An Open Plea to ABC to NOT Cancel 666 Park Avenue - The Reason...Terry O'Quinn in the Perfect Role as the Devil!!

The first time I really noticed Terry O'Quinn was rather perfect...it was in The X Files episode Aubrey. For the casual X Files viewer, this was the episode where victims were appearing dead with the word SISTER carved out on their chest. Aubrey is the very definition of classic X Files and the dark and twisted nature of this episode made it truly perfect for Chris Carter to then cast Terry O'Quinn as Peter Watts, in his sister show to The X Files, Millennium.

Millennium tells the story of freelance forensic profiler and former FBI agent Frank Black (Lance Henriksen), a man who assisted the shadowy Millennium Group hunting serial killers and murderers using his unique ability to see into the minds of these monsters. Terry O'Quinn played Millennium Group member Peter Watts, former assistant director of the FBI's Violent Crimes Task Force...a dark and mysterious man of very few words who like Frank, left the FBI to join The Millennium Group in the hope of gaining a better understanding in such a dark and chaotic world. Peter Watts later becomes a senior member of the group and works with Frank Black on a number of group Group assigned cases, however we are never completely sure of his motives and whether to trust him.

Millennium was a much darker show than The X Files and I remember reading years ago that Chris Carter said he had the idea for the show when he did The X Files episode Irresistible. Irresistible featured “death fetishist” Donnie Pfaster (pictured below), played with absolute menacing relish by Nick Chinlund and was based on my ultimate most fascinating serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer. The network wouldn't allow for the character of a necrophiliac so Chris Carter had to go with a death fetishist, which in my humble opinion, worked just as well...and was actually possibly even creepier!!  Nick Chinlund's appearances in The X Files playing such an epic character, it meant that when he appears in 666 Park Avenue playing a nemesis of Terry O'Quinn, it is impossible to not get a massive X Phile grin on my face!!  :D

It was playing Peter Watts that I absolutely fell in love with Terry O'Quinn and I loved it that he was in The X Files movie, and later in Season 9 episode Trust No One. 

 Years later when LOST was first announced and I read that not only Mr O'Quinn, but also Dominic Monaghan (yay to Hobbits!!) were going to be in a show from Felicity and Alias creator J.J. Abrams...I had to check it out!! From the very first second I was hooked. And like the devoted nerd that I am...I stayed hooked and true, right till the very end!! With LOST, Terry O'Quinn played yet another of my all time most favourite characters...John Locke!! A man who, like Peter Watts...has numerous layers to him. BWAH!

So anyhoo, fast forward all these years later, past Millennium and The X Files...past LOST...and we come to the present where Terry O'Quinn is playing yet another wickedly awesome character, Gavin Doran.

666 Park Avenue centers around young couple Jane and Henry who move into The Drake building at 999 Park Avenue as resident managers.  Henry is a lawyer who works for the mayor and right from the outset when after hiring Jane and Henry, Gavin turns to his wife Olivia (played with equal relish by Vanessa Williams) and says that through Jane, that's how they get Henry...we know that Gavin is out for political gain.

Gavin isn't your usual millionaire building owner though, and the residents of 999 Park Avenue aren't your usual tenants.  The Drake is a building in which living in, your dreams can come true...if you are willing to pay the price!!  To me, 666 Park Avenue is like, if Hitchcock did The X Files.  You know, dark and mysterious men.....sexy blondes, smart and stylish and then with that demented twist that you would expect from standalone X Files episodes.  :D  Which is pretty fucking awesome!!  And the scenes with Terry O'Quinn and Nick Chinlund, they make me want to scream with delight, they're absolutely wonderful!!

Terry O'Quinn is without a shadow of a doubt, perfectly cast as the devil.  I mean, he has the charm and charisma, he's handsome and he is wonderful at portraying the darkest impressions of the human soul.  He has spent his career playing characters that always had so much more than initially meets the eye.  ABC were onto a surefire certified pile of awesome when they gave the go ahead for 666 Park Avenue, and to think that now they have cancelled it, despite the fact that it's proving to be popular, it's ridiculous!!  You don't cast Terry O'Quinn in such an amazing role and then cancel the series after it's only been airing for like 6 episodes or something, that's absurd!!  

One of the main problems that is hitting 666 Park Avenue, is that people are recording it to watch later.  ABC does not count those viewers, which, to me...is completely ridiculous.  Even if they counted the viewers that watched it within a week and averaged that out...I bet the numbers would be a lot higher and they'd realize that there is a fan base for this wicked awesome show!!  

