and Lover, The Hearth Tales Incident". I entered a screenplay festival, where a side benefit was getting your screen place published as a book. I thought what the heck? But I also thought that if you  are really serious about having a screenplay produced, publish the screenplay as a book after the films is released, or at least after its purchase toward production (maybe not then).

Speaking of other works, my antiwar documentary filmic poem, "Pvt. Ravel's Bolero" is available exclusive on ThrilzTV. It has 18 short film awards internationally including, Best War Documentary, Best Experimental Film, Best Director, and others. In my previous blog you can see my previous poster for the film.

It sure seems like we usually know a war is coming, before it starts. So why don’t we do things ahead of time. as if the war has started? I also never understood, we have NATO and we have the UN, and while there are countries not part of NATO, why do we let that stop us from refusing war, ever again? Or at least do everything we can before one starts to cut it off. Yeah, yeah, I get all the contraindications, but while we're still at a point in our infancy, in our adolescence that we continue to allow wars, aggression against other countries? Come on! Sometimes after long paying your dues, you simply have to accept that you are a professional...or you ARE mature enough to do what is right and correct.

Aggressors, either Mussolini, or Hitler, or Putin, do not learn lessons. Donald Trump did NOT (never will), as one Republican Congresswoman Susan Collins had said ("Trump has learned ‘a pretty big lesson’ from impeachment"), learn a lesson from his bad actions. Nope. ain't gonna happen. What these dictatorial autocrats learn from failure is how to succeed further, the next time. What you do with these people, as we saw in World War II with these imperialistic aggressors, is you physically stop them, disallowing them their desires. We have still not done that with Putin, or helped Russia out of their delusions. Putin has fed them propaganda and dezinformatsiya for over 20 years. They have generationally been inculcated through the Soviet union since 1917, and before that as a country of serfs under a czar. Putin should have been reacted to long before the Ukrainian invasions. He should’ve been stopped before the 2014 invasion. Not just western democracies and America seem crippled when it comes to being proactive. One can offer climate change as evidence. I offer Ukraine here as evidence. At some point one has to learn you do not put up with bullies or you actualize them and propagate their existences.

In 2014, when "little green men" we’re running around, supporting Ukrainian Russian separatists, when still no one knew who they were, that was when we should (all) have supported Ukraine. 100% in all ways possible. Because Russian would not have taken Crimea and we would not now be involved in the Ukrainian war because of this delusional, Russian dictator once again. When will we learn that? Never? Apparently. Well, we're doing (a little) better, now.

I also think we need to sign on to the agreement about cluster (bombs) munitions. We need to sign on about land mines (thanks again, Trump). We need to get the world into a knee jerk reaction against international aggression at some point and, granted this may be a little premature, though I hope not, because earth really needs to stop allowing war.

The bombing of Japan that ended the war in the Pacific was a horrific event that did with Oppenheimer thought it would do. What he pushed for. It horrified humanity. Perhaps what we need now is for Russian nationals themselves to set off a nuke. A college kid can create an atomic bomb, they just need some fuel. Once they find specifically were Putin is at the moment and trying to minimize "collateral damage" as the military prefers to say, that might just wake the Russians the fuck up. But if anyone other than Russians do that, it just simple not serve the purpose to turn Russia around in their current despicable course.

Why do we allow people like Putin or Donald Trump even to breathe the same air as decent people? This is not a conundrum, by the way.

As Rachel says in the podcast, "Dictators force you to consider your own interest against others." In the hope that yours will win out, to support theirs in the end, and the beginning. In this far too narcissistic world anymore (See, MAGA), an entire political party apparently devoted to narcissism, and the needs of the one each one over that of the group or the group over that of all citizens.

Putin has shown himself to be a callous anachronism...someone who displays a lack of empathy or sensitivity in a context where such behavior has become (by him...or them) no longer appropriate or acceptable. And the same is true of Donald Trump, and those who support either of them.

