I may be poor, I may be black, I may be ugly, but dammit- I'm here.

If you ever want to trap yourself in a long conversation that you can't get out of, ask me about me about The Color Purple.

After reading it Freshman year in college, it quickly became my favorite book. Since then, I read it every year (whenever I can get the book back in my possession - it being my favorite, I loan it out a lot to share the experience).

So of course, I've seen the movie and of course I wanted to see the musical. The moment the banners were hung outside the Pantages on Hollywood and Vine, I knew I'd be forking over the money (33 bucks! Not even that bad) to see how the book translated to the stage.



So real quick, for those of you that don't know the story - The Color Purple is the story of Celie, a poor illiterate black woman who was twice impregnated by her father, and sold off to another black man to care for his children. After completely abandoning her faith in God, Celie finds strength in the women around her to accept her role in life. Deep shit, right?

Not in this musical. That caught me off guard. The material is treated almost like a comedy and it was jarring. I had so many tonal expectations for the piece, thinking I was about to watch the African-American equivalent to a Les Mis, or a Phantom. I was anticipating dark and moody- instead, I got a lively & Gospel-y musical. It threw me completely off. It wasn't the Color Purple that I knew, loved and expected.



The first black woman to come into Celie's life is Sophia (we saw the actress who originated the role on Broadway-got a Tony nomination) and from the moment she marches on the stage she's a comedic role. She was an excellent comedic actress, but again, not what I expected.

The next woman is the sexual Shug Avery. Holy hell, this woman was my absolute favorite. The more I think about the musical, the more I love this actress/this character/this part. My favorite from the book, Shug is to sex what Sophia is to brute strength. Shug is also the one who opens Celie's eyes to what God really is.

"I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it."



With Shug Avery, the musical got right, what the movie got wrong. It kept the lesbian undertones. It's a tough sell. It was abandoned in the movie (and noticeably so). Celie has been abused by men, so naturally she opts to stay away from them. To keep herself closed off. She meets Shug, the epitome of sex (something she doesn't know) and immediately falls for her. It's part of her journey in accepting herself.

And the play hit it spot on. Their relationship is raw, and difficult. When Shug leaves (spoiler!) it hurts.

Fantasia shone as Celie. She completely embodied the role (and quite physically) and where I normally can't stand her voice (blasphemous? maybe) it worked perfectly for the down trodden character of Celie. And she can act! Boy, can she act. Her "I'm Here" is powerful. She absolutely brings down the house in act two. Brings it down, then builds it right back up again.



I abandoned my tonal expectations in act two and saw the musical for what it was. A celebration. A celebration of life and being here. It acknowledged the bad - but you can't live in it. It really made me take another look at the entire adaptation process and I can say this much: They got it right. It's not the book, but it shouldn't be. I know that now. It's hard because I'm so close to the book, but the themes came across and that's what's important.

If the book has my heart, this musical has my soul.

"I may be poor, I may be black, I may be ugly, but dammit- I'm here."

I'm none of those. (Okay- I'm one of those, maybe 2) But no matter who you are, there is always a time where you see nothing but your faults. You see nothing but the bad. When this happens, as The Color Purple reminds us, you've got to just accept yourself and remember that you're here.

And I am.

SBIFF: Booze and Waiting for Forever-Day Two Recap

BOOZE

We got up Sunday afternoon with these intentions: Mimosa Brunch, CRAZY HEART (with Jeff Bridges Q&A) and MIDDLE MEN.

We soon realized that we weren't going to make it to both movies, due to an overlapping time situation, so we let go of MIDDLE MEN, opting instead to try and hit CRAZY HEART. But, a late start and too good a time at Sharkeez resulted in us missing our movie.

We were too late for brunch, so we got lunch- and while we did have solid food, I would be amiss to not call this lunch "liquid."

A margarita, fajita and several sips of these shared bucket drinks later and I am shitty. I wasn't alone in this though. We had such a good time (the ten of us that ended up at lunch) sitting around talking and drinking and eating that we gladly missed the time to get in line for CRAZY HEART. We had a back up option: WAITING FOR FOREVER.

WAITING FOR FOREVER didn't start for another couple of hours after lunch, so Sarah and Denny and I wandered State Street. We ended up in Sephora, where Sarah needed to buy make-up and Denny and I drunkenly tried on all of the colognes. We smelt terrible.

