Hue's Blog

Film Critic Roger Moore on "Saint John of Las Vegas"

Roger Moore, one of the country's top nationally-syndicated critics, says Steve Buscemi was "born to play" the lead in Saint John of Las Vegas.  Read the full review here.

Conversation with Brendon Connelly of /Film

"The film is pricked with references to Dante’s Inferno, though certainly has it’s own narrative which requires no knowledge of the Divine Comedy to understand - think how the Coen Bros. and Homer blended into O Brother Where Art Thou. And whereas the Coens’ film stood on the shoulders of Preston Sturgess, the equivalent influence on St. John would appear likely to be Ozu or Milos Forman."

I had a series of conversations with Brendon Connelly, about Saint John of Las Vegas.  We discussed career paths, film grammar, movie financing and the Bellagio Hotel.  Read the full interview on /Film here.

NY Post profile of Steve Buscemi

About Saint John of Las Vegas:

“The lead character was charming and funny and smart, and I understood his need to gamble and being in denial about it,” Buscemi says. “To me, that’s the fun of acting: to play characters that have problems and are complicated.”

Read the full article here.

Hue Rhodes Eats, Cooks and Talks to The Retrospective

"...For social media, I think most of the discussion and its effect on indie film, etcetera, is kind of putting the cart before the horse. Social media for me reflects a new kind of need: it's not a channel to reach people - it's a reflection of the desire to express and contribute."

via theretrospective.com

The Retrospective is a great music|art|fashion|culture|technology site. Read the full interview here.

The Coming Revolution in Indie Distribution

"Last November inside a conference room at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, a film consultant named Peter Broderick was doing his best to foment a revolution. Mr. Broderick, who helps filmmakers find their way into the marketplace, was spreading the word on an Internet-era approach to releasing movies that he believes empowers filmmakers without impoverishing them economically or emotionally. Mr. Broderick divides distribution into the Old World and New, infusing his PowerPoint presentation with insurgent rhetoric."

via www.nytimes.com

There is a saying, meant to temper the enthusiasm of film students, which goes "it's not show art, it's show business." But these filmmakers, defying the odds and the numbers to get their films out, highlight the root of all art, which is the irrational compulsion to express.

Steve Buscemi interview

Steve Buscemi gave a great interview about Saint John of Las Vegas.  Here's an excerpt.

Choosing a script: “I always look for scripts that are character driven,” says Buscemi of the film. “I mean, there’s certainly plot, but it seemed like the characters were driving the story rather than the other way around.”

First time directors: “It’s exciting to work with somebody who’s sort of discovering things and the enthusiasm and excitement that they have in making their first film,” Buscemi explains. “It’s really nice to be a part of that and to contribute. I like working with writer/directors, because then you have everybody right there. Hue is the best person to ask any questions that I had."

You can read the full Campus Circle interview here.

Your Brand Here

Seth Godin raises an issue that affects all of us trying to establish ourselves as creative professionals.  On the one hand, we need to work.  On the other hand, we are defined by the body of work we do.  Does the project in front of you advance your career, or set it back?  At what point is any job better than no job?  He says:

"Surviving is succeeding, no doubt about it. Doing the work is better than not doing the work. Waiting for perfect is never as smart as making progress. But, and it's a huge but, you define yourself by the work you do, and perhaps you need to redefine what you're willing to take and where you're looking for it."

You can read his entire blog post here.

Holy Kaw! Q&A with Guy Kawasaki

It seems like everyone is an aspiring filmmaker these days. But shooting YouTube videos is one thing, and making a major motion picture is another. To shed some light on what it’s like to make a movie-movie (the kind you pay to see) we tracked down Hue Rhodes, writer/director of the upcoming Saint John of Las Vegas starring Steve Buscemi, Sarah Silverman, Romany Malco, Emmanuelle Chriqui, and a slew of other famous people.

via holykaw.alltop.com

Guy Kawasaki is a legend in Silicon Valley. In my old start-up days he was the go-to "connector" before Malcolm Gladwell coined the term. Everything comes full circle I guess, because I recently did a Q&A with him for alltop.com.  We talked about William Eggleston, social media and lighting guys on fire.  You can read the whole interview here.

Icon vs. Icon interview

The world of independent film is full of unique stories both on-screen and off. Such is the case with writer/director Hue Rhodes. Not satisfied with his day job after the tech boom of the late ’90s, he took matters into his own hands and began to chase a dream. A fan of movies since his childhood, Rhodes decided to immerse himself in the world of filmmaking and fearlessly blaze new trails. Now in 2009, Rhodes’ directorial debut has been making the rounds on the film festival circuit and is set for a national release in early 2010. ‘Saint John of Las Vegas’ features a top-notch ensemble cast that includes Steve Buscemi, Sarah Silverman, Romany Malco, Peter Dinklage, Tim Blake Nelson, John Cho, Danny Trejo and Emmanuelle Chirqui.

more at www.iconvsicon.com