π Magic β β β Β½
The toughest thing about this film is keeping it in my head the lead is Anthony Hopkins. He looks nothing like himself (he’s pretty young), and my head would randomly attach someone else to him. Otherwise, it’s pretty fun. Kinda creepy. Anthony Hopkins is a struggling magician who “discovers” a gimmick to send his act […]
π Nightmare Cinema β β
Anthologies rule. Unless they don’t. It’s really not that hard of a thing to do. Especially when there are multiple directors for the segments. They do their thing. Add a wraparound story. Voila! Here we have a theatre that one person at a time gets a ticket, goes to an empty theatre and watches a […]
π Creepshow β β β β β
To celebrate passing 31 new horror film viewings for Octoberween (which I’ve never done before, not even including rewatches), I treated myself to a double feature of this and Terrifier. DAMN this movie is good. And only underlines why the TV show is meh. The stories, the gobo lighting, the MUSIC!, the direction. Everything is […]
π Terrifier β β β β
Well, it looks like this is going to be one of my Halloween go-tos. I was pretty happy with this one when I saw it for the first time last year. Like it even more now. David Howard Thornton MAKES this film. If there’s any doubt about it, watch All Hallow’s Eve and compare the […]
π Ginger Snaps β β β β
Another film I’ve been intentionally avoiding. I thought this would be a crap direct-to-video cheapie. The fact that its so popular reinforced that idea. Was I wrong! I really, really liked this film. So much so, I’m actually thinking I might give it a rewatch before watching the sequels. This film made me a little […]
π Night of the Demons β β Β½
I had a postcard of the poster on my wall for the longest time. Not sure where I got it (I think it was a giveaway at the theatre) and also not sure why I’ve never seen it. I tried to watch it last year and turned it off about 15 minutes in. I love […]
π Never Hike Alone β β Β½
While I can’t knock the production value of the film or the fact they’ve even made it (what have I done?), the story isn’t exactly what I would have expected from an F13 fan film. You’d think babes and boobs and skinny dipping and premarital sex and drugs… This is a naturist weblogger out hiking […]
π Something Wicked This Way Comes β β β β
A rewatch. After Hell Fest and Haunt, I had a bug for carnivals and such. This is possibly the best creepy carnival film ever. I know there are things in this film that were scarred into my brain as a kid. This is a film I’d love to see get a proper remake.
π The Initiation β β Β½
Kept my attention, but now I’m struggling to remember anything other than Daphne Zuniga was in it. Her first film. And Clu Gulager and Vera Miles were in it, too.
π Monster Squad β β β Β½
This was a rewatch, but I’ll be damned if I remembered anything about it. I’ll say this, the makeups are amazing. Especially the gill man.
π Eden Lake β β β β
How unexpected to avoid a film only to have it be pretty damn good. So why was I avoiding it? I don’t like realistic horror like this. Stuff that could really happen. Back woods, torture, anger horror. Not my thing. But the characters were pretty decent and the acting was what made it. That and […]
π Creepshow S1E5 β β β /β Β½
Night of the Paw β
β
β
Maybe I’m being too hard on this show. But it could be soooo great. At least this one, which is another Monkey’s Paw story, has a bit of a change-up in the plot. The protagonist is a killer (she euthanized her husband… with a gun β a few more humane, […]
π Haunt β β β Β½
I didn’t realize Halloween haunts were such prime fodder or horror films. Obviously, Hell Fest wasn’t the first. This won’t be the last. But despite their ubiquity and possibility, I’m already getting bored. We have young people. They go to a haunt. The haunt is a faΓ§ade for killers. The young people die. But here, […]
π Blood Rage β β
A fairly stock slasher (the name on the film is even SLASHER). But it got mired down in story. Keep it simple folks. We want tits and gore. While their parents make out at a drive-in, two 10-year-old-ish twin boys wander off. One of them (Terry) is fascinated by another couple making out, watching them, […]
π Trilogy of Terror β β β
One of the dangers of binging is that I tend to forget some of the movies watched and forget that I watched some of the movies. You could quiz me on the first 1/3 of the film, beyond that, its likely I won’t remember.
π Bay of Blood β β Β½
I hoped I was going to like this a lot more, especially with how much I’ve enjoyed early β80s films that aren’t really great films. This was influential to the Friday the 13th films specifically and slasher films in general. But I thought the influence would be more… exact. Like the opening credits, with each […]
π The House that Jack Built β β β Β½
I was nervous to watch this, not unlike how I felt before watching Hostel. I don’t like movies that go too far, and I heard this one did. I generally like Lars Von Trier’s films; Antichrist was awesome. So I watched it. Kinda not nearly as intense as I’d feared. Much like Hostel. But where […]
π Tales from the Darkside β β β
This was a rewatch but from quite a while ago. I actually caught the last segment on TV fairly recently, but it’s been years since I’ve seen it in its entirety. I think “The Cat from Hell” segment is a new favorite. I hate rewatching films during Octoberween, trying to get to as many new-to-me […]
π Sweet Sixteen β Β½
Should’ve been a straight up slasher or even a whodunit like Happy Birthday to Me. But not a racist, Native American plot. I’ll give it this, Dana Kimmel isn’t horrible. But 15 year olds should look like 15 year olds.
π Hell Fest β β Β½
A serviceable film. Nothing wrong here. Nothing great, either. I was gonna go see this when it came out last year, but either it was showing at a bad time or not showing here, something kept me from going. Might’ve been a little more impactful on a big screen. Maybe not. About halfway through the […]
π Don’t Sleep Β½
I should have. After about 3 hours of this only 60 minutes had passed. That’s all there will be. I turned it off.
π Tales of Halloween β β β
THIS bad boy, unlike Halloween II, did rekindle the October flame β a bit. I love horror movies and I love anthologies. I need to find more Halloween-themed anthologies. I think I’ve seen them all. Creepshow, Tales from the Darkside (ooh, there’s an option), Tales from the Crypt, All Hallow’s Eve, Southbound, Twilight Zone, Trick […]
π Halloween II β β
I was partly looking forward to and partly dreading rewatching this. I remembered it as not being that great, more of a story happening around Laurie than to her. But I was hoping it would rekindle the dying October flame. It did not. It was just blah.
π One Dark Night β β Β½
Another early-β80s film that slipped through the cracks. I might have seen this before, simply because Meg Tilly’s in it (and I love Meg Tilly; she added a whole star to my rating), but it wasn’t even a little bit familiar. Not a particularly great film but not horrible. The premise is classic: a girl […]
π Creepshow (S1E4) β β /β Β½
Slowly, slowly creeping downhill. The stories are starting to feel like they had a Friday afternoon brainstorm that got off track, and nothing was really hashed out. Or they were excited to be a part of it, but the effort to actually make the show was too much. I don’t know, but the show is […]
π Wax Mask β β β
If you can get past the dubbing, it’s an okay movie with really, really great makeup effects. Essentially, a wax museum opens in Rome in the early 1900s, and as people disappear from the town, more wax statues appear. That’s all you really need to know. And the makeup effects are great.
π Trick or Treats β
Another one that slipped through the cracks despite seeing this video box every day at work (when I worked at a video store, not at my work now). So, um, it’s bad. A pretty-cheap film from the looks, it’s actually not badly acted. It’s the story that’s lacking. And the direction is bland as hell. […]
π Intruder β β
This is a film I saw pictures of in Fangoria back in the day and decided it was going to be too gory to watch. Until now. Two things kept happening throughout this film. I kept getting Ted and Sam Raimi confused β in fact, I was wondering when Sam Raimi was going to show […]
π All Hallowsβ Eve β β β
Had to rewatch this one, couldn’t remember any of it. I think I watched it first last Octoberween, which is probably why it’s hard to remember. So many films in 31 days. Anyhoo. This one has a wraparound that’s missing in Part 2. It also has Art the Clown, (also missing in Part 2), played […]
π Halloween III: Season of the Witch β β
Again, unpopular opinion, but I was never really a fan of this film. I hated the Ellie chick. I thought it was cheesy and cheaply made. I loved the opening titles with the pumpkin carving on the screen. I know this is a lot of people’s favorite of the sequels; for some it’s their favorite […]
π Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers β β β
He came back. A rewatch from just a couple of months ago. This is the one that kicked off my Halloween feeling this year. Back in July. Whoops Honestly, an unpopular opinion, but I think this is a fair sequel. And, honestly, I think it’s better than the 2018 Halloween sequel (which I’m not a […]
π Slaughter High β β
A rewatch (saw this in the theatres when it came out). A little more fun now; I’m more accepting of the cheesiness. But it’s not a good film by any means.
