Sleeping In Pursuit Of Happiness And A Project Or Two

Okay, I actually haven't been sleeping, but that's a big dream of mine.  As is happiness.  I have been absent from this blog for awhile though.  This was an unintentional, yet welcome break for me that's allowed me to focus on a few other things.  Life has been rather busy. What, you may ask, have I been doing??!!

Work, lots of work.  For months it was literally all I did.  I've worked on several movies back-to-back. None of them are in theatres yet, but they will be soon.  One premiered at Cannes, directed by a filmmaker most people would know (Woody Allen.) Two films were period pieces and one is a quasi-sci-fi, not-too-far-in-the-distant-future thing.  All the time travel at work has made the contemporary world rather boring.  Odds are, my next project will be present day. This almost makes me sad.  We'll see...

 Apart from that, I'm finally getting to a place where I feel like I'm accomplishing some goals I set for myself long ago.  I still feel like an outsider alot of the time, but instead of letting this work against me,  I now "own" my awkwardness.  Sometimes, it puts me at a great advantage.  After all, outsiders tend to be more observant and are also often highly creative since we see the world in ways others don't.

I've put more time and energy into my writing.  Primarily I've been focusing on short stories, but I'm also currently working on a screenplay with a co-writer.  Rejection notices have become my friends, but lately I've gotten a few more of these neon green ACCEPTANCE notifications.  They're like little green monsters I'd be inclined to ghost-bust if I wasn't so happy to see them.  [Among those publications who have most recently published my work are Chicago Literati, The Gambler Magazine, Dual Coast Magazine, and The Grief Diaries. ]

It's very easy to let show biz suck every morsel of my life, but I've tried really hard to maintain a sense of work-life balance.  There are other things I'd like to do with my life.  The work-balance thing is a constant struggle.  These days, it's become a goal unto itself.  Like happiness...

Besides my own writing, I read a lot.  This has always been the case. Even if I'm working and I have a 4AM call time, I'll get up early to have coffee, read the paper or snag a few moments with a good book.  I just finished The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.  Before that, it was Why (Not) Me by Mindy Kaling.  Now, it's Judd Apatow's Sick In The Head: Conversations About Life And Comedy.

WHAT ELSE HAVE I BEEN DOING?

- Bought a laminator (!!!) for work but ALSO to exercise my creativity and make my hand-designed greeting cards look even more professional. 
-Purchased my first major appliance!  A jet-black, General Electric Refrigerator.  (The old one, gifted to me by a neighbor 15 years ago, finally gave out.)
-Dated a bit here and there, mostly there.  I'm so confused.  It's always confusing, isn't it??!!
-Grabbing the mike at stand-up comedy open-mic nights.  (Might as well entertain people with my awkward weirdness...)
-Going to all the doctor appointments I've been putting off.
-Watching movies, TV, documentaries and stand-up comedy specials. 
- Dreamily planning vacations I can't actually afford.
-Finding ways to avoid driving my car unless absolutely necessary.  Mostly, it's been necessary.  (Thanks,  Los Angeles.)
-Visiting family, the few who are left...
-Improving my Spanish vocabulary.
-Teaching myself French from scratch thanks to Duolingo and Memrise.  (Uh-oh, now even my Spanish has a weird French accent.)
-Planning new adventures and plotting my escape (don't tell anyone...)
-Looking for work because for the 1st time in a long while, it's been S-L-O-W.
-Living life because this is all I have. 

©2016 by K.Liedle/@cococaffeine

Nebraska Movie: Looking Back

Has it really been 3 years? Location Department office from the movie, #Nebraska. #ThrowbackThursday #NebraskaMovie pic.twitter.com/TYGHTdqSkM

— Kendra Liedle (@Cococaffeine) July 30, 2015

Meeting B.B. King - A True Legend

When I was 22, I had the immense honor of meeting B.B. King thanks to my mom, a fellow musician.  After a performance, we met up with him in the green room and he spent a few minutes chatting with us.  He seemed to thoroughly enjoy connecting with us, but maybe that was just his style.  As I left, he handed me an autographed photo.  At the time, I didn't fully understand the enormity of his legacy.  What I saw that day was a mega-talented gentleman who was beautifully generous with his time and someone who had lots of stories to tell beyond those eyes of his.  I wish I'd been able to hear more of them.  A true legend.

