Francis Ford Coppola: Asleep at the Movies?

“Cinema is losing the public’s interest,” said Francis Ford Coppola, in what may be the first proclamation by a fabled filmmaker that the public longs for movies it can sleep through. "We used to think of six, seven big film companies. Every one of them is under great stress now...The cinema as we know it is falling apart.”

At the Beirut Film Festival to show his new film Tetro, Coppola was later overheard exclaiming loudly that he'd rather sleep through a slow-moving movie than watch another Star Wars clone, but the exact wording of his film sleepy testimonial could not be verified by press time.

A Masterwork: The Making Of

A behind the scenes photo of the Master working on his next Masterwork, shot entirely on location at his spacious new home in San Quentin, CA.

Roman's bullhorn by Stephan Wagner.

His Movies Don't Put You to Sleep

Of course everybody in Hollywood wants Polanski to go free. He's an artiste and we eagerly await his next masterwork. Conversely, a director who makes movies that put the audience to sleep doesn't have to commit rape rape to be sent back to prison. Just one-word rape, sans italics, is enough to lock them up, even if they fled the country so long ago that the victim's no longer a child, so what's the big deal?

If your movies put people to sleep, pay those parking tickets or they'll come back to haunt you when a festival in a small foreign country finally agrees to show your work (for a fee).

Our Jen Produced a Movie!

If you've slept through WebcamMurder.com (but were awake for a little while) you remember Jenna Edwards as Jen, the Internet lifecaster who organized the other webcammers in hopes of raising their ratings against competitors Google and Yahoo and the Weather Channel. In real life, Jen has been using those skills to produce April Showers, the new movie about the Columbine killings that's been getting lots of attention from audiences, reviewers and even the news.

Next to Jen in the photo above is Andrew Robinson, the movie's writer and director, who was a student at Columbine at the time of the shooting. The movie opened last night and DVDs can be pre-ordered on the April Showers website. You can find out why Jen and Andrew are glad they were turned down by Sundance and how they learned to distribute a movie on their own in Episode 12 of the April Showers podcast at the website and on iTunes. They also reveal their next project.

Congratulations, Jenna!

Will Twitter Help Movies Put You to Sleep?

What stuck with me from a teleseminar by marketer Dave Lakhani was finding out that tweets by moviegoers as they're still in the theater watching are starting to make or break the opening weekend box office. Twitterers with a massive following (@aplusk, 1,105,893/me, 50) could kill potential blockbusters with a word or two...say, "boring" and/or "puts me to sleep."

The question is: how will this immediacy affect the film sleepy genre as it gains a foothold in the entertainment industry? People who love the movie will be out like a light and in no condition to tweet. People who, for whatever reason, remain awake will text, "I am still awake," which, during the transition period, may be thought to be a good thing and widen the audience by default.

How this will play out as Twitter's popularity spreads remains to be seen. As the inventor of the genre, I am hopeful if wary that the 140 character limit will render reviews of my movies vague enough to entice viewers to take a chance on this latest upgrade to the 100+-year-old medium.

Do You Have to Be Real to Be Famous?

This clipart speaks her mind in Film Sleepy's entry for If.net's contest to win 15 seconds of fame. She asks the question everybody's wants to know but is afraid to ask, as we head into the age of robotics: "Do you have to be real to be famous?"

You can catch her whole 15 second speech on her entry page.

Movies to sleep through tweet too

Did I tell you you can reach me at http://twitter.com/Sondra? I know this post is short, but I’m practicing writing in 140 character bursts.

Stunning Review - Is an Oscar Next?

The Amazon.com video on demand rental version of WebcamMurder.com has received its first review since my own rave was removed by Amazon as spam--and this one is just as enthusiastic:

"I fell asleep watching the trailer!" opined intelligent customer Joanystar of Studio City, California. While she came to Amazon thinking that movies ought not to put audience to sleep, "NOW I see the greatness of the film sleepy genre."

