Memorial Day Film Festival

Here's the trailer from a World War II action flick featuring a cast of top character actors. In addition to the usual Americans from different walks of life ("We're all in this together."), the film included a pacifist, a nasty S.O.B., and Desi Arnaz. As I recall from seeing the movie, the hand-to-hand fighting scenes were raw and brutal, war at its most visceral level. Yes, there's Yank heroism, but the audience is told victory will take hard, unflinching, even heartless men. Worth a look as it was made at a time when things on the battlefield still weren't going all our way.

Sit-Com Report

Finally heard back from my agent. She enjoyed the sit-com, liked the story, but felt the three main characters needed a bit more distinguishing. Fair enough. And not a particularly thorny fix, as these matters go.  As often happens, the material execs will read changes with the seasons. For a long time they wanted a sample of a currently running sit-com. Since the great sit-com die-off, they now want an original script. Also, I learned one of the major animation studios is reluctant to even take pitches from me since one exec doesn't feel anything I've written is "funny enough." That's like sending back a cup of coffee because the liquid isn't "wet enough." Idiosyncratic. Unanswerable. But bound to change once the new script gets out there.

As to my paying animation gig, I've completed the outline and will send it out on the morrow. That means income. I'm faint and girlish thinking about it. 

My friend Dale, whom I've written about for the last two years, has taken another head-butt from cancer. He's been opened up so many times his stomach has lost all elasticity, intestines tied and re-tied into a complicated mess. On Sunday, he was rushed in for emergency surgery after a leak had developed in his mangled guts. And while Dale survived, his pain is immense. When I saw him today, his eyes were popped out from all the morphine. We sat and watched Hawaii 5-0 until he fell asleep. 

Keep him in your prayers, as well as his family. They watch and wait. 

Sam Plenty and The Power of Dos

Evil better watch its dribbly backside as Sam Plenty hooks up with fellow world-saver El Bondigas.

Running Rocks in Hard Times

MDW sent me this on hitting the road when money erodes.

Hurry Up the Video

Ace poster Takineko showcases Anamaniacs' sculpture over at her blog. (And kindly adds a shout-out to Paul Rugg and I.)

Unconventional

A marathoning friend from Team in Training is a big Trek fan. (Though not a Trekkie as he maintains interests in sports and dating girls.) He suggested we hit the Las Vegas Star Trek convention in August. Las Vegas in August is hotter than a Klingon chili cook-off, but it might be worth the experience for the experience. 

On top of my planned one-day excursion to Comic Con, I'll be fat with conventions this year.

Paperwork

I'm reading over the contract for my half-hour script. It's fifteen pages long. The script itself is only thirty pages long. Apparently, the studio won't be comfortable unless I sign over all gas, oil and mineral rights to any land I may walk across during the execution of the script, plus agree to mediate disputes before a tribunal consisting of attorneys related to studio executives.

It's a simple business where a man's handshake is his bond.

Estonian Documentary

The protagonist of my short story has shifted from a friendly guy to a snarky Bill Mahr-like fellow. I'm not sure how this happened, but it eliminated a plot point that kept growing more contrived each draft. As this is a horror story with most of the characters biting it, the change works better.

Just saw an amazing documentary on Estonia. When it comes to the screwed-over-nation-derby, Estonia is neck-and-neck with South Vietnam, Poland and Cambodia. (Plus neighbors Lithuania and Latvia.) Conquered by the Soviets, then the Nazis, then the Soviets again, Estonia was absorbed into the Soviet Union and held captive for over over 50 years. The people used a national song festival to keep alive Estonian culture and, eventually, win independence without violence. What a great feature film this would make. Alas, Hollywood would change the bad guys from Commies to the Vatican, make all the songs rap, and let J.J. Abrams direct so you couldn't tell what what the heck was going on.

Trailer: Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus

h/t: Hot Air

Cavalcade of Reviews

Alert Troy notes additional Freak II DVD reviews here, as well as here and this one here. Overall, quite kind to the Guy with Lightning in his Hair.

New Star Trek

In the midst of writing a short story that seems to mirror the stimulus package - a massive tome crammed with wads of fat - I took my wife to see Star Trek. Overall, I enjoyed it. I thought the director overdirected much of the action stuff. Close-ups, zippy cuts, and a hyperactive camera overwhelmed certain scenes. There's nothing wrong with letting action speak for itself. But time and styles change.

Live long and perspire!