The Ghostkeeper Commentary

Well, I finally had my first commentary track on a movie.

It started with the distributor who will be re-issuing the 1980 version of Ghostkeeper, the "supernatural thriller" that I wrote and directed and produced through my company, Badland Pictures. 

The movie made some money then disappeared into obscurity, as most of you who read the blog know already, so I won't expand on that. Just maybe a reminder how it resurfaced around 2005 among horror/suspense fans in England and Europe. While the fanbase was small, it was fun to contact them and talk about the movie. Good for the ego too, of course.

I often said that it just goes to say that if you hang around for long enough, someone is bound to say something nice about you. And at least half of the amateur reviews were nice, even good.

Then I got the call from a distributor in Seattle, called Code Red, who specialize in horror/suspense thrillers. They had found 2 35mm prints of the movie in storage in New York. I had lost track of the 35mm prints over the years and since nobody was asking for them, I forgot all about it.

This all changed with Code Red's interest.

The guys at Code Red hunt around for obscure and lost thriller movies and I would take it that they call every lab or other place where a movie print, long gone, exists. That's how they found Ghostkeeper.

So, after 30 years, I was standing inside a recording studio called Private Island Trax, somewhere off Pico not far from Sony. With me were Riva Spier who played the lead and Murray Ord, an old friend, who played her boyfriend. I see Murray,who  lives in Calgary, often as I go there to visit friends and family. But I hadn't seen Riva in many years.

Murray and Riva hadn't seen each other in 30 years.

It was a great reunion for them and me and we spent the week-end hanging out and talking about the movie. In the years that followed, and the fanbase that was created, the movie got better for me, although some of the dialog is quite bad and I cringe at some of the lines I wrote.

But hey, it was my first feature script.

The commentary, for any of you who have never seen how it's done, is quite simple. We sat in a small recording studio, along with Jeff McKay, who was there for Code Red and who was ready to ask question if we left empty spaces of talk.

A great guy, Jason, handled the audio boards, all digital of course. Inside the studio we had mics for each of us, and earphones to listen to each other as well as the soundtrack.

On Friday I got the three of us together to look at Ghostkeeper at my place. The interesting thing here is that everyone had a different take on the whole thing, wanting to see the movie, not wanting to see it, interrupting each other, changing ideas and thoughts until it began to sound like total confusion. Opinions flew as to how it should be done. Finally we abandoned the screening and went out to a local bar.

But Sunday, we were ready.

It took maybe five or so minutes to "get it", a little bit of apprehension, but in no time we had it rolling. Since I knew more about the production side, I tended to say the most, dealing with camera issues, schedules, locations and other details. Murray really enjoyed it as did Riva once she got into it.

Riva probably spoke the least, considering that while she was the lead, she was pretty much a stranger in the production, as 99% of the cast and crew were from Calgary as was I and Riva came from Montreal at the last minute. Aside from myself and Murray and one or two other crewmembers, she was pretty much by herself.

The whole experience went well and at the end, everyone was still pretty excited, that lasted for several hours as we celebrated over again at Outtakes, a great little restaurant in Studio City.

It continued to have an air of unbelievability in some ways, a reunion for a lost and obscure movie made  years ago and a new lease on life for the movie through strange coincidences including 20-somethings who found poor quality copies of Ghostkeeper and passed the word around.

This most likely would not have happened in a pre-internet era. And of course, I'm not the only one who's movie has been discovered by horror/suspense fans, there are a lot of them.

Ghostkeeper is far from perfect, but it seems to resonate more now, maybe age has matured it, one advantage of our location  is that it isn't dated in the sense that there are no cars or cell phones in it and the snowmobiles that we used look pretty much the same as they do now.

But all three of us continue to be amazed at how this all came about and it's something that can't be taken away.


In addition to the commentary I'm getting an interview with John Holbrook, who filmed it and Georgie Collins, who wonderfully played a crazy woman. Georgie, incidentally is now 86 and when I spoke to her about the sequel, she said "I think I'd like to take on that old bird again".


