We Are Open

Boondock Saints Signing @ Comic Con

2010-08-31T19:45:00.000-07:00

[I do apologize in advance for taking so long to post this. These past several weeks have been chaotic and I have not had as much free time as I wanted.]

Basically went back to the 12 Gauge Comic Book Booth and was able to meet Troy Duffy (writer/director), David Della Rocco ("Rocco") and Sean Patrick Flannery ("Connor") from the Boondock Saints' movies. They were promoting the comics and signing free Boondock Saints posters for everyone who stopped by the booth.

There was a decent line and it actually wrapped around a couple of aisles and was poorly organized with people right on top of each other. I did manage to meet a couple of writers and actually bump into one of my best friends, Danny, who stopped by the San Diego Comic Con for the first time ever (He stopped by my booth the day before and we accidentally/randomly bummed into each other).

Duffy was hilarious and made fun of Sean for writing "so much crap" on my comics (it was just personalized). Overall I was able to get my 2 comics signed, a Boondock Saints comic poster, Boondocks Saints 2 mini poster and my Boondock Saints DVD signed by all three. Pretty sweet!

Zach Galifianakis at Silent Movie Theater

2010-08-03T16:16:00.006-07:00

My friend was a bonehead and got the inside cover signed.

Well before leaving for the San Diego Comic Con I was super excited to attend the Death Ray Comedy Presents: Zach Galifianakis at the Silent Movie Theater. Every month (or so), the Death Ray Comedy/ UCB lets a comedian/comic actor show one of their favorite films and discuss it afterwards at the Silent Movie Theater.

In August, Zach was to present Withnail & I ( a truly classic, cult film) and I was super excited to go. In the past, every time Zack was doing a standup gig in the LA area I couldn't make it, usually because of a volleyball game/tournament. Even when the Comedians of Comedy tour stopped by the Troubadour a couple of years ago I was out of town. Zach has been one of my favorite comedians since I was first introduced to him back in 2003. His crazy antics have been a hit for comedy hipsters for years, but last year's The Hangover brought him mainstream success catapulting him to a whole new level. So I knew I HAD TO GET TICKETS EARLY.

As a thank you for Vegas, I bought tickets for my best friend Kent and myself. I bought the tickets well in advance fearing that they would sell out immediately. Despite notifying my two other best friends and other individuals, no one seemed "thrilled" to go, but sure enough, tickets were sold out once I got back from Las Vegas, just three weeks before the event.

A few days before the event, my parents TV and my TV died forcing us to buy two new televisions. As a result, we replaced our televisions with HD TVs and I got a Blu-ray player. It was during this purchase that I made my first official Blu-ray purchase (that was Blu-ray movie only and not a Combo pack like Avatar and Snow White) with The Hangover. The price was too good to pass up and I figured I could get it signed by my favorite character/actor. Plus my Blu-Ray collection was officially started.

On the day of, despite me reminding him, Kent forgot to bring his Hangover DVD. Considering it's one of his favorite films and he wanted to meet Zach I gave him my Zach Galifianakis Live at the Purple Onion DVD so he could get it signed.

Fast forward to the screening. The movie was awesome to see with a live audience and Zach discussed how much he loves the movie. At one point, Scott Aukerman, takes off his hoodie to reveal a "Wolf Pack" t-shirt from The Hangover with Zach on it. The audience erupts in laughter and so does Zach. He couldn't believe it. Soon the Q & A was over and people headed back to the patio for beer.

In the front, a few people huddled around the front waiting patiently for Zach and Scott to stop talking. There were about five of us, all college students, huddling around with DVDs and our cameras. After a few moments I realized Zach was not sticking around and decided to go to the opposite side of my row, where Zach was going to head out.

I managed to stop Zach and get my Blu-Ray and GQ Magazine signed. Kent just put out the DVD cover for the Purple Onion and didn't care to flip it around, which Zach signed the inside cover. Immediately his female companion recognized The Hangover DVD cover (which was signed by Ken Jeong) was upside down and flipped it around. Zach graciously signed but only stuck around for a few minutes obliging everyone who asks for photos and his autograph. It was pretty cool, but I made fun of (and still make fun of) Kent for getting the inside cover signed.

John Dolmayan and closing thoughts

2010-08-03T16:16:00.005-07:00

My friend Julie was able to get John Dolmayan autograph for me once again. It's always awkward asking someone you personally kind of know for an autograph. Often times, celebrities have come to the booth in the past, but I always remain calm no matter who it is. This was an interesting year at Comic Con for sure. Crazy times for sure. Just another San Diego Comic Con in the books

The....Matt Groening

2010-08-03T16:16:00.001-07:00

Matt Groening of California

Who doesn't love The Simpsons? I mean really, how could you not like The Simpsons, arguably one of the greatest cartoon and TV shows of all time? It has always been a dream of mine to meet and get an autograph of Matt Groening ever since I started attending Comic Con. During my first year working the show I planned on attending a ticketed signing for Matt Groening along with other writers for the Simpsons, but didn't get into the signing. However I did get to see Matt up and close because he was signing next door at an autograph booth while I was attending a different autograph signing in the Sails Pavilion. The following year I was once again excited because he was supposed to be doing a signing in the Sails Pavilion once again, but I could not make it this time. However, at the very last minute, the signing was cancelled and one of my new friends was pissed off when they called me.

A few moments later, who happens to come by my friend's booth, none other than Matt Groening himself. Pleasantly surprised I remained calmed and asked if he needed any help. He wanted to know if we had any Top Cat comics and I tried assisting him. After taking him over to a long box with Dell and Gold Key comics I let him be, but remained closeby if he had any further questions. Although he wasn't able to find any comics I did manage to get a handshake and tell him what a huge fan I am. He thanked me for my kind words and we parted ways. At Comic Con there are a lot of celebrities roaming around and the key is to not make a big deal out of it otherwise people will get "fan-crazy" and swarm the indvidual(s). There were several people hovering the booth and I could tell they were all staring at Matt Groening, thus the reason why I kept it low key. Plus he literally had just cancelled an autograph signing and didn't want him getting ambushed by fanboys.

On a somewhat related note, acclaimed screenwriter David Goyer stopped by the booth four years ago with his wife and wanted to know if we had any Swamp Thing comics. Instantly I recognized him and acknowledged him as Mr. Goyer, which brought a smile to his face. We began talking about the show, his work, his wife, and his tattoos for ten minutes before finding the Swamp Thing comics. He was hoping to find some of his old stuff that he worked on, but wasn't able to find anything. When he parted ways, we shook hands and wished each other a great rest of the day. Some people are just class acts and you don't need to go all "fan- crazy" when you meet someone that you admire. I just wanted to show that you can have awesome memories by just playing it super cool.

Getting back to Matt Groening, I have tried for the past seven years to get his autograph on my own. Although I know someone who works for Bongo Comics and is a very talented artist at the company, I didn't want to be "that guy" and ask if he could get Matt's autograph for me. This year I contemplated asking if he wouldn't mind signing my Simpsons #1 comic and to see if he could get Matt to sign it as well. However, this year the Bongo booth had two exclusives this year: a Comic Book Guy #1 and a Futurama #50 both signed by Matt Groening. Each comic was limited to 200 copies, came with a certificate and were only $10. So on preview night I picked up a copy of each and was finally glad I got a Matt Groening autograph.

Now normally that would be enough, but as luck would have it Matt Groening came near the booth. I do not ever ask for an autograph no matter who stops by the booth, but Matt Groening stopped by the National Cartoonist Society booth, directly across from us. I asked my friend Amber's significant other, Casey, to see if there was any possibility of getting my Simpsons comic book signed. Casey agreed, but had no idea which one was Matt. After telling Casey it's the guy in the plaid shirt, Casey waited directly behind him with my comic and black sharpie in hand as Matt talked to several cartoonists at the booth. Suddenly I notice Casey follows the wrong guy a few minutes later and I am freaking out (on the inside), but something happens and Casey comes back behind Matt Groening. By this time a small crowd has formed around the area and its known that Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons, is at the booth. He turns around and grants a woman a picture. Then a guy is able to get his Simpsons shirt signed and it appears Matt leaves after that. I was extremely disappointed because I knew exactly which one was Matt and probably helped create the buzz by having my Simpsons comic out.

Casey comes over to me and hands me back my comic signed, sealed and sketched. I asked what happened? Casey tells me that Amber and Julie said one thing and took their advice of "which one was Matt" following the wrong guy in "plaid" even though the guy was wearing a collared shirt. Casey asked the gentleman for his autograph and asked, "Do you know who I am?" to which Casey replied, "Yeah, you created the Simpsons." The guy chuckled and actually pointed to Matt before walking away. That's when the woman asked for a photo and the guy got his Bart Simpson t-shirt signed. Casey managed to get the last autograph and even got Matt to do a small Bart Simpson sketch before he walked away. Matt didn't want to get swamped, thus he only signed two things and granted one picture before leaving the area.

I thanked Casey very much for getting the autograph for me and was planning on returning the favor somehow. Later that night, without warning, Amber made a comment that I should compensate Casey's efforts. I had literally just grabbed some money from my wallet to give to Casey as a thank you, but now "it appeared forced" after that comment. I later pulled her aside and said, "That was very rude to make that comment. I was planning on doing something as payback and you shouldn't have to say something like that. I always return the favor and usually go one step further (quick side note: One friend, Mike, got me a Jennifer Love Hewitt signed poster- he later recieved a Playboy signed by Hugh Hefner and The Girls Next Door, and another friend, San Diego Steve, got me into the Aeon Flux signing with Charlize Theron- he received a Baywatch DVD signed by Pamela Anderson). I easily go above and beyond! Amber apologized, but I was still disappointed she said anything at all. Still, after several years of waiting I finally received 3 autographs from Matt Groening.

Sean Patrick Flannery @ 12 Gauge Comic Booth

2010-08-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

Before Comic Con I knew Sean Patrick Flannery was going to be signing at the Official Pix booth on Friday, but it wasn't until I arrived in San Diego that I found out he would be signing throughout the week (at various times) at the 12 Gauge Comic Booth. Prior to attending the James Remar signing I decided to check out the booth since it was only a few aisles away from me and you never know what may happen.

After being disappointed by the James Remar signing I walked past the 12 Gauge booth and noticed Sean was just hanging around. This was one of the times he was at the booth "signing," but no one was there. I was extremely excited and hurried back to the booth. After telling the guys about what a disappointment that signing was I decided to head over to 12 Gauge and get that out of the way. I had brought my Special edition DVD of The Boondock Saints and was hoping to pick up a photo at Official Pix. He was going to be charging $25 per autograph at that booth, but figured it would be cheaper if I just bought "comics" which turned out to be true.

