McDonald’s Ripped Me Off and Gave Me a Stomach-Ache
June 6, 2006 | Filed Under art, music, projects, video / film | Leave a Comment
Has anyone seen this new(ish) McDonald’s commercial that uses stop-motion animation with live actors? It starts out with a guy asleep in bed, who slides out from under the covers, onto his floor, and down the hallway, all while retaining his sleeping position. He continues out of his apartment, along a sidewalk, and into a McDonald’s, all the while “sliding” along the ground, asleep. When he exits the restaurant, he has his coffee now, and he’s awake and upright. It’s a really cool commercial, well-executed and shot, and it’s interesting the way it combines live action with animation. (I tried to find it online, but I couldn’t. this looks cool, tho) Hopefully, some of you have seen it.The funny thing is: I thought of that idea first. Ok, I know I can’t say with certainty that no one ever came up with that before, because I’m sure someone has, and maybe someone even did it before me, (not that I know of, though.) The fact is, I shot a short film in 2002 while I lived in Savannah that is basically the same exact concept without the McDonald’s or the coffee. Mine is more of a visual art piece that I put to music, but it totally involves a sleeping person sliding around her apartment without waking up, utilizing stop-motion animation. I seriously doubt a former classmate saw my film and then sold-out to McDonald’s, but it is really funny (but not haha funny) that someone out there had the same exact idea. It also kinda sucks that my concept doesn’t seem so original anymore. I wanted to put it in the local Underground Film Fest this year, since I know some of the organizers, but now I’m having second thoughts because it looks like I ripped off a McDonald’s commercial. Fooey.so… here’s my movie:
If anyone can find McD’s (much newer) version of my movie, send me the link and I’ll put it here.By the way, I am truly sorry and I humbly repent that this blog has kinda “gone fishin’” lately, but as y’all probably know, I’ve been working long, weird hours on We Are Marshall. I have, however, been loyally updating the Sketchbook blog every day, (even though no one seems to be paying any attention… ) (but that’s ok, ’cause it hasn’t gotten good yet.) (but come on, folks, you should still check it out once in a while if you’re bored.)I have also, just so you know, been collecting things to blog here. I have a bunch of stuff. I’m just saving it up for when I have time to put it on the table. proverbially, that is. no tables online. unless you’re talking about html tables. but I wasn’t talking about that kind of shit, and i hope you weren’t either.
Yeah, but what about the OTHER guy I look like…
April 26, 2006 | Filed Under d'etre, funny haha, music, mysterious | 1 Comment
Everyone knows and everyone tells me that I look like “the guy from Iron & Wine,” but lately I’ve been getting a new one. The other day, one of my film industry colleagues mentioned that I bear a bit of a resemblance to the dude in the new Fiona Apple video. I hadn’t seen it, sorry… so she showed me on teh internets (it’s really awesome, by the way, you should totally watch it) and it turns out that the guy is my newest doppleganger, Zach Galifianakis.
This actually isn’t the first time I’ve been compared and/or contrasted to the Z-man. I’ve heard it a few times. I know it could be the beard. In fact, it probably is the beard, mainly. But let’s also consider the razor-sharp wit. That’s probably not a coincidence.I must say, now that I think about it, that I’m proud to be included in the Sam Beam/Zach Galifianakis Beard-Mystery Club. Mr. & Wine is setting a fine example for all of us aspiring folksters looking to quietly rock the socks off some junebugs, and Z-Gal is a bad-ass in his own right - for one thing, he fuckin hangs out with Sarah Silverman, Fiona Apple, and Carrot Top. So yeah, cool. The captions in his “photos” section of his website are pretty funny, too.
Oh, lest I forget - also in the club: Doug Martsch. He has the same model beard as Holden and me. We told him once, after his solo set at the 40 Watt and he was like, “Dudes, it’s like lookin’ in a fuckin’ mirror.” Nice guy. I’m thinking about making a “Beard Mystery Club” T-shirt with that quote. It could be our motto.
