Spiderman 3 Squished?

So I've decided to do a few more posts regarding Film, and let the philosophy seep into it as it will.

Spiderman 3 Squished?

So there have been many reports online, in the papers, and regretably in the news about how everyone anticipates that "Spiderman 3" will unavoidably be squished by the proverbial boot of "Shrek 3" and "Pirates of the Caribbean 3." They cited several sources that agree most readily that our dear friend Peter Parker wearing black and being a badass wont save it at the box office. People will see all three, but only Shrek and Jack are going to get repeat customers.

Now really, I beg of you - find me something cooler than a super-hero going bad for a while? I tend to disagree with market analysts this time (sorry guys!). I'm going to stand by the fact that the webbed wonder will pull through. I think it's funny that people immediately believe that because a movie spends a heap during production ($230M for this third installment of the Spidey Saga), that somehow the movie will be a flop. How easily they forget that "Spiderman 2," came in at a $200M budget, but had a domestic gross of $373,525,825! Worldwide gross coming in just shy of $784M!

Now consider that Pirates budget is already estimated at $230 as well! Although no one is talking about that quite as coarsely as they are regarding Spidey. Also keep in mind that Pirates 2 did better in the foreign markets than domestically. Also, we're looking at almost 2 months between the release dates of the two films. I believe strongly that audiences in general walked out of Pirates 2 disenchanted with their uber-cliff-hanger ending! We'll see how many people are willing to watch the end of the 2nd movie, er um.. I mean the third.. Right.

Shrek 3 will draw all the families and children, especially with Spiderman 3 being a little darker than the rest. Though Spiderman will have already been out for a week, so it's opening weekend had better draw a lot of those families out. I still project a $100M opening weekend for Peter.

I think all 3 films are going to be total box office smashes - don't get me wrong, I plan on seeing all 3 multiple times! I tend to disagree with analysts claiming that Spiderman is going to fall flat. I can't wait to get to the end of summer and see who won out!

That's it for now.

More to come on films later on.

As usual I'll sign off with my blanket warning for all movie-fans = Never watch anything by Uwe Boll.

Dawnrunner Productions

Well it finally happened! Dawnrunner Productions is up and running

www.dawnrunner.com is up, check it out. We'll be adding all our content over the next couple weeks, so check back often!

We are looking for projects in the Bay Area:

Films, Commercials, Music Videos, Corporate Vids - anything you can think of! Check the site for a more detailed list!

What Do People Want?

Have you ever sat back and asked yourself? "That person over there throwing the temper tantrum agains the world...What is it they really want?" I do on occasion when I see someone really clawing against the walls. But there are times when I absolutely cannot come to any conclusion as to what it really is that person is trying to accomplish. It would seem that if were that adamant about something, people would know right away what you were after. In our world today, as we've discussed before - it almost seems like people just like to complain. It comes down to motives. It's not so much what they're ranting about, it's more about why.

Perfect example of this happened to me yesterday. As some of you may know, I'm a film major in the epicenter of whiners for the world. I was in a class which was supposed to be about studying directors works and learning how to be a better director myself. The teacher had us watch this film that was - well, it was a repulsive parade of homosexuality and transgender escapades that I found almost too vulgar to watch. If I hadn't had to write a paper on it, I would've stopped it after about 15 minutes. Keep in mind, I'm a fairly open minded person - People are people and they will do what they want to do. I am Christian and believe that it's not my place to judge. So that's that. But, I absolutely can and will have an opinion on people trying to force feed me their views.

So, the teacher immediatly launches into this hour long diatribe slandering white Christian (Straight) Men. To summarize, we're basically what's wrong with the world. It's largely due to the fact that we are inherintly evil and stereotype entire cultures as bad to make ourselves feel more powerful/just/etc...Well, I could go into the psychology of my woman teacher and some of the more vehement women in the class - but I'll leave their skeletons in their own closets. I sat and listened to it for a while, and finally I realized that there were only two Christians in the class. Myself and a friend of mine who happens to be of African American decent. Now, he spoke up right away and started bucking against what they were saying. All the while a big grin of his face while they sat quietly and listened. Any time I spoke up, I was immediaty overruled and told to let someone else (more common than not, a female in the class) talk against the point that I had only begun to pose.

