CAD at VIFF

Well, for those of you following along, it's been a wacky month. We went to TIFF and sold the distribution rights to the film before the first screening. Maximum films will be releasing the film theatrically in Canada sometime in the new year. And here we are back at home for the Vancouver International Film Festival. The film is screening twice to the hometown crowd. Should be lots of fun...

Sunday, Oct 5th, 7pm, Empire Granville 7
Monday, Oct 6th, 4pm, Empire Granville 7

The video above is a little interview I did with vancouveriam.com which turned out pretty well.

More to come...

Blogging for TIFF

The Festival starts tomorrow and I find myself quite nervous. Jesse Wente one of the programmers asked me to contribute to the TIFF blog. I wrote my first entry in an attempt to purge some butterflies. I've posted it below to but if you want to check out the TIFF blog follow this link...

http://tiff08.ca/blogs/blog/default.aspx?blg=0&id=680&t=Nerves

You're gonna have to talk about it. People will light their cigarettes, look you in the eye and say, "What's it about?"

Oh. Well. Ahem. It's about loneliness in the information age. Sort of. Or what happens to someone when they try to suppress their inner pervert. How it seeps through the pores, smelling a lot worse than it would if you'd let it out in the first place.

Gross. Don't put them off their crantinis.

Okay, it's about love. How two people can be perfect for each other, but if one of them hates himself, it's not gonna work. And, of course, fear. Fear of revealing your unattractive parts. Or fear of what faulty programming is gonna cause you're entire infrastructure to collapse. Thus the Y2K thing...

Dude. It's supposed to be funny. Remember to mention that it's a COMEDY. Sounds like a grad thesis the way you talk about it. The guy sticks his dick in a computer for fuck's sake. It's absurd.
That's true. And people like that word. They like to pronounce it like it's spelled with a Z, "abzurd".

Maybe you don't KNOW what it's about. Ever think of that?

Yes, thank-you very much, I certainly have, but I can't very well go around saying that. I mean, maybe Harmony Korine can and he's just eccentric, but not me. Not at the Toronto International Film Festival. People are gonna want to know WHY. Why would I make my brother take off his clothes and "compulate" with a Dell? And commit it to film. And show people the film. And say, watch carefully, this MEANS something...

What if people think that you fuck computers?

That’s ridiculous. Did people think Lynne was into dead guys after she made Kissed? Okay, probably. But that's good publicity, right? Kinda punk rock. Balls out, so to speak. Maybe I should start a rumor that I’m a compuphile. I won't get laid, but I might get some Japanese press.

You know, it's possible that you're flipping out. Control Alt Delete is about a lot of things, and that's cool. Relax. Be yourself. Talk to them like you would someone at a bar, which is where you'll probably be. Let people into your young filmmaker neurosis. Hell, write the blog Jesse asked you to in that style. It'll be endearing.

Good idea.

Tech Addiction Support Forum

Arrived in Toronto last night to get a head start on the festival. Lynne and I are here nailing down a party location, meeting with our publicists, doing a little press. Forgot how "big city" this town is. My blood pressure jumps ten points every time I come here.

The TIFF programme guide came out today. Lynne and I accosted an unsuspecting festival goer on the subway this morning, made her turn to our page. I think our photo looks good. And Jesse did a nice job on our blurb...

http://tiff08.ca/filmsandschedules/films/controlaltdelete

Lastly, my boy Al (good lookin out) sent me a link to a "tech addiction" support forum, where people seem to be discussing computer fucking, or something like computer fucking. You tell me...

http://techaddiction.forumotion.com/internet-pornography-addiction-f9/computer-sexual-addiction-t8.htm

I think I'm getting warmer.

Mac Erotica (Macotica?)

In Control Alt Delete, Lewis is into PC's, but I think we all know who the real computer fetishists are, Mac users. Consider yourselves lucky: copyright infringement kept me from tearing you a new asshole. (or at least a new firewire port)

The dude in the above video knows I speak the truth...

As does the creator of this flickr set...

And you know you got Zapp & Roger's "Computer Love" stuck in your head. Embrace it...

How to Make Love with my Computer?

Trailer.
Poster.
Postcards.
Business Cards.
Website.
Press kit.
Director's Notes.
Clips.
Stills.
Screeners.
Publicist.
Tickets.
Hotels.
Flights.
Oh my fucking God.

Going to a film festival doesn't seem like it should be so much work. But it's been almost a month of insanity. And there's still 3 and a half weeks to go. Then there's the festival itself. Which I assume will involve a lot of drinking and talking. Maybe a movie or two if I'm lucky.