Terry O'Quinn ‏@OQuinnTerry

It's great that you love it, the only problem is DVR doesn't help the ratings, so unfortunately we're only doing 13 eps.. ever...

 Terry O'Quinn ‏@OQuinnTerry

 There are, I assume, several episodes of 666 still to be aired. How about everybody watch them live and see what happens! Just curious...

 

So what can we, as the fans do about this whole cancelled situation??  Should we sit back and do nothing...just accept it!??  Hells NOOO!!!  

Tonight when it airs, at 10pm on ABC, let's get everyone to watch it live!!  Now, as I'm in the UK, my viewership on any American/Canadian show doesn't count...unfortunately!! :/  Does that stop me from annoying the heck out of the networks....of course not, haha!!  There are various ways you can help get this campaign to save the show noticed.  First and foremost, obviously watching it when it airs at 10pm on Sunday nights.  You can also LIKE and support the Facebook group Save 666 Park Avenue.  

Another way to bring attention to the show is to get it trending on both GetGlue and Twitter.  By using the hashtags #Save666Park as well as #Save666ParkAve, we can all let ABC know that we love the show and want more episodes.  The official ABC Twitter for the show is @666ParkAve_ABC and their hashtag for the show is simply #666ParkAve  By checking into GetGlue, not only can you get exclusive sticker from the show, you will be helping to have it trending in a place a show this awesome should be!! :D  

Whilst looking for all the ways to help save the show, I came across this article that has more ways, including snail mail to ABC and links to petitions as well, go check it out.  :) 

So yes people...let's do this!!  We can't let ABC drop all this awesome without a fight, nope, nope, nope!!! 

The Lost Boy Shines a New Light on Peter Pan and Wendy!

You may remember a while back I did a post on a wee Scottish film called One Day Removals...possibly the sweariest film of all time.  Haha.  This film is an absolute cracker and a rarity in the fact that it doesn't matter how many times I watch it...I still end up with my stomach killing me from laughing so much. :) 

Anyhoo, One Day Removals introduced me to the wonderful Scott Ironside...one of the most genuinely funny people I have ever seen on the screen.  Ever since then I've been following what he's been up too and it was with great delight that the other day he posted a link to the trailer for his new film, The Lost Boy.  

Based on the masterpiece from J.M. Barrie.  The Lost Boy is a modern day adaptation of the novel Peter Pan and Wendy, set in contemporary London.  

Set one night in a club called Neverland, the story follows a 19 year old boy called Peter as he meets a girl (Wendy) whose introduction into his world sets off a chain of consequences that force him to reevaluate his entire lifestyle. 

Directed by Adam Hales-Walker, The Lost Boy is one of the graduation films from BAF06 at Metfilm School...and a pretty damn wicked looking graduation film if you ask me!! :) 

To follow the film and share the love, you can find it on both Facebook and Twitter. 

Support Team Cooper on their Trek to the Mount Everest Base Camp in Nepal!!

You may remember back in December, I wrote a blog article regarding my parents undertaking the arduous task of trekking to the Mount Everest Base Camp in Nepal.  Whilst funding this trek themselves, they have decided to use this amazing opportunity to raise money for charity.  The charities chosen were The British Heart Foundation and Afasic Scotland, which is a speech and language charity for children and young people with communication problems.  These charities were chosen due to my Granddad dying from heart disease and because in mum's nursery, she comes across children with speech and communication problems on a regular basis.

The time for this trek is almost upon them, and in one week's time, they fly out to Kathmandu from where a 3 week trip shall then commence. :)

In order to get in shape for this epic trek, they have spent the past year doing lots of trekking and hillwalking throughout the UK, and documenting their adventures on their blog - Team Cooper Take on the Mount Everest Base Camp.  Their last outing before Everest was two Saturdays ago when they climbed Ben Nevis with some of our family.  This included my auntie Corinne and her partner Steve along with Team Cooper mascot, Alistair McAlistair who I introduced you to in my blog last December.  

(Pictured below - Alistair showing Team GB spirit with the Olympic Torch!!)

Also my cousin Dom and her boyfriend Kev, and their Border Terrier Pippa, and members of the Canadian side of my family Jim and Annie Szpajcher who on a tour around all the French and Belgium battlefields, made Ben Nevis their first stop!! :D  What made this all the more freakin' epic was that Nevis was the first summit completed for a number of the group, how many people get to say that!?!! ;)  

(Pictured below - the gang at the summit of Ben Nevis)

Anyhoo, after climbing Ben Nevis, mum said that they didn't even feel like they'd climbed anything...which is definitely a good sign for Everest when climbing the highest peak in the UK is a walk in the park!

