A dearth of anything truly interesting to say combined with a particularly nasty bout of Seasonal Affective Disorder have left your Uncle P in a rather dour mood of late.
I'm still keeping my Dream Journal though, and hope that my most recent bizarro dream about Alien Hands (don't ask, just yet) will result in another full-fledged screenplay, though I have to wonder where that particular scenario might lead. The dream itself involved dismembered alien hands that turned into feet which grew legs that developed into a torso... And no, I didn't eat anything strange, spicy or greasy before bed last night. I'd detail the entire dream here, but I don't want to risk your thinking I'm completely insane (as if you don't already think that, anyway).
I am still feeling rather trapped by snow (and not at all happy to hear that another major storm may be headed our way this coming week), despite having done some grocery shopping today (parking was a literal nightmare, thanks to the 8+ feet high piles of snow in the stores' parking lots). Give me a day or so to cope and I'll be back to my usual shenanigans. Or not.
In the meantime, I encourage the less squeamish among you to check out Bugcrush, a short, gay-themed horror film from 2006. Suggested by J.A. at My New Plaid Pants and posted on Post-Mortem Depression, this short (31 minutes) but effective film captures gay teen angst in a way that few modern filmmakers have been been to do. It's also probably NSFW.
I really do love living where I live. I am within driving distance of five of the East Coast's best cities (Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Baltimore and Washington). I have access to arts communities and some unique shopping districts. I live close to a day job that I (mostly) love and I can drive to either the mountains or the shore in about the same time. There are plenty of cinemas and legitimate theatres nearby; there are several theme parks and other entertainment venues and the crime rate in my community is relatively low. I am connected to all of these things by easy access to Interstate 95, Route 1 and/or the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Turnpikes.
There are, however, two things I really hate about living in the Delaware Valley - the summer's often oppressive humidity and the winter's even more oppressive snow storms.
Yesterday saw the fourth and fifth major storms since Christmas and I am beginning to believe that I won't see green on my front lawn anytime before June. In the early morning we were surprised to find 5 inches of snow (rain had been predicted), followed by another storm in the evening, which dumped an additional 11 inches of snow (along with a few inches of freezing rain and sleet). Pretty to look at, but annoying as hell when one has to get someplace other than home. And it didn't help that in the wee hours of this morning, Township snowplows piled a 30+ inch wall of ice at the bottom of my driveway, making it impossible for me to get to said day job, today.
"So, get a snow-blower," you all may be admonishing me. I had one. It lasted all of two seasons before breaking down into an irreparable pile of junk which still sits forlornly in my shed. "Then hire a local kid to shovel you out," you might be thinking. Good luck. The lazy louts in my neighborhood would rather play XBox games while home from school, than take the initiative to earn a few bucks on their day off. "Then move south," you're thinking now. Really? Have you spent any time south of the Mason Dixon line? Lovely places with delightful people, but moving to Florida (as my sister has done) means moving to a cultural wasteland filled with cartoon mice, bad-driving senior citizens and nerdy Canadians trying to escape their own winter hell. No, thank you.
And yes, a young man did finally show up to help me finish digging out (for a price, of course). And tomorrow I will brave the icy roads to get to the day job that I (mostly) love. Still, more snow is predicted for tomorrow, Saturday and next week. Personally, I'm tired of all he whiteness. Give me rainbows, unicorns and green, green fields of flowers any day...
The video below is from Cherry Hill, NJ, a community about an hour south of Uncle P, though my neighborhood looks very much the same.
More, anon.
Prospero
P.S. You may have noticed I have a new photo. No, that's not actually me (the old one was). I have no idea where that particular image came from, but I think it conveys my worldview quite nicely. If you're really interested in seeing what I actually look like, take some time to dig into past posts and you will find at least a few images of the 'real" me.
That's the hedge at the bottom of my driveway this past February. It will probably look very much the same tomorrow, despite what a co-worker who has a degree in meteorology told us on Thursday when we left for the holiday break. What makes it okay is that I have off tomorrow, anyway. And it makes my neighborhood so pretty, especially at the houses with holiday lights. I know many of you don't have off, but you may get to extend your holiday weekend anyway. It's a pretty epic storm, I guess. The NFL actually re-scheduled the Eagles' game tonight. It's the first time the NFL has postponed a game because of snow since the 30's (sometimes I 'm just so butch I almost can't stand it).
And yes, in case you're wondering, I got several pages of the screenplay written last night and think I've pretty much outlined the rest of the plot in full. After this brief post, I'm off to rewrite a scene so it supports the new outline. I'll probably spend a good portion of my snowed-in day writing, as well. The snow here won't stick around long - they're predicting temps in the 50's for next weekend.
