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December 30, 2007
Last post the year
I've been looking back over previous year-ends lately.
I began 2005 with a movie shoot, ended it with three holes in my stomach and endless medical bills.
I began 2006 optimistic, ended it unemployed.
I began 2007 preparing for a job interview with WWE in Stamford, Connecticut; ending it in Santa Ana.
Many events seem to go in three year cycles -- I hope that this latest cycle of beginning in optimism and ending in letdown is now over. There are signs of a circle fulfilling -- three years ago I was shooting Mad Cowgirl -- three years on, I've resumed an acting career of sorts. Three years ago, Bush's second term was depressingly beginning, and this will be our last year under him.
Little over a month ago, I thought I might be celebrating the new year with someone special; then I got unceremoniously turned down via email over Thanksgiving. I've made new friendships here in OC that I think will last, but whether I and the county will ever truly embrace each other remains to be seen.
'07 has been a year of endings and departures -- my San Diego family moving away, other friends leaving, preparing to leave, or just becoming distant, and the hardest reminder possible that my father's youth and middle-age are over. I moved out of the place I had lived in for almost 8 years, shortly after realizing just how casually the landlords I thought I was on good terms with were willing to threaten me with eviction.
At the same time, I began to clarify my own goals. I won a Press Club runner-up award for actual film criticism, and was accepted into LAFCA. I accepted that I was and always had been an actor. I appeared in a movie that will be great. And the LYT movie news in '08 doesn't stop there -- THE LOST and NAKED BENEATH THE WATER come to DVD in a couple of months, while WALKIN' MY BABY BACK HOME and WICKED LAKE will be hitting the festival circuit, with the latter also playing select theaters. And then there are the projects potentially on the horizon...
To my readers and friends -- I know I haven't been the best communicator this year. It's hard for me to get around to everybody, and part of the reason this site is even here is so that I can communicate with all of you at once when I need to. Being all alone in a new neighborhood is daunting and isolating, compounded when family far away are having troubles and there's nothing I can do. If I'm self-centered at times, it's not because I don't want to center on something else -- just that I can see nothing and no-one else in my immediate peripherary.
All of you I haven't seen much -- I miss you. Truly.
Let's make some magic in the leap year.
Posted by LYT at 9:47 PM | Comments (5)
MetroTREKxual
Wait...Tyler Perry's in the new Star Trek movie????
Bad idea. Really bad idea. Might as well cast Uwe Boll next.
But perhaps now there's hope for Douglas Dunning to be the Klingon Captain.
Posted by LYT at 2:31 AM | Comments (0)
Person of the Year
For the past three years, I've given out an anti-award in retaliation for time's stupid-ass selections of "The American Soldier" and "You" as person of the year. Criteria here were for being the person who had the most influence on the website besides me.
Our first winner was Patrick Graham, for being everyone's favorite commenter;
Our second was Matt King, for being webmaster and co-ordinator in times of my medical emergency;
Our third was Peter Graham, outstanding guest-blogger.
It was hard coming up with one this year. I considered Andy Van De Voorde, for hiring me to OC Weekly; Janine Kahn, for being my back-up so many times; and Brian Gaughan, for lending me his laptop during the WICKED LAKE shoot.
But I came to a decision eventually.
LYTrules.com's person of the year for 2007 is...
TODD NAUCK, for drawing the image you see below...
Posted by LYT at 2:10 AM | Comments (1)
December 29, 2007
Beggin' Time
Anybody doing anything for New Year's Eve? I got nothing.Posted by LYT at 2:04 PM | Comments (2)
December 28, 2007
Cool Company, Uncool Company
Two run-ins with big bureaucracies today...
Health insurance -- because I did not submit an enrollment form exactly four months after I was hired, I must now wait until May to do it. This is moronic. I won't say that they never told me that -- it may well have been one of a zillion things I was told on my first day -- but certainly no-one reminded me in July. And why can we only do this once a year anyway?
