Frank

Every now and again, something is so weird and delightful, I feel like it was put on Earth just especially for us to know we are loved and everything's going to be ok. Even if, like the new movie, Frank, it features probably the best working actor today, Michael Fassbender, and I'm not married to him. 

Even though I'm not married to Fassy, Frank is still a sign of hope. And we can all bask in his perfection, even minus that big blush-worthy grin, and with the addition of a huge papier-mache/fiberglass head. I've never really noticed what a physical actor he is before. Or how goofy. Even in interviews. But he is. The head changes the focus. 

The head's not the only bonus though. We also get the man who could soothe the world with his reassuring gaze, Domhnall Gleeson, and the always awesome Maggie Gyllenhaal (I'm watching her in The Honourable Woman right now as well!) Even bigger bonus: movie's about a band. 

I don't want to make this all about actors, though. At the end of the day, Frank is the kind of tone piece that rarely comes around. One I look forward to always. Cult-y within an inch of its life, but its very niche-ness justifies its existence. 

I'm not normally excited about films. But this one gives me a little hope that there's still a reason to keep making them and not just switch over completely to television.

Frank, inspired by musician Chris Sievey, and directed by Lenny Abrahamson, opens in select markets Aug 16th and nationwide Aug 29th.

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Whoops I Missed The Weekend Links

Sorry guys. Been real swamped. And also really buried in anger and articles about Elliot Rodger. I'm gonna spare you from any of those links. And while I was doing all that, it Juned all over the place. Oye. 

- I really appreciate that the scale was presented in Jon Hamms. Also, Fassbender. Just happening here. What's good for the goose, objectifiers.

- This fantastic lady featured on access hollywood

- Selling DFW's private correspondence... ooooh, all my issues!!

- The Wonder Years Reunion! (!!!)

- These "Abortion Barbie" attack ads against Wendy Davis are DISGUSTING.

- Oh, Maya. You will be missed. I love these moments of you and Dave Chappelle.

- A co-worker of mine from a previous life in children's television. Avoid that irony, Jordan Rathus!

- Vivian Maier and Difficult Women

- Why John Waters stopped making movies

- I'll be using pippit from now on. You should try too!

- And here's your dreamy, musical meditation for Monday. A Sunny Day in Glasgow. Just sit with that. Anyone who's ever experienced the rare beauty that is a sunny day in Scotland can tell you, there's nothing like it. 

The Oscars - All Is Lost

Ah, Hollywood on Oscars day. While I think this was a strong year for film, I'm almost boycotting the awards this year. Not boycotting exactly, but watching under duress. And that is because of the lack of this man. My Main Man. Our Man, Mr. Redford. 

I don't think acting is about losing a bunch of weight or pretty people making themselves look ugly or wearing a skirt when you're Jared Leto. I think actions speak louder than words. 

This was an epic snub to the most watchable man alive. That's all I have to say. Good night.

This Is Martin Bonner - Official Trailer

Chad Hartigan has been raking in the awards at pretty much every film festival there is with his awesome flick, This Is Martin Bonner. (Including Best of NEXT Audience Award at Sundance.) Here's the official trailer. It takes place in Nevada (holla!) which is where I'm headed today. 

The Scapegoat - Now on Netflix

I've really been feeling the glut in quality British programming these days. I have a list of all the things I know about and then I scour the internet until I find a method of watching them. I've been looking for the post-war set The Scapegoat for a while now. 

Based on the Daphe du Maurier novel, this flick has everything. Doppelgangers, the turn over from one monarch to the next, mistaken identities, multiple mistresses, cool old cars, and one of my favorite estates I visited on many travels through the UK, Knebworth House. I'm also quite partial to Matthew Rhys ever since he played Dylan Thomas. 

And last night, lo and behold, they had added it to Netflix. So I snuggled into my bed and took a trip back to foggy Britain. I woke up this morning and Los Angeles felt a bit British-- grey and drizzly. It'll be sure to burn off into sunshine by noon. But if you've got Netflix, I suggest checking out this film. 

Want to See - I Give It A Year

Self-deprecating British rom-coms! Though I'm not sure how I feel about Rose Byrne as a Brit.... I mean, I know she's Australian, but still... it doesn't sit well... other than that, I can't wait to see this with my hetero life mate, McC. It came out in February in the UK and I don't see much in the way of info about when we sad Americans (who just can't have nice things) will also get to have it. Don't make we who miss Britain wait, please. 

