I disliked THE PHANTOM MENACE when I saw it at the Cinerama in Seattle. Truth be told, when I saw STAR WARS (the installment now known as A NEW HOPE) at the Loews Astor Plaza in New York CIty when I was about 13, I was underwhelmed. Sure, the special effects were cool, but even then, I recognized there was something off about this instantly beloved production. It was only later that I could identify the problem, and now, after my revisiting of the fourth/first movie I can say, unequivocally: George Lucas doesn’t know what the f**k he’s doing. Seriously, what is his talent? Is it casting? No. I’m sorry, Exhibit A: Mark Hamill. But even he is far more convincing than Jake Lloyd, the poor child plucked to portray l’il orphan(?) Ani Skywalker. He’s got all the charisma of Robbie Rist crossed with a spatula… only he’s flatter than the latter and less charming than the former. Does George know how to direct? All signs point to… No. He composes a shot about as well as a blind bartender in a funnel cloud. Does George know how to write? No more so than the proverbial hundred monkeys stationed at an equal number of typewriters, only George beat the odds and banged out some semblance of Joseph Campbell a long time ago,  in a screenplay far, far removed from the classics. THE PHANTOM MENACE script is filled with redundancies and misplaced, Earth-bound colloquialisms befitting Joe Biden babbling during a slow news spin cycle. “I don’t care what universe you’re from, that’s gotta hurt.” Indeed, it does. In light of these compartmental evaluations, it becomes more and more apparent that the “skill” of George Lucas was his ability to bind mythic structure with what were, at the time, ground-breaking special effects at the most fortuitous moment in Hollywood. His puerile take on good versus evil was the perfect, commercial antidote to the personal, passionate, political filmmaking of the 70s — he was Ronald Reagan to, say, Hal Ashby‘s Jimmy Carter. Like Reagan, Lucas is still worshipped today for his ability to distract the masses with the most most simplistic messages — neither was so much a great communicator as he was an average storyteller, whose fables were so mundane, so unchallenging as to render their toothless tales easily digested. I suggest it’s time for us to purge.

We ought to reject the comforting polarizations of Lucas  — and Spielberg and Bay — and return to more complex and compassionate narratives; movies that address social concerns with an empathy and rigor, allowing for fault and fortune to coexist within us all. We need fewer Jar Jar Binks and more Hugo Cabrets.

One of America’s most animated and controversial cultural commentators, Charles Mudede, visited Warren at The High Bar to examine the role of the critic over a few drinks.

Sundance

NEW YORK accent helps redefine an approach to cinema verite with exceptional cinematography. FAT KID rules because it is that rare youth film that refuses to pander to either parents or festival programmers, that is, it represents teen lives honestly, not as a succession of PG fart jokes nor as a string of R-rated, drug-fueled escapades. The film’s fantastic lead, Jacob Wysocki, rings true because he acts natural, an amorphous, adolescent blend of humility, hubris and self-deprecating humor thats more misty than funny.

I had the good fortune of serving as one of Caleb Slain‘s instructors when he attended TheFilmSchool and have been honored to nurture a friendship with Matthew Lillard over the past few years and multiple interviews, including his trip last year to visit The High Bar.

Watch the show, see the movies. But first, a toast to Caleb Slain, Matthew Lillard and… the wise curators of SXSW.

After a short hiatus, I am pleased to announce the return of Going. Going! Gone?, for our final two “death panels.” Will you join me?

Dying is the No. 2 fear of Americans, public speaking is No. 1. Of course, you can always avoid the latter. However, in this three-part series, host and fearless public speaker Warren Etheredge (of The Warren Report and The High Bar) will tackle both phobias, inviting three fellow mortals — a seeker, a physician and a spiritual leader — to join him on stage for three separate, frank, funny and enlightening conversations about the nature of our existence and a better understanding of our alleged ends.

GOING!

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16 AT 7 PM

With Hope Wechkin, MD, medical director of Evergreen Hospice and Palliative Care

THIS IS THE END, MY FRIEND. BUT IS THIS TRANSITION AS DEFINITE AS SCIENCE AND BUREAUCRACY CLAIM? WHAT SHOULD WE KNOW ABOUT OUR FINAL MOMENTS THAT MIGHT BRING US COMFORT, WISDOM AND LOVE?

GONE?

THURSDAY, MARCH 1 AT 7 PM

With Rabbi Ted Falcon, PhD, spiritual guide, author, teacher, therapist

TURN OUT THE LIGHTS, THE PARTY’S OVER. OR IS IT? WHAT HAPPENS IN OUR AFTERLIVES AND SHOULD THE PROMISE/THREAT OF AN ALTERNATE REALITY OR A SECOND GO-ROUND ALTER OUR BEHAVIOR IN THIS LIFE?

Bastyr University • 14500 Juanita Drive NE, Kenmore, WA 98028

Tickets: $12, sold at the door 30 min. before event

MORE INFO

I have not read Jonathan Safran Foer‘s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and yet I am certain I’d like the book more than the movie. At least, I hope I would. On screen, the effort to reduce the entirety of 9/11′s impact to one young survivor’s endurance of its aftermath is precious, contrived and, ultimately, trivializing. Proposing that Oskar Schell, a 9-year-old square who fits somewhere comfortably on the autism spectrum between a young Matthew Reinhart and a younger Rain Man — or, in other words, bright and awkward but not scary weird  — illustrate a city’s struggle to make sense of the non-sensical is a cinematic misstep. The character, despite Thomas Horn’s game performance, is not reasonably accessible; yes, he evokes sympathy but cannot induce us to transpose our comprehensions of the infamous day. I don’t care how caring or dynamic a dad Thomas Schell (Tom Hanks) appears to be, his son’s mourning does not cleanly correlate with the general public’s loss. Grief is not a parlor game and resolution does not necessarily equal catharsis. EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE is hobbled by the hubris of its creator/s, as it is readily apparent that the author and the filmmaker wish for this Schell game to produce one winner to stand-in for the rest of us. Instead, this over-produced, sentimental hustle leaves one feeling more like the sidewalk sucker taken in by three-card monte. Even the tears are illegitimate.

Conversely, MARGARET, long-shelved yet expertly crafted by Kenneth Lonergan, doesn’t fall for the age-old scam or the long con. Instead, the stage-schooled writer-director has sculpted a unique tale with a familiar lead teen, Lisa Cohen (Anna Paquin), who fancies herself one-of-a-kind because her suffering is her own and of her own doing, not some emotional blowback of a landmark tragedy beyond her reach, her control. Thus she may self-centeredly wallow in her quintupled reaction to grief which bounces around Kubler-Ross’s convenient chronology. Sure, Lisa cycles through denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance but her age-appropriate narcissism and cynicism — natural flip-sides of her burgeoning sense of mortality and a dispiriting deflation of idealism — is redolent of our own remembrances of our first, flush brushes with death and our sorry transitions to adult compartmentalization, our careless minimization of despair so achingly etched in Gerard Manley Hopkins‘ poem, Spring and Fall, that inspires this movie’s title. Navigating New York’s populous streets, Lisa still feels alone, in large part due to parental apathy and professorial navel-gazing… and other points south. Unlike the camera-ready citizens of EXTREMELY LOUD, the denizens of MARGARET‘s New York are so wrapped up in their own dramas, they barely register the girl’s existence and certainly can’t hear her muffled cries for help. It’s a damning condemnation of most adults’ sink-or-swim strategy with kids that often results in their needless drowning. Maybe the grown-ups ignore Lisa because they don’t care or, more likely, because they secretly wish to see her suffer, not unlike the victims of fraternal hazing who then brandish the whip for the subsequent freshmen rushing. In the end, if there is hope, it is only through uncommon connection, a fleeting, final embrace between mother and child when each fully recognizes the need for nurturing. We feels Lisa’s pain and, in turn, our own, wishing our partners may hold us tight before the curtain comes down.

Nearly a century ago, Gerard Manley Hopkins noted: “Sorrow’s springs are the same.” Indeed, yet only MARGARET taps them. Unforgettably.

What do YOU think?

I was fortunate to host Mr. Oldman just a couple of months ago for a very special edition of The High Bar — the only episode not to be shot at an actual bar! Even without the proper backdrop or the liquid courage on tap, our talk of trust and loyalty seemed to intoxicate the actor without any of the nasty side-effects.

I do hope we may welcome Mr. Oldman back when he has more time to visit and we have a bottle to share.

Norman Foster appears in URBANIZED and is also the star of the recent hagio-documentary, HOW MUCH DOES YOUR BUILDING WEIGH, MR. FOSTER?  Written and narrated by Deyan Sudjic — apparently, a critic in name only — the voice-over is so sycophantical I swore I was listening to James Lipton laud the early work of Chris Kattan. The film is a comely bit of archi-porn. And, like most porn…… it is tempting to fast-forward past the dialogue-heavy come-ons and get straight to the money shots. Ahhhhh. Yes. That’s good. Oh, God! There’s no denying Foster’s buildings are lush, supple and more sustainable than your average skyscraper. (Check out London’s “Gherkin” or the Torre Caja Madrid.) Unfortunately, there is no balance and little context to bolster his cinematic deification, other than a nod to his camaraderie with, according to Sudjic, the lesser Buckminster Fuller. (If you’d like a tantalizing sample of Bucky’s ground-breaking philosophies, I urge you to view Evan Mather‘s A NECESSARY RUIN.)

It is tempting to suggest that architects have it easy, what with their fancy wardrobes and jet-setting lives, yet a recent study from Georgetown University reports that college graduates with architecture degrees have the highest rate of unemployment, at 13.9 percent. While I feel sorry for those entering the profession, I wonder if there is an important opportunity intrinsic in this downturn: Perhaps we should stop building anything until we actually have, well, a plan?

I am heartened by the fledgling efforts of Decision Commons, housed at the University of Washington’s Runstad Center, that proactively seeks to streamline the process of culling input from all sectors — public, private and governmental — to determine the efficacy of proposed developments and how they might be tailored to serve everyone’s best interests rather than a few individuals’ bottom lines. For if ever there were an arena in which the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, the future environments (Capital E and small e) in which we all live, warrant a stronger foundation than just clever design.

What do YOU think?

Bonus: Here’s a link to another great animated short for bibliophiles, To Die By Your Side, a collaboration pairing filmmaker Spike Jonze and handbag designer Olympia Le-Tan. Be forewarned that the piece is not exactly family-friendly, so unless you care to have some ‘splainin’ to do, you may wish to keep the skeleton-on-skeleton action to yourself.

(Thanks to Thinking Caveman for sharing this YouTube link.)

For the inside scoop, I invited filmmaker Lev Anderson to visit The High Bar to raise a toast to and raise the bar for Fishbone. You can eavesdrop on our conversation once Season 3 of The High Bar debuts on UWTV and KBTC this February.

Cheers!

Although I AM is not on the Academy’s Short List nor was it in theaters long, Seattleites have a chance to see the movie once more, January 13th, 2012 at Wallingford Neighbors‘ screening series, Friday Night at the Meaningful Movies.

I encourage you to check I AM out on the big screen, then drop in at The High Bar for Tom Shadyac’s visit. The combo just may change your life or, at least, the way you look at yogurt.

What do YOU think?

On Monday, January 9th, 2012, I will host Ms. Paretsky again, this time at Seattle’s most charming staycation getaway, Pensione Nichols. The event is FREE and you may purchase a copy of her latest book at the venue for the best-seller to autograph. For more details and to attend, you MUST rsvp here.

The show will screen just before the movie, so arrive early, get your snacks — The Grand has some of the best popcorn in the region — and take a seat at… The High Bar with Gary Oldman.

A different sort of spoiler alert: It doesn’t hurt to read John Le Carre’s book first.

Jesse Peretz‘s OUR IDIOT BROTHER is deserving of four out of five cups from the punch bowl. The under-apreciated 2011 family comedy (or “fam-edy” as Adam Scott refers to it in the DVD extras) is a surprisingly sincere yet still flat-out silly tale of irritating, yet lovable relatives that gets it right. Yes, we may ruin each other’s lives, but that’s part of the charm, no? Paul Rudd is stellar as the titular, truthful shlemiel, harnessing his functional stoner charm for a role more meaningful than his unconvincing turns as the lead in too many half-baked romantic comedies. The rest of the movie is so charmingly cast, it is impossible to resist; I wish I were related to Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer, Shirley Knight, Rashida Jones and Elizabeth Banks (even if she is reduced to approximating Parker Posey, bad hair and all). Throw in great bits by Kathryn Hahn and T.J. Miller and some sly, scene-stealing moments courtesy of Steve Coogan (though I could have lived without seeing his two egg cups and a kidney dish) and you have the possibility of the most uproarious reunion ever. In a year of strong comedies, OUR IDIOT BROTHER ranks in the top five. What do YOU think?

During Season 1 of The High Bar, best-selling author and trouble-making blogger Jennifer Worick visited to raise a toast to and raise the bar for the functional family. Grab a beer, pull up a stool and draw your own conclusions… or rewrite your will.

In the meantime, I’m going window-shopping. Would love to find the perfect suit… and upgrade my sibling.

Titillating, ground-breaking passion advocate Susie Bright visits The High Bar to teach all of us a thing or two about… a thing or two-somes. And, give a climactic shout-out for her memoir.

Uh-oh. That time-honored excuse won’t help me now. I know who’s coming and am too intimidated to do anything about it. This week, I’ll be shooting new episodes of The High Bar and welcoming Eric Lanlard, one of the world’s most renowned patissiers, the owner of London’s beloved Cake Boy boutique and author of a similarly and humbly titled collection of his best recipes. How on earth will I thank him for his delectable contributions to the show?

In this episode of The High Bar, master monologist Mike Daisey, joins host Warren Etheredge to raise a toast to and raise the bar for… corporate accountability.

*Since taping this episode of The High Bar, Mr. Jobs passed away. While many have memorialized Apple’s core, some have practically canonized the man. In this bonus video, inspired by Mike Daisey, I ask all viewers to re-evaluate Steve Jobs’ legacy.

For more on Steve Jobs and the notion of corporate accountability, pull up a stool at The High Bar and eavesdrop on my conversation with master monologist and Apple-corer, Mike Daisey.

When the inimitable Trimpin visits The High Bar he shares his love of schnapps, exhibits his gift for compositional improv and validates Warren’s tone-deaf shower-singing. Most of all, Trimpin raises a toast to and the bar for… music appreciation. Cheers!

(Shot on location in The Back Bar at Bastille in Seattle, WA. Thanks to Deming, Jason and James.)

Self-Compassion: Stop Beating Yourself Up and Leave Insecurity Behind

Here’s a little taste — an Amuse Booze, if you will — of what you can expect to hear from her when The High Bar premieres her epsiode on Thursday, September 22nd, 2011 at http://thehighbar.tv

Cheers!

It’s a bittersweet story that Lennie requests repeatedly in Of Mice and Men. At its core, it’s a soothing, happy-making tale but also one built on a blatant disregard for logic, the obvious and present circumstances Sometimes reading this forum, I am reminded that the homers, the realists, the dreamers and the haters often want to hear about the rabbits, too, rather than just the facts. Or, the possible. Or, the contrary. We find comfort in the familiar and the like-minded. I, for one, though am tiring of the echo chamber’s redundancy and, this past Sunday, forced myself to tune it out. I remembered that I watch my beloved Dallas Cowboys to be transported, not just entertained. The brilliance of live sports and fandom is the combo’s capacity for enabling us, for three hours or more, to live exclusively in the moment.

Like many of you, I thrive and dive along with the fortunes of our team. I have since I was six years old and celebrated my 47th birthday this Monday basking in the luck of Sunday’s victory over San Francisco and the quick-gelling legend of Tony Romo‘s fractured fairy tale.

That said, it was not always apparent this game was to have a happy ending. Dan Bailey shanks a chip shot and, at the commercial break, I’m in the Zone checking to see who else is worried. A drive stalls and I’m back. And again. And again. But reading the feed did not provide solace but the opposite. Sure, others shared concerns but too many were ready to write off not only the game but the entire season after one bad half. I was reminded of the lesson of folklore’s rabbit who names his fears and in so doing, calls them closer — sort of the reverse of The Secret, a form of negative visualization… for the most pessimistic. Worse, it reminded me of my father and brother who used to half-heartedly watch games with me when I was a kid, constantly screeching what an a**hole this player was or what an “incompetent turd” another was. They said they were fans yet seemed happiest not when the team would win, but instead when they tried to squash my faith… as if by squelching another’s belief they’d be freed of the burden of their own potential disappointment/s. Back then, I was too naive to know any better and simply ignored them, cheering the Cowboys on — to myself, for myself — knowing at all times, that anything is possible — any comeback, any Hail Mary, any post-season glory. I patted my legs, silently chanting “Let’s go Dallas, come on Cowboys.” My father and brother tried to beat me down verbally during games and physically beyond, yet I never gave up hope. I may have doubted my own happiness but I never abandoned hope for my team.

