Monday update...

I think I may make an effort to update every Monday. It's seems like a thing to do. I like it. Update every Monday. Yeah.


-ATTACK OF THE SPACE CHICKENS revised second draft. I hope to be done by Friday. It's been fun revisiting the script, especially writing a draft with an eye toward production.


-THE SIMPSONS' rules are in and I hope to meet with the other involved parties tomorrow. I had written a "spec" draft of a script that I quite liked (I'll probably post it here at some point), but it doesn't seem to have a lot of support from the troops. That's cool, though. Short and funny, that's the dictate. My original was long and clever. Which I prefer.

-Teaching is done. Grades are done. Extra paychecks are done.


-Watched HOT FUZZ over the weekend. LOVED IT. Very funny film (especially if you liked BAD BOYS 2, and recognized it for it's absolutely insanity and inanity. Which I of course did). With this and SHAUN OF THE DEAD, Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg are becoming two of my absolute favorite guys.


-Just finished reading "Killing Yourself To Live" by Chuck Klosterman. A couple of months ago I purchased 4 books from Barnes & Noble, and it wasn't until I got home that I realized they were all written by men whose first names were Chuck. This was one of them. I love Chuck Klosterman. If you haven't read him, Google his name and look for some of his essays from ESPN, SPIN, or Esquire. He's the type of writer that one can immediately, or at least within 250 words, determine if they're for them. He's most certainly for me.

-I need to read my buddy Jeff's second draft of THE TRICK OR TREATERS. After pouring over 40 twenty page scripts from students, though, I just haven't been able to bring myself to pick up another screenplay. This week. I promise.


-I started to watch THE FOUNTAIN the other night but was interrupted about 40 minutes in. I haven't gone back into it, and don't know if I will. While I recognized a voice in there, and appreciated it's look, it was a freezing cold movie that struck me as overly obtuse. Does that make sense? I was going to rewrite that previous statement, and replace "overly obtuse" with something else. But I like it. Overy obtuse. That's what I mean.

What I'm doing...

Just a quick update to list the various activities I'm involved with right now. Not so much for your edification, but rather to catalog my thoughts and prioritize my priorities.

-I'm currently writing a new draft of ATTACK OF THE SPACE CHICKENS, which will be my next foree into feature filmmaking. Scott Kittredge is of course directing, and the process of the re-write is going pretty well. Scott's offered up his "director's notes", and has some sound ideas -- a couple of beauts actually. He didn't like a new opening scene I had created, but that's OK. Nobody's perfect.

-I'm doing some freelance writing for a local producer that I'm somewhat enjoying. It's paying work, and rather mindless, but I get to excerise my writing chops in a medium that I need to stay sharp in... namely corporate/industrial work. I need to finish up tonight, though.

-Still working on FEED YOUR CREW, my low budget filmmaking book. It's slow going, what with my other writing chores right now, but it's always there, tucked away in my mind and in a folder called "Blog_Book". I'm going to publish the sucker. You'll see.

-The Springfield SIMPSONS MOVIE project is slowly moving along. I'm involved in a writing capacity with the project and it will, I think, prove to be very fulfilling. Check out the City Of Spfld's site for more info on this one.

-The children's movie I was working on last year, BUBBLE TRUBBLE, is ramping up again, with principal photography beginning in late June. I'm no longer producing the project, but the filmmakers have been contacting me with calls for aid in rounding up some people/gear. I'm happy to help them and wish them luck with the show.

-Buddy Bob Stock is beginning pre-pro on a new feature film, a follow up to his debut feature, ANGEL'S BLADE. Bob's a great guy, with more ambition and follow through than most people I know. He plans on producing three films this year and I plan to help him in any way I can.

-School is over right now, with final grades due next week, so I need to wade through the scripts my students had written. Some good stuff there, but lots of work to get through them.

-Buddy Jeff Allard has forwarded me the second draft of his new screenplay, THE TRICK OR TREATERS. I enjoyed his first draft enough, and he assures me this rewrite is even better. I'll be reading it this weekend. Jeff's got a great MySpace page that he updates frequently. I recommend you give it a visit.

-Sunday is Game 3 for my over-30 baseball league's team, the Royals. We're 2-0 and facing the Indians, the only other undefeated team in the league. We're playing at Asnuntuck College on Sunday afternoon (4:00). I hear they have a short porch in right; I'm considering batting lefty.

