One Week Later

It's been a week since Duluth and I've been in a bit of a funk. Not that I fell in love with the town per se but more with the experience. New sights! New people! New films! Slowly getting accustomed back to SF life, which is all terribly familiar. Admittedly, I haven't got around to much editing. Don't worry Kickstarter backers. It'll get done by the expected deadline. I designed the film to be a quick edit. Most scenes have little cuts and I just have to sit down to crank it out. I'm thinking a beer, carrot, editing marathon tomorrow night. Yes, carrots. Editing is unsexy but it's where the movie really gets made. It's where I can control YOUR emotions.

This last Sunday & Tuesday, my "Muppetless Movie" played at the SF Indiefest. A decent appreciation. It played in a grab bag of local shorts. As usual with my films, it's over before you have any idea what the hell you just watched. (I'm all about repeated viewings!) I did a Q&A both times & got to throw in some silly jokes. When asked how people can follow me, I mentioned they should just walk behind me when I leave. I also gave my address and said my door was open to any ladies who wanted to watch some rare Muppet tapes. Oh public persona me. Maybe I got used to the attention in Duluth, but I was a little jealous when I saw the other filmmakers with huge globs of friends there. On Sunday's screening, I had two friends & a chicken show up. I get the film has been online for a while and seen by most, but it did feel weird after getting so much recent praise to be standing there alone by my giant Muppetless poster, expecting celebration but merely getting back on the bus home. Is this how Coolio felt after Gangsta's Paradise dried up? Fame is a fickle mistress.

All this said, I gave one more interview this morning to a writer at San Francisco Magazine. Except it wasn't about me at all, but more about my Oscar picks. He wanted to know what San Francisco filmmakers would choose vs. the academy. As I've seen almost none of the nominated films, I felt a bit like a sham bullshitting answers. I argued that the best film I'd seen was "It's Such A Beautiful Day" & was pissed it wasn't even nominated for Best Animated Film.

Before I left Duluth and to fit some newly acquired items in my suitcase, I gave away some of my "famous" winter clothes to the homeless. I still have my parka if anyone wants to buy it. I've been significantly colder in SF, mostly because I am underdressed everywhere vs. Duluth where I wore everything including the bed sheets. For those wondering about the Duluth Goodwill VHS tapes I bought, I've watched them all. By far the highlight was the Bible Sing-A-Long tape. If you're a Christian, that tape will make you an atheist. Watch kids who can't sing, can't act, can't dance, and who may actually be 32 and suffer from some aging disease sing about the animals on Noah's ark. You may even sell your soul to the devil just to turn the tape off. I think it may even surpass my copy of "Don Cooper's Musical Games" as the most troubling vhs I own.

I've already started thinking about the next film project. I think I'll piss off the classical music world this time.