Monday, December 15, 2008

Monday, November 10, 2008

First Public Screening, Obama, Netflix, and THREETHOUSANDWORDS IS DEAD

THREETHOUSANDWORDS is dead. GoDaddy.com and SOME SCHMUCKS IN DC fucking killed it. So it's done.

Fuckers. I really liked that name, and I'll use it for something later. . .

so. . . screwfilms. Fuck yeah. That's the name from now on, fuckers.

GRRRRRR!

Next Up: NetflixHaiku.com

I just got myself a netflix account, and I've decided that the world needs more of at least 2 things: Blogs, and Movie reviews. . . written in Haiku! HA!

Why the fuck not, right?


Congrats Obama, I voted, but didn't think we were going to win, and was legitimately nervous about it on election day. Quick Sweep, and I could hear cheers from the Roof of What was Tamany Hall when he was declared. It was powerful, and I totally went to Union Square after I closed to the New York Film Academy Edit lab, and hung out until the cops started taking out their billy clubs, and that's when I decided to puss out. . .


Robo had it's first cold public screening the Night before Halloween. . . and tanked.

15 people watched with rapt attention, while 20 people talked shit behind them, and then some fucking moron jumped on stage 30 second before the credits, and pulled up the screen (obviously, he was not a fan).

I thought it was funny as hell, and pretty indicative that the film needs some work.


So. . . yeah.

GO READ MY HAIKU!

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Kenneth Anger, and Experimental Cinema

I've long been under the assumption that experimental art films are bullshit.

I am wrong.

I'm watching "Fireworks" by Kenneth Anger, shot in 1947, and I've come to the realization that he set everything up for everyone who'd push the envelope for the next 50 years. . .

1947. . it's hard to believe, watching it. . . it looks like a progressiver 60's film, at least. . .

My heroes would be nowhere without this cat. . . and thus, I've rethought my whole stance on experimental cinema.

Mainstream cinema lags too far behind, and experimental cinema goes to far. . .

But if we can meet 'em in the middle, then you've fucking got something.

Ken Anger's films aren't terribly shocking now, but they must've really freaked people out back then. . .

I dunno what I'm trying to say. Go watch Ken Anger films.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Working Hard. . .

Everyone with the THREETHOUSANDWORDS crew have been scrambling, trying to make sense of their lives after film school. . we're all doing really well. . .

ROBO is getting a Premier in OCtober! Will post more details soon.

Been watching ERGO PROXY, an AWESOME anime, on my video ipod. . super fucking sweet. . .

shooting a music video next week, looking to get more videos up online. . trying to build a full, super-badass reel for January 1st, and then it's balls-to-the-wall from then on out.

LOVE YOU ALL, will try to post soon. .

~Mike

Monday, September 8, 2008

Massive Takedown of Anti-Scientology Videos on YouTube

Scientologists stepp all over youtube. . .

From Slashdot. . . http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/08/09/08/0256208.shtml

EFF website link: http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/09/massive-takedown-anti-scientology-videos-youtube

Massive Takedown of Anti-Scientology Videos on YouTube
News Update by Eva Galperin

Over a period of twelve hours, between this Thursday night and Friday morning, American Rights Counsel LLC sent out over 4000 DMCA takedown notices to YouTube, all making copyright infringement claims against videos with content critical of the Church of Scientology. Clips included footage of Australian and German news reports about Scientology, A Message to Anonymous/Scientology , and footage from a Clearwater City Commission meeting. Many accounts were suspended by YouTube in response to multiple allegations of copyright infringement.

YouTube users responded with DMCA counter-notices. At this time, many of the suspended channels have been reinstated and many of the videos are back up. Whether or not American Rights Counsel, LLC represents the notoriously litigious Church of Scientology is unclear, but this would not be the first time that the Church of Scientology has used the DMCA to silence Scientology critics. The Church of Scientology DMCA complaints shut down the YouTube channel of critic Mark Bunker in June, 2008. Bunker’s account, XenuTV, was also among the channels shut down in this latest flurry of takedown notices.

