Shot of the Day 334: Bay-side

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

In Santa Monica in the evening for a meeting. Walked in and literally almost ran INTO Michael Bay, who is one of the few people I've come in contact with who can look down at a 6 ft 3 person of my like. Always been a fan of The Bay, and it was cool to just see him milling about, followed by about 4 assistants holding laptops as he walked. Power is in your entourage.

As I was in the waiting room, I noticed a relic from the TRANSFORMERS films under glass, a piece of the "All Spark", complete with sci-fi lighting & cool encasing and couldn't resist a snap. Now if there were only more scantily-clad lingere models, neon signs, helicopters and 'splosions in here...THEN I'd be impressed!

Joe

PS: Guy here has BRASS BAWLS to be walking around in public with a HALLOWEEN 6 jacket. Just sayin'. I don't think he was wearing it in an ironic sense either. That kind of shit gets you beat up at a Fango con.

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Shot of the Day 333: Sunday at The Swingers Jukebox

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

God bless the Swingers Diner in Santa Monica. Not only do they offer vegan-friendly food, but also have amazing breakfast (all day, mind you) and one of the best jukeboxes in town. Case in point; As we sit down, a familiar bassriff hits the ears and IMMEDIATELY I'm transported back to my dad's shop in Long Island where the mechanic used to play Jane's Addiction's RITUAL DE LO HABITUAL front to back, flipping the cassette over on his CD dub at the 30 mark after "Obvious" because their monster hit, 'Been Caught Stealing" was the first track on the next side.

The song in question? "No One's Leaving". Haven't heard it in almost 20 years, but just like that, it brought back so many memories. Remy was digging it too, bopping in the booth with reckless abandon, and Bri and I already agreed this kid is gonna be a music buff in one form or another. As long as its good music. Then again, what will be "good" when he can appreciate music? I gotta work on that.

OK, back to my breakfast burrito.

Joe

Shot of the Day #332: A Manslaughter of Pigeons

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

So if a gathering of crows called a "Murder", what is a collection of "Rats with Wings" called? I'm just asking to be shit on, aren't I? They say it's good luck to get defecated on from the skies...well I think I might be receiving a LOT of luck in the next few minutes from this group.

Funny, Pigeons remind me of New York. How I miss it so. I especially miss New York during the holidays, with the nip in the air, the visible breath and the electricity of the holidays coursing through everyone, young and old. Here in LA, it just seems like...a Saturday in April. Sigh.

Joe

Shot of the Day #331: Park & Recreation

Shot with Nikon Coolpix P2. Click to enlarge.

To stay away from the madness that is Black Friday, we decided to lay low and just hit the park down the street. Remy seemed to love the sand & watching him crawl through the granules and experience it all for the first time...well, it was like I was experiencing it with him. Seeing this world through new eyes truly puts things into perspective. Makes me wish I wasn't so big so I could join him in this mad, modern park structure.

I remember when we were moving from one house to another and stayed with my grandparents for 4-5 months, so the new school I attended just got a new, technologically advanced (well, for 1984) park configuration, and there was actually a WAIT to get in to play. Guess swings were just SO 70's...but now this kind of park seems old-fashioned when most kids would rather be home playing MODERN WARFARE.

Shot with Nikon Coolpix P2. Click to enlarge.

Just being here with Bri, Remy & Banz makes today a perfect one. No career bullshit, no work hassles, no bill stress.

...Just us and the sand and the blue sky.

Joe

Shot of the Day #330: Thanksgiving for 3 (or 4?)

Shot with Nikon D90. Click to enlarge.

For 9 years we've been setting two places for Thanksgiving (not counting the bowl we set for Banzai). Now we get to set 3 at the table. My heart is filled with joy today. If one needs to reflect on the things we're supposed to be thankful for, Im happy to say that I have almost everything I am indeed thankful for all under one roof. I'm thankful that despite a truly challenging year, I have these people in my life, so all bullshenanigans aside...Im blessed.

Now bring on the food! I'm starving.

Happy Thanksgiving all!

Joe

PS: Save room for Pie, right Banz?

Shot with Nikon D90. Click to enlarge.