π All Hallow’s Eve 2 β β β
THIS is what Creepshow could have been. This is a fun anthology that could’ve had a more interesting wraparound. But I’m not gonna complain. After a few stinkers, this was a breath of fresh air.
π Creepshow (S1E3) β β /β β Β½
All Hallow’s Eve β
β
Almost forgettable, the first segment in the third episode, All Hallow’s Eve, is… fine. That’s what the show is becoming. Fine. Nothing really great or memorable here. The Man in the Suitcase β
β
Β½ Again, fine. Nothing wrong here. Only reason for the half star is that at least it was memorable, […]
π A.M.I. β β
While this wasn’t bad, there was one thing that really got in the way. At the beginning, you see a woman walking in the woods. She hears something, gets scared, sees a red light and gets shot. Fine. Good. But it’s not really mentioned again until we see the woman again as if the beginning […]
π Images β Β½
There were some red flags in the reviews, but I ignored them. I thought, “Robert Altman, especially in the early β70s, might have gone over their head. Then I saw John Williams did the music. I was ready for this one. Maybe I should have listened to the reviews. It was oddly paced. It was […]
π Dead & Buried β β β Β½
The second in the unintentional old-school-FX-master double feature, the first being Humanoids from the Deep with Rob Bottin handling FX, this features Stan Winston on FX duty. There’s something about early β80s horror that has always rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe too many bad rentals. I’ve steered clear of a lot of them, assuming […]
π Humanoids from the Deep β β β
The first of back-to-back, old-school horror with legends behind the FX. I was actually surprised how decent this was, especially for when it was made. Could this benefit from a remake? What? There was one (goes to check out a trailer) Well, shit, that looks bad. Like really bad. Like I thought there were scenes […]
π Pure β β Β½
Meh meh.
π School Spirit β β Β½
More meh.
π The Body β β Β½
Very Point-A-to-Point-B storytelling. No twists. No real challenges. Not bad, but not really great. Decent performances. This is one of the Into the Dark “episodes” β which, for the most part, have been fairly bland. Somewhat interesting ideas with fairly bland execution. They are like the Velveeta of horror films (not that their cheesy, just […]
π Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 β β β Β½
Rewatch from… whenever it first came out VHS? I was never a huge fan of TCM for some reason, probably because the films played in that “creepy, true-to-life horror” that just felt too real. But there’s something different about Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 that made it even worse. It was funny. When I watched […]
π Eyes without a Face β β β Β½
Been quite a few 3Β½-star rating. That’s middle of the road. I think some of them have had great parts, but the sum didn’t quite make it. So this one… For a film released in 1960, this is GRUESOME! Surprisingly engaging and suspenseful. And the effects are β even for today β top notch. Glad […]
π The Furies β β β Β½
Great concept and acting. Just was a bit one note, and the ending was… eh.
π Body Bags β β β
Although I saw this one more recently than Bloody Birthday, I remember less about this. A standard anthology with Carpenter as the “host.” Fairly bland in story and execution. A surprisingly graphic sex scene (though its not as graphic as it seems).
π Bloody Birthday β β
I saw this at some point back in the day, but couldn’t remember anything about it. Maybe because there’s nothing memorable here. Cloying kids (that girl is straight out of a Disney Sing-A-Long nightmare), bland story and no blood.
π Tigers Are not Afraid β β β Β½
Not sure why I didn’t love this. Decent slow burn fantasy/horror set in a gritty realism β just like Pan’s Labyrinth. Everything was right here, it just didn’t click for me. It might have been too many fantasy elements (the stuffed tiger coming to life, the dragon coming out of the phone, the blood trail…). […]
π Creepshow (S1E2) β β β Β½/β β Β½
Uh-oh, the stars are a-slipping. Despite the use of the gobos and colored lighting (FINALLY!) the stories just aren’t working. The pacing is still glacier slow. I almost wouldn’t be too upset if I didn’t see another episode. Which is a bummer. There’s so much potential here. I’m just so bummed this isn’t better, but […]
π The Quiet Room β β β
This short film, directed by Sam Winemann, is well made β if kinda bland. A fairly stock, underdeveloped villain. Telegraphed ending (no suicide note, but he likes to write, so he’s got a notebook at all times) (she hates water). And interesting that the main character is gay and hooks up with another character, but […]
π Belzebuth β β β
I don’t mind films with subtitles, but when the listing says “English,” I don’t expect over half of the film to be subtitled. That said, this wasn’t a bad film, it was actually really good in some stretches, but the overall impression wasn’t all that great.
π AHS: 1984 (pending)
So many films and TV shows have captured the β80s so much better than this. So far, intro to the “characters” and then pretty much to the final act, which will drag on for the season, with nearly everyone dying in the last few episodes.
π Slumber Party Massacre II β β
Ugh. At least it’s more fun than the original. It tried to infuse then-innovative dream sequences Γ la A Nightmare on Elm Street, but is just, well, nightmarish β and not in a good way.
π Slumber Party Massacre β
Ugh.
π Hell House LLC β Lake of Fire β β
Kinda dropped from the last one. Ended as if this was the end of the series or at least moving on in some way.
π Creepshow (S1E1) β β β /β β β β Β½
Grey Matter β
β
β
House of the Head β
β
β
β
Β½ β SUSPENSE! Overall, it would have been nice to recreate one of the things that made Creepshow stand out from other anthologies: the lighting and gobo effects. That and the animated transitions between stories. Here, there are PowerPoint-esque moves over comic pages, odd Creep transitions between stories, […]
π Effects Β½
UGH! This was not good. Tom Savini hams it up annoyingly. John Harrison was creepily believable as a snuff filmmaker, but otherwise β RUN AWAY!
π OCTOBERWEEN β Full List
Halloween (1978) β
β
β
β
β
Creepshow β
β
β
β
β
The Thing β
β
β
β
β
Night of the Living Dead β
β
β
β
Β½ Trick βr Treat β
β
β
β
Β½ Pumpkinhead β
β
β
β
Β½ Creepshow (S1E1) House of the Head β
β
β
β
Β½ Eden Lake β
β
β
β
Terrifier β
β
β
β
Something Wicked This Way Comes β
β
β
β
Ginger Snaps β
β
β
β
Money Shot β
β
β
β
Eyes without a Face β
β
β
Β½ The Furies β
β
β
Β½ Monster Squad β
β
β
Β½ […]
THE BET gets an overhaul
THE BET gets an HD facelift with a new edit, remixed sound and a new look.
Explanation of the Variants
A guide to understanding why there are different versions of books in Rubbershop and which one you should buy.
Interview with the Author of DETOX
Filmmaker-turned-novelist Michael Dunn talks about his latest novel based on an unproduced screenplay with THE BET cowriter, Chris Smith.
