Alexander Seltzer ‘s horror short film “The Door” brings One of Life’s Biggest Nightmares to the screen with short film “The Door” at LA’s Holly Shorts.
Synopsis: A year after their daughter’s disappearance, Kara and Felix struggle to move on in their own ways as their marriage falls apart around them. But when a mysterious door appears in her kitchen, Kara becomes obsessed with uncovering what lies behind it at any cost. Even as it threatens to reopen old wounds.
Today’s conversation with Filmmaker Alexander Seltzer from “The Door” has been edited for length and clarity. For the full, un-edited conversation, visit our YouTube channel here.
Joe Winger:
We’re here today with writer / director Alexander Seltzer from The Door, a short film playing at Holly Shorts in Los Angeles this August.
I watched your short, “The Door.” It was tight. It was suspenseful. In my opinion, it’s everything you want a short film to be.
What’s the most important message that you want to share with our audience today about the short film?
Alexander Seltzer:
I like to make movies about things that scare me typically.
So with The Door, I’ve been terrified of becoming a parent; and parenthood in general.
I really wanted to make a movie about that and exploring my fears and where they come from, but in an interesting, entertaining way.
I wanted to ask the question of the audience, of myself, of whether or not: does parenthood transcend morality?
Ultimately, I hope that audiences come away watching the movie asking that question of themselves.
Would they do anything different to what our lead Kara does at the end?
Would they do what she did? Would they potentially do something else? That kind of moral ambiguity, I think, is very interesting. I know where I come down on it. And that’s part of the reason why I think I was afraid of having kids for so long. So yeah, that’s what I hope people get away. That’s one of the messages. I hope people come away with it.
Joe Winger:
I think among so many features and shorts, this one does ask a whole lot of questions.
And in my opinion like what good storytelling does is it doesn’t give us all the answers back. It really leaves us questioning ourselves and our world afterwards. So I think you’ve accomplished that. Congrats.
Alexander Seltzer:
Thank you. Especially in shorts too. In features you have more time to play.
But I agree with you.
Joe Winger:
I’m not sure what your schedule is like, how many days, I’d love to hear that.
What was the biggest challenge with your production, and what lesson did you learn from solving that challenge?
Alexander Seltzer:
We had three days but they were jam packed days.
Biggest challenge, I think one of the biggest challenges, I’m sure everyone says budget, my producer Mark [Delottinville] did a great job with what we had.
I never really felt the pinch too much.
Here’s a spoiler alert.
There’s a sequence towards the end of the movie where you find out what’s behind the door and executing the that was probably the most challenging aspect and I knew that going in.
I shot some tests around my house but specifically all the stuff later on in the film like once we’re through the door and into the mirror world. That I knew how to shoot.
We had a very simple gag for that where we just flipped everything in post [production].
Within that, I had to coordinate with how some other heads of department like costumes, for example. Felix; we had to make two different outfits for him, the same shirt, but one with the buttons on the left and one with buttons on the right.
So when you flip the image. The buttons stayed on the correct side, given that he was coming from the real world, things that no one will notice.
But I was just like, I need this to match and be logical.
But the transition from the real world into the mirror world, getting through the door, that was a bit of a challenge that was the most challenging. Because I don’t have a very big VFX background.
Thankfully I had a great team, my DOP, Justin Black. My VFX supervisor, Nigel [McGinn], we worked together, we did some tests beforehand, and then on the day my VFX supervisor Nigel was there, so we shot out the wall and the door
That’s all built, it wasn’t real part of the house, so we built that.
We had a little green box essentially on the other side of the door that when she opens it, we’re looking at a green box, and then we had to flip around, remove the wall and shoot the whole kitchen area as a plate, but we got to make sure the parallax was correct.
We’d measure everything with a tape measure, make sure our angles were correct. So they would all comp together hopefully seamlessly in the end.
Then figuring out how to match her position.
So when she does open the door from the other side. Because we couldn’t build the kitchen twice, we had to fake that as well and that was challenging, but I learned a lot about the process of at least the VFX and, working on set with someone like that was a great delight.
Alexander Seltzer Brings One of Life’s Biggest Nightmares to the screen with short film “The Door” at LA’s Holly Shorts
Joe Winger:
Something you brought up in two different ways.
One, I’m a big fan of movies that are simple stories, but incredibly well told.
You mentioned a second ago, your characters and how the wardrobe informed their behavior. Let’s actually talk with the cast.
Alexander Seltzer:
I was very lucky. We got to work with Tanaya Beatty, Raymond Ablack, and Mercedez Gutierrez.
Working with Tanaya and Raymond. They’re pros, I’m just lucky they said yes, and they liked the script.
We didn’t have any time for rehearsals. We did one read through over zoom.
We flew her to Toronto where we shot the film and Raymond, thankfully, there was a hiatus filming on his Netflix show. Everything worked out perfectly.
They got the script, they got the tone I was going for pretty much off the bat.
I think one of the most memorable scenes I had. For me, the whole film revolves around the kitchen scene and the argument that kind of spills over into pathos understanding where the two characters can finally talk to each other.
We did that. I think we might have. We did some coverage because I knew I wanted to keep it interesting. So I think we spent a good chunk of time on that, but there were minimal notes in terms of me stepping in as a director.
It was just like, let’s have fun. Let’s explore different variations.
I’m also an editor and I came up as an editor and I edited this film. So I knew, the godsend to an editor is variation rather than just doing the same performance 10 times and expecting it to magically work in the edit.