Shot of the Day #329: I have been KISS'd

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

It's shocking to me to think, but yes...I have never been to a KISS show. It wasn't for lack of trying; I remember trying to gather anyone to see them twice in the 90's when they were on their first comeback tour and before that, I was way too young to hit up Madison Square Garden unless my parents went (and their version of a rockin' good show at the time was Billy Joel), so KISS was just one of those bands I missed out on, even though I was a fan. Not necessarily a member of the KISS ARMY, but I had a few albums and read both of Gene's biographies, if that qualifies. Actually, my biggest claim to KISS fandom is my adoration for Adam Rifkin & Tim Sullivan's KISStastic collaboration, DETROIT ROCK CITY, which came out 10 years ago (GULP) and while my brothers and I were the ONLY ones in the theater, it was one of my favorite films that year and my prized christmas gift that year as a DVD (we watched it twice Xmas evening too).

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

So I was lucky enough to procure two tickets to the KISS show at the Staples Center thanks to Kelli from Metal Blade, who couldnt go due to the holidays, so her unfortunate loss was our amazing gain. Bri couldnt go since she's got Remy anchoring her down (maybe next year buddy, YO GABBA GABBA was a primer but we gotta go slow) but thankfully she was cool with me going, and Green was thrilled to go with, so we decided to meet downtown to kick off the Thanksgiving festivities with a little Rock N Roll (All Night Long). Luckily we had friends there already like Parker, Mendez and Jacobs, who filled me in on what to expect and promised "One hell of a show". Well, after seeing DETHKLOK last week...it's gonna be tough to top.

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Long story short....I wanted the best. OH...I got the best. I got the best stage show I've ever seen this side of Broadway...I got fantatical fans, young and old, dressed and made-up like their favorite member of the band (There were a LOT of Starchildren, which had me guessing it was the easiest one to apply to fussy kids who couldnt yet appreciate the magnitude of the band's popularity)...and I got the band itself, which to some who have seen them multiple times might have been a bit predictable (Green had seen them multiple times and exclaimed that Paul's audience banter is exactly the same every show, every night) but to someone who was a KISS virgin, my cherry was GLORIOUSLY popped by the force of RAWK on display. I knew most of the songs, but I barely blinked the whole show in fear I'd miss anything. From the light show to Gene floating up to the rafters to Paul swinging over the crowd...these guys put on one hell of a show. I walked away happily dazed....and already planning on their return so I can bring Bri and Remy.

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

What am I thankful for this holiday weekend? For starters...KISS.

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Joe

Shot of the Day #328: Water & Waiting

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Waiting in the Anonymous Content lobby, awaiting to go into a pretty signifigant meeting that could change things considerably. Usually these meetings are a little less nerve-racking, but this particular one is a doozy, and Im actually kinda nervously excited to get in there and unleash the fury. Another usual for these meetings is before you go in, the kindly or distracted assistant/receptionist will offer you a bottled water to soak your nervously dry mouth a bit before entering the lion's den, but today, in an unusual move, the friendly girl at the front-desk (who's name I will never remember after seeing her multiple times) offered me some water...in a glass. I don't know why, but I was actually taken aback by this...what a novel idea! Save the planet AND hydrate!? WOW! Sad to think that this is out of the norm. Yet, I do miss peeling away at the water bottle's label before and during the meeting; a slight nervous tick/comfort twitch that you don't get from this nondescript tumbler. Oh well, Im saving the planet, right? One water bottle label at a time.

Again...it's the little things.

Wish me luck and many broken legs.