So, after halftime this Sunday, I turned away from my intermittent visits to CZ, just as I had shut out the belabored harangues of my family decades earlier. I tuned out the noise and focused on the game, far from certain it would end well but determined to allow for that possibility and thus enjoy my time spent viewing. I didn’t need to drink the Red Kool-Aid and I didn’t need to don rose-colored glasses, I just needed to let go of expectation and replace it with the joy of the not yet determined. And, I began chanting again. To myself. Let’s go Cowboys. Let’s go defense. Let’s go Tony. Of course they couldn’t hear me… or perhaps I was actually summoning luck to our side.

Many are quick to reply to optimistic posts by suggesting there are no such things as moral victories. Fine. But if you accept that theory, shouldn’t you also accept that there are no such things as, well, moral defeats? I can’t believe the legion amongst us who find dark clouds engulfing silver linings and foxes in the rabbit patch.

Tony Romo (helped) beat the 49ers and, moreso, his critics — the harshest seeming to come from his own corner, our team’s alleged fans. He played hard knowing his effort was as valuable as the win, a lesson we might all want to adapt from his heavy mettle. I will never forget this game nor our quarterback’s courage. It will embolden me to keep the faith if for no other reason than because it just feels better that way. There’s no shame in trying, plenty in giving up.

At the end of John Steinbeck‘s classic novel, Lennie begs to be told about the rabbits one more time before George puts an end to it, an end to his friend. It is an act of incredible kindness. May we now put to rest our weekly proclamations of falling or clear blue skies and consider such extremes only exist in poorly told tales; the most engaging stories are those we can’t anticipate, the kinds of stories that unfold on any given Sunday if only we remain quiet enough to hear them out.

Listen closely and you can still hear Jesse Holley celebrating.

Of course, there’s always more to learn, thus why we invited legendary sexpert Susie Bright to The High Bar: to raise a toast to and raise the bar for… erotic literacy. (Oh, and to seduce us with tantalizing tidbits from her new memoir, Big Sex Little Death.)

Enjoy this week’s Amuse Booze with Susie Bright. The complete episode premieres on September 15th, 2011 at thehighbar.tv

Shot on location at The Chapel Bar in Seattle, WA (thanks to Patrick Cyr)

Special thanks to Roadside Attractions and Leah Bledsoe at Allied Integrated Marketing

Mike Daisey

Let me offer you a little “amuse booze” from The High Bar, a preview of this very timely and controversial episode which premieres on Thursday, September 8th, 2011 at TheHighBar.tv

Researchers have determined that our reading comprehension and retention is severely minimized when we absorb information from websites and blogs versus our ability to grasp and maintain the same stories conveyed in print. It’s a fascinating argument and one that amiably accompanies my belief that there is a visceral sensation reading newspapers or books that goes beyond the mere tactile sensation.

The question is, if the Ducks’ docs are right, how does this discredit or undermine the rise of new media journalism. What do YOU think?

For some expert opinions and fun conversations about journalism, stop by The High Bar for my chats with Monica Guzman Preston and Brian Stelter of The New York Times.

For more about WFW’s incentive program and what YOU can do, watch this video.

Recently, the Puget Sound Business Journal asked me to comment on the potential demise of WFW and the ongoing debate over film incentives in B.C. Click here for the complete article.

Shot on location at The Chapel Bar (Seattle) with the assistance of manager Patrick Cyr.

Produced by Warren Etheredge and Owen Kindig.

Directed by Owen Kindig

Crew: Owen Kindig, Philip Camp, Nate Miller, Mike Astle, Greg Westhoff, and Patrick Lloyd.

Special thanks to:

Participant Media and Summit Entertainment

Leah Bledsoe, Allied Integrated Marketing

and… Nancy Dragun

Guests of The High Bar receive a gift bag with goodies provided by:

Cupcake Royale, Dipti’s Chai Tea Masala, Seattle Sorbets, Sip & Ship, Skydottir Epic Cookies, Theo Chocolate

What is so funny is that my character on Larry Sanders was a very schlubby guy. And then I play this character who is a shark and takes up all the oxygen in the room, and suddenly I’m typecast as that guy. But I really have to whip myself up to play Ari [Gold]. It requires a very specific type of frenzy. That’s not who I am. That sort of frenetic, abrasive, reactive energy is not my natural resting state.

I do not know Jeremy Piven, I have neither met him nor interviewed him like Benjamin Svetkey, yet I am reminded me of a wonderful story from Norman Mailer about my namesake — sadly, not my facesake — Warren Beatty:

Warren Beatty has a remark I love. I saw him in BUGSY, and afterwards, I was kidding him a little. I said, “Aren’t you concerned your friends might be afraid of you now?” because he had a violence in BUGSY that was really startling. And he said, “No, because most of my friends are actors, and what we know is you only need 5 percent of someone in yourself to be able to play it.” And Beatty grinned and said, “Of course, if you have 75 percent, it’s a lot easier. But 5’s all you need.

Regardless of resting states, I still wonder, purely percentage-wise, just how easy it is for Jeremy Piven to get into character.

What do YOU think?

* July 29, 2011

** excerpted from an article, also in Entertainment Weekly, January 19, 2007

SCREAM

SPOONER

(For more conversation, click here for Warren’s chat with Matthew at Slamdance in 2009: thewarrenreport.com/​2009/​02/​18/​slamdance-09-matthew-lillard-spooner/​)

While we’re waiting for our drinks, pick up a copy of Ms. July’s revelatory short stories, No One Belongs Here More Than You. It’s a charming, provocative read and one of the entries in particular serves as a wonderful preview of THE FUTURE . Then, revisit the quirky author’s quirkier feature debut, ME YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW, which plays out like GARDEN STATE, only with real humans in unreal yet familiar predicaments.

Produced by Warren Etheredge and Owen Kindig
Directed by Owen Kindig
Associate Producer: Nancy Dragun

Crew: Owen Kindig, Lionel Flynn, Jason Ganwich, Patrick Lloyd, Richard Williams, Mike Burns, Kari Sue      Intern: Jimmy Zhang

Edited by: Robyn Scaringi

Music courtesy: Miztaklean – Beat Z69 Project

Shot on location at The Elysian Brewery, Seattle – with help from Dick Cantrell

Gift bag contributors:
Bakon Vodka (bakonvodka.com/​)
Cupcake Royale (cupcakeroyale.com/​)
Dipti’s Chai Tea Masala (naturallynirvana.com/​)
The Gifted Vine Wine Company (giftedvine.com/​)
Lather Unusual (latherunusual.com/​)
Seattle Sorbets (seattle-sorbets.com/​)
Sin In Linen (sininlinen.com/​)
Sip & Ship (sipandship.com/​)
Skydottir Epic Cookies (skydottir.com/​)
Theo Chocolate (theochocolate.com/​)

If I could travel back in time, I would urge more folks to see MOON, Duncan Jones‘ debut, hard sci-fi feature that melded the cinematic sensibilities of Peter Hyams and Tarkovsky. MOON is far superior and thoughtful entertainment to movies made with twenty times the budget. Today, I needn’t bend the space-time continuum as Duncan’s second movie, SOURCE CODE plays in theaters and you can see it on the big screen without altering the course of history… Other than the director’s own.

Duncan Jones bellies up to The High Bar to discuss SOURCE CODE, second chances and the very nature of… existence.

(This article was originally published on Sparksheet.)

The next James Bond film will reportedly receive $45 million, a third of its overall budget, from high-end on-screen product placement.

The sum is more than double the previous record for a single film (Steven Spielberg raked in $20 million for brazenly running ads for Guinness and the Gap in Minority Report’s “near future”), and threatens to lethally reduce 007’s latest adventure to little more than a big screen companion to the Sharper Image catalogue.

The Hollywood practice of funding films with advertising dollars is not only accepted, it now borders on a fiscal imperative for big budget flicks. Product placement appears in roughly 68 percent of Hollywood films today, according to several reports. The majority of these movies feature multiple products and, on average, each product is represented on screen in one way or another at least eight times.

Given the slow death of the 30-second commercial spot, ad agencies are happy to pony up huge sums, cognizant of the tweaked adage: You never get a second chance to make a million impressions.

Of course, evaluating whether product placement is classy or obscene is akin to identifying pornography; you know it when you see it. My general rule is that if the appearance of a soda can or an automobile’s insignia pulls me out of the story and leaves me clinging to narrative threads like Indiana Jones swinging from an old rope bridge, there’s a problem.

Talladega Nights, a movie branded from green flag to checkered flag, worked because the tongue-in-cheek tie-ins provided a sly swipe at the NASCAR culture it parodies. Carrie Bradshaw constantly pecking at her Apple computer is reasonable;she doesn’t seem like a Dell girl.

But when product placement clumsily works its way into dialogue – I’m thinking of Daniel Craig’s 007 informing a likely conquest that he’s wearing an Omega, not a Rolex, in Casino Royale – I’m ticked.

Television shows used to tout their sponsors openly. Viewers knew they were being pitched because the presenters made it explicit. Even Alfred Hitchcock sardonically prepped his small screen audiences, “And now a word from our sponsors.”

Product placement functions in the opposite manner: Filmmakers hope viewers won’t notice, while brands are banking on them remembering when purchasing their next meal, laptop or timepiece.

In POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, Super Size Me director Morgan Spurlock takes the old-school approach to the extreme in order to explore the increasingly complex world of product placement in movies. The documentary tracks Spurlock’s quest to underwrite the very movie we watch unspool, with fascinating and hilarious results.

I sat down with Morgan on my show, The High Bar, where we discussed his self-reflexive new film and the implications of increased product placement on screen, in our schools and even in our dreams.

Shot on location at The Chapel Bar (Seattle) with the assistance of manager Patrick Cyr.

Produced by Warren Etheredge and Owen Kindig.

Directed by Owen Kindig

Crew: Philip Camp, Nate Miller, Mike Astle, Greg Westhoff, and Patrick Lloyd.

Special thanks to:

Nancy Dragun

Guests of The High Bar receive a gift bag with goodies provided by:

Bakon Vodka, Cupcake Royale, Dipti’s Chai Tea Masala, The Gifted Vine Wine Company, Seattle Sorbets, Sin In Linen, Sip & Ship, Skydottir Epic Cookies, Theo Chocolate

Visqueen‘s pitch-perfect and patter-perfected rock goddess, Rachel Flotard, visits The High Bar, to raise a toast to and raise the bar for… Indie music. And, possibly, for her own label Local 638 Records. Now, if it weren’t for those pesky crab cakes that have a habit of repeating…

This episode of The High Bar was produced by, and originally aired on, SCANtv.

What do YOU think?

Shot on location at The Chapel Bar (Seattle) with the assistance of manager Patrick Cyr.

Produced by Warren Etheredge and Owen Kindig.

Directed by Owen Kindig

Crew: Owen Kindig, Philip Camp, Patrick Lloyd and Lionel Flynn.

Edited by Robyn Scaringi

Special thanks to:

Nancy Dragun

Shot on location at The Chapel Bar (Seattle) with the assistance of manager Patrick Cyr.

Produced by Warren Etheredge and Owen Kindig.

Directed by Owen Kindig

Crew: Owen Kindig, Philip Camp, Patrick Lloyd and Lionel Flynn.

Edited by Robyn Scaringi

Special thanks to:

Peter Miller, Bloomsbury Publishing
Susan Kese, Joy Delf Media Service
Stesha Brandon, University Bookstore

& Nancy Dragun

Guests of The High Bar receive a gift bag with goodies provided by:

Cupcake Royale
Dipti’s Chai Tea Masala
The Gifted Vine Wine Company
Seattle Sorbets
Sip & Ship
Skydottir Epic Cookies
Theo Chocolate

(Note: This is Monica’s second trip to The High Bar. Last time, she and Warren raised a toast to… new media journalism: vimeo.com/​16805490)

Shot on location at The Chapel Bar (Seattle) with the assistance of manager Patrick Cyr.

Produced by Warren Etheredge and Owen Kindig.

Directed by Owen Kindig

Crew: Philip Camp, Nate Miller, Mike Astle, Greg Westhoff, and Patrick Lloyd.

Special thanks to:  Nancy Dragun

Guests of The High Bar receive a gift bag with goodies provided by:

Cupcake Royale
Dipti’s Chai Tea Masala
Seattle Sorbets
Sip & Ship
Skydottir Epic Cookies
Theo Chocolate

Jodie Foster stopped by to chat with me at The High Bar, my award-winning talk show. The BBC invited me to teach two master classes in London earlier this year. Morgan Spurlock(http://vimeo.com/23022648) and Chuck Palahniuk (http://vimeo.com/7580182) are repeat customers. Now, you can find out why the Brits and the super-famous consider me one of the world’s best conversationalists and and why best-selling author, Dan Pink says:

“Warren Etheredge is an extraordinary interviewer — one of the best in the country. He’s incredibly prepared for each encounter — and has an uncanny ability to absorb complicated material and distill it for audiences. He also has a terrific sense of humor that makes the interviews feel less like dutiful graduate seminars and more like a late-night talk show. Indeed, I think it’s only a matter of time before some media executive wises up and gives Warren his own show.”

Having conducted over 1,500 interviews with the likes of Woody Allen, Amy Sedaris, Calvin Trillin, Naomi Watts, Robert Duvall, Mariel Hemingway, Salman Rushdie, Nora Ephron, Michael Pollan, Charlie Kaufman, Augusten Burroughs, Andy Samberg, Vincent Bugliosi and, dear lord, Nicolas Cage, I have learned how to grill a star and how to coax truth from politicians, authors and everyday people. Now you can learn my secrets. Whether you are a journalist, a documentarian, screenwriter or none of the above, you’ll benefit from my valuable lessons regarding how to listen better so that you can learn more and influence others.

“Warren is the most knowledgeable and engaging interviewer and commentator on film that I have ever been engaged with. His insight and criticism are tempered with a keen sense of humor and irony. To be the subject of one of his filmmaking classes was both intellectually stimulating and a whole lot of fun.” —James Foley, filmmaker (GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS; AT CLOSE RANGE)

“…I found [our] conversations about 4 times more fun and thought-provoking than any other moderated talks in which I’ve participated.” — David Benioff (screenwriter, THE 25TH HOUR; THE KITE RUNNER; WOLVERINE)

“Warren Etheredge is one of the most probing and thoughtful interviewers–not to mention the wittiest!” —David Grann, author of THE LOST CITY OF Z

I am always flattered by the (unsolicited!) feedback I receive from the folks I interview. I am thrilled they appreciate the spirit with which I approach interviews. (Owen Schmitt , formerly of The Seattle Seahawks, refers to my style as “chill”… and who am I to argue with the 6’2″, 247 pound fullback?)

Now you can learn how I prepare for interviews and how I respond to the different challenges presented by questioning folks on tape, on camera or before an audience. And, I’ll share insights and a little bit of gossip from the 1,500+ interviews I’ve conducted.

You’ll learn why documentarian Peter Esmonde says: “I was more relaxed being interviewed by you than anyone before or since. It’s so clear that, aside from being attentive and intelligent, you know [your stuff] — and that makes the interview more of a conversation with a compadre.”

The venue for this special intensive will be the Phinney Neighborhood Association (6352 Phinney Ave N, Seattle WA 98103)

Tuition for this exclusive, 3+ hour workshop is only $100. reserve your seat now on EventBrite. Or, you may mail check or money order (made payable to Warren Etheredge) to: 1752 NW Market St #118, Seattle 98107. Or, pay using PayPal, sending money to warren@thewarrenreport.com

Space is very limited, so please reserve your seat today and indicate you’ll be attending on Facebook.

About me…

Warren Etheredge didn’t speak until he was 6 years old; he’s been going strong ever since, making a lively livelihood and the most out of every conversation, elevating small talk to high art, discourse to an ideal. He talks. He teaches. He interviews.

He has has conducted over 1,500 interviews ― in print, on camera, on stage ― with a wide range of filmmakers, authors, personalities and smarties including Amy Sedaris, Darren Aronofsky, Michael Pollan, Charlie Kaufman, Naomi Watts, Salman Rushdie, Robert Duvall, Alexander Payne, Nora Ephron, Augusten Burroughs, Michael Lewis and Chuck Palahniuk.

He hosts The High Bar, the award-winning weekly television series devoted to “raising the bar” through light-hearted conversation with people who care about culture that matters.

He is the founder of The Warren Report (www.thewarrenreport.com) and as such curates and hosts over 200 events every year.

He is also one of the founding faculty of The Film School (www.thefilmschool.com), former Curator for the 1 Reel Film Festival (at Bumbershoot), a published author, an Off-Broadway produced playwright, an acclaimed documentarian, a regular contributor to public radio and, internationally, a much sought-after public speaker on myriad topics.

