Happy 60th, Meryl! And happy 26th to me!

Yes indeed. It took Meryl Streep's 60th birthday to bring me back to my blog, but here I am. I hope I still have one or two readers.

I've been very busy with other things for these past few months - gotta love real life - but I hope the blog hasn't completely died. I'm planning on continuing the Streepathon this month - finally - but right now I'm busy celebrating my birthday, which is one day after Meryl's. Or, more accurately, 1:09am in the morning after (so close!). So this post is going up at midnight, right between the two glorious days.

See you soon...

The Golden Girl

No, not "The Golden Girls" (Glenn). Something even more ridiculous.

This is my friend Brody's musical that he recently finished. It's utterly ridiculous because he's totally insane, but I love it/him for that. It's worth a watch if you wanna see me sing and dance around with bleached hair and a beard in a scruffy military getup. Plus the music is catchy. Watch:



You know you wanna comment on it. How could you not?

GOLDEN GIRL Production stills

Here are some production stills from the student film musical I'm filming right now, The Golden Girl. In it, I play the King of the Homeless, a diabolical advisor to Carly Golden in her campaign for President of the World. Sound fucked up? It is. My friend Brody, the writer/director, is insane. But I think the finished product will be pretty cool.

These two are me and Rachelle, who plays Carly, on set. We're kinda staying in character:



This one I think was taken while we were rehearsing. I think it looks like a porn scene:



Here I am sitting on my throne in my homeless palace:





And here's me and Brody (the director). He likes to walk around shirtless:

Adam just took some sexy pictures of himself and uploaded them onto the web!

Here are some of my favorites:

The Morning After (my first film!)

So this is my first short film (that I made last summer in school). I remember trying to put it on YouTube months ago and I thought it didn't work (it just kept uploading but never said it was done, so I finally gave up). But apparently it's online after all... and I never would've known if I hadn't been notified of someone's comment on it (someone left a comment saying "cueck"... awesome).

It is silent and very simple, but please humor me and watch it. My eternal thanks to Gustavo Santaolalla for the music (I hope he doesn't sue me).

And yes, I know there was some other movie called The Morning After before mine. Whatever.

sorry, Greg, I still love you (except I'm having a shitty night)

I would just like to apologize to Greg for calling him "some random guy" on Glenn's blog, and for accusing him of swinging the Hugh v. Eric race. Cause really, a lot of other people were complicit in that as well... it wasn't all Greg's fault. And since he's come back to participate more lately, he is no longer "some random guy." Sorry, Greg!

I guess I'm feeling bad in general cause (in other news) this Thanksgiving I accidentally insulted one of my family's guests repeatedly by saying how bad I thought dyed-blonde hair ALWAYS looked, not realizing that she had just recently explained how her blonde hair was dyed. Oops. That was really awkward. It was kind of hard to get through the rest of dinner after someone had informed me of what I'd done. Oh well.

And in still other news... I am having one of those bizarre and upsetting emotional nights where all those emotions you usually leave yourself numb to come flooding into your head. It's not unlike the "big dramatic moment" at the climax of a film, when all the feelings start rushing in. Catharsis, and anti-catharsis. All the possibilities, all the things you want and don't have (**COUGH**relationships**COUGH**sex) suddenly seem like they're so much more necessary than you always tell yourself. Like, everything has been okay with me lately, except now I realize that it's not at all. And tomorrow everything will probably be fine. Except NOW, it's just not at all.

That is all.

a few things

Thing #1: I was gonna see Lust, Caution, but it has disappeared from the South Beach Regal after ONE WEEK. WTF. I knew this would happen, but I didn't have time to see it last week. Jesus.

Thing #2: I screened Taxi Driver and Do The Right Thing last night for class, and WHOA, Do The Right Thing a damn good film (Taxi Driver is, too, of course, but I'd seen that one already). How is it that Crash won Best Pic from the academy and Spike Lee's film wasn't even nominated? Seriously, how? And how did Driving Miss Daisy win in 1989, anyway? Jesus.

Thing #3: I can't take this really cool Film Directors class with a really cool professor this spring cause it meets at the same time as the Directing the Actor class. Dammit. The class I can't take focuses on Hitchcock (who I've discovered I really like) and later auteurs who can be studied in relation to Hitchcock (including Ozon, Von Trier and others who I also like but can't remember). I really wanna take it. I would just take it next year, but the prof might be going on sabbatical then, in which case I wouldn't be able to take it at all. Jesus.

Thing #4: I still can't figure out how to fix my blog. Jesus.

At least my finger's healing up.

Sooo.....

...I destroyed my finger yesterday by slamming it into a car door while filming a scene ("CUT!"). Ouch. So typing is not so fun. I will be doing less of it for the next few days. Thankfully, the finger is on the right hand, and I'm a lefty. And everything will grow back in time. But for now, it's not pretty. The fingernail is kaput, blood got everywhere, etc.