Joe

Shot of the Day #327: URSOVA1N

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

When I was growing up, completely surrounded in the automotive and custom car world, I would see many a Vanity license plate roll into my Dad's shop with funky, cryptic coded messages within the numbers and letters, the driver proudly displaying some 7-character decree that for the most part gets a mild chuckle, or a point in their vehicle's direction. I guess this was the precursor to such restricted text communication Twitterers know so well. Hell, there was even a game show dedicated to it (BUMPER STUMPERS) But...I always thought it was kinda stupid. I mean really..."ALC HOL"? "HI OFCR" & "RN EM OVA"? Mildly funny, at best. But you can't say they didn't try. Even my Dad was a slave to this ritual, his prized 1994 Jeep Wrangler bearing the plate: "NT1BETA". But I had always thought it was a trend, an 80's-90's thing, or maybe a regional trend, since I didnt see it much in movies (when it wasnt some cheese-tastic flick like MIDNIGHT MADNESS or CANNONBALL RUN 2) but when we moved to LA, I noticed that it was just as prevalent here...just not as witty. Who would have thought that the mooks on the east coast would have more text wit than the scribes who drive around in Hollywood?

Basically, I hate seeing these tags, and I gotta look at the one above every...fucking...morning. No offense to the driver; he/she is probably very nice and while I dont know who the driver is (I probably see in them in meetings every week or pass then every day), it still doesn't deter from the fact that I actually twist my nose up every time i see this. I mean, seriously....doesn't this jinx things a bit? Or...if one is already a "star", why would they proclaim it on a license plate?

This town is so Oddball sometimes.

...sometimes, Lynch? HA!

or should I say..."EYEH8LA"

Joe

Shot of the Day #326: Premature lighting

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Now, Im all for getting the holiday pa'tay started when it comes to Christmas, and this year will be even more special since it's Remy's first, but this is PRE-THANKSGIVING time...and there shouldnt be lights going up just yet. This was the scene whizzing past my eyeline as we drove down Santa Monica Blvd this evening, a row of trees in the median dressed as if we're deep in the 12 days of Xmas, and we haven't even flipped the December calander yet.

I know this town loves to get a jump on things early (which is why the Summer movie season now starts in APRIL...thanks VOLCANO) but this is a little much. One week...can we just wait one week till the turkey has dried and the leftovers are in the fridge? Space it out a bit people!

Saw BAD LIEUTENANT tonight, the Herzog/Cage collaboration. Had to wait till late to see it and honestly, I could have been better served at home. Im sure upon repeat viewings Ill like it more and more, it had that gonzo vibe of R.V.R. (Repeat-viewing-reappreciation) but tonight I was just too tired to really get into what was a standard police procedural with 100cc's of CrazyCage injected in it. Like a Sweeps Week episode of LAW & ORDER, but with more iguanas. I'm not knocking it, but it takes a LOT to surpass the sheer balls (literally) of the Abel Ferrara BAD LT.; it was my first movie at the Angelika Film Center, train-ing in with a bunch of friends to the city just to see this slice of NC-17 Art Depravity, and the film still holds up as a thesis on modern guilt and morality. Keitel is fucking amazing in it, and its Cage's comic performance that in comparison shows how much restraint Harvey had...it's all in the subtle strokes (that's saying a LOT) of the original that make the reboot a practical parody.

Plus, Ill never be able to listen to Sam Cooke's "Forever My Darling" the same way again after that unsettling climax in the original.

Cage/Herzog BAD LT. trailer:


Keitel/Ferrara BAD LT trailer:


Joe

Shot of the Day #325: A sad state of affairs...

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

...when one has to lock up their unicycle in Venice. That just curls my moustache, I say! Eee gads.

Joe

Shot of the Day #324: MEETÜÜÜÜLL!!!

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.


At the Dethklok/Mastodon show with 3 different sets of friends..seems EVERYONE's here tonight and the douchie hipster levels are going off-the-charts. Yikes. Mastodon (respectfully opening) was solid as usual, but seeing Brendan and the gang up there DESTROY as the mouthpieces for Dethklok was pretty amazing (even if this time around, they didn't hide themselves behind a scrim; these un-METÜL looking dudes were front and center, which only made it more AWESÜM). I missed them last time when they went out with ....TRAIL OF DEAD so I wasn't gonna miss them this time. Bear graciously got my ticket (thanks man!) and it was great seeing everyone at the tail end of a very busy and ill week. I guess I just needed 50cc's of METÜL to make it all better, huh? What was great was how both Bear (with his lovely fiancee Raya and super-cool bro Brendan) and I seemed even more excited to work on our secret plans, fueled by the fire and brimstone Dethklok was professing. 2010 is not gonna know what hit 'em, right Bear?

