The Big Sick/ U.S.A. (Director: Michael Showalter, Screenwriters: Emily V. Gordon, Kumail Nanjiani) — Based on the real-life courtship: Pakistan-born comedian Kumail and grad student Emily fall in love, but they struggle as their cultures clash. When Emily contracts a mysterious illness, Kumail must navigate the crisis with her parents and the emotional tug-of-war between his family and his heart. Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, Anupam Kher. World Premiere
An Inconvenient Sequel / U.S.A.,— A riveting look at both the escalation of the crisis and how close we are to a real solution. Directed by Sundance Film Festival alumni Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk.
Mudbound/ U.S.A. (Director: Dee Rees, Screenwriters: Virgil Williams, Dee Rees) — In the post–World War II South, two families are pitted against a barbaric social hierarchy and an unrelenting landscape as they simultaneously fight the battle at home and the battle abroad. This epic pioneer story is about friendship, heritage and the unending struggle for and against the land. Cast: Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Mary J. Blige, Rob Morgan, Jason Mitchell, Garrett Hedlund. World Premiere
Wind River/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Taylor Sheridan) — An FBI agent teams with the town's veteran game tracker to investigate a murder that ocurred on a Native American reservation. Cast: Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Jon Bernthal. World Premiere
A Ghost Story / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: David Lowery) — This is the story of a ghost and the house he haunts. Cast: Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, Will Oldham, Sonia Acevedo, Rob Zabrecky, Liz Franke. World Premiere
The Discovery/ U.S.A. (Director: Charlie McDowell, Screenwriters: Charlie McDowell, Justin Lader) — In a world where the afterlife has just been scientifically proven—resulting in millions of people taking their own lives to get there—comes this love story. Cast: Jason Segel, Rooney Mara, Robert Redford, Jesse Plemons, Riley Keough, Ron Canada. World Premiere
The Little Hours/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jeff Baena) — A young servant fleeing from his master takes refuge at a dysfunctional convent in medieval Tuscany. Cast: Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Kate Micucci, Aubrey Plaza, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon. World
Trophy/ U.S.A. (Director: Shaul Schwarz, Co-Director: Christina Clusiau) — This in-depth look into the powerhouse industries of big-game hunting, breeding and wildlife conservation in the U.S. and Africa unravels the complex consequences of treating animals as commodities. World Premiere. (U.S. Documentary)
Long Strange Trip/ U.S.A. (Director: Amir Bar-Lev) — The tale of The Grateful Dead is inspiring, complicated, and downright messy. A tribe of contrarians, they made art out of open-ended chaos and inadvertently achieved success on their own terms. Never-before-seen footage and interviews offer this unprecedented and unvarnished look at the life of the Dead. World Premiere
Ingrid Goes West/ U.S.A. (Director: Matt Spicer, Screenwriters: Matt Spicer, David Branson Smith) — A young woman becomes obsessed with an Instagram “influencer” and moves to Los Angeles to try and befriend her in real life. Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Wyatt Russell, Billy Magnussen. World Premiere
Patti Cake$/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Geremy Jasper) — Straight out of Jersey comes Patricia Dombrowski, a.k.a. Killa P, a.k.a. Patti Cake$, an aspiring rapper fighting through a world of strip malls and strip clubs on an unlikely quest for glory. Cast: Danielle Macdonald, Bridget Everett, Siddharth Dhananjay, Mamoudou Athie, Cathy Moriarty. World Premiere
Roxanne Roxanne/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michael Larnell) — The most feared battle MC in early-'80s NYC was a fierce teenager from the Queensbridge projects with the weight of the world on her shoulders. At age 14, hustling the streets to provide for her family, Roxanne Shanté was well on her way to becoming a hip-hop legend. Cast: Chanté Adams, Mahershala Ali, Nia Long, Elvis Nolasco, Kevin Phillips, Shenell Edmonds. World Premiere
Casting JonBenet/ U.S.A., Australia (Director: Kitty Green) — The unsolved death of six-year-old American beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey remains the world’s most sensational child murder case. Over 15 months, responses, reflections and performances were elicited from the Ramsey’s Colorado hometown community, creating a bold work of art from the collective memories and mythologies the crime inspired. World Premiere
Chasing Coral/ U.S.A. (Director: Jeff Orlowski) — Coral reefs around the world are vanishing at an unprecedented rate. A team of divers, photographers and scientists set out on a thrilling ocean adventure to discover why and to reveal the underwater mystery to the world. World Premiere. THE NEW CLIMATE
City of Ghosts/ U.S.A. (Director: Matthew Heineman) — With unprecedented access, this documentary follows the extraordinary journey of "Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently"—a group of anonymous citizen journalists who banded together after their homeland was overtaken by ISIS—as they risk their lives to stand up against one of the greatest evils in the world today. World Premiere
The Force/ U.S.A. (Director: Pete Nicks) — This cinema verité look at the long-troubled Oakland Police Department goes deep inside their struggles to confront federal demands for reform, a popular uprising following events in Ferguson and an explosive scandal. World Premiere