Good Friday was Wonderful
April 16, 2006 | Filed Under fantastic weekend, friends, music, photo | Leave a Comment
Ian, Bill, Puma and I hosted a cookout in honor of the arrival of springtime this past friday, and The Wonderful decided to seize the opportunity to put on our first-ever show. We figured it would be a low key thing, with just our friends, so we wouldn’t be too nervous.While Ian manned the grill, we set up our gear in the backyard on that weird concrete thing that might have been a chimney foundation or a firepit at one time. We borrowed Puma’s friend Mark’s PA speakers, set up some good ol’ tiki torches, and strategically placed a milk-crate of noisemakers on a blanket in front of the “stage” to allow for audience participation. Once everything was in place, we attempted a semi-successful sound check, then got busy on some beer and burgers.
Soon, magic-hour (eight o’clock,) was upon us, and we started our set. It went surprisingly well, especially considering the fact that Zach didn’t have a monitor and later said that he couldn’t really hear anything we were doing. Evidently, though, no one really noticed. Or at least they were polite and said they didn’t. Either way, we had a good time playing, and I don’t think we effed up very much or very often, and afterwards a few people told me that they liked it, so overall, I’m gonna go ahead and call it a win.After we played, Puma and Jin got up and did a few impromptu numbers, and they sounded great. I had just been wishing (while playing) that I could be in the audience to see and hear what it was like, and then sure enough I got my chance. While they were doing their thing, I have to say that I was really enjoying the moment - still a little dusky but getting dark, a cold beer in hand, friends around, and spring/summer just beginning.That is to say, it was nice. Thanks to all y’all who made it out, and for those who didn’t, we’ll hopefully be scheduling more shows soon. I know we already have one possibly in the works - a house show on saturday the 29th - that we’ll hopefully confirm or deny shortly.
the collector’s item of the night - a genuine setlist, on a post-it, from The Wonderful’s first live performance ever.extra special bonus - a genuine grocery list I had in my pocket which i must admit, had me a little worried for a second when we were about to start playing.Here are a few photos from the evening.update 4/19: the show on the 29th will not be happening - but we’re putting other things in motion. things like magic spells.
High Quality, Unadulterated, Columbian Stardust
March 17, 2006 | Filed Under funny haha, god bless the internet, music, video / film | Leave a Comment
Happy F’n Pi Day
March 14, 2006 | Filed Under big ideas, funny haha, god bless the internet, happening, music | Leave a Comment
y’all gonna love this (witcha spkrs on)
Apache! Ah Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!!
March 7, 2006 | Filed Under funny haha, god bless the internet, music, time travel | 2 Comments
Brave warriors, riders of the plains -Apache ‘pache boy! Apache ‘pache boy!Their land, strong earth -They must be free -Apache ‘pache boy! Apache ‘pache boy!to live their own lives, free.Free.Apache!- turn on yr spkrs -
Point Schmoint
March 6, 2006 | Filed Under big ideas, music, video / film | Leave a Comment
I don’t know why I had never heard The Point!(w.) by Harry Nilsson until a few days ago when Paul Clifton loaned it to me as possible material for The Wonderful to cover, but please allow me to officially go on record that I find it to be delightful. All I really knew of Nilsson until recently was “Everybody’s Talkin’“ from the Midnight Cowboy soundtrack. I used to have it on vinyl and it’s a good song. But The Point! is something completely different and unexpected.
Apparently, the original incarnation was an animated made for tv thing, which I’d love to see, (even tho the cover art looks baaad) but I didn’t know about the film at first, and the record stands on its own. It’s basically a concept album in the form of a children’s story. Nilsson narrates the story over background music, which, on every other track turns into a song.The story is a (very) thinly veiled allegory about non-conformism featuring a kid named Oblio who is the only round-headed person in a land in which everyone is pointy-headed. Oblio’s mom knits him a pointy hat so he’ll fit in, but it doesn’t work and he gets banished to the Pointless Forest, where he encounters a Pterodactyl, among other weirdos. (Nilsson pronounces it terro-dac-TILE(!) He then wanders back to the town he was banished from, where they let him back in and everyone’s points melt off.The whole story is ridiculous and it’s pretty obvious that it was conceived on an acid trip, (Nilsson says this: “I was on acid and I looked at the trees and I realized that they all came to points, and the little branches came to points, and the houses came to point. I thought, ‘Oh! Everything has a point, and if it doesn’t, then there’s a point to it.”) In spite of all that, though, it’s got that real 70’s children’s programming feel to it: drug-inspired, sort of socially educational, slightly subversive, wholesome and totally sincere.It’s so representative of the stuff I used to listen to on the old fisher price record player when I was a little kid that it brought back a lot of those memories even though I had never heard this particular story/album. I remember loving those kind of records; stories mixed with music that you could fall asleep to and have really nice dreams.and the songs are really good.