I came over and got the attention of one of the employees and asked what Sean was signing. He said he was signing the comics, but you had to buy the comic and pay for an autograph, $25. However, he would sign as much stuff as you had. I picked up the Comic Con exclusive first two issues of the Boondock Saints and paid for an autograph. The comics were $10 each. I wound up getting four things signed: my DVD signed, the two comics, and a free photo (that was paper thin). The comics and photo were personalized as I talked to Sean. He was so down to earth and very cool to meet. I wish I had brought my camera, but alas I left it at the booth. I just wish I had found my other copy of The Boondock Saints or had my friends original copy of the movie, which features Willem Dafoe on the cover only, but there is no need to be greedy. Still it was great having some nice one on one time with Sean and spending less money than I originally intended. Got to love when that happens.

James Remar Booth Signing

2010-08-03T15:38:00.000-07:00

Once again it's that time of year when I return back home from Comic Con and post details about the fun adventures I had this year. Unlike last year I had less adventures and even less success with getting autographs. But I did manage to attend 3 of the 4 signings I wanted. Like I mentioned in my previous blog post it has become a giant hassle to attend Comic Con and it has become impossible to even meet the slightest somebody from that "one TV show."

This year I planned on attending signings for James Remar, Sean Patrick Flannery, David Della Rocco/Troy Duffy, and Scott Thompson. But even meeting this small group of people was very difficult to do. I also met a few other celebrities, some that were friends of friends or as customers, but I'll tell those stories later.

On the first official day of Comic Con, Thursday, there was only one signing I planned on attending, the James Remar signing at the CBS booth (booth #4129) from 1:30-3:30p.m. The key for any signing is to find out if it's a ticketed, drawing, wristband, pay, or standing line. Even if you do find out beforehand, that does not necessarily mean it will stay that way. Luckily for me the James Remar signing was a standing only line, but they changed the lines several times before saying we would receive yellow stickers to attend the signing. For the signing I had brought my original Warriors Window card that had already been signed by several cast members and a Warriors laserdisc that had also been signed by Michael Beck, David Harris, Deborah van Valkenburgh and Irwin Keyes. We lined up outside the Exhibit Hall before being brought back in by employees. While waiting in line I met a bunch of fanboys from Michigan, one even named Dex, and we all became super friendly. Everyone in line and even the employees of the booth, were all blown away by my stuff. Every single person I have gotten to sign them has just been flabbergasted that I have them and in such great condition.

After waiting maybe 30 minutes, we were brought back over to the booth and had our stickers removed off our badges. I was then told by 4 different employees, including two girls who flirted with me earlier once they learned I was from Los Angeles, that Mr. Remar was only signing the headshot. Still I didn't care and tried getting my stuff signed instead, but James apologized to me and said he couldn't. "They" wouldn't let him sign anything besides the photos, but if I waited around than he could do something. I thanked him, but was very disappointed. I actually hung around with Dex and waited another 30 minutes, but realized I still had at least another hour to wait and needed to be back at my friend's booth. The way I saw it was if I waited and DIDN'T GET EITHER OR BOTH ITEMS SIGNED it would be a BUST plus I would have lost maybe an hour or two of my time for nothing. So I went back and told everyone at the booth what happened and they encouraged me to go back, but I realized this has become the way of Comic Con. It's now practically impossible to get something you want signed, but I did get to meet "Ajax."

San Diego Comic Con

2010-07-30T10:13:00.000-07:00

Since 2003 I have been attending the San Diego Comic Con and it has drastically changed in the short time I have been attending. For those who have been attending for 20, 30 or even 40 years, my words are just an inkling of what people have experienced. For the past five years, various friends have been extremely jealous that I get to attend and always ask me to obtain stuff for them. For the last two years, over a dozen different people have asked me to get them a pass, but like the the rest of the con it has become a lot more difficult to do so.

Before I left for San Diego I had literally just returned from Las Vegas and only had 4 days to prepare for the trip. During that time I tried to solidify my plans before, during and after San Diego. Over those four days I talked to various people, but one really stuck out to me. Recently I had made a new friend, New York David, at the Bret Easton Ellis signing and we were talking about the San Diego Comic Con. While talking we discussed how ridiculous and outrageous the Comic Con has become that it's too frustrating to even talk about, let alone attend. If that's not bad enough, this is coming from one die-hard comic book fan and a guy who collects autographs. Guess which one I am? Yes, I am the latter in that sentence. The original reason why I started attending Comic Con was because I like collecting autographs and meeting my favorite celebrities, but even I can recognize how bad it has gotten.

David probably put it best, "Glee has no f*****g reason to be at Comic Con this year. This is just ridiculous. The geeks have lost Comic Con." We aren't the only ones who have been thinking that. Depending on who you ask, comic book fans lost the Con around 2000 if not earlier to Hollywood. They definitely lost it by 2005. Days before I was scheduled to leave Monday, July 19th, various publications I read described Comic Con no longer as a "comic book show", but as a "Media Expo," a "Pop Culture Event," and "Entertainment Con." What just happened? Since my third year working the show (2005) I have seen the show really dwindle and become "Too Hollywood." As a result, the show has squeezed out the true comic book fans and let "the cool kids" in as one LA Times article points out. Now there is nothing wrong with variety or changing with the times, but it's no longer COMIC Con. Before the movies/entertainment aspect was a bonus for comic book fans and now its vice versa. Every year I have attended the show, the comic section has dwindled and this year I almost didn't believe that there was less than 20 booths selling comics (not including publication booths, trade booths and small press). Most of the dealers didn't even necessarily specialize in comics and were just supplementing their booths with extra income.

It's just sad with how it has become. Attending Comic Con used to be a pleasure, but now it's just extremely frustrating. In my first couple of years I was able to meet A-list stars like Jude Law, The Rock, Charlize Theron, Kate Beckinsale, Eva Mendes, Rosario Dawson, Kristen Bell/Matt Groening, and The Bones cast to name a few, but now its virtually impossible to meet almost anyone now. For the past three years I have just primarily attended small booth signingss, autograph pavillion signings and on the rare occasion, a booth signing where I get a ticket/wristband/drawing (but that's very rare). It has come to the point where you have to convince yourself you want the autograph(s). For example, how much do I want this autograph of that guy/girl from that one film/show I kind of like? Is it going to be worth 3 hours? It's sad, but it has come to that point where you really have to want an item(s), meet certain celebrities, and/or attend panels to justify the countless hours you have invested. There is just too much to do and their is no rhyme or reason for anything anymore. As a result of all these frustrations, several friends who I met at Comic Con no longer attend for some or all of these reasons because it's no longer worth the frustrations. I really hope the Comic Con faithful do take over the show once again and kick out Hollywood. The fans should tell the show what they want, not the show telling the fans what they want.

Todd Solondz @ the Aero Theater

2010-07-19T00:04:00.001-07:00

Tonight I got to meet one of my favorite cult, critically acclaimed and obscure filmmakers tonight at the Egyptian Theater, Todd Solondz, director of Welcome to the Dollhouse, Happiness, Palindromes, and Storytelling. Tonight there was a double feature of Happiness and an advanced screening of its semi-sequel, Life During Wartime. Solondz is a dierctor I have appreciated more as I matured, but there is something about his filmmaking that truly captivates me.

Life During Wartime was amazing, but the best part was Paul Reubens performance as Andy. He completely blew my mind away and should be recognized for his valiant efforts of screen. This is the second time Solondz got a breathtaking dramatic performance from a comedian and I hope this film gets plenty of recognition for its brilliance. After the screening, Todd Solondz did a Q & A for about 30 minutes and reluctantly signed autographs afterwards. Two guys in front of me asked for a DVD signed and Todd personalized them, but would only sign multiple autographs if they were all personalized. Of course he was extremely reluctant signing autographs especially when people had everyone of his films (4) to be signed. He even said he won't sign just an autograph because he knows it will "wind up on eBay." I am completely fine with that because it will just go on display in my house. I was the third person to get stuff signed and asked him to personalize it "to John." I thanked him very much for the autographs and told him I loved the film. You could tell he was exhausted of people asking for his autograph, despite only signing several things and doesn't like the "famous aspect" of filmmaking. Still he is definitely one of those down to earth people you could totally hangout with and have a complex conversation about everything mundane.

While walking back to my car at the Hollywood & Highland parking structure I bumped into two film critics that I liked from the IFC series "Indie Sex" hosted by Dita von Teese. I couldn't remember their names or the publications they worked for and instead just went on my way without saying a word. I hate "meeting" someone because I "know them" and rather be able to discuss their work if I do approach them. Still it was a cool night before heading down to San Diego and work the San Diego Comic Con.

Stan the Man

2010-07-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

Friday night was something I had been looking forward to for a long time. For those that personally know me, Kevin Smith is one of my favorite filmmakers and one of my favorite films of his is Mallrats. I have been very fortunate to meet the majority of the cast over the years, but have only actually been able to get a few of them to sign my 10th Anniversary Edition DVD. It was signed by Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Ethan Suplee, and Jason Lee, when the 10th Anniversary Edition DVD signing took place at the old Jay & Silent Bob's Secret Stash in Westwood. Since that signing a few years ago I was able to get Shannen Doherty, missed a show with Brian O' Halloran, and Jeremy London was a no show to an autograph signing that I drove over 2 hours to attend. Needless to say it has been a tough journey.

Several years ago one of my friends, Steve, was attending a function with Stan Lee and asked if I wanted anything signed. I gladly took him up on my offer and was able to get my Mallrats DVD (when it was still only available for $29.99 at Best Buy- Yes, I did actually pay full retail despite the DVD being out for several years) that had already been signed by Kevin Smith and an original Spiderman animation cell. The latter was personalized to John and I immediately framed both of them.

Fast forward to the 10th Anniversary signing. I can't find my Stan Lee signed Mallrats DVD and I miss a great opportunity. Since then I have avidly looked for opportunities to meet Stan and get my stupid DVD signed. Fortunately for me, Stan Lee would constantly make appearances, but it would be at places like Comic Con, where it's nearly impossible to get any autographs (even when you're dedicated to specifically obtaining them). Even when he made the rare appearance somewhere else it was only limited to a certain item like a photo, a comic, etc. A couple of years ago Stan Lee actually did a signing at Book Soup, but I wasn't able to attend. After the fact I probably realized that was my best shot at getting my DVD signed with the least amount of hassle.

Earlier this year Stan Lee made an appearance at Frank & Sons in City of Industry to sign autographs. I seriously debated about it, but after a horrible experience last time of driving down for 2+ hours and discovering both Jeremy and Jason London cancelled I said I wouldn't ever drive down there again. A few months ago my friend David notified me Stan Lee would make an appearance at the Pasadena Rock Comic Con and was signing autographs for a fee. Initially it was $45 and I was completely set on going, but when it was bumped up to $50 I said no because it would be $50 for the autograph, $30 for the show ticket and $? for parking. Would the autograph be worth spending $80+ and driving several hours to get it? No, not in my mind.