WWE -- when WWE shopzone had their Thanksgiving sale, I ordered a bunch of stuff, and was pissed when one of the items was wrong. A particular shirt that had been on-sale that I liked for its style, rather than the wrestler it represented (Edge), was replaced by the guy's newest shirt, which has a crappy design (a giant Ankh, basically).
I hate getting the wrong order in the mail -- of course I had to send it back at my own expense. But today I called them, right after I confirmed they got it back.
The shirt I wanted had sold out, and I guess they had decided substituting a newer one for the same guy would be fine with me (especially since the newer one was not on sale). So the guy tells me he'll credit my account for the shirt I didn't get, and I can keep the other one.
I remind him I already sent it back, so he then tells me I can have any other T-shirt they carry. So I'll soon be sporting the newest Stone Cold Steve Austin-wear instead. Yay for great customer service!
Posted by LYT at 6:16 PM | Comments (2)
Year end stuff
I'm totally asking for it with my 2007 movie top ten, so have at it.
But you may also be interested in my take on the Year in Horror.
And don't forget to keep tabs on the OC blog -- bonus horror interviews lurk therein, and more will be added soon.
Posted by LYT at 12:01 AM | Comments (4)
December 27, 2007
Aliens versus themselves
Based on my recent AVP review, some have asked exactly how I would rank teh Alien and Predator movies. Here's how:
1. Alien (theatrical or director's cut -- not much in it)
2. Aliens (theatrical cut ONLY)
3. Predator
4. Predator 2
5. Alien3 (pseudo director's cut for the DVD set; Fincher not involved, but attempt made to duplicate his first cut. Continuity issues with Bishop notwithstanding.)
6. Aliens (extended DVD cut)
7. Alien3 (theatrical)
8. AVP
9. AVP-R
10 Alien Resurrection (the crappy ending plus Winona cancels out all its other merits)
Posted by LYT at 11:49 PM | Comments (2)
Did everyone...
...see the teaser trailer for WALKIN' MY BABY BACK HOME?
If not, do so now
Check out this video: Teaser Trailer
Add to My Profile | More Videos
[reminder: I'm in this movie. And that girl with the cool hair who stars in it is my sister.]
Posted by LYT at 1:26 AM | Comments (2)
A plea to rock bands everywhere
Somebody, somewhere...please write a NEW song about kung-fu that's even the slightest bit catchy.
I will thank you forever, if it's worth a damn.
Anything, anyFUCKINGthing so that whenever a new comedy involving martial arts comes out, I no longer have to hear GOD-DAMN "Whoa-ho-ho-hooooo! Whoa-ho-ho-hooooo! Everybody was kung-fu fighting!"
Yes, Dreamworks and Kung-fu Panda, I'm looking at you right now. But you're not the only culprits.
Posted by LYT at 12:59 AM | Comments (0)
December 26, 2007
And how was your Xmas?
I got to watch ALIENS VS. PREDATOR: REQUIEM
Is there any kind of metaphor or social commentary? Not exactly -- this movie's idea of subtlety is to have the Predalien attack a maternity ward, to show that all kinds of animals breed, I guess.
Here's a glimpse of what I thought, with a link to a more formal review.
Posted by LYT at 9:16 PM | Comments (1)
December 25, 2007
Merry Christmas!
Be careful which bearded men in red-and-white hats you allow down your chimney!
Posted by LYT at 12:17 AM | Comments (5)
December 24, 2007
I wish I were in Texas for Xmas
If you're in El Paso, you get a great present...
Posted by LYT at 11:07 AM | Comments (4)
December 23, 2007
According to Alexa...
6.2% of this site's readers come from Serbia and Montenegro.
Another 6.2% from Pakistan.
I'm not sure what they see in me.
But if you're one of them...my best wishes for a peaceful future.
Posted by LYT at 7:52 PM | Comments (1)
December 21, 2007
Almost a year ago, this is what I wrote on the blog...
