I Love L.A. – #2 In N Out
My first trip to the City of Angels, when I was still a Jayhawk, I was riding around getting the lay of the land when my stomach started growling. I was down on Sunset Blvd., when I spotted a burger joint that doesn’t exist in the Midwest. I rolled into the drive thru, passed the crossed palm trees, and was shocked to hear a “Welcome to In-N-Out, how are you today?”
“How are you today?” Well, um, not bad I guess. Thanks for asking. Then of course, “What can I get for you?” You want to talk about the little things that make up Business and Image 101, in 10 plus years, I think I’ve only had two visits to In-N-Out where I thought the service felt flat out ‘rude’. I know a lot of people who are Fatburger fans. And don’t get me wrong, I’m down with Fatburger too, you definitely get what you pay for there. But at In-N-Out, the fries taste like they were cut from real potatoes, the burgers taste like they came from real meat, and the whole vibe is very, very “California.”
It’s only been recently I learned about the Bible verses printed quietly on the paper products. Again, interesting (and cool) way business to express a strong belief/feeling in a subtle way. Business/Image 102. As far as the theme song,
“In N Out, In N Out, That’s what a hamburger’s all about!”
Do I really need to say anything?
We Can Build On This!
So for those who hadn’t heard yet, ‘Lady In My Life’ was not selected for the finals for this season’s BET’s ‘Lens on Talent’ contest. Nevertheless, it’s been a nice ride hasn’t it? Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been reminded in the best possible way how many people I’ve met over my lifetime, how long I’ve been working at this passion of mine, and how, in the words of the Nature Boy Ric Flair at his ‘retirement’ ceremony, “For all the things I’ve done wrong, I must have done something right.” So one final time, thanks to all family, friends, cast and crew who supported me and my film and helped us achieve this milestone. The film still has some screenings coming up; I’ll announce here when the dates get a little closer.
If the title and the picture didn’t clue you in, I’ve gotten my silly back now. The answer to ‘what next’? – it’s too early to say exactly. As always there’s things I have in mind, but nothing concrete set up as of yet. This month isn’t over and I’ve already had enough highs and lows to last the rest of the year. My karma continues to fly sky high right now, I’m back to giving myself a daily goal and staying in the moment. A week, a month, a few months from now, we’ll see how these ’pebbles’ I drop in the pond add up and if the momentum turns into something bigger.
Until then…
Character & Conscience
I’ve found myself humbled to tears recently. And it didn’t have jack to do with my film or anything of that nature.
Like many others, the disaster in Haiti touched a nerve for me. I’ve talked with others about it, I’ve blogged about it. And on MLK Day I put my money where my mouth is and gave to the Red Cross. I’ve used this space to add my voice to the chorus of people who are encouraging others to do what you can.
Yesterday, a good friend of mine told me he was ‘contributing’. And I said (essentially) “Good for you, glad you’re giving a little something.”
But as I came to learn, in this case it’s not a little something. My friend happens to be a doctor trained in surgery. And he’s not giving money, or blood. He’s going to Haiti to lend his skills first hand.
As I said in the intro, I went through the emotions: shocked and stunned, disbelief and denial (he’s a known prankster), and finally pride and humility.
Those of you who know some of the circles I run in know who this is. I’ll give him the option of ‘outing’ himself if he chooses to do so. I still feel embarrassed to be perfectly honest; I gave up a tank of gas basically, he’s going to the frontlines. I hope the chump change I gave will help, he will most likely save someone’s life (probably more than one). He knows if I had his training I’d probably be doing the same.
We give each other a lot of crap Doctor, but I’ve never been prouder to call myself your friend. I pray you have a safe journey, and I have no doubt you’ll be able to sell your story and turn it into a 2011 Christmas release (OK, a little sarcasm to lighten the mood.)
In Case You Missed It…
Here’s the link to the episode of ‘Lens On Talent’ featuring “Lady In My Life”:
http://www.bet.com/video/793048
And if you’re so inclined, you can vote for your favorite film from this episode at the bottom of this page (hint, hint):
Just Another Day…
So you came by today because you want to know how I went 7 for 10 in my Golden Globe predictions right? No? Oh yeah, that ‘other thing’…
I’ll try to knock this out quickly and in chronological order, frequently asked question format…
Woke up, went for my Sunday run, came home, my stomach was in knots. I’ve never understood the idea of being nervous over something you did months ago until today. A lot of people were blowing me up, which was fantastic, but none of them saw the piece, so they really couldn’t tell you if the film was, you know, entertaining or good.
