What if Buffy Was a Midnight Movie?

It was 17 years ago this weekend that curious movie-goers saw an odd summer horror movie about a cheerleader chosen to fight vampires. Dumb, huh?

Of course, that idea got better once the guy who came up with the idea got a chance to get it right on TV...and more.

It does bring up an interesting question...what if the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer with Kristy Swanson, Donald Sutherland and a pre-Boys Don't Cry Hillary Swank was shown as a midnight movie? I've thought about that a few times, and the real Buffy's reaction if she happened to be in the audience along with a dozen vampires wanting a good laugh and not finding it.

If this happened after she ran away from home in the summer of 1998, she would have been too depressed to leave the theater. She'd take it as a sign that a girl like her could never be a Slayer, or a heroine. Of course, this would take place about two days before the events from "Anne."
If it happened now, she'd heckle the result into oblivion, get the crowd to help her, mow down any Hellspawn in the audience, then send a polite yet firm blog to Fran Rubel Kuzui saying that she shouldn't even think of remaking the movie without Joss, or the Slayerettes, on board.

That being said...



This happened at the Crest theatre in downtown Saturday night, as part of the Trash Film Orgy Festival. Their philosophy is that the movie is actually secondary to the games and antics they can do at night. For one thing, you can get drunk beforehand because they're at least four bars within walking distance. There's also one inside the theater. This guarantees constant heckling, but nowhere close to the quality commentary from MST3K. Buffy could do that if she were there.

So, they decided on a theme: the Vampire Prom, or what Sunnyvale High would have if Mayor Wilkins won.



Now, this could mean Hell on Earth, or what the grads will experience once they try to get a job.
But there were lots of undead teens living it up...





Thankfully, someone decided to dress up as Buffy...



As I said, the movie is secondary to the evening itself. The print was really worn out, especially at the beginning, and the sound, and the obnoxious audience, were both too loud to understand everything. In other words, it's the old-fashioned film-going experience before Cinemark and AMC took over.
Still, after seeing this movie on TV and DVD, I wanted to know what it would be like on the big screen. I was wondering what people thought of this film when it first came out. I don't know if we'd have drunken hecklers, but maybe a few people would wonder what would happen if you turned the movie into a TV show, and did it right. It took just one WB executive to do that.

There was an intermission, where we had an interesting pageant for Vampire Prom Queen.



The gal in red was the winner. There was no "Class Protector" award, although the MC, who I think is the Blood Bunny (look out, Anya), tossed holy water at the terrible vampire comic.

The Trash Film Orgy has two more movies this month, and will have a horror festival in October. This has my interest because it includes Repo the Genetic Opera. It will have the composer, Terrance Zdunich, and some cast members. So, I might be coming down, and not dressed as a Watcher wearing a cross, a Mutant Enemy t-shirt and the Gem of Amara.
OK, maybe the t-shirt. Grr Arrgh!
In fact, I just found out it's on the Saturday before Halloween, and I have bought my tickets.

Our Scooby Gang is Growing Up, and Other Thoughts

This week I am off to Los Angeles again for the Paley Festival. I will be seeing the Dollhouse panel, which I am sure some people predict will be a wake for what is now a program that should be too intriguing to die. Still, with some people claiming that Joss isn't too confident the show will last past May 8th, you can't help but pray for another season. The other panel is definitely a wake: the showing of the final three episodes of Pushing Daisies, which should look even more incredible on the big screen. That's worth 15 dollars. I kind of hope that someone from the cast will drop by to say thanks to those who supported the show. After the show, I may just head to the House of Pies to pay my respects.

The real reason for this post, however, is admitting that it has been a long time since a little girl named Buffy, who is born to slay vampires, came into our lives...as long as we were near a WB station. In fact, it's been 12 years since the show started.

It really dawned on me yesterday when I learned that Sarah Michelle Gellar is now 32. Nick Brendon just turned 38 (!) while Alyson Hannigan is now 35. David Boreanaz, the one true repenting vampire, will turn 40 next month (about a month before 50 pins me to the mat), while James Marsters aka Spike is 46(!!). Also, Charisma Carpenter is also 38. If Sunnydale was still around, we'd have enough to create a horror version of Desperate Housewives. That's quite a long way from Sunnydale High School.

