Chapters

mmmm…well for the past I do not know how long I have been trying to finish up several dvds that I have been working on for the past couple years. Get them squared away, the video_ts files on the new drive and then dump all the media, render files, capture scratch etc.

Thought I was done with CUBIC. Then I watched one of them, the first half second of Park2 of one of the shots was bungled. Didn’t chop it properly. The beginning, such a minute part. But if you’re going to do it, do it correctly, right? Can’t wait to have it done with. Like starting a new chapter. or a new book.

Feel as if the ideas within those DVDs (aeiou, Here&Now, IYWSHWSG, etc) though I still love them, are excess baggage in a way. Time to remove them from my consciousness and move on. Sometimes ideas sit in my head for a while, some for too long and then the creation of the physical object is a purging of the idea. Some ideas I do not want to create the thing for them as the idea is too much fun to think about.

Thinking about something is frequently more enjoyable than seeing/hearing/ it. My favorite part of a movie is the time before it starts, the anticipation.

Render, render, render off to render we go….

Berlin

Is just about the coolest city ever! Been here for about 1.5 weeks, getting our apartment together. One thing we don’t have is interet access at our place yet, so have to go smoky interet cafes. No need to drive and therefore no need for parking. After I got a hair cut the other day, while walking home got a Chicken Doner and a beer. Can’t swing a stick here without hitting Americans. We are §$&”§%”! everywhere, which kinda sucks. Guess I am part of the problem th0ugh. Unless somehow I become part of the solution…cool place except for the smoke…


Scarlett Johansson

is a terrible actress. Just watched “Scoop” last night by Woody Allen. And okay he was not at the top of his game when he wrote that one but Scarlett. Yeow, that was a painful performance to watch. She was acting so hard, giving it everything she had each line. You could almost see her thinking what to do next, how to touch her glasses, how to smirk and shrug her shoulders. She does not appear to be comfortable on camera. She was not enough of a foil for Woody so his performance wasn’t as sharp as it could have been. Though he was great when being Splendini, and card tricks at the parties.

Woody, Woody, Woody, we know she gives you a woody, but that doesn’t mean she should be in your film. At least then dress her in skimpier stuff. Nice T and A, but her torso is a bit short to really accent them.

This film did not have the pithy questions and lines about life that are throughout his other films. I guess that by know in his advanced years her has the answers now or stopped asking them. “Tell funnier jokes” the alien advises him in Stardust Memories. This one didn’t really have them.

Reviews

I was just reading the NY Times book review from this past Sunday. In it the name of the reviewer is given as is the name of the last book the person wrote. If not a book then what publication that person writes for, edits etc. When reading dance reviews, I don’t see the authors’ names attached to any previous production.

Is there a different standard between the art forms? Are dancers not reviewing each others work? Are dancers not able to review each others work? Would I rather have a dancer review my work than a non dancer? Well, hell, at this point I would want anyone to review my work…

Saddam’s Execution

here is a video of it.

What does it mean that someone used a cellphone to film the execution of a deposed despot? My first question was – is this real? Do I need to see this? People used to watch executions in town squares, no? Now those town squares are online.

What kind of shit storm is awaiting us? Won’t Saddam just become a martyr? As Obi-Wan said to Vader- if you kill me, it will only make me stronger (okay, not the exact words, whatever, haven’t seen the movie in a while, and last time, I was stoned)

Dreamgirls

we are dream girls we are dream girls we are your wet dream girls

gotta love how songs gloss over the topics that they really are talking about. Sort of taking all the sting, spice, and interest out of the topic to make it palatable for the masses.

That is what happened with the movie”Dreamgirls”. It had so many possible great storylines in there, too many for 2 hours to deal with, that nothing really stood out. The story of Eddie Murphy’s heroin addict could have been great. The story of Effie’s drinking and single mother hood could be really intense and then her comeback. The megalomania of Jamie Foxx’s character. The squashing of C.C. soul and spirit to make the songs fit into marketable packages could have been interesting. Curtis’ realization of fatherhood could have been interesting.

But in the end none of these issues are really tackled, leaving you with not much.

Also what is with Beyoncé’s eyebrows? Looks like there is something missing between her eyebrown? is it expression? How much Botox is in there. And why is she up for best actress? Jennifer Hudson is the main star in the movie, not Beyoncé. Once again the curvy chick gets bumped by the skinny one.

Parking

Yesterday, Kelly and I went for a little hike in the Huckleberry Botanic Preserve up in the Oakland Hills.

As we were leaving, I saw a car drive into the parking area and back into a parking spot. From some reason, I have always been suspicious of people who back into parking spots. It doesn’t save any time. Back out now or back out later, same diff. I understand backing into a spot at a campground, so that the trunk is closer to your site. I think people who back into parking spots are too occupied with their cars. Or they have some secret knowledge I do not possess.

Jealousy, it all comes back to jealousy.

Nauman

Just got a link to video by Bruce Nauman.

You just gotta love his stuff. The idea is so simple and contained almost like a color, a new color on everyone’s palette. Each time I see a video of his that I have not seen before, it is like a section of the refied world is opened up, allowing me new possiblities. What would/could I do with a video of me pinching my neck? I had never thought about a video of me pinching my neck. Aaack, my mind is opening. And then all his walking videos. Damn, just makes you want to do something and then film it. Bam idea bam

new colors new colors new colors

That is what is important, the new colors. Anyone can paint but can anyone make new colors?

Post show depression

The Scenery was wrecked. Guessing some people were thoroughly confused. Received the usual platitudes “Nice to see you dancing”, the euphemism for many things – don’t like it, didn’t get it, you can’t dance. Not that people need to have a well articulated opinion after the show, but something.

The houses were filled, not busting at the seams, but more than my last two shows here. So that is nice. Not sure if that is due to Mary and Nina’s names or just knowing more people here in town.

One thing I am learning is that most people are not very curious. And how can you be an artist and not be curious? Yes, everyone had busy lives and many obligations, but one of those obligations as an artist, as a dancer, is to see as much work as possible. To see what is going on, what people are investigating/thinking about. You can only poo-poo someone’s work if you have seen it. And my show was only $15.

How else are you going to learn about art if you don’t go see show? Dance class isn’t much of a place, rehearsal isn’t much of one either. Well, those are both good places, but not as good as seeing other people’s work.

Maybe I am approaching bitterness, but more and more I am convinced that people are not curious.