Shameless Self Promotion-December Edition

The Sturbridge Times Magazine December issue has been out even before the end of the last month, so I am late again. Still, it is never too late to self promote.

On Page 13 is my article about the Merchants of Sturbridge Twelve Days of Christmas celebration. Much is planned, including a visit by the Anheuser Busch Clydesdales to Yankee Spirits. Events will be held on weekends through the month.
The Giving Tree at the Handmaiden Shop

I love movie theaters. Yeah, it's nice to watch a video at home and be able to pause the action when necessary and hear everything without somebody behind you doing a play by play. Yet, I like to go to a movie in a theater. Multiplexes are okay, but community movie houses like I grew up are more my style. When the old Casino in Ware closed, it was a sad day as another small town movie house followed the trend to extinction.

Mr. Fred McLennan of Holyoke has taken up the cause and plans to repair the Casino and put it back into operation. Read about it on Page 14.

My column on Page 20 discusses philosophy and bee stings.

There are many other fine artcles. If you did not get a hard copy, you can read it on line here or click on the graphic below to find where to fetch one.

Forget about Black Friday, Come to the Star Co-op and have a bright Saturday and Sunday!

Are you looking for local? It's at the STAR Co-op.

The Sturbridge Area Cooperative (STAR Co-op) will have its monthly Farmer/Artisan Market Event featuring local produce, crafts and art, baked goods, and all kinds of cool things going on locally at the Sturbridge Marketplace at the Falls, 559 Main Street, First Floor.

This month it will be held for two days instead of one. So come down on Saturday the 28th and Sunday, the 29th.

There will be things you can't get at the big box stores. All kinds of arts and crafts and food.

Sturbridge Times Magazine, Late Shameless Self Promotion-November Edition

Again, we are late bringing out our monthly Shameless Self Promotion posting. Fortunately the web problem is solved and one can access the magazine online by clicking the link to the right.

For years, I've seen the sign Food Books from Route 84 and finally went there. It is a fun place. I write about it on page 4.

Getting away from the subject of books, but staying with food is a piece about Giovanello's/Rom's takeout. Some family members went with me for a nice lunch. I loved Rom's, but I am going to like Dave Roscioli's new place even more.

The Rimscha Concert Series is back and its first evening was wonderful. Bass Gregory Sheppard was stalwart. Find out about the series on page 13.

There are ghosts in Sturbridge. They will do you no harm, but if you know the story, you will be haunted. See page 14.

My column is on page 20. There were some women I afflicted as a child yet to whom I owe a lot.

There are a lot of other fine articles in the issue. So if you have not received a copy in the mail, click to the right for the online version. If you like the print version, it is available all over. Click on the graphic below to find out where.

Financing independent film-Is Pirate My Film a scam, a dead end or does it work?

I originally put this up on Examiner.com. Filmmakers in this area of Massachusetts are always struggling to find funds. Here is another scheme.

If Indie filmmaking is lush in its ability to lure capital investment, It’s a secret to me. So when I hear of a novel method of fundraising, three questions arise. Is it a scam? Is it a dead end? Does it work? Did you notice the subtle order of the questions. My natural assumption is that of Finley Peter Dunne, “Trust your fellow man, but always cut the cards.”

Pirate My Film is the creation of Max Keiser, a man who opines on matters of economics and finance at maxkeiser.com. I may be wrong, but I would characterize his attitude as “the world is going to hell in a hand basket and boy are there a lot of people to blame.” To be honest, if I made a study of it, it is my guess that I would find it hard to gainsay your man.

So what is the big idea? Well, I’ll let the site speak for itself,

Pirate Myfilm - The Film Futures Market for Pirates

Some film makers want to have copies of their films pirated by millions. Some want to sell copies. In either case, producers can raise money for their projects on Pirate Myfilm by selling future copies today. When enough future copies have been reserved to fund a project a group-debit occurs and the funds are made available to the producer.

Producers also have the option of offering members who reserve future copies a piece of ad or retail sales. In addition to getting a copy of the film you might also get some money back. For example, if a producer has opted to share ad revenues of future pirated copies or a percentage of future retailed copies of the next "Saw" or "The Blair Witch Project" the producer and future copy buyers like yourself could make a bewitching pot of gold.

Keep in mind, nobody is debited until 100% of the future copies needed to fund the project have been reserved and you can cancel at any time. And keep checking your Pirate Myfilm account because producers can change any aspect of their projects - including the percentage of future revenue splits on ads and retailed copies - up until the group-debit.

It sounds logical but so does Zeno’s Arrow. Does it work? Well, I browsed through the projects listed. Keep in mind, this is beta, and membership is restricted, but most did not have any contributors yet. Some are substantially funded. For example, Max Keiser’s project Where’s Kenny Boy? is 85% funded. It is for a short documentary that posits Ken “Enron “ Lay is alive in Paraguay. I don’t know how true or plausible it is, but if you couldn’t make a Dan Brown type show on Kenron you are slow.

Eden 2015 which is Post Appocallyptic(sic). One Man's destiny to defeat evil forever, and Rein in the everlasting Kingdom of God. Paradise on Earth, is 0% funded.

