Photo by Bailey Coppola

This photo helps me sweep my mind clean.

don't fast forward...

don't rewind...

don't pause...

...just play.

Looking for the entrance to the red carpet.

The fans behind the barricades looked at me. Is he a somebody? He has a swagger. He's wearing a lot of leather. I better take his picture just in case.

Walking behind some Asian starlet. I enjoyed watching her striking her poses.

The talented Robin Williams trying to come off a bit more independent by wearing a green fedora and sporting some grissle on his face. Nice try, Robin. But you did make all the paparazzi happy.

Who's this guy? I'm the Biker Chef. No, snapshots. I'm Christopher Coppola. Does that mean your Nick Cage's older brother? Yes and I'm also the Biker Chef. I'm blinded by flashes. Way to go, Biker Chef!

Under the big top. I did a little hobnobbing, had some cold meat and red wine. Told the director of "Primer" I was rooting for him, though I knew he didn't have a chance. Today was all about "Sideways". It was funny how the screenwriter said after accepting the award, "What a surprise?" Yeah, right. Anyhow "Primer" gang, you made your film for 7 grand and it was very well done. I wish you much success in the future.

Noah Glass and his team have just launched Odeo, an ipod broadcasting web page. For the past few weeks I have been working on a 10 minute radio show for him. So far, I've completed two. I'm hoping to be able to do one a week with my busy schedule. It's called The Christopher Coppola Show. Ivan, my Bulgarian bandleader, bequeaths me with the name The Most Dangerous Man, because I have the power to make people do things they don't normally do. It is not only a very funny show, but metaphysical as well. Each show has a guest that I ask to pick 3 numbers out of 10. I have 10 questions written down in a little leatherbound book that I keep with me in my man bag. I find the corresponding questions to the guest's chosen numbers and then ask them to answer The Three Random Questions. Guests will come from all walks of life and all parts of the earth. But, for the first two shows, I have Robert Carmine from the hot band Rooney and the innovative politician Mayor Martin Chavez of Albuquerque. The last section of the show is The Undiapered Mind. Here I stew on things with an automatic stream of consiousness flow. I am very pleased with this show and I hope you enjoy it. Thank you.

www.odeo.com

Don't get me wrong, I loved all my pets; dogs, a wolf (which was more cat-like than dog-like), tortoises, a pigmy goat (which no one knew about), iguanas, newts, hamsters. tarantulas, scorpions, hermit crabs, koi, ducks, parrots. I've always had a zoo around me. But my closest confident has always been the cat. I don't know why. They seem to understand me. When I was little I'd talk to my cat Shadow about how hard it was to be alive when things were rough around the house. Shadow would sleep next to my side. He was a big black alley cat. He use to beat up the neighbor's doberman Bullet. He wasn't afraid of anything. When I was forced to get rid of him, because we went to Italy, he survived in the back alley for a year until I returned. He was pissed at me. He raped my new cat Twinkle and ate my pet parakeet. He beat up my brother's cat Razzmatazz, which is why he probably had a crooked neck. He even beat up our afghan Leon. Like I said he was pissed at me. I couldn't get mad at him though. He was a survivor, no matter what. That's what he taught me. And after all the mayhem was done, he still slept by my side and purred. After Shadow came Guido, probably the smartest animal I've ever had. I found him at a pet store in a fish tank with a broken leg. They told me he was a Burmese without papers. Someone threw him out of a car which is why he had a broken leg. He had a funny piece of orange carpet in his mouth. Apparently, he couldn't live without it. I bought him for $15. He lived for 21 years. He fetched that piece of orange carpet like crazy. We even made a game called "hockey fetch" in which I would try to flick the piece of orange carpet past him and he would leap and catch it like a great goalie. He also sat on the piano while I composed. He loved music. He'd let me know if he liked something by jumping down on the keys and licking my fingers. He was a good friend. Now, I have Otto, the famous Biker Cat. He's also a Burmese. He's definitely the bravest animal I have ever had. He loves to ride. I don't mean a little pansy Sunday ride through Central Park like that dude with his cat in New York. I mean on the freeway ride, goggles and all. I mean we have places to go, things to do kind of ride. He's my biker pal. He's been keeping me company while I recuperate from this nasty bug.

Norman Merrill and Rando Schmook. You see what I mean. I received this e-mail today from my Production Design and Art Director team. They called the photo "The Critics". Do you think this is their way of telling me to get off my ass and direct again? Man, they are really staring me down. Hey, lighten up guys, we'll be out in the field again, don't you worry,

I keep the oregano spirits under my tongue and I put a hot towel with eucalyptus oil over my head. I'm just now starting to get over the hump with this one.

SF30 was a gas! Great people and great fun! The folks at the Somerville Theatre did a great job and deserve a big 'thank you'. But there are a lot of other folks who worked and deserve kudo.

Specifically, Dave Chamberlain as web master; Major Tom as host and more; Harry Lohr Jr and Judy Karp for designing and making the program; Ed Symkus for the trivia contest and the scheduling; Bob Cansler and the Asteroid Farmers for Friday's event; Rex Dean for SPACE BABY; Frank Urbano for all the prizes; Tony the LA Connection and Wally Kemp for keeping me informed; and my comrade in arms, Bruce Bartoo.

