tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57648642011-04-21T20:51:07.044-07:00ButtlemanThe Road to Buttlemanhood by Francis StokesFrancishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comBlogger351100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1128544809970864902005-10-05T13:35:00.000-07:002005-10-05T13:40:17.896-07:00Hey all - this is the last official entry of the Buttleman Journal. The movie has long since been completed, and I've felt strange posting political rants or writing exercises on what is supposed to be a log of the life of a film. Some day, soon, "Buttleman" will be bought by a distributor and available for all to view. But in the meantime, my writings, musings and poetry (okay- not poetry) will Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1122930848493483512005-08-01T13:59:00.000-07:002008-03-01T12:58:43.383-08:00GOOD NEWS! We won the Audience Award in the Had to be Made Film Festival. Thanks to all who rented and voted online!"Me and You and Everyone We Know" is up to the $2 million mark. Hopefully, this will help prove there is an audience out there for John Hawkes. I suggested to my sales rep the new pitch: "If you liked John Hawkes as a shoe salesman... you'll LOVE John Hawkes as a tuxedo salesman!"Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1112734657857894652005-04-05T13:56:00.000-07:002005-04-06T10:36:55.160-07:00The time has come - "Buttleman" is on the shelves.For those of you who don't know, "Buttleman" will be available to rent on DVD for a limited time through the Had to Be Made Film Festival. The festival has participating video stores across the country, and audiences rent the movies and then vote for them online.Below is a list of the stores renting our movie. Scroll down, find one near you, rent Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1111192854997696362005-03-18T16:40:00.000-08:002005-03-18T16:42:14.726-08:00The moment has arrived. “Buttleman” is on the shelves and available for rent through the Had To Be Made Film Festival. And even better: it’s introduced by Lou Gossett Jr! 1983 Oscar winner, 2005 Oscar snoozer Lou Gossett Jr. (This last was discovered by a friend with Tivo; he’s in the background of an audience shot during the lifetime achievement award, completely out.) To find a location Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1103917313678445332004-12-24T11:32:00.000-08:002004-12-24T13:45:39.706-08:00Happy Christmas, all! That's right - Nothing rings in holiday cheer like...
REVIEWS OF 'CHRISTMAS WITH THE CRANKS'
(quotes taken from the Rotten Tomatoes website)
"Not since Arnold Schwarzenegger's Jingle All the Way has there been a Yuletide film as fascistic -- or as odious -- as Christmas With the Kranks."
"A nightmare vision of a theist, conformist America... It's like 'Invasion of the Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1101367841318859552004-11-24T23:22:00.000-08:002004-11-24T23:30:41.316-08:00The Had To Be Made Film Festival is just around the corner, so here is the latest information...
The Had To Be Made Film Festival (www.hadtobemade.com) has a partnership with small, non-chain video stores across the country who rent out the movies in monthly volumes. Volume 9 has "Buttleman" and two short films, and will be on the shelves in late December. I have included a list of the Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1100637093211275692004-11-16T11:29:00.000-08:002004-11-16T12:41:50.176-08:00So, I'm a little annoyed with the Had to Be Made Film Fest because they have not been updating their website. HTBM has video stores across the country that participate and rent out the movies in their fest. Ours is coming up around the end of the year, but the website is terribly outdated. They tell me, for example, that there are several outlets in Illinois that carry the fest, but none of them Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1099427749090274082004-11-02T13:25:00.000-08:002007-01-29T01:25:59.314-08:00On Halloween, thanks to my friend Tom, Steph and I got tickets to the Hollywood Hellhouse. For those of you who haven't seen the documentary on it, Hellhouse started somewhere in Texas, so good Christian children could have something non-Satanic to do on our most morally troublesome holiday. Basically, it's a haunted house, but instead of scaring kids with witches and ghosts, it's designed as a Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1092856959466874302004-08-18T12:22:00.000-07:002004-08-24T11:56:36.920-07:00CHICAGO INDIEFEST - 2
So, where was I? Shortly after my arrival on Friday. Phil and I ended up hanging out on Dom's back porch into the wee hours. Dom was not only my host, but my one man promotion machine in the weeks building up to the festival. He busted his ass trying to get us press and spreading the word to bring in an audience. Dom always takes his work very seriously. Even when he made Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1092417253483922852004-08-13T09:51:00.000-07:002004-08-14T08:02:21.520-07:00CHICAGO INDIEFEST - 1
Back from Chi-town.
