Archive for September, 2014

Write A Novel With Me – Chapter 1

Hello readers. The following is the first chapter in my new interactive writing experiment, Write A Novel With Me. For those who understand how the project works, feel free to jump right in. If you aren’t aware of what the project is, please click here to learn all about it. Then come back here, read the first chapter and answer the question posed at the end.

With your help, I will be able to write one creatively insane story. Enjoy, and above all else, have fun! Read Chapter 1

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Movie Mayhem – The Equalizer

In 2004, Denzel Washington was paired with a then-rising star, Dakota Fanning, in the revenge thriller Man On Fire, and though a lot of people found the film to be a top-notch actioner, I’m sorry to say I’m not one of them. The pairing of Washington and Fanning was incredibly smart, giving life to the scenes they were in. I was very emotionally invested in their relationship, so when director Tony Scott removed that element of the film, I was sorely left wanting. The energy and the spark that was so deliciously evident in the first act of the film crumbled without a trace, never to rise again. The same thing happens in Washington’s new film, The Equalizer, which falls into the same exact trap by following a very similar formula. Don’t Stop — There’s Plenty More

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My New Interactive Writing Experiment

Ever since Twitter exploded into the social media juggernaut it’s become, I’ve been thinking of a way to interact with fans and followers in a unique way. I even got close to starting this experiment a couple of years ago, but the idea faded into the background in favor of some other projects I was working on at the time. But now that I have this blog, have officially joined Twitter, created a Google+ account, and have linked them all together in one big happy social media family, there’s no better time to jump start this idea than now. Find out how to participate

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Writing My First True Story

This afternoon, I had the pleasure of sitting down with an incredible young girl and her father to learn more about their amazing story of faith and survival.

A few weeks ago, I was talking to someone I know and somehow the topic of one of his friends and his daughter came up. With what very little he talked about, I instantly felt connected to the story and knew that it was one that was just waiting to be told. So I contacted the guy and asked if he and his daughter would mind sitting down with me to discuss the possibility of making a film, or writing a novel about her story. Little did I know how extraordinary the story actually was. Don’t Stop — There’s Plenty More

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Movie Mayhem – This Is Where I Leave You

Shawn Levy has been producing (and directing) a mix of comedy and drama for some fifteen years. What he does so well is the way he effectively roots his comedy with an affectionate spirit that keeps his stories and characters from becoming overtly juvenile. In other words, there’s a maturity in the art he produces, a heartfelt passion for the characters and the stories he’s creating that help the audience relate to them on a sophisticated level (even when the films themselves aren’t necessarily great). This innate maturity is on full display in his new dramedy, This Is Where I Leave You, where he infects his world with a family of generally comic actors to deliver a low-key — what I’d like to call, quiet — comedy that utilizes the sensibilities of the actors to generate a loving, honest portrait of a dysfunctional family. Don’t Stop — There’s Plenty More

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Movie Mayhem – Dolphin Tale 2

Earlier this year on American Idol, Harry Connick Jr. announced that he was working on Dolphin Tale 2, which initially threw me for a loop because it didn’t make much sense at the time (of course, if I had been following Winter’s story, it would have made more sense). Dolphin Tale, released back in 2011, was based on a true story, so without knowing the full background behind the story, making a sequel felt as if they were simply capitalizing on the name recognition of the property and the worldwide phenomenon that was Winter’s inspirational tale. How happy I was to find out that Dolphin Tale 2 was also based off of real events that miraculously occurred several years after the events of the original film, and that Winter’s story wasn’t over. Don’t Stop — There’s Plenty More

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Mini-Chaos News Roundup

It’s been an interesting weekend for me and there are several items that came up that I wanted to post about, but I didn’t want to deluge everyone with a series of back-to-back posts over the course of a day. So, I’ve decided to deliver all of my most recent news in one simple, handy and effective post, which I’ve dubbed the Mini-Chaos News Roundup. Herewith are my newsworthy announcements: Check out the Special Announcements

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Movie Mayhem – The Identical

Every so often a movie comes along that I just can’t figure out how how I feel about it. On one hand, it’s not a terrible film, it’s just familiar — it knows what it is and does exactly what it seeks to do. On the other hand, after the movie’s over, there’s an emptiness that permeates your enjoyment, as if everything about it was hollow and forgettable. It’s almost like ordering Chinese food — it goes down well and satiates your hunger, but leaves you seeking additional nourishment thirty minutes later. That’s what it felt like watching The Identical, a movie that doesn’t do anything wrong except fail to deliver the emotional impact needed to leave a lasting impression. Don’t Stop — There’s Plenty More

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“Never Stop Living” and the Kickstarter Popular Club

Well, the Kickstarter campaign for my feature film, Never Stop Living, (an inspirational sports drama about a young girl who wants nothing more than to pitch in one final game before succumbing to her terminal illness) is a week old, and so far, just over a handful of people have contributed. That’s awesome and I want thank all of those who have taken the time to do so! And with 27 days left, there’s still plenty of time to get people excited and help bring this tremendous story to life. Find out how you can help

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