Around the Block: Doug Block's Doc Blog

51 BIRCH STREET - Held Over In NYC, Rolling Out To The 'Burbs!

Sorry for being so blatantly self-promotional but just don't have the time these days for subtlety.   51 Birch Street is being held over at the Cinema Village in NYC and the release is expanding today to suburban screens in Rye and Roslyn.  And aside from all the other exciting things going on -- like, Oprah's people calling, a screening at my alma mater (Cornell), and being celebrated on the opinion page of my home town paper -- I've also been getting a few hundred emails a day.  Not just simple congrats, either, but long, personal and very detailed emails from both total strangers and people I go a long ways back with.  In other words, not the kind of emails you can give a simple reply to.  I'm about a week behind, so if you're one of those good folks I haven't responded to yet, don't be too pissed off.  I fully intend to get back to each and every one.

Then there's my fathers' health -- he had a mild heart attack the night before last while I was up in Ithaca, which gave us all a huge scare.  Luckily, the paramedics came quickly and he had a pacemaker put in this morning.  He sounded great when I spoke to him, and Kitty reported he's having a fabulous time flirting with the nurses. 

Anyway, more to come soon.   And more subtle, too, I promise.

No, My Head Hasn't Really Swelled. But My Penis Is At Least 3 Inches Larger

It's been such a mind-bending week for me and 51 Birch Street that it feels like it's gone by in a blur.  And having my father, his wife Kitty and my sister Ellen as apartment guests added enough chaos to the procedings to almost rival the shipboard stateroom scene in "A Night At The Opera."

But now that it's Sunday night and everyone's gone, I finally have a quiet moment to catch my breath and reflect on a few of the highlights of these past days.  (Reader Alert: a healthy amount of kvelling to follow...)

Let's start with the 7pm screening on our NY opening night, with a full house comprised of so many old friends and colleagues, and with expectations certainly heightened by the glowing Times review.  I agree with Kitty's later assessment: it's the best audience we've ever had, mainly because they laugh louder than any other audience.  It's not a film where you have to get all the humor, but man it helps when you do.  And what a personal moment it is bringing the entire family (except for my sister Karen) up front for the Q&A.  I manage to save the best for last: asking my Uncle Josh to sing the full a capella version of his now-classic ditty,"I Flunk Adultery," which we had to cut down for the film.  As in the film, it brings down the house, and makes Lori and me both realize that we HAVE to do a music video of it for the dvd.

Our outreach assistant Sara reports that Alec Baldwin came late and tried to score a seat with the manager to the sold out 7pm show on Thursday.   When she tries to give him an extra ticket, she nearly comes to blows with 4 frustrated women who've been shut out and waiting around in the lobby for far longer.  While tussling with them, Baldwin somehow finds his way inside, and ultimately asks a pretty odd question to Kitty at the Q&A.  She takes it totally in stride - she has no idea whatsoever who he is.

My sister Karen calls me last night from Austin, where she's attending a convention of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.  I had arranged for a free screening of 51 Birch Street to the group, and Karen reports that over 300 people attended and gave her and the film a standing ovation at the end.  Someone even asked her for her autograph, she tells me increduously.

I decide to take advantage of my family being around and interview each of them about their reactions to the film for the dvd.  My father and I have a very intense conversation which, like the film, ends with him turning the camera on me.  Both Kitty and Ellen break down in tears at various points during their interviews.  This isn't going to be your typical dvd extra, that's for sure.  More like an extension of the film itself.

Finally, our dedicated and enthusiastic intern Andrew has taken it on himself to scour the web for 51 Birch Street news, and emails me and Lori with periodic updates.  He's particularly excited that, as of tonight, with 13 reviews posted, 51 Birch Street has a 100% "freshness" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.    Okay, I'll admit, it excites me, too.

51 Birch Street - Opening Day Jitters

What can I say? - it's been quite a day and we're not even close to the high point yet (the 7pm screening with practically everyone from my past and present attending, and then the premiere party).

Between the spectacular NY Times review by A.O. Scott, my new favorite critic, and the seeming avalanche of raving blog posts and email blasts, it seems like word about 51 Birch Street has gotten out everywhere. My deep and humble thanks to everyone in the blogosphere and docosphere for rallying behind the film.   

