This blog post is long overdue, and I've got a lot to write, so let me just get right into it.
On Friday night, I decided to watch my new film that I had bought, Natural Born Killers, not really knowing what to expect. I know that it's considered a cult classic and one of the best films of all time, but I really have never heard a lot about it in particular, just that it was a good movie. The first scene is really weird and crazy, and the film is definitely more than an acquired taste. I won't say too much about the film itself, because you've got to see it to believe it, but all I know is, Natural Born Killers deserves a spot as one of the best films of all time, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's a film as good as Fight Club, and this is my new favorite movie. I never thought I'd ever see a film that affected me, and agreed with me as much as Fight Club did, but now I've seen it, and its name is Natural Born Killers.
That night, after the movie was over, I got absolutely no sleep between Jia kicking me (we had to share a bed), and my brother Max started crying at about 5 AM, and decided to "talk" for three hours after that, allowing me absolutely no sleep. It's OK though, sleep is a crutch for the weak. My dad, not a believer in that philosophy, holed himself up in his room until almost noon. We left the house, going to the beach so I could practice my longboard in the parking lot for a while, and take some pictures of the shore. He got out the board, and said, "OK, giddy up and ride." Those are some words of wisdom if I ever heard them. I got on the board, and I rode.
For the first few runs around the lot, I was constantly on the verge of falling, but as I got my balance and found a comfortable stance, I was rolling around the lot Tony Hawk style. Well, not that good, but still, I was riding it, don't judge. My dad tried to do the same, but he wasn't so lucky. He got I'd say about 3 inches before he just about busted his ass. Jia, his biggest fan, screamed, "Good job daddy!" What a charmer. When I was done practicing, I took a couple pictures of the shore and the birds, and my dad took a few pictures of me skating, and on the sand. My weekend had officially been fulfilled, but little did I know that my day was just starting.
We all got into the car and drove to the first apartment that my dad lived in when he moved to California. He pointed to the exact unit, and said, "First night that me and John (his friend and ex-roommate) were moving in here, they shot a guy right there across the street and left him there." I was officially ready to leave. He took us to this Mexican restaurant next door where him and John used to eat every meal, and we ordered two burritos and chips for Jia. After taking a few bites, he confessed that the food was the same as 25 years ago, and just as good. I wasn't there 25 years ago, but that was a damn good burrito. He talked to the guy behind the counter about how he used to live here and eat there all the time. The guy said that he had been working there for 20 years!
Again, we piled into the car, and drove to my dad's friend Chris, and his job. Chris works at a TV station, per se, and records shows onto tapes, broadcasts them, edits them for errors, etc. Immediately when we got there, I was fascinated by all of the equipment, and one of Chris' work friends gave me a tour of the building and all of the things that they do. Being the nerd that I am, I took pictures of the equipment with my camera. I was definitely sad to leave that place. Chris said that if my dad dropped me with him for the day he could put me to work there doing some fun stuff; I'd never been so excited to work in my life.
From there, we went to the famous mall, the Beverly Center. My dad worked in at least 5 stores in that mall, and he was shocked at how upscale and classy it was, which was the original view for the mall back when it was first built. When we went up the escalator, I swear I saw Kourtney Kardashian coming down the escalator. Not even lying. We didn't stay at the mall for more than 20 minutes, my dad just wanted to see all the old stores that he worked in, and show me too. We left, and went to blockbuster for a few minutes. I bought: Get Him To The Greek, Remember Me, and Whip It. Not really important, but hey, I have to include everything.
We rode down Sunset Blvd, and went to my wife Kat Von D's tattoo shop, High Voltage Tattoo. I walked in, and was mesmerized by all the artwork on the walls, and the boards designed by Bam Margera and Kat Von D. We went next door to her art gallery, and looked at all of her artwork. It was very dark, Gothic, graphic, and beautiful. I bought her book The Tattoo Chronicles and had to basically be pulled out of the gallery by my father.
We drove to Mulholland Dr., where they filmed one of my favorite movies, coincidentally named, Mulholland Dr. Go figure. Anyway, we drive through there, and stumble upon one of my dad's old homes, where he lived with Chris in North Hollywood. It's really interesting to see where my dad used to live, it kind of gives me a peek into the past.
It was getting a little late, so we decided to head home, and that's where part of today's round of, I Can't Believe My Dad Said...
My father and I were talking about how we should go to Pink's Hot Dogs. "No way, hot dogs are disgusting, and I don't even eat meat." He replies, "Oh please Joey, when we went to Pink's hot dogs, you shoved that sh!t down your throat faster than a squirrely fag in a bath house." Where he comes up with these things, I don't know. The rest of that night was pretty quiet. I watched Get Him To The Greek, and attempted sleep unsuccessfully at about midnight.
The next day, Sunday, was the ride home. Taking a whopping 9 hours due to traffic, we didn't get home until about 9:30. I finally made it up to bed at 10:15, but didn't fall asleep until after 12:30 AM for some reason. I think I'm developing insomnia, which would suck. Monday was a relatively uneventful day at school, and when I got home I got my haircut. My dad called me soon after to talk about my upcoming birthday party, and being the funny guy that he is, said, "Hey, I'll just show up like I did at your conception, no problem." Goodbye Dad.
I got to work on my Language Arts poster with Jia, and it turned out pretty well. That's all I've got to say today, and I can't believe this post took me almost 40 minutes. I'm a devoted writer. That's all for now, thanks for reading guys, I hope you made it all the way through this droll.
On a darker note, Leslie Nielsen, one of the founding fathers of my childhood, and one of the funniest men to ever live, tragically died on Sunday, due to complications of pneumonia. He will be forever missed by many. R.I.P. Leslie, you were a master of your craft, and a legend.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
No Idea..
Today is a day that I hate to start, and love when it's over. Road trip days. Driving from Phoenix to Long Beach in a stuffed car, no fun...usually. Sometimes, it makes for great writing, especially this trip. I haven't driven with my father to Long Beach in a long time, and today, he was taking me, and my sister Jia in his Nissan. The great thing about his Nissan is that it has a little breathalyzer machine in it. He's probably going to strangle me Homer Simpson style when he reads this, but no one is safe at this point.
We start the trip at about 9:45 AM, after a late night of watching Planet Terror about 8 hours prior hungry, tired, and already about to strangle one another. We got a quick bagel at our favorite bagel shop Mama Java's on Indian School and 36th St., and were on our way soon after. The first two hours of the trip were relatively painless, consisting of hip-hop, talking, and Jia being mostly quiet in the backseat. Maybe I could survive this after all. But once we crossed that California state border, it all went to Hell.
It all started when we ate at this pretty bad Mexican restaurant, called something like, Casitas Dos, or something to that...Caucasian effect. We walk inside, and instantly I'm reminded of the diner scene in Dumb and Dumber for some reason. We sit down, get cold chips with bad salsa, order our food, and wait 20 minutes. When it finally comes out, it's not as bad as I expected, but still nothing better than El Pollo Loco, or Jack In The Box. Maybe I'm being harsh. We leave, my stomach hurting already, and my dad gets into this joking mood that I'm nowhere near ready for. I try to get a little shut-eye since I'm completely exhausted, but between my dad and Jia continuously pulling my hair, slapping my face, poking my throat, and blindsiding me with Mike Tyson punches, sleep isn't an option at this point.
We start to play a little movie trivia. He beats me 21 to 15. I was so close. If only I had paid more attention to The Godfather, I might have had a fighting chance. We stop at a Burger King so I can release the Kraken, and we stumble upon an exhibit of like-like, robotic dinosaurs that are massive. I get my dad some coffee at the BK Lounge, and I see him and Jia looking at all the giant dinosaurs which somewhat dwarf the few buildings that are around it. The wind was blowing so hard I felt like I was going to see Dorothy and Toto at any minute, so we all piled back into the car and drove away.
Now, we also have Nacho, our little black Chihuahua with us in the car, and he's just looking around with curiousity at all the new things he's seeing. Out of complete boredom, I make up a new word for Cougar, or, women in there 40's who try to sleep with men in their 20's. I think it's a pretty funny name, and I think I should add it on Urban Dictionary. Dino-whores. Oh yes, that did in fact just happen.
Fast forward about 45 minutes, and my dad, out of the blue, says, "Wow Joey, your farts are nasty it's like you just got up and took a giant sh!t in my nostrils," which brings me to a new "segment" on my blog, called, Did My Dad Really Just Say...
I have to admit, I give a lot of credit to the book Sh!t My Dad Says, but it seems like the the father in that book, and my father are too alike for me not to have a little bit of fun with it myself. So, in the future, just look for little things like that, there's a lot, trust me.