(Pictured below - the Parentals at the summit of Ben Nevis)

Now obviously Ben Nevis is like baby steps in comparison to Mount Everest...even to the Base Camp.  One of the most dangerous things about this trek happens before you've even pretty much started.  That comes from having to fly into Lukla Tensing-Hillary Airport.  According to a documentary entitled World's Most Extreme Airports which aired on The History Channel in 2010, Lukla was rated the most dangerous airport in the world...and when you watch the video below, you can see why!!

When it comes to actually trekking to Base Camp, obviously one of the biggest dangers comes from the ever changing altitude, which is why there are days set aside for acclimatisation to help individuals get used to the thinning air. Mum and Dad might have been getting in tip top shape, but even climbing Ben Nevis which has a true height of 4, 408ft, it's just no where near high enough for them to have gotten used to the air quality at such a height above sea level!  And to be at that height for such a long period of time as well.  

These are just a couple of the dangers, and I think I'll stop there as I think that's enough to put most people off...well, if the actual distance and fitness levels needed didn't already, haha.  

(Pictured above - Dad at Vindolanda)

This is why I think it's such a great idea to use this trek to raise money for charity as well.  I mean, the point of a really good fundraiser is to do something different right...something that has you in the minority.  Between the JustGiving pages and sponsorship donations they've been receiving from colleagues and for example, kids parents at my mums nursery etc., they are currently sitting on £1376.  This is totally amazing, but let's see if we can raise the bar all that higher and see just how much more we can raise!! :)  

In this blog post I have linked to previous blog articles, as well as various websites etc.  Please do add @EverestBunny on Twitter for on the trek updates, where and when a signal is available of course.  Also please LIKE the Facebook Page, follow their blog and Flickr accounts.  If you could retweet their posts, and share their Facebook page and blog, that would be totally rad as well.  And think, you can feel happy in the fact of knowing that you helped out, and didn't even have to leave the comfort of your sofa, haha.  

You can donate via the Team Coops Just Giving page or via Paypal.  

You can also donate via text message by entering the following details - 

FSCK63 *insert amount in £* to 70070 for BHF

i.e. text - FSCK63 £5 to 70070 if you want to donate to the British Heart Foundation

QJDQ52 *insert amount in £* to 70070 for Afasic

Ooh, and last but not least, have a wee nosey at the little slideshow I've put together of  pics from some of their various training treks. :)  

Thank you! xo

Piracy - Robbing the Lives of Underground Film Makers!!

Okay, so once again my views on pirating movies seems to have hit a raw nerve with some people!!  This came about after I realised that indie horror V/H/S (pictured above and below) was making it's way around oil rigs.  

I live in an area where a large percentage of people work off shore, so this is obviously gonna be one of the most noticeable areas where pirated movies are shared.  Another would be the forces, they're terrible for it too!!  Getting off track though, seeing that a film that was made within a community of my some of my closest friends was getting passed around for free, it obviously got me on my soapbox!!  

I think when it comes to piracy, be it pirated DVD's, or downloading/streaming movies for free, the majority of people don't give a second thought for the film makers, the people that gave their blood, sweat and tears to make the movie.  I mean, could you imagine, giving your all to something and then getting pretty much nothing back from it...it wouldn't feel that great would it?!!  Getting movies funded in this day and age isn't as easy as what most seem to think, even the big studio's, they're wary to fund films unless they know that it's gonna make them a fortune right from the get go!!  It frequently baffles me why certain big Hollywood studios will put a shit ton of money into a film like Green Lantern, or Battleship, or god forbid any Michael Bay movie (that's a whole different rant though, haha), yet they won't fund smaller independent movies that would take a teensy tiny fraction of the cost to make...and then go on to make millions.  A perfect example of this would be Saw, or Insidious.  James Wan and Leigh Whannell (pictured below), you are both geniuses!! :)  

Because the big studios are usually unwilling to fund smart, intelligent and original films, the film makers often have to largely fund the film themselves, or to have fans help to raise funds for them.  This is something that is largely evident in the horror industry. The big studios will fund utter wank like the Nightmare on Elm Street remake, or The Omen remake...actually, pretty much any remake...yet they won't fund anything original as they usually don't have the balls too!!  Many film makers are using sites such as KickStarter and IndieGoGo to fund their projects with the help of fans.  So fans are helping to fund these movies, yet "casual movie watchers", like the people who watch stuff just for the sake of it and couldn't give a fuck about the people who made the film, they're stealing from the true fans as well.  Yet they don't seem to get why this grinds my fucking gears!!!

