Learning Piano with Willie Myette: A Review

Those of you who follow me on Twitter or listen to my audio blogs know that I often try to share snippets of my piano playing with the world. Learning piano can be a tricky proposition. Most people I know (young adults) live in apartments or condos, so even owning a piano or keyboard is a challenge. Then you have to find a teacher who is personable, talented, and skilled at instruction, not to mention easily accessible. The entire process can be extremely daunting.

My mother was a classically trained musician and taught my brother and me when we were little. When high school and college happened, I lost touch with my piano skills. But these past few years, I’ve tried to take it up again, putting in a little bit of practice using various styles every day.

Practicing piano every day is already a challenge, but finding the time to schlep out to piano teacher and fork over $50-100 on a weekly basis made the entire process considerably less appealing to me. I tried using how-to books, but while they can teach you some good blues licks, there’s only so far they can take you before the book simply ends.

I wondered if there was an online solution for this. That’s when I found Willie Myette.

Myette hosts a series of piano lessons at pianowithwillie.com. His lessons appeared to be extensive, and covered both general styles and specific songs. But was his program any good? And was it worth the money that he charged? What follows are my thoughts on learning piano online with Myette.

Interface

You can sign up to have access to a specific lesson or a specific genre’s worth of lessons. With the Gold Complete membership, you are given access to the entire site. Myette’s genres include Jazz, Gospel, Funk, Latin, Blues. Once you’ve chosen a genre, you are given a choice of which lesson you want, sortable by upload date and “type” (e.g. Theory, Improvisation, etc.). Unfortunately, there is no ability to easily sort all lessons by difficulty level.

Once you’ve chosen your first lesson, you’ll probably see something that looks like this:

The video of the lesson appears on the left, while the several “phases” of the lesson appear on the right side in clickable list form. This is an extremely clear and convenient layout to use. You can progress through all the parts of the lessons in one go, or view them one at a time depending on how much time you have. At no point did I feel confused about how Myette was taking me through these lessons.

There are a couple of other benefits that this interface offers. First of all, video is easily navigable, via keyboard shortcuts.

These actually come in handy a lot more than I’d originally suspected, given that Myette can often demonstrate something that you’ll want to look at again more closely. Having keyboard shortcuts greatly aids this process.

In addition, Myette provides downloadable sheet music that supplements the lessons (mostly in PDF format). These can easily be printed out and serve as helpful references in the form of specific licks or lead sheets for whichever song you are learning.

My one complaint with the site’s interface is that occasionally, getting to the actual lesson can be a bit tricky. Overall, the interface feels really busy, with countless options to choose, only a few of which will actually lead to something that I’m actually interested in (i.e. the lessons). It feels like it could be simplified dramatically without impacting the user experience.

For example, the top of the site has a “pianowithwillie” overlay bar, but also a separate menu bar underneath that duplicates some of the features of the top bar.

Another potential issue with the site is that physically viewing these lessons can sometimes be a practical challenge. I found that the optimal situation was using a small netbook/laptop positioned on top or near my piano. The only alternative would be run back and forth between your desktop computer and your piano, which would not make for a great music-learning experience.

These lessons would have been absolutely perfect for something like the iPhone, iPad, or another portable device. Unfortunately, many of the older videos are all in flash, so they don’t work on those devices. [Myette does allow you to download one lesson per day as an FLV, mp3, or even M4v sometimes (these lessons are not banked, so you can’t save them up), so it is theoretically possible to transcode them for iPhone use, but this would be an intensely cumbersome process.] I’m not sure what encoding Myette is using for his newer videos but it’s worth pointing out that most of the lessons created within the past year work on an iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch. This greatly improves the site’s ease-of-use.

[UPDATE: Myette has informed me that he is currently in the process of updating the site so that ALL of the site’s content will be playable on iOS devices. At this point, it is fair to say that most of the site’s content is playable on iOS devices.]

Overall, though, it’s impressive what Myette has been able to do with the interface. It is easy to use, easy to navigate, and demonstrates that a great deal of thought was put into it.

Content

The first thing I noticed about the site’s content is its volume. Myette has been doing this for years, studiously uploading lessons regularly for most of that time. There are easily enough lessons on this site to last a student for years.

Myette’s lessons across all genres can be divided into two broad categories: individual songs and general skills (including theory). Many of his individual song lessons take you through the entire process necessary to master that song. By necessity, they will occasionally repeat some information, or leave some information out, relegating them to other, more skill-oriented lessons.

It’s worth noting that Myette also offers lessons plans for beginning, intermediate, and advanced users.

The plans offer a fairly detailed track for making the most out of your time on the website, and they can be useful for those who are trying to figure out how to make their way through the vast amounts of content on the site.

The only shortcoming I can see with Myette’s lessons is that I believe you will get the most out of the lessons if you already possess a basic understanding of piano fundamentals. In other words, I think Myette’s lessons are okay for beginners, great for intermediate learners (which I would describe myself as), and probably even better for advanced learners. Myette goes very quickly and many of his intermediate/advanced lessons (i.e. the bulk of all lessons he’s uploaded) will assume a significant amount of piano knowledge.

