CoreyTess» Corey Tess

I am so sorry

Corey Tess — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 22:17:01 +0000

I am been totally neglecting my blog and I apologize. Not that the universe cracks or anything when I don’t blog, but it seems rude to start something and then just become absent with out an explanation. I started a new job back in April running a corporate marketing department and I am also in the middle of relocating from Los Angeles City to the LBC near the Pike.. watch our Foursquare Mayors in the area, here i come! Anyway, this means I haven’t had much time for blogging, but i still love you and here is a Robert McKee interview to prove it!

Alice In Wonderland – or should we say UNDERland…

Corey Tess — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:04:05 +0000

Why Re-Write a Perfect Story?

No one can argue that Tim Burton is the KING of Visual Stimulation and EYE POPPING if often Gothy/Emo Imagery… and that his ability to “snap his fingers and summon” Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter consistently results in characters that both strongly intrigue and mystify.

However, Alice In Wonderland (In Amazing 3-D) had an obvious lack of something basic… a great story! Which is confusing because commissioning the rights to Lewis Carroll’s great work of allegorical fiction, Alice in Wonderland and seemingly also “Adventures Through The Looking Glass” it’s sequel seem to guarantee rollicking good fodder for play!

Alas this absolutely GORGEOUS film suffers from a full tilt rush toward nothing… and I can’t image how confusing much of the references were to people who never read the second book as many of the character names, recitations and speak refer to what Carroll re-coined “Portmanteau” a practice of taking two words and sort of mashing them up and giving them a new meaning… such as Jabberwocky and FunderWhack.. The film itself rather mashes the first and second books together in an odd way – really matching the theme of neither.. the first more than the second… the first book had the structure and theme based on a card game, where as the second was based on the game of chess.. the card game is more represented in this version and yet the majority of the speak and character names come from the second novel…

I think children will enjoy the experience of this film immensely and adults will enjoy the visuals as much.. my sister said she would have enjoyed it much more with the sound OFF and in many scenes this was the case for me as well…

Johnny’s “Hatta” the Looking Glass version of “The Mad Hatter” was pleasing and yet sadly not explored or supported in a way that was really captivating.. visually, he was a banquet of tastiness but his story and his dialogue and his virtually invisible character development or arch was disappointing to say the least… his scene with the destruction during a lawn party is supposed to supply us with a reason for his sullen and manic depressive change from the crazy fun Mad Hatter she knew in Wonderland… before…

Helena’s “Red Queen” was hysterically funny. Very well done and probably the best developed character in the film. Her need for love and to be surrounded by people with more freakish physical attributes than her own made her endearing actually… It is so much easier to develop an evil character than a good one, but if I had to choose the best character in the film.. it would be Red Queen.. she was indispensable.

Anne Hathaway.. mmmmm I am a fan, but in this role, she just didn’t sparkle… The White Queen was virtually an after thought.. she simply filled a void where “good” needed to be represented to off set the evil… her pantomiming elegance was broken through in only one seen with the dog and should have been explored further.. was she really a dungaree gal under her over played Disney princess mannerisms or was this her true self? You got signals that supported both and neither and rendered her character almost totally useless except to serve as the famous brunette that goes platinum blond for Tim Burton… (Wynona Rider = Edward Scissorhands, Christina Ricci=Sleepy Hollow)

Alice wh0 is played by Mia Wasikowska was solid.. her’s was the best dialog in the film and although her development was predictable and not really pleasing in any way, the story did serve to put her into a mind frame that supported the story’s ending where we find her stronger and more able to defy those in power over her… (though this was not really a strong development, as she seemed pretty defiant before hand..)

Cheshire Cat was a bright spot in the film. He was used as sort of a Deus ex machina in some scenes.. most notably the “be-heading of the Hatta” but still the animation was amazing and the purring and classic kitty positioning and menace was appreciated.

The Blue Caterpillar was under-used really, one of my favorite characters from both novels, he represents the YODA of this story and yet only seems to serve as a rest in the pace during two scenes.. a pity because i do love Alan Rickman’s voice!

For all my complaining, I was really disappointed in only ONE aspect of this film… the screenplay… which of course effected the entire film and everything in it..

