THE SYNDROME

I haven't posted on here in a while. There are several reasons:

1. I've been working like crazy

2. Tumblr is kind of my wife now and she only makes me write 18 lines.

3. I am in the process of "rebranding," so to speak, and while I initially loved The SYNDROME because it offered me a spot to write anything I wanted about what I love (film, TV, visual media) it's a little sprawling and lacks focus. My Tumblelog picks up the slack -- I publish images, videos, sound clips and text posts there and they, more often than not, are relatedly to my entertainment obsession.

4. A dot com is on the way.

So, for now, THE SYNDROME is semi-retired. But, if you're still checking this, I stand by my link-loved-ones.

Oh my gush.

Family drama? Love story? Horror film? Unintended comedy?

No. It's actually a remake of Wes Craven's 1972 bloody revenge-horror flick. Back with prettier people and uglier death.

Or not. I heard the first one showcases some major ugly. It always looks uglier with that gritty seventies film stock too.

Don't hate. I know I've been missing but I'm ready to commit to you now. Until the next hot young thing comes along.

I'm beginning to associate with a group of people who are mildly sociopathic. These people are called filmmakers ... media producers ... actors ... YouTube stars.

I'm not sure what Spike Lee is thinking right now -- now that he knows his film Miracle at St. Anna made a little under $3.5 million on its opening weekend. (Production budget was approximately $45 million, according to Box Office Mojo.)

Was it the fact that it's another war movie? Was it the fact that the dramatic leads are predominantly young black men? Was it the fact that Lee had a little spat with Clint Eastwood that got blown out of proportion? Was it the fact that we are in a recession and nobody wants to dwell on imaginings of harsh times and a divided America?

Why did Miracle stumble out of the starting blocks?

I have yet to see the film to corroborate the critics' testimonies, but regardless of shaky reviews a Spike Lee joint should do better than 3 mil. His name alone should guarantee $10 million.

I plan on chucking my $12 at Miracle this weekend.

Behind-the-scenes vid below. Check it.

EDIT: Looks like someone took down the video from Brightcove. Boo.

From The Hollywood Reporter:

Paul Newman, who combined Method training with matinee idol looks to become the personification of the cool '60s rebel in such iconic roles as the reckless Hud, the defiant Cool Hand Luke and the hotshot Butch Cassidy, died Friday. Surrounded by friends and family, including his wife, Joanne Woodward, the actor and philanthropist passed away at his farmhouse home near Wesport, Conn., after a long battle with cancer. He was 83.

In a film career that spanned nearly six decades, Newman received seven Oscar nominations before he was finally presented with an Honorary Oscar in 1986 "in recognition of his many and memorable and compelling screen performances and for his personal integrity and dedication to his craft."

But then he pulled out a trump card of his own, winning the best actor Academy Award the following year for "The Color of Money," in which he reprised the role of pool shark Fast Eddie Felsen, the character he first played 25 years earlier in "The Hustler." Hardly slowing down as he aged into an ornery character actor, he went on to earn two more nominations -- for "Nobody's Fool" in 1995 and "Road to Perdition" in 2003.

Yet, at times, he almost seemed embarrassed by his success as an actor, as if play-acting wasn't entirely a manly profession. He is reported to have once said, "To be an actor you have to be a child." And so after starring in 1969's "Winning," he found a new passion in fast cars, which drove him to adopt the life of a professional racer. Because of that interest, director John Lasseter sought him out to provide the voice of Doc Hudson, the town elder in Radiators Springs, in the animated "Cars," Newman's last feature film.