Kayla and I just watched Lost Boys: The Thirst and it was so cool. As far as trilogies go, it's up there with Star Wars (not the new shit), Back to the Future and the Evil Dead trilogy in my mind. Lost Boys and Near Dark are some of my favorite vampire movies.
Near Dark never had any sequels that I know of. I could be wrong. To me, it was just a gritty, dark film with no frills. It didn't glamorize vampires. These were just real people who had to kill to eat. I don't even recall them having fangs. I don't think there was anything about crosses, bats, garlic or any of the usual vampire shit. It was just people like you and me who have been forced to get used to a condition which makes them have to drink human blood.
That's the sort of feel I'd like to have with the vampires in my stories. In the Nocent stories, since all the vampires are only half-vampires, I have the added element of how they can protect humans without killing anybody. Of course, they can destroy the zombies because they're already dead, but there are also human followers of the Nocent who must be dealt with in a humane fashion.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Worthy Sequels
Bologna is the best thing since sliced bread. Everybody sing together now, "My bologna has a first name. It's S-T-O-R-E. My bologna has a second name. It's B-R-A-N-D." You know how they have Easy Cheese that you spray out of a bottle onto crackers or whatever? My twisted Asian brain came up with the concept of Easy Bologna. Imagine a bologna sandwich in 3 seconds flat! I could make millions.
What I really wanted to talk about was Lost Boys: The Tribe. It was with hesitant trepidation (as opposed to embrazened trepidation?) that I fired up that flick on Netflix. I tell you what, that movie pleasantly surpassed my expectations for it. Kayla said the same thing. The music was good, so was the story line and the acting. You could tell that whoever made that sequel, obviously liked the original. This wasn't just someone out to make a fast buck by capitalizing on a known franchise. Anyway, I also have Lost Boys: The Thirst in my queue. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
In my experience, most sequels just don't live up to the original. Some exceptions are the Back to the Future trilogy, Aliens, the Resident Evil sequels, Army of Darkness, Star Wars episodes V and VI, and the Nocent books (Your Honor, I object! Insufficient evidence. Objection sustained.). I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject of sequels.
What I really wanted to talk about was Lost Boys: The Tribe. It was with hesitant trepidation (as opposed to embrazened trepidation?) that I fired up that flick on Netflix. I tell you what, that movie pleasantly surpassed my expectations for it. Kayla said the same thing. The music was good, so was the story line and the acting. You could tell that whoever made that sequel, obviously liked the original. This wasn't just someone out to make a fast buck by capitalizing on a known franchise. Anyway, I also have Lost Boys: The Thirst in my queue. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
In my experience, most sequels just don't live up to the original. Some exceptions are the Back to the Future trilogy, Aliens, the Resident Evil sequels, Army of Darkness, Star Wars episodes V and VI, and the Nocent books (Your Honor, I object! Insufficient evidence. Objection sustained.). I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject of sequels.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Yes and Noh
One time I was at a book store in Tucson. One of the TVs had a sample video game that someone was playing. There were people in Kabuki masks as characters in the game. I went to the counter and asked what game that was. The clerk said it was a Kabuki video game (no shit, Sherlock). As you may know, Kabuki is a form of Japanese theatre. Another form of Japanese theatre is Noh, so I asked him, "Do you have any Noh games?" He said, "Huh?" I repeated, "Do you have any Noh games?" He said, "What is that?" I said, "What part of Noh do you not understand?" Boy, I'm a mean video game shopper!
Speaking of lost in translation, you know that scene in The Mask with Jim Carrey where Stanley Ipkis is in jail and he's trying to get his dog to retrieve the keys to his cell? The dog mishears him and brings him a slice of cheese from a nearby sandwich. Stanley has to correct him by saying, "Not the cheese, the keys!" It occurs to me that people in Spain wouldn't get that joke if it was translated into Spanish. It would be something along the lines of, "No el queso, la llaves!" They'd be all thinking, "What kind of estupido perro is that?" That's another of those things that occupies far too much of my mind capacity.
I'll leave you with this story. Once my wife and I were driving across country. I threw on a Blind Melon CD cuz they're one of my favorite bands of all time. She told me that the lead singer, Shannon Hoon (R.I.P.) sounded to her like the lead singer of the band, Yes. She later put on some of their music and I have to say, she was right. Tell me what you think.
