Haunt of Fear!

I’m gonna take a break from celebrating my movie and complaining about chicks to honor a good friend of mine who recently left us.
John Hallum.
I met John through my Hetero life-mate Sam Landman at Children’s Theatre in Birmingham, and I knew right away that this man was an original. John could convince you you’d done things you knew damn well you hadn’t. He had an infectiously malicious sense of humor, and a laugh like an evil drag queen.
John had been sick for a while.
Diabetes took his leg some years ago, and recently his health began to decline dramatically. i saw him the day before Christmas eve 2005, and he was, as always, in good spirits.
We talked about 70’s horror, local chicks who suck, and drank. One of the best times i ever had with him was watching “Amatuers across america 27″ one of those 18 hour, low rent porno tapes, and making fun of how the women didn’t really want to be there, and how bad their hair looked.
John made it okay to be an ass, cause you couldn’t out-ass him. i knew i was in good standing when he’d bellow “J’mel, you are just not right…”
Here is another memory…Sam and i thought it’d be funny to ride around Vestavia changing the letters on marquee signs so they said things like “assercize” and “gays welcome” and all the while, John was in the backseat of Sam’s Saturn cracking up. Those were the good times.
I hate that he won’t be here to see that i wasn’t all talk, but I know he knew it.
he came out to my shows when he could, and you couldn’t miss his laugh. You want to impress your friends and heros. John was both to me.
I feel like i’m too young to be dealing with the mortality of my close friends, but isn’t this what it’s all about?
we only get a short while on this rock, and if were lucky we gat people to love while we’re here, and people who miss us when we leave.
having said all that, i’m sure john is sitting somewhere calling me a Fag in that effeminate voice of his for making such a big deal out of his passing.
but this whole thing makes you think.
It gives new meaning to the punchline of one of John’s favorite jokes…
“You think you’re scared, i have to walk out of here alone…”
world without end…Amen

Booyah-ka-sha, Roadboy!
We wrapped this fucker of a movie yesterday at exactly 5:00 pm, an hour ahead of schedule.
Every crew member kicked ass!
We had a couple Divas, one small and one large.
I think I may tap the large.
Shot a hillarious Epilogue scene.
Played with a real life Theramin.
Shot 14 hours and 13 minutes of digital video based on my horrible choices in women.
Hung out in the hot tub for about an hour with two of the hottest Gay guys I’ve ever known,
and complained to them about my horrible choices in women.
Sang Living Thing by ELO, Voices Carry by Til Tuesday and discussed my plan to
tap the Diva with my Gay friends.
Sat near Rachel McCuteyhead for about 15 minutes, transfixed by her Elfen eyes and melon-like aroma.
Drank 9 beers and 6 shots of tequila.
Watched a kind of (?)okay skinny chick start to turn sorta cute. looked at empty bottle, and tossed it aside.
Knocked back two Double QuarterPounders and watched The Usual Suspects.
Took a deep breath and realized that it can only get better from here.
Passed out.
New things everyone is saying because they becaame contagious on set:
“Holla”
“Disco”
“What!?”
“Fucka, Fucka, Fucka”
“Burn!”
“Damn, son!”
“My pants! I need new pants!”
“(sigh)…Yeah.”
and my favorite… “Ask Scott”

Thanks dear reader(s) for sticking around.
The fun stuff has yet to begin.

Is Everybody In!!?

Joe, Peter, George, Ponytail George, Brandon, 3way, Trimm Diddy, Laurie…
This ones for you.
Thanks for helping me with my baby.

New stuff at the Lounge Act store! Cover your shame with style!
http://www.cafepress.com/loungeactetc

Yesterday:
Wrapped on the Character of Bambi Wrapped on the Fer-De-Lance bar location.
Ate Mcdonalds(sausage egg and cheese mcgriddle, sausage egg and cheese biscuit, cinnimon roll, Fruit and yogurt parfait. i know it seems like a lot, but I’d had a stomach flu the day before on easter, and I was starving!)
Watched 4 tapes of dailies(good shit. we officially have 11 hours of raw movie)
Rescouted the location of the poolhouse.
Explained the Origin of Venom to Siusan the Snowpea. Watched Infernal Affairs with Brad (we’d been waiting for 2 months!)
Hung out with Rachel McCuteyhead. :-()
Drank.(four or five of those malted smirnoff flavored thingys. not too shabby)
Passed the “F” out.

