The Modern Romantic - Japhy Grant Screenwriting News Culture Film Hollywood

The End

noreply@blogger.com (Japhy) — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 02:08:00 +0000

Hi folks,

This is my 501st entry on The Modern Romantic, and it will be my last.

I began The Modern Romantic when I moved to Los Angeles, four years ago, with big plans to make it a blog about screenwriting, which is what I moved out here to do. Much like my path over the last four years, this blog has been about everything but screenwriting. Instead, I allowed it to follow my own interests, everything from politics to gay stuff to design to well, mostly myself. Some of you really liked this, some of you didn't, but on the whole, I consider it a success. I'm a sharper writer because of the site and the feedback I've received and a scattershot approach that ultimately helped me focus my interests.

In fact, it's been so successful that I've taken the best parts of it and parlayed them into more focused projects. My love of politics is now directed towards Flaming Politics, the site I run with a diverse panel of gay political junkies. The gay stuff now mostly shows up at Popnography, but also at The Advocate and Out. The personal stuff now resides on Twitter or my Facebook page, which is shamelessly easy to add, though I still ignore all vampire bites.

And if I have to explain the meaning of the name "modern romantic" one more time...

The main reason I'm ending this blog is that, rather than helping me pursue the larger projects I want to do, keeping it updated and fresh is too easy and too tempting a way to procastinate. And in fact, I was in the process of building a new blog, focused on new media, storytelling, film and journalism to replace this one, but in the course of writing this post have realized that doing so right now would be giving myself a diversion from the work I need to be working on.

Throughout my writing career, blogging has helped me immensely and I'm an ardent supporter of the medium, but with my fingers in writing scripts, editing films, directing and pushing my magazine and journalism writing to the next level, blogging right now is a distraction. I love the gratification of being able to write something and have the world see it, but, to quote a Nina Simone recording I've been listening to recently, "You'll use up everything you've got trying to give everybody what they want." I'm so excited to be working on the scripts and stories I'm doing now-- and I think you move people more through stories than through argument, critique or commentary. Also, it's the fun I want to have now.

I'll still be around, of course-- and I'll have a website where you can catch up on what I'm up to, as well as an archive of all my writing (this has been a longtime project of mine) and projects. It'll be at www.japhygrant.com, but I'll link the modernromantic.com domain there automatically when it goes live.

Most of all, I want to thank you readers. There aren't a ton of you, but I know some have been loyal followers and I hope it's been as fun following the development of this blog as it is has been putting it together. For those of you who feel cheated out on a more satisfying ending, well that's life now, isn't it?

See ya later,
-Japhy

Episode Titles for New Season of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"

noreply@blogger.com (Japhy) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 06:02:00 +0000

4.1 Mac and Dennis: Manhunters
4.2 The Guys Solve the Gas Crisis
4.3 Mac and Charlie Die: Part One
4.4 Mac and Charlie Die: Part Two
4.5 Dennis Reynolds: An Erotic Life
4.6 Frank Buys a Billboard
4.7 The Gang Gets Extreme: Home Makeover Edition
4.8 Who Pooped the Bed?
4.9 The Nightman Cometh
4.10 The Gang Cracks the Liberty Bell
4.11 Mac Dates the Waitress
4.12 Sweet Dee Has a Heart Attack
4.13 Paddy¢s Pub: The Worst Bar in Philadelphia

'Nuff said. Starts this Thursday on FX.

What It's Come To

noreply@blogger.com (Japhy) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:59:00 +0000

I can't control myself. My obsession with Sarah Palin and the Triumph of Stupidity is taking over my life. I'm forcing myself away from it through leechblocks. Serenity now!

Electrons on Parade

noreply@blogger.com (Japhy) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 01:12:00 +0000

I'm totally obsessed with this Magnetic Movie from Semiconductor. I've been learning quite a bit about magnetism and string theory and all sorts of fun physics for the screenplay I am working on and came across Semiconductor's work in the process. Really interesting stuff that speaks for itself.