On the other hand, they would be the perfect group to establish a new generation of Slayers, led by not-quite-Slayer-but-on-her-way, Dawn. Since Michelle Trachtenberg is only in her mid-20's, that may be an interesting idea. Eliza Dushku, as Faith, could also help out as a young Watcher..and Slayer, too. Throw in Felicia Day as a Slayer and internet icon and you could have something there.

Realizing how old our Scooby Gang is right now makes me dread hitting 50 a bit less. It also shows that if we do get a new set of Tales of the Slayers for TV or the movies, I'd rather have Emma Roberts or Kristen Stewart cast as a Slayer than, say, anybody from Gossip Girl or 90210.

Amber Benson's "Death's Daughter" Tour in Roseville

It's been about four years since Amber Benson, aka Tara on Buffy, visited the Sacramento area. Back then, she was talking about her time on Buffy and a new movie she made called Chance.

Last Sunday, she talked about that, along with her first book, "Death's Daughter" at Borders in Roseville. Her appearance drew a good crowd of Buffy and Whedon fans. She started by reading a passage from the book, which recalls Calliope Reaper-Jones' first visit to Hell, and her conversations with someone tied to a tree. The book is about a girl who discovers that she is the daughter of Death, and has to fulfill her birthright.

She credited her old writing collaborator Christopher Golden as a main reason why she decided to write the book. "I feel like I went to the Christopher Golden School of Creative Writing," she says. " I don't think this book would be if I hadn't met Chris. I really wanted to do something on my own, and this is what came into my head."

She also talked about another difficult part of the process: the perfect book cover. She said she didn't have much of an impact, but they had discussions about the color of the cover, and how the title character looked. "I always sort of saw Calliope looking like Zooey Deschanel," she says...although that could be a possibility if a movie is ever made.

Benson originally saw Death's Daughter as one book, but later decided to make it a trilogy. She also calls it a homage to the Divine Comedy. "Maybe Dante would be writing chick-lit if he were around now." While the major story arc will cover three books, she says the possibility of a fourth book will be there.

She also talked about Drones, an office comedy with alien overtures. She and Adam Busch are putting the finishing touches on the movie. Johnathan Woodward will also be part of the movie. She also talked about her experiences with Chance, with James Marsters, and had lots of good things to say about him. (By the way, he is from Modesto, just south of Sacramento.)

With movies and books and web series, it's almost like she's trying to be just like Joss Whedon, who's doing everything from comics to award-winning internet musicals. She admits he's been an influence. "He's an empire," he says, "and it's amazing, like to work with him for three years and to see like him do all this stuff. I just learned so much."

She also talked about what has happened in her book tour. The day before, in San Francisco, she had problems with her contacts. However, when she started reading, she had to read with one eye because she forgot she had one lens missing. Still, she got through it just fine. She was also at ConDor, a convention in San Diego, but could only attend the first day before most of the attendees arrive. Later, they asked her to do live commentary for "Family." "The woman who was doing it, I don't think she knew Buffy that well, because she put on the wrong episode. We literally watched half of it, and I'm not in it at all." Later, they got the right one, and she got to talk about working with Oscar nominee Amy Adams, who played Cousin Beth.

She also had great stories about Joss, including one interesting tidbit: "When Joss was prepping Firefly, he came over to me and said 'I've written this pilot and I based one of the characters on you. Inara, I based her on you.' I read it and I was like, 'oh, so I'm a prostitute?'
That drew a big laugh from the crowd, but she admitted that "I think it was more like she was very bright, and was very sweet and nice". So, although Amber was surprised to be the inspiration of Inara, " I thought that was kind of cool that some of her is a little bit of me".