WAITING FOR FOREVER

We got into WAITING FOR FOREVER and aside from knowing it was a romantic dramedy, we knew nothing else.

WAITING FOR FOREVER is the story of a juggler who follows his childhood love around as she moves from city to city.

"Being in a place where I know I might see you is better than knowing I'll never see you."

When the time comes for him to tell her how he feels, a multitude of obstacles pop up for him to overcome.

I loved it.

Sure it had some cliche dramedy moments (dying parents, unrequited love, quirky character traits) but it was such a solid story with such great, defined characters that it didn't matter. Tom Sturridge is a phenomenal actor - look for him to explode onto the scene. His subtlety is spot on, his charm is infectious. He perfectly embodies the lovesick nomad of Will Donner.

Bilson is loveable enough, although clearly the weakest player in the film. Richard Jenkins and Blythe Danner capture any scene they're in. As Bilson's parents - I found myself wishing for more of them. Their storyline comes to an abrupt end and frankly, I wanted more.

One thing noticeably great about this film was the cinematography. It was a gorgeous film to look at. Denny and I both noticed it. The lighting and framing is beautiful.

All in all, this is, as another festivaler put it, a cute movie. They don't make simple cute movies like this anymore. Worth seeing it - assuming it gets distribution. None of these stars are big enough to carry this movie into theaters. Is the charming character and cute story enough to give a distributor the confidence to release it? I hope so. It was the best of the three films I saw at the festival.

SBIFF: Chloe and 8 - Day One Recap

CHLOE

The first movie we (Denny, Sarah and I) saw was CHLOE, starring Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson, and Amanda Seyfried as Chloe. Getting in was hectic, we had a great spot in line, but when we got in it was already near full. We saw the movie from the third row - it just made it that much more gnar.

CHLOE is a sexual thriller. Think FATAL ATTRACTION - but hotter, so much hotter. Amanda Seyfried stars as a high class call girl whose yet to make a human connection. Julianne Moore plays a wife who suspects her distant husband is cheating on her and hires Chloe to find out. Chloe reports back to Moore, unexpectedly causing Moore to feel closer to her husband. Scared by the closeness, Moore tries to end things with terrifying results.

Well- that's what the movie would like you to believe. It is good, don't get me wrong - but leaves very little to the imagination (both sexually and in plot).

Subtlety is dead in CHLOE, hitting the audience in the face with clues (a.k.a. close-ups that the filmmakers are afraid you'd miss otherwise). Beats happen quickly, speeding through moments that should be slower, moments that need more tension, more build up, and more exploration.

Moments could have been pulled from a porn, just a warning.

The consensus among us was that we wanted to see certain moments explored more.

It's intense though, and the ending is wonderfully satisfying. Moore is gorgeous, and Seyfried has yet another versatile role. She's electrifying and proves, yet again, that she can act. Both have great dramatic moments, but I wanted more!

Should you go? Yeah. Worth seeing.

8: THE MORMON PROPOSITION

A documentary about Mormon involvement in the passing of Proposition 8. It was introduced by husbands who snuck in before prop 8 passed. Lucky them.

I went in thinking I wouldn't learn anything I didn't know. I went in thinking that it would recap everything I knew, but be great for those who are less informed about the current civil rights issue.

I was wrong. This movie went deep- tapped into a ton of shit I didn't know. It's wonderfully informative (skewed, of course - but every point made if valid.) I don't want to reveal anything, because I want you all to see it (the film got distribution) but I'll give you this fact: 22 million dollars came from the Mormons. Mostly from Utah (to pass a California Prop).

8 isn't the best made documentary- don't get me wrong, but everyone should see it to understand how the fuck prop 8 passed.

See it for the facts. Remember it for the emotion. It's strength is in the quality of information presented, and the connection it forces you to have with the victims of Prop. 8.

At the end of my day, the better film. I'm a little bit passionate about this issue, so a blog about that will come soon.

Happy Festivaling! More tomorrow...

SBIFF: The Line-Up

Heading up to the Santa Barbara International Film Festival this weekend and I'm super stoked.



Here's our line-up:






(Please note the tagline!)




(With a Q & A with Bridges afterward)




(The Closing Night Film, complete with after party)



Aside from these there will be some much needed sleeping, eating, drinking, & socializing. Maybe even a hike or two.

Complete report upon my return. Happy Festivaling!

