1. i haven't finished the re-write on the silent musical but it's close.

2. my friend stephanie pinola will be writing my joshua tree pilot w/me and it's called, "Cowboys and Aliens" which i stole from a Gram Rabbit song(they're doing the music).

3. i'm in a really crappy custody battle with my ex because she thought it would be a good idea to move her drug/sex addict, relapsing husband straight out of rehab and in with our daughter.

4. it's looking like i will be expanding Rancho Diablo. I will be getting the land next door and turning it into a Vintage Trailer Park that will be available for nightly rentals as well as a space to do post production on your film or record your record. I will be adding 4 vintage trailers, 1 Gypsy style trailer and a little apartment that will be a replica of The Black Lodge from Twin Peaks.

5. I had a date this week with a great girl but found out she still lives with her bf. We still went to Jumbo's and had a swell time:)

6. I fucking love http://icanhascheezburger.com/

7. I'm addicted to twitter and update it much too much. I just don't get facebook and think the only good thing about it is the chat function so i can drunk chat or insomnia chat in the middle of the night with my friends in europe who are up during normal hours.

8. I am really loving The Graveyard Book. I'm going to ask Neil Gaiman to do a radio tag for Devil's Night Radio.

9. Speaking of the devil... Devil's Night Radio works pretty well on the iPhone although if you are driving on the freeway, it has trouble changing from tower to tower so it's going to take a bit for them to perfect it. You can get the app in the iTunes store and it's called ooTunes.

10. My kitten, a boy named Sue, is sleeping on my tummy.

11. I just finished editing my daughter's first music video for her. It's pretty fucking cute and i'll let everyone know when it's on youtube.

12. I have been listening to TV on the Radio and Bon Iver a lot lately.

13. The movie i was supposed to be acting in this weekend pushed the dates so i shaved my beard and started over. Couldn't take it anymore.

I remember the first time I met Lux and Ivy. They were playing at The Shim Sham in New Orleans (my old club) and needed a ride from their hotel to the club. I pulled up to the hotel and was parallel parking when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw them standing on the front porch of their hotel. I crashed into the car behind me.

I was so nervous to meet them. It took about 2 minutes for me to feel better about the situation. Lux was very quiet but Ivy was so unbelievably sweet and made me feel right at ease. Every so often, Lux would chime in with a sentence or two but for the most part, I spent my time chatting with Ivy over the next couple days as they played the club for two nights. When I told them I was closing the club and moving back to L.A., they immediately invited me up to the house and told me to call when I got back.

I never get star struck but with them it was hard not too. I was such a big fan and they were such interesting people. Within a month of returning to L.A., they invited me to the cemetery screening of Chinatown. Even though it was all of our first time at the cemetery and even though Chinatown is one of my favorite movies, I couldn't care less about any of that. All I could think about was, "Holy Shit! I'm sitting in a fucking cemetery watching a movie with the fucking Cramps!"

Shortly after, I got to go up to their house to talk about the fact that I wanted to make a documentary about them. Their house is so unbelievable. There was a whole room dedicated to their record collection. Lux told me that he had to go under house and reinforce the floor because it was sagging under the weight of the records. They then took me to a great tiki restaurant by their place and confirmed they wanted to do the doc... It was one of the greatest days of my life...

I realize now what was really going on with me that day. Sure I was a fan of their music and interested in working with them but much more than that I had found what I was looking for. They were the role model I had been searching for my whole life of a relationship that works. Of course I thought they were amazing people but since I grew up without parents(they both died when I was young), I think I secretly wanted them to adopt me. The way they interacted. The lifestyle of semi-seclusion where they would go for months held up with just each other and then emerge to give another gift to the world in the form of a record or tour and then back to seclusion. The way Ivy ran the show and took care of him. How she appreciated and loved him for all his idiosyncrasies. And man did they have gooooooooood taste. I was in awe of them so much more as people than I could of ever been of them as musicians...

Sadly, the doc didn't work out and I haven't been good about keeping in touch the past couple years. I just figured I'd see them next time they played and do a better job from that point of going up there to visit and keep in touch. Now I am so sad. Not for myself because I got the gift of seeing what true rock and roll love looks like. I'm sad for Ivy. I can't imagine what life is going to look like for her. Lux was her everything and visa versa. As strong and perfect as that love looked from the outside, I can only imagine what it would feel like to be in it and to lose it so suddenly and prematurely...

I love you Ivy. I wish I could adopt YOU now and hold you and make the pain go away. I wish. I wish...

m

here's a pic of lux, ivy and my lucky daughter who has met more rock stars at 8 than most people do in their life:

So... Even though I have no musical talent whatsoever, my 8 year old daughter has taken it upon herself to start her own band. She wrote a bunch of songs, got her friends together, assigned them instruments and they've been practicing once a week for the past couple months. She had her first gig this past Sunday at McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica. Pretty fucking cute...