Related Issues: DMCA, No Downtime for Free Speech Campaign

Sunday, September 7, 2008

THE BUG - "POISON DART" >>>HEAVY CHOON<<<

So. . yeah. here's the video for "Poison Dart" by THE BUG. Fucking sweet (NOW THIS IS DUBSTEP, PUNKS!) Firmly eXtablishes the superiority of all things hyperdub.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

NEW MAC IS NEW!

Got me a super-cool MAC. . .
24" IMAC 3.06GHz, 4GB Ram. . . dat's Whutsup!

Will blog more about my experiences with my new mac, but right nao I'm busy playing.

ALSO! I've graduated from The NEw York Film Academy, and I'm scared absolutely shitless, and I've been saying for weeks that I should blog about my Theory that CATWOMAN is going to be the new batman villain in the new batman movie.

Love, Mike.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

NEW Vs Game Announced. . .




Tatsunoko vs Capcom

ENjoi.



ps. Street Fighter IV looks amazing in person. Suckah.

Monday, August 25, 2008

EYEBEAM ALUM JAMES POWDERLY DETAINED IN BEIJING

This has been slashdotted: http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/08/20/184222

#I'm a big fan of throwies, and I've always felt a special kinship for the GRL. . . I hope this gets sorted out quick. Good Luck, man. . .

No word from the American artist 24 hours after being taken into Chinese custody
Powderly was in Beijing to unveil a project made with pro-Tibet activist group

New York City, August 19, 2008, 7:30PM EST- Artist and Eyebeam alum James Powderly was detained by Chinese authorities in Beijing early Wednesday, according to a message received by Students for a Free Tibet around 5PM Beijing Standard Time, said an SFT spokesperson. The message, sent through the social networking site Twitter, read "held since 3AM", said friend and SFT board member Nathan Dorjee. Powderly has not been heard from since-more than 24 hours later-and his whereabouts remain unknown, he said.

"Freedom of speech has always been central to James' practice, and we support this commitment. Most importantly, we hope for his quick release," said Eyebeam Executive Director Amanda McDonald Crowley. Powderly was a fellow in Eyebeam's R&D OpenLab in 2005-2006, and a senior fellow in the OpenLab from 2006-2007.

Powderly is also co-founder of the Grafitti Research Lab, a project developed during his fellowship at Eyebeam. He was in Beijing collaborating with the activists to project messages onto the facades of prominent Beijing buildings using a laser beam and stencils. The artist was detained before the planned launch of the project-dubbed the "Green Chinese Lantern"-in which a beam of light would be used to display graphics and text on structures up to two stories high, said Dorjee. It is unclear how Chinese authorities learned of the plan.

Also today, five activists with Students for a Free Tibet were detained after displaying a banner that spelled out "Free Tibet" in LED Throwies, the open source technology pioneered by the Grafitti Research Lab and popularized online and worldwide. This brings the number of SFT protestors detained in Beijing to 42. In the majority of these cases, the individuals were heard from and deported within 6-12 hours of their arrest, said Dorjee.

Upon learning of the detention, fellow artist, collaborator, and current Eyebeam senior fellow Steve Lambert said, "He's an amazing, entertaining, brilliant, and committed person. Not all of us have the courage to travel to China to make such a statement at a key time like this. He's a great friend and obviously, like so many others, I'm concerned about his well-being. I hope he's allowed to return home as soon as possible."

The L.A.S.E.R. Stencil technology is a modification of the GRL's L.A.S.E.R. Tag, which was featured in the 2007 Eyebeam exhibition Open City. This portable, updated version is the size of a flashlight, requires one person to operate, and is intended for use with homemade micro-stencils.

Students for a Free Tibet, a group with more than 700 chapters worldwide, has been staging protests in Beijing over the course of the past two weeks. According to Dorjee, who is also the group's technical advisor, GRL technology was an ideal fit for the spectacle of the Olympics, and called the GRL the "go-to group for open source urban expression".