Georgie will be in the new Ghostkeeper 2.

Laughter is HAUTE!

This morning a friend’s call got me out of bed… catching up can be good for the soul. But one thing that resonated with me was her observation about my life. I’ve known her for more than 20 years and she’s always been extremely honest. So it’s no surprise when she told me that she observed something about me that I never thought about… my ability to make laughter a staple in my life. She said, “I saw you in a photo with someone and the two of you were laughing!” And based on that fact alone… she concluded that we must have a great friendship. Well, it happened to be somebody that I had just met the day before and even though that photo was taken months ago during one of my trips… she’s right. As I’ve said before, travel opens up a unique opportunity for me to meet all kinds of people. Because I enjoy meeting people, I tend to draw like-minded people into my zone and if we click or vibe… we stay in touch!

My friend also said that the next time she gets into a relationship; my photo reminded her that there has to be a degree of laughter that’s part of open, honest communication. So now, she’s got me to thinking about that… I’m always laughing at something so for me it wasn’t anything that I thought about. But after that conversation, I realized that laughing out loud with people is the best way to stay healthy, happy and sane. And when you’re in a relationship with someone special—it has to be a requirement. My relationship with men has always been one where I can be comfortable enough to laugh at myself. Silly? No, but fun and light-hearted conversation that’s good for the heart. Oh well, maybe a degree of silliness! Lol Who am I kidding? Life is serious enough so make it count by filling your circle with people who make you laugh and smile no matter what’s going on around you because you just never know who may be watching. Remember, active plus happy equals attractive!

Who makes you laugh out loud?

Embracing the Love of Friendship is HAUTE!

When it’s time to escape, it’s time to get away to some place haute, but sometimes no matter where I am… I can’t escape what’s on my mind. When something weights heavily, I find that I’m forced to deal with it. I’m not the type to compartmentalize like some people. But when real emotions start to come out… I’m grateful that my friends lift my spirits to make me stronger and wiser. As a result, I can approach whatever is unpleasant or that lesson in progress with clarity. Their strength offers a shoulder and the understanding that I have to resist the temptation of trying to control something that I have no control over so I learn to let go and trust the process.

I’m one of the lucky ones to have a friend who is half way around the world call me on a tropical island to say something that empowers me or laugh out loud at another friend who sends me text messages with jokes mixed with “real talk” to help me understand that my life is shifting in ways that I may not understand, but I’m better for it. One of my friends of many years always asks the same question… “What’s the lesson?”

 

It’s an amazing feeling to know that no matter where I am… I’m never really alone. I’ve always found that friendship and time are the two biggest investments that I can make in people. And you never know when you’ll need to cash in so I try hard to pick my friends carefully. When the storms come along… you’ll need someone to shield you from whatever makes you hurt… with a promise that everything will be alright again. Your real friends show up to support… show empathy, compassion and love. They guide you through the disappointments of life to carve out a place of acceptance, while pointing you in a new direction… helping you get back to the right path. But they also understand that what works for them may not work for me so they allow me to have my own process and victories… they always say examine your heart… and that’s when something remarkable happens. As the process unfolds, the confusion, disappointments and hurts unravel to reveal a life full of endless possibilities to remind me of my own specialness and blessings. “The past always serves the future and a foundation for all the days that follow.” So I’m trying harder to live and love in the moment… and when the storms come along learn to dance in the rain.

To my friends, you know who you are… you matter to me more than you know. Everyone deserves friends like you.

What kind of friend are you?

I will not deal anymore with loser producers, and this time I mean it.

You would think that after all the years I've been in the business that I would learn about producers and promises.

One of the hardest things to do when you're looking for money is to trust anyone who promises he can find it. And I emphasize "he" as I've only ever dealt with one woman producer who didn't come through anyways. I don't mind women producers, just never found any.

In fact I'd prefer a woman producer because they tend to be more honest.

I was dealing with a producer, and I use that term lightly, who hasn't had a film made for at least 25 years. One would suspect that maybe he wasn't that good of a producer. So why would I even speak to him?

