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This week Wes and Steve discuss Top 40 fatigue, a brief quiz, and our Top 5 Movie Theme Songs!
Enjoy!
What are your Top 5 Theme Songs? Let us know! E-mail us at fiveplaynet@gmail.com!
In my non-Geek life, I am an educator and representative for an illustrious skin care line. I love this career, not only because it is challenging and offers opportunities for growth, but because it allows my love of film to be a hobby, a beloved pastime that I can dive into with feverish ardor, or ignore for weeks on end. That is the magic of a hobby, there aren’t any obligations or deadlines, and you can cut out the parts that don’t suit you.
Sometimes my love of film leaks into my “big girl job” when I am asked by starry-eyed beauty school students, “How do I become a make-up artist for movies?” It’s kind of a sad question to hear, mostly because I know the odds of success in this field are very low, and also because I am usually in a Texas beauty school. The curriculum is pathetic at best, and the business training required to launch a career in make-up artistry is non-existent. Regardless, the question comes up every few months, usually by a student in the hair styling curriculum (cosmetology to be exact), who also happens to be covered in TONS of thick and admittedly fabulous make-up. So in the spirit of education, I have decided to delve into the do’s and don’ts of becoming a make-up artist for film.
The Don’ts:
Don’t Quit Your Day Job
I know you’re talented, but like any career in the film/television industry, you are going to work for free in the beginning. That’s right: FREE. Your first few gigs will likely be amateur student films, with folks who have no idea what they are doing. More importantly, they will have no budget and absolutely no experience. You’ll work long-ass hours and be asked to do hair, lighting, and all sorts of other tasks that have nothing to do with make-up artistry. It can take well over a year before you find a production willing to pay you for your work. Most will give you a “kit allowance,” to cover the cost of your actual make-up, and that has to be negotiated up front.
Don’t Spend TONS of Money on Brand Name Make-up
Everybody thinks that M.A.C. brand is the ONLY brand to use when they first start. It’s not. It’s just a label and excellent marketing. There are literally hundreds of brands of make-up and a beginner has no business droppings loads of cash for a brand name kit. Remember that all cosmetics are made of crushed rocks and minerals in different combinations to create colors and textures. Don’t get caught up in the bullshit. Hit up the esthetic tradeshows and beauty supply stores for better quality and way better prices. Build your kit wisely not lavishly. As you get more advanced with your skills, you’ll discover true performance brands, but they only sell to professionals with experience and a portfolio.
Don’t Give Up on Your Other Passions
Look, the chances are, you will fail in this career. You won’t fail because you suck at doing make-up, you’ll fail because you need to pay your bills and unfortunately, there are very few paying gigs out there and TONS of competition. This is one of those weird crafts where talent and experience aren’t appreciated until you get into much higher-end productions. Be open to letting make-up artistry become a hobby as you pursue another career.
Don’t Get Blacklisted
Oh, the terrible BLACKLIST!! In case you don’t know what the term “blacklisted” refers to, it means that a person or a production crew fucks up so royally and/or repeatedly burns so many bridges that the general population in the film industry shuns them. How does a make-up artist get blacklisted? The most common and obvious way is to “walk” during filming, or to leave a film or television production before it’s wrapped for the day without permission. It’s a dick move, and it’s not easily forgiven or forgotten. Finish EVERY gig you start, be professional, do your job, don’t sleep with the crew/actors, stay sober on set, and don’t be a hot mess to work with.
The Dos:
Do Go To School
Duh, right? Actually, a lot of make-up artists skip this step. So, just because your family and friends love it when you do their make-up, that doesn’t give you the fundamental understanding of lighting, media, continuity, history, and specialties of cosmetics. I invested in a professional make-up curriculum and it was one of the best investments I’ve ever made. The 8 week advanced make-up application course gave me an edge over other artists. I learned the difference between film, runway, stage, transformative, television, and photography make-up techniques. I learned how to work with different lighting choices, camera angles, and how to chart, execute, and organize a movie’s make-up plan character by character, scene by scene, by working with the script. So….duh, right?
