This is just awesome..

-daNk

Every film invites the audience to emotionally include themselves in the events unfolding on screen. While Hollywood is now using 3D technology and IMAX screens to draw audiences in, sometimes all you need is a good story about people we can relate to on some level. When I turned on 2009’s “Humpday”, I expected to watch a comedy about two random dude friends who decide to make porn together on a whim. I had seen the trailer months ago and had decided that it would be a rental, as the trailer played up its bromantic comedy elements, and I had already seen “I Love You, Man” a few months prior. As I scoured my Netflix instant play options for something new, I noticed that “Humpday” was available for streaming. After some technical difficulties with the internet connection, I was ready to experience 100 minutes of male bonding gone awry.

You first! No, you first!

The plot is simplicity itself: Ben is just a normal suburban guy with a great wife, a good job, and a white picket fence existence. Andrew is an artist who travels the world looking for the great inspiration that will allow him to finally complete an art project. When Andrew unexpectedly drops in on Ben and his wife Anna (at 1:30 in the morning, no less), it shakes up all their worlds in ways that no one could anticipate. During a drunken stream of consciousness, Ben and Andrew decide to shoot an amateur porn scene together on the pretense that two straight male buddies having sex on camera could be the “next great artistic statement” and of course, Anna has no idea of their plans.

As the viewer, you have to believe that these two guys would come up with such an idea and actually want to realize it. I think that the film being set in Seattle helped me believe the premise right away. If it were set in a place more thematically obvious like San Francisco, the film could almost be read as satire. Putting the film in Seattle allows the viewer to believe that these guys could be open minded enough to shoot a pseudo-gay art-porn scene while not having to pay lip service to any gay stereotypes. Not to say that San Francisco is full of gay stereotypes, but some viewers who have never been to San Francisco or only have a limited exposure to alternative cultures might unfairly judge the film or write it off as just “another one of those crazy indies.”

As Ben and Andrew respectively, Mark Duplass and Joshua Leonard have great chemistry. I could see how these two disparate characters would be friends, and their performances suggest a past that the characters shared without having to use a lot of expository dialogue to explain it. Duplass reminds me of John Krasinski while Leonard’s performance has shades of Owen Wilson (with a sprinkle of Zach Galifianakis, and I’m not just talking about the beard). As Ben’s wife Anna, Alycia Delmore gives a very honest performance. Anna serves as the female perspective to all the male-centric craziness that it happening around her and Delmore’s performance keeps the viewers (and the male leads) grounded in reality. She’s the one that gets to ask the questions that we all want to initially ask: “Hey, what do you mean you’re going to make a porn with your best friend? What the f*ck is up with that?” I only wish that Delmore had more screen time, as her character unfortunately takes a back seat to her male co-stars. I would love to see these three do another movie together.

Alycia Delmore

Writer-director Lynn Shelton frames the actors in simple, home video style scenes that feel intimate almost to the point of sheer discomfort. I kept listening to the dialogue but sometimes I couldn’t look at the screen as they were saying it. I was so embarrassed for these characters at times because they felt so real and familiar. It very much feels like you are in these conversations, and that you are a party to the events that are unfolding in front of your eyes. Shelton directed the film from her own script, but I wonder about how much the actors improvised because the dialogue feels very natural and flows as real conversations would. The opening scene with Ben and Anna in bed together is one of the most true to life moments between a man and a woman I have ever seen in a film, and it’s not even that shocking or important to the story. It isn’t necessarily a film about sex or pornography or even art. It’s about all of these, and none of these. It’s a film about two men discovering what it means to be close friends, and the crazy ends that some friends will go to understand the nature of that closeness. Mainstream films like “The Hangover”, “Pineapple Express”, and “I Love You, Man” deal with the same issues but use homoeroticism as more of a sight gag than a statement, which is fine because these films do it well and it’s good to laugh at masculinity sometimes. “Humpday” plays less like an addition to the new bromantic comedy pantheon, and more like a deconstruction of it. The film simultaneously questions male masculinity while reaffirming it as well. The film ends in exactly the way that it should, but you have to see it to believe how it all turns out. All around, “Humpday” is one of the best films I’ve seen all year, and I recommend it to anyone who loves independent film as well as people who might have thought “I Love You, Man” played it a little too safe. I give it a 9 out of 10.

Of all the movies I’ve missed off this list through my own stupidity, the one I’m most annoyed about forgetting is Jonathan Glazer’s controversial Birth, also known as That Film Where Nicole Kidman Does The Creepy Bathtub Thing With A Kid. It’s one of those movies that generated a firestorm of controversy when it came out but also didn’t seem to appeal to anyone.

