The Future Of Star Wars

After Disney bought Lucasfilm for four billion dollars, rumors began to arise about the potential future of the thirty-six year old franchise.  Just a day after the news broke of Lucas releasing his rights to his empire; it was said that Star Wars 7, 8, and 9 were on there way, the first coming to theater in the summer of 2015.  That turned from rumor to reality when J.J. Abrams signed on to direct the first film in the new trilogy.

Now news has hit that Disney plans on creating origin films based on popular characters that we all have come to love over the decades.  The first possible story told will be based on the 900 year old Yoda, a decision that seems to have the fanboys going crazy with enthusiasm or anger.  Of course not everyone will be happy with what Disney is doing, but I say why not?  Disney rarely makes a mistake when it comes to business decisions.  I'm sure a few of you have thought of a few mistakes they've made throughout the last ninety years their doors have been open, but in full view of the company and where its come from, not many mistakes were made.  Disney is, pretty much, the most powerful studio in the world.  In six years, Disney has acquired ownership of Marvel, Lucasfilm and all of its sub companies like ILM and Skywalker Sound, along with Pixar Animation.

I went off track there for a second, but what I'm getting at is Disney has this in the bag.  They know what their doing when it comes to making a decent film and diving into a universe full of characters who deserve a back story told.  Take a look at The Avengers, a universe had to be built and characters had to be introduced in their own films before it could even be made.  Star Wars is working backwards when it comes to origins, being that the main story has already been told, but why not see how the characters came to be?  I find it interesting that die hard Star Wars fans have a problem with this.  Even the release of three more films attached directly to the main storyline is bothersome to fans of the series.  Why not see what happened after the empire was destroyed?  Its a big universe, with so many possibilities.

I'm basically saying, just give Disney and the people behind the creation of these films a chance.  If its not a film you enjoy then don't watch it, much like I do with the Highlander films.  The first film is the best, with a decent ending for the main character.  There was no need to make sequels, so I decided to not count those films into what the real story is. The story I grew up with is the story I follow, which is an example some of you should follow.  If the new Star Wars films fail in your eyes, just don't count them to the stories you grew to love.

By the way readers.  check out my Facebook website for the film a friend of mine and I are doing called Solace.  You can find the link here.

Superbowl Sunday

The Superbowl, an unsanctioned holiday for every American.  Lovers and haters of football tune in for either the game, the commercials, or for the halftime show each year.  This four hour time frame is the most watched of any television event in the world.  We call baseball America's favorite pastime, a saying that has slowly faded away with every passing year as football grows more popular.  Where did this event come from?  Who came up with the name?  Why do we have a Superbowl?

In 1960 the AFL (American Football League) was formed; creating the possibility of a merger with the NFL, a merger that didn't happen until the 1970 season.  As agreed with the merger, a championship would be held with the two league champions facing off in a game to see who has the better team.  Lamar Hunt, owner of the Kansas City Chiefs, used the phrase 'Superbowl' during the merger meetings.  Hunt blames the name on his children.  During these meetings, his children were infatuated with a toy called the 'Super ball,' so Hunt would playfully refer to the championship game as the Superbowl.  Eventually the league went with AFL-NFL Championship, but the press caught wind of Hunts playful phrase, making it popular among the general public.  During the third season, the league made it official to call the championship game the Superbowl.


The most coveted trophy in sports, the Vince Lombardi Trophy, was actually designed on a cocktail napkin by the vice president of Tiffany and Co, Oscar Riedner, while having lunch with NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle in 1967.  Since its design, its been hand crafted exclusively by Tiffany and Co.  Inscribed on the bottom of the trophy read "World Professional Football Championship," this being the name of the trophy in the first four championship games.  The name of the trophy was later renamed after the sudden death of the Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi of cancer in 1970, and was first presented as the Vince Lombardi trophy in Superbowl V to the Baltimore Colts in 1971.  Unlike the Stanley Cup and Grey Cup, the Lombardi Trophy is made every year while the winning team maintains permanent possession of it.

Last year broke the record for the most watched program ever at an estimated 167 million viewers during the Patriots vs. Giants game.  The high amount of viewers creates prime real estate for commercial slots during breaks from the game.  These time slots for thirty seconds of air time go for 3.8 million dollars.  Most popular companies like Budweiser, Coca-Cola, and dot com business's use these time slots to get the word out about new products.  The Superbowl is the only program where everyone actually looks forward to the commercials.

