Goonies Meets Indiana Jones
That's a pretty high stake to claim. I ran across the pitch in an old article about Ryan Little's next epic action film, Outlaw Trail. But this time Little errs on the side of fun. Action Adventure. Holds up grand circle-of-life diagram: "You know, for kids."
Certainly Little has proven some prospect as a lofty director, with his short, but bulleted list of films. (Saints and Soldiers is perhaps his most well-known or respected.) I have to admit when I first heard about this project it didn't sound as promising as it now does. But even having said that, I have a very mixed response.
In a way, I appreciate Little for setting the bar higher for Mormon artists. I think he has been doing something most Mormon cinematists (I know, it's not a word, but don't you think it should be?) have wanted to do and mostly failed. He's approaching the market without insulting it. That deserves an explanation, but I'm not going to get into all of just what I mean right now. Suffice it to say that I think he's representing a fairly good moral side to things without guile or pretense.
No, my problem lies more in that I just wish I could milk more from him. He's still a kid, at least in terms of directing. I'm a little impatient, and I have a hard time believing he's going to really pull off what "they" have pitched. (I say "they" because I have no idea where my above-posted pitch comes from, other than it's cited in the article.
Still, there are definitely some key people attached, and money is up, so maybe, just *maybe* I'll get a piece of what I've been waiting for among Mormon movie makers. In any case, I expect good things from Ryan down the road.
Continued reading here.
Another incidental reading.
p.s. remind me to tell you about my theory on Westerns...
Miller's Blues
Someone pointed out this article out over in this forum. A couple snippets:
"[The entertainment industry is] not my favorite business, just because it's one I'm not that engaged with like the car business and the basketball business," Miller said this week. "I don't understand it as much as the others."
...and...
Miller said the box office disappointment of "The Work and the Glory" has "extinguished" his desire to be a movie producer. "I have no interest in the movie [production] business any more," he said.
What seems disappointing to me, Miller does not seem to understand (as he himself put) the mechanics of entertainment profiteering. Obviously, Mormon Cinema is fledgling. But even so, I think it is recognized generally throughout the industry that profits do not come from the box office. It's all about the other outlets: international markets, DVD sales, merchandize, and so forth. Miller's "box office disappointment" was arguably a decent success considering his market saturation and so forth. But, then, maybe we just need people who understand the business a little better and believe in it. I give him a thumbs up for trying.
Live, Flesh-Eating Dragons
Okay, I have to admit, this looks pretty fun.
But as for real flesh eating monsters, this one is a true story, albeit very strange. It appears that somebody is hellbent, in a jealous fixation concerning Jeremy Coon, thus bloggethed: Beat Jeremy Coon. Note that the site contains offensive material. But I stole a few oddities, to give the effect:
BJC: I once considered converting to Mormonism to beat Jeremy Coon with his own tools. I've kind of let that plan fall by the wayside.
BJC: Do you wish you'd been better friends with Jeremy Coon in high school now that he's made it so big?
BJC: Are you at all concerned with Jeremy Coon basically blasting us all out of the water by being the producer of such a fantastically successful movie and going on to produce more?
I'd seen the blog before, but hadn't payed much attention to it. Looks like it's been going on long enough now to produce a real scene. Makes one think, unfortunately, this Mormon is getting his own celebrity curses, akin to the paparazzi or celebrity stalkers. I'm also left wondering how much of it is tongue in cheek. Certainly, there is an element of that. I mean, regardless, this (from the site) is pretty funny:
I graduated from Berkner High School in 1997. So did Jeremy Coon. I went on to co-write a musical that all my friends in Austin saw. Jeremy Coon went on to produce Napoleon Dynamite. Our high school reunion is in two years. I know I'm better than Jeremy Coon. But in two years, I have to prove it. I have to beat Jeremy Coon.
One wonders if this goal will somehow grow to two years, then three, and so forth. Concering "tongue in cheek," one can never be too certain. People have been known to do, say, and believe
the strangest things.
Worth Noting
Nacho got a new website.
I find that curious. They went to all the trouble to make the old one, but it turned out to only be temporary. CURIOUS!
"Comedy Gold"
This just keeps looking better and better...
Incidentally...
