Tom,

I wrote a polite message to the VP of Public Relations at Peace Arch. Don’t know if flooding the box would help, but certainly some sort of communication is in order.

And…

I guess that outs me as an investor. A lot of small time guys like me have pinned some dreams on your success. I bought into the company at about the time when the company bought into Delirious. Guess that makes me a bit like a lesser Les Galantine wannabe. Or it makes me into an even more psychotic fan. Many of us over on the yahoo PAE message board have been trying to get glimpses of your day to day progress since Peace Arch signed on. Daaron posted something to that effect awhile back.

Part of what has kept me solidly invested with the company has been management’s track record of making very sensible moves two months before telling anyone what’s up. The people calling the shots are very organized and are not blind to the great box office potential of Delirious. I would like to be sure that they have mapped out some second thrust where a mini-tudors style blitz follows up the monumental efforts you and the cast have made to promote this film, but they are pretty disciplined about letting on about their intentions and they aren’t going to tell a peon like me. I wrote anyway.

I find it out of character for Peace Arch to be banking on the amount of promotion shown thus far, and blindly believe that they are going to pull out heavier guns than shown thus far. They are too smart not to.

Didn’t mean to kick your back out again, but it did give me some joy/frustration to see posters on 100th St. after searching subway stops and construction sites as I moved around the city this weekend.

Wishing you a great vacation and an expanded promotional budget.

rite

Thanks Sarah, who the hell knows what’s going to happen. I’ve received notes from people in NY and LA saying they’ve gone to the film but as Rite says above our small ad budget makes it tough to compete with some of the bigger films coming out this week.
Don’t dye your hair.

August 19, 2010. I’ll mark my calendar. (and maybe buy some hair dye?)
Good luck with the box office results.

Hey Rite,
Oh, jeezus, now you just made my back go out again. I too have not seen too many posters but have been unable to acknowledge my concern about it. Now you’ve brought it home. I can’t believe anybody even knows the film is out there based on the kind of visual presence the film has.
Who are you going to write to?
tu
Stupidbad. Quite excellent.
best,
Tom

Tom,

I thought you were understating the 50 posters. I’ve now spotted 3 of them including the one in the theatre. The other 47 must be in LA cuz I haven’t seen anything above or below ground and I’ve been around town this weekend.

I hope that the REAL marketing budget is waiting for the execs to digest the incredible press you have been receiving. For what it’s worth, I’m writing to them. The film will sell when people find out that it is there.

Stupidbad is plastered all over the place.

You deserve better.

rite

Dear Sarah,
Yes, a vacation is coming; starting tomorrow. As I said to Rite above, I’m sorry the little films are done too. Chioke and I had a lot of fun. I met him at an early screening of the film in Brooklyn. He handed me his card and asked me what was planned to advertise the film on the web. I said, “Huh?”
Next morning I called him and he told me his idea. At first I was actually very nervous–you know portraying myself that way. It is of course an exaggeration but like all comedy not far from the truth! (in terms of how desperate you can feel sometimes)
But, we had a blast. I’m glad you laughed. Wow, if you could hear the years of hysteria just underneath the comedy your hair would turn white.
I hereby promise to tell that tale on August 19, 2010.
best,
Tom

Hey Kunal,
I guess you made it into NYC or else the Chinese have already bootlegged the movie into Toronto.
Glad you liked it. I put a lot of work into the sound editing. I love the combination of sound and image used in a way that is dramatically surprising. I chose the war footage shown on Les’ Dad’s TV, to underscore the battle about to come and because it was free.
Can’t believe you caught the Igleby. Good ears.
best,
Tom

Miss Mona,
I am fried, in more ways than one. But, just knowing you are waiting with a barely supressed giggle is tremendous inspiration. I’ve got some free time coming up and I will endeavor to fulfil my obloggations.
Of course the first thing I’ll hear tomorrow is how the “Weekend” was in terms of Box Office. Can’t fokkin wait…
Many thanks for your kind nod on TISBuscemi.com. I love the way your site looks. Wish to one day know how the hell you do it.
yore pal,
Tom

I loved the new video. It was just so funny, and it had me laughing out loud a lot. It’s a shame there can’t be more, but I think you managed to achieve some really original and entertaining marketing for Delirious. Congratulations. And Mona is right. Time for a vacation, maybe?

Get some rest Tom and recuperate for another fantastic movie. I just caught Delirious before I could review it and I have to say I loved the continuous cuts in sycn with the diagetic music especially when Les throws down the paper and the explosion is heard in the background on the tv, with a smooth transition into the next scene. Amazing. On the other hand, the casting call with “Igleby goes down” was absolutely hillarious.
keep up the good work.
cheers.

Don’t be a bum, pass along the good stuff.
Just kidding. Now is the time to breathe. I’m sure you haven’t been doing much of that in the last nine months or so.

Hey Sujewa,
Thanks for writing. I appreciated your note very much. I checked out your sites and it looks like you are up to all kinds of cool mischief.

I have tried to cast all my films the way I see the world; it is full of fascinating people of all races and genders. Cinque Lee (Spike’s younger brother) is in Delirious. I’d met him when he was 16, bumming around Tokyo by himself. I spent 2 months here in NYC trying to find him again for this part because I knew no one could play it but him. He does an amazing job.

It is hard to make independent films in this current climate of general anesthesia. But comments like yours keep me going. You do the same.

best,
Tom

Thanks Rite. I enjoyed making this one a lot. In fact, the creative energy going into all of them, plus working with Chioke Nassor, was completely rejuvenating and inspiring during an extremely stressful time.
Again, none of them were scripted. We just sketched out the basic idea a moment or two before shooting and let the cameras roll. Of course Chioke and I discussed some practical things that were needed, like the blonde wigs and sunglasses.
But that is the last one. The money ran out, bro.
best,
Tom

Hello Tom,

Congrats on getting Delirious done & out. I’ve mentioned it a couple of times at my blog DIY Film Explosion at http://www.diyfilmmaker.blogspot.com, posted the excellent trailer here (i believe the one with the French sub titles):
http://diyfilmmaker.blogspot.com/2007/08/delirious-trailer.html.

I am a filmmaker & blogger. Have seen all your movies; my faves so far are Johnny Suede & Living In Oblivion. Moonlight was its own very interesting & entertaining thing, Double Whammy seemed very accessible to a mainstream audience – liked it, oh, I guess I have not seen the Real Blonde – need to check it out. Looking forward to checking out Delirious when it gets to my ‘hood (DC area) or when I am in NYC next week.

Congrats also on an awesome career thus far – 6 movies, all shot on film, all well made & well received by many ordinary audience members (if not critics), plus great work on camera on Stranger. You are definitely an inspiring & unique indie filmmaker.

Oh, also, very cool of you to have minority actors in major roles in a couple of your movies, makes a big positive difference to some of your viewers.

Take care.

– Sujewa
http://www.wilddiner.com/
http://www.diyfilmmaker.blogspot.com/

Rest well Tom,

You have held it together well. Anyone who endured the media circus as long as you deserves some nice quiet time.

Sorry that this is to be the last installment. As inventive and creative as the others. Culkin beCAME Michael Pitt.

Amazing.

rite