During the first few Superbowl's, the University of Michigan and Arizona were the big ticket players who entertained during the halftime show.  Later on, Up with People, a young group of performers performed the first over the top performance during the halftime show.  They performed four times between 1976 and 1986, the same show about hope and peace for people around the world.  Eventually the halftime show became a platform for megastars like Michael Jackson, Madonna, and this years performer Beyonce.  None of the performers have ever been paid for their performances, and none have ever complained for the lack of compensation.  The halftime show is the one and only time where their audience will reach its peak at over 100 million people, the most of any other performance they'll ever perform.

My choice for this year's winner, and who I'll be rooting for is the 49ers, the underdog of this years big game.  We'll see what happens.

Solace: Facebook Page

A friend of mine and I are still in the midst of pre-production on our independent film Solace.  Solace is a set of six short films put together in order to create one free flowing story, all taking place around the town of Solace.  The first short film takes place in 1938, which began principle photography several days ago.  The main focuse is on a creature leaving a trail of bodies within an ancient Indian burial ground, located just outside of town.  Each short film takes place during different decades, leading up to present day.  Here's the cool part of how we're going to create these films.  Each story will be shot as if it were filmed in the decade it takes place in.  For example, the 1960's film will be shot in the style of Hitchcock, the 1980's film will be shot as if it were a Freddy or Jason movie. 

Now this is the part where you, the audience, can help us in creating this viewing experience.  Eventually we're going to create a Kickstarter in order to generate funds.  If your not sure what Kickstarter is, its a website created for independent filmmakers, artists, writers, and game developers.  Its creation is solely based on developing a budget for their project with the help of fans, friends, family, or kind and generous people who would like to donate a buck or two for the cause.  Now in order for our Kickstarter to be successful, we need to build an audience who will help us in getting this budget we so desire.

Now the reasons as to why we're wanting to do this project is fairly simple.  We're wanting to create a story told in a manner that hasn't been done before.  Most horror films seem to follow the same formula, maybe getting something special once every ten years or so.  We're actually taking that formula and twisting it a bit, using what was popular in the past, and whats popular now to create something we believe to be special.  What I like you, the audience member, to do is follow us on our Facebook page.  Which you can find by clicking here. At this moment in time I'm not asking for much, but just to simply click "like" on our film page so we can get the word out.  If your stoked as we are about this, then help us get the word out so we can make something that everyone can enjoy.  Fellow horror and film fans, we need your help.  Can you help us?  

The Following: My Thoughts On A New Show

Mid season, typically not my favorite time for a new show to pop up because we usually don't get A-list television.  This January gave me a nice surprise with Kevin Bacon headlining a brand new show with a much different spin on the detective genre.  The Following is a new hour long crime thriller that dives into the circumstances that arises when a serial killer, played by James Purefoy, escapes from prison to finish what he started ten years prior.  Kevin Bacon plays a retired FBI agent, a man whose down on his luck and living on water bottles filled with vodka.  His expertise is needed once more to find the man he put away. 
If you're not wanting to know what will happen in the pilot episode then read no further, spoilers are ahead.  Maggie Grace plays the last surviving victim of Joe Carroll; she's the reason why he escaped so he can finish his work.  Joe Carroll was, at one time, a professor who has a passion for the Gothic workings of Edgar Allen Poe.  The famous authors stories and books were a road map to how he would kill his victims. 
The FBI soon need Ryan Hardy, the FBI agent who put Joe Carroll away.  The story of how things came to be are told in flashbacks throughout the episode, some of which I won't dive into.  Need to leave some things a mystery so you'll go actually watch the episode.  Ryan is soon surrounded by young and eager agents, wanting in on every little detail in order to find the killer. 
We soon meet the Carroll family, the wife and two kids that Joe left behind after throwing his life away.  A nice little twist is when you realize that Ryan and Joe's wife had a relationship, presumably after Joe's incarceration.  As the story progresses, we soon realize the Joe Carroll has built a cult following while in prison.  His cult is now a bunch of people who plan to follow his way of life, by killing innocence.  The reasons are not known and the villains goal is still a mystery, but wouldn't that just be a buzz kill to know that little tidbit so soon?
Eventually the last surviving victim is taken from her home by her gay next door neighbors, followers of the serial killer.  Ryan uses his detective skills to find where she was taken, but by the time he finds her, its to late.  Ryan and Joe meet face to face, and soon Joe is taken back to prison.  Most would believe that a show couldn't go on after the main villain was placed back in prison.  It turns out that his plan is just beginning.  We find out that one of his followers is his own daughter.  Joe's daughter abducts her younger brother in order to have leverage to talk with his ex-wife in the next episode.  We also learn that an apprentice of Joe's is now ready to set out on his own and begin his rampage of death.  The show ends, basically giving us a glimpse at how the show will proceed, with Joe playing puppet master from prison as his followers do his bidding.
The show was graphic in its content, something not normally seen on television.  The villain is smart and sophisticated in his approach to things, acting as if he's fives steps ahead of everyone else.  The bloody messages and the way victims are killed, I'm getting the vibe that this show had some push in this direction by movies like Se7en and The Silence of the Lambs.  The show is dark and keeps you guessing as to what will happen next.  A great show and worth a look.

