Five Years Ago... The Box Premieres

Five years ago this week we held the premiere of our DV feature The Box at the Clearwater Cinema Cafe. The place was packed and my nerves were frayed. From shooting to editing and re-editing I had seen the end product over 100 times... but this was the first time so many people, important people in my life, were going to partake of our little cinematic experiment.

I could scarcely watch.

It was a big event for me. I had finally completed a feature film... something I had set as a goal a decade earlier. The film definitely has the scars of being an ultra low-budget flick, but it was competent and entertaining, within its own limitations. It got very positive reviews, festival play and allowed me to feel like I was finally achieving dreams I had imagined as a child.

It took a lot of people to make The Box a reality. First, I was very fortunate to have Kyme help out as Producer and single-handedly will the project to completion. She had more contacts in more places than anyone I've ever known. She was indispensable.

One of the best parts of the experience was getting to work with a the very talented cast. Samantha Grahn (Lou), John Hill (JJ), Mike Rembis (Steve) and Dan Doyle (Dante). Plus, I got to work with Brian Shea and John Snell for the first time, both of whom ended up in Club God.

I also believe it was this film that sparked the acting bug in my daughter, who has since starred in Purgatory, USA and is attending a performing arts high school. She will be far more talented than I could ever conceive being. She is a natural. I am so proud of her work.

The premiere was also the event that started the Tompkin brothers quoting lines from the film back to me every time I see them. Over and over and over again. Even to this day they greet me with the line "every drop." Funny how something conjured up in my head over a year before the premiere would make such an impact and last to this day.

I can hardly believe five years has passed already. Part of me thinks that I should have accomplished more by now and the other part of me is amazed we've been able to create Sonlight Pictures and complete Club God and Purgatory, USA within the first year of existence.

The premiere night of The Box was a special night for so many professional and personal reasons. The best of which is that I got to spend that night with my family... brothers, sisters, wife, children and my parents. There is nothing more important to me than my family.

So many things have changed since then. All for the better.

I can't imagine what the next five years will bring.

Does Obama Realize He's President?

Obama knows he won the Presidential Election. He even said so last week. "I won."

He knows he took the oath of office... twice (because they misspoke the first time).

He knows he's moved into a nice, spiffy new house painted white.

But, does he realize that he's no longer on the campaign trail and that he's actually President of the United States?

I don't think so.

Obama's reaction to the aversion of his vision of a stimulus/socialist package is a prime example of someone who doesn't know what it means to be President.

A President does not consider inviting opposing party members to a meeting equates to bipartisan support. As one Fox News analyst put it, since all of the House Republicans and 11 Democrats voted in opposition to the proposal, the only thing bipartisan is a vote AGAINST the stimulus package.

A President does not publicly call out a citizen of the country (Rush Limbaugh) and vocal critic and tell all Republicans to stop listening to him. He should be above that. He's actually intimidated by Rush Limbaugh? The President is intimidated by a talk show host? Really??? Apparently so, because now the Dems want to push the Fairness Doctrine... I'll get into that in a later entry.

A President isn't supposed to tell the American people that if you don't do what he wants it may cause us to fall into a hole we can never pull ourselves out from. How egocentric!

Look man, you're supposed to first voice your vision, then engage in a little politics, gather support from the people and then make your case.We elected you, Hussein, you should know we're willing to listen to your ideas.

But if they stink, we'll tell you it reeks. That's called Freedom of Speech. You can look it up!

Obama's reaction since ascending to the pinnacle of his very short-lived political career smacks of one thing... arrogance.

Let me give you a word of advice from one of these citizens of which you are to represent... humble yourself. You're not the smartest man on the planet. Or the country. Or in my own circle of friends.

You have a VERY important job that takes many great ideas, not just the ones you sketched out on a cafe napkin while on the campaign trail. There are a LOT of great ideas in this country that are founded on the basic freedoms of this country, including the free market.

Obama's arrogance assumes that we will do what he says and that he has the right to control what we do.

Here's a bulletin for you, Mr. President... YOU WORK FOR ME!

I, along with 300 million average citizens out here, have some ideas about your mighty government. Most of us think it's bloated, self-important, vacuous of truly new ideas and NOT representing the people of this nation. Making that pile of stench in Washington, DC even larger is not a solution!

The fact that you said that the government is the only way we can get out of this scares me a bit. When has the government (other than nation defense and infrastructure) actually solved ANYthing????

Look, Mr. O, I hope you succeed. I really do! You're my President!

But for God's sake, can you start acting like one? It's embarrassing.