Get Thee To a Nunnery...

Hello.

See how polite and subtle I am tonight? So understated and semi-detached! A simple "hello", after a week of silence. See what a man of mystery I'm becoming? Boy, won't my mom be proud when she finds out! I'm not a spaz anymore! I'm refined and... dare I say.... noble... in both manner and demeanor...

OK, fine, I'm still a spaz.... deal with it, mom!

*sigh*

OK, let's see... all the news that's fit to regurgitate...

Well, I've had two auditions since last we spoke. One for a part in a short film produced locally through the SDSU film department... that one was for a hit man... I would have dearly loved to play that role, but they "went another direction", which is certainly understandable. They're going to give me a smaller part, though, so I'll have that going for me. Anything to get a little time on set somewhere. I'll let you know how that goes... we'll film in the next week or two.

The second audition was for a series of police training videos for the Carlsbad police department. I auditioned with a handful of other gentlemen, and the role, believe it or not, lol, is for a "middle-aged married white man caught in his vehicle with an under-aged prostitute".... honestly, I thought there was no way I'd get the part, since the other guys I auditioned with were seasoned pros, one of which drove down from LA to audition, and was heading right back up to LA afterwards to audition for a film later... he was name-dropping, etc and bragging about his latest roles, etc. Hey, I don't blame him... drop those names! Anyway, I decided I'd just enjoy the audition experience and wait for future opportunities. It was fun to read the lines and improvise some stuff, etc.

So I guess they liked my energy or something... got the email today letting me know I got the job, lol. Half-day filming, 300 bones. Not bad for my first paying gig - I get to play a creep... :D Unfortunately, you won't get to see the results, unless you're planning on joining the police force... you'll have to settle for reading about the experience when I re-cap it for you...

Ay ay Cap'n!

So I've seen a couple things of note lately...

First, saw the movie Gravity with Wifey last week. Man, what a spectacle that was! What a ride. I loved it. Outstanding film-making. The kind of story that can only be told in movie form. Sandra Bullock was terrific, and Clooney was great as well. If you haven't seen it yet, I won't spoil it for you. If it's still in the theater, go see it before it leaves. I can't imagine it will have the same power on a smaller screen. If I start summarizing the movie, I will spoil it. Go see it!

Also, I saw Anna Karenina tonight with the Wagner Women... that is also an amazing movie. Not so much for the story, which was a bit of a downer, but for the craft involved. Describing it here will not do it justice, nor would I be able to clearly convey the magic to you. It's filmed in a wonderful mix of stage and location. Forget it, let me try to find a clip for you... hold on...



You have to see this as well, if possible. The film, I mean, not just the trailer, lol... To my mind, one of the most remarkable visual cinematic experiences you'll have.

Beyond that, I watched the first season of Boardwalk Empire. It has confirmed my opinion that HBO feels some odd compulsion to include unnecessary skin whenever possible, logic be darned. Easy enough to minimize the video while watching, since I watch on the computer, but still, I marvel at how unnecessary the nudity is to the storytelling. I have nothing, really, to say to recommend the series to you, beyond Stephen Graham's captivating portrayal of Al Capone. The rest of the cast is solid, as is the writing, for the most part, but not really my cup of tea. I like a gangster tale as much as the next guy, but this series didn't get it's hooks into me enough to warrant moving on to Season Two.

Reading? Well, limping my way through Knights of Dark Renown, by David Gemmell. It's subpar, and barely has the legs to sustain my interest.

Listen to me, sounding like I know what I'm talking about, lol...

Did you see the trailer for NOAH yet? If not, check it out...



Well, what do you think? You going to see the movie, you think? I may check it out.

So the competitive eating documentary Hungry had its premiere last Friday... trying to find info out on it, as far as reviews, etc., is proving difficult. Honestly, right before release, I heard word that the footage and interview that I shot for it back *whenever* was cut out of the final film.  Those that went to the premiere and hang out on the EatFeats site seem intent on continuing their habit of insulting each other and sniping at one another, rather than actually talking about the movie. It's frustrating to sift through. Must be an East Coast mindset or something... Still not sure if the footage I shot is in the film or not. I guess I'll have to wait until I get a copy on DVD to find out.

I guess ultimately it matters little. Still, it would be nice to put a period on the end of this long journey, and move on to other stuff. Just want to know if I and my little contribution had any sort of positive impact on the "sport" or not.

Still learning Russian words and phrases like a fiend. Next time we talk "in real life", ask me and I'll bombard you with what I'm learning! You can smile politely and say things like, "Hmm, yes, how nice" and wonder when I'm going to walk away...

It'll be great!

Adios for now,

Dave the Burgeoning Self-Important Hipster D-bag