The Weekly Flippo

Of Every Hue and Caste

2010-04-30T11:39:00.001-07:00

Remember when I said I would be back "next week?" Looks like that wasn't exactly true, which is another way of saying "not true at all." It looks like The Weekly Flippo took an accidental hiatus, something that is happening a bit too often as of late.

Unfortunately, I've been too busy to update the blog for awhile, and it slipped away from me. If it was up to me, I would do nothing but work on the blog (and also get paid for it). However, it is not up to me. It is up to the goddess Fortuna. For the past month or so, I've been doing deliveries/ caterings for an Italian cafe called Ugo. It's a pretty great place, full of cool and interesting people. I like to think of it as my Adventureland.

Gulfview Heights has taken a little bit of a backseat since we last talked. I was contacted by a guy named Richard Martin to write a first draft for some gangster story called Havana Summit. He wasn't exactly thrilled with what I did with the first ten pages (though I still stand by them and would love for you guys to read them one day). The entire experience was a letdown, as I feel I had plenty of great ideas to offer. The good thing is I never got my hopes too high. Besides, I learned plenty from the whole ordeal (yes, I would describe it as an "ordeal"). There are a lot of variables out there you can't control. The only thing you can control is the quality of the work you put out there. My first ten pages of Havana Summit were pretty good, I feel. Hell, Michael Chabon was turned down for the next Spider-man film. I'm in no way saying I'm as good as him. I'm just saying that's none-too-shabby company to keep.

An unfortunate drawback is I will be unable to finish Gulfview Heights in time for the Nicholl this year. I may send Anywhere, Illinois back in, but I was hoping to have a new script ready in time, but this is not to be. I feel like I'm spinning my wheels.

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKq52J_6KwM&playnext_from=TL&videos=7n0w8ivwAdk&feature=grec_index

2.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QBwtHzdSFM

3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_CMJQYxwtg

That's about it for this week. I am preparing to shift my attention to a 30 Rock spec script I am writing (tentatively called "Smells Like Feminism") for NBC's Writers on the Verge program. Hopefully, I'll avoid distractions and be able to get the script done reasonably soon.

Flippo

A Concept, An Illusion, The School In Which We Learn

2010-03-16T14:21:00.000-07:00

Hey Flip-philes. How are you today? Really? That's great! I'm doin' alright as well! I'm pretty stoked we're both doing alright.

Today's blog might be a little on the short side. I would say it's more about quality than quanity, but I've found that that's really just an excuse for not having many ideas... which I may not.

First off, a movie recommendation! My roommate Geoff and I watched a film called Anvil!: The Story of Anvil last week. It was really great, and I urge you to check it out, Dear Reader. Here's the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF4H8lB2Y_o

Oh, and here's something that's been on my mind recently. A couple of months ago, I read an article that described a film as "cheesy and awesome." That's a very interesting thought to me, "cheesy" being something that's not necessarily a bad thing. Just because it's cheesy, doesn't mean you can't still love it! This is a pretty large overhaul of how one approaches books, movies, music, etc. Please! Sound off in the comments section below and tell me about things you love that could also be called "cheesy."

Anyway, Lost's excellent sixth season continues. I loved last week's Ben-centric "Dr. Linus." It wasn't very heavy with mythology and was fairly straightforward (well, straightforward for a Lost episode). Do I have theories? Yes. Are they correct? Probably not. Am I having a blast? Absolutely!

Anway, here are some videos I'm into this week. Again, I'm not going to set any of them up except to say that they're all songs I love (yet I'm not really sure any further explanation is required... who was it that said talking about music is like fishing about architecture? Frank Zappa?)

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9vAOzYz-Qs&feature=fvst
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNy0ZRLrtis
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qB6XdAkkAo
4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXkm6h6uq0k

Anyway, that about wraps it up this week. Come back next week for more of the same, but one week into the future!

Flippo

Mine of a Liar

2010-03-02T16:03:00.000-08:00

"A mine is a hole in the ground owned by a liar." --Mark Twain.

Hey Flip-philes. Back again with some more blog. At first, I thought about using this week's introduction to maybe inspire the masses and use this blog to instill some goodwill. However, instead of doing that, I'm going to ask you to click on this so I can get more ratings on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZVAV1WDenQ&feature=related

Still here after that shameless attempt at cross-promotion? No? That's fine. Here is a short story I wrote this week. It is called "BBQ Apocalypse."

On the cusp of nuclear annihilation, Edwin held a barbecue in his apartment’s courtyard. It was an afternoon overflowing with good food, cold beer, and the warm companionship of old friends. The conversation was as fulfilling as ever, though the alarm sounds made the hearing a little difficult.

We were to meet over at Edwin’s at two o’ clock, a full three hours before projected estimates of our destruction. Hoping to arrive early, I climbed into my car, buckled my seat belt, and silenced the radio. Traffic was horrible, which came to me as a surprise. I’m not really sure where anyone thought they were going.

When I arrived, I found Murray already overcome by one of his many obsessions. Before he died, Murray was determined to perfect the art of the grilled frank. He wanted to achieve that elusive perfect wiener, the kind you see on Ball-park commercials with the four majestic grill marks running along the side. Murray had an awful habit of overcooking, frequently resulting in the frank residing in an ugly charred cocoon of an outer layer. This was a goal, however, he never quite achieved.

From the outset, Debbie and I resolved to talk only about inconsequential things. We had spent so much of our life discussing work and family that we never even bothered to ask the other about their opinion on subjects such as reality television, minor league baseball, and celebrity sex tapes. Nothing is important if everything is important. We realized this with just enough time left for us to make a foolish stab at course correction.

Our afternoon was interrupted twice. The second time you can probably guess, but the first was almost life-affirming in its simplicity…

“Damn! We‘re out of cheese!” yelled Murray.

“I can go get some!” offered Edwin, ever the gentleman.

“Can’t it wait?”

“No. It can’t. The store is only a couple of blocks away. I’ll be back in time!”

“Are you sure? It’s not that big of a deal!”

“That’s the thing. It is that big of a deal. I’m the host! I’m the host who forgot the cheese!” And with that, Edwin exited the courtyard and took off down to the local grocer. I can’t imagine what he saw while en route. In fact, I don’t much care to think about it at all. We never saw Edwin again.

Later, Murray burnt his hand on the grill. Rachel ran upstairs and grabbed an unused tube of Neosporin. She sat him down at one of the picnic tables and began rubbing the ointment over the burn. Rachel being an attractive girl, I’d imagine Murray found himself somewhat aroused by the situation. It was at this point, he discontinued his quest for the perfect hot dog and turned his attention full-time to Rachel.

After he had finished cooking, Murray placed the food on a picnic table. Remaining civil, we lined up and began building our burgers, letting the women and children go first (no one mentioned the lack of cheese). We each had several and soon found ourselves uncomfortably full. However, that did not stop us from having a little bit more upon Murray’s encouragement. As far as last meals go, this was as good as any.

“Have you ever read Cat’s Cradle?” asked Debra, our winding conversation about the unimportant things taking a turn for the worst.

“Never have. Didn’t seem like it would be my sort of thing.”

“‘Your sort of ‘thing?’ Well, if you ever get the chance, I highly recommend it. It reminds me a lot of you, reminds me a whole lot of us.”

Over the course of the afternoon, the details of that courtyard presented themselves to me with a renewed urgency. For the first time, I noticed the intoxicating, wavy patterns that occurred on the side of the building when the sunlight hit the swimming pool at a bent angle. I likewise took notice of Debbie’s coarse hands, the byproduct of ten years of hard living. She appeared more beautiful to me as a weathered soul than she did as an innocent one.

We were about to eat dessert when the sky turned a bright red. The sirens stopped and our courtyard began shaking. Still enraptured by Rachel, Murray was in the middle of a story about meeting a beautiful young woman when nuclear annihilation occurred. Despite the various warning signs, he continued that story right up until he was engulfed by that chaos. Rachel never did learn that the story was about her.

Debbie and I were about to shift our first meaningless conversation toward the subject of favorite vacation spots when it happened. I’d imagine that she would’ve told me about her parents’ cabin in Maine. In response, I would’ve told her about a beach I used to visit in my youth. The ocean was only bearable for two perfect weeks in late July. It was so immensely satisfying that it made up for the rest of the year, when the water was too frigid to swim.

In other news, Lost continues, and I am enjoying this season immensely. I know it has been pretty divisive, but I really think that's because there are only so many hours left of the show and we're getting anxious to see if Lost can wrap up satisfactorily. I believe, once this final season is over, we're (finally) going to see the show in it's full context and all of us can (finally!) pass a real judgement on the season and the series.

The last two episodes, "Lighthouse" and "Sundown," were really good, and I think the sixth season has found a nice rhythm. Don't go into each episode expecting EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED. This is a mystery show after all. The fun comes from discussion and theorizing. For me, that's as much apart of the Lost experience as anything. Not every one's cup of tea, definitely, but it is most assuredly my beverage of choice.

Last week, my friend Anthony Lombardo invited me to a Lost panel at Paley Fest in Beverly Hills. I went in knowing that all the writers were going to be in attendance, so I was already almost in nerd-overdrive (don't make fun... you're capable of doing it as well!). However, when Nestor Carbonell, Zuleikha Robinson, Michael Emerson, and Terry O'Quinn (the respective actors who play Richard, Illana, Ben, and Locke), the entire audience ERUPTED in cheers, loud enough to be heard for a good block or so. It was really quite something to see. All of us nerds are a powerful force when you can get us out of the basement. Want to find world peace? Tell a D&D meeting that there is a Star Wars holiday special videocassette out of it if they find a way to accomplish it.

