This Is Amazing

This is pretty much what I've tried to explain to people about the Film Industry for years.

It is really squashed, so click on the image to make full size:

Via: Online MBA

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Part One, The Lightning Thief (or, how I learned to stop worrying and love my dad the god of the sea)

This film suffers from too many flaws. Most of the problems probably lie within the original material which was a young adult fiction novel. It doesn't really matter to the intended audience in the end.

I liked the world and what could have been done, but inevitably I thought it was trying too hard to be Harry Potter.

Verdict: Rent It

Karma

KARMA

A very interesting thing happened to me the other day. Very interesting indeed.

First a bit of backstory:

(In the past...)

Eric anderson

20 Years Old

Rating: Newbie

I had decided that I wanted to become a writer and producer of movies. This had been decided for quite a while, but I needed a jump start. I naively took my resume to a local production company that had made some solid films. I really wanted to talk to a certain director that I had admired.

With all the hope in the world and all my fingers crossed, I set out to get a job with this company. I met the producer, I met the writer/director, and I met a few others. I was determined to be a part of their team, even if it meant working for free.

I received no response from them but: "we really only hire students."

Later, when I was a bit older and going to school - I had the chance to meet with this particular director again. I again asked him for an opportunity to be a part of his films - I was now a student.

I again received nothing but coldness and a shirking shoulder.

FLASH FORWARD a few years.

I am now interning at a pretty prestigious independent film distribution company in LA. I am working under one of the VP's of acquisition - someone who wants their films distributed talks to this guy. One day, an invite comes in. It is an invitation for that director's newest film. He wants the VP to come see the film and hopefully be willing to distribute it.

Now I am stuck with a moral dilemma. It was my job to decide whether or not to forward along these invites (and there were a lot of them) along to my boss. Should I send it to him? Should I hold on to it? Should I throw it in the trash?

I decided NOT to forward it along. But not because I had a vendetta against this man, I still liked him. It was because I felt that his film wasn't right for this company. (Also, maybe a bit because I didn't really want to help this guy out who wasn't willing to help a naive, impressionable young filmmaker get a leg-up.)

FLASH FORWARD AGAIN

I'm working at a top Literary agency in Beverly Hills. A submission letter for this SAME director comes across our desks. He is seeking representation with our agency. I chuckle a little and then shrug it off. I'm not going to help him. I won't even tell any of my bosses about him. It's not worth it to me.

If he had been nice, if he had taken two seconds, I would have tried my best to help out in both of these situations.

It's about KARMA. It's about helping each other, no matter how insignificant or how silly it is. All that guy had to do, was give me some advice, or take a few minutes to discuss things with me. If he had I'm sure I would feel differently about him and I would have done more to help him out when the tables turned.

So that's basically it. You need to be nice and you need to do the best you can to help others out. What goes around, comes around.

If any of you feel I have treated you poorly or that I shrugged you off - I'M SORRY! Please let me know about what I said/did and I will try my best to correct it.

And no, I will not let you know who the director is.

Twitterpated <--(stolen title)

Spencer did another Twitter-style review of things that have recently caught his attention, so I thought I would do the same. These reviews are less than 140 characters to make them simple and concise.

As you remember, I did a TV one last year during season kickoff. This one here has more things added - like books, comics, movies and other entertainment. Please enjoy!

Book of Eli (Feature - Theater) - Exciting and fun. Different than what I expected. Still not as good as the script (oh man, tell me that saying this is not a new thing!)

Scott Pilgrim (Comic) - Utterly fantastic! Smart, funny, exciting. It plays off the expectations and surprises on each page. Can't stop reading (I'm on vol. 4).

Modern Family (ABC Sitcom) - By far the best show on TV right now. I love Community and 30 Rock and all those others, but this one is just so amazing.

The Gamers: Dorkness Rising (Feature - Netflix Streaming) - Do not watch.

When in Rome (Feature - Theater) - Exactly what I was expecting. Bad writing and ridiculous plot. The side characters (including my friend Jon) were amazingly funny. Cute.

The Middle (ABC Sitcom) - I really didn't like this show to start out with. It's grown on me quite a bit. I especially love the crazy antics of their son Axel.

Accidentally on Purpose (CBS Sitcom) - The show has slowed down quite a bit, but at least they've strayed from the stupid formula. The stoner friend is still the best character.

The Lovely Bones (Feature - Theater) - Really liked the first and last 20 minutes of the film. Everything else in-between took way too long. Adaptation = Cutting down. Sorry Peter.

The Da Vinci Code (Novel) - Read this for the first time in December. Really enjoyed it. I love a good thriller, especially if it is written well.

Daniel Tosh: Completely Serious (Comedy Special - Netflix Streaming) - Hilarious. He's so all-over-the-place with his comedy. You never know where he will end up. A tad bit offensive if you're sensitive to that.

Step Brothers (Feature - Netflix Streaming) - Really funny, really cruel. Not sure where the story lost me, but it didn't completely work in my opinion. Loved seeing Brent in the psychologist scene!

Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (Feature - Theater) - Initial reaction - what the? Second reaction - okay, I get it. Overall, Gilliam is king of distorted reality.

The IT Crowd: Season 3 (BBC - Netflix Streaming) - You have to watch this series. It is completely amazing. All-time favorite moment is when Moss shows Jen "the Internet."

Grammy Performance: Pink (Online) - This is so cool!

SNL Digital Short: The Tizzle Wizzle Show (Online) - "Knife, knife, pick out your knife. Three more seconds to pick out your knife! 3, 2, 1!"

Memory Lane

STORYTIME

I asked my friend Spencer to share a story from his childhood on his blog (since he didn't have anything to write about). I promised to do the same. So here goes...

Once upon a summer...when I was a young buck. We're talking pre-teen age. I was spending the summer at my cousins Justin and James' house with my younger brother Zach.

While on this fantastical journey into imagination (stories will have to be shared at a later time), my brother and I slept on a futon mattress on the floor. Which so happened to be placed right next to my two cousins' bunk bed.

One night, in the middle of our slumber, my cousin Justin, who was sleeping on the top bunk, fell off and dropped down - his knee plummeting straight into the nads of my poor brother Zach. We're talking full on WWE knee thrust - right in the groin.

Without knowing what transpired, Justin woke up and climbed back into bed.

My brother - reeling from the pain - turned over to me (who was sound asleep) and told me that he was in severe pain. "My balls hurt!" He exclaimed, imploring me to make it better.

"Shut up, go to bed!" I grumbled back to him in my sleepy stupor.

Again he implored me - "Eric, it hurts real bad!"

"Go back to sleep!" I told him, not so kindly.

So he did just that. He went back to sleep. For the life of me I don't know how. He must have been in some terrible pain.

The next morning, when we knew better, we figured out what had happened. I tried to console my poor brother and apologize to him for treating him so negatively (I'm not that nice when I'm asleep, ask my wife).

Turns out, Justin got him good because he had a bruise on his groin and testies (his words, I didn't see 'em - cause that's gross).

Wherever you are right now Zach -- I'm sorry! I should have believed you and done something about it (an icepack?).