goodbye new york

You may have seen it on social media if you follow me there, but it's official.  We're moving to Los Angeles in a few weeks.

I've lived in New York City for almost 22 years, and in that time I've had some incredible experiences.  I've never lived anywhere else longer than here, and it's bittersweet to leave friends and family behind.

So, due to opportunity out West, we've loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly.  Okay, not really.  We have people loading the truck (and packing) for us.  And we're moving to DTLA, which like everywhere in Los Angeles is only a 20 minute drive away.

I'd like to say a studio has bought the rights to this blog for a new Netflix series, but I can't really go into the details right now.  Also, that's not true.  But, we're driving across country with three cats, and if that's not material for a Nat Geo or Animal Planet live-streaming special, I don't know what is. 

Keep tuned to the blog here for updates, and if you follow me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, you'll probably get some live-video on there during the move and after.

The World I KnewTodd Leaves New York City

I know this is slightly corny, but I've always had a soft spot for the quasi-Christian rock band Collective Soul.   

Their eponymous second album was released around the same time I moved to New York City, so there's one song from it that always sticks.

Hitting the charts around now, 21 years ago, THE WORLD I KNOW might be the most perfect summation of my emotional state as a prepare to leave Manhattan for Hollywood.  I'm not usually a lyrics person (I hear the music before I listen to the words), but this air-guitar ballad pretty much nails it.

The World I Know

Collective Soul

Has our conscience shown?

Has the sweet breeze blown?

Has all the kindness gone?

Hope still lingers on

I drink myself of newfound pity

Sitting alone in New York City

And I don't know why

Are we listening

Hymns of offering?

Have we eyes to see

That love is gathering?

All the words that I've been reading

Have now started the act of bleeding

Into one, into one

So I walk up on high

And I step to the edge

To see my world below

And I laugh at myself

While the tears roll down

'Cause it's the world I know

Oh it's the world I know

I drink myself of newfound pity

Sitting alone in New York City

And I don't know why, don't know why

So I walk up on high

And I step to the edge

To see my world below

And I laugh at myself

While the tears roll down

'Cause it's the world I know

Oh it's the world I know

So I walk up on high

And I step to the edge

To see my world belo

And I laugh at myself

While the tears roll down

'Cause it's the world I know

Oh it's the world I know

Gotham City of Stars

I've been trying to figure out where I've heard the opening of the La La Land tune City of Stars before.

Not to ruin your Oscar weekend, but...

La La Land - the video game

Just when you thought La La Land couldn't get any more annoying, here's the 8-Bit Cinema video game edition...

7.5 Things Noticed Watching The IMAX 3D WIZARD OF OZ

First of all, I’m happy to report that the IMAX 3D restoration of THE WIZARD OF OZ works. Actually, it amazes. The frame-by-frame restoration results in a picture that’s cleaner than ever, more vibrant, more detailed and, frankly, better looking than any film print I’ve ever seen on the big screen (and I’ve seen it countless times). 

For years, THE WIZARD OF OZ was a staple of television broadcasting, reduced not only to the small screen, but usually shown from an inferior transfer that botched the sepia toned bookend and drained the technicolor of pizzaz. 

But I thought I knew every square inch of picture and every note of sound from the classic movie. Seeing the IMAX 3D restoration proved me wrong. 

Here are 7.5 discoveries, celebrations and a rant on the 75th Anniversary edition now in theaters…

1) This Re-Release is rated PG for 3D intensity…

Not gonna lie. The cyclone approaching the Gale farm scared me as a kid watching it annually on television. This version brought back the terror, and in 3D no less. Still an astonishing practical visual effect from the early days of Hollywood.

2) Scarecrow’s Got A Gun!

When the gang sets off through the Haunted Forrest in hopes to obtain the witch’s broomstick, the Scarecrow packs heat. I have NEVER noticed this before, even in big screen viewings. Don’t let Spielberg know, or the 80th Anniversary edition is likely to CGI it out.

3) The Emerald City Sparkles!

