Really enjoyed my couple days here. Plenty to see and do in this unique city…and spectacular nature abounds just moments away.
Yesterday
I have invested a lot of glorious time listening to and reading about The Beatles as well as their pre and post Beatles lives and careers. So, this movie was a big deal to me. Great premise very cleverly and satisfyingly executed. I really appreciated the use of an unknown (to me at least) actor for the lead role. I thought his performance and interpretation of the songs was spot on. On a scale of 1 - 5 I rate this as Fab.
Kenora, Ontario
I’ve always wanted to check out the town of Kenora, Ontario on the northernmost bay of the amazing Lake of the Woods. Kenora did not disappoint. A bustling, extremely scenic town of 15,000. I had the very good fortune to stay in a lakeside room on the 5th floor of the distinctive Clarion Inn (also known as The Pop Can or The Tower of Power). Definitely a million dollar view. Also, you can’t miss the 40-foot tall Husky the Muskie. Great summer destination.
The Jack Reacher Series
Just finished the latest Jack Reacher novel—number 23 in the series—a series that has been consistently good since book 1. Jack Reacher is part Sherlock Holmes and part The Hulk. Very unique and entertaining character. I really committed to this series a couple years ago after seeing author Lee Child speak at an event sponsored by Friends of the Hennepin County Library. He was very real, interesting, entertaining, candid and grateful to the readers who allow him to do what he does…which is a really good gig.
Excavation Safety
I’ve been privileged to work on MANY construction safety videos over the years. Job sites are really visually dynamic locations. The sparks fly! True craftspeople at work. My goal is to make these videos very authentic, engaging and educational while bringing out the “cool” factor of this unique profession. Speaking of Excavation Safety, did you know that just a cubic yard of soil can weigh as much as a mid-size sedan? Thanks to a fabulous contractor partner in Des Moines, we were able to bring that concept to life. Spoiler alert, the car didn’t fare to well.
Black Mirror
Just finished Season 5. As a whole, I think this is one of the best series in broadcast history. The writing, the performances and the production value are all superb. Incredibly visceral, engrossing, poignant, disturbing, supremely thought provoking…often touching and even funny. Also, I now have a healthy fear of all technology in my life.
Shirley Jackson
I found the Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House to be extremely compelling, supremely well produced and significantly scary/creepy/not the right thing for me to watch before going to bed…but I couldn’t stop! So, I had to check out the original source material. The novel bares minimal similarities to the series adaptation. I gotta say, I prefer the adaptation. However, I came away thoroughly impressed with the unrelated Shirley Jackson short stories—incredibly nuanced and layered. Great literature for deep analysis.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
I finally got a chance to screen Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. I try to avoid previews and reviews and that really paid off in this case. As it unfolded, this movie surprised and shocked me at every turn...and it really sticks with you. Great actors, great performances and an A+ for spurring post-movie conversation and prognostication.
Witch's Hat Water Tower
Doors Open Minneapolis was a recent event that allowed free public access to significant Minneapolis buildings. It has been a life long goal of mine to ascend the iconic Witch’s Hat Water Tower. Mission accomplished! Can’t believe I didn’t already know this, but I also learned this tower was the inspiration for Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower”…at least that’s the rumor and I’m going with it.
Dulles International Airport
I got to fly in and out of Dulles International Airport and it feels like I walked onto the set of The Incredibles. Super cool modernist design. Great, swoopy, monolithic concrete and glass main terminal complete with glass-encased subterranean subway tunnels. Highly stylized and groovy. Love it.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Why is it I didn't see this movie until now????? What’s my problem??? Ugh. Frustrating…and sad. Very sad. Can’t believe I cheated myself out of comedy gold and years of quoting classic lines. I’ll just have to make up for it by repeatedly saying “Ni” and buying a shrubbery.
Miami Beach
I really value the travel opportunities my job provides—even getting to spend a brief amount of time in a destination. I just had a couple hours to shoot some nighttime scenics in Miami Beach. I’ve been here a couple times now. Always quick stops. I gotta get back to Miami and Miami Beach for an extended stay to really get to know this city. In my limited exposure, I definitely feel a great atmosphere, very international crowd and fun…as well as cultural, historical and architectural significance.
Twins Game
Got to attend my first Twins game of the season. As you can see, the weather wasn’t quite baseball-friendly enough for the masses. Considering the sparse crowd, I thought I would have a great chance of getting a foul ball. A very high foul did come my way. I completely lost it in the sun. I was frantically trying to pick it up when I heard a “thunk!” It landed right on the lap of the woman one row in front of me. None of us saw it coming and fortunately, she was not injured. Close call. Baseball really is a game of inches.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Couldn’t pass up a second time to see this movie on the big screen. It worked on every level for me. Story, writing, characters, direction, innovative, fun, funny, action-packed, original…and off-the-charts, never-seen-before, jaw-dropping animation. A total work of art. Great new take on the friendly neighborhood Spider Man.
The Gateway Arch
The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, MO is super impressive. Brilliant design. Extremely simple, clean and graceful. Really a powerful sight. Very interesting whatever angle you see it from near or far. Also, an unbelievable engineering feat.
City Museum, St. Louis
City Museum in St. Louis, MO defies explanation. It’s like one of those indoor habitrail-like mazes…but times a factor of a billion. A mad, creative, artistic vision. No maps, no rules…other than don’t get trapped. Inside, outside, between walls, in the ceiling—there are tunnels and areas to explore all over the place. Kids can have the run of the place. Adults, beware—it can get awfully claustrophobic. Pretty much impossible to discover everything here in a day. Never seen anything like it.
Iowa's Largest Fryin' Pan
It’s not the World’s Largest Frying Pan, but it is Iowa’s Largest Fryin’ Pan. Before you disregard this roadside attraction, keep in mind what the accompanying literature says: a 10 inch frying pan holds 6 eggs, 4 pork chops and 1 pound of bacon; Iowa’s Largest Fryin’ Pan would hold 528 eggs, 352 pork chops and 88 pounds of bacon. So…that.
Hippos!
One of my favorite things about my job are the unique places I get to go and the interesting people I get to meet. Earlier this week, a shoot granted me the opportunity to spend a day and a half in Hutto, TX—the Hippo Capital of Texas. As legend has it, in 1915 a circus train stopped in Hutto and a hippo escaped. The hippo settled in a local creek and it took a great effort to have it removed. Hutto embraced the hippo theme, there are hippo statues all over the town and now we all benefit. Go Hippos!
Minnesota Wild
I’m from the State of Hockey, but have attended very few NHL games. Last night, I had the opportunity to sit 4 rows from the glass at the Minnesota Wild game. Super unique, visceral perspective. You feel the game as much as you see it. Great experience. Drop the puck!
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Just finished the series finale of this show. Outstanding comedy in the mold of 30 Rock. There is a joke about every 1.2 seconds. Super funny. Very entertaining. Thanks again, Netflix.