When it came to looking for the moohlah to fund their follow up to their grindhouse self funded Dead Hooker in a Trunk, American Mary...Jen and Sylvia Soska's parents Agnes and Marius Soska mortgaged their freakin' house to help finance it!!  This money then made other financier's feel more comfortable about getting on board this darkly twisted and fucked up little beauty!!  How cool is that, I mean, how many parents would be willing to do that for their twisted little children? :)  This was obviously a very risky move, but it turned out to be a great one!!  Now Universal Films have acquired distribution rights for many international territories including the UK and Germany, and are looking to acquire world rights.  

Dead Hooker in a Trunk however was funded entirely by the two of them working their arses off in their day jobs, and then totally maxing out their credit cards.  Again, a move that worked to their advantage but could have completely backfired, as so many other film makers have found out.  The success of Dead Hooker in a Trunk was largely due to the support from the underground film industry, and especially the Women in Horror Month movement...which I am proud to call myself a part of. :)  This backed with support from Eli Roth and things started really started to move forward for Jen and Sylvia...but it took a whole lot of clever networking and support from horror film nerds for them to get to the point where Eli Roth asked if they had any more scripts...the point from where American Mary was conceived. :D

We live in a society where it's deemed okay to pirate films, but what people seem to forget, is that this is these people's livelihood's that are being messed with.  The whole thought that "all film makers are loaded and don't need the money anyway", that's a heap of crap!!  Some of them work day jobs and then film in their evenings and weekends.  They basically have no life, and then for people to just download or pirate these films without a second thought, I said it before, and I will say it again, they're just raping the fucking film makers up the arse...and they couldn't give a fuck about it!!  

My thoughts and opinions have caused a lot of controversy among people close to me, but I don't fucking care.  And my graphic depiction...sometimes one needs to be so graphic to get a point across.  Rape is taking something without any regard for the other person, it is an action where you couldn't care less about the other person's feelings, or life.  And I'm sorry, but that is exactly what pirating these underground films does.  You could ruin a film makers career, and even life, just because you have no regard for what they do, or them as an actual person.  

I then got into an argument where the prices of cinema tickets came into it, yet, most of these underground films don't make it to the cinema....and why...because people fucking pirate them and then the film company doesn't see the point, I mean, where's the money to be made!?!!  A point that was made very clear when desperate to see Adam Green's Frozen, I had to go to Edinburgh to the Cameo Cinema, the only cinema in the whole of freakin' Scotland that was showing it!!!  (Pictured below - Me showing my support from indie horror at the Cameo Cinema in Edinburgers)

At the end of the day, I know I'm never going to win this argument with everyone, but if people could at least think about what they're doing, and if they enjoy these the films at least then buy them on DVD/Blu-Ray, or watch them through LoveFilm or Netflix.  Just let the film makers know that you appreciate their work and support them in their journey to bring more great films to you.  All films suffer as a result of piracy, but it's the smaller budget independent films that suffer the worst, and that's just not cool!!  So don't be a dick and contribute to destroying a world of decent fucking movies!!  

And this was never aimed at any one person, it was aimed at society in general.  The End.  

Monster Pictures, A.K.A. Universal Pictures, Officially Have Distribution Rights for Jen and Sylvia Soska's American Mary...WOOT!!

So it is with great pleasure that I can finally unzip my mouth and announce to y'all that American Mary, the second feature from my twinnie Canadian sista's has been bought by the one and only, Universal freakin' Pictures!!!  This is such unbelievably downright fucking rad~core news, for both Jen and Sylvia, the team behind American Mary...and for horror fans the world over!!  At the moment they have distribution rights for a number of international territories including the UK and Germany, and are currently battling it out to aquire world rights too!!  :D  The fact that such a big distribution company have picked up an indie darling of a film, that is beyond downright fucked up, is a huge step forward for the independent horror movie industry.  It's proof that the big guys are sitting up and paying attention.  That they appreciate a downright good movie, and have perhaps decided that the time has come to support films that aren't just manufactured churned out garbage!!  Because let's face it, American Mary most certainly is NOT that!!

American Mary is the story of medical student, Mary Mason as she becomes increasingly broke and disenchanted with the surgical world she once admired.  The allure of easy money sends Mary into the world of underground surgeries, which ends up leaving more marks on her than her so called 'freakish' clientele.