Old Hollywood Called, I Answered

As you all know by now [and if you don't, you stumbled upon my blog in a drunken google search and have found yourself to be a loyal reader ever since, and I thank you] I have been working at RKO Pictures for about a month now. My official title is "executive assistant" which is fancy talk for office bitch.

I can't talk about much because I'm bound and gagged by a confidentiality agreement, and anything else I say of a negative nature could result in the loss of my job. So I'll spare you the frustrations, and talk of long hours. I won't talk about the employee who I want to punch in the face. I'll leave out the tid bit about how another assistant should have been hired by now and hasn't. About how I'm working really fucking hard. I'll forget to mention that assistant is also sounding board for yells.

Instead opting to tell you, I love my job. There's lots of times where it may seem like I don't. Like I can't wait to get out, move on. But at the end of the day, I'm doing something that millions can only dream of: I'm getting paid to make movies.

Sure, I only do very minuscule tasks. Sure I'm not in the credits (yet, baby) but my job, at it's very core - is essential to the final product. Believe me, if they didn't need me, I wouldn't be working here. So there you have it- any time you hear me complain. Any time I get home at 9pm after an eleven hour work day - hand me that friendly reminder. It's all I need.

RKO is doing some pretty exciting things right now, like a movie starring ******* ********* about ***** and another, a romantic comedy called *** *** **** ** *****, starring **** *****.

Sorry, that's the confidentiality agreement talking. But trust me, it's not all bad. I know what you're thinking, RKO hasn't made a movie since.... Citizen Kane, It's A Wonderful Life, King Kong (the original! [RKO sold the rights to King Kong to Universal. We didn't play a part in the remake]).

Well we're back. Ready for our second renaissance. Ready to churn out some new classics.

Everyday I'm greeted by two Oscars and a Citizen Kane "Rosebud" Sled. And while I hated the movie, I've got have respect for what it's done. It's kept us around, and it's brought me on board.

So you're wondering what I do? I assist. Plain and simple.

Coffee. Printing. Copies. Staplers. Cleaning. Packing. Organizing. Phone Calls. Emails. Meeting Scheduling. Reading. Watching. Commenting.

Any script in consideration has to go through me first. I'm the second filter (the interns are the first) which is actually pretty cool. Think of the power. Every movie you see, an assistant read that script. Liked it. Passed it on.

I'm in love with storytelling, so that's the best part of my job. It's what makes the yelling worth it.

That and the paycheck.

So thanks RKO, for walking me into the "real world." In due time, I'll walk away. I'll grow older and end up in a dream job.

But I'll owe it to you.

You hear me dream job? You hear me Focus? Paramount Vantage? HBO? Showtime? I'm coming after you next.

Chicken Soup

Being sick sucks. Being sick 3 times in 2 months sucks more.

But alas, where would I be without the familiar cherry scent of Robitussin or the chalky taste of Sudafed. What would my diet be without chicken soup, hot tea, and smoothies? The soundtrack of my life seems inexplicably empty without the deep throaty coughs that come from my toes.

But there are some things that, no matter how much having a cold sucks, can make it better:

1) Homemade soup. Bonus points if someone comes over and makes it for you.

2) 12+ hours of sleep. Bonus points if it's without waking once.

3) A warm blanket. To help facilitate that 12+ coma.

4) A personal pharmacy. Check my medicine cabinet, if you need it - I have it.

5) Friends. Subject them to your cold! Have them drag you out and force you to have a good

time. The cold will go away, bonus points if the friends don't.

6) Old movies and new movies. Watch a favorite, or rent a new one. Pull yourself out of your world and enter another world for 2ish hours. Its why movies are made.

7) A hot shower or bath. Bonus points if it's a jacuzzi [I need a friend with a jacuzzi.] Hot water does a body great.

8) Getting dressed. Sitting around in pajamas will NOT make you get better any quicker.

Put all 8 in a blender, add vitamin C, and poof! The cure for the common cold.

The Forgotten starring Julianne Moore

It happens every year. Someone is snubbed.

This is more than that.

Julianne Moore is one of the greatest actresses ever. Period. Nominated 4 time. 0 wins.

Sure, she has some minor issue choosing projects (Blindness, The Forgotten, Next)
or ends up in great projects that no one sees (Savage Grace, Far From Heaven) but-
Try and deny that she didn't stand her own in Jodie Foster's shadow in Hannibal.
Try and tell me you weren't captivated by her and Clive Owen's relationship in Children of Men. Try and argue that she didn't steal every scene she was in with Colin Firth.

