Give Blood...in the Name of Saw IV

JoBlo reported back in August that Lionsgate is sponsoring a blood drive, together with American Red Cross, to promote the release of Saw IV. It's been going on for the last couple of months, but today is extra special because the movie comes out today. So what are you waiting for? Make this your "one good thing for the day" and head to the nearest blood drive station, which you can find here.

This isn't the first time Lionsgate has sponsored a blood drive. In fact, in 2004, when they initiated the campaign, 4,200 pints of blood have been raised, which contributed to saving up to 12,000 lives. The number goes up in 2005 to 10,000 pints and 30,000 lives, then in 2006, with 23,000 pints and 69,000 lives. This year, they are at 12,739 and counting. That's a lot of blood. Way more than they use on the set of Saw IV (note: I just noticed that the roman numerals IV also spells out IV - intravenous therapy - I'm SO clever!). Looks like Lionsgate's making up for all the precious lives they are squashing in movie land by saving real ones.

The official slogan for the campaign is "Give It 'Til It Hurts" - even for a horror movie that kind of makes me cringe, but good job, nevertheless. Having a bandaged arm may just add to your moviegoing experience (mine has a band aid on it, not from the blood drive, but from a flu shot - end of PSA), should you also choose to make it a priority to see Saw IV in theaters after you donate a couple of pints. Read more about the campaign here at the American Red Cross website, and visit the official site for the blood drive here to keep track of the current stats and watch the trailer and the blood drive PSA, also found below (Yahoo! Videos embed feature is being buggy - click here to watch the PSA if you don't see the video):

The Backstreet Boys' Most Significant Contribution to Society Yet...

... is providing the soundtrack to this amazing little dance performed by Snowball, a medium sulphur crested Eleanora cockatoo. Upon viewing this extraordinary footage, it becomes readily apparent that this bird both possesses more rhythm and is probably more fun to hang out with than most of the girls who would actually attend a Backstreet Boys concert. But then, that's not a shocker.

Sesame Street: Creating Place

The animated "stick of butter" segment on Sesame Street was a big favorite in my childhood. It was one of the main pieces my sister and I looked forward to on the show, most likely because it was one of rare few we had memorized from start to finish. Not coincidentally, that's the whole point of the sequence: that the little girl listen and repeat the words her mother tells her, so as to memorize her grocery order and deliver it back home intact, "A loaf of bread, a container of milk, and a stick of butter."

The animation consists of rough and choppy hand-drawn pictures with spaces of blank white, mimicking the child's mindscape of still-developing images and points of reference (which are few). As she enters the grocery and places the order she suddenly forgets the last item; the thought bubble over her head sparkles and flickers until she sees her mother's face and hears her voice. The sing-songy mnemonic device works in place of the written list her mother offers her. After she returns home, her mom tells her she has a good memory, just after a separate animated shot where the label "bread," "milk," and "butter" appear on each item as the girl reads the order aloud once more. Thus, the abstract words in her head find physical shape, and she has a new point of reference that fills in a small part of that blank space around her. On her own accord, the girl is empowered to make connections between her interior self and the outside world; she has created a place she knows how to navigate.

Finally, as an extra, I found an old segment I hadn't seen before. In 1971 Jesse Jackson came to Sesame Street and delivered an empowering poem to a group of inner-city kids. It was a chant, a rallying cry, and a message that even in adulthood one should not forget.

Deborah Kerr has passed away

I haven't the foggiest idea why I always seem to the be the bearer of sad news on this site, but I just found out that Deborah Kerr, one of the great leading ladies during Hollywood's golden age, has died. Kerr was perhaps most famous for her roles starring opposite Burt Lancaster in From Here to Eternity, opposite Cary Grant in An Affair to Remember, and of course opposite Yul Brynner in The King and I. Though she passed away on Tuesday, an official statement to the press was not released until today. She was 86.

