Posts from — February 2007

Where did all these bad movies come from? I’ve seen posters and trailers for so many bad films. I know the studios generally dump their bad movies in the first 2 months of the year, but it’s getting really close to March now. Shouldn’t it be over soon?

The latest craptastic commericial was for Abandoned, whose poster* looks strangely familiar. That’s because it looks very close to the one for The Messengers with Kristen Stewart. The latter movie doesn’t look quite that bad, and it did okay at the box office (31.1 million so far). But it’s just about drop out of the top ten already.

These movies deal with ghosts and characters seeing mysterious images. Abandoned is set in Russia and follows a woman trying to understand her past. She ends up in some sort of haunted house where her mother was murdered to find the answer. In a similar sort of haunted house, The Messengers tells the story of a young girl who moved a creepy farmhouse where she keeps experiencing the paranormal. Both films are hitting dangerously close to the territory of The Ring and other J-horror movies.

Abandoned seems to promise a stronger story than most with some secret twist. Still, I feel that I could take a Sony DCR SR100 and travel to an old farmhouse to re-make the other one. Old places are creepy, I get it. It could almost be better with the realist edge that you could get by using one of the best camcorders money can buy. It could be a horror sensation like with Blair Witch or Open Water. Personally, I didn’t care for either. But they were easy to make and made tons of profit.

I read that these ghost stories, shot on film, were not as big of an investment as other films (say Norbit with that ridiculous CGI). Messengers was made for only $8 million and it won it’s opening weekend. But that was it. We’ll see how Abandoned fares this weekend. Since there’s mostly crap out, maybe it’s a good thing to dump your film in February. No steep competition like during the summer.

*I couldn’t find a pic of either US version, but this gives you the idea.

It’s Fat Tuesday and I have absolutely no desire to party. Other people are ready to make this a night to remember. I even know a girl who flew to Louisiana just for this occasion. I wonder if she’s eating King’s Cake & gumbo right now.

Nawlins, as the locals call it, can be pretty crazy. A long time ago, I visited the city with my family, and it totally sucked (for obvious reasons). Nevertheless, I could tell that there was something about it. It brings out the wild side of people and allows them to cut loose.

My only worry is that there will be tons of creep photographers lurking about. They’ll have their canon camcorder ready to capture that spirit and then some. I’ve got this image of “Girls gone Wild” in my head because the flashing for beads tradition. In college, the local frat house tried to pull that trick on me. It didn’t work, perhaps I need the true atmosphere to feel that fancy free. I guess if someone posted a video on the web of my friends or me, I’d just sue them or it’d probably get lost on you tube. So everybody, live it out your deep desires tonight while I go home and get some rest.

When I think of instructional videos, I think of fitness videos. Like the “Buns of Steel” and those Jane Fonda videos. Leotards and bad hair. They all have that cheap video feel. It’s really just one set with a bunch of really fit people doing the exercises. And remember in the nineties with “The Grind” workout tapes. Now, that’s my generations throwback fitness video. Eric Nies really took his MTV connections far.

Despite, technological innovations, fitness tapes of today still have pretty low production values. They are sold on dvd now, which is actually quite convenient for skipping to your favorite exercise. MTV has continued it’s fitness series, but now they have yoga and pilates dvds. They try to swank it up with a new age-y setting. It’s still a bunch of hot (already skilled) bodies working out with an instructor. They are very cheap to produce since it’s as simple as focusing a panasonic digital video camcorder on a soundstage. Shoot for maybe one or two days. Presto! You’ve got yourself an easy instructional video.

I wonder if they have videos to show you how to use a camcorder. Probably not since it’s so easy. But hey, there are videos for almost everything else. Even how to edit with Avid Xpress!

Look at these wacky vids on You Tube (just search “instructional”)! Check this one on how to use fake lightsabers.

The creator of “24″, Joel Surnow, has created his own version of the “Daily Show”. But it’s a conservative slant instead of Jon Stewart’s liberal delivery of the news. They use a professional video camera to ask average people questions and then make fun of them. Same exact set as the “Daily show” with a studio set up similar to a serious news show. It’s got that red/white/blue color scheme and everything. They do satirical commentary on current events interlaced with news pieces containing interviews and stupid graphics.

This sounds like trouble to me. Re-makes and high-concept tv shows usually aren’t very good. I don’t think many bloggers are excited about this show. I just took a look at a leaked clip of the show and couldn’t even make it through it. It’s extremely offensive and pokes fun at Barack Obama’s name and his supposed feud with Tiger Woods over who is more black. Gag. If you want to see for yourself, watch it at your own risk.

I already hate Fox News, but now I think I might have to stop watching “24″ because this show is so unfunny. It’s their right to free speech I guess. You can’t arrest someone for having a bad sense of humor…yet. I just wish that even if you do have access to a swanky, Canon XL2 that you keep your terrible jokes to yourself. Now, America must suffer through 30 minutes of liberal jokes each day because this an easy, low cost show to put on the air. Let’s not tune in and hope it will be canceled.

I was on myspace (again) and I saw this ad for DKNY’s new fragrance, “Be delicious“. I guess it ties in with all the love in the air. I’m certain tons of people buy perfume for their girlfriends. In the commericial, they show a couple being playful with some apples and staring into each others eyes. Pretty standard, fragrance commercial stuff.

Anyway, in the spirit of interactive marketing, they are holding a contest. They wanna know if you are hotter than the couple in the video. They even gave the imaginary couple names, Louise and Nicholas! I wonder how long it took them to come up with those names. To win, all you have to do is send in a picture of you and your lover being sexier than Louise & Nick.

That doesn’t take much effort really. It would be a real challenge if you had to send in a video of you and your significant other being sexy (in a pg, national commercial kind of way). I could be the camera-person. I wouldn’t mind. Just rent me (or buy me one) a PV Gs300 and I’ll make you look like a million bucks.

I feel for the judges in the contest. I bet they’re gonna get a lot of ugly, scary photos. Just look at how many people are delusional on “American Idol”. Then, imagine all of them trying to be sexy. Eww. I wonder if some technology savvy people will make a video anyway. That’d be my advice. Do both. Couldn’t hurt. You win a $1000 DKNY wardrobe (including fragrance). I wanna see the winner. I gotta remember to check back on this myspace page for details.