If you grew up in the 80's you most likely played the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). A lot. Unless you were one of the unfortunate few fans of the Sega Master System (which had better specs than the NES; it just didn't have the Number One Video Game Mascot of All Time, namely, Mario). I remember when I got my Nintendo. I spent days playing Super Mario Brothers until I utterly mastered the game.
The first game that I bought with my own money was Commando, which was an overhead shooter that was tough as nails. You played as the soldier, Super Joe (who looked kind of like a munchkin). Commando was a long game. There were four levels. Each level was made up of four zones, each with its own boss that would block the gate which would let you into the next area. There were also regular grunts who simply couldn't wait to get in the way of your bullets, sneaky fellows in foxholes who would try to ambush you, grenade lobbing soldiers, soldiers with shields who could only be taken out with grenades (or if you could get behind them), guys with bazookas, bunkers with machine guns, the aforementioned stage bosses, and prisoners you had to rescue. There were also the requisite power-ups, such as super grenades and long-range bullets. It had an enjoyable (albeit repetitive) musical score, and a single-bladed helicopter to drop you off and pick you up at the beginning and end of each level. It was a very cool game, one which gave me blisters on my thumbs for a long time.
The next game I got was Rad Racer. I remember that my dad bought it for me. It was the only game he ever bought for me without it being either a) my birthday or b) Christmas. Rad Racer was awesome. In it you could play as either a Ferrari or an F1 Racer. And it also had a 3D setting and came with plastic 3D glasses. I never really used the 3D setting because it didn't work very well. If I remember correctly, the game was made up of 8 races, each of which built upon the difficulty of the last. I only beat the game a few times. I miss that game. Rad Racer was a precursor of sorts to games like the Grand Theft Auto series in that by pressing "down" on the D-pad, you could change the music to one of three scores. Revolutionary.
Then Christmas came along and I got Mickey Mousecapades and The Legend of Zelda. Mickey Mousecapades was a lot of fun. It was a fairly challenging puzzle game that was much cooler than its name suggests. And I shouldn't need to tell you that The Legend of Zelda was one of the NES's best and most influential games. Ever.
Anyway, I could go on and on and talk about such amazing games as Batman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Stinger (my friend, Ray, had that game), Castlevania, Tecmo Superbowl, Battletoads, Dragon Warrior, Contra, Gradius, Rygar, Ikari Warriors, Ninja Gaiden, Rush'n Attack (one of the most infuriating games ever, in my opinion), Kid Icarus, Metroid, Final Fantasy, the list goes on and on.
But I don't need to because this past week, IGN.com counted down their Top 100 NES Games of All Time (their choice for #1 may surprise you. It surprised me, though I can't argue with their decision). Reading through the list brought back so many great memories of some of the best games ever made. And awesome memories of days long since past spent playing them at my house, Ray's house, Adam's or Phil's house. Even in the dorm during freshman year in college.
It's amazing the staying power of these titles; I just wish that kids today had easier access to these titles. I think that kids today see these titles as simplistic, sometimes silly and maybe not worth their time. But just because these games were made when games weren't (couldn't be) as complex as the games of today doesn't mean that they were "simple". Or easy, for that matter. Kid Icarus has the reputation of being one of the hardest games of all time. That game was a monster. And I loved it. But these are the games that made the industry what it is today and each one deserves to be appreciated.
Enjoy the list.
4.9.09
Again, Just Because I Care...
Because I care about you, my dear friends and family, here I present you with a very important website. Read it and please, be careful.
2.8.09
The History of the Nintendo Game Boy
I owned a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) when I was a kid. I got it in 1987 and that day was the happiest day of my life. Prior to that, the only other video game system I owned was the Magnavox Odyssey, which played Atari game cartridges. When that system died, my friend, Dave, who had an actual Atari would bring his to my house after school nearly daily. We would play games until dinner time. My favorite game was Food Fight and his was Xevious, which I was never any good at (Dave had a great story about a bird - I think it was a relatives, maybe? - who would emulate the 'beep' and 'boop' sounds from the game. There was another story about goldfish and carrots that doesn't have anything to do with video games, but was pretty funny, as well. I don't think Dave wants me to tell that story, though...).
