Cocoa for Cuckoo Poops...

C - Danny Boyle, for being able to go from a zombie thriller, to a sci-fi chiller to an Academy Award. This author may be slightly disenchanted with the Oscars as of late, but kudos to you for staying true to yourself, and not making bait year in and year out - Stephen Daldry, I'm looking right in your direction....
L - Cox Arena at San Diego State University...
O - A ticket to the midnight showing of Watchmen: The IMAX Experience...
S - Sleepless nights, digging deeper into what exactly is 'funny'...
A - Verbally attacking Sean Penn's Oscar love-in... No one makes me feel bad for being straight, and gets away with it...
T - When life shoots you a t-shirt through a t-shirt cannon, push down everyone around you, because that shirt is sooooo worth it...

Tid Bits Today:

- I've noticed lately that I'm obsessive about being liked by everyone. The thought of someone not liking me drives me mad. I can't pinpoint the issue here, but I'm trying to remedy it. But please, don't hate me for it...

- Sean Penn noted that there were anti-gay protesters at the Oscar's Sunday night. How much you wanna bet none of them were Mormon? Yeah, sorry to disappoint you, Hollywood...

- I keep seeing this image of Harrison Ford, buttoning up his shirt, and looking straight into the camera, while I'm fast forwarding through commercials. It usually occurs right before the show is about to recommence, and I've never seen any product, or cause or anything to accompany this image. Any help on this would be great.

- Am I the only one sick of those High Fructose Corn Syrup commercials? The one thing they forget to tell you during their humorous approach to nutritional ignorance is that sugar is pretty bad for you. It's worse than fat. So, saying that HFCS has the same nutritional value as sugar is like saying cigarettes are as healthy as cigars. Yeah, pretty stupid.

- Have any of you tried the Perfect Pushup contraption? They're pretty fantastic. I've been doing it for two weeks now, and I feel a HUGE difference. There's a consistent burn every time I work out, and I'm sore more often, which is always a good sign.
I recommend them highly. Best $30 I've spent in a while.

- I haven't seen a movie in theaters in quite some time. The last one I saw was probably Benjamin Button, and that was in December. Makes me miss $5.50 matinees...

- I've kept the last six episodes of 30 Rock on my TiVo. I don't have the heart to delete them. But I know, someday, I'll be faced with some sort of Sophie's Choice scenario, and I'll have to delete a few to make way for the LOST season finale.

- Speaking of LOST, this past weeks was interesting. I don't understand how the writer's could have felt this episode would have been best aired before "316". I'm glad ABC intervened, because that would have confused even the fans. Although, the reveal of Locke, alive on the beach would have been pretty cool. Too bad ABC had to go and spoil that in the previews...

- P.S. - I'm rooting for Widmore...

- I finally watched Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and I've been wondering: what ever happened to Phoebe Cates? She was a babe, and then Drop Dead Fred happened, and she seemingly vanished. What's the deal, Phebes? Oh, and if you haven't seen Fast Times, don't. It's a lot more crass than I would have liked.
UPDATE: She married Kevin Kline and made babies. Her last film was in 2001... Hrrmmm....

- Andy Richter is rejoining Conan on his new show. Huzzah! The Late Night gods have proven their kindness with such a noble deed. Well done, good sirs!

- I'm kinda ashamed to admit that I'm excited for Portia de Rossi's new show Better Off Ted.

- Dollhouse, the new Joss Whedon, is actually pretty good so far. It's still finding its footing, but I'm hooked.

- Other good shows?
Flight of the Conchords - Michel Gondry directs! Kristen Wiig and Jim Gaffigan!
United States of Tara - The fourth episode was a nice change in pace, and it's kept that up ever since.
Damages - Soooo good this season...
Battlestar Galactica - Number 7!? Who is Daniel? I need to know!!!

- BYU sports fans are annoying.

cheers!

Hey Brutha...

Sorry folks, but this is another post about LOST...