That being said, it’s probably still possible to pick things up from a beginner’s starting point; you’ll just need to work much harder on building up the fundamentals.

Style

It is a tricky thing, to teach someone from across the internet who you’ve never met. So much of the modern music lessons requires on that indefinable give-and-take between teacher and student, on adaptability, on the recognition of the idiosyncrasies and nuances of each individual. So how does Myette fare as a music teacher?

Pretty damn well, I’d say. Myette’s teaching style is both likable and easy-to-understand. Having worked with several piano teachers in my life, I found Myette to be just as good as any of them, if not better. Myette seems to implicitly exactly what it is that students might want. His lessons offer a way both to re-create a piece exactly as he’s played it, and to figure out how to make your own voicings and improvisations. It’s difficult to account for the vast range of needs that virtual students might have, but I think Myette does so wonderfully.

In other words, I’d have no problems paying Myette for actual lessons in-person. And that’s a good sign for someone you’re going to take virtual lessons from. If you have any doubts, just take a look at the “mini-lessons” that Myette has already posted up on Youtube. He really wants you to know what you’re getting when you sign up for the site.

Pricing

First of all, many of Myette’s individual lessons are available in DVD form, which can be convenient if all you want is to learn how to play one song. The DVDs are priced at $40 each, which sounds high until you consider that this is the low end of what a normal piano lesson costs.

Myette has divided his site into five categories: Jazz, Gospel, Funk, Latin, Blues. You can subscribe to each one of these sections for $29/each/month, or pay $299 for an entire year’s worth of access. The Gold membership, which strikes me as by far the best deal, provides you with access across all lessons/genres on the site for $399/year.

Again, regular piano lessons in the real world can cost up to $100 per hour. Given these prices, you can either pay for a few real life lessons with a local teacher, or get one full year’s worth of dozens of lessons with Willie Myette. In terms of value, Myette certainly takes the prize here.

My only beef with the pricing is that the different sections offer vastly differing amounts of content. Jazz piano lessons is by far the most rich, while Myette only started the Blues section recently. But what makes it a viable option nonetheless is that Myette is constantly adding lessons to these sections and responding to feedback. Thus, the Jazz membership is probably the best value, but if you’re going to spend hundreds of dollars anyway, I’d go with the Gold.

Miscellaneous

There are a few other site features that are worth pointing out. First of all, Myette used to host a once-a-month 30-minute long show that went over a lot of the concepts he discusses in his lessons. These are all now available in mp3 format on the site, and themselves constitute dozens of hours of potential learning material.

Second of all, Myette is actively involved with the site on an ongoing basis. He solicits feedback, asks for suggestions for lessons, and then acts upon those suggestions. The site offers a forum and while it’s not the most thriving community I’ve seen on a website, Myette is active on it. For a site that you’re forking over hundreds of bucks a year to be a part of, his presence is a reassuring one.

Conclusions

Piano lessons with Willie Myette are an excellent way to either start playing piano and an even better way to rekindle one’s passion for it. Myette’s sites are great to use, their pricing is fair, and Myette himself is an excellent teacher. Most importantly, he appears to be one of the few people on the internet who’ve managed to take their skills, make them easily accessible for learners, and figure out how to make money doing it. If you’re reading this review wondering whether or not this guy is the real deal, I’m putting my answer down as a firm “Yes.”

Pros:

Easy-to-use site with great user interface and options
Site pricing (especially Gold membership) is an excellent value
Well-executed lessons with a very understanding, skilled teacher
Lessons cover a wide variety of genres and styles
New lessons constantly added
Lessons are downloadable (one per day)
Site owner is responsive to feedback

Cons:

Different sections are priced uniformly but can carry differing amounts of content
A few interface elements of the site can be confusing

My Top 10 Movies of 2010 (So Far)

A few notes:

The primary purpose of this list is just to help organize my thoughts. It’s not intended to be taken seriously.
The ordering IS currently accurate, with #1 being my favorite film of the year thus far, and so forth.
I reserve the right to completely alter the list (including relative orderings) by the time we get to our end-of-year top 10s.

1. Animal Kingdom
2. How To Train Your Dragon
3. Mother
4. Fish Tank (Technically 2009, but i didn’t see it until this year)
5. Inception
6. The Kids Are All Right
7. Shutter Island
8. Kick-Ass
9. Toy Story 3
10. Splice

To The World on My Birthday: The Unseen Redemption

[The following contains spoilers for The Shawshank Redemption]

It sounds cliche to say it, but one of my favorite films of all time is Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption. The film was criminally neglected at the box office when it was released in theaters in 1994, earning less than $30 million domestically. It was also given a pass by Oscar voters, who gave it seven Oscar nominations but not a single win. When Redemption hit DVD, though, it became virtually a mainstream success, and has gained a huge following in the time since.