A couple of years after I got my NES, Nintendo introduced the Game Boy, which I really wanted, but never got. My friend, Ray, got the Game Boy and I'd play his. The games were pretty impressive, but to me, the Atari Lynx seemed the better system. I was torn and subsequently passed up on both. Instead, I went the route of the TurboGrafx 16 (Bonk's Adventure and JJ and Jeff were two of the very best games on that system. I wish I still had that system because it was a lot of fun. Instead, I sold that system and all of my games to my friend, Scott, for $50) and Sega Genesis.
It wasn't until the Game Boy Advance (GBA) came out in 2001 that I finally entered the world of portable games systems. The GBA was a phenominal system. The graphics were great (for a handheld system), and the games were engaging. I think one of the reasons I never bought a Game Boy was because the screen only displayed four colors, which seemed rather primitive. In the mid 90's, Nintendo came out with the Game Boy Color to fix that propblem, but by that time, I felt like I was far too removed from Nintendo in general for me to buy it because I was too caught up with the Sony Playstation.
In fact, my only real problem with the GBA was that the screen was not backlit and was very hard to see if you weren't playing in the sun or next to a lamp. The second generation GBA took care of that and I traded in my original GBA for the new one. The second generation GBA became a fixture with me. Heck, I even played it at work when we were slow.
Then Nintendo came out with the DS, their dual screen system which just kicks holy heck out of any other handheld game system I've ever played and/or seen. My DS is one of my favorite possessions. My daughter's friend, Aidan, has a DS, too, and now my daughter, Kenzie, wants one. Nintendo just came out with the DSi earlier this year, so I have been thinking about upgrading to that system and giving Kenzie my DS. We'll see.
What I've given you here is but a small, personal history of the Game Boy and the DS. If you're a fan of handheld video games, then for a more detailed (and much more awesome) history of Nintendo's handheld gaming systems, check out this article over at IGN.com.
Check out the pictures below for a little trip through time.
Enjoy!
A couple of years after I got my NES, Nintendo introduced the Game Boy, which I really wanted, but never got. My friend, Ray, got the Game Boy and I'd play his. The games were pretty impressive, but to me, the Atari Lynx seemed the better system. I was torn and subsequently passed up on both. Instead, I went the route of the TurboGrafx 16 (Bonk's Adventure and JJ and Jeff were two of the very best games on that system. I wish I still had that system because it was a lot of fun. Instead, I sold that system and all of my games to my friend, Scott, for $50) and Sega Genesis.
It wasn't until the Game Boy Advance (GBA) came out in 2001 that I finally entered the world of portable games systems. The GBA was a phenominal system. The graphics were great (for a handheld system), and the games were engaging. I think one of the reasons I never bought a Game Boy was because the screen only displayed four colors, which seemed rather primitive. In the mid 90's, Nintendo came out with the Game Boy Color to fix that propblem, but by that time, I felt like I was far too removed from Nintendo in general for me to buy it because I was too caught up with the Sony Playstation.
In fact, my only real problem with the GBA was that the screen was not backlit and was very hard to see if you weren't playing in the sun or next to a lamp. The second generation GBA took care of that and I traded in my original GBA for the new one. The second generation GBA became a fixture with me. Heck, I even played it at work when we were slow.
Then Nintendo came out with the DS, their dual screen system which just kicks holy heck out of any other handheld game system I've ever played and/or seen. My DS is one of my favorite possessions. My daughter's friend, Aidan, has a DS, too, and now my daughter, Kenzie, wants one. Nintendo just came out with the DSi earlier this year, so I have been thinking about upgrading to that system and giving Kenzie my DS. We'll see.
What I've given you here is but a small, personal history of the Game Boy and the DS. If you're a fan of handheld video games, then for a more detailed (and much more awesome) history of Nintendo's handheld gaming systems, check out this article over at IGN.com.
Check out the pictures below for a little trip through time.
Enjoy!
27.7.09
Welcome to ReviewLand X!!!
Hey folks, I've started a new website called ReviewLand X (ReviewLand was taken, just like AndyLand, so I've added the 'X' at the end again. Hey, why break precedent?) and as of today it is officially LIVE!!!