I rewatched the previous episode, and something crossed my mind:

A lot has been made of the fact that Ben was at a marina, wet and covered in blood while he was on the phone with Jack. Most people have speculated that this is because he either killed, or tried to kill Penny, Desmond and/or Charlie (their baby, not the already dead rocker/ex-Hobbit). Their reasoning for this is that the Humes have a boat that they sail around to places far and wide. But, I must ask: How long does it actually take to get from London to Los Angeles BY BOAT!?!? Sorry, but they're not at the marina, unless they just can't seem to get away from the salty air and the harbor chicks. It is possible that the writers had a seriously lapse in judgment in regards to time and space (which wouldn't surprise me, given this season), but unless that is the case, it is nigh unto impossible for Penny, Desmond and Baby Charlie to have made it to Los Angeles by boat in the time presented us.*

How 'bout that!?

Side Note: My local ABC affiliate has begun airing LOST repeats on Saturday and Sunday evenings in High Definition, which is rad, and I've begun watching them. They're at the end of Season 2 now, and it's pretty great to see where they show was, and how much things have changed.

*All of this is accompanied with the assumption that Desmonds realization of his memory of Daniel is happening in temporal conjunction with Jack and Ben's quest to return to the Island. I can only assume that's the case, since there's no indication otherwise.

Doubting Thomas

MORE LOST SPOILERS AHEAD. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED:

Strangely enough, I thought LOST was a little off it's game this week. This past episode just didn't "do it" for me, as the show normally does, and I think it has to do with the weak storytelling going on off the island, and it's a shame I didn't realize it until now.

On the island, it's answers, answers, answers, with some cool reveals, and some interesting (not redundant) questions asked. But, off the island? No dramatic tension. I think the best way for us to have seen the off island stuff played out, was to have seen them all get back to the island at the beginning of the season, and then, through flashbacks, shown us how we got to that point (both on and off). This way, we would have seen them on the island, working things out, and slowly coming to understand how they got there, à la season one. It was pretty clear at the end of season 4 that no one wanted to return, except Jack, so why drive this point into the ground with whiny characters? The audience knows they need to go back, especially since we're watching our on island characters suffer time flashes, migraines, nosebleeds and even death... So to see most of the Oceanic 6 so callously say "I'm never going back, even if it can help them" makes them (Sayid, Kate, Hurley and Sun) rather unsympathetic.

Also, while it's nice to have them back on the island, didn't it feel sorta rushed? Didn't it feel as if we missed something crucial, and now we have to see what happened in flashback? I don't know if I'm down with that.

My guess about how things panned out? The writer's probably felt the same things I felt; the characters were whiny, and they needed to just get back to the island, no questions asked, and we'll get to the details of it all later. I've trusted Team Darlton (Damon Lindelof, and Carlton Cuse, the show-runners) for 4 seasons now, so I'm up for some more. I still love where the show is headed with our Losties seemingly stuck in the 70s, posing as Dharma members, but the ride there seemed a tad bit bumpy.

The last podcast that Darlton put on noted that this episode (entitled 316) and next weeks episode, entitled The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham, were actually meant to be shown in reverse order, and that they could have been shown in any order, with no real issues, but the writer's felt this one was the best to show first, for whatever reason. This makes me more and more curious about what is to come next week, and if it'll make this past week's episode better. Who knows. All I know right now is that this episode left me feeling empty. Cool ideas, interesting information about the island, but overall, no narrative thrust worth investing in. I dunno.

So yeah, I just needed to vent that, since I gushed so lovingly about the show not a few days ago. So quickly things can change. I still think this season is an intriguing shift in the show's mythology, really giving it all to us in one go. I don't know if it'll be successful, but it certainly should leave a good chunk of the show left for some juicy character moments, and not a lot of mythology, which has never been the show's strength (just the carrot at the end of the character stick)... So for now, here's to better shows, and satisfying conclusions!

cheers, and Namaste...

It Walked On My Pillow

I hate to get even more esoteric on you folks, but I figured some of my fezellas needed (or wanted) to see this. It's apparently made the rounds in L.A. faster than film catches fire (which is very fast, in case you care), so if you've seen it already, well, then, you can just suck it, and watch it again:

Hollywood ASST
(WARNING: This video contains some PG-13 language, if not a few words that could make it R. You've been warned.)

