Elvis Mitchell

My favorite guilty pleasure: The Treatment hosted by Elvis Mitchell

Jay-Z by Elvis Mitchell (Interview Magazine 01/2010)

I always admired Elvis since the first day I locked eyes with him. It was my first time during the QT (Quentin Tarantino) Fest in Austin, Texas and Elvis was holding a cigar. I was invited by QT and it was an unusual experience. This was in 2006. I never thought I would get back in touch with Elvis again but as fate would have it, I did, by pure accident. I asked a few friends for Mr. Mitchell's number but everyone acted like a damn deaf mute. I started to surf the information highway for an email address to no avail... than I started to dig in a little box of old phones. I used to have a phone for every city I lived in. Well, I still have a French phone. Finally, I found an old phone with a number. I texted it and prayed he would text back. He did but after a few hours. I was so relieved. Elvis proceeded to tell me about a lady friend of his and the story involved me, it made me laugh so hard. During my time in New York, I did spend some time with him this week. It was a pleasant surprise. It wasn't a good week for me in New York but seeing him was a sight for sore eyes. I asked him to interview me for this French television show that will premiere at an art show in Italy. I wanted him to meet me early to prep him and to catch up with him but there wasn't time for that. I felt really uneasy about it all. It was a short ten minute interview. During the interview I realized how much I hated interviews, especially interviews for television. I just hope it turns out okay. I don't like being asked questions about movies or life. HA! I think I would have preferred to have just hung out with Elvis alone than do that interview. But at least I picked someone who was a professional because really, I'm an interview virgin. He broke me in. (HA!)

I had turned down interviews in the past. I was pretty well known in Europe when I was younger so I'd turned down many interviews... mainly because there was one interview I did do for Spanish television that made me so irate that I vowed never to get interviewed again. The Spanish interviewer assumed I wasn't intelligent and proceeded to ask me racist, sexist, and anti-American questions. He didn't understand me at all and refused to. I later was in a restaurant in Spain ordering food and I saw the same famous tv interviewer tapping me on the shoulder telling me that I gave a great interview. Uh... I just didn't like his style of interrogation. It was tactless and mainly in part because he didn't do his homework on me. Isn't that his job? He shall remain nameless for the sake of his pride. (HA!) Oh! Maybe my feelings on this topic bleeds into print... There was a writer at a New York Newspaper that will also remain nameless, that interviewed me and her ignorance shocked me. I didn't know that particular magazine could have such ignorant racist people working for them... She berated me about my work and I intelligently asked her if she had seen any of it or read any of my work... she flatly said, "No." HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just don't understand the point of being interviewed by people who don't do their homework or who clearly don't have love for the art of conversation...

I don't really see the need for interviews to be honest. I just want to do my work and go home. Interviews and press don't really do anything except bring exposure to people selling a project. I'm not quite so sure that the interview Elvis and I did will give you a better impression of who I am... I think I was truly caught off guard with the whole "conversation" and "rhythm".

Actually, there was a list of people for me to choose from. Ingrid Sischy, Bethann Hardison, Yoko Ono, Woody Allen, Bruce Weber... but for some reason, I thought it would be good to have Elvis involved. I didn't want a film director to interview me because I've worked with most of them and I wanted someone whom I hadn't worked with before.... (just a coincidence that Elvis and I never encountered each other in this way before)

Here are some videos for your viewing pleasure. Hit my up on twitter or on this blog and tell me what you think.

PS. I'll let ya'll know when the little interview of us comes out but if I don't like it, I'll just keep it to myself. HA!

Another Elvis Mitchell Link



A special message from Sarah Spitz below:

Tiffany: Now that you are such a fan of Elvis', maybe your fans and readers would like to know that he hosts "The Treatment" a radio show, podcast and on-demand program on public radio station KCRW-Santa Monica 89.9FM and www.kcrw.com/thetreatment

Thanks!
-Sarah Spitz (KCRW)

Elvis Mitchell and Paul Gondry walking down St. Mark's... photo by me and my ancient camera phone. 4/1/2010

Paul GONDRY!

Paul's design! (He said he would design some shoes for Elvis. HA! LMAO!)

The T in ME! HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Quentin, Is that you?????????????

An ‘Inglourious’ party with Quentin Tarantino and his stars

Only in Hollywood

By Ruben V. Nepales
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 23:28:00 12/04/2009

Filed Under: Cinema

LOS ANGELES—Eli Roth, who plays “The Bear Jew” in Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds,” was scheduled to attend and represent the film in the Cinemanila International Film Festival last October, but canceled when storm Ondoy hit the country.

“Tease the hell out of Eli,” a grinning Tarantino told us at the DVD release party of “Inglourious Basterds” last Tuesday evening at the Holmby Hills house of Lawrence Bender, who produced virtually all of the filmmaker’s movies, from “Reservoir Dogs” and “Pulp Fiction” to “Inglourious…” Eli was somewhere in Lawrence’s backyard, which was jammed with popular faces.