Also, was told that this venue, The "famous" Hollywood Palladium, is where the final climactic scene from THE BLUES BROTHERS was filmed, so it was especially special for me to be there, even though the sound was shit. No matter...when it's METÜL...its all good.

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Joe

Shot of the Day #323: Blargh!!!

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Caught this curiously fugly look mid-cough at Whole Foods. Couldn't resist sharing, even if it isn't the cutest shot of the spawn. It almost looks like he's reacting to that woman in those white pants...

"Um, lady, it's after Labor Day! Fashion Police!!!"

This kid is a riot.

Joe

Shot of the Day #322: Bucketbanz

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Oh Banzai...you crazy.

(...to put it into perspective a little...)
Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Joe

Shot of the Day #321: A Cheesy Dilemma

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Call me crazy, but I actually came in today sick as a dog...because The Grilled Cheese Truck was coming to the office. I had heard about this, one of the many new Gourmet trucks overpowering the balance of Los Angeles lunchtimes all over town, on twitter a month previous, with their fancy "melts", and I couldnt wait. This was a dream come true for a die hard "cheeseaholic" like myself, and I counted the days till it pulled up outside our office, awaiting to do some serious damage on my lower intenstinal tract. So of course, I fall under the weather and a dilemma strikes: Stay at home....or get the "Snuggie" of comfort food and THEN go home after my shoots are done?

Clearly, I chose the latter. Glad I did, too. I also chose the basic American melt as well as the spectacular "Mac N Rib" melt with Cheddar mac N cheese with BBQ Pork. Holy shit, I think I just had a "Fromage-asm".

Nuff said. I need to go shit now.

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

God bless this goddamned truck.

Joe

Shot of the Day #320: The Arm of Urungus

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Can't talk much about the evening's events (hence the somewhat cryptic image), although it was a historic one being able to sit down and chat with THE Oderus Urungus, lead singer and Intergalactic Overlord of the iconic metal group, GWAR. I've been a fan of GWAR's since I saw them splattering blood on the innocent in THRASHER magazine almost 20 years ago, and after their album RAGNAROK, I was a fan for life. So, Green and I (thanks to Kelli from Metal Blade) met with Sir Oderus (AKA Dave Brockie) tonight to discuss an idea we had for him, and he was very excited...which in turn, only made us MORE excited. We then got to hang backstage and gulp Jager, surrounded by all the GWARness they bring on the road...it felt more like a Horror Film props dept than a rock show, but Adam and I were like kids in a candy store...a candy store that sells jelly beans made of BLOOOD. So strange being this behind the curtain, but that's what life is...the yearning for those strange moments. This was one of them for sure.

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Cross your fingers folks...if all goes well, you'll get to know a LOT more about Dr. Urungus very soon.

Joe

PS: Funny story Dave told us; we gave him our films and he saw Rollins on my cover; "Hey did you know Henry used to beat me up when I was a kid, he and Ian used to kick the crap out of us back in the day. Ah memories". Too funny. Hope he doesn't hold a grudge when watching WT2...

SHot of the Day #319: A Serious Man, Part Deux

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

On Sunday mornings I usually take Remmers and play with him alone for a few hours to give Bri some extra sleep, and this morning, still a little stuffy, the kid was a little quiet, pensive, serious. He just sat with his back to the wall, evaluating the foil cover from FINDING NEMO (We're familiarizing him with the modern classics). He looked so poised and studious, as if asking himself which Pixar film he finds more intellectually stimulating. Or just wondering how to get it all in his mouth.

Joe

Shot of the Day #318: YO ANGER ANGER

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Where to begin...

Well first, let me set up a bit; this household seems to have a constant YO GABBA GABBA loop on the TV. Remy is entranced whenever DJ Lance and his crew of toy-based friends run amuck, learning and appreciating the basics tropes of life (eating, sharing, dress-up, friends) with their celeb friends (Jack Black, Elija Wood, Andy Samberg, Mya, et al) and bands (The Roots, Chromeo, MGMT, etc) all presented in a high-color palate that would make Argento wince at the brightness. It also has this retro, 8-bit atari graphics package that just oozes cool. I had heard about it, but the day we watched it (I believe it was a week after he was born) I was hooked. We all were, its just that addictive. The second Rem hears the theme song, his eyes are glued to the screen like Elmer's. Try an episode...first one's free folks.

