Hue's Blog

Romany Malco profile in the LA Times

"It's weird; you do this indie and it's like, the hardest job of your life," he says, fondly. "That whole job felt like turning a new leaf. And I don't mean in just business; I mean a whole new perspective."

Romany talks about family, loss, and Saint John of Las Vegas.  He made incredible sacrifices for this movie.  I'm not sure what I would have done in his shoes.  Read the full interview here.

Harold Pinter

In his essay "Writing for the Theatre" Harold Pinter writes about talking and silence.

There are two silences. One when no word is spoken. The other when perhaps a torrent of language is being employed...The speech we hear is an indication of that which we don't hear. It is a necessary avoidance, a violent, sly, anguished or mocking smoke screen which keeps the other in its place...One way of looking at speech is to say that it is a constant stratagem to cover nakedness.

I thought about this while writing Saint John of Las Vegas. At one point John surrenders to his gambling demons, in a minimart.  Embarrassed, he launches into a tirade.  Instead of saying "I can't believe how weak I am" he says (to the counter girl):

You gotta be lucky...luc-ky...are you lucky?  That’s a dumb question.  I know you are.  I can feel you...no, not like that, I mean you feel lucky, it feels lucky...in here...whew!  But it is hot...does that bother you?  That they keep it hot in here?  Maybe it’s good for the food...keeps it fresh...although you’d think it’d be better cold...for freshness. (beat) Fresh-ness.

NY Post profile of Steve Buscemi

About Saint John of Las Vegas:

“The lead character was charming and funny and smart, and I understood his need to gamble and being in denial about it,” Buscemi says. “To me, that’s the fun of acting: to play characters that have problems and are complicated.”

Read the full article here.

Hue Rhodes Eats, Cooks and Talks to The Retrospective

"...For social media, I think most of the discussion and its effect on indie film, etcetera, is kind of putting the cart before the horse. Social media for me reflects a new kind of need: it's not a channel to reach people - it's a reflection of the desire to express and contribute."

via theretrospective.com

The Retrospective is a great music|art|fashion|culture|technology site. Read the full interview here.

The Coming Revolution in Indie Distribution

"Last November inside a conference room at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, a film consultant named Peter Broderick was doing his best to foment a revolution. Mr. Broderick, who helps filmmakers find their way into the marketplace, was spreading the word on an Internet-era approach to releasing movies that he believes empowers filmmakers without impoverishing them economically or emotionally. Mr. Broderick divides distribution into the Old World and New, infusing his PowerPoint presentation with insurgent rhetoric."

via www.nytimes.com

There is a saying, meant to temper the enthusiasm of film students, which goes "it's not show art, it's show business." But these filmmakers, defying the odds and the numbers to get their films out, highlight the root of all art, which is the irrational compulsion to express.

Steve Buscemi interview

Steve Buscemi gave a great interview about Saint John of Las Vegas.  Here's an excerpt.

Choosing a script: “I always look for scripts that are character driven,” says Buscemi of the film. “I mean, there’s certainly plot, but it seemed like the characters were driving the story rather than the other way around.”

First time directors: “It’s exciting to work with somebody who’s sort of discovering things and the enthusiasm and excitement that they have in making their first film,” Buscemi explains. “It’s really nice to be a part of that and to contribute. I like working with writer/directors, because then you have everybody right there. Hue is the best person to ask any questions that I had."

You can read the full Campus Circle interview here.