Warning: If you find yourself here via a google search for such things as TV shows or films, recipes or cities, this blog has some facts. However, this blog is one author’s very twisted musing on many weird things. It is sometimes graphic in content. If you read on, don’t write to yell at me.
A Big Thanks
I really appreciate the kind notes that were sent about the death of my friend, Harry Kenney. It’s been a difficult week facing things like mortality and choices and accomplishments. Looking over a life-time can lead to some very bleak places. I had been deeply saddened by the inability to find anything about him on the internet. I had worried that all that he had achieve would passed unrecognized and remembered. I was never happier to be so wrong. There are now more than a dozen heartfelt obituaries and comments in all manner of Adult forums over his passing. The most well known was in the website for Adult Video News. It made me very happy to see that he left behind a great deal of people whose work and friendship meant a great deal. I think Harry would have been very pleased to see all of the lovely comments. He would have been really jazzed that my most infamous ex, Nick Nicastro, the salacious dark lord that lead me astray and still resides in the bowels of Atlantic City. He has inspired one novel and is the leading man in most of my erotica. He is still the naughtiest man I know – even in his 60s. Harry admired him greatly for his prowess with women. And Nick ended up admiring him as well. He was quite shaken at Harry’s passing. And that is quite a tribute. It’s been a hard week coming to terms with his death, but there has been a benefit. I re-connected with a number of friends I’d lost touch with after moving to LA. It was marvelous to catch up with them. Like all good friendships, the calls were as warm and wonderful as if we’d been talking every day. Those long chats have helped a little with the grief.
Blood Oath and Film Update
Last week was the final rehearsal before the shoot. We’d made some dialogue changes to the script, and Jon fully blocked out the fight scenes. So, we had Matty and Lance over again to do some read through and work through any questions or concerns. As always, I was fascinated watching the actors work. Matty Ferraro had read A Solder’s Choice before accepting the role. Lance only had the script and a character description. The reasons for the difference is kind of involved, so I’ll skip it. Each man managed to figure out who the characters were and how to convey their personalities on camera. It’s difficult to describe how I know when the actor understands the character. My method is different from Jon’s. For me, it boils down to one line in pages of dialogue that is quintessentially Vincent or Rik. There is a certain way that the character would say that line. Most times, I can’t describe what I should be hearing. I just know it when I hear it. I was elated when Matty and Lance both said the words in those lines exactly how I expected to hear them. Moreover, when they deviated from expected, they were in ways that were still valid for their characters. In some cases, they were a better read than we’d each had in mind. That’s when a shoot is really fun. Along with their choices for portraying the characters, I was struck at the ease of their intimacy. They did some physically things during the dialogue scenes that I hadn’t expected. There were some touches and glances that just make the slash girls swoon. Jon was pleased that his focus can be on their movements rather than on the performances. We are set to shoot this Thursday and Friday only a mile or two from the first part of the shoot on Demon Under Glass. I recognized the street as soon as we turned onto it. Our first hotel was there (the one that had towels and heat). Ah memories. I still don’t know how we keep ending up shooting in that part of town. We’re all excited to be making a film again. But we’re also nervous as always. It’s a responsibility to book up these professionals’ time. We want it to be a productive and fun experience. Jon is working hard to make sure the shots run smoothly. Margeurite and I are working on keeping everyone well fed and comfy in our temporary home. I am making the field rations for the dialogue scenes. The only worrisome thing is the erecting of the green screen. We’ve never done it before. I’m certain a comedic adventure awaits. There are always so many on our shoots. I still cringe at that message that our motel mattress for Demon Under Glass was laying across a lane and a half of the 405 freeway. Fortunately, we don’t have nearly as much stuff going into the valley this time. We shouldn’t have as many adventures. Notice, I don’t make guarantees.
There are no updates on the Gunslinger and Luv U 4 Ever that I can talk about. It’s frustrating, I know (believe me, everyone involved knows how frustrating this is). The fortunate thing is that the Gunslinger is so ready for production that it will only take a few days to set a schedule and get rolling. Stay tuned.
Pop Culture Rants
These have been long overdue. I’ve had notes on some things since mid-December. And it’s fitting as a continuing tribute to Harry. We talked pop culture since high school and were film and TV critics on The Temple News. We saw some fun stuff over the holiday break. One of them, Wanted was a film that I really wasn’t sure I’d enjoy. It looked too shooty-bang bang for me. But there was Angelina splayed across the hood of a car with a big gun. I couldn’t resist. The film was a fabulous fun ride. It was far funnier than I ever expected (and intentionally so), and the amount of character development was surprising. I wished that one pivotal scene was longer because of the heavy emotional impact. But other than that, Wanted was a great popcorn romp. The other film we saw at that time was Get Smart. The TV series was a huge favorite of mine and my mother’s. This did not disappoint though they characters were not the same as the series. They were completely valid, but not mimics of the TV characters. It was a clap your hands in delight experience.
Meanwhile, my trailer troubles continue. I typically wouldn’t be interested in something like My Bloody Valentine in 3-D. However, I was so annoyed by the trailer that I couldn’t resist finding out what the film was about. SPOLIER ALERT. So you are warned after a bloody rampage at a Valentines Dance that cost the lives of many miners 20 years before not have another Valentines Dance. When a dance is scheduled, deadly mayhem ensues, so you sanely cancel the plans. But the teenagers who should know of this prohibition throw said dance AT THE MINE. Everyone deserves to die. I hope the deaths are gruesome. I’ll never see it.