Quentin, a great raconteur who tells stories as good as he shows them on film, added, “I asked Eli, ‘Are you scared of a little rain?’” We know that the director braved “a little rain” in Manila in 2007, when flooded streets forced him and his companion, Cinemanila founding festival director, Tikoy Aguiluz, to take a pedicab to Malacañang. He made it in time to change from his wet sandals to formal shoes before he accepted a Cinemanila Lifetime Achievement Award from President Macapagal-Arroyo.

We asked Quentin if we’ll get to hear in the “Inglourious” DVD a line with the words, “Tagalog” and “Filipino,” that was in his original script (but wasn’t in the film’s theatrical version). The director, who was holding court among several guests, including our friends, Fil-Am Alan del Rosario (an “Oscars Designer Challenge” finalist) and actor Josh Winot, said no, because he did away with that line during the filming. Our Italian colleague got curious about the Tagalog mention and asked Quentin to elaborate. With a smile, he gamely obliged and proceeded to explain that the line would have been spoken by Nazi Colonel Landa (Christoph Waltz, in a performance that makes him the leading Best Supporting Actor contender in the current awards season) as he interrogated the captured Lieutenant Aldo (Brad Pitt), a Nazi hunter.

Enthusiasm

Quentin has already elaborated on that line in our previous interview, but we enjoyed listening to him again, because he told the story with the same enthusiasm. What we also find fascinating was that he remembered the exact dialogue and recited it, after setting up the scene in which Lieutenant Aldo, an American, gave himself away when he tried to pass himself off as an Italian:

“Colonel Landa: Italian? Really? What could you have possibly been thinking?

Lieutenant Aldo: Well, I speak a little Italian…

Colonel Landa: I speak a little Tagalog, but I wouldn’t begin to presume I could pass for Filipino.”

Quentin’s audience at the party especially enjoyed the story because of the way he relished narrating it. Told that moviegoers shouldn’t have to wait for a long time again before they get to see another Tarantino film, he said that he was going to do a new film soon, before he shoots “Kill Bill, Vol. 3.”

Aside from Quentin, easily among the most popular in the crowd of notables was Sacha Baron Cohen, who came with his fiancée, Isla Fisher. We all laughed when Sacha bumped into our male colleague, who was the lucky recipient of a lap dance by the actor, in character as the flamboyant Austrian fashion journalist, Bruno, during an interview. As himself at the bash, wearing a cap over his curly hair, Sacha engaged in amusing banter with our friend, who’ll probably remember and chuckle over the lap dance for the rest of his life.

Sacha revealed to us that when he filmed those naughty “Bruno” scenes with Fil-Am actor, Clifford Bañagale, who plays Diesel, his lover, there was a little “accident”: Sacha inadvertently inserted something somewhere, but Clifford, a trouper even though he was experiencing discomfort, finished the scenes.

The “Borat” actor warmed up to the idea of a film tapping one of his funny guises, Ali G, a British wannabe gangsta rapper. He said Olive, his daughter with Isla, the “Confessions of a Shopaholic” star who has a busy career of her own, is now 2. Isla said she has just finished filming “Rango,” her movie with Johnny Depp.

Spoof

Later, we saw Sacha and Judd Apatow chatting. The two have worked together in “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.” Judd will reportedly produce a Sherlock Holmes spoof, with Sacha as the famous detective and Will Ferrell as Watson.

We came face to face with Quentin’s Colonel Landa, Christoph himself, who is simply brilliant in “Inglourious.” Pointing at his beard, he said he grew the facial hair to play the villain in “The Green Hornet.” Christoph is fluent in “three and a half languages” (his words)—German, French, English and some Italian—which, coupled with his acting talent, made him perfect for Colonel Landa. Quentin was reportedly ready to shelve “Inglourious” because they couldn’t find the right actor to play the Nazi officer—until Christoph came to audition.

The tented yard was teeming with directors: Ridley Scott got us excited about his “Robin Hood,” with Russell Crowe in the title role and Cate Blanchett as Maid Marian. Ron Howard said he was taking a break during the holidays. Michael Bay disclosed that it’s all systems go for the filming of “Transformers 3” next year, with Shia LaBeouf and, yes, the controversial Megan Fox, who uttered some headline-grabbing quotes about the director when “Transformers 2” was released.

Speaking of directors, Josh Brolin happily reported to us that he made it possible for Woody Allen and the Coen brothers, Ethan and Joel, to finally meet, sit down and converse. The Coens, taciturn at interviews, were talkative in their meeting with Woody, according to Josh. “They’re talkative in real life,” Josh said of the siblings who directed him to acclaim in “No Country for Old Men.”

