"One Two Three Forty Eight!!!"

If I were Mr. Burns for a day, a day like today, it might go a little something like this.




"Excellent..."

1 + 1 + 1 = Three!

Over six thousand profile views and nearly eight hundred posts later, today marks the three year blogaversary for Uninflected Images Juxtaposed. If you're interested, read when it began and why HERE.

Though I suppose it really started with John August, Josh Friedman, and John Rogers. I discovered their blogs and found them to be very informative and entertaining reads...then started exploring the links on Rogers sidebar, and landed upon Denis McGrath's Dead Things On Sticks. Holy crap....someone is writing about Canadian TV! That led to finding Alex Epstein's Complications Ensue: another Canuck writing about screenwriting and the industry up here...cool! So I stalked them online for a bit, and then decided to throw my hat into the blogging ring.

I believe I averaged 6 visits a day for a month or so (though Callaghan was right there at the beginning), but then McGrath linked to my first series of Banff TV Festival updates and visits jumped to over a 100 a day. Whoa! Of course they quickly slid back down again...but then averaged around 25 visits a day. And so it grew...more and more links led to more visits and readership slowly inched upward...eventually topping out around 4-500 a day (though I still don't know quite how to measure subscribers)...that still blows me away. I guess it's not unlike surviving this business...persistence, perseverance, and just 'not going away' tends to count for a lot.

And there's never been a master plan, I've remained true to my original mission statement...juxtaposing random thoughts about TV, movies, and music with a little bit of life, and a Canadian slant thrown in for good measure. But that kind of loose blogging 'agenda' can have its shortcomings, like how you get introduced at parties.

The following year at Banff I had the pleasure of finally meeting Alex and Denis in person...and as we stood around chatting, a small group approached.

Someone: "Hey, its the bloggers!"
Someone else: "What do you mean?"
Alex: "We blog about the film and TV industry. Mine is Complications Ensue, and I blog mostly about the craft of screenwriting; Denis here has Dead Things On Sticks and he blogs mostly about the industry and business of making television; and we're not really sure what Will's niche is."

Hahaha...that pretty much sums it up.

But I still feel honoured and privileged to be somehow included in this small circle of Canadian writers...one of 'the bloggers', as it were. I believe I mentioned this before, but last year at Banff TV fest I had the strange experience of being more recognized for the Uninflected Images 'brand' as opposed to my own name. And as recently as last month in Toronto at one of the Friday night writer gatherings at the Paddock, a small group of up and comers cornered me and someone said: "You know, you're sort of famous." I am? I replied...wondering which show I'd worked on the newbie was a fan of. "For what?"

"Your blog."

Cool. But if you'd told me I'd be hearing that three years ago, I'd have laughed out loud. Who'd have ever thunk.

When you start a blog its fun and exciting and new and you have all these war stories to tell or cool and funny nuggets of info you want to share...but eventually you use those up, and then what? Not to mention, one can get tired of one's own voice...and its easy to fall into the 'who cares what I think' trap when there are so many out there doing it better and more often. But even though output has definitely slowed of late as life got busy and it's become a struggle to come up with anything interesting to say, having a place to come to post ideas or thoughts or share cool stuff with like minds is still a fulfilling endeavor.

So thanks for still visiting and reading and commenting...that's really all one can hope for with one of these blog things. That said, I've met way more people via Uninflected than I could've possibly imagined...and even though Facebook and Twitter seems to deem blogging less and less relevant, I plan to still keep throwing stuff up here on occasion and seeing if anything sticks.

To another year.


PS When I started this little endeavor I felt I needed a hook...and decided upon ending each entry with relevant lyrics from a song. Those have fallen by the wayside as well, but in honour of today...

SONG&ARTIST? "I'm so happy for you baby
Now that you've found somebody new
I see it in your eyes, Lord it's no surprise
What he can do for you

But when I look back baby
When I look back to what we had
And I know I'm countin' good times
But there were just as many bad..."

Why TV Indeed

Jane at If This Is LA I Must Be A Screenwriter has saddled me with the Why TV? meme that's been travelling around lately:

"What made you want to be a TV writer? Was there a defining moment? Was it an awakening? Did you always know?"

And not wanting to be a poop, here's what I can say...


I enjoy writing, but since I'm not much of a journalist, a really lousy novelist, a mediocre blogger, a bad playwright, an 'only occasionally' feature film writer, and a lame poet (not to mention a rather slow 'plink plink' typist), where does that leave me?