Side Note: If you're not at all interested in breaking into the film industry, you can skip this, and not miss a thing. I kid you not, this is full of inside references galore, most of which I missed, so I don't think you'll get much out of it if you care less about the industry than I do...

My thoughts? I feel more depressed about L.A. than I did before I watched it. Reality is harsh, but this is just frustrating. With the job market in a slump, on top of the already impossible task of nailing an assistants gig, this just makes me see that there's very little to hope for if one aspires to rise through the ranks. *le sigh* Call it a part of the "game" industry folk must play, or whatever, but that won't change my feelings. It's why I can't watch Entourage without getting a migraine and a peptic ulcer....

*bah*... humbug.....

cheers, remorsefully...

Colin Firth's Sweaters

I don't know what's wrong with me right now, but I'm in the mood to blog. About nothing.

I'm actually in the midst of indulging rather shamelessly in the much-hyped Grey's Anatomy/Private Practice cross-over event. It's pretty compelling, being full of brain worms, mothers with PPD and the occasional heart-to-heart regarding one's love life. I was sad to see Melissa George leave the show for good. Oh well. And, side note: Kate Walsh is hot. Here's a photo of both:

     

I've made it a point to stop using my laptop in front of the TV, but recent events have caused it to travel from its usual spot in my sister's old bedroom into our family room. You see, I have a tendency to oftentimes pay more attention to the inactivity on my Facebook page rather than the exploits of say, Jack Bauer or even Ugly Betty (in her case, wacky exploits). I also tend to forget to zip through commercials, which is what has actually just happened (Immediacy!). Man, this laptop is no good for my TV viewing.... I moved it up to my sister's old room because it's generally pretty clean since it became our go-to guest bedroom (and we generally don't get a lot of guests), and it really helps to keep my mind clear while I try to write (emphasis on try). Also, her bed is about a thousand times more comfortable than any other chair/couch/bed/table in the house, so yeah, it's a nice place to try and work (again, mind your emphasis). My grandma is now asleep in there, so that's why my laptop is here, watching Grey's Anatomy.

My brother was here this weekend so he could see Casen (our new nephew). We had a good time, even though we had what felt like 24 hours to be with each other. Now he's back in the land of 185 and three-minute final projects. It's exciting to see him going through the program. I can only hope that he gets a little more out of it than I did. Don't get me wrong, I loved my time there, but there are still kinks, and unfortunately those kinks are making themselves manifest more and more in my post-college life as opposed to while I was in it. I won't get into the details about the kinks, because I'm sure they're incidental only to me and maybe a few others, and it's not fair to share wounds like that. I have to believe that those things are being worked on, and that my brother, and other film majors, will be able to benefit from them.

In other news: I have a hard time believing that Will.I.Am is anywhere near as prolific or as brilliant as Bob Dylan. And Pepsi is the last person that should to try and convince me of that.

D'ah! Once again, I forgot to fast forward.

I'm in the process of reading through Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics. It's pretty cool. It's like film theory, but for comic books. I'm not a heavy reader of said genre of novel, but I've always enjoyed reading them casually. But, even without a huge love for comic books, there are some fascinating observations about art, and how we perceive the visual image, which I think is indispensable for anyone interested in tapping into ANY visual medium. Film is similar to comics, in that it's a series of juxtaposed "shots", where the audience is encouraged to connect the dots between them, but each medium has a different language through which it conveys meaning. But, like Latin languages, they have many traits in common. I could go on, but why should I, when Mr. McCloud does a much better job... Seriously, film folks, it's a rad book. Check it out if you can. (Link takes you to Amazon)...

It's been raining like crazy here. It's stopped for now, but I suspect (according to my iGoogle app) that it'll start up again tomorrow.

So, how about LOST this season?

SPOILER ALERT!

This time travel thing has been both maddening, as well as brilliant. It's provided the show's writers with a way to show us in the present tense the history of the island, without using character flashbacks. It's constructed fabulously, and it's been used rather skillfully to help ratchet up the tension, and move the storytelling forward. I'm happy that the show has continued to feel fresh these past two seasons. Most shows in their fifth seasons feel like they've run their course, and viewers usually can predict their way through each episode's arc with no problems whatsoever. However, LOST has been one surprise after another, both on an episode by episode basis, but also with each season. And that's what good TV is about. Surprises. The uniqueness of the medium of episodic television should allow showrunners to surprise viewers and have them wonder. But, it seems that most shows are content to repeat their past successes, and that just makes me sad.