Press
GDUSA “Seen and Noted” | 08.03 Michael Dunn, art director with the Brown & Partners agency, drew inspiration from pulp magazine art in designing the invitation, collateral and awards book for the AIGA Las Vegas Work Show competition. The materials, which feature the art of legendary pulp artist Norman Saunders, were produced in homage to […]
Awards
2017 AIGA Las Vegas Work Show BRONZE | “Let’s Live” TV | Reverence 2014 Regional Advertising Federation Awards GOLD | Attraction NYE photography | ARIA 2014 Las Vegas Addy Awards GOLD | Attraction NYE photography | ARIA 2013 Las Vegas Addy Awards SILVER | Rice & Company menus | LuxorBRONZE | Centra menu | Luxor […]
ResumΓ©
Employment History Robertson+Partners Creative Director | 08.18βpresent Associate Creative Director + Video Production | 04.15β08.18 (Promoted) Art Director | 04.14β04.15 (Promoted) Brought all video post-production in house, lowering budgets and increasing profits MGM Resorts International Creative Director | 10.12β04.14 Creative Manager | 04.10β10.12 (Promoted) Senior Designer | 10.09β04.10 (Promoted) B&P Advertising Art Director | 02.01β03.09 […]
Screenplays
Screenplays available for purchase or production.
Michael Dunn author links on Amazon and Goodreads
Collection of books by Michael Dunn easier to find on leading retail site and social library.
Haikuingly,
Email sign-offs between Smith & db.
Beautiful
Twin brothers believe one of them should have been absorbed in utero and look for a way to do what nature didnβt.
Detox
Mat kidnaps his ex-girlfriend, Julia, to detox her from heroin, hoping sheβll fall in love with him again.
THE BET included on Pollygrind DVD
THE BET is proud to be a part of grindhouse festivalβs DVD label debut.
Slamdance praises body horror screenplay BEAUTIFUL.
Slamdance gives great feedback on Michael Dunnβs feature-length screenplay about body integrity identity disorder, BEAUTIFUL.
Suffer Singles
These books are not for you. Three volumes of short works by Michael Dunn.
Separated at birth
Ha, a teaser for the upcoming blog post about something special. But, seriously… this.
Suffer
From a period spanning 15 years, the works herein were a way of exorcising the emotions and thoughts that would have poisoned from the inside. Now, for the first time, they are collected and presented for the public. Understand, though, these stories were never meant for anyone else.
MONEY SHOT
An ex-porn star is forced to choose between his notorious past and an anonymous future.
Money Shot
I have just begun pre-production on another short entitled “Money Shot.” I’ve created a Facebook page where I will updating the steps along the way. Like the page to keep in the loop. Matt Wilkinson, producer of “The Bet,” has agreed to help with the producing duties. Chris Smith, co-writer of “The Bet,” is currently […]
Writeaholic?
So I’m 75% through Beautiful (for the second time) and revisiting Detox to see if there’s a way to punch it up and get it sold. And I’m toying with an idea that could maybe be a feasible next short. And by “could” and “maybe” I mean “if I can figure out a way to […]
Lucky number 7
This weekend I got my 7th tattoo. It was a sorta last-minute thing. We had planned a weekend trip to San Francisco mainly to get away to celebrate our 15th anniversary and my two-score birthday by going to Alcatraz (fitting, i know). (side note, Mythbusters is doing Alcatraz escapes). I’ve been jonesing for a tattoo […]
Diversity Champion
As part of my new corporate life, I was required to attend a two-day Diversity Workshop – basically a team building leadership experience. I was, from the onset, opposed to the very idea of it. There were some comments from people that really freaked me out (“spooked the herd” as they say). I’m not a […]
Prom Night
Apparently I wasn’t a Jamie Lee Curtis Fan Boy. Despite my horror geekiness spawned in the mid-’80s, i’d never seen seen terror train, nor prom night – the two big post-Halloween, Curtis starrers. Well, I’ve finally seen Prom Night, and, well… meh. I know had I been on the bandwagon then, I’d have followed the […]
what’s your favorite horror film…
Or horror film moment, or most terrifying moment? When, while watching a horror film did you think, “oh, crap, i can’t do this anymore!” what made you jump after watching a horror film. basically, share your horror film experiences as they encroached into the real world.For weeks after seeing The Blair Witch Project, my wife […]
Wicked Little Things
Not a bad film. Definitely nice looking. But I can’t stand Scout Taylor-Compton. Had a few decent scares, some blood. It just lacked that certain something.
budgets
After Paranormal Activity (which had a budget of about $11,000) raked in over $100 million, Paramount looked into launching an indie arm to produce and distribute under-$100k films. Ummm, the sequel to PA has a budget of $2.75 million. If even the sequel to the film that started that idea doesn’t fit into the plan […]
Friday the 13th Part II
I wanted to stick with films I hadn’t seen before, but Netflix is skimpy on the instant films, and I was jonesing. Plus, after watching The Prowler, this one was stuck in my head. Still one of my faves of the franchise. And this is one of the films in this year’s lame Fear Fest […]
Nine Dead
I should be nice, after all this had some promise. Had there not been a little-seen film called Saw, and had the actors here been convincing, this could have been a nice little thriller. All said, this film ain’t horrible – the end, yes – but the rest not so bad. A bit repetitive, a […]
Witchboard
I can still remember seeing this in the theatre and it makes me kinda sad that going to see a film – especially a horror film – in the theatre is nothing like it used to be. Used to be a lot more audience participation. Now, people sit there (all 3 of them) and text. […]
Case 29
Ugh. What a wannabe thriller with a puffy, sweaty crack whore in the lead. She should have stuck with the level of fame Texas Chainsaw Massacre-The Next Generation would have afforded her. And Jodelle Ferland needs to leave the business altogether. A failed attempt in Silent Hill, Tideland, everything, pretty much… Fail. Though if spiders […]
Happy Birthday to Me
Another one I’ve already seen, but not for a really long time. I still think it’s funny that the poster gives every kill away. Not great by any means, but I have to think this is one that played on HBO back when we got HBO through an antenna because I remember having seen this […]
Dreamscape
Oh, Nostalgia, you flittering tease. This was one of my go-to films as a teen. This and The Clash of the Titans were my gold statuette gods. I can still hear the HBO Feature Presentation music playing moments before this started. I couldn’t stop thinking Kate Capshaw is married to Steven Spielberg, and Dennis Quaid […]
Terror Train
LAME!I can’t even describe how pissed off I was at this film – another I had managed to never see, despite watching some horrocious dreck. Two words: David Copperfield. I think he still does the same lame flourishes now. I wanted to punch him the way I want to punch Criss Angel. Douche.Besides that, I […]
The Prowler
This is a toughy. A slow start with the newsreel footage and endless reading of the “Dear John” letter. But finally some good gore with the pitchfork kill of two young and sexy folks – which made me think, “Gee, I wish they hadn’t cut down the spear to the back of the making-out couple […]
Survival of the Dead
Couldn’t sleep. Decided to watch a horror film. Today’s flick was Survival of the Dead, the latest George A. Romero’s “of the dead” film. Some gooey effects, but not much else. It wasn’t bad enough to put me back to sleep, but I wish it had. Gonna be dead tired today.
Horror Movie a Day
It’s October – the month of my favorite holiday – and i decided to watch a horror film every day, hoping to watch films i hadn’t seen before or had seen once a long time ago. This is coinciding with my “wear a different horror-themed shirt to work all month” mission. Well, I fucked up […]
Another IMDb update (now with links)
Everyone is up (or less down) than last time. Included links to each page (opens a new window). I also “liked” each of the entries through Facebook. Except John’s. I got an error. poop. “The Bet”: down 5% Michael Dunn: up 381% Chris Smith: down 54% Matt Wilkinson: up 150% Kurt Rauf: up 11% Lou […]
Feedback from Slamdance Script Competition
PLEASE COMMENT! I submitted both the short version of “Beautiful” as well as Detox to the Slamdance Script Competition. I paid for coverage on Detox and just left the “brief feedback” do for “Beautiful.” First the short (and sorta sweet) part. For “Beautiful,” the one-sentence feedback was: “Interesting idea. Title really doesnβt work for me […]
David Peoples
Can I get a w00tw00t for this guy. I just watched for the first time (sadly) “Le Jetee” and was wow’d how 12 Monkeys spawned from that. So I look up the screenwriter for 12 Monkeys – which I love – and found out he also co-penned the screenplay for Blade Runner, oh and a […]
IMDb updates
Yes, I’m blogging this update because it’s easy. Shut it. The Bet: up 4%Michael Dunn: up 119%Chris Smith: down 64%Matt Wilkinson: down 34%Kurt Rauf: up 69%Lou Diamond: down 31%Courtney Gardner: down 40%Walt Turner: down 82%Mat Planet: down 59%Shannon Sarver: down 70%John McClain: down 57%Rachel Bellinsky: down 21%Drew Marvick: up 1%Mike Minnick: down 71%
IMDb updates
Full disclosure: My bookmark to IMDb goes to The Bet’s page. Why? I like to see how the fickle “MOVIEmeter” ranks the film and those associated with it. It updates every week, and I thought it would be fun to share what it says about the film (i’m sure my snooping skews the percentages) and […]
WINNER!