 Blues Legend B.B. King Passes Away

Copyright © 2015 by K. Liedle/ @cococaffeine

Kumiko The Treasure Hunter

When I was in 7th grade I had a Japanese pen pal.  Her name was Kumiko and we corresponded with each other until I graduated from high school.  Then, she simply disappeared.  In her last letter to me, she'd been stressed out, intensely studying for her college entrance exams and then nothing.  Gone...

Maybe she didn't want to write me anymore.  Maybe she didn't want to be friends afterall.  No hard feelings, but I was worried.  I wrote to her parents.  I asked them to send a note just to tell me that Kumiko was okay, but I never heard anything.  A couple of years ago I messaged the only Kumiko I thought "might" be her on Facebook, but again there was no response.  Not even a whisper.  She had simply vanished.

Although it's been years now, I like to think that maybe she's a treasure hunter, out there on some vast adventure.  That makes me smile, thinking that Kumiko is out there living her life with adventure.  Perhaps that's one reason why I intrigued to see the indie film, Kumiko The Treasure Hunter about  a Japanese girl that ventures to America on an unusual quest to find treasure.

I initially heard about the film back in 2012, shortly after we'd wrapped filming the movie, Nebraska.  It was just before Christmastime, in the dead of winter, colder than anything in Omaha.  A few of us from the crew went out for drinks, a final farewell before many of us ventured back home after months away on-location.  Growing up in Nebraska, I was looking forward to escaping and going back to Los Angeles where I've been living for the past decade or so.  In the course of that evening, however, a girl I'd met on the crew mentioned that she was leaving to do another movie for the next several months in a place even colder and harsher than Nebraska in winter.  God, I couldn't even imagine it.  The place was Minnesota.  The movie was Kumiko The Treasure Hunter.

And from the moment on, I was intrigued.  I've been looking forward to seeing it ever since and I hope that I'm able to catch the film's run here in Los Angeles.

Copyright © 2015 by Kendra Liedle/@cococaffeine

#Kumikothetreasurehunter #Japanesefilm #Fargo #Upcomingfilms2015

Check out the trailer:

Happy New Year: Start It Off With A Cheery Attitude

Start the year off with a spunky attitude.  Take risks, live life on your own terms and don't take shit from anyone.  I'll drink to that. -KL

Some bar in #Germany a few years back. Couldn't have been more inviting. #throwbackthursday pic.twitter.com/c4SqLPQ9dd
— Kendra Liedle (@Cococaffeine) January 1, 2015

Blank Space At Midnight

I have no shame in letting loose and rocking out to Taylor Swift.  Why not dance my little heart out??!! Truth is, I do it all the time.  No matter what responsibilities you may have or whatever stresses you might be facing, my hope is that you can forget about all of that for a moment or two and lose yourself in something.  

For me, dance is the one thing that allows me to be completely and utterly myself with no filter, no self consciousness and no worries. Find what works for you and embrace that thing, whether it's an activity or a person or your favorite movie.  Get to it now.  Life is waiting.  Happy New Year!!

#TaylorSwift #BlankSpace #HappyNewYear #Embracelife #Dancethenightaway

And here's me dancing the night away.  Celebrating the moment and anticipating a new year filled with good luck, surprises, and hopefully a fulfilled dream (or two!)

-K.Liedle/@cococaffeine

Blank Space At Midnight

How To Read A Fashion Magazine Like A Grown-Up Child

(Ad for Saint Laurent Paris)

How To Read A Fashion Magazine Like A Grown-Up Child

1) Flip through the pages quickly and see what images draw your attention. Dog-ear the pages in which these images appear.

2) Sniff all the perfume samples. Flag the ones you like but can't afford. Make note to self to add these to Amazon wish list.

3) Turn to the back pages to read your horoscope.  (Then, read the horoscope of a guy you like. See how the two match up.)

4) Glance at the Masthead.  Read the bios of Contributors.  Show respect.

5) Read the editorial content.  Dog-ear pages of articles to save.

6) Tear out pages of stuff you like (as though you're an 8-year-old who's had too much sugar.)

7) Recycle magazine (or mark it "FREE" and leave  it at the library like it's an abandoned puppy.)

