:: The Every So Often When I Decide to Post Blog ::

:: Saturday, January 25, 2003 ::

Day 4

After a particularly uninteresting night of work. I, on a whim, got into see a movie at the end of my shift that think will become the hippest movie to come from the Sundance premieres.

Dot the i

It starts out like it's this perfectly fine and eccentric romantic comedy with a love triangle and before you know it does a complete 180 on you've set the course for a whole different kind of film. It's the coolest thing ever. The chick who plays the lead Natalia Verbeke will, if I have my way, give J-Lo a run for her money in the hottest Latino in films. She's just a treasure to look at. And a great performance by everyone involved. When this film gets released CHECK IT OUT.

Other than more food and work.
:: Matt 1:16 PM [+] ::
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Day 3

What a kookie night busy as all heck.

Firstly, no movies I'm horribly interested in seeing so I decide it's sleep day. Still recovering from Travel day (and the night before most likely.) I egt up putz around on the TV shower make my way to BK for a 6 dollar (!) value meal and then it's time.

AND LET THE HELL BEGIN.

Show 1 was The Singing Dective and who shows up? Robert Downey Jr. Good guy. Nice. Short. He took pics with people and some poor who's camera didn't work and it took three tries. Robin Wright Penn looking too thin. And Katie Holmes looking incredibly shy. ET, Xtra all there it's huge. Millions of people trying to get in some pretty rude.

But then came the movie I was waiting for. It stars Al Pacino. And he's gonna be here. I'm part of the crowd control holding a throng of people back. He comes through the line. Photos flash. I, beause I always stupidly talk to celebrities say as Al passes. "what's up?" I'm an idiot. He turns to me in the Pacino way and says "You look cold." "sure is." I follow and he pats me on the shoulder. The rest of this week can suck for all I care. I talked to Pacino and then he touched me.

Now if only I could have thought of some awesome Pacino quote.
:: Matt 1:16 PM [+] ::
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Day 2

Training. Woke up at 8 in the morning. Got to the massive volunteer training. I was an hour later. My clock was never reset.

Ate.

Back home for a nap.

More training this time at our place of work. Eccles. The largest (and I must say) coolest theater at Sundance.

But I did a lot of walking. I got lost. I added it up.... I think I walked three miles. That day.

Then the free volunteer screening.

Movie Review #1 Raising Victor Vargas (these will be posted shortly)

Movie Review #2 Confidence (these will be posted shortly)
:: Matt 12:48 PM [+] ::
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Day 1 Part 2

So off the plane into the van that will take me forty minutes and a couple thousand feet away from Salt Lake City. In the van Publicists out the wazoooo all talking about the photo shoots and interviews they need to set up with their actors like Forrst Whitaker and Stanly Tucci. I talk about my film a bit and they sad to hear everything blew up. But they did give me this advice. "Remember it's always easier to beg forgiveness later." This is in regards to the use of Allen's music. Interesting.

IN Park City.... It's like one Maybe two I egt there get my Schwag, get my key. But I can't check into my room at the place till four. I have 4 hours to kill the volunteer isn't open I'm tired as all shit and I'm lugging my damn heavy luggage around.

Here I run into Rachel who I hung out with a bit last year. Thank god. First words to her are "Sorry about the Packers." She's a cheese lovin WiscAHnsonnite. We talk about our respective movies. Mine done(?) hers underway.

I hit my room. It's a loft. I'M ON THE COUCH! No privacy the loft is open with two beds.

Two of my four roommates are there. Charlie Brown and his woman. I had so many Chuck Brown jokes flowing through my head ( Hey where's Snoopy.... Is that Linus' blanket?) but I figured he'd heard them all before. So I didn't. His wife was nice too. Not the redheaded little girl though. :)

I turn on Friends... something familiar and quickly nap. An hour later we get some food and hiot the volunteer party. Rachel and I sit in the balcony watching the fun drinking Bloody Mary's. MMMMM good. I grab a beer for $3.75 (!) and realize between my lack of sleep, the altitude and the drinks.... we're pretty tipsy like. We're ready to hit out respective beds when I check the clock 9:15.