Midwest and East Coast saw the show first, so the emails and texts started coming in a little after 9-ish my time. Many congrats and good jobs sent my way. I was going to send out a sarcastic post saying “I only hope Sanaa says my name correctly,’ so my curiosity definitely peaked when I got a few ‘Man she was putting you on blast!’ type, sarcastic comments.
The Minnesota game was more or less over so I was able to start flipping into the show before I left the house. Saw the introduction (nice), and I have to admit, when I saw my logo with the little BET logo in the corner, that was hype time (and I told the brother who designed that logo as much). I flipped in and out the next 5 minutes (you have no idea how many times I’ve seen the short by this point), and came back in for the credits.
Definitely wasn’t expecting the split screen, so sorry to my crew that they didn’t get the ups they also deserved. As far as Sanaa doing my bio, I’m being pragmatic when I say my film was 5 minutes in an hour long show, i.e., they had a little time to burn around my film. I honestly wouldn’t read any more into that, but regardless that’s on permanent DVR status for yours truly.
Favorite anecdote: one of my close friends put the show on when he came from church, and asked his 2 year old if she recognized the man on TV, and she said, ‘That’s Uncle Mister Malik!” That tickled me good; my goal of making/working on projects I can show to my entire family without feeling embarrassed is in full swing.
Film geek time: yeah I did throw a lot of information at you for a 5 minute story, but judging by your response the story works. Everyone seems to like the ‘Until the End of Time’ reference; do people get every beat of that joke (he has a habit of running late so she buys him a watch?), or is that too cerebral? Hell, I wish a woman would buy me a nice watch, and I’m big on punctuality. I’m digressing…
A few people have mentioned that Lens on Talent is a contest; this is true. In all sincerity though, my ‘goal’ was to have this national showcase for this project; I wasn’t thinking about it as a competition today or at any point in time in dealing with BET.
That said…IF Lady in My Life is selected as one of the finalists, THEN I will go into full on ‘competitive’ mode. If any of my people at BET are reading this, rest assured we have another short story we’ve wanted to do for YEARS waiting in the wings, just give us the opportunity to make it. I’m just saying…
Finally and most importantly, I’m not remotely an old man, but over the past few days I’ve been reminded by how many paths I’ve crossed over my time on this Earth so far. I’m the ’star of the show’ so to speak, but if you read my first L.A. piece you know Magic was my sports hero growing up. Meaning I love being a ‘point guard’ in life. I do enjoy taking the big shots, but my past, present and future are directly tied to my ‘team’, and staying in the game long enough just to have an opportunity to take those shots. While I know these people are around on the regular, now is as good a time as any to say:
Thank you Sumner Academy of Arts & Sciences
Thank you Fradieu Family, Washington Family and all my blood relatives
Thank you Black Entertainment Television
Thank you University of Kansas, McNair Scholars Program, and my Jayhawk Family
Thank you University of Southern California, Peter Stark Program and my Trojan Family
Thank you Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., especially Upsilon Chapter
Thank you to my Ummah
Thank you to HNTB, THQ, and the numerous gigs I’ve held over the years
And of course thank you to my beautiful cast and crew on this project and all the past projects. I learn something new every time.
Last word then I’m out: one of my heroes growing up was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A lot of you have the day off to celebrate his birthday. While it’s not my place (or anyone else’s really) to tell you what Dr. King ‘would have’ done if he were around, it’s pretty easy to figure with his history he would have been involved in the Haiti situation trying to help out. A whole country with an infrastructure in ruins, it’s still hard to imagine. If giving cash is not your thing, trust in this situation there’s probably another way to help. Give blood, donate clothes, do a little volunteer work. A lot of you took the time on email, Twitter, Facebook or what have you to tell your people a friend of yours had a short film that was going to be on TV this weekend (and trust me I’m eternally grateful). At the end of the day though, I’m just a guy making movies. Now if you put that same call out to your people, except this time you said “Send me one dollar so I can send it to Haiti,” how many dollars could we put together?
And on that note, those of you still on vacation, enjoy your MLK Day. Peace!
Catch Me on BET This Sunday!
Alright gang…
For those who have been waiting to watch my last flick from the comfort of home, the date has come. This Sunday, BET is screening ‘Lady In My Life’ on the final episode of this season’s ‘Lens on Talent.’ I have to be honest, it’s a surreal but at the same time gratifying milestone in the journey. It’s something tangible for the friends and family members who remember way back in the day when I was chasing them around with a VHS camera bigger than my damn shoulder, it’s momentum for what I plan to do next, it’s…progress.
