Hugh Hefner- Just When You Think You Know A Guy

Most people have an opinion about Hugh Hefner. The pajama-clad creator of Playboy magazine and star of the “Girls next Door” TV show has been in the public spotlight since he started the magazine in the early 1950’s. And while the more salacious aspects of Mr. Hefner’s exploits are well publicized, his life and social activisms have gone fairly unexamined up until now. In the new documentary Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist, Rebel; Oscar winning director Brigitte Berman explores the life of publishing’s most polarizing figure. And what she finds may surprise you. Behind the glamour of beautiful women, celebrity status, and wealth; stands a thoughtful, well-spoken man of purpose and resolve. HollywoodJam got a chance to talk to Mr. Hefner about this new film, the early days of Playboy and how movies inspired him to stand up for what he believes in.



HJ-One of the interesting facts that the film points out is that very early on you tried to make the magazine “erudite titillation”, that you used very talented writers; and that some of those writers had been blacklisted by the government. How intentional was that for you at the time.

HH-Well it was conscious. Absolutely. You must understand that the 1950s, Playboy began in 1953, and it was a time of very real, not just sexual repression, but also political repression. And I was opposed to both. I felt that to some extent -- I served in WWII and I thought things were going to change after the World War, and I felt that to some extent, when we became so conservative, etc. and started blacklisting people and spying on our neighbors, I felt as if we, to some extent, had become the very thing that we had defeated. So I had very strong feelings about all of that.

HJ-Did you understand how dangerous it was at that time, or what type of criticisms and accusations you would invite to you personally and the magazine?

HH-Well you have to understand that I was a kid who grew up during the Depression and was very much influenced by movies. And particularly movies by directors like Frank Capra. So that films like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Meet John Doe. Those films mad a big influence on me, so I was a kid who really believed in the American Dream and believed in freedom, equality and, you know, the good half of what America's all about.

HJ-The idea that “Right” will win out.

HH-Yes.

HJ-So, in the early days of the Playboy magazine, did you feel un-due pressure from government? It's talked about in the film how you had to change the laws and fight for the postage rights to get the magazine out, but were there any other pressures you felt?

HH-Well to be perfectly frank, I was on such a role, I just felt so blessed to be doing something that I really loved and it was so successful and so embraced from the very beginning that the problems I had to overcome interns of the post office and the government and harassment, etc. were just part of the price that you paid for it. And it just made it seem all the more important to me.

HJ-As the movie progresses, we see more of your life and decisions you made on behalf of the magazine. While you are not normally thought of as a crusader, certainly there are examples of social activism. Was that something that happened naturally as the magazine progressed?

HH-Yeah, I think it happened naturally. The reality is that I did become a social activist, and had a lot of fun doing it (laughs). And I think that one of the reasons that I’m not thought of in that context most the time is because there is more interest in the fact that I had so much fun doing it.

HJ-People are concentrating on the titillating aspects of your life as opposed to…

HH-Yeah, Ray Bradbury said a long time ago, and he's a long-time contributor to the magazine and we published Fahrenheit 451 in the early issues of the magazine --

HJ-That is something that most people don't know. That it had actually been published in your magazine before the book form.

HH-Yes, and his comment about Playboy was that a lot of people don't see the “forest” for the “tease”. In other words you don't see the good writing, you don't see the social activism, etc. because you're looking at the centerfolds. And I think that's understandable.

HJ-Yeah, but conversely, some of the most important interviews in the last century have come out of Playboy. And certainly the format of the Playboy interview changed that way interviews were done.

HH- Yes. That's really true.

HJ-How important was it to you as you were starting out to have that aspect of the magazine? That there would be the learned, sophisticated content, as well as the titillation?

HH-That was the whole point of it all. The whole point was to create a really good entertainment package for the adult, sophisticated male. To not include an appropriate appreciation for the opposite sex would have been ridiculous. But historically before that, sex had been the element that had been left out. So you know it was combining that with a really well put together package with the very best in interviews, the very best in fiction, the very best in non-fiction, and the most beautiful girls.

HJ-What was your first reaction when Brigitte Berman (Director) came to you and asked you to do this documentary about you? Were you at all hesitant?

HH-No because I had met her originally when she won the Academy Award for her film on Artie Shaw (Artie Shaw: Time is All You’ve Got) and that was our initial connection. And we became friends and after knowing each other for a few years, she said, you know the one I'd really like to do a documentary on is you. And I said, OK why not? With no real sense, quite frankly, of what it was going to turn out to be. And I must confess that I was blown away by the results. She walked into my life and gave it a whole different perspective. In other words she dealt with the other part of my life that most people just didn't know about.

HJ-Was there anything that you were surprised about after watching the movie? Maybe something you hadn't thought about or considered about your life?

HH-Well I think the major reaction, quite frankly, was that she put it all together and brought back a flood of memories for me. I found the film very emotionally touching. And to have it done by a woman, it was very moving, very satisfying.

HJ-The word maverick gets thrown around really loosely today, but in the 1950’s you made a TV variety show (Playboy Penthouse); you syndicated it; which means you didn't have follow anyone's rules as a result, and featured anybody you wanted. How important was it for you to show, really for the first time on TV, blacks and whites socializing in that sort of atmosphere?

HH-Well it was very satisfying. Indeed we actually talked about it on the show with some of the artists, and some of the artists were mixed racially… and the fact that they could not appear on network television. And of course what complicated it even more was the fact that it was not simply a television show. It was a television show the concept of which was that it was in my home. That it was my apartment, so it was socializing in a way that at that point unacceptable in parts of America. In other words, blacks and whites simply didn't socialize on that kind of level in those days and I felt that was wrong. It was not the point of the show, but in the process of doing a variety show, an entertainment show, I was able to do it in a way that had some real resonance to it and it really made some difference. So you look back on the show now and it takes on an iconic kind of quality that I'm very proud of.

HJ-It's something that literally does not exist anywhere else on TV at that time.

HH- That's right.

HJ-There's been an enormous amount of research done on the early days of television: the social morals of the time and what was allowed and not allowed. Your show, which broke every single rule of the day, doesn't really seem to find a place in that research. It is largely over looked, if not out right ignored.

HH- Well, that may be partly because both Playboy After Dark and Playboy's Penthouse were syndicated shows for a season or two. But they are remembered now in an iconic way. And probably more highly regarded today than they were at the time.

HJ-A last question for you is, for someone who doesn't know very much about you or who has only read the more salacious bits, after watching this movie, what do you hope that they find out about you?

HH-Well, I think it will be a revelation for a lot of people.


It certainly will be.

HUGH HEFNER: PLAYBOY, ACTIVIST AND REBEL. Oscar-winning™ producer/director Brigitte Berman takes examines the life of the flamboyant, outspoken founder of the Playboy empire and his many fierce battles with nearly all levels of the U.S. government, the religious right, and militant feminists.

Coming Soon:

Interview with Brigitte Berman and full comment of Hugh Hefner:Playboy, Rebel, Activist.

KRIS KRISTOFFERSON- Unexpected Poet

I learned (re-learned) a valuable lesson: it never hurts to ask.

I got a call from one of my favorite publicists in New York. She was promoting a new western called: The Last Rights of Ransom Pride starring Lizzy Caplan, Kris Kristofferson, Dwight Yokum, Cote de Pablo and Peter Dinklage....would I like to interview any of the talent?

"Of course, I'm here for you. Who did you have in mind?"

"Well, Lizzy is available and she is the star."

"How about Kris Kristofferson?"

"I also think Cote de Pablo is up for it."

"Do you think Mr. Kristofferson is up for it?"

"And possibly Dwight Yoakum"

"Ahem,.. Kris?"

"Gee, I dunno if he'll be available."

"Let's give it a try. If not, no worries, I'll interview anyone available."

"Thanks, JAM. I'll get back to you."

BTW, that is entertainment-speak for "Not a chance and you'll get whomever takes the least effort to get on the phone"

But as I am learning, people will surprise in a good way more often than not. And sure enough, on a Thursday a couple weeks later I get a hurried phone call:

"JAM, Kris Kristofferson is on tour in Ireland. Would you be able to talk to him on a Saturday at 10:30 am?"

Smile.

"For you, Darling, anything"

It's not that I have anything against Lizzy Caplan. She's a good actress and she kicks a fair amount of ass in the the film. But there are people to who have captured my attention throughout the years and Mr. Kristofferson is one of them.

LONE STAR is one of my favorite films and Kristofferson plays a real bastard in it. Charlie Wade is a "Bullets and Bribe" kind of sheriff in a small border town of Texas who may, or may not, have met up with the wrong end of bullet 40 years ago. When a skeleton is found in present day, it sparks a series of seemingly unconnected events that lead to the town's many mysteries being uncovered. Directed by John Sayles, this movie weaves the past and present together as if they are happening at the same time.

