Here's the Lumpkins music video that Jake and I directed:
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Summer Huntington's Training video @Fit Body Wellness
Here's a clip of the training video we shot for Summer Huntington at Fit Body Wellness:
She is a wonderful teacher. For more information, check out:
Fit Body Wellness.
And:
Brownings Fitness.
She is a wonderful teacher. For more information, check out:
Fit Body Wellness.
And:
Brownings Fitness.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Do You See Colors When You Close Your Eyes? Review
Just got a copy of my friend, Caleb Young’s new film, “Do You See Colors When You Close Your Eyes” and thought I’d put in my two cents.
Short review: I highly recommend it.
“Do You See Colors When You Close Your Eyes” is brave in all regards.
The film juxtapositions between Christian’s relationship with identical twin brothers Michael and Jonathan; one prior to his unexpected death, the other as they set off on a road trip together to spread the deceased one’s ashes. Christian attempts to recapture the lasting bond between his ex-lover and his twin brother, who just isn't quite the same. I’m sure some of the film's quarrels dealing with mixups are inspired by the real-life indentical twins behind the movie, Caleb and Joshua Young, who have created an interesting dynamic with the concept.
The movie runs like the memory of one who has been lost, and two souls who are trying to recapture that loved one’s life-- learning from one another on this bonding experience across the country. It’s raw and real, as if the camera is a spector, observing the lives of these characters, us right there with them.
Moments reminded me of strongly reminiscent movies like “Eternal Sunshine” or raw emotional elements like that of “Me And You and Everyone We Know”. At times we might feel like an outsider, looking in, but that’s not always a bad thing. Young sidesteps the many pitfalls the story could have taken, and wisely does not fill the film with unnesscary supporting characters. This movie is about it’s main leads, and anything more would have been a distraction. The other characters that do appear add to the dynamic just enough to make it work.
The visuals and musical soundtrack merge together to create the atmosphere that is set by the very real to life documentary-style cinematography. Strong, solid bits of dialogue, done in focused, singular shots let the characters and scenes play out, without too much distraction; punctuated by beautiful montages cut to moving music. One shot in particular moved me deeply, and could have gone completely wrong had it not been pulled off correctly. It involves what the title might suggest--the lighting, camera movement, and actor, Sean Frazier pull it off beautifully.
There are moments that didn’t totally work for me, but the filmmakers stay true to the characters and their lives, and ultimately the film succeeds because of it. It is a film of focused tone and atmosphere.
This is one of the best films that I’ve seen to come out of the (Bellingham) area, although that should not limit the film’s successes to just that. Caleb and Joshua Young have something to say, and this won’t be the last we hear from them.
Short review: I highly recommend it.
Do You See Colors When You Close Your Eyes? from LAB FILMS on Vimeo.
“Do You See Colors When You Close Your Eyes” is brave in all regards.
The film juxtapositions between Christian’s relationship with identical twin brothers Michael and Jonathan; one prior to his unexpected death, the other as they set off on a road trip together to spread the deceased one’s ashes. Christian attempts to recapture the lasting bond between his ex-lover and his twin brother, who just isn't quite the same. I’m sure some of the film's quarrels dealing with mixups are inspired by the real-life indentical twins behind the movie, Caleb and Joshua Young, who have created an interesting dynamic with the concept.
The movie runs like the memory of one who has been lost, and two souls who are trying to recapture that loved one’s life-- learning from one another on this bonding experience across the country. It’s raw and real, as if the camera is a spector, observing the lives of these characters, us right there with them.
Moments reminded me of strongly reminiscent movies like “Eternal Sunshine” or raw emotional elements like that of “Me And You and Everyone We Know”. At times we might feel like an outsider, looking in, but that’s not always a bad thing. Young sidesteps the many pitfalls the story could have taken, and wisely does not fill the film with unnesscary supporting characters. This movie is about it’s main leads, and anything more would have been a distraction. The other characters that do appear add to the dynamic just enough to make it work.
The visuals and musical soundtrack merge together to create the atmosphere that is set by the very real to life documentary-style cinematography. Strong, solid bits of dialogue, done in focused, singular shots let the characters and scenes play out, without too much distraction; punctuated by beautiful montages cut to moving music. One shot in particular moved me deeply, and could have gone completely wrong had it not been pulled off correctly. It involves what the title might suggest--the lighting, camera movement, and actor, Sean Frazier pull it off beautifully.
There are moments that didn’t totally work for me, but the filmmakers stay true to the characters and their lives, and ultimately the film succeeds because of it. It is a film of focused tone and atmosphere.
This is one of the best films that I’ve seen to come out of the (Bellingham) area, although that should not limit the film’s successes to just that. Caleb and Joshua Young have something to say, and this won’t be the last we hear from them.
Friday, December 10, 2010
What's Up! Magazine's Best Music Video Nominations
Please consider voting for one of 3 Knapp Bros. music videos - nominated for What's Up! Magazine's best music video of 2010 - including "Stay", "Too Bad" and "Gibbs State Of Mind"!
Follow the link here.
Follow the link here.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Behind the Camera with the Knapp Brothers
(Jake and I's interview for What's Up! Magazine)
Among those in the growing Bellingham film community are two brothers, Jake and Micah Knapp, who have been creating videos for much of their lives and are turning into a burgeoning film company that specializes in music videos as well as shorts (and everything in between).
Born and primarily raised in Bellingham, by the time he was eight, the younger Micah had saved up and bought his first video camera for $500. Inspired by Steven Spielberg after watching the film Jurassic Park, he went to work, enlisting his brothers. “We started out making our own versions of Batman, Indiana Jones and others. We shot stuff all the time, eventually wearing out the camera. I believe Micah sent it back in for repairs with a letter explaining his moviemaking dream, and the camera was essentially repaired for free,” stated Jake. Micah added, “Thankfully, our parents encouraged us to pursue the arts, being fairly creative themselves.”
“The rest was self teaching, reading biographies on filmmakers and studying the movies they made. At that point in time, there were no digital cameras available to us, nor editing capabilities, so all editing had to be done on set and in-camera. I think those sorts of challenges, really pushed us to learn the hard way and ultimately lead to us being more creative,” Micah said with enthusiasm. ” I think in the end, our parents are to blame for what they spawned!”
While Steven Spielberg inspired Micah, Jake’s inspiration was more varied. “For me there wasn’t one main inspiration. I admire the works of Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, The Coen Brothers, Tim Burton, Clint Eastwood, Sergio Leone, and Quentin Tarantino to name a few.”
Since 2001, when the brothers purchased a digital camera and computer with editing software, Micah and Jake have worked on commercials, documentaries, wedding videography as well as some TV. They’re most proud of a couple shorts Rat Juice and their twisted version of Pinnocchio as well as collaborations with Caleb Young and Alex Talevich of LAB Films and Jake’s work on the horror film Taken. That being said, they’re eager to move on to a new project. “We enjoy some of our past work, but being the perfectionists we are, we are very eager to get out some new material and show people how we have progressed as filmmakers,” stated Micah.
In 2009, Micah and Jake officially formed Knapp Brothers Entertainment as they further pursued different avenues of filmmaking. Currently, they’re working on Fanastic Stan Goes to Hell a 35 minute short film, a Yoga instructional video, a music video for The Lumpkins, While We Worked a behind the scenes documentary on the Cliffhouse Restaurant as well as a top secret music video the brothers are very excited about. “Let’s just say that we are very excited about it, and the concept to our knowledge, has never been done before,” stated Micah.
Of the projects, both brothers point to Fantastic Stan Goes to Hell as their biggest source of pride. “We’ve been talking about making it for over 10 years, and it’s a huge undertaking very large in scope, and we’re happy with how it’s coming together, especially for such a low budget, and for the fact that Jake and I pretty much made the entire movie ourselves,” said Micah.
Both brothers see the Bellingham film community growing. “It seems like the film community here is trying to do something – and possibly growing, and we look forward to combining creative forces with other filmmakers and ultimately hope to get our work out there to more people someday,” said Jake.
Micah added, “I think we are inspired by the same types of film, and share a similar approach to filmmaking. I think the film scene in Bellingham is growing as the access to decent digital equipment becomes more readily available. I’m hoping that Bellingham’s film scene will one day rival Seattle’s.”
Bellingham is important to the Knapp brothers,. It’s part of who they are and have become as filmmakers the people, the scenery, their upbringing all play a part in their style and workmanship. “I am so thankful to have been given the opportunity to grow up here,” said Micah. “I wish more people would be grateful for what we have going on.”
For Jake, he shudders at the idea of being part of the Hollywood or big budget film scene, instead working to “make films that are unique and fresh, yet operate independently.” He points to filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, as the great example of the goal. “(I would like to) have my own studio, shoot digitally, make my own music, and edit and produce my own films.” Micah chimed in, “I’d settle with Spike Jonez’s career.”
Both brothers see being siblings as a benefit. “Can’t stand the guy,” Micah said with a laugh. “No, it’s very natural. Together, we represent a complete piece – we’ve worked together artistically since we were kids, feeding off each other and coming up with crazy schemes and ideas from putting on magic shows, to the magic and illusion of film. We balance each other out since Jake is great as a jack-of-all trades, especially on the technical end, and I tend to enjoy the writing and directing aspect of things.”
--Brent Cole
To go to the What's Up! site directly go here.
Among those in the growing Bellingham film community are two brothers, Jake and Micah Knapp, who have been creating videos for much of their lives and are turning into a burgeoning film company that specializes in music videos as well as shorts (and everything in between).
Born and primarily raised in Bellingham, by the time he was eight, the younger Micah had saved up and bought his first video camera for $500. Inspired by Steven Spielberg after watching the film Jurassic Park, he went to work, enlisting his brothers. “We started out making our own versions of Batman, Indiana Jones and others. We shot stuff all the time, eventually wearing out the camera. I believe Micah sent it back in for repairs with a letter explaining his moviemaking dream, and the camera was essentially repaired for free,” stated Jake. Micah added, “Thankfully, our parents encouraged us to pursue the arts, being fairly creative themselves.”
“The rest was self teaching, reading biographies on filmmakers and studying the movies they made. At that point in time, there were no digital cameras available to us, nor editing capabilities, so all editing had to be done on set and in-camera. I think those sorts of challenges, really pushed us to learn the hard way and ultimately lead to us being more creative,” Micah said with enthusiasm. ” I think in the end, our parents are to blame for what they spawned!”
While Steven Spielberg inspired Micah, Jake’s inspiration was more varied. “For me there wasn’t one main inspiration. I admire the works of Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, The Coen Brothers, Tim Burton, Clint Eastwood, Sergio Leone, and Quentin Tarantino to name a few.”
Since 2001, when the brothers purchased a digital camera and computer with editing software, Micah and Jake have worked on commercials, documentaries, wedding videography as well as some TV. They’re most proud of a couple shorts Rat Juice and their twisted version of Pinnocchio as well as collaborations with Caleb Young and Alex Talevich of LAB Films and Jake’s work on the horror film Taken. That being said, they’re eager to move on to a new project. “We enjoy some of our past work, but being the perfectionists we are, we are very eager to get out some new material and show people how we have progressed as filmmakers,” stated Micah.
In 2009, Micah and Jake officially formed Knapp Brothers Entertainment as they further pursued different avenues of filmmaking. Currently, they’re working on Fanastic Stan Goes to Hell a 35 minute short film, a Yoga instructional video, a music video for The Lumpkins, While We Worked a behind the scenes documentary on the Cliffhouse Restaurant as well as a top secret music video the brothers are very excited about. “Let’s just say that we are very excited about it, and the concept to our knowledge, has never been done before,” stated Micah.
Of the projects, both brothers point to Fantastic Stan Goes to Hell as their biggest source of pride. “We’ve been talking about making it for over 10 years, and it’s a huge undertaking very large in scope, and we’re happy with how it’s coming together, especially for such a low budget, and for the fact that Jake and I pretty much made the entire movie ourselves,” said Micah.
Both brothers see the Bellingham film community growing. “It seems like the film community here is trying to do something – and possibly growing, and we look forward to combining creative forces with other filmmakers and ultimately hope to get our work out there to more people someday,” said Jake.
Micah added, “I think we are inspired by the same types of film, and share a similar approach to filmmaking. I think the film scene in Bellingham is growing as the access to decent digital equipment becomes more readily available. I’m hoping that Bellingham’s film scene will one day rival Seattle’s.”
Bellingham is important to the Knapp brothers,. It’s part of who they are and have become as filmmakers the people, the scenery, their upbringing all play a part in their style and workmanship. “I am so thankful to have been given the opportunity to grow up here,” said Micah. “I wish more people would be grateful for what we have going on.”
For Jake, he shudders at the idea of being part of the Hollywood or big budget film scene, instead working to “make films that are unique and fresh, yet operate independently.” He points to filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, as the great example of the goal. “(I would like to) have my own studio, shoot digitally, make my own music, and edit and produce my own films.” Micah chimed in, “I’d settle with Spike Jonez’s career.”
Both brothers see being siblings as a benefit. “Can’t stand the guy,” Micah said with a laugh. “No, it’s very natural. Together, we represent a complete piece – we’ve worked together artistically since we were kids, feeding off each other and coming up with crazy schemes and ideas from putting on magic shows, to the magic and illusion of film. We balance each other out since Jake is great as a jack-of-all trades, especially on the technical end, and I tend to enjoy the writing and directing aspect of things.”
--Brent Cole
To go to the What's Up! site directly go here.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
The Owls
(The beginning of more free-verse poetry to come..I'm thinking about putting together a collection for download)
The Owls
I tumbled in the weeds,
an off-road detour,
one-way ticket
with no return.
A downer lullaby,
to sing the child asleep,
the crows pecked out your eyes,
but you’ve grown accustomed to the feeling.
Your comfort in the cold,
sooths,
the ice burns away
your uncertainty.
