Folks!

I'm going to my hometown - Palm Springs - and this time, its not to visit my parents or to be nagged about my vegetable intake. Oh no, this time, I'm going to show Nerdcore Rising at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. Palm Springs is a weird place - lots of golf and senior citizens so its not necessarily a place where the nerd population might find itself and the film festival is not known to show movies like this at all. But this desert town still produced a fiilmmaker and quite sensibly the festival is trying to give every student in the desert a chance to see the film - so they're making it FREE for students and their parents! They're also making it free for my friends and family which in my extremely broad definition includes you guys. So, if you wanna see the movie and you live in the desert of Southern Californa, shoot me an email and I'll get you on some sort of list! Details below. 

Happy New Year,  my homeys.

Love,

negin

your dutiful desert filmmaker

Palm Springs Film Festival screening:

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

7pm

Regal Cinemas, 789 East Tahquitz Canyon Way

Free for students and you!

The video is the only thing I have to say today, folks.

There's a totally and completely premeditated and thoroughly planned intentional mistake in the video. For 10 points, see if you can find it. Enjoy!

Love,

negiin

Deewreckedher of Mooovie

Nerd-loving Homeys!

You know what will counteract the tryptophan-laden stupor you'll have after T-Giving? A screening of Nerdcore Rising! Followed by Frontalot/Lars/YT Cracker in concert! In fact, you'll be able to do both of those things on Friday Nov. 28. First you'll see the screening at 7pm at the Alamo Drafthouse, then you'll watch me, Frontalot, Black Lotus, and the Sturgenius do an amazing and riveting and totally earth shattering post-screening Q&A! And then, we will all stroll casually over to the Flamingo Cantina where we will watch the Front, the Lars, and the YT Cracker regale us with hilariously nerdy lyrics, over-your-head technology references, and the poo-pooing of poor grammar! It shall be fun. 

And, you can repeat that nearly exact experience in Atlanta on Dec. 5th.

  

Information is always here!

Love is always here,

negin

Your Loyal Directrice

Peeps!

This is me reminding you that the movie is playing in San Francisco tonight! and tomorrow night! and for the rest of our lives! (that's not true, only tonight and tomorrow night, Nov. 19). I'll be there, the Front will be there, and if we're lucky Sturgenius and Blak Lotus will be there too! Let the homeys know and buy tix, many many tix here.

Here's a kindly review from a Bay Area journalist of the highest honor.

Our nerdly motion picture will also find its way south to Hollywood where technology is used not for the awesomifcation of computers but for the pimping-out of cars, the photographing of celebrities, and the largening of racks on females. Friday Nov. 21 and Saturday Nov. 22 is when our decidedly non-Hollywood film and our humble LA fans will take over a small stretch of palm tree-ed earth in a mystical geeky union. Tix are $8 but if you want to reserve them, email NerdcoreRisingLA@gmail.com with your name, showtime, number in party, and a phone number. More details here.

You can find me in LA and SF but sadly, I won't be making it to another punchy opening of Nerdcore Rising in Portland from Nov. 21-26 at the Clinton Street Theater. But you will make it because you live there (hopefully, maybe? you got some friends there? a mom or an aunt? anyone?). Those deets are here.

Have I been treating our friends in NYC rather cruelly? It's true that I have because the movie hasn't shown there yet (but it will, it will! I promise!!). So, let me make it up to you: You can catch Schaffer the Darklord (STD) at the Delancey on Thursday Nov. 20 with extremely special guest Shael Riley. They both rule because one of them is in the movie, and the other provided music for the movie. We've been in love ever since. You'll enjoy the pants out of this show so please go see it. 

That about does it for me. I'm editing some shit that you'll hopefully be consuming very very soon because the next missive will be in video format!

love,

negin

Peeps! 

Thanks for all who emailed/posted about our shitty accident. The luv felt good, real good. 

I just wanted to remind you folks that we are T-minus three days away from Nerdcore Rising bliss in San Francisco. Tuesday Nov. 18 and Wednesday Nov. 19 mark our magic days at the Red Vic so please come out and if you do, say hello, I'll be there!

And, if you're looking for some entertainment to tide you over before my next video blog (coming shortly), you can watch this other thing I randomly made for a Liftime TV contest (and also randomly won). There's another voting opportunity there because while I won the electoral votes, I still have the opportunity to win the popular vote.

Sweet,

DutifulFilmmakerNegin

Homeys,

For a while now I’ve had a huge phobia of driving – sometimes that happens to people who live in New York City and don’t own cars. But now, I’m anti car! Totally anti! Because we here at Nerdcore Rising just had a real shitty accident on the road.