ICARUS/ U.S.A. (Director: Bryan Fogel) — When Bryan Fogel sets out to uncover the truth about doping in sports, a chance meeting with a Russian scientist transforms his story from a personal experiment into a geopolitical thriller involving dirty urine, unexplained death and Olympic Gold—exposing the biggest scandal in sports history. World Premiere
The New Radical/ U.S.A. (Director: Adam Bhala Lough) — Uncompromising millennial radicals from the United States and the United Kingdom attack the system through dangerous technological means, which evolves into a high-stakes game with world authorities in the midst of a dramatically changing political landscape. World Premiere
Marjorie Prime/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michael Almereyda) — In the near future—a time of artificial intelligence—86-year-old Marjorie has a handsome new companion who looks like her deceased husband and is programmed to feed the story of her life back to her. What would we remember, and what would we forget, if given the chance? Cast: Jon Hamm, Geena Davis, Lois Smith, Tim Robbins. World Premiere
NOBODY SPEAK: Hulk Hogan, Gawker and Trials of a Free Press/ U.S.A. (Director: Brian Knappenberger) — The trial between Hulk Hogan and Gawker Media pitted privacy rights against freedom of the press, and raised important questions about how big money can silence media. This film is an examination of the perils and duties of the free press in an age of inequality. World Premiere
STEP/ U.S.A. (Director: Amanda Lipitz) — The senior year of a girls’ high school step team in inner-city Baltimore is documented, as they try to become the first in their families to attend college. The girls strive to make their dancing a success against the backdrop of social unrest in their troubled city. World Premiere
Whose Streets?/ U.S.A. (Director: Sabaah Folayan, Co-Director: Damon Davis) — A nonfiction account of the Ferguson uprising told by the people who lived it, this is an unflinching look at how the killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown inspired a community to fight back—and sparked a global movement. World Premiere. DAY ONE
Machines/ India, Germany, Finland (Director: Rahul Jain) — This intimate, observant portrayal of the rhythm of life and work in a gigantic textile factory in Gujarat, India, moves through the corridors and bowels of the enormously disorienting structure—taking the viewer on a journey of dehumanizing physical labor and intense hardship. North American Premiere.
Last Men in Aleppo/ Denmark, Syria (Directors: Feras Fayyad, Steen Johannessen) — After five years of war in Syria, Aleppo’s remaining residents prepare themselves for a siege. Khalid, Subhi and Mahmoud, founding members of The White Helmets, have remained in the city to help their fellow citizens—and experience daily life, death, struggle and triumph in a city under fire. World Premiere
RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked The World/ Canada (Directors: Catherine Bainbridge, Alfonso Maiorana) — This powerful documentary about the role of Native Americans in contemporary music history—featuring some of the greatest music stars of our time—exposes a critical missing chapter, revealing how indigenous musicians helped shape the soundtracks of our lives and, through their contributions, influenced popular culture. World Premiere
Tokyo Idols/ United Kingdom, Canada (Director: Kyoko Miyake) — This exploration of Japan’s fascination with girl bands and their music follows an aspiring pop singer and her fans, delving into the cultural obsession with young female sexuality and the growing disconnect between men and women in hypermodern societies. World Premiere
Gook/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Justin Chon) — Eli and Daniel, two Korean American brothers who own a struggling women's shoe store, have an unlikely friendship with 11-year-old Kamilla. On the first day of the 1992 L.A. riots, the trio must defend their store—and contemplate the meaning of family, their personal dreams and the future. Cast: Justin Chon, Simone Baker, David So, Curtiss Cook Jr., Sang Chon, Ben Munoz. World Premiere
A. Times/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michelle Morgan) — In this classically styled comedy of manners set in Los Angeles, sophisticated thirtysomethings try to determine whether ideal happiness exists in coupledom or if the perfectly suited couple is actually just an urban myth. Cast: Michelle Morgan, Dree Hemingway, Jorma Taccone, Kentucker Audley, Margarita Levieva, Adam Shapiro. World Premiere
78/52/ U.S.A. (Director: Alexandre Philippe) — This is an unprecedented look at the iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, the "man behind the curtain," and the screen murder that profoundly changed the course of world cinema. World Premiere
The Incredible Jessica James/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jim Strouse) — Jessica James, an aspiring NYC playwright, is struggling to get over a recent breakup. She sees a light at the end of the tunnel when she meets the recently divorced Boone. Together, they discover how to make it through the tough times while realizing they like each other—a lot. Cast: Jessica Williams, Chris O'Dowd, Lakeith Stanfield, Noël Wells. World Premiere. CLOSING NIGHT FILM
Quest/ U.S.A. (Director: Jonathan Olshefski) — For over a decade, this portrait of a North Philadelphia family and the creative sanctuary offered by their home music studio was filmed with vérité intimacy. The family's 10-year journey is an illumination of race and class in America, and it's a testament to love, healing and hope. World Premiere
I watch a lot of television. I see a lot of movies. I listen to a lot of music.
Access to that content in a place-shifted and time-shifted world has only increased the amount I spend with media.
