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Halloween
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Saturday, 1 January 2011
Movies in Massachusetts

The last few years have brought many Movies to Massachusetts. I saw the Town and the Premiere of the Fighter.

They area all successful crowd pleasing films to be sure.

 

 

It occurred to me that outsiders watching movies about Boston may think that everyone in Boston is a local born and raised in the old neighborhood. That may have been true when they filmed The Friends of Eddie Coyle  in 1973. The truth is there are thousands of people in Boston from other places: Europe, China, California, etc. University students and faculty, biogenetic scientists come from many other places. 

Coming from a provincial town where everyone knows every one else from the sixth grade it's a breath of fresh air to constantly meet up with people form other cultures and countries.

What makes more exciting cinema? Irish cop and robber chase scenes or a Russian scientist pouring liquid in a test tube?

Actually there was a recent Boston movie The Social network about founding of Facebook by a Harvard programming student. We can't really complain though. Recent movie shoots have brought in over a $1 billion to the local economy. But just realize that we're not all a bunch of drunken Leprechauns.


Posted by mcusiman at 3:07 PM EST
Updated: Saturday, 1 January 2011 3:37 PM EST
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Wednesday, 17 November 2010
Las Vegas

Las Vegas There is a hotel casino on the Vegas strip called the Mirage.

 In some ways it describes this never-never land for adults. Where else would someone build a replica of the Venice canals in the middle of a desert? The streets are paved with slot machines or more like guys passing out cards to tourists for hot girls @ an affordable price.

 

Caesar’s Palace is more ornate than Julius could have ever imagined.   I went to one bar at MGM to watch football on Sunday. The waitresses are serving drinks while the games are screened overhead. But then every half hour disco music kicks in and the scantily clad waitresses jump up and dance on the bar for 5 minutes. Then they go back to bartending. They made me miss the Chicago Bears touchdown.

 If there is one person who would thrive in Vegas it would be Dr. Victor Frankenstein. There is a major industry there digging up the bones of Elvis and the Rat Pack and building shows around these legends from 30-40 years ago. Walking through Caesar’s Palace I was offered a proposition by a lady of the evening asking me to fit her into my schedule. I spent a whopping $10 at the roulette table on the first night. I did go to see a Beatles tribute band and went to a comedy club. So why was I in Las Vegas anyway you may ask?  I was there for a cartoon/caricaturist convention.

 200 artists drew each other for 5 days straight and went to seminars by animator Bill Plympton and others. I drew dozens of people and several drew me. One guy drew me as the mad scientist from back to the Future. Las Vegas was a huge collection of sights and sounds…mostly the jingling of pinball machines. It’s certainly a place to visit for awhile before you go back home to reality. 


Posted by mcusiman at 2:35 PM EST
Updated: Monday, 29 November 2010 7:05 PM EST
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Wednesday, 3 November 2010
Boston Comedy & Movie Festival


The SURREAL SIDESHOW has been accepted for the Boston Comedy & Movie Festival, IMAGINE "Short" Movie Night.


The screening event will occur on Thursday, November 11th at the Hard Rock Café in the Boston Room at 8 PM. We are reminding you that the audience will choose The Best Funny Film with their vote. The winner receives a $1,000 cash prize -


Tickets for the event will be available online at www.imaginenews.com beginning November 4th at $15 each and at the door if space remains.


Posted by mcusiman at 4:25 PM EDT
Updated: Wednesday, 3 November 2010 4:28 PM EDT
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Wednesday, 27 October 2010
Halloween in the Valley of the Kings
Topic: Halloween

Where better than to spend Halloween night than in the Valley of the Kings....The dark ancient desert filled with Egyptian mummies. Click on the picture and watch the movie if you dare.

 

 


Posted by mcusiman at 12:47 PM EDT
Updated: Wednesday, 27 October 2010 1:06 PM EDT
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Jazz in Venice

a new movie 

 

 

 

 Jazz in Venice

The sounds of Thelonius Monk drift through the sultry night air of
 Venezia.....Venice. The city of intrigues and illusions. The city that makes love to the sea.

 The majestic palaces and Byzantine buildings wrap themselves around the winding lagoon.

 


Posted by mcusiman at 9:24 AM EDT
Updated: Saturday, 23 April 2011 11:51 PM EDT
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Sunday, 17 October 2010
New Movie

Did you hear about this new movie....Three Wild and Crazy Guys?

 

Probably not since I made it up. 


Posted by mcusiman at 9:36 PM EDT
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Saturday, 9 October 2010

When visiting Cancun we made the trip to Chichen Itza the site of the pyramids and Mayan ruins. 


Posted by mcusiman at 11:25 PM EDT
Updated: Sunday, 10 October 2010 10:40 AM EDT
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Tuesday, 17 August 2010
Whales Don't Ride Elevators

My friend suggested that I send my Whales movie to the oceaninspiration Film Festival. The festival is seeking 100 second movies honoring Jacques Cousteau’s 100th anniversary of his birth.

