We found a hit at the Filmmakers’ Alliance Screening last night…

If you don’t know what the Filmmaker’s Alliance is all about, you can read the L.A. New Times’ Gregory Weinkauf’s piece on the organization.  Simply, they are dedicated to allowing new filmmakers to find their way.  So much so that the oversold event ended up leaving a late arriving and not-too-happy Sean Penn and Dennis Hopper on the sidewalk while others got into the event, which included a tribute to Wim Wenders.  Coincidentally, it was Wenders birthday and after losing out on David Lynch and Steven Soderbergh, the very deserving Wenders delayed his surprise birthday party to come  and accept his “Vision Award.” 

But the point here is that the presentation of nine shorts left one clear hit to chew on… Matt Nix and Alfredo Barrios, Jr’s Mementoke.  “Huh?,” you say?  Let’s all pronounce it together.  Mo-Men-Toke.  It’s like Memento, but instead of a violent attack causing memory loss… DUDE!… it’s too much Mary Jane.

Now, let me say on the record… I am not a pot user nor have I ever been a pot user.  Not my bag, man.  But this 17-minute movie is an instant classic, sure to rival Young George Lucas In Love for attention and sales once it gets out there.  (If any of you have any interest and/or influence, the filmmakers can be reached at (213) 482-2117.) 

If I had this film to cut, I would yank 2 or 3 minutes out of it… always leave them wanting more.  But all that few minutes mean is that there is a little lull around the 11-minute mark. 

Having spent part of my industry childhood on the SNL film unit that produced Synchro Swmmers and Black Ballplayers (“I remember smelt night…”), the film reminded me of the smart, subtle work that a guy like Chris Guest could deliver in that arena.  (And man, I haven’t thought about my SNL years for a long while and now I’ve name dropped it twice in two weeks… sorry.) 

It’s simple… Mementoke is a must-have for anyone who loves Memento.  Bob Berney should make it one of the first buys of his new distribution company and include it on a new, special features DVD of the movie. 

There’s no point in explaining… it’s Memento with a buzz.  But it manages to keep coming up with new ideas throughout.  Good stuff.  It made the entire evening worth the effort.  That’s why I go to events like that… sometimes you find something magical. 

NOT TOO OLD:  Good to see that Joel Zwick, director of the shock hit, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, has his next feature gig lined up.  The film is being made by Mandalay, which has an output deal at Paramount these days.  So much for the ageism suit!  The Variety story is here.

ANNA CAN-A:  It was great to read Cathy Seipp’s take on E!’s Anna Nicole Smith Show.  It was almost as refreshing as E! Online’s front of the column group masturbation over the show in both Bruce Bibby’s (aka Ted Casablanca) and Andy Jones’ (aka Anderson Jones) columns.  The only reality television that I have found watchable since the Survivor invasion is NBC’s Crime & Punishment, Fox’s American Idol and the first episode that I saw of Meet My Folks… I have tried watching it again and BZZT!, no.  

BTW:  If you are watching American Idol, the answer to the magical question has been Tamyra Gray and Kelly Clarkson and I can go the rest of my life without seeming any of these kids… though I think Christina Christian has real potential and I’ll look forward to Ryan Starr (a 19-year-old girl, for those of you who aren’t watching) and her inevitable appearance in Playboy/Penthouse/Hustler/Wherever.  They are prepping a show designed to create a girl’s group.  What would be a miracle is for this show to deliver a truly great male singer.  Justin Guarini, who is likely to make the Final Three, is a nice looking kid with a good voice, but I swear, he hasn’t sung a single song as though he understood the lyrics.  How long has it been since there has been a great male singer?  Seal? 

UNIQUE MOVIE SITE:  I recently ran into a guy named Luke Ford, who I had lost over time.  When I caught up with his website at lukeford.net, he was shredding some shreddable industryite or another.  But after more digging, I found that Luke has done some pretty unusual journalistic work… he is building a database of in-depth interviews with Hollywood producers, the least interviewed group of high-profile industry players.  The list he’s developed is pretty jaw-dropping.  So take a look.  But be careful that you don’t try lukeford.com instead.  That would be a porno site.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED:  When something went wrong – very wrong – and Warner Bros. let Batman vs. Superman put its cowl and cape in mothballs, I was looking forward to Ain’t It Cool News explaining.  After all, they had just finished a pissing contest with Corona Coming Attractions over the film’s casting and they seemed to have someone with access to the executive offices at Warner Bros.  If ever I expected AICN to get a story before anyone else, it was on this story.  But nothing… crickets.  It’s very unlikely that I’m going to be the one to answer the question that needs to be answered… why did this really happen?  The first one of you who says, “They really wanted to make Troy,” gets a hard rap on the knuckles. 

SALON-A-THON:  There are a couple of strong stories in Salon that relate tangentially to the column.  First, there is Scott Rosenberg’s look at the history of the web and why the big players still don’t seem to see why they screwed up.  That one’s here.

The second story is about the stigma of rape, re: rape shield laws.  Margot Magowan’s story is here.

