It's the End of the World as We Know It

Shelter

by Karl Mueller

The director Xavier Gens has recently been tapped to direct the spec film The Fallout which, from what I gather is a rewrite and retooling of Shelter by Karl Mueller. The new version was written by Mueller and Eron Sheean who are both going to be co-producers on the film.

Ross Dinerstein (“Powder Blue”), Darren Welch (“The Bang Bang Club”) and Tony Krantz (“Mulholland Drive”) are producing.

You might recognize Xavier Gens from his film The Hitman based on the popular video game franchise. I cannot vouch for his directing ability, though I've heard bad things.

Synopsis
A group of tenants in a New York apartment building are forced down to the basement apartment of their landlord because of a nuclear fallout that has leveled most of the city.

They are soon beset with hunger for food other than beans and a little more excitement than watching three nerds play a game similar to Dungeons & Dragons.

Things really get out of hand when the group starts to turn on each other, making it more of a question of survival of wits than a survival from starvation.

Thoughts
When I read the synopsis for this film my heart instantly sank. I had just barely come up with and was working on the exact same idea (with the exact same tentative title).

After reading, I'm not so scared anymore about my own idea. This is a far-removed concept from my own. It just sounded like the same thing at the beginning.

I mostly liked this story. It was fun and spooky and a bit thrilling at times. At one moment in the script I was so on edge that when someone opened a door I jumped in my seat about five feet.

The best I can describe it is a survivalist, entrapped horror/thriller. It combines elements of the trapped within confined spaces (like in Cube or The Descent) with the idea that given time and enough hatred for one another, a small community would utterly waste each other for control (the best examples of this are zombie films like Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead - originals or remakes).

Unfortunately it did not live completely up to my expectations and left me rather wanting. There were times when the script became ridiculous and hard to ingest, especially when dealing with characters that go over the edge with power or greed.

Either way though, I will be excited to go see this in the theaters, hopefully they can do it justice and not take away from it's suspense.

Excerpt
This is a small snippet from the beginning, right after the introduction of characters. It sets an eerie tone for the desperate situation that they are all in.
[scrippet]
INT. CENTRAL CHAMBER - DAY

Someone SOBS LOUDLY.

It's not Marilyn; she stares blankly at the ground. It's not Julie, either; she does the same.

It's Delvin. He covers his face and cries.

The light from the lantern begins to die. The eight faces gradually fade into DARKNESS.

INT. CENTRAL CHAMBER - DAY
A loud WHIRRING SOUND.

Slowly, slowly, LIGHT returns, illuminating Delvin as he holds his head in despair.

The light grows. Josh rocks back and forth, nearly catatonic. Mike stares forward in shock.

The WHIRRING continues. Finally, Mike looks up the source of the sound. Mickey sits peddling on a rickety EXERCISE BIKE, huffing and puffing with a strange grin on his face and a BANDANA wrapped around his already-sweaty brow.

Mike slowly looks down the bike. He sees that it's jerry-rigged into a crude GENERATOR. Mike follows a cable from the generator to a small LANTERN that's providing the light.

INT. CENTRAL CHAMBER - NIGHT
RADIO STATIC. Mickey turns a HAND-CRANKED RADIO TRANSMITTER to different frequencies.

All static. Mike and Josh lock eyes. Mike slowly shakes his head and lowers it to the ground.

INT. CENTRAL CHAMBER - NIGHT
The eight sit in their original positions amidst the LOOSE BRICKS and PAINTING EQUIPMENT of the unfinished basement.
[/scrippet]

Title: Shelter
Writer: Karl Mueller
Pages: 107 (undated draft)
Status: Pre-Production
Opinion: Thrilling, but a bit too overindulgent at times

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Marines Will Eat Anything

SOUPLANTATION

Because of my younger brother Zach's recent deployment to Afghanistan, Tiffany and I drove down to Camp Pendleton to get a good long look at him before he's gone on tour. He leaves Friday morning, so we only had a brief window.

We decided to take him to dinner and ice cream (he's totally an ice cream fiend like me). The place of choice was Souplantation, mostly because none of us had ever been there.

Experience
The place was a lot like a buffet. Chuck A'Rama or Golden Corral type stuff. The difference was they focused on salads and soups.

