Shot of the Day #304: Halloween, LA stylee

Shot on Nikon D90. Click to enlarge.

For a first Halloween, I think Remy could say (if he could talk, that is) he had a memorable one for sure.

First we attended Brian's Halloween Baby party, and the lil' ones were out and dressed in full force. Still so strange to me to celebrate this holiday in the warm, shining sun. Seeing Palm trees adds to the Bret Easton Ellis surrealism. Lots of fun to be had there, and great to see all the babies developing nicely...and wearing hilarious costumes.

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Then we came home and walked around the 'hood a bit to give Remy as taste of what Trick R Treating is all about....or actually, exploit the kid to get some frikkin candy. Worked like a charm.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Joe

Shot of the Day #303: The Baroness Strikes!

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Walking up to Green's for our writing session and out stomps The Baroness...actually Rileah in a VERY striking, home-made costume. Frikkin' sweet. Halloween is here!!!



Joe

Shot of the Day #302: Magic Hour Power

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Crazy, busy day...glad it's winding down. After finishing the Stickcam chat (which you can now see on this here blog, check it!) I came back to my office to see it awash in a wonderful glow. Seems all the offices on this side are kissed with this "magic hour" hue at the moment, which is a nice, comforting way to end the day.

Wish I was shooting...soon, Joe...soon enough.

What's Magic Hour (or "Golden Hour"), you ask? Click the link!

Joe

Live Chat! (Not really)

Today i got to partake on a very cool chat session with G4 peeps Courtney Kraft & Rick "Street Fury Pimp" Damigella to promote Body Count (which will be on Monday, Nov 2nd...check back here for the embed) and here are the nasty results...for the record, the Handlebars are temporary; that's the price one pays to use real facial hair for a costume at two parties a week apart. Its been getting interesting reactions, for sure. But this was a lot of fun and great to recommend some quality horror to the online crowd!

For those in the chat, as per your requests, here are the flicks I recommended on the show:

Joe's Halloween Chat Picks

TRICK R TREAT
HILLS RUN RED
NIGHT OF THE CREEPS
HALLOWEEN (NOT Rob Zombie's)
HALLOWEEN 3
THE BLOB
THE EXORCIST
THE EXORCIST 3
SATAN'S LITTLE HELPER
ANTI-CHRIST
THE DESCENT
CLIVE BARKER'S THE MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN
CLIVE BARKER'S DREAD
NIGHTBREED
THE SIGNAL
THE LOST
THE GATE
INSIDE
PHANTASM 2
DEAD SET
PRINCE OF DARKNESS
DAWN OF THE DEAD
DAY OF THE DEAD
STEPHEN KING'S THE MIST
LOOK
HUMAN CENTIPEDE
AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON
BATTLE ROYALE


Enjoy and apologies for the gum-chewing; Mom will NOT be pleased.

Happy Halloween!!

Joe

Shot of the Day #301: Bodies, counted.

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Here's just one snap with my shity low-light-abhoring iphone camera, taken while shooting the new episode of Body Count at the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride in Calabasas. Originally it was supposed to be at the Halloween Horror Nights at Universal, but red tape bullshit prevented us from shooting there ("You can't shoot there...or there...or there...and we have to read the script....and can't shoot there...nope, not there either...) so at the last minute we switched it up north (a bit) which culminated in one hell of a freezing shoot. But the people were very kind, gracious and VERY patient (I kept fucking up my copy...it was cold! Fuck you! I was having brain freeze) and I think it'll be a good one. Finally getting into the Halloween mood...thanks to spooky moments like these...

Joe

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Shot of the Day #300: Big drops, little hand (300th shot!)

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Watching Remy open and close his hand under the tub faucet, it just, for some reason, clicked something on in my brain, reminded me of how much we take for granted every day, and how each new moment for him is so precious...for all of us.

Happy 300 days of this little experiment, glad it was something vital to my life, not just another shot of a hamburger. Its been the most challenging year of my life, but I look at how happy Bri and Remy are, how happy they make me, and its clear this year, while still not quite done yet, is also my most rewarding. Just to see this hand run its fingers under the warm water, eliciting a laugh.

