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Yes, you read that right. Christoper Cross, The Roots and surprise special guest Michael McDonald performed Cross’ “Ride Like the Wind” in what I can only assume is their first and last performance together. Nonetheless, it was a performance for the ages as yacht rock was definitely in full effect and proved it’s staying power a few weeks ago on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. Prepare to have your mind, ears and soul blown away.

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A couple of weeks ago NYC lower east sider and Ito came to Los Angeles as a man on a mission: catch Thom Yorke performing new material on Friday, Sunday and Monday; and open his own solo photo show on the Saturday night in between. Missions accomplished. On display at Fullerton’s PÄS Gallery was a sampling of photos Ito snapped while traveling the world as Damon Dash’s personal photographer as well as a personal collection of images shot during the summer of 2009. From Jay-Z to Joe Pesci, twins to transvestites, the visuals captured by Ito’s eye are more than worthy of a trip to Fullerton. EVERYBODY SOMEDAY runs through November 8, 2009 at the PÄS Gallery.

Ito and his niece Bea posing amongst his photos at the PÄS Gallery

Wall of summer photos at PÄS Gallery

“Carter”

“Lepore”

“Lunch”

“Twins”

“Pesci”

“Kim”

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Old chum and another of my talented fellow Academy of Art alums, Rich Newey, stops by for questioning as his short crime drama Breathe premieres this Sunday for the Hollywood Film Festival at the Arclight Cinemas. A veteran music video director who I’ve cut numerous videos for (2002’s Nappy Roots “Po’ Folks” video among our best work together), Rich now sets his sights on breaking into the world of television. Read below for more on Rich and his process while filming Breathe.

-What is the concept of breathe and what inspired you to make it?
“The story revolves around an undercover NYPD narcotics detective. When we meet the main character, Jimmy ‘The Maze’, he is already deep undercover trying to score a meeting with a drug kingpin of sorts. He must first two a little dirty work and ‘take care’ of someone the boss is having problems with to prove he can be trusted. The events that transpire lead to a sit down with Big Eddie Cortez and after some negotiating the drug deal goes down. At that point the shit hits the fan and the NYPD come bursting through the doors. The story itself isn’t anything we haven’t seen before, however the execution of the narrative and the style in which it was shot brings a fresh new perspective I think. The goal was to create something I could use as a calling card for transitioning into television directing. With this piece I was going after the prototypical police procedural. Since completing the film I have showed it to numerous people in the TV world and all have had great things to say about it. Hopefully my first Episode is not too far away.”

-As in your previous films, you like to mess with people’s expectations of the characters and their personal arcs. What attracts you to that?
“It’s interesting you picked up on that. I think it’s something I do subconsciously more than anything else. I suppose I like the idea that we are in control of our own destiny, that nothing is predetermined and in that way allows my characters to go against what you think they should do, what they will do.”

-Your cast consisting of Fat Joe, Hassan Johnson, and one of your regulars Chris Mulkey, all give strong performances. Explain your casting choices.
“Well I tend to be a very loyal guy for one thing. Now that doesn’t mean I’d stick someone in a role they aren’t suited for, but if they are and I like working with that person, why wouldn’t I cast them? I like the idea of having a close knit group of people that you trust when forging ahead on an adventure such as making a film. A ‘we’re all in this together’ kind of feeling. A lot of directors seem to enjoy the same thing, like Steven Soderbergh who I think is absolutely brilliant. Chris Mulkey and I became good friends after he was in my music video “I Tried” and a feature film of the same name. He’s amazing, very versatile. I told him I plan to cast him in everything I do whether he likes it or not, haha. I think he’s cool with that. Hassan is another actor I’ve worked with and knowing who is he  his mannerisms, etc., made him the perfect choice for Jimmy. Fat Joe I had never worked with before, but of course I was a fan and loved his work in ‘Empire’. He’s a great villain. Another notable cast member is Khleo Thomas, who was in ‘Holes’ among a lot of other films. This kid is great. I was at first a little hesitant as he seemed a little too young for the role, but he nailed it. A young, hungry lieutenant in Fat Joe’s crime syndicate. Doing the scenes with Khelo and Hassan in the car was amazing. I remember when I was editing, we had a strange hum in the wide shot, so I had to only pull audio from the close up angles and try to make it match up in the master. I thought I was going to be in for a long haul, but it was effortless. Hassan and Khleo were so on their lines that it synced up perfectly every time. Pretty amazing consistency”

-In my opinion this is your most “cinematic” film to date, is there a reason this one stands out?
“I agree, this is my best work to date. I think I’m just getting better at what I do. I can look back on projects and see the progression of my style, the different things that influenced me at the time, and so on.  Everything came together on this one, that helped. Don’t get me wrong we definitely had our set of problems and it was a struggle as is all filmmaking, however I often times find myself having to sacrifice something creatively-whether it be a shot, a storyline, something-because of time, money, or something else beyond my control and with this film I finally decided I wasn’t going to do that anymore. Sure I had to make choices, shoot things maybe faster than I’d like to and what not, but I made sure I got absolutely everything I felt I needed. Another reason I think this film stands out is because of the exceptional cast I had to work with-everyone was really solid and believable. Same with my DP, Johnny Ching. He had the best attitude, always creative and gave me some amazing footage.“

-Anything else you’d like to share?
“I’d like to also single out my producer, Juan Reinoso. This guy was great every step of the way. I had never worked with him before and usually in situations like that I tend to micro manage because I want to make sure the job gets done. However in this case I felt totally at ease.  Juan handled everything like a pro and got me the best deals in town. This film wouldn’t have been possible without him, that I am sure of.“

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