I had a heaping salad with spinach and red leaf lettuce, lots of veggies, a bit of egg, cheese, and ranch dressing. Also tried the corn chowder soup and the vegetable medley soup. All pretty straightforward and decent.

For dessert I put some of their chocolate lava cake on a plate and then dabbled it with a bit of vanilla ice-cream and caramel topping. It was exactly as delicious as it sounds - amazing.

Breakdown
Time of Day: Evening
Guests: Tiffany, my brother Zach, and I
Type of Food: Salad and Soups
Dish: Salad, Soup, Dessert
Price: $30 for all three of us (thanks to Zach's $1 military discount - I knew there was a reason he joined the Marines!)
Verdict: Okay, especially if you want to eat a lot

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Points2Shop

FREE PRIZES AND CASH FOR SURVEYS

So I gave this website a try last week. I wasn't quite sure what it was about, but it had promises of free stuff for filling out surveys and completing offers.

In the past I have done offer completion-style websites to get prizes (I got a free PS3 last month). This new site was interesting to me because you could buy stuff from Amazon.com, no matter the price.

Well I tried it, and it worked. I received this HDMI cable in the mail today. It cost me a penny (plus shipping) which was all deducted from my free account. I completed one survey that took me about 15 minutes to complete and I was on my way to receiving free crap.

The Proof

If any of you are interested in trying the same thing, you would not only be helping me out, but you I would walk you through it personally to make sure you are able to get some cool free crap too.

Here's the link: http://www.points2shop.com/?ref=uin1256762590

It's easy to setup and it doesn't require a credit card.

Happy hunting!

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Ten Films That Changed My Life

TEN FILMS THAT CHANGED MY LIFE

While reading a post about Where The Wild Things Are, a particular commenter caught my eye when she said that the film was similar to The Hurt Locker (which is also an amazing film). She said that the main characters don't change in these films, the audience does. This got me thinking about the films that have changed me in some way.

This thought process was further explored when I read an EW article about Wes Craven and the top ten films that "shook" him up. Meaning the ten films that helped form his style and thought process.

Listed below are the top ten films that I would say most influenced my life so far. I'm also listing a brief explanation of its influence. I wouldn't say they are the most obscure and intellectual choices, but they sure mean a great deal to me. Hope you enjoy.

TOP TEN

1. Paths of Glory - For some reason this film reached into my soul and shook me like I've never been shook before. I always turn to it as an inspiration for both its technical filmmaking achievements and dramatic story structure. It is what I strive to create in my own career.
   
2. The Fifth Element - This was probably the first sci-fi movie that made me look at myself and say "I want to do that." I've been trying to figure out a way to do that since. I can near-quote the whole movie to you.
   
3. Rushmore - In some ways I find myself identifying strongly with the main character Max played by Jason Schwartzman. There's so much I want to do and be, but it boils down to who I am that matters. This came at a great time in my life when I was trying to figure that out.
   
4. Fight Club - The defiance of authority and shockingly brilliant filmmaking techniques is what made this film an absolute staple of my film education. Going to see it in the theater and learning everything I possibly could about everything about the film was a first for me, and it has become my practice since.
   
5. Everything Is Illuminated - This film made me want to be a better human. It has the perfect blend of comedy and drama. Clearly a near-perfect example of how a film can influence the thoughts of an audience.
   
6. Dogma - I had already been a fan of Kevin Smith when I went to see this film, but this solidified in my mind how truly great he really is. It taught me that you can be true to your beliefs and values and still entertain. One of the funniest films I have ever seen.
   
7. Magnolia - This film challenged me. It forced me to look beyond what I came to expect from movies and taught me how to experience a film. This is probably the first "artistic" film that I came to enjoy.
   
8. Jurassic Park - This holds a lot of significant meaning, mostly because it is the first film that I saw my father really get into. It came to symbolize to me that my choice of a career is a correct one and that I could touch the lives of others.
   
9. Back to the Future Part III - This film got me into a lot of trouble when I was young. Because of this film, I started to make up stories and create fanciful worlds and ideas that I told around the playground. I was able to convince a lot of people of lies that I had made up and it was this movie that sparked that force within me. I've been telling stories ever since.
   
10. Twister - After seeing this film I realized that it was action/sci-fi movies that I most identified with. It has been my goal from then on to make movies that can capture the attention of an audience and then thrill-ride them through two hours of pure glorious entertainment.
    