Then I was notified Stan would be signing at the Barnes & Noble at the Grove, one of my favorite bookstores, but it would be extremely impossible to get my DVD signed because they really don't allow memorabilia to get signed. Of course I planned on attending, but when a vegas trip came up my mind was soon elsewhere. I completely disregarded it because I figured I probably would be too tired to attend, but still left it on the calendar. Somehow my parents convinced me to attended. I am glad they did.

Since it had been awhile since I attended the Grove I decided to visit my friend Amy at Zara, one of the clothing stores located in the Farmer's Market, to say hello since I haven't seen her in a few months. After saying hi to her I immediately strolled over to the store and picked up Ultimo 1 and 2 for $10 apiece before getting in line. Behind me was this "Fantastic Four" fan named Mark, who turned out to be one of the creepiest people I have ever met and talked to while waiting in line. Over the course of waiting 45 minutes for the signing to start, we discussed various stuff and he kept bragging what a "chick magnet" he was. It honestly got worse from there. He talked about having no standards, basically having the "ability to pick up any chick," and deserves to be "in the Hall of Fame" with as many "points" he has racked up. I was busting up laughing on the inside the entire time. To give you an idea of what this guy looks like, just picture a super nerd wearing a Fantastic Four t-shirt plus a baseball cap holding several comics telling me this. If that's not bad enough, he makes Jay Baruchel, the star of She's Out of My League, look like George Clooney. Needless to say it was entertaining.

The entire time we were going over strategy if we could get our stuff signed then Stan the Man showed up to a warm applause. As time passed we continued to move closer and closer being told there were no photos allowed with Stan or memorabilia to be signed. Still we weren't giving up, but realized the event coordinator was hovering over the table to stop people. I have never seen such "dedication" before at the store and it appeared we had an opening. Our turns came up and Stan reached out to shake hands. I thanked him very much and told him what a huge fan of his work I was especially in the film Mallrats. I then reached in my bag and tried pulling out my DVD, but was stopped by three people including the event coordinator and his handler. However, his handler pulled me aside and said he will sign stuff later when no one is there so just wait around. The bad thing was he said that kind of loud and suddenly about a dozen or so people hung around the area stalking to see when Stan would get done.

After grabbing a water and maybe wating fifteen minutes we got back in line when we saw everyone else with memorabilia. Stan would sign one additional item to those who had purchased the book and I managed to get my DVD signed. His handler thanked me for waiting around and being so patient. I wish more celebs could do that and it definitely was worth the trip. I paid $20 for the books plus $3 parking. If I hadn't attended I probably would have bought an autograph ticket for $50 at Comic Con to get my DVD signed, but I am glad I didn't have to do that. Sometime it pays to wait and know your places.

Vegas Vacation

2010-07-18T23:54:00.000-07:00

Dear Loyal Readers:

I do apologize why I haven't written anything in awhile. Last week I was on vacation in Las Vegas and returned earlier this week. Unfortunately I will be leaving for San Diego tomorrow morning to attend/work the san Diego Comic Con. Fortunately, I have two new posts that I will add tonight before I finish packing. Then I should have a couple more posts when I get back during the week of 7/26. Hope all is well and take care!

Sincerely,
JMS

Don't Quit Your DayDream

2010-06-27T13:33:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week I attended the premiere of the documentary, Don't Quit Your Daydream, which tells the story and struggles of the band, The Good Listeners. Clark Stiles and Nathan Khyber discuss their struggles of what it takes to become a musician and just because you get a record deal doesn't mean you will make it. The film follows the band over 24 days as they record with different local musicians in each city that they stop in.

The documentary was amazing (even better than what I had anticipated) and is definitely worth checking out, but I had an alternative reason why I initially attended the premiere. One of the producers and collaborators on the film is Adrian Grenier, who is best known for playing Vincent Chase on HBO's Entourage, would also be appearing during a Q & A after the film with Nathan and Clark. Furthermore, Adrian would also be performing with the band after the screening.

The Q & A was extremely brief and maybe three or four questions were asked before people left for the party happening in the Egyptian Theater courtyard. After posing for a few photos I was able to get Adrian to sign my Entourage Entertainment Weekly (and I was the only person who asked for an autograph inside the theater). He did his A. G. signature, but it's hard to read since my Silver Sharpie faded (those pens go quick!). I was able to talk about his career with his band The Honey Brothers and told him what a great time I had at the Troubadour show back in September last year (I tried looking for my ticket to get signed, but misplaced it). I told him that I had been following the two other artists who performed that night, SoKo and The Colourist, ever since. He thanked me for my kind words and even gave me a fist bump before heading out.

The Good Listeners performed several songs outside. After Adrian played a few I was able to get him to sign my Entourage Season 6 DVD. He had trouble at first signing it (damn you silver sharpie), but decided to sign his full name, something I have never seen with any of his autographs. By this time he had taken even more photos outside by the stage, but I was the only one outside who got him to sign something besides promotional material for Don't Quit Your Daydream and/or scraps of paper. It was pretty cool! I also picked up the soundtrack for Don't Quit Your Daydream and had it signed by The Good Listeners. Clark and Nathan were super friendly. Afterwards I realized that the soundtrack came with the documentary we had just watched and was truly a steal for $10. The film is amazing and so is the soundtrack. Definitely go out and check out the film if you love music because this is one of those films that truly shows what great passion true musicians need to have in order to succeed in life.

Meeting Ozzy on Father's Day

2010-06-22T13:41:00.000-07:00

I truly do have the best father anyone could ever ask for. Only my dad would give me his blessing to ditch "Father's Day" to meet Ozzy Osbourne again. I love my dad! He's the best.

For those who weren't aware, Ozzy Osbourne did a rare CD signing at Amoeba Music in Hollywood to promote his latest album, "Scream," which was just released today (6/22/2010). In addition to being able to purchase and get "Scream" signed two days early, the first 600 people would get tickets to Ozzy Osbourne's CD release party/concert at the Sunset House of Blues. Ozzy would only be signing from 5pm to 8pm and up to 800 fans before leaving to perform. Lines were not supposed to start until 3pm, but that didn't happen.

After celebrating Father's Day Saturday and early Sunday I took off at 2:10 p.m. to head over to Amoeba. When I arrived at 2:40ish I was shocked and stunned that people were already in line. I immediately headed over and got into line. After asking a few people I was informed people started "forming lines" around 11 a.m. and basically out of necessity a line was allowed to form. I am surprised they didn't kick those people out of the line and actually follow their own guidelines, but I guess too many people are illiterate and incompetent.

While waiting in line I talked to these two guys who drove up from San Pedro just to basically get tickets to the show. Almost everyone I talked to was far more interested in attending the show rather than meeting Ozzy. Basically how it worked was groups of 20 were brought into the store to buy the album and then would have to get into the yellow line/ signing line if they wanted their album signed. A lot of people literally showed up, bought the CD for $11 (exactly), and left once they had their ticket (wristband). I am surprised, but when you break it down it makes sense. Why pay $60-65 for a ticket when you can buy the CD and get a ticket to a similar show for only $11 plus parking. That's a bargain, but why wouldn't you want to meet Ozzy as well? Sure no pictures or any other memorabilia signed, but isn't it worth waiting a little longer to meet a music legend?

It was very fun standing in the hot blazing sun for three hours waiting to be let into the store. While waiting in line an Ozzy Osbourne look-a-like came out, who had gotten his CD signed, and interacted with other fans. The guy REALLY looked and acted like him, even having the same tattoos. Finally around 6:00ish I got inside and waited to meet Ozzy, who was in front of the World Music section. He literally had about a dozen people surrounded him acting as bodyguards, handlers and security (which was completely different from the atmosphere at Book Soup earlier this year). Only his "Scream" album was the only thing being allowed to be signed. I hate when restrictions are made like that and wish that an alternative item could get signed instead as long as you purchase the designated item being promoted.

A father and son were literally in front of me who wanted to get Ozzy's biography, I Am Ozzy, signed. The father tried hiding it, but was stopped by an Amoeba employee when were like 50 feet away. They actually held onto it for him until after the signing. It's nice that they do limit it because some people go overboard, but it just sucks when you can tell the person is just a fan.
Back during the Slash signing during Record Store Day this year, you technically could have gotten away with multiple autographs if you tried, but later that day I saw half that stuff up on eBay (literally). It's just horrible when people abuse signings like that. Last year when Ace Frehley signed on Record Store Day at Amoeba, one guy got stopped who (literally) had a box of stuff for Ace to sign. He was immediately stopped by employees and told that their was a one item limit, but he kind of refused that notion until he was taken aside. So I understand the restrictions, but one additional item shouldn't be a big deal.

Ozzy barely made any eye contact /acknowledgement with anyone and pretty much just kept his head down signing the CD booklets. Literally a handler would take your booklet pass it to another handler, who would place it in front of Ozzy and another handler would hand it back to you. These types of signings suck. I tried getting his attention on "What a pleasure it was to meet another John Michael and that it's cool to know a famous John Michael that I admire," but he didn't even acknowledge me, which really sucks. It kind of wasn't worth the drive because I wanted to briefly say "Hi, to another John Michael," but I got a CD I was planning on buying signed by a Metal god, Rock Legend and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer plus a ticket to his show later that night. So it was worth it, but not worth me driving down for that kind of experience. These things happen, but it sucks when they do.

Ozzy only played one song off his "Scream" album, "Let Me Hear You Scream," which was the second song played at the House of Blues. The setlist for the show was as follows:

1) "Bark at the Moon"
2) "Let Me Hear You Scream"
3) "Mr. Crowley"
4) "I Don't Know"
5) "Fairies Wear Boots"
6) "Suicide Solution"
7) "Shot in the Dark"
8) "Iron Man"
9) "Crazy Train"

ENCORE
10) "I Don't Want to Change the World"
11) "Paranoid"

Ozzy's new album, "Scream" is worth checking out if you're an Ozzy fan, but the new guitarist Gus G sounds like he is trying too hard to emulate Zakk Wylde. So it depends on each person whether or not that sounds good to you. Still it's a fun listen and worth paying $7.99 at Best Buy this week.

Bret Easton Ellis at the Largo

2010-06-17T20:58:00.000-07:00

Moments after Bret Easton Ellis encouraged fans to take pictures

James van Der Beek taking a picture on his phone to "capture the moment"

Bret Easton Ellis and I

My signed books (I didn't bring Glamorama and couldn't find my The Informers book)

My favorite book, but it's inscribed to "Juh" instead of John. Bret was tired and got lazy

Notice how the n is more of a line in John.

Bret signed this nice and big after asking how I would like him to sign it.