I agree NATO shouldn’t be going to war against Russia because of Ukraine. The United Nations Armed Forces should be. Which doesn't exist in that form. And if it did, might prove problematic. But does end  justify the means?

According to Donald Trump, his January 6 insurrection was an FBI false flag operation. But if we put him in jail, his supporters will do it again. That’s what we’re up against? One has to be unavailingly stupid to buy that line of bullshit. Well...MAGA.

Putin: the greatest catastrophe of the 20th century was the fall of the Soviet Union. Excuse me, while I guffaw. Donald Trump: his not being reelected is the greatest catastrophe in the entire 21st-century. Which we just started. Double guffaw. Moronic comics.

If Donald Trump‘s allegedly mushroom shaped penis were to "eat" all of his ego for a solid year until it was found to be engorged, like him, it would vastly larger than his character could ever attain. The man has no character, from a time when "character" was considered a comment on good character and not the existence of merely ANY character at all. Some "character" is not to be acceptable, or locked up, or wiped from existence for the benefit of Humankind. Remember when we were, "kind"?

After Trump's so far now, mere six court trials get going, I’ll need to be sure to get a photo of him now and from a year ago to compare to his photo from a year from hence. Because I would think his decrepitude will be easily observed in advancing exponentially.

The only metaphor I could think of just now for Trump's ludicrously adoring fans would be if he were seeb as their "cake", where instead of icing, it's just an inch of fat with no sugar, and maybe a little rancid, and they lap it up, loving it. And of course he and they, "want their cake and eat it, too."

Those especially in Congress or Governors of states, or Attorney General’s of states, who still disingenuously cannot clearly see how Donald Trump is criminal and how what he did was criminal, truly should be removed from office. So much of what these people do is not direct logic and they have to be able to draw conclusions and synthesize information, to apply it elsewhere. Tim Scott, saying he doesn’t hold Donald Trump accountable because Trump didn’t personally come and try to kill him on January 6, is probably the most disingenuous thing I’ve ever heard him say. Remove him from office. And he therefore has no right to run for POTUS.

I love Pad Thai. My son told me he read somewhere that Thai people don’t usually eat Pad Thai. That saddened me. On the other hand, there is a lot of other Thai food that’s much tastier. There’s Chinese food too, which I love that you can’t find in China because while it’s Chinese food based or China fusion or something. Chinese people in China wouldn't recognize it. I just don’t much care for Pad Thai with a solid wafer of egg in it. I only started seeing that in the past few years. Chicken, cut up in it is fine. I think when I started eating it, it was with pork, probably, but I’ve come to really like the chicken version. Even the tofu version can be good.

The number of Republicans who believe what Donald Trump did during his January 6 insurrection was criminal is under 10%. These are definitely low information people. Let me explain that. Information is real, it’s factual. They are however on the other hand, rather high DISinformation people. They're not stupid, but they are selective ignorant (on purpose).

What the hell is doing a shibboleth? That from Jon Lovett on the "Pod Save America" podcast: "Shibboleth is a single sign-on log-in system for computer networks and the Internet." Nope, not that. "a word or saying used by adherents of a party, sect, or belief and usually regarded by others as empty of real meaning." Maybe? What did AI said: "The phrase "doing a shibboleth" typically refers to using a particular word, expression, or custom as a test or a way to identify insiders from outsiders within a group or community." Ah, that must be why he keeps using it. "The term originates from an ancient Hebrew word, "shibboleth," which means "ear of corn" or "stream." In the Book of Judges in the Bible (Judges 12:5-6), it is described as a password used to distinguish between two groups of people who were at war."

I switched over to "Pod Save America" when Rachel’s double length, hour long, excellent podcast ended. And everyone should listen to Rachel‘s podcast of her season finale of Deja News ASAP.

Cheers! Sláinte!

Walkabout Thoughts #25

 Weather for the day… 35 overcast nice cool day for a walkabout

Short one today. Blame, Kelly. 

