My life is going crazy, let me count the ways;

Tommorow I have an audition in Omaha at 4:30 - I have to be back in Lincoln at 7pm.

Monday applications, resumes and cover letters are due for Resident Assistant application for next year.

Next week I am meeting with a guy about a paid traveling gig doing videography/photography for a touring dance troupe.

I am taking cycling classes 3 times a week as well as an aerobics class at the REC center for what might be my craziest summer yet.

All that in addition to classes!!!!!!

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OH YEAH!!!! ......(In addendum to my last post)

I also thought about We're Back! A Dinosaur Story and how much more believable the animation in that was compared to the CG in King Kong, (for the record We're Back is a cartoon animated childrens film.)

Just went and saw Peter Jackson's King Kong, these are the movies that I thought about while watching it. I mean come on I hat 187 minutes to think. Also, I just read that the version that was released in the Philippines was only 108 minutes. Something tells me they got the better version. ;-)

Jurassic Park: I think we all know why. The reason that JP was what it was is because all the dinosaurs were animatronic.

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: At age 9 Peter Jackson saw the original King Kong(1933) for the first time and thats what made him want to direc., I think he also had a small inkling to remake this Rick Moranis classic(reference the huge ginormous bug scene).

Lord of the Rings(I-III): I think Peter Jackson is coming down from his LOTR high, and the withdrawl isn't pretty. They never are. I think about half of Kong was stock footage taken from the LOTR cutting room floor.

Batman(1989): Universal Studios made Batman into a killer ride, I smell park admission being in high demand with the upcoming Kong! the ride. (Please, note we already have a JP the ride.)

The Fugitive: Don't remember exactley why I thought of this, but I did and; "Wow Fugitive was a great movie! and Hey, no Computer Graphic monkeys." Hmmmm....Peter Jackson lets see a 90 minute film some time soon.

Brokeback Mountain: Another movie that I just saw this week, interesting comparisons in theme....loneliness, dirty apes...... Ang Lee has a much better cinematic eye. Also, thank you to Talk Soup for your Brokeback Kong satire, this provided me with all the humour I needed to make it through Kong(2005).

King Kong (1933): Subtlety. Anne Darrow and Kong's relationship was limited to Kong pulling Anne's dress off her shoulder, thats it! I believed their relationship in the new one thanks to Andy Serkis but would agree that it was unneccesary. Speaking of believeing things; a note on CG I think I believed the rear-screen projection and claymation of the original Kong(1933) more than I did the CG Kong and other various mammothly huge creatures in this one.

The Emperor's New Groove: Ok, so the whole vine-swinging-mid-air T-rex battle made me laugh about as much as the similar scene with David Spade, almost as believable too.

King Kong (1976): Charles Grodin makes this a film you can't miss when seeing yet another version of Kong. Yes, that makes this year's version the third for this story. Excessive? I think so. Does this mean that Hollywood has just run out of ideas? 2 of the 3 previews shown before Kong(2005) were also for remakes, you make the call.

running away to save myself the pain.

Schedules are the antagonist of creativity.

Happy New Year Everyone!!!!! Who'dve thought that it's already 2006?! Any body else feel like they are getting old?

So....I guess the most refreshing thing about my new year's experience was this overwhelming sense that I got that this is in alot of ways a chance for a new beggining. There is just a sense of new life and new growth as you enter a new year, a chance to change, a chance to grow.

Now, I've never been a fan of new year's resolutions. As a matter of fact the last resolution that I made was about 7 years ago when I resolved not to make any resolutions. Hmmm.... How clever I was! I guess, I just never wanted to look the potential of failure straight in the face with something that everyone seems to break. It's probably either my fear of failure or my fear of commital. But something feels different this year and as such my new years resolutions:

To spend more time reading.
To spend more time writing.
To spend less time on Instant Messenger, significantly less time.
To spend more time reading the Bible.
To spend more time with people.

Someone once said "Garbage in, Garbage out." So with that I want to be very intentional with the inputs I allow. I also want to manage my time more closely so as to increase my creative output (maybe even learning guitar.)

Here's to change!


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The Glazing of my Brain

I just finished watching Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull. Yes, it is all the movie they say it is. I think it is now my personal Scorsese favorite, although I have not been a huge fan of his. Gangs was impressive and I haven't seen Mean Streets.
Is it just me here or does he not seem to like his characters... or he finds sympathy for or creates sympathy in characters that aren't likeable, or don't want to be liked? hmmm...interesting. Take Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver for example.