We finally get to Anaheim, and we start walking around the GardenWalk, the place where my dad does his business (That sounds so gangsta). We walk around the upstairs mall, and I walk into the skate shop O'Neill. I see longboards there that are 20% off for Black Friday sales. I see an opportunity at a birthday gift and I pounce. Also, that same day, every purchase over $100 warrants a free Mp3 player apparently. So, I buy the board, and for $141 I get a new board, and a new Mp3 player. I'm pretty happy with myself.
Now, I'm just in the office, writing a post, even though I don't think I'm allowed to be using these computers. Oh well, what's done is done at this point.
Thanks for reading :)
We start the trip at about 9:45 AM, after a late night of watching Planet Terror about 8 hours prior hungry, tired, and already about to strangle one another. We got a quick bagel at our favorite bagel shop Mama Java's on Indian School and 36th St., and were on our way soon after. The first two hours of the trip were relatively painless, consisting of hip-hop, talking, and Jia being mostly quiet in the backseat. Maybe I could survive this after all. But once we crossed that California state border, it all went to Hell.
It all started when we ate at this pretty bad Mexican restaurant, called something like, Casitas Dos, or something to that...Caucasian effect. We walk inside, and instantly I'm reminded of the diner scene in Dumb and Dumber for some reason. We sit down, get cold chips with bad salsa, order our food, and wait 20 minutes. When it finally comes out, it's not as bad as I expected, but still nothing better than El Pollo Loco, or Jack In The Box. Maybe I'm being harsh. We leave, my stomach hurting already, and my dad gets into this joking mood that I'm nowhere near ready for. I try to get a little shut-eye since I'm completely exhausted, but between my dad and Jia continuously pulling my hair, slapping my face, poking my throat, and blindsiding me with Mike Tyson punches, sleep isn't an option at this point.
We start to play a little movie trivia. He beats me 21 to 15. I was so close. If only I had paid more attention to The Godfather, I might have had a fighting chance. We stop at a Burger King so I can release the Kraken, and we stumble upon an exhibit of like-like, robotic dinosaurs that are massive. I get my dad some coffee at the BK Lounge, and I see him and Jia looking at all the giant dinosaurs which somewhat dwarf the few buildings that are around it. The wind was blowing so hard I felt like I was going to see Dorothy and Toto at any minute, so we all piled back into the car and drove away.
Now, we also have Nacho, our little black Chihuahua with us in the car, and he's just looking around with curiousity at all the new things he's seeing. Out of complete boredom, I make up a new word for Cougar, or, women in there 40's who try to sleep with men in their 20's. I think it's a pretty funny name, and I think I should add it on Urban Dictionary. Dino-whores. Oh yes, that did in fact just happen.
Fast forward about 45 minutes, and my dad, out of the blue, says, "Wow Joey, your farts are nasty it's like you just got up and took a giant sh!t in my nostrils," which brings me to a new "segment" on my blog, called, Did My Dad Really Just Say...
I have to admit, I give a lot of credit to the book Sh!t My Dad Says, but it seems like the the father in that book, and my father are too alike for me not to have a little bit of fun with it myself. So, in the future, just look for little things like that, there's a lot, trust me.
We finally get to Anaheim, and we start walking around the GardenWalk, the place where my dad does his business (That sounds so gangsta). We walk around the upstairs mall, and I walk into the skate shop O'Neill. I see longboards there that are 20% off for Black Friday sales. I see an opportunity at a birthday gift and I pounce. Also, that same day, every purchase over $100 warrants a free Mp3 player apparently. So, I buy the board, and for $141 I get a new board, and a new Mp3 player. I'm pretty happy with myself.
Now, I'm just in the office, writing a post, even though I don't think I'm allowed to be using these computers. Oh well, what's done is done at this point.
Thanks for reading :)
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Oh, yeah I forgot...
Yesterday, November 24th was my birthday for those of you who didn't already know. 14 years ago on this day, I escaped my mother's birthing canal, and entered the planet Earth. Oh yes, dramatic I know, but how else can I describe what was the best day of my parents' life (Wink, wink, wink guys)? Waking up, I didn't really feel too different, but who does on their birthday right?
After what seemed like the longest half day of my life, Me, Simon, Piera, Meghan, and Melissa were picked up by my mom at the library so that we could go to this Mexican restaurant on Clarendon and 3rd Avenue called Gallo Blanco, one of my favorite restaurants in Phoenix. We all sit down and immediately start to make jokes. I can't even wait for the food to get there before I pounce on the bag that's got my name on it. I open it and find...nothing! Just kidding, it's a new digital camera! Whoo! Yes! We get our food, devour it, take a few embarrassing pictures (which will be on Facebook shortly), and went to the roof to look over the Phoenix skyline. As much unhappiness that Phoenix has caused me, there are few things more beautiful than a skyline.
After dropping Piera off at the Burton Barr Library so that she can get picked up, Melissa, Simon, Meghan, and I headed off to the movies and saw Paranormal Activity 2. I had high expectations for this film, and some of them were met, others weren't. Yes, it was scary, yes it was interesting, and yes it fit in perfectly with the first film and actually added to the story. But the first one had a driving force that some of the 2nd was missing. But whatever, we weren't paying too much attention to it anyway we were too busy talking, but did get the piss scared out of us, or at least me, a few times.
We left; it was freezing outside. We walked to the park, laid in the grass, and talked about random stuff. It was a fun birthday for me indeed. I got picked up in front of the Westward Ho, and we went home. I addressed the 69 facebook birthday wishes that I got, and went to sleep at around 12:30 AM after listening to both the new Kanye West and Lil Wayne albums. Good stuff.
The next day was yes, my least favorite holiday of the year, Thanksgiving. There's a very specific reason that I hate Thanksgiving, but also a specific reason why I love it as well. Thanksgiving is a time when we're supposed to give thanks for all that we have, and be with the ones that we love. I totally respect, and agree with that. What I don't agree with, is the somewhat obligatory feeling that you have to visit the family members that you absolutely loathe and hope to never see again. Oh yeah, there's always at least one. You know what I'm talking about guys, come on.
My dad picked me up with my sister, and we made our way to Melissa's brother's house. Usually, I just sit on the couch and wait to leave, and that's pretty much what I did tonight. It's OK though, I definitely feel a sense of accomplishment as far as my relationship with my father goes. These last few weeks I've felt like our relationship has been getting a little rocky, and we've been growing apart. We talked a lot tonight and I think we've...resolved some past issues. I debated on whether or not to include this in here, but I feel like the only way to engage the reader is to tell the truth, the truth, and nothing but the truth. You guys read, so you deserve to know how I actually feel, not some sexy, romanticized version of my life. That wouldn't be fair to me, or you for that matter.
I ate the food that I could, anything with meat and fish being out of the question obviously. I decided to text someone that my friend Alana Arcaro introduced me to, Taylor. Alana thought that we would get along really well, and I think she was right. Taylor's a really cool girl, and fun to talk to. So, thanks Alana, I owe you :) And, sorry Taylor if I made you feel totally uncomfortable by doing that.
At about 9:30, we left, but not before taking a few pictures of course. Getting home at around 10:00, I'm about to watch a movie with my dad and tomorrow we head to California. (Yaaaaayy) I really hope that I can get a little internet access there to write a blog post, but we'll see how it all goes down. That's all for now, thanks for reading!
After what seemed like the longest half day of my life, Me, Simon, Piera, Meghan, and Melissa were picked up by my mom at the library so that we could go to this Mexican restaurant on Clarendon and 3rd Avenue called Gallo Blanco, one of my favorite restaurants in Phoenix. We all sit down and immediately start to make jokes. I can't even wait for the food to get there before I pounce on the bag that's got my name on it. I open it and find...nothing! Just kidding, it's a new digital camera! Whoo! Yes! We get our food, devour it, take a few embarrassing pictures (which will be on Facebook shortly), and went to the roof to look over the Phoenix skyline. As much unhappiness that Phoenix has caused me, there are few things more beautiful than a skyline.
After dropping Piera off at the Burton Barr Library so that she can get picked up, Melissa, Simon, Meghan, and I headed off to the movies and saw Paranormal Activity 2. I had high expectations for this film, and some of them were met, others weren't. Yes, it was scary, yes it was interesting, and yes it fit in perfectly with the first film and actually added to the story. But the first one had a driving force that some of the 2nd was missing. But whatever, we weren't paying too much attention to it anyway we were too busy talking, but did get the piss scared out of us, or at least me, a few times.
We left; it was freezing outside. We walked to the park, laid in the grass, and talked about random stuff. It was a fun birthday for me indeed. I got picked up in front of the Westward Ho, and we went home. I addressed the 69 facebook birthday wishes that I got, and went to sleep at around 12:30 AM after listening to both the new Kanye West and Lil Wayne albums. Good stuff.
