What is Today?

Today is don't-mess-with-your-35-year-old-drunken-son-when-he-wakes-up-at-noon-with-a-hangover-day.

Video: Comedian Jeff Lewis Explores Today's Youth

Former Acme comic Jeff Lewis does what comics do: make their own short films. Very funny.

5minutehour via Scott Kreamer on Facebook

Another Life Lives

Nate Ruegger continues to stack up kudos for his film, Another Life.

Simpsons Banksy Opening

The Simpsons featured a new opening by UK graffiti artist Banksy depicting the show's animation and merchandising being created in a squalid, dungeon-like sweat shop. It's already been pulled from EW.com. Is this a case of "I'm guilty over exploiting foreigners, but I'll take the money anyway" or more over-the-top Simpsons humor?

h/t: paxarako!

Success Secrets

I'm happy for them!!












via Webless Ken

Cracked Link to Silly Ways of Nasty Leaders

We're so hard on our blood-thirsty dictators, judging them for things like killing millions while neglecting the whole person. Learn here about their life-affirming habits.
Via Cracked

Cleese Crushed in Divorce

One of my favs, John Cleese, gets taken to the cleaners, the grocery store, and a small doughnut shop by his ex-wife. In need of funds, he is now available for children's parties and company picnics.

Injury Depression Bloat

Fat suit. That's what I face this Saturday. I have a wedding to attend. I must wear a suit. But I have a big weight problem brought on by depression and overeating. (Starting in mid-August when my knee tanked.) For the last two weeks its been a lot of broccoli and salads. Off to the gym in a half-hour to sweat a bit. I feel like a wrestler trying to cut weight. Or a guy who sits around in sweat pants at a computer all day wondering where the pounds came from.

Link to Onion Screenplay Article

Sometimes they need tweaking.

Submission

This guy is only half-kidding.

Writerly Pep Talk

From the ashes arises the City of Tucson...or a phoenix. In any case, author J.K. Rowling cites failure as a catalyst to success.

Dim-Witted PSA

A ghastly reminder from the UK government to cut your carbon emissions; once again proving you catch more flies with honey than murderous carnage.

mangoswiss via James Delingpole

Link to Strange Las Vegas Story

Hotel features snazzy new pool and death ray.

Link to Hobbit Troubles

The Hobbit continues its uphill battle toward production.

Danny Does Gandhi

An actor prepares.

Inside The Actor's Workshop with Danny DeVito from David Mamet

via funny or die

M. Night Devil Parody

Confirmation that Devil could be the end of all things M. Night.

via Ace of Spades

Reading Over Surfing

My friend Bernadette had this up on Facebook, touting a book that examines the importance of reading books in the face of Internet fun.

Ace Holds Forth

Former Acme chum Adam Carolla shares a few modest opinions with Reason TV.

Tom Sheppard in the Paper

Freakazoid!/ P&B writer Tom Sheppard got mentioned in the LA Times for his YouTube work. Tom's a good fellow, deserving of continued success.
Via Julie McNally Cahill on Facebook

Review: Devil

High concept: people trapped in an elevator and one of them is the Devil. Now add a game of Spin the Bottle and you have the ingredients for a top-notch horror/thriller, produced by suspense king M. Night Shyamalan. Directed by the Dowdle Brothers, the film's use of Satan in a simple childhood activity undermines innocence and reveals the dark side of humanity. Featuring a cast of little-known actors, the movie unfolds in a Philadelphia office building. Five people stuck in an elevator unmask one of their own as the Devil. Waiting for rescue, they grow bored and spin the Devil around on the floor. Whoever his horns point to when he stops must tell a sin. The Devil promises to reward the biggest sinner with political power, gold and carbon off-sets. However, all the spinning makes the Devil ill. Suffering from motion sickness, the Father of Lies upchucks inside the elevator. The horrified passengers now learn that Satan had tangerines for lunch. Brian Nelson's 75-minute script, with a story credit by suspense king M. Night Shyamalan, keeps you on the edge of your seat and will do to elevators what Psycho did to shower stalls. Rated PG-13 for language and depicting citrus fruit as disgusting.

Commence to Read

Ever grown up? Started something? Opened a door for the first time? Check out the writing at Dysfunctional Beginnings and give yourself a fresh start.

My Latest Writing Formula

I've finished the next part of the novel's first draft. It comes out to exactly 27,522 words. Throw in my original story and you've got about 150 pages of mostly junk. I'll take a wee break, then write the last section. I've stopped trying to craft coherent sentences and have settled on a method that is part writing, part outline, part stream-of-consciousness, and a lot of notes to myself. In any case, like the erosion of the Rocky Mountains, I'm getting there.

9/11

From two years ago.

Nuts About Craig's List

Nineteen top posts on Craig's List. Much to like here.
Via My blogless friend, Ken.

