NEWS: Adam(n) podcast appearance

Joshua Ligairi » 09.03.09 »

Two guys named Adam from Salt Lake City run a cool little film podcast where the movies of yesterday and today are jovially discussed in a low-key atmosphere that feels more like hanging out with old friends than a cineaste dissection of cinema. That's not to say that these guys can't drop science. The Adams are true film fans and can speak knowledgeably about anything from the work of Alfred Hitchcock to that of David Cronenberg. I've often enjoyed their rants on everything from Apocolypse Now and Blade Runner to Pee Wee's Big Adventure and Howard the Duck. These guys don't discriminate.

I first heard about A Damn Movie Podcast on Filmspotting (you may remember from a previous post that I am sickeningly addicted to several movie podcasts, Filmspotting ranking high on the junkie list) when one of those Adams, Adam Palcher, dropped in to talk about his favorite films of 2009 so far. Hearing a local on one of my favorite national podcasts, I did a spit take all over my Mac and then jumped on iTunes to look these guys up and see what I was missing out on. And I'm glad I did because it soon paid off in more than just cheap entertainment.

Last night I had the honor of being a guest on the show, recorded at Adam Sherlock's amazing house at a super-secret location in Salt Lake City. How amazingly super-secret? The guy has his own road. But I digress. Sherlock and Palcher invited myself and Andrew James, co-director of the Cleanflix documentary, on the show to discuss our film and the ideas behind it. What ensued was an interesting (to us) if incomprehensible (to everyone but us) conversation about Mormon culture, sanitized movies, the making-of our film, and the upcoming premiere of Cleanflix at the Toronto International Film Festival. I hope that what was said could be considered insightful commentary, but either way I had a great time and it was cool to see that the Adams are actually even more likebale in person than they are on the air.

You can download the podcast on iTunes for free. Just search "A Damn Movie Podcast." Our interview is halfway into Episode 71, the censorship episode, which also features a review of Private Parts and a top five list where the guys discuss movies that they would like to edit just to improve the quality of the film (the Phantom Edit anyone?). It is all worth a listen, but if you have a short attention span, our interview comes in at right about the 30 minute mark.

Another great thing is that the podcast happens to feature music from two of my favorite local bands, arguably two of the best indie/alt country bands in the world right now, Cub Country and Band of Annuals. You can find music from both of these bands online, and I would recommend that you do. I especially like the Cub Country album "High Uinta High" which is largely about singer/songwriter Jeremy Chatelain's (Jets to Brazil, Iceburn) love for the great state of Utah.

I should also probably mention, for those with sensitive ears, that these damn podcasters swear like sailors and the entire interview is riddled with colorful language. If you don't have access to iTunes, you can download the episode directly from their blog. The photos that I've posted of the Adams are by Renee Lee at BellaOra Studios and Francisco Kjolseth at In This Week.

BLOG: Blame Canada!

Joshua Ligairi » 07.21.09 »

So, buddy thought that crummy documentary I have been working on for three years was never going to see the light of day, eh? Well, buddy was wrong. Apparently, there are some canucks out there that actually want to see the thing.

Cleanflix, a film that I shot for two years and edited for one with my co-director Andrew James, will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this September. TIFF is one of the premiere festivals in the world, along with Cannes and Sundance, and boasts an annual attendance in the neighborhood of 300,000 people. Screening at a festival this size offers some amazing opportunities for our film. The announcement was made today on Indie Wire and a media circus ensued with articles in The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, among others.

We sent out our own press release too, hoping to spark some interest from our local Utah media outlets, but they were less interested. Guess what? Don't need 'em. Variety refers to Cleanflix as one of this year's "hot docs" and we are seeing interest in the film throughout the industry. From an interview with Toronto programmer, Thom Powers:

Needless to say, we are very excited for the opportunity to screen at such an incredible event. Other films premiering alongside ours include Steven Soderbergh's new film with Matt Damon and Diablo Cody's new film with Megan Fox. There are also films starring my personal role models Bill Murray and Ricky Gervais, and what looks to be an amazing concert film featuring the White Stripes. But mostly, I'm excited to screen alongside such an great group of documentary films.