Below, a transcript of my presentation.

Hi. My name is Warren Etheredge and I am NOT an alcoholic. Like Kim, I am a spirited drinker. In large part, I think this explains how and why we collaborated on countless events over a dozen years. I think we both see life, when properly navigated, as a series of contiguous cocktail parties with great food, good conversations and, ideally, no boring people. In fact, if Kim were here right now, I imagine she’d sidle over to me and whisper something like: oh, ferchrissakes, this is beautiful but can we open some wine and lighten up?  And (noting the cathedral wall behind us)… mauve? Really? Mauve?

Kim and I shared a tremendous capacity for criticism and many wrongly attribute this to sass, snark or cynicism when, more rightly, it is simply the flip side of idealism, a reflection of a shared faith in the redemptive power of literature. Kim believed we would be better as a whole if we just read more, ate better and canned more fruit. Honestly, I never understood the whole canning thing. Kim loved nothing more than the Good Book — that being the one she was enjoying at the moment.

Above all, Kim was driven by the notion that books can change the world… if only people read them. We were both appalled by the statistic that the average American household buys only ONE book per year… and just think of how all of us gathered here today skew that number. So Kim devised a multitude of public events to bring books and their authors to the people. To select guests, we would flip through publishers’ catalogues like kids trading baseball cards — “got it, got it, need it, want it, got it” — but instead we’d exchange insider baseball phrases like “hack”, “pervert,” “illiterate,” “Booker prize winner”… (and that was all the same author). I was honored to host Words & Wine and The Good Life series. Though they made no fiscal sense whatsoever — trust me — Kim was determined to introduce folks to greater ideas and lesser celebrated writers such as Ethan Canin, Dacher Keltner and Andre Dubus III. In short, Kim did more for literature and literacy than Nancy Pearl on a life-long Ritalin bender.

Of course, if you’re going to change the world or make some omelets, you are going to crack some eggheads. I remember early in our friendship when Kim completed my mantra: if you’re not pissing somebody off, you’re not doing it right. Consequently, I’d argue that Kim has never been recognized as she should, as a savior of bookstores by regenerating the passion of their patrons. Kim was unorthodox, at worst, and revolutionary, always. She reinvented systems from the outside, having learned that those running the inside just don’t get it.

I have always spoken extemporaneously. It’s sort of a trademark and I had hoped to do so again today. However, so desperate to honor Kim properly, I decided to craft a speech instead. Fittingly, about an hour ago,  I inadvertently erased my notes – twice! -and had to recreate it from scratchy memory. Forgive me. I know if Kim were here, she would have laughed, brought me another Tom Collins and reminded me not to sweat it. She’d say, “It’s no big deal, Warren. You’re just opening for Tom Douglas.”

It is tempting for journalists and obituary writers to remember Kim as an incredible behind-the-scenes force. However, I will forever see Kim as the headliner, a trusted colleague, a dear friend, one helluva woman, a role model, my only mentor.

I can think of no better way to pay tribute to Kim than to keep reading — I’ve picked up James Wood’s How Fiction Worksfor a reassuring sense of order — and to keep drinking.  I’ve brought my flask for a very necessary appreciation of life’s madness.  To Kim.

I went to sleep with visions of Emmys and woke with the dull, buzzing reminder of all the celebratory gin I had consumed hours earlier. Far worse, was the news I received moments later upon rolling over and checking my e-mail: my good friend and frequent collaborator, Kim Ricketts, had died. Sure, I knew she had been battling illness and yet Kim has always struck me as invincible; beneath her thin smile and strong facade, steely and pickled, I imagined her surviving the apocalypse and presenting author events with new life forms shortly thereafter.

I already miss Kim. I remain convinced that she did more to promote literature and literacy in this town than anyone and I remain frustrated that she never received the credit deserved for her noble efforts. (Too often, she got the quite opposite, sadly.) I am proud to have hosted dozens of events in The Good Life and Words & Wine series she conceived, the latter an obvious merging of our shared belief that communal high culture is best with hooch… and laughs.

Long before these series, a dozen years ago or so, Kim recruited me to host visiting authors at University Bookstore. She was one of the first and the few in this town to seriously consider the passion and levity I can bring to such occasions and for that I shall forever be thankful. Without her, and the exposure these events granted me, I am uncertain I would be filming The High Bar and inviting authors such as Booker Prize winner Howard Jacobson on to discuss The Finkler Question and what it means to be Jewish or Lori Gruen to talk about Animals & Ethics.

Like all of us, Kim had her quirks — such as savant-like knowledge of history and her magical ability to repeatedly double the size of any audience in her head — but all her eccentricities underscored her single-minded devotion to books and their power. The Warren Report has long touted that smarter audiences make better movies. I know Kim believed that smarter readers make a better world. It is inarguable.

I know there is nothing I can do to resurrect Kim just days after Easter yet I do know how best to honor her life and memory. Tonight, I will pour myself a good, stiff drink pick up a book I’ve been meaning to read — maybe Jose Saramago‘s Death With Interruptions would be fitting — and consume both with urgency, wonder and delight.

Here’s to you, Kim Ricketts. Thanks for all you have done and all you will still inspire.

Duncan Jones bellies up to The High Bar to discuss SOURCE CODE, second chances and the very nature of… existence.

Starring Ryan Reynolds, in a role that has convinced me, finally, that he is actually an actor not just a ridiculously buff goofball with dramatic ambitions, BURIED offers pointed critiques of American foreign policy and, more damningly, American corporate practices… though audiences can easily overlook these jabs by simply remaining spooked, an easy feat given Cortes’ direction that keeps us within the confines of both a coffin and real time. How and why our nominal hero finds himself trapped is slowly revealed thanks to Chris Sparling‘s tight script and Cortes’ innovative camera-work that, seemingly, never repeats itself and always offers new angles on the developing crisis. Additionally and wisely, the director served as his own editor, revealing how cleanly and calculatedly he must have plotted the shoot. Rodrigo Cortes’ work, completed under limited budget and over just seventeen production days, reveals an immense talent, a filmmaker with an intellectually rigorous approach to inherently visceral storytelling that is the hallmark of, yes, Hitchcock. BURIED is the PSYCHO of the Gulf War generation.

I love movies and much of my work revolves around the analysis and evaluation of them. That said, beyond the classroom, the theater or the radio, I discuss films with very few folks as I sometimes need a break.

Yet [on Wednesday], I ran into a long-time Seattle acquaintance, teacher/writer/comedian Brian McDonald, a man for I have always maintained a healthy respect while aware of some philosophical differences in our approach to screenwriting and story-telling. (He’s a structure guy, I’m a character guy. Whatever.) We quickly moved from small talk to smaller talk, an impromptu dissection of kids films, particularly Pixar’s oeuvre and, whattayaknow?, I learned something. Brian suggested that the commercially underrated, critically-beloved studio/superpower has been going downhill since FINDING NEMO. A bold statement. When I challenged him to explain, he presented an excellent case, pinpointing structural flaws in UP and WALL-E and a character misstep in TOY STORY 3. I’ve got to hand it to him, it was a very compelling argument, one that makes me believe his theory that I, too, have fallen prey to Pixar’s reputation and, consequently, have been blind(ed) to these flaws. Wow. (No wonder Andrew Stanton seeks Brian’s counsel. Really.)

What do YOU think?

I am grateful I can still be surprised by film criticism and thankful for my enlightening camaraderie with Brian McDonald. Happy Birthday! (Nice sweater, bro.)

Thursday, February 24th, 2011 @ 7PM

Landmark Harvard Exit  (807 E Roy st, Seattle, WA 98102)

* PLEASE NOTE: If you would like to see this preview of I AM, please leave the name/s of those who wish to attend in the comments section below. I will respond with a confirmation. Seating can never be guaranteed absolutely, however, if you arrive early, your name will be on the guest list and your odds are at least as good as Lindsay Lohan returning to court. *

I AM, a prismatic and probing exploration of our world, what’s wrong with it, and what we can do to make it better, represents Tom Shadyac‘s first foray into non-fiction following a career as one of Hollywood’s leading comedy practitioners, with such successful titles as ACE VENTURA, LIAR LIAR and BRUCE ALMIGHTY to his credit. I AM recounts what happened to the filmmaker after a cycling accident left him incapacitated, possibly for good. Though he ultimately recovered, he emerged a changed man. Disillusioned with life on the A-list, he sold his house, moved to a mobile home community, and decided to start life anew.

Armed with nothing but his innate curiosity and a camera crew, Shadyac embarks upon a journey to discover how he as an individual, and we as a race, can improve the way we live. Appearing on-screen as character, commentator, guide, and even, at times, guinea pig, Shadyac meets with a variety of thinkers and doers–remarkable men and women from the worlds of science, philosophy, and faith–including such luminaries as David Suzuki, Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Lynne McTaggart, Ray Anderson, John Francis, Coleman Barks, and Marc Ian Barasch.  An irrepressible Everyman who asks many questions but offers no easy answers, he takes the audience to places it has never been before, and presents even familiar phenomena in completely new and different ways.

What do YOU think?

The construction of this view-obscuring, life-saving budget-drainer inspired one of my favorite episodes of The High Bar on which I match wits with The Stranger‘s Brendan Kiley, debating the relative merits of the project’s costs versus the good done. (Watch it on Vimeo or YouTube.)

Since the show, the state has announced it will begin work on “strengthen[ing] bridge support columns, girders and trusses” to the tune of 9.3 million dollars. Um, in this economy, shouldn’t that have been done first as the structural integrity of the bridge will likely save more lives than the fence?

What do YOU think?

Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 7:00pm
Regal Cinemas Meridian 16
1501 7th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101
Directed by: Miguel Arteta
Written by: Phil Johnston
Produced by: Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor, Jim Burke
Cast:   Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, Sigourney Weaver, Anne Heche, Stephen Root, Kurtwood Smith, Alia Shawkat, Mike O’Malley, Rob Corddry and Seth Morris

** If you would like to attend, please leave your name and the number of tickets you would like in the comments section below, please. I will let you know if you are confirmed.**

In Miguel Arteta’s new comedy CEDAR RAPIDS, Tim Lippe (Ed Helms) was the guy people always thought would go places but then he just . . . didn’t.  He’s been living in über-sleepy Brown Valley, Wisconsin his whole life, still “pre-engaged” to his 7th grade teacher Millie Vanderhei (Sigourney Weaver), while selling insurance to protect other people’s dreams.  But now, Tim’s stalled life is about to get a kick-start because, for the first time in his 34 years, he’s headed to a “major” metropolis — Cedar Rapids, Iowa — where he must try to save his company at a do-or-die insurance convention that, for him, will be entirely nonconventional.

From the minute he checks into his hotel with his ancient American Tourister and cummerbund money-belt, it’s clear Tim has no idea how the modern world really works.  He is soon smitten with seductive Nebraskan insurance agent Joan (Anne Heche) and awed by his experienced roommates, the straight-shooting Wilkes (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) and the suspicious Zeigler (John C. Reilly).  Disheartened when he comes face-to-face with corporate corruption, Tim is ultimately lured beyond the lobby into an urban jungle he’s only ever seen on DVD and when it seems his life – and chances to succeed – have gone completely topsy-turvy, he finds his own unjaded way to turn it all around.

At several junctures in my life, I have felt compelled to “start over,” sometimes geographically by choice, sometimes fiscally by misfortune. However, while my methods have evolved, my madness remains the same. Seeking a cure, I joined Jeannie Yandel on KUOW Presents to discuss three movies (SECONDS, LOST IN AMERICA and UNKNOWN WHITE MALE) that explore starting over and how they parallel my own efforts to begin again. (Fin, again?)

Listen in on our conversation, then tell me: What do YOU think?

James “Thinking Man’ Lupori has already chimed in. Read his take on one of the movies I featured here.

Years ago, I hosted a Seattle preview screening of LITTLE CHILDREN with special guest, Todd Field, the director. I was fortunate to have dinner with him while the movie was unspooling, even though the Italian food served was as authentic as my Jamaican accent. After dissing his former classmates at AFI, including Darren Aronofsky, and discussing his collaborations with composer Thomas Newman, we chatted about something of far greater importance, our children, sparked by the moral conflict faced by the parents in his debut feature, IN THE BEDROOM. Todd spoke sweetly of raising his little ones in Maine and his desire to closely monitor the media they absorbed. I told him about my efforts to build a film library for Ava and he suggested I add… Pingu. I had never heard of the Swiss-animated series, but purchased it on-line immediately upon returning home that night. I am glad I did. The cartoons, in which the titular penguin and his family live life in an Arctic paradise of small-town values and pseudo-Scandanavian gibberish. The beauty of Pingu is how its good-natured charms translate universally.

This morning, Ava and I watched a new DVD of Pingu cartoons, giggling throughout. Ava has outgrown many other childhood entertainments, but not this one. I am thankful she has not and am grateful to Todd Field for his brilliant recommendation.

What do YOU think?

Today, we may be victims of our own aural prejudices. We want leaders who talk tough and/or sound smart, often failing to analyze the (mis)truths of their phrasings before passing our own sentences. To some, Sarah Palin comes across as candid, a woman of her convictions. To some, Barack Obama is erudite, a man of considered opinions. Either or both judgements may be correct but no one should come to these conclusions based solely on intuitive reactions to their speaking styles. To paraphrase one of our finest preachers, I have a dream we will one day live in a nation where politicians will not be judged by the colorfulness of their soundbites, but by the content of their rhetoric.

Till then, THE KING’S SPEECH best falls on deaf ears.

What do YOU think?

What do YOU think?

(Thanks to TLoML for sharing the review with me.)

This got me thinking about my favorite downbeat short films of all time and I feel compelled to share two titles with you. If you can find them, please do watch them. They are among the best films of any length I’ve ever seen.

Hollie Lavenstein‘s CLEAVE is a brutal rendering of the most vindictive tendencies of a broken heart, a suspenseful tale that surprises, even though it marches steadily towards its awful end. More devastating, Hilde van Mieghem‘s DE SUIKERPOT, which chronicles the fragile happiness of a little girl living with a drunken, impotent father whom she idolizes and a stern, yet caring mother whom she fears. When I first saw the short at the Seattle International Film Festival at the Harvard Exit, I had to stay in my seat when the lights came up because I was bawling… and continued to do so for another ten minutes. When I screened the film for another audience a year later, I had the same response. Even talking about it I can get misty, as I do when I look at my daughter who looks similar to the young actress.

I believe that we should embrace sadness when it comes; our acceptance of the emotion more critical to our happiness than, well, happiness.

What do YOU think?

That said, I am disappointed that Juliette Lewis was overlooked for her small, yet vital contribution to Tony Goldwyn‘s CONVICTION. She has only two scenes in the film and the first you almost overlook, as it takes to identify the actress beneath the big hair and garish make-up. However, when she returns late in the film, viewers may know it’s her but immediately forget as she so thoroughly embodies the role of a half-”baked,” guilt-laden loser with greater guile than good sense, that the actress disappears. While her character might have the power to exculpate Sam Rockwell‘s, there is always doubt as to whether she would if she could. It is a note-perfect performance — elegantly crafted by screenwriter Pamela Gray from transcripts and eyewitness accounts — that outshines Amy Adams‘ turn in THE FIGHTER. (Sorry, Amy. I still think you’re swell.) Sadly, not only did the Academy snub Juliette, so did the Independent Spirit Awards, though competition for the latter is more evenly matched.

CONVICTION was released on DVD today. Let this serve as your serve as a summons for cinematic jury duty. Watch the movie, wait for Juliette’s scenes and then render a verdict. Tell me…

What do YOU think?

However, the art I do know or, at least, feel confident opining about is comedy and this film provides a handful of gems that will outlive the screen-prints of Mr. Brainwash. Banksy’s timing and dry delivery are masterful, particularly when critiquing another’s filmmaking or confessing he’s abandoned his former habit of encouraging everyone to create Art: “I don’t do that so much anymore.” Brilliant. Put that in the Louvre.

I am a late-comer to the Banksy party, only becoming aware of him with the release of this movie and his hilariously subversive one-shot opening for The Simpsons. Suffice it to say, I am a fan, a convert. I am thankful for Banksy and his wit.

What do YOU think?

One journalist friend of mine told me a story of approaching Sheila Nevins, the head of HBO documentaries, at the outset of the Afghan campaign, to propose going on location early to live with the locals and see how the war affected them. Nevins dismissed the idea, saying that she “didn’t want to know about those awful people,” and had no interest “what they’re like.”