See Our Nic & Alix Sing & Die...in a comedy

Just one more day until our Nicholas & Alexandra reading! I can't wait to see everyone and get crackin. But our Nic and Alix have worked together before so I thought you all might enjoy watching that first (and also musical) encounter between Autumn Hurlbert and Matt Lutz. Singing and dying... these guys are pros at it. 

I'm off to rehearse with him now! Hope  you're having a lovely Sunday!

BROKEN

Daniel Clay's Broken was one of my favorite books that I read while I was in the UK. It was such a well-drawn microcosm. If a little bleak... And a child at the center of the action like the one here-- Skunk-- is always a plus as far as I'm concerned.

Also, you'd be hard pressed to find better inspiration than To Kill A Mockingbird. So then: a British To Kill a Mockingbird set in North London. Score. Okay, not that Broken comes anywhere near To Kill a Mockingbird. But I always thought it'd fare well as a movie.

Which is why I'm so delighted to see it realized in film with so many great people behind and out in front of it. (Including theatre director Rufus Norris and delicious Cillian Murphy.)

Will the litany of bad occurrences end up over the top (as they were there for a while in the book)? Will the performances make us forget how nicely written the book is at the level of the sentence? Or will we miss that? Or will  the movie balance this all out?

I'm willing to find out. Reviews have been mixed so far. But praise is unilateral for young Eloise Laurence as Skunk. Which is great because the world needs more child actresses to give Quevenzhane Wallis a run for her money and Abigail Breslin and the Fanning sisters have basically aged out.

Lena Dunham Auditions For Zero Dark Thirty

After several days spent chained to my editing suite, we've submitted the rough cut of Birthday Cake to Frameline Film Festival. Yay! I'm pretty drained, and prepping for my NYC trip, so here's something funny. Chelsea Davison's impression of Lena Dunham is too good. I love it. 

NYC, see you this weekend!

Skyfall & Bond 50

Were you as disappointed with the 50 years of Bond "Tribute" as I was? I mean, I heard they had something better planned... with all the Bonds and more of a music montage... that fell about at the last minute thanks to some butt hurt egotism from Pierce Brosnan or something. But still. 

I wish the video montage below had been in place of that sad one they clearly threw together at the last minute. 

For the record, I think Skyfall is one of the best, if not the best of the modern Bonds. I'm not even just saying that because of the Scotland/Glen Etive/Glencoe connection. (About time they went back to Bond's Scottish roots! Huzzah for Scotland on Film!) Or because of Ben Whishaw as Q. (Though that definitely helps too.) I think Skyfall was robbed of Best Cinematography on Sunday night. I'm all in support of the VFX battle that's going on right now. Which is why I think it's great that Life of Pi won for VFX. But Skyfall should have taken cinematography. 

And I hope that one day, Bond will get a tribute-- at the Oscars or somewhere else-- worthy of its champion status. 

Jane Badler - My New Personal Hero

During my editing process for Birthday Cake, Jane Badler, original baddie in the eighties show V, became a new personal hero of mine. Like, I want to be Jane Badler when I grow up. She is nothing short of spectacular in B'Day Cake-- that special blend of bitch and comedienne. She's a singer too-- hint hint. I'm looking forward to more of her in my life coming up soon. 

Check out her most sinister moments from the eighties. And follow her on twitter (whispered, "at JaneBadler...")

Melrose Place Flashback Friday Links

While visiting these past few days, my dad asked which part of Melrose Avenue the old 90s soap classic, 'Melrose Place' was supposed to be. I didn't know. I guessed somewhere more in West Hollywood than where I am. Once I we got home from our excursions, I did some digging. And while Melrose Place is obviously somewhere in Hollywood, the Greenwood, where they filmed the complex is in Los Feliz. The rest was filmed in studios. 

I loved this show so much when it first came out. Probably because I really felt like I was getting away with something by watching it. I mean, it was even more scandalous than Beverly Hills 90210, which I still have no idea how I convinced my mom to let me watch at age 9. I wanted to friends with all my cool neighbors. And wished I could ever pull off Josie Bissett as Jane's adorable pixie cut. Thinking about the show gave me a little urge to rewatch some old Melrose Place courtesy of Netflix. 

What a gas I actually laughed out loud several times during the pilot at how awful it is. I mean, just watch the original intro. To their credit, they changed it immediately after the pilot to the much catchier theme song and graphic look they'd keep for the rest of the show's run. But... man. 

Anyhow, there's your trip down memory lane to kick off your weekend. 
Here are the rest of your links. 

- I've been exploring Melrose from my house west lately. Blu Jam is my favorite breakfast place EVER. Crunchy french toast for every meal, please!

