Currency Films Blog by Mark Mollenkamp

Newport Beach Film Fest and "TMZ"

2009-05-04T23:30:00.000-07:00

Hey, everybody.

Thanks to those who joined us in Newport Beach, CA! We had a good screening and kicked the audience in the teeth with the tight thriller, "Night Light."

One thing I noticed about Newport Beach -- it is NO WHERE near L.A., my home base. You think -- "Oh, it's in Orange County -- adjacent to L.A. county. Shouldn't be too far. . . ." But, no. It's very far. I actually passed Mexico City on the way to the screening.

Meanwhile, here are the top ten jobs I don't want to hold. Ever. . . . .

1) HMO Employee
2) Prostitute
3) Junior High Vice Principal
4) "TMZ" Staffer
5) Pope
6) NASCAR broadcaster
7) Flasher in Park
8) Infection Specialist
9) Farsi-English Translator
10) Child in Sweatshop

LURE on iTunes and Impeachment

2009-01-08T13:21:00.000-08:00

Good news!

My previous short film, "Lure," is now available on iTunes. Follow this link:

iTunes Store - Shorts International - Lure

It only took a year and a half to make it available. . . . Wow. At any rate, feel free to buy or rent the movie ($1.99 / $.99) and leave a comment. (You're also welcome to go to the site, read the synopsis, then decide at the last moment to spend the two bucks on something else -- like a taco or a brand new Chapstick.)

The lead actress in this film won "Best Actress in a Short Film" at a recent NY indie film fest. I think BOTH young actors do an EXCELLENT job with a challenging script. They both may become well-known in the near future.

In unrelated news, they've impeached the governor of Illinois. This guy is going down. Going down hard.

I think we should have the option to impeach more figures in our society. Why not impeach the head of Parking Enforcement in L.A.? I think most folks would get behind me on this one. Or impeaching a neighbor? If their dog won't shut up, just impeach them. They would relinquish the office of "neighbor" and have to find another position elsewhere.

Or . . . self-impeachment. I've done a shoddy job lately running my OWN show. Can I impeach myself? I'd bring in someone else to run things around here. That might be a good thing. . . .

Movie Deals and Breakdancing

2008-09-22T11:21:00.000-07:00

First of all -- GOOD NEWS: Blue Yonder Films has optioned my latest feature screenplay, "Cheese and Sausage."

Director Todd Edwards and his clan are good filmmakers, so . . . I'm confident that they won't turn the movie into "Daddy Day Camp." I think they'll more or less kick *ss shooting my script.

You can check out the website of Blue Yonder Films HERE. And, if you haven't checked out my website at Currency Films, it's right HERE.

BUT -- more important than any business news is: the FLIX channel is showing "Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo" today. They're showing it . . . TWICE. There's only one word for a programming line-up like this: delicious.

Sadly, I missed "Breakin' 2" during its original theatrical run (1984). I guess I was off somewhere trying to score my first Sony Walkman. But, fortunately, I DID catch the showing today and laughed my fool head off. My favorite part is when the dancer teens stop the bulldozers from destroying their community center by . . . wait for it . . . breakdancing. PLEASE check this out if you ever get a chance. It is priceless.

I haven't spent a lot of time on construction sites, but I imagine that if I showed up at one and blocked their workflow with "popping," I would get the beating of my life. In the movie, it somehow lands them 10 grand. Bizarre. But again -- delicious.

Have a nice day.

Films and Serial Killers

2008-06-07T09:50:00.000-07:00

Hey.

I've returned from Seattle. I'm now back in L.A. It turns out you can only be in one of those two cities at any one time.

The Seattle Film Fest was definitely cool. They put me up in the MarQueen Hotel. That's where Ted Bundy used to live when it was an apartment building. Spooky, huh? He doesn't live there now, of course. Nor do his victims. They died, mostly.

Bundy now lives in a quiet town in Alberta, Canada with former "Partridge Family" star Susan Dey. [unconfirmed]

Going to Seattle. That is good.

2008-05-24T23:28:00.000-07:00

The Seattle International Film Festival has invited "Night Light" to screen as part of its Short Film Weekend. Listed as a "Top Ten Film Festival" by Chris Gore in his latest guide book, this well-established event is celebrating its 34th edition this year. It's an honor to be invited! Here is our screening information:

Saturday, May 31st, 9:30pm -- SIFF Cinema
Address: 321 Mercer Street, Seattle Center
Seattle, WA

"Night Light" (a Currency Films production) plays in a short film program entitled: "WILD BUNCH." If you're in the Pacific Northwest this weekend, come check out the show. It should be a great time!

The Beginning

2008-05-24T22:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Currency Films Blog by Mark Mollenkamp.

I'm a writer / director of film projects in Los Angeles, California. This blog is an extension of the company website: www.currencyfilms.com. Feel free to check out the full site. There are trailers, photos, contact info, and much more.

So -- now that the introduction is out of the way -- let's get this thing rolling.

Places, everyone! Quiet, please! And . . .