It came and went with just a lot of burbling complaint, and while Nicole Kidman’s career wasn’t harmed by it, it did make Jonathan Glazer vanish from sight, electing to return to his previous job directing videos and commercials. What’s most annoying about that controversy is that that scene is far less effective than the incredible scene where Kidman’s character has to process the possibility that the man she loved and has been grieving over for ten years may have been reborn. The camera captures her confusion, pain, and hope in a long close-up: along with the opening scene of Inglourious Basterds and the lengthy conversation in the middle of Steve McQueen’s superb Hunger, it’s one of the great long takes of the last ten years.

Of course the movie doomed itself by having a fascinating  central premise (what would you do if a person you loved had died and come back as someone else?) and a mystery at its core that was not really the final focus of the movie. Glazer and his co-writers Jean-Claude Carrière and Milo Addica are more interested in depicting the ways in which grief can destroy a mind and hope can make a person do crazy things, much as The Constant Gardener also does. I really like that movie, but Birth is even better. Glazer filmed it as if it were a modern-day fairy tale, but one in which the evil prince “wins”  in the end, and alongside the bravura close-up he creates some other memorable scenes including a meltdown from Danny Huston at a recital, a final shot of Kidman pretty much losing her grip on reality, and a stunningly beautiful opening in Central Park, all to the sound of Alexandre Desplat’s stunning score.

It’s one of the five best soundtracks of the decade. Speaking of movies set in New York and featuring creepy children intent on wrecking a family, praise is due George Ratliff’s beautifully judged thriller Joshua. Eschewing most dreary Bad Seed shock tactics (such as those employed by the moronic Orphan from earlier this year), Joshua shows how one smart, creepy kid can destroy lives just by playing upon people’s expectations of what children are like. Hott Sam Rockwell and Vera Farmiga are fantastic as the tortured parents whose lives are ruined by the son that has grown to hate them, and the whole thing burrows under your skin in a pleasantly unpleasant way. If I were to do this over again, it would definitely feature lower down in the list, but Birth would be in the top forty at least. Damn, I really loved that movie.

Here is the next fifteen entries on my best of list, though as you can see it’s become rather unfinished what with all the late entries. As before, there are no movies from 2009, etc.

60. Gomorrah

Matteo Garrone’s fractured narrative shows how crime affects all strata of life in Naples and Caserta, corrupting the inhabitants, robbing them of their autonomy, and even poisoning the ground they live on. As Girrone’s movie progresses, all hope of escape from the black cloud dwindles. A sobering experience, and an essential one.

59. City of God

As with Garrone’s crime epic, this shows how anarchic criminality can destroy every life it touches. While the Italian movie was paced with considered calm, Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund’s movie is a blur of energy unmatched by any other movie since Goodfellas. What could have been mere poverty-porn becomes profound, thrilling, and inspirational.

58. Primer

As with Mulholland Drive, this one left me behind. Shane Carruth’s time-travel movie has arguably the most labyrinthine plot in film history. On first viewing it challenges you for an hour before leaping off the deep end. Only after multiple viewings and consultations with complex flowcharts does it begin to make sense. The ultimate puzzle movie, and the equivalent of real intellectual benchpressing.

57. Inside Man

The heist movie to end all heist movies. Spike Lee creates a modern day Taking of Pelham 123, perfectly capturing the grouchy solidarity of New York with numerous entertaining asides and performances, all while leisurely touching on Lee’s trademark concerns about racial tension within that fractious melting-pot. A rare feel-good crime drama, and all the better for its genial air.

56. The Mist

Saved from obscurity by the enthusiasm of horror nerds across America, Frank Darabont’s timely horror classic works as a ghoulish B-Movie homage and disturbing time-lapse exploration of how ignorance and paranoia (embodied as the decade’s best villain, Mrs. Carmody) can tear us apart. Darabont’s previous films show how hope can set us free. Here he shows how despair can only lead to ruin.

55. A History of Violence

David Cronenberg and Josh Olsen took a weak graphic novel and turned it into a dissertation on the true nature of violence, separate from the sanitised movie version of violence, all while retaining the thrills and tension necessary to keep an audience riveted. Possibly the most intellectually satisfying suspense movie since Hitchcock’s prime.

54. Waltz With Bashir

Who would’ve thought that something as simple as Flash could be used to create something as profoundly moving as this? Ari Folman used hallucinogenic visuals to depict his distorted memory of the 1982 Lebanon War, and by proxy the entire country of Israel. The well-judged shift in format in the final five minutes is wrenching.

53. Pineapple Express

For anyone who loved the shaky action movies of the 80s and early 90s, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s pitch-perfect satire/mash note is manna from heaven, but what sends it over the top is James Franco’s performance as stoner Saul. His sincerity, heroism, and constant bewilderment are endlessly endearing.