- 6 Places You'll Recognize from the background of every movie ever 
- My favorite eye candy blog these days
- Rejecting Oxbridge
- I came thiiiiiis close to adopting Hazelnut here. But she was gone. :(
- Advice to young writers from Jeffrey Eugenides
- I still like MY review of Les Miserables, but this is my second favorite. 

Stay tuned! The next three days are my Best of 2012 lists-- albums, books, movies. 

Good Idea Files: EveryDayActors.com

Obviously resources for actors and producers (especially the ones who are trying to make their way in the world) are near and dear to my heart. That's why I'm super excited to be working with EveryDayActors.com. 

Essentially, it pairs creators of video content (Ad agencies, PR firms, filmmakers, producers, web designers, or brands themselves) with willing "everyday actors".   

It's a great free tool for the agency that allows them to search the database and find exactly who they need (based on union affiliation, location, gender, age, ethnicity, special features and style like "geek chic") and negotiate the gig direct.  The site doesn't take any kind of back-end % or charge a fee, making it really attractive to the agency-side to use this service often.  

For the ACTOR, this is a low-effort way to get fun gigs and make extra cash $$$ on the side, and potentially build-up a reel or make industry contacts.  Actors just have to create a profile, upload some photos or video, and wait to be matched up and contacted! 

For example... Say there's a local L.A. business looking to a shoot a "How it works" video for their new shopping website, and they dont have big budget, but they do have $500 cash for the first sassy young fashionable blonde they can find to play the part. So they enter their search criteria into the site and you come up in the results.  You're on the site because you're new to the city, freelancing, and into making a few extra bucks in your pocket where you can.  Successful match is made.  We're not necessarily talking about actors with hollywood aspirations, but just cool camera-friendly people who are down to take random gigs. 

There is usually a $20 annual subscription fee on the actor side ($1.66/month-- still pretty low cost, when you think about it), designed to ensure the seriousness/willingness and quality of the actors who participate. 

But for readers of Fergie & Fife-- YOU! ---I have a FREE sign-up link for actors! 

Isn't that a great idea? And they are set up to run in ALL my favorite actor cities and past/present homes: NYC, LA, LONDON! Actor friends-- even ones who are way past this level-- I'm super curious to hear your thoughts. Please let me know if you join too! This is a site I plan on following the trajectory of. 

I Don't Remember-- Were We Wild and Young?

Here's how adding a song to a movie (This is 40) completely changed what I thought about that song. 

When Ryan Adams's album Ashes & Fire came out last year, it took its place immediately on the shelf with all the other Ryan Adams-- near the end. And it never got all that much deliberate rotation. He's prolific and though he puts out a lot, most of it is wonderful background texture, but not much more. 

Then I heard "Lucky Now" isolated acoustically on the radio and began to notice the lyrics. 

Then the song was performed live in a key final scene of This Is 40. I can't say that seeing the song in the film changed my opinion of it-- (though the presence of Paul Rudd does cast a magical glow on everything near him) -- no, it was the addition of a simple steel guitar (and played by a lady steel guitarist, no less.) The song is a country song. It lives and breathes there and it is miraculous. 

It does not exist on the internet in video form. So instead, I provide for you there merely meh studio version and a link to the This Is 40 soundtrack-- which I recommend in its entirety, actually-- and where you can get said live version, which I have been listening to on repeat for a week. It's just so damn applicable. 

Play It, Sam - Casablanca Can Be Yours For Only 1.2 Million

One of the pianos referred to in one of the most famously fabricated movie quotes of all time is up for sale. Sotheby's in NYC will put up for auction, Sam's piano from Casablanca next Friday, Dec 14. The Japanese collector who holds the piano currently purchased it in 1998 for $154,000 is now expected to get $1.2 million at auction for one of two pianos that Sam (Dooley Wilson) played in the film. (The other is down the street at Warner Bros here in LA.)

Do you find it interesting that two of the most famously misquoted movie lines ("Play it again, Sam" and "you know how to whistle don't you?") were uttered (or NOT uttered) by real life couple Bogie & Bacall? 

For more on Sam's piano check out here and here. 

The Invisible Art

With my new projects in film editing, I thought it was time to catch up my theory with my practical, so I rented this very cool documentary about the art of cutting and some of the unsung heroes of the film industry: editors. The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing is a documentary by Wendy (Stone) Apple, narrated by Kathy Bates. 

I feel like anyone with even a spectator's interest in film (and really, isn't  that everyone? Is there anyone who doesn't watch or enjoy movies as an entity??) will get sucked in to the history and theory behind the evolution of film editing. 