What films have formed your style or opinions? What is your top ten? List them in the comments and share with us your reasons.

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Manwar

Spaced

Synopsis

A man is dumped by his girlfriend and kicked out of his flat - which leads him on a search for a new place and to pick up the pieces of his heart. While drinking coffee at a diner, he starts a friendship with a woman who also happens to be looking for a new place. They challenge each other to try and find a place first.

One day, they find a listing for a nice flat with the stipulation that it must be legitimate couples only. They decide to put on a reuse of being married in order to land this fancy abode.

With a group of friends that range from a fanatical military man who was kicked out of the Territorial Army, to a fashion obsessed snob, to a crazed painter with a pension for expressing his anguish, to the landlord lady with an appetite for younger men, these two misfits begin to form lasting friendships that are jeopordized if the truth of their non-relationship status was ever to be found out.

Thoughts
This is one of my all-time favorite British series (also on the list - The IT Crowd, Are You Being Served, Garth Merenghi's Dark Place and Red Dwarf). After watching a few episodes I was hooked for good. It's a real shame that it only ran for two series, with a total of 14 episodes, but every moment is so deliciously worth it. I encourage you all to go and watch the entire thing at this very second. Here's a way to do it. You have no excuse.

The creative team behind this wonderful business is the ever-impeccable Simon Pegg, the beautiful Jessica Hynes and of course, the impressionable and incorrigible Edgar Wright.

Truly an amazing group. Truly.

American Version
First let me direct you to what Simon Pegg had to say about this on /Film. Most of my sentiment is bottled up in what he had to say.

I enjoyed Sara Rue and Will Sasso. I think they're great actors. Problem is, they weren't Jessica Hynes and Nick Frost. As for the other actors -- "fogget about it."

It wasn't really worth a look. There is a reason it didn't get picked up. No matter how great and wonderful the original series was, they just couldn't capture the same spirit and feeling. I think a lot of that has to do with the process of the development that Pegg mentions in the above article. (Or maybe because McG was invoved - whatever that guy touches seems to turn to crap.) Or maybe because the team for the American version just didn't blend as well. Or, and possibly my main reason for not liking it - the wonderful brash off-beat humor that was so original and exciting in the original series just doesn't translate into an American humor. They needed to be their own series. The Office (even though the U.S. version is criticized) does a wonderful job of making it their own and making it truly American.

This same type of vigor and breathe of fresh air that The Office had was what would be needed to make Spaced a great show for a U.S. audience. But they messed it up. The window is now closed. Don't even bother. Just move on people, move on to other things. Just give back the babies to the parents and get on with bastardizing of some other popular British shows.

Summary
Season: British Series (2 Full Series), Un-aired U.S. Pilot
Network: Hulu
Airs: Finished
Verdict: British Series - Amazing, U.S. - Meh

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When He's Tryin to get This Money for the Rent

Hustle and Flow

Starring: Terrence Howard, Anthony Anderson, Taryn Manning, Taraji P. Henson, DJ Qualls, Ludacris
Written by: Craig Brewer
Directed by: Craig Brewer
Produced by: Stephanie Allain, John Singleton

Synopsis
Always hustling for any kind of cash, Djay begins to have a mid-life crisis wondering if his life should have turned out better. With a hot tip that the famous rap artist "Skinny Black" will be at a friends bar on the Fourth of July, Djay sets out to try and get demo put together in an attempt to realize his dream of becoming a famous emcee.

Using his prostitutes for funding and cleverly working around the difficulties and roadblocks of his poverty, Djay is able to find a group of friends that are willing to help him lay out a few tracks in order to impress Skinny Black and eventually getting a record deal.

Thoughts
For some reason I thought there was more to this story than there actually was. I realized that there was going to be some pimp-slappin' and some trickin' and definitely some hustlin', but all that seemed to be quite mild in comparison to what I had expected. I guess I'm just twisted like that (which I really hope I'm not).

Overall I got a great vibe from the film. Kind-of a "chase your dreams" sort of story -- which anyone will tell you I'm a sucker for those types of films. I especially liked the building of a ghetto recording studio in his room. Using an extending lamp arm was genius.

