Posts Tagged ‘How-To…’

I love living in L.A. I love seeing Independent Films on opening weekend with Q&As by Directors or Writers or Actors. These usually happen at The Landmark, Arclight or Sundance Cinemas on Sunset. And they’re easy to get into if you buy your tickets online in advance.

Just saw two good films, DEAN and BAND AID, each with Q&A’s led by a lead Actor who’s also the Director and the Writer of his/her film.

Demetri Martin (DEAN) and Zoe Lister-Jones (BAND AID) are the Triple Threats possessing talent that crosses over into just about everywhere. These Hollywood Hybrids have stick-to-itiveness, charisma and the courage to turn their dreams into financed films, Festival Darlings and films that open with Q&As in major cities.

Like me and most Actors (except for maybe Actors like Jennifer Lawrence and Dwayne Johnson) Martin and Lister-Jones became frustrated with a system in which Actors are at the mercy of someone else’s vision and conflicting priorities. Unlike me, they’ve got the balls to go all the way.

Demetri Martin is the heart and soul of DEAN

Martin is more than a Triple Threat, he’s a Quadruple! Yes, besides being the Director, Writer + Talent, he’s also the Illustrator of charming sketches that share the screen with live action and offer insight into the mind and mood of the main character, “Dean.” Martin’s very personal film is about loss, love and coming-of-age. He’s surrounded himself with a talented cast, including Gillian Jacobs, Reid Scott, Kevin Klein and Mary Steenburgen and has allowed them the freedom to do what they do best. The film’s got cool music and cool images. Martin tells his heartfelt story in a very funny and relatable way.

Speaking of relatable, that’s how I’d describe Demetri Martin. He’s hilarious, but never in that typically Stand-up Comic “ON” sorta way. His talent and humor sneak up on you. I loved hearing his stories about his trip to the East Coast to pitch Kevin Kline and how that meal changed everything — or how Martin struggled to stay in character on set when the next day’s location had just fallen through completely.

Zoe Lister-Jones’s BAND AID is about love, pain and rock ‘n roll therapy

BAND AID’S premise spoke to me immediately when I saw the trailer: “Young Couple (Zoe Lister-Jones and fabulous Adam Pally from The Mindy Project) starts a band and turn raw-and-real fights into songs to save a marriage.”

Lister-Jones is the Director, Writer, Female Lead and the actual, songwriter,  so she too is a Quadruple Threat. Kudos to Lister-Jones for hiring an all-female crew and for surrounding herself with smart Actors who are known for comedy, but can expose dramatic truths. Lister-Jones is one of the best parts of LIFE IN PIECES, but you can really see her incredible range and willingness to show vulnerability in BAND AID. Adam Pally’s really impressive in the way he does double-duty with his voice saying one thing, while delivering an even more powerful message with his eyes — particularly in the last Act. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s Amateur Hour in the White House as our new President blusters through his first week, one-impulse-at-a-time. The news causes so much stress and embarrassment, I find myself spending more time at the hospital volunteering in the ER to try to make up for the arrogant behavior coming from our highest office. When I can’t listen to the news a moment longer, I go to the the one place where I can treat people from all over the world fairly and kindly and at the very least show that we’re not all like Donald Trump. Read the rest of this entry »

ohm in style!

The Holiday Time Clock is ticking…ticking…ticking 

Distraction from the insane election and our new reality really made me lose sense of time… There are only 17 more days till Christmas Eve and the first night of Hanukkah!  Yikes! Before the holidays come and go, here’s a quick wish list to make holiday shopping a little easier. The WISH capsules are a MUST! Let’s all wish for peace, understanding and a less-divisive world.

capsules for wishes, hopes, dreams and goals

10 Gifts to wish for — from $3.00 up

1. Wish Capsules perfectly priced @$3.00 — write your wish, place it in the capsule and carry it wherever you go.
2. Message Jewelry handmade with your own magical message @$25.00 — a way to “say it” in style.
3. Satin Lid Tints to help you sparkle plenty @$28.00 — in bronze, lilac, peach and smoke.
4. Metallic Paper Tassel Chandelier @$48.00 —  paper pizzazz to snazz-up any room.
5. Clare V Pom Pom Tassel @$55.00 — finally a way to find keys… fast and fabulously!
6. Glamglow Youthmud @$69.0 — a fountain-of-youth-facial in a jar without parabens or sulphates.
7. Lunar Phases Swell Bottle 17 oz. @$50.00 — a cool cosmic wonder in limited edition.
8. Blue Lunar Yoga Mat @$75.00 — foldable, washable,  eco-friendly and a great companion to the Lunar Swell.
9. James Perse Cardigan Stitch Beanie @$125.00 — a comfy, cozy, casual classic.
10. Make it Personal Gold Rings @$144 — romantic rings in rose, yellow or white gold

look good while you hydrate 🙂

President Elect Donald Trump

I wish you would…

• stop tweeting
• learn diplomacy
• stop antagonizing
• listen to your security briefs
• remove all sketchy advisors
• start healing the hurt
• thicken your skin
• represent all Americans
• overcome your flaws
• focus on doing well
• stop spreading fake news
• play to your strengths
• stop embarrassing us
• earn your new title
• become educated on world affairs
• cease secret calls with world leaders
• think before you speak
• learn who our enemies are
• become presidential

if only…

Random acts of violence are frightening to all because… well they’re RANDOM.  So we feel POWERLESS.

Terrorism incites fear. Fear incites prejudice. Prejudice incites anger… it’s an ugly trajectory.  And when you think about it, it’s pretty similar to the response the Republican Presidential Nominee elicits.  As he mouths-off,  he incites fear… incites prejudice… incites anger… Thinking of him as our Commander in Chief is really SCARY!

But, if my mom were around she’d help me see the good that happened in the news-making 48 hours between last Saturday to Monday.  I know, I know… what’s positive about the acts of terrorism in New York, New Jersey and St. Cloud, Minnesota you ask?

It’s the excellent example set by everyday Americans who STEPPED-UP, SAVED LIVES and COUNTERED EVIL!  Americans of Different Ethnicities. Different Sexes. Different Economic Groups.

Heroes Among Us

A SHOUT-OUT to the BRAVE … Read the rest of this entry »

“EMPATHY” is this week’s buzzword for everyone except (ahem!) Donald Trump. To the shock and horror of the eloquent Mr. and Mrs. Khan (parents of the fallen U.S. Armed Services hero, Captain Humayn Khan) and other Gold Star Families, Democrats, Republicans-brave-enough-to-speak-out, and just about all compassionate Americans old enough to understand, there seems to be no end to the continual insults flowing uncontrollably from the big fat unfiltered mouth of TOUCHY TRUMP.

Trump is our MOST EMBARRASSING Presidential Candidate EVER!

Maybe Trump should try volunteering at my hospital for a crash course in Empathy 101, but there’s no way (NO WAY!) he could intelligently interact with the diverse population of patients and family members who freak out as they deal with physical and mental pain, while stuck in limbo, waiting…

Trump could learn a lot from our ER Staff though…

Boy, what I’d give to see our tightly-wound, uncompromising Triage Nurse Anthony Chan monitor King-of-Tantrums-Trump when his diarrhea-mouth attacks a stressed-out someone who accidentally pushes his buttons. Rule-stickler Anthony Chan may be small in size, but he’s big on principle. When Trump loses it, Chan will lash out at him, wash his mouth out with Purell and ban him from the ER. (Wish he could ban him from the U.S.) Read the rest of this entry »