Perhaps given added depth via 3D, or more attention in IMAX, the establishing shot of the Emerald City is completely breathtaking. Actually, none of the background paintings come off as a dated film technique. Another testament to the production design and spectacle of this grand movie.

4) Dorothy Has Freckles

media.zenfs.com

Forget any washed out publicity photo, merchandising tie-in or even previous DVD release. You’ll see so much detail in the make-up in the IMAX version that you can count the freckles on Dorthy’s face!

5) Lahr is the Star

Bert Lahr was a great comedic performer, and this IMAX version allows you to see every detail of his facial expressions under that makeup. It’s genius, and the “King of the Forest” number, which always bored me as a kid, becomes a show-stopping blast now.

6) No Love For Cats

We all know it’s a cat that causes Dorothy to miss her ride home at the end of the film, but I’ve never really paid that much attention to the fact that Miss Gulch also has a cat. Toto, of course, is a “menace” because he chases Gulch’s cat in the pre-story, but what is it this film has against cats? Except of course, the big cat who becomes King of the Forrest, of course.

7) There’s No Hanging Munchkin in the Forrest

Debunked years ago, but always hard to figure out with previous muddy transfers and prints, is the myth of the hanging suicidal Munchkin in the Tin Man’s neck of the woods. In clear IMAX 3D, you’ll discover its just a wild peacock thrown into the ambiance from MGM’s animal collection. Not as exciting, but certainly as surreal.

7.5) My Ticket Cost $20.50

Seriously, AMC? You had to add that extra fifty cents to the already inflated ticket price? Am I supposed to feel some sort of value that it’s not a $21 ticket? Do you realize I can buy the deluxe Blu-ray edition in a week for about the same price? Wasn’t the $4.50 you charged me for the bottle of water enough? Good thing the movie was worth it.

Golden Globs 2013 recapmy thoughts rehashed from Twitter

In case you don't follow me on Twitter (and why the hell wouldn't you?) and kept up with the goings on at the Globes via live Tweet, here's a recap of last night's awards in chronological order...

• Seconds before the awards started, you can see Robert Downey, Jr whispered to Mel Gibson very clearly "behave yourself, sugar tits."  Seriously, rewind your DVR in slow-mo.  This happened.

• Tina Fey and Amy Peohler KILLED with their opening monologue.  Hysterical, and Tina was wise to give the best material to Amy, as it worked to their strengths.  Beautiful comedy.

•  Leo was the best looking at the awards by far.  He's grown up a lot and looks to be at least 17 or 18 years of age by now.

•  Quentin Tarantino took the Globe for screenplay and thanked the people that read his drafts and give him input, even though he gets all the credit.  No, thank YOU, Quentin.  

• Maggie Smith won for Downton Abbey, but couldn't be there to accept the award in person because she's rather old, and it's quite past her bedtime.

• Downton Abbey proved itself to be so good that it can win awards while airing new episodes on a competing channel.  

• Catherine Zeta-Jones proved she's no Susan Boyle by singing a few bars of I Dreamed a Dream.

•  The President of the HFP came out, made some really strange remark to the cameras panning the audience so that viewers could see there are celebrities there, then seemed to reiterate that when the cameras didn't pan to the audience.  Other than that, she's adorable and I want to adopt her.

•  Paul Rudd and Salma Hayek got caught like deer in headlights as the teleprompter betrayed them halfway into their intro.  Salma's head almost exploded like that dude in Scanners, but Paul Rudd did his best improv even after one of the bad jokes that had been written for him.  When asking his co-presenter, "what category are we doing," Salma reminded him "something about the Best something or other."

• Another malfunction of tech, and this time with the real CIA guy from Argo.  Go figure.

• Adele won for Best Song, and became the least proper British person to go on stage that evening.  Master of the House.

• Costner proved he's hot again by winning for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Movie.  Sly Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger on the other hand caused the largest sudden drop in ratings for an awards program in television history.  The ratings went up as soon as their presentation for Best Foreign Language Film was over and it was safe to return to NBC.

