For one, it may end up being a 90 minute film as opposed to the 115 minute film that it was in '06. After not touching the Final Cut Express files for a couple of months & just thinking about the movie, I think I've come up with several ways to polish up the movie (so that the very rough edges mentioned in several reviews can be gotten rid of) and make it flow faster & better. Also, any scenes with significant/un-fixable visual or audio problems will be cut out & the stories will be re-written through editing so that they still make sense. Also, one whole story may be taken out of the movie or one story may be drastically shortened (so, as opposed to 5 stories, we may end up with 4 stories or 4.25 stories). Back to editing. The Date Number One that people will see in '07 will be a vastly different (& hopefully much better) movie than the one they saw in '06. Very exciting. On the distribution/exhibition front I will be submitting to some festivals in '07 (did not submit to any festivals in '06). Even though financially festivals may be a total loss, some reviews that can come out of festival play may become very useful for distribution. Also, now that I Am A Sex Addict is safely out of theatrical & on DVD, I will be open once again to looking at working with Landmark Theaters in places where there are no real indie theatrical options (or very few, impossibly few - like in DC). Hmm, what other big changes? That's about it. The film will still be distributed 100% indie/DIY/self on all media/world wide, even though there is a nice amount of small distributor (mostly DVD, some theatrical possibly, some cable possibly) interest in the project. I think it would take longer for me to distribute it myself but I think I will learn more (& possibly earn more), things very useful to the career, by self-distributing the flick. I can always look at going with other distributors on other projects. On the blogging front this blog will now be reserved exclusively for Date Number One news & info. on other Wild Diner Films movies. General film news & stuff about other movies will be blogged about at Indie Features. Sri Lanka related stuff will be blogged about at Out Of This Fire. Generally that will be the approach, there maybe some exceptions from time to time. And that's the latest. More soon on Date Number One here no doubt.
By the stream review - from Lincoln Center, NYC viewing - no spoilers The hype is real - By the Stream is very good by Hong movies standards and also normal comedy-drama standards. There were like 30-40 people at Lincoln Center for the 1PM Fri 8/8/25 (opening day) screening of By the Stream. People in that neighborhood are serious about their foreign films. Cinematography is very simple, from a canon XA small sensor HD cam, I could see familiar details, how those cams film the moon, scenes at night - it’s like a 1980s or 1990s early indie cinematography style that we do not see much these days - works well for Hong’s movies. No color grading, very simple video/cinematography. A more fleshed out movie than some recent Hong movies. In the movie a skit is prepped, and we actually get to see it performed. A couple of serious issues are discussed. Some unexpected, light things happen. It’s a comedy-drama chill hangout movie w/ creative South Korean people - good times. Probably o...
