Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Chasing the Muse

So, I've been trying to finish writing a new play -- or the better part of a new play -- to have a reading of new work around my 40th birthday instead of just meeting up at a bar to get fit-shaced.

Sometimes, it helps me to write at a bar. A change of scenery, a few drinks to lubricate the gulliver. I've been trying to limit this practice because it can get expensive and physically negative... but occasionally, it is helpful to break through the creative ice.

Of course, you have to find the *right* bar.

There's this small bar under new management that I discovered the other week. I had a good experience there before and decided to give it another go. Monday afternoon, 4pm, had to be the perfect "dead" time to pick a spot at the bar and have a few drinks in peace while I went over my notes.

You know who's drinking at a bar at 4pm on a Monday afternoon? Drunks. And not necessarily the kind of drunks who are quietly working on their new plays.

This one very loud, old teamster bounded into the bar a few minutes after I arrived. He was working on some tv show that, of course, was on break for the winter holidays. He had one of those "drinking relationships" with the bawdy, buxom bartender where she flirted with him and he imagined that he had a chance with her. So he was a loyal customer and followed her to whatever bar she was working. He'd gone out of his way to meet her at this bar in Hell's Kitchen.

He stood one seat over from me. Hogging space, shouting everything, doing shots and POUNDING EMPTY SHOT GLASSES AGAINST THE BAR.

When the bartender was playfully pretending to know karate, he shouted: "YOU WORK OUT HERE AND YOU'RE STARTING TO TURN CHINESE!"

This is a joke he told approximately three times: "THIS GIRL TOLD ME TO GIVE HER NINE INCHES AND MAKE IT HURT: I FUCKED HER THREE TIMES AND PUNCHED HER IN THE FACE!"

When the bartender didn't respond, he lamented: "YOU MISSED THE PUNCHLINE..."

The bartender horsed around with him, gave him kisses on the cheek and generally had him wrapped around her finger.

This other drunk at the bar approached the teamster and went ON AND ON about how he dated Marv Albert's daughter— eleven years ago! "SHE TOLD ME SHE NEVER STOPPED THINKIN ABOUT ME, EVEN ON HER WEDDING DAY!"

Getting drunk on a Monday afternoon bragging to strangers about how your greatest achievement in life was dating Marv Albert's daughter eleven years ago?

Everyone at the bar spoke in all caps. Not including me, there were a grand total of three customers at that bar and I got nothing done because it was so obnoxiously loud.

"Walter's Cottage". Avoid like the fuckin' plague.

Friday, December 25, 2015

May the Force Awaken You [SPOILERS]

Spoilers, spoilers, EVERYWHERE! I was so wigged out about spoilers leading up to seeing THE FORCE AWAKENS for the first time and then it was just this sense of relief afterwards, that I couldn't get spoiled by internet trolls.

I think Driver was an inspired casting choice. I like that he's not this vacantly pretty paper doll. We had enough of those in the Prequel trilogy.

Lazy Christmas this year, binge-watching everything that streams. Transparent? Okay! Making a Murderer? Why not!! Man in the High Castle? Sieg heil!!!

Bing-watching and -writing this weekend. The clock is ticking.

Happy chrimbo, lurkers.

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Star Wars (without John Williams)



You should watch this with the sound on.

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Johnny Ryan's THE MIRACLE [NSFL]


Want to see what happens next? Are you sure...? Because it gets a lot worse.

You've been warned.

Check out the full comic HERE.

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Chewbacca at Disney World

Check out the creepy smile fixed on Chewbacca's face as he poses for pics with Disney World guests. It's a little unnerving. VIDEO:



Also, to celebrate the release of the new Star Wars movie, Disney Hollywood had a "Symphony in the Stars" fireworks show this weekend:

Friday, December 18, 2015

Wizard of Lies End Date


Friday, December 18, 2015.

Last official day on a very long job. Though I'm pleased to say that I don't have to go into the office today. It's all done. All of it.

When this entry publishes, I'll be seeing STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS. Then I can finally start reading the internet again.

What a long, hard journey this year has been.

The Wizard of Lies. July 30, 2015 to December 18, 2015.

Saturday, December 12, 2015

The Final Countdown

Last week of work on a gig that lasted way longer than expected. In terms of day job days, this has been the busiest year since I started picking up film accounting gigs. Jumped from The Knick Season 2 to The Wizard of Lies with maybe a 2-3 week break. Thought I'd be done with the Wiz before Thanksgiving. It's been a real gradual wrap, which has been great because the hours have been way easier, the pressure's off and I'm getting paid for a longer stretch.

And on my last day of work, I get to see a new STAR WARS movie. In 3D IMAX, no less.

I could not be more hyped for this goddamn movie.

At work on Friday, I was just watching Force Awakens interviews with JJ and the cast on You Tube. And then I went home and watched MORE.

I wasn't the biggest Star Wars fan growing up. I was more into Indiana Jones. Even with episodes 4-6, I thought the saga had the potential to be greater than it was. The prequels faltered. But I feel like the new trilogy has the potential to be unbelievable.

Just gotta avoid an onslaught of spoilers as the rest of the world sees the movie this week...

Monday, December 07, 2015

Damon Lindelof talks about the evolution of Liv Tyler's character in "The Leftovers"

What if Meg did the same thing? I'm not saying "Leftovers" is a ripped from the headlines show, but in a world we're living in with radical Islam and ISIL and ISIS, it felt like that was a story worth telling and wouldn't it be cool if we were telling that story with Liv Tyler? Get the animal crackers out of her belly button and have her talking about plastic explosives! Ohmigod, this idea terrifies me as much as it excites me.
I've seen Armageddon *once* and yet I still remembered the goddamn "animal crackers" scene that Lindelof references!

For the record, THE LEFTOVERS just ended its second season which was better than the first (which I also really liked). Which is saying a lot because I loathed the end of LOST.

Read more about Lindy fighting for another season of THE LEFTOVERS here.

Friday, December 04, 2015

Scott Weiland Has a Posse


Scott Richard Kline
October 27, 1967 – December 3, 2015

You'd think I'd be a fan of Scott Weiland through his Velvet Revolver years but there was this solo album I had a fondness for back in the day: "12 Bar Blues".

Here, he channels David Bowie...



Scott Weiland has a posse.