Terrence Howard is the man, and he owns this film. Surprisingly good were Taraji P. Henson and Anthony Anderson. I was touched deeply by their performances. I didn't like Taryn Manning in Crazy/Beautiful and I didn't like her in this. Something about her just gets on my nerves.

Overall it was engaging and worth the watch. The music is pretty good if you're into hip-hop (which I am), the song "It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp" which won the Oscar in 2006 was really good. Not sure why it won, but still.

Summation of Experience
Place: Home - DVR recording (watching movies on tv for me is like pulling teeth. The editing, cursing dubbs and cropping drives me nuts.)
Price: Free (well...cable subscription cost)
Atmosphere: Laid Back
Verdict: Good, not as good as I had hoped

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Service Is Down

THE BOOK OF ELI
by Gary Whitta

The Book of Eli was a spec sale in 2008. It has wrapped shooting this last May, and will be out in theaters sometime in January.

Synopsis
In a post-apocalyptic world where most humankind had turned violent and cannibalistic, a lone man journeys to protect a precious book that may holds the future for mankind.

In some sort of post-apocalyptic fever dream, the blogger service was down for most of the time that I could write about this wonderful epic.

Just know that I really liked it (despite what others think of it) and think it will be fun and innovative.

The writing is top-notch and I have found myself turning to the script on several occasions to learn how to be a better action writer. One thing that Whitta does that I like (but won't necessarily use) is to write in block form, never ending a single sentence earlier than the end of the margin.

Title: The Book of Eli
Writer: Gary Whitta
Pages: 98 Pages
Status: Post-Production
Opinion: You'll love it - if you're into post-apocalyptic movies.

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Mas Tacos Por Favor!

One of the greatest things about living in LA is there are many many burger joints and Mexican food places around. Seriously, just throw a rock and you'll hit one or two of them.

Just about every type of Mexican food is unsettling to my stomach, but with Poquito Mas - no problems. They use fresh ingredients and cook to order. They are also very proportioned when it comes to size of meal. I can usually eat a plate and be full.

The Poquito Mas nearest our place in Studio City

The "usual" for me is the Chicken Tostada with a good mixture of beans, lettuce, chicken, cheese and sour cream. The shell is amazing and is completely worth the calories.

Some other great dishes are their tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or really anything on the menu. I appreciate their general cheery demeanor while ordering. At the two stores we eat at, we have never really had a problem with the service in any way.

The first time I actually ate at one of these was on the Warner Brothers lot. While interning I was able to go eat at the commissary where they had a small Poquito Mas. It was were I first fell in love with their down-to-Earth Mexican cooking.

If you're ever in the area, let's go out to eat here sometime. You will not regret it.

Breakdown
Time of Day: Anytime really
Guests: Usually Tiffany, sometimes friends from out of town
Type of Food: Mexican - Baja Style
Dish: Mas-chiladas or Chicken Tostada (amazing tostadas, seriously)
Price: Around $15 for two meals
Verdict: Very good, go often

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Put it in Writing

Today I just wanted to briefly let you in on a tip that has been continually told to me, and one that I have found to be all too true:

WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN

This goes for every bit of an idea you may ever get. Which can be on several different levels, with several different methods and several different mediums. I'm going to discuss some of the more popular of them here, including my own process.

The reason why this is so important is because you will have ideas and inspirations for movies or tv shows or webshows or video games that could turn into something great someday. Maybe not now, maybe not in a few years, but some time down the line you will have the opportunity and will want to have a cavalcade of ideas to pitch or write. If you had the inspirations written down from the beginning you will be able to easily retrieve and/or remember them.

Many times I've had people tell me an idea* they have for a movie or show. They usually only have it in their head and nowhere else. I encourage them to write it down for two reasons: so you can remember it later, and so you can flesh it out more.

*I must warn you now that there are certain things you can copyright and certain things you cannot. You cannot copyright an idea. If you think in your head that a movie involving a grocery store clerk stealing the Hope Diamond is a great idea and you write it down on a napkin, and then a studio makes that exact movie...you have no legs to stand on. It was an idea that could have been thought up by any number of people or written down after the movie was released. I plan to discuss this in more depth on a later post, but for now just know that the writing of the idea is not going to protect it.

