It's official. I have given up. I'm over politics and politicians. I'm over Fox News. I'm over stupid people who blather away mindlessly on television with nothing intelligent to say other than to further their own selfish agendas. Okay, I suppose anyone who crafts their own message in any kind of media has their own agenda to move forward. But any more it seems like most of the content that gains any traction in the public eye is "all sizzle, no steak", to coin a phrase. There's no actual … [Read more...] about Is It A Movie, or Is It A Message? Or Is It Both?
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Pens to Lens Brings the Hollywood Vibe to Downtown Champaign
A beloved toy turned into a carrot-chomping monster. A superhero fighting a different kind of battle. A young girl on an unusual mission. A sanitized Satan battling over burgers. Miners, monkeys, dinner parties, and even a tunnel to the other side of the globe. Those were some of the cinematic treats devoured by a very enthusiastic packed house at the Art Theater last night. The unexpected part? The scripts were all written by kids. It was the gala celebration for a new and exciting program … [Read more...] about Pens to Lens Brings the Hollywood Vibe to Downtown Champaign
RIP Roger Ebert
Just yesterday I was reading Roger Ebert's latest blog post, about some new projects, some in-progress developments...and about his recurring cancer. He was scaling back, taking what he called "a leave of presence" while tackling his illness yet again. Today, he passed away. My love of movies has been lifelong, fueled quite handily by the minds of Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel. Every week I would watch them on television, discussing the movies of the day and arguing over their value. From early … [Read more...] about RIP Roger Ebert
A Local Exploration of the Magic of Movies
Recently I was invited to appear with Jason Pankoke and Luke Boyce on UPTV's series, Art Now!, to discuss preparations for an upcoming annual film festival, the New Art Film Festival. There is such a flourishing culture of locally-produced cinema in my area, and it was only natural that I wanted to help spread the word about this special event. When I arrived at the taping, I learned that I was also going to have the opportunity to talk about my company, Psychic Joker Entertainment, whose goal … [Read more...] about A Local Exploration of the Magic of Movies
Don’t Worry, 2011, We Still Love Movies
Cinema Blend recently reported that movie attendance was down in 2011, presumably causing even more waves of panic in certain circles which concern themselves about the Future Of Movies. Today Cinema Blend re-posted an article by the venerable Roger Ebert, who gave his two cents as to why he thinks people are avoiding the theaters. You can certainly guess some of the components of his reply: high prices for tickets and concessions (especially concessions), fewer/different choices in films, and … [Read more...] about Don’t Worry, 2011, We Still Love Movies
Checking in
Wow, it's been a while since I added any decent content to this blog! Sorry about that. I do appreciate that this site is still getting visitors in my absence though, so thanks very much to everybody who's checking in. Hope you've not gotten too impatient for a new post. I have to admit, the impetus of my prolonged absence was due to switching from movies to television. I am an avid fan of LOST, and the month of May was filled with many hours devoted to the end of this amazing series. I … [Read more...] about Checking in