CODA
Well, by completely random means, I found the Japanese DVD cover for Horrors of War online. There is an import site selling it, but the DVD is region 2 (meaning not playable on most U.S. players). The image for the cover gives me mixed feelings. I think it’s very very professionally done, but I don’t know if I like it. I need to see it in my hands & I’ll determine if I dig it or not. For $50, I better like it a lot…
Shortly after, I found a site that streams the Windows Media Player video of the Japanese trailer (CLICK HERE)
. Now they used entirely their own music and cut their own trailer from scratch. It’s a decent trailer, and I absolutely LOVE the voice over in Japanese. No, I have absolutely NO CLUE what it says, but I love it anyway. It sounds like all the Kurasawa trailers, but they might be saying, “These stupid Americans made this awful movie that you MUST see!”.
What I really really need to know is if they name translated. I many cases Japanese translations aren’t even close to the original titles. “Horrors of War” might translate to “Nazi Super Death Monkeys Die Die Die”. I asked a friend to see if his Japanese wife will convert the words for me.
On another front, one I’ll be intentionally vague about, we have finally got to the final laps of North American distribution. I won’t say with whom or any real details, as it’s NOT final until they tell me it’s final, but I will say that we’re in the final stages and contracts are signed, but there’s still some formalities and paperwork to be done before it’s “done”.
I was relieved and excited until I realized how much work was left to be done. #1, I had to get a few minor tweaks to the DigiBeta master tape. We had missed several names in the end credits that have since been corrected for the screenings, but not on the master tape. Also, from the directors’ cut, I wanted to insert (meaning overwrite) 5 shots in the cemetery battle scene that I found crucially important.
Now, I was asked if I was going to try to sneak the directors’ cut in on the master tape. No, I did not and I won’t. I will not deny I disagree with the cut being released, but this is a TEAM decision and I won’t piss off or backstab my executive producer over a disagreement.
Maybe one day the Directors’ Cut will see a DVD release, but as of now, the old, non-linear edit is what will be released this fall (tentatively). I have mixed feelings on the matter. On one hand, I know the Directors’ Cut tells a better story, but I agree that for some people in the audience, it’s less about story and much more about “more guns, more monsters, more explosions”, so we lose some people, but get others. It’s not entirely a wash, but an acceptable one.
We’re in a mad rush to copy paperwork, get new contracts signed, and also edit together the last of the “WebDocs” and extras for the DVD release. I can guarantee that some are going to be WEB ONLY as there is no where near enough room on the single disc edition of Horrors of War that is now being planned. If we’re lucky (and in my dreams) in a few years, if there is interest, we have plenty of material for a 2 disc special edition. Maybe Horrors of War will take off (possible…) or maybe one of the people involved, like John Whitney, or one of the actors will get big, not now, but within a few years.
We taped the final interviews recently at Ken Wilson’s house, with its cool suits of armor & eclectic sets of weapons. It made a perfect setting for the interviews. Ken & Deb are two of the coolest people on planet Earth, and I daresay any other worlds.
Now the race to finish documentaries is on. John Whitney is handling the bulk of the editing, but I’ll be there for the finishing process and an overall tweaking edit. The “WebDocs” and the entire “Making Of” videos are my pride & joy. I have taken no credit for producing and directing these, but they are my baby. They have been a labor of love. Editing these is like therapy, even when there’s stress. The stories of how we made this are great and everyone comes across so well, telling the tale as they saw it.
We are going to submit to film festivals and get Horrors of War out there a bit more. Now, this is NOT a “Sundance” film, so we won’t be wasting our time, their time, or someone’s money. However, there are a ton of genre based festivals and screening opportunities. There are Horror movie marathons, Science Fiction events, and Comic-book conventions, and multimedia presentations are getting more and more available. Think outside of the box, and you can find some alternate ways to get a fan for your film or a sale for your DVD.
As soon as we get approval, the machine will begin and the wheels will start to turn. I’ve always said that a feature film, if you want to be successful, is the long haul. It’s beyond full time and it’s so soul scraping that you can’t imagine the depths to which you have to go within yourself to keep going. No one’s success story ever started with, “I was burned out, then I stopped working it, and THEN I was a huge success!”
I spent the weekend with Brandy at rehearsals for Johnny Wu’s feature film THE RAPTURE. These were also wire-work and fight choreography rehearsal so it was fun. Now Brandy, in a rare move, pulled a practical joke on me with Andy Schofield. Everyone knows I love the Spoons. Brandy, hates spooning. This is NOT a sexual thing, only a huggy, lying down thing. Let’s face it Brandy hates touchy feely and neither am I, but her saying she hates it makes me want it. In a joking way, I made a proclamation in front of everyone that perhaps we needed a substitute “spooner”, preferably a young, very attractive Asian girl.
The 2nd day of rehearsals, they got an Asian girl to approach me while I was on my laptop, ensconced in a writing extravaganza. She said she talked to my girlfriend and was into whatever we wanted. I bought it hook line & sinker until she said she wanted $1,000, and I thought that was a little pricey for Spoons. Low and behold many were staring and laughing.
My freelance worked has picked up a big, thank God. I’ve been without money coming in for a while now and it feels good to have. I’ve recently started watching movies again and trying to get through a slew of “extended cuts” and “director’s cuts”, so far few of them have meant anything to me or added a lot. I did however see SUPERMAN RETURNS, and I must say that it not only evoked a spark of sense memories from 1978, but it hit some core emotions in all the right spots. I have no real criticisms of the movie, as I loved it. A perfect sequel/reboot of the Donner movie(s) this is. Even though more than 70% of Superman II was directed by Richard Donner, it’s credited to Richard Lester, which is practically a crime. The great & powerful Johnny Wu gave me the feature length Ken Burns documentary on the history of Superman (“Look Up In the Sky!”) and also the Jet Li masterpiece FEARLESS, which is one of the best movies I’ve seen this year.
I started teaching my editing class again for the first time in over a year. It was odd, but pretty easy to jump back in. I’ve got 8 students and they all seem pretty interested. I think I’m a better teacher now than I have ever been. I have my technique down & of course my metaphors. I love my metaphors. I’m armed now with better videos for demonstration and having the completed feature film cred doesn’t hurt. I think I’ll continue on with another session or two this year.
No news on the new feature film. I’m so bogged down on Horrors of War still and making money, there has been no progress. I am not thrilled, but it’s a fact of life. There will be progress, as I will be writing quite a bit in the next few weeks on tweaking the screenplay and making it the way I want it.
Today may just be a writing day… Brandy is off to work and I have little else to do and no movie really seems to jump out and say ‘WATCH ME TODAY DAMNIT!”, so if the muse comes to visit, I may have to tickle her inner thigh and hope that she lets me in.
God bless the Acolytes of Boo! Long live the Rockin’ Rangers of the SOnnyBoo Brigade
- Peter John Ross
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