Jerry Goldsmith

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to a listening party by my friend Cliff Eidelman. Cliff is a film composer who can write a score from his kitchen table. You know, 12 staves of music, all in his head. No piano. Piece of cake. Cliff is a character. He has taken 10 years to write songs about his family and things that matter. He recorded them at Capitol Records Studio C. That's where the party was. Capitol Records in Hollywood is where that small band, The Beatles, recorded. I can't find any pictures of the interior but the place is a museum to the Beatles. Pictures line the walls. Pictures of Sinatra, The Beatles, Louis Armstrong. It's a place everyone should be able to visit. Anyway, I'll get back to Cliff.

When I was a wee lad I got a job at Fox Studios. I was a gopher. I was given a tour by a senior gopher named Dave. Dave really knew his way around the lot. He so loved movies his only way in was the Fox back door. Dave started in the Fox commissary. He got his highly coveted senior gopher job because he made extra large sandwiches for everyone he thought might hire him the fuck out of the commissary. And it finally worked.

On my first day Dave showed me the old writer's building, the Aaron Spelling offices, the mail room and finally the scoring stage. That's where I first saw Jerry Goldsmith. Jerry passed away in 2004. He has 312 credits to his name. That's Three Hundred and Twelve!

I suppose my love of films began when I watched Goldsmith record the score to Alien. Jerry had a commanding voice, and a kind voice. Watching him conduct was like watching an architect construct something great like the Pyramids or Taj Mahal, only Jerry did it with music. You can see an interview of him with Robert Osborn, where Goldsmith discuses having been nominated 18 times for an Oscar

Goldsmith was unique. When you heard a score you could say, "Damn, that's Jerry". There was a signature that identified him. But he was unique in that every score was vastly different. I don't know that you could say that for many film composers. Listen to RUDY or HOOSIERS or ALIEN. Even the lower budget stinker films had great scores by Goldsmith.

I have a few favorites. I love the title sequence to Papillon. I love the score to Chinatown. But I also love Under Fire which featured Pat Metheny on guitar. Yet another favorite is Goldsmith's recording of a television main title called Room 222. Now before you click on this link, close your eyes. Or close them after you click. But please listen to this short, gorgeous piece without the visuals because I think they get in the way. Ready? Go!

I guess I've been thinking a lot about these Masters of the Film Universe lately. It a sure sign that I'm getting old. I know there is some new talent, but leave me alone while I cruise memory lane. (Old AND grumpy) I've had my eye on Jon Brion. He's a wonderful talent. I've written about James Gray. But we shall see if these guys weather the Hollywood storm. Because that's the real test. For now I hope you can look back with me for a minute and appreciate these old farts. But stay with me. I want to finish with a funny Goldsmith story.

At the listening party I ran into Mike Lang. He's one of the pianists who worked a lot with Goldsmith.


They were recording the score to The Russia House. It's a brilliant jazz oriented score. If you want you can read a lot about it here. But do that later. The point is that Jerry hired Branford Marsalis to play sax. As Mike tells it, before the recording Jerry asked Mike to his home studio to lay down some complicated keyboard tracks. Mike and Jerry had a great relationship. But here's something I didn't know about Jerry. He was a trickster.

They get to the scoring stage. They run down the title cue which features Marsalis. Jerry conducts the rehearsal which is recorded. He walks into the booth and listens. He calls Lang into the booth. The musicians, including Marsalis hang on the stage where they can't hear the dialogue.

Jerry says, "Damn, Marsalis is playing every note." Mike asks, "Well what's wrong with that?" Jerry tells Mike he wants Marsalis to improvise a little. Mike says "Tell him". Jerry says "I don't know him, you tell him!" For 30 seconds it turns into the who's on first routine. Jerry is afraid to tell Marsalis, a monster player, to improvise a little. Lang gets more and more uncomfortable. He's seen Goldsmith command every major player for at least 20 years. He was wondering what the hell was happening. This was not the pecking order or how things worked.

As Lang refuses to tell Marsalis to play differently Goldsmith walks Mike back out to the stage where the musicians are waiting. He has his arm around Lang. He gives Mike a sweet smile and yells out "Hey Branford, Mike has something to tell you."

