RIP - Dennis Hopper, Gary Coleman

What can I say about Dennis Hopper?

From Easy Rider to Apocalypse Now to Blue Velvet, he was responsible for some of the most iconic roles in some of the greatest movies in history. It is a sad day to see another of the film greats pass on.

And, of course, Gary Coleman.

Um... I really have nothing to say about Coleman.

He was a child star who, tragically, never really got his life together after being hugely successful in Diff'rent Strokes. Never having seen the show, the only time I heard about him was news stories about his financial difficulties. Still, he did touch many people and during later life developed a cult following.

Not much of a eulogy, but there you go.

General Update

Ah, back from a 4-day trip to my hometown to see the parents and kittens. Half a week later and I still feel jet-lagged... and surprisingly zen.

It's been a week, and I've some news for ya!

This Sunday I filmed some behind-the-scenes footage for a short film entitled "Times We Lost". More on that soon... -ish...

Doing another PSA. Filmed today, and more shooting is planned for tomorrow. It's expected to be done mid-June.

And best saved for last, this Tuesday, at approximately 4AM, close friends and frequent Anti-Critic collaborators Nathan and Grace Pedde gave birth to a healthy baby boy.

I hope to get back to editing Anti-Critic stuff soon.

See you next time, Space Cowboy.

Exciting News

Well, I don't want to say anything too early, but it's time to let the cat out of the bag; I've been developing a new internet series.

LENS CRACKER will be tapping into my experience and training as a filmmaker to explore how to dramatically improve your videos by using big-budget techniques without the big-budget equipment. A dash of humor and guest filmmakers fill out the rest of the bill.

Friday, with assistance from local filmmaker Grayson Grant, we filmed the first episode. The rough cut is finished, as well. I'm happy with the progress so far.

As you've likely seen, I've been trying to get content on the site more frequently. Unfortunately the editing of Episode 3 has slowed as a result.

Until next time, I'm the Trenchcoat Anti-Critic.

Media Slayer Logo

Hey all. Wanted to show off the logo I made for the Media Slayer website.


That's all for today. Announcement tomorrow.

Until then, I'm the Trenchcoat Anti-Critic.

Eardrum Slayer Podcast

Hey all!

For those who can't get enough Anti-Critic content I recently was involved with a podcast with some of the other contributors of Media Slayer, a site I'm associated with.

You can find the full uncut and uncensored podcast here:
Eardrum Slayer Part 1
Eardrum Slayer Part 2
Eardrum Slayer Part 3

Be forewarned:
1. Subjects covered include BDSM, Pepsi condoms and a dead baby musical... yeah, this is NSFW.
2. Length is well over an hour.
3. Audio quality is not the greatest. This has been solved for future episodes.

Until next time, I'm the Trenchcoat Anti-Critic.



...As a completely unrelated note, I designed the logo for the site.

TAC Podcast - Canadians Have Sick Minds

Hey all!

The last podcast went over well, so I'll be looking at doing more at a regular basis. This episode is a look at the Canadian anthem through the filter of a dirty mind. Oh, and for those who don't know, I am Canadian.

Hope you enjoy!



Until next time, I'm the Trenchcoat Anti-Critic.

TAC Podcast - What's in a Name?

Next episode's still in post production, but in the meantime here's an audio podcast to tide you over. If you like this, let me know and it may become a regular feature.

This episode? Why do I call myself the Trenchcoat Anti-Critic? The grand answer is finally revealed!



Until next time, I'm the Trenchcoat Anti-Critic.

The Woodchipper Massacre Review

So here it is, the team up between myself and three British people that I mentioned in my last post.



...I've mixed feelings about this.

On the one hand, the production value is by far the worst of anything I've done in the last decade. The editing is sloppy, the sound is universally bad, and many beats aren't cleanly conveyed.

On the other hand, it was fun to be involved with and I'm actually in awe of the turn around between delivery of the footage and the posting; two days to cut together a 20+ minute project. Just... wow.

So take from it what you will. It was a guilty pleasure to be involved with.

I hope you enjoy it.

Until next time, I'm the Commonwealth Crusader.... wait, what?

Posting for the Sake of Posting

As the title suggests, that's what I'm doing here. I'm posting for the sake of posting something. I honestly can't think of anything to post right now, but it's been a week.... much too long.

So, first a bit of dark irony; you know that oil spill going on in the Gulf of Mexico? The one that's being call the biggest environmental disaster in history? At the time of the disaster, the head guys of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig were celebrating their long safety record.

...yeah.

Anyways, the new Iron Man 2. I'll be seeing soon, and I'll post something about it soon after.

Making waves in the underdog film circuit today is a Mega Man feature-length fan film. A labor of love three years in the making. I haven't seen it in it's entirety, but I'll be giving that a go soon.

Also coming soon is a collaboration review of one of the worst films of all time: 'Woodchipper Massacre'. Filming is completed and from what I hear, editing is proceeding at breakneck speeds. I'll post a link to the finished film soon.

That's all I can think of now. Until tomorrow, I'm the Trenchcoat Anti-Critic.

MIA - Born Free

This has gotten a lot of controversy recently and I thought it warranted sharing. A warning, this is a visceral viewing experience with a sharp political message. It's sparked many a conversation and has certainly got my attention.

M.I.A, Born Free from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.

Thoughts?

Video Games - The Only Thing I Know

For a couple months I've been doing research on the concept of video games as art. Recently I stumbled on this video.

I'm a bit of a late bloomer to this, it seems, as the film's a bit of an internet sensation. It's worth a look for those who've yet to come across it.