Oy. This reminds me of when I was on a panel programming shorts for a major international film festival. We had all watched the same movies and were convening to share our opinions and scores. We began discussing one title, a gritty — euphemism alert! — urban drama that received “A pluses” from everyone at the meeting but one juror. She gave it an F. When pressed to explain why her take was in such contrast to the majority, she calmly offered: “I’m just tired of movies about black people.” Yes, aren’t we all tired of all those damn movies with Jennifer Aniston and Bradley Cooper and Kristen Stewart and Leonardo DiCaprio… Whoops! They’re white, aren’t they? Oh, so the programmer who said that is an ass, isn’t she? Maybe she could get a job working for Sheila Nevins.*

The first two requirements for being a journalist or a curator or a gatekeeper really ought to be curiosity and compassion. If one can’t manage those two Cs, how could be expected to see the truth.

What do YOU think?

* Please note, I do believe Ms. Nevins has overseen the broadcast of many great documentaries, but stories like the one from Bad News do lead me to question her objectivity given the task or wrangling documentaries which, by their very nature, ought to provide unflinching looks at the world and peoples around us without prejudice.

Of course, that’s just my opinion based on anecdote, observation and experience, but now, I have Tom Fenton backing me up. The revered, retired CBS senior foreign correspondent details the dumbing-down of the evening broadcasts and the fiscal and ethical implications of this process in his searing indictment, Bad News: The Decline of Reporting, the Business of News, and the Danger to Us All. The book is almost a relic, a memento of what was once known as investigative journalism. Fenton interviews the last three archetypal old, white male anchors before they were dropped or walked the plank. (Peter Jennings is sharp, Tom Brokaw, candid and Dan, rather coy.) Fenton examines the excuses for the changes in network coverage and why they may be valid yet unacceptable. Fenton proscribes the (ir)responsible executives and, most importantly, prescribes solutions for saving both journalism and, in turn, our nation. In part, his answer is a return to former standards, specifically CBS News Standards. The author cites this significant preface to them by Richard Salant, who was president of the network’s news division back in 1976. It bears reprinting:

“We in broadcast journalism cannot, should not, and will not base our judgements on what we think the viewers and listeners are ‘most interested’ in, or hinge our news judgement and our news treatments on our guesses or someone else’s surveys as to what news the people want to hear and see, and in what form. The judgments must be professional news judgments — nothing more, nothing less.”

Sadly, ratings, profits and a patronizing disregard for Americans’ capacity for understanding, have diverted today’s journalists from their principled mission to an ignoble cliff-dive from the summit of Man’s knowledge to the pit of his fears. News at 11.

While we wag our fingers at the failed Fourth Estate, we might also ask ourselves how active we are in our pursuit of real information — not what’s fair, balanced or preposterously biased — but rather that which faithfully reports the facts so that we might assemble the truth from them. Yes, the truth may remain subjective, but wouldn’t you rather form your own opinion than adopt the one shouted at you?

I make it a point to take in multiple news sources including ones that don’t necessarily jibe with my world view, precisely for that reason. I love The Week for its sampling of different outlets’ perspectives on headline and back page items. I could still dig deeper and given Time or The Economist or Foreign Affairs, I will. (Anyone want to send me subscriptions, please?  You could be a PCH winner!)

As always, I am most interested in your opinion. What do YOU think?

Jeff Warrick‘s PROGRAMMING THE NATION traces the history of subliminal manipulation and examines its advances in the guise of political spin and product placement. He interviews Douglas Rushkoff, Dennis Kucinich and Noam Chomsky, amongst many others, for their candid opinions. Note: this is a fair-handed documentary, the message of which is, at all times, overt. Thus, viewers can decide for themselves: have they been saved from being brain-washed or have they been licked, reduced to all-day suckers?

Watch the movie, then tell me: What do YOU think?

What do YOU think?

For anyone fence-sitting about marriage equality, I encourage you to watch my interview with Charlene Strong and David Rothmiller, subject and director of the doc, FOR MY WIFE…, and the very first episode of The High Bar, for which my special guest was Steven Greenstreet, director of  8: THE MORMON PROPOSITION.

Recently, Mr. Martin, the pensive comedian/author/playwright/banjo picker, joined The New York Times’ Deborah Solomon for a closed-circuit-televised, on-stage interview at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Like any good interviewer, Ms. Solomon focused on her guest’s latest work — An Object of Beauty – and quizzed him about the novel’s context: the art world. During their talk, a Y staffer delivered a note to Ms. Solomon urging her to refocus questions to concentrate on Mr. Martin’s more familiar career as joke-smith and movie-star. Apparently, a vocal segment of the audience wanted to hear more of his oft-told tales than actively listen to his extemporaneous and wise musings. If they didn’t get what they wanted, then they wanted their money back. Sadly, the Y gave the masses both. In doing so, the organization failed its self-prescribed goal: The  ”92nd Street Y is about people—the people of New York City and the surrounding area, the United States and the world. It’s about people who entertain and challenge, inform and educate. It’s about people who learn and discover, observe and participate.” On this night, it wasn’t. On this night, clearly, the 92nd Street Y was about serving the lowest common denominator. Shame on them.

I have interviewed over 1,500 folks — on stage, on air, on screen, in print and off the record. Whenever I conduct an interview, I feel honored… honored by the generosity of my guest and the opportunity provided both me and my audience to learn. In preparing for an interview, I do exhaustive research, the purpose of which is to best know my subject AND to avoid asking questions that have been asked so many times before. If the knowledge has already been drawn from the well, why submerge the bucket again? Need a refill? That’s why Al Gore created the internet.

Earlier this year, I hosted Dan Pink, the best-selling author and the VP’s former speechwriter. I asked Mr. Pink questions directly and tangentially related to Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us and none that begged him to regurgitate the book’s contents. I asked him whether Geoffrey Canada‘s extrinsically-motivated approach to education would, ultimately, backfire. I asked him whether there was enough heuristic work for Americans if most algorithmic work is getting outsourced. I asked him whether writing speeches for Al Gore was like choreographing dances for Stephen Hawking. I kept him off-guard rather than on-message and, consequently, Mr. Pink praised me:

“Warren Etheredge is an extraordinary interviewer — one of the best in the country.  He’s incredibly prepared for each encounter — and has an uncanny ability to absorb complicated material and distill it for audiences.  He also has a terrific sense of humor that makes the interviews feel less like dutiful graduate seminars and more like a late-night talk show. Indeed, I think it’s only a matter of time before some media executive wises up and gives Warren his own show.”

Of course, I was flattered; my guest was pleased. But not every attendee was happy. One blogger in the audience took me to task for not covering enough of the specifics in/of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us so that he could write a review based solely on what he had heard at the event. When I suggested he read the book which was given him as part of his admission to Biznik’s vaunted Innovators Series, he still seemed incredulous and proceeded to rip me for my hosting inadequacies. How dare I not do his work for him?

We have entered a new age of crusades, only today, each righteous expedition is individual. Too often, we fight for our ideas regardless of the greater good or opposing viewpoints. Honest discourse is more endangered than humility, and that’s saying a lot in the era of personal branding. (Yes, I note the irony of this post appearing on my eponymous blog.) We’ve graduated from the snickering, service-oriented motto “the customer is always right” to the self-serving, solemn m.o.: “I am always right.” Well, says who? The like-minded “news”-caster you’ve self-selected? The maniac in the mirror? You?

In order to survive, we must work together. In order to thrive, we must learn from one another. If we cannot embrace the challenge of others’ opinions, we cannot imagine the unknown. And, if we fail to do that, we forfeit American dreams and proscribe innovation; we reduce ourselves from the roles of Einstein to… THE JERK.

What do you think?

SPECIAL OFFER: On Monday, December 13th, I will be hosting my workshop, LISTEN UP! The Art of the Interview, during which I am sure to defend Ms. Solomon and demystify my unorthodox approach. Bonus, admission is reduced for readers of The Warren Report. Just click here: http://listenupworkshop2-efbevent.eventbrite.com/

* The quote in myriad forms is attributed variously to Louie B. Mayer, Georgie Jessel or Red Skelton.

On Saturday night, I surprised The Love of My Life (aka TLoML), buying tickets for us to see irrepressible Masshole Bill Burr in concert at The Moore Theatre. If you’ve never seen nor heard Burr, imagine a stand-up cross of  Brian Regan and David Caruso. Burr’s a testosterone-fueled wise guy who does some very smart stuff (his reappraisal of the pit bull) and some very gruff bits (his dismissal of Tiger Woods‘ “whores”). Burr followed up  the latter line, by reasoning that if he had as much money as Tiger, he’d “tap out.” Like so many fellow Americans, Burr spends more time fantasizing about retiring than actually working. Clearly, he’d rather bang on the drum all day. Not to beat a dead bishop, but considering our jobs consume the majority of prime-time — that is, our youth, not our nighttime tv — shouldn’t we make peace with our paychecks by appreciating something more than the numbers written on them?

I’ve got my step-father’s number, he is a good man. The son of a butcher, he followed his father into the family business, promising himself that he’d make enough and save enough to retire by thirty. When he turned thirty, he revised the plan to quit by forty. At forty, he added another decade. At fifty, he was on pace to retire with his peers. Now, near 80, he still works at a job he’s good at but for which he never expressed any particular passion. It saddens me that so much of his life has been spent pursuing leisure time yet to materialize. You can see the disappointment in his labored gait. But, at the very least, he has a strong work ethic and that, arguably, separates him from younger generations.

In Brendan O’Neill Kohl‘s wicked short film, DAY LABOR, a Generation-Y bike messenger discovers… he can hire an illegal immigrant to do his job for less, thus farms out his trips, whistling while his street-side hire pedals. Soon, those around him follow suit. Even the suits. The movie’s brilliant coda condemns us all. We are quick to blame corporations, conglomerates and captains of industry for global outsourcing and they do deserve their share, but maybe we’ve made it easier by relegating work to one of life’s unbearable necessities like death, Texas and political punditry.

I have no secret for happiness, just a tip. Find a way to mesh your vocation and avocation, remembering the original connotations of both words. Be called to the work you love or develop a love for the work to which you’ve been called. I know this seems even easier undone than said. If so, read Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi‘s Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience which instructs one how to find joy in the mundane. It’s an idea easy to chide, and yet, some of my fondest work memories revolve around low-paying, brain-dead gigs like, say, packing mints or sweeping sawdust for which the compensation may have sucked, but I had found my flow. That is, in the author’s words: “being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz.” (Not smooth jazz, mind you, the real deal.) If that doesn’t help, remind yourself that there is always someone out there getting paid less for a much worse job. Watch CHINA BLUE, Micha X. Peled‘s bitter-sweat doc that exposes working conditions in a blue jean factory. Trust me, they’re not good, though better than the pay — 6 cents per hour, not guaranteed. Prefer your guilt delivered in fictive form? Pick up James P. Othmer‘s brackish Holy Water, a Catch-22 for our global economy. Othmer, a veteran of the ad trade, sends his own mad man packing to the third world to tout the bottling of liquid fool’s gold. It’s the toxic American dream exported for satirical consumption.

Granted, our jobs can be hard to swallow, but no one is force-feeding us. Yes, we must eat, but you can sweeten the pot simply by enjoying the meal before you, or,  by learning to cook for yourself.

What do you think?

Yesterday, I saw 127 HOURS along with the love of my life and a theater full of movie-lovers, all of whom, obviously, had survived Black Friday’s early a.m. “door-busting” specials and Altamont-style tramplings. Also in the crowd, a clan of living, witless Weebles who fell down into their seats, having determined that Danny Boyle‘s ripped-from-the-headlines-and-elbow-joints spectacle would be an appropriate entertainment not only for them but for their three-year-old as well. Thus, I saw the intermittently stunning movie with a soundtrack provided by A.R. “Top” Rahman and this poor, befuddled tyke who could only properly identify “water,” “baby” and “vewy big rock” as the visuals proffered them. The boy also extended multiple salutations to his kin and shouts-out to no one or no thing in particular. Loudly. At first, his constant aural barrage seemed an inexcusable distraction yet, gradually, his claptrap became metaphoric for James Franco‘s grueling on-screen trauma. Although while we in the audience felt equally trapped, to be fair, we didn’t have to drink our own pee. Just Mountain Dew.

Naturally, I was tempted to tell the child to clam up, but worried he might not comprehend my idiomatic request; the parents were more likely to understand. However, if they considered it wise to take their l’il one to an R-rated flick, I could not imagine them respecting a grievance voiced on behalf of myself and my fellow multiplexarians. Thus, in the time-honored tradition of cowards everywhere, I remained silent. Instead, I fantasized about running into these folks someday in Bluejohn Canyon and kicking them in the crevasse.

Now, what to do about Will and Jada Pinkett Smith? They work out. I think they both could take me. Yesterday, before my brush with grate-ness, I subjected myself to their daughter Willow’s Whip My Hair music video, an unsettling melange of inane lyricism, insipid imagery and imbecilic over-production. Andy Warhol promised fifteen minutes of fame; modern sound mixing guarantees anyone can have a career as a pop star provided she or he is attractive… enough. And, while I have come to accept this artistic compromise for those who have surpassed the legal drinking age and aren’t fit for modeling, I cannot condone the (s)exploitation of minors for the recording industry’s gain or parental profit. I’m not sure what Will and Jada were thinking. Perhaps they succumbed to their little girl’s protestations: “Jaden gets a tent-pole franchise and all I get is this lousy KARATE KID t-shirt?” Or, maybe the celebrity couple just wishes to nurture another revenue stream. (Times are tough, people.) Makes no difference, does it? Sure, Willow should be seen and heard… at home, like any other nine-year-old. But why expose the fresh princess to the world at such a young age? There is not a single note in Willow’s debut that suggests she’s a prodigy raised by Wolfgangs. At best, she’s a genetically-blessed charmer whose tune is even less substantial than her father’s oeuvre of catchy, yet shallow ditties.

Often, I question the entitlement of today’s youth. Kids seem spoiled and impatient, incapable of delayed gratification. Some say this is the result of new technologies that shorten attention spans and encourage multi-tasked wish fulfillment. However, I’d  argue the apparent change is a by-product of my generation’s lax parenting, a profound pendulum swing from previous generations’ adherence to Teutonic child-rearing. And while I am an adamant opponent of corporal punishment, I do believe that if you spare all parameters, you will spoil the child. But can you call CPS to report parents for being too permissive? At issue may also be my generation’s temptation to deify our progeny. Considering we lived through the Me Decade, it should come as no surprise we are ushering in the Mini-Me Decade. I confess, I am not above such behavior as I have granted space on this very website for my 7-year-old to post The Ava Report. Am I as guilty as Will Smith, just with less cash, access and box-office bankability?

It is natural to take pride in our children and, for some of us, showcasing their talents can seem irresistible, but shouldn’t we try? This is not the Borg we’re fighting, just our own egos. Kids can sing, but they needn’t do so on screen, on stage or in a movie theater. Let them develop their own voices, allow them to share their songs when they are ready and with whom they choose. If they want to make a bigger production out of it, let them pay their own way, not make strangers pay for your faith in them.

Children should be seen and heard, in context. Parents would serve their kids better simply by limiting their exposure.

What do you think?

Come join Warren Etheredge as he delves his sharp mind into the controverisal and confusing world of vitmain D deficiency and learn what health benefits truly exist for those who have optimal levels.

Over the past decade, vitamin D has been hitting the spotlight on a regular basis and there’s plenty of good reason.

According to vitamin D scientists, Over One Billion People Worldwide are Vitamin D Deficient.  Over the past 40 years researchers have linked vitamin D deficiency with higher than normal death rates from cancer, it’s influence on developing MS, diabetes and autism; and even shown it’s ability to downright affect our mood, bringing on depression and SAD.

So how are we fairing here in the cloudy Pacfic Northwest?

To get to the bottom of this hot topic, Warren will have the interrogation lamp tilted on Dr. Lucinda Messer, author of Powerful Medicine: Vitamin D; Shedding Light on a Worldwide Health Crisis.

Warren will weed out what’s important and you’ll be leaving with no only a clearer understanding of the importance of vitamin D …your admission price includes a personally signed copy of her book.

Don’t miss out!  Come learn how to raise your levels, keep them up and bring your body into balance with the single most important hormone in the human body…Vitamin D.  (and yes, it’s actually a hormone…not a vitamin)

See you November 8th!

Warren Etheredge, founder of The Warren Report (www.thewarrenreport.com) hosts over 250 events every year, a podcast and a television series. The Warren Report promotes “slow culture” through commentary, outreach, events and education. Our principal:  Smarter Audiences make a better world.

Dr. Lucinda Messer, is a naturopathic physician and graduate of our prestigious Bastyr University.  She is widely published on topics such as anti-aging, the thyroid and natural hormone therapies.  She is frequently asked to speak on nutritional medicine and is trained in the Gerson method for alternative cancer treatment. More information on her book is available at www.powerfulmedicine-vitd.com.