Well, anyway, the panel was really extraordinary. Don't worry, no spoilers here. What was really great about the panel was getting the chance to see how creative professionals bounce ideas off one another and relate. These are some sharp, sharp people and I enjoyed the attitude. It was, at once, playful and serious, light-hearted and professional.

Anyway, here are a couple of videos I'm diggin' (no "g") this week. I'm going to try to do it without a preface this time to preserve some of the surprise!

1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqLaBO5IcjA&feature=related
2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zol2MJf6XNE
3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY_sy6KQVQI

Okay, that's wraps it up this week! So, class, what have we learned? Nothing? Good.

Flippo

It Can Only End Once...

2010-02-18T17:43:00.000-08:00

Hey Flip-philes. Back from a two week break to bring you another magnificent helping of blog.

I have finished the first section of Gulfview Heights (pretentiously titled "Some Invisible Threads), and it has been a bizarrely-smooth process so far. All of the doubts and worries that slowed down the writing of Down and Yonder are absent here. If all goes well, I may be looking at a completed script in time for April. Since my personal goal was May, I will try to use the remaining time to inject the kind of detail that separates the great stories.

Right now, I'm reading The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and I'm constantly stunned by the amount of history, wordplay, and care that has gone into every sentence. It's a slow read, but that's not a bad thing. In fact, here it's an outright amazing thing. The sentences are so loaded with careful detail and the language is so precise that you almost have to take your time. Chabon's attention to the small minutia of daily-life is admirable and hopefully I can instill something similar into Gulfview Heights. Again, I will probably be the last one to know.

I've started working again on the book, We Are The Echo. I'll admit I suffered from a minor case of writer's block. However, after taking a month or so off and thinking about the logical scope of the piece, I think I may have overcome it. My goal is to have it ready before the end of the year. We're halfway there, folks!

Coming up on my L.A. radar, I have The Room this Saturday. It's one of my favorite monthly rituals, and I encourage anybody on the west coast to seek it out. Over the past couple of years, I've become a rather avid fan of the midnight movie. There is just something about watching an overlooked classic (or, in the case of The Room, not-so-classic) with a theater full of movie geeks. This is the sort of bunch who, when I say that "Han shot first," they understand what I'm talking about.

Alright, last week's Locke-centric episode of Lost, entitled "The Substitute," was amazing. Absolutely breath-taking, one-for-the-record-books kind of awesome. It had great revelations and plenty of food-for-though mythology-wise, but it remained intensely focused and character-driven (I promise- no more hyphens for the rest of the post). I loved the flash-sideways storyline this week. It showed a John Locke without an island destiny, and it's hard to argue that he isn't better off without it. He's loved and content. I've long theorized (for about three weeks) that one of the timelines is eventually going to flicker out and take precedent over the other. John Locke is so happy here that it's easy to begin rooting for our island timeline to be the one that fades into temporal non-existence, to hell with our six years of investment.

To close out the blog, I have decided to include some pictures I took last Saturday while walking through Griffith Park. Too many times I have heard people talk about Los Angeles as not being a beautiful place to live. There's beauty everywhere. You just have to be willing to look for it and acknowledge it.

Anyway, I believe that wraps it up for this week. Please make some comments! The blog is only a powerful tool of we use it to engage in a larger conversation.

Flippo

Tomorrow Is Just A Future Yesterday

2010-02-06T22:14:00.000-08:00

Hey Flip-philes. Back again with a little more blog to help you fill that void in your life. No time like the present. No present like time.

I have finished the first ten pages of Gulfview Heights and am now in the process of perfecting them, not that this is a process that one ever truly finishes. I've said it before here on this blog, but the first ten pages are difficult. You have to establish so much is so little a time. You have to set-up characters, motivations, tone, and give at least some indication of where it is all going. Not only that, but it needs to have space to breath. You have to tell a whole lot of story without seeming like you're in a hurry. I think this time it proved more successful than some recent attempts.

Yesterday, I took a trip to the Laemmle theater near Sherman Oaks (a nice little art theater I encourage you to check out) to go see An Education. I admit that my enthusiasm for this film was very minimal. That said, I thought it was an amazing film, one to which my thoughts keep returning. Peter Saarsgard has made a career out of playing pretty intense individuals (one day, he NEEDS to play John Malcovich's son!). But in An Education, he was something I never really suspected... charming. I wholeheartedly encourage you to see it. It has my favorite kinds of twists and turns, ones that arise not out of plot mechanics but out of characters and an understanding of human behavior.

We had another Lost episode this week and, while it was more of a slow-burning character study in relation to last week's jam-packed season premiere, I'm having just a difficult time shaking it. Yes, I know some of you thought it was a dissappointment, but there was just something about this episode that is kind of lingering with me. I'm not quite sure of the implications of the "mirror-world," but something is definitely off about it. Claire and Kate were sure drawn to one another, despite their better judgement. Is that a product of sloppy writing or destiny? This is one we'll probably have to sit on until the end of the season (and series!) in order to find it's worth.

But, this being Lost, there was still plenty I enjoyed. I love the island return of a rather Rousseau-esque Claire. I loved when Jack popped that pill to tests Dogen's true intentions (a pretty badass move made by the good doc). I enjoyed the trip back to New Otherton. I loved the Temple Other's test for Sayid. I especially enjoyed the return of Ethan, this time as a fairly standup guy. I really liked the new information we received on the illness and the revelation that Claire may have it as well. Oh, and the scene where we learn Sawyer was going to propose to Juliet... in fact, that whole scene at the dock was pretty amazing.

Come to think of it... a LOT happened this episode. Maybe us Lost fans were just dissappointed in the lack of Ben and the Locke-ness Monster. Oh well... it looks like next we is going to be a pretty nice cure for that!

All in all, I like the shape the sixth season is taking. It feels big and epic, like the fate of the whole world hinges on these characters on this island.

Oh, and instead of recommending youtube clips, I'm going to have a new segment called "Things We Need to Retire." Here we go...

Things We Need To Retire-

1) Saying something idiotic and then, afterwards, saying "holla!"
2) Introducing bands, movies, TV shows, as if they were some obscure of pop culture that only you know about. Say "this is a song by Radiohead." Don't say "this is by a band called Radiohead." Of course it is! I know Radiohead is a band! This drives me crazy.
3) Complaining about your job to unemployed people.

Life in L.A. is well. Sure, things could be better, but can't that always be said? I'm content and thankful and energetic about tomorrow, the last one being a quality we too frequently overlook and underappreciate.

Flippo

...Sculpting The Time Within Time

2010-02-01T23:05:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I wrote about intellectual property, a rather ambitious topic for an undisciplined weekly blog. I said that, while I should ideally have the freedom to use others' work in a surprising context if I so choose, I said that, ultimately, such freedom would lead to "artistic anarchy." Now, two weeks removed from that comment, I realized that maybe that's not such a bad thing. What I failed to realize is that art, good art, is anarchy anyway.

My friend Matt Brandenburgh commented on the post, and I encourage you to check out what he wrote. As always, it is thoughtful and intelligent, but it also contains a link you may care to click on if this is a topic that interests you.

I started the new story. It's called Gulfview Heights, and I'm excited about it. The story is planned almost scene-to-scene, so the actualy writing of it will hopefully prove luxurious. It's a story I first started when I was 15 (!), but something always felt missing. When you're dealing with stories about youth, you have to solve the problem of why anyone really cares about a young person's problems. What real effect does this have on the world at large? I'm hoping to solve this problem by deciding to confront it head on.

I would like to say Gulfview Heights will be Say Anything by way of David Mamet. However, since it is actually just going to be by way of me, it's at an unreasonable disadvantage.

Since I haven't done this in awhile, here are some videos I'm diggin' this week:

First up, the Charlotte Gainsbourg music video for "Heaven Can Wait" off her upcoming album, IRM. Just based on the quality of this single, I think IRM might be a helluva album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi20N3idp44

This is one of my favorite TV theme songs EVER. The Rembrandts can't touch Polaris.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnqeeBdGhh4

Next up... I'll let you discover that for yourself. What's Coolio up to these days?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39Tds8nMkks&feature=related

Well, I finally got to see the Lost premiere, entitled "LA X." It was a head-scratcher, a heartbreaker, and a mind-melter all in one. I'd love to post some wild theories about What I Think It Means, but the simple truth is that I haven't fully digested this one again. It was so dense with plot developments, character beats, and revelation that I might need another week to fully grasp it. The problem with that, though, is there is another episode coming this Tuesday, heading my way like a freight train.

Though I will say that would I especially like this season is that they're not holding back with the heady ideas. I can't imagine a person, having only watched the first couple, more popular seasons, jumping back on the bandwagon. That's a good thing! I want this season to be a reward for us hard-core fans, the ones who stuck with the show through the ups (The Constant) and downs (Nikki and Paulo). By now, we've learned the secret nerd handshake. Not just anyone should be able to reap the benefits. What's the smoke monster you ask? If you haven't watched, I sure as hell won't tell you.

But let's not end this post on the space between us, shall we? Instead, I rather talk about what my friend Allison said about February. She said that January was just a warm-up month, and it was February where the year really takes flight. I hope that's true, because I think we all need 2010 to be a good year. We need it, and I think we can make it happen.

