Hump Day: Pink Touches Herself

On Wednesdays We Surrender The
Pink!

OK, I am sure that is news to anyone that Pink touches herself. Masturbation, it's a thing. But I stumbled across this really sensual and quite arousing cover of the song "I Touch Myself" by Pink last night on YouTube. Don't ask me how I found it, and I won't tell.

All I know is that is it a really awesome take on an already amazing song by the late great Chrissy Amphlett of the Divinyls.

So, we made it to the middle of the week affectionately known as hump day. You know what that means?

Let's get to it, check out the video below there's nothing to it. After all everyone is doing it, all the popular people are... .

Pink on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/pink/?hl=en 

Holiday Cooking With Morrissey & Nick Cave

I'll show you a Vegan, or two!

Two new, colorful books influenced by two of today's greatest musical icons are out now to help readers survive the holidays. 

Defensive Eating with Morrissey invites the reader to create strange and delightful recipes good enough to console even Moz on his saddest days. Comfort Eating with Nick Cave shows the great master of emotional expression stuffing himself with comfort classics while shedding the occasional solitary tear.

 

While getting over a breakup, Automne Zingg spent a lot of time drawing and listening to music, and these two books are the unique result. Each book features 50 portraits of the artist soothing himself with delicious, comforting meals, from mac and cheez to mushy peas. Every picture is accompanied by a seriously delicious recipe infused with lyrics and humor. 

Best yet, all the recipes are vegan, so everyone can enjoy these delights, even Morrissey! 

WWSMGD For Christmas???

Buffy The Reindeer Slayer
Sarah Michelle Gellar

Hey all of you Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans, it's Christmas time and I bet you catch yourself wondering what our favorite slayer is doing around this time of year. Well it's time to answer the burning question: What would Sarah Michelle Gellar do for Christmas?! Can I get a stake to the heart high five?

Here is a photo from her Instagram which shows that Buffy goes all out in the tree department and even dresses herself with reindeer horns. So there you have it fans mystery solved.

No vampires or other supernatural beings were slayed to bring you this Holiday image.

It's Cyber Monday, work that keyboard! 

Sarah Michelle on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sarahmgellar/?hl=en  

Tis' The Season For Dolly Parton...

Although Dolly is always in season, nothing says Christmas quite like her!

Jennifer Nettles, Ricky Schroder, and Gerald McCraney will co-star in the upcoming holiday movie “Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love” airing Wednesday, Nov. 30 at 9 p.m. ET/PT with Dolly Parton making a special guest appearance. In the two-hour movie, the Partons, a family of humble means living in the mountains of Tennessee, face a devastating event that challenges their will. But when they experience a bewildering Christmas miracle, the Partons are drawn closer together than ever — with deepened faith and love for one another.

In support of the movie's airing, Dolly Parton will grace the cover of the Nov 27th issue of Parade magazine and will appear on various television programs.

Upcoming Dolly Parton Appearances
Nov. 27 - Dolly co-hosts Keep The Faith radio (syndicated)
Nov. 29 - Dolly performs on The Voice (8pm EST/7pm CST)
Nov. 30 - Dolly appears on The REAL (syndicated)
Nov. 30 - Dolly performs on Christmas In Rockefeller Center on NBC (8pm EST/7pm CST)
Nov. 30 - Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love on NBC (9pm EST/8pm CST)

  FOR MORE INFORMATION ON DOLLY PARTON, VISIT:

www.dollyparton.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/DollyParton
Instagram: Instagram.com/DollyParton
Twitter: Twitter.com/DollyParton
Tumblr: OfficialDollyParton.tumblr.com
Google+: Plus.Google.com/+DollyParton

Mannequin Madness!

Taylor Swift, Todrick Hall & Friends

How was everyone's Black Friday? If you descended into madness and went shopping I hope you got what you wanted and your body parts are still intact. If you are not insane, like me, you stayed home and ate some more, woot!

Something that has been a thing of late is the Mannequin Challenge. I have seen so many videos posted on Facebook & Instagram of friends & family taking it over the Thanksgiving Holiday, good times!