Josh finished filming Woody’s “You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger.” We shared a laugh recounting how Woody, who likes to shoot in overcast weather, had to resort to fake rain in, of all places, London. “That was surreal, wasn’t it?” Josh described the day we visited the set in Notting Hill as he shot a scene with Freida Pinto (“Slumdog Millionaire”). It was a beautiful sunny day, but Woody wanted a rainy look, so a crane dropped lots of fake raindrops outside a restaurant where Josh and Freida did a scene.
Josh’s wife, Diane Lane, reported that she’s filming “Secretariat.” Also at the party was Elliott Gould, the ex-husband of Josh’s stepmom, Barbra Streisand.

Another Diane—Kruger—said that she plays an illegal immigrant from Serbia in “Unknown White Male,” so she’s busy learning how to speak with a Serbian accent. Liam Neeson and January Jones (“Mad Men”) are her costars.

Another classic beauty, Jacqueline Bisset, reminisced about “The Deep,” her horror-thriller film set in Bermuda waters. She talked about how, after filming that movie, she stayed away from the water for a long time.

Heart and soul

Other guests included Chanel-clad Melanie Laurent, who is the heart and soul of “Inglourious”—she was excited about recently buying a house in France; Sharon Stone; the legendary music producer
and composer, Quincy Jones, conversing with Fil-Am actress and producer, Cassandra Gava; Richard Chamberlain; Vincent Price; Jonah Hill and Don Rickles.

When we finally bumped into Eli, who’s also a director, we ribbed him about backing out of the Cinemanila film fest. He said he hoped the Philippines is coping after Ondoy.

Tiffany Limos and Quentin Tarantino

After the Cannes film festival I went back to visit in Texas. (And I did go to the premiere of Inglorious Basterds there. If you read below at my other blog entries you'll find the CANNES blog.) Then I went to Los Angeles to visit with Vincent Gallo and Francis Ford Coppola for the premiere of Tetro. Vincent called me while he was on a road trip in Texas and I was about to meet up with him but I just couldn't, I had too much work to do. And we missed each other in Cannes so ... he suggested that I come to the premiere of Tetro. It was fun. I saw Andrew Durham and Sofia Coppola. I also saw Melodie McDaniel! I hadn't seen Francis Ford Coppola for a while so it was great to be reunited with everyone. Vincent was such a lady killer... it was hard to talk to him afterwards... Then the following day I had to meet with Spike Lee at the Mondrian... then I had to meet with Tarantino to talk about this project we are doing in the Philippines. But guess what? The car broke down and I was having such a hard time with the rental. I took a picture of the car so they'd believe me because I as also supposed to meet Vincent that weekend! So Spike I'd see another time but man I had to talk to Tarantino about this project. Hmmm, so my friend Aleta and her boyfriend Russell gave me a ride. HA!!!! Uh, but for some reason Q is not opening the gate! And I am like man this dude!!!! Then I was like whatever, lets go grab something to eat, then I get a phone call and I'm like yo!!!! and Quentin is like I'm sorry I was doing an interview with GQ and I told them to tell me when it was 9pm and they fucked up! They fucked up! And all I could think of was YEAH RIGHT in my mind! After all the drama I had been through earlier in the day. I figured it was a good excuse or lie. So we turned around and I met up with my buddy. But I was checking out the news for Inglorious Basterds and I found this GQ article and he WAS NOT LYING and I was laughing so hard reading it. I thought I would share.
Quentin Tarantino's GQ article and excuse for not meeting me on time! HA!!!

Tiffany's Day in Venice...

Q and I went to a 50's restaurant for lunch. It was fantastic! I loved the posters on the walls. He told me about the old theater in Venice where he first became a fan of Godard.

Than he drove me to meet Asa aka "Leopard Lady"!

Asa and I later walked around Venice and enjoyed the day.

Later watched Asia Argento's Scarlet Diva. I hadn't seen it since it first came out and I really liked it alot this time around.

Now we are just watching Bully and working.

Pics from Cannes, France from Myta Santiago! Maraming Salamat MYTA! MYTA RULES!

As you know, I lost my camera but Myta Santiago managed to send me these pics!
Thank you so much Myta!
It was great talking to you last night! (wink-wink) (LMAO!)

With Sid Lucero, Manet, Digna Santiago at the Independencia Premiere (Dir. Raya Martin)


Me, Digna, and Manet!


Digna and I at Cafe 72 across from Hotel Martinez and the beach!


At the Hotel Martinez with Digna Santiago! Great View!


Manet took this photo of me at The Inglorious Basterds Premiere!


Me looking frazzled and half-baked after going through security and walking down that long red carpet. Mayhem!

Tarantino Can CANNES

I was inside the Palace watching this from the screen. Words can't describe how insane this premiere was. I took some footage of it when QT entered the building with his cast but somehow I left my camera in Cannes. I'll never forget this premiere.