As a general matter, I do a lot of self-reflection. And when my birthday rolls around (as it has today), that’s when the figurative, body-length mirror really comes out. This year, I’ve been thinking a lot about the fate of Andy DuFresne (played perfectly by Tim Robbins in the film). If you’ll recall, DuFresne was convicted and sentenced to life in jail for the crime of murdering his wife and her lover. But the thing is, DuFresne was wrongfully convicted; even though he had murderous thoughts, he changed his mind at the last minute. A third party did the deed and DuFresne was given the blame.

While at first, DuFresne felt and appeared utterly defeated by the bleakness of his fate — and who wouldn’t be? — eventually, he accepted his place at Shawshank State Prison and used his resources to help others. From a single act of kindness on top of a hot, tarred roof, DuFresne ended up opening a prison library, educating fellow inmates, and trying to make the world a better place. All the while, he was digging himself out of prison using a foot-long rock hammer. It took him a few decades to finally break free, a metaphor for how long it took him to dig himself out of the emotional hell he found himself in at the beginning of the film.

I think the film is absolutely, 100% brilliant. I wouldn’t change a thing about it. But it only really shows you half of the story.

Towards the end of the film, when DuFresne is at his lowest point and apparently on the edge of suicide, he speaks with Red (Morgan Freeman) about the inescapable circumstance that the both of them have found themselves in:

DuFresne: My wife used to say I’m a hard man to know. Like a closed book. Complained about it all the time. She was beautiful. God, I loved her. I just didn’t know how to show it, that’s all. I killed her, Red. I didn’t pull the trigger, but I drove her away. And that’s why she died, because of me. The way I am.

Red: That don’t make you a murderer. A bad husband, maybe. Feel bad about it if you want to, but you didn’t pull the trigger.

DuFresne: No, I didn’t. Somebody else did. And I wound up in here. Bad luck, I guess. It floats around. It’s gotta land on somebody. It was my turn, that’s all. I was in the path of the tornado. I just didn’t expect the storm would last as long as it has.

These few words give the viewer a window into the years of neglect that happened off screen, before the movie even began. Did DuFresne’s coldness drive his wife into the arms of another man? If DuFresne had been a little bit more loving, a little bit more warm, would the tragedy of his wrongful imprisonment still be a reality? We’ll never know, but it’s not difficult to imagine that the answer to these questions is “Yes.”

We never get to see any of their marriage, nor are we privy to the health of their interactions and as a result, I think our understanding of the fullness of DuFresne’s transformation is limited somewhat. Without seeing the kind of man he was before, it is harder to appreciate the man he ends up becoming. That’s the real transformation that’s the crux of the film — not that of a wrongfully convicted, bitter man, but of an aloof, complacent, and ungrateful one. His metamorphosis is not from the depths of evil to the heights of good. Rather, it begins from a place of banality, of monotony.

Yet it strikes me that the way the movie chooses to depict Andy’s character arc is still the most effective way to do so…to leave DuFresne’s former self to the imagination of the viewer. And so that’s what I’ve envisioned it as: a soulless, sexless marriage, devoid of passion or purpose. In a way, DuFresne’s jail sentence began long before he even arrived at the monolithic, imposing walls of Shawshank, albeit the former was a self-imposed term. His real-life imprisonment became a physical manifestation of what he was already going through.

Note that his crimes aren’t necessarily that severe, and that most would consider his punishment disproportionate. But just as serious crimes such as rape and murder are most frequently committed by those who know the victim and not by some serial rapist/murderer, so the wrongs we inflict on others need not be extreme or newspaper-worthy to be completely devastating.

Play this while reading this post for maximum impact 🙂

But that’s why the movie is so uplifting: because DuFresne does ultimately find his (drum roll please) redemption. The film offers hope in the fact that no matter what crimes you’ve committed, no matter who you’ve wronged or what you’ve done, you can still find salvation, even in the unlikeliest of places.

The life of Andy DuFresne does not map perfectly, or even somewhat, onto my own life. But I see myself as somewhere on the timeline of his character arc, constantly reaching for the ever-elusive light, waiting to emerge from a mile-long sewer pipe full of shit that I put myself in.

What Shawshank says to me is that it’s only when you’re put in a situation of utter hopelessness and desolation that the process of reconstituting yourself can begin. It is only when your circumstances are dire enough to destroy you that you really appreciate the heart-swelling goodness that life holds. Then, with this knowledge imparted, you act accordingly. You treat your friends and fellow man with dignity, decency, and kindness. You look to their joy as reward enough. You look to brighten the lives of others before you are gone. And you find peace in these things.

When my boss at /Film, Peter Sciretta, wished me a happy birthday last year, he re-affirmed his well-wishes by saying, “This year will be better than the last.” Having experienced this past year, I can’t really say that that’s been the case. But I can say that I like that message of hope and optimism. No matter what has happened in your past life, the sun will still rise tomorrow, and you will still have a chance to turn it around.

In the year that comes, I will endeavor to learn from my past, but not to dwell on it. To look into the future with hope. To understand that darkness comes before dawn, and that the process of becoming a better person doesn’t happen just in a few months or in a year. It might be decades. It is probably a lifetime.