The folks at Truly Indie are all a twitter.  Lori and I are getting box office gross reports almost hourly, and by 11am they'd already figured out we're gonna do really well over the weekend.  Of course, we're only playing in one relatively small theater in Manhattan for now, so this is all relative.

Last night was really excruciating trying to sleep knowing that certain make-or-break reviews would be awaiting in the morning.  But now that it's over, it's utterly amazing. I feel 10 pounds lighter and yet my head is two sizes bigger.

The Spotlight Shines On Yours Truly, And People From My Past Are Coming Out Of The Woodwork...

51 Birch Street is about to open theatrically on Wednesday, and I can't deny it's nice to be getting a fair share of media attention.  Both the New York Times and Newsday published huge articles this week with humongous photos and sensational headlines ("The Secrets At 51 Birch Street" screamed Newsday, to my family's endless amusement).  Well, one of the great rewards has been hearing from so many people from my distant past, and what I love most is that they're not at all shy about sharing.

So, for those of you who wonder what it's like to have your 15 minutes of fame, here's a random sampling from the hundreds of daily emails flooding into my email inbox in the past week, from the banal to the eloquent:

• Hi Doug.  You probably don't remember me, but I was your sister Ellen's good friend through junior high and high school, and I lost touch with her about 20 years ago.
• Doug:  It may take you a few moments, but I trust you'll remember your old friend Josh Wiener, from Camp Eisner (and Long Island) days, best I recall.  I have fond memories of our friendship, and of course found the article about your film and your career very interesting.   After all these years!
• This is your old neighbor, Diane Merker - 57 Birch.  How do I get a copy of this film - I would love to see it.  The only thing strange that I remember about your family is that your Dad saved money by having everyone bath in the same bath water.  When my sister Merryl would have a sleep over, she got the last bath!!
• Dear Doug, This morning, I read the article about your movie in Newsday and immediately logged onto your website. That was at 8:15 this morning. It is now noon, and I just finished posting my story on your site.  I live in Port Washington, on Lewis Lane. I'm originally from Brooklyn; my husband and I moved to Port in 1995. We now have two children, 10 and eight. I refuse to keep family secrets, as I had more than my share growing up
• I grew up around the corner from Birch St. on Fairview Ave...The reason for me writing you is because I have a 17 year old son who is a junior in HS.  We are currently evaluating colleges for Film, TV and Digital Media field of study.  My background is Engineering and I don't have that experience in Film Study like someone with your experience.  I have some questions for you...
• Doug, it's Jamie from 46 Birch Street, and I too have many warm memories of playing in the "dead end" across from your house.  I remember there was always a "foreign car" (I think it was a SAAB - way ahead of their times) parked in front of "51 Birch".  Thanks for bringing it all back.
• Doug, good luck from former resident of 65 Birch St.  Remember playing kickball, baseball, tag, etc. in the "dead end" after dinner?
• Just a quick hello from the current owners of 51 Birch Street... Congratulations on the success of your film. We look forward to seeing it.  I'm not sure when you've last seen the house but the construction is coming along.
• Dear Doug,  I was astonished to open the Times to see a huge picture of the Block family circa the time that I was friends and roomates with your sister Karen...  I'm married, have an 11 year old son and live in the burbs ...stilll commute daily to my job as design director at a textile company in the city...  Please let Karen know that I would like to hear from her.
• Dear Mr. Block: Your family photo album does bring back so many memories.  The pictures of you at 5 years old ( minus grabbing your crotch) are how I remember you. It is interesting to read what you say about the lack of affection from our parents. My family suffered from the same disease from my parents- especially my mother. Until the day she died I could not remember her telling me she loved me- unless in some form of a nursery rhyme. My Dad ( a translator during WW2- fluent in Japanese and Chinese) used to want to tell us stories- we could care less. When he died in 91 we found an autobiography he wrote- quite fascinating.  I grew up in the 1950s and I felt my own mother's angst on many different levels.  A beautiful and multitalented woman, my stay-at-home Mom was literally held "prisoner" by my father, who was domineering and demanding.  If he said, "Jump," we all said, "how high?" (including my mother).  My parents were married for over 60 years....until my father's death at the age of 92.  I never could understand why they stayed together after the kids were grown and gone. I thought for sure my mother would have opted for a new life...a new beginning. But she never did and at the age of 77, she still lives in the now self-imposed isolation my father created for her those many years ago.