Cherish it all.

Joe

Shot of the Day #299: Gore-roovy!

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Here is Ash-er, Chris Gore, sporting a MEAN looking Ash-from-ARMY OF DARKNESS getup for the AOTS Halloween taping. Bad-dass. He MIGHT even qualify for "Badassdom"....

Funny how people intersect throughout life, criss-crossing through each other's radars. I've known ABOUT Chris for almost 15 years now, being a big fan of his Indie-punk-Indie film mag FILM THREAT and his awesomely dangerous short RED. While in film school he came to Syracuse with his tour of odd short films and stories of Hollywood babylon (including an amazing recounting of how Charlie Sheen got falsely busted for having Adam Rifkin's snuff film...let Chris tell you) and I followed him around asking all about NEKROMANTIK 2, which his video offshoot distributed. Then years later I met up with him in 1999 for the Sundance FIlm Festival, where he covered a Troma event and we got chummy. Then years later, we both crashed into each other at G4, where he was doing interstitials and eventually becoming a major player on ATTACK OF THE SHOW, and I...well, I did what I did at G4, in various capacities. But we've always kept in touch, always been ardent supporters of each other's work and I really respect the dude. Plus...his twitters are HILARIOUS. He's a must follow.

Chris is good peoples. Even better dressed in this badassery.



Joe

Shot of the Day #298: The Pea & The Nut

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

After a REALLY wonderful day, spending time with the fam on Sawtelle's Japanese district (I dont know if it has a cool name, like "Little Tokyo" or "Mini-Osaka" or something) where we checked out GIANT ROBOT, BLACKMARKET while sipping on Boba-filled Milk Teas, we drove up north a bit to The Wills' for dinner, who are two of our absolute favorite people. So warm, kind and friendly, Aaron and Abby had a great time entertaining Remmington, who loved their wide open rooms to crawl on, as well as the instruments P-Nut had strewn about. This couple has the most infectious, positive energy, and its good to get some residual good vibes from them...and man can they make a meal.

Great Sunday...now onto Hell week. Bring it.

Joe

PS: Check out this cool post-modern "family portrait" of us in BLACKMARKET. How hip and borderline douchie.

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Shot of the Day #297: Party with Stay-Puft

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

For months we've been thinking of what would be Remy's first Halloween costume, but it was pretty evident with all those chubrolls and his everlasting cherubic smile that having him go as Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from GHOSTBUSTERS was just a given. Thankfully our good friend Heather helped with the costume, which came out great! With Momma as a witch and Pops as a Roadie, we headed out to The Schifrin's soiree, ready to rock.

There were WAY too many good pics of Remy in full-effect, along with some other awesome costumes (my favorite might have been Collins as "HALLOWEEN 2 director Rob Zombie", white horse and all...the only other costume to actually make Remmers cry, beside myself. Good show, sir!), so you can check out the rest of my atmospheric, Argento-esque shots HERE. I picked this one in particular because of all the action in the scene...you have Remy and Dave "King Diamond" Parker having a stare-down on the pool table, with Mr. Plissken slowly grabbing at the pool cue to stab him in the neck, combined with the Robert Richardson overhead lighting...something about this shot was just so cool and creepy. Loved it. The kid just loves the camera, what can I say?

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Great time, great people, Remy survived and was a dreamboat...Happy Halloween!

Joe

Shot of the Day #296: Midnight Show Madness

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

The only way I can really go to movies lately is a Midnight show, which is fine because lately there's been some fantastic cult fare playing around town. This week is the limited theatrical run of Lars Von Trier's ANTI-CHRIST, a film coming on the heels of MUCH contraversey, and having seen only a screener, I HAD to see it on the big screen in all it's evil glory, and yanked a few friends along for the ride. This is gonna be FUN.
Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Inside the NuArt, as I wait for my big bag of popcorn and Coke, I noticed this cute lil decoration and realized...holy shit, it's almost Halloween! Can't believe it took this long for this season to kick in.

CHAOS REIGNS!!!