Playing the Blues

[This post will be the first in a series.]

I love music.

Over the course of my life I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to perform in a variety of settings. There’s nothing I love more than playing for an audience, and no situation in which I feel more alive.

Recently, I’ve been taken with blues piano. I was classically trained as a kid and was looking for a different way to apply my skills. The blues can be vital and energizing, but also convey profound sadness when necessary. I think it sounds more pleasing to the ear than jazz, yet the fact that it’s improv-ed is something I find intensely appealing; no two performances can ever be exactly alike!

I’ve tried taking lessons but have found it difficult to get the right instructor. Usually the problems are logistical. Some weeks I don’t have enough time to practice, while other weeks I have too much (and end up longing for more assignments). Sometimes I just don’t have the time to drive to the instructor’s place, and other weeks I find I’ve gotten to the end of a lesson only to question why I’m forking over $X for it. I understand that nothing can replace 1-on-1 lessons with a skilled instructor, and I hope to eventually return to that arrangement at some point. It’s just not what will work for me right now.

So I sought out other means of learning. Specifically, I invested in a few piano books, including David Cohen’s series of blues piano books. I found them to be decent-to-good, but the biggest problem with any book system: it will only take you so far. Books obviously have a finite number of pages, and even the thickets ones can’t take you any further than what is contained inside the book. You can often exhaust the lessons within in a matter of weeks or months.

Enter Willie Myette, whose piano lesson websites I discovered while browsing the internet.

At first glance, Myette’s system of learning piano appears to offer several advantages:

1) They lessons are incredibly detailed, and allow you to recreate the pieces Myette plays precisely, down to the note.
2) The lessons are relatively cheap (Current prices are about $300 for a year of unlimited access to all sites. Getting a piano lesson with a real-life instructor can often cost as much as $100 per lesson, especially if you live in the Boston area, which has been blessed with some amazing music schools.
3) The lessons are full-featured, in the sense that they come with sheet music and lesson plans.
4) Most importantly: Myette continuously updates the site, with new lessons every week. This last point is crucial, as it replicates one of the most appealing elements of having a real-life teacher at only a fraction of the cost.

In the next few months, I will be going through some lessons on Myette’s website and seeing how I can improve my very, very limited blues abilities. I made a recent recording of myself just playing around so you can get an idea of where I’m starting at. Please note I don’t consider the following to be performance-ready by any means. It is just a recording of me randomly improvising (poorly):

Can Willie Myette make me a better piano player? I’m eager to find out. Watch this blog for future entries tracking my progress.

The Podcasts I Can’t Live Without

As a podcast host, I think it’s important to constantly pay attention to the exciting things that other talented people are doing in this space. I listen to dozens of podcasts, so many that it’s impossible to get to an episode of every single podcast I subscribe to on a weekly basis. Usually I save up a bunch of episodes, then take them all in with one fell swoop (i.e. when I’m waiting for a plane, or taking a very long drive).

There are a few podcast out there, however, that I must have a weekly dose of, lest I become moody and unpleasant. These are the conversations I feel I must be privy to, whose hosts I want to get to know more each week. These are the podcasts that I can’t wait to download, load onto my iPhone, and listen to on my way to/from work. These are the podcasts with whom I am most grateful to regularly share my time with.

I wouldn’t necessarily say these are my “favorite” or “the best” on my playlist. For example, you won’t find This American Life, Filmspotting, The Bugle, Weekend Confirmed, Giant Bombcast, or tons of others that I listen to, even though I love these podcasts and find them all superlative. Those will have to wait for a separate post.

But there’s something about the following podcasts…The comforting way their hosts interact. The creativity and gusto with which they execute their premises. The kismet that brought them to the place they are today. Anyway, without further ado, here are the podcasts I can’t live without:

The IFC News Podcast – Matt Singer and Alison Willmore analyze a movie trope and then discuss how it’s been deployed in movies throughout history. In my opinion, this podcast is a movie geek’s dream come true, with tons of thoughtful references to movies past and present. But while the show’s premise is great, I live for the moments when Matt will break into some bizarre, hilarious impression, or Alison will drop some obscure film knowledge that leaves me in awe of her wisdom. Add in some of the best listener feedback I’ve ever heard, plus a clever IMDB keyword game (with weekly prizes!), and this podcast becomes an absolute must-listen. Also, I’m pretty sure I have a crush on Alison Willmore. [iTunes] [Website]

KCRW’s The Business – Kim Masters takes the most important entertainment news and talks to the people involved to get an inside perspective. I don’t think this podcast gets enough credit for creativity with which it addresses its topics. For example, a recent episode was devoted to what behavior is acceptable in the writer’s room, vs. what constitutes sexual harassment. To tackle this issue, Masters invited on a lawyer who has filed lawsuits against studios, and had him duke things out with a lawyer who has defended studios in the past. It was as informative a discussion as you could get on the topic, while still being entertaining.