Also, as you may have noticed, I recently tried again to update my blog to the new "customized" format, and again, l don't like the result. I don't like the dots before all the posts, I don't like those little clippy icon things on the sidebar, and I REALLY don't like how it changed the design of all the type/image combo posts I've ever done. Plus, it erased my whole template again. And these things don't seem able to be fixed, unless I just undo the whole update thing.

Does anybody know how to do that (undo the update "customize" feature thing)? I managed to undo it last time, but I don't remember how. Or if anyone at least knows how to change the settings so that all my old posts look the same again, I guess that'd work, too. Please let me know if you do. I want my blog back to normal.

Wow, I officially make no sense.

I just realized, when comparing my two "open letters" (to Jodie and Lindsay) that the one to Lindsay is much more sympathetic. That's NUTS. She doesn't deserve my tears. What is wrong with me??? Though in fairness to me, the Lindsay one was before her most recent arrest.

Anyway, just consider these "open letters" to really be "open therapy sessions" where Adam exposes his many issues for all to see. Clearly, a piece of me is a filthy addict, and another piece is a semi-closeted 40-year-old film star. Otherwise, I wouldn't have such vehement feelings about said people.

If only this meant another piece of me is a talented actress. Hmmm.

But yeah, you know what else makes no sense? I'm sitting here typing this when I have about a million pieces of HW etc. due tomorrow. Help! I'm going insane! I need sleep.

I start film school in 7 hours...

...and I'm quite nervous. CAN YOU TELL!?

I guess you guys can't, cause you weren't watching me pace for twenty minutes just now. But I've been kind of a wreck, which I guess is why I'm posting on my blog instead of sleeping (oy).

Part of the reason I'm nervous is that not only do I have to do 8 hours of film school (8:30-4:15) tomorrow, but immediately after that, I have to do god-knows-how-many-hours of waiter training (which I've also never done). So it's gonna be a very long day, after two solid weeks of doing nothing much at all. Yikes!

I'm sure it'll be fine, though. Nevermind the fact that I've never done 8 straight hours of any kind of school EVER (well, since high school). That'll be interesting. And nevermind the fact that I'm technologically retarded and might break something on my first day (I mean in film school, not in waitering... but of course, breaking plates is very possible, too).

We'll see how that all goes. I may update y'all later, if the news is good.

Oh, I also just wanted to mention how nice the Netflix people are. Two of my movies apparently have been lost in the mail system all month (being forwarded to my new address, except not), and Netflix is totally crediting me back for last month instead of charging me. And then, since the guy accidentally sent MORE movies to the wrong address, he gave me next month for free, too (since it'll take a while to be able to void that and send new ones again to my real address).

I was really worried that I'd have to pay for She-Devil and Death Becomes Her, cause I have no idea where the f**k they are. But they were like, "oh don't worry, sometimes stuff just never gets forwarded" and they gave me all this free time. Amazing.

Yay, a job!

OK, so I think I just got a job waiting tables at a Chinese restaurant. I'm pretty excited. Though I've never actually waited tables before, so I'm not sure I know what I'm getting into. It always sounded like it would be fun, though. And I really really like this restaurant.

Happy Birthday, Meryl... and ME!

Yay for Meryl turning 58! I know this is a few minutes late, technically, but I just didn't get around to it earlier. I haven't been as obsessed with Meryl lately as I usually am; these days, I'm more focused on the men. But I'm sure I'll come back around once Meryl's many 2007 films open.

And speaking of birthdays, happy birthday to ME as well! I will be 24 as of 1:09am this morning. As I've stated before, I pride myself in being born only a few hours after The Great One (give or take 34 years). I like to think that she and I share some spiritual connection.

Wow, can you believe Meryl hasn't won an oscar in the whole time I've been living? She won her Best Actress oscar in 1983, a few months before I was born. That's crazy. But anyway, yay for Meryl and for me (except damn, I'm now in my mid-20s and am still not famous... gotta get on that).

I'm going to the South Florida premiere of Inland Empire, with a live intro by David Lynch via webcast!

You heard me. Here's the proof.

I'm so excited. I was kicking myself for missing it last spring when it was at Providence's Cable Car Cinema (with couches!), thinking I'd never get another chance to see it on the big screen. But now, this is even better!!! My friend and I are going up to Miami Beach this Sunday to witness the amazingness that is Inland Empire. With a LIVE introduction by David Lynch! Amazing.

no more Gratiano

So Merchant is over, and I've settled back into my previous, showless existence. I may still end up in the concert version of The Who's Tommy over commencement (performing and graduating simultaneously), but I'm not really counting on that happening. So, as it is, this appears to have been the final role of my Brown career, meaning I'll now be showless possibly forever. Sigh. Hopefully not.

Graduating is weird. I hope I like film school. I hope I like the rest of my life. I hope I get cast in a show again. Like, a real one. That I get paid for.

...

That is all.

GRATIANO in The Merchant of Venice

Here I am with our costume designer, Aviva. She's really just measuring me or something, although it really looks like she's giving me a blowjob.




































