WHAT I DID TODAY THAT WILL HELP ME BE A better FILMMAKER!

I like that phrase, it is a good motivator and cuts through the crap. I found it on a blog call "themudthebloodthebeer" written by John C. hailing from bean town. When I'll use that phrase (steal it I will, thank you John C), I may modify it to read "WHAT I DID TODAY THAT WILL HELP ME BE A BETTER ARTIST!" as my creative interests and endeavors reach beyond filmmaking right now. Like what? you might ask, and rightly so as I haven't seen fit to share whatever it is I'm up to with the likes of you two (or three) that stop by once a month. OK, the glove has been thrown down, so I guess it's put up or shut up time. Fine. Check this out.


What the hell is that? You might ask. Well, I'll tell you. That's a drawing (black ball point pen on paper) I recently did of an African mask from "Guere-Wobe, Liberia". It's copied from a photo in a great book called "Masks of Black Africa" by Ladislas Segy and according to the caption, "This mask was designed for the prevention of disease and for use in exorcism rituals.". It creeped me out the first time I saw it. There's something very dark about this mask, something mysterious. What compelled me to draw this piece was the fantastic textures and the bold shapes. I can noodle around losing myself in that stained fabric all day long and did.

So when I ask myself that question, "What did I do....etc", today, I have an answer.

zahdah,

OK HW

February Hiking Report

I fell six miles short of the 50 mile monthly average I need in order to hit my goal for the year. Not too big of a deal, but I need to be vigilant or that six miles will become sixty. Despite temperatures in the teens and twenties, I still managed to get out most weekends and I'm getting used to the cold weather hiking. As with most things, the biggest barrier to getting out is mental. If you think it's too cold to hike, then it will be. When I've been out there trudging through the snow covered trails and find my spirit sagging a bit, I think of Mt. Fuji, my current dream hike and how any slight discomfort I feel now, will help me be prepared for Fuji when the time comes. There's a quote (can't recall who said it) that goes, "Do a difficult thing when you can, so you are able to when you must." (my bolding). That saying never fails to motivate me, the truth of that thought is unavoidable. Onward.

Crypto-Hack

I got a soft spot for crypto-related stuff. I'd like to believe in Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster and UFOs, makes the world a more interesting place. From time to time, I'll surf up a few favorite sites just to see what new weirdness is floating around. One of those sites was "Crypto-blog", a blogger site coming out of North Carolina that gathered some of the more interesting tidbits on Bigfoot and the rest. The last time I visited ole' CB, I noticed it was taken over by someone new, someone who wasn't interested in lake monsters and such. I didn't think much of it, sites, particularly blogs come and go all the time, so I clicked on the next link and moved on. Until today when I got an e-mail from Jeff, the creator of the Crypto-blog, letting me know he'd been hacked! Ouch. He's working on getting the site rolling again soon and I'll be sure to post an update. Hang in there Jeff.

I'm not dead yet....

My how the time does fly. To the three people who regularly hit this woefully neglected blog, I apologize for the lack of words in the last month. Have no excuse. Have had the time and many things occur to me to blog about, just don't make the leap to keyboard. I'll make no promises to post more in the future, why kid each other right? I'd only do that to let myself off the hook, talk is cheap after all. Walking the walking is what counts, which is my ultra smooth segue to LAST month's hiking report.

My hiking goal for 2006 is 600 miles, down 50 miles from last year, so need to average 50 miles a month. Started the year off right with 51 miles, some a tiny lead. February has been tougher and it's looking iffy as to whether I'll hit the mark. Have started a new, full time job, so no longer have all that free time that I didn't when I was a "man of leisure". Even so, no excuses, there is always a way to accomplish the things that need to be done.

A "Zank" update. Have entered the lad into two festivals; The Brooklyn Rooftop Film Festival Series and Richmond, Virginia's James River Festival. I'll keep you posted on what happens.

OK HW

I memed myself...

Picked up this Meme from Bill Cunningham's blog DISContent.


What was your earliest film-related memory?

Going to see the original Doctor Dolittle when I was about four years old. The scenes of the giant snail and moth really made an impression on me as did the ship wreck scene. Something about the furniture and parts of the ship all over the beach made sense to my wee little brain at the time.

Name two favorite lines from movies:

Dr. Sentz - "Everything was fine until dickless here shut off our containment grid."
NY Mayor - "Is that true?"
Dr. Venkman - "Yes it's true. This man has no dick."
Ghostbusters (1984)

[Norris' head grows legs and tries to walk away]
Palmer: You gotta be fucking kidding.
The Thing (1982)

(Guess I'm stuck in the eighties)

Jobs you'd do if you could not work in the "biz"

-- Forest Ranger
-- Book Store Owner
-- Travel Writer

Name four jobs you actually have held outside the industry:

-- Assistant Manager at a book store
-- Graphic Artist
-- Sculptor
-- Dish Washer

Three book authors I like:

-- Jack Kerouac
-- Charles Bukowski
-- William Gibson

Name two movies you would like to remake or properties you'd like to adapt:

1. Kamandi: Last Boy on Earth - This was a 70's DC comic series by Jack Kirby that basically was cashing in on the Planet of the Apes craze, but took things to the next level with all kinds of talking critters, mutants and aliens too.

2. Hollywood by Charles Bukowski - Probably his funniest novel and would make a great bookend to Barfly.

Name one screenwriter you think is underrated:

Richard Price particularly for "Color of Money"

Three people I'm tagging to answer this meme next:

Neil Bruce
John Oak Dalton
ScriptWeaver

Let the door knob hit ya 2005, where that dog should've bit ya. (Plus the year end 2005 hiking report)

Last week I was sitting in The 400 Club in Altoona, Wisconsin having a cold one and writing to my friend Lord Scott Nelson (Lord in nickname only) when two flannel shirt wearing locals started reflecting on the year 2005. "Worst fuckin' year ever! I'll be glad to see the ass end of it. Good riddances I say. 2006 has got to be better.". Hear, hear. While personally it wasn't a terrible year, globally a lot of folks suffered from all manner of catastrophe and I'm sure they too are glad to see 2005 come to a close. With the news dominated by one major crisis after another, at times it seemed the forces of doom and chaos were getting a leg up and all I got to say is Buddha bless Jon Stewart and The Daily Show for wringing laughs out of the misery. Lose your sense of humor and it's really over.
Onward. So, I'm sure you are hanging on the edge of your seat wondering, "Did Hal actually complete his hiking goal of 650 miles for 2005?". Well, as you can see from the progress bar to the right, I did indeed hit the mark and tacked on an extra mile for luck. The last miles fell on New Year's Eve, when I took a fine, eight mile hike out past the Erie Canal to the airport and back. I got to admit that I didn't feel like hiking much that day, but then that's the purpose of the goal, to keep me moving. For 2006, I've decided to scale back a little bit to 600 miles. I feel I need to balance my time better and have allowed my screenwriting and film ambitions slide too much, so the extra time and effort will go to that end.
As far as New Year's resolutions go, I prefer to choose more concrete goals and last year my enthusiasm got the better of me with thirteen goals, many of which were quickly neglected. This year focus will be the theme and I will keep the list shorter by half. I'll post that list soon, until then I here's wishing us all a safe, productive and gentle 2006.

OK HW