I have many thoughts on Gil Grissom’s departure from CSI and on this season of CSI: Miami as well as the return of Anthony Bourdain, and, of course, Battlestar Galactica. But that is for another day. I have food to cook and a shoot to plan.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Painful Passages and First Day of the Shoot
Warning: If you find yourself here via a google search for such things as TV shows or films, recipes or cities, this blog has some facts. However, this blog is one author’s very twisted musing on many weird things. It is sometimes graphic in content. If you read on, don’t write to yell at me.
This has been a bizarre week even for me. It began with blatantly thwarting LA film codes and ended with a sudden and tragic passing of one of my oldest friendships. Our day jobs have had a big change, and the battle for funding took an interesting turn. The Eagles are playing right now, but I’m ignoring the game for now. By the time this is finished, there may be a final score. I don’t even know if the game’s outcome will matter to me. I have a lot of distractions right now.
Permettez Moi
The film community complains a lot about Runaway Productions. They don’t just complain about the work going to other countries. They complain bitterly about the work that has left Los Angeles. I understand their complaints, but I also understand why they lost and continue to lose work here. We wanted to do the short for The Gunslinger locally. I mean, who really wants to drive five hours when they could travel a fraction of that time. But the film ranches in this area are used to projects like Deadwood and the budgets that go with it. The day rate these places wanted caused hysterical laughter. Then, we took a five hour drive. It’s almost the same situation with Blood Oath. We wanted to shoot for a few hours on the state-owned Dockweiler Beach. At first, I was up for doing it legally. I inquired after a permit. To my complete surprise, it was more than twice as expensive as a permit to shoot on Malibu Beach. On top of the pricey permit, they wanted a million dollar insurance rider. Did I mention that all the guys are doing on the beach are some Tai Chi Katas? Jon, our DP, Erick and Ralph were undeterred. We did it guerilla style – no permits and very efficiently.
We started just before 9 am when the beach is fairly deserted. It’s not a touristy beach because of its location at the end of the runways at LAX (which is why we didn’t have any dialogue happening). It was a picture perfect, sunny day. The water was an emerald green
and the waves broke very prettily. We couldn’t have designed a better backdrop. The guys looked very yummy together, especially in the training phase (the black tank tops). We did a set of katas where Rik is teaching Vincent (training phase) and ones where they are just meditating together. I love the hands especially (Forgive my fuzzy photography. It’s an older digital camera). There are more pics on the myspace page. Most are the very nice, clear pics that Ralph took. Matty and Lance definitely have chemistry together. The footage is compelling. And that’s good, because we won’t have to shoot it again. Being an outlaw film maker is far more stressful on me than I thought it would be. There were at least three beach patrol vehicles who past by and gave us the once over, and there was an LAPD motorcycle cop who buzzed our base camp in the parking lot. It was all very unnerving for me, anyway. I was really relieved when we wrapped for the morning.
Tomorrow, I’m having Matty over to practice playing with his ponytail and to do some cooking together. We may try to grab some scenes of Vincent in the kitchen at some point as part of the opening credits. Lance will be there to practice playing with Vincent’s ponytail and to go over the new dialogue. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it.
No new updates on The Gunslinger and Luv U 4 Ever. A lot has been happening that I can’t talk about. It’s fascinating and frustrating how much of what’s going on has nothing to do with the films themselves but are pivotal to the film’s funding. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to talk about what all of the machinations were. I don’t know if anyone would believe me if I did. We’re still awaiting word of a start date.
Painful Passage
Most of what I wanted to talk about this week was eclipsed by an e-mail from a very kind stranger telling me that Harry W. Kenney, a friend for over 30 years, had died of a heart attack. He was 48. The day befor
e, his 100 year old mother died. Harry was a fixture in my homes in Philly. We went through high school and college together. He was at many holiday gatherings and we heralded in many a New Year together along with a group of nerdy misfits I’ve known for
ever. He helped me write the first version of The Privateers, and we worked on a couple of other scripts while I was still in Philly. Harry’s claim to fame was not in writing. He was a pioneer in adult internet content under the name Dravyk. Little wonder that he was the first host for NovaD.com (now NovaD.org). It was an interesting career turn for a Catholic boy (though, maybe not that surprising), and it took him all over the world. His last days were spent caring for his mother, something he had done for most of his life. Though he may not have pursued the writing career he’d wanted, his work influenced a lot of folks in the webhosting world, and he left a lot of friends who will remember him fondly. It’s fortunate that a few of us ended up in LA. We’ll go have a beverage and a dance or two in his honor (he was an enthusiastic, if not a very good dancer). It’ll be tough returning to Philly and not meeting up for a drink with him. As you can see from the photos, there was a lot of drinking and apparently costumes in our friendship. He’ll always be around when any of us get together.
I’m off to do some stuff for the memorial and for the read through tomorrow.
This has been a bizarre week even for me. It began with blatantly thwarting LA film codes and ended with a sudden and tragic passing of one of my oldest friendships. Our day jobs have had a big change, and the battle for funding took an interesting turn. The Eagles are playing right now, but I’m ignoring the game for now. By the time this is finished, there may be a final score. I don’t even know if the game’s outcome will matter to me. I have a lot of distractions right now.
