Heaven Like A Twinkie

No one likes a shitstorm

Heaven is like a Twinkie in the bottom of your lunch sack. Something you might look forward to, tastes good going down, but in the end is a bunch of crap.

If there is a pleasant home to go to, then I guess not much matters. With cruelties, suffer them and let them go.

But if the powerful and cruel are all there is, then there are many creatures who get nothing but a shitstorm of degradation and abuse at the will of others for the entirety of their life and then it ends.

So, just in case, pull people out of the shitstorm when you can. It might be all they have.

The Grass Is Green

When you think you're taking up space, wasting oxygen and others time.

When you believe that you will never take your own life, but you spend your days searching in vain for some alternative to your despair.

When God either doesn't exist or doesn't answer.

Drugs and alcohol offer only side effects.

Your body is free to come and go, but you suffer inside a prison of your mind.

Regress.

Forgotten all you know.

Watch as others re-invent the same wheel you re-invented in your own youth, then march to the podium to claim victory and spoils as you fall to the wayside.

Realize you have only succeeded in some esoteric manner, which they tell you only so you don't have to face the fact you have not succeeded at all...

Change something, or suffer purgatory.

Grass is green somewhere, brother.

Lay down in it.

Smokin' Good

Mac n' Cheese

But First...

I have started another blog.

49th Films will focus on screenwriting and filmmaking, with an emphasis on Alaskan writers and filmmakers.

Whenever I visit one of my favorite blogs they are all pretty specific on what their subject matter is. Barnyard Devil began as a personal writing exercise and never stopped. It will continue until the tank runs dry, but...

... 49th Films will strive to stay on topic.

On That Note

Been feeling particularly down this year, even with all my good fortunes. So I thought of as many great restaurant meals as I could remember.

Great meals are among my fondest memories. Right up there with travel, sex, and firefighting.

Now I focused on restaurant meals, but that doesn't mean I have forgotten all the homemade ones, or those made by friends.

Those cannot be beat.

No restaurant meal - not even the most fantastic restaurant meal I have ever had hands down second to none, that stupendous meal Rhonda and I had at Melisse in Los Angeles - no restaurant meal compares to great home cooking.

Something about taking the time to get the sauce right, a good base, the extra care when it's a friend or family member's special occasion.

The back-deck in summer, creek running, cold beer in hand, and that home-made razor-clam chowder comes out... Or that sockeye fillet, cooked in foil over briquettes and still moist, almost raw, inside... Or homemade chili, cooked down for hours, seventeen different flavors in every bite (ok, maybe sixteen)... Pasta sauces from scratch, on your second bottle of wine by the time dinner is served... Smoked salmon strips, with alder, hickory or mesquite for hours, dried to a sticky kippered-like jerky...

Like The Smoked Salmon I'm Eating Right Now

Yes folks, this may be a cruel tease for you, but I made sure I had relief in hand before I whetted my own appetite.

Just finished smoking a second batch. Some friends brought us some sockeye they had vacu-sealed as we didn't make it dipnetting last summer.

None too soon.

To begin the smoke-salmon cravings this early usually leads to drooling frustration, counting the days until the first salmon runs begin. But like I said - I had relief close by.

Can't have your cake and eat it too, though.

Staring at the deep red strips coated in spices and brown sugar can make for a wonderful evening, but you have to dig in a some point.

And then it is difficult to stop --

Oh Yeah, Restaurant Meals

Melisse, as mentioned. I never thought I could go gaga for a soft-boiled egg appetizer. And it wasn't just the food, the service as well. Fork dirty? It's already been replaced. For us, maybe a once in a lifetime dining event, which is cool, cuz it wasn't cheap.

Ca 'Del Sole, also in Los Angeles. Fantastic beef carpaccio with capers and parmesan, and an excellent gnocci in duck ragout. Ate there many times.

Giraffe, Los Angeles. Whatever soup was in that shot glass to start the meal off was of the 'I'll have another right now' kind of good.

Q-Shack, Durham, North Carolina. BBQ sandwiches and (when available) home-made buttercream frosted cupcakes.

Actually most any of the BBQ we ate during our stay in the American Southeast. While living in Durham we took a drive up to see friends in New England and along the way hit some awesome BBQ joint in Delaware - name and town escape me, sorry.

Fao Fao Beach Fales, Saleapanga, Samoas. The palusami they made us is my favorite dish ever.

Some sushi place in Honolulu, Hawaii. Name doesn't really matter, the memory is there. One of those 'eat what the chef puts in front of you' places. Great fish, but the best part was being treated to an excellent (and probably very expensive) bottle of sake by the two Japanese women we sat next to.

Diaz Cafe, Ketchikan, Alaska. I'm serious now. Some great Philippine cooking.

Having A Bad Day? Eat Something

Can't say that everyone. For some it would be like telling an alcoholic to crack a fifth when they're having a bad day.

But I can tell myself that.

And if there isn't a great meal nearby, remember one. And then open that box of Mac n' cheese and suck it up.

Harmful Impulses

Intense core conflict

Just because 'time heals all wounds' doesn't mean you should act on a harmful impulse.

Took Sadie up Twenty-Mile today to play and listen to the ice cracking and shifting. Hard to make a film that shows the beauty of ice shifting and cracking so I left the camera home this time.

After a few quick tennis-ball throws (she has an injured shoulder), we sat on the river's edge and listened to the cracks and occasional deeper sounding 'whumps'.

Those are awesome and scary. They reverberate up and down river both directions and let you know something serious could be coming.

Sadie gave a few concerned looks, so I took her off the ice and higher onto the bank.

She relaxed. The wind got in her face more and she loves that.


Nostrils working overtime.

I've been alternating between Twenty-Mile river and Portage valley.

The other day we trekked through new snow towards Byron Glacier trail in Portage, then headed off down a frozen creek-bed towards the lake.

Only footprints were moose and rabbit.

Came across a little blood in the snow and found where a moose had shed one of its antlers.