CUT TO: One of our lawyers at G4, Scott Lowry, informed me that the YO GABBA GABBA LIVE! show was coming to town, and one quick confirm call to Bri and I was on ticketmaster, snapping up seats. I had shows all month (Gwar, Dethklok/Mastadon, Black Dahlia Murder...) and the show I was most stoked to see was this fucking kids revue. Oooh...who was gonna be there?!!? Sure, Remy had clue one, but Bri and I were absolutely jazzed...this was gonna be fun.

FADE UP: However, to start the Saturday morning of the show, Remy was still recovering from "his furst widdle cowld" and of course every "widde" thing he's enduring we're enduring as well. Concerned parents are we, right? We debated all morning 'Should we go?' 'Is that the mature thing to do, fuck the tickets?'. After a consult with Bri's mom, we decided to go, especially since the insurance on the ticket (i bought prepared this time) demanded a doctor's note, so we asked ourselves, "Is this worth going to the doctors?" Nope, and off we went.

Of course, being us, we were running a little late, so there we were, stuck on the 10 trying to make it to the Shrine....during a USC Homecoming game (against Stanford). Now, I give 3 shits about football, especially college, ESPECIALLY USC (who wait-listed me for film school...strike one), but all this traffic with people dressed in that ugly brown and yellow combo, was really making me hate all three categories with a passion. I get the fanaticism, but today, it was a little re-dick-a-lous. Douchie guys, half drunk, standing in the lane we're trying to use to turn, just standing there whooping for their team, or whore-y co-eds in their home-made Trojan shirts, a few hours from a gang bang, clogging the sidewalks. As the traffic crawled from block to block, my rage was rising, but I thought "DJ Lance will make it all better" and pressed on.

When we finally made it to The Shrine, we were informed that there would be some event parking, but being that it's 11:01am and the show just started, I told Bri to take Remy in and Ill have to drive around to look for parking. At least they'd get to see the opening. So they left...and I drove up and down every block, searching for any parking that wasn't 60 dollars, weaving and ducking asshead fans going to the tailgating parties. Every block I turned down was another failed attempt, and I was only getting angrier. Inside, Bri was texting "Holy shit, this place is nuts!" or "OMG, Weird Al is here!", inadvertently pouring salt in the wound. This was Remy's first official concert...and I was missing it. DAMN-IT. I drove almost 2 miles away just to look for a spot at this point since everywhere in the vicinity was taken (the event parking was full and I was denied twice), and this is where our SOTD was taken at the peak of my rage, the sinking feeling that....I wasn't gonna make this show. Even here, the parking was 30 bucks and Im sorry, but I'm not gonna pay 30 dollars for shit parking that I have to walk/run 10 minutes away to the venue. So I gave up, telling Bri Ill just be the parent driving around till the kids are done, feeling like Francis McDormand in ALMOST FAMOUS. I think I even whistled her tune from the movie to myself once, just to get a giggle out and diffuse the situation in the car...it was pretty tense even if it was just me. I cursed the UFC team and their cunty fans and wished them a horrible, losing game for making me miss the show. Fuck UFC, fuck parking, FUCK EVERYTHING. *whistle*

As it neared the hour 1/2 mark, I thought the show might be ending but from Bri's text, they had only gone to intermission, plus....Remy's been nodding off the whole time so even he's missing it. At least Bri was appreciating the awesomeness of what sounded like an explosion of fun inside. But as I turn down the street The Shrine was on, a parking spot....magically appeared! I swoop in....only to be cock-blocked by some old woman in an SUV who clearly took the spot from someone who was already positioning themselves to take it by backing up. This, my friends, was the final straw. I backed up and rolled my window down (where I noticed she's wearing a UFC sweater):
ME: "Are you fucking kidding me lady??"
HER: "Huh?"
ME: "I was backing into this spot, you saw me!!!"
HER: "I had turned around to get this spot!"
ME: "IS YOUR FUCKING NAME ON IT, YOU CUNT!?!"
HER: "What did you-
ME: "YOU HEARD ME, YOU CUNT. YOU'RE A BAD PERSON AND I HOPE YOU DIE DURING THE GAME WHEN YOUR FUCKING TEAM LOSES!! FUCK. YOU!!!!!"