I sat for over an hour listening to this, and finally managed to get two words in edgewise. I told my teacher she was a hypocrit for stereotyping WASPs and told her to reevaluate her opinion as a saint of the left. She asked me to not come back to the class after our midclass break, and then told everyone to take that break.

So - What's MY point you ask? Be careful if you complain that you are not just as guilty (if not more so) of the venom you are spewing. Our world has become one ruled by hypocracy and it's blackened the blood of the world. Stop making people pay the price for something that happened 50, 100, 500 years ago. Worry about injustice done to you, and your brothers and sisters and husbands and wives TODAY. There are enough in the world to keep us all busy, we don't need to keep worrying about the things in the past. The past sculpts the future with a delicate hand, but don't overwork a section that's already been carved or it can unravel the entire work of art.

Time, time, time...

Though I know it's of no consequence, I have to defend my position on time. That being something that I have, of late become lacking.

Senior year of film school, new job, and hopefully a few open doors for a fledgeling filmmaker like myself. So those of you who pray, send one up for your friend in San Francisco - and those of you who don't, a kind thought my way would be appreciated.

Speaking of kind thoughts, or actions - what has happened to their existances in the world? I heard on the radio today that criminals in some of the most highest security prisons are striking because their food isn't good enough. To that I say, "You are a criminal, what makes you think you have a right to complain about the level of service you recieve in prison." Don't get me wrong, I'm not a hardliner, I am for only limited use of the death sentance, nor am I an animal who enjoys watching people suffer. However, I find it absolutely absurd that people would take up a call to arms, for the food served in prisons, and run with it. Such a righteous cause. I'm not that long away from High School, where I would on occasion suffer through a meal in the school cafetiria. I say suffer because what didn't look, feel, and taste like cardboard was probably leftovers from a glue factory. If we're going to worry about the level of service anyone recieves out of a government kitchen, it by God better be our school systems over some murderer/rapist serving a life sentance in prison.

I'm not even sure I blame the criminals for complaining. It's prison, there's not that much to entertain you. (although, I may stand corrected regarding that because most prisons now have some of the best entertainment equipment; best weightlifting/recreation equipment; movies, especially since the latest rallying cries from the can that got them delivered the Harry Potter DVD's, courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. American Taxpayer; Books, etc, etc...Oh, and don't forget your handy-dandy government payed for college education!) Who I really blame are the people who take it upon themselves to make such a stink over things like this that it actually gets into the news, and somehow onto the desk of lawmakers.

Just something to think about as you go about your business....

For My Friends in Texas

Sincerest apologies for my prolonged absence. Life likes to throw us curve balls now and then.

Here is the much delayed response to the meme game.

5 Things I Plan to Do Before I Die
* Make my epic historical feature film that I've been working on for 10 years.
* Have a child or 6.
* Take one of those "Round the World in 80 days" trips.
* Win an Oscar.
* Leave Earth's atmosphere, even if it's just orbit.

5 Things I Can Do
* I can make people smile.
* I can keep a secret
* Troubleshoot situations with the best of 'em.
* I CAN tie a cherry stem in my mouth. (takes years of practice bwh!)
* I can direct people for films.

5 Things I Cannot Do
* Speak another language.
* I cannot stay angry.
* Seem to find any film investors, anywhere.
* Eat tomatoes.
* Drink beer. (allergic)

5 Things that Attract Me to the Opposite Sex
* Those moments when women are thinking something coy and bite their lip.
* Warmth shared between a man and women in love.
* The understanding that women have over men, if you can accept it, is a treasured thing.
* The soft floral scent that comes naturally ( I think? ) to my girlfriend.
* The smiles she gives me when I can cheer her up from a bad mood.

