And I Won't Make the Same Mistakes
'cause I know
from the desk of the unknown penguin
Happy New Year (I hope)!
My son (nearly 15) and I have made a tradition of movie marathons on New Year’s Eve. This year, it was MCU films with a focus on Doctor Strange. I’m very proud of his cinematic exposure I must say. Last summer I made a list of 12 classic movies for he and I to watch over the summer. They were:
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
High Noon (1952)
North by Northwest (1959) - his least favorite (and, I must say, didn’t hold up so well)
The Magnificent Seven 1960
The Sting (1973)
Jaws (1975)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) - his favorite
Rocky (1976)
Airplane! (1980)
The Fugitive (1993)
The Matrix (1999)
Casino Royale (2006)
He’s already asking what the 12 will be for the next summer so I’m loving this whole thing. Trying to make it a blend of contemporary classics and classic classics. What should we do next do you reckon?
My girls’ dance recital is coming up. Lots to be excited about.
But then there’s the horrifying existential dread that the previous generation has bankrupted the world both literally and metaphorically and my children will have nothing but ashes to inherent as my generation breathes the last of the clean air and potable water before dying in our sleeps.
Also, I’m starting these with videos of songs I’m listening to a lot right now. Is that something we like?
Also also, by a weird quirk of maths, the last substack of 2025 will come out on New Year’s Eve. So that’s fun.
One must hold on to the little things, mustn’t one?
- Patrick, 1/1/25 (dictated but not read)
production
Visual Literacy: A Practical Text on the Analysis, History, and Creation of Visual Media - 2nd Edition
It was an amazingly fast turnaround but the 2nd edition will be on Kenndall Hunt virtual bookshelves in time for next semester. The best part about eBook publication is the turnaround. The worst part is I like physical things.
post-production
The Ferberizing of Coral
Color correction and scoring are done. Now I’ve just got to stop tinkering with this thing and it’ll be finished. If you supported The Ferberizing of Coral at Seed&Spark, your rewards will be coming very soon. And hopefully I’ll be sharing some film festival news with you in the very near future!
out now!
Ken Ludwig’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
Final week! Get your tickets now!
live on stage
Tinker Bell
available through Dramatic Publishing
Clio Area High School (Clio, MI) - January 31-February 2, 2025
Evangel Classical Christian School (Greenville, PA) - February 14-15, 2025
Rotary Theatre (Visalia, CA) - February 14-23, 2025
Chicago Chrisitan High School (Palos Heights, IL) - March 7, 2025
Roncalli Catholic High School (Omaha, NE) - March 21-23, 2025
The Velveteen Rabbit: A Toy Story
available through Theatrical Rights Worldwide
Conejo Players Theatre (Westlake Village, CA) - May 2-11, 2025
from the vault
What is Love Actually?
I can’t even express — Wait, has this been the vault recommendation 3 weeks in a row? — . . . No. — I mean, I get you’re really proud of it and all but don’t you have, like 750 things in the vault? — 756. — Okay, so why have you . . . wait, how do you know you have 756 things in the vault. — . . . Spreadsheet. — . . . Ok. . . . — . . .