Do Go To California
The best make-up schools and career opportunities for film are in California. Some of the schools there even guarantee job placement with graduation, and that is worth the move if you want to be a lifer. A few other areas to consider are New York for photography and theater work, and Vancouver, Canada for television work.
Do Network With Production Companies and Photographers
As with any entertainment related work, it’s important to know the right people. Production crews tend to like using the same people for all of their projects. Film crews, especially during the production stage of filmmaking, have to work well together to make the most out of every dollar. There has to be a similar work philosophy, so finding a crew that you gel with is key. It’s also important for you to work with various production companies. These businesses are high risk and you shouldn’t rely on just one crew to give you work. Photographers are another good resource for budding make-up artists. They’re usually loyal to one or two make-up artists that “get” their style and they can introduce you to actors.
Do Learn How to File Your Taxes
Seriously, talk to an accountant. You will be surprised what you can write off, but you have to file everything correctly. It’s important to stay on top of financial records because getting audited as an amateur free-lancer can turn into a nightmare from hell!
Do Create A Portfolio
Everytime you work a gig, or experiment with a new technique, snap a picture and log it into your portfolio. Create slideshows on YouTube and have demo reels, just like an actor. Ensure that you receive stills (photographs taken during film shooting) from every photographer on set and make sure that you have copies of your best work. I recommend having a digital formats as well as hard copies of your portfolio to hand to directors, producers, and assistant directors when interviewing for a film. It will help you stand out and also give you leverage to ask for what you are worth.
Do Learn Who’s Who on Set and Basic Production Etiquette: I might dedicate another article later on this very subject because usually you have to learn by hard knocks. During filming, a good make-up artist is always close at hand, but never standing in the light. You need to know who you report to, or whether or not you’re allowed to talk to the director during filming. Yeah, some of it is bullshit, but it’s part of the industry and being ignorant of the basic rules can get your ass canned and blacklisted.
Do Explore, Experiment, and Play with Make-Up Between Gigs: I always think of those addictive nature shows that say, “Play amongst cubs is not just for fun, but important to learning survival skills needed as adults.” The same is true for make-up techniques. Practicing on yourself, friends, and even drawing out new looks on paper will help you improve your speed, accuracy, and detail when on set. Breaks between gigs are an excellent time to create new looks and diversifying your skills. Besides the practice, fooling around with your make-up is a great reminder as to why you chose make-up as a career. I find that fun, no pressure make-up sessions let me reflect on why I love my brushes so much. It reminds me that we are artists, in the truest sense, and our canvas is the human face.
Thanks for reading and good luck, newbies!!!
If you have a few extra dimes to spare, please help us help a fan in need. Thank you!
For whatever reason, movies and gangsters always seem to go hand-in-hand and tell the most interesting stories. Whether it’s seeing the lavish lifestyle, a snitch bumping elbows with the worst of the worst, or a young upstart moving up the perilous ladder to the top, it is almost always engaging. Typically, these types of stories are always treated with a level of seriousness and believability.
Well, for those wanting to see a mob movie that is deathly serious, Why Don’t You Play in Hell? might not be for you, but for those wanting to see an outrageous crime story that plays up its ridiculous scenario with bloody explosions, mixed-martial arts and gun battles galore, then this film is a must see for any crime-genre fan.
Directed and written by Sion Sono (Himizu, Love Exposure, Cold Fish), one of the best known directors to popularize the suicide club genre, Why Don’t You Play in Hell tells the twisted story of the “Fuck Bombers,” a group of genre-loving film nerds lead by a wannabe director named Hirata (Hiroki Hasegawa). Eventually recruited by a very powerful and violent Yakuza gang leader played by Jun Kunimura (The Wind Rises, Outrage), Hirata is finally given the chance to direct a film, his lifelong dream. However, his directorial debut consists of actually directing an all-out war between two rival Yakuza clans.