We looked for the other one, but didn't find it. Hopefully he didn't have to walk around off-balance for too long.

I had my Go-Pro camera this day, and with the wind whipping dry snow across the ice I stopped to try and capture some shots ala the opening of The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser:

[Wind blowing through grain-field]
'Can you here the screaming? The screaming men call silence?'

After the antler find, the creek-bed grew narrower, the alders thicker.

Sadie went on leash cause I was trying to: Watch for moose, film swirling snow, not break through the ice, enjoy being alone in the silence...

I have never found silence to be screaming - although if you watch 'Kaspar Hauser' you'll better understand the movie quote above.

Desert silence is peaceful.

My favorite places are deserts. Hot or cold, wind-whipped, seemingly barren.


Their silence isn't really devoid of actual sound, but it does let you see things clearer. At least it helps me clear my jumbles.

Silence in a relationship screams.

Any relationship - friend, lover, husband, wife, co-worker.

Silence screams loud enough for people to take to the roof ledge sometimes.

Ever experience one of those long, silent screams? Goes on for months, then years, then seemingly a lifetime?

If you live long enough, time will heal that wound.

But why put yourself through it?

The best films usually strike a nerve (funny, sad, whatever) because they have managed to create intense conflict at their core. So if your life begins to sound like the quote from a movie, you probably have some intense conflict at the core.

If it didn't, though, would you be any happier?

Probably bored.

Which is why we act on harmful impulses.

And then spend long hours in sand and ice deserts trying to find peace again.

The Money-Pig Lesson

Overheard at Anchorage coffee-shop. Three friends, two were apparently trying to school the third on how not to follow in their ill-fated footsteps in regards to job competition. Written from memory and artistic license taken. Enjoy, cuz I sure did...

Welcome, Friends

Did he really tell them 'Get the fuck out of Alaska'?

He did.

Just pretending to speak their language, so they would feel comfortable enough to hire him. Thinking they were in good hands.

What a pitch. Quite the salesman.

You might think he was full of shit, but he was simply giving them a snow-job.

Right up to the trendy non-prescription glasses.

He even knew when to throw in some humility: 'Now, that I can't help you with.'

After he let them know how helpful he could be ... Wow. He's so honest. Our guy.

And he was ... Their guy

Hey Guy

That's right, you.

She let him have it with that one. The way she said 'guy'.

Meant 'that's not cool' ... You are not cool.

I was working that angle before you even knew they were in town. I gave them your name for fuck's sake!

Fucker. Show some real humility. Not 'no, I don't need a coffee' humility.

And don't you dare flirt with me. You're a disgusting pig and you fart falseys.

After The Ball

The truth hangs around long after the dance.

She saw him for what he was when everyone else was sweet on him, drunk from spiked punch.

Now it's plain to see.

Except it doesn't matter. He's been paid. They got their money's worth. She's left holding a bag of 'what really happened'

If anyone cares to look.

Sour grapes, they might say.

So she swallows her humiliation and anger, hoping she can digest it and not carry it around inside her.

Can You Believe Those Pansy Jerkwads

Fleeced 'em.

You should have fleeced them as well. Get on board, boy. You're not doing yourself, or us, any favors trying to be their friend.

They ain't you're friend. You're a novelty to them, so sell them the novelty. Up the ass.

You are so full of shit. You're of no real help at all. They're going to nod, and jump, and slap your back, and look like fools in the process.

And then they will be gone, and I will be paid.

Get the fuck out of Alaska?

Damn straight. And stay out. And when their friends come up to get some we will treat them as the wide-eyed gapers they are. Guide them through the pitfalls of this magic foreign land.

You are a truck load of bad juju. For them, you, and all the rest of us.

I'm paid motherfucker.

You'll get yours

Uh-huh.

And Here Comes The Bus

Get on board motherfucker, ain't time to waste. You want to come peacefully, or do we need to cattleprod your ass onto this bus?

Now sit and shut and and we'll explain what's happening over the next couple days -- Bathroom in the rear, make sure to pump the tank or it gets ripe for all of us.

The money-pig is here.

Ain't nothing else to it.

See?

We're breaking this bank open before it rolls on somewhere else.

You follow?

Gold rush

And we're selling shovels.

Trickle out, not down

Also trickles in ... to well-positioned pockets.

All about money

Hey. If money can change how a person votes, it most definitely can change the comfort of your mattress.

Competition

Is always tough.

You're always being sized up.

If you catch yourself stewing over some minor foul, heads up. You're already on the tracks and chances are you're about to be railroaded.

Friends, turned enemies, will be friends again. So watch out.

Surf outside waters only when prepared. And at peril.

Oh, and...

Never strike in anger.

Ambitious No-Budget Labor Of Love

The Treasure of Hard Times

Hello Re-writes

Two of my screenplays recently made semi-finalists for Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope screenplay competition this year.

That's three different scripts over past couple years (another made semis in Nicholl Fellowship competition).

Nothing more than carrots really, but I love them. Keeps me moving forward.

I re-read each script immediately, convinced I have something good this time, and end up wondering how the hell it made it as far as it did!

So, another re-write to get it up to snuff.

Like I said, keeps me from looking back.

Goodbye Girdwood

My Leaving A Town posts from a few years back addressed this in passionate detail, so I'll keep it simple this time...

I returned to Girdwood. Didn't want to, for fear I'd get stuck here.

Got stuck.

House is really for sale this time, though.


Good thing I'm in not position to buy the others shares in the house, or I might.

Then I'd really be stuck. My promise to myself was to not be in Girdwood a day past August 31st, 2010.

Fuck it. I've kept enough promises during my life.

Now I've promised never to keep another promise.

Kind of win/win.

See You Again Real Soon

I realize I haven't posted since last September.

Kind of took a break, cruised off some of the older posts for a while.

Fun watching which posts keep getting attention. Not always the one's I like, or where I thought I did my best writing, but the ones you might expect would get hit by people with so many links and so little time.


Does it have a pretty picture? A how-to article? A famous (or almost famous) person?

Your chances improve.

