I have returned from work camp, with a roof about 80-90% completed (as other people worked on 4 other houses). So yeah we accomplished a lot. I had a good time (minus the restless nights, but what would I be if I didn't stay up late thinking about things? (probably well rested teehee)).
So yeah, I'm back, I've been listening to Jackson Browne a lot lately... there's just something about his music. I don't know how to feel about things that go on, and I've felt kinda numb lately, but at the same time not as much... I'm like Andrew Largeman, but probably more stressed (watch Garden State for crying out loud!). I'm downloading an episode of Scrubs as we speak... It's one that I've been looking for for a long time now.
We finally got Digital Cable... Which is sweet for my Summer of movies as we now have on demand, and I can watch free movies whenever I want... I think I may take advantage of this tomorrow.
SPEAKING OF TOMORROW... I got a call from Sam while I was bowling last night and now I'm working the day shift tomorrow instead of the night shift... I'm not sure how to feel about it, seeing as the day shift is often more stressful, which seems to be my minds favorite thing these days. But hey at least I have a free Saturday night for once, of course I'll probably be doing the same thing I'm doing now, so it's not that exciting.
Yup I think that's a good update for now... I get paid tomorrow, so that's more money to the sasha fund... Woo! This is the one I'm looking at getting. Either in blue or green, I have plenty of time to figure it out.
Side note... my family thinks that the scene with Steve Carell in Get Smart on the moped encouraged me... but they're wrong... just check this...
Well, my day's pretty much been begun for a while now, I got up around 7:30, hung out in my room doing nothing. Then I watched the Addams Family of TV Land while I enjoyed a good breakfast sandwich, since my family decided Smoked Bacon Pringles weren't a good breakfast. Then I mowed the lawn while listening to my ipod. And nothing refreshes you after mowing the lawn on a hot day like a cold shower. So now I sit in my room telling you all this...
I have found myself with another free day from now until 4 o'clock, as I work from 4-10 tonight. And speaking of work, I'm gone tomorrow at 3 to goto the churches Work Camp at shepherd university. So I'll be spending the week out building houses, which isn't a bad thing, but I'm not the most labor intensive person (I over worked the first day last year and got sick all over the bathroom, not fun) so hopefully I'll be doing roofing most of the week, as that seems to be what I prefer to do. I may or may not be coming back on Monday for work, it depends on if I can get someone to cover for me tonight or not. I got Thursday night covered and that's the main night I needed because that's when we're going to the bowling alley/pool hall at Shepherd.
So I won't have much contact with the outside world while I'm away, so if anyone wants to call/text me over the week feel free to, your conversations are much accepted. So... yeah that just about covers it I'll update this if anything crazy happens, but for work camp updates just check my twitter...
"Life is a matter of moments, don't be in a hurry for it to be over."-1000 paths...
One word... Hilarious, I don't care who you are this movie is great. A pleasant departure from the usual seriousness of spy movies. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. It's a great movie and you won't be disappointed. I really don't feel like giving a detailed plot synopsis, so just watch this trailer and trust me when I say you will love Get Smart... a fantastic revival.
Total Recall
Ah-nuld plays an average man in the future who turns out to be a spy, who turns out to not be... Look, it's confusing and I'm sure I missed at least 15 minutes due to sleep... that's what I get for starting a 2 hour movie at 11:30. plus, I can't take Ah-nuld seriously, I just can't, which made it funny, but go see Get Smart instead.
So that's the past two days of movies... PLEASE DON'T see Love Guru, just don't... I'm on my mac, and in my room right now... it's wild! So yeah, I saw Get Smart today with Travis Brad and Tori, and we had a swell time, during that time Mom was kind enough to pick up "We Were Here" by Joshua Radin at Best buy today and it's really good. My breakfasts have gotten depressing, as I've run out of quick breakfasts that don't require a lot of work, so I've been snacking on Smoked Bacon Pringles until lunch time...
Now I picked up a book called "A Thousand Paths to Tranquillity" at mom's store the other day, it's really a small coffee table book, but it's got a lot of good stuff in it, they're just like short quotes, but it always seems to help me calm down when I'm feeling stressed, or freaking out for one reason or another, so I think I'm going to start closing my posts with such quotes, because who knows, maybe they'll help some one out some time. This one I find to be particularly true...
A quiet mind is the best cure for a low mood.- 1000 paths to Tranquility
I've found that lately when I'm stress, or feeling down for one reason or another, it really helps that I take a walk, clear my head, and maybe come to a revelation or two, and in the process end up making things seem much better than they did before.
I missed this movie when it was in theaters, but that's my parents fault "blah blah blah... PG-13" I was probably 14 when it came out! I'm just glad I don't have that problem anymore.
