Proud to be American?

Being an American, it can be really easy to take it for granted. I'm not one for making others feel guilty. I don't think anyone should feel guilty for living in America. But, we should certainly appreciate living here.

A little while ago, I took an online test. It was the American citizenship test. I guess people who are trying to become American citizens are given various tests, and this is one. You can take it here, for fun, to see if you would pass! Sadly, I only got half of them right the first time I took it. I kind of rushed through it, though. But, these are things any clod should know.

studio city web site

Finally, Studio City has an official web site. I applaud the Chamber of Commerce for finally making one. I don't know what took so long, but I'm glad they did it. It's got a nice layout, and some great links. Also, the historical information about Studio City is of particular interest. Click here to check it out!

short attention span

I have more horror recommendations! Today is one of my favorite categories. I like to call it short attention span. These are the films that are diced up into three or four separate short stories. These are my favorite to watch, and to recommend to friends.

Short Attention Span

Creepshow 2
This little delight offers a story called "The Raft", based on a Stephen King short story of the same name. It also has a really cool story about a run-0ver hitchhiker. I also like the in-between segways of animation. Don't expect good acting, or even particularly good writing, even though Stephen King wrote one of them. But, it's still a winner. Click here.

Campfire Tales
This overlooked mid-90's gem has some really great moments. It features Ron Livingston from Office Space. It's about a group of teens who wreck their car on this woodsy back road. Then, they have to wait for help, since they're "in the middle of nowhere." So, to pass the time, they share ghost stories. There's a story about newlyweds attacked by "something" in their RV. Then, the story of a derranged internet killer. And last, the legendary ghost story of the guy who stays in a farm house overnnight. It's moderately low budget, and loads of fun. Click here.

Waxwork
This one is a little different from the other two in this category. However, I think it deserves a place in the short attention span category. It's the fantastically 80's tale about a group of college students who are invited to the grand opening of a wax museum. Of course, the wax museum party is at midnight, on a strange neighborhood street. When they show up, they are greeted by various freaks. Then, of course, the different wax exhibits prompt the different episodes of horror, including all the classics. Vampires, werewolves, and zombies await these hapless teens. Click here.

seriously scary

A couple of days ago, I made some horror recommendations under the "college crowd" category. Well, I've got some more coming your way!

Seriously Scary
This category is for those of you who enjoy watching movies that are purely for the scare factor. Maybe you like getting with your boyfriend/girlfriend, and turning out the lights with one of these terrors. Many people disagree on what really, really scares them, but these three are some of the scariest I've ever seen.

Carrie
Sissie Spacek is really great! And, freaky. She can sort of set stuff on fire with her mind. But, the weirdest and scariest part of this film is the mom. Ooh, boy, is she freaky. Scares me every time.
Click here to read more about Carrie.

The Exorcist
I declare this the single scariest film I have ever seen. In fact, I'm not even really sure why I'm recommending it. In fact, I'm never going to watch it ever again. It gave me nightmares. You have to respect what it is in order to be scared by it. I once attempted to watch it with a group of college students. So, we all got distracted with talking to each other and chit chatting. So, when really scary parts came up, no one really knew what was happening. But, trust me. It's terrifying. Click here for the official web site.

The Sentinel
This story of a young woman moving into a new apartment is a rather obscure little gem from the 70's. I'm recommending it because, even though it's not super-terrifying, it's still pretty cool. Click here to read more about it.

nature

Like an old friend, nature can embrace us. Being still and quiet in nature can remind us of what's really important. As we slow down, and truly observe our surroundings, physical changes begin to happen. We breathe deeper. Our hearts slow. We feel, hear, and see things around us in more detail. We begin to reflect. Things come to the surface in the mind that we can sort through. Overall, getting alone in nature is a healthy meditation that we should all try.

Horror recommendations

As the bewitching hour of Halloween grows near, you may already be preparing for the Hallow's Eve festivities. October is a wonderful time to celebrate the weird, obscure, freaky, and of course scary, side of life. One of the best aspects of Halloween is getting together with a group of friends to watch scary movies. Sadly, however, most people don't know the best scary movies out there. Or, even where to begin. Most people are greatly misguided by pop culture when it comes to horror films. And, most people will just watch whatever is most popular at the time. (A.K.A.-"Boogeyman", "Ring 2.") Now, these aren't necessarily bad movies. But, there is a wondrous archive of horror films out there that most people don't know or care about. So, I wanted to write this blog in dedictation to one of my favorite art forms: The horror film. And, in most cases, the 1980's horror film.