9:15!

Technically it's 10:15 Central time. I've been up for 16 hours no wonder I'm a bit crazed. But guess what.... my day doesn't stop.

Back in the Room I meet Cam and Aaron my rommates. GOod guys they've worked it before. And guess whast we talk for another good 3 hours. it's finally near midnight and my body drops from exhauston.

What a gloruiously wierd and tiring day. As I'm writing this many days from Day 1 it doesn't get odder than this.

On to Day 2.

:: Matt 12:44 PM [+] ::
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DAY 1

The somewhat heated response about my friends in the previous post should fill you up to where I start which is:

4:23 I "come to" standing in the middle of my room looking at my alarm clock wondering why it's making this horribly irratating noise. I stumble into the shower do a quick scrub down before the trip.

5 AM I'm on Highway 13 and it sucks as always. I'm in and out of it got some milk and yummy.

6:55 Wingspan gets me into the airport.

8:30 My time line begins to Blur. Between sleep and time zone changes I have no idea what time it is. Next Stop Denver. On the plane I'm in the middle seat between a firly hot chick and a scary man. I do nothing about either.

In Denver I eat a hot dog and a coke for 5.50. I arrive at my gate and see six young guys in blue suits white shirts and it dawns on my where I'm really going. Salt Lake City. The home of the Mormons. Honestly I don't know alot about the mormons but they always kinda of creep me out. Lucky me I'm behind them. They talk of their actors including the "late" Chris Farley amd the "late" Sir Alec Guiness. I've never understood the point of adding the late on the front of dead people.

I should also add I have a wondow seat and I'm pressed up against the glass sitting next to a guy so huge he had to lift up the arm rests to sit down. This is always a big joke but I've always been lucky... no this time. Huge guy with a wierd smell. I try and sleep.... Except that a few minutes later my head THONKS against the wall. Turbulence. but not your average turbulence it's like serious knock you way off course changing altitude turbulence. A little on the scary side. but I, perhaps, dumbly have faith in the cockpit. As it turns out my faith was in the right place. I figured the Mormon kids in front of me had the whole God thing taken care of.

I'll write more this is only half of Day1..... so much more to tell but work is calling. Literally.
:: Matt 4:24 PM [+] ::
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I really shouldn't be up. My plane leaves for Salt Lake City at 9:50 and I'm leaving SGF at 5. My friends who I love, but hate, made me drink with them before leaving. As If I wouldn't be drinking with them forever or something.... it's only 12 days I'll be back.

Anyway, I'll give you the insider scoop as best I can hopefully this will work out.

Wish me luck and hope you hear from me soon,

Matt
:: Matt 2:44 AM [+] ::
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It's rare I ever post anything about a single movie.... the below an exception some may say. But I just watched For the Love of the Game and by gosh it's really good. It taught me three important things about films.

1. Kelly Preston is hot.

2. Sports movies with Kevin Costner are always good.

3. You just can;t go wrong with Sam Raimi. This guy.... man, I tell you what, I will never doubt a movie this guy makes. So far for me he's batting 1.00. First, looking at the Evil Dead films.... I mean he was 18 or so and these flicks.... great. Schlock horror and good sense of humor. Then Darkman. Liam Neeson and Frances McDermond in a super hero film. Then The Quick and the Dead. Gene Hackman, Leonardo, and Sharon Stone... in a western. GOod Stuff.

Moving on he directed A Simple Plan with Billy Bob, Bill Paxton and Bridget Fonda (who if you ever noticed made an appearance in Army of Darkness.) Good film with a greeat little twist at the end that makes it all worth while. Then this little 1999 film which I just saw and love.

I missed The Gift.... though I'm looking it up now..... and finally Spiderman. I mean Spiderman, you can't go wrong with this film and HE made it GREAT! I followed this guy since I saw Army of Darkness back in 95 (thanks to Jeff) and can't wait to see Spidey 2 in 2004 and whatever else this guy brings to light.

