The New Years Toss Up

I really haven't decided what do to about New Years Eve celebrations. The original plan was to go to Times Square tonight. I've lived in NYC for two years and haven't yet seen the ball drop live. The thing is I'd also like to get an early start tomorrow and start the trip off and the two plans don't really compliment eachother. But I'm here and I have a friend to celebrate the end of the year with, so it seems like I might as well end it with a big tado. Plus besides going out to eat and some pool playing, we haven't done much with the outside world yet. But then again its really all about the trip at this point and maybe a Times Square late night bash is too much to ask for, especially when considering the masses and the unfortunate hassle of crowded subways and getting back to the apartment.

Speaking of the trip, we started talking about the possibility of actual encountering spirits and what our strategy would be. The two options seem to be meet back to back, or of course RUN. The thing is we have purposefully found the creepiest places to go with the most belligerent spirits/activity we could find, ie. spirits chasing after you, attacking your car. And honestly I don't think knives are going to defend us and though not bringing holy water could prove a mistake, I think holy water is rather silly and don't place much trust in it protecting me. Wednesday, the night of the full moon, we are going to a forest where all sorts of weird shit goes down. Then there's the haunted undergroud tunnel, where you can hear childrens' voices whispering, "come on, come on." We consquently spooked each other the fuck out last night. But then again, it's kind of what the trip is about. I just realized more or less last night, that this is a crazy ass plan. We have no idea how to combat angry spirits.

SUSHI GUSHI

Really much wasnt done today except planning for Adventure 2007. The fat ass and I went to a near-by Sushi place at Ditmars. I ate there once before and besides it being a REALLY nice experience, it was the sushi I've ever had, so I wanted to have him taste their cuts. I opted for a sashimi dish, in which the cook selected the type of fish/seafood whatnot, because I was feeling adventurous. Though I did request the yellowtail, because last time I couldnt believe how good it was. Lunch/dinner was VERY VERY good. I just wish that the cook had included the eel, because I wanted to try it out. Now I am equally in love with the yellow tail and the salmon. MMMMMMmmmmm!!!! Its SOOO good! Thank you, you know who, for bringing me into the sushi world. What a world it is! Next time I'm trying the eel and at least one other undiscovered sashimi type. Sushi Gushi.... was a theory that accused the Japanese goodness for stomach aches, but it was in fact alcohol consumed too quickly...and probably mixing 7 up, OJ and apple cider.

Oh and I also was the billards champion today. That would be four games. Crushing victories? Well, no, but victories nonetheless.

The Countdown Begins

I am outside smoking and IM'ing when behind me sneaks a most suspicious character. It was David T. Fatass. He is here and the events are set in motion. After going to the Igloo, we returned to the shack to watch POC 2, well Dave mostly watched as I sharpened our blades, yes our blades with the wet stone he brought. We are readying for a battle with ghosts, we need sharp blades. And holy water, which we will procure from various NYC churches tomorrow. Booze then followed and continued and continues, and banana bread. Watched some Extras clips, some SNL clips, some horny manatee (conan) clips. Perhaps this all seems a little nonsensical... well good then.

January 3rd is the full moon and we must reach a worthy place to exact our mortal wrath. There has been some contemplation of preparation, like flares and well, as Dave puts it, "yeah we're dead." ADVENTURE RIGHT AHEAD!!!

EXTRAS!

Holy shit!!! Now I know I am a little in the dark with some shows, not having cable and all. But this show REALLY knocked me over. I found it on youtube. It a British sitcom called Extras. Apparently there is an America version on HBO, but honestly I can't imagine it being more funny than the Enlgish.
Of course being a full-time extra myself, there is an implied relation I have to the program. It is a completely honest behind-the-scenes look at the industry as I have seen it so far. And though the celebrity guest roles are really exagerrated, I really don't think they are TOO TOO far off reality with SOME celebrities out there. Besides it is off the wall funny! So if you want to see a completely vain Orlando Bloom showing off his own magazine features, Daniel Radcliffe carrying around used condoms, Warick Davis being knocked unconscious, or Kate Winslet instructing on phone sex, I have provided the following links. The two leads of the show also do a bang up job!!

