Charlie Kaufman at SMU!

Ironically, as I was about to post this blog, I came across another indie film blog posting about my same topic, so go to http://worldfilm.about.com to check out their opinion.  Anyways, Charlie Kaufman came to SMU last Tuesday to speak.  Basically, the only people who showed up were filmmakers, CTV majors, and a few theatre majors.  However, Charlie Kaufman, for those of you who don't know, is considered almost a genius in the film world.  He has written several "big-hit" screenplays for several movies you have probably heard of.  For example, Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.  He is best known for being a screenwriter, but his latest film to come out, Synecdoche, New York, was directed by him.  Seeing Charlie Kaufman in person was really not as spectacular as one might imagine because he is literally just like me and you.  He was very blunt, but truthful, in his answers to student questions and it was obvious that he was not much interested in being in the spotlight.  His publicist was more peppy than he was, but I can understand how it can be annoying to have to do all of these press and interview things for just trying to do your job.  I did learn a lot of lessons from him in the small amount of time I was able to listen to him.  Anyone who is interested in film would have greatly enjoyed the Charlie Kaufman chat.  

Picture: www.masalladeorion.es

Some Documentaries are Good...

Ok, so I'm totally about to contradict everything I said in the previous post... The past two nights I have gone to Dallas Hall and Hughes-Trigg to watch two documentaries on two very different topics.  The death penalty and of course, the U.S.-Mexico border.  The first documentary was titled "Undocumented"  and covered every single aspect of the current border issue.  I laughed a little but mostly cried in several parts.  The film was extremely touching and to say that it was intellectually stimulating, is an understatement.  I think I'm slowly becoming a hippie.  Watching documentaries of these kind get me so fired up and I become so intensely involved that it's almost unhealthy (in a jokingly way).  The border issues piss me off to no end and to blame these innocent people for "overcrowding" and "littering" our country is like telling people at church on Sunday morning, "Oh there's not enough room.  Too bad."  I'll just stop right here because if I keep ranting, you'll be reading for the next twenty years of your life.  Now, I just got back (tonight) from seeing the other documentary titled, "At the Death House Door" and let me tell you, if you are currently for the death penalty, or you don't really know where you stand, WATCH THIS FILM!!!!  I feel pathetic and stupid for admitting this, but before this film, I was somewhat for the death penalty in CERTAIN circumstances.  However, my views now are the complete opposite.  No one on this earth has the power to say who dies and who lives.  I don't like to ever blame the government wholly on issues like these, mainly because I have always loved politics and whenever I visit Washington D.C., I just am in awe of the "powerful" people I see in black suits everywhere.  But, in order to abolish the death penalty, we must change what happens in the system.  I literally cried and sobbed like a big baby throughout this entire film, and by the time it was over, the precious elderly man who created it looked at me as if I had FREAK written across my forehead.  But, the film worked.  It got to me, the audience.  It broke me to pieces and had my emotions overwhelmed.  So, this week so far has been a whirlwind documentary film-wise, and tomorrow (Friday) I will be going to yet another documentary, La Misma Luna.