8) Consume sugar in any form available.

Anyhow, this is how I read a fashion magazine, but then again, I am a grown-up child.  Eventually, I'll go through all the magazine images in my files.  At that point, I'll cut images apart, rearrange
them, combine them with snippets of words, and embellish with some of my own artwork and writing.

When it's all over, I will have created a one-of-a-kind handmade card.  I've been doing this for
years and many of closest friends still treasure some of the personalized cards I've created for them.

Some of these cards can be found in the Handmade Card gallery in the pages of this blog.

(c) Copyright 2014 by Kendra Liedle/@cococaffeine
Travelhollywood.blogspot.com
Follow me on Twitter @cococaffeine

The author (as an 8-year-old child)

Welcome To This Century

Today I purchased my 1st smart phone #SamsungGalaxyS4 and started reading #Fiftyshadesofgrey. Figured I'd see what all the fuss is about.
— Kendra Liedle (@Cococaffeine) August 24, 2014

Lucky Me! -- Lucky You: About Vintage Clothes

My Grandma

The last time I went home to visit my family, my mother and I went through boxes and boxes of my grandmother’s things.  My grandmother had passed away last year and she’d left mountains of things to go through.  Some things, actually most things, we’d never even seen before. 

My Grandpa

The juiciest were the love letters… stacks and stacks of love letters, mostly from my grandfather.  It was war-time after all and they didn’t have Facetime or Skype then.  And if they’d had, I wouldn’t have had such a fun afternoon reading what they’d left behind:

“My darling wench…” started one letter, written in October 1943.

I had to give up after awhile because there are so many of those letters that I couldn’t possibly get through them all in one afternoon.  Insane, I know.  Someday, maybe I’ll get back to them, but it was overwhelming… just realizing that the love between these two people no longer exists in any tangible form other than these letters they left behind.

I have to confess that I had the most fun going through my grandmother’s clothing.  I’m a fan of vintage attire and my grandmother had closets full.  Of course, to her it wasn’t vintage—not at the time anyway.  (And some clothes were so outdated that I couldn’t imagine them ever coming back in style.) 

My grandma was also so petite that many of her clothes I couldn’t wear at all, but surprisingly alot of it did fit.  And anything I could fit, I tried on: Furs, gloves, dresses, blouses.  I scored several beautiful finds that I’ve worn since, including this red slip (shown at right) and a black-and-white lace number that my grandmother called “her favorite dress.”  The photo below is a picture Grandma took of me wearing it.  (I last wore it on a date.  Grandma would be proud.)  

Wearing Grandma's favorite dress

I came back to L.A. with tons of clothes that reminded me of my grandma, things I fell in love with—including about 15 pairs of gloves, which I’m sure I’ll use often in California.  I also brought back a few lovely dresses that just couldn’t work for me for whatever reason, but I was determined to find a home for them. 

There are plenty of vintage shops in Los Angeles.  Everyone knows about Iguana, It’s A Wrap, Wasteland, and recycled clothing stores such as The Buffalo Exchange and Crossroads Trading Company.  

People into vintage know about The Way We Wore, Playclothes, and Ragg Mopp Vintage.  However, after doing a quick search online, I discovered that there was a little gem of a vintage store right down the street from me called Lucky You Resale Boutique.  

People online seemed to rave about it.  Me?  I’d never heard even heard of it before.  As it turns out, I’d driven by it countless times without ever noticing it.  In fact, it’s literally right across the street from the post office I use often.  Who knew?

Lucky me, indeed!  Lucky You is a relatively small store, but don’t let that fool you.  There’s a treasure trove housed in there.  I had no idea.  I came in with a few items on hangers to sell, hopeful the owner might be interested.  I was immediately greeted by a surprisingly friendly Idrea Lippman.  Idrea looked at a couple of my things I'd brought in with interest, then placed them back on the counter.  

She looked at me, and with regret, said she wasn’t buying at the moment because she had too much stock already.  But, she said, “Feel free to look around.”

 And look I did.  My vintage stop was the first of several errands I’d intended to get to that day, but I spent close to an hour at Lucky You Resale, chatting with Idrea, looking through the racks, and trying on clothes.  She also has jewelry there and vintage movie poster postcard reproductions.  A little bit for everyone. 