Here in the dark,
they’ll eat your flesh.
The Owls are not what they seem.
The Owls
I tumbled in the weeds,
an off-road detour,
one-way ticket
with no return.
A downer lullaby,
to sing the child asleep,
the crows pecked out your eyes,
but you’ve grown accustomed to the feeling.
Your comfort in the cold,
sooths,
the ice burns away
your uncertainty.
Here in the dark,
they’ll eat your flesh.
The Owls are not what they seem.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Lost Horizons What's Up! Review
Lost Horizons: Five Months EP 'What's Up! Magazine' CD Review:
CD Reviews – November 2010 – Lost Horizons: 5 Months EP
•Posted by Boris Budd on 11/17/10
Lost Horizons brings it on their 5 Months EP with a tight, rhythm based collection of well-crafted songs. I was immediately impressed by Josh Harris’s guitar work and singing. (Josh is the brother of Idiot Pilot’s Michael Harris) Josh’s vocal styling’s have an uncanny similarity to those of the great Thom Yorke, which began to gnaw at me a little bit after a few listens, but were very solid nevertheless.
The group creates a rich, dark tone, which suits their dramatic delivery well in songs like “The Antagonist” and “Ashes in June.” In addition to the standard instrumentation, a violin was also an integral part of the record, acting almost like a second guitar at times that played solos in that vein. The bass and drums were not in the mix as much as the other parts, yet they were in perfect tandem, especially when they were brought out by feedback driven jams that the band tended to go into numerous times to my delight during the CD.
Check out this group on bandcamp or live whenever you can make the time.
Self Released. For more visit losthorizons.bandcamp.com.
CD Reviews – November 2010 – Lost Horizons: 5 Months EP
•Posted by Boris Budd on 11/17/10
Lost Horizons brings it on their 5 Months EP with a tight, rhythm based collection of well-crafted songs. I was immediately impressed by Josh Harris’s guitar work and singing. (Josh is the brother of Idiot Pilot’s Michael Harris) Josh’s vocal styling’s have an uncanny similarity to those of the great Thom Yorke, which began to gnaw at me a little bit after a few listens, but were very solid nevertheless.
The group creates a rich, dark tone, which suits their dramatic delivery well in songs like “The Antagonist” and “Ashes in June.” In addition to the standard instrumentation, a violin was also an integral part of the record, acting almost like a second guitar at times that played solos in that vein. The bass and drums were not in the mix as much as the other parts, yet they were in perfect tandem, especially when they were brought out by feedback driven jams that the band tended to go into numerous times to my delight during the CD.
Check out this group on bandcamp or live whenever you can make the time.
Self Released. For more visit losthorizons.bandcamp.com.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Jenni Potts -"Stay" Music Video
Fun Fact Trivia:
--Shot over the course of 2009.
--Heavily inspired by the works of David Lynch.
--Jenni Potts and Micah Knapp met through collaboration on the project and have become good friends since.
--A good 50% of the video was shot on a green screen.
--The shots of Jenni on a dark road at night (in car headlights) were shot on Blanchard Mountain; with Micah simultaneously driving a jeep down the mountain and filming through the sunroof at the same time.
--Was originally going to incorporate a good deal of animation.
Special FX/Additional Editing by Jake Knapp.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
9/11 Happened To Us All
Hand Crank Films, based out of Bellingham, Washington have been putting together these great PSA's on 9/11 and Islamaphobia. Thanks guys.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Sweet Marie
A beautiful song by Christopher Newton and Michael Harris. For anyone who has lost a loved one, or that simply loves pretty music:
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
'Gibbs' State of Mind' Free Download
Hey everyone,
if you're interested, we've made our "Gibbs' State of Mind" song a free download on Bandcamp.
Seriously, it's FREE. No reason not to download it.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Dwight Clark Premonition
This is a continuation of my last blog.
I couldn’t sleep last night.
I’m sure most of you in the Bellingham area, are by now familiar with the story of missing Western Freshman, Dwight Clark; and how he seemingly vanished out of thin air.
For those unfamiliar, read about here.
I felt a growing connection to this story and to this guy as the search went on with no luck. The incident was strange, and something just didn’t add up. My prayers went out to Dwight and his family, in the hopes that he was still alive and okay. But as each day passed, that possibility seemed slimmer and slimmer. “This just didn’t happen in Bellingham”, seemed to be what everyone was saying. The same night he went missing, there were a handful of other such violent incidents.
Dwight’s however was the real mystery. Was the incident with the bicyclist and the men with baseball bats somehow connected?
It wasn’t until yesterday that I began to connect the case of Dwight with a dream I’d had just the night before Dwight went missing.
This dream was so vivid, so impacting, that when I woke up I couldn’t get it out of my head. It was if I had actually lived through the experience. I knew I had to journal it in my “dream journal” that I kept. I felt like it was a premonition, of something that was going to occur. But it was so bizarre and out there that I couldn’t connect it with anything. Initially, I assumed that this represented something on a larger scale, yet for me, it had taken place locally here in Bellingham.
It was strange. It was almost as if I was a specter, and suddenly I was with a group of people I didn’t know, witnessing this event. Someone had died, and I had been involved. Everyone was blaming me for it, even though I knew it wasn’t actually my fault. But I still felt those feelings of accusation.
Here is my dream, copied from my journal:
Note: (What’s also strange is another premonition the dream revealed, even as small as it was. My friends had been planning a house show that I was going to be attending for a friend’s birthday bash. However in my dream the birthday bash took place at the ‘Wild Buffalo’ with the birthday boy and friends. Well, turns out, before I knew it, the next week the “house show” had been turned into a show, at none other than, the ‘Wild Buffalo’. A small coincidence, but still significant. It came true..)
Dream: 9/25
This dream had a big impact on me when I first awoke from it. The start was random, with me out on the town...It was my friend’s birthday party at the Wild Buffalo...a bunch of people hung out and then I went off with a brother of mine around town. Eventually I ended up running into an old friend, who meant trouble, and wanted to hang out.
My brother and I weren’t too keen on hanging out with him, due to his life-style choices and difference of interests. He was careless, rebellious, even dangerous-due to the way he went about himself. And I had a bad feeling about where the night was going. Very, very negative feeling. Like I would regret going out with him tomorrow...Like something bad was going to happen.
At the same time, I felt bad for always putting him off and felt pressured into it, as I was an empathetic person.
My brother and I ended up riding with him for a night out...Trouble was in store..
This guy was driving wildly, drinking at the same time, and I felt we were going to careen over the side of the overpass. We were going up to the Waterfront area on Holly street. More chaos continued but my memory doesn’t recollect anymore until we found ourselves standing on top of a building, overlooking an old factory--Georgia Pacific. It was closed down.
As is typical with dreams, it seemed I was with other people I didn’t know.
They were also dangerous and up to no good. I knew one was a guy, another a girl. I’d been influenced by the others in participating in harmful acts. I don’t remember exactly but we were firing off fireworks, or some sort of “launcher” type object toward the facility--GP...
I knew this to be dangerous and stupid, but I’d been peer-pressured. I had a really bad feeling though, that stuck with me even after the dream was over. We were just messing around continuing to do this, and then we were sliding down to ground level on a sort of zip-line. Just as we were coming to the ground, I got this feeling in my gut--and just then a huge explosion occurred from where we were firing things at--it was like a gas leak, or gas valve had been struck and had gone off. This was BAD. The best feeling I could connect it with would be how I felt on 9/11, or the pipeline disaster in Bellingham--which was very similar. Two kids playing around fire, gas leak.
We hit the ground and were all concerned deeply. Not just because of the implications of the disaster..We all ran for cover, as shrapnel fell amongst us. Large pieces of metal. Just then, I caught a large piece flying towards us, out of the corner of my eye. I moved out of the way, just in time, but not soon enough to warn the friend in front of me. Just as I was about to push the person out of the way, they were struck on the head, killed instantly.
Suddenly this incident was personal and we were responsible for the death...the worst feeling ever. This feeling lasted for a long time. What had we done!? I knew I shouldn’t have gone out...
The second part of the dream found us repeating the same “attacks” and childish behavior. Yet again, on the zip line, an explosion occurred on the same place where workers had been fixing the old destruction. We’d done it again...we hadn’t learned from our mistakes..
The rest of the dream saw me hiding within my home. Everyone was coming after me, blaming me for the incident. I defended myself and hide away. Any time I stepped outside, people were there surrounding me, accusing me..including my friends who were involved..
I found it hypocritical of them as I felt they were more responsible for our behavior. Everyone wanted me tarred and feathered...while I had to live with what I’d done, and been responsible for the person’s death. I shouldn’t have gone out like I thought...
I was up till 6:00 A.M. this morning googling the map routes from Indian Street, where local Western Student, Dwight Clark was last seen, to the Georgia Pacific plant by the bay. Why?
Because I had begun to connect my dream of the death of someone unknown to me at GP, with Dwight Clark's disappearance. There were other startling similarities and connections. My gut was telling me that Dwight Clark had been killed at the GP plant, or nearby and his body was in that area.
I was SO convinced, I was minutes away from calling the police and telling them to search the GP plant and surrounding area. What would I tell them though? That I’d had a dream...that lead me to believe his body would be discovered at GP?
I’d had a dream a couple years back that had predicted the oil spill, amongst other things, and now this...
I was determined to set out wednesday afternoon and search the route I’d looked up last night..that was until I spotted the article about the body found behind the Georgia Pacific dock. Shivers ran down my spine.
The body had not yet been identified. I felt this was something I had to share...And then moments later, the body had been ID’d and it was in fact Dwight Clark...(Read about that here.)
I’m still in shock by this all. If the dream was about Dwight Clark and his death at the GP plant, what else could the dream reveal about how Dwight died?
I will continue to follow this story, as it develops. My thoughts go out to Dwight’s family and friends, and all those in the community who came together for this guy.
This is Bellingham. We have to stick together.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Gibbs' State of Mind
This is a response video to "Bellingham State of Mind", starring Nathan Cox & Rashawn Scott. If you haven't seen their video, watch it here.
Starring Edward Gibbs (Jacob Knapp) and Jenni Potts. Video by Micah Knapp. Song recorded and mixed by Christopher Newton. Lyrics by Jacob and Micah Knapp.
Monday, September 27, 2010
A Warning Sign
Do you believe dreams can predict the future?
Have you been experiencing apocalyptic visions of the near future? And not just because Hollywood and the End-timers have told you so..
I as well. Is it something to ignore?
I've written about dreams, and more specifically premonitions before. Through keeping a dream journal, I've been able to look back on what initially appeared to be obscure, meaningless dreams, only to realize that some of the events (from personal to worldwide) had come true. Talk of deja vu.
If a dream could predict the future or bring awareness to something you hadn't realized...then why shouldn't one pay closer attention?
I am writing today, because I've had another dream (9/25) so startling and unforgettable, that I feel maybe this time I'd better listen, instead of waiting to see if it comes true. What will it accomplish? I don't know. See it as a warning sign. Perhaps I am crazy, but I know what my gut is telling me.
To describe it to you would be difficult. To summarize--the dream appeared to reflect a wake-up call. Let me just say, there were some dangerous decisions made, which resulted in someone else's life being taken. I was involved as well somehow. The entire dream I regretted ever being apart of what lead to this incident...but now that it was too late, I had to live with it. Not only had I been partially responsible for this incident, I'd killed someone close to me in the process.
If what I felt my dream was telling me is true, I believe we will all be shaken from our lives very, very soon. This is will be no natural disaster though. It will be man-made and not accidental. Another disaster much like the oil spill, (which I'd also had dreams about). I believe this incident will take place within the U.S., perhaps even locally, here in Bellingham. We will once again take a look at the way we do things...but it will take place because of careless mistakes.
The feeling of the dream was strikingly similar to how I felt on 9/11, or how I felt when the pipeline disaster occurred in Bellingham, back in '99. An event to shake us out of our daily lives.
Why should I ignore a feeling like this?
If I am right, how will I have helped the situation by writing this? I honestly don't know. Just that I must. I have nothing to even connect the incident with, and even if I did, do you think anyone would listen?
I guess all I am saying is, prepare yourselves for a life changing event in the very near future (possibly as early as October). It will not be a "told you so" moment, but rather a moment for us to reflect on life, and decide what's important to us, and perhaps make some major life changes.
Thanks for taking the time to listen.
Have you been experiencing apocalyptic visions of the near future? And not just because Hollywood and the End-timers have told you so..
I as well. Is it something to ignore?
I've written about dreams, and more specifically premonitions before. Through keeping a dream journal, I've been able to look back on what initially appeared to be obscure, meaningless dreams, only to realize that some of the events (from personal to worldwide) had come true. Talk of deja vu.
If a dream could predict the future or bring awareness to something you hadn't realized...then why shouldn't one pay closer attention?
I am writing today, because I've had another dream (9/25) so startling and unforgettable, that I feel maybe this time I'd better listen, instead of waiting to see if it comes true. What will it accomplish? I don't know. See it as a warning sign. Perhaps I am crazy, but I know what my gut is telling me.
To describe it to you would be difficult. To summarize--the dream appeared to reflect a wake-up call. Let me just say, there were some dangerous decisions made, which resulted in someone else's life being taken. I was involved as well somehow. The entire dream I regretted ever being apart of what lead to this incident...but now that it was too late, I had to live with it. Not only had I been partially responsible for this incident, I'd killed someone close to me in the process.
If what I felt my dream was telling me is true, I believe we will all be shaken from our lives very, very soon. This is will be no natural disaster though. It will be man-made and not accidental. Another disaster much like the oil spill, (which I'd also had dreams about). I believe this incident will take place within the U.S., perhaps even locally, here in Bellingham. We will once again take a look at the way we do things...but it will take place because of careless mistakes.