Permettez Moi
The film community complains a lot about Runaway Productions. They don’t just complain about the work going to other countries. They complain bitterly about the work that has left Los Angeles. I understand their complaints, but I also understand why they lost and continue to lose work here. We wanted to do the short for The Gunslinger locally. I mean, who really wants to drive five hours when they could travel a fraction of that time. But the film ranches in this area are used to projects like Deadwood and the budgets that go with it. The day rate these places wanted caused hysterical laughter. Then, we took a five hour drive. It’s almost the same situation with Blood Oath. We wanted to shoot for a few hours on the state-owned Dockweiler Beach. At first, I was up for doing it legally. I inquired after a permit. To my complete surprise, it was more than twice as expensive as a permit to shoot on Malibu Beach. On top of the pricey permit, they wanted a million dollar insurance rider. Did I mention that all the guys are doing on the beach are some Tai Chi Katas? Jon, our DP, Erick and Ralph were undeterred. We did it guerilla style – no permits and very efficiently.
We started just before 9 am when the beach is fairly deserted. It’s not a touristy beach because of its location at the end of the runways at LAX (which is why we didn’t have any dialogue happening). It was a picture perfect, sunny day. The water was an emerald green
and the waves broke very prettily. We couldn’t have designed a better backdrop. The guys looked very yummy together, especially in the training phase (the black tank tops). We did a set of katas where Rik is teaching Vincent (training phase) and ones where they are just meditating together. I love the hands especially (Forgive my fuzzy photography. It’s an older digital camera). There are more pics on the myspace page. Most are the very nice, clear pics that Ralph took. Matty and Lance definitely have chemistry together. The footage is compelling. And that’s good, because we won’t have to shoot it again. Being an outlaw film maker is far more stressful on me than I thought it would be. There were at least three beach patrol vehicles who past by and gave us the once over, and there was an LAPD motorcycle cop who buzzed our base camp in the parking lot. It was all very unnerving for me, anyway. I was really relieved when we wrapped for the morning.Tomorrow, I’m having Matty over to practice playing with his ponytail and to do some cooking together. We may try to grab some scenes of Vincent in the kitchen at some point as part of the opening credits. Lance will be there to practice playing with Vincent’s ponytail and to go over the new dialogue. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it.
No new updates on The Gunslinger and Luv U 4 Ever. A lot has been happening that I can’t talk about. It’s fascinating and frustrating how much of what’s going on has nothing to do with the films themselves but are pivotal to the film’s funding. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to talk about what all of the machinations were. I don’t know if anyone would believe me if I did. We’re still awaiting word of a start date.
Painful Passage
Most of what I wanted to talk about this week was eclipsed by an e-mail from a very kind stranger telling me that Harry W. Kenney, a friend for over 30 years, had died of a heart attack. He was 48. The day befor
e, his 100 year old mother died. Harry was a fixture in my homes in Philly. We went through high school and college together. He was at many holiday gatherings and we heralded in many a New Year together along with a group of nerdy misfits I’ve known for
ever. He helped me write the first version of The Privateers, and we worked on a couple of other scripts while I was still in Philly. Harry’s claim to fame was not in writing. He was a pioneer in adult internet content under the name Dravyk. Little wonder that he was the first host for NovaD.com (now NovaD.org). It was an interesting career turn for a Catholic boy (though, maybe not that surprising), and it took him all over the world. His last days were spent caring for his mother, something he had done for most of his life. Though he may not have pursued the writing career he’d wanted, his work influenced a lot of folks in the webhosting world, and he left a lot of friends who will remember him fondly. It’s fortunate that a few of us ended up in LA. We’ll go have a beverage and a dance or two in his honor (he was an enthusiastic, if not a very good dancer). It’ll be tough returning to Philly and not meeting up for a drink with him. As you can see from the photos, there was a lot of drinking and apparently costumes in our friendship. He’ll always be around when any of us get together. I’m off to do some stuff for the memorial and for the read through tomorrow.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Extra Gravy, Passings and Updates
Warning: If you find yourself here via a google search for such things as TV shows or films, recipes or cities, this blog has some facts. However, this blog is one author’s very twisted musing on many weird things. It is sometimes graphic in content. If you read on, don’t write to yell at me.
The week has been too interesting. Any number of things work for a lengthy blog, including happening on an hour long crime documentary featuring the real Miami-dade Crime lab. But there was something happening almost every day. But let’s begin with the obvious this fine Sunday afternoon late in the football season.
It’s All Gravy
How I love gravy. After the Eagles tied with the Cincinnati Bengals (the Bengals, for goodness sake – sorry, Randy), I was done, done, done. I would still follow the team. I can’t help but do that, but I had become resigned. And then, there was this transformation. I was happy they would finish the season with a decent record. Then, I was thrilled that we were in the position to spoil Dallas’ chances. There is nothing Philly fans like more than spoiling Dallas’ chances. That the game was at home made it all the more likely that there would be much spoiling going on. Former Dallas QB and current Fox Sports anchor, Troy Aikman observed that the s
tands were particularly ugly even before the game. Yep, that’s Philly. But then it all turned to glee. It was a delightfully humiliating route. I was a happy woman with just that. The next Sunday, Jon and I went to look at the soundstages for Blood Oath (more on that below). We happened past the door to a local cop bar on the way home and spied that the Eagles were winning against Minnesota. Very nice, indeed. That meant we were in a position to spoil things for the New York Giants. We like spoiling things for them almost as much as we love spoiling things for Dallas. The glee continues though the game was kind of silly in spots. It’s all gravy from here. I have no particular grudge against Arizona, but now they are a team in the way. In the way of what, I dare not think about. I’m just going to enjoy this surprisingly long ride.