Good riddance, 2006. Not the worst year of my life -- 2005 and its appendicitis is fairly undisputed when it comes to that -- but 2006 was not great. It's been a year of learning experiences, and one of realizing that everything ends. Most of us intuitively know this, but sometimes it can really be brought home.
I've never been much for tradition, but I've always envied those families that have the one family house where they've always lived, and everyone comes together for the holidays. My life's been too transient for that, but every time it seems like there might be a chance to start such a tradition anew, it only lasts a couple of years before someone has to move far away and sell the place.
On the other hand, maybe my somewhat reactive stance to determinedly stay living in the same place isn't helping. My current apartment is either hellishly hot or tomblike in its coldness, and nearly remedying this almost got me evicted. And I learned that if you're freelance and you're broke in this city, you get punished even more with extra taxes. If Robert Altman were still alive, he'd note the similarity to POPEYE.
At present, there is the possibility, however distant, of a big and drastic move. It's an intimidating step, and would be into a whole new world. But I'm ultimately less attached to any one place than most people my age, and if that's where life takes me, I'm down for the ride.
Whatever happens, I get the feeling that a year from now, I'll be in a very different place. For good or ill. Right now feels very similar to that period in 1999 before I got my first movie critic job.
Posted by LYT at 11:01 PM | Comments (1)
The Lost...At Last?
Bloody Disgusting is reporting that the DVD release date for THE LOST is March 18, from Anchor Bay.
Not a damn word on Anchor Bay's website about it yet, but I believe B-D...it jells with what I've heard from those who oughta know.
Rumor has it the deleted scenes will include a wide shot in which you can see all of me, not just one hand...
Posted by LYT at 6:22 PM | Comments (1)
Christmas "Eve"
If Myspace is to be believed...happy birthday to Ms. Mauro, star of WICKED LAKE!
Posted by LYT at 10:48 AM | Comments (1)
December 19, 2007
On a lighter note
A word or two hundred on National Treasure 2.
Posted by LYT at 11:54 PM | Comments (2)
December 18, 2007
Confession Time
I've wondered for a while what to say about this, and whether I should at all. But the fact is that while I may not be the one most affected, I am at very least in the top 4, and it's my story to a degree. I share this not for cheap pops, but in hope that maybe some of my readers have analogous experiences, and can help me figure out what to do.
So here it is: my father has been diagnosed with a degenerative brain disorder. It is thankfully not Alzheimers or Parkinsons, but perhaps an odd, minor derivative of the latter. The bottom line is that he is not going to get better. From here on out, it is a matter of keeping things from getting worse. I used to joke that he was so scatterbrained I'd never know if he were getting senile; sadly, that may have kept us from figuring things out sooner.
As regular readers know, he lives primarily in France, and my finances and vacation day allowances don't permit frequent visitation. There really isn't much I can do here, but think of things like the fact that I always thought he'd be at my wedding someday, and wonder, since that seems nowhere near close to happening, if such a thing ever will. And my brothers, ages 5 and 9 -- will they ever know him as I have?
There have been years in my life where our relationship wasn't ideal, and I think we misjudged each other at times, but I have come to know -- and yes, I mean KNOW -- that any mistakes he may have made were usually in the service of trying to serve and please the most people he could, often at his own expense. Sometimes I didn't benefit from those decisions, but most often I probably did.
Though he would often subsume his own goals for those of others, this is a man who, when it counted, stood up to the entire U.S. military, refusing to go to Vietnam because he would not, could not kill another man. He earned an honorable discharge for holding true to that stance. I have trouble believing that an imaginary friend in the sky would reward him thusly.
I want him to feel that I'm doing okay -- and for that to happen, I need to feel that myself. I'm not there yet, and the clock is ticking.
Note: my father is only 60 years old. Same age as Iggy Pop, and David Ehrenstein.
I talk like him. I know my movies like him. I make a mess like him with my accumulated crap. I drink like he used to. If you know me, then to some degree you know him too.