“Hallway,” the theme from “The Bet,” performed by Justine Bellinsky and written by Rachel Bellinsky, won the award for audience favorite music video at the 1st Annual PollyGrind Film Festival. How cool is that?!?!
Detox screenplay complete
After over 25 drafts back and forth between me and my co-writer, Chris Smith, Detox is in it’s final form – at least until it’s sold and rewritten. HA! Hmmm, not funny.
Schmitty, McFunkle & Stump
So, a bunch of guys I know and/or have worked with got this crazy shit going on that’s airing on Comedy Central at odd wee hours and will soon explode into awesomeness the likes of South Park. Love it now. Be one of the first. And visit the official site here: smands.com
Another fest for “The Bet”
A new screening (and look) for “The Bet.” PollyGrind will premiere the “Midnight Movie” version of “The Bet” AND the music video for the song from the film “Hallway.” Check out the full lineup here: PollyGrind.
Rubbersquare Fan Page Is Live
The Rubbersquare Fan Page on Facebook is live – facebook.com/rubbersquare. Become a fan.
Awesome, but disappointing
How’s that for a title? I got an email today from the Vice President of Acquisitions for After Dark Films (yes, that is part of the awesome), asking what the status was of “The Bet” and if a screener was available (second part of the awesome). I already knew what was going to come of […]
Clash of the Titans (2010) vs Clash of the Titans (1981)
I don’t know how to review this. So, let’s just have fun with it. for simplicity we’ll just use the year. BUBO1981: an annoying replacement for a lost helmet2010: an inside jokeADVANTAGE: 2010 (barely)This was one of my biggest complaints about the original. Bubo is the Jar Jar of Clash of the Titans. The reason […]
Rubberblog moved
At least, hopefully. Blogger will discontinue FTP publishing for blogs. Rubberblog (should) now be available at blog.rubbersquare.com. If there are any issues, let me know. All blogs, including the Rubbersquare News and Detox blogs have been consolidated into this new blog.
Quentin Tarantino has “Thought Disorder”
Researching a character for a script, I came across a Wikipedia article on Thought Disorder and was surprised to find how many of the symptoms actually show up in Tarantino’s scripts’ dialogue: Thought is revealed through speech. Thus, observation of patterns of thought naturally involves close observation of the speech of the individual being considered. […]
Sabi
Sabi Pictures are in the beginning stages of planning a theatrical tour of event-screenings in August 2010 for White Knuckles and Heart of Now. Simply add yourself to their fan map and encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same. If the demand is there, theyβll bring a Sabi Pictures event to your town. […]
Goodbye to ’09
Can’t say it was a bad year. Wasn’t a great year. Definitely an interesting one. Laid off and out of work for four months before getting hired at MGM MIRAGE – funny thing about that being is that i used to be the ad guy, now i’m the corporate guy. you know the song “triangle […]
“Detox” receives coverage
After finishing draft 14 and spending nearly 3 years working on it, Chris and I decided to send Detox for coverage. Script coverage is, according to Wikianswers, a filmmaking term for the analysis and grading of screenplays, often within the “script development” department of a production company. While coverage may remain entirely verbal, it usually […]
Funding has begun for “Beautiful”
Funding for the new short film “Beautiful//The Janssen Twins” has begun. The official budget hasn’t been sorted completely, but we’ve set $10,000 as the initial goal. Besides funding through IndieGoGo, a couple of other fundraising events are being discussed, including special screenings and other events. Stay tuned. You can go to beautiful.rubbersquare.com for updates or, […]
A new short script
Last week I finished the first draft of a new short script entitled “Beautiful // The Janssen Twins.” Yes, the // is part of the title and, actually, a symbolic element of the script. It’s an idea I’ve been knocking around for a long time. Something Chris Smith (co-writer of “The Bet”) has been fascinated […]
The Wicked Blood
At the end of the school year, my son, Spencer, got all of his various papers and projects sent home with him. He had just finished second grade. This is one of the papers he brought home. Click it to make it bigger (opens in a new window).
May the pants be with you.
I can’t get this one outta my head. I love the word pants, as do apparently many others. And I love Star Wars. So, thanks to Mat Planet, I want to hear your best pantsing of Star Wars (if you have a better name for it, let me know). Basically, replace a word from dialogue […]
um
yelling upstairs. took forever to load this fucking thing. my life is hell. suck it.
A new chapter
So, I got a job. I won’t go into details, but it was a very odd process. Basically, the interview was with people who knew everything that was in my portfolio because it was for their company. I applied and had to take a drug test. About a week later, on a Friday, I was […]
“The Bet” Digital Download for $1.99
Finally! You can now download a digital copy of “The Bet” for $1.99 through Payloadz. Simply go to RUBBERSHOP or directly to the PAYLOADZ page. Either link opens a new page.
Get “The Bet” for only $9.99 ($3 off!)
For a limited time (until August 31, 2009), use coupon code RUBBERSQUARE for $3.00 off “The Bet” DVD from FilmBaby – LINK OPENS NEW WINDOW. The DVD includes over 4 hours of Special Features, including Commentaries, Making-Of Featurettes, Alternate and Extended Endings, “Hallway” Music Video, Trailers, Bloopers, Storyboards, the Short Film “Foreplay” and MORE. Hurry, […]
A fail and a retry
Funny thing about criticism – at least with me – is that I’ll try to rationalize why I did whatever it is for whatever reason, but eventually that nagging feeling they were right will weigh me down and I’ll buckle and give in. I sent Under, the latest script, for paid coverage – yes, I […]
Update
We have decided to forgo further contests due to a lack of funds for entry fees. Instead, we are polishing the latest and final draft which will be sent for a paid critique (yeah, I said we had a lack of funds) and then we will be packaging it up for presentation to a producer […]
New Feature Script “Under” Completed
Michael Dunn has just finished the script for a horror feature entitled Under. The script follows seven college friends who are stranded in an abandoned town under which horrific creatures dwell.
QR Codes hit America
This poster for 9 – the Tim Burton/Timur Bekmambetov-produced, Shane Acker-directed CG film – features the (in other countries, at least) ubiquitous QR Code – also seen in the header of this blog (and as an Easter Egg on “The Bet” DVD leading to other goodies). I love the QR Codes (for more reasons than […]
Effects artist directs the undead
As a favor for a fellow filmmaker, I am linking the press release for the zombie film Haunting Kira. Take a read (opens a new window) HERE.
Not supposed to do it
My best friend and co-writer of “The Bet” and Detox, Chris Smith said that when you tell people that you’re working on something it takes the wind out of the sails. This blog is mostly just my own diary that I have decided for whatever reason to make public, so I don’t really think I’m […]
The Verizon guy, Chad and why I love comments.
In response to an article about the verizon guy and that chad guy (i swear he’s the “O face” dude from Office Space) for alltel, i found this: When I was in high school, I worked at the local K-Mart. That’s right. Jealous much? I was a cashier…then I was promoted to the Books/Stationary section. […]
Lock down – UPDATE!
So, apparently there are multiple males (that’s what the cop people say) living in the house. And one of these males was holding multiple females hostage (which is sometimes okay – well if you can pull it off, it’s awesome) and the cops were getting the chicks out one-by-one, save the last one which is […]
Lock down!