Passages
Borders Book Store #93, 3rd Street Promenade closed its doors for good yesterday. Thos
e of us who worked there have decidedly mixed feelings. There was a lot of evil cackling, to be sure. Some bitterness remains at the customers, the management, the corporate structure and the fixtures. But, there is some sadness at the loss of yet another brick and mortar bookstore. Jon argues that it wasn’t really a bookstore at this point. It was more like a gift shop that sold some books. The depth of the inventory had changed considerably. The last time I was there, I couldn’t find a copy of The Great Gatsby. ‘Nuff said. I mourned the store’s demise back then. The company should have never abandoned its original mandate – a community bookstore with the prices of a chain. Borders expanded way too quickly (during my time there, a new store was opening every month). The Amazon.com completely panicked Borders. After they came along, it was one hair-brained scheme after another to try to keep its market share. They diminished the number and types of books they carried and abandoned the idea of full-time, knowledgeable staffers there for the long term. I’m saddened because it was a really great bookseller at one time. I have some wonderful memories of that store. I met some of the best people I know there (like Marie and Craig and Phil). Marie and I learned about independent publishing working for Borders. My fondest memory of book signing was at a Borders. This one was in Philly while I worked for the Center City District. Peter O’Toole was signing a memoir at the Rittenhouse Square Borders. I just had to see him in person. He did not disappoint. Mr. O’Toole was there with a fine glass of booze and a cigarette awaiting the throngs when I arrived. The timid staff was trying to gently get him to not smoke and drink. He dismissed them with a very cultured ‘Oh, do go away.’ Then, he winked at me. It was fabulous. We would have never tried to take his stash at store #93 -- as long as he shared with us.
Our memories at store 93 are mostly ghastly. There were the various naked homeless people washing up in the bathrooms. They were never the OZ kind of naked or even the nudist camp kind of naked. It was gruesome kind of naked. Sometimes, they’d use the bathroom by going outside of the bathroom door next to the back office doors. My favorite of the homeless was not bathroom related. Mine was the one covered in gasoline and carrying an open cup of gas right in front of a group of VIPs from corporate headquarters. They no longer questioned our contention about having the weirdest clientele in the chain. We beat out the Manhattan stores for bizarre by a mile. We also cornered the market on privileged and often abusive customers who felt very entitled to everything. I won’t miss them at all. I met Patrick Stewart there (a co-worker nearly got injured over my wanting to wait on Captain Picard). Barbara Streisand thought I had the right idea about men (I was wearing a button that said ‘strip him, bath him and bring him to my tent). And Ted Danson looked for me long after I quit as he believed I was his personal shopper. Ah, memories. We tried to get a reunion group to go for one last visit, but I worried that Craig’s idea for a proper farewell would end in arrests. Thus, I say adieu from home.
Boo-yeah!
Among the meetings we had this week, was a fascinating encounter with a retired Marine Master Sergeant who runs a company that provides specialized military and police extras and equipment. He had the precision buzz cut and a fabulous face full of a lot of world experience. He was the technical advisor through the length of the series JAG. Though an older gentleman, he had a very powerful build and a compelling bearing. We were certain that he could waste all three of us without much effort. The young man with the Sergeant is one of Ralph’s clients. He was very helpful by changing into a uniform in front of me. Have I said that I really like how not shy actors are? That actor, it turned out had killed Garett Maggart’s character in CSI: Miami. I mentioned that at the meeting. His reply was that he seldom remembers who he’s killed. I was really glad we hadn’t met at a restaurant. One, I wouldn’t have seen his lovely torso, and two, the police may have been called. Or maybe not. During the shoot for Demon Under Glass, at least three of us were seen in public washing bloody clothing, and no one was ever called. That always bothered me. Where was I? Oh, yes, so we have some very fine military consultants and their equipment at our disposal for Blood Oath. I’m also hoping to persuade the Sergeant to take on the role of General Braun. I had been concerned about securing their services. These guys were serious military. And though Rik and Vincent are decidedly pro-military in the Soldiers books and in Blood Oath, their situation often casts the military in a less than positive light. And then there is the yaoi content. I was biting my nails after sending them the script for the pilot presentation (and this script is tame compared to the novels). It was a relief that it all worked out. The prospect of working with this group is exciting as it will add authenticity to a key component of Blood Oath.
A note to some followers of the blogs here. Dragoncor Productions has many kinds of irons in the fire. Some are more mainstream than others. Some are decidedly not for mainstream viewers. I am very clear in my descriptions of the various projects especially the yaoi. If you have a problem with a particular production because of content, feel free to discuss it with like- minded people in another forum. Do not bother the actors or crew listed here with your opinions on content in films they are not attached to. Your cooperation is appreciated.
Blood Oath Shoot
Our first day will be Monday at the beach here. We had rehearsal on Friday. How I love to have attractive men sprawled on my sofa. I also had them try on their lounge and medi
tative wear. It seems to me that for a woman with a well deserved reputation for lurid thoughts, I spend a lot of time clothing attractive men. Dang this film business and the need for costumes. They looked yummy, at any rate.