Hmmm. I guess that's about it. I like having a list of things to look at periodically. Makes me feel like I'm being productive.

Back to the kids, I think I hear Zoe playing with the garbage disposal again.

ATTACK OF THE SPACE CHICKENS

After having the written the script a couple of years ago for another producer, I'm now pleased to announce that pre-production is in full swing for an '08 release of ATTACK OF THE SPACE CHICKENS. I'll be producing with director Scott Kittredge of Bowling Squirrel Films.

I'm currently writing a revised second draft of the screenplay, and I'm gonzo in love with where it's going. Scott and I have develeloped some new ideas that's making the script funnier, scarier, and more open to some super cool effects. We're hoping to utilize all sorts of processes for the extensive effects work, including stop-motion, in-camera practical, prosthetics, animatronics and CGI -- there's just no ONE way to bring a Space Chicken to life.

Please visit our MySpace page, which you can find here, and send us a FRIENDS request.

And remember this, never forget this:

When it comes to Space Chickens, it's either them... or us.

BAVA

Mario Bava is actually quite a mystery to me. I've only seen one of his movies (only half way through), and was only half impressed with it. He is considered many things, not the least of which is one of the most influential directors of all time. Hearing this often enough from people whose opinions I wholeheartedly trust, pushed me into pre-order Tim Lucas' upcoming Bava biography, All the Colors of the Night. Only cost me a hundred books, but the book weighs over 12 pounds. That's a lot of book.

Plus, I'm obsesssed with buying THE MARIO BAVA COLLECTION, VOLUME ONE, featuring the films, Black Sunday, Black Sabbath, The Girl Who Knew Too Much, Kill Baby Kill, Knives of the Avenger. This sucker costs about $50.00.

Now again, bear in mind that I've never actually seen a complete Mario Bava movie, so this really falls into the realm of compulsion, rather than actual need, or even actual want.

Anyway, by this time in 6 months, I expect to be a Bava scholar. Then maybe I'll have substantive to say about a man whom I spent a day's salary on.

2-0

That's our record. 2 wins, no losses. Game two proved to be quite the spectacle, with many bad calls, a few angry taunts between both teams, and a home pate accident that resulted in an ambulance visit and a catcher with 39 stiches.

Me? I went 1-3 with a single and a run scored, bringing me to 2-5 for the season. I did strike out twice -- though, the second time was one of those bad calls.

Plus we got new shirts. I'm number 7, just like the Rooster.

Next Sunday off for Mother's Day, then we play the (also) undefeated Indians.

12 AND HOLDING

I had the pleasure of "moderating" an informal Q & A session with screenwriter, Anthony S. Cipriano yesterday in the two screenwriting classes I teach at Westfield State College. Anthony graduated from WSC in 1997, and now lives in LA making a living as a writer.

After the classes, he screened his film, 12 AND HOLDING, a 2006 release directed by Michael Cuesta.

It's quite a film.

Shot for $400,000, 12 AND HOLDING tells the story of three childhood friends, all aged twelve, who must all deal with a tragic event while also dealing with the trauma of being twelve years old. Anthony's writing is spot-on in this story of grief, a subject he felt was necessary to deal with after the events of September 11. His premise was consistent, even when the film seemed to deviate in tone -- a decision that Anthony consciously made in the screenplay, and that Cuesta maintained in direction. It was quite a bold choice to introduce seemingly inappropriate comedic moments and music cues in an otherwise dour narrative, but ulitimately I think they pulled it off, creating a world where angst, anxiety and the joys of "growing up" naturally coexist.

The performances are amazing for such a young cast, and the supporting adult roles are all filled out nicely with true pros (w/ Jeremy Remmer's Gus blowing my socks off).

The final moments, and indeed the final image, were a suprememly challenging choice to make. Anthony could have gone in several directions with the narrative, which is in itself a testament to the film's structure -- so often there appears an inevitability in movies, a natural conclusion to which it is building, but in 12 AND HOLDING's resolution, we really have little idea what decision Jacob will make, and what consequence it may have on the rest of his life. When the decision is made, and conclusion reached, we are left with many questions about this choice, and the subsequent impact it has on the lives of those involved. Heady stuff.

Anyway, a big thank you to Anthony, and a big recommendation to all for 12 AND HOLDING -- proof that great talent comes out of the backwoods of Western Mass. And that students in our little state colleges can go on to great success and compete in New York, Hollywood or whereever they decide to go