Midnight Movie House

An Extremely Desperate Plea For Help!!!

Hi folks,

I know this is EXTREMELY off-topic, but I really want to do what I can to help this place so please forgive me for this one-time post about things other than movies or television. Also, if you're in the DeKalb, Illinois area, TAILS also need folks to work at the hangar during the day doing things like walking the dogs, cleaning cages, etc. Thanks for reading further!

For those who don't know of the situation, this lady got busted for having 200 dead animals & 300 living animals at her place and is being charged with animal cruelty, among other things. TAILS is this phenomenal organization that volunteers to help pets so they need any help they can get themselves with this sudden deluge of surviving animals. Normally, I wouldn't pass appeals for donations to places along, but they're desperate for help due to taking all these animals in. The ones that survived this lady, that is! Thank you for reading further, if you decide to do so!!! :)

Begin forwarded message:

Below this plea, I have posted 2 articles to explain what has happened, but the TAILS Animal Shelter has taken in over two hundred dogs and cats from an animal abuse case in Rochelle. They are caring for these animals at a staging area in a hangar at the DeKalb Airport. The animals are being fed and groomed and readied for adoption or foster care, etc. They're also receiving medical care and immunizations, etc., which has put a large financial burden on the shelter.

I have worked with TAILS since its inception and I'm organizing a drive to gather together the materials that it takes to care for these animals in this emergency.

They especially need bedding--old towels, blankets and comforters and newspapers.
They also can use:
feeding bowls
paper towels
dish soap
toys for dogs and cats
rawhides
litter (not scoopable) and litter pans

They also could use donations of any size to help pay for the cost of caring for these animals.
The address is:

TAILS Animal Shelter
2250 Barbar Greene Road
DeKalb, IL 60115

THANKS VERY MUCH from the animals!

ARTICLES FOR YOU TO READ MORE ABOUT THIS:

Humane society asks for help with animals seized from Lee County property

Associated Press - October 16, 2007 11:24 AM ET

DeKALB, Ill. (AP) - A DeKalb animal shelter is asking for volunteers and donations as they try to care for more than 280 malnourished dogs, cats and birds that were seized from a northwest Illinois property this weekend.

The animals are being cared for in an airport hangar and officials with the TAILS Humane Society say many are dehydrated and infested with fleas.

Some of the animals need emergency medical treatment, but others are in relatively good health.

About 200 dead animals were also found at the home of 65-year-old Barbara Munroe, who remains in jail on animal cruelty charges.

In court yesterday, Munroe insisted she did nothing wrong.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

*********************************************************

Woman pleads not guilty after more than 200 dead animals found in home

October 16, 2007
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

ROCHELLE, Ill.---- A Lee County woman pleaded not guilty to 10 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty and not caring for her pets, four days after authorities found more than 200 dead animals scattered on her property, stuffed in the refrigerator, strewn across floors and packed into barrels.

Barbara C. Munroe, 65, of Rochelle insisted Monday she had done nothing wrong. She was held in the Lee County Jail on $35,000 bond.

Munroe's house reeked of ''ammonia, decaying flesh and feces,'' said Lee County state's attorney Paul Whitcombe. The Lee County Health Department condemned her rural home Monday.

Authorities estimate that about 300 animals were alive on the property, including 160 cats, 105 dogs and 35 birds, along with about 200 dead cats and two dead dogs.

''That's just an estimate,'' Whitcombe said. ''A lot had deteriorated to the point where it was hard to tell whether you were looking at two, three, four or 10.''

There was no telephone listing for a Barbara Munroe in Rochelle. It was not immediately clear if Munroe had an attorney.

The TAILS Humane Society was caring for the animals at a temporary shelter at the Taylor Municipal Airport in DeKalb. TAILS executive director Beth Drake said 12 of the dogs were to be euthanized because of aggressive behavior.

Authorities searched the home Thursday after Munroe failed to bring 35 of her dogs in for a rabies vaccination. They said they found animals kept in cars and many animals dehydrated and malnourished.

Authorities said they have been unable to find any of Munroe's family.

''We want to be sure animals are cared for but even more important is preserving the life of this lady,'' Whitcombe said. ''It seems she was trying to do the best for them. But she fell short.''

Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

You Know You Want It!

Hi all!

I know I haven’t posted here in ages, but I have a perfectly good reason and I wanted to show you all. This summer I took a job that has led to spend 8 hours a day outside in the sun. Now, while this has given me what is quite possibly the best farmer’s tan ever seen – the change in skin color where my sock line begins is especially attractive – it has also led to me taking some incredible pictures. My photography skills have definitely improved from this experience and that’s been an extra, unexpected and definitely most welcome bonus. As a lot of you know, I sell my photography work at my other website: Giles Photography & Film. I’ve spent a lot of today posting my work from this summer at this site; hence, this posting to let you all know to feel free to swing on over there to take a look at my work. Heck, a little shameless self-promotion is good for the soul, right?

In what little free time I’ve had, I’ve fallen totally in love with Dulé Hill. Now, no worries, I haven’t abandoned my 2 future husbands – Sawyer from Lost and Tim Riggins from Friday Night Lights (which is hands down one of the best television shows ever and if you’re not watching it SHAME ON YOU!) – but with the return of USA’s show, Psych, I’ve been reminded of what a great actor Dulé is. While James Roday is technically the “star” of the show, every scene Dulé is in he steals. He is absolutely hysterical and I was stunned to find out from my mother that his previous work was in a serious, dramatic role on The West Wing because this guy’s comedic abilities are hands down some of the best I’ve ever seen. Feel free to check him out and prove me wrong. I dare you!

In the meantime, don’t forget to visit my site and I’ll now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

Oh, and if you want to see more of Tim Riggins, here is Taylor Kitsch’s official site: Taylor Kitsch.

Some URL's For You!

Hi all! Well, I've been wanting to do something for a while and I finally did it. Last week I "adopted" two soldiers for Christmas. The whole idea behind doing this is that you're sending mail to a soldier who is overseas and is not getting any other mail. It's sort of a morale booster while they deal with conditions that I'm sure most of us can't imagine. Since doing this, I've had a few people ask me how I went about it and I figured I might as well post the URL's incase any of you were interested, too. Here they are . . .

ADOPT A US SOLDIER.ORG

SUPPORT A SOLDIER.ORG

Also, this week I got an email from my undergraduate partner-in-crime, Amy Aiello. It seems she's set up her own website for her photography work. I can personally attest to her talent and I suggest you check her site out. Here's that URL . . .

AMY AIELLO PHOTOGRAPHY

Finally, here is the URL for my photography store. Enjoy and have a great holiday, everybody!

MY PHOTOGRAPHY WORK

Happy Halloween!

This is what happens when Zuzi goes crazy with the makeup. ;)

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Horses, horses, horses!

So, I just got back from helping my best friend in the world haul 3 horses. Below I've included a picture of my friend (and one of the aforementioned horses) in full show costume.

If you’re in Illinois this weekend, I highly encourage you to visit them both at the Northern Illinois Horse Fest. Now, I will return you to your regularly scheduled programming. Oh, and keep an eye out for my thoughts on the Emmy's tomorrow night!

A Candidate I Can Finally Endorse!

Hi everyone!