Here I will review everything that interests me from restaurants to TV shows to movies, books and various household products. Heck, I'll even review customer service I've received if I think the service warrants being reviewed. I've posted two reviews so far and you can count on much more content in the weeks and months to come.
To make it simpler for you, you can sign up on ReviewLand X to become a follower of the website so that you never miss a review. I've also begun to index all my reviews so that you can find them easier or just read certain ones if you wish.
So come along and check out ReviewLand X and learn what matters to me (and what should matter to you). Make sure that you bookmark ReviewLand X just like you've bookmarked this page (you did bookmark this page, right? Right?!). You can also use the link to the right under the Links I Use section of the page.
Please feel free to leave both positive and negative comments about my reviews or suggestions for things you want me to review in the future. Either way I'd love to hear from you (please leave me comments now and then because it makes me feel like someone other than my wife and my mom are reading my stuff...at least I think my wife and my mom still read my stuff...if not I'm down to nobody because I don't even read my stuff)!
I hope you enjoy my new site!
Here I will review everything that interests me from restaurants to TV shows to movies, books and various household products. Heck, I'll even review customer service I've received if I think the service warrants being reviewed. I've posted two reviews so far and you can count on much more content in the weeks and months to come.
To make it simpler for you, you can sign up on ReviewLand X to become a follower of the website so that you never miss a review. I've also begun to index all my reviews so that you can find them easier or just read certain ones if you wish.
So come along and check out ReviewLand X and learn what matters to me (and what should matter to you). Make sure that you bookmark ReviewLand X just like you've bookmarked this page (you did bookmark this page, right? Right?!). You can also use the link to the right under the Links I Use section of the page.
Please feel free to leave both positive and negative comments about my reviews or suggestions for things you want me to review in the future. Either way I'd love to hear from you (please leave me comments now and then because it makes me feel like someone other than my wife and my mom are reading my stuff...at least I think my wife and my mom still read my stuff...if not I'm down to nobody because I don't even read my stuff)!
I hope you enjoy my new site!
4.7.09
Zombies!!!
Check out this website for the Asbury Park Zombie Walk. It's an annual event, now in its second year, where people dress up like zombies and, well, walk.
Personally, I like zombies. I love zombie movies (even the bad ones...actually, I should say, especially the bad ones!) and zombie video games. I love the video for Thriller (r.i.p., Michael) when all the zombies dance. Zombies are just cool.
I think I read on the website that the annual zombie walk is held in May so I missed it this year (of course, I wouldn't have known about it if not for this episode of the TV show, Cake Boss). But I want to do it next year. So does my daughter (who thinks that people zombies are scary so she wants to be a zombie monkey). Let me know if you're interested and would like to join us!
In the meantime, don't leave home without your chainsaw and shotgun!
Check out this website for the Asbury Park Zombie Walk. It's an annual event, now in its second year, where people dress up like zombies and, well, walk.
Personally, I like zombies. I love zombie movies (even the bad ones...actually, I should say, especially the bad ones!) and zombie video games. I love the video for Thriller (r.i.p., Michael) when all the zombies dance. Zombies are just cool.
I think I read on the website that the annual zombie walk is held in May so I missed it this year (of course, I wouldn't have known about it if not for this episode of the TV show, Cake Boss). But I want to do it next year. So does my daughter (who thinks that people zombies are scary so she wants to be a zombie monkey). Let me know if you're interested and would like to join us!
In the meantime, don't leave home without your chainsaw and shotgun!
29.6.09
Eli Presley Kovacs
Eli Presley Kovacs, my son, was born on Wednesday, June 24, 2009 at 10:22 am. He weighed in at 7 lbs 10 oz and was 19.5 inches long. He is at home and is doing well, as is his mother, Tiffany (she is recovering much better this time around, by the way). And Kenzie is enjoying being a Big Sister.
I have posted new pictures on the Andy's Pics page. I have also started a brand new page called Andy's Videos on which I have already started to post a bunch of videos of Eli's first few days, as well as a video of Kenzie at the circus. And I will post some of my latest adventures on the Andy's Adventures page, as well. Check them out! I'll post much more content as time permits.