The feeling of the dream was strikingly similar to how I felt on 9/11, or how I felt when the pipeline disaster occurred in Bellingham, back in '99. An event to shake us out of our daily lives.
Why should I ignore a feeling like this?
If I am right, how will I have helped the situation by writing this? I honestly don't know. Just that I must. I have nothing to even connect the incident with, and even if I did, do you think anyone would listen?
I guess all I am saying is, prepare yourselves for a life changing event in the very near future (possibly as early as October). It will not be a "told you so" moment, but rather a moment for us to reflect on life, and decide what's important to us, and perhaps make some major life changes.
Thanks for taking the time to listen.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Western Front Interview
Hey all,
here is an interview Jake and I did for the Western front: (quotations aren't quite correct)
When rapper Jay-Z released his song "Empire State of Mind," he probably never thought Nathan Cox and Rashawn Scott, two local artists in Bellingham, would parody his song.
Their video, "Bellingham State of Mind," has gone viral on YouTube with more than 130,000 views since its release on Sept. 12.
Knapp Brothers Entertainment, an independent film company in Bellingham, has recorded a response parody to "Bellingham State of Mind" titled "Edward Gibbs' State of Mind." Their version will be released Oct. 4.
Brothers Jake Knapp, 27, and Micah Knapp, 23, are the main creative minds behind Knapp Brothers Entertainment, but their brothers Marcus Knapp, 25, and
Jared Knapp, 29, are sometimes featured in their videos.
Jake Knapp stars in their upcoming parody as Edward Gibbs, a recurring nerdy character in their films, who likes to protest against anything.
"He is a likeable character, but he also likes to get a reaction," Jake said. "Gibbs is a character that we created out of things we see in everyday life. A lot of our characters are based off real experiences."
The brothers wanted to bridge the gap between their character, Gibbs, and the Bellingham way of life.
"We saw Cox's video and we've lived in Bellingham our whole lives and we wanted to do a crossover video," Micah said.
The brothers said their company is not trying to outdo Cox and Scott.
"We are definitely trying to do this for fun, there are a lot more shout outs to local bands and underground things in Bellingham than what appeared in Cox's video," Micah said.
On their first day of filming, the brothers saw Cox and Scott drive by and drove after them.
"Nathan and Rashawn are actually in our video," Micah said. "They took the role that Ryan Stiles played in theirs."
Stiles is a local celebrity who, in Cox's video, is recorded standing and looking at Cox and not doing much of anything else.
Another local musician, Jenni Potts, takes Scott's backup vocal role in the Knapp Brothers Entertainment's production.
Knapp Brothers Entertainment's genre ranges from digital shorts to full-length movies and even wedding cinematography. The two brothers have been making movies for the last 15 years.
"Micah saved up and bought his first video camera when he was eight [years-old,]" Jake said. "In 2001, when our dad realized how serious this was to us, he took out a loan and bought us a digital camera and a computer with iMovie on it."
Micah said filmmaking is something the two brothers have always wanted to do and is part of who they are.
"We try to do a broad spectrum of content," Jake said. "We usually do all original content, but with the 'Bellingham State of Mind' parody video, we didn't."
The two brothers have completely different styles: Jake is the drill sergeant, while Micah is laid-back.
"For us, it's all about chemistry. Everything seems to click," Jake said. "We bounce ideas off each other and we are both good at different aspects."
Their upcoming release of "Edward Gibbs' State of Mind," is not the only movie in the works for the brothers. They are releasing a movie titled "Fantastic Stan Goes to Hell" in early 2011.
"'Fantastic Stan Goes to Hell' had a budget of practically nothing," Micah said. "We want to take it to film festival and say 'Hey, this is what we can do with no budget."'
Jake said "Fantastic Stan Goes to Hell" is the first time they have tried to actively promote a film.
"By the way, we are bigger than Jesus," Micah said jokingly. "I hope we won't get shot for saying that."
(Read directly on the Western Front homepage).
here is an interview Jake and I did for the Western front: (quotations aren't quite correct)
When rapper Jay-Z released his song "Empire State of Mind," he probably never thought Nathan Cox and Rashawn Scott, two local artists in Bellingham, would parody his song.
Their video, "Bellingham State of Mind," has gone viral on YouTube with more than 130,000 views since its release on Sept. 12.
Knapp Brothers Entertainment, an independent film company in Bellingham, has recorded a response parody to "Bellingham State of Mind" titled "Edward Gibbs' State of Mind." Their version will be released Oct. 4.
Brothers Jake Knapp, 27, and Micah Knapp, 23, are the main creative minds behind Knapp Brothers Entertainment, but their brothers Marcus Knapp, 25, and
Jared Knapp, 29, are sometimes featured in their videos.
Jake Knapp stars in their upcoming parody as Edward Gibbs, a recurring nerdy character in their films, who likes to protest against anything.
"He is a likeable character, but he also likes to get a reaction," Jake said. "Gibbs is a character that we created out of things we see in everyday life. A lot of our characters are based off real experiences."
The brothers wanted to bridge the gap between their character, Gibbs, and the Bellingham way of life.
"We saw Cox's video and we've lived in Bellingham our whole lives and we wanted to do a crossover video," Micah said.
The brothers said their company is not trying to outdo Cox and Scott.
"We are definitely trying to do this for fun, there are a lot more shout outs to local bands and underground things in Bellingham than what appeared in Cox's video," Micah said.
On their first day of filming, the brothers saw Cox and Scott drive by and drove after them.
"Nathan and Rashawn are actually in our video," Micah said. "They took the role that Ryan Stiles played in theirs."
Stiles is a local celebrity who, in Cox's video, is recorded standing and looking at Cox and not doing much of anything else.
Another local musician, Jenni Potts, takes Scott's backup vocal role in the Knapp Brothers Entertainment's production.
Knapp Brothers Entertainment's genre ranges from digital shorts to full-length movies and even wedding cinematography. The two brothers have been making movies for the last 15 years.
"Micah saved up and bought his first video camera when he was eight [years-old,]" Jake said. "In 2001, when our dad realized how serious this was to us, he took out a loan and bought us a digital camera and a computer with iMovie on it."
Micah said filmmaking is something the two brothers have always wanted to do and is part of who they are.
"We try to do a broad spectrum of content," Jake said. "We usually do all original content, but with the 'Bellingham State of Mind' parody video, we didn't."
The two brothers have completely different styles: Jake is the drill sergeant, while Micah is laid-back.
"For us, it's all about chemistry. Everything seems to click," Jake said. "We bounce ideas off each other and we are both good at different aspects."
Their upcoming release of "Edward Gibbs' State of Mind," is not the only movie in the works for the brothers. They are releasing a movie titled "Fantastic Stan Goes to Hell" in early 2011.
"'Fantastic Stan Goes to Hell' had a budget of practically nothing," Micah said. "We want to take it to film festival and say 'Hey, this is what we can do with no budget."'
Jake said "Fantastic Stan Goes to Hell" is the first time they have tried to actively promote a film.
"By the way, we are bigger than Jesus," Micah said jokingly. "I hope we won't get shot for saying that."
(Read directly on the Western Front homepage).
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
11-11
"11-11", is a project that has been in the works since 2007, initially set to be much more elaborate: A full length, epic tale, intertwining various stories of those experiencing wake-up calls in their lives. But, sometimes a film chooses it's own direction..
"11-11" went through many stages, and eventually evolved into what it is now--which is essentially one out of the many stories originally planned. Although initially shot with speaking parts, I felt the power resided in it's simplicity--Letting the visuals speak for itself, while the music only enhanced the mood.
The film's message has significant meaning to me. The title summarizes that feeling..
©2007 Knapp Brothers Entertainment.
If you enjoy, please share with others, and I'd love to hear your interpretation.
Thanks to: Tim&Shannon Fuller, Jared&Jacob Knapp, Josh Harris (for helping to inspire the idea..and hours of coffee at Ihop), and "Sigur Rós" for giving me wings.
Music: The Appleseed Cast, Mogwai
City of Bellingham/Seattle.
"11-11" went through many stages, and eventually evolved into what it is now--which is essentially one out of the many stories originally planned. Although initially shot with speaking parts, I felt the power resided in it's simplicity--Letting the visuals speak for itself, while the music only enhanced the mood.
The film's message has significant meaning to me. The title summarizes that feeling..
©2007 Knapp Brothers Entertainment.
If you enjoy, please share with others, and I'd love to hear your interpretation.
Thanks to: Tim&Shannon Fuller, Jared&Jacob Knapp, Josh Harris (for helping to inspire the idea..and hours of coffee at Ihop), and "Sigur Rós" for giving me wings.
Music: The Appleseed Cast, Mogwai
City of Bellingham/Seattle.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Build the Mosque
The
Park 51
“Ground Zero Mosque”
& the Bigger Picture
A new fear campaign has begun here in America. Although, perhaps it is not so very new. According to Rasmussen polls, 54% of Americans oppose the proposed so-called, “Ground Zero Mosque”, with only 20% in support. That is a bit upsetting, but perhaps not surprising--A recent poll found 1/5 Americans still think Obama is a Muslim.
First off, let me set the record straight: The term “Ground Zero Mosque” isn’t even applicable to the (now re-named) Park 51, as it isn’t even located at Ground Zero, but blocks away. Not to mention, it’s not even quite what it’s being made out to be--This supposed “mosque” is really rather a Community Center. Here’s what is planned for the facility: 500-seat auditorium, theater, performing arts center, fitness center, swimming pool, basketball court, childcare area, bookstore, culinary school,as well as....(pause for effect) an Islamic prayer space. Dun Dun Dun!
Have they overlooked the fact that a Muslim religious center already exists in even closer proximity to Ground Zero? Built pre-9/11, in the 70’s. Should they relocate too? Out of “respect”? How about the Pentagon, which hosts a prayer space for Muslims.. (They’re taking over!)
The biggest irony in this all, is the reasoning behind the “mosque”’s construction--to create an interfaith facility for people of all faith’s to come and worship openly with one another; hence it’s original name, the Cordoba House--a reference to the city of the same name, where Muslims, Christians, and Jews co-existed peacefully together. What better message to send to those that hate our way of life, then to see Muslims, Jews, and Christians living side by side in harmony. What better chance than this to promote America’s freedoms and acceptance of all faiths and beliefs. We should be encouraging this kind of thing, not attacking it. We need less talk of our “freedoms” and more action.
What the opposition is doing, is using an emotional response to make supporters out to be heartless towards the 9/11 victims; when really they are spreading mistruths by associating extremists with the Muslim faith as a whole. Many supporters of the mosque also lost loved one’s on 9/11. People of all races and religions died on 9/11, including Muslims!
When it comes down to it though, this whole debate isn’t really even about 9/11 like it’s being made out to be. This kind of opposition is going on all around America. Wherever mosques are proposed, they face great backlash from protesters who associate all Muslims with fundamentalists. This is a war between extremes--Mainly between the Islamic terrorists who carry out attacks, and Christians who feel threatened and fear a takeover from within their own country.
My question to them is this--If extremist Muslims, who have twisted and distorted the message of Islam, such as the ones who committed the acts on 9/11, don’t represent Muslims as a whole, than how is this proposed mosque disrespectful to the 9/11 victims? If they had happened to be extremist Christians, would we be threatened by all Christians wanting to erect a church, or Jews a Synagogue in the general vicinity?
Truth is, there are equally frightening passages contained in the Bible as there are in the Qur'an. Context of course comes into play. Much of it’s laws and ways of life apply to the time and place. Yet followers still cherry pick the passages they wish to follow, and create their own world-view based on it.
I could argue that religion does more harm than go. That humanity has found a way to justify their violent actions because they’ve gotten an “OK” from the man upstairs--for instance: This church that has planned the burning of the Qur'an, those that threaten to blow up mosques or attack Muslims personally in “retaliation”. Should we in turn believe that these people represent Christians or Americans as whole?
With that said, I believe that one should be able to worship freely and openly as they please. Just because I don’t agree with their point of view, doesn’t mean I think their religion should be silenced or forbidden. Why? Because I don’t equate all "believers" with extremists.
I also don’t believe that everyone opposed to the construction of the mosque is somehow hateful or ignorant, although I would say that there is enough of that to go around as well--Sarah Palin comes to mind, or Newt Gingrinch, who has been one of the worst offenders when it comes to fear-mongering. His statement: “We can't let the Nazis put up a building next to the Holocaust Museum.” says it all.
For those on the right, I’d like to refresh your memory: George Bush was a big advocate for promoting the religion of Islam as a peaceful and noble one, and he was the first President to see the Qur'an added to the White House library. (Perhaps he’s secretly Muslim too!)
I understand that there are many rational opposing viewpoints out there as well. Those that would rather see the mosque relocated, as to avoid escalating tensions between both sides, in turn, only creating further polarization.
At the same time, I think they are missing the point here: The Bigger Picture. I’m not just talking about the fact that they have every constitutional right to build the mosque--I believe this is the perfect opportunity to counteract the extremists that have perverted the message of Islam, and set an example for the rest of the world. This is not a fanciful vision. This is what is possible.
Park 51
“Ground Zero Mosque”
& the Bigger Picture
A new fear campaign has begun here in America. Although, perhaps it is not so very new. According to Rasmussen polls, 54% of Americans oppose the proposed so-called, “Ground Zero Mosque”, with only 20% in support. That is a bit upsetting, but perhaps not surprising--A recent poll found 1/5 Americans still think Obama is a Muslim.
First off, let me set the record straight: The term “Ground Zero Mosque” isn’t even applicable to the (now re-named) Park 51, as it isn’t even located at Ground Zero, but blocks away. Not to mention, it’s not even quite what it’s being made out to be--This supposed “mosque” is really rather a Community Center. Here’s what is planned for the facility: 500-seat auditorium, theater, performing arts center, fitness center, swimming pool, basketball court, childcare area, bookstore, culinary school,as well as....(pause for effect) an Islamic prayer space. Dun Dun Dun!
