For those of you following along you may remember the name Knuckle Draggers from my interview with actor and producer, Paul J. Alessi.

The World Premiere of his latest movie, Knuckle Draggers, was on Sunday at the Newport Beach Film Festival. I was fortunate enough to get one of the last vacant seats for this sold out show.

“Knuckle Draggers takes a realistic, but comic look at how the behaviors of men and women have evolved very little since the caveman times.” -director Alex Ranarivelo

First let me be honest in saying that after seeing the trailer I thought I might be just a bit too old or too married for a movie about dating and the evolution of man when it comes to relationships. I was more than pleasantly surprised to find out after watching the film that I was wrong. I loved this movie.

With a stellar cast including Ross McCall, Paul J. Alessi, Amie Barsky, Danielle Nicolet, Justin Baldoni, Jennifer Alden, and Omar Gooding this movie wins in the acting department.

The script was comical and heartfelt. I heard laughter from female and male voices from the audience, and although parts of the movie are spent comparing women’s ideas of mates to studies done on monkeys, women enjoyed the film giving kudos to Paul as they left the theater.

The music choices by composer Austin Wintory complimented the scenes and were never overpowering. I liked the way he mixed music with a primitive element and Spanish guitar to make it “ultra romantic”.

Actor & musician Omar Gooding played the role of Russell. Two of his songs, My Shine and Ghetto Star from the album, Tradin’ War Stories, were featured in the movie.

Paul’s passion for this film was evident not only by his on screen performance but the way he worked with the press, cast and crew, also mingling with movie-goers at the World Premiere.

This housewife gives Knuckle Draggers the movie 4 out of 4 waffles.

Housewife in Hollywood Talks with Cast of Knuckle Draggers from SuzanneHIH on Vimeo.

Housewife in Hollywood Talks with Cast of Knuckle Draggers from SuzanneHIH on Vimeo.

You can see Knuckle Draggers at another screening Thursday April 30th. Click here for schedule & ticket information at the Newport Beach Film Festival.

This weekend has been a busy one for me going from film to film at the Newport Beach Film Festival. The festival started off April 23rd with Lymelife and it ends April 30th with 500 Days of Summer.

Lymelife trailer:

500 Days of Summer teaser trailer:

In the next week I’ll be writing about a few of the films that caught my eye. Until that time stop by the Newport Beach Film Festival site and peruse the schedules. www.newportbeachfilmfest.com

For the best quality viewing experience, please click on all highlighted text.

I’ve been in a Reggae mood the last few days, breaking out my Bob Marley and moving to the Movement of Jah People.

The condition of our planets people should not be overlooked. With all the talk about protecting Earth’s resources, let’s get together and feel alright. Many believe Reggae music has almost a meditative quality leading to inspiration and healing.

Click here to view One Love put together in honor of Bob Marley’s birthday February 6th, by global musical movement Playing for Change. For those of you with kiddos in your life, check out Ziggy Marley’s latest album Family Time.

A MySpace friend of mine sent me a video of the show Caribbean Beats. His name is White Rock Willie. People often get him confused with Captain Jack Sparrow but he’s actually a cousin of said savvy pirate.

White Rock Willie helped introduce some of the ”feel good music” on Season 5, scene 8 of Caribbean Beats in White Rock British Columbia, Canada.

Take a break and move with some Caribbean Beats. You’ll be feeling irie in no time mon!

Who’s your favorite Reggae musician?

We usually celebrate Earth Day with the kiddo’s Young Naturalist Club, gathering together with her friends to view dioramas and edutainment style displays. A few years ago she wanted to create a PSA style video to tell people not to litter. She set the scenes up with her toys, dictated the script to me and did most of the video footage herself. The bad voice over acting was my doing. She created a club idea for anyone that helps keep our planet clean called the Nature Savers.

This year we’ll be visiting the movie theater for Disneynatures’s latest film Earth. Click here for the trailer.
If you buy a ticket for opening week, Disney will plant a tree in your honor.

For those of you with kiddos of your own, explore the educator materials available on the Disneynature site.

Keeping in line with keeping the planet clean, I found a great video by ThreadBanger.com showing us how to “upcycle old items into a rad new pendant lamp”. Plus, learn some easy ways to contribute to our own neighborhood.