Anyway, I hope that you enjoy all the new stuff here at AndyLand X. Feel free to post comments about what you see! I hope to hear from you all soon!
Welcome to the world, Eli!
Eli Presley Kovacs, my son, was born on Wednesday, June 24, 2009 at 10:22 am. He weighed in at 7 lbs 10 oz and was 19.5 inches long. He is at home and is doing well, as is his mother, Tiffany (she is recovering much better this time around, by the way). And Kenzie is enjoying being a Big Sister.
I have posted new pictures on the Andy's Pics page. I have also started a brand new page called Andy's Videos on which I have already started to post a bunch of videos of Eli's first few days, as well as a video of Kenzie at the circus. And I will post some of my latest adventures on the Andy's Adventures page, as well. Check them out! I'll post much more content as time permits.
Anyway, I hope that you enjoy all the new stuff here at AndyLand X. Feel free to post comments about what you see! I hope to hear from you all soon!
Welcome to the world, Eli!
13.5.09
I have been walking Kenzie to school this week because I have the week off. Today when I came home I decided to go around front first so that I could take in the recycling container. I picked up the big, blue bucket and made my way to the gate along side our house. As I reached over to unlatch it I heard a loud flutter and out shot a male Mallard duck from under a bush next to our house. He landed a few feet away and started to walk away rather nonchalantly just as the bush started to rustle again. I bent over to look to see if there was another duck in there and out came a female Mallard.
So, either the ducks have nested next to our house or they were just having a quickie in the shade. I guess we'll find out sooner or later if we see them again or if little baby ducks start waddling around the yard.
So, either the ducks have nested next to our house or they were just having a quickie in the shade. I guess we'll find out sooner or later if we see them again or if little baby ducks start waddling around the yard.
7.12.08
Wow. It has been a long long time since I've updated this page. I've gotten fat and lazy in recent months. In a way, that trip to MO knocked me out and I've been exhausted off and on ever since. But I have a ton of new content just waiting to be posted so keep checking back as I'll post new stuff off and on soon. Till then, I'm going to sleep now because I'm beat.
4.7.08
Well, it is now just...
Well, it is now just after 10 a.m. on Friday July 4th. We just crossed over the Illinois state line and we are at a rest stop. I think we are making good time. We are about 150ish miles away from St. Louis so we are closing in on our destination. It's been a long journey so far but pretty soon. That's about it for right now. See you later. listen
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3.7.08
27.6.08
13.6.08
I know I'm a little late with this post because it came out one week ago today, but is anyone else excited that Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition has finally been released?!
I've been looking forward to this for quite a while. I first heard of the pending release in February. Right before co-creator Gary Gygax passed away. I used to play D&D every weekend before I got married. I was running an adventure for four of my friends. It was very cool. We had a lot of fun. I'd like to start playing again, but finding time to play would be tough now that I'm married and have a kid. Still, I'm curious as to what changes have been made and would love to read the books. I'm sure that some day I'll purchase them and maybe someday I'll even start playing again.
By the way, if you're wondering what you could get me for a belated Father's Day gift, click here.
I've been looking forward to this for quite a while. I first heard of the pending release in February. Right before co-creator Gary Gygax passed away. I used to play D&D every weekend before I got married. I was running an adventure for four of my friends. It was very cool. We had a lot of fun. I'd like to start playing again, but finding time to play would be tough now that I'm married and have a kid. Still, I'm curious as to what changes have been made and would love to read the books. I'm sure that some day I'll purchase them and maybe someday I'll even start playing again.
By the way, if you're wondering what you could get me for a belated Father's Day gift, click here.
30.5.08
Hey Folks, here's a link to an article that I think is very important. It's about prevention and since you are my friends and family, I want you all to be safe because, well, I love you. There. I said it. I care deeply about your well-being so please read this article.
18.5.08
Save the Date!!!
Well, folks, here it is:
On 11/23/2008 I will be taking part - running - in the Philadelphia Marathon.
Boy, oh boy, I'd like to know what you're thinking right now. Maybe it's something along these lines:
But you're not a runner, Andy!
You're right. By nature I am not a runner. I ran cross-country in middle school for one lousy year and I hated it. I have tried not to run as much as possible since then because I hated running so much.