For those who have followed the writing of the Soldiers books, my attachment to Rik and Vincent is very clear. I adore those characters and they live in my mind quite vividly. It was difficult during the casting process to get the voices I’ve had for the characters out of my head. That’s where compelling actors come in. They are good looking men, and they have a lot of personality. I saw glimpses of Rik and Vincent in the casting sessions, but I actually heard them during rehearsal. Matty Ferraro and Lance Wesley have a lot of chemistry together. They laugh easily and are easily physical with each other. They even surprised me with that occasional magic actors do during rehearsals or shoots when they read a line in an unexpected and delightful way. Matty has the evil, smart alec and the kind and caring sides of Vincent down very nicely. Lance has a combination of strength and vulnerability that I can’t wait to see in action. I was delighted at how well they knew my guys. Friday was a very long day as Jon and I still had a long shift at the archive after the rehearsal. It didn’t seem long at all. We were so stoked after the rehearsal that adrenaline took over. Monday should be the same way. I can’t wait to see them move like my altered soldiers in the morning sunshine.
As for The Gunslinger and Luv U 4 Ever, we’re still waiting for the word.
I’m off to prep for an early call time.
The week has been too interesting. Any number of things work for a lengthy blog, including happening on an hour long crime documentary featuring the real Miami-dade Crime lab. But there was something happening almost every day. But let’s begin with the obvious this fine Sunday afternoon late in the football season.
It’s All Gravy
How I love gravy. After the Eagles tied with the Cincinnati Bengals (the Bengals, for goodness sake – sorry, Randy), I was done, done, done. I would still follow the team. I can’t help but do that, but I had become resigned. And then, there was this transformation. I was happy they would finish the season with a decent record. Then, I was thrilled that we were in the position to spoil Dallas’ chances. There is nothing Philly fans like more than spoiling Dallas’ chances. That the game was at home made it all the more likely that there would be much spoiling going on. Former Dallas QB and current Fox Sports anchor, Troy Aikman observed that the s
tands were particularly ugly even before the game. Yep, that’s Philly. But then it all turned to glee. It was a delightfully humiliating route. I was a happy woman with just that. The next Sunday, Jon and I went to look at the soundstages for Blood Oath (more on that below). We happened past the door to a local cop bar on the way home and spied that the Eagles were winning against Minnesota. Very nice, indeed. That meant we were in a position to spoil things for the New York Giants. We like spoiling things for them almost as much as we love spoiling things for Dallas. The glee continues though the game was kind of silly in spots. It’s all gravy from here. I have no particular grudge against Arizona, but now they are a team in the way. In the way of what, I dare not think about. I’m just going to enjoy this surprisingly long ride.Passages
Borders Book Store #93, 3rd Street Promenade closed its doors for good yesterday. Thos
e of us who worked there have decidedly mixed feelings. There was a lot of evil cackling, to be sure. Some bitterness remains at the customers, the management, the corporate structure and the fixtures. But, there is some sadness at the loss of yet another brick and mortar bookstore. Jon argues that it wasn’t really a bookstore at this point. It was more like a gift shop that sold some books. The depth of the inventory had changed considerably. The last time I was there, I couldn’t find a copy of The Great Gatsby. ‘Nuff said. I mourned the store’s demise back then. The company should have never abandoned its original mandate – a community bookstore with the prices of a chain. Borders expanded way too quickly (during my time there, a new store was opening every month). The Amazon.com completely panicked Borders. After they came along, it was one hair-brained scheme after another to try to keep its market share. They diminished the number and types of books they carried and abandoned the idea of full-time, knowledgeable staffers there for the long term. I’m saddened because it was a really great bookseller at one time. I have some wonderful memories of that store. I met some of the best people I know there (like Marie and Craig and Phil). Marie and I learned about independent publishing working for Borders. My fondest memory of book signing was at a Borders. This one was in Philly while I worked for the Center City District. Peter O’Toole was signing a memoir at the Rittenhouse Square Borders. I just had to see him in person. He did not disappoint. Mr. O’Toole was there with a fine glass of booze and a cigarette awaiting the throngs when I arrived. The timid staff was trying to gently get him to not smoke and drink. He dismissed them with a very cultured ‘Oh, do go away.’ Then, he winked at me. It was fabulous. We would have never tried to take his stash at store #93 -- as long as he shared with us.Our memories at store 93 are mostly ghastly. There were the various naked homeless people washing up in the bathrooms. They were never the OZ kind of naked or even the nudist camp kind of naked. It was gruesome kind of naked. Sometimes, they’d use the bathroom by going outside of the bathroom door next to the back office doors. My favorite of the homeless was not bathroom related. Mine was the one covered in gasoline and carrying an open cup of gas right in front of a group of VIPs from corporate headquarters. They no longer questioned our contention about having the weirdest clientele in the chain. We beat out the Manhattan stores for bizarre by a mile. We also cornered the market on privileged and often abusive customers who felt very entitled to everything. I won’t miss them at all. I met Patrick Stewart there (a co-worker nearly got injured over my wanting to wait on Captain Picard). Barbara Streisand thought I had the right idea about men (I was wearing a button that said ‘strip him, bath him and bring him to my tent). And Ted Danson looked for me long after I quit as he believed I was his personal shopper. Ah, memories. We tried to get a reunion group to go for one last visit, but I worried that Craig’s idea for a proper farewell would end in arrests. Thus, I say adieu from home.
Boo-yeah!