Have they overlooked the fact that a Muslim religious center already exists in even closer proximity to Ground Zero? Built pre-9/11, in the 70’s. Should they relocate too? Out of “respect”? How about the Pentagon, which hosts a prayer space for Muslims.. (They’re taking over!)
The biggest irony in this all, is the reasoning behind the “mosque”’s construction--to create an interfaith facility for people of all faith’s to come and worship openly with one another; hence it’s original name, the Cordoba House--a reference to the city of the same name, where Muslims, Christians, and Jews co-existed peacefully together. What better message to send to those that hate our way of life, then to see Muslims, Jews, and Christians living side by side in harmony. What better chance than this to promote America’s freedoms and acceptance of all faiths and beliefs. We should be encouraging this kind of thing, not attacking it. We need less talk of our “freedoms” and more action.
What the opposition is doing, is using an emotional response to make supporters out to be heartless towards the 9/11 victims; when really they are spreading mistruths by associating extremists with the Muslim faith as a whole. Many supporters of the mosque also lost loved one’s on 9/11. People of all races and religions died on 9/11, including Muslims!
When it comes down to it though, this whole debate isn’t really even about 9/11 like it’s being made out to be. This kind of opposition is going on all around America. Wherever mosques are proposed, they face great backlash from protesters who associate all Muslims with fundamentalists. This is a war between extremes--Mainly between the Islamic terrorists who carry out attacks, and Christians who feel threatened and fear a takeover from within their own country.
My question to them is this--If extremist Muslims, who have twisted and distorted the message of Islam, such as the ones who committed the acts on 9/11, don’t represent Muslims as a whole, than how is this proposed mosque disrespectful to the 9/11 victims? If they had happened to be extremist Christians, would we be threatened by all Christians wanting to erect a church, or Jews a Synagogue in the general vicinity?
Truth is, there are equally frightening passages contained in the Bible as there are in the Qur'an. Context of course comes into play. Much of it’s laws and ways of life apply to the time and place. Yet followers still cherry pick the passages they wish to follow, and create their own world-view based on it.
I could argue that religion does more harm than go. That humanity has found a way to justify their violent actions because they’ve gotten an “OK” from the man upstairs--for instance: This church that has planned the burning of the Qur'an, those that threaten to blow up mosques or attack Muslims personally in “retaliation”. Should we in turn believe that these people represent Christians or Americans as whole?
With that said, I believe that one should be able to worship freely and openly as they please. Just because I don’t agree with their point of view, doesn’t mean I think their religion should be silenced or forbidden. Why? Because I don’t equate all "believers" with extremists.
I also don’t believe that everyone opposed to the construction of the mosque is somehow hateful or ignorant, although I would say that there is enough of that to go around as well--Sarah Palin comes to mind, or Newt Gingrinch, who has been one of the worst offenders when it comes to fear-mongering. His statement: “We can't let the Nazis put up a building next to the Holocaust Museum.” says it all.
For those on the right, I’d like to refresh your memory: George Bush was a big advocate for promoting the religion of Islam as a peaceful and noble one, and he was the first President to see the Qur'an added to the White House library. (Perhaps he’s secretly Muslim too!)
I understand that there are many rational opposing viewpoints out there as well. Those that would rather see the mosque relocated, as to avoid escalating tensions between both sides, in turn, only creating further polarization.
At the same time, I think they are missing the point here: The Bigger Picture. I’m not just talking about the fact that they have every constitutional right to build the mosque--I believe this is the perfect opportunity to counteract the extremists that have perverted the message of Islam, and set an example for the rest of the world. This is not a fanciful vision. This is what is possible.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Idiot Pilot@EMP Summersound live footage
Idiot Pilot@EMP Summersound:
Hey all,
I recently headed down to Seattle with Idiot Pilot to shoot some live video of their set at the EMP Summersound Music Fest. The footage isn't top quality, but most of their set is now up on my youtube channel for viewing. This was a good show and hopefully the footage at least captures the energy. Enjoy:
Hey all,
I recently headed down to Seattle with Idiot Pilot to shoot some live video of their set at the EMP Summersound Music Fest. The footage isn't top quality, but most of their set is now up on my youtube channel for viewing. This was a good show and hopefully the footage at least captures the energy. Enjoy:
Friday, June 25, 2010
Premonitions
Premonitions
Keeping a dream journal has proved to be very interesting. What might appear to be a meaningless and forgettable dream, may turn out to be more than you think. I found myself looking back at old entries...and some discoveries were quite eery.
I’ve had dreams that predicted future events, friends’ engagements, relationship issues, events in the news, and death..Which brings me to today’s topic. The BP oil spill in the gulf has been one of the biggest environmental disasters in our history, and I can’t say it hasn’t affected me any. In fact, it makes me angry. And I think it should. If you thought 9/11 was a wake-up call to terrorism and national security, how is this situation not an environmental wake-up call..to how we continue to live our lives..to our obsession with oil. To selfishness and greed. Not thinking about the outcome of our actions. It’s frustrating. How many wake-up calls do we need? First, the financial “collapse” of our economy and now this.
I could go off on a whole other rant, but the point is, this oil spill is a huge deal and has made a huge impact on the world. Which brings me back to the topic of dreams.
Flipping back through my dream journal, I came across an old entry, that now suddenly seemed to have meaning. It felt like it had meant something significant at the time, but the thought was fleeting as I had nothing to connect it with.
(Keep in mind, I was the one experiencing the dream, thus it is going to be through my interpretation--hence it taking place in Bellingham as opposed to the Gulf, etc)
Here is my original entry, line for line. It is fairly short, but still eery:
Dream: 9/29/08
"There are oil wells all over Bellingham. I am with my mother and all the sudden all of them explode and oil starts flooding the entire city. We are by the bay and the flood of oil smashes into us and knocks us into the water. We are okay, but it is an emergency and we need help because I know it’s effecting everyone."
Quite random you might say. I don’t think my subconscious mind, let alone my conscious mind, would ever be thinking about oil. Why would I have such a dream?
If you are still intrigued, here is another blog I wrote on the subject back in February of ‘09:
Death and Dreams
I’ve had some powerful dreams lately. Dreams that linger long after they have passed. Dreams that are even more vivid in my mind than events of the day before. I might not be able to tell you what day it is today, but I can tell you in graphic detail the images of a dream that has refused to go away.
I can decipher the difference between a dream that is abstract nonsense, recycling feelings and thoughts that have been on my mind at the time, and a dream that seems to come out of nowhere, with a very distinct message. For instance, if I’ve spent all day thinking about candy bars, I’m going to have a dream about wanting that candy bar. Just to spite me, I’ll most likely end up searching for that candy bar the entire dream, and just as my hands are about to wrap around it, tear off the wrapper and stick it in my mouth, I’ll wake up. And then I’ll go to the store and buy some chocolate.
But then there’s the type of dreams, like the one I had about a week ago, that couldn’t possibly have come from my subconscious. Dreams that coincide with events that are taking place in the world. Dreams that demand attention and refuse to leave your mind.
This particular dream effected me from the moment I woke up till the moment I fell asleep again that night. It made me reflect on a few things. The power of dreams cannot be simply dismissed. Emotionally you may experience such a dream as though it has actually occurred. There is no difference in your mind’s eye, save for the fact that it never really happened.
This dream came to me just weeks prior to the day when two planes crashed; one, a plane flying over Buffalo New York, crashed into a home, killing all those on board and a man in the home. The other, a plane in London, crash-landed at the airport. The passengers all survived, a few were injured.
Now, death is a subject often on my mind, but never so specific as this was. I had jotted my dream down in a journal, but it had temporarily left my mind, until the two plane crash incidents on Friday, Feb. 13th.
I close my eyes and I can still see it vividly.
I’m flying aboard a plane with my mom and brother, Marcus. But we are all separated, seated in different sections. As we are about to land, we are informed by the pilots that they've lost control of the plane and that the plane is going down. They tell us that we are not going to survive, that we only have a matter of minutes to live. Like a slap in the face, I’m confronted with the fact that I’m falling to my death. Trapped in my seat, awaiting my execution. These will be the last fleeting moments before my life has passed. Fear strikes me. I don’t want it to be over. I haven’t accomplished everything I wanted to.
What will it feel like? Will I finally discover the biggest mystery of life...what happens after death? I don’t have time to fully comprehend it all.
It’s then I realize that I’m going to die alone. Alone, surrounded by strangers. Separated from my family.
The plane crashes.
The lights go out.
I’m still alive...
Disoriented, I look about me. We are upside down and to my right I notice that the right wing of the plane is mangled, a few people conscious but injured. A few in front of me have been killed.
Those of us still alive manage to make our way through the plane, checking to see who has made it. My mind is set on finding my mom and brother. Luckily they are fine, and the rest of us get out okay.
The pilot had managed to land somewhat safely, causing only a little damage to the plane. However, a few lives have still been taken in the process.
When I get back home, my close friends greet me and embrace me. It is all over the news and they had feared the worst. Feared that the last time they’d seen me we’d had an argument. They could hardly express how they felt. And neither could I. I was in shock.
Having faced death square in the face, and survived, I could only reflect on the fact that none of us were supposed to have lived. And yet here we were still.
You say just a dream...I experienced it.
Keeping a dream journal has proved to be very interesting. What might appear to be a meaningless and forgettable dream, may turn out to be more than you think. I found myself looking back at old entries...and some discoveries were quite eery.
I’ve had dreams that predicted future events, friends’ engagements, relationship issues, events in the news, and death..Which brings me to today’s topic. The BP oil spill in the gulf has been one of the biggest environmental disasters in our history, and I can’t say it hasn’t affected me any. In fact, it makes me angry. And I think it should. If you thought 9/11 was a wake-up call to terrorism and national security, how is this situation not an environmental wake-up call..to how we continue to live our lives..to our obsession with oil. To selfishness and greed. Not thinking about the outcome of our actions. It’s frustrating. How many wake-up calls do we need? First, the financial “collapse” of our economy and now this.
I could go off on a whole other rant, but the point is, this oil spill is a huge deal and has made a huge impact on the world. Which brings me back to the topic of dreams.
Flipping back through my dream journal, I came across an old entry, that now suddenly seemed to have meaning. It felt like it had meant something significant at the time, but the thought was fleeting as I had nothing to connect it with.
(Keep in mind, I was the one experiencing the dream, thus it is going to be through my interpretation--hence it taking place in Bellingham as opposed to the Gulf, etc)
Here is my original entry, line for line. It is fairly short, but still eery:
Dream: 9/29/08
"There are oil wells all over Bellingham. I am with my mother and all the sudden all of them explode and oil starts flooding the entire city. We are by the bay and the flood of oil smashes into us and knocks us into the water. We are okay, but it is an emergency and we need help because I know it’s effecting everyone."
Quite random you might say. I don’t think my subconscious mind, let alone my conscious mind, would ever be thinking about oil. Why would I have such a dream?
If you are still intrigued, here is another blog I wrote on the subject back in February of ‘09:
Death and Dreams
I’ve had some powerful dreams lately. Dreams that linger long after they have passed. Dreams that are even more vivid in my mind than events of the day before. I might not be able to tell you what day it is today, but I can tell you in graphic detail the images of a dream that has refused to go away.
I can decipher the difference between a dream that is abstract nonsense, recycling feelings and thoughts that have been on my mind at the time, and a dream that seems to come out of nowhere, with a very distinct message. For instance, if I’ve spent all day thinking about candy bars, I’m going to have a dream about wanting that candy bar. Just to spite me, I’ll most likely end up searching for that candy bar the entire dream, and just as my hands are about to wrap around it, tear off the wrapper and stick it in my mouth, I’ll wake up. And then I’ll go to the store and buy some chocolate.
But then there’s the type of dreams, like the one I had about a week ago, that couldn’t possibly have come from my subconscious. Dreams that coincide with events that are taking place in the world. Dreams that demand attention and refuse to leave your mind.
This particular dream effected me from the moment I woke up till the moment I fell asleep again that night. It made me reflect on a few things. The power of dreams cannot be simply dismissed. Emotionally you may experience such a dream as though it has actually occurred. There is no difference in your mind’s eye, save for the fact that it never really happened.
This dream came to me just weeks prior to the day when two planes crashed; one, a plane flying over Buffalo New York, crashed into a home, killing all those on board and a man in the home. The other, a plane in London, crash-landed at the airport. The passengers all survived, a few were injured.
Now, death is a subject often on my mind, but never so specific as this was. I had jotted my dream down in a journal, but it had temporarily left my mind, until the two plane crash incidents on Friday, Feb. 13th.
I close my eyes and I can still see it vividly.
I’m flying aboard a plane with my mom and brother, Marcus. But we are all separated, seated in different sections. As we are about to land, we are informed by the pilots that they've lost control of the plane and that the plane is going down. They tell us that we are not going to survive, that we only have a matter of minutes to live. Like a slap in the face, I’m confronted with the fact that I’m falling to my death. Trapped in my seat, awaiting my execution. These will be the last fleeting moments before my life has passed. Fear strikes me. I don’t want it to be over. I haven’t accomplished everything I wanted to.
What will it feel like? Will I finally discover the biggest mystery of life...what happens after death? I don’t have time to fully comprehend it all.
It’s then I realize that I’m going to die alone. Alone, surrounded by strangers. Separated from my family.
The plane crashes.
The lights go out.
I’m still alive...
Disoriented, I look about me. We are upside down and to my right I notice that the right wing of the plane is mangled, a few people conscious but injured. A few in front of me have been killed.
Those of us still alive manage to make our way through the plane, checking to see who has made it. My mind is set on finding my mom and brother. Luckily they are fine, and the rest of us get out okay.
The pilot had managed to land somewhat safely, causing only a little damage to the plane. However, a few lives have still been taken in the process.