Hairy or Smooth, They're VGL Gay Boys

noreply@blogger.com (Japhy) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:45:00 +0000

Here's my first video podcast (still can't say 'vlog') for Popnography. It's an interview with VGL Gay Boys, Jeffery Self and Cole Escola, who are performing their show Party n' Play at Joe's Pub this Sunday in NYC. I'll be there. Will you?

The Naked Ladies & I

noreply@blogger.com (Japhy) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:55:00 +0000

I'm one of the writers on The Advocate's current cover story "The Naked Truth" featuring artful nudes of regular LGBT folk talking about their body image. By luck (or the greediness of the other male reporters), I got four wonderful women to talk to. I was there for the shoot and it was beautiful to watch each of them get comfortable with their bodies (some more than others) and then speak so openly about the issues they've faced and the way they've come to love their bodies. I wonder if the guys talked in the same way.

The profiles I did are Amanda Grumman, Shawnee Harkins, Amy Rangel & Alexandra Gibson.

What's your body image story? What body parts do you like the most and like the least? For me, I like my chest, since it's something I've worked on (as opposed to my eyes, which are pretty, but just genetics) and the thing I like the least are the love handles I can't seem to lose.

Beyond Blogging: How Twitter is Changing Journalism

noreply@blogger.com (Japhy) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:01:00 +0000

Last week, I spoke at the National Lesbian & Gay Journalist's Convention, along with Shana Naomi Krochmal in a workshop on using Twitter in journalism. It was a fun and exciting overview of the techniques freelance and staff reporters can use to make Twitter work for them-- as well as the occasional Matthew Mitcham photo thrown in for dramatic effect.

A recording is now available if you want to listen to the workshop yourself or get the convention podcast through iTunes and listen to many of the panels.

I think it went pretty well and we've ben asked to do the workshop in L.A. in the near future. If you have any comments or further thoughts on twitter and journalism, or how "social media" is affecting reporting, let me know. In the meantime, you can follow me on Twitter here.

Bon Chic Bon Ads

noreply@blogger.com (Japhy) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 22:12:00 +0000

The ad campaign videos I directed for BCBG are up! You can check them out by going to www.maxazria.com and www.herveleger.com and clicking 'Collection' and then 'Video'.

These were real one-man band affairs. I shot the pieces, edited them, did all the motion graphics. Thankfully for your ears, I didn't have a hand in the music. Both were a lot of fun to shoot and I learned a lot about the fashion industry in the process. It was also a real trip working with model Amy Wesson on the Herve Leger piece.

Hope you enjoy!

Faster, Swifter, Popnography-er

noreply@blogger.com (Japhy) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 19:23:00 +0000

Obsessed with the Olympics? Catch my continuing coverage of the games over on Popnography. From the lighting of the flame to why it's okay to oggle the divers, I'll be doing my impersonation of a sports writer, albeit without the needless machismo. I'm comfortable with my masulinity, thanks.

The Engagement Will Be Televised, Er- Streamed

noreply@blogger.com (Japhy) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:20:00 +0000

My little brother Mike and his long-time girlfriend, Jen got engaged over the weekend. Obsession with the Internets runs deep in our family, so it's not a huge surprise that their engagement already has a website and YouTube video (above) detailing the incredibly elaborate way my brother proposed, which involved, among other things, Leon Czolgosz, the assassin of John McKinley.

I'm the boring one in the family.

But seriously, how awesomely cool is that? Not just Mike's treasure hunt, but the fact that Jen was able to solve it and that Mike knew Jen well enough to know she would get it? That's real love, folks. Congrats to them both and I look forward to more mojo from them soon.

David Lynch Does Not Like Your iPhone

noreply@blogger.com (Japhy) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:20:00 +0000

David Lynch, rejecting the revolution. I think he's right, by the way. Why waste your time watching something designed to be seen on the big screen on a tiny phone? What he misses is that you don't blame the medium. Just as filmmakers decried TV before shows like Soprano's and Six Feet Under and Lost found what's artful about the medium, so it goes with mobile media. Porting Mullholland Drive to your iPhone is a waste, but there's a great artful phone film out there-- it just hasn't been made.

New mediums are everywhere these days. They call for new ways of conceiving and telling stories. Get real.