If you’ve never seen it, or you saw the film at some festival or online somewhere, watch it or DVR it one last time. And be ready for what comes next…
I Love L.A. – #1 The Los Angeles Lakers
One of my earliest memories as a sports fan was turning to the news and literally watching the Kings leave town on their way to Sacramento. I had my Chiefs and Royals, but I was an NBA free agent. Like so many other black folks of the early 80s though, it didn’t take long at all to find a team (and player) I naturally gravitated toward…
The first A I ever got in school, ever, was writing a book report on one of my heroes. And that hero was Magic Johnson. He was the centerpiece of the Showtime Lakers, he was a great player and he always had a smile for the camera. My first memory of yelling at the TV in celebration was Magic’s baby hook over that punk Larry Bird and those damn Boston Celtics. When I wasn’t practicing my moonwalk, I was down at the playground with my friends throwing weak ass behind the back passes. Even today, whenever I hear Hall & Oates’ “One on One” I think of Magic running the break and throwing a no look to Big Game James. I’m still debating how I feel about these pictures seeing the light of day at some point, but one of my best Christmas presents ever (at the time) was a hideous varsity jacket style purple and gold Magic Johnson sweater. If you would have told me at that age that the hands of Fate would not only guide me to this city, but that I would see Magic on a fairly regular basis and even get to exchange pleasantries with him, I probably would have been the first 8 year old to die from cardiac arrest. When he retired because of HIV, I was devastated as you can imagine. But I kept following the team. Even through the Nick Van Exel/Sedale Threatt/Cedric Ceballos years, the Lakers were still my team. There has only been one time I openly rooted against them…
My second year out here was 2001, the year the Sixers made the Finals. Magic is the player I grew up idolizing, but Iverson is my favorite player of my generation. Initially I wasn’t looking for trouble when I wore my Iverson jersey in the week leading up to the Finals. But boy you want to talk about hearing some noise! Everywhere I went that week, ‘Sweep, Sweep, Sweep!’ And I knew the Sixers weren’t winning the Finals, but I wanted my boy to at least take one game. The Lakers had won 19 in a row to that point; for those of you who hate the current version of the team, right now is NOTHING compared to the arrogance of those days trust me. Iverson’s 48 that night probably put him in the Hall of Fame and I was probably the only cat in L.A. cheering; seeing Iverson with his chest out with a humbled Byron Allen in the background is still one of my top 5 sports fan moments ever.
(And that wasn’t a joke, it’s at the 6:25 mark of this clip of the broadcast from that night: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKjmo3oiCd8)
That personal moment aside though, the Lakers represent everything people either love or hate about L.A. They’re glamorous, star driven, and (even an objective sports fan has to admit) the owner wants to win championships. I’ve heard stories of course, but to this point I’ve never crossed paths with Mr. Bryant. To watch him now, where he realizes his best individual days are probably behind him, but he also realizes another ring (or two) puts him undeniably into The Conversation, I have to admit it’s fun to watch. We’ll see how Tiger plays it, but once Kobe just said (essentially) “I’m a hyper-competitive basketball nerd and the more I get away from that, the less true to myself I’m being,” the better things have turned out for him. And when Kobe’s time has come and gone, I have little doubt the Lakers will trade, draft or sign as a free agent another of the top 5 players in the Association at that time. That’s just what the Lakers do.
2010 Series: I Love L.A.
Going back to my hometown and seeing old friends, I naturally took my fair share of jokes for being ‘Hollywood’ from my Circle. I was already outside the norm as a Midwestern kid to begin with, my adopted hometown has really brought out the best in me in terms of inspiring me creatively, giving my ambition room to grow, and giving me the opportunity to meet, interact, and become friends with people I would have never met otherwise. When people ask me about how I like living in Los Angeles, I half-jokingly tell them I’ve already picked out where I want to be buried. The City of Angels is not ‘Gotham’ per se, but it’s definitely my Gotham City.
Anyway I write about things I know and I’m passionate about in this space; last year was dedicated to the 25 Most Important Black Films and TV Shows Made, this year I’m going to do a series about the things I love about this city. There will be no ranking system this time; in other words #1 in this case is not the thing I love most. There’s no predetermined list, I have no idea how many things I will come up with (probably between 25 and 50 like last year but I really don’t know). As I go to places, see people, and am reminded of events I’ll probably be reminded on that particular day to write about them. Even moreso than last year’s series, I’m telling you up front these are all my favorites; no need for historical contexts or any debates of that nature.
Alright, that’s enough of an intro, on with the show…
Golden Globes 2010 Predictions
2010 has gotten off to a crazy start, so I’m posting my Golden Globe predictions to start the week. I doubt I’ll see any more of the films between now and Sunday, so away we go…
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Who I’d Like to Win: The Hurt Locker. And I wouldn’t be surprised if it does win. It all starts with the script as they say.