END SPOILERS

This episode of Grey's/Private Practice is coming to a close. It actually turned out to be pretty positive, not to spoil anything. I wish both shows could consistently be as entertaining as these were. My theory? Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) should have never left Grey's Anatomy. She's unbelievably charismatic and endearing in her role, but only when she's surrounded by the folks at Seattle Grace. Sorry to editorialize about a show probably none of you watch, but there it is.

Alright, time to fly. It's late, and I'm tired. I might pop in a movie. That should be fun. Tomorrow I may be heading to my sister's place, so I'll probably get some writing done down there. I need to nip this writer's block in the bud. I blame our newly remodeled bathroom which occupied both my mental and physical real estate for a good two weeks. Now that it's done, I need to hunker down and write. A writing frenzy. Frenzied writing. 

I wish you all the best.

cheers.

---

Le château de ma mère (My Mother's Castle)

Sequel to "La gloire"

Amusing, touching, profound

Wonderfully sweet.

Jenna DeCarlo and the Polyphonic Spree

This video came to mind as I was walking down the stairs today... I cannot think of a single moment from a Beatles film that gives me more euphoric joy than this one, save for that moment where George falls in A Hard Day's Night...



I also LOVE these end credits (they begin at about a minute in, but watch it all, and catch John Lennon being called a swine... Priceless):



30 Rock Trivia!

- Didja know that The Girlie Show was originally titled "Friday Night Bits?"
- Also, Jenna Maroney's original name was Jenna DeCarlo...

Also:
If you have a facebook account (and I know you do), please help support this film:



Become a "fan" by clicking here. This is a grassroots effort to get this film the release it deserves. Even if you haven't seen the film, please, become a fan. This is one of those films that if you see it, you never forget it. I know I haven't.

There are clips on the page, so check those out. Also, you can head here as well:

mr. dungbeetle Official Website

Promotion!

cheers...

Sabor de Soledad

Didja Know...

- Liz Lemon was originally called "Lisa Lemon" in a very early draft of the 30 Rock pilot? And Tracy Jordan was known as "Lawrence Jordan"... True story...



cheers!

Girls With Low Self-Esteem

I caught this today while reading one of my movie news blogs I Watch Stuff:




These (and more) are all courtesy of an artist who goes by the name Spacesick, né Mitch Ansara. He also has a flickr account, but beware: it contains a few nude artists renderings, mostly of women. You've been warned. Check out his blog for some safer, more entertaining fare.

But, I must say, are these not the coolest things you've seen today? I used to be an avid novelization reader (mostly of films my parents wouldn't let me see... For some reason they were okay with me reading inappropriate movies...), and I think I would have tried to keep them around, had they looked this awesome. But they didn't.

cheers!

Bananas and Nuts

I was so proud of myself for spawning something I believed to be wholly unique within my realm of understanding when I decided to write movie reviews in the form of Japanese haiku. Well, another aspiring TV writer has done the same thing. I like hers better:

Amanda, the Aspiring TV Writer

And, just to make it clear, this has not deterred me from moving forward with future haiku poetry. Trust me, it's too much fun to give up now.

cheers.

I Want To Go To There...

It's about 1:15 in the morning. I just sat through an entire episode of Leno (I know), along with the most recent episode of Ace of Cakes. I wasn't super tired, so I hopped on my white stallion, and moseyed on over to my own blog(?). Jenna Fischer was on Leno, which is why I watched it (my crush on her isn't quite up to Level Tina, but it's close). Ace of Cakes is my newest reality addiction, because it's all about cakes, and I love cake, and so, well, yeah... If my reasons for liking it aren't clear after that, then you're just too retarded to even get my explaining it.

But, I'm getting tired. Part of the reason to write this nonsensical post was to create some fatigue so that I don't lie awake thinking about my stupid 30 Rock spec that I can't get through, or the ten billion other ideas I can't write, or whether Obama's daughters are allowed into the Lincoln Bedroom for slumber parties...