Speaking of lost in translation, you know that scene in The Mask with Jim Carrey where Stanley Ipkis is in jail and he's trying to get his dog to retrieve the keys to his cell? The dog mishears him and brings him a slice of cheese from a nearby sandwich. Stanley has to correct him by saying, "Not the cheese, the keys!" It occurs to me that people in Spain wouldn't get that joke if it was translated into Spanish. It would be something along the lines of, "No el queso, la llaves!" They'd be all thinking, "What kind of estupido perro is that?" That's another of those things that occupies far too much of my mind capacity.
I'll leave you with this story. Once my wife and I were driving across country. I threw on a Blind Melon CD cuz they're one of my favorite bands of all time. She told me that the lead singer, Shannon Hoon (R.I.P.) sounded to her like the lead singer of the band, Yes. She later put on some of their music and I have to say, she was right. Tell me what you think.
More Food
My wife and I really like that sandwich that Adam Sandler made in Spanglish. On the DVD, the chef who created the sandwich tells you how to make one. You oughtta rent it some time.
We just got paid so we went food shopping. I always like trying different cheeses. I got a block of Camembert and some Creme de Saint Agur. The former reminds me a little of Brie, but with more of a mellow flavor. The latter reminds me of Gorgonzola except that it has a creamy texture. I have some cream cheese with lox in it. I spread some of that on half a bagel. I spread the Creme de Saint Agur on the other half, put them together and ate it. Fuck yeah, motherfucker, that's some good shit! God damn.
To fill myself up the rest of the way I had some rice with chili oil and soy sauce. In Spanish, soy means 'I am' so it would be I am sauce I put on my arroz. What the hell am I talking about? Anyway, hello, Denmark. I see that you're online right now reading my blog.
We just got paid so we went food shopping. I always like trying different cheeses. I got a block of Camembert and some Creme de Saint Agur. The former reminds me a little of Brie, but with more of a mellow flavor. The latter reminds me of Gorgonzola except that it has a creamy texture. I have some cream cheese with lox in it. I spread some of that on half a bagel. I spread the Creme de Saint Agur on the other half, put them together and ate it. Fuck yeah, motherfucker, that's some good shit! God damn.
To fill myself up the rest of the way I had some rice with chili oil and soy sauce. In Spanish, soy means 'I am' so it would be I am sauce I put on my arroz. What the hell am I talking about? Anyway, hello, Denmark. I see that you're online right now reading my blog.
Green to Yellow
I've always felt as if I don't belong to any particular group or category. This used to make me feel isolated and lonely. Now I see that it has given me a unique perspective. In high school I could hang out with the Chess club, the cheerleaders, the Poetry club and whomever else I felt like getting to know better. I was not a part of any of them, but I could relate with any of them. There were the gang members, the bullies, the druggies, the ones who had been to jail and the ostracized underdogs who I could sit with and have lunch.
It was a strange phenomenon that people just felt that they could open up to me. I never betrayed their trust. Many a "problem child" would bare their souls to me about their home life and their families. There was a bully who picked on me for a little while. One day at lunch, he sat down next to me. He said, "Do lots of people pick on you the way I used to?" He then proceeded to tell me about his parent's recent divorce and his sister's struggles with depression.
I have also not belonged to any economic class in my heart either. Growing up, my parents always had money so I've eaten at the best restaurants, lived in huge houses and ridden in luxury cars. I've travelled all over the world and stayed in the fanciest hotels. All the while, I've not felt like a part of it. I mean, I can relate with rich people, I just don't feel rich.
On the other hand, since I moved away from my parents, I've lived in my car, slept in construction sites, old buildings and laundry rooms of apartment complexes. I've had a bag of cat food I found be my only source of sustenance. There was a time when I delivered Auto Trader magazines to various gas stations around Tucson for $52 dollars a week. At that time, my only other income was donating my plasma twice a week for $20 a pop. That's less than $5000 a year.
I think all this has opened my eyes to the fact that everyone is looking for the same things. Cat food and sushi both fill the belly and provide nutrients. Tool sheds and luxury hotels both provide shelter. Millionaires and toothless, crack-addicted ex-cons can provide companionship and love. Buddha, Christ and a homeless, bipolar can recycler can give you wisdom. I have found God in death metal songs, country songs, zombie books, classic literature, B-rated slasher flicks, television shows and in my turtle's eyes.