I still like to tell stories, even seem to have a bit of a knack for it...so why TV? Well, in the immortal words of Zack Mayo (Richard Gere) in An Officer And A Gentlemen...

"I got nowhere else to go!!"





This meme stops here.

His So-Called Epic Life

This is turning into 'plug week' for some of my old friends and colleagues.

I've known filmmaker Brian Stockton for about 25 years. We met in film school at UofR, and while there scratched each others back several times, so to speak...him acting in my graduating project "Heartline", and me acting in at least one of his videos ("9 1/2 Minutes" I think). Then we went in different directions...me choosing to pursue the more commercial and mainstream world of television, whereas Brian wanted to keep it personal yet go bigger...you know, make feature films.

His collaboration with Gerald Saul resulted in the darkly amusing post-apocalypse road movie "Wheat Soup", critically acclaimed and regarded by many as Saskatchewan's first indigenous independent feature. Brian followed up that effort with "The 24 Store" (I think I had a role in it...it all kinda blurs together after a while), a precursor of sorts to Kevin Smith's "Clerks" about the proprietors of an old convenience store coping with a new 7/11 setting up shop across the street.

And then...?

Well, as we all know, it's a bitch to finance and produce theatrical features in this country. And so while Brian toiled to try to get his next longform movie off the ground, he ended up making a bit of a name for himself with several successful short films...most notably "The Blob Thing" and "The Weight of the World" (the latter produced during his stint at the CFC).


That led to The Saskatchewan Trilogy... three short 35mm films tracking his childhood growing up on the prairies and in Regina... all very personal and done with a unique blend of documentary, drama, and animation (think the opening scenes of Annie Hall and Alfie remembering his youth).


I've always enjoyed Brian's sensibility and unique take on things...sort of a Woody Allen meets Guy Madden, if that's even possible. And so I am pleased to direct you to screenings of his latest effort, "Whitmore Park".



It's playing this week at TIFF (that's the Toronto International Film Festival y'all) as part of the Short Cuts Canada Program, and is the fourth and latest installment in what he ultimately hopes to be a 8 part series of short films entitled The Epic Story Of My Life.


Here's the where and when (in Toronto of course):

September 10, 7PM - Jackman Hall - AGO
September 11, 5PM - AMC 3


Brian has a website HERE, and has also recently started blogging...check out this most excellent post on 35mm film and optical sound tracks and all that which is Dolby.

And if you are at the fest and finding it difficult to get into one of the 'gala screenings', go check out "Whitmore Park"...I know it'll be short, but sweet.

Damn Yankheads

Buffalo Days, Buttkick's weeklong version of the fair, concluded last night with a concert by Weird Al Yankovic himself. And the Yankheads (as his devoted fans like to call themselves) were out in droves.

I went more out of curiosity than anything...as in, curious to see what kind of show this long-time song and pop culture parodist would put on, since most of his 'work' has been making videos that poke fun at big-time artists songs/videos. And although I appreciated his efforts, I tended to classify Weird Al as more of a novelty act.

I was first struck by how crowded it was...the outdoor venue was packed with people of all ages, from tweens and teens to older gals and guys like me. But for all the differences in age, there did seem to be one common denominator...the 'geek' factor. I'm not sure why he appeals so much to that sector...perhaps its his persona of the gangly bespeckled smartass taking on stars and celebrity musicians to knock them off their pedestals...but nevertheless, the nerds were there, en masse.

I believe I've written here before that I shook Weird Al's hand once...it was in a Tower Records in Los Angeles, and as I was browsing I heard a small commotion over by the entrance. I noticed several people lining up at a table where Al was being seated for a scheduled cd signing. I thought....cool! It's Weird Al! And though I didn't have his cd or any interest in purchasing his cd, I didn't mind waiting the couple minutes in line just to shake his hand and say I liked his work. He smiled and said thanks. That was it...short and sweet. But as far as the fans went, it didn't matter that it was LA...lots of mousey bookwormy gals wearing horn-rimmed glasses...or pimply-faced guys wearing black socks in sandals --- the nerd factor was there too.

And not to be knocking the nerds...I would be lying if I didn't admit I have some of the geek in me. Pretty much anyone who immerses themselves in the creative side of the TV/movie business has that cross to bear to some degree. Still, Weird Al seems to be a real hero of theirs...and this was news to me.

