'What We Do In The Shadows' A Review

What We Do In The Shadows is a mockumentary about four vampires that share a house in New Zealand. A documentary crew follows four vampire roommates in the months leading up to the Unholy Masquerade Ball. The four vampires Viago, Vladislav, Deacon, and Petyr each personify various vampire troupes- the lothario, the dandy, the monster, and the Dracula stand in. The equilibrium of the house is disturbed when Nick, a modern New Zealander and previous victim, is turned into a vampire and brings technology and a human friend, Stu, into the house.

The film is part horror, part slap-stick comedy, and part Real World send up. The minutia of these characters living together is given the same, if not more, weight than their vampiric activities. They argue over dishes and cleaning, they go out to bars together, they entertain and console each other.  Although the film uses the Unholy Ball as a destination the story and the comedy is more in the day-to-day interactions of its delightfully earnest and silly characters then in any narrative journey.

Across the board all the actors give incredibly grounded dead-pan performances infused with an energetic light-hearted playfulness. The characters they create are so tangible and fully formed, the relationships they have with each other so sportive and pleasing to watch. The rich humor of the film comes from the over-the-top horror effects paired wonderfully with the witty/idiotic tête-à-tête of the leads. The only disappointment is in the rather short running time.

Funny and oddly joyful with tons of heart.

Don't Miss It.

Nothing Left To Prove

Fishbowl the show Sight Unseen hosts at the Annoyance on Thursdays has been going really well the past couple weeks. Students are slowly starting to hear about it and come out. Our sets have been really fun and different, not different as in mind-blowing but different for us as players, we all agree there's something easy and unique about it. There's an assurance and freedom that I think most of us haven't felt before.

All of us have been on a number of different teams, both independent and constructed by established theaters. Everyone's training and interests are pretty eclectic. At this point everyone has a relatively high level of comfort and confidence on stage. The result of all that is none of us have anything to prove. Not to each other and not to anyone who might be watching. There is no extra layer of identity, competition, or status involved. No one ever tries to fix a scene or manage a piece, we just play.

For me I feel like it's probably some of the technically best improv I've ever done. Most of the time I'm truly present, reacting to what people are saying, finding inspiration within the moment as opposed to going in with preconceived ideas or initiations. I'm frequently surprised and delighted by my teammates and because I'm not worried about pushing the show a certain way I can really embrace them.

The Annoyance is great about fostering that sense of freedom and liberation. Mick and Jen gave us the slot along with permission to do what we wanted with it. They provide no oversight, they haven't come to see the show. There is an implicit trust there, a hands-off approach that I've really responded to. When you take away all the judgement and the fear you have a chance to truly play.

Graffiti 152

"All cartoon characters and fables must be exaggeration, caricatures. It is the very nature of fantasy and fable." -Walt Disney

"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep." -Scott Adams

"Without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable." -George Bernard Shaw

To Break

I often wonder when
a man first smashed his fist
into another man's face
breaking teeth and bone
when I'm sweating and cramped
on a crowded train
and a pretentious suit
barks his entitlement
jabs his elbows
and petulantly glowers.

I think of that first punch
that must have been thrown
millennia ago
as I clench my mitt
prepping my pivot
to maximize the blow
and bring justice
with a shattered jaw-
how simpler things were
on those dry and barren plains.

Corrosion

Although the winter has been rather mild February has been pretty bleak. There is a general sense of fatigue around coupled with a stubborn determination to plow through. The cold is draining, day after day with no relief. You have to develop some detachment about it. I passed this orchid on my way home from work, it's the little things that help you along.

"We cannot stop the winter or the summer from coming. We cannot stop the spring or the fall or make them other than they are. They are gifts from the universe that we cannot refuse. But we can choose what we will contribute to life when each arrives." -Gary Zukav

"When all the world appears to be in a tumult, and nature itself is feeling the assault of climate change, the seasons retain their essential rhythm. Yes, fall gives us a premonition of winter, but then, winter, will be forced to relent, once again, to the new beginnings of soft greens, longer light, and the sweet air of spring." -Madeleine M. Kunin

"Winter is a season of recovery and preparation." -Paul Theroux

Oscar Rights And Wrongs

Best Picture
What Won: Birdman. A great, ambitious movie but ultimately unsuccessful. Lots of amazing elements that didn't fully come together. Worthy of recognition but not the win.
What Should Have Won: Boyhood. Clearly the more momentous achievement in cinema and the film of the year that will most likely stand the test of time. Broad in scope, clean in execution, great performances.