Other recent episodes have included an inside look at how the Oscars were produced, and how the script for Battlefield Earth went wrong. For those interested in the industry (and for those like myself who cover it), The Business also features a short “Hollywood news banter” at the top of the show, which is a really good way to stay on top of the latest developments. At a scant 30 minutes long, you have to search hard to find a good reason NOT to listen to The Business. [iTunes] [Website]

On The Media – This is less a podcast about the stuff the media covers, and more a podcast about how the media covers it. For a news junkie like me, it’s a goldmine of interesting factoids and fascinating reflections on the nature and the state of journalism in the U.S. and around the world. Recent episodes have included coverage of the history of the term “baby-killer” and how Google plans on creating a universal translator. Fascinating stuff. [iTunes] [Website]

Battleship Pretension – Each week, the Battleship Pretension podcast chooses a theme and tries to explore it to its logical conclusion, often with a fascinating and/or humorous guest. Tyler Smith and David Bax, two film school graduates, aren’t necessarily the most dynamic podcast personalities out there, but what this podcasts lacks in bombast, it makes up for in intelligent discussion. Both hosts are incredibly articulate and careful in their locution, in a way that people who listen to my inane ramblings will probably find refreshing. But more than any of that, sometimes it’s just fun to hear people who are good friends banter back and forth about random topics in a way that is not obnoxious. Also, I find both of their voices incredibly soothing. I think you will too. [iTunes] [Website]

Thanks for reading! Feel free to check out my two podcasts: The /Filmcast and The Tobolowsky Files

The Naturalization Oath Ceremony, and What It Means To Be a U.S. Citizen

I am now inside an auditorium with hundreds (thousands?) of people waiting to be sworn in

This morning at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Lowell, Massachusetts, I underwent the Naturalization Oath Ceremony and, along with 900 other individuals, became a U.S. citizen. I anticipated that it would be more of a chore than a thrill. But as the day went on, I realized that there was something beautiful and special about being able to go through this process, and I left with a greater appreciation of (what I’m now proud to call) my country.

I arrived promptly at 11 AM as I was instructed. I did not know that there would already be hundreds of people waiting to get inside.

The line of people waiting to become american citizens today

Rapidly approaching the door. What indoctrination/brainwashing procedure lies within?

After we were ushered inside, our names were checked off a list and government officials confiscated our Permanent Resident cards (or “green cards”) and discarded them into a cardboard box. Kind of incredible to see so many permanent resident cards in one place [I was unable to take a photograph of the box]. Every one was given a packet of various sundries, which featured a few instructional forms about administrative stuff like applying for a passport or knowing your labor rights as a U.S. citizen. We also got novelty flags, plus a “Citizen’s Almanac” and a copy of The Declaration of Independence.

Here is the American Citizen Welcome Pack, complete with novelty flag and "U.S. Citizen's Almanac"

Reading material for the wait until the Oath

Then we entered the auditorium, where we waited for everyone else to finish the check in process and awaited the presiding judge’s arrival.

Panorama: the view from my seat of the thousands of people about to get sworn in

While I was waiting, I interviewed a fellow Oath-taker, Gustavo:

After awhile, the presiding judge entered. The standard legal invocations were delivered, but then we got to the oath almost straight away. Here’s video of all 900 people taking the Oath:

Afterwards, the judge gave us a heartwarming speech about how presiding over these ceremonies is one of the greatest joys of his career. These ceremonies are his way of participating in America’s promise, of welcoming people into this glorious melting pot, and wishing them the best as we all work together to build a better country.

As a visual manifestation of how diverse the crowd was, the judge read off the names of all the different countries that were represented, asking people to stand up when their country was read. Here is video of that. I can tell you that this grainy, pixelated video comes nowhere close to capturing the awe of this moment:

To close off the legal proceedings, a local fifth grader led us in our “first act as U.S. citizens,” reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the gigantic flag on the stage.

The judge and everyone else on the stage filed out. Then came the long and laborious process of distributing naturalization certificates to each of the 900 individuals. Rows were called individually, and I was one of the last ones seated, making me one of the last ones to get my certificate (well over 30-40 minutes. I didn’t mind. I’ve been waiting for over 20 years for this day). The naturalization certificate is proof that you have actually become a citizen. Obtaining it is basically the whole reason all of us went through this process. It allows us to get passports and expedites other activities required of citizens.

Seeing all the naturalization certificates laid out on tables was awe-inspiring. So much promise contained within these certificates, and so many futures that would be inexorably shaped by them. The table was fate. The table was life.

The table of certificates is actually awe-inspiring. So many futures lying on one surface.

Filing out of the hall, the mood was jubilant everywhere. People hugged their loved ones. Families took countless photos. As I wrote on my Twitter account, it was like leaving a wedding, except 900 people got married…to the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Truly a special day that I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Here’s me outside the hall with my naturalization certificate:

Me outside the courthouse with my naturalization certificate. It's a beautiful day.

***

Today, I am a citizen of the United States of America.

