McCain/Palin

Please, people...

We can NOT do this to our country. McCain has no respect for the office of President of the United States. This is obvious by his Vice Presidential decision.

Obviously, McCain and Palin would not be exactly 4-more-years of the SAME; however, it could potentially get much much worse.

Obama isn't perfect by any means, but he is a much much better alternative.

I know we're an "every man for himself" country.
I know we're a "gun loving" country.

Extended social programs may not work too well in this country, but I think we should definitely give it a shot.

As for our guns, the 2nd Ammendment should stand on its own. The government can't take away your guns...that's why we have the right to OWN guns...to prevent such an uprising.

Please consider your options though these are the theoretical alternatives, as I see it:
1. Somewhat stricter gun laws.
or
2. The further dumbing down of our country under the rule of a disgruntled grandpa who may or may not have Alzheimers.


I used to respect McCain. I would have voted for him, also. But now...he's abandoned everything I thought he believed in...

fuck him.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

Hello Darling. It's Been Far Too Long...

The human mind is capable of some very funny things.
When I was younger, I used to suffer from an occasional panic attack. Nothing serious or even noticable. Nothing I was ever treated for or considered to be a problem. It mostly came in the form of a feeling of intensity once in awhile when I couldn't get to sleep. I felt as if every noise in the room was heightened and that there was a sort of screaming voice in the center of my brain.

This can be a scary feeling for a kid, but fortunately I was able to overcome it on my own. My parents didn't even know about it. I couldn't explain it, of course, and because I was young, impressionable, and attending Catholic school, I thought it had something to do with my conscience. This "knowledge" made me extremely conscious of any decision I made, and caused me to be unneccessarily apologetic.

When I was a bit older, I met another boy at camp who actually suffered from legitimate panic attacks that caused him to hum to himself and rock back and forth from time to time. From speaking with him, I came to realize that this feeling wasn't something supernatural, but something fairly commonplace (that I was fortunate enough to only have to a small degree). Eventually I learned how to dismiss the feeling, or calm myself down to get rid of it. Next thing I knew, they were gone altogether.

The reason that I mention this is that this weekend was fun and strange. On Friday night, I absolutely couldn't force myself to go to sleep. Eventually it became so intense that I began to have one of these anxiety attacks, feeling that I would NEVER be able to get to sleep, and that I couldn't find any silence. After a couple minutes of no success with ignoring the situation, I managed to get up and take a shower to try to calm myself down. Somehow in this process, the problem went away and I drifted, fairly easily, off to sleep.

Janine's cousins: Maura and Jess came to visit with their respective boyfriends. And Anthony came over, too! It was an exciting weekend (what with the RED BULL BOXCAR RACE and all). There was a shitstorm on Saturday during the race, but it still managed to be fucking amazing.

Today, I went to Farley's Pub for the Eagles game. I'm not a football fan at all, but the Eagles owned.

Now I'm at work and about to watch a Sarah Palin speech, then read an article on it by Sam Harris. Ah, work.


EDIT:
I'm watching an insider documentary on MSNBC about John McCain's life, and what's the first thing to come up at the commercial break?? An ad for Alzheimers care. I just found that kinda interesting (funny).

Do You Need Anything Else?

...This video was linked to in my previous post's video; however, I thought it was so great that I would give it its own post.

Is it any wonder Barack Obama inspires so many people? There are things about him that I don't agree with...his faith...his attempts to bow down to the right in many of his policies...his attempts to prove that he'll be a war president, even if we don't particularly need it...

But, in spite of all of this, his campaign is about HOPE, CHANGE, and resurrection of this country. I think he'll make the right decisions...

...and I HOPE he knows what he's doing.

I've never seen such a Spirited campaign.

Though this is just another celebrity infested promotion, I still think it's exciting and heartwarming and real.

I just browsed through a gallery of Obama fan art and some of it looks like 1960s-1970s inspiring posters. I've never seen such a campaign as this one...It is full of sincere people with actual faith and devotion in a candidate that they feel that they can believe in.

