Have you ever looked closely at Tina Fey? I mean like really really closely. Most people don’t notice it. Most people say “I never saw that before” after you point it out to them.
Would you like me to point it out to you?
On her left cheek Tina has a large scar. It’s from an incident quite some time ago. No one is quite sure what happened as she hasn’t really talked about it. So my friend Dean pointed out that Tina talked about this scar in Vanity Fair… so I correct myself on her not talking about it much, instead she only talks about it a little bit HERE To her it’s no big deal.
Had she let it bother her, I don’t think she’d be so popular in showbiz.
Did you know that she was the first female lead writer on Saturday Night Live? What would have happened if she was too self-conscious and gave up on fame and stardom?

I’ve been listening to a great audio book: The Pixar Touch. Thanks to Tim McAlpine for the recommend.
Did you know that before Toy Story came out (Pixar’s first computer animated full feature film) that they were 50 million dollars in the hole?
Did you know that even Disney at one point thought that computer animation was a waste of time and money? Pixar started as a company apart from Disney and continues to be a separate, but connected company.

Nothing great will happen without adversity and/or failure.
I’m feeling inspired and challenged to push through the failure and look at the bigger picture, look to the dream.
What do you do when you face adversity and failure?

It reminds me of this blog I wrote awhile ago – READ THE POST HERE – 5 part series

Cheers,
Matthew A. Hawkins

All that said, while on the set of Eureka, I got talking with some PB’s, or PA’s (production assistants) as they are formally called, and I passed out my business card (complete with a side portrait of myself, “HAWT”).
Before I knew it, Darren Lamb, my agent from Ozone Entertainment called me up. I haven’t talked to Darren since my important role on Hot Rod (I was a theater attendee).  He had a supporting role ready for me to audition for on Eureka!

7:30 am this morning I walked into a small room in downtown Chilliwack and walked out with a new acting role.
I’m excited to be on a mediocre, sub-par sci-fi TV show that has a declining fan base of 30 year old males that still live in their parents basement.

Here’s to a new role in small town Chilliwack!
Cheers,
Matthew A. Hawkins

Recently, I did something that made me think of that old birdhouse mailbox (not exactly the one that is shown above).
On my way out to visit a friend I noticed a whole bunch of daffodils in the middle of the highway. I decided that I needed to stop on my way home and pick a huge armful for my wife.
So on my way home at midnight I pulled over to the middle of the highway, four way flashes on, and trekked into the highway median field. I had my sandals on. There were a bunch of thorn bushes. I pushed on and gathered a whole bunch of daffodils for my wife.

When I got home I wanted my wife to see my awesome gift I got her. It was 1am. She refused to get out of bed (she’s 20 weeks pregnant and very tired and sick). I thought this would make her night. She didn’t agree.
Heck it could have been a flipping diamond necklace downstairs and she still would have insisted on sleep. So, we fell asleep until the storm outside woke us up:
Debbie: Should I unplug my computer.
Me: Yeah.
PAUSE
LONGER PAUSE
Me: You want me to unplug it don’t you?
Debbie: Yes Please.
Me: Um, no you do it, then you can go see your present.
(Yeah I know… romantic!)
Deb went downstairs and checked out her present. She came back upstairs and asked me, “Did you and Kyle go steal these from city hall?”

Let’s get something out of the way. Avatar is visually stunning. It’s really well created. The 3D is unlike anything anyone has ever seen on screen before (except maybe Captain EO at Disney). The other thing is the story line is nothing new. You don’t go to see Avatar for an amazing story. So all that said, why bother seeing Avatar?

Movies are basic financial investments. Every major studio takes on movies based on their ROI – Return On Investment. No major studio will willingly take on a terrible movie without the intent of making their bottom line.
Sure ‘Snakes on a Plane’ and ‘Deep Blue Sea’ were terrible movies, but they made money. (Deep Blue Sea made $91 million worldwide and roughly cost $78 million to make – a $13 million profit for the studios… not bad for a crappy movie).
What if you take a major name like James Cameron, brand new technology and major Titanic/nerd/geek movie hype and put it into one movie? Not only that, but build it up for years and release a tiny poster and teaser to keep the buzz going? I think that easily spells major win for the studio. Stay average with the script and over deliver in the appearance and you have a major winner. You have a multi-billion dollar winner! (Not to mention the rising price in box office tickets, including the higher cost of watching movies in 3D)

I have a tough time with Avatar. If it was about movie making, it would have some sort of historical significance in films. It won’t. The only thing people will remember about it is that it made oodles of money. People won’t remember the Hans Solo of that movie… in fact I don’t even remember any names of the characters of Avatar. It was a basic money grab. The ROI was bound to be high. Fox knew it would make up for every other terrible movie they put out this year. Avatar is a targeted movie for the masses, it’s aim was to visually stun people and open their wallets. It worked.