Joe

Shot of the Day #295: Hipcheck

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Some days, you get pixelated gold captured through your lens...

Other days, you don't have one interesting thing to "report" and your pocket takes a picture. Surprisingly, I kinda like this. Not sure when it was taken, or if that's my finger in there, but it just appeared and I'll take it, thanks.

Joe

PS: The Reaper Awards video was just released...check out Adam and my presentation around the 26:00 mark HERE

Shot of the Day #294: Stowytyme

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Went down to Venice for "Storytime" at the Ocean Park library with some friends from the Mother's Group. We passed it over the weekend and thought it was a decent idea to do with the Spawn, so here we are, listening in. Even though the nice, bespectacled woman in charge of the storytime said it might be too old of a program for his widdle bwain, Remy was rapt, listening to a variety of Pirate stories with as much full attention an 8 month old could muster. It was a lot of fun. Love doing things with this kid. He's a good egg.

Joe

PS: Venice at night...kinda liked this view.
Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Shot of the Day #293: "Evil Pete"

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

"I hate my life and want to die"

This from "Evil Pete" an otherwise friendly, if somewhat drunken, fellow who I met at Birns & Sawyer today while getting a new "foot" for our monopod at work. Why am I running these errands? I ask myself the same thing, but its nice to get out of the office and meet dudes like this. Pete, who also said he goes by "Annoying Pete" "Sad Pete" "Grumpy Pete" and sometimes..."Nice Pete" was flustered by his computer, and one keystroke prompted the above quote as he sighed the sigh of 20 years of dissapointment it seemed. Here is a guy who seems to have been beaten down enough times, so he just shrugs, says something truly disheartening, even to a complete stranger like myself, and just....moves on to the next problem. Made me kinda reevaluate my current situation a little too, cause lord knows lately, I've had those very same words come out of my mouth too, and noone needs a Debbie Downer...or an "Evil Pete".

"Evil Pete" said he doesn't drink...and I wanted to ask if sometimes he's also called "Lying Pete". Still, super nice guy, can't wait to come back and say hi. I wonder which "Pete" Ill get next time?

Joe

Shot of the Day #292: L.A. Origins

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

It all started here...

I'm on the 405 South, trying to get home from the Valley, when I'm stopped in front of the Holiday Inn (or at least I think it is, might have been sold) that Bri and I stayed at back in March of 2002 when I was commissioned by Burly Bear TV to do a bunch of national TV spots for Amp Energy Drink. We were set up to go to three cities; New York (where we lived), Colorado and finally end up in Los Angeles, doing "Man on Street" type commercials of people enjoying/enduring the powerfully death-inducing drink (the smell of it makes me sick now). the first two shoots went really well (aside from the AIDS Squirrel in Washington Square Park that bit me, but that's another story) and in LA, which I had only been to once before (for Trent Haaga's wedding in 1999), we had a GREAT shoot outside UCLA. The production manager at Burly put us up at this mod hotel that overlooks the 405 and gave us a very romantic, picturesque view of the landscape. Between the great shoot, meeting my friend Yale on the Sony lot, a free preview of PANIC ROOM in Westwood we just happened upon, an impromptu meet up with Dino from FEAR FACTORY and being in this hotel with Bri watching CREEPSHOW...all of this for some reason made me wake up one morning while there, saying proudly..."I think its time we moved to L.A.".

Sometimes I wish I could eat those words, put them back in my mouth. Then again, all minor annoyances and grievances aside, Im glad we came out here, because if we didn't, I'd probably still be working small-time TV shit in NY, or maybe given up on moviemaking all together, or not have met so many great people and had the opportunities I've been lucky to experience, or maybe Bri and I wouldn't have stayed together, and then there would be no Remy. One big "Choose Your Own Adventure" and all in all, Im glad I "Turned to Page 16".

But just seeing this hotel, its an icon of that decision I made that sunny L.A. day, and comes with SO many emotions.

...if I can only get out of this fuckin' traffic now.