Tiffany Limos Cannes

Jesus Christ! I am in London right now for the day than I am headed back!

I just came from Cannes and I was staying at the Martinez Hotel because of my friend Gregory Bernard. It was an amazing experience!

I went to Pedro Almodovar's premiere with Paulo Branco.

Than the next day I went to Quentin Tarantino's premiere! Uh... I have been places with Quentin but this has to take the cake. Quentin Tarantino plus Brangelina equals utter mayhem. There were thousands of people lining the streets, top security, and every star you can imagine globally attending his screening. Quentin danced on the red carpet, he was hyped. I can't put into words what his premiere was like, it was just unbelieveable.

I enjoyed the beach and the parties.
I even went on a boat. But I am really not the partying type unless I am with my childhood or old school friends.

I did see Paul Sevigny and he was a sight for sore eyes! I missed that dude!
We laughed and hugged and just had a merry ole time at Andre Saraiva's 314 Le Baron club at Cannes.

Oh before the screenings I was walking around the Carlton Hotel and I ran into Quentin and Pedro having a chat. I was there to meet Quentin and we hadn't chatted in a while so it was soooo much fun!

The Filipinos were in town and they stormed Cannes with four films, I think one was a short film. Many congrats to them.

It was Olivier Pere's last year at the Fort Night so he was probably the main reason why I went to Cannes despite all the glitz and glamour surrounding me.

Oh, I walked into the Martinez Hotel yesterday and Zoe Saldana was standing there and she is an old friend of mine and she was so shocked to see me there. We didn't have time to talk about Star Trek!!! because she was being rushed off and I was there to meet a producer.

I also saw just tons of people... tons of friends... it was so much fun.

The only thing that I didn't like was that I lost my camera with some precious photos inside. Other than that, I guess it was meant to be because that was the least of my problems.

I just thanked God and I thank God for being alive and giving me those experiences.

I don't know what else to say, I have not been on the computer for a bit.

How was your week?

I am about to have some English tea!

Best,
Tiffany Limos

Happy Birthday Quentin Tarantino! (and Fergie and Mariah Carey... damn those ARIES!) + Jason Matthews

I received an IM from Jason Matthews at TheJay.com to tell QT Happy Birthday.

All I could think of was... Oh SHIT! I forgot.

(You might remember the hilarious skit that Mr. Matthews wrote about Quentin and I coming back from the Philippines in 2007... I even called Larry Clark and told him about it and we read it, laughed so hard until we teared and almost choked! I emailed Jason and he never got back to me and than I myspaced him... than I got the feeling that he thought I was going to kill him or curse him out... better yet, throw down a law suit! But no, I emailed him and told him that it was the best piece on the flight yet! So many people had written about it and it was all over the Tarantino blogs, it was on the cover of the New York paper, the Australian paper, it was on the cover of the Asian newspapers... so I had read it all... than when I read his piece, I was like man, this thing has gotten so out of control that people are writing skits on it! And Jason's wasn't the first one or the last one I read but his was sincerely the BEST! Even Larry Clark said it was the best and he rarely speaks on other artists. HA! Jason was so shocked that I loved the skit he wrote that he called his friends and even his dad and told them that I actually reached out to him about the piece. I eventually ended up getting on the phone with him and I think he still thought I was going to rip him 4 A-holes but I was so thrilled to hear the author's voice, I just started laughing and praising him. I told him I was shocked to read that someone nailed Quentin and I in a sarcastic fashion. What Jason wrote is exactly the stereotypical things people think about Quentin and I. I love the piece and I laugh every time I read it. ENJOY! *Get a tissue, you will need it.
Tarantino & Tiffany Limos skit!)

I am too overwhelmed in my own little world at this point to remember anything.
I called to wish him a swell (how old is he again?) birthday.

Happy Birthday My Filipino Brotha! (just kidding) *Inside joke.

Who cares about birthdays? I do.


2007 Malacanang Palace Philippines



Oh yeah, can't wait to see him at Cannes... and this film below!

The month of February... for me... (& memories!)

Has ushered in happiness disguised in sad tears.

My birthday was a true surprise this year. What happened to me, I never would have expected in a million years. HA! (As Andre 3000 would say.) I wasn't happy I will tell you that much but that situation did open a new door. Which was going to happen to me whether I wanted it to or not! Isn't that how life is sometimes?! Yeah.

I celebrated my 23rd birthday by moving to Los Angeles from New York, getting an apartment in Santa Monica and having Larry Clark shoot me for the cover of Rebel Magazine. A prestigious out of print magazine from France.

My 24th birthday was celebrated in Los Angeles. I remember being at the Standard Downtown... and than being in New York having dinner with Michel Gondry and Paul Gondry.

