Dale The Angry Basketball Player

Last Summer I shot this film with a small crew on a couple of summer days. It's the story of this guy Dale who lost his brother in a tragic accident which has driven a wedge between Dale and his parents who blame him. He also blames himself and often vents by obsessive  bouts of cleaning and working out. He also gets really pissed of when his girlfriend calls and asks him about his appointments.  It's funny that he and I have the same name. Ultimately Dale and his Father meet after years of avoiding each other. Sadly I hurt my right leg in an undisclosed basketball accident at 4:15pm Dec. 14 2013 so the footage in the film is the last time I was able to run and jump like a young man. Now I walk like an old groundskeeper. I hope you enjoy the film which was written and Directed by Max Milner who has sent me a script for a romantic dramady yes dramady....I know it's crazy right? Joshua Lustig was the director of photography. Assistant Director David Law who has a style all his own was always quick with a joke to keep things loose. An entire bathroom was destroyed in the making of this film. Enjoy.  

 

Claude...

Me as Claude

This is neither fact nor fiction. This is only a story about Claude. 

Claude only had one Cigarette left and he was saving it for a special occasion. It had been five days now with no drugs and no booze. Claude was beginning to suffer. When will the madness end for our dear friend Claude? He hasn't seen his family or any friends for about three years now and he really doesn't give a shit. "Fuck Them" he thinks while walking through a field of tall wet grass late at night. "Who needs all that fucking bullshit." Claude never had time for any bullshit. 

If you offended him or said something wrong he would wait until you weren't paying attention and then poof he would vanish into thin air. Since he had no money this strategy also worked well as Claude would leave said offender to foot the bill for whatever coffee and wrap Claude had ordered. Claude never spoke much but since he left all those people behind he never spoke at all, to anyone, ever. 

After finding a soft patch to sleep on Claude called it a night. The next morning Claude was attacked and savagely mauled by a group of raccoons who had been following him for sometime. In need of medical attention Claude crawled to the side of the road. A truck driver threw an empty bottle at Claude knocking him unconscious. When Claude awoke it was night time again and he could see the beady little eyes of the raccoons as they watched him from the tall grass. They made raccoon sounds and did intimidating raccoon customs and stuff. Claude wasn't afraid. 

It just so happened that at that very instant another truck driver (this one with a kind heart) decided to pick up Claude and bring him to the hospital. Along the way the trucker told Claude about all his adventures across the highways of America. Claude nodded in silence. At one point the trucker asked Claude to hand him an aspirin from the glove box.

 Claude reached into the glove box and grabbed the bottle but that's when he saw the truckers stash of weed and caffeine pills. Without a second thought Claude began furiously eating the pills and was attempting to create a smoking apparatus using a pop can when the trucker punched Claude in the neck. He then kicked Claude out of the truck and drove off into the sunrise. 

"Ahh Shit I almost had weed..." Claude thought. "Oh shit I think I have rabies...and maybe also fleas" "Dammit" "Fuck!" "Ahh Shit" Claude got up and with his shirt wrapped around his head like a turban he walked for sometime amazed at how well he was doing despite no food, water, medical attention, or money. 

After several hours of walking Claude finally reached a truck stop oasis. It was here that Claude found the kind hearted trucker sleeping in his cab. Claude stole all of the guys drugs and left a nice note regarding how much the guys stories sucked ass. By hitching a ride from an old lady and her dog Claude finally made it to a hospital. Sitting in the waiting room the old lady did all the talking for him. A nurse approached and put a name tag on his jacket that said "Hello My Name is Claude." 

Upon leaving the hospital Claude hugged the old woman and gave the little dog a scratch behind the ear. As he set off on the road again Claude decided that he would continue wearing his name tag until the day he could finally smoke his last cigarette. "But When" He thought "When will this day come?"... 

After several days of walking and sleeping outside Claude was standing by the side of the road with his thumb out when he saw a car in the distance.... To Be Continued. 

Writing Wrongs

Sometimes I get pissed off and decide that all my blogs are pieces of shit that don't even deserve to be read. I must admit that as a writer it is a very depressing mental state to be in. You can't really shake the negative vibes and every thought you put down on the page ends up sounding forced and whiny. Oh how I relish the days when the voices in my head (The creative one and the critical one) are in perfect agreement and it is easy to execute my craft. On days like these hours seem to fly by while my fingers dance across the keys. 
 A good and well spent writing session is one of the most pleasurable things i can think of doing with an afternoon, although there are other considerations. It is hard to decide what I prefer, typing or long hand writing. Both get the job done but something about the long hand method just feels right. Typing certainly helps you to keep up with the high speeds your mental voice can achieve. Sometimes it's hard to keep up when writing by hand. I wish that everyone had a chance to experience the joy of commanding language to communicate ideas in a creative and artistic manner. It truly is one of my favorite hobbies. 

Cheery Point Part 1

I have a small role in an Independent film currently shooting on location in Kentucky. It's called "Cheery Point." Cheery Point takes place in an alternate future where the U.S. has been bombed and only sixteen states remain in the union. The story concerns the life of one man named Joshua Barrett who resides in the fictional town of Cheery Point. As a means of nullifying the mass amounts of panic and suffering the government issues a bill making it mandatory for all citizens to consume Torpase a fictional drug that renders the user completely void of any pain or emotion. Most Everyone in Cheery Point works for the T.D.D. The Torpase Distribution Division. Joshua's job is to take pictures of dead Springers (rebels who refuse Torpase and openly show emotion, an offense punishable by death. I play Sam the Torpase Delivery Man who is somewhat like a milkman or postman in his look and manner. Joshua is kidnapped by the leader of the Springers and there you have the beginnings of what will be an epic film due out this summer. Check out the site for Cheery Point. Here are some stills of me as Sam.

Please Help us finish this film by providing a charitable donation toward our cause. I am about to head down to Kentucky to finish our last week of filming. I will let you know how it goes. Wish me luck.