(AP Photo/Rob Carr)

The scoreboard got it wrong last night. After the Cowboys’ grueling Sunday night season-opener, the Jumbotron at FedEx Field should have read:

DAL 7
DAL 13

While the game will be recorded as a “W”in for the Redskins, it’d be just as reasonable to declare victory for the Cowboys; after all, they did beat themselves.

Many fans seem determined this morning to divvy up blame as if it were a zero-sum equation. If the unrepentant Alex Barron isn’t responsible, Tashard Choice must be. If Jason Garrett‘s arrogant play-calling isn’t to blame, it must be Wade Phillips‘ avuncular leadership. Fans, fans, don’t fight. You’re all right. This was a team loss. Every player, every coach and, yes, every one in the front office, can claim a slice of today’s bitter special: humble pie. Yes, even our new-contract-worthy-and-Kardashian-approved wide receiver and our elite-level, salt-of-the-turf quarterback can grab a forkful. (Especially given that absolutely everyone forked up last night.)

Though it was our second-string right tackle’s holding penalty that dashed a dramatic comeback more cruelly than Simon Cowell reviewing a new Captain & Tenille album, the entire Cowboy’s organization should have been flagged for the greater infraction: complacency. Before the game The Cowboys disguised it as switch-flipping, Super-Bowl-bound self-confidence. I pray the team recognizes how transparent that costume appears in the mourning light. We could blame the Emperor’s new tailors, but shouldn’t we consider the roles of those so easily duped and short-sighted they feel (felt?) compelled to perpetuate the con, trusting that fans would fall for the flimflam, too? (And, we do. Boy, do we.)

In his tenure with the Cowboys, Bill Parcells made many mistakes — perhaps the most haunting, his failure to draft decent linemen. (Many proved themselves offensive, just not in the correct modifying sense.) However, Parcells gave words to a principle that led him to earlier successes and embodies the similar mindsets of such dissimilar predecessors as Jimmy Johnson and Tom Landry: “Never let good enough be good enough.” Sure, like all mortals, Parcells was better at sermonizing than harmonizing his words and actions — otherwise, Pat McQuistan and Bobby Carpenter would never have survived more cuts than Rocky Balboa — but his deftly expressed quest for the best allowed him to admit many mistakes as evidenced by… Parcells’ roster-churning… Johnson’s sacrificial-lamb-slaughtering… and, Landry’s divine discipline. Vince Lombardi also preached the pursuit of perfection, always emphasizing that the goal was unreachable and yet that excellence was the natural, thus attainable, by-product of the effort. (I fear the Packers still get the message while the Cowboys deem the notion “cliche.”)

Instead, this off-season, pre-season, and now, sadly, regular season, the Cowboys have been resolute, determined to stand pat when previous regimes would have addressed glaring concerns. It is tempting to believe Parcells, Johnson and Landry would have:

* flushed the offensive line’s depth following the playoff dross in Minnesota

* provided true competition for a kicker who’s a more sure open-field-tackler than field-goal-converter

* enforced greater repercussions for mentally-unfocused players who kill more drives than Jim Furyk

* established a hierarchy so that the sins of the assistants are assumed by the head coach… not by default, but by a reasonable, informed sense of accountability

And, it is tempting to believe that with such dynamic leadership and strict discipline, the players would respond more reflexively than they do to Keith Brooking‘s passionate, if belabored, pre-game wind-ups. (“We’re going to “bite… and scratch… and kick,” um, are you ready for some football, Keith, or some foreplay on Jersey Shore?)

It is hard to ask for help. I know. In the past year, I had great cause to seek aid and yet refused to acknowledge even the need for it many times. Was it Shame that prevented me from being honest with others and admitting mistakes so that my friends might help correct them? No, I worry it was Pride and, lest we forget, Pride is not a virtue, but rather, one of the seven deadly sins. (The eighth is running a play from your own 36 with only four seconds remaining in the first half of a tight ball game.) Like my favorite team, I was complacent; I assumed my problems — fiscal, professional and emotional — were subject to simple self-correction, as if I could do no harm that could not be remedied by waking up to another day. Like Jerry Jones, I assured myself: Succor is for suckers. Sleep tight. Wake up. Man up. Pull those bootstraps and claim what is rightfully yours. However, it is this very sense of entitlement that undermined my efforts to improve. It wasn’t until I could candidly admit my errors to my collaborators and my loved ones, that I could effectively right my wrongs. I blame myself for succumbing to the national trance; hypnotized, we believe there is no hardship that we can’t overcome ourselves. Hogwash. Failure is not the mother of all personal flaws. Failure is the mother of success. And like most moms, she is overworked and under-appreciated.

Now, I can and do ask for help when needed. I remind myself a hand up is not a handout. More importantly, I recognize that the admission of my errors is only the first step towards my recovery. Yes, I will drink to that. Gladly. Make that a double. And, I’ll pop the bubbly if the Cowboys confess their pre-season woes were indicative of some wrong-headed personnel policies, that last night’s play-calling and clock-management reflect troublesome leadership issues and that holding calls and fumbled balls are the consequences of bone-headed judgment on the field, not the sideline. Only once the entire team accepts responsibility for earning its reputation as a contender rather than marketing this image ’round the clock, will Dallas have a chance to advance. Only when I accept an active role in my future do I have the opportunity to live its glory. Better to work tirelessly into the night than wake up well-rested and self-satisfied… the mourning after.

From famed Japanese animators Studio Ghibli [specifically, director Goro Miyazaki] comes TALES FROM EARTHSEA, a sweeping adventure set in a mythical world filled with magic and bewitchment. An epic tale of redemption and self-discovery, the story follows the journey of Lord Archmage Sparrowhawk (voice of Timothy Dalton), the master wizard, as he searches for the force behind a mysterious disturbance that has caused an imbalance in the land of Earthsea—suddenly crops and livestock are dwindling, dragons have reappeared and humanity is giving way to chaos. Along the way he rescues Arren (voice of Matt Levin), a troubled young prince who has fled his home and is being pursued by an enigmatic shadow. Arren joins Sparrowhawk on the quest and, moving closer to their intertwined destinies, they cross paths with Tenar (voice of Mariska Hargitay), a former priestess, and her disfigured adopted daughter, Therru. With Sparrowhawk’s magical powers dissipating, all of them must band together to defeat the evil Cob (voice of Willem Dafoe) and his henchman Hare (voice of Cheech Marin) before Cob’s mania to find immortality destroys Earthsea.

After making a flip comment on Facebook that I intended to be provocative, author/radio personality John Moe took me to task for my alleged insensitivity. In light of his remarks and to honor my goal of getting others to truly think about issues rather than simply pay them lip service, I suggested I discuss the subject on air with Jeannie Yandel on KUOW Presents. I am glad she agreed, I am glad we did. Using three movies as touchstones, we examined Suicide from multiple perspectives, from motive to mourning. Click here for the piece that aired over the weekend. Then, draw your own conclusions and share your thoughts here on The Warren Report.

Also, stay tuned for an announcement about an upcoming episode of my new tv series, The High Bar, spotlighting Suicide with guest Brendan Kiley of The Stranger.

Many voters are unaware of the Constitution-blessed process of reapportionment, thankfully, Jeff Reichert has completed GERRYMANDERING, an engaging documentary that colorfully and carefully explains the title’s history, its role in present-day campaigns and efforts nationwide to alter its future impact.

After I published a summary of the movie, critical of some aspects, I exchanged (congenial) messages with Mr. Reichert, who kindly agreed to be interviewed for The Warren Report so that we encourage you to consider the machinations that disempower voters by diluting the significance of their ballots and question the quality of our choices before we even step up to the voting booths.

Once you’re read through our conversation, visit endgerrymandering.com and learn how you can make a change. Draw your own conclusions. You’ve got my vote. And, The Warren Report serves as an open-minded forum for your feedback.

WARREN: Your documentary explains the origins of the term, gerrymandering. In your research, was the process of redistricting essentially, unilaterally, corrupt from the outset? Or, were there exceptions as you suggest Iowa serves as today?

JEFF: I think instead of “corruption,” it may be better in the redistricting context to talk about “fairness.” The idea to elect representatives from geographically defined areas was borne from a certain conception of what “fair representation” would look like.  The problem with an idea like “fair” is that it’s fluid, and no one’s going to agree on what that actually means.  The Founding Fathers took a good stab at setting up a workable system within the context of a nation that allowed only white landowners to vote, but we’re now a few hundred years later electing representatives based on a modified and expanded idea of their “fair.”  So, some of the corruption of redistricting is intrinsic to the way we’ve decided to hold elections, and is really not the fault of any specific party or agent.  The real problems come when the weaknesses of the system are exploited even further, and this is what my film is largely about.

WARREN: There is an implication in the movie that Barack Obama‘s district was redrawn to increase the likelihood of his state-level election and that, in turn, dramatically improved his odds of winning on a national stage. Who do you believe was manipulating the process in Obama’s favor?

JEFF: This was very clearly handled by the Illinois State Democratic party — Ryan Lizza did a terrific job of reporting this incident in his Obama article for the New Yorker, “Making It.”  Obama, who had just gotten trounced in a Congressional race against a longtime incumbent, was given carte blanche by the party to change his district and he did so in dramatic fashion, as we show in the film.  The question then becomes: Did this redistricting put him on the fast track to the presidency?  It’s always hard to determine causality in something as nuanced as a political career, but I do think if he’d won that Congressional race in 2000, his path would have been very different.

WARREN: Typically, redistricting coincides with the completion of the census. However, GERRYMANDERING depicts the infamous efforts of Tom DeLay to cut up Texas to enhance the odds of Republicans winning seats. (And what do you know, it worked.) Can any state redistrict at any time? Need their be cause or a public acknowledgement?

JEFF: After the Delay/Texas incident one of the arguments made by those who litigated the case before the Supreme Court was that the plan should be thrown out because districting can only legally happen right after the Census.  The Court disagreed, in essence opening the door to constant gerrymandering.  That so-called “re-redistricting” hasn’t happened all over the country is a testament to how difficult mounting the process is within a legislature, but it doesn’t mean that it won’t.  Congressman John Tanner has recently introduced a bill that would at the very least require states to hold hearings on redistricting, that even this minor measure is unlikely to pass, suggests the degree to which the parties want to keep total control over the process.

WARREN: The great strength of GERRYMANDERING is that it calls attention to such an important factor in our electoral system. Why is so little press generated about this issue? How would you like the mainstream media’s coverage to evolve?

JEFF: I think part of the problem is that redistricting is terribly complicated and you need more time than the average news story gets these days to really tease out why the lines on a map really matter.  Redistricting actually has been getting a great deal of ink in newspapers recently, and I think there is a cadre of political writers out there who beat the drum about this issue every ten years in the hopes people will finally wake up.  But it’s one thing to read about redistricting and another thing to actually see it — to watch a map change, or spend time in the far corners of a district to see just how different it is.  We use in the film a terrific special program hosted by John Chancellor from the sixties in which they actually spent time doing just this, but there’s sadly no room in the current media landscape for this kind of exploration.

WARREN: GERRYMANDERING tracks the progress and eventual passing of Proposition 11 in California. Do you think this approach should be adopted nationwide?

JEFF: Not necessarily.  There are things I like about Prop. 11 and things I don’t like, and even the proponents agree that there are potential pitfalls in their approach.  They went ahead with it because they felt the system needed some kind of shock to help jolt it back into order, and the solution they came up with was very much tailored to the political realities of California.  We do need to change the way we do redistricting nationwide, but I think individual states need to look at their realities and see what kind of change works best for them.  That change may look something like Prop. 11, it may look like something else entirely.

WARREN: Prop 11 had the enthusiastic backing of The Terminator, er, the Governor of the state of California. In the film, one talking head proffers that Arnold only supported the movement because it made for good press. Are you equally cynical?

JEFF: I’m not, even though I did have my questions before we actually began filming.  Having spent time on the campaign trail with the Governor, and spoken with him directly about the issue on a few occasions, I do believe he understands redistricting and is sincere in his desire to reform the process.  Also, given how little press redistricting generally gets, there’s really no sound political upside to tackling it, especially in California, where attempts at reform have failed multiple times.  That he went after it twice, and is now engaged in an attempt to expand Prop. 11 to cover congressional districts suggests to me that he means business.

WARREN: Some skeptics wonder if America’s two-party system actually offers a choice or is it more like choosing between Daniel and Stephen Baldwin?

JEFF: I think now, more than at any point in my lifetime, the differences between the parties are starkly defined.  This ideological separation will fluctuate over time, but there are always differences, and I feel there’s a certain naivete in those who just kind of throw up their hands and say, “they’re all the same.”  To a certain extent that’s true — our electoral model tends to produce certain kinds of candidates, but there is a lot of room in the system for variance.  Can we honestly say that voting for Barney Frank is the same as voting for Michelle Bachmann?

WARREN: Can a third party — even one as histrionic as the Tea Party — ever have a voice in our government given the self-fulfilling prophecy of gerrymandered elections?

JEFF: Winner-take-all elections tend to produce a system dominated by two parties for reasons that are better explained by political scientists than filmmakers  – it’s incredibly complex.  As long as we use this system (where whichever candidate wins at least 50%+1 of the total vote is given the right to represent 100% of the voters) as opposed to, say, a proportional representation model, we will have two parties, and third parties will struggle.

WARREN: What constitutes meaningful representation? Should an elected official represent the needs of all voters in her or his district or should s/he vote purely in accordance with her or his conscience? If we all “are created equal,” why should redistricting even matter?

JEFF: That is a huge question, and one that we chose to raise in GERRYMANDERING briefly instead of really delving into.  Someone recently suggested to me that there might be another entire movie in this question alone.  Personally, I lean towards representatives who attempt to channel the various needs and desires of their constituents into legislation, as opposed to placing all my faith in the conscience of an individual and hoping for the best.  I believe we elect officials because we want them to do things for us, to act on our policy preferences.

We may all have been “created equal” but the world certainly doesn’t do us any favors post-creation, and that’s why we need politics and government – to help us get closer to this ideal.  We may decide at some point that we don’t want to continue using a system where we have to draw lines on a map to determine representation, and that’s fine, but until then we need to work within the limits set for us, while always remaining cognizant of other possibilities.  It was really important that we at least glance in this direction in the body of the film and I’ve actually been gratified how much our quick mention of this fundamental piece of the representation debate gets people talking and thinking.

WARREN: The Warren Report’s motto is: Smarter audiences make better movies. I also believe that smarter audiences make better voters. If you could offer readers one (or more) tip(s) as how to channel their outrage after seeing GERRYMANDERING, what would it/they be?

JEFF: I know we disagree on this a bit, but I strongly believe that the first thing voters should do after seeing the movie is learn the contours of their districts.  I think most will be very surprised about the kinds of communities they’ve been lumped in with and will recognize obvious inequities going on where they live and have questions about why these inequities exist.  The local is ground zero for real political reform and if viewers can take what the film imparts to them about how redistricting works and apply it to their individual situations, it will give them the tools they need to engage when redistricting happens again in a few months.  We are committed to making screenings of the film a place where the groups writing the reform measures can connect with newly educated voters, and have already swelled the ranks of several reform movements here in New York state.  We’re even working on a great online application to make this truly national at www.endgerrymandering.com.

No offense intended, but I think this is actually a far more concrete path to meaningful political reform than some of your suggestions from the initial article you wrote about my film, which, no matter how much I agree with their spirit aren’t particularly actionable.  I believe GERRYMANDERING is poised to move the needle on the redistricting debate.  The film will come out in October and we’re going to be engaging in a slew of activities to push this issue to the fore before people go to the polls in November.

On this episode of The High Bar, I welcome documentarian Steven Greenstreet (8: THE MORMON PROPOSITION) to raise a toast to, and the bar for… Marriage Equality. Should everyone be allowed an equal opportunity to celebrate true love or are some relationships destined to be torn asunder by religious doctrine and political haymaking?

Watch The High Bar, draw your own conclusions, then share them here, please.

For tix and more info: http://www.tasveer.org/

Recipient of the Indian “Silver Lotus Award” for the best film on Environmental Issues.

Along the border of South-West region of Orissa, a hill named Niyamgiri is home to a tribe called the Dongria Kandha. The current plight of the Dongria Kandha tribe is weaved through a love story of a simple villager Bangaru and his love interest Singari. How the modern man’s mind intrudes into their innocence to exploit the value of the tribe and the natural resources of the hills.

Niyamgiri hills, with its natural beauty of flora and fauna, is also rich of minerals which can be processed and produced as aluminum. The film starts with the controversial government’s announcement for the take-over of the mountain, handing it to a multinational company.

The film is directed by the Legendary Oriya director, Prashanta Nanda.

Here are some links to know more about the people of Niyamgiri.