Technorati Tags:
Jerry Goldsmith, Mike Lang, Cliff Eidelman, Capitol Records Studio C, The Beatles, Under Fire, Chinatown, Room 222, Branford Marsalis, Dave from the fox commissary

Linky Love, and Genius Comedy

Shortly after Abbott and Costello teamed up, they honed the sketch, using the nicknames of then-contemporary baseball players like Dizzy and Daffy Dean to set up the premise. In 1938 burlesque producer John Grant, working with Abbott and Costello, asked Will Glickman, a staff writer on The Kate Smith Hour radio show, to sharpen and amplify the Baseball Routine for performance on the show. This version, with extensive word play based on the names of contemporary baseball players became known as "Who's On First". By 1944, Abbott and Costello had the routine copyrighted.

Unless I get some Bill Gates-Like donations I have to keep working for a living. Which is an apology for a lack of posts. I'm loving these comedy routines. It was this, Bill Cosby's Cake For Breakfast or Groucho Marx. Wouldn't it be amazing if there is someone out there who hasn't seen this routine?

Driving, Common Sense and Avoiding Speeding Tickets

Chris Rock drives a Porsche. I asked him if he got many speeding tickets. He said just one, from a cop in L.A. who must not have seen this video.

For Your Consideration

Ricky Gervais, Chris Guest, Eugene Levy. And the usual brilliant suspects including Parkey Posey, Bob Ballaban, Catherine O'Hara, Fred Willard, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer (and more) A few months ago I saw ten minutes of the film. It looks great. (With a busy week the posts may be delayed.) Here is the Warner Independent Official Website

Eugene Levy plays talent agent Morley Orfkin, President of the Dorkman-Orfkin Agency (DOA).

Technorati Tags:
Christopher Guest, Waiting For Guffman, This is Spinal Tap, Best In Show, For Your Consideration, Ricky Gervais, Eugene Levy, Bloggers who cut corners with video

Iraq In Fragments

It seems that Reel Hollywood is growing. And I hope it is obvious how much I enjoy the writing, commenting and the community. After just 3 months it felt pretty good to get the following email.

Greetings from Typecast Releasing in Seattle, Washington!

I'm writing because on November 17th, in association with HBO Documentary Films, we'll be opening James Longley's award-winning documentary film, IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS, in Los Angeles, along with eight other US cities. We recently came across your blog and thought this film seemed like the sort of thing that you and your readers would be interested in.

A poetic three-part opus examining life in Iraq from the Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish points of view, IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS won the Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Editing awards in the documentary competition at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. You can read critic's reviews, read more about the film at Iraq In Fragments Website

We'd love for you to attend the advance press screening, and I've attached an invitation with RSVP details and more information to this email. Please let me know if you are able to come.

I have RSVP'd. It will be interesting if I can get a press pass as Portnoy from Reel Hollywood.

Scammers and The Homeless

I've been getting a number of requests for links lately. (From bloggers who may be called a bit smarmy) And I know that some other bloggers get really upset with the so called scammers. But I don't. Not really. If they ask politely I usually give them a link in the gratis links box. I know the bikini thing was an exception but i gotta say it's more entertaining than the jokes guy. Maybe I should just remove them. I don't know, I'm in a quandary. Maybe I should create yet a 3rd box.

Because others who have asked for link exchanges - and have well written blogs - and I hope they don't feel slighted being in the same box as bikini guy. Here are some of those cool blogs. ( I think I need to move Love Diary over to screenwriters. He never asked for a link. I discovered he linked to me so I added him. )

Mimi Writes...

Girltalk Over Latte

All About My Movies

Reverberating Dream

Love Diary of a Tahitian Barmaid

A Painting A Day

Hanh at Home

The reason I give links to just about anyone is simply because they ask. And this sounds wacky, but I sometimes compare them to homeless people - In a virtual way. Maybe they will find a voice and start posting content worth reading. Whatever. This link giveaway - it's almost a religious belief. Yikes, where is Portnoy going with this? I'm gettin a little nervous now.

It is based on mystical Judaism. When someone asks for money, you give it to them. In many ways this has changed my life. The texts say that giving to the homeless can relieve depression. What's really weird about giving to anyone who asks? When I started doing it, I began by carrying ten singles. And I'd see a homeless person. They'd ask. I give a buck. But here's the strange thing. After maybe 30 bucks, they started to disappear. It's like I can't even find them to give the money away. They are out there. They just don't seem to be in my field of vision like they were. I know, I'm off the deep end. If you want to experiment with the simply giving program and tell me I'm crazy... be my guest. Now I know the homeless aren't dissappearing. But I do what I can to help because maybe one day I will be there holding a sign. Will work for links. (I know. I'm making jokes about the homeless. Wanna know a secret? It's my second biggest fear.)