Sometimes you need to know when opportunity is knocking and take advantage. Last night was one of those times. When people ask me who some of my favorite authors are I reply Robert Penn Warren, Paddy Chayefsky, George Bernard Shaw, Clive Barker, Chuck Palahniuk, and Bret Easton Ellis. The last three are probably the most influential on my writing style. After last night I fulfilled my dream of meeting my three favorite authors. I know this might be cliche for me to say this, but I have been very blessed. How many people can say they have met their favorite author, let alone their three favorite?

I first met Clive Barker a few years ago and then two years ago I met Chuck Palahniuk. Once that happened I actually believed for the first time it would be possible to meet Bret Easton Ellis at a book signing. I would constantly check Ellis' website for updates, but he had not done a signing since around 2007. When The Informers movie was being made, promoted, and released I thought he might do some kind of promotion, but nothing really came about. As it turns out (and I wholeheartedly agree) the movie was crap and was another excellent book transformed into a forgettable film with an all-star cast.

So when I happened to be perusing the Largo website I was shocked and stunned when they had a Bret Easton Ellis event listed on June 16th. On May 18th, Chuck Palahniuk held a similar event at the Largo. Having missed that event due to a previous engagement I made sure to cancel all plans so that I could meet Ellis. After buying my ticket, which included a copy of his new book Imperial Bedrooms (released on June 15th), I waited patiently for the date to come. About a week ago I completely freaked out when it was announced James van Der Beek and Joel McHale would also be on hand for the event. I have been wanting to meet James for the longest time since I love Varsity Blues and Dawson's Creek. Plus I also wanted him to sign my mini Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back poster that I have had Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Brian O' Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Jason Lee, Carrie Fisher, Wes Craven, and Shannen Doherty sign (It's a mini goal that I have set to get it signed by as many people as possible. All the autographs were obtained at organized signings and I am very reluctant to bring it out in public). In addition I had recently developed an 8 x 10 picture of Joel McHale and I just in case I get another opportunity to meet him. So I was packed with 4 books, a DVD, an 8 x 10, and a mini poster for the Largo event in my reusable Amoeba bag.

Fast forward to yesterday. I left for the Largo an hour and a half early at 6:20 p.m. since I had never visited the Largo and didn't know exactly what the parking situation would be for the event. Just because "parking instructions" are listed on a website doesn't mean they are always helpful. After a little bit of traffic I spotted the Largo at its new location, which is literally right near the Beverly Center, and parked at the Baker building for $10, which is what I expected to pay. I officially arrived at 7:20ish and checked in at will call around 7:25 picking up my copy of Imperial Bedrooms. For the next twenty minutes, along with everyone else that arrived early, I just looked around the courtyard and chilled until the auditorium was opened up. When I checked where my assigned seat was I was extremely happy because I got an aisle seat to stretch out my long legs. People slowly trickled into the theater until it was officially around 8 p.m. (when the event was supposed to start). The program didn't start until 8:30 p.m.

Writer Jospeh Mattson walked out on the stage and read a passage from Less Than Zero (without any introduction and didn't even identify himself). Moments later actor James van Der Beek, who played Sean Bateman (Patrick Bateman's younger brother) in Rules of Attraction, came out as the host and then introduced writer Jerry Stahl, who read a passage from Lunar Park. Joel McHale was the next person to come out and read a passage from American Psycho and did a hilarious interpretation. Quick side note. During my freshman year of college I got an A+ by performing one of Patrick Bateman's speeches (his confession to his lawyer) from American Psycho, my favorite Ellis book, in my speech class. So it was cool seeing a different approach to the character of Patrick Bateman. After exiting and then re-entering stage, Joel McHale introduced a short film that starred Kip Pardue and James van Der Beek reprising their characters Victor and Sean Bateman from Rules of Attraction in a Bret Easton Ellis inspired film. The movie was conceived, shot, edited and screened in 10 days. It was very similar to the quick pace and tone of Victor's monologue/voice-over in Rules of Attraction where he describes his Europe experience. The film also co-starred Boston Legal's Tara Summers, who was also at the Largo.

Then James introduced Bret Easton Ellis, who read a passage from Imperial Bedrooms. The book basically tells the story of Clay, the main character of Less Than Zero, looking back twenty years later commenting on a book and movie being made about his life now that he is a screenwriter in Hollywood. From what I have read it's amazing!!!!! Afterwards James and Bret bantered back and forth about various questions, which included comments about his Twitter account, women directors, his books being adapting into film, "possible projects," etc. A "proposed" project has a possibility of Sean Bateman returning, but I won't fill you in on the details. James and Bret's interaction of this "project" was hilarious and almost the entire audience couldn't stop laughing. Ellis commanded the room with perfectly timed humor and dominated the place with his quips. Ellis is one of the funniest people I have ever heard at a Q & A. They soon opened it up to the audience. At one point, after an audience member asked, Mr. Ellis encouraged all his fans that wanted to take pictures to do so after learning the Largo had a "no picture" policy for the event. It was hilarious seeing people bust out their phones and cameras (I took two pictures myself. One of them has James taking a picture on his phone so he can "post it online" himself). He even jokingly remarked that the whole world would explode with all these pictures being taken after being asked, "How does it feel to be the voice of a generation?"

That pretty much ended the Q & A with Brett saying he was staying afterward to sign copies of his books outside and meet his fans. Despite being in the middle of the auditorium I wound up near the end of the line (the last ten or so). The people in the back of the auditorium left through a door that led directly to the area where Bret would be signing, which screwed over anyone that had a good/great seat during the presentation. Two hours later I finally met came face to face with one of my favorite authors. Bret immediately stuck out his hand and I completely gushed how much I am a fan. I told him that he is my favorite author and even told him that he is the main reason why I wanted to become a writer and why I am majoring in Journalism.

He replied, "If I would have known at age 19 that years later people would come up to me and tell me I am the reason why they wanted to become a writer I would be shocked. That's so kind of you. That's the best compliment I could ever receive. Thank you."

For the next minute or two we just talked about his books and I thanked him repeatedly for staying afterwards to sign books. I even apologized for "whoring" it up by bringing so many books, which he acknowledged that he "doesn't do book signings that often" and he "usually ignores the two book maximum per person some stores enforce. I even joked that I had been waiting for an opportunity and commented that his old website had listed his last tour "2007/2008?", which just made him bust up laughing. He couldn't believe it and didn't know how to really respond.

When he came to my Rules of Attraction DVD he switched from a pen to sharpie, which was nice I didn't have to ask or pull out one of my sharpies. He then inquired if I wanted it personalized, a special inscription or signed in any particular way. I just said no, not really. Just sign as big as you want and he did. Afterwards I asked for a picture and was able to get a picture with him. I shook hands with him once again and thanked him so much for giving us fans this opportunity. He even replied, "Thank you for coming out, John Michael." That pretty much made my day/night/week/month. It was so cool! After two hours in line I finally got to meet Bret Easton Ellis and it was a great way to spend my night.

Hours earlier while waiting in line I realized that Joel McHale and James van Der Beek had probably already snuck out the back. Oh, well. It would have been nice, but it would have only been a bonus because I was really there just for Breat Easton Ellis. Bret is one of the most relaxed, kindest people you could possible meet. He truly does care for his fans signing everything that is put in front of him, gives each person their time, and truly appreciates meeting his fans. I think that's another reason why I really like Barker, Palahniuk, and Ellis besides their writing. All three authors are very similar in that regard that they truly go above and beyond for their fans. Those three authors are true gentleman and some of the best authors you could ever meet! Believe me you won't be disappointed meeting them.

Mystery Team Signing

2010-06-10T17:53:00.000-07:00

I do apologize for the delayed post, but I was busy celebrating my birthday for the past week with various people. It was a nice run, but now it's time to wind down and get back to my "summer" routine, which is write as much as possible.

For the past two consecutive years I have had sad news on my birthday, two celebrities I really admired that I met died. Last year it was actor David Carradine and last week it was coaching legend John Wooden. I met David Carradine at a Wizard World Los Angeles Convention, which was my first convention ever. He was very quite, but extremely friendly when he signed a magazine for me.

On November 18, 2003, I met John Wooden at a UCLA basketball game. When I noticed him there I left the student section and approached him on the other side of the court passing the UCLA bench. After chatting with security he let me approach Coach Wooden during a timeout and we talked for a few minutes. He was so kind listening to all my compliments and extremely humble. Wearing my Jason Kapono (#24) jersey he thought I was a student and only shook hands with me. I didn't get an autograph, but talking to such a wise, humble man was good enough for me. I truly cherished that moment and even framed my ticket as a memento so I always remember that special encounter.

But getting back to why I am writing. Last week, literally the day after my birthday I attended an autograph signing with comedy group, Derrick Comedy, at Lazer Blazer. Derrick Comedy was signing copies of their film, Mystery Team. Derrick Comedy is comprised of Dominic Dierkes, DC Pierson, Donald Glover ("Troy" from NBC's Community), Dan Eckman and Meggie McFadden. The main reason why I wanted to go was to get a picture signed of Donald Glover and me, but I also wanted to check out the film Mystery Team. Considering the DVD would only cost $22.38, which was slightly more than Best Buy ($19.99), cheaper than retail ($29.99), and cheaper than ordering a signed copy through Derrick Comedy ($37.95), I decided I would do my best to attend. The only problem that I saw was my birthday would be the night before. Would I be able to attend a 2 p.m. signing or would I oversleep?

After seven long islands on my birthday it looked pretty bad especially when I was driven to buy breakfast through drive-thru on Saturday morning. By 11 a.m. ( less than an hour later) I decided I would go for sure even though I had only gotten less than six hours of sleep and stopped drinking at 1:35 a.m. Luckily I sobered up in time and left the house about 1:30 p.m. so I could attend the signing at 2:30 p.m. (the signing would take place after a brief Q & A, thus 2:30 p.m. instead of 2:00 p.m.). I nearly passed Lazer Blazer, but was able to park behind the store. After walking around I went into the store and maybe saw ten or so people waiting to get their stuff signed at 2:30 exactly. I looked around first since I had never been to Lazer Blazer before purchasing my copy of Mystery Team.

Donald was the first one to sign my DVD, sporting a fake moustache (similar to the one he wears in the film). He gladly signed the photo of us. When I told him it was from Paley Fest, everyone else from Derrick Comedy chimed in their two cents. They slowly passed my DVD along and thanked me for my support. Unfortunately DC Pierson switched pens from a Silver Sharpie to a silver paint pen and accidentally smeared his autograph. Jeez I hate when that happens! Still it was cool I got to meet Donald Glover once again and buy a really funny movie. Mystery Team is hilarious and definitely worth checking out! You won't be disappointed.

Dan Aykroyd and the Crystal Head Vodka!

