The Vs. Studio Blog

Staying true to my January meaningful consumption post, I logged all the films I saw in 2022. It was over a hundred. Some were films I wanted to see again. Especially introducing them to one or both of my teenage boys.

The list below represents only those I saw for the FIRST time and really loved. I’ve either watched them multiple times since initial viewing or plan to do so. Without further adieu….

(1) What Happened Was by Tom Noonan…I saw it three times and plan to purchase the blu-ray. It won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in the 90’s, but was somehow forgotten for decades until the good folks at Oscilloscope put out a 4K remaster and the Criterion Channel streamed it. It was first an indie hit play in New York and then writer/director Tom Noonan made it into a ultra low budget film. His rehearsal and filmmaking process is truly inspiring. (Hat tip to my friend Kevin for recommending.)

(2) Last Night At The Alamo by Eagle Pennell…I was introduced to it by Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke who recommended on the Criterion Channel. I saw it twice back to back and fingers crossed there’s a 4K release in the works as I will definitely purchase. Eagle made two incredible low budget films in the late 70’s and early 80’s. This one and The Whole Shootin’ Match (I also saw twice) which are both about characters in his hometown of Austin, Texas. The films feel so authentic and real. In fact, Robert Redford, after watching The Whole Shootin’ Match, created Sundance to shine a light on filmmakers like Eagle and others from all over the globe.

(3) The Bear by Christopher Storer…I know, I know, it’s not a movie. But eight, 30 minute episodes that zip by feel like a longer film. You can definitely binge in one sitting. Sublime acting and writing and a love letter to Chicago and food. Need I say more. Can’t wait for Season 2!

(4) Save The Tiger by John G. Avildsen…How I managed to miss this film starring my favorite actor of all time, Jack Lemmon, who won an Academy Award for Best Actor for this performance is beyond me. So good. Avildsen also made two other films in my pantheon–The Karate Kid and Rocky.

(5) Out Of The Blue by Dennis Hopper…I purchased the blu-ray sight unseen based on the urging of my friend Ron and I’m glad I did. I’ve seen it twice and am working my through all the incredible special features. It’s inspiring to anyone who’s thinking about making an independent film. What Hopper managed to do with the resources and time allotted is miraculous.

(6) High And Low by Akira Kurosawa…Kurosawa and lead actor Toshiro Mifune might be the best director/actor combo of all time. Certainly right up there with Scorcese/Deniro, Lee/Washington and Herzog/Kinski. This one is a masterpiece about a shoe company executive who gets extorted when his chauffeur’s son is mistakenly kidnapped and held for ransom. Moral dilemmas abound!

(7) Licorice Pizza by Paul Thomas Anderson…PTA up to his old magic again. A beautifully shot, coming of age film that’s stayed with me. Kinda makes you wish you grew up in the San Fernando Valley in the early 70’s.

(8) Red Rocket by Sean Baker.…Sean Baker had his breakout with Tangerine and then followed with The Florida Project and now Red Rocket. Baker always elicits fully lived in, authentic performances by his actors and he does so here again. Simon Rex is extraordinary.

(9) Double Indemnity by Billy Wilder…A film noir masterpiece that I somehow never watched until this year. Glad I did and can’t wait to see it again.

(10) Top Gun: Maverick by Joseph Kosinski…I saw it in the theatre with my family and am so glad for the experience. We had an absolute blast. (And I admit to choking back tears of nostalgic joy all throughout.)

Honorable Mentions: The Asphalt Jungle, Jules Et Jim, Ace In The Hole, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Across 110Th Street, The Great Beauty, Blonde, The Alpinist, Jiro Dreams Of Susi, Emily The Criminal, The Banshees Of Insherin

P.S. – Send me your list of favorites of 2022. I wanna watch!

“Comparison is the thief of joy.” -Teddy Roosevelt

When you’re going through hard times, you might be tempted to think “it could always be worse” as a way to feel better.

And it’s true.  It could always be worse.  Much worse.

But I’m not certain that provides enough lift off. And it could lead to guilt and self-flagellation for feeling bad as you compare your situation to others misfortune.

Instead…How about thinking “It could always be better.” Because it could. It could be better. Waaaay better.

For proof, reflect on your own life. You’ll find plenty of examples where it’s been better.  Much better.  Realize this is just a downturn on the flywheel of life. A cold, winter season. Warm spring is right around the corner. This too shall pass.

For further proof, seek out the vast multitude of examples of people who went through hard times, but used the downturn as fuel to make things better. For themselves and others. The obstacle became the way. This should inspire you!

Now you’ve got hope and confidence and a reason to work hard to make things better. Go and do likewise.

If you want to get better at anything, you need three things.

One…the awareness, acceptance and humility that you need to get better.

Two…a burning desire to get better.

Three…a plan that involves consistent action, specific measurables and deadlines. This way, you can test your plan and see if you need to tweak or iterate anything.

If you want to speed up the process, surround yourself with people who are better than you at the thing you’re trying to achieve. A personal example…Besides my love of the game, the main reason I got pretty good at hoops was because I skipped grades and as a result I was forced to play with older kids who were much better than me. (Shout out to my ole pal Tony C., and all those late night one on one battles under the flickering sodium light at Surfside Park.)

And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack
And you may find yourself in another part of the world
And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself, “Well, how did I get here?”

Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by, water flowing underground
Into the blue again, after the money’s gone
Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground

And you may ask yourself, “How do I work this?”
And you may ask yourself, “Where is that large automobile?”
And you may tell yourself, “This is not my beautiful house”
And you may tell yourself, “This is not my beautiful wife” -Talking Heads, song “Once In A Lifetime”

“I can’t believe this happened.”