There are many sub-plots within the film, but Hirata’s is the one that is easily the most focused. Eventually, every character and plot comes down on one another in an over the top bloodbath that involves everything from severed limbs to fountains of sprayed blood. American viewers who are fans of Kill Bill Part 1’s final act will feel at home during the blood soaked 30 minute finale of Why Don’t You Play in Hell?.
The majority of the performances can aptly be described as “loud.” It seems as if every person was given a shot of adrenaline before filming started, but those who might feel overwhelmed by the broad performances will eventually become accustomed to the bombastic tone. The best and most shocking performance is by Fumi Nikaido, who stars as Michiko, the dangerously psychotic and wickedly funny daughter of Kunimura. Early in the film, she is the star of a popular toothpaste commercial, with a jingle that is surprisingly catchy. In all honesty, viewers might start humming it by the time the credits role.
The film’s overall humor may not jive with everyone’s tastes, but the movie covers enough weird scenarios and genres that it will at least give the viewer something to be relatively surprised by. There are obvious hints to past movies that inspired it. As mentioned previously, Kill Bill’s influence is obvious, but there are other call backs to such films in the action genre like Hard Boiled, Die Hard and Enter the Dragon.
By the end, it’s quite obvious that Sono’s one overarching goal is just show how stressful and fun making genre films can be. Even though the tone can be as schizophrenic as its characters, Why Don’t You Play in Hell? is a heartfelt, insanity-filled genre movie to its core. Watch it, and let the madness wash over.
WHY DON’T YOU PLAY IN HELL? hits theaters and VOD this Friday, November 7.
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There was a time in which we believed that Matthew McConaughey would likely spin right off this planet and enter an orbit all his own. Now, thanks to Christopher Nolan, that day has arrived!
Interstellar is the story of humanity on the verge of extinction. We’ve made too many babies and eaten all the foods, so space cowboy McConaughey must travel to new, possibly inhabitable planets to save us all. It’s a long trip that takes him to the outer reaches of the universe as well as through a galaxy of conventions from other sci-fi films.
The Unusual Suspects throw on their flight suits and blast off at the mouth for this Highly Suspect review of Interstellar. Will it be one of the biggest movies of the year also be among the best, or will Brian, Chris, Elliott, and Michael tear it a new wormhole?
The Avatar franchise has been one the most interesting and creative things to come across our screens in the last ten years. Between the the two series, Avatar:The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra fans have been enjoying this imaginative world and have grown quite invested in its lore. With the current season of Korra being the last and no plans to continue the franchise (at least on TV), I couldn’t help but cook up a quick list of the top six things I think should be done and/answered before the series ends.
Why top six?
Because I like going one step beyond.
Oh, and to get this out of the way, the who “Zuko’s mom” thing ain’t making the list. The comics have already addressed that so I feel no need to put it in here.
So without further ado…
6. General Iroh Get To Kick Butt
Every Avatar fan can agree on one thing, Dante Basco is the man. The almost endless layers of nuance and complexity he was able to bring to the character of Zuko in the original series truly was a work of art and his association with the franchise is a point of happiness and pride for him even to this day. He’s even appeared on the Nostalgia Critic in full on Zuko gear; if the franchise has a cheerleader, it sure as hell is Dante Basco.
Basco’s love for the show as well as the fans love for Basco was the very reason reason the character of General Iroh was ever created. Sadly, the character hasn’t had anything to do since the first season and even then he needed Team Avatar to save his bacon. Point is we’ve been led to believe General Iroh is a badass more than we’ve ever got to see him be a badass, and that’s a damn shame. I want to see Iroh live up to his name and really give us something to remember him by before the end.
5. Whatever Happened To Sokka’s Sword?
Sokka’s sword was a big deal. Forged by Sokka himself under the tutelage of the Sword Master Piandao from the metal of a recently fallen meteorite was Sokka’s statement to the world that he was more than the helpless joke many people, perhaps himself included, thought he was.