Someone trying to emulate Kurt Vonnegut, John Steinbeck, e.e. cummings?

Yeah...no. Too many links, too little time.

I spend way more time on the internet than I ever did watching the boob-tube as a kid.

Although I am watching lots of DVDs lately. At least one a night. Sometimes two.

It's been a cold winter.



Movies I've Watched Lately:

Hard Times - Revisit this even if you've seen it before. Definitely watch it if you never have. Charles Bronson at peak of his form. If you want more proof how powerful a performance can be with few words go to IMDb page for Hard Times, under 'opinions' click on post titled 'Everything Chaney says in the movie'.

Black Swan - A woman at my nephew's hockey game couldn't believe I liked this movie. She asked if it was because of the 'lesbian stuff'. Yes...no. But I thought it one of the best pictures of the year and had lesbian and masturbation scenes. Natalie Portman amazed me in this. Definitely dark, though. Not for Adam Sandler die-hards.

True Grit - Didn't like it. I think everyone is afraid to tell the Coen brothers if anything of theirs isn't working, because they are the Coen brothers and have made many good films. Every actor (except Matt Damon and the guy who barters with Mattie over horses) talked as if they were kids playing 'cowboys and indians'. Jeff Bridges carried no weight in my opinion. He tried to act like he had some 'true grit', but it came across as theatrical. In the original, John Wayne embodied 'true grit'. I don't care if you hated his politics, blah, blah, his was the stronger performance. None of our heroes are so great if you hold them to the light anyway, so put away your Wayne hating and rent the original.

Trail Of '98 - Silent black & white about Alaskan Gold Rush. Wow. Holds up very well, and (I think) hits many bullet-points of that story in history. Better film than many today. The effects during the avalanche scene are very cool. Old-school layering of film. Visually more effective and powerful than many modern computer effects. This is listed in my 'history of film in Alaska' post, where I mentioned the budget was two million. Seems quite a bit for the time, but it is a very ambitious project. Get it at your local library (along with many other classics)!

Stone - With Robert DeNiro, Edward Norton, Milla Jovovich. I really enjoyed this film. I couldn't tell if it was good writing, solid acting, or great direction and editing - maybe all the above - but this film was solid and consistent.

Goodbye Solo - Love films that draw me in through character and pacing without having any idea where it's going. Not the type of script I imagine gets taught in 'so you wanna sell a screenplay' courses. Interestingly, the role of 'Crackhead taxi passenger' is played by Angus MacLachlan, who is the writer of 'Stone'.

Outland - Older Sean Connery outer-space flick. Bit of an 'Alien' feel in atmosphere (no space monster though). Not bad. They went to great detail to create the, well, details of life as a space-miner. Actually reminded me of life at McMurdo station in Antarctica. Climax was a bit generic.


The Passenger - With the recent death of Maria Schneider we decided to check out this film by Michelangelo Antonioni. I had never seen it despite my early years as an art-house film nerd. Enjoyed it. Another example of a story slowly unfolding through character and pacing, but gained my interest with every new moment. My favorite part is the final shot. Must have ran an entire can of film for one shot, but lots of detail in it. Oh yeah, Jack Nicholson stars as well.

The Tourist - Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie. Why was this released?

Social Network - You've all seen it, and most likely enjoyed it. If you haven't, it starts off very strong and keeps going for a good while, but by the end I no longer cared. Bong hits, naked chicks, Justin Timberlake, young people making tons of money, friends getting screwed over. Makings of a good film, right? Well, it is technically solid all the way round. Thing is, I can watch 'Hard Times' and look forward to seeing it again down the line. With Social Network I don't think I could sit through it again.

Treasure Of The Sierra Madre - I bought it and don't regret a penny of it. Bogart.

Jonah Hex - The 'Hell hounds coming for you in death' was a cool, scary idea. Other than that the movie was boring. No tension.

Red - Older movie stars playing older CIA agents. We enjoyed this. Some fun moments. Nothing special, but good rental with pizza and wine. Type of film that feels shallow when it's over, but if you've had enough wine and pizza you just fall asleep and forget about it.

Misty Isle Out - Yes, after almost five years of avoiding it, I popped in a DVD copy of my own film. I actually thought I might never watch it again, but recently it was suggested by a friend that it would be nice to see it get some kind of distribution. 'Misty' was made before the digital age was really in full swing, and I realize now there are places it might find a home online. I'm sure anyone who read my take on the Coen brothers 'True Grit' will happily let me know how much my movie sucks. As for my personal take, jury's still out.

Probably impossible to critique your own work, so I will call it an 'Ambitious no-budget labor of love.'

Which is sometimes how life begins.

This Movie Was Shot In Alaska

A Sleigh Load of Squaws

Alaska As Location

Since we've been on the subject of Alaska creating a tax-incentive to bring more 'Hollywood to Alaska' I decided to look into what has actually been filmed in Alaska over the years.

I started with a visit to the internet movie database (IMDb) and searched 'locations' for any project listing Alaska as a shooting location. There turned out to be thirteen pages of project titles. These included movies, television, and documentaries.

Many of these projects were not shot entirely in Alaska, but Alaska did serve as a location. Sometimes just for a scenic (2nd unit) shot of a glacier, river, or mountains.

Alaska Film Office

As mentioned in earlier posts, the Alaska Film Office has been brought back to life to join in the tax-incentive game some states are offering in order to entice the money and jobs a Hollywood production can drop in your lap.

Though it is not uncommon for a film to have locations in multiple states, the tax incentive is based on shooting the bulk of the production in the state in which it is offered. Essentially, the more money you spend here, the more we will return to you.

Part of the argument presented by Alaskan based film production people who worked to get a tax incentive approved was that:

We are tired of seeing Alaska as the subject of a movie that wasn't even shot here! If it takes place in Alaska, shoot it in Alaska! We have qualified people too, and we'd like those jobs!

And with the current production Everybody Loves Whales shooting entirely (I think) in Alaska, that is a big step towards that goal. There have been local hires, and money is definitely being spent in businesses around Anchorage.