52. Monsters Inc.

Unfairly treated as the poor cousin to Dreamworks’ Shrek at the time of release, time has proven that Pete Docter’s wildly imaginative adventure was the monster movie with brains and heart. Random remembrance of the final image triggered floods of tears even months after first viewing.

51. Casino Royale

Just when it seemed James Bond was finally ready for the skip, Martin Campbell returned to the franchise in time to save it. Tricksy plot construction, clearly edited action scenes, and excellent performances by the six lead actors add up to the best Bond movie since On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and one of the most thrilling action movies of the decade.

50. Serenity

For those of us who love Joss Whedon’s work, this sequel to his cancelled show Firefly was an event not to be missed. Fortunately, it was worth celebrating. Whedon can be proud of his SF Western, achieving the miracle of introducing a large cast to newcomers while satisfying hardcore fans with answers, character arc resolutions, and high drama. It would have been higher if Whedon wasn’t such a beloved-character-killing meanie. ::pouts::

49. Paprika

Satoshi Kon’s dream fantasy offers the most startling visual onslaught in years, as well as one of the most endearing protagonists in modern SF. Even though countless cultural references will be wasted on the average Western viewer, it still offers an unforgettable, dizzying head-trip.

48. Hidden (Caché)

Michael Haneke’s rightly celebrated thriller deals with guilt, persecution, middle-class isolationism, racial politics, and the unthinking consequences of youthful behaviour with an icy intellectualism that nevertheless makes the heart pound. Daniel Auteuil and Juliette Binoche are riveting, as always.

47. Idiocracy

A chaotic mess trapped under a terrible expository voice-over, Mike Judge’s dystopic satire has more than enough bite and uncomfortable humour to justify the compromise necessary to get it made. Possibly the angriest satire in living memory and one that is slowly accruing cultural cachet among nervous anthropologists observing modern society. Plus, I can attest to the fact that repeated viewings unearth a wealth of funny details.

46. Limbo

John Sayles’ meandering thriller starts off as a simple tale of frontier life, and gradually becomes darker, taking twists and turns that you could never see coming. Perhaps it’s the most aptly titled film of the decade, as Sayles expertly manipulates your expectations and offers the greatest, most exasperating and yet most profound open ending in years.

Right, another one done without the help of WordPress’ useless autosave function which got rid of a wodge of words earlier. More to come, hopefully tonight.

I just saw this movie called “Funny Games”. It looks like this.

The movie is written and directed by Michael Haneke, the guy who delivered the brutally tense Cache a couple years back. You could say that Funny Games is a little more upbeat and coherent than that film, but let’s not go crazy. Funny Games is demented. It has some of the most horrifying imagery I’ve ever seen on film. That being said, it’s also one of the best thrillers I’ve ever experienced. It’s as psychologically manipulative as Silence of the Lambs but decidedly more intimate. Haneke’s long-shots suck you in and refuse to let you blink, leaving you to cringe in anticipation for the torturous events yet to unfold. I watched it once yesterday, horrified the whole time, then recommended it to bada friend and ended up watching it again today. I’ll say this– it’s not as scary when you know what’s about to happen, or if you fail to take the full leap into Haneke’s world. But it is still a well-shot captivating thrill-ride of a movie. And I highly recommend it to anyone over sixteen with a pulse.

Speaking of thrill-rides, I also caught Pineapple Express earlier today. Apatow’s done it again. I don’t know how he’s cornered the market on comedy, but he keeps nailing them out of the park (Drillbit Taylor excluded). Pineapple Express is an action/weed/buddy-comedy that simultaneously nods to and demolishes the conventions of its predecessors. It’s the American Hot Fuzz, but more compact and less reverent. What’s nice about Apatow’s universe is that his characters defend their unique senses of morality against conventional standards. Knocked Up is about the beginnings of an unconventional family. 40-Yr Old Virgin is about a character whose unconventional behavior causes an outrage amongst his friends. In Pineapple Express the questionable content ranges from Seth Rogen dating an 18-year old girl to the copious amounts of marijuana smoked by both Rogen and co-star James Franco. While the movie makes a fairly hilarious case for the dangers inherent in both of those sweet sweet vices, it never openly condemns them. Rather it takes the apathetic and easy-going stance of all the moral lessons in the Apatow universe: as long as nobody’s getting arrested and everything is chill, there’s not much to complain about.

I can’t recommend this movie enough. It’s a stunning homage to all buddy cop comedies, but mostly it’s a love song to bad 90’s blow-em-ups. There was a surprising amount of violence in the movie (maybe tying it with Funny Games??!) but the tone is mostly amicable. David Gordon Green directs in a compromise between Apatow’s point-and-shoot method and the over-the-top melodrama of 90’s gun movies. The result is non-stop laughs and a decent amount of pseudo-gay male bonding.

