Apropos of Nothing - Stewart's Music

I'm a bit shocked by how long this has taken me to do...

Wait! Back up... context on this wanky indulgence:

Before going away to shoot in the Okanagan I filled up two MP3 players with music. The first, a convenient and (key word!) little iPod Nano. I filled it with a selection of my absolute favourite songs of all time - a nice little audio oasis for when I needed it. Somewhere in the second week I needed to wash some clothes (for the record it was my second laundry of the trip)... when they came out of the dryer - there was my Nano... TOO SMALL TO HAVE NOTICED in the bottom of some cargo shorts pocket. It was nice and clean, it even took a charge again - once, and then died forever. Boo hoo.

The second player was a cheap-o 512mb player which I filled up with somgs that I specially selected as "Stewart's Music." I actually took quite a bit of time in selecting the songs, and there was a lot of criteria - much of which I've forgotten.
I can say this:
I think I nixed any song over four minutes.
I spent no effort in trying to pick songs with lyrical content that had any relation to the film - which doesn't mean there aren't song which could be construed as relating to the film. ("Is She Really Going OUt with Him?" springs to mind among several.) It's pretty inevitable when you consider the number of songs out there that are about unrequited love or disenfranchisement.

It has always struck me as odd that in an otherwise balanced mix (within a certain range) that there are not only FOUR Husker Du songs (The Clash is the only other band with four songs.) two of which are covers, but there are two covers of Husker Du songs played by other bands. I'm not even much of a Husker Du fan!
There are also a number of songs on here which also would have qualified as 'all-time favourite' for inclusion on the other player ("London Calling" for example.) but were disqualified as I already included them on the smaller player.

Musically there's some unity to the songs - it's kind of hard not to see that, but there's also some range. Dust Brothers and The Animals are worlds apart. Dead Can Dance and Anthrax? Not even close. Black Sabbath and Billy Bragg... you get the idea.
When I was feeling like I was lost and out of character I'd often turn to the music for inspiration. Sometimes the feel of the music itself led me somewhere - though that was usually the easiest course and not the most interesting. Other times it was the lyrics, which as I had tired to ignore that when programming the player, was often very random and interesting and often served up the occasional thought that was simultaneously obvious in retrospect and provided more depth than the surface-skimming I'd been stuck with.

In any case, it has been close to two months since we wrapped and I really wish I'd had the time to refresh the music in the player by now... though I haven't. But it is now time. I'm really starting to tire of this mix. But for posterity I'll leave the track listing here, perhaps there's a cool discovery for someone else out there:

(One last disclaimer: Don't ask me to explain the occassionally alphabetical nature - I haven't got a clue why I put it on in that order, or why any given artist's songs are all clumped together (with the inexplicable exception of Bootsauce), not shuffled - I just did it this way, that's all.)