Among the meetings we had this week, was a fascinating encounter with a retired Marine Master Sergeant who runs a company that provides specialized military and police extras and equipment. He had the precision buzz cut and a fabulous face full of a lot of world experience. He was the technical advisor through the length of the series JAG. Though an older gentleman, he had a very powerful build and a compelling bearing. We were certain that he could waste all three of us without much effort. The young man with the Sergeant is one of Ralph’s clients. He was very helpful by changing into a uniform in front of me. Have I said that I really like how not shy actors are? That actor, it turned out had killed Garett Maggart’s character in CSI: Miami. I mentioned that at the meeting. His reply was that he seldom remembers who he’s killed. I was really glad we hadn’t met at a restaurant. One, I wouldn’t have seen his lovely torso, and two, the police may have been called. Or maybe not. During the shoot for Demon Under Glass, at least three of us were seen in public washing bloody clothing, and no one was ever called. That always bothered me. Where was I? Oh, yes, so we have some very fine military consultants and their equipment at our disposal for Blood Oath. I’m also hoping to persuade the Sergeant to take on the role of General Braun. I had been concerned about securing their services. These guys were serious military. And though Rik and Vincent are decidedly pro-military in the Soldiers books and in Blood Oath, their situation often casts the military in a less than positive light. And then there is the yaoi content. I was biting my nails after sending them the script for the pilot presentation (and this script is tame compared to the novels). It was a relief that it all worked out. The prospect of working with this group is exciting as it will add authenticity to a key component of Blood Oath.
A note to some followers of the blogs here. Dragoncor Productions has many kinds of irons in the fire. Some are more mainstream than others. Some are decidedly not for mainstream viewers. I am very clear in my descriptions of the various projects especially the yaoi. If you have a problem with a particular production because of content, feel free to discuss it with like- minded people in another forum. Do not bother the actors or crew listed here with your opinions on content in films they are not attached to. Your cooperation is appreciated.
Blood Oath Shoot
Our first day will be Monday at the beach here. We had rehearsal on Friday. How I love to have attractive men sprawled on my sofa. I also had them try on their lounge and medi
tative wear. It seems to me that for a woman with a well deserved reputation for lurid thoughts, I spend a lot of time clothing attractive men. Dang this film business and the need for costumes. They looked yummy, at any rate.For those who have followed the writing of the Soldiers books, my attachment to Rik and Vincent is very clear. I adore those characters and they live in my mind quite vividly. It was difficult during the casting process to get the voices I’ve had for the characters out of my head. That’s where compelling actors come in. They are good looking men, and they have a lot of personality. I saw glimpses of Rik and Vincent in the casting sessions, but I actually heard them during rehearsal. Matty Ferraro and Lance Wesley have a lot of chemistry together. They laugh easily and are easily physical with each other. They even surprised me with that occasional magic actors do during rehearsals or shoots when they read a line in an unexpected and delightful way. Matty has the evil, smart alec and the kind and caring sides of Vincent down very nicely. Lance has a combination of strength and vulnerability that I can’t wait to see in action. I was delighted at how well they knew my guys. Friday was a very long day as Jon and I still had a long shift at the archive after the rehearsal. It didn’t seem long at all. We were so stoked after the rehearsal that adrenaline took over. Monday should be the same way. I can’t wait to see them move like my altered soldiers in the morning sunshine.
As for The Gunslinger and Luv U 4 Ever, we’re still waiting for the word.
I’m off to prep for an early call time.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Year End Wrap and Various Updates
warning: If you find yourself here via a google search for such things as TV shows or films, recipes or cities, this blog has some facts. However, this blog is one author’s very twisted musing on many weird things. It is sometimes graphic in content. If you read on, don’t write to yell at me.
V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N (not in the summer sun)
This has been a fabulous vacation. We’ve had twelve days away from the day job and almost a week without the film-funding grind. We don’t have an entire day off tomorrow as we must visit the Blood Oath soundstage. It’s been great while it lasted. I’ve been as lazy as possible. Unfortunately, I still had to answer phones. However, I did get in a lot of cooking therapy, watched some fun films (more on that below) and had a glass or two (ha!) of lovely champagne (it was on sale). And saw most of my actor lovelies. One has yet to get his cookies. Since Jon is in the house, I’m not sure how long they’ll last. This year’s baking was not as orderly as last year. We had to do a second run of almost everything. And then, there is the insidiousness of The Food Network. All season long they had these specials with new and interesting recipes. This is especially vexing when an intriguing baked good comes up. Our line up is determined in September (serious business, I tell you). Still, I had long been searching for a really good, moist gingerbread. That danged Bobby Flay came up with one. I thought he grilled everything, for Pete’s sake. But it looked amazing, and I had a new half-sheet baking pan... Oh, my, it smelled wonderful as it baked. There was a lot of cinnamon and cloves and two kinds of ginger in the recipe. The taste has almost become an addiction for me. Thus, the stragglers benefit this year. I’m adding it to the repertoire for the next Christmas.
Not everything was wonderful. My back decided it was going to be out for vacation, and it wanted to take my legs with it. Fortunately, heat therapy and two wonderful massages set me right. I also slept more than I have in probably years. I’ve been having a lot of weird dreams about spies and cooking classes in Paris. It’s all been wonderful wallowing in blankets while the weather is actually nearly cold and often foggy. I can tell that the rest is helping. I’ve started writing prose in my head again. That is always a very good sign.
I digress, because I am distracted by the DVD I’m listening to. It’s The Bourne Identity again. I like watching this one because of all of the scenes in Paris. I’m especially fond of the scene in Gare du Nord. It’s not just about being in Paris. I’m also thinking a lot about my Mother. She’s part of the writing in my head and about one of the films we watched over the vacation. Such a grand, old, beautiful station would have amazed her. I was transfixed by the huge schedule board with destinations all over Europe. Mom would have been surprised at her shy daughter finding the right train among all of those destinations. We got our tickets and had a coffee and snack in French (Jon, too). All we would have been missing in her mind would have been trench coats. Maybe, next time. Additionally, as I’ve said before, every cab ride we’ve had in Paris was much like the big car chase in that film. Only New York cabbies are as nuts.