I NEED to buy the first season DVD!!!!!

Daniel Radcliffe

Orlando Bloom

Kate Winslet and Cerebral Palsy

My Bible

Whenever I am in doubt, whenever I found myself lost, whenever I have unanswered questions, my bible puts me on the right path, the way to righteouosness. It's The Screenwriter's Bible by David Trottier, a guide to writing, formatting and selling your script. I mostly use it for formatting purposes, but I have definately appreciated the keen insight to the script structure, elements, devices and whatnot. It seems any time I am not sure how to properly format a less used device within a script, all I have to do is look in this little gem of literary reference and there is the answer. Its true that there are all kinds of ways to format different stuff within a script, but certainly some ways make much more sense than others. I have been writing screenplays for about.... 10 years I guess, and since I bought this book, I haven't neglected it once while working on a script.

99% less contradictions than the original Bible.

Adventure 2007

Oh yeah BABY! It's nearly upon us. January 1st Dave and I are on the road. The idea is real simple. Start the new year with adventure, excitment, mystery and ghost hunting. If you ask me it's the perfect way to start things off. The plan is to drive south, where the climate is a little MORE inviting and where sleeping in the car is a possibility since 1: it makes the trip much more affordable and 2: who knows where the hell we will be on any particular day. The route is to go down to D.C., and likely go as far south as South Carolina. Right now we have Virgina somwhat planned with a haunted forest and a haunted underground railway and graveyeard of course. Honestly I am not sure how we will get into these places. It's possible we'll have to be real sneaky about it. And in hunting ghosts one must consider the possibility that one WILL actually encounter the paranormal and they might not be happy about it. The forest mentioned above actually stated many people have entered them and not returned. Is this hokey-ness or a genuine warning?.... we will find out.
There is more out there than ghosts, like a cannon that shoots nuclear weapons, an unnaturally blue lake that contains no life and sports white sand at the bottom, a hole that goes nowhere, an odd little place where all the steams go uphill. These are our destinations. Because we have so little of the trip actually planned out, it will be interesting to see where the road takes us. Hopefully to new bounds. Likely to new bounds. I look forward to Adventure 2007.

Inside Out

For some odd reason the majority of my clothes today have ended up on me inside out.

That's pretty much the most interesting thing I have going today. I've had trouble mustering either the energy or will to do much. Which has in turn put me in kind of a cranky mood. So to remedy that, I am went outside did some neccesary grocery shopping, I'm working out and I'm going to spend the rest of the night being productive in whatever manner I fancy, just as long as I am productive in some sense.

I returned home yesterday to find my newly purchased book waiting for me on the stairway. YAY for me! Its not quite as much help as I was hoping for research purposes and my script, but it does present my subjects viewpoint somewhat, which is in a way helpful.

Yeah like I said, wearing my clothes inside out is the best thing I got today.

A Terribly Gruesome Scene

Just a few random things:

I watched a bio today on Mary Pickford. Honestly, I didn't know who she even was, her name was familiar to me and that was about all. I'm always amazed when am introduced to facts and things that well... you'd think I know, like the yule log for instance. A burning log on TV? What? Anway, back to Mary Pickford. In the 20's she was an actress whose fame equaled Charlie Chaplin. She was essentially America's first Hollywood sweetheart. But she was quite a woman, constantly challenging her acting, the stories, the film medium, even the audiences with her endless creative ambitions. Known for her beauty she took roles that uglied her up, she played multiple roles in the same film, knowing that being so radical with her creative control (yes, she fought for creative control) could ruin her career. She started United Artists, and help run the distribution company, making it into a permier corporation. Her story is impressive, saddening, inspiring, romantic.... IMDB offers a small bio.....

Pickford on IMDB

Moving on:
I think TV/FILM productions really need to acknowledge that when people dig up graves, they don't do it in a perfect rectangle. I saw it both on programs last night and today. And it's just ridiculous.