Because it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Sparky, and that's not his real name, comes on like gangbusters. He always has a 5-picture package of which two screenplays are mine. There's no option of course, but I would say that 70% of the scripts I hand over to producers aren't optioned.

Because they have no money. 

I gave my Ghostkeeper 2 screenplay and proposal to Sparky who immediately told me he'd get it to the "right people" and mentioned real names, all of whom could finance my movie.

But that was 3 months ago.

And I hadn't heard from Sparky for a month. Okay, he did have jury duty for 2 weeks. So finally I email twice and learn he's in San Diego and will be back soon and call me Monday. That was last week and no call. I try again this week. He answers.

He can't meet because he's really busy with other projects. 

What?

What other projects?

Like I said, Sparky hasn't had a film made in over 25 years. But bless his heart, he is confident that this package of a handful of screenplays will be done.

And the irony is that I know they won't be made.

Sparky is an old school producer, someone who sounds like the most confident producer on the planet. He really believes he's gonna do it. So what's his biggest asset?

His arrogance.

Sparky once told my director friend that he'd let the director direct a movie he was trying to get made... if my friend found the money. To which my friend asked Sparky why would he need him at all?

Arrogance.

But yet...

You never know what people are capable of.  And that's the weakness of guys like me. We want to believe. It makes me feel better and I can tell you I've got a producer working for me. And I should know better. And I should know the basic law of movie-making.

Don't trust them and don't loan them any money. And never let them drive your car.

Sparky, like a lot of producers, is usually broke. It's funny how producers who raise millions of dollars often end up broke. I know at least five producers whom I've worked with who ended up broke. One recently called to see if I knew where he could find a place to live -- for $500 a month!

And they're not necessarily small time guys either. Sam Spiegel who did major features in Hollywood ended up broke. And why, you might ask? One producer was quoted as saying that he made lots of money, unfortunately he spent a lot more.

There's a great line in Mel Brooks movie The Producers in which Zero Mostel, a down on his luck producer, sees another producer on the street in a limo with a showgirl. Zero shouts "that's right baby, when ya got it, flaunt it."

I do feel sorry for producers generally. They have no union and they have no scale fees. Some producers I know usually end up having to dig into their fees to help finish the movie. I know of 4 producers who made movies I wrote who ended up with nothing.

Why?

Because they're responsible for the budget. A director goes 2 days over budget, guess who's responsible to pay for those days. The producer. After all he's the money guy.

Where does that leave me?

I'll see Sparky again, but I'll also be talking to other producers. My dream is to find a smart woman producer who I know will be far more honest and with more passion than those guys.


I'm getting a stiff neck.

Being Beautiful is HAUTE!

There’s something about a man who tells me that I’m beautiful… he makes me smile. I’ve heard a lot of conversation lately about an article that expresses a particular take on whether black women are beautiful. I must be one of a few women who thought nothing of it. In fact, I had a conversation with a few girlfriends who had different opinions about it. I just really don’t get plugged into debates like that because it’s pointless. People can have the right to their own thoughts but at the end of the day that old saying rings true “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

Well, over the course of my life I’ve had men tell me that I was attractive to them. I’ll never forget when some of them (who are fathers with daughters) would pay me the highest compliment… they told me that they wanted their girls to grow up and be just like me. When a man tells you that—it’s mind blowing because men are extremely protective of their baby girls. I often asked them why and generally it had to do with a couple of things… the fact that I live life on my own terms and I value and validate black men who allow me into their world uncensored. They respect and value my friendship often as a result of unspoken shared experiences… it’s about loyalty, trust, and bringing peace into a world full of drama and rejection.

Recently, someone reminded me that I was “Beautiful” to him and made a point to say you’re enough just the way that you are so don’t try to change based on what you think someone else wants you to be. Well, when I saw his note it made me think about something else that I read recently… when a man says you’re sexy; he’s telling you that you’re physically desirable. But when he tells you that you’re pretty… it means that you’re attractive to him. However, when he gets past those two things and looks into your heart and soul—you’re beautiful to him. Being beautiful to a man means that your entire being makes you extraordinary in ways that really matter. You’re not only pretty and sexy but you glow! Your confidence, inner vixen, charm and intelligence is a compliment to even the sexiest man on the planet—you enhance him! Think about it... why opt to use the word beautiful instead of pretty or cute :)?  