Send love, because I'm not sure I can bear this alone.
Posted by LYT at 11:32 PM | Comments (14)
December 16, 2007
The new Batman trailer
Is online. I'm not yet sold on the idea of this "realistic" Joker. But as long as Batman doesn't kill him, we'll be getting somewhere.Posted by LYT at 5:42 PM | Comments (0)
The new Batman trailer
Is online.
I'm not yet sold on the idea of this "realistic" Joker. But as long as Batman doesn't kill him, we'll be getting somewhere.
Posted by LYT at 5:42 PM | Comments (4)
December 14, 2007
Believe it or not...
Alvin and the Chipmunks = not the worst thing ever.Posted by LYT at 8:44 AM | Comments (0)
December 13, 2007
My official critic bio
As my late friend Marnye might say, I'm so fancy!
Posted by LYT at 2:21 AM | Comments (1)
Heel, Thyself
Uhhh, the Pope's entire reason for being is based on arguably dubious ideology -- and certainly not on firm evidence. And attacking "prophets of doom" when you live your life by a book full of them?
There's a lot more evidence for global warming than there is for transubstantiation.
(h/t Luke Ford)
Posted by LYT at 12:58 AM | Comments (1)
December 11, 2007
LYT Interview at Fatally Yours
The first proper interview I've given to any media outlet since I was ten is now up at Fatally-Yours.com -- in a reversal of our recent roles, as I previously interviewed her for OC.
It's fairly thorough, and you may learn something about me.
Posted by LYT at 11:09 AM | Comments (3)
December 8, 2007
Anniversary and some begging
I can't believe I let it slip by without noticing, but back in October, LYTrules.com hit the five year mark. That's kind of a milestone, I guess. Back when this site started, I had recently seen New Times LA fold, had my first (and thus far, only) significant romantic entanglement dissolve, and given a guest lecture at WCU. I also had not appeared in any movies except for Billy Logue's STILL unreleased film HOLLYWOOD 5.
What a trip it's been. Not the easiest stretch of my life by any means. I've taken you behind the scenes of The Woods, Until the Night, Mad Cowgirl, Masters of Horror, The Lost, Wicked Lake, various media events, and of course my own life-threatening surgery. We've won two awards for this site in the process.
Now comes the shameless plea. I'm in debt much further than I'd like. I plan to make a movie someday and accrue much more debt, but would like to start from a good place. Also I'll probably have to join SAG next year, and that costs a bundle too.
The chief causes of my debt are:
1. Appendicitis, and the price tag of saving my life.
2. The move to Orange County and the OC Weekly.
3. Bringing MAD COWGIRL to film festivals in Calgary, Portland, and San Francisco; and travel expenses like Comic-Con which were only partially reimbursed by work.
In a perfect world, the appendicitis would be paid for by national health insurance, and the other two would actually pay me for the fact that I delivered the entertainment goods. But we're not there yet.
If every single reader of this site were to donate five bucks -- that's one dollar for every year this site has been around -- I'd be out of debt. I know that won't happen. And I don't want any reader to feel obligated -- I provide this site for readers at my expense, and accept that. It'd be a sucky Internet if you had to pay to read blogs, and I know this one's been slack this year, though in exchange you get a better OC Weekly blog.
But this Christmas, please consider making a Paypal donation via the gold button on the upper left-hand side of the screen. Any contribution of $50 or more will earn you one of the first-run LYT-shirts, in either L or XL, red or white text (I'll honor your first choice while supplies last, but after that, reserve the right to make substitutions. T-shirts will be given while supplies last; donations are non-refundable even if tees run out first, though I don't expect that to happen).
I won't guilt-trip you if you don't. But everything helps. And please DON"T buy something on my Amazon wishlist instead...I don't need more stuff, but I do need more money.