When I get back home, my close friends greet me and embrace me. It is all over the news and they had feared the worst. Feared that the last time they’d seen me we’d had an argument. They could hardly express how they felt. And neither could I. I was in shock.
Having faced death square in the face, and survived, I could only reflect on the fact that none of us were supposed to have lived. And yet here we were still.
You say just a dream...I experienced it.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Fantastic Stan interview with GoBham
Hey everybody,
here is the (full) interview I did with the Bellingham Herald online: (if you wish to go to the site directly for the article-- (http://blogs.bellinghamherald.com/gobham/news/local-filmmakers-knapp-brothers-entertainment)
FS Interview:
Questions:
Who is helping make this film?
That is a great question, and it has much relevance to this project. “Fantastic Stan” is being produced by my production company, Knapp Brothers Entertainment (started in 2008)--which consists of myself and my three brothers: Jacob, Jared, and Marcus. We make make music videos, documentaries and short films.
I think initially people might be surprised to learn that “Fantastic Stan” from start to finish has literally been put together by brother Jake and I, on virtually no budget. I am hoping that this does not turn people off, but rather create more interest. The reason behind making it this way is to kind of prove ourselves to others, say hey look, we can pull this off with just two guys behind it all, on a shoe-string budget.
More-or-less work as a kind of blue-print, or sample to pitch to people. Get someone interested enough to finance future projects or help us get a budget for a feature version of “Stan”. This business is all about connections and who you know. You just need to get seen by the right people. So, I’m hoping we can get some sort of recognition for it.
As far as a team goes, Jake and I compliment each other quite nicely. I approach the film from the writer/director standpoint, trying to see the vision from page to screen. Jake does everything else: editing, DP(director of photography),(sound, gaffer, best boy, you name it!) and is a whiz in the fx/department. I’m pretty amazed at what he can pull off, even with the limited tools we have. And that’s saying a lot, seeing as though a good 50% of this movie is green screen work. This film would not be possible without him, as it is very heavily fx driven.
What is the film about?
I’ve had the concept for “Fantastic Stan” since I was 14 years old. I co-wrote the script with my brother Jared back in ‘01 and have discussed making it ever since. It wasn’t really possible for us until technology could catch up. Now so many tools are readily available to anyone, and for relatively cheap. People might take it for granted, but it really is amazing that you can now shoot HD footage and edit your entire movie on your computer with a program like Final Cut..With the right creativity and talent, so much is possible.
I find that people often times try and overcomplicate ideas. What I was attempting to do with “Fantastic Stan Goes to Hell” is take a simple tale and spin it on it’s head. It contains all those elements and themes of classic literature: a great journey, “good vs. evil”, love and friendship, loss of innocence, sacrifice, death, etc,--all that mixed up in the Knapp Brothers’ blender.. And how could it not be inspired by classics like “Star Wars” and “Wizard of Oz”..
The story goes something like this: A young, traveling salesman, who sells his own inventions, and whose main mode of transportation happens to be a flying vacuum cleaner he has created, must rescue his parents, when they are kidnapped by the devil himself.
I know what you’re thinking..But bare with me.
Where are you from? Born and raised in Bellingham, Washington. Proud of it.
How long have you lived in Bellingham? Practically my entire life--’87. The Knapp Brothers have been making movies since I was 8 years old, when I saved up and bought my first video camera. It has been our dream ever since to make films.
What types of movies do you make?
We are very eclectic stylistically. We tend to make experimental films that evoke a certain kind of feeling or emotion. I guess you could say the most natural genre for us is black humor. At the same time, I like to remain undefinable. Films have so much to say about the human condition and I want to explore it all.
What other types of movies to you want to create?
Continuing where I left off with the last question--I want to add that, the movies I’m making right now now don’t really reflect the kinds of films I want to make for the rest of my life.
At this point, making visually entertaining films is a good way to attract attention, but ideally I want to make films that make a difference in people’s lives.
I am really interested in character studies, films that take the audience out of their comfort zone, films that might even make people a little uneasy. Films that get people to think outside the box, to maybe get them to look at an issue from another angle they’d never considered. To better understand and accept people for who they are. I want to make the world a better place through the art form that happens to speak to me. That is my true passion.
Documentaries are another genre I absolutely love. They’ve become quite popular in recent years, which is great because it is an excellent format for telling a story. I’m currently editing together “While We Worked”, a documentary on the Cliff House restaurant--a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on behind closed doors and the colorful array of characters that work in the business. I love being an outside observer, capturing a real situation, and then relaying it back to others for interpretation. Capturing a moment in time and preserving it “forever”. I find that fascinating.
Right now I’m also really interested in the music video market. Matching visuals to inspiring music is quite honestly what I love most. I’m working on some really cool projects that you’ll be hearing about soon.
What filmmakers have influenced your work?
You know, different filmmakers have influenced me at different times in my life. Like most filmmakers, I take influence from a great variety of people. As it is with many of my generation, how can one forget Steven Spielberg..He was solely responsible for getting me into film. I watched “Jurassic Park” as a 7 year old, and it just kind of sparked something in me. By the time I was 12, I think I had seen (and now owned) every film Spielberg had ever produced/directed. A little bit obsessed, you could say.
While he will always play a significant part in my “filmmaking development”, others have inspired my work as I’ve grown as an artist: Hitchcock. Traffut. Fellini. Kurosawa. Kubrick. Woody Allen. Wes Anderson. The Coen Brothers..Okay..and Scorsese, etc..
Current major influences: Paul Thomas Anderson (Highly under-appreciated). Quentin Tarantino. Spike Jonze. David Lynch. And Charlie Kaufman is genius.
Where can people see more of your work?
We’re working on expanding our resume as we speak, but the best place right now is probably our youtube site (www.youtube.com/knappbrothers) where you can see our past resume of old shorts, and will also be the place to see future trailers, music videos, etc. (We’re working on turning out a DVD of old material soon as well) Do keep in mind, most of the shorts on there are four or five years old. We continue to work on the quality we produce.
We’re also going to have an official Vimeo up soon, and eventually our official website, (www.knappbrosentertainment.com) will have more content. We’re going to work on turning it into a resume of sorts. Right now, it’s a little bare. But keep watch!
“Fantastic Stan” is really the first time we’ve ever really tried to push our work in the public’s eye, which in itself is strange to me, seeing as though I’ve been making movies most of my life. It’s come time to expand our films to a larger audience, and we hope to share them with as many people as possible. (Ideally, I’d eventually love to share our films internationally..)
We’d love for anyone who’s interested, to head on over to the Fantastic Stan facebook page--( and become a fan. We want (at least) 500 fans before we release a full length trailer. 1,000 would be even better. The faster we get fans, the sooner they can get a peek at what we’re doing. So don’t just add us, tell your friends, and spread the word!
When do you plan to release the film?
I’d love to have a release date set, but right now it all depends on how fast the process allows us to continue. (Much FX work left to do.) The downside to not being fully employed by our movie work is that we have day-jobs that eat up a lot of time. We are definitely hoping for a 2010 release. Right now my best estimate would be to say fall or winter. We want to do a premiere at Pickford once the new theater is finished (fingers crossed). And then of course we’ll be doing the rounds with Projections and other film festivals in the Northwest next year. You’ll definitely be seeing us around town closer to completion..
Last words? Shout outs?
You know, Bellingham has always been really supportive of the arts, which is why I love living here, and I think it continues to grow as a thriving art community for filmmakers and musicians alike.
I am hoping I can play a part in the recognition of Bellingham as a serious place for film..among many other talented filmmakers:
Caleb Young and Alek Talevich are two creative souls that I’ve had the pleasure of working with. Handcrank Films has impressed me, specifically Chris Koser’s camera work. And I’d like to say thanks to the Pickford Cinema, for bringing great Independent cinema to town and helping build a stronger art community. I’d love to see more filmmakers in town unite. An alliance of sorts.
..And to b’town musicians (specifically the boys at Bayside and Clickpop)--you ‘effing rock..(to the Cop Hog for simply existing..)
I just hope I can add to the foray of amazing artists in town and let the world know that we ‘Hamsters mean business. And lastly, thanks to my friends and family, who make the journey worthwhile!
here is the (full) interview I did with the Bellingham Herald online: (if you wish to go to the site directly for the article-- (http://blogs.bellinghamherald.com/gobham/news/local-filmmakers-knapp-brothers-entertainment)
FS Interview:
Questions:
Who is helping make this film?
That is a great question, and it has much relevance to this project. “Fantastic Stan” is being produced by my production company, Knapp Brothers Entertainment (started in 2008)--which consists of myself and my three brothers: Jacob, Jared, and Marcus. We make make music videos, documentaries and short films.
I think initially people might be surprised to learn that “Fantastic Stan” from start to finish has literally been put together by brother Jake and I, on virtually no budget. I am hoping that this does not turn people off, but rather create more interest. The reason behind making it this way is to kind of prove ourselves to others, say hey look, we can pull this off with just two guys behind it all, on a shoe-string budget.
More-or-less work as a kind of blue-print, or sample to pitch to people. Get someone interested enough to finance future projects or help us get a budget for a feature version of “Stan”. This business is all about connections and who you know. You just need to get seen by the right people. So, I’m hoping we can get some sort of recognition for it.
As far as a team goes, Jake and I compliment each other quite nicely. I approach the film from the writer/director standpoint, trying to see the vision from page to screen. Jake does everything else: editing, DP(director of photography),(sound, gaffer, best boy, you name it!) and is a whiz in the fx/department. I’m pretty amazed at what he can pull off, even with the limited tools we have. And that’s saying a lot, seeing as though a good 50% of this movie is green screen work. This film would not be possible without him, as it is very heavily fx driven.
What is the film about?
I’ve had the concept for “Fantastic Stan” since I was 14 years old. I co-wrote the script with my brother Jared back in ‘01 and have discussed making it ever since. It wasn’t really possible for us until technology could catch up. Now so many tools are readily available to anyone, and for relatively cheap. People might take it for granted, but it really is amazing that you can now shoot HD footage and edit your entire movie on your computer with a program like Final Cut..With the right creativity and talent, so much is possible.
I find that people often times try and overcomplicate ideas. What I was attempting to do with “Fantastic Stan Goes to Hell” is take a simple tale and spin it on it’s head. It contains all those elements and themes of classic literature: a great journey, “good vs. evil”, love and friendship, loss of innocence, sacrifice, death, etc,--all that mixed up in the Knapp Brothers’ blender.. And how could it not be inspired by classics like “Star Wars” and “Wizard of Oz”..
The story goes something like this: A young, traveling salesman, who sells his own inventions, and whose main mode of transportation happens to be a flying vacuum cleaner he has created, must rescue his parents, when they are kidnapped by the devil himself.
I know what you’re thinking..But bare with me.
Where are you from? Born and raised in Bellingham, Washington. Proud of it.
How long have you lived in Bellingham? Practically my entire life--’87. The Knapp Brothers have been making movies since I was 8 years old, when I saved up and bought my first video camera. It has been our dream ever since to make films.
What types of movies do you make?
We are very eclectic stylistically. We tend to make experimental films that evoke a certain kind of feeling or emotion. I guess you could say the most natural genre for us is black humor. At the same time, I like to remain undefinable. Films have so much to say about the human condition and I want to explore it all.
What other types of movies to you want to create?
Continuing where I left off with the last question--I want to add that, the movies I’m making right now now don’t really reflect the kinds of films I want to make for the rest of my life.
At this point, making visually entertaining films is a good way to attract attention, but ideally I want to make films that make a difference in people’s lives.
I am really interested in character studies, films that take the audience out of their comfort zone, films that might even make people a little uneasy. Films that get people to think outside the box, to maybe get them to look at an issue from another angle they’d never considered. To better understand and accept people for who they are. I want to make the world a better place through the art form that happens to speak to me. That is my true passion.
Documentaries are another genre I absolutely love. They’ve become quite popular in recent years, which is great because it is an excellent format for telling a story. I’m currently editing together “While We Worked”, a documentary on the Cliff House restaurant--a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on behind closed doors and the colorful array of characters that work in the business. I love being an outside observer, capturing a real situation, and then relaying it back to others for interpretation. Capturing a moment in time and preserving it “forever”. I find that fascinating.
Right now I’m also really interested in the music video market. Matching visuals to inspiring music is quite honestly what I love most. I’m working on some really cool projects that you’ll be hearing about soon.
What filmmakers have influenced your work?
You know, different filmmakers have influenced me at different times in my life. Like most filmmakers, I take influence from a great variety of people. As it is with many of my generation, how can one forget Steven Spielberg..He was solely responsible for getting me into film. I watched “Jurassic Park” as a 7 year old, and it just kind of sparked something in me. By the time I was 12, I think I had seen (and now owned) every film Spielberg had ever produced/directed. A little bit obsessed, you could say.
While he will always play a significant part in my “filmmaking development”, others have inspired my work as I’ve grown as an artist: Hitchcock. Traffut. Fellini. Kurosawa. Kubrick. Woody Allen. Wes Anderson. The Coen Brothers..Okay..and Scorsese, etc..
Current major influences: Paul Thomas Anderson (Highly under-appreciated). Quentin Tarantino. Spike Jonze. David Lynch. And Charlie Kaufman is genius.
Where can people see more of your work?
We’re working on expanding our resume as we speak, but the best place right now is probably our youtube site (www.youtube.com/knappbrothers) where you can see our past resume of old shorts, and will also be the place to see future trailers, music videos, etc. (We’re working on turning out a DVD of old material soon as well) Do keep in mind, most of the shorts on there are four or five years old. We continue to work on the quality we produce.
We’re also going to have an official Vimeo up soon, and eventually our official website, (www.knappbrosentertainment.com) will have more content. We’re going to work on turning it into a resume of sorts. Right now, it’s a little bare. But keep watch!