Their stars are just going to keep rising and hopefully one day they remember working with me.
There’s a scene at the beginning where Tanaya’s character, so Kara, she’s throwing out her kid’s belongings.
We did that all in one take.
It was pouring rain at the time, which was perfect because that’s what I wanted.
We’re just shooting, shooting, shooting. I think we had to do it seven times in the end because I wanted, when she dumps this box of children’s toys, I wanted the bear that has the kid’s name written on it in marker to fall exactly right so that when she slams the lid it’s just the little leg of the teddy bear sticking out with the kid’s name written on it in sharpie as we push in and land on it.
There’s no way to do that without VFX and we didn’t have the budget for that.
So we just had to keep doing it until it landed exactly how I wanted it to. And she was a trooper. She was like, yeah, she knew what I was going for.
Joe Winger:
Again, it goes down to the details of your execution.
What was the process like pulling together your production team and what were you looking for that you found there?
Alexander Seltzer:
My DP [Justin Black] was one of the first people. Obviously my producer, Mark [Delottinville] was the first person that came on board and he’s the one who actually made this thing happen. It wouldn’t exist without him.
Then my other producer, Sam Rudykoff incredible director in his own right.
For my DP, I went to my previous collaborator, Justin Black. I think he’s amazing. He’s shot a bunch. He’s shot features. He’s shot Apple TV series. He’s usually too busy for me these days, but I love him for that reason.
But no, he’s got a great combination that I look for in DP specifically for a project like this, where I knew there would be some VFX and some visual storytelling challenges and the quirks that I wanted to figure out because he has that great combination of a technician’s brain, the science of cinematography, but also the artistic side as well handled and in one beautiful human package.
Thankfully Mark, my producer, actually brought and introduced me to a bunch of the other heads of department who I hadn’t worked with before.
Like Logan [Graham Greene] and Misty [Fox] for hair and makeup. And Jennifer [Choy] for costumes.
There were just a lot of really talented folks that I hadn’t worked with yet, based off of our quick first meetings. These are my people. They get the vision and it all worked out perfectly.
People like Misty, my hair and makeup, my costume designer, my DP, a lot of these people were coming off of things like the Star Trek series that was shooting in Toronto at the time during the hiatus. So timing is also a big thing. I got very lucky to be able to work with people like who knew their stuff.
Joe Winger:
As a filmmaker, you’ve achieved something that everybody wants to do. Very few have done, which is you won Slamdance.
Can you talk about what that experience was like and how that helped you in your journey as a filmmaker?
Alexander Seltzer:
It was surreal. I’ve applied many times before.
So when you find out you’re a finalist, I go in expecting nothing and just expecting to have a good time, maybe meet a few nice folks.
Winning it was great. Going to the festival was incredible. It was my first time going to Park City. There was a cash prize associated with winning. I put that straight into another film.
It’s definitely helped me in terms of future projects.
Joe Winger:
You’re playing at Holly Shorts coming up in August.
Whether it’s you as a filmmaker, whether it’s The Door as the short film, what’s next for you?
Alexander Seltzer:
We have Holly Shorts. We’re premiering in Miami at Popcorn Frights. There’s a couple of other festivals I can’t talk about yet, but exciting times ahead.
I’m currently working on the feature script for The Door. Hopefully I get to make that in the next couple of years. I have a couple of other features that are in various stages. I have some TV stuff that is at some places right now.
Joe Winger:
Usually people come to this website for food, wine, cocktails, even healthier options.
Whether it’s dinner and a movie for date night, or if you like to cook, can you share with us a dish you love or food pairing?
Alexander Seltzer:
Yeah, I love to cook. I cook a lot, but this is probably gonna be so basic, but sometimes basic is good for a reason.
Something I do with my girlfriend a lot when we go away to a cabin in the woods or a new place.
A really good quality steak, some Maldon salt on there, some pepper, some butter grill that up nice. And then some really like fresh tomatoes. Chopped up roughly, like wedges, thick, olive oil, balsamic, lots of garlic, a little tomato salad. Obviously you need Dijon mustard, that’s a non negotiable. A juicy red wine.
And I’m a happy camper. That’s my happy place.
Joe Winger:
A good steak, a good wine pairing. Yes, agreed.
Whether it’s a website or social media, what’s the best way for our audience to follow you for now and in the future?
Alexander Seltzer:
My website is just AlexanderSeltzer.com
But the best place to track me is Instagram: Alex_Seltzer. And my producer’s production company is BigPigCo.
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Thanksgiving in Los Angeles: the perfect stuffing bread DOES exist – and it’s… [Recipe Inside]
This Thanksgiving, the perfect stuffing bread DOES exist – and it’s brioche. As in St Pierre Brioche Thanksgiving Stuffing
No Thanksgiving spread is complete without a hearty stuffing. While add-ins are a matter of preference, choosing the right bread is crucial. One underrated choice is eggy, rich brioche – and with St Pierre Bakery, you don’t need to go to France to get it.
Thanks to its butter and egg content, St Pierre’s Brioche Loaf provides the perfect balance of crisp toastiness while remaining soft and creamy inside, while its lightly sweet flavor adds a decadent quality that can still lean savory. Attached below is an approachable recipe for stuffing allowing for all the craveable crunch for the whole family with minimal effort required.
