FUDGE

Both screenings went great as well as the Q&As Martin and I did afterward.  This was the first official US screening of the film with the new psychedelic dreams.  They looked amazing on that huge three story Marcus Theaters screen and on a 35mm print!  YES!!!!!  We also got standing ovations at both screenings.  And I hugged lots of people young and old.  Mostly old.

Check out that picture above!  We had a line wrapped around the block.  BLOCKBUSTER!  ALSO, HERE IS A GREAT WRITE UP.

Hey yall!  Lovely, Still is playing tonight at the Milwaukee Film Festival.

It’s playing at 7:00 PM at North Shore Cinema.  Both Martin and I will be there to hang out and talk about filmmaking.

See you there!  If you mention this blog I will give you a huge hug.

Nik

Role in Lovely, Still: Composers of the score

I met Mike and Nate about 6 years ago in Lincoln, NE when Mike had a studio there.  They were both then and still are very well known for their role as two thirds of the band Bright Eyes.  Many years before we even touched Pre-Production of Lovely, Still (I’m talking maybe 4 or 5 years ago) Mike and Nate signed on to score it.  Being a Bright Eyes fan I was very eager to work with these two geniuses.  And Geniuses they are.  No bullshit.  Let me break it down.

MIKE MOGIS

For starters, look how bad ass Mike looks!  We recorded the entire score in his amazing studio behind his house.  While Nate is very quiet, Mike is always full of energy and talking at the speed of a brain- which creates this amazing dynamic between the two.  Mike has produced some of the most amazing records and most notably created the sound for a lot of the Omaha music scene.  The guy works like an artist and really allows the creative thoughts to flow.  Every day he had a new idea and something groundbreaking to share.  As well as working with Nate composing – Mike also recorded and mixed the score.

Mike has a new band he is in called Monsters of Folk with Conor Oberst, Jim James and M. Ward.  Check them out HERE.

NATE WALCOTT

Working with Nate Walcott blew my mind.  To see him at work was like watching…  Well, I didn’t really see him at work.  But I can imagine it was really intense and similar to that movie Amadeus.  You can hear Nate’s work in all of the arrangements on any of the Bright Eyes records.  The last record, Cassadaga, was my favorite in regards to showing off Nate’s distinctive craft.  His sound and use of melody are truly unique and his talent as a musician and composer make me go weak in the knees.  I can honestly say working with Nate was a complete honor.  One of my favorite memories of shooting Lovely, Still was when he came to set.  He was getting the vibe and energy of the film so he could begin writing the score.  It was our last day of shooting and he ended up staying all day and night (A whole 20 hours) until we wrapped at 9 in the morning.  At that point I really felt he was part of the team and new anything he wrote would be perfect.  And it was.

Enjoy.

A sneak peak of Mike and Nate’s work on Lovely, Still.

I updated the music section with some songs from the newly inspired record.  Enjoy.

Journal Entry 2/12/09

“Upon gazing at the stars outside of the city”

First, I must allow myself to concentrate.

Looking up into the stars…. They are placed there to mystify us.  To help guide us in the myth creation process.  Myths, helping us to build our societies.  Imagination and creativity are natural tools our species has to create the unknown and push creation forward.  We must create the unknown to justify our own survival.  The stars above are a bigger part of the nature creation process.  They are a distraction…  a beautiful distraction.  Helping us to manifest ourselves and the world we create.  But beyond the stars.  The distractions build new distractions which build new distractions.  Because the universes is a living thing and must survive too.  The stars are an illusion of nature to help other planets survive and grow.  All a process within this un-mammalian colossus.

All of us are a part of a bigger design.  It is beautiful.  But the beauty is just a distraction, like the stars.  All meant to inspire creativity.  The awe that keeps us moving.  To survive.  To feed the universe.

So great news!  The investors and producers have decided now is the time to start putting Lovely, Still in festivals!  This is great news for me as I get to travel around going to them.  It is great news for you if you live near any of the places it will be screening (not in competition).

