Hitler’s Hollywood, is a a documentary film about how Joseph Goebbels reinvented Hollywood film making for the Third Reich. After completely cleansing Jews out of filmmaking, Goebbels used the relatively new media of talkie films to legitimize anti-Semitism and euthanasia as he glorified the concept of people sacrificing their own lives for the honor of the Third Reich.   Goebbels was able to oversee the subtle mixture of entertainment, art and propaganda to indoctrinate Germany and soon all of Europe.   There was no television during the Nazi administration 1933-1945 so attending your local movie house was your only option for seeing films.  Before you could enjoy the Nazi entertainment film at your local theaters they’d show a newsreel (Fake News ) film.  There were potentially serious consequences for those movie goers that came to movie houses purposly late avoiding the newsreels. That was seen as a form of resistance by the Nazis...

Hollywood, CA —The filmmaking business is getting more democratized every day.   The days of only the most powerful studios and talent agencies   producing films are numbered. Cheaper equipment means   more people than ever can make films.   Alfred Hitchcock was a master of making great films on the cheap.  No special effects, difficult sets or  costumes were used.  Just talented writing and actors made his success. Some filmmakers enjoy the power of mixing art with political propaganda.  They want to influence the masses rather than entertain them.  That’s exactly what was behind the recent financial film disaster of, MISS SLOAN . With an estimated $13 million budget, a terrific leading lady ( Jessica Chastain ) what could possibly go wrong?  The answer is everything! I’m loving the films finally being produced with female protagonists. When I saw the slick previews I thought this would be something I wanted to see....

Michael Glover, Robyn Rosenkrantz, Paul Huebl and Gregor Marvel Berlin, Germany —I had the absolute pleasure to sit down with two expatriate  Americans living in this great city.  Musicians and filmmakers Michael Glover and Robyn Rosenkrantz sold everything they owned but their musical instruments and the clothes on their backs taking the very bold step of moving to Europe.  They’ve been making films with their own production company Bright Blue Gorilla .   I first met them through their European friends after getting invited to a Hollywood Screening of their farce film, Go With Le Flo .   It was a real Blue Carpet Event where I was handed a banana as I walked in the door. The Film was terrific and the reception after was filled with cast members that flew in for the event.   It made for a delightful evening.   I knew it was just a matter of time and I’d be visiting with them and another Berlin pal, Gregor Marvel that was in that ...

From an Undisclosed Location —Ok, that’s a fair question.   The answer is complicated.   I’ll do my best to answer that. Yes, I’m a licensed private detective but I avoid work that’s meaningless, illegal, or immoral.   My primary specialty is criminal defense and I’m considered an expert in self-defense cases involving deadly force.   I accept other cases including personal injury cases where liability must be established and fixed. In 1989 I was recruited to work as a TV investigative news producer .   I did not shut down my agency but agreed simply do the work for TV news like all my other clients.  On news cases I spend my time finding out what the cops and other authorities do  NOT want the media to know about the most high profile murders and such.   I’ve actually reported stories but generally never have the time to do anything but locate and hand over the material and important witnesses for interviews to those familiar TV face...

Los Angeles, CA —Yes! As most of my visitors know I’m pumped up and over the top about camera drones as a photographer and filmmaker.   I already own two of them.   My current flagship is the DJI Phantom 2 , which uses a GoPro camera . Today, worldwide there are more than a million multi-rotor camera drones in civilian hands.   They well outnumber conventional helicopters.   They have a perfect safety record of no reported deaths or remarkable injuries.   To date there are still no known collisions between a camera drone and any conventional aircraft.   Like all of the DJI drones the new Inspire 1 model they unveiled yesterday is relatively easy to fly.   If you have or acquire photography and video editing skills you have the time of your life capturing images.   I find flying these multi-rotor copters incredibly exciting, addicting and empowering! Now there is a new must have camera drone in the skies as I speak.   It’s the DJI ...

Hollywood, CA —I have to blame my dear friend Pablo Lewin for my obsession with camera drones.  Lewin is a film director who discovered this marvelous and incredibly creative filmmaking tool and got me hooked and empowered with the latest high tech toy. I’ve done a number of drone stories but today I was going to film a scene for Lewin’s latest film offering. I thought I'd let you in on the experience. I can still remember that horrible accident in the early morning hours of July 23, 1982, actor Vic Morrow along with two children, My-Ca Dinh Le (age 7), and Renee Shin-Yi Chen (age 6), died in a nasty helicopter crash during the filming of the Twilight Zone  movie.   We've taken any safety risk out of our production!  Helicopters can be deadly and they are too expensive for some filmmakers. Not to worry, the camera armed drones are here!  Today it was me and my drone that eliminated any dangers along with the impossible expense for a helic...

Hollywood, CA —Let me begin with a disclaimer.  I don’t suggest for a second that bigotry; hate or genocide should be glorified or be made acceptable in our society.  The fact is these ugly things are a part of our world and writing them out of film scripts is not going to cleanse us of these human imperfections. Books and films are about the life-changing events on this earth.  By necessity we must show evil, hate, violence, war, heroism, peace and love because these are the human realty. Police investigations go wrong and innocent people are convicted.  Sometime justice happens.  All of these things give us the ability to tell the stories that need to be told.  We must always try and preserve the truth of the human experience. The only brave filmmaking soul left that seems to escape the political correctness police is Quentin Tarantino .  However, should Tarantino ever make a film that shows Gays in a less than stellar light he will fi...