Alaska Irony

The ironic thing is that if Alaska succeeds in establishing itself as an offshoot of Hollywood, as Louisiana, New Mexico, and North Carolina have, it will mean movies that aren't based in Alaska will be shot here as well.

Those states have all doubled for other locales because their incentive programs were attractive to the bottom line. It didn't matter where the movie was supposed to take place.

A friend of mine recently had a feature film he wrote shot in New Orleans even though the story was originally set in Philadelphia. In this case New Orleans did not actually double as Philadelphia, instead the story was re-written to take place in New Orleans.

Shows you how powerful the tax incentive money carrot can be.

In the past Hollywood has used Canada and (the former) Yugoslavia in much the same way. If the language is dollar-saving, anyplace can be made to look like anywhere.

We may soon see Alaska doubling for Minnesota, New England, Washington...

Alaska's Film History (User Notes)

Listed are some of the projects that have been shot in Alaska (whether the entire project, or simply a scenic shot of a tree).

I say 'some' because when we shot Misty Isle Out in 1995 I did a little research to see if an independent film had already been shot in Alaska...

Turned out a few had been, but never saw the light of a projector, and some were never really documented in press or otherwise.

Much of the information gathered is from IMDb.

Next to each title I put type of project, where in Alaska it was filmed (when available), and the occasional bit of trivia. If an exact location isn't listed I use 'AK'.

Alaska became a state in 1959, so many of the titles listed pre-statehood may be of interest to Alaskana connoisseurs in terms of historical content.

Earliest noted film is from 1898, the documentary Pack Train at Chilkoot Pass, and the most current listed production is Universal Pictures Everybody Loves Whales starring Drew Barrymore and slated for release in 2012.

As one might guess (since we are talking about Alaska's film history) most of the titles are documentaries, but there are a number of lower-budget features listed I had not heard of being shot up here.

To help see what has been shot in Alaska, next to each title I put:

• 'feature' - feature films
  
• 'doc' - documentaries
  
• 'TV' - television (doc or episodic)
  
• 'short' - short subjects
  

Some of the titles really invite you to track down a video copy and make a big bowl of popcorn, such as, Attack of the Flesh Devouring Space Worms from Outer Space (1998), or, Jugular Wine: A Vampire Odyssey (1994).

By far my favorite year for titles is 1903...

These short-documentary titles are both intriguing, such as, Working A Long Tom Rocker on Bonanza Creek, and tell you exactly what you're getting, for instance, A Sleigh Load of Squaws.

I had personal interest in films shot in Ketchikan, Alaska, as that is where I first resided when we moved to this state in 1975. There are quite a few, probably the most well known of which is the 1954 feature Cry Vengeance, shot entirely in Ketchikan and showing off a historical view of the town.

Ketchikan also served as location for my independent film Misty Isle Out, as well as Baywatch: White Thunder at Glacier Bay... Never thought I'd see those two titles in the same sentence.

I also seem to remember an episode of Love Boat being shot in Ketchikan, but it is not listed here.

As mentioned before not every project shot in Alaska has been documented, so if you know of any others (especially independent features, of which I suspect there are a few more out there) please leave a note in the comment section.

Now, make a pot of coffee, sit back, and enjoy Alaska's film history...



Finally, the Titles (Boy, this has become a thesis paper)

2012

Everybody Loves Whales - feature; Anchorage, Barrow;

Wulf - feature; AK; Lucy Liu (rumored); also listed in New Orleans, is a tax-incentive battle brewing?

2011

Star Tours: The Adventures Continue - AK; promo for Disneyland/Star Wars attraction

On the Ice - feature; Barrow; based on short 'Sikumi' which won Sundance Jury prize in 2008

2010

A Traveler's Guide to the Planet - TV doc; Barrow

The Nine Muses - doc; AK

Christmas with a Capital C - feature; Seward; stars Daniel Baldwin of Baldwin brothers

Voyage to the Planets - TV doc; Barrow

Miracles - TV; AK

Moose Attack - TV (reality); Anchorage

Terra Infirma - feature; AK; director has lot of credits, my favorite title is 'Tyrannosaurus Azteca'

The Recruit - short; Anchorage; says was written, shot, edited in 8 days

Smokejumpers - doc; AK

Junk Dreams - doc; AK; this sounds cool: 2 brothers in their 70s sail Chinese Junk from WA to AK

Norte a Sur: Una Ruta, 5 experiencas - TV (reality); Anchorage

Mnemosyne - doc; AK

Jack London: Twentieth-Century Man - doc; AK

Echoes of Creation - TV movie; AK

Alaska's Amazing Calving Glaciers - doc (short); AK

Kids Quest - Anchorage; not sure what this is, follows kid agents on adventures submitted by other kids

Alaska's Scenic Byways: Bigger Than Your Imagination - doc; Anchorage, Denali, Fairbanks, Haines, Homer, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Valdez

Native Time - short; Anchorage

A Traveler's Guide to the Planets: Jupiter - TV doc; Barrow

Naked Science: Surviving Ancient Alaska - TV doc; Denali Park, Lake Clark, Fairbanks

2009

Godspeed - feature; Anchorage, Palmer, Wasilla

Paddle to Seattle: Journey Through the Inside Passage - doc; Haines, Juneau

Disaster on K2 - TV (doc); AK; Alaska's own 'Ascending Path' listed as one of production companies

Hindsight and foresight: 20 Years After the Exxon Valdez Spill - doc short; Prince William Sound

Ice Bears of the Beaufort - doc; Barter Island, Kaktovik

Dancing with Gaia - doc; AK

Beautiful Islands - doc; Shishmaref; explores islands shaken by climate change

Man Made: Alaska's Extreme Machines - doc; AK

I Love Alaska - doc; AK; this one looks interesting, worth looking up to read full details

How to Survive - feature; Kodiak; this appears to be an Alaskan indie feature

Jeff Corwin's Wild Life - TV (reality); Kaktovik

Dynasty - doc (sport); AK; Warren Miller Entertainment produced, so...