Flippo

Eternal Youth Only (aka "The Dreamer's Disease")

2010-01-25T13:01:00.001-08:00

Hey Flip-philes. Back again with more blog. I'm putting the final touches on Down and Yonder. It's 92 pages now with no filler and no connective tissue. It might end up being around 100 pages once I put the muscles on. It's in no way done though. I'm simply going to give it a break until I am brave enough to return to it and dig deeper.

I also finished up a short story called Ba Dum Chhh. It's not long, but I like the shape it is taking. It is pretty dark and often just flat-out weird, but I consider those both to be pretty positive attributes.

Also, J Dawg (a.k.a. Jonathan Hunt) and I are prepping a short film to be shot the first weekend of February. It's called Art for Illitirates and I think it might be legitimately good. Hopefully it all comes together well.

In other news, I am about to go into geek overdrive as the final season of Lost is set to premiere this Tuesday, February 2. I apologize in advance for all my crazy theories involving reincarnation, destiny, and the space-time continuum. I didn't choose this. It chose me.

Check this out:

It's a pretty sweet pic. Battlestar Galactica did this a year or two ago, but I still geeked out all the same when I saw the Lost cast give it a spin. Has anybody called this "The Lost Supper" yet? If not, they need to!

(Oh, and last week I came up with a killer theory about John Locke and his true role in all this. It's pretty mind-blowing if it's true, but I'll have to bore you with that another time.)

Anyway, that about wraps it up for this week. I'm warning you, though. For the next few months, this blog is about to get wrapped up in all things Lost. If that kind of thing usually bores the hell out of you... well, I guess I'll see you in May.

Flippo

Not Where You Take It From, But Where You Take It To...

2010-01-18T10:11:00.001-08:00

Hey Flip-philes. Back again with another installment of The Weekly Flippo. Though I usually prefer not to explain the title of each posting (doing so would somehow lessen the impact), I decided to make an exception for this week's outing. The masterful Jean-Luc Godard, when asked how he felt about artists using material from other sources, responsed with this quote. It's an important one, and a wholly satisfying response to criticisms of Tarantino and some others, who seem to specialize in these sort of pop culture collages.

I like to think that good art doesn't take place in a vaccuum, but is apart of a larger conversation. Sometimes, doesn't copyright law just get in the way? If you put out a song and enter it into the cultural fray, it should absolutely be within my rights to place it in a new, ironic context if I so choose. And I say "should" in only the most idealistic sense. Unfortunately, for our day-to-day, this would only mean artistic anarchy.

This all has been on my mind recently for many reasons, all of which are not quite as interesting as the central argument it inspires. What do you think? Please! Use the comment section below!

Since I am a master of the segway, here's the short story I wrote last week in full. It is called "The Bridge and The Rabbit Head."

Of our little group, Mackie Rohmer and I were the only ones to have seen a man die. It was that fact that both united us and separated us from the others. Together in youth, we were bonded on the schoolyard and at home, in certain undeniable ways neither one of us much cared to acknowledge.

Mackie was in the hospital room when his stepfather entered into whatever kind of existence awaits us after this world. As I’ve gotten older and the routines of hospital wards have grown more familiar, I can’t help but think of the considerable toll this experience must have taken on a ten-year-old boy. I’m reminded of all those late nights and that frozen minute hand, the sterile hallways and those shitty waiting room magazines. It must have been horrible.

I, on the other hand, was lucky enough to not know mine. One day, while on the way home from the library, I saw a pedestrian hit by a long black car, the kind that coughs up ugly wisps of smoke as it creeps down the road. This man flew back, his head hitting the curb with an audible crack. While on the ground, his body began coiling and uncoiling in the most unnatural way, as if possessed. I remember the distinct design the blood made on the pavement, like a perverse Rorschach test. I remember seeing a rabbit head.

All of which brings us to the bridge and the habit we developed over the course of our tenth summer. Behind my house, there was a thin, dusty trail that wound its way down to an embankment and gave way to a creaky old wooden bridge, held together only by luck and leftover lumber. I was the one who came up with the idea to leap off of it, though it was Mackie who had the heart to make that initial jump and see it all come into fruition.

“See you on the other side!” he yelled as he made the inaugural leap. I couldn’t allow myself to look because, for a brief moment, I fully expected to never see little Mackie Rohmer alive again. When he landed on the embankment, his legs gave out and he slipped into a nice cushion of mud, negating the impact. Nobody could’ve been more relieved than me when his screams turned out to be nothing more than uncontrollable bouts of laughter.

It took another week of Mackie’s relentless convincing for me to make the jump. The embankment didn’t look so far away atop the bridge. However, as I jumped, the two seconds it must of taken seemed to stretch on for what seemed to be an eternity. I remember having enough time to wonder how much farther I had to fall.

The impact was first felt in my knees. It seemed to echo throughout my body, and I thought I heard my rib cage rattle a little bit. Mackie must have said something after that first jump, but, if he did, I sure as hell don‘t remember it. The world itself had gone quiet, as if underwater. Without any prompt, I climbed out of the embankment and made the jump again. I wanted to do this until my hesitation had left me. It never did. Not fully.

Over the course of our tenth, eleventh, and twelfth summers, we developed what could be categorized as an obsession to the bridge. Every year, the bridge grew older and more dangerous. Since we grew up alongside it, we appreciated the new challenges it presented. During this time, we spoke to one another on a wild variety of subjects, including (but not limited to) girls, the future, Saturday morning cartoons, and which teachers made for the easiest A. We never spoke about the bridge, though. Never the bridge. That would’ve seemed ridiculous. Have often do you talk about breathing?

Mackie was once a boy made up of infinite detail, quirks like the bricks of a house. I remember the Chaplin-esque glasses and the scabby knees. Most of all, I remember his crooked nose, the unfortunate aftermath of his summer spent as little league shortstop. Time has flattened those details and rendered him just another old man, too much like myself. All old men look like flightless birds. We’re too angular at the top and too fat in the middle.

Our hearts give out too often as well. There is no better reminder of this than the minute hand on a clock in the Erlanger Hospital waiting room. It took a couple of minutes to gather myself before going to try to talk to Mackie. When I got to him, he wasn’t much able to talk back, though I can only imagine what we would have said with time so scarce.

I’d imagine we’d finally talk about the intense feeling that resided in our stomachs when we jumped, and the deep-seeded longing we had on those sweltering summer nights, a feeling not unlike being in love. I remember how it feels to have it all in front of you and how overwhelming that can be. I sometimes still feel like this and I knew, in his final hours, Mackie did as well.

"See… you… on… the other…” he whispered.

He didn’t get to finish, though I knew what he meant entirely.

I may finally finish Down and Yonder next week, before the end of January. I want to immediately go into my next one. I am trying to adhere to a two script a year regiment (one for the spring, one for the fall). It's a schedule I feel pushes me, but doesn't rush me. Stephen King and Michael Chabon believe in a 1,000 word a day schedule. I believe Hemingway did a 700 word a day schedule. It's all about finding what works and sticking with it, even on the lousy days.

The look for long-term employment continues. One of the great drawbacks to freelance work is that you are always hunting, which is exhausting. But, then again, Dad says I have the rest of my life to have a 9-5 job. Might as well to do this while my system can still withstand shocks to it.

So far, 2010 is a good year. Fun year to say, an even better year to be apart of.

Flippo

Smilin' Strange, Always Lookin' Happily Deranged

2010-01-13T10:59:00.000-08:00

Hey Flip-philes. Back again with another post. A friend recently told me that he disagreed with my assessment of Up In The Air, which was a surprise to me. Not necessarily because we disagreed (we have more heated debates on pop culture than we do religion and politics combined), but because I didn't know anyone actually read this blog. I thought this place was an island, but that's apparently not the case. I should probably start doing spellcheck.

A couple of weeks ago I made a list of my favorite films of 2009 and forgot to include Star Trek and Fantastic Mr. Fox. I'm not sure why I forgot them as both were awesome and fresh on my mind. I don't know where I'd place them either, but I doubt I'm going to take the time to do it. I'm kind of over the whole list thing anyway. Ranking movies is like ranking your favorite relatives. Sure, you'd know what the order would be, but it is rather rude.

On the writing front, I took a break from the implosion that is Down and Yonder and wrote a simple short story. It is called "The Bridge and The Rabbit Head," and I'm rather proud of it. It's solid but slight (though most short stories are). I hope to write more of these this year. It's a good exercise.

The move is going well. We found a cheap couch and will hopefully have cable before the end of the week. Having to talk to one another has been simply unbearable! We also don't yet have Internet so I'm forced to go to a coffee shop and use their wi-fi (on a related note, did you know they steam milk these days?). I just need a corduroy jacket and maybe my Georgia caterpillar can finally transform into that beautiful hipster butterfly. Does anyone know a place in Sherman Oaks that sells vintage tees?

Until next time.

Flippo

Poor Players, Wa(l)king Shadows

2010-01-07T17:23:00.000-08:00

Look how far we've come. 2010, folks. That's insane. 2001 has been dated for nine years now! Luckily, we don't have weird monoliths, bone-throwing monkeys, or sentient computers hell-bent on our annihilation.

Yet.

First up, I regret to inform you that I didn't finish Down and Yonder before the end of the year. I'm more than a little frustrated with myself. Writers are only worth a damn with real concrete deadlines, even if they're just ones placed on the writer by his or herself. Too many writers have sat around waiting for inspiration that never comes. You don't wait for it. You work until it arrives, sharpening your tools.