What an amazing trip. A whole host of friends from back in high school showed up for the two screenings - some I hadn't seen since graduation. Aside from the "oh, hey - he's bald now" effect, which I never experienced because we were filming during my high school reunion, there were also some very close friends there, who fell out of touch in the past Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1090094671093085922004-07-17T12:41:00.000-07:002004-07-17T13:06:24.116-07:00Hey. Here's the latest on the Chicago fest:
Sat. 7/31 at 2 PM - Biograph Theatre, 2433 N.Lincoln Ave.
Tues 8/3 at 9 PM - Indiefest screening room (Le Meridien hotel)
Wed 8/4 at 4 PM - Biograph Theatre, 2433 N.Lincoln Ave.
Fri 8/6 at 12 PM - Biograph Theatre, 2433 N.Lincoln Ave.
Sat 8/7 at 7 PM - Indiefest screening room (Le Meridien hotel)
I will be in town for two of the screenings: Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1089700598858759772004-07-12T23:25:00.000-07:002004-07-12T23:37:20.966-07:00Great news! "Buttleman" is finally coming to Chicago. Sweet home Chicago. That toddlin' town.
We're in the Chicago Indiefest, July 30th to Aug 8th. We will post all the info on the main page shortly - we're playing several different times during the fest. Of course I'm planning to be there, still looking into travel info. Unfortunately my family has moved out to hell and gone, somewhere out in Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1089327614976597322004-07-08T15:59:00.000-07:002004-07-08T16:08:07.456-07:00Back from the family trip. It was a wonderful time, despite a gum wound inflicted by a tortilla chip that became infected. I spent the first few days enjoying the Happiest Place on Earth with the sensation of a screwdriver being rammed into my jaw. Then again, my dad spent the whole trip knowing that his bank had misplaced a disturbingly large percentage of his net worth in an account transfer. Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1088606469121283952004-06-30T07:37:00.000-07:002004-06-30T07:44:51.993-07:00Ladies and gentleman, we're now going to start our in-flight movie, "Dirty Dancing Havana Nights." Those of you sitting by a window may want to lower the shade for better viewing.
Then again, seeing as it is "Dirty Dancing Havana Nights," you may instead want to tape something over the TV screen so as not to diminish your view of the clouds outside your window.
Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1088414293957712222004-06-28T02:05:00.000-07:002004-06-28T02:18:35.983-07:00Off to the Happiest Place on Earth for the family summer vacation 2004. Thanks to hotwire I get to see a great deal of our fine nation from the air, routing to Orlando from LA by way of... Chicago.
John Hawkes reported that when he arrived on the set of his current movie some P.A. shouted "Buttleman!" Apparently saw it at the Michigan Independent Film Fest. Which means somebody saw it there, Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1087967505786555872004-06-22T22:11:00.000-07:002004-06-22T22:12:42.893-07:00Is it possible to overcook hard-boiled eggs?
If so, I just did.
Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1085599534927795352004-05-26T12:02:00.000-07:002008-03-01T12:32:45.167-08:00Hey - been a while, so here are some quick updates.The Sonoma Valley Film Festival. Loads of fun. Lots of wine and cheese. Developed a completely useless taste for expensive wine. At least I can probably afford cheese. But that can get sorta pricey, too. Beautiful countryside. I would love to live there some day. The screening, though sparsely attended due to a very early weekend time slot, went Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1079518767483492192004-03-17T02:19:00.000-08:002004-03-17T10:37:09.076-08:00Back from Sedona. The beautiful, red, Martian landscape of Sedona. It's interesting: everything - all the buildings, traffic lights, even the bus stop benches - is painted some shade of red to blend in with the natural environs. From a mile away, the city would be completely camouflaged. Sedona is one big chameleon. Must be a city ordinance or something.