Had an interesting night last night. At 10:45, Michelle and I went upstairs to go to bed and we were looking for something for one of the kids when BANGBANGBANGBANGBANG on the door. I figured it was kids joking around. Then a few seconds later, again, BANGBANGBANGBANGBANG! So I went downstairs and tried to look […]
Road trip
Over the weekend I took my first solo recreational road trip. I went to San Diego to visit my friend Rachel (who wrote the song “Hallway” for “The Bet.” After I’d gotten laid off, she kept bugging me to come and visit. So I did. I was a bit nervous driving out there on my […]
Lots of stuff in the past much days
Still unemployed, though not poor enough to start whining. I’m getting scarily accustomed to not having a job. Finding a new schedule comprised of family-centric tasks. Odd. Really studied script structure over the past few weeks – thanks largely to Michael Hauge’s 6-stage Script Structure and this one. Helped to rewrite the first act of […]
Wil Wheaton is, well, cool
Unemployment FTW
Don’t cry for me, I’m not without income. But I am without schedule, sadly something I was really, oddly, addicted to. It’ll be 1:45 and I try to tell myself I need to eat, but I don’t know what to eat and spend the next 20 minutes and realize I need to go to the […]
Rubbershop Opens
To create a centralized location for Rubbersquare merchandise (as well as that of others who have a relationship with Rubbersquare), Rubbersquare has opened the online retail outlet Rubbershop. The site, located at shop.rubbersquare.com, pulls merchandise from specialty vendors, such as POD-based Lulu.com, as well as Rubbershop exclusives like Donnie and Maree t-shirts and autographed merchandise.
New site is LIVE
The newly revamped Rubbersquare site is now live. Go ahead, check it out (opens in a new window). Some of the cool stuff you’ll find are information about all of Rubbersquare’s projects, like “The Bet” and Detox. There’s also the music video for “Hallway” and the short film “Foreplay” – both of which you can […]
I re-redid the Rubbersquare site
Yes, I’m a bit… insane, bored, pick your own adjective. Just don’t share. But I completely revamped the revamped Rubbersquare site. Why? Because I want something a bit lighter. And I figured out how to get a text feed into Flash whilst keeping the formatting. No, it’s not a live update from the soon to […]
Suffer Published
Rubbersquare is proud to announce the publication of Suffer – Collected Works by Michael Dunn. Whether the setting is a desolate apartment building, the set of a porno or an everyday high school, itβs still a world from the imagination of Michael Dunn. His characters, often struggling to survive even an ordinary life, are thrust […]
Sneak Peek
Get a sneak peek look at the in-progress, revamped Rubbersquare site at http://localhost/beta Just a taste of what’s coming, it’s all still in flux, little tweaks, little bugs, and possibly a revamp of the revamp. Nothing is set in stonepixels. SO, your feedback is very much appreciated. Sound off!
The economy sucks
I got laid off today. One of 9 people who got laid off (in a 30-employee company). Everyone else got a pay cut. Did it matter I was there for 8 years? Well, apparently it did, since 2 others who were there nearly as long were also laid off. Who stayed? The ones with the […]
Happy Birthday, Scott
I miss ya.
My so-called criminal past – part 2
So, I finally found (I think) a way to get “The Bet” torrent removed from at least one torrent site. I sent them an email following their instructions, and it should be removed in a couple of days. We’ll see. I also asked (though I’m sure I will get no response) if they had any […]
I have an interesting past
I got spam on my Vimeo account which, oddly enough, led to a torrent of “The Bet.” I know nothing about torrents. Except that it pisses me off people can download the film without paying – and paying me. Anyone who knows how to get torrents deleted, please let me know. Anyway, what was particularly […]
Very odd
We have “The Bet” for sell at Amazon, has been available there for quite awhile. That isn’t the odd part. What’s odd is that it shows there are 4 in stock, and in the breakdown of what’s available it shows: 2 new, 2 used. At first I thought it was strange that the used copies […]
Hybrid Moments
My wonderful friend Rachel Bellinsky (who wrote the song “Hallway” for “The Bet” and liked to disturb me by eating crackers like a hamster when we worked together) has another awesome video. Her previous video for “Salt of the Sea” was directed by Thomas Barndt. This one was directed by Lexington Wolfcraft. Hopefully, soon, I’ll […]
Fuck
I was so happy that no film had been made (at least according to IMDb) with the title Detox. Until now. Sure, it’s a totally different story. Yes, it only cost $10,000 to make. Okay, everyone involved has really only been involved in this one film. But still. Really?! Fuck.
D90
It arrived. Actually, it got here on Tuesday, but I’ve been too slammed with work to really mess with it other than quick point and shoot tests. I still haven’t really had time to do much with it, but I’ve been devouring the manual and testing various things. Hopefully this weekend I’ll have some time […]
Finally
I did it. I bit the bullet and defied the recession and bought a Nikon D90.What sucks is that I’d planned on going to a store and getting it and spending the weekend getting to know it. But, as my luk would hold, they were sold out at all Best Buys. No other local outlets […]
I’ve seen 157 of 239 films
(x) Rocky Horror Picture Show(x) Grease(x) Pirates of the Caribbean(o) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest(o) Boondock Saints(x) Fight Club(o) Starsky and Hutch(x) Neverending Story(o) Blazing Saddles(x) AirplaneTotal: 6 (x) The Princess Bride(x) Anchorman(x) Napoleon Dynamite(x) Labyrinth(x) Saw(x) Saw II(x) White Noise(o) White Oleander(o) Anger Management(o) 50 First Dates(o) The Princess Diaries(o) The […]
My take on AFI’s Top 100
I’ve seen 49 of the Top 100 according to AFI. What I hate about these lists is that I really don’t care to see a lot of “important” films and have only seen the bulk of these because of film classes. To me, films are entertainment, they’re an escape. When it comes to the “scholarly” […]
Nikon D90
I just watched the most interesting and inspiring video created from stills shot on the Nikon D90 – which makes me even more desperate to buy the fucking thing. Just. Wow. Using the 4.5 fps still shooting mode and putting that together with Twixtor, just created the most amazing display. Someone had mentioned shooting with […]
Rough draft of “setup”
I just sent the rough draft of the setup – mentioned in the last entry – to Matt Wilkinson. As I said before, this lays the groundwork for the rest of the film. It clocked in at 24 pages, just shy of my 30-page goal, which translates to about the first half hour of the […]
Something new
Long time, no blog. Believe me, I haven’t spent all this time sitting around playing Left 4 Dead (if only!) The something potentially awesome that I had in the works seems to have fallen through, so it really wouldn’t even mean much to relay what that was – though it could have been pretty awesome. […]
I’ve Been Pirated, Attention Indie Filmmakers
I was Googling “The Bet” – hey, don’t judge – and saw it listed for sale at a new website. A lot of sites pull from Amazon, so I wasn’t freaked out. Until I saw that it was listed for a price lower than Amazon AND that they had 317 copies in stock (which no […]
Detox Fail #2
Well, Cinequest just sent a rejection letter (which, I must say, as much as a rejection letter sucks, it’s better than not hearing anything and just assuming you didn’t make it). We didn’t make it into the top ten finalists. Which kinda sucks because the top ten get feedback to make changes for resubmission into […]
Fail #2
Well, Cinequest just sent a rejection letter (which, I must say, as much as a rejection letter sucks, it’s better than not hearing anything and just assuming you didn’t make it). We didn’t make it into the top ten finalists. Which kinda sucks because the top ten get feedback to make changes for resubmission into […]
My Top Ten Favorite Horror Films
This is a list of my favorite horror films. Maybe not the best, but my faves. 10. Session 9 This one was actually not in my first round of the Top Ten. When I came back to the list after letting it gestate a while, I was shocked I hadn’t included it and actually bumped […]
“The Bet” script published
After too much tinkering, you can finally own “The Bet” – The Screenplay and Original Short Story from Rubbershop (which also has lots of other goodies) or directly from Lulu. You can also get a 24″ x 36″ print of either “The Bet” poster or the Detox teaser poster, as well. The screenplay for βThe […]
“The Bet” Screenplay Published
Rubbersquare is proud to announce the publication of “The Bet” – The Screenplay and Original Short Story. The 72-page paperback includes the complete screenplay by co-writers Michael Dunn & Chris Smith and the original short story upon which the script was based by Michael Dunn as it was published in the October 2005 edition of […]
Detox Fail #1
The Movie Deal (which we would have passed on HAD we won) has announced their finalists. Not us. Not even a finalist, though… that kinda stings. Meh. Also, Wildsound has fucked us for the second time, still not sending feedback, despite our payment for such. Beginning to think this is a cursed project. Ok, not […]
FAIL #1
The Movie Deal (which we would have passed on HAD we won) has announced their finalists. Not us. Not even a finalist, though… that kinda stings. Meh. Also, Wildsound has fucked us for the second time, still not sending feedback, despite our payment for such. Beginning to think this is a cursed project. Ok, not […]
3 degrees from Kevin Bacon
I was playing around tonite, after my kid was worried that the “long-haired guy in the red shirt) in Tremors was gonna die. And I said, “Kevin Bacon won’t die!” Which prompted my son to ask who is Kevin Bacon. Which prompted me to tell him about the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. Which led […]
I miss writing
It’s been an amazingly long time since I’ve written a story (screenplays don’t count). I was just starting to get that little whisper of inspiration, the feeling like a nicotine craving or being horny that compels me to put words on a page (and not blogging). Hopefully something will churn up. Now that I know […]
Show Me Your Indies
IndieFlix, an On-Demand DVD site where you can buy a standard edition of “The Bet” without specials features for $5.95, has a special site called “Show Me Your Indies.” As part of that, they are highlighting filmmakers with films for sale with a “What the heck are IndieFlix filmmakers up to?” blog. Mine is up […]
Forward on draft 11
With Kurt’s notes – which Chris Smith just went through and agreed he and I are on the same page – I am moving ahead to draft 11. No major changes, just a bit of fleshing out the characters with some revised action and dialogue. Possibly going to re-incorporate some stuff dropped from previous versions […]
Sometimes technology is better than people
Hello the man in the planet, We at BLOODY-DISGUSTING.COM would like to wish you a happy bloody birthday! ’nuff said.