IRONY DEPARTMENT:  Columbia and Revolution are revving up another version of Peter Pan, directed by P.J. Hogan.  They just announced the hiring of French actress Ludivine Sagnier to play Tinkerbell.  Whose career did P.J. Hogan re-launch, also at Sony, just 5 years ago?  Well, Hollywood’s last Tinkerbell, Julia Roberts, who starred for Hogan in My Best Friend’s Wedding.

OTHER WACKY STUFF:  There is a website and newsletter called Daily Candy that comes up with interesting things to see and think about.  It’s kind of like having a friend in Sex & The City and having her send you an e-mail every day to tell you what’s hip.  They sent something out the other day that was so wacky and so L.A. that I wanted to share it with you:

Max's Pad

Does your bedroom have the blues? Living room have the mean reds? 

A new paint job is not the answer. Neither is an Ikea binge. Don't redecorate. Rediscover. Find your interior's inner self. Maxwell Ryan, apartment therapist, will help. 

Based on the premise that many apartments are "orphans," Maxwell senses what ails your home and rectifies it by re-ordering the flow of space, shifting furniture, putting things in more sensible places, even helping you set up your stereo. One part feng shui, one part life coach, and a dash of handyman. 

No new purchases required (except, of course, for the service -- and some flowers should you ask). Maxwell takes what you already have and makes it work. Writer's block, loneliness, and stress may not vanish for good -- but darling, that chaise lounge has  never looked better. 

Next, you might want to look into those mood swings your car's been having. 

Maxwell Ryan, Apartment Therapy (646-613-8347), mjr@apartmenttherapy.com.”

READER OF THE DAY:  NOT RHANDA’S BROTHER wrote:  “I fail to understand (or even see) the issue raised by the "CG manipulation of realities like New York City".  After all, isn't the manipulation of reality the fundamental purpose of CG.  Even more fundamentally, isn't the purpose of all movies (other than documentaries) to manipulate reality in a way that manipulates the audience's thoughts and emotions consistent with the director's goals?

In fact, putting CG aside for a moment, filmmakers regularly fail to accurately portray the surroundings they purport to display.  New York looks curiously like Vancouver in many low budget movies I've seen (not to drift on to your runaway productions topic), my hometown (Boston) is often depicted by "stand-in" locations and the number of times in old war movies that the bad guys' tanks, planes and ships look suspiciously like our tanks, planes and ships painted in different colors are too numerous to count.

Is the accusation against CG just that it is too good at these visual sleights of hand?  I find it particularly ironic that this Samsung/Sony tempest in a teapot arose in Spiderman.  Apparently using CG to create a man swinging from webs thru Manhattan, who can dangle from a cable by one hand while holding a loaded gondola in the other is no problem, but changing a billboard from the name of one purveyor of consumer electronics to another is inappropriate manipulation.

I imagine the issue is really a combination of (1) or general ambivalence about the burgeoning use of product placements in movies and the potential that CG has to increase ther use and (2) Samsung feeling snookered because they thought they would get more eyeballs on their ad than the conventional billboard because of its media-genic locale.

I guess that's a long way of saying this is a non-issue and that I agree with you.  Oh well.”

This came from I DIG, YOU DIG:  “I was wondering about your thoughts about the new union between Coors Light (aka "the Silver Bullet") and Miramax. The headline reads that Coors would sponsor all their premiere parties for the next few years. Ok, fine. Weak but fine. I guess I could get used to seeing the Coors logo in the background of all those exclusive Access Hollywood interviews. But read further down and it says that Coors products will be featured in 15 Miramax films over the next 3 years and, "Coors and Miramax will review which films would be best for Coors to appear in". Of course, "both companies said Coors would not be dictating creative changes for scripts."

OK, Coors won't be dictating creative changes, but Mira-stein will. Now I'm a filmmaker (who doesn't make films at the moment),film buff and discerning beer drinker, I notice things like the brand of suds a character orders/ drinks in movies. It seems more often times than not, a character will go up to a bar and order a "beer" and get a Bud, no questions asked. To me I find it as distracting as a "555" phone number. It is the little details that enhance the character and I just don't think certain people would settle for just a Bud (or a Coors Light for that matter).

And speaking of details, even further down it says that Coors employees will be able to be in the movies in walk-on roles. I can see it now. A filmmaker or actor can't put his mother in the background because the VP of marketing needs to be in the shot. I wonder if that will affect the shot selection in the editing room or even the decisions about what scripts get a green light. Your thoughts?

Also, is this the first time a studio made a long term tie-in deal with a product? Or will this set a precedent, and soon everybody will be doing it? I don't know, personally I just don't think this tastes good (I know, bad pun) and the fact that Miramax is doing it really makes me sad.

Just think about it: ‘Fuck Heinekein! Pabst Blue Ribb...er, Cold Coors Light! How fucking refreshing, you fuck! Mommie..’ “

E ME:  I believe that a couple of studios have car deals now.  What do you think of the brewing deal?  Will you have your home psychoanalyzed?