Part 1 (of 3)
I arrived at my old high school well after the reunion was in full swing. It had been over 10 years since I stepped on the campus, and very little had changed. Oh some of the buildings looked newer and the paint fresher, but the old under currents were still there. All the old memories came back once I set foot on the grounds, the good times, the bad times, the triumphs.... and the regrets. I walked closer to the gymnasium looking at the tacky decorations and the garish Class of 95 signs adorning the buildings. Our original 10 year reunion had been canceled due to lack of interest, but someone had worked up the idea the reschedule it for this year and apparently enough people had decided to come.
I still wasn't sure what i was doing here. Most of my time in high school had been devoted to getting out of it and moving on in the world. I hadn't exactly been picked on while in school, I just was there, occupying space. Neither important enough to remember, nor lame enough to not be forgotten. The only person from high school I still talked to was my friend Jess, and he sure wasn't coming tonight.
I sighed as I pulled open the door to the gym and walked to the greeters table. One of the classes student body was there handing out name badges. I didn't remember him, even after reading his name card and I guess I didn't strike a bell either, he numbly handed me my red rimmed Hello, My Name Is badge and I scrawled my name on it. He turned and started walking to a girl I recalled being a cheerleader and ignored me. I affixed the badge to my shirt and headed toward my usual gathering point at any party, the wall nearest the drinks table.
I had just poured myself a plastic cup full of lukewarm punch when I saw her. Or rather, heard her. That throaty laugh hadn't changed in 10 years, and I turned toward the sound. I couldn't kid myself after I saw her, I knew the reason I had come, I knew the reason I had returned to this place after all these years. I had come back to see her again.
I tossed the punch back in a single gulp and walked towards her. Whatever jackass she was talking to had turned to greet someone else and I knew this had to be my chance. I came up behind her and said,
"Hello Emily."
She turned around and a smile filled her face. "MIKE!"
Emily threw her arms around me in a hug and at that moment, I knew I could die happy.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Flash Fiction: The Reflection
I looked into the mirror at a reflection that was not my own. Had so much time passed that I didn't even recognize the face staring back at me? The lines of age had seeped into the cracks in my skin, the bags under my eyes more pronounced than I remembered. A little darker, a lot fatter, hardly a flicker of the person I used to be.
I splashed another handful of cold water on my face, a poor effort to wash away the years. I watched the water trickle in small rivulets down the creases in my skin amd drop into the waiting sink below. Running my hand though my thinning hairline I was forced to look at yet another facet of my dying youth. The strands of hair cut so much closer to my head than in my younger days, the once dark locks now flecked with wisps of gray.
The dark shadows of stubble that covered my cheeks and the thick mustache that I once so coveted now simply acted as another reminder that shorter days lay ahead. My fingertips brushed the coarse whiskers and I let out a small sigh. Was I still the same person I used to be? Or have I been replaced by the man looking back at me? Was it too late to recapture what I have lost?
Turning from the bathroom I flicked off the light and prepared to get dressed. Another day had come to past, as time not love seems to last. Perhaps today would carry new answers, if not, there was always tomorrow.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
I splashed another handful of cold water on my face, a poor effort to wash away the years. I watched the water trickle in small rivulets down the creases in my skin amd drop into the waiting sink below. Running my hand though my thinning hairline I was forced to look at yet another facet of my dying youth. The strands of hair cut so much closer to my head than in my younger days, the once dark locks now flecked with wisps of gray.
The dark shadows of stubble that covered my cheeks and the thick mustache that I once so coveted now simply acted as another reminder that shorter days lay ahead. My fingertips brushed the coarse whiskers and I let out a small sigh. Was I still the same person I used to be? Or have I been replaced by the man looking back at me? Was it too late to recapture what I have lost?
Turning from the bathroom I flicked off the light and prepared to get dressed. Another day had come to past, as time not love seems to last. Perhaps today would carry new answers, if not, there was always tomorrow.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Movie Time: Rewind: The Wild Bunch
Hey all,
April's edition of the rewind will feature another great western, one what many people consider the last of the great westerns, 1969's The Wild Bunch. Starring William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, William Oates, and Robert Ryan, The Wild Bunch is about a bunch of outlaws in the dying days of the old west. The world is turning modern and there is slowly becoming no place for men like them, bandits and thieves living off the land and riding as they please. The times are changing and the west is dying, and no one is safe, and The Wild Bunch look for one last score.
The film, directed by the great Sam Peckinpah, was his ode to the dying of the west. Even John Wayne commented that the movie killed the myth of the old west, and the westerns of the 50's and 60's gave way to the desperation westerns of Clint Eastwood and Sergio Leone, before dying out completely by the 80's. The Wild Bunch is all the Peckinpah is known for, quick edit cuts of the camera, rough fighting men, complex characters who are neither right nor wrong, and the over the top violence that was such a signature of his films.
The movie's plot is pretty simple, William Holden is Pike, and aging leader of a group of outlaws who agree to rob a train of Army weapons for a Mexican general after a failed bank robbery nets them nothing. In the end, it's their conscious and the need of a friend that gets them involved in one of the cinema's bloodiest shootouts in history. Supposedly more blank rounds are fired in this film than were fired in the Mexican revolution of 1914 that the story is loosely based around.
The most famous scene in the movie isn't even in the script. Just a shot of the Wild Bunch walking to help there friend, when everything looks hopeless and you find out what kind of stuff you are made of. In the end the film is a visceral and tough movie that so typified Peckinpah's movies. The Wild Bunch symbolized the dying the west, and its fitting that this is the film that also killed the west for Hollywood.
The Wild Bunch's influence can still be felt today, in directors like Quentin Tarentino and Frank Miller, who use the violence and over the top sensibility to exaggerate effect. I love the Wild Bunch for all these reasons, it one of the best westerns ever made.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
April's edition of the rewind will feature another great western, one what many people consider the last of the great westerns, 1969's The Wild Bunch. Starring William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, William Oates, and Robert Ryan, The Wild Bunch is about a bunch of outlaws in the dying days of the old west. The world is turning modern and there is slowly becoming no place for men like them, bandits and thieves living off the land and riding as they please. The times are changing and the west is dying, and no one is safe, and The Wild Bunch look for one last score.
The film, directed by the great Sam Peckinpah, was his ode to the dying of the west. Even John Wayne commented that the movie killed the myth of the old west, and the westerns of the 50's and 60's gave way to the desperation westerns of Clint Eastwood and Sergio Leone, before dying out completely by the 80's. The Wild Bunch is all the Peckinpah is known for, quick edit cuts of the camera, rough fighting men, complex characters who are neither right nor wrong, and the over the top violence that was such a signature of his films.
The movie's plot is pretty simple, William Holden is Pike, and aging leader of a group of outlaws who agree to rob a train of Army weapons for a Mexican general after a failed bank robbery nets them nothing. In the end, it's their conscious and the need of a friend that gets them involved in one of the cinema's bloodiest shootouts in history. Supposedly more blank rounds are fired in this film than were fired in the Mexican revolution of 1914 that the story is loosely based around.
The most famous scene in the movie isn't even in the script. Just a shot of the Wild Bunch walking to help there friend, when everything looks hopeless and you find out what kind of stuff you are made of. In the end the film is a visceral and tough movie that so typified Peckinpah's movies. The Wild Bunch symbolized the dying the west, and its fitting that this is the film that also killed the west for Hollywood.
The Wild Bunch's influence can still be felt today, in directors like Quentin Tarentino and Frank Miller, who use the violence and over the top sensibility to exaggerate effect. I love the Wild Bunch for all these reasons, it one of the best westerns ever made.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Friday, April 11, 2008
Introspection
Hey all,
With my brother's impending nuptials and the rumor from my Mom that my brother is also an expecting parent with his fiancee 5 weeks pregnant, I have been thinking a lot lately. Though I am really happy that my brother has found what he is looking for, I wonder what it is that I am. I think that everyone has those occasions where they wonder if the choices they have made were the right ones, and if they had made different choices would their life be better...
I don't know what I feel about my life, There are times where I feel pretty good about my life. Though I have never been bursting with friends the ones I have are fiercely loyal and important to me. I have never really been a super social person with strangers anyway, preferring to have a few close knit friends over many acquaintances, a path my brother chose. He doesn't really have any close friends, and that is something I consider myself lucky to have.
A job is like any other thing, both good and bad, and for all the days that I hate going to work, there are the days where I am proud of the ability that I have to do my job and the status of which I am regarded. Just yesterday I sent an employee to a worldwide convention as one of North America's top crew people, and he thanked me so graciously for being an influence on him that it made a lot of the bad days seem better.
What I don't know, and I find to be a continuing frustration, is what to do in my personal life. I don't know how to deal with the pressures of dating, it being so long since I had a date and frankly never really having a girlfriend I don't know what to do anymore, if ever I did. The longer I wait the worse the anxiety is and the worse the anxiety the more I am scared to put myself out there. Then there is other parts of me that wonder if I am even ready for a relationship. It's been me for so long that I don't know if I am ready to put an others needs before my own. Or if I am even capable. Having so much space then having to share that space is frightening sometimes. Though the lure of having someone to relate to of the opposite sex is strong, can someone else feel the way I do about things? I find it very easy to pour my heart out in words and poetry, less so when those feelings are given voice. The things that I feel seem personal, to personal to share when someone is in your face to give you feedback, and possible ridicule. But even then I feel that it is my own anxieties exerting its will over my own common sense. Yet it is so easy to lay bare these truths to an audience that has no face. It's easy to write out these things and post them, I face no consequences in an Internet of anonymity.
When in looking at my brothers life he has so many things that I am supposed to want, a child, a wife pregnant with another, an impending marriage, all things that we are told are the rewards of life. But I don't know that I do want that. I know that I'd like to meet someone, but at 31 is it to late to experience all the things most guys try when they are 16? Dating and fun and all the trappings of youth, at an age when most people want to settle down? I don't think I'm ready to stop having fun and be "grown up." But I'd like to think its not to late to step out of my comfort zone and open the doors I have kept closed for so long. To take the plunge into the unknown, I just may need a push.
Part of me feels like I have missed something in my life, part of me wonders if I am better off for not knowing. People often wonder what the meaning of life is and the purpose of it all. I have always felt that life is a journey, and shit happened along the way. It's in how you deal with life that you find your purpose and how you react to the situations you are in. No one is perfect, but you do the best you can and you will find it returned in kind. Now I wonder if I really did the best I could, because is what I have now good enough for the rest of my life? I don't know, though the better question is do I want to.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
With my brother's impending nuptials and the rumor from my Mom that my brother is also an expecting parent with his fiancee 5 weeks pregnant, I have been thinking a lot lately. Though I am really happy that my brother has found what he is looking for, I wonder what it is that I am. I think that everyone has those occasions where they wonder if the choices they have made were the right ones, and if they had made different choices would their life be better...
I don't know what I feel about my life, There are times where I feel pretty good about my life. Though I have never been bursting with friends the ones I have are fiercely loyal and important to me. I have never really been a super social person with strangers anyway, preferring to have a few close knit friends over many acquaintances, a path my brother chose. He doesn't really have any close friends, and that is something I consider myself lucky to have.
A job is like any other thing, both good and bad, and for all the days that I hate going to work, there are the days where I am proud of the ability that I have to do my job and the status of which I am regarded. Just yesterday I sent an employee to a worldwide convention as one of North America's top crew people, and he thanked me so graciously for being an influence on him that it made a lot of the bad days seem better.
What I don't know, and I find to be a continuing frustration, is what to do in my personal life. I don't know how to deal with the pressures of dating, it being so long since I had a date and frankly never really having a girlfriend I don't know what to do anymore, if ever I did. The longer I wait the worse the anxiety is and the worse the anxiety the more I am scared to put myself out there. Then there is other parts of me that wonder if I am even ready for a relationship. It's been me for so long that I don't know if I am ready to put an others needs before my own. Or if I am even capable. Having so much space then having to share that space is frightening sometimes. Though the lure of having someone to relate to of the opposite sex is strong, can someone else feel the way I do about things? I find it very easy to pour my heart out in words and poetry, less so when those feelings are given voice. The things that I feel seem personal, to personal to share when someone is in your face to give you feedback, and possible ridicule. But even then I feel that it is my own anxieties exerting its will over my own common sense. Yet it is so easy to lay bare these truths to an audience that has no face. It's easy to write out these things and post them, I face no consequences in an Internet of anonymity.
When in looking at my brothers life he has so many things that I am supposed to want, a child, a wife pregnant with another, an impending marriage, all things that we are told are the rewards of life. But I don't know that I do want that. I know that I'd like to meet someone, but at 31 is it to late to experience all the things most guys try when they are 16? Dating and fun and all the trappings of youth, at an age when most people want to settle down? I don't think I'm ready to stop having fun and be "grown up." But I'd like to think its not to late to step out of my comfort zone and open the doors I have kept closed for so long. To take the plunge into the unknown, I just may need a push.
Part of me feels like I have missed something in my life, part of me wonders if I am better off for not knowing. People often wonder what the meaning of life is and the purpose of it all. I have always felt that life is a journey, and shit happened along the way. It's in how you deal with life that you find your purpose and how you react to the situations you are in. No one is perfect, but you do the best you can and you will find it returned in kind. Now I wonder if I really did the best I could, because is what I have now good enough for the rest of my life? I don't know, though the better question is do I want to.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Don't Know What Love Is
Hey all,
I been working oer this poem for a week or so, as part of my commitment to work on at least some other kinds of concepts. I don't know that I really broke new ground, but I think at least in term of subject and rhyming schemes I was different. This poem had a very specific kind of tambour in my head, sort of a lyrical pattern, especially in the last lines of the the rhyming pattern. Anyway I'll be back on tomorrow. Thanks for reading.
Don't Know What Love Is
I don't know what love is,
Something I've forgotten,
Maybe I'll never know again,
What the heart feels when besotted.
Myself just alone now,
No other in comfort,
Time and time again,
All that's left is the same hurt.
Do others feel as I,
Left with no spouse,
Alone in my thoughts,
Coming home to an empty house.
Once full of life,
The vim and the vigor,
Now fallen to dust,
With the pull of a trigger.
Taken from me,
In the prime of her life,
Lost to the darkness,
Goodbye my sweet wife.
I'll remain faithful to you,
In thought and memory,
Haunted by what was,
Heartbroke from cruel tragedy.
I don't know what love is,
I never want to know,
There's no ease in the end,
From broken heart's cruel woe.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
I been working oer this poem for a week or so, as part of my commitment to work on at least some other kinds of concepts. I don't know that I really broke new ground, but I think at least in term of subject and rhyming schemes I was different. This poem had a very specific kind of tambour in my head, sort of a lyrical pattern, especially in the last lines of the the rhyming pattern. Anyway I'll be back on tomorrow. Thanks for reading.
Don't Know What Love Is
I don't know what love is,
Something I've forgotten,
Maybe I'll never know again,
What the heart feels when besotted.
Myself just alone now,
No other in comfort,
Time and time again,
All that's left is the same hurt.
Do others feel as I,
Left with no spouse,
Alone in my thoughts,
Coming home to an empty house.
Once full of life,
The vim and the vigor,
Now fallen to dust,
With the pull of a trigger.
Taken from me,
In the prime of her life,
Lost to the darkness,
Goodbye my sweet wife.
I'll remain faithful to you,
In thought and memory,
Haunted by what was,
Heartbroke from cruel tragedy.
I don't know what love is,
I never want to know,
There's no ease in the end,
From broken heart's cruel woe.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Flash Fiction: Under a Dead Sun
Episode 19
Billy watched from the balcony as the door to the Hotel burst open and a group of men fled from the building. A few had stopped and opened fire on the creatures, but most headed for the livery. Gun fire erupted through the street as the monsters were ripped apart by the spread of bullets, but most of them hardly slowed.
The men running for the livery encountered a group of the monsters and fired their guns into them. Billy looked at the Sheriff's office as Root darted back in the door, pulling it shut. Billy then watched another man get tore to pieces as the creatures feasted on his entrails. The creatures seem to move faster when blood was spilled, and the men quickly lost the fight. He held his hand to his mouth as he watched the carnage. All of the men who had let the Hotel lay broken and bleeding in the streets, as the monsters set upon their remains. That's when he heard the screams from the Hotel, the screams of women and their cries of terror. Billy stifled a tear if frustration, so much death, how was he going to make a difference against something that didn't die.
That;s when he heard another woman's scream, much closer this time. From down stairs. Katee's scream.
Billy watched from the balcony as the door to the Hotel burst open and a group of men fled from the building. A few had stopped and opened fire on the creatures, but most headed for the livery. Gun fire erupted through the street as the monsters were ripped apart by the spread of bullets, but most of them hardly slowed.
The men running for the livery encountered a group of the monsters and fired their guns into them. Billy looked at the Sheriff's office as Root darted back in the door, pulling it shut. Billy then watched another man get tore to pieces as the creatures feasted on his entrails. The creatures seem to move faster when blood was spilled, and the men quickly lost the fight. He held his hand to his mouth as he watched the carnage. All of the men who had let the Hotel lay broken and bleeding in the streets, as the monsters set upon their remains. That's when he heard the screams from the Hotel, the screams of women and their cries of terror. Billy stifled a tear if frustration, so much death, how was he going to make a difference against something that didn't die.
That;s when he heard another woman's scream, much closer this time. From down stairs. Katee's scream.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Concert Time : Streetlight Manifesto!
Hey all,
Sunday night I got a call from my friend Bill with an invite to go hit up another show. Several months ago when we saw Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake in concert they had an opening act called Streetlight Manifesto, a band made up of the former lead singer of another ska band called Catch 22. Well, they are on their first headlining tour and Bill really got into them after the last tour. Myself, feeling particularly guilty that I had skipped out of the last show they went to, Guttermouth, agreed to meet up and hit the show.
