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Monday, December 22, 2008

An Anecdote

About four years ago I worked a summer at AG Edwards. It was easily the second worst job I've ever had. Take customer service and add the stress of handling and investing people's money. Combine this with all of the drama of working in an office and waking up at 7:30 and you have my image of hell. And finally, my boss was a dickhead. He lacked tactful social skills, humility, and patience.
In retrospect, I can see all of this, but at the time I felt this strong desire to prove myself, carry out my tasks to the best of my ability, and so on. I had work ethic, but I also needed money.
Anyway, one day the topic of my second job came up whilst talking with my boss. I worked part time at the Minor Theatre as well and he felt obligated to talk movies upon learning this. Leaning back in his chair he said

"The last movie I saw... Oh right, the Pacifier! Yeah that was a really great movie."

It was at that point I stopped caring about that job at all. I try not to be a snob, but his insistence on praising that Vin Diesel tragedy exemplified how distant our realities were from each other.

Nowadays that place is a distant memory but i learned valuable lessons regarding how I want to spend my life earning money.

Jinkies!

Having just watched Yours, Mine and Ours in a hotel in San Francisco, it reminded me of this article. It made me a little sad, as Raja Gosnell is my second cousin. I also worked on Scooby Doo 2 with him at Warner Brothers a few years back. I feel a need to defend him, but I can't help but agree with the article on a lot of it's assessments; these directors look like pampered egoists with no talent.

But I'm gonna go for it anyway. Raja has a vision, but he also has a job and I think he approaches it as such. He is firmly rooted in the Mega-studio system, and therefore doesn't have the control that a lot of people think that directing allows. I learned firsthand that a director directs the people that make the film. In big budget productions, he rarely touches a camera. That's just how it goes.
Also (and I think this is the best redemption), many, many jaded hollywood stress balls that I worked with on Scooby told me repeated times that it was the easiest, most positive production they'd ever worked on. Raja was, in their eyes, a terrific boss. He was (is) kind, polite, humble, and enthusiastic. The studios are an industry, and frankly most of the stuff that comes out of there is crap. So if someone is a real pleasure to work with, that alone should be a saving grace.

And Scooby Doo 2 was pretty damn decent for modern kiddie fare, come on!

Friday, December 19, 2008

Beyonce

Say what you will, she's got pipes (and curves). But shit, I'm on Rachael's Itunes listening to the new Beyonce album and it is so fucking watered down. Boring Faith Hill meets Tori Amos wannabe BS. Seriously, listen to it yourself. It sounds like top 40 country. Even her voice is so filtered down by echo that it has no power. The only upbeat tempo songs are completely devoid of that soul that was so indicative of B. The only songs worth listening to here are complete ripoffs of flash in the pan songs of the last 2 years.

You'd be better off listening to this track and pretend she hasn't released any since.

As much as I love lists, I'm not so into the year-end types, strictly because it's really difficult for me to stay up to date. I'm always a few years behind the curve.

Off the top of my head, you should check this shit out.

Kings of Leon

Hank Williams III- Damn Right Rebel Proud... See what BushAmeriCo has wrought... This is real country

A New Trend


and more to come...