“Fantastic Stan” is really the first time we’ve ever really tried to push our work in the public’s eye, which in itself is strange to me, seeing as though I’ve been making movies most of my life. It’s come time to expand our films to a larger audience, and we hope to share them with as many people as possible. (Ideally, I’d eventually love to share our films internationally..)
We’d love for anyone who’s interested, to head on over to the Fantastic Stan facebook page--( and become a fan. We want (at least) 500 fans before we release a full length trailer. 1,000 would be even better. The faster we get fans, the sooner they can get a peek at what we’re doing. So don’t just add us, tell your friends, and spread the word!
When do you plan to release the film?
I’d love to have a release date set, but right now it all depends on how fast the process allows us to continue. (Much FX work left to do.) The downside to not being fully employed by our movie work is that we have day-jobs that eat up a lot of time. We are definitely hoping for a 2010 release. Right now my best estimate would be to say fall or winter. We want to do a premiere at Pickford once the new theater is finished (fingers crossed). And then of course we’ll be doing the rounds with Projections and other film festivals in the Northwest next year. You’ll definitely be seeing us around town closer to completion..
Last words? Shout outs?
You know, Bellingham has always been really supportive of the arts, which is why I love living here, and I think it continues to grow as a thriving art community for filmmakers and musicians alike.
I am hoping I can play a part in the recognition of Bellingham as a serious place for film..among many other talented filmmakers:
Caleb Young and Alek Talevich are two creative souls that I’ve had the pleasure of working with. Handcrank Films has impressed me, specifically Chris Koser’s camera work. And I’d like to say thanks to the Pickford Cinema, for bringing great Independent cinema to town and helping build a stronger art community. I’d love to see more filmmakers in town unite. An alliance of sorts.
..And to b’town musicians (specifically the boys at Bayside and Clickpop)--you ‘effing rock..(to the Cop Hog for simply existing..)
I just hope I can add to the foray of amazing artists in town and let the world know that we ‘Hamsters mean business. And lastly, thanks to my friends and family, who make the journey worthwhile!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
'Lost' Reactions
LOST SPOILERS: (DON’T READ UNLESS YOU HAVE ALREADY SEEN THE FINALE)
The web is a buzz with ‘Lost’ fan reactions, theories, and discussions. Not that anything more needed to be said, but what the hell, I thought I’d chime in with my thoughts.
Reaction to the finale looks pretty split: either you were extremely disappointed and now either detest the show or like it considerably less..or you absolutely loved it, felt it completed the series as a whole and were moved to tears.
Where do I sit on the fence?
To be honest, the finale left me with mixed feelings, lowering my appreciation for the show as a whole. Don’t get me wrong..I still think Lost is one of the greatest television achievements ever attempted. I'd almost say it's like the 'Lord of the Rings' or 'Star wars' of t.v. So many pop culture references have already stemmed from it.
Major props of course to all the cast and crew involved. These are some truly memorable characters that I will never forget, due to some truly amazing performances. My favorites: Locke, Jack, Hurley, and of course Sawyer, Kate, Ben, Charlie and the Kwon’s. So many wonderfully established characters. production value, and some purely genius storytelling mixed with some occasional duds and dead-ends.
This show changed television and it’s very likely we won’t see anything like it for quite some time. This ranks up there for me with 'Twin Peaks’ and the ‘X-Files’. So many great little hooks and unforgettable moments. Where it ended, left me a little unsure, but it was sure one hell of a ride!
I loved that the show was essentially a character study mixed with supernatural mysteries. That's what made it for me. I cared about it's characters, which only gave weight to the mystery aspects..which is what kept me intrigued throughout. The show is literally about it all-love, science, faith, spirituality, learning to “live together or die alone”; or in the case of Lost, ‘die together’.
Now, I was never naive enough to think the Lost creators were ever going to give us straight-out answers to everything..NOR do I feel they ever should have. But herein lies the problem for me with the way they ended things--they built up so many puzzle pieces, mysteries, mythology and twists that were supposedly SO important to the overall story, yet went absolutely nowhere with them.
I'm all about leaving certain things open-ended for the viewer to interpret in his/her own way..but when so many things that are so (apparently) important to the story go unresolved, it makes me want to give up entirely on the rest of it. And if that's the case, do we watch it simply for it's characters and individual sequences? (They are surely effective.) Or do we just accept that the mysteries are...well mysteries, and aren’t even meant to be solved. “Questions will only lead to more questions”.
I get it. I honestly do. But when it relates to the story as a whole, I want it to make a little sense. There are some fans that want ALL the answers but personally--I don’t care what each individual hieroglyphic means..or even how the statue on the island was built. And I feel I know enough about the Dharma Initiative to be satisfied--a team of scientists who came across the island and were experimenting with it’s unique properties...bringing domestic animals to the island to run tests--a la polar bears--science versus the faith. I felt they gave us enough to know there--in relation to the overall story to be satisfied.
But what about abandoned storylines that were initially so essential...like the importance of the children to the ‘Others’. Why mothers couldn’t give birth on the island without dying--was this because of Jacob and the Man in Black's mother? Some sort of curse or effect after ‘mother’ killed her, following their birth? Why are children significant at all? Because they can easily be brainwashed? How about Walt and Aaron? Such a big deal was made of them. Leaving them unresolved isn’t being “mysterious” it’s almost what I would call...bad writing.
I just feel that instead of spending so much time playing 'Back to the Future' with time travel (which does nothing for the overall story), the creators could have alluded to more, or at least subtly hinted at explanations. Instead it feels like they had a general idea of where the show was going, but for the most part were just drawing names out of a hat...just as lost and unsure as we were as to where it was all going...knowing in their minds, that they never had to explain any of it...just trying to keep us hooked.
Were Ben Linus and Charles Widmore playing by the same “rules” as Jacob and the Man in Black?
How was Jacob able to leave the island? Why and how could the island be moved? (This always frustrated me..)
Just what hell IS the Island? I figured this was never going to be answered, and maybe rightfully so.
I could go on and on...
Maybe I’m looking into it too much. Maybe I’m too much a man of science and I just need a little faith. Maybe it’s all an allegory. The Island-a testing ground for morality. A place where you discovered your destiny. Your true purpose. Showed you who you really were--and what was possible if you were miraculously healed (Locke, able to walk again.) Good versus evil. The light in the cavern a metaphor for the good in the world--the protector of the island--defending it against the evil in the world. Understandable why it would always need to be protected.
Essentially it’s a simple tale, only complicated by the details. Is this purposeful? Are we meant to realize that it’s not those things that even matter--that caring for each other, and working together for the greater good--that really matters?
The way they ended things, it made me feel that while it was a story about a group of people coming together, it was ultimately about Jack’s journey--transforming from a man of science into a man of faith, fulfilling his destiny. Good conquering evil. Death...followed by a sweet afterlife--where all the island folk were reunited again.
But this twist on the story only makes me wonder more about Desmond and just how exactly he was able to see into the afterlife. I am aware of his resistance to the electromagnetism, but seeing into another dimension makes slightly more sense than being able to see into the sideways world of purgatory. (I find it amusing that so many viewers as still confused about what was real and what was not. Let me explain: Flash-sideways world=purgatory. Everything else on the island itself=real)
I understand that this was the story the writers wanted to tell, and they saw their vision through (clearly establishing 6 seasons), and I respect them for that and definitely enjoyed the ride.
Clearly this show had an impact on the world. Why do you think everyone on the blogosphere, including myself are even bothering to write about it in such depth? That’s what a great show will do.
UPDATE: (Now that I've had time to sit and ponder it all, I've begun to appreciate the way the show ended. I think I was just setting my standards and expectations a little too high. And part of me wanted answers. Looking back I realize that it was the journey, not the destination. Can't wait to watch through it again, keeping everything in mind.)
The web is a buzz with ‘Lost’ fan reactions, theories, and discussions. Not that anything more needed to be said, but what the hell, I thought I’d chime in with my thoughts.
Reaction to the finale looks pretty split: either you were extremely disappointed and now either detest the show or like it considerably less..or you absolutely loved it, felt it completed the series as a whole and were moved to tears.
Where do I sit on the fence?
To be honest, the finale left me with mixed feelings, lowering my appreciation for the show as a whole. Don’t get me wrong..I still think Lost is one of the greatest television achievements ever attempted. I'd almost say it's like the 'Lord of the Rings' or 'Star wars' of t.v. So many pop culture references have already stemmed from it.
Major props of course to all the cast and crew involved. These are some truly memorable characters that I will never forget, due to some truly amazing performances. My favorites: Locke, Jack, Hurley, and of course Sawyer, Kate, Ben, Charlie and the Kwon’s. So many wonderfully established characters. production value, and some purely genius storytelling mixed with some occasional duds and dead-ends.
This show changed television and it’s very likely we won’t see anything like it for quite some time. This ranks up there for me with 'Twin Peaks’ and the ‘X-Files’. So many great little hooks and unforgettable moments. Where it ended, left me a little unsure, but it was sure one hell of a ride!
I loved that the show was essentially a character study mixed with supernatural mysteries. That's what made it for me. I cared about it's characters, which only gave weight to the mystery aspects..which is what kept me intrigued throughout. The show is literally about it all-love, science, faith, spirituality, learning to “live together or die alone”; or in the case of Lost, ‘die together’.
Now, I was never naive enough to think the Lost creators were ever going to give us straight-out answers to everything..NOR do I feel they ever should have. But herein lies the problem for me with the way they ended things--they built up so many puzzle pieces, mysteries, mythology and twists that were supposedly SO important to the overall story, yet went absolutely nowhere with them.
I'm all about leaving certain things open-ended for the viewer to interpret in his/her own way..but when so many things that are so (apparently) important to the story go unresolved, it makes me want to give up entirely on the rest of it. And if that's the case, do we watch it simply for it's characters and individual sequences? (They are surely effective.) Or do we just accept that the mysteries are...well mysteries, and aren’t even meant to be solved. “Questions will only lead to more questions”.
I get it. I honestly do. But when it relates to the story as a whole, I want it to make a little sense. There are some fans that want ALL the answers but personally--I don’t care what each individual hieroglyphic means..or even how the statue on the island was built. And I feel I know enough about the Dharma Initiative to be satisfied--a team of scientists who came across the island and were experimenting with it’s unique properties...bringing domestic animals to the island to run tests--a la polar bears--science versus the faith. I felt they gave us enough to know there--in relation to the overall story to be satisfied.
But what about abandoned storylines that were initially so essential...like the importance of the children to the ‘Others’. Why mothers couldn’t give birth on the island without dying--was this because of Jacob and the Man in Black's mother? Some sort of curse or effect after ‘mother’ killed her, following their birth? Why are children significant at all? Because they can easily be brainwashed? How about Walt and Aaron? Such a big deal was made of them. Leaving them unresolved isn’t being “mysterious” it’s almost what I would call...bad writing.
I just feel that instead of spending so much time playing 'Back to the Future' with time travel (which does nothing for the overall story), the creators could have alluded to more, or at least subtly hinted at explanations. Instead it feels like they had a general idea of where the show was going, but for the most part were just drawing names out of a hat...just as lost and unsure as we were as to where it was all going...knowing in their minds, that they never had to explain any of it...just trying to keep us hooked.
Were Ben Linus and Charles Widmore playing by the same “rules” as Jacob and the Man in Black?
How was Jacob able to leave the island? Why and how could the island be moved? (This always frustrated me..)
Just what hell IS the Island? I figured this was never going to be answered, and maybe rightfully so.
I could go on and on...
Maybe I’m looking into it too much. Maybe I’m too much a man of science and I just need a little faith. Maybe it’s all an allegory. The Island-a testing ground for morality. A place where you discovered your destiny. Your true purpose. Showed you who you really were--and what was possible if you were miraculously healed (Locke, able to walk again.) Good versus evil. The light in the cavern a metaphor for the good in the world--the protector of the island--defending it against the evil in the world. Understandable why it would always need to be protected.
Essentially it’s a simple tale, only complicated by the details. Is this purposeful? Are we meant to realize that it’s not those things that even matter--that caring for each other, and working together for the greater good--that really matters?
The way they ended things, it made me feel that while it was a story about a group of people coming together, it was ultimately about Jack’s journey--transforming from a man of science into a man of faith, fulfilling his destiny. Good conquering evil. Death...followed by a sweet afterlife--where all the island folk were reunited again.
But this twist on the story only makes me wonder more about Desmond and just how exactly he was able to see into the afterlife. I am aware of his resistance to the electromagnetism, but seeing into another dimension makes slightly more sense than being able to see into the sideways world of purgatory. (I find it amusing that so many viewers as still confused about what was real and what was not. Let me explain: Flash-sideways world=purgatory. Everything else on the island itself=real)
I understand that this was the story the writers wanted to tell, and they saw their vision through (clearly establishing 6 seasons), and I respect them for that and definitely enjoyed the ride.
Clearly this show had an impact on the world. Why do you think everyone on the blogosphere, including myself are even bothering to write about it in such depth? That’s what a great show will do.
UPDATE: (Now that I've had time to sit and ponder it all, I've begun to appreciate the way the show ended. I think I was just setting my standards and expectations a little too high. And part of me wanted answers. Looking back I realize that it was the journey, not the destination. Can't wait to watch through it again, keeping everything in mind.)
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Saturday, May 1, 2010
My Dad Bruce-"Too Bad" Music Video
Hey everybody,
I shot an impromptu music video this last month for up-and-coming Bellingham hip-hop group,'My Dad Bruce'(otherwise known as one half of 'Somebody Cares').
Fed up with sitting around in coffee shops all day, talking about making a music video, we decided to go out into the world and shoot a little "test". This "test" ended up being this music video. No prior planning, shot over the course of a few hours, and edited with feeling..From the heart. I present to you:
My Dad Bruce-"Too Bad" Music Video:
I shot an impromptu music video this last month for up-and-coming Bellingham hip-hop group,'My Dad Bruce'(otherwise known as one half of 'Somebody Cares').