For the latest information and images, please visit the website of Students for a Free Tibet: http://freetibet2008.org/

Additional images for download:

The Grafitti Research Lab, with images made using the L.A.S.E.R. Stencil (in the US): www.grafittiresearchlab.com

LED Throwies: http://www.flickr.com/photos/urban_data/tags/ledthrowies/

Additional coverage:

Boing Boing: http://www.boingboing.net/2008/08/19/beijing-activists-de.html

The Washington Post: www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/19/AR2008081901287.html

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Lost in the MAC store. . .


So. . . I always thought the mac store on 5th ave would be bigger. The Cube always seems bigger in pictures.


So. . . I looks like I'm going to be getting an IMAC. As much as I hate AQUA, and I hate how non-user serviceable macs are (I got nervous giggles when I asked about putting in a new hardrive), it is a pretty good machine, and It runs final cut.

I can even set it up to run Linux in a window! (which will always be fullscreen, and always have it's own workspace. . . )




And bluetooth is fun.

THE MAC STORE IS DEAD! ALL AHIL THE MAC STORE!

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

New My Brightest Diamond Album out. . .


http://asthmatickitty.com/music.php?releaseID=94

Fucking amazing . . .psych-chamber-classical-pop? Definitely for anyone who's ever hummed a Bjork tune.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Battles.

NEW Employee #6817 Mix is up!




New Mix, epic win. . . click NAO!

Moved to Coney Island

I forgot to broadcast to the internets the fact that I am now a proud denizen of Coney Island now. Friggin' sweet! It takes me longer to get to everywhere, but I'm closer to the subway, and I live in an awesome house with a bunch of awesome people, so I can't complain.

Word. Much Love, and respect.

~Mike

ps. An Ipod Ebook how-to is coming soon. Word.

Monday, June 9, 2008

SHARPS

here´s a youtube video from NY news, talking about the original SHARPS in NYC. . . check it out. . .



/

Monday, June 2, 2008

been busy. . .

. . . still trying to figure out when we're gonna do reshoots for ROBO. . .

more info as it comes. . .

also, there's a myspace for ROBO:  http://myspace.com/theobserveriswatching







enjoi, and we'll keep ya posted.

~Mike

Sunday, May 4, 2008

RADIO FREE GREENPOINT

http://dansdata.com/gz081.htm

The best article I've read in a while... this article lays out some relatively simple plans to turn an entire neighborhood into a mesh network.

Now, if only we had some moneys. . .

~Mike

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Thesis Updates, on breaking Linux, and The First Day of Spring.

================================================
The city was humming, today, as I walked out of the liqour store, bottle
of cheap sake in a black plastic bag in the black canvas bag at my side.

I lit my last cigarette, and slid the UM out, brought up a terminal, and
scrolled up.

hope@threethousandwords:~$ xmms ./mp3/smiths/meatismurder/

As the player sprang to life, I felt it. . . the city was humming. As I
walked across the square to the L train, I could feel it. Hipster
chickenhawks in
their revisionist-vintage button-down pastel shirts, and
uncomfortable
italian-leather shoes could feel it. Their prey in low-cut flower-prints
could feel it. Even the fucking pavement could feel it. It billowed in
clouds from the people flirting in the park, undressing each other with
their eyes as they crossed the street. It billowed up in crimson wave, a
limitless beacon of youth, hunger, and health, not giving a fuck
about tomorrow.

I couldn't have felt more electric of I had stuck my cock in a light
socket.

My entire world, for that instant, was Sex, sake,
and the dwindling red glow of the sun descending over the city. It made me
feel weightless, a bouyancy bourne upon the backs of boyish dreams that
I still had no urge to outgrow.

It was the first day of spring.
==================================================

So, I broke my laptop eeepc when I first got it, trying to install a new flavor of linux on it. And then I fixed it, and then I broke it again. Rinse,Repeat.

And I've learned several things alot like legos: The fun is in the building of it; putting it together just the way you want it.

AND. . . well. .. uh. . . it's fragile.

Ok, that's the end of the Lego analogy.

So. . . yeah, me and my little eeepc have had lots of fun trying to turn her into a computer after borking it (as my friend #6817 says, "I nuked his box from orbit"). . .

