Extra "Couch" Time

Hello everyone, I hope your all having an amazing weekend and enjoying Thor or Fast Five or anything except Something Borrowed.

Every time we shoot an episode there ends up being a good amount of extra footage that ends up being archived, well from here on out we will be releasing these small bits as "Extras". Keep an eye out for these at all times.

In the mean time if you haven't seen our latest episode on the trailer to THOR, please enjoy now!

"I met this girl when I was ten years old..."

I enjoy hip hop. Like really really good hip hop and rap. I like the kind of hip hop that tells a story. Now, all hip hop and rap tell a story but the really good guys say it in a poetic, clever and rythmic prose. Today's version of what is defined as hip hop makes me sad; "I smacked this bitch and then I say have a baby by me..." is not hip hop, sorry. That's not even trying. That's like me saying "Got outta bed, went to the head, and to my surprise what fell outta my hole and into the bowl was a green shit....true story, no lies". Where's my million dollar contract?

So anyway all this has a story behind it. I'm walking to the bathroom today at work and see three guys crowded around the Mens room. Two of them seem to be having an in-depth conversation. The other one, who we will call the moderator, is...moderating. As I near the two men it looks as though one has control of the conversation, so I didn't want to stare cause that would be really rude.

Well upon entering the restroom I get close enough to the trio of men and realize that the one " in control" is actually freestlying.

These men were freestyle battling outside of the Mens Room in Navy Pier.

Yes, take some time and think of how that looks. Ill wait.

Its one of those moments where you think you've seen it all, then something like this pops up. Has the rap game really gotten that bad that men and, I shutter to think, women, must spit their skills next to a urinal?

So I'm peeing and I can still here the one guy going on and on about how much of a *expletive deleted* he is on streets and so on. Now I'm not gonna pretend that I know everything about rap or hip hop. I mean people are discovered walking down the street! But in front of the bathroom, really? So I finish and walk out to the "in contol guy", finished, and the one guy taking the insults saying "hold on, don't move, Ill be back". He proceeds to walk into the bathroom and...well use it. C'mon I didn't follow him or nothing. So the moderator stands there congratulating his meal ticket; "you went hard man, too hard".

Now I'm no freestyler but isn't the point of freestlying, that you have to give mic to the other guy so he can immediately respond to your rhyme? And this guy is getting the opportunity to use the bathroom and prepare to battle. Oh No, I'm sorry, that's cheating if I ever ran an underground freestlying club.

The saddest part of this story is that there was a young boy on the opposite side of the three men who had this big smile on his face. It was a face of awe because I'm sure he'd never seen anything like this before. This boy will one day grow up and become a hip hop star, hopefully better than todays, and he will work up through the ranks of freestlye battling. When he makes it big and is the musical guest on shows like Lettermen or Conan and he's asked "what started all this?" It won't be because of Common's 90's hit "The Light". It will sadly be because of a battle he saw outside a mens room at Navy Pier.

-B

Published with Blogger-droid v1.4.9

The woman in the Red Dress....

...oh I'm sorry, although it was a cool scene in The Matrix, that was just to peak your interest. It was more like the fat, curly haired, fat, "let's go to the golden arches so I can IV a line of grease into my body", FAT, fat, Fat....did I mention Fat? Customer who just fit her fatass into my store.

Let me lay the scene out for you.

So I'm sitting here in my store making sure all is well and a woman askes for a better price on an item in the store. I say I cannot makes changes like that but, deep down I know times are hard and if she really wants the item Ill try to work with her on it. So I indulge her and ask what she would pay for it.

"15.99"

Not a bad price. But too low. I attempt to have some clever banter with her and she goes on to bluntly ask "who are you? Are you the owner?" "Can you even make these calls" Maybe you should call someone?" blah, blah, fat talk. Then, she grabs another item that is wrapped differntly and while I tell her that all of the items are of a certain quality brand, she's begins to mock me as though a small child would a younger brother or sister. At this point I felt like Liam Neeson in Darkman when the carnie wouldn't give him a stuffed animal for his girlfriend.

So now that I'm in rage mode and I'm trying to remain the diligent employee, she decides to use the item and tap the bottom part of my chin while saying " Your losing your sense of humor..." all with a playful, Joker like smile on her face.

I really wish I had a pencil at this moment.

I contain myself cause from the hours of 4 to 10 I am the face of this establishment. I sit there very much in shock at the liberties this woman imagined she had. Her friend purchases an item and then exits the store.

