Shut. Up.

The production meeting went well...as well as I could expect when the room is full of long time friends. We discussed possible scheduling issues, the importance of continuity(a word which nobody could pronounce for some reason), contracts, releases, table reads, walk throughs, grooming and wardrobe.

Next meeting is going to be the 25th on location so the fools can see what they're in for.

One of the people at the meeting was being ...not so supportive. At least that's the feeling I got. I always get the same feeling with this person no matter what we're doing. It seems this person feels in competition with me, though I have no idea why. This person shall remain nameless until he/she cops up to being jealous, or I fire he/she.

Why volunteer for a movie if you don't want to support me? Who f'n knows?! //////////

The horror site I write reviews for has gone to blog format...which means it's not a website anymore. They say it's to get more exposure, I say that's horseshit. I applied for a reviewing job with another well known site that takes it's craft seriously. It's not a horror site, but it's cool nonetheless.//////////

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia is hilarious. Catch it on FX whenever the hell it's on. I think Sundays, or Thursdays. I enjoy seeing the city on tv and recognizing all of the areas. It's a shame more films aren't made in Philly. The city should be right up there with Chicago, but I think more films come out of the windy city. That's how it appears anyway. I might shoot a scene or two there just for the fuck of it./////////

When did Mtv become this annoying? The Hills, My Sweet Sixteen, Yo Momma and Cribs. Better known as how to infuriate yourself if you're over 25 years old. We wonder what's wrong with the world, and there it is in full glory. Anyone who watches those shows is a masochist, and anyone who enjoys them thinks they're going to be in position to be 'famous' by telling mom jokes from 1985. No lie, I heard one guy tell the old 'Your momma is like 7 eleven, she's always open". Wha????? I told that joke. In, no exaggeration, 1980. The spectators are the worst, covering their mouth because they have to hold in their hyena like cackling.

How do I know all of this if it's so horrifying? My girlfriend watches some of the shows, and now it's like a goddamn car accident. I have to see how bad it can get. But still, I've only caught bits and pieces of a few of the shows, and it's enough to deem Mtv hell in a hand basket.

The first official production meeting for Generator

...is to take place on July 7th, with a rain date of the 14th. I'll be sure to update more frequently from then on, maybe with some pics of the motley crew. Right now I'm searching for paperwork for the cast and crew to sign...in blood.

On another note, I entered the FX channel "It's always sunny in Philadelphia" contest. Little did I know almost all of the 20 selected semifinalists entered trailers, and not a comedy short, or an entire scene from an existing show they made prior. LAME. You mean to tell me you reward people for splicing together a trailer from existing material rather than actually taking a story, making it cohesive enough to make sense in the 5 minutes allotted and actually delivering a full, albeit narrative? I have to call bullshit on that one. Stupid me, I thought the idea was to show an idea for a pilot in short form and that the idea could translate into a series. I took the entire 'series' part of the equation very seriously, and thought my idea would work for at least 5 years, or 101 episodes. My idea was entitled 101 Debacles, and each week, I would show one of those debacles in all of it's glory. Most of them are from my life, or things I tend to think about all my life. Could have been great! (just like my life, coincidentally enough) But anyway, here's the first episode if interested. Keep in mind I had exactly 48 hours to film, edit and submit this. Debacle #1: The Myth of the Powdered Nose

Check back for all Generator, all the time beginning the weekend of the 7th.

Hi, My Name Is, Hi

A little update to the 3 people who continue to check my blog-I think I have found a special FX guy for Generator. He just graduated from the Tom Savini FX school, which is exactly what I was looking for....exactly. The reason? He'll be looking to take a job to make a name for himself, and he'll work for credit, just like everyone involved in the movie. He's a couple of hours away, but said he can make it work. We're going to meet up next week to have a sit down and go over the script.

Just about everything is lining up for the film to kick ass.

By the way, anyone who thinks Yo Momma is funny, or any of that other garbage on Mtv, should be drawn and quartered immediately. The decline of civilization can happen very quickly, apparently.