There is always a lot of pressure to promote and sell your film and yourself at an event like this, but that is all just fading away into the background for me. I am just happy that we have a film that we love and that we get to share it with so many people in such an ideal setting. This promises to be a truly wonderful experience for us.

You can blame Canada for that.

BLOG: Oh, I love technology...

Joshua Ligairi » 02.25.09 »

Actually that's not true. I'm not very technically minded, I hate adopting new technologies, and I'm usually very uninterested in how these things work. Yes, I am one of those highfalutin artistic types that still enjoys vinyl, thinks CGI ruins movies, and often asserts that technology is for nerds who "chat online with babes all day". The good news? Now I don't have to learn this stuff. I just have to call the good folks at Digital Domain.

Digital Domain VP Ed Ulbrich was recently at the TED (Technology Entertainment Design) 2009 Conference where he gave a presentation called “How Benjamin Button Got His Face.” The annual conference brings together the world’s most accomplished thinkers and doers who give these amazing 18 minute presentations explaining their craft.

Ulbrich demonstrated the technology behind Brad Pitt’s character in David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, for which Ulbrich just won an Oscar. I've re-posted the video of his presentation below. I have been impressed with Digital Domain's work since I saw the behind-the-scenes documentary about their work on Fincher's Zodiac, but this blows that out of the water.

You know, I just realized that I'm responding to this video not because of the technology aspect but because of that peek behind the curtain that it gives. I've always been obsessed with makings-of (probably why I loved making them on films like Evil Angel and Pirates of the Great Salt Lake) and it was actually the behind-the-scenes of Michael Jackson's Thriller that first got me interested in filmmaking. I'd say that this is largely akin to that.

You should really watch this video. I promise that, if you have the slightest interest in the future of filmmaking, you will be glad you did.



Find more "ideas worth spreading" at the TED website. Aaron Ruell photo from Napoleon Dynamite taken by my friend Seth Smoot.

LIST: The Films of 2008

Joshua Ligairi » 02.10.09 »

I have a certain amount of respect for anyone that has made a movie. I make movies for a living and, having been involved with every department at every stage of production, I know how difficult it is to produce a quality motion picture. That said, there are some bad ones out there. That's why I think that it is important to support those that are a cut above the rest. I appreciate both a mastery of the craft and a pushing of the boundaries. Well-written scripts, thoughtful camera work, detail-oriented production design, a unique vision--these are the things that I look for in a film. It is not often I find what I am looking for, but when I stumble across that rare film, I support it financially, on opening weekend whenever possible, and I try to spread good word of mouth in any way I can.

Some favorites from 2007.

Each year I compile a list of some of my favorite films. I don't do a ten list like many do, giving the films a specific ranking, but I do rate the films to some degree and I try to mention all of the films that I feel are above average. Don't consider the list as recommendations as the films included on the list span all genres from animated family movies, to foreign language films, to graphic horror flicks. Not every movie is for every person.

Some favorites from 2008.

I typically try to publish my list online before the Academy Awards. This was a busy year for me (professionally and personally) and it took me a while to see all of the movies that I wanted to, but I finally did it. I'd have to say that last year was better than this year in terms of films that knocked me out, but overall it was a solid year for cinema, especially considering all the different genres of film that were represented in the year's best. All in all 2008 yielded some wonderful cinematic creations.

I guess this was my humanist year, because all of my favorite films were truly about the human experience. Some, like Man on Wire, Milk, Valkyrie, and Waltz with Bashir, dealt with real-life heroism (and the lack thereof) in the face of unimaginable adversity and insurmountable odds while others, like Be Kind Rewind, My Winnipeg, Synecdoche, and The Wrestler, used imaginative and non-traditional facade to cut to the heart of real human emotion.


Excellent (2008) These were my favorite movies of the year.