Still don’t believe me? Avatar hit the big screen on December 18th 2009 and is hitting the shelves on DVD/Blu-Ray April 22nd 2010. That’s 4 months between theatre release and DVD release. Now think about the production of those DVD’s/Blu-Rays. They would need to be in production of those discs by January at the latest. Millions of copies – special editions, packaging, extra features on the discs etc. I wouldn’t doubt if they had the DVD’s completed before they even released to theatres. That’s crazy! Get quick box office sales and keep the hype going with even quicker DVD sales. They want your money.

It’s a sad truth and it makes sense, but most movies are about the mighty dollar. You don’t see people lining up to see the indy movies, the ones made for the sake of good art AND a good story. You don’t see people lining up for them until someone they know stars in them (aka Little Miss Sunshine). The rare time you get an indy gem that everyone wants to see (aka Napoleon Dynamite). Movie studios want your money. I wish there was an alternative, but I’m not sure what it is.

That’s my two cents. What do you have to say about Avatar?
Matthew A. Hawkins

Which of these do you call a spatula (black or green)? Why?

I love finding the hidden gems on the rental store shelves or the depths of the iTunes store.
They are tricky to find.
They are so tricky to find that sometimes you get ones that stink. I mean they barely even qualify as STV’s in my books (Straight to Video is most often classified as less than a B Movie to me).

One Week was/is a hidden gem. Hardly had a presence on the video rental store shelves but was a great movie.
This past weekend I rented what I was hoping would be a hidden gem: Is Anybody There?
It stars Micheal Caine and Bill Milner (the kid from Son of Rambow – which is another Hidden Gem). I figured with Caine, how could you go wrong?
The movie was slow paced and uninspiring.
Don’t get me wrong, I love dark movies that look into shadows of our souls, but as long as there is some resolve, some hope, some sort of development. Nope, not with “Is Anybody There?”
I wonder if the crew of this movie asked that same question of their cast? I know I would have.

With finding Hidden Gems, I’ve learned a couple things:
1. You rarely know you have a hidden gem unless told by a trustworthy movie watcher, even then they could be off.
2. They are difficult to find on the shelves between the money grabbing Sandra Bullock love stories, GI Joe and CG lame movies.
3. It’s always a chance by watching something unknown. Hidden Gem movies rarely get marketed because they aren’t huge money grabbers (unlike any sort of Michael Bay movie).
4. Often, but not always, have a lot of film festival notes on the cover or back.
5. They often have a message of hope and fulfillment in the end (at least for me).

What’s a hidden gem movie/film you’ve watched lately?

Cheers,
Matthew A. Hawkins

What do you think happens when you mistake your fishbowl as the ocean? You just keep hitting that glass wall. You keep going no where. You keep imagining that somehow, someway you might just swim further. So you keep swimming in circles. We have a fish named Thomas. He’s a betta fish. He’s dumb. I put a mirror by his fish bowl and he gets like Foghorn Leghorn. He thinks he has a fight about to happen for his territory. Truth is he’s still stuck in his fish bowl.

I, like many people, have been following what’s been happening in Haiti. I’m realizing how much of a fish bowl I’m sitting in. The ocean is much bigger than my fish bowl. The ocean is just waiting for me to jump into it.

It reminds me of Finding Nemo. My little corner of the reef is safe and comfortable. I like it in my little home, away from the open water. Marlin never lived until he went into the open water. His questions of the unknown were never answered until he swam into the open water.
If I want to make any sort of impact I need to look beyond my fish bowl and jump into the open water. It’s waiting for me. I don’t know what it will be like. Will it be cold? Will it be warm? Will I get hurt?
My fish bowl was safe and comfortable. The open water has uncertainties.
Question is, are you and I willing to look beyond your fish bowl and dive into the open water?

Cheers,
Matthew A. Hawkins

FUN TIMES!

Today I started reading through some headlines on world news, simply because of the earthquake that hit Haiti yesterday. I came across this link from Boston.com

I started thinking today about this little girl. Where is she? Is she ok?
I began thinking of Ron. I saw him for a moment yesterday before he stepped out for lunch with a guy at the office. The news of Haiti hadn’t been made yet.
How did he take it?

Whatever it is I do in life, I have learned one thing. I’m compelled to help. I’m compelled to give. I know how lucky I have it and I know I can do my part to help out.
So, what compels you?

Matthew