Cthulhu Con A'Coming

A film festival devoted entirely to all things Lovecraft. This weekend in LA and October 1 - 3 in Portland. Having just sold a Lovecraft-inspired short story to Necrotic Tissue, I'm thinking of heading down there and hobnobbing with my fellow Lovecraftians. The event motto is: "The only festival that understands." Ieeeee to that.

via Mike M. on Facebook
Video: mikeboas

Review: Machete

A breathtaking film, Machete is director Robert Rodriguez homage to beloved children’s tale Charlotte’s Web. Set in the southwest, the film employs the subtle storytelling and layered characterizations that have built Rodriguez’s reputation as the David Lean of Texas. Teen heartthrob Danny Trejo portrays Machete, a blade-packing, Wilbur-like character. Forced to move about like a runt pig in order to remain alive, Machete lives on the allegorical chopping block. In a deft choice, Rodriguez crafts a web of racism and corruption that only Machete can slice. Rotten Senator McLaughlin (Robert DeNiro) is the anti-Charlotte. He is assisted by Michael Booth (Jeff Fahey), a hate-filled businessman who kills illegal immigrants and grinds their bones into bone powder. But Machete has his own Templeton the Rat—Shé (Rebecca Rodriguez). Shé is a taco-truck driving revolutionary who hopes to reclaim Texas for Mexico. Once back in the right hands, Texas will be transformed into a paradise, modeled after the Swiss-like order and civic honesty of Tijuana. Rich with themes of loyalty and undying friendship, Machete, not surprisingly, includes a scene at the Texas State Fair. There, Machete wins a blue ribbon for throwing knives at a spinning target on which is tied a pretty girl in tights (Lindsay Lohan). I believe E.B. White would heartily approve.

Patsy Cline Bio Piece

Patsy Cline would be 78 today. Check out my mini bio of the talented, but doomed, country/pop star.

Circuit Riding

Speaking of buzz, Nate Ruegger does the necessary work to promote his film.

The Year in Fiction

Back in 2009 around this time I wrote a post in which I hoped to sell ten short stories in six months. (Note: the fire I mentioned finally went out and Colin Wells returned safely home from Afghanistan, got married and is completing his Army service.)

I have sold 4 stories—my sidebar tells the tale—out of 21 submissions with one story still out. I expanded a short story into a novella which I'm now expanding into a several hundred page novel.

For the last three years, animation writing has morphed into a maze consisting mostly of dead ends. That could change rapidly, but so far has resisted the impulse.

In any case, nothing gets finished by wishing and wanting, so on I go. Halloween is my deadline for finishing the novel's first draft. I hate and resent the novel. It's like a five-pound bee you can neither kill nor drive from your home.

October 31. Death to the bee!

Review: The Last Exorcism

Teen comedies aren't my first choice, but "The Last Exorcism" had me chuckling like a fat man in a dryer. This light-hearted spoof of religion, dating, and southern mores carried with it the bawdy overtones of American Beauty combined with the serio-comedic stylings of John Hughes' Breakfast Club. Director Daniel Stamm employed a first-person camera ala "Blair Witch" in this often touching tale of 16-year-old Nell Sweetzer (Ashley Bell) who finds she has a demon in her life and must grapple with maturing needs as well as those of an evil being from Hell who desires her degradation and destruction. Patrick Fabian portrays Cotton Marcus, a cynical preacher called upon to exorcise Nell at a remote Louisiana farm. Fabian captures the same hapless frustration as Jeffrey Jones' principal in "Ferris Bueller." Writers Huck Botko and Andrew Gurland weren't afraid to insert a little slapstick as Cotton Marcus and Iris Reisen (Iris Bahr) discover slaughtered cattle, then share a scene straight out of Johnny Puleo and the Harmonica Gang. Unknown Caleb Landry Jones steals the film as Nell's brother Caleb, exhibiting an innocent buffoonery reminiscent of beloved Mexican funny man Cantinflas. "Last Exorcism" hits all the right notes for a late-summer, light-hearted romp to take your mind off the heat and give the funny bone a good workout. (Rated 'R' for scenes of torture and mutilation.)

Thar She Blows!

They couldn't find a large enough jar of sleeping pills.
via Drudge Report

Bollywood Rocks

Another tedious gabby film from India

via Hot Air

Review: The Expendables

This classic European mood-piece featured long establishing shots, talky scenes inserted for tone, and searing close ups of tormented characters adrift in a world devoid of action, reduced to lashing out at each other with knives and guns which symbolized the clever, hurtful sarcasm that really wounds. Director Stallone's use of outer violence to mirror inner turmoil was well-intentioned but too subtle to be very effective. Giselle Iti's Sandra was the perfect post-modern, feminist heroine, isolated in a culture that saw her only in terms of gender: general's daughter, revolutionary, nation builder. In a pivotal role, Senyo Amoaku portrayed the Tall Pirate, the Every Man for our own inner tall pirate; that part of us who is always asking, bargaining, threatening hostages with machetes.

In general a thoughtful film to be discussed over espresso and macaroons. All I can say is: bring a hankie.

Link to Read Comics in Public Day

Geek O System alerts us to tomorrow: Read Comics in Public Day. I always thought comic book ads were tough to beat. They're an interesting piece to any business model.

Texas Freakazoid Shirts!

Combined with takineko exploring the wonders of Laptop Face.