I subscribe to Netflix, Hulu, and Spotify. I rent stuff off of iTunes. Use Amazon Instant Video's Prime Access. I use tons of "TV Everywhere" apps from HBOGO to Showtime Anytime. I rarely buy (though looks like I'll be buying Thom Yorke stuff for a while), but then again, I believe we will live in a future of access not ownership.
Most of these products deliver their content via streaming
Of course, streaming requires that you have a really fast mobile connection or wi-fi. And whether you believe it or not, we don't live in a completely wi-fi world yet. Data connections, while getting better, can be shotty depending on where you are: Try making a phone call or getting a data connection reliably on where I spend weekends, it will make you grind your molars. Oh, poor me, I know. #firstworldproblems.
That said, I love my tv, movies and music and want them when I want them.
My music service Spotify has a content sync functionality that deals with this issue. I choose the songs, playlists or albums I want synced offline, and when I'm taking my morning walk (where I think a lot and make mental lists of those that wronged me), the tracks don't cut out because of AT&T: "The nation’s fastest 4G LTE network. All backed by our 100% dedication to quality and service."
Simple. Easy. Totally useful.
I travel a lot. I am on a plane constantly. Gogo Inflight internet is great for e-mail, not awesome for web and non-existent for streaming media. It is getting better, but I have to download before I board to watch up in the air. Just one use case.
I want the ability to sync the movies or tv I want to watch within Netflix or Hulu (or any service) for mobile usage when I don't have good coverage or none at all. I would even pay extra if I had to. And don't give me content protection excuses. It's relatively simple.
When speaking to my friends at these services the answers are:
Not worth it, mobile connections and wi-fi will get better before we can get rights
Users have't asked for it
Just another set of rights we need to get and it can be cost-prohibitive
And content guys?
They can't stand rental
Want us to buy more
Haven't totally accepted the access economy as they speak of revenues past
Downloading is dying, "streaming won", and yet we are in a no man's land of not always being connected (at least for bandwidth hogging media).
"In a world" (say it in a movie trailer voice) where I have to watch live TV, use a DVR, multiple VOD services and my Slingbox to get all the video I want: if I could have just one functionality it would be offline syncing of selected video content.
So, Netlfix, Hulu, HBO, Amazon, Showtime and others, whaddya say?
"It's good to be in something from the ground floor. I came too late for that and I know. But lately, I'm getting the feeling that I came in at the end. The best is over." - Tony Soprano
If you read my newsletter, you know I love the current golden age of television. That all started with what I think is the greatest show ever, The Sopranos. A story that used the mafia to reflect on aspects of american life.
Actor James Gandolfini was the star of that show. A guy I saw well over 100 times in my neighborhood, TriBeCa, over the years. He lived there. Sadly he passed away yesterday.
I'm on my 6th time around watching the series in full. The creator, David Chase, is a clearly a genius. The acting and stories are phenomenal. But Gandolfini was beyond words. He could convey in a look, or a movement, in pure physicality what words can never get across. From rage to guilt to love to sympathy in one scene. Many say he was playing a version of himself or just a stereotype. No. That was pure talent and emotion. On par with the greatest artists, musicians and other exceptionals we so rarely see. Every nuance of that role was something special. Again, the show was about the mob, yes. But it also wasn't. It was about life, family, marriage, appetites, greed, guilt, happiness, good, evil, compromise, addiction and every human emotion that's part of all our experiences. I recommend that you watch it again at different periods of your life because you take different things away each time.
Even with all it had going for it - the actors, the scripts, and more - James Gandolfini took it to another level. He was a genius. Very sad to hear of his passing and my condolences go out to his family, friends and fans. We lost a truly unique and great one yesterday. - JH
If I could watch television 24 hours a day, I'd give it serious thought. TV is on a creative streak that I've never seen in my lifetime. Breaking Bad, Boardwalk Empire, Justified, Homeland, Suits, Sons of Anarchy, Revenge, Eastbound & Down and on and on. There's a surplus of the deep & heavy to the fun & entertaining (Diners, Drive-ins and Dives is a national treasure). Channels that years ago were licensing also-rans like AMC, USA, FX and others are now putting out huge amounts of awesomeness.
I just happened to come across two early contenders for this season. Both from same network, ABC. For all the talk about cable channels (and many deserve the praise all the way up and down the guide), the network that brought us LOST has two promising new series debuting this fall and winter. LAST RESORT and RED WIDOW. A friend at ABC (who knows I'm a TV fiend) graciously hooked me up with the pilots, both of which I just finished.
500 feet beneath the ocean's surface, the U.S. ballistic missile submarine Colorado receives their orders. Over a radio channel, designed only to be used if their homeland has been wiped out, they're told to fire nuclear weapons at Pakistan.
Captain Marcus Chaplin (Andre Braugher) demands confirmation of the orders only to be unceremoniously relieved of duty by the White House. XO Sam Kendal (Scott Speedman) finds himself suddenly in charge of the submarine and facing the same difficult decision. When he also refuses to fire without confirmation of the orders, the Colorado is targeted, fired upon, and hit. The submarine and its crew find themselves crippled on the ocean floor, declared rogue enemies of their own country. Now, with nowhere left to turn, Chaplin and Kendal take the sub on the run and bring the men and women of the Colorado to an exotic island. Here they will find refuge, romance and a chance at a new life, even as they try to clear their names and get home.
