Thursday, May 31, 2007
(May 30) First Review
THEY CAME FROM BELOW
Author: Nelson, Blake
Review Date: JUNE 01, 2007
Publisher:Tor
Pages: 304
Price (hardback): $17.95
Publication Date: 7/1/2007 0:00:00
ISBN: 978-0-765-31423-9
ISBN (hardback): 978-0-765-31423-9
Category: CHILDREN'S
On the hunt for temporary boyfriends, two giddy girls on summer vacation at Cape Cod get involved with aliens from the deep. Emily and Reese find themselves irresistibly attracted to Steve and Dave, and not just because of their movie-star looks. The boys have the ability to heal people with their mysterious connection to virtually every thinking organism on earth—a planet they'll be leaving soon as the earth becomes ever more polluted. Meanwhile, they're trying to rescue a fellow organism from the government with the help of Emily's scientist dad. Nelson chooses a simple but effectively flowing style as he digs beneath the surface of a frivolous summer beach caper to discover far deeper meanings in this appealing sci-fi fantasy. A patina of triviality hides danger and some compelling musings on humanity's connection to the earth and each other. Fun, interesting and perfectly pitched to many YA readers. (Science fiction. YA)
Monday, May 28, 2007
(May 28, 2007) From the Festival Website (click to make bigger)
Needless to say it was tough to leave the beautiful mediterranean. What a trip. I was kind of overwhelmed by the sight of Nice airport, and it was tough getting on that plane. France is such fun all by itself. We kept thinking that, just how graceful the people are, and stylish, and good humored, and the fact that they begin every interaction by saying "good day" to each other, always, in every situation, so that you feel a little ridiculous when you go to the ticket booth and start freaking out about your train without first establishing that it is indeed a good day, and we should all keep that in mind foremost, and then proceed from there.
(May 27, 2007) Last Day, Last Film
What do you do on your last day in Cannes? You go to a film. Originally, we had other plans. We kept trying to get up early and go back to Monte Carlo or one of the mountain towns but in the mornings we were so totally fried we could barely get out of bed. I think a lot of the problem was a kind of emotional comedown or whatever, and this was now four days after the premiere! And I'm only the writer of the book that was adapted into the film. Imagine how the directors felt. Especially the new directors.
Anyway, so our last day we got up late and took our usual morning commute on the train into town. This was the only day when it rained and was overcast. That was fine with me. It perfectly fit with the melancholy mood of the Gran Palais which was fast emptying of the vast number of film companies peddling their wares.
Someone told us that for the business people, the film festival really only lasted six or seven days. After that if your deal wasn't done, it probably wasn't happening.
The exodus was kind of shocking, but it made it very easy for us to wander into Salle du 60 to see Catherine Breillat's THE OLD MISTRESS which starred Asia Argento in various states of undress (she was on our plane from Rome and had to put on her sunglasses when she caught Beth staring at her.)
THW OLD MISTRESS was a good old fasioned French costume drama with tons of passion, tons of naked bodies and tons of sex. I'm not sure I'd ever seen one of these before. It was quite good, I thought, though too conventional possibly for the jury, it didn't get talked about as much as some of the other films.
When we came out of the theater, the sun was out again and we did one final walk around the grounds, the Palaise was now totally gutted, though I think Emir Kusturica's PROMISE ME THIS was still premiering that day. It had really cleared out by this time. That would be hard, to be the last film shown, though Emir K has won twice there, so he's taking one for the team I suppose.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
(May 26, 2007)
My blog got blogged!
(May 26, 2007) "In art, audacity is everything" Winston Churchill
Here's another pic from Rain's birthday party. That's Gus Van Sant on the left. We just heard today about the distribution of the film in the US. So that's good news. The film is sort of settling in on my brain a little more now. One word that comes to mind when I think about it is: unfettered. Like it is such an expression of freedom. Gus did not appear to be adhering to any rules or trying to stay within the aesthetic of his past or recent films. It looks like he was just having fun. The film is full of surprises and unexpected bits of humor and beauty, usually catching you completely off guard. One reviewer called it a "tone poem". I would say that's pretty close.