Yeah....I had a lot of pent-up anger and thankfully, that lady let me blow the steam out of the pot a little. Oh, but I wasn't done....I rolled around the corner and saw her again and while driving by, her with her UFC seat floatie, I rolled down the window again as I passed:

"UFC FUCKING SUCKS YOUR COCK!!!"

There, NOW Im done.

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

So Bri and Remy came out smiling about 20 minutes later, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't pretty dismayed that I missed the show on so many levels. But...they did get me a shirt. So I guess I can move on. They seemed to have a good time and that's all that matters though.

By the way, my curse on USC seemed to work. The end score was 55-21 Stanford, and I was told that was the biggest loss on USC soil in the history of the school. Well, don't fuck with a man, his family and their YO GABBA GABBA. You've been warned.

Joe

Shot of the Day #317: Damn Rugrats!

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Adam Green is one of the nicest guys I've ever met, here or anywhere. It takes a lot to get the guys pot on the boil, but as we were at Mel's Diner tonight meeting up for a writing gathering, he was already simmering over from some bad news. We all get it, lord knows I've had my fill this year, but he was trying to take it all in stride, keeping positive....until the cluster of inbred-looking kids started in next to us. There must have been 4-5, all of them hanging over the side of the partition between tables, staring at him, just being little shitbags. It's situations like this that really test the parent; do they let the kid commence being a little brat or does one take them down a notch, reigning them in so as to not piss off the public? This father who was shepherding the clan was clearly in the former category, just sitting there as this one kid, who looked like the dirty mouth-breather from RAISING ARIZONA who wrote "FART" on the wall, hung over the side and stared at Green. I gotta at least give him credit, he didn't blow his stack and scream at the kid, politely trying to ignore him as we worked and shoveled food down, but after a while, I had to climb over, seeing this harried dad as he tried to maintain sanity and say "Im sorry but do you mind not having your kids leaning into our fries? Thanks". Poor Green was a champ, but I dont think he'll be having any rugrats anytime soon.

As a new dad, Im always taking notes....and this scene was dually noted.

(scribble) Dont....let....kid....annoy...other...patrons...and...be...little...dick...

Happy Friday The 13th!
Joe

Shot of the Day #316: Stoopid Ops

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Sometimes at G4, you come across cool shit in the office. Killer squids, Weird Al, scantily clad chicks...all in a day's work.

These are night-vision goggles that we got sent to us for the new Modern Warfare 2 game, which looks psychotic. Too bad I don't have time for games, but any chance I can get to wear cool, funky looking eyeware around the office, I take it.

Beware the darkness...I'm watching.

Joe

Shot of the Day #315: Puppet Torture Porn

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Had to see this tragic, ungodly sight all the way to work this morning. It's one thing to hang fake testicles, but to promote violence against stuffed animals? People should be strung up and quartered, with THEIR stuffing pulled out. Heathens.

Joe

PS: Is it bad that I giggled a little too?

Shot of the Day #314: Eye on the Pie

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

While Mommy was getting "her hair did", I was in charge of Remilish, so to try to coax him to sleep, we took a long stroll down Abbot Kinney in Venice, which reminded me a lot of the East Coast burgs like Port Jeff Station and Newport Beach in New Hampshire. Loved looking into the cool, funky, "How do they stay open?" type shops and galleries along the street; when we move (HOPEFULLY SOON!!!) I'd love to anchor here....it's quite lovely.