Simply put, this movie is a pleasure to watch.

Kris Kristofferson had never played a bad guy before. Sure, there are plenty of flawed characters in his filmography, but Lone Star marked the first time he played a truly despicable character.

Did I want to talk about it with him? Hell to the yes.

And I did. I will post the whole interview here soon, but for now, let's just say that he has voice of a road weary traveler of the world that could tell you stories of greatness and shame... if you are worthy of such a tale. And on this subject...I was.

We talked about how Sayles sought him out for the role. Kris had even asked what Sayles saw in him that made him feel like he could even play the character. Shrewdly, Sayles danced around the question and never really answered it, instead, he just reassured him that he could do it.

The thing we didn't talk about was that Lone Star was pivotal moment in his film career, which had been floundering up until that point. He was working, but his last film that got released theatrically was the box-office flop Millennium, seven years before. Lone Star's Oscar win for best screenplay gave the film critical awareness and re-established Kristofferson as serious and viable actor.

Then we got on the subject of voice. As we spoke about what it takes to be a bad guy, I mentioned that both he and Johnny Cash have a distinct quality to their voices. An authenticity. I argued that it helped give his bad guy more more sincerity onscreen. He agreed. He also related it to his music. About seven years ago he went on stage for a performance with just him, his guitar and a harmonica. This stripped down version of his normal stage show was an epiphany for him. He felt the audience had a stronger connection to him and he to the audience. From then on, it's just been him and the audience... no band.

It was only then, as he was talking about his music, that I had my own epiphany... At his soul, Kris Kristofferson was not actor, but mostly a musician with the soul of a poet. He is not a poet because he writes songs. He is a poet because he can recognize a moment, reveled in it and share it with an audience: me.

It never hurts to ask because you never know what you might get.

I asked for interview, I got an Unexpected Poet.

Michelle Monaghan Keeps On Trucking

From big action hits, such as Mission Impossible 3 and Eagle Eye, to intense dramas like Gone, Baby, Gone and North Country, Michelle Monaghan has been delighting filmgoers with her girl-next-door charm, laced with edgy intensity. Monaghan’s performance as Diane Ford in her latest film, Trucker, is turning the heads of audiences and critics alike (with many of those critics demanding a nomination in the Best Actress category). Michelle took a few minutes to talk to HollywoodJam about her latest film, big rigs, and what it takes to “keep on truckin’.”

You’ve been doing some very high profile films lately. How did you get hooked up with the indie film Trucker?

Well, Trucker kind of came to me the old-fashioned way, really. James Mottern (director) had seen me in a film called North Country. And I think he saw [my character] Diane, in the role that I had done – maybe facets of Diane –and he sent my agent the movie. My agent said, ‘You know, I think you’re going to like this, I thinkm you’re going to want to do it.’ And I read it and I met with James the next day and I immediately attached myself to it.

You looked really comfortable behind the wheel of the big rig – did you do any special training for it?

I went to truck-driving school to get my CDL and that was imperative for me because I knew that in exploring the culture that it would help inform the character. For Diane Ford, her truck driving is her livelihood and it really defines her. I knew that it would help in my performance and give it honesty.

Can you talk about your character and the movie in general?

It’s a story about a woman who decides as a young woman, a young mother,
to leave her family. She essentially abandons her son, really doesn’t feel like she’s cut out for motherhood. The movie opens with her son coming back into her life at age 10 and their journey on the road together and her really taking responsibility for a life that she left behind. It’s a real honest and hard look at a woman who is pretty carefree and independent in her life and really is struggling with the idea of having to curtail all that and take responsibility for her son.

I really personally love the role so much because I was able to inhabit qualities that I don’t typically get to do in Hollywood: she’s not a victim, she’s unsentimental, she’s very honest,she
never lies. And she’s not really likable by most people’s standards and those are unusual traits
in Hollywood these days. For me, as an actor, it was the role of a lifetime to play somebody that
people aren’t used to seeing, and not having you necessarily like her in the end, but hopefully be
able to understand why she makes the choices she does.

There are a lot of very “real-life” moments throughout the movie and you don't see that a lot in film today.

Well, and that’s a real testament to our director, James Mottern. This is his first feature, he comes from a documentary background, but I’m always still so impressed with the fact that we shot the movie for $1.5 million in 19 days. And he allowed the camera to linger for quiet moments and was patient enough to not, as soon as the scene ended, yell, ‘Cut!’ and move on, youknow? And in those moments I think you really discover who Diane is and who all the other
characters are. You know, you don’t have the opportunity these days for an actor to just act. A lot of times we’re so bogged down with dialogue. If you were to look at any person throughout the day, and if they were having a quiet moment in their house, you know, just sitting there and thinking. If you just put a camera on their face, you would know their internal struggles and internal dialogue. We just don’t see that on film, and so I think what James
did was really refreshing. That’s why people are connecting to the movie and to the material
because they’re given a chance to.

Nathan Fillion and Benjamin Bratt both gave great performances. Let’s talk about Nathan Fillion. The scenes you had together were incredibly well done. What was it like working with him on set?

He’s got a real old-Hollywood quality. He’s just so good at everything he does because he’s so natural. And he’s the sort of actor that, in those scenes that we had together, he made my performance so much better. When you don’t have rehearsal time, you imagine what the scene is going to be like so you can be prepared. But every time I acted with him, he would do something so surprising that it would change my whole performance from what I thought I was going to do. So, he brought so much to, not just his role, but he allowed me to bring so much to my role. On top of all that he’s truly one of the nicest guys you could ever, ever meet. I don’t know a person who doesn’t love Nathan.

Could you talk a couple moments about working with Benjamin Bratt?

He was so great. Again, I have to say that every actor really
understood the tone of this film and tone was what the
dialogue was. It was all in this sub-text, we didn’t want to play into the dialogue and be over-dramatic about that. But those are real moments, and what do you do when you’re in a hospital room where you have unfinished business? But you’re on your deathbed and you don’t want to have to address it, but there is that tension there. He played it so well and I could never get a
foothold, and I couldn’t deny it, I couldn’t arguewith it – you can’t argue with anyone at that stage no matter what your history is. She really has a difficult time connecting with people and I think at one point she wanted to let him off the hook in a way. And there was a nice moment where she could never say, ‘I really liked you’ or ‘I love you,’ but she was able to lean in and give him a kiss and say, ’I like that mouth,’ – which was as best as she could give him. And he does something that is so visceral, at that moment where he licks his lips or, sort of, smacks his lips after she kisses him. That moment gets me every time because it was like he just savors that last bit and, I think it’s just a really powerful thing.

What do you want those people to come away with after they’ve rented the movie?

You know, honestly, I really think, I’ve gone to every Q&A throughout the country for this movie because I really believe in it. People in middle-America and in the suburbs who like blockbusters and who also just like really quiet films are really taken with this movie. I think it’s because there’s not a lot of bells and whistles and it’s just a really honest look at a slice of life of America – about working-class America, and struggles. I don’t know what they’ll take from it, but I know they’ll be moved by it because…I wish I could articulate it, but I can’t, but when people stand up in a Q&A and they have this compelling need to talk about Diane, that she’s provocative. Sometimes they get angry at her initially then they understand her and then they say, ‘thank you,’ to James (the director) for writing a movie like this. I really just want people to give it a chance, to be honest, you know. And I don’t think they’ll be disappointed

Total Chaos

Sam Seaborn: What do you know about "Chaos Theory"?

Mallory O'Brien: I know it has something to do fractal geometry.

Sam Seaborn: That's about what I know too. But it has to do with there being order and even great beauty in what looks like total chaos. That if we look closely enough at the randomness around us that patterns will start to emerge.

-20 Hours In America, The West Wing.

Note: To protect the innocent, all characters in this post (except me) will be given pseudonyms from the West Wing.

A cacophony of music emerges from every bar and cafe on E. 6th st in Austin like a thousand siblings battling for their parents undivided attention. Standing in the middle of the street that has been closed off to traffic, one is assaulted with punk, blues, rock, americana, hip-hop, rap and folk. The decision of where to go and who to listen to is near impossible. There are just too many choices. To people who love music the sound becomes a tangible thing. It walks with you and holds you up as you walk from venue to venue. For people who don't like music, well, you are in the wrong town.

The surprise is the randomness of what I hear. The music I hear through the noise. I then wonder how random it is. Do I only hear certain music? Or, does the music find me? How is the connection made?

