…on rating movies on Netflix. The way it works is you get to rate the movies you’ve seen and Netflix tries to give you recommendations based on the movies you like and dislike. In the past 2 days, I have rated somewhere in the vicinity of 340+ movies covering many, many different genres. This is probably why Netflix seems to recommend some REALLY weird movies. I’m all about the classics, and the ones I’ve see, I’ve rated pretty high. Among the 4 or 5-star ratings are Casablanca, Vertigo, Citizen Kane, The Conversation, The Maltese Falcon. So now Netflix thinks I’m all about the classics and i get recommendations for a lot of films I’ll probably fall asleep to. I was hoping I’d be getting more recommendation for Indie flicks, but I figure I probably broke the Netflix Recommendation engine. Rating movies on Netflix is like sifting through the hotornot.com website. (yeah, so what if I did it?!)

I have now created a network of 4 friends in Netflix. With this cool little feature, your friends get to see what movies you currently have in your queue and you get to send them recommendations of movies you think they will like. The other cool thing is you get to see the ratings your friends gave. I’ll be honest – I was quite surprised to see J-Lo’s The Wedding Planner get 3 stars on Tess’ list – yeah, I busted you out! It’s really quite interesting to see which movies your friends were into. In most cases, I was able to separate myself from my emotional attachment to the story and actresses (J Alba, particularly) to give it a fair rating solely based on the quality of the film. Wheras movies like The Breakfast Club, The Goonies, Better Off Dead got 5 stars because those took me back my youth.

It’s true, though. Movies are just like music. You can love a band for their lyrics, melodies, basslines, drumlines, guitar solos, and overall kick-assness. Yet there are lame songs you just dig because it reminds you of a different time of your life – no matter how bad they are. I’ll refrain from listing these songs for fear of losing my “street cred” and scaring away all 3 of my blog-readers.

But the point of all this is I’m making a concerted effort to watch more movies. It is my ultimate goal and pipe dream. I’m sure I’ve mentioned before how the stage productions I’m doing are all just warmups for the big stage (so to speak). It is definitely good practice and an amazing opportunity for exposure, even within a limited community.

I watched Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s City of Lost Children last night and REALLY enjoyed it. I’m a fan of Amelie and A Very Long Engagement so it was cool to see Jeunet’s roots. Art Direction gave me a chubby. I think I may need to rent Alien Resurrection one more time to see if Hollywood watered him down. (I never really thought I’d get to this point where I can make my own judgement about a filmmaker’s work and stuff. Dougan always said being a film student was so cool because your homework was to watch movies.)

So right now, the directors’ whose jocks I’m currently on are:
Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Wong Kar-Wai
Steven Soderbergh

So Raf (TLE’s producer) set up an encore show for this one sorority (whose letters escape me at the moment) this past Saturday. Because of schedule conflicts, we were only able to perform a matinee show and we only lost one actor. Aivy was unavailable that day, so Aureen, played the role of Cherry in the play “That’s What They All Say”. The house was CRAZY packed – about 97 heads crammed into that small-ass space!

It was a bit strange walking into the theater to do that show. I mean, the show was over. We had a closing night afterparty. We were done. I think Jonas put it best when he said, “if the show was parodied, then it’s over.” True dat, homeboy. True dat!

As soon as folks lined up, it started to feel familiar again. Got stuck doing box for the first time, which is probably the most stressful of jobs next to being house manager. Julie, who was also a box virgin, was my tag-team partner that day. She took turns stamping, handing out tickets, getting change, and basically herding the crowd in the lobby.

Didn’t get to see much of the show this time around, although I heard some of it. PDA went pretty well. Rach, who plays Jules, mentioned it felt the best this time around. Some of the moments felt much more real, I noticed. Moments felt much more real and it sounded as if they were listening to each other as opposed to just saying the next line, and/or hitting the next beat. It was nice.

Screeching felt a bit weird for me. (I must apologize for my lack of vocabulary today. I spent about 2 minutes thinking of another word besides “weird”, but couldn’t do it today. It’s funny because Kev had mentioned last week that perhaps these past 2 scripts were a result of my long hair – a Samson and Delilah-type dealio. Strangely enough, I cut myself a mullet on Friday night and now that most of the hair is gone, I can’t seem to find the words anymore. Talk about “weird”, huh? Oops…I did it again…like Britney) So anyway, back to Screeching. There was quite a bit of anticipation on my end about how this performance would go. I know the cast probably hadn’t thought about the script or their characters for a week, at the same time, I knew they were all gamers and could bring it when the time came. The crowd seemed to be giving off some good vibes early, so I figured they would settle in no problem.