American Mary is a wonderful look into the world of body modification, a world that is often frowned upon by mainstream society, and wrongly at that.  We live in such a judgemental society that these individuals who get enveloped in this world, they can be some of the sweetest and most loving people you could ever meet.  It's the so-called "normal" people, the professionals, the conventionally attractive people, these are the people that can be the real arseholes of society!!  With American Mary, Jen and Sylvia have really brought a sense of humanity to these so-called "scary and weird" people and have brought to light some of the horrors behind "normality".

With a downright wicked script, a superb cast and an amazing team behind the film, this really is testament to girl power at its strongest!!  They have taken on the sausage~fest world of horror and raped it up the ass with a great big fucking dildo...in the best of ways of course, haha!!  Just check out the first trailer for the film, I mean...HERRRROOOOOO!!!!! ;)

And speaking of the cast, one of the most amazing things to have come out of this is the absolutely gore~geous and fucking amazing Tristan Risk.  Tristan was originally brought in to work on dance routines and it was after meeting her that Jen and Sylvia realised that she WAS Beatress!!  She embodies the character of Beatress Johnson so much, it's totally freaky that the girls actually wrote this part without even knowing her.  It's a match made in freak~tarded heaven!! :)

After such a positive screening at the Cannes Film Festival, Universal have obviously seen the brilliance that lies before them.  People in England can also witness this genius on Monday 27th August at the 13th Annual Frightfest Film Festival in London where both Jen and Sylvia, along with stars Katherine Isabelle and John Emmet Tracy will be in attendance.  

For a nerd~gasm of a look at the look at the full cast then check out my post I did before which you can read here.  To follow all the latest Mary updates and going on's then please be sure to LIKE the American Mary page on Facebook!

A Sad Day in Hollywood Today - R.I.P. Tony Scott

Today is indeed a sad day not only in Hollywood, but for movie lovers around the globe.  The apparent suicide of Tony Scott has left people the world over in shock and disbelief!  It is yet another shocking wake up call that depression is very real, and it is not selective with who it chooses to engulf.  

Growing up, Tony Scott was always one of my favourite film makers.  When I think how much I used to watch Top Gun with my friends Sarah and Joanne, we always used to quote it to one an other, Joanne and I nicknaming each other Mav and Ice, lol.  I remember us constantly rewinding the video at our favourite parts and playing it in slow motion, frequently blasting out the soundtrack and being in love with Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise. :)  I swear my friend Sarah joined the R.A.F. so she could nab herself her own Maverick...which she did!  She is now married to her pilot with a little boy and triplet girls. :)

He cemented my love of Patricia Arquette with True Romance, one of the truly greatest films of all time, and still to this day my favourite Tarantino script!  With True Romance, he had one of the most epic casts physically possible in a movie.  He made me love Brad Pitt all the more, furthered my total obsession with Val Kilmer and made my young self appreciate a god damn great cast in a wonderfully brilliant and fucked up movie.  

His brilliance with working with a large scale cast in a great action movie was furthered with the totally underrated Crimson Tide, a movie that I can watch again and again.  He realised how great Viggo Mortensen was prior to LoTR...a point that brother Ridley clearly appreciated when he cast Viggo as Master Chief Urgayle in G.I. Jane just two years later.  A film in which Ridley also nabbed unused submarine footage from Crimson Tide.  

With The Hunger, I still to this day determine it to be one of the greatest vampire flicks of all time.  And a film that Blade clearly stole the opening nightclub sequence from.  It was a wonderful start from this British director that led to a truly illustrious career. 

As a producer he had his hand in some of the best and quirkiest films Hollywood has ever produced, from Clay Pigeons (a personal favourite!!) to the The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, which also starred my beloved Jeremy Renner alongside Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck.  As a producer he had a shit load of films in the pipeline, for years to come.  It's a shame to know that his brilliance will no longer touch these films.  

And whilst it is sad to know that the world has lost one of its great entertainers, it is all the sadder for the wife and two kids, brother Ridley and the rest of the family and friends he has left behind.  

R.I.P. Tony Scott, and thank you for all the wonderful memories you have left me with, and the films that I can cherish forever!  You will forever remain a legend. 

Mulder and Scully in 2012...an X Phile's Dream Come True??