As Charley, the alcoholic ex-lover to Colin Firth's single gay man - Julianne Moore triumphed. She was a mess. An absolute mess of a person, with more depth than ever hit the screen. She knew Charley. No one else could have played that role. Julianne Moore stepped into Charley's mod, sophisticated, lush of a life and never stepped away.

So where, please tell, is her nomination?

Take it away from Anna Kendrick and give it to someone who deserves it.



(In other Moore news, I'm going to see her in Chloe at the SBIFF - so stoked, and am eagerly anticipating her brilliance in the newly acquired The Kids Are Alright, opposite Annette Bening)

Ways To Stay Fit in LA

Yesterday, Mikey and I went to the batting cages in some ghetto part of LA. Nothing gets the aggression I have at my bosses out like hitting something really hard. Much to my surprise- I didn't suck. Soon each ball that came flying at me (please, keep the joke to yourself) went screaming back into the net.

Or bouncing.

Or hit the wall behind me.

But that's besides the point. When the bat and ball connected, suddenly my anger at my boss* all but disappeared.

This morning, however, it all came rushing back. In the form of pain. I am so sore, its unbelievable. So here it is- I'm going to try and get in [better] shape. I'm fat by no means, but that doesn't mean I'm fit. I want to be. So I'm compiling myself, and by default YOU a list of:

WAYS TO STAY FIT IN LA

1) Run. Walk. Jog.

You can't possibly drive down Santa Monica Boulevard in the morning without seeing a wave of runners. Every morning, afternoon, night, you name it - someone is running in LA. With so little in the name of athletic activities in the area, it is the easiest way to get in shape. Throw on your iPod and go. Run places. There's so much to do in LA, and lets be real - no one is going to care if you're gross and sweaty, because honestly, the bum behind you is grosser and sweatier.

I've tried this one. The jogging/running part isn't so much for me. But I do enjoy a walk. I'll take myself over to the La Brea Tar Pits, or down Hollywood Blvd., or to a friend's house. It takes longer- but I've got some good tunes and some great visuals. Doesn't hurt the legs so much either.

2) Bowl.

Go ahead and laugh. It can't hurt though, right?

3) Batting Cages.

The fact that I'm sore is testimony to the fact that this counts as athletic activity. Either that, or it's testimony to the fact that I don't know how to properly swing a bat. Regardless, it was a great way to spend an afternoon and it got out some of my aggression and frustration. It's not going to make my arms huge, but lets be real the only thing that will do that is steroids.

Luckily, its LA and I know just where to get them.

4) Swim.

My favorite when it's not freezing, and luckily, my apartment complex has a pool. I can stay in the pool for hours and it's a great place to think. If your apartment complex doesn't have a pool and you can't steal a friends. Santa Monica is a short drive away and there's an entire ocean to swim in. It's not at as convenient, but it's a chance to do some physical activity (hey! physical activity... there's another type that's not on this list, but for reputation's sake I'll keep it off the list. You know what I'm talking about though.) and get to the beach. Two in one!

5) Hike.

Runyon Canyon. Griffith Park. Done and done. Believe it or not, there is nature in LA, and with that nature comes some great places to hike with great views of the smog. Matt and I have gone up to Runyon a few times and it's really great. My legs scream at me by the end of it, but it's worth it. The views actually are good, and hikers are some of the nicest people you'll meet in LA.

6) Dance.

This usually happens for me when I'm intoxicated which doesn't help me physically. Maybe I'll try doing it sober. It's fun though, and again - couldn't hurt.

5) Tennis.

Mikey has a court next to his house. He and I are going to start playing. This activity only works if you have a friend. Make friends in LA and THEN use tennis as a means of staying fit.

6) Work On a Film Set.

This one is for LA kids! Film sets are hard work. Running around, constantly. Physical activity. If you work on a film set, you will be in better shape by the end of it. Unless you spend all your down time next to craft services.

7) Join a Gym.

Don't do it if you're going to compare yourself to everyone there. Unless you already have an incredible body - you WILL feel insecure walking into any gym in LA. LA is full of actors and models, all of whom won't get on TV unless they're a size 0. It's the best option, and also the most expensive. An expense I can't afford right now. One fateful day I may become a gym rat.

But don't count on it.

Mark my words though - physically fit Marcus begins yesterday.

*Blog Post on my job soon. I promise.