Podcast for the day Intelligence Matters episode with "Former CIA Chief Operating Officer on his Career at the CIA". Very interesting. 

Not quite as interesting (nearly) as the podcast I listened to the other day. Pod Save the World episode with "Brittney Griner is Home (with Jen Psaki)" Fascinating episode (both were). The latter thoroughly explaining the reality of why we should want Joe Biden for another term if he's willing to go for it. I was on the line going either way. Now, just for it. Why? Listen to the episode. 

Instagram post for the day from last Friday night when I shot film for a benefit Drag show for anti racism for #JCARF. 

None shot as usual during my walk, oddly enough because Kelly called and we talked for 2 hours about the new streaming movie channel we're building, as I walked.

Yesterday I watched a new series on Netflix, "The Recruit". I like it. It was a lot of fun about the CIA. Nearly cartoonish (or stereotypical) sensibility of working at/for the CIA at some times (making fun of it), extremely accurate at others (and oddly enough in the making fun of it part). Ebert called it "Dull". No idea who the actors are (Some (one) I remember from, for instance, "Orphan Black"). I look forward to a season two.

I’ve been writing my companion book for my filmic poem, and historical documentary, "Pvt. Ravel‘s Bolero". But mostly I have been working on the new streaming movie channel, getting it up and running. 

In the book I had hit a section about "combined forces" in war and I was trying to remember the three types of intelligence in HUMINT (Human Intelligence), SIGINT (Signals Intelligence) and one that for the life of me I couldn’t remember all week, and couldn’t find references to it online either. But just remembered it, ELINT. Electronics Intelligence. Now they have it broken down in more parts and differently. From the book.

"As well as integrating the five distinct modern intelligence disciplines: CI (counterintelligence), HUMINT (Human Intelligence), IMINT (Imagery Intelligence), MASINT (Measures and Signature Intelligence), and SIGINT (Signals Intelligence)."

It was about here that Kelly called and we started talking about the streaming movie network. We were kicking around ideas about format and genres and how other streamers work and are set up. We got off topic a few times. 

Mostly I can't talk about what we were talking about. So, sorry about that. But it will be more obvious next month.

Today finally, I got in five miles. Last two few walks were only four. I had a good time yesterday. Big glass of wine with lunch, some food all day that would have left me ill today from long covid but nope. Feeling pretty good. Also noticed yesterday that I don't have to take Benadryl so much. If I can ignore any blood pressure issues, they fade after 20-39 minutes rather than causing me grief. I always try to stop taking meds as soon as is reasonable and useful. And that's all in my book on long covid. Of course I'm sharing a link to it...

Cheers! Slainte!

"Gumdrop", a short horror - Wins Cult Critic Movie Award!

We just received notification about our film, "Gumdrop", a short horror from a submission to the prestigious Cult Critic' Movie Awards film festival in West Bengal!

This was a small project that, as films tend to do, grew rapidly as we began production. I decided on this project for several reasons.

Trailer

By the way, the "steps" left of the title in red in the poster, represent the stairs in the film going down into "darkness".

A little background on the film. I've been working up to making movies of my writings for years. I've studied cinema, screen/scriptwriting all through my university years, toward my degree in psychology.

So I looked over my published and unpublished writings and chose one that did not require massive special effects, crew, talent, or locations. 

I chose a true crime story I wrote in 1983 after an abnormal psychology class. In selecting that story ("Gumdrop City"). Spring of 2019 I wrote the prequel screenplay, then acquired the talent...the actors, the location, and then we began shooting principal photography. We shot through that summer. and finished in late summer. I went alone into post-production through the fall and winter.

I never expected to win any award but hoped I would at least get shown at a festival. This "learning" experience, has become much more. I will say however that I put a lot of work into this project and I was pretty pleased with it. The film came out much better than I had ever expected.

