Black Cloud Films

50 Words Review: "Watchmen"

noreply@blogger.com (Andre) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:38:00 +0000

I know I'm behind and should've posted this last Friday, but here are my 50 words on "Watchmen":

“Watchmen” changes the idea of the “superhero film” in as many bounds and super leaps as possible. While heavily constructed, it is a fun, shocking, eye popping, exciting and sometimes melancholy look at what the world would look like if superheroes were real and just as flawed as the rest of us.

Rating:
out of 4

Melyssa Ford King Magazine Photoshoot

noreply@blogger.com (Andre) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 21:20:00 +0000

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. This shot by photographer Charlie Langella in King Magazine's 50th Issue speaks volumes. There's a story behind every picture taken. There's a journey that each photographer and model take together and then again with us as the viewer.

Fresh off the edit...Here's a behind the scenes look at the King Magazine photoshoot featuring my homie Melyssa Ford. Take a look

8 Oscars! The Final Answer

noreply@blogger.com (Andre) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:55:00 +0000

Wow, I knew Slumdog Millionaire was good, but I never thought EIGHT Oscars!. Congrats to the filmmakers, actors and Fox Searchlight.

Congrats to everyone honored last night and two weeks ago at the Geek Oscars.

I really liked the updates, especially the technical improvements and incredible set pieces. One thing, they couldn't find five incredible directors to honor those incredible auteurs before the award presentation? I'm bias, but I'm saying...

Sickening NY Post Cartoon

noreply@blogger.com (Andre) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:51:00 +0000

After seeing this deplorable and disgusting piece of racist imagery in the NY Post, I fired off a quick response to the editors and advertising head of the rag. I'm totally done with them and their website. Not only will I not purchase the newspaper, I won't give them hits by going to their website either. I suggest you do the same. Something has to give.

Dear [Post Editors]

I was horribly offended by the "political cartoon" created by Sean Delonas in today's edition of the New York Post. This blatantly racist comparison of a wild, crazed chimp to President Obama and his administration is deplorable. You are presumably educated members of the media and know firsthand how images are interpreted by your readers and the world. Before there is an attempt to brush this imagery under the rug as a "misunderstanding", I would like you to personally explain how presumably educated people allowed this image to be printed.

You are well aware of the history of prejudicial and racists drawings of African American people as monkeys, chimps and apes and Mr. Delonas' cartoon is a direct descendant of hateful racist propaganda. The buffoonery took it one step horribly lower by associating an assassination of the animal as being comedic. This is not only in poor taste, but a treacherous suggestion to place in the minds of your readers with regards to our President.

Going forward I will no longer purchase your publications nor visit your website. Furthermore, I intend to boycott your advertisers both for your online and printed business. I am can assure you I am not alone in my feelings or actions and you will need to answer to many many more New Yorkers and Americans on this issue.

There is in no way that in the year of our lord 2009, anyone should stand by and allow such racist, dangerous trash to be printed. It is with a deep disgust with your organization that I request a retraction and printed apology to President Obama and his administration, the American people as well as animal lovers. Perhaps it is time that your publication become a symbol of something besides sensationalism, racism, prejudice and apathy to victims' rights. You are as responsible for our future as a nation as it's citizens and should act accordingly.

Gettysburg Distress

noreply@blogger.com (Andre) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:45:00 +0000

Wow! After a great selling run with the President Obama/Amazing Spidrman tie-in, The good folks over at Marvel Comics decided to bring good ol' Honest Abe into the fight. The comic can be read for free on the Marvel website if you register. I think President Obama just made being the President a cool ass job! Who'da thunk it!??

Have You Visualized Your Itunes Lately!!??

noreply@blogger.com (Andre) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:31:00 +0000

I haven't turned the visualizer on (control T) in ITunes in quite awhile. The psychedlic Scooby-Doo effect was a bit old for me. Then lo and behold I turned it on while listening to some new tracks by Pharrell, Lil Wayne and Mos Def and WOW. Whatever galaxy collision smoke they're toking now in Cupertino, CA is a feast for the eyes!

One Shall Stand One Shall Fall

noreply@blogger.com (Andre) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 06:25:00 +0000

I felt a little bad about posting the GI Joe spot and not giving any love to Transformers:Rise of The Fallen. I don't know why I'd feel bad about not promoting a film I have absolutely NOTHING to do with. BUT...the first film was a great ride and it looks like Michael Bay has done that thing he does (cue big awesome explosion here) well...again.

And as a fan, I can't help, but think that the shot at the end of what looks like Devastator busting through the highway overpass and going after Optimus Prime is pretty damn amazing. Those good people at Paramount are really stacking up the Summer Blockbusters aren't they...