Joe

Shot of the Day #291: Stubby

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

I always seem to find movie stubs outside our apartment complex, discarded like cigarette butts. Ive been collecting stubs for close to 21 years now, have my first one to a movie I didn't even see in the theater (ROBOCOP) and have kept them in a beaten-up shoebox ever since. So of course, when i see a stub on the ground, I HAVE to investigate, right? Will it be WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE? A SIMPLE MAN?? ZOMBIELAND OR PARANORMAL ACTIVITY?!!?

Nope.

There's just no accounting for taste these days, huh? Sigh.

Joe

SHot of the Day #290: Spooky little tree like you.

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Seen on our usual brainstorm walk during our weekly writing session. Something about this makes it seem that a huge hand is going to come down and adjust it before the model train chugs by. Just doesn't look real.

Joe

Shot of the Day #289: Freaky Friday

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

How Im even standing on Fairfax and Beverly at 11:50pm is beyond me. No Im not trolling for Johns (although in these tough times, its not a bad idea, but how does one reflect that in their tax return? Hmmm) but about to go into the Midnight show of EXORCIST, something I'd been looking forward to for weeks and by damn, this day was NOT going to take that away from me. Let's see:

-Woke up feeling awful, guess that bug caught me. Shit. Nothing worse than being sick and having a happy baby want to play...I felt even worse.

-While fighting bouts of Buttchuck, fighting over email with someone at work who needs to be seriously checked before they are wrecked. This lady is GOING DOWN. Thankfully, I saved my ire for her supervisor. Worked like a charm.

-Had to hold in the sick to pick up my car, all the way up in the Valley...AGAIN. Let's just save the long story for the short: The dealership calls me earlier to tell me that, after MANY dollars were spent and wasted in attempt to get that damned "Check Engine" light to turn off to allow me to pass the dreaded Smog Check....that NOW I need to spend almost 5k on a new transmission. Um...things you could have told me LAST WEEK?!?! So after holding back puke to scream at the dealer, who was less than helpful, I demanded my car back, which I got. Now...before I had been horn-swaggled by the car's not having the Check Engine light on, only to drive a block down the road and then "BING"....but this time...what if....I devised a plan so crazy it might just work....AND IT DID.

-Just as Im about to pull out (of the driveway, you perv) , I get a text from my producer (nay, a private TWEET, showing Twitter is truly legit now) saying that one of the actors I had dreamed of getting (and to some, quite Dreamy) was suddenly available. Long shot for sure, but it was still a light at the end of a dark tunnel. Sick or no, this day was truly shaping up!

So finally, having "stuck it to the man" (I dont need to go into any more detail, but lets just say "FUCK YOU L.A. SMOG CHECK! I BEAT YOU!!!") and come home to rest for a bit, I was restless so met up with friends to see EXORCIST at midnight, when I happened upon this cherry Trans-Am parked in front of Canter's Deli. INSTANTLY, I was transported back to the days watching Sally Field berate a Cowboy hat'd Burt Reynolds as they jumped over 20 cars in SMOKEY & THE BANDIT 2, and life just got a little more simple. I love this car.

Joe

PS: Also seen on the walk to the movie...dare I ask where it's been? Nah.

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Shot of the Day #288: Untitled & Picturesque

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Does something as beautiful as this need an explanation, really?

Was actually the high point to my day, seeing this view as I drove home. Thanks Mother nature, you always know how to cheer me up. I'm gonna miss the rainy days.

Joe

Shot of the Day #287: Who??

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

...me? You talkin' to me? Reminds me of a quote...

Rainy days in L.A. and I LOVE it. Bring it on...

Some day a real rain will come and wash all the scum off the streets. sound bite  Taxi Driver sound bites

Joe

Shot of the Day #286: The Reapers Rise...

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

A few months back, very good friend Steve "Uncle Creepy" Barton asked what I thought of an awards show made for the Horror Home Entertainment niche. Aside from the fact it's about 2 years too late (WT2 came out in 07 and would have SWEPT that shit, yo) I thought it was a great idea to laud the films that sometimes get passed by when it comes to the Oscars and the Independent Spririts...so why not? Steve seemed pleased with the response and said he had something cookin' and that if anything DID happen, he would want Green and I to present. Sure...what's the worst that could happen?