Okay so today I came home to the most single greatest relationship gossip of all time...and I know some juicy gossip, haha.  Of course that rumour is that FINALLY, the two greatest loves of my life, my beloved Mulder and Scully, a.k.a. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are freakin' dating!!!  EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

Now of course this is more than likely just gossip, I mean it did come from site Celeb Dirty Laundry, but you know what...let me fucking relish in this moment and believe man!!  I mean I want to fucking believe soooo badly!!!  It's been almost two decades of my life that these two have encompassed and I have always wanted nothing more than to know that they are together in real life!!  I mean let's face it, they played a great married couple in Arcadia, heehee.  Come to bed Scully, bwahahahaha. :D

They clearly love each other to bits, I have witnessed how much they adore each other first hand.  I remember when they were at the premier of The X Files - I Want to Believe movie (the one where I started crying on the red carpet when I turned round to see Chris Carter behind me, lol!!), when we got into the screen there was a live feed of everyone arriving downstairs and the cutest and most squee inducing moment came when David, whilst hugging a heavily pregnant Gillian, slapped her bum!!  I have never heard such loud squeee's from a room full of geeks in my life!!  You know for a fact that everyone in the room was thinking the same thing..."I want that baby to be Mulder's!!", haha.  Well that and "It's hotter than fucking hell right now, how is a heavily pregnant Gillian looking THAT good!?!"  Haha.  When they introduced the film together with Chris and Frank, they were such a great foursome.  Like the four greatest and most creative people on the planet, all adoring and loving each other together!!  Geeks Unite!! :D

Anyhoo, all we need to do is look at the episode Milagro...and these screen caps I took from this Tumblr page - 

Truth mother fucker!! :)

So yay, if this is true, I will be the happiest geek in the world...if it's not...I can still believe!!  Here's hoping that if it is true though, we are all that closer to a third movie!! I WANT a new movie!  Like so badly!  In fact, I swear here and now, if I win the lottery this weekend, I will so badly give those two beautiful and wonderful men, Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz as much money as I can so that they can make me a new movie!!  Heehee.  

Last Minute Call for Donations for Joint Adam Barnick/Rivulets Music Video Collaboration!!

The name Adam Barnick is one that many a self-respecting horror nerds is very familiar with.  He has worked with some of the finest names in horror today...doing the superb documentaries on Adam Green's Frozen, as well as providing extra features on Paul Solet's Grace and Stevan Mena's wicked follow up to Bereavement - Malevolence.

Never one to avoid a challenge, he recently shot the super cool video to John Presnell's Say You'll Stay and has another two lined up as well!  

To add to this, he has a totally rad new challenge, and wants YOU to help out and be a part of it!!!

I've been an admirer of Rivulets aka musician Nathan Amundson for years. His music has brought me up, brought me down (in the best possible way), inspired numerous writings and images, and at the same time his work always felt familiar to me; like the aural equivalent of the visual style I've pursued and explored for quite some time. 

While he's got a decent following in Europe and other countries, he still seems a bit of a well-kept secret on this continent; I love the idea that a collaboration with him could be the thing to introduce more people to his work. And that he was open to said collaboration in the first place.

A couple of years ago, I reached out to him about creating some music videos for him, I'd certainly created enough of them in my head based on his songs.. he liked my visions for the songs I'd chosen, and I was off and running. But financing even low-budget videos when your resources are spare is as tough as it gets; add to that numerous setbacks and obstacles I won't waste your time with; and it's ended up being far longer than anticipated to even get halfway to this goal.

I'm no stranger to not giving up and pushing until the universe relents just a little bit and lets something creatively happen in my life. Every day's a new struggle but I knew that going in; every dedicated filmmaker does. But I wanted to see if between his fans and admirers of my work, we could come up with enough of the funding needed to complete these projects this year. 

While both videos remain minimalist and aren't as spectacle-filled or kinetic as your typical music vid, we do want them to rise above the usual look of a low-budget effort. "I Don't Want to Be Found" is primarily a musical performance video, but exploring anonymity and escape from one's surroundings through just a few key images, leaving the rest implied. "How, Who" flips that structure on its head, telling its tale largely through a funerary procession in Civil War-era times, with period piece locations and costuming, all told in a chillingly cold black and white with overtones of Dreyer's VAMPYR.

Morley - The team you've put together for these videos is fan~fucking~tastic, how did you come about putting together such a totally rad team? :) 

The Barnipede - Different places; Jeremiah Kipp is an extremely talented director/writer, but I met him when he interviewed me for Fangoria, back when they picked up my short fillm MAINSTREAM for distribution on the Blood Drive II DVD. So I've known him a while, and he's been eager to see me bring newer projects about, and he graciously stepped in to help on this project.

Dominick I actually knew socially from a few years back, before he got the film bug. Didn't see him for a few years, but I started hearing how he was already shooting films, commercials etc. and was quickly becoming a prodigy in his field. When I was getting ready to start our production, I approached them both(they were both by now collaborating together on films), and I'm grateful they were into the idea and on helping out. 