Was it perfect? Was it as good as I had wanted? No. Is it ever? In doing all of the post-production myself, I had to learn more all the time about the software I was using, the techniques of an editor (which I have some experience in going back to old celluloid films). I read a lot during production and during post-production.

Did I make mistakes? To be sure. For one? I would like a crew. My first day of shooting nearly gave me a nervous breakdown. But by the end of that first day, I had gotten my stride. The actors seemed to enjoy being on the production, so I guess I wasn't a nightmare to work with.

I learned a lot about directing, running the camera, the lights, the sound, and rewriting on the fly, on set. Then in post-production making the story work even and ever better. I acquired a composer for the soundtrack. Andrea Fioravanti, in Italy. I also had a young singer/songwriter, Alex Dewell on the soundtrack.

I also used some music from Nikolas Hayes, from his CD years ago. I used my first short, eight-minute horror film he had acted in, "The Rapping". A trifle I produced just to prove I COULD even shoot a film. And yet it won an award and was also shown at The Midnight Film Festival in New York. Perhaps I'm on a roll here. 

Concurrently, I am also working on seeing my true crime biopic, "The Teenage Bodyguard" into production along with producer Robert Mitas the head of their Originals department at Voyage Media. There is also a new podcast from the Pacific Northwest Scene of the Crime people, titled, "Enterprise". 

I am also doing a final edit on my manuscript for a sequel to my first ever published book, a collection of my short stories, that will be titled, "Anthology of Evil II". That ending novella in the first book, "Andrew" led to the creation of my next book and masterwork of fiction, "Death of heaven". My new book will also have an ending novella this one titled, "The Unwritten". 

In the midst of all that, I received this email from the Cult Critic Movie Awards.

The Official Notification Email:

Congratulations! We are so excited to announce that your project is an AWARD WINNER at the 32nd monthly season of the Cult Critic Movie Awards.

The full list of selection is about to be released on our website (http://hlc-cultcritic.com/) and will also be published on our social networks.
We'll email you shortly your laurel and certificate, and rate your project on IMDb page (If applicable).
Please note that all the monthly Award Winners are automatically NOMINATED for the prestigious JEAN LUC GODARD AWARDS. The final result will be published on September 2020.
You may follow the detailed coverage of this season on Cult Critic film magazine (http://hlc-cultcritic.com).
Cheers!

Will there be a next project? To be sure!

Also, remember the Scene of the Crime podcast, "Enterprise", which is based on the story my true crime screenplay, The Teenage Bodyguard, is based upon.

The Rapping, My Short Horror Film Released

We just got notified, My first narrative, eight-minute short B/W horror film, "The Rapping", was not selected by its last film festival that it was submitted to.

We can now lay "The Rapping"...to rest. Sort of. If any film is ever truly laid to rest. And this one, actually lives on...

It was selected twice, in the, Once a Week Online Film Festival where you can now see its trailer, and selected and shown in, The Midnight Film Festival, in New York.

Brief parts of it have now been used as background in my current film -"Gumdrop", a short horror.

Thanks again to lead actor, Nikolas Hayes, for working on it with me, it was a good time and I learned a lot from it. 🙂 And it led to my current film.

So...on to..."Gumdrop", a short horror (trailer), and its run on the film festival circuit! 

March 31, 2020, is next up for it...if it is open or they are judging yet, or still. I already had one film festival cancel in Tennesse, Far Out Film Fest, due to the pandemic and their recent tornado. All the best to them and their state.

Since "The Rapping' is finished with the film festival circuit, I can now display it on my Youtube channel... in full. 

It's just a trifle and was only ever supposed to be one. It was only meant to prove I could complete a film, use the film equipment and editing software, and is basically a one-trick pony. 

But still, it is kind of fun. And we got a kick out of doing it. 

It is also very effective in, Gumdrop! I hope you get a kick out of it too. For what it's worth.