CUT TO: The First Annual Reaper Awards are unfolding in the Roosevelt Hotel, the same location for the first Academy Awards, which really sets a cool, nostalgic tone. After walking the, ahem, "red carpet", sweating my ballsac off talking to a few media types about stuff and getting photographed horribly (I can't wait to cut my hair), Green and I made good on our promise and co-present the "Best Slasher Film" award (which went to buddy Rob Hall's gore-tastic "LAID TO REST"), which ended up going over quite well (Im sure there will be video soon). People said we stole the show with our on-stage bit, where we pretended there were faulty TelePrompTer and we kept reading each others lines (I swear its funnier in the delivery), but I'd say the REAL thief of the awards show was Barton himself, who was completely relaxed and at ease up there commanding the show and making it a very entertaining show...hell they even fed us!

Overall, an AMAZING first show for this nubile young awards shindig, and I think everyone walked away very thrilled and happy it went off without too many hitches. Sadly I had to race home to the fam, but glad I went.

You can see some more shots from my iphone HERE.

To next years! I hope I win a Grimmy someday....they're pretty frikkin sweet.

Joe

Shot of the Day #285: Thorn in my Quarter Panel

Shot with iphone. Click to enlarge.

This goddamned light.

Ive had to stare at this "Check Engine" light for almost a year now; even when I brought the Golf in a year ago, the dealer said 'Oh it must just be a fuse short, we dont see anything." Well, a few weeks back i got a notice saying I needed a Smog Check to complete my backup car's yearly registration, and I knew this little light was gonna be one pain in ma' ash.

So, 2 weeks ago, I went in for a smog check. Surprisingly, everything went great...but that goddamned light prevented it from passing. The gent at the local SC station was nice enough to reset it for me when I told him what the dealer told me and said "come back on Monday" (it was Saturday) "-and if its not on still I can pass you". Sure enough, Monday rolls around and not 2 BLOCKS from the SC station and the light flickered back on, smiling at me like a dick. Fuck. Well, I had 3 weeks from the fail date to get it fixed, which meant...going back to the dealer.

Now we've moved away from the Dealership in the Valley, so going over the hill on the 405 was already leaving twists in my guts. I knew the only time I could do it was first thing in the morning before work, so last Friday, I went in, left it, and they told me later that it would cost me roughly $1500 smackeroos to get the catalytic converter fixed and then, the light would go Poof like Keizer Soze. So, down goes 1500 bones and as i drove it away, ready to get it rechecked and dealt with so we could have a relaxing weekend...not a block away and "PING!" that fucking light comes on again. You. Gotta. Be. Shitting. Me.

So I first go back to the dealership, where the manager actually chuckles at my plight (and I called him out on it too, making red-faced...dick) then after making one more appointment, I drive home, steam shooting out of my ears. Thankfully, the moment I stomp in, pissed to high heaven...Remy just wakes up from his nap, we lock eyes and his smile/wave one-two punch just melted my heart. Hooray for Babies!

Too bad I still have to get in the car to look at that goddamned light...again.

Joe

Shot of the Day #284: Feathered Massacre

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

I have no clue what atrocities occurred in, on or around this tree, but it doesn't look pretty. Does a bird fly by this and find themselves shocked at the carnage? Something about this sent a shiver down my spine. Worse yet....no body was found on the scene.

Wish I had little Police tape to surround the area. Nothing to see here folks...

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Here's a wider shot of the crime scene.

A tragedy.

Joe

Shot of the Day #283: Fuel to our fire

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

2 glasses of these babies and man were off to the races at Green's during rehearsals. It was our first "workshop" with the perspective female leads and while the wine did help loosen everyone up, the electricity in the room (and by the firepit, seen here) just made our confidence all the more strong in the idea that this thing could actually WORK. So fucking exciting. This thing is gonna rock....or suck magnificently. Who cares...we're doing it.

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Remy, Bri and I also had a nice group picnic in Santa Monica with the other parents who used Sacred Entrance with their home births, really great to see everyone from our class and meet new parents too. Remy, of course, stole the show with his imitation of Bronco Billy galloping on a horse...using my neck. It's OK dude, I didn't need that windpipe.