The next day was yes, my least favorite holiday of the year, Thanksgiving. There's a very specific reason that I hate Thanksgiving, but also a specific reason why I love it as well. Thanksgiving is a time when we're supposed to give thanks for all that we have, and be with the ones that we love. I totally respect, and agree with that. What I don't agree with, is the somewhat obligatory feeling that you have to visit the family members that you absolutely loathe and hope to never see again. Oh yeah, there's always at least one. You know what I'm talking about guys, come on.
My dad picked me up with my sister, and we made our way to Melissa's brother's house. Usually, I just sit on the couch and wait to leave, and that's pretty much what I did tonight. It's OK though, I definitely feel a sense of accomplishment as far as my relationship with my father goes. These last few weeks I've felt like our relationship has been getting a little rocky, and we've been growing apart. We talked a lot tonight and I think we've...resolved some past issues. I debated on whether or not to include this in here, but I feel like the only way to engage the reader is to tell the truth, the truth, and nothing but the truth. You guys read, so you deserve to know how I actually feel, not some sexy, romanticized version of my life. That wouldn't be fair to me, or you for that matter.
I ate the food that I could, anything with meat and fish being out of the question obviously. I decided to text someone that my friend Alana Arcaro introduced me to, Taylor. Alana thought that we would get along really well, and I think she was right. Taylor's a really cool girl, and fun to talk to. So, thanks Alana, I owe you :) And, sorry Taylor if I made you feel totally uncomfortable by doing that.
At about 9:30, we left, but not before taking a few pictures of course. Getting home at around 10:00, I'm about to watch a movie with my dad and tomorrow we head to California. (Yaaaaayy) I really hope that I can get a little internet access there to write a blog post, but we'll see how it all goes down. That's all for now, thanks for reading!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Carmen and Jay-Z?
Last night, as an early birthday present, my parents took me to the French opera, Carmen. It's one I've always wanted to see, and I was extremely excited to go. So, Saturday night, we make our way to Symphony Hall. I sit down, not really knowing what to expect. The show starts, and like all operas are, they immediately start singing. For those of you who don't know, an opera is basically a non-stop musical. No talking, just singing the entire time. This can be extremely boring to some people, like Simon who saw it a night before me, and told me how he "...fell asleep like 100 times."
I love opera though, thanks to my parents who introduced me to it at a young age. From the beginning I thought that the music and performances from the entire cast was beautiful. Sadly, tonight the 21st of November is the last day for everyone to see it, so I can't exactly recommend for you to go see it.
Afterward, we went to a really good diner in the middle of downtown Phoenix, and I heard a song that resembled the beat to the Rihanna hit, Umbrella. It got me thinking, and, ah yes, this was the original song that Jay-Z stole the beat from. Then, Umbrella was the next song! Everyone's heard of the popular beat stealers like Vanilla Ice and David Bowie, but there are other lesser known ones like Shut Up and Let Me Go By The Ting-Tings and Take Me Out By Franz Ferdinand. Moral of the story is, listen out for sampling from other bands. Every band has done it at least once, if not with every song, like the Black Eyed Peas.
On a less, enticing point, I have a few new pages for you to check out as well.
I started a blog fan page for all the people who read and enjoy my blog. It's very simple. Just press the like button if you have a facebook. That's all I'm asking. You can handle it. The link for that is right here:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Joeys-Blog-Page/113630322038018?v=wall
Also, I've been keeping up with my twitter page as much as I want to, so, there's a link for that as well. If you have a twitter, please follow me:
http://twitter.com/joey123mo
So yes, there's that. But please, do me, and yourself a favor. If you don't have a facebook, don't try and like the page, it's not going to work too well. Same goes for twitter. But other than that, check them both out.
Thanks! :)
I love opera though, thanks to my parents who introduced me to it at a young age. From the beginning I thought that the music and performances from the entire cast was beautiful. Sadly, tonight the 21st of November is the last day for everyone to see it, so I can't exactly recommend for you to go see it.
Afterward, we went to a really good diner in the middle of downtown Phoenix, and I heard a song that resembled the beat to the Rihanna hit, Umbrella. It got me thinking, and, ah yes, this was the original song that Jay-Z stole the beat from. Then, Umbrella was the next song! Everyone's heard of the popular beat stealers like Vanilla Ice and David Bowie, but there are other lesser known ones like Shut Up and Let Me Go By The Ting-Tings and Take Me Out By Franz Ferdinand. Moral of the story is, listen out for sampling from other bands. Every band has done it at least once, if not with every song, like the Black Eyed Peas.
On a less, enticing point, I have a few new pages for you to check out as well.
I started a blog fan page for all the people who read and enjoy my blog. It's very simple. Just press the like button if you have a facebook. That's all I'm asking. You can handle it. The link for that is right here:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Joeys-Blog-Page/113630322038018?v=wall
Also, I've been keeping up with my twitter page as much as I want to, so, there's a link for that as well. If you have a twitter, please follow me:
http://twitter.com/joey123mo
So yes, there's that. But please, do me, and yourself a favor. If you don't have a facebook, don't try and like the page, it's not going to work too well. Same goes for twitter. But other than that, check them both out.
Thanks! :)
Monday, November 15, 2010
Oh Harry, I'll Miss You So...
Just walking out of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I, I realized how much after I will miss Harry and his adventures after part II of the Deathly Hallows, and the final film in the series, ends. Harry Potter has defined a generation of readers and moviegoers, forever changing the way we looked at wizards and witches. Without Potter and his pals, where would the fantasy world be? Not as far as it's gone in the past 10 years that there have been Potter films. But they also introduced a great cast of young actors, and old favorites alike. Harry Potter brings everyone together (except the Christians of course), and makes us look at "wizardry" in a more realistic, humanizing way. They've given us characters we'll never forget, and true emotional attachment.
I will admit, that when Dobby died, I cried like a baby. Same goes for Hedwig, Harry's beloved owl. Both of those things represent a part of Harry's past, one that he cannot ever get back. A part of him was lost with the death of those two people, same goes for Mad Eye Moody. I won't spoil anything else for you, but still, go see it, you will not be disappointed.
Now, I've got my interview with director Justin Eugene Evans who made the fantastic, A Lonely Place For Dying. Read on!!
1. When did film making become a "career" for you? What age did you know that being a filmmaker would be your path?
In September of 2007 I turned to my wife and said "I've been saying it for years; I want to be a feature filmmaker. I'm ready to make a feature film and now is the time." I was still an art director for a small video game company at the time. It was a terrifying leap of faith; I was leaving a company with an astronomical paycheck, benefits and job security to pursue one of the most difficult career paths imaginable.
2. What other film makers inspired your work and why?
All the obvious choices apply; Spielberg, Scorsese, Tarantino, Cameron, Woo & The Coen Brothers. However, my greatest two influences are Aaron Sorkin and David Mamet. I love dialogue.
3. Of course I have to ask, what are some of your favorite films?
There are thirty films in my top ten. I can't list them all. Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid, The Sting, The Conversation, The Shawshank Redemption, The Thing, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Searching For Bobby Fischer, The Godfather, Patton, The Searchers, They Died With Their Boots On, GoodFellas, A Few Good Men...jeez, the list goes on and on.
4. Is there any film in particular that inspired you to become a filmmaker?
I saw the original Star Wars when I was four. I turned to my dad and said "That's what I want to do when I grow up!"
5. What are some odd jobs you had while in school, or before you were a director?
My parents owned a video store when I was a kid. I worked at their video store for a year. I also worked in the warehouse for our VHS cassette distributor, Ingram Distribution. I worked as an assistant manager & projectionist for Act III Theaters in Portland, Oregon. And, I worked as a production assistant in Los Angeles to help pay for film school.
After school my film career became sidelined and I focused on art direction, animation and video games.
6. Does your family support you 100%, or do they shy away from the fact that you're an entertainer?
My wife is my partner. I couldn't do this without her. My aunt is a huge supporter of my career. Most of my family has always felt that I should have become a lawyer or gotten my MBA. A Lonely Place For Dying has been featured in Variety, MovieMaker Magazine and on IFC...despite that most of my family still thinks this is a hobby.
7. When making A Lonely Place For Dying, what were your expectations on how it would turn out and how popular it would get?
I set out to make the best movie I could. I don't think about the rest because it's out of my control.
8. Is ALPFD the first script you ever wrote, or are there other things on your shelf?
It's my second feature length screenplay.
9. Was being a filmmaker everything you thought it would be? Was it easier? Was it harder?
Our industry suffered greatly from the Great Recession. I find the craft easier than I thought it would be but the state of our industry far worse. I'm also constantly surprised by the lack of structure to our industry. If I had to compare the film business to any other mainstream industry in America I'd conclude we don't have an industry, we have an incredibly expensive hobby. Your average film company is run with less business acumen than your typical cardboard box manufacturer.