So the show stops in its third and final season to have Sokka have this whole thing about making and learning to fight with his special Space Sword, only to have him lose the damn thing in the final battle in the show.
So where is the sword now? Was it ever recovered or is it rusting on the battlefield just waiting like Excalibur for somebody worthy to pick it up? Swords are awesome, swords forged from meteorites are even cooler, swords forged from meteorites by great one of the greatest heroes the world has ever known have to be about the most baddass thing in existence. Such a thing deserves to be seen, give us some Space Sword action!
4. Where Are The Kyoshi Warriors?
The original series introduced us to the Kyoshi Warriors, a group of hard core fighting women founded by Avatar Kyoshi after separating what would become known as Kyoshi island from the Earth Kingdom mainland. These women were an elite fighting force that not only proved their worth in the war to stop the Fire Nation, but in helping build and protect a peaceful world afterwords.
So, where the hell are they now?
One could easily argue why we haven’t seen them in the last three seasons, but if they aren’t don’t appear this season I’m going to call “bullshit”. Kuvira claims to have control of the entire Earth Kingdom (now ‘Empire’) save Zaofu, which means she has to have control of the isle of Kyoshi, and I can’t help but think the Warriors would have had something to say about someone taking over the land they’ve sworn to defend.
Not only does it make sense to have the Kyoshi Warriors, but it gives the creators a great opportunity. Imagine for a second seeing the Kyoshi Warriors out in full gear fighting and we cut to one of the Warriors using a familiar boomerang or maybe even the Space Sword. That’s right, Sokka and Suki’s daughter or son (Sokka wore the outfit with pride, so why not his boy?) out there fighting the good fight. And don’t tell me the Warriors couldn’t stand up to metal benders, Ty Lee was adopted into their ranks which means they should have at least basic knowledge of her chi blocking techniques. Also I’m declaring the Space Sword unbendable because it would suck otherwise. I can’t think of a single fan who wouldn’t want to see that. Give us the Kyoshi Warriors already!
3. Korra To End Up With Anybody Else But Mako
When shows end they often have the protagonist(s) go off into relationships with the audience to assume that they live happily ever after. The original Avatar series did this well; setting up a series of relationships, most notably Aang and Katara, that grew and developed into romances we could believe could last a lifetime. Korra’s love life has always been a mess. When Nickelodeon first green lit the new series they said it was only going to be one season, with that in mind the creators sought to condense a love story into one already tightly packed season, paring Korra off with the young firebender, Mako. It was clunky and not too many fans liked that element of the story, but it worked for a one season show.
Then due to the popularity of the show, Nickelodeon gave them a full series run. Now the creators were stuck with a protagonist that already had been paired off. Oops. To the shows credit, they realized that the relationship didn’t have much meat to it and was unpopular anyways and so it ended in season two. This failure added character depth to both of them, but especially Mako, a character that audiences had found it hard to connect with up to that point. Since then Korra hasn’t had a relationship in her life and the show hasn’t suffered for it.
While I don’t think the series has the balls to leave Korra single when the curtain finally drops (kudos to the creators should they prove me wrong), I’m not against pairing Korra off when all is said and done. It just shouldn’t be Mako, please anybody BUT Mako. To pair these two again is going to come across as what it is, the cheap and easy choice, and I expect better than that from this show.
2. Fire Lord Zuko Getting To Speak With His Uncle Again
Everybody loves Uncle Iroh, none as much as much nephew, Zuko. The tale of Iroh and Zuko is probably the most complicated and rewarding part of the original show and fans have been buzzing about a possible reunion ever since we found out Uncle Iroh gave himself to the Spirit World and has been chilling there since his death.
Its a combination of wanting to see these two great characters together again and every persons desire to speak one more time to our loved ones after they have died.
While not my personal number one, if the creators follow through with any of the stuff I’ve listed it better be this one. They’ve teased us to the point that if there is no follow through it is going to leave a sour taste in people’s mouths. We understand what happened with the whole “Zuko’s mom” thing and the comic was a grand gesture, but if that sort of thing happens again with Zuko and Iroh I fear the audience will not be as understanding.