Remember, every day should be Earth Day! Be a Nature Saver, don’t litter!
Join the Clean World Movement by visiting www.cleanworldmovement.org

Definition of a tweet: A tweet is a post or status update on Twitter, a microblogging service.

This week has been full of tweets about tea parties, Ashton Kutcher  vs. CNN in a follower race, and Oprah’s anticipated debut on twitter. All this twittering in the news made me think about the cool finds I’ve found on twitter in the form of talented people with notable websites and impressive ideas.

Here are my 5 Cool Twitter Finds:

The Wrecking Ball Radio Show

During my twitter travels I came across a musician and radio show host named Jayson who can be found as @mystic23  on twitter.

Every Wednesday night 9-11 EST he hosts The Wrecking Ball Radio Show via WCOM in downtown Carrboro, NC Thanks to the powers of cyberspace we can listen online at www.communityradio.coop

His radio show has an eclectic mix of tunes. Some nights themes are present which add to the intrigue of his unique playlists. Click here for The Wrecking Ball Radio Show blog that includes information, previous playlists and posts by Jayson.

Jayson can also he heard through his own music called Subliminal Erotica, a mix of Alternative, Ambient, and Experimental music. Take a listen to Subliminal Erotica on ReverbNation.

Fused Film

Fused Film was the first site to be listed in My Neighborhood blog roll. Their weekly trailers, DVD & movie reviews, latest news, and even podcasts are edutainment for anyone that loves finding out what’s happening and what’s coming soon.

With an informed and passionate staff Fused Film is worthy of a bookmark and RSS feed subscription.

Follow them @fusedfilm  as they continue “Blogging Film News and Fanboy Commentary One Post at a Time!”

Forces of Geek

I took notice of Forces of Geek because the name is so much fun. I followed them on twitter and since cyberspace can be a small world I was delighted to find out my friend Audrey M. Brown writes a column for them entitled (Lady) Geeks Have All the Fun.

Forces of Geek’s slogan is Obsession Is Not a Choice and you have no choice not to check out their contests, interviews, reviews and columns written by the forces of skillful writers. If you’re obsessed with pop culture or anything remotely geeky you need to follow @ForcesOfGeek

The Daily Blonde

The Daily Blonde, a.k.a. Cheryl Phillips is a single mom of five with a snarky view all her own, speaking her mind since 1963. I found her while eavesdropping on her tweets to @jeanettejoy  a friend of mine in the offline world and also quite the twitter celeb herself.

I was intrigued right away by Cheryl’s witty conversations on twitter so I decided to take a look at her blog, The Daily Blonde. Not only does she have a huge following of avid blog readers she’s also a small business supporter recently swapping out big biz to small biz ads on her site.

Her posts go viral all the time being dug by viewers on Digg, and retweeted on twitter. Cheryl’s upbeat attitude mixed with her “tell it like it is” commentary on life make The Daily Blonde  a great place to visit when you want a thought to ponder, a good laugh, or a tasty recipe.

Follow Cheryl @TheDailyBlonde

Rizzo Tees

Many of you know my love for Graphic T-shirts. Normally I wear Cry Baby, Pippi Longstocking or Partridge Family Tees with pride. Rizzo Tees sells funny shirts  with hip graphics and text such as “Easy Like Sunday Morning”, “Do it for the Halibut” and “Barack That Ass Up”.

It was easy to find Chris from Rizzo Tees on twitter because he has oodles of followers, maybe not as many as Ashton Kutcher but he’s on his way. His tweets are funny and informative and never SPAM’y, you know this housewife never touches that nasty stuff.

The cool thing about Chris, besides his fun shirts, is he’s a true entrepreneur working out of his basement, also known as “Rizzo World HQ” or “ManLand”. He has a full-time job, so he works on Rizzo Tees at night and he prints, picks, packs, and ships the orders himself.

Check out rizzotees.com  and follow @rizzotees for fun tweets & even some promotional sales info.

I love a tweet convo over a Cup of Joe in the morning, look for me @suzannehih

For the best “HIH post experience”, please click on all highlighted text.

Some of you know about my Johnny Depp enthusiasm so it’s no surprise that I’ve seen him in every cameo appearance he’s made. Depp has done his share of cameos such as Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, The Cannes Man, LA Without a Map, The Source, the last episode of The Fast Show  and French film Happily Ever After.