Concerning my last post, and regarding Mel Gibson's next [note: this is a weird link] film, Apocalypto, I found something pretty darn funny peeking through in the trailer. I think it was just stuffed into one frame, and that in a blur of other one- or two-frame clips.
Classic. Don't tell me this man has no sense of humor.
Passage to Something More Apocalyptic
When the words "Book of Mormon" and "Film" are brought up in the same sentence, in my experience, the conversation usually takes one of three forms:
- "Yeah, too bad it's already been done;"
- "I don't think it could ever be done justice;" or,
- "I want to make it."
I invariably have my arguments for all three of these statements.
The first argument I just scoff at and think or say to the person I am talking to, "you pathetic rat for thinking so narrowly about the world." (Okay, so I don't think I've ever said that, but I probably have thought it.) But it does always seem to boil down to the idea that because its been tried, and didn't work, it shouldn't be tried again. This of course, is what the second statement is about, which I am about to get to. But anyone who doesn't think there is room enough for more than one interpretation doesn't deserve to have anything to do with such a project, either as a funder or an artist or a producer, and, of course, they won't, because they have already self-prophesied that such a thing isn't going to happen.
The second argument is silly merely because that person lacks vision. This is a very difficult point to argue on, and I usually don't press the issue to hard (it exhausts). Most people who don't think the Book of Mormon can be expressed in any sort of magnitude in film are the kinds of people I try not to associate with on any really
substantive level. It's not a matter of personality. It's a matter of human dignity. I hope you realize I am kidding, or at least trying to.
The final argument is one I can sympathize with the most. But I react, typically, and perhaps less-so invariably, by thinking to myself, "I don't really believe you have it in you." There is one exception to this way of reactive thinking, but I don't really want to go into that because it involves myself. I hope you realize this is also a joke. Sort of. In any case, when I hear people talk about getting it done, I am much more prone to say, "good for you," or, "go for it," or, "we need more people like you."
Then I have to stop and really analyze what I am doing or saying.
Case in point.
I have never met
Chris Heimerdinger, nor have I ever read any of his
Tennis Shoes Book-of-Mormon-themed novels. I am, however, quite—well—I would hate to alienate myself from him, should I ever meet him, and should he happen to read this. Just the same, based on some of the music I
have listened to from his pending movie,
Passage to Zarahemla, adapted from the first book in the series (I think), I can't imagine the rest of the work being anything but amateur at best. Fun, perhaps, if you're into that kind of thing. But I am fairly certain I will not be.
In any case, a recent updater was passed around, from Heimerdinger:
Dear Carolyn,
My rough edit is done. John Lyde (editor of Mobsters and Mormons, Outlaw Trail, and writer/director of Take a Chance) is doing the final edit on the film. I believe it really is a fun movie, and a genre never attempted before in this market -- action/fantasy/adventure. Beyond that, I hope it's the strongest movie with a Book of Mormon theme ever produced. Special effects from Sandman Studios are being finalized. We'll soon start sound editing and music. My guess is that it might be in theatres in Jan/Feb of '07.
I truly do wish Heimerdinger the best.
But I can't help and make the following comparison.
Many Mormons seem to have adopted the idea that Mesoamerica is the likely setting for many past Book of Mormon events. Among such folk are prominent Mormon scholars, and others who have taken keen interest. Heimerdinger seems to be so oriented. I, myself, am partially persuaded by such a possibility, based on rudimentary things I've seen, but I in no way am as conclusive about the possibility as some people are. Just the same, since that does seem to be the general orientation of late, how will, say, Heimerdinger's movie—presumably set in Mesoamerica—compare with the likes of
Mel Gibson's next mega-epic, coming out this December?
Of course, there are all kinds of things to compare, but I'll let you be the judge on where to begin. Obviously, Gibson has done his research. Will Heimerdinger be able to say the same?
No Lady Thriller
Okay, admittedly, I'm a huge Shyamalan fan. Just wanted to set the record straight, since he seems to be such a divisive one to the extent you either love 'im or hate 'im.
No spoilers here, but definitely something new:
Lady in the Water: M. Night Shyamalan dreams up an otherworldly water nymph (Bryce Dallas Howard) who's discovered in the swimming pool of an apartment complex by its superintendent (Paul Giamatti). This is reportedly the first Shyamalan not meant to scare. Could be magic. Nagging question: What's Shyamalan without a twist?