We got down there no problem to a fairly small show, and I came to a kind of scary realization. I was the oldest mother fucker at the show. I don't think of myself as old per say, though this year I will turn 32. I guess that's not REALLY old, but when you see kids who weren't alive in the 1900's at the show you get to thinking. There were maybe a total of 400 people there, and that's a generous figure. Of those people, maybe 15 had a drinking age bracelet on. To know that these kids think old punk rock is Blink 182 is kind of depressing. I was seeing shows when some of these kids weren't born yet, or the teenage ones that were only 6 or 7 when i was hitting shows. I mean there were seriously 8 and 9 year old kids at the show!
Anyway despite the age difference, I still had a lot of fun. The opening acts of the show was an acoustic singer named Daniel P., and I pretty much hated what he was singing about. I found it kind of boring and uninspired and it was really weird seeing just 1 guy on a stage that is set up for bands. The second act was a band called Nox, who I have never heard of before. Sort of a rock band with fiddle player added in. The first half of their set wasn't really inspired, but they did turn it on during the second half with a fabulous cover of The Pixies Where Is My Mind, and ended their list with a pretty decent ska song (really the only one they played.)
Streetlight really made up for it with their list. They had a much improved stage presence and a great line up of songs for their act. It probably helps that I have listened to their CD's a bit since their last performance, but their playing really got the small crowd up. Mosh pits and skanking, I even started dancing! I never dance but in the moment we are feeling it and moving it. I recommend trying out their Keasby Nights album is you are into ska music, in my opinion I like that one a bit better than their other Everything Goes Numb. There aren't many bands making ska anymore, but I enjoy the genre a lot and fast catchy beats always get me pumped up. Hopefully They will be back along again and we can catch them again.
The only drawback is that I was pretty sore after all that dancing on Monday. Maybe I am getting to old for this shit!
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Sunday night I got a call from my friend Bill with an invite to go hit up another show. Several months ago when we saw Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake in concert they had an opening act called Streetlight Manifesto, a band made up of the former lead singer of another ska band called Catch 22. Well, they are on their first headlining tour and Bill really got into them after the last tour. Myself, feeling particularly guilty that I had skipped out of the last show they went to, Guttermouth, agreed to meet up and hit the show.
We got down there no problem to a fairly small show, and I came to a kind of scary realization. I was the oldest mother fucker at the show. I don't think of myself as old per say, though this year I will turn 32. I guess that's not REALLY old, but when you see kids who weren't alive in the 1900's at the show you get to thinking. There were maybe a total of 400 people there, and that's a generous figure. Of those people, maybe 15 had a drinking age bracelet on. To know that these kids think old punk rock is Blink 182 is kind of depressing. I was seeing shows when some of these kids weren't born yet, or the teenage ones that were only 6 or 7 when i was hitting shows. I mean there were seriously 8 and 9 year old kids at the show!
Anyway despite the age difference, I still had a lot of fun. The opening acts of the show was an acoustic singer named Daniel P., and I pretty much hated what he was singing about. I found it kind of boring and uninspired and it was really weird seeing just 1 guy on a stage that is set up for bands. The second act was a band called Nox, who I have never heard of before. Sort of a rock band with fiddle player added in. The first half of their set wasn't really inspired, but they did turn it on during the second half with a fabulous cover of The Pixies Where Is My Mind, and ended their list with a pretty decent ska song (really the only one they played.)
Streetlight really made up for it with their list. They had a much improved stage presence and a great line up of songs for their act. It probably helps that I have listened to their CD's a bit since their last performance, but their playing really got the small crowd up. Mosh pits and skanking, I even started dancing! I never dance but in the moment we are feeling it and moving it. I recommend trying out their Keasby Nights album is you are into ska music, in my opinion I like that one a bit better than their other Everything Goes Numb. There aren't many bands making ska anymore, but I enjoy the genre a lot and fast catchy beats always get me pumped up. Hopefully They will be back along again and we can catch them again.
The only drawback is that I was pretty sore after all that dancing on Monday. Maybe I am getting to old for this shit!
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Monday, April 07, 2008
Raise a Pint!
Happy April folks!
Umm, WOW. This may be the longest span I have had since restarting the blog last year that I haven't posted. I feel really bad, posting is something I have committed to but the last two to two and a half weeks have been so packed that I haven't had time for anything. The housework has gotten away from me, the yard work is really out of control, and things are still tight at work. I can actually feel the tension in my shoulders and the bone weary feeling that seems to permeate my being just isn't going away.
The bright side is that I have some good topics for posting over the next few days that I hope to target and I am committing to a posting streak of at least 9 straight days of new material. Last month I went 8 straight days posting so as a sort of "I'm sorry" for the lack of posts I am going to buckle down and get this work done. Part of this is due to my commitment to post at least 15 times in a month, and with seven days already down, I have to get writing.
I ma even get to a new poem that I have been starting to kick around in my mind, but no promises on that, I want my next poem to be different in feel and texture and not stale, retreading what I have said before.
Anyway thanks for your patience and continued support. You should take this day to raise a beer as well, as its the 75th anniversary of Prohibition lifting. CHEERS!
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Umm, WOW. This may be the longest span I have had since restarting the blog last year that I haven't posted. I feel really bad, posting is something I have committed to but the last two to two and a half weeks have been so packed that I haven't had time for anything. The housework has gotten away from me, the yard work is really out of control, and things are still tight at work. I can actually feel the tension in my shoulders and the bone weary feeling that seems to permeate my being just isn't going away.
The bright side is that I have some good topics for posting over the next few days that I hope to target and I am committing to a posting streak of at least 9 straight days of new material. Last month I went 8 straight days posting so as a sort of "I'm sorry" for the lack of posts I am going to buckle down and get this work done. Part of this is due to my commitment to post at least 15 times in a month, and with seven days already down, I have to get writing.
I ma even get to a new poem that I have been starting to kick around in my mind, but no promises on that, I want my next poem to be different in feel and texture and not stale, retreading what I have said before.
Anyway thanks for your patience and continued support. You should take this day to raise a beer as well, as its the 75th anniversary of Prohibition lifting. CHEERS!
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Movie Review: Run Fatboy Run
Hey all,
Had the chance to catch Run Fatboy Run over the weekend and I gotta say that I loved it. Simon Pegg is quickly becoming a very good comedic actor on my book. Somehow his movies are real low budget and yet carry a good blend of English and American humor that is both smart and funny, staddling that fine line of over the top antics and reality.
Run Fatboy Run is about Pegg, a man who made a horrible mistake of running on on his pregnate girlfriend 5 years before and realizing afterward that he made a great mistake. His girlfriend. played by Thandie Newton, raises there son but has consented to give his some visitation. Eventually she starts dating and gets engaged to a new boyfriend, played by Hank Azaria, who is smart, sucessful, handsome, and in great shape, factors that Pegg lacks. Pegg is desperate to get Newton back and makes a wild claim. Since Newton thinks he can never finish what he starts, he thinks he can prove to her that he has changed by running a marathon, something Azaria does all the time. There is plenty of comedy in Pegg training for the run with his grumpy Indian landlord and his best friend, Newton's cousin played by Dylan Moran. The run, orginally just a ploy to get back with Newton, becomes more than that for Pegg as it becomes a metaphor for his whole life and the change it involves.
Pegg is great at playing the unfit everyman, a down on his luck slob who just wants to atone for the biggest is take of his life. Azaria is perfect as the snarky rich jerk who is swooping in to steal the girl. Thandie Newton for me seems a bit oit of character in this comedy, mostly known for serious or dramatic roles I don't know if she was the riight person to cast in her role, but its really a small complaint as she is mostly the foil for Azaria and Pegg. There is a great training scene with Pegg dealing with the rigors of long distance running (especially when you've never run one before!) Coping with blisters, rashes, and nipple chaffing aside, Deep down Run Fatboy Run is a comedy with a lot of heart and makes you feel good. I whleheartedly recomend this film.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Had the chance to catch Run Fatboy Run over the weekend and I gotta say that I loved it. Simon Pegg is quickly becoming a very good comedic actor on my book. Somehow his movies are real low budget and yet carry a good blend of English and American humor that is both smart and funny, staddling that fine line of over the top antics and reality.
Run Fatboy Run is about Pegg, a man who made a horrible mistake of running on on his pregnate girlfriend 5 years before and realizing afterward that he made a great mistake. His girlfriend. played by Thandie Newton, raises there son but has consented to give his some visitation. Eventually she starts dating and gets engaged to a new boyfriend, played by Hank Azaria, who is smart, sucessful, handsome, and in great shape, factors that Pegg lacks. Pegg is desperate to get Newton back and makes a wild claim. Since Newton thinks he can never finish what he starts, he thinks he can prove to her that he has changed by running a marathon, something Azaria does all the time. There is plenty of comedy in Pegg training for the run with his grumpy Indian landlord and his best friend, Newton's cousin played by Dylan Moran. The run, orginally just a ploy to get back with Newton, becomes more than that for Pegg as it becomes a metaphor for his whole life and the change it involves.
Pegg is great at playing the unfit everyman, a down on his luck slob who just wants to atone for the biggest is take of his life. Azaria is perfect as the snarky rich jerk who is swooping in to steal the girl. Thandie Newton for me seems a bit oit of character in this comedy, mostly known for serious or dramatic roles I don't know if she was the riight person to cast in her role, but its really a small complaint as she is mostly the foil for Azaria and Pegg. There is a great training scene with Pegg dealing with the rigors of long distance running (especially when you've never run one before!) Coping with blisters, rashes, and nipple chaffing aside, Deep down Run Fatboy Run is a comedy with a lot of heart and makes you feel good. I whleheartedly recomend this film.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Friday, March 28, 2008
Holy Unqualified
Hey all,
Sorry about missing the next flash fiction update. There have been some family issues at work with one of my managers experiencing a death in the family and everyone is pitching in to help out with coverage, and that means me too. I really have been suffering from low energy and inspiration, i just need a day or so to recharge and get the juices flowing. I also bought some vitamins so I am hoping that they can provide some much needed rejuvenation to my weary bones.
I did have the small opportunity this week to get my ordination completed. I have been asked to conduct the wedding of my brother and his fiancee and to do that I had to become a licensed minister. I'm now able to conduct weddings, baptisms, and funerals! It's very ironic to me that someone with so little religious faith is now a Reverend. If anything it will be something funny to tell people. Hi, I'm Reverend Gerrad McConnell! That's wild. It was easy too, just sent some money over the Internet and apparently that's all it takes!
As funny as it is, I am taking my role very seriously, this is my brother's wedding and to be included in the ceremony is something that puts some pressure on me to do a good job. I am hoping to take a week or so in April to work on the ceremony and procedures that they want to do and get prepared. At any rate it will make a good story.
I'll keep the site updated as we get closer to go time, and hopefully I will get back on a better posting track as we go through the remainder of the month. Thanks for reading!
End of Line.
Rev. GERRAD!
Sorry about missing the next flash fiction update. There have been some family issues at work with one of my managers experiencing a death in the family and everyone is pitching in to help out with coverage, and that means me too. I really have been suffering from low energy and inspiration, i just need a day or so to recharge and get the juices flowing. I also bought some vitamins so I am hoping that they can provide some much needed rejuvenation to my weary bones.
I did have the small opportunity this week to get my ordination completed. I have been asked to conduct the wedding of my brother and his fiancee and to do that I had to become a licensed minister. I'm now able to conduct weddings, baptisms, and funerals! It's very ironic to me that someone with so little religious faith is now a Reverend. If anything it will be something funny to tell people. Hi, I'm Reverend Gerrad McConnell! That's wild. It was easy too, just sent some money over the Internet and apparently that's all it takes!
As funny as it is, I am taking my role very seriously, this is my brother's wedding and to be included in the ceremony is something that puts some pressure on me to do a good job. I am hoping to take a week or so in April to work on the ceremony and procedures that they want to do and get prepared. At any rate it will make a good story.
I'll keep the site updated as we get closer to go time, and hopefully I will get back on a better posting track as we go through the remainder of the month. Thanks for reading!
End of Line.
Rev. GERRAD!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Quick Hit
Hey all,
Sorry about the gap in posting the last few days. Ran into some car trouble on Thursday after meeting my roommate Jason for lunch. For some reason the car wouldn't shift out of park and I after messing with the car for over an hour I called a tow truck. It took the tow guy over 3 hours to get to my car, and when he got there he gave the car a push back and forth a few times he got it to slip into drive. I drove it home and left it in neutral overnight before taking it to the mechanic.
Basically the auto dealer said that there break system wasn't releasing and he replaced some switches and a relay. So I didn't have to pay for a tow and he got it fixed the same day so that saved some money. I didn't really budget for the repair costs though so I'll have to watch my spending this month.
I'll try to post a new Flash Fiction tomorrow so be on the lookout. As always, thanks for reading.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Sorry about the gap in posting the last few days. Ran into some car trouble on Thursday after meeting my roommate Jason for lunch. For some reason the car wouldn't shift out of park and I after messing with the car for over an hour I called a tow truck. It took the tow guy over 3 hours to get to my car, and when he got there he gave the car a push back and forth a few times he got it to slip into drive. I drove it home and left it in neutral overnight before taking it to the mechanic.
Basically the auto dealer said that there break system wasn't releasing and he replaced some switches and a relay. So I didn't have to pay for a tow and he got it fixed the same day so that saved some money. I didn't really budget for the repair costs though so I'll have to watch my spending this month.
I'll try to post a new Flash Fiction tomorrow so be on the lookout. As always, thanks for reading.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
An Inkling
Hey all,
A real quick post today throwing some serious credit to my best friend Jason. As a struggling artist I have seen him toil in frustration a long time. It's especially difficult to see how great he is and to be so close to getting published and not quite get there. Now finally having the opportunity to announce the project he has been working on all these months and to see a release date and the light at the end of the tunnel is a moment that I am really happy to see arrive.
When so many people give up on their dreams as they get older and caught up in life, but Jason has perservered, never giving in working at his goals. To be on the cusp of achieving that dream is something I am really proud to be able to witness. The amount of time and man hours spent on working a regular job and tackling project after project for different comic book publishers I know can't have been easy. I knew he had the talent, and I am glad the rest of the world will get an opportunity to find out what those of us close to him already knew.
He's got complete details to check out the book he is working on at his blog, Idle Hands, which you can find a link to on my page, or go to www.wowio.com and look for Wonderdogs, Inc. The graphic novel is expected to ship for The Comic Con International in San Diego in July, published by Viper. You can also hopefully see more work later this year from other publishers.
Congrats bro, I always knew.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
A real quick post today throwing some serious credit to my best friend Jason. As a struggling artist I have seen him toil in frustration a long time. It's especially difficult to see how great he is and to be so close to getting published and not quite get there. Now finally having the opportunity to announce the project he has been working on all these months and to see a release date and the light at the end of the tunnel is a moment that I am really happy to see arrive.
When so many people give up on their dreams as they get older and caught up in life, but Jason has perservered, never giving in working at his goals. To be on the cusp of achieving that dream is something I am really proud to be able to witness. The amount of time and man hours spent on working a regular job and tackling project after project for different comic book publishers I know can't have been easy. I knew he had the talent, and I am glad the rest of the world will get an opportunity to find out what those of us close to him already knew.
He's got complete details to check out the book he is working on at his blog, Idle Hands, which you can find a link to on my page, or go to www.wowio.com and look for Wonderdogs, Inc. The graphic novel is expected to ship for The Comic Con International in San Diego in July, published by Viper. You can also hopefully see more work later this year from other publishers.
Congrats bro, I always knew.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Movie Time: Rewind: Papillon
Hey all,
For this month's segment I thought I would dip back into the well and highlight another great Steve McQueen film. Arguably my favorite actor, along with Cary Grant, I have seen almost all of Steve's films and have all that are currently available on DVD. I previewed The Magnificent Seven in my first installment, I thought that I would pick an underrated film from McQueen's library.
When you say Steve McQueen, most people think about the memorable motorcycle jump stunt from The Great Escape, or the streets of San Francisco car chase in Bullitt. All these films help to accentuate the character that Steve was trying to play, the tough, laconic, lone rebel. In 1973's Papillon, he perfected that image.
McQueen plays a wrongfully accused French petty criminal who is sentenced to Devil's Island prison in French Guiana named Henri, also known as Papillon (French for butterfly as he has a large tattoo of one.) He befriends Dustin Hoffman character, Dega, on the boat ride to prison and agree to help each other escape. Papillon attempts escape many times, always resulting in recapture. Eventually imprisoned in solitary confinement as punishment and surviving through brutal conditions, he refuses to give in.
McQueen gives what I consider to be his finest acting performance despite being snubbed for an Oscar nomination, especially given sharing the screen opposite Hoffman. Hoffman, a method actor, would often do take after take to get the right performance. McQueen was known for giving his best takes on the first or second try. This was also filmed at the peak of McQueen's stardom, at a point where his womanizing and off screen antics were at their largest (many believing this is why the Oscars snubbed him) yet he reportedly got along well with Hoffman.
The scenes of McQueen in solitary confinement really show the range that he had, and the ability. Acting with little to no human interaction and conveying the sense of grueling starvation and weakness showed what he was capable of. And the character is the essence of Steve, hard unyielding and unrelenting, yet still the noble streak of humanity at the core. The final scenes with an aging and battered Steve and Hoffman are also very poignant, and the final shot of Steve in the surf at one more escape attempt is a reminder why he really was the essence of cool.
The movie is based on a true story of Papillon, yet many historians believe that much of the facts may not be accurate, but that doesn't change the film or its enjoyment for me. Steve McQueen is the actor that opened my eyes to classic films, and for that I am grateful. I wholeheartedly recommend Papillion for your enjoyment.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
For this month's segment I thought I would dip back into the well and highlight another great Steve McQueen film. Arguably my favorite actor, along with Cary Grant, I have seen almost all of Steve's films and have all that are currently available on DVD. I previewed The Magnificent Seven in my first installment, I thought that I would pick an underrated film from McQueen's library.