Reel Hollywood will return after this.

Spielberg or Portnoy? aka Portnoy's Secret Life

Okay I'm going to let you in on a secret about Portnoy. We have all seen people who we could swear is someone we know. We'll walk up to that perfect stranger and say "You look exactly like my friend so and so. I've said I resemble Richard Gere. But what I haven't told you is this: I have 'looked' like Dustin Hoffman, Steven Spielberg and various friends of people usually named Steve or Jim. I am one of those people whose face seems to morph for the beholder.

In the late 80's I used to get Dustin a lot. I liked hanging out in Westwood, next to the Village Theatre. There was a cafe next door where I would drink coffee and watch people. Once (and this is where it all started) a woman looked at me, then did a double take - then approached gingerly, like I was a very kind zoo animal. That's the moment when you know you're being mistaken for a movie star. People have a slight smile and they generate this excitement of discovery that's hard to verbalize - the receiver gets bathed in a large portion of adoration for as many seconds as it takes to tell them you aren't Dustin Hoffman.

It goes like this. "Oh my God, you're Dustin Hoffman!" I smile and say, "No.... I'm not." But when it started I'd milk that ellipsis, because being mistaken for a movie star is a very pleasant feeling. Dustin didn't happen constantly but it was fun while he lasted. Some Christmas morning a year or so later I was rushing to the matinee of Woody Allen's new movie, whatever it was. (Just for the stereotype - This is what Jews in Hollywood do: We see Woody Allen movies and eat Chinese food on Christmas Day.) That morning I stopped at the 7-11 for cash. The homeless man looked up and, without adoration said, "Man you look just like Dustin Hoffman." I told him he looked just like Danny Glover. But somehow that homeless man put the kibosh on Dustin and I never heard it again.

Next I went thru the Richard Gere stage. Which never made sense to me. I guess it's the smoldering sensuality (to steal from Woody) and usually it came from the French girls I was hanging out with. (Ah those Frenchies. That's another post.) But at the same time as Gere started I was getting - yep - Spielberg. I preferred Gere in the looks department but would rather have had the Amblin bank balance. And it was confusing. I didn't see a resemblance.

The Spielberg lasted quite a while. Fnally, it got out of hand. I wore glasses, he wore glasses. Spielberg drove a Landcruiser, I drove a Landcruiser. Billy Crystal used to call it the LandJew. "Hey, you gonna drive the LandJew to lunch?" I used to tell Billy my Spielberg moments. Once I was driving in traffic on Beverly. I stopped for a light. Three cars behind me, a beautiful young actress got out of her car, ran up to my side and tossed her headshot into my lap. I had no time to tell her I wasn't Spielberg. (Nor did I want to.)

Another time, on the Warner Bros lot, I found the loveliest handwritten note on my windshield. It said "Dear Mr Spieberg, (note the 'l' was missing) I just wanted to say hello. When I was growing up in China you used to bowl at my Uncle's Bowling Alley. This is when you were making "Empire of the Sun". I wanted to tell you that was a turning point in my life and I am now in USC Filmschool" She left no name, no number.

I held onto that note with the intent of getting it to Spielberg. I had never met him but knew people who worked for him. (Years later I gave the note to Michael Kahn who is Spielberg's long time editor.) In the meantime I showed Crystal and he then started calling me "Mister Spieberg". The problem with working for Billy Crystal was you'd hurt by the end of the day. You'd hurt from laughing. (When comics tell each other to "hurt em" before going on stage it means to Hurt Them from laughing too much.)

Having lunch with Billy Crystal turns heads. The power of adoration is amplified to the number 11. In Los Angeles and New York the unwritten rule (was) you didn't go up and bug these people. You stole glances and whispered and stared. Now the paparazzo has changed all of that. And if you see a star, take your chances but be polite. They are human. (sort of)

We ate at a Sushi place on Sawtelle. Billy Crystal, his editor, the producer, the writer, some more crew people and me. Maybe ten of us at two tables. Yes, it's fun to eat with Crystal because of the... golden light. No telling what you can achieve in that rich and powerful halo. The only thing you need to get used to is - not getting used to it. It's about them, not you. Anyway, we finish the meal. Billy takes off in another car and I'm waiting for the valet to get my 'LandJew.'