Been A Long Time Since I Pumped Up The Volume

Nothing all that new to report. And that's part of the problem with this blog. I used to have tons of complaints, ideas, and other random musings that I cared enough to interact with the blogosphere(I hate that fucking word). Now, there is almost nothing concrete for me to add about Generator. There are some ideas, some creative advertising scams, and just some fucked up ideas I have for the shoot, but all of that is either not a definite, or sealed until the movie is complete. I had a death in the family, which while expected, still hurt like hell. I was there when my grandfather took his last breath in the house he and my grandmother shared since I was a little kid. So leading up to that point, I spent a lot of time taking care of him and my grandmother. I still am taking care of my grandmother. So that's part of my disappearance, but honestly, I just have nothing of worth to give you. When I start working on the movie, I will definitely pick up the pace, but until then, I wouldn't hate you if you just popped in once a month or so. Or randomly check on IMDB for updates...hell, you could even start posting on the message board for my film if you wish. So until I am knee deep in production, which could be next month, or September, I will not be updating regularly. As if you didn't know that already.

Bye.

An Update

I've been very busy, and will continue to be, but I'm trying to add an update and visit each blog I link to, at least once a week.





I finally took the absinthe plunge with the strongest recipe , and most authentic to the 19th century, King Of Spirits Gold. My buddy and I polished off about 1/2 a bottle and the buzz was definitely ...different. I had a warm, kind of floaty buzz, and a 1000 tooth smile. We were watching VH1 Classic when David Bowie, Space Oddity came on. That was the height of the 'high', and it lasted for about 20 minutes. We also watched some HD programming on Discovery about Spain, or something...looked real real nice with absinthe in the system. Sadly, we didn't keep it going for longer than those twenty minutes, and the high disappeared and we ended up slightly buzzed for the remainder of the night. I'll take pictures or video of us preparing it next time. Right now, I have to recommend it because of the potential-if I could feel the way I did for those 20 minutes for an entire night, wow...I may have a real problem not drinking it!

On another front, all is quiet on the Generator front for now. I have a meeting set up with the owner of my main location. I expect an extortion attempt, honestly. Sure, he's married to my Mother, but I know what drives him. Thankfully, I am quite the charmer in person. Once I get him immersed in the proposed story, and what I plan on using to accent the movie, I think he'll jump on board. And invest too.

I'm thinking about holding off on shooting until Fall. My sister is due in August, and I really like her as the leading girl. It's basically a perfect match, and I still haven't found anyone who wants to seize the opportunity yet. It would also give me more time to raise funds, do some sneaky ass promos on the internet, and leak some publicity to certain sites with photos and short trailers. We'll see how it goes. I'll have my business name registered shortly as a sole proprietor business. I have major ideas for moving my new toys to an office space that may or may not be available to me....lots of updates upcoming about everything I only hint at right now.

Slay The Beast

Film is dead?

M. Night sounds like he's completely off his rocker. Makes me wonder if anyone even realizes why film is the preferred method for movies. It's out of habit, nothing more, nothing less. We've become accustomed to movies appearing one way. Once we break that connection, nobody will care, and film will die, albeit 30 years later than it should have.

I'm Back Again

The move was a success. I have a Billy Joel concert on Tuesday. (I love that drunk bastard, circa '71-'81)

I'll give a new update on Generator in the coming days.

IMDB Accepts!

Since I am losing my internet access soon, I just thought I would pop in and update-Generator has been added to IMDB, and the credits will be added this week. Being a stubborn prick does accomplish something after all.

Final Stats-7 Submission attempts/1 Successful Submission

Save For Your Funeral...I'll be Broke When I'm Dead

I always accuse my girlfriend Katie of being the eternal optimist, the girl who still believes in the American dream. She likes to save pennies because someday they'll add up to a nice vacation. Me? I spend my upcoming check in full to take the damn vacation now. So, my electric may be turned off. So what? I'll get it turned on again. (a slight exaggeration...I usually pay it just before it's turned off) I am throwing my nuts out there to make a movie, and starting with what amounts to very little in terms of budget. I believe the budget will grow as I go. This infuriates her. How can I waste my time, and what will I do if midway through the budget hasn't received any bumps? What about saving money? I say burn baby burn!