When you say Steve McQueen, most people think about the memorable motorcycle jump stunt from The Great Escape, or the streets of San Francisco car chase in Bullitt. All these films help to accentuate the character that Steve was trying to play, the tough, laconic, lone rebel. In 1973's Papillon, he perfected that image.
McQueen plays a wrongfully accused French petty criminal who is sentenced to Devil's Island prison in French Guiana named Henri, also known as Papillon (French for butterfly as he has a large tattoo of one.) He befriends Dustin Hoffman character, Dega, on the boat ride to prison and agree to help each other escape. Papillon attempts escape many times, always resulting in recapture. Eventually imprisoned in solitary confinement as punishment and surviving through brutal conditions, he refuses to give in.
McQueen gives what I consider to be his finest acting performance despite being snubbed for an Oscar nomination, especially given sharing the screen opposite Hoffman. Hoffman, a method actor, would often do take after take to get the right performance. McQueen was known for giving his best takes on the first or second try. This was also filmed at the peak of McQueen's stardom, at a point where his womanizing and off screen antics were at their largest (many believing this is why the Oscars snubbed him) yet he reportedly got along well with Hoffman.
The scenes of McQueen in solitary confinement really show the range that he had, and the ability. Acting with little to no human interaction and conveying the sense of grueling starvation and weakness showed what he was capable of. And the character is the essence of Steve, hard unyielding and unrelenting, yet still the noble streak of humanity at the core. The final scenes with an aging and battered Steve and Hoffman are also very poignant, and the final shot of Steve in the surf at one more escape attempt is a reminder why he really was the essence of cool.
The movie is based on a true story of Papillon, yet many historians believe that much of the facts may not be accurate, but that doesn't change the film or its enjoyment for me. Steve McQueen is the actor that opened my eyes to classic films, and for that I am grateful. I wholeheartedly recommend Papillion for your enjoyment.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
200!
Hey all,
This marks my 200th post on the site. It seems not that long ago that I was writing a poem to commemorate my 100th post, and that took a long time seemingly to get to. Adamantly I have made it a point this year to commit to posting on a more regular basis, but still it feels good to know that I haven't given up since re-dedicating myself last year.
In reflecting on the site I took a look at some of my older posts and tried to see if I have made any growth. I know I wrote a lot about creating more work and starting a novel, none of which I really got around to short of the flash fiction. I also have come to think that the audience I wrote for is very small, most likely only my roommate and his girlfriend. Truthfully part of that is depressing. I write because I really love writing and words, but finding an audience should be something I make a better effort to do. You can't help but wonder why you are doing something if no one is there to see what you have done.
I like to think that I am leaving every out there when I write, at least in terms of the poetry I post. Lately I have felt I am forcing the poems and retreading to much of the same ground. I need to find the inspiration to make better work consistently. To improve past what I know I can do into the realm of what I haven't done. I write fiction because that is what's fun and that helps me find some kind of small measure of writing to do everyday. I've often heard that a writer writes everyday, and I don't think I am writing enough. Expanding what I am doing should be my target for my own development. I know that my writing has a long way to go, but hopefully I can continue to make that journey with those who read this blog.
Thanks to those who have read what I have done, and for what I shall still.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
This marks my 200th post on the site. It seems not that long ago that I was writing a poem to commemorate my 100th post, and that took a long time seemingly to get to. Adamantly I have made it a point this year to commit to posting on a more regular basis, but still it feels good to know that I haven't given up since re-dedicating myself last year.
In reflecting on the site I took a look at some of my older posts and tried to see if I have made any growth. I know I wrote a lot about creating more work and starting a novel, none of which I really got around to short of the flash fiction. I also have come to think that the audience I wrote for is very small, most likely only my roommate and his girlfriend. Truthfully part of that is depressing. I write because I really love writing and words, but finding an audience should be something I make a better effort to do. You can't help but wonder why you are doing something if no one is there to see what you have done.
I like to think that I am leaving every out there when I write, at least in terms of the poetry I post. Lately I have felt I am forcing the poems and retreading to much of the same ground. I need to find the inspiration to make better work consistently. To improve past what I know I can do into the realm of what I haven't done. I write fiction because that is what's fun and that helps me find some kind of small measure of writing to do everyday. I've often heard that a writer writes everyday, and I don't think I am writing enough. Expanding what I am doing should be my target for my own development. I know that my writing has a long way to go, but hopefully I can continue to make that journey with those who read this blog.
Thanks to those who have read what I have done, and for what I shall still.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Friday, March 14, 2008
True Story Time!
Hey all,
As promised, the True Story I told earlier in the month now gets a follow up. Fires have not been something I have had all that much experience with, just the car fire from work earlier this month and one other time. It was a few months after the fourth of of July and I had some fireworks that I had snuck in from New Mexico on a road trip. We had fired most of the good stuff off on the Fourth, but I still had a few Roman Candles left.
A bunch of people had decided to throw a desert party, you know beer and music out in the middle of nowhere and I went along for the fun. I took the Roman Candles along to shoot them off. After a few hours of drinking and carrying on, I brought out the fireworks to everyone's appeal. There were probably 8 or 9 of us, though everyone at the actual party is a little hazy. I was really only friends with two of them, my friend Bill from Flagstaff, and my roommates brother Danny. The rest of the group were friends of friends, you know the type. You never see them unless someone is having a party. So you know who they are but you never really see them otherwise. There was one guy there that I didn't know, named Barry.
Barry it seemed had finished a short stretch in jail for something, I think drunk and disorderly and fighting and was on probation. Anyway we were all listening to music when we got the rockets out. The ground was so hard packed that we couldn't get the end of the candle in the ground to plant it. So we did the only safe and careful thing to do. Lit the wick and held the rocket casing in our hand. For those of you who don't know, a Roman Candle has a hard shell surrounding it and launches five fireworks into the air to explode. The first rocket went off no problem. The second rocket got us in trouble.
Danny was holding it in his hand as the fireworks exploded up in the sky. The first 3bursts went fine, but on the fourth bust the bottom of the shell casing blew off. Danny was so surprised that he lowered his arm and jumped. The last firework burst out in a horizontal line streaking across the desert floor exploding in a small tree surrounded by shrubbery. The bushes went up in a huge burst of flames. The weather had been so dry that the fire was in a 20 foot radius in a matter of seconds. All of us dashed to the fire and began using any means necessary to extinguish the blaze. All of us thinking that we need to get this fire out or we are going to go to jail for this. All of us thought that but Barry, who was in his car peeling off down the dirt road before any of us even made it to the fire. He later claimed that there was no way he was going back to jail for that.
The rest of us used beer, an old water jug and our shoes to attack the blaze. After about 45 minutes we had stomped most of it out. Bill even backed his truck up and peeled out, throwing dirt onto the bigger sections. My shoes were half melted and all of us were exhausted stamping out every last ember. I am still amazed to this day that we got that under control. The fire was huge, and using only the stuff we had with us to put it out is crazy. It's safe to say that was the LAST desert party I went to. For days after the fire I was sure that someone would get busted as we had left tire tracks and litter at the site, as well as a huge blackened circle of shrubs. I now realize the odds of someone in authority being that far out in the middle of nowhere and discovering the fire seems far fetched. What doesn't seem far fetched is the damage we could have caused goofing off. I've since learned my lesson with fireworks. Always plant that shit deep.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
As promised, the True Story I told earlier in the month now gets a follow up. Fires have not been something I have had all that much experience with, just the car fire from work earlier this month and one other time. It was a few months after the fourth of of July and I had some fireworks that I had snuck in from New Mexico on a road trip. We had fired most of the good stuff off on the Fourth, but I still had a few Roman Candles left.
A bunch of people had decided to throw a desert party, you know beer and music out in the middle of nowhere and I went along for the fun. I took the Roman Candles along to shoot them off. After a few hours of drinking and carrying on, I brought out the fireworks to everyone's appeal. There were probably 8 or 9 of us, though everyone at the actual party is a little hazy. I was really only friends with two of them, my friend Bill from Flagstaff, and my roommates brother Danny. The rest of the group were friends of friends, you know the type. You never see them unless someone is having a party. So you know who they are but you never really see them otherwise. There was one guy there that I didn't know, named Barry.
Barry it seemed had finished a short stretch in jail for something, I think drunk and disorderly and fighting and was on probation. Anyway we were all listening to music when we got the rockets out. The ground was so hard packed that we couldn't get the end of the candle in the ground to plant it. So we did the only safe and careful thing to do. Lit the wick and held the rocket casing in our hand. For those of you who don't know, a Roman Candle has a hard shell surrounding it and launches five fireworks into the air to explode. The first rocket went off no problem. The second rocket got us in trouble.
Danny was holding it in his hand as the fireworks exploded up in the sky. The first 3bursts went fine, but on the fourth bust the bottom of the shell casing blew off. Danny was so surprised that he lowered his arm and jumped. The last firework burst out in a horizontal line streaking across the desert floor exploding in a small tree surrounded by shrubbery. The bushes went up in a huge burst of flames. The weather had been so dry that the fire was in a 20 foot radius in a matter of seconds. All of us dashed to the fire and began using any means necessary to extinguish the blaze. All of us thinking that we need to get this fire out or we are going to go to jail for this. All of us thought that but Barry, who was in his car peeling off down the dirt road before any of us even made it to the fire. He later claimed that there was no way he was going back to jail for that.
The rest of us used beer, an old water jug and our shoes to attack the blaze. After about 45 minutes we had stomped most of it out. Bill even backed his truck up and peeled out, throwing dirt onto the bigger sections. My shoes were half melted and all of us were exhausted stamping out every last ember. I am still amazed to this day that we got that under control. The fire was huge, and using only the stuff we had with us to put it out is crazy. It's safe to say that was the LAST desert party I went to. For days after the fire I was sure that someone would get busted as we had left tire tracks and litter at the site, as well as a huge blackened circle of shrubs. I now realize the odds of someone in authority being that far out in the middle of nowhere and discovering the fire seems far fetched. What doesn't seem far fetched is the damage we could have caused goofing off. I've since learned my lesson with fireworks. Always plant that shit deep.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Flash Fiction: Under a Dead Sun
Episode 18
Billy crouched out on the saloon's balcony, his scattergun propped against the railing. He peered out into the eerie darkness, counting the creatures that roams through Contention's streets. There were at least 30 or so, all in different states of decay, but all with those enormous jaws and fangs. He watched as two of the creatures ripped into the remains of a woman lying in the street. Her head had been busted open and one was licking the remains out of it as the other chewed on her intestines.
Billy stifled a gag and continued to look out, trying to make little noise or attract attention. He wasn't sure how these creatures responded, but he sure wasn't going to give them any ideas. He looked at the buildings along Contention's main streets, any showed lights inside, but so far he had yet to see anyone.
As Billy looked at the buildings, movement at the Sheriff's office caught his attention. Root was waving his lantern in behind the shade of his office, the weird shadows acting as the pre-arranged signal. He crept back in the saloon and called down the stairs.
"Root's on the move!"
As he returned to his watching post, he saw Root crack the door open. Billy unholstered his Colt and prepared to cover Root as he broke for the saloon. Just as Root eased the door wider, all Hell broke loose.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Billy crouched out on the saloon's balcony, his scattergun propped against the railing. He peered out into the eerie darkness, counting the creatures that roams through Contention's streets. There were at least 30 or so, all in different states of decay, but all with those enormous jaws and fangs. He watched as two of the creatures ripped into the remains of a woman lying in the street. Her head had been busted open and one was licking the remains out of it as the other chewed on her intestines.
Billy stifled a gag and continued to look out, trying to make little noise or attract attention. He wasn't sure how these creatures responded, but he sure wasn't going to give them any ideas. He looked at the buildings along Contention's main streets, any showed lights inside, but so far he had yet to see anyone.
As Billy looked at the buildings, movement at the Sheriff's office caught his attention. Root was waving his lantern in behind the shade of his office, the weird shadows acting as the pre-arranged signal. He crept back in the saloon and called down the stairs.
"Root's on the move!"
As he returned to his watching post, he saw Root crack the door open. Billy unholstered his Colt and prepared to cover Root as he broke for the saloon. Just as Root eased the door wider, all Hell broke loose.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Movie Review: Semi-Pro
Hey all,
It's been a while since I hit the theatre, but yesterday's all managers meeting was held at a rented theatre, and after the meeting we got to watch Semi-Pro, with Will Ferrell and Woody Harrelson. Kind of a surprising choice, though I don't think much research was done to understand that it was an pretty graphic (at least in terms of language) film that they claimed was picked for it's broad appeal.
Circumstances aside, I came to find myself laughing a lot more than the trailers would have left me to believe. At some point over this past year or two I have found myself enjoying these ridiculous comedies more and more, Talledega Nights, Walk Hard and now Semi-Pro. I also remember laughing a lot more at Blades of Glory than I think I would like to admit, though I am pretty sure that it wouldn't hold up on repeated viewings.
Semi-Pro is about a former disco one hit wonder Jackie Moon (Will Farrell) who used his money gained from the song to buy the American Basketball Association team, The Flint Michigan Tropics. The league is struggling to find attendance and popularity vs the more popular NBA, and determines that they will integrate the leagues at the end of the season. The four best teams will continue, the rest will be dissolved. Jackie Moon's mission is to raise attendance and awareness of the Tropics and take them from last place to fourth.
Ferrell is at his usual self in the movie, blending broad appeal with absurdity and a generous helping of foul mouthed humor. I laughed and was more into the movie than I thought. It's a funny, passable film, especially in a time of poor box office choices. If you liked films like Talledega Nights and Blades of Glory, even Anchorman to an extent, (though not as quotable) Semi-Pro is a funny movie and a decent way to spend an hour and a half. There is plenty of oer the top moments to give you a few chuckles.
Thanks for reading.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
It's been a while since I hit the theatre, but yesterday's all managers meeting was held at a rented theatre, and after the meeting we got to watch Semi-Pro, with Will Ferrell and Woody Harrelson. Kind of a surprising choice, though I don't think much research was done to understand that it was an pretty graphic (at least in terms of language) film that they claimed was picked for it's broad appeal.
Circumstances aside, I came to find myself laughing a lot more than the trailers would have left me to believe. At some point over this past year or two I have found myself enjoying these ridiculous comedies more and more, Talledega Nights, Walk Hard and now Semi-Pro. I also remember laughing a lot more at Blades of Glory than I think I would like to admit, though I am pretty sure that it wouldn't hold up on repeated viewings.
Semi-Pro is about a former disco one hit wonder Jackie Moon (Will Farrell) who used his money gained from the song to buy the American Basketball Association team, The Flint Michigan Tropics. The league is struggling to find attendance and popularity vs the more popular NBA, and determines that they will integrate the leagues at the end of the season. The four best teams will continue, the rest will be dissolved. Jackie Moon's mission is to raise attendance and awareness of the Tropics and take them from last place to fourth.
Ferrell is at his usual self in the movie, blending broad appeal with absurdity and a generous helping of foul mouthed humor. I laughed and was more into the movie than I thought. It's a funny, passable film, especially in a time of poor box office choices. If you liked films like Talledega Nights and Blades of Glory, even Anchorman to an extent, (though not as quotable) Semi-Pro is a funny movie and a decent way to spend an hour and a half. There is plenty of oer the top moments to give you a few chuckles.
Thanks for reading.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Word Balloon: Bone
Hey all!
March's entry in the field of great graphic novel reads is Jeff Smith's magnum opus, Bone. Released at the rebirth of independent comics in 1991 it ran an irregular shipping rate ending with issue 55 in 2004. Bone is a story about 3 cousins who leave their home and get lost in a great desert, eventually ending up in a valley full of terrible and exciting creatures. The Bone cousins are short white "cartoon" characters who meet with the inhabitants of the Valley, a mixture of humans, talking animals and evil Rat Creatures.
The three cousins are Fone Bone, the most level headed of the group, who is in love with a young woman who he befriended in the Valley after being separated from his cousins. The second is Phoney Bone, a money hungry Bone whose greedy nature often gets ahead of his better judgement, though he has a deep affection for his cousins that he is loathe to admit. The third cousin is Smiley Bone, a lovable goof with out much brains but bursting with heart. The other principal characters are Thorn, the girl who Fone Bone first meets in the Valley and her Grandmother Rose Ben who raises her on a small farm. Lucius is a friend of Grandma Ben and runs the local tavern. There is also a Great Red Dragon who offers advice and villains in the Rat Creatures, their leader Kingdok, and The Hooded One.
It may sound a bit silly but Bone is truly an all ages tale. It's basically a 3 act story, with the first 21 issues or so setting the stage and providing a lighthearted and fun backdrop. The middle arc sets up a far greater picture hearken to the Disney classics that warmed you with laughter but made the realize that there are darker things ahead. The final chapter is out and out adventure as the Bones and their friends face the Hooded One and it's master to save the world. Combining elements of humor, slapstick, mysticism, romance, adventure, chases, fantasy, magic, it has it all, culminating in a final battle that parallels the Lord of the Rings or the Chronicles of Narnia.
Bone is one part classic Disney adventure, one part Walt Kelley's comic strip Pogo, a bit of Carl Barks Uncle Scrooge Duck Tales, and a great helping of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. It's epic in scope and a pleasure for grown adults, or young children first reading. A perfect blend of adventure, action and humor in a diversity of styles and story tones. I've read the complete series 3 or 4 times and it is still compelling and fun, and it is possibly one of my favorite books of all time.
Recently Bone was optioned as a film by Warner Bros. I really would love to see this film as a trilogy. Like the Harry Potter series it can grow and evolve as the viewers get older, light and airy to begin, but more dark and dramatic as the tale unfolds. Jeff Smith cemented his place in comics history with his series and was awards 10 Eisner's and 11 Harvey awards, about as prestigious as you can get. Check out the first 2 volumes Out of Boneville and The Great Cow Race. Or man up and get the omnibus for $40.00, collecting the complete series in one phonebook size volume. I can guarantee you will not be disappointed.
