Do you have trouble shutting your mind down? I love having ideas just popping effortlessly in my head, but it is very difficult for me turn off the bulb. Sometimes I get extremely tired. Only motorcycling turns off the brain for me. If it didn't, I'd probably get horribly injured. That's one of the reasons why I embraced motorcycling with such gusto. It helps me to feel completely in the moment, more animal than human. Now when I am in my car driving through a rough hail storm, I have to roll my windows down to feel I'm in it and not in an auto bubble. I like being in the moment. It has been something that has been hard for me all my life. I wish to thank my brother for introducing me to motorcycling.

David Blackwell asked me awhile back if I would participate in one of his on-line Q&A sessions. I told him I would.

Here's what he posted:

Q and A- Christopher Coppola

My son was born on DiMaggio's birthday. He has a pretty swing like him as well.

NICK JOHNSON, ANDY TAKAKJIAN, GREG THOMPSON, CRC AND STEVE CHAO MADE A NOISEY ENTRANCE ON FOUR LARGE 1800cc CRUISERS.


ANDY TAKAKJIAN. A LEGEND IN THE LOS ANGELES ART SCENE. HE DESIGNED MANY OF MY FILM POSTERS.


NICK JOHNSON WAS THE SCREENWRITER OF THE SOON-TO-BE FOR SALE "BEL AIR". HE ALSO CO-WROTE "PALMER'S PICK-UP". HE IS AN EXTREMELY GIFTED TEACHER AT HAMILTON HIGH. GREG THOMPSON IS MY SOUS CHEF ON BIKERCHEF351.
MR. JOHNSON NOTICED A BIZARRE BARRINGTON HILLS HAT MY BUSINESS PARTNER GIFTED TO ME. HE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO WEAR. INSTEAD OF BOXHEAD REVOLUTION I COULD WEAR IT TO PROMOTE A FOXHEAD REVOLUTION. THAT WAS TOO GOOD FOR ME TO PASS UP EVEN THOUGH IN HOLLYWOOD I COULD VERY EASILY BE SHOT FOR WEARING IT.


MR. & MRS. MATT HARRISON WITH CRC AND HIS BIKER BITCH TROLLOP STEVE CHAO.


BIKER BITCH CHAO, DIRECTOR MARK CHRISTENSEN, CRC.

I LIKED THE MOVIE. MR. CHRISTENSEN OBVIOUSLY LOOKED AT A LOT OF GERMAN SILENT MOVIES PEPPERED WITH LENNY LIPTON, GUMBY AND DAVID LYNCH. HOWEVER, HE AVOIDED MY DIRECT QUESTION WHICH WAS "WHY DID YOU MAKE THIS MOVIE?" THIS IS THE QUESTION I GET HOUNDED WITH ALL THE TIME. IT WAS FUN FOR ME TO PUT MYSELF IN THE AUDIENCE'S POSITION. HE ANSWERED, "DOESN'T EVERYBODY WANT TO MAKE A MOVIE?". THAT'S A BIT JADED FOR ME. I PRESSED HIM AFTER THE FILM. WHY THIS STORY? WHY SPEND THREE YEARS OF YOUR LIFE ON THIS? HOW DID YOU WANT THE FILM TO AFFECT ME? DID THE MESSAGE DRIVE YOU OR WERE YOU JUST HOPING TO GET ANOTHER FILM AFTER THIS? HE ANSWERED, "ALL OF THE ABOVE". DO YOU STILL SELL USED CARS? ALWAYS. HE'S THE REAL DEAL.

FilmCrash.html
boxheadrevolution.html

Tonight should prove to be so much like a George Kuchar movie that I've decided to shoot video of the experience. Maybe I'll post some of it.

I've known Nicolas Paine for quite a few years now. He is the Head of Production for PlasterCITY. He also happens to be one hell of a screenwriter. I also consider him a good friend. We just made a new writing schedule for the MACBETH project. All engines are raring to go.I'm a bit superstitious, so I took a look in one of my many astrology books and found this:


Come on, Nick. Let's make it happen off paper!

I've always thought that I was 50% Italian and 50% German. I recently found out that I'm actually 25% Polish. That explains a lot. I've always felt an affinity with the Polish.


CRC receiving phone call confirming grandmother's surname Siputa is Polish, not German.
Photo by Andy Takakjian.

CRC naked, taking first breath of fresh air. It looks a bit like a horror show, doesn't it.

I've been studying up and have found great comfort as well as strength from this simple, yet deep Wisdom. Here are some easy to grasp lessons from Fran Dancing Feather:

Desire to seek harmony with Nature, rather than control it.

Choose the present to be more important than the future.

Believe that humans are basically good rather than evil.

Emphasize communal or clan lifestyle rather than individual status and priorities.

Place greater value on spiritual accomplishments, as opposed to materialism.

Respect other religions, and avoid proselytizing.

No one seemed to pay attention to this guy back in Oldenburg. He walked the tiled streets like a ghost. He was in slow motion while the people around him were moving around in hi-speed. I liked him. His haunting calliope tune still plays in my head bringing back memories of my past.

Photo by Dane Andrew.

THIS WAS A GREAT INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL. THEY REALLY CELEBRATE THE INDEPENDENT SPIRIT BY TREATING THE LITTLE FILMMAKER LIKE A STAR. THEY SPOIL YOU. IT KIND OF REMINDS ME OF GEORGE KUCHAR. HE MADE PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS FEEL LIKE GLAMOUROUS HOLLYWOOD STARS. THANK YOU TO THE OLDENBURG FILM FESTIVAL AND ITS WONDERFUL STAFF.


THIS IS ONE OF THE OLDEST CINEMAS IN GERMANY. THE SOUND SYSTEM WAS AMAZING. I HAD ONE OF THE BETTER SCREENINGS HERE.