Loved it. Andre Braugher is a rock star in the first episode. Hoping for big things from this one. A little war, conspiracy, cover-up and more.
When Marta Walraven's (Radha Mitchell) husband is brutally murdered, her first instinct is to protect her three young children. Her husband's business partners - Irwin Petrova (Wil Traval), Marta's scheming and untrustworthy brother, and Mike Tomlin (Lee Tergesen) -- were involved in an illegal drug business deal with rival gangsters, and Marta's husband paid the ultimate price. She already knows the violent world of organized crime; her father, Andrei Petrova (Rade Sherbedzija), and loyal bodyguard Luther (Luke Goss) are gangsters too. She and her sister Kat (Jaime Ray Newman) had always wished for a safer life without bloodshed and fear. For a while Marta lived happily as a stay at home housewife in San Marta's cooperation, FBI Agent James Ramos (Mido Hamada) now promises justice.
Marta discovers a tenacity she never knew she had, and takes on the gangsters and the FBI to unveil the truth about her husband's death. As she digs into this dark underworld, she'll test her own strength, relying on her resourcefulness, determination and family ties like never before. To get out of this mob, she needs to beat the bad guys at their own deadly game.
Based on the Dutch series Penoza...
I'll watch anything about the mob at least once. "Mob" and "Mafia" are my saved Tivo keyword searches. Dug it, great set-up. Radha Mitchell is going to turn into a shrewd bad-ass, I can feel it.
Now, I can never tell why a show makes it or not. Plenty of awesome shows don't make it past the first season. But these play to my tastes and I'm rooting for them.
Stack Revenge and Scandal with these two and ABC is the big net to watch.
If you read this blog or follow me on Twitter you know I'm a big Jay-Z fan. His talent, music, swagger, outlook on life and art and most of all his story. Jay grew up in the Marcy Projects in Brooklyn, New York. A former drug dealer, he hustled his way to global stardom via hard work and genius level talent for lyrics and flow.
In 2008, Jay-Z was set to headline The Glastonbury Festival in the U.K. This is one of the biggest rock festivals the world has to offer each year. I say rock because no Hip Hop artist had ever headlined it.
Immediately, there was controversy. Ticket sales were rumored to have started off slowly and fingers pointed to Jay-Z. Noel Gallagher of Oasis was quoted as saying:
"I'm sorry, but Jay-Z? No chance. Glastonbury has a tradition of guitar music and even when they throw the odd curve ball in on a Sunday night you go 'Kylie Minogue?' I don't know about it. But I'm not having hip hop at Glastonbury. It's wrong."
The press stirred it up. Everyone weighed in. Should Jay-Z bow out? Should he play? Does Hip Hop belong at Glastonbury?
At the time Jay-Z was already a star in the United States and beginning to be global, but not yet. Glastonbury has audiences from all over the world. The crowd fly flags representing just about every country you can think of.
Was it too risky for him to try and fail?
Entrepreneurs and artists create and risk. That's what they do. And with creation comes success or failure. Sometimes they deliver and sometimes not.
There was no way Jay-Z was bowing out. In fact, I doubt he was worried about failing. There is no more confident artist out there. His skills are undeniable and he's grown into one of the best live performers around. Especially since he added a live band.
"I'm like fuck critics, you can kiss my whole asshole. If you don't like my lyrics, you can press fast forward" - Jay-Z, 99 Problems
So on June 27, 2008 Jay-Z told critics to kiss his ass. In front of 150,000 fans he was about to take the stage. But first, he played this video intro for the crowd:
And then he took the stage. In pure clever and "giving it right back" Hip Hop tradition he opened with his rendtion of OASIS' "Wonderwall" where the lyrics "I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now" took on a whole new "f*ck you" sort of meaning.
"You not feelin' me? Fine, it cost you nothing. Pay me no mind." - Jay-Z, Heart Of The City
The crowd went nuts. "Jay-Z. Jay-Z. Jay-Z". Nodding his head in agreement like a conquering Emperor.
And just as quickly as the video ended Jay-Z demands into the mic: "I just got one thing to say" and blasts into "99 Problems". That song, which ironically enough, was produced by Rick Rubin who has worked with some of the best rock bands around like The Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Cult. Not to mention Jay-Z's idols The Beastie Boys. To add insult to injury, half way through the song, his band includes the guitar riff from AC/DC's "Back in Black". As you'll see below before and after this song, Jay won over the crowd. An amazing moment for a musician facing that kind of public adversity. My friend, DJ Neil Armstrong, was the touring DJ at this show and he said it was a pretty incredible moment. He felt the crowd turn and the energy for the rest of the night was insane. Watch the performance below.
And that night, Jay-Z became a global superstar. The British press, notorious for take downs, was also impressed. The Guardian wrote here: "Glastonbury headliner turns tables on Noel Gallagher after Oasis frontman had lambasted choice of US rapper as top act".
