Another Lawrence mill reduced to rubble

Deja view: another mill in Lawrence gets demolished. It was a great building but had been badly abused, neglected and controversied. But as we know, that hardly ever means it cannot be saved with the right vision and backing. Alas, the Merrimac Paper Mill, 1895-2011, joins the ranks of Lost Lawrence:

http://www.eagletribune.com/latestnews/x1281101732/Demolition-under-way-at-Merrimac-Paper-building

A great quote by Nature Conservancy President John Sawhill: "In the end, our society will be defined not by what we create, but by what we refuse to destroy."

Imploding History

As you may know, we were not the only ones filming the implosion of the two historic smokestacks back in October of 2009 for our MILLIES promotional video. Though we were about the only ones who didn't think of it as such a fun and fantastic event.

If you haven't seen our version of the video, you can check it out here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmhjIBd2Sh8

The Learning Channel's tv reality show "The Imploders" was also filming, with a nice fat budget, helicopter shots, multi-camera set ups, etc. The result of that shoot aired on TLC last night, and I found it utterly painful to watch. It is not that buildings never have to come down, it's just the way there is such a casual celebration of the BOOM, especially regarding historic places, that rubs me wrong. It was like watching little boys kill a wounded animal after kicking it around a bit and letting it suffer. Putting it out of its misery is one thing, but taking such joy in the whole process is disconcerting to me. Can't help it, just the way I see things. It may be the Learning Channel, but it seems to me we are not at all learning the lessons we really need to learn.

Mo' Money - from Cultural Council

Believe me, it's a good thing when an indie filmmaker gets a call that says, "Yes, We Believe in Your Project. Here's More Money." Those calls are not just rare, they're pretty much nonexistent. So it was a happy day to get news from the Lawrence Cultural Council, a branch of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, that MILLIES was selected to receive additional funding on top of its original grant award from a couple months ago!

Every bit helps. Buy a t-shirt, buy a photo print, or just make a donation at http://www.milliesmovie.com/millie.html.

A big thanks to the Cultural Council for putting their money where their Millies are.

Lawrence MA helps Haiti

The "Trust & Believe" charity single for Haiti is now available at http://www.lawtownvoice.com! The song was written by Lawrence electronica/dance music artist Bylli Crayone, and members of LawTown Voice.

I'm creating the We-Are-The-World-inspired music video and making-of video for this "note"worthy project uniting Lawrence rappers and singers for a common good.

Also some great bridges built on the music side of MILLIES.

A catchy little tune for a great cause.

$10 Tees holiday sale

50% off official MILLIES t-shirts for online orders only, through December 17th! http://www.milliesmovie.com/movie_tee.html

Film Snobs catch Lorre

A great Millies interview with Lorre by Nic Baisely from the fun new film site, Film Snobbery - http://filmsnobbery.com/2009/10/18/lorre-fritchy-interview/

They're not snobs at all, they just love film and they're not afraid to show it.


http://www.MilliesMovie.com

Thank you, Bread & Roses

Many thanks to the steady stream of people who visited our MILLIES booth at the sunny Bread & Roses Festival on Labor Day! We earned more fans, recruited more film Extras, and signed up more e-news subscribers. Everyone is excited to see this finished film. No one more than us, believe me! All your encouraging words and steadfast belief in this story really do go a long way toward keeping us motivated.



Many people asked about my upcoming appearance at the Northern Essex Community College speaker series November 8th. The topic is "MILLIES: BRINGING PAST AND PRESENT TO THE SILVER SCREEN." I'm sorry they did not give us more pamphlets to hand out, but I will re-post the information as the time nears. It is:

Sunday, Nov. 8, 2-4pm
White Fund Room @ Northern Essex Community College
78-82 Amesbury Street
Fournier Education Center
Lawrence MA

Meanwhile, just a note of thanks to those who came out to this fantastic festival on a gorgeous day. It matters that you were there.

~Lorre

MILLIES booth at Fiber Arts Celebration

Textiles and fabrics and laces oh my...

MILLIES has been invited to the innovative Fiber Arts Celebration on Sunday, June 14, 11-4pm at the Wyndham Boston Andover Hotel. A full day on fiber arts and crafts in one of the heart of the storied Merrimack Valley textile region. A unique event and a fantastic connection between the regional textile history and MILLIES' storyline with textile mill workers visiting the present day when their historic strike is threatened.

If you spin, knit, felt, quilt, piece, hook, sew, stitch, crochet, stamp, or embellish … If you work with needles or hooks, fabric or yarn … If you’re a beginner, expert, or anywhere in between … this is your chance to hook up with others who share your passion for the fiber arts.

Featured speaker, BRUNONIA BARRY, author of the NY Times best-seller, The Lace Reader.

Bring your needles, shuttles, yarn, yoyos, hoops, hanks, and handwork, and share the day with old friends and new acquaintances.

Gourmet box lunch
Vendors’ booths
Fiber arts demonstrations
Door prizes
Vendor demonstrations
Hands-on activities
Special table for teens and beginning fiber artists of all ages

Tickets: $35 per adult ($20 per student under 18 accompanied by adult) includes admission, lunch, free raffle ticket, author presentation and book signing.

For full details, visit:
http://www.fiberartscelebration.com/?p=32

I "sew" hope you can join us!

Lorre on WUML radio March 26, 2009

Tune in on the radio or online for Lorre's appearance on "The Long View" broadcasting live at 10:10am on WUML radio 91.5FM in Lowell, Massachusetts or online at http://www.thelongview.net.
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Lorre opening Lowell Film Festival April 3, 2009!

Lorre will be the Guest Speaker for the kickoff reception of the Lowell Film Festival, April 3, 2009 at the Revolving Museum, 22 Shattuck Street in Lowell MA from 6-7:30pm. She will talk about her theory that as soon as grass is visible in the yard, it means it's going to snow again. Okay, really she'll be talking about MILLIES, of course, the process and the patience in this pursuit. She will also show the existing MILLIES videos to an enthusiastic, film-loving crowd. Should be a fantastic and intimate evening in a gorgeous mill city.

For more information on the film festival itself, visit:
http://www.lowellfilms.org

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