Why am I here? Why can’t I wait a month until they get more online stock (which sold out)? Ask the guys that wait in line at their favorite concert or sporting event or at a Starwars premiere. It’s part of the experience. I’m not much of a sports fan– but I’m a big fan of new technology– particularly from Apple. And there’s a bond here. Some Chinese guy just offered me some sea weed. (totally legal).

The very fact that I’m using a mouse right now and not typing  into a command prompt is because of Steve Jobs – the graphic interface–he perfected that.  The mouse – his idea.  Pixar Entertainment – “Cars” “Finding Nemo” etc., he financed that then sold it to Disney.  He started apple, creating the first “personal” computer that anyone could pick up and understand.  Then he hired the CEO of Pepsi who ended up firing him.  He said in an interview shortly thereafter, “What can I say, I hired the wrong guy?”  Apple lost 2 Billion over the next two years–that was in the 90′s.  They went through 4 CEO’s before bring back Jobs.  They were begging.  Jobs came on and made immediate changes – lots of them and apple started to take off.  Today it’s the number 1 grossing company in America (neck in neck with Exxon).  It’s the #8 brand on planet Earth.

He changed and/or revolutionized the music industry by creating a digital market place called “iTunes” at a time when the music industry was limping from illegal downloading.

He changed the smartphone industry — not raising the bar, but creating a new measuring system all together.  He created the touch screen – something all competitors now use – not only in smartphones.

iPod – revolutionized – put the walkman out of commission – literally.

He completely started a HUGE new category in the computing industry; the tablet.  2 years later, there literally is nothing close to the iPad – believe me, I study specs and nothing is close.

He wasn’t a nice man all the time.  He was passionate, tunnel-visioned and often frustrated by the “dumb” ideas and people around him when he didn’t agree with someone’s suggestion.  He was a computing Beethoven.  Part electronic genius, part design artist.

Overall his vision wasn’t to make money.  It wasn’t to maximize Apple profits–it really wasn’t.  He said on many occasions in many different ways that his dream was to ‘change the world’.  He did.  All those innovations tie together into an invisible electronic consumer-friendly lifestyle that my 4 year old can pick up and intuitively understand without my help.

His vision will continue to change the world as he inspires us to “think different”.

RIP Steve Jobs

Below is an article from USA Today I thought was great:

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2011-10-06/reaction-to-steve-jobs-death/50674146/1

 TRUE SUSPENSE

Alfred Hitchcock’s brilliant view on suspense and thrill was to NOT show the audience what was happening.  He trusted the audience enough to know that their imagination was far greater than anything he could show or explain on screen.  And he was right.  If Hitchcock was watching this movie, he would have stood up with a machine gun, shredded the movie screen, the projector and then ultimately himself, just because he couldn’t bear living in a world where a director insults the imagination and intelligence of an audience to this degree.

Movie felt like Tim Allen’s “Santa Clause” film where they show you behind the scenes of how Santa and the North pole works in grueling detail.  But this isn’t a children’s movie.  So unfortunately, like ‘Clause, this film literally explained EVERYTHING about fate, chance and free will (and usually through boring dialogue) to the point that my imagination left and watched Oprah and ate bon-bons because it was very, very bored. 

 CREATE RULES EARLY-ON AND THEN STICK TO THEM

Screenwriter, quit making up the rules for which our characters live in as you go.  The movie kept adding to what the angels can and can’t do, and what Matt Damon can and can’t do whenever it needed to manufacture some contrived drama.  This waters down ANY chance of suspense or drama or chance of me cheering on the hero as he overcomes the odds because I don’t know what the odds are.  

WHAT WE LEARN (IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES)

Through rather lengthy, expository and outright boring dialogue scenes, we learn how “The Chairman” (which we’re not supposed to know is actually God because the screenwriter calls him “the Chairman”), was with human kind from the beginning, then let us have free will and we created the evil Roman Empire, then how he adjusted the rules of freewill and we “immature” humans then caused the dark ages.  Then the chairman and his lynch men aka “Angels”, (but not really angels because the screenwriter doesn’t want to alienate any particular religion) stepped in again, controlling us humans and we then had the beautiful Renaissance era.  Then they handed the reins back to us humans and we created the world wars, the depression, the holocaust, the Cuban missile crisis and probably Conan’s relationship with NBC.

 We also learned angels get their powers from Stileto hats, that they have to twist door handles to the left, that even they are subjected to New York City traffic, that they lose their ability to chase people when it rains, that the angel command center is really a New York City library, that they don’t have the “man power” to change everything and if we get too far off course from God’s plan, that 5-6 storm trooper angels will delete your brain.  But if we humans can outrun the storm trooper angels and just passionately kiss the person we love we might inspire God to change his mind and plan.  But it can’t be just any kiss, it has to be one on the Empire State Building because that’s so original that even God didn’t see it coming. 

I did like Matt and Emily’s performances.  I did like the political campaign montages—the movie nailed those.  Screenwriter wrote an INCREDIBLE speech for Matt Damon’s character about scuffed shoes—how endearing and important authenticity and sincerity are.   I just wish screenwriter would have heeded his own words.

So definitely see The Adjustment Bureau and then, like my wife and I, go to Marshall’s afterward and buy a cheap yoga outfit because then atleast you’ll have a cheap yoga outfit.

A while back I started my company, Extreme Theme Creative to design and build kids’ rooms– really crazy ones. It was another creative outlet while directing. And I was really softened to the idea after I saw the look on my kids’ faces when I built them one.

Recently I was approached to be in a reality show about a movie director who moonlights as a kids’ room designer. I bring on an A-list team from the movie business– colleagues who have designed, built, painted and decorated some of the coolest movie sets in the business. So now, Sept 22 were taping a pilot for the networks. Oh, and its for disadvantaged kids/ children’s hospitals– that sort of thing. How cool is that?

–Lance

Get ready for some really fun work!

Don’t get me wrong.  The Hurt Locker was masterfully and awkwardly crafted.  Awkwardly crafted in the sense that it literally had no plot.  It was a series of outings that this team of soldiers went out on.  Almost like a documentary strung together.  I kept waiting for a plot to start.  And I don’t think that was a bad thing in this case.  My wife and I were on the edge of our seats the entire movie.  The director was masterful in creating suspense throughout every minute of the film.

But it wasn’t Avatar.

James didn’t win for directing?  Come on.  He spearheaded a new technology and wrote a fantastic story–even if it was the exact story of “Dances with Wolves”.  Anyway, I was mildly frustrated for him.  And I think the film deserved greater attention.

But we hosted an oscar party at my house and it was a bunch of fun, even if I did lose the pool because my horse choked.