51 Birch Street At The Austin Film Society Tonight

Sorry for the last minute notice, but for those of you in Austin, hope to see you tonight at the Alamo for the Texas Doc Tour screening of 51 Birch Street.

I've come to love Austin through being at SXSW a couple of times, which is not just one of my favorite film festivals but one of the best anywhere on the planet.  I'm writing this from poolside at the funky San Jose Hotel, which alone is worth the 4-hour flight from NYC.  The weather is gorgeous.  In a couple of hours I'll be talking to Paul Steckler's U of T film class, and then, after the screening, looking forward to drinks and shmooze with Austinites like John and Janet Pierson, Matt Dentler, Mocha Jean Herrup, Christine Felton, John Lebkowsky, and the gang from Truly Indie.

Now that we're in the home stretch before our theatrical premiere,  it's been pretty crazy, especially ever since the NY Times article was published.  Things have gone over the top today because another feature article was published in Newsday, the Long Island newspaper our family read when I was growing up. People from my past (including 48 Birch Street, 46 Birch Street, 62 Birch Street and the current residents of 51 Birch Street) are flooding my email inbox.  My apologies to those I haven't gotten back to right away, but it's a bit overwhelming.   

It's great, too, don't get me wrong, but it's also nice to get away, if only for a day.

Holy Crap, That's My FAMILY Splashed Across The Pages Of The New York Times!

51 Birch Street was featured in a huge spread in yesterday's Sunday New York Times.  Obviously, I've known it was coming for many weeks but it's something you can never fully prepare for. It's one thing to get a modicum of attention in the relatively insular world of the international film festival circuit. It's another to be put front and center before the eyeballs of millions of readers.

Another difference is up until now, reviews aside (which have been almost unanimously kind), I've had almost total control over the presentation of the film.  But when a reporter gets his hands on the story, it takes on a life of its own.

Luckily, I've known John Anderson for years, and trusted he would come up with something compelling and accurate.  And he did.  (Okay, except for the statement that HBO produced the film - for the record, it's a Copacetic Pictures production, in association with HBO/Cinemax Documentary Films and ZDF-Arte).

So I truly doubt John was the one who came up with the really caring, sensitive headline: "Mom Dies, Dad Doesn’t Grieve, and So a Film Is Born."  Because, as anyone who's seen the film eventually finds out (WARNING: close your eyes if you haven't seen it), my father did grieve for my mother... terribly.  But now everyone reading about this for the first time thinks my father is an unfeeling monster.

The funny thing is, my dad really doesn't care much about how he's perceived publicly.   It's one of the great things about being 86, he's told me.  And his wife Kitty just emailed this reassurance a few hours ago: "Don't worry about the headlines.  Although inaccurate, it will attract attention.  The same as us being married in 3 months instead of 16 months. The other sounds more like a scandal.  Selling the house in 6 months instead of 2 years.  None of these things are accurate. Not to worry.  We will overcome."

Geez, a bit of travelling around with the film and they're already hardened, savvy marketeers. 

As for me, it's hard to be objective.  Of course, a Times article is exciting, it's great for the film, it'll hopefully drive traffic to the theaters.  And I'm sure for about two seconds I'll be the envy of attention-starved indie filmmakers everywhere (heh heh).

But the thing I really love are the photos.  I mean, to have 3 family photos in the New York Times - that's just cool.  Especially the one with Yours Truly as skinny, shirtless hippie posing with his family on the front lawn of their house, circa early 70's.  Cracks me up every time.

So, what the hell, go ahead.  Say my dad was an axe murderer.  People just look at the pictures anyway, right?

Okay, see ya later.  Time to get back to all the emails from distant cousins and aging boomers I went to camp with in the 3rd grade.

The Return Of EYES ON THE PRIZE

In one of the most welcome bits of television news in a long while, the landmark documentary series "Eyes on The Prize" will finally be re-broadcast on PBS's The American Experience starting tonight (Oct. 2) at 9pm, and run through the following two Mondays, the 9th and 16th (check your local listings). 

Executive produced by the late Henry Hampton, this essential look at the civil rights movement in America has been caught in legal limbo over rights clearance issues since 1993 (it originally aired on PBS in 1987).  If you haven't seen it, be prepared to be enthralled, enraged, enlightened and, yes, entertained (it's that absorbing).  And if you have any aspiration whatsoever to make an historical documentary, set up your recording device now.