I'm now more tired than I was. Slowly, I'll get there. Hopefully not to the point where I'm asleep on my keyboard, typing out the letters J K and L over and over again... That would be silly, and uncomfortable.

Does anyone read this blog? I guess that's a worthy question to ask at 1:22 am. Will anyone read this? I know about three people who will most certainly read this, and that's cool, but not... Any suggestions on how to make this blog more accessible to outsiders would be nice. Esoteric is fun, you know, while riding the tram to The Getty, or when you're in a parked car outside Diane Keaton's manse, but on a blog, it becomes like an e-Party that no one got an e-Vite to...

So, in conclusion, as I become dangerously close to tipping over sideways, keep up the good work. This is simply a very broad announcement to all of those people doing good work out there. They know who they are, and they should also be reminded to walk proudly. I don't know. Should I just stop? This is getting stupid, I'm sure. Like, why the freak isn't he writing about a movie or something. Do you really want that? I can write about tons of movies, and I can wax philosophic and theoretical, and drop names like Baudry and Daniel Dayan, but why? No one cares. No one reads this blog, and I'm pretty sure those who read this blog and know what the freak I'm talking about, theory-wise, would much prefer to never speak of such things again, am I right?!?

So, in conclusion, there is no conclusion, other than me, asleep, and you, going about your day as if nothing happened here. Well, something did happen, and whether you like it or not, it's gonna keep happening. So, bring your friends, some cold ones, and a story or two, and maybe we'll have a bonfire of good ideas.

cheers, mates.

Belinda Carlisle Does Not Have A Friend In Dorothy

C - Rochelle the Ellenburg, for keepin' it hot, keepin' it poppin', and keepin' it real throughout all regions of the Left Coast. Peace in the Middle East!
L - Arianna Huffington's apartment, where she is, in fact, rather dull.
O - Barack Obama's BlackBerry - Does he have ScarJo's number?
S - Fighting desperately for creative air as I try to expand my oeuvre and write for a change...
A - Watching a hat get stolen...
T - It ain't easy being white, it ain't easy bein' brown...

This is my 100th post. It's not much, but I'm sure it'll do for the time being. No celebration, no countdown lists... No, I'm much more of a non-traditionalist. There are several reasons why, but mostly it's because I'm sure you don't care. Pat me on the back, sure, congratulate me on continuing to whither away in the Blog-O-Sphere, if you want, but at the end of the day, you'll fall asleep soundly, not even once remembering the fond day you had a this blog, celebrating my 100th Noniversary. Trust me, it's better off this way...

Saw Juno again. I big "Hrrmmm" came out of my mouth while I watched and as I pondered it's realms of complexity. I've decided that the film's backlash is only half-deserved. Juno is a character most adults should despise. She's arrogant, self-obsessed, and exactly like we were at 16. Her hipster speak is a sad attempt at adult-talk, and it comes off as phony and forced. She lives in a musical era when she was not even a glimmer in her parents eyes, and boldly declares anything from her own time period as unbearable. Her connection with Mark isn't unlike Leah (her friends) connection with Keith, the geometry teacher: a sad attempt to age faster than we should. Basically, the point of Juno, for me now, is the notion that forcing adulthood is unbecoming. Stay a child for as long as you can get away with it. It suggests that the greatest type of immaturity is the immaturity derived from feigned maturity. An interesting character foil for Juno is Mark... Mark and Juno share a lot in common, as they both seek the same point of time in their respective time-lines, only from opposite directions. It's why it's so critical that it be Mark who bursts Juno's bubble of fun. Mark even says "I thought we wanted the same things" - Juno doesn't want the same things; she only believes that she does. Most teenager want to be adults. When you're 15, you want to be 16, so you can drive, or date or stay out later. At 16, we want to be 17 so we can see R-rated movies. At 17, we want to be 18, so we can finally declare our freedom from our teenage years. It doesn't stop. Not until we hit 21. That's when our adolescence officially ends its term in office, and we're finally able to pretty much do whatever we want. But what do we have to look forward to? Graduate school? Adulthood is alive and well, and all we want is to be a kid again. So why rush it? And that's the point of Juno. Here we have a kid, convinced of her own superiority, who is taken down a peg, and told to be a kid for 5 more years. That's all. It's not about pregnancy, or kitschy catch-phrases, or even love. It's about youth, and the dangers of getting a taste of adulthood much sooner than needed. This isn't an "End of the Innocence" film. In fact, it's a bold declaration that while innocence may be lost, it doesn't mean it can't be reborn. Juno undoubtedly grows, but this change doesn't cause her to be responsible, like taking on a secretarial position at some legal eagle office in order to save up for college. No, Juno decides to spend her summer jamming with Paulie Bleeker. Is that irresponsible? Yeah, I would say so, and I think most adults would agree, but that's no reason to hate on her. Let her be a kid for pity's sake. Let her guitar be her guide. Is it so wrong to have a film's final lesson be - "Well, adulthood sucks, so take a back seat and enjoy the ride until you actually have to drive" - I don't think it is. Different strokes for different folks...