What better way to have all the emotions and visuals that you originally thought up on that fateful day than to have some sort of record to help bring it all back? Here are some helps:

Levels and Methods

• Word - they can bring up a quick thought or feeling that you want to portray somewhere.
• Comparisons - two or more existing ideas that you can easily compare your idea to, i.e. "The Bridges of Madison County meets Transformers."
  
• Loglines - quick summaries of your idea, i.e. "A small beach town is terrorized by a maniacal killer shark and it is up to the local sheriff to find a way to stop it."
• Bullets - this is my favorite because it's quick but gets my idea out. I usually just bullet the main points of the story from beginning to end. It isn't at all detailed or expansive, just something to get the ideas out.
• Treatment - this is much more involved and may take a while. Usually consisting of a few pages outlining the entire story and characters. It is best to break it up into four acts (Beginning, Middle A, Middle B, and End) and just fill in the details. A good treatment takes time and rewrites, but it can be used to pitch the idea more consistently.
• Outline - we're talking a massive list of every scene here, not just a paltry few lines. A typical film will be around 50-60 scenes, so you list them out one by one. You can include a quick synopsis of the scene too, but it eventually gets too long. This can bee one of the best ways to flesh out the story and structure. Very helpful, but a time commitment.
• First Draft - this is usually the goal and it takes time. You can't expect to have a perfect first draft. If you do, it either took too long or you're the perfect writer (who doesn't exist, therefore you're lying or stealing). Don't think too much about this, just get the feeling of the story out. If you don't know how a scene should go, just write it and eventually you can shape it into what you want.
• Final Draft - after many many drafts you can get to a point where you say to yourself you will no longer work on this project anymore. (At least not until you are being paid the big bucks to develop and write it further). There's no set amount of versions until you reach this state, but know that it still won't be perfect. Someone somewhere is not going to like it, but someone somewhere just might - and that's all you really need. One person to like it enough.
  

Mediums
Let's talk about where to write all this stuff down. Hopefully you have a moleskin or planner that you can write things down on quickly. I prefer the Moleskin method, I have a particularly big one that I tote around with me everywhere. On good days I can write a few things down on it before I forget them.
I've heard index cards are a really great method and I would love to give it a go sometime. Just take out a bunch of index cards, write the scene heading at the top, then explain the scene. You can mix and match and move scenes around. A good way of coming up with fun scenes and then being able to change them around.

Eventually you are going to want to get everything written down in a word processing program. Remember to backup often! Because the digital medium is so fickle, it's nice to be saving often and to backup your files as much as possible. A good flash drive, external hard drive or CD-Roms are good ways of protecting your data. Another good way is to get it onto the internet somehow. If I am really worried about a file I will email it to myself. Then if something goes wrong it's on there forever.

My favorite programs are MS Word for treatments and outlines, and Final Draft for writing in script format. Here is a preview of the software:
It's nice to write with a program because it recognizes the required template and formatting issues. I can just tab over to get a character or dialogue box. If you have ever tried to do this on a word or notepad program you know how frustrating it is to get the right formatting.

Some other good programs are discussed on John August's (a great writer) blog. I don't like a lot of the programs out there. Movie Magic is okay, but I have my qualms with it too.

The ultimate thing you can do to keep a copy of your script available is to print it out. I know, I know, that's a lot of paper and ink. It's anywhere from 90 to 150 pages. Poor printer, having to work so hard. If needs be you can put it on a flash drive and print it out at kinkos (which is faster but more expensive). But there is nothing like a nice fresh copy of the script, printed out and fancy-like. Remember the cover pages (you can use cardstock) and Acco brads (always get the 1 1/4" size).

Now that you have the tools -- get working! It takes less than a few moments a day to write your ideas down. Then later, when you have more than a few moments, you can expand your idea and start working on the actual screenplay.

Good luck, and good writing!

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Science!

The Big Bang Theory

Synopsis
Two nerdy physicists have their lives turned upside down when an attractive woman moves in next door. This makes life complicated for the scientists since they don't really know much about women, but adversely, she doesn't know too much about science or anything nerdy. They form a relationship, with the nerds learning more about becoming more socially acceptable, while she learns more about geek culture and far more than she ever wanted to know about physics.

This brilliant show was created by Bill Prady and Chuck Lorre. They collaborated on the show Dharma and Greg. Chuck Lorre also created Two and a Half Men.