Also, have you ever seen news casters try to act all human-like? It is the most bizarre scene! Mostly they try to take on human humor and then cover up their failed joke with lots of laughter and more adlibbing. Last night I was watching the news and they were celebrating someone's 20 year anniversary. And somehow by the time the tribute ended, all the news personalities were talking and walking, hands held, in a cirle. Like that Charley Brown special. Or wait, was that The Grinch That Stole Christmas? It was freaky creepy at any rate.
So I was making lunch today and preparing some beets. Yes, beets! I like beets! But the last few times that I have eaten beets the part where I get the beets out of the can have somehow gone horribly wrong, resulting in beet juice virtually everywhere. It happened again today. It always happens so quickly that I stand there in the aftermath, mouth stuck open, empty beet can in my left hand, fork in my right, both arms frozen, looking upon this great red mess. Is it worth it?

(shrugging shoulders)

Yeah.

Mmmm. Beets.

Hi.

It's been an incredible week of seeing real bodies, dead, preserved, exposed. Following sketchy Chinese salesmen into a lock and key hidden store to look at blackmarket namebrand purses. Doing the swindle instead of getting the swindle. Watching someone nearly blown away on the subway (luckily they were holding onto a railing.) Preparing for cash4cadavers 2007, preparing for Adventure 2007 (which I will explain in due time). Running to the front of subway trains to get the funpark view (and barely getting in before the doors close.) Relaxing, writing, lots of laughing.

The big question right now.... Am I getting sick or not? This is the second day that I've had a sore throat. And I've been sleeping alot this past week, well not ALOT, 8-10 hours a day, it's just I've slept like that in a while. IN FACT a couple of weeks again I was having alot of trouble sleeping. Plus my energy level is kind of down. I'd rather not be sick to tell you the truth, for everyone's sake.

I made the most magnificent breakfast this morning. Home fries, pancakes and eggs. With a cup of OJ. It was SOOOOO good. And just the right amount. I portioned the pancakes and homefries so that I can relive this breakfast early tomorrow morning before I get on the train. I'm looking forward to it.... Well, it's time to get to writing.

Peace out.

Peace out.

The 12 Woes of Christmas and MGU's

12. Crowded train

11. Forced travel

10. Christmas music everywhere (admittedly not a big deal since I don't hold a 9 to 5 now)

9. People flock stores and sidewalks showing christmas shoving spirit

8. No work for a good three weeks

7. Getting gifts for people when I've no idea what they want

6. Receiving gifts from people, I'm always uncomfortable (this goes for my bday as well)

5. Darting from family to family and working around everyone's schedules

4. the lost meaning of christmas

3. the original meaning doesn't apply to my personal beliefs anyway

2. I am going to list no work again because its a REALLY big one

1. The bullshit of it all

Lately I have noticed roaming around the city streets what I like to call MGU's or mobile god units. The first one I saw was a Christian MGU. A minivan driving down a major avenue, someone inside with a bullhorn, preaching about how Jesus will save us and whatnot. The funny part was that I working that day and the assistant director had himself a bullhorn. And he spouted back. You got to love bullhorn exhanges.

The second one I saw a few days ago on Lexington Ave. This was a Jewish MGU decked out with banners. This MGU wasn't so much preaching as it appeared to be celebrating. Just driving slowly down the avenue, playing some crazy ethnic music. A sort of party MGU. Yeah, that's about it.

A Most Complex Machine

Today I went to see Bodies: The Exhibition. For those of you that don't know what this is.... it's an exhibit that displays human bodies preserved in a process called plastination. The process not only preserves the bodies, but hardens them, giving them a plastic-like appearance. Basically you can look at the human body in several different views. One of the most striking were these two forms, each joined by the hands, pulling against eachother, one made of muscle and tendons, the other a clean skeleton. Then you learn these two halves actually are one man, his skeletal form and his muscular form. Am I explaining coherently? This is REALLY something you have to SEE to completely understand and appreciate. You can see the nervous system, spinal cord, laid out on a table, the entire arterial system encased in glass, lungs, the heart, the asshole, tying all the sytems together. It was fascinating and educating. I cannot believe what complex machines our bodies are. You MUST see this exhibit when in NYC. It's at the South Sea Port. GO!

p.s. go with the audio tour!!