St Pierre Brioche Thanksgiving Stuffing
By @BrandiMilloy
Ingredients
1 loaf St. Pierre Brioche Bread
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 medium onion, diced
3/4 cup celery, diced
3/4 cup carrots, diced
1 cup mushrooms, diced
2 large eggs
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
3 sprigs fresh thyme, just the leaves
1 tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
1 small apple (granny smith works well), peeled and diced
Salt and pepper
Directions
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Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut brioche bread into 1” cubes and bake for about 10-15 minutes until toasted.
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Meanwhile, into a pot over medium high heat add butter until melted. Add onion, celery and carrots and cook until everything starts to soften, about 7 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat and set aside.
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Into a bowl whisk together the eggs, herbs, apples, mushrooms, and salt and pepper. Add your cooked vegetables and mix to combine.
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Pour mixture on top of toasted bread and stir to combine. Bake stuffing for about 45 minutes. If your stuffing starts to get too brown, cover until finished baking. Enjoy!
As America’s favorite brioche brand, St Pierre’s products are widely available via grocery stores nationwide as well as Walmart.
Holidays in Los Angeles: Dining in Beverly Hills: Mastro’s, FYC Bar + Kitchen AND Holiday Tamales from Tito’s
The Holidays in Los Angeles have never been more festive (or delicious) with holiday Dining at Mastro’s Beverly Hills, FYC Bar + Kitchen AND Holiday Tamales from Tito’s
The Holidays in Los Angeles at Hotel Amarano in Burbank
On Christmas Day from 3-10 p.m., FYC Bar + Kitchen at the luxury boutique Hotel Amarano in Burbank will be serving a special 3-course menu for just $70 per person (not including wine or cocktails).
The menu will include Butternut Squash Soup OR Radicchio Cup Mushroom Salad with avocado, chives & balsamic vinaigrette;
Apple Wood Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon with jumbo prawns, mashed potatoes, baby carrots & Brussels sprouts OR Pistachio-Crusted Roasted Sea Bass with citrus sauce, mashed potatoes, baby carrots & Brussels sprouts – and desserts such as Chocolate Lava Cake, New York Cheesecake, Apple Tarte Tatin or Crème Brûlée – along with coffee or tea.
The Holidays in Los Angeles at Mastro’s Beverly Hills
For classic Beverly Hills luxury, Mastro’s Beverly Hills will be open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, serving their fresh oysters, caviar, decadent seafood towers, steaks and sides galore, along with luscious desserts and handcrafted cocktails – even a succulent Rabbi’s Daughter Kosher Bone-In Ribeye 16oz Steak for anyone celebrating Hanukkah (or who just likes great steaks).
For the month of December, Mastro’s is offering a special holiday cocktail – Under The Mistletoe.
For those who want their holiday meal from the comfort of their own home, Mastro’s Beverly Hills will have their famously decadent side dishes to go this year!
The following sides will serve up to 4 people, and cost $62 each:
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans with Sliced Almonds
Creamed Corn
Creamed Spinach
For a sweet limited time finish, Mastro’s will have a gorgeous Pecan Pie as well as a special Cinnamon + Pecan Butter Cake – a twist on their famed Butter Cake – both available now through December 30.
To order Mastro’s Sides, guests just need to call the restaurant to order from December 1-22 they can pick them up on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
Mastro’s will be open Christmas Eve from 3:00 PM – 10:00 PM, Christmas Day from 2:00 PM to 9:00 PM, New Year’s Eve from 5:00 PM to Midnight and New Year’s Day from 5:00 to 9:00 PM.
You can find their full menu here & as you likely know, the ambiance at Mastro’s every evening is like a party, with live music and white glove service.
They also have 2 private dining rooms for large parties of 40-50.
The Holidays in Los Angeles at Tito’s Tacos
Lastly – we love the tradition of Christmas Eve tamales, but they take hours to make.
The beloved, family-owned since 1959 Tito’s Tacos offers both a succulent Chicken Tamale – cilantro grilled chicken and Anaheim green chiles wrapped in homemade corn masa & steamed in a corn husk OR a Veggie Tamale, fresh veggies and pinto beans, wrapped in homemade corn masa and steamed in a corn husk.
You can buy them individually or by the dozen and the best part is that you can get them delivered straight to your door.
For more info, go to www.TitosTacos.com
Orders can be placed online for delivery or pickup on or before December 23.
About Mastro’s Steakhouse Beverly Hills
Mastro’s Steakhouse in Beverly Hills is a premier dining destination combining world class service with an elegant yet energetic ambiance, making it a popular choice for celebrities, locals and visitors.
Located at 246 North Canon Drive, Mastro’s features live music nightly, with signature menu highlights such as bone-in filet mignon, USDA Prime, Japanese A5 Wagyu, and True A5 Kobe steaks; lavish seafood towers featuring fresh oysters, shrimp, crab and lobster served in a swirl of dry ice mist, decadent lobster mashed potatoes, and Mastro’s famed Butter Cake, to name a few.
Open for dinner from 5:00 p.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
For more info, visit www.mastrosrestaurants.com
Palm Springs: Executive Chef Michael Hung Unveils flagship restaurant, Navigator, New Elevated Dining Voyage in Heart of the Desert
Palm Springs: Executive Chef Michael Hung Unveils flagship restaurant, Navigator, New Elevated Dining Voyage in Heart of the Desert Play Ground
Executive Chef Michael Hung Unveils flagship restaurant, Navigator, New Elevated Dining Voyage in Heart of Palm Springs
The Palm Springs Surf Club announces the opening of their flagship restaurant, Navigator, on Friday, November 15th, 2024!