Many of his cameos have been voice acting for roles like Yogi Victor on King of the Hill and now Jack Kahuna Laguna, a surf guru, on the episode, “SpongeBob vs. the Big One,” which airs April 17. Check out the official SpongeBob site  on Nick for more information.

SpongeBob Squarepants has been around 10 years and they’re celebrating all year; add Johnny Depp and you have an instant party!

Of course sometimes the idea of Johnny Depp gets a cameo. Enter Family Guy clip here:

On my birthday last year I went to The La Jolla Comedy Store to see Pauly Shore. Pauly was funny but I was more impressed by one of the other stand up comedians of the night, Stephen Kramer Glickman. Not only was Stephen a funny dude he was also a nice guy chatting with me after the show and happily posing with audience members for pictures. He told me a bit about himself and just when I was getting to know him better it was time for his next show. Almost a year later I wanted to reconnect with this talented comedian, musician, actor, idea maker, and sometimes superhero.

Here’s my interview with Stephen Kramer Glickman.

HIH: Lyme Aid is the name of the comedy benefit for your sister who is suffering with Lyme disease. The most recent event was at The Comedy Store in Hollywood with Andy Dick, Jeffrey Ross, Bobby Lee, Mo Collins, John Caparulo, Ian Edwards, and Erin Foley. Any future dates and locations for Lyme Aid?

Stephen: We are currently talking with some very big comics in NYC and San Francisco. The benefits in San Diego and Los Angeles were amazing and my whole family really appreciates it, my sister especially. The benefit in L.A. was at the world famous comedy store on sunset and was one of the craziest nights I’ve ever had. This tux rental shop called “Friar Tux” gave me a free tux for the night. I feel weird in a tux; I look like I ate Hugh Hefner.

HIH: When I saw you perform at the La Jolla Comedy Store I remember your act giving much love to your mom. Are you a mama’s boy or is it all just an act?

Stephen: Naw, it’s real. I talk to my mom everyday and she is amazing. When I was growing up it was just her, my sister and me. My mom battled and beat cancer many years ago and it brought us much closer. I’ve been doing those mom jokes for 5 years now and I still love doing them.

HIH: You played the role of Shrek in the Broadway Staged Reading and the Broadway Workshop of Shrek the Musical in New York City. What was that experience like?

Stephen: It changed my whole life, in every way imaginable. I went from phone operator at the comedy store, to being the star of the biggest budget Broadway show in history, a 44 million dollar budget. I got signed by my manager, I got to live in a penthouse overlooking central park and I got to see any show I wanted to see on Broadway and for a kid that has been doing musical theatre since the 2nd grade it was a dream come true. Every few days I’d sit in the make-up chair for 8 to 10 hours being turned into “Shrek”. I was in rehearsal 6 days a week, 10 hours a day and I loved every minute. I got to work one on one with Jeffrey Katzenberg (CEO of DreamWorks), Sam Mendes (Oscar winning director of Revolutionary Road and American Beauty), Jason Moore (director of Avenue Q), Bill Dimashke (president of DreamWorks animation) as well as working with Tony winners Sutton Foster and Chris Seiber. My favorite person to work with was the actor that played donkey, Dean Edwards (former cast member of Saturday Night Live). He is like family to me and we still talk on a regular basis.

HIH: You were a recurring character on ABC’s Carpoolers starring Jerry O’Connell. Do you prefer being in a production on stage or on set?

Stephen: I love being on set just a bit more. The whole reason I started acting was to get cast some day on TV. TV is the funniest shit ever. Stage acting is very intense and a very joyful experience as well, but TV is fun as hell. I just shot a pilot with Nickelodeon and we got to improvise so much funny stuff. I’m hooked.

HIH: In the DVD/CD/comedy central special “Jeffrey Ross; No Offense- Live from New Jersey” you played Larry the Toll Booth Worker that plays the piano. What came first in your life, music or comedy?

Stephen: Well, music came 1st sort of. My grandmother taught me how to play the piano when I was two years old and I’ve been playing ever since, however the 1st song she taught me was called “c-c-c-catie” a song about a man that has a stuttering problem. Super funny.

HIH: What is the comedy scene like? It seems like many comedians create projects together and help promote one another. Is it one big happy family most of the time?