Best Actress
Who Won: Julianne Moore. Seemingly a "it's her time" win. A woman battling alzheimer's couldn't be a more prototypical Oscar bait. A good performance that has no real element of greatness.
Who Should Have Won: Essie Davis(not nominated) from The Babadook. All the nominees this year were very obvious and safe. None of the real courageous complicated work done by women this year in leading roles was recognized.

Best Actor
Who Won: Eddie Redmayne. Although a physically technical performance Redmayne's turn as Hawkins is flat, he doesn't do much past playing the disease, in the already uninspired biopic.
Who Should Have Won: Michael Keaton. Ambitious, brave, and multi-layered. The clear stand out from the other pedestrian nominees. Ralph Finnes gave another of the years best leading male performances, he wasn't nominated.

Best Supporting Actress
Who Won: Patricia Arquette. They got it right.

Best Supporting Actor
Who Won: J.K. Simmons. They got it right.

Best Origianl Screenplay
Who Won: Birdman. A good script but not a great one. The conceit of the film and the actors in it made the film special, at times overcoming the deficiencies in the script.
Who Should Have Won: The Grand Budapest Hotel. Meticulous, playful, dark. The most fully formed and executed script of the year. Anderson is deserving of recognition beyond the technical.

Best Adapted Screenplay
Who Won: The Imitation Game. Boring and a bit pandering. Adequate but nothing new or innovative.
Who Should Have Won: Whiplash. The more original and unique. A favorite film of the year by many, one of the few widely seen independent films, deserving of more recognition than JK's win.

Best Foreign Language Film
Who Won: Ida. They got it right.

Best Live Action Short
What Won: The Phone Call. The most predictable and trite of the five shorts. Could easily be converted to a Lifetime movie.
What Should Have Won: Aya. Emotionally complicated and compelling.

Best Animated Short
What Won: Feast. Entertaining and sweet but the Oscar should go to a project with a bit more substance. It seems we're still operating under the assumption animation is for children only.
What Should Have Won: The Bigger Picture. A beautiful stop motion meditation about death and family. Dark and melancholic yet hopeful and humorous this short is particularly poignant given the aging baby-boomer generation.

Tannhäuser

This afternoon Alex and I went to Tannhäuser at the Chicago Lyric Opera. Its a four and a half hour epic by Wagner. Its this blend of myth and Christianity, lots of talk about purity, restraint, sinning, and penance. Seemed like the message was- passion of any kind is a sin, only repentance and drudgery will save you from hell.

My mom use to take me to the opera when I was little, I vividly remember seeing Carmen when I was around 8. It was seeing those grand productions when I was growing up that got me interested in acting. I hadn't been to the opera since so it was very cool to see one as an adult and a full fledged performer. The Lyric is huge, beautiful, and we had great seats. Because it is so big(or maybe because it was an opera) the acting was very presentational with big gestures and trope expressions. The singing was, of course, incredible but the narrative didn't really go anywhere. The whole thing struck me more as spectacle rather than story.

It was great to spend some quality time with Alex, talk improv shop, and catch up during the two long intermissions. Over the past year we've gotten a lot closer, especially after the recent Chicago departures, and its been really wonderful. Alex is a kind, generous, inspiring guy and it was great to get some one-on-one time with him in such a unique(at least for us) atmosphere.

'Kingsman' A Review

 Kingsman is a action comedy based on the comic book The Secret Service. There is a secret global spy organization outside government control called Kingsman, an independent outfit formed after WWI to protect the world from conflict. All of them have code names from Arthurian legend. Harry Hart aka Galahad(Colin Firth) looses his trainee in the field, years later he tapes that trainees son Eggsy(Taron Egerton) a fast-talking street-tough with heart to become a Kingsman. Half the movie is dedicated to Eggsy's Kingsman training and vetting the other half to foiling Richmond Valentine's(Sam Jackson) villainous world domination plot.

Fast-paced, fun, and playful the movie moves quickly. The thrilling and frenetic action pairs well with the chemistry of Firth and Egerton. One noble and reserved the other edgy and irreverent. Firth shines in this light-hearted role and Egerton gives the potentially flat character some impish charm. The supporting cast all seems to be having fun and strikes the a good balance between levity and believability.

