November, 2012

TAEM In San Francisco

Thursday, November 15th, 2012
The Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge

The Arts and Entertainment Magazine and THE EERIE DIGEST recently visited San Francisco, the second home for motion pictures in California. Most people don’t know this, but it is the home of PIXAR, who recently developed a new style of animated pictures which began with Disney’s Toy Story.

There ongoing success also brought Buzz Light Year, Monster, Inc, Cars, Wall-E, Ratatouille, Toys, Finding Nemo and so many more animated films. One of their newest, which I had the pleasure of viewing, is Brave. Lucasfilm , American Zoetrope, and many more also hail from the Bay Area. (more…)

TAEM Goes to a Wedding…LA Style !!!

Thursday, November 15th, 2012

  The Arts and Entertainment Magazine and THE EERIE DIGEST was invited to an LA wedding this month by his friends Meredith Molinari and Aaron Clute. This was a fabulous wedding following the uniqueness that only Los Angeles can do. It was a ‘Halloween Wedding Costume Ball’ thrown at LA’s fantastic Cicada Club on South Olive Street in downtown Los Angeles.

It was a great setting and everyone showed up in costumes ranging from horror garb to roaring 20’s showgirls. The groom and groomsmen wore attire reminiscent of the Victorian era, and the bride and bridesmaids matched with Victorian showgirl dress. There were the Pirates of the Caribbean on hand, a Hugh Hefner and Playgirl look-alike, even one of the Blues Brothers was on hand.  Our publisher and his wife appeared as a Scottish Laird and Victorian Lady that would fit right in with one of ‘The Royals’ weddings. (more…)

TAEM at LA and Universal Studios

Thursday, November 15th, 2012

 

    The Arts and Entertainment Magazine and THE EERIE DIGEST went on tour in Los Angeles and visited the Universal Studios. Here is Hollywood at its finest. In our flight to LA we had the great fortune of sharing seats with actor Danny Glover. I presented him with our business card and hope that he responds with our request for an on-line interview with our magazine.

(more…)

TAEM Interview with Producer Lorenzo Raveggi

Thursday, November 15th, 2012

TAEM- Filmmaking in the United States seems to dwell on the action-packed picture with special effects at its core. European filmmaking, on the other hand, tends to be more artistic. This was recently evident in the recent motion picture ‘The American’. To explore that point further The Arts and Entertainment Magazine has started to focus on European producers and directors as the basis for this trend. We recently discovered Lorenzo Raveggi, a director/producer that hails from Florence Italy. Lorenzo, Please describe your origins in filmmaking.

LR- Hello, I am Florentine yes. Florence is capital of the Renaissance. I was born like career with the lyric theatre and than growing up to writing movies and acting. My passion for the great history transported me to filmmaking. And now here I am.

TAEM- Who were your mentors in your career and tell us who inspired you the most ?

LR- I trust very much in Lorenzo Raveggi. And if I can say a name of inspiration maybe the Great Luchino Visconti. But I repeat I think to be Lorenzo Raveggi and love my originality. (more…)

TAEM – Revisiting director & producer Jason Croot

Thursday, November 1st, 2012
Jason Croot

Jason Croot; photo credit: Lizzie T

TAEM- The Arts and Entertainment Magazine originally interviewed director & producer Jason Croot for our April 2011 issue. We have recently learned that he has not rested on his laurels but has been very busy on several new projects. Jason, tell our readers about that production that you were working on during that first interview with you.

JC- Hello TAEM readers, over a year has passed since our first interview and I have learnt so much about filmmaking in that time, it’s so true that doing can be more educational than studying; I was working on Le Fear my debut feature film during the first interview.

TAEM- Tell us of its success and where it has been seen.

JC- After pulling out of a distribution deal I decided to give the film away for free online and over 10,000 have watched the film and we have had some good reviews which gave me the confidence to make a sequel. (more…)

‘Shattered’ and ‘Patch Work’ by Guest Poet Alex Knight

Thursday, November 1st, 2012
Guest Author Alex Knight

Guest Author Alex Knight

A fine line

Walked daily

Pulled one way

Pushed another

Cries for help

Ignored.

“You’re the one

we always

count on,

the

‘strong one.'” (more…)

TAEM interview with producer Justin Samuels

Thursday, November 1st, 2012

TAEM- The Arts and Entertainment Magazine loves to explore all the facets of movie making. One of the most prevalent, and often unsung, is the art of creating a video documentary. These are important films and deal with the every day life around us. One such documentary filmmaker is someone from Long Island, New York where I grew up. His name is Justin Samuels. Justin, what interested you in movie making, and especially documentaries.

JS- I’ve always enjoyed storytelling and sharing information with people in various forms.  I’ve written 8 screenplays, and during the fall of 2011, as occupy formed, I began blogging about it.  I eventually began taking pictures of it, and started to video interview occupiers as well as take random footage.  As a filmmaker, I’m not specifically a documentary filmmaker, I do both documentaries and fiction film.

TAEM- As many students of the arts follow our publication for tips on how to succeed in their craft, tell us about the training and education that you undertook to perfect your trade.

JS-I have a bachelor of arts degree from Cornell University in History.  I also took a number of English and writing courses at Cornell.  Outside of Cornell, I participated in various screenwriting workshops and read books on the matter.  (more…)

Travel Time with Roger Tweed: Banff National Park (Part 2)

Thursday, November 1st, 2012

Travel Time with Roger Tweed

Finally, after all the delay, here is the story of our hiking experiences in the Shadow Lake area of Banff National Park (one of the 4 oldest National Parks in the world!).