Anyway, I think we're doing well. The film seems to be getting attention, from the premise alone. It kind of sticks out in a program. Big thanks to Courtenay Webber who designed the poster above and Richard Martin who's cutting the trailer, which will be up soon.

And thank-you Ali for somehow found this intriguing link, a new clue in the search for the elusive computer fuckers.

It's a yahoo answers question. The dude basically got laughed off the internet. I dunno. Maybe he was joking but he sounds pretty earnest. Leave him alone!

How to Make Love with my Computer?

Control Alt Delete - Press Kit

Press people!

Please follow this link to download an electronic version of the Control Alt Delete Press Kit. Chock full of stills, bios, synopses, director's notes, etc...

CONTROL ALT DELETE PRESS KIT

Control Alt Delete accepted to the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival!

Hard Drive Films is pleased to announce that "Control Alt Delete" will have it's world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, which runs from Sept 4th-13th.

Stay tuned for more details...

CAD in the middle of censorship debate

There's a nefarious little piece of legislation being pushed through the Canadian Senate: Bill C-10. Basically it would allow the government to withhold tax-credits from films deemed to be "contrary to public policy". It's thinly veiled censorship. And guess which film has incurred the wrath of the right-wing crusaders? That's right, Young People Fucking.

But I'm certainly not in their good books either. Check out this CBC article which accuses Control Alt Delete of featuring scenes of masturbation. Wha? That's the least of what it features.

Taxpayers being abused by film funding: lobbyist

Anyway, this is a serious issue for Canadian filmmakers. It could really hinder our ability to make challenging films. The very sort we are renowned for.

This facebook group is a good way to keep up with the bill and how to fight it.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=9036150977

iPhone Panties

Sound Mix complete! OMG. Thank-you to everyone who worked on the post for this crazy little movie. The designers who built fake 90's porn sites, Kerry who foleyed the sounds of computer fucking, and Tygh, the composer, who put up with my control issues. I love you all.

Control Alt Delete is done. D-U-N. I'll keep you abreast of all developments here on the blog. But for now, I'm off to Portland for a little vacation.

And if there were any doubts that people are sexualizing their technology, let these iphone panties put them to rest.

iPhone Panties

RAM1, where are you?

Teledildonics is my favourite new word

Sound is fun. It's like you get to edit the movie again. You can make things make more sense, or less sense. The funnest has been collecting old computer sounds from places like The FreeSound Project. You wouldn't believe the trouble dudes will go to to get the perfect sound of a 1996 Compaq Presario harddrive spinning down. Actually you probably would. We're using these kinds of samples in both the sound design and the music. Should sound pretty cool.

People have been asking me how girls would fuck computers. Good question. Women, for some crazy reason, seem to prefer another human to be involved in their sexual experiences. Thus, the "Thrillhammer" above...

Teledildonics (wikipedia)

Email from SexHelp.com

Locking picture. Sorry I haven't been writing more but editing felt almost as hectic as shooting. We had a second test screening last week and the response was very positive. People definitely read the movie differently but I think that's cool.

Speaking of which, no further communication from RAM1, but I did receive an email from a woman named Barbara at SexHelp.com, thanking me for raising awareness about computer sex addiction.

"Sexual addictions shatter relationships and destroy families. We are pleased to hear that the subject of internet sex addiction is being treated in a major motion picture. If SexHelp.com can assist you in spreading a message of prevention and treatment, please don't hestitate to call on us."

I guess they noticed that I linked to their Internet Sex Screening Test below. Well, Barbara, thanks again for your email, but I'm not sure you have the right idea about my "major motion picture". If there is a message, it isn't exactly prevention and treatment. Although it's certainly about healing, mostly through letting go of a lot of the guilt that family-values organizations like your's perpetuate. Anyway, I appreciated the note.

Message from RAM1

I'm back. What the fuck just happened? Did we just shoot a computer fucker movie? If so, why? Did I just watch my brother slam his pelvis into cpu casings for a month? Am I bad brother?

For real though, that was fun. It was also the hardest thing I've ever done, so thank-you to everyone on the cast and crew for keeping my head just slightly above water the whole time. You guys are angels.

We're into the editing and I think it's going well. It's fuuunny. Thank Christ. We're gunning to have a rough cut done in about a month. Julian, my editor, can do it. The dude is cut-throat, merciless.

On the computer fucking research front, I got kind of a threatening email during the shoot...

"You are being watched.
RAMming isn't a joke, Joker.
Watch your back.
And your computer."

It was signed, "RAM1".