The Year in Review
V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N (not in the summer sun)
This has been a fabulous vacation. We’ve had twelve days away from the day job and almost a week without the film-funding grind. We don’t have an entire day off tomorrow as we must visit the Blood Oath soundstage. It’s been great while it lasted. I’ve been as lazy as possible. Unfortunately, I still had to answer phones. However, I did get in a lot of cooking therapy, watched some fun films (more on that below) and had a glass or two (ha!) of lovely champagne (it was on sale). And saw most of my actor lovelies. One has yet to get his cookies. Since Jon is in the house, I’m not sure how long they’ll last. This year’s baking was not as orderly as last year. We had to do a second run of almost everything. And then, there is the insidiousness of The Food Network. All season long they had these specials with new and interesting recipes. This is especially vexing when an intriguing baked good comes up. Our line up is determined in September (serious business, I tell you). Still, I had long been searching for a really good, moist gingerbread. That danged Bobby Flay came up with one. I thought he grilled everything, for Pete’s sake. But it looked amazing, and I had a new half-sheet baking pan... Oh, my, it smelled wonderful as it baked. There was a lot of cinnamon and cloves and two kinds of ginger in the recipe. The taste has almost become an addiction for me. Thus, the stragglers benefit this year. I’m adding it to the repertoire for the next Christmas.
Not everything was wonderful. My back decided it was going to be out for vacation, and it wanted to take my legs with it. Fortunately, heat therapy and two wonderful massages set me right. I also slept more than I have in probably years. I’ve been having a lot of weird dreams about spies and cooking classes in Paris. It’s all been wonderful wallowing in blankets while the weather is actually nearly cold and often foggy. I can tell that the rest is helping. I’ve started writing prose in my head again. That is always a very good sign.
I digress, because I am distracted by the DVD I’m listening to. It’s The Bourne Identity again. I like watching this one because of all of the scenes in Paris. I’m especially fond of the scene in Gare du Nord. It’s not just about being in Paris. I’m also thinking a lot about my Mother. She’s part of the writing in my head and about one of the films we watched over the vacation. Such a grand, old, beautiful station would have amazed her. I was transfixed by the huge schedule board with destinations all over Europe. Mom would have been surprised at her shy daughter finding the right train among all of those destinations. We got our tickets and had a coffee and snack in French (Jon, too). All we would have been missing in her mind would have been trench coats. Maybe, next time. Additionally, as I’ve said before, every cab ride we’ve had in Paris was much like the big car chase in that film. Only New York cabbies are as nuts.
The Year in Review
Not the whole year, please. This is the overall view. Production stuff will be below. 2008 was far and away better than 2007. First off, we had personal stability that we lacked the year before. That does wonders for creativity and bravery. Without that stability, we would have never tried the things we tried creatively. We’ve made connections in a place that is very comfortable and convenient. We even have vicarious pets to interact with at home and at the day job. Our regular lives are good. Creatively, I have prose in my head that is terribly personal as well as continuations of on going stories and some erotica that pushes my boundaries (scary, huh?). Writing all of it is a very exciting thought. I hope I can find the time. Then again, I don’t know if I’d mind if we were too busy. It can wait until I’m lounging somewhere fabulous with scads of free time. As long as the stories are alive in my head, I’m happy.
I’ve had some singularly wonderful experiences this year. A couple will be detailed in the productions section. But one I have mentioned numerous times. Reading Sarah Freligh’s Sort of Gone was one of those rare experiences of being moved and intimidated and inspired. The book was one of last year’s highlights for me. I look forward to more from her. I have become quite a cook. I will never compete on The Next Food Network Star, but I have pushed myself to higher and high levels in 2008. I have a modest but well-stocked pantry and freezer. More importantly, I’ve been making good and healthy meals that even Mr. Bland Palette has enjoyed. I still don’t believe that any bread can have 12 grains (are there really 12 grains?). And if there are 12, wouldn’t that be like eating steel wool? But I digress. The cooking therapy has been really good for our bottom line and our waist-lines. Still, I have yet to conquer the baguette.
Production Wrap-up and Update
As I have said, we were free to be brave this year. Our company has always done well when we were aggressive. The Privateers didn’t result in what we had originally planned for the short, but, in a round about way, it got us our first feature. We had had enough of meetings after meetings by the beginning of 2008 to know we had to do something proactive. That lead to The Gunslinger short. That script has the most interest and was the easiest to film. We were lucky in so many ways with that short. The first bit of luck, was the remarkable cast we found. We had hired Travis Willingham to do a book trailer almost a year before the short. He had something that we knew would work for Shadow Smith. We were very fortunate that he liked the script enough to come along for the ride. And then, there was Jennifer Sparks. Our partner, Ralph, had literally just signed her as a client when she read for us. Aside from being tall and beautiful (The tall was important since she is impersonating Shadow Smith in the film. The beautiful was important because it is a romance film, after all), she nailed the part with only the lines from the audition – not the full script. My very persnickety director couldn’t think of any adjustments to her reading. We were blessed with a great pair who had amazing chemistry in person. But it’s more than just those elements that made the whole shoot a singular. Both the leads are up and coming very quickly in jobs that pay far more than we could. They gave up valuable audition or work hours to rehearse and the shoot was two very long and grueling days that was preceded by a long time on the road. We couldn’t pay them anywhere near what their time is worth, but they treated the shoot like it was a blockbuster film. We had their best efforts. They were magical. Beyond that, there was our two man crew of Ryan Corrigan and Matty Ferarro. They gave beyond their A game to shoot the short. They, too, have busy lives that net way more than we were paying. And we were stretching them beyond the pale. They never complained. They got it done. And I can’t say enough about the wonderful support of the Jacques family. They let us overrun their property and were gracious beyond belief. LA is full of burned out people who don’t do things for less than full rate. I understand and respect that. There are so many up and comers looking for free this or discount that. It must get old. But we are very grateful to have found such talented and generous people who are willing to take a chance because they liked our writing. They brought us the attention we needed. We hope we brought them some good karma. We believe we’ll be rewarded with the pleasure of working with them again – on a full budget project.
