June 14, 2008
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Disappointment
Two Things:
1) Received a call tonight from a composer I had done some work for about a month ago. It turns out that I didn’t do as good of a job as I thought I did…well…I mean, I sucked. It turns out that I don’t know ProTools as well I thought I did, and I didn’t check my work as thourougly as I should have. Not great news, but I expected as much since I didn’t get a call back from him for a month. The really unfortunate thing was that I wasn’t in town to go back and try to fix my mistakes. The session for this gig was on the same weekend we went to Nashville, so I was already in Twain Harte dropping off the kiddies when he called to tell me I screwed up. Usually I like to fix the mistakes I make and correct my errors whenever possible, so I felt helpless being seven hours away (and about to get on a plane…) when I heard that I needed to come back and re-do my work.
Yikes! So that was a little bit of a downer…2) The Happening
M. Night Shyamalan. Currently one of the most brilliant storytellers and filmmakers. The Sixth Sense, Signs, The Village…all brilliant. This guy literally ranks among greats like J.J. Abrams (Lost, Alias) and Steven Spielberg (E.T., Indiana Jones, Schindler’s List) as a modern magic-maker when it comes to film.
This movie…not so much…I’m used to the abstract ideas and plotlines, but this was a little “out there” for me. I even jived with the Lady in the Water story about narfs and otherworldly creatures…but The Happening was never quite as sure of itself as it was in the first five minutes. The first few scenes are magnificently horrible to watch (there’s a bit of killing…primarily people killing themselves), but the morbid concept never really pays off in a way that leaves the audience satisfied.
I am a pretty loyal fan when it comes to someone I really like, and I have stayed through thick-and-thin with “Night”. This just seemed a little thin.On the other hand–it was scary, in a thrilling way. If you’re looking for a good scare, this movie is a lot less harmful than most movies out right now that are thrilling or scary.
Final thoughts:
Being a musician is hard. Being pretty much any kind of artist is hard. I have a lot to learn…
The Happening didn’t pay off like I was hoping, but it’s not horrible. There are some unforgettable moments, but plenty of forgettable ones too.I’m really tired…hopefully this makes some sense!!!
Comments (5)
Don’t let it get you down. You’re a great musician.
You’re also a dork.
And I totally liked The Happening. So did Leanne.
Ahhh, the ups and downs–hang in there. These are the times I always like to remember Mark Lowry’s favorite scripture verse “And, this too shall pass.”
Man, I totally want to see that movie but we don’t have a Harkins near us in Maine. Hee! “M” is one of my favorite because of his style — he likes Hitchcock just like me. Wow, he must be cool!
Daniel, don’t believe the lies, although I know the music industry is brutal and yes they expect perfection…just crazy! You’re an awesome musician.
I totally understand the “artist” thing as I’m a writer and have just subjected myself to others critiques online. Well, we don’t get better without screw ups, huh? We must be gluttons for punishment.
Hey, Daniel! I loved what you wrote about the movie. I wish I had written it. I’m not a fan of this movie but I will always be a fan of M Night. When he makes another movie I’ll be first in line to see it. For now, I’ll pull out my DVD of “The Village” to renew my faith.
For the record…Leanne, Heidi and I (yes, even me) jumped and yelled or at least gasped at the hanging scene. AWESOME.
Hi Nikki!!!
And yes…I did LOOOOVE the scary moments like that. They were shocking! He certainly built up some great anxiety…especially towards the end with the scary old lady!!