Not a MUST SEE, but a SHOULD SEE if you do 3-D, otherwise.. kind’ve a waste… (please do 3D if you see it)

and I have to say though the Funderwhack was cute.. it was anti-climatic and rather haphazardly inserted… i think there may have been an editing fail here as well… and through out the film.. because the pacing was erratic and often didn’t support climax moments…

WIN! The dresses and clothing they put Alice in… great designs…

You Don’t Own Me!

Corey Tess — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:43:33 +0000

I don’t have a blog to go with this post, but I just love this video and wanted to share it with you… something of an anthem.. perhaps not quite Ayn Rand, but certainly a statement I’ve made now and again.. Enjoy!

No related posts.

Advertising by Design

Corey Tess — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:43:31 +0000

Clever, Funny, Cute or Delightful….

Much of the advertising we see on a daily basis does nothing to enrich our lives and provides us with little more than a temporary distraction 80% of the time. Marketers rely heavily on your need to purchase a product or service and simply work to point you in the direction of their offering, but every now and then, you get a glimpse of something more… and that is what I went on the hunt for today… here are some of the delightful ideas I found that illustrate how Marketing can cross over into creativity and entertainment…

HOVER OVER IMAGES FOR MY COMMENTS, CLICK IMAGES FOR A LARGER PREVIEW OR TO DO A SLIDE SHOW:

Shashin Error: unable to retrieve photo thumbnails.

Single Does Not Mean Seeking…

Corey Tess — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:27:25 +0000

Single Doesn’t Mean Seeking

protesting

just a bit…

being

a hole

woman -

born

empty inside

literally

a hole

a void

a vacancy

waiting to be inhabited

by baby

and baby daddy

not in that

order – of course

i active…ly

avoid

being – turned

inside – out

for

any

one

_______________

change my mind?

you can try…

till then… whoa Man….

WOE man…

i am not your woman….

Re-Connecting With My First Love. It’s Time!

Corey Tess — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:41:40 +0000

Ready to Fall In Love Again – Repost

I was just thinking today about how you can work very hard to get somewhere you never wanted to be… a place in life that really doesn’t suit you.. although you are successfully placed… you are not fulfilled…

Maybe this is what Mary meant when she thought about returning to her former Gothic Girl Self… I don’t know.. I often think lately about the me that would spend days at a time building sets, finding props and casting parts, writing scripts and shooting scenes.. hours on my knees with all sorts of electronics, wires and mics, cameras, vcrs, tvs hooked together into a menagerie of editing and dubbing equipment that I would use to assemble a film that perhaps only a few people would ever see.

why did i go from not understanding the word impossible.. to accepting the probable as fact? I am sure some would say this is called growing up, but when i was a kid.. well, a 13-23 year old, there was nothing but film-making.. nothing but plays, scripts, films.. writing, shooting, stomping off the set when my cast wouldn’t stop laughing during serious takes… this was life… living for the next reason to shout “Action!”

Now I get paid for creatives that help other people sell money to people who want to invest in property and have the American Dream.. it is nothing to be ashamed of… i am a home owner myself… it’s a good business and i am glad to do well at something still so fundamentally creative.. but it doesn’t fill that hole in my heart… it doesn’t feel the way the story does.. coming out of me, onto paper.. onto celluloid.. onto youtube?

There is a basic argument here. I was in an investment seminar recently.. talking stocks and bonds and 401k retirement funds… and it hit me.. i am on this road.. to a safe and plotted life.. work hard, save money, build equity, buy an investment property, get married, have kids, get old.. etc… granted, i support my family, eat very finely, drink even better and party well… a girl has to have some fun… but still… will i ever have a better shot at returning to myself… is the time coming to make the change?

the other road is un-sure.. no steady income, no guaranteed security… can you even pay your mortgage and buy way too many pairs of designer shoes (current count about 200)
and the real question.. can i have both?

I am willing to try…. i want my passion back.. i want to fall in love again… i want the thrill of the story back in my blood, i want to chase that perfect plot line and do more than dream about that Oscar…

Ok.. I talked me into it… ACTION!

RE-POSTED from TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2008

Ahora vengo mama chula mama chula?