Ah, Katie. You're saving for your own funeral. At least you'll have a nice golden casket, and I'll be stuck with a cardboard box. But I'll be smiling.
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I am very down on writing right now. In the past two years, I have seen two of my more well known screenplay efforts(to me, people around me and some on the left coast) end up as feature films. Only they weren't mine. You see, we get a very short window to get our shit out there while it's fresh. The problem being we have no outlet, no exposure, and all we can do is enter 30 contests a year with the hopes that one of the readers will be a fan of the genre we've chosen. And then it's gone. Then, as if smelling your disappointment and wanting to rub it in some, Hollywood releases 10 films that could just as well have been based on your screenplay. It's either A)everything is in production all the time, or B) a wave of certain genres of screenplays hit 2 years after I tried to market one just like the it. Either way, it's disheartening to try and sell your story, then 4 years later see the Best Buy shelves deluged with direct to dvd versions of the exact same premise. So now when I get the comment, "It's really good. Solid story, great twist at the end. But don't you think it's a little to close to ? " Well, I wrote this 5 years ago. "Oh, well it seems just like it." , it makes me want to lop a few heads off. Hence, I'm making my films from now on. I'll write them how I want to write them. And I'll make them how I want to fucking make them. If I don't get rich I won't care. I'll be creating a lasting legacy, something my children can see. Something to show I did something.

All Quiet On The Southern Front

It's going to be a slow week or two for me, blog wise. I'm moving back north in 8 days, and have a lot of garbage to get rid of or pack away. (Though I'm leaning towards trashing everything)
I reapplied for IMDB on the 15th, with the Variety link included, and have yet to hear back. I'm cautiously taking that as a good sign since the last time I submitted, it took only two days to turn me back.

If anything new hits, I'll pop in.

The Tyler Durden Motivational System For Writers

Fuck off with your sofa units and serine green stripe patterns, I say never be complete, I say stop being perfect, I say let... lets evolve, let the chips fall where they may.

People do it everyday, they talk to themselves... they see themselves as they'd like to be, they don't have the courage you have, to just run with it.

Man, I see in fight club the strongest and smartest men who've ever lived. I see all this potential, and I see squandering. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great aDepression. Our Great War's a spiritual war... our Great Depression is our lives. yWe've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off.

You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your fucking khakis. You're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world.

Listen up, maggots. You re not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You're the same decaying organic matter as everything else.

Without pain, without sacrifice, we would have nothing.

Fuck what you know. You need to forget about what you know, that's your problem.

Self improvement is masturbation. Now self destruction...

F*ck Me! Pay You!

My production chart for Generator is now listed in Variety. Next up, IMDB-fascist punks.

The script is about as far along as I want it to be at this point. I want to add two more sequences I have been thinking up, but finding the right spot to insert them has been troublesome. There's one scene I am probably going to tear out of the script as soon as the new two are cut in. Other than that, the rewrite process is a done deal. ...for now. Since I'll have 6 days in between each day of shooting, I can see me fiddling around with the coming weeks material, but for now, it's about done.

Just thought I would add, I payed IMDB for the PRO membership, and again was turned down. I'm coming back with an arm full of Variety suckers, and they had best follow their own guidelines and submit it. They had best! V for Variety

For Those Who Wondered "WTF Is A RotoZip ?"

In my script, I often mention name brand tools, but since people don't have the background I do , which is in construction, they have no clue what's happening in the scene. Well fear not, here are a few examples of said tools:

#1-The Rotozip-Rotozip is a brand name, under Bosch tools, which specializes in small hand saws. Here is an example of tools that might fall under the RZ name:

A small circular saw and grinder which pretty much works for everything from ceramic tile to wood.

#2-This is the famous Rotozip I describe in the script, however, I had to use the Porter Cable brand since I couldn't get a good pic:



This is my favorite. It fits in the palm of your hand, making it really f'n convenient. We use this for cutting around electrical boxes, or for cutting the openings for the boxes into the sheet rock before we hang it. This is one of the tools described in the script. :)


#3-The following bad boy is a mini rotating saw. The blade rotates in a two inch circumference, creating nice circular holes in wood for whatever you may need them for. This thing is nasty.

#4-Another personal favorite-The Sawzall. Sawzall is a Milwaukee tools trademark, I think, but we call every make and model a Sawzall, so I'm not sure. At any rate, this fucker will cut through anything. The blade pumps back and forth real fast, but you can control the speed. You can also change the blades for cutting metal, wood, tile, sheet rock, skin and bone...um..yeah...


So there you have it. Makes reading my script a little more logical...and disgusting, eh?

And yes, I am trying to gain clearance to use the actual tools I put in the script. :)

"We Will Not List Your Film...Unless You Have $13 A Month"

IMDB apparently does accept independent films in early stages of production. They even accept titles from newly formed production companies. You just have to join IMDBPro. If it was about the money, couldn't they just tell me that in the beginning? Anyway, we'll see if my film meets the criteria for it, because I'm going to suck it up and join. If it goes through, it'll be the best money I ever spent. Aside from that time I bought microdots with Christian...ah, the good old days.

