Theatre Palisades is a Place for Great Entertainment in Los Angeles

Pacific Palisades, CA—In this terrific seaside community there is an incubator for talent called Theatre Palisades.  It’s within the Pierson Playhouse that was built on its present site in 1975.  They put up five major shows a year along with children’s shows and various concerts.

Right now until July 13^th you can see the Tennessee Williams play, CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF.   For your convenience they have a website at www.theatrepalisades.org  

Back when I spent more time in L.A. I was honored to appear in several of their productions.  Six weeks of rehearsals along with a six week show run make appearing on the stage nearly impossible for me today.   The sad part is that it was non-stop fun. 

Since I’m having so much fun with little my camera-armed drone why not give you an incredible view of this great venue.

How’d I Miss Lena Dunham?

New York, NY—Watching Saturday Night Live tonight introduced me to Lena Dunham.  I heard the name before but was not quite sure where. I must have spent too much time in my cave.  Dunham is a tattooed and somewhat pudgy gal that most would dismiss as a potential leading lady of most films. 

I was curious so I investigated to learn why this 27 year-old girl was hosting SNL.  I watched her skits and she seemed somewhat talented.  Where and how did she get her breaks I wondered?  Hell I have socks in my dresser that are older than Dunham! 

It turns out that Dunham took a route to stardom I was taught to avoid like making short films.  I was taught to patiently wait for an agent or manager to discover your acting skills and make you a star.  That is now so “old school” and nearly always leaves the blood of hopefuls on the, Boulevard of Broken Dreams.  Most of the A list actors are not also writers and directors.  They get a lucky break, an agent and some good roles.  

Dunham took another more progressive and productive route.  Among other things apparently the 2012 successful HBO comedy series, Girls which is a creation of this talented lady. 

Dunham obviously learned important writing skills in college.  Afterwards Dunham got involved writing, producing, directing and acting in short films.  Instead of stalking agents for representation she used the power she had over her own projects to cast herself in the lead roles. 

Dunham gathered her mother, sister, friends and associates and moved forward like a speeding freight train making films.  Social media played no small part in her self-promotion.  That effort resulted in the important talent agents stalking her! 

Dunham entered her projects in various film fests.  She won Best Narrative Feature at the SXSW Festival.  She cast herself in her own little projects as she entered her films in numerous competitions.  Later she wound up with two coveted Golden Globe Awards and numerous other honors.

One film schoolteacher of mine never mentioned that Alfred Hitchcock and Rod Serling succeeded with easy to produce inexpensive short films.  Half-hour shows were really 20 minutes with room for 10 minutes of commercials.  Hour shows simply doubled everything.  You never saw expensive sets, special effects or major film props like you do in feature films.  Great scripts and actors carried everything. 

My acting coaches never expressed value in short films beyond putting clips on your acting reel.  It was more about getting cozy with casting directors and putting on showcases.  Of course that meant paying for the privilege to play. 

Today you can go to the nearest Best Buy and purchase better and substantially cheaper equipment to make and edit full color films for a few thousand dollars.

Last but not least On October 8, 2012, Dunham signed a $3.5 million deal with Random House to publish her first book, an essay collection called Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's Learned.

Dunham has taught me that becoming an entertainment mega-star and millionaire is possible if you just believe in yourself.  Is there still hope for an over the hill Hollywood hopeful like me?  The answer is, yes!  

Actors and their Roles

Los Angeles, CA—Aside from being a licensed investigator and an investigative TV news producer, I’m an actor and a member of SAG-AFTRA since 1997.

I watched the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman play his very diverse roles with absolute envy.  Hoffman walked away with an Oscar for playing Truman Capote.  Capote was a flaming Gay toad with a real gift for writing that was very comfortable with his bizarre persona.

Hoffman by all accounts was a straight guy with a longtime girlfriend with three children.  He simply had a gift to make any character he played really believable.

Hoffman became his characters, bringing real life to the words written in a film script.  That took tremendous discipline that was very inconsistent with his apparent drug addiction.

My first acting coach at Arizona State University made it clear to me that if I was afraid to look foolish or strange before an audience I’d be better off not acting.   I thought of how I really only wanted to play the roles of the cool guys!  Boy was she ever right!  I simply had to let go of any ego.   

When you’re an actor it’s the casting directors decide what you are going to play.  Most often when you get picked for a role it’s not the one you auditioned for! 

I never once turned down a role.  I got some strange ones indeed.  I played roles such as the testosterone challenged Bob “Bitch Tits” in a stage production of Fight Club.  The rocker Meatloaf played that part in the film.