Stephen: Yeah, you could say that. We are like a big happy family that gets drunk and makes fun of each other. Comedians are probably some of the strangest most screwed up people on the planet, but you get enough of us together, like at a comedy club, and we level each other out. The only people more screwed up than comedians are musical theatre actors. Yikes.

HIH: If you could pick one comedian you admire the most, past or present, which one would it be? I know picking one is always tough but try it.

Stephen: Easy. Mel Brooks. He has been funny forever and I am a huge fan. I mean, the 2000 year old man. Fuck ya!

HIH: Your MySpace Comedy profile has a lot of great videos. You directed some of them and even created your own idea for a show about superheroes. Tell us about that.

Stephen: The show you speak of is “Super True Story” a pilot created by Comedian Nader Modarres and me. We also star in it along with super model, Fabio and Scott Thompson from kids in the hall. It’s the story about two lovable losers that happen to be superheroes and are struggling to find fame, fortune and pay the rent, in a world populated by tons of superheroes. Currently we are in talks with two major networks about it. The show is super funny.

HIH: Speaking of superheroes, are you more of a Marvel or DC kind of guy?

Stephen: I love DC for the costumes but Marvel has the coolest superheroes ever.

HIH: I noticed on your MySpace profile, under the Who I’d Like to Meet section, you wrote “Women that are looking for a young guy that looks old and is also fat.”

What sort of bachelor are you? Do you like your single life or are you looking for love in all the right places?

Stephen: I’m the worst with women. I have dated and hooked up with some of the craziest women in L.A. I am currently looking for a girl that won’t stab me while I’m sleeping. I like being single but I want to meet some cute girl and fall in love. I dated a girl for a while, she was very short and thin and as you know, I’m a huge big guy. We had to walk next to each other when we were walking down the street because if she walked in front of me, it looked like I was hunting her. For now though, I am still enjoying the single life and dating all kinds of women…even a few midgets. Did I say too much?

For Stephen Kramer Glickman’s upcoming gigs visit:

www.myspace.com/glickmancomedian

Stephen Glickman Stand-Up Comedy from Doug Beatty on Vimeo.

Because my brother is 9 years younger than I am, the Easter Bunny left me treats even when I was a teenager. It was great fun helping him search under the sofa, behind the combo record player/television set, in the backyard and all over the dining room.

Easter morning was a bit like Christmas morning for us. We never did a traditional egg hunt but we didn’t think we were missing anything. For whatever reason, the Easter Bunny didn’t like hiding plastic eggs at our house. He preferred to hide toys, books, art supplies, and of course candy. By the time I was in my teens he was leaving me pop band pins, makeup and even music tapes. This didn’t include The Basket of special goodies either.

The Easter Bunny spoiled us lovingly. Many might think such lavishness would create kids as rotten as left over Easter eggs but those moments teaching my little brother the ways of the Easter Bunny are memories I’ll cherish forever. No matter how silly or full of sugar your holiday traditions may be they can also be rich with the love of family.

I’m going to hop down my own personal Easter lane for this 5 on Friday.

Here are my 5 Favorite Easter Treats:

Macadamia Nuts

The Easter Bunny always left us Mauna Loa  Macadamia Nuts. I’m not sure why he had a fondness for these decadent Hawaiian treats but I’m glad he did.

Speaking of Macadamia and nuts, how about a little dance with Dot from the Animaniacs, click here.

Almond Roca

The name Almond Roca, the intense flavor of the chocolate toffee fusion, and the candy’s golden wrapper made me think the Easter Bunny was a high class dude.

Let’s watch this video of Rosco T. Raccoon at the Brown & Haley Almond Roca Factory and see how this classy candy is made:

Cadbury Eggs

This is one of my brother’s favorite Easter treats. I like them too but a little goes a long way with that sugary yolk confection.

How serious are you about your love for Cadbury Eggs?

Marshmallow Peeps

These bright and colorful treats are more for decoration than eating in my point of view but without your peeps it’s not very festive. Do you like the taste of Marshmallow Peeps or do you just like looking at them?

Let’s watch as this Microwave Specialist performs this Peeps experiment:

Music by Prince

So I mentioned that when I was a teenager, the Easter Bunny was still hippity hopping to my house with a basket of goodies for my younger brother. Not only is the Easter Bunny a jet setter with high class Almond Roca taste he’s also a music lover. One of my favorite memories was finding the tape by Prince called Sign o’ the Times during my Easter hunt for treats in 1987.