Surprisingly, the hippies are not as Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1078702606793169422004-03-07T15:36:00.000-08:002004-03-09T00:51:24.530-08:00AFM - DAY 2
Hey - I'm in Sedona at the film festival right now, sitting in their un-air conditioned library (hippies...), but before I get into the fest I want to fill you in on my second visit to the AFM.
I showed up last Saturday morning and things were already slowing down considerably. I was hearing people say that it was a slow year in general, and also that the number of films with A-listFrancishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1078096546330450292004-02-29T15:15:00.000-08:002004-04-06T16:23:06.200-07:00AFM - DAY 1
I called Stephen Purvis on Wednesday morning to let him know I was almost in Santa Monica - it took me an hour and a half because of the rain and its effect on the typical LA driver. He told me they lost their visitor's pass for the day, but that's okay, they would sneak me in.
"Come around the back of the hotel and you can just climb over the fence." I was feeling like a real VIP Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1077488650093800992004-02-22T14:24:00.000-08:002008-03-01T12:29:35.550-08:00Just three days til the American Film Market. For the record, it's unlikely that we'll actually sell any rights to the film at the market, but it's where you make the initial contacts and get buyers interested. There will be "B-girls" walking around with portable DVD players showing our trailer. Yes, it's pretty cheesy. But that's the whole environment. My friend (and editor) Jessica attended Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1076969220157264642004-02-16T14:07:00.000-08:002004-02-16T14:08:53.610-08:00So, I am about to ink a deal to sign with a sales rep going to the American Film Market in two weeks.
The AFM is one of the biggest film markets in the world. It’s best known for anything that would be considered "genre" films: kids movies, horror movies, family movies, Christian movies, educational, cable docs... Those movies you see on late night Cinemax with Eric Roberts or Rutger Hauer and Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1076402872223350592004-02-10T00:47:00.000-08:002004-02-10T08:16:35.890-08:00Just got word from another festival where "Buttleman" has been accepted: the Syracuse International Film and Video Festival on April 29-May 2, in Athens, Georgia.
Just kidding. It's in Syracuse. So, at long last, "Buttleman" is heading east. Just a stone's throw from Manhattan, NYUers! Actually, it's probably more than a stone's throw. Unless Superman threw it.
And, according to the website, Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1076135185518292462004-02-07T07:26:00.000-08:002004-02-07T11:24:30.200-08:00An Open Letter To My Upstairs Neighbor
Re: Drums at 5 AM aren't cool
Dear Neighbor,
I realize this is an indirect way to get a message to you. Since you don't know me by name, and probably haven't heard of my film, and are a ten-year-old kid, you probably don't read my blog.
I am not pursuing my normal mode of communication with you (banging on the ceiling), mainly because my ceiling is one Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1076055761915824792004-02-06T00:18:00.000-08:002004-02-10T00:55:25.873-08:00Hello - Just a quick note to say the TRAILER IS UP! Check it out, replay it a few times, show everyone else in the office, spread the word and let me know what you think.Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1075767739224673562004-02-02T16:22:00.000-08:002004-02-02T16:28:00.390-08:00Groundhog Day.
Depending on whether you believe Staten Island Chuck or Punxsutawney Phil, we may or may not have six more weeks of winter. I’m gonna go with Phil, because he’s the movie star. Not that six more weeks of winter means anything in Los Angeles anyway.
All was quiet here at the Official Website For The Exciting New Motion Picture “Buttleman” as we rang in 2004. Waiting to hear from Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1070485694814456382003-12-03T13:08:00.000-08:002003-12-03T13:08:53.700-08:00Hello from limbo.