While waiting I see a large Israeli man staring at me. He looks to be about 60. But powerful. Like Israeli Intelligence or something. He is big enough to snap me in two and by the looks of him he might want to do that. I can see he sees I'm Spielberg. He walks slowly toward me. No smile. I begin to think I'm in danger. He grabs my hand in both of his so that I can't pull away. He starts to cry and thanks me for making Schindler's List. I try to tell him I'm not Spielberg but he won't let me. I make a quick decision to be Spielberg because that's what he needs. He gives me a bear hug and walks away in tears.

If you're a man of a thousand faces you know what I am talking about. You see us at parties or out in public. We are out there like falling stars. Once I even saw somebody who looked exactly like.... Me.

Technorati Tags:Billy Crystal, Steven Spielberg, Schindler's List, Empire Of The Sun, Dustin Hoffman, Richard Gere, Israeli Intelligence

The Magic Hour - When Harry Met Sally

(This is Part 3) Here is Part One

Magic Hour is a quality of light at sunrise and sunset. You see it in many films. I included a frame from "Days Of Heaven" as an example. Nestor Almendros was one of the all time great cinematographers. I include him because when I think about magic he comes to mind. Also, I have a bit of flu. God knows where this post may end up.

In part two I mentioned my phone call with David Copperfield. I forgot to mention how he asked if I knew he'd just been to Russia and that all his gear was stolen. I said that it was too cold to get news in Toronto but nearly said that if he was a good magician he should be able to make it reappear. But somehow I imagined some bad guy named Boris saying the same thing.

Anyway, Magic. (Nice flu-like segue) First, as I mentioned in the opening, as soon as you analyze it, it's gone. Magic, Enlightenment, pure realms of reality cannot be dissected. They just are . Secondly, I don't have the credentials of Harry Keyishian. Harry is the step father of a writer friend of ours who deserted us and moved to Melbourne. Harry and his wife, Marjorie are Shakespeare scholars. I adore their wit and genuine intellect. Harry laughs at my jokes. Marjorie scowls at my lack of Shakespearean education. It all works out. (I will email Harry and ask him to comment.)

Simply, in the end - what I saw during the mixing and previewing is something I had never seen before or since. Besides the 13 second laugh (and I challenge you to find a longer one) Besides the buzz, the fun of collaboration and the beginning of a great relationship with Rob Reiner - this is what I saw that, still, blows me away. During the mixing process, where all the sound and music are mixed with the dialogue - whenever I walked past the projection booth there was a crowd of 15 or 20 people crammed into the booth sneaking a view of the movie. Those are insiders, union workers, you couldn't pay them to do that. (Sounds like an oxymoron but you get it, right?) They just don't do that. To see them laughing from the projection booth was (to me) the greatest magic of that film.

When Harry Met Sally worked out. It may not be your favorite film. It certainly borrowed from Woody Allen. But it had a *Timely Premise, Great Script, Great Cast, Great Photography, Great Music. And Luck. And luck for me that I got to work on the movie.



* Last night I was watching Renoir's Rules Of The Game This is a fantastic film. In it Paulette Dubost (the French Maid) had this line of dialogue; "I'll be friends with men when pigs can fly."
Tags:
Rob Reiner, Marc Shaiman, Nora Ephron, Andrew Scheinman, When Harry Met Sally, Movie Magic, Harry Connick Jr, Barry Sonnenfeld, Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, David Copperfield, Bobby Colomby, Jean Renoir, Nestor Almendros , Luck

Portnoy's Procrastinated Movie Meme

Julie, I've avoided THIS long enough! So long I feel aged.

1. The last movie you saw in a theatre - Gone With The Wind. It was that or The Philadelphia Story. Did you know that HP was founded in 1939?

2. The last movie you rented/purchased for home viewing. - Have they invented a machine to watch movies on at home? Who would want to watch movies at home?

3. A movie that made you laugh out loud. Courage Under Fire, especially where Lou Diamond Phillips runs to camera in slow mo and says 'she'sssssssss deaddddddddddd.'

4. A movie that made you cry. "My Life As A Dog"

5. A movie that was a darling of the critics, but you didn't think lived up to the hype. - All of them.

6. A movie that you thought was better than the critics. - Payback

7. Favorite animated movie. - All things Miyazaki

8. Favorite Disney Villain. - Michael Eisner

9. Favorite movie musical - Was Schindler's List a Musical?

10. Favorite movies of all-time. - This is the question that prevented me from completing this meme. I still can't answer. See my Reel Film Library in the Sidebar.

And now, I need to tag 5 more people to do this movie meme... Rose I lost your email and am SO glad you came back! You are tagged!

Instead it's Mister Linky! You can do the meme or leave your mark on the fire hydrant....