I caught Pirates of the Carribean 3 earlier too. It sometimes gets maligned for being on the butt-end of a trilogy (a common and pitiable fate shared by the cinematic triumph Spider-Man 3) but I think once you get past the first hour or so of exposition, it delivers in a major way. Gore Verbinski has a talent for crafting incredible computer-generated effects that feel real and interactive. The vividness of the imagery he uses is almost tactile. Regardless of the setting, Verbinski’s chief skill is his attention to detail in the mise-en-scene, to the point where every shot is sensory. It’s what helped make the Ring so creepy and made the Pirates universe such a fun place to visit. That’s a notoriously difficult task. Think how many terrible horror movies are ruined by bad visual effects, bad lighting, poor storyboarding. The only real downfall I ever have with the Pirates universe is that when the characters are taking themselves too seriously, it sometimes becomes less fun to imagine yourself in their shoes. It’s part of the reason I think the Star Wars prequels are less engaging than the originals. The audience wants to see characters having fun in ridiculous surroundings, not sorting paperwork. Not that a Pirate Council isn’t immensely more fun than a dry-as-prohibition Jedi Council meeting, but for God’s sakes, I came for adventure! Not conversations about adventure. By the third act, once all of the plot pieces are in motion the visuals take hold and collide in some brilliant and spectacular ways. Everything from Davy Jones’ tentacles to the explosive sea storms look authentic and mesmerizing at the same time. I hate it when I can tell a CG-effect isn’t practical. It takes me out of the universe to recognize that everything but the actor is digitally added, even if it’s an interesting shot. Verbinski blends reality and fiction so well visually, I can’t tell where the ‘real world’ begins or ends. That’s impressive.

Similarly visually impressive was Tim Burton’s recent musical Sweeney Todd. Although most of the effects in that movie are practical, and as far as Burton’s design style goes par for the course, it’s still an engaging and morbid romp powered by its performances. I know a lot of musical snobs give the movie shit for not using trained singers, but if any of them can fault the brilliance of Sasha Baron Cohen’s performance, they’re mental. The movie is consistently dark and funny, which is nothing new for Burton, but I couldn’t imagine anyone else handling the material better. Mostly I was intrigued by the story structure. Most musicals are so sugar-coated and jazzified that they fail to understand compelling narrative. Sweeney Todd is beautiful and tragic and extremely well-structured. No character is unnecessary and everything falls neatly into place. In less skilled hands the whole thing could be insanely campy, and I am thankful that Burton embraced the story’s darkness rather than poking fun at it.

All in all, a pretty good crop of movies these past few years. Yup, yussir. Looks like I’ll keep seein’ em.

The Adventures of Robin Hood (dir. Michael Curtiz, 1938): Triumphalistic as only Errol Flynn movies can be. A celebration of camaraderie and littleness. So much so that you can just envision a made-for-TV-movie satire based on the life of Robin Hood after King Richard returns to the throne. He gets fat off of royal monthly checks, Matron Marian leaves with the kids, Friar Tuck excommunicates him, and he attempts a Sylvester Stallone-like comeback once he decides Prince John was the real man of the people.

Last Tango in Paris (dir. Bernardo Bertolucci, 1972): An incomplete viewing this time around by virtue of not finishing it and disabled subtitles. Still, hard to miss the basic idea. At the risk of dismissal, it’s one of these post-Antonioni existential soliloquies on the emptiness of life, but without the movement, the process of The Passenger or even Zabriskie Point.

Pineapple Express (dir. David Gordon Green, 2008): Watched it awhile ago, but funny enough to deserve mention. R-rated comedies have long loved to shock audiences with sex, but not so much with violence, making this something pretty unique. It thrives on character chemistry: we’re not yet sick of Seth Rogen, and we were definitely sick of seeing James Franco in James Franco roles. May be the final (or only?) subtle performance of Ken Jeong, who is normally too funny for his own good.

It’s no ‘28 Weeks Later’ or ‘House Of 1000 Corpses’ but it definitely is up there with the likes of ‘Shaun Of The Dead.’ Zombieland, which some of you may remember from my post back in September, where I actually claimed that it was the new Shaun Of The Dead, has been in the cinema for a month now, and it’s taken that long for me to be able to attend a screening of it. I know, it’s awful.

However you may be intrigued to know, that Zombieland, being described by some as ‘pure in your face blood and guts,‘ would only be half right, actually, not even that. Maybe a third right. There is blood and guts, like in any zombie film, but this is completely outweighed by the end of the film and it’s rather large amount of humour throughout. A rather nice touch is the set of survival rules laid out by the first protagonist we come across. Another being ‘Zombie kill of the week’ and another lovable performance is that of the lovable Bill Murray. The zombie genre is far from dead, that’s clear my friends.