Well, I am sure I will have lots of different impressions of it as I watch it over the years. It sure is a work of art though. It is one of the most interesting films I have ever seen in my life.
(may 27, 2006) Monte Carlo, etc.
With a whole day now to ourselves, we cruised over to Monte Carlo on the train, and then rode a bus back through the little towns along the coast. The Nice to Monte Carlo section of the coast is the True Riviera Experience. That's the James Bond Riviera. Monte Carlo especially is just an obscenely dazzling little place, though perfectly charming and has that weird quality of being so alien your not even embarrassed to ask people dumb tourist questions. You're kind of amazed when it turns out their human. Don't get in the way of the Ferrari's coming around the cornere though. Rich people didn't get where they are by being merciful. Interesting too, as at first Cannes seemed like that, but then after you were at the Festival for a few days and hanging out with the film people, you started to see past all the fanciness and see it for what it was, a gathering of this small group of committed artists and creative types. The rich poeople were all around you, but that was okay, they pay for it all, and they do so gladly. And they are not gross or horrible, at least not in france. So in the end, it all felt like it was right somehow. "What is, is right," Alexander Pope said.
Lucky I got to see it so close up.
Friday, May 25, 2007
(May 25, 2007) LATE, LATE ON THURSDAY
Late, late on Thursday, I looked up and this girl was walking by.
(May 25th, 2007) Rain Kathy Li's Birthday Dinner
On Thursday, we got one last chance to hang out with everyone, when Rain Kathy Li had a birthday dinner. That's Rain in the middle, being strangled by Scott Green ("Scratch" in the film) Viva Las Vegas is in there too. That's Kari Coleman piling on Rain. The dinner was a blast, chinese food at a restuarant recommended by Wong Kar Wai. Awesome dumplings and fun to chat with Jake Miller and his mom and Natalie from MK2, that's her below, on the left. She scored me a bunch of PARANOID PARK T-shirts later, which will save me from angry nephews, etc.
What a fun dinner. Rain was awesome. She is only 24. Beth and I were shocked as she seems so smart and worldly and mature. At the Paranoid Screening she had a body guard because she was wearing some incredibly fancy diamonds. Or something. I never got the whole story exactly. Rain's role on PARANOID PARK was working with Chris Doyle, though she does other jobs where she is the main cinematographer. it is fun to see them work together. They chat in several different languages. They probably have their own language, they are so close. So sad to say goodbye to both of them. . . .
Favorite Christopher Doyle quote of the night. Speaking about his iconic status as a cinematographer: "I know I mean a lot to a whole lot of kids, and I don't know why but I don't want to fuck it up by knowing."
(may 25, 2007) RANDOM SCREENING NIGHT PHOTO
(may 24, 2007) The Old Ticket Trick
During that same trip, in 1984, while in Berlin, I was taught THE OLD TICKET TRICK by a crafty old budget traveller. The way it works is you collect tons of old tickets. Some yours, some you find on the street. Then when the conductor asks you for a ticket and you forgot to actually buy one, you say: "My ticket? I must have it somewhere," and you hand him a ticket.
He says: "That's not the right one." And you hand him another. Of course that's not the right one either. So you keep handing him tickets. "Oh," you say, "Maybe that one's from yesterday." or "I must have today's ticket here somewhere." Thus you kind of make a clown of yourself, as you pull ticket after ticket from your pockets. Eventually the conductor either blows you off or laughs at you or takes you to jail. But usually you get off with a warning or some sort of: "dumb tourist" remark.
(may 24, 2007) ye old swimming hole in NICE
The cool swimming hole we found on one end of Nice's famous beach. Here the kids were jumping off of rocks and the remains of whatever that structure is.
The clean elegant lines of European Design.
(may 24, 2007) military planning
This is in Nice too. My wife joked: "This is you planning your assault on the topless beaches."
