Separated at birth

Ha, a teaser for the upcoming blog post about something special. But, seriously... this.

Money Shot

I have just begun pre-production on another short entitled "Money Shot." I've created a Facebook page where I will updating the steps along the way. Like the page to keep in the loop.

Matt Wilkinson, producer of "The Bet," has agreed to help with the producing duties. Chris Smith, co-writer of "The Bet," is currently rewriting the script. Francis George is on board to serve as director of photography.

The script is based on the short story "Green Eyes" - available in the collection Suffer. The story is about a retired adult film star forced to rethink his decision to leave the porn business when a mysterious stalker attacks him with questions... and a nail gun.

The teaser poster has also been created. Click to embiggen (open a new window).

Writeaholic?

So I'm 75% through Beautiful (for the second time) and revisiting Detox to see if there's a way to punch it up and get it sold. And I'm toying with an idea that could maybe be a feasible next short. And by "could" and "maybe" I mean "if I can figure out a way to do it with minimal cash investment." It technically shouldn't be much bigger of a budget than "The Bet," but I used up all my favors to get that one made. I'm gonna have to put my cash where my ideas are this time out.

Not giving up on it yet. I'll write the script while procrastinating writing (or rewriting) the others. And then, find something else to write. Lord knows there are plenty of ideas scratching to get out. Writing is, luckily, free.

Lucky number 7

This weekend I got my 7th tattoo. It was a sorta last-minute thing. We had planned a weekend trip to San Francisco mainly to get away to celebrate our 15th anniversary and my two-score birthday by going to Alcatraz (fitting, i know). (side note, Mythbusters is doing Alcatraz escapes). I've been jonesing for a tattoo for the past three years or so, and my wife, when planning the SF excursion, found Black Heart tattoo and made an appointment. I'm Mr Controlling with the tattoos, but decided, after seeing the old school (Sailor Jerry-style) tats the artist I was booked with did, decided to get a very Vegas-y tattoo. Born and raised in Vegas and working in the casino industry, I thought it would be a nice marriage of career and passion by getting an old-school tattoo that might have been stabbed into some guy who just won $100 on the slots in 1958 on his way back to the military. So, I pretty much just told the artist (Nick Rodin) that I was a Vegas native, worked in Vegas-style industry and wanted old-school ink to reflect that. Dice, slots, a showgirl, whatever.

When he was done, the artist said, "bet you were thinking, 'he's trying to make it show up on the other side'" because he was pushing so hard. True. I've never had that kind of pain with a tattoo.

Ow.

It's also my first color tattoo. And I like it. Wrong dice numbering and color and all.

By the way, this was taken at the Alcatraz waiting line.

Diversity Champion

As part of my new corporate life, I was required to attend a two-day Diversity Workshop - basically a team building leadership experience. I was, from the onset, opposed to the very idea of it. There were some comments from people that really freaked me out ("spooked the herd" as they say).

I'm not a very social person - especially in new situations. I take a long time to warm up to people - at least as far as they know. And I refuse to reveal what's inside for even longer. So, in two days...? You're getting nothing.

What sucks is that the second day, they challenged us to really give it everything we had. I was tired. I was over it. But, had I listened... I definitely would have - as they promised - gotten a lot more from it. There were so many times when my instincts (possibly persuaded by the constant mantras) were deafening in my head, but I was hesitant to act. I knew what I felt was right, but I didn't want to stand out. I now know how wrong I was to keep it inside.

Am I going to change? I can't help but. Big sweeping changes? No. But I kept a little memento as a reminder of a promise to myself (and made a promise to someone else). I made good (a bit) on the first promise. I hope to make good on the second (cos it's a lot more fun!).

Prom Night

Apparently I wasn't a Jamie Lee Curtis Fan Boy. Despite my horror geekiness spawned in the mid-'80s, i'd never seen seen terror train, nor prom night - the two big post-Halloween, Curtis starrers. Well, I've finally seen Prom Night, and, well... meh. I know had I been on the bandwagon then, I'd have followed the progression, but my parents wouldn't let me watch "those movies," nor could i blame them since, at 10, these 1981 slasher films caused them as many sleepless night as i had. but this entry is, at least from a nostalgic-friendly, modern-aware review, at best, meh.

what's your favorite horror film...

Or horror film moment, or most terrifying moment? When, while watching a horror film did you think, "oh, crap, i can't do this anymore!" what made you jump after watching a horror film. basically, share your horror film experiences as they encroached into the real world.
For weeks after seeing The Blair Witch Project, my wife and I... hallucintated. We saw shit that wasn't there, like walking up to the house and she turned to me after i thought i'd seen something in the front window and said, "you saw it, too?"
That sort of thing.

Wicked Little Things

Not a bad film. Definitely nice looking. But I can't stand Scout Taylor-Compton. Had a few decent scares, some blood. It just lacked that certain something.