I'll leave you with a story. One day, back in college, I was walking around the University of Arizona. It was Autumn and leaves were falling. On the sidewalk, I noticed a leaf that fell in my path. I picked it up. Only parts of it had faded to yellow. Part was still green. The patterns spelled out the letters L-O-V-E. I knew it was a message from God. This was in the days before camera phones and such. I was near the dorm of a friend so I brought it to her, but by the time I walked to her place, the heat from my hand had faded the entire leaf to yellow. I wasn't able to share the miracle with anybody. From that I can see that God gives me love in ways that I can understand. It is then up to me to give love to people in ways that they can understand. This blog and my stories are my way of giving love to the world. Where have you found love and how do you share it?
It was a strange phenomenon that people just felt that they could open up to me. I never betrayed their trust. Many a "problem child" would bare their souls to me about their home life and their families. There was a bully who picked on me for a little while. One day at lunch, he sat down next to me. He said, "Do lots of people pick on you the way I used to?" He then proceeded to tell me about his parent's recent divorce and his sister's struggles with depression.
I have also not belonged to any economic class in my heart either. Growing up, my parents always had money so I've eaten at the best restaurants, lived in huge houses and ridden in luxury cars. I've travelled all over the world and stayed in the fanciest hotels. All the while, I've not felt like a part of it. I mean, I can relate with rich people, I just don't feel rich.
On the other hand, since I moved away from my parents, I've lived in my car, slept in construction sites, old buildings and laundry rooms of apartment complexes. I've had a bag of cat food I found be my only source of sustenance. There was a time when I delivered Auto Trader magazines to various gas stations around Tucson for $52 dollars a week. At that time, my only other income was donating my plasma twice a week for $20 a pop. That's less than $5000 a year.
I think all this has opened my eyes to the fact that everyone is looking for the same things. Cat food and sushi both fill the belly and provide nutrients. Tool sheds and luxury hotels both provide shelter. Millionaires and toothless, crack-addicted ex-cons can provide companionship and love. Buddha, Christ and a homeless, bipolar can recycler can give you wisdom. I have found God in death metal songs, country songs, zombie books, classic literature, B-rated slasher flicks, television shows and in my turtle's eyes.
I'll leave you with a story. One day, back in college, I was walking around the University of Arizona. It was Autumn and leaves were falling. On the sidewalk, I noticed a leaf that fell in my path. I picked it up. Only parts of it had faded to yellow. Part was still green. The patterns spelled out the letters L-O-V-E. I knew it was a message from God. This was in the days before camera phones and such. I was near the dorm of a friend so I brought it to her, but by the time I walked to her place, the heat from my hand had faded the entire leaf to yellow. I wasn't able to share the miracle with anybody. From that I can see that God gives me love in ways that I can understand. It is then up to me to give love to people in ways that they can understand. This blog and my stories are my way of giving love to the world. Where have you found love and how do you share it?
Friday, January 14, 2011
Faces and Dreams
I have a strange ability with faces. I can see someone in passing, say at a mall, and capture their looks in my mind. I can then see in my head their face in different lighting, with different angles and with different facial expressions. It's fun to just sit on a bench at a mall and do that. It's kind of like meditation to me in that it is soothing and keeps my mind sharp and focused.
This ability also makes me really good at spotting and identifying actors in different movies. I can be watching a movie and would have to pause it to tell my wife that so and so was in a scene in the background in an episode of Frasier drinking coffee or some such. Inevitably, I'd be right, at least most of the time. You wouldn't believe how many actors from cheesy B-grade 80's splatter flicks show up in episodes of Quantum Leap. My poor wife has to endure my little tangents when I hop on wikipedia to substantiate my suspicions.
Another area of my life in which I have very vivid images is in my dreams. I use every one of my senses in my dreams. Often, I'll be eating something and I can smell it as I bring it to my lips, then feel my teeth bite off a chunk and taste it on my tongue. I'll be hot or cold, wet or dry and feel it all. I love looking out of windows to see all the details of the outside world within my mind. I like to check out what time of day it is, what the weather is like and what people and objects are out there. Are these places I've been? Are these people I've seen, am I making them up or have I never even met them?
One of my favorite things to do in a dream is to flip through a book or magazine. It's especially fun if it's a magazine with pictures. I like looking at the picture, turning the page, then turning back to see if it's the same picture or if it's changed. I love it when it's an art book I'm looking at. I often wonder if the paintings I'm seeing are from my memory banks or if their being spontaneously created by my imagination. The detail in the paintings are incredible! Sometimes I'll just study a painting for a while. If I bring the art book close to my face, I can even smell the paper and ink!