"I'm not looking at you dudes, I'm looking past you" - Jay-Z, Heart of The City
And he did.
Jay-Z's recent commercial with Budweiser also expresses how he looks at art. All art is more similar than not in where it comes from. To him "everything is a remix". "We're all trading off each other's culture" he narrates. This spot is exactly what he was saying at Glastonbury.
My last two jobs were fun and tough.
At Sling Media the entire media ecosystem wanted to kill us. We thought we were right, they were wrong but we didn't hate them, we wanted to win them over or just move past them. But without changing our mission. It was a kiss and slap philososphy. We did it our way.
At MySpace we faced internal and external challenges and a brand and product that was on the outs. Everyone had an opinion. The death watch was on. We still believed we could turn it around. We tried, we created, we risked. But we failed. That's ok. That's how it is sometimes. But you can't sit back and not try. There's no fun in jumping off a bench. Even the creative and right lose.
At both companies I constantly re-told the story of Jay-Z at Glastonbury. Where he looked haters in the eye and slayed them with his product: his music. He won.
Jay-Z risked, confronted, delivered and grew. He's a model for entrepreneurs and artists everywhere and my favorite story.
"I'm not a businessman, I'm a business, man." - Jay-Z, Diamonds From Sierra Leone
-JH
p.s. I encourage you to search YouTube and news sites for the coverage and video of Jay-Z at Glastonbury. There are interviews, full performances and pundit coverage. And read his book DECODED. It's awesome.
Some deranged individual walked into a Colorado movie theater showing The Dark Knight Rises and murdered and wounded innocent people. Press reports have the death toll at 13 and over 70 injured. The tragedy is unspeakable and all of us are grief stricken for the victims and their loved ones. We're also scratching our heads at another event that defies all that's right in the world.
After the shock, what happens in these events is sadly inevitable. Leaders step up and politicize it. False reports of political associations. Discussions mount on whether Hollywood instigates this kind of violence. Who knew about this maniac and when? News reports that frighten us.
Though I do hope that this brings up yet another conversation on assault weapons. Do you really need an assault rifle to hunt with?
What happened to crazy?
Hear me now.
Sometimes crazy is just crazy. Evil is just evil.
As one of my favorite societal truthtellers Chris Rock once said:
"Everybody wants to know what the kids was listening to. What kind of music was they listening to? Or what kind of movies was they watching? Who gives a fuck what they was watching? Whatever happened to crazy?"
This guy wired his apartment to blow and it would have taken out his entire neighborhood. There is no explanation but crazy. Those people exist in the world. They are not the majority. They are few and there's no shot we're going to change the way we live because of crazies.
Here were hundreds of people staying up late to see the most anticipated movie of the summer. To have fun, to experience wonder. To see something they likely followed since childhood. A superhero re-made by the finest Hollywood has to offer. Christopher Nolan is pure and simple, a genius. One of the greatest filmmakers of our lifetime. Christian Bale, since he was a child prodigy, an amazing acting talent.
And now, some nut tried to stop all that.
Well, don't let him.
I ask of you, get up, rise, go see "The Dark Knight Rises" this weekend. I've been trying for two weeks to get tickets on Fandango and every show, every theater is sold out. Not a Batman fan? Not your thing? Then see any movie.
Me and Movies
2012 has not been my year. On a personal front, I've been figuratively "punched in the face" a few times with health issues plaguing me and loved ones. One bad thing happening after another. I wouldn't walk under any scaffolding with me right now. Sometimes you just hit a bad streak.
Going to the movies has always brought me great joy. I can have the worst day and yet when I walk into a theater and those lights go down and the picture starts, for few hours I drift off into another world. Completely displacing any bad thoughts and problems with fantasy, emotion, fun and laughter.
Movies have often healed me.
MySpace, Saving Private Ryan, Goodfellas and Avatar
A few years ago I was President and Chief Product Officer of MySpace. I joined at a time of complete turmoil. The business, product and audience were plummeting. Someone asked me what it was like during that period and I could only answer in movie terms. It was like the opening scene of "Saving Private Ryan" mashed up with "Groundhog Day". Every single day.
Weeks into my job I got a call from Jim Gianopulos, Co-Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Fox Filmed Entertainment, which like MySpace at the time, is owned by News Corp. He invited me over to the studio lot for lunch. For 90 minutes I raddled off questions about movies at an alarming rate and Jim rolled with it. Specifically, I couldn't shut up about Avatar. It was still 7 months away from being released but I had heard so much about it and wanted to know more.
Later that day I got a call from his office: "Jim has set up a screening of Avatar for you tomorrow, bring whomever you like."
Wow! With all that was going at MySpace I was thrilled. I took as many of the staff as I could and we made our way over to the studio.
I still remember what it was like. We walked down a dark stairway and hall into the basement of one of the buildngs which eventually led to a small, private screening room. The walk reminded me of the one in Goodfellas when Henry Hill takes his date, Karen, through the back entrance of the Copacabana.