First feedback on “Detox”
Kurt Rauf gave feedback on the latest draft of Detox. Kurt was the DP on “The Bet” and many other films, including My Name Is Bruce with his buddy Bruce Campbell. Kurt’s leaving to go to Michigan next week to catch the tour of MNIB. But he managed to get through the latest draft and […]
First feedback
Kurt Rauf gave feedback on the latest draft of Detox. Kurt was the DP on “The Bet” and many other films, including My Name Is Bruce with his buddy Bruce Campbell. Kurt’s leaving to go to Michigan next week to catch the tour of MNIB. But he managed to get through the latest draft and […]
Horror
I just blogged about the first script pitch for Detox over at the Detox blog HERE. And at the end I mentioned wanting to write a horror script that couldn’t construed as anything BUT horror. You’d think that’d be easy. And, I guess, it would. But maybe my brain is just not wired that way. […]
First pitch.
On Friday, I came across a post from the Director of Development of a production company asking for scripts to be pitched. I sent him an email asking if they were buying the script outright or if they were willing to allow me to develop it for them as the director. They said they were […]
Obama. FTW!
Thank you.Let’s hope change really does come.Cos we need it. And thank you, especially, to Shannon. She made me want to vote. And if she made ME vote, she made others (and I know she did). And, considering the number of new voters, there were a lot of Shannons out there. I just hope America’s […]
It’s almost Halloween.
yay. woot. and who gives a fuck. if you’ve been around since last halloween, you’ll know how sucky it was last year. AND if you’ve been around since last halloween, why haven’t we had drinks? i’m not looking forward to it (and it’s funny that i took a vacation during last halloween as well – […]
Super 8
I just bought a Super 8 camera off eBay (which means it may not work). It’s a Kodak Instamatic M26. And it was $3.99. I don’t know anything about Super 8 cameras except that I love the look they produce (hence the faked 8mm look of “The Bet” on the DVD – or was it […]
I hate the world
or maybe just america, i don’t know. it could just be vegas.i don’t like to hate. i really don’t. i feel better as a person and have a better day when i don’t hate people. but i’m really, really starting to hate them. and for very personal reasons that would affect no one else, so […]
Three contests
A few months ago we submitted an in-progress draft of Detox to the Wildsound Screenplay Contest as they provide feedback on every script submitted – whether or not it “wins” and is given a live reading with live feedback. I never heard anything back from them and contacted them to check on the status. Their […]
Sign a petition for 24fps in the Canon 5D Mark II
I don’t know if these things actually work, but it doesn’t hurt to try. Yes? Canon is releasing the 5D Mark II in November. It’s a great still camera and one of the first to shoot video. However, it only shoots 30fps. There is no option for 24fps. If you don’t know, 30fps is a […]
My geek is showing
Okay. So I spent about 6 hours this weekend building a Steampunk aircraft out of LEGOs. So what. And yeah, sure, maybe I went to Fresh ‘n’ Easy with my goggles on. SO?!?!?
2 words: Zombies. LEGOs. FTW!
Oh SHIT!Zombie Apocafest (love all of that) 2008 took place at BrickCon (love the idea of that) 2008 in Seattle (god, i love seattle), WA between October (my favorite month) 2 and 5. i. am. in heaven. and as jealous as mom when she caught dad making naked hugs with uncle roger on the porch […]
I grew up (just a little).
My office spouse, Shannon (yes, she’s okay being called my office spouse and I’m glad to have her as one), is insane. For many reasons. But the reason that relates to this blog is that she’s very politically involved. She’s actually going to spend her Sunday morning canvassing the neighborhood to educate the undecided voters […]
First 50 of Empire’s Top 500
Empire Magazine Online listed their 500 Greatest Movies of All Time. I love the fact that Empire Strikes Back is #3 and no other Star Wars film even breaks the Top 20. Though I’m not exactly thrilled that Aliens beat Alien. Nor that Evil Dead 2 is in the Top 50, but no sign of […]
Decided. D90 FTW.
I’ve finally decided on a camera. It was not by far an easy choice, believe me. When I’ve literally dreamed about cameras every night for the past month or so, you gotta understand it’s been a pretty thought-intensive process.I’d been going between the Canon 5D Mark II, which shoots 21MP and video at 1080p at […]
Draft 10
After quite a bit of discussion, draft 10 of Detox is finally done. It is not yet the final final final draft, however it is the draft going to the first contest. There are few minor points to noodle. This is the draft we are going to let people read and get feedback on. This […]
Bummed
I think about how it could be, sitting around and thinking up shit to film, experiments and such. Brainstorming. And doing. I don’t have those kind of friends. My friends get annoyed when I drone on about film stuff. Well, at least the local ones. Even if they don’t say anything, I can feel it. […]
Get “The Bet” for $5.95
The Standard Edition DVD of “The Bet” (sans bonus features) is available for $5.95 from indieflix. Buy it (or better yet, get the fully-loaded (like me) DVD with over 4 hours of bonus features from filmbaby. Either way, you’re helping me get a Canon 5D Mark II and helping me make more films. With the […]
The Canon 5D Mark II
Pretty much decided. Well, I am decided. I just need the cash (hopefully that will come when the camera does in late November). Can’t tell you how awesome it is. 1080p. 30fps (which I’ve test converting to 24fps and it looks fine; plus a firmware upgrade may allow 24fps filming). And it’s a Canon. My […]
Two things
I need to find a decent camera. For the past week I’ve been drooling over the Nikon D90 because it records HD video at 24p and (since it’s a DSLR) has interchangeable lenses. And for $1299 (with the stock zoom lens) it’s pretty damn affordable. BUT I am not liking the rolling shutter. I could […]
I am trying
I know at least 2 people read my insane ramblings here.that doesn’t bother me.i have been doing everything i can to learn about filmmaking. reading blogs, watching commentaries, listening to podcasts, reading about the rule of thirds, discussing marketing, about every imaginable way i can even attemt to begin to get a clue about how […]
Possibly the most (or 2nd or 3rd) awesome photo ever
TERRIFYING
Not really sure what to do with that.