Icebound - doc; Anchorage, Fairbanks, Galena, Juneau, Nenana, Nome, Unalakleet; Recounts 1925 serum run to Nome

Are We Alone? - AK

The Woods Between - short; Anchorage

Finding Their Own Dance - doc; AK

Hitting the Outdoors - TV (reality); AK

Mercury - feature; AK; listed as still 'in development'

The Wonders of Alaska - doc; AK

Sizzling Pleasures - short; Anchorage

2008

That's It, That's All - doc (sport); Valdez; snowboarding

Deep Winter - feature; AK

Chronic Town - feature; Fairbanks

Jack and Jill - feature; AK

Killer Tumbleweeds - feature; AK; People of middle America are being attacked by tumbleweeds!

The Wendigo - short; AK

The Massive - short; Haines

The Man Who Lives with Bears - doc; AK; the Charlie Vandergaw story

The Last Days of Shishmaref - doc; AK

Red Gold - doc; Anchorage, Bristol Bay; documentary on Sockeye salmon fishery (yum!)

Sikumi (On the Ice) - short; Barrow; Jury Prize at Sundance, turned into the feature 'On the Ice'

The Calling - doc; AK

Alaska - AK; travel guide

Breath of Fresh Air - doc; AK

Heart of Alaska - doc; Anchorage, Denali Park, Fairbanks, Kenai Lake

Alaska Oilmen: Gamble on the Ice - doc; AK

Coffee Culture USA - doc; Anchorage

Mustard Seed - Anchorage; appears to be locally made feature, running time not listed

Susitna Story - short; Anchorage

Final Round - feature; Anchorage

MythBusters: Alaskan Special - TV doc; AK

Nova: Arctic Dinosaurs - TV doc; AK

The Amazing Race: The Final Push - TV; Anchorage, Girdwood, Twentymile

2007

Transformers - feature; Columbia Bay

Into the Wild - feature; Anchorage, Cantwell, Copper River, Denali Park, Fairbanks, Healy

Ice Road Truckers - TV (reality); Deadhorse, Fairbanks, Prudhoe Bay

Note by Note: The Making of Steinway L1037 - feature doc; Sitka; I would love to check this out

The Call of the Wild - doc; Fairbanks, Healy

Hers - feature; Hope

Alaska: The Tracy Arm Experience - short; AK

Arctic Diamond - doc; AK

The Vessel - feature; AK

Cope - feature; Kodiak; made by same guy who did 'How To Survive'

Polarized - short; Shishmaref

Arctic Circle: Mile 115 - short; AK

Sporting Fly: Kenai River, Alaska - doc; AK

Surviving Sounds of Haida - short; Kasaan, Ketchikan

All My Crazy Friends 3... Live Fast Die Fat - AK; Absolutely no idea what this is

Believe - doc short; Haines

Pushin' Forward - doc short; AK

The Girls Next Door: Half-Baked Alaska - TV (reality); Craig, Ketchikan; Hef and his bunnies

Dirty Jobs: Wild Goose Chase - TV (reality); Yukon Delta wildlife refuge

2006

The Guardian - feature; AK

The Last Winter - feature; AK; with Ron Perlman and indie-star James LeGros

Treasure Hunters - TV (reality); AK

Red White Black & Blue - doc; Anchorage, Attu, Kodiak; Anything shot on Attu I want to see

4 Elements - doc; AK

Location Scouting with Peter Lamont: Die Another Day - doc short; Spencer Glacier, Kenai Fjords

Baranov's Castle - TV movie; Homer, Nikiski, Cooper Landing; tagged 'Puppet movie event of the year!'

Top of the World - doc; Valdez

Theatrical Makeup Design Interactive - doc; Fairbanks

5 Takes: USA - TV (reality); Anchorage

Turned - short; Anchorage

Seeking 1906 - TV (history); Anchorage

Oceans 8: Birthplace of the Winds - TV doc; AK; Kayaking adventure

The Amazing Race: 5 Continents, 10 Countries, and More Than 59 Thousand Miles! - TV; Anchorage

Man vs. Wild: Alaskan Mountain Range - TV (reality); AK; Bear Grylls in Alaska

2005

Grizzly Man - feature doc; Katmai; Werner Herzog continues to entertain; See this one if you haven't

The Big White - feature; Skagway; Stars Robin Williams

Deadliest Catch: Crab Fishing in Alaska - TV (reality); AK

A Thousand Roads - feature; Barrow; from the director of 'Smoke Signals'

Henry Wood Elliott: Defender of the Fur Seal - short; Pribilof Islands

Ultimate Playground - TV; AK

A Cemetery Special - doc; Fairbanks; About historic cemeteries in the U.S.

When the Season is Good: Artists of Arctic Alaska - doc; Anchorage, Barrow, King Island, Nome, St. Lawrence

Inside Passage - TV (reality); Glacier Bay, Haines, Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka

Adieu - short; AK

Waiting Game - doc (sport); Valdez

The Eskimo and the Whale - doc; AK

AK and Beyond - doc short; Valdez

X-Quest - doc; AK

In Our Own Image - doc; Anchorage

2004

50 First Dates - feature; Blackstone Bay

Long Way Round - TV doc; Anchorage, Fairbanks; Fun with Ewan, Charlie, and motorcycles!