Lettuce In Your Face

Well, I've done it again. I've invented a wonderfully simple and entertaining game. It's called, "Lettuce in Your Face." This is how it works. Use iceberg lettuce, because it's cheap and has virtually no nutritional value. Get it wilted, like the outside layer. Not brown and gross. Just soft and silky, so there are no hard edges. Get a couple of large pieces. Walk up to someone and ask them if they want to play a game. When they ask what the game is, you say, "well... (now the following words and actions are performed simultaneously) it's LETTUCE IN YOUR FACE!! (as you throw the leafs of lettuce in their face, not hard mind you, just fast enough to surprise them.) HOLY FUCK! Is this a fun game!!! And everyone likes it! Then you just keep calling out LETTUCE IN YOUR FACE as you exchance lettuce throws.

In other news. Tomorrow afternoon I return home. Alot of going back and forth this month, because of birthdays and silly holidays. My car is up and running, though with a few twitches that will probably result in another 600-800 bucks to fix. At this point I will either sell it as is, or keep the damn car for myself. I do love the car. I love its look, I love the way it drives, and I love the extended freedom I would get with it. So we'll see. I don't have the money to finish the repairs yet.

The passing of time never hits me quite as much as when I swipe my metrocard and it reads "insufficient funds." This means that a month has passed since I bought the card. I am ALWAYS surprised and often suspicious when this happens. Because time has passed SO quickly, I can't help but think the MTA is screwing me over. That's right, I'm squinting my eye at you MTA.

I am thinking this week is going to be dedicated to writing and the like, since I don't have much of a life. Fortunately I have much to write and much to get ready to mail out. Plus I will be getting research materials around Tuesday for my script, which I am anxious to dig into. I guess that's it. Bye.

Plan's Changed

I guess I am something of a procrastinator when it comes to planning the details of going to visit upstate. In my defense, it's because the way my job is, acting and the like, I never really know when I am working, since it's all about the next phone call. So making any sort of plan is almost at the very least complicated. This weekend I am going upstate to attend my younger niece's 7th birthday. I WAS somewhat planning on leaving tomorrow, but then by chance the phone did ring and it was work. So now I am working tomorrow, which should make me just enough money for the train tickets. So I guess I'll head out Saturday now.
There is nothing good or exciting to report of my day, I've basically tried to drown out any and all thoughts with sleep and music.

Jungle Boogie

So far this week's been all work. Which is fine really. The next few weeks I am predicting are going to be very slow. Particulary because many productions go into hiatus until the second week of January. So I might as well make th knobse money when the money there to be made.

On Monday I started the day standing-in for an old white-haired actor, who had a familiar face and voice, but I didn't care enough to try to place him. The scene took place in a Salarium. I went to work, taking great pains to insulate myself head-toe. When I realized the scene was interior, I shedded layer upon layer until I reached normal size. Unfortunately the room was more or less an outdoor porch on a roof. There were a couple of out of the ordinaries on set, such as 100% all natural organic blood, apparently nourishment for the plants and the faucet in the bathroom was shaped, and I kid you not, nor do I take artistic interpretation, it was shaped exactly like an erect penis. The hot and cold knobs were a big pair of silver balls, as I'm sure you guessed. Perhaps I should point out that this WAS in Chelsea. The only other memorable thing about the day was this girl rather blatantly asking another extra (male) if he was wearing make-up. When he said yes, we just looked at eachother and chuckled. I was also able to get some writing done, which is VERY VERY good, when I can manage that.

Stuff happened today as well, I'm just not feeling up to any more bloggish nonsense, so I'll continue another time. Night all.

P.s. The title has revelance to nothing, it was just the first thing that popped into my head. What's that pschological evaluation called?