I rarely covet…
Okay, calling my own bullshit. I covet damn near everything. But this I am just absolutely insane over. Like, I would trade one of my kids (the bad one) for it. Okay, not really. But damn near close. This is like the uber-cute, snuggly version of the one I sold in a garage sale too […]
James goes to Italy
Below is Walt Turner (in blinding blonde hair) to promote Vegas: Based on a True Story at the Venice Film Festival on September 1st. How exciting! Walt played James in “The Bet.” He took copies of the DVD to pass out as his reel – wouldn’t hurt if it landed in a VIP’s hands, that’s […]
The art of collaboration
When interviewed about “The Bet,” I was asked what it was like to write with a partner. I thought I’d take a minute and explain the process Chris Smith and I go through. It’s not the way many people might imagine, where we discuss and ponder and brainstorm in between turns at the keyboard. Actually […]
The inspiration
For quite some time, I’ve believed that everything around is an answer, we just haven’t asked the question yet. On February 9, 2007 I was at a photoshoot at Francis George’s studio. Between shots, I was looking through some of his props on a shelf and came across a huge horse syringe. Francis said I […]
Interwebs interactivity
Attempting to create a way of making it easier to get updates on all the stuff that I am working on, whether it’s a new review of “The Bet” or an update on Detox, or something else that happens to be in the works. Not that anyone reads these blogs… but I can pretend. What […]
New Blog
My name is Michael Dunn (also “The Man in the Planet) and I am a filmmaker.Shortly after completing my directorial debut, the short film, “The Bet,” I had an idea for a feature-length film. My co-writer on “The Bet,” Chris Smith, agreed to tackle the project together. In the next couple of days, I will […]
Final Detox teaser poster
Here it is. As always, clicking makes it bigger. Thanks to Francis George and Francis R Baytan for another excellent photoshoot and Leana Hildebrand for another awesome model. Why is there a poster if there’s no film yet? I wanted to promote the script with the same level of promotion I would give a film. […]
The Farting Scientologist
No idea how long this will stay alive on the internets. I’m working on a longer version. And, I just realised this isn’t the first farting scientologist video out there. When Shannon was playing with the Whoopie Cushion widget over Tom Cruise’s weird ass video, I nearly died and we thought it’d be great to […]
Death sucks
While roaming the user films section at DVXUser, I came across a post that shocked me. It mentioned that an actor named Chase Korte had died in a car accident early last year. Don’t know him? Most people probably don’t. I did. I have this morbid joke about how, when I’m developing a script, I’ll […]
Scarier
The transition in Jacob’s Ladder from the normal hospital to the hell hospital was and is far scarier and creepier than the CGI paint peel in Silent Hill – the movie. Very subtle. But haunting. Even the change in Silent Hill 2, the game obviously, was scarier than peeling paint. Maybe not as visual, but […]
Two Trailers
Two trailers snatched from twitchfilm that are worth passing along. The first, for Dying Breed, promises a rather awesome film. The second, for Mum & Dad, just plain creeps me out.
Amazon Annual Fee
Just found out that Amazon will be charging an annual fee of $29.95 for selling through their Advatange Program – which is how “The Bet” is selling. Please note the annual fee for continuied (sic) participation in the Amazon.com Advantage program will be deducted from your July sales payment. The annual fee is $29.95. The […]
I’ve always known I was different
I’ve come to accept it. I wear two different color high top Converse at times (fuck you, Punky Brewster). I wear shorts to work. I’ve got tattoos. My ears are pierced (though the earrings are long gone) and I even had my lip pierced. Sure, some may say rebel without a clue. When Batman Begins […]
A rant on the MPAA ratings
A short one, cos I’m drunk, but why is Grand Canyon (and awesome film) rated R for “Language,” (they say “fuck” more than once – and there is some violence, though this isn’t even noted, realistic and disturbing at that) while Hostel 2 is given the same rating for “sadistic scenes of torture and bloody […]
IMDb Indie Showcase
IMDb sent me an invitation to upload “The Bet” to showcase on their Indie section. I chose to only upload the trailer (not the whole film) and, whether or not they decided to actually highlight it, the trailer is now live on “The Bet” IMDb page. Pretty cool. Cooler if they actually highlight it, though.
Absence
As a big fan of independent and no-budget filmmaking (and a fan of the Silent Hill games), this short by first-time filmmaker Steve Griggs really caught my eye. An awesome location (Pleasure Beach in CT) and some very striking, haunting images. Watch it. Comment. This guy’ll only get better. Damn him and his talent. Opens […]
Wow
I haven’t felt as tense as I did watching this film in a long time. So much for needing to see something on a big screen to get into it. Wow. Pretty intense stuff here. INDEMNE
Wall-E
First – If you’re gonna use anamorphic bokeh and blue line flares, please use the lens flare as well. it’s just unrealistic otherwise (yes, i know it’s a film about robots!) Second – Enough with the Apple references. Third – Enough with everyone claiming it’s political. Fourth – This film, despite everyone’s raving and craziness, […]
To DVD or not to DVD?
Was sitting here this morning, drinking my coffee, wondering how I would feel if I were to get to make Detox and it ended up going straight-to-DVD. Would I be happy that I got to make the film? Would I be upset it never played in a theatre? Does a DTV-release mean I made a […]
Sometimes I drink
Last Christmas. Vodka. Peanut Butter. My dog (stop your filthy mind). Edward Scissorhands.
We are on Google Street View
View Larger MapAnd on Google Maps you can see Bat Boy!
I am awed by Jackie Chan
See why (as if you don’t already know) – awesome video of his TOP TEN stunts
Talent = Talent – Hype
Yes, I admit it. I play the soundbyte of Daniel Noriega’s classic “Some people weren’t likin’ it” anytime some questions me or my design fa shizzle (I have a rather small but potent array of soundbytes, the latest being the “Party in the elevator” awesomeness by Brent Bailey in the Taco Bell :15 second Queso […]
Why is horror the indie gateway?
Yeah, I know that The Blair Witch Project is the most profitable film ever, but reading the numerous filmmaking blog I subscribe to, I gotta wonder why so many of the threads are about people who are making horror films? Andm about that, read a post the other day that said if the company wanted […]
I’m committed
I may beard again
Before I was gonna do it until, well shit, I don’t remember what I was gonna do it ’til… Maybe for Detox to get made? Well, how ’bout a slightly shorter wait (or not) for the new short film, PeepShow. Meh. I’m doing it cos I get bored of the doof in the mirror.
The new short film
With any luck, in January of ’09, I’ll be shooting a new short film. If the script comes together. If there’s money. If the SAG paperwork goes through in time. If I can get it all together and going before the end of January when my free equipment goes away. Of course, as usual, I’m […]
Wordle
Came across an awesome site: wordle.net which makes a word cloud from text that’s entered, bigger words are the ones used most. So I dumped in the script for “The Bet” and here’s what it looks like. Click for a much bigger image.
My Splitapart
I was touring teh internets and came across two articles. One that address the sins of grammar (my lowercase ramblings are heretofore exempt, but open single quotes in place of apostrophes are not – and “an” should be used when word starting with “h” begins with an unaccened syllable as far as i’m concerned), and […]
Revamping “Detox”
There have been some rumblings about the ending being “tacked on.” I, myself, really liked the ending and, being stubborn, didn’t want to lose a lot of the elements that appeared there. It was a decidedly thrilling ending, but I’ve had this feeling that it didn’t really fit. I realised this fully as I was […]
David Lynch for iPhone
David Lynch for iPhone on FunnyOrDie.com
Your needle or mine?
