Friday night was largely uneventful. I managed to watch both House of 1,000 Corpses and Devil's Rejects, in an attempt to get into the Halloween spirit. It didn't really catch, even though both films were great to review again.
Saturday, I woke up and got right to the tasks. I'd made up my mind to shut down the hot tub, so the initial step was to drain it. I started the old gravity siphon method going, then began disassembling the patio furniture. Once I got the table put away, I set out to clean the garage so I could put the chairs away. I got that put away, and then it was sweeping the deck area, and cleaning the leaves off the sidewalk. I also used a scrap piece of wood to make a supplemental leg to support the love seat, and to top it off, drank a pot of coffee. I also managed to take Louie for a walk at the parents'.
I did some grocery shopping, cooked up some chicken, sprouts, carrots, and peppers, then watched Freddy vs Jason while scouring the house for my Halloween makeup. Then around eleven-thirty or so, Grab Snatcher reunited for another four hours or so of rock.
Three and a half hours later, I got up and met Mom for breakfast, then popped out to hang out with the illustrious Carrie for a spot of lunch and dog walkin'. I got home, wrestled with a couple of neighbor kids, and took a ninety minute nap. A viewing of "Halloween" and a bit of fried eggplant, and here I am -- a man worn out from a full weekend.
Time for some more Dexter, and the search for some mental clarity. Is it wrong to so closely identify with the thoughts of a serial killer?
Life -- it's been okay. Pretty boring lately, but I did catch Weird Al last Thursday, and he really changed up his usual set routine. Now, he's no longer closing with "Saga Begins" and "Yoda". He still does the "ziggy-zoggy" routine in there he'd do to close things up, but after that, the show keeps going. After another twenty minutes or so, they then end the show, then encore qith "Albquerque". Great tune, and amazing live.
I've been going to the gym for a couple weeks now, and I started to tone down the workout regiment, as I was thinking I needed to rest my body a bit more. Problem is, after the proverbial "balls-out" week of doing an almost daily workout, I'm missing it. SO, tonight, I'm going to go workout before the kickboxing class, or after. Maybe both. My only issue is I don't have a good plan for my workout on a weekly basis. I'm pretty much guessing my way through it. I'll probably lay that out this weekend.
This heat hasn't been fun. I've run my air conditioning a bit more lately, and I hate doing that. I ran it for roughly three to four hours yesterday, and I know my AC units are not the most efficient. I fear teh DTE.
That's about it. Harry Potter tonight. Hells yes. I'm a nerd.
I finally went to see "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End". I liked it. It was filled with action and an attempt to cram a ton of wrap-up into one film. They did a decent enough job with it, but what I'm going to post next contains ending spoilers.
That's right.
SPOILERS.
You see, every person I know who has seen this film has complained about the ending. Really, I see it fitting. Will Turner condemns himself to a life of servitude to save his father as well as spend what time he can with his new-found bride, even though it is for one day with her for every ten years of servitude. Really, there's loopholes, since he can only spend one day on land in ten years. Elizabeth could still board the Flying Dutchman and they could make the boat a rockin'. Or, if need be, a dinghy being pulled by the Dutchman.
Still, it's a cinematic grand gesture which is laid. A man giving up his happiness for his entire existence, save for a few fleeting moments, in order to maintain the happiness and stability in the world. You have to dig a sacrifice like that.
It could be said that we all make this gesture in our lives, at some point, at least in our own views.
Then again, it could just be me being messed up and sentimental for human emotion. I mean, I'm no Vulcan, am I?
Gretchen - "My parents got a divorce. My mom had to get a restraining order against my stepdad. He has emotional problems." Donnie - "Oh, I have those too. What kind of emotional problems does your dad have?"
Did Donnie Darko not make sense to you?
Fine, loser.
Read this, as it discusses multiple timeline theories in regards to the events in the film.
Love for Clerks II - Scenes and Comments (and spoilers)
Be warned. There's spoilers below. If you haven't seen the movie already, well, too fucking bad.
Dante: Are you trying to tell me that you don't believe in love, Beckelah?
Becky: In romantic love? No. Like I love my parents. I love my car. I love you. But romantic love? Hearts and flowers? There's only one person out there for me? Come on, do you know how many people are out there? Odds are, there's always going to be someone whose a better match for you than the person you're going to end up marrying.