I’ve been a Prince and The Revolution fan since seeing Prince climb out of the tub in his When Doves Cry video. I was a bit sad about the departure of Prince from The Revolution but I rolled with the changes once I heard the album Sign o’ the Times.

Wikipedia says “Time magazine listed Sign o’ the Times as the greatest album of the 1980s, and 29th greatest album of all time. In 2003, the album was ranked number 93 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.”

For a great review and sample tracks click here.

I hope this weekend brings you lots of family fun and sweet treats! Happy Easter!

David Spaltro is the writer, and director of “…Around” an independent film about finding home, embracing the fall and perseverance.

“…Around, Embrace the Fall” trailer:

After watching David’s film I wanted to find out more about him and “…Around”. Here’s my interview with David Spaltro.

HIH: In your bio on aroundthefilm.com  it says you grew up with a love for film and passion for storytelling. What were some films from back in the day that stood out the most to you?

David: The first time I ever realized films weren’t really happening was 1989′s Batman, waiting on a long line to see the film and the original projector broke and being ushered with all these desperate people to see this film; watching it was the first time I saw that people were making decisions and creating this thing. I also grew up watching scrambled copies of Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom ad-infinitum and had a father that showed me all manner of adult fare. When my parents separated and I saw him on weekends we’d go see a matinee, and when I worked at a mom n’ pop shop video rental place, I had a buffet of all kinds of films to see and started gravitating more towards human stories about people and simple events. Film school then finished that, opening me up to more obscure art films and foreign stuff. Gene Stavis, a great film historian, was my teacher and he showed us real film prints of silent movies and hard to find stuff, really great guy. He still invites some of us over to his place to watch prints of random serials, shorts, and old films you’ve never heard of.

HIH: Was it therapeutic for you turning personal experiences into a fictional story on film?

David: I think when you create any kind of art there’s always a catharsis that happens, regardless of how much of you is in the piece. I’ve always seen that the best work always has deep pieces of you in it in some form, you make it your own and work out your own stuff in it and it resonates higher. This particular project, while there was an overall release and I actually got a strange better understanding of a lot of things by stepping out of it and watching it in such a third person, there was also the brutal masochism of reopening old wounds and watching painful memories over and over and over in editing, mixing, screenings. You get desensitized in some ways and then, after awhile, it starts to hit you again and you see something you never did. It’s not for the squeamish, but I recommend everyone, if you can get to that place, put something personal into your work. It’s better for it and in the end so are you.

HIH: One thing I loved about “…Around” is how the characters with lives that aren’t socially acceptable are the ones that can offer the most insight into Doyle’s situation. Do you look for insightful information from anyone or do you find yourself putting a social filter on some people?

David: I’m pretty filter-less. There’s books smarts and street smarts, and while you can have both, my ear will always go towards life experience over what you read in a book any day. I grew up in Jersey City in the early-mid eighties crack boom and recessions, and what was once a blue-collar, mostly white Irish/Italian area became an influx of all kinds of cultures and minorities. I was given the opportunity to see all these different sides and walks of life and perspectives, foods, and languages which really prepares you for NYC. So, at an early age I guess I’d learned that there are so many sides to stories and you’d be hard-pressed to not find good information if you lay your ears to tracks with just about anyone. I’ve heard some of the worst advice ever come from well-bred, lauded scholars with degrees and years of schooling and some of the most worldly, simplistic and honest bits from people you might not give a second-glance at, who people hold their noses in front of.

HIH: On the film’s official site you have samples of storyboards by artist Jess Levy. After going to film school did you find yourself thinking about daily life as if in a storyboard format? Did it change the way you viewed the world?

David: I always wanted to be a story-teller in some way, and while I loved doodling as a kid and in high-school fancied the notion of being a graphic novelist, drawing was more of a hobby than something I could discipline myself to do and become great at. I think the visual ideas and shots are there in your head, but I’m probably more of an “off-the cuff” guy than “plan it all out meticulously”. It was necessary for some of the more shot-heavy days on “…Around”, to know what we were all doing and Jess was a great help. Someone like Jess is just so gifted and precise and also quick, is probably a far-better simply visual story-teller than myself where I’d rely on words and people. She definitely helped bring out some of the best in my visual ideas for the scenes she boarded.