I knew from the second Matthew sat down for his first mark, it would be a different performance. The bench needed to be pushed back a bit because much of the audience had leaked to the front part of the stage. But the orientation of the bench was changed. It was normally positioned in a way where the right side of the bench is closer to the audience, whereas the left side was a bit back. It was decided this position worked best for how the actors positioned themselves to each other, and it helped the actors deliver their lines to the audience, rather than the back of the stage. But the bench was switched the opposite way. Now the actors had to overcome the challenge of their backs facing the audience during certain parts of the scene. In any case, it seemed to work itself out, but Jen did mention she needed to get used to the orientation for a bit in the early-goings.

In terms of performance, I didn’t feel as if it was as tight as previous shows. Again, this is to be expected since there was no pick-up rehearsal during the week and they were going in pretty cold. Some of the emotional moments seemed forced, almost artificial. Of course, I say this with experienced eyes that have seen this scene run dozens of times by now. Funny thing, though – some folks were saying it was the best one yet. Sandy and Jen had even mentioned it felt it was pretty strong. But despite our set mishap, and a few missed cues with lines and blocking, the crowd liked it.

My friends came out to support, which is always nice. Boba has always been good about coming out and supporting, and of course, he came to see his bench in action. So underrated, that bench. Hugo Benson and Mon came out also, along with my bro, Gelo. It was great to see them there, and I’m glad this was the show they ended up seeing. It’s been mentioned about 8 million times by now, but I’m really, REALLY proud of this show. My writing seems to be getting better with each production and I think the directing is coming around. I’m learning which techniques work for my directing style and looking forward to taking on the next project (which I have recently confirmed to be Revival Arts Productions‘ summer show at Bindlestiff).

More details about this project to come in the next few days. Stay tuned, and as always, thanks for reading…all 3 of you =P

I guess it’s not quite done yet – we have the encore matinee show next Saturday, but last night definitely had the Closing night feel. It’s has been quite a run, just to imagine where we started back in November and to where we ended up. I admit I had my reservations as to what we’d be able to come up with, but man, every expectation I had was exceeded. Each person involved with the show brought their A game and I feel this show is probably the best overall show I’ve been involved with at Bindlestiff.

I’ll refrain from too much discussion about the performances. By now, everyone was probably feeling this weird sense of being tired of saying those lines, yet a bit sad that it’s all coming to an end. By now, the actors were just out there for themselves (and the audience too, I guess) – trying to finish the run with performances they are happy with.

Sam came to watch on Friday. Yes, I was nervous. I wanted her to be happy with what we’ve all created. She did mention, however, that it played out a bit more emotional than she had pictured it. I imagine it is a similar feeling to what I had after seeing PDA for the first time. But I don’t know, I kind of had a feeling Sam would say it was a bit on the emotional tip. But then again, that particular performance was more on the weepy side of the spectrum. The Thursday and Saturday performance wasn’t quite as emotional. In any case, I hope she enjoyed seeing it. I know the crowd was feelin’ it that night. The jokes hit and when the heavy stuff came along, they were engaged – all up in it.

I thought Saturday was going to be much more packed though. I had heard rumors of a waiting list, which is pretty common for a closing night show. But by the time the doors closed, there were still some open spots along the sides. People trickled in during the first two pieces so it ended up being pretty packed towards the end. The usual closing night antics were in full effect – extra adlibs and inside jokes for the actors and crew to enjoy. There was also the parody show, where the actors are treated to a hilarious recreation of the show by the production crew and volunteers. Here, we poked fun (I was poked quite a bit, as well) at some of the individual actors’ performances, show mishaps, and other funny incidents that may have occurred during the run. I think Dino said it best when he said “if you can’t think of anything for a parody show, ass raping (preferably male) and dressing and drag never fails” Oh yeah, we had both, baby!

The highlight of the night, though, was being complimented for my work by local Filipino playwright, Jeannie Barroga. I had met Jeannie when she attended The Queue, Bindlestiff’s filmmaking workshop, as a participant. While I am not too familiar with her work, I am very familiar with her reputation. Jeannie gave me a business card once and her title read “Playwright”. I mean, she is an honest-to-God playwright! And you know, it feels pretty damn good when someone who writes plays for a living tells you she likes the work. Needless to say, I was flattered. The validation you feel when your peers commend you on your work is one thing, but when someone like Jeannie tells you, it’s entirely different. Dude, I think I’m still high off it. [SIGH]

So with another production under my belt, and a damn good one at that, I’m feeling pretty good. I think Bindlestiff has been the perfect environment for me to grow as a writer/director. I’ve put myself in a position to succeed creatively. I’ve met some wonderful collaborators and mentors. (WARNING: sissy stuff ahead) I’m very thankful for the opportunities Bindlestiff has given me. The past year and a half have been the most productive I have ever been, and the support I have received from the Bindlestiff family only inspires me to write, direct and create more. Of course, family and friends are supportive, but even they don’t have the ability to come out and see what I’m doing.