The Elements Of Magic - "When Harry Met Sally"

(This is Part Two) Okay, so the first element of movie magic is a good, preferably great script. Then a great cast. And what a strange number of psychic variations can arise in the casting of a movie. Did you know that Tom Hanks turned down the role of Harry? As did Albert Brooks. Molly Ringwald was offered the part of Sally but couldn't schedule it. Can you imagine anyone else but Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan? If magic happens it happens because the casting provides the sparks while the actors bring the magic.

The sexual tension between Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan was undeniable. But to me it was, at first, almost unbelievable. Billy is not the greatest looking actor around but he's got so much humor, energy and honesty that somehow he's quite likeable. In Casablanca, is Bogart some man-hunk of a guy? No. His face is etched in booze, cigarettes and sadness. To me that's magic. And as much as I like George Clooney I also miss actors with blemishes. And women with figures. And actors who could act. But I digress....

Thus, script plus cast equals magic? Maybe. We know that actors without scripts equals good looking garbage. But what else transforms the two dimensions of film into magic? In my book it's Premise plus Timing. Take "Fatal Attraction". Great script, great actors and a very fresh twist on the very old premise of adultery. And everyone involved knew that film would create controversy, excitement and fear. Today I'm sure it would spin off it's own reality show.

So great script, great actors, timely premise. Can a Man and Woman Be Friends? That still has legs doesn't it? When your premise has that much staying power you got yourself some magic. I think Rob knew what he had. But he was also into a new relationship at the time so that added even more juice to the whole story. It was Barry Sonnenfeld who introduced Reiner to Michele Singer, his wife to be. And I think it was on the set of When Harry Met Sally. (The fact of When is a still question in my memory. The Who and What are certain.) Additionally Reiner and his partner revised the script and whatever Reiner was going through had a good deal to do with that film.

And as a sidebar soapbox there's nothing like honesty in creation. I don't care what you are working on, if it comes from an honest place then you are on a good foundation. The reason there's so much crap labeled as "film" is because it comes from a place with no foundation. Spend as much money as you want, Pearl Harbor at 135 million will never be a watchable film. Spend 400k and add a little honesty, what might happen? Napoleon Dynamite. It's not about money. All good art is about honesty, or what strikes us as truth, even if it's fiction.

Okey dokey. Script. Actors. Timely and Powerful Premise. Does that make magic? One would think so. But that ain't all of it. A director needs to know where to place a camera and he needs the proper lighting to produce the images. And yet there are two more elements that can catalyze a little magic. Music and Luck. (There may be more but I'm over my head now...)

From the beginning Reiner had a vision of using Jazz Standards as the music behind the action. Woody Allen had done it for years but it seemed that When Harry Met Sally revitalized an entire genre of music that hadn't been heard in years. Later in the editing process Billy Crystal didn't feel that the song "It Had To Be You" - played when he was running through the streets to get to the New Years Party - was strong enough in Tempo to match his actions.

I think everyone just stared Billy down on that one. In retrospect you could have put a different song in that sequence because the movie was working so well. Just think of it this way: Mediocre, or good, music will enhance a decent movie. Inspired music will lift an already great film. But - brilliant music will never polish a turd. (as they say) In the case of When Harry Met Sally you had some of the finest recordings ever made. Louis Armstrong / Ella Fitzgerald. My God, just stop and listen to them sing "Summertime".

The man responsible for Harry Connick Jr's involvement is Bobby Colomby. Bobby was the drummer for Blood, Sweat and Tears. I think he was the Senior Vice President, Creative Development, at CBS records / Sony Music. Whatever he was, he brought Harry Connick Jr into the fold. Bobby is a music guru. He knows everyone in the business. Everyone. I'm not kidding. Many years ago I was working up in Toronto during the winter on a movie that I didn't enjoy for many reasons. I called Bobby and told him how miserable I was in the cold, very cold Toronto. Bobby can cheer anyone up. Anyway a week went by and my cell phone rang. "Hello," said the woman on the phone "David Copperfield calling can you take it?" I stared into my cell phone thinking it a practical joke. It was David Copperfield, the magician. He told me he had heard "great things" about my work from Bobby Colomby and could I hop on a plane to Vegas to check out his show? And come work for him? I couldn't help laughing. I didn't take the job but damn if Bobby Colomby didn't make my year. With Bobby in the mix you get some magic.

Finally I'll wrap it up with some fun stuff about Harry Connick Jr and what was (for me) the real magic moment. In the meantime here is some fun When Harry Met Sally Trivia.