I'm starting a petiton to say that there should be a list of guidelines and exceptions to the "customer is always right" motto. Cause if this shit happens again I'm calling in the Coaliton!

btw she was fat..don't know if I mentioned it.

~b

Published with Blogger-droid v1.4.9

A New Take

Hello to all of you, who still check in on this blog. I've decided that this particular blog of mine shall take a new direction. That of commenting on sites and the possibility of sounds that occur while I'm at work at Navy Pier in Chicago,IL.

hope you like

Published with Blogger-droid v1.4.9

I am Raphael.

Your probably all thinking. Who the *expletive deleted* is Raphael? Well my friends, the Raphael I refer to is the badass of all the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! I recently picked up the whole TMNT set on blu ray, which by the way is pretty awesome. Comes in this really cool pizza box case, all cardboard, and there is this cool burn mark on the back as if you have just bought a hot pizza.

Now that I think I about it, I will get pizza tomorrow.

But anyway, as per the last post, sad to say that I'm still in a funk. Tomorrow begins the editing of the 22min hunting show (urg!). But in one week I'll be on my way to D.C. then on the way home to Bloomington, IN to see someone very special to me ;). So I definitely have something to look forward to.

Now I like to believe that there is a difference between a friend and A FRIEND! (have I confused you already?) I have very few friends, but those friends are the one's who matter the most, not putting down any of the other people in my life but even parents have their favorite kids. I'm amazed when my closest friends are angered my something and they just act as if nothing happened or they forgive and forget. Recent events in my family have sparked this thought in my head as well. But sometimes it gets me to the point where I cannot even think straight, AND its not even my problem. I know its like getting into other peoples business but I sometimes feel I need to be mad for my friends.

I had a best friend, or so I thought in high school, and her and I hung out all the time. I graduated and she ended up coming to the same college as me and my "best friend" from high school at the time was dating her. They were going through rough patches and she would always confide in me about the relationship which again, you have to be that certain type of friend, so she did this for sometime and I advised her to cut ties cause she could do so much better than she was presently being treated. For a time I believed that she really did HEAR ME, but that was a foolish thought to have. From an outsiders view I saw abuse (not physical) but never the less abuse and she saw her present state as an act of.... love. Love. yeah right. Anyway she ended up being with this guy forever. Her choice of course I don't know what the relationship is like now. But I was very upset that she chose that course of action, to the point where I felt and still do feel that I need to be angry for her. That best friend of mine is no longer my best friend( the guy she's with). I might be sounding a little crazy right now, but I think a best friend would do this.

Honestly how many of you guys or girls do this? I know its just not me.

This feeling falls on me again tonight with a different scenario. So much so that I turned off my phone cause I just didn't wanna act like nothing was wrong, when I knew something was. Now being mad for one of your friends I think is like sticking up for them. Your not going to attack whoever they are mad at, or the reason they are mad. Your doing it cause you care and I would hope that they can see this and not the fact that I could be acting possibly like a child..lol.

In one of the TMNT movies, Splinter consoles Raphael, expressing that he carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. It may be interpreted as blind hatred and adolescence, but what it really is signifying is what makes him a loyal brother, son, and warrior. So while it seems that I may not be happy with someone personally, its just being misinterpreted.

I hope you see that I'm being "THAT FRIEND"!

Love to all my friends and that special someone.

-StuntmanBob

The Ramble

I sit here in my room listening to the tunes of Shalamar's "A Night to Remember", this surely doesn't feel like one, but dammit if this song isn't pretty badass! Its been a bit sit I've spit an update to everyone who ponders over to my writings. Thanks, btw.

About a month back I hit an impass, fork in the road; you get my point. I went and visited my alma mater, Flashpoint Academy. That sounds cool to be able to say that. Anyway a few of my buddies are working there now in the equipment room, so I thought a visit might be in order. While I was there I came to the realization of how much I actually missed that place. More so the feeling of having a purpose, having to rewrite a script, produce a short, do a shot list. I even miss being mad! In a good way, I'll be honest I'm a bit of a modern revolutionary, gonna speak what I know and what I think is right wether you like it or not. But anyway I went home that night and just felt like I wasted my whole summer, which realistically I didn't because I had written about 5 short films and had started ideas on 1 or 2 feature scripts that are just in the early stages. But I went home and just felt like asking myself "are you doing the right thing?" I mean it sucked having to ask myself that. One of my friends had just gotten an awesome new job within his field and I was incredibly happy for him, but at the same time I couldn't help but not care at all for his happiness.