Jessica I'd met briefly a few years ago too, and was re-introduced to her last year.. she was doing a lot of script supervisor work, in preparation for a move out West. But last Spring (before our productions were delayed until this year) she approached us about helping out in general, just to get more set experience. She managed to be incredibly resourceful and ambitious, and quickly found many of the things we needed, like effective costumes and key locations in the NYC area that matched exactly the period detail I was hoping to find.

You've only got a handful of hours left to help with this campaign (I've been very, very busy as of late!!), so if you've got some spare pennies and would like to be part of this awesome collaboration then please donate to the IndieGoGo campaign NOW!!!   There are some awesome perks and it's always good to help out a Barnipede in need, heehee!!  You can watch the splendiferously awesome campaign pitch and donate HERE.  As I said before, the team he's put together to make these videos is fucking gigantic quantities of awesomeness and RAD, RAD, RAAAAAAAD!!!  :D

Django Unchained - Tarantino is Back to Break Some Chains...And Be All Nuts and Shit!! :)

Okay so without a doubt, one of the most hotly anticipated movies this year is Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained.  A film that by all means, looks like a further labour of nostalgic love from the director to the grindhouse days of cinematic old!!  With a dementedly awesome cast, that sees the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio team up against Jamie Foxx (Booty Call anyone?!?!!  HA!), Christoph Waltz, Jonah Hill, Samuel L. Jackson, Don Johnson, Walter Goggins (YAY!!), M.C. Gainey, Tom Savini, James Remar (Herrrooo Dexter's Daddy!), Kerry Washington, Zoe Bell AND Bruce freakin' Dern...and getting all "southern'ed" up...with bad teeth and GINNNGIVITIS!!  Well maybe not that last part...which only fans of Family Guy will get anyhoo...but hey, what the hell is NOT to like!?!!  You can decide for yourself from the new trailer:

Now Tarantino has always been notorious for his bat~shit crazy scripts, deliciously twisted characters and long winded freak~tarded discussions amongst characters.  Django Unchained (the D is silent!) does not look like it is about to disappoint!  

The thing I love about Tarantino flicks is that I always seem to forget just how much I enjoy them!  It's great, it's like experiencing the madness for the "almost first time", again and again!!  Ever since my obsession with Reservoir Dogs started back in the mid 90's, I've been a fan of his warped sense of style and batty dialogue!!  The first 18 rated movie that I saw in the cinema was From Dusk till Dawn...which after recently watching Vamp, I am dying to know if that was an influence!!  Vamp is definitely nuts enough for me to think Tarantino would dig! ;)  

It kind of annoys me that Death Proof was the exception to my loving Tarantino flick rule!  I wanted to like it so bad, the idea was rad, the poster was beyond rad...I just wasn't a big fan of women talking like men, even though I know put me in a room with Jen and Sylvia Soska, and that would most definitely be how we spoke!  Haha!  Maybe it's about time I gave it another shot!! 

Even though I wasn't a fan, I still own it and I LOVE the whole Grindhouse experience that Tarantino and Rodriguez brought to the world!  And let's face it, it was that very movie going experience that led Jen and Sylvia Soska to making Dead Hooker in a Trunk in the first place!  Both Tarantino and Rodriguez have been inspirations to aspiring young film makers the world over for around 2 freakin' decades now, and the passion that they share for film is second to none!  

And actually, just mentioning Jen and Sylvia Soska in the same sentence as Tarantino reminds me of this, their entry into Tarantino's Basterds MTV competition...in which they came into the Top 3!! :D 

Anyhoo, I am sure that the webiverse shall be filled with Django a'plenty over the coming months, because let's face it, after the fucking awesomeness of Inglorious Basterds, and the sheer quality of Django's cast...like I...the rest of the world is expecting something pretty fucking epic!! :D  Ooh, and seeing this pic of Tarantino sporting his Fangoria tee, I can't wait to read my dear darling girlfriend, Lianne Spiderbaby's set report for Fangoria Magazine!  Keep your peepers open and ready to be gauged, bwahahahaha. :)

A Happy Geek Reports First Official Picture of Idris Elba in Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim!

Okay so I've been seriously nerding over the thought of Pacific Rim since it was first announced!  The thought of three of the most super fucking rad~core actors on the planet in a movie with "big fucking monsters and big fucking robots", is enough to make any geek smile!  The actors I'm talking about are The Wire's Stringer Bell, a.k.a. Idris Elba, Sons of Anarchy's Jax Teller, a.k.a. Charlie Hunnam AND It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Charlie Kelly, a.k.a. Charlie Day!!  Now these are three of my all-time favourite actors out of my all-time favourite shows...and to get a nerd~gasm of that proportion, it's pretty fucking epic!!  SOOOO, it was with great pleasure that I opened up my copy of Total Film just there and not only found a big ass poster of Jeremy Renner for The Bourne Legacy, I also stumbled upon a VERY SEXY looking Idris Elba in Pacific Rim!!  