See you in the Fall!

noreply@blogger.com (Japhy) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:37:00 +0000

Let's face it. School's out for summer. I'm off writing scripts, working on shoots and the next month I'll be travelling to the East Coast for conferences and family time and drinks on rooftops in Brooklyn. There's great stuff at Flaming Politics and you can read my weekly contributions to Popnography, or follow me on Twitter or browse the photo feed up above and then there's my constantly updated reading list in the sidebar so, you know- it's not like I'm going away, really. But for the time being I'm taking a blogging break. I like blogging, but I'm worried I'm producing all noise and no signal.

Now that I've written this, I'm sure I'll break my promise right away, but til September tMR is on a vacation schedule. Go fishing. Take a hike. I'll be here when you get back.

It's the Size of the (Big Penis) Book That Matters

noreply@blogger.com (Japhy) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:02:00 +0000

Taschen's The Big Penis Book had its release party in Los Angeles last night. Over at Popnography, I size it up in a brief (get it?) article.

...And They're Always Glad You Came

noreply@blogger.com (Japhy) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:52:00 +0000

Logo's released it 50 Best Gay Bars in America list and if you check out the list, you can read my write-up on three of them: L.A.'s The Abbey, New York's Pieces and El Paso's O.P. Daniel Nardicio mentions Denver's Tracks and says "It's better than anything New York's had in years." He's absolutely right.

And Japhy said "Let There Be Dancing Carnivores!"

noreply@blogger.com (Japhy) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 21:09:00 +0000

I suck at video games. The only shoot em' up I was ever any good at was Mega Man 3 and maybe, Time Bandits at the video arcade. But, I love Will Wright and Maxis games. The appeal of games like Civilization and The Sims is that they engage your imagination in the same way reading a book does. In Civ, I would imagine my Babylonians, who had lived in isolation on an island continent for a thousand years, responding to the arrival of the first English explorer by saying "Well, they're going to have to go" and then waging a war of extinction to serve as an example to the rest of the world. In The Sims, I would create characters inspired by my friends that would all hit on our neighbors, The Goths.

Now, Maxis and Will Wright are releasing the ultimate "god game", called Spore. Coming in September, the game is actually five-in-one. You start with single cell organisms and wind-up as a spacefaring terraforming super society. In anticipation, Maxis has released a free demo of the Spore character creator. It's a fascinating system that allows you to create a huge diversity of creatures, but simply and intuitively. The character creator is just the beginning and the creatures you create will wind up in the final game, as Maxis plans on seeding planets with user-created animals. In the meantime, the software allows you to upload your animal and even directly create a YouTube video of the lil' critters.

Check out my first attempt at creating life in the video above. I've named it the Japhex. It's highly predatory, but also charming. Also, it has a thing for hip-hop.

Learn more about Spore and download the free character creator here.

Get to Know Your Bullet Train

noreply@blogger.com (Japhy) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 02:44:00 +0000

Californians will get the opportunity to vote on a high-speed rail bond in November. Before you all start shouting "Monorail!", take a look at this short video that the CA High Speed Rail Authority has put together. As any driver knows, the state's current transportation infrastructure is stretched to capacity and while we could build more roads and more airports, the result will be more pollution and more congestion. California's uniquely positioned to take advantage of high-speed rail. And imagine a world where you hop the Metro down to Union Station, grab the train and two and a half hours later, you're in San Francisco. I can't wait to board the Friday 6'oclock party car.

Do You Like Comedy?

noreply@blogger.com (Japhy) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:05:00 +0000

I used to get asked that all the time when I lived in New York. People would come up on the street and ask you "Do you like comedy?" and then rope you into "free tickets" to see a show with a $15 drink minimum. "No", I would answer, "Do you have any tragedy or a good epic ballad?" and then they would say , "Dick", but I would have moved on.

I've always wondered if my dislike of comedians stems from my long-held fear of clowns. There's just something creepy about people who's goal is to make you laugh. "Look at me, aren't I funny?" they say. To which I reply, "No, please stop making me watch your public displays of insecurity." Actually, it's not public displays of insecurity that bother me. I mean, that would make me a hypocrite. It's the idea that you sell your insecurity and neuroses as something to laugh at. "You're gonna love this one!", you tell me, but I'm just mad because you've deprived me of the chance to laugh at you, by obligating me to laugh with you.