Here is Part 3

Technorati Tags:
Rob Reiner, Marc Shaiman, Nora Ephron, Andrew Scheinman, When Harry Met Sally, Movie Magic, Harry Connick Jr, Barry Sonnenfeld, Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, David Copperfield, Bobby Colomby

"When Harry Met Sally" and Movie Magic

When Harry Met Sally began with a script by Nora Ephron. It became an iconic (there's that word again) date movie / comedy of the late 80's. "I'll have what she's having" transports us to one scene that brought an audience into such fits of laughter that it drowned out everything else. Those laughs lasted 13 seconds straight. (I know because I counted the seconds during the previews) If I can pull it off I'll write about the elements that brought that movie together. But it won't be easy. Just when you think you think you have a foothold on Magic - you find yourself flat on your butt wondering what just happened.

I read the script "When Harry Met Sally" which may have been titled Boy Meets Girl, but I could be wrong. It was a while back. What I remember distinctly was being on my couch turning pages and at one point I laughed so hard I rolled off the couch. This is true.

When a group of us saw the director's cut which had no music other than Bing Crosby after the orgasm scene - we walked out of the small theatre and oddly, no one seemed to know they had this monster hit on their hands. Maybe they were afraid to say anything out loud. There was no buzz. It was a bunch of highly talented professionals discussing where to eat lunch.

There was Rob Reiner, Nora Ephron, Bob Leighton (Reiner's longtime editor), Marc Shaiman (now: A-list film composer. film producer and Broadway powerhouse - then; just another very talented musician paying rent in Laurel Canyon). I think Barry Sonnenfeld, the director of photography was there with the producers Andy Scheinman and Jeff Stott. And the exit talk went like this- Would the audience buy into Billy as a leading man? Wasn't Meg just about the cutest thing you ever saw? Hey has anyone heard of a kid named Harry Connick Jr? That kind of thing. Definitely no magic yet.

Continued. The Elements Of Magic

Technorati Tags:
Rob Reiner, Marc Shaiman, Nora Ephron, Andrew Scheinman, When Harry Met Sally, Movie Magic, Harry Connick Jr, Barry Sonnenfeld, Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan

Reel Film Library

In the sidebar there is a new box called Reel Film Library. It will take a while for me to compile the list but if you love movies and you haven't seen these - well - go for it. (If I get inspired I will categorize them. Some films may be rated R) The library, in my opinion, is worth owning. You can watch these films several times. If you have other suggestions, please leave them here. BUT if I haven't seen them I can't put them in the box with the same level of confidence. (see my guarantee) I'm staying away from the obvious. (Godfather, Casablanca... Etc)

wow - that was the quickest post in a month!

please have a look at some new added links.

Allie D's Memoirs of a Gouda. Smart, opinionated, funny.... her site is beautifully laid out. her banner is worth the price of admission. she even helps you with 3 column code. which i have been wrestling with for days.

In random finds you'll see this guy's Bathrooms of the world but also check his other blogs.High powered rocketry, or R2k you won't believe this video, especially if you watch it around 3 am. Fun with Thermite

James Gray - Genius?

Genius. The word is over-used. And yet occasionally - it is right on the money. In 1994 James Gray made a film called Little Odessa. While attending USC Film School Gray looked up to the following luminaries: Kurosawa, Fellini, Kubrick and Francis Ford Coppola. After Little Odessa came out Gray received many congratulatory phone calls. Agents, producers, dealmakers. Out of those many calls one came from Akira Kurosawa. Another by Stanley Kubrick. Gray was 25 years old. Kurosawa's message went unreturned because Gray was too nervous to call him back.

I think there is only one other director to have released a film by 25. Steven Spielberg at 24. So what about this genius moniker we've all heard to death? "Genius" in wikpedia (the lazy man's reference guide) has some interesting concepts. One of them is the idea that some of the Master composers could hold five, six or even seven different melodies in their minds at once. They could write complicated music with many different parts all at once without having to hear it played. In comparison, the average person can only hold one melody in memory.

I was on my way home from work pondering that one. Go ahead and recall your favorite melody, then turn the radio on and try to hear just 2 melodies at once. Yeah, right. Another explanation of genius was the idea that a person could look at a pocketwatch and imagine every working part from the hands to the spring.

So with that high bar reminder let's use some caution before we call our favorite filmmaker, musician, artist, CEO, whatever... a 'genius'. With this proposal I've pretty much written myself into a corner on this post but let's see where it goes.

