Monday, July 30, 2007

Mas photographicas

Taken at a bar in Jersey called the Big Apple. I think it's supposed to be ironic or something.

Brooklyn, NYC from Midtown Manhattan.
Tribeca, Manhattan, NYC, NY, USA, Earth from Hoboken, NJ:My room:
My new room.

Crises of Conscience


Last week was really rough, not so much because of the job, but because of the job. What I mean to say is that, there was nothing directly related to the job that was frazzling me, but in an indirect way, it was getting to me quite a bit last week. I just had, time and again, slip-up after slip-up. None except one were particularly major, but minor lapses in memory happening several times a day can add up pretty goddamn quick.

I finally found a place over the weekend, so I'm no longer crashing on Andy Meissner's couch. And I can already feel the difference my own space is having on my motivation. The place is quite close to work and the roommates are pretty cool (both are in the film industry as well, one an NYU alumnus)--BUT IT'S STILL IN JERSEY. Man, Jersey. Oh man. The stories are true. Rather, that there aren't many, is the real story. One of the film's casting associates had to hand-deliver to me a DVD of an audition for Brett to look at and she road the PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) into Jersey from Tribeca--for the first time. I have no idea how long she's lived in NYC, but if I had to guess, at least two or three years. And she'd never been over to Jersey.

My advice: don't vacation here.

All that said, today, Monday, has gone better than all the wellness in last week combined. Not that today has gone spectacularly well or something, just that it hasn't gone spectacularly wrong. Or something.

On the bright side, Marie's going to be coming out to stay with me for three weeks in less than three weeks (still with me?). I love Seattle, but it's really the people, not the place that I miss. The girl, the fam, the friends. And the Catz.

On another bright side, I've seen the new Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, etc) movie "Sunshine" twice now, and I'm almost convinced that it's my favorite movie so far this year, just edging out Hot Fuzz. I think Hot Fuzz might ultimately be the *better* movie, but Sunshine so spectacularly caters to my baser tastes in cinema (without making me feel the least bit guilty about it), that there's no way I could not love it. And I love the shit out it.

While we're comparing movies, why not go the full half-mile (seeing that the year's more than half-over):
1. Sunshine
2. Hot Fuzz
3. ...

Was anything else released this year? I also saw the Steve Buscemi movie Interview that is quite good, if not good enough to "list". I really liked Knocked Up also, but again, can there really be only these few films? Ouch...

I suppose the best movie I've seen this year period is Lawrence of Arabia. And the best movie I've seen this year that I hadn't seen before would probably be Ivan the Terrible I&II.

At any rate, I'm hoping to punch-out any minute now. I'll be in touch.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Hoes, Hobos, and Hoboken

My phone died just in the nick of time yesterday--good excuse for me to buy an iPhone. And while I'm at it, why not the most expensive one too? Guess what, it's fucking awesome. Oh and there goes a week's pay that I haven't gotten yet. Oops!

Since all my love's been NYC-directed, and for good reason, I thought I'd share some Hoboken, NJ love too:

1. Hoboken is the birthplace of baseball, a sport that is much more fun to play than it is to watch
2. Hoboken is the birth place of Frank Sinatra. I think there's a reason he ended up in Vegas.
3. Hoboken is the setting of Elia Kazan's On the Waterfront. I think there's a reason that movie is so depressing. At least Brando coulda been a conteda: Hoboken neva wuhs.

Monday, July 16, 2007

The Streets of New York...


It may not be the Streets of Fallujah (TM), but it's the closest in two-and-a-half years I've felt to driving the old IED alley a.k.a "Iraqis get the fuck out of the way"

Daylight Is an Awful Film


So this is the Lincoln Tunnel, running along the riverbed of the Hudson, in transit to Manhattan. I'm pretty sure this is where the bad Stallone movie Daylight took place. Either this or the Holland Tunnel. Either way, it's still a bad, bad movie. And now I want to watch it.

Dr. Jekyll Capitulates to Mr. Hyde

Back in the New York groove

I'm doing alright. NYC is great of course, I'm living with Andy Meissner
right now, and he's been a really great friend. I'm trying to find a place
that isn't too far from the production office, won't break the bank, and is
without weirdo roommates, but so far, no such luck. Yesterday I struck out on
all three counts.

I spent my birthday stuck in traffic, doing laundry and taking
muffin orders for today, so I was really pretty miserable. Monday my first
day was the worst though. I seriously can't compare it to any other day
except reception at basic. I was carrying about 60 lbs of shit, wearing nice
but not functional in the least clothes, and walking around in 105 degree
heat. To add insult to that, I was twice given the wrong subway stop to get
off at, but proper directions from said stop, and ended up walking probably
over 5 miles--again, with shit and in nice clothes. To top that off, I came
in and got the "speech" from the line producer about the 1001 things to do
and the 100001 things not to do. I really couldn't write fast enough, it was
ridiculous. And then I didn't get to bed until 2am, and had to get up at 5am
after sleeping 3 hrs on the red-eye the night before. I wasn't expecting
sympathy when I got in, but neither was I expecting a complete disregard for
my situation. Oh well, right?

So if you haven't gotten the idea, the job kinda sucks. I haven't done
anything particularly cool, except maybe transporting the director's photo
book collection which I had a few moments to browse through. At any rate,
I've got to go finish the director's laundry now...

Please shoot me. ;)