5 Things I Say Most Often
* Dude (from California, it's a requirement)
* If only I had a bit more money...
* What time is it?
* Can anyone remember the last time I ate?
* *gulp*

5 Celebrity Crushes
* Jennifer Love Hewitt
* Natalie Portman
* Jennifer Garner
* Sophia Marceau
* Jennifer Anniston

5 People I Want to Do This Next
This one will have to wait...

Bliss anyone?

How can we allow people to sacrifice their judgement, no - they're common sense, for the feelings of others? This term that's thrown around so often today, "Politically correct." That term needs done away with. The point to politics is to be the voice of the people. Is it truly that the voice of the people has become the filth, the absolutely absurdity that these "politicians" spew?

We're surrounded by spoiled brats. People who not only feel they can make up whatever they want, but are encouraged by those im power to do so. We've talked about self indulgence, we've talked about the drive that people feel - yet have no outlet. What have we become but a bunch of rotten brats, spoiled off the fruits of our grandfathers labor. There was a generation that knew how to work - how to fight - how to hold on to their freedom with both hands. I can only try to be this clear:

We are attempting to give our freedom away!

And not just a passing attempt at trying to spread Democracy. We The People of the United States of America are trying to give our freedom to anyone who will take it. Give. Sacrifice. To be without from then on.

A natural disaster happens overseas, we rush to support them - as we should, I believe the U.S. to be big-brother to the rest of the world. Natural disaster happens on U.S. soil and....Nothing. We spread the fruits of our labor to so many countries worldwide in their times of need, but we tend to not even get a "That's too bad, let us know if we can help in any way." It's the thought that counts, right? That's not even the main point, I wish it was. The main point is - we need to focus on what's happening HERE first. How can we possibly help anyone else, if we don't help ourselves when we need it. If we're too busy weeding the bushes to worry about the house, sooner or later that house will fall into disrepair and then we'll be homeless, because the flowers don't care. We need to think seriously about reading our history books again, digging through what has MADE THIS COUNTRY WHAT IT IS TODAY - and reeling in our foreign policy in a major way. Fix US first.

I honestly believe that the general public of the United States is living with an "Ignorance is Bliss" mentality. A philosophy teacher of mine once told a story to the class. I will try to recite it as best I can, it's been some years now.

"Imagine a world where any hurts or wrongs done to you, or even done around you were forgiven without a moments pause. Not just forgiven, but forgotten - utterly. A place of constant wonder, and constant peace. If you had the ability to meet new people and new faces every day - with never a care for tomorrow or a thought to the past. Does that sound good to you? You can have that, today. Just walk into your doctors office and say these magic words, "I'd like a lobotomy.""

We're walking around like we've been lobotomized. Laws have actually been passed that have no bearing on reality. Not scientifically, theologically, rationally, logically. We're trying to live in a blissfull state where no one gets offended. Except for a few people, who are just supposed to deal with the fact that we don't matter as much as someone who could possibly get their feelings hurt. The worst part becomes - the people who yell and whine the loudest are the ones who are the most revered by these people; these zombified things that once were thinking human-beings.

I beg of you - think before you speak. Life is hard - if it were easy and blissfull all the time, we'd never know because we'd have nothing to compare it to. Please for God's sake do NOT try to make your reality subjective. It's not. What happens, happens. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, and sometimes it's neither good nor bad; it just is. That doesn't mean you have creative freedom to twist the truth any way you see fit at any given time. What you say will come back to haunt you. You'll start to believe the reality you're creating for yourself, and then you will be the victim of your own mechinations. You'll be lobotomized. And join the ranks of the thousands upon thousands of the mindless horde that is doing everything they can to sabotage and destroy this country that I love.

As With Us All

There comes a time when work just kicks your butt - and leaves you without any kind of time to be creative.

My heart and prayers are with those Americans effected by Katrina.

I will be posting more this week - for those that read, thanks and keep checking back, it won't be long.