Read this inspirational analysis for yourself at www.➡.ws/

Secrets of Slipping the Audience to Sleep

I've written a top secret article on how to Turn Your Weaknesses into Your Strengths that tips off ANYONE who wishes they could get into the business of putting audiences to sleep on just how to do it. I've been keeping the URL a secret till now so I could control the market, but then I thought, readers of this blog deserve to take over the motion picture industry, too--or any field they wish to be in.

If you want to read it, you'd better hurry, 'cause it'll only be up for a reeeeeallly limited time at Turn Your Weaknesses Into Your Strengths.

Actual Belated Napping Day Video!

Not only are National Napping Day and Square Root Day long over, but so, now, is Pi Day. Even so, we've turned our original clipart Happy Belated National Napping Day photo into actual video. Feel free to nap along.

What are you doing for National Napping Day?

Yes, National Napping Day is a real holiday, the first Monday after Daylight Savings Time begins, and Daylight Savers party hardy...by catching some zzzzz's.

It's a big day here at Film Sleepy, too, a day when we don't feel it's even a little too promotional to remind people that the easiest way to get back that hour we just lost is to curl up with a movie that puts the audience to sleep.

Sublime Crime 12th Top Video in Film Noir Genre

Sublime Crime: A Subliminal Mystery just became available as a downloadable Video on Demand at Amazon this week, and this morning it was already number 12 on their list of top movies in the film noir genre.

Of course, it's a different kind of film noir than Hitchcock's Vertigo, which is still number one. Vertigo is the gritty kind. Sublime Crime is the kind where the screen is black most of the time because its the first subliminal mystery in history.

Right now, it's number 14...and still noted as "Popular in this category." Does make one think, though, that Hollywood's stranglehold on the public is coming to an end and sleeping through movies is taking its rightful place at the forefront of 21st century entertainment.

More on Elwood

I was touched to receive this message from cast member Elwood Carlisle's niece Marion about my post upon learning that he died.

Sondra,

As Uncle Elwood's niece, I thank you for the tribute to him. He found his passion in acting and loved it. He loved all of you that he met too. We, his family, are so grateful to all of you that loved him. You made him a very happy man and he had joy in his soul.

Marion

There were other emails about Elwood. From April McKay Dudsic of Flash Forward Institute:

Elwood was a loud, larger than life character that immediately caught your attention and emitted enough sunshine to blind you upon first look. Honestly, I wasn't sure if he was a sane man the first couple minutes after meeting him but after a couple more minutes it became clear he was not only sane but incredibly inspirational... When he was in his late 70's he was swindled out of his retirement money by a young friend. He was beside himself with anger. He bought a gun and intended to use it on this swindler, but on his way to the soon to be murdered man's place he stopped at a church and confessed his upcoming plan to murder the man and then himself. The spiritual advisor managed to keep him talking and call the police. The police took him in for counseling and time to cool off. Basically, he was counseled out of his plan. He was guided to find his passion and create a new future for himself.

That passion was acting. Sandra Lord of the Hollywood Networking Breakfast also wrote about Elwood:

Elwood ventured into the entertainment industry at almost 80 years old to pursue his dream as an actor, and in the span of four or five years went on to become one of the busiest actors in Hollywood. He was cast in hundreds of films and commercials and achieved what many can only dream of – an “in the chair” appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno... Simply put, I adored, admired and respected Elwood Carlisle. He was a delightful “young” man of whom I was extremely fond and whose friendship I truly cherished... He was one of the most genuine people I ever met. He will be SORELY, SORELY missed!

Sublime Crime Preview

Sublime Crime is just about ready to make its debut as the first entirely subliminal mystery in history.

Here is a scene featuring Sondra, clip art man and a wheel from a clip art ice cream cart photographed by jorem. In the movie, it'll pass by so quickly you won't even know it's there. And will change your life in the process.

Two Time Winner!!

Oh, my gosh, Film Sleepy Inc made StartupNation's Top Ten Slacker Friendly businesses for the second year in a row. With our second feature, Sublime Crime: A Subliminal Mystery, on the way, that is quite a breakthrough for movies that put the audience to sleep.