My friend, Paul (aka: PEZ), is a really good musician and I was wondering if we could all help him out? He lives in Hartford Connecticut and is asking that people write him in as a candidate for the Country/Alt Country/Americana category in Hartford’s Band Slam 2006. You can do this by going to this link and adding “PEZ” as a write-in selection for that category. Just scroll down to the lower right side of the page and click on Band Slam 2006 to do this. PEZ is an INCREDIBLY, great guy and I’d really like to see him win this. If he does, he gets to play in front of 20,000 people and I know he would love this . . . so GO VOTE FOR HIM. Please!

Check me out!!!!

I'm not sure how, but this entry got deleted. Here's an article about me that the local university's paper ran.

Click Here To Read The Northern Star's Article About My Recent Project

With apologies to Morgan Spurlock . . .

. . . I had to visit the crack dealer today. Now, before you all go busting out the phone books to find a rehab clinic, by “crack dealer” I mean McDonald’s. ;) I say this because I realized I had never put up a post about Spurlock’s visit to NIU in September of 2004. Back then; Spurlock came to NIU to speak after a special showing of his film Super Size Me. First, the guy is hysterical! The man should be doing stand-up, too. He really should. Second, thanks for taking the time to come to NIU to begin with, Morgan. Third, what incredible integrity! It seems that when Subway caught wind of his film, they offered Spurlock Spurlock a million dollar deal to sell his documentary with their meals when it was time for it to hit the video stores. Now, before I tell you his response, keep in mind that he hadn’t made any money off Super Size Me when this happened. His response: No way! Why? Because, he “didn’t feel comfortable taking their money.” The reason: To him, it would be the same as him saying, “well, I say fast food is bad in my film, but this one is actually okay.” “This one” being Subway, that is. Spurlock could have easily cashed in due to the good-for-you-food allure that Jared has been trying to shove down our throats in the Subway commercials. Instead, he turned down a hell of a lot of money and kept his integrity intact. To me, that is admirable and I wanted to give a much delayed shout out to the man.

Click here to view Morgan Spurlock’s blog at indiewire.com

Click here to view the official site for Morgan Spurlock’s show “30 Days”

Sexual Harassment Is Just Fine And Dandy With Isaac!

What this sob did wasn't "controversy," it was sexual harassment and it was beyond disgusting. I can't believe "being gay" makes it just fine. I have never been so personally offended watching something in my life as I was when I watched this horror show. Boy, Scarlett (Johansson) sure looked comfortable when he was FEELING HER UP ON NATIONAL FREAKIN' TELEVISION!!! Also, you could just feel the love when he asked Eva (Longoria) if she'd shaved off all her pubic hair for the night. *said dripping with sarcasm* His behavior was disgusting, offensive, and way over the line, and he should be banned from red carpets for life. I can't believe more people aren't outraged over this. I really can't!

Mizrahi: 'I'm not going to put a mask on'
Expect more outlandishness, says red-carpet commentator

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Get over it, says Isaac Mizrahi.

The fashion designer turned red-carpet renegade has no plans to soften his act come Oscar night March 5.

"I am going to meet people and I love doing that, and I'm not going to put a mask on to meet people now because of whatever interesting controversy was raised at the Golden Globes," Mizrahi told The Associated Press in an interview this week.

His outlandish pre-show interviews for the E! cable channel at the Globes in January -- during which he groped Scarlett Johansson's breast, asked Eva Longoria about her pubic hair and peeked down Teri Hatcher's dress -- drew as much buzz as the awards themselves.

The openly gay fashion designer strongly defended his behavior.

"The thing is, I am very connected to popular culture, I am," he said. "And I watch 'Will & Grace' and I watch 'My Name is Earl' and I watch prime-time television a lot and every other joke is about pubic hair ... So I don't feel it's wrong to talk about that on the red carpet," Mizrahi said.

E! did not receive any official complaints from any of the actresses involved in Mizrahi's Golden Globes escapades, it says, and issued no apologies. But the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation complained to E! about Mizrahi's comment to Charlize Theron about her Oscar-winning role as a "scary dyke with no teeth" in 2004's "Monster."

Soon after, E! President and CEO Ted Harbert, emphasizing he didn't condone the language, defended Mizrahi. "Isaac is the last person on Earth who could be accused of even the slightest degree of homophobia," he said.

On Friday, he again defended Mizrahi, noting that the "vast majority of the reaction, critically and from viewers, was overwhelmingly positive."

But, Harbert added, "I don't expect there to be a repeat of some of those things that happened at the Golden Globes.

"The only thing I'll say to Isaac is you have to always take into consideration what the audience's expectation is ... We have a very broad audience, and viewers probably don't have an expectation that there will be a great deal of edgy material."

Oscar spokesman John Pavlik told the AP Friday that the film academy hadn't laid down any rules and doesn't "actually expect anything to happen." But, he added, "We hope that all the people on the press line will behave in an adult manner, and won't cross any lines considered lines in polite society. We would be displeased, and... they would find themselves in subsequent years having a harder time" working the red carpet.

As for continuing his ride as a pre-gala reporter, Mizrahi said he doesn't "really plan to do much, much more of it."

"I'm not trying to be the next Joan Rivers, I don't want to do that," he said. "But for me right now, it's very interesting because it really is a great job."

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Click here To Read The Article In It's Original Format

Shameless self-promotion alert!!!

Hi everyone! Due to my lack of html skills I've been looking for a way to put my photography work up so that I can promote (and sell) it. I've decided to give this place a shot, so I wanted to announce that you can find some of my work there. I'm still in the process of adding things, so feel free to keep checking back. Thanks!

Giles Photography & Film

Delay In Posting California Update

Hi everyone! I am currently in the process of having a co-worker re-design my entire webpage. Due to that, I've held off on posting the update I promised. I want to keep him from having to do any extra work. You're welcome, Ryan! ;) Anyway, keep checking back. It should be up and running in a few weeks. I plan to have my portfolio up with it this time so there will be a lot of new stuff to look at. Here's a sample taken by my friend, Zuzi, when we went to visit my other friend, Dondi. That's me in Zuzi's cape, by the way. LOL.

Brief California Update

Hi all! So, California was great! I am going to post about it in a few days; however, I must first finish the transcription I am currently working on for Matthew Fishman and Tim Hotchner, first. By the way, click on their names to link to the documentary I’m transcribing for and make sure to view the trailer. It looks incredible!

At any rate, I want to quickly mention that I did make it into an In-N-Out Burger while in Los Angeles. Nothing but bleeping Nihilists working there. ;) Actually, the guys working there were cool, but they’d never heard of ”The Dude,” or The Big Lebowski. Is it just me, or shouldn’t it be considered a moral imperative that all of their employees have seen the film? (Bonus points if you got the moral imperative reference before you clicked to see what the words linked to). Oh, and speaking of job requirements, am I the only one who fully expected to see Atomic Cafe come on when the “orientation video” began to play on Lost this past week? ;)

Sunday, September 25th

Please click on image for full-size view.

Be there, or be square! LOL. I will be arriving in LA tomorrow evening. Please contact me using the onewayoutfilm@gmail.com address if you need to get in touch with me. Again, the phone number and address have been removed from this image due to the need to weed out spammers, but I will respond to legit emails immediately. Have a great weekend, everyone!