Maybe we can believe in Obama. I think that I can believe in Barack Obama...I Want to Believe.

Please don't let us down, Mr. Senator. We believe in you...and we will continue to hold out hope until the very last vote is counted.

One suggestion: Lose Your Religion.

Joe Biden is VP. Yay...surprises!

YOU JUST GOT BARACK ROLL'D!

Faith and Politics--The United States of Whatever.

At the Saddleback Civil Forum yesterday, Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain were individually interviewed by Pastor Rick Warren before an audience of Evangelical Christians.

They were essentially asked the same questions. Obama went first and he was pleasant to listen to. He has high hopes and I agree with his approaches to many things...not everything...but lots.

When the show started, Pastor Warren claimed that McCain was sealed off backstage so that he would have no prior knowledge of the questions asked.

When it was McCain's turn to come out, Warren's first statement was to ask McCain how he felt in the soundproof chamber. McCain made a joke about trying to listen to the walls. Not a bad joke...but, it turned out that McCain was never IN a soundproof booth...he was in his motorcade the whole time and upon arrival was set up in a green room backstage.

McCain answered all the questions almost before they were even asked. Seems a bit unfair...but here's the big question:

WHO CARES?!

It shouldn't matter if Obama or McCain knew or didn't know what they were going to be asked. Why would EITHER of them have to have a prepared answer? Can they not simply be honest with the American people? I suppose not.

If anything, McCain SHOULD know what's going to be asked. He probably needs a hell of a lot more preparation time than Obama does. But, this is the BIG issue...this element of the discussion. I don't feel this is an issue at all, but there it is.

Today on Sean Hannity's radio show, a caller claimed that McCain was straight forward and steady in his beliefs. McCain stated everything matter-of-factly, and THAT is the quality of someone who everyone should vote for.
I disagree...for one reason...why would you vote for someone who matter-of-factly stated ridiculousness that only narrow-minded dumbstruck people would find appealing?

Maybe I'm being too harsh...
And I'm totally getting away from my MAIN grievance.

I have several strong issues with this debate:

1. It was held in a church for the purpose of appealing to EVANGELICAL Christians.

2. It was conducted by a famous PASTOR who shaped many of his questions around the idea of Faith and Religious beliefs.

3. McCain plagerized a story, claimed it happened to HIM, and won praise.

4. The candidates are both basing their policies on the words of an imaginary sky-monster who wrote a book and they think is talking to them.

5. OF COURSE MCCAIN WON THE DEBATE!! All he had to do was say: "Overturn Roe v. Wade", "Gays don't have the same rights as us straight people", and "I'm a Christian" and the crowd melts. And with the exception of Roe v. Wade, Obama did the exact same thing.


Why does no one in the media talk about the issue of faith and religious beliefs as a bad thing? Not for votes (of course), but for policy...and for its combination with politics.

I don't want my president taking foreign and domestic policy advice from his imaginary friend!
Is that too much to ask? I don't think it should be...

I still hold out hope that Obama is an Atheist (or at least not as religious as he claims to be). I think this is a plausible idea. If it were true, I wish he would come out and say it...but I understand why he doesn't.

I'll end this post with one thought...look at the image above. If it disturbs you, for whatever reason, as it does me, then you know what this country is all about. You know the basis on which this country was formed.

If it doesn't...then I tremble for the fate of my country.

(PS: Larry King currently in a discussion with Pastor Rick Warren.
Larry King: "I imagine you didn't know that McCain wasn't actually in his secluded room. Pastor Rick Warren would never tell a mistruth."

What? Religion is the biggest mistruth that has ever been told.)

We Demand To Be Taken Seriously!

After a pleasant conversation with the head of a new production studio that is under development on Cecil B. Moore street, I am more optimistic than ever about working more in depth with the television industry. I suppose I am working slightly backwards, but I have my completed Pilot--edited and edited (and probably due for some more editing)...