Well you just know Taylor Swift along with her friends and family would not be left out, and of course try to one up everyone else by striking a pose on the beach in the chill of fall. It was all captured for her Instagram page, naturally.

She along with Todrick Hall who is starring in Kinky Boots on Broadway took on Turkey Day and the cold to pose like a mannequin below. Hey standing still on a cold deserted beach sounds like a saner idea than going to an overcrowded mall with shoppers clawing for bargains...

Check it out after the jump!

Taylor on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/taylorswift/?hl=en

Bring On The Joy

It's time for some joy, bring it!

Angel City Chorale (ACC), the celebrated Los Angeles choir led by Founder/Artistic Director Sue Fink, will jump-start the season in style with Bring on the Joy, the choir’s 23rd annual set of holiday concerts and sing-alongs during the first weekend in December. The festive evenings will bring together talented Los Angeles-area singers and instrumentalists with a tapestry of seasonal favorites featuring musical textures from diverse traditions. The inclusive, family-friendly concerts will take place at Wilshire United Methodist Church in Los Angeles over two very special nights on Saturday, December 3, and Sunday, December 4, 2016. Tickets range in price from $22 for children to $75 for VIP packages (see details in last paragraph). The performances start at 7:00pm and include a 15- minute intermission; a dessert reception follows each performance. For additional information on ACC, please visit http://www.angelcitychorale.org.

“Our amazing soloists, choir, and orchestra are able to create stunning musical performances without losing the spontaneity, sparkle, and joyous community spirit missing in our big city life,” says Fink. “There is a rare feeling of connection at these events among the diverse participants – the positive energy generated is palpable, like a booster shot of joy: it hits you right in your heart.”

Bring on the Joy –

Angel City Chorale kicks off the season with its eagerly anticipated annual set of winter concerts and sing-alongs. This year’s exciting 23rd edition, Bring on the Joy, will entertain audiences with an infectious blast of holiday cheer over two family-friendly nights.

The vibrant performances, a reflection of Los Angeles, feature a 25-piece live orchestra and an array of seasonal favorites with musical textures from diverse traditions. Audiences will also get the chance to sing with the lively 160+-member choir on familiar songs during the popular sing-along.

This stunning choral exploration features Classical, Traditional, Spirited Contemporary, and Gospel R&B. In addition to popular American Christmas carols, African, Chanukah, Celtic, Medieval, Beatbox, Pop, and British vibes will be presented. The diversity of the program represents the rich tastes and talents of the choir.

Selections at these joyful evenings include works by Gustav Holst, Amy Grant, John Rutter, Pentatonix, Nat King Cole, and more. Angel City Chorale is also proud to present the world premiere of “Feast of Snow” by gifted Los Angeles composer/former ACC choir member Philip White (Ray Donovan [Showtime], Agent Carter [ABC], Revolution [NBC], Supernatural [CW]). This will be the second time ACC premieres a work by White, who is a composer for film, television, interactive media, and the concert stage. The Los Angeles Master Chorale has also performed two of White’s choral works, the last of which was a commission.

Links –

• Angel City Chorale (ACC) - http://www.angelcitychorale.org

• Bring on the Joy Tickets - http://angelcitychorale.org/concerts-events/bring-on-the-joy-concert

• Bring on the Joy FB Event Page - https://www.facebook.com/events/342134072799070

• ACC’s Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/AngelCityChorale

• ACC’s YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/user/AngelCityChorale

• ACC’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/AngelCityChoral

• ACC’s SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/angelcitychorale

# # #

Michael's Musings

As You Can See It Has Gotten Cooler In Los Angeles
Michael Shinafelt

Hey Peeps, today is the day we tug the turkey and toss the salad, "yes" Virginia it's Thanksgiving!!!

It's also Thursday which is the day of the week I share my thoughts and feelings, because after all sharing is caring. 

Time to stuff that turkey, gobble, gobble!


I am thankful for a many things this year, one is that my testosterone level is healthy and ready to rumble.

Riding on a bummer that Gold's Gym Hollywood is holding no spin classes tomorrow. I could have really used a good helping of Jessica after the culinary sins I will be committing today.