On Tuesday (8/14), our plan was to hike from the lodge to Gibbon Pass and beyond. With breakfast out of the way and lunches packed, we put on our gear and headed to the trail. Or at least what we thought was the trail. The map was a bit imprecise and it looked like the northbound trail turned off of the main trail (the one we took into the lodge) just before you arrived at the lodge. Heading in that direction we found two trails that led in the right direction, but one ended at the horse corral and the other seemed to dead end. As it turned out, the trail to Gibbon Pass and beyond to Rte. 93 began right behind our cabin. And with that knowledge we were off once again. (more…)

‘One Last Magickal Ride’ by Guest Author Paul DeThroe

Thursday, November 1st, 2012

Guest Author Paul DeThroe

The ice melted from my perpetually frozen skin, first in drips and then chunks. Though I had been imprisoned in thick ice for well over a thousand years, I had no idea exactly how long.  I was once the world’s greatest wizard.  But I let my guard down for a beautiful lady, whom I trusted more than I should have.  The next thing I knew, I became the world’s second greatest wizard.  Once that happened, I became trapped for all of eternity at the very top of the world. Or, so she and I thought.

Then a funny thing happened. The world warmed up.  It could’ve all been foreseen.  As humankind’s knowledge increased, along with its population, new technologies would surely take hold and choke the atmosphere with thick clouds of polluted dust, creating an oven-like effect.  Unfortunately for me, the damage was already done.  Yea, I was awakening now, but into a time that had passed me by.  As my consciousness came back alive, I would know nothing of my new existence.  And I would know no one. (more…)

TAEM interview with artist Bobby Oyawusi

Thursday, November 1st, 2012

Bobby OyawusiTAEM- Our publication, The Arts and Entertainment Magazine, would like to touch upon one of the major cornerstones of our magazine, Art. Art is portrayed in our every day lives. From pictures, to film, and even advertising. We don’t believe most people knows how it affects them, no less reaches out to catch their attention. One constant influence of art is in advertising. Art helps advertisers connect with the buying public. It helps move products by first catching your attention, then focusing it on the subject in question. One such artist is Bobby Oyawusi, whose stunning displays are both pivotal to view and pleasing to the eye. Bobby, what art courses and training did you undertake to achieve this dream ? 

BO- Good question this is probably one of the biggest hurdles I have to get over, I actually didn’t realize I wanted to get into art and advertising until a couple years ago.  I studied pre-med in college. However, I would always jot down these ideas and concepts I had and one day a co-worker suggested that I try to execute them. I got a lot of good feedback so I just kept at it, I realized I liked it I realized a whole lot actually, I kind of have a mild obsession with perfection and I think the world should see it as I do. (more…)

TAEM interview with actress Donnie Kent

Thursday, November 1st, 2012
Donnie Kent

Actress Donnie Kent

TAEM- The Arts and Entertainment Magazine always loves to hear from new actors and reveal the process that all who hone their craft must go through. With many students of the arts using our publication as a learning tool to follow in the footsteps of success, we try to ask each of those that we interview to reveal the path that they have taken to achieve their goals.

A new actress who has taken these same steps has now come into our focus. Donnie Kent has begun to achieve the goals that she has set her sights on. Donnie, what was the learning process that you originally undertook?

DK- I started this career in my early 30’s, but I let life get in the way.  When I realized there was a large demographic for baby boomers, I decided to give it another shot and not give up on the dream.  I enrolled in workshops, got some great headshots by Bob Lasky, a fabulous photographer, signed on with a few agents, and started the process of auditioning. (more…)

‘The Monster and the Manger’ by Guest Author Peter J. Stahl

Thursday, November 1st, 2012

~ dedicated to James Whale, Boris Karloff and Jack Pierce

 

It was a dreary silent night

I beheld the accomplishment of her labor.

All manner of people gathered round

To view this child they called savior.

“There is no place for monsters here”

My father sharply admonished

And it was with those few words

I once again was banished. (more…)

Historical Poems by Poet Laureate Candice James

Thursday, November 1st, 2012

 

Guest Poet Candice James

GHOSTS OF THE BC PENITENTIARY
© 2009 Candice James – Poet Laureate

(The BC Penitentiary was British Columbia’s main prison, situated in the heart of New Westminster, BC overlooking the mighty Fraser River,  from 1876-1980.)


On the old Pen property spirits lurk and hide,

Ghostly voices whisper in the pale moonlight.

A heavy door slams shut with a thunderous clap.

A frayed noose dangles above a floor trap,

As yesterday’s ghosts still walk these grounds at night. (more…)

TAEM interview with author Jessica Lynn Curtis

Thursday, November 1st, 2012
copyright ©2012, Jason Campbell Photography

copyright ©2012, Jason Campbell Photography

TAEM- The Arts and Entertainment Magazine loves to explore all facets of the Literary World. One such area of note is the avenue of psyche concerning children and how they react to tragedies in their life. We just recently discovered author Jessica Lynn Curtis as she explores and explains this in her latest book. Jessica, what first interested you about this subject genre, and tell us about your education that prompted you to do so ?

JLC- Well, I remember losing my own grandfather when I was three – at first not understanding what was going on, then grasping after a few months that he wasn’t coming back, having crazy nightmares, and being very confused and distraught. And in my nanny and babysitting jobs a few years back, I witnessed so many kids going through the same thing. Even children who have never lost someone get fixated on the idea of death – they are so confused and curious about it. At the same time I was noticing this theme in the children I was watching, I was given an assignment in an acting class to write an autobiography. My teacher, a casting director and wonderful woman named Alaine Alldaffer, mentioned how much she loved the part about my Papa. So, those two ideas coincided in my mind, and I was inspired to write Papa’s New Home. (more…)