LA, Here I Come!

Okay, a miracle occurred and I was able to arrange for a flight to LA. I booked my trip for some extra days so that I could (hopefully) set up some job interviews. My only problem will be getting around as a rental car costs about $250 and cabs are outrageous. If you’re in the area and could help me get around, I’d definitely appreciate it. For that matter, if you’re in the area and would like to meet up with me, let me know! I am staying at my friend Carla Blair’s place. She is a filmmaker, also. Unfortunately, she is currently in New York filming and I will have to miss seeing her. Due to this, I greatly appreciate her boyfriend, whom I’ve never met, being so incredibly cool with letting me stay there the entire time I’m visiting. This is one of the reasons I had such a great year the last year I was at school. Communications people just are awesome and incredibly willing to help each other out. I’ve already met some great people—hi Michael, JD, Matt, Declan, Tom (you really need to get email and a site since you’re one hell of a lighting expert) & John!—and I’ve barely gotten involved with things in this field. I’m looking forward to meeting lots more people like this. Also, in addition to being able to attend my own premiere (on my birthday, how cool is that?), I will finally get to meet Michael Dean. It seems we’re going to hang out and watch his Selby documentary together. That will be a blast! Finally, I plan to do some things for the latest documentary that I am currently in the early stages of putting together. I will post more on that after my trip.

Below is the modified version of the flyer I made to announce my trip. I recently discovered Microsoft Publisher and I’m addicted. LOL. I have removed my phone number because several spammers have felt the need to post “comments” on this site to get people to look at their spam. FYI to said spammers: The second I see that crap it’s gone. You’re just wasting your time and my friend, Mike, is more than happy to block your IP’s for me. Incase you’re confused, let me set the record straight: (1) I’m a female so I don’t need your Viagra, Cialis, or whatever the hell that stuff is that “Bob” takes for “his little friend” (you’ve all seen the ads, people). (2) I could care less about owning a Rolex. Labels mean nothing to me and you’re not going to be able to influence me with one. If the watch doesn’t have some fantastic artwork, and a bit of the sense of the macabre, I’m not interested. ;) (3) I already know I’ve won the Nigerian lottery. I am expecting Miss Cleo to deposit that $25 million into my bank account any day know. & (4) I’m sure that you do have a “hot, new stock” for me to “invest in immediately,” but I prefer to keep investing in my old, reliable, daily supplies of Diet Coke and chocolate. I think that about covers it! If you are a potential employer, and would like to set up an interview, feel free to email me at onewayoutfilm@gmail.com. From there, I can provide you with the necessary contact information. Also, the paypal account I set up is still good, incase anyone would like to contribute to a cab ride, or two. The temp job I’ve been working ends this week and I will be hurting for money for this trip. If not, that’s cool, too. I understand that you have to buy gas for your own automobile and it seems that you need to take out a 2nd mortgage to be able to afford it these days?

Can Anyone Put Me On A Jet Plane?

Okay, I want to stress that I am only posting this because I have had several people encourage me to do so. They would help me out, but their funding is limited. As I’ve mentioned, my documentary will premiere in LA on September 25th (aka: my birthday). I’ve got a place to stay if I go, I’m currently in Illinois, but I have no funding for the plane ticket. The last time I checked they were running about $300-400. When I graduated in May, I was forced to lose my job because of it being classified as a work-study position. This also meant I was not eligible for unemployment. Ever since then I’ve been looking for a job in my field, but one has not come along. This means that money for a round trip ticket to LA won’t come along in time. When I mentioned this to some friends, they asked if I had a paypal account. I do, so they said to set it up to take donations. After much reluctance at the idea of what is essentially cyber-begging, I did. I am now set up to take donations and am asking if anyone would be able to help me get to my own premiere. Again, I don’t like asking for this sort of help, especially at a time when thousands of people have homes underwater, but time is running out. If you can help, please click the paypal link below. Thank you all for reading this and have a great Labor Day!

Premiere Location & Link To Buy Tickets!

Okay, here are the details of my documentary premiere:

It will play at 10:10pm on September 25th, 2005. The premiere will be at the following location:

FAIRFAX LAEMMLE
7907 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles CA 90048-4501

Tickets are $10.00 each and can be purchased by clicking the following link.

Click to buy tickets!

Synopsis Of My Documentary, "One Way Out"

Okay, here is the 250-word synopsis I wrote for my documentary. I set up an email account for the film, so that you can all contact me with any other questions you might have. Write me at onewayoutfilm@gmail.com to do so. I will be posting lots more information over the next few days, so keep checking back! In the meantime, here is my synopsis:

"One Way Out" is an 18-minute documentary short by Morgan Kathleen Giles and Erin Sarsfield. This short began as an exploration of the events surrounding the 2003 disappearance of Adrian “Art” Ewald. The filmmakers interviewed his wife and that interview led to a shift in direction for the piece. This new shift in direction caused the filmmakers to rework the latter part of the short into a study of depression and how depression related to Mr. Ewald and the reasons for his disappearance. In addition, Detective Sergeant Glenn Gustafson, who was the primary investigative officer on Mr. Ewald’s case, is interviewed and he talks about how missing persons cases are handled, more specifically, how Mr. Ewald’s case was handled. Detective Gustafson was granted full permission by Mr. Ewald’s wife, Christine, to speak of his initial thoughts on what had happened to Mr. Ewald when he disappeared. Finally, Professor Peter Guiterrez is interviewed to give the short its professional viewpoint on depression.

Sad News Has Caused A Posting Delay

Hi all! I mentioned that I would be updating this site with all the information about my documentary, One Way Out, and its Los Angeles premiere on September 25th. I will be doing so tomorrow afternoon. I want to apologize for the delay, but explain its reason. This past Saturday, a fellow professor friend of my fathers, fell outside his home. He was flown to a hospital in Rockford and listed in critical condition. This lingered on for days and we found out he had suffered a massive brain hemorrhage right before his fall. The hospital did everything they could, but Gustaaf passed away at 6:15 Thursday night. The English department (at NIU) has had a table-length sheet of paper, entitled “Why We Love Gustaaf,” up since his fall. This sheet is for everyone to sign. Late this afternoon, I borrowed my neighbor’s digital camera and ran over to take pictures of all the signatures for a memory book I plan to make for Gustaaf’s family. I went back to my neighbor’s and got them off the camera so that I could photoshop the ones I needed to. All of this took time (I took 169 pictures) and that is why I am delaying the post I promised until tomorrow. In the meantime, I would like to say that this is a devastating loss to anyone who ever met Gustaaf. He was a wonderful man, a great friend to my parents, and he will be missed in an immeasurable capacity.

In addition, I want to say that it has been devastating to watch what happened to the city I love: New Orleans. My thoughts are with everyone there and I hope it, and all its citizens, recover as quickly as possible. I am so glad I got to see it twice before this happened. It was simply amazing and I know it will be again.

My Footage Is In Prague!

Hi all!