Bone by Jeff Smith, and publisher Cartoon Books.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Monday, March 10, 2008
Flash Fiction: Under a Dead Sun
Episdode 17
Katee frantically the ejected the spent cartridges from the old Navy revolver, the empty shells clattering across the floor. She bent over Deke's mangled body and undid his gunbelt, wincing at the torn remains of her old customer. After finally freeing the belt she loaded the new cartridges into the pistol and and cinched the belt tight around her waste
Barry stood behind the bar still reloading Booth's old Winchester. Tom Boon, her last client, took another long pull from the bottle of whisky he had grabbed. He was still in his long shorts, his pants and shirt still in her room. He had taken the the time to put on his gunbelt, but the leather still had it's shine on it and she wasn't sure he had ever fired it. Tom had claimed he was here to bid on some mining rights, but he so far had spent the last 5 days drinking and whoring.
Barry propped the Winchester on the bar and wiped the sweat from his brow. He'd been drinking all night and looked worse for wear. Katee rested the pistol on the table and snugged in her knife. She kept for those times customers got to rough and knew how to use it. She felt a little better knowing it was strapped to her back.
Katee looked through the window, and though the shades had been pulled she could still she the shadows of the creatures moving outside. Root was supposed to be back from the Sheriff's office already. She picked the pistol back up when she heard Billy call from upstairs.
" Root's on the move!"
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Katee frantically the ejected the spent cartridges from the old Navy revolver, the empty shells clattering across the floor. She bent over Deke's mangled body and undid his gunbelt, wincing at the torn remains of her old customer. After finally freeing the belt she loaded the new cartridges into the pistol and and cinched the belt tight around her waste
Barry stood behind the bar still reloading Booth's old Winchester. Tom Boon, her last client, took another long pull from the bottle of whisky he had grabbed. He was still in his long shorts, his pants and shirt still in her room. He had taken the the time to put on his gunbelt, but the leather still had it's shine on it and she wasn't sure he had ever fired it. Tom had claimed he was here to bid on some mining rights, but he so far had spent the last 5 days drinking and whoring.
Barry propped the Winchester on the bar and wiped the sweat from his brow. He'd been drinking all night and looked worse for wear. Katee rested the pistol on the table and snugged in her knife. She kept for those times customers got to rough and knew how to use it. She felt a little better knowing it was strapped to her back.
Katee looked through the window, and though the shades had been pulled she could still she the shadows of the creatures moving outside. Root was supposed to be back from the Sheriff's office already. She picked the pistol back up when she heard Billy call from upstairs.
" Root's on the move!"
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Sunday, March 09, 2008
My Little Savior
Hey all,
A quick poem that I have been dabbling with over the weekend. I have been running the title through my head for about the last week and I new that I would use that line in my next poem, sort of about people rescuing ourselves from one another. I think after this poem I may take a break for a while from poetry. I am really struggling to write and there are some couplets in there that I may have used in other poems before though I am not sure. I did like the pattern to the poem though, as every 2 lines rhyme, then in the next two stanza's the couplets rhyme with the same words from the previous one. So five rhyming sounds in 30 lines was kind of fun. Part of me wanted words that I could rhyme into a workable poem so maybe that had something to due with the familiarity. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the poem and I hope to repost tomorrow. Thanks for your support.
My Little Savior
Somewhere along the way,
Some traveled path I couldn't say.
A wrong turn so easily made.
And what's important gone to fade.
Happiness turned so blue,
Indecisions left to construe.
Remorse, regret still left behind,
Redemption lost in passing resigned.
Depression's depth from bounding highs,
What I've become even I despise.
Until we met that faithful day.
And my darkness found itself at bay.
When I pushed back your love still stayed,
Giving courage when I felt afraid.
From your life I birthed anew,
In your heart you knew it true.
Freed from those ties that bind,
Unlocking the secrets in my mind.
You could see the truth within my lies,
Tearing away my soul's disguise.
My little savior does now allay,
The hurts and pains of life to pay.
Her voice a song of serenade,
A melody so sweetly played.
So when the dark starts to subdue,
I find my rescue in the arms of you.
My sight rebounds from times so blind,
Our lives together grown intertwined.
That I love you so is no surprise,
Twill remain that way 'till our demise.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
A quick poem that I have been dabbling with over the weekend. I have been running the title through my head for about the last week and I new that I would use that line in my next poem, sort of about people rescuing ourselves from one another. I think after this poem I may take a break for a while from poetry. I am really struggling to write and there are some couplets in there that I may have used in other poems before though I am not sure. I did like the pattern to the poem though, as every 2 lines rhyme, then in the next two stanza's the couplets rhyme with the same words from the previous one. So five rhyming sounds in 30 lines was kind of fun. Part of me wanted words that I could rhyme into a workable poem so maybe that had something to due with the familiarity. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the poem and I hope to repost tomorrow. Thanks for your support.
My Little Savior
Somewhere along the way,
Some traveled path I couldn't say.
A wrong turn so easily made.
And what's important gone to fade.
Happiness turned so blue,
Indecisions left to construe.
Remorse, regret still left behind,
Redemption lost in passing resigned.
Depression's depth from bounding highs,
What I've become even I despise.
Until we met that faithful day.
And my darkness found itself at bay.
When I pushed back your love still stayed,
Giving courage when I felt afraid.
From your life I birthed anew,
In your heart you knew it true.
Freed from those ties that bind,
Unlocking the secrets in my mind.
You could see the truth within my lies,
Tearing away my soul's disguise.
My little savior does now allay,
The hurts and pains of life to pay.
Her voice a song of serenade,
A melody so sweetly played.
So when the dark starts to subdue,
I find my rescue in the arms of you.
My sight rebounds from times so blind,
Our lives together grown intertwined.
That I love you so is no surprise,
Twill remain that way 'till our demise.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Saturday, March 08, 2008
The Line Up
Hey all,
Sorry about the gap in posting so far this month, there has been a lot of little things that have not been condusive to writing. Work of course always rears it's ugly head and has seen me working some serious shifts in the previous week. Between numerous meetings and visiting supervisors I just haven't been home that much, some time working 11 or 12 hour days. My hope is that this current week we can get on some sort of regular schedule or at least get another manager that we were promised to help ease the load. Hey with my luck though I'll probably be back to where I started!
There have been some other stuff going on. Last night saw brand new episodes of one of my favorite television programs Ninja Warrior. Found on G4 its a Japanese import show that's everything American Gladiator wants to be. A highly difficult 4 stage obstacle course that pits 100 people against its rigors. Some of the challenges range from athletes to fishermen to dancers to models to the out and out ridiculous. The obstacles, which you have to see to believe are incredibly difficult, like running up a curved wall to grab the lip, to crossing a hanging curtain over a pit of water to jumping from monkey bar to monkey bar across an incredible span. It's amazing to see what these athletes are capable of. In the 10 plus years of the show only 2 men have ever completed all 4 stages. Last night saw the 7th all women of Ninja Warrior tournament.
All of the obstacles require speed, strength, endurance, stamina, and balance. The men's course focuses more on strength, the women's highlight balance. The last three tournaments for women have seen back to back to back victories for the only woman to have completed the the course, whose name is Ayoka. Of the 110 women who started stage 1, only 4 advanced. Passing obstacles like wobbly stepping stones, off set balance beams where you hit a button, run across one beam, jump to an off set next beam, then jump to a third platform to catch a punching bag that released when you hit the button to ride it across a pool of water. Then it's up the short cargo net to the balance tank, where you roll on a barrel on a ramp across a pool of water to a platform. Then you catapult from a trampoline to an elevated small round platform in an event called the Hot Rocket. Then you jump down to a padded platform, across a short balance beam into the Angled Run, where two sections of wall, one on the right, one on the left separated by a small gap are pitched at a 22 degree incline. You have to run across the angled wall to a rope ladder, climb it an hit a buzzer. Oh Yeah, and all this has to be done in 85 seconds. That's hard right!
Four women advanced to Stage 2, where the obstacles push your sense of balance and strength even harder, with spinning balance logs, elevated rounded stepping stones, monkey bars and free hanging balance beams. Even 3 time champion Ayoka failed to pass this course, though one challenger made it to stage 3. The third stage, the only 1 untimed, has a peg jump, where you jump from one narrow peg shaped platform to the next and a long foam domino hill that rise over 10 feet from the ground. Domino Hill beat the challenger who couldn't make it to the third task, an inclined rock wall. There was still a stage 4 whose challenge we did not get to see.
Ninja Warrior is full of everything you have to love about competitive television. Feats of strength and athleticism, sheer humor at some of the strange participants and a sense of awe watching people do things that look impossible. It will be about 2 months until the next new episode of Ninja Warrior, the men's competition. Sadly that's the only drawback of the show. Since the Tournament is only held in Japan 4 times a year, you only get new episodes about every quarter. Two men's, in the summer and the winter, and two women's, in the fall and spring. But G4 has plenty of backlog, over 10 years worth of episodes for you to watch and root for. You should definitely add G4 for this show alone, it's well worth adding to your cable package and ranks as one of my top 5 shows to watch.
Ninja Warrior.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Sorry about the gap in posting so far this month, there has been a lot of little things that have not been condusive to writing. Work of course always rears it's ugly head and has seen me working some serious shifts in the previous week. Between numerous meetings and visiting supervisors I just haven't been home that much, some time working 11 or 12 hour days. My hope is that this current week we can get on some sort of regular schedule or at least get another manager that we were promised to help ease the load. Hey with my luck though I'll probably be back to where I started!
There have been some other stuff going on. Last night saw brand new episodes of one of my favorite television programs Ninja Warrior. Found on G4 its a Japanese import show that's everything American Gladiator wants to be. A highly difficult 4 stage obstacle course that pits 100 people against its rigors. Some of the challenges range from athletes to fishermen to dancers to models to the out and out ridiculous. The obstacles, which you have to see to believe are incredibly difficult, like running up a curved wall to grab the lip, to crossing a hanging curtain over a pit of water to jumping from monkey bar to monkey bar across an incredible span. It's amazing to see what these athletes are capable of. In the 10 plus years of the show only 2 men have ever completed all 4 stages. Last night saw the 7th all women of Ninja Warrior tournament.
All of the obstacles require speed, strength, endurance, stamina, and balance. The men's course focuses more on strength, the women's highlight balance. The last three tournaments for women have seen back to back to back victories for the only woman to have completed the the course, whose name is Ayoka. Of the 110 women who started stage 1, only 4 advanced. Passing obstacles like wobbly stepping stones, off set balance beams where you hit a button, run across one beam, jump to an off set next beam, then jump to a third platform to catch a punching bag that released when you hit the button to ride it across a pool of water. Then it's up the short cargo net to the balance tank, where you roll on a barrel on a ramp across a pool of water to a platform. Then you catapult from a trampoline to an elevated small round platform in an event called the Hot Rocket. Then you jump down to a padded platform, across a short balance beam into the Angled Run, where two sections of wall, one on the right, one on the left separated by a small gap are pitched at a 22 degree incline. You have to run across the angled wall to a rope ladder, climb it an hit a buzzer. Oh Yeah, and all this has to be done in 85 seconds. That's hard right!
Four women advanced to Stage 2, where the obstacles push your sense of balance and strength even harder, with spinning balance logs, elevated rounded stepping stones, monkey bars and free hanging balance beams. Even 3 time champion Ayoka failed to pass this course, though one challenger made it to stage 3. The third stage, the only 1 untimed, has a peg jump, where you jump from one narrow peg shaped platform to the next and a long foam domino hill that rise over 10 feet from the ground. Domino Hill beat the challenger who couldn't make it to the third task, an inclined rock wall. There was still a stage 4 whose challenge we did not get to see.
Ninja Warrior is full of everything you have to love about competitive television. Feats of strength and athleticism, sheer humor at some of the strange participants and a sense of awe watching people do things that look impossible. It will be about 2 months until the next new episode of Ninja Warrior, the men's competition. Sadly that's the only drawback of the show. Since the Tournament is only held in Japan 4 times a year, you only get new episodes about every quarter. Two men's, in the summer and the winter, and two women's, in the fall and spring. But G4 has plenty of backlog, over 10 years worth of episodes for you to watch and root for. You should definitely add G4 for this show alone, it's well worth adding to your cable package and ranks as one of my top 5 shows to watch.
Ninja Warrior.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Flash Fiction: Under a Dead Sun
Episode 15
Billy vaulted off his horse as he arrived at the Sheriff's office in Contention. As he headed towards the door he watched Reny Cargill run back towards the his general store. Billy pounded on the Sheriff's door but found no answer. Casting around he looked about for a clue to the Sheriff's location.
Descending from the hilltop he saw a group of people. Maybe there had been an early funeral service. Billy broke off into a jog heading up the hill. As he got closer the first thing he noticed was the smell. A strong rotten odor, rancid and spoiled assaulted him. Billy stopped short, retching.
As he looked back up he saw them clearly for the first time. Flesh and muscle, decaying, hanging off broken bodies. Limbs missing, riddled with maggots and other insects. And the mouths, huge gaping holes stretched in hunger. Dead men, like back at the farm, brought back to life. And heading straight for him.
Billy covered his mouth with a handkerchief and freed his Colt, then he ran like hell.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Billy vaulted off his horse as he arrived at the Sheriff's office in Contention. As he headed towards the door he watched Reny Cargill run back towards the his general store. Billy pounded on the Sheriff's door but found no answer. Casting around he looked about for a clue to the Sheriff's location.
Descending from the hilltop he saw a group of people. Maybe there had been an early funeral service. Billy broke off into a jog heading up the hill. As he got closer the first thing he noticed was the smell. A strong rotten odor, rancid and spoiled assaulted him. Billy stopped short, retching.
As he looked back up he saw them clearly for the first time. Flesh and muscle, decaying, hanging off broken bodies. Limbs missing, riddled with maggots and other insects. And the mouths, huge gaping holes stretched in hunger. Dead men, like back at the farm, brought back to life. And heading straight for him.
Billy covered his mouth with a handkerchief and freed his Colt, then he ran like hell.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
True Story Time!
Happy March all!
Two months down into 2008 and today sees the return of an old column. It's been quite a while since I told another True Story and the truth is, most of my good funny stories have been told but yesterday saw me in the middle of some crazy stuff.
Mondays are a day that I have to close at work to do an inventory every week. I'm working up front bagging orders and keeping busy when some guy comes in, really frantic and stressed.
"GIMME A CUP OF WATER!"
I hand him the water cup and he grabs a few more cups from the stack I pulled it from and fills them up, tearing ass out of the store. I really didn't think about it until a customer mentions in the Drive Thru that she called 911 as a car is on fire in my drive thru! I bolt out the back door with a fire extinguisher and direct my crew to fill some water buckets. This guy's car has flames shooting out of the hood and he is trying to put it out with water cups! With the amount of smoke and fire billowing out of the engine, it melted the hood to the frame so we couldn't get the flames fully out. Finally with the help of our neighboring business who grabbed the water hose we dosed the flames using the hose and my extinguisher just as the fire department arrived.
The fire department had to cut the hood open to get into the engine. The funny part is they were treating the car's driver for smoke inhalation as the police officer was citing him for not having insurance or a license. He wasn't even the owner of the car!
I have been at this location for just shy of a year and half and I have had more crazy stuff like this happen in all of my almost 15 years with the company. I've evacuated the store 2 other times for CO2 tank explosions, which when released is a dangerous gas to inhale and can cause suffocation. It's just crazy!
Writing this story reminded me of another time I fought a fire that I will relate to another True Story this month. Thanks for reading!
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Two months down into 2008 and today sees the return of an old column. It's been quite a while since I told another True Story and the truth is, most of my good funny stories have been told but yesterday saw me in the middle of some crazy stuff.
Mondays are a day that I have to close at work to do an inventory every week. I'm working up front bagging orders and keeping busy when some guy comes in, really frantic and stressed.
"GIMME A CUP OF WATER!"
I hand him the water cup and he grabs a few more cups from the stack I pulled it from and fills them up, tearing ass out of the store. I really didn't think about it until a customer mentions in the Drive Thru that she called 911 as a car is on fire in my drive thru! I bolt out the back door with a fire extinguisher and direct my crew to fill some water buckets. This guy's car has flames shooting out of the hood and he is trying to put it out with water cups! With the amount of smoke and fire billowing out of the engine, it melted the hood to the frame so we couldn't get the flames fully out. Finally with the help of our neighboring business who grabbed the water hose we dosed the flames using the hose and my extinguisher just as the fire department arrived.
The fire department had to cut the hood open to get into the engine. The funny part is they were treating the car's driver for smoke inhalation as the police officer was citing him for not having insurance or a license. He wasn't even the owner of the car!
I have been at this location for just shy of a year and half and I have had more crazy stuff like this happen in all of my almost 15 years with the company. I've evacuated the store 2 other times for CO2 tank explosions, which when released is a dangerous gas to inhale and can cause suffocation. It's just crazy!
Writing this story reminded me of another time I fought a fire that I will relate to another True Story this month. Thanks for reading!
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
What Lies Ahead
Hey all,
One more post before the end of the month, and I wrote a poem. I had to go into work last night and nothing is more dis-spiriting than really looking forward to having a day off and then having to go into cover for someone. Anyway I showed up to work and pretty much knocked out my night, and found myself with about 45 minutes of free time between orders. I wrote this poem there and I think you can probably see the inspiration for the poem. It's not the first time I wrote a poem on this subject matter and I remember really liking it last night. I am not so sure I feel the same way about it today but I am going to post anyway. I'd love to hear any feedback, good or bad on the poem.
As always thanks for taking the time to read me.
What Lies Ahead
Try so hard to make it all right,
Give so much every day and night.
Why do I push to the point of break,
How can I give more when I need to take?
Every day is such a fight.
Only see the darkness in the light.
Smiles through the hurt seem so fake,
Everything inside died from heart's forsake.
Weakness betrays my will to give in,
Apathy's victory still convents in sin.