It’s strange for me to say this. I’ve lived in this country for upwards of two decades as a non-citizen. Yet I have gotten my driver’s license here, spoken English since birth, paid my taxes every year. For the past five years I’ve been a Permanent Resident, eagerly awaiting the requisite time period (5 years) to apply for citizenship. And now that the moment has finally come, the one thing I can safely say I feel is “relief,” an emotion I’m sure is shared by hundreds of the others who joined me in taking the Oath today.

Some people have asked me what it means to be a U.S. Citizen, have wondered what’s different in my life now. I don’t think there’s any real way to convey the advantages of being a citizen without talking about what it’s like to live in the U.S. without citizenship. I’m guessing many of you reading this probably don’t think too often about the fact that you are U.S. citizens. And why would you?

There are many words that I think sum up what citizenship means to a former non-citizen, but the ones I keep returning to are Opportunity and Freedom. What do I mean by those words?

Opportunity means never having to worry about how your job is going to pay you, and never being deprived of your hard-earned pay because you didn’t have the right government forms. It means never having to get paid “under the table” (unless you want to). It means never needing to worry about being “eligible” for financial aid, when you apply to college or graduate school. Perhaps, more importantly, Opportunity is having the option to vote in local and national elections, to engage in our collective polity, and to do your part to shape our country and the world. It is the chance to make a difference, to take control, to take ownership of your fate, and the fate of the place that you live. It is self-determination in its purest form.

Freedom is the ability to leave the United States without having any fear of not being able to get back in. It means escaping the fate of my father, whose freshly expired visa prevented him from going back home when his father died in Taiwan many years ago. It means never having to give up amazing, incredible opportunities abroad due to complications with your immigrant status. It means being able to settle down here, to live here, to have a home here, without worrying that one day you’ll be asked to leave this place you have contributed so much to. In the end, freedom is, perhaps counter-intuitively, a sense of permanence.

These things that have come second nature to the millions of people who are born here have been unbelievably difficult struggles of blood, sweat, and tears for myself and many of the 900 people that were sworn in today. We have waited endlessly in towering, stuffy government buildings to endure never-ending interviews. We have waded through hundreds of pages of complex government forms. We have been fingerprinted countless times. We have spent thousands of dollars on lawyers and on processing fees to have a chance at enjoying the fruits of American citizenship.

Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty.” So I say again:

Today, I am a citizen of the United States of America.

And it means everything.

Brief, Rambling Thoughts on Christopher Smith’s Triangle

[The following contains SPOILERS for Christopher Smith’s Triangle.]

Christopher Smith’s Triangle just hit DVD/Blu-Ray and Netflix Watch Instantly in the U.S. I first heard about the film on my own podcast, as my co-host Adam Quigley suggested it’d be a good watch for people who enjoy twisty, time-travel flicks. Eight viewings later and I still can’t get this film out of my head.

A lot of that is due to Melissa George’s amazing performance. I’m also in love with the chilling score by Christian Henson and Dot Allison. Other things I really like about the movie:

The use of perspective – The cinematography by Robert Humphreys (dominated by handheld) is brilliant. We’re constantly questioning whether what we’re looking at is a first-person perspective from Jess’s point of view, or just an omniscient third-person perspective. It’s a subtle effect, but it is extremely unsettling.
The most shocking kill of the year – When Melissa George smashes her own face in…that was brutal.
The greatest headfake ever – The film starts out like a generic horror film, only 20 minutes in, all but one of the characters is killed in a brutal massacre. I did not see that coming.
The entire concept of leaving remnants of your former self behind – There’s a scene when Sally, having been stabbed by Mean Jess, stumbles onto the deck of the ship only to find dozens of dead bodies of HERSELF. The scene is shot brilliantly, and its only shortcoming is the fact that Sally doesn’t appear completely shocked and mind-blown at the dozens of corpses…OF HERSELF. LYING NEXT TO HER. DEAD. OF HERSELF.

Right after I saw the film, I called up Adam Quigley to discuss the film, and recorded our conversation. You can download it (Right-click and “Save As”) or play it in your browser below:

Since this conversation, I’ve had a lot more time to think and read about the film, and feel differently about it now. As “The Dude” once said, “New information has come to light, man.” One thing that /Filmcast listener Jim pointed out to me was the following:

I only caught a brief portion of Adam and Dave’s informal discussion about the movie ‘Triangle’ and I just wanted to see what your thought about the metaphysical aspects of the film. In short, I came into the discussion at about the point where Dave was saying something to the effect of how he preferred if the movie was more of a literal time traveling narrative while Adam was ok with the concept that the movie had more of a supernatural reasoning about the time manipulation. I, personally, found the supernatural clues in the movie more compelling and the notion that the main character’s journey in the movie was punishment or a purgatory.

The main thing I liked was that in the explanation of why Sisyphus was condemned to roll a rock up a hill was that ‘he made a promise to Death that he didn’t keep’. At the end of the movie *SPOILERS* after the car crash when the main character is shone walking around in a fugue state, a cab driver picks up the main character and she asks him to take her to the harbor starting the individual time loop over again. When she gets there, the driver says ‘he’ll keep the meter running’ and asks the question,’you will come back won’t you?” to which the main responses,’yes I promise’. I’ve always taken this to mean that the cabbie was Death (or Charon, the ferryman of the Dead) and that the main character has promised that she’ll be back. Since she breaks this promise by going on the boat, she’s forced to re-live a set of time loops until eventually she lives up to her promise to come back to the cab and the afterlife instead of agreeing to go on the boat and life the time loop filled half life she current inhabits.