I got an email from Michael Dean today and he is currently in Prague. As I mentioned in my earlier posts, he is there to promote his film, "HUBERT SELBY JR: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow", at the Deauville Film Festival. Dean recently informed me that some of the footage I filmed for it made it into the final cut. While that's great, I've got to remember to sneak in "must take camera operator to Prague" into the next release I sign. Just kidding ya, Michael. Anyway, it seems he already has pictures up. Click on this link below to see more! Have a blast for me, Michael!

Hubert Selby & Dean Go To Prague

Congrats To The Monk!!!

I wanted to take a quick moment to help my friend, Mr. Joe Monks, spread the word about his latest endevours. Not only is Joe talented as hell, but he’s also a great, GREAT guy. I wish you the best of luck with this, Joe!!!

PRESS RELEASE

Joe@sightunseenpictures.com

"The Bunker" Official Web Site Now Live

Blind Director Begins Lensing First Film In Late August

Miami, FL, August 1-- Horror author and comic book creator Joe Monks has
announced that the official web site for his new film, The Bunker, is now up
and running and can be found at:

Sight Unseen Pictures

The site features information about the film, the director, the unique story
behind this venture, cast & crew information, a film blog, and information
on becoming a producer, among other things.

Monks, who is blind, has been working on the film for the better part of a
year, completing the script, purchasing equipment, and finally beginning
pre-production this past June.

The Bunker is the story of Julia Jennings, the daughter of a New York State
congressman, who has run away in the wake of his announcing his bid for
reelection. The hardnosed New York politico has dealt with this once before,
but this time if word leaks out it is certain to mean scandal--the kind of
scandal that could bring down his reelection bid. The congressman decides to
go outside the law, hiring some shady private help in looking for his
daughter. Jennings is willing to pay people to find the missing teenager,
hiring the kind of men used to finding people. People who don't want to be
found. But unbeknownst to those seeking the 16 year old runaway, Julia has been snatched off the street by a sadistic kidnapper and serial murderer.
The maniac has secreted Julia away in an underground bunker, setting the
countdown to the girl's slaughter in motion. Julia knows exactly when her
final hour will arrive, but what tortures await her in the meantime?

Monks, whose story "Chance Meeting" was optioned for the screen by Japanese publishing powerhouses Bunkasha in tandem with DK Publishing for the first installment of the Flowers on the Razorwire DVD series, steps behind the camera this time out, to direct the piece, from his own original screenplay. While he understands that being blind is a significant hurdle, it is not the only one he has to overcome.

"This isn't about being a blind guy who happens to be making a film," Monks
told The Hacker's Source. "This is about making a movie despite being blind.
Every director has hurdles to overcome. I happen to have a unique one most don't have to consider. The bottom line is, though, can I make a good film, and can I bring my vision to the screen, regardless of whether or not I can see it?"

Monks has lined up some seasoned help in bringing his characters to life.
Terry M. West (Flesh For The Beast) portrays the menacing, child-abducting
madman, and producer/director Ted A. Bohus (Return of the Aliens Deadly
Spawn, Nightbeast, Hell On Earth) stars as the savvy congressman who will do anything to be reelected. Debuting as Julia is Miami theatre actress Saskia Gonzalez, who Monks believes is going to be an instant hit with the horror crowd.

"Saskia has a scream that shook the tripod," Monks told Robert Able of indy
film site In The Meatgrinder. "She's got instant scream queen written all
over her, and she can definitely go beyond that in future roles. She isn't
just a one-dimensional victim witha great set of lungs, she can deliver a
line, hit her cues and she's believable. I think fans are going to love her
from the minute she appears on screen."

The Bunker, which will be the second installment of the Flowers on the
Razorwire film series, is expected to wrap second unit photography in
October. Principal photography begins August 19th in Miami, with location
shooting in both New York and Los Angeles before the end of the year. Monks expects the film to be ready by the beginning of 2006, with an eye on the 2006 film festival season to showcase it.

"We have already had inquiries about showing it at certain festivals and we
haven't shot a frame," the blind director said in a statement. "I know we're
a curiosity, but that's still a pretty good upside, particularly if my team
delivers the kind of product I believe they can."

Monks has engineered a low-priced buy-in program to those interested in
supporting the project, with info available on both the official Joe Monks.com
web site and the newly launched Sight Unseen Pictures web site.

Those buying certain items from Monks' vast catalog of prior work will get to see their names roll in the credits as supporting producers, helping finance the film, and keeping Monks from having to rely on producers or investors who often want a say in how the filmmaking process goes.

"I only get one shot at doing this my way," says Monks. "Next time around,
who knows? But for my first film, I want control over everything...even the
stuff I can't see. If this is going to be my vision, then I want final say
in the decisionmaking, not somebody telling me I can't shoot something or
interfering because they wrote a check."

Newest Quote of The Week

Granted, this is a little over a week old . . .

"I haven't shaved in a week and I'm wearing a TOOL t-shirt. Do I *look* like I'm trying to look sexy?!"

Courtesy of our esteemed director, JD Oliva.

Delayed Entries

Hi all!

I had planned on posting stories from the set this past weekend, but circumstances intervened and I had to put it off. I'm on the set tomorrow and Wednesday . . . and then I have time off. Look for a posting blitz sometime right after that. I hope you all had a good weekend! Take care, everyone.

Kathy

Congrats Joe!!!

I just received the following email from my friend, Joe Monks, and would like to encourage all of you to check it out. Joe is a great, GREAT guy with a truly wonderful sense of humor and I wish him the best in his future projects!!! I am so proud of you, Joe! Congratulations!!!

"Hi All,

Proving yet again that attractiveness is *not* a necessity in order to
reap the benefits of the media, yours truly snags the cover of the July
issue of Hacker's Source, talking extensively about the upcoming film project, The Bunker.

Never one to eschew shameless self-promotion, everybody please take
thirty seconds to improve the number of hits to the Hacker's Source site and
drop the editor a note letting her know just how ballsy it was of her to
pick an untested, blind director as her cover feature.

Here is the link to the site:

Hackers Source magazine

Today, Hacker's Source. Tomorrow, who knows where my face may appear?
America's Most Wanted? Milk cartons nationwide? Ahhh, the sky *is* the
limit...

Best,
Joe Monks
Chanting Monks Press"

7 Minutes - I don't even know what day it is anymore.

We began filming on June 23rd and have filmed without a day off since then. Tomorrow I finally have one of those day off thingies. I won't know what to do with myself. I don't feel right walking anywhere now without holding at least one tripod, etc. LOL. Also, I think it's safe to say that every SINGLE inch of my body is in pain. Right about now, a morphine drip would be nice. LOL again. I hope everyone has a great 4th! I'll be spending my two days off celebrating my best friend in the world's birthday. Happy birthday, Dondi! You rule!!!!

Hubert Selby, Jr. Film

I'm just making a quick note to publicly thank filmmaker, Michael Dean, again for allowing me the honor of filming for him. I just received an email from him and it turns out he is using part of the interview I filmed for him in his documentary, Hubert Selby, Jr.: It/ll be better tomorrow.. It will definitely be interesting for me to see how he cut the footage I sent him. Also, with my father having surgery today, it will be very cool to be able to tell him he'll appear on film at a time when he's feeling pretty lousy. Michael Dean rules!!!

7 Minutes on Thursday

My father is having surgery on Thursday so I will be off the set. I will post the latest news after that. We've been filming non-stop ever since I posted the first item and I haven't had a chance to keep up. Take care, everyone!