A brief aside and a shout out to another director:

Just for fun, after I Tweeted out about The Rapping today, I received a link to this video, "The Amulet of Fear" from the filmmaker, Andrea Ricca

I enjoyed it so much. In part for the first few minutes that freaked me out a little because it was like we both had the same script but shot it in our own different ways.

Only I used a guy. And the director Ricca has the same first name as my "Gumdrop", a short horror, music composer, Andrea Fioravanti! Both, Italian obviously.

Where Andrea had a woman actor reading a horror book by Stephen King, I had my lead read a book I wrote, Death of heaven. Hey, why not, right?

I thought it was a very enjoyable short film! Glad I got to see it!
Thanks, Andrea!

Moving on...

Wishing you all, all the best in this current global trial and effort to get back to normal.
Stay safe!
Stay healthy!
Keep yourselves busy and entertained. 

Cheers! Sláinte!

Gumdrop, a short horror - Soundtrack Update

I am currently in post-production with my short horror film, "Gumdrop, a short horror" which is beginning to coalesce into a viable film. It's now just under fifty minutes in length. Another thirty to forty minutes and it would be a full-fledged film and not a short. Technically at over forty-eight minutes, it is not a short film.

Post for Gumdrop, a short horror

I have been working since we wrapped principal photography last summer on editing this film. I haven't had the time every day or at times even every week to work on it, but it is finally approaching something that resembles a movie. I am still editing shots, sequences, and scenes, but I have also been adding audio effects and music and tweaking transitions.

By the way, my other major project, "The Teenage Bodyguard", my true crime biopic screenplay I have spent years researching and writing and am currently working on with producer Robert Mitas, is still healthy and underway. We're waiting on a lookbook to be finished up for the project and will then be moving on with finding a director and production company to film it.

As far as Gumdrop, I started looking into music for the soundtrack a few months ago. I contacted producer Joe Wilson who offered the use of one of his artists, Alex Dewell, with songs from her 2018 album, "Hund". It is on CDBaby and where you can hear samples of the songs I've used. I have discussed this artist in a previous blog in 2014. I met her some years ago and even then she was obviously talented.

The songs I settled on for "Gumdrop" are: Get Away, Gotta Run, IDK, and, Tell Me I'm Alright. This album was produced by Joe when he took Alex to London and recorded it at Abbey Road Studio with some great backing musicians. Here are some older songs by Alex on CDBaby.

They are already now incorporated into the film. These are lighter, more pop songs and represent a female character in the film named, Miranda (played by Aura Stiers, a practicing event "Mermaid" which I incorporated into the film.).

However, my film needs rougher songs, something harder for the main character, "Sampson" (played by Tom Remick). He who's Sampson character grew up extremely abused in old Czechoslovakia back when the Iron Curtain still existed back in the 1950s. I also needed more current music.

My original thoughts were to come up with some 1950s Eastern European Soviet Bloc country's music and maybe fuse it with heavy rock music of some sort. As well as plane old modern heavy metal, or post-metal, or Gwar or some such.

A while back, friend and fellow filmmaker Kelly Hughes at his Lucky Charm Studio, got hooked up with a band in Italy, Postvorta, when they contacted him about a collaboration. We liked their music and so he did a music video for them using their song, "We're Nothing."

I'd considered asking them if they would like to be involved with my film, as I knew that Andrea whom Kelly worked with on the video, was interested in doing some film soundtracks. So I asked Kelly to ask them about it for me.

We've been busy with our current endeavor, the Bremerton, Washington monthly event for horror and local indie horror filmmakers, "Slash Night" at the Historic Roxy Theater.

Brief aside... Slash Night has been going on now for four months as of this coming weekend event on January 11th, 2020. Last month our last show of the year was our best show so far and it's getting bigger and better each month. Drag performers Bobbie Lee and Bobby Rae, a local performance team did a live performance for us that they created just for this event and it was pretty amazing!

Since I hadn't heard back from Kelly yet on the Postvorta request I'd made, I was about to remind him, when...