On another note in the domestic front; my daughter has recently discovered the joy of Wham! and Culture Club so my house has sounded like a Gayties nightclub for the past week.

xo
m

STILL fucking working on my re-write sadly... it's taking forever but it's so worth it. I discovered an unbelievable director (who instantly became my new favorite) this week. They were playing him on the wall at Edison when i was visiting dear Erin on Wednesday. His name is Georges Melies and there's tons of painted sets and devils and magic. I love him. Not to get too weird but it feels as if i've seen all of his films before(over 500 of them) and he has been guiding my silent musical from the beginning. I just ordered his box set so I will see all of them soon enough. If you've ever seen the Smashing Pumpkin's video for "Tonight" its a tribute to him and this video in particular:

And here's another of my favorites so far:
The Devilish Tenant


Speaking of great films... My friend Christy Kane just put her film on youtube:) It's really great and you can learn more about her and the dolls at christykane.com


Also... Don't forget to vote in the People's Choice night at Angel City Drive In. You can vote at myspace.com/angelcitydrivein. Right now The Wizzard of Oz w/Dark Side of the Moon is winning. Beating Rushmore no less! Crazy man, crazy...

m

uh... NO!










ok... maybe busby berkeley but that's another blog...

m

Well, you wonder why I always dress in black,
Why you never see bright colors on my back,
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone.
Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on.

I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down,
Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town,
I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,
But is there because he's a victim of the times.

I wear the black for those who never read,
Or listened to the words that Jesus said,
About the road to happiness through love and charity,
Why, you'd think He's talking straight to you and me.

Well, we're doin' mighty fine, I do suppose,
In our streak of lightnin' cars and fancy clothes,
But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back,
Up front there ought 'a be a Man In Black.

I wear it for the sick and lonely old,
For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold,
I wear the black in mournin' for the lives that could have been,
Each week we lose a hundred fine young men.

And, I wear it for the thousands who have died,
Believen' that the Lord was on their side,
I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died,
Believen' that we all were on their side.

Well, there's things that never will be right I know,
And things need changin' everywhere you go,
But 'til we start to make a move to make a few things right,
You'll never see me wear a suit of white.

Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day,
And tell the world that everything's OK,
But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back,
'Till things are brighter, I'm the Man In Black.

- John R. Cash

Since talk began about invading Iraq, actually since Gore was robbed, I've been looking forward to Nov. 4th 2008. It became a full on obsession(an understatement) since Obama won Iowa and it became plausible in my mind that he could actually pull this thing off.

To watch it happen was a miracle. Something I never thought I would see in my lifetime. Something I was so proud to share with my daughter as she watched the tears of joy roll down my face. What I thought was a closure on an ugly and shameful chapter of American history.

Then I woke up Wednesday morning. My joy. My hope. My love of country... All stolen from me. To think that the same Californians that voted for Obama would vote for such a hateful thing as Prop. 8 is disgusting.

70% of African Americans voted for it. What?!?! How can you not see that this is the same thing as saying inter-racial marriage should be illegal. It's insanity. The worst part is that the "Yes on 8" people used President-Elect Obama's own words in TV ads and robocalls in the final days of the campaign. Although Obama was against Prop 8 officially, He has said repeatedly that he is against gay marriage but supports civil unions.

You know what... IT IS NOT THE SAME. I understand that he would of had a harder time getting elected if he came out for gay marriage. Unfortunately, some of my anger is now directed at the very person who gives me hope. The "Lincoln like" thing would be to declare that gay marriage is a Civil Rights Issue NOT a Moral Issue! Who you love is NOT A CHOICE. There is supposed to be separation of church and state in this country.

I fucking hate the way you people pick and choose which parts of the bible are "god's words" and which parts are figurative. Should all adulterers be stoned to death in the public square then? God said it. I hope you stupid fucks are right and there is a hell because you will all be rotting in it. Hate and discrimination are not Christian. Jesus would be repulsed by your using his name to promote your intolerance.

More than anything, I am feeling a sense of shame for not doing more. I should of made more phone calls, donated more money... just done more over all before this vote happened. I never thought it was possible that it would pass. I live in a bubble in Santa Monica I suppose. I forget just how stupid people can be...

-mhn

Enjoy!!!
No on H8

Sounds preposterous? Let me explain. At a time when John McCain was up in the polls and a huge portion of independents were unsure what to make of Gov. Palin, Tina Fey spelled it out for them in comedic terms they could understand. Tina's first two performances on SNL(along with Palin's own performance on Katie Couric) confirmed for those on the fence that Palin had no business being in the White House.