Be the Star of JibJab Movies

In the spirit of Halloween, JibJab has two versions of ghoolish movies featuring zombie-ish Democrats/Republicans (pick your poison). All you have to do is upload a picture of yourself and you, too, can be the star and hero who saves your terrified fellow Americans from another Night of the Living Democrats/Republicans. For other potential blockbusters starring you, go to JibJab.

Apatow Joins FunnyOrDie.com

FunnyOrDie.com announced that Judd Apatow joined Adam McKay and Will Ferrell to add to the quality content you've already seen, such as "The Landlord" featuring McKay's daughter, Pearl. The announcement, of course, comes in a video form below, in which Apatow "promises to use this new internet platform to make nothing but hardcore pornography." Well, I will watch anything Apatow makes once.

Sesame Street: The Reviews Are In!

There are a lot of classic Sesame Street moments, but as I flip the mental Rolodex of everything out there, nothing can quite match up with guest stars Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert performing "critic exercises" for Oscar the Grouch and Telly the monster.

Has anyone been catching guest critic Robert Wilonsky from the Village Voice on Ebert and Roeper lately? Neither of these two can agree on what to hate, but they both summarize their arguments with the same condescending authority. To avoid awkward moments of quiet contempt for one another, from now on these two should end their reviews like the pros do:

Win Ben Gates' Treasure (as in "National Treasure")

Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films are doing a huge promotion for their upcoming movie, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, with Odyssey Marine Exploration, Entertainment Tonight, and Mercedes-Benz. In the spirit of the film's plot, you get to win real life treasures (read: $$) by playing a series of interactive games on the official website, which runs for the next 10 weeks. Winner are announced on ET and the grand prize is - you guessed it - a customized, brand new Mercedes-Benz.

They are advertising the contest on MySpace and YouTube homepages today. Check out the clip below for more info and get your treasure hunting gears out!



Full disclosure: Disney is a client of my company, New Media Strategies.

A Count Down Memory Lane

My latest YouTube search path brought me to this segment from Sesame Street, you may remember it:

"123456789101112" is the name, and I must find a way to transfer it to my iPod. The best thing about Sesame Street is how it can boil down the latest (pop) culture trends and put them into a smart context for kids; that retro-jazzy beat is beamed right into a catchy count to twelve. I remember when it was a big deal to tell your mom you could count to ten (yes, I realize that was almost a quarter-century ago), but for the life of me, I'm sure I knew how to count to twelve before I could to ten. It's mathematically impossible, but true. I'm having some trouble tracking down when the cartoon was produced, but I do know that it was one of my first (and favorite) skits on 'the Street, so I'm guessing it was sometime in the early 1980s, but it might be earlier.

Everyday this week I'll be putting up more Sesame Street flashbacks, links, and facts about the show. In the meantime, here's an extra skit with John-John and Grover, for counting's (and cuteness') sake:

The Clooney File

It looks like curiosity got the best of some hospital workers in New Jersey. Following George Clooney's motorcycle accident and hospitalization at the Palisades Medical Center, some of the staff accessed his records and even leaked some of that confidential info to the press. Oops. Heckler Spray has more on this, as does CNN.com.

Hasn't the man been through enough, what with the accident and now people trying to...oh wait that's his moooovie, Michael Clayton, which I just saw over the weekend. Because it was a limited release, every showing was sold out. Ironically, Clooney is shuffling through other people's files throughout the movie - though for a righteous reason. Overall it was a good legal thriller/drama - was kind of funny that my husband is about to enter the legal profession in the not-so-distant future - but we are undeterred by the film's portrayal of the corporate legal world. Clooney was well cast as the "fixer," with Sydney Pollack looking like his having fun playing the big boss at the firm. It was strange seeing Tilda Swinton in a major role - and I mean that in a good way. Of course, many know her as the White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I just remember seeing her in Teknolust - just Netflix it - Tilda Swinton is not who you think she is. Anyway, I'm glad Swinton is getting a lot more visible roles, because she is a talented actress. Her performance in Michael Clayton seemed a bit stilted but that is sort of the premise of her character - a corporate lawyer entrenched in a plot bigger than herself and crossing all kinds of lines she would have otherwise never dared to cross, all in order to "do a good job." Go see Michael Clayton when it comes out in theaters, nationwide, this weekend.