The best thing for me about France is the "cafe". I remember the first time I came to Paris in 1984, I was a student, I checked into a cheap hotel and on the next morning, I went downstairs to a little non-touristy hole in the wall and asked for a coffee. They gave me one of these. I had never seen anything like it. I didn't know what it was, or how you drank it. Slowly, I put it to my lips and had a taste. YUCK. It was like drinking coffee grinds! The barkeep guy laughed at me and told me it was what they called: "espresso". I tried to smile and act like I already knew that. Then I got out my little journal that I kept in those days and wrote my daily morning diary of my travels. And of course I had a couple more Cafes, since they were so small. Man, was I wired by the time I got out of there.
It just shows how small the world has become. What college student now doesn't know what an espresso is.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
(may 24, 2007) NICE
On Thursday we were reduced to being ordinary tourists again. So we went to Nice. It was fun but it wasn't as fun as being famous movie people. Oh well. Here's beth, taking in the sights.
(May 24, 2007) BELA TARR screening
On Wednesday Night, with no responsibilities, we wandered over to see the people going up the red carpet for the new Bela Tarr film, THE MAN FROM LONDON. We saw these cute girls hanging from a tree to see him. Then we went to see an old classic of Romanian cinema, THE FOREST OF THE HANGED (1964) in one of the late night screenings. Beth and I ran to it and then she realized she needed to go to the restroom and ran out and asked some older people in tuxes who were standing around the door where the Toilette was. They were not very responsive and then a few minutes later they were called onto the stage. They had been in the film and were legends of Romanian Cinema! I always feel so bad in situations like that. I know people aren't supposed to take themselves too seriously, but life is embarrassing enough. You want them to have their moment.
(May 24, 2007) THE SCREENWRITERS PANEL
Today I was on a panel at the American Pavillion where a bunch of screenwriters talked about their "craft". When I got there, the moderator of the panel asked me why I was on the panel, since I was a novelist. I told her: "They asked me." It was a little awkward. But then we got up there and it was awesome. First up was the guy who wrote The Orphanage, Sergio G. Sánchez. He was brilliant, and the buzz around Cannes was his movie was great. Also involved in the production of it was Guillermo del Toro who directed Pans Labyrinth, which I loved. Sergio's English wasn't so great but he was funny and smart and no bullshit. (You could tell he was in the middle of a hype blizzard and wasn't too happy about it.) The other guy was Ramin Bahrani, who made CHOP SHOP, he was very reserved at first and then got pissed off when someone asked him about raising money and he went off about how if you want to make a film JUST MAKE IT. He was great. Then a woman director named Cecilia Miniucchi was up, she did a film EXPIRED which also sounds great. I told funny stories about how weird Portland was.
(May 23, 2007) End of the Day After
After press everyone ran for it. I saw Gus heading out with a little back pack, I think he was going to the beach. We went back to our hotel and crashed mightily, but then recovered enough to limp to our own beach in JLP where a dip in the Mediterranean woke us up again and reminded us: we still got four days to hang out on the Riviera!
I had volunteered to do press too, not really knowing if there would be a big demand for the author of the novel. But the nice British Guy running everything, Phillip Rose, kept me "on the couch", yakking away for hours. Everyone says the press will all ask you the same question over and over, but I found the questions were pretty varied and I really dug it, especially talking to people from Tokyo, or the weirdly slick blonde Aussie woman who turned out to be from Al Jazeera. Or an older woman from Viennese TV who said: "Billy Wilder once told me, it's a good thing that writers don't think to direct. Because any writer could direct a film, but almost no director can write a book." I pointed out to her that Gus had written a novel, and published a book of photographs, but I don't think that registered with her, she was off in her own world remembering her days with Billy Wilder . . .