And a sure sign that we will end sleep deprivation in our time.

Remembering Cast Member Elwood Carlisle

How sad to learn of the death of Elwood Carlisle, who played a webcam obsessed fan in WebcamMurder.com. Elwood started acting at 74, as he told me in this interview a couple of years ago. He was an amazing person and large enough on screen and in life to deserve the title, "Elwood Carlisle Superstar!," the name of the 2006 movie about his life.

More Folks Seek Sleep Through Movies

Doryn's Dish posted info about how effective Film Sleepys are with getting viewers to sleep. The blog gives "The Scoop on Anything and Everything Useful," proving once again that WebcamMurder.com is more than just mindless (or any kind, really, of) entertainment.

Vote for Me! And a Feature Film for Free!

Last year, StartupNation named Film Sleepy Inc the Fourth Most Slacker Friendly Business in the whole wide world. This year we're aiming to do better.

After all, we're giving away WebcamMurder.com, the most boring talkie ever made, for free! In one minute doses, so people used to staying awake through movies can slowly accustom themselves to the healthier, more satisfying film sleepy lifestyle.

You can come back here to click on the picture from our upcoming movie, Sublime Crime: A Subliminal Mystery, and vote for Film Sleepy Inc every day.

Then go to YouTube and watch WebcamMurder.com Minute 1 to get started on your free full length movie! A new minute will be added every 24 hours till all 85 minutes and 4 seconds are available to help you catch some serious z's.

How Will You Vote?

Of course you vote for a movie in a festival because of its content...but maybe a little because of the filmmaker, too. This video should give you a better idea of why to vote for WebcamMurder.com in the From Here to Awesome Film Festival...based on getting to know more about me.

You can vote here.

WebcamMurder.com in Awesome Film Festival

Finally! A film festival awesome enough to include movies that put the audience to sleep. The From Here to Awesome festival is online, so give WebcamMurder.com your vote here!

It's 3 am. Are you sleeping through a movie?

Two presidential hopefuls released videos this week promising that, if elected, they will help us sleep through the night. But can we trust them? According to a new study by the Center for Disease Control, 50-70 million adults are not getting the rest they need on a daily basis. Worse, said an ABC News report, "People often do not understand that lack of sleep can cause health problems."

And not only health problems down the road. ABC reveals that some people don't get any rest when they are asleep because they act out their dreams...no matter how violent. These sufferers of parasomnia even fix themselves meals. Said sleep disorder specialist Dr. Carlos Schenck, "They butter cigarettes. They put coffee grounds, Coca-Cola, egg shells in a blender and they blend it all together and drink it."

WebcamMurder.com did not just get interested in helping people sleep at election time. WebcamMurder.com's whole purpose is to bore viewers into a restful slumber so they awake ready to deal with any situation that arises.

Who do you really trust to get you a good night's sleep? Hillary? Barack?

Or WebcamMurder.com?

Where There's a Nap There's a Way

Find yourself tearing up even over little things, like this anonymous woman chosen entirely at random?


Or are you as calm and collected as this satified viewer of WebcamMurder.com, the movie that puts the audience to sleep?*

* The actual reason for this gentleman's restful disposition could not be confirmed by our deadline, however, he looks like someone at a WebcamMurder.com screening, so he probably is.

Blogosphere Goes Ape Over WebcamMurder.com

"The audience reacts with a yawn, a stretch and a nap. And this is good?" headlines Louis Flores [not pictured above] on The Blog Movie Junket, and, no, he wasn't talking about one of those other movies that put the audience to sleep, he was endorsing WebcamMurder.com! And it gets better from there. Louis writes about the need moviegoers have for more sleep, and while he thinks sleep breaks in regular movies might fill that lack, he's still basically on the Film Sleepy wavelength.

Here are the essentials of his post: "“A rarity among films!…Conceived with a noble purpose!…My favorite movie!….I feel drowsy!”

(If you still need to fill in the ellipses, it's all at BlogMovieJunket.blogspot.com)

Wait! The Holidays Aren't Over Yet!