1. Aang, One Last Time
You knew this was going to be number one even before you clicked this link. Every Avatar fan wants this deep down in the bottom of their hearts, myself included.
One of the lesser things I’ve enjoyed about The Legend of Korra is the need to focus on the many failings of the original cast as parents and adults. I understand the creators didn’t want to deify the old cast, but in trying not to they have instead focused pretty heavily on their shortcomings, in Aang’s case both as the Avatar and as a father. I’m not saying they should wipe away everything they’ve done, but the very reason this franchise exists is because the audience fell in love with Aang when the show first hit almost a decade ago. We deserve a little bit of positive closure with the character, not only for we the viewers, but for his children as well. To see that despite all his faults, deep down he was that same good and decent guy we fell in love with all those years back.
It would fit with what the creators are already doing as we’ve seen Asami and her father and the reintroduction of Toph hints at a possible Bei Fong family reunion before the show is done.
I know they’ve promised more comics starring Aang, but this franchise began as a TV series and before our screens fade to black, never to visit this world again, I’d like to spend a moment with my favorite airbender.
Who knows what the end has in store (other than the creators obviously)? Maybe I’ll get everything I want and maybe I won’t get any of it. Either which way the chips fall I’d just like to take a moment to thank Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and everybody who made Avatar grace our screens. You have enriched the world with what you have made here and I am sad to see it go.
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Halloween is almost upon us! What? It’s already over? Shut up, we recorded this before that.
Sarah and Toshi are back to discuss the spooky season in Japan. Well, sort of. We do get to talk Halloween stuff, but we’re mostly waylaid by geek talk, as is what usually happens…
Note: This episode contains some very minor spoilers for The Walking Dead, some talk about the Marvel movies and franchise, and big spoilers for Supernatural. Supernatural talk starts at about the 1 hour 7 minute mark.
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Jean-Pierre Desperois. Born a slave in Haiti in a voodoo ritual with the power to travel through space and time. Now lives in Tunis. Smuggles salt. On payroll: crooked cops and hard-to-manage employees. When local gendarme Michel du Prix tells him about some corpses found in the desert, Jean-Pierre thinks nothing of it. But when the bodies start piling up, Jean-Pierre is implicated. Armed with nothing but his “baka” and his “ku-bha-sa”, Jean-Pierre tries to get to the bottom of the situation. But he’s in for more than he bargained.
Season One is 20 half-hour episodes released bi-weekly.
SALT is a spin-off of The Intergalactic Nemesis, an adventure set in the 1930s and taking the form of comic-books and graphic novels, audio drama, a web series, and a live theatrical production that’s touring the world. For access to all of this, check out www.theintergalacticnemesis.com.
Written and voiced by Jason Neulander. Additional voices by Buzz Moran, Danu Uribe, and Julie Linnard. Sound effects, audio engineering, and production by Buzz Moran. Original score by Adrian Quesada.
Episode Eight – To Sleep, Perchance to Dream
In which Jean-Pierre assesses his situation, overhears some strange noises in the night, sees an angel, recounts an experience with a turtle, and discovers another side of his companion Isabelle.
Did you miss episode 7? Check it out right here.
Check out the next chapter, episode nine right here.
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HEEEEEYYYYYY!!! We’re back! No, I’m not the Fonz, but I just saw a bumper sticker with that on it, and it made me get a good feeling inside. Mostly, cause the Fonz was supposed to be a TOUGH DUDE, and he was just so god damned cuddly.
Ok, on to the business at hand. This week we listened to “Electr-O-Pura” by Yo La Tengo. I liked it quite a bit. Kevin a little less so. But Ryan? Let’s just say somebody took over the first part of this podcast like a drunk fat guy working on a plate of ribs. In fact, I’ll let him tell you a little about it.