One other advantage to this neck of the woods; there's a GREAT pizza place (which Im sure I mentioned here but too lazy to look back) aptly named Abbot Kinney Pizza Co. that uses bagel dough and after passing the sweet smells coming from the front door 3 times, we had to make a pit stop and get a slice. Well, I'D get a slice and Rem would have to duck the crumbs above him. The place has a wide array of different flavors, but their "piece du resistance" is their salad pizza, which is exactly that....a salad on a pizza crust. Sounds simple and plain, but damn if it isn't tasty. AND messy, so I went with a simple white slice with portobello mushrooms and did my best not to flake any down on the baby as I walked down A.K. and the slice really hit the spot. Can't wait for the kid to discover pizza.

Joe

Shot of the Day #313: Disney's Dessert

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Upon opening the freezer, I noticed a very strange looking container filled with a sweet, familiar sight*. However, its encased in what seems to be an airtight, impenetrable shielding, almost like a severed head cryogenically frozen. Bri was behind me and even before the words fell out of my mouth she said:

"Heh...its like Walt Disney's cupcake."

Further proof why this woman is the love of my life.

(Actually, the delicious cupcake you see is from Jamaica's Cakes, which makes both Vegan and Non-Vegan delights. Yummers for both the living and cryo-dead!!)

...now if I can JUST get a bite of it before she-NOPE. Gone already. Damn.

Joe

Shot of the Day #312: Blue Crow FLies

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Its been a decent weekend; hit the farmers market (where Bri discovered Sweet Potato Pie) and then home again for more editing, which only makes taking a nice stroll around the 'hood all the more welcoming a break.

As we walked under a lampost, Remy looked up and noticed this crow landing and squawking away at us down below. it almost seemed like he was warning us of impending doom...or that he was about to make a deposit on the asphalt. Thanks bud.

*Snap*

Joe

Shot of the Day #311:..........................still rendering...

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Working on a project at home, editing away. Its fun as it is, and the juices are flowing, nothing puts a Dam up more to that creative river than fucking rendering. EVERY. TIME. I CUT...I have to render the clip, and this codec is slow as slugs so even for something as simple as this project, at 1:30, is taking almost HOURS to process. What a waste of a weekend, but hopefully it will be worth it.

.....


......


.........yup, still waiting. Im gonna get a snack and play with Remy. Be back sooner or later.

Joe

Shot of the Day #310: A Pakula Future?

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Driving to work, staring at the ass end of THIS the whole time and getting nervous. See that one plank at the top? It keeps moving, wobbling, inching closer and closer towards inevitibally falling off the truck and smashing through my windshield.

Isn't this how Alan Pakula died on the L.I.E.? Fuck, I'm a little nervous.

Please, it's Friday. Don't ruin my weekend with death.

Joe

Shot of the Day #309: Under The Rainbow

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Tonight, standing out in the wonderfully crisp Sunset Strip air waiting for the other guys to gather for our "secret project" meeting, which always take place at the (in)famous Rainbow bar. There's so much history you can smell it. Wait, I think that's cum and whiskey. Ah, Sunset.

It's gonna be a great meeting, since we got some forward momentum on the project and now it's time to hunker down and kick some ass. But I look forward to these gatherings, filled with fried cheese squares and stuffed mushrooms in the darkened room inside. Sadly, Im still to see Lemmy here, who is supposedly here every night he's on tour. Man must tour a LOT for me to miss him.

There might be a pot o' gold at the end of this Rainbow, crossing fingers.

Joe

Shot of the Day #308: A Serious Man

Shot with Nikon D90. Click to enlarge.

Wow, what a dark leer from such a happy baby. It's almost like he's....scanning your soul.

Stay happy, baby! Stay small and cute too.

So glad we started using the Nikon again, miss that depth of field.

Joe

Shot of the Day #307: Arri Hour

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

At ARRI picking up a repaired light for the shoot next day and noticed a wonderful "magic hour" glow coming from the front windows. Fitting that such a deep, golden hue that is mana for filming would be seen in a Movie Light business. I bet they planned this....slick fuckers.

Joe

Shot of the Day #306: Holy Gilliam!!!!

Shot with Nikon D90. Click to enlarge.