Who Will Probably Win: Up in the Air. The modern day equivalent of a classic Hollywood film. You threw in the fact that it’s more upbeat than Locker and it was directed by a (legitimately talented) Hollywood legacy kid, and all the signs of there. That said, Tarantino is HUGE overseas and this is the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, so who knows?
Best Director – Motion Picture
Who I Want to Win: Katheryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Who Will Probably Win: Katheryn Bigelow. This is one of those categories where every nominee is legitimate, but I think the Globes will set the stage for a female director to walk away with the top prize.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role – Motion Picture
Who I Want to Win: Matt Damon in the upset.
Who Will Probably Win: Christoph Waltz, Inglorious Basterds. This is the scene stealer category. Not much more to add.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role – Motion Picture
Who I Want to Win: Mo’Nique.
Who Will Probably Win: As cynical as I am, I think the two ladies from Up in the Air will split the vote and Mo’Nique will actually win this category.
Best Actor – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical
Who I Want to Win: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 500 Days of Summer. If I could have played any role in a movie I saw in the past 12 months, this would have been it. I admit I’m jealous.
Who Will Probably Win: Man, I could make a strong case for every nominee here. I really don’t know so I’ll go with Gordon-Levitt.
Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical
Who I Want to Win: Meryl Streep – It’s Complicated.
Who Will Probably Win: Meryl Streep – Julie & Julia Yeah I know I’m cheating a bit here, but…it’s Meryl Streep.
Best Actress – Motion Picture – Drama
Who I Want to Win: Gabourey Sidibe, Precious. Now the cynicism kicks in – it ain’t gonna happen. But giving the sister her due.
Who Will Probably Win: Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side. Accuse me of being biased since she was by far one of the most down to earth actresses I’ve met (on her level), but I think Blind Side mania gets its coup de gras with a victory here.
Best Actor – Drama
Who I Want to Win: George Clooney, Up in the Air. You know, as I write this entry I’m starting to recognize how much personal biases really do shape who wins awards in this town. Ah, got to love Hollywood politics…
Who Will Probably Win: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart. I think this is this year’s ‘Mickey Rourke Special’ where a guy who’s been around forever gets some overdue love from his peers.
Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Who I Want to Win: 500 Days of Summer. If for no other reason than the Hall & Oates dance sequence. Damn you, Joseph Gordon-Levitt…
Who Will Probably Win: The Hangover. Time will tell if this film is as transcendent as the comedies that came before it, but it was certainly the crowd pleaser of the year.
Best Motion Picture - Drama
Who I Want to Win: Up in the Air. One more admission of bias: Clooney’s the star, they shot in the Midwest, and guys I’ve worked with worked on this film.
Who Will Probably Win: The Hurt Locker. And I won’t be remotely upset of it does win. The most ‘powerful’ film of last year in my opinion.
One last note, Ricky Gervais is the host. I’m in the cult of people who love his sense of humor; if you’re unfamiliar with his work (creator of The Office and Extras, two shows I love), the Globes is probably the perfect opportunity to see if he’s your cup of tea or not.
Later,
M
The New Year
A few different things going on as 2010 gets into full swing…
For those of you who come by for the film reviews, I’ve been invited to post my reviews on 7tavern.com. A relatively young site like this one; their angle revolves around gathering the reviews from bloggers like myself in all types of formats. I look forward to the opportunity to expand my own base, and yes, I’ll still be posting my reviews here.
Speaking of films, those of you who’ve kept up with me for awhile probably remember that during Oscar season my old partner and I would do a unique “Oscar Prediction” type special where we picked the winners (and threw in our particular sense of humor). I talked with him last night, and he’s down to do some form of the prediction show again this year, so look for that after the nominations are announced.
I don’t think I’ve mentioned this within this space, but a story I started writing as a teenager but could never finish…well I’ve finished it. The story at least. My ‘James Cameron’ esque piece, a little sci-fi, a little supernatural. The question for me now as an artist and a producer is what format to tell the story in: is it a comic book? a video game? a novel? a TV series? a web series? a feature film? all of the above? something else entirely? The next step for me is writing the treatment, and I’ll see where it goes from there.
Lady In My Life: it’s been noticed and played in some nice places on both coasts; this year I really plan to put my foot in and get it seen in as many places as possible. As I get more dates I’ll post them here.
I’m putting together a nice streak of productivity at the moment. Simplifying my desires has made it easier for me to set daily goals and stay in the present moment. Rome wasn’t built in a day as they say, but it was built. I’ll let you know how it goes.