Anyway, I never expected this movie to be nearly as good as it was. MAC's in it and so's Jonah Hill, and he had a big role, but wasn't really recognized for it, it was probably one of his first movies, but if you compare him then to now, man he's lost weight... But enough about Jonah Hill...
Accepted centers around Mac (that's what I'm calling him because he's the guy who plays the mac in the mac ads, plus the characters first name is something like bumburklebee) who gets rejected from every college he applies to. So in response to his own failure, makes up a college, the South Harmon Institute of Technology (SHIT for short). It's hailed as the Animal House of our generation (but I personally like Animal House more, that's just the way I am) but I did catch the occaisional homage to Animal House in Accepted. It's really funny, and clever, and has a surprisingly heartwarming ending. I liked it a lot, and a big thanks to Tori for recomending it.
Here's a trailer...
So I apparently got all A's this past term... 100%, 90%, 90%, 97%. I don't know how the hell it happened, but you take what you can get.
when I have a good base idea/joke for a sketch, but then I can't figure out how to flesh it out... ARG! I will say that the idea of that image foreshadowing something will make more sense if I can flesh out the idea.
-Brunch at olive leaf, seeing mom's parents, seeing Company at the MET (which was REALLY good), eating at a steak house, seeing Dad's parents, watching the Tonys.
So yeah, a lot happened over the course of one day, and I'm no fan of that!
So after the Tonys I decided to watch the original Producers, instead of my other plans, as I hadn't seen the original yet. Basically take the new one, subtract most of the songs (except Springtime for Hitler, and Prisoners of Love) and add a afew more scenes. It's a good movie, and in my opinion funnier than the remake. So check it out if you can. It's hard to believe they dropped the character LSD for the musical, but you'd have to see the original to understand.
Yesterday I work the day shift, which I particularly dislike, I'd rather work night but I had things to do.
My night began at Carolynn's Grad party, it was a grad party, not much to say. Nick Palmasonianio and I played Badminton in the rain. Then I went to Tori's voice recital, where she did an excellent job (also in excellent jobs, Jacob and Luke). After all was said and done, I left the church building to wait for my parents, I walked down W Church ST and found non-other than a piece of Key Lime Pie, performing on a street corner with a mini-piano, and a snare drum. Knowing colin from AA, I decided to stay there to wait for my parents.
After my parents arrived I had to rush to make the 9:45 showing of The Happening with Travis, Brad, David, and Chip. I got there at like 9:50. First the ticket guy looked at my ID and told me I wasn't 17 yet, and I'm like, um... no. After that was settled I went to the theater to find he had given me the ticket to the 10:15, I explained my situation to the ticket taker, and all got taken care of again. So I went to theater 12 for the 9:45, (still showing previews) and I met up with Travis and the others sitting 5 feet away from the big screen. So I went to sleep with a massive head-ache.
The Happening While it may not have the best reviews it's deffinatly a climb uphill from M. Night's "Lady in the Water" This movie is deffinatly twisted (minus crazy plot twists, so it's the disturbing twisted). It's not "Saw/Hostel movie" twisted, it's twisted in it's own right. The acting is bad at times, but man the movie's just weird. I'd have to recomend it because of how out there it is. Check it out, at least watch the redband trailer below because it will give you a better idea of what the movie's about...
I'm listening to Bob Dylan today, and it's fathers day, I MIGHT watch "Talk To Me" tonight because I still need to see it, but I have a VERY strong urge to watch Garden State again, so we'll see come tomorrow.
Well here it is Homeskillets, the official post. Let's begin from the beginning...
The Beginning...
It all started when Brad Rosen approached me at the showing of Little Women, and told me about "this project" he had to do for AP world, where he would basically cover the history of the world from zero BC-the present. So I spent probably a month thinking of funny ideas. The need to film the movie slowly approached and I hadn't heard anything new about the project. Last Monday (the 2nd I believe) Brad told me how the project actually was, basically scraping the original concept.
As he walks and talks me down the hallway, he explains a film putting Suddam Hussein in the position of an elementary school gym teacher. And as he goes on to explain some of the scenes I slowly realize this is quite possibly the most controversial project I've worked on to this date. I slowly realized that we'd need to do 2 cuts, the school version and the "Unrated Brad Rosen Cut."
Filming:
The film was originally set to shoot on Wednesday the 5th, but we got extremely rained out (see my post about that day). So we had to reschedule filming and due to my conflicts, we'd be set to film and edit the movie on Sunday.
Begin Sunday: As scheduled I arrived at Deer Crossing Elementary School, and wait at least 15 minutes for Brad, who's harboring the rest of the cast (minus Mandrew) in his car. So when he shows up we get to talking, and eventually get to filming. We started with the firing line scene so we could get the idea of using guns at an elementary school out of the way. Well so much for that, because at one point a black car drove by in the parking once, and slowed down, but then went on their way. BUT they came back minutes later and practically stopped, (keep in mind at this time we were up by a wall, the camera out, 3 men with fake shotguns and an AK-47, with 3 of us up against the wall with black pillow cases over our heads), now that probably wasn't exactly where we were when the drove by the second time, but I guess you get the idea.