2010-05-27T22:16:00.001-07:00

Promotion flyer for event with updated times (originally 5-7pm instead of 6-8pm)

Christian standing in front of the Ecto 1 car that a fan brought

Dan arriving ten minutes late in his Ford truck thanks to LA traffic

Dan being greeted by the Wine House staff

Dan greeting other staff near the front of the store and checking the 405 Freeway at the corner

Dan looking at the line of fans

Dan walking to greet the owners of the Ecto 1 car

Dan Aykroyd, literally right next to me, after he took my Sharpie.

Picture of Dan Aykroyd and I

My signed Crystal Head Vodka bottle

Dan Aykroyd signed my receipt when an employee tried handing it back to me.

During the Fall of 2009 I was notified by my father that he had recently come across an interesting type of vodka at the grocery store. He had come across a Crystal Skull bottle filled with vodka and that I should check it out when I had a chance. Upon researching or rather looking it up on Google, I discovered that it was actually called Crystal Head Vodka and that it was created by none other than Mr. Elwood Blues a.k.a. Dan Aykroyd.

Besides creating the House of Blues chain, Dan Aykroyd has become successful producing his own wines and recently created the Crystal Head Vodka. In order to promote the vodka, Dan Aykroyd has visited various stores over the past couple of years signing bottles of the Crystal Head Vodka along with memorabilia. Unfortunately I had missed a couple of his southern California appearances, but was pleasantly surprised when he had two this month, one in Pasadena and one in Los Angeles. I decided to opt for the LA signing since it was closer and more convenient. My friend Casey along with his girlfriend Amber attended the Pasadena signing and told me how friendly Dan Aykroyd was at the store. Every signing he has done I have heard nothing, but positive and excellent reviews of both the signings and Crystal Head Vodka. So I could hardly wait.

Today I went with my friend Christian and visited the Wine House, which was only a few blocks away from the Landmark Theater. After picking up Christian around 4p.m., we made great time and got to the store in about 30 minutes. Luckily for us we were able to park on the roof and didn't have to pay for parking (truly a shocker in LA!). After going down the stairs, we were both pleasantly surprised no one was there and the staff there was literally setting up all the bottles for the signing. After walking around the store I decided to pick up my bottle and actually got it cheaper at the Wine House then what it costs at my local BevMo (41.99 vs. 49.99).

Christian and I were told that the line was forming outside and we became fourth in line. The first person in line had gotten there at 3:00 p.m. and we arrived at the store at 4:40 p.m. About ten minutes later, a few fans pulled up in their Ecto 1 car, just like the one in Ghostbusters (don't know if it's the original or replica). Suddenly the dozen or so fans there started taking pictures of the car and with it, including Christian, which I posted above. For the next hour and a half we waited patiently as fans trickled into the line. By the time Mr. Aykroyd arrived, there was somewhere between 60-100 people behind us.

I was impressed Dan drove himself and that he was super friendly from the get go. He immediately parked behind the Ecto 1 and approached the owners to greet them. He even asked if they would like him to sign it and did they have a sharpie. I heard that and immediately pulled mine out as a staff member went inside the store. As Mr. Aykroyd came around I handed him my Sharpie and said, "Here you go. I heard you needed a sharpie." He simply replied with a smile, "Thank you, but I am sure we have some in there. I don't know which one we'll use." He walked by me to get into the store and greeted fans as he entered, thus the close up posted above.

We were slowly let in a minute afterwords so Dan could settle in at his table. We were allowed one at a time to approach Dan as he signed our stuff and were given our few moments with him. I can't even begin to stress how personable Mr. Dan Aykroyd is to his fans. He graciously signed several items for each person, made personalizations and took pictures with fans who asked. He is one of the nicest people I have ever met. The signing was organized that you approached the table with your receipt and handed it to a staff member. They in turn would pass your vodka bottle(s) to Dan Ayrkoyd to be signed along with any memorabilia you brought.

When my turn came up Mr. Aykroyd stuck out his hand and was super enthusiastic to meet me(I was wearing my Blues Brothers t-shirt). He noticed Christian behind me with the camera and he immediately said lets take our picture together. Afterwards he grabbed Christian's Ghostbusters DVD, my Trading Places DVD, The Great Outdoors DVD, and my Blues Brothers' Briefcase Full of Blues LP before signing my Crystal Head vodka bottle. While signing my stuff, he asked if this was my usual store and I told him I actually drove 45 minutes to come here to meet him and to finally get my first Crystal Head vodka. He was happy to hear that I was finally trying his vodka and that "I wouldn't be disappointed." I told him how I discovered the vodka and again thanked him for signing my stuff. While I was getting ready to leave and grab my bottle of Crystal Head vodka, an employee tried handing my receipt to me since I left it on the table. Before I could even grab my receipt, Dan snatched and signed it before giving it to me. He is such a class act! All I can say is Dan Aykroyd is one of the best and classiest celebrities you could possible ever meet! Also Crystal Head Vodka is definitely worth checking out and one of the best vodkas you can try!

Meeting Jay Mohr

2010-05-26T21:24:00.000-07:00

Tonight I got to meet one of my favorite comedians, Jay Mohr, at Book Soup. My first introduction to Jay Mohr was when he was on Saturday Night Live from 1993-1995. It was always fun to catch SNL late at night because it wasn't something you were supposed to do as a child. But I fondly remember him best from three movies during my childhood: Jerry Maguire (1996), Small Soldiers (1998) and Jane Austen's Mafia! (1998). Since then he has created one of the coolest shows, Last Comic Standing, and more recently starred on the TV show Gary Unmarried.

It was one of the few rare times at Book Soup that an another was only doing a signing. I arrived promptly at 6:50 p.m. (for a 7:00 p.m. signing) after parking in the old Tower Records parking lot. I picked up my copy of No Wonder My Parents Drank: Tales From A Standup Dad and Chuck Palahniuk's Tell All. There was literally no one in there until I noticed two other people wandering around aimlessly. I decided to look around until a Book Soup employee gathered people and formed the line. I was fourth in line with about 20 or so people behind me. Jay was busy taking photos for about ten minutes before signing copies of his book.

Jay was very friendly and talking to everyone when they approached. The first two people were people I have seen around at many book signings and had deemed "professionals," but this time I only saw them buy one copy of the book and actually got it personalized. It seemed everyone was getting their books personalized, which was pretty cool. When I came up, Jay immediately read my post it "John Michael" and asked if that was me. I told him it was and it's not a bad name to have considering Ozzy Osbourne is another famous John Michael and so is REM's Michael Stipe. Shocked and impressed, Jay inquired if I knew any others. After a few moments I added John Michael Montgomery, the country singer. Pleasantly surprised and content, Jay asked for my last name and inscribed it also into my book adding, "That's not a bad name to have. You will become famous one day!"

That was cool for him to say and it definitely put a smile on my face. I also asked him to sign my Mafia! and Jerry Maguire DVDs. He was signing in pen (and for the first time I didn't bring a sharpie ever!). I wish I had brought one, but they always use sharpies to sign books at Book Soup, but now I will always be prepared when I visit Book Soup. The autographs were slightly smeared because he was using a uni ball pen. Using one of those uni ball pens on paper are great, but they smear too easily as my Mafia! DVD was smeared shortly after he signed it. Afterwards he literally held up the DVDs and said to the cameras, "This is when I still made movies!" Everyone had a good chuckle and I went on my way.

The Nicest Celeb Around: Jesse Eisenberg

2010-05-23T10:49:00.001-07:00

For the past two consecutive Friday nights I have checked out two special film screenings with the cast and crew. Both were films I really wanted to see, but was even more excited when I was provided with the opportunity to meet the films' stars/creators, both people I really idolize, during their films first week of release . Last week it was Michel Gondry with The Thorn in the Heart and this week it was Jesse Eisenberg and Holy Rollers.

Earlier this year I heard about Holy Rollers when it was selected for the Sundance Film Festival. Ever since Squid and the Whale, Jesse Eisenberg has been an actor to watch. The film also stars two other actors I enjoy, Justin Bartha and Ari Graynor. Justin is probably best known for his roles as Nicolas Cage's sidekick in the National Treasure films and "Doug" in The Hangover. Ari Graynor is an indie actress that I really like who has been in films like Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, Youth in Revolt, Whip It and also has a recurring role on Fringe as Rachel Dunham. Plus I loved the plot for the film, which was inspired by the true story of Hasidic Jews smuggling over a million ectasy pills in New York during the late 1990s.

Holy Rollers gives a very respectful perspective of Hasidic Jews and religion. Besides the interesting religious backdrop, the film is absolutely amazing. Jesse Eisenberg continues to deliver great performances and the film truly grasps the drugworld, New York and Jewish life perfectly! Ari Graynor is stunning and Justin Bartha gives a great dramatic turn. One of my favorite films of the year!

Before the film even started, my friend Chandelor and I walked into the lobby at the Landmark Theater where I noticed Jesse Eisenberg was hanging out. A few people came up to him asking for his autograph and/or to take pictures with him. He graciously did so for a few minutes. We talked about how kind Jesse Eisenberg was with his fans as we walked into our theater. I told Chandelor that recently and consistently Jesse Eisenberg is considered one of the nicest people you could possibly meet. So I knew after the film it would be no problem to meet Jesse at all.

After the screening of the film , director Kevin Asch, writer Antonio Macia, and star Jesse Eisenberg did a Q & A. Most of the questions were directed at the religious themes and background for the film like how the Jewish community, specifically Hasidic Jews, have perceived the film and the type of research that went into making the film. At one point, three people literally asked the exact same question three times, albeit in a slightly different manner each time, which was "What have Hasidic Jews thought about the film?" Unfortunately the moderator and the questions asked were not that good, but that happens at most screenings.

As soon as the film ended, Jesse stayed around taking pictures and autographs for everyone. There were only two diehard autograph collectors I recognized and everyone else was a real fan. Literally the guy in front of me asked him to sign a dozen items including a few DVD covers and several Holy Rollers 4 x 6 posters/cards. I got Jesse to sign my Squid and the Whale and Zombieland DVDs. Chandelor got a Holy Rollers poster, which a woman randomly gave him after the screening, and got that signed. Several other people also received mini posters, but did not have anything for Jesse to sign it with. Literally a dozen different people used my sharpie to get an autograph. So frustrating!

Chandelor also got a photo with Jesse as well. I decided not to get a picture with him because I didn't want to seem pushy since I got a few autographs. Plus Jesse was getting called away for a cast photo, but took a picture with my friend Chandelor instead before heading over. Luckily I was able to ask about Solitary Man, which was just released, and he told me what a pleasure it was working with Michael Douglas. The screening went even better than planned. Jesse Eisenberg is literally the NICEST PERSON I HAVE EVER MET! He gave everyone their few moments answering questions, taking pictures, signing autographs shaking hands, and just having an overall cool demeanor. There needs to be more celebrities like Jesse Eisenberg!