101ers - 5 Star Rock 'n' Roll Petrol
Age of Electric - I Don't Mind
Age of Electric - Remote Control
Alice in Chains - Them Bones
Alice in Chains - Would?
Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal
The Animals - We Gotta Get Out of this Place
Anthrax - I'm the Man
Urge Overkill - Never Known a Girl Like You Before
The Flaming Lips - Buggin'
Art of Dying - Get Through This
The Trashmen - Surfin' Bird
The Ataris - I'll Remember You
Trebel Charger - American Psycho
The Winstons - Amen Brother
Modern English - I Melt With You
XTC - The Mayor of Simpleton
The Violent Femmes - Blister in the Sun
The Violent Femmes - Kiss Off
Tool - Lost Keys
Tin Machine - Baby Universal
Tin Machine - Sacrifice Yourself
The Replacements - Attitude
The Replacements - I Hate Music
Porno for Pyros - Tahitian Moon
Porno for Pyros - Pets
Blur - Song 2
Bootsauce - Scratching the Whole
Mollie's Revenge - Humble
Mollie's Revenge - I Wanna Be
Ministry - TV II
The Monks - Johnny B. Rotten
The Monks - I Ain't Getting Any
The Monks - Nice Legs Shame About the Face
Primus - Jerry was a Race Car Driver
Sam Roberts - This is How I Live
Screaming Blue Messiahs - I Wanna Be a Flintstone
Rollmop - Motra Diem
Rollmop - Picture Perfect
The Sex Pistols - Holidays in the Sun
The Sex Pistols - Liar
Sonic Youth - Lights Out
Split Enz - Hard Act to Follow
Split Enz - What's the Matter with You?
Split Enz - I Got You
Sponge - Go Speed Racer Go
Sons of Freedom - You're No Good
Sons of Freedom - Super Cool Wagon
The Strokes - Hard to Explain
The Stooges - Cock in My Pocket
The Stooges - Down on the Street
The Subways - Rock & Roll Queen
The Subways - In Love
The Subways - With You
Public Image Ltd. - Seattle
Public Image Ltd. - Public Image
Pulp - We Are the Boys
Three Doors Down - Kryptonite
Mother Love Bone - This is Shangri-La
Nerf Herder - Sorry
The Ramones - I Want to Be Sedated
The Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop
The Ravonettes - That Great Love Sound
The Ravonettes - Untamed Girls
Midnight Oil - Read About it
Midnight Oil - I Don't Wanna Be the One
Manic Street Preachers - Suicide is Painless
The Meat Puppets - Lake of Fire
Pluto - Black Lipstick
MC5 - Kick Out the Jams (Live)
Jane's Addiction - Standing in the Shower Thinking
Jane's Addiction - My Time
Jane's Addiciton - Been Caught Stealing
Lenny Kravitz - Are You Gonna Go My Way?
Kula Shaker - Hush
Les Dales Hawerchuk - Dale Hawerchuk
Les Dales Hawerchuk - Abuse de Moe
Les Dales Hawerchuk - Mais Ou est Donc Carnior?
Husker Cu - Sunshine Superman
Husker Du - Love is All Around
Husker Du - New Day Rising
Husker Du - Never Talking to You Again
The Headstones - Unsound
The Headstones - Fuck You
The Headstones - When Something Stands for Nothing
Harry Gregson-Williams - Training Montage
Harry Gregson-Williams - Spygame Theme
Gordon Downie - We're Hardcore
Gob - Oh! Ellen
Gob - Give Up the Grudge
Gob - I Hear You Calling
Goldfinger - Is She Really Going Out with Him?
Frank Black and the Catholics - Jaina Blues
Frank Black and the Catholics - Western Star
Frank Black - Old Black Dawning
Frank Black - Brackish Boy
Ex-Models - We Can't Put it into Words
Faith No More - From Out of Nowhere
Faith No More - Be Aggressive
Faith No More - Easy
The Faces - Ooh-La-La
Evanescence - Heart Shaped Box
Evanescence - Everybody's Fool
Evanescence - Going Under
The Eels - Souljacker Pt. 1
The Eels - That's Not Really Funny
The Eels - Mr. E's Beautiful Blues
Eagles of Death Metal - I Only Want You
Eagles of Death Metal - You Keep Talkin'
Eagles of Death Metal - SanBerdoo Sunburn
The Clash - Should I Stay or Should I go?
The Clash - London Calling
The Clash - Rudie Can't Fail
The Clash - Death or Glory
Bootsauce - Masterstroke
Catherine Wheel - Don't Wanna Know if You are Lonely
Catherine Wheel - Show Me Mary
Collective Soul - Gel
The Cult - Wildflower
The Cult - Rain
Devo - Through Being Cool
Concrete Blonde - Days and Days
Cypress Hill - Insane in the Membrane
Dead Can Dance - Ocean
Dead Can Dance - African Journey
Dead Kennedys Anarchy for Sale
Dead Kennedys - Too Drunk to Fuck
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Nature Boy
The Offspring - Next to You
The Offspring - Nothing from Something
Panic! At the Disco - The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage
Panic! At the Disco - Time to Dance
Papa Roach - Last Resort
Papa Roach - Scars
Paul Westerberg - Waiting for Somebody
Paul Westerberg - Someone I Once Knew
Lou Reed - The Raven
The Dropkcik Murphys - Dirty Water (Live)
The Dropkick Murphys - For Boston
The Dropkick Murphys - The Wild Rover
The Dead Milkmen - Punk Rock Girl
Comeback Kid - Wake the Dead
The Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen in Love?
The Beastie Boys - Intergalactic
The Beastie Boys - Sabotage
Chalk Circle - This Mourning
Billy Bragg - A New England
Billy Squier - Everybody Wants You
Billy Talent - Standing in the Rain
The Black Halos - Some Things Never Fall
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Love Burns
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Black Flag - Rise Above
Dust Brothers - Corporate World
Ming Tea - Daddy Wasn't There
American H-Fi - The Art of Losing
The Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor

- Kennedy

Goodbye Hitler of Green Gables

It’s the day after. Time to take down the tents and sweep out the cages.