Now I am working on preparing a Treatment for both the Series, and the Pilot itself. I think they are finished now, but I may have to edit them down. I'll post both here when I'm satisfied. After that, I will have to register the treatment with the Writers' Guild East. Tomorrow, most likely, I will begin work on the Project Proposal. Perhaps there is a small chance that I will be able to have a show!

Also, if you read my twitter posts, I am feeling extremely under-the-weather. If this illness continues, it's going to be a long and terrible week...

...oh my, yes.

Picture that I found on my web travels...

I <3 Facebreaker's Shizz

FACEBREAKER IMAGES OF MY FRIENDS!!

Swift Kids for Truth.

Barack Obama...

The Dark Knight--for kids!

Not necessarily...same amount of violence and adult content...just kids playing all the parts. Very funny!!! Awesome trailer!

Pineapple Express.

See any good movies lately?
I did!
"PINEAPPLE EXPRESS" was everything that I had hoped it to be and more. Written by the scribes responsible for "SUPERBAD" (Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg), this movie follows almost the exact same story structure:
Two friends have a specific goal,
that goal gets turned upside down,
they find themselves running away,
the two friends get into a fight,
and then end up saving one another and realizing what their friendship really means.

Now, even though the same structure is followed (and it IS a safe structure), the movies are vastly different. PINEAPPLE EXPRESS is an action-packed buddy movie that may, in fact, exceed all others. It is hilarious throughout, though not as quotable as SUPERBAD (but that is probably a good thing). I don't want to have any spoilers in this review, so I'll have to be cautious.

PINEAPPLE EXPRESS was SUPERBAD grown up and on steroids. We even kindof had a FOGEL (aka McLovin) character in there for an extra dose of comedy. All of the characters were extraordinarily funny. Dale Denton, played by Seth Rogen, seemed to be more of the straight-man as Saul Silver, played by James Franco, almost stole the show.

If you were asking yourself "Hey, what ever happened to Rosie Perez?" You'll have your answer. It's almost as if she disappeared from the public eye to save up the energy and power for this film. In PINEAPPLE EXPRESS, Perez plays a corrupt police officer on the side of the drug dealers that are hunting down Dale and Saul.

There is a surprising amount of graphic violence in the movie that seems to come almost out of nowhere at times. When I say "graphic violence", I don't mean "SAW 5" graphic violence, but still things that you wouldn't expect from a Judd Apatow comedy. The movie also contains an abundance of drug use (which is something you WOULD expect from a Judd Apatow comedy) which, according to Apatow, is something that he never really got into. Apatow claims that the film is actually an anti-drug movie...which becomes clear about 2/3 of the way through. That being said, the stoner comedy and dialog makes the movie what it is. I recommend that you DON'T see this movie high (at least the first time). It's much too awesome to be forgotten 5 minutes later.

The film is funny throughout, completely suspenseful and surprising, action-packed, emotional, and ranks high at the top of the list of films in its genre (as well as films by the Apatow Crew). If you liked SUPERBAD, this movie may not have you repeating the lines every five minutes, but it will have you laughing from start to finish. If you HATED "Superbad", this movie is completely different as far as setting, genre, story, and power; but the comedy is somewhat similar (perhaps more adult). I recommend anyone who likes comedy, action, or both, to check this movie out post haste.

...additional: Can't WAIT for the Seth Rogen/Evan Goldberg version of ...wait for it..."THE GREEN HORNET"...time for Mr. Rogen to flex his SUPERHERO muscles!

Recommend:
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
Knocked Up
Superbad
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Freaks and Geeks (tv)
Undeclared (tv)


REVIEW: A+

DRAGONBALL movie?! With Chatwin? Chow Yun Fat?

You wouldn't think something like this would be allowed to happen, but it IS, in 2009...I don't understand. I'm not an anime nerd or anything, but I used to watch Dragonball Z...I think it would make a pretty cool movie, too...but this doesn't look right at all.

I think what I'll do is just continue to think that it's just some kind of joke or straight-to-DVD experiment.