Wouldn't it be awful if all the fun ended on January 1? It doesn't have to, because January is National Sleep Through a Movie Month, as illustrated above.

The man in the holiday hat is talk show host Peter Anthony Holder of CJAD Radio in Montreal and CFRB Radio in Toronto. Yes, another Canadian who realizes the importance of napping through movies to further health and well-being.

Here's the late night chat (early morning in Montreal) about movies...like mine...that put the audience to sleep.



Following the interview, Peter sent a lovely note about WebcamMurder.com, which he called "...boring cinematic adventure! ...will have many fans slipping out of their chairs like mercury! ...visionary masterpiece that screams sequel! ...after viewing...should not handle heavy machinery!"

True, some of the exclamation points are mine, but not all!

Film Sleepy Goes to Canada

Can you believe they'd never thought of going to movies that put the audience to sleep in British Columbia, Canada till I guested on the Wayne and Jayne morning show on KBS Radio? Unlike us here in America. As soon as I explained the health aspects to Wayne and Jayne, they were all for it, as you can hear for yourself at this link: Go ahead, eavesdrop.

Secret Red Carpet Photos Revealed!

Yes, it's been ages since the World Premiere Screening of WebcamMurder.com, still, it's never too late to watch these heretofore unseen photos. Those who don't know history are condemned to repeat it, and how would you feel if you had to live through the premiere of the first independent film to put the audience to sleep on purpose all over again? Better to watch the slideshow, I always say. Photos by Scott Lewallen, Official WebcamMurder.com World Premiere Photographer.

Film Sleepy Makes the Top Ten!

OK, maybe we didn't exactly win the Nobel Prize, but third runner-up isn't bad. OK, maybe it's not the Nobel Prize exactly...but making the Top Ten Slacker Friendly Home Businesses of 2007 is a pretty amazing achievement for a company that makes movies that put the audience to sleep. Like, I didn't see Dreamworks or Lucasfilm on the list at all, and their movies are pretty good, too.

StartupNation, which chose the winners, put the cover of How to Make a Movie That Puts the Audience to Sleep: A Home Study Course on their winners site, which shows how important they think it is for filmmakers to learn this genre if they want to get ahead./span>

Will Film Sleepy Win the Nobel Prize?

Yes, Al Gore already got his...but...are there MORE Nobel Prizes to be given out that just might be announced next Monday? Or even more important prizes than THAT...that could be awarded to companies that have the answer to the inconvenient problem of global sleepiness?

What an Honor!

Right at this very exact second I am Producer of the Moment of The 1 Second Film!

What an honor.

And not only because this will be the first film I have produced that will keep the audience awake. And not only because of that and because I made it to Producer of the Moment and many of my 8,085 co-producers, including Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman, haven't (though I'm not on the site every moment, and maybe they have).

I am also honored because it happened today, a great American holiday, the day Christopher Columbus first set foot on America, or at least the day he first set foot on San Salvador in the Bahamas, at least on October 12, which is close enough to today, even if not everybody today sees it as a step in the right direction.

Vote for Film Sleepy as Most Slacker Friendly Company

This video of the Squidoo logo superimposed over the first scene from WebcamMurder.com was made for a contest where the winners get included in a Squidoo commercial. We may have already lost that one, but you can still visit the Film Sleepy lens at http://squidoo.com/filmsleepy for more information on making (and sleeping through) movies.

Even more exciting, Film Sleepy Inc is at this very moment tied for tenth place in the StartupNation top home based businesses contest...in the Most Slacker Friendly division. It wasn't exciting enough that I remembered entering till they reminded me. But now I'm thrilled, because the top ten in each category get...something, I'm sure. And it's reassuring to find that slacker based businesses are taking their rightful place beside the nerveracking ones.

Best of all, you can show your support for sleeping, and slackers in general, by voting for Film Sleepy once a day at http://hb100.startupnation.com/hb100topten. Click on Slacker Friendly at the top and then look for Film Sleepy at the bottom of page 2.