Zombieland is a greatly crafted zomcom with excellent performances from all the stars, and I actually mean that for once. Kudos to the casting agent, a job very well done. Because there isn’t a moment throughout Zombieland where you won’t enjoy yourself, fulfilling, fun, and a complete riot. It’s almost like a roller-coaster ride of complete and utter immeasurable entertainment, where even the troughs aren’t disappointing. It certainly has enough gore to keep the blood-lovers happy and enough gags to laugh your socks off, definitely being ridiculous enough in terms of its wacky plot, ‘Hey, oh my goodness, it’s the zombiepocalypse, ah but what the heck, let’s all have a laugh!‘ Quite possibly the best take on a post-apocalyptic world in a long time.

Each character within the film has, well, how can I put this… Flaws. Purposeful flaws of course, Tallahassee for example is motivated through the zombie-stricken and bloody carnage by one thing. A Twinkie. In fact, one of my favourable lines from Tallahassee is this; “Believe it or not, Twinkies have an expiration date. Someday very soon, life’s little Twinkie gauge is going to go…empty.” Another would be “It wasn’t long before the zombies began to get clever. When you were at your most vulnerable, somehow they could just smell it… Don’t let them catch you with your pants down.” Basically, if you want a laugh, a feel good movie, something to make you feel better about whatever situation your in, or if you just want to see some zombies. This is the movie for you. Worth owning on DVD? Without a doubt. Cult classic? Maybe. Bad movie? Heck no.

Continuing on his quest for ultimate coolness, after finishing the much hyped arc on “General Hospital” James Franco will be guest starring on “30 Rock.”

Here’s the details from the source:

NBC declined to comment, but a Rock-solid insider tells me that Franco (playing himself) will be involved in a faux romance with Jane Krakowski’s Jenna — a relationship engineered by their respective agents. Sound familiar? It’s probably because this is the storyline Tina Fey floated by me at the Emmys way back in September.

“[Jenna gets] into a high-profile relationship with a movie star that is arranged by their agents,” Fey explained at the time.

Franco is scheduled to start work on his Rock eppy this week.

Tina Fey and James Franco acting together will be one of the funniest episodes of any show of recent memory.  I’m really excited to see this…

SOURCE

Ah, stoner films. So ridiculous, so pointless, yet so much fun to watch. Probably nothing can beat Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, but I sure laughed my ass off at some of the dialogue in this movie.

And even with greasy long hair and a sloppy wardrobe, James Franco still manages to look hot.

Funny thing is as I watched it I couldn’t figure out if I’d seen it already?  I mean right now I’m like 30 minutes in, and I still keep having moments of deja vu.  I guess I’ll hopefully figure it out by the end of the film.  Overall this film is super predicable.. go watch some Kenny Powers shorts!

If this was anyone else in this commercial, i would be bagging on it. Since it’s James Franco, I won’t. I do love me some Franco. Not the Pineapple Express Franco, I like the nerd glasses, clean cut, “i’m going back to school”, book in hand Franco.

The stoner Franco was great, don’t get me wrong, but I lived with his doppelganger for a few months. Although all my friends liked to come over and “ohhhh” & “ahhhh” over my roommate, it wasn’t fun coming home to half eaten bowls of cereal all over the house and his keys left in the door overnight.

I prefer my hotness to have some brains.

This dude is also taped to my bathroom mirror. Why? Just to remind everyone that he’s hot. In case you forget. While peeing.

Travis Note: JENN POST, JENN POST, JENN POST!

Pineapple Express… What More Can I Say.. One Of The Most Popular Strains, It Was A Must That We Put It In This Months Release.. Very Dope! 12 Copies Only.. Available October 23rd..

Pineapple Express [2008] [d. David Gordon Green] [s. Seth Rogen, James Franco]

Upon first viewing I enjoyed this film but like quite a few films it took another viewing for me to really appreciate it.  David Gordon Green is one of my favorite directors, up there with Quentin Tarantino and the Coen Brothers, and I love every film he has made, this one included.  It is definitely a different Green film than the ones he previously directed but you definitely see some usual faces.  Seth Rogen is really good here but it is James Franco that makes the role his own.  Franco is hilarious from his first scene all the way to the very end.  Danny McBride is also great, as usual, and is quickly becoming the best comedy actor going today.  The supporting cast is really good and helps make this what it is but the moments with Rogen, Franco and McBride are the most memorable for me.  Rogen and Franco have great chemistry and you can easily see how they could be best friends off screen as well.  There is so many great lines from this film but it is much more than just a film with great one-liners.  This is a great buddy movie/stoner movie/action movie and that is just on the surface.  Amber Heard is really good as Rogen’s high school girlfriend and the phonecalls are always good for a laugh.  This film has lots of twists and turns, lots of laughs and a lot of action as well.  I don’t think I can praise this film enough for how funny it is.  I have to mention how funny Craig Robinson was in this as well.  The opening scene is a little odd at first but gets funnier with each viewing.  I would definitely tell you to watch this if you haven’t did so already.  Hilarious movie, good movie and an all around good time.  4.5/5