It's now gotten to the point where my non-linux friends (most of them macusers) give me accusatory looks every time they see me working on it. They keep telling me that I'm "raping" my computer, or molesting her (they always refer to my eeepc as her, never him).

Little do they know! Ok, maybe I've been a little rough with her, but it's all out of love, pure and simple.

=================================================
We start production on ROBO in 4 weeks. I'm goingto register the script with the WGA, and then post it up on the site (with all of it's 28 page glory. . . )

w00t.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

HARP POWER


I've had the pleasure of meeting Miss Gillian Grassie in person, and I have to admit that she is quite entrancing.

It's actually kinda a funny story. I woke up one morning to hear a small gaggle of bubbling spanish girls in my kitchen. Since I was hung-over, and it was extremely early on a Sunday, I rolled out of bed, threw on some clothes, and suavely stumbled out of my bedroom.

"I lurgle blurgle mumble mumble stutter mumble uh um!"
(translation: 'I love the sound of spanish girlsin the morning!')

A collective cheer rose up amongst the assembled ladies, for they are all colleagues of my Spanish (as in Spain) roommate, and I am well like. Most of them came over, and gave me hugs. I smelled like sweat, stale beer, and sleep, but they didn't seem to mind.

And then I saw it: There was a fucking harp in my kitchen. It was as beautiful as I was speechless.

. . .and then Gillian walked in. I found out that my roommate was shooting a music video for her, and here she was, in my kitchen. She gave me a hug, and didn't mind how I smelled, either.



She's as lovely as she is talented, and be sure to check out her website:
http://www.gilliangrassie.com
http://www.myspace.com/harppower

Thursday, February 28, 2008

M83 On Tour, New Album

http://www.ilovem83.com





watch in order, and I'll see you @ the NYC show!!!

Grandaddy.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandaddy
". . . that the band had decided to split up. This was partially due to their work ethic in not releasing music on major labels or playing at typical Ticketmaster/Clear Channel sponsored venues. . ."

What fucking BALLS the guys have/had. It's sad to see them go, but I'm sure they'll be back in some form, or another. . .

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

I woke up this morning. . .

. . . and there was a harp in my Living room, a harpist in my kitchen, and a music video being shot on my roof.

I love New York.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Matson Jones, Eugene, Holy Mountain, Projected Genius, and WGA Strike.

Matson Jones is your new favorite band. http://covertcuriosity.blogspot.com/2006/08/matson-jones-live-at-liberty-hall.html

A link to a live show.


Hmmm. . . spanish keyboards are weird. Not sure where the usual punctiuatioatnat puncti punct KEYS are. (at least parentheses and period work)

I just shot a day of pickups on EUGENE and THE NEIGHBOR, as well as finished a rough cut. . . it looks like ALOT of the initial script had to be cut to fit in 10 minutes, but everything looks GREAT. . . (except for Herrard, my DP, chilling in the frame for the one take of a good shot we had. . . thanks, buddy¡)

I;m going to edit the pickups in (some cool close-up things, and some cool haze care of Brian Norton;s fogger), and see whaqt I have. THEN, and only then, can I begin the long, ardous task of recording all my foley. AND there may be some 6817 badness working it;s way in, as well. Maybe. If he comes through. which he will. I hope. I;ve made a rather strange re uest of him.


RIGHT.

No, on to my review of HOLY MOUNTAIN, by Alejandro Jodorowsky, which screened at the IFC center last week.

-------------------------------------------
REVIEW OF HOLY MOUNTAIN.

Whyि
-------------------------------------------


I think a friend of mine said it best. HE said El Topo can suck my dick (qoute, end qoute)


Fuck spanish keyboards. There;s supposed to be punctuation.




I;ll be doing another post soonabout projected genius. If a film needs to tell me how deep it is, then it;s not. So, fuck that jazz. No Country for Old Men was WAY more philosophical, and it was about a hitman.




AND, in case you;re living under a rock, it looks like everyone goes back to work Wednesday. The Strike is over.

RIP ROY SCHEIDER.

DEATHTOTHETYRANNYOFFAILINGLAPTOPBATTERIES.

gniksikcorknuj










Tuesday, January 29, 2008

On Set. . .