Kingsman is a good spy movie that also inverts and comments on elements of the genre. Where Austin Powers was a straight spoof this is a satire. The only misstep is a completely discordant and bizarre anal sex joke at the end which leaves you with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Kinetic action and wry humor delivered in a satisfying potential-spy-comes-of-age package.

See It.

New Job

Nicole just finished her first week at her new job. This picture is from her first day, Jen was training her, she is very happy.

Previously she was working as a manager at a cafe which was making her kind of miserable. The hours, the pay, the customers. It was all very draining and unsatisfying. The situation put a bit of a strain on our relationship. Nicole would never bring any negativity home but the schedule and the stress wore her down which in turn kind of wore me down.

I've discovered over the course of the past year and a half relationships are much more collaborative than I use to think. This idea shouldn't be surprising but I never really realized what a relationship could or should be before I met Nicole. A relationship is a partnership. You are not only two separate individuals you also have this thing you've built together, this connection, that needs to be nurtured and grown. Burdens, stresses, and worries are shared the same as excitements, triumphs, and happiness. When things are working, when you're communicating and maintaining some balance, this kind of transference happens organically. You have a collective pool of strength and endurance to draw from in a relationship, I've been happy to be there and support Nicole through this somewhat trying time because she does the same for me in countless other ways.

I'm proud of her for sticking through her bummer of a working situation and very excited and grateful for her new opportunity.

Purpose

I like to think everyone has a purpose.
Some small, some big.
Some broad, some narrow.
Some event that we are building toward or destined for.
Some calling, some gift, fated to be utilized.
Inherent potential in every spirit.

It may be a fleeting moment with unseen far-reaching repercussions.
Or a noble life of quiet service.
A talent cultivated and presented.
A skill practiced with perfection.
Kindness unrestricted.
Or friendship freely given.

Although it may be hidden it brings me comfort.
To think of purpose, place, and potential.
Something meant to be.

When I imagine what lies beyond I don't think of a cosmic bearded man.
The chains of his Divine Plan.
I imagine those Fated Sisters spinning.
Weaving, measuring, then clipping.
In each thread a purpose.
A secret burning ember.

'Virunga' A Review

Virunga is a documentary about the endangered mountain gorilla population, the Virunga National Park, the activities of SOCO International a British oil company, and the fragile political and socioeconomic atmosphere of Congo itself. By focusing on the interworkings of Virunga the film tells a complex and arresting story of courage, greed, and conservation. The film focuses on four individuals: André Bauma- gorilla caretaker, Rodrigue Mugaruka Katembo- head park ranger, Emmanuel de Merode- chief warden of the park, and Mélanie Gouby a french journalist.

By focusing on only four individuals and their respective relationships and responsibilities in regards to Virunga(the journalist is investigating its influence and the different entities trying to exploit it) the film unravels the convoluted and complex political knot Virunga is caught in. We get a real sense of the precarious position of the park, the object of many groups' questionable desires. The film is incredibly successful in simply and effectively illuminating this tricky situation using a thriller/mystery type of construction.

The film also has an incredible amount of heart. More affecting then the espionage elements are the brave, steadfast, and strong individuals Virunga elucidates. We discover the importance of the park not only globally but locally, what it means to the fishermen and villagers its supporting. We are shown what it takes to stand up and guard it despite terrifying opposition. There is so much soul, emotion, and valor captured by the unobtrusive camera it is shocking. There is corruption, violence,  and despair but there is also hope, heroism, and wondrous potential.

A taut political thriller that celebrates the beauty of nature and the courage of the human spirit.

Don't Miss It.

Post-Production

Tim and I began editing our new podcast tonight. It's a bit lonely without Tisher in the studio but it feels really good to start working and make some progress on this project. We recorded all the material for the first season in the fall and have been waiting for our schedules to clear up so we could devote some time to hunker down in the studio.

It's going to be called Hindsight Hour and the idea is to explore inspiration(where it comes from, the different paths it takes) and theme(family, work, relationships) at least that's what the first season will kind of look like. Each episode will have a theme and within it there'll be six or seven improvised scenes some of them based off the same premise. In so doing the hope is that some larger commonalities or comments will emerge from the theme and maybe some insights as to where people draw their inspiration.

