MDMA Films: Mumblecore Preview Part II

                Monday, June 20^th the Mumblecore mayhem is released to the masses. You should be prepared. This is happening. Another tidbit from the upcoming movie “Mumblecore” has been presented online for your viewing pleasure. I am excited to see how much they managed to throw into a film with minimal money. This is the most heartfelt thing I’ve seen from Tao Lin and Megan Boyle. Let Mumblecore be as good as this whole trailer. I’d like that. 

                We begin with the gorgeous red color. For whatever reason, I respond well to the color. Perhaps it is intended to ‘color’ my experience or viewing of it by literally seeing the scene through rose colored glasses. Or it could just be the cheapness of the computer lighting. Whatever the reason it does alter my reaction to what Megan says.  As she says “Then the next few times we hung out we slept in the same bed” Tao’s head looks up at her at an affectionate angle. Tao gives a little nod and they move on to the next scene. “Aw” came out of my mouth involuntarily with this scene. Calling it adorable wouldn’t do it justice. 

                By using a stark editing technique called “reality” Mumblecore captivates me more than some set-up love story. They use real language. I find set-ups in most romantic films to be corny, cheesy, and pretty boring. With those mass-produced sorts of media they edit out any humanity to create a beautiful, empty glossy package. Here Tao and Megan do the exact opposite. Though the filming is oftentimes blurry the humanity is crystal clear. Humanity and love are the main focuses. After Tao says “I like just being around you” into his hand Megan responds with a simple “Me too.” Keeping it so focused and unencumbered by anything else allows you to connect with the mumbling lovers.

                You see them in the back of a car. Nothing happens. They talk. The red light makes a re-appearance. A song plays on the radio (the only song I hear in the entire trailer). Listening to the song their conversation appears to nearly fit the music. That might be accidental but if so it is a rather delightful accident and an example of what happens around us when we pay attention. 

                Paying attention is what Mumblecore is mainly about. Both of them limit the amount of information you’re given. You’re only given two characters. The limits are what define the movie, how you don’t know Tao’s or Megan’s internal thoughts. Considering what they write you probably could guess what they think or don’t think about. I know some people religiously digest everything either person comes out with or does. Lately Tao has been prolific with writing for “Vice Magazine” and selling some of his possessions on eBay. But knowing what they think isn’t important. You don’t even need to know them that well to feel the connection between the two. 

                I enjoyed the second trailer a lot. Even more than the first it makes me eagerly await its release on MDMA Films.

Shoplifting from American Apparel (Movie)

             An attempt at making a movie out of Tao Lin’s ‘?-selling’ book has finally arrived, with all of the hype it so rightly deserves. Tao has been having a fantastic year this year, getting married, writing for Thought Catalog, and now a movie. Everything has been coming together for him after so many years of living in the direst of poverty. Hopefully he spends all the money from this movie and spends it wisely on drugs, so he can videotape himself doing them via his production company MDMA Films. I think that’s known as ‘investing’. 

                Who is behind this delightful development, sure to bring warmth and good cheer among an ultra-specific group of people? Pirooz Kalayeh is the director for this, bringing together a vast network of great people.  Seeing Pirooz in the trailer, he states how he could watch Gchats all day, so you know it’ll be a riveting performance. A cartoonist and animator have been brought in to spruce up the production and give it that glossy sheen it truly needs. In case this wasn’t enough, he actually has some pretty wonderful companies working with him to provide the bizarre sorts of items no one really needs (talking tree?), but likes having. 

                Sadly, they have run into a hitch. Unbeknown-st to them, making a film costs a great deal of money. Maybe they even knew this, I’m not sure. But their Kickstarter shows off some of the progress they’ve made thus far. I guess making a film of this caliber costs roughly $37,500. Personally, I’d urge you to check out the various goodies they’ll bestow upon you for various disclosed amounts of cash. For $5,000 you get to attend the world premiere of the movie in sunny California, with the luxurious accommodations of Kalayeh’s floor. Contribute $10,000 and you get the same thing but this time the couch, so you can see it is totally worth it. 

 Sangha films (located in Long Beach) need your help to create a film celebrating the joys of stealing stuff and selling it on EBAY to survive. Personally, I’d tell them a good way of raising cash for this film might involve stealing stuff and selling it on the internet. Hey, worked for Tao.

                Tao’s book speaks to all those who’ve tried, perhaps in vain, to add something to the vast body of literature out there. New York City is expensive, and I know people who did things similar to Tao in order to survive the great city. Unlike Tao, they didn’t write, they vegetated and eventually moved to Indonesia. So I have a tremendous amount of respect for what Tao does and continues to do, despite the vast indifference most of the internet (and reality) has towards him. With this movie, that indifference is vaguely combatted, probably while wearing a neutral expression.

                Actually the movie itself appears to be a mixture of a documentary on Tao’s harrowing life from guy typing stuff on a computer to his current situation of guy typing stuff on a computer who is married. Due to the subject matter, it is an absurdist look into someone who has been called a “literary prankster” by people who know the true definition of one. Besides Tao’s work being involved, it looks into the various creative roadblocks the crew itself faces, like raising money. Perhaps part of the movie will involve them refreshing their Kickstarter page, wondering who else just contributed money.

                Pirooz stated himself to share the link with friends and family. So I’ll do that. Click here to learn more about the myriad ways of supporting a starving artist who is doing a movie about another starving artist. And the circle of life is complete.