Orissa tribe to Avatar director: now you watch our film

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4tuTFZ3wXQ

Vedanta Aluminium (mining company) recognized as Green Leader in mining and metal industry

http://www.orissadiary.com/ShowBussinessNews.asp?id=18984

During the morning Saiz will provide case studies, video samples, and valuable handouts to walk you through the basic steps towards making your project more competitive with this organization. In the afternoon, there will be an informal pitch session where attendees will get an opportunity to watch as twelve people present their proposals and Saiz provides feedback.

As the single biggest funder of independent documentaries on television, the Independent Television Service (ITVS) has become indispensable for filmmakers seeking major funding for their projects. This all day event is a rare opportunity for independent producers to meet Richard and grasp the essential concepts and principles of how to make your documentary more competitive when applying for ITVS funds.

When: July 10, 9am – 5pm (followed by a reception in West Seattle)
Where: Youngstown Cultural Art Center, Thelma Dewitty Theater
4408 Delridge Way SW, Seattle, WA 98106

Lunch will be provided. After the workshop we will have a happy hour reception (plenty of food and drink) for everyone at the nearby home of Ellen and Doug Frick. We’ll give location information and arrange carpools if needed at the workshop.

Tickets: Thanks to generous donations by ITVS and the former NDA, tickets are only $20, $15 for students.
Buy at Brown Paper Tickets:http://www.facebook.com/l/582ba;www.brownpapertickets.com/event/114687

Driving Directions:http://www.facebook.com/l/582ba;www.youngstownarts.org/contact_us/driving_directions

About Richard Saiz:
Saiz, Senior Programming Manager for ITVS oversees Open Call, the organization’s largest funding initiative. Each year, he reviews more than 500 proposals from independent producers throughout the country. He has more than 35 years experience as a broadcast journalist, producer, director and writer. His documentaries have won numerous awards, including the DuPont-Columbia Silver Baton and Best TV Documentary from the San Francisco International Film Festival.

Proposals:
We are now accepting proposals to present during the afternoon pitch session.

Each pitch will be allocated 15 minutes total: 5 minutes for the presentation and 10 minutes for Richard’s feedback. You may allocate your 5 minutes however you choose. Please note that pitching at the workshop is not a substitute for the open call application to ITVS. Be sure and visit the ITVS site to learn about the process. We expect that you’ll be familiar with the mechanics of the process before your pitch, as this saves time and allows everyone to focus on content rather than process.

Proposals should consist of a synopsis and treatment (no more than 2 pages total) and a proposed budget. If you have it, include a DVD of video no longer than ten minutes in length. This can be anything you want to show: e.g. an edited preview trailer, a string of selects or part of a rough cut.

Proposals are due by June 25 and should include your email and phone number. Mail your proposal to:
Documentary Northwest
1010 SW Elmgrove St.
Seattle, WA 98106

Those accepted to pitch will be notified by e-mail by July 3rd.

Which actors do you find funny regardless of the  context? I’d love to know.

Last week, three theaters in Japan canceled screenings of THE COVE, the alleged Sino-baiting, graphic dolphin-bashing, Oscar®-winning documentary. The exhibitors’ excused their decisions citing fear of reprisals from nationalists who have been vocal in their disapproval of the Louie Psihoyos film. Maybe their fears are legitimate, maybe not. Regardless, it must be noted that THE COVE did screen at the Tokyo International Film Festival and was just shown at a civic hall in the capital city and featured a hearty post-show discussion (though, apparently, that talk veered more towards issues of censorship than the depicted animal cruelty).

While it is dismaying that broader audiences in Japan will have very limited opportunities to see THE COVE — and then, to draw their own conclusions — before we condemn them, consider America’s own similar, “silent” censorship practices. Have you seen THE END OF THE LINE or KING CORN on network tv? The former film warns of the depletion of our oceans’ resources, the latter clarifies the nefarious implications of our nation’s addiction to commercial corn. Strangely, none of the Big Four (and a half) networks have slated them to air. Like FOOD, INC., KING CORN has received a slot on PBS, but really, does anyone over 6 and under 60 watch public television? Is it crazy to suspect that corporate interests that support free tv with their ads have influenced the decisions to steer clear of these controversial docs that beg viewers to reconsider the entire infrastructure, sense and health of our nation’s industrial(ized) food system? Somehow,I don’t foresee McDonald’s underwriting an uninterrupted broadcast of FAST FOOD NATION, Richard Linklater‘s uneven, yet still potent adaptation of Eric Schlosser‘s investigative return to The Jungle.

Then, ask yourself why we’ve never seen a soldier’s corpse or coffin on a network or cable newscast or the bloody aftermath of our interventions in Iraq or Afghanistan. How could we embed that many journalists without getting a body count of contracted killers, opposing soldiers and innocent civilians in addition to our own official casualties.

Or, ask why it is that BP’s stockholders are guaranteed greater access to information regarding the company’s disastrous (mis)handling of its oil spill than the general public or those directly near it? Why the gulf between the fiscally-harmed and the physically imperiled?

Mainstream media does no more to insure our access to all of the evidence than JD Salinger did to supply the tabloids with celebrity fodder. So, while I pity the Japanese who will remain unaware of the heinous practices of one of its country’s fishing communities and the toxic consequences for local schoolchildren, I remind myself that Big Food — with a proactive assist from our government!  — bars Americans from seeing how our pigs, chickens and cattle are raised and slaughtered. I hated watching dolphins bludgeoned in THE COVE and I despise the (unseen) treatment of livestock at American CAFOs. But just like the Japanese, we jeopardize species including own, excusing our practices with the same, (wet) blanket explanation that ‘it’s part of our nation’s culture.’

Of course, you need look no further than cheese in your refrigerator to realize that some cultures,no matter how much you love them, just plain stink.

Below, RIFF’s official press release from its delightful curators, Win and Sarah Whittaker…

Heroic, Shocking And Revealing Films Highlight This Year’s Rainier Independent Film Festival Lineup

Screenings, workshops and gatherings will be held in unique venues in Mt. Rainier’s Ashford Valley from June 11 to 13, 2010

ASHFORD, Washington – June 2, 2010 – An eclectic blend of 28 poignant short and feature length narratives and documentaries will be screened at the Rainier Independent Film Festival (RIFF) on June 11 to 13, 2010 in the Ashford Valley. In addition to screenings, the festival, in its fourth year, offers a workshop, audience-voted awards, an awards ceremony, social gatherings, and the rare opportunity to mix and mingle with the many filmmakers and actors in attendance.

“What sets this film festival apart is the great opportunity it provides to meet and mingle with film industry people,” remarked RIFF Festival Director Win Whittaker. “The relaxed atmosphere and intimate venues are a world away from the hustle and bustle associated with the film business.”

The festival’s opening night film will be Calvin Marshall, directed by Gary Lundgren and starring Steve Zahn, Michelle Lombardo and Alex Frost. This heartfelt, baseball-centric feature-length comedy will be shown at the Mineral Lake Event Center on Friday, June 11, at 6:15PM, followed by the Opening Night Gala, at 8PM.

A block of four war/conflict-based short films – Letter Home, Hidden in Time, Juche Rules, and Sedako’s Cranes — ranging from Hiroshima to Viet Nam/Iraqi similarities to North Korea relations will be screened at Nisqually Lodge, from 11AM to 12:30PM on Saturday, May 3. Other films will take the audience from hippie farms in Washington (Back to the Garden) to the ancient ways of the Salish peoples with Canoe Way and on to Burma: Reflections on a Hidden Land. Woman’s courage and feats will be celebrated with Rise and Shine, The Lady & The Outlaw Horse, and Wings of Silver. Viewers will be taken into an imaginative world with Plant Girl and kept on the edge of their seats with the emotionally charged, student film Clemency.

The ever-popular Warren Etheridge Workshop — “The Art of the Interview or How to Grill a Star” – will take place at the Media Center at Whittaker’s Bunkhouse on Sunday, June 13, from 1 to 2:30PM.

Filmed in Seattle, The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle, will be screened on Sunday, at the Mineral Lake Event Center at 6PM, prior to the Closing Gala and Awards Ceremony. “Simultaneously cynical and life-affirming, [Director David] Russo’s comedy manages to incorporate biochemical engineering, corporate chicanery, drug addiction and high-art pretension—all while maintaining an amiable, insouciant charm.”

A pass to all screenings, workshops and parties for all three days is $35. A day-pass for all screenings and workshops on Saturday or Sunday is $15. A ticket to the festival launch on Friday including the screening, the gala and two free drinks is $15. Tickets are available online through Brown Paper Tickets (http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/114771), at Whittaker Mountaineering and at Whittaker’s Bunkhouse, both in Ashford. A ticket for a single screening or workshop is $5 and can be purchased at any of the three screening venues or online.

Just miles from the Nisqually entrance to Mount Rainier National Park, screening venues include the Mineral Lake Event Center, a refurbished 1940s grade school with a gymnasium seating up to 500 people; Nisqually Lodge Conference Center, seating up to 45 people; and the Yurt at Wellspring, in a tranquil setting amongst the trees at the Wellspring Spa & Retreat.

The Rainier Independent Film Festival is dedicated to providing truly independent filmmakers a venue to have their films screened. Nestled in the tranquil foothills surrounding Mt. Rainier, the Ashford Valley provides an ideal setting for RIFF.

For more information as well as a full screening schedule, please access http://www.rainierfilmfest.com.

In Columbia Pictures’ THE KARATE KID, 12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) could’ve been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother’s (Taraji P. Henson) latest career move has landed him in China.  Dre immediately falls for his classmate Mei Ying – and the feeling is mutual – but cultural differences make such a friendship impossible. Even worse, Dre’s feelings make an enemy of the class bully, Cheng.  In the land of kung fu, Dre knows only a little karate, and Cheng puts “the karate kid” on the floor with ease.  With no friends in a strange land, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), who is secretly a master of kung fu.  As Han teaches Dre that kung fu is not about punches and parries, but maturity and calm, Dre realizes that facing down the bullies will be the fight of his life.

MISS NOBODY

A mild-mannered secretary discovers that she has a talent for murder during her unlikely climb up the corporate ladder at Judge Pharmaceuticals…and love soon follows.

In attendance: Star and Executive Producer, LESLIE BIBB (Iron Man I & II, Wristcutters: A Love Story), ADAM GOLDBERG (Saving Private Ryan, A Beautiful Mind, Entourage, Friends), MISSI PLYLE (2 ½ Men, Sarah Silverman Program, Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, etc) and BRANDON ROUTH (Chuck, Superman Returns, Zack and Miri Make a Porno) and Director TIM COX.

Screenings:

Thursday, June 10, 9:15pm Harvard Exit

Saturday, June 12, 1:15pm SIFF Cinema

THE FAMILY TREE

In the seemingly perfect American suburb of Serenity, Ohio, the dysfunctional Burnett family is coming apart at the seams. When a tryst gone wrong leaves Mrs. Burnett’s with short term amnesia, the result is a whacky series of events that will either bring the family together or ruin them for good.

In attendance: Director Vivi Friedman, Writer/Producer Mark Lisson (Bainbridge Island resident), stars John Patrick Amedori (Gossip Girl) and Madeline Zime (Californication, The Nanny)

Screenings:

Saturday, June 12, 6:30pm SIFF Cinema

Sunday, June 13, 1:30pm SIFF Cinema

1) The SIFF programmer introducing the movie and questioning director Jeff Reichert was as intelligible as Bronson Pinchot‘s Balki and as intelligent as Dan Quayle‘s Dan Quayle. (Is it too much to ask, SIFF, that your programming team show filmmakers a little respect?)

2) GERRYMANDERING may be the first political documentary I have ever seen to offer absolutely no solutions to the problem it details. I don’t expect filmmakers to cure all our ills, but the meager end credit prompts to “Know Your District” and to visit a website (www.endgerrymandering.com) seem under-instructive. (I don’t know how many slacktivists it takes to change a light bulb, but I do know that giving audiences achievable action items beats having no INCONVENIENT alternatives.)

3) Gerrymandering — i.e. the redistricting of voting communities in service of political hackery — is clearly a problem and, possibly, a great threat to our democracy. (Sorry, Texas Board of Education, I will continue to call America a “democracy” even if you propose textbooks redefine our nation as a “Constitutional Republic.”) But, is gerrymandering the sickness or is it rather, simply, a symptom of a more insidious disease?

Frankly, I don’t know what to do about the first issue I’ve raised and I can only wish GERRYMANDERING had been clearer what to do about the second. However, I’ll take a crack at the last. There is no doubt that if legislators can reapportion voters to increase the likelihood of incumbents’ re-election, there exists a conflict of interest that will, invariably, favor the powers-that-shall-always-be rather than their constituents. Yet, it is these very demographic calisthenics that suggest the problem runs far deeper, to the very heart of the politicians and the soullessness of the parties they represent. They indicate that self-perpetuation, influence-peddling and partisanship have overtaken true public service as the primary raison d’etre of our elected officials. This may not be news to many, but let us not become so jaded as to disregard this egocentrism as the cancer that must be removed in order to have any hope of recovery. It just could be that commissioners appointed by elected Republicans and  Democrats might be more efficient overseeing redistricting than California’s pending citizens committee (as voted in with the state’s Prop 11 in 2008), if the former were guided solely by the notion of good government instead of the self-serving maintenance of the status quo.

Of course, we may also need to redefine our notions of governance. Redistricting, even when managed impartially, suggests that certain populations — divisible by race or socio-economic backgrounds — require different representation due to different agendas. Yet if we are to embrace the Declaration of Independence and grant that we all are “created equal,” shouldn’t we assume that any honest politician (yes, oxymoronic, I know) would consider the greater good, thus benefit us all? The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, right? Or does that only work for Mr. Spock and fall flat in this era of political correctness? Perhaps it’s hard to believe, majority rule can respect minority interests once we accept that Americans are not independent but interdependent.

Near the end of GERRYMANDERING, an incredibly significant question is tossed aside like pedestrians in the path of Lizzie Grubman‘s SUV; the age-old debate: should politicians serve the people who reside within their districts or act in service of their own consciences? What do you think, dear readers? I’d like to see Mr. Smith — or Ms. Nguyen or gender-undefined Jones — go to Washington and represent an ideal or two. I’d like to witness governance by informed instinct of the individual, or, Leadership as it was once known. Screw consensus and second terms.

As we cannot legislate Integrity, I propose that our two-party system be overhauled, not by adding a third but rather by eliminating both. I’ve had enough of Democrats and Republicans… and Tea-Partiers, Green-Partiers, Libertarians and Lyndon LaRouchebags. Get rid of them all. Let’s ban political advertising and force candidates to meet their constituents and explain their positions face-to-face in complete sentences, not tailored sound-bites. If candidates were forced to listen to the voters instead of talking down to them, discourse would thrive and accountability would be revived. Finally, governance could achieve Abraham Lincoln‘s stated goal of being by the people, for the people… even if we didn’t always agree with the decisions made on our behalf.

Have I got your vote?

(For more about the need for election reform, check out my interview/s with David Earnhardt, director of UNCOUNTED.)

Now that LOST has finally come to an (unsatisfactory) end, perhaps we all should just move along as well. But what of all our unanswered questions? Thanks to Sven Liden for directing me to College Humor for this succinct, if not brief, encapsulation, of LOST’s many loopholes.

Do you have answers or were you satisfied by the series’ tear-jerking finale?

Eric Liu & Warren Etheredge

Kim Doyel: Just caught your interview with Eric Liu on Seattle Voices…I want a College of Warren sweatshirt! But that wasn’t all… your little mug popped up in a cameo for Sip & Ship! I thought I was hallucinating. When are you gonna get that 24 hour All Warren All the Time channel deal through?

WARREN: Just working out the details with CNN, Kim. Although I cannot yet report around-the-clock coverage , I am proud to announce that next month will see the launch of my new tv series, The High Bar, on SCANtv. It’s a genre-redefining program — a reverse(!) interview show — on which my irreverent cultural conversations with filmmakers, authors, artists and activists will encourage us all to reconsider our beliefs and challenge our standards… while laughing and getting drunk. Keep an eye on The Warren Report for further details.

And, for those who missed my appearance on Seattle Voices, visit their website and suggest they add it to The Seattle Channel’s video player. Eric Liu is a solid interviewer, a charming individual and the whip-smart (co-) author of several significant books including Imagination First and The True Patriot.

As for College of Warren merchandise, I’m unhappy to report that, currently, supply is meeting demand.    ;  )

Now, dear readers, draw your own conclusions: Is it time for a new, educational forum? Should The Warren Report begin matriculating students? Is it too early for our first kegger?

Paul Ringo:

WARREN: From my years of teaching, I’ve learned one of the most important lessons to share with kids is that it’s okay to say: I don’t know. No one can know it all. (Even Einstein couldn’t color-coordinate. That’s why he invented Garanimals®!) Well, Paul, in this case, I just don’t know. You’ve stumped me. However, the other lesson is to ask for help when you need it. So, I turn to you, cherished readers of The Warren Report, to put a title to Paul’s obscure film reference. Anybody? Anybody? Bueller?!?

