Azazel Jacobs at BAM

The film MOMMA'S MAN premiered to much acclaim at the Sundance film festival earlier this year. Unfortunately, we won't get a chance to show it at AFI FEST because it will have its theatrical release before our festival. But there is a retrospective of all of Jacob's earlier films showing at BAM in New York this week. I am proud to boast that these earlier works both premiered at AFI FEST first. In reading the BAM notes, I was delighted to see this quote by Aza about the last film we premiered of his: THE GOODTIMES KID:

"The GoodTimesKid was as fun and freeing as we hoped, and ultimately allowed my next film to happen"

To me that makes so much of our work worthwhile. (I need this reminding during these stressful months.) Congratulations to Aza, I wish I could be in Brooklyn this week with you.

AFI screening of NETWORK

AFI On Screen is hosting a screening of NETWORK this Wednesday and I get to introduce it!

When people ask me what my favorite movie is I usually complain about how you can't choose a favorite, ranking different filmmakers against each other is unfair, etc. But if I'm really pushed to pick a favorite I usually say NETWORK. This is because great films come from great writing and it does not get much better than this:

As relevant today as it was when it was first released, in 1976. (The year I was born!) I got free tickets to any Island Zero reader who wants to contact me.

New video from my friends Frangela

(And some other people from Best Week.)

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

The Original BSGLT

At Comic-Con 2008 there was one object more coveted than all the rest.... the Battlestar Galactica Toaster.

On this epic television series the derogatory term for robots is toaster. That makes this one-of-a-kind object a brilliant pop culture totem. Once this classic collectible was obtained by the Island Zero staff there was only one thing to do, make a BSGLT. Here are the pics:
(This episode of Island Zero was Executive Produced by Sue.)

7:35 IN THE MORNING

I just saw the brilliant first feature TIMECRIMES by Spanish filmmaker Nacho Vigalondo.It's a wonderful tale of an unlikely time traveler and the complications that are inevitable with causality.

Expect to hear more about this film from me in the future. But for now, enjoy his short film 7:35 IN THE MORNING. It's about seven and a half minutes long which I know is long in Internet time but I think you will enjoy it. It's a hostage romance musical... the less I say the better but this is how you make short films: with explosive originality.

Without further ado, 7:35 IN THE MORNING:

The morality of selling Manson paintings

I was discussing a film with a colleague the other day and they voiced a concern about giving publicity to sick/deranged individuals. An analogy was used that was something along the lines of "would you approve of selling paintings by Charles Manson?" Well the analogy wasn't really apt and the discussion went in another direction but I was just thinking...why not?

It's not like Manson is gonna get more famous for his paintings or that anyone will emulate him because now he can sell paintings. I'm asking you the Internet, what do you think? Is there any downside to selling artwork made by serial killers? If so what? And if there is a downside are you not just advocating that capital punishment is the only solution to the problem of societies' malcontents?

Seriously, this is an interactive forum, let me know if I'm way off base here.

Chris Carter presents GREAT EXPECTATIONS

As part of AFI ON SCREEN's program, Cinema's Legacy Chris Carter (of the X-Files) will be leading a screening an discussion of the film GREAT EXPECTATIONS. Carter will be explaining how David Lean's classic film was an influence on his work.

Carter began his career as a writer for Surfing Magazine. He got his start in the entertainment business in 1985 when Jeffrey Katzenberg, then chairman of Walt Disney Studio Entertainment, read one of Carter's screenplays and signed him to a development deal. Carter went on to develop projects for Twentieth Century Fox, where, in 1993, he created THE X-FILES. THE X-FILES was the winner of the Golden Globe for Best Drama in 1995 and 1997, Emmy-nominated three times for Best Drama, and winner of a Peabody Award for Excellence in Broadcasting.

This program is part of Cinema's Legacy, an ongoing series of conversations presented by the American Film Institute and the Skirball Cultural Center, where contemporary filmmakers---including some of cinema's greatest producers, directors, writers and actors---screen work they credit with encouraging and shaping their art. Now in its seventh year, this acclaimed series has featured numerous notable filmmakers including Richard Gladstein, Norman Jewison, Dennis Hopper, William Friedkin and James Horner.

I know some Island Zero readers are fans of the X-Files, I've got free tickets for any fans who contact me in time.

The screening and conversation will be August 26th at 7:30.

Science fiction showcase in August

Science fiction is a genre capable of the highest highs and the lowest lows (ENEMY MINE anyone?) This month AFI is proud to showcase four of the most original, and influential Science Fiction films of all time.

It’s telling that science fiction is one of the few genres that has not gotten its own list from AFI’s 100 years series (it was lumped in with fantasy.) Some legendary artists eschew the term and prefer more pretentious or confusing labels like speculative fiction. Much of the shunning or ghettoization of sci fi is in the past, it’s the era of the geek now (as it has been proclaimed in dozens of cultural journals.) Maybe this is the result of living in the strange cultural landscape where so many ideas first born in science fiction have come to life. One need look no further than the clamshell phones and blue tooth headsets on the classic Star Trek series to see the reality of this influence. So let's plug into some of the best sci fi films ever made and say a prayer for the missing android body of Phillip K Dick.

Sue Storm of the Fantastic Four had a miscarriage

One of my goals for Comic Con 2008 was to track down Fantastic Four issues 276-278 from the early 80's. I had read weird whispers that Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman had suffered a miscarriage in the pages of these funny books years ago but I was skeptical that this had indeed happened. For one, it seemed that this was too serious and adult a subject to have been in a comic book back in these relatively old days. Also this was the most famous family in the Marvel Universe and if they had a second child who died I'm sure I would have heard about it before.

Well after searching high and low across the floor of Comic Con I finally found the books that were rumored to contain these dramatic moments, and the rumors were true.

Possibly the reason this event is not often spoken about is that it isn't handled particularity well. The writing seems a bit childish given the circumstances. On one page Johny Storm is comforting his devastated family but then he promptly heads off to give She-Hulk a tour of the Baxter Building (seriously.) Still, the story is of curious interest simply because of the nature of its subject matter. The immature writing style seem to be exemplary of the unique period in comic writing. The stories were beginning to grow up, and deal with more sophisticated ideas but the market was still aimed very much at the attention of casual and very young readers.

One reason I was so skeptical that this event ever happened was that a couple of years earlier I had heard something similar and went to comic con to investigate. I asked some knowledgeable gentlemen there about the Richards family's other kid. They looked at me with incredulity and laughed me out of the con. Well I am back now with the proof (you bastards.) Here are some selected scanned pages from the original comics.


Here is a page from issue #267 where She-Hulk's thoughts give some back story to the difficulties with Sue's pregnancy (cosmic radiation is involved.)
And here is the final splash page from that same issue, where Reed Richards is given the devastating news. (Click to enlarge.)The beginning of issue #268 starts with this single page image:
And finally here is the majority of the aftermath, right before Doctor Octopus goes nuts and other cliche comic book action ensues:
(Thanks to Sue Ghoulsby with research assistance.)

WATCHMEN trailer to comic comparison

I'm trying not to post too much about WATCHMEN either but who am I kidding? I should just go ahead and create a tag for it.

Some guy posted some pics here comparing the new trailer to the images from the comic. I have to admit it's pretty thrilling seeing these characters move around on the screen, despite me being very cautious in my optimism for this movie.