Edit: I may be getting my production chart published in The Hollywood Reporter, which would knock down the barrier that is IMDB. I don't want to jinx it right now, but stay tuned.

"Too Stupid To Know Better"

I hear a lot of people say that, that they were too stupid to know any better, especially from those who made a splash into the film industry as directors. They take chances and use unconventional means to finish the job, because they are forced to. It's often why their first film remains their best, too. I wonder if I suffer from a little of that stupidity. People tell me I'm expecting to much of my first feature. But I can't see how. Are there little things that I don't notice right now that will trip me up? Definitely. But really, does a person need anything other than passion and drive to make a project happen? It's funny, when I worked in construction all those years, there was a saying amongst the foreman and big boss-Make It Happen. Don't have enough time to finish? Make it happen. The sheetrock wasn't delivered? Make it happen. Over and over again, the reply was basically NO COMPROMISE. Proceed as planned, because there is no other choice. I used to roll my eyes after hearing it spewed out by my foreman, who is an ex-marine. But years removed, I think it is exactly what I am doing now. The reason it never resonated before was that I didn't believe in what I was doing, and I didn't take a personal interest. It was a job I loathed much more than I loved. But now that I care about something, I can see I follow that advice on a daily basis. When I get turned down, I bitch and hate the world, but I don't give up. I find an alternate route.

Friend: How the hell did you get Metallica and Adidas to sign off on a clearance for this tiny movie?
Me: Um, I don't know really. And it's not tiny-it's budget unknown.
Friend: You know it's not normal, right?
Me: No, I don't know that.
Friend: So, how did you do it?
Me: Two emails, and two phone calls.
Friend: What?!
Me: Anyone can do it.
Friend: I don't think so. You got them for free. Why don't more people do it then?
Me: I don't know. All I did was call.

Too stupid to know whether or not this is the way things work. I just Made It Happen Whether this is normal or not is not the point. The point is, I don't know if it is or not. It's called drive.
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I saw this in action in film school. Everyone wanted to be a director when the class started. After our first project, I would wager 50% wilted under the pressure and changed their aspirations accordingly. They gave up over one weekend, a 48 hour film contest, and that was that. It was a shame really. There were some real talented people who just didn't have that passion, or drive to finish one measly project. I stayed up 44 of those hours filming and editing, and didn't win a thing except some laughs from the crowd when we screened it. That kept me going though. I bet there were 300 people enrolled in my class. I would say 250 wanted to be directors. 6 months in, it probably dipped to 100. By graduation, I don't think it's crazy to say only 25 ended up sticking with directing as their main interest. Out of that 25, 10 will finish one feature film. 2 out of that 10 will attempt another. And it all comes down to making it happen.

I suppose there are certain personality traits that one must possess in order to have that stubborn drive, and I can't necessarily fault someone for a lack of those traits. I think you either got 'em, or you don't. I have a strong red personality. I'm stubborn, and I have innate leadership skills. I am also quite mean, and can almost become a God in my own mind overnight. Thankfully, I have a very big case of horrific self doubt immediately after to keep me grounded. Some people constantly pass the responsibility of the smallest jobs on a set to someone else(on amateur productions). Some have a chance to take charge and don't for fear of stepping on toes. Other's are content to be a grip for their entire life. And all of that is okay. But I'm not one of those people, and I think that's what will make this film a successful endeavor. I will just Make It Happen.

Denied!

IMDB denied my application for a page twice! Their reasoning? I'm not far enough into pre-production(Funny, I feel knee fucking deep in it)), and I don't have a third party site announcing my film. Well guess what? Horrorbrain has put my press release on their front page! Go visit horrorbrain, which is part of the IGN network and take a gander! Extra thanks to Brandon(aka Gorefan), the head honcho over there, who graciously accepted my press release without trying to crush my little independent ass...as most horror sites have done.

Just to throw a tidbit out there-I may be gaining the right to use Black Sabbath's Solitude for my film. We'll see how this one shakes out!

Generator Update Part 2

Adidas have allowed us to use their clothing for the lead actress, for free once again. Metallica and Adidas are going to get very special thanks from Damage Done Productions, that's for sure.

She will be sporting a green Adidas, 80's style jumper/track suit.