Ask Cronenberg Your Questions!

IGN has asked its readers to submit questions for David Cronenberg, director of Eastern Promises:

"On Thursday, October 11, 2007, IGN will be interviewing none other than director David Cronenberg. In addition to discussing his latest movie, Eastern Promises, the filmmaker will offer IGN readers a unique opportunity to ask him questions about any- and everything having to do with his illustrious career. IGN will select the questions based upon reader emails and comments left on this story and ask them on-camera during the interview."

Go here and submit your question via the comment section - yes, take the Videodrome pic as an inspiration and dig deeper, folks. Then return to IGN later to see if your wacky questions got picked!

Mamie's Million Dollars

Reading up on Mamie Eisenhower, First Lady to the U.S. during Dwight Eisenhower's presidency (1953-1961), I came across a delightful thing: Mamie's "Million Dollar" fudge recipe. There are a few first ladies in our history who I admire very much, Hillary Clinton being at the top, with Eleanor Roosevelt and Jackie Kennedy just behind. But somewhere in between the swank and glamour of Jackie, the humanitarian efforts of Eleanor, and utter intelligence of Hillary lies the lesser-known Mamie. She seemed to have a bit of each of the aforementioned ladies' characteristics, blurring her personality into a transient middle ground; we never hear anything bad about her, but we never hear anything good either. We just don't hear of her at all. But anyone who is known for their recipe of fudge must be important.

When Mamie and Ike were married on July 1, 1916 the future First Lady knew how to make only two things in the kitchen: fudge and mayonnaise. Apparently, Mamie was no good cook, but old Ike loved her fudge, naming it as you see above, "Million Dollar Fudge."

I made it and it's not only tasty but easy to make. If you don't take my word for it, just read the recipe's instructions, nothing could be more minimal:

4 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 pinch of salt
1 tall can evaporated milk (Yes, "tall can" is the precise measurement. It works.)
12 ounces semisweet chocolate bits
12 ounces German sweet chocolate (milk chocolate is fine)
1 pint marshmallow cream
2 cups chopped nutmeats (that's "chopped nuts" for anyone from the post-war era)

Heat the sugar, butter, salt, and evaporated milk over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and boil for 6 minutes. (Seriously, I didn't even use a candy thermometer.) Put chocolate bits, German chocolate, marshmallow cream, and nutmeats in a bowl. Pour the boiling syrup over the ingredients. Beat until the chocolate is all melted, then pour in a pan. (I used a 9"X9" square metal cake pan) Let stand for a few hours before cutting. Remember it is better the second day. (It really is!) Store in a tin box. (I'd keep it in the fridge, it stays firmer.)

I'm a good cook, and I bake and experiment with new recipes all the time. But let me tell you a secret, my greatest weakness is candy making. It's hard, and inevitably I burn batch after batch over the hot stove. Since I doubt Mamie was channeling me from the grave as I made this five-pound fudge creation, I have to simply tip my hat to the recipe. As simple as it is, it works and it's good.

Laura Bush has her work cut out for her.

Plastic Cinema l Your Actors = Lego

This ain't no Tim Burton, but this is pretty cool - no I'm not talking about the lame Star Wars movie shot with Lego characters - this guy actually makes his characters from scratch and films the whole thing in stop motion:

IMDb Launches Character Profiles

Remember what I said about me being that kind of a moviegoer who doesn't care to distinguish between an actor and his character? Well, looks like IMDb is indulging in my kind of moviegoing, because they just created character-specific profiles, in addition to the actor-specific ones they already have (unfortunately, no profile yet for Viggo Mortensen's Nikolai from Eastern Promises - I'd be all over that).