Anyway, Weird Al and his band hit the stage hard and fast and they never slowed down. And it was, in fact, a musical comedy multimedia event more than a concert. His spoof videos played on the big screens as he performed them, and there were clips from his Al TV television program between each number (mostly to allow Al and his band to change costumes). The accordion only came out a couple of times, but when it did the crowd, as they say. went wild.

Besides performing several medley's of the numerous songs he's parodied over the years, highlights included Canadian Idiot (parody of Green Day's 'American Idiot'), The Saga Begins (parody of Star Wars Phantom Menace set to Don McLean's 'American Pie'), and Bob (parody of the Bob Dylan video for 'Subterranean Homesick Blues') which I didn't really 'get' until I found out it was all done in palindromes...which then made it very cool.

But I fell hard for 'Trapped In The Drive-Thru' (a parody of R. Kelly's truly cringe-worthy urban soap music video drama Trapped In The Closet)....watch Weird Al's animated masterpiece HERE.

He closed the night with 'the hits'... 'Living in Amish Paradise' and 'Fat', the latter replete with Michael Jackson leathers and fat suit. You knew that was the finale, there was no quick change out of that outfit. But he sent them away buzzing and laughing...no one seemed disappointed in what amounted to about an eighty minute show.

It was only today I realized how popular Weird Al still is...the fact that his parody for Trapped, for example, has been viewed on YouTube nearly 5 million times, well over a million more views than R. Kelly's original. Or the fact that his last cd release, 2006's Straight Outta Lynwood, went platinum...this after over 20 years of doing his parody thing.


Anyway, this 'novelty act' proved to me he's more than a novelty act...Weird Al put on a terrific show and the Yankheads ate it up...and I will cop to tapping my toes and smiling while watching and eating my mini-donuts.

Oh yes. You heard me. I got mini-donuts. With cinnamon sugar. Two bags in fact. I might even freeze one bag...you know, save some for later.

Save mini-donuts for later? Yikes!

Am I a Yankhead and don't even know it???

International Man of Mystery No More

Soooo...spent the last day and a bit up close and personal with friend, colleague, and fellow blogger in crime Jim Henshaw (aka The Legion of Decency) when his cross country drive back to Toronto from the left coast took him through Buttkick.

Jim (or Jimmy, as my parents still say) lived here way back when, and was one of my fathers fav acting students during Jim's stint in our University drama department program. So I was just a kid when I first met him...just before Jim headed off to LA and then Toronto to try to make it as a film and stage actor. I still remember how excited we all got when he appeared with Jack Nicholson in the opening minutes of the The Last Detail. And all got excited again when he was cast as the voice of Tender Heart in the Care Bears TV series (hey...it was a big deal! At least for the kids...).

Then, like fifteen years later, I found myself living in Toronto just after finishing film school and working in a downtown video store...and who should walk in to rent some porn was Jimmy (okay, it wasn't porn...but it could've been!). I reintroduced myself, and instead of backing out and getting the hell away from this fawning newbie, Jim was kind enough to invite me out to visit the set of a new series he was story editing for....Adderly...as he'd recently crossed over to the writing side of television. It was a long subway trip followed by a long bus ride out to the studios, but well worth it just to see the machine at work.

I moved back home, but a couple years later was back in TO attending a Robert McKee-like weekend session on directing, and there was Jim sitting in the crowd. We had lunch and within a couple weeks he'd helped coordinate a director observer position for me on the new series he was now on...Friday the 13th - The Series. And then a couple years after that he gave me my first two freelance writing assignments for the CBS show he was running...Top Cops.

All major career boosters for me...and what did I give back? Hmmm...I guess a story editing gig on my first movie Guitarman.

I think I came out ahead in that deal.

Anyway, we've remained friends over all these years (even though we actually haven't worked together that often - funny how that is)...probably mostly to do with our mutual love/hate relationship with all things that are the Maple Leafs. It was great to spend some face time together.

And Jim was even gracious enough (or too road weary to argue) to let the cameras come out (since he is picture-less over at the Legion)...to capture this rare photo op.

We started out striking the 'cool bloggers who are going to take over the biz' pose...

...then jumped on the computer to co-write the 'tell all post to beat all tell-all posts' about the Canadian film/TV industry...



...but the Canadian Club and cokes kicked in shortly thereafter and the evening quickly degenerated into a bad version of the Beavis and Butthead show...



Ah well - good times were had...and there's always another day for that monster post.

Drive safe Butthead....see you after the jump.


And it's some Austin Powers-inspired Friday Fun..."Daddy Wasn't There" (with Matthew Sweet!)





H/T to Juniper for pointing the cam and clicking.