The Wicked Witch of the West really exerted herself in The Wizard of Oz, when she used poppies to make Dorothy and crew sleep. She could have simply had the winged monkeys serve up a giant turkey.

While I am not a fan of the show's music, I am thankful for the cast of Hamilton.

Mashed potatoes rule!

Brie rules too.

Southern California is having such a mild winter, check off another thing to be thankful for.

Who doesn't love jazz hands?

Today is also the day of Football and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Choices are a good thing. Unless your Sophie.

Once I had an awesome pet duck named Duke, no we didn't eat him for Thanksgiving, but the Holiday made me think of him.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Be thankful I am on Instagram & Twitter at:
https://www.instagram.com/michaelshinafelt/
https://twitter.com/mshinafelt?lang=en   

Pose Like A Mannequin

ID, Don't Leave Home Without It
Ellen DeGeneres 

Tuesday was no laughing matter when Ellen DeGeneres arrived at the White House to receive her Medal of Freedom as she apparently forgot her ID. So what is a funny gal to do? Well first post a selfie outside of the Nation's Capital to prove you can't get in on Twitter with the caption:

They haven't let me in to the White House yet because I forgot my ID. #NotJoking #PresidentialMedalOfFreedom

Once inside you post an epic mannequin challenge video with such notables as Robert DeNiro & Diana Ross.

This how Ellen spent her Tuesday, posing like a mannequin and receiving a medal from Barrack Obama. Wow! All I did was take a meeting and work. Congratulations to Ms. DeGeneres for an honor well earned.

Pose like a mannequin with Ellen & the gang below -

Ellen on Twitter:
ttps://twitter.com/search/ellen+degeneres  

Puppy Love - Lady Gaga

Gaga, Koji, Miss Asia & The Pup With No Name

Oh that Lady Gaga and her intrepid Instagram ways. She just had to post a pic of herself and the latest addition to her family...a new puppy with no moniker just yet. Damn you woman name your dog before you post a public image of it! Diabolical!!!

Here is what Gaga had to say for herself:

I'm proud to announce we added a new member to the #JOANNE family 😇 I haven't named him yet but I call him both cowpig and moopig in the meantime! I chose him last moment because my best friend since I was 4 @booconnor Chef extraordinaire of @thepomeroynyc bought him, we didn't want them to be separated!

Awwwwwwwwwwww....how sweet. Be sure to check out her latest effort Joanne, because I said so, you don't need A Million Reasons, one is enough.

Gaga on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ladygaga/?hl=en 

Love In An Elevator

Going Down?
Tom Ford & Richard Buckley

Have any of you seen Tom Ford's Nocturnal Animals? I've been told that I would really like it and am going to try to catch over Thanksgiving day weekend.

Here's a fun little fact to kick off your week. Did you know that writer/director of NA, Tom Ford met his husband in an elevator?

Yep, apparently it was love at first sight for he and Richard Buckley. By the time they hit the ground floor all bets were off and they knew they were meant and moved in together within a month. Talk about living it up when your going down.

Sometimes I guess you just know. 

It's just another Manic Monday kids, make it a good one!!!

NA on IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4550098/?ref_=nv_sr_2

Sunday Is For Snoopy!

Threesome
Tori Spelling, Snoopy & Jennie Garth

Call me sentimental, call me old, call me whatever you like, this image of Tori Spelling and Jennie Garth snuggling Snoopy got me in the mood for the impending Christmas Holiday.

Why? Well they remind me of my youth, duh! Also there is Christmas decor in the background, double duh! I grew up with Snoopy on all of the Charlie Brown specials and Beverly Hills 90210 was a cool show, once, so there, I've confessed. 

Yeah I know Thanksgiving is this coming week but Christmas is already in the air and after turkey day comes and goes, all bets are on Santa Claus and venison.

This most holy of photo ops took place at the Countdown to Christmas event at Knott's Berry Farm in Southern California.

Enjoy your Sunday and get Snoopy with it!

Tori on IMDB: 
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001760/?ref_=nv_sr_2
Jennie on IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001259/?ref_=nv_sr_1  

Saturday Sinema: Behind THE COVE

Little fish, big fish swimming in the water...

