Saturday, January 27, 2007

Lists

New(er) movies I have to see:

-Babel (which I'm seeing today!)
-Children of Men
-The Last King of Scotland
-Blood Diamond
-The Departed
-Casino Royale
-Venus
-Dreamgirls
-The Prestige (haha, just for Gabby's sake)
-Perfume

old(er) movies I have to see:

-Apocalypse Now
-Citizen Kane
-Reservoir Dogs
-Jackie Brown
-Shawshank Redemption
-12 Angry Men
-The Godfather
-Angels in America
-Scarface (hmm I'm noticing the Al Pacino trend, here)
-anything with Katherine Hepburn, really
-Philadelphia
-1984
-What's Eating Gilbert Grape
-The Producers (original)
-City of God
-Casablanca
-Schindler's List
-One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
-All The President's Men
-The Usual Suspects
-Monsieur Verdoux

Books I have to read:

-Shalimar the Clown
-My Ishmael (lent to me by Allana. I confess, I mostly want to read it so she'll return me my Old Man and the Sea)
-Fight Club
-The Fate of Africa
-On Liberty/The Subjection of Women
-Angela's Ashes
-The Iliad (HA! That's funny.)
-War and Peace (even FUNNIER!)
-On the Road
-The English Patient
-The Favourite Game


If anyone has any other movies or books they think I MUST read, please feel free to suggest!

I'm really excited to start working on Footloose. I'm fascinated by Shaw's character, but at the same time I'm really intimidated. I think I'm still finding it hard to imagine playing someone like this. Well, how hard can it be, right? RIGHT?! I guess I'll find out...

Kinda stressed about the play. Yeah. Just a tad. Figured out the lighting problem. Now the one thing I'm worried about is the a paint. I have no money, so I might have to mooch off of my cast. Oh yeah, and we need to rehearse like CRAZY. When we presented it last Friday it was really good, but still reeeally unpolished. Which is a polite way of saying some parts sucked. So now's the time to do it.

New term is coming around. I'm actually raher nervous about it. It means the urgency to get drivers ed and get a job increases. I HAVE been proactive on both fronts, however, so eventually it should all sort itself out....I hope. But yes, enough of that.

Pan's Labyrinth was a beautiful movie. It's like a fairy tale....with FASCISM! But yeah, it's got the simplicity of a children's story, as in it's not so complicated that a child couldn't understand it -- but that is the point, I think. And that in no way makes it less poignant. What makes it more than a children's fairy tale is, you know, the minute details, shall we say; just mere technicalities, if you will. Like swearing, gore and YES, politics, and all that good stuff. It's very dark and macabre at parts, and at best it's FREAKIN' INTENSE!!! I'm really glad it's up for best foreign film. It deserves it.

Sooooo....how's everybody doin'?

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Flaming Lips are awe-inspiring.

Ahhhhhhh.

We've finally presented the play. It went really well, I'd say. The biggest problem was people screwed up therefore skipped a lot of lines, and blocking was forgotten in some parts, too. Contrary to what Jim said about the tempos of the lines, I think they could've been done a lot better. A lot of the lines were supposed to be delivered in a way that evoked more humour, in a sort of "Who's on First" style, but I think that was lost in translation, so the audience couldn't pick up on some of the potentially funny parts. But oh well. I know WHY that happened, so I know how we can fix it, and that can only come with time and practice, really. We've got one more performance to go! Truth be told, I'm SO proud of everyone. The audience loved it, and everyone was not only there, but played their characters perfectly.

It was such a busy day. I get tired just thinking about it.

Callbacks are over, so now the final step to casting begins...

I really want to get Shaw....not just because Jim's been filling my head with the idea that I could pull off playing him, but because so far he looks like a really good acting challenge, and it occurred to me a while ago, that I'm not that much of a Musical Theatre geek. Don't get me wrong, I still love it. But I'm mostly in it for the acting, I think.

It kind of sucks though, because if I do get a part, it's most likely gonna be Shaw. I'm sure at this point someone could scold me thoroughly and say "Shut up Liam, that's nothing to complain about!" But that's exactly it. If I do get it, I'll feel like I didn't earn it because of the way Jim casts his roles. I know, obviously he knows my strengths and weaknesses, so he'd have faith that I could do it. But you know what they say: "you're only as good as your next performance." So I dunno. It doesn't bother me too much. I'm not so naive to think that Jim would cast his shows any other way, and I've come to accept it. But, you know, it kinda bugs me.