I'm having a little trouble with the second half of the story (the "Yonder" section). It is difficult writing about characters without goals. The story has to eventually have an internal energy, but it all just feels too stop-and-go at the moment. Though the characters don't have any forward momentum, the story sure has to have it, and I pray this is a speed bump and not a coffin nail.

(Yes, I realize that nobody is interested in the plight of the writer except for a writer. Thanks for not saying anything though. You're sweet.)

In other news, my trip home to Georgia was great and surely the quickest two and a half weeks of my life. It was dense with friends, family, and good times, which is just as it should be. Here are some random pictures from my time home.

This is me firing a Roman candle.

This is me and my old roommate Alex Dimitropoulos. We're pointing at our old apartment (the legendary "Flipopoulos") on a map.

This is me and my buddy, Adam Speas, celebrating the New Year in Athens. We studied abroad in Cannes together.

This is my buddy Craig. I like this photo a lot. It's like a still from a Ramin Bahrani film.

This is my good friend Tulsi. She sciences at Columbia.

This is my friend Matt. He lives up in Brooklyn.

As you can probably tell, I received a camera for Christmas. It's a Coolpix camera (yes, just like Ashton Kutcher). One of my goals in 2010 is to take more pictures. I've developed this fear that I'm not really documenting my life well enough and my children and and my children's children will have no idea who I was a young man. In 2010, I'm going to correct this.

It's a new year folks. All the joys, troubles, and surprises of 2010 are still ahead of us. Take pleasure in that.

Flippo

My Favorite Films of 2009

2010-01-02T15:47:00.000-08:00

2009 was a pretty good year at the movies. Most people would probably agree with that, although probably no one will agree exactly which movies made it so great. It was a year where even the breakthrough blockbusters proved polarizing. The films stuck with you, however, and I loved that.

I know lists are a little silly, but I felt compelled to do it. It forces me to think about the films I loved and reevaluate them. First, a few honorable mentions:

Away We Go- A perfect example of a 2009 film. This one really divided audiences when it debuted in July. I thought it was a perfect remedy for an increasingly bombastic summer. A real charmer.

Watchmen- Again, another film that isn't quite for everybody. Yes, it turned out it was impossible to translate the great Alan Moore comic to the big screen. Watchmen, as a film, is something else entirely, but if you're able to separate yourself from the book, you'll find it has its own wonders.

The Hangover- I'd call this a guilty pleasure, but I really think this is a legitimately good film. Great casting and surprisingly nuanced writing make this an exceptional boys-will-be-boys comedy. This is one of those films that you will revisit over and over again.

Avatar- Yes, this is Dances With Wolves in space. You know what? I'm perfectly fine with that. Sci-fi has always been about archetypes and pathos anyway, so I can't fault this genre hybrid for that. It's a great film, dense with wild imagery and dazzling visual effects.

#10- A Serious Man- I still haven't figured this film out, and I doubt I ever will. Is it a 20th century retelling of the book of Job, or is something even more sinister? This is one to talk (or argue) about with friends.

#9- The Damned United- If Invictus is about overcoming the odds, The Damned United is about succumbing to them. Filmed with meticulous detail and great visual flair, I enjoyed every moment of director Tom Hooper's directing debut.

#8- (500) Days Of Summer- This one is, in turns, funny, charming, frustrating, and deeply moving. A surprisingly intelligent film that, for a change, manages to find beauty in Los Angeles.

#7- Moon- One of the most haunting films of 2009, the one most likely to either sneak into your dreams or creep into your nightmares. Sam Rockwell is exceptional in what is essentially a one-man show (kinda). If Avatar is a sci-fi film for the heart, Moon is a sci-fi film for the mind.

#6- Up In The Air- A heavy-hearted film that comes across with a great sense of buoyancy. See it, and you'll know what I mean.

#5- The Messenger- This one stuck with me. The Messenger is about two soldiers with one of the most unenviable jobs imaginable: giving notice to the families of fallen soldiers. It's heartbreaking to watch and all the victories are small ones. However, it features some of the best writing and acting I've seen this year, and I'd be glad to return to this film.

#4- District 9- 2009 was a return to the Thinking Man's sci-fi. Yes, there's action and neat special effects, but it's all there to serve the story. It does what great sci-fi should do: show us another world to help us see this one better.

#3- The Hurt Locker- This was the most intense movie-going experience of 2009. No other film this year felt so immediate, so real. The film follows Sergeant First Class William James on a tour with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit. Those scenes with William disarming the explosives are brilliantly filmed and, for a moment, you feel you're watching what is perhaps the best documentary of the year.

#2- Inglourious Basterds- The Hurt Locker is a movie about war. Inglorious Basterds is a movie about war movies. It's rude, playful, and not afraid of the occasional flight of fancy. I hate dutiful movies, the kind that's overtested, overcooked, and generally afraid to offend. Inglourious Basterds is not a film like that. It's sheer punk rock.

#1- Up- Not many films can make you cry. Even fewer can make you cry within the first ten minutes. This is a family film about the passage of time and the decisions we make versus the decisions life makes for us. Up just may be aimed more at the adults in the audience than the kids, though there is plenty there for them, too. Squirrel!

2009 was a great year, full of great change and forward momentum. I'm glad it's over, but glad it happened. Throughout it all, I was relieved the movies were there to help. It's the cheapest form of psychiatry I know.

Flippo

No Bad, Just Different Shades of Good

2009-11-28T18:40:00.000-08:00

Adverbs be damned. I've been frequently, frustratingly unemployed this year. One job here may give me a few hundred clams. Another job there may give me a few hundred more. There comes a time when you have to ask, "what's wrong with me?"

But my story isn't uncommon. That's both a relief and a cause for alarm. Young people are looking at each other, scratching their heads, and asking "what's wrong with us?" What makes our generation so underqualified? Why are college grads being forced to return to part-time jobs they once held back in high school?

Here's an article my friend Matt Brandenburgh brought to my attention. It does a far better job explaining the situation:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/21/AR2009112102372.html?hpid=topnews

Guys, there is something wrong here. People say "fix the system" as if that phrase was some simple solution. Of course we should fix the system. That's obvious. The question is how do we fix things? Where do you start?

But what is most frustrating is how few people, besides that unlucky minority, really care about the situation. The other day, an employed friend told me that "unemployment was not that bad" and that the "bad times were over." What?!

Friends, this is partially what is wrong. Some of us are looking the other way. The water is on the stove, but it hasn't reached the boiling point. We can't assume there is no problem since it's not affecting us at the time. This is irresponsible and foolish and, besides the curious rise of the Twilight phenomenon, I can't think of a bigger problem plaguing our generation. Where's the fire, guys?

My father once said that the goal of each generation should be to make the next one better. That's great advice, as it provides a singular, motivating idea to drive our days. However, following that advice is might prove difficult for this generation. The problem ranges further than next week's paycheck, so much further than you care to think.

When we were young, we were told that if we stayed in line and got good enough grades, we could be "anything that we wanted to be." Well, now that we've delivered on our end of the bargain, can they, in good conscious, really say that they delivered on theirs?

Flippo

The Detour As The Destination

2009-11-21T22:38:00.000-08:00

This week, I am compelled to look back at the four years I ran cross country in high school. That was a special time for me, one I think grows in stature as time separates it from me. Now, if baseball can "unite a nation" and a rag-tag team of misfits can "bring a town together," I don't see why my cross country days can't themselves possess a larger, mythic quality. You may not much care to hear me reminisce about events you weren't even present for. That's fine. This one is probably just for me anyway. However, I'd appreciate a companion if you have the time.

Everyday the school bell sounded for a final time at 3:15. However, a few of us weren't quite ready to call it a day. Not always eager, we threw on a pair of cruddy old sneakers and a dirty T-shirt, and we soon began a steady run around the school. We were free to run around the grounds, going wherever we wanted to as long as we achieved and maintained a steady pace.

Together, we were content enough that there was no real destination, happy to bid our time with our friends at a reasonable speed. As a metaphor for youth, that may seem a little on-the-nose. It's one I enjoy anyway.

I've never engaged in odder conversations. Youthful naivete mixed with an exhausted delirium to create one-of-a-kind exchanges. That's a fancy way to say that, more than half the time, we didn't know what the hell we were saying. I learned to joke with a quick, ferocious focus (my longer, more roundabout humor didn't work well between heavy breaths).

After a couple of years, I shed my middle school fat and was at my leanest. I became fast, something my elementary school teachers never thought possible. My mile time was eventually lowered to about five and a half minutes. That's an achievement that may seem small to some runners, but it certainly felt life-changing to me at the time.

But I started off horrible. Most all of us did. There's a learning curve. Stiches. Unexpected belly-aches. The occassional vomit. Long-distance runners experienced it all and were, in fact, glad to be experiencing it. In the moment, you were weak, but in the greater context of our running careers, we were becoming stronger by the day.

What I remember most about running is those times where you've found that steady rhythm, and all you have is your thoughts. It is the most meditative of sports. As a teenager with normal teenager problems (problems which now seem so small in context of the world at large), I had all the time I needed to sort them out. Many times, you were out there with nothing but your troubles and the steady beat of your tennis shoes on the pavement.

I love the small moments especially, those moments that still remain so vivid. They're moments that really matter only to me, which, in turn, is why I love them so much. They're those moments between friends, and those conversations you can only have after knowing a person for years. They're those times I ran alone, still overwhelmed by all I had in front of me (I'm not entirely talking about the sport here). They're those sweet, fleeting moments after the race, when the euphoria would kick in and the world's hidden threats felt distant and inconsequential.