Devin Hermanson

WARREN: Thanks, Devin. Sadly, I wasn’t even considered for RDJ’s stand-in despite my looking so much like his half-witted, less-attractive brother. I think of my kinship to Robert Downey Jr much like Clint Howard‘s to Ron. Granted, this a huge step up from the days folks compared me to Wallace Shawn and Gilbert Gottfried.

Devin Hermanson:

WARREN: Nope. Sorry, Devin. That’s not to say it’s a thumbs down, either. The free previews offered through The Warren Report are thanks to my relationships with the studios and their regional publicists. They contact me knowing that The Warren Report’s readership is comprised of savvy and connected movie-lovers. By sharing seats at these WOM (word-of-mouth) screenings, they hope to  build buzz for their films. Often, I am seeing the movies for the first time alongside you. (I am just as hopeful that the pairing of  Jonah Hill and Russell Brand will be hilarious but can be no more certain than you that it will be.)

However, when I feature a film in one of The Warren Report’s special screening series (Distinguishing Features, ACT NOW! or Film Rap) this is an indication of my strong, informed support of the title. Special event presentation is my stamp of approval. For instance, keep an eye out for SIXTY SIX, starring Eddie Marsan and Helena Bonham Carter, which I hope to showcase this summer.

**To request a seat, send an e-mail to warren@thewarrenreport.com with your name and the name of any guest, please.** (Screening begins at 7pm on Thursday, May 20th. Arrive  early. Seating is NOT guaranteed.)

http://www.gethimtothegreek.net/

Aaron Green (Jonah Hill) gets things done. The ambitious 24-year-old has been given a career making assignment. His mission: Fly to London and escort a rock god to L.A.’s world famous Greek Theatre for the first stop on a huge comeback tour. His record mogul boss, Sergio Roma (Sean Combs), gives him one warning: “The artist is the worst person on Earth. Turn your back on him at your own peril.”

British rocker Aldous Snow (Russell Brand) is a brilliant musician, but due to a bad break up and nose diving career, he has fallen off the wagon and is now a drunken disaster. Weary and scared he’s entered the “greatest hits” moment in his career, Snow’s in the midst of a nihilistic downward spiral. When he learns his true love, model/pop star Jackie Q (Rose Byrne), is in Los Angeles, Aldous makes it his quest to win her back.. .right before kick-starting his world domination.

As the countdown to the concert begins, one innocent young man must navigate a minefield of London drug smuggles, New York City brawls and Vegas lap dances to deliver his charge safe and, sort of, sound. all while trying to remain faithful to his med student girlfriend (Elisabeth Moss). He may have to coax, lie to, enable and party with Aldous, but Aaron will… GET HIM  TO THE GREEK.

Neil Navani: Did you see GOODBYE SOLO? If so, your thoughts?

WARREN : I have seen GOODBYE SOLO, Neil, and think it is one of the best films of 2009. Ramin Bahrani is an incredible filmmaker, one of the best of the new generation. (Have you seen MAN PUSH CART and CHOP SHOP?) He gets great performances, mostly from non-professional, inexperienced  or under-appreciated actors in roles that are refreshingly dynamic and NOT traditionally heroic. Ramin crafts compelling characters by concentrating on what it means to be human rather than that what it means to fulfill Christopher Vogler’s structural demands.

Souleymane Sy Savane and Red West are a formidable, if odd, coupling in SOLO. The unlikely kinship between a Sengalese taxi driver and a mournful, ol’ cuss provokes consideration of the societal evolution of America thru the eyes of the immigrant and the retroactively-disenfranchised. Ramin is the rare filmmaker  concerned with our nation’s working class, as opposed to the upscale doctors, lawyers, cops and rubes that populate prime-time television. Of course, his dedication to non-white perspectives are in Stark contrast to the tony playboys of this summer’s blockbusters.

I would see anything Ramin makes and urge you to rent (or buy) his previous films as soon as you can. (I need to track down PLASTIC BAG, his most recent effort, a collaboration with Werner Herzog.) They are honest, fascinating portraits of  folks on the alleged fringes that actually constitute the majority of our populace. To better understand our future, examine the passed… over.

For the record, I am working on luring Ramin Bahrani to Seattle to speak at TheFilmSchool in July.

Now, dear readers, what do you think of GOODBYE SOLO? What do you think of Ramin Bahrani? Is he the Paddy Chayefsky of our day, the cinematic Studs Terkel?

MULTIPLE SARCASMS reminds that the unexamined life is not worth living, but its protagonist makes the case that the examiners may not be worth living… with. Playing a fitfully charming, charmlessly fitful architect, Timothy Hutton, escapes his family and career inertia by immersing himself in playwriting. He locks himself in his bathroom to do so, an appropriate venue for most aspiring artistes. Odds and talent be damned, on screen, this novice succeeds, supported by an agent (the apparently age-less Stockard Channing) and tolerated by his wife (the lovely Dana Delany) and precocious daughter (the precocious India Ennenga), despite the fact Broadway’s rising star identifies himself as the center of any and every solar system. Of course, the distance between his skewed perspective and others’ reality may be many, many light years.

It is tempting to applaud the lead’s efforts to express himself, but at what cost? In a conversation with writer-director Brooks Branch, he assures me that all the characters benefit from Hutton’s egocentrism, though I’m not sure I buy familial estrangement and abandonment as “ones to grow on.” Are we meant to evolve individually regardless of the consequences suffered by others? Is there no room for compassion and maturity in self-actualization? Yes, we must seek our true selves, but can’t those closest to us join the quest?

Auteur Branch crafts MULTIPLE SARCASMS as a retro tribute to the works of Bob Rafaelson and Hal Ashby. The script rambles, the players amble thru its non-traditional narrative. It’s like a cinematic spin on a Choose Your Own Adventure book; in fact, one may sense a second viewing would alter the outcome. The production team does yeoman work recreating New York in the 1970s, though the film features three other anachronisms, the most jarring, a reference to a Ryan O’Neal movie that was released in the 80s. The cast is time-sensitive, too: Delany is sharp, though sparingly seen, Hutton is solid, if unsympathetic and the standout is Mario Van Peebles who steels his scene with an iron-clad commitment to playing gay… well, straight. (He also provides a hilarious capper to the end credits, which are already a delight due to the graphic montage that picks up where the film’s limited interstitials left off,  visual clues to one character’s own artistic future.) Only Mira Sorvino fails to synchronize her calendar, playing Hutton’s indefatigable friend as if auditioning for a hopeless NBC sitcom in the 90s, a spinoff of Caroline in the City, perhaps.

MULTIPLE SARCASMS — now open in Seattle at the Regal Meridian 16 and the AMC Loews Oak Tree 6 — explores the intersection of artistry and self-identity, promising profundity from self-reflection rather than the loveless damnation of Narcissus. Even though Branch assures Hope abounds in his movie, I strongly suggest Hutton — and the rest of us — question how much time we spend self-absorbed for, at some point, we may long for more than our own image and listen to that distant voice. Might that Echo actually be our soul mate?

Key lime pie is a highwire act, the baker must gingerly walk the divide between tart and sweet, solid and smooth. Defying physics and phobias, Porter channels Phillipe Petit, balancing a crunchy, crumb crust with a delectable curd, slightly sweet whipped cream with twisted, candied lime wedges that serve as an aesthetic and gastronomic flourish, allowing this key lime pie to cross over from dessert to literal manna. This is not a matter of taste, it’s not even question of faith, A La Mode’s Key Lime Pie is simply proof of the existence of the divine. Bless you, Chris Porter.

Innovators: “We just Click!” The Magic of Instant Connections

With best selling author of Sway, Ori Brafman

Hosted by Lara Feltin & Warren Etheredge in Seattle, Washington

When: Tuesday, June 15 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM

Pulling Focus

Join us for the last in our series of panels about the business of film featuring Stephen Gyllenhaal (LOSING ISAIAH, HOMEGROWN, Numb3rs, Army Wives) and Peggy Rajski (TOWELHEAD, HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, BEE SEASON, THE GRIFTERS)

Moderated by Warren Etheredge

CROSS-CUTTING
They say, if ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Problem is, a combination of technology, the economy and the great audience diaspora has shattered everything we thought we knew about modern media. So, it’s time to bust out the SuperGlue, don our thinking caps and get busy because “old school” is out for good. But before we can rewrite a business plan for the industry, we need to closely examine our former failures and embrace our revised goals. What constitutes success and how do we best achieve it in the biz? Is there a greater good than the bottom line? How do we profit in today’s era of tipping points and long tails?

Tuesday, May 11
Sorrento Hotel / Top of the Tower Room
900 Madison Avenue (Madison and Terry)

6:30pm     Doors

7:00pm     Discussion with Stephen Gyllenhaal & Peggy Rajski

Cocktail Reception hosted by the Washington Wine Commission to follow event.

Avanced Tickets Brown Paper Tickets:
$10 General Public
$5 Participating Organization Member.  Please contact participating organization to receive discount code.
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/109839

Tickets Day of Event (Cash Only):
$15 General Public
$10 Participating Organization Member

____________

About Pulling Focus:

Pulling Focus is a series of three panels about the business of film designed to speak to the diversity of audience members, from screenwriters to actors, from directors to producers and on to musicians.  The goal is to elevate the conversation and design a dialogue that will have a little something for everyone and simultaneously help to give our community a rock solid education about how business is done in the film industry.

Pulling Focus:

Join us for the last in our series of panels about the business of film featuring Stephen Gyllenhaal (LOSING ISAIAH, HOMEGROWN, Numb3rs, Army Wives) and Peggy Rajski (TOWELHEAD, HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, BEE SEASON, THE GRIFTERS)

Moderated by Warren Etheredge

CROSS-CUTTING
They say, if ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Problem is, a combination of technology, the economy and the great audience diaspora has shattered everything we thought we knew about modern media. So, it’s time to bust out the SuperGlue, don our thinking caps and get busy because “old school” is out for good. But before we can rewrite a business plan for the industry, we need to closely examine our former failures and embrace our revised goals. What constitutes success and how do we best achieve it in the biz? Is there a greater good than the bottom line? How do we profit in today’s era of tipping points and long tails?

Tuesday, May 11
Sorrento Hotel / Top of the Tower Room
900 Madison Avenue (Madison and Terry)

6:30pm     Doors

7:00pm     Discussion with Stephen Gyllenhaal & Peggy Rajski

Cocktail Reception hosted by the Washington Wine Commission to follow event.

Avanced Tickets Brown Paper Tickets:
$10 General Public
$5 Participating Organization Member.  Please contact participating organization to receive discount code.  
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/109839

Tickets Day of Event (Cash Only):
$15 General Public
$10 Participating Organization Member

____________

About Pulling Focus:

Pulling Focus is a series of three panels about the business of film designed to speak to the diversity of audience members, from screenwriters to actors, from directors to producers and on to musicians.  The goal is to elevate the conversation and design a dialogue that will have a little something for everyone and simultaneously help to give our community a rock solid education about how business is done in the film industry.

Grunpeter died on the last day of production and his loss might be considered as tragic as the better publicized passings of Heath Ledger and River Phoenix. At least they had commercial successes to memorialize their skills. Grunpeter appeared in a couple of European tv series and had a small role in a flick with Julie Delpy and Steven Berkoff. TRACING COWBOYS should have heralded Grunpeter’s arrival, instead it serves as his cinematic epitaph: Truth lies here.

Edwards is seldom seen on screen, but is quietly captivating every time. She can charm comedically as in TATTOO, A LOVE STORY or tantalize dramatically as in COWBOYS. Physically petite, she still exudes enough energy to suggest an imminent starburst. Here, much of her work is relegated to voice-over, though it is the quest to find her that drives the story.

Indeed, TRACING COWBOYS is a back-handed homage to THE SEARCHERS. They are loosely paralleled narratively, while the John Ford western directly propels the leads in Jason Wuhlfson‘s deep southwestern. The two are connected visually, thanks to the awe-striking cinematography of David Robinson who reinvents Winton Hoch‘s sunlight-suffused vistas, cleverly juxtaposing them with tight, hand-held sequences that return us to the main character’s perspective, his near-suffocating pursuit.

TRACING COWBOYS is imperfect. Its pace taunts more than teases. Its resolution both rewards and disregards our patience. Nevertheless, the contributions of Robinson, Edwards and the late Grunpeter — in addition to a stellar soundtrack — advocate for home viewing on a rainy, heartsick night.

Perhaps we’d be wise to take a similar tack in confronting child abuse. In a recent interview with Jeannie Yandel for KUOW Presents, I highlight three movies that allow us to do just that. If we are to combat child abuse, maybe it best if we understood its root causes and consider the possibility that it is not an isolated consequence of Evil but rather a frightening potential within most of us… if it is ignored rather than acknowledged.

Please  listen to the interview, watch the movies (TOWELHEAD, THE WOODSMAN, DELIVER US FROM EVIL) and suggest your own solutions. Or, look into organizations such as Children’s Trust Foundation and all they are doing to stem the rising tide of child neglect and abuse.

In Words & Wine events, guests mingle with the author while sipping award-winning wines from Ste. Michelle Wine Estates and enjoying savory nibbles prepared by The Hunt Club. For the highlight of the evening, the engaging Warren Etheredge, of The Warren Report, leads an intimate and entertaining on-stage interview and conversation with the author. A copy of the book, signed for you by the author after the interview, is included in the $50 ticket cost, in addition to all wines and appetizers.

Words & Wine with Peter Mayle Friday July 16 6pm Sorrento Hotel, Seattle Spend a summer evening sipping wine and chatting all things French with Peter Mayle, in Seattle to discuss his latest novel, The Vintage Caper. The setting is the historic Sorrento Hotel’s Top of the Town, and we’ll enjoy appetizers and Ste Michelle wines while Warren Etheredge interviews Mayle about his books and his life in Paris and Provence. From Hollywood to Marseille with delicious stops in between, Peter Mayle’s latest novel is filled with the culinary delights and entertaining characters that made him our treasured chronicler of la vie Francais. After lawyer Danny Roth’ impressive wine cellar is featured in the LA Times, he finds himself the victim of a world-class wine heist. The search for the missing liquid treasure leads to Bordeaux and Provence, and along the way we, and the characters, get to enjoy all of France’s sensory delights.

	Peter Mayle

“A lighthearted romp, in which picking the right restaurant, choosing the best dish on the menu and of course, finding the perfect wine (and female companion) to accompany the feast is every bit as important as catching the thief.” —Los Angeles Times All wines, appetizers and a copy of The Vintage Caper are included in the $50 per person cost, along with a magical summer evening with one of our most charming writers. Peter Mayle is the author of eleven previous books, including A Year in Provence, French Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork, and Corkscrew, A Good Year, Hotel Pastis and Chasing Cezanne. He received the Legion d’Honneur from the French government for his cultural contributions, and has lived in Provence for twenty years.

In recognition of their dedication to improving the health and well-being of the human community, Bastyr University will confer honorary doctoral degrees on Dr. Mehmet Oz and his wife, Lisa Oz. The evening will also include a conversation with the honorary guests, moderated by Warren Etheredge.

Register today for An Evening with Dr. Oz and Lisa Oz.*

Location:

Bastyr University Chapel
14500 Juanita Drive NE
Kenmore, Washington 98028

Tickets:

$500 for VIP Reception at 6 p.m.
$125 for the general attendance at 7:30 p.m.

Mehmet Oz, MD

Dr. Oz, host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” is vice-chair and professor of surgery at Columbia University. He directs the Cardiovascular Institute and Complementary Medicine Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital. He has authored more than 400 original publications, book chapters and medical books and has received several patents. He performs 250 heart operations annually. He lives in Cliffside Park, NJ, with his wife of 23 years, Lisa, and their four children: Daphne, Arabella, Zoe and Oliver.

Lisa Oz

Lisa Oz is a writer, actress, producer and co-host of “The Dr. Oz Show” on Oprah Radio, Sirius and XM. She is co-author of five New York Times best-selling books in addition to her latest, US: Transforming Ourselves and the Relationships that Matter Most. She is the co-founder of HealthCorps, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health of America’s youth through school-based peer mentoring.

For more details or underwriting, contact Julie Herbison at 
jherbison@bastyr.edu or (425) 602-3053.

* Note: You will be redirected to a third-party website, blackbaud.com, for secure online registration.

Somehow, I doubt Mr. Grann (author of the best-selling The Lost City of Z) was compensated for his contributions to the “Torch” episode of SVU. And, I doubt producers made any donation to the Innocence Project. In light of these oversights, I urge you, dear readers, to do what you do best. Read. More. In particular, pick up a copy of David Grann’s provocative collection of essays, The Devil and Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness, and Obsession. It is the best book of journalistic non-fiction I have read in many years. (And I’m not just saying that because I hosted Mr. Grann at Words & Wine earlier this year and consider him amongst the best interview subjects ever.) Chock full of colorful characters and unbelievable storylines, you, too, may be tempted to write scripts based on what you discover in Grann’s book and, if you do, I trust you’ll do the proper thing and buy the rights first.