Either way, whether I get the role or not, this year is going to pack a mighty punch. Yay 80's!

So Geoff and I are having a Scriptwriting Duel. He's already got a brilliant idea, AND he's started writing it! So I have to get going. I'm still sort of gathering my energy which I spent so much of, on At Bellafonte's. But I've already got a new idea for a play/movie script. So I better not take too long to get started!

On that note, the shooting of Epson shall begin forthwith, when Kylian gets back.

That's all for now.

Ciao, folks.

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Sorry, I've been boring

Well, here I am, in the final stretch of this wretched term. I can't believe I'll have finished my last first term of high school. Just 3 more weeks and it's ALL over. Yes, I realise, it's only going to start over again with the second term, but that's fine. I need that feel of renewal, of change. For now, I've gotta get my diplomas done (thank god it's only English), and worry about these two plays I'm doing. I'm done the hardest part of the Summerstock auditions, (and I might add I did not bomb it!). It's Drama class, really, that worries me; the exams, not so much. Once I start this new term, hopefully I'll have a job, and I'll be a month closer to when Joelle comes home, and a month closer till I find out whether or not I got into UVic or UBC (and by the way I still have to apply to St.FX and Mount Allison :s ), and a month closer to graduation! These are crucial times, my friends, and all I've got to ride on is hope....

and speaking of riding, I still have to learn to drive. Man, why am I like that? I'm all resolution and big ideas, but I never get anything done?! Yes yes, I know, complaining about it isn't helping, and the only thing that'll actually help is shutting up and doing it. I just wish I knew why I was like this, dammit. Ok, I'll go learn to drive, get a job, and volunteer in 3...2.......1 and a half.........1 and a quarter................1................................................shit.

Hmm...I came on here with more resolution and purpose.....now I realise I don't have that much to say...

So last night, Gabby came home with SUPER MARIO ALL-STARS IN HER HANDS! I was so very happy. So being my nerdy and lame self, once I was done my half-studying, I kept boredom at bay by burning out on this lovely classic. It's got the first 3 Mario games EVER on it. This goes to show that I'm actually making progress in my mission to collect all my favourites from the olden days.

Are you ever all by your self, and you start thinking about a conversation you had with someone or would like to have with someone, and then you start speaking your side of the conversation out loud and then you realise what you're doing and then get embarrassed because someone could've heard you, but then you remember you're all by yourself? Does that ever happen to you? Oh, bundle of neuroses, thy name is Liam.

So I've entered that short story and a poem into a writing contest, and I'm thinking I might do a poetry reading at that place that Lori (Haney/Roadhouse, not Kawalauskas) goes to. Now, it's mostly just a matter of if they don't check for ID and if I'm allowed to go at all. Next, I'm hoping to possibly enter At Bellafonte's into the Fringe festival, but the application deadline is this coming Friday, which is the very same day that we present the play. I really wish I could see it beforehand, so I could tell if it's actually anything worth putting up for the Fringe, but I guess that just won't happen now. So all I have to rely on is the opinions of my actors. I'm mentioning all this in an effort to A) be more and more active and involved in the arts and B) to increase that involvement into the public realm. After all, it's what I want to go into, so why not?

Earlier, this week, on Tuesday, we had a rehearsal. We didn't have everyone there, but we had enough to rehearse what was troubling me for some time: the final scene. So we did that, and we worked out all the minute particulars, so fortunately everyone should know what's going on now. I'm not really worried about my actors at this point, other than the fact that if I can't get them together for one last rehearsal this week I might ACTUALLY kill someone and use them as a prop in the play (if all else fails we'll have to pull a Westside, and rehearse on the very day of performance). But my real concern is simply the fact that we haven't as of yet rehearsed with props, costume, sound or lighting (or set, but that's a moot point). The final death scene has music to it, creating a mood of release/tension, which is so absolutely crucial to the ending. So we need music. For all the play, really. It's also really hard getting props and such without money. I am jobless and broke, and I need a skull, a pistol, and...something else, I'm sure ---and I have no funds to do it. So this is going to be a liiiiiiittle problem.

Oh well, that's enough out of me. See y'all later!

P.S. Habitat for Humanity was really cool. I want to do it again, and you should all do it with me. NOW.