She also talked about an interesting discussion by some book editors at the New York Comic-Con, and she really did say that they were discussing werewolf sex: "They're like talking about werewolf sex, and how you can't have like a human werewolf and a werewolf werewolf (?) getting it on because ut's another type of book." Sounds like Twilight gone horribly wrong to me, but it really puzzled her.

Afterwards, she signed copies of her book and posed for pictures.

Wondercon is coming

The schedule for Wondercon in San Francisco is now online. Just click here to see the whole schedule.

As expected, there will be panels on Star Trek and Watchmen which should be the two biggest panels. Both will be on Saturday the 28th, and promise BIG guests. If I am lucky, I would like to go to the Watchmen panel.

As expected, the grand finale will be "Once More With Feeling" on Sunday. However, no panel for Dollhouse or Dr. Horrible. They will be saved for the Paley Fest. There will be panels for shows with Whedon connections, especially Chuck and Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles. However, at least for now, not too many actors will be available for the convention. That may make sense because they're busy finishing the current seasons. We'll still hear from the showrunners, though. There's also the comic panels for IDW and Dark Horse, and they'll have some mention of Buffy and Angel-connected titles.

However, there is Felicia Day, Slayer, gamer, violist, and just might be the Lucille Ball of internet comedy. She'll be at the CA Browncoats booth on the 28th to meet with the fans. This also comes just after season 2 of The Guild is done. I'm sure she'll get lots of questions about that, Dr. Horrible and more. She's also bound to check out some of the video game panels, too.

I was kind of hoping there would be a panel for Castle, Nathan Fillion's new show. I just hope it is better than the promos and the three-minute trailer I saw a while ago. They just better make Stana Katic's character less resentful of his assistance. Making a show that's a combination of Moonlighting and Bones doesn't mean it's a good idea. Besides, maybe the audience will like Nathan and hate Stana because they know more about him than her. We shall see.

I have to admit it...I miss my first Wondercon in 2005 when Joss Whedon brought more info on Serenity, as well as some of the cast. It was the year I got two autographs from him, and saw him up close when he visited a screening of "Objects in Space." Those were the days.

However, to those awaiting Star Trek, Watchmen or even Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, this will be their big year...as it should be. Then again, the great thing about last year was seeing Anne Hathaway plug Get Smart the day before the Oscars, which she also attended. That's serious plugging.

Joss and the Seven Pilots Rule

During Rutherford D. Actualperson's hard-hitting interview with Joss Whedon (yes, it was Joss "interviewing" himself), Joss talked about how tough it is to develop a show into the vision you want. This applies to Dollhouse, which has a premise that's tough to relate to: a girl who is programmed to be anyone except herself. He got an order for 13 episodes, but notes the pilot episode isn't enough to get people to make a program "must-see".

When I was given seven episodes, I referred to them as the "seven pilots" cause you always have to lay out the premise one way or another in those early eps.

This means Dollhouse will start as seven stand-alone episodes, before we get to story arcs. Joss isn't a "procedural" guy. He prefers making a big picture. While that's a great philisophy, networks don't think so. They prefer procedurals because each story has a beginning, middle and end that ends in one hour. It's the modern version of a bedtime story complete with an ending that's happy enough. It explains why next season will have lots of knockoffs of Without A Trace, The Mentalist or ER.

If Joss says a TV show should start with seven pilots, would that apply to his previous three shows? Let's take a look.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

This show had a 13-episode order. The premise is a high school girl fighting vampires, demons and assorted hellspawn with the help of fellow students and unlikely allies. It's basically "high school is Hell". The first seven episodes showed that premise well. "Welcome to the Hellmouth" and "The Harvest" showed Buffy coming to town and battling a few vampires while trying to make friends. Then we had the story of witchcraft and cheerleading (The Witch), a boy being attracted to a teacher who's really a big praying mantis in disguise (Teacher's Pet), problems of dating while fighting demons (Never Kill a Boy On A First Date), joining the wrong crowd of people (The Pack), and first love being very dangerous (Angel). There was still a story arc, with an old vampire trying to escape from his underground lair to cause general mayhem. He succeeded, but only for a couple of minutes.