I didn't see SPEED RACER, but I heard it was really bad. The previews made it look pretty awesome, and I think when it comes out on Blu-Ray, I might give it a watch. Even though they didn't use Japanese actors in Speed Racer, I thought they did an amazing job capturing the cartoon. I guess I shouldn't judge it before it's released, but DragonBall looks bad. There are just as many real posters on the internet as fake ones, so we'll see how it turns out. As of now, my hopes are low...but hey, I thought that the "Super Mario Bros." movie was pretty sweet...for what it was.

Don't Go There Zargon!

a trailer of a rip-off of a film within a film

spaced. again?

a scene from the mockumentary.

Facebreaker! Coming Sept. 5

So, I downloaded the demo of EA Sports' FACEBREAKER for PS3. Not a realistic-looking boxing game. You play with caricatures with varying looks and personalities. The gameplay and graphics are a lot of fun.


Now, there is something extra about this game that makes it extremely cool...the "Create a Boxer" feature (which all boxing games probably have) goes one step further to the point where you can actually upload front and side photos of yourself and the game will morph your face onto a CGI image. You can make appropriate adjustments, but for the most part, none are needed. It is almost 100% spot-on.


Not impressed yet? Well, you should be! Having only played a demo, I don't know the complete ins and outs of the game, but it is a lot of fun, and this face-capturing feature makes it a lot cooler than simply designing your own character from scratch.

Your body is sculpted based on the body of one of the other boxers in the game (but, again, this may only be in the demo).

I'm not aware of any other titles that have embraced this technology yet, but it is very cool and very exciting.

Check out FACEBREAKER at www.easportsworld.com

The Montauk Monster

Recently, the internet and tv news channels have been on fire (okay, maybe just smoldering off in the corner somewhere) over the pictures from the Hamptons of the so-called "Montauk Monster".

What could this thing that is obviously a male mammal be? Well, let's try to figure it out...

Is it a publicity stunt?

No, probably not...It is a strange coincidence that Cartoon Network's new show, The Secret Saturdays, about a family that seeks out mythological creatures called "Cryptids", is airing. This kind of thing seems like a prank of Cartoon Network proportions (i.e. AquaTeen Hunger Force). However, as far as I know, this new show is meant for children and probably wouldn't be throwing a fake animal with its cock hanging out on the beach. So that's out.

Is it a Hoax?

If it is, it is an elaborate hoax that would yield absolutely no result...and it would've been declared a hoax already.

Is it a genetic mutation brought on by an Animal Testing Facility?

That doesn't even make any sense. This animal has obviously been dead for a long long time. And what testing facility is just fucking around, making non-descript freak animals for no reason? I feel like I'm having an argument with myself, so I'll move on.

If it's not a Monster, what is it?

First, there's no such thing as a Monster. This dead animal has captured the imaginations of many people (myself included), but the more rational of us attempt to seek REAL answers in things that may be weird and kinda creepy...

So, what is it? Well...

We know that something washed up on the beach early that day. More than a few people saw this thing, and many many people took pictures. With that much coverage, some experts MUST HAVE stepped forward and said "I know what this is." And what do you know? They DID!

But here's the thing: some disagree.

Possibilities:

A Dog? many people have seen multiple angles of this thing and said that it clearly looks like a decomposed dog. In another picture, the animal appears to have a beak, but it's clear that it is just the front of the skull poking through the skin. Could be a dog...but wait, there's more!

A Skinned Ram? I heard this online...still doesn't make any sense.

A Whale Fetus? Whales ARE mammals...but they usually don't have four legs, fur, and floppy ears...

A Possum or Otter? I think we might be getting warmer, but...wait!

A Demon?! (...)

A Raccoon? Makes sense, but some experts say that the paws are a bit too long.

A Sea Turtle? It has teeth.

A Rodent? Could be. Actually, this may be the best answer...And you're thinking: Hey, that's a pretty fucking big rodent...but look at the picture again. There's a fly on its back leg, indicating that the picture is WAY close up, and this "Monster" is no bigger than a baby. It could be a dog, a medium-sized one...or...