Photo Credit: Oscar Flink
This innovative new dining destination bridges the worlds of desert living, hospitality, and surfing.
Guests will experience dramatic views of the San Jacinto Mountains, explore the expansive 13-acre property complete with resort amenities, and marvel at the sights and sounds of surfing in the state-of-the-art wave pool.
Photo Credit: Oscar Flink
Leading the Navigator team is acclaimed Executive Chef Michael Hung. As the Executive Chef of Navigator and Director of Food & Beverage for the Palm Springs Surf Club, Chef Hung brings his culinary artistry to this highly anticipated opening.
Executive Chef Michael Hung
Chef Hung’s impressive career spans from renowned New York kitchens Daniel and Aquavit, through San Francisco’s celebrated establishments, including the James Beard Award-winning team at Jardiniere, led by the renowned Chef Traci Des Jardins and Michelin-starred La Folie with Chef Roland Passot.
His culinary path has included Faith & Flower in Los Angeles which earned accolades from Esquire, Los Angeles Magazine, and Travel + Leisure.
Hung’s talent continued to shine with Viviane at the Avalon Hotel, praised by Los Angeles Times esteemed food critic Jonathan Gold and renowned San Francisco Chronicle food critic, Michael Bauer.
Chef Hung brought his expertise to the luxury hotel and hospitality scene in Palm Springs as the Executive Chef for Steve Hermann Hotels, where he revamped menus at The Colony Club at The Colony Palms and SO.PA at L’Horizon Resort and Hermann Bungalows, earning a Michelin Guide listing for The Colony Club.
Photo Credit: Oscar Flink
Now, at the Palm Springs Surf Club, he applies his expertise to both Navigator and the larger resort’s food and beverage offerings, promising an elevated dining experience rooted in a global culinary perspective.
Photo Credit: Oscar Flink
Navigator’s Menu will highlight modern American cuisine infused with influences from renowned surf locales, including flavors inspired by Portugal, Morocco, Mexico, Indonesia, and Hawaii. Each dish is crafted with the finest local ingredients, blending global flavors with a California sensibility.
Signature offerings include Olive & Herb Dinner Rolls with Tomato Jam, Crispy Wagyu Beef Cigars, Hawaiian-style Garlic Shrimp, and large-format dishes such as a Pan Roasted Whole Rainbow Trout or the 20-oz Ribeye with Bone Marrow Gremolata. Chef Hung’s thoughtfully curated Vegan options,Sides, and inventive Desserts like the Crème Catalan Parfait and Valrhona Dark Chocolate Mousse promise an array of flavors for every palate.
Photo Credit: Oscar Flink
The Wine List, curated by Beverage Director Anthony Dougherty emphasizes California’s finest labels, while Dougherty’s Bar Menufeatures a refreshing selection of Handcrafted Cocktails and a robust Tap Beer program highlighting local producers.
Photo Credit: Oscar Flink
Service will be led by renowned restaurateur, Cameron Hirigoyen, who for 30 years owned and operated San Francisco’s classic Basque restaurant, Piperade. Cameron brings her graceful poise and deep knowledge to Navigator’s dining room.
Navigator’s design pays homage to the oceanic heritage of South Pacific navigators—surfers who traversed seas by the stars, currents, and wildlife. The restaurant’s décor reflects this maritime inspiration, with custom teakwood furniture, woven textile ceiling treatments, and a hand-carved outrigger canoe serving as a focal point for the dining room. The ambiance combines nautical aesthetics with a luxurious, natural warmth, creating an upscale, intimate setting for guests to relax and dine in style.
“We are thrilled to welcome Michael Hung to the Palm Springs Surf Club family,”
Colin O’Byrne
managing partner
“His creativity and expertise are an ideal match for Navigator and our overall vision at the Palm Springs Surf Club, which is to offer guests an elevated dining experience and amenities alongside the world’s premier surf pool.”
Navigator at the Palm Springs Surf Club officially opens for Dinner on Friday, November 15th, 2024, and will be open every Monday through Sunday from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
Lunch is served Monday to Friday from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. Navigator serves Weekend Brunchevery Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
The Happy Hour menu is available from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm Monday to Friday and from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday. For more information or reservations at Navigator, please visit www.NavigatorPS.com or call Navigator directly at 760.205.3634.
Navigator
Palm Springs Surf Club
1500 S. Gene Autry Trail
Palm Springs, CA 92264
T: 760.205.3634
About Palm Springs Surf Club: The Palm Springs Surf Club is an unparalleled destination, blending state-of-the-art wave technology with luxurious resort-style amenities. Guests can enjoy various attractions, from a winding lazy river to private cabanas by the wave pool, creating a perfect oasis in the heart of Palm Springs. With three bars, two restaurants, and dynamic event spaces, the Palm Springs Surf Club offers distinctive culinary and beverage programs, designed to cater to every taste and every occasion.
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Los Angeles’s newest Cocktail Bar from Jared Meisler ‘The Moon Room’ Opens on Melrose
Los Angeles’s newest Cocktail Bar from Jared Meisler ‘The Moon Room’ Opens on Melrose
Renowned Los Angeles bar proprietor Jared Meisler (The Roger Room, Bar Lubitsch, The Friend, The Little Friend, The Brig and Gin Rummy), in collaboration with multi-talented textile and graphic designer Tria Jensen Meisler, announces the grand opening of their latest venture, THE MOON ROOM, in the Melrose District on Friday, March 15, 2024.
