This is my dad in 1946. I post this simply because until I saw this photo the other day, I'd never seen a photo of my father as a child or before he was an adult. Weird.
6.1.09
1946
This is my dad in 1946. I post this simply because until I saw this photo the other day, I'd never seen a photo of my father as a child or before he was an adult. Weird.
31.12.08
Oh Eight?
Here we are at the end of a topsy turvey fucking year. I mean really. Lotta big changes went down, both personally and professionally. Things change, things remain the same, but luckily, we move ahead. Obviously, getting engaged was the highlight of 08, and I'm sure by now you all know the story with THAT.
The Best of lists aren't going to happen this year, it requires too much effort and time, neither of which I have at the moment. I just went back and looked at my best of list LAST year and see I had the same dilemma. I thought I was being bad ass and shit. I will tell you though, The Joy Division Doc and The Dark Knight was my fave movies this year I'm pretty sure. Maybe one of the best movies ever. No movie made me feel like that. The Wrestler came mad close. It was fun to see Indy, but I'm a Lucas apologist so I couldn't tell you if it was good or not. I loved my own movie. I'll love it more someday when it's a cult classic.
Music wise, I'm hard pressed to think of my fave album this year, though Peka's album probably got the most play and I truly think he is a mad genius. The Brits: Oasis, Verve, and Primals all put out good albums, but they all seemed like 3/4 good and the rest were bsides. But I can't complain. The Verve's Love is Noise is by far my anthem of 08. Amazing tune. The Verve were almost my gig of the year, but then Trent Reznor decided to show up on my birthday around here and clubbed me over the head to remind me of his relevance. Thus, NIN is gig of the year. The New Order reissue drama was fun to watch unfold, so I give the reissue awards to Mr. Johnny Marr for his work on the Smiths best of the singles box which sits here on my desk. I think Screen Vinyl Image and The December Sound record was my big surprises for great new bands, and I am of course following The Dossier very closely. Maybe too closely ;-)
I'm sure you people will remind me of shit I missed above and this will be updated frequently.
I wrote a LOT this year, much to the detriment of this blog. I finally officially became a comic book writer this year, thanks to the folks at Tokyopop and DC Comics. You'll see the fruits of said labour very soon. I hope to get more work in that field. Lord knows I'm trying. I miss writing about the great sport, but the economy has put a halt to that. Hopefully that will change. I really enjoyed that.
I also officially became a movie producer, but you knew about that.
I think 09 is gonna be one of those years that will stand out. Lotta potential. Gonna get married, gonna finish Hypefactor, gonna make shit HAPPEN. I actually can't wait to tell you about the next musical MOG project, which is gonna turn some heads. I think the movie I am most excited for in 09 is STAR TREK, for obvious reasons, and we have albums from Cerati, Kasabian, Telefon Tel Aviv, Jarvis and a slew of others coming up. Maybe I'll finally see Oasis in 09 and the question is: Freebass?
I wish you all nothing but wonderful things in the 09. Both friends and frenemies.
Oh. And the beard stays.
The Best of lists aren't going to happen this year, it requires too much effort and time, neither of which I have at the moment. I just went back and looked at my best of list LAST year and see I had the same dilemma. I thought I was being bad ass and shit. I will tell you though, The Joy Division Doc and The Dark Knight was my fave movies this year I'm pretty sure. Maybe one of the best movies ever. No movie made me feel like that. The Wrestler came mad close. It was fun to see Indy, but I'm a Lucas apologist so I couldn't tell you if it was good or not. I loved my own movie. I'll love it more someday when it's a cult classic.
Music wise, I'm hard pressed to think of my fave album this year, though Peka's album probably got the most play and I truly think he is a mad genius. The Brits: Oasis, Verve, and Primals all put out good albums, but they all seemed like 3/4 good and the rest were bsides. But I can't complain. The Verve's Love is Noise is by far my anthem of 08. Amazing tune. The Verve were almost my gig of the year, but then Trent Reznor decided to show up on my birthday around here and clubbed me over the head to remind me of his relevance. Thus, NIN is gig of the year. The New Order reissue drama was fun to watch unfold, so I give the reissue awards to Mr. Johnny Marr for his work on the Smiths best of the singles box which sits here on my desk. I think Screen Vinyl Image and The December Sound record was my big surprises for great new bands, and I am of course following The Dossier very closely. Maybe too closely ;-)
I'm sure you people will remind me of shit I missed above and this will be updated frequently.
I wrote a LOT this year, much to the detriment of this blog. I finally officially became a comic book writer this year, thanks to the folks at Tokyopop and DC Comics. You'll see the fruits of said labour very soon. I hope to get more work in that field. Lord knows I'm trying. I miss writing about the great sport, but the economy has put a halt to that. Hopefully that will change. I really enjoyed that.