Scorsese is the master of the McGuffin(after Hitchcock) and it's been a long time since I've seen an actor embody a character to the extent that Deniro did as boxer Jake Lamotta. All of the scenes that they say are amazing are, and a very humorous connection was made in my mind, having seen Boogie Nights and drawing comparisons to the very last shot of that and the very last shot of this movie. Funny, clever, impressive stuff.

In other news, what a game last night! Was anyone else watching the Huskers of Nebraska down in Texas with the boys of Michigan? Fuggehdaboutit.

Man, I wish I were a bronx gangster.

I thought this was way too funny to pass up. Yes it is plagarism, I lifted it directly from CNN.com(Cheaper by the Dozen 2 - AP REVIEW)
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Review: Dumber by the 2nd Dozen
(AP) - "Cheaper by the Dozen 2" is an argument for the cinematic equivalent of condoms.

Something's got to come between audiences and Hollywood's incessant desire to sequalize bad movies, or in this case, do a bad remake of a family classic, then follow with an equally dumb second chapter."

-David Germain
Associated Press

It does its thing,
and I do mine.

And when I want it to do my thing
I make it do my thing.

But when I am not doing my thing,
it can do whatever it wants.



on my computer;
-------------------------

PPHHHHH.......(gasp!)....PPHHHHHH......(gasp!) ....PPPPPPHHHHHHHH.......

Slowly the little red ballon begins to take shape.
Each strained moment breathes life into the once formless shape.

phhhhhhhh.......

Round, full and full of life,
this balloon has been inflating for 9 months.

PPPPPPPPPHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.........

This rush of air seems different than those before.
Faster, forceful snd more direct.
The shiny object glints in the soft light.
My once ballon, now just a weary skin.
Is this "Rapid Hope Loss"?

My little red balloon
==========
So, this is this, as it stands.
I called my connection to "Coldberg" (the movie I was hoping to work on in Prague) and I guess the movie was Blownout....which is semi-industry jargon for pretty much what it sounds like. Warner Brothers' has dropped the project all together. Dissapointing. So, I will be here, Selleck 6310 next semester, so feel free to drop on by.

In other news this is dead week, next is finals......and life is incredibly busy. I hope to make it through today.

peace,

matt

"Holy crap! Its pretty!" -my reaction to Dr. Zhivago

So I just watched another David Lean masterpiece (Dr. Zhivago). Wow, that guy knows how to make an epic (see also Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia.)

My thoughts; first of all the composition was absolutley stunning, there were many times during the movie (and you can ask the roomie) that I let out a gasp/sigh at the beauty of the light and framing of each shot. Second thought was that "You can't make a 90 minute love story!" Film makers these days and perhaps, more importantly audiences don't know how to go on a journey with the characters. Most romantic comedies that you walk into these days you already knew the outcome yesterday. It's absurd! What happened to the classics, the epics? Sure, we have LOTR a huge undertaking but so much spectacle. What happened to having opening credits? Audiences these days would walk out if the credits came before the movie, cause thats what they've been conditioned to do. What happened to having Overtures before the movie?! Serious! This movie started out with a seven minute overture! even before the credits rolled!!

Audiences today don't have the patience to wait for a movie to unfold. We don't have the time neccesary to "go on the journey." We live in a fast-food generation where satisfaction, knowledge and pleasure should come now, now, now! And if not now, then its too late. I think this may be the downfall of the internet, of cell phones, of computers and microwave ovens.

Love take time to nourish and develop. It doesn't happen within the walls of a 90 minute film, and unfortunately it doesn't have a place in many relationships. It takes a concerted effort from both parties.

Movies don't often take this "give/take" relationship into account. Mind you a film should expect to bring more to the audience than vice versa, but the audience should at very least come ready to think, not just to be entertained. Where in the history of movies did the balance tip that direction anyways?

"Good marriages are made in Heaven - or some such place." -Gromeko, Dr. Zhivago

Thoughts Screamed from an Inadequate Soapbox

The difference between rock and emo is that rock takes responsibility for its actions,
or at least empowers its audience to change. Whereas emo take more of a victims mentality,
merely complaining about situations that it deams irreconcilable.
Rock beckons a response where emo asks the system around it to change.

"Everyone thinks of changing humanity and no one thinks of changing himself."
-Leo Tolstoy

Got the bulk of my final project for Film Production shot today. I am directing a 40's noir, murder mystery adaptation of The Cat in the Hat and The Cat in the Hat Comes Back. Its been a fun and busy project thus far, got some pick up shooting to get tommorow which will wrap principle photography. The editing and all that.

Well, it is now 4:53am and I have a ballet test I have to be up for in 4 hours. We were shooting till 2am. Wish me luck.

As the credits roll
and the the pictures fade to black,
dies a part of life that could have been.