TORSTEN NEUMAN, THE REAL STAR OF THE FESTIVAL.

IRINA BITTER, HEINKE KEPLER & KAROLA OERTEL, THE LOVELY LADIES THAT TOOK CARE OF ELYSE AND MYSELF. THEY WERE EXTREMELY HARD WORKING AND ALWAYS THE ULTIMATE HOSTS.

THE AUDBLOG IS DOWN, SO YOU WILL HAVE TO ACCEPT MY POOR WRITING OVER MY EVEN POORER SPEECH PATTERNS. I REALLY DON'T LIKE HUGE PARTIES. I MUCH RATHER HANG WITH A FEW PEOPLE AND LEARN SOMETHING FROM THEM THEN TALK OVER LOUD MUSIC AND LEARN NOTHING AT ALL. BELOW ARE PICTS OF MY EVENING LAST NIGHT. IT STARTED AT THE VIP PARTY, THEN I TOOK TO THE STREETS TO SEE IF I COULD FIND A QUIET AFTERHOURS BAR WHERE THE PEOPLE OF OLDENBURG, NOT FILM FESTIVAL PEOPLE, TRY TO LOSE THEMSELVES. I WANTED TO TALK TO THEM. I LIKE SOCIAL INVESTIGATION.

I MADE SURE MY BUSINESS PARTNER "IRONSIDE" MADE IT BACK TO HER ROOM SAFELY.

I LIKED THE BOUNCERS AT THE VIP PARTY. WE TALKED ABOUT MAX SCHMELING, THE GREAT GERMAN BOXER. HIS STORY ALWAYS SADDENS ME.

THE GERMAN BAND WAS QUITE GOOD. THEY REMINDED ME OF "THE EELS".

A BUNCH OF ACTORS WERE AT THE PARTY PROMOTING THEIR FILMS.

I TRIED TO HIDE BEHIND THE BARS. BUT THEY FOUND ME AND BASICALLY AUDITIONED FOR ME THEN AND THERE. IT'S FRUSTRATING TO BE AN ACTOR TRYING TO MAKE ANY CONTACT YOU CAN SO YOU CAN HOPEFULLY ACT AGAIN. I SYMPATHIZE. BUT, TRUST ME, IT'S REALLY FRUSTRATING TO CONSTANTLY BE PERFORMED TOO. "HEY, YOU'RE REALLY COOL. I'M NOT JUST SAYING THAT. I MEAN, I KNOW YOU'RE RELATED TO SOME REAL FAMOUS PEOPLE AND ALL. HEY, CAN I GIVE YOU MY HEADSHOT?" I'D RATHER GO FISHING.

AT THESE FESTIVAL VIP PARTIES I FEEL I HAVE MORE IN COMMON WITH THIS STUFFED FOX THAN ALL THE PEOPLE AROUND ME. THIS IS WHEN I TAKE TO THE STREETS.


I FELT LIKE I WAS HANGING WITH MY YOUNGER BROTHER. I TOLD HIM I HOPED HE WAS HAPPY AND DOING WELL, THEN MOVED ON.

I HEARD SOME HARSH YELLING. MY SOCIAL INVESTIGATOR INSTINCTS KICKED IN. I FOUND THE ENTRANCE TO THE YELLING. THERE WAS AN ODD LITTLE MAN HOLDING A LANTERN, BECKONING ME DOWN THE STAIRS. I WENT DOWN. THERE WERE SKINHEADS, DOPED UP AND ANGRY. ONE OF THEM IMMEDIATELY MOVED TOWARDS ME. I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GET INTO ANOTHER BAR FIGHT. NOT AT ALL. THIS GUY STARTED TO CRY AND ASKED ME IN BROKEN ENGLISH IF I WAS A SHAMAN. IT MUST HAVE BEEN MY CLOTHES. I SAID NOT REALLY, BUT WHAT'S THE PROBLEM. HIS HEART HURT. HE WANTED TO BE GOOD. HE WANTED TO LOVE DEEPLY. HE WANTED TO LEARN SHAMAN WISDOM SO HE CAN CHANNEL THIS DEEP NEED OF HIS. I WAS VERY MOVED BY THIS. I TOLD HIM HE DIDN'T NEED A SHAMAN. HIS OWN GIANT HEART WOULD GUIDE HIM.

It's never smooth or easy for me. It's always been a battle. I probably wouldn't want it any other way though. For most of my time here in Germany, I've been walking around with a dark cloud over my head. There was a strong possibility that my film print wasn't going to show up. And, that's probably the worse thing that could happen to a filmmaker doing his dog and pony show only there isn't either a dog or a pony. The true meaning of farce really starts to flow through your veins. I hit the bars hard. I did my very own personal "Leaving Las Oldenburg". I almost got into a bar fight with an Ethopian and an Eritrean about world peace. I did an angry live tv show in which I pulled no punches about liberal Hollywood and conservative Big Business excess and greed. The $20 million "artists" vs. the negative $10 an hour "artist" vs. underpaid, undervalued, disrespected school teachers. But, now I can settle down. I just found out that the print is on its way and it will be here on time for the first screening.

I found the "Beacon in the Night" Herr Vogelsang again. I wanted to say thank you.

Und Rockstar! Bela B. Felsenheimer member of one of Germany's hot bands Die Aerzte.

Isn't it funny how a lot of Rockstars look like Nosferatu and a lot of directors look like a walrus. I'll have to ponder that.

Notice that this guy isn't running away from anybody. His body language says "Bring it on". Now that's my kind of Hot Dog.

My view from the Hotel Antares.

CRC with Oldenburg Festival Director Torsten Neumann.

Tony-- The Monte Carlo's master burger maker. He also happens to do a better De Niro than De Niro.