I played a scary sodomizer, Zed in Pulp Fiction again on stage.  The great line in this film everyone remembers is, when Bruce Willis says, “Zed is Dead.”

Last but not least, I was asked to help develop a very Conservative political and comedic TV talk show host.  However I was required to do this in drag!  It was a Sarah Palen type gun loving “lady” named Zelda McCorville.  This was before Palen became the Republican candidate for Vice President. 

Zelda was somehow resurrected later for two independent films.  Zelda’s TV talk show however never made air.  I was actually having fun in this ridicules and insane role!  

The best-published reviews I ever got were for my Fight Club role. 

I learned one thing about playing these parts, the audience really notices you!  They remember the Zany characters long after others are forgotten.

I don’t know what my next role will be but I’m prepared for anything!  Bring it on please, I need the money!

Watch here as Zelda goes to the Gun Range!

Phillip Seymour Hoffman, We Hardly Knew You!

New York, NY—Becoming a successful actor is incredibly difficult for most even if they have talent.

Just getting a decent manager and or agent is a major task.  An actor without an agent is unemployed.

Aside from my investigative and media work I'm an actor.  I did my best work in community theater. 

I’ve had a SAG-AFTRA membership card since 1997.  I did a few forgettableTV spots and  films before a serious hearing loss problem sidelined me.  I have great hearing aids now but my age is not helping me to get motivated again. 

46 year-old Phillip Seymour Hoffman made to the RED Oscar Carpet winning as Best Actor for his role in Capote.  His career was on fire!  

Hoffman was also successful producer and director.  He was currently filming for the Hunger Games franchise. 

Hoffman confessed addiction problems and did a stint in rehab.  His premature death seems to indicate this was an accidental overdose of drugs.   But that is only a guess by NYC police officials that revealed he was found with a needle in his arm.  It will take weeks for toxicologists to tell us what poisons he had in his blood.

Hoffman appeared to be at least 15 years older than he should.  Perhaps drugs played a role in that too.  

It’s heartbreaking to see a talented and successful actor destroy a great life.  I know so many terrific actors today that fight so hard for small paying roles.  Many of them will be shaking their heads in disbelief. 

Hoffman like most of us had demons and I’m sure depression played a part.  He sought help but apparently it was too little too late. 

This kind of thing should make all of us understand that we are our brother’s keeper.  We must help those around us understand they are needed. 

Hoffman’s manager and agent must be devastated by this loss.  Hoffman left behind a partner Mimi and three children. 

Hoffman had many more roles to play, parties to attend and friends to meet.  That’s all over now and may he rest in peace.  

Screen Legend, Greta Garbo to be Portrayed By Carice van Houten!

Greta Garbo, left and Carice van Houten, right

Amsterdam, NL—Let me begin by confessing my fascination for beautiful elegant European women.  They know how just to dress, walk, talk, flirt and dazzle my imagination.   I was first exposed to them when I was drafted into the Army and sent to Germany long ago.  They still ring my bell today more than ever.

Legendary Swedish film siren Greta Garbo was the epitome of glamour, grace and sexy hot.  She was a natural for films that are still shown today.  A few years ago I discovered a woman with all of Garbo’s attributes when I saw Paul Verhoeven’s terrific film Black Book.  The female lead was Dutch actress, Carice van Houten.  In Black Book she sang, danced, swam, and acted in four languages in the World War Two thriller. 

I instantly fell in love with van Houten’s talent.  I also know that van Houten is destined to begin gathering Academy Awards as she has scooped up five of Holland’s coveted Golden Calf statutes.  She needs to be cast in more American films.

Van Houten has Garbo’s magnetism, charm and an amazing resemblance too.  That mixed with incredible acting chops and a gift for emulating several dialects makes van Houten perfect for being cast as the film icon. 

Screen International broke the story that van Houten is set to play Garbo in a biopic that she will also co-produce.   I don’t know enough about the film and the others being cast yet but know the bar will be set high.  I only wish I could land even a small a role in the film myself.  I know this will be a box office smash and bring van Houten to Hollywood’s most special red carpet.

I will borrow a published quote from van Houten; “I was raised with silent films. I have always maintained an endless fascination for that era,’ Van Houten told the magazine. ‘I am strongly drawn to her story, her art, her loneliness and her beautiful complex structure.’

Van Houten is best known in the USA for her roles in Valkyrie, Repo Men and Black Book and can currently be seen as Melisandre in HBO television series Game of Thrones.   

