BLOODHEAD, ROCK STAR.

The phrase will forever be burned in my memory. It actually fits for a lot things. Our powerful country will allow other smaller countries to slip through the cracks. It takes a very strong person to be powerful and to do the right thing. Most people will keep feeding the machine for their own personal gain at the expense of others. It's human nature. Where's Dag Hammarskjold when we need him. What is great about our country is not our money or our power, it's our Constitution. We take it for granted everyday. We confuse superficial happiness to real freedom. I remember being in Cuba for a film festival. The people I met in the streets had nothing, yet they were happy to be alive. (They'd be happier if they could own their own homes and businesses though). When I came back to L.A., the people who have everything were bitching about everything. They weren't very happy. I believe our Constitution is the most beautiful, simple, common sense creation humanity has ever produced. We abuse it. Our country has the capability of leading our distressed world into a new global renaissance. We have to stop being greedy. There's room for everybody. We're all part of the same human spirit, nobody has more worth than another.

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Nick Johnson, the teacher of the bunch, informed me that when you embark on a literary project you have three phases: INTO, THROUGH and BEYOND. At least, this is how it is divided for scholarly discussion in the classroom. I like it. It's one of the few academic labels that doesn't make me painfully constipated.

Here we are at the finest old school 24 hour steakhouse in L.A. - THE PACIFIC DINING CAR. It's rooms echo with dirty civic politics. Yet, stuff happens here. Decisions are made and activated for better or for worse. There's no pussy-footing around. We're talking a real Machiavellian steakhouse where one can chew honestly on charred bloody flesh while making extremely important life decisions. My kind of steakhouse. They're damn good aged steaks too I might add.


Nick Vallelonga, Nick Johnson, Nick Lerner the ultimate waiter, and Nick Paine

We discussed the future ARS NOVA PICTURES XXI projects "Macbeth", "Gland" and "Duck, Duck, Goose". The Three Nicks and myself are ready to rock and roll.

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One day these technical wizards from the hard-working, straight-shooting mid-West will be boys to reckon with all over plastic town. Mark my word.


Otto Arsenault, Michael Cioni, Ian Vertovec at one of PlasterCITY's digital facilities

It's always a bit of a downer when someone doesn't get you or your work (Miramax dude), but you quickly get rid of it, like clearing an irritating piece of waxy phlegm in back of your throat.

It also helps that those closest to you are right there with you.

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Let's see if they show up for the 9:30 screening this morning. I hope so. For a film studio, they have some artistic integrity.

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P. Bennett, B. Palmer, CRC, N. Vallelonga, NKC 4th of July, 1991

I thought I'd beat my brother's latest film "National Treasure" to the punch. It makes it less painful for me. Apparently, they needed some family photos for an apartment scene they're shooting. They picked several photos. This one really bugs me. Those were bad, dark times for me. I feel happier the older I get; hence, I look younger the older I get.

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Like I said, I'm really into extremes.

As far as I'm concerned, Tommy Lynch is the best there is in childrens/family entertainment. He experiments with ideas and allows his considerable, exuberant personality to infiltrate his shows. I consider the man a kindred spirit. I directed a lot of his shows. He allowed me to be creative, sometimes dangerously so. Not too many t.v. producers would do that. I was able to hone my craft while working for him and I will never forget that. Soon Elyse Meredith and I will have another company called ARS NOVA PICTURES XXI. It is my hope that Tom Lynch Productions and ARS NOVA PICTURES XXI will work together in the near future.

Here's a picture of this morning's power breakfast at the Jonathon Club. We're talking about doing a project based on Nancy Farmer's ideas. Nancy Farmer is my wife's aunt, she also happens to be a very successful Newbery prize winning author.


Elyse Meredith, Tommy Lynch, Adrienne Coppola

Miramax couldn't make it today. We've got to figure out what went down. However, a Fangoria writer did show up. He wrote his college thesis on my teacher George Kuchar. The man is a legend in his own right. I'm proud to have been one of his students.

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Our meeting with the San Francisco Art Institute went very well. By early next year, there will be a hi-definition lab under the auditorium at SFAI that will allow artists, both undergrad and grad students, the ability to experiment, make mistakes, discover new possibilites with the latest technology. Only artists can do this. At the main film schools, students are taught to use the technology as a way to replace the old mainstream filmmaking process which is also important. But, I want to know what this technology can do in its own right. What might be considered a no-no in Hollywood is new territory to an artist. The lab will not only allow artists to explore and stay on top of the technology, it will give Ars Nova Pictures XXI and PlasterCITY Productions food for thought as the companies embark on their slate of groundbreaking hi-definition pictures.


Paul Klein, Elyse Meredith, Larry Thomas, CRC

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We're in negotiations with the Discovery Channel to make my first travel/cooking exploration show. A talent contract is being sent back and forth between their people and my people. If we work it out, we'll be up and running early next year. The road beckons with brand new recipes and adventures.

Live long, Ride hard, Eat well...BikerCHEF.

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Who's Rando Schmook? First of all, when you get right down to it you can't beat his name. Rando Schmook, production designer extraordinaire on Bloodhead. Rando Schmook, the painfully talented artist that also happens to be my friend. I often take meetings at one of my other favorite hangouts The Gumbo Pot at the "old FM ". We just finished a valuable discussion on Macbeth while sucking on some crawdaddy. We came to the conclusion that Macbeth is actually Shakespeare's film noir.

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When I was little I wanted to be old and actually the older I get the happier I am. There are some artists who blossom with age like the great Czech composer Leos Janacek. There are others who break from the gate with a bang then struggle to keep it up like Orson Welles. I feel I'm the type of artist that needs the wisdom that comes with age to back up my creative vision. I look foward to the years ahead.

Vinnie from Vegas contacted me about a project he wants me to direct. It's called Puckhead. It's about a loser hockey team in Las Vegas. I have to say at first I wasn't really interested, but then he told me about how they become a winning team. I guess they go to some whacky scientist who gives them a highly potent garlic pill. The pill makes them fart with such force and heat that blue flames shoot out of the player's asses making them skate around their opponents in super speed mode. They start winning. I'm a lover of slapstick, so, for now, I'm in.

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