Those small singular moments, in the context of a life, do not register with the same urgency as other, more important milestones, the ones a photographer finds fit to capture. Taken one at a time, those small moments don't mean anything. Taken together, they become the world entire.

As (most) always, here's some videos I'm digging this week.

My friend Alex alerted me of this Charlotte Gainsbourg/ Beck music video. It is called "Heaven Can Wait," and it's fairly brilliant. Watch it a few times. It's one of those neat videos where funny details and images lurk in the background, waiting for you to discover them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP-nVpOLW88

Here's a song that sort of moves me, though I can't fully explain why (you'll just have to click to find out the song). Boy, those lyrics are sheer nonsense, aren't they? However, since I'm a fairly nonsensical person myself, this song seems to be speaking my language. Never underestimate the nonsense. There is poetry inside.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzlMeTxVdH8

Well, that's it for this week. Not much else to report. Down and Yonder continues and is now not just a series of scenes and notes. It's a story, Dear Reader, one I would be glad to tell you if you'd be willing to hear. Now that the connective tissue is finally showing itself, I've returned to the goal of having it done before the end of the year. For the first time in a long time, I'm hopeful and ambitious, confident but ever cautious. Feels good to be back.

Feels better to have you there with me, Dear Reader.

Flippo

And The Known Empires of the Mind

2009-11-09T21:40:00.000-08:00

This week, I was working on Down and Yonder (60 pages in!) and listening to Nirvana's Live At Reading. It's a substantial album, fueled by both the power of the music and its own tragic context. As I was listening to it, I began to think about the albums I've played while working and the unexpected ways I may have been influenced.

Last spring, I began working on Trailer Trash Kidnapping after hearing the song "Trailer Trash" by Modest Mouse. The lyrics go like this:

Eating snow flakes with plastic forks

And a paper plate of course, you think of everything

Short love with a long divorce

And a couple of kids of course

They don't mean anything

Live in trailers with no class

goddamn I hope I can pass high school means nothing

Taking heartache with hard work

Goddamn I am such a jerk, I can't do anything

And I shout that you're all fakes

And you should have seen the look on your face

And I guess that's what it takes

When comparing your bellyaches

And it's been a long time

Which agrees with this watch of mine

And I guess that I miss you, and I'm sorry if I dissed you

I love those lyrics. They're at once universal and heartbreakingly intimate. I love the fact that it takes a lower class set of people and makes their lives mythic and large and sad. It's a nice change of pace from dumb Larry the Cable Guy-style bathroom humor. From those set of lyrics, all of Trailer Trash Kidnapping began to fall together.

Other albums I listened to during the period were MGMT's Oracular Spectacular and The Killers' Day and Age. Never in a million years would you ever be able to pick those as influences (in fact, to expect that would be absurd). However, I can feel it, rather it be a character's misplaced optimism or this knowing inevitablily that I hope can be felt throughout the entire work.

Of course, this is not a new practice. Last year, I wrote Anywhere, Illinois and Wastelanders and I feel that they were in many ways shaped by Beck's Modern Guilt, The Hold Steady's Stay Positive, and The Black Keys' Attack and Release. These albums have a youthful (though not necessarily naive) way of looking at things, and I think it shows.

Though I can't find the quote to save my life, there is a filmmaker (whose name I won't give since it may affect the way you judge the quote) who says that you have to bring everything you have to the table when writing. If someone just broke your heart, use it. If you're frustrated in your career, use it. Life is the fodder. Maybe that's all good writing is, a collection of our experiences, our influences. Maybe it's all just brain soup.

I hate it when people say they don't write about "personal things." That's silly. Writing is one of the most intensely personal things in the world. That's why so many people hate to do it. You're putting your whole self on the page, and a rejection of that feels like a rejection of you. So, if you're reading this, lighten up a little bit on the writers you know. It's tough out there, and we're a sensitive breed anyway.

Flippo

The Kingdom Inside My Own Skull

2009-10-10T18:21:00.000-07:00

Kids, the fiction is the truth inside the lie, and the truth of this fiction is simple enough: the magic exists. -Stephan King, It.

I do not usually begin my entries with a epitaph. A quote before a blog entry (even if that quote is from low-brow guru King) absolutely reeks of pretension and insecurity. You should be relieved to learn that I do not plan to dwell on or expand much more on this quotation. It conveys everything I would want to, but far more elegantly.

I have begun work on what I hope to be my first novel, entitled We Are The Echo. This is a scary thought, and it sounds horrible to say it aloud or even to write it. I'm now at 30,000 words. Not 30,000 good words exactly, but I can assure you that there are indeed 30,000 of them. Ideally, this project will run 80,000- 100,000 words by the time it is done. I hope I finish the novel before the novel finishes with me.

I continue to work on other projects. The response (or lack thereof) to Trailer Trash Kidnapping was disappointingly disappointing. It was met with a shrug among close friends, so I must press on. I told myself I was going to take a break, concentrate on running, and find a real job, but this isn't in my nature. I like to write. That's what I do. It clears my mind, which is good, because my mind needs plenty of clearing these days.

My new project is called Down and Yonder. I am excited, though it is taking a little bit longer than I have anticipated. I've become very "precious about the page" as some writers call it. I must have read the first page of script over a hundred times, making tiny little critiques and adjustments. I wanted to be done with it before the end of the year. However, it is starting to look like this won't be the case. I wanted 120-130 pages full of scope and ambition, but am starting to think that a 90-100 page sprint might be better. As a writer, I want to start saying more with less, like the writers of perfect pop songs.

That's it. I'm done for this week. I'm going to try my best to update more frequently. I've ignored this blog for too long, which is a shame, because it might be the best tool I have.

Flippo

A Petrified Fountain of Thought

2009-09-29T13:06:00.000-07:00

Lingering in the past is dangerous. It can weaken us, chastise us. It makes us rest on our laurels when we don't quite deserve to do so. But, on rare occasions, I also think brief reminders of what we have been through can re-energize us, quicken our pace, and freshen our outlook. Today, I am going to devote a post to do just that. Please forgive this quick act of self-indulgence.

Today, I woke up and had an overbearing urge to write about the two years I spent as a projectionist at UGA's student center. I had plenty of good times in that little theater, saw many good movies, and made plenty of good friends.

For over a year and half, I worked the Saturday night shift. I didn't mind. I would write or read, and that funny little clicking of the projector was oddly therapeutic. That projection room became my Zen garden.

I was proud of that little minimum-wage job. I was so excited that I had an "-ist" at the end of my job title. It meant that I had a skill and some knowledge. I loved the fact that the movie was not possible until someone like me came by, threaded the film, and pressed the button. I was apart of the system, and it needed a skilled individual like me to come by and make it all possible. It was a nice little break from being just another twenty-year-old kid in a red T-shirt.

My friends would usually catch the last showing and wait for me as I closed down the theater. Afterwards, we would linger in the lobby till they closed the student center. We would joke and kid. They will probably be the best friends I will ever make.

I loved that little theater. I would project the movies, and would often pretend I was projecting my own. My time there was not perfect, but it was perfect for me at that time. Of course, one of the great tragedies in life is that you rarely realize how special those little moments are till they are gone.

Flippo

Like Father, Like Gun Trailers

2009-07-18T14:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some fake trailers I made for a class project last fall. Hope you like 'em.

Manifest Destiny

2009-07-15T17:11:00.000-07:00

Dad spent the last few months writing what he likes to call "The Flippo Manifesto." Important advice for all, I believe, and so I thought I would share it with you.

1. Family Comes First. Period. People put lots of things first, but for me, family comes first and always will.

2. Trust Your Instincts. You know the difference between right and wrong. Good and Bad. You will rarely go wrong using common sense. If it’s too good to be true it usually is. Trust yourself and things will generally fall as they should.

3. Be the Last Man Standing. I use this to illustrate that you have to have the will to defend your family, your friends, your ideas, and your beliefs. If you know you are right, you should never back down. You will regret it if you do.

4. Know Where the Edge Is. Know where the line is and be prepared for the consequences when that line is crossed. This can be applied to every aspect of your life. Some lines have to be crossed so be prepared.

5. Never Make Idle Threats or Promises. If you say you are going to do something, do it. A threat rarely needs to be acted on twice if you follow through the first time. If you make a promise, follow through. You are only as good as your word.

6. Use Apologies Sparingly. If you say you're sorry for every mishap that happens in life it loses its true meaning. The same goes for excuses. Remember sometimes things just happen.

7 . A Job Is Just a Job. Don’t let a job define who you are. We work to provide. I’m not saying don’t put forth a great effort. But at the end of the day remember you can love a job, but it does not love you back.

8. Never Take the Credit or the Blame for Something You Did or Did Not Do. If you did something take ownership of it. The quickest way to lose respect and friends is to take what is not yours.

9. Live in the Middle. Don’t let the highs get too high or the lows get too low. Life has a way of evening out the playing field. Remember that Life takes away as much as it gives. In the end, you leave with what you brought.

10. A Salesperson/ Boss Is Not Your Friend . People have their own agendas so be careful with your time, your money, your talents. People will tell you anything if it is to their benefit. It is their business to get your “most” for their “least."

11. It Is Okay to Say No. Don’t say yes to every situation. “No, I have other plans” says it all. Everyone wants a little piece of you and it is up to you how to divide you life. You can not please everyone.