Can't seem to find what lies ahead,
When I can't tell what's still alive or dead.
Hot to the touch, yet grown cold within,
Where life seems lush, an empty chagrin.
Lost and alone, unknowingly led,
Question's to ask now gone unsaid.
Anger and passion cede and I no longer cared,
When once hot emotion's rule was never dared.
Long ago did blood burst within my vein,
'Till oppression's fist overwhelmed it's reign.
Now I dread day's start; alarmed, bewared.
As life and love come no longer paired.
Broken struggles carry on in vain,
And all that's left is regret and pain.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
One more post before the end of the month, and I wrote a poem. I had to go into work last night and nothing is more dis-spiriting than really looking forward to having a day off and then having to go into cover for someone. Anyway I showed up to work and pretty much knocked out my night, and found myself with about 45 minutes of free time between orders. I wrote this poem there and I think you can probably see the inspiration for the poem. It's not the first time I wrote a poem on this subject matter and I remember really liking it last night. I am not so sure I feel the same way about it today but I am going to post anyway. I'd love to hear any feedback, good or bad on the poem.
As always thanks for taking the time to read me.
What Lies Ahead
Try so hard to make it all right,
Give so much every day and night.
Why do I push to the point of break,
How can I give more when I need to take?
Every day is such a fight.
Only see the darkness in the light.
Smiles through the hurt seem so fake,
Everything inside died from heart's forsake.
Weakness betrays my will to give in,
Apathy's victory still convents in sin.
Can't seem to find what lies ahead,
When I can't tell what's still alive or dead.
Hot to the touch, yet grown cold within,
Where life seems lush, an empty chagrin.
Lost and alone, unknowingly led,
Question's to ask now gone unsaid.
Anger and passion cede and I no longer cared,
When once hot emotion's rule was never dared.
Long ago did blood burst within my vein,
'Till oppression's fist overwhelmed it's reign.
Now I dread day's start; alarmed, bewared.
As life and love come no longer paired.
Broken struggles carry on in vain,
And all that's left is regret and pain.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Flash Fiction: Under a Dead Sun
Episode 14
Reny Cargill bolted the door shut and ran up the back stairs of the store. His family were lived on the top floor of his store and he had to see thier faces, after knowing what he saw he had to make sure they were safe. His wife, Elma, was nursing the baby, and young Claire was playing with her doll.
"Why Reny, what's the matter?"
"NO TIME ELMA! Get the kids and lock the bedroom door, I just seen something no man should see!"
"What are you talking about Reny? You're scaring me..."
Reny grabbed Elma by the arms and looked into her eyes. His face was white and covered in sweat. "The sky has turned to night and somehow the dead have risen. God's wrath is truning on us for our sins."
"Reny, you can't be serious...."
Reny walked over to the door that led to the store's rooftop balcony, and pulled it open. "Look for yourself Elma."
Elma walked out onto the balcony, the look of shock and fear slowly creeping into her face. She stood under the darkened sky, watching as the dead moved into the city, attacking whomever got to close, ripping into the flesh and consuming the living. Elma held the baby tighter as Reny pulled her back into the house.
"Judgement day is here."
End of Line.
Gerrad!
"
Reny Cargill bolted the door shut and ran up the back stairs of the store. His family were lived on the top floor of his store and he had to see thier faces, after knowing what he saw he had to make sure they were safe. His wife, Elma, was nursing the baby, and young Claire was playing with her doll.
"Why Reny, what's the matter?"
"NO TIME ELMA! Get the kids and lock the bedroom door, I just seen something no man should see!"
"What are you talking about Reny? You're scaring me..."
Reny grabbed Elma by the arms and looked into her eyes. His face was white and covered in sweat. "The sky has turned to night and somehow the dead have risen. God's wrath is truning on us for our sins."
"Reny, you can't be serious...."
Reny walked over to the door that led to the store's rooftop balcony, and pulled it open. "Look for yourself Elma."
Elma walked out onto the balcony, the look of shock and fear slowly creeping into her face. She stood under the darkened sky, watching as the dead moved into the city, attacking whomever got to close, ripping into the flesh and consuming the living. Elma held the baby tighter as Reny pulled her back into the house.
"Judgement day is here."
End of Line.
Gerrad!
"
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Wrestling With the Past
Hey all,
Several years ago I use to be big into the pro-wrestling scene. As with aspects of my personality, when I get into something I usually do all I can to find out the most about it. I watched pretty religously for about 6 or 7 years, 1997 to about 2004 or 2005, when my work schedule changed and I had to work Mondays.
Typically I get into something, obsess on it for a period of time, then faze out, such as the case with Star Wars, wrestling, collectable card games, anime, the list is long with the only constant comics. Hell I even figure at some point my vinyl toy fixation will go the same way.
That being said, my assistant manager Edwin is a HUGE wrestling fan, a real mark so to say, and occasionally we talk about wrestling and such as its his passion and I am knowlegable on the subject. Well Monday night WWE Raw was in Phoenix and he gave me his spare ticket to go with him. It's been quite a while since I attended a live show, but I will say that Raw had a great card for us to watch. What got me into wretsling wasn't so much the spectacle or gimmicks, but the athetic ability and skill that went into choreographing a compelling match. During my hey day I had the oppertunity to see pretty much all the big names in action, Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Mick Foley, The Rock, the Undertaker, Ric Flair, Sting, Triple H, Stone Cold Steve Austin, as well as some of my personal favorites, like Chris Jericho, Scott Hall, and a great independant PPV of the original ECW.
The one guy I never saw wrestle though was my favorite wrestler, Shawn Michaels. Happily I got to rectify that on Monday when he wrestled live, in a one of one match. The undercard was pretty good as Jericho also took on Jeff Hardy, a pretty solid high flyer, in a fun match. Triple H also wrestled in a tag match with some of the WWE's new big talent, like John Cena (who recently starred in the movie The Marine) Randy Orton ,and another neophile Kennedy.
Mostly it was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the oppertunity to reconnect with the old excitment. Any time you attend a live event the crowds are always get me pumped up. It was also cool hanging out with Edwin outside of the grind and to see how infectous his passion was for the event. I had a lot of fun. Who knows, maybe I'll even start setting the DVR back up to record it.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Several years ago I use to be big into the pro-wrestling scene. As with aspects of my personality, when I get into something I usually do all I can to find out the most about it. I watched pretty religously for about 6 or 7 years, 1997 to about 2004 or 2005, when my work schedule changed and I had to work Mondays.
Typically I get into something, obsess on it for a period of time, then faze out, such as the case with Star Wars, wrestling, collectable card games, anime, the list is long with the only constant comics. Hell I even figure at some point my vinyl toy fixation will go the same way.
That being said, my assistant manager Edwin is a HUGE wrestling fan, a real mark so to say, and occasionally we talk about wrestling and such as its his passion and I am knowlegable on the subject. Well Monday night WWE Raw was in Phoenix and he gave me his spare ticket to go with him. It's been quite a while since I attended a live show, but I will say that Raw had a great card for us to watch. What got me into wretsling wasn't so much the spectacle or gimmicks, but the athetic ability and skill that went into choreographing a compelling match. During my hey day I had the oppertunity to see pretty much all the big names in action, Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Mick Foley, The Rock, the Undertaker, Ric Flair, Sting, Triple H, Stone Cold Steve Austin, as well as some of my personal favorites, like Chris Jericho, Scott Hall, and a great independant PPV of the original ECW.
The one guy I never saw wrestle though was my favorite wrestler, Shawn Michaels. Happily I got to rectify that on Monday when he wrestled live, in a one of one match. The undercard was pretty good as Jericho also took on Jeff Hardy, a pretty solid high flyer, in a fun match. Triple H also wrestled in a tag match with some of the WWE's new big talent, like John Cena (who recently starred in the movie The Marine) Randy Orton ,and another neophile Kennedy.
Mostly it was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the oppertunity to reconnect with the old excitment. Any time you attend a live event the crowds are always get me pumped up. It was also cool hanging out with Edwin outside of the grind and to see how infectous his passion was for the event. I had a lot of fun. Who knows, maybe I'll even start setting the DVR back up to record it.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Di-Vinyl!
Hey all,
Sorry for the few day gap in posting. Friday and Saturday were big inspection days at work and that has preoccupied a lot of my time. Haven't slept much, just working straight through. Thursday was a good day though, as I got to attend a launch trading party at a vinyl and urban toy store, called Red Hot Robot.
I don't know if I have mentioned the newest mania to sweep through my life, and many of my friends, is the urban vinyl toy craze. Many artists and creators are contacted hrough an array of companies, to take a standard design or shape, and to make it there own, through paint, plastics, or whatever. Many of these "toys" are really small pieces of artwork and look awesome. The biggest craze come from a company called Kid Robot, through there dunny line. Kid Robot has released about 10 series of these toys, using different artists and themes, and Thursday saw the lastest release, the French series.
First off, having bought so many of these it was great to be at a launch day trading party, the small establishment was packed with people buying cases of these things. Between my room mate Jason and myself, we have about 14 of the 19 released, so it was a great oppertunity. We also got a line on two older series that both of us had really liked for the collection. I am still actively searching for the one out of the series I didn't get, but I am confident I can find it.
You see, one of the exciting, and sometimes frustrating, things about these toys is that they are blind boxed and assorted different. You buy the box not knowing which design you will get, sometimes that leads to extras, but with assortments on design ranging from 3 in 25 to 1 in 400, you never know what you will get.
We've even taken our habit into Ebay, scouring the web for deals on older releases that we like. What sold me on the collection was knowing that one of my favorite artists, Tara McPherson, had designed some made me look into it more after Jason's original discovery. This lead to discovering more artists I like, such as Joe Ledbetter, Frank Kozik, and many others. I've posted an image so that you can take a look at them. Series Four, with packaging artwork by Tara McPherson, contained work by all of the artist's I mentioned and is one of the strongest in the series.
There are many different types of vinyl toys, find the series that you like, some artists even have there own series to themselves. The next step is creating our own designs on Do-It-Yourself versions.
Thanks for reading and happy hunting!
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull HD Teaser
I watched Raiders of the Lost Ark on television today, then had to rewatch the trailer for the new film, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Yeah, I'm officially excited!
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Flash Fiction: Under a Dead Sun
Episode 13
Barry Crouch watched as the stranger ripped into Boothe's throat, his clawed hands tearing into his chest and stomach. He could hear the slurping and crunching of blood and bone as the man worked into the barkeep's neck. Barry was still watching as his partner Deke reached for his pistol, an old long barreled Navy revolver, and cracked two shots into the stranger's back.
The man spun from Boothe, his face covered in blood and flesh, gore running down his mouth. He advanced towards Deke, seeming impervous to the bullet wounds in his back. Deke grabbed a wicked Bowie knife from the sheathe on his hip. The stranger continued towards him, raising his pointed fingers. Deke darted forward and jammed the sharp blade into it's stomach, letting out a horrible roar as he twisted the blade back and forth.
"TAKE THAT YOU SONUVABITCH!"
Still the man seemed to not notice, taking the oppertunity in close to gouge out Deke's eyes, dark blood spurting over it's face. Deke let out a scream, releasing the knife. The creature drew it's claws again, across Deke's throat, the scream dying to a slow gurgle. He began to feed upon Deke, as Barry sat there, unable to move.
That's when it saw Katee in the doorway.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Barry Crouch watched as the stranger ripped into Boothe's throat, his clawed hands tearing into his chest and stomach. He could hear the slurping and crunching of blood and bone as the man worked into the barkeep's neck. Barry was still watching as his partner Deke reached for his pistol, an old long barreled Navy revolver, and cracked two shots into the stranger's back.
The man spun from Boothe, his face covered in blood and flesh, gore running down his mouth. He advanced towards Deke, seeming impervous to the bullet wounds in his back. Deke grabbed a wicked Bowie knife from the sheathe on his hip. The stranger continued towards him, raising his pointed fingers. Deke darted forward and jammed the sharp blade into it's stomach, letting out a horrible roar as he twisted the blade back and forth.
"TAKE THAT YOU SONUVABITCH!"
Still the man seemed to not notice, taking the oppertunity in close to gouge out Deke's eyes, dark blood spurting over it's face. Deke let out a scream, releasing the knife. The creature drew it's claws again, across Deke's throat, the scream dying to a slow gurgle. He began to feed upon Deke, as Barry sat there, unable to move.
That's when it saw Katee in the doorway.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
The Line Up
Hey all,
Good news this week as the Writer's Guild of America returned to work on Wednesday, ending the 100 plus day strike. This means that many televsion shows will be returning before summer break to film additional episodes!
Some of my favorite programs, such as Lost, Battlestar Galactica, The Office, and How I Met Your Mother will return to production. Some shows will remain on hiatus until the fall season, like Chuck and Heroes. A few even got the axe, such as Bionic Woman and Journeyman. I'm sorry to see Journeyman go, but at least knowing that some of these programs are returning sooner than anticipated. Lost was projected to run 2 more 16 episode seasons and are keeping that commitment. Tentatively planning for 6 to 7 more shows, producers have promised to make up for the shortene episodes the following season. The Office, How I Met Your Mother, My Name is Earl, and other sitcoms are also planning 6 to 8 additional episodes.
Battlestar Galactica was also planned to run 2 additional seasons of around 16 to 20 episodes per season. Season 4 will drop early April and run through the already shot shows, and tentativly plan to break for around a month, then start up with the remaining 8. Season 5 will most likely come around April of 2009.
My new favorite, Pushing Daisies will also return in the fall for a full season. The fates of many animated programs, such as The Simpsons and Family Guy are unknown as they still have original content to air.
The biggest concern now for movie and televison fans is the possibilty of an actor's strike in June. The Screen Actor's Guild, like the Writer's Guild of America, is also up for contract negotiaion. Many actors are already clamoring for a quick resoltion to prevent another strike, similar to what the Director's Guild of America did at the beginning of the year before thier contract was up. Personally, I do not see a holdout, people have already seen the early effects of the writer's strike and won't want more people to lose income, as well as the potential box office losses that could be effected in 2009.
If I missed a show you want to know about hit me up in the comments section. I'll drop whatever knowlege I can find for you. As always, thanks for reading.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Good news this week as the Writer's Guild of America returned to work on Wednesday, ending the 100 plus day strike. This means that many televsion shows will be returning before summer break to film additional episodes!
Some of my favorite programs, such as Lost, Battlestar Galactica, The Office, and How I Met Your Mother will return to production. Some shows will remain on hiatus until the fall season, like Chuck and Heroes. A few even got the axe, such as Bionic Woman and Journeyman. I'm sorry to see Journeyman go, but at least knowing that some of these programs are returning sooner than anticipated. Lost was projected to run 2 more 16 episode seasons and are keeping that commitment. Tentatively planning for 6 to 7 more shows, producers have promised to make up for the shortene episodes the following season. The Office, How I Met Your Mother, My Name is Earl, and other sitcoms are also planning 6 to 8 additional episodes.
Battlestar Galactica was also planned to run 2 additional seasons of around 16 to 20 episodes per season. Season 4 will drop early April and run through the already shot shows, and tentativly plan to break for around a month, then start up with the remaining 8. Season 5 will most likely come around April of 2009.
My new favorite, Pushing Daisies will also return in the fall for a full season. The fates of many animated programs, such as The Simpsons and Family Guy are unknown as they still have original content to air.
The biggest concern now for movie and televison fans is the possibilty of an actor's strike in June. The Screen Actor's Guild, like the Writer's Guild of America, is also up for contract negotiaion. Many actors are already clamoring for a quick resoltion to prevent another strike, similar to what the Director's Guild of America did at the beginning of the year before thier contract was up. Personally, I do not see a holdout, people have already seen the early effects of the writer's strike and won't want more people to lose income, as well as the potential box office losses that could be effected in 2009.
If I missed a show you want to know about hit me up in the comments section. I'll drop whatever knowlege I can find for you. As always, thanks for reading.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Word Balloon: Y the Last Man
Hey all,
In thinking about another post for the week, I thought that I may take last month's Word Balloon column and do it monthly, recommending great reads in the comic and fiction literature world. I love reading and my love of comic books has been around since I was very young. I was already a pretty heavy reader when I got my first comic at 10 years old, a habit almost 22 years old. So much of fiction and comic books in particular get a bad rap as children’s fare, or immature material that many may pass up these graphic novels. To do that is to miss some truly great writing.
This month I thought to recommend a recently completed series, Brian K. Vaughn and Pia Guerra's Y: The Last Man. A comic book about a lone male and his pet helper monkey that survive a world wide plague that kills all male life on Earth. The main hero, Yorick Brown only wants to find his girlfriend, Beth, last known to be studying wildlife in the Australian Outback, but being the last man has its price. Assigned a bodyguard, codenamed 355, the two of them along with Dr. Allison Mann, a geneticist, must figure out how Yorick survived the plague and how to propagate the species before they can complete Yorick's quest.
In the course of 60 issues, all but the final arc (available mid-June) available in trade paperback form, creators Vaughn and Guerra deal with a myriad of issues. From the women of the Middle East breaking generations of cultural gender roles, hell all of the world breaking gender roles, to looking at the temptations of the Hero's quest and the ethics and effects of cloning. Though the book is centered on the last man, it's really the women of the world who grow and change the most, some finding strength they though they lacked, some giving into their own demons. The book starts with a bang and ends with one too.
It was bittersweet to see this series close, I felt it was perhaps the strongest comic book on the market, super hero or not. You really begin to care about the characters and about what happens to them, and the trials they face. My favorite character, Yorick's sister (named Hero) carried a transformation through the series to truly live up to that name that I thought was a great end.
