I had dinner with one of the stars of Date Number One a couple of nights ago, Jennifer Blakemore from Story 2 (she played the lead in that story, the blonde). Jen's always got a lot of amusing (to say the least) stuff going on but Thu night's dinner at Mimi's in DC was one of the least "insane" hang out sessions with her in a long time (good food & service at Mimi's by the way, P & 21st, NW DC, they've got singing servers). Energetic Model/actresses, or I guess in this case Actress/models, are a handful - can be stressful to hang with. But on the bright side, if they are excited about a project, working with them can be fun & you just might end up with a good film. So I am thinking about re-making my failed feature Wild Diner (1999) with Jen in the lead. We are going to explore the possibility, and if it does not work out, no biggie, we are still going to be working on Date Number One promo & possibly other projects in '07.
So, the Wild Diner re-make will be Project # 2 for '07. Project # 1 is of course Date Number One distribution. On top of those two projects, I would like to shoot two more no-budget features in '07 (Project # 3, & # 4). Getting oooolllldddd (turning 34 soon! yikes), gotta get more work done.
For people who are not familiar with Wild Diner, here is a segment of a review of the movie, written by filmmaker Amir Motlagh. I wrote, produced, directed, starred in, edited & distributed (just screenings in DC, about 20 some of them, didn't like the movie enough after that to put more time & work into wider distribution) Wild Diner. WD was shot in '98 & released in '99. Here's the review segment & the link:
" The film chronicles a young filmmaker played by Sujewa (at times perfect for the role, at times not so much, as he himself would attest) and a group of young adults who inhabit a diner all day and night discussing the philosophical attributes that make one young, human, and filled with angst and desire. The lead is deciding on shooting his next film, in the dinner that acts as his second home. The film certainly showcases in particular Sujewa’s immense writing talent, with witty dialogue, and truthful youthful intellectualizing. These are a group of kids who are jaded, smart, hip, and little twisted. That’s where the vibrancy of the film exists, and the 16mm adds a touch of homemade aesthetics, that is made even more interesting by the fluid acting and writing. There are also some wonderful shots of the DC, and the night photography shot through a moving vehicle is excellent. It is very regional, and that accentuated the honesty."
Read the rest of the review here.
In the re-make the lead character will most likely not be a filmmaker & if Jen plays the role, the character will obviously be female. Also, now that I've got DV, Acts I & III may happen away from the central location, a lot more exterior stuff compared to Wild Diner. I like how Ed Burns used a whole lot of New York exteriors in Looking for Kitty, perhaps something similar could be done with DC.
Will let ya know about the project as things happen. I am thinking I'll be able to shoot this new flick in Spring '07.
- Sujewa
So, the Wild Diner re-make will be Project # 2 for '07. Project # 1 is of course Date Number One distribution. On top of those two projects, I would like to shoot two more no-budget features in '07 (Project # 3, & # 4). Getting oooolllldddd (turning 34 soon! yikes), gotta get more work done.
For people who are not familiar with Wild Diner, here is a segment of a review of the movie, written by filmmaker Amir Motlagh. I wrote, produced, directed, starred in, edited & distributed (just screenings in DC, about 20 some of them, didn't like the movie enough after that to put more time & work into wider distribution) Wild Diner. WD was shot in '98 & released in '99. Here's the review segment & the link:
" The film chronicles a young filmmaker played by Sujewa (at times perfect for the role, at times not so much, as he himself would attest) and a group of young adults who inhabit a diner all day and night discussing the philosophical attributes that make one young, human, and filled with angst and desire. The lead is deciding on shooting his next film, in the dinner that acts as his second home. The film certainly showcases in particular Sujewa’s immense writing talent, with witty dialogue, and truthful youthful intellectualizing. These are a group of kids who are jaded, smart, hip, and little twisted. That’s where the vibrancy of the film exists, and the 16mm adds a touch of homemade aesthetics, that is made even more interesting by the fluid acting and writing. There are also some wonderful shots of the DC, and the night photography shot through a moving vehicle is excellent. It is very regional, and that accentuated the honesty."
Read the rest of the review here.
In the re-make the lead character will most likely not be a filmmaker & if Jen plays the role, the character will obviously be female. Also, now that I've got DV, Acts I & III may happen away from the central location, a lot more exterior stuff compared to Wild Diner. I like how Ed Burns used a whole lot of New York exteriors in Looking for Kitty, perhaps something similar could be done with DC.
Will let ya know about the project as things happen. I am thinking I'll be able to shoot this new flick in Spring '07.
- Sujewa