RYAN SEZ: “On this edition of “Somebody Likes It,” the “Somebody” who “Likes It” is me. A lot. It would be hard to overstate my love for Yo La Tengo’s 1995 release “Electr-O-Pura,” but on this week’s podcast, I definitely give it my best shot. I love this as much as I do “The White Album,” “The Queen is Dead,” or “Fables of the Reconstruction.” If you know me well, you also know that that’s saying a lot. Understandably, Shane and Kevin were less enthusiastic about this record, but, to be fair, it’s a pretty high bar to reach my level of fandom. In any case, “Electr-O-Pura” is a testament to the bond one can make with a work of art when one must travel the roads of northeast Indiana, measuring homes for a carpet store (not to be cliche). To me, it’s a perfect record. Except for track 13, “Attack on Love.” That song blows.”
Yeah, he’s not wrong about that. Stay far far away from that.
Ok, what else? Well, this week s intermission is “Turning Japanese” by The Vapors. We talk all about masturbation rumors, and how many greatest hits albums you can build around one song.
All right. Well next week, on this cycle of albums we love it’s my pick: My Bloody Valentine’s “Loveless”…beautiful beautiful music. See you then!
–Shane
The Greatest Rivalries! Your Memorable Childhood Performance! Feeling Your Age! An Austin fueled edition of Public Axis with guests Yusef Roach and Martin Urbano! Craft micro beards and free range tortillas for everyone!
Recorded at the Public Axis F-Stop on October 29rd, 2014.
00:00 Welcome to the F-Stop! This week, we welcome Austin comics Yusef Roach and Martin Urbano. Larry unbottles his bitterness (and insecurities) against our sister city and kimchi burrito laughs ensue. Wouldn’t you know these guys have a swell monthly show called, “Yusef Roach’s Taco Party with Martin Urbano“?
27:41 Yeah, Imma Look Into Dat! Topic #1: What is the greatest rivalry of all time? (Inspired by comedy bloodbath film, Why Don’t You Play in Hell?)
48:37 Dad’s Corner(ed)! Topic #2: What’s your most memorable school performance?
1:23:16 Hey, That’s Not Funny! Topic #3: How old are you and how old do you feel?
Has your real age matched your mental age? (Inspired by this article how your real age doesn’t matter – it’s your fitness age.)
1:54:27 What Did We Come to Know? Public Axis is an educational program and at the end, we always ask our guests and listeners, “What did you come to know?” Enlighten yourself.
Let your friends know about Public Axis on Facebook and Twitter and keep those Facebook comments coming at our Happy Campers group!
The Fast and Furious franchise has gone through many changes in a decade. The first film followed Vin Diesel and his crew of drag racers as they competed in illegal street races across the city of Los Angles. Now, Diesel and company have tackled everything from bank robbing, mercenary work and hostage rescue. It’s more than a stretch, but the films seem to only grow in popularity as the plots get more ridiculous and the stunts become even more impossible.
In keeping up with tradition, the first trailer for the sixth sequel in the series, Furious 7, has been released, and it looks to be just as crazy and action-packed as the previous films in the franchise.
One thing I immediately took away from the trailer was how often Paul Walker was being showcased in it. Walker, who passed away in November of last year in a car accident, was said to only have finished half of his scenes before the production was temporarily shut-down after his death. After massive re-writes to the original script, Walker’s brothers stepped in as body doubles for additional shots. The extent at which Walker is actually in the last film is currently unknown, but Universal Studios seems determined to show that Walker’s character, Brian O’Conner, will still play a significant role in the movie.
Outside of the focus on Walker, the film looks to pick up immediately after the events of Fast and Furious 6 and The Fast and the Furious 3: Tokyo Drift. The team is going up against Jason Statham’s character, Ian Shaw, who is seeking revenge against Dominic Toretto (Diesel) and his family for the death of his brother in the last film. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Ludacris and Tyrese Gibson all co-star in Furious 7, which hits theaters in April 2015.
What do you think reader? Impressed by the first trailer for Furious 7? Do you think this is the last Fast and Furious film? Let us know in the comments below!