10. How do you deal with criticism whether it be from critics or viewers?
So far we've received almost universal praise for A Lonely Place For Dying. I find the majority of critiques come from other filmmakers and their subconscious motivations are transparent to everyone but themselves...those types are easy to brush off. However, regardless of the source and regardless of what comment there is only one thing anyone can say: "Thank you for your feedback." That's it. There's no point in arguing with someone who dislikes some aspect of a story and there's no point in dismissing a fan's praise. No matter what they say my answer is always a very simple thank you.
11. What advice do you have for all aspiring filmmakers?
My advice would be tremendously controversial and require an entire book. I won't bore anyone with the typical bumper sticker advice.
However, here are a few quick ideas:
1.) Be willing to look in the mirror and see who you really are. If you can't do that you'll be doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.
2.) Ignore 99% of what "your fellow peers" say because they've never taken #1 to heart and they are an enormous Id with virtually no conscious decision-making. Move past dead weight as fast as you can; don't argue with them, don't debate with them, don't hang out with them. Don't let them make this a club. Focus on your work.
3.) Hold onto the few amazing people you meet with tremendous ferocity. You'll meet so few balanced, talented, honest people with deep integrity that you can't afford to lose even one of these people. They are your life raft.
4.) Don't listen to me because I'm hardly famous and I've made one feature film. In fact, why are you even reading this? Stop reading it right now and get back to work on your script!
12. Final question, what can we see in the future from Justin Eugene Evans?
Currently, I'm working top secret project with another filmmaker. Then, I'm going to write one of the 26 treatments I've completed. I'm leaning towards a sci-fi action film I've been developing...but I can't discuss the details yet.
There you have it, Justin Evans is one of the nicest, and most down to earth guys I've ever met, and a great filmmaker at that. Keep it up Justin!
As for the readers, that's all I've got for now. Stay off drugs!
I will admit, that when Dobby died, I cried like a baby. Same goes for Hedwig, Harry's beloved owl. Both of those things represent a part of Harry's past, one that he cannot ever get back. A part of him was lost with the death of those two people, same goes for Mad Eye Moody. I won't spoil anything else for you, but still, go see it, you will not be disappointed.
Now, I've got my interview with director Justin Eugene Evans who made the fantastic, A Lonely Place For Dying. Read on!!
1. When did film making become a "career" for you? What age did you know that being a filmmaker would be your path?
In September of 2007 I turned to my wife and said "I've been saying it for years; I want to be a feature filmmaker. I'm ready to make a feature film and now is the time." I was still an art director for a small video game company at the time. It was a terrifying leap of faith; I was leaving a company with an astronomical paycheck, benefits and job security to pursue one of the most difficult career paths imaginable.
2. What other film makers inspired your work and why?
All the obvious choices apply; Spielberg, Scorsese, Tarantino, Cameron, Woo & The Coen Brothers. However, my greatest two influences are Aaron Sorkin and David Mamet. I love dialogue.
3. Of course I have to ask, what are some of your favorite films?
There are thirty films in my top ten. I can't list them all. Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid, The Sting, The Conversation, The Shawshank Redemption, The Thing, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Searching For Bobby Fischer, The Godfather, Patton, The Searchers, They Died With Their Boots On, GoodFellas, A Few Good Men...jeez, the list goes on and on.
4. Is there any film in particular that inspired you to become a filmmaker?
I saw the original Star Wars when I was four. I turned to my dad and said "That's what I want to do when I grow up!"
5. What are some odd jobs you had while in school, or before you were a director?
My parents owned a video store when I was a kid. I worked at their video store for a year. I also worked in the warehouse for our VHS cassette distributor, Ingram Distribution. I worked as an assistant manager & projectionist for Act III Theaters in Portland, Oregon. And, I worked as a production assistant in Los Angeles to help pay for film school.
After school my film career became sidelined and I focused on art direction, animation and video games.
6. Does your family support you 100%, or do they shy away from the fact that you're an entertainer?
My wife is my partner. I couldn't do this without her. My aunt is a huge supporter of my career. Most of my family has always felt that I should have become a lawyer or gotten my MBA. A Lonely Place For Dying has been featured in Variety, MovieMaker Magazine and on IFC...despite that most of my family still thinks this is a hobby.
7. When making A Lonely Place For Dying, what were your expectations on how it would turn out and how popular it would get?
I set out to make the best movie I could. I don't think about the rest because it's out of my control.
8. Is ALPFD the first script you ever wrote, or are there other things on your shelf?
It's my second feature length screenplay.
9. Was being a filmmaker everything you thought it would be? Was it easier? Was it harder?
Our industry suffered greatly from the Great Recession. I find the craft easier than I thought it would be but the state of our industry far worse. I'm also constantly surprised by the lack of structure to our industry. If I had to compare the film business to any other mainstream industry in America I'd conclude we don't have an industry, we have an incredibly expensive hobby. Your average film company is run with less business acumen than your typical cardboard box manufacturer.
10. How do you deal with criticism whether it be from critics or viewers?
So far we've received almost universal praise for A Lonely Place For Dying. I find the majority of critiques come from other filmmakers and their subconscious motivations are transparent to everyone but themselves...those types are easy to brush off. However, regardless of the source and regardless of what comment there is only one thing anyone can say: "Thank you for your feedback." That's it. There's no point in arguing with someone who dislikes some aspect of a story and there's no point in dismissing a fan's praise. No matter what they say my answer is always a very simple thank you.
11. What advice do you have for all aspiring filmmakers?
My advice would be tremendously controversial and require an entire book. I won't bore anyone with the typical bumper sticker advice.
However, here are a few quick ideas:
1.) Be willing to look in the mirror and see who you really are. If you can't do that you'll be doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.
2.) Ignore 99% of what "your fellow peers" say because they've never taken #1 to heart and they are an enormous Id with virtually no conscious decision-making. Move past dead weight as fast as you can; don't argue with them, don't debate with them, don't hang out with them. Don't let them make this a club. Focus on your work.
3.) Hold onto the few amazing people you meet with tremendous ferocity. You'll meet so few balanced, talented, honest people with deep integrity that you can't afford to lose even one of these people. They are your life raft.
4.) Don't listen to me because I'm hardly famous and I've made one feature film. In fact, why are you even reading this? Stop reading it right now and get back to work on your script!
12. Final question, what can we see in the future from Justin Eugene Evans?
Currently, I'm working top secret project with another filmmaker. Then, I'm going to write one of the 26 treatments I've completed. I'm leaning towards a sci-fi action film I've been developing...but I can't discuss the details yet.
There you have it, Justin Evans is one of the nicest, and most down to earth guys I've ever met, and a great filmmaker at that. Keep it up Justin!
As for the readers, that's all I've got for now. Stay off drugs!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
If Found: Do Not Return
This morning, I woke up, got off the couch, and went to get a little water. When I returned to my bed that is the couch, my mom was there, looking at my hair. She started to run her hand through it and said to me, "Joey, you need a haircut...bad." I denied it, saying it wasn't even that long yet, and I still had about a week before it was overdue. Her response was something that only my mother could think of, and it'll probably stay with me for the rest of my life. "Joey, you need a haircut, your hair looks like you've got a head full of pubes." She walked away, and I just stood there, waking up.
Today, I'm here to talk about the new film from local Phoenix filmmaker, Nikki Wedemeyer, called If Found: Do Not Return. It follows three teenage runaways, Kemper, Elizabeth, and Lindsay. They are serial killers, and Lindsay documents all the footage on her camera in an attempt to produce a snuff film out of it. Writer/Director Nikki Wedemeyer asked me to help her out here on my blog. She's having a little trouble with some of the casting, so she's having an open casting call to anyone interested in a role. Trust me, I helped co-write some of the script, and I can vouch for Nikki when I say, this is a good movie. It's got a lot to say, and I know that Nikki's got a plan in that messed up little head of hers.
Now, those who are interested may be asking yourselves, how do I get into contact with Nikki if I don't know her. Well, funny that you say that, because I posted a link...right here.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/youknowyouwantthisurl
You can add or message Nikki about the part. She's very nice don't even worry, most of the time at least. Don't piss her off or she'll slit your throat with her fingernails. Kidding, she's super cool and totally understanding. Even if you have no acting experience and want to try it out, send her a message.
Ok, second part of today's advertising. My friend Simon and I have a band, called Half Nelson (we're under Gorki Park on Facebook, but that doesn't matter). We are in dire need of a singer, so we can get into a studio by around January.
Current members of the band are:
Joey Rodriguez (Me) Rhythm/Lead Guitar-http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/joey123mo
Simon Gutkin: Bass-http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/simon.gutkin
Lizz Marshall: Rhythm/Lead Guitar-http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=1580813241
Madison Ward: Drums-http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=100000196802540
For questions about the position of lead singer, you should probably contact either me first and if you can't seem to get in touch with me for some strange reason, then Lizz and Simon are the next best choices.