Author Reading on a Hot Afternoon

Yesterday afternoon, my friend Bernadette organized a reading in a private home. About eight authors presented an eclectic mix of poetry and prose. My wife read a short story she's intending to send out. And, despite a five-minute time limit, I got a good response from "Dagon and Jill." (At least the portion I could read in five minutes.) Hot as the surface of Mercury outside, but the air conditioning worked and there were numerous fresh-baked goodies. We stole several small, easily pawnable items from our host but we're caught and asked to return them. This marred the event somewhat, but will make a nice story for the next one.

Fest Control

Belated congrats to director Nathan Ruegger whose film Another Life was accepted into the Temecula Valley International Film Festival. Follow his Hollywood journey at Another Life in Film.

Well Said, Don Roff

Over at Forces of Geek, author Roff offers sage advice on meeting the daily word count. I've encountered many of his pitfalls enroute to my own 1k a day.

My wife and I are away this afternoon to a gathering of fellow writers. There we'll each read a few pages from our various works. (I'll present about 5 minutes worth from the recently purchased "Dagon and Jill.") Nice people, good atmosphere, free food—everything a writer needs.

Piranha 3D

i09 has this baby's number.

Batman Beyond on DVD

All of it, the complete series. I was fortunate enough to pen two episodes and this nice site mentioned me along with the talented artists and writers who made "Beyond" an interesting, fun iteration of the Batman saga.
Via Danny Barer

Freak/Cosgrove Tale

Maz' story more directly reached here.

Links to Ruegger Art and a Freak/Cosgrove Adventure

Scroll down as Maz envisions a Freakazoid!/Cosgrove adventure. (My only quibble involved the monkeys' fate. I believe they would be dressed as evil scuba divers first.)

In addition:

A few drawings from Sam.

Tom renders Yolko and the life of a Basset Hound.

New Still Playing With Toys

A site for sore eyes. Bad cyber neighbor that I am, Troy Benjamin's site Still Playing With Toys upgraded two months ago into this really neat blog with lots of video and commentary on Troy's work as "value added" director for DVDs such as Johnny Bravo and Freakazoid! Give him a double-eyed peek.

Writing News

"Death Honk" remains front page at the Journal of Microliterature. Stop by and give it your finest read.

Also, "Fresh Ideas" clings to the #2 Top Story spot at Every Day Fiction. If deemed appropriate, more nice votes would help stave off the latest stories seeking to topple me from my second place perch.

The novel has been temporarily benched as I crank out a short story for an anthology with a due date of Aug. 31. In addition, I may begin working on a Young Adult novel involving a teenage protagonist and a creepy menace only he can see and no one else wants to acknowledge. Much will depend on how much interest exists for such a work in the Young Adult publishing world.

Today! New tires! Why didn't I lead with this? Ohhh, nuts. Brand new tires for meeeee!!

In Print This January...

The wise, thoughtful editorial staff at Necrotic Tissue have purchased my short story, "Dagon and Jill" for publication in issue #13 coming out January 2011. "Dagon and Jill" explores the results of mixing multiculturalism with H.P. Lovecraft. (Think of it as PC Lovecraft.)

In addition, I've been selected as an Editor's Pick, which means I'm paid at the professional rate of 5 cents a word. Unfortunately, its too late to "plump up" the story to take advantage of this unexpected bounty.

Thanks to all who've stopped by and read "Death Honk." It's featured front and center on the Journal of Microliterature through Sat. Aug. 21. Now back to all things novel.

Three Beeps for "Death Honk"

"Death Honk" posted at the Journal of Microliterature as the featured story for this week. What would you do for a job? What does Kevin do? Read and know, leave a comment, have some coffee, all in the order you find most pleasing.

Amazing WW II Footage

Sixty-five years ago, Japan surrendered ending World War II. My father was stationed on Okinawa with the Army engineers and the end of hostilities kept him from building airfields during Operation Downfall, the planned invasion of Japan. Allied casualties were projected to be heavy, thus my future writing career was saved by good fortune and the atomic bomb.

Here's remarkable color footage from 1945 Honolulu.
via Ace of Spades

"Death Honk" Tomorrow

Flash fiction piece "Death Honk" debuts on the Journal of Microliterature starting Sunday, Aug. 15 for seven of your standard Earth days. Drop by for a flash read, leave a comment or two, then go about your lives refreshed and secure in the knowledge that you now know a death honk from a casual beep.

738 words into today's 1K. I'm stacking up the chapters, but the pace is wearying. Perhaps a day off on the Sabbath to read what I've written this week and see if it makes any sense. (Even if it doesn't, I'm pressing on.)

Nostalgia Critic Interview Notes

An impressive job by the Nostalgia Critic. The interviews were conducted via Skype with each interviewee responsible for filming their end. Then the film was uploaded to NC who combined five different cameras and sound levels with his own set-up. A very ala carte process that came together in post. Well done, I say.

BTW: Interviews were conducted individually over the course of a week.

Link to Nostalgia Critic: Animaniacs Interviews

Find them in all their lucid glory right here.