For my 25th birthday I was in Paris working with Michel on The Science of Sleep and we partied at Le Baron. Drinks on Agnes B. and everyone was there! Chloe Sevigny, Daft Punk, Elodie Bouchez, Pedro Winter, Gael Garcia Bernal, Gaspar Noe, my friend Gael Foucher, Michel Bernstein, Christophe Lemaire from Lacoste and Olivier Assayas met me the next day to take me to dinner for my birthday. Larry Clark and Spike Lee called to wish me well. It was a merry ole TIME! I rented The Dreamers by Bertolucci since Michel was letting me pick out something to rent since it was my birthday and he freaked out when I put the dvd in.... "Is this the kind of stuff you watch?!" He says that during the clip where Michael Pitt has Eva Green's photo on his penis! ha ha ha!!!!!!!! Unfortunately, I know Michael Pitt and I was there for his first audition for Larry Clark and when he got cast for the movie Bully so I was soooo not into that part but I still crack up thinking of Michel's reaction! ha ha ha.

My 26th birthday was great! I owe that to Sarajane Wilde, Dave Morrison, and Michel Gondry... and Sean Lennon.

I don't know who paid for the drinks and dinner at the Chateau Marmont but it was nice!!!!!!!!

I saw Andre 3000 for a coffee before-hand, he was off to get a massage. Fonzworth Bentley came with his two friends. I met this guy who was the lead singer to Autolux and I forget his name but he came. I met him at Meg from the White Stripes bday party. He was their opening act. Liv Tyler came with Victoria Clay and Tatiana Von Furstenberg and her husband. My assistant Nick Kerkhoff was there. Sean played on the piano and sang Benny and Jets and Money Mark played along. Scarlett Johansson was there in pajamas with Josh Hartnett... and I saw a girl I met from Sophia Rossi named Katherine there. Sam Spiegel was there and Steve Aoki came by to say hello. We were supposed to go to Cinespace afterwards but we all decided to go to Teddy's instead. I don't remember what happened after that though. I also remember laughing at Sean and telling him he was the funniest guy I know and he was like.. what about Fonzworth!? He has a lime green sweater on?!!!! ha ha ha ha

It was sort of surreal because I have one friend that is from Texas that is still alive that I talk to and she wasn't there. And I only have one neighborhood friend who is still alive that I talk to. Believe it or not, the rest are dead or in jail. Its sad. Its cool to have all these people at my birthday but its kind of weird since I did not grow up with them. But I guess I can't be complaining about my life.

When I turned 27... back track here... alright... when I was a kid my favorite director from the Philippines was Cirio H. Santiago, than it would be a tie between Eddie Romero and Lino Brocka. I realized that Cirio H. Santiago was one of Quentin Tarantino's favorite directors too! Quentin and I happen to be bosom buddies... and I heard from someone in New York that Cirio was in Los Angeles. I tracked him down like a bandit! I called Quentin squealing like a pig..... on his answering machine and what does he do? Calls me back squealing!!!!!!!!!!!! We both couldn't believe that THE Cirio H. Santiago was in LA! I arranged a meeting with him on MY birthday! Cirio wanted to meet at Nate-n-Al's! He told me it was an old Hollywood meeting place. I was the first to arrive and I was shaking all the way there. Ahhh lord... I was the only young person in the room... and it was so easy to spot him! And then a few moments later Quentin comes in with (I forget) something for Cirio to sign. Awe... I will never forget that birthday. Quentin was about to do press for his movie Death Proof and it was great that we got to meet our idol Cirio H. Santiago! Oh yeah, QT and TL's fav. Santiago flicks are The Muthers, Death Force, and Ebony, Ivory, and Jade!

When I turned 28, I was with my bestfriend Claudia Wu at the Coffee Shop in NY. I was a hostess there when I was a teenager, when I stopped modeling. The next day we met up with Andre 3000 at The Grammercy Hotel in some private area to celebrate. Than later we were joined by Damon Dash, Irina, Margarita Missoni, and Erin Fethersen... (not sure if these names are spelled right... I will check later.) That was fun because Andre never ever goes out and to see him was like seeing a fictional character come to life!

29.
The great age.
The last year I will be in my twenties!
I am going to live everyday like its my last.
I am going to just go for it. (So should you!)

I lost my wallet and you can't rent a car or stay at a nice hotel without a credit card! I had loads of cash on me but that didn't matter one bit. I didn't worry about it though but that sort of stressed me out. Mitchell Gutman and I had food and drinks at this Thai restaurant called Toi. I always wanted to go there because Quentin told me that he used to write in there for hours and I wanted to see what this place was all about. It lived up to its promise and I saw that the Pulp Fiction poster was strategically positioned next to a Godard poster of Anna Karina... I know why. Do you? I will post the photo I took of it on this blog later. Than I went to Hyde to meet up with Yacine. Than to the Chateau Marmont for the sake of it and old memories... and Yacine, Mitchell, Yorgan, and I had a really nice time. Yacine and Yorgan left. Mitchell and I went to some bar in Silverlake and it smelled like vomit! I don't know the name of the place. HA!
I put medicine on my face and it burned my skin! There were two burn marks on my face. And scar marks from when I was sick! That was not good. It should have been the Omen for the night. I got dressed in my vintage white embroidered mini dress and wore black wedges. I ate Thai food, went to Happy Endings (which I thought was like the New York version but its not, its more like a frat bar.), and than called it a night.
My life changed that night though for many reasons.
My last year of my twenties, nothing is going to get me down.
I love it!
I love life.
Yippie!