7 Minutes - Day 1

Today began with me waking at 5am and ended with me getting home shortly after 10pm, so I'm not going to post much tonight. Great day and a great crew! Very interesting and everyone was so nice to each other that the day immediately had a sort of instant family kind of feeling. It looks like we're all going to have a lot of fun over the next few weeks. Also, I'd like to welcome Hawk Younkins to the set. And, I mean I'd REALLY like to welcome Hawk because his trip from Las Vegas to O'Hare was . . . well, let's just say it prompted him and I to exchange several lines from Planes, Trains & Automobiles. Despite this, you couldn't meet a nicer, funnier guy and he was like this from the very first moment he met anyone on the set. There are some truly great people on this project and they feed their crew very well. Thanks, James!

Oh yeah, this is how Hawk looked today . . .

. . . Tomorrow, it will be different. You'll just have to check out the movie to see how. Bye for now!

And, it begins . . .

Well, tomorrow is the first day of my film internship. The negative? I have to wake up at the ungodly hour of 5am. The positive? I have met with the filmmaker, James Oliva, a few times and he seems like a great guy to work with! I am really looking forward to helping him out for the next 3-4 weeks. I’ll also be working with Guillermo Martinez and Guillermo and I used to live in Watson Hall 226—aka: the video editing lab--together. Okay, so technically we didn’t “live” there, but it got to the point that I was completely thrown for a loop if I saw him anywhere else. LOL. Seriously, though, it’ll be cool hanging with Guillermo again. He’s a great guy!

The coolest thing about this film is that James is making it by using 2 cameras. That means that this is the first time 2 different forms of high definition cameras are being used in a film. Also, one of them is the kind of camera that Michael Mann used when making Collateral. For those who get off on that sort of thing, this is what we’re using:

Panasonic Varicam 24p High-Definition
Sony HDV-cam

Below I have posted the link to the website for the movie, 7 Minutes. Also, I have posted links to all the articles that have been written about the film. Some of the articles have the same headlines, but I assure you they go to different links. Wish me luck and I’ll keep you all updated on news from the set!

OFFICIAL SITE FOR 7 MINUTES

Former NIU wrestler making film

NIU wrestling alum pins dream on movie

Former NIU wrestler pins dream on movie

Ex-NIU wrestler taking sport to silver screen

Wrestler Taking Sport to Silver Screen

Ken on TV FEEDBACK

Ex-NIU wrestler taking sport to silver screen

New wrestling movie being made, check it out

Okay, so I'm officially a geek!

So . . . last night I'm working on brushing up a copy of my film for submission to 2 film festivals when I realize what an absolute pain it is to try to find a quick answer by looking through the PDF manuals I've downloaded for Final Cut Express HD. This inspires me to go out today and buy my first computer book: Final Cut Express HD For Mac OS X. I even skipped buying 2 magazines I like to read - Creative Screenwriting and Scr(i)pt - because I am still seeking employment and, thus, have no income. I think this officially qualifies me as a film geek, right?

Check me out!

It appears that I am now listed on the Internet Movie Database. It seems that one Michael Dean went and entered me for the interview I filmed for his soon-to-be-released documentary Hubert Selby, Jr.: It/ll be better tomorrow.. I want to take this moment to thank Michael for taking the time to enter me into the iMDB. You rule, Michael!

This Saturday . . .

Congratulations Professors Chown and Vazquez!

Hi all! This past Wednesday night gave me the opportunity to see the following . . .

Lincoln and the Black Hawk War

. . . I want to take a moment to give a public shout out to Professors Chown and Vazquez for this production. Congratulations and excellent work!

If you think you'd like a copy of this film, please contact Dr. Chown in the Communications Department at NIU. I believe he is selling the film for $25 a copy.

Thank you, Bill Weinman!!!

Hi all!

I’d like to take a moment to throw some recognition someone’s way. A few weeks ago, Bill Weinman came to DeKalb for the ninth year in a row. Why does this deserve recognition, you ask? It’s the reasoning behind Bill’s visit. You see, Bill is an executive producer in LA (and a NIU grad) who comes back once a year to talk with COMS students about the entertainment business. Occasionally, he offers some of them jobs. He does this because it makes him feel good. That has to be one of the greatest things I’ve heard in a while and I say this without any job offer from Bill influencing me to do so. For that matter, he could have told me my word was god-awful and I’d still say the same thing. The world needs more genuine and kind people like Bill. Thank you, Bill, for visiting us!

Also, check out Wyland Worldwide, LLC for Bill, everyone.

Check out this trailer!

Hi everyone! I got an email from Michael Dean, the LA filmmaker who had me film an interview for him, and it contained a link to his new trailer. This trailer is for the documentary I filmed the interview for. None of my footage is in it--so I can't specify what parts are mine and I don't want to imply that any of the trailer is my footage--but it's a damn good trailer. Check it out!

Trailer for Selby movie

Also linked from Squitten Pix

Reality Bytes Film Festival

Hi all!

I have been a bad email friend to people lately, but it's with good reason! This Friday, NIU will be holding the Reality Bytes Film Festival. I have been working with Professor Vazquez on this project and have seen all the entries; therefore, I can guarantee that you will not be disappointed. There are some really great entries this year and I'd definitely say to come on over if you can. I will be there all day. Also, congrats to my fellow editing lab companions who have films in this festival. Of all people, I KNOW how much work you put into it. I've seen you doing it! LOL. Here is the information:

A panel of professional composed of film and video producers and scholars will view the entries during the festival prescreening.

Entries will be judged on:

* Content: Thematic relevance and importance of subject matter
* Style: Artistic and technical proficiency
* Adherence to contest rules
 
Documentaries accepted into the festival will be screened on Friday, April 1 beginning at 1:00 PM. Once the selected entries are decided, a schedule of screening times will be posted. Awards will be announced at 4 PM.

The following student documentaries will be screened at the 2005 Festival:

The Adventures of Mad Matt (27 min)
(Scott Rice-University of Texas at Austin)

The Art of Balance (20 min)
(Jason Tozier, Northern Illinois University)

Killing In the Name of? (19 min)
(Mike Novelli and Mike Gentile, Northern Illinois University)

Double Happiness (24 min)
(Chaz Wilke, Northern Illinois University)

Hamster Cocktails (18 min)
Melissa Volpe, Rowan University

The Reel Deal (20 min)
(Dave Della Terza and Adam Amadei, Northern Illinois University)

Piston Envy (8:12)
(Monika Mehlmann and Bailey Ertel, Notre Dame)

A New Frontier (23:30)
(Christine Schlum, Lindenwood University)

Dean Needs To Feel The Music!

Just like Lisa Simpson. JUST KIDDING! As some of you may have read, I filmed an interview for LA filmmaker, Michael Dean in December. Well, today I received the following email from him:

***************************************************************

Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2005 07:14:17 +0000
From: "Michael W. Dean"
Subject: Need more music for Selby movie

Need more music for Selby movie
-------------------------------------------

We have about 80% of the music for the movie, but need a little more.
And we need it soon.
If you'd like to submit some, please do.
Send an MP3 or link. If we like it, I'll ask you to mail me a data CD.