ANGEL

Starting just after Buffy's fourth season, it looked at the next step: a young adult striking out into the world. It only looked like a vampire with a soul looking for redemption in Los Angeles. It also looked at Cordelia, who left Sunnydale to become an actress. Just like Buffy, it's also about good and evil, with evil being Satan's lawyers, Wolfram and Hart. This show didn't really have an overall arc because it was supposed to be an anthology. We start with "City of...", with Angel getting his mission from Doyle and meeting Cordelia. "Lonely Hearts" looked at murder and the singles scene, while "In the Dark" was a continuation of a Buffy story with Spike and the Gem of Amara. "Fall to Pieces" was about stalking, while "Room with a View" was about Cordelia moving into a haunted apartment. "Sense and Sensitivity" was about being PC in police work, and "Bachelor Party" was about Doyle and his ex-wife. Again, there was no overall arc. It's just about Angel trying to battle evil and hopefully be redeemed. Longer arcs involving Lindsey, a resurrected Darla and Pylea would come later. Angel was seen as the companion piece to Buffy for two years until it went on its own when she went to UPN.

FIREFLY

This space western features another example of a man striking out on his own, with a loyal crew behind him. They have a simple mission: do a job, get paid, keep flying. Throw in some intrigue, double-dealing and occasional Chinese phrases, and you have a good show that suffered a fate that was one of Fox's most embarrassing decisions...and not just the fact that they showed the pilot last instead of first.

When I first saw "The Train Job", I was very interested in Malcolm Reynolds. He looked like an outlaw, being willing to do what he could keep flying. Stealing an Alliance cargo from a train is the type of job he'd do. However, when he realized the cargo included drugs that would have saved lives, his better angels got the best of him. The rest of the first seven episodes touch on the Serenity's mission, to keep flying no matter what.

Just like Buffy, however, there were two story arcs. First, there's the Alliance wanting a certain girl named River Tam for some unsettling reason. We later find out it's because they wanted to turn her into a weapon. She had some interesting skills, and the Alliance would do anything to get her. Her brother, Simon, is just as determined to protect her. The other arc involves Shepherd Book, who may look like a man of God, but apparently has an interesting past. An I-D card, for example, got him first aid very quickly in "Safe". He later shows some knowledge of criminal activity when they ship heads towards a trap in "Our Mrs. Reynolds". The hope was that Firefly would have have a long life, like Buffy and Angel. Sadly, that wouldn't be the case.

So what could happen to Dollhouse? Will it last five years or so, like Buffy or Angel, or would it be one of those Brilliant but Cancelled shows, like Firefly. Joss says the first seven pilots touch on the premise, but they will also determine whether the show will last. The days of giving a show time to develop and attract an audience, even a year or so, are long gone. Fox has said it will give Dollhouse 13 episodes to prove that there should be more. Let's hope the episodes will be very convincing.

Joss talks Dollhouse, movies and THOSE pictures

So, anyone think Joss Whedon knows about those pictures Eliza Dushku made to get people to watch Dollhouse on Friday nights?

You bet! In fact, in a conference call covered by Twitter fans and io9, it's all part of the overall vision of the show. In the "engagements" that Echo and the other Actives will be in, sex is part of the mission. That is true from the start, as most people will see soon. As Eliza says...

Dushku was adamant that whatever TV show she made next should address sexuality, "not just by virtue of being all hot, but by talking about sexuality: why it drives us and how it works." One of the show's goals is to "get the audience to ask what of their desire is acceptable, and what is creepy. In order to ask that we had to go to kind of a creepy place," says Whedon. "We may have crossed the line."

Considering cable has been doing that a lot lately, why not Fox, which was its original mission more than 20 years ago. The rest of the interview from io9 can be found by clicking this link. It also has info on what else will be on the show, and Joss' upcoming movie, Cabin in the Woods. Also, we learn a Buffy movie is a pipe dream, but more Dark Horse comics starring our Slayer is a total lock. That will keep the comic book economy healthier than most banks.