So that is what happened. I know I didn't write about my birthday but I have been traveling all over the world in a short span of time and I haven't been able to blog. Just dealing with alot of things too. Upset with alot of things too! But in the end, Happy.

So now. After the Grammys! I had to leave town. In LA they did have the Cirio H. Santiago Tribute at the New Beverly Cinema on the 10th! Man I was kicking myself for not attending that but Brian from the theater just emailed me and told me that they might have another one in a few months. Quentin and I will be attending that one for certain!

So what did you do for Valentine's Day?
I felt sleepy!
I had a great Valentines.

OH yeah! Me Magazine's newest issue is out now!
I will blog about that later.

Now I am tired of writing here.
Gotta go.
PEACE!

TL

Cirio H. Santiago Tribute (R.I.P.) Serge Gainsbourg Tribute

One of my childhood heroes was Cirio H. Santiago and I was blessed enough to meet him in 2007. I remember sitting infront of the television when I was a toddler and watching all his terrific B movies. I can't take all the credit, my father was his ultimate fan. (Thanks dad.)

Tonight in Los Angeles at the New Beverly, they are doing a tribute to Cirio H. Santiago. Quentin Tarantino lent them some of his priceless prints and they are screening them tonight. I will have to contact Brian at the theater to find out which films but if I am not mistaken, they will be showing THE MUTHERS and EBONY, IVORY, AND JADE. (Just tried to call the theater, he is not answering) I just figured that they'd be showing those two films because those are mine and QT's favorite Santiago flicks! (AND he owns the only prints available on the planet EARTH, AND I've seen these films at his personal theater with him at his home, in AUSTIN, TEXAS during the QT FILM FEST, and in the Philippines WITH Cirio H. Santiago present!!!!!) *** update! Brian just called me back and he said that the tribute will be moved to February 10th. Alot of special guests will be there and I will update you on that. AND they are going to show THE MUTHERS AND EBONY, IVORY, AND JADE... TOLD YOU SO! (wink) **** so stay tuned for the updates, thanks.

ALL HAIL THE PHILIPPINES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (only true b movie heads would get this and true cinema connoisseurs of international films. ie. tarantino and Gilles JACOB (The President of the Cannes Film Festival, whom by the way knows all of the classic and b films of the philippines! He was Lino Brocka's biggest fan.)

Speaking of Cirio H. Santiago, Vincent Sandoval contacted me about doing a tribute in June. Not sure if that will happen because I am too busy this year with prior commitments. But if it does, I will be helping to bring Eddie Romero and Quentin Tarantino to New York. We'll see... Cannes is in May and I know Quentin is bringing his film there and if he's doing press after that, I highly doubt there will be a little festival in New York. But Q and I do plan to do a tribute in the Philippines, not sure when though. I will keep you posted.

Today I feel great for some reason. The new year started off okay and this little cold (which I think had been lingering) crept up on me! Than it just took me over completely! I was in a state where I just didn't want to talk to anyone or be around anyone. I just dabbled on this blog, read Angela's Ashes, and worked on this project that Larry and I have been crafting. (for forever!) I read some of Diablo Cody's blogs and they made me laugh. She wrote one about the Sham-wow towels and it was genius. (I also read her book Candy Girl and that had me rolling on the floor too.)

Today feels like the greatest day in my life. I have finally been able to catch up with writing and that makes me feel like the wealthiest woman in the world. Claudia and I are working on Me Magazine and that is all caught up with. Thank goodness. I still have more to do but I am taking it one day at a time. Yesterday was a little stressful because I was plotting my year. The end of January to June is a hectic time for me every year. Birthday, Valentine's Day, Grammys, NY fashion week, Paris fashion week, SXSW, Cannes.

OH, my cousin Jean Grae is performing at The New Museum! Go and check it out. I was supposed to be in New York throwing her an after party at The Submercer but my plans changed.

SERGE GAINSBOURG TRIBUTE IN PARIS

Voila, Serge Gainsbourg. One of my favorites in the world. I am definitely going to this tribute. See you there! Who does not love him? If you don't know who he is than you must have been living under a large rock or don't have a penchant for anything French. Because if you did, you'd know who he was. Get it together!