And I want to extend a huge Marathon 'Thank you' to Christopher Coppola. He made this year special and the fact that he stayed with us for the entire 'thon, says he is one of us.

There are other folks who helped out - the Judges, the folks who assisted us and many more. If I forgot to mention someone by name, please forgive me.

Yet it all gets down to this, 500 or so folks come together and share their love of film and the proposition of 'what if....' This sharing, leaves me with a deep and abiding appreciation of our event. And for that, I thank everyone.

Next stop, SF31.

CELEBRATING THE LITTLE MOMENTS CREATES THE POSITIVE FOUNDATION FOR THE BIGGER MOMENTS

10:00 am fresh air break. Getting down to the wire now.

The final movie, "The Time Machine". It was a perfect way to end the marathon. Very comforting, in a sort of Sherlock Holmes way.

The final fans at the finish. I think only 10% left. Amazing.

The original "Invasion of the Body Snatchers". This film really bothered my son. He left during it. He doesn't like the idea of not feeling any emotions like not feeling bad when a dog or cat is run over by a car. We talked a long time about the film and what it is was about and how it was really more about the "Commie Scare". He feels better about that, than alien pods. At least "commies" are still humanbeings like the rest of us.

Chuck Heston naked in the original "Planet of the Apes". The ladies enjoyed that. It's a far superior film to the remake. I love it when Chuck loses it and screams, "It's a Mad House!" Mr. Heston really gives his all in this one.

Just after midnight.

My favorite line of the evening was from "Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers". "You'd better stop that because you're not going to be able to finish the job." Very risque.



Fans taking a sleep break.

I love Brando as Superman's old man.

The original Godzilla without Raymond Burr.

I think this guy told me he had never missed a marathon. That's hardcore loyality, man.

Garen, festival director, & CRC. I'm hoping to get this guy involved with Duke City Shoot out. He did a first rate job.

CRC & Major Tom, Garen's commando. Nothing gets past this guy.

Elyse found a seat way in the back of the balcony. She and Bailey actually did half of the Marathon, which is pretty darn good.

I just noticed the Marathon People made a slight change to the title of my film to draw more sci-fi fans to the Boston premiere. Very clever.

I loved this picture when I was a little boy. I use to stare at it a lot. It filled me with a sense of adventure both physically and mentally. My father was not only in the moment, he was the moment. That's one of the most important lessons and skills, among many, I learned from him. Happy Birthday, Dad. I look forward to our next fishing trip.

Again, a little poem before bedtime.

The Chimney
By Bailey Coppola

In the Amazon, at 100 degrees, misty humid weather, there was a chimney. No fireplace, just an old soggy chimney up in a tree. I think of it today, questions like, how did that chimney get up in that tree? I will never know the answer to that random question though. I will never forget that old soggy chimney no matter how long I live. Me, today, just a little old man, but strong in his spirit, will remember that old soggy chimney up in a tree.

CRC, Grub Graebner (Director of The Duke CIty Shootout), Kim Snitker (Executive Director of Dogfest)
and Arnie Lerner (Director of Dogfest).

photo by the always helpful, very smart and powerful Nerissa Whittington.

These two film festivals which call Albuquerque home, met under the guidance of Ms. Whittington to discuss how to work together to promote and celebrate Albuquerque's summer of film festivities. We definitely found some common ground and look forward to our future collaborations. Also, I am very grateful that there are still places in this world where one can have a juicy steak, a very dry Bombay Saphire martini and a good maduro cigar in the back room of a restaurant. Albuquerque's Rio Chama Brewing Co. is just such a place. I highly recommend it.

check out www.dogfestfilmfestival.com.

In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling.

Love the sinner. Hate the sin.

My son asked me what this meant. I put it in an extreme context for him. We hate murder, but we love the human-being that committed the murder. He didn't believe that was possible for any one to be able to love a murderer. I told him this is precisely what mankind has to learn to do if we are to survive on this planet.

Saint Paul said, 'LOVE BEARS ALL THINGS".
Jesus said, "JUDGE NOT THAT YOU MAY NOT BE JUDGED."
Heraclitus said, "TO GOD ALL THINGS ARE FAIR AND GOOD AND RIGHT; BUT MEN HOLD SOME THINGS WRONG AND SOME RIGHT. GOOD AND EVIL ARE ONE.
Hawthorne said, "MAN MUST NOT DISCLAIM HIS BROTHERHOOD EVEN WITH THE GUILTIEST."

Regarding the above, Joseph Campbell wrote: there is a deep and terrible mystery here, which we perhaps cannot, or possibly simply will not, comprehend; yet which will have to be assimilated if we are to meet such a test. For love is exactly as strong as life. And when life produces what the intellect names evil, we may enter into righteous battle, contending "from loyalty of heart": however, if the principle of love (Christ's "Love your enemies!") is lost thereby, our humanity too will be lost.

Can someone please explain to me why almost every gal I know is crazy for Hello Kitty? It's like catnip to them.

A fellow film student from my SFAI school days. He was always a terrific writer, actor and filmmaker himself. He played the intense badboy "Ferret" in my little low-budget western "Gunfighter". Now, he's an important cooking & food journalist in NYC with a great fondness for Indonesian cuisine. Have a great meal tonight.