The day after the big screening everybody is naturally sort of fried and half out of it. I was struck though how pro people were. There was all this press to do and people really showed up and pounded it out. Between press things though we all sort of sat around and drank coffee and tried to wake up. Here are some of the crew: looking better than we actually felt. From left: Pete Parsons, Christopher Doyle, Rain Kathy Li, Kari Coleman, Jake Miller falling asleep, Paul Parsons, John Parsons and Mr. Momsen, Taylor's dad.
(May 23, 2007) SO THEN IT WAS TIME TO PARTY! (the best of these pics taken by Felix)
(May 22, 2007) BACK DOWN THE RED CARPET
Going up the red carpet people had been respectful and dignified and quick on their feet. Going down the feeling was different. There was a bit of lingering. People were a little hesitant to leave such a magical place. There was some stopping, some hanging around, some "Dude, take my picture!" Our handlers eventually gave up trying to gracefully guide us toward our motorcade and began pushing us into cars to get us out.
As Gus had told us, the funnest thing about walking into the theater was watching on the huge High Definition movies screen the live feed from outsdie. We got to watch all the people behind us walk up the red carpet. That included Gus and the Kids and several other celebrities that were in attendance. This was very cool.
Finally, the lights went down and they played the film. From the opening shot of the St. John's bridge I was instantly taken back to my old highschool life in Portland. That's how authentic it was to it's place. There was a great opening sequence of skateboarding in slow motion that totally killed. I was totally psyched. I won't give a film review, but I thought the film was awesome, just beautiful and strange and interesting down to it's tiniest detail. It was really a work of art. I almost felt like my story was not worthy of something so beautiful, but that's just me, I have self esteem issues.
Then the fun part: the ten minute standing ovation when it was over. The whole Cannes thing is so wild!! It's like being in Vienna and seeing Mozart or something. The people are so ridiculously dignified and appropriate. They stood there in their tuxes and clapped and clapped and wooped a little (probably americans) and it was so funny and generous and warm. We americans, we are just crude beasts compared to the French.
So then at about ten, British people began herding us downstairs where a motorcade (not kidding) was wrapped around the grand hotel waiting to take us to the premiere. Beth and I got a Renault to ourselves. It was a lovely car with little flags waving off the front fenders. Beth was freaking out with excitement, but I was no help as I was busy watching the people along the street, watch us. It was so strange to be stared at in that way. Every head turned to see who we were. It must be what it;'s like to be a beautiful, or nearly beautiful, woman. Beth was begging me the the whole time not to abandon her on the red carpet and run ahead like I do. I promised I wouldn't.
When we got to the red carpet, there were soldiers lined up everywhere and paparazzi. They opened the doors to our car and we got out. British people in Tuxes told us to head up the carpet to the main entrance. Beth started running. I had to grab her and hold her by the shoulder or she would have run the whole way. ("Who's hurrying now!" I said.)
There were not a lot of other people on the red carpet when we walked up. It was spacious and surreal and I enjoyed the strangeness of it. A huge boom with a camera on it followed us all the way up to the top, since there weren't too many other people to choose from. Still I felt flattered. And also we probably had an interesting tension to us, as I was still gripping Beth firmly to keep her from running off like a spooked horse.
But then she redeemed herself at the top of the stairs. She said to me: "let's turn around and look back." So I tried to turn her around, without letting go of her, since I was still scared she'd run off. But then she did some bizarre half turn retreat to the side that got us all turned around and I swear we nearly tripped over each other. We were lucky to get back to the entrance where we handed over our precious tickets.
we all met for dinner before going over to the Palais Gran Luminiere, where the premiere was. this was again at the MK2 terrace. We all stood around nervously checking out each other's interpretations of "black tie". I of course had boringly conformed but Scott Green and Viva Las Vegas were doing a more punk rock thing and I instantly regretted not wearing my own Converse.