Older...But No Wiser's?

Well, another 365 days have gone by and this old man is one year closer to the big Five-Oh.

Yikes.

And most days it feels like I still know next to nothing... especially about how to make quality entertaining TV in Canada without all the bullshit that seems to accompany that 'which shouldn't be so difficult and lofty but still is' goal here.

Double. Yikes.

So what I do know...I know that we need some new blood on this here TV/film blog circuit. Not only have the old guard been dropping like flies (my Technorati links to other blogs have dropped from 60 down to 25 in the past three months as a lot have just packed it in), but there's been hardly anyone new stepping up and joining the fray. C'mon peoples...we know you're reading, start blogging!

And I know it was inspiring to hear Denis talking smart on the Q yesterday...someone should give that boy a medal.

And it was also inspiring to hear Cunningham's talk with Kung Fu Monkey's John Rogers about all things bright and beautiful including John's new TV series Leverage. Nice one, Centaurians.

And I did buy a Blu-Ray back in November instead of a HD DVD player. After today's announcement by Toshiba, that was a smart call.

Little aside...one of the more interesting reasons I heard for the Blu-Ray triumph was that, to the average consumer, the name 'Blu-Ray' just sounded sexier and cooler and more attractive than HD DVD. Who'd have thunk it, but damn if that didn't sort of ring true for me.

And one of my students at the University nominated me for an 'Inspirational Sessional Instructor' award today...closing his/her letter with the line 'Will should be thanked for what is an utterly thankless job'. I smiled at that. Thanks mystery student.



So maybe I'm not so dumb, but still not as smart as I seem. Nevertheless, to the year gone by and to the one ahead...cheers. I'm sipping Wiser's Rye Whiskey...have a drink on me.

Once You Go HD....

...you can never go...pee?

So I've taken the plunge, though it wasn't easy. Many years of begrudgingly upgrading (8 tracks to audio cassettes --- vinyl to cd's ---- VHS to DVD) had taken its toll and made me cautious of the 'next big thing', but I gave in and got me an HD television.

Wow.

But not without some research. Weeks of looking at 8 bit vs. 10 bit video processors and 720p or 1080i vs. 1080p comparisons not to mention 60hz vs. 120hz frame rate analysis finally resulted in a purchase, and Sony won out again.

I can play with madness.

I remember when I made my first high end TV/media purchase. The year was 1990 and I dived in deep with a 27" Sony XBR and a 4 head Sony VCR. The two didn't come cheap. The TV cost $2,700.00. The VCR was $600.00. That's $3,300.00. Plus taxes. Gulp.

But what a sight to behold...they so put my 20" Citizen Television and top loading JVC VCR to shame.

That said, a similar-sized LCD High-Def Sony TV and a discounted Blu-Ray Player today...under a thousand bucks. Taxes in. Throw in the digital HD cable box with built-in PVR, and no hernia carrying the boxes from car to house...triple threat.

And the experience of viewing your favourite movie or TV show in sparkling 1080p? Sweet. Oh so sweet.

But will these new entertainment display units be dependable and last? One upside of my old Sony was that it made it through three cross country moves with several unintentional drops, bumps, and bashes, and was still ticking last year before some tube or circuit crapped out and I didn't bother repairing it. Better still was it's remote control. A tank of a hand unit, all the buttons still worked and numbers still visible, even after fifteen years of constant use. I know of two friends TV's bought in the past couple years that already have scotch tape over the battery holder and the number 3 is caput.

So we shall see.

And will I ever be able to watch analog or SD (Standard Def) channels again? My friends who'd already gone HD who warned me that they (and therefore I) can't go back. And I will admit throwing up a bit in my mouth on Saturday after flipping to the Golf Channel after just enjoying the Leafs beat the Penguins on CBC HD.

Come on 2009 (or is it 2010?)!

This article from MediaPost lists the U.S. channels actually available today, plus the hype (or lack thereof) of what's to come.

As for the future, can the images get any better, sharper, crisper? Oh, probably. But there's one thing we do know for sure....they will get cheaper. The price of the one I got has already dropped, just in time for Xmas.

Sigh.

Baby It's Cold Outside

Just like that, temps plummeted yesterday...and the six months of hell that is not spring, summer, or fall officially begins.

Minus 26 C.

Minus 39 C with the wind chill.

Frakin' freezing.

You know about wind chill, of course. That's the feels like gauge...as in, it's 26 below zero, but it "feels like" 39 below.

Sorry...doesn't feel like...it just is.