Fed up with sitting around in coffee shops all day, talking about making a music video, we decided to go out into the world and shoot a little "test". This "test" ended up being this music video. No prior planning, shot over the course of a few hours, and edited with feeling..From the heart. I present to you:
My Dad Bruce-"Too Bad" Music Video:
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Lost Horizons-Five Months EP
Hey everybody,
you might have heard mention of my band 'Lost Horizons' before. We've played only a select few shows, so those of you who have not yet heard us and are curious, wait no more. (If you've heard us before than you are probably dying to hear us again!)
We've finally just finished mastering our first EP, which we recorded at Bayside Studios in Bellingham, and we've got it up on our new Bandcamp site for FREE Download. Let us know what you think about it, and share it with friends and family.
Music is all about sharing and expression, so please enjoy.
What do we sound like? I'll leave it up to you to decide!
Monday, April 26, 2010
"Fantastic Stan" teaser trailer!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Official Knapp Brothers Youtube!
Hey everyone,
we've created a new official Knapp Brothers youtube channel, where we are uploading our resume of past works in high quality. It will also serve as the location for new trailers and content, so friend us, subscribe, and keep watch..while enjoying some of our old work. You can practically spot the blood, sweat, and tears..It's there somewhere.
we've created a new official Knapp Brothers youtube channel, where we are uploading our resume of past works in high quality. It will also serve as the location for new trailers and content, so friend us, subscribe, and keep watch..while enjoying some of our old work. You can practically spot the blood, sweat, and tears..It's there somewhere.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
A Great Transcendence
A Great Transcendence--
This Land Is Your Land
(God Bless...the world?)
Obama won the presidency because he campaigned on the promise of change. America and the world wanted change. But what did “change” entail? For some it was the right kind of change, for the others the wrong kind. And yet, in certain eyes, it was just an empty campaign promise.
But here is the truth. A greater change needs to occur. Bigger than anything proposed by any one political party. A great transcendence of our way of thinking. Our state of mind. Part of the next evolutionary step. For if it is not taken, we will simply be doomed to repeat history, mistake after mistake.
We’ve made advances over the years, but we’ve had setbacks as well. We’re living in a world where old and new thought exist intertwined, hence such division. Old thinking sadly still exists in the minds of those so consumed with their selves, their mind-made egoic world views; keeping those who have progressed in a tight head-lock. Keeping us from making the leap to the next level.
Each progression, each evolutionary step is always met with great resistance. by those who fear change. Who want to keep the “constant”. This was the case during the Civil War when Abraham Lincoln was president. The Union against the Confederacy. Sure Lincoln’s main aim wasn’t necessarily fighting for the rights of blacks, but those in the south sure saw it that way. And it lead the way to slaves eventually being freed. But at the time it was controversial because it was a major change.
The biggest evolutionary step, or change in thinking to occur in this country was most likely during the 1960’s-70’s, when the hippy movement erupted all across America. This was a great awakening. And it seem to occur all of sudden, all at once.
They realized that man was polluting the earth, and that we needed to align ourselves once again with nature.
People began to question. Their government. The War.
What was the rational behind Vietnam? Why were people dying for a needless cause?
It was probably the first time in our nation’s history that people stood up and cried out against the insanity of those in power. And those in power didn’t like that too much. Why? Because they were in power. They made the decisions and you better like them.
Because of how they had been raised. Because their minds were still stuck in their heads like all past generations before them. Because they were told not to question. Because they’d been taught a way of thinking that said to never think otherwise. Because at the time people’s lives consisted of: finding a well paying job that supported themselves, and finding a significant other to start a family with. Working. Eating. Sleeping. Dying. Without truly experiencing the life they’d been given. Living in a cardboard box where the rules and guidelines had already been pre-established. Society had set it’s standards. There was nothing outside of the box.
What box?
Meanwhile, during this great social upheaval of the 60’s and 70’s, people had found their way out of the box they’d been trapped in. They began to explore their sexuality, without constraints or fear (although there was much still) of being different. Of being discriminated against, attacked, or even killed. (Even though it still occurred.) But they weren’t afraid to express it.
Oh and music got better too. Drugs? A mild influence...
Of course things weren’t perfect. With such a major change in the way people thought, everyone went wild. Excess of drugs and alcohol, multiple sexual partners (and thusly the spread of sexually transmitted diseases) etc. People went overboard, as such is the case in any major transition. The pendulum swung too far. But balance is always restored over time. As it has been since then. And because of those things, we have learned and gained knowledge, and grown ever more because of it. Evolved in thinking that much more.
But not enough. The old still resists. Still fights for what they believe to be right. “Moral”. They want this country to return to it’s supposed “Christian” roots. To the “way it used to be.”
To the way it used to be?
When it was okay to beat your wife and get away with it, because it was known she would be afraid to say anything. When you were discriminated against or even killed because you loved someone who happened to be of the same sex. When women had no rights and were told to get in the kitchen and cook. When there was only one “right” religion. When people were judged based on the color of their skin. When blacks sat at the back of the bus..When blacks were slaves.
What exactly is there to return to? Are these the “Christian” foundations upon which America was built? The founders themselves weren’t even Christians. They were deists.
And yet we still attempt to live by old laws and ways of thinking. We still continue to try and live by a constitution over 200 years old, when times have changed so dramatically. We continue to look to an old book, (the Bible), for how to live our lives. Written by man, degrading women, and attempting to control those through fear of an almighty God. A book pieced together by those excluding anything they saw contradictory to their points of view. A book so wrongly interpreted by others, so as to believe that a great prophet, a man of great wisdom, Jesus was actually literally the “son of God”. Distilling fear. That if you disobeyed you would burn in the “Fires of Hell” for all eternity. God, just a man in the clouds. Instead of a force of nature. Life itself. Consciousness.
This same old thinking goes something like, “God Bless America”. And the rest of humanity? This same thinking places people in categories. Divides.
These people here. Those people there.
This country. Your country.
There is no such thing as “our” country, or “your” country.
As “our” land or “your” land. You do not “own” anything. We and everything else belong to the Earth, to essentially, the Universe. Because we are it, as much as it is us.
Ownership is simply a form of ego. Possession.
We are all one. Consciousness itself. Ego tricking us into thinking we are seperate entities. Obsessed with our forms. Trapped in them.
We are life. Your form is not who you are. Merely the window through which you perceive and experience life itself, which you are. Your consciousness perceiving this paragraph is who you are.
Once we realize this, all else is of the ego. Mind-made thought.
Awaken.
This Land Is Your Land
(God Bless...the world?)
Obama won the presidency because he campaigned on the promise of change. America and the world wanted change. But what did “change” entail? For some it was the right kind of change, for the others the wrong kind. And yet, in certain eyes, it was just an empty campaign promise.
But here is the truth. A greater change needs to occur. Bigger than anything proposed by any one political party. A great transcendence of our way of thinking. Our state of mind. Part of the next evolutionary step. For if it is not taken, we will simply be doomed to repeat history, mistake after mistake.
We’ve made advances over the years, but we’ve had setbacks as well. We’re living in a world where old and new thought exist intertwined, hence such division. Old thinking sadly still exists in the minds of those so consumed with their selves, their mind-made egoic world views; keeping those who have progressed in a tight head-lock. Keeping us from making the leap to the next level.
Each progression, each evolutionary step is always met with great resistance. by those who fear change. Who want to keep the “constant”. This was the case during the Civil War when Abraham Lincoln was president. The Union against the Confederacy. Sure Lincoln’s main aim wasn’t necessarily fighting for the rights of blacks, but those in the south sure saw it that way. And it lead the way to slaves eventually being freed. But at the time it was controversial because it was a major change.
The biggest evolutionary step, or change in thinking to occur in this country was most likely during the 1960’s-70’s, when the hippy movement erupted all across America. This was a great awakening. And it seem to occur all of sudden, all at once.
They realized that man was polluting the earth, and that we needed to align ourselves once again with nature.
People began to question. Their government. The War.
What was the rational behind Vietnam? Why were people dying for a needless cause?
It was probably the first time in our nation’s history that people stood up and cried out against the insanity of those in power. And those in power didn’t like that too much. Why? Because they were in power. They made the decisions and you better like them.
Because of how they had been raised. Because their minds were still stuck in their heads like all past generations before them. Because they were told not to question. Because they’d been taught a way of thinking that said to never think otherwise. Because at the time people’s lives consisted of: finding a well paying job that supported themselves, and finding a significant other to start a family with. Working. Eating. Sleeping. Dying. Without truly experiencing the life they’d been given. Living in a cardboard box where the rules and guidelines had already been pre-established. Society had set it’s standards. There was nothing outside of the box.
What box?
Meanwhile, during this great social upheaval of the 60’s and 70’s, people had found their way out of the box they’d been trapped in. They began to explore their sexuality, without constraints or fear (although there was much still) of being different. Of being discriminated against, attacked, or even killed. (Even though it still occurred.) But they weren’t afraid to express it.
Oh and music got better too. Drugs? A mild influence...
Of course things weren’t perfect. With such a major change in the way people thought, everyone went wild. Excess of drugs and alcohol, multiple sexual partners (and thusly the spread of sexually transmitted diseases) etc. People went overboard, as such is the case in any major transition. The pendulum swung too far. But balance is always restored over time. As it has been since then. And because of those things, we have learned and gained knowledge, and grown ever more because of it. Evolved in thinking that much more.
But not enough. The old still resists. Still fights for what they believe to be right. “Moral”. They want this country to return to it’s supposed “Christian” roots. To the “way it used to be.”
To the way it used to be?
When it was okay to beat your wife and get away with it, because it was known she would be afraid to say anything. When you were discriminated against or even killed because you loved someone who happened to be of the same sex. When women had no rights and were told to get in the kitchen and cook. When there was only one “right” religion. When people were judged based on the color of their skin. When blacks sat at the back of the bus..When blacks were slaves.
What exactly is there to return to? Are these the “Christian” foundations upon which America was built? The founders themselves weren’t even Christians. They were deists.
And yet we still attempt to live by old laws and ways of thinking. We still continue to try and live by a constitution over 200 years old, when times have changed so dramatically. We continue to look to an old book, (the Bible), for how to live our lives. Written by man, degrading women, and attempting to control those through fear of an almighty God. A book pieced together by those excluding anything they saw contradictory to their points of view. A book so wrongly interpreted by others, so as to believe that a great prophet, a man of great wisdom, Jesus was actually literally the “son of God”. Distilling fear. That if you disobeyed you would burn in the “Fires of Hell” for all eternity. God, just a man in the clouds. Instead of a force of nature. Life itself. Consciousness.
This same old thinking goes something like, “God Bless America”. And the rest of humanity? This same thinking places people in categories. Divides.
These people here. Those people there.
This country. Your country.
There is no such thing as “our” country, or “your” country.
As “our” land or “your” land. You do not “own” anything. We and everything else belong to the Earth, to essentially, the Universe. Because we are it, as much as it is us.
Ownership is simply a form of ego. Possession.
We are all one. Consciousness itself. Ego tricking us into thinking we are seperate entities. Obsessed with our forms. Trapped in them.
We are life. Your form is not who you are. Merely the window through which you perceive and experience life itself, which you are. Your consciousness perceiving this paragraph is who you are.
Once we realize this, all else is of the ego. Mind-made thought.
Awaken.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Fantastic Stan Goes to Hell: Adventures Part 1
(Re-post from myspace)
I’ve always been a daydreamer, but when I was about twelve years old, I was at most imaginative, creative peak. I sat in thought, brainstorming movie-ideas all day. While the other kids my age were off playing sports and doing other “normal” kid activities, I was off pretending I was riding on a flying vacuum cleaner.
“Fantastic Sam”, originally titled, was never a long, intense over-thought out idea. It was one of those, “wouldn’t-this-be-an-amusing-idea”, sort of concepts that just kind of falls into your lap every so often. A boy who was a traveling salesman, and rode on a flying vacuum, happened to stumble upon a portal that lead him to another dimension--to Hell. That was how it all began.
Attempts were made back in 2000 to shoot a short film. We shot a few scenes with me, all suited up, a vacuum in tow, but it never panned out. And then there was the green screen tests: Me, with a fan blowing my hair, cradling a vacuum between my legs.
And then I have fond memories of my brother Jared and I, back in 2001, huddling together over my old apple computer almost every night for a couple weeks..expanding the story, fleshing out the characters, writing the original draft for the script “Fantastic Sam Goes to Hell”. Who knew if we’d ever truly be able to make it, but damn it, we knew we had to write it. We wrote about 15 pages of material.
It was left unfinished, but over the years my mind continued to return to the idea..mulling over the possibilities. Jake and I attempted a few times to make a short out of it, but my perfectionist mind prevented us from ever accomplishing it. I jotted down notes and was adamant that we have certain technologies available before we could go ahead with it. Notably a decent camera (preferably one that shot 24fps) green screen material, and the right fx programs..not to mention, the most important element: Fantastic Sam himself. A child actor between the ages of 12-14. At this point I felt I was too old to play the part, nor did I feel I was quite right. I imagined a slightly dorkier version of Harry Potter, although contrary to what people maybe assumed from the concept, had not even previously read that series.
And every time it came back to deciding what new project we were going to work on, Fantastic Sam always seemed to pop up. Find the actor, and we can make the movie, I’d say. Technology had already caught up fast, and Jake had done enough experimenting with special effects with our other shorts that I felt we were capable of creating the FX--the other important element.