My Sabrina dress

I came up to the counter with a dress I’d completely loved.  It reminded me of one of the dresses Audrey Hepburn wears in Sabrina.  It was beautifully made with several layers of quality fabric.  It also had a halter-style—something that seems to work well with my body type.  

The dress had unexpected details too, like black netting at the bottom of main skirt.  As soon as I tried the dress on and saw myself in the mirror, I was sold.  

As I milled around the store, I also ended up finding some great dangly earrings and a couple of postcards—one of which was a classic movie poster image from Roman Holiday.  I figured that was appropriate, considering.

As I came to the counter to pay, Idrea mentioned offhandedly, “Well, I could do a trade.” 

Really? I thought.

I swapped two of the dresses I’d been hoping to sell and in exchange got my Sabrina dress and the earrings.  She was going to give me the postcards for free, but I insisted on paying.  I told her how happy I was to know her store was there and I promised her that I’d write about Lucky You in some format—as a thank you.  She said that if it weren’t for bloggers and social media and other internet outlets, she wouldn’t be able to exist.  And now that I’ve discovered Lucky You, I want to see her store continue to succeed. 

Lucky You Resale Boutique

12441 Magnolia Blvd

Valley Village CA 91607

(818) 985-1115

Lucky You On Facebook

  

 Copyright © 2014 by Kendra Liedle

The Problems of Exotic Animals Becoming Common Pets

What I like about documentaries is that they facilitate social change while shedding light on topics that otherwise could've gone unseen.  Recently at work, someone mentioned how "The Elephant In The Living Room" had truly affected them.  I was aware of the film, but like many others, it had gotten buried in my Netflix queue.  This weekend, I finally gave the film the attention it deserves.

"The Elephant In The Living Room" is a documentary that shows the complications and ramifications of regular people owning exotic pets.  I vaguely knew there were people, mostly in Las Vegas I imagined, that owned tigers or monkeys or the occasional boa constrictor.  However, I had no idea how widespread the problem was until I saw this documentary.  It's not just Las Vegas residents or wealthy people owning these wild animals as pets, it's regular people like the guy next door or your co-worker or your kid's science teacher. You never know.

I always had pets as a kid.  We had cats and dogs and little "garden" snakes and newts and fish and turtles. Then, there was the chinchilla and the hamsters and a brief period where we had a few ducks that lived in a play pen in our garage.  When I was in kindergarten, I even had a pet fruit bat for a couple weeks.  Don't ask.  Anyhow, I understand the connection people can have toward their pets.  How pets can truly become members of the family.  I get that.  However, none of our pets ever posed a threat to our neighbors.  We didn't have venomous snakes slithering around or a jaguar traipsing around our backyard.

 "The Elephant..." presents the vast array of problems that arise when people bring wild animals into their homes as pets.  Ironically, my viewing of the documentary coincided with an article in this month's National Geographic (April 2014) entitled,  "Wild Obsession: The perilous attraction of owning exotic pets."  It's mind boggling to me that you need to license your dog, but in several U.S.
States, there is no license or permit required to own, say,  an African lion or a spider monkey. What?

"The Elephant In The Living Room" presents not only the question of safety in owning exotic pets, but also the dangers it can have on the animals overall well-being.  Even in witnessing how much someone loves their chimp or tiger, I'd somehow feel that the very act of owning such an animal is selfish in many ways.  Lions should be with their own kind, their pride. " Doing what lions do..." as a guy in the documentary says.

Of course, there's an allure to owning an exotic pet, but it's also cruel to take wild animals from their natural habitat, the wild.  And until I saw this documentary, I had no idea how easy it actually is to obtain an exotic pet.  You can nab a tiger cub from a newspaper ad. You can purchase one of the most deadly African snakes at a local reptile show. You can buy your toddler his very own baby alligator.  It's insane!

As Adam Roberts of Born Free USA states in the National Geographic article, "When we keep wild animals as pets, we turn them into something for which nature has no place."

Even for the most responsible exotic pet owner, I think that is something to ponder.

Cocoa and Caffeine Hollywood Travels
Copyright 2014 by KLiedle

Motion Picture Costume Design And Other Treasures In Downtown Los Angeles

The author sports a cloche hat at the Bradbury Building in L.A.