(May 22, 2007) THE BIG NIGHT BEGINS
We went home and got dressed. This proved a little difficult in our tiny hotel room, which was thoroughly trashed and knee deep in the week's worth of daily Trade Publications. At one point I accidentally pulled my huge suitcase down onto my head. Beth, who usually rushes to my aid in such situations, didn't even look at me as she was busy curling her hair. (or doing something to it. God knows what.) Anyway, we made it out of the house and took the train into Cannes. Anywhere else in the world people look odd taking the subway in a tuxedo. In the south of france nobody notices.
The press conference gave people a little taste of the bigness of the evening. Afterward people gravitated to the MK2 terrace for lunch and chance to chill and just sit around and gather strength. A sense of anticipaion and electricity in the air, though, as has always been the case, the mellow "portlandness" of the film and the people involved sort of counteracts the nervous energy. The kids are very cool. Here is Kari Coleman and Neil Kopp relaxing before what will probably be a BIG evening.
Monday, May 21, 2007
May 21, 2007) PARANOID DAY
Today is the big day. Paranoid Park premiere's tonight! We got up early to catch some of the press conference. Of course the Europeans asked some interesting intellectual questions. And then at other times said things like: "Where is the darkness of this maturing into adult man?"
Sunday, May 20, 2007
(may 20, 2007) THE GRAND HOTEL
Today in the afternoon we dropped by the offices of MK2, the French producers of Paranoid Park. I have learned so much about this formidable European Company in the last year. They have this incredible center in Paris, which is apparently like the library of congress for film built in and around a breathtaking theater complex.
Anyway, so we went to their offices today which turned out to be this wide spacious terrace on the top of the Grand Hotel. Cinematographer Chris Doyle was there fielding offers for amazing projects, some of which he shared with us. We ran into Rain Kathy Li who worked on Paranoid with Chris. We got our first look at the Movie Poster art, which was a big fractured picture of Gabe's head. It looks fantastic.
We snuck off at one point to take this picture, it's sort of the obvious "movie star hanging over the balcony above Cannes" shot. But we couldn't resist.
The photographers are really a lively group. They are really the mavericks, or the cowboys or whatever, of this whole strange industry. They are like sharp shooters, laying in wait for that dream shot. When we stumbled upon Bono et al coming down the red carpet, they all went crazy like they do, pushing and jostling and blasting away with their telephotos, (though being french they were also sort of bizarrely polite and of course, impeccably dressed). And then after the stars were all gone, they all joined together to compare shots, to see who got what. One guy seemed to have the best "Bono". They also yell out hilarious things to the people they are shooting at, which i guess is not news to people who are familiar with this world (or even people who watch Access Hollywood alot). But I was kind of charmed and amused by the witty reparte between the hunters and the hunted.
Getting into a bit of routine now. Get up. Eat breakfast. Go down to the Palais and check the latest trade magazines. Variety, the Hollywood Reporter, and a bunch of others. These have reviews of all the premiered films so far. Now, about a third of the way through the festival, the front runners in the competition are Mungiu's FOUR MONTHS, THREE WEEKS, and the Coen Brother's NOT A COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. I did not expect to get caught up in the horse-race aspect to the festival, but if you are in the competition you find yourself paying REALLY CLOSE ATTENTION to what people think of the other films.
(May 19, 2007) PARANOID PARTY OUT OF BOUNDS
This is Felix Andrew and I standing in the little passageway that leads to the Paranoid House where everyone hung out last night sans electricitie. Great time. DP Chris Doyle was being his usual philosophical self. Viva Las Vegas was talking up her new book. Producer Neil Kopp brought his mom. Sauvie's Island was well represented too, with Penny Lane and the legendary Parson's Brothers on hand. The Parson's Bros. were already getting into trouble by swimming around all the yachts in the bay.
(May 19, 2007) THE PARANOID HOUSE OPENS FOR BUSINESS
here's my wife Beth on the famed red carpet. She is very nervous about having to walk up this to go to the Premiere. Very nervous. She is making me nervous. There is talk of us tripping or nervously picking our nose or making some other monsterous faux pas, or something. And of course the more we talk about it the more likely it is to happen.