Posted by LYT at 10:11 PM | Comments (5)
December 7, 2007
Some new articles
The promised review of an MMA convention:
There’s a disclaimer on the official website of the North American Mixed Martial Arts Association Expo (NAMMAE) that reads, in part:“This is an industry of fighting and combat. This is not a Tennis Expo or an Auto Expo. . . . Many of us are fierce competitors, both on the mat, in the ring or cage, and in the business world, too. . . . Since even mentioning a floor plan, we have been introduced to the labyrinth of political affiliations, feuds and personal preferences with which the industry is wrought. . . . But at the end of the day, it must be our discretion and our ultimate decision on where to place exhibitors.”
Whole thing here. Also, an interview with a local blogger whose interests have much in common with mine...
“Morbid and mysterious, sweet and sinister” is how Costa Mesa-based horror blogger Fatally Yours describes herself on her MySpace page, where she also forewarns anyone who might want to meet her that “I do bite . . . pretty hard.”Yet no wounds were to be found after our first meeting. Fatally, whose business card depicts her bound in electrical tape and answers to the name of Sarah in casual conversation, is actually quite soft-spoken, especially considering she majored in public relations, a career in which pushiness is practically a prerequisite. Her boyfriend, Justin, a solidly built 6-foot-plus floral arranger, is the one who looks like he could eat people for lunch.
Read all about her here.
Posted by LYT at 5:21 PM | Comments (7)
Fight!
Check out 25 photos by and of yours truly at the MMA convention last Saturday in Anaheim
(article to come...)
Posted by LYT at 1:08 AM | Comments (1)
December 6, 2007
My Grandfather's Column
Reverence
Silent worship, about which I wrote last month is a special form of reverence, which perhaps needs a bit more attention because to-day’s culture seems to have just about lost the idea completely. The American constitution has a preamble stating that it is self-evident that all men are born equal in the sight of God. (No reference here to women!). I suspect this has led to the modern attitude that everyone is as good, important, wise and honourable or dishonourable as everybody else.
This leads to the idea that deference is something to be abhorred and reverence becomes meaningless unless it be towards inanimate objects such as fine art or the wonders of nature. The Christian teaching about equality is not quite what Jefferson wrote for the US constitution. It is that all people are equally loved by God, who cares for the just and the unjust but does not say there is no difference between them.
The lack of deference leads to chaos in schools, which have to insist on it, sometimes sadly against the wishes of parents who occasionally labour under the delusion that their own offspring are somehow always better than their teachers. Such a lack of respect would of course be ruin for the armed forces or the police. My own view is that the practice of deference is intrinsically valuable. This is the main reason why I’m an ardent supporter of the monarchy, which helps us to remember that we are not all equal and that it is not for nothing that Christians of all kinds speak of Jesus as their Lord. In the presence of my superiors I do well to hold my tongue for much of the time. This is especially the case when my superior is my Lord and God.
A wise old owl lived in an oak.
The more he heard, the less he spoke.
The less he spoke, the more he heard.
Why don’t we copy that wise old bird?
--Peter Graham
Posted by LYT at 11:21 PM | Comments (0)
December 4, 2007
Interesting point
The decline of print film criticism is obviously a subject near and dear to me, and most theories as to the why revolve around Internet sites. I think it's nuts that the LA Times runs reviews from Chicago.
[Tangent: I imagine someone might seize on this sentence to point out that maybe I shouldn't be in the Village Voice if I feel that way, to which I would initially respond that I'm barely in the Voice anyway, usually just in the capsule section a couple times a month. I would also say that I think alt-weeklies are useful for diverse voices, but that the number one paper in the number one film city in the country really ought to be able to use hometown critics across the board. LAT should be providing syndication material, not using it.]
Anyhow, this argument is a new one on me, and I think quite a valid one:
"It used to be that if you missed a movie it was gone forever," Basinger says. "If you miss a movie that's good you're going to see it anyway. There is not the same relationship with the critic anymore."
Agree? Disagree?
(h/t) MovieCityNews)
Posted by LYT at 11:27 AM | Comments (5)