James Gray can do a number of things really well. He can play a highly proficient piano. He can discuss the depths of classical music with a classically trained composer. He can draw. (If I can find it I'll include a drawing he did for my daughter.) He can act. He can write. He's incredibly funny. When I met him on "The Yards" I had worked on so much previous drek that after viewing the images of his movie I felt refreshed. Like maybe there was still hope for a good film. (I don't believe good films have been made since 1975.)

When you watch a film and the images speak on an iconic level you know you're about to be a part of a serious job. Every director can manage a few of these images. Gray seems to hit every frame with them. I don't know how he does it but eventually people will study his work. Producing these images take a great deal of thought, planning and luck. Excluding the Director that includes a great DP, an excellent script and primo performances. It would be fun to know your favorite film images. (Let me know in your comments.)

I believe Gray's upcoming film We Own The Night will place him on the A-side of the known map. His script is tighter than his other films. (He might argue on that one.) The cast is also tightly wound. If all goes right you can say you read it here first. (Hey, that genius prognosticator - what's his name? Oh yeah, Portnoy! I read about Gray last year in Reel Hollywood.)

So how does Gray handle his cast? With vision and a strong hand. An actor who's a bit nuts had destroyed part of the set on one Gray's films. (Not mentioning which film) James let the actor go crazy and then made him pay for it. I mean, out of the actor's pocket. He told him, "Okay you're paying for this!" That got the actor's attention - like a parental correction.

When Miramax sent their notes on "The Yards" Gray took the notes from me and told me what he thought of them. By that I mean he ripped them out of my hand and burned them. As much as I appreciated that iconic effort it didn't sit so well with the big guy at Miramax. Not that he knew about the fire. But Gray's independent vision caused him more trouble than it was worth. I admire Gray tremendously for that fight. But, in the end, you can't go head to head with Harvey. You just can't.

The problem with studio notes: They don't go away. Many times they are conceived by inexperienced and insecure execs. Most of them don't seem to realize or care how those notes are perceived. (Which is problem one.) Many times words like 'whimsical', 'artsy', 'European' are used in the literal descriptions. The words ought to be. 'Needs more pace' or 'Needs a better transition' Instead they confuse (and anger) the filmmaker with abstract exec lingo. If you're a creative exec, please weigh in.

From the filmmaker's side - They have been working long hours trying every take, scrutinizing every frame of the film. They know what is there and what isn't there. Then there's the exec. They have one dominant money gene which determines the thrust of their notes. Unless that exec is an old schooler who knows how to make a film. (Not many left these days) Then the problem becomes - how does the exec get the filmmaker to trust him/her in regard to their notes. It's usually a nasty situation unless the director is Speilberg, Zemeckis and a few others including Woody Allen. Why? They don't do notes.

On a personal level - I tend to get sick of it all and want to leave Hollywood. (Please see my donation box in the lower right sidebar)

I know there are a few writers who read me. (imagine that) My online pal wc dixon may weigh in on this post. I hope it's not too technical or boring - or both. But maybe you get an idea of how much love and care can go into the making of a film. They don't call it a 'baby' for nothin.


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James Gray, Fellini, Kubrick, Kurosowa, Coppola, The Yards, Little Odessa, We Own The Night

Made My Day

Before proceeding with the James Gray "Genius" post I wanted to mention a couple Blogger/ Authors who have made my day. And not in the style of Clint Eastwood. Last week was a sort of Sisyphean hell at work. The Studio sent their notes and we spent the week pushing those notes up the hill. (In the James Gray "Genius" post I will relate a pretty funny moment on how Gray handled the notes on The Yards) The picture of Dirty Harry feels appropriate to my feelings on Studio Notes.

Anyway in the sleep deprived haze of last week there were a couple of bloggers who really helped me stay positively charged. So I wanted to salute them now. And I don't care how much of this sounds like a paid advertisement - it isn't.

David Southwell left a very kind comment on the Reiner post. So I found his site and hung out a while. After I read his post called Author In The Bookshop Thing I had to link to his blog English Dreaming, English Rain. I see 9 of his books on Amazon (US). His latest, The History of Organized Crime is available at Amazon UK

After I finished most of his blog (while I was supposed to be working) I sent him an email thanking him for the post he left. An email or two later Southwell wrote back.

As an author, I like to expose myself to as much inspiring, creative material - especially when I am in the grind of putting out a book on a tight deadline. More than once your blog has got my creative juices running and therefore it is me who should be thanking you.