Today I go to make coffee at my paying job.
We wrap for good on saturday night.
Wait… This is all really happening, right?

sigh…

I logged on with the full intention of blasting all the confirmed extras for my film that never showed up and left us, basically, with a minimalist, feliniesque film.
But why go through the trouble?
What I’ll do instead is talk about how frustratingly fun it is to be Johnny-on-the-spot on set.
See, sometimes crap arrises on the shoot that I have to, along with the help of my producers, fix immediately.
The creative blood flowing through this film is amazing.
I take a 112 page script, hand it to the producers, the schedule the shit out of the days of shooting, we make sure everyone knows where they are supposed to be and when, and you cover everything you possibly can, and prepare for the day.
But the only thing you can’t plan for is human error.
People have their own reasons for making art, or being part of art, and sometimes they don’t realize that when you make them a part of YOUR art, you are investing a great deal of trust in them to take care of your baby.
But on occasion, the sitter shakes your baby.
The last few days have been beautiful, due mainly to the actors being on point, the crew coming together to make this thing look as pretty as it can, and everyone falling in to cover when someone sucks the big stink sausage.
This is a pretty big project for us.
We have all worked hard, and believe me the end result will show it. And as I’ve said before, I couldn’t think of a better group to share the praise with.
Every boner has offered us a challenge, and every challenge has led to a happy accident that will in the long run make for a better film.
I couldn’t be happier with what we’ve done, and this is just the beginning….

So, I know it’s been awhile since i’ve posted to all my loyal reader(s) out there, but this movie shit is tiring. I love it!
The last three days of shooting were for a photo montage (gayest pillow fight ever!) at the airport, a local hotel suite, and the movie theatre. The people at the theatre burned us, though. Can you believe that? we walk right into the airport with no problem, but the movie theatre…no dice.
That’s exactly why i’m gettin’ on a plane when this thing is all done!
We shot some beautiful scenes at the museum, and i have to say it brought a tear to my eye to have people yelling “fuck” in front of my favorite painting “Looking down Yosemite valley” by Albert Beirstadt. sigh
All in all, folk(s) everything is going smoothly.
we have a five day shhoting block coming up, so I’ll be out of it. visit me today at the coffee shop, and I’ll tell you all about it. Holla!
See you all soon.

Today was the shiznittle snip-snap-snip!
We shot the thrilling birthday party scene, and it went over beautifully.
No hitches whatsoevah!
Allsaid and done, this weekend was a perfect barometer of how things will go. The crew rocks, the actors rock, and damn it, I love my characters.
Well, got a week of coffee making to get through, then it’s back at it.
i love Daylight savings spring forward day. that menas it’s daytime when I leave work.
sweet.
keep it real, tricks!

Happy Daylight savings…day!

Yesterday was the first full day of filming on the show, and damn it went smoothly.
First, there was a brief scene at a local bookstore, Little Professor.
The light was perfekt, the actors were on. Except for a brief problem getting a character to hit the register keys hard enough, all was well. Also, I flirted with the cool clerk who works there. He he.

After that, Brad, our lead Chris, and our grip peter went to Ruby Tuesday where we were served by a cute little girl who calls herself Smoobaby. She really seemed to like her job. I had a black and bleu burger and we talked about wether or not M. Night Shyamalan should ever write his own material again or not.

After that, on to location two…my Ma’s house!

In adition to letting us use her home, smoke in her bathroom, and letting us make her stay in the bedroom while we shot, she also prepared us up a mess of vittles and got me a congratulations cake. i love my Ma. My brother the Robocop showed up and palled around with the crew(as much as the cop can pal around with strangers, mind you) and we shot some pretty cool looking stuff.

So, finally, it’s come and gone. Day one. No MAJOR hiccups, smooth sailing. Our crew was formed on the fly. we were getting scared a bit towards the end, but the people we have all kick ass right now.
It’s nice to be around people you look forward to sharing credit for a job well done with. Damn nice.

Today is day two, and…it looks like rain…

Oh, and see Slither. Old school shit!
bye for now.

Visit the store… http://www.cafepress.com/loungeactetc