I got a suggestion to like a Facebook page called, 22Decemeber Records. They claimed they were into Post Metal, Sludge, Post Rock and Ambient. Which I thought was great. What a coincidence!

So I liked them and emailed their 22December company email account. I got a timely response.

POSTVORTARavenna, Italy

As it turned out, they were interested!

But unexpectedly, it turned out that it was Andrea Fioravanti, from Postvorta! He whom Kelly had done the music video with. He was excited to look at my project. And so we are communicating and moving forward. Now that I think about it, I think Kelly did once mention something about a 22Decemeber. I just forgot. Living with my memory is an exciting and at times annoying condition. To be sure.

There is still much to do before finishing the film and getting it out there to film festivals. I project another month or two before I'm ready. I will be submitting it to our own Gorst Underground Film Festival, now in its third year. As I've been a judge and nurturer helping Kelly in his efforts (and each year it's been bigger and better),

I obviously won't be judging my own film. And I don't expect any extra consideration because of my position. Honestly, we just don't work that way. Trust me, Kelly is pretty critical. But then also, because we're an underground festival, we don't necessarily judge things as many mainstream festivals would. Which is part of our charm?

Our Slash Night monthly event is attached to our annual festival as a way to build a community for the annual GUFF event. But my film won't show in the monthly events as it is not a "short", even though, it is indeed, short.

GUFF will be moving to the Historic Roxy Theater this September and perhaps an after-party at another venue. We're still working out the details.

OK, Kelly is still working out those details. And a great job he does, too!

Stay tuned. For all of it!

Slainte!

Firewalling Sexual Abusers

"Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't.” - Mark Twain

My view of sexual harassment, domestic abuse especially against women and children, slander or libel against women especially for merely speaking out against those who are abusive, has always been the same. Stop it from happening, support women in fighting back. Firewall those who are abusers, cut them off, block them.

Stop calling women liars, stop slandering them, stop muckraking them through the media mud. Support our women, support the abused, don't just ignore them, turn away, abuse them even more!

This is not a partisan issue, nor a political issue. It's a human issue. Men need to lock arms with women over this. In a nonsexual, platonic, professioanl fashion, supporting women for their worth, their skills, their equality to us men. And not just a pretend equality, but a real and substantive one.

I suspect most men may be good and decent people, but enough men are not that this has to be addressed and we have to stand for those who are abused and then more especially abused when they are brave enough to speak out about it and who is being abusive toward them.

We have a culture of abuse against women by men in power over them.

We have elected a president in Donald Trump who has admitted he is a predator. We have people declining invitations to the White House because of him and that. Enough obfuscation about peopple like Bill Clinton, or even Al Franken, when we have an actual accused predator in the oval office RIGHT NOW.

And Republican Judge Roy Moore. A man who has been an historical embarrassment and obvious sexual predator of minors. Who been removed from the bench twice for refusing directions from the Supreme court. Who had his own community when he was a district attorney, ban him from their Gadsden Mall, and from the local YWCA for inappropriate behavior of soliciting sex from young girls. And he is still running for Congress and being supported into it.

Women who have a claim against Bill Clinton should be supported to seek their closure, but as a nation we need to pay attention to what is here and now of those in power at this time. As for Franken, it feels less than it's made it out to be and regardless, an investigation is in the works. But I suspect it will end in little being discovered as those who know Al seem to see it as I do, that what was reported was an outlier in being a bad behavior, and not a bad actor as we see in Trump, Moore and others like them.

We are America and we need to start acting like it, and clean up our act!

It's wrong. I can't believe this is happening, still! But then, I first saw this kind of thing when I was in my teens and in a way that really put my life on the line for it. In part that event from 1974 set a tone for me throughout the rest of my life even up to today.

Maybe it's because I had so much of my childhood governed by women, my sister, my mother and especially my mother's mother, I've always been more understanding of their plight. And I've always been easily angered at hearing of their abuse.