As we piled into our seats Jon Landau, the producer of the movie, welcomes us and begins to run through 45 minutes of footage. I remember the first 3D scene of the fictional planet "Pandora". I just yelled out loud, "No F*cking Way". Jon showed us other scenes with raw special effects and tons of other cool stuff. For a fan, it was an unforgettable experience. And for those 45 minutes and much of the rest of the day. I forgot about the stresses.
On that day, a movie healed me.
My Eye Sight and Prometheus
Recently, I had a 3 month bout with double vision brought on by diabetes complications. I'm all right now. But for those 90 days I could barely see. That meant almost no movies or television, two of my greatest passions. But on June 8, 2012 I woke up and it was almost all gone. I could see again. What did I do? What was my first instinct? I called up one of my closest friends and movie-going buddies and went to the opening of Prometheus. I loved that movie. What it said. The questions it asked. The world it created. How it looked. Amazing.
On that day, a movie healed me.
Mom, Me and Ted
When I returned home late that night I got the worst news of my life. My mother called and told me she had lung cancer. I was in shock. From elation to sadness within minutes. Weeks later I'm with her in Los Angeles as she undergoes treatment. Anyone that has gone through this knows you have good days and bad days. Not just the patient, but the family. On one of those bad days I needed a break. I went down to Santa Monica's 3rd Street Promenade with two friends and saw Ted. For 106 minutes, I forgot the sadness. I laughed so hard I missed a ton of the lines and had to see it a second time. After that, I felt great for hours and begged my mom to see it, which she did and loved.
On that day, a movie healed me.
And my mother, with all she's going through, still pushes herself to see around two movies per week. Clearly, that's where I got it from.
Take Back Your Weekend
Warner Bros is in a tough position. They have pulled ads, press events and no public box office comments for the time being. It's a tough call for a studio that's grieving for the victims and in a no-win situation. Especially in this environment of finger pointing. But The Dark Night Rises is still in theaters as are many other wonderful films. Thousands of creative people worked to bring you this magic. Don't miss it or any movie you want to see.
A monster was on the prowl and tried to take happiness from us. That's not going to happen.
Movies deliver a sense of wonder. Go have some fun, forget about your problems. Honor those innocent souls that wanted nothing more but to fall into an entertaining fantasy world for a few hours.
If only for today, let the movies heal you.
You Have My Persmission To Republish Without Edit - @JasonHirschhorn
This guest post is written by Elliot Mazer, a producer, executive, technologist, and project leader. Mazer produced multi-platinum albums for artists including Neil Young, Janis Joplin, and Linda Ronstadt. He was the recording engineer of the live Last Waltz Concert. Meanwhile he has also built, designed, owned and operated audio recording facilities in Nashville and in California. (source Wikipedia)
We were at a minor league baseball game. One of the between innings entertainment events was a dance contest between two boys both of whom were around 8 years old. The dance music was recorded. One boy grooved with it. The other boy looked like he was in an aerobics class. He didn't keep time with the music. The crowd voted and the aerobic kid one. The music got him going but he didn't dance or groove to it. That is typical of how music has been valued the past few years.
We have always had hit singles and that goes back to every form of popular music: Ragtime, Vaudeville, Boogie Woogie, Cajun, Big Band, Rock, Folk, etc. People gravitated to common tunes that excited and/or stimulated them. The McRecord is about instant gratification.
We had seen young artists develop and wind-up having careers that last for decades too. Today, only a few new artists get a shot at a major label. The music business is mostly about McMusic. Many of the great and uniqie musicians that do not play McMusic will have to go it alone or abandon their aspirations. A few might get signed to a label that will help them. There are musicians that never have hit records and fund their careers playing local gigs, house concerts and supporting big artists on occasion. The evolution of digital music, inexpensive gear for recording and live performances has helped many musicians create small and limited careers. Very few independent artists establish long-running careers.
This is how I group musicians:
Amateurs: They only play in private, maybe to family or friend.
Semi-Pro: They do in-house concerts and play any gig they can get, busk.
Professional Musicians: They make money and have a career playing music.
There are 2 subgroups:
Artists that have to work second jobs to exist
Artists that can support themselves with their music.
I wonder if people know how much hard work goes into becoming a "great" musician. Most artists that I've worked with spent years practicing and perfecting their skills. They still practice intensly before recording or going on the road.
Let's compare baseball to music...
Backyard: Play catch with friends and family - pick up guitar and learn the chords
Neighborhood ball, stoop ball: Play with friends, maybe compete with them - play along with radio, records
Little League: You know how to play your guitar and maybe have some friends you can play music with you.
High school teams: if you are good enough you get on the team. Form a group and practice
College teams: Are you good enough to compete? Play in groups, fraternity parties.
Sandlot: Fun or career. In both cases, if you are really good compared to others, you mgiht consider a career
Minor league: play at parties, house concerts, small clubs, any place where you can play in front of people
Majors: Only a select few get to the majors.
In each of the above examples, there are obvious places where one would know to stay where they are, bail or continue.
The major labels will be around for many more years. They'll only sign artists that they're sure can sell music. Very few new artists get signed. This was the case before the mid-sixties. Labels recorded stuff they believed could be hits.