Tim and I are still largely figuring it out. It was real good to start chopping it all up, organizing it, and folding it all together. The goal with this project is to be much more aurally experimental. This will differ from Bubble Boys in that it'll be more of an anthology format and we are not constricted by a certain style or the need to create a through-line reality. We are going to try to create an exploratory, alternative type of soundscape not beholden to the concrete context of the scenes but more using them in counter point to enhance the feeling. At this point I've been working with Tim on and off for three years, things are really comfortable and intuitive. We have a good amount of ambition for this project and I'm very excited to work hard and get it out there.

The plan is to start releasing episodes in April.

Advice For Men Buying Jewelry

Style and aesthetics
can be slippery
when it comes
to picking trinkets
for a friend or lover

Steer clear of the dangly,
the clunky-chunky cumbersome
think sleek and subtle
more than gaudy bauble
power over pretty

Success can be elusive
when transferring personality
to precious stones or pendants
but thought and effort count for much
the proof is in repeated wearing.

VDay

Yesterday was Valentine's day. I think holidays, especially Vday, can lead to disappointment if you get caught up in all the external and internal expectations. I think the key is to spend time with people you love, try to do a little something special for one or more of those people, and then treat yourself to something.

Nicole and I went out to brunch with Marta and Nick at Big Jones, this delicious southern place, Marta's pick. It was great to spend a little extra time with my sis and her husband before they jetted off back to Madison.

Afterwards Nicole went to work and I went to the movies with Phil. Before it started he told me he was moving to NYC. It was kind of a blow. Phil and I only recently became friends, only collaborated on one project, it feels premature.

On the bus back home we passed the Landmark and I hopped out and watched the Oscar nominated live action shorts. Way better than last year. The best was Aya.

I got back home with enough time to have dinner ready for Nicole. We exchanged gifts(I got her a pair of earrings and some chocolates, she got me a Herzog box set and a free haircut) then we ate and watched The Wire. All in all a truly wonderful day.

'Jupiter Ascending' A Review

Jupiter Ascending is space opera written and directed by The Wachowskis. Jupiter Jones(Mila Kunis) is a down-on-her-luck cleaning lady in Chicago whose life is turned upside down when she finds herself the prey of an interstellar aristocrat's assassins. She is saved by Caine Wise(Channing Tatum) an ex-military hunter who is a wolf/human genetic hybrid. Jupiter with Caine as her protector embarks on an adventure to discover her galactic royal destiny.

The film is beautiful from the space visuals to the costuming. It's incredibly ambitious and the broader universe it creates is complex and interesting but some of the more engaging aspects of the world are underdeveloped or rushed through. This singular and creative construction may be fully formed in The Wachowskis minds but it is not completely flushed out or clear onscreen. This isn't a major detractor but it does leave a vague sense of unfulfilled possibility.

The most glaring issue with the film is the lack of chemistry between the two leads. Tatum is serviceable as the alien guardian, showing a shocking believability in this fantastical narrative which is way outside his previous experience. Kunis seems to suffer from a lack of direction, her character isn't fully formed or consistent scene to scene. We never truly invest or care about her character before she's thrust into this pedal-to-the-metal exploit. She is a passive observer in her own story, frequently seeming unaffected by the parade of wild situations she's the focal point of. This could be a flaw in her performance or a more underlining issue with the script itself.

Kunis however is no match for the absolute inappropriate insanity of Oscar nominee Eddie Redmayne as the film's villain. Redmayne gives a performance so big it would be ill-suited even for the stage. Utilizing a completely contrived muttering garbled whisper as his baseline he punctuates his evil hunching and lurking with outbursts of uncontrolled guttural madness. He is an utter caricature devoid of anything relatable or menacing.

Refreshing in its originality, commendable in its ambition, unrealized in its potential.

Rent It.

A Familial Audience

My sister Marta and her husband Nick came down from Madison tonight to see Contention with my cousins Alyssa, Sarah, her husband Doug, Kelly, her boyfriend Scott, and their mom my Aunt Anne. It was quite the crew. I was a bit anxious having them all out in force, the show is pretty personal, but it went well and they all seemed to respond positively to it. We hung out at the Annoyance for a while afterwards just chatting and catching up. It was really great, it's rare that we get a chance to get together outside holidays and the occasional birthday.

Over the years my family have come to a lot of shows that were, I'm sure, more obligation than entertainment. Cute but painful grade school productions, boring and/or safe high school fare, dull college classics, mediocre improv etc. It feels good to have something that I conceived and helped to create that I'm really proud of, that has a clear message, that was deliberately curated, that I can show them as an indicator of what I've been up to and how I've progressed. It means a lot they all came out.