I must tak
e a moment for a special thanks to Matty Ferarro. Aside from service above
and beyond during The Gunslinger short, he has been extraordinary during the run up to the Blood Oath short. He has been endlessly available and affable and patient. While in character, he has always been focused and prepared. He is also a chameleon. In one morning, he went from a drunken, washed-up pop star, Billy Swain to the beautiful and head-strong Vincent Greven. He ate it all up, and was amazing to watch in both roles. We must give a special thanks to our make up guru, Cat Elrod for her work that day as well.
At this writing, all is on track to do two films this year. The downturn, thus far, has not affected the commitment. We should have a schedule in the next few weeks.
I’ve had some singularly wonderful experiences this year. A couple will be detailed in the productions section. But one I have mentioned numerous times. Reading Sarah Freligh’s Sort of Gone was one of those rare experiences of being moved and intimidated and inspired. The book was one of last year’s highlights for me. I look forward to more from her. I have become quite a cook. I will never compete on The Next Food Network Star, but I have pushed myself to higher and high levels in 2008. I have a modest but well-stocked pantry and freezer. More importantly, I’ve been making good and healthy meals that even Mr. Bland Palette has enjoyed. I still don’t believe that any bread can have 12 grains (are there really 12 grains?). And if there are 12, wouldn’t that be like eating steel wool? But I digress. The cooking therapy has been really good for our bottom line and our waist-lines. Still, I have yet to conquer the baguette.
Production Wrap-up and Update
As I have said, we were free to be brave this year. Our company has always done well when we were aggressive. The Privateers didn’t result in what we had originally planned for the short, but, in a round about way, it got us our first feature. We had had enough of meetings after meetings by the beginning of 2008 to know we had to do something proactive. That lead to The Gunslinger short. That script has the most interest and was the easiest to film. We were lucky in so many ways with that short. The first bit of luck, was the remarkable cast we found. We had hired Travis Willingham to do a book trailer almost a year before the short. He had something that we knew would work for Shadow Smith. We were very fortunate that he liked the script enough to come along for the ride. And then, there was Jennifer Sparks. Our partner, Ralph, had literally just signed her as a client when she read for us. Aside from being tall and beautiful (The tall was important since she is impersonating Shadow Smith in the film. The beautiful was important because it is a romance film, after all), she nailed the part with only the lines from the audition – not the full script. My very persnickety director couldn’t think of any adjustments to her reading. We were blessed with a great pair who had amazing chemistry in person. But it’s more than just those elements that made the whole shoot a singular. Both the leads are up and coming very quickly in jobs that pay far more than we could. They gave up valuable audition or work hours to rehearse and the shoot was two very long and grueling days that was preceded by a long time on the road. We couldn’t pay them anywhere near what their time is worth, but they treated the shoot like it was a blockbuster film. We had their best efforts. They were magical. Beyond that, there was our two man crew of Ryan Corrigan and Matty Ferarro. They gave beyond their A game to shoot the short. They, too, have busy lives that net way more than we were paying. And we were stretching them beyond the pale. They never complained. They got it done. And I can’t say enough about the wonderful support of the Jacques family. They let us overrun their property and were gracious beyond belief. LA is full of burned out people who don’t do things for less than full rate. I understand and respect that. There are so many up and comers looking for free this or discount that. It must get old. But we are very grateful to have found such talented and generous people who are willing to take a chance because they liked our writing. They brought us the attention we needed. We hope we brought them some good karma. We believe we’ll be rewarded with the pleasure of working with them again – on a full budget project.
I must tak
e a moment for a special thanks to Matty Ferarro. Aside from service above
and beyond during The Gunslinger short, he has been extraordinary during the run up to the Blood Oath short. He has been endlessly available and affable and patient. While in character, he has always been focused and prepared. He is also a chameleon. In one morning, he went from a drunken, washed-up pop star, Billy Swain to the beautiful and head-strong Vincent Greven. He ate it all up, and was amazing to watch in both roles. We must give a special thanks to our make up guru, Cat Elrod for her work that day as well.At this writing, all is on track to do two films this year. The downturn, thus far, has not affected the commitment. We should have a schedule in the next few weeks.
I had some year-end comments on the films we’ve seen, but I’m wiped. I’ll save them for later rants.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Happy New Year!
May you all be happy and healthy and fulfilled in 2009! The year end blog is in the works. I hope to have it up by Sunday. I'm taking my own advice during this break in action and actually resting. Stay tuned!
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