Basically almost any style of music can work for this, but they all have
some undefinable common denominator.

Basically we need music that complements talking. Background music. Not
"film" music. "Film" music is foreground and

goes where there's no vocals. We're looking for background music to
sound good under interviews. It should have no

vocals, not vocal samples, no talking or singing in it. It should not
have a lot of dynamics. A beat is ok, but not

required, but it shouldn't have off-beat rhythms or odd time signatures.
Nothing rock will work for this flick.

Talk aloud over the music. That's a good test. See if it helps what
you're saying (good) or obscures it (bad.)

MUST BE ALL ORIGINAL COMPOSITIONS. No uncleared samples or nicked
melodies. WE WILL GET SUED.

This does not pay, but we will be submitting cue sheets to BMI and
ASCAP, so residuals are possible from them if the

film is broadcast, and there's a really good chance it will be.

You retain copyright, but will need to sign a release form.

There is a chance for a soundtrack album. People on that will get
royalties based on sales.

thank you much
Michael W. Dean
www.cubbymovie.com

**************************************************************

He needs the music asap! If you can provide it, please contact him. He's a very, very kickass guy and I guarantee you'll have a good time working with him!

Citizen Swan

At the risk of being beaten by Dr. Oak, I am going out tonight. It seems that a bunch of us COMS majors are going to Eduardo's tonight to hang with the faculty (and each other). Now, I say that about Dr. Oak because I spent the entire last week sleeping due to some virus worthy of the name Black Plague. Anyway, I must go tonight and I think we all know why. Faculty will be there and that could mean . . .

SWAN!!!!

. . . It seems that Swan has been keeping hidden--in his secret Watson Hall lair--this semester because I have yet to see him. Personally, I think this can only mean one thing . . . more treachery!!! I feel I must try to observe him to save us all! It's 7:45 . . . I leave in an hour. Wish me luck!

EDITOR'S NOTE: For those just stumbling upon my merry blog, the Swan I refer to is a former media writing teacher of mine. My only *real* complaint about him is that he doesn't teach more COMS courses because I've taken all of them I can. Swan rules!

2nd EDITOR'S NOTE: And, I will be taping "24," but not to see if the kid lives. I'm sorry, I love my parents, but if my mom offed my boyfriend (on "24" it was a girlfriend) I'd not be all that opt to risk my life for her terroristic cause. Call me picky, but I'm thinking the boy has some mother 'issues.' ;)

The Return Of The Swan!

It seems that Swan has struck again! I will have to keep a lookout for his next scheming plot! Click below to read the latest.

Kudos!

Swan Strikes Back!

It's true! The ever-so-cunning Matt Swan is back! I was afraid of this after his brief appearance in a filmed version of a neoclassic painting shot for my Field Production class. Or, wait . . . was it a romanticism painting? See! This is how dastardly Swan is. I saw it and I can't remember the movement. Anyway, if you're brave enough, check out the following link. I guarantee it's a good read! Oh, and congratulations to Matt Swan!

Oh, Davy!

Commenting On This Site

Hi all! I was getting hit with multiple daily "comment" postings from spammers so, I have temporarily closed down the ability to comment on this site. I have made the exception of leaving the ability to comment open on the most recent posts, but the rest are temporarily closed. If anyone knows of a way to report the spammer IP addresses, please let me know. I've got them all written down and waiting. I hope everyone had a good weekend!

I'm gonna be the next Ryan Seacrest!!!

JUST KIDDING . . . but I am going to be on the radio tonight. My friend Nate Meno (who I have a documentary class with) is part of a radio show broadcast from the internet. Well, I was talking to him about voodoo one day and he asked if I would come on his show to talk about it. I said yes and I am scheduled to be
on tonight. Here is the show info . . .

Showdown

Showdown
Sunday 6 - 8 p.m (central time).

The right and left battle it out. With Nick, Mark, Justin and Nathan every
Sunday.

This show is mainly a left vs right debate type of show, but they have special guests and topics as well. That's how I fit in.

I'm posting this to let anyone who might want to hear know where to go AND to plug Nate's show. I've listened to it and it is very interesting. Now, I'm out of here to study for finals. Try not to be too jealous, everyone! ;)

The Dastardly Deeds Of Swan

Well, he's done it! The ever-so-cunning Matt Swan has gone and written a script. He's even gone as far as to have that script purchased and, said script, is currently being filmed! It is scheduled to air in December. I do not have an exact air date yet, but you can click on "Davey and Goliath's Snowboard Christmas" for the most current information. Congratulations to the mighty Matt Swan!

P.S. For those who aren't aware, Matt Swan is an instructor at Northern Illinois University. I have had the great pleasure of being taught by Mr. Swan while attending NIU. He is a wonderful teacher and I am thrilled to be posting this news about him! Now, Swan, don't forget to make out that $50 check for my praise. JUST KIDDING, EVERYONE and . . . Go Swan!!!!

I'm probably crazy for doing this . . . but, I'm back!

Hi all!

Okay, I have people in newsgroups and, that dastardly Professor Swan, asking if I'm going to post again so here goes . . .

Life kind of went and got in the way for a while! It's been ups and downs since April so, I've kind of slacked on the posting. I had meant to start up this summer but, I was barely home and, if I was, I usually had company who didn't want to sit there and watch me type. Go figure! Anyway, I'm currently home with pneumonia so I've got a little time. Unfortunately, the pneumonia involved me going to the ER Monday night. Now, the ER sucked but . . . the bad part was that my doctor was not Noah Wyle!!! *sigh*

*sorry, Noah Wyle moment there*

ANYWAY, I say I'm probably crazy for starting now because this is an insanely busy semester but, since I still have time to breathe, why not get rid of it? Just kidding! Actually, I've begun to edit film and that is giving me yet another way to look at movies. My friend Keri told me I "would like editing if (you) like writing" and she was right . . . so far. If we have another editing assignment that involves Gunsmoke footage, it might be a different story. Trust me folks, 20 minutes of that over and over can try your nerves. LOL.

I'm going to shut up for now. I've rented The Cooler and Spartan for this weekend. Since the pneumonia has caused me to sleep most of the time, I'll probably wind up watching both of them tonight. Very soon, I plan to post about my most recent purchases and what I've watched since last posting. Until then, have a great weekend everyone!

Thank you Robert Katz & Bill Weinman!

I just got back from hearing Robert Katz and Bill Weinman speak about their experiences working in Hollywood. I want to take this moment to give them a huge thanks for coming all the way back to DeKalb to speak to us Hollywood-wannabes. ;) I also want to thank them for bringing a film by Frank E. Flowers called Swallow. Everyone should keep an eye out for Frank E. Flowers in the near future. His next film is going to be called Haven and, based on what I saw tonight, it should be great! Flowers' work reminded me of the first time I saw a film by David Gordon Green at Ebert's Overlook Films Festival. That movie was George Washington and it had the same feel that I got from Flowers' work tonight. I'm now a David Gordon Green fanatic, especially after seeing All The Real Girls, so I fully expect to become a Frank E. Flowers fanatic as well. Also, I really enjoyed the editing sample Bill Weinman showed us. I tend to go too long in my writing--and I'm horrible at cutting things out--so editing is one talent I very much admire. . . and envy! ;) All in all, it was a great couple of hours spent and I thank them both.