Generator Update

#1) Metallica have kindly given us clearance to outfit one of the main characters in Generator with an...And Justice For All T shirt. Damn nice of them too, as I was expecting a 'no', or a huge charge. So that's awesome. (Intellectual property garbage is a pain in the ass-you can't have anything in your film without an okay...yes even clothes.) Justice is perhaps my favorite album of all time, bar none. Yeah ye yeah!!

#2) I created the Generator page for IMDB, and it's been submitted. I am currently awaiting approval, which I assume will be forthcoming. I offered all the information they ask for, with the exception of Distributor, Official site and a third party site link. Since I listed it as being in pre production, I don't think it should be a problem. And since it's truly in pre-production, I would hope they would allow it. So that just about kicks ass. Can't wait to lure private investors in through IMDB. (Hint: Professionals you may approach about investing are easily impressed by an IMDB listing-it makes the film real, even if you haven't shot one inch of footage! One of their first questions is "are you on IMDB?" Now I can say YES. Thank you Eli Roth for that one!) Now all I got to do is take some freaky stills to submit, and create a trailer. What a great day today was! I wish it was Groundhog Day!

Gah Dang It

I just came up with the best opening credit sequence for Generator. It's so damn perfect, I wish I could film it tomorrow! Arg! The locations are all set, as are the crew and actors...the film is about ready to go! (If I ever finish those infernal storyboards!)

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I'm moving back to the mothership around the 20th, and I can't wait. Then I can really dig into preproduction. I can actually go to the location, instead of going off memory. I can meet with a special FX person instead of exchanging emails. I can test them to see if they can do a head cast. (and really, there's nothing better than that!) I can meet up with Chris the composer and show him the deal-take him out for a few beers and explain my vision.(we'll have to work out arrangements sir) So much excitement!

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Bye Bye Florida, I hardly knew ye, and the little I do know left thou with a bitter taste in thy mouth of thee...um, yeah.

Best things about Florida: 70 degrees in Winter. 24 hour beer supply. No pigs bothered me. All fast food joints take credit.

Worst things about FL: English is an antiquated notion apparently. The roads are like Thunderdome-anything goes! No discernible speed limit-left lane is evidently not for passing in this state. Horrible recycled water smell when sprinklers turn on, which is basically 4 times a day for 11 3/4 months. Yet, they don't require any other recycling-for shame. Violent crime is either the worst of any city area, or the news only covers violent crime. Either way, it's scary and depressing...and Taxi Driver persona inducing. Too many idiots who want to race their Hyundai. Too many idiots who want to race their Honda Civic. Too many idiots that want to put loud mufflers on toy cars. Not nearly enough idiots dead on black top.

Question

Has anyone heard of Movie Jigsaw? It's a website that allows screenwriters the chance to choose a project idea they would like to develop from a pool of story ideas. The story ideas come from other members who aren't screenwriters, but I guess have story ideas they would like to see developed. Anybody heard anything about this place? It sounds like an okay idea in theory, but so does communism. You kind of bid on a property you're interested in, say, writing credit and 30% from final script sale, and if it's accepted, they hammer out a deal through an entertainment attorney before work is started.

I find it oddly enticing to work on another individuals story. What do you guys think?

Gluttony

In the past two weeks, I have acquired the Panny camera, Sony Vegas 6.0 editing software, Sony DVD Architect 3.0 , Adobe After Effects, Sound Forge 7.0 and Acid Pro 5.0. And I'm slightly bedazzled with all of it. I'm going through some old tapes with Vegas so I can get the hang of it, and I'm fairly acclimated with non linear editing systems, so it's been an okay experience. The others are confusing as all hell. I made one cool song with Acid, but I always feel I need more loops, beats and samples. I don't think it'll work for scoring my film, though there is a package available for movie scores specifically. I'll try that out when I get more money.

If someone can tell me the difference between Sound Forge and Acid, that would be much appreciated. The PDF manuals are over 300 pages a piece, so I don't feel like going through them if I don't have to.

I also bought three Criterion Collection Dvds-Peeping Tom, Shock Corridor and Brazil. Oh yeah, and Blood and Black Lace:Slashers Edition.

And with all this gluttonous behavior, guess how much actual work I got done? Nada. Of course that's the point-I buy all these materials(well, not all are purchased) I don't need to keep the focus off of my actual work, which as far as I'm concerned is writing. Until I get to direct my film, I had better make use of the time for preproduction. It kind of sucks I'm STILL in FL, since everyone and everything involved with production is in NJ.