OK, so I didn't technically shoot this one, but no matter. That's famed (and in some circles, INfamous) director and Monty Python member Terry Gilliam, who graced our offices with his presence (and a snazzy Mr. Bill T shirt) for a taped interview as he promotes his latest Gonzo epic, THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS. Our dept was given 15 minutes with him and on one hand, time stopped with every word he said and on the other, I could have listened to him for DAYS talk about all his films and just shit in general. Here is someone who's name I knew from TIME BANDITS (a major influence on KNIGHTS, as is JABAWOCKY) when I was just a wee tyke and followed his long and storied career as a director of such classics as BRAZIL, BARON MUNCHAUSEN, FISHER KING, 12 MONKEYS...the list goes on and on. So just the chance to shake Terry's hand would be enough for me to die happy. However, it seems I also have a PAL edition of WT2 in my office...

So after the interview, as Derek was snapping away, I handed it to him, saying "I just want to thank you for influencing me as a director and proving to me that fighting for your vision is ALWAYS worth the fight" which he seemed very grateful to hear. I then babbled something along the lines of how TB and JABA are influences on my new movie, which he nodded but then he looked at the WT2 box, seeing the "EXTREME EDITION" label on the front.
"Why is it called this?" he politely asked.
"Well because it was considered one of the goriest and most disgusting films of 2007." I retorted.
"Well, was it?"
"Fuck yeah!" I produly exclaimed.
He slapped me on the back, smiling. "This guy is a fucking madman, I love it!" and I just about burst with joy being called that by one of my heroes. The pot calling the kettle black, of course, but coming from this true cinematic artist, it was a compliment I will take to the grave...would probably look GREAT on a tombstone too!

Seriously, this is a momentous day for me. I know it might not seem like much, but you dont meet people you truly admire since you became a movie fan every day, right?



Joe

NEW BODY COUNT!

Here it is, the "Halloween Hangover" edition of G4's BODY COUNT. Boner apetit!

Joe

Video Game - E3 2009 - Attack of the Show

Shot of the Day #305: Mah table!

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Here we are at Swingers for Brunch; when we got to the hip, hipster-friendly dive, it was packed with people waiting (typical for a sunday morning to cure the hangover munchies), but thankfully the kindly dude who took our name saw the spawn and said he'd get us seated asap. AWESOME. When a table WAS open, we went to sit down, only to see this ratty little blond girl rolling in the booth, claiming it all to her own. We were completely polite, laughing and trying to be nice to her, but she looked at us like "Uh UH! This is MAH table! Step AWF!!" Her father, also waiting behind us for a seat, then walked over and tried to calmly pull her away as Bri stood up waiting for her to move (I was putting Remy, always the jovial gent, in the high chair), but the little bitch wasn't having it. "NOOOOOO!!!!! MY TABLE!!!! MYYYYYYY TAAAABBBLLLLEEEEE!!!" and clutched it like it was her sacred Barbie doll. Tears POURING from her eyes. The father, clearly embarassed, then walked away, thinking reverse psychology was going to prevail here....nope. Lil future pole-swinger just sat there, pouting, not budging. Remy on the other hand, was just smiling and laughing away, even waving to her as if to say "Hey baby...izz all goood" and extending an invitation to sit with us! Finally, the little girl was literally RIPPED from the table by her father as she SCREAMED and made a scene: "NOOOOONNONONONONO!!! I WANT THIS TABLEEEEE!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" ...um, seriously? It wasn't that big a deal, jeez. This would be the point where, if I were he, I'd be high-tailing it OUT of there and hitting a drive-thru window, but he persisted, sitting a few tables away...which only gave the brat license to come BACK (which you see here) to FURTHER goad that we stole her table. Jeez. At least Remmers was a dreamboat, like always.

Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.

Later we hit the Hello Kitty Birthday party in Culver City with Luke and Maggie, which was SLAMMED with people...a line down the BLOCK just to get into the store section! Hello Kitty is 35? Wow, I would have never guessed it; I took her for a spry 23. Im glad we went, especially since Bri is/was a HUGE Kittyhead, and it was great to see this sensory overload through Rem's eyes. His brain must have been fried after all that stimulation.

Came home, endured TRANSFORMERS 2. SO glad we missed it in theaters.

All in all, a good day. Still can't believe it's November. How a year speeds by.



Joe