I'm taking a break from editing due to some truly irritating tech problems and letting my frustration out on my living room walls by painting them. Nothing lets loose some feeling like manual labor and the mood-changing of a room. 

Anyhow, check it out below! Editors for the win! Happy Saturday. 

Groom's Cake/ Birthday Cake/ I'm a Film Editor Now

Sometimes the skills you pick up on accident while you're peddling your own wares pay off! I've been honing my film editing skills for for years now-- largely in my quest to promote our musicals and through osmosis from having so many film maker friends. Eventually, I realized it was becoming a skill I could probably and should probably get paid for. And now I am! 

I'm excited for my first big project, Birthday Cake, which is the feature length follow up the hit indie short 'mockumentary' Groom's Cake. It was written by my pal Chad Darnell (one of Haviland's first life friends: they met when she was 10!) and has won pretty much every film festival it entered. 

Now, the team is getting back together to make Birthday Cake and I could not be more thrilled to join the gang. We had a read through last night while celebrating Chad's birthday at Hamburger Mary's and I was in love with this script. I wholly support the message and spirit of everything they're trying to do up in here. It's a really lovely, heartfelt story and the main character's name is Ferguson! 

See, there are places in the arts where being anal retentive, detail oriented and obsessed with precision are calling cards and I'm just glad I'm finding my place in those places. We're also raising a few additional funds for the feature via indiegogo. Check it out!

GIANT at The Public

Since I was a college student, Michael John La Chiusa has been my musical theatre hero. Not because I saw similarities in our styles, nor did I ever aspire to the kind of style he has so perfected. I only sat back in awe of what has always been its own animal-- something that was always just so very him. And he indulged me as being my pen pal for a while. And I've always been emboldened and encouraged by his taste level in material. The stories he chooses to musicalize are rich and varied and often hidden treasures. 

His latest (featuring libretto by Sybille Pearson) is more of a classic, but no less ambitious. I've mentioned before that I've never been so sad to be away from  a New York theatre season before. I want to see all of it. GIANT is no exception. Based on the Edna Ferber novel (more so than the subsequent famous film starring James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor & Rock Hudson) this new epic (truly. it's clocking 3:45 with three acts) musical is playing now at the Public. 

Oh, please, world! Let me have a chance to see this show! I want to bask in the La Chiusa. Not to mention, this lady. 

A Nomad Finds a Home in Historic Hollywood

You guys. After nearly six months of this year spent living out of a suitcase, schlepping via over night bus, etc etc, on Tuesday, I will move into my very own adorable vintage Hollywood one bedroom. Complete with original 1920's fixtures and all the charm of Old Hollywood, I could not be more excited than I am to get in some space of my own and feel truly settled. 

The view from my front door is the Hollywood sign. And I'm six blocks from Paramount, where my little townhouse was built in 1923 for Paramount workers. In addition to some original period features, it's been suped up with a bit of history, such as doors from the famed Ambassador Hotel: former home of the Cocoanut Grove Nightclub, the 2nd & 12th Annual Academy Awards (Where Gone with the Wind won 10 awards including Best Picture !!!), and tragically, the 1968 Assassination of RFK. It was demolished in 2005, and one of the room doors is now my front door. On top of all that, it's light and airy and even has a dishwasher. I didn't think I could afford to live alone, but sometimes, you just get lucky. 

And! And! I'm feeling even more lucky because the fabulous Dena is so very generously helping me decorate, so I can pimp the place out in the Hollywood splendor it deserves. Lots of whites and beiges and metallics and mirrors. A big cream Chaise and a mirrored desk. A regal upholstered bed-- the only thing that will end up fitting in my cubby bedroom. Even all my belongings from London will be delivered right to my doorstep next week! Happy girl right up over here.

Clueless Reunion

While I'm still not sure why they picked seventeen years as the appropriate reunion year, (maybe it's a teenage thing?) I sure am glad there was a reunion at all for the cast of Clueless. 

I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that I was deeply affected by Paul Rudd in Clueless. (Why isn't he in this video? At least he's in the overall reunion photos. Sigh.) If you ask me, he's had the best career of any of them. 

I still love Alicia Silverstone, even though I've never liked her in anything else. And I still love Stacey Dash, even if she is pimping Romney on twitter. 

Clueless was also one of the first movies where I didn't actually see myself as any of the characters and still loved them all. Normally, I just always identified with the blonde one. But I was definitely not a Cher. Even though I did have pink t-strap Mary Janes in her honor.