I joined up with the Frontalot/Lars/YT Cracker tour in Chicago for four days that sorta overlapped with the movie tour. Things were moving along pretty swimmingly until Mother Nature decided to throw some ice down on our freeway. There was swerving, cursing, and uncontrollable wheeling (is that a term?). Everyone is totally okay – minus some yet-to-be-understood whiplash and achiness – but the trailer, along with all the equipment and merchandise that constitutes “our living” was strewn across Highway 35 in Minnesota.

The first thing I saw was MC Lars, in the middle of the freeway, in front of stopped traffic, trying to swipe up hundreds of copies of the movie that had been artfully scattered across four lanes. As I’ve always said, my movie is nothing if not a bottle necker! Next thing I saw was the upturned trailer, drums rolling down the median, and whole bunch of Frontalot t-shirts and Lars comic books sprinkled among old pieces of trailer. Again, everyone is totally okay. Though it sucks to see your life’s work in pieces on a freeway (I’m exaggerating for dramatic effect, but you know what I mean). As your dutiful filmmaker, I grabbed my camera and started shooting. So will there be a video blog of this mess? You bet your pants there will be!

Right now I’m at this warehouse type joint where they keep snow tractors for the state of Minnesota. Half the posse is sorting out a new trailer sitch, the other half is testing instruments, and the other half is managing web bizness. That’s right, there are three halves. 

At any rate, I wanted to let the folks know that the Front/Lars/Cracker show in Lincoln, Nebraska has been canceled. The MC’s would like to extend their many sorries – they’ve never had to cancel a show before and they sure feel shitty about it now! I’m 90% sure that the movie will still play in Greeley tomorrow and that the band’s tour will also resume, as scheduled, tomorrow Nov. 11.

Morals of the story: 1) If you’re gonna have an accident, it’s a lot nicer if its not in the sleet and snow. Aim for a sunny clime. 2) The people that manage the snow and pick up wreckage in the State of Minnesota are super nice, extremely helpful, and totally angelic. (That one’s not really a moral but just an observation.) 3) I hope Al Franken wins (that one’s totally unrelated.) 4) The wreckage from a touring band/movie is full of colorful merch which is very cinematic (that one’s a little useless) and 5) We should invest in alternative mass transit solutions which, by and large, are safer than the car culture we now live in. 

That about does it!

Sleepy and a bit shaken,
negin
Your dutiful filmmaker

 

Ladies, Gentlemen, Hoodlums, Hooligans, and Nerdly Peops,

Nerdcore Rising has had an intense fall season skipping between Edmonton, Canada, Bowling Green, OH, Hot Springs, AK, Cambridge, MA, Minneapolis, MN and a whole bunch of cities in between. And what have we been doing in those cities? Accruing some 5 star reviews (yeah!! bless those critics for not hatin’), meeting actual fans, and generally elevating the nerdcore.

And, we’re done because it is my pleasure to announce the “Not Quite Exactly But Sorta Basically Pseudo Movie Tour of Nerdcore Rising: The Movie”!

The title - “Not Quite Exactly But Sorta Basically Pseudo Movie Tour of Nerdcore Rising: The Movie” – says it all because this tour is not quite exactly but sorta basically a pseudo movie tour of the movie, Nerdcore Rising. The other thing that the “Not Quite Exactly But Sorta Basically Pseudo Movie Tour of Nerdcore Rising: The Movie” does is that it almost, but not really and essentially doesn’t except for a little bit, follow the tour of MC Frontalot, MC Lars, & YT Cracker three of the nerdcore rappers that my film is up on the nuts of.

So, I’m going to artfully leave you a list of towns and dates below where we’ll be (or probably be) so you can go and see the mooovie. For those of you on this mailing who live in New York, you might be saying to yourself, why the #*%$ isn’t New York on the &^%$(er @#^&^*ing list??? What the &^*R^&&&^ does a &%^&$#@ have to do to get a @#$%$^ screening in this ^%$!!!$# city? Your inappropriate language is totally well deserved but I’ll have you know that the movie is definitely going to open in New York, though most likely in January. And if you think of it, January is a way better month to see movies because… um, because… you know, it is!

I hope your city is listed below and if it is, please spread the word to your local homeys! And, because frames speak louder than words, very soon I’ll be posting a new video that will entertain (fingers crossed).