Oh, the fun of germ exposure! :(

Hi everyone!
I know I said I was going to post my review of 21 Grams this weekend and then I wound up not doing so. Well, it seems that being around numerous sniffling college students has caused me to get my second virus in 3 weeks. I'm in the early stages of it and feel like complete hell. Due to that, my review is going to be delayed until I'm functioning a little better. I will say this. . .

GO RENT IT! SEE IT! SEE IT! SEE IT!

. . . 21 Grams is simply a fantastic movie! The other movie I saw this weekend was the remake of Dawn of the Dead. I was very, VERY pleasantly surprised by this. I really liked it a lot! I would definitely recommend it. Oh, and make sure to stay until the end of the credits or you will miss a lot! Also, make sure to arrive on time because it starts quickly and never lets up. If you're 5 minutes late you'll miss out on a great opening. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to take more Advil for the aching and soak in a nice, warm bath.

My Other Surreal Experience At Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival

Okay, I strangely have a little time to finally write this out. Along with completely changing my life due to my first experience at Roger Ebert's Overlooked Films Festival, I also formed a new connection with my father. One of Ebert's film choices was the movie A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries. This movie was based on the author James Jones. How did this bring me closer to my father, you ask? Well. . . no he's not James Jones, but he did write a lot about him. My father, James Giles, edited a book called The James Jones Reader, with J. Michael Lennon, that consists of "Outstanding selections from his war writings including From Here To Eternity, The Thin Red Line, and Whistle." He also wrote a book that was a critical study of James Jones simply entitled James Jones. In part of his research on Jones, my father spent time with Gloria Jones (James Jones' wife). This time was shown--minus my father--in the movie A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries. One of the special guests Ebert had at the festival for the film was Kaylie Jones, the daughter of James Jones. While my father was spending time with Gloria, Kaylie, and Jamie, it was a 16 year-old Kaylie who drove my father to James' grave site. My father wrote a short story of his experience at the James household called "3 Days In Byzantium." It was published in a magazined called Confrontation. I met Kaylie's brother Jamie when I was in the booming metropolis of Robinson, Illinois with my father as he did his research on James. I remember, at the ripe old age of 13, thinking Jamie was just gorgeous. I also remember Jamie thinking that my theory on a town not actually being a town unless it has a McDonald's and a public swimming pool made perfect sense. Needless to say, Robinson IL had neither. Kaylie, however, wasn't present in Robinson so I didn't meet her for the first time until Ebert's festival. Anyway, watching that movie was a great experience for everyone at the festival, but it was even more special for me because as I watched it I knew precisely when to mentally insert my father into the movie. I also knew one of the children in the movie and had heard much about the other one. This gave me a new understanding of my dad's time with Gloria, Kaylie, and Jamie and it gave me a new understanding of them as well. Now, in a different way Ebert will be giving me yet another connection to my father at this year's film festival. One of Roger's selections is My Dog Skip. My Dog Skip is based on a book by Willie Morris. Willie Morris was at the James household while my father was there. I'm starting to think Ebert has some sort of psychic connection to myself so that he knows to show films related to my father at each festival of his I attend. I'm telling you, it's just plain weird. Cool, but very weird. So again, thanks Roger Ebert! Also here are a few more links to some of the people above. . .

Kaylie Jones' IMDB.COM listing

Willie Morris' IMDB.COM listing

The book link for A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries

Movies & How We Speak

Here is a brief article on how movies affect the way we speak.

CNN.com - 'Wardrobe malfunction' named top phrase - Mar 12, 2004

Dr. Seuss' Star

All I have to say about this is that it's about time! Also, I've linked to 2 Dr. Seuss related websites. Click on his name each time it appears in blue and you will be linked to them. I'll also have them at the bottom of this post.

RHYMES WITH JAR: Here's some news even a grinch could love: Iconic children's author Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel was honored posthumously Thursday with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The honor is part of a monthlong celebration commemorating what would have been Geisel's 100th birthday.

DR. SEUSS
DR. SEUSS ON THE WEB

Information On Aileen

I love the Crime Library website because they are loaded with information and articles on most of the criminals you could think of. Here is a link to Aileen Wuornos' story. It's definitely an interesting read!

2 Old, But New To Me Must Sees!

Hi all,
This weekend I saw Monster and Mystic River. I know these have been out for a while, but if either of them have come to the theater by me they've only stayed there a minute. At any rate, what great movies! I've linked to both of the official sites for them here so just click on the titles. I will be posting my reviews of both this week. In the meantime, rush out and see both of them if you haven't already! I hope you are all having a great weekend!

Dress Like Christ!

Some of us caught onto this idea a long time ago. However, we did it for the hell of it, not because of a movie craze. I have a great blue and gold cross from The Metropolitan Museum of Art myself.

Gibson's 'Passion' Sparks Christian Fashion Craze
Mel Gibson's new movie The Passion Of The Christ has inspired a new craze across America for Christian-themed jewelry. The hit film, which follows the final 12 hours of Jesus Christ's life, is at the center of continued controversy with accusations of potentially inciting anti-Semitism. But as well as fierce debate, the movie has also led hordes of people to buy such souvenirs as crucifixes, lapel pins and cards tied to the film's promotion. A particularly popular item is a pendant fashioned from a single nail made of pewter and attached to a leather strap, say officials of Bob Siemon Designs, licensed by Gibson's Icon Productions to produce jewelry linked to the film. The pendants represent the nails used in the film to fasten Christ to the cross. The company has shipped around 75,000 cross pendants to Christian bookstores across America and approximately the same amount of nail pendants.

Dr. Seuss

Granted, this is a few days late, but I love Dr. Seuss so I had to post it. Oh, and I'm still upset that they allowed Mike Meyers near the Cat In The Hat movie and wound up botching it so badly.

CNN.com - Hoorah! Hooray! It's Dr. Seuss' birthday! - Mar. 1, 2004

My Oscar Thoughts As I Viewed The Show

Okay, as the Oscars began I grabbed a notebook to jot down my own thoughts during the night. I didn't think to write down times so please keep in mind this is in order from the start of the night until the end.

How surreal is it to see Sean Penn and a clean cut Johnny Depp at the Oscars?

How sweet was it seeing Keisha Castle-Hughes meet her "stud" Johnny Depp during the pre show special?

Great comments from Tim Robbins in relation to child abuse!

In reference to the Lord of the Rings montage. . . OH SAM! (Note: Sorry, inside joke for a few friends).

Angelina Jolie. That woman is just gorgeous!

Billy Crystal and Robin Williams in their San Francisco married couple pose. Okay, if I ever take the plunge I want those two on my wedding cake. LOL.

In accepting for the Finding Nemo win there was a shout out to Steve Jobs. Macs rule!

JC Penny ad. Is that Oswald from Drew Carey? More importantly; pleated, ruffled denim?! I had the good taste not to wear that when denim skirts were big in the 80's and, well, I've seen The Passion of the Christ and would still rather be crucified than have to pay attention to fashion. What some highly-paid people design often frightens me.