Michel Gondry @ The Thorn in the Heart Screening

2010-05-15T15:30:00.000-07:00

There are many reasons why I love reading the paper because you never know when you will come across something amazing. Yesterday while reading the Calendar section of the Los Angeles Times I came across a small tiny print ad that said Michel Gondry would be appearing in person 5/14 and 5/15 at the primetime screenings of his new film, The Thorn in The Heart at the Sunset 5 Laemmle Theater.

Michel Gondry is one of my favorite filmmakers and has created some of the most provacotive, profound, and perplexing films of the past decade with films like Human Nature, The Science of Sleep, Be Kind Rewind, and of course, the Academy Award winning Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which he won Best Original Screenplay with Charlie Kaufman and Pierre Bismuth. I met Kaufman at a special screening for Synecdoche New York and had him personalize my Adaptation DVD. I was hoping to have a similiar experince last night.

The Thorn in the Heart, a documentary about Suzette Gondry and her life about being the patriarch of the Gondry family, saw it's Los Angeles Premiere at the Laemmle Sunset 5 last night. Last year, the film was selected for the Cannes Film Festival and has received mixed reviews. After seeing the film, I tend to disagree with the majority of comments made about the film and as Gondry pointed out during the Q & A afterwards, it's the little details that truly define someone's life. Although it's a French documentary, it's very relatable and shows the importance of family. Worth checking out if you like documentaries, Michel Gondry and/or family themed films.

My friend Sean accompanied me and we hung out at his Burbank apartment before heading off to Hollywood. As always, it was a pain parking at the theater because they pretty much only have compact parking as though no one drives SUVs, trucks or anything bigger than a Mercedes Benz. Still, it was good we got to the theater almost on time despite horrible traffic. The movie was delayed about ten minutes and we received an intro from an Oscilloscope Pictures represenative before the film started.

After the film, Michel Gondry and a moderator were introduced. All the questions were directed at the documentary, which is good, but at the same time makes me feel weird if I don't ask a question related to the film. I planned on asking about his career as a music video director, but didn't get the opportunity. Gondry was very witty throughout and had a great sense of humor. Sean asked about making this film in his native tongue as opposed to English. Gondry gave a nice response on how much easier it was because English is his second language and with French it was no problem at all. Gondry only answered two more questions after that. Like Soderbergh before, Gondry gave nice, in-depth responses.

Afterwards, since Sean and I were in third row, I approached Mousier Gondry and asked him my question while he signed a DVD for me, "Considering you have worked with Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones and so many different artists. Is there any musician you would like to make a music video for?"

"Michael Jackson, he's the best!"

"I don't blame ya. But what about someone who is still alive?"

" Then probably Kurt Cobain," he said with a smile.

I couldn't stop laughing after that. He has such a great sense of humor. After he signed my Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind DVD I thanked him for making a great film and for also making one of my favorite music videos ever, "Everlong" by the Foo Fighters. He was flattered and thanked me very much for coming out. When I turned around I noticed a line literally formed right behind me leading up to Gondry for autograph requests, pictures, and for others to get their questions answered. It was a great night!

Don't You Forget She Doesn't Look That Pretty in Pink

2010-05-06T20:55:00.000-07:00

Today has been one of those days I have been waiting patiently for it to come. Molly Ringwald was promoting her book, Getting the Pretty Back, at my least favorite store- the Northridge Borders. In my Jennifer Love Hewitt post I mentioned how I would never go to another signing at the Northridge Borders unless it was an extenuating circumstance. This was one of those moments because it was Molly's only California and LA stop during her book tour, which makes no sense considering she lives out in Los Angeles.

I decided to get up early this morning and stop by the Northridge Borders and pick up my copy of the book before class at about 10a.m. I was the first person to actually buy a copy of the book and receive a pink wristband for the event. I was given two copies of the "event guidelines" by two different employees that said no memorabilia, personalizations and pictures. Still I decided to bring my copy of The Breakfast Club just in case. Also when I received my wristband I was notified Molly would be doing a reading before the signing, even though it was advertised as a signing only. So I decided to show up maybe twenty minutes after so I could just show up for the signing part.

The event started at 7 p.m. and I got there about 7:10 p.m with Molly already reading some passages from the book. She read for another 10 minutes or so and then took several questions from the audience before signing copies of her book. Despite how many signings they have at this store, THEY DO NOT KNOW HOW TO ORGANIZE SIGNING LINES AT ALL!!!!!! There were three different wristbands with pink as the first group. People just crammed in two lines that converged while Borders employees, the annoying event coordinator and security just looked on and stood puzzled. You would think with how many signings they do at the store they would have things under control, but no they are extremely incompetent when it comes to organizing signings. I am pretty sure they are incapable of organizing any signing at the store because the events I have gone there have NEVER gone smoothly at all. They are always VERY disorganized and don't know how to make a line.

I was about 20th in line and saw a few collectors in line with several copies of her book. Even Molly's handler asked why one guy was buying so many copies of the book (To sell them!). But when I came up I was told by the event coordinator that Molly wouldn't be signing my DVD at all and she gave me a glare. Really? I can't get one lousy DVD signed after buying one crappy book? I never get that. Molly was nice and friendly, but it wasn't the fan experience one would hope for. It was just after 7:40 p.m. when I left and I was kind of disappointed that I even bothered to show up. One of my best friends was hesitant to go and backed out because he thought it would be too weird. After the signing I felt jealous of my friend even though I did get an autograph. Sometimes it's not worth attending a book signing even if you do want to meet the person.

So far my experiences with Brat Pack members have not been too good. The only other Brat Pack member and fellow Breakfast Club cast member I have met was Judd Nelson after a screening of The Dark Backward at the Hollywood Arclight. After the Q & A I got Bill Paxton to sign my copy of Tombstone, but Judd Nelson was hesitant to sign my St. Elmo's Fire DVD after (literally) signing 15 photos for one autograph dealer. Even when my friend Danny asked for a picture he was reluctant, but it was totally acceptable and cool to sign 15 autographs for one "fan"? So in the case of the Brat Pack members, it may be better to not meet your idols.

Now I am positive I will NEVER visit the Northridge Borders for a signing again. Tonight was my last time. I rather drive an hour out of my way then attend another poorly disorganized event there. That Borders should be ashamed with how bad they organize events.

Steven Soderbergh at the Billy Wilder Theater

2010-05-02T16:33:00.000-07:00

Last night with my friend Adam, we checked out a double feature screening of Josef von Sternberg's The Devil Is A Woman and Steven Soderbergh's The Girlfriend Experience at the Billy Wilder Theater. Steven Soderbergh did a Q & A after The Girlfriend Experience. By the way, Steven Soderbergh was sitting three rows behind us in the Billy Wilder Theater (which is also amazing and has a great atmosphere). I will be definitely coming back.

Adam and I had no real interest to see The Girlfriend Experience again, but we stuck around so we could hear Steven Soderbergh talk afterwards, which was the main reason why we went. Initially, we thought it would be cool to check out a Sternberg film and hear Steven Soderbergh speak; we planned to ditch in between the films after the Q & A. As luck would have it, that would not be the case.

I was blown away by how good The Devil Is A Woman and have now become a fan of Sternberg. The entire cast was great, but Cesar Romero and Marlene Dietrich were amazing! The film is definitely worth checking out! The only problem was the guy next to me literally had his briefcase (random) on his lap, which jabbed me the entire time during the movie, and was very distracting. In addition, he constantly kept accidentally kicking me when trying to elevate his legs (there was hardly any room for your legs, especially if you are over 6 feet). Luckily, he left during intermission with his wife.

The intermission was only five minutes, but was enough to stretch our legs, go to the bathroom and check out the scorecard for the Mayweather/Mosely fight. After The Girlfriend Experience, Steven Soderbergh and a different moderator (besides Academy Award winner Curtis Hanson, who was advertised) took the stage and answered questions. Most of the questions by both the moderator and audience were directed at the red camera and film preservation. Soderbergh is a very intelligent man and truly knows his stuff. It was fascinating hearing him speak so passionately about the subject matter. He gave very lengthy answers, which was nice to hear.

The big problem with the night was an old senile, 80-year-old man was allowed to ramble on for several minutes, telling everyone his life story and what he thought of both films. This really limited the number of questions near the end and as a result, only one question was allowed after that. My friend Adam, who had his arm up the entire time, was denied by the moderator and the moderator literally picked the guy directly behind us. During most of the Q & A, he constantly argued with Soderbergh and disagreed with Soderbergh's beliefs about the preservation process. Needless to say, neither one of us were happy with his performance that night.

Afterwards, there was about a dozen or so fans waiting near the stage and greeted Soderbergh with DVDs and photos to be signed. My friend Adam was hesitant to ask for an autograph, but I convinced him he should and even brought him an insert from Sex, Lies, and Videotape to get signed, especially considering he is the main reason why Adam went to film school. This gave him a good excuse to ask his question about Knockout, Soderbergh's upcoming film, and some of the technical aspects of it while Soderbergh signed autographs. Soderbergh continued signing and answering people's questions, which was pretty cool. I got my Che Criterion DVD insert and The Girlfriend Experience DVD signed. He literally signed everything put in front of him, which was pretty cool. Even before The Devil Is A Woman, Soderbergh signed autographs for people who asked while he was sitting down. He even thanked everyone for coming out and spending their Saturday night with him. Soderbergh was already one of my favorite directors, but now I think even more highly of him. He is such a class act!

Afterwards, we walked out to our car in the parking garage. Earlier at the screening I recognized Kevin McDonald, one of the members of Kids In The Hall. He happened to be talking to two of his friends, who were writers of the show, while near their cars and I introduced myself. I kind of embarrassed myself by saying how much I "f 'n love" Kids In The Hall and the film Brain Candy, which he mockingly replied "Yes, I am f'n THE Kevin McDonald from f'n Kids In The Hall." It was pretty funny, but it was cool meeting one of my favorite comedians. As I told him, Kids In The Hall was the first sketch comedy show I ever watched and it totally changed/influenced my life. I thanked him (and the writers) for making such a great show! We parted ways after a few minutes, shook hands, and wished each other a good night. Talk about the unexpected happening after a fun screening. I love when that happens.

Pain Does Not Exist At This Autograph Show, Does It?

2010-04-24T20:47:00.001-07:00

Bow to your Sesei! Yes, I got to meet great character actor and Mr. John Kreese himself, Martin Kove. After meeting William Zabka I walked over to Martin Kove, who was right next to him. Immediately I pulled out my Karate Kid poster to get signed and was asked by his female companion what I thought of the new film. Martin corrected her that it hasn't come out and she elaborated then what I thought about it being remade.