Aren't you a smoker, Andy?
Technically, yes. Well, I was a smoker at one point in my life. Thankfully, I am no longer a smoker. Man, that stuff will kill you!
If you have to run, why not choose a more reasonable distance, Andy?
I've always been in awe of people who run marathons. Even though I hate running I still respect folks who do run them. True, I could set a goal of running a half-marathon or a 10k. But I want to push myself. I want to test myself. I want to see what I am capable of. I'm curious to see the end result. Will this be the best thing I've ever done or will this kill me in the process? Let's find out. My money is on the former.
What brought all of this on, Andy?
On April 7, 2008, my dad had what my older sister, Anna, referred to as "a minor cardiac event."
Here's the story: My dad had just dropped off my little brother, Joey, at a friend's house. On the way, Joey noticed that my dad was having trouble breathing. So as soon as he got out of the car, Joey called my mom to tell her to watch for him when he pulls into the driveway. When my dad got home, she noticed that he didn't get out of his car right away so she went outside and saw that he was indeed having trouble breathing and she called 911.
My dad was a runner. He ran the 1982 and 1984 New York City Marathons. I always thought that was cool. I once had aspired to be a runner, but ended up not liking it as much as I thought I would. Actually, at one of the races my dad ran when I was little, Bill Rodgers, four-time winner of the Boston Marathon in the 1970's, made a guest appearance and signed my dad's bib number. Mr. Rodgers signed it to me saying, "See you on the road some day." Yeah, right, Bill. You've got the wrong kid.
Now don't get the wrong idea. I'm not running this race to have something in common with my dad. I'm not running it in an attempt to make him proud of me and I'm also not running it to honor his memory (hopefully not his memory) or his past acheivements.
I'm running this for me.
I'm running this for my daughter.
I'm running this to prove to myself that I can accomplish what I previously thought was an impossibility for me.
I don't want to die young. I've had a lot of bad habits that have grown with me over the years. Like smoking. And drinking. And eating anything I wanted. This is hard for me to admit, but at my worst - now, keep in mind that this is when I started to track this information, so this number could have been higher at one point - I weighed 237 pounds. I was fat. That was August '06.
My 38 waistline jeans were tight.
Add to that the ill-effects of smoking and drinking moderately and you have the picture perfect template for a heart-attack victim.
I want to do many things in life that I haven't done yet. I also want to see my daughter grow up and have kids of her own. I want to see my parents pass (not until far in the future, of course) so I know that they won't have to see me pass.
So I decided to first change my diet. I went on what me and my friend, Donnie, lovingly called the Rabbit Food Diet. It consisted mostly of fruits, legumes and vegetables. There were lean sources of protein and some healthy fats, but absolutely no processed foods. It's amazing the difference that last item can make when you're changing your eating style.
I lost about 25-30 pounds in the year and a half since then but I've lost about another 10-15 since I started running in April.
As of this writing I have 27 full weeks in which to prepare for the race. I have been running for 5 weeks so far and am up to a five mile long run. I have plenty of time till 11/23/08 as long as I can stay consistent.
And that's one of my motivations for putting this all out there on my blog: I'm hoping that this will create accountability for me not just to myself, but to all of you. I am already motivated to run this race for the reasons already stated, but I think an even more motivating factor is the need to stay true to you, my friends and family. The gauntlet has been thrown, the promise made. If I back down and don't complete this journey, then I have failed myself and all of you miserably. I'll do my best not to let that happen.
When I graduated from high school in 1993 I weighed 175 pounds. When I graduated from college in 1998 I weighed 165 pounds. I'm not saying I'm going to get back down to either of those weights, but whatever I get down to it'll be a far cry from my record of 237.
I'll keep updating this blog with my progress throughout the year. You are now my training partners. Just keep the date in mind.
11/23/08.
I'll see you at the finish line.
Well, folks, here it is:
On 11/23/2008 I will be taking part - running - in the Philadelphia Marathon.
Boy, oh boy, I'd like to know what you're thinking right now. Maybe it's something along these lines:
But you're not a runner, Andy!
You're right. By nature I am not a runner. I ran cross-country in middle school for one lousy year and I hated it. I have tried not to run as much as possible since then because I hated running so much.