Here I am goading Antonio in Merchant's first scene.




























I think this is when I'm taunting Shylock about his not having any money.




































This is either when I'm being guided offstage by Lorenzo in scene one, or when I'm miffed by his description of his girlfriend's "page's suit." I'm not sure which.

I got into film school!

University of Miami School of Communication Motion Pictures Program, MFA in Production (Directing), here I come!

this and that, and other things

So, posting will continue to be light this coming week, cause I'm in a show that goes up in... well... one week, exactly. And it will demand most of my time. Rehearsals are going fairly well, though the director is rather annoying to many of us (actors), and we still don't have a space secured (the show performs outside). I'm sure it'll all be fine, it's just stressful right now. But my role (Gratiano) is fun.

The Ivy Film Festival was fine, though I barely did anything for it. I actually ditched the latter of my volunteer shifts (since I was totally superfluous at the first one) in order to spend more time at IMPROVidence's 28-hour marathon show. That whole weekend was totally stuffed with rehearsals, parties, improv, movies, and the like.

I saw both A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints and a new documentary, Third Monday in October, at the festival. I still don't care much for the former; the director is a nice guy, and I give him props for getting his film made HIS way... I just don't appreciate the final product at all. The latter is a yet-to-be-released documentary about middle school students elections in October 2004, set against the backdrop of the 2004 U.S. presidential election. I liked it well enough - it's got it's share of laughs and involving moments - but the production values are nearly non-existent, and it looks awfully pedestrian in comparison to Spellbound, another (superior) doc about kids in competition. For those reasons, I can't give it any more than a soft recommendation... but it was fun to see it before everyone else.

Let's see, what else? Who's Cuter? will be a weekly feature (every thursday) as long as people continue to participate. It's all for shits & giggles, but I'm having fun with it. The best part is just coming up with the match-ups. I have some nice ones all planned already. This week's contest is kind of a foregone conclusion, but I like the match-up anyway... and for the record, MY vote would go to Paul Dano. Anyway, look for more of those, more Streepathon, more Altmanathon, and more reviews of current films, as I continue to discover the future of Crumb by Crumb.

I should make a banner.

And do labels.

Sigh... I am feeling oddly torn between this online life and my real life... and between performance and criticism. And the serious and the frivolous. And other things. What are my priorities? What do I really wanna do? Do I really want an acting career? Or maybe more of a singing career? I've been trying to write a musical for a while, but that hasn't been happening. I just auditioned for The Pillowman here, the final show I'd have had a chance to be involved in, and I was not cast. I'm not surprised, but it did put me into that familiar lull of theatrical rejection, even as I prepare to perform in another show in a week. Sigh. It's gonna be weird to be out of college and doing different things. Though I suppose I'll have time to blog more. Oh yeah, and I'm STILL waiting to hear from grad school. That's quite annoying. I wish I knew where my life were headed. I've got a weird couple of years ahead.

Okay, so this post has turned oddly personal. But that's OK. I think I should do more personal posts.

But that's all for today. Back to real life! I'm all behind now.

Ivy Film Festival this weekend!

This weekend, Brown is hosting the annual Ivy Film Festival, a gathering of student and professional filmmakers from around the country and the world, complete with screenings, talkbacks, celebrity guests, and an awards ceremony for winning student films. Here is the Ivy Film Festival Wikipedia entry.

Unfortunately, this year is a bit lacking in quality celebrity guests. No one truly famous will be here (though one year we had Adrien Brody), and the industry professionals present include the people behind Mr. and Mrs. Smith, X-Men: The Last Stand, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, and Oldboy. Suffice it to say, I am not particularly fond of any of those titles. In fact, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, the big screening/talkback centerpiece of the festival, is (so far) my least favorite film of 2006, barely edging out World Trade Center for that honor. I will be ticketing for it, and presumably watching the screening and talkback as well, so maybe I'll change my mind about it, or at least get some insight into what exactly Dito Montiel was thinking.

There's also lots of other stuff happening in my life this weeked: a 28-hour improv marathon (of which I'd like to watch at least a few hours), two student theatre productions to see, rehearsal for Merchant both friday and saturday, major parties both friday and saturday nights, and another midnight screening of The Host if I'm so inclined... all while I'm supposed to be volunteering for this festival AND hosting a guest student in my suite. Oy.

So yeah, no more blogging 'til next week. Peace.

Yay, I'm in a play!

Yay for me for being cast in The Merchant of Venice as part of Brown's annual Shakespeare on the Green festival. They put on two or three plays each spring - either Shakespeare or Shakespeare-related in some way - and do them right out on the green for everyone. It's fun. I was in Dead White Males for the festival last year.

I actually know nothing about this play, because I'm a bad theatre student and haven't read it. I haven't even seen the 2004 film version, which seemed like it was not a big deal in the film world. But we're having our first read-through in a week, and by then, I will know what it's all about.