The memories scream
and the music blares in pain
on a hope that began to wain.

best intentions
and cruel directions
couldn't save this sinking ship.

Skepticism
and inhibition
were the knife that brought it down.

Beauty, tragedy
and love
carried it along.

Torn emotion
and split devotion
lowered to cliche.

The story goes,
the lights come up
and you're gone.

(So the story goes)
the lights go down
and you're not there.

-----
Shattered Dreams & Poetry Screams
copyright 2005 Matt Harrell

"Then the Voom.....
It went voom!
And, oh boy, What a voom!"

-Dr. Seuss, Cat in the Hat Comes Back

Fun - in 10 words or less

snack shack,
the stick shack,
a rickshaw?
Knick-Knack?

Its been awhile since Ive updated, since that one time where that one thing happened to me. It was crazy. Ok, I dont rightly recall it but it must've been crazy. I mean, this is me were talking about here.
So tonight I got off work and went over to a friends for a bit of a get together. Pretty standard stuff with more than a couple people there that I didn't know. About 2 hours later a friend wanted some food, so we went to D'Leons(cheap drunk people's mexican -- which, I was not drunk, this I was driving. Designated Driver) *ahem* A small skirmish broke out in the drive through line. I don't even know why. I wanted to do something about it but considering people's potential "alternate dispositions" (wink wink) I'd better not. We got our food and left, once the excitement had subsided.
Why are people so impatient? Patience is a virtue. (undisputable) Why do people have such a hard time waiting to be satisfied. We live in a world of deadlines and fast food junkies. People who want, and want now now now! We live in a capitalist society where people look out for theirs and theirs alone. It is in this context that I question the success of our capitalistic government that has helped breed a society of complacency. What is the virtue of complacency? There isn't. Complacency isn't a virtue. It can't be. The grasshopper dies in the cold after piddling away his time as opposed to working. Don't be complacent. Wait, for a change and while you're at it take a look at the world through someone else's perspective.

I just got back from seeing Paul McCartney at the Qwest center in Omaha. Wow! What an experience. I actually got paid to see Paul McCartney perform, I was working with his organization Music Lives, you can check it out at Musiclives.org.

Pretty frickin cool if you ask me. Its 2 Am. I am running on 4.5 hours of sleep and have worked 13 of the past 18 waking hours of my life. Crazy. I feel half drunk, I think that means that statistic someone told me is correct.

Last wednesday and thursday, I saw Horizon by and with Rinde Eckert it was everything I would have hoped and some. Definitley worth the two year wait. Thursday I actually had my first ever "gig" with the Cotton Dirty Laundry Tour. I handed out shirts and info on Cotton, I wore some neat clothes and did a television promotion.

Four succesful folk from the entertainment industry were at my school on friday; Mel Efros, Ernie Hudson, Jorge Zemacona and Sandy Benniciano (sp? eeEe) They work mostly in Television but alot of the info crosses over.

As you can see its been super crazy busy, I should actually be sleeping but the McD's coffee I drank to keep me awake on the drive home from Omaha has me hopped up. Stop by to say Hi sometime. Keep it real most of all. Which seems to be the difficulty. and oh, yeah the word of the day is restraint....or Bachnalian(sp?) there is a corelation there, I think you'll be pleasantly suprised.

peace,

matt

Why can't life be more like a Kevin Smith film? I think life might be better as a Kevin Smith film. beneath all the shit there is hope. "One year later..." -Chasing Amy

Why are nights so difficult? Why is it dark out when its cold? Why is it that I can smile through the pain? Monday morning starts in a couple hours. Thats a new start. eh?

"Iam sorry Alyssa....wherever you are." -Chasing Amy(the comic book)

I don't even know an Alyssa!

I get to these uncomfortable places where I see a problem or problems that are facing the world and I want to change all of them now! Then I realize I dont have that ability. So I get this sense that I want to fix all of them in my lifetime. Then I realize I dont have that ability. So I get this feeling that I would like to change one of these problems. Then I realize I dont know where to start. So I start feeling like I should at least make a difference. But that answer seems so easy. And it all seems so heavy, like I cant even sleep.

"How doesn one most effiectively.....and then when should one stop discussing and analyzing and just do something about it?"

I'd like to say that I have the simple answer. BUT I DONT!!!! and I want it. We do, as a whole, but no individual. Step. Deny self. Step. Step. Look to the interests of others. Step. Step. Step. Don't take advantage of others looking out for your interests. Together we can get there.

Yet another short snippet of a thought. I feel like Sammy Jenkis from Memento here.


I never want to lose my sense of awe with the life.