Obviously a del Toro film could not be complete without his work "boyfriend" Ron Perlman, Clay Morrow to Charlie Hunnam's Jax Teller in Sons of Anarchy.  I was already beyond psyched for this movie, and now seeing Idris Elba looking this freakin' rad...I'm all the happier!!  Pacific Rim is slated for a Summer 2013 release, and all I'm saying is that I fucking hope the world doesn't end on December 22nd...that would be a BIG fucking shame!!! :P

Graeme Carr, Three Little Words - Part 2 - John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China

Sooooo after the random generation of the words trouble, chess and bear in the 3 little words game.  I found,watched and reviewed the following film.

This film can only be described in the words of Barney Stinson as LEGEN...... Wait for it.........DARY.

It is of course the classic comedy/horror lite/actioner known as....The Bear who had Trouble with Chess.

 What?  You haven't heard of it??  And you call yourselves film fans!  Anywhoo...it's a story of an under appreciated bear called Peter who has no interest in doing bear things but has an uncanny knack for winning chess games.  He befriends a small man child by the name of Jennings and together they travel all around the country competing in chess tournaments chased by a nutty circus owner who wants Peter to be his main attraction.  All is well until the big chess final when Peter, having withheld his dark secret from his Christopher Robin is distraught, not being able to take the deception anymore Peter confronts his pal Jennings and unzips ....( his bear costume!!)'...to reveal.... AL.... Jennings EVIL TWIN......Mhuwahahahaha!!!....WAIT......WAIT.....if you were reading that and though "Damn!...that sounds good I'm going to need to check that out"... Then puleeese step away from your DVD player.. Open your front door and look around... See civilisation? .... Good... Now go get a life you've been couped up far far too long friend!!!.

Anyway I really watched John Carpenter's  "Big Trouble in Little China"  the Kurt Russell vehicle from 1986... Sheesh 26 years..how the time has flown by since I was a seven year old sitting on the carpet eyes glued to the 19 inch colour TV with wood panelling... Boy that TV was sweet!!.

Anyway for the few people or young uns who may not have seen it, here is a brief synopsis - 

Hapless trucker Jack Burton and his kung fu clan member friend Wang Chi try to rescue wangs fiancé from the clutches of a 2000 year old magician by the name of Lo Pan, who wants to take her as his wife bacause she has emerald green eyes ( go figure).  Much kung fu, sorcery, fisticuffs and wisecracking ensue...Oh and a few monsters!!

Anyway, my trip down nostalgia lane was bittersweet!  Don't get me wrong...the story is still engaging, it has a similar feel to other 80's classics  such as The Goonies or Gremlins.

The acting  is great, well from Russell and James Wong as the evil magician Lo Pan at least.  The rest are the upper side of average at best.  For instance, Kim Cattrall, best know as strong willed cougar Samantha in Sex and the City is relegated to typical 80's eye candy in a thinly written part in which she plays a lawyer who is intellectually superior than the hero...yet spends much of the time (and using none of her smarts) needing rescued!!

Snake Plisken and R.J. Mcready aside, Russell has rarely topped this performance as idiot macho man  Jack Burton, only his turn as Gabriel in 1989's Tango and Cash has allowed him to flex both his action and wise cracking muscles at the same time.  Which is a shame, cos he is superb at it (let's not mention Captain Ron... Ever!!!  That's the first rule of Kurt Club!)

Anyway, as Russell's bumbling hero staggers from one set piece to another, the action scenes are great and stand the test of time...mostly.  The only real let down is the special effects!  I have better on my mobile apps.  These were amazing when I was seven, but then so was my Atari!  Not so amazing at 32!

 This film is so ready for a Lucas style revamp!!  Time to bring it to a new generation.

It is typically 80's with its electric pop/ rock sound, naff clothes/hair and set design and a typical  80's presentation, but it's self knowing enough to not take itself too seriously.  It's just unadulterated FUN!!

You could do worse than taking a ride back in time on the pork chop express.... adventure might be bigger now but rarely does it get any better..

Rose tinted glasses... Maybe... But i'm a sucker for 80's movies...Big Trouble in Little China kung fu's its way to the top of my awesomeness chart.. Re-check it out!!