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Oh, passed by this Ding Dong too. He was literally waving and "swimming" in the air using his trusty bike. Coo Coo bananas, I say.

Good Saturday indeed.

Shot of the Day #282: Last Looks

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Here is an image that I've seen time and time again over the past 2 years in this building, and will be the last time I see it ever again as today is the final day for our former fearless leader, and he will be sorely missed. I hate goodbyes, damnit.

Godspeed Josh Krane...may you drift into the next chapter in your life with ease...and at 135 mph.

Joe

Shot of the Day #281: Keepin' up at Candlelight

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

It's almost midnight and this kid will STILL not go to bed. Now, Im not complaining THAT much considering he's jovial and happy, smiling and giggling away instead of bawling his eyes out. He's transfized on the dancing flicker this candles throwing on the surrounding walls and Im considering snuffing it out to help, but its warm glow is actually a comfort right now. Been a rough week, one more day to go, and as soon as this fink hits the hay, Im gonna join him. I know that candle/firelight is usually a visual signifier for "period" pieces, but the unpredictability of its illumination always fascinates me. So...unpredictible.

Not the most terribly exciting picture, but then again, not the most terribly exciting day. Hey, I shoot 'em as I see 'em.

Fun fact: Stanley Kubrick's BARRY LYNDON was lit entirely by candlelight. Many horses died from the making of the wax to make the candles for the making of this movie. Wait, do they even make candles out of horses anymore? Did they ever? Fark Im tired.

Joe

Shot of the Day #280: Murky Masters

Shot with iphone, click to enalrge.

Got the honor to dine with Masters again tonight. Over Hamburgers at the Hamlet, we all share stories and roast each other a bit, especially when Landis holds court, who brought Pennywise/Dr. Furter/Darkness himself, Tim Curry. AMAZINGLY nice chap, shorter than I thought (considering I remember him as Darkness who was 10 fucking feet tall) and had some wicked Rob Bottin stories. I wish we did these every week, but then they wouldn't be as special. Maybe someday we can go to a place that isnt lit like THE GODFATHER. My iphone HATES when I come to these.

Joe

Shot of the Day #279: Dinos of Paradise

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

One of the benefits of going to KNIGHTS meetings is that the production offices are on the Jim Henson Studio lot on LaBrea (yes, where the hat-tipping Kermit stands). Today's an FX meeting (and boy are there some FX in this fucker) and Im jazzed; this is just as important as casting. Walking to the office, I notice this wonderfully colorful flower, the Bird of Paradise...not really giving any due to the pastel-esque Brontosaurus (I think?) from that ABC show DINOSAURS standing in the BG. I think he was offended.

Joe

PS: New Body Count direct from the UK. Green is the DP, hence the lower, Gregg Toland-like angles, which love to find my double chin. Thanks, dick. No I keed. Thanks, asshole!

Video Games - E3 2009 - Attack of the Show

Shot of the Day #278: Head down.

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Ever have one of those days? Now...take that shitty day and multiply it by 10. Then, take THAT fuck-all of a day and add 100. That's what today is. One big write-off of a day. Strike it from memory, please. So this is my current viewpoint. Keep my head down and fight through it. Tomorrow is another day, I hope. Man I need a haircut.

Joe

Shot of the Day #277: Kid's got taste.

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

So of ALL the toys, books and other various crap this kid has at his disposal...and what is his toy of choice? That's right...the Blu Ray of WRONG TURN 2. I shit you not, he loves playing with it. I love this baby.

Today was a very cool one; not only was it the second day of WRONG TURN 2's TV run on SyFy, but I did a "live Twittertary" on my Twitter account as the "TV friendly" version of the film played out. Much to my SHOCK, barely any gore was cut out; rather, whole scenes of dialogue, exposition and character development was edited out! HUH?!? But it made for quite a dialogue on Twitter and I hope it did well ratings-wise, even though I completely disown this version of the film. Remy clearly has the right idea...if you want the goods, watch it UNRATED!