I also officially became a movie producer, but you knew about that.
I think 09 is gonna be one of those years that will stand out. Lotta potential. Gonna get married, gonna finish Hypefactor, gonna make shit HAPPEN. I actually can't wait to tell you about the next musical MOG project, which is gonna turn some heads. I think the movie I am most excited for in 09 is STAR TREK, for obvious reasons, and we have albums from Cerati, Kasabian, Telefon Tel Aviv, Jarvis and a slew of others coming up. Maybe I'll finally see Oasis in 09 and the question is: Freebass?
I wish you all nothing but wonderful things in the 09. Both friends and frenemies.
Oh. And the beard stays.
29.12.08
28.12.08
The Spirit of Failure
I'm not gonna do some autopsy about the movie, which is not doing well critically and commercially. I'm almost done with suicide watch, though I'm sure I'll be feeling the effects of this long into 2009. Like most things in my business, insane highs and crippling lows. Right now, with nephew here, it's a lot easier to ignore the reality of it, and honestly, watching the movie in a packed matinee with him and people that liked it a lot will be my best memory of this week perhaps. Someday, when I write the book, I'll tell you all the ups and downs of living in Central City for a few years. It was a fun place, I just think the timing was wrong. But it made me officially a "producer" legit and it was something my folks were able to see in their lifetime, so again, the idea is to take the good from the bad and move ahead. It's not easy, but it's the only way to survive.
19.12.08
LA recap
Well the hope of coming back to NY to race 2 hours south to Jersey to catch Oasis didn't happen. The weather crucified all hope. Its all gross and shit here, but I'm told the snow is a nightmare and would have prevented this from happening in any reasonable time. Thus, the idea of seeing them in June in the UK is back on. Who knows.
LA was brief. Maybe fun. I'll need months before I figure it out. Honestly, I stressed myself into such oblivion, that I have yet to fully recover. The reviews didn't help. Upon arriving in LA, we went straight to the newly revealed (to me) airport in and out burger, which had i fucking known about 8 years ago, would have saved me tons of time and energy in that town. That evening we had ourselves the long awaited trip to Cabrea, a first for my folks. Joined by Irene's mom, Vik, and Roberto, this was a highlight. Before that, Irene got to meet Emmy and her babysitter for the evening, Robin Glowski, who designed all the early aggression albums, now a mom of two awesome boys yet looking exactly the same.
As for the rest of the trip, the cool part was the super rock star style treatment, courtesy of Lionsgate. Private cars, the hotel (The London), the limo, etc. fun. I might have impressed my family, I'm not sure. Like I said, I trapped myself in my own little ball of stupid anxiety. But if you're going to sit around and sulk, it's nice to have a studio pay for it. One morning, I accidentally drank a glass of Saline Solution containing Irene's contacts while brushing my teeth. Lovely. I was in that frame of mind, friends.
Of course after all the bitching from the studio about not having the premiere in NYC cause of the weather, what happens? It rains like a motherfucker. My gut was this was Will Eisner setting the scene. Lets hope he ticklets the box office a bit. Anyway, it was quite the event at the chinese and it was a big class reunion with all the wonderful friends I made on the movie. Some are here:
I'll post more pix eventually and get caught up with your ass shortly. Stay warm.
F
LA was brief. Maybe fun. I'll need months before I figure it out. Honestly, I stressed myself into such oblivion, that I have yet to fully recover. The reviews didn't help. Upon arriving in LA, we went straight to the newly revealed (to me) airport in and out burger, which had i fucking known about 8 years ago, would have saved me tons of time and energy in that town. That evening we had ourselves the long awaited trip to Cabrea, a first for my folks. Joined by Irene's mom, Vik, and Roberto, this was a highlight. Before that, Irene got to meet Emmy and her babysitter for the evening, Robin Glowski, who designed all the early aggression albums, now a mom of two awesome boys yet looking exactly the same.
As for the rest of the trip, the cool part was the super rock star style treatment, courtesy of Lionsgate. Private cars, the hotel (The London), the limo, etc. fun. I might have impressed my family, I'm not sure. Like I said, I trapped myself in my own little ball of stupid anxiety. But if you're going to sit around and sulk, it's nice to have a studio pay for it. One morning, I accidentally drank a glass of Saline Solution containing Irene's contacts while brushing my teeth. Lovely. I was in that frame of mind, friends.
Of course after all the bitching from the studio about not having the premiere in NYC cause of the weather, what happens? It rains like a motherfucker. My gut was this was Will Eisner setting the scene. Lets hope he ticklets the box office a bit. Anyway, it was quite the event at the chinese and it was a big class reunion with all the wonderful friends I made on the movie. Some are here:
I'll post more pix eventually and get caught up with your ass shortly. Stay warm.
F