Of course, this leaves me wondering who is
more correct?
In any case, I've never relied on surprise ending. With his films, I love them regardless of how well he dupes me. I just happen to think he's brilliant. It's the morality, artistry, and spirit of his work. It deserves a more thorough entry sometime.
Sasquatch Sighting in the East
If you're anywhere along the middle East Coast next weekend, and you feel like taking a road trip to see something trippy, there's a rare Sasquatch viewing at the Maryland Film Festival.
The website gives a better outline than any I've seen yet as to the plot and so forth. Snippets include:
...fantasy medieval sword battles...[a] jaw wired shut in an effort to lose weight...[a] prized video collection...paintball gunfire...[a] get-rich-quick scheme...a brief cameo from [Jon Heder]...talking in slang with an afflicted dialect...
Why I Love to be a Mormon
The church has now officially landed online with downloadable film/video media, 
as somebody pointed out over here at Yahoo!
And "yahoo," I say!
Of course, I'm still of the opinion that the Church is a big step behind the world (and even some members of the Church) in aesthetic and level of professionalism when it comes to creating and distributing film as an art form. But when it comes to the actual meaning of the content, well, I decided long ago that this was much more important to me than the former, though I aspire for both, and the Church is far ahead of the world in this regard.
In any case, I'm happy to see this move. I trust the day will come when there will be enough good artists for the Church to draw upon to pull off some pretty amazing things. When that day happens...well...let's just say I think there are plenty of things we "have never considered" that shall come to pass.
Something Truly Peculiar
Special thanks to A Motley Vision's Mahonri Stewart for bringing the adaptation of Mormon playwright Eric Samuelson's Peculiarities to my attention. From his post:
...[Samuelson's] play "Peculiarities" played at the Villa Theater and is now being made into a motion picture...
Also, from Samuelson's mouth:
...we're shooting the movie right now...
Cue Media is behind the production, and trailers can be seen
here. (Scroll down a little to see.)
Now, to be sure, (politics aside), I think Samuelson is terrific. I'd seen one of his plays (I believe it was "The Way We're Wired") a couple years back, and I thought it was terrific. But what little I've seen of this play-to-film adaptation just isn't working for me. The film work seems to be shoddy at best, and, though he may have some good actors, something is just awkward about the whole gig...editing, lighting, setup, etc. I can't seem to find anything else current on the production (it's not listed on imdb.com, to the best of my knowledge), though it's rumored in
this July, 2004 interview that Richard Dutcher was slated to direct. I kind of doubt that is still the case, but I guess we'll find out.
Here is another older article.
One clarification. I said I love Samuelson, but that's through limited exposure. Having read about this project makes me a little more "iffy." His lended use with the f- and s-bomb makes me question. And he makes Neil LaBute sound like a
good thing that has happened to Mormon culture. I find this hardly agreeable.
Nacho Publicity Kicking Into High Gear
So much out there, and ever mounting, I will probably only blog on the more substantive Nacho Libre-related stuff in the future. But I kept finding such juicy tidbits in the media, I thought I'd just serve up a few. Here they are.
Frat Pack Back On Track This Summmer
Fans of the 2004 sleeper "Napoleon Dynamite" are breathlessly anticipating director Jared Hess' sophomore effort, "Nacho Libre" (June 16). With Black in the lead, plus a "Napoleon"-like cast of oddball unknowns, the film takes place in the world of Mexican wrestling, and gleefully stuffs Black into a cheap superhero costume and mask for his role as Ignacio, an aspiring wrestler.
Q & A with director Jared HessQ: What was it like going from such a low budget movie to an actual Hollywood movie put out by Paramount?
A: I think just the scale of everything. At least, the scale that you're operating on. On "Dynamite" it was like, we're sleeping in neighbor's basements and stuff. It was a very small group of people that made that film, as well as the resources we had. On this movie, it's multiplied by 100, just how much bigger everything is, the crew and just the whole experience. But ultimately, you're making a movie and it's still a lot of fun. I had an amazing experience making "Nacho." Just the scale of it took me a while to get used to.
Director of Napoleon Dynamite talks about new-fangled projectIt has been two years since the release of Napoleon Dynamite and catch phrases from the movie are still constantly repeated, but that kind of popularity was not Hess' goal when he wrote the script. Hess says that he writes "whatever makes sense to the character." According to Hess there are no intentionally quotable lines in the Nacho Libre script, though whether audiences feel the same way remains to be seen. Gosh.