(In fairness, Cold Case apparently featured a similarly “inspired” episode, though I have not seen it.)

Moderated by Warren Etheredge

___________

DIGITAL UPRISING
The digital revolution may not be televised. While many boast about the democratizing impact of new, inexpensive technology, has it created false hope instead? Movie-makers may now be able to shoot for next to nothing, but how can the truly independent distribute and market their work? Does digital enable greater creativity or engender a greater dependence on established institutions? How can the film community avoid the pitfalls of analog paradigms and best profit from the latest advancements?

Tuesday, May 4
Sorrento Hotel / Top of the Tower Room
900 Madison Avenue (Madison and Terry)

6:30pm     Doors
7:00pm     Discussion with Michael Arrieta & Hanson Hosein
Cocktail Reception hosted by the Washington Wine Commission to follow event.

Tickets
$15 General Public
$10 Participating Organization Member.  Please contact participating organization to receive discount code.
Purchase COMBO tickets early for both May 4th and May 11th Pulling Focus events and receive a discount.

Brown Paper Tickets:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/109837
Tickets also available at the door day of event depending on availability (cash only).  COMBO tickets will not be available for purchase on May 4th so make sure to get them early at Brown Paper Tickets.

Guest Bio:
Michael Arrieta
Founder & CEO Big Air Studios

Michael has over 20 years experience in the entertainment and new media business.  A true pioneer in digital media, Michael spent the last 12 years of his career at Sony Pictures where he oversaw the formation and operation of all Sony’s Digital Entertainment businesses as well as programming, games and services.  Michael established Sony’s licensing, ad sales and distribution relationships that drove new revenue sources from all business models across all digital platforms.  His divisions included Digital Content Production, Digital Distribution, Online and Mobile Video Networks, Online and Mobile Games, Promotional Websites, Digital Ad Sales and Technology/Advanced Platforms.

Through his leadership Sony Pictures was the first to offer film and television downloads on the internet, the first to offer full-length film on mobile phones, the first to offer film in virtual worlds, the first to create professional content for the internet and the first to launch a user-generated video service (Sony Screenblast, 2001).  Michael has produced over 200 websites including Sonypictures.com, over 75 mobile and online games – winning the coveted “Game of the Year” award in both 2005 and 2006 – and has produced over 35 made for digital series – including the first made-for-digital movie Angel of Death.

Michael has established deals with the biggest companies in the traditional and digital entertainment world, including iTunes, Xbox, PlayStation, Blockbuster, CinemaNow, Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, YouTube, Hulu, AOL, Yahoo!, MSN, Netflix, Vudu, TiVo, DivX, Samsung, HP, Dell, Nokia, Motorola, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile and Starz.

Prior to Sony, Michael worked for 20th Century Fox and Morgan Creek Productions, and served as a strategic consultant in the Entertainment Group at Price Waterhouse.  Michael is a C.P.A and earned his B.A. in Economics and M.B.A from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Hanson Hosein
Director of the Master of Communication in Digital Media at the University of Washington in Seattle

Hanson Hosein specializes in storytelling, social media strategies and new models of communication. As President of HRH Media, he employed this expertise to direct the award-winning documentary films “Rising from Ruins” and “Independent America: The Two-Lane Search for Mom & Pop,” which have been broadcast around the world and widely distributed online via Hulu and Yahoo!. Hanson advises organizations and companies such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Boston University, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the Public Relations Society of America on media strategy. He has also won Emmy and Overseas Press Club Awards for his work as a television journalist with NBC News. He was embedded with the U.S. military in Iraq and covered the impact of the war throughout the Middle East, armed only with a laptop, satellite phone and camcorder. Hanson has a Masters degree in journalism from Columbia University, and law degrees from Montreal’s McGill University and the University of Paris. He’s presently occupied with writing a book on storytelling in the digital age, hosting TEDx Seattle, and building the Media Space at the University of Washington, which aims to be a hub and business incubator for the Pacific Northwest’s digital media community. Hanson serves on the boards of the Common Language Project, UWTV, Puget Sound Off and is an affiliate member of the Jackson School’s Middle East Center.

____________

About Pulling Focus:

Pulling Focus is a series of three panels about the business of film designed to speak to the diversity of audience members, from screenwriters to actors, from directors to producers and on to musicians.  The goal is to elevate the conversation and design a dialogue that will have a little something for everyone and simultaneously help to give our community a rock solid education about how business is done in the film industry.

Moderated by Warren Etheredge

___________

DIGITAL UPRISING
The digital revolution may not be televised. While many boast about the democratizing impact of new, inexpensive technology, has it created false hope instead? Movie-makers may now be able to shoot for next to nothing, but how can the truly independent distribute and market their work? Does digital enable greater creativity or engender a greater dependence on established institutions? How can the film community avoid the pitfalls of analog paradigms and best profit from the latest advancements?

Tuesday, May 4
Sorrento Hotel / Top of the Tower Room
900 Madison Avenue (Madison and Terry)

6:30pm     Doors
7:00pm     Discussion with Michael Arrieta & Hanson Hosein
Cocktail Reception hosted by the Washington Wine Commission to follow event.

Tickets
$15 General Public
$10 Participating Organization Member.  Please contact participating organization to receive discount code.
Purchase COMBO tickets early for both May 4th and May 11th Pulling Focus events and receive a discount.

Brown Paper Tickets:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/109837
Tickets also available at the door day of event depending on availability (cash only).  COMBO tickets will not be available for purchase on May 4th so make sure to get them early at Brown Paper Tickets.

Guest Bio:
Michael Arrieta
Founder & CEO Big Air Studios

Michael has over 20 years experience in the entertainment and new media business.  A true pioneer in digital media, Michael spent the last 12 years of his career at Sony Pictures where he oversaw the formation and operation of all Sony’s Digital Entertainment businesses as well as programming, games and services.  Michael established Sony’s licensing, ad sales and distribution relationships that drove new revenue sources from all business models across all digital platforms.  His divisions included Digital Content Production, Digital Distribution, Online and Mobile Video Networks, Online and Mobile Games, Promotional Websites, Digital Ad Sales and Technology/Advanced Platforms.

Through his leadership Sony Pictures was the first to offer film and television downloads on the internet, the first to offer full-length film on mobile phones, the first to offer film in virtual worlds, the first to create professional content for the internet and the first to launch a user-generated video service (Sony Screenblast, 2001).  Michael has produced over 200 websites including Sonypictures.com, over 75 mobile and online games – winning the coveted “Game of the Year” award in both 2005 and 2006 – and has produced over 35 made for digital series – including the first made-for-digital movie Angel of Death.

Michael has established deals with the biggest companies in the traditional and digital entertainment world, including iTunes, Xbox, PlayStation, Blockbuster, CinemaNow, Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, YouTube, Hulu, AOL, Yahoo!, MSN, Netflix, Vudu, TiVo, DivX, Samsung, HP, Dell, Nokia, Motorola, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile and Starz.

Prior to Sony, Michael worked for 20^th Century Fox and Morgan Creek Productions, and served as a strategic consultant in the Entertainment Group at Price Waterhouse.  Michael is a C.P.A and earned his B.A. in Economics and M.B.A from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Hanson Hosein
Director of the Master of Communication in Digital Media at the University of Washington in Seattle

Hanson Hosein specializes in storytelling, social media strategies and new models of communication. As President of HRH Media, he employed this expertise to direct the award-winning documentary films “Rising from Ruins” and “Independent America: The Two-Lane Search for Mom & Pop,” which have been broadcast around the world and widely distributed online via Hulu and Yahoo!. Hanson advises organizations and companies such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Boston University, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the Public Relations Society of America on media strategy. He has also won Emmy and Overseas Press Club Awards for his work as a television journalist with NBC News. He was embedded with the U.S. military in Iraq and covered the impact of the war throughout the Middle East, armed only with a laptop, satellite phone and camcorder. Hanson has a Masters degree in journalism from Columbia University, and law degrees from Montreal’s McGill University and the University of Paris. He’s presently occupied with writing a book on storytelling in the digital age, hosting TEDx Seattle, and building the Media Space at the University of Washington, which aims to be a hub and business incubator for the Pacific Northwest’s digital media community. Hanson serves on the boards of the Common Language Project, UWTV, Puget Sound Off and is an affiliate member of the Jackson School’s Middle East Center.

____________

About Pulling Focus:

Pulling Focus is a series of three panels about the business of film designed to speak to the diversity of audience members, from screenwriters to actors, from directors to producers and on to musicians.  The goal is to elevate the conversation and design a dialogue that will have a little something for everyone and simultaneously help to give our community a rock solid education about how business is done in the film industry.

International comedy selection

Admission: $10, plus service fee

Purchase Tickets to Today’s Special on:

In this super-feel-good foodie comedy, young Manhattan chef Samir rediscovers his heritage and his passion for life through the enchanting art of cooking Indian food. Directed by David Kaplan, written by Aasif Mandvi (The Daily Show With Jon Stewart ) and Jonathan Bines. Starring Aasif Mandvi, Madhur Jaffrey, Jess Weixler, Naseeruddin Shah, Harish Patel, Kevin Corrigan.

Running time: 99 minutes.

Attending the post-film Q&A: Madhur Jaffrey (Chef/Actress), Aasif Mandvi (Actor) and Nimitt Mankad (Producer)

Moderated by: Warren Etheredge of The Warren Report

International Drama/Documentary selection

Admission: $10, plus service fee       Purchase Tickets to The End of the Line on:

Imagine an ocean without fish. Imagine your meals without seafood. Imagine the global consequences. This is the future if we do not stop, think and act. THE END OF THE LINE is the first major feature documentary film revealing the impact of overfishing on our oceans. Filmed over two years and across the globe, THE END OF THE LINE follows the investigative reporter Charles Clover as he confronts politicians and celebrity restaurateurs, who exhibit little regard for the damage they are doing to the oceans. This powerful film features top scientists, indigenous fishermen and fisheries enforcement officials across the globe, from the Straits of Gibraltar to Alaska to the coasts of Senegal to the Tokyo fish market.

Running time: 90 minutes.

Attending the post-film Q&A : Dr. Ray Hilborn (UW Professor, Aquatic & Fisheries Sciences), John Foss (Coastal Rovers), Dr. Jennifer Jacquet (Ph.D. and post-doctoral researcher with the Sea Around Us Project at the UBC Fisheries Centre. Author of the blog Guilty Planet )

Moderated by: Warren Etheredge of The Warren Report

Local Filmmaker Showcase selection

Admission: $10, plus service fee      Purchase Tickets to Ingredients on:

A feature-length documentary, INGREDIENTS illustrates how people around the country are working to revitalize the connection between good food and our health. Narrated by Bebe Neuwirth, the film takes us across the U.S. from the diversified farms of the Hudson River and Willamette Valleys to the urban food deserts of Harlem and to the kitchens of celebrated chefs Alice Waters, Peter Hoffman, Greg Higgins and Cory Schreiber. INGREDIENTS is a journey that reveals the people behind the movement to bring good food back to the table and health back to our communities. Written and directed by Robert Bates, produced by Brian Kimmel.

Running time: 67 minutes.

Attending the post-film Q&A : Brian Kimmel (Producer and Cinematographer), Greg Higgins (Chef/Owner of Higgins Restaurant & Bar), Debra Sohm Lawson (Researcher/Producer), Cory Schreiber (Chef/Oregon Dept. of Agriculture)

Moderated by: Warren Etheredge of The Warren Report

BIZNIK INNOVATORS SERIES

INNOVATORS: Setting big things in motion using the universal power of pull

With celebrated authors John Hagel III & John Seely Brown

From the Harvard Business Review: In a ferociously dynamic world, what happens if we can’t plan but can only adapt? We must move, say the authors, from push to pull. At the center of the pull strategy is an individual (not a corporation) who has access to knowledge flows, takes advantage of porous boundaries and serendipitous interactions, and occupies new creative spaces to achieve a novel order of performance. I know. It’s a complex model with several moving parts. But it makes for an exhilarating read as the authors sublimely reinvent the world of enterprise.”

What others say about the two Johns and The Power of Pull

“The Power of Pull examines the “how question”—how can we effectively address our most pressing challenges in a rapidly changing and increasingly interdependent world. (The authors) highlight fascinating new ways in which passionate thinking, creative solutions, and committed action can—and will—make it possible for us to seize opportunities and remain in step with change.” - William Jefferson Clinton, 42nd President of the United States of America

“Hagel, Brown, and Davison have given us a provocative and insightful look at the power of today’s knowledge flow. If you want to meet the challenges of working and living in the 21st century, this book should be your guide.” - Eric Schmidt, Chairman and CEO of Google

“Stop whatever you are doing and read this amazing book. The authors totally nail it. Digging beneath the surface of stuff that distracts us on a daily basis, they unpack the deep forces that really truly matter and provide a guidebook each of us can use to unleash passion, transform how and why we work, and restore destiny and dignity to our lives.” -Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class and The Great Reset

The Biznik Innovators Series connects members with some of the most premier innovative thought leaders published today in a swank downtown venue (with complimentary wine!) When the authors visit Seattle, we find innovative ways to celebrate their books, while providing you with a unique networking opportunity.

The engaging Warren Etheredge, of The Warren Report, will lead an intimate and entertaining on-stage conversation with the author that takes the entire event up a notch.

In addition…

• Before and after networking with the author and other guests in an intimate setting at the elegant Hotel 1000
• Free-flowing award-winning wines from Columbia Crest Wineries

AND in addition to the wine & appetizers, a copy of the book, signed for you by the author after the interview, is included in the ticket cost.

• 5:30pm-6pm Networking over complimentary wine & appetizers
• 6pm-7:15pm-ish On stage interview and Q&A with the author
• Until 8pm Book signing and networking

Previous Biznik Innovator guests have included: best selling authorDaniel Pink, Twitter’s Dom Sagolla, the “fierce” Susan Scott, Wine Library TV’s Gary Vaynerchuk, and blogger Chris Brogan.

What others say about the Biznik Innovators Series

“Very classy Biznik… Can’t believe that (with ProVIP) I got free wine, amazing Hors d’œuvres, a beautiful venue, fun networking with 135 people, a top-notch speaker & a free autographed book – for $30! Thanks for continuing to offer great events and being committed to supporting entrepreneurs and making our work as fun as possible.” -Leif Hansen

“Elegant, interesting, and I had great conversations with people before and after the interview. A great time and a great Value! Keep ‘em coming!” - David Brilbrey

Ticket includes a selection of wines, appetizers and a copy of the featured book. Reservations are required, and can be made here on our website by joining or logging into Biznik. (Basic membership in Biznik is free.)

NOTE ON PARKING. The Hotel 1000 is located on First Avenue in downtown Seattle, 2 blocks south of the Seattle Art Museum. There are parking lots and meters in the general area. The Hotel 1000 is also offering us a discount on valet parking for $9.50.

Note: Event attendance required to receive your copy of the book.

Oh, and for those who actually watch and listen to Window Seat, the song’s denouement, Ms. Badu’s condemnation of hateful thought and group-think seems best aimed at the very folks who would condemn her for exposing her beautiful convictions along with her body.

**PLEASE NOTE: You must print out your ticket and present it at the theater. Arrive early. Seating is NOT guaranteed.**

Starring: Andy Garcia, Juilanna Marguiles, Alan Arkin, Steven Strait, Dominik Garcia-Lorido, Ezra Miller and Emily Mortimer.

When prison guard and aspiring actor, Vince Rizzo (Andy Garcia) is asked to reveal his biggest secret during his drama class, he inadvertently sets off a chain of events that turns his mundane suburban life into total chaos. Vince takes great pains covering up his half-truths from his family, but soon it becomes clear that everyone—his hot-tempered wife (Julianna Margulies), college student daughter (Dominik Garcia-Lorido), long-lost ex-con son (Steven Strait), charismatic acting partner (Emily Mortimer) and even his drama coach (Alan Arkin)—all have secrets of their own. Everyone’s furtive deceptions collide with hilarious results. Set on City Island, a quaint fishing community on the outskirts of the Bronx, this smart and charming comedy explores the absurd secrets and vices people choose to keep from their loved ones…and the realization that the truth is easier to cope with than well-intentioned white lies.

CITY ISLAND is a funny and touching family tale about the secrets of the past catching up with the lies of the present, and accepting that nobody’s perfect – least of all your loved ones.

A copy of the book, signed for you by the author after the interview, is included in the $50 ticket cost, in addition to all wines and appetizers.