One website (http://gawker.com/5032170/montauk-monster-vole-or-satan) presents a reasonable argument that the dead animal is a Dead Water Rat. The pictures look similar, and it's pretty logical to make the connection.

FOX's experts say: Dead Raccoon. (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,396182,00.html)

Venom energy drink created a blog/contest to capture a "Montauk Monster" here (http://capturethebeast.blogspot.com/).

My best guess: Dog or Water Rat.

If you look at the new pictures, it appears that it's almost certainly a dog (possibly skinned or just really decomposed). No one can check out this body scientifically because someone "took the body", so at this point, no one can know for sure. But one thing's fore sure, it IS a real animal. A real dead animal.

My expert opinion: Not a Monster.

This is a test to

This is a test to see if I can blog through email.

FILMS NOIR

I've been watching a boatload of Film Noir flicks and I think I'd like to review some of them on my blog. Interesting? Maybe.

Will anyone read them?
Sadly, no.

EDIT: I doubt I'll actually do this.

A Message Sent to The Creation Guys

This is a message I sent to The Creation guys, on YouTube, and at (www.creationguys.com).

I spent a good while writing so I thought I'd share.

1. Intelligent Design is the same as creationism. It's a new name and packaging to sneak pure religion into science. When you say that there was a "Designer", that's supernatural, and you can't PROVE that by any means. Science is science for a reason, and that reason...is REASON and evidence.

2. VenomFangX is not a valid source on anything.

3. Scientists don't "cast their stories" on things. They don't make up stories. They take evidence and gather more and more evidence until their hypothesis can be tested. Whichever hypothesis is proven valid, that's the one they continue to test. Evolution has been proven. It's not scientific theory, it's not scientific interpretation...it's scientific observation.

Now you guys can believe whatever you want, but the truth is out there, if you bother to read the scientific data. It's THERE...it's easy to understand, and it's staring you in the face. Do you realize how many processes and discoveries have been made using that very scientific data?
The world of medicine? Cures for diseases?
Understanding the human genome? Understanding the human brain and its development??

Dudes, if scientists just sat back and said "well this looks really complicated...god must have done it. we'll never be able to understand that"...nothing would ever get done. Religion is a dead end in the search for knowledge.

I know I'm not going to change your mind or make you see it my way (and the way of the rest of the intelligent world), but look...

Evolution does not attempt to explain the origins of everything. It explains accurately how we got to where we are today. There are many misconceptions held by creationists ABOUT evolution, and that's fine...you just have to do the research, that's all.

Let's say that God created everything. If you believe that, fine. It would be logical then to assume that he jumpstarted evolution. That evolution was his plan all along and that we were meant to discover the origins of his creation to become closer to him. Why is that so hard to grasp, if you're religious.

Maybe God didn't literally write the words in the Bible. Maybe the Bible isn't completely literal. In fact, most of it is downright crazytalk.

If you believe that God answers prayers...you must know that he doesn't answer them literally right away, he allows for one to keep living and experiencing life, offering you opportunities to have your prayers answered.
If you ask God for love and peace and harmony, it won't happen...but he provides you with the chance to attain those things if you really want them.

I went to Catholic school for 12 years...I know the arguments and I know religion from science. In religion class we were taught religion and in science class we were taught science...and that's the way it should be.

To say that scientists are in any way shape or form debating the theory of evolution is insane...and it's not that that's the theory they chose and they're sticking with it. Science isn't democratic. They tested EVERY theory. If it weren't for Creationism, evolution would never even be thought of...all scientific discovery has a base in religion.

Religion used to be a way to explain the natural world, but we KNOW now that that's not true. The earth is NOT the center of the universe. It's not flat, and it doesn't have talking animals.