Plus more than two inches of snow. Saskatchewan in the winter...not so awesome.



Dreaming of warmer climes...y tu mamá también.

Hell And Back...

I'm presently indisposed, as they say, after driving halfway across the country and back again to retrieve eldest daughter and all her 'stuff' only to arrive home and discover one of my cats had a MONSTER diarrhea explosion all over the house.

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!

Some of the places I found shite defied all logic and physics. Seriously. NOT lol cat.


Renting a big-ass rug doctor. Wish I was TIFFing it.

"The Indigent And The Haunted...

...cling to me."

That was a Jay Leno line he told to Letterman way back before Jay took over the Tonight Show (and was still funny). He was referring to being on the road doing standup and the types of characters and personalities that would corner him after a show.

I used to work at the local library...off and on for about eight years from age 16 to age 24. I started out as a lowly Junior Page...primarily responsible for putting returned books, records, cassettes, etc. back out on the shelves - though I learned a lot about life whilst 'back in the 'stacks''. See, there were eight of us pages, seven teenage girls and me. The Magnicent Seven were highlighted by Glorious Gloria who was sweet and simple and liked long walk and talks...and Wicked Wanda, who was very well developed for her age and would say so - a young male library workers wet dream.


But I digress...

I was then promoted to Senior Page, and was able to check out items for patrons (and take overdue fines). Next I moved upstairs to the audio-visual dept., and as a Clerk 1 did the above as well as overseeing the records and audio cassettes, plus cleaning and lending the vast collection of 16mm films (before they slowly began to give way to video cassettes). I ended up downstairs in the basement selling tickets and projecting movies for what was essentially the city's only rep film theatre.

Prior to working there I practically lived at my local building of books. Regular readers of Uninflected might recollect I grew up essentially without a television, and so I read like a fiend. They knew me by name as I would trudge, bike, bus each week over to the nearest library and take out at least 8-10 books. I was the kid the librarians would ask the opinion of a book to know whether to recommend it to another patron...cuz I'd read them all.

Good times, my library days. Good times...

And while I was there, either visiting or employed, there were always 'the regulars'. Usually loners, eccentrics, oddballs, kooks...most were homeless or suffering from schizophrenia or mental illness...they were people that lived at the library more than I did. And they would park themselves in their usual chairs or corners around the library and wile away their days in the one place in town they were more or less left alone.

There was Doris, wigged and sporting too much lipstick and mascara... parading around in a fur coat all year long. And Zane, who paced and muttered loudly before spontaneously cussing and swinging wildly at an invisible assailant. And of course, Donny, who carried a large bag of rubber balls and would stack them around his chair and talk to each of them, sometimes even kissing one.


I remember being a bit freaked out by some of these people and their behavior when I first encountered them...but they were harmless and soon became familiar faces. I'd nod and say hello. And most times they'd acknowledge me. Some would take the nod as an invitation for conversation...oh my, some of the discussions I had.

"The indigent and the haunted cling to me..."

I still 'heart' my local library. These days, however, it's less for the books and more for the privilege of borrowing series TV dvd's. A couple weeks ago it was 'X Files - Season 8'. This past week it was 'L&O: Criminal Intent - Season 1' and 'The Complete Freaks and Geeks' (the latter to rewatch...swoon). And when I go I drag my kids along and insist they explore a bit and take out a couple of books. I try to impress upon them how much the library meant to me growing up, but it's tough. They usually grumble and ask 'When are we leaving?' too often.

See, times have changed. Nobody goes to their library like they used to...not with all yer computers and internets and video games and TV shows and movies. Seriously, I've gone and found the library near empty of late. Found it quiet...too quiet...and that's pretty sad if you ask me.


But a lot of the regulars are still there. I recently went through the interesting experience of my son getting freaked out seeing a now gray-haired Donny kissing his rubber balls (yes, still!). I had to convince my son that Donny was 'okay' and to not be afraid and that I actually kinda liked seeing Donny still kicking around joint. My son gave me a strange look. Then Donny glanced over and nodded at me. I smiled and waved back. But instead of responding, Donny looked around a little anxiously and then began putting his balls back in his big netted bag.

And right then and there I wondered if Donny and all the other 'regulars' had been looking at me all these years and thinking:

"The indigent and the haunted cling to me..."

SONG&ARTIST? - "You were caught on the cross fire

of childhood and stardom,

blown on the steel breeze.

Come on you target for faraway laughter,

come on you stranger, you legend, you martyr, and shine!"