Loved the stars favorite films bit, especially. . .
Whitney Houston & Bobby Brown. . . 21 Grams
Hillary Clinton. . . Kill Bill
Rush Limbaugh. . . 21 Grams
Saddam. . . Holes

Shohreh Aghdashloo from House of Sand & Fog. How freaking stunning is she?! You had no idea in that movie. I mean she was pretty, but damn!

Renee wins! I'm so happy for her. She deserved it for both Chicago and Bridget Jones Diary but was up against people like Nicole Kidman for The Hours and Nicole HAD to win for that since she didn't for Moulin Rouge. It just like the year Russell Crowe was up for The Insider against Kevin Spacey for American Beauty. You wanted both to win, but Kevin more so you hoped Russell would get it for The Insider when the next Oscar ceremony came around. It's just one big confusing circle.

Tom Hanks. For the love of god, STAND STILL!

The Bob Hope tribute was nice and I loved his joke about deserving an Oscar for attendance.

Music Ques tuning out winners. Just shut up! People shouldn't be cut off like that. I really detest this practice!

T Bone Burnett! Great musician, great to hear him!

1st best song performances. I still protesting this category from 1990 when Storybook Love from The Princess Bride lost to Under The Sea from The Little Mermaid. I still remember how incredible the presentation for Storybook Love was and that was in 1990!

United's ad. Very neat, very Waking Life.

The "What Stars Are Thinking" montage. Great, but steve Martin did it better with his "People Who've Slept With Me" montage a few years ago.

Blake Edwards award. I had no idea he was behind Days of Wine & Roses. Great, but very depressing, film!

Bill Murray presenting Lost In Translation. Love the "we were politely refused" joke about wanting to leave the film due to Sofia.

Sandra Bullock. Great dress. . . until the Mardi Gras feather boas started attacking it.

1st movie with sound question? I knew that thanks to Gretchen Bisplinghof and her Introduction to Film & TV Criticism class at Northern Illinois University a few years ago.

Julia Roberts. Wow! Great dress for the figure! I usually don't care for what she wears but she looked exceptional!

Diane Lane's dress. AHHH! My god, someone stop those diamonds from strangling her. The whole time I watched I was worried she was about to turn blue. Awful dress!

Best Documentary Feature: The Fog of War. WOW! I was sure it was going to be Capturing The Friedmans.

How perfect was the shot of the guy behind Diane Keaton, who was sleeping during the Academy president's speech, after Billy Crystal had just joked about the president being a "weapon of mass sleep induction." Whoever that cameraman was, he deserves a raise.

The death tribute, aka: Applause-o-meter. It's always a nice reminder that even dead we're still in a popularity contest. Nice tribute, but don't overwhelm it with a silent pan up to the roof of the Kodak theater. We know that aint heaven and lord help us all if it is. ;)

"Do you know that people are moving to New Zealand just to be thanked?" Great one, Billy.

Performance of The Triplets of Belleville song. Entertaining! Go Mouf Mouf! Go Bill Murray clearly digging it!

Pepsi ad with Biz Markie song. NO! NO! I thought that was never to be mentioned again once it left the charts?!

10:12 pm. Sapphire is being an extremely accommodating kitty by putting up with me fidgeting around to find comfortable note taking positions. Go Rizzles!

Jack Black & Will Ferrel. Absolutely hysterical! Then again, Jack Black is great so that's no surprise! Also, loved their deadpan delivery when not signing. Book those two to host next year!

Best Song Winner. I'm NEVER happy with this. I preferred the Belleville song and Scarlet Tide from Cold Mountain.

Uma Thurman. Usually stunning, now. . . What the hell are you wearing? Wait, has everyone checked to see if their bed sheets are still there?!

I only hope I look as amazing as Susan Sarandon did tonight when I'm her age.

Sofia's writing win. Very sweet. Very nice comment about Bill Murray being "her muse." Loved the comment about friends encouraging her past page 12 since I've also suffered the horror of writer's block.

The Annheiser Bush "responsibility matters" ad. I don't care if you think they're doing drugs, if you've taught your kid that it's okay to answer his cell phone during a movie you need to attend parenting classes. And kids, don't do that or I, and everyone else who came to the movie to hear IT, not you talking on the phone, reserves the right to whip out a tazer and stun your rude selves!

Congratulations Peter! To pull off what you did with those 3 films was simply amazing. I wondered if you and Sofia would split the vote causing a Clint upset, but I'm glad to see the predicted favorite win. You've come a long way from Bad Taste, but as soon as I saw Heavenly Creatures I knew you would.

Samantha Morton. Go rent Morvern Callar. She's great in it!

Adrian Brody and his breath freshener. I'm still laughing over that. Hysterical!

Loved what Charlize Theron said about Christina Ricci being the "unsung hero of this film" Christina's great. Go rent Pumpkin to see for yourself.

Loved Johnny Depp's "what" as they called his name and then him laughing at himself as he realized what he'd just done. The reason I loved this is because you can tell he's having a lot of fun tonight. Well, that and the fact that I simply love Johnny Depp!

Sean Penn--Johnny Depp--Bill Murray. How the hell do you choose?! This is what I hate about award shows.

Sean Penn. Very nice accolades to fell actors, both fellow nominees and non-nominated. His comment about this "roller coaster I'm learning to enjoy" was a nice acknowledgment of how truly uncomfortable being there he is. Props to him for being able to do so in front of a standing ovation.

Lord of the Rings. This had to win. Had to. I sat through all three movies amazed at what I was seeing on screen. Further, I was awed by what is possible in moviemaking these days.

All in all, a long, but great night! Oh, and in honor of the Lord of the Rings, HEEERE'S SMEAGOL!

Congratulations!

I want to send a shout out to my Professor Matt Swan. It seems that Professor Swan has qualified for the semi-finals of the new edition of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. . . Super Millionaire! Good luck Professor Swan!

Welcome To My Site

Hi everyone!
To begin, thank you for visiting my site. At the moment, I'm brand new at doing this sort of thing so I'll post as much as I can. My intention is to tell you what I think of movies I've seen. I don't claim to be a movie reviewer, but I'm always reading about and seeing movies so I figured I'd give this a shot. Currently, I'm back in college full time to finish up my last few years--in other words I'm a poor, broke, starving college student living off student loans--and it's all Roger Ebert's fault! Yes, that's right, Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times and Ebert & Roeper At The Movies. Two years ago I went to Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival and it literally became a life altering experience. I had been toying with the idea of quitting my full-time, steady income, job to return to college. I was so inspired by the movies we saw that weekend that I got up the nerve to mention this little idea of turning my life upside down to the person with me--my boyfriend Jeff. He definitely thought it was a great idea and encouraged me to fall on my sword and seek financial help from my parents and the university so that I could do so. Flash forward to today and I'm attending school at Northern Illinois University as a Communications Major with a Media Studies emphasis. . . and numerous academic honors (Phi Kappa Phi, University Honors Program, Golden Key National Honor Society, etc). I am also creating this site under the advisement of Professor Matt Swan, who I thank enormously for taking on the extra work and time, and Jeff Swanson who I thank for helping me get this site going and the time he is putting into it. I will review movies as I have the time to watch them and the accessibility to them. Check back here frequently to read about my most recent viewings and feel free to comment as you'd like. Thanks everyone!

Kathy