Those are just my observations. I took a leave of absence in regards to any future viewings of this film a year ago, hence my return to discussing it. It's Oscar season again, and I've seen many folks bringing this film up, for whatever reason, mostly to throw stones in it's direction. That's fair, as jealously often bears an ugly mug, but I can't help but love this film. It's deeply flawed, but for a first time effort from a young screenwriter, it's beautifully adept at saying something most people, I don't think, didn't even want to see. Did Diablo deserve the Oscar? I dunno. I don't even remember what else was nominated, to be honest. Does it matter, you know, in the long run? The Grand Scheme of Things? --- Not a chance...

Finally, I am in awe of the folks at 30 Rock. No joke, these ladies and fezellas can really knock one out of the park on almost every pitch. I would say it's not fair, and wonder why such talent cannot be FedEx'd my way every third Sunday, but I have to remind myself: At least I get to watch it. Will I ever be able to write comedy like that? I sure hope so, but I think the 13 year long wait may prove difficult...

Cheers, my loves...

Mr. Manager

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Am I the only one who thinks Michael Cera has let "things" go to his head? While I'm sure he's mostly joking, part of me thinks he's deadly serious. Hypothetical, yes, in the sense that nothing's concrete, but when you have a development deal in place, the writer/director working on the script, and all the cast but one committed to returning, I'd hardly call that "hypothetical." Yeah, it won't happen tomorrow, but surely by the end of this year.

Sorry, George Michael, but you're coming off as kind of a d-bag. Quit tokin' it up with Judd Apatow and Seth Rogan and remember where you came from.

Traveling Sisterhood of the Pants

C - Carrie Hakes. I don't think I've featured her yet here, but she's one of my most favorite people. And her alter ego, The Bear, has to be one of the best things on this planet, I kid you not. Miss you, Bear...
L - A desolate Earth, ravaged by nuclear war, full of CYLON skeletons?!? Say wha?!
O - Mad Men on Blu-ray. Now the best show on TV is in HD. Boo ya...
S - Watching, and rewatching (on a loop, mind you) the genius that is Episode 210 from 30 Rock... Keep an eye on Tracy Morgan during the episode's climactic musical number... A-mazing...
A - Pole dancing on the tram to The Getty.
T - When life hands you lemons, throw 'em out and find an edible fruit...

I officially have a new Favorite Thing (along with sweater capes, naturally): my week-old nephew, Casen. He's finally home from the NICU, and he's as sleepy as ever, which makes him slightly boring, but strangely fascinating. He hasn't quite figured his body out, so he maneuvers awkwardly, hands everywhere (including his signature "Push up my gigantic cheeks" move. Killer), and he does this all whilst sleeping rather soundly. It's even entertaining to see him make his "Yep, I'm pooping" face. I even find his cry entertaining; he quivers his bottom lip when he gets really into, which is both sad, and rather awesome. Thankfully, his cry is about as cute as they come, never getting louder than average adult conversation volume, so it's not much of a bother. Overall, I give him two thumbs up; one thumbs up for utter adorable-ness (an important attribute for a one-week old, a breed most often plagued by under-developed features, and a penchant for the mundane), and the other thumb for compatibility with me, his soon to be most spoilish of uncles. He doesn't pitch a fit when I hold him. Instead he sighs and whimpers, and then proceeds to poo on me pants (true story). The funny thing is, I didn't change my pants after it happened... *sigh*.... It must be love.