Two "Sweet" Deals

Never mind those Bud Light commercials, or even the Doritos ads dreamed up by amateurs that were better than anything made by ad agencies.The ad that got the most attention was the announcement that Denny's is giving away Grand Slam breakfasts for free. Just in case, local news channels and USA Today reminded people about this offer.

Well, I went over to the Denny's at 3rd and J, and it wasn't that bad. First, they ask your name, and how many in your party. There was between 50 and 75 people outside. No pushing, no arguing. Everyone was waiting calmly for their turn. Granted, I didn't get there until just after 11 AM, after the breakfast rush. Since I work all night long, 11 AM is the regular man's 7 AM. I probably waited 30 minutes to get inside, which wasn't too bad because I had my iPod. There was also a news crew, who got a free Grand Slam breakfast as a prop for their live shoot.

The meal cost me a couple of dollars, but mainly because I had to pay for coffee. I did get discount coupons, which will eventually save me more than two dollars. I think basic Grand Slams, rather than the more exotic versions, cost three-50. So, for the cost of 90 seconds of Super Bowl time, or about nine million, Denny's got a lot of goodwill, and will make the money back soon enough. This is happening because Denny's nemesis is no longer IHOP, but also McDonalds, Starbucks, and Dunkin Donuts. People look for bargains, and they will go towards anything that is most attractive. Denny's is hoping a free meal will be the start of a beautiful friendship.

Meanwhile, I finally got confirmation of what the Wondercon website has been hinting for more than a month....

Whedonopolis can now officially say that it will present another official screening of the classic Buffy musical, "Once More With Feeling." Just like the screening at Comic-Con, it will be the last major event at this year's Wondercon in San Francisco March 1st. Is it amazing it's been more than seven years since this episode was shown on UPN? This was a unique episode that's right up there with Singing In The Rain or even 42nd Street...if you don't count the number of people who burst into flames after dancing a little too long.

Looking back, you'd think the Emmy organizers should have given Joss some nominations for original score for a drama or even Best Original Song. Considering what songs have won that award lately, it kind of makes sense. No matter, because many of us have the memories and the songs on our iPods, or even the soundtrack CD.

It would also be great if there was a Dr. Horrible Sing-a-long, too, although I haven't heard any plans for that. Adding that to the OMWF screening would make the perfect double-header. We should learn more as Wondercon, which is now Comic-Con Jr., gets closer. Of course, I have a little wish list for Wondercon:

a panel on Dollhouse
a wake for Pushing Daisies
a secret screening of Watchmen
or maybe news about Star Trek.

I'd include Cinematic Titanic, but they're coming to SF two weeks before, and I'm already set for that.

Joss is keeping us posted

It's been great that Joss Whedon has been keeping us posted on Dollhouse, and several other things, in Whedonesque. I copied his post from last Saturday, and put it in my web page where future reviews of Dollhouse will exist. He submitted another one early Wednesday morning, talking about some of his favorite things, including Patton Oswalt. It's great news Patton may soon be seen at a Dollhouse near us. I suggest he could be someone who almost finds out what's going on while hooking up with an Active (not Eliza Dushku, but someone else). That would be something to look forward to.

There was also an article about someone asking Joss about True Blood and Twilight, which feature vampires in love with human girls as opposed to Slayers. He had the right attitude with this comment: "If people want stories about girls who love vampires, they should have them...It's not like I came up with it. It's always deeply romantic or deeply interesting or deeply scary, or all of the above, and that's going to be mined long after I'm gone."

Also, True Blood and Twilight are both based on best-selling books. Their fans will support these shows, as well as Whedonistas will support their type of vampire romance. We're just paying attention to True Blood and Twilight because people will compare them to Buffy or Anita Blake or whoever else.

Meanwhile, a friend of mine at work asked me if I watched Pushing Daisies. Of course, I do. I was at the Mobile Pie Hole Tour, and I have season one on DVD. Anyway, she was worried about how few people are coming back to the show, and are leaning towards Knight Rider or Old Christine. Apparently in these sour times, with an intense election and Wall Street going down the drain despite lower gas prices, people don't like whimsy...no matter if it's well-done.