This is bringing back memories. Man, its been since 2005.... I remember when I was in Paris and Michel Gondry and I were working on THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP. I was watching Gael Garcia Bernal in that little suit and admiring the details of the sets. I remember when Michel was casting the film and he mentioned Charlotte Gainsbourg and I thought, perfect! She was just perfect. That made me dust off every Gainsbourg item I had. Records, cd's dvd's, books, posters, you name it.

I can't wait to be back in France, eventhough I am there all of the time. I can't wait to see this tribute. Awe, makes me want to day dream.

(SNAP!)

Gotta go, gotta write.

TL

Ps. One of my friends just posted something new on his blog, he is going to be performing at the Serge Gainsbourg tribute as well. Check it out!

SEAN LENNON'S MYSPACE PAGE BLOG

Live your life.

Stephen King, one of my many influences

King has a very simple formula for learning to write well: "Read and write four to six hours a day. If you cannot find the time for that, you can't expect to become a good writer." He sets out each day with a quota of 2000 words and will not stop writing until it is met. He also has a simple definition for talent in writing: "If you wrote something for which someone sent you a check, if you cashed the check and it didn't bounce, and if you then paid the light bill with the money, I consider you talented."

When asked why he writes, King responds: "The answer to that is fairly simple–there was nothing else I was made to do. I was made to write stories and I love to write stories. That's why I do it. I really can't imagine doing anything else and I can't imagine not doing what I do."

More Stephen King

I have received other writing (career) advice from Spike Lee, Quentin Tarantino, Michel Gondry, Larry Clark, Wong Kar-Wai, Ang Lee, Sarah Driver, and my teachers at New York University. I am debating whether to publish them here or save it for later? Nah. We'll see. (if you really want to know, I will tell you)

I think I'd rather just sit with some old writer friends and discuss this topic until I come out with a little pamphlet of advice or just decide to write it on here. Its pretty interesting what people have had to say in the past about writing and their discipline with it. Very interesting and helpful.

I just can't remember the last time I sat down with them though... ie. Zadie Smith, Dave Eggers, Arthur Bradford, Emma Forrest, etc. Where are these guys? Tried getting in touch with them but seems like we are all growing up. I heard one got married, one had a baby, and one I just can't seem to get ahold of and I hope she is alive still!

Well that's my little two cents babble on writing for now.

Tarantino & Limos serve it like THE MUTHERS!

BLAST FROM THE PAST.... AUGUST 2007

Quentin and I did the whole Asian tour last year and it was pretty fun.
We met all of the icons we idolized when we were younger, mind you I had seen the same B movies he was watching when he was working at the videostore. Most of the B movies were shot in the Philippines, I will get into more of that later.
Prince Chatri from Thailand came to hang out with us for a little bit as well.
We met up with the President and had a great time.
I still have alot of photos to scan and put up from this time, I would like to share that experience. Its not everyday that you get to see something like this in the South Pacific.

Arrival in the Philippines: Tiffany Limos and Quentin Tarantino

Quentin Tarantino: I'm a big fan of RP movies

By SCOTT GARCEAU
The Philippine Star

It's been 15 years since Quentin Tarantino's first film, Reservoir Dogs, exploded onto screens at the Sundance Film Festival. And it's been 13 years since Pulp Fiction took the Palme d'Or at Cannes. So it may strike the 44-year-old filmmaker as a bit amusing that he's being given a Lifetime Achievement Award at this year's Cinemanila Festival. As much as he's drawn from Asian cinema — evident in the black-suited killers in Reservoir Dogs, the Samurai sword-wielding Bruce Willis in Pulp Fiction and the "Crazy 88" Yakuza in Kill Bill — he's also had a huge worldwide influence on a generation of young filmmakers — including Filipinos.

Tarantino found himself arriving at Centennial NAIA-2 Airport around 1 p.m. (arriving from Japan on time on a PAL flight, no less) and wandered his way through the arrival terminal, where he met with Cinemanila founder Tikoy Aguiluz and a few assistants. Tarantino looked every inch the Manila tourist — tall, laid-back, dressed in black T-shirt, black shorts and black sneakers, and donning black wraparound sunglasses. But he also looked like Quentin Tarantino, the quintessential film geek who grew up in Los Angeles in the 1960s, dropped out of school, took acting classes, found a job at Video Archives (a video rental place in Manhattan Beach), and proceeded to pen a pile of scripts that brought him immediate Hollywood attention, and finally his shot as a director.

Since then, Tarantino has dabbled in theater (appearing in Wait Until Dark on Broadway in 1998 to less-than-rave reviews), adapted an Elmore Leonard novel into a film (the underrated Jackie Brown), worked with director Robert Rodriguez on films like From Dusk Till Dawn, Sin City and the recent B-movie "double feature" Grindhouse. Kill Bill 1 and 2 meanwhile brought his pop-fueled consciousness to a new set of film viewers — those who might have missed out on Reservoir Dogs but who find a Japanese schoolgirl lethally wheeling around a mace to be the coolest eye candy around.