For sure, in October, it will be screening in Milwaukee (cool), Chicago (radical!), Las Vegas (Get wasted!) and Brazil (Adventure!) .

The dates for the Milwaukee Film Festival are ;

Saturday, October 3 at 7:00 PM

Sunday, October 4 at 1:15 PM

I will be there doing a Q&A.  More exact dates coming soon.

I turned 25 over the weekend.  What an intense feeling.  To have written a film while 17, directed it at 23 and then sat on it til 25.  Time has a way of being sneaky.

I had lunch with Martin Landau today at a diner in LA.  We talked about how film has changed over the last 50 years and we both agree that this generation in film is by far the worst.  “They used to at least try and make good movies.  Now it’s just opening weekends.”  The people running this thing used to at least have an interest in film, but now it’s been taken over by businessmen.  Businessmen who get fired if they say “yes” and promoted if they say “no”.  Whole things run on a fear of not loosing a job, not if a film is good or not.  But, I suppose it can’t help itself.  Money is a beautiful religion.  On the bright side, all things will eventually change and move.  It’s exciting to be a filmmaker now.   The industry is so horrible that the only thing it is capable of is getting better and I want to be a part of that process.

Had a few secret showings of the film to close friends this weekend.  Reminded me of how much I love to show it and how great it will feel to show it to a larger audience.  I am contimplating the idea of going on a tour this fall.  Going from state to state with the film and having secret screenings in each city.  That sounds like it would be a lot of fun for me.

Hey everyone,

I have to take a short break for a few days.  I’m playing lead again for Derek Pressnall’s band Flower Forever and we have a show tomorrow.  I gotta learn 8 new songs in three days.  A new Behind the Scenes video will be up on Monday.  Thanks for waiting (If anyone is actually reading this thing).

Nik

I’ve been asked; “Nik, who did the song in the Lovely, Still Trailer.”  Which I answer “It’s not a trailer, it’s a promo and… That’s Arthur Dodge – He’s this incredible singer/songwriter from Lawrence.”

Arthur Dodge is rad, man – His voice has such a great feeling.  It’s very classic, which is refreshing in indie music today, and he writes a million songs a year.  Truly prolific – notebooks and notebooks I hear.  I saw him play in an empty bar in Kansas City once.  All the drunks in the room suddenly became silent and all energy was focused on this man sitting by himself playing guitar and smoking cigarettes.  It was incredible! After the show I got his phone number and told him I wanted him to do music for my film.

He ended up doing two songs for Lovely, Still that will be on the soundtrack.  A cover of “I’ll be Home for Christmas” and the song which is in the Berlin Promo – “Check Out Line” – They will both be on the soundtrack.

Myspace

Website

So I’m sure some of you may be wondering when my film, Lovely, Still,  is actually coming out.  In fact I know many are,  because I get asked a lot.  Probably four or five times a day.  It’s a real bummer because I don’t have an answer.  The film played for standing ovations in Toronto and everyone really loved it (Except for Variety – Which really sucks because in the film business everyone listens to Variety and that’s it – Gross). It even got some of coveted Oscar buzz.

The problem with reviews is that too many people are split in groups this day and age – It is impossible to connect with everyone’s tastes.  The internet has really broken people up into specific cultures and interests. Marketing to a wide audience is almost impossible.  This is probably the reason for all the remakes the past few years.  They’re a sure fire way to bring groups together through nostalgia.  A cheap trick.

Anyways – Best I can tell regarding a release date is a vague “Fall”.  It feels horrible, in the end, all you want to do when you make a film is show it to people.  If I can get even a minimal release, I will be happy and I think the film will speak for itself when people see it.  I will keep everyone updated.  We are in talks right now with all of the interesting distribution companies.  They all really love it, it’s just a matter if they want to take a risk or not.  These are tough times for the film business.  Can a film about two old people fill seats?  How do you market something like that?  – There is a always a solution to every problem.

Ho! Ho! Ho!