Once again, I attended the Art Of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibit at FIDM's Museum and Galleries in Downtown Los Angeles. Now in its 22^nd year, the exhibit showcases outstanding costumes from the year's best films. In a year filled with period films, superheroes, sci-fi, action, and fairy-tales retold, costume designers had considerable opportunity to display their talents on the big screen.

While some may find it particularly mesmerizing to see costumes displayed from the likes of Man Of Steel, G.I. Joe, and Thor, my eyes wandered toward more classic costume design. I was far more fascinated by the detailing of the more elaborately tailored and embellished costumes from The Hunger Games, Oz, American Hustle and The Great Gatsby.

The contributions of motion picture costume designers capture a world, an era, and a story on film. Costume designs come to define a character. Costume designer, Catherine Martin, nominated for The Great Gatsby, explains: "That's the job of a costume-the actor is the transformer. The actor with the script and the director really make the story, and the costume is there to support the process." (From FIDM exhibit notes) What would The Great Gatsby be without the lined suits of Tom Buchanan's Yale pedigree or Daisy's glittering headpieces and gorgeous Prada evening gowns? Also, on display are costumes from American Hustle including several of Rosalyn's frocks as well as some of those low-cut ensembles Amy Adams wore so well as Sydney. American Hustle's Costume Designer, Michael Wilkinson, is among those nominated for an Oscar this year.

** For full article, please click HERE**

Other Treasures Near FIDM (Downtown Los Angeles)

After you've completed your cultural excursion to FIDM's museum, take advantage of downtown L.A. While I was there, a friend and I walked from the Fashion Institute to     The Bradbury Building (304 S. Broadway.) Originally built in 1893, The Bradbury Building is known for both its architecture and its appearances in films such asBladerunner, 500 Days of Summer and The Artist.

The Bradbury's exterior is rather understated, but walk a few steps inside and you'll see what all the fuss is about. The building's interior houses a central court and atrium that beautifully allows natural light to illuminate the cascading staircases and highlight the ornate filigree ironwork that's seen throughout the building.

The Fashion Institute Of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) hosts the 22^nd Annual Art Of Motion Picture Costume Design February 11 - April 26, 2014.

FIDM Museum & Galleries: 919 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90015
Gallery hours are: 10:00a.m. - 5:00p.m. (Tues - Sat) 

** The exhibit is FREE and easily accessible from the Los Angeles Metro Red Line. 

Please note:Photography is not permitted inside the exhibit. FIDMmuseum.org

The Bradbury Building is located at 304 S. Broadway, Downtown Los Angeles.
The building is open to visitors from 9:00a.m. - 6:00p.m. (Mon -Fri) and
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Sat/Sun)

Copyright © 2014 by KLiedle

UPDATE: LOUIE coming back plus Louis CK's new FX Pilot Announced

Along with sharing the good news that the thirds season of LOUIE goes into production next month, FX just revealed that they've greenlit a new pilot with Louis C.K.  Few details have emerged, but fellow comic, Zach Galifianakis is set to star.

Louie has a development deal with FX Networks through his company, Pig Newton.  This pilot would be the first show under that deal.

Louis C.K. TCA Panel 2014

FX Orders Comedy Pilot from C.K.

Louis C.K. Inks Deal

Written content © 2014 by KLiedle

We're All Mad Here... Happy New Year!

"Then it doesn't matter which way you walk," said the cat."
"So long as I get somewhere," Alice added as an explanation.
"Oh, you're sure to do that," said the cat, "if you only walk long enough." [ Alice In Wonderland]

******

I'll keep walking... even though I don't really know where I'm headed.  Here's to living life in 2014.  For me, it's the journey and the people I've met along the way that make all the difference.

Thank you to all the phenomenal people in my life (and the readers of this blog.) May you all have a Happy New Year!!!

~KLiedle

Manny & Bob's Insane Weekend: Coming To A Theater Far, Far Away...

Here's the link to an 80's flavored movie-trailer spoof written and directed by It's Always Smoggy In L.A. creator, Scott Vogel. All of the actors worked hard as did our stellar camera man, Alec Meero, and we all had a blast making it. Enjoy the trailer for a movie that doesn't actually exist.