Last night around 2AM, Craig declared “Ladies and Gentlemen, that’s a wrap on
the Beast of Bottomless Lake!” I had a very brief moment of emotion – sadness and relief – but I had somehow expected it to be more. I figure that I had anticipated that moment so many times that I had, by the time it actually
happened, already processed those emotions. We picked up our things and headed for the cars. Shook some hands and said “see you in the morning” or “see you
on Sunday” – depending upon who was talking.

I ordered Craig to take today off. So far all evidence suggests that for the most part he has.

Today we inventoried equipment and returned the various bits and pieces. Lights and grip equipment, mics and of course our equipment trailer.

We got a great deal from U-Haul on a trailer. You may be familiar with the current U-Haul corporate image: each of their vehicles has a painting on the side of it, each one representing a landmark from some place in North America. Wyoming: Devil’s Tower. The VLA in Virginia; the CN Tower in Ontario and… as appeared on our trailer… Anne of Green Gables, except a previous renter had spray-painted a Hitler moustache on her — something which continued to amuse us right through to the end of shooting. I hope someone has a photo of it [image below right courtesy of the author].

I drove Gordon out to the ferry, and on the way home had a little chat with Keith. I’d had a chat with Keith on my solo trip to the Okanagan which made me cry. It had been a good way to start the production. I figured I end it the same way. It wasn’t as emotional as the first talk had been. Not even close really. I suppose that we managed to finish pretty strongly — I am sick as a
dog, but apart from that, strongly – and while there were inevitable issues to deal with along the way, we feel really good about most of what we accomplished in this past month. The fact that things have gone well perhaps makes this less emotionally charged than the uncertainty of the beginning was.

But there we go. We are done. …shooting.

— Kennedy
Writer Dude

The World's Biggest Steel Welded Building!

Or Vancouver's biggest postage stamp helicopter landing pad? David/Fabrice had a few more descriptions...

I was lucky enough to be able to help out with the weekend shoot at the Vancouver Post Office building, so I thought I would throw down a few notes about my experience.

First a little background on who I am and how I fit in this picture: I have been writing screenplays and short stories for too many years to mention. I have shot many short films/videos since I was a teenager and have always dreamed of working in the film industry. My first passion was for makeup effects, but that soon turned to writing… fast forward many years to 1995. I met Craig through our mutual friend Martin Conde, with whom I had written and shot a few shorts. Craig and I hit it off and we started writing together (Craig - remember the script about three friends that decide to smuggle drugs to fund a movie about three friends smuggling drugs to fund a movie idea? Still has legs baby!)

Anyway that script was a bit too ambitious, so Craig and I wrote Jerry's Day, a feature about a guy turning 30 who is having relationship-family-friendship issues. We shot the movie over the summer of 1999 with Craig directing and me operating the camera. I didn't have much camera experience and the equipment we were using wasn't very good so the sound and picture quality wasn't quite there, although the actors gave fantastic performances, the crew was great and the story itself was pretty solid. I was stressed out the whole time thinking that I was not doing a good enough job for what the project deserved, and by the end of it Craig and I were barely speaking (my fault…). Even with all the problems we had, the experience is still one the highlights of my life.

The only advice I can give everyone that is working on this project is to keep going and stay as positive as you can, even in high stress/problem times. You will look back at these weeks with a HUGE amount of pride in the future, so keep going!!! As for Jerry's Day, we made a preview/trailer but that was as far as it got. I still have the digital tapes waiting to be edited in case anyone out there wants to give it a try - contact me through Craig. Really. I'm serious!

When Craig and Kennedy started working on this project, I was thrilled and jealous at the same time. I offered to do whatever I could to help out, except I was broke and was working full time so I didn't have much to offer. My wife Kerry did manage to get her Dad to donate the use of his house for part of the shoot, so that was something. But then Craig said he was shooting on the weekend! Yeahoo! I could help out after all!!!

Although it took a little persuading to get my wife and kids to agree to lose me for a weekend… I was able to help out at the post office.

How was the shoot? In on one word - HOT! Temperature, quality of work, some of the crew… it covers it all. The dolly shots using a mail cart were very cool. I actually got to be an extra for a scene!

As a crew member I only managed to screw up one take by being caught by the camera, so the damage was minimal. Unless of course, that was THE TAKE, and I'll feel guilt for the rest of my life.

Big thanks to Jill and Scott for being so amazing — Scott arranged for the locations, helped out with everything as a crew member (and extra!) and Jill and Elaine provided four star meals for everyone. I like food. I spent lots of time on Sunday snacking, but mostly during the scene in the meeting room where the temperature was hovering about 110. I'm sure some people sweated-out a few pounds over those hours! Well, I gained them back to balance it all out.

I'm excited to be able to help out again on Wednesday, and I'll be the first in line at the theatre when it comes out!

