Speciale Edition

Looking up into the clear blue sky on this Sunny, 65 degree Los Angeles day, it's easy to forget that Christmas is just 4 days away.  People often don't realize how easy it can be to change someone's life through the simple act of giving.   I am very inspired by the prospect of our limitless potential as human beings (...or as Van Halen would say "Humans Being").  

Reconciling my creativity with productivity, on the other hand, is not so easy.  Ideas come and go most often unrealized.  I'm sure we've all forgotten more of our "million dollar ideas" than we've been motivated it capitalize on... but I digress.

Someone recently told me that expressing oneself through the written word is an essential part of being an artist.  Well here I am, being productive and writing away.  Just a thought or two, on what inspires me to continue moving forward on my path.  The story of how I got my foot in the door readily comes to mind.
Brian Reingold (aka Mr. Speciale [yes, with an "e" at the end]) was the first person to ever give me a job in the movie biz.  He was the Unit Production Manager for the Belladonna Studios production "L.I.E."

Like most everyone these days, I had no job or even a single lead straight out of college.  It also doesn't help when you get your degree in Film Studies.  So within days of graduation, I took it upon myself to walk around Manhattan, and go into a string of production company offices cold, resume in hand.  They would all tell me the same thing; that they weren't hiring right now or that they would put my resume on file.  There seemed to be little or no hope, really.

Then one fateful day I walked into the Belladonna office in Chelsea, Manhattan, I was greeted by a bald, hyperkinetic guy with a thick Buffalo accent.  He introduced himself as Brian, but everyone eventually called him Mr. Speciale.  Within moments of meeting him, he said a word or two about his German film producer with the French name, he went on rapid fire style, about his son's major league baseball ambitions, then quickly changed gears again and offered me a gig on the spot despite my lack of experience working on a film set.  I sat there in an illustrated state of dumbfounded excitement.

I distinctly remember the 1st Assistant Director, Jose Gilberto Molinari-Rosaly, coming over and glaring at me, with a "Who the hell is this?  What the hell is he doing here?  Get him the hell out of here! I don't want him to be on my production staff!" look on his face.

After a few tense moments between the two of them as they argued right in front of me over whether or not I should be hired, I butted in and let them know that I could ask a bunch of my former classmates to help out if they needed any more production assistants. I got the job, much to the chagrin of the 1st AD and through much situational massaging on the part of Mr. Speciale.  I also happen to supply the film with 5 other PAs.

Me and my fellow alumni busted our asses working on that movie, and after the first week Jose ate his words.  He actually congratulated all of the PAs and told us we were the best team he had ever worked with!

Why recount this story?  Well, I'm glad I asked!  Because I am inspired by one's willingness to take a chance on someone unproven, solely based on their first impression.  These days it's damn near impossible to find a job without knowing someone first.  It's not what you know, It's not even WHO you know, but rather who knows YOU.  It's true... look it up.

Mr. Speciale hooked me up, got my foot in the door and helped me get other tv/film jobs etc. For that I am eternally thankful. Everyone should be so lucky to have someone randomly help them out like that. Pay it forward in this season of giving.

Merry Christmas Everyone! :)

Charlie Sheen and the Violent Truth

Last night I caught the unstoppable, infinite-car-pile-up-traffic-accident that is Charlie Sheen. He was performing at Radio City Music Hall on his Violent Torpedo of Truth / Defeat is Not an Option tour. I must say, I found him funny and quite amusing for a bit, but as the show went on and the crowd got more intoxicated, things got... more interesting?

Warlock = Tigerblood + Adonis DNA

The audience was calamitous and people were complaining that they wasted their money. What were they expecting, Shakespeare?

I don't mean to pop your bubble-yum, but Charlie is NOT a stand up comedian, he's a Movie and Television star whose had 6 weeks to develop a touring act for which he's had absolutely no experience. Everyone who bought a ticket knew this going in, so I'm confused as to why anyone would be disappointed. I went to the show, without any expectations, just to be open to what might happen and be witness to the whole cultural phenomenon surrounding Charlie.

I very much appreciate the spectacle of it all in an Andy Kaufman kind of way.

Andy had the unique ability to deliberately turn audiences against himself. To me, this is a brilliant form of meta-comedy that I enjoy. During some performance pieces, he would create awkward silences, and insist that the audience stop laughing at him. I actually saw one bit he did on Letterman, where he went through the crowd asking for money because he fell on hard times after getting fired from his hit TV show, Taxi. People actually dug into their pockets to give him a hand out!

Little did the audience know that they were a part of the whole joke, and that there is a much bigger social punchline that becomes defined afterward and is hilarious in the context of time. Like a magician, Andy used slight of hand to keep you looking where he wanted you to look, but all the while he was pulling a rabbit out of your ass.

I will not go as far as to say that Charlie is orchestrating his theatrical demise each night. However, I will point out that the recently unemployed actor has sold thousands of tickets at venues across the country, strictly on his pop-culture capital. That is an ingenious way to take the limes you've been handed and turn them into a margarita flavored Porsche. Ultimately, the joke is on anyone who is taking this whole thing seriously at all.

I'm not laughing at Charlie, I'm not even laughing at the crowd (...well maybe I am) -- I'm laughing at the context and enjoying the all encompassing absurdity. The fun is in the reaction it gets! I find it hilarious when people flip out and say how much they either think Charlie sucks, or think he's the greatest thing since cheeze waffles were invented.

Charlie is a fascinating case study in our culture's morbid obsession with celebrity melt downs. In the end, I got my money's worth because I'll always get to say that I was there to see it... whatever it was.