YAGI Film Inc. announces the U.S. premiere of Behind THE COVE, a documentary film rebuttal to the Oscar-winning film The Cove with week-long screenings in New York and Los Angeles, in late November (11/25/16 – 12/1/16) and early December (12/2/16 – 12/8/16), respectively.

Behind THE COVE, the 105-minute Japanese film by first time director Keiko Yagi, includes interviews with people on both sides of the international whaling dispute, including the director and antagonist from 2009’s The Cove, the Academy Award-winning film which negatively portrays the practices of fishermen in the small, remote town of Taiji in Japan. 

This is the first film to respond to anti-whaling The Cove from the Japanese perspective. While generally highly regarded, The Cove has also been lambasted by some critics for being one-sided propaganda, Japan-bashing, for lacking a basic understanding of related cultural issues, and for using deceptive filmmaking strategies. The depiction of Japanese people in the film has also been controversial.

What started out as a personal investigation, triggered by childhood memories of whale dishes, led first-time Japanese documentary filmmaker Keiko Yagi to the town of Taiji, the center of the whaling debate and the stage of The Cove. With no budget, limited experience in filmmaking, no fluency in English, but armed with a video camera and a strong desire to find out the truth of the matter on whaling, Yagi discovered a much bigger story than she had initially imagined.

In Behind THE COVE, Yagi attempts to present a comprehensive picture of the dolphin and whale hunting issues in Japan, which includes interviews with people on both sides of the whaling dispute, its sinister political side, what The Cove did not offer, and a unique take on the topic. Throughout filming, Yagi got to know the anti-whaling activists, who set-up camp in Taiji every year during the dolphin-hunting season. In her film, Yagi also presents the ‘voices’ of the Japanese, who usually consider silence to be a virtue. To get a balanced and greater understanding of the story, she also interviewed experts in the whaling world from Japan and overseas, including representatives from the International Whaling Commission (IWC), scientists, and researchers. As Yagi delved into the topic, specific issues with The Cove became apparent.

“Before Western environmental and animal activist concerns persecuted the animal agriculture and fishing practices of the East in such a highly publicized and critical way, you’d think they’d first take a serious look at the situation at home prior to using Japan, a quiet country, as a scapegoat, ” says Yagi. “In the U.S. alone, billions and billions of land and marine animals are subjected to deplorable conditions before they are brutally killed for food each year to satisfy the heavy meat-eating habits of Americans…. the relatively small fishing village of Taiji, in rural Japan, accounts for marine animal deaths in the thousands, not billions. To demonize such a relatively small industry abroad, when compared to the magnitude of what’s happening in – and is relatively ignored in – the U.S., seems a bit misguided and, perhaps, even racist.”

Yagi is not alone in these sentiments. David Cox of The Guardian Film Blog called The Cove a “piece of evangelism,” and subsumed that from a neutral point of view “Westerners.... kill and eat cows. Easterners eat dolphins. What's the difference?” Academic Ilan Kapoor, echoing the famous phrase by Gayatri Spivak, argues that “It's a case of (mostly) 'white men saving cute dolphins from yellow men.’”

Hirotaka Akamatsu, Japanese Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, said “It is regrettable that this movie is made as a message that brutal Japanese are killing cute dolphins.” According to Michelle Orange, of Movieline, “As a piece of propaganda, The Cove is brilliant; as a story of ingenuity and triumph over what seems like senseless brutality, it is exceptionally well-told; but as a conscientious overview of a complex and deeply fraught, layered issue, it invokes the same phrase as even the most well-intentioned, impassioned activist docs: Buyer beware.”

Yagi further explains, “In Japan, some fishermen, particularly in remote rural areas, see dolphins and whales as just fish, consumed for centuries as part of local cultural traditions…. in China, dog meat from man’s best friend is acceptable to some as a food source…. in the bacon-loving U.S., highly intelligent and social pigs are widely considered suitable for cruel slaughterhouse practices and the dinner table. There are cultural differences as to which animals are deemed acceptable as food sources and which are not. One of the key questions our film poses is: Who gets to choose which animals are okay to eat?”