Dante: So, based on your theory, there's someone out there better for me than Emma.
Becky: Oh, no, I'm not touching that one.
Dante: Wait a second. You don't think I really love her.
Becky: I think you love what she represents.
Dante: Which is?
Becky: Come on, Dante. She was the type of girl who wouldn't give you the time of day back in high school. Years later, after she's played the field and found out how unsatisfying the so-called hotties are, she's finally gone with someone who looks --
Dante: Oh my God, you're gonna say fugly, aren't you?
Becky: Unconventional!
Dante: Nice backpedal.
Becky: Thank you. It took her a few years to figure out that thing that every mother tries to teach their little girl but she has to figure out on her own, that guys that look like you have a lot more to offer because you'll always try harder than the pretty boy.
Dante: What am I, some hideous fucking chud over here?
Becky: No, you're a catch... kind of. And Emma's a catch, too. Because not only is she pretty, she'll make all your decisions for you -- which is lucky because you're pretty terrible at making decisions.
Dante: So, my last day is all about you telling me what a ugly, indecisive loser I am.
Becky: Come on, you worked at Quick Stop for like a decade, and you worked here for a year almost, and since day one at both jobs all you've said is how you have to get out and start your life. And it wasn't until Emma walked in the door and was like "Come to Florida with me and I'll fuck your brains out, and my daddy will give you a job..." that you actually did something about it, and I get it. She's your golden ticket.
Dante: So, uh... What's that make you?
I've said it before, but I'll say it again. I love Kevin Smith's writing. The above scene really draws you in to build Dante in his current state and completely create Becky, showing that even if Randal is Dante's counterpart, Becky and Dante are just as close. Soulmates, as they say. It's a connection I wish I could end up with at some point in my life, and maybe be able to complete the projects which are currently faint impulses in my brain. Then again, that's probably just me falling into what images the media displays to keep the economy going. (Did I just entropy?)
I've watched Clerks II four times in the past three days, and this movie is amazingly heavy, donkey show aside. It says a lot of things that have gone through my mind. I'm nearing my thirties (I turn twenty-eight in roughly three weeks), and sometimes, I feel like I'm still spinning my wheels in my life. I'm still evaluating people and friendships, trying not to rock the boat, and yet still falling into the water.
I'll probably have several moments like the following scene. After all, I've been on the verge of it several times, why not follow through?
Either way, I wish I could write this well.
Dante: I'm going to smooth things over with Emma, go to Florida, and start my Randal Graves-free existence. And... they to forget these last thirty-three years ever happened.
Randal: So, that's the way you see all this time we've spent together?
[beat]
Randal: That's weird, man. I thought you were the only guy in the world got me, and had my back. The only person who'd take a bullet for me because I assumed you felt about me the same way I feel about you. Then, all of a sudden one day, you're like "I'm moving! Bye!" Do you know what that's been like for me?
[beat]
Randal: I'm looking at a future which sucks because you aren't going to be in it anymore. And you're not even throwing me over for a life that means something to you -- It's just this stupid, hollow existence you think you should embrace because you're getting old or something, because it's the kind of life everyone else goes after.
[beat]
Randal: You're a fucking drone, dude.
Dante: Fine. Then the next friend whose life you ruin can be a totally free spirit. How's that?
Randal: You think I want to start making friends at my age? Christ. Who would want me as their friend? I hate everyone and everything seems stupid to me. But you were always the counter-balance to that. The guy who was the Yin to my Yang. Now, what the fuck am I going to do for the rest of my life? I mean, shit. I really wish you would have told me this when I first met you, that one day you were going to bail on our friendship. Because if I'd known you were going flake on me a few decades later, I would have never bothered with your ass in the first place.
Jay: Jesus, why don't you two just fuck and get it over with already?
Dante: Why can't you ever say something useful for a change?
Jay: Well, what the fuck you waiting for? That's your cue, man.
Silent Bob: I got nothin'.
Jay: Jesus fucking Christ, what good are you, you mute fuck!?
Silent Bob: You know what? That hurts. What do you ever add to the proceedings? You got like one answer for everything! "Pussy, man!"