Even though Palin refused to answer questions during the debate, she was coached well enough to make it through with out embarrassing herself which may of swayed some people into thinking, "She's not so bad". Then two days later came another SNL/Fey smack down that reminded people she indeed "Was that bad".

Why so dramatic about "Saving the world"? We all know the stakes this election. We can't afford another four years isn't just a campaign slogan. We may just be beyond the point of fixing this great nation but I choose to believe it's not too late. We've been in worse situations than this.

As far as Palin appearing on SNL this week to witness her own flogging, she is desperate to turn around her own approval numbers that have taken a nose dive since the first Fey interpretation.

As far I'm concerned, Tina Fey should be up for a postage stamp for the contributions she's given to this country and Tina, if things don't work out with your husband Jeff, give me a call. *wink*

You Betcha

I've been going to the Telluride Film Fest on and off with my family since I was 16. That year I met John Waters who was personally giving out scratch and sniff cards to the audience for his new film Polyester which he was presenting in "Smell-O-Rama".

I was sold.

Here's a re-cap of this years films to watch. Over all, it was a pretty disappointing festival although there were a few good ones and two great...

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Danny Boyle's (Shallow Grave, Trainspotting, 28 Days Later) newest film was fantastic. Set in India, it follows three young characters through their lives from the slums up until one of their appearance on India's version of "Who Want's to be a Millionaire". Unbelievable insight into India's culture, funny, heartfelt, well acted(some actors were from the slums) and shot. Danny Boyle has emerged as one of the worlds greatest directors. His career is exactly what I aspire to. He reinvents himself every film and knocks it out of the park on every one. DO NOT MISS THIS FILM. Comes out in November...


REVANCHE (Austria)
A slow moving thriller with a wonderful characters and no real "good" or "bad" characters. No release date yet but go to revanche.at to see a trailer and learn more about the film. I can't wait to see this writer/director's other films.

Other films I liked: Flame and Citron(Denmark), The Good, The Bad, and The Weird(South Korea), I've Loved You So Long(France), Everlasting Moments(Sweden)

~m

it's hard for me to put into words what i witnessed tonight. i've scanned the internet looking for someone who understood. someone who saw what i saw. from cnn.com to michaelmoore.com there is nothing that can help me digest what i have seen.

in tonight's speech, barack obama said things that were so transcendent and inspirational that i have a hard time articulating my thoughts and feelings about it. i know i witnessed history and the proudest moment i have experienced as an american.

even though i just watched it for a second time, articulation is still beyond me. i just wanted to acknowledge, on the night that it occurred, that i have seen the greatest live speech in my lifetime. i'll follow it up with a real blog later and hello from telluride colorado by the way:)

~m

yay!
Silent Musical Teaser


m

one of my favorite things in the world is going up to hutch's house here in Joshua Tree for dinner. there's always a bunch of interesting people, amazing food, booze and um... other stuff.

last night was one of those nights. i texted dave as i got done writing and he replied, "dinner at hutch's". so happy. after dinner, hutch has movie night which consists of a huge piece of fabric in the back yard stretched across his trailer to make a huge screen. i made it about halfway through the film, which was Rockers(great movie) but had to go home to let the dog out. i was beat too...

today, was going great in the writing dept. at the coffee shop until this fuck head sat right next to me and proceeded to jabber on his cel phone so loud that i could hear it through my headphones. i finally gave up on writing and started recording him with my iPhone voice recorder holding it right up to his head. he still wasn't getting the point so i started taking his picture. i mean he was literally one foot away from me and watching me take his picture. here:


so he finally gets done after like 20 fucking minutes and i'm waiting for him to say something like, "dude, why were you taking my picture?" to which i would tell him the story about how i was the world's utmost authority on douche bags and it was a rare treat to see such a fine specimen. sadly, he was too scared to say anything so i went back to writing...

just then, this lady that had been silently working since i got there and was one table away, apparently caught his doucheitis and decided it was time for her to call everybody in her phone. i knew when i was beat and went home to write...

waiting to hear if i'm going back to hutch's tonight or staying home to write. great week coming up: date tomorrow, acdi sat(big), meeting friend in town from nola sun, hopefully helping erin cut her reel mon and tue, back to JT with said nola friend wed & thu, no plans fri(maybe another date with swell girl from tom night?) dj sat... whew. oh, and it's my birthday one of those days(which i don't celebrate so don't bother)...

~m

ps- there's a ton of pics in my albums from the movie i'm working on. i know it looks tim burton-y but it's hard to avoid when making a German Expressionist film:/

pss- i would post his lovely conversation about spreadsheets, how good his golf game is and how he "hit that"(which is probably code for date rape) but my voice recorder won't output off the phone:/