Yagi will be in attendance at a selection of screenings in both New York (Cinema Village) and Los Angeles (Laemmle Music Hall), during the film’s U.S. debut. For additional information, please visit http://www.behindthecove.com/index_en.html.

Behind THE COVE (2015, Documentary, Japan, 105 min.) –

New York Screenings:Friday, November 25 - Thursday, December 1, 2016

Cinema Village22 East 12th StreetNew York, NY 10003212-924-3364https://www.cinemavillage.com/Now-Playing/behind-the-cove.html

NYC Q&A Sessions with the Director (after the screening):• Fri. 11/25 at 7:10pm• Sat. 11/26 at 7:10pm• Sun. 11/27 at 5:10pm

Los Angeles Screenings:Friday, December 2 - Thursday, December 8, 2016

Laemmle Music Hall9036 Wilshire Blvd.Beverly Hills, CA 90211310-478-3836http://www.laemmle.com/films/40990 

Dolly Parton's "Imagination"

Pictured L-R: The Dollywood Company President Craig Ross, Dollywood Foundation President David Dotson, Dolly Parton, CTK Management’s Danny Nozell, Webster PR’s Kirt Webster, Dollywood Dir. Public Relations Pete Owens, Dolly Parton Productions President Ted Miller.

Imagine with Dolly Parton...

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which began as a small community outreach in Parton’s native Sevier County, Tennessee, has evolved to become the largest literacy program in the world. In December, the “little literacy program that could” marks another impressive milestone—one million books gifted to children around the world each month.

To celebrate the unprecedented success, Evey Johns, a two-year-old from Conway, Arkansas who just enrolled in the Imagination Library, has been randomly selected to receive a $30,000 college scholarship. The announcement was made by Parton during her Pure & Simple concert tour stop in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee on Nov. 15. Proceeds from the concert benefit the Imagination Library.

“I thought long and hard about the best way to honor our achievement of reaching a million children a month,” Parton said. “The Imagination Library is all about inspiring dreams, so what better way to pay tribute to this moment than by helping one special child pursue her college degree. I’m thrilled that today I can let the world know that precious little Evey Johns from Conway, Arkansas will receive a $30,000 scholarship for the college of her choice.”

The scholarship will be held in a special account and distributed to Johns when she enrolls in college. Over the next 16 years, the amount of scholarship should grow to nearly approximately $50,000. Johns is enrolled in the Imagination Library in Conway thanks to the local affiliate in her area, Arkansas Preschool Plus.

“The thought of our daughter Evey going to college has been just that—a thought,” explained Evey’s mother, Connie. “Now, due to the enormous kindness and generosity of the Dollywood Foundation, that thought has now become a reality. Our family now has the means to develop a solid plan for our daughter’s future education. Thank you all so much for this unbelievable opportunity for our daughter.”

In 2016, the Imagination Library and its local partners will gift nearly 11.5 million books to children from birth to age five in participating communities in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. To date, the Imagination Library, which is administered through the Dollywood Foundation, has provided more than 85 million books to children around the world.

Arkansas Preschool Plus is just one of the many local affiliates the Dollywood Foundation works with to provide books to children. To provide the Imagination Library, a community must make the program accessible to all preschool children in their area, and the community pays for the books, promotes the program and registers the children. The Dollywood Foundation manages the delivery of books to children’s homes.

Arkansas Preschool Plus enrolls 960 children in Conway, Faulkner and Perry Counties. Currently, nearly 15,000 children are enrolled in Arkansas. The Imagination Library currently is working with elected officials, foundations and corporations in Arkansas in an effort to make the program available to all children from birth to age five in the state.

About Dolly Parton's Imagination Library:
Founded in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting organization that has, to date, mailed more than 85 million books to children in Australia, Belize, Canada, United Kingdom and the United States. Each month, the program currently mails more than one million specially selected, high-quality, age-appropriate books to registered children from birth until they start Kindergarten in participating communities. Dolly envisioned creating a lifelong love of reading in children, preparing them for school and inspiring them to dream. Recent studies suggest participation in the Imagination Library is positively and significantly associated with higher measures of early language and math development. Penguin Random House is the exclusive publisher for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

Michael's Musings

Who's Your Daddy?
Michael Shinafelt

The second or third sign of fall weather is happening right now in Los Angeles. The other times it happened the following week after it went back up to 90 degrees. We'll see if this time it will stick, in the meantime it's Thursday, time for me to do my usual sounding off!