Randal: Oh, well then you must love this fucking guy. He's the biggest pussy I ever met. The due who lives his life according to everyone else's standards. "I've gotta go to Florida and get married because that's what's expected of me!" And the fucking insane part is he ain't even that crazy about the chick he's marrying or Florida -- never mind the fact that he's got a perfectly good chick right here in Jersey who he's nuts about, and even Anne fucking Frank can see she's nuts about him -- God knows why.
[beat]
Randal: And she likes you for who you are, man. She's not trying to stuff you into a box you'll never fit into! Not to mention the fact that she's carrying your hideous fucking chud of a kid. Jesus, if you had any sense whatsoever, you'd fucking stop trying to bray it up with the rest of the sheep, and live your life the way it made sense for you, you fucking ass!
Dante: Oh yeah? And what's that? You obviously have such a great handle on your life -- Tell me what you would do if you were in my position? Or even what you'd do in your own position? Swing that judgmental pendulum back the other way, and tell me how you'd solve all your problems, Asshole -- What the fuck would the great Randal Graves do if he were half the master of his destiny that I'm supposed to be?!
Well, it's done. Another media format is coming to a close -- at least in my opinion.
Blu-Ray is falling down and HD-DVD will be the reigning champ, all due to Sony's want to control the format. They are eliminating the one market that drove the internet.
While the adult entertainment industry may supposedly account for a very small percentage of sites on the web, that industry has driven the web's major advancements -- such as the technology for streaming media. In regards to DVD sales, a large portion of media that is sold is adult content, and you can gauge the media market on the porn industry.
Blu-ray takes a hit, and it's a big one -- that's for sure.
The Kevin Smith marathon didn't go as expected, but the day as a whole gave me a lot to think about. I spent a lot of time thinking about my life in regards to relationships during "Chasing Amy". All the ups and the downs, along with all of the experiences I've had. It was kind of eye opening, but then again, I always find something to dwell on by watching that movie.
I thought about my faith while watching "Dogma", and where I feel I should be in my life. It kept me thinking through "Jay and Bob", until "Jersey Girl", where my thoughts changed. I know I want to have kids. I know I want to raise a family. It's just kind of difficult to build that part of my life lately.
In other news: For those of you who don't know, Underdog drummer/singer Rob McDonald recently had a heart attack. He's okay and he's back home now, but looking at Rob and seeing that this happened to him... Well, it did give me a bit of a fright. Rob's a guy who's in good shape, and only 28. The only health detriment he has going for him is his smoking, but dear god. No healthy, in-shape person should ever have to experience that.
The weekend was full of Whalers hockey, with the Whalers taking two wins at home -- 4-0 vs Owen Sound and a 6-5 shootout win against Sarnia.
Good times.
I also caught "Borat", which I must say was bloody brilliant. Showing the ignorance of a lot of America while making everyone laugh. Sacha Baron Cohen, I applaud you.
I was exausted all day on Sunday, so nothing got accomplished except visiting my grandmother and installing a flat screen TV on her wall.
And now, I leave you with a song that's been stuck in my head all weekend long.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Step out the front door like a ghost into the fog Where no one notices the contrast of white on white And in between the moon and you the angels get a better view Of the crumbling difference between wrong and right I walk in the air between the rain through myself and back again Where? I dont know Maria says shes dying through the door I hear her crying Why? I dont know
Round here we always stand up straight Round here something radiates
Maria came from nashville with a suitcase in her hand She said shed like to meet a boy who looks like Elvis She walks along the edge of where the ocean meets the land Just like shes walking on a wire in the circus She parks her car outside of my house And takes her clothes off Says shes close to understanding Jesus And she knows shes more than just a little misunderstood She has trouble acting normal when shes nervous
Round here were carving out our names Round here we all look the same Round here we talk just like lions But we sacrifice like lambs Round here shes slipping through my hands
Sleeping children better run like the wind Out of the lightning dream Mama's little baby better get herself in Out of the lightning
She says its only in my head She says shhh I know its only in my head But the girl on car in the parking lot says "Man you should try to take a shot Cant you see my walls are crumbling?" Then she looks up at the building and says she's thinking of jumping She says she's tired of life she must be tired of something
Round here shes always on my mind Round here hey man got lots of time Round here were never sent to bed early And nobody makes us wait Round here we stay up very, very, very, very late I cant see nothing, nothing around here Will you catch me if I'm falling Will you catch me if I'm falling Will you catch me 'cause I'm falling down on you I said I'm under the gun Round here Oh man, I said I'm under the gun Round here And I cant see nothing Nothing Round here
I can't wait for this. This may be one of the few things to push me to cable... or I'll just find it on the net somewhere. But can you believe it? Will it be good without John Candy?