James Franco, star of Pineapple Express and the aboved pictured delicious Gucci ad campaign, is taking a brief foray into the world of daytime television with a small arc on General Hospital. After years of laughing at my mother for her addiction to soap operas, I shall now become the victim to my mom’s jeers on November 23rd, the date of Franco’s first scheduled appearance.

People are talking madness about Franco’s decision to take a step backwards in a career that has been steadily progressing since his turn as a boy hooker in 2002’s “Sonny”. Franco has never been a conventional actor, mostly choosing roles in extremely offbeat movies.Please watch, “An American Crime” a.s.a.p. and join me in the hole of sadness I fell into after viewing the aforementioned movie. Franco is amazing and I look forward to seeing him invade General Hospital and turn it on it’s ass. Enjoy a Franco pic for the road.

The first draft of LOSERS was delivered to me a week ago!  This script is our response to all the big, boy, (Judd Apatowed) comedies that we (and audiences) love like I LOVE YOU, MAN and THE HANGOVER.  We adore love these flicks. We just think stories about chicks can be hilarious too… and not because the girls fall down or say dumb things.

LOSERS is about two girls who’ve been best friends for as long as they’ve been stoner “losers.”  The two just-turned-30 girls, excuse me, women take to the road (with a hot intern) to make a doc about how to become successful.  Along the way, these directionless, unemployed potheads find their way and their own version of success. It’s THELMA AND LOUISE but funny.  ROMY AND MICHELLE but more timely. It’s PINEAPPLE EXPRESS but with chicks (and with a point).

We. I said ‘we’ a lot didn’t I?  You noticed!  Yes. I am not writing this project. I’m a co-story creator with Leigh Anne.  Leigh Anne is spearheading that pesky ‘writing’ bit of this enterprise.  This is perfect because

1. She’s big time talented.
2. She initially conceived of LOSERS.
3. I’m so close to closing the deal on a project that would fling me immediately into the writing room full time. I want this to happen! I’ve been working towards this deal for ONE YEAR, so when it happens, I’m onboard 100%, which wouldn’t be fair to LOSERS if I was sharing the writing duties.

Leigh Anne and I are old Northwestern friends.  Old as in we’ve know each other for many years NOT ‘old’ as in washed-up and wrinkly.  We have been roommates (briefly), writing partners (a teen hour-long dramedy pilot), p90X survivors (got in the best shape of our lives), happy hour fiends together (Malo on Mondays is the only way to celebrate the vanguishing of Monday blues), and now are the geniuses behind LOSERS.  Yes. I called us geniuses. What?  That’s how good this script is going to be.

But first things first, we are revising.  Writing is rewriting. The first draft (9/12) was good.  Draft 2 will be even better.  It’s dropping on Saturday the 26th, which means I’ll be reading it, devising my notes, and conferencing with Leigh Anne while I’m on a respite in Seattle.  She’ll jump into Draft 3 two days later.  I’ll keep you updated on our progress.

This is what genius looks like... but, honestly, we can look better than this.

Before anyone calls the police and I wind up on the next episode of Cops, let me clarify. When I say “drugs” I mean marijuana/weed/pot/green/reefer/hemp/buddha/herbage, or whatever else you want to call it. Lots of my friends, especially guys, have touted the effects of weed, and some even smoke it every day as a way to relax from a hard day of boring classes and crazy professors. I’ve never tried it, but lately I’ve wondered why not.

No, I’m not being peer pressured (my guy friends aren’t begging to give me their weed for free…they want it for themselves!); I’m just curious and I sorta want to see what all the fuss is about.

And, yes, I know it’s technically illegal, but we’ll just skip that part and look at it realistically, shall we? Since we’re normally all law-abiding, good college students who would never do anything wrong or illegal, obvi. (Like those 2.5 years in college where we were under 21….)

Love it
Or rather, my friends love it. They always tell me about how good they feel afterward, like “a balloon that has just been released to go float among the clouds.” (Yeah, he was already high. I didn’t really get it, either.) Some claim it even helps them work better, especially for creative writing papers and art class. It relieves stress, helps you sleep better, gives you confidence (for my shy guy friends to ask out girls), and just makes you happier in general.