This is a brilliant explanation that adds so much to the film for me. I’m only angry because I feel I’m a complete moron for having missed it earlier! Of course! Jess breaks the promise to the ferryman and that’s what completely screws her over. It puts the entire film in a whole new context.

In addition the Wikipedia entry on the film lays out the following explanation:

There are two distinct phases to the total cycle denoted by A and B. Events happening in these phases are similar but not identical. By having an A and B phase the audience is fooled into thinking that Jess is altering the cycle when in fact she is simply playing her proper role in the alternate phase. In each phase there are three versions of Jess denoted by 1, 2 and 3. The phase alternates between A and B each time all the minor characters are killed and the tertiary Jess character is thrown overboard. The surviving two Jess characters advance from primary to secondary and secondary to tertiary, respectively and a new primary Jess character boards the ship.

A phase: (Film focuses on A1-Jess)

Once the group is on the Aeolus they read about the story of Sisyphus at which point A2-Jess drops her keys and the keys are found by the group. The entire group enters the ballroom of the ship where A1-Jess catches a glimpse of A2-Jess. Victor runs after A2-Jess and ends up outside where he is confronted by A2-Jess. A2-Jess accidentally fatally injures Victor. A3-Jess has her character shift and becomes the masked killer.

Gregg and Jess walk away from Sally and Downey and discover the note written in Downey’s blood to go to the theatre. A1-Jess walks away from Gregg and heads for the ballroom.

Sally and Downy are told to go to the theatre by A3-Jess. On their way they see blood trails from where A3-Jess dragged Greg’s body out of the theatre. A1-Jess kills Victor in the ballroom after he attacks her. We are tricked into thinking A1-Jess then runs to the theatre but in fact A2-Jess shows up in the theatre. This is because after escaping the theatre unharmed this Jess obtains a knife. This knife is used by tertiary Jess in the next cycle to attack Sally and Downy in the bedroom.

A3-Jess kills Gregg, Sally and Downey in the theatre while A2-Jess flees the theatre and gets the knife. A2-Jess, with the knife, is on the top deck of the ship and is heard running by A1-Jess who is immediately attacked by A3-Jess. A2-Jess has no further role in the A cycle. A1-Jess eventually wins the struggle and throws A3-Jess overboard. The cycle is complete. A1-Jess becomes B2-Jess. A2-Jess becomes B3-Jess.

B phase: (Film focuses on B2-Jess)

B2-Jess resets the skipping record and then sees the new group about to board the Aeolus. In the hallway she drops her keys for the new primary group to hear and runs into the bedroom to see the note to go to the theatre written in Downey’s blood. Downey was killed in the theatre in the preceding A phase so this note was made using Downey’s blood from the B phase that preceded this B phase.

B2-Jess fatally injures Victor on the deck then goes below deck, scribbles another note “If they board kill them all”, takes a shotgun and loses her locket down the grate. This scene shows the audience that Jess cannot alter the total cycle and is in fact playing her proper role in the B phase of the total cycle.

B2-Jess prevents B1-Jess from killing Victor in the ballroom. B2-Jess then saves Downey and Sally from being killed in the theatre where Gregg is killed. B3-Jess is grazed in the head by B2-Jess.

B2-Jess gives Downey the shotgun and goes to look for Victor. She returns to the ballroom where his body has been thrown overboard.

B3-Jess tricks Sally and Downey into following her into a bedroom where she attacks them using the knife she obtained as A2-Jess. Sally escapes with a fatal wound to her chest while Downey is killed.

B2-Jess searches for Sally who makes the distressed call to the next primary group. She finds Sally amongst a pile of dead Sallies and gives her the brown jacket.

B3-Jess finds B1-Jess and is thrown overboard after a struggle. When Sally dies the cycle resets. B1-Jess becomes A2-Jess. B2-Jess becomes A3-Jess.

A phase: (Film focuses on A3-Jess)

A3-Jess has a character shift when she realizes that she must kill everyone in order to save them. She goes below deck and writes “Go to the theatre” in Downey’s blood before dragging his body out of the bedroom and throwing him overboard. Next A3-Jess drags Gregg out of the theatre. Victor’s body has already been disposed of.

A3-Jess tells Sally and Downey to go to the theatre then leaves to get another shotgun and become the masked killer.

When Gregg offends A1-Jess she leaves him alone and A3-Jess confronts him in a balcony above the theatre where Sally and Downey are waiting. A3-Jess kills Gregg, Sally and Downey in the theatre. A2-Jess flees the theatre and gets the knife which she will use as B3-Jess.