My Grandma is slated to come next week. No pressure.

Iron Will

When I was in grade school one of my favorite movies was Disney's Iron Will. The movie's about a teen, Will Stoneman, in 1917 whose father dies in a dog sledding accident. In order to save the family farm Will enters a long and brutal dog-sled race. He overcomes exhaustion, cold, dangerous terrain, and attempts at sabotage to eventually win. It was incredibly inspiring and informative to my young self. Helped shape my ideas of dedication, courage, and perseverance. At the time I had no idea of what the application of will power would actually look like in my daily life.

The summer after 4th grade I got poison ivy at summer camp. I scratched and scratched, it spread, I had it all up and down my arms and legs, in between my fingers and toes, all over. It was truly torturous. It got infected. By the time school started my right leg was twice the size of my left. We went to the doctor and I got on steroids and antibiotics which knocked it out pretty quickly.

For ten years after that I got poison ivy every summer. I became intimate with the rash, lovingly familiar with that cloying itch. It was the most powerful physical discomfort I ever experienced. I cultivated the ability to endure it because I found if I scratched it at all it would spread like wildfire across my unsuspecting frame.

Posion ivy is worlds more intense than a mosquito bite. There were times I thought I would go crazy, my mind unable to process anything save the ever present and all encompassing itch. But through practice, through detachment, and a tempering of my mental fortitude I was able to stem the ivy effects each summer to various degrees of success.

Battling poison ivy, my yearly nemesis, was the first real personal challenge of my adolescences. The first time I discovered what will was and how to apply it. I wasn't Will Stoneman in a dog-sled race battling fatigue, frostbite, and precariously frozen rivers but I was in my own protracted skirmish with Mother Nature. I was ever vigilant at the numerous summer camps I went to(and eventually worked at) for that three-leafed red-stemed monster. And when the inevitable rash came I took the itch between my psychic teeth and bit down. I persevered.

Triumph And Defeat

Came across this quote this week. A good metaphor for artists and creative expression.

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles,
or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,
whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs,
who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming;
but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions;

who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." -Teddy Roosevelt

Appreciation

Six shows down, six to go for Contention(we got extended through 3/20!). A lot of friends have come out the past couple weeks which has been truly wonderful. It is very gratifying to work hard on something and have friends, acquaintances, and loved ones come out and respond to it. This sentiment may be kind of obvious but most of the people I know in Chicago are all performers of one kind or another, all busy with their own projects, all inundated with invites and obligations. It's validating when those people make the time to come to the show and are affected by it. Jeff, Jeannie, and Craig from Schwa came out this past Friday, it means a lot.

As we've moved through the process Phil, Sarah, and I have gotten closer, within the context of the show and without. We get along and work really well together. It makes me so thankful that when I asked them to put the show together with me they said yes. This unique thing we created together has totally exceeded my expectations. I'm really proud of it and am sitting in a lot of gratitude about the whole experience. Fridays at 8pm, Annoyance Theatre.

Street Talk 22

On the Brown Line. 7pm.

Three young teens are horsing around on the train. A drunk man boards the train and sits, swaying.

Drunk Man: (to two of the young teens) What are you? Fags?
Young Teen 1: What?
Young Teen 2: No. No. We're friends.
(pause)
Young Teen 3: Yeah. They're a couple of fags.
DM: Ha! You some fags?
YT2: Uh. Yeah. I guess.
YT1: Yeah. We're fags.
DM: And I'm a REAL nigga!
YT1&2&3: (in shock, laughing)
DM: I'm a real nigga.
(pause)
DM: Call me a nigga.
YT1: (still laughing) ...what?
DM: (commanding) Say it! Say I'm a nigga!
(pause)
YT1: I don't-
DM: SAY I'M A REAL NIGGA!
YT1: But what...will anything happen if I do?
DM: (lazily) Say it.
YT3: (tentatively, cautiously) You a real nigga.
DM: YES. I. AM. Now you say it. Say you a real nigga. Come on say it.
YT1:(hesitantly) I'm a real nigga.
DM: Say it LOUD.
YT1: I'm a real nigga!
DM: Stand up and say it! All you get up! Get up! Say you a real nigga!
YT1&2&3: (standing, chanting) I'm a real nigga! I'm a real nigga! I'm a real nigga!
DM: (takes out blunt from pocket) And this here's a REAL blunt.
YT1&2&3: (laughing) No way!
YT1:(boldly) Light it up.
DM: Ha. Ha. Ha. Umhm. (searching in pockets for a lighter)
YT2: (quietly)...no way...