Solace: Our New Independent Film

Hey there to all my readers.  I know I haven't been on top of the blog in the last month or so, but I've been a tad busy with life.  Around July of last year I wrote that my friend and I were developing a film called Polybius.  This film is something we still plan on doing but we've basically come to the conclusion that what we wanted to do with it would cost to much.  So we decided to put it on hold until we have the budget needed to do it correctly.

Don't fret though, as we do have a project in the works, something that hasn't been done before.  We're developing a movie that's basically based on six short films, all of which range from the year 1938 to present day.  The basic concept of the project revolves around a haunted piece of property with a supernatural force that effects the town of Solace and a family over the course of 75 years.  The interesting part of all this is that each short film takes place in a different decade and each short film will be filmed the way it would have been with in that time frame.  For example, the story taking place in the eighties will be filmed a lot like a Friday the 13th film, the nineties version will be filmed like The Blair Witch Project.  I think you get the picture.  Below is a teaser poster of the film.

 

 If you haven't guessed by the poster, a monster is involved with whats happening around the town of Solace.  I won't go into specifics as to why the monster is killing and what exactly will happen to him, but I will say that the first short film is being shot next week and we might possibly will give you a glimpse as to what we're trying to do.  The first film is based in 1938, and though I can't give you details I can give you a glimpse as to what the creatures arm will look like in a concept drawing.

 

No color or exactly what the texture will be, but it gives you an idea of what it could be.  Let your imaginations run wild.  If you have questions and would like to know more, just comment.  Anyways, we plan on putting up a Kickstarter in a month or so, and I'll be sure to post a link in due time.

Hoax Morgan Freeman Thoughts On Connecticut Shooting

There's a statement online that's circulating on Facebook and Reddit stating an opinion on the shooting that happened Friday in Connecticut.  The statement is being linked to a well known Hollywood actor, Morgan Freeman.  The statement, in actuality, comes from a man by the name of Mark from Vancouver.  Even though the statement doesn't come from a well respected Oscar winner, it still rings true.  This is what Mark had to say about the shooting and why the news reports primarily focuses on the killer rather than the victims:

"You want to know why. This may sound cynical, but here's why.


It's because of the way the media reports it. Flip on the news and watch how we treat the Batman theater shooter and the Oregon mall shooter like celebrities. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris are household names, but do you know the name of a single *victim* of Columbine? Disturbed people who would otherwise just off themselves in their basements see the news and want to top it by doing something worse, and going out in a memorable way. Why a grade school? Why children? Because he'll be remembered as a horrible monster, instead of a sad nobody.

CNN's article says that if the body count "holds up", this will rank as the second deadliest shooting behind Virginia Tech, as if statistics somehow make one shooting worse than another. Then they post a video interview of third-graders for all the details of what they saw and heard while the shootings were happening. Fox News has plastered the killer's face on all their reports for hours. Any articles or news stories yet that focus on the victims and ignore the killer's identity? None that I've seen yet. Because they don't sell. So congratulations, sensationalist media, you've just lit the fire for someone to top this and knock off a day care center or a maternity ward next.

You can help by forgetting you ever read this man's name, and remembering the name of at least one victim. You can help by donating to mental health research instead of pointing to gun control as the problem. You can help by turning off the news.

Now isn't that advise that every news corespondent, anchor, and television station should take into consideration?  I totally agree with his statement, and even though I know his advise will probably be overlooked, the majority of the public probably agrees with him as well. 

If your wanting to know about the names of the victims and read about them individually, go to:   http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/15/us/connecticut-shooting-victims/index.html

Need a Photographer?

I just recently made a page on Facebook for my photography.  Are you in need of a Photographer and not sure exactly where you can find one?  Well if your in need of a photographer then I'm your guy.  I specialize in event, wedding, product, model, and portrait photography.  I also work as a graphic and creative artist, and I'm able to create murals, portraits, logos, t-shirt, and Photoshop designs.  I also have a website you can check out at Livingstonoden.com.  You can find my facebook page here, and while your at it like my page.  Take a look at a couple examples below.

This was taken at a wedding, last year in October.

A Photoshopped picture for a musician to post on her website.

HDR (High Dynamic Range) photo.  Edited in Photoshop.