Anyway, we keep filming, and bust out the blood for the executions, and as time goes by things are going good. Well it wasn't long before the heat sat in and we needed drinks, BAD. So we begin to head over to Brads car so we can go to the Hilltop convenience store and pick up some liquid refreshments. Well, as we're about to pile in Brads car, I spot a cop car drive around the corner, and I'm like "Hey I think I just saw a cop car, wait for it... waait for it." it comes around down the street, and I'm like "good thing we finished with those guns." When low and behold the cop pulls into the parking lot right behind us, we're all outside the car at this point.
He gets out and approaches us and is like "so what are you boys up to?" His name was officer Atkins, he was a young cop who was pretty cool about things. We told him we were filming a movie, and he said he had gotten reports about some kids who looked like they were filming a movie, but they had guns out, and such... so he asked to see the guns. We showed them to him and explained how they were just your average airsoft guns. He explained how in such an event we need to be careful just because they look like the real thing and if it was night time, and we weren't calm about things it could have become a hostile situation, but we kept our cool the whole time. He was actually pretty laid back about things, he took out the AK, and told us how he could have mistaken it for the real things, as it fell apart in his hands. At which point I was like "Yeah, if it would stay in one piece" and he goes, "well the real ones far apart pretty easily too. I was stationed in Iraq (at this point I was fighting of giggles given our movie topic) for a while and the Iraqi's used these and they were always falling apart because they're made by the Russians." No Joke, that was his response.
Anyway everything gets all smoothed out and we're cleared to go, so when we're beginning to get into Brads car, Office Atkins pulls up and is all like "Are you even old enough to drive?" And Brad responds "Yeah, you want to see my license?" which Atkins would reply "Yeah, I've gotta see this." it was pretty funny... So we go to the store, get some drinks, and head back to the school. We wouldn't finish filming until around 3. There's not much more to say about the filming, but you can see most of it in the movie, and if you get the real version that's not edited I put on some special features with some shots of some conversations during filming and such events.
After all was said and done, we'd go to Brads house to grab gas chamber scenes, the music he wanted for the film, and film the opening sequence.
Editing:
Let me start off by saying that editing is much more fun when you have someone to do it with, because that way you find out what's funny right there, and you have collaboration on what you want things to look like. So we edited from about 5:45-8:30, we finished the uncut version around 7:45, throwing together the scenes music and sound effects. Then we had to begin work on the School appropriate version, for which Brad had recorded some friendlier words. Then I would go through the uncut scene by scene, find the cuss words, take out the scene, re put it in up until the cuss word, put in the 1 second clip with the cuss word, mute the clip, put on the appropriate voice over, and such, getting done around 10:30, Brad and Shane had to leave around 8:30 because they still had other homework to do. So there I sat into the late hours making the movie appropriate. Once that was done It was time to set up the DVD, so I did, the first copy was done at around 12:30, so I decided that was good for now, and I went to bed. The School appropriate version, may not be as funny, losing some of it's crude humor, and such, but had that element of watching a PG-13 movie on ABC family, where the censorship is just ridiculous at times, giving it it's own bit of humor.
Special Notes
While the situation and scenes were already planned out, the dialog was primarily ad-libbed.
We got sunburn while filming.
I know there was more but I can't remember them...
THE DVD
I only have a few more things to do for the uncut DVD, there's maybe 2-3 more special features I have in mind, so they will be taken care of. You can get either the Uncut, or the "Huggable Version" (or both if you want). I'll keep you updated on how to get them... I think Shane might have been talking about charging for them, while at the same time Brad wanted the whole movie on Youtube. I think a nice compromise would be free DVDs but not putting the whole movie on Youtube, but that's just my thoughts, that or the DVDs could be pretty cheap just to cover DVD costs. I don't know, we'll find out what happens, I'll keep you updated.
And Now The Moment You've All Been Waiting For...
I never brought this up did I? It's a special surprise and in a way making up for not putting the movie on Youtube, But you do get not one but 2 trailers! So without further adu, The Theatrical Trailer of I'll Bring My Own Rope...
Yes, I know you're hungry for more, so why not swallow the REDBAND trailer (not intended for children under the age of 17)...
I've finished editing and need to transfer it to DVD. there will be a special post about it later, at the time you can see the songs I just bought off iTunes...
Stuck in a mobile with the Memphis Blues Again - Bob Dylan
Goin' To Acapulo - Calexico & Jim James (Bob Dylan Cover from I'm Not There)
Pressing On- Bob Dylan
The Weight- The Band
I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) - The Four Tops
Let me tell you all about my crazy day... School = boring, nothing new there. However the weather was good while I was at school.