Terabytes of Nerd Love,

negin


Massive Infos!
Nov. 5th – Wednesday – Albany – The Linda – 7pm*
Nov. 7th – Friday – Concord – SNOB Film Fest – multiple showtimes
Nov. 7th – Friday – Denver – Starz Denver Film Center – multiple showtimes
Nov. 7th – Friday – Tulsa – Circle Cinema – 9:30pm
Nov. 8th – Saturday – Chicago – The Music Box – 5pm*
Maybe Nov. 9th – Sunday – Dekalb, IL – Don’t know where or what
Nov. 9th – Saturday  - Denver - Starz Denver Film Center – multiple showtimes
Nov. 9th – Sunday – Denver - Starz Denver Film Center – multiple showtimes
Nov. 10th – Monday – Columbia, MO – Ragtag Cinema – 10:15pm
Nov. 12th – Wednesday – Greeley, CO – University of Northern Colorado – 7pm*
Nov. 14th – Friday – Wilmington, NC – Cucalorus Film Festival – 10:15pm*
Nov. 14th – Friday – Tulsa, OK – Circle Cinema
Nov. 18th – Tuesday – San Francisco – The Red Vic Movie House – multiple*
Nov. 19th – Wednesday – San Francisco – The Red Vic Movie House – multiple*
Nov. 21st – Friday – Los Angeles – The Engineering Cinemateque – 8 &10pm”
Nov. 21st – Friday – Tulsa, OK – Circle Cinema
Nov. 22nd – Saturday – Los Angeles - ?? not sure yet exactly… *
Maybe Nov. 23rd – Sunday – Las Vegas probably? Not sure yet…
Maybe Nov. 24th – Monday - ??? somewhere probably
Maybe Nov. 25th – Tuesday - ??? somewhere probably
Maybe Nov. 26th – Wednesday - ??? somewhere probably
Nov. 28th – Friday – Austin – Alamo Drafthouse (downtown) – 7pm*
Nov. 28th – Friday – Tulsa, OK – Circle Cinema
Nov. 29th – Saturday – Dallas – probably the Double Wide
Dec. 5th – Friday – Atlanta – The Plaza Cinema – 7pm

(The * sign means that I’m gonna be there, chatting it up, and lovingly selling my wares)

For all screening info – please visit:
http://nerdcorerisingthemovie.com/screenings.html

PS: I would definitely double-check all show times with the hosting theatre or film festival website because things change and sometimes they change unbeknownst to me.

PPS: For those of you who emailed and offered PR help, THANK YOU. My super-esteemed colleague, Sana will be contacting you on exactly what you can do to help us. For the rest of yous, its never to late to volunteer, you just gots to respond to this email and let a gal know.
 

PPPS: Here's this

PPPPS: My homey Amy's movie, "The Guitar" is opening on Nov. 7th in New York so if you're in town, check it out.

Peeps, 

I just wanted to remind you that the mooovie is playing at the Sound Unseen Festival in Minneapolis on Wednesday night for those of you who live in Al Franken country. In fact, one of their local papers gave us a super lovely review. But if you'd rather see it at a smarty pants New England college, there's also a screening conveniently located on the campus of MIT the same night. 

I'll actually be at the Minneapolis screening for a post-show Q&A if you have a hankering to see a Persian face. I have one of those so it could work out for both of us. 

Sweet!

negin

Just a reminder about the Hot Springs screening of the movie and MC Frontalot post-show performance. I got the time wrong in my last blog - the screening is actually at 9:30. Oops! Hope you folks can make it.

Peeps!
The movie is playing in two awesome spots which means you guys should come and see the shit out of it.

Here's the info:

Nerdcore Rising @ Hot Springs Film Festival
Friday Oct. 24, 10pm
Saturday Oct. 25, 8pm (followed by afterparty featuring the nerdcore stylings of MC Frontalot & band)
Ticket & location info here

Nerdcore Rising @ Sound Unseen Festival
Wednesday, October 29
7:15 PM
St. Anthony Main Theatre
$8
Tix & More Info

Now listen up, my parents are going to be at the Hot Springs screenings and will be seeing the movie for the FIRST TIME! (They couldn't come to the premiere because of a bunch of dutiful things they had to do in Iran - where we're from - that's how come my name is all weird and unpronouncable.) Anyhoo, my point is, if you come, laugh extra hard, and if you see them tell them they shouldn't regret having created me that one night in the backseat of their Datsun station wagon in that sketchy parking lot.*

All right folks, see you in the South and Midwest.

Love!
negin

*That story's not true and I totally grossed myself out. Plus, they're full-on parental types so they probably won't get a joke like that, or... anything about my movie, to be honest. But they'll know to like it if everyone is laughing.