The drunk man finds his lighter, lights up the blunt and begins to smoke. The three youths look on in awe gathering their courage to ask for a puff, I exit the train and enter the adjacent car.

Nótt

For a time sleep was just oblivion
devoid of dreams
necessitated by the drink
otherwise a terrifying wakefulness
burning and exhausted eyes
slipping over shadows
caught in static limbo
a crippling lethargy.

Following the purge, dreams returned
but not pleasant fantasies or amorous encounters
nightmares every single night
for a year
regret and shame and panic
bubbling from their rusted cage
plaguing the comfort of unconsciousness
slumber held only penance, no relief.

Finally some regularity
at times visited by visions of dark and fertile woods,
of secret crooked mazes ripe for solving,
of gliding through the warm night skyline
but dread, not completely gone, still remains
occasional reminders of an alternate reality
specters of broken hands, hearts thick with desperation,
and the scree and clink of consumed drink.

Mostly though there is simply Sleep
the former foe placated by defeat.

Last PG Show

After four and a half years The Night Shift decided to retire from The Playground. The decision was due to some administrative changes at the PG, cancelled shows, and I think more globally all of us wanting to move a bit beyond straight long-form.

The show tonight, our last, was indicative of our time there, good despite some external detractors. We've regularly found the fun, made each other laugh, and created characters that had energy and onus typically within the frame work of some loose narrative. I'm proud of our longevity but more so our consistency, our bad shows were never that bad and we never had more than two or three a year.

The Night Shift is the only team of mine that's endured the test of time. We've grown together and we've stayed together. Through people moving or stepping down, through personal and interpersonal issues, through artistic and comedic differences, we've kept going and are closer because of it.

We plan to keep performing as a group, to put up more specific shows for limited runs. I'll be forever grateful for the PG for putting us together and giving us a stage to play on but it was time. It does feel good to move on, there's a sense of completeness, it feels like growth.

'American Sniper' A Review

American Sniper is a biographical war drama about the deadliest sniper in US history Chris Kyle, based on his autobiography. Out of the gate there is a flashback depicting Kyle's dad telling him and his brother there are three types of people in the world sheep, sheepdogs and wolves. Kyle takes this metaphor to heart and sees himself as a protector not only of his fellow man but his country. Kyle(Bradley Cooper) enlists in the Navy after seeing a terrorist attack on TV. He becomes a SEAL sniper and serves four tours in the middle east. He accumulates the highest death count in military history and is nicknamed "Legend". War scenes are juxtaposed with Kyle's returns home where he is distant and distracted much to the frustration and consternation of his wife Taya(Sienna Miller). After completing his term of service Kyle finds solace and purpose in helping other veterans.

Although not a great war movie it is a great action movie. The majority of the film is spent in the Iraq War and the different battles, patrols, and missions of Kyle's unit. The military elements seem very authentic however there is an overarching lack of weight and consequence, there is much more focus on the action and the kills then on how it effects the soldiers. Outside of the war Kyle's wife and post Iraq life seem almost like an after thought, a simple coda to the film, with little explored or delved into.

Eastwood the director has said American Sniper is an anti-war movie. Cooper has said the film's purpose is to shine light on the treatment of our veterans after they come home. If those were actual intentions when making the film as opposed to Oscar talking points they were utter failures.

Coopers portrayal of Kyle is unsettling, playing him as a confident and unflappable warrior, totally unperturbed by the numerous "savages"(at least one of them a child) he kills in Iraq, only concerned with those fellow soldiers he was unable to save. He acts as if he believes himself to be invincible, like a real life Captain American, and nothing in the film contradicts this attitude, it in fact plays into it. He is unwavering in his support of the US the "greatest country in the world" and never questions our involvement in Iraq. Auxiliary characters question the war's purpose but Kyle completely and immediately shoots down any dissension. And as far the VA and the treatment of veterans it is so under addressed it almost feels ignored.

I don't believe it was the intent of the filmmakers to make a pro-war or propaganda film but the attitude towards the conflict which is still ongoing is so passive and removed it as if Eastwood and Cooper view it as if it's fiction, totally unaware of the possible implications of their hero worshiping shoot-em-up.

Disturbing not in its deliberate content but in its unintentional subtext and interpretations.