I had an awesome grandmother. In so many ways, she has my thanks for who I am today. In finding out I hadn't learned multiplication tables because of how often we had moved, because at one grade school they learned those tables in fourth grade while my next school in third, she wrote out the multiplication tables from one through twelve all over her kitchen wall. At every meal we would go over them whenever I stayed there, until I had learned them all.

I grew up loving women, respecting them, and also in having a solid sense of self respect in that regard, in having a great respect for women. I had trouble learning and K-12 was kind of a nightmare. I had a step father who seemed to hate me and tell me at every turn that I was stupid. It wasn't until the military and later college and a university that I truly began to believe that just perhaps, I wasn't stupid after all.

So men who lay blame for their actions against women are because they had poor self esteem, or couldn't talk to women and so use their power and control to get sex, just doesn't wash with me. It's lazy, it's abuse pure and simple.

There is a theme going all though my fiction of empowered women. Or of bad things happening to the men who abuse them. An example from my own life of my orientation in being pro women, is uniquely available to the public, as I've written a true crime semi biopic screenplay.

This may seem like a shameless plug for a screenplay I'm shopping around to producers and studios, but hey, it's hard getting a screenplay sold. That being said however, it is also a pretty amazing example of my orientation on supporting women in my life and I would also argue, a very good example of how we need to stand up for women. More than once I've put myself physically on the line for women against some guy, usually their guy, and women that I sometimes, many times, did not even know. AND most importantly, I had expected NOTHING from them for my efforts.

I stood up for them merely because... it was the right thing to do!

I currently have two titles for it as I shop it around. Teenage Bodyguard, or Slipping "The Enterprise" (see links for more). "The Enterprise" was what that mafia group called themselves and what we tried to do that week in trying to slip by them until the woman in the screenplay could leave town at the end of that week.

She introduced me to a lifestyle that I'd had no idea about. I'd read The Godfather in high school, I saw the film. But didn't realize just how women truly were treated by some of these guys, if not most.

The screenplay details an actual week in my life at eighteen in 1974 where I protected a woman from the local Tacoma Carbone crime family until she could leave town. Why do I bring this up? It's not to go on about a screenplay I'm currently shopping around, but to point out that even at eighteen, I felt strongly about women's rights and treating them decently, that I put my life on the line for a woman.

I've gone through my younger years and throughout my life being disgusted by what has been put upon women, merely for being female, or attractive, or in a position where a guy having power or control over her, can feel free to be abusive. Not just in sexual but also in issues of power and control. To be fair, these men I'm detailing in this were abusive to human beings. They abused their control and power over men also, and in many cases, murdered them. The ultimate abuse.

In my screenplay and back then in reality, I had been introduced to a woman who was around ten years older than me. I was initially just asked to give her a ride to her new location where she was to stay there for a short time. I found out later it was because my "friend" wanted her out, fearing the mafia who was looking for her and in the process, put me front and center in their crosshairs. To be fair, they didn't know I'd accept helping her. They just asked me to give her a ride.

I was naive about many things in life back then, and in some ways so was she. She was also obviously traumatized. My reason for bringing this up regards why I took on the challenge of protecting her, with a gun, for that entire week.

Once I got her to where she was going to be staying for that week, she sat me down and handed me a newspaper clipping about a recent murder. It was the murder of a bouncer at a local (Tacoma's first) topless club, run by this crime family and called the Tiki restaurant in Lakewood, Washington, just south of Tacoma. It was a murder she said, even though to this day it is labeled an anonymous murder, was done by the crime family, to one of their own.

She outright asked me if I had a gun. I admittedly said, yes. She then took a chance, seeming lost, asking if I would get that gun and stay with her for that week until she could leave town. She feared they would find her and take her, and potentially murder her too for what they believed was being a murder witness against them. They did that kind of thing fairly regularly, all through the 1970s. I didn't know what to say until she explained further.

It was her explanation that convinced me that I had to help this woman.