I’ve also heard friends say it helps with headaches, toothaches, and even sex. Oh, and I’m told some movies (like Pineapple Express) are ten times better high than not (which might be why I didn’t like it that much). Medically speaking, it helps thousands of people relieve the pain they suffer from glaucoma and many other maladies, so it can’t be detrimental to your body, right? I mean, even Michael Phelps is doin’ it and he’s the best athlete in the world!

Loathe it
It’s illegal.

If you’re caught with it, you could be fined or go to jail or, worse, your parents could find out and you’ll be forever labeled “the girl who does drugs” at family reunions. It also makes your clothes smell, makes your wallet lighter, and makes you on the lookout for your hit next constantly. (Editor’s Note: Or your next bag of chips. Those munchies are brutal, girlfriend.) You could get addicted and keep spiraling down and do things you normally wouldn’t do, like stealing and cheating just to get high again.

Also, I live a pretty healthy lifestyle (except the occasional tailgate) and don’t want to do anything harmful to my body, especially something dangerous and illegal like weed. It reminds me too much of smoking, which I absolutely hate, and I can’t help but wonder deep down that it’s illegal for a reason. Just what is it doing to people’s insides?

When it comes down to it, there are so many other fun things to do with my friends than light up a joint and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my life so far without it, so why change? I would rather spend my money on those Alexander McQueen booties I saw at Fashion Week anyway. But I’m in college and college is about experimenting, so I’m completely torn.

Help?

I get so pumped for Halloween every year, but also STRESS about what awesome costume I want to come up with for that year. Going with a group and incorporating a theme always is a blast, and last year the Marvel zombies gear was fantastic, but way too much work. Here are some ideas for this year, but if anyone can think of any other suggestions, let me know.

Idea #1
This one came to us about 6 months ago, and I still think has potential. The major problem is finding leather vests. Ebay has them for 50$ and in size XXXXL, for the fattest cowboys, but that doesn’t help me and I want to keep my costs down. Scott would be Ajax because he is such a badass. Tyler can be Rembrandt and I’ll be Cyrus…just kidding. Swan all the way!

Idea #2
More obscure, but infinitely more fun. I got told last weekend that I looked like a mod, so it’s only fitting I go as the King of the Mods, Vince Noir. Scott has beady, shifty eyes, perfect for Howard Moon and Tyler’s hair is exactly the same as Bob Fossil!

Idea #3
Dale Denton, Saul Silver and Red. It might be tough for people to make the connection as none of us look anything like any of these people, but it would be worth it mainly for the fact that we could quote the movie the entire night, no matter how sick of it everyone gets.

Idea #4
We each go as a different classic Michael J. Fox character. Marty McFly, Alex P. Keaton and Teen Wolf.

If the group thing doesn’t work, individual ideas include Pee Wee Herman, Billy Hoyle (White Men Can’t Jump) and a character from Water World.

Happy Halloween Ya’ll

… Here’s A Sneak Peek For All The Aztronautz Collectors.. All The Hats Are Snapbacks And The Tees Are Just Sick… October 23rd… What More Can I Say….

Mike Elizalde

Jackie Jekyll – GoreMaster.com

Mike Elizalde, whose credits include “X-Men: The Last Stand”, both of the “Fantastic Four” films, both of the “Hellboy” films and most recently “The Land of the Lost” film, has been in the special effects business for over 20 years.   Mr. Elizalde was nominated for a “Best Makeup” Oscar for his work on Hellboy II (2008).  He is the owner of Spectral Motion an all purpose special effects shop offering Creatures, Props, Special Makeup Effects. His shop specializes in the design and creation of astonishing cinematic creature effects, special makeup effects, animatronics and action props.  Mr. Elizalde shares his journey into the world of filmmaking and special effects with GoreMaster.

Read the Exclusive Interview HERE!

Amazon Specials!

I am a total sucker for funny people. I love when someone can make me cry with their comedy and these dudes do just that aaaaaaaaand they are cute to boot! So for that, I say: BONUS! Give me a geek in glasses with a penchant for self-deprecation and I’m yours…

 Andy Samberg

Andy is one of the best reasons to still be watching Saturday Night Live. He is smart, goofy AND ambitious. Together with his childhood friends Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, they are The Lonely Island, responsible for crafting the hilarious Digital Shorts you see on SNL. One of my favorite skits that Andy starred in was “Ras Trent”. Andy assumes the role of a white suburban kid who has stumbled onto Rastafarian culture and does an amazing job at completely skewing its message. I can’t help but crack up when he refers to himself as a “Rude Boy living in the shanty dorms” or how he tells his “Bumbaclot parents [that] he’s switching religions”.