I might set up my IMDB page for Generator, though I'll have no pictures to put up yet. Not sure how it works, but that's my first order of business-internet visibility, even if in text only.

Arg! I want to get started!

Val Kilmer-Geico Spokesman

Just something I've thought for awhile, and everyone thinks I'm crazy-this has got to be Val Kilmer-looks just like him!

My Star Has Walked Off The Set!

My sister was playing the female lead in Generator, but she has since been confirmed to be pregnant. Not only am I due to be an Uncle, but I am now searching for a replacement. How unfortunate for me. Well, Uncle J is putting a call out there for any women who think they can sacrifice 1-2 days per week out of their busy schedule, and act in the process. Oh yeah, you'll have to around the NJ/Philly area. Come and get your chance to ...get all bloodied up.
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Burn Hollywood Burn! Remakes aplenty! The Last House On The Left, The Hills Have Eyes, Black Christmas, Halloween, Day Of The Dead, Rosemary's Baby, The Wicker Man, The Omen, The Thing, When A Stranger Calls, Friday The 13th, Dressed To Kill and many more! Go support these masterpieces you vermin! Seriously, it sickens me. People say get over it, but why should I? It's like my entire life is becoming on horrible Moby remix, complete with obligatory mid 'song' rap. And there are plenty of writers out there who would give up their script for rather cheap just to have a shot of getting it made. (me included) Instead they sink 20-30 million into each one of these abominations, just hoping the opening weekend will get them even. And it does, because there are enough idiots out there willing to shell out $8 just so they can complain on friggin, I don't know, IMDB about how horrible the film was. Well no shit moron! Save your money and complain about the movies existence, not the end result! Too many dumb shits on this planet.
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I have to say that I am finally moving back to NJ around February 17th. We got a condo in my old stomping grounds, for pretty damn cheap too. We'll stay there for 5 years(I was hoping more like 3, but whatever), then sell and perhaps move to LA. Though truthfully, I am more intrigued by actually making my own scripts into films than trying to shill them to uninterested parties who don't like anything they can't do themselves. We'll see how my first film goes, because that will go a long way into deciding my future. I understand the you have to be there to get in mentality, but not if you're actually making films. So amazingly, my focus has changed 180 degrees from a year ago where it was a far gone conclusion I was headed west immediately. Nothing to do now but shite or get off the potty.

Frightmare!

The major theme of my film, Generator, is bound to be stolen soon. I got the idea from a little blurb in a newspaper about a year ago, but suddenly this gruesome act is in vogue. It's just a matter of time before someone hitches their screenplay to it. Me nervous.

And wouldn't that be a bite, woo, ah, missing a whole wrestling meet?

Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em!

A nitwit down here in Orlando decided he wanted fast food/Wendy's. He pulls in the drive thru, then falls asleep/passes out. They call the cops on him. When the police arrive, this guy wakes up and orders 5 cheese burgers. Much to his chagrin, they decided instead to give a him a field sobriety test. He failed that, then they searched his car and found cocaine and weed on his front seat.

Moral of the story? If you're that drunk, and you decide to drive, don't you have to do a few lines to keep you awake? Come on!

Camera Get

The Panasonic appeared at my door on Thursday, and to be honest, I have no idea what I'm dealing with. I'm kind of timid with it, with all the customization that can be done. So I'm writing a short that I can film over a weekend. It's a nightmare I had for about a week straight a few months ago. A women is sitting on a grave stone in a cemetery, and I'm in the distance staring at her. She starts screaming at me with the most anguished face I've ever seen. But I can't hear her. Everything is silent. Then it's like everything is moving too slow. I start seeing everything in grey tones. I feel a presence behind me, but I'm too afraid to turn around.

I am suddenly in a bathtub. Someone opens the door to the bathroom and walks in, and it's me. I reach out, and there's blood running down my arm. The other me backs away horrified, I get a glimpse of me dead in the tub, or someone I think is me, almost like a camera flash. Then I wake up.

So, that is how I plan on testing out the camera.

A Side Gig

I am now contributing to Horror Brain which is a semi new site devoted to horror films, and is a part of IGN, a rather huge gaming/everything under the sun site.