12. It Is What It Is. Some things in life are not fair. That’s life. You can deal with it or you can become bitter or angry about it. Life does not care about your feelings. You can only control a small portion of your life. Sad but true. Make the most with what you have.

13. True Love Will Share the Chair. If you’re the one that is always standing or always seated the relationship will not last. Love and respect go hand to hand. You will only be truly happy if it is a love of equals. Remember a Queen may love her subjects, but but she never offers them a seat on the throne.

14. I Got Your Back. A real friend will be there when times are good and when they are bad. A true friend is rare so hold them dear. There is an old Italian saying that goes “it is better to be defeated twice by an enemy than betrayed once by a friend."

15. Do Things For The Right Reasons. Be honest to yourself about why you are doing something. If you are only doing something for personal gain or pride understand that, in the end, you may be disappointed.

16. Never Run In Place ... Always Have Something To Look Forward To. The daily grind is called that for a reason. There is more to life than just getting up, working, and doing it all over again the next day. Life is to be enjoyed. It is a Gift.

So what do you think, Flip-philes? Is there anything you would like to add to this list?

Flippo

That Star On Life's Tremulous Ocean

2009-06-24T22:56:00.000-07:00

To those that are still searching. To those that have yet to be found. To those that seek the answers. To those that are the answers. To those people that feel like a statistic. To statistics that feel like people. It is to you guys that I dedicate this very special entry of The Weekly Flippo.

I'm sorry, Flip-philes. I'm in a contemplative mood this week. What's happening to the world today? Economic crisis. War in the Middle East. A new Jonas Brothers album. Where have we gone wrong? And, more imporantly, how can we set it right?

This week, I'm going to give you a heapin' helpin' of hope and list some stuff I think are worth living for (in no particular order). You may agree that these are great things or you may not. I just know they give me a little bit of hope. If I am able to find these anchors, I know you will be able to find some as well.

*Futurama is renewed! Yep, Comedy Central is bringing back my favorite television show about a twentieth century man waking up in the wild world of the thirtieth century. This classic may not be for everybody, but if you think jokes about A Brief History of Time and the binary code are funny, then I think you'll have a blast. My favorite episode remains "The Sting." If you are a fan of comedy or just good writing in general, I encourage you to check this episode out. Hopefully, Futurama will be able to generate more classics like this over at Comedy Central.

*DVDs are getting cheaper! The other day, I bought Congo for $5. How can you beat that? Congo... for five clams! Thank you Blue Ray... not because you are a substantially better format, but because I can now buy okay movies for super cheap. I recently bought the Director's Cut of Dark City for less than ten bucks. What a glorious time to be alive!

*Jeff Goldblum is alive! Yes, those nasty rumors were thankfully proven false and our favorite chaos theory spewing, fly mutating, "must go faster" saying actor lives to fight another day! Watch this video and see what has thankfully not been lost: http://www.worstpreviews.com/headline.php?id=14086&count=0

*Sneezing stills exists (or, as I like to call them, "nosegasms"). Who doesn't love a good sneeze? That right. Nobody. I love it when its a sunny day and you step outside and you sneeze and it makes a little mist. Long story short, sneezing feels so good, you're gong to need a tissue afterwards.

*Jack White is still making music. I believe that if Jack White were born in an earlier decade, his the songs he is writing right now would be the old standards. Enough said. Thanks for playing. Check out this video for The Dead Weather, Mr. White's third band: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scJ8ITsZsl4

*Lost is about to start its final (and sure to be blockbuster) final season. Its kind of amazing to think that this time next year, we're going to know what the island is and what the smoke monster is all about. Tell you the truth, I'm more concerned about the series providing closure to these characters that we have come to know and love over a period of five years. If episodes like "The Constant" and "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham" provide any insight into what they plan to do in the final season, then I think we may just have a satisfying ending on our hands.

Anyway, here are some youtube videos I'm digging this week.

*A Watchmen video unlike any other: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDDHHrt6l4w

*A trailer for Daybreakers. Awesome. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayYiMygqlfo&feature=fvst

*A music video for Weird Al's "Craigslist." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZqciuoiikw&feature=fvst

And with that, I believe we're all wrapped up for this week's special edition of The Weekly Flippo. Hopefully I have given you a glimmer of hope, a simple beacon in these alarmingly dark times.

Flippo

The Future Comes Soon Enough

2009-06-22T14:19:00.000-07:00

Hey Flip-philes. Sure, it has been a little while since my last post, but since when has that ever stopped us? We're both here today, a little bit older (and, contrary to popular belief, not quite wiser), and we're as eager as ever to get some bloggin' done. That's right. No "g". That's how you know you're in for a good time.

The biggest development over the last few months is that I finally finished my script for Trailer Trash Kidnapping. What I thought would be a 90-page sprint turned into a 127-page marathon. Usually brevity is a strong suit of mine. This time, it was one of my worse suits. A thrift store suit. The kind that itch.

Anyway, I turned it in to the Nicholl and am hoping for positive results. Hopefully, I can at least match the semi-success of Anywhere, Illinois, a project that managed to make it to the quarterfinals despite the debilitating handicap of being written by me.

I've managed to get a little bit of work in the past few months. The creators of MadTV made a webseries called Camera Cafe and I was fortunate enough to get on that as a production assistant. Not an amazing amount of money (that gold toilet remains an unrealized ambition), but enough to get my rent taken care of. Ah, the eternal quest of a twenty-something: paying rent on time. Good thing I don't have a whole lot of money right now. I fear I would blow it all on things I don't need, like DVDs and deodorant.

I went home a few weeks ago and worked as a PA for my buddy John Summerour's film, Sahkanaga. Though I only caught glimpses of how it looked on camera, what I saw was amazing, and I believe John has an astonishing film on his hands. I can't wait for you to see it, Dear Reader. It is being made with the upmost professionalism and enthusiasm, and if only a fracture of that skill is evident on screen, then it will still be a helluva film.

As always, here are a few youtube videos I'm digging this week:

The trailer for Funny People. Amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrYJGh2tXhU

Green Day's Know Your Enemy. Good song from a great album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgvGPwEGoOI

The latest trailer for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Epic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnooUEuyn_M&feature=fvst

Oh, and the teaser for Toy Story 3. This is a very trailer-heavy edition of The Weekly Flippo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og-t-u-fFGM&feature=channel

I suppose that wraps it up. If you'll excuse me, all that awesome has left me tired. I'll catch you next week for a little bit more Weekly Flippo.

The Flippo

Those Mad Dogs of Glory

2009-02-08T23:07:00.000-08:00

Hey Flip-philes! Back again with another heapin' helpin' of some good ol' fashioned blog. Its amazing how technology is finding new ways for us to waste time. You used to have to waste time by reading a book or wittling or making traps to catch game. Now, with the internet, you can argue about movies, play online poker, watch some guy get kicked in the groin on youtube, or read a blog about some jackass you probably don't know... like me. Life is beautiful.

I am entering Week 4 in L.A. and, so far, its not been that bad. There have been no Training Day type situations and just a few Heat-type scenarios. I will keep you posted and alert you if L.A. earthquakes and slides down into the Pacific and I have to escape, Snake Plissken-style (it would make for one hell of a blog).

My script for Trailer Trash Kidnapping continues. I'll have the first act finished within the week and am excited about embarking on the second. The first forty pages are always the most difficult between finding the tone and setting up the characters. Though the subject matter is extremely dark, the writing and the craft of it have been enjoyable. This time, I have far more confidence in the story I'm telling, and I believe it shows on page after page. I think its a good story and hopefully it can from my head and land on the page intact. You will probably know before I will.

I started my internship for Larger Than Life Productions, reading scripts. So far, it has been a great experience. Everyone there is extremely professional and smart- both book smart and in the ways of the industry. Most of my day there is spent reading scripts and doing coverage. Truth be told, most of the scripts I get are pretty bad. Now, I don't think I'm world's greatest writer (there are still plenty of areas I know I can improve upon), but it does not take a genius to know a piece of shit. Sorry for the language.

On to my next order of business, I have a confession: I am a TV junkie. Always have been, always will be. Now, I've been told that it will turn my brain into pancake batter, but so far, my mind has held relatively intact (well, at least enough for it to remain in my skull). I'm, of course, an avid Lost fan and obsess over to an almost sickening degree. My love for The Simpsons knows no bounds. I ALWAYS make time to watch The Daily Show, The Office, and South Park. Last year, I started watching Heroes... just in time for it to get crappy. On DVD, I have newfound obsessions with Freaks and Geeks and Futurama. As you can tell, I have a full schedule.

You may be shocked. You may wonder, "Why, Mr. Flippo, you good-looking master of all things awesome, how are you able to watch all that crazy programming and still have the sense to dress yourself in the morning?" Glad you asked, Dear Reader. The answer lies, ironically, in a book. This magical book is "Everything Bad Is Good For You" by Steven Berlin Johnson. In it, Johnson makes the claim that pop culture, over time, has grown more demanding and is actually making us smarter. I read that book about a year and change ago, and, well, I drank the kool-aid and am thinking he might be onto something.

Take Lost, for example. Has there ever been a television program that demanded more from its audience? Not only do episodes from season five reference and build on things that happened in season one, but the show almost demands a little familiarity with, among other things, Stephen Hawking, Kurt Vonnegut, Gilgamesh, etc. Of course, there are ways for you to shut off your brain (cough, The Hills, cough), but, if you want, there are plenty of intellectually stimulating programming out there as well.