GO POGO GO!

— Kevin Bennett

A Speech from the Father of the Groom

Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to thank Lara’s father for allowing me a couple of minutes to say a few words, it’s just very sad that he can’t be here with us this evening, but please be assured that both my wife and I will be visiting him at the Intensive Care Unit first thing in the morning after giving a statement to Transport Canada.

Apart from that unfortunate incident — well, actually plus several others — what a wonderful day it was!

Considering my wife and I only met last month, at the Ramala Ranch resort (with much thanks to the Craig March dating agency, which certainly now comes with our full endorsement, what a perfect match. Craig and both his researchers Kennedy and David certainly do there homework, cleverly financing their company operation by collecting huge amounts of used beer cans — which incidentally must have been taking up the best part of 5 acres at the ranch — anyway, I digress), my wife and I never thought we would see our little Damien getting married… quite so soon… my how time flies!

I must say that we both just loved the ceremony, we noticed all the small touches, even the Commissioner and his resemblance to Patrick Swayze.

But I must take my hat off to the chef, the food was first class. I particularly enjoyed the little gummy cherry flavoured feet… actually I’m still picking them out of my teeth! And brewing a late night pot of coffee in the ladies’ wash room of the yacht club, after the failure of the boat’s generator, was a challenge to say the least! And you didn’t catch me, ladies!

Well, I think I’ve had my few minutes, I know many of you have to travel back to Vancouver.

I would like to add my thanks to all the staff who made today such a success, particularly the ambulance crew.

Finally, just like everybody else here today, we are both so looking forward to seeing the photos and video of Lara and Damien’s special day, particularly all those special little moments that the video-grapher is so clever at capturing.

So, once again, please join me in raising your glasses… Ladies and Gentlemen, Lara and Damien.

— Jerry Mason
‘Father of the Groom’

Mother of the Bride Played by Large-Hearted Actor

I remember my audition way back last fall; I am fast approaching the half century mark and hoped to get the part of Paul's mom, Anna. I thought it might be a stretch, but I was feeling every bit of my age that day after a game of squash the night before. Thought I could pull it off… but no. I must say I have never been turned down for a part in such a nice way before; thank-you Craig.

I was basking in the glow of his gently and ever-so-slightly backhanded compliment (he was, after all, telling me "no"), when he suggested the part of the bride's mother. ‘Hmmm’, I thought, ‘drive 3 hours to deliver one line? Hmmm.’ I was about to say "no thanks" and, in fact, I think I actually uttered the words, when I noticed Siobhan, casting director extraordinaire, doing something profound with one eyebrow; her eyes seemed to be boring a hole right through my head. I quickly reassessed the situation and a refrain from my past played in my head: ‘no small parts, only small actors’…

"Sure! Sounds like fun" I said, grateful to see Siobhan's eyebrow settle back down.

And so, Friday May 25, I drove down and met some of the people at the Jevon ranch... I was delighted to meet my husband and daughter, her fiancé and his parents, all cast-mates from our hilarious wedding scene on the ‘Love Boat’. However, it seemed like a funny twist of fate that my "husband" (the talented Ray Bailey) and I — who are both a tad vertically challenged — had a daughter (gorgeous Jenn Kirkbride) who towered over us by at least a foot. I suppose it can happen, nutrition being what it is these days…

I had a fabulous time, met some wonderful people, and got to watch some very talented professionals work.

Hmmm… drive 3 hours to deliver one line? In a heart beat. Siobhan, thank-you! And thanks for the opportunity Craig and Kennedy. Your movie rocks!

— Kathy Rollheiser
Mother of the Bride
 

Jedi Master Sound Technician Speaks

I sleep in the living room and I try to wake up before the majority of the populous awake for the day. This particular morning I had no such success. So I awoke to people talking and eating their morning bowls of cereal. I attempt to shake off the tiredness while Pat laughs at me from the breakfast table. I reach up and drink the glass of water above my head. This makes Pat laugh even harder as I am hidden behind a couch and all he sees is an arm grasping for a glass of water.

After breakfast and packing all the gear we need for the day of shooting, we depart the ranch, (which is particularly beautiful this morning) and head down the road to the Summerland Yacht Club. The lake today is calm and quite. A lake of glass.

We arrive and begin to set up along the dock. Luke and myself unpack the sound gear and begin the set-up. After the gear is ready, we do some stretching and kicking (we're Jedi Master sound technicians).