It’s funny – I started out with dreams of writing and directing pieces for the screen, but I’ve been sucked into the wonders of stage. One of my close friends actually criticized me once, saying I should use all my creative ideas and resources to make a movie instead of doing the stage thing. Yeah, that one stung a bit but you know, it’s ok. I’ve discovered recently that the most important thing to me is telling a compelling story about a character or group of characters. It doesn’t really matter which media you work in, because a film or play will only be as good as its story. True, they’re two completely different beasts, but I hope they will be beasts I can tame someday.

So where do I go from here? Well, Jeannie emailed me about the possibility of shooting PDA for the screen, so I’m definitely going to get in contact with her. After that, a full-length screenplay, maybe? Some folks have been encouraging me to put on a production at Bindlestiff. Can you believe that? A play – my play? It may be a ways away, but it’s a good goal, no doubt. It seems like the next logical step to open some doors for me.

This entry will be short because I stayed out late dining with my cast after the show and I’m tired. Tonight was the first time I had seen the show in its entirety. The crowd seemed into it, from the radio show intros/outros, to the transitions, to the actual pieces themselves.

This also marked the first time I watched PDA performed. I have been waiting months to see it. It was sort of a strange experience for me because I had only heard about the rehearsal process through Rachel and some others in the cast and crew. Joe and Rach were wonderful. The blocking was freakin’ gold. Lorna (the director) interpreted the piece in a way that was very different from what I pictured, but the overall intention was still hit. I’ll expound a bit more when I my eyes aren’t half-closed.

As far as Screeching goes…man, I must’ve missed A LOT last weekend! The girls and Cris were saying how it didn’t feel quite as good as last weekend, which is saying a whole helluva lot because they were pretty damn GOOD tonight. There were some nice adjustments with the first part of the scene between Matthew and Lane and it looked like the intensity during that portion carried through to next portion of the scene. it looked like they were having fun out there, and that’s what’s important to me.

Jen was mentioning how she enjoys the unpredictability of each night. Because her character’s tone can be played several different ways yet maintain the same impact, she lets the flow of scene determine which tone it will end up. Instead of trying to force herself to “act” a specific way for each beat, the girls already know their through-lines and objectives that they do not get thrown off course when the other gives them something a bit different. I like that they’re having fun working the scene, and I can really see they are listening to each other, which makes for a much more real, organic scene.

If tonight was one of the worst ones of the run, I can’t wait to see what they’ll bring tomorrow and Saturday night. Man, it’s winding down. I’ll try and hold in the tears.

Whilst it seems premature to think of what my next creative endeavor would be because my current one has not yet finished, I’ve been compelled in the last few days to think about what is coming up next. I’ve been hearing some great feedback for writing and directing of the pieces in The Love Edition and it has fueled the fire.

Last week, Noli from RAP contacted me regarding my interest in possibly directing a one-act play for their Summer show at the Stiff. I worked with RAP as the Assistant Director for their production of Tatarin last year and the positive experience has certainly left me with the desire to work with them again. So after expressing my interest, Noli sent over three scripts the group was considering for the show.

Now, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to give the green light just yet. In a previous post, I had mentioned a goal to write more this year and taking on another directorial role would take a chunk of time away from writing. So when the scripts came, I figured I’d give each a quick read, see what kind of taste it left in my mouth, and then read it again to be absolutely sure I liked it.

I read one called Justice Is But A Seeming by S.R. Sievert, but was not impressed. Noli mentioned it had a political slant and for some reason, that intrigued me a bit. I’ve always been a bit on the apolitical side, but I thought if there was one I could really put a cool spin on, I’d challenge myself to do it. Sadly, this play wasn’t quite what I was looking for. Of course, I just read it once through, but it seemed as if the political agenda took precedence over the story. For me, story needs to come first, then the political stuff can be interwoven within the conflict. Again, this was only the first pass, so I’ll take another look tonight to see if I can follow the plot a bit better. I don’t know – I guess I just expected something a bit more thought-provoking.

I quickly perused the first few pages of the other plays and I just couldn’t get into them. Granted, I had just flown in from NYC and had a PHAT headache, but still. If I can’t get hooked right away, how can I expect to create that same type of feeling for the audience?

So it really all boils down to love. I need to love the script before I agree to sign on. I’d hate to direct for the sake of directing. Yes, it will some good experience, and would be a great way to add to the resume, but I also want to preserve my artistic integrity. I want the people I work with to be as passionate about the script as I am. I want to connect with the script. RAP is all about “bringing life to Filipino Theater”, and while their mission is the exposure of our art to our culture, it is my mission as a director to show why I think the story is important.

(God, who is this dude writing this crap? For a second, it actually sounds like an artist talking!)