In other news, I put immense strain on my groin muscles whilst trying to engage my flabby doughboy exterior in some intense rigeur. I can barely stand, let alone put my pants on ('twas quite the treat this morning...) So, for the next couple of days, I'll probably walk like an 80 year old man with bad knees and a replaced hip, all in the name of chiseled abs and winning biceps.

I'm getting into my writing. I have three major projects I'm currently engaged in, and all of them excite me terribly. I received this wonderful writing guide from Eric A., a Blog-O-Friend, and it's worked wonders for my lazy tendencies, helping me to jump the hump, as they say, and get into it, and by it, I mean imagining my movies in my head. I'd say that's the biggest hurdle writer's have to escape: we have movies, books, plays, etc. playing in our head almost all the time, and they're wonderful, as they are usually the ideal versions of our own ideas. But, we're selfish creatures, so we horde them for ourselves until we funnel them through our laptops, hoping they come out looking at least a fifth like our Ideal. But, this is where writer's block sets in-- the moment we realize it was better left in our brains... It's a humbling experience to see your half-assed (sorry, but there's no other word for it...) idea coming to pathetic life in your Final Draft document, knowing darn well that this draft you're sweating over will never see the light of day, nor should it. It's maddening, and you have to be completely mental to want to do this for a living. Awesome, but still mental...

So, now that I've insulted both myself and my friends, I bid you adieu for the time being. 24 is paused right now on my TiVo, and it's time I took a look-see at this new season. Apparently it's supposed to be good, but I have yet to see that come to fruition... But, holy cow was Battlestar good last night. Yowza...

Movies I Liked That You Might Like Too, Vol 1

Man On Wire -
Frenchman on wire
World Trade Center towers
Compelling AND true.

Frost/Nixon -
Watergate Scandal
Nixon on "trial" with Frost
Great performances.

The Wrestler -
Old wrestler loses
He's too sick to wrestle now
Beautiful story.

La gloire de mon père (My Father's Glory) -
Childhood antics
Beautiful southern France
Humor? Pathos? Yes.

Toss Toss, No Hands

Here's the Wordle for this blog.



Ain't it grand? Make your own at www.wordle.net, which is where I got this photo...

Corky and the Sperm Whale

C - Casen James Rogers, the brand-spankin' newest member of our family...
L - The curb outside Diane Keaton's house... We all know what happened next...
O - A check for A MILLION DOLLARS!
S - Auditioning for Pepperdine Law School by wowing the admissions folks with one's rendition of "Defying Gravity" from Broadway's Wicked
A - Pretending to write that check for A MILLION DOLLARS!
T - It's important to always be easy. Easy like Sunday morning. *

Hey folks, blog-o-friends and strangers alike. It's been quite a journey since we last shared company on this blog, and since so much has happened, I feel it best to disperse the awesome over a couple of entries.

First off, I got to spend all of last week in Thousand Oaks, with amigos galore, doing Wicked awesome things, and exploring the sights and sounds of UCLA, Loyola Law School, Pepperdine and Western State Law School, among other things (right Corky!?!?!?!?). It was truly a wonderful vay-cay, as TAMN would put it. But before I gush further, I need to really stop and thank the Fudges (all of them, feti included), for their thoughtful hospitality. Secondly, but not really secondly because it means that much to me, I want to thank all of those who put up with my man stank on all of those car rides around L.A.. I was privileged enough to be surrounded by beautiful and well-groomed young ladies, so I was good, but I can only imagine the disgust of others once they realized I would be sitting in the middle seat. So, to Rochelle, Carrie, Johanna and Tash: I used Old Spice, and sometimes, it doesn't rub on right... Blame Procter and Gamble...
No really, I want to thank them for being the best gal pals a single fella like myself could muster up. I sometimes feel like they deserve a better friend than myself, so it pleases me often to hear them laugh at my awful jokes and generally make me feel good about myself in this rather unsettling circus of self-doubt that is my life. Even if we (I'm speaking to them now, so if you're not one of them, read on ahead or stick around... It could get weepy, so just a heads up....)had just sat around the Fudges, drinking Mango nectar and replaying "Midnight Train to Georgia" and "Bulging River" over and over again, that week would have been complete just to have spent time with you four lovely ladies. And you too Leland, even though the daily grind was calling your name, you were there in spirit... And also, your seed was firmly planted in Tash's womb (two times over, no less), so it wasn't hard for us to forget you...