I came to this conclusion: randomness does not exist.

In an effort to subsidize the Thump Thump loft I rented (see my previous thump thump post), I rented one of the rooms out to a buddy: Josh Lyman. Josh works for a non-profit and at the last minute needed a room. Yes, he already had two hotel rooms booked, one for him and one for one his staff members, Donna Moss. But he had just hired a new guy, Sam Seaborne, and Josh wanted to bring him along. I had barely met Josh through my girlfriend and didn't know him that well, but, through what seemed to be a random set of connections I had a roommate for the week and Josh was able to bring an extra person to the event.

I then got a chance to hang out to with Josh, Sam and eventually Donna too. I found them to be incredibly interesting people. Instantly likable. We went to dinner and the conversation was by turns erudite, humorous and compelling. Once more, these are people who live in my city (and not too far away from me, in fact) that had not been anywhere on my radar and now in a town thousands of miles from my home they are part of my life. At the time I thought "how random is that?".

It didn't end there. On their last night in town, Josh invited CJ Cregg to join us as well. CJ is Josh's equivalent at an organization he is partnered with. CJ is out from the east coast for the fest but is actually staying a couple of extra days to hang out for the film part of it as well. CJ, like Donna and Josh is smart, funny and to my benefit, well versed in the language of film. The next night we grabbed a quick dinner then went to a screening. The screening itself, unfortunately, was not as compelling our dinner conversation. CJ said goodnight and made her way back to her hotel which may or may not have had a room for her.

Meeting these cast of characters has been an important, meaningful part of my experience here.

I found myself walking back to the Thump Thump loft thinking about who I have met on my trip so far and the idea that I have met them in a town filled an impossible amount of people. But was it really as random I originally thought?

Or is the opposite true? That nothing is random and that everything connected. That as we take a closer look, we must acknowledge the law of science that states "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction". That we are subject to cause and effect. That every step we have taken in life has brought us to where we are now.

The cacophony bleeding into E. 6th street has not abated. It is louder than ever. As I walk into the warring chords of guitars, voices and drums. I think about the steps I am taking. I wonder what music those steps will allow to find me, and the people who will now enter into my life because of it.

Sometimes, to find order in your life you may have walk through something that looks a lot like chaos.

Day Of Change

They say change happens slowly. "They" have not been to SXSW on the day the Interactive Nerds (IN) leave and the Music Geeks (MG) arrive. The IN uniform of messenger bags, iphones and thin black rimed glasses get replaced by skinny jeans, black concert t-shirts and faux-hawks of the MG.

For those who don't know, SXSW is a three part event:Interactive, Film, and Music. And while it might be blasphemous, the Interactive is the more inspiring of all the events. Passionate and intelligent, the INs want to change the world. Non-profit & for profit, high tech & and low tech, INs are creatives that are affecting the system by changing it from within and without. I have attended few panels and interactive sessions was I was blown away by the intensity of the INs to do good. And I need their example.

There are times when I feel that there is no escape from the status quo. That there is no way to make a difference in the world we live in. One of the reasons I come to SXSW is to be inspired, to be reminded not to fear change and not to fear being the vehicle of change. We make ourselves vulnerable when publicly declare our intentions. We become easy targets for ridicule by those who fear our ideas...and ironically, even by those who agree with you. No one likes being vulnerable, and it is the path of least resistance to dismiss a person you agree with rather than stand in full view by their ideals (and your own).

The SXSW Interactive is an intellectual herald for individual change. Because to change yourself is to change the world. There is no march on Washington, no rally cry for the masses to take arms up against their oppressors. Rather, example after example that change is possible, that you can be the catalyst for that change and that you are not alone.

The exodus of the IM and the arrival of the MG not withstanding, yes... change does happen slowly. Ideas take time to become part of our collective conscience. The important thing is to remember is that every change that the world has seen was first realized a by single person.

SXSW reminds me that everyday I have the opportunity make the world a better place.

THUMP THUMP THUMP

So there is this song I hate. Yes. I am a hater. That dumb song that starts out with all dumbness about how "tonight is going to be a good night". I don't even know the name of it. Trust me. It's dumb. It is non-sensicle, trendy, digitally driven and the type of song that would end up on a "K-tel sounds of 2010" five years from now. For me the song has no soul.

So yeah, I'm in Austin for SXSW and as much as I love the fest, I seem to have issues with the places I end up staying while I'm here. Case in point, this time around I rented this loft on 6th street. If you know Austin then you know I am smack dab in the middle of it. It should be awesome, right? One minor issue. The is located above a restaurant. Actually, it used to be above a restaurant. It is now above a bar. A bar that plays loud music. To be more specific, a bar that plays music with it's bass levels that can be registered on the Richter Scale.

It started at 10pm. Some of the lovelier moments occurred when the MC led the entire bar in a rendition of "Sweet Caroline" and Michael Jackson's Thriller (yes, the long version). Mostly, all I could hear was the "THUMP THUMP THUMP" of the bass for four hours. As two am started to be in sight and the "THUMP THUMP THUMP" was coming to an end, the beat changed to something eerily familiar. As I lay there in the last moments before sleep, I searched my musical memories. Beatles? Rockabilly? R.E.M?

No.

The true hell of my night was that I fell asleep to "Tonight, is gonna be a good night".

I have 11 more nights of this.

THUMP THUMP THUMP

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee

Robin Wright is one of cinema’s most inspiring actresses. From the humble beginnings of Kelly Capwell Perkins on the daytime soap opera Santa Barbara, she has gone on to turn in powerhouse performances. To point out just a few of them such as Forrest Gump, The Pledge, and Unbreakable would do her a grave disservice because you haven’t named She’s So Lovely, White Oleander, Message In A Bottle or every other one of her films. She is an actress who has not shied away to from the tough, gritty and sometimes not so glamorous dramatic roles, but has embraced them.

Her newest film, The Private Lives Of Pippa Lee, is written and directed by Rebecca Miller (daughter of playwright Arthur Miller and wife to Daniel Day-Lewis) and tells the story of Pippa, a woman who married a much older man and has now settled into a retirement community with him. She begins to reflect on her life and realizes that she may be heading towards a slow nervous breakdown. From her bi-polar mother (Maria Bello) to the choices she made after she ran away from home, Pippa’s story is told with grace and sometimes humor by Ms. Wright and her fellow cast members Alan Arkin, Mike Bender, Winona Ryder, and Keanu Reeves.

In becoming “Pippa” on screen, Ms. Wright had an advantage. She says “Fortunately, I had the manuscript of the book before it was published as my bible, my guide sheet” she laughs, “My PowerPoint. What two for one! Not only did I have that wealth of information of word on paper, but I also had the source and could get her to extrapolate on things that I needed as an actress. Its one thing to be a reader of literature or reader of a story and you create your own imagination but what’s behind that imagination is the first instinct I would have. And I think we speak the same language, or… I understand hers and she understands mine.”

Understanding is a big part of this film. As Pippa examines her life, she recalls the events of that created the woman that she has become…and it all starts with family. Maria Bello gives a tremendous performance as Pippa’s mother, a pill-poppin’ unbalanced wife of a minister who swings between manic bouts of frenzied attention lavished on Pippa to times of inconsolable depression. “Suky (Pippa’s mom) was overbearing and then absent. There was nothing in the middle. And Pippa became a stagnant façade as a child”. Pippa can only last so long before she, as a teen, decides to run away to the big city where she meets the new interesting and strange people that will shape her life.

Speaking of Maria Bello, Robin and her became great friends during the shoot. “The film was shot in Danbury, Connecticut and there was very little to do between shooting. We were all set up in the same hotel on the same floor. Me, Keanu, Winona, and some of the producers. And we would have time to hang out with each other. Maria and I would hang out and I really dig her. She’s really bright. So talented, such a force.” It’s actually a quality that both actresses share. Both are known for taking on less glamorous roles in lieu of dramatically demanding ones. It is not surprising that they would eventually end up on the same project.
The film actually is littered with expert talent. From Julianne Moore, Blake Lively (who plays the teenaged Pippa) to Monica Bellucci, this film is not want of strong female actresses. Ironically, it is also the male actors who each step up to the plate to deliver home runs every time they are on screen.