When I mentioned these thoughts to my female friends they came back with… “Do you need a man to tell you that you’re beautiful to feel it?” In response, no, I don’t need a man to tell me that because my confidence level is pretty high plus my mother and friends co-sign often, but let’s face it if a man that matters to you or that you find attractive or desirable offers a level of validation that every human-being innately seeks (because we all want to be loved and accepted as we are)… then that’s powerful. Sometimes I don’t feel pretty or cute but when someone who sees me on one of my “what I think is my not so good day” says to me I think that you look amazing… it validates me and instantly changes my view of myself. We all need cheerleaders. I think that if more black men or men who love black women told us that we’re beautiful… articles that seek to reinforce the opposite would never have some women questioning their worth, value or beauty… it wouldn’t stir anger because we already know those who truly matter will step up through their words and actions… and silence those critics . The focus instead would be on stepping into our own light and allowing our inner and outer beauty to shine with the men who love us smiling at just the thought of us!

What makes a women beautiful?

Mr & Mrs Globetrot on Flickr!

We finally did it! I've spent the last couple weeks uploading all of our travel photos into a shiny new Flickr account. 

We've heard some really great stories of how the travel photos on our blog are being used. One student used them in a school project about Hungary.... one girl asked to use our travel photos in a church children's program... and recently we found out a school teacher has been pulling up Mr & Mrs Globetrot blog in class on a regular basis and teaching her students about places around the world. Incredible! Our opportunity to travel for 6 months was a blessing from God, not something we earned. We are so happy that other people find our photos and experiences useful and inspirational. We have thousands of photos from around the world that could be used in so many ways, and instead of letting them collect computer dust, we wanted an easy way to share them with the world. Flickr seemed like the right answer. All of our photos are now organized in easy-to-locate folders labeled by country, city, and event chronologically. As we keep blogging our trip, we will continue to upload all photos to our Flickr account. Feel free to use our photos for any personal projects (and please give us credit for photos).

Do you have a Flickr account? What is your favorite thing about it? Find us on Flickr so we can be friends!

Rocking Your Curves is HAUTE!

No matter where I travel in the world, I represent the women who are thicker than super models, but just as beautiful.

My butt is bigger than most unless you live in the ATL... where thicker girls with hour glass figures rule! And that’s alright with me. I would often hide my assets with clothes that conceal but one day a man who made my heart smile asked, “Why do you hide it under a dress?” So when this guy who is super haute, sexy and smart encouraged me to let my curves out―I did! I figured if he was cosigning… I’m all over it!

Southern girls with killer curves, ample thighs, full lips and hips that sway know that the secret to being a confident woman starts with the mind. We also know that for those who walk behind us… we inspire curiosity and acceptance. But for those who can’t get past our apple bottoms (two words) don’t hate!

 

As I travel the globe, I’m rocking my curves… whether in New York City, London, Paris or the Caribbean. I hope to represent girls like me who once thought that containing our best asset was the best way to be taken seriously because you want men to look at you (above the neck) when you’re talking. But as I’ve learned it’s all about how you present the total package… be unapologetically the best you possible. So go ahead be a bombshell with brains! Rock your curves, celebrate what makes you different and watch the world take notice.

Disclaimer: This post was inspired by a Nike ad… http://www.nikeblog.com/2010/07/26/new-nike-women-ad-my-butt-is-big/

In this photo I'm wearing a Gottex Katalist Shoulder Swimsuit courtesy of InStyle Swimwear at the exclusive Half Moon Resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica. To order visit http://www.instyleswimwear.com/

Use this discount code HauteTravels15 to receive 15% off you entire order from Instyle Swimwear!

Half Moon Resort http://halfmoon.rockresorts.com/default.asp

What's your best asset?