The LP came into the market in the 50s. Before then artists cut singles (78s). If the single was a success, they cut another one. Great care was given to the choice of song and those recordings were done live in the studio. Many labels such as Motown, Cameo, Parkway, Fire, Fury and others only recorded singles. If an artist had 4 or 5 hit songs then they released an album.
It's presumed that a label will spend the equivalent of the recording budget on marketing, promotion, radio and press. That's not the same as putting your music on bandcamp or thinking you are promoting on Facebook or Twitter. The outlets that really help create mass demand normally cost real money.
WARNING: What you are about to read qualifies as an "overshare".
I want to apologize for not sending out the newsletter these past few days. Let me explain what happened.
I woke up one morning in early April to find that I had double vision. After a lot of doctors, MRIs and tests it seems to have been brought about by not controlling my Type 2 Diabetes. This caused, so the doctors say, nerve damage in my eye which caused Diplopia, or double vision.
It's been my own private hell. Walking around, watching TV, let alone curating has been rough. It won't heal for about another 3 months if at all. If not, I have to have surgery. I've learned some tricks and workarounds in the last 2 weeks which have helped. But my eyesight seems to jump all over the place daily. It's actually quite fascinating if it wasn't happening to me.
This will sound incredibly stupid... But, guess what? You need your eyesight! I suppose double vision would be great if I were on a nude beach full of supermodels. But that's not quite what I'm living right now. :-)
The newsletter resumes today. I know you depend on it and I apologize for missing a few days, the only ones I've missed in around 6+ years.
I've also codified a bit of how I do this each day and will soon be bringing some great staff on and launching some new content categories as I realize a product dream I've had for many years.
One important note, Media ReDEFined is available on Twitter at @MediaReDEF and Facebook here. In addition, beautiful visual app-based versions are available on Flipboard under "Cool Curators" and Pulse under "Technology". Those versions are updated hourly regardless of the newsletter send. Be forewarned that the volume of articles on those platforms are about 2-3x of what you see in the newsletter.
So, I f*cked my health up good. That's the last time it will happen. It truly scared me enough to pay attention and I am getting it under control. My blood sugar is almost back to normal and I've lost about 25 lbs.
I'm a so-called type-A person. Almost anything I have control over I will do well. But to paraphrase the great Tom Petty: "the waiting (for the eyesight) is the hardest part". That's all I can do.
The upside of all this is the reminder that I have good friends and family who have checked-in on me when I've been in a, let's say, irritable mood.
I'll save my newly formed thoughts on doctor bedside manner and the health insurance industry for another post.
Now back to the amazingly crazy and ever-changing world of media and technology. For those of you not subscribed to Media ReDEFined, you can do that here.
I watched a lot of movies when I was kid. Still do. My tastes tended to be slightly darker. This will be a regular feature. Enjoy my friends...
Over The Edge (1979)
Families move to a new development in the suburbs of Denver called New Granada. But city planners are late in building recreational resources for the kids. What happens? Drugs, sex, vandalism, Van Halen, Cheap Trick, death, anarchy and juvi. It was Matt Dillon's first time on screen and apparently Kurt Cobain's favorite movie.
The Parallax View (1974)
Warren Beatty stars as a journalist trying to expose a dark, shadow organization that recruits political assassins (and patsies). Born out of the deserved and obvious paranoia following the assassinations of the Kennedys, MLK and others. I love a good conspiracy movie. Beatty is great here.
Bugsy Malone (1976)
I love gangster movies. But give me one where the gangsters are kids dressed up in suits, carrying whipped cream-filled machine guns, starring Jodi Foster and Scott Baio, with music by Paul Williams and directed by Alan Parker. Done. Awesome. Big part of my days spent indoors.
The Warriors (1979)
"Warriors, come out and playee-yay." As Jay-Z would say, "What more can I say?" Gangs in NY try to unify and then all hell breaks loose when their leader gets one in the coconut. The Warriors, a small gang, are wrongfully accussed and fight all night to get to safe ground. Favorite parts? The narrating DJ throughout the movie. We only see her mouth and mic. And of course the colorful uniforms of each gang. The names and dress remind me of the gangs of the five points in Scorcese's "Gangs of New York". Starring lots of unknowns and a few actors that tried to kill Eddie Murphy in 48 Hours.
The In-Laws (1979)
For me, hands-down, one of the funniest movies ever made. Peter Falk as a wackadoo CIA agent who enlists a dentist (and soon to be in-law) Alan Arkin into an intricate plot to get a Latin dictator. Pure genius every minute. And it doesn't hurt that there is a "Mr. Hirschhorn" character. One of my all time favorite movies.
Logan's Run (1976)
Fun, slightly cheesy 70's sci-fi. Hot future people of the 23rd century live in a world of pure pleasure. Only problem is you have to die young. Those that don't want to, well, they "run". Logan is a policeman who chases those runners. Until he becomes one himself. Good grilled cheese. Can watch this 100 times.
The Long Good Friday (1980)
Bob Hoskins stars as London's prime gangster. But forces are out to get him and things are not going his way. He has 24 hours to fix it. Love the accents, Helen Mirren as his girlfriend and the cameo by a young Pierce Brosnan at the end.