Well, I sure do, because I know for all its charm and bright colors, there is a dark side. We had to deal with Ned, the guy with the Magic Touch, deal with telling not-dead-anymore-unless-he-touches-her-again Chuck he accidentally killed her dad. If you saw all of season one, you know it really was an accident. Not only that, we find out a big dark secret from one of the aunts (Lily is Chuck's mom, not her aunt), which Chuck now knows but can't go to the said aunt to discuss it at length. Thing is, this season will deal with family. We had a peak at Emerson Cod's family, and it looks like we look at Ned's past as well. Not only that, we find out Gina Torres will be dropping by, too. She's the reason why I am going to a CreationCon in Burbank in a little more than three weeks. This will finally complete the Serenity Cast Experience for me.

Well, November will be an interesting month. After the election, which seemed to have started just after Bush's second inauguration, we can look to the future. With any luck, it will include Pushing Daisies. I can understand if it loses to the final chapter of the fifth game of the World Series, but if it also loses to the Obamamercial, too, ABC get a lawn mower and use it on Daisies. If it's going to be that dumb, though, it should allow extra time to wrap up the story. Whimsy must be respected, even if it's decided that it's too expensive..which I suspect will be the excuse ABC uses to yank the show. We shall see, as we send "What the...have you got bad Chocolate Pudding for Brains" pies to ABC if they dare do such a thing.

From Slayer to post-Gossip Girl?

By now, devoted Whedonistas are aware that Sarah Michelle Gellar is about to return to TV, but not to fight vampires, zombies or assorted hellspawn. Instead, she'll be fighting demons, the internal kind that are smaller than Gachnar but much, much worse.

Variety broke the news that she's in a pilot for HBO called The Wonderful Maladys. It's about three adult twenty-something (I'm guessing) siblings who lost their parents when they were young, and are still grappling with that problem. She plays someone with "agressive immaturity". That sounds like what happens to anyone from Gossip Girl five years after college.

I remember interviews when Sarah was asked if she could be type-cast, since she's always known as Buffy most often. Well, judging from her list of movies, she's never fighting vampires. The only action heroine she's been was April in the CGI revival of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. She was Daphne in two Scooby-Doo movies, but I don't consider that "action hero". She's been in two Grudge movies, been a bad girl a couple of times, and even a romantic lead. Still, many of us still wish she'd be Buffy just one more time on TV, possibly bringing enough of the current comic book series to life. That could be done, if you had $700 billion dollars to cover the special effects budget rather than give it to incompetent banks. Besides, a mini-series is still tbe best bet to give Buffy her last hurrah...and still live...then hand the stake over to a new generation. If Heroes tanks after this season, that should provide three Slayers and five Watchers right there. Imagine Summer Glau battling vampires, only because Eliza Dushku could be busy next year.

Still, Sarah's new role could give her career a boost. It's worked for Glenn Close, Kyra Sedgewick and Holly Hunter, even though they played strong women. Sarah will play someone who is still struggling with her future because of a past tragedy. This could work well for her. We shall see if she winds up being the girl who gives HBO its comeback after losing The Sopranos.

The time I met a real Gentleman

Again, from MySpace, December 2007...