Remember when just last year Helena Handbasket was the name of a Drag Queen and not the place the United States was headed?

Can anyone recommend a place that makes sturdy dog tags for people?

Kendall Jenner reveals why she deleted her Instagram account...and I now have one, and aren't you happy?!

Madonna is going to do Carpool Karaoke with James Corden... Tricks! Not! 

FYI - I'm not political, I'm anti-asshole 

“Wickedness is a myth invented by good people to account for the curious attractiveness of others" - Oscar Wilde

Walk away from the Xanax

Doing lunch today with lovely Pin-Up Girl Traci Lords

Name something that makes you say "yes"

I'm going to start yelling Oedipus instead of Motherfucker and see if anyone catches on

Today is Rhonda Bernstein's Birthday, wish her a happy one would ya?

My brain is starting to spin, time to sign off. Have a terrific day and check me out on Twitter & Instagram at:

https://twitter.com/MShinafelt
https://www.instagram.com/michaelshinafelt/

The Nightmare Is Over

Stayin' Alive
Kathy Bates

In honor of the nightmare in Roanoke coming to an end tonight I thought it fitting to post an image of Kathy Bates out and about in the Big Apple.

Bates was truly great this season as the mentally unstable actress Agnes Mary Winstead who becomes the character she plays, Thomasin White aka "The Butcher" on My Roanoke Nightmare. The reality show pretending to be real, that ends up being true. I hope that nailed it. If not, feel free to use your own adjectives to explain the creepy shit that happened this season, that's right, that means you are on your own. 

We all know Bates does not leave this nightmare alive. It looks like that honor goes to former Police Officer Lee Harris (Adina Porter) or does it? Remember this is American Horror Story and with the way this season has turned out I would expect a huge twist in tonight's season finale.

You have been warned...

The Horror at:
https://www.facebook.com/americanhorrorstory/

Think Of What You've Always Wanted..."Beauty and the Beast"

Beastie Girl
Emma Watson

Well, well, well the first full length feature trailer for Disney's live action version of their animated classic Beauty and the Beast has been released. I have one thing to say: for the love of Emma Watson, magnificent!

This looks like the reel deal. Yes, I meant to spell real that way, as it seems like a really heartfelt & beautiful transition from animation to live action that has the heart and soul of the material of which it is based on.

Personally, I loved the animated BB when it came out in theaters. That's pretty abnormal for someone who really has not liked many animated films since he was a child. I believed I actually dropped a tear or two, FML!

Now onto my Emma Watson love. I am a curmudgeon, thus I so could not get into the first Harry Potter epic that I did not watch the others. But Emma has really proved herself to be an intelligent, poised not to mention articulate young woman who I greatly admire. I did see her in  My Week With Marilyn though, In short, she is one of my girl crushes.

Dear Emma, hey you, I will be seeing this.

Respect & admiration always...jump to the trailer below!

Emma Watson is the coolest at:
https://twitter.com/EmmaWatson
https://www.instagram.com/emmawatson/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/emmawatson/    

Party Like It's "Saturday Night Live"

Ladies Who Lick
Madonna & Leslie Jones

Did you know for every new episode of Saturday Night Live they tape an angel gets it's wings? Not! But they do have an after party, that's for sure! Yep, the fun doesn't halt when the cameras stop rolling. 

Where do I sign up to get a job on that show?! 

This past Saturday's party held at The Cutting Room in NYC brought out some big names, one of them happened to be Madonna. Leslie Jones nabbed a pic of her and the superstar for the fans and tweeted: 

Leslie Jones 

✔@Lesdoggg

YUUUUUUP WAS AMONGST LEGENDS!!

2:45 AM - 13 Nov 2016

Looks like a blast Leslie, and aren't you happy?!

It's Monday time to kick off another week, make it a good one!