For the next minute or so I went off on the idea of remakes and how "ridiculous it is to remake a good/great film" and "how unoriginal it is to do so, especially with a film like The Karate Kid. Hollywood is just getting too lazy." Both of them were taken back and very intrigued by my comments. I further elaborated that a movie should only be remade if the original was poorly made like Inglorious Bastards. When asked about my enthusiasm I told them I am a Journalism/English major at CSUN and write for the school paper doing film reviews. They both thanked me for my honesty, especially Martin, and were glad to hear the consensus that most people don't support the new film. As I even said, "I refuse to see remakes in theaters and support those kind of films."

Martin really appreciated my kind words and didn't charge me for the autograph, even after I refused the free autograph. I tried to pay, but he wouldn't let me since I was a student and film buff. Such a kind and generous man. He truly is a class act and in a league of his own!

Sweep The Leg, Johnny!

2010-04-24T20:39:00.000-07:00

After looking around, both Martin Kove and William Zabka were back signing autographs at their tables. I walked over to William so I could smoothly transition to Martin Kove after. With William I talked about his short film that was nominated for an Academy Award in Best Short Film, Most. The film is set in Czechoslovakia and tells the story of a bridge operator, who has to make the hardest decision in his life to either safe or sacrifice his son. It's a very compelling and moving film. We talked about the process of getting the film made and why it was filmed in Czechoslovakia. William said he looked around Europe, rewrote, and casted Czech actors to portray the characters once a director was found (plus he is Czech).

When he signed my poster he asked me what saying I would like added: "Sweep the Leg!", "Cobra Kai Never Die!" and something else. I went with "Cobra Kai Never Die!", which I thought was perfect. It was cool meeting "one of the biggest assholes of the 80s" (Back to School, The Karate Kid, and Just One of The Guys). I also got a picture from The Karate Kid signed, but was hoping to get a nice shot from Back to School. Just shows sometimes you have to find your own item if you really want a specific movie because you can never be too sure the celebrity will provide one.

Captain America...No Not That One, The Other One

2010-04-24T20:33:00.001-07:00

Today I got to meet Peter Fonda. Instead of talking about Easy Rider like every other person probably has I decided to talk about his appearance on Californication, one of my favorite TV shows. The one thing that surprised me about his signing was that he got his own room and was charging more for people's memorabilia ( $40, which tied for the most I have spent at an autograph show, instead of $30 for his photos). That was the first time I have ever seen someone charge more for personal items, but every celebrity beats to their own drum. We briefly talked about his appearance on Californication and how it was something like, in his own words, "Saturday Night Live" where he did "his own thing that had nothing to do with the series as a whole." Still it was pretty cool, but I wished he would have signed my laserdisc bigger like I asked. These things happen, but I am still glad I got to meet someone as awesome as Peter Fonda.

Frau....Frau Leachman

2010-04-24T20:27:00.001-07:00

Today I finally got to meet Cloris Leachman after missing her at one book signing and her cancelling one right by CSUN last year. Let me say this was my worst experience for an Academy Award winner. Cloris snapped at me when I told her I wanted my photo personalized To: J-o-h-n M-i-c-h-a-e-l. She snapped, "I know how to spell" and gave off a weird vibe. Oh well, she was probably having one of those days as I met her after she did a Photo Opportunity through the show. So who knows how she was feeling. At least I got to meet a Mel Brooks alum.

Didn't You Work With John Waters?

2010-04-24T20:15:00.000-07:00

While Martin Kove was eating lunch and William Zabka was elsewhere I decided to visit Traci Lords. She was my main reason to attend the Hollywood Collector's Show on Saturday, otherwise I would have attended on Sunday. Traci was very approachable and friendly. I pulled out my Zack and Miri Make a Porno DVD, which she was happy to sign and asked what I thought of it. I told her how much I loved the movie and how awesome she was in I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell. She was shocked that I knew about that and we talked about Tucker Max for the next couple of moments.

She spoke great words about the film. We also talked about how awesome it was to work for John Waters in Cry Baby. John Waters was a treat to work with, which makes sense since he is such a down to earth guy. Originally Traci wanted to personalize the DVD, but I snapped up a headshot instead because I like personalized photos more.

You're the Best Around Mr. Ralp Macchio

2010-04-24T19:34:00.000-07:00

Today was the Hollywood Collector's Show in Burbank at the Burbank Marriott Hotel. For the past 24 hours, life has been super hectic with me attending a friend's birthday party in Burbank, taking an exam in Northridge at school, and going back to Burbank to attend the Hollywood Collector's Show. Needless to say it was pretty crazy to be back in Burbank in less than 12 hours (believe me I did the math).

But it was worth it because I got to meet Ralph Macchio, who played Daniel LaRusso in the Karate Kid films. It was Macchio's first West Coast appearance at a convention. Since I was busy this morning I decided to arrive at 2p.m. so I wouldn't catch celebrities during their lunch break. Luckily for me I arrived at the perfect time as there weren't very long lines at all.

I immediately said hello to my friends Steve, Julie and David before I walked around. David's booth was right near the Karate Kid section and I noticed no one was over there so I bolted over to meet Daniel-son. Ralph was super friendly and excited to meet me. I pulled out some Karate Kid posters and lobby cards that Ralph was amazed I had. I was surprised to find that I had so much from the Karate Kid films. Ralph even commented while signing the lobby card with Elizabeth Shue its the "Alli with an i scene." Recently, director John Avildsen sent him his test footage from that scene, which also happened to be his audition. Super cool. I love when that happens!

Party Down in Beverly Hills

2010-04-24T18:32:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday this week I attended a special screening and event for the hit Starz show Party Down at the Paley Center in Beverly Hills. The premiere episode of season two was shown with a Q & A after the screening that included Rob Thomas (co-creator/writer/director), John Enbom (co-creator/writer/producer), Dan Etheridge (co-creator/writer/producer), Adam Scott ("Henry"), Lizzy Caplan ("Casey"), Ken Marino ("Ron"), Megan Mullally ("Lydia"), Ryan Hansen ("Kyle"), and Martin Starr ("Roman"). Everyone was hilarious during the Q & A and had a good time. You could really see the great chemistry where people were feeding off each other's energy. No wonder the show is so great! Lizzy Caplan looked gorgeous despite having a cold. Ken Marino was just hilarious nonstop taking occasional bows after questions when his name was mentioned. I literally could not stop laughing during the entire Q & A.

Afterwards the majority of the cast stayed afterwards in the screening room signing autographs and taking pictures. I was able to snatch Ken Marino first and got him to sign my Party Down DVD and my Wet Hot American Summer DVD. I told him how much I loved him and for introducing me to Stella and The State. He was flattered and very excited to meet a fan. We even exchanged a handshake after we introduced ourselves, which was pretty cool. I fumbled getting my DVDs signed and really didn't have room to take a picture. It happens, but it was so cool.

Soon Lizzy Caplan came by and I was able to get her to sign my Party Down DVD. I really wanted to ask for a picture, but didn't want to push it since she was sick. I restrained myself despite other people taking pictures with her. Still she was great to talk to and super friendly. Did I mention how great she looked despite being sick? Then came one of the most awkward autographs ever...Martin Starr. I got him to sign my Party Down DVD and told him how much I loved his career especially Freaks and Geeks. He obliged and was like "thanks." We stood there for a few seconds awkwardly as neither of us could move and made eye contact a couple of times. Ironically, the episode we just watched made fun of autographs and how awkward they can be. Very weird.

Shortly thereafter Rob Thomas walked by and I was able to get my Party Down DVD and a Veronica Mars insert signed. I told him how much I appreciated Veronica Mars and how we met a couple of years ago at the Warner Bros. booth at Comic Con while promoting the Veronica Mars season 2 DVD. Martin Starr, who was still standing literally right behind me, chuckled. Rob thanked me for my kind words and I basically told him to keep up the good work.

I then realized Megan Mullally and Adam Scott were no longer there. I could care less about Megan, but wanted to talk to Adam about his ESPN spots. Oh, well! Ryan was next to me, but he was swamped by every girl in the room asking for pictures and autographs. There was no need since I already met him during the Veronica Mars signing at the Warner Bros. booth, but it sucks I didn't get him on my DVD. Still I got 3 of the 5 main cast members and Rob Thomas. Overall it was pretty cool.

After the screening, there was a Party Down media event/ party happening in the lobby of the Paley Center with cast/crew/ Starz employees. I immediately left since I had to study for a midterm. When I walked outside I noticed someone familiar, not a friend or a celebrity, but someone I read all the time. No he isn't a writer for the Los Angeles Times or anything, but Mish Mash Magazine's Mike from "Mike Gets Around." Mike's column is a blog where he details his autograph adventures. I find them very entertaining and insightful. I kept noticing we would attend some of the same signings, but had yet to bump into one another. Well, that all changed Wednesday night.

I went up to him and introduced myself as a fan of his blog. Mike was flattered that "anyone" besides his Mom reads the blog. We talked for the next ten to fifteen minutes and I gave him a few scoops about the signing situation at the Paley Center. Mike didn't attend the screening, but was outside hoping to catch a few celebrities. Not wanting to distract him too much I gave him my card and parted ways so he could catch a bite at Baja Fresh. Super fun night!

Slash Signing @ Amoeba Records on Record Store Day

2010-04-17T19:58:00.001-07:00

Bottom right hand corner is a Slash guitar pick we were given while in line

Today was the third year celebration of Record Store Day, an annual celebration of independent music stores that occurs on the third Saturday of April each year. For the past two years I have attended Record Store Day at Amoeba Records in Hollywood and today was no different. Last year I had the honor to meet one of Rock's greatest guitarists and one of my favorites, Ace Frehley. This year I got to meet one of my favorite guitarists once again, Slash.

A couple of years ago I met Slash at a book release party sponsored by Book Soup at the Whisky A Go Go, which turned out to be one of the worst and poorly organized signings I have ever attended. When it was announced Slash would be signing at Amoeba on Record Store Day I was stoked, plus it gave me a good excuse to pick up Slash's solo album (which was required to attend the signing). Luckily the day it came out I was on Spring Break and got to enjoy a nice morning in Hollywood at Amoeba.

Before I even picked up the CD I knew exactly what I wanted to bring on Record Store Day. I have a bunch of Guns N' Roses memorabilia, but my favorite is my "Appetite For Destruction" LP with the original cover (UK version, 1st pressing). I knew I had to bring it to the signing and get Slash to sign it.

For the past two weeks I couldn't wait for Record Store Day to come, but it has been a really tough week for me. Since Thursday I have been battling a cold/ giant headache since going to a bar with some of my friends Wednesday night. Needless to say it was going to be a challenging day. I woke up feeling a lot better, but still had a stuffy nose.