I know I've been lax with the posts lately, but I'm prepping for leaving the country for a while.
A couple of things to note:
The Clerks II Premiere date was changed to July 21.
Rasheed Wallace is declaring the next two Pistons games as wins. Chauncey Billips sounds none too pleased about the statement.
And finally, a joke:
Two hunters went moose hunting every winter without success. Finally, they came up with a foolproof plan. They got a very authentic cow moose costume and learned the mating call of a cow moose.
The plan was to hide in the costume, lure the bull, then come out of the costume and shoot the bull. They set themselves up on the edge of a clearing, put on their costume and began to give the moose love call.
Before long, their call was answered as a bull came crashing out of the forest and into the clearing. When the bull was close enough, the guy in front said, "OK, let's get out and get him."
After a moment that seemed like an eternity, the guy in the back shouted, "The zipper is stuck! What are we going to do!?"
The guy in the front says, "Well, I'm going to start nibbling grass, but if I were you, I'd brace myself!"
Next, M:I:III was horrid. I never saw the second one, and I was incredibly distracted when I attempted to watch the first one, but at least I could say I enjoyed what I liked fo the first one. Horrid acting by everyone but the Brits and Phil Seymour Hoffman, and I marked out huge for Simon Pegg being on the screen -- so much that I made a ote to watch Shaun of the Dead again. He's great.
The plot is paper thin, and twists because you begin to fall asleep, and they have to wake you up. There were some great lines by Ving Rhames. Maybe I'll go see the first two again to really put this one on the spot, but that requires effort. I have Cedar Point tomorrow.
While checking one of my gmail accounts, I found I had won a free pass for two to see "Chaos" -- a movie I'd been wanting to see since I saw the trailer. I called up Rev and off we went to see this movie.
When we got to the theatre, we saw a few people who were also getting in for free via some flyer. No big deal, right? I get into the theatre, and its packed. This causes me to laugh, because I read reviews on IMDB. This flick is brutal.
And so, we embark on the cinematic journey of two girls and their encounter with four criminals in the woods.
I'm not going to spoil the movie for anyone, because well, its supposedly "real horror". A genre unto itself. You'd have to see it. But we laughed at the brutality, not because it was funny, but because people were walking out. In total, we counted fifty, but I know we missed some. The acting was bad, and well... they tried to slap some excuse for the film on the beginning. Nice try people. It was still brutal for fun, no matter how you tried to spin it. And nice use of racial slurs. That will get you into the NAACP awards. And the ending... it's hilarious. The movie sucked, but man, was it hilarious.
James' "Return to Bachelorhood" bash went well, with good drinks at John Cowley's & Sons, then more over at Good Time Charlie's in Ann Arbor. Drinks were had, laughter was heard, and sights were seen... Oh, the sights!
After work, I'm heading to Barrie, Ontario for the weekend. "Falling Apart" is showing at the Wreck Beach Film Festival on Saturday night, so I'm heading on out there for the viewing. It will be good to see another group's reaction to the film. I'm also planning on sneaking in some roller casters at Canada's Wonderland.
Mike, Steve, Josh and I sat down in Wyandotte to do the audio commentary for "Falling Apart". It went extremely well. I'd estimate at most two weeks before that DVD is ready to be released to the world. It's been a long time coming, and I can actually hold it in my hands and say, "Yes, I did this."
Fucking awesome.
I dread having to deal with the Secretary of State on Monday, but I must do what I must do.
"Falling Apart" premiered last night at the Royal Oak Main Art Theatre, to a packed theatre. It was crazy insane, and it was great to see all the actors enjoying the limelight as they saw themselves and their name on the screen. It was amazing to hear people laughing and cheering and gasping as the movie went across the screen. So many people showed up. It was amazing to see something I put a lot of time into end up being well-received and on "the Big Screen," as it were.