Multi-award-winning mixologist Annemarie Sagoi will lead the cocktail program, ensuring an unforgettable drinking experience.
THE MOON ROOM, located at 7174 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, occupies a prominent spot at the southeast corner of Melrose and North Formosa Avenues, just a stone’s throw from La Brea Avenue.
Surrounded by the bustling energy of the city’s chic boutiques and culinary hotspots, it stands out as a beacon of allure in the heart of the Melrose District, beckoning with its inviting atmosphere and promises of unforgettable experiences.
“I have always loved that stretch of Melrose Ave.
It’s iconic and feels like a geographic center of Los Angeles,”
Meisler
“The idea was to create a chic and sophisticated room that is not pretentious and feels fun. A place to gather and celebrate. It’s a hub for people all over LA that come to life when the sun goes down.”
Guests are enveloped in a chic and sophisticated ambiance within THE MOON ROOM’s walls. Velvety black lacquer banquettes complement meticulously carved wood panels. White marble tables and contemporary café chairs with brass accents offer a striking juxtaposition against the sultry darkness.
The floor boasts a mesmerizing herringbone pattern, leading the eye to walls adorned with a curated collection of provocative art that intermingles with vintage abstracts, pop art, black and white nudes, and other avant-garde pieces from modern and contemporary artists. This eclectic mix creates an atmosphere of playful sensuality.
An enormous, mirrored ball gently gyrates at the heart of the space, casting a soft glow reminiscent of the moon’s seductive luminosity.
The fusion of chic 1970s and 1980s Paris and New York styles with the contemporary essence of Los Angeles creates a luxurious, sophisticated, and sensual environment that invites guests to immerse themselves in an experience beyond the ordinary.
Step out onto the narrow balcony and indulge in a bird’s-eye view of the bustling late-night activity along Melrose Avenue. Sip on your favorite cocktail, puff on your favorite puffable, and relish the cool breeze of the Los Angeles evening. It is the perfect setting to unwind and soak in the city’s vibrant energy below.
Music is a defining element at THE MOON ROOM, where the baby grand piano exudes a seductive appeal, setting the stage for captivating live performances. As the evening unfolds, the ambiance shifts to pulsating funky disco grooves.
THE MOON ROOM’s beverage Director Annemarie Sagoi has crafted an exotic menu of inventive and playful craft cocktails, each exuding a steamy and seductive vibe.
Drink prices range from $12-$18 and include Andromeda with Reposado Tequila, Mint, Cilantro, Jalapeno, Pineapple, Chartreuse & Habanero; Phoenix with Vodka, Sticky Rice Syrup, Longan, Ginger, Lychee and Lime; Pavo with Byrrh Quinquina, Sweet Vermouth, Fresh Berries, Lemon & Apricot; Cassiopeia Spritz with Kumquat, Jasmine, Cocchi Rosa, Lemon & Pet Nat; Orion with Reposado Tequila, Mezcal, Spiced Cocoa, Camel Milk, Coconut, Chartreuse & Black Salt; Lynx Martini with Gin, Bianco & Dry Vermouth, Za’atar Oil Wash, Pistachio & Orange Blossom; Hercules with Irish Whiskey, Coffee Liqueur, Cold Brew, Chai Spices, Honey & Averna Foam; Selene with Zubrowka Vodka, St Germain, Cinnamon, Apple, Angostura & Lemon; Draco with Dark Rum, Rhum Agricole, Creole Shrubb, Cocchi Di Torino & Manzanilla Sherry; and Pegasus with Bourbon, Date, Amaro & Black Walnut Bitters.
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Life Lessons and Adventure, perfect for Fathers Day, Near Death Lessons’ Chris Jankulovski book now available on Amazon
Fathers Day is coming up and every family is searching for Dad’s perfect gift. Chris Jankulovski’s book Near Death Lessons offers story of family, adventure, motivation, and life lessons.
I had the opportunity to sit down with Chris Jankulovski (via zoom) to talk about his Father’s Day wishes, business success, family, health concerns, empowerment and more.
The conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Watch the full conversation on our Youtube channel.
Congratulations on your new book, Near Death Lessons.
Thank you. Been a journey to get it out there, but I am so honored and privileged to do this work.
It is an inspiring and a motivating book, and I would say equally important is not only is it inspiring and it’s motivating, but for somebody who wants to break-through, you actually give us the lessons that you use to accomplish it so we can follow those lessons as well.
What was the hardest part of writing the book for you?
Friends tell me, Chris, you gotta write a book, man. Seriously, you’ve got some wild stories. It almost killed me when the tumor bursted in my head. I couldn’t walk, couldn’t talk. I was in bed for three months.
I knew that the moment I could stand upright, I wanna write a book for my sons. I want them to know who their father was. Because yet again, I just confronted a serious adversity where 60% of people normally die on the operating table. I somehow survived it. I’m the lucky 40%, and I just had my operation one month before the birth of my second son, Billy. And I wanted my six year old and my new son to know who their father was.
I’ll give you a timeline. We’ll plot it all, and then we’re gonna give it to a ghost writer who’s gonna somehow be able to direct our story. Then we’ll put the muscles in it, and then we’ll build it all up.
And that’s the journey I went on until I gave it to an editor who completely shut it down and it took me about a a year to correct everything. No kidding.
Okay. So how long from the moment you started with your writer through the editing process, what was the timeline from inception to on the shelf?