After the initial anxiety about my and my computer's well-being (I gotta back-up my files) came the realization that the dude who wrote this is a computer fucker. At least I think that's what he's implying. "RAMming"? Is that what it's called? Wicked!

If you google RAMming, you don't find much. Especially since google ain't case-sensitive.

RAM1, if you're reading this blog, you know I've been looking for you. If you have concerns about the way RAMming is being treated in my film, please contact me again. I would love to discuss further...

Alt. Sex. Fetish. Robot. Documentary

The people at Telefilm Canada clearly have issues, because they've decided to fund my computer fucker movie. WTF!

Dude. I'm so excited. I can't take it. We start shooting in May. Which means we're starting prep like...yesterday. Which means I'm gonna put this blog on hold for awhile. For those 6 people who have been reading, check back in June and I'll tell you how the shoot went, talk about post, etc.

PS In keeping with my research theme...

Thanks to Matt for hipping me to this ASFR documentary. The Real Doll phenomenon is trip-pee. If the movie doesn't work out, maybe I should make robot porn.

The Computer Monster

Telefilm has had our application for a while now. I don't think they like it. We should get back to our DIY philosophy.

Maybe I should have written a film about a guy who eats computers. Jim Henson knew what was funny.

Are You Addicted to Internet Sex?

We had a pretty promising meeting with Telefilm Canada this week. Sounds like they would actually consider funding a computer fucking movie. Are they insane? I always thought we'd have to raise money privately, but who knows. They're gonna take a look at the script.

Found this very useful quiz to see if you're addicted to internet sex...

If you're still reading this blog, you might want to take it...

Internet Sex Screening Test

Custom Case Community

Okay, what's been going on... After a long summer of writing, we showed the second draft to an honest-to-goodness producer, Stephanie, and she loved it too. She thinks its "hillaaarious". So now we got a kick-ass team. We just need money. If you know anyone...

In my never ending quest to find the computer fucker community (still no luck) I stumbled across the huge scene of custom casing fanatics. These dudes (and I do mean dudes) spend shwacks of time and money building sexy computers. Maybe they don't fuck them, but they're definitely in love.

Here's a link to a big discussion forum for the community

There's lots of companies who specialize in this stuff, like Puget Systems.

Heaps of hot and heavy youtube vids, as above, like THIS.

This dude gets downright anatomical in his flickr set...

MC Copulation "I Fucked a Computer"

Well, my brother loves it. My roommate, Lynne, loves it. And my friend Melanie loves it. So the 4 of us have decided to make the fucking thing. Lynne has some ideas about how to raise money. While she does that I'm diving back into writer world. Second draft in 3 months. No prob.

This song makes me so happy. MC Copulation, you bring new meaning to the term "nerd-core". Wherever you are, (Massachusetts?) I sleep better knowing that I'm not the only twisted pervert writing about computer fucking...




MC Copulation "I Fucked a Computer"

MC Copulation (myspace)

HCSI (Human Computer Sexual Interaction)

Finished the first draft. Dude. I'm exhausted.

No. Perspective. I really have no idea if anyone would be interested in watching such a thing. Would you? Anyway, here's an article that makes me think I could be on to something...

"Human computer sexual interaction (HCSI) refers to any and all the ways that humans interact with computers, and more broadly technology, or with each other through technology, in a context that is considered sexual by any or all of the participants."

Cool. It has a name. People are starting to admit that we have sexual relationships with these machines...

Read the full article HERE.

Some peeps, including my brother Tyler who is supposed to play the computer fucker, are reading the draft this week. I'll let you know how it turns out.

PS Found this article about "transference" of intimacy from human to computer! Transference. That's a nice way of putting it.

HERE.

Alt. Sex. Fetish. Robot.

Since I'm having so much fun blogging about music, I thought it might be fun to write about my other obsession...

I've been writing a screenplay called Control Alt Delete, about a guy who fucks computers. The dude has a seeerious internet porn habit that leads to him realizing that he's attracted to the machine itself. Pretty far-fetched, which is the way I like it, but for the sake of "research" I've been googling around trying to find out if anyone actually does this. No luck yet. I'm not getting my hopes up, but I thought I'd share some of the more interesting nooks and crannies of the internet that I've found myself in. Starting with the ASFR scene...

ASFR stands for Alt. Sex. Fetish. Robot., the original user group name for a community who are sexually attracted to robots. Practitioners refer to themselves as "Technosexuals", which is a fabulous word. They're mostly interested in humanoid machines. But still, I'm encouraged that my concept may have some basis in the real world.

Check out this detailed Q&A about ASFR...

http://www.p-synd.com/winterrose/technosexuality.html#1.0