Academy Award winner Alan Arkin gives a richly nuanced performance as Pippa’s publisher husband whose infidelity becomes a catalyst for change in her life. Working with Arkin was dream. “I would have conversations with him. He’s big on philosophy. I loved talking to him. Or I should say listening to him. He has such a wealth of information. He has got such a cadence to him. We would laugh our asses off. He is such an original. On the last day of shooting I had to tell him “Alan, I really fell in love with you” and he replied (in his classic dry tone) “Robin… you’ll get over it”

While more known for his action films like the Matrix and Day The Earth Stood Still, Keanu Reeves brings a subtle portrayal that many critics and fans will have to take notice of. He plays son of a neighbor who Pippa comes to confide in and eventually strikes up a romance with. “He was great. Very accessible and he played with you. You know, sometimes you get actors who don’t play with you in the scene, it is not actually cause and effect off the other person. Which is the whole point of the game… being affected by the other person and that is what alters, modifies your choice and that is the beautiful surprise in this craft that we’re in. You yearn for it. You yearn to have those moments where you think Wow, I don’t even know what just happened but that was great! or that connection was so far outside my box and it can bring the scene to a whole other level. When you have actors that are totally open and are just reacting to what’s in the air that you both have just created, there’s a safety net there. And when you have that safety net, when you have that trust… you can run the gamut. And Keanu was very much like that. He was very giving and open. I thought he was perfect for the role. He was great.”

The film is filled many of those “real” moments. Moments that could come off as cliché , but instead resonate with real experience. It’s the difference between sincerity and apathy in film making. There is a real heart behind this movie. When asked about what she hoped she conveyed through Pippa on screen Robin replied “Your true self can only hide for so long. You can’t hide from yourself. The truth reigns”
Ultimately that’s what The Private Lives of Pippa Lee is all about. That if we live our lives for other people, and not ourselves, we risk losing not only who we are but the person we have the opportunity to be. Rarely, do we have such extraordinary talent to weave the fabric of storytelling so delicately yet with such strength.

Looking For Trouble

Director Sebastian Gutierrez has a big smile on his face. He’s got to. His latest film, Women In Trouble, has gotten rave reviews at every film festival since it’s premiere at SXSW… and its not hard to see why. This perfect “date” film is the interconnecting stories of eight women having a bad in L.A. Super sexy, hilariously funny and at times jaw-dropping outrageous, this movie has something for everyone. Actresses Carla Gugino (Sin City), Marley Shelton (Grindhouse) and Sebastian himself took a few minutes to hang with Jeremy Maron of HollywoodJam (Because they are awesome!) and talked about how fun it was to make their film, future projects and getting your girlfriend to dress up like a porn star.

HJ- ( To Sebastian) Obviously this is a project of love for you. Can you talk a little bit about your decision of who to cast?
SG- Yeah, it became a matter of I found myself in a situation where I knew a lot of actresses, or had worked with a lot of actresses, who weren't really being utilized that much. I felt that, in Hollywood, it seems like not that many women can either be the good girl or the bad girl, and I thought well, it's be cool to tie the good girl and bad girl together and give the actresses something to do. So I wrote a lot of the parts with people in mind, either people that I had worked with or friends of friends. Connie, I met through Carla (Gugino). Carla and Connie did Spin City together years ago. So I've known Connie for a while and I've been a big fan and we've always wanted to find something to work on together. And then through Connie is how I met Adrianne (Palicki) because they were doing Friday Night Lights together.

HJ- (To Marley) Did you know Sebastian and Carla from before as well?

MS- Yes, I've known Sebastian for several years, and Carla as well, she's a very good friend of mine. My husband produced a movie that Sebastian directed called Judas' Kiss, and Carla stared in it. And so I met the two of them through my husband originally and Carla and I have worked together a couple of times. We were both in Sin City and we did a movie called Our Lady of Victory, that hasn't come out yet.

HJ-(to Marley) What’s your role?

MS- I play a flight attendant who is engaged to be married and decides to have one last hurrah and join the mile high club, but unfortunately it all goes array.

HJ- Yes, it goes terribly south, in a hilarious way. But it was really fun to see Josh Brolin with that accent. I just kind of assumed he was trying to pull of a Mick Jagger-esque or Keith Richards…?

MS- Keith Richards, absolutely. Yeah, I'm not sure what his inspiration was, although, I thought he did a great send-up too. It was really -- he's so amazingly talented and just pulled that out of the hat and was so gracious to lend us his time and talent for the day.

HJ- Speaking of, (To Sebastian) talk about the men in this film. You’ve got some incredible actors there as well. Simon Baker, Josh Brolin, and Joseph Gordon –Levitt who had a very small role in this film, almost a cameo, but I understand he's going to be in the next film a little bit more.

GS-Yeah, it's definitely a cameo in this movie. What happened was once we were making the first movie, all these people came out of the woodwork saying I'll come and play. And Joe's somebody that I’m a huge fan of. So I wrote his character for him that we were toying with the idea of making these sort of internet web-isodes of this character Burt Rodriguez, who's this clueless sex blogger. And we decided to shoot one and we didn't know where it was going to go. And we thought the scene turned out so well that we put it as this sort of epiloge to this movie because his character becomes the narrator of the second story. So it's a tip of the hat to introduce where the story is going to go. (note to reader, watch this movie all the way through the credits. It’s hilarious)

HJ- Well, what some people don't know is that this is actually the first in a trilogy of films and the second is Electra Luxx?.

GS-Electra Luxx, which is Carla’s character.

HJ-So are you on your way to the third film? What's going on with that?
GS-Yes, well we're just finishing post on the second one, within a matter of days. And then the third one, the scrip is ready and the plan is to shoot at some point early next year. There's so many schedules to juggle here that it really becomes a matter of when do when have about 80 percent of the people available in a 2-week period that we can actually say we're going and then figure out how to get the other people in. But the second movie, I'm really excited by. It was really important to me when we decided to turn this into a trilogy, it was less this story requires three movies and more there's some interesting characters here, I've always liked in novels, for example, you can have a side character in one book but then he turns into the protagonist in the next book. I've always wanted to be able to do that with movies. So, there were certain characters here that I thought, there are other stories we could put these characters in that don't necessarily need to be an exact tone or exact continuation of remaking the same movie three times. So the second one has touches of other things like perhaps more comedy and there's musical elements in it and it takes about half of the characters of this story into other places. And then the third one kind of blends -- the third one is a whole different thing, more of a rogue movie. So it's been really fun turning this into a trilogy and having people say well, a trilogy like Lord of the Rings? I mean why shouldn't there be a trilogy about women and their misadventures in the modern world of L.A.? So, yes, that's what's happening with those.

HJ- (to Carla Gugino)- What was it like to have your boyfriend direct you to be a porn star?

CG-It's funny. I hadn't really thought about the fact that Sebastian had written me the role of a porn star when I first read the script because I was just so excited about what a complex woman she was. Funny, sexy, in moments seemingly superficial and ultimately, painfully honest... So, when we were on set for the first day of shooting and I was covered in fake eyelashes, lots of lip gloss, VERY high heels and not much else, I looked over at the monitor and thought, "Thank God Sebastian is directing this!"

HJ-To (Carla) What was the best part of filming for you?
I think what was the most fun about making this movie was getting to come to work with all of my friends whom I deeply respect as actors and people and just play. We're all so busy and love our jobs so much that to get to act together and hang out together is such a treat!

HJ-Who is this movie going to appeal to: Men or Women?

CG- This movie has a surprisingly wide audience appeal. Women of all ages will love it because it follows 10 very different multifaceted women and all the trouble that they encounter. Men really appreciate the journey it takes you on as an audience, and of course the lingerie clad ladies...But in all seriousness, it is a really funny, character driven compelling ride that keeps you genuinely engaged.


SG-This is a comedy for both men and women. I would not consider this a chick flick, it's definitely got something for everybody. Ideally, we made a date movie that the guy's not going to be unhappy that he got dragged into. And that's the response that I've gotten. The most interesting response I've gotten is from men who've said, wow, I went to see this movie because there's a lot of hot chicks in it and I found myself really caring for these characters and seeing a whole different side to them that I really appreciated and it didn't offend my intelligence and they were good looking people.

Yes they are. Women In Trouble an outrageous, genre-bending, multi-layered comedy about one day in the lives of ten seemingly disparate women -- including a porn star, a flight attendant, a psychiatrist, a masseuse, a bartender and a pair of call girls -- all with one thing in common: trouble. Carla Gugino ("Sin City") stars as Elektra Luxx, a world-famous porn star whose future is thrown for a loop with the news that she's pregnant and Adrianne Palicki ("Friday Night Lights") is Holly Rocket, a not-too-bright adult industry newcomer. Their paths intersect with, among others, a hilariously suave British Rock Star (Josh Brolin), a bright neurotic with a dark past (Connie Britton, "Friday Night Lights") and a call girl with a tricky client (Emmanuelle Chriqui, "Entourage"). The talented cast also includes Marley Shelton (“Grindhouse”), Simon Baker (“The Mentalist”), and Joseph Gordon-Levitt ('500 Days Of Summer"
Check out the website! http://www.screenmediafilms.net/wit/index.html

Just in! Electra Luxx will premiere at this year's SXSW!