Be Kind Rewind . Man on Wire . Milk . My Winnipeg . Synecdoche, New York . Valkyrie . Waltz with Bashir . The Wrestler

The lack of a few really amazing films this year was balanced out by an abundance of really solid filmmaking. From the creepy re-imaging of the vampire mythos in Let the Right One In to the touching investigation of love and memory in Away From Her, 2008 saw an array of simple, thoughtful stories and a mainstream appreciation of independent visions. This was most obvious with the acclaim of films like Slumdog Millionaire and Doubt, but is true of most of the films that I've placed in this category. Even the big budget family movie Wall E showed a daring and sophistication that we don't often see in animated movies for the masses. It was also wonderful to see fresh approaches to the medium from masters like David Mamet and Woody Allen (saying nothing of Jean Claude Van Damme) that could easily be content to rest on their laurels.

Very Good (2008) These were also very good films.

Away From Her . Chop Shop . Doubt . Frost / Nixon . In Bruge . JCVD . Let the Right One In . Rachel Getting Married . Redbelt . Slumdog Millionaire . Snow Angels . Son of Rambow . The Up Beat . Vicky Cristina Barcelona . The Visitor . Wall E . Young at Heart

All of the films in the following section had their problems, yet were still more watchable and unique than the typical mindless trash that is usually being shoveled on us by Hollywood. On that note, I guess I should mention that most of these were actually not studio films, but independent productions.

Above Average (2008) These were still better than most of the crap out there.

Bigger Stronger Faster . Body of Lies . Bolt . Burn After Reading . Charlie Bartlett . Choke . Encounters at the End of the Word . The Errand of Angels . The Express . Falling . Foot Fist Way . Forever Strong . Frozen River . Funny Games . Ghost Town . Gonzo . Hamlet 2 . The Happening . Happy Go Lucky . Hellboy 2 . Hell Ride . Kung Fu Panda . Lakeview Terrace . Leatherheads . Mr. Lonely . Paranoid Park . Pineapple Express . Pirates of the Great Salt Lake . Quarantine . The Reader . Run Fatboy Run . Stop Loss . Surfwise . Take . Taken . Towel Head . Traitor . Tropic Thunder. Una Vida Mejor . The Wackness . Wanted and Desired . War Inc . What Just Happened? . What Would Jesus Buy? . Youth Without Youth . Zack and Miri

What’s Wrong With Utah County? (2008) These never played in my area.

Adoration . Ashes of Time . Ballast . The Brothers Bloom . Che . A Christmas Tale . Chocolate . The Edge of Heaven . Elegy . Fear(s) of the Dark . Flight of the Red Balloon . Gomorrah . Made In America . Me and Orsen Welles . Reprise . Sukiyaki Western Jango . Teeth . Tell No One . Time Crimes . Wendy and Lucy

I just wasn't interested in what Hollywood was selling this year. I'm sure I'll see them eventually, but the apathy that these movies instilled in me made for a long summer.

I’ll Catch It On DVD (2008) Kinda wanted to see it, but not that bad.

Australia . The Curious Case of Benjamin Button . Dark Knight . The Duchess . Forgetting Sarah Marshall . Inside . The International . Ironman . John Rambo . Mamma Mia . Martyrs . Revolutionary Road . The Rocker . Role Models . Speed Racer . The Strangers . Step Brothers . Trouble the Water . Twilight . The Women

Continuing (or maybe capping) my anti-Hollywood tear, it is time to mention the big disappointments that the galaxy provided when I actually made it out to the theater this year. Whether infuriatingly bad like Indiana Jones and Eagle Eye or sadly underwhelming like W and Miracle at St. Ana, this year had some stinkers.

Biggest Disappointments (2008) I had hopes that fell flat.

American Teen . Appaloosa . City of Ember . Dear Zachary . Eagle Eye . Gran Torino . Happy Valley . Indiana Jones 4 . Miracle at St Ana . Rock N Rolla . W

Typically, I also include a list of films that were promised to us the year before that never materialized, but since the "anticipated" section is so long, I decided to forgo that this year.

Most Anticipated (2009) Next year is looking good already.