Okay, as always, here are some youtube clips I'm digging this week:

The trailer for Tarantino's Ingorious Bastards. Awesome.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pel3GE97evA

A teaser for Green Day's new album, 21st Century Breakdown. If I enjoy this album half as much as I enjoyed American Idiot, then I think we're looking at one of the best discs of 2009.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoccl36qqOU&feature=related

A beatboxing flute cover of the Super Mario theme. Crazy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crfrKqFp0Zg

The music video for MGMT's "Time to Pretend." I feel like its about me (don't we all feel that way about great songs?). If its not, then I'll still be happy to just crank it up and sing along.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVnRzEjpUmE

Alright, Flip-philes. That's all from me this week. Come back next week to hang out, hang in, hang left, hang right, anything you fancy.

xoxo
The Flip

Don't Wait To Be Hunted To Hide

2009-02-03T19:08:00.000-08:00

Hey, Flip-philes! As promised, I have written my second blog in two weeks (soon I'll be able to call this thing The Weekly Flippo again). A fair warning: if kicking ass does not seem like something you would want to do, I recommend going to another blog. Surely you'd rather read some lame posts about emo bands, C-SPAN, frozen yogurt, soft rock, low-carb diets, Heroes, games where "everybody wins," weather, John Mayer, knitting, dog whispering, scrapbooking, or sisterhoods (of both the Ya-Ya and traveling pants variety).
Hidden text is evil.

Are we on the same page? Good.

Screw you, guys!

On our first order of business, let's talk about the Super Bowl... and when I mean talk, I mean let me tell you what I think. Now football is fine and all, but the real fun comes from the commercials (like how I'm sure most of you enjoy airplane rides for the pretzels). This year's crop of commercials was merely okay. I enjoyed the one where Alec Baldwin was an alien, and the one where Mrs. Potato Head's mouth popped off. However, there weren't just enough quality commercials. I mean, seriously, comedy is not that hard. Just throw in some guy getting kicked in the groin or maybe a talking baby or two, and- tada!- I have just weaved a rich tapestry of comedy gold.

I hate hidden text.

As far as movie trailers go, the only big surprise was the one for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which actually might be pretty cool if Mike Bay can hold the camera still for a second and let us actually watch the robots fight. The Star Trek preview looked pretty cool, but it really didn't contain any new footage. The Fast and Furious movie (not to be confused with its article-challened prequel, The Fast and The Furious) looked pretty silly. All I know is that Lil Bow Wow better pop up and do some Tokyo Drifting. You can't give us pure, concentrated awesome, and then take it away. Us junkies need our fix!

The Weekly Flippo... though I write it, I am not really a fan.

Okay, next order of business. Its really more of an observation than anything, but I've noticed that Facebook has become really, really boring. Come on guys! Post about a break-up or put up some embarassing photos or write a politically-incorrect status update. Anything! Please! What is the point of a social network if the day's biggest event is that David Q. Hipster added "The Darjeeling Limited" to his list of favorite movies? What the hell, guys?! Give me someting! You guys are my friends, so entertain me!

What is your problem?

And, once again, here are some videos I'm really digging this week.

I'm sorry about what I said about scrapbooking. Nothing personal.

Yes, I've already put up a Flight of the Conchords song a few posts back, but genius is genius.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-re8z-H1UqY&feature=related

Huh?!

I am also digging this trailer for 500 Days of Summer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILCB_f0IIyI

Why don't you kick yourself out... you're an immigrant, too!

Also, here is the head explosion from Scanners.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJ0pmMW6vxE&feature=related

Gross.

And with that, fellow Flipinites, I leave you to venture forth into that dark abyness that is the future. Come back next week as I continue to shoot the breeze, as well as any other kind of weather that dares cross my path!

xoxo

The Flipmeister

To Hold The Sound of Time...

2009-01-29T13:19:00.000-08:00

Hey Flip-philes! After a short delay of five months, I have decided to finally publish another blog (rendering me a complete jackass for calling this thing "The Weekly Flippo"). Anyway, since time won't let us rest long in a luxurious past, we have no choice but to venture forth into an unknown future. Impressed yet? Good

The biggest development of the past six months is that I have finished up my time at the University of Georgia, earning a degree in Telecommunication Arts. I'm very proud of that accomplishment and some part of me wishes to relive it in some sort of weird time loop. How awesome would it be to have a reboot button and relive the past four years if we wanted to? Sadly, those do not exist (yet).

Anyway, like most other twenty-something aspiring writers, I thought I should move to a city! Since I am having trouble shaking screenwriting and film production, I decided that Los Angeles would be a good fit. So far, I am surprisingly happy with the decision. Sure, unemployment is not fun and I have just a little bit too much time on my hands (enough time to write this blog), but, all in all, I can't complain. Even if I fail, it will still be a kickass chapter in my eventual autobiography ("Citizen Flippo: The Legend Bares All").

Awesome... secret hidden text... how cool!

In other news, my friend John Summerour (the man behind the Chickamauga short I have mentioned in previous posts) is making a feature-length film based on the material. It is going to be a very homegrown David Gordon Green style shoot and I couldn't be more excited. Last month everyone involved came together and did a table reading of the script. All in all, it was very solid, and I think this time next year he's going to have a very good first feature on his hands.
I don't trust people who search for secret hidden text
Regarding my own stuff, I have continued writing. My last script, "Anywhere, Illinois," did somewhat well at the 2008 Nicholl Fellowship, advancing to the quarterfinal round. Out of over 5,000 scripts, it was able to make it into the top 300. Sadly, the script didn't make it much further and had a noble death. However, hope remains. My new script, "Trailer Trash Kidnapping," is coming along nicely and will hopefully be met with an enthusiastic response. I'm anxious to see how others respond to the material. Right now, there's nothing out there, quite like it (for better or worse).

Anyway, as always, here are some youtube clips I'm diggin this week:

This guy is either some sort of genius and is playing us Prestige-style, or he is the least self-aware human being ever. It may just be the second.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMoruVlNbBY

My buddy Nathan Courtney did this video. Pretty awesome. Same parking deck as above, but waaaaay better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAlSGLn_Mwo&feature=related

The Simpsons' "Monorail Song." Best. Song. Ever

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAk2BBhQm1o

The Killers' music video for "Spaceman." Weird song, weirder video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZzqBqTqrZA

The Terminator Salvation trailer is pretty sweet. Unsure of the director, but so far, so good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRwby_vjg88

Anyway, that's it for this week. I promise it will not be five months before we talk again. Remember to live the dream.

xoxo
The Flippo

A City Wall, The World Unseen

2008-08-22T12:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, Flip-philes, I’m back to deliver another stellar (if slightly belated) installment of the Weekly Flippo. If you’re allergic to things that are awesome, I recommend you steer clear of this blog, take two tablespoons of John Mayer, and call me in the morning.

My last day at Double Feature was... fun (“Uh oh! An ellipsis! This can’t be good!”). Since one of the receptionists was out, the company’s regular runner took her position, and I took his. All was well, until I was asked to drive my boss’s Mercedes Benz to the gas station. Now, that may not seem like great fodder for an anecdote, but I have to say, that driving this damn car was the most terrifying experience of my life. This is the sort of guy who can’t stand a cold lunch, much less a scratch on his car. I’m sure that there is a guillotine out back just for the interns.

Anyway, I’m glad to say I pulled it off and am alive to write this blog, which also means that I survived the trip back as well. Dad was excited about the trip back. He said that he was going on a “Calification,” which is a word he came up with by taking “California” and combining it with “vacation.” Get it? Well, I suppose its better than “Vacafornia.” I don’t know what a “Vacafornia” is, but I sure as hell don’t want one.

Coming through New Mexico, our trusty Buick recorded temperatures that topped out at 114 degrees (looking back, jeans were a poor choice). As soon as we hit Oklahoma, I felt we were attempting the land speed record. The last day we went from Oklahoma City back to Chattanooga, arriving home at just minutes till midnight. It was like a Steinbeck novel on fast forward.

Though I’m going to miss the hell out of L.A., I am not going to miss the UCLA apartment where I was staying. The bachelor lifestyle was causing that place to smell funky, like old Chinese food and soured milk. I don’t know what the reason for this is (though I was starting to suspect the old Chinese food and soured milk), but I think a little bit of Peach State air did me some good.

Also, now that is it safe to say, I might have had the weirdest roommate known to man. Now, I know that’s a tall order. There are plenty of oddballs out there and I’m sure most of them have found people to split the rent. That being said, this guy was something special. He asked me to wake him up one day by pouring water on his face. Okay, okay. Maybe I’m overreacting. Its not like he was an amateur taxidermist or that he collected rainwater. But still...

Here are some things I’ve discovered about yours truly while in L.A.

*I sunburn a little too easily. If there’s an Easy-Bake Oven in the room, I should at least bust out the SPF 30.

*I can maneuver the Buick down the 405 without any problems, but L.A. parking lots give me trouble. You try parking your car inside a matchbox and then we’ll talk!

*Its been eight years, but I still have Smash Mouth’s “All Star” down pat, dammit! Remember that “we could all use a little change” part? Proust himself never expressed a concept so beautifully.

*Speaking of which, I have a lovely singing voice.

*I can usually tell when people have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. Since I usually don’t, I’ve come to learn when someone is speaking my language.

*I want to hate Hootie and the Blowfish, but, dammit... I just can’t do it.

