New Video on Current.com

Dear All:

Shot a short doc on the Obama campaign in Las Vegas -- young idealists trying to get the vote out in a swing state and in America's most cynical city -- 7 min.

Here's an initial pretty visually degraded version -- mix off in places (sorry working quickly.)

http://current.com/items/89389383_this_time_will_be_different

Looking to air it on Current TV -- if you watch it let me know what you think -- or just post comments on the site.

Oh yeah and vote it up. Currently at #8.


Thanks,

John

Rhode Island and Canada's Best

Scouts has been accepted to the Rhode Island International Film Festival -- yay!

And since I have yet to get a single response to anything on my blog -- here's a list that raised some controversy among some of my friends. Anyone got an opinion about this?

J. Scott's list of Canada's best songs:

1. Helpless, Neil Young
2. If I had a River, Joni Mitchell
3. Taking Care of Business, BTO
4. American Woman The, Guess Who
5. Heterosexual, Man The Odds
6. Powderfinger, Neil Young
7. Her Naked Body, Leonard Cohen
8. Four Strong Winds, Ian Tyson
9. The Weight, The Band
10. You Oughta Know, Alanis Morissette
11. The Famous Blue, Raincoat Leonard Cohen
12. Look Out for My Love, Neil Young
13. Coldest Night of the Year, Bruce Cockburn
14. Smoke , Crash Vegas
15. Bury My Heart atWounded Knee, Buffy St. Marie
16. No Sugar Tonight,The Guess Who
17. I Might as Well Be on Mars, The Pukka Orchestra
18. For the Turnstiles, Neil Young
19. Summer of 69, Bryan Adams
20. I’m Your Man, Leonard Cohen
21. Coax Me, Sloan
22. Summer Wages, Ian Tyson
23. First We Take Manhattan, Leonard Cohen
24. Up Where We Belong , Buffy St. Marie
25. Blackfly , Wade Hemsworth

Scouts digital download

Dear Everyone:

Kinda cool.

Digital download of the entire 72 minute version of SCOUTS ARE CANCELLED for 2.99 online available at b-side:
http://www.bside.com/films/scoutsarecancelled

Filmmakers -- check out the b-side site -- they are super great and maybe you want to distribute your movie there.

Yeah internet!

All my best,

John

PS An article by film scholar Dr. Darrell Varga on Scouts and another doc called Ahead of the Curve was recently published in Cineaction Magazine.

Online version available at: http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Voice+and+body:+ahead+of+the+Curve+and+Scouts+Are+Cancelled.-a0178268107

Scouts US Premiere

Dear Everyone:

Please mark your calendars for Saturday April 5th at 4pm and join us
for the US premiere of SCOUTS ARE CANCELLED (72min) at The
Cinemapolis Theatre in downtown Ithaca. This is part of the Finger
Lakes Environmental Film Festival.

Lots of great stuff at the fest -- check it out here.
Yours,

John
magpieproductions.com

Globe and Mail Critic's Pic

A nice review in today's Globe and Mail

Scouts are Cancelled is "a literary portrait you won't soon forget."

- Henrietta Walmark

Scouts Premieres on The Doc Channel!

Dear Friends:

The TV deal for Scouts are Cancelled finally came through and it's debuting on THE DOCUMENTARY CHANNEL Friday, Saturday & Sunday at 8pm the 11th, 12th & 13th of January. Those of you in Canada please check it out and tell your neighbours! If you're not Canadian it's not your fault -- but go ahead and call one up and let them know.
http://www.cartt.ca/pressreleases/PressReleaseDesc.cfm?ReleaseNo=3870

And Scouts had it's best screening to date at THE ATLANTIC FILM FESTIVAL in Halifax in September. People laughed. Phewww! (Everyone was SO quiet in Toronto.)
Also it won a $1000.00 prize THE REX TASKER DOCUMENTARY AWARD.


We also got probably our best review yet from the venerable Nova Scotia film critic RON FOLEY-MACDONALD who called it one of the best literary docs he's ever seen!
http://halifax.infomonkey.net/nova.scotia.news.events.php?e=scouts-are-cancelled

And THE NEW YORK TIMES site wrote up a nice overview of it:
http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/395714/Scouts-Are-Cancelled/overview

Oh yeah and Scouts was a finalist for CANADA'S TOP TEN MOVIES for 2007! But didn't win.
Damn you David Cronenberg & Dennys Arcand!
Here's what they chose: http://www.topten.ca/default.aspx

Those of you in Ithaca or nearby watch for the New York premiere coming in early April with THE FINGER LAKES ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL.

Thanks for your support and patience!

All my best in 2008!

John
www.magpieproductions.com

Ottawa