Aren't you a smoker, Andy?
Technically, yes. Well, I was a smoker at one point in my life. Thankfully, I am no longer a smoker. Man, that stuff will kill you!
If you have to run, why not choose a more reasonable distance, Andy?
I've always been in awe of people who run marathons. Even though I hate running I still respect folks who do run them. True, I could set a goal of running a half-marathon or a 10k. But I want to push myself. I want to test myself. I want to see what I am capable of. I'm curious to see the end result. Will this be the best thing I've ever done or will this kill me in the process? Let's find out. My money is on the former.
What brought all of this on, Andy?
On April 7, 2008, my dad had what my older sister, Anna, referred to as "a minor cardiac event."
Here's the story: My dad had just dropped off my little brother, Joey, at a friend's house. On the way, Joey noticed that my dad was having trouble breathing. So as soon as he got out of the car, Joey called my mom to tell her to watch for him when he pulls into the driveway. When my dad got home, she noticed that he didn't get out of his car right away so she went outside and saw that he was indeed having trouble breathing and she called 911.
My dad was a runner. He ran the 1982 and 1984 New York City Marathons. I always thought that was cool. I once had aspired to be a runner, but ended up not liking it as much as I thought I would. Actually, at one of the races my dad ran when I was little, Bill Rodgers, four-time winner of the Boston Marathon in the 1970's, made a guest appearance and signed my dad's bib number. Mr. Rodgers signed it to me saying, "See you on the road some day." Yeah, right, Bill. You've got the wrong kid.
Now don't get the wrong idea. I'm not running this race to have something in common with my dad. I'm not running it in an attempt to make him proud of me and I'm also not running it to honor his memory (hopefully not his memory) or his past acheivements.
I'm running this for me.
I'm running this for my daughter.
I'm running this to prove to myself that I can accomplish what I previously thought was an impossibility for me.
I don't want to die young. I've had a lot of bad habits that have grown with me over the years. Like smoking. And drinking. And eating anything I wanted. This is hard for me to admit, but at my worst - now, keep in mind that this is when I started to track this information, so this number could have been higher at one point - I weighed 237 pounds. I was fat. That was August '06.
My 38 waistline jeans were tight.
Add to that the ill-effects of smoking and drinking moderately and you have the picture perfect template for a heart-attack victim.
I want to do many things in life that I haven't done yet. I also want to see my daughter grow up and have kids of her own. I want to see my parents pass (not until far in the future, of course) so I know that they won't have to see me pass.
So I decided to first change my diet. I went on what me and my friend, Donnie, lovingly called the Rabbit Food Diet. It consisted mostly of fruits, legumes and vegetables. There were lean sources of protein and some healthy fats, but absolutely no processed foods. It's amazing the difference that last item can make when you're changing your eating style.
I lost about 25-30 pounds in the year and a half since then but I've lost about another 10-15 since I started running in April.
As of this writing I have 27 full weeks in which to prepare for the race. I have been running for 5 weeks so far and am up to a five mile long run. I have plenty of time till 11/23/08 as long as I can stay consistent.
And that's one of my motivations for putting this all out there on my blog: I'm hoping that this will create accountability for me not just to myself, but to all of you. I am already motivated to run this race for the reasons already stated, but I think an even more motivating factor is the need to stay true to you, my friends and family. The gauntlet has been thrown, the promise made. If I back down and don't complete this journey, then I have failed myself and all of you miserably. I'll do my best not to let that happen.
When I graduated from high school in 1993 I weighed 175 pounds. When I graduated from college in 1998 I weighed 165 pounds. I'm not saying I'm going to get back down to either of those weights, but whatever I get down to it'll be a far cry from my record of 237.
I'll keep updating this blog with my progress throughout the year. You are now my training partners. Just keep the date in mind.
11/23/08.
I'll see you at the finish line.
6.5.08
11/23/08
Save the date, friends!
If you can figure out the significance of this date and how it pertains to me, I will mail you one dollar...on second thought, I don't actually have a dollar to mail to you, nor do I keep stamps readily available, so I guess you'll have to settle for a hearty pat on the back via email or something.