A2-Jess is on the top deck of the ship with the knife and is heard running by A1-Jess who is immediately attacked by A3-Jess. A2-Jess has no further role in the A cycle. A1-Jess drops down one level and grabs an axe. A1-Jess attempts to distract A3-Jess by throwing an object. A3-Jess remembers having done this when she played the part of A1-Jess and cuts her off. A3-Jess ultimately loses the struggle and is thrown overboard where she washes up on shore.

Jess goes home and we find out that the real Jess is abusive towards her son. The real Jess is killed by Sisyphus-Jess. In an attempt to escape the loop she puts the body in her car, takes her son and flees. She hits a seagull and throws its body onto a pile of dead seagulls. She gets back into her car and is involved in a head on collision with a truck. She escapes ‘unharmed’ and is greeted by a taxi driver. Sisyphus-Jess is in fact already dead and the entire film has taken place inside her constructed punishment.

It is likely that the loop started when real Jess, distracted because she was abusing her son, died in the head on collision along with her son. After dying, real Jess becomes Sisyphus-Jess. The cab driver, playing the role of Hermes, escorts her to the harbor where she will join the next primary group about to board Aeolus.

I’ve gone through this explanation (SLOWLY) a few times and I’m not entirely sure that the notations are consistent. But it at least seems as though there’s one plausible explanation in which this film could make sense. What do you think?

The Pleasures and Pains of Film Journalism: Deconstructing the Press Tour

The press tent outside the screening room at Sundance 2010. Photo by me.

Professionally, what I fear the most and what I struggle desperately to avoid is mediocrity.

I’ve recently been thinking a great deal about the work I do at /Film. It’s been interesting to see the deluge of film enthusiast sites that have sprouted up in the past decade or two, and how that’s affected the film journalism industry. For many people, sites like ours have begun to supplant the work done by the trades, such as Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, which traffic in both film news and film criticism. While these trades used to be monoliths, they have been overrun by the democratization of the internet, a glut of writers who have the passion and capacity to write about movies for free. Yet despite our differences, together, we try to bring interesting news and content to the masses.

A lot of this coverage takes place when new films come out, and directors and actors are sent around the country to participate in interviews that promote the film. It’s a win-win; the studio gets the word out about the movie, the website/publication gets some theoretically exclusive content that no one else will have.

Perhaps no one has deconstructed this process better than director Jason Reitman. Reitman was recently out promoting his excellent, Academy Award-nominated film Up in the Air. He also decided to document the entire thing, and produced two illustrative pieces of content: A short-film called “Lost in the Air: The Jason Reitman Press Tour Simultaor” and a pie chart detailing all of the questions he’s been asked:

Reitman’s “Press Tour Simulator” is a mesmerizing assemblage of photos and videos that he took of the 300+ interviews he endured promoting Up in the Air:

I can’t speak to Reitman’s intention or attitude in creating the pie chart and the video, but I can describe my own reactions to it. The overriding feeling that emerges for me is a stultifying and crippling degree of sameness and monotony. When Reitman joined /Film for a length, in-depth, rambling, and hilarious discussion, it was after he had gone on tour, and we even spoke about how giving an interview for one’s film, after awhile, becomes its own kind of performance.

In response to the above video, one of my favorite film people, Alison Willmore from IFC, tweeted that the video demonstrates “It’s depressing from the other side too.” People might think that meeting Jason Reitman in person might be a thrill — and they’d be right — but for many (albeit not all) of those who have been covering the industry for years and decades, the celebrity meeting lost its luster long ago. After watching the video, I had a quasi-existential crisis. “What’s the point of all this?” I asked. “What’s the point if/when this publicity process is a chore for both parties? Is it ever worth it?”

Insofar as films and the process by which they’re made, can provide us insight into ourselves and into our culture, I think it can be.

After my first post about whether or not film criticism is a dying art, a relatively well-known online film critic spoke to me about his own thoughts on the state of the industry. He explained to me that old media actually had some virtues, including editorial oversight. If you wrote about film (or anything else), your words were read over, edited, and critiqued by people who probably knew more about it than you, before they were ready to be printed. With the development of blogging platforms such as WordPress and Blogger, anyone with a computer and some spare time can be read by thousands almost instantly. The need to be good at writing, to be knowledgeable about one’s topic, went away. It was replaced with the need for business savvy, web-savvy, and lots of time and commitment. In this environment, is there any hope for uniqueness, for excellence?

The biggest challenge that I face is to try to conduct these interviews and write this coverage in such a way that provides insight or that spurs meaningful thought in my readers/listeners. It’s difficult when there are hundreds/thousands of other people out there who are covering the exact same topic as you are. But excellence frequently requires reinvention, self-reflection, self-criticism, and a strong distaste for being pleased with oneself. I’m grateful to have a platform through which high-quality content is even possible, as not everyone has that privilege and opportunity. But can I use that platform in a way that maximizes the quality of the content? Only my audience can decide whether or not I have succeeded.

May we all strive to be better than we were yesterday. It’s what keeps me up at night, what gets me up in the morning, and what will keep me going through the end of this journey, whenever and wherever that my be.

This article is the second part of a series. Here’s part one.