So, inside jokes aside, thank you. I'll post pics up soon.

In other news, I'm officially an uncle.

Casen James Rogers, born 09 January, 2009. He looks just like my brother in law, in case anyone is curious. He's currently trapped in the NICU while he fights an infection, but he should be out in a few. Today he had some mild jaundice, so he was under this super blue light. He had to wear these horribly awesome goggles that made him look like he was lounging, rather than being generally miserable (I imagine) from being away from his parents for hours at a time. I've been down to see him three times now, and he gets cuter each time. Yay! Babies! Now I need one of my own..............

Hrrrmmm.... What else....

Oh! Okay, so I'd never seriously endorse a reality show (save for Project Runway), but a friend of my family is currently on The Biggest Loser. His name is Blaine (no joke, my inside friends. How 'bout that!? I'm so meta!). He went to school with my sister (he's just a year older), and we've known his parents, and his younger siblings for years. Anyway, this is the first time I've known anyone who has been on a reality show, and I must say it alters your investment significantly. While I can't count him among my friends, and I guarantee you he may not remember me all that well, it still makes the experience of watching the show all the more entertaining. Anyway, the show's on on Tuesdays at 8 on NBC, so have a look-see, and say hello to Blaine, a guy I kinda know... Woo hoo!

That's it for now. Pics to come. Either here or on Facebook. Probably on Facebook. Yeah. So, not here. Facebook...

*Sorry for the inside jokes. I just can't help myself (HA!!!! I STRIKE AGAIN!!!!!!)

Femident...

It is truly a day for rejoicing when the Conchords are back in business, so we must thusly begin our hymns of praise by partaking of the wonders below:

Season 2 Online Premiere - Flight of the Conchords (US Only) - watch more funny videos

Cornelius Bonham-Carter Fudge

C - Benjamin Bratt. He once dated Julia Roberts, and used to be on Law & Order (the Order part), and once starred in Miss Congeniality with Sandra Bullock(s). He's quite a hoot, isn't he...
L - A ranch-style home, nestled in the southeastern corner of Ventura County, in a small hamlet known as Thous And Oaks...
O - A piece of CBS College Sports swag, ruthlessly acquired, but deeply adored...
S - Running on empty... Running long...
A - Waking up before 8 for the first time in months...
T - Happiness is a warm gun... Yes it is...

Here's a list for us all to consider:

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
The Soup
Iron Chef America
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Cheri O'Teri
Harold and Maude
Hot Fuzz
Together Again for the First Time
Pride & Prejudice (BBC)
Australia
Top Chef New York
Presumed Innocent
Arrested Development
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)

For those of you who love this list as much as I do, and long for similar lists, I miss you, and I'm glad everything was awesome.

For those of you who know this list, but didn't participate in it, I miss you too, and hope to see you soon.

For those of you who have no clue what this list is, I might miss you, but I hope that you too will know a list like this, and love it as I have come to love it.

And for those of you who think I'm a loon, such a sentiment is pretty five years ago, so build a time machine, and go join that pity party, cause it's missing you...

Good day.

There's A Girl In My Soup!

I think this also qualifies as a geekgasm. Joy Joy Joy! With more and more important players coming to the table confirming that this is happening, I can't help but wish Fandango took advanced ticket orders for movies that haven't even gone into pre-production yet... Shame on them, because that's probably a very lucrative market...

Tall. Decaf. Cappuccino.

Geekgasm Defined:
EDIT: The video was removed. Check it out here

Quicktime is required...