And then we met Brandon Willkie and there was no doubt about it. He was going to be our Fantastic Sam. (All he needed was a slight hair trim!) Jake and I sat down and interviewed him on camera. His personality was perfect. He reminded me of myself when I was his age, (12, going on 13) about the same age I was when I came up with the idea. He was young, energetic, imaginative, and creative-minded. Not to mention, looked the part. After pitching the idea to him, he seemed pretty excited about it. He was already coming up with ideas of his own.
This movie relied on Fantastic Sam, and we’d found the perfect match. He’d had dreams about becoming an actor, and we had our dreams of movie-making. We were helping each other out.
Now I had incentive to go back to my drafts and write an entirely new version of the script. I ended up going through quite a few new drafts, taking it to a few people for advice. Eventually I had what I felt was the ideal version for our shooting capabilities. Not the big Hollywood version I had dreamed up, but close enough. A version that would be a good blueprint of what we wanted to accomplish. A lengthy short film-ranging from 30-40 minutes.
If we could pull this off, on hardly any budget, with Jake and I doing practically everything, and then pitch it to the right people...Maybe, just maybe, someone would be willing to throw a bit of money our way to make a bigger, badder, version. This was our shot to prove ourselves, and our capabilities.
The only thing standing in our way: Copyright.
I was informed that there in fact already existed a Fantastic Sam(s). It turned out to be a chain of hair salons mind you, but in today’s sue happy world, I didn’t want to run into any complications. I wanted to solve this issue before putting out the movie, only to have to remove the name due to copyright infringement. So I contacted Fantastic Sam’s hair salon. And they were very friendly and encouraged the project, but did state that there might be some problems if I went ahead with the name. The management tried to work with me and help me out, but in the end, it was just going to be easier for the both of us if I just changed the name.
I was a bit bummed I had to alter the title I’d had for years. But I wasn’t going to let that get me down. A slight name change wasn’t going to stop us from making our film. Thus, “Fantstic Sam” became “Fantastic Stan” and all was well in the world.
It was time for casting those supporting roles and then...
Next step: Production.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
"Dogfather" Trailer
My dog Gabe's a star. Here's his newest flick:
And here is his very own interview:
And here is his very own interview:
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
"Cliff House" documentary gets a name...
That's right, it's finally time for my long-awaited (and until now) untitled "Cliff House" documentary to get a name.
I've been toying around with ideas for some time. It seemed there were so many options, and yet nothing quite seemed to stick. I searched far and wide and all around for some witty restaurant terminology, some funny reference that would fit just nicely. But it never came.
It seemed the only option was to go the natural way, and let it come to me. And it did. After hours and hours of editing, a simple line spoken near the end seemed to capture the essence of what this little movie was all about. It was personal and intimate. The words spoken by former manager, Chris Volker while in his last few days in the industry, working the one job anyone who'd spent 35 years in the business wouldn't want to find themselves doing: washing dishes.
So, to quote from the great C.V., the title of my movie:
"While We Worked: A behind-the-scenes documentary on the lives of restaurant workers"
What'd ya think? A little obvious? I hope so.
P.S. Look out for a Facebook fan page, as well as official website to pop up soon with more info, photos, trailers, and release dates(!)
Monday, March 15, 2010
Top Films of 2009 (And the Decade)
My top films of 2009:
Another year has passed (as well as decade) and that means it’s time to reflect on the year in movies: films that had an impact and those that left you wanting your time and money back. I’ve decided to skip the number game this year. Some films are better than others, but it doesn’t really make sense to try and compare.
First off, let’s get it out of the way. You know what I’m talking about...Not because it’s the best picture of the year, but because it’s been the most talked about..
Avatar--
I’d been meaning to write about this film for awhile, but felt that everyone had pretty much covered everything there was to say. You’re pretty much on one side of the fence or the other on this one. Either it’s a cliched, unoriginal, recycled (ala Dances with Wolves, Pocahontas and Ferngully), fx heavy, over-blown hollywood action film, or: it’s brilliant; an amazing special effects spectacle, utilizing the most advanced and involving 3D process ever created and (while not wholly original), crafts a beautiful, moving story with believable characters. In other words, it’s the new “Titanic”. Go figure, it’s also by James Cameron.
Now, where do I stand? I’d have to say somewhere in the middle. I had mixed feelings coming out of this movie. Initially I wanted to proclaim my love for it. After all, the special effects created for it are quite amazing. I felt so integrated. Like I was “inside” the movie. It was extremely involving. If only the characters and story hadn’t come straight out of a disney film plot.
I agree with it’s message, but there is such a thing as subtly, and this movie knows nothing of it. The environmental message is jammed down your throat, and the characters are nothing more than thinly drawn cliches. I did not care about the romance, nor get involved in it. For such a film that proclaims to be such masterful storytelling, every element was extremely predictable. Each character (notably the antagonist: the evil general) is so completely unoriginal and stereotypical. Such one dimensional characters, in a world that is so three dimensional. There is such a thing as taking a basic story and telling it in a new way. And it’s true that Cameron has done that. Visually, this film is groundbreaking. But he’s taken a generic idea and not given it much weight. Star Wars, a film that took so many influences and borrowed from so many genres still added originality to it’s world and characters.
With that aside, this film will change the way movies are made. Other films will rush to follow in it’s path. But I assume it will be sometime before other films will catch up technically. After all, it took Cameron years to develop the process. It is not something that will be able to be duplicated so easily. It requires time and effort.
Now that that’s out of the way...
The Best of the Best:
Inglourious Basterds
Pure cinematic bliss. That’s all I have to say. I loved the “Kill Bill” films in all their infinite glory, but overall this is probably Tarantino’s best since “Pulp Fiction”. It’s quite ingenious. The opening sequence alone is one of my favorite openers, not only of the year, but probably of all time.
A Serious Man
2007’s “No Country For Old Men” was one of the Coen’s best efforts along with “Fargo”. “A Serious Man” deserves to be in that same camp. Talking about films that defy convention..I have never seen a film quite like this one. Not even previous Coen entries. Brilliantly written, masterfully shot, haunting at times, nerve-racking. Great performances from plenty of unknowns. I talked earlier about great opening sequences..well this film’s first ten minutes will immediately draw you in. Brilliant, that’s all I have to say. I want to go back and watch it again and again, dissecting the messages and themes hidden throughout.
Up in the Air
If you know anything about my film taste, it’s that I love anything that defies convention. And this film does just that. Not to mention it’s beautifully shot, features one of the best George Clooney roles I’ve ever seen (yes, that’s right!), and crafts one of the best screenplays of the year. I think Jason Reitman is emerging as one of my favorite new filmmakers.
Turned off by the trailers? Don’t be. Jason Reitman and crew have crafted such a trailer, only to appeal to the “general audience” crowd. The film is not quite what the trailer might imply.
UP
Talk about well drawn characters. Literally. The first ten minutes of this film almost had me in tears. Such a great set up for the film. Some of the best recent characters in an animated film. I actually cared for them. I can not praise Pixar enough. This is probably one of my favorite entries, up there with “Toy Story”, “Wall-E”, and “The Incredibles”. Is there any question about the best animated film of the year? I don’t think so.
The Hurt Locker
Alright, it’s not the best film of the year, but it’s still really good. I was a bit skeptical of the hype initially. This is probably one of the best Iraq war films made yet. These filmmakers know real suspense. You know, back before the digital era when films knew how to pin you to your seat simply by creating tension with silence and camera movement?
The characters are so detailed and well written, and the camera in it’s placement is so specific and intentional, we know what is happening even in chaotic moments, and because we know the characters so well and how they will react, it only adds to the suspense. This film unravels so naturally, (with the exception of one sequence that seemed a bit far fetched) is shot so realistically, as if it were a documentary (a technique often used since the great “Saving Private Ryan”), and it only keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Honorable Mention:
Precious--Hate on it all you will. Unlike the undeserved attention for the “Blindside”, this film doesn’t force it’s emotion on you. It can only sweep you in. It’s a grim film that only feels really because of it’s strong performances.
500 Days of Summer--for those sick of romance cliches, here’s a film about real-life “romances”.
Adventureland-- I love Jesse Eisenberg, perhaps because he reminds me partly of my high school self. And he’s got great comedic timing. Between “The Squid and the Whale”, this year’s “Zombieland”, and this, he is emerging as one of my favorite new talents. This movie is actually really moving and well written. Much better than I had expected.
Public Enemies--Surprised that critics seemed to forget this movie by the end of the year. Michael Mann pulls it off in classic fashion with some good performances by Depp and Bale.
Antichrist-Disturbing and controversial. Love it or hate it, it is not to be missed. (Not for the squeamish though!)
Funny People--Tied with “Punch-Drunk Love” for the best Adam Sandler film to date, as well as this year’s “Adventureland” for best dark comedy. Love that Sandler practically self-parodies his early career here, and the ridiculousness that unfolds over the course of the movie.
Moon--Atmospheric and haunting. Wonderful intimate, intelligent sci-fi movie with a great performance by Rockwell and a thrilling soundtrack.
(Wish I saw more foreign films...)
The rest of the Good:
Bruno-Did it take it too far? Yeah. But I couldn’t resist.
Capitalism: A Love Story- Actually one of Moore’s best, up there with “Columbine”. He sure knows how to cut a movie to make you laugh, cry, or outraged. Old tactics are still in play, although to a lesser extent, and Moore attacks both sides of the aisle this time, while offering some interesting thoughts, as well as some far-fetched ones. It does feel, I must say, as though Moore is losing his platform. Perhaps his time has passed along with the Bush era.
District 9-Over-rated but still significant. Props to the director and team for pulling this off on such a small budget. It’s inspiring to see as a filmmaker, not to mention a sign to big Hollywood that stories still matter too.
Drag Me to Hell-My ideal horror film. Doesn’t take itself seriously, and pulls, classic, good old fashioned horror tricks from up it’s sleeve while making you laugh at the same time. Gotta love Raimi bringing it back “Evil Dead” style.
Fantastic Mr.Fox-Not Wes Anderson’s best film to date, but props for the animation style and voice acting.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince-The past three Harry Potters (this included) have felt a bit shallow and empty with not a lot of substance. The first three were full of wonderment and somehow that has since been lost in adaptation. That aside, Harry Potter still continues to be just entertaining enough, and the end sequence in the cave alone makes up for other weak spots.
The Men Who Stare at Goats-This movie tickled my funny phone. Ewan McGregor, George Clooney, and Jeff “The Dude” Bridges were all in their prime. Oh, and did I mention it’s based on a true story?
Observe and Report-I loved how utterly over the top violent this movie was. Some feel like Rogen’s overdone it. Somehow he gets me every time.
Ponyo-Miyazaki is the God of animation. Still feel your inner-child? This movie is pure animated bliss.
Princess and the Frog--Excellent, old school, hand-drawn animation, if only the story and songs could have held up as well.
Star Trek-Not just an excellent re-boot, probably one of the best “Trek” films made. Can’t wait to see where Abrams takes the series.
Where the Wild Things Are-Initial feelings aside, this is not a film to be missed. I’m quite Interested to see what a second viewing holds in store. Jonze deserves major credit for all stylistic choices involved.
Zombieland- One of the most entertaining movies of the year. It’s funny and exciting with surprisingly well written characters. I might even go as far as to say I wouldn’t mind a sequel..which is a pretty big compliment.
The Letdowns/bad/other:
2012- Let’s be clear. I can’t stand Roland Emmerich movies. I hate his characters and attempts to add depth and meaning to pointless destruction and disaster movies. I went into this movie expecting ridiculous, over the top, popcorn eye candy..and it wasn’t even that. Nor is it very entertaining. In fact, I was bored. This movie is way more full of a “plot” than the filmmakers would lead you to believe.This movie attempts to be profound and moving and fails miserably at both. The special effects aren’t even all that good, and what there is of any eye candy consists of the heroes fleeing from absolute (ridiculous) destruction. It’s so over-the-top it had me laughing out loud. This film tries to be many things and fails at them all. I’m sure there were worse films this year, but this was the worst one I managed to catch.
Land of the Lost-Had me at moments, but as a whole, what were they thinking?
Terminator Salvation-Somehow they continue to turn out Terminator movies that add nothing more but reason to continue a series that should have ended in the 90’s.
Watchmen-Not altogether a disappointment, entertaining as it is, but I felt emotionally detached, and meaning stripped away from an originally brilliant story.
X-Men Origins-Nothing more than a money grab, and a way for the writers to say “hey look! this is how Wolverine got the jacket he wears!”
Year One- You know, this movie was better than some proclaimed. But it also had far greater potential, and ultimately doesn’t add up to much.
And...
Top of the Decade (since everyone else is doing it):
TOP 50-2000-2009--
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
City of God
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Munich
Lost in Translation
Kill Bill 1&2
Spirited Away
Brokeback Mountain
Inglourious Basterds
Adaptation
The Dark Knight
Memento
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Requiem for a Dream
Almost Famous
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Milk
The Wrestler
Capote
UP
Moulin Rouge
Sideways
In the Bedroom
Synecdoche New York
Doubt
Wall-E
The Departed
Downfall
Hotel Rwanda
Slumdog Millionaire
American Splendor
Punch-Drunk Love
The Squid and the Whale
Match Point
Good Night, and Good Luck
Atonement
Syriana
Mystic River
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
Pan’s Labyrinth
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Million Dollar Baby
The Passion of the Christ
Kinsey
The Incredibles
Monster
Mulholland Drive
Waking Life
Inland Empire
There were a few others I could have included, that maybe just missed the list, but I figured that 50 was a pretty good number.
I’m sure I messed up somewhere and forgot something along the line. Anything that comes to mind? Anything you totally disagree with? I’m sure there is, and I’m sure I can defend it just as easily.
Best Documentaries: (Sadly I don’t see enough...)
Bowling for Columbine
Capturing the Friedmans
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
The Fog of War
Grizzly Man
Jesus Camp
The Kid Stays in the Picture
Lake of Fire
Man on Wire
No End in Sight
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