Delays in posting the updates because of computer trouble. Specifically, wading through tech support hell on my new computer. But as soon as I come out from under, the Stills Gallery is ready and waiting...
Meanwhile, I'm dealing with another pressing situation. We are completely out of cash. The budget account is empty. I spent my entire paycheck last week on the movie. Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1069111930662275242003-11-17T15:32:00.000-08:002003-11-17T15:32:33.483-08:00The character pages are finally up.
At least Doug's and Nettie's are - in the pulldown menu labeled "The Story" on the main page. More to come later.
I'm also trying to find the time to turn my still gallery into an actual "gallery". A pleasant place to wander through and spend a few afternoon hours. Sit on the requisite miserably uncomfortable marble benches. Complain that you could've taken Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1068707959557342082003-11-12T23:19:00.000-08:002003-11-14T19:44:18.576-08:00Last night I experienced an omen.
I was walking my dog Hoover on a pleasantly cool, balmy evening, with a rare bit of moisture in the LA air. Hoover is a Pomeranian mix. “It’s a Pomeranian, Dude! The fucking dog has fucking papers!” (Only their dog was clearly not a Pomeranian and looked nothing like one – a rare lack of attention to detail for a Coen Brothers film.) My dog is a mutt, and looks Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1067559673989117602003-10-30T16:21:00.000-08:002003-11-03T02:16:28.103-08:00Good news! We won an award.
John called me late Monday night to inform me that we won the Defman Award. Defman is the name of the organization that runs the fest (Deep Ellum Film Music Art and... something. Nachos?). It's one of the top awards, although the name takes a bit of explaining - I guess I can just say "jury prize". They give this one out along with "Best Comedy" and "Best Drama" to aFrancishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1067114552047294792003-10-25T13:42:00.000-07:002008-03-01T12:15:50.355-08:00Getting ready for the wedding of Stephen Hicks and Maile Baird. Steve and Maile met during the making of 'Buttleman' - Steve was my assistant director and Maile, one of my producers. Just got this message from John Hawkes on my cel phone: "Hey Frank, I'm here in Dallas at the Angelika Theatre where 'Buttleman' is screening. So far there have only been three fire alarms that have interrupted the Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1065863908918651742003-10-06T13:53:00.000-07:002003-11-04T10:43:29.076-08:00The screening on the 24th went very well. The picture quality was better than the last screening, I met a lot of cool people afterwards, I was more coherent during the Q&A... Most of all, it was nice to just relax and go to a screening of my film.
The interesting part was: it's a restaurant. A nightclub, really, and a pretty swanky one, but a place with a bunch of tables where people are eating Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1062624906693062412003-09-03T14:35:00.000-07:002003-10-11T02:32:32.440-07:00Hello! Sorry it’s been so long since we’ve updated the site. The screening was so intense I needed a few days to recover, and then my friend Steve (Falk, who plays Doug) and I co-directed a short video last week.
But anyway, I have transcribed all my handwritten journal notes and uploaded them, and I promise I won’t be so lax with this in the future. Scout’s honor.
Go ahead, check it out - Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1062624872566137742003-07-05T02:34:00.000-07:002004-07-14T00:39:30.236-07:00Very late.
Happy Independence Day! Thought I’d use this occasion to lay down a few thoughts on the nature of “independence” in the world of film, what it means to me to be an independent, etc. But first – an update:
Hardly had a second to breathe these past few weeks. This is the crunch time – my sound guy is pulling out his goatee. We did ADR earlier this week. We called about half of Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764864.post-1062623736506729602003-06-26T16:15:00.000-07:002003-10-07T14:32:11.530-07:00This is the first official entry in my online journal for the life of BUTTLEMAN. You can read about how we got to this point in the Buttleman History.
So we officially have a premiere date - and we're a "Midnight Movie"! Yes, the slot reserved for zombie flicks and Crispin Glover movies... I guess they felt our film has a "cult appeal." I wonder if it's the Karen Black thing.
And for those whoFrancishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07898859964162791730noreply@blogger.com