Harvest Festival My Ass...

I’m a big horror fan. I love the gore, a good scare, an intense story and best all-- I love it when the bag guys win! Needless to say I dig the movie channels during Halloween. IFC and TMC are the shit this time of year. Old school scary movies with campy effects and young actors who are on their way to becoming stars or forever type cast in the characters they are inadvertently developing.

So HAPPY HALLOWEEN to the scribosphere!

Around this time of year I am reminded of a story about my mother who’s been gone 13 years now. It’s one of my favorites.

Mom would sometimes stop by the video store on the way home and pick up some movies to watch. She liked the standard fare and I was in high school at the time so she often tried to grab some sort of action or scary movie for me.

One night I came home after practice and she mentions to me that she got me a scary movie. I said cool and asked what the title was. She couldn’t remember, just that it was some horror movie. Cool Mom thanks…

Later that evening she went to bed and I popped in the movie and settled down for a good scare. The movie started well enough, as far as I can remember, and then… it got a little weird. Then it got really fucking weird. At this point I stop it and check the title, thinking that maybe I got the wrong tape or something. Nope…

Thus the night I was introduced too… The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Maybe it was my sudden plunge into this “horror movie” that has damage my ability to stomach this film to this day. Much like my utter distaste for watermelon after the time I ate too much at a BBQ and vomited all that red fleshly fruit all over the deck.

Either way Mom thought it was just fucking hilarious the next morning when I told what she had exposed her son too. She let me pick my own movies after that.

Good times though. I love you Mom. Miss ya.

-Jim

Sunday Night Meltdown

My good friend Achim calls me up around 3pm yesterday to tell me he scored some sweet tickets to the Sunday night game here in Seattle. We hustle down to the stadium and park it in the plush club level seats for a great game… Whatever.

The moment the ball rocketed through the punters leg and both teams proceeded to muff it all the way to the end zone I should have known we were in trouble.

To put in perspective I’ve been too two regular season games at Quest field. The first was last year; Seattle vs. Minnesota. Not only did we get our ass handed to us but we lost Hasselbeck for several weeks. What a shity day.

Last nights game managed to top that game on an unprecedented level of suckiness. The Seahawks are broke. Alexander is runs like my four year old son, the first time anyone gets near him he falls down and curls up into the fetal position. We showed brief flashes of promise but our O-line couldn’t run block for shit and our D-line looked like it was playing Red Rover with the Saints… and losing horribly.

Ah well. The club seats were awesome and Quest field is just a neat place to go and free tickets are always nice.

Writing is cruising. I feel the momentum really starting to roll. I am enjoying my story and getting 2-5 pages done a day. It feels great.

-Jim

Helpful Safety Tip

Never been a fan of bicycle pants, or bicycling for that matter. I, like the majority of non bicyclers, think of these four way, 7 1/2 oz, nylon/lycra, tricot knit second skins as some vain way to expose your man junk, camel toe or if your unfortunate the unsightly terrain of your ass and thighs.

NOT SO!

During a break between DOTA games the other night (Warcraft III mod, leave a note if you want to know more) one of my friends relayed the following story.

Apparently some poor fellow decided to go riding in regular shorts. During his xtreme bike ride he somehow hung his ass out over the back tire. Well, Lance hit a bump and he landed on the back tire, which quickly grabbed his sack and rammed it through the metal cross bar. There was tearing, I am not sure the boys were completely detached but the damage was done.

So, while it pains me to say this, please, for the sake of mankind and those of you reading this blog, mouth agape and holding your jiggly bits in empathy, wear the silly shorts. I certainly have a new found respect for these fine articles of plum smuggling.

Oh and I guess they come padded for comfort as well.

Writing is going good. The ending scene to "MvA" is really starting to become clear in my mind which is very cool. I am going to start outlining my next story soon. I have some key trailer moments I want to get down on paper before they fade away.

-Jim

Weekly roundup

The Unit has finally drawn my wife in. The show does a good job of going from the warfare to the emotional strain of the families left behind. Dennis Haysbert for president.

I was a little worried with the pilot of K-Ville. The camera was in constant motion and I hate cinematography like that. If I wanted to watch music videos I would YouTube MTV footage of the late 80’s when those ass hats still played them. The quick cuts and head shots where it looks like the camera is sliding off the table makes me feel like I need to watch the show with a wallet in my mouth so I don’t swallow my tongue.

The second episode was much better. I like Cole Hauser, I wish Anthony Anderson was bit funnier. I hope the show continues.

Life rocks. Damian Lewis has been a favorite since Band of Brothers, although he’s a little more “Dreamcatcher” here. The show is really laying down some good plot lines. I am struggling with the LT played by Robin Weigart. I’ve only ever seen her in Deadwood so seeing here looking somewhat attractive and not spewing out obscenities every third word is a huge stretch for me. Keep it up folks!

Chuck is ok. The super agent is hot. I caught some inaccurate techno jargon and that distracts me from the story. Chuck flying a helicopter was a stretch. Homage to “Last Starfighter” I suppose. It’s a great premise; let’s hope they hire a few nerds to get their shit straight and some better show stories.

Writing is going well. Crankin out scenes at lunch time at work and emailing them home so I can get them into Final Draft.

Listening to the Creative Screenwriting podcasts on iTunes, great stuff.

I have a short term goal of getting some scenes put together for submission to get into an online writers group. I need the deadlines and support to help me get over the edge. I am working hard to get daily writing a habit. Way to many story ideas to get down on paper, not enough time to do it.

-Jim