P.S. Watch for me (KLiedle) as the bad ass aunt who not only gets a clone, but gets to shoot a gangster.

Taxes: Can't A Guy Get A Little Peace And Quiet?

I remember the days when I did my own taxes.  I had this brilliant idea to do my taxes during the Academy Awards telecast every year.  I'd challenge myself to be completely finished by the time they announced Best Picture. Most of the time I succeeded, but only in the years when the telecast was close to 4 hours long.

I'm not a numbers person and I hate math and I always felt like if the government would get it right the first time, none of us would have to do taxes. Ever.  Luckily, these days I have an accountant to do the numbers work for me now.  It's totally worth it.  Taxes make me irritable.  

This classic sketch from The Carol Burnett Show totally reminds me of the frustrating, confusing years when I did my own taxes.  It also reminds me of my grandfather.  At our cabin, he had a poster on the wall that simply said:  "All I want is a little peace and quiet."  

To everyone in the good ol' U.S., good luck filing your taxes.  There's still over a month left before the deadline!    

Copyright © 2013 by KLiedle

  

After A Movie Wraps

I just arrived home after being on-location for 4 months working on a feature called "Nebraska." 

When they make the final call, "That's a wrap!" everyone involved in the making of the film has mixed feelings.  Usually those feelings are a combination of elation, relief, and sadness.  I know this was true for me.  As a tribute to my fellow cast and crew members and to the collaborative process of it all, I wrote the following...

Cinema

An idea, a character, a journey

A writer wishes upon a star

A director takes the wand

We all come together now

Hoping to tell a story,

Bring it to life in all its glory

Mold a script into something

Everyone can see—

Beauty and reality,

Emotion and heartbreak,

Moments that matter,

Opportunities that scattered—

In dust along a gravel road

Costumes, Construction, Art

Locations, Casting locked,

Actors become characters,

It’s more than fiction now

Black and white we see—

The shadows and the light

Truth and human failings,

Relationships worth saving

Before we know it,

The journey for us ends

Now it awaits the theater,

Awaits the crowd,

This film to share—

That will make us proud

There’s no recipe to create—

A movie with a blessed fate

Worth the heartache and the pain

We did it all together

To create this story,

Told within the frame.

© 2012 by KLiedle

All rights reserved

Cinema Under The Stars

 There's something about the collective nature of the moviegoing experience that transcends advancements in technology.  

Despite the ease and convenience of Netflix, Redbox, Video-On-Demand, Internet TV, and premium cable channels, people have a yearning to gather together to enjoy good storytelling.

Cinema is a visual medium that allows each of us enjoy, experience, learn from, and process the human experience.  It's easy to lean back in an easy chair, a bowl of popcorn by our side, and hit the remote.  What's far more enriching is to experience cinema in the company of others-- in the company of strangers even.  It's through cinema that we discover that as humans, our similarities outweigh our differences.  

Now that drive-ins are nearly extinct and movie tickets keep rising, many communities host sponsored summer movie events in outdoor venues.  Many of these are FREE, some request donations, and nearly all the rest are reasonably priced.   Most outdoor summer movie events feature popular audience choices, family favorites, and classic film fare.

Recently, I went to "Screen On The Green" at the National Mall in Washington D.C.  The final offering for the season was Psycho.  It was a picturesque setting to watch a classic Hitchcock film-- one of my favorites indeed.  (Plus, I got to see the sunset at The Washington Monument.)  An amazing amount of people showed up at the event.  They scoped out their territories early, as is usually the case at these events.  Overwhelmingly, this was a young audience.  Some of them may have been seeing Psycho for the very first time.  My friend and I had a blast!

The Academy also introduced Oscar Outdoors at their new open-air theater in Hollywood this year.  Screenings take place on Fri and Sat nights.  The last one I'm aware of is Friday, September 7 (Julie and Julia.)  Be forewarned, many of those screenings have SOLD OUT.  

If you're afraid of the dark and spooked by dead people, you may want to skip this next one.  Cinespia Cemetery Screenings are a popular and a fun option for people who live in and around the L.A. area. There, you can watch films under the stars and amid the headstones-- in case you've ever had a hankering to combine those two things.  