Also, I've been thinking about something for a long time that kinda bugs me.
Jesus Christ.
Now I know that Christ is just a title, not a last name...but "Jesus" is Greek. Nobody in that part of the world would have been named Jesus.
Jesus is the Greek translation of "JOSHUA" or (Hebrew) "YESHUA"...but there was already a Joshua in the Bible so they stuck with the Greek name...

I don't understand it though...why choose "Jesus" over "Yeshua BarYosef" which probably would have been his real name, if he existed.

Religious debate is funny though...it never really gets you anywhere because it's by definition a parochial subject matter. Science, on the other hand, is meant to be open minded.

Dawkins said that he would be open to Intelligent Design BECAUSE he is a scientist. He is in no position to say "there is no god, definitely" because that would be irrational for a scientist to do. But he can, on the other hand, say that there is just as much probability for the existence of god as there is for the existence of unicorns, genies, and fairies. If they exist, the evidence isn't there.

I'm not sure what point I'm trying to make here. My only suggestion is that you read up on the ideas of natural selection and evolution before you criticize them unintelligently. It's not dogmatic, it's just reality. Just because we KNOW how it developed, doesn't mean there was no God guiding its process.

That's the point here...you say that things are so complex that there must have been a designer (god)...well, fine. There's no PROOF of that, but you can have your intelligent design and evolution also. I lead my debate team on the position FOR intelligent design and found an overwhelming amount of evidence for it.

BUT...just because EVERYTHING in nature has a pattern and EVERYTHING in nature adheres to design basics and mathematics, that's just how nature works, and if God designed it that way, then he also guided evolution because we KNOW that to be factual as well.

Thanks.

Miley Cyrus and Reverend Wright--The Delusion

Dear Nation,

Are we really doing this?

Everyone is blaming the media for keeping these stories going; but someone must know, as well as I, that the media is only half of it (at most). People thrive off of this kind of nonsense news.For those of you who don't know (wasting my time here)...

Miley Cyrus posed for some "provocative" photos for Vanity Fair. People are surprised that a female child star turned out to not be the darling American Idol that they and their children would expect from young pop/tv stars.Come on...was it really THAT long ago that Lindsay Lohan wasn't our little darling ginger-nut anymore?I'm just getting sick of seeing her on TV. I go out of my way NOT to watch Hannah Montana, and now I'm forced to see that toothy grin of hers on every channel.
It's mental.

Moving on,
--Reverend Wright--
Am I the only one who thought (from a non-religious standpoint) that Rev. Wright gave a pretty decent/entertaining/moving speech? It almost makes you forget how much of a jackass he is...First off, let me state--for the record--that I hate that the media is telling him he needs to shut up and keep questioning why he does and says the things he does.He says and does the things he does because he's GETTING THE WHOLE WORLD'S ATTENTION via THE MEDIA
...and...
becausehe'sgotaBOOKcomingout...shh.

I feel bad for Barack Obama, in a way...I mean, it's his fault for associating himself with this guy so closely...and when you associate yourself with a religious nutjob (n.b. religious AND a nutjob...one doesn't necessary have anything to do with the other.I feel bad that Obama has stood by this guy and his rights, even though he doesn't agree with him...

...and still gets fucked over by the guy when he (Wright) says things like "Oh, Obama's just playing politics".

Mr. Wright, this candidate put his campaign on the line for your wacky-ass and you continue to take something out on him.I fully defend the Reverend's right to free speech and even find some truth in what he's been saying; but, where is his morality? If he and Obama are really supposed to be friends (former or present)...give the guy a break.

Personally, I think Obama should have took ZERO responsability for the Reverend's words...and merely concluded to the press: "Ya know what, he's just a man saying what most of America is feeling in their hearts, and, as president, I hope to put an end to that resentment."

I don't know...this stuff has just been bugging me big time and I thought I'd get it off my chest. I have more to share, but not much time (I'm at work). Please feel free to disagree with me completely. :o)

_Alex

An Argument for Roxborough

M. Night Shyamalan's work has gone downhill. After Unbreakable, his films were barely watchable. This being said, I look up to him for his dedication to the Philadelphia area...specifically, the areas that rarely appear in films.