Though one would say Pirate My Film has some potential, and an exchange market is a good idea, it is not enough. Users will have to do a lot of marketing on their own to take advantage of the efficiencies this model offers.

I don’t feel qualified to judge Pirate My Film. I hope some of the indie filmmakers can figure out if this is a viable method of movie financing.

Yankee Spirits' Sturbridge Fall Wine Festival

This guy didn't look too happy even though his table had a nice malbec a pleasant montepulciano on offer

Yesterday, I attended the Yankee Spirits Fall Wine Festival at their store in Sturbridge. This was a good time. There were 200 wines to sample of which, due to taste and the discretion that comes with age, I only sampled a few.

I first experienced this event about ten years ago. I was just going into the store for a small purchase when I was asked if I was there for the wine tasting. In one of the few great decisions of my life, I said yes. It is a very good time and a chance to buy at a discount. I like it so much, I covered it for the Sturbridge Times Magazine. Click here and go to the link at the lower left for September 2007.

The most interesting comment was from a women who has a place in New Hampshire and said that the Yankee Spirits' pricing is better than the state liquor stores in the Granite State. The recession is hitting Massachusetts hard and Yankee, like most such establishments was not helped by the tax hike. Still, it shows what a company can do even in a less than optimum time. Being at the confluence of the Pike and Route 84 does not hurt. We have a natural advantage here with a great location.

EZTakes Movie Review-A Few Days in September

At the movie site called EZTakes, you can download movies of different genres that you don't usually get to see. You can see the movie reviews I do for them here.

Below is my review at EZTakes of an interesting French offering, A Few Days in September.

The French Are Better Lovers Than Spies- “A Few Days in September” - (No Comments)

By Richard Murphy ~ February 13th, 2009. Filed under: Drama, Film Noir.

Ah, poor Juliette Binoche. Ten years after her triumph as the nurse in the English Patient. Six years after her signature role in Chocolat. Still lovely in her forties. What could be wrong? Well, I suspect that she must be horribly upset that she was cast as Sarah Palin in a movie that came out two years before anyone knew, probably least of all Juliette, who the heck Sarah Palin is. The physical resemblance would be uncanny, but Mademoiselle Binoche tops it off with glasses and makes it even more eerie. Her voice doesn’t carry the Western twang of La Palin, but other than that, sounds like her, Of course, it is surreal in that Juliette gets to play with guns, just like the pistol packin mama from Alaska.

What do I know? Maybe Juliette revels in the resemblance to the Gov. Still the movie has that big bad American tone to it. "A Few Days in September" (French, Quelques Jours en Septembre) takes place in the days leading up to 9-11. Juliette was not really cast in the role of Sarah Palin. Rather, she is a French spy by the name of Irène Montano. She is bringing two young people to meet their father, Elliott (Nick Nolte), her former colleague. Only one of them is Elliot’s biological child and we can see where that’s headed a mile away. Still, it develops pleasantly.

John Turturro with credits like Reggie Simmons in Transformers knows how to seem disturbed. In this movie, if he wanted to solidify his standing as one of cinema’s greatest wingnuts, he proved it to me. The funny thing about this film is that as much as it wants to seem sinister, there is no great conspiracy chasing anyone. It is just Turturro playing William Pound, former colleague of Elliot. He had seen Elliot as a father figure and knows there is a problem. Thanks to a psychiatrist, he is off the deep end. He is dangerous enough all by himself.

Elliott has some crucial information, we are led to believe, about 9-11 to impart to financiers. There is no hint that this great uber spy is trying to save lives with his secret. His last moments are taken up with trying to make up to his daughter for his absence.

Sarah Forestier as Orlando and Tom riley as David play Elliott’s kid’s who are unrelated to each other. They start as enemies and end up, well, you know. Irène works to protect them, even though no one is really after them. No matter, they are both engaging.

Obviously, we don’t know everything about 9-11. The official committee left a lot of questions unanswered. So what? A Few Days in September, as polemic is lame. As a cat and mouse game between two agents with Venice as a backdrop, it has some charm. Turturro as a psycho doesn’t hurt, but Binoche is the best thing about the movie. One thing I learned from this picture, Governor Palin should think about taking up the habit of smoking cigarillos like Juliette.

Click here to download A Few Days in September.

Sturbridge Times Magazine, Late Shameless Self Promotion-October Edition

Okay, I usually have the post promoting the new issue up earlier than usual. Unfortunately, there is an unsolved web problem. Better late than never. You still have a few days to pick up the Sturbridge Times Magazine October edition at newstands.

On page 16 is my article, Grazing in West Brookfield, on the work Jim Talvy and Jane Carbone are doing to bring locally and humanely raised healthy grass fed beef to the area.

On page 19, is a review of Soup to Nuts. My daughter and I went down to sample the famous soups and came away satisfied.

My column What Do I know? on page 22 is another bit of evidence of the humility I am so proud of:)

So like I say, it's not to late to pick up an issue. If you don't know where to find one, click on the graphic below.