Go ahead and Roll Out

Click Click Cameras

noreply@blogger.com (Andre) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 21:56:00 +0000

When it comes to moving pictures, I REALLY am partial to the HD Digital video phenomenon. It makes it possible to shoot beautiful projects like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and no one can tell they're not actually watching FILM (as in the real film that you put in a film camera as opposed to tape or digital media). The costs can be kept to a minimum and the workflow is sped up considerably. I don't even want to know how much CCBB would've cost if shot on film especially considering David Fincher's preference for multiple takes (read 20-30 takes) of a shot. Not a crack, he's on my short list of genius directors.

However, when it comes to still image I'm still partial to the old click click film image. I even refer to it like that ("I need a click click camera not a digi-cam"). There have been some great advances in digital imagery and like anything, you have to pay a lot for the best digital cameras to even come close to the grainy image you get with a regular click-click.

So now I see there's a new rehash of the old Russian Lubitel. Which I'm sure produces some beautifully grainy, Life magazine-esque shots.

If that's too intimidating, there's still the first "click clicks" that caught my eye recently, the Diana F clones that are available in all sorts of stylish colors and with special 35MM adapters and accessories.

They're all available over at Lomography and I'm going to be sure to put a healthy dosage of these on my birthday wish list. Perhaps one day I'll take my Bell & Howell Reflex (still looking for film for this thing), the Lubitel and the Diana out on the street. I'll capture some stuff with some cool people, mash it together and see what we get.

Go Joe

noreply@blogger.com (Andre) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 04:55:00 +0000

As a kid, I was a big fan of GI Joe. I owned a ton of the toys. I mean a TON! I watched the cartoon and loved the TV only GI Joe Movie with that horribly corny Cobra King character (Cobra la la la la la la...LOL). This Summer the good folks at Paramount Pictures are releasing the feature film. Hey if Transformers can do it...

And now we get our first tease of the film. A perfect action tease (film wise)shows you some major characters, gives you some action, some special effects, a funny quip and seems to end too early. Nothing too much to look at, but makes you say "Whoa..what was that?" This is a perfect tease. Hopefully, director Steven Sommers (The Mummy films) can do what Bay did for Transformers and bring those over the top characters to life.

Take a look at the trailer: Go Joe

We're Not Hating...We're Just Saying...

noreply@blogger.com (Andre) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 03:10:00 +0000

Yeah the Louis Vutton sneakers you designed are OK Kanye...

But seriously, it's been two years since design master Kern designed our Dark Force Ones and we still haven't worn them because they're so fresh. Yeah, we know 'Ye...they're the same shape or platform or imprint or whatever they call it. But they're hand painted, hand carved one of ones that someone besides the new Poindexter types would actually wear.

Swagger on a hundred thousand trillion and one...still!

But congrats to Kanye on that Louis Vutton design deal...or shall we call him "Martin Louis The King Jr." LOL He's funny and crazier than a bag of dust.

Back online...umm...I think so...!!??

noreply@blogger.com (Andre) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 20:54:00 +0000

Wow, we think we finally got all of the stars to align to begin "blogging" again. Of course, when we first started doing this, we had to explain it to people.

"It's like our journal, but it's online and other people can read it."

"Huh? You're letting people read your journal? You put it ONLINE??" They said.

"Well, yeah but it's not as invasive as it sounds."

"You're so crazy." They said

Flash forward 7+ years and everyone and their mama (literally) has a blog. LOL Thanks to the Blogger folks for making this a lot easier than it used to be. We spent a good three weeks on our old blogging software trying to get it right and still couldn't get the little details correct. (R.I.P. Noah Grey of Greymatter). One solid week crushing the code on Blogger and things are rolling, sorta kinda how I want them. Like we told our friend Free, we had to stop trying to make a fire by rubbing two sticks together and reach for a lighter.

We're so committed to this new blog, we deleted all of the old posts from the old blog...OK it was mostly out of frustration, but who's fact checking anyway:-)

Tonight is the SAG Awards, but we'll be spending many hours watching The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (finally) in a theater with an audience instead of the screening room thing I've come to be spoiled by:-(

Congrats to Fox Searchlight and The Slumdog Millionaire folks on their Producer's Guild Award.

Congrats to Nelson George, Chris Rock, Nia Long, et al for their special jury award at Sundance for "Good Hair" and Lee Daniels, Mo'Nique and all of the "Push" folks for their whopping three awards at The 'Dance. Two years in a row we miss the cold of Park City (even thought it was freezing in NYC) and two years in a row we miss out on big tings uh gwan. Arghhh! Next year! Next year! Next year!