500 Days of Summer . Alice in Wonderland . The Boat That Rocked . Cleanflix . District 9 . Drag Me to Hell . The Fantastic Mr Fox . The Fighter . Gentlemen Broncos . Greenburg . The Human Factor . The Informant . The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus . Inglourious Basterds . Killshot . The Limits of Control . The Lovely Bones . Master of Space and Time . Men Who Stare at Goats . Monsters vs Aliens . Mystery Team . Ness . Paul . The Prince of Providence . Public Enemies . Red State . The Road . Scott Pilgram vs the World . Sherlock Holmes . Shutter Island . State of Play . Submarino . Suburbicon . Sympathy for Delicious . The Vicious Kind . A Walk in the Woods . Watchmen . Whatever Works . Where the Wild Things Are . The Wolf Man . The Year One

VIDEO: Farewell George Dub

Joshua Ligairi» 01.20.09 »

With George W. Bush's presidency at an end, David Letterman presents the final edition of "Great Moments in Presidential Speeches" on The Late Show.


The Late Show's last "Great Moments in Presidential Speeches"

BLOG: Pinch me

I don't want to get into a habit of getting political on this blog, but today I have to make an exception. I just got back from an inauguration breakfast at a friends house, but it still hasn't sunken in: Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States!


I wasn't sure it would be possible to match speeches like the infamous Yes We Can speech or the Election Night speech, but Barry did it. He made me truly proud to be an American for the first time in a long time and, damn him, he gave me hope. This is a great day.

BLOG: Separation of chruch and hate

Joshua Ligairi » 01.01.09 »

As post-production draws to a close on Cleanflix, I'm turning my sights to new projects. There are already many exciting things on the horizon, but as I've ruminated on topics that would be worth the next two years of my life, I keep coming back to the Mormon Church and homosexuality.

As a progressive in a largely conservative religion, I've struggled with the church's decision to take a stance on the recent Proposition 8 in California. That said, I’m not interested in making a film about Prop 8 or an attack piece on the LDS church. I want to make a film about people. The most simple stated goal for this project is to humanize homosexuals for Mormons and to likewise humanize Mormons for the gay community. For me, the most obvious way to do that is to find personal stories that reveal where these two groups overlap.

By way of disclosure, I'm straight and an active member in the LDS church. Just as that may provide some comfort to Latter-day Saints, I’m sure it will also prove to be a point of worry for those in the gay community. I don't see my personal faith as a drawback but as a strength. I have a working knowledge of both the LDS church and Mormon culture. I know where these people are coming from and the good intentions behind their sometimes confusing actions.

On the other hand I have seen a great amount of ignorance and bigotry from the church membership. As an ethnic minority, I've often felt like an outsider in the Caucasian-dominated LDS churches I've attended in Utah and California. This is not precisely the same thing, and I recognize that, but I mention it to demonstrate that I have been on the receiving end of discrimination myself.

I am close to several gay Mormons. Some open, others closeted. On my mission for the Mormon church in Amsterdam, I served with a young man struggling to combine his faith and sexuality. Since that time I have been keenly aware of the LDS church’s attitudes and doctrines pertaining to homosexuality. In my estimation, there have been huge leaps of progress in the last few years. Of course, it’s difficult not to see Proposition 8 as a huge step backward. I am a liberal-minded person trying to believe and honestly trying to reconcile these differences.

Further, I am in no way interested in controversy. For me, the main intent of this film is to explore the prospects of healing and understanding between the gay community and the LDS Church. I hope that both groups will feel well-represented and that the film leads to discussion and progress.

Update 2010 >> This film has been put on hold due to the prominence of another upcoming film on Gay Mormon issues entitled 8: The Mormon Proposition . Knowing some of the filmmakers personally, I am confident that what we are hoping to do is much different and far less an attack piece that 8, but we are going to give it some time to cool off anyway. We don't want to be "the other Gay Mormon movie."

Update 2011 >> This film has now officially been cancelled due to the emergence of a new film trying to do exactly the same thing, the main difference being that the director is, himself, a Gay Mormon. The film is called Far Between and looks to be fantastic. I trust those making the documentary to do a fair job and make a film that will go a long way toward healing between these two communities and so, I am humbly bowing out of contention. I am so glad this film is being made. I don't need to be the one to make it. Best of luck to Kendall Wilcox and the crew of Far Between from all of us at Icarus A&E. To learn more about what Kendall Wilcox is planning for the film, listen to him talk to Radio West's Doug Fabrizio. He seems to be a pretty great guy.