The man beside is more than just a tall and lanky guy.
He can be a Gentleman who can silence a while town....or a fawn guiding a young girl in Spain on a mystical journey...or a Silver Surfer...or a being who's a friend of a Hellboy...or even a piano-playing Moon Guy who convinced more people to go to McDonald's at night.
He is Doug Jones, and he was at an anime show in Sacramento's Scottish Rite Center recently, talking to fans and signing autographs. While I and other Whedonistas know him from "Hush", he was there to plug his return as Abe Sapien in Hellboy 2. In a Q and A session that lasted more than 30 minutes, he said he preferred Sci-Fi because of the fans it attracts. He has done work as a regular guy, such as part of the paparazzi in The Wager with Randy Travis. Still, he's very excited about Hellboy 2 because he's not only Abe (and he can use his own voice rather than being dubbed) but two other roles.
Even if he has to wear very complicated costumes, he says that the real key for bringing a character to life is capturing the heart and soul, whether it's a fawn or a Silver Surfer. He also advises budding actors to work close with the director to get a clear idea of the character, and be fearless about it. That may even include being off the set, since he revealed that sometimes he had to go home in full costume. That was the case with Pan's Labyrinth, but that's the movie he'd like to be remembered for.
One issue he talked about is how we see him at work, but he doesn't speak for himself. In Pan's Labyrinth, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and Hellboy, he's been dubbed by other actors. In the case of Pan, he understood the decision because he was told a Spanish speaker could express a certain nuance to the lines. With Hellboy, David Hyde-Pierce had so much respect for Doug's work that he wouldn't publicize his role in the film. He also didn't want to be Abe's voice again. This is why Doug is Abe's voice in the Hellboy animated movies and now in Hellboy 2.
He also said his ideal role would be as an angel, which has been fulfilled in Hellboy 2 because he'll the Angel of Death. He also said if he was asked, he'd be in the Pee Wee Playhouse movie planned for 2009.
I asked him if being the Silver Surfer meant being on the set, or is he a CGI model? Well, he says he was silver through the enture shoot. As he put it, "they made me a beautiful man". While there were some green-screen scenes, that the deal Doug as the Silver Surfer. If there's a need for more Silver Surfer movies, he hopes to be there with his own voice.
Doug actually began as a mime, but was inspired by Dick Van Dyke, Carol Burnett and Don Knotts. He thinks that he could be a leading man, since he'll soon be in a movie where he's a tall guy in his 40's who's in a mid-life crisis and meets some Goth kids that he doesn't recognize as Goth kids.
Naturally, I also asked him abuot "Hush", and he thought it was a blast. He praised Joss as one of the best and more creative people he's ever worked with, mainly because he's the first guy in YEARS to prove that you don't always need words to entertain an audience. I pointed out that comedian Ernie Kovacs did the same thing in black and white in the 1960's, and Doug agreed with me. Wow!
I also asked him about how Pan's Labyrinth got three Oscars, but should have gotten a fourth for Best Foreign Language film. Doug suspected the movie may have been too violent for some Oscar voters, which is why they voted for The Lives of Others, about East Germany in the 1980's. Actually, both movies deserved to win in that category, but I would have preferred Pan's Labyrinth to get the award.

Welcome to my second home

I've been noticing that a lot of people are not just in MySpace. They also have accounts in several other social sites, like Twitter, digg, and Facebook. They want to make sure they're communicating to as many people as possible.

I'm just in MySpace and Facebook only because my skill is typing up stories that could have made it to radio broadcasts or newspapers, but never get the chance. I'm just a guy who pushes the buttons at a four-station radio cluster in Sacramento who can write a story at a moment's notice if something big happens overnight. This is why I like blogs. Would the Sacramento Bee care what I think of the latest TV show, or how I got to shake Joss Whedon's hand after seeing the premiere of Serenity? Would my radio station broadcast my interview with an actor who's famous for being a mascot for McDonald's...and later one of Hellboy's friends? I doubt it.

I also like to get a little more attention on the internet. Who wouldn't...under legal means, of course? So, I am adding a second blog to my secret network. I'm pretty much abandoning the Yahoo blog because it hasn't caught on as well as this one or MySpace. I'll keep it open because I have some good reports on the Backup Browncoat Bash from a long time ago.

This is basically an introduction to other Blogger members out there. In the next few days, I'll "repeat" some of my MySpace and Yahoo blogs to give you an idea of what I have done, and who I am. Afterwards, I'll publish here and at MySpace.

I can reveal this, though.....I'll have a review of the season opener to Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles just after it ends next Monday. I can do this because Fox sent a bunch of screeners to TV writers to plug the show, and I got one of them. They're just asked to not reveal the big plot points until the show airs. I saw the DVD last week, and I'm following that request. Trust me. It will make seeing next week's opener that much better.

Anyway, welcome to my other blog.