Gus was explaining to us that not only are all the people staring at you as you go in but the people who are already in are staring at you inside. They are seeing the video feed that that cameras are taking outside. Weird.
Now I don't know if she and I will actually have to walk up there, or when, I know we don't have to walk with the actors, etc. So we will not get hit with the barrage of photogs. I don't think Beth could take that and i really wouldn't want to have to carry her.
Anyway, last night we got to see Gus and Chris and Felix and some of the gang at a little get together at the Paranoid House. The electricity had gone out so everyone was drinking wine and eating baugettes in the dark. It was a total blast. The house is being manned by the infamous Parsons Brothers, who are from Sauvie's Island in Portland.
Meanwhile, Gabe, Jake, Taylor and Lauren, the kids who are actually in the film are staying at the star studded Hotel Martinez. This is where all the stars stay and where legions of fans wait outside, held back by barricades, in hopes of seeing people like Angelina Jolie etc. walk by.
Anyway, I'm a bit fried this morning, we got home at 3:30 after wandering the wild partying on the Croisette last night. Running into Bono and the Edge coming out of their thing. Actuallyh more like running into their motorcade. My wife didn't know Bono was so short. "Dude," I said. "They're all short."
Friday, May 18, 2007
(May 18, 2007) FIRST DAY AT CANNES
So we get to Nice finally, but then they lose our bags so we bond with some other Americans with Blackberries who are going to the festival in the little LOST BAGGAGE area. That's nice though because my wife made me bring this enormous bag full of pretty much everything I own so then I don't have to lug THAT all the way to the hotel in Juan Les Pins, or JLP as it's called. So that whole day is pretty much shot, but we're still surrounded by some movie stars and other incredibly well dressed people and it's nice out and little kids are talking in french so whatever.
So then we get to our hotel after dark and we have nothing, no phone or computer or clothes or underwear. We walk around the little town. JLP is okay. It's where Fitzgerald's TENDER IS THE NIGHT is set.
So then the next day we ride the train to Cannes in with some other people from our hotel. It's really easy to talk to people. You just say, "Are you here with the film thing?" and they start yakking away about their projects and you yak about your projects and everyone is happy and excited about each other's projects.
You see I never leave the house normally, so this is all sort of revelatory for me.
So we get to Cannes and we walk down the street into the main area where everything is and it's such a zoo, you never really get that one MOMENT, where you kind of see the big Palais or whatever. But you sort of do, once you get right up to it. you see the red carpet and the cattle cages they put the people into who want to watch. They really look like cattle cages. it's a little weird.
So then we go into the accreditation place where they give us badges and a little booklet, etc. Everyone is nice and bright faced. Many of the people working at the film festival are young and so psyched to be there, they trip over themselves trying to be the best little helper person ever.
From there we immediately went to see the film of this cool actress ANAMARIA MARINCA we met on the plane. She is in a movie called FOUR MONTHS, THREE WEEKS, that is about two girl-friends trying to get an abortion in communist (1987) Romania.
That's the kind of films they show at Cannes, if you didn't already know that.
The film was dark and thoughtful. The theater itself though was awesome and really felt fancy. And the way everything is handled is so different. Like they let us into the huge lush theater in little groups, so there was no pushing or shoving. No panic to get a good seat. Everything utterly civilized. And charming. And polite.
So then we went to the American Pavillion where I will be on a panel in a couple days. That was full of mostly young-ish American film people. We Americans do sort of stand out. Awesome coffee though and you sit outside on the beach, though nobody is swimming.
Everything very business like, though some very distinguished gentleman we saw did appear to be passed out in some bushes as we were leaving our screening. Hope he is okay.
We are fried though, there is a lot to absorb. Glad we got our stuff. My Tux is all wrinkled.