I think I'm all sponsored out today. Oh, one more thing. For, some reason, I decided to start my twitter page back up, I guess to promote the band and the blog. If you want to check it out, there's a link for that too right here. http://twitter.com/joey123mo
I'm also planning on getting my YouTube channel back up very soon, so look out for that too.
Thanks for reading :)
Today, I'm here to talk about the new film from local Phoenix filmmaker, Nikki Wedemeyer, called If Found: Do Not Return. It follows three teenage runaways, Kemper, Elizabeth, and Lindsay. They are serial killers, and Lindsay documents all the footage on her camera in an attempt to produce a snuff film out of it. Writer/Director Nikki Wedemeyer asked me to help her out here on my blog. She's having a little trouble with some of the casting, so she's having an open casting call to anyone interested in a role. Trust me, I helped co-write some of the script, and I can vouch for Nikki when I say, this is a good movie. It's got a lot to say, and I know that Nikki's got a plan in that messed up little head of hers.
Now, those who are interested may be asking yourselves, how do I get into contact with Nikki if I don't know her. Well, funny that you say that, because I posted a link...right here.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/youknowyouwantthisurl
You can add or message Nikki about the part. She's very nice don't even worry, most of the time at least. Don't piss her off or she'll slit your throat with her fingernails. Kidding, she's super cool and totally understanding. Even if you have no acting experience and want to try it out, send her a message.
Ok, second part of today's advertising. My friend Simon and I have a band, called Half Nelson (we're under Gorki Park on Facebook, but that doesn't matter). We are in dire need of a singer, so we can get into a studio by around January.
Current members of the band are:
Joey Rodriguez (Me) Rhythm/Lead Guitar-http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/joey123mo
Simon Gutkin: Bass-http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/simon.gutkin
Lizz Marshall: Rhythm/Lead Guitar-http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=1580813241
Madison Ward: Drums-http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=100000196802540
For questions about the position of lead singer, you should probably contact either me first and if you can't seem to get in touch with me for some strange reason, then Lizz and Simon are the next best choices.
I think I'm all sponsored out today. Oh, one more thing. For, some reason, I decided to start my twitter page back up, I guess to promote the band and the blog. If you want to check it out, there's a link for that too right here. http://twitter.com/joey123mo
I'm also planning on getting my YouTube channel back up very soon, so look out for that too.
Thanks for reading :)
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Pinkerton
Shopping with my stepfather Tom, is like participating in an extreme sport. He constantly says, "Go", and "Move it", knowing that it makes me very angry. That's just one of the things that Tom does to make me angry, but it's all in good fun. I think I can make this whole post just about our experience at Fry's, but I have some other stuff in mind too.
We walk in to Fry's, and it's one of the new ones, the improved ones. I swear we were in a shopping mall. This place had everything. This may be the first time I was literally excited by walking into a grocery store. Automatically, Tom scopes out every sample that he can find, and says, "Here try this." When we come to the pastry section, we pick out these powdered things that I have no idea what they're called. Knowing me, I take a bite, and all the powder falls over my shirt and hands. Thankfully I can wipe the powder off my shirt, but my hands are still powdered. I walk up to Tom, and I say, "Dude, people are gonna think I have a cocaine problem." All he says back is, "You got a little white stuff on your nose you should wipe that off." Yes, I live with a 13-year-old grown man.
Finally, we get to the check-out counter where Tom proceeds to mortify the poor bag girl by having a schizophrenic fit about what kind of bags he wants; paper, or plastic. Finally, out of necessity, he says plastic and tells her to pack them with a lot of stuff. Not daring to say no, the girl goes to work, and I just feel terrible for her.
Getting out of there as fast as we can, we pack our bags into the pimpin' mini van that belongs to Tom's boss, and get the hell out of there.
Moral of the story is, don't scare people with excessive anything..
Onto the next topic of the day. A good friend of mine, Aubreya Barnwell, I already introduced her in a previous post, is a volunteer at a local Phoenix hospice. I've always been interested in knowing what goes on in a hospice, so I decided to interview her with a couple quick questions.
1. What hospice do you volunteer at?
Hospice of the Valley at the location of Ryan House.
2. How long have you been volunteering there?
I've been volunteering at HOV for about a week or so. Not too long.
3. What kind of work do you do?
The kind of work I do is anything I'm allowed to do basically. I do whatever the CNA's or nurses ask me to help with. Talk with patients, give them food and things like that.
4. How did you get involved with working at the hospice?
I got involved with HOV a while back. When I found out about it, I was at Vans Warped Tour at their booth. I decided to apply online and I had an interview, that's how it all started.
5. What's it like knowing that you help make a difference to people who don't have much time left?
It changes you knowing that you get to be around someone in their last moments of life. Just knowing they most likely had a fulfilling life. I also work in a nursery so I feel good knowing to be at the beginning and end of peoples' life.
6. Have you ever volunteered anywhere else besides the hospice?
Yes, I've volunteered at schools before. Helping out in classes and things like that. Mainly in like kindergarten to about fifth grade.
7. What kind of people do you meet while working there?
I meet all different types of people while I'm volunteering. Very interesting and pretty sweet people actually. I meet people who have had interesting lives and some who haven't. Just a variety of people.
8. What information can you give for other kids who want to volunteer there?
Some information or advice I can share would be this, if you're thinking about volunteering with HOV, do it! It's a great opportunity and you'll love it. It's a very interesting field to get involved with and you'll become a very warm hearted person and you'll have compassion for everyone.
So there you have it, volunteering does make a difference. I volunteer at a place that's kind of like a Feed The Homeless, and it's a very fun and fulfilling experience. You can also meet other kids there too, and make new friends. Everyone should get out there and volunteer at least once. Thanks to Aubreya for doing this interview.
Before I go, I want to talk about a documentary that I watched last night called Winnebago Man. It's basically about a man who tried to make an advertisement for Winnebago in Iowa in 1988. The weather and humidity were both very high, and this guy just wouldn't stop cursing, and getting frustrated at the shoot. The video got very popular and found its way to YouTube in 2005. But the video's star, Jack Rebney, was nowhere to be found when it came time to try to find him. That's when Ben Steinbauer went looking for him, the Winnebago Man.
Winnebago Man is a hilarious and heartbreaking story of a foul-mouthed man, who's got more heart and passion than anyone you know. It's definitely a film everyone should see.
That's all for now hooligans :)
We walk in to Fry's, and it's one of the new ones, the improved ones. I swear we were in a shopping mall. This place had everything. This may be the first time I was literally excited by walking into a grocery store. Automatically, Tom scopes out every sample that he can find, and says, "Here try this." When we come to the pastry section, we pick out these powdered things that I have no idea what they're called. Knowing me, I take a bite, and all the powder falls over my shirt and hands. Thankfully I can wipe the powder off my shirt, but my hands are still powdered. I walk up to Tom, and I say, "Dude, people are gonna think I have a cocaine problem." All he says back is, "You got a little white stuff on your nose you should wipe that off." Yes, I live with a 13-year-old grown man.
Finally, we get to the check-out counter where Tom proceeds to mortify the poor bag girl by having a schizophrenic fit about what kind of bags he wants; paper, or plastic. Finally, out of necessity, he says plastic and tells her to pack them with a lot of stuff. Not daring to say no, the girl goes to work, and I just feel terrible for her.
Getting out of there as fast as we can, we pack our bags into the pimpin' mini van that belongs to Tom's boss, and get the hell out of there.
Moral of the story is, don't scare people with excessive anything..
Onto the next topic of the day. A good friend of mine, Aubreya Barnwell, I already introduced her in a previous post, is a volunteer at a local Phoenix hospice. I've always been interested in knowing what goes on in a hospice, so I decided to interview her with a couple quick questions.
1. What hospice do you volunteer at?
Hospice of the Valley at the location of Ryan House.
2. How long have you been volunteering there?
I've been volunteering at HOV for about a week or so. Not too long.
3. What kind of work do you do?
The kind of work I do is anything I'm allowed to do basically. I do whatever the CNA's or nurses ask me to help with. Talk with patients, give them food and things like that.
4. How did you get involved with working at the hospice?
I got involved with HOV a while back. When I found out about it, I was at Vans Warped Tour at their booth. I decided to apply online and I had an interview, that's how it all started.
5. What's it like knowing that you help make a difference to people who don't have much time left?
It changes you knowing that you get to be around someone in their last moments of life. Just knowing they most likely had a fulfilling life. I also work in a nursery so I feel good knowing to be at the beginning and end of peoples' life.
6. Have you ever volunteered anywhere else besides the hospice?
Yes, I've volunteered at schools before. Helping out in classes and things like that. Mainly in like kindergarten to about fifth grade.
7. What kind of people do you meet while working there?
I meet all different types of people while I'm volunteering. Very interesting and pretty sweet people actually. I meet people who have had interesting lives and some who haven't. Just a variety of people.