I was thrilled to get that email. For a guy who dropped out of college (in the first semester) that email made my day. Reel Hollywood is here because Eric Clapton inspired me. My inner balance is about creativity.

Then there's the very funny writer who's going through a not so funny thing. Bonnie is in the gravitational center of heartbreak where she has lost some people who were very close to her. We have exchanged some emails since I discovered Ballpoint Wren Bonnie is the woman who wrote "The Very Best Of Miss Snark". You can see it on the Miss Snark Blog. Bonnie's real voice can be found on her blog. It's funny, gentle and engaging. If you know anything about her recent pain this will probably make you cry. Monday Morning Mojo Number 50 Bonnie, it's nice to see you posting again.

So - now I can remove the inner post-it. And (side bar literal) if there's anyone out there who can help with a 3 column template I would be VERY grateful.

David Southwell, Ballpoint Wren, The History of Organized Crime, Make My Day

How Rob Reiner Handles Actors

Every director has a method or two in their repertoire on handling sometimes 'difficult' actors.

John Huston once said "Talk to them about things they don't know. Try to give them an inferiority complex. If the actress is beautiful, screw her. If she isn't, present her with a valuable painting she will not understand. If they insist on being boring, kick their asses or twist their noses. And that's about all there is to it." (Okay so the man was a little troubled but I still love his films.)

Rob Reiner doesn't use the late John Huston's method. But once he told a story about a 'difficult' situation he was in during the early days of shooting on one of his films. The actress is not Kathy Bates, I just loved that photo of Reiner's laugh.

To hear Rob Reiner tell a story is a treat. He utilizes a command of voice, inflection, musicality and language that simply must be heard. He is one of the great story tellers of our time. I'm sorry you can't be a fly on the wall for this one. And to lay out a disclaimer - after some thought I am a bit reluctant to tell this story because it could embarrass our antagonist whom we will refer to as Arcas.

Arcas is a terrific, accomplished actor. When Arcas takes on a character the two become one. Arcas is an actor you want in your movie. So when I use the word 'difficult' I don't mean someone who shows up late, doesn't know their lines and resembles the attitude of Lina Lamont. Arcas' difficulties may have stemmed from being overly passionate about the part. I don't know but I can sense that I'm stalling, so here it is.

They were on set rehearsing a very tough scene for several days. Reiner said he was beginning to feel tense, he was thinking about the budget, and he wanted to move on and shoot the scene. It was in the first few days of production where pace is important to Reiner. Only Arcas kept rehearsing, trying out different approaches, and privately trying Reiner's nerves. Reiner wanted to speed it up. But he also didn't want to step on toes so early into the film.

That morning Arcas began rehearsing and didn't stop. If I remember correctly Reiner kept asking Arcas if he was ready to go. Arcas kept saying not yet. Or something like that. Doesn't matter. It boiled to a head. Finally, just before lunch, Arcas said, "I'm ready". To which Reiner responded "Okay, great, that's lunch"

With that announcement Reiner had reminded Arcas that Reiner was the boss. Now imagine yourself as a world class conductor with a hundred piece orchestra. And you have a world class soloist who's been rehearsing the part for hours, if not months and years when you think about it. The orchestra sits - ready to enter at the motion of your baton. Everyone is primed. Better than primed. They are raring to go. Ready to go because they have trained for this moment all of their lives. Your soloist, who's talent notches above the orchestra, finally says he's ready... And you call a break.

Reiner said that after he called the break he had some massive second thoughts. "What have I done? This is only the fifth day with 85 days to go. Will it be like this from here on out?" With those second thoughts Reiner went to his trailer. But what you gotta know about Reiner is this; he's a brilliant thinker with unbreakable logic. When he worries and tells you he's worried it makes sense. You can't refute anything because he's already mapped out the scenarios like a chess player. He's not someone you want to argue with. So, as he enters his trailer he's in a self-imposed barrage of what-ifs. About ten minutes into his lunch there was a knock on his door.

Arcas entered the trailer and began pouring his heart out about his doubts and insecurities until he eventually broke down sobbing. Arcas said he was going through a difficult period in his life. He apologized for taking so much time. He so wanted to get it right and make Reiner love his performance that he screwed things up just 5 days into the shoot. Arcas cried so hard, was so full of agony that Reiner cradled Arcas like a baby in his arms.

After lunch they shot the scene. It is one of the best scenes in any of Reiner's films.

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Rob Reiner, Kathy Bates, Ursa Minor, Film Directing, Actors