This was the first American comic book I ever bought. I remember reading about it and tracking down a shop in São Paulo that carried it. It was how I really started learning English, too. American issues were about two years ahead of what was being published in Brazil at the time, and I didn’t want to wait. Conveniently enough, the store I found was about a kilometer or two from were I used to live, so I became a regular there, going back over the next few years to get more issues, and occasionally, X-Men trading cards. The store was called “Super Fighter”, written with a Street Fighter-like font. They eventually closed down, which was a shame.

I still have this issue, though, and I must have read it a thousand times. It’s not in mint condition anymore, but it is still stored nicely in my parents’ house. It’s a shame what was done to those characters years later, but we’ll always have X-Men #30. I love this cover, too, just look at it! And look at Jean Grey.

I’ve been wanting to write more about my favorite subjects. Besides working on a few new screenplays and preparing for a doctorate that may or may not happen next year, I wanted to have something to write about somewhat frequently.

I still want to create my Tumblog on overlooked films, but in addition to that I think I will start a series of posts, right here, about my favorite singles. I will gradually collect my 50 (and maybe 100, depending on how I feel when I get to 50) favorite singles, listen to them on vinyl, and write about each one, in the order I acquire them. No repeat bands, of course. I had the idea after I ordered the 7” single for New Order’s Temptation. It will be fun, especially since I don’t know exactly which ones I’ll end up getting and I haven’t written about music in a long time. As soon as Temptation gets here I’m starting.

I have been meaning to write some substantial posts here, but it’s been tough. I’ve been doing things, and writing other things, and watching things (21 Jumps Street was fun, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was a letdown, Koreeda’s Air Doll was beautiful).

Some cool things may be about to happen. Like three different things. But I won’t write about them until they do.

So the trailer for my film is out. Now what?

The response for it has been almost entirely positive. I’m certain some people must have hated it, but for the most part people have been saying nice things about it. And not just my close friends, either. Some people I haven’t talked to in ages have reached out to tell me they liked it, which makes me believe them (you’d have to be especially cruel and not very imaginative to go out of your way to make me semi-believe you liked my trailer when you didn’t just to hurt me/make fun of me). And even some strangers, friends of friends who shared the trailer here and there, seemed to like it.

Of course, I realize this is not the kind of film everyone will like. Look at my main influences like Wes Anderson and Woody Allen, their films have actually a very small audience when compared to the average film. And they’re much better than I am, of course! So you do the math. If 10% of the public actually likes those movies, what’s the percentage for mine? 5%? 2%? (I’m pulling these percentages out of my ass) That means that of all the people I manage to reach, maybe 5% will actually enjoy it. Which seems to be more or less what’s happening. So I need to find a way to get to a dramatically larger number of people, and then maybe 5% of that will be a big enough group to actually keep it going.

Much is said about using the Internet and how wonderful it is to be able to connect to your fans directly and all that. And that is wonderful, yes, but for the most part, it only works for people who are already established. One newcomer or another may be able to break through and attract more attraction, but then how is that different from doing the festival circuit? I’d argue it’s not. If anything, it’s a little harder. It’s incredibly difficult to get into a festival, but once your film is in, someone will be seeing it. Then you might take it from there and do wonderful things on the Internet, or someone there might want to distribute the film, I don’t know. Those things happen. But on the Internet, even if you manage to grab people’s attention, it won’t last. There’s always something else. It never stops.

It may seem like I am bitter by reading my last paragraph, but that is not the case at all. I’m grateful to be getting some good feedback, and I’m happy that we got nearly 500 views in three days. That’s way more people than I know, and it makes me think there might be an audience for it out there, somewhere. It’s just a matter of finding it. For now, it looks like the festival thing is the best way to go about that, as painful and slow and that may be.

Where that’ll take us remains to be seen.

In case you missed it, here’s the first trailer for my upcoming independent feature film, The Last Two Years of David Brachman. Please check it out and like our Facebook page, if you haven’t done so yet.

And if you’re feeling extremely generous, please take the extra 30 seconds and share it with your friends. It’d mean a lot! Thank you!

sylvysparrow:

1. What was the last movie you watched in theaters?

2. What was the first movie you ever remember watching in theaters?

3. Top 5 movies

4. Top 5 directors

5. A favorite adapted movie

6. Your best experience on going to the movies

7. A guilty pleasure

8. An overrated movie

9. An underrated movie

10. A movie that not many have heard that you’ve seen

11. A movie you watched mainly for an actor

12. Top 5 actors

13. Top 5 actresses

14. VHS, DVD or Blu-Ray?

15. Favorite Disney movie (not PIXAR!)

15.1 Favorite Pixar movie

16. A tearjerker

17. A movie that you know its bad but you can’t help but love it

18. Favorite Movie Soundtrack

19. Favorite quote from a movie

20. A movie that was better than the book

21. First adult film you watched (thematically speaking not R-rated)

22. A kids movie you always watch

23. Favorite Science Fiction movie

24. Favorite Comedy

25. Favorite Fantasy

26. Favorite Love Story

27. A movie you hate

28. Favorite animated movie

29. A movie from your favorite director you didn’t liked

30. Favorite comic book movie

31. 3 movies you’re expecting excitedly!

32. A book you read for a movie

33. Favorite Musical

34. Favorite fictional character

35. A movie you wished they never made

36. Favorite remake

But if you wouldn’t, that’s fine as well.

I guess I should post about the new year, right? All the cool kids seem to be doing it.

I don’t really like the idea that this specific amount of time is ending, because that’s all very arbitrary. People often talk about how they want the year to end soon so they can “recharge”, but I don’t see how that is possible. Tomorrow will be January 1st, but we’re not starting anything new. It’s still the continuation what whatever you were doing today. I suppose some people do start new things on the first day of the year, but that’s just coincidence. You might as well be starting it on April 4th, or September 23rd.

But putting that aside for a minute, I do have a list of things I am going to try to do this year. I don’t really feel like listing them here because if I do, then it becomes an obligation. Something that has to happen. I’d rather not have that until things are more certain. But there are nine things. They all have to do with film, in different aspects. Some are short term, some are long term. I am going to shoot for all of them this year and see what comes of it. And I will write about them when they happen. Or not.

Happy New Year.

Managed to write a few more pages today. If I manage to keep this pace up I really should have this screenplay done in a couple months. Then it’s just getting financing to get it made, which, as I have said before IS THE EASIEST PART (see two or three posts ago).

Just kidding, I will probably have to go through one or two or a million new drafts and THEN the money will roll right in.

Anyway, I think I may be writing too much so I’m sure I’ll have to cut a lot of stuff down, but I’m really trying not to do that before I get the first draft down. In the past I have edited as I wrote, but I want to see what happens if I just put absolutely everything that comes to mind on the page and go from there.

I also managed to play some Skyward Sword. I’m progressing slowly but surely through the game. I think I’m about 22 hours into it, which I’m sure is nothing considering I’ve had it from day one. I just can’t play more than one hour a day (two every now and then) without feeling guilty.

EDIT: Yes, I’m still looking for a title for this screenplay. I have a working title right now but I kind of hate it.

I’ve had this Moleskine for six years now. I think I’ll finally fill it up in 2012.

I have all kinds of things on it. I don’t know, I just thought someone might find this interesting to look at.

This is a screencap from my film after the color correction.

It’s looking great and we’re just one ADR session and a couple hours of mixing away from being done. I can’t wait until it’s all done.

If you still haven’t liked the film on Facebook, do so right now. Takes a couple seconds, and it always helps.