Danny Elfman scores Nacho LibreElfman's take on the score changed from the beginning, when he first planned on doing small musical interludes to help the story along - but it was so much fun that he ended up writing a full score to the film.
'Dynamite' director back with 'Nacho Libre'After the unexpected success of "Napoleon Dynamite" Hess had to approach creating this film a little differently. Whereas there was no pressure or expectations in making the first film, the expectations of a big studio production have brought additional challenges.
"It's been kind of a baptism by fire for me," Hess said. "It's going from 20 friends from college to something that has money behind it."
Hector Jimenez Talks About Nacho LibreLife on the Set of Nacho Libre: Jimenez said Jack Black didn't stay in character and contrary to what you might believe, Black also didn't spend his off-time just joking around. Jimenez says Black was very professional yet they had a great time filming Nacho Libre. "Every day we enjoyed it a lot. I think the whole crew enjoyed working in this film. On my first day when I saw the whole crew laughing and everything, I relaxed a lot because I saw they enjoyed it so we had a really good time every day."
Choose Your Own Adventure
Yet another iteration in bad marketing choices made by Mormons making films about Mormons for Mormons and non-Mormons, 
with anything but Mormon content, but containing Mormon content...er...
Read this.
Very strange. Very.
I think it must work something like this:
You are in a dark cave. Or rather, it looks like a sacrament meeting room, but it is hard to tell. Of course, this all depends on your point of view. Or the point of view of the person who created this darn thing. Whatever.
In any case, it's dank and there are bones scattered about. Or wait, is that a tray before you with broken bread in it. You may want to check your inventory and look at the jacket of the DVD you just purchased for a better idea of where you are.
There is definitely a lantern on the ground. Or is that a bible. Oy vay! It can be so hard to see things clearly when you're dizzy...you are fainting away...fainting...
What happens next? Only you can find out! If you decide to take the lantern, jump to scene 20. If you decide to take the sacrament, jump to scene 61. If you decide to join the occult...er...and so forth...
Hey...maybe this
is the future of movie marketing...the ultimate adaptation for the audience. Let your audience choose if they want to become Mormon from watching your Mormon...or...er...non-Mormon film.
On Networking
An interesting essay of sorts was posted over here at A Motley Vision, covering the progress of theatre as an art form among Mormon artists. If anything, I think it's worth a read just for a refresher on some of the statements made by former presidents of the Church. Some of the quotes I had never seen before, and I consider myself fairly well informed on this topic.
I made the following comment on the post regarding the seeming or real lack of success among Mormon playwrights (and so forth), but I'll put it here for your ease:
You know what I think? I think half the problem lies in a lack of mobility among Mormons in networking. Mormons seem so reticent to the idea of working together. I think that is beginning to change. The success of some Mormons in Hollywood, in particular, is tuning people to the idea that it can be done. The irony is that Hollywood perhaps produces the worst in a certain type of arrogance, and I've seen it among our own. (I live in Los Angeles.) In any case, I see a lack of mobility in networking and community as a major problem among the LDS.
I just hope I haven't called any of your bluffs. ("Any of your" referring to my readers.)
ASK DEX PODCAST!!!
Think Tank's second podcast is up. Great stuff. Just a sample of its deliciousness:
Question: Why does God hate robots? - John.
Answer: Well, John, I'm glad you brought this up. As you were probably already aware, in my younger years, I had a vision from Optimus Prime. And he has returned to me on occassion, and we have gotten to know each other quite well...he's a wonderful soul...and he has expressed to me also his frustration that God hates robots...[oh, and it goes on...]
I recommend
a subscription to this podcast, if you're an iPod fan. Or, if not, just listen to the MP3s
here, on the Think Tank website. Check back frequently for updates. :) (Shameless promotion is a joy.)
In a way, I appreciate Little for setting the bar higher for Mormon artists. I think he has been doing something most Mormon cinematists (I know, it's not a word, but don't you think it should be?) have wanted to do and mostly failed. He's approaching the market without insulting it. That deserves an explanation, but I'm not going to get into all of just what I mean right now. Suffice it to say that I think he's representing a fairly good moral side to things without guile or pretense.