Don't See It.

Surprises

Currently Sight Unseen is performing every Thursday at the Annoyance as part of the Fishbowl, a show Jimmy pitched which allows students to play with Annoyance teachers and performers. So far not a ton of students have come out but I anticipate that'll change over time.

We end the night with a set and the past two weeks it has been really fun. What I enjoy most about performing with the team(Jimmy, Mark, Meaghan, Rosie, Sarah, MB) is our disparate approaches and playing styles. Each of us has had a different path through improv and because we started playing together after we all had a significant amount of experience our POV's are relatively solidified. There's rarely ever moments of hesitation or indecision, it's almost always fluid even if the characters or choices aren't necessarily homogenized.

Because of our strong, independent, and different perspectives I'm frequently blind sided by other peoples choices. At this point with improv those moments of real surprise are what I look forward to and truly relish. Those moments where I am shaken out of my routines and really open my eyes to what my scene partner(s) are doing. That happens a lot with Sight Unseen. Someone makes an odd choice or a big emotional reaction that I wasn't expecting and the scene or piece blossoms because of it.

There can be a lot of importance put on knowing your teammates well and anticipating their moves in order to create solid group mind and a seamless piece. There's certainly something to that. But the more I improvise the more I look forward to performing with those people that bring the truly unexpected to the stage. Ultimately, I've found, it's the differences that are important, it's in the contrast where inspiration lies.

Graffiti 151

12ozProphet appears to be a graffiti collective. Graffiti as straight advertising for bands, websites, what have you strikes me as a bit beside the point. Same with simple tags. To me it's counter to the spirit of graffiti. Like this tag, it's odd that a graffiti collective is simply putting their name on stuff as opposed to actually saying something or making art.

The name itself I find unsettling, I presume it is in reference to a can of spray paint but my first thought was a can of beer. That belligerent and bone-deep confidence that makes one pontificate with such certainty about the world, that ability of divination which usually follows the third or fourth drink. That state of mind isn't something to be revered or sought.

More Snow

After a relatively sedate January it seems winter has reared its blustery and capricious head.

Cars buried, roads slushy, trains delayed, everything damp and cold. Even so it seems the gods of deep freeze have granted clemency on the faithful denizens of Chicago. The full force of winter remains unleashed and, although inconvenient, it appears this brash weather will be brief.

Business as usual in the middle west metropolis of the windy city. The breeze, the freeze, the bite, the night. These are but old friends to those born on the sweeping and far reaching plains.

2015 Goals

Apply to MFA programs in acting and poetry. I've thought about going back to school for a while. Now with my interest, and I think my ability, significantly sharpened I'd like to take the next step. Over the past couple months a lot of my peers have moved on and it made me want to make a big change. I have the discipline and the desire now to take full advantage of some advanced schooling, a mindset and a position I certainly wasn't in during undergrad.

Put up another play. We're about half way through Contention and it's been a very gratifying experience. Makes me definitely want to do it again at some point this year. I got two ideas for shows rolling around, one about Terry Gross which is kind of flushed out, and the other involving the Tarot which is just the beginning of an idea.

Put out Hindsight Hour. My experimental improv podcast has been gestating for a while. At this point it's all recorded and Tim and I have listened to all the material and mapped it out, we just have to get to the actual editing. I imagine it'll go relatively quickly but because of the holidays and busy schedules we haven't been able to get started quite yet.

Go on at least two vacations. I love to travel, I love to visit my friends out of state, I love to be in nature, but there is always so much going on in Chicago it's hard to carve out some time(and money) to get away. This year I want to go on two vacations which are independent of any specific obligation. Right now I'm planning to visit the Beanpole in Denver end of May/early June. I'd also like to go to LA, Richmond, and take a motorcycle trip The Badlands.

Submit poetry to at least ten publications. My passion for poetry has grown over the past two years. I've written a lot more and done readings and it feels like progress. I'd like to get my stuff out there on a broader scale, maybe to get published, maybe to win a competition, but more importantly to get into the habit of submitting. To get a better idea of what people outside of my little community think of my writing, how it stacks up.

Make a video. I've had an idea for a while for a faux instructional short inspired by Tisher but haven't found the time or discipline to write it. I've also got some great feedback from some people suggesting Contention, with some substantial cuts, might be a good short film. I'd like to realize one of the two at some point this year.

Super Bowl Haiku

The snow fell all day

Most were entranced by football

We watched About Time