I left my house about 1 p.m. and got in line at Amoeba Records close to 1:35p.m. The line was a lot bigger than I imagined considering the signing was limited to the first 300 people who bought the CD and it had been sold out for quite some time. Still it was nice talking to various fans while in line. Constantly people kept commenting and asking me about my record, which was really cool. When we were finally let inside, it was close to 2:30/2:40ish. We were told Slash was not taking pictures with anyone, but it was okay to take pictures from the line (up to about ten feet away from him). When my turn came up I presented my album and it blew him away. He asked about the album and thought I was the original owner. I was flattered, but I told him I bought it at Amoeba a few months ago and today definitely made it a lot cooler. He was flattered and actually smiled for once in his signature Top Hat and shades, something I have never seen Slash do, which was pretty cool.

Afterwards I looked around for the couple exclusives I wanted, but the store had been raped and pillaged early this morning by the "eBay hounds." Several people in line showed pictures of the chaos that ensued early this morning and it just sucks, but what can you do. I did manage to pick up one exclusive along with a few CDs and DVDs, so it was well worth the trip besides the Slash signing. Now its time to rest up and get ready for another busy week.

Kick Ass Signing

2010-04-13T18:59:00.001-07:00

Two years ago while I was at Comic Con I was notified that the cast of Watchmen would be doing a signing. All you had to do was buy a Watchmen t-shirt for $25 and get a ticket for the signing. Unbeknownst to me and many others, there were three simultaneous signings happening with the "cast" at three different booths at the same time. So it was literally impossible to meet the entire cast, but as luck would have it I managed to meet the three coolest cast members: Carla Gugino "Sally Jupiter," Jeffrey Dean Morgan "The Comedian," and Jackie Earle Haley "Rorschach." The signing was more of watching them sign a Watchmen poster in front of you with security blocking you and then handing them your poster. Still I got a signed poster from the best and coolest characters.

Before Watchmen came out I was intrigued to see the movie, not stoked, but was still interested in seeing it opening night. Afterwards I was disappointed that I had seen a bad movie, but was still happy I got to meet the coolest characters. Fast forward two years.

Kick Ass is one of the most anticipated comic/graphic novel adaptations and films for 2010. When I heard there was a signing with some of the cast at the Hollywood Hot Topic I wasn't too excited because it was just "the kids" and no Nic Cage. However my mind was changed when I saw Kick Ass at a special screening with some of the cast last week. All I have to say is it's one of the best films of the year! (I may post a review later). After seeing the movie I thought to myself, "I paid $25 for a t-shirt I wasn't going to wear for a film I hadn't seen (Watchmen) and met the cast, why shouldn't I pay $25 for a t-shirt to a film that I absolutely love and meet the coolest characters?" It was decided: I would go to the Kick Ass event at the Hollywood Hot Topic.

Last Tuesday (the day after the Kick Ass screening) I came back to Hollywood to buy Slash's solo album at Amoeba Records in Hollywood to attend a signing on Record Store Day (4/17- this Saturday!!!!). Since I was going to be in the area I decided to stop by the Hollywood Hot Topic only to discover they were closed because they were remodeling and wouldn't be open until Friday (4/9). So I decided to wait until the day of the event.

Yesterday the Kick Ass event came and it went smoothly. Got there about an hour and half early to buy my Kick Ass event t-shirt and had a good spot in line. The wait went quickly since I played with my Droid, but the teenage girls behind me were extremely annoying. Still no biggie. Aaron Johnson "Kick Ass," Chloe Grace Moretz "Hit Girl" and Christopher Mintz-Plasse "Red Mist" were super friendly at the signing. People in front of me were able to get multiple things signed like their t-shirts and movie posters along with the mini poster everyone got, but I was satisfied with just getting my mini poster (No need to push it). They even took pictures with anyone who asked, which makes me kind of regret not bringing a camera (It's a lot tougher when you don't go with anyone). Chris and I talked briefly about the screening last week and everyone (Chloe and Aaron) was happy to talk to someone who had actually seen the film. Aaron and I even shook hands afterwards. Pretty cool. They signed the mini poster pretty big and gave nice looking signatures, which is pretty damn cool. Still it was weird getting autographs from three people who are younger than me: Chris and Aaron are 20 and Chloe is 13. But hey, they are pretty talented so its no biggie. I am so glad I went.

Paul Verhoeven Signing

2010-04-04T15:55:00.000-07:00

Photo of Director Paul Verhoeven @ Book Soup (Photo by David Foote)

Yesterday I attended a book signing with acclaimed director Paul Verhoeven at Book Soup and it was amazing. Since I am feeling lazy I have only posted pictures.

Jennifer Love Hewitt Signing

2010-03-28T18:32:00.001-07:00

Jennifer Love Hewitt Ghost Whisperer signed poster from Comic Con a few years ago.

Guidelines for book signing, which made me sad because I couldn't get my I Know What You Did Last Summer DVD signed.

Jennifer Love Hewitt signed book. Her signature this time was actually written out.

I really don't know what I should and shouldn't say about this signing. A couple of years ago I ditched Jennifer Love Hewitt's signing at Comic Con to meet the cast of Veronica Mars instead despite being tenth in line. My friend Mike was kind enough to get my poster signed, which I later thanked him by getting him a Playboy signed by Hugh Hefner and the Girls Next Door. So for quite sometime I have really wanted another opportunity to meet one of my favorite actresses of the 90s.

When Jennifer Love Hewitt's book came out I knew she was going to be doing a tour to promote it. When her tour was announced I was really excited to find out she would be stopping by the Barnes & Noble at the Grove and Northridge Borders in March. I chose the Northridge stop, but I think that is the last time I ever show up to a signing there. Why do I mention it? Incompetence is probably the best explanation.

I have gone to many book signings, but never have I dealt with such poorly disorganized signings than at the Northridge Borders. Considering they hold many signings they don't seem to know how to properly organize any event. The other time I went was for Jason Schwartzman's signing/reading back in November. At that event, the "signing line" was switched about a dozen times with no real reason because none of the event staff/coordinators knew how to organize the event. Two other events I planned on attending were cancelled last minute and another three were "too confusing" with way too many guidelines.

The same happened with the Jennifer Love Hewitt signing. Red wristbands were given out first then orange and green. Everyone was told (twice) to go upstairs once you had your wristband. After waiting 30 minutes, people who did not have red wristbands were told to go outside the store and wait in a "line" near Wood Ranch. None of this was mentioned before and made no sense at all. But what pissed me off more was having several (literally) people touch my book before Jennifer signed it. Is that really necessary? Considering the event coordinator used to be at the Westwood Borders, it's no wonder why she is at the Northridge store. The signing was so quick and everyone was forced out. Jennifer barely acknowledged he fans and there was no room to take any pictures. I was lucky to snap the few photos I have above. All I can say is: "I am NEVER going to a signing event at the Northridge Borders again!" (Only As a Last Resort!)

Meeting one of the "Queens of Noise"

2010-03-23T21:53:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I had the pleasure to meet former Runnaways' lead singer Cherie Curie at Book Soup while she was promoting the newly revised edition of Neon Angel, the memoir that inspired The Runaways movie starring Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie and Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett.

I debated about attending the signing after so much hassle I faced on Tuesday when I went to Jeff Garlin's book signing at Book Soup. Last Tuesday a large chunk of Sunset Blvd. was closed (because of a small fire) and resulted in traffic being diverted. I was delayed about 45 minutes before I arrived at Book Soup. However, that wasn't the main reason for my hesitation. The LA Marathon was the same day and there were signs posted all over Sunset Blvd from Fairfax down that Sunset Blvd would be closed until 4pm on Sunday, the same day as the Cherie Currie signing. The signing was supposed to start at 4p.m. After thinking long and hard I decided to go for it.

When I arrived about 3:30 p.m., there was a decent line waiting outside. Cherie Currie was supposed to be doing a signing only. All across the shop there were signs saying no memorabilia will be signed, which makes me glad I couldn't find a Runaways album. But I was surprised when we were all being ushered into the store to crunch and gather around a podium. We were literally all on top of one another with no air conditioning- not a pleasant sight. Cherie Currie came out and answered questions for twenty or so minutes before signing copies of her book, Neon Angel.

The way we had crunched into the store, everyone lost their place in line and the line became completely disorganized. We were divided into two lines, with one person from each line going up to Cherie. As people approached Cherie Currie, she graciously signed copies of her book and took time with each individual fan. She even posed for photos, but wasn't signing any memorabilia. Book Soup employees stopped people from presenting albums and said "she isn't signing any memorabilia."

This one feminine guy in front of me was super nervous to meet Cherie Currie. Let me be completely forward right now. I have seen a lot of things happen at signings: shaking, twitching, sweating,hugging, kissing, shell-shock, super talkative individuals, pushing, shoving, quiet people, etc. But I have NEVER, EVER seen someone (in public) breakdown and cry at a signing. That is what this guy did when he came up to meet Cherie Currie. He literally burst into tears when Cherie was signing his book and became a wreck. Cherie tried consoling him while he was in tears and even managed to get his album signed. She discretely signed it and took a pictiure with him afterwards, fully embracing him. I couldn't believe it. I had OFFICIALLY SEEN my first BREAKDOWN at a signing.

When my turn came I just handed her my friend's copy (the main reason why I came) and my copy of the book. After talking about music for a minute or so I thanked her. She was very sweet and friendly, which kind of makes me sad that I didn't bring my camera. O, well! Still it was really fun to meet a Runaway.

Yesterday I finally finished reading Neon Angel and I loved it! Talk about an interesting memoir. I delayed writing this blog because I wanted to finish the book before writing this entry. Well worth it! On Friday I plan on seeing the movie too, so this week really has been an unofficial Runaways week.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T20:14:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone has a wonderful, fun and SAFE St. Patrick's Day!

Jeff Garlin @ Book Soup

2010-03-16T22:38:00.000-07:00

Tonight I attended Jeff Garlin's book signing at Book Soup. It was awesome! I got Jeff to sign his new book, My Footprint and also got him to sign a copy of The Soloist. Some of you might be saying The Soloist was written by Steve Lopez, what does Jeff have to do with it? Yes, that is correct and my copy is also signed, but there is a very good reason why I got Jeff to sign it.

Several months ago I attended the Upright Citizen's Brigade (UCB) Theater and saw Jeff Garlin's Combo Platter. During the show, Jeff Garlin gave out various personal items like hats, DVDs of films he was in and books. I was one of the very few who was fortunate to get an item in the audience. As a matter of fact, Jeff even commented that "I was the quietest person ever to accept an item at one of his shows." I found that hysterical and later mentioned the story when I met him at Susie Essman's book signing at the Westwood Borders, when he signed a Curb Your Enthusiasm DVD for me.

After Jeff personalized my book I told him I had a strange request and pulled out my copy of The Soloist. He was flattered that I brought it and even joked how funny/appropriate it was that I brought it to Book Soup because it was signed by Steve Lopez at Book Soup. We joked about it and I thanked him for introducing UCB to me. Jeff Garlin was extremely friendly and truly a great guy. Jeff