Corey Tess — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:22:03 +0000

Ahora vengo mama chula mama chula?
Current mood: curious
Category: Blogging

Does anyone wonder why Maria fell in love in East LA.. but grew up in Spanish Harlem.. and is living da life just like a movie star… I mean, if she was so freggin poor – how did she get from Spanish Harlem to East Los Angeles? I was thinking that maybe she got the eviction letter in Harlem, so she hitchhiked to East LA, and while cleaning houses and thinking of way to make it better she fell in love with Mario Lopez at a bar where Carlos Santana was playing guitar (i think she was bussing tables there), and is now dancing with the stars…. and living the life just like a movie star….

does anyone else find this song somewhat stereo type heavy…. and what the heck does “Ahora vengo mama chula mama chula” mean?

I thought at first they were saying Mama CHOLA? Like tear drop and tattoo Sad Girl or something… odd

oh Maria Maria
She reminds me of a west side story
Growing up in Spanish Harlem
She’s living the life just like a movie star

oh Maria Maria
She fell in love in East L.A.
To the sounds of the guitar, yeah, yeah
Played by Carlos Santana

Stop the looting, stop the shooting
Pick pocking on the corner
See as the rich is getting richer
The poorer is getting poorer

See mi y Maria on the corner
Thinking of ways to make it better
In my mailbox there’s an eviction letter
Somebody just said see you later

Ahora vengo mama chula mama chula
Ahora vengo mama chula (east coast)

Ahora vengo mama chula mama chula
Ahora vengo mama chula (west coast )

oh Maria Maria
She reminds me of a west side story
Growing up in Spanish Harlem
She’s living the life just like a movie star

oh Maria Maria
She fell in love in East L.A.
To the sounds of the guitar, yeah, yeah
Played by Carlos Santana

I said a la fella los colores
The streets are getting hotter
There is no water to put out the fire
Mi cosa la esperanza

Se mira Maria on the corner
Thinking of ways to make it better
Then I looked up in the sky
Hoping of days of paradise

Ahora vengo mama chula mama chula
Ahora vengo mama chula (north side)

Ahora vengo mama chula mama chula
Ahora vengo mama chula
(south side)

Ahora vengo mama chula mama chula
Ahora vengo mama chula ( world wide)

Ahora vengo mama chula mama chula
Ahora vengo mama chula ( open up ur eyes )

Maria you know you’re my lover
When the wind blows I can feel you
Through the weather and even when we’re apart
It feels like we’re together maria
She reminds me of a west side story
Growing up in Spanish Harlem
She’s living the life just like a movie star

oh Maria Maria
She fell in love in East L.A.
To the sounds of the guitar, yeah, yeah
Played by Carlos Santana

Puttin them up yo
Carlors Santana with the refugge gang
wite clef jerry my dog Mr santana GMB
yo carlos u play that guitar proud

For Your Consideration (DVD of the Month)

Corey Tess — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 23:20:40 +0000

For Your Consideration:

I love the absolute superficiality of it. The way the people just back slap eachother like crazy,.. you are fabulous darling! And the fact that it is Home for Purim is hysterical… they poke fun at all the basic stereotypes… i love the botox and the TRL slam… amazing… Not everyone is going to like this film, but I loved it.

I love Humans!

Corey Tess — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 06:27:22 +0000

As life moves, so does art.. human find new ways to inspire each other… i love this about us.

Little Children… Not Childs Play!

Corey Tess — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:43:48 +0000

If you liked “In The Bedroom”, you will love this. Certainly not a fun little jaunt of a film, Little Children is very real…

It examines the calm and seemingly normal lives of suburbans who are anything but satisfied with life… i think it really speaks volumes about the sometimes supressed desires of people whose lives are otherwise devoid of “real” problems. If you are sick, or poor, or opressed, ugly, fat, disliked or damaged in some visible way, people often allow for you to complain about not feeling complete… but if you are in all those ways complete… then nothing could be missing… or could it?

i like the film… i think people should pay more attention to those little pangs of “what if”.. and “why not” to avoid making the bigger mistakes that ruin peoples lives… A must see in my book.

Could Kate Winslet be any more perfect?

WARNING FOR VIEWERS: NUDITY, LAUNGUAGE, SEX.

5 Stars