On Thursday, my first review will be up, which is for Seven Deaths In The Cat's Eye. On Friday, the 13th, I will be giving my blow by blow account of Hostel (with NO spoilers...I hate when reviewers give spoilers, whether they warn you or not). I may also throw in a review of Bay Of Blood, since the original Friday the 13th stole all 13 deaths from this underrated classic from Mario Bava. Give those youngsters a history lesson on good 'ol Friday the 13TH..

I've Been Tagged!

Fun Joel did it. He reached out to the scribosphere and they responded. Dave over at Man Bytes Hollywood tagged William of This Savage Art, who in turn called me out. Here are my quick answers which I'm sure will change once I submit them:

ONE (1) earliest film-related memory:
Sneaking out of my bedroom when I was 5 to catch a glimpse of Magic, a horror film starring Anthony Hopkins and one scary knife toting ventriloquist dummy. My parents, along with my Aunt and Uncle were watching it on HBO, and I watched it right with them, without their knowledge, hiding my eyes now and again.

TWO (2) favorite lines from movies:

"Here's to five miserable months on the wagon, and all the irreparable harm it has caused me." The Shining

"I wanna be just like you. I figure all I need, is a lobotomy and some tights." The Breakfast Club

THREE (3) jobs you’d do if you could not work in the “biz”:
1. Prog metal maestro
2. Football coach
3. Bounty Hunter

FOUR (4) jobs you actually have held outside the industry:
1. Construction worker/Carpenter
2. EA Sports Game Tester
3. Pizza Hut Delivery driver
4. Linen's N Things Backroom/Shipper

THREE (3) book authors I like:
1. Bret Easton Ellis
2. Anne Rice
3. Stephen King

TWO (2) movies youÂ’d like to remake or properties youÂ’d like to adapt:

1. I'd like to adapt the Poe Biography, Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance by Kenneth Silverman.

2. I'd like to adapt Tale of the Body Thief by Anne Rice.

ONE (1) screenwriter you think is underrated:

I think John Hughes is underrated. If you look at his writing credits in the 80's, and the fact that he wrote Ferris in 6 days and Breakfast 24 hours, it's obvious he was a very skilled screenwriter. Too many people lump him in with the horrible eighties, but he was so much more than the others. There's a reason his films hold up today, and I think it's because of his understanding of character interaction, and universal themes that will never die.

Dutch (1991)
Career Opportunities (1991)
Home Alone (1990)
Christmas Vacation (1989)
Uncle Buck (1989)
The Great Outdoors (1988)
She's Having a Baby (1988)
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
Pretty in Pink (1986)
Weird Science (1985)
European Vacation (1985) (also story)
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Sixteen Candles (1984)
Nate and Hayes (1983)
Vacation (1983)
Mr. Mom (1983)
Class Reunion (1982)



THREE (3) people I'm tagging to answer this meme next:
MovieQuill, Could You Describe The Ruckus?, The Wildwoods!

Horror Too Much For White Collar Corpses

Listen to these nice comments about Hostel:

In a shocker that rivaled anything in the movie itself, Lionsgate's horror movie Hostel debuted at the top of the box office with an estimated $20.1 million over the weekend. It pushed the previous No. 1 film, Disney's The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe, which brought in about $15.4 million, into second place. Universal's King Kong dropped to third with about $12.5 million. The strong showing of Hostel, which played in only 2,195 theaters, left analysts aghast. "Hostel tops Narnia and we're all going to hell," headlined cinematical.com. The Associated Press described the box office results as "sheer torture." The British website monstersandcritics.com grudgingly remarked, "Not a bad bit of instant profit for a cheaply made splatter flick."

Horror gets no respect despite it's the easiest way to make a profit, and has been forever. Keep sending out your crappy Adam Sandler pics, your remakes and your Rom/Coms. You can spend under 1 million(Cabin Fever) and make a big chunk of change with a horror film. Get over it !

Blood And Guts-For A Fee

I wrote a certain special FX/Makeup company about my film, and sent them the script. Here's the response email, with some funny FX shots described. The **** represents my editing, as I didn't want to give certain shots away.


Jason,
Thanks for sending me the script for "Generator". As a horror fan, I really enjoyed the plot, and was very intrigued by the effects involved in the film. I broke the script down into most of the effects I would need to fabricate. There are a lot of prop pieces that can be casted off of the actors, and others that can be bought easily and dressed. Below is a list of the effects I saw in the script.