In New York City, The NYC Parks hosts a wide variety of outdoor film festivals and screenings during the summertime.  Other sponsored outdoor movie screenings take place in and around NYC during the summer, too.  Most I saw were FREE.  Recent findings:  Upcoming screenings in Bryant Park, Astoria Park, Staten Island, etc through September 6, 2012.

All communities should have access to cinema because cinema is the history of where we've come from, where we are, and where we're going. 

Check your local listings to see if your area hosts summer movie screenings before the summer's out!

© 2012 by KLiedle

Forever A Golden Girl

 With Mother's Day coming up next weekend, I made a point to go to the post office today and mail off my mother's package.  Sure it's another icky commercialized holiday, but celebrating mothers and grandmothers and ALL women who have contributed to our lives in maternal ways is important.  

For one thing, without mothers-- we cease to exist.  All of us.  That's sort of important, now isn't it?

Three years ago, I put together a photo montage video to celebrate my grandmother on the occasion of her 90th birthday.  It's important to remember:
 

In our family histories, we are connected to all the mothers who came before us.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom AND Grandma!  Love you both a hundred million billion... !!!

****

Did you know that several films admitted into the National Film Registry are essentially home movies?  [This fact surprised me.]  

Have you heard of Home Movie Day?  The next one's October 20, 2012.

Home Movie Day is a celebration of amateur films and filmmaking held annually at many local venues worldwide.  Home Movie Day events provide the opportunity for individuals and families to see and share their own home movies with an audience of their community, and to see their neighbors' in turn. 
 [From www.homemovieday.com]

© 2012 by KLiedle
(with the exception of content from homemovieday.com above)

The Mysteries Of A Cult Film

Not too long ago, I stumbled across a documentary entitled, Best Worst Movie. I was intrigued. Just how bad was this film? Was it truly the best of the worst? The documentary had four stars so I thought, "What the hell?" Besides, much can be learned from a really bad film.

Best Worst Movie was a very entertaining look at a 1989 film I'd never heard of: Troll 2. The cast of characters interviewed in the documentary [many of whom were directly involved in the making of the film] appear to be equally astounded by the underground cult status the film has reportedly acquired. Some of them have gone on to pursue acting-- conveniently leaving the Troll 2 credit off their resume. Others laugh at the long ago experience they had on the film, as if it's become folklore in their own histories.

Apparently, people rave about how truly awful Troll 2 is. They have parties to celebrate its awfulness. A few people even say they watch Troll 2 weekly. After seeing the documentary, a few friends and I determined one thing: we had to see it for ourselves.

Over the weekend, I finally saw Troll 2. At its core, the film is about a little kid named Joshua and his family in the small town of Nilbog. The townspeople, all goblins (nilbog spelled backwards) are trying to turn the family into plants so they can eat them. The Nilbog goblins, of course, are all vegetarians. Why there isn't enough vegetation for them to survive in a rather green area surrounded by a pristine lake somewhere in small-town America is never explained.

There is no original Troll, by the way. Just a sequel without a prequel. Additionally, the acting is predictably atrocious and the film itself is way too brightly lit to be successful in even the lowest-budgeted of horror films. The film meanders wildly. There are hardly any night scenes. There aren't even any trolls. There should be a drinking game for every time the little kid says, "Grandpa." Then there's that strange make-out scene involving a woman in black garters, a corncob and an eventual passionate explosion of popcorn all around them.

[Note: In re-reading this description, I almost make it sound like Troll 2 is actually entertaining. It's not. Just bad...really, really BAD.]

There is no clear-cut definition of a cult film. However, it's generally accepted that a cult film is a film that wasn't embraced when it was originally released, but given time, has caught on and/or generated a following with niche audiences. Usually, there is a very active communal following for cult films-- as with films such as The Big Lebowski and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Some people may disagree, but Troll 2 is far from being the best worst movie. I wouldn't even necessarily consider it a cult film. It's just a bad movie-- plain and simple. I don't think I could even sit through it again, let alone celebrate its badness in a cult fashion. Even the worst cult films have some entertaining qualities that make you want to come back for more. Not me.

NPR: What's On Your Cult List?

Definitions Of Cult Cinema

Lebowski Fest: All Things Lebowski

©2012 by KLiedle

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