Leslie Jones on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/Lesdoggg 

Sunday Schwing! Christian Bale

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The Sorcery of Naama Kates

Sorceress
Naama Kates 

My first introduction to Naama Kates was as a singer/songwriter, then I came to find out she was so much more. She is also an accomplished actress as well as a screenwriter. Now she can add full fledged filmmaker to her resume' with her directorial debut Sorceress, which recently got some much deserved attention at AFM (American Film Market.) To describe this movie would be unfair to the viewer. It is something one needs to experience on their own terms. 

Me? I loved it! Here to answer five questions about it is none other than the woman behind the madness Ms. Naama Kates! 

MS:  What was the inspiration for the film?

NK: Well to me all of life is an inspiration-- whatever happens, for better or worse, if it ends up as material, I can feel like it was worthwhile... I think that's especially important to remember now, during the hard times.  Film, music, literature, comedy, art in general, reminds us that we're not alone in any of it.

That being said, I started writing what became the film in short pieces of dialogue, impressions, usually from conversations I'd had or heard that felt interesting.  And then the location- Finland- where I did my artist residency, was a huge inspiration.  Other elements of the story, of course, came from my life, and from historical figures I found interesting- like Giordano Bruno, a 16th-century alchemist, and the obsession of the film's protagonist.  I wasn't even sure I wanted to make a film, until I had to write a proposal for the residency program.  Like with most of the bigger decisions in life, I act first, and figure it out later.  

MS:  How did it feel being a first time Director?

NK: I was all over the place!  We shot it over a really short period of time, with what felt like relatively little preparation.  On the other hand, I've worked on films before with even less preparation and planning... I hardly feel like I directed anything; I had great actors and crew and a great cinematographer, and I think those ingredients, paired with a good script, are most vital.  Since I also wrote it, I wasn't so sure about that last part- the good script- haha.  It was my first time doing anything like it.  At times it was sort of incredible-- all these great people were making my ideas happen!  But then I'd think, wait, are they all just doing this because it's the job?  Does anyone actually think this is a good idea?  Checks and balances are important! 

And I couldn't have had a better experience than I did in Finland.  Everyone was so professional, intelligent, humble and straightforward. And so talented!  It's an incredibly progressive society; there is virtually no sexism there and probably never has been, really.  I am extremely grateful for that. 

MS: The Cinematography was amazing, and played a role in the story. Where did you find the cinematographer?

NK: Thank you-- and, indeed!  The cinematographer, Jarkko T. Laine, is a member of the Finnish Society of Cinematographers, like our ASC, which is an invitation-only, very prestigious organization.  In the US, I think it would have been nearly impossible for a first-time filmmaker on my budget to get a member to shoot my movie, without pulling some serious strings.  Because Finland is a much smaller country (only 5 million people) and isn't so crazy when it comes to the movie business, the artists are more accessible; I went to the FSC website and emailed Jarkko directly, and then he brought on the A.D, Ville Gronroos, and A.C., Jenni Riutta, as well as the sound recorder, Akseli Soini.  That was our crew!  And they really brought it to another level. 

MS:  Now, I don't want you to give away the ending, but while I didn't see it coming in hindsight I should have.

NK: Hehe... well, so far I haven't heard from anyone that they saw it coming.  I wanted to leave it somewhat open to interpretation.  I think that, for people who resonate with the movie, it will probably be a somewhat familiar question: am I crazy? Is this real? Is it just a coincidence? Will anyone believe me?... I think most people have those moments, and I think that the answer is never clear.  It was easy to do in the script, but I questioned it during editing-- whether it was too ambiguous.  I didn't have any guidance while I was writing, but had quite a lot of invaluable input during post-production.  I was so connected to it by then, it was impossible to be objective.

MS: To me the film is ultimately about the creative process, what would you  like the audience to take away from their experience? 

NK: I like that.  I think it doesn't have to be about the creative process in the way we usually intend-- like, it doesn't have to literally be about art.  Just about thinking differently, feeling differently, than people around you.  Wanting to be understood, and then maybe feeling that connection with someone, and then losing it.  It's also largely about dealing with loss/grief.  I think those themes are rather universal, and really I just want an audience, period!  Haha!  And ideally, I hope they take that away-- a feeling of being understood, by the film itself... 

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