I want to thank everyone who came out to the movie, along with our friends and family who have supported Steve, Mike, and myself through this endeavor. Huge thanks to the cast and crew, and especially my parents who have supported me through everything I've ever fathomed doing in my life.
I booked my hotel room for BeastBuzz, so that's all set. Nothing is really going on with me except that Falling Apart is premiering at the Royal Oak Main Art Theatre. The showtime is 7:30 pm on June 15th, 2005. Tickets are $10/each.
I sat through "Haunt" again, this time all the way through and even the alternate ending. I'm going to have to watch this film a few more times with various people, so I will refrain from making comments on it. Rev might make a few comments though. He was anxious to write a review.
Speaking of Rev, he spouted some nugget of wisdom that is in no way shit, and similar things have been weighing my brain down lately. I've been trying to sort out my thoughts on my recent four mile plus bike rides, but although it's helping me get in a bit better shape, I can't sort out one thign from another. I'll just stop there, because it's better that I keep that stuff in. It's worked for the last year or so anyway.
I'm thinking of picking up a second job to bring in more money, and I keep talking about it and not doing it. I hate that I need to, but hell. I need the cash. The sooner I get more cash, the sooner I can feel better about other things.
Holy crap, this turned into one of those locked LJ posts really damn quick, didn't it?
Well, I know I've been lax on film reviews, and I'll have to give my review of "Vampz" in the near future. But that's not why I bring this topic up.
You see, I reviewed a film called "Haunt" -- and independent film I bought on Filmbaby.com. Normally, I wouldn't write reviews, but I thought "Hell, I need some decent content on this site, might as well review some films or something." This made "Haunt" the perfect piece.
Well, I wasn't enthralled with the film like I thought I might be. You can find out what I said by reading this review. It managed to get the attention of the filmmaker and got him to comment (which you can read on that same page). This means two things: a) I pissed someone off with my comments, and b) some search engine realized I got rid of my robots.txt file and was allowing my site to be indexed again.
I really wish I knew what engine and query brought up my review.
But, the filmmaker did say he'd send me a cleaner copy of the film. So here lies my challenge to my local readers. When I get the new copy of the film, I'm going to watch it again. I want to see if my opinion changes, and I want to see if yours does too. I'd like other people to review this film to either be put on your own web sites, message boards, or journals, or here on my site.
Anyone want to be on board for this? Popcorn, caffinated and alcoholic beverages, and "Haunt". Comment and be heard.
Here's a review I did of Independent Horizon Films' "Donna's Room":
A sordid tale from the minds of Stephen Lindsay and Michael bartolotta about a girl who is trapped in the basement of a seemingly decrepid building and her attempt to be free. Donna wakes up in the dank corner of a basement, hands bound and laying on a soiled matress, as her captors stand over her. Creepy premise eh? Add in the fact that she keeps blacking out, and she has no idea where she is... Well, it definitely says psychological flick. Donna is constantly drugged and forced to eat nothing but maggot covered elephant ears (or so I am guessing) ash she has to deal with the Man in Black who torments her with her past as she swims in the haze of the drugs she is injected with. But we have to ask: Who is the real captor? Is Donna the victim, or is it her captors who are the real victims?
Dina Rath did a great job in this film playing the lead role of Donna. She drew in the viewer to sense her pain and lost feelings as she is bound and drugged. Jeff Miller did well as the Man in Black, and his voice twisted the words he was creating quite well. I do feel however, that he lacked some physical presence on the screen to make himself feel more threatening. Then again, it could have been how the particular scenes with him were shot. Perhaps more closeups of the emotion in his face may have drawn it out more.
Looking at the technical end of it, the walls were very white, making the scenes feel less "abandoned." The scenes were also very blue in tint, and when mixed with the white background, made the atmosphere seem less squallid than I would have guessed the filmmakers wanted to portray. It gave the impression of a more sterile environment. Adding a bit more in the thought of visuals and lighting for mood would do this movie well, but it's still not hard to watch.