GOOD DICK

Mariana Palka, an aspiring actress from Scotland, met Jason Ritter (Joan of Arcadia, W, and the Education of Charlie Banks), son of the late John Ritter, at a New York acting school eight years ago. They became fast friends and formed their own production company Morning Knight. Promoting their first film Good Dick- “a romantic comedy for the rest of us”, I got a chance to sit down and talk to Mariana and Jason about romantic comedies, Sean Connery and how a visit to a video store changed their lives.

HJ: What is your movie about?
M: Well Good Dick I think is about two people who fall in love with each other and end up having this original courtship that is fun and funny and enlightening and at the end of the day ends up being very sweet for both of them. And I think he changes her life in a really radical way that’s worth seeing the movie for.
JR: The thing I love about the way Mariana put that all together is that you know it’s not all tied up in a little bow and they don’t walk off into the sunset together and you as an audience member think well “I pretty much know what their relationship will be like for the next 30 years”. But at least she’s showing up and they’re going to try. And it’s hopeful in a realistic way as opposed to hokey sort of Hollywood ending. No “running to the airport” or anything like that.
M: Yeah. No running to the airport. But it’s definitely a feel good movie.
HJ: Now, Mariana, you wrote, directed, star and produce in this film. What do you consider yourself? Did you start out thinking that “I want to produce, I want to direct”? M: The order was I started off as an actress and I was doing a lot of theater and I was really excited to work on other people’s projects. I had never written anything before or directed anything before Good Dick. So the order was that I wrote Good Dick. And then I decided to direct it as well as be in it. And then producing it came as a bi-product of doing an independent film; it just made sense to produce it. So Jason and I, we have a production company together, so we produced it through that production company along with another one called Present Pictures. And we had a lot of fun. And now that I’ve had so much success with the film and the film has just enabled so many people to work even more in their given fields. The editor and composer and all the other actors have been given employment just on their performances or what they did on Good Dick.
HJ: What was your decision process for setting Good Dick in a video store?
M: I originally thought of the idea for the film in that actual video store in Los Angeles. So, I was renting a video in there and I thought, “someone should shoot a movie in here.” So that’s where the original idea came from. And then I thought I want to really make something that’s funny and fresh and refreshing and saying something about romance that is fun and so that’s where I came up with the idea. So the video store, the world of the video store just seemed so fun to explore. And it really was, genuinely, you know, such a cool place to shoot in. The people who own it are so great. And it’s funny now because you can kind of do a Good Dick tour if you go in there because you can see that it’s basically our set.
HJ: Jason. You’ve been acting since you were like one year old, right?
JR: pretty young, yeah.
HJ: Theater, TV, film. Right now, what do you like? What do you like doing?
JR: Boy, I think that my favorite thing has been independent film. I mean it seems to me that that is where the stories are and that is where the brave story telling is.
HJ: And a long with that, the diversity of roles that you’ve taken recently have been, everything from Education of Charlie Banks where you have a very tough role, to movies like The Deal where you’re sort of the soft-hearted optimist in that movie. And then you have this movie where you’re, well, strange, but there is a sweetness to the role. What have you liked doing lately?
JR: Well, that, I mean those are the things – with Good Dick and the Education of Charlie Banks, they’re full characters. And with the Education of Charlie Banks, and I’m not trying to take anything away from anyone, but I would imagine that a bigger studio, if there’s more money involved I think there probably would be too many people worried about and actor like me taking on that role. They probably would have like to have gotten someone who was a little more bankable.
HJ: Mariana, can you talk a little bit about the impetus for writing the film.
M: I came back from an audition and I just was feeling very much like the stuff that I was auditioning for in LA wasn’t as artistic as the plays I had been doing in New York. So I wasn’t as artisticly fulfilled and I couldn’t really blame myself for that. So I was looking around at what the options were and I just started to write. I just literally started to write. And so I just I don’t write and outline or anything when I write, I just write the whole thing out. And go over it meticulously and over it and over it and over it again. So I found that to be the best, most organic way for me to do it because an outline just drives me nuts. And so I really was inspired to write something that was about real people and about real characters who really find one another, and really truly change each other. And really have an amazing time, I mean I really wanted to write something that would inspire people and would have people feel like anything was possible, you know, and I think that the film has got such a positive message. I’m so proud of that. I’m proud of the fact that I made something that’s positive. Because honestly I don’t think I could write something that doesn’t have a catharsis. You know like a positive ending or positive message. Because you have to work on something for so long; I’d been working on Good Dick, I started writing it in 2005, so I’ve been working on it for a few years now and it’s had so much success and it’s been really amazing and I think if the message was anything but really positive it would be kind of hard to get out of bed in the morning and talk about it, you know?
HJ: Based on the response that you’ve had from Sundance and everywhere else, why do you think it’s going to do well – why should video stores bring it in?
M: Well I think that it has an element of what I think Clerks had, which is, or an independent movie like Clerks. It’s about a bunch of guys in a video store hanging out and this girl comes in and they kind of dig her and that’s where the movie begins. So I think that it’s really – it’s going to be fun for the people who work in the video stores to have our title because they work in a video store and it’s about them. And I think that the reason why people might want to rent or the reason why people will be drawn to it is because of all the attention the film has received for being so kind of refreshing in terms of the romance and the ways in which it’s fun. I think that there isn’t really another relationship out there like this one in a film in modern time right now. It’s really and interesting period of time to be able to show something that’s so romantic to people.
JR: …and I think it’s a positive film, but in the reality of the world that we all live in. you know it’s not sort of in a kind of fantasy world where everyone looks a certain way and it’s realistic. And I think that that forces it to be more inclusive of people watching the movie. Instead of saying, “well you know that person in that movie, I’m not even that person on my best day.” They can watch this movie and say “whew. Well I’m glad I’m not like that even on my worst day.” Or, “wow, some days I am like that.” And really feel like, I don’t know, I think there’s something about the film that’s a universal thing that I’ve found in almost any relationship – romantic or even friendships sometimes –there’s always this push and pull and there’s something satisfying about seeing it slightly exaggerated to this point in this movie where you can kind of laugh at the characters and also kind of be aware that you’re not always so far around the corner from it.
HJ: Marianna, how cool was it to receive an award from Sean Connery for Best New Director the Edinburgh Film Festival?
M: That was the bee’s knees! It was really cool. It was like receiving and award from the king of Scotland. Because if you’re going to have a king of Scotland, I mean, it would be Sean Connery. It was really an amazing honor, you know. It’s up there with one of the best moments.


Good Dick is a truly original love story. When Anna (Palka) slinks into an independent video store, she catches the eye of one of the clerks. He takes it upon himself to break down her emotional barriers and launches on a quest to make her fall in love with him. Starring Jason Ritter and Mariana Palka (who also wrote, directed and produced), Good Dick was an official Sundance nominee for the Grand Jury Prize and Winner of New Director Award at the Ediburgh Film Festival.

Noah Segan

A quick note to mention that I just interviewed Noah Segan for Cabin Fever 2 (CF2). What a cool guy. Noah is a fan Cinema. Yes, we talked about CF2 (I will post the full interview at a later date),but we also discussed films he likes, importance of a good script and how he got convinced to do CF2 by the director referencing other films that would be the model. Seriously, it is always a pleasure to talk to smart actors that are also fans of film.

Make sure you check him out in two other great films:

Deadgirl-
This horror movie has a dark, twisted tone...very bad decisions are made and then accounted for. This will soon become a cult hit.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0896534/
Brick-
Neo-noir-ish film set in high school. This is required viewing for fans of cinema.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0393109/


JAM

New Releases That Don't Suck

Movies that come out tomorrow on DVD and Blu Ray that don’t suck-

Food, Inc.- If I had a video store there would be a section in it called “Required Viewing”. Food, Inc would be in that section. Make sure you check it out.

Not Forgotten- Starring Simon Baker and the ever lovely Paz Vega. This is a thriller-mystery Santeria inspired tale. I’m just not sure how you can go wrong with devil worshipping and Paz Vega in the same flick.


Answer Man- I’m not a big fan of the Rom/Com, but this Indie flick hits it’s mark. Lauren Graham, Jeff Daniels and Olivia Thirby star.

Go to your video store and check them out.

New DVD Releases

Coming Out Tomorrow on DVD and Blu Ray:

G.I Joe: The Rise of Cobra- You know it is bad when you start rooting for the bad guys to win.