Also, I twitted at such a furious pace, filling my quota of Twits with some cool anecdotes, trivia and my own shortcomings (all in 140 characters or less) that my account got shut down! SHIT! Just when we were getting to the incest scene (which was sadly cut out...duh). So during the third commercial break, I quickly set up another account (@WrongTurn2) and we finished it up. My fingers still hurt, but damn if it wasn't fun! This will likely be the last time i watch WT2 for a long time, so it was good to get out all my grievences with the flick and move on; sucks it had to be such a truncated version of the movie, but still VERY cool that it made it to TV! Top of the world, MA! Well...SyFy at least.

If you want a copy of the live Twittercast, you can download it HERE, (MUCHO thanks to Steve "Uncle Creepy" Barton from Dread Central for all the help; one of the best sites for Horror around)

Nom Nom Nom
Joe

Shot of the Day #276: Midnight Shocker

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Brian Collins of HORROR MOVIE A DAY (and my evil twin) hosted a special Midnight screening of Wes Craven's SHOCKER, a guilt pleasure of mine, at the New Bev. I haven't seen the film in its entirety I THINK since the actual theatrical release or the first time I rented it on VHS, so it's been a while. Last time I bore witness to the surreal and silly "inside the Boob Tube" climax was at Spooky Dan's, who had it on a big screen in his backyard as fun visual filler for a party, but man oh man is this some crazy shit. How did Universal feel when they saw it? Im sure shit hit the fan, but clearly....Horace Pinker was NOT the next great Horror icon. Sorry, Pal.

Tonight was also Adam & Rileah's engagement party (wish I had better pictures for this, alas, iphone has shit low light feature). GREAT party, even though Remy was a little bit tired/cranky, but still the life of the party. Also a big hit: S'mores. Funny to see Rem mix it up with some TV and movie people (standing next to Zac Levi and Seth Green chatting it up was a highlight for Bri). Plus I got to meet Green's & Rileah's parents, who were really nice. All in all, a very nice affair. Thanks Adam & Rileah!

Joe

Shot of the Day #275: Goodyear Down

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Getting back to the routine having Bri, Remy and Banz back, which is SO nice and comforting. I missed our walks. As we "strollered" around (GET IT!?! ugh), Bri looked up and caught that the Goodyear Blimp was right above us, which I had never seen before in the area. We TRIED to get Plissken to look up but he was more focused on fitting his entire hand in his mouth (which might come to good use in years to come but right now, kinda moot) but as we turned the corner, I noticed something the blimp did that I had never seen; it was tilted down, on a fast descent to the surface. Where it was landing, who knows (maybe the Santa Monica airport? Maybe it was crashing??) but it was a curious sight either way.

Joe

PS: GO SEE ZOMBIELAND THIS WEEKEND!!!! Make a great, truly deserving film (and a horror flick to boot...well, kinda) #1 at the Box Office...it's been too long.

Shot of the Day #273: Strength, thy name is Krane

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

This was quite a sight, one that stopped me cold and forced me to whip out the iphone. Here is an impromptu moment of "casual wear" for Joshua Krane, former SVP of Interactive Services for G4tv.com and one of my closest friends for over 10 years. This past week, Josh was unfortunately let go from his position, much to the shock and dismay of our dept and the entire company, but his strength though all this showed that there is always light at the end of the dark tunnel.

However, since the announcement, the usually nattily dressed Krane (who is a strict advocate, as am I, against male open toe at work and flip-flops ANYWHERE) is now rocking cool casual-wear, which was almost as much a shock to us all as the previous day's bomb-drop. I even heard someone say as he passed...'Is...is Josh wearing SHORTS?!" Also, now he can show off his extensive and impressive sneaker collection; seriously, the guy knows his kicks. I mean, look at those fuckers! I want them. NOW.

I've known "The Dude" for the longest time, and to see him this..."relieved" in a way is encouraging and enlightening for all of us here. Pain and struggle will always be part of life, it's how you deal with picking up the pieces. He's always been a hero of mine, and I wish him all the best wherever he goes, as long as he never goes out of my life. It's just gonna be tough not seeing him every day.

Joe