Vaughn ends the series with a flash forward, 60 years after the events of the penultimate issue previous, and it works, seeing the full scope of what happens to everyone is kind of sad and poignant. It's due to this series that Vaughn got brought on board to script and produces the hit show Lost, so you know he has the credentials. I cannot recommend this book enough, start with the first trade, Y The Last Man: Volume 1- Unmanned, published by DC Comics/Vertigo, you will not be disappointed.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
In thinking about another post for the week, I thought that I may take last month's Word Balloon column and do it monthly, recommending great reads in the comic and fiction literature world. I love reading and my love of comic books has been around since I was very young. I was already a pretty heavy reader when I got my first comic at 10 years old, a habit almost 22 years old. So much of fiction and comic books in particular get a bad rap as children’s fare, or immature material that many may pass up these graphic novels. To do that is to miss some truly great writing.
This month I thought to recommend a recently completed series, Brian K. Vaughn and Pia Guerra's Y: The Last Man. A comic book about a lone male and his pet helper monkey that survive a world wide plague that kills all male life on Earth. The main hero, Yorick Brown only wants to find his girlfriend, Beth, last known to be studying wildlife in the Australian Outback, but being the last man has its price. Assigned a bodyguard, codenamed 355, the two of them along with Dr. Allison Mann, a geneticist, must figure out how Yorick survived the plague and how to propagate the species before they can complete Yorick's quest.
In the course of 60 issues, all but the final arc (available mid-June) available in trade paperback form, creators Vaughn and Guerra deal with a myriad of issues. From the women of the Middle East breaking generations of cultural gender roles, hell all of the world breaking gender roles, to looking at the temptations of the Hero's quest and the ethics and effects of cloning. Though the book is centered on the last man, it's really the women of the world who grow and change the most, some finding strength they though they lacked, some giving into their own demons. The book starts with a bang and ends with one too.
It was bittersweet to see this series close, I felt it was perhaps the strongest comic book on the market, super hero or not. You really begin to care about the characters and about what happens to them, and the trials they face. My favorite character, Yorick's sister (named Hero) carried a transformation through the series to truly live up to that name that I thought was a great end.
Vaughn ends the series with a flash forward, 60 years after the events of the penultimate issue previous, and it works, seeing the full scope of what happens to everyone is kind of sad and poignant. It's due to this series that Vaughn got brought on board to script and produces the hit show Lost, so you know he has the credentials. I cannot recommend this book enough, start with the first trade, Y The Last Man: Volume 1- Unmanned, published by DC Comics/Vertigo, you will not be disappointed.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
An Empty Cup
Hey all,
Happy Valentine's Day I guess. This is a holiday that I typically dread each year, a time when I find myself feeling a bit more lonely than normal. I know that I have the ability to make these changes in my life yet I never seem able to get past my own insecurities to do so and the result is typically the same. It's kind of sad to see everyone else so happy and expressing those wishes when you aren't.
Anyway, enough of my that. Last year around this time I was really amping up my blog again and posted a Valentine's Day love poem. This year I thought I would post something a little more appropriate for my situation.
An Empty Cup
Resigned my life to fate today,
Once had venture, but never gain.
Leave myself one final play,
Better alone than face more pain.
I'm giving in and giving up,
The years have passed and I relent.
The half full glass an empty cup,
All my worth hath been spent.
Others come and others go,
Smiles shorn on their glowing face.
But never once did I then know,
How it felt to find that place.
A gentle touch or bearest kiss,
Years gone by without a hint.
Affection shared I'll sorely miss,
Never shaded by a lover's tint.
I built it up within my mind,
So high the truth does pale.
Praying for a return in kind,
When all I found in passing-fail,
Broken down from highest hope,
Softly shed these final tears.
Steeled emotions to lasting cope,
And solely face these lonely years.
Hollowed heart and shallowed soul,
Are all that's left of love's sweet dream.
All the rest's a cold dark hole,
Hardened fast to fate's regime.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Happy Valentine's Day I guess. This is a holiday that I typically dread each year, a time when I find myself feeling a bit more lonely than normal. I know that I have the ability to make these changes in my life yet I never seem able to get past my own insecurities to do so and the result is typically the same. It's kind of sad to see everyone else so happy and expressing those wishes when you aren't.
Anyway, enough of my that. Last year around this time I was really amping up my blog again and posted a Valentine's Day love poem. This year I thought I would post something a little more appropriate for my situation.
An Empty Cup
Resigned my life to fate today,
Once had venture, but never gain.
Leave myself one final play,
Better alone than face more pain.
I'm giving in and giving up,
The years have passed and I relent.
The half full glass an empty cup,
All my worth hath been spent.
Others come and others go,
Smiles shorn on their glowing face.
But never once did I then know,
How it felt to find that place.
A gentle touch or bearest kiss,
Years gone by without a hint.
Affection shared I'll sorely miss,
Never shaded by a lover's tint.
I built it up within my mind,
So high the truth does pale.
Praying for a return in kind,
When all I found in passing-fail,
Broken down from highest hope,
Softly shed these final tears.
Steeled emotions to lasting cope,
And solely face these lonely years.
Hollowed heart and shallowed soul,
Are all that's left of love's sweet dream.
All the rest's a cold dark hole,
Hardened fast to fate's regime.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Flash Fiction: Under a Dead Sun
Episode 12
Billy reached down and pulled Katee onto the roof of the train. He bent low again to help the Sheriff Root uo next. As Root looked over his shoulder he could see the creatures pounding against the door of the Pullman car, cracks spiderwebbing through the glass window.
The three stayed low as the train barreled down the tracks, as Billy layed out his plan.
"Our only chance is to cut loose the engine and dynamite the tracks behind us. There's too damn many of the creatures in the cars to get'em all. We keep moving forward, check on the conductor, break free the engine, and light the dynamite, and pray ta God. We in agreement?"
Root gave a short nod and Katee flashed him a grim smile. Billy reached out for Katee with his free hand and took hers as they crept forward. Root followed behind, stopping to look at the wound on his arm, already turning black with seepage. Root grimaced and followed, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Billy reached down and pulled Katee onto the roof of the train. He bent low again to help the Sheriff Root uo next. As Root looked over his shoulder he could see the creatures pounding against the door of the Pullman car, cracks spiderwebbing through the glass window.
The three stayed low as the train barreled down the tracks, as Billy layed out his plan.
"Our only chance is to cut loose the engine and dynamite the tracks behind us. There's too damn many of the creatures in the cars to get'em all. We keep moving forward, check on the conductor, break free the engine, and light the dynamite, and pray ta God. We in agreement?"
Root gave a short nod and Katee flashed him a grim smile. Billy reached out for Katee with his free hand and took hers as they crept forward. Root followed behind, stopping to look at the wound on his arm, already turning black with seepage. Root grimaced and followed, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Movie Time: Rewind: 1939
Hey all,
Welcome to this months installment of the rewind. Instead of choosing a single actor or film to highlight this month, I thought I would do something a bit different. I am going to place a spotlight on what many people, including myself, believe to be Hollywood's greatest year, 1939. The sheer number of excellent films to come out in this year has eclipsed all others before of since. Called Hollywood's Golden Year, it is truly the peak of cinema's golden age, which started in the early 1930's with the influx of "talkies" and began its slow fade with the introduction of television in the early 1950's.
The studio system was in full effect, with each major studio developing and nurturing it's cavalcade of stars. Studio bosses grooming and accentuating stars talents with fairly complete control, far removed from today’s state of actor free agency.
My intent is to break down each film with a small measure of its significance.
1939 gave us so many great films-
At the Circus- arguably the Marx Bros. last truly great comedy, though they would continue to make films into the 1940's, this represents the last "Must See" Marx. Bros film. It also gave us Groucho's novelty hit, Lydia, the Tattooed Lady.
Dark Victory- Many people consider this Betty Davis' finest performance as a woman facing death and fighting depression to make the most out of life. Also starring Ronald Reagan.
Ingrid Berman made her American film debut with Intermezzo: A Love Story about a violinist who falls for his daughter’s young piano teacher.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame was also released this year with Charles Laughton and Maureen O'Hara. Many critics consider it to be one of the better adaptations of Victor Hugo's novel, despite changing the ending. Laughton and O'Hara also appreared in Alfred Hitchcock's Jamaica Inn in '39. Hitch's last picture from England before moving to America, though this isn't one of his better films.
Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights was also adapted this year, and it is the movie that launched Laurence Olivier's career. Directed by the great William Wyler, it is considered the best version of the book to be adapted to film, despite omitting almost the entire second half of the book. It was nominated for eight Oscars.
Jimmy Stewart had two important films in '39, Destry Rides Again, in which he takes his "everyman" role into the West for the first time as a tough lawman who enforces a lawless town, but doesn't use guns. Also starring Marlene Dietrich.
His other release is one of his more famous roles, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, about a Boy Scout leader who is elected to Senate and fights corruption and dishonesty by believing that one man can make a difference. Directed by the great Frank Capra.
Next up is John Ford who released three great films, the American Revolution epic Drums Along the Mohawk and the under appreciated Young Mr. Lincoln, about the early days of the famous President. Both films would star Henry Ford. This was also the year that John Wayne broke into stardom after years of toiling in "B" Westerns in John Ford's Stagecoach. This film would begin a career long collaboration with the actor and director, and Stagecoach still holds as my second favorite Wayne film.
The Oscar nominated Goodbye, Mr. Chips from England, the life story of a school teacher and all the live he affected through his classes.
This was also the first year that the legendary Greta Garbo appeared in a comedy with Ninotchka. It is also the first film to deliberately criticize the Soviet Union and Joseph Stalin.
1939 was an important year for one of my favorite actors, Cary Grant with the release of three films. First, the romantic weepie In Name Only, with Carol Lombard, was familiar territory for Grant having been known mostly in romantic and comedic films previously. It was his other two films, the rough and tumble Gunga Din, co-starring Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and the Howard Hawks directed Only Angels Have Wings that broke the mold. Gunga Din was about three British sergeants fighting natives in colonial India and was based of the Rudyard Kipling poem. Only Angels Have Wings was about a small group of pilots who deliver mail through the treacherous Alps. These films were the first to cast Grant as a man of action, as an actor of diverse range and were instrumental in honing the image of Cary Grant we have today.
The most important man in 1939 is director Victor Fleming. Though he had experienced mild success before 1939, he would never reach the peaks that this year brought him after it. Fleming is the only director to have 2 films in the American Film Institute's Top 10 All time, giving us the perennial classic, The Wizard of Oz, and the film that won 10 Oscars, the Civil War epic, Gone with the Wind. Ironically, Fleming replaced the same director on both films, George Cukor.
I think The Wizard of Oz is pretty self-explanatory, but the true scope of Gone With the Wind is astounding. The film launched star Vivian Leigh and cemented Clark Gable as the primary leading man in Hollywood. In fact Gable wasn't even under contract to the studio that produced Gone with the Wind, but was loaned out to the producer because no one else was even considered for the role. Accounting for inflation, it is the highest grossing film of all time, surpassing even Star Wars. For me, Gone with the Wind is one of the best movies ever made. Not in terms of rewatchability or acting or anything that you normally enjoy movies for, but for sheer scope and magnitude. There has been nothing like it before or since.
The unsung hero of 1939 may be veteran character actor Thomas Mitchell, who played roles in five films on this list, Gone With the Wind, Only Angels Have Wings, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and Stagecoach.
There you have a picture into Hollywood's greatest year. Though I can't claim to have seen all the films listed here, missing Dark Victory, Intermezzo, and Ninotchka I can whole heartedly recommend the rest, particularly Gone With the Wind (if you haven't seen it), Stagecoach and Only Angels Have Wings. Thanks for reading the Rewind.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Welcome to this months installment of the rewind. Instead of choosing a single actor or film to highlight this month, I thought I would do something a bit different. I am going to place a spotlight on what many people, including myself, believe to be Hollywood's greatest year, 1939. The sheer number of excellent films to come out in this year has eclipsed all others before of since. Called Hollywood's Golden Year, it is truly the peak of cinema's golden age, which started in the early 1930's with the influx of "talkies" and began its slow fade with the introduction of television in the early 1950's.
The studio system was in full effect, with each major studio developing and nurturing it's cavalcade of stars. Studio bosses grooming and accentuating stars talents with fairly complete control, far removed from today’s state of actor free agency.
My intent is to break down each film with a small measure of its significance.
1939 gave us so many great films-
At the Circus- arguably the Marx Bros. last truly great comedy, though they would continue to make films into the 1940's, this represents the last "Must See" Marx. Bros film. It also gave us Groucho's novelty hit, Lydia, the Tattooed Lady.
Dark Victory- Many people consider this Betty Davis' finest performance as a woman facing death and fighting depression to make the most out of life. Also starring Ronald Reagan.
Ingrid Berman made her American film debut with Intermezzo: A Love Story about a violinist who falls for his daughter’s young piano teacher.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame was also released this year with Charles Laughton and Maureen O'Hara. Many critics consider it to be one of the better adaptations of Victor Hugo's novel, despite changing the ending. Laughton and O'Hara also appreared in Alfred Hitchcock's Jamaica Inn in '39. Hitch's last picture from England before moving to America, though this isn't one of his better films.
Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights was also adapted this year, and it is the movie that launched Laurence Olivier's career. Directed by the great William Wyler, it is considered the best version of the book to be adapted to film, despite omitting almost the entire second half of the book. It was nominated for eight Oscars.
Jimmy Stewart had two important films in '39, Destry Rides Again, in which he takes his "everyman" role into the West for the first time as a tough lawman who enforces a lawless town, but doesn't use guns. Also starring Marlene Dietrich.
His other release is one of his more famous roles, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, about a Boy Scout leader who is elected to Senate and fights corruption and dishonesty by believing that one man can make a difference. Directed by the great Frank Capra.
Next up is John Ford who released three great films, the American Revolution epic Drums Along the Mohawk and the under appreciated Young Mr. Lincoln, about the early days of the famous President. Both films would star Henry Ford. This was also the year that John Wayne broke into stardom after years of toiling in "B" Westerns in John Ford's Stagecoach. This film would begin a career long collaboration with the actor and director, and Stagecoach still holds as my second favorite Wayne film.
The Oscar nominated Goodbye, Mr. Chips from England, the life story of a school teacher and all the live he affected through his classes.
This was also the first year that the legendary Greta Garbo appeared in a comedy with Ninotchka. It is also the first film to deliberately criticize the Soviet Union and Joseph Stalin.
1939 was an important year for one of my favorite actors, Cary Grant with the release of three films. First, the romantic weepie In Name Only, with Carol Lombard, was familiar territory for Grant having been known mostly in romantic and comedic films previously. It was his other two films, the rough and tumble Gunga Din, co-starring Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and the Howard Hawks directed Only Angels Have Wings that broke the mold. Gunga Din was about three British sergeants fighting natives in colonial India and was based of the Rudyard Kipling poem. Only Angels Have Wings was about a small group of pilots who deliver mail through the treacherous Alps. These films were the first to cast Grant as a man of action, as an actor of diverse range and were instrumental in honing the image of Cary Grant we have today.
The most important man in 1939 is director Victor Fleming. Though he had experienced mild success before 1939, he would never reach the peaks that this year brought him after it. Fleming is the only director to have 2 films in the American Film Institute's Top 10 All time, giving us the perennial classic, The Wizard of Oz, and the film that won 10 Oscars, the Civil War epic, Gone with the Wind. Ironically, Fleming replaced the same director on both films, George Cukor.
I think The Wizard of Oz is pretty self-explanatory, but the true scope of Gone With the Wind is astounding. The film launched star Vivian Leigh and cemented Clark Gable as the primary leading man in Hollywood. In fact Gable wasn't even under contract to the studio that produced Gone with the Wind, but was loaned out to the producer because no one else was even considered for the role. Accounting for inflation, it is the highest grossing film of all time, surpassing even Star Wars. For me, Gone with the Wind is one of the best movies ever made. Not in terms of rewatchability or acting or anything that you normally enjoy movies for, but for sheer scope and magnitude. There has been nothing like it before or since.
The unsung hero of 1939 may be veteran character actor Thomas Mitchell, who played roles in five films on this list, Gone With the Wind, Only Angels Have Wings, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and Stagecoach.
There you have a picture into Hollywood's greatest year. Though I can't claim to have seen all the films listed here, missing Dark Victory, Intermezzo, and Ninotchka I can whole heartedly recommend the rest, particularly Gone With the Wind (if you haven't seen it), Stagecoach and Only Angels Have Wings. Thanks for reading the Rewind.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Friday, February 08, 2008
Flash Fiction: Under a Dead Sun
Episode 11
Billy held her head to his chest and bit back the tears. Why hadn't he been faster, why hadn't he been paying closer attention! It was his own damn fault. He held her tight, not wanting to look again at the torn neck, not wanting to face what he jnew he had to do. It was only a matter of time before she.....it turned. There was one thinbg he was certain off, there was no way he'd let that happen.
Billy picked up her body and layed her on the bed. He slowly pulled out his Colt revolver, pulling the bullets from his gunbelt slowly. Each click of the guns cylinder echoed in the room, until he had loaded all six chambers. Billy slowly thumbed back the hammer and placed the barrel against her head.
" I'm sorry I wasn't there for you...."
Billy fired, the gunshout ringing in his ears long after the shot. He stood there over the body, only waked from his revelry by a hand on his shouler.
" It's not yer fault Billy, there were to many of them... there was nothing you could have done."
" That don't make it any easier Katee, how do you tell a man that you put a bullet in his daughters brain?"
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Billy held her head to his chest and bit back the tears. Why hadn't he been faster, why hadn't he been paying closer attention! It was his own damn fault. He held her tight, not wanting to look again at the torn neck, not wanting to face what he jnew he had to do. It was only a matter of time before she.....it turned. There was one thinbg he was certain off, there was no way he'd let that happen.
Billy picked up her body and layed her on the bed. He slowly pulled out his Colt revolver, pulling the bullets from his gunbelt slowly. Each click of the guns cylinder echoed in the room, until he had loaded all six chambers. Billy slowly thumbed back the hammer and placed the barrel against her head.
" I'm sorry I wasn't there for you...."