Its like if your girl just broke up with you and one of your friends comes up and is like "Hey man I asked my girl to marry me, we are gonna be so happy!" Your happy for him, but at the same time you just don't care cause you got dumped. Feel me?

Tonight, again I'm having a few of those feelings. Right now I'm wondering if I can survive in my own career. "I know I can, I have to!" Its really what I love. I love movies! But like everyone said it is going to be hard. I miss having that creative group around me that just fed my wit, my creativity and my drive. I feel like you really do need creative people around you, to feed you. I mean its definitely what feeds me. It just gives you that extra push to do things and get projects going.

I have a few freelance jobs right now, which are getting me by. But I don't wanna do this forever! I don't wanna just be stuck in a rut! And I find myself feeling that way, like I can't breathe. I did have one of my freelance bosses tell me about visiting a tv station for which we are doing a demo reel to and he explained to me that the set up there at the production house is an "editor's dream" Right then and there I was just like "ahhhhh SHIT!" Like a coward I guess I wanted out, right then and there. It was just like I couldn't handle being an editor. I mean I can, but for someone to just know that's the only thing you can do and nothing else is hard because I know I can do so much more than just edit. This is nothing on the employer but it was just thoughts running through my head. Panic, to say the least. By the way I love editors they are the greatest people ever! :) Its just hard to be doing something that you didn't set out to be your primary focus, in the beginning.

I just need someone to baby me and tell me its gonna be ok. Now if your still with me and your an artist of some sort I'm sure you know what I'm talking about and for lack of explaining, its just something that I felt the need to write about and get off my chest. Its like you have to allow yourself to just "get down" sometimes, just so you can get it out of your system and say "ok, its done, you did it, you complained, yes the world isn't fair, but don't be a little bitch either about it!"

The Art Of What Pizza goes with what Movie.

If you have ever seen the movie High Fidelity with John Cusack, he relays a nugget of information that there is a very subtle art to making a mix tape; “many do’s and don’ts”. In the same fashion I believe that, that same philosophy can be used in choosing the correct pizza to go with your movie rental of the week. The summer is winding down and the hustle and bustle of blockbuster movies have once again filled our days with some good and not so good films. Tiresome though they may be, we cannot deny the reality of the coming fall and winter. I know, I know, take a breather, I mean granted we didn’t have that much of a summer, so it shouldn’t be that much of a change, right?

So with the snow comes take-in pizza and the joy of renting a good movie. Here are two scenario's that play out the choices in deciding on a pizza and movie.

It seems as though there is an age old philosophy that says, going to a movie or watching a movie is not a good first date. I beg to differ. What if both of you are into movies? Heh? Never thought of that, now did you? Now I think its safe to assume that in this case, going with one of the traditional style pizzas, like cheese, sausages or pepperoni is a safe bet. I mean you don’t wanna blow your chances at getting a second date because she got bubble guts while trying the new experimental pizza YOU picked. But as more of safe bet ask what her favorite style of pizza is and make that the pie of the night. Now the movie choice is crucial, renting the movie SAW and eating pizza together

doesn’t scream “OMG! it was like so romantic, we watched people get mutilated while I ate what looked like the remains of the victims”. Not good! So a drama, perhaps a dramedy of sorts or a lighthearted romance/romantic comedy could be right up your alley. Something that afterword could be a very good conversation piece.

I always looked forward to getting all together, ordering a pizza and watching movies, it does sound cliche but as a college student those nights are gonna be you most memorable. With a lot of friends the various pizza choices lead directly into the fact that you can have a variety of movies to look at. A good action movie! The subtle drama! Or the laugh out loud comedy. The perfect night to me would be a cheese and sausage pizza while watching Ghostbusters, you really can’t get any better than that. But then again everyone is different and that’s what makes those nights with your friends exciting. Since the variety is there I say go with all three traditional pizza’s then order a fourth that is completely different. Perhaps something like BBQ Chicken Bonanza! Depending on your movie tastes or choice of pizza there is always something to collaborate well with what you eat and watch. I really encourage all of you reading this to continue to eat pizza and watch movies as vigorously as you did during the summer.

Also the next time one of these nights comes your way, carefully analyze what you watch, cause I’m sure the pizza will be top notch and you’d hate to have a crappy movie ruin that awesome pizza.

-Stuntman_Bob