The Scoop: The Group will be airing almost as soon as we've projected! Kam and I will be attending "Community producer" classes in Santa Monica on April 1st.
- posted by Earnest @ 9:42 PM

 
(crickets chirping)
- posted by Earnest @ 9:41 PM

 
Wow! Second Official meeting of the First Official television show of the Greatest Artistic Movement ever! And it happens to be this Sunday, the 9th, at 6 pm at me and E's house. If you're already involved or want to be, show up or email passionaterealism@hotmail.com for more scoops.
- posted by amy @ 4:35 PM

 
Following up on my thought about Passionate Realism's relationship to reality television, a form that I don't have a problem with in principle but whose runaway popularity I think is symptomatic of a something other than its own inherent value, I found more support for my idea while watching Rocky. There are a couple scenes which always cause me to grow horribly tense. One is the scene where Paulie and his sister have their final argument before she moves out (better on DVD than VHS because of sound). One is the scene where Rocky, at the pet store, attempts to ask out Adrian but is hobbled by his own insecurity (in a universe-including Rocky's galaxy- of "reflective" mirror shots, that pet store one is the most vicariously embarrassing). Finally, The last one is the scene where he admits to Adrian that he can't beat Apollo.

These scenes do more than scratch the surface of human emotion. Like ripping a scab off, these scenes expose soft humanity to the elements, and the characters seem to experience pain and humility in degrees unbearable. I think the anxiety I feel during those scenes is the same anxiety I feel during the best reality television (see the Survivor, season one, finale).

I don't think Rocky, as we know it, would have been made today. Even during the evolution of the series, the emphasis shifted from the fighters to the fight. Pain and suffering became vehicles for the fight, and the characters began to matter less. By Rocky IV, the pendulum had swung far in opposition to Rocky, and Apollo's death mattered far less than Rocky's beating Ivan Drago. Since Rocky, a few boxing and fighting movies have been made, but the movies have focused more and more on the spectacle of the fight. In fact, in Ali, we have almost no real character development. We see at length but not in depth. However, the fight sequences are among the best ever captured on film for purposes other than documentary.

I believe in spectacle for spectacle's sake. I love Kung Fu movies. If all our cinematic output were Kung Fu movies, though, every single show on television would be Reality TV. Rocky represents what just a little effort to tell a story can yield.

- posted by Earnest @ 10:37 AM

 
Okay, keeping in mind that a main tenet of Passionate Realism is the constant climb to better one's art, here are some of my creative/career goals for the future:

One year from today:
*2 reviews a week, standard
*A "Considerable Town" every three months
*As much improvement in my writing in the next year as I made in the last
*Less writer's block, more hot writing action
*Get "The Group" off the ground and flying

Two years from today:
*Write and publish my first theater feature

Five years from today:
*Every week, at least 10 people look for my reviews in particular to decide what to see that weekend
*Seriously shop around at least one screenplay

Ten years from today:
*Give my first book (nonfiction, most likely) a shot

Fifteen years from today:
*Develop the language mastery of John Powers and Steven Mikulan

Twenty years from today:
*I want to be the most respected voice in LA theater. Can I do it? We'll see...

- posted by amy @ 7:47 PM