Carice van Houten Turns her Focus to Singing

Amsterdam, NL—The incredibly talented actress Carice van Houten is apparently at an impasse in her life whether to continue acting or to take on a singing career.   At this juncture she’s told several publications that she’s having more fun singing.  She’s about to give her first concert with Rufus Wainright later this month in this beautiful city of the Dutch Masters. 

Van Houten is a terrific actress that has not really gotten a solid foothold in the U.S.  The Paul Verhoeven film, Black Book showcased the actress’ beauty and many talents.  The problem was the film was mostly in Dutch and subtitled.  It did not get the kind of distribution and promotion it deserved.  Of course in Europe it was a genuine hit.  For me personally, it was the best film I’ve seen to date.

Van Houten was given the role of Nina Von Stauffenberg in the film Valkyrie starring Tom Cruiz.  Unfortunately Valkyrie’s producers and writers did not give enough tribute to van Houten’s character.  That brave woman was sent to a concentration camp for her resistance activities.

Another film was made that has yet to see daylight here is Jacky.  That’s a film staring Holly Hunter with Carice van Houten and her younger sister Jelka van Houten.   This film was shot in New Mexico.  Hopefully does eventually get some promotion and distribution. 

Van Houten recently visited L.A. and tweeted a picture that seemed to indicate she also took a road trip to Tucson, AZ.  I know she visited her agent in L.A. but the purpose rest of her trip was a mystery, at least to me.   I suspect she was looking for new projects here.  Her Hollywood agent at CAA has to do a much better job of promoting her. 

Hollywood is loaded with nepotism and corruption of every kind.   It too often takes more than great talent to get cast into any film with a significant budget.   I hope van Houten's trip went well because she is a terrific and bright star America needs.

Van Houten is a dedicated actress that will never settle for a second rate performance.  She may make what she does look easy but countless hours of blood, sweat and tears goes into everything she does.  Her hard work and dedication pays of in her finished product.

Van Houten’s first CD; See You On The Ice can be obtained from iTunes and Amazon.com.  I found it very enjoyable.  I expect there will be more music from Van Houten.  Hopefully it will not be at the expense of her absence on the silver screen.   

Filmmaking is Slowing Becoming Democratized Through Technology

Hollywood, CA—As I prepare to both act and crew in an independent film things are quickly changing in terms of power.

The current system is awash in criminal racketeering, restraint of trade and anti-trust activities. There are about five talent agencies that currently determine what films will be made and who will act in them.

Actors hire agents to represent them and get them work. However, the agents have somehow reversed this to them hiring the actors. The talent agencies tell the studios what films they can make and just who will act, direct, shoot or write.

Massive amounts of money are gathered in what’s considered risky investments to make films. The talent agencies seem to control the cash flow. More importantly they control the movie theater owners and just what films will hit the big screen. The Agencies had the ability to intimidate, bully and control the screen owners and exactly what films will see the light of day.

However this system is changing at the talent agents can’t do anything about it. The large flat screen TVs are here with fabulous sound systems. They are in homes with the best snacks, and that important pause button for bathroom runs.

In our home theaters we don’t have to deal with traffic, parking, rude theater patrons, or the noise of others. Americans are waiting for Blu-Ray disks rather than go out to the theaters and pay through the nose for popcorn, candy and sodas.

The only thing that keeps people going to the movies is the Hollywood hype selling the films and the fact that if anyone wants to see a film quickly they can’t buy, stream or rent them until after they grow hair in the movie houses.

The film theater is an endangered species. It’s only a matter of time and they will be no more. The industry has tried to pump life into them with novel concepts of serving dinners with a movie. That idea quickly fizzled with crappy and over-priced food.

It will be impossible for the talent agencies to control Amazon.com, Netflix, Wal-Mart, Costco and the others that rent, stream or sell films to the public.

Currently half of the cost to make each film spent on advertising and publicity. With the Internet filmmakers are learning they can create their own buzz to inform consumers of their films. YouTube, is loaded with trailers today and it’s the best place to learn about available films.

In days gone by a film would be produced, hyped and shown in a theater for a limited time. Television would buy them for their commercial driven programming and that was the end of a film’s life.

Now every film made can be reproduced cheaply and be available for any consumer at any moment. That means by simply sending out reminder advertising motivates people to rediscover films they enjoyed in the past. What that means is a film now can generate income from now until eternity.

Adding to this mix is the reality that quality films can be made with cheaper equipment and that filmmakers can no longer be controlled by the talent agencies means there will be more, not less films to enjoy.