IMDb posted an announcement about this today, where you can see a sample list of the character-specific profiles. The only woman on the list so far (a public service "shame on you" from Scarlett Cinema to you, IMDb) is Norma Desmond from Sunset Boulevard. I'm curious about how Warner Bros. got IMDb to feature Jesse James's profile as the primary example: "We are pleased to announce the launch of a major new feature on the IMDb site today -- character pages. Let's start with an example of the character page for Jesse James located at: http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0000001/ ."

Each profile has a complete "biography (read: SPOILERS)," and lists every TV show or movie made about the character in the "filmography" section. On a random note, I'm wondering if there are characters who are:
a) not based on real person (so no Jesse James)
b) appeared in a TV show or a movie that's not like a sequel or a remake (no Batman, etc.) and
c) had made an appearance in a TV show or a movie that's completely unrelated in plot.

Anyone? Bueller? Oh wait, I just answered my own question: see Catherine Keener filming her scene as Maxine Lund in Being John Malkovich in Adaptation. Does that count?

David Lynch Does Gucci

I knew David Lynch did some commercial work before, but didn't know he did the Gucci parfum ones - found through /film. I'm not sure if the short form is one in which Lynch's strengths as a filmmaker really shines through - it's no Twin Peaks or Mulholland Drive. The commercial features models Raquel Zimmerman, Natasha Poly, and Freja Beha Erichsen, all looking glamorous (or...robotic) to Blondie's "Heart of Glass." There was also a behind-the-scenes "making of" the commercial clip, but I will spare you of that.

Superbad (The Early Years?!) - Priceless, Indeed

Okay sorry, this is not about a movie, but every time I see this commercial, I totally crack up. Bravo Mastercard. Priceless, indeed.

YouTube l Project: Direct

So, remember my post from a couple of weeks ago about the FoxSearchlight's SEARCHLab? There wasn't too much going on the last time I checked after stumbling upon the site to watch the Juno trailer, but it looks like the studio has since partnered with Hewlett-Packard and launched a contest on YouTube, as per Online Daily Media's article from today.

The contest is titled Project: Direct and is open to filmmakers in the U.S., U.K., Italy, France, Brazil, Spain, and Canada, from Sunday, October 7 to Friday, November 9. Much like the "Inspired by Juno" challenge that's currently up on SEARCHLab, filmmakers participating in the contest have to meet a handful of criteria when making their movies: 1) A character facing a situation above his/her maturity level 2) The line of a dialogue that says, "I demand an explanation for these shenanigans (my note: what a great word)! What do you have to say?" and 3) The passing of a photograph. These rules were set by Jason Reitman himself, director of Juno, who will also lead a panel of judges to determine a winner.

So what's in store for you, dear aspiring filmmakers? A chance to attend a major international film festival (doesn't state which one - could be Toronto, could be Big Bear Lake - I'm sure it is somewhere cool), where you'll get to meet with FoxSearchlight execs and showcase your film at a private screening. Your winning short will be also featured on the YouTube homepage. But what contest is good without some cold, hard cash - yes, you also get a $5,000 debit card.

Now that HP and FoxSearchlight have upped the ante and went YouTube with this, I think it's smart to have given potential contestants a few specific categories to follow. Too often, we see contests requiring user-generated content without any guidelines, which result in a random mismatched series of content that neither showcases the creativity of the users, nor champions the brand the contest aims to promote. I do like the HP commercials I've been seeing, like the one with Gwen Stefani, and it will be interesting to see how the vision of the HP commercials mesh together with the outcome of the contest. In the meantime, watch Jason Reitman's intro about the contest below and get that camera rolling!

Cheers! It's Monday!

Well, last week we saw a sampling of ladies with empty eyes elated over household products and appliances. But today we get the "guy's" point of view. Look what he's got to say (I think her prefers "A"):

(Pretty white teeth)


Finally, as the warm summer days dwindle into fall here's one last (air conditioned) blast from the past:



Stay super cool!

XOXO!