Executive Action (1973)
Way before Olive Stone's "JFK" this film guessed at the why and how of the JFK assassination. Starring Burt Lancaster and a bunch of old recognizable codgers as the conspirators. Another of the great paranoid 70's conspiracy movies. My Dad loved this one.
The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane (1976)
Jodi Foster was so prolific an actress in the 70's it's really hard to compare to anyone else these days. Especially at her young age. This is a freaky little film about a little girl living alone in a New England town. Where are her parents? Well, lots of weird, disturbed and curious neighbors want to know. Just saw this again on the MGM HD channel.
Thief (1981)
The 80's had lots of style. Good and bad. A lot of the good came from director, Michael Mann. This film stars James Caan as a top notch thief taking down scores and buying watches, houses, cars and clothes. Until the local mob wants a piece of him. Great vibe. If you liked the recent film with Ryan Gosling, DRIVE, notice how much of that vibe comes from this film. Can't forget that Jim Belushi is in a good supporting role either!
Having some money all of a sudden is a weird thing. I've always wondered what entrepreneurs do when they hit it. What do they buy, If at all? How do they react to new found ducats?
Does life become a 90s rap video? Cham' bustin' 24-7?
I basically had no money in my twenties.
I was luckier than most, my parents helped with the rent and I had spending cash via the web design firm I started in 1995, Mischief New Media. My clients were "major" record labels and I designed websites for their aritsts. I wasn't that great and soon as the web started taking off they brought those things in-house. But I had a knack for product development and saw an opening for better uber-music destinations in a landscape that had few good ones. So on the side, I started building music sites I would use. RockOnTV, MusicNewsWire, MusicStation just to name a few.
I got lucky and 5 years later sold my company to MTV Networks. All those sites were rolled into SonicNet.com, the biggest music site around at the time. Now all defunct!
All of the sudden I had some money.
What did I do first?
While in my lawyer's office I made a copy of the check. Then found what I thought to be the mailing address of the principal that kicked me out of school before my senior year. I wrote "F*CK YOU" on the check and mailed it. I don't know if she ever got it. But 11 years after high school graduation, I had some closure. Yes, I held a grudge but now I was over it. It's a longer story of trust, betrayal, power gone mad, evils of authority and not for this post. :-) She represented all the people that didn't believe in me. Deep breath and now back to the story...
And the money... what did I do with the money?
2 things I remember vividly.
First, I called my mom up and said something like this...
Me: It's done. I just sold the company to MTV.
Mom: Oh, my god! Oh, my god! I'm so proud of you!
Me: Bring every bill, everything you owe over to my place tonight. We're gonna write some checks.
Mom: Are you serious? (SCREAMING)
Me: Yes, see you later.
So, Mom did just that. And for about an hour that night we wrote checks for credit card bills, rent, school, personal loans... you name it.
Buying things is certainly a lot of fun. Travel, cars, all that big pimpin' stuff. But at the end of the day, if you can help or give back to those that did the same for you... well, that rocks. It's a great feeling. More importantly, my mom was directly responsible for my product chops. When I was about 3 years old, She bought me a huge box of building blocks. Simple, made of wood, lots of shapes. There is no doubt in my mind that playing with those blocks shaped my creativity. They made me think about structure, balance, systems and more. She always made sure we had what we needed, she went without and worked hard to provide for us.
To this day, it's the proudest moment of my life.
The second thing? Well, let me step back here...
When you're an entrepreneur putting it all on the line, as least with me, I worked constantly. For 5 years. 18 Hour days. Getting out very little. Always thinking about work. Work, work, work. When you have one of these events, like selling, you can go a little crazy for a second. It's not over, there is more to do to realize the dream. But it's a moment where you get dizzy for a second. And I sort of reverted back to childhood for a few weeks. How so? I went on EBay and bought what I remember to be thousands of Matchbox cars. Why? Who the f*ck knows. I liked them when I was 5 years old. My mom used to buy me one a week. It was a good memory from simpler times. Now? I was a man-child with cash and clearly no idea what to do with it.
So, I'm sitting in my apartment and these boxes start coming in. I mean tons of them. Unopened collections of f*cking Matchbox cars. I opened one, took a deep breath and just started laughing. What the hell was I thinking? There was no way I was able to return these. My small apartment was filled with toy cars. What now?
I went out to get something to eat a few days later and I noticed the lobby of my building had these huge bins for a children's toy drive. I turned around, got the wheely pushcart in the lobby and went back to my apartment. I loaded the boxes of cars up and within a few trips had given all of them away. Mostly unopened. In these digital times, needy kids probably thought... what moron is giving me a miniature car? I want Nintendo DS!
And so goes my few weeks of reverting to childhood nuttiness.
Yes, I ended up getting the car and the home. I've bought hundreds of pairs of sneakers that put Quincy Smith's collection to shame. I've traveled to all sorts of great places. I love buying stuff for my nieces and nephew. I've pretended to be an angel investor... And yes, of course, I've donated to causes (I'm not totally selfish)... mostly having to do with education (see www.cfy.org). But these are the 2 things I remember most.