HIH: I thought the film was cast well and I could feel the chemistry between the characters Doyle and Allyson. How important is casting in a film if the director and story are strong?

David: Very important. I think people believe you can get away with things if one or multiple things are so strong and it’s a cheat. You can save a film from being a disaster with great acting or writing or cinematography, but if you want to do something really well then not only do you try to have the best of things but you have to make them mesh into a whole. That’s the real trick and I guess goal of all of us out there, to bring all the toys together and make something that works in harmony. Rob Evans and Molly Ryman are two amazingly talented and friendly people, very dedicated to their work, and each brought something completely different to their roles that just connected. Rob was able to connect with the pain and hidden suffering as well as gravitas of my way of being broody, charming and completely retarded at the same time. Molly was able to bring her sweet and good-natured energy, comic timing and empathy while still layering Allyson and making her a 3-d person, rather than just “the girlfriend”. They loved the story and cared about their characters, they found things to relate to and it shows I think. That kind of stuff is essential when you build up a trust with them and yourself as the director, to go places that are hard or revealing and try and really say something that hasn’t been said before.

HIH: The idea of being homeless has always caused a lot of emotion for me. I don’t know why I’ve never been able to turn away without a thought when I see a homeless person. Because of this I’ve often wondered what my plan would be if I was put in that situation. How has your experience changed the way you see the homeless in America?

David: I’ve always seen them as people, with backgrounds and stories. Some threw their lives away, some fell on hard times and gave up, some are mentally disabled and were lost through the system; but they all exist and have stories. Where I grew up at the time I grew up I saw it a lot, and yeah–you’d have to be pretty heartless and jaded to just look away all the time and never let it even tug at your insides, even if you don’t give a dollar or dwell on it. In major cities, like NYC, you see it all the time and everywhere and you do build up a bit of a hardened facade because it’ll just overwhelm you, you can’t give away a dollar to everyone or save the world. And that’s not the point. I think if people stopped thinking in the grand scheme of things. I also feel that the film isn’t just about actual homelessness, but the idea of “home”–what that really is beyond just a four walls and a roof, as well as finding it, losing it and the transitional phase we all go through at some point in our lives.

HIH: “…Around” has an eclectic soundtrack with music by The Black Hollies, Takka Takka, and Summer Hagen just to name a few. What was it like choosing music for the film?

David: It was a bit serendipitous. Music is a big part of my life, I was in a few Nirvana cover bands–dare me to do “Come as You Are” and I’ve always got head phones on, especially when writing. When I edit I throw in songs, ones that might not even stay in, just to find a ryhthym. Our original sound guy who mixed on-set screwed us on a deal to have him do post, he was supposed to do score and add music as well. While working to get the money to do a second-mix and find the right person for the job, I started writing my favorite local indie-bands about getting music in the film, being a NY story and all, and they were kindly receptive. All amazing people to deal with and really great artists. It’s funny because they’re involved in such a big personal thing in my life and I’m a giant geek fan of their work, so it’s a nice treat. We also got some great score and additional music from our second sound mixer Carlos “Storm” Martinez and Vita Tanga at CreativeMixing.com that really added the final layer to bring out the best in the scenes. So, while I’ll never compose a Christmas card about it to him, the bad sound mix instead of just a mediocre one enabled us to come out with a much better film for it.

HIH: If you couldn’t write another film would you be content writing anything else such as novels, short stories, or for television?

David: I’ve always wanted to write the great novel and have done some short-story writing when I was younger. Then you read old works and journals and you’re like, “Christ, what pathetic, whining sixteen-year old misfit wrote thi–oh, right. Me.” I toyed with the idea of “…Around” as a novel but I love collaborating with all the people on set and in post-production. Nothing I love more than getting into a writing groove, but it’s lonely to be sitting in front of a pad and pen by yourself for too long. I like more hands. I think if I had a good idea I’d be a good show-runner on TV as I love dialogue and acting and long, plodding stories that might be better to stretch over 13 episodes than two hours. There’s been talk and interest on an “…Around” TV-show, sort of chronicling the four years, but I’m hesitant of opening that door and ending up with a messed up Felicity-Gossip Girl-CW hybrid… that eats small children and lives in the cellar.

HIH: With all the filming you did in New York, I imagine there are some great adventures from the set. Can you give us one?