You might say I've already been doing research in this area for quite some time now. I am, by no means, an expert on horror films. But, I have seen tons of them. It sort of became a hobby of mine. There is a certain humor in laughing at bad horror, and that's the allure for me. Another allure is discovering rare and obscure treasures that you could never discover without doing some serious searching. With this research, I will attempt to guide you to the best horror films to watch this October. And, don't worry. I won't steer you wrong. There are different types of horror films you may want to watch, depending on the situation. I am only all too aware of this. I'm sensitive to the disdain the average person may hold toward horror films. But, don't worry. There's something for everyone.

Here are my top picks for this year's Halloween fright fun:

The College Crowd:
The college crowd is a category I'm creating for people who want to watch horror for the campy value. You know, they get a kick out of bad acting, low budget special effects, etc. You don't literally have to be a college student to enjoy these picks. But, "college crowd" simply describes the type of film. These tend to be a bit more crude at times. Maybe a bit more violent. So, if you're not into that, college crowd films aren't for you. However, if you want to see something different to watch with your friends, and you want a good laugh, then look no further.

Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn
Hilarious slapstick that could rival the Three Stooges. It's also a Bruce Campbell classic. Click here to read about the movie. Click here to visit Bruce Campbell's official page. Roger Ebert sums it up best in his review.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
It's important to note that I'm talking about the original TCM here. If you've seen the newer 2003 verison, please don't judge the original based on it. The original is a genuine work of art. In fact, you can click here to read a blog I wrote on it back in the summer. Click here for the rotten tomatoes TCM page.

The Lost Boys
An incredible 80's vampire flick, featuring Corey Feldam AND Corey Haim! Thoroughly entertaining, and overly "cool." It's one of my favorite 80's horror movies, and it's sure to be a hit with the "college crowd" who have never seen it. Click here to read about it.

More recommendations for Halloween coming up soon, with other categories!

best birthday ever

I think my greatest birthday celebration would have to be my 11th birthday party. Why, I remember it as if it were yesterday. (This is the part where the wavy lines take you back to 1990.)

A group of my guy friends (No icky girls) met, with my Dad, at Pizza Hut. It was a wondrously late 80's way to begin the festivities. Pizza Hut, being 80's as it is, was a wonderful post-Chucky Cheese, pre-"I don't care anymore" restaurant of perfection for young boys. It's got the atmosphere, it's got the caffeine-charged Coke. And, of course, it is the prime spot to gorge your young body on greasy pepperoni pizza. (Cowabunga, dude!) Then my Dad handed out 2 dollar bills as party favors. (Brilliant, Dad!)

After a dinner of bliss, we left the Pizza Hut and headed to the movie theater. For you see, this was no ordinary day. This was the friday that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles debuted on the big silver screen. That's right. And, we would be the first to witness its glory. Being intelligent as we were, my Dad and I had already purchased the tickets earlier that day. We purchased enough tickets for the whole rowdy goofy group of us young boys hungry to see some cinematic violence.

Upon reaching the theater, the parking lot was packed. The line at the ticket booth was unbelievable. As we strolled through the entrance, I encountered a friend of mine from school, Will. His face seemed astonished when he saw us walking past the line. "How do you already have tickets?!" He asked, amazed. I simply told him, quite proudly, that we had purchased the tickets earlier that afternoon. So, the whole horde waltzed in, unscathed by the fact that the 7:00 PM showing of TMNT was sold out.

The cinematic glee that ensued was unforgettable. The theater was already jam packed, so we couldn't all sit together. We had to seperate, in different rows. As the movie extravaganza began, I soaked it up like a dying desert wanderer slurps up a puddle of cold water. My excitement level and caffeine level reached new heights as the ninja turtles "kicked butt" onscreen.

After the movie, we headed back to my house to finish up the night with more traditional ceremony. I tore open an array of gifts. (mostly TMNT paraphernalia.) Then, we gorged our young bodies once again on sugary birthday cake.

Ah, don't we all sometimes wish times could be simpler? Those days were fantastic. Of course, being an adult is fun, too. But, random childhood memories are a de-light. As far as birthday celebrations, this one is in the top three I guess.

A great place to live

I had some friends over for dinner last night and it was great. We watched Ed Wood, and followed that with Glen or Glenda. (Ed Wood is considered by many as the "worst director of all time." I kind of agree.) We had chicken, corn, and rolls. A delicious, very hearty southern meal. We followed it up with pumpkin pie for dessert. Yummy!