Prosthetic Neck
Tubing
Fake Sledgehammer
Fake Wrist and Hand
Bruised girl
Platter of meat?
Statue's arms
Fake Head for **** Drilled ***
Body Parts
Mary Hexan - Swollen Eye Piece
Scalp props
Miscellaneous Guts
Fake Torso - Circular Saw
Fake Arm
Metal Poker Prop
Rotted Face In Plastic Bag
Vomit
**** Wound in Thigh
Fingers and Eyeballs Props
Scalp of Mary Hexan - Wig
Fake ******** Leg - Sawzall
Severed Foot In ****
Screwdriver to ***
Pickaxe to head - Fake Head
Hatchet dismemberment ** ******** **** **********
Dagger to ****** back
Pickaxe through ****** *** **********

If there are any that are being handled by art department or wardrobe, please let me know. I can provide all of the effects listed below by March for the pre-production cost of **** ******** dollars. My day rate on set is **** ******* dollars per 12 hours of shooting, and this includes on set supplies. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. This sounds like an awesome script, and would love to be a part of it.


Thanks again for the opportunity.

********

Atmosphere Vs Plot

Reading over my script for Generator, I can see how it may be underwhelming to readers. When I read it, I know in my head the shot, the lighting, the type of music...I have the finished project in my head. The story, or plot, is not a brand new one. Some of the scenes are a hodge podge, of a rehash, of some of my favorite films which I unwittingly emulated through my subconscious fandem. So when asked why did I choose this script to be my first film, I had to think about it. Was it the allure of knowing the horror audience so well? Was it that they will watch even the most ridiculous movies if they're entertaining, or gory, or both? Was it my bitterness and anger coming to a boiling point, and this is the spillage? I think a little of all these things led me to horror. I also think horror can be well represented even if it has no budget. The horror community is a forgiving one. We find the good in all the bad. And heap praise for effort. No other genre gets as many reprieves as horror, and I think it's because no other genre gets shit on more by the 'mainstream' than horror. So it's like being in a clique. We get it. You don't. And we're alright with that. I believe Eli Roth said it best on his solo commentary for Cabin Fever when he said, "If a horror film makes over $100 million, it's a thriller. And I think that's kind of bullshit. The Sixth Sense is horror. So is Silence of the Lambs." In other words, if it gains critical acclaim, and is accepted by the masses, the studios have such a bad connotation with horror, it immediately has to be repackaged under the horror pseudonym of thriller.

And I think that is bullshit. So anyway, back to plot vs atmosphere-I have decided that while the plot is solid, it's not all that mind blowing. There is no trick ending. It's a straight up 70's/80's style merge. I decided to use a Argento styled lighting scheme, such as Suspiria or Inferno. It's going to be draped in color. It's going to be draped in shadow. There are going to be long, steady tracking shots, and a lot of steadicam. No Mtv style here. More along the lines of Halloween and The Shining. I feel the atmosphere is most important. You take a slow buildup, with a unnerving atmosphere and score, and your success is almost assured. The plot is there, enough to warrant it's inclusion. But the movie itself is an experience I want people to feel. I don't need them to think and try to figure out the film. I just want them to feel like they may be next.

The World Is A Toilet Pt 2-The Nonbelievers Close To Home

YOU ARE DELUSIONAL! So says my girlfriend. Nice huh? Apparently I am so out of touch with the real world that I just assume support for my movie. For instance, she thinks I'm assuming the location will be granted to me. How dare I! I do assume that since the location is my stepfathers business/warehouse. I'm delusional because I wrote in a house location patterned after my best friend of 20 years home. I do assume he would allow me to film there for a couple of weekends, but any home would do. I am quite delusional because making a film while working during the week will be too taxing on me. I am only going to be filming on Sundays, and the odd Sat. night. I don't think that will hurt me too much. She says nobody makes it in this business. Nobody makes it in this business if they don't have the drive and passion to continue at all costs. You can't be a General, or a leader when you're not paying people. I can if I inspire people to believe in the project. That's what a good General, or any leader for that matter, does-inspires.

In other words, I am going up a snow covered mountain with none of the fancy survival gear. Interesting...that's how I would have described my life prior to this endeavor.

The Panasonic DVX100A is mine!

Bought it off a nice fellow from the DVXuser forums for $2100. Says it's in perfect condition, with low hours. We shall see. I saved about $1000, all told. I'm excited to get hands on with it. Next up-the Anamorphic adapter!

On another note, I was very depressed when I heard Dick Clark last night. He sounded awful, and has aged to...well...look his age. I hate mortality.