Alone in the Wilderness - doc; Twin Lakes, Lake Clark National Park

13 Lakes - doc; Lake Iliamna

The Dating Scene - doc short; Blackstone Bay; Drew Barrymore, Dan Aykroyd, and Sean Astin

Oil on Ice - doc; AK; Peter Coyote narrates

2 Stroke Cold Smoke: Crash! Man Down! - doc (sport); AK

Ten Adventures of a Lifetime - doc; Glacier Bay National Park, Gustavus

A Voice Out of the Cold: Vivica Genaux - doc; Fairbanks; Opera

Naked Science: Alien Contact - TV doc; Fox

Naked Science: Angry Earth - TV doc; Anchorage

2003

Wildboyz - TV; Juneau, Nome; 'Jackass' spin-off

Cheerleader Massacre - feature; Anchorage; Title says it all

Chimera - short; Fairbanks, Poker Flat Research Range; Horror

The Standard Snowboard Show - doc; Valdez

The Harriman Alaska Expedition Retraced - TV doc; Eagle River, Little Diomede, Glacier Bay, Gustavus, Ketchikan, Pribilof Islands, Seward, Sitka, Whittier

Crown of the Continent - doc short; Wrangell St. Elias National Park

Klondike: The Quest for Gold - doc; AK

Crittercam - TV series doc; Chatham Straight; Also shot in Antarctica!

2 Stroke Cold Smoke VI - doc (sport); AK

Salmon Run - doc short; Naknek

Insomniac with Dave Attell: Anchorage - TV; Anchorage

2002

Insomnia - feature; Hyder, Valdez, aerial of AK; stars Al Pacino & Robin Williams

Storm - doc (sport); Cordova, Valdez

An Enraged New World - short feature; Fairbanks, Murphy Dome, Paxson; 50 minutes, adventure sci-fi

Ski Movie III: The Front Line - doc (sport); Cordova, Haines

Looking for Love: Bachelorettes in Alaska - TV (reality); Girdwood (Alyeska Resort); I remember when this came to town. The producers asked the fire department if they could fill the hot-tub they had constructed outdoors.

Crossing the Rubicon - feature; Anchorage

Gasaaaan xaadas guusuu - short; Ketchikan; Haida elders

2 Stroke Cold Smoke V - doc (sport); AK

Ice Challenger - doc; AK; crossing the frozen Bering Strait

The Amazing Race: Follow That Plane! - TV; Anchorage, Big Lake, Hurricane Gulch

2001

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - feature; Glacier Bay National Park, Gustavus

Out Cold - feature; Denali National Park; I like the fact that Lee Majors is in this

Dr. Dolittle 2 - feature; Wrangell

Winged Migration - doc; Haines; Alaska portion shot at Chilkat Bald Eagle preserve

Kevin of the North - feature; Nome

Further Tales of the City - TV mini-series; Sitka

Bears - doc short; AK

Brother Born Again - doc; Hoonah

Unparalleled 2: Free World - Haines

Mountain Men - TV doc; Fairbanks, Denali

Mayday! Lost at Sea - TV doc; AK

Kusah Hakwaan - feature; AK; Horror film featuring Tlingit and English language

Send Word, Bear Mother - doc; AK

2 Stroke Cold Smoke IV - doc (sport); AK

Spiritual Outdoor Adventures - TV series; AK

Hunting for Oil - doc; AK

Eventyrerne - doc (travel); AK

Trex - doc; AK

The Amazing Race: Race to the Finish: Part 1 & 2 - TV; Anchorage, Denali, Matanuska Glacier, Talkeetna, Takosha Lodge

2000

The Tony Blair Witch Project - feature; Fairbanks

The Frozen Inferno - short; Fairbanks; same folks as 'Tony Blair Witch Project'

The Waterkeepers - doc; Cook Inlet

2 Stroke Cold Smoke III - doc (sport); AK

Horizon: Mega-Tsunami: Wave of Destruction - TV; Juneau, Lituya Bay

1999

Limbo - feature; Juneau; John Sayles shoots in Alaska

Wolves - doc short; AK; Robbie Robertson (of The Band) narrates

Fifty - doc; Chugach Range

Global Storming - doc; Valdez; snow sports

Forever After - Anchorage; can't tell if it's a short or feature

Escape from Chernobourg - feature; Fairbanks, Valdez

1998

The Life of Birds - TV series doc; AK

Robin Hood - short; Fairbanks

Avalanche - feature; Palmer, Sheep Mountain; poster shows an early title as 'Escape From Alaska'

Earth Story - TV series doc; AK

Baywatch: White Thunder at Glacier Bay - TV; Juneau, Ketchikan, Glacier Bay, Gustavus

Freeriders - doc (sport); Valdez

Attack of the Flesh Devouring Space Worms from Outer Space - short feature; Fairbanks; extraterrestrial worms reanimate dead bodies (in case you wondered)

Rencontres avec les balienes du Saint-Laurent - doc; AK

Three Great American Adventures - TV doc; Glacier Bay, Gustavus

Los patiperros - TV series doc; AK; shows Chilean people living around the world

Wild Life Adventures: Alaska's Bush Pilots - TV; Wrangell St. Elias Nation Park; produced by Alaska's own 'SprocketHeads'

1997

Misty Isle Out - feature; Ketchikan, Prince of Wales Island; shot entirely in Alaska with Alaskans

Alaska: Spirit of the Wild - doc short; Denali Park; narrated by Charlton Heston

Whales: An Unforgettable Journey - doc short; Petersburg; Patrick Stewart narrates

Snowriders II - doc (sport); Girdwood (Alyeska), Valdez

Skroner om en slaedehund - TV series doc; AK

1996

Adventures of the Quest: White Rock Blue Ice - TV doc; AK

Adventures of the Quest: The Cold Sea - TV doc; AK

Yukon Gold - doc; Ruby

In the Wild: Whales with Christopher Reeve - TV; St. Lawrence Island

1994

North - feature; AK

On Deadly Ground - feature; Nome, Valdez, Worthington Glacier; I remember my father telling me he was offered job as standby medic for this, but turned it down because 'They weren't offering much.'

