Top Gun

You asked for it, and now w/o further ado... Top Gun: The Musical (promo for the 2007 Seattle L&G Film Fest)!

Annual Mileage

I spent the holiest day of the year contemplating my life while driving to the dealership to get my 5,000 mile tune-up. It had been 316 days since I "moved" to L.A. In quotes because I've been in the Jet Blue NeverNeverLand of bicoastal limbo for most of those moons.

All the milestones of Los Angeles - getting a car, an apartment, a writing gig - didn't wed me to this place like I thought they would. Then I thought "Once my girlfriend and cat join me out West, THEN I'll really be here." But packing up my NYC apartment to sublet two weeks ago was a terribly final act. Now each trip East will be a visit, not to "Home." The day we left with packed bags felt like the true Yom Kippur. I surveyed the eerily empty space and thought of the loved ones lost, the loved ones ill, the loved ones far away and the amends I need to make. During the High Holy Days I write up a list, New Year's resolutions of sorts. This year I scribbled mine, behind schedule, while sitting in Toyota of Orange's service waiting room.

I began 5768 with family and the big move, only to fall down en route to an important meeting and be whisked away in an ambulance. I'm not a fan of hospitals, but at least nothing was broken and I got a nifty pair of crutches that my sweetie insisted I actually use.

Immobile on the couch, I got a chance to catch up on Tivo and contemplate being inscribed in the Book of Life for the coming year. Mostly, I just prayed that my ailing friends and family recover and return to life in all senses. And that no more of my beloved pets would perish in the near future. It's been a bumpy 5,000+ miles.

You know what was at the end of this stormy Yom Kippur? A freakin' rainbow over the 101. Now THAT'S the way to start off the year right.

Hi Diddle Dee, An Actor's Life For Me?

It's happened again. This performing thing. Since virtually all theater geeks start out on the stage, and I'm a theater geek (Broadway Musical Theater Geek, no less), it seems inevitable that I'd wind up singing (well, lip-syncing) and dancing (yes, me dancing) in a musical. It's not unprecedented, but certainly surprising, given that I moved to L.A. to write films, that I'd be playing Iceman (Val Kilmer - that's me on the left, a little more butch than usual) in a short musical spoof of TOP GUN. It'll be a trailer for the Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, directed by David Quantic and scored & choreographed by a gaggle of talented guys. It's truly a hoot. No doubt inspired by this gay recut of the original TOP GUN's trailer here...

This week I've been editing clips of my lovely and talented gf for her reel, but it occurs to me, that I could probably string together a few hysterical bits for my reel, if I had one. And this would now be the featured clip, as I'm one of the "stars." OK, writing that just makes me crack up. I'm sure I was like the 4th or 5th choice, considering I'm uncoordinated and there is quite a lot of dancing going on - behind me, to make me look good. So nice of those very talented and trained triple threats to back a ham like me.

As I told the director, I'm just happy to support queer film, esp anything musical. I haven't been such a goof since... since... playing an uncoordinated dancing dyke in LESBIANS: the music video.

How appropriate that I worked at NewFest, then Outfest, and will be seen onscreen at Seattle L&G FF. I'm just doing the queer film circuit again, in a manner of speaking. I'll post screening/viewing info when it becomes available.

Temblor

OK, so I was sitting here at my computer trying to do some rewrites. OK, so I was sitting here researching making a homemade in-car camera-mount. OK, so I was watching car-mounted video online. OK, so I was sitting here at my computer when my first real L.A. earthquake rolled through, shoving my chair around the office and nearly bonking my head with a falling lamp. Blaaaaaa!!!

Like any good geek, I logged on to the US Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program and found that I'd just experienced a 4.5 local magnitude shock from an epicenter about 25 miles away in Chatsworth.

Now, I lived through a much more violent 5.5 quake in Hiroshima, Japan back in 1989, that literally shook me out of bed and buckled the local roads. (OK, so it didn't help that I was still slightly drunk from the opening night party a few hours prior...) It was then that I swore never to move to a geographically unstable part of the world, so, of course I set up house in Los Angeles. Not that New York City was such a disaster-free zone, esp considering the flooded subways and Brooklyn Tornado this week...

I'm just saying, in an already not-my-favorite day, capping it off with an earthquake just before bed does not add to the favorability factor. Makes me glad I was paranoid about assembling an emergency preparedness kit. I know it's only the transplanted East Coasters who do it, much to the non-challance and slight dismay of native Angelenos, but I think it's money well-spent for a little peace of mind.

And now I'm off to try and get some shaky sleep.

Popular

My nieces are featured Wicked fans in this Philly Inquirer article! While they fancy themselves as Glinda and Elphaba, I think they're both popular now, what with the article and all...

Another person close to my heart is getting some exposure: my Sweetie Sonora stars in a short film called "BPS." It's a top ten finalist in the 72 Hour Shootout and
the AZN (Asian Network) has posted all 64 entries for the audience
favorite award. They were nominated for best screenplay and most original screenplay.

Help make them the audience favorite by voting for them HERE!

Me? I'm underexposed as of late... ;-)

Alumni

Outfest 2006 Screenwriting Lab Fellows (minus Luther Mace) reunited.
(Seb, Dasha, Sam & Isaac)

In the past 2 weeks I've received invites to my 15th college reunion, 20th high school reunion and Peace Child 25th reunion. That means I've lived a lot, to be tapped for so many great adventures' legacies. But a shorter, sweeter reunion happened yesterday: 1 year ago 5 writers/filmmakers gathered at the Chateau Marmont with 5 mentors and a gaggle of talented and wisened folks to make our scripts better. 4 of the 5 fellows showed up to a public reading of one of those scripts, and a chat & chew following. I'm proud to be an alumni of all.

Outfesting

Starring the lovely Sonora Chase
Video by Dasha Snyder
Music by Joan Jett
Location by DGA L.A.
Event by Outfest
Inspiration by MobiOpera
Camera: Palm Treo 700p
Software: iMovie HD 6