His poseur ignorance has me LOL-ing out loud.

Martin Starr

Martin may be best known for his work as Bill in Freaks and Geeks (SUCH an amazing show) but he became more recognizable after he appeared in Knocked Up as the character, get this, Martin, the dude with the beard and pinkeye, or was he just high? He has successfully cultivated his dry, acerbic humor for the masses and usually plays those hopelessly loser-ific characters your heart can’t help but break for. He has recently shown off his acting chops in Adventureland (which I have yet to see, g-d it!) and is currently featured in one of my favorite new shows on the tube, Party Down.

Check out this clip of Martin’s character, Roman, attempting to mark his territory when threatened by the new guy on the job.

Jemaine Clement

Jemaine is one half of the New Zealand duo known as The Flight of the Conchords. This past season, Jemaine (unsuccessfully) attempted to prostitute himself when he and his cohort Bret fell on tough times and on another occasion (albeit unknowingly) slept with an Australian. Oh, the scandal. Anyway, my true love and devotion really stems from (my favorite recent movie) Eagle VS. Shark. Jemaine plays a doofy, douche-y character named Jarrod (the eagle), a socially awkward man-child with major familial issues and, despite his shortcomings, a devoted love interest, Lily (the shark). His actions are fairly repugnant throughout but his cluelessness and broken little boy back story grants him redemption in the end.

In this clip Jarrod threatens his high school bully over the phone. Have I mentioned I looooove this movie?

James Franco

Ok Ok, so he’s more known for being a dreamy dreamboat. Let’s give the guy credit where credit is due, he IS, BUT he’s also hilarious and mostly because it seems like he’s not even trying to be. Another Freaks and Geeks alum, James first caught my eye there playing bad boy Daniel Desario, the 80’s answer to Jordan Catalano. Are you swooning yet? In response to his character being told he’s completely unreliable he bites back with: “Well, you’re certainly reliable, you’re always a BITCH!” Funny, right? Really, it’s OK to laugh. ANYWAY he convinced the non-believers he could, in fact, be a comic actor when he took on the role of Saul in Pineapple Express playing the loveably clueless dealer and friend to the reluctant Dale.

This scene CRACKS. ME. UP.

 Charlie Day

I may have saved the best for last. Charlie stars on It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia where he plays the aptly named Charlie, one of five, mostly reprehensible, characters in charge of running “the worst bar in Philadelphia”. The gang, as they are referred to throughout the show, are morally corrupt, ignorant and downright hilarious. Charlie is actually the most redeeming character, at times displaying the show’s ONLY source of empathy or decent judgment in the face of the gang’s usual duplicitous schemes. Though no angel himself, Charlie has stooped as low as pretending to have cancer in order to score the sympathy of “The Waitress”, his unrequited love. If you AREN’T watching this show (for some insane reason), you really need to do yourself a favor and just watch it already.

This is probably my favorite Charlie moment:

The “Sunny” gang are branching out with their talents and recently put on a select city tour of their original musical: The Nightman Cometh which we were lucky enough to see live AND in Philadelphia, no less!

We also scored some pretty sweet footage, thanks to The Bee, which you can check out here.

A lot has been said lately about James Franco joining the cast of “General Hospital” for a multi-episode ark, mostly the three letters: WTF.  But personally, I think it’s brilliant.  So come inside on why this is such a great move.

As reported by Entertainment Weekly and countless other news outlets, James Franco recently reached out to GH to do a few episodes that will begin airing November 20.  If it backfires this could certainly slash his credibility as an actor (you don’t see Cate Blanchett rushing to do the “Young and the Restless”), BUT it could also show James does whatever he wants and doesn’t take himself too seriously.  It was reported that James wanted to work on the show to do research for a film where he’ll be playing a doctor, and he also wants to get a feeling for what a long and crazy work day would be.

I spent about five minutes after reading the news thinking it had to be a joke, and then I thought, “That’s actually kind of brilliant.”  If nothing else, it shows he’s willing to take risks and march to the beat of his own drum and to go the extra mile for whatever movie he’s doing.  And in a land full of pretentious actors who have absolutely no skill to back themselves up on, he’s completely giving the middle finger to what’s conventional in Hollywood and showing he he’s comfortable enough with himself as an actor to do a genre that many consider a joke.  Sure, he could have taken “Grey’s Anatomy” or any other hospital drama that’s on the air right now, but he chose a soap for a reason.  This is the same person who made Funny or Die “Acting with James Franco” and fake-graduation speech videos.  I doubt he’s doing this to show us his chops.  Personally I find it fascinating that James chose to go this route and isn’t proclaiming his work to be art.  He’s doing whatever the eff he wants, but is doing it for a reason.