Oh wow. So the first year after my brain operation, I’m still writing this book. A year later, I’m in the pool, rehabilitating [with the book notes] still in front of me.
I’ve got this diagnosis of doctors telling me, Chris, you gotta have these cancers removed asap. They’ve taken off. I don’t know if your kidney is gonna survive removing six cancers. You might be on dialysis. Doom and gloom.
I’ve just gone on a journey of learning how to walk and talk for eight months. I’ve got so many defects going on.
My tongue didn’t half work. I couldn’t even talk. It was affecting my speech. So I’m there in this scenario and at the height of my worst moment in life, I’ve got this outlook. That’s a disaster.
I’m trying to run in the pool because I’m learning how to walk properly and I’m about to confront this adversity again.
I’m thinking: Why am I buying a future that no one knows? This is all just estimates, predictions, guesswork. I don’t have to accept this. What if I dare hope that the best is yet to come? Why don’t I look forward to the life ahead of me? That it’s the best?
And that was the most pivotal moment in my life because, I went from a $4 million house to a $16 million house.
Eight months later, I go off to double my business from 8 million to 16 million. I go off to do all these things, and now I’m in America taking it to another level.
I was in the hospital room, that’s year one by the way. I bargained for my life because things were not looking good, that’s when I decided to take my story public.
And since the moment I’ve taken the story public. I wrote the book initially because I didn’t want to give any advice to my sons because I didn’t want them to hate me from the grave. I didn’t wanna just share my story. I wanted to share the lessons.
I wanted to share the things that have transformed my life. So I hired a resilience consultant, and I said to her, can you please read my book? Put a spotlight on how I respond to adversities compared to a more common response because I just keep bouncing back stronger.
She read my book five times. We ended up having 26 zoom sessions, and then from that we unearthed 11 distinctions. We gave those to instructional designers which then they came back to me with the five life lessons that I shared in the book.
That’s a heck of a journey. Tell us about some of the diagnoses you’ve had all the way back from your teenage years.
So at the age of 19, we went to a specialist clinic to understand what was causing tumors in my eyes. The doctor was puzzled. There was this new genetic testing going on. So I had the genetic test done. I [was diagnosed] with Von hippel-lindau syndrome. A hereditary condition, means maybe your mom and dad have got it. I go, no one’s got it, okay?
The average life expectancy is 30 years, so you’re probably gonna have a short life and you’ve probably got cancers now.
I was like, what? I’m gonna be dead by 30. What do you mean? That was my brutal wake up call and I went to my car and I cried.
I couldn’t relate to anyone with this problem. I told my parents, I told my friends, I couldn’t connect with anyone about this. I just decided to ignore it. I thought if I pretended deep down I never got this, perhaps it would disappear.
So that’s what I did. I ignored it from the ages of 19 to 32 when my first brain tumor finally caught up. And when it did, it almost killed me. It was so big – five centimeters. I had to contour my body to go to the toilet and had these weird electric shocks running down my spine.
When I got the operation, I transformed. I looked at the sky and I said, God, kill me. I’ve had enough of living this victim life. I’ve had enough of being disempowered, always reacting to my circumstances.
I choose to focus on life. I choose whatever happens. I’m gonna choose to make the most of whatever life I have, but I’m not living like that anymore. So that was a pivotal moment.
I’m now 50, so I’ve had a good run for the last six years. At age seven, my appendix burst, almost killing me. Two weeks in hospital. At the age of 21, I almost drowned.
But one of the first times I crossed over, out of body kind of experience and a different time dimension was a few years later, 25, when I woke up [during] an eye surgery, I felt the needles sliding on my eye, like on an egg, and they’re poking in.
I woke up and flatlined. I was looking down at myself. I could see the machine flat-lining until everything went white. And then I felt like I was in a different time dimension. I just felt ‘Whoa. Where am I? Let’s go. Hey, I’m not going anywhere. It’s my sister’s wedding soon. And then I snapped back into life again with the nurses all about to zap me.
So that was at 25 and then at 32 is the brain tumor. And then two months later was the removal of my right kidney because it was occupied by cancers. Some as large as four and a half, five centimeters. Which is way too dangerous. They’re all very aggressive..
The reason why I called that a near death experience as well is because I survived my cancer battle and it didn’t spread. It killed my dad, it didn’t kill me. And then two years later, I had to remove four large cancers from a remaining left kidney.
A decade later, another six cancerous kidneys. Before that one was the second brain operation to remove two tumors in my head, and that was the most serious.
Let’s talk about a deliberate life. You mentioned it in your book, what does a deliberate life mean to you and what are the main steps? How do we get there?
I have nearly died, came back to life, and every time that happens, it’s like a reset button in my heart.
Everything’s up for grab: my values, my behaviors, my patterns. Because I’m back again. You go through many of these experiences.
Everything you’ve been holding true gets re-evaluated, and therefore, all of it – fears, insecurities, all gets washed away. And what remains is what’s most important and true. For me, every time I go through these experiences, I get an onion layer experience. I get more to the core of who I am and who we are.
All of us, including me, are remarkably powerful. I can’t believe the more I get to me and the core of my authentic me, the more energy, the more light, the more vibrancy, the more drive, the more of everything is there.
