This Will Be an Interesting July 4th Week! “Monumental”, I’m Sure!

Once in a while a film comes along that makes one think about life before it is even released.  One such film being made is ‘Monumental’ which stars Gary Cairns II, Luke Albright, Agnes Olech, and Bill Oberst Jr.   It is being directed by Scott Hansen.

In this story, which is written by Gary Cairns and Luke Albright, two men embark on a cross-country journey to spread the ashes of Clayne’s mother (played by Gary) at various historical monuments she had dreams of visiting, but never got a chance to go to. Along the way, they encounter dangerous situations that lead them down an unexpected path.  This trip will be ANYTHING but normal.

Coming face to face with the possibility of losing my mother someday, this is one film that I am waiting to see. I am going to put two links here so that readers can check this out.  The first is to the Facebook page for the movie.  The 2nd will be to the indiegogo.com page.  The fund-raising part is over, but you can still see the interview clips there.  This movie is going to be good. It is going to be an open road journey where each character has to come face-to-face whatever they are dealing with inside.

I feel that it also falls in line with the spirit of July 4th being that Clayne’s mother had a passion for those monuments to which the cast and crew are traveling during the filming of this adventure.

Aside from that it is turning into a real adventure for these guys. They make videos and take photos of almost every place they visit and pay thanks to those who’ve been a part of their journey along the way.  In the process of filming, not only are these guys filming a fictional adventure of great value, but they are discovering that the American Spirit is alive and well in every place they visit–and have videos on the Facebook page of those places along the way! Be on the lookout for these guys! They may come to your town next! I’m surprised the Today Show or Ellen DeGeneres hasn’t caught up with them yet! This is a story worth sharing! Here is a pic of these guys for you so you all can watch for them!

Left: Gary Cairns II         Right: Luke Albright

 

In the meantime here is link 1 and if on FB, please click like and share:

https://www.facebook.com/monumentalmoviepage?fref=ts

And for the interview clips, go here:

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/monumental

Related articles

• All The Details On Children Of Sorrow (firstclasshorror.wordpress.com)
• http://www.officiallypluggedin.com/news/2012/12/interview-with-gary-cairns-ii/

 

The Changing World of Movie Viewing Part II

In the first post on this I discussed how actors/actresses are judged by an audience and how a film critic’s views no longer represent the public as much as they do the marketing execs.  They don’t represent the academy, that’s for sure. I will not rehash that here.  I want to discuss another aspect that Hollywood seems to trip  itself over.

Many marketing execs claim that they make films to appeal to teens and ‘tweens because they think that the older audience tends to “stay home”.  The logic is nothing more than a smokescreen to justify how they tend to make a lot of crappy films now.  Why? Because they are marketing the same type of crap to home viewers.  With the exception of a few shows, like “Hardcore Pawn” people are getting really sick of “reality TV“.  The fact of the matter is that many of these shows highlight what is wrong with society rather than what is enjoyable about it.  Some even tend to glamorize behavior that society should never tolerate from anyone for that matter–especially the authorities…For example, take the latest case:  Honey Boo Boo…What parent in their right mind would jeopardize the health of their own child by pumping him/her full of energy drinks and let them gain so much weight just so they can act the way this kid does?  The fact of the matter there is that they feel sorry for the kid and want to kick the parents’ asses, and I think many watch just to see if CPS will knock on their door…

Now back to the point of this post.  IF these execs knew what they were doing, they would market real movies with logical plots and believable story lines AT LEAST to the home viewers since they tell the public that the older audience tends to “stay home”…The bottom line is: They want the kids because they think most have only a two second attention span. Not only is that an insult the entire audience as a whole, but they insulted the entire Academy of Motion pictures with that line of thinking.  Do they really think when deciding for the Oscars that that is the logic of the members of the academy?  Seriously? If so, they should all be fired and replaced.

It seems to me that it is the performers and a handful of  directors and producers who have the real audience and fans in mind.  Both the Academy and the audience want original ideas, innovation, characters that COULD exist, believable story lines and even a little old-fashioned romance from time to time–and even HUMOR–REAL HUMOR–not this crap that always goes back to sexual innuendo either.  The innuendo and such has its place but it should not be on Prime-Time TV. THAT should be reserved for when the kids are in bed.  There is nothing illogical or “archaic” about that.  It is those execs who promote the bull shit that have limited their own potential by buying into their own crappy perception of the world they live in.  IF that were not the case, they wouldn’t be advising stock holders and producers to put money into pictures and TV shows that are not worth a damn.