Slight delay getting out of Newark and we ended up missing our connection in Rome. This was no problem as after we explained to the people at Alitalia Airlines that we were important literary people on our way to Cannes, they immediately, went out of their way to set us up on the special VIP floor area at the back of the Gate B45. Here I am enjoying the pampering.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
(may 16, 2007) KENT PLACE SCHOOL
Fly out tonight to France. Spending the morning at my wife's school Kent Place School in Summit NJ, and then fly out of Newark. Kent Place School is full of girls. It's an all girl school. The kids call my wife "Rosie". Pretty rocking at 8 in the morning. That's high school for you.
So packing was all about how to look not too embarrassing at "the Croisette". Last night my wife was walking around in these outlandish scarfs. We're just going to Cannes, we're not going to 1962.
The other issue is what books to bring. I am bringing THE GARDEN OF EDEN by Ernest Hemingway, which I read a long time ago. It's set in the Riviera and is about him and his first wife getting involved in some borderline threesome situation with a female hanger-on. I remember it as super simple and kind of sexy and wild. And also really bringing the south of france to life. We'll see if my memory is correct.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
(may 13, 2007) PREP FOR CANNES
Getting ready to go to Cannes. What do you wear to such a thing? We heard relatively late that you had to have a tux to see any of the evening screenings and so in a panic I ran up to this place in new york called Gentlemen's Resale where i scored an awesome tux for like a hundred bucks. The big joke for us was if we try to dress French, or Riviera, or Glam or Movie-star, we'd get there and all the rich euro-people would be trying to look like they were from Greenpoint (where we live), so if we just dressed like we normally do we'd look all right and at least not feel like weirdos or tourists or whatever. So I got my tux and then got a new white shirt from Brooks Brothers, and some ten dollar dress shoes from Goodwill and another white shirt from Century 21, for fourteen bucks as a back up. And also bought some new socks at Dee and Dee the big cheapo discount store where I always go and just wander around with the Polish People looking at all the cheap crap. We're moving to LA next year so all my old haunts all seem sort of extra fun to go to as they all will be gone soon. Anyway, so I still need a hat or something for the sun and maybe some new underwear . . . .
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
(may 7, 2007) CANNES FILM FESTIVAL ON MY COUCH
My wife and I are going to the Cannes Film Festival to see the movie version of PARANOID PARK. When we first found out we'd made it, after we stopped freaking out and jumping up and down on the couch, I got a list of the other directors in competiion and resolved to see at least one film by all of them. That way, if I was lucky enough to actually meet one, I'd know who he or she was. And also, if I got in any conversations with other people about them, I would at least have something to say.
This has led to some great discoveries, the first of which was the amazing Bela Tarr (see above). His first couple movies are these brutal, claustrophobic "gritty realism" stories. Young couple married. Young couple fighting. Young couple with nothing to say to each other. Young couple buying washing machine. Repeat forever. Naturally I loved them.
There are other directors too that I didn't know about which I now love, but I won't give the whole list. I wouldn't say that this little homework assignment is making me an expert on World Cinema, but at least I feel like i can talk about stuff. And what if I get to meet Bela Tarr! I will be so psyched!
(may 5, 2007) PRINCETON PUBLIC LIBRARY
I did a cool event at the Princeton Public Library called THE TEEN BOOK BASH where a bunch of young adult authors set up little tables and interacted with the reading public. There were readings and other events. It was a blast and I got to meet a bunch of teens and library people and other authors, including many people whose books I love but who I've never actually met. I am often reluctant to do these things but I'm always glad as there is something about actually seeing the people you are writing for that is valuable. In my case these people are quite smaller and younger than I actually imagine them. It is a little bit shocking. Interestingly, I found myself turning into quite the salesman, stopping kids, asking them what books they liked, what they were interested in, and then guiding them toward whichever one of my books I thought they might like. This too was an excellent experience as I began to see which of my books truly filled a need and which books were maybe not specific enough. But really, the fun part was the selling. I was all over them: "You like proms? I got just the book for you kid!" "You look like a skateboarder, have you seen my book Paranoid Park?"
-
Welcome to the official
Blog and Website of Blake Nelson.
Blog Archives:
May 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006
November 2006
March 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007