Many people (mostly tourists) are awe-inspired by the Philadelphia Art Museum steps that Rocky jumped up and down on...I really don't find it all that appealing; in fact, it's actually kind of annoying that when people think of the Art Museum, they immediately consider Rocky.

I enjoy the small selection of scenes from The Sixth Sense and the plethora of footage from Unbreakable that I can walk to within ten minutes of my apartment. Neither of these films were particuarly groundbreaking by any means; however, I have learned to appreciate more and more the kind of dedication that comes from going back and considering where you came from when you make it in the real world.

Roxborough is by no means "the Real world". Most people born in Roxborough--though it pains me to say--die in Roxborough. It is one of the best neighborhoods in Philadelphia as far as safety and quality of life is concerned, but take a good hard look...

Roxborough is overwhelmingly blue-collar and traditional. It is a decent combination of the beautiful qualities of Suburbia, mixed with the low-brow and "common-man" qualities of northern PA. Not to say that the fine people of Roxborough are stupid, or that Suburban life is in any way better; however, you must understand this analogy to understand what Roxborough is actually like.

Most of Roxborough is white and (if there still is one) middle class.
The traditions that were in place when our parents were young are still very much carried out by the elderly of today.
The people of Roxborough aren't necessarily bigots or racists (though some are, just as anywhere else)...but they enjoy a sense of separation of cultures and types of people...
...which is sort of ironic when you consider that a majority of Roxborough's white youth attempts to emulate black culture in every way possible.

Roxborough and it's neighbor, East Falls, are dank and often depressing. Some areas are beautiful and bright as well. Roxborough has awesome woods and hiking territory as well as (what may be) the only farmland in Philadelphia.

I think there is a poetry to this town that can't quite be explained unless you think about it, which the people of Roxborough are rarely willing to do (unless they're drunk).

I'm proud to be a member of this little society even though I bash it so much. It's almost like something you love to hate...a guilty pleasure, perhaps.

That being said, I think it is the perfect setting for a neo-noir film...and I want to do it. I want to highlight all of the staples of this society and locations that everyone will recognize. I want to do this in a way that conveys the mood of the town as well as an overdramatized portrait of young life in a noir setting.

To be Continued...

Clean Up Philadelphia...Mop-It for Muppet!

Ever notice Michael Nutter's eerie likeness to a muppet? Specifically, BUNSEN? With this in mind...let's take it upon ourselves to clean up this city...or...Mop It For Muppet!

I think Nutter should scrap his Phillies commercial for Philly Clean Up and take on Bunsen...
...for the sake of science, of course.

the Year of the Rat

"The Year of the Rat" is a concept I have for a neo noir film that takes place in Roxborough/Manayunk.
If you are unfamiliar with the setting, please consult: http://www.roxboroughtrash.blogspot.com/



The premise I have a mind involves a young man whose older sister has gone missing. She is presumed dead; however, the young man receives a package that is addressed to her. He and his friend go in search of the origins of the package only to discover that the girl isn't really dead. Can the young man track down his sister before the delivery boys find her first?

Of course, this is only one premise and will probably change shape...

Commons. (image)

This is a publicity image I created...just to visualize the characters...it's fun to do sometimes.
If you see anyone you know in this picture...don't get TOO excited. :o)
They COULD be actors...but not necessarily.

Commons.

We are currently in the process of writing a television show called "COMMONS."

The show is about a group of four disenchanted college students starting out their Freshman year at Schmidt University (Philadelphia) in 1994.

It is a Comedy/Drama.

The characters are:

Andrew Merchant
Seona "Chuck" Charles
Brandon Riley
Mark Goldstein


Research of the 90's is going well and it's taking some exciting turns.

I'll keep you posted!

ACTION DAN!

Here are a few "animation" clips featuring a created character known only as ACTION DAN!
I hope you enjoy!









This is an intro for a segment in a hypothetical Television Show called "Moustache TV".