• President Clinton came out in support of Lincoln, which ultimately didn't help it's mojo for Best Picture, but did provide plenty of quotable lines for the next Oscar FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION ads.

• About this time into the Broadcast, Tommy Lee Jones started to lose significant blood sugar and everyone was given a huge box of Godiva chocolates.  It didn't help Tommy Lee Jones, who is still in method preparation for the lead role in Grumpy Cat 3D.

• Jeremy Irons returned the British person speaking at an award-show poise back to proper levels for the evening.

• Brave took home the award for Best Animated Film, much to the surprise of Pixar.  For a change.  At home, Randy Newman cursed everyone involved with the project for not letting him write the love theme: Mamma, You're A Big Bear Now.

• Robert Downey Jr presented an award to Jodie Foster.  And fake hamsters, of which one Jodie tried to nibble on.  I'm not sure what to make of that.

• Jodie Foster came out that she's not Honey Boo Boo child, just in case there was any confusion.

• Privacy became the new Gay.

•  Ben Affleck and George Clooney came out and announced their marriage.  

• Girls won for Television Comedy, ensuring that every girl I hate in New York City under 30 will act like this for at least 5 more years.

• Daniel Day Lewis delivered an acceptance speech approximately 5 minutes longer than "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" and 30 times less animated.

• Argo wins for Best Picture, Drama.  This is the Hollywood version of "make up sex" for not giving a Globe to The Town.

hollywood games...

Last year I had a chance to tour the Universal Studios backlot. Ok, so it was the tram tour attraction with the cheesy Jaws section and the new King Kong experience.

But one thing that was kind of interesting is the little bungalow set up for toy manufacturer Hasbro. For those of you living under a community chest, Hasbro, has a permanent home on the Universal lot to develop their properties into big budget television series and movie franchises.

Battleship is their upcoming property they hope becomes the next Transformers. A lot of people think it's sure to sink.

Whatever the outcome, they've already put into production big screen adaptations of Risk, Stretch Armstrong and now shifted their Candy Land movie to Columbia Pictures under the poignant comedic eye of auteur Adam Sandler. You really can't make this shit up.

Here are a few games I wouldn't mind seeing movies. All log-lines and ideas © 2012 Todd Sokolove.

COOTIE

A gang of misfit kids accidentally bioengineers a new race of super-strong, fast-multiplying six legged bugs. Super 8 meets Starship Troopers.

PARCHEESI

In ancient India, a ruthless villain pursues a legendary magic diagram that can bring immortality to its possessor. A disastrously failed attempt lands him in the 21st century, where he soon discovers the pattern on a family board game. Ben Kingsley stars in this time-travel comedy.

HAWAIIAN PUNCH

When the secret recipe for the delicious original flavor of Hawaiian Punch goes missing, it's up to a crack team of spies to uncover a dangerous mission that spans all eight of Hawaii's islands. Product placement and game adaptation collides in this fast paced caper.

WHICH WITCH?

Eli Roth brings to the screen a twisted tale of a school bus filled with children captured by a clan of carnivorous witches. When the kids are put under a psychotic spell, they must use their wits, as any one of them could be a witch in disguise.

MR. MOUTH

Michael Fassbender plays a popular gigalo who's street cred is badly jeopardized after jaw-surgery forces him off the job for months. NC-17

in hollywood, everyone's a quadrant...

My podcasting partner Rachel and I love to compare notes on business meeting Fails, as we're often at conferences, in executive discussions or have vendors pitching their services.

Today, Rachel had someone throw out the term "Four Quadrant" out of context.

Four Quadrant is movie marketing terminology that basically means the film is targeted to all audiences (M25+, W25+, M-25, W-25).

It generally works as a theory, but in Hollywood it's virtually impossible to "create" a Four Quadrant film.

If it helps, let's look at some examples:

Avatar is a definite Four Quadrant film.

The Muppets is a Three Quadrant film.

The Artist is a Two Quadrant film.

Contraband is a One Quadrant Film.

The Adventures of Tintin is a No Quadrant film.

Love LA?You'll love my new book...

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