But since this is "Let There Be Love" week here at tMR, let me say that all the stuff I just said doesn't apply to Jon LaJoie, who's a genius. He's caught the eyes of Will Ferrell and Howard Stern, but don't hold that against this everyday normal guy from Montreal.

This Week's Goal: Let There Be Love

noreply@blogger.com (Japhy) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 07:10:00 +0000

You might have been noticing in the Twitter updates, each week I've been setting for myself a big picture goal. So far, I've been getting a lot out of it. Last week's, "one step after the other" was a big success and thinking about these macro-sized things and making them into weekly mantra's can be helpful when you get stressed.

This week's mantra is born out of two things; the first, being the death of Tim Russert, who was one of my heroes. I talk about Russert's influence on me as a journalist over at Flaming Politics, but he's a hero to me because of the way he conducted his life. He was aggressive, tough and successful, but remained true to his roots, cared deeply about passing on his knowledge as much as he was excited about absorbing others and brought passion to all the arenas of his life. I believe, and try to live out, that success should never change who you are, because who you are is what makes you successful. Tim clearly embodied that axiom. Here's a guy who worked relentlessly, put his family first and still showed a generosity of spirit to everyone he met, no matter who they were or where they came from.

The second reason I'm keeping "Let There Be Love" in my head this week is that I'm making real headway on the screenplay and it's reminding me why I love writing stories: They surprise you. I keep referring to the movies as "Close Encounters", because I want to do a big, fantastical commercial film that's grounded in an everyday reality. But the surprise over the weekend is that I'm realizing that what I'm writing is an anti-apocalyptic movie. The usual summer blockbuster is about the world put in peril by a killer storm/alien/large rock of kryptonite and someone comes along and beats up someone else and somehow the world is saved. I think I'm writing a film that inverts that formula a bit. The end of the world always seems just around the corner, be it by the hand of war or science or religion and sometimes it does come, whether its in Darfur, on the beaches of Normandy or on the 82nd Floor of Tower One, but we keep living. In the face of apocalypse, humanity doesn't run screaming into the night; we endure. We don't have the luxury of Superman, so we survive through love.

Now, I just need to, you know- make it sell to the 14-28 year old males. Good thing I put in explosions and hot chicks.

Plot-o-Rama

noreply@blogger.com (Japhy) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 03:50:00 +0000

"CARRIE: I knew he didn't want to find the skull with me. I pushed him and pushed him. I knew he'd already found the skull with two other women. I'm so stupid. And now I'm all alone in this waterfall in the sky inhabited by Aztecs." Excerpts from Sex and the City and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
"And remember the time Clint (Clint Ritchie) was knocked unconscious and time-traveled to the Wild West? Carlivati will riff on that plot, too. "Bo (Robert S. Woods) and Rex (John-Paul Lavoisier) are hit by lightning and wake up in 1968 — the same year OLTL hit the air," Carlivati says." My old bread-and-butter, One Life to Live is revisiting some of its most famous plots to celebrate the show's 40th anniversary.

Designer Vomit for Sale on Craigslist for $25k

noreply@blogger.com (Japhy) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:55:00 +0000

Picture it: Christmas of 1962. Designer George Nelson is chugging Brandy Alexander's at a party in beautiful Zeeland, Michigan. Isamu Noguchi is there and Nelson keeps pestering him, saying loudly "You gotta have some 'nog, Nog." Noguchi tries to ignore him, but Nelson's on a tear. He steps over towards the crendenza and announces "Here! I'll even make one for ya, Noggy!", but never gets the last word out. Why not? Because he blows chunks instead, all over the beautiful credenza. Then he slips, cracks his head on the corner and passes out on top of it.

The party looks on, aghast.

Noguchi walks over to Nelson, pulls out his camera and takes a photo of his besotted friend. "There's your fucking eggong, Nelson. Merry Christmas!"