Getting Encouragement from Rejection

I have so far received four out of ten possible replies from my first wave of query letter send-outs. They have all turned me down. For varied reasons. Not taking on new clients, not interested, etc. etc. I can either take it personally and get all mopey or I can look at it as at least I am getting replies, at least they are reading the letter. I think I am going with the latter. I have sent out MANY MANY letters in the last year and I've never received so many replies from a single mailing before. So if they are reading them then I feel like its not a waste of time and money. Right? Right?

Dreams of Daylight

If ever you find yourself being bombarded by street people trying to sell you watches out of their jacket, or headphones that look like they've been pulled out of a garbage, I will provide the following advice. Pull anything from your pockets and try to sell THEM something. Some chapstick, your house keys, a piece of lint. Turning the tables of them makes for a grand time.

I have decided that my next goal, in my personal life, is to find a new apartment within the next 6 months. I am thinking when work picks up again. I am thinking something...above-ground. It's really hard to relate what living in a apartment with virtually no sunlight does to your mood. I dream of one day soon, being able to write a script next to an open window on a nice sunny day. Yeah, that would be nice.

Here is a song I recorded yesterday. I'm happy with it. It's something of a spin on my typical music. I tried to come up with some new sounds and whatnot. I posted it on my myspace and I will supply the link for the utmost convenience of anyone interested.

http://www.myspace.com/moonshinerick

Christmas Tree Massacre

The tradition of the Christmas tree seems so stupid to me, that I HAD to look up the its origins. There are several different accounts of how this senseless tradition start, the most likely: that hardcore Christian Martin Luther started the tradition when he brought into his home a small fir tree to replicate to his children a marvelous sight he witnessed in the woods. He decorated the tree with candles to honor Christ's birth. Mind you: this from a man that bragged about fighting off Satan his "happy songs" and an inkwell. Other theories include many Pagan traditions that somehow became intertwined with Christian tadition. This I also find likely, just look at Easter. I don't know which origin I favor to be true. Both are pretty funny to me.

Anyway, I don't mind if people feel the need to put up a tree in your home and decorate it. It's good, quality family time. But why can't you use a fake tree?? I have family that uses them, and they look pretty damn realistic. And it's much more sensable. You're not cutting down a tree to wrap some lights around it and watch it die and litter your carpet with needles for 3 three weeks, before you promptly toss it outside the day after Christmas. And you're not spending the money every year to buy a new one.

GO FAUX!

People Stew

I don't feel like I have dedicated enough time to introduce the woman who is my land lady. She is an older gal, I'm guessing late 60's. She lives upstairs alone. She screams a lot. I mean a lot. I am quite sure she is part-insane. She had never screamed at/around me, but when I am out of view, she lets it out. It is my belief and others who have encountered her, that she baits people into her house, kills them, seasons them, chops them up and makes a hearty people stew out of them. We also believe she has done this with countless tenants, and my days are numbered. So if one day, you get a call saying I have joined the missing persons list, you need look no further than upstairs. Perhaps I will be boiling with some red potatoes and green beans on the stove, in the refrigerator chilling in disposable Tupperware, or hanging out in the freezer, waiting for a nice rainy dain and some fresh artisan bread.

You Smell Something Burning?

Well, I do say chaps, good day. To breeze by the cold exterior shoot the other day... It was cold. It wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting though. They had a warming van nearby on set, I geared up with some thermal underclothes and when we weren't shooting we were allowed to keep our coats on. Of course after hours and hours, you tend to get cold no matter what. At one point I noticed my arm had a purplish tint to it, another time I noticed my hand, which had been red and only partially functional since the early morning, now had kind of wrinkled up as if it was waterlogged. Yes coldness does weird stuff to the body. There were things that I did to try to keep warm naturally, like pacing, jumping up and down, and lastly doing calf raises. At any rate it was another light dependant day and so we were out by about 330, a simple 8.5 hour day. I'm still not very pleased AFTRA. It's like the cheap Aunt that gets you a card and a Lotto ticket for your birthday. But I got my $1,300 perforated paper membership card and I may as well make use of it.

p.s. the production was a ESPN mini-series called The Bronx is Burning.