When I originally signed onto this project, I was assigned to "do whatever needs to be done Production Assistant" and I did some random things near the beginning, but eventually I became the "boom operator" and I have to admit that it got very old very fast. My saving grace was a few days after Luke arrived for the second time. After endless compliments on how "Fantastic" my "Boom" skills were, he decided that he was a "Jedi Master Sound Guy" and that he was going to train me in the ways which are right and just. I gladly took this challenge upon my shoulders. Within a day or two, I had become what I had always wanted to be: "Extreme Shaolin Jedi Boom Master Extraordinaire" [photo, right].

Anyway, where was I…? Oh yes: We had everything set up, we had finished our stretches, and we were ready for the day. We blew through all the scenes before lunch, and then got to partake in some delicious cake for Bronwen's birthday.

After the fine meal we went back to work, and everything went smoothly until Melanie Blackwell, who is playing the peg-leg princess, lost her tiara in the lake after casting it out into the water on the end of a fishing line in an attempt to catch the Ogopogo with it. We all had a good chuckle over that and moved on.

When we finished all the shots for the day, a bunch of us were standing around waiting for Captain Bob to show up in his slow-ass boat. He was supposed to be at the marina at 1:00PM I believe, and I think he actually showed up at 4:30 or 5:00. The plus side of this situation was that I got some hilarious footage of the gang goofing around and playing games. And Kennedy killed me with his mind powers (I forgot to mention that I have taken it upon myself to shoot the unofficial behind-the-scenes ‘making of…’. Although I do hope that it'll get used for something, like… uhhh… I don't know… on the DVD… huh, Craig? What do you say? I guess we'll have to cross that bridge after I've finished editing it). Needless to say, Captain Bob did show up in his boat eventually, and we all took off back to the ranch. I rode with Kennedy and I got some superb driving shots of him rocking out to music.

Before I get into the events that transpired in the evening, I have to say that staying at the Jevons' Ranch with all the crew and cast is by far one of the best experiences I've ever had. It's like summer camp, but we get to drink lots of beer, and we laugh a whole lot more. Every person on this project is amazing, and I feel very privileged to have met them, and even more privileged to get to hang out with them on a daily basis and share this experience of making a movie.

This particular evening I was feeling a little more tired than usual and after dinner I had a shower and was taking it easy, — I should've started writing this blog — but I was beginning to fall asleep on the “La-Z-Boy®” and the dream world was calling my name. In the back of my head I start to hear a commotion; could I be dreaming? Hardly. Raised voices, yelling, the heavy beat of horse hoofs, you know, the usual, (horses running outside is common place since we're on a horse ranch) but then Pat comes running into the house.

"Kevin, get your ass up, where's your camera, this is ‘E.P.K.’ stuff."

Or something like that, I'm still half asleep. I drag myself up, not bothering to ask questions and grab the two cameras in my bag. I hand one to Pat and we make our way outside.

The details begin to filter in. Apparently a lone horse had come running onto the ranch and through the back yard, fully saddled, and sweating like it'd been running for awhile. There was just one thing missing: a rider. PANIC MODE ON THE RANCH.

Next thing I know I'm running down the road filming or next plan of action. We have people in cars driving around, we have people on phones, we have people being split up into search parties, as our fear is that the rider was thrown from the horse and is lying broken in the hills of Penticton.

Chaos ensues. Then, just as fast as it all started, it all comes to an end as the lost rider comes walking down the road; admitting, to her embarrassment, that the horse had spooked and ran away while getting ready to go out riding. We film the joyful reunion of rider and horse, and head back inside.

The adrenaline of the hunt dies away and I feel tired again. This time I lay in my bed and watch some cartoons with the gang until sleep takes me over again, this time fully until morning, when I wake up again to the hustle and bustle of the morning breakfast rush. This time Pat doesn't laugh at me because he's still asleep. I laugh at him instead.

— Kevin Roberts
Production Assistant / Jack-of-All-Trades)

Well I was supposed to blog last thursday when I subbed in for Russell Porter to play Roger!
It was wacky and wild, I spent four hours on the phone changing my flight when it could have been solved with one phone call... anyway!
I was welcomed very warmly and Kennedy and I did our first scene and it was a lot of fun!!
Crazy, crazy...
Everyone was wonderful and the local people Jonathan at the Marina was awesome, running us around in his speed boat!
Soooo much fun!
Flew back to Van the next day to pack my condo and move, came back Sunday night and while shooting today I learned a four page scene in about 5 min with the wonderful help of big K and David Nykl!!
Captain Bob was amazing and the speed boats whipping around made the day!!
The whole crew is great, just the right amount of chaos and serendipity making it magical!

Cheers, Alex Z/ Roger~