Does Sufjan Ever Sleepjan?
December 13, 2005 | Filed Under big ideas, good lord, music | 1 Comment
Sufjan Stevens is so prolific - he must do a song a day to be able to put out so much material. I wonder how many artists/musicians have said half-jokingly or even in all seriousness that they would like to do a Christmas album - while they’re still relevant in the music world - and then never got around to it or chickened out or weren’t allowed by their labels. Well, Sufjan not only got around to it, but he recorded 3 e.p.’s worth of the stuff. Holden emailed me a link to this dude’s blog where you can download all of it. (I know this is possibly old news to a lot of people… I think a lot of this stuff was released a while back… It sounds more like Seven Swans than Illinois… But I just got on it, and I got excited.) I love Christmas music. Sufjan’s great. It’s a good match. Here’s the tracklist, and you can click the titles to download the stuff.
Vol. I Hark! Songs for Christmas01 Silent Night02 O Come O Come Emmanuel03 We’re Goin’ to the Country!04 Lo How a Rose E’er Blooming05 It’s Christmas! Let’s Be Glad06 Holy, Holy, etc.07 Amazing Grace Vol. II Hark! Songs for Christmas01 Angels We Have Heard On High02 Put the Lights on the Tree03 Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing04 I Saw Three Ships05 Only at Christmas Time06 Once in David’s Royal City07 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!08 What Child Is This Anyway?09 Bring a Torch, Jeanette, IsabellaVol. III Ding! Dong! Songs for Christmas01 O Come, O Come Emmanual02 Come On! Let’s Boogie to the Elf Dance!03 We Three Kings of Orient Are04 O Holy Night05 That Was the Worst Christmas Ever06 All the King’s Horns07 Ding! Dong!08 The Friendly Beasts
The Wonderful Family
November 14, 2005 | Filed Under god bless the internet, music | Leave a Comment
Rennie from The Handsome Family likes our songs. Neat.
This Big Dog’ll Fight When You Rattle His Caaaage
October 26, 2005 | Filed Under funny haha, job responsibilities, music | 2 Comments
As most of you know, I’ve been working for the Angel From Montgomery film production as a driver for Toby Keith and his gang. The production was featured on the local news this afternoon, and since I usually don’t have anything better to do, they asked me to go home and tape it. Then, on my own, I figured I’d digitize it and upload it since I love Google Video so much. It’s really just so I can give my mom the link. She’ll be impressed. Here it is.
So Doggone Electric
October 26, 2005 | Filed Under friends, funny haha, god bless the internet, music, projects, video / film | Leave a Comment
A while back, Holden shot a bunch of short video clips of his old roommate’s dogs in their backyard with his digital camera. I edited them to the song So Electric, from Boulevard’s recent e.p. Vice & Daring. It’s kind of funny, so I put it online here for y’all to check it.
The Clock of the Long Now
October 23, 2005 | Filed Under art, big ideas, god bless the internet, good lord, music, mysterious, space, time travel | Leave a Comment
This project is pretty awe-inspiring — This guy, Danny Hillis, and his team have created a design (and two prototypes so far) for a “clock” that will run for 10,000 years. The final version will be over 60 feet tall and embedded 10,000 feet up the side of a mountain in Nevada. It will display the time in several different modes, including the positions of the planets in orbit around the sun. It’s essentially a digital clock, but it works mechanically (using pins in or out) to represent ones and zeroes. It was named by none other than Brian Eno. This is one of the most impressive and well thought out ideas I’ve heard of in a really long time, and I like it. The concept of creating a monument on this scale (physically, symbollically, and temporally) is something I’d like to see more of. Let’s build us some pyramids! Here are links: the Discover Article, the Project’s website, and a page about the 1st prototype.