Here’s the first iteration of the revised teaser poster for Detox featuring a syringe shot by Francis George. Comments are greatly appreciated (good and bad). This is to promote the script – not the film – hence the lack of real credits (like “directed by” or “produced by”). The credit block at the bottom reads […]
FADE IN: & FADE OUT.
I love typing the words FADE IN followed by a colon. Usually, when I’ve committed enough to type that, I know where I’m going next and can usually fill about five pages in no time. The journey from FADE IN: to FADE OUT. (which I have to say the punctuation says everything; a colon means […]
“A Lonely Place for Dying”(and Auctioning Off the Dream)
Not sure if I’ve mentioned already that I’m doing the marketing materials (website, AFM email campaign, EPK, postcards, etc) for the independent film A Lonely Place for Dying (link opens IMDb page). In exchange for the work, I’m receiving 2 participation points (and as a special “thank you” the director is also giving me free […]
Relax
Everything’s going to be okay.
Onward with “the punishment cabinet”
After spending the weekend churning through a few dead end ideas for a new script – keeping in mind everything I’d been reading about creating a successful script – I finally decided to come back to the punishment cabinet, even though it doesn’t exactly follow a lot of the rules for a “successful” script. Let […]
Foreplay on IMDb
The short film I did for the AIGA Awards Show back in 2004 is now listed on IMDb. Awesome. Watch it below.
How I learned to stop worrying and love digital cinema
Yes, it’s a bit of a film geek question. Consider the source. I myself LOVE film, even the weave and stutter and all the “bad” things about it. I remember in a film class in college, we watched Hiroshima, Mon Amour, the beginning of which, due to a threading malfunction, had sound that was garbled […]
“Detox” – the next step
As soon as we get draft 5 into a very, very nice place, which i am aiming to have it wrapped up by the end of June, we’ll be submitting it to both the WGA and copyright office for the obvious copyright protection. Then it’ll be heading off to the Wildsound screenplay competition. Why there? […]
I’ve asked before. Now it’s important.
UPDATE: Two new votes popped up which have brought the overall score UP to 2.4. Thanks to whoever it was that voted. Too bad the “real” votes aren’t counting like they should. An arithmetic mean of 8.2 and a “weighted average” of 2.4. At least it’s going up. So I’m asking again. IF you’ve seen […]
“Detox” FX estimate
To see how we were doing keeping Detox low in the budget arena, I decided to get a quote from a popular FX house to handle the various effects. I’m not spilling any beans on what those effects are, nor who quoted it, nor what the amount was… I’ll just say I was pleasantly surprised […]
IMDb User Ratings
EDIT: Apparently, I’m not the only one hit with a sudden 1-star vote that drastically lowered the overall rating. Over at Without a Box’s FORUM, a number of people are reporting their independent films were hit with the past month with a 1-star rating which dropped their film’s score way below what that one vote […]
My latest obsession
I have lately been obsessed with the ’90s for a variety of reasons. Recently I rented (from a not very near video store) Run Lola Run. I popped it in just to see how it started and ended up watching the whole thing (and loving it to the point of obsessing over it the entire […]
“Collector”
Trailer for a Russian short film that looks… awesome.
New DETOX poster
Because I wasn’t likin’ the first one. This should convey more about what to expect from the script, since that’s what it’s selling. Comments? Thoughts? Click for a bigger image.
Geeking out
I get in these moods… I mentioned before my obsession with anamorphic lenses… well, yes, I am obsessing over it, so much so I have been learning about different kinds of anamorphic lenses and when is best to use them and all that. Then there’s my newfound eBay obsession. Yes, I did buy the Alien […]
How an alien changed my life
When I was 8 years old a film came out that I was only aware of on the periphery of my sheltered existence. At the summer recreation center at the school I went to I happened to pick up a book, a novelization of a popular film. I’d never heard of it, but the cover […]
AWESOME!
Just got my limited edition (#143/210) poster for Alamo Drafthouse’s screening of The Thing. It’s just so cool. See picture and description below. Click image for larger view. Sci-Fi Series – John Carpenter’s The Thing Poster by Tyler Stout!Stout Strikes again! Tyler has crafted this beautiful poster commemorating the Alamo Drafthouse’s screening of one of […]
Shooting a commercial
Off in Northnern California shooting a commercial. Yes, it is 1:50 in the morning. Yes, I just got uphttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif for a 2:30am shoot. Yes, I’m going to be working until 4pm. No, I’m not happy. Until I recover, enjoy the following links. The House Next Door “Soderberg Is a Wild Man” – a thread covering […]
Reverend Michael Dunn
Yes, Reverend. Mat Planet (“The Bet” fans know him as “Donnie”) had said before that he was an ordained minister of the Universal Life Church. I thought this was awesome. So much so that I wanted him to officiate our 10-year vow renewal (which we opted to have dinner instead, meh). So much so that […]
Mad World
Anytime I get the chance, I love to plug my good pal Rachel Bellinsky (and here, too, her sister Justine) and this is as good a time as any. Here they are fooling with teh teknology. One of my favorite songs. Mad World
One of those days
Today was one of those days I rarely get to experience. After a week and half of the most horrific neck and shoulder pain, last night was the first night I actually slept really good. At least until 2:30 this morning. I got up, partly cos I was hot, partly because I needed more Advil, […]
It amazes me…
…when people actually buy “The Bet” on DVD. Why? Shouldn’t I just cash the checks and smile? No. I wanna know WHY they bought it. I wanna know WHERE they heard about it. I wanna know WHAT they thought of it. And I have no clue most of the time. Of all the DVDs that […]
My ghey is showing.
Around 1987, with the release of Boy George’s first solo album Sold, there was a 12″ single (yes, I still love vinyl and still have a ton of 12″ mixes) for the title track which featured Mr O’Dowd in a rather provocative shirt. I (at the tender age of 16) would have killed for that […]
I am a procrastinator
Because I hit a temporary block on the script for the punishment cabinet I decided to let it go for a bit and made a new teaser poster for it. I also did some theoretical casting (which helps me visualise the characters) and found someone that totally fits the main character. With him in mind […]
Missing a friend
This is my second favorite photo Scott took, simply because instead of seeing him, we see him the way others saw him when they were being seen by him through a camera – which was a true honor. My first favorite is featured in “The Bet” and to see it and to know why, buy […]
the punishment cabinet
Well, apparently I can’t write traditional horror. What started as an idea for a ball-out, rockin’ horror gorefest has become a deeply disturbing human drama. I’ve got the groundwork laid out for a new feature-length script called the punishment cabinet: After an attack resurrects a man’s past and leaves his wife in a coma, he […]
Interview with the cast & creators of “The Bet”
2.0 Television interviewed us after one of the screenings of “The Bet” at CineVegas last year and have finally posted the segment in two parts. Check it (and don’t laugh). Part 1Part 2
If you liked it, or hated it…
There are ways to let others know your feelings about “The Bet.” You can go to any one (or more) of the following outlets for your thoughts. And believe me, I’m not going to whine if I see a post that says, “That movie was teh sux0r, wasup wit the Pupptz?” I know they are […]
I would kill to have Tyler Stout design my next tattoo (or more)
Click to make bigger! If you said “Tyler Who?” you are forgiven because I only just recently (about 10 minutes ago) discovered him and fell in love. The line work is just so… amazing. I hate that Quentin Tarantino tapped him for all those QTFest posters (and hate him more for having his OWN FESTIVALS!!!). […]
Review: “Headscrew of a Short Film”
Soiled Sinema has reviewed “The Bet,” calling it “Abstract and Beautiful.” Soiled Sinema was one of the sites I mentioned previously to whom I’d submitted a screener and said to check them out before I hated them for giving the film a bad review. Well, worry not. “The Bet” unfolds like a magnificent eclipse of […]
Kinda cool
I know Target’s online store has connections with Amazon, hence the inclusion of “The Bet” at target.com, but it’s still pretty freakin’ awesome that if you go to Target’s site and search for me (or anyone else in the film), the DVD’s gonna pop up. EDIT: What’s also interesting is that there are three other […]