Just got this email yesterday.

 Thank you for your entry Whales into the festival.  We are pleased to announce you are one of the selected finalists. ocean inspirations Films.

WHALES c2010 Mick Cusimano

Whales don't ride elevators

Whales don't go to Arnold Shwartzeneger movies

Whales don't chew tobacco

Whales don't buy lottery tickets at Store 24

Whales don't run red lights

Whales don't vote Republican

Whales don't speak Vietnamese

Whales don't surf the Internet for scrod

Whales don't buy Chuck Berry tickets

Whales don't read the existential writings of Sartre and Camus

Whales don't play tenor saxophone

Whales don't take Prozac

Whales don't buy abstract art

Whales don't vacation in Vermont

Whales don't sing Dylan songs at the Kerrville Folk Festival

Whales don't use automatic teller machines

Whales don't go to Star Trek conventions

Whales don't form a deep attachment to Leonard Nimoy

Whales don't kiss submarines

Whales just go splash!


Posted by mcusiman at 1:33 PM EDT
Updated: Tuesday, 17 August 2010 1:45 PM EDT
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Tuesday, 27 July 2010
Saturdays
Mood:  celebratory

That Great Saturday afternoon

by Mick Cusimano 

 Recently we shot several short movies during the last 6 weekends with a crew of  7-8 friends. When I tell people that I’m making movies some people ask “Do you make any money doing that?” No I don’t make any money. My movies have been in 33 film festivals in such places as Cannes, Toronto, and an archaeological film festival in Italy. My movie have brought in $75 in the last 3 years far less than it costs to send them to festivals. If you want to make money go into corporate law or brain surgery.

 Why do I make movies instead of searching for titles and deeds for corporate real estate? Because its more fun! Growing up in a  big city has its ups and downs. There’s bullies, snowstorms, tyrannical nuns, and no shortage of bonehead idiots. But there are two Saturdays I remember as a 7-8 year old kid that were as perfect as you can ever get in life.

One Saturday we went to the movies and watched two hours of cartoons on the giant screen: Bugs Bunny, The Road Runner, Pepe le Pew, etc. It was magical being submerged into these cartoon worlds for two whole hours.

On the other Saturday the neighborhood kids got together in this guy’s backyard. We ran around the yard and climbed trees all day perhaps regressing to our monkey ancestors. 

 

When I make an animated movie I’m trying to recapture the feeling of that world of cartoons. When I’m shooting video with my friends I’m trying to recreate that feeling of running free and climbing trees like the primates that we are.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Late one night while watching the History Channel there was movie footage about the end of World War II in Dresden. It showed American soldiers carrying paintings and altarpieces out of bunkers where they were stored during the war. All around them where the ruins of  Dresden bombed into blocks and blocks of ruble. That is when the thought hit me. Looking back at history and the 20th Century in particular the contrasting images of artwork and war was the perfect metaphor for history.

History has always been a record of people of great passion, drive, and accomplishment. But what do they accomplish? They are either destroyers or creators. Hitler, Stalin, bin Laden, Miloševi�#8225; were destroyers. Picasso, Dali, The Beatles, Stephen Spielberg were creators. As artists, poets, filmmakers, or Musicians it is for us to create works of art that counter balance the destroyers in the world. What do you want to do with your life… be a destroyer or a creator?

 

 

Posted by mcusiman at 2:23 PM EDT
Updated: Thursday, 12 August 2010 10:35 PM EDT
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Monday, 5 July 2010
World Cup Frenzy

A friend of mine took me to watch a few of the World Cup

games including the Ghana USA game. To tell you the truth

watching 1-1 tie games with no scoring is pretty boring. But

when you watch the fans and listen to the announcers excited

about the game and watch Argentina's coach Maradona run around

like a 5 year old kid every time his team scores you realize that people

around the world are absolutely fascinated and involved by this event. 

The kids in Ghana, Brazil, or Paraguay, or any third world

country can't afford the hundreds of dollars it cost to play football, baseball,

or hockey. But for a few bucks a group of the poorest kids anywhere can buy

a soccer ball and play the game of their national heroes.

 Think of the people in South Africa who are going to see the

games. Some poor guy from the townships saves up

money and bring his kids to one of these World Cup games.

He could never travel to another part of the world to go to one.

For them it could be one of the highlights of their life that

they talk about years later. In this fractured world having

an event that bring everyone together if just for a few weeks

is some kind of accomplishment.

A friend of mine took me to the World Cup final. When Spain won the fans went wild. I'm sure this is a huge event for them.

 



Posted by mcusiman at 9:14 AM EDT
Updated: Thursday, 12 August 2010 10:32 PM EDT
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