Folk Off!

I would like to take this opportunity to say that I am thoroughly enjoying the sort of folk 'movement' that seems to be happening in popular music at the moment.

Mumford & Sons et al @ The Railroad Revival Tour (from my iPhone baby)

Now, previously any music featuring use of a fiddle, or indeed a banjo, would have sent me sneering off to the nearest beer tent. However, there were plenty of both on display at last week's Railroad Revival Tour and, after the initial cringe and urge to vomit, I was pleasantly surprised at much I enjoyed the whole thing. In the age of digital revolution in which we now live, it was quite refreshing watching a group of scruffy looking wino's playing their hearts out. The only downside is the seeming importance of having a beard to fit into this scene - something that, after 30 years and many wispy goatee's, I have not come close to. Sigh.

The tour itself is rather fantastic aswell - the three bands (Old Crow Medicine Show, Edward Sharpe and Mumford & Sons) are touring the country on a vintage train and playing right next to the tracks. Marvelous. Sign me up immediately.

All in all it was a rollicking, rip-roaring, sheep shagging, whale of a time and, of course, Mumford & Sons were typically impressive. Even their new stuff just sounded incredible, the lucky, talented, younger-than-me, bastards! Sadly though they are beginning to reach such a level of success where, as Noel Gallagher once eloquently put it, "the dickheads start buying your records", and trust me friends there was no shortage of said dickheads on display in San Pedro. This is why it is essential to keep your ear to the ground and catch good bands on the way up - thus minimising crowd bellend-ness and preventing you from possibly committing murder.

Indeed one band I recently caught on the way up was The Head and The Heart.

The Head and The Heart @ The Troubadour LA

Not the greatest band name I've ever heard but my word did they play a good gig. So good infact that after the first night in San Diego, I decided to catch them again in LA...and was equally blown away. Again, the appeal of watching a group of earnest young chaps singing their socks off and being genuinely humbled by even having a crowd there to see them is a sight I will never get tired of. Because of the size of the Casbah in San Diego (as in, it's f**king small) we got to meet the band afterwards too. In these moments I typically black out and awake to find I've said something extremely stupid and/or embarrassing. This night was no different. I told the singer "You are gonna be huge mate. HUGE!". I know....what a twat.

Still I stand by my prediction, and if you don't believe me, check this video out. Quite the spine tingler I think you'll agree:

I'm off to learn the banjo and invest in some plaid.

Peace and love,

John x

Director Files: Paul Thomas Anderson

In a new feature of this blog, I will be paying tribute to both actors and directors that I admire unashamedly. This week, we honor one PT Anderson.

Born in the San Fernando Valley, Anderson started making films at a young age. His first effort being a short mock-umentary called "The Dirk Diggler Story", which later became the epic "Boogie Nights". At the age of 23, he packed up and went to NYU film school, only to quit after a grand total of two days:

"In my first class, my teacher said 'if anyone is here to make the next Terminator 2, you're in the wrong place'. So I left. I mean, 'Terminator 2' is a pretty kick-ass movie. Then for a writing assignment I handed in a Mamet play, and got a 'C'. So I quickly realised Film School wasn't for me."

Thus he got his money back and made a short film called "Cigarettes and Coffee", which got selected into Sundance and Anderson was invited to join their Director's lab. His first full length film "Hard Eight" sported a pretty amazing cast for a first film and was well received by critics. However, his next "Boogie Nights" skyrocketed him to the upper echelons of Hollywood immediately. In my humble opinion, Boogie Nights is certainly one of the best films of the 90's, possibly even the best.

Next was "Magnolia", and you can check this previous post for my feelings on that.

He followed that with the brilliantly odd "Punch Drunk Love", which achieved the absolute miracle of not only making me not loathe Adam Sandler, but actually loving his performance instead. Who knew he could act?

His last, and by far his best, film however was the utterly mesmerising, cinematically perfect, rolling 30-year epic, "There Will Be Blood" which, again in my humble opinion, is possibly the best film of the 2000's. Of course, it didn't hurt that Daniel Day Lewis was in it either. Indeed it is his performance that makes me occasionally go limping around, bow-legged, screaming "DRAAAAAAINAGE" at anyone in my path.

"My advice to young film-makers is...I suppose...to not give a f**k."

Anderson is a wizard with the pen, as each of his scripts shows. He is a wizard with the camera (of course owing a fair amount to the school of Scorcese) but most importantly, the man knows how to create characters and get performances out of the people playing them. Look at Mark Wahlberg in Boogie Nights, he's fantastic! And this is the bloke that was in The Happening!

The argument has always been Tarantino vs. Anderson, and after Quentin's latest offerings (Death Proof anyone?) I've got to say that Anderson is now the don of the "young" film-maker brigade. I'm even contemplating re-watching Magnolia in honor of his brilliance.

The key word there being contemplating.

Peace,

JB.

New Camera Footage

To test out my new camera, I decided to shoot an improvised scene. Our only direction was to be "two crap drug dealers". This is what we came up with.