No, no, no, from the back!

Well THAT was a bust. Ok so this was the hub-bub bubs. I got a call from casting Friday saying they submitted me for this part in a film called My Sassy Girl. This was how they explained it to me. I was to possibly play a past boyfriend (you like that alliteration?) to the lead female. It was to be shoot in a series of flash backs and it was speaking. But like I said, production was adding these scenes. So I was somewhat hopeful that if I did get the part then perhaps I would be upgraded.

Back to reality. They brought one other guy and me to set early. Set was outside. Central Park. When we arrived to set, the situation was further and more accurately explained to us. They were more interested in the back of out heads than anything else. They had already shot the stunt man for the character and now they needed someone to match him. And so slowly to rotated in clock-wise 360 for the director. Yup. So when it came down to it, they were only interested in haircolor and hairline. Which I did not match. I am not too upset (except for the loss of poss. work) as it was also explained to us that through all the shots, only the back of the actor's head would be scene. WOW!! That's great! What an opportunity. Sit around 10 hours, so the back of my head can be used.
The day otherwise...well, sucked. We were outside for about 9 hours straight. It was cold. No it was COLD. NO it was FUCKING BRRRRR!!!!! No breaks. Well, yeah one 10 minute break, we went into a warm van. No meal, we ended the day with plenty of penalties. I was very ready to go home. And then I got the guised call. The one where you agree to something (in the particular situation:work) and realize immediately you made a mistake. AFTRA sucks. I don't know why I am a member. I don't know why they can't match SAG's base rate. I don't know why I agreed to another day of sitting out in the cold (so soon) and with less clothing (as it it a summer scene.) Tomorrow is destined to suck, suck more than today.

In other news, I am making my life yet a little more creatively hectic with now starting a new spec script and probably writing a short for a pair that intend to make a film. I don't know much about the short, but I am pretty excited/anxious to start my new script. I just don't want to wake up tomorrow is all.

....Oh the other actor that I needed to look similar to was Jesse Bradford.

Shaving for the Greater Good

Well, I'm kind of excited. I got a call today from casting. My headshot was submitted for some featured background for a movie. Usually featured BG doesnt really get me too excited. But this might actually turn into something. They are writing in scenes for this characters that I may play. Casting said there were no lines, which is why I would rank still as BG and not principal. But my hope is that if they are going through the trouble of addending the script and budgeting the extra scenes they must see the content as important, and therefore an upgrade is slightly more likely.

The only thing is that I need to look similar to the other actor for it to make sense in the story. Which I think I do. We both have dark features, similar faces shapes, close in age, same build, and same height. Of course I had to shave my beard off. It was a surprisingly quick and painless procedure this the electric sheers I bought a couple of months ago. Though there was hair everywhere. The last time I shave my beard, I had to cut it down with scissors. It wasn't pretty, let's just say. Lot's of cuts.... So I think I should know by Monday. Yeah, sorry, I'll get more specific later.

Please cross fingers...now!

What Up Hollywood?

What the hell is going on with the Hollywoodies lately?? First Tom Cruise shows us he's crazy time and time again, thenMel Gibson tells the world he hates Jews, then Kramer tells everyone he hates Blacks, then Danny Devito goes onto The View drunk..... Get your shit together huh people!!!

And why every time I turn on the TV is Tyra Banks on??? I don't care if you're hot, I can't stand you Tyra. When you speak it makes my skin crawl. Maybe if the extent of your show was you bouncing around in the million dollar Victoria's Secret bra I would tune in now and then. But seeing you cry your eyes out because you dressed up like a fat person and didn't receive attention makes my eye twitch. Or hearing you promise your audience you're going to give away the single product that gives your beauty, to your audience. Hearing them get all thrilled and then they open their gift bags and its baby oil! What fucking brass you got. BTW, both of those examples I heard on the radio as someone was making fun of her show. Just so you don't get the wrong impression.