I’ve always been spending money looking for advice and solutions outside myself. Deep down, the biggest lessons I’ve learned in my life was when I meditated in silence for three weeks in India. Silence. Every time I nearly died, I’d go into this black void. Vibrancy, energy, and I don’t understand why I’m still consciously pressing, but then when I return, now I know I’m gonna say something really taboo, but life and death coexist in my mind because when I close my eyes and I’m in this black void, if I can meditate to a point where I’m outside of my sense of skin, brain patterns, feelings, and just be presently alert of my awareness.
Man, that’s the same space I go to when I’m in a different time dimension. Hence why I believe that life and death coexist and that fuels me. That just fuels me even more because our mortality is what should fuel all of us. Why? Who are we to take our time for granted here?
This drop of time that we have here, how selfish of us to be caught up in our own doubts and fears and insecurities. We are so much more than that.
There is just this magic and energy in us that wants to drive. Follow that drive, follow that energy. Don’t restrict it. It communicates in feelings and glimpses of vision.
I live a deliberate life because of these adversities, and I keep coming back to life. I wanna optimize. If I’ve got anxiety. If I was to listen to Steve Jobs, live as if it’s your last day of life. I get anxiety. I can’t be strategic, I can’t plan. I’m always challenged every year with my scans.
So the way I play this game is every year when I get a MRI scan for my brain and spine and kidneys and all this stuff. When I get the results of those scans towards the end of the year, I see them as a certificate to go live life to the fullest. So I get this scan results. I go, yes, I’ve got a free run. Then that following year, I’m bolting. I’m a hundred percent, I’ve got one more year to live. I see every year as if it’s another year to live.
What I’ve realized over 30 years of doing this is, I can’t live deliberately, so I can’t live my life to the fullest every year unless I’m living deliberately and I can’t live deliberately unless I have clarity with what I wanna do, because otherwise I’m spending time on all these things that aren’t important.
I linked my goal to an image and I put it on a board because visually I know that the only way my subconscious relates to this is by image and feeling. Now, I know people call it vision boards, but they’ve got it all wrong. You gotta really link an image to a goal. That image needs to excite you. That simple solution allowed me to focus my energy throughout the whole year towards these things.
You offer a ‘free gift’ in your book. Can you give us a sneak peek of what it is?
Since I’m talking about life so much and living life to the fullest I wanted to show people the 10 things that were often affecting me and stopping me from living a life to the fullest.
What does success mean to you? It’s different for everyone and so is living life to the fullest. But, for people who are driven, success-oriented, ambitious people, they would relate mostly to this because that’s who I am.
I wanna spend more time with my family. I wanna smell the roses. I wanna see how far I can go and I wanna see the kind of impact I can make because I don’t wanna just pass and it never even be known that I even existed.
So living life to the fullest means you are embracing your true power. You are embracing and optimizing your most important resource, your time. You are embracing the fact that you’ve got an ability to create.
So if we can do these simple things, we can achieve our dreams. That’s as simple as that. If we’ve got the right mindset, if we stop responding to life as if we have got no control, if we are always victims of it, I’ve been thrown these incredible blows from the universe.
So many battles outside of my control. I refuse to not take responsibility. I actually take responsibility. Look, the tumors happen genetically, but I take responsibility. It’s a game. Okay? It’s just a game. It’s a game of self-empowerment.
Chris Jankulovski’s book, Near Death Lessons on sale at Amazon now.
If we want more from you, where do we find you? What’s your website? Where do we find you on social media?
I’m building ChrisJankulovski.com and then you’ll be able to access other things.
What does the future look like for you? What are you gonna be up to next?
I’m developing my personal brand and what that represents to the world. What that represents to the American people. What I strive to do in terms of impacting..
I’ll be working very heavily on my business, but I’ll also be putting myself out there to meet people, to talk to people and more media of course.
When I said I’m gonna inspire millions, this is the deal. And that deal isn’t just writing a book. That deal is to connect with people. One-on-one or in groups or to speak, and not because I’m looking to become a speaker, but because I’m looking to deliver this incredible energy, this incredible passion, this incredible lessons and distinctions with no bullshit on what gets results and how what you gotta do to optimize your most important time here on Earth.
Chris, I wish you huge success with the book Near Death Lessons. I think there’s so many lessons about either launching a new life or breaking through. It’s a great New Year’s. Gift and a great Father’s Day gift.
Thank you mate.
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Passover Wines for 2024! Taste these Beverly Hills Wine Suggestion from Kosher Expert
Wine Expert Jay Buchsbaum from Kosher.com Reveals Perfect Passover Wines Pairings for Passover 2024
Passover starts Monday April 22 at sundown and ends April 30th. But today’s conversation is about the flavors of Seder dinner.
Jay Buchsbaum
Royal Wine and Kosher.com’s Jay Buchsbaum visits to talk about flavor, tradition, tastes for every family member and what’s exciting in the wine world for 2024.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. For the full, unedited conversation, visit our FlavRReport YouTube channel.
Joe Winger: Jay, welcome back. I appreciate that you’re returning. Last time was great and we learned alot.
Jay Buchsbaum: Thank you for having me. Wow. This is great. So getting invited back for a second date, that’s really cool.
Joe Winger: Passover is just around the corner and we want to talk about different over wines to enjoy during the celebration and some great wine pairings.
I wanted to start off with what might be one of the popular new bottles – Carmel Black Cabernet Sauvignon.
Jay Buchsbaum: It’s very hot and the reason it’s very hot is because people want something that’s rich and flavorful, especially the American palate, what we call the New World style.