Long Live Sam Raimi.

PS I hate sounding like a FanBoy.

:: Matt 5:43 AM [+] ::
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I wrote a bit on my rants page about what I think is funny and why comedy is comedy and why I think I too am funny.

I had set out to write a great thesis on what people think is funny and what they think the funniest jokes in the world are.

But luckily, (as in I just don't have the time to do such a thing) the British Government spent some time finding out what's funny for me.

So go here. http://www.laughlab.co.uk/

This is my favorite bit, and I cut and paste:

Finally, many European countries, such as France, Denmark and Belgium, liked jokes that were somewhat surreal, such as:

An Alsatian went to a telegram office, took out a blank form and wrote:
“Woof. Woof. Woof. Woof. Woof. Woof. Woof. Woof. Woof.”
The clerk examined the paper and politely told the dog: “There are only nine words here. You could send another ‘Woof’ for the same price.”
“But,” the dog replied, “that would make no sense at all.”

That's the best joke, I htink.

But please explore their sight I know the British Government would want you too.

In other news.....

The Lord of the Rings four disk set is the coolest DVD I think I own.... that is till all six Star Wars films are released...... But all the amazing stuff and the new cut of the film are freaking great. I, never having read the books, can say, without looking too much like a geek, that this is the coolest story ever told. Two Towers picking up right behind is was spectacular and I can't wait to see how Return of the King finishes us off.

Ahhhhhhh, good filmmaking. Great stories. It doesn't get any better than this. *pshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh of a can opening*


:: Matt 1:18 AM [+] ::
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2002: In Memoriam


Weird. I remember being young enough to think that not only would be 2002 be a strange yet bizarre year to live in but that I too would be 29 (oddly I’m still that age) and married and my acting career would be something of an amazement ot anyone who ever knew me and that I’d have at least one child named Obidiah. Why Obidiah, I don’t know, but maybe I would make his middle name be Juan and he could be Obi Juan Gauck. I was also ingenious in thinking I could name my son Skyler Walker Gauck. Ah, so young, so naïve, as to believe any woman might actually go for that.

But here sits another year and WOW what a piece of crap 2002 has been for me. The only highlight seems to be that 2002 is a palindrome. (as would “rise to vote sir” if you follow that crazy Simpsons show.)

But 2002 has stunningly reminded me that I am not the man I thought I’d be nor would I have the encouraging influences that I thought would always be there.

Firstly, loss of my mom. What a great motivator she was. Always telling me to move off and find that acting career when I would rather lazily have it handed to me. She’d be constantly on my ass to move off to some big city and get myself “out there.” (So glad I gave her that phrase.) But now she is gone and hopefully wherever she may be she can keep that insistent voice in the back of my head to get the hell out of Springfield and and find what lies beyond. May she also have the ability to grant me the courage. I mean when your young you don't think your mom, at some point won't be there. Secondly, she's supposed to be there when actually make it in your chosen field.

What a revealing note this takes me to.
So, since I can’t have that, I must move on.

2002 also brought about the demise of my independent film I started a quest to make three years ago. And although it’s completed it may never see the light of day. This is all very sad. I could go into a lengthy diatribe on this… but I might as well save it for the bootleg edition commentary that may soon find it’s way on some doorsteps. And some of which no may ever know about for fear of being sued.

2002 brought about the loss of friends to moves. Away they went making life in SGF so much more harder to bear.

There were a few good bits personally as far as deuce double aught deuce. My friends have gotten stronger. I went to Sundance. And I got a new car.

In the end, you weigh the two.

I always joked in high school, "Life Sucks and then you die." I never wanted that to be true.

Well this years New Years was quite grand. The pix are on my pix page. Check the link here.

Happy New Year and hopefully all ours will be better than last year was for me.

:: Matt 5:23 AM [+] ::
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