After that I'm go to moms store, pick up a notepad, a stamp that says "FILE COPY" and the movie Pi. On my way home, I'm enjoying the song Baker Street, by Gerry Rafferty when I get stuck in a torrential down pour, the kinda rain I haven't seen since MAD camp (which I wish was now, because I really need a break). Anyway, so Brad, numerous others and I were set to film a new movie for his AP world class, when the rain shows up, I call Brad, we cancel it, so I'm not directing a movie this afternoon. Okay, I can find other things to do, until in the midst of closing window chaos as return to the house, we lose power. darn... So I'm sitting up in my room listening to my ipod looking out the window for like an hour. Then I say to myself where's my DS, and I pulled it out, poped in Animal Crossing for the first time in many months and began to play again, I was focused on paying off my mortage so I could get another room in my house. I didn't but I oly have like 130,000 bells to go.
And so after that for about 4 hours, watching an episode of Wonder Showzen on my iPod, and an excellent (oddly) cooked meal, for no electricity, I finally have power again, but my internet's all funky because the weather does that to my connection... laaame. Yup that's my day, what fun! There are two check from work sitting on the desk in front of me, I know there's a third somewhere, and I'm wondering whether I should cash them or not. I think for the first time I've really been planning on buying Final Cut Express for my mac, and I may just do that...
Earlier in this post I mentioned a song, which I will post below for you crazy kids the listen to, as it's quite a nice song, and it makes me want to play the saxamaphone.
Things got real shitty, real fast. It's kinda like getting hit by a bus, but a lot less exciting, yet just as unexpected. So yeah, I'm kinda just depressed and numb and confused and mostly indescribable. So yeah... I think tonight I'm gonna pull an all nighter, maybe goto the java lounge see if anyone's playing and drown my sorrows in a strawberry bannana smoothie. Then I'll come home and have a little movie marathon until like 5 and then goto sleep until I have to work.
I've also lost just about all of my motivation, I don't care about school anymore (there's only 7 days left, there's absolutly no point. So if anyone talks to me and I seem out of it, or pissy, or any such thing I apologize in advance.
PS. I think my mug in the picture lightens the tone a little, this is the mug I drink out of when I'm feeling down, mostly for the irony.
I could say many things about the trip or I could sum it up in a few sentances and 2 videos...
Our Team=The Seven Minstrel, we got 3rd place in our cental challenge (chorific, see below video) we got horribly destroyed by our instant challenge, but that's ok, we came in 11th place over all. Here's our main challenge that went down...
Then we went tubing in a river, and got ice cream... I GOT 2 (2!!!) CHOCO-TACO's in one trip! (The Church of the Chaco-Taco is now accepting new members by the way, join me and we shall be chacotacotarians). Birthday Cake dippin dots isn't a listed flavor but they have it and it's delicious. In the meantime Danny and I would hang out in the hotel room and watch various movies on HBO, including the ending to the origenal Get Smart movie, Soapdish, and Starter for 10. The Hotel room is where the following happend, (no Danny and I DID NOT get it on).
We also met a team from Mexico and they were quite cool, as well as a guy who looks just like me.
I leave for TN (DI Globals tomorrow morning, which explains why I just spent $15 on iTunes). I'm NOT going to miss school, but I AM going to miss Tori, a lot. I'm gone for... 5 days I get back sunday afternoon, won't that be exciting, whether I'll be tired then or not I don't know.
Brad Rosen, one of my many partners in crime urges you to comment on the Heroin video on it's Youtube page, whether you do or not is up to you.
"Heroin... It's Just Bad" has in a little over a week, has made it to be my Number 1 viewed video on Youtube. Beating out "Traveling: Cash Cab Mania" by one view (heroin currently has 132). Pretty cool if I don't say so myself, I came up with a few follow up ideas to the Herion ad at school today.
I'm quite bored, and if this continues I may take a walk and enjoy the fresh air, but then again, I may play the lazy card and sit at home.
To make amends (I think that's the word I want) with people you've wronged in the past. If the weather is any sign of it, I believe we're reaching the End Of Days, I'm not saying you need to repent, but I'm starting to get a tad worried... If you want proof check these out... Earthquakes in China
Things are really looking up in the life of Kevin. Although, I feel I should be pre-paring for the SATs a tad more (and by a tad more just doing one problem in book would increase my preparation by 100%). I'm pretty sure I'm understanding math and if I'm not, I have yet to notice it. And some other stuff have really brightend my mood, but I'll posting on stuff of that sort at some other date. Odds are Brad and I will be putting together the first of what I'm sure will be many collaborations between the two of us on friday. And by that I mean sketches so hopefully look for more of that on youtube later.