Expect many more to come.

John.

Commercials, Cameras and Calamities

This week has been a relatively busy one, with my agent sending me out on several "commercial" auditions. These type of audition are a very hit and miss affair. For example, one day I turned up on time for my audition, only to find that rather than go in the order of when people signed in (also known as 'the correct order') this casting director knob-head decided to let everyone else who turned up for a different commercial at a later time go before me and couple of other chaps. I was there for two sodding hours! Now, for anyone whose ever spent more than ten minutes in a casting office, the experience is somewhat hellish - literally wall to wall packed with people demonstrating, for the most part, the least attractive qualities humanity has to offer...loudly. Once we finally got in, I was hurried into spitting out my useless two lines of dialogue and was soon on my way, leaving a giant turd-imprint on my soul.

"Wow me"

However, the next day I went to a similar audition at the exact same casting office and the experience couldn't have been different. No overbooking of actors, no rush, no being treated as if you'd just been scraped off a shoe. Instead the casting director was affable, respectful and actually took the time to get a performance (insert heavenly noises). It's not that hard really, is it? Just a little smidgeon of class is all it takes. I also encountered a classic "Brit in LA" situation on this visit. Sample line: (very loudly on phone so all who were trying to silently learn their lines could hear) "Yeah babe, I just had to turn down a part for David O. Russell. Yeah, the one who did The Fighter, yeah. Well, I'm out of town when they need me..." Shut up and crawl back up your own arse you utter monkey.

Anyhoo, my camera came in and I have been desperately trying to learn how to use it effectively. So far, the results are very promising and the floodgates have opened with regards to writing new material. Onwards and upwards from here methinks. Just the small matter of financing all of this tomfoolery and all will be well and good. More to follow...

Can't think of much else to write so here's a picture of a fat baby:

Until next time, keep on fighting the good fight brothers and sisters. Also, send money.

Ta,

John.

P.S - Been listening to a lot of Penderecki lately...not the best idea.

Voxhaul Broadcast - Leaving on the 5th

My mate directed this music video by Voxhaul Broadcast (a rather talented bunch from LA). I think it's very good. This sort of thing inspires me to work harder and do better. End of.

JB.

This is...

...one of the greatest scenes in film history. Enjoy.

JB.

Baby Steps

This week I have been fervently trying to work out exactly what to do next with my life. Yesterday I found the answer. You see, much fun as it is sitting around, twiddling my thumbs, waiting for my agent to call me, sometimes in life you've got to take the bull by the horns and, as Tom Cruise famously uttered in Risky Business, say "F**k it".

Now I have been fortunate enough to sample many pleasures through my 30 years thus far. Few however, have satisfied me as fully as writing and directing a film. From starting with a blank page, to preparation, to shooting, to editing, to having recurring nightmares about my amateur corner-cutting, the entire thing has been a beautiful experience...and something I would like to do more of. Much more.

So, after weeks of research, I finally bit the bullet and invested in a camera of my own yesterday. Can I afford it? Hahaha....of course not! Do I know the first thing about photography? Naaaaaah! However, by wielding the glorious power of the internet and making many, many mistakes I will eventually learn. Plus, it's much cheaper than film school.

Not my camera

All my equipment comes in next week, which by the way is the downside of buying stuff on ebay - you get all jazzed up, you count down the seconds, you dance around the room after being the winning bidder, you pay...and then you settle back into exactly whatever is was you were doing before. Bit crap but such is the modern age I suppose...and you really can't argue their prices.

So, once that comes in, I can finish re-shooting my first project and move on to my second, which is already proving much more difficult than I thought. Anything worth doing though is, by default, a massive pain in the arse.

Tick tock, tick tock.

Peace and love,

John..

Crossbow

One of my favourite (if not my favourite) films of 2010 was an independent Australian crime-drama called "Animal Kingdom". It is a beautifully directed look at the Melbourne underworld...and I f**king loved it. The entire time watching it, I couldn't quite fathom that this was David Michod's first film. Thus, as I often do, I decided to find out more about how it got made and, more importantly, how a first time director could achieve something so stunning.

What I found out was that he wrote the script some six years ago, thinking that someone else would direct it (as he put it: "I didn't think anyone would be crazy enough to give me the money to do it"). However, after a while, he became so emotionally attached to it he decided he wanted to direct it himself - for fear of someone else screwing it up. So, he began making short films, most of whom were at least marginally shite. Yet for his last (as it turned out) short he decided to make it with the mood and tone that he envisioned for Animal Kingdom, which would be a valuable tool in raising the funds for a feature. The result was "Crossbow" a 15 minute piece about a very dysfunctional family. Some producer saw that, read the script for Animal Kingdom, and the rest, as they say, is history. Enjoy:

Happy Mother's Day

JB.

Coffee & TV

One of the greatest Music Videos of all time:

Dir: Hammer & Tongs (1998)