four eyed monsters screenings

About a year ago I mentioned an independent movie titled Four Eyed Monsters which was being promoted at the time via a making-of podcast. Since then, the film has been screened in several cities (though not Atlanta) and won a number of awards.

Well, I just discovered today that it will be screening in over 30 cities starting on Valentine’s Day, including, finally, Atlanta at Cinefest. The screenings are all one time events and with the DVD of the film coming soon, this may be your last chance to see it in a theater and the last chance fur us to show that self distribution really has become a viable alternative (which is really one of my key interests in the film).

Here’s the description taken from the Cinefest site:

Arin is a wannabe filmmaker and highly inexperienced with love, despite the fact that he spends most of his time editing wedding videos. In one of the most populous cities in the world, he is alone and tormented by the beautiful women he sees everywhere. He turns to the Internet. Susan is an art school graduate working as a waitress and suffering from a lack of inspiration. She receives a message from Arin, but since she’s tired of dating, especially online, she suggests that he should just stop by her work. Arin is too shy to introduce himself. So instead, he follows her home without her knowing and emails her pictures of her mundane daily trudge. She is intrigued. They decide to meet up, but in an attempt to keep their interaction interesting, they make a pact to not speak to one another. As their romance develops, they only write, draw, email, text, have sex, instant message, and make videos for each other. No talking. Susan’s creative clouds begin to lift, and Arin’s dry spell has ended. Unfortunately, a new world of more complicated problems is discovered, and they are forced to deal with intimacy as they meld together and create a monster.

filmmaking in georgia

As someone who makes movies, but really doesn’t want to move out to L.A. and get caught up in the beast that is Hollywood, this news is quite welcome:

By the end of September, film, TV, commercial and music video productions had spent $285 million in Georgia on hotel expenses, catering, local hiring and more, nearly doubling the $146 million attained in all of 2005

Of course, that’s just Hollywood coming here, so it’s still primarily not productions in which I’m interested, but it means the infrastructure will be even better here for the films I make. With only one member of my six member filmmaking group who will still be living here next fall, I’ve got a very vested interest in any developments that will allow us to keep making the films we want to make.

(Speaking of my films, if anyone is interested in helping out on the new film, send an email to iwanttohelp@wackoproductions.net)

vote for the bull moose

This morning, in grazing through my news feeds, I came across an AJC story about three people running for Cynthia McKinney’s seat in the House. We all know how I feel about McKinney and how much I care about this race, but it surprised me to read about a third candidate. (Well, in all honesty, I’d not been paying much attention to the race since McKinney lost because I figured it was a done deal for the Democrats as always.) I read the third candidate’s name and age and something started tickling the back of my brain. I scrolled down to his picture and likely would have spit coffee all over the laptop if I hadn’t already chugged it.

A bit of background. Many, many years ago I took art lessons for a summer from a sweet Japanese lady in the basement of her house. She attended the same church as my grandparents and was quite the artist herself. I learned about charcoal and pastels and still lifes. Taking those lessons with me was a kid named Loren Collins. We played together once or twice I think, but otherwise didn’t interact too much outside of those lessons (in large part because back then I was only ever here in Atlanta during the summer). His family also attended that church and so a couple of years ago I ran into him again at that church’s 50th anniversary gathering.

Well, turns out that kid became a lawyer and is now running for Congress. Not only is he running, but running as a Bull Moose and self-described “Libertarian-leaning conservative”, a description I’ve used for myself at times. In reading over the issues page on his website, sure enough, I’m right there with him on every issue. Of course as a third party candidate and a write-in one at that he will likely still be here in town come January. However, being the idealist I am (i.e. you should vote for who you want to win, not just who you think has a chance), I’ll be writing his name in come November 7th.

If, after reading the positions laid out on his site and hopefully seeing him speak (refer to the AJC article linked above for the dates on upcoming debates as his events page appears to incorrect right now), you find you agree with his stance as well, then go ahead and cast a vote to which you’ll be proud to admit, especially when we find out that the other candidates are only marginally better than McKinney.

how can a poor man stand such times and live?

Sitting here watching Bruce Springsteen and the Seeger Sessions Band on PBS and thinking. As bad as times may be, as dark as the storm may be, we as a species and as a nation have known worse. We’ve survived countless natural disasters, we’ve survived the charnel house of war, we survived thousands of years enslaving each other. We will survive this presidency, we will survive this hurricane season, we will survive the standoffs with Iran and North Korea, we’ll even survive another Cynthia McKinney term if such a disaster comes about.

And now I’m watching the Democratic gubernatorial debate for Georgia and cringing. The only one that has said anything I can support is Mac McCarley, a World War II veteran who doesn’t have any real chance, but who at least sounds like he’s saying what he thinks instead of what he’s been told to say.

For those who are in Georgia, here’s the AJC election coverage page.

v for very local

My review of V for Vendetta (and some associated political talk, don’t worry I’ll lead with the review) is coming. This ain’t it. The internet will funnel it into your eye sockets later this week so that when you are making plans for the weekend you will remember that it is good and you will go see it. Twice.

Tonight though was the second Decatur City Commission meeting of the month. I won’t bore you with as much detail as I did last time, but a couple items are worth mentioning (and thus worth you reading).

First, an awesome little figure: 2.5 lbs. That figure is the current amount of trash produced per capita by Decaturites each day. So why is it an awesome figure? Well, there’s this Solid Waste Management Plan which says we need to reduce trash to 10% below the 1992 figure. Back then, Decatur residents each excreted 6.6 lbs of trash per day. That’s already a 62% reduction and they haven’t even gotten recycling figured out for all these just-showed-up-overnight condos yet.

Last time I mentioned a study of traffic signal timing here in Decatur. I learned tonight that the analysis and public feedback is being paid for by the city (my landlord’s tax dollars at work). The signals and the timing of them are all maintained by Dekalb County. They should be the ones paying for the analysis. Sounds like I should be upset with the city for paying, right? Well, despite the fact that we’re the county seat, Dekalb refuses, according to Mayor Bill Floyd, to pay for or even conduct a study. All I can figure is that the county officials have jet packs and thus don’t have to deal with the traffic lights around here. If you’re like me though and actually have a car (or feet), go fill out the questionnaire and/or send an email to trafficsignals@decaturga.com.

And since this is likely the last time I’ll write about local stuff until the next meeting, if you keep waking up at 3AM to find that old busted monitor perched on the edge of your bed leering at you, smack it with a bat and drag it to Electronics Recycling Day this Saturday in the high school parking lot. If you don’t, it will eat your toenails.