The difference in audio levels was a bit distracting in this film, and I had to keep changing the volume of my TV in order to make sure I heard everything. Normal dialogue was sometimes hard to hear, but I do give the audio team credit for capturing Dina's screams really well. They never seemed to bleed past the audio team's hands. Amazing clarity on those. Great job.
The action/struggling scenes were very well done. Any blocking done on this film was well worth it. It looked great.
I definitely think that Donna's Room was a good short film. Much better than other ones I've seen. I can't wait to see what comes next from Stephen Lindsay's pen.
I took a chance on this site called filmbaby and ordered two DVDs from them: "Haunt" and "Vampz". They arrived with a free bag of microwave popcorn. What a great deal. Quick shipping AND free popcorn. Use the service and buy independent films. If you look at the Horror category, there are only two films: "Haunt" and "Vampz". Clicking on either and scrolling ot the bottom gives you a "Customers who bought this also bought..." thing. The link between these is my doing. I'm the only tool who bought them. I like crappy horror.
And now, "Haunt."
The synopsis is as follows:
1990's Scream Queen, Lucy Fear is about to open the doors of her newest haunted house, a million dollar electronic horror extravaganza inside a remote building built in 1875. The building is said to be haunted. Fear hires a commercial videographer, John Stone, to conceal 20 cameras throughout the 'haunt' to tape her opening premiere. But on that night, over 4,500 people entered and never left. Jack Ripley has wanted to make a movie since he was eight years old. 'haunt' has to be his masterpiece because Jack will never get another chance.
What they neglect to tell you before you buy is that the description is only partly right. They don't mention that the entire thing is interspliced with the director editing the film and bitching about it. It totally confuses what atom-thin plot there is. I sat through about an hour of this movie before the audio sync issues and digital glitches in the disc drove me up a wall. I didn't finish it. I had no idea what was going on. I was so confused, especially since I had actually put forth effort into understanding the damn thing.
I liked the "hidden camera" look the film used in the haunted house, but it took every opportunity to stray from the synopsis. I give the guy credit though... He didn't "Alan Smithee" his name on this. He kept it on there. I wouldn't have.
Friday: I went out to dinner with a few friends to chow on some Mongolian goodness. It was a pleasant evening.
Saturday: Aaron and I headed off to Cedar Point for some Holloweekends fun, and to meet up with Stevo, but Stevo had some relationship issues and bailed without contacting me. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the day of forty degree fun (less at the top of Magnum XL-200). We ended up coming back early, so I fell into a local watering hole to watch horrid TV and drink quite little.
Sunday: What a day. It turns out there was some Scape Films work to be done with a casting call, so I had to rush my day to make sure I got there on time. I encountered quite the automobile frustration involving the main cooling fan and its housing. I was offered Mom's ride as collateral until I could get it fixed, and I managed to get to my destination ahead of schedule. Things went well, and a good time was had by all. I just wish the Scape Films crew lived a bit closer. Forty-five minutes to see friends kind of sucks.
So, that's been the weekend. This week entails the moving of many items from Northville to Livonia, in an effort to get into the new office space. Congrats to Garvin, though, for getting his new place. Go G go!
Apparently, the only night of Holloween weekend I'm not booked is the thirty-first. Prospective offers can be left in the comments section.
Yeah, I've decided to give this a shot again -- this journal-type thing. The bastardization of a blog and a journal. I've done it with Livejournal for a while, and I created my "secret" club of people who post in a blind journal, keeping the general public from knowing who they are, but neither seems to be cutting the mustard. Besides, I don't think I like not having actual content on my site anymore.
It's been an interesting year so far, and the last few months have been filled with some interesting chaos. Things are changing, as they always do, and I'm feeling delightfully cryptic.
Upcoming projects:
Mistake - While I've made many of these in my life, this is actually the working title of a Scape Films short film I'll be shooting. Looks to be a good thing, if we can get past the initial hurdles.
Wedding - The wedding I shot with a shitty camcorder is near completion, or at least the ceremony is. I'm waiting for the editing machine to come back from Chicago, and I'm hoping it comes back this weekend. If it does, then I'll get back into it and get that thing cut and out the door.
Character Assassination - This wonderful little film is plagued with audio issues (due to wind), and it's in the same boat as the wedding footage.
I'm still tweaking things here, so I don't know if it will look this way in a day or two. Whatever, fuckers.