Taking of Pelham 123- Good flick but Travolta should never wear a handlebar moustache.

Aliens In The Attic- 10 year olds may find it interesting… , maybe.


I Love You Beth Cooper- I liked it better when it was called Sixteen Candles.

Elise Pearlstein

Recently I had a chance to interview Elise Pearlstein, producer of the documentary Food, Inc. She is a highly regarded journalist and film producer and just a pleasure to speak with. Below she talks about her food, politics and why its important to know where your food comes from.

JAM-Good morning. Thank you so much for accommodating us.

EP-Well thank you for doing this so early in the morning.

JAM-You know what, absolutely, my pleasure. I gotta tell you when I heard that I had an opportunity to speak with you, I kind of got giddy. Your film had a really big impact on me.

EP-Really?
JAM-Yeah, in fact I wasn’t really in the mood to see a documentary that night. My girl friend dragged me to it because she was actually teaching, or using Omnivore’s Dilemma in a class of hers and she assigned the movie as extra credit. And it worked out really well. And when I saw Food, Inc., it confirmed some ideas that I had.

EP-Did you know what you were getting yourself into?

JAM-I absolutely didn’t. In fact I’m kind of one of those other – I used to lean the other way; I didn’t care that much about free-range chickens or the importance of it, or grass-fed cows and why it’s important. I knew it was healthier. I knew it was better for me, but I didn’t understand why.

EP-Yeah?

JAM-And I actually didn’t eat for about 20 hours after the movie. And then completely re-arranged how I buy food.

EP-Wow. Where do you live?

JAM-I’m up here in Sacramento.

EP-Oh, OK, so you have some good options.

JAM-I do actually. I’ve got three or four very good farmer’s markets as well as a couple of good coops that provide me excellent options actually.

EP-And you must have a very happy girlfriend as well.

JAM-Yeah, she is pretty happy now. She was happy that there was something that she brought me to that had such an effect on my life. So, yeah, she points it out every time we got to the co-op. How did you get connected with Robert Kenner and Food Inc. to begin with?

EP-Well, Robert and I have worked together in the past, and he came to me before we got our funding and asked me if I wanted to be involved. It was a subject that I was very interested in and I was very excited to get on board.

JAM-How much of an influence was Omnivore’s Dilemma and Fast Food Nation? Obviously it was important enough that he had the writers, the authors in the movie, but do you know the impetus for the film?

EP-Well, actually, Robby met Eric , who wrote Fast Nation, a number of years ago and Robby was really inspired by Fast Food Nation. And the idea of seeing something that you thought you new in a fundamentally different light. And that was what we hopped to do with this film. Let’s look at something basic like how our food gets to the table and really kind of explore what’s really going on there. So the film was originally going to be a little bit more directly tied to fast food. But by the time we got our funding and we were ready to go, we realized that we couldn’t just do fast food because basically all food had become fast food in the sense that the same companies that supply to the fast food restaurants are also supplying to your supermarket. And there’s really no difference anymore. All the food that you’re getting in your supermarket is coming out of this same industrial food chain and so we expanded the scope of the film greatly.

JAM-One of the things it does expand to is the first amendment, free speech.

EP-Right.

JAM-And I was curious to find out some of the laws or proposed laws against speaking out against meat manufacturers or where food is made. How did that become part of the food as well?

EP-Well, we were really unaware – or unprepared for how controversial this subject was going to be and how difficult it was going to be to get companies to participate. And to get farmers to feel like they could speak freely about these issues. And really it was when we were talking to Barb, who is the woman whose 2-year-old son died from eating a hamburger –

JAM-Yes.

EP-She was the one who – Robby asked what he thought was a benign question about how has this terrible experience changed how you eat? And she said, well you’re going to have to consult a lawyer before you put any of this in the film because I could be sued by the meat and poultry companies and then she reminded us of Oprah Winfrey and how she was sued for saying something about beef on her show. It just opened up a whole knew area for us. We looked into the veggie liable laws. There are actually food disparagement laws that are on the books in 13 states. And we realized that we in fact had to be very careful about what we said in the film. And we consulted and spent quite a bit of money on a first amendment lawyer to make sure that we were being as careful as we could be about saying what needed to be said but not opening ourselves up.

JAM-I heard that you spent more on that lawyer than any other film or combination of films.

EP-Fourteen films combined.

JAM-I’m sorry, it’s really not funny. But wow.

EP-Yeah, and it was something that – I knew – I’ve done journalism in the past for ABC News and NBC News. I knew going into it that we had to be careful, and document our exchanges and be – make every effort we could to get different sides of this argument. But I did not realize that – we’re talking about food, not nuclear weapons, so there was this shocking element as we were losing sleep over this and spending more and more money on this lawyer that we’re talking about food here – we’re talking about chicken. We’re not trying to get into the Pentagon. It’s really startling that the food world can be so litigious and that you have be so careful about what we say about what we eat.

JAM-One thing about what I was mentioning earlier you not having necessarily a political message – first of all, to me, Food Inc. is not only the best documentary; it’s one of the best films to come this year, and one thing I found interesting about it was not only do you identify problems in food and food production, but you also give answers. You give really – I mean, as disgusted as I was throughout the film, I found myself by the end of it sort of charged to say there are things we can do about it.

EP-Right, and that’s actually what’s empowering about this subject. We eat at least three times a day. So this is an issue where you really can make an impact right away. You can watch the film and immediately start to change the way you eat. And in lots of different ways, and much to the dismay of some of our critics, it doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg to do that – to change the way you eat. So it is an empowering – you know, it’s easy to take the bull by the horns and make some real changes. But then also you have to vote with your fork and you have to vote with your vote. On a government level, we have to try to affect some policy so that we can make a bigger difference on things like our food safety agencies and different laws that would protect animals and the environment and workers and things like that.

JAM-Sure and that was one thing I loved about the film, that’s the one thing – well, one of the many things I came away with – but the most important thing is that it is our vote and we vote every time we go to the grocery store.

EP-Right.

JAM-We make a choice and that’s how we influence decisions. The whole – the Stony Field yogurt getting into Wal-Mart and Wal-Mart looking at the organic as here is something our customers want, and now we are going to provide it for them.

EP-And that’s what Gary Hershberger, the CEO of Stony Field says, you have so much more power than you think you do, every single time a product goes by the scanner you’re voting. And these companies have to listen to your vote. If we don’t buy something, they’re not going to make any money. They’re not going to sell that product. So it’s very important to vote with your consumer habits. But also just to even ask questions. I found just calling these companies trying to get information, calling the number on the web site to say, “Is there corn in this?” “Are there genetically modified ingredients in this?” They’re not used to getting those questions and I think it puts these companies on notice that consumers do want the information and a lot of the most crucial information we want and need is not on the label. And that’s because it’s been, the industry has worked hard to get certain information off the labels – or not on the labels.

JAM-I’ve actually been an advocate against high fructose corn syrup and I thought I was doing a good job not bringing it into my house. OK, after watching Food Inc I realized I was wrong.

EP-Well, corn itself is in so many forms. And a lot of the words you can’t pronounce end up being corn. Not necessarily high fructose corn syrup but a corn product.

JAM-Right. And I was shocked by that. Even when I thought I was doing and OK job at it, it looked like, oh I’m really not. So. For all the things you brought into this film, were there any that you stayed away from or that you felt you couldn’t put in the film?

EP-Yeah, I think we came across a lot – there’s a really big story around the environmental consequences of these industrial factory farms and how this waste gets into the water and into the air and affects the people living around these facilities. And that was a story that we investigated a little bit. But we couldn’t do justice to how profound these impacts are. Likewise, we came across a lot of studies being done and concern about antibiotic resistance and the development of super-bugs that can’t be treated. And that was something else that our chicken farmer talked about because she’s been subject of some of this antibiotic resistance studies. But it was something that again we could have gotten more into but we just couldn’t do it all in the film.

JAM-Right. I remember her just mentioning it. It’s one part of the conversation and then you kind of move on from that.

EP-Right. And also one other thing we spent a lot of time in Tarhill South Carolina with the workers – the whole story of the workers working in the fields and in the plants is something that didn’t get enough time in the film and again how – just the effect not only the animal and the environment but on the workers handling these products and the speed of lines and injuries and all that kind of stuff was again something we could have done a lot more on.

JAM-Yeah, I mean after watching it, those scenes directly related to that subject, I thought to myself, wow there is a real place for unions and seeing that there is good that can come out of unions. Because I think the idea of unions for some people, we’ve moved passed that saying they’re not really necessarily any more and these are specifically the type of conditions that started unions to begin with in the United States. As your movie makes it into video stores, what’s your hope for it? What would be the ideal affect of people watching your movie?

