“Schooled” Plays Hollywood!

The Silent Movie Theater ROCKS!

This was taken at our DVD Release Party held at The Red Pearl Kitchen.
My wife, Angela hooked us up with the cake
and it tasted as good as it looks…

DVD’s NOW AVAILABLE!!!

Order them HERE!

My Lesson From KID NATION (a letter to the editor)

I’ll be sending this around to see if any newspapers want to print it.
In the mean time, here it is…

=====================
My Lesson from “Kid Nation”
=====================
After watching the Dec 12 finale episode of CBS’s “Kid Nation,”
a show I felt mixed about, I was surprised to clarify the key lesson
– a lesson that bears underscoring.

I’ve spent the last 6 years researching alternative education models
in which kids are fully involved in their communities — schools like
Sudbury Valley in Framingham, MA. These “Information Age” schools
give students the power to vote on the budget, hire and fire teachers,
and even to decide how they spend their days:
studying, playing, and/or dealing with core school politics.

This research fueled my independent feature film called “Schooled,”
slated for it’s DVD release on Dec 17th. When I first heard about
“Kid Nation” I felt both intrigued and somewhat threatened.
Intrigued because the subject matter related to my project,
and was being given the mainstream treatment. And threatened
because I was sure there was no way the show could be true to
the principals of children’s empowerment that I had come to value
through my research. Network TV shows have to grab the attention
of millions of viewers so contrived contests and
two-handed heartstring tugging are a must.

Despite my skepticism, and feeling embarrassed that they even
caught me wiping away tears, I’m thrilled with the ultimate message
that came through loud and clear: kids handle responsibility far better
than most people think they can. In a culture where the biggest
challenge facing most high school class presidents is deciding on
a prom venue, we must bring democracy more directly
into mainstream education.

Perhaps greater community involvement in children’s formative years
will pay off most when these kids grow up and lead us in facing
overwhelming global issues. Challenges such as ferocious poverty
which can cripple us or global warming which could even kill us.

On the other hand, maybe choosing that cool local inn for prom night
really is still the best way to prepare our future leaders.

Brooks Elms
Writer-Director
“Schooled”
www.SchooledTheFilm.com

The “Schooled” bus goes Hollywood — on Saturday and Monday…

We’re getting close to the final screenings! Very exciting….

For the many people on this list who have already seen the film (perhaps even several times!) consider joining us just for the DVD Release Party on Monday night after the screening. It’s free! It will be at 9:30pm-ish and we’d love to celebrate the finish line of this leg of the journey with as many people as possible.

DVD RELEASE PARTY!
The Red Pearl Kitchen
www.RedPearlKitchen.com
6703 Melrose (Near Highland) 90038

Plus, the first shipment of “Official Release Edition” DVDs have arrived! They’re looking very handsome and will be available at the screenings for $20. Cast & crew get their copies for free, our background actors can buy a copy for $10, and on Dec 17th, everybody else can get them on-line for $25.

I’m pumped up for people to check them out and give us feedback on the audio commentary.

Details:
THE HOLLYWOOD SCREENINGS
The Silent Movie Theater
611 N Fairfax (south of Melrose) 90036

Saturday, December 15th at 4:30pm
(A Benefit for Play Mountain Place!!)

AND

Monday, December 17th at 7:30pm

Tickets $12 – ($15 at the door. Seating is VERY limited!)
www.BrownPaperTickets.com/event/24116
1-800-838-3006

The City So Nice They Named it Twice

New York, New York was AWESOME! And we also had a blast doing a benefit screening at the Brooklyn Free School! A beautiful school of empowered kids doing their thing.

I got to see a bunch of dear old friends, some who traveled a few hours just to catch the film. Many of them contributed big time to my storytelling process over the years, on both sides of the screen. So I felt deeply proud they were in the audience. And I’m thrilled with their responses to “Schooled.” I could see the wheels in their minds turning as they flowed out in to the lobby. Very satisfying.

Check out my previous post to see a picture of me at The Pioneer Theater before the screening. Am I really meditating, or did I blink?

Just so you know, I was blown away by The Pioneer Theater. I heard great things about it, and it exceeded my expectations. The design is down-to-earth-yet-charming, the seats are comfy, the staff are super nice, they sell Rice Krispy Treats. It’s the coolest theater in NYC, and this is coming from a guy who lived there 9 years. The Pioneer felt like home — the exact type of theater I’d create myself if I ran one.

On a personal note, after losing more than 10 pounds on my recent diet in LA, I gained 6 pounds back during my week in NY. It was “Carb Fest 2007″ — hot bagels right out of the oven, gooey big crust pizza, and gourmet chocolate croissants….Non-stop. And it was worth every ounce!

Okay. Next up is HOLLYWOOD! We’ve got a couple very fun things planned for these final screenings so stay tuned. The details:

**HOLLYWOOD SCREENINGS!**
At the Silent Movie Theater

611 N Fairfax (south of Melrose) 90036
Saturday, December 15th at 4:30pm
(Benefit Screening for Play Mountain Place )

AND

Monday, December 17th at 7:30pm
(Followed by The Official DVD Release party!!)

Tickets $12 – ($15 at the door. Seating is VERY limited!)
www.BrownPaperTickets.com/event/24116
1-800-838-3006

At the NYC Screening

Here’s me in front of the Pioneer Theater in Greenwich Village, NYC.

You decide: Meditating, or just blinking?