Demo Videos

It came to my attention that I don't really have many examples of my wider spectrum of work on what is supposed to be my "professional" website...so, here are a few.




This is an Animation where a Monster loses his heart.





This is a video I shot for Cole Selleck. He edited it.





This is a PSA I shot for Cole Selleck. He edited it.





This was an editing test for myself...Acting out a small scene from Daniel Clowes' "Death Ray".





This is "JavaWar", a short mockumentary I wrote, shot, and edited.





This is a commercial I did for a pretend-candy bar. It has no exiting logos or effects, just simple editing and music.





This was another screen test featuring a short scene from Daniel Clowes' "The Death Ray".





This video is an editing test featuring an intro to Daniel Clowes' "The Death Ray".





This is an adaptation of Daniel Clowes' "I Hate You Deeply: Starring Lloyd Llewellyn".





This short "trailer" is an After Effects test featuring scenes from (once again) Daniel Clowes' "The Death Ray".





This short Ad is for an album that my band never really released...just handed out...





This clip is a short out-take from my first television studio project entitled "That's My Jesus!". The clip never made it into the show because it simply contained our actor complaining about his day. Nevertheless...funny.

SLUMBERLAND, PA

Genre: Romantic Dramedy

Log Line: A Seminary student with insomnia returns home after five years for his estranged mother's funeral, finding new relationships in unexpected places.

Audience: Young Adults--Mature

Synopsis:
Nikolai Lupus is a twenty-three year old Seminarian who believes he has a chronic sleeping disorder. He is an insomniac who finds himself wandering in a sleep-deprived state. From the beginning, he almost drowns during one of these night trips. His Catholic father died when he was eight years old, leaving Nikolai with his Jewish mother and two sisters until his mother remarried when he was 16 and had another daughter.
Upon returning to the Seminary, Nikolai is informed that his mother has just passed away and he is to return to his home in Northern Pennsylvania for the funeral.


Along with his longtime friend, Luka Boyle, Nikolai returns back to a home he hasn't seen in over five years. When they return, they frequent a diner where they meet a friendly waitress named Val.


Though the connection seems apparent right away, Nikolai chooses to ignore his interest in Val because of his priesthood.
Later that night, because Nikolai is uncomfortable entering his house when everyone is asleep, the two young men walk to a Karaoke Bar. In the bar, Nikolai finds Val again, giving herself sexually to anyone who will have her. He attempts to steal Val from the bar crowd, but she fights him off and Nikolai returns home.

The next morning, Nikolai meets his family again who resents him for leaving them alone. He now has three sisters; a twin sister named Suri, a younger sister named Wednesday, and a sever-year-old half sister named Ashley. He also has a step father, Paul, who Nikolai has resented from the day he married his mother. Finally, living in the basement, is Paul's son from a previous marriage: Colton.

Later that day, a trip to a wild party brings Colton, Nikolai, and Wednesday closer together; as well as makes Luka see that he may have feelings for Nikolai's 18 year old sister.
After a fight, they are thrown out of the party.
Nikolai sneaks out to the Karaoke bar later that night and runs into Val. He tries to convince her to change her ways, but she leaves with another man.

Soon, he is rejoined by Wednesday, Luka, and Colton who had followed him on yet another sleep-deprived journey. They have fun, singing and talking and when Val makes a triumphant return, Nikolai finally finds his place.
She tells him to meet her back at the bar the next night.

The next day, Nikolai prepares for his mother's funeral. He is reminded of all of the attitude he's given his mother in the past and that he never really made her feel loved. Also, he realizes that the only reason he joined the Seminary in the first place was because he wanted to find a way to connect with his dead father. He finds an even bigger connection with his little half-sister and therefore, with the entire family.

When Nikolai and Luka meet back with Val that night, they begin a long journey across Pennsylvania to find a place that she remembers from her youth as "Slumberland".


I am currently in the process of acquiring an Agent for this Screenplay and I will be posting updates as they come! :o)