Vomiting, in my personal opinion, is one of the most disgusting and unpleasant aspects of the human experience. It usually is brought upon by things such as overwhelming stress, disease, or binge drinking/eating. While it happily is not an everyday occurrence for most of us, we tend to forget about it — and are usually satisfied not to have it linger in our minds while we’re happy and healthy.
The dramatic increase in vomiting in cinema has made me queasy to say the least. It is one of my go-to entries in what I call SSIM (Stupid Shit in Movies), and I think its completely unnecessary.
The metaphor is obvious: the idea of vomiting is often associated with cleansing and renewal — that you are ejecting toxins so that your body may recover to its normal state. The act implicitly suggests, also, a certain heightened degree of realism. However, there are several bodily functions that have gone undocumented in major Hollywood offerings, and graphic depictions of getting sick could be left out.
This is an article that ran two weeks ago in our local paper. I’ve been so busy with the new film I haven’t had much time to write here.
Three filmmakers with ties to KC music featured on DVD compilation
“The worlds of music and film have long intersected and overlapped.
Recently, those worlds collided in Kansas City. Three local filmmakers with ties to the local music industry placed short films on a DVD that was shipped worldwide to VIP subscribers of the music magazine Paste.”
Today, a flash banner ad for the new FOX show Sons of Tuscon piqued my interest.
Sons of Tuscon is a show about a fat man-child — think Will Ferrell trapped inside the body of Zach Galifinakis, a look that isso hot right now — living with children who have recruited him to avoid a foster home stay. Hilarity and hijinks ensue when it becomes very clear he is in no way prepared to take care of children, and evidence would support the notion that they might be his intellectual equals. Hooray for negligent, borderline-dangerous parenthood!
Tuscon is an entry in the well-trodden territory of dumb people in sunny places (My Name is Earl,Raising Arizona, etc.). Still, the show seems to be promoting and embracing that subversive Malcolm in the Middle concept of the American family — dysfunctional, dangerous, irrational, ignorant, rude…but with a “circle the wagons” approach to their own blood.
First of all, one can’t help but point out the obvious potential for injury in the image. A slingshot fashioned out of cactus is neither safe nor practical. If for some reason the aim is off — which is highly likely, considering children are manning the weapon — our portly friend could be sent careening into the base of the cactus which would be unpleasant to say the least.
(Possible target audience?)
What interested me most was the suggestion of how the show will be marketed to potential viewers. The slingshot is a rather antiquated pop culture symbol of youth, childhood, and mischief. No adult would have a use for one, and neither would most children in the modern era (unless it was somehow integrated into the controls of a Nintendo Wii game).
Of course, the slingshot goes back to ancient times. It was the device used by David, the little guy, to defeat Goliath. The probable suggestion of the advertisement pits the show as an underdog, and that by virtue of you watching their program, you are sticking it to all the media straw men and executives that wanted to pass on it in the first place.
“And, trust us, we were going to pass on it. However, threatening the release of some…photos…changed our tune…”
As one can see from the original still, the slingshot is pointed at YOU, the violent suggestion being that FOX will attack you with this powerful weapon of mass comedy destruction. It could also be a metaphor for the forthcoming advertising blitz that will have you pining for the sweet release of a lobotomy.
Executives have always equated relentless exposure with success. After all, FOX aired an Avatar trailer nearly 6 months before its theatrical release. Sons of Tuscon spots were already airing during the NFL playoffs. This early hype probably has them hoping it will become a Malcolm in the Middle-type hit. A tall order, but I think they would ultimately settle for Bernie Mac, or maybeeven The Tick.
An ongoing personal reflection/deconstruction of scenes I’ve done, and how and why I did them. While “Fingers” is currently making the rounds on a DVD sampler published by Paste Magazine, the film will be screening at the 10th Annual deadCENTER film festival in Oklahoma City. The film will screen Friday, June 11th at 11:59pm at IAO Gallery. I’ll be there, so come by and say hello!
“Fingers” is a strange beast. After doing primarily documentaries in my undergraduate years, I decided to do a radical experimental narrative before I graduated, something to clean my palette before tackling some narratives. The finished film has no dialogue and is told strictly through non-linear flashbacks. The film had no screenplay — it was shot completely off storyboards and a simple one page treatment.
The story centers around Paul, who reacts to the loss of his index finger the same way someone might grieve a loved one who passed away — his mind goes to unexpected places and recalls moments throughout his life where the finger played a role. Eventually the memories become more strained and confusing to the point he breaks out of them and returns to reality.
Part of what interested me about the project was simply the idea of touch, how fingers could be used to tickle, or explore, or offend. I loved thinking about – and exploring – the utility of our anatomy.
Today I was thumbing through a magazine rack at a Goodwill when I chanced upon a February 1962 issue of Pageant magazine that includes a short piece on Jean-Paul Belmondo. Belomondo was recently honored by the Los Angeles Film Critics for his career achievements. High-resolution scans of the original pages are at the bottom, following the transcription. Enjoy!
JB Meets CC
Photographed for Pageant by Marvin Newman
THE FILM HEROES of the young Frenchman at left are Bogart, Brando and Garfield. But put them all together and you still haven’t captured the essence of Jean-Paul Belmondo, the most off-beat European screen sensation in a decade.
My latest short film, Fingers, has been selected for inclusion in the Paste Magazine quarterly DVD sampler (February-March 2010). If you or someone you know has subscribed to receive the DVD with the magazine, please keep an eye out!
Vomiting, in my personal opinion, is one of the most disgusting and unpleasant aspects of the human experience. It usually is brought upon by things such as overwhelming stress, disease, or binge drinking/eating. While it happily is not an everyday occurrence for most of us, we tend to forget about it — and are usually satisfied not to have it linger in our minds while we’re happy and healthy.