*One day I shared an elevator with Gene Simmons, and I learned that we had absolutely nothing in common (except that whole 10,000 women thing).

Also, in other news, my friend Hadjii Hand is currently writing, directing, and starring in Somebodies, BET’s first scripted program. I believe they are currently shooting their seventh or eighth episode in Athens, Georgia right now. The series is based off his feature that went to Sundance a couple of years ago, and I wish him the best. You can read my interview with Hadjii at http://www.athensexchange.com/articles/524/?search=Chris%20Flippo . You can also see a short promo for his book at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz2WbwRZDR0

For the third straight week in a row (my personal best), I have assembled some youtube clips I’ve really enjoyed lately.

1. Beck’s music video for “Girl” off the Guero album. Pay special attention to the lyrics. The Mad-style fold-ins are a clue to how you should interpret them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13iLkTrDlbI

2. I don’t know if you’re a fan of Coldplay or not (I am). Either way, I think you’ll enjoy this video for their song “Trouble.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LolJmyDjRsQ

3. The Flight of the Conchords are billed as “formerly New Zealand’s fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo.” I can’t think of any introduction better than that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLEK0UZH4cs

4. My friend Ben Greene’s music video for Blue Oyster Cult’s “Burnin For You.” This video has more wardrobe changes than a Cher concert. I have no idea why I hang out with these guys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbA0Qk3kVZU

5. Oh, and while we’re on the subject, here is a thirty-second short by Ben at my apartment. Where else are you going to see a man killed with Skittles?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKyqsgsuu2w

And with that, I conclude this week’s Weekly Flippo. Come back next week as I give you more of the same senselessness, just re-gifted with a prettier bow.

xoxo

Flippo

The Abyss Gazes Also

2008-07-29T00:03:00.000-07:00

Well, I’m back. Sorry to disappoint. This is the second edition of The Weekly Flippo. Before you proceed, I warn you:

Things Are Only Going To Get More Awesome From Here.

My time with my Los Angeles internship is drawing to a close. Its bittersweet (54% bitter, 45% sweet, and 1% sodium citrate to be exact). Sure, I miss Mom, Dad, my Playstation 2, and my sister, but how many times do you get to be in L.A.? I’ve been told by several of my professors that this trip would help me "find myself." Of course, I still have no idea what that means. If anything, I think this trip just confirmed my theory that I was never really lost to begin with, which is always a good feeling.

Here are some things I’ve noticed about Los Angeles (in no particular order):

*There are two different ways to speak in L.A. They are: (1) mumbling and (2) shouting.

*Traffic is not that bad... unless you are going somewhere specific.

*The whole no sweet tea thing... what the hell?!

*The Santa Monica pier is pretty amazing. You can ride a Ferris wheel... on a pier, dude!

*I don’t know who Carl’s Jr. is, but I have a suspicion he is kissing cousins with Hardee’s.

* L.A. people LOVE cupcakes. Simply love the damn things. I don’t know why that is, but every couple of days Double Feature made me run out to a place called Sprinkles and get a dozen for the office.

*I have not met or even seen one slacker anywhere in this town. Everyone is working hard- very hard- toward something.

*That rat from Ratatouille is now in rehab (and, I’m glad to report, is doing good!)

*Despite its name, a trip to In-N-Out will never be a quick one.

*Also, after said trip, you will immediately have to go to the bathroom. Despite whatever your diet may have consisted of that day, you WILL have to go (folks, I never said I was going to keep it classy).

Having said that these are my last days in L.A., that also means that soon I will set out to drive back to Chattanooga, Tennessee. I’m excited because Dad is flying out and is driving back with me. I have no idea what adventures we’ll get into, but, trust me, there will be adventures. Come back next week for a complete write-up of the trip home. I can’t say it if it will be a good entry or not, but I can confirm right now that you will not ask for your money back.

For my first order of non-L.A. business, I would like to bring your attention to a short film my friend John Summerour made last year. Its called Chickamauga and is "inspired by the events at Tri-State Crematory in Noble, Ga." I served as production assistant for the shoot and, I have to say, being on the set was a surreal experience and is something I will never forget. I was the same age as the main character when these events made national news.

As for the film, I believe it turned out spectacular. It is akin to Gus Van Sant on his better days (think Paranoid Park and not that Psycho remake). The imdb for it is http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1258223/ and the film itself can be found at http://www.vimeo.com/955252. It has recently been accepted to the Rome International film festival. I encourage you to check it out!

Now to the third order of business. I would like to bring your attention to a movie that is the polar opposite of Chickamauga. In fact, I have not thought about it since my friend Matt Brandenburgh and I watched it late one night our freshmen year, but somehow I remembered it for this entry. It is called Torque, and it is awful. Really awful. Ass-numbingly awful. Watching this flick is like getting an ice cream headache for 84 minutes. Its like drinking a vinegar milkshake. Would you like proof? Check this out: http://youtube.com/watch?v=PPWoz7WTmjU .

Also, I need to do a special shout out to my buddy Ellis Liddell. He is turning 21 on July 31st and I think that’s reason enough to celebrate. Now, if you don’t know this man, then it’s a shame. He is a legend, a myth. In his honor, I have taken twenty-one Chuck Norris jokes and have replaced the name with his.

1. If Ellis has five dollars, and you have five dollars, Ellis has more money.

2. Apple pays Ellis ninety-nine cents every time Ellis listens to a song.

3. Ellis can kill two stones with one bird.

4. Ellis destroyed the periodic table, because he only recognizes the element of surprise.

5. Ellis can slam a revolving door.

6. Ellis can lead a horse to water AND make it drink.

7. Ellis does not get frostbite. Ellis bites frost.

8. Outer space exists because it is scared to be on the same planet as Ellis.

9. Ellis can eat just one Lay’s potato chip.

10. Ellis counted to infinity... twice.

11. Ellis is the reason Waldo is hiding.

12. Ellis is so fast, he can run around the world and punch himself in the back of the head.

13. Ellis doesn’t wear a watch. HE decides what time it is.

14. There is no "ctrl" button on Ellis’s computer. Ellis is always in control.

15. Ellis is a stunt double for Optimus Prime.

16. Ellis understands the ending to 2001: A Space Odyssey

17. Ellis beat the sun in a staring contest.

18. Ellis CAN lick his elbow.

19. Ellis puts the FUN in funeral.

20. Ellis can strike a match on a bar of soap.

21. Ellis’s smile once brought a puppy back to life.

And one to grow on...

22. When Ellis picks his nose, he really does find gold.

Moving on to my fifth order of business... The other day I was walking back from the dining hall, and I saw a squirrel digging through a trash can. After a moment of digging, he pulled out a french fry and ate it. Now I don’t know why, but I thought a squirrel eating a french fry was the funniest damn thing I had ever seen in my life. I can’t explain it, but I laughed for a good five minutes and stood there until he finished it. For some reason, I don’t think an onion ring would have been as funny.

Okay, as always ("always" meaning "both times"), here are some youtube videos I’m really digging this week.

1. The Von Blondies performing "C’mon, c’mon" on Letterman
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Px6zUe3y7c8&feature=related

2. A different song by that Chocolate Rain guy
http://youtube.com/watch?v=9mSKBgvHdoE&feature=user

3. Watchmen trailer (awesome)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=R3orQKBxiEg

4. Music video for The Killers’ "Read My Mind"
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3Oec8RuwVVs

5. A Coca-Cola commercial featuring Jack White
http://youtube.com/watch?v=vKGw_KYH63k

Okay, that’s all from Flippo for The Weekly Flippo this week. Come back next week as I talk about the trip home and whatever else crosses (or runs parallel to) my mind.

Flippo

Begin To Begin

2008-07-24T20:07:00.000-07:00

Hello out there to users of "the Internet." Flippo here. For those of you bored enough to come by the Weekly Flippo, I welcome you. For those of you who are actually excited about stopping by, I encourage you to adjust your expectations accordingly.

I’ve been in Los Angeles for what I believe is my fifth week and, for the most part, I have found it to be an enjoyable experience. My internship with Double Feature films has offered me plenty of experiences and, as a direct result, plenty of cool stories I can tell (and some I can’t).

Based on my whopping five weeks here in Los Angeles, I have compiled what I believe to be a pretty decent overview of the Los Angeles hierarchy.

1. Movie stars (like Pitt, Clooney, and Wall-E)

2. Movie producers

3. Directors

4.Agents.

5. Various production staffers

6. Freelancers

7. Assistants

8. Waiters

9. Teenager at Carl’s Jr.

10. Guy asking for change

11. Writers

12. Film students

13. Some sort of bug

14. Interns (like me)

Okay, next order of business. The Dark Knight was amazing. There is no way around it. Ledger was great, the writing was flawless, and Nolan was at the top of his game. From now on, I’m using this film to find out which women I want o date. Sorry, ladies. If you’re not a fan of The Dark Knight, well, you’re just not the woman for Chris Flippo.

Here are some youtube videos I'm digging this week.

1. The Hold Steady on Letterman
http://youtube.com/watch?v=r7RO0y1-ZAE

2. Pineapple Express trailer
http://youtube.com/watch?v=JaybezvhhBQ&feature=related

3. House of 1000 Muppets
http://youtube.com/watch?v=HucERcMMuys

4. Kermit the Frog sings "Once In A Lifetime"
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-jbya4kxC6E

And with that, I leave you to wander around aimlessly in that great void that we call "everywhere else." I hope you come back next week. If not, well, you get what you paid for.

Flippo