I hope all my East Coast readers get a snow day tomorrow! I hope you're all snug and warm, watching the movies or playing the video games you got for Christmas or Hanukkah. I hope you have enough milk, eggs, bread and batteries to see you through the dig-out (is there some French toast rule I don't know about?). I hope some kids offer to shovel for $10 or $20, so you don't have to (so worth it). Even better, I hope a kind neighbor with a snow-blower digs you out for free (though you should at least offer a cup of cocoa). I hope you got a sled for Christmas! I hope you have a place to use it on your snow day! I hope you're careful! Wear a helmet! You'll shoot your eye out! Wait... wut?
If you're unlucky enough to have to go back to work tomorrow, I hope it's an easy and quick week for you.
That's Flavor of the Month Bradley Cooper having himself some fun at a waterpark. The Hangover star is on the cusp of major stardom. I first noticed him in Fox's late series "Kitchen Confidential," in which he played a character based on notorious bad-boy chef, Anthony Bourdain. He also appeared in The Wedding Crashersas well as the underrated and under-seen The Midnight Meat Train and the yet-to-be-released thriller Case 39, co-starring his rumored girlfriend, Renee Zellweger and child actress extraordinaire, Jodelle Ferland (who would have been my choice for Alice in Alice in Wonderland). Unfortunately, he also starred in the romantic comedy stinker All About Steve, which has been on almost every critic's "10 Worst" list for 2009. I have yet to see it (and probably won't), but that does nothing to dampen my enthusiasm for this talented star on the rise. Sexy, smart and funny (a deadly combo for your Uncle P), Cooper is poised to become a household name. Let's hope he doesn't screw it up. He is next slated to be seen as Eric Dane's romantic partner in Valentine's Day. Of course, Hollywood execs, being the a-holes they are, have completely omitted the gay love story from any advertising for the movie, hoping to trick straight guys into accompanying their girlfriends to see it. After Valentine's Day, Cooper's next release is the big-screen treatment of The A-Team, in which he plays Faceman, a role originated on TV by "Battlestar Galactica" star Dirk Benedict. Personally, the more I see of Cooper in various states of undress, the better. Of course he'll never replace my obsession, but I certainly wouldn't kick him out of bed for eating crackers (or anything he wants to eat, for that matter).
And since I'm on the subject of gratuitous man-flesh, if you go to YouTube and type in "2010 Superbowl Commercials" you'll come across this curious video, featuring 3 cute guys in Speedos, doing their interpretation of Will Ferrel and Chris Katan at the Roxbury (something I thought/hoped had died when the movie flopped). Still, 3 cute guys in Speedos is reason enough for me:
I don't think they're really selling anything here, but themselves. If so, I'll take the dark one in the green Speedo with the longish hair.
So, enough gratuity (for now) and onto the subject of movie cliches. Or, more specifically, Horror Movie Cliches. If you haven't figured it out by now, your Uncle Prospero LOVES horror movies. And while I was aware this was actually a "meme" of sorts, it really took the clip below (via) to drive the point home:
Granted, in at least two of the movies referenced (The Broken and Mirrors), mirrors are a central theme. Thankfully, this slick trick does not appear in any of the screenplays written by yours truly.
Finally tonight, just as I am about to put this post to bed, I looked outside my window to see at least two inches of snow has fallen since I started writing, about an hour ago. If you read my last two posts, you'll know just how this makes me feel. I also learned (by calling our hotline), that my day job is closed tomorrow, allowing me another day for the drugs my doctor prescribed to take effect on my back, injured in a fall on New Year's Eve. Of course, digging out from yet another major snowstorm in less than a week will not help. Sigh... Arizona looks better and better every day...
More nonsense, anon. Prospero
P.S. If you live in the "Crippling Snowstorm" region of Southeastern PA and Central/North NJ, my heart goes out to you. Take your time shoveling (rest frequently) and just stay home.
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Well, it seems that the Nor'easter headed my way tomorrow may very well delay my seeing Avatar until at least Sunday night. They are predicting at least 6 to 10 inches of snow for the Philadelphia area. I live in the Philly suburbs and the closest Imax theater is in New Jersey, about 15 miles away, normally not a big deal at all. In fact, I see most movies at that very theater as the cinemas near my house suck. But with blizzard-like conditions predicted by noon, I seriously doubt that we'll be going. My problem now is figuring out how to get a refund for tickets I already bought. Not to mention the Christmas shopping I MUST finish tomorrow because I'm seeing some folks (my Aunt, in particular) on Sunday. I picked up a few things tonight, but still need one more thing for her and a gift for my friend's daughter by Sunday... sigh.
I know I wasn't all that enthusiastic about this movie before, but now that the reviews are in, I was actually looking forward to seeing it. Oh, well. Here's one more look at the trailer, not in Imax or 3D.