But heck, I'm in a generous mood so here's a clue: the date and its significance are very much public domain (it's a public event). Comment me back with your guesses.
Get googling, folks!
Save the date, friends!
If you can figure out the significance of this date and how it pertains to me, I will mail you one dollar...on second thought, I don't actually have a dollar to mail to you, nor do I keep stamps readily available, so I guess you'll have to settle for a hearty pat on the back via email or something.
But heck, I'm in a generous mood so here's a clue: the date and its significance are very much public domain (it's a public event). Comment me back with your guesses.
Get googling, folks!
30.4.08
Mom and Dad Didn't Waste Their Money!!!
This past weekend was the Philadelphia 48 Hour Film Project. It's a competition between film making teams that spans the time period from Friday at 7:30 pm thru Sunday at 7:30 pm and culminates in a small film festival during the ensuing week to showcase all the films produced during the weekend.
Each team has 48 hours to write, film, edit, and score a 4-7 minute short film. Each film has the same four elements: Character, Occupation, Prop, and Line of Dialog. What differs is the genre of each team's film. For instance, this year the character's name was either Ira or Irene Livingston whose occupation was dishwasher. The prop needed to be a wrench and the line of dialog was, "You'd better double check." So every single film had those elements in common. Our genre was Holiday film. The holiday could be anything, even a made-up holiday. We chose April Fool's Day.
Our team leader was Chris Kerney, a friend from my mortgage days and an old roommate. His brother, Eric, was our director. I wanted to either work the camera or hold the boom microphone and maybe do a little editing. I would have been happy being in charge of script-continuity. But no, I didn't get any of those responsibilities. I got to do something much more horrific, especially for someone as quiet and shy as I usually am: I was cast as the lead, Ira Livingston.
Let me tell you that there is nothing more unsettling than seeing yourself on screen. Remember when you were a kid and you heard your voice on an audio tape and you sounded nothing like what you thought you sounded like and that made you uncomfortable and self-conscious, especially if you were listening to said tape in the presence of friends? Yeah, well add seeing yourself on screen and thinking that you look nothing like what you see in the mirror every day and, God, the camera really does add ten pounds, while you're speaking in a voice you don't recognize. It's weird.
I got to edit the film together which was cool. I got to do the voice-overs and the music tracks and the credits. It was an amazing experience. Unfortunately we ran out of time and couldn't add in all the aspects of the film that we wanted to. The film makes sense how it is, but we had some really funny things planned that we didn't get to include and we wanted to tighten up some of the editing.
The film screened last night at the International House in Philadelphia at 37th and Chestnut. There was a good turnout there and the audience seemed to enjoy our film a lot. I had a patron come up to me as we were exiting the building and tell me how much she liked my performance, and the film in general (hearing that was a nice little boost to the ego). But the film as presented last night was still a work in progress. We want to change up the ending and add in the things that we just couldn't get to during the initial 48 hours.
The film should be online on their website within the next few weeks. I'll post the link to it when it's available. Of course, that will be the unfinished version. Once we actually finish the film, I guess you could call it the Director's Cut, I will post the link to that as well. That version will be on YouTube so you can either go there to find it or I will just embed the video on this blog. Either way, you'll soon be able to see both versions of the film.
New York is having a 48 Hour Film Project in June. What sucks is that it's during the weekend of all of my siblings' birthdays, but I've got to do it. I'm addicted now. I already told Tiff about it and she gave me her blessing and I told Chris that I'd be available that weekend. I'm really looking forward to it. I can't wait. Anyway, I hope to have some links for you soon so you can see our film. Just don't tell me how bad I look. And don't tell me I look good, either, because I'll just assume you're trying to make me feel good.
This past weekend was the Philadelphia 48 Hour Film Project. It's a competition between film making teams that spans the time period from Friday at 7:30 pm thru Sunday at 7:30 pm and culminates in a small film festival during the ensuing week to showcase all the films produced during the weekend.