EP-Getting the film out beyond theaters is just a great opportunity to reach everybody. We really wand people to see the film and we want a public dialog about these issues. We want people who agree and disagree to see the film and to just start talking because obviously we’re not trying to get everyone to speak the same thing but we do feel that it’s really important that we bring all the different –what’s the word?

JAM-Opinions? Ideologies?
EP-No, but really all the different, um…stakeholders to the table. And when it comes to food we are all stakeholders because we all eat. It’s important to us that people see the film. But we know that there was a lot of interest in seeing the film and the movie didn’t get to a lot of small towns. We’d love people in farming communities to see the film, more rural areas. And we just want it to start a public dialog about something that we should be talking about.

JAM-How important is local business when it comes to food?

EP-Local business is incredibly important because when it comes to food some of the problems of our food system have really come from companies being too centralized and too big and losing a certain amount of accountability to their local customer. Also it makes – when something goes wrong, the effects are really widespread because these systems are so big and centralized. So I think there’s something about when it comes to food, local means knowing your farmer. Knowing the source of your food and it also – in a societal, cultural way, it keeps you connected as a community. So there is a real value to local influence in the food system and I think it applies to local business as well, it’s how we keep our communities grounded.

JAM- I read or saw another interview with you and you said one of y our first jobs was doing a documentary on Pink’s Hot Dog Stand?

EP-That’s true.

JAM-You’ve really run the full gamut.

EP-I have. I seem to keep – I’m interested in food. I’ve looked at hot dogs, potato chips, Hillsburry Bake Off Contest.

JAM-I’m sure you get this question quite a lot: how has the film changed your eating habits or how you buy things?

EP-The film definitely opened my eyes to how I shop and how I eat. And I have two pretty small children and I’m keenly aware of what I’m putting in their bodies because they are so vulnerable. And also I just feel like it’s important for me and for them to know that food isn’t created in the back of the supermarket. Part of that distance of feeling disconnected from your food is how we’ve allowed some of these things to happen. I try to take them to farmer’s markets and we’re going to go to the county fair and look at the animals. We live in an urban environment so we can’t just drive down the road and meet a farmer, but it’s important to me that we stay connected and actually see where our food comes from.

And I would just say, you didn’t ask me specifically about this when you were talking about the political agenda, but I mean I think it would be, if there is a way to make the point that we did not go in with a particular agenda, we really wanted to hear all different points of view. We thought it would be a more interesting film if we could bring all the different players to the table, and it was the fact that they wouldn’t – that a lot of these major corporations didn’t want to participate in the film that actually changed the course of the film because once we couldn’t get people to talk, that became part of what the film was about. Robby’s last film was called Two Days in October and it one a Peabody and an Emmy and it did – looked at one issue from multiple points of view and that was the intent of this film as well.

JAM-And that is a good thing to point out. When you take a look at the top 5 grossing documentaries out there, you know, it’s going to be Michael Moore.

EP-Yeah. And we are not like him.

JAM-He’s a polarizing character in media right now.

EP-And he doesn’t make it any easier for us.

JAM-No. I like his films, don’t get me wrong. But, his films are entertainment. He comes at it from a wisecracking point of view, which I appreciate. And at the same time, it’s not true journalism.

EP-Right.

JAM-And your film is.

EP-Thank you.

New releases hitting the shelves this week

New releases hitting the shelves this week:

The Proposal- Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds and every obvious joke you've ever heard or seen. And still, the movie works.

Land of the Lost- Who the hell green lit this? The TV show was sci-fi, dark, and never spoke down to it's audience. Universal turned this into... a comedy? Really?

Drag Me To Hell- Sam Raimi is back doing what he does best. This is must see horror even if you are not a horror fan.

How To Be A Serial Killer- Check out my interview with Matthew Gary Gubler. N'uff said.

American Violet- The true story that changed the Texas judicial system.

Indie Titles Coming Out This Week That You Need To Know About-

2 Turntables & a Microphone- Legendary hip-hop DJJam Master Jay, is gunned down in his Queens studio. The five witnesses were uncooperative and no one is talking...until now. An interesting piece if you can get passed the inane rapper bravado.

Adam Resurrected- Tormented in a concentration death camp by a Nazi officer (Willem Dafoe), Adam (Jeff Goldblum) spends the next 15 years in a experimental insane asylum with fellow Holocaust victims. Possibly Jeff Goldblum’s best performance to date.

O’ Horten- Odd Horten (Baard Owe) is having trouble adjusting to retirement. Horten's restlessness launches encounters with a host of strange characters, new behavior and unlikely adventures. This film is a quirky Norwegian comedy.

Major Titles At Your Video Store This Week:

Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past- this is Hollywood’s way of stealing from “A Christmas Carol” and putting it in theaters during the Summer. Pretty sneaky, Hollywood. Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner star in this obvious, but well meaning rip-off… er, re-interpretation of the holiday classic.

Observe and Report- Seriously, one of the most disturbing things I’ve seen this year. It’s either the worst comedy ever or a genius satire of U.S. foreign policy in Iraq. You be the judge. Seth Rogan , Ray Liotta and Anna Faris (who is great).

Lymelife- Think American Beauty meets the Ice Storm. Alec Baldwing, Timothy Hutton, and not one… but two Caulkin brothers, Rory and Kieran. But the real break out performance comes from Emma Roberts (who knew?). Definitely see this.

Battle For Terra- An animated family film where the humans are the bad guys. Well, not all of them, but still. Humans try to take over a planet because their planet has been used up of all it’s natural resources. It’s a cautionary tale and great for kids. Another reminder to go green.

Agnes, Gubler And Our Early Christmas

Agnes, Gubler And Our Early Christmas

The long sabbatical is over. I was in the wilderness for a while. Deep in the wilderness. I have since traversed the wild and made it home.

I met a lot of interesting people on my French leave. Many stories to tell. Here is a short one...

I got to do a phone interview with Matthew Gray Gubler. He is one of the stars of the TV show Criminal Minds and he turns in a very funny performance as Joseph Gorden-Levitt's best friend in 500 Days Of Summer. He is also quite adored by my friend, not gonna use her real name yet, for right now, let's call her Agnes. Agnes, it is fair to say, has the hot sweaty thighs for Mr. Gubler and finds him yummy. When she found out I was interviewing him the look on her face demanded an invitation to listen which she accepted gladly.

When the time came for the interview, mister Gubler was no where to be found. Five minutes pass, still no Gubler. Fifteen minutes, no love. I called his assistant who said we wouldn't have to reschedule, that Matthew was just running late and he'd call in a few minutes. It was worth wait. His first words were "Hey, really sorry I'm late. BTW, I'm really high on painkillers right now".

Christmas comes early for Agnes and me.

I threw out all my prepared questions and we just started talking. To be fair, Matthew had recently taken a pretty bad tumble and his leg was very badly broken as a result. The reason he was late for the interview was because his physical therapy appointment ran long. The injury was so bad that the writers of Criminal Minds had to write it into the script. FYI-spoiler- his character is going to shot in the leg soon. Despite the painkillers, he was in a lot of pain and he still took the interview. Why, you ask, because as Agnes and I were about to find out Matthew Gary Gubler is, in fact, a hell of a guy.

Actors, in general, are very guarded people. They have to be, especially during interviews. Matthew is not. He is completely approachable and unaffected. Talking with him was like sitting down with a new friend over a beer. We started by talking about his latest film to hit dvd, How To Be A Serial Killer. It's a quirky, comedic bloodfest where the public speaking serial killer gives seminars on the merits of murder and how to properly stalk your prey. He takes a young fledgling wanna-be killer (Gubler) under his wing and teaches him the finer art of the craft. While it may take a fairly perverse mind to appreciate, Serial Killer is a lot of fun and should be on your viewing list this October.

Interesting thing about talking to someone high on painkillers, they will tell you anything you might want to know...except the answer to the question you just asked. I don't begrudge him. Mathew is a much more interesting person than any of the questions I had for him. For the record, I tried asking him the standard "what was like filming an indie flick" and "how did you become an actor" type questions. He was much to wily for that. Instead, he told us stories that were charming and funny and that had an endings that had no relationship to how the story began. He talked about why he loves indie film. He gave us his insight about the movie making industry. Agnes swooned many a time.

What started out as a required bit of PR for a movie he made almost a year ago transcended into a subject changing stream of consciousness conversation that spoke to art, film and even, as a byproduct, politics. It's unfortunate that nature of Hollywood fails to foster genuineness off the screen. Fortunate for me that Matthew Gary Gubler is not Hollywood. He is far from it. He is an actor. He is a director. He is a writer. He is, without a doubt, an artist.