The Endless Summer II - feature doc; AK

Globe Trekker - TV; Chicken, Eagle, Seward

Jugular Wine: A Vampire Odyssey - feature; AK

Gutta pa tur - TV; AK

1993

Arizona Dream - feature; White Mountain

Braving Alaska - TV ; AK

1992

Carving the White - doc (sport); Valdez

Ryska Alaska - TV doc; Sitka

1991

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country - feature; Knik Glacier, Chugach State Park

White Fang - feature; Haines, Skagway

Salmonberries - feature; Kotzebue; k.d. lang's character is also named Kotzebue

Just Visiting This Planet - doc; AK

1990

The Hunt for Red October - feature; Port Valdez (opening sequence)

Blue Planet - doc short; AK; IMAX film

Northern Circle: The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Plays Alaska - TV; AK

Sport Fishing with Dan Hernandez - TV series; AK

1989

Cops - TV (reality); Anchorage

Uksuum Cauya: The Drums of Winter - doc; Emmonoak

1988

Brian Boitano: Canvas of Ice - TV movie; AK

Black Tide - TV doc; AK

1987

National Geographic Specials: The Grizzlies - TV doc; AK

1985

Runaway Train - feature; Whittier; This movie features the old Girdwood Fire Dept. trucks!

Cloudwalker - doc; AK (Ruth Gorge; with Jim Bridwell and Jeff Lowe (for you climbing enthusiasts)

1984

The Night They Saved Christmas - TV movie; Barrow; fun cast includes Art Carney

1983

Never Cry Wolf - feature; Nome; classic mice-eating scene!

The Golden Seal - feature; Aleutian Islands

1982

The Thing - feature; Juneau; the original was shot in a Los Angeles cold storage and Glacier National Park, Montana, the 1982 version was mostly Canada with some in Alaska, and another remake is currently in production shooting in Canada

1980

Raise the Titanic - feature; Valdez

Cosmos - TV mini-series doc; AK

Day of Resurrection - feature; AK; also shot in Antarctica; aka 'Virus'

The Courage of Kavik, the Wolf Dog - TV movie; Hyder, Juneau, Tok

1979

Bear Island - feature; Glacier Bay National Park, Gustavus; stars Donald Sutherland

1978

The Sea Gypsies - feature; AK

1977

Claws - feature; Juneau; aka 'Grizzly II' but has no connection to the original 'Grizzly'

1976

Heart of Glass - feature; AK; yes, Herzog has been to Alaska before 'Grizzly Man'. I once met Wim Wenders, and when I told him I was making a film in Alaska he said "You know, Werner Herzog wanted to be dropped off in the middle of Alaska with just a camera a make a movie there'. I have no idea if he was referencing 'Heart of Glass', but sounds like Herzog

1975

Savage Man Savage Beast - doc; AK; actual footage of people being killed and eaten by animals, the reviews say it's extremely graphic

Challenge to Be Free - feature; AK; story of the famous 'Mad Trapper of Rat River' which happened in Canada, but is some great folklore!

Timber Tramps - feature; Wrangell, also rumored shot at logging camps near Ketchikan

1974

Kodiak - TV series; AK; about an 'Alaska State Patrolman'

International Crook - feature; AK; appears to be from Bollywood

Vanishing Wilderness - doc; AK

Year of the Caribou - doc; AK

At the Time of Whaling - short; Gambell

1971

America - TV series; Juneau (Tongass National Forest), Kotzebue

Eskimos: A Changing Culture - doc short; Nunivak Island

1970

Snow Bear - feature; Point Barrow

1969

This Is My Alaska - doc; AK

Animal World: Seals of Pribilof - TV; Pribilof Islands

1963

Trail of the Hunter - doc; AK

1960

Ice Palace - feature; Petersburg; stars Richard Burton

1958

White Wilderness - doc; Denali National Park

1957

Polar Outpost - doc short; Point Barrow; about 'distant early warning system'

1956

Alaska Lifeboat - doc short; Haines; about medical services ship that stops in Haines

Lento yli Pohjoisnavan - doc short; Anchorage

1954

Cry Vengeance - feature; Ketchikan; not only shot in Ketchikan, but set there as well. Dave Kiffer's favorite

1953

The Sea Around Us - doc; Pribilof Islands

1950

The Flying Saucer - feature; Juneau

1948

Harpoon - feature; Kodiak, Skagway

Seal Island - doc short; Pribilof Islands; Walt Disney Productions

Alaska: A Modern Frontier - doc short; AK

Alaska: Global Crossroads - doc short; AK

1947

Alaska - doc short;

1945

Alaskan Grandeur - doc short; AK

1943

Report from the Aleutians - doc; Adak; John Huston narrates about U.S. forces in Aleutians. I have a personal fondness for the area, both my father and I have worked there, very beautiful!

1941

The Inside Passage - doc short; Annette Island, Attu, Cordova, Ketchikan, Skagway; this one looks interesting, explores possible future of Alaska pre-statehood

Scenic Grandeur - doc short; Columbia Glacier

Alluring Alaska - doc short; AK; shot by James A. FitzPatrick who made over a hundred travel docs

1940

Mechanix Illustrated No. 3 - short; AK; about Alaska salmon industry

Orphans of the North - short feature; Taku River; was originally called 'Taku', footage was added and it was re-released as 'Orphans of the North'; shot in Alaska with locals as actors

1939

Land of Alaska Nellie - doc short; Kenai Lake, Lawing, Seward; I had to look up Lawing

1938

Spawn of the North - feature; Ketchikan; credits say the 'salmon run' was shot in Ketchikan

1937

Taku - short feature; Taku River; more footage was added and re-released as "Orphans of the North; shot in Alaska with locals as actors

Giants of the North - doc short; AK

1936

Alaska's Silver Millions - doc short; AK

1933

Eskimo - feature; Teller (exteriors)

1932

Alaska Love - short; AK; comedy

Dangers of the Arctic - doc; AK

1931

Explorers of the World - doc; AK

1930

The Silver Horde - feature; Ketchikan

1928

The Trail of '98 - feature; AK, Chilkoot Pass; budget estimated at two-million which seems a lot for a movie in 1928

1926

Rocking Moon - short feature; Sitka; listed as a '7 reel' film, reminds me of being a projectionist!