Each team has 48 hours to write, film, edit, and score a 4-7 minute short film. Each film has the same four elements: Character, Occupation, Prop, and Line of Dialog. What differs is the genre of each team's film. For instance, this year the character's name was either Ira or Irene Livingston whose occupation was dishwasher. The prop needed to be a wrench and the line of dialog was, "You'd better double check." So every single film had those elements in common. Our genre was Holiday film. The holiday could be anything, even a made-up holiday. We chose April Fool's Day.
Our team leader was Chris Kerney, a friend from my mortgage days and an old roommate. His brother, Eric, was our director. I wanted to either work the camera or hold the boom microphone and maybe do a little editing. I would have been happy being in charge of script-continuity. But no, I didn't get any of those responsibilities. I got to do something much more horrific, especially for someone as quiet and shy as I usually am: I was cast as the lead, Ira Livingston.
Let me tell you that there is nothing more unsettling than seeing yourself on screen. Remember when you were a kid and you heard your voice on an audio tape and you sounded nothing like what you thought you sounded like and that made you uncomfortable and self-conscious, especially if you were listening to said tape in the presence of friends? Yeah, well add seeing yourself on screen and thinking that you look nothing like what you see in the mirror every day and, God, the camera really does add ten pounds, while you're speaking in a voice you don't recognize. It's weird.
I got to edit the film together which was cool. I got to do the voice-overs and the music tracks and the credits. It was an amazing experience. Unfortunately we ran out of time and couldn't add in all the aspects of the film that we wanted to. The film makes sense how it is, but we had some really funny things planned that we didn't get to include and we wanted to tighten up some of the editing.
The film screened last night at the International House in Philadelphia at 37th and Chestnut. There was a good turnout there and the audience seemed to enjoy our film a lot. I had a patron come up to me as we were exiting the building and tell me how much she liked my performance, and the film in general (hearing that was a nice little boost to the ego). But the film as presented last night was still a work in progress. We want to change up the ending and add in the things that we just couldn't get to during the initial 48 hours.
The film should be online on their website within the next few weeks. I'll post the link to it when it's available. Of course, that will be the unfinished version. Once we actually finish the film, I guess you could call it the Director's Cut, I will post the link to that as well. That version will be on YouTube so you can either go there to find it or I will just embed the video on this blog. Either way, you'll soon be able to see both versions of the film.
New York is having a 48 Hour Film Project in June. What sucks is that it's during the weekend of all of my siblings' birthdays, but I've got to do it. I'm addicted now. I already told Tiff about it and she gave me her blessing and I told Chris that I'd be available that weekend. I'm really looking forward to it. I can't wait. Anyway, I hope to have some links for you soon so you can see our film. Just don't tell me how bad I look. And don't tell me I look good, either, because I'll just assume you're trying to make me feel good.
22.2.08
I don't know if any of you folks out there believe in extra-terrestrials, ET's, aliens, or whatever you want to call them. Personally, I believe that there's life elsewhere in this galaxy, if for no other reason than because it's fun to imagine. And you have to admit, there have been some really cool movies made about space aliens, like Close Encounters of the Third Kind, ET: The Extra-Terrestrial, Howard the Duck, V, and Clueless.Well, if you're a conspiracy theorist, then this site is for you: it's called Serpo.org. The website is dedicated to the "gradual release of confidential documents pertaining to a top secret exchange program of twelve US military personnel to Serpo, a planet of Zeta Reticuli, between the years 1965-78."
I've been reading some of the earliest releases numbered 1-21, which are available for download in .pdf format here, and I've got to say, it's pretty fascinating stuff.
So far I've read about the United States' first encounter with aliens at Roswell (did you know there were two crashes at Roswell?), the decision to send twelve astronauts to Serpo, and an in-depth review of the Serpan homeworld and some of its culture. I've skimmed some of the later releases (22-27a, which are found by using the blue squares at the top and bottom of the page) and there is information in there about the Russians being paid a visit by the aliens as well as President Reagan having something to do with the aliens. I need to continue reading.
Even if it does turn out to be only well-written science fiction instead of fact, it's still a pretty stimulating read and I do recommend this site to anyone even remotely interested in not only the existence of extra-terrestirals, but also the notion that we have been visited by them on numerous occasions as well.
I suppose we may never find out the truth until we are ruthlessly and violently invaded, which hopefully will never happen. Until then, live long and prosper, friends.
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