“Why did this happen to me?

“How could this have happened to me?”

“This shouldn’t have happened.”

“This isn’t right.”

“This is bullshit.”

“I’m so stupid.”

“They’re so stupid.”

“Life sucks.”

When something “bad” (The Stoics believe that “bad” or “good” are just subjective labels we put on the events in our lives.) and unexpected happens to you, it’s shocking at first. And you may find yourself thinking some or all of the above thoughts. It’s fine and perfectly normal. But none of it’s helpful.

Instead…

Assess (with clarity).

“This happened.”

Then…

Analyze

“What are my options?”

Then…

Decision.

“I’ll take this step forward”

Then…

Action.

Step forward.

Remember, mood follows action. Not the other way around.

Let me sleep on it Baby, baby let me sleep on it Let me sleep on it. I’ll give you my answer in the morning. -Meat Loaf, song “Let Me Sleep On It”

“Above all, do not lose your desire to walk: every day I walk myself into a state of well being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it.” -Søren Kierkegaard

If you’re struggling with something, agonizing over a decision, wondering how or if you should take a certain action, etc….two recommendations.

First…Get up and get outside and take a long ass walk.

Second…Get a good night’s rest. Sleep on it. But, just before you go to sleep (and presumably you’ll be tired from the long ass walk), ask your subconscious the question. And trust that an answer will come…

…in the morning.

“There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill, and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle.” -Deepak Chopra

“To me acting is like a jigsaw puzzle. The jigsaw puzzle is of the sky and all the pieces are blue. Out of this you have to create a human being and put it together.” -Henry Winkler

You know the satisfaction you get from finishing a complex jigsaw puzzle (like the “Starry Night” mosaic puzzle above)? That’s what producing is like.

You have all the pieces. If you can organize and fit them all together, you can solve the puzzle. You can make a masterpiece.

The most important takeaway of Mark Duplass’ SWSW Keynote speech “The Cavlary Isn’t Coming” (worth listening to frequently) is that there is no cavalry.

Maybe you’re thinking…if I work really hard, if I make some good art, if I produce some worthwhile content, then someday I can relax a bit. It’ll get easier. I won’t have to do it myself. I’ll get that tap on the shoulder….”Come on in. We’ve been waiting for you kiddo.”

“Ah, I’ll have arrived.”

Nope.

No tap on the shoulder.

No cavalry.

You’re it.

You are the cavalry.

Find and manifest the next project that’s worth fighting for.

“Sometimes you gotta say What the Fuck’, make your move. Joel, every now and then, saying ‘What the Fuck’, brings freedom. Freedom brings opportunity, opportunity makes your future. So your parents are going out of town. You got the place all to yourself.” -advice that Miles gives to Joel in the film Risky Business

“Studies by the activist group BFAMFAPhD revealed that only 10 percent of the two million arts graduates in the United States make their primary living as artists, that 85 percent of artists in NYC have day jobs unrelated to the arts and that the other 15 percent have median incomes of $25,000. Like everything else, the market for art is a winner-takes-all. In 2018, just twenty individuals accounted for 64 percent of total sales by living artists.” -William Deresiewicz, book The Death of the Artist

I’ve heard it said that 95 percent of commercial success in the arts is luck. If you agree with that premise, then you have two choices.

One…Get lucky. Be one of the few who squeeze in. Nothing wrong with that plan as long as you know it’s what you want, are incredibly specific, commit to doing a shitload of often un-fun, “businessy” things for a long ass period of time with no guarantee of advancement and often no end in sight.

Or.

Two…Not give a fuck about commercial success.

Earn a living somewhere else that doesn’t crush your soul. Live modestly. Be ruthlessly disciplined. Any free time that you have, MAKE your art. Show up every day. Day after day. Ship. You’ll have a body of work that when all is said and done, you’ll look back and think, “Damn…I made some good art with some good people. I grew as a human being and artist and had fun in the process.”

“You just needed a little encouragement.”— Harold to Phillip in the play Orphans by Lyle Kessler

Honor to those whose words or deeds
Thus help us in our daily needs,
And by their overflow
Raise us from what is low! -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, poem Santa Filomena

courage (noun): c. 1300, corage, “heart (as the seat of emotions),” hence “spirit, temperament, state or frame of mind,”from Old French corage “heart, innermost feelings; temper” (12c., Modern French courage), from Vulgar Latin *coraticum (source of Italian coraggio, Spanish coraje), from Latin cor “heart” (from PIE root *kerd- “heart”).

encourage (verb): early 15c., from Old French encoragier “make strong, hearten,” from en- “make, put in” (see en- (1)) + corage “courage, heart” (see courage). Related: Encouraged; encouraging; encouragingly.

Sometimes all a person needs when they’re going through some shit is your attention and your encouragement.

Or really, your heart.

“I believe that people generally want to be what we call good. They want to cooperate with people. They don’t want to steal; they don’t want to cheat. But everybody has a price. Everybody has an incentive.” -Stephen J. Dubner, co-author Freakonomics

“Follow the money.” -Deep Throat (played by Hal Holbrook) giving advice to Bob Woodward (played by Robert Redford) in the film All The President’s Men

If you’re looking at human behavior, how systems work, why things are the way they are. If you’re looking to change or make any kind of change in this world…

…I want to say one word to you.

Just one word…

Are you listening?…

…INCENTIVES.

What’s the incentive?

Start there. You figure that out, everything else is cream cheese.

P.S. – This scene from my all-time favorite film.