Hey folks, 

Negin here letting you know some crucial information on the eve of Negin's Second Great Depression: a lot of folks came out to see the film at BGSU and at Edmonton Film Fest. And, a lot of those folks bought stuff from me. Thank you for doing that! However, selling my wares and doing a lot of festivals has meant that the movie has appeared in places that I hoped it wouldn't. If you are watching the movie somehow -- without paying to watch it -- I TOTALLY understand, I've been there. But I try not to do it to small struggling films or artists.

I've got a lot of evil creditors on my nuts, calling me everyday, threatening me. Why? Because in order to make this movie I incurred a massive debt. I spent 3 years and 3 gajillion dollars to make this film. And, while I'm really happy that people like it and want to share it, I really, really hope that in exchange you would consider donating money to the movie.  The money only goes to the debt. I promise. I have never paid myself a dime.

Or, better yet, buy the DVD. Or the t-shirt. Or the soundtrack. 

I'm just a desperately broke gal who made a movie - if I was some kind of rich corporation, I really wouldn't bother with this mesage. A fan commented below that this film at least needs a tip jar - the good news is WE HAVE ONE HERE! Go there, tip us... please. Your waitress (AKA the movie) doesn't earn anything otherwise. 

Sad, broke, really broke,

negin

Hello Folks! 

Just wanted to remind you that the movie will be playing tonight on the campus of Bowling Green State University. Details are on the Screenings tab. And, strangely, I'll be warming up the audience with standup before the screening - I asked if I could just force everyone to do shots of Jagermeister beforehand but they frowned on that and cited something about 'university policy.' Lame.

Regional highlights so far, the deep fried pickles at Tony Packo's in Toledo (Clinger's favorite restaurant from MASH) and the Fruit Fucker t-shirt being warn by one of our hosts. (I guess the fact that I'm being hosted by a bunch of extremely hilarious and scarily smart PhD candidates is a highlight too... I guess). 

Till Later,

negin

Homeys,
 
You know how I’ve been collecting your zip codes in the “Request the Film” tab above… and in every email I send out… and in every time any of you have the misfortune of speaking to me in person? Well, all that requesting is about to pay off! We’re arranging a pseudo-tour of the movie that will (mostly) correspond to MC Frontalot’s upcoming tour. This means you get to see the film, then see MC Frontalot in concert, then explode from too much exposure to Nerdcore. So, my question to you is: do you live in one of the following towns? And if so, do you have any interest in helping me arrange a screening in said town?
 

What does this mean? Well, for example maybe you or someone you love works at a university. (Universities are great spots for screenings because they’re fair with the scheduling and the monies.) Or, perhaps you or someone you love works at a local arthouse cinemas. (Cinemas are great because this is a movie and that’s where you’re supposed to watch mooovies.) Or, maybe, you or someone you know owns a bar… or a laundromat… or a really large dorm room that would be perfect for a movie screening. So, if you fit the bill and you want to help out, look at the cities below. Please note, that in some of these cities screenings have already been arranged or might be in the process but we’re still looking for people to help out with PR, so email me either way!

And, a final piece of housekeeping: I had a most pleasant run-in with a photographer at PAX who’s photo appears in Nerdcore Rising. His name is Phil Palios and I really think you should visit his flikr page – I mean, only if you’re into looking at cool shit and enjoying yourself.

 
That’s all for now! Email me if you’re down to help with the cause!


Love,
negin
 

Hey Folks!

PAX was amazing and awesome and I have a lot things to say about it in video blog format. But, I still have to edit that bizness, so in the meantime I just wanted to remind you about the movie's opening in College Park, MD. If you're anywhere in the hood (and by 'hood,' I mean 75 mile radius of College Park) please stop by, grab some buttery popcorn, bite size Butter Fingers, and a large Coke because that my friends, is the best way to enjoy Nerdcore Rising The Movie.

Details: 

Opens Friday September 5th
Weekend Showtimes: Friday 1:30, 7:30; Saturday 9pm
For all additional showtimes please visit their website
Hoff Theater
University of Maryland
0126 Stamp Student Union
College Park, MD 20742
301-314-9347

More details

Tickets are available on the website or at the box office. Theater opens at 11:30am Monday-Saturday.

Adult ticket prices $7, $5 matinee
Student ticket prices $5, $4 matinee

To Maryland & Beyond,

negin

Dearest Peeps-

In my last post, I bloggishly announced that the movie will be enjoying its West Coast Premiere at the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle at the Washington State Convention Center at 4pm on Saturday August 30th. And while its still true that the film is going to be having its West Coast Premiere at the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle at the Washington State Convention Center at 4pm on Saturday August 30th , I think that a short form web-based video brought to you directly from Team Nerdcore Rising is a better way to announce that the film will have its West Coast Premiere at the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle at the Washington State Convention Center at 4pm on Saturday August 30th . So, please watch the above video as it will clearly and entertainingly (she says with her fingers crossed) explain how the movie will have its West Coast Premiere at the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle at the Washington State Convention Center at 4pm on Saturday August 30th .