Tarantino walked through the sliding glass doors with light luggage and was immediately beset by dozens of questions from TV and The Philippine STAR, but he was friendly and effusive, granting quick-fire answers as he slowly inched his way toward a waiting car.

"I'll be staying through next weekend," he told one journalist. "I don't know my schedule, but I'll be seeing the different movies and films at the festival, and just hanging out and taking in Manila."

Is this your first time here in the Philippines?

Very first time, very first time. I've been wanting to come here since I was a kid. And now I'm finally here.

You get so many invites to so many film festivals around the world every year. Why did you choose this one?

Oh, I've always wanted to go to the Philippines. And also I've become friendly with Cirio H. Santiago, and knowing that Eddie Romero was going to be here, and we're going to be talking about Philippine cinema, which I've been a big fan of, it's going to be great.

What Philippine films have you enjoyed?

Oh, there's a lot of them I like. Cirio Santiago's The Mothers. I love Eddie Romero's war films, The Ravengers, Leyte Gulf, all right? Walls of Hell is terrific. I love the Blood Island movies with John Ashley. Bamboo Gods and Iron Men, that's a terrific movie.

Congratulations on the Lifetime Achievement Award.

I know. That's really cool to be getting that here, yes. I'm also doing a panel, I think, on Filipino action and horror cinema.

We hadn't noticed any explicit connection between your movies and Filipino B-movies, but we figured that it was only a matter of time...

Even in Kill Bill, the Hattori Hanzo character that Sonny Chiba plays, there's a little bit of that based on the character in The Last Samurai — not the Tom Cruise movie, but the Cirio H. Santiago movie with James Englehart, there's these two Japanese soldiers on the island? I kind of based a little bit of their relationship on those two characters from Santiago's film.

We hear there will be a Quentin Tarantino film festival as part of this year's Cinemanila.

I know, they're showing all of my movies. This is actually the first time I've allowed a festival to do a retrospective of my work; this is the first time.

We're very happy about that.

(Laughs)

Have you had a chance to check out any younger Filipino directors or more recent films made here?

No, I haven't. So this will be a good chance, at the Manila film festival, to check out some of their films.

Do you see yourself as an influence on Asian filmmakers today, just as Asian cinema has had such an impact on your films?

Well, that's for them to tell me. (Laughs)

How did you and Tikoy meet?

I had actually sought out Cirio H. Santiago myself, to introduce myself, because I'm a big fan, and after that introduction, and from another friend of mine, Tiffany Limos, I got the invitation for the Cinemanila Film Festival, and I took (Tikoy) up on it right away.

Are you scouting locations here?

Nope! Just going to Manila, having a good time.

What's the latest on Inglorious Bastards (Tarantino's long-evolving war script, now reportedly up to 600 pages)?

Pen is on paper right now. We'll see what happens. (Laughs)

Have you always been attracted to Asian cinema?

It's always been a big influence on me. I can't help it.

Is the "Asian horror" genre played out yet?

I'm still watching it!

What have you watched recently?

There was a Korean horror movie called The Red Shoes. That was pretty good. Not bad.

Other directors have directed your scripts; would you ever direct a script written by somebody else?

Probably not.

Why not?

Because I like to start with a blank page. I usually lose interest if it didn't originally come from me.

Where do you do most of your writing? California?

I do it all over the place. I write in California, I write in restaurants, I write in cafés, in bars. When I'm on the road I write, and when I'm at home I write.

Would you consider guest directing another TV show, like E.R. or C.S.I.?

If it's another TV show that I really like again, and I've become a huge fan and I want to jump into their world, then possibly.

We like that you create strong women characters (say in Kill Bill, or Jackie Brown). But how does that fit into your male testosterone world?

Well, I'm the creator, so they're my characters. I love them. And not only do I create them, I am them when I create them.

Do you feel different when you're writing those characters?

Well, I'm a method writer. I am them while I'm writing them.

Can you characterize Filipino movies, the ones you grew up enjoying?

Well, you can't break that down to a couple words. They're very different. Cirio H. Santiago's Blaxploitation movies are very different from his Vietnam movies. And Eddie Romero's World War II movies are very different from his Blood Island movies. And the "women in prison" movies are different from the rest.

Why was Grindhouse (the "double-feature" B-movie homage shown in the US) split into two separate movies here?

Well, because we didn't want to show it as a double feature around the world, because not everyone has that thing, that tradition. And also, we had to cut the movie back drastically to do the double feature, so when Death Proof plays here, it's going to have a half hour more than Grindhouse. The Death Proof that's being released here, that's the script I wrote.

Any advice for aspiring young Filipino filmmakers?

Yes. Come up with a story that you want to tell, that you have to tell, and tell it well.