40 years later: The credenza is for sale! Somebody shellacked George Nelson's vomit and blood, so that it could be savored for future generations of mid-century modernist/alcoholic admirers. And while you'd think the bodily fluids of one of the seminal forces of American Modernism isn't something you could put a price tag on, turns out you can. You can get your very own bit-o-George Nelson for $25,000-- on Craigslist, naturally: Credenza included.

FlamingPolitics.com Now in Beta

noreply@blogger.com (Japhy) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 04:08:00 +0000

As frequent visitors to this site know, I've been slowly plugging away at a long-term plan for web domination. A small step in the plan's been taken with the soft-release of FlamingPolitics.com. Take a look.

One of the things I love about this site is that it's a free-for-all. Whatever interests me, I write about it. However, this is a terrible way to build a successful website, so I'm in the process of splitting my interests across a few different sites. I'm still not sure what to do with The Modern Romantic. Should I turn it into a new media, writing, creativity blog (as I've been doing the last couple weeks) or should I keep it a personal blog about myself? Would it be better to move all the portfolio stuff over to my own personal website or have I branded the site as "Japhy Grant's website about Japhy Grant" so much that you're all saying "What's the point?" Let me know your thoughts.

Fritz Haeg, Dwell on Design Hits L.A.

noreply@blogger.com (Japhy) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 23:56:00 +0000

I have a piece on L.A. artist Fritz Haeg up on Out.com. Tomorrow, I'll be downtown at the Dwell on Design conference, where Haeg is a featured speaker. Expect Twitter updates.

Uh-Oh. Video of Michelle Obama Ranting About "Whitey" Leaked

noreply@blogger.com (Japhy) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:47:00 +0000

We've heard the rumors, and it seems that someone in the RNC (or maybe a disaffected Hillary supporter?) has released what everyone up 'til now thought was a fairy tale: A video of Michelle Obama at a Louis Farrakhan audience talking about a dude named "Whitey" and saying some rather uncharitable things about him. I guess Larry Johnson was right after all. Bob Beckel called it! G.O.P. strategist Roger Stone was on the money when he said "What other reason would [Hillary] have for staying in the race than this video?"

Once you see the video (link below-- it's too gut-wrenching to embed on this page) I think you'll see what a big mistake America has made in nominating Barack Obama. No matter how affirming of the ideals of America, how much the world embraces his vision of America, no matter how adept at foreign policy, no matter how many stadia he fills with people seeking genuine transformative change in this country, nothing makes up for this. I thought this was just a lie being perpetuated by rabid partisan Clintonista's (like HillBuzz) desperate to give their failed candidate another nanosecond of spotlight. I was convinced that their gambit was nothing more than a pathetic attempt at Rovian innuendo, a sad embarrassing graceless note to the funeral dirge that is the Clinton hold on the Democratic Party.

But I was wrong. I apologize. Clinton people, you were right all along.

Here's the video. I have to thank The Economist for pointing this out first.

The Muppets Take "Manhattan"

noreply@blogger.com (Japhy) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:38:00 +0000

Because it's Wednesday and you need to laugh. Thanks to Charlie for this. Just so you know, I think Animal totally steals the scene.

Brain Bombs: New Ideas to Think About

noreply@blogger.com (Japhy) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 21:32:00 +0000

My goal this week is to "take chances" as those of you following my Twitter account already know. Here are some great ideas worth looking at and thinking about to get you thinking about what kind of chances you might take this week.

My favorite chef, Mark Bittman talks about "What's Wrong with What We Eat" via TEDTalks. Thanks to Corey for pointing this out. If you like this, I recommend checking out Bittman's Minimalist column in the NYTimes. Us foodies read a lot of recipes, but these are ones I find myself actually cooking. He also has his own blog, Bitten.
Cut down on the Ron Popiel automated iced chai latte makers and specialized glass cleaners (one for tinted, one for clear!) by embracing Urawaza, the Japanese habit of utilitarian thriftiness. Clean socks with marbles, Thanks to Nick, for this one.
Spanish designer Agustin Otegui is rocking my world right now. From creating a nano skin of mini wind turbines that could clad a building and generate power to a chair made out of two shovels, he's finding elegant solutions to complex problems. I found this one all on my own.
And finally, if you want to really blow your brain, listen to Susan Blackmore talk about one of my favorite topics: memes.