Also, one of the main network television shows – can’t say which – will be at PAX to see what this “Nerdcore Rising” thing is all about. So, laugh and watch extra hard because we want to convince (or fool?) the three-lettered network channel about our awesomeness.

In other news, the movie will be opening for a regular ol’ theatrical run at the Hoff Theater in College Park, MD. This means, that if you call the moviephone number for that area, the dude that answers will list Nerdcore Rising, and its screening times, in his ridiculous signature voice. But of course, you wouldn’t do that if you were reading this blog… because you’d be online… and because it’s the year 2008. In which case, you’d want to know that the movie will open on Friday Sept. 5th and the details can be found on their website: 

The Hoff Theater

Very soon the inimitable Mr. Dan Johnston (our all-knowing web czar) will be designing a beautiful page that aggregates all of our screenings on an easy-to-use grid. This will be great because, folks, fall is going to be an intense season for Nerdcore Rising!

For those that will be at PAX– don't forget to relish in the works of MC Frontalot, G Minor 7, Blak Lotus, and the Categorical Imperative as they plan on destroying the PAX crowd with some seriously catchy Nerdcore hip hop. And, please heed the message at the end of the video… or else. (Do you like how I did that? How motivated are you to see the video now, huh?)


Love,
negin
 

Dearest folks,

For months you’ve been speculating on whether Nerdcore Rising would screen at PAX.* Your speculation has been digested, dissected, deflected, and d-something’ed else. Truth is, at first I wasn’t sure if we were gonna screen there; then I was sure; then I didn’t know how to announce it; then I got rapped up in season 4 of Lost; then I got into a serious internal debate on whether citing The Goonies nostalgia was an acceptable justification for DVRing The Two Coreys; then I realized I still hadn’t announced it.

So, without further syntactical ado, it is my pleasure to announce that we will, in fact, be screening the movie at the 2008 Penny Arcade Expo! If you’re anywhere near Seattle on Saturday August 30th you should be at PAX. And, at 4pm, you should dutifully find a cozy seat in the Main Hall of the Convention Center, wait for the lights to go down, and watch as the movie blazes across a gigantically large screen. Me, MC Frontalot, GMinor 7, and Blak Lotus will all be there for any post-screening merriment that might ensue like hugs and/or wookiee calls.

Chew on these screening details:
Saturday August 30
4pm - Main Hall
Washington State Convention Center
Seattle, WA
 

I have a few more blogs in me till PAX with more details, more videos, and more totally unnecessary footnotes.***** I want to see you in Seattle!

Love,

negin & gang at Nerdcore Rising

*For those of you who don’t know what PAX is, it’s the Penny Arcade Expo.**
**For those of you who don’t know what Penny Arcade is, it’s the OG of web comics.***
***For those of you who don’t know what OG is, it means ‘original gangster.’****
****For those of you who don’t understand what original gangster has to do with web comics, you clearly haven’t read the Penny Arcade.**

*****Like the four above.

FOLKS!

Quick blog here. Just wanted to remind you to watch the latest episode of Nerd of the Week on the Chiptunes Nerd – you don’t know what that is? Well, how serendipitous, I have a full and informative explanation for you in the form of a fun and entertaining video!

Also, don’t forget to sign up for OurStage through the eye-catchy banner on the side or through this link. It works like this: A) you sign up, B) you confirm your email address, C) we get a dollar, D) movie debt is reduced by exactly 99 pennies, E) the beginnings of a smile begin to emerge on my face. In fact, Presumptive President Obama is thinking of using the same five part strategy to reduce the country’s budget deficit. BUT, he agrees that reducing the Nerdcore Rising deficit is the first national priority. Obvi.

And finally, I heard from a little internet bird (i.e. a helpful RSS feed) that MC Frontalot is performing Nerdcore hip hop at the San Diego ComiCon. When questioned about the event, Frontalot said, “shut up, Negin and read my blog.” He then threw a lamp on the floor, broke a chair, and violently penned a new rap song called “Lamp On the Floor & Broken Chair.” If you would like to learn more about that gig, as a wise man once said, “shut up and read [his] blog.”

You’re the tops!

Love,

 
negin & the raging media addicts of Team Nerdcore Rising

 PS - Oh yeah, I'm speaking on a panel at the Long Island Film Expo on Sunday about how to get a movie out when you're not rich and famous. Here's the info if'n anyone's interested.