8. What information can you give for other kids who want to volunteer there?
Some information or advice I can share would be this, if you're thinking about volunteering with HOV, do it! It's a great opportunity and you'll love it. It's a very interesting field to get involved with and you'll become a very warm hearted person and you'll have compassion for everyone.
So there you have it, volunteering does make a difference. I volunteer at a place that's kind of like a Feed The Homeless, and it's a very fun and fulfilling experience. You can also meet other kids there too, and make new friends. Everyone should get out there and volunteer at least once. Thanks to Aubreya for doing this interview.
Before I go, I want to talk about a documentary that I watched last night called Winnebago Man. It's basically about a man who tried to make an advertisement for Winnebago in Iowa in 1988. The weather and humidity were both very high, and this guy just wouldn't stop cursing, and getting frustrated at the shoot. The video got very popular and found its way to YouTube in 2005. But the video's star, Jack Rebney, was nowhere to be found when it came time to try to find him. That's when Ben Steinbauer went looking for him, the Winnebago Man.
Winnebago Man is a hilarious and heartbreaking story of a foul-mouthed man, who's got more heart and passion than anyone you know. It's definitely a film everyone should see.
That's all for now hooligans :)
Thursday, November 11, 2010
In Death There Is Life, In Darkness There Is Light
I want to start off today's post on somewhat of a darker note, only because it's something very near and dear to my heart. Last night, I found out that a dear friend of mine and my family, Peter Rubin, had committed suicide by hanging in New Jersey. When I found this out, I couldn't believe it, and tried to convince myself that this was all a bad dream. Hearing this, was something I thought I'd never have to hear in my life, and it really hit home. I always considered Peter a man that other men would aspire to be. He traveled the world, and saw many places that most people never have the chance to. He had more friends that any person had a right to, but of course, some souls are troubled. We all have a path that we choose, and this was his, and while I don't agree with it, I respect it. I can't pass judgment on matters that I had no experience with.
I would have to say my only regret about this whole tragedy is not talking to him sooner. Peter and I talked on Facebook every once in a while, and last week I was supposed to talk to him, and see how he was doing. I forgot to do so, and was making it a priority to do it this week. It's only now that I realize how imperative it was that I talk to him sooner.
I met Peter for the first time about 5 years ago. He seemed like a perfectly happy, polite, and fun person to be around when I was there. We hiked camelback mountain, let me rephrase, he dragged me up camelback mountain, and all seemed to be well. I was just beginning to really immerse myself into my music, and I wish that he could see my progress now as a musician, and as a human being.
R.I.P Peter Rubin, you will be sorely missed my friend. You were a one-of-a-kind.
Now, let me attempt to shed some light onto this post.
Today was one of those days when, you have no one to hang out with, and no one is allowed to hang out, but usually, when I'm busy, a lot of people want to hang out. Irony? I think so. My mom's office is almost exactly like the Office Space office, except with more interesting, and intentionally funny people working there. But when it got to be somewhat unbearably boring (no offense to anyone at the AMA of course) two of my friends, Lucille Berk, and Amanda J'Nae Smith surfaced from what seemed to be teenage Hell to go see a movie with me. Buying tickets for Morning Glory, instead we saw Due Date, the hilarious new dark dramedy from Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianiakis. Directed by Todd Phillips (The Hangover, Road Trip, Old School), Due Date is definitely an underrated dark comedy with more heart, and more sick gags than I expected. Go see it. It's not too vulgar, and has enough humor to please all ages.
But, I must add, that one of the trailers, the last one to be exact, was for the new Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen) film, called Sucker Punch. I don't think I've ever seen a trailer that has made me want to see a film more than this one has. Watch the trailer, you'll see.
I think that's all I can say today without getting superfluous.
I would have to say my only regret about this whole tragedy is not talking to him sooner. Peter and I talked on Facebook every once in a while, and last week I was supposed to talk to him, and see how he was doing. I forgot to do so, and was making it a priority to do it this week. It's only now that I realize how imperative it was that I talk to him sooner.
I met Peter for the first time about 5 years ago. He seemed like a perfectly happy, polite, and fun person to be around when I was there. We hiked camelback mountain, let me rephrase, he dragged me up camelback mountain, and all seemed to be well. I was just beginning to really immerse myself into my music, and I wish that he could see my progress now as a musician, and as a human being.
R.I.P Peter Rubin, you will be sorely missed my friend. You were a one-of-a-kind.
Now, let me attempt to shed some light onto this post.
Today was one of those days when, you have no one to hang out with, and no one is allowed to hang out, but usually, when I'm busy, a lot of people want to hang out. Irony? I think so. My mom's office is almost exactly like the Office Space office, except with more interesting, and intentionally funny people working there. But when it got to be somewhat unbearably boring (no offense to anyone at the AMA of course) two of my friends, Lucille Berk, and Amanda J'Nae Smith surfaced from what seemed to be teenage Hell to go see a movie with me. Buying tickets for Morning Glory, instead we saw Due Date, the hilarious new dark dramedy from Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianiakis. Directed by Todd Phillips (The Hangover, Road Trip, Old School), Due Date is definitely an underrated dark comedy with more heart, and more sick gags than I expected. Go see it. It's not too vulgar, and has enough humor to please all ages.
But, I must add, that one of the trailers, the last one to be exact, was for the new Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen) film, called Sucker Punch. I don't think I've ever seen a trailer that has made me want to see a film more than this one has. Watch the trailer, you'll see.
I think that's all I can say today without getting superfluous.
“One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure its worth watching.”
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Breaking and Entering Into Abandoned Houses..Fun Stuff
Sitting here next to me, is Nikki Wedemeyer, the craziest bastard on planet Earth, that isn't Charles Manson. But, anyway, in preperation for our film, we had to break into a broken down abandoned house, that had only half of a roof, and no back half. After spending about 30 minutes configuring a way to climb over the barbed wire fence without slicing off our genitals, we finally came to the conclusion that there was a lower and easier wall about 100 feet away. Yeah, we're geniuses...
Anyway, we finally make it over the wall, almost breaking our ankles jumping off. Lizz, being the last one, pulled the trash can over, and made us a speedy escape in case we heard sirens, or crackheads with knives. So, we walk up to the abandoned house that we'd been admiring for weeks, and finally stepped up onto the front porch, but of course, as all horror films go, we were too scared to actually go in the house. Well, we weren't, but Lizz was. Conveniently enough, she had to go home right when she got the balls to go inside. We made our trek back to the library, running past all the homeless people at the park who were snickering at us.
Nikki and I went upstairs after Lizz went home, and automatically got onto the library computer to write about this adventure. Kidding, but now Quetzalli and Hannah, two of the coolest people in Cool Town, are sitting here with me, breathing down my neck as I write this thing. Whoop, here comes Michelle, walking over, sniffling. We thought she got beat up, but no, she just has a cold. What a faker...
Oh, by the way, I owe Hannah like 5 dollars, so if anyone wants to spot me, that'd be awesome.
"A lot of pop music is about stealing pocket money from children."-Ian Anderson
Anyway, we finally make it over the wall, almost breaking our ankles jumping off. Lizz, being the last one, pulled the trash can over, and made us a speedy escape in case we heard sirens, or crackheads with knives. So, we walk up to the abandoned house that we'd been admiring for weeks, and finally stepped up onto the front porch, but of course, as all horror films go, we were too scared to actually go in the house. Well, we weren't, but Lizz was. Conveniently enough, she had to go home right when she got the balls to go inside. We made our trek back to the library, running past all the homeless people at the park who were snickering at us.
Nikki and I went upstairs after Lizz went home, and automatically got onto the library computer to write about this adventure. Kidding, but now Quetzalli and Hannah, two of the coolest people in Cool Town, are sitting here with me, breathing down my neck as I write this thing. Whoop, here comes Michelle, walking over, sniffling. We thought she got beat up, but no, she just has a cold. What a faker...
Oh, by the way, I owe Hannah like 5 dollars, so if anyone wants to spot me, that'd be awesome.
"A lot of pop music is about stealing pocket money from children."-Ian Anderson
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
The Hilarity of Social Networking
Almost everyone that I know has either a facebook, myspace, twitter, or some other form social networking account. I have an account on all three, but I really only use one, and that is facebook. Facebook is something that somewhat controls my social life, and I always hate it when I get trolls on my wall. Trolls, for the technically retarded, are people that post mean things about you just for the hell of it. I came into contact with a troll that hasn't been bugging me recently, by the name of Nathan Paulson. If you ever go to his Facebook page, (it's in my friends list), then just post something mean on his wall, I don't care. Anyway, I posted a status, supposed to be comedic, about how I dislike people constantly posting quotes and song lyrics as their statuses for no apparent reason. Sure enough, Nathan comments two things right away. "Fag" and, "Who would take advise form you?" The child can't spell for his own life. Me, not worrying too much about it, just posted a comment in return that probably flew over his reading level of Grade 4. I mean, he got held back in the 8th grade, the boy isn't exactly what we'd call intelligent.