Billy fired, the gunshout ringing in his ears long after the shot. He stood there over the body, only waked from his revelry by a hand on his shouler.
" It's not yer fault Billy, there were to many of them... there was nothing you could have done."
" That don't make it any easier Katee, how do you tell a man that you put a bullet in his daughters brain?"
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
A Brand New Day
Hey all,
A quick turnaround on another poem this week. I thought about holding off a little to spread out the poetry posts, but I am pretty happy with the outcome of this one. I wrote it during a nine hour long meeting at work, through a series of conferences and such. What resulted is what I feel is the polar opposite of my last poem, Midnight Self. It's my riff on the the possibilites of each new day and what the dawn brings. More specifically, drawing homages to living in the deserts of Arizona. If anything, finding the brightest times of such a sparse environment. Hope you like it.
Oh, and I'd also like to credit my good friend Jason for the inspiration on the origin of Sheriff Root in my Flash Fiction posts. Thanks bro.
A Brand New Day
Horizons break in colored red,
Purple streaks with orange rays led.
Sunrise eclipse dark night's take.
A brand new day begins to break.
The moon and sun still share same sky.
That rarest time wherein both still lie.
Soon the twinkles start to turn,
At sunlights burst to orb's sweet burn.
Warmth seeps to those chilled bones,
Temperate days in this cherished zone.
As desert life wakes to mourning's rise,
And nighttime slumbers in brief demise.
Hazy clouds gather at world's end,
With mountains kiss at valley's rend,
And the craggy peaks loom all around,
Where Heavens and sky kiss the ground.
Here the arid trees in subtle breeze,
Flowered shrubbery sways with ease.
Rocky clefts and low bent dunes,
Greeting peaceful valley is dawn's swoon.
Looking out to fresh faced day,
Possibility and chance ahead that lay.
With each new sun my spirits soar,
Rebirth my soul, at deep set core.
Stains and pain of days past gone,
Soothe the hurts of yesterday does dawn.
Arms spread wide to greet the birthing light,
A perfect day and all feels right.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
A quick turnaround on another poem this week. I thought about holding off a little to spread out the poetry posts, but I am pretty happy with the outcome of this one. I wrote it during a nine hour long meeting at work, through a series of conferences and such. What resulted is what I feel is the polar opposite of my last poem, Midnight Self. It's my riff on the the possibilites of each new day and what the dawn brings. More specifically, drawing homages to living in the deserts of Arizona. If anything, finding the brightest times of such a sparse environment. Hope you like it.
Oh, and I'd also like to credit my good friend Jason for the inspiration on the origin of Sheriff Root in my Flash Fiction posts. Thanks bro.
A Brand New Day
Horizons break in colored red,
Purple streaks with orange rays led.
Sunrise eclipse dark night's take.
A brand new day begins to break.
The moon and sun still share same sky.
That rarest time wherein both still lie.
Soon the twinkles start to turn,
At sunlights burst to orb's sweet burn.
Warmth seeps to those chilled bones,
Temperate days in this cherished zone.
As desert life wakes to mourning's rise,
And nighttime slumbers in brief demise.
Hazy clouds gather at world's end,
With mountains kiss at valley's rend,
And the craggy peaks loom all around,
Where Heavens and sky kiss the ground.
Here the arid trees in subtle breeze,
Flowered shrubbery sways with ease.
Rocky clefts and low bent dunes,
Greeting peaceful valley is dawn's swoon.
Looking out to fresh faced day,
Possibility and chance ahead that lay.
With each new sun my spirits soar,
Rebirth my soul, at deep set core.
Stains and pain of days past gone,
Soothe the hurts of yesterday does dawn.
Arms spread wide to greet the birthing light,
A perfect day and all feels right.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Flash Fiction: Under a Dead Sun
Episode 10
Sheriff Root tied on his gunbelt and grabbed his rifle off the wall. It was too damn early and he was too damn tired for gunplay from the saloon. Catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror he had hung off beside the door, he stopped and straigtened his vest.
Root looked more like a banker than a Sheriff, and in fact had been one before the war. Having taken a round to the chest, most doctors were surprised he had even survived. After the war he had headed west for more temperate climates and what doctors had said was an easier environemnt for his weakened lung.
He picked back up his rifle and trotted across the street. It was still to dark but Root was to preoccupied to notice the time. As he crossed he heard more gunshots and quickened his pace.
Root threw the swinging doors wide and cursed. Two people lay on the floor, one of them looked to be the proprietor Boothe, both with their necks torn open. Another two men were fighting, and before he could say anything one man cracked the other across the face with a chair leg. As he fell to the floor, Root watched as the man guts ran out of the gaping hole in his stomach, his mouth streched far to wide to be normal.
"What the fuck happened in here?"
End of line.
Gerrad!
Sheriff Root tied on his gunbelt and grabbed his rifle off the wall. It was too damn early and he was too damn tired for gunplay from the saloon. Catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror he had hung off beside the door, he stopped and straigtened his vest.
Root looked more like a banker than a Sheriff, and in fact had been one before the war. Having taken a round to the chest, most doctors were surprised he had even survived. After the war he had headed west for more temperate climates and what doctors had said was an easier environemnt for his weakened lung.
He picked back up his rifle and trotted across the street. It was still to dark but Root was to preoccupied to notice the time. As he crossed he heard more gunshots and quickened his pace.
Root threw the swinging doors wide and cursed. Two people lay on the floor, one of them looked to be the proprietor Boothe, both with their necks torn open. Another two men were fighting, and before he could say anything one man cracked the other across the face with a chair leg. As he fell to the floor, Root watched as the man guts ran out of the gaping hole in his stomach, his mouth streched far to wide to be normal.
"What the fuck happened in here?"
End of line.
Gerrad!
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Midnight Self
Hey all,
No precursor to this poem, really. It's about losing yourself into the reality around you. Sometimes things seem so bright that you rise above it all, and sometimes you feel so bad that you are just another component in the world around you. Hope you enjoy the poem.
Midnight Self
Darkened skies fall at night,
Nary a star to pull at dimmest light.
Welcoming black to all around.
Lost to all, never now found.
Inky night bleeds within,
Flesh to sky, neither stop nor begin.
Cannot tell where I start or end.
Life or death these parts won't mend.
No more fun to pull the joys,
Of lighter days or brighter toys.
A fragile blur of midnight self,
Spent away my quality and wealth.
Laying down upon my back,
Fringes frayed by depression's attack.
Seek to find the truth of life,
The currency of happiness to tithe.
Fading fast to join the sky,
Simmered times to say goodbye.
Who will miss what wasn't there?
Longing touches or fervent stares?
No one left for me to mourne.
Just as if I hadn't been born.
Feel not pity or return in kind,
Break these shackels of lonly bind.
Give away to freedom's birth,
Covet the night to leave the Earth.
Now the end of grief and pain,
Finally then this hurt to draw abstain.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
No precursor to this poem, really. It's about losing yourself into the reality around you. Sometimes things seem so bright that you rise above it all, and sometimes you feel so bad that you are just another component in the world around you. Hope you enjoy the poem.
Midnight Self
Darkened skies fall at night,
Nary a star to pull at dimmest light.
Welcoming black to all around.
Lost to all, never now found.
Inky night bleeds within,
Flesh to sky, neither stop nor begin.
Cannot tell where I start or end.
Life or death these parts won't mend.
No more fun to pull the joys,
Of lighter days or brighter toys.
A fragile blur of midnight self,
Spent away my quality and wealth.
Laying down upon my back,
Fringes frayed by depression's attack.
Seek to find the truth of life,
The currency of happiness to tithe.
Fading fast to join the sky,
Simmered times to say goodbye.
Who will miss what wasn't there?
Longing touches or fervent stares?
No one left for me to mourne.
Just as if I hadn't been born.
Feel not pity or return in kind,
Break these shackels of lonly bind.
Give away to freedom's birth,
Covet the night to leave the Earth.
Now the end of grief and pain,
Finally then this hurt to draw abstain.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Saturday, February 02, 2008
The Line Up
Happy Feburary all!
WOW, already one month down in 2008. I am not even use to calling it 2008 yet and here we are already through Janurary. Sorry about the lack of posting the last few days, I have really been suffering from a bout of writer's block and I just can't seem to find topics to converse about.
I do have to say that as much as I love football, I don't think tomorrows Super Bowl is going to be that good. I am not really a fan of either team, though I guess I am rooting for the New York Football Giants to win. The Patriots are just to damn smug and going completely unbeaten in the season would just add to that factor. I tend to root for underdogs in situations where I don't have a clear cut favorite. If anything the Super Bowl commercials should be enjoyable, I've alread heard rumors of prevews for Iron Man and Wanted debuting on there, so there is that.
On the TV front I have to say that I am enjoying the new Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles more than I would have thought. It's a fun sci fi program that doesn't require the immense backstory that predates so much of my other favorite shows. It doesn't hurt that they have two hot women kicking ass all the time. I do wish that at some point though we have to turn John Conner into a pro active type of fighter. This program, taking place between T2 and T3, may not be the place, but at least glimpes of what is to come would be nice. My only other thing they need to do is be careful of exploiting the time travel aspect too much. Too much messing with continuity will affect both this series and the future movie franchises they have in development. Let's just enjoy and fun program while we still have new episodes.
It also goes without saying that I am glad Lost is back. Easily one of the best shows on TV came back on Thursday with more unanswered questions. I am hoping that this slow build from the first show will give us some good bang for our buck through the next 7. With such a tightly scripted show the shortened season could really hurt the payoff this go around. Ulike Heroes, which re-wrote the final episoe to be a cliffhanger/bookend to accomodate the writer's strike, Lost is staying true to formula. I'm sure I'll have more tocomment on the show as the season rols out. All I do know is that adding flash forwards AND flashbacks will make for some great drama!
Lastly, I finally got my roommate Jason in Battlestar Galactica. The only good thing to come out of the writer's strike is his willingness to watch new programs (because let's face it, there is nothing else on!) Re-watching BSG just reminds me of how well this show is done. Tight scripts with plotlines weaving through multiple seasons, great casting and some of the best season cliffhangers in televison. Jason made a comment about BSG that I found to be totally true. BSG rides that fine line about revealing answers to plot questions better than any other show on TV. Lost holds onto it's questions to long, for every answer you get, you also get two more questions. Heroes doesn't leave you guessing long enough. They are pretty quick with the payouts, moving in a faster plot direction. BSG straddles that line so well. I have so many questions, but they give you just enough to keep you guessing. That is not to say that i don't love Lost or Heroes, they are both some of my favoite programming. I just ove me somne BSG. New episodes are dropping in March, as well as season 3 on DVD. You have plenty of time to catch up at the video store befroe then.
Anyway, I intend to gt to some Flash Fiction in my next post, and as always, thanks for reading. Oh and a quick note.. my spell check is acting buggy again so sorry for any mistakes I may have made.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
WOW, already one month down in 2008. I am not even use to calling it 2008 yet and here we are already through Janurary. Sorry about the lack of posting the last few days, I have really been suffering from a bout of writer's block and I just can't seem to find topics to converse about.
I do have to say that as much as I love football, I don't think tomorrows Super Bowl is going to be that good. I am not really a fan of either team, though I guess I am rooting for the New York Football Giants to win. The Patriots are just to damn smug and going completely unbeaten in the season would just add to that factor. I tend to root for underdogs in situations where I don't have a clear cut favorite. If anything the Super Bowl commercials should be enjoyable, I've alread heard rumors of prevews for Iron Man and Wanted debuting on there, so there is that.
On the TV front I have to say that I am enjoying the new Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles more than I would have thought. It's a fun sci fi program that doesn't require the immense backstory that predates so much of my other favorite shows. It doesn't hurt that they have two hot women kicking ass all the time. I do wish that at some point though we have to turn John Conner into a pro active type of fighter. This program, taking place between T2 and T3, may not be the place, but at least glimpes of what is to come would be nice. My only other thing they need to do is be careful of exploiting the time travel aspect too much. Too much messing with continuity will affect both this series and the future movie franchises they have in development. Let's just enjoy and fun program while we still have new episodes.
It also goes without saying that I am glad Lost is back. Easily one of the best shows on TV came back on Thursday with more unanswered questions. I am hoping that this slow build from the first show will give us some good bang for our buck through the next 7. With such a tightly scripted show the shortened season could really hurt the payoff this go around. Ulike Heroes, which re-wrote the final episoe to be a cliffhanger/bookend to accomodate the writer's strike, Lost is staying true to formula. I'm sure I'll have more tocomment on the show as the season rols out. All I do know is that adding flash forwards AND flashbacks will make for some great drama!
Lastly, I finally got my roommate Jason in Battlestar Galactica. The only good thing to come out of the writer's strike is his willingness to watch new programs (because let's face it, there is nothing else on!) Re-watching BSG just reminds me of how well this show is done. Tight scripts with plotlines weaving through multiple seasons, great casting and some of the best season cliffhangers in televison. Jason made a comment about BSG that I found to be totally true. BSG rides that fine line about revealing answers to plot questions better than any other show on TV. Lost holds onto it's questions to long, for every answer you get, you also get two more questions. Heroes doesn't leave you guessing long enough. They are pretty quick with the payouts, moving in a faster plot direction. BSG straddles that line so well. I have so many questions, but they give you just enough to keep you guessing. That is not to say that i don't love Lost or Heroes, they are both some of my favoite programming. I just ove me somne BSG. New episodes are dropping in March, as well as season 3 on DVD. You have plenty of time to catch up at the video store befroe then.
Anyway, I intend to gt to some Flash Fiction in my next post, and as always, thanks for reading. Oh and a quick note.. my spell check is acting buggy again so sorry for any mistakes I may have made.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Movie Time: Rewind: Wait Until Dark
Hey all,
Welcome to this month's segment of the Rewind, highlighting great films made before the year of my birth, 1976. I have been meaning to do a spotlight on my favorite actress, Audrey Hepburn, but picking the right movie is the challenge. She made many truly great films over the course of her career and I wanted to pick one that may not have been as common.
It's easy to pick out her brilliance in roles like My Fair Lady and Breakfast at Tiffany's. I also truly love the original Sabrina, with Humphrey Bogart, William Holden and Hepburn. My favorite movie with her is Charade, co-starring the impeccable Cary Grant. These films are great, but they are to easy. I may do a spotlight one day on Charade, but I want to recommend Wait Until Dark, starring Hepburn, Alan Arkin, and Richard Crenna.
Made in 1967, Hepburn is a blind woman living in an apartment who accidentally comes into possession of a doll full of heroine. Alan Arkin plays the heavy who wants to get the doll back, and Crenna is the love interest. Made in the same vein as a Hitchcockian thriller, all of the action takes place in the apartment. Much like Hitch's films Rope and Rear Window, creating a very tight, claustrophobic set. There are many twists and turns in the story, and nothing is ever as it seems. I don't want to give too much of the plot away, as each twist builds towards the thrilling climax between Arkin and Hepburn. Needless to say, the thrills are surely on par with the best of Hitch or M. Night Shamalan.
Hepburn is very convincing as a blind woman, alone and frightened, who resolves to survive. Alan Arkin, who you may know from roles in Little Miss Sunshine and the upcoming Get Smart, is very menacing and imposing.
Hepburn earned an Oscar nomination for this role, and it's clear to see why. The lighting and story elements are fantastic, and it's very taut. Wait Until Dark was also the last movie she made before taking a nearly 10 year hiatus to raise her children. She walked away at the top of her game, and only chose projects that would allow her to be with her family after that.
The truth is it is hard to find a bad film to recommend with Audrey involved. In my opinion, she was the last great classy glamour actress, the kind that so perforated the 30's and 40's. They started dying off as the great studio era waned in the 50's, but not without giving us one last movie great, Audrey Hepburn.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Welcome to this month's segment of the Rewind, highlighting great films made before the year of my birth, 1976. I have been meaning to do a spotlight on my favorite actress, Audrey Hepburn, but picking the right movie is the challenge. She made many truly great films over the course of her career and I wanted to pick one that may not have been as common.
It's easy to pick out her brilliance in roles like My Fair Lady and Breakfast at Tiffany's. I also truly love the original Sabrina, with Humphrey Bogart, William Holden and Hepburn. My favorite movie with her is Charade, co-starring the impeccable Cary Grant. These films are great, but they are to easy. I may do a spotlight one day on Charade, but I want to recommend Wait Until Dark, starring Hepburn, Alan Arkin, and Richard Crenna.
Made in 1967, Hepburn is a blind woman living in an apartment who accidentally comes into possession of a doll full of heroine. Alan Arkin plays the heavy who wants to get the doll back, and Crenna is the love interest. Made in the same vein as a Hitchcockian thriller, all of the action takes place in the apartment. Much like Hitch's films Rope and Rear Window, creating a very tight, claustrophobic set. There are many twists and turns in the story, and nothing is ever as it seems. I don't want to give too much of the plot away, as each twist builds towards the thrilling climax between Arkin and Hepburn. Needless to say, the thrills are surely on par with the best of Hitch or M. Night Shamalan.
Hepburn is very convincing as a blind woman, alone and frightened, who resolves to survive. Alan Arkin, who you may know from roles in Little Miss Sunshine and the upcoming Get Smart, is very menacing and imposing.
Hepburn earned an Oscar nomination for this role, and it's clear to see why. The lighting and story elements are fantastic, and it's very taut. Wait Until Dark was also the last movie she made before taking a nearly 10 year hiatus to raise her children. She walked away at the top of her game, and only chose projects that would allow her to be with her family after that.
The truth is it is hard to find a bad film to recommend with Audrey involved. In my opinion, she was the last great classy glamour actress, the kind that so perforated the 30's and 40's. They started dying off as the great studio era waned in the 50's, but not without giving us one last movie great, Audrey Hepburn.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Blank Pages
Hey all,
I once heard it said that the surest cure for writer's cramp is writer's block. I can assure you that is the truth. I ended up working tonight, typically I don't work Sundays, but circumstances prevented that from happening this week. Sunday nights at work are slow and boring. Even with the list of things I left for myself to do, specifically targeted for tonight, I STILL was done with them all by 9pm. I sat in the office waiting for customers to show up so I would have something to do. It was depressing.