Recently, I had a dream where I was on the mast of a boat. I was looking down at the water, thinking to jump in. I wondered if I would wake up before I hit the surface or what. I jumped in, forcing myself to keep my eyes open. I could see the top of the water rushing up to me like a blue wall. As my feet broke the surface, I could actually see the trail of air bubbles following the path of my feet through the water. I felt the sudden weightlessness, temperature change and wetness. All sound became muffled except the sound of the bubbles floating up and popping as they breached the border between liquid and atmosphere.
This ability also makes me really good at spotting and identifying actors in different movies. I can be watching a movie and would have to pause it to tell my wife that so and so was in a scene in the background in an episode of Frasier drinking coffee or some such. Inevitably, I'd be right, at least most of the time. You wouldn't believe how many actors from cheesy B-grade 80's splatter flicks show up in episodes of Quantum Leap. My poor wife has to endure my little tangents when I hop on wikipedia to substantiate my suspicions.
Another area of my life in which I have very vivid images is in my dreams. I use every one of my senses in my dreams. Often, I'll be eating something and I can smell it as I bring it to my lips, then feel my teeth bite off a chunk and taste it on my tongue. I'll be hot or cold, wet or dry and feel it all. I love looking out of windows to see all the details of the outside world within my mind. I like to check out what time of day it is, what the weather is like and what people and objects are out there. Are these places I've been? Are these people I've seen, am I making them up or have I never even met them?
One of my favorite things to do in a dream is to flip through a book or magazine. It's especially fun if it's a magazine with pictures. I like looking at the picture, turning the page, then turning back to see if it's the same picture or if it's changed. I love it when it's an art book I'm looking at. I often wonder if the paintings I'm seeing are from my memory banks or if their being spontaneously created by my imagination. The detail in the paintings are incredible! Sometimes I'll just study a painting for a while. If I bring the art book close to my face, I can even smell the paper and ink!
Recently, I had a dream where I was on the mast of a boat. I was looking down at the water, thinking to jump in. I wondered if I would wake up before I hit the surface or what. I jumped in, forcing myself to keep my eyes open. I could see the top of the water rushing up to me like a blue wall. As my feet broke the surface, I could actually see the trail of air bubbles following the path of my feet through the water. I felt the sudden weightlessness, temperature change and wetness. All sound became muffled except the sound of the bubbles floating up and popping as they breached the border between liquid and atmosphere.
Music and Dreams
I was just listening on my mp3 player to some Leadbelly. He's one of my favorite blues artists. He was actually quite influential in the rock world. Lots of people have covered "Goodnight Irene". The Animals did a version of "House of the Rising Sun". By the way, that song was the first song I ever attempted at karaoke. A little too challenging for a beginner. Nirvana did a cover of "In the Pines". My favorite song by Huddie Ledbetter was "John Hardy". Another one I like is "When I Was a Cowboy".
Yesterday, Kayla and I were on itunes getting some music. I got "Better Days" by Eddie Vedder from the Eat Pray Love soundtrack, "Let It Be Me" by the Everly Brothers, "Cherish" by the Association, "Working My Way Back To You" by the Four Seasons, "Paint It Black" by the Rolling Stones and "Jerry Was a Racecar Driver" by Primus. As you can tell, I was in the mood for rock & roll.
Last night I kept having dreams that our apartment is haunted. I was seeing ghosts in the bathroom mirror, hearing voices from under the bed and couldn't turn a light on to save my life. At one point, I looked at my reflection in the mirror and my irises had turned black. Doors were closing all by themselves, objects were moving around. It was crazy.
Yesterday, Kayla and I were on itunes getting some music. I got "Better Days" by Eddie Vedder from the Eat Pray Love soundtrack, "Let It Be Me" by the Everly Brothers, "Cherish" by the Association, "Working My Way Back To You" by the Four Seasons, "Paint It Black" by the Rolling Stones and "Jerry Was a Racecar Driver" by Primus. As you can tell, I was in the mood for rock & roll.
Last night I kept having dreams that our apartment is haunted. I was seeing ghosts in the bathroom mirror, hearing voices from under the bed and couldn't turn a light on to save my life. At one point, I looked at my reflection in the mirror and my irises had turned black. Doors were closing all by themselves, objects were moving around. It was crazy.
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