(Left to Right) Bill Prady, Kunal Nayyar, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco,
Simon Helberg, Jim Parsons and Chuck Lorre

Something about this show connects in a way that I find mystical, but still amazing. It has a way of not poking too much fun, but connecting with the outstanding nerd culture that prevails within the pop culture of today.

It's a simple Odd Couple type premise, one nerdy and smart, one popular and less smart. This type of show has been seen many times before. But for some reason this show is completely inventive and new with the premise. It is able to take a seemingly easy setup and create a complex world of emotions and characters that we care about.

I mostly enjoy it because of the uncanny acting. I was thinking about reviewing a few of the actors that I thought were exceptional but then realized that I enjoy the entire ensemble. They are all really good.

I admit that I wasn't really interested in this show to begin with. I didn't start watching it until the end of the first season or the beginning of the second (I'm not particularly sure how I got involved in it). Now that I am officially addicted to it, I can assure you that it is a very wonderful show that is worth your attention. No real need to watch the entire thing from the beginning (although you should because it's fantastic), just start watching it now. You will not regret it.

Summary
Current Season: Third Season
Network: CBS
Airs: Monday night at 9:30 PM PST
Verdict: Hilarious and Endearing

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Good Sport

So the results are in -- I lost.

Not by much though:


Thank you all dear readers who helped me in this contest. I was able to conquer most days. Here is a breakdown:

Eric

Spencer

Unfortunately it wasn't quite enough because he has won the challenge.

For the spoils, Spencer has earned the right to make me do something. Anything at all. He has suggested that he would force me to watch and review Southland Tales or create a video of me doing the numa numa dance.

It has yet to be determined. But for now, check out Spencer's blahg and see what ridiculous things he's been up to since we started the challenge. If you keep paying attention, he may state what punishment he intends to inflict upon me.

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Wild Rhumpus

Where The Wild Things Are

Starring: Max Records, Catherine Keener, James Gandolfini, Lauren Ambrose, Paul Dano, Catherine O'Hara , Forest Whitaker, Chris Cooper
Written by: Spike Jonze & Dave Eggers
Directed by: Spike Jonze
Produced by: Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman, John B. Carls, Vincent Landay and Maurice Sendak

I'm going to forgo the usual movie review of this film because I think you all know my stand on it (I loved it). It had wonderful visuals, a fun soundtrack and amazing acting. Other than that, there's not much else I want to get into (because it would take too long and I'm tired).

Here's what I'm going to do instead:

I'm going to post some pictures from the film and then tell you about an experience we had at the theater that was pretty profound.

Pictures

Experience
At the beginning of our viewing of the film, we had quite an unusual experience that got me thinking about the supposed "scariness" of the film.

With many children in the audience with us, we watched the pre-movie ads that included some Disney movies and games, some cartoons and "making of's" that were for some silly new kids show. This seemed an appropriate demographic for this type of advertisement.

However, when the film started and the trailers began, it was apparent there was some sort of mistake. They showed the following trailers in this order: Daybreakers, The Box, The Lovely Bones, Archangel, and The Fourth Kind. That final one really disturbed my wife.

All these trailers before a PG rated film?!? Needless to say some parents were upset. They stopped the film immediately and went around handing out free passes to another movie while they switched the reels. A girl asked the worker what film they were showing, she said they had accidentally been showing us Paranormal Activity.

This was one of the most amazing experiences ever! For me at least. Watching these frightening trailers with an audience that was completely unaware made me even more excited and gave me more adrenaline than it would knowing we were watching a scary movie. This unsuspecting audience fed on the fear and it was multiplied. Truly one of the most amazing experiences I've had at the theater in a while. It certainly made the film with monsters seem much tamer and pleasant and subsequently did not frighten but help abate the fear within us all.

I had heard arguments against the film saying that the creatures were too scary for children. I strongly disagree. I believe children would identify with these monsters because they look like funny re-imaginings of different animals. These creatures never put Max in a position of harm. He felt threatened twice, but he was able to easily escape both perils. Truth be told, it was a very empowering film for children because it showed them that their fears are valid, but can be overcome by reasoning, truly listening and telling the truth. These were not the boogeymen or monsters under the bed, these are living, breathing imaginary friends who will help them understand their emotions and help them overcome trials.