. . . giving me a laptop on set was a bad idea. . . We're shooting our second day in Teaneck, NJ. . . I'm supposed to be gaffing and booming (which can often prove to be a difficult combination). . . and now I'm an audio-playback guy! MWAHAHAHAHA!

Here is a link. It's keeping me alive.
http://www.wtfplusplus.com

FOR GREAT JUSTICE!

~Mike

Thursday, January 10, 2008

"Devil Her Due" Music Video



^"Devil Her Due" by Mike Mazzotta (that's me!)

The track is going to be from a yet unnamed release. . . it was originally on "3 Songs For Christine", which I posted up online a couple years ago, and promptly forgot. . . so I'll probably rerelease it, plus the "Lay Down EP", together with some other tracks at some point. . .

I REALLY like high-contrast digital black and white.

OH! YOU! FROM THE MYSPACES, or WHEREVER! YES! YOU! You want me to do a music video for you, as well, eh? Well! E-mail me at screwfilms@gmail.com, and we'll see what we can do!

~Mike

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Eugene and The Neighbor First Draft

Been busy over the past couple of days. . .

I finally finished a music video for "Devil Her Due" from an old, but as of yet unreleased EP "3 Songs For Christine" that I recorded almost 2 years ago. . . I'll be posting that soon, and hopefully finding someone to host the EP's for download (Probably through BASEMENT LABS). . . I'll post details, once they're known. . .


Also, I've finished the first draft of "Eugene And The Neighbor", a short film that I've been working on at The New York Film Academy. . . here's an excerpt from the script. . .

EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING – NIGHT

A gray, metal industrial door sits in a cone of light from overhead, against the pitch black backdrop of an apartment building. The door opens a crack, and quickly closes. It opens again, and a hand clutching a can of KILL'EM bugspray juts quickly out firing a burst of noxious gas, and then pulls back into the safety of the building.

Eugene, a harried man in his mid-twenties, huddling in his grungy clothes, finally steps through the door, out into the outside world, brandinshing his can of bug spray. He's wearing a week's worth of beard and the look of a hunted man, short on sleep. He quickly checks back and forth, making sure that the perimeter is clear, before nervously digging into one filthy pocket, digging deep.

He digs out a crumpled soft-pack of cigarettes, quickly shoves the pack into his pocket and digs in the opposite pocket for a lighter. Finding it, he lights his cigarette, takes a deep drag, and visibly relaxes.

A sharp pinging sound firmly plants Eugene back on edge. Brandishing his bugspray, he waves it back and forth, wildly looking for the source of the sound. The sharp pinging sound breaks the silence again, and Eugene looks up.

A single moth is fluttering against the light bulb, trying to keep warm in it's holy tungsten glow. It flys into the bulb again, making a sharp pinging sound.

Eugene stares in absolute horror. The pinging happens again, and one of Eugene's eyes begins to twitch. The moth collides with the bulb another time, and Eugene regains his senses, sprays the bug, and flees back into the relative safety of the bug-infested, dilapidated apartment building where he lives.


INT. STAIRWELL – NIGHT

Still shaken from his near-brush with an unspeakable fate, Eugene begins to laboriously make his way up the innumerable flights of steps to his apartment, can of bugspray before him like a shield.

Something black, hungry, and six-legged rustles somewhere close-by. Eugene is frozen to the spot. The scuttling sound stops, and looking around furtively, Eugene continues to make his way up the shadowy steps.

A cockroach scuttles across Eugene's path.
Eugene springs into action, stomping maniacally on the ground, in hopes that he'll be able to kill the monster.

Beat.

There's a scuttling sound, and Eugene stomps wildly again.

Beat.

Eugene hears the scuttling sound again, and it sounds angry. With a distressed wail, Eugene flees up the steps, toward the relative safety of his apartment.

So, there it is. . . hopefully I'll be able to get some stuff up to ye-old youtubes tonite, as well. . .

enjoy!
~Mike

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Happy New Year.

Happy New Year. Spent some time chillin', now I'm back with the fierceness. . .



enjoy.