And, of course, a hell of a guy.

I will post the full interview when How To Be Serial Killer hits video stores on Tuesday, October 13th.

Make sure you check him out on twitter @gublerland and his website http://www.matthewgraygubler.com/.

Feels like I was gone for a long time. It's good to be home again.

More to come...

Observe & Report

Observe and Report-

A dumb, pointless comedy or the most brilliantly disguised condemnation of American foreign policy in years?

Ron is a bigoted, arrogant, medicated mallcop. His actions are devasting and unilateral. In his compound, a shopping mall, he is both protectorant and abuser . He is a tin badge with assumed authority. Ron is America, the mall his Iraq.

Ron's daily patrols include harassment of the middle eastern merchants, stops for free coffee (his right) and ogling the beautiful cosmetics girl while insulting her gay co-worker. Ron's world is unfettered until a real crime has to be addressed. When a flasher is accosts various women at the mall, including the subject of his affection, Ron jumps in boldly...and blindly. The first thing he does is reject the real authority Detective Harris (Ray Liotta). Instead, Ron “helps” Harris's investigation by questioning various mall inhabitants and then, without evidence, falsely accusing everyone that Ron distrusts. Scarily, he does this with unflinching conviction. While the flasher is not found, Ron's authority is given new credence by the incident and his confidence is given even greater purpose.

He now has the confidence to apply to become a legitimate police officer. Or, perhaps, plead his case to the U.N. Predictably he fails. He passes the physical and written tests well. It is in the psychological test that we find what we had begun to suspect the whole time. Ron is bi-polar and recently off his medication. Ron is a danger to himself and others. He has no business being a police officer. I guess WMD's were never found. Humiliated, Ron returns to mall with, well... a vengeance.

Minor offenses are responded to disproportionately such as the owner of an illegally parked being tazered and skateboarders being beaten within a inch of their lives with their own boards. Not necessarily thrown into Abu Ghrab, but close. Throughout the film his violence is not addressed in any way by the toothless mall manager. Ron has acted without reproach. All the while, real crimes are go on unresolved. Someone has been stealing from various stores in the plaza and when it turns out to be Ron's second in command Dennis (Michael Pena), Dennis overpowers Ron and flees to a foreign country with a final stash in dramatic fashion. (Haliburton, anyone?)

Again humiliated and convinced that the flasher will reappear, Ron returns to the mall but this time undercover and without permission from the mall manager. His aggression has worsened with the lack of medication and soon the real police are called in. Refusing to leave, the mall is Ron's last stand. There is an euphoria than can accompany a break with reality and Ron is swimming in it. Drawing first blood against the cops, Ron is eventually brought down... Rodney King style.

It's a month later, Ron is back on his medication and back in the mall. Only now he is plainclothes and a customer. He sits by himself in the food court ruminating his life. He is offered a free coffee by the girl working the pretzel stand. She is Ron's only bit of redemption for the entire film. Earlier he had viciously attacked her boss for making her cry. While extreme, it is the only time he acted out of concern for another instead of his own ego.

At that moment the flasher returns. Penis dangling in full view of the mall patrons and the audience. Ron jumps up to chase the flasher down. A footrace ensues and just as looks like the trenchcoat villain has given Ron the slip, Ron appears in front of him, gun in hand (the weapon he was never allowed to carry as a mallcop) and blasts the flasher in shoulder. He then drags his prize victoriously through the mall and then to the police station to say a final “F U” to detective Harris. Ron, seemingly redeemed, gets his job back at the mall and hooks up with the born again christian coffee girl.

Ron is hero.... Really?

It is my sincere hope that this story has no hero. That, upon reflection, it is a cautionary tale warning us against unilateral military solutions. We need reason and rationality to operate in the world. To act any other way is not only dangerous and wrong...but, much like the film, soulless as well.

JAM

Crazy Joe & The Generosity of Spirit

Crazy Joe & the Generosity of Spirit -

So, I have an Austin hangout. The Hideout is a combination coffehouse and indie theater. Long and narrow with exposed red brick as the whole right side wall and to the left a refrigerated display case featuring sandwiches of both the panini and croissant in all their varieties. In the front, is a small stage for the wannabe beat poet/acoustic performer and if no one is playing or speaking you can be sure that interesting music is being played at just the right volume. The Hideout is the epitome of hip cafe.

The is a really good reason for this. While there is obviously a lot of effort put into this establishment to create just the right tone, it is the city itself that helps foster the hipness. Austin is hip. Hipper than, let's say, Berkeley, Ca? In a word... Yes. And the reason why is that their seems to be an inherent sense of community in Austin. People here are just are just naturally nice to each other. Maybe it's because in the summer time it's just to damn hot to be anything else... I dunno. I do know that sense of community crosses over and even embraces the artist community. In town where the people could turn a cynical eye to all the tourists who are invading their city for one of the largest film/interactive/music festivals in the world, instead, with open arms, Austin-ites welcome us. Welcome me. Every single local I have met has had a generosity of spirit. Striking up conversations, giving directions and helping me out when I needed it. Their spirit inspired me to do the same. Unfortunately.

I walked into a mostly empty Hideout yesterday. I ordered my triple espresso, sat down, turned on my laptop and got to work. It was short lived. Crazy joe was at the counter asking the staff (it should be said they have always been nice and patient and cool) about where a show was being played. “Come on! No, I don't know the name of the band. They're from Belfast!”. The staff didn't know. Crazy Joe stomped off to the free publication area to try to find his band from Belfast who's name he couldn't remember but that everyone else should know who the are because they are from Belfast, dammit.

The free publication area is next to where I was sitting. Generosity of spirit, remember? I had the power of the almighty internet at my fingertips. I could help Crazy Joe. “Buddy, I could look it up for you online if you'd like”. Mistake. I would realize later that Crazy Joe was not from Austin. He was from Buffalo,Ny. He,therefore, was not cool. He was, in fact, crazy.

“Great” he said without even a hint of appreciation in his voice. He then plops himself down right next to me breaking all personal space boundaries. I've had one night stands that had more space between two people than he gave me. I quickly bring up the official SXSW site and start searching. Nothing. After a couple minutes I let Crazy Joe know that nothing is coming up on the site and, without the name, I'm not gonna be able to find the band.

Angrily, “It's a free show. They are not part of SXSW. Can I use your phone to check my messages?”

I had left my phone on the table and before I could say “sure” (generosity of spirit, remember?) he grabs my phone and begins to dial. When he is done listening to his messages, he, with great sincerity, asks if he could make a quick call. He was waiting on his application for some sort sociological internship. He had received a call from a professor and needed to call him right away. His phone was back at the hotel.

Generosity of spirit, remember. Also, he wasn't “Crazy Joe” yet. But it was coming. Actually, it was almost here. He gets on the phone and, while holding for his professor, I get his “deets”. Crazy Joe is from Buffalo. Crazy Joe has been everywhere. He worked raising money for the Kerry campaign of '04 in California and Florida. Crazy Joe says politics are F*****-up. Everything is screwed. We don't use enough solar power. The F***ers in charge should be overthrown and...
Okay, at this point I have to say I stopped listening. I love talking politics, but this guy was pontificating and his sermon started turning blue. I noticed that now there were more people in the the cafe... more children.

Then he started talking to the guy who was going to give him a job...or not. It went like this:

Angry tone. “Hello professor.... the thing that you have to understand is everything you are doing is F*****. You are considered a joke. The university is laughing at you. Yes, you make no sense. Yes. No. I can't work like that. You should do something more relevant. I just can't go back to Buffalo. No. I'm not being disrespectful. No I am not. I am telling you the F****** truth. You need to do more relevant work. F*** that!”

This goes on for another five minutes and I am feeling uncomfortable because people are starting look at the crazy guy on the phone. Then they start looking at the shmuck next to him... me. Then Crazy Joe screams “Right now! Yes or No, will you consider me for the job?! I am sitting next to a crazy person. This is when, in my mind, Joe transcended into Crazy Joe.

Btw, I think the professor's reply was “no F***ing way”. Just a guess.

Crazy Joe hands me back my phone (which now goes directly into my pocket). And begins to ask me a question. Like the professor, my inside voice says “no f***ing way”

“Good to meet you, dude. Gotta go see a movie. Hope it all works out” and I am out of there. Yes, Crazy Joe was so crazy that I just got up from my new home away from home and split.

Generosity of spirit can be a bitch. Which makes the people of Austin even more impressive. SXSW brings all sorts of crazy to their town and in their own way they embrace it, Crazy Joe and all.