comedy

In Noam Murro’s directing debut of Smart People, released April 11th, he proves that some times smart people can’t always make the smartest decisions.

This slower paced movie is focused more on character development rather than action, but none-the-less it is entertaining and real because of its unique characters.

After experiencing a trauma induced seizure, a self-involved professor, Lawrence Wetherhold (Dennis Quaid), must re-evaluate his life and become more dependent on others. His doctor, who happens to be one of his forgotten students from years back, Janet (Sarah Jessica Parker), informs him he is suspended from driving for six months. To his unwanted rescue, his free-loading adopted brother, Chuck (Thomas Haden Church), comes to stay for a “win-win” situation in his eyes, in which he stays for free and becomes Lawrence’s chauffer. With his visit, Chuck, tries to encourage Lawrence’s over-achieving teenage daughter, Vanessa (Ellen Page) to lighten up and for Lawrence, a widower, to get back in the game and pursue Janet as a love interest.

This week I was a speaker in a Gender Colloquium at Rider University and I decided to include a shortened version of my speech here about Adam’s Rib, Legally Blonde, and the patriarchal unconscious connection in law and film. Enjoy.

The law is seen as an ideal system that mediates all and shouldn’t be altered; but there is the presence of the patriarchal unconscious which creates flaws in this system. The patriarchal unconscious is that unknowingly, just as males are the fathers and head of the households, males are in control of the law system and how it functions. George Cukor’s 1949 film, Adam’s Rib, is a screwball comedy about a married couple, who are also both lawyers that take on the same case defending opposite sides. Adam Bonner tries to prosecute Doris Attinger who is accused of attempting to murder her uncaring husband; while Amanda Bonner defends this woman on the basis of “equal rights under the law,” which Amanda insists if the person on trial were a man he would be vindicated for trying to kill the lover of his unfaithful wife in order to protect his home. Adam’s Rib seems to be a film fighting for women’s rights and against the biased patriarchal unconscious, but on closer analysis one can see that the message seems to lose its hold in the end when Adam wins over his wife, Amanda, and the argument is dropped

Today on Twitter, I was playing "My Dilemma" with my Twitterbuds (trying to find producers for The 1 Second Film, of course.) I mentioned that Prince/Sheila E's "The Glamorous Life" and the Pussycat Dolls "Don't Cha" is/are essentially the same song. Then my friend @AlisonL tweeted "kinda like Ghostbusters, by Ray Parker Jr. and I Want a New Drug, by Huey Lewis & the News!"

Not exactly, I thought. It's actually more like the mash-up of "Stairway to Heaven" and the theme song to "Gilligan's Island" by Little Roger and the Goosebumps.

www.youtube.com/watch?v...

Enjoy the show and don't forget to tip your waitress.

So I was thinking... after reading some of the comments on my previous blogs, that I really need to donate a little more that $1 to this fine effort. I mean, if I want to become a producer, I can't just expect an automatic promotion for brilliant blogging and complementing other producers... or kissing up to the director (who by the way is a great director.)

I recently got a subtle hint from Nirvan that I needed to recruit some more producers. So, I'm thinking of a "honk if you want to help produce The 1 Second Film" bumper-sticker. (Yes... that might work.) I've tried mentioning it on Twitter numerous times to my 1,300+ followers. Unfortunately, they're so addicted to tweeting that they won't leave Twitter for a second, even to produce The 1 Second Film. {click below - read more}

Since we had the day off from production today (at least nobody gave me anything to do) I spent the day at the Southern CA Linux Expo in Los Angeles (at the LAX Westin Hotel.) There were a lot of geeks on the Expo showroom floor. I was more interested in casting for The 1 Second Film, but since I didn't have authority, I didn't take action.

There were some really hot ladies in the hotel lobby. If only I was asked, "take them up to a room for a read." That would have been nice. But no... I had to listen to Open Source promoters tell me, "blah, blah, blah." I didn't understand a thing they were saying. I just couldn't take my eyes off the hot blond in the lobby. {read more - click below}

I'm exhausted! I had no idea that the job of Associate Producer on "The 1 Second Film" would be so difficult and demanding. Now all of my www.Twitter.com/acomput... friends hate me, because they think this extra commitment will detract from my primary responsibility of keeping them informed and entertained.

So what time is the friggin' call for tomorrow? It better not be too early. *gj needs his beauty sleep.* Also, please let Craft Services know that I'm a vegetarian.

TIA -gj (acomputerpro)