I bring this up because even at eighteen, I felt I needed to stand up for women. And, as this case clearly exemplifies, I put my money where my mouth is. I put my life on the line for this woman, because I was so horrified at the abuse this woman and others at her job had been put through.

I've had that orientation all my life. I've stood up for women when I saw them being abused but sadly, many times, the women went right back into that abuse, much to my shock and dismay. But we do what we can. And in this case, I did.

I'll just share that scene in my screenplay:


SARA
Do you have a gun? You don’t happen
to have a gun do you?

ME
A gun? A gun. Oddly enough, I do.

SARA
What. A rifle, probably--

ME
Yeah but a handgun, too. .357
magnum actually.

SARA
Can you use it? You know how?

ME
Yes. Yes, I do.

Self-assured but naive and it slightly confuses her.

SARA
I don’t know why, but I trust you.

ME
Again, I have that affect on
people. I’d have to go home, just
to get the gun.

SARA
You live with your parents?

ME
No. I have an apartment.
(light chuckle)
Graduated, got out at seventeen. I
have a job, an apartment, car
obviously. I’ve had a job since
ninth grade. Days. I’ll need to go
to work. Have to pay the bills,
rent and stuff. Could take the week
off but, really can’t afford it.

SARA
No, that’s fine, I understand, you
need to work, pay bills. If I need
to go anywhere I’ll just wait for
you. No one knows where I am or how
to find me. That’s what all that
was about at Erik and Dave’s. It’s
safe here. Really. I never told
anyone about them. I don’t want to
take any chances. Not mentioning
this to anyone goes without saying.
OK? And don’t let anyone here know
you have a gun.
I don’t want to-- freak anyone out.
Especially Mary being PG and all.
You know?

ME
I get it, I’m used to it, really. I
don’t show if I’m carrying. About
these guys--
(Indicates newspaper clipping)
Dangerous I take it?

SARA
Sometimes. I was in the office that
day with Ron. He was all worked up
over something so I let him throw
me up against the wall for a bit.
That always calms him down. I know
they killed Danny. The bouncer. He
was nice. To me, to all the girls,
not like the others.

ME
Sorry? You let him throw you up
against the wall?

SARA
(Confused he doesn’t get
it, uncomfortable)
You know. Sex. Most of the girls
let him do that. Like I said, calms
him down then he’s much easier to
deal with. Danny I think just got
in their way. He stuck up for us.
Maybe they finally had it. I know
they killed him though. I do know
that.

ME
Why not just fire him?. Who kills a
guy for sticking up for women?

She looks away.

SARA
Johnny Carbone does. May have been
something more, I donno. Maybe he
heard something, spoke up at the
wrong time? Who knows?

ME
OK, well, look. I’ll head home.
Back in a few. I won’t be long.

When she asked me if I had a gun, I told her I did, but I wasn't convinced yet. It was when she made it clear what her working environment was, and there was more than I put into the screenplay, in how it was for all the women there. And my research for this screenplay has proved this to be true and even then some. My mind was made up. Screw those guys, she had me 100% on her side.

That's the kind of motivation and support we need to give women today.

This nonsense has to stop. Men need to not just support women, but themselves in not acting like animals just because they have a little (or worse, a lot) of power.

Women, as has been said repeatedly over time, are our mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, daughter and friends. They deserve our respect and support. Even if we have to pick up a gun to support them (obviously not illegally, go to the authorities if need be).

And that is the end of it.

We have now elected a president who has admitted he is a sexual predator. Well, I didn't and wouldn't have voted for someone like him. Women have come out against him for his abuse and what have we done, what has he done?

Abused them in the media. Dragged their reputations through the mud and slime that sexual abuse leads to.

But that is changing. Times have changed and it needs to change. We will ALL be all the better for it! As we will when women more and more have positions of power and control over men and women.

Stand up for them. Support our friends and loved ones who have historically suffered abuse all through history.

#MeToo #SexualHarrassment #StandForWomen #Producer