Med 'Maud' over Polhavet - doc; Nome, North Pole; Roald Amundsen

Luftskibet 'Norge's flugt over polhavet - doc; Nome, North Pole; Roald Amundsen

1925

Santa Claus - short; location listed as 'Northern Alaska'

1924

The Chechahcos - feature; Chilkoot Pass, Cordova; 8 reels

1923

Med Roald Amundsens Nordpolsekspedition til forste vinterkvarter - doc; Point Barrow, Nome

1921

The Birth of an Iceberg - doc; AK

1920

Way Up Yonder - doc short; AK

1919

Chilkat Cubs - doc short; AK

Lure of Alaska - doc short; Yukon River; boat trip down Yukon and Whitehorse rapids

1917

Alaska - doc short; AK

Alaska Wonders in Motion - doc short; Child's Glacier, Copper River, Kodiak, Miles Glacier, Roosevelt, Valdez

1915

The Lure of Alaska - doc; AK

1912

Atop of the World in Motion - doc; Nome, Bering Strait

The Alaska-Siberian Expedition - doc; AK; 6 reels

1903

First Snow Storm of the Season, Valdez - doc short; Valdez (McKinlet Street)

1000 Mile Ride Over the Ice on a Bicycle - doc short; Dawson (pre-statehood that area may have been considered Alaska, today Dawson is officially in Canada); footage of Dr. Richardson on his famous bike ride; interestingly, it was reported that a Mr. Ed Jessen rode a bike along the frozen Yukon from Dawson to Nome in 1900 - just goes to show, 'it's all been done before!'

$25,000 Clean Up on No. 16 Eldorado - doc short; Bonanza Creek

Sluice Mining on Gold Hill in the Klondike, Hutchison and Johnstone's Claim of No. 6 Eldorado - doc short; Bonanza Creek

Working A Long Tom Rocker on Bonanza Creek - doc short; Bonanza Creek

Working the Rocker, Called a Jigger, on Poverty Bar, Fourteen Below Discovery Bonanza Creek - doc short; Bonanza Creek

The Ice Breaker - doc short; Kootenai River; I think this river is in British Columbia, but since this is all pre-statehood a lt of the area may have been consisdered 'Alaska'

Pack Train Leaving Valdez for Copper Mines - doc short; Valdez

Dog Baiting and Fighting in Valdez - doc short; Valdez

Winter Sport on Snake River, Nome - doc short; Nome

Race Between Dog Team, Bicycle and Cutter - doc short; Dawson City (again, pre-statehood, now Canada)

Horses Swimming Copper River - doc short; Copper River

Leaving Skagway for the Golden North - doc short; Skagway

Panorama of Miles Canyon - doc short; Miles Canyon on Upper Yukon; shows a scow full of men hurlign past waving their hats

Panorama of Kennicott Glacier Port Hole - doc short; Kennicott Glacier; all of this 1903 footage must be amazing!

United States Mail Leaving Dawson City for White Horse - doc short; Dawson City

Steamer 'Yukoner' Leaving Dawson - doc short; Dawson City

Steamer Susie Excursion to Moosehide - doc short; Dawson City

Through White Horse Rapids - doc short;White Horse rapids on Yukon River

Finding the Royal Salute at Dawson City by the Northwest Mounted Police - doc short; Dawson City

Dawson City Fire Department Going to a Fire - doc short; Dawson City; reported to be 45 below zero

A Sleigh Load of Squaws - doc short; Dawson; returning to Moose Hide village on the Yukon

Mule Pack Train Taking Gold Dust to Dawson City - doc short; Grand Forks (?)

Blasting the Treadwell Mines - doc short; Douglas Island

1901

Burro Pack Train on the Chilcoot Pass - doc short; Chilkoot Pass

1898

Pack Train at Chilkoot Pass - doc short; Chilkoot Pass; stationary camera, review says great composition showing length of pack train

And there you have it.

Headlines

Shooting Alaska in Alaska

Bush Injured, Video Shows Difficulty Walking

Not that Bush.

Reggie Bush of the New Orleans Saints suffered a leg injury in tonight's football game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Awesome game though. 49ers looked good on offense and defense.

I was rooting for the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns this season because I'm an underdog kind of guy, but not after tonight.

Let us see what the 49ers can do.

(Yes I still root for the defending Superbowl Champions.)

Drew Barrymore Seen Shooting In Alaska?

Not firearms.

Her latest film, Everybody Loves Whales, began shooting in Anchorage earlier this month. Local Alaskan's managed to get some cast and crew work on the film which is based upon the 1988 story of three Gray whales trapped beneath the ice of the Arctic Circle.

The film is shooting in Alaska because the story takes place in Alaska, right?

Not really. It's all about tax-incentives, which Alaska hopes to use to entice Hollywood into dropping a few hundred million (if not billion) into our economy over the next decade or so.

Remember what I said about driving Star Wagons up the Alcan?

They did it.

Last week I drove through downtown Anchorage and it looked like productions you see on the streets of Los Angeles and New York. Not some jury-rigged 'let's rent as many local Winnebagos as we can and convince the stars to share the bus depot restrooms' job.

Production found some space to build their sets... They had their let's-get-production-rolling Sushi dinner... and Alaska's kicking back some serious coin, so...

Vancouver, watch out!

Maybe.

Barnyard Devil Sighting

Not a Chupacabra.

When did I last post? A month ago at least.

Well you are witnessing a rare post on the Barnyard Devil blog (and as you can maybe tell, I'm trying to grease the wheels enough to get them spinning again).

Might be time to let this blog go. It's been four years and my stat-counter 'hits' just aren't enough to compete with the Huffington Post.

Although I gave them a good run for their money.

Our (my) strategy of writing about personal thoughts and family events coupled with photos of my family, Rhonda and the Hollywood sign, fruit pants, dog in snow, and a trip to New Orleans was something the Huffington Post never quite had an answer for.

They decided to go a completely different direction and it worked.

Booger Is Back! (Waiter In Manhattan Won't End It All)

Booger is a typo.

Shows you what can happen when you rely on spell-check (black pepper anyone?).

Still, did the headline get you wondering? See last post.

Bonus Video

Curious about fruit pants in action?