You can't surf the Internet, the work computer is on a dial up and has so many built in firewalls that disabling them to get to any good websites is almost impossible now with sending up some flags. We are also one of the only NON wi-fi stores left so I can't even take my PC to hook up.
One of the things I like to do on this downtime is to work on my poetry. I just wasn't feeling it today though. I wrote a lot of lines, just nothing that had any purpose or substance to it. It was kind of frustrating. So i sat there, with nothing to show for it. Today was not a good day.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
I once heard it said that the surest cure for writer's cramp is writer's block. I can assure you that is the truth. I ended up working tonight, typically I don't work Sundays, but circumstances prevented that from happening this week. Sunday nights at work are slow and boring. Even with the list of things I left for myself to do, specifically targeted for tonight, I STILL was done with them all by 9pm. I sat in the office waiting for customers to show up so I would have something to do. It was depressing.
You can't surf the Internet, the work computer is on a dial up and has so many built in firewalls that disabling them to get to any good websites is almost impossible now with sending up some flags. We are also one of the only NON wi-fi stores left so I can't even take my PC to hook up.
One of the things I like to do on this downtime is to work on my poetry. I just wasn't feeling it today though. I wrote a lot of lines, just nothing that had any purpose or substance to it. It was kind of frustrating. So i sat there, with nothing to show for it. Today was not a good day.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Flash Fiction: Under a Dead Sun
Episode 9
Reny Cargill took a quick stock of his sundries and moved to unlock the General Store's doors. As he pulled back the shades and peered outside he was surprised by how dark it was. He cast a quick look to the clock hanging on his wall and saw that it was 7:00am, well into what should be daylight.
Reny walked into the street and looked to the sky, dread filling him as he saw what looked to be a burned out orb in the sky. As he cast about for movement on the slow streets, he caught signs of movement on the edge of town. He quickly jogged toward the commotion, hoping to get a few answers as to what was going on.
As Reny drew near he could sense something wasn't right. He smelled them before his eyes could make sense of what he was seeing. Graves unturned and the dead walking, streaming down the slow slope of Boot Hill. Reny choked back a scream and ran for his store as the undead creatures closed upon the town.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Reny Cargill took a quick stock of his sundries and moved to unlock the General Store's doors. As he pulled back the shades and peered outside he was surprised by how dark it was. He cast a quick look to the clock hanging on his wall and saw that it was 7:00am, well into what should be daylight.
Reny walked into the street and looked to the sky, dread filling him as he saw what looked to be a burned out orb in the sky. As he cast about for movement on the slow streets, he caught signs of movement on the edge of town. He quickly jogged toward the commotion, hoping to get a few answers as to what was going on.
As Reny drew near he could sense something wasn't right. He smelled them before his eyes could make sense of what he was seeing. Graves unturned and the dead walking, streaming down the slow slope of Boot Hill. Reny choked back a scream and ran for his store as the undead creatures closed upon the town.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Such Wicked Toll
Hey all,
Wrote this poem at work last night. Turning back to familiar territory in my poetry. Whenever it gets hard to write poetry I tend to turn to what I feel best, aspects that I can rely on. I do want to make a concentrated effort to write poems about different subjects, but I find inspiration tends to flow from the topics I relate to more. Hope you are okay with reading them still.
This poems was an effort to build on a pattern I used a few months ago in a poem called The Match. Using short three word lines to convey meaning. That poem was about urgency. This poem is more about not having the ability to express yourself fully from what you are feeling. You feel so bad that you can only manage short sentences. Sort of loss by literature's sake. I think it turned out okay. Thanks for reading.
Such Wicked Toll
Agony or apathy,
Remorse turns cold.
The frosty breeze,
Grown so bold.
Harshly blown wild,
Untamed and aware.
Never now mild,
Chilling old cares.
Once blood's passion,
Flushed hotly bright.
'Till meager ration,
O'erwhelmed the fight.
Last salty cry,
And sobbing pout.
Now bled dry,
Love's run out.
Thinking of you,
Taken my joy,
Mistakes to rue,
That we'd destroy.
Hard to endure,
Such wicked toll.
When the cure,
Tore my soul.
Missing you always,
Don't feel complete.
The heart betrays,
As mind defeats.
A life fulfilled,
Just can't last.
Try to build,
Forget the past.
Haunted by thought,
Cold dead love.
All for naught,
Remembrance there of.
Light turns black,
Once burning, fade.
Can't turn back,
Affection so betrayed.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Wrote this poem at work last night. Turning back to familiar territory in my poetry. Whenever it gets hard to write poetry I tend to turn to what I feel best, aspects that I can rely on. I do want to make a concentrated effort to write poems about different subjects, but I find inspiration tends to flow from the topics I relate to more. Hope you are okay with reading them still.
This poems was an effort to build on a pattern I used a few months ago in a poem called The Match. Using short three word lines to convey meaning. That poem was about urgency. This poem is more about not having the ability to express yourself fully from what you are feeling. You feel so bad that you can only manage short sentences. Sort of loss by literature's sake. I think it turned out okay. Thanks for reading.
Such Wicked Toll
Agony or apathy,
Remorse turns cold.
The frosty breeze,
Grown so bold.
Harshly blown wild,
Untamed and aware.
Never now mild,
Chilling old cares.
Once blood's passion,
Flushed hotly bright.
'Till meager ration,
O'erwhelmed the fight.
Last salty cry,
And sobbing pout.
Now bled dry,
Love's run out.
Thinking of you,
Taken my joy,
Mistakes to rue,
That we'd destroy.
Hard to endure,
Such wicked toll.
When the cure,
Tore my soul.
Missing you always,
Don't feel complete.
The heart betrays,
As mind defeats.
A life fulfilled,
Just can't last.
Try to build,
Forget the past.
Haunted by thought,
Cold dead love.
All for naught,
Remembrance there of.
Light turns black,
Once burning, fade.
Can't turn back,
Affection so betrayed.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Flash Fiction: Under a Dead Sun
Episode 8
Billy and Katee ran from the burning stable, the sounds and smells of rotting flesh burning behind them. Several of the creatures had escaped the stable, some still on fire as they pursued the couple.
" Make for the Sheriff's office Katee!"
Two of the beasts stood at the doorway of the Sheriff's office and Billy freed his Colt with his right hand. Quickly thumbing back the hammer he fired off three quick shots. One shot was dead on as the monster's brains splattered over the wall. The other two hit the second creature, but failed to drop it. As it lurched away from the door Billy thumbed back the hammer again.
Suddenly Katee pushed him aside and fired the Winchester. The powerful rifle boomed as the creature's head exploded in a shower of gore.
Billy flashed Katee a grateful smile and jumped up to open the door. Trying the knob and finding it locked he lowered his shoulder to bust it in.
"You'd better make quick work of that Billy, we're about to get more company than we can handle....."
Katee looked to see the survivors lurching from the livery explosion head towards them, and there were more of them than they had bullets for.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Billy and Katee ran from the burning stable, the sounds and smells of rotting flesh burning behind them. Several of the creatures had escaped the stable, some still on fire as they pursued the couple.
" Make for the Sheriff's office Katee!"
Two of the beasts stood at the doorway of the Sheriff's office and Billy freed his Colt with his right hand. Quickly thumbing back the hammer he fired off three quick shots. One shot was dead on as the monster's brains splattered over the wall. The other two hit the second creature, but failed to drop it. As it lurched away from the door Billy thumbed back the hammer again.
Suddenly Katee pushed him aside and fired the Winchester. The powerful rifle boomed as the creature's head exploded in a shower of gore.
Billy flashed Katee a grateful smile and jumped up to open the door. Trying the knob and finding it locked he lowered his shoulder to bust it in.
"You'd better make quick work of that Billy, we're about to get more company than we can handle....."
Katee looked to see the survivors lurching from the livery explosion head towards them, and there were more of them than they had bullets for.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Monday, January 21, 2008
Movie Review: Cloverfield
Hey all,
First off, I know that the last few posts have been movie heavy and I promise that I'll get back to some Flash Fiction tomorrow, but I had the chance to see Cloverfield Sunday night and wanted to put my thoughts down on the film.
First off, no matter how this comes across, I really liked the film. I thought it was fun and it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I thought that the acting and look of the film was done very well, it really made you feel like you were a part of the movie. J. J. Abrams produced the film, and as one of the main creative forces behind Lost and shows like Alias, he certainly knows entertainment.
That being said, this is not what I would call an original film. It's basically Godzilla meets the Blair Witch Project. A giant seemingly unstoppable Lovecraftian monster is laying waste to New York City and you witness the events through a group of party-goers who decide to rescue their trapped friend in the heart of the city. The entire film is shot with a hand held "shaky cam." You see the movie through the lense of one of the party-goers, who was documenting the party, but decides the event that are unfolding before him must be recorded so people will know.
As long as you don't suffer from motion sickness, this is definitely a film to see in theatres. Like Blair Witch, the sounds and ambiance of a theatre really add to the tension and drama before you, as opposed to watching it on your couch. The actors, none of whom are "famous" really get you involved in the story. The effects shot were also well done, and I was happy to see that they did give you some very clean shots of the monster, instead of just grainy whip pans with the camera that would cover the creature.
I enjoyed Cloverfield a lot. Just remember what I said about motion sickness, already theatres are warning viewers about the film as many movie-goers have gotten sick and had to leave. It's Godzilla, American style. (Just forget that terrible 1998 version with Matthew Broderick shall we?)
End of Line.
Gerrad!
First off, I know that the last few posts have been movie heavy and I promise that I'll get back to some Flash Fiction tomorrow, but I had the chance to see Cloverfield Sunday night and wanted to put my thoughts down on the film.
First off, no matter how this comes across, I really liked the film. I thought it was fun and it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I thought that the acting and look of the film was done very well, it really made you feel like you were a part of the movie. J. J. Abrams produced the film, and as one of the main creative forces behind Lost and shows like Alias, he certainly knows entertainment.
That being said, this is not what I would call an original film. It's basically Godzilla meets the Blair Witch Project. A giant seemingly unstoppable Lovecraftian monster is laying waste to New York City and you witness the events through a group of party-goers who decide to rescue their trapped friend in the heart of the city. The entire film is shot with a hand held "shaky cam." You see the movie through the lense of one of the party-goers, who was documenting the party, but decides the event that are unfolding before him must be recorded so people will know.
As long as you don't suffer from motion sickness, this is definitely a film to see in theatres. Like Blair Witch, the sounds and ambiance of a theatre really add to the tension and drama before you, as opposed to watching it on your couch. The actors, none of whom are "famous" really get you involved in the story. The effects shot were also well done, and I was happy to see that they did give you some very clean shots of the monster, instead of just grainy whip pans with the camera that would cover the creature.
I enjoyed Cloverfield a lot. Just remember what I said about motion sickness, already theatres are warning viewers about the film as many movie-goers have gotten sick and had to leave. It's Godzilla, American style. (Just forget that terrible 1998 version with Matthew Broderick shall we?)
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Movie Preview: 2008
Hey all,
I figured I would complete this trilogy of movie related posts with my buzz worthy films to look out for in 2008. There is a good selection this year, though in no way as anticipatory as 2007, with three of the highest grossing franchises in history coming out within a month of each other. There will be plenty of tent pole summer action this year though with several big budget sequels in the pipe line. I tried to make the list reflective of public expectation in the first 5, with my picks in the second 5.
10- Wall-E
This will probably be one of the highest grossing films of the summer and you cannot go wrong with a Disney/Pixar combo. I don't feel the anticipation factor is as high as some of my other choices in the list, but this film will be a force to be reckoned with this summer.
9-James Bond 22
The longest running series in film history is back, I enjoyed the action sequences in Casino Royale, but I really want to see the pacing picked up for this installment. Royale bogged down in some instances, but since it was essentially a reboot with Bonds origin, I expect this installment to have a bit more spectacle, while retaining that real world feel that they were going for in Royale.
8- Hancock
Will Smith in a downtrodden super hero comedy. Smith is usually spot on with his film choices and I don't see him making a mistake with this one. Despite my feelings for I am Legend, you can't argue with its box office success.
7- Star Trek XI
Essentially another reboot of the franchise, we will flashback to tales of young Kirk and Spock. So far I like that J.J. Abrams of Lost and Cloverfield fame is helming the picture, and casting seems to be spot on casting Zachary Quinto of Heroes, Simon Pegg, Winona Ryder, and Leonard Nimoy to appease the faithful. I don't feel expectations are as high as some others on the list though as the last few films haven't been great. I am intrigued to see where they will go.
6- The Incredible Hulk
The idea is not to retread on the original, but build on the man on the run premise. I like the new casting direction with Edward Norton and Liv Tyler. Norton I feel can relate a lot more angst and depth than Eric Bana did in the sequel. They are also going far more action oriented, more Hulk Smash, less Hulk sulk.
5-Iron Man
So far everything that's been released looks great, the effect sand casting, like Robert Downey, Jr, Terence Howard, Samuel L. Jackson and Gwynth Paltrow. I am curious to see if director Jon Favreau can handle a film with this kind of budget and expectation, having previously directed fare like Will Ferrell's Elf. This could be a big step for Marvel Comics producing their own work independently, or a big loss.
4- Hellboy 2
It's well known that I love me some Guillermo del Toro, and the first film was pretty good. I feel that with all the cast returning for the sequel, the franchise will be in good hands.
3- The Dark Knight
It almost pains me to say that there are two films I am looking forward to more than this one. Batman Begins was spot on the best super hero movie ever made. Better than the original, better than the Spider-man series. Christopher Nolan is a great director, and Christian Bale can do big budget action, or subtle character acting. Heath Ledger is also looking to be a good choice in a "real world" take on the Joker.
2- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
It's been a stellar franchise for 5 films so far, and this will be the darkest and most shocking yet. It's easily one of the strongest books in the series and should offer new and old Potter fans a serious shot of adulthood and darkness.
1- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Umm.. it's Harrison Ford in his best role ever. It's George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. It has the biggest expectations and the most buildup. It cannot suck because so many people want.. no need it to be what they remember. This will cement these creators as genius, or revile them as idiots.
A few other films that could deserve an honorable mention are The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Wanted (with Angelina Jolie) the remake The Day The Earth Stood Still, Madagascar 2: The Crate Escape,X-Files 2, and the Mummy 3. This could be a good year for movies, and I surely will see you there. Thanks for reading.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
I figured I would complete this trilogy of movie related posts with my buzz worthy films to look out for in 2008. There is a good selection this year, though in no way as anticipatory as 2007, with three of the highest grossing franchises in history coming out within a month of each other. There will be plenty of tent pole summer action this year though with several big budget sequels in the pipe line. I tried to make the list reflective of public expectation in the first 5, with my picks in the second 5.
10- Wall-E
This will probably be one of the highest grossing films of the summer and you cannot go wrong with a Disney/Pixar combo. I don't feel the anticipation factor is as high as some of my other choices in the list, but this film will be a force to be reckoned with this summer.
9-James Bond 22
The longest running series in film history is back, I enjoyed the action sequences in Casino Royale, but I really want to see the pacing picked up for this installment. Royale bogged down in some instances, but since it was essentially a reboot with Bonds origin, I expect this installment to have a bit more spectacle, while retaining that real world feel that they were going for in Royale.
8- Hancock
Will Smith in a downtrodden super hero comedy. Smith is usually spot on with his film choices and I don't see him making a mistake with this one. Despite my feelings for I am Legend, you can't argue with its box office success.
7- Star Trek XI
Essentially another reboot of the franchise, we will flashback to tales of young Kirk and Spock. So far I like that J.J. Abrams of Lost and Cloverfield fame is helming the picture, and casting seems to be spot on casting Zachary Quinto of Heroes, Simon Pegg, Winona Ryder, and Leonard Nimoy to appease the faithful. I don't feel expectations are as high as some others on the list though as the last few films haven't been great. I am intrigued to see where they will go.
6- The Incredible Hulk
The idea is not to retread on the original, but build on the man on the run premise. I like the new casting direction with Edward Norton and Liv Tyler. Norton I feel can relate a lot more angst and depth than Eric Bana did in the sequel. They are also going far more action oriented, more Hulk Smash, less Hulk sulk.
5-Iron Man
So far everything that's been released looks great, the effect sand casting, like Robert Downey, Jr, Terence Howard, Samuel L. Jackson and Gwynth Paltrow. I am curious to see if director Jon Favreau can handle a film with this kind of budget and expectation, having previously directed fare like Will Ferrell's Elf. This could be a big step for Marvel Comics producing their own work independently, or a big loss.
4- Hellboy 2
It's well known that I love me some Guillermo del Toro, and the first film was pretty good. I feel that with all the cast returning for the sequel, the franchise will be in good hands.
3- The Dark Knight
It almost pains me to say that there are two films I am looking forward to more than this one. Batman Begins was spot on the best super hero movie ever made. Better than the original, better than the Spider-man series. Christopher Nolan is a great director, and Christian Bale can do big budget action, or subtle character acting. Heath Ledger is also looking to be a good choice in a "real world" take on the Joker.
2- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
It's been a stellar franchise for 5 films so far, and this will be the darkest and most shocking yet. It's easily one of the strongest books in the series and should offer new and old Potter fans a serious shot of adulthood and darkness.
1- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Umm.. it's Harrison Ford in his best role ever. It's George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. It has the biggest expectations and the most buildup. It cannot suck because so many people want.. no need it to be what they remember. This will cement these creators as genius, or revile them as idiots.
A few other films that could deserve an honorable mention are The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Wanted (with Angelina Jolie) the remake The Day The Earth Stood Still, Madagascar 2: The Crate Escape,X-Files 2, and the Mummy 3. This could be a good year for movies, and I surely will see you there. Thanks for reading.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
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