When shows like “Harry’s Law” and “Memphis Beat” get cancelled, something is definitely wrong.  A network with a wiser CEO should work to get those shows on it.  I’ve got $10 that says with the RIGHT marketing and the RIGHT time slot, those two shows would be runaway hits for investors.

It is also time to stop with the sequels, prequels and remakes (or as some now call them “reboots”) that tend to deviate from original classic shows. NOT one of these has succeeded on TV this year or at the box office.  The only movie doing well in that category this year is “The Expendables 2” because it is a continuation of an ORIGINAL IDEA!   Thank God for Sly Stallone and Dolph Lundgren.  At least those guys have some idea of what an audience really wants…The only other fairly recent film which did well was “Star Trek” (2009).  J. J. Abrams did that one right–regardless of what some think.  He captured the essence of the original characters using new actors and did not deviate from their traits in the least.  That is more than I can say for the  “Dark Shadows” movie that was released this year.  Every reason that movie flopped is in a book written by Tom Laughlin  which you can find here:

http://www.billyjack.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=BK9S&Category_Code=BOOKS&Store_Code=BERSERK

And I still say that had the Dark Shadows Revival series went beyond 12 episodes, it would have lasted.  That was one remake that did stick to Dan Curtis’s vision of what he thought his own creation should be.  He always knew what his fans wanted, that’s for sure.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday, everyone! Until next time…

 

This is an Indie Film Worth Supporting!

She remembers those days well…Walking into class with a pencil, the same clothes she had to wear for two days straight, her book and no paper…When she tried to borrow paper the student she asked told her, “Get your own! You’re always out of stuff!”  Embarrassed, by the situation she then asked the teacher if she had some that she could borrow.  In those days teachers weren’t that keen on it, but she knew the child’s situation at home…There was no money.  The teacher handed her a folder with ten sheets of paper with her name on it.  She then said to her, “This is your paper folder. Bring it to me every day and I will keep refilling it.”

Smiling the little girl did so.  Her grades came up and she seemed happier, even though other kids in her class picked on her.   I should remember her well…I was that child.  I didn’t always have what I needed due to things taking place at home–but at least I HAD a roof over my head.  Many of these students do not.  That is where School on Wheels comes in.  You can find out more via the link below. They have been providing tutoring services to homeless students since 1993.  This is definitely a worthwhile cause to support and more organizations like this are needed around the nation!

Now I want to tell you a way that you can help that might interest you as well.  IF you are a patron of the arts, and support independent film makers, then you need to check out the trailer for the picture “Lost in a Crowd” that is soon to be released.  The cast and crew have decided that they will give 10% of all funding raised to School on Wheels, Inc.   You can view the trailer here:

http://www.indiegogo.com/LIAC

There are also rewards in this for you depending on the amount you choose to give.  There are many independent films that do not make it to mainstream markets due to various factors, but this is a film that deserves to have support.  You will be seeing a lot more of this cast and crew in the future.

There is also a link on the home page that will take you to the main website for School on Wheels for when you’d like to give supplies, volunteer, etc…

Again, this is a worthwhile cause to be a part of, and for as little as $10, you can make the difference in the life of a student with needs this holiday season.  Thank you and have a great week!

This is a Film You Need to Check Out! I’ll Tell You Why…

I have a lot of respect for the Indie film market because those in it reach out to wide audiences of every race, religion, creed, etc…Often the cast and crew give of their time to help those in need.  This is about one such group who have put their energy into a new film.  Right now they are raising money to get the film marketed, but 10% will go to Schools on Wheels, an organization that is making a difference in the lives of homeless students in Los Angeles.  I had never heard of Schools on Wheels prior to this film, but I am hoping that these pop up all over the place, because they are very much-needed!

Here is a link to School on Wheels here:  http://www.schoolonwheels.org/  and they are worth checking out!

The name of the film is called “Lost in a Crowd”.  Aside from being a pretty darned good movie, they are donating 10% of any money used to promote the film to School on Wheels!  You can check out the trailer and such here:   http://www.indiegogo.com/LIAC    This film  also marks the directorial début of Micah Cohen!  Also here is a partial list of the cast: Timothy Ryan Cole, Luke Albright,  David L. Murphy, Gary Cairns and Marta McGonagle.    I really wish these guys the best as they have put a lot of hard work and dedication into this project!

Have a great week!

Tina