Was ensued was a 112 comment post, with a lot of my other friends popping in, defending me, and trying to explain to Nathan how stupid he is. Then, inevitably, in his desperation, he turned to physical threats, which, by his physical state of short, white, and weak, he could never fulfill. Not at all phased by his threats or stupidity, I replied calmly (most of the time), and just tried to get him to go away, but he persisted.
The post itself became somewhat of a Facebook sensation for about 24 hours, with people I didn't even know too well messaging me telling me that my comebacks were genius, and other things like that. I must admit that it did feel pretty good to have a little bit of an upper hand, even if it was only on the internet.
But this brings me to today's topic, which is, yes, Cyberbullying. As most of us heard, a gay teenager by the name of Tyler Clementi committed suicide because two fellow-classmates posted a video of him having sex with another male student. Thankfully that's never happened to anyone that I know, but it could happen any time. I'm not as sensitive as some of the facebook users, and I can handle criticism from people, especially when said people are stupid, but not everyone is like that. People need to understand that words hurt, and what's put on the internet, in the words of Mark Zuckerberg himself, or something close to what he says, "What's said on the internet isn't in pencil, it's in pen." No truer words have been spoken. Once it's out there, it's extremely hard to take back. Everyone who uses the internet needs to know that people's feelings get hurt very easily, and we should all be careful of what we say.
With that being said, as far as my debacle with Nathan Paulson goes, a lot of people jumped in to put in there 2 cents, and I hope, for Nathan's sake, that he stops bothering people as often as he does. I try my hardest never to insult anyone personally on the internet, but his insults were more annoying than hurtful, and I think he needs to be taught a lesson on common courtesy and respect, because anyone who reads that post, will know it's obvious that he has none.
In the words of Mark Twain, "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."
On a lighter note, I just recently finished reading a book called Sh*t My Dad Says. Written by Justin Halpern, it's a memoir of times that he spent with his father, and the wise, but ultimately crude words of wisdom that he passed on to his son. This book, is seriously, one of the funniest books I've ever read, and I found myself laughing out loud almost constantly. Definitely needs to be read by anyone who has, or has had a father (wink, wink).
In school, we also finished The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. Many of the kids in my class, as far as I know, didn't enjoy the book at all, but I really liked it a lot, and thought it was hilarious. Twain has an ear for dialogue that no other writer could ever match.
Finally, I read the graphic novel, Kick-Ass by Mark Millar. Yes, this is the same Kick-Ass that was made into the movie. Surprisingly enough, I didn't really like the comic as much as I enjoyed the film for some reason. I mean, I did like it, but I didn't think it was fantastic, like the film.
That's all I have for now you savages.
Was ensued was a 112 comment post, with a lot of my other friends popping in, defending me, and trying to explain to Nathan how stupid he is. Then, inevitably, in his desperation, he turned to physical threats, which, by his physical state of short, white, and weak, he could never fulfill. Not at all phased by his threats or stupidity, I replied calmly (most of the time), and just tried to get him to go away, but he persisted.
The post itself became somewhat of a Facebook sensation for about 24 hours, with people I didn't even know too well messaging me telling me that my comebacks were genius, and other things like that. I must admit that it did feel pretty good to have a little bit of an upper hand, even if it was only on the internet.
But this brings me to today's topic, which is, yes, Cyberbullying. As most of us heard, a gay teenager by the name of Tyler Clementi committed suicide because two fellow-classmates posted a video of him having sex with another male student. Thankfully that's never happened to anyone that I know, but it could happen any time. I'm not as sensitive as some of the facebook users, and I can handle criticism from people, especially when said people are stupid, but not everyone is like that. People need to understand that words hurt, and what's put on the internet, in the words of Mark Zuckerberg himself, or something close to what he says, "What's said on the internet isn't in pencil, it's in pen." No truer words have been spoken. Once it's out there, it's extremely hard to take back. Everyone who uses the internet needs to know that people's feelings get hurt very easily, and we should all be careful of what we say.
With that being said, as far as my debacle with Nathan Paulson goes, a lot of people jumped in to put in there 2 cents, and I hope, for Nathan's sake, that he stops bothering people as often as he does. I try my hardest never to insult anyone personally on the internet, but his insults were more annoying than hurtful, and I think he needs to be taught a lesson on common courtesy and respect, because anyone who reads that post, will know it's obvious that he has none.
In the words of Mark Twain, "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."
On a lighter note, I just recently finished reading a book called Sh*t My Dad Says. Written by Justin Halpern, it's a memoir of times that he spent with his father, and the wise, but ultimately crude words of wisdom that he passed on to his son. This book, is seriously, one of the funniest books I've ever read, and I found myself laughing out loud almost constantly. Definitely needs to be read by anyone who has, or has had a father (wink, wink).
In school, we also finished The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. Many of the kids in my class, as far as I know, didn't enjoy the book at all, but I really liked it a lot, and thought it was hilarious. Twain has an ear for dialogue that no other writer could ever match.
Finally, I read the graphic novel, Kick-Ass by Mark Millar. Yes, this is the same Kick-Ass that was made into the movie. Surprisingly enough, I didn't really like the comic as much as I enjoyed the film for some reason. I mean, I did like it, but I didn't think it was fantastic, like the film.
That's all I have for now you savages.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Nothing To Say, So Much Time..
It's a rare thing when I post 2 blog posts with less than a day in between, but hey, there's a first time for everything. Usually I have a topic, or a story to tell, but today is just one of those days where I have neither prepared, so I think I'm just going to say things, without a purpose. Maybe try and be funny, we'll see what happens.
I have a friend named Nikki Wedemeyer, one of the sickest kids I've ever met in my life. Me, Her, and our friend Lizz are making a film, and she wanted us to get more in touch with our characters. Since the film is still in pre-production, I can't really talk about it, blah, blah. Anyway, she directs us to a website called Encyclopedia Dramatica Offended. Knowing Nikki, it will be nothing short of...disturbing. I start to scroll down, looking at all the pictures, not too scared yet, but that was the first 3, maybe 2 pictures. I continued to scroll down, the pictures getting more and more interesting, and more and more mortifying. The challenge is to make it all the way down without dying of shock, but my frail heart could only make it about halfway, maybe less, I didn't stop to measure. The next day, I walked up to Nikki with a greeting of, "You sick bastard." She just smiled a sinister smile.
My next story is about a good friend of mine, Aubreya Barnwell, the whitest black girl I know, besides Ekeme Ekanem of course. Aubreya's personality is like a mix of Sarah Silverman, and Loni Love. She swears to me that she's ghetto, but any black girl that says ghetto, isn't so. Anyway, the reason I'm even bringing up Aubreya is because she basically forced me to, kidding, but she'll probably be a prominent character in at least one of my adventures, might as well get her introduction out of the way now. That's right. I'm thinking ahead.
My closing paragraph tonight is something I've never done before, and might never do again. I'm going to pretty much blow your mind. In a mere 5 sentences, I'm going to completely waste your time, and not have you even realize it. It'll be like a flash, because it's going to have gone by so fast. Ok, are you ready?
I have a friend named Nikki Wedemeyer, one of the sickest kids I've ever met in my life. Me, Her, and our friend Lizz are making a film, and she wanted us to get more in touch with our characters. Since the film is still in pre-production, I can't really talk about it, blah, blah. Anyway, she directs us to a website called Encyclopedia Dramatica Offended. Knowing Nikki, it will be nothing short of...disturbing. I start to scroll down, looking at all the pictures, not too scared yet, but that was the first 3, maybe 2 pictures. I continued to scroll down, the pictures getting more and more interesting, and more and more mortifying. The challenge is to make it all the way down without dying of shock, but my frail heart could only make it about halfway, maybe less, I didn't stop to measure. The next day, I walked up to Nikki with a greeting of, "You sick bastard." She just smiled a sinister smile.
My next story is about a good friend of mine, Aubreya Barnwell, the whitest black girl I know, besides Ekeme Ekanem of course. Aubreya's personality is like a mix of Sarah Silverman, and Loni Love. She swears to me that she's ghetto, but any black girl that says ghetto, isn't so. Anyway, the reason I'm even bringing up Aubreya is because she basically forced me to, kidding, but she'll probably be a prominent character in at least one of my adventures, might as well get her introduction out of the way now. That's right. I'm thinking ahead.
My closing paragraph tonight is something I've never done before, and might never do again. I'm going to pretty much blow your mind. In a mere 5 sentences, I'm going to completely waste your time, and not have you even realize it. It'll be like a flash, because it's going to have gone by so fast. Ok, are you ready?