I discovered this really cool web site a few years back. My friend Tim told me about it. If you've ever wondered where the best place in country to live would be, look no further. This web site provides a completely free test that evaluates your personal preferences in a town. Then, it gives you quite a comprehensive list of cities/towns based on the criteria you specify in your test answers. It's a great learning thing, and can be eye opening.

Click here for the "Find Your Spot" site.

Hurricane victims

As we all know, hurricane relief continues. And, as far as we all know, it will most likely continue for years to come. And, I also know that there are varying views and opiniong about how this crisis was handled by the government. In my low budget opinion, there are political leanings on both sides that could stand to benefit from putting political spin on the situation. One thing we almost all agree on, however, is how the government, both on local and federal levels, botched things up. I won't go into detail about my opinion about Mayors and such, but we all know what happened.

Now that some time has passed since this tragic hurricane Katrina, the relief continues for the victims who lost their homes. We all have things we can do, whether we help rebuild firsthand, or give financially to the Red Cross. Me? I was considering going on a trip to Mississippi with my alma matter college, Carson-Newman, to help out. Now, I'm reconsidering. I may not logistically be able to get all the elements together in order to go. But, I've been left with questions. How much comfort am I willing to give up for others? How much actual work am I willing to do for others? Am I not serving people, just because I'm not going on a trip? As I look out my window at this dreary rainy evening, which has been blown in by the latest hurricane, these heavy issues weigh on me.

Even if you only give a few dollars to the Red Cross, at least we can all contribute in one way or another.

Garbage Pail Kids

I, along with many other children in the 1980's, collected those disgusting little Garbage Pail Kids cards. I think they were .50 cents per pack, and contained two or four cards and a piece of gum. The cards featured creative and overtly disgusting children with odd "pun" names, and graphic depictions of their "special feature." Little did I know, as an 8 year old, that they had actually created a live action Garbage Pail Kids movie.

So, nearly twenty years later, I have caught my first glimpse of the liva action schlock. And let me tell you, it's incredible. They released this movie on DVD just this year (don't ask my why) so many people will probably see it for the first time. Or, the second time, if they saw it at some obscure time in their childhood.

As a fan of 80's schlock horror, I soaked in every scene of this low budget masterpiece with giddy enchantment. It has a lighthearted humor, and an edge of 8-year-old-boy grossness. I gawked in disbelief when the bizarre live-action Garbage Pail Kids broke into a musical number. I laughed out loud in awe of some of the hokey one-liners. Some of the visual gags stunned me with their over-the-top cheesiness. The 80's fashion of one of the movie's main characters, ("Tangerine" is her name) nearly had me rolling on the floor with laughter. And, her boyfriend and "main bully" looked a lot like Steve-O from MTV.

The low budget and clunky puppetry of the Garbage Pail Kids is almost embarassing. Yet, near the end, I caught myself actually believing that these bizarre little buggers were real. Talk about suspension of disbelief! I had to laugh at myself. Overall, this movie is an 80's B-movie joy, and you should do yourself a favor by watching it.

Click here to read about The Garbage Pail Kids movie on rotten tomatoes.

the tortured existence of an extra

When I lived in L.A., I signed up with a couple of different extra casting agencies. These companies cast extras for movies and television shows. In these situations, you pay a small upfront fee, and they add you in their databanks. They take a picture of you, driver's license style.

The main casting company is called Central Casting. When I signed with them, I was new to California. I went down on a Wednesday or Thursday morning to register. Once I finally found the place in Burbank, I was startled to find several hundred people, all shapes and sizes, waiting in a crowded room. The whole process of paper work and picture taking took a couple of hours.

More recently, I signed up with Sandy Alessi Casting. It was a much smaller boutique in a random office space in Studio City. It seemed more personable, so I reluctantly signed up. My friend and hero, Benj, talked me into it. He was quite successful with Central Casting, and he told me he heard about Sandy Alessi through the extras circuit. (Yeah, there's an extras circuit.) So, I registered with them expecting never to get extra work. Of course, they always give you the "Hollywood", "Oh, we'll call you." Of course, the idea is that you have to call them. Usually, if they call you, there's been some kind of mistake.

Two times, in the past month, Sandy Alessi Casting has called my cell phone and offered me extra work. Being in East Tennessee, I kicked myself for misssing out on cool opportunity. But, what are you gonna do? If I was in Cali, I would literally be on the set of Fast and Furious 3 right now. Weird, huh?

Of course, I can't continually beat myself up for leaving that place. With all the excitement and cool opportunity, there are equal amounts of hardship, danger, and disappointment.