To put it all in context, I had seen most of the Nightmare on Elmstreet and Friday the 13th movies by the time I was 14. I had seen the remake of Night of the Living Dead when I was about 9. Because of my two older brothers, access to cable channels and my insatiable curiosity to see any and every movie and television show, I had been exposed to a great deal of very scary images when young.

Even some of the more tame but visually still as frightening films had been a particular interest of mine for quite some time. I guess that's why it takes a lot to make me wince or get scared at images on the screen. But it also takes out some of the excitement of these scary movies.

Anyway, I really think you should go see this film (Where The Wild Things Are). It is easily one of my top five favorite movies of the year. It might even be up on the list of best movies I have ever seen. Don't go in it expecting a story, just go expecting to live and remember what it was like to be nine and how much you wish you could just be the ruler of everything.

Summation
Place: CityWalk AMC
Price: $6.00 (plus free tickets for another movie)
Atmosphere: After the initial shock of the trailers and a late start, pleasant. Although, the seating at CityWalk is pretty lame. There are no good seats there.
Verdict: Go see it in the theater because it deserves to be seen on the big screen.

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McDonalds Chances

The chances you can win at McDonald's Monopoly are slim to none. Hate to break it to you.

I've commented on this before, waaaay back in the year Two Thousand and Eight.

Here is a chart explaining the amount of winning pieces that have been put out into the world for the 2009 game (out of hundreds of thousands of McDonald's and billions of game pieces):
If you don't get these rare pieces, everything else you get is worthless.

So here's the trick: Keep a list of the most rare pieces with you. When you happen upon one of the lucky rare pieces, hold on to it. You can get the other pieces no problem. If you took all your friends out to lunch you would most likely find the pieces you are looking for. Or you can look on craigslist.

Oh, and also, apparently you need to be white to win (but one in six of you can be of a different ethnicity):

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Awesomeman

I've been working really hard on creating a webcomic. This has honestly been one of the hardest things I have ever had to do.

His name is Awesomeman and he has adventures in the land of Amazingness.

Here is his logo:
Here are some early sketches:

Here's some concepts of his head. Different angles:
Now for our villain. His name is Chunky:

I didn't really like the first design so I worked it out a bit more:

Now for Awesomeman's plucky sidekick Dr. Norm. He's a boy genious who completed three doctorates before he was 17. He is super smart but super nerdy. When they get together, hilarity will ensue:

Okay, now for the truth. This is actually Spencer's webcomic. It is pretty amazing and I needed to share.

The name is Azure and he fights the big oaf Brickhouse. You could read more about it on Spencer's blog, but you're not allowed to go check that out yet. Maybe after Monday you can check it out, but not now.

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Scavenger Hunt

Tiffany and I came up with a game to play while at Disneyland and would love for you to play!

It's called "Fanny-Pack Photo Scavenger Hunt!"

The Rules:

- You must not duplicate fanny packs. Only one photo per (if the fanny pack exchanges carriers you may count it twice).
- You must not show a persons face. If you get them in the shot you must crop it.
- You must do your best to be inconspicuous about it, you don't want to be thrown out of the park.
- You must have fun.

On our last trip to Disneyland we were able to count 26 (that's right, count 'em) - 26 whole fanny packs. And that was just the number of ones that we could get a photo of!

They are shown here for your convenience:

This was taken pretty far away, sorry for the blurriness.

Right next to us in line!

A teen rocking the 'pack.

Complete with watch (watch may not be included).

A break in the line, must - take - picture...

Another one right next to us! This one with more pockets.

I thought I had already got this one, but it was different!

Another teen, who says they're not cool anymore?

Covert pack. Still got the pic!

A couple...of packs. How cute!

Largest pack I have ever seen.

"Grandma, can I wear your fanny-pack?" "No."

Almost couldn't use this one, but the kid moved right out of sight.

Woah, crotch shot. I'm just here for the pack dude.

Almost got away. No chance!

Three for one! Amazing!

For the sporting enthusiast in your life - All-utility Fanny Pack (on sale now!)

Thought I had lost this one, but turned a corner and there it was!

You remember that picture of City Hall on my other post?
This was the real reason. We just didn't want to look so conspicuous.

Hold your cash and passes, or a Coke...you know, whatever!

Almost out of light, but got this one in real quick.

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