Opulence, fruit forward, but they don’t want to spend a fortune like you’d have to from some fancy vineyard in Napa or from Judean Hills. When it comes to Israel or the Golan Heights, and this is one of those wines where they’ve put together this at the beginning of opulence, lots of fruit forwardness, 14 months in oak and about $25.
So it’s really one of those really wonderful wines. What I noticed, and they say they forgot to do it, but I noticed that it does not have an appellation specific, except for Israel. The reason I believe the winemaker did that – I don’t know for sure – he talks about it on the back [of the bottle] that they brought the grapes from some of the finest vineyards. He chose small amounts [of grapes] from the best vineyards from different places and put them all together, carefully crafting it so that it’s big and rich and flavorful and still under $30 bucks.
Joe Winger: That sounds amazing. What are some good food pairings that you’d recommend with it?
Jay Buchsbaum: A roast would be great. On the first and second night of Passover, we don’t officially roast anything because we don’t want people to think that it was a sacrificial lamb that was done in Egypt because we don’t have it today yet.
Until the reestablishment of the temple on the Temple Mount at some future time.
So people cook a roast in the oven, it’s not barbecued. That’s what they’re talking about from a historical, spiritual sense – but a delicious roast, maybe chicken marsala, where you have mushrooms and caramelized onions, you have a really rich flavor to go with that.
A lot of the Sephardic foods are like that too. We talked about traditional foods. Traditional foods from where? Sometimes it’s Eastern Europe, sometimes it’s Middle Eastern, and sometimes it’s Sephardic.
Lots of seders have a mix of all [cuisines] because you have melded families.
Joe Winger: Royal Wine currently has a wide roster of wine suggestions for Passover Something for every adult at the table, from Grandpa to 25 year old Grand-daughter and her boyfriend.
Jay Buchsbaum: That’s a great point. I’m going to give you the last one first only because I thought this was so much fun when I thought about it and I actually might do it.
Let’s say the boyfriend is coming over. He wants to bring you something and he doesn’t know what to get you because, he’s not that observant..
So I thought, why don’t you end the meal with something Sparkling. The Momentous Rosé. That might be fun. You go out with a pop, so to speak. There’s Vera Wang’s Prosecco Rose that’s also wonderful. Both around $20.
But if you want to go really high end, why not go with the Rothschild Brut Rosé from Champagne, which is magnificent. It’s 100% Pinot Noir, and about $100 a bottle.
So you have great diversity and accessible and quite delicious sparkling wines.
Grandpa, or if you have a real fine wine guy. You have beautiful wines from the Rothschild vineyards, the Haute Medoc. which is in the upper $30s, and then you even have Grand Cru’s LesCombes, Grand Cru Margaux as an example, and some amazing wines from the Herzog Winery in California like the Alexander Valley Herzog Reserve, or the Napa Valley Herzog Reserve.
We have a beautiful Lake County Reserve Cabernet from California. Big, opulent, delicious, mouth filling.
I start my Seder usually with a rosé. The reason for that is because you’re starting your Seder, having eaten nothing pretty much since the morning. So you’re on an empty stomach and the tradition is to finish at least the first glass. So I try to start with a rosé. It’s a little lighter, a little lower in alcohol, a little lighter in texture and, and I like to start with an Israeli wine first.
Joe Winger: Iis there a hidden gem as far as just high quality with amazing value?
Jay Buchsbaum: There’s a really wonderful wine from New Zealand.
It’s a white wine, not a red wine. It’s made by the Rothschild family, but it’s made in New Zealand, called Rimapere Sauvignon Blanc. Less than $30 for sure. Fresh, sweet lemons, but with enough acidity and structure, almost like a palette cleanser.
Joe Winger: Anything that you’re looking forward to in the next few months that wine lovers should be getting excited for?
Jay Buchsbaum: We were missing rosés from Israel for a whole year because of the sabbatical year. We skipped that vintage of roses, and so they’re back for the first time in 24 months for this Passover.
I love some of the new Italian wines. One of them to take a look at is Cantina Giuliano. it’s a boutique winery. They make 3,000 – 4,000 cases maximum. It’s run by a young couple and I just had them over at my house for Sabbath Shabbat. His wines blew people away.
I think the most exciting thing is our new winemaker and what our new winemakers is doing with our grapes. His selection and his final product over at the Herzog Wine Cellars. And that could be
Our new winemaker, his name is David Galzignato. He’s with us about three years and he has a background that is with some of the finest and smallest, medium sized boutiques.
He was going to be moving to France, going to go for his MW [masters of wine] and they asked him if he’d come and consider working with us and he did. He has been making literally blow your brains out wonderful wines so our Napa Cabernet, our Alexander Valley Cabernet are just up and down the line, the wines, especially the reds are just rich and opulent.
He got Joseph Herzog to buy a visual sorter, they range in cost between a $100,000 – 1 million dollar machine.
What they do is when the grapes come in [during harvest] and there’s something called sorting tables.
Done by hand [vineyard workers literally sorting through the harvested grape bunches, looking for] damaged or a little beat up or whatever, and they only allow the perfect grapes to go through.
This visual sorter does this electronically by computer, so nothing is missed, zero. As a result, the grape quality is much higher
Famously said in The New Yorker Years ago, “There’s only three things that matter in good winemaking. Good grapes. Good grapes. Good grapes.”
So, the fruit that we get and the fruit that we end up making wine out of is literally the most important thing.
By using these kinds of methods, which are not inexpensive. But the quality is through the roof. We’re looking to make a 100 point wine one of these days and I think it might we might get close this year.
