Keeping the Epiphany Business alive and well.

"You can be the smartest person in the whole world, but you still have to be a good person."

Father Antonio

EARSXXI HAS PUT PLASTERCITY'S DUCK, DUCK, GOOSE ON THE FAST TRACK. I WANT IT READY FOR THIS YEARS OLDENBURG FILM FESTIVAL. TORSTEN NUEMANN, THE FESTIVAL DIRECTOR, HAS INFORMED ME THAT THEY ARE PREPARING A STATE-OF-THE-ART HD THEATRE. IT WILL BE A PERFECT PREMIERE VENUE FOR MY MODERN DAY BROTHERS GRIMM TALE. WE ARE OFFICIALLY STARTING PRE-PRODUCTION THIS COMING TUESDAY. STAY TUNED FOR AN IN DEPTH LOOK AT THE CREATIVE PROCESS ON THE EARSXXI WEB PAGE.

I HAVE THE BEST TEAM TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT SOME SAY IS UNACCOMPLISHABLE. WE SHALL SEE.

THE TEAM (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER):

NICOLAS PAINE
MICHAEL CIONI
SUE SOFFE
CHRISTINA JULIAN
ED GREEN
OTTO ARSENAULT
EVELYN BELASCO
DEANNA MCDANIELS
IAN VERTOVEK
ERIK BRIGHT
EDDIE MICHAELS
BRITTANY DUST
JODY LEGGIO
TONY WISE
ZELDA LIN
ADRIENNE COPPOLA
MATTHEW WIMMERS


THE ALLIES (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER):

TOM "PLANET X" SEBASTION
SCARECROW
SCREECH WASHINGTON
BADGER
VARDA HARDY
JIM FOX
CHICKENBONE
ANN LERNER
SARAH GEORGE
SIX CAT
MAYOR CHAVEZ
GRUB GRAEBNER
JASON KUZIA
MARTIN GUINNESS
ALAIN SILVER
NICHOLAS JOHNSON
NICHOLAS VALLELONGA
RANDO SCHMOOK
NERISSA WHITTINGTON
BOB MORA
TOMMY LYNCH
TOM SKOURAS
DEBBIE ROCHON
GET DOWN
STEVEN CHAO
PAULETTE DE PASCAL
EARWAX
THE AMBASSADORS OF EARS
RAY JOHNSON
DAVID GLANZER
IVAN KOUTIKOV

After meeting a lot of interesting short filmmakers during my stay in Cannes, we've decided to extend the script deadline for the festival to June 7th. We really want to get a wide range of international filmmakers for our Fellini category, so send away. If your script is chosen, you will be flown to Albuquerque, New Mexico, given a crew and a chance to make a HD short. So take advantage of this opportunity and send in your scripts. Thanks.

CRC with Mr. Dickey Barrett

This will be my last photo series of my trip to Cannes before I completely shift gears. I really need to get Cannes out of my jet-lagged system, because tomorrow morning I will be on the Mighty Morning Show 103.1 FM with Dicky Barrett at 8:10 am talking about the EarsXXI philosophy, the Duke City Shoot-out and the Creative Process.


I love finding the completely unexpected in the most unexpected places. This Musee Moto was at Entrevaux, a medieval castle and city.


Biker CHEF posing with Patrick-the Seminole MC Prez, Roger-the Seminole Vice Prez, Patrick- the HD Corsica Prez and Mario-the Bandidos France Prez. Then, we turned around to show our colors. All the ladies laughed. It appears that a little male bonding was going on. Perhaps there was. I really can't remember.


Mario, the french Bandidos Prez, wanted me to see their private hangout. Sure why not. He was proud of all the photos he had up of his American Bandidos counterparts. He really wants to meet my friend, Get Down. Mario and his gang were actually very nice to me. They offered to let me spend the night upstairs anytime I needed to. I thanked them and told them I would keep that in mind. One thing was not sitting well with me though. I saw this odd Bandidos beer mug behind glass. It was a pink, porcine male groin with an erection. I guess one drinks some beer from the erect penis, then passes it around. This has to be just a French thing, right? I can't see my friend Get Down doing this, no way.


My three favorite things about Monoco: seeing the real Monte Carlo Casino, the real Yellow Submarine, and Emma the octopus.

NY POST, May 25, 2005 --

SOFIA Coppola may be getting a lot of attention for her next feature, "Marie-Antoinette," but
cousin Christopher Coppola took the Cannes Film Festival by force --
literally. B-diva Debbie Rochon, who was on hand screening her drama
"Death-Defying Acts," witnessed her friend Christopher "storm the beach with
a bunch of redneck bikers knocking down all the barricades. They headed for
the water where his 'Bloodhead' was screening drive-in movie style on the
beach. The French police flailed about and shouted, to no avail. Nothing
could stop the crazed Coppola. It was beautiful."

ALL PHOTOS BELOW ARE COURTESY OF MY FRIEND PATRICK GIORDANO, THE PRESIDENT OF THE SEMINOLES MC, CANNES CHAPTER.

ELYSE AND I WERE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE A FRENCH ASSISTANT COME ON BOARD FOR US AT THE LAST MINUTE. SHE WAS GREAT AND MADE OUR CANNES TRIP WORTHWHILE. SHE ALSO AGREED TO BE MRS. BLOODHEAD ON THE CROISETTE WHEN THE BRITISH MODEL DROPPED OUT AT THE LAST MINUTE. THANK YOU, LAUREEN. YOU'RE A CHAMP!

I went on a very long "moto" ride with the Seminole MC up into the mountains. We rode through a Medieval castle on very narrow cobblestone streets. I will put up pictures later. It was a beautiful Sunday for me. I felt like a knight on my steed. When I was boy I always wanted to be a regal knight. When we reached the top of the mountain, I remembered how my wife called me her knight. She's been reading Eschenbach's great Medieval Romance "Parzifal" and his spiritual journey seemed to remind her of me. Deep down, in my heart of all hearts, I do desire to bring healing to the all encompassing human spirit. And, like Parzifal, I am willing to fight to stay on course. Because as Kundry says to Parzifal in Wagner's opera...

"Redeem the world, if that is your mission."

While the Cannes Awards ceremony was going on I decided to go out for a pizza. "MASCALZONE" means "bad boy" in Italian. I remember being called that as little boy living near Naples.

The PALME D'OR was awarded to the Belgian Dardennes brothers for their film "The Child." Jarmusch took the Grand Prix. And then, the night was filled with Nino Rota's music and fireworks. It was pretty magical.