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Coffee, with a New York Accent
It's been a week since I posted on here, and it sucks not being able to more often, but you know, I do have a life to live every once in a while. Sorry for not being at your disposal whenever you need some entertainment. Let me just get to what I did this weekend.
Thursday after school, I went to a dance at my old school, ACAA called the White-Out Dance. It was supposed to be a rave-type dance with glowsticks and everything like that. The only reason I went was because I missed all of my old friends, and it's pretty much the only legal way I can see them all at school (kidding). Anyway, I get there, and I get like a thousand hugs at the same time, a warm reminder that I am in fact, home. The dance started, and as usual, I was a little shy to get on the dance floor, but by 9:00, those inhibitions were pretty much gone.
For most of the first hour I just walked around, talking to old friends and my former Social Studies teacher Ms. Schaiberger, the coolest teacher under the sun. I was a little disappointed that Mr. Sharp wasn't there though, I was looking forward to seeing him.
By 10:00, I was really sad to leave, knowing that I wouldn't be back for a while.
Friday was costume day at my school, ASA, and I didn't even dress up. School spirit! One of my friends Chloe gave me a wig to wear, and instantly, I was Joan Jett. See how magical I am?
After school, I went to the bowling social, getting a ride with Alana, Simon's sister, and Simon's dad. Simon had a guitar lesson, so he couldn't go. The social was a lot of fun, and I proved how terrible at bowling one person can possibly be. I completely lost all hope in myself and switched to the thing I do best, play pool. I played with Emma West, and felt so bad for her towards the end that I just let her win. We gathered a crowd, and suddenly everyone wanted to play me, but that's when the pizza came, so that all fell through.
Alana and I got picked up at 6, and went to Simon's temple. Simon's family is Jewish, and they had just switched temples, so he had to go, and I tagged along. At first, I was extremely scared to even walk in there, but 10 minutes in, I actually realized how fun it was. Simon and I ditched though about 20 minutes early. We went out to the playground and talked with his sister, waiting for his parents to get out.
Simon's dad gave us a ride to where my mom was going to pick us up, Blockbuster on Shea and Tatum.
We bought a couple movies (Greenberg and Limits Of Control), drove home, watched them both, and I bought the new Rumspringa album on iTunes (WHOO).
The next morning was haunted house day. Me, Simon, and some other people that I didn't know were going to be working a haunted house, scaring kids. The first 20-25 minutes I was nervous on how much I should scare the kids, but soon after, those thoughts were gone, and I was literally scaring the piss out of everyone. There was this one little girl in particular that I scared so badly, I almost felt bad. She started to cry hysterically, and practically jumped into her parents arms. I couldn't help but laugh a little.
My mom picked us up, and dropped Simon home. We went home and got ready for that night. We went to a Venice Baroque Orchestra performance, performing The Four Seasons and Philip Glass' American Four Seasons. Being a huge Philip G. fan, I was extremely excited, but when I got there, I was disappointed by the fact that he wasn't actually there, as my parents had let on. Regardless of his presence or not, the performance was beautiful, and I was blown away by the talent of the orchestra.
Sunday, was, oh yes...I'll say it, Halloween! Frantically driving around Phoenix to get the perfect costume, I stumbled upon it in Goodwill, for 24 dollars. It was THE suit. So, we bought it, rushed home, got ready, and drove to Madison's/Willa's party. I got there, completely overdressed, but still excited. Simon got there about 5 minutes after us, and altogether, it was Simon, Me, Lizz, Hannah, Willa, Madison, Candace, Tammy, and some other kids that I'm forgetting now. Willa's house is also beautiful, and her parents were really nice to all of us. We left at about 7:45 to go Trick'R'Treating, and for the whole time, Hannah was constantly complaining about something or another; we still love her though. Out of boredom, Simon started beatboxing and I did freestyle raps to pass the time, and they were actually funny.
There were these Mexican kids bothering us, so Simon and I yelled at them to shut up, and they started chasing after us. We ran away pretty quickly after that.
Getting back at 8:45 so I can get picked up, Halloween was a fun night. The rest of the week wouldn't go so well.
Due to Parent/Teacher conferences, this guy right here is grounded a mere 3 weeks before his birthday....how rude. Kidding, I probably deserved it. But until further notice, I'm grounded, and it sucks.
Okay, so now this extremely long blog post is over, and you are now caught up, congratulations.
A shout-out to Ross Marquand again, for getting in touch with me. If you haven't read by now, Ross Marquand is the star of the excellent film, A Lonely Place For Dying, which I hope sees a wide release soon.
You stay classy San Diego
Thursday after school, I went to a dance at my old school, ACAA called the White-Out Dance. It was supposed to be a rave-type dance with glowsticks and everything like that. The only reason I went was because I missed all of my old friends, and it's pretty much the only legal way I can see them all at school (kidding). Anyway, I get there, and I get like a thousand hugs at the same time, a warm reminder that I am in fact, home. The dance started, and as usual, I was a little shy to get on the dance floor, but by 9:00, those inhibitions were pretty much gone.
For most of the first hour I just walked around, talking to old friends and my former Social Studies teacher Ms. Schaiberger, the coolest teacher under the sun. I was a little disappointed that Mr. Sharp wasn't there though, I was looking forward to seeing him.
By 10:00, I was really sad to leave, knowing that I wouldn't be back for a while.
Friday was costume day at my school, ASA, and I didn't even dress up. School spirit! One of my friends Chloe gave me a wig to wear, and instantly, I was Joan Jett. See how magical I am?
After school, I went to the bowling social, getting a ride with Alana, Simon's sister, and Simon's dad. Simon had a guitar lesson, so he couldn't go. The social was a lot of fun, and I proved how terrible at bowling one person can possibly be. I completely lost all hope in myself and switched to the thing I do best, play pool. I played with Emma West, and felt so bad for her towards the end that I just let her win. We gathered a crowd, and suddenly everyone wanted to play me, but that's when the pizza came, so that all fell through.
Alana and I got picked up at 6, and went to Simon's temple. Simon's family is Jewish, and they had just switched temples, so he had to go, and I tagged along. At first, I was extremely scared to even walk in there, but 10 minutes in, I actually realized how fun it was. Simon and I ditched though about 20 minutes early. We went out to the playground and talked with his sister, waiting for his parents to get out.
Simon's dad gave us a ride to where my mom was going to pick us up, Blockbuster on Shea and Tatum.
We bought a couple movies (Greenberg and Limits Of Control), drove home, watched them both, and I bought the new Rumspringa album on iTunes (WHOO).
The next morning was haunted house day. Me, Simon, and some other people that I didn't know were going to be working a haunted house, scaring kids. The first 20-25 minutes I was nervous on how much I should scare the kids, but soon after, those thoughts were gone, and I was literally scaring the piss out of everyone. There was this one little girl in particular that I scared so badly, I almost felt bad. She started to cry hysterically, and practically jumped into her parents arms. I couldn't help but laugh a little.
My mom picked us up, and dropped Simon home. We went home and got ready for that night. We went to a Venice Baroque Orchestra performance, performing The Four Seasons and Philip Glass' American Four Seasons. Being a huge Philip G. fan, I was extremely excited, but when I got there, I was disappointed by the fact that he wasn't actually there, as my parents had let on. Regardless of his presence or not, the performance was beautiful, and I was blown away by the talent of the orchestra.
Sunday, was, oh yes...I'll say it, Halloween! Frantically driving around Phoenix to get the perfect costume, I stumbled upon it in Goodwill, for 24 dollars. It was THE suit. So, we bought it, rushed home, got ready, and drove to Madison's/Willa's party. I got there, completely overdressed, but still excited. Simon got there about 5 minutes after us, and altogether, it was Simon, Me, Lizz, Hannah, Willa, Madison, Candace, Tammy, and some other kids that I'm forgetting now. Willa's house is also beautiful, and her parents were really nice to all of us. We left at about 7:45 to go Trick'R'Treating, and for the whole time, Hannah was constantly complaining about something or another; we still love her though. Out of boredom, Simon started beatboxing and I did freestyle raps to pass the time, and they were actually funny.
There were these Mexican kids bothering us, so Simon and I yelled at them to shut up, and they started chasing after us. We ran away pretty quickly after that.
Getting back at 8:45 so I can get picked up, Halloween was a fun night. The rest of the week wouldn't go so well.
Due to Parent/Teacher conferences, this guy right here is grounded a mere 3 weeks before his birthday....how rude. Kidding, I probably deserved it. But until further notice, I'm grounded, and it sucks.
Okay, so now this extremely long blog post is over, and you are now caught up, congratulations.
A shout-out to Ross Marquand again, for getting in touch with me. If you haven't read by now, Ross Marquand is the star of the excellent film, A Lonely Place For Dying, which I hope sees a wide release soon.
You stay classy San Diego
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