David: We were moving three times a day all over the place, building sets over night, locations falling through, running and gunning illegally, facing down Iranian dictators at Columbia University, crashing production vans; but my personal favorite was a night we shot the final scene between Doyle and Allyson in Union Square. It was a crowded Friday night, supposed to rain but thankfully didn’t, and we do a long master take of them in a two and a half minute scene. In NYC other than people being jaded or busy or seeing productions all the time, no one ever stops or interrupts, but on this night I called “cut” and I heard my AD Grant DeSimone repeat it, and all this applause erupts. I see Rob and Molly get kind of red and gush, I turn to the script-supervisor confused and as I look back I’d say somewhere between fifty and sixty-five people had crowded around and were applauding, even yelling “great scene”. I’ve never seen or felt anything like that happen and I felt so glad for the actor s and the crew and all of us killing ourselves on this impossible mission. That was the real catharsis. I slept soundly on the floor (the prop master still had my bed in storage) and will remember that always.

HIH: Do you have any more stories to tell on the big screen?

David: I think so. I don’t know if it’ll ever be the same as “…Around” and the experience, but I have some more stuff I’d like to do if I’m lucky enough to get another “crack at bat”. I have a project I’m finishing up now called “Things I Don’t Understand” I’m planning to start shopping around for financing and shoot in Brooklyn in late-January ’10 and, if possible, reunite some of the cast of “…Around”. I’m also developing/writing a bunch of scripts to just sell and always looking for new stories. I’ve always wanted to do an adaptation of the book “Sex and Rockets” which is the true story Jack Parsons who isn’t remembered in history, even though he pretty much developed rockets and rocket fuel technology because he was also a practicing Satanist who believed he was the anti-christ, blew himself up trying to summon the devil, and had his money and wife stolen by L. Ron Hubbard. It’s a really dark and twisted true story that I think could be quite a great film in the vein of Ed Wood and would be a real departure for myself narratively and visually if I got the opportunity, and though I don’t know who owns the rights, if you’re out there give us an email, would you?

Visit http://aroundthefilm.com for reviews and more information about the filmmakers, cast and crew.

For those of you on Facebook you’re probably familiar with all the quizzes you can take. I’m not one for sending tropical fish or garden plants to friends but the quizzes tempt me. I do like sending 80′s memorabilia and 70′s Disco fashion but we’ll save that for another post.

It seems like ever since the recent Facebook changes the amount of quiz taking has increased. This could be the way the news feed is being updated but whatever the case I gave in last night and started taking those silly less than 10 question quizzes that can supposedly tell me who I was in a past life, and which Grease character or Muppet I would be.

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The problem with these quizzes is they always burst my imagination bubble. I was picturing myself a bit like Kermit. You know the star of the show, the ring leader in the midst of Muppet chaos, the kind fellow that means well and perseveres with only a few mini breakdowns once and awhile. Come to find out the almighty Facebook quiz says I would be Rowlf the Dog if I was a Muppet character.

Don’t get me wrong I love Rowlf. Some of my favorite scenes from The Muppet Show include Rowlf. 1, 2, 3 DIP wouldn’t be possible without Rowlf. Well I don’t think so anyway. Case being if I had a Muppet friend, Rowlf would most likely be it. He’s musical, relaxed, and he accompanies a lot of talented guest stars.

I didn’t know that Rowlf the Dog had been around for so long. Looking around YouTube I found some great footage from The Jimmy Dean Show  way back when. I knew Rowlf played Honkey Tonk on his piano a few times but I didn’t think he was that Country.

The Muppet Wiki states, “Rowlf the Dog was the first Muppet to reach national stardom as a cast member of The Jimmy Dean Show from 1963 to 1966. He later went on to serve as the resident piano player on The Muppet Show, also playing the silly surgeon Dr. Bob on the recurring sketch “Veterinarian’s Hospital”.

Because he was the first Muppet to reach national stardom he was also one of the first to do advertising. Click here for vintage Rowlf  as an IBM salesman.

Seems that Rowlf is a determined individual that can put his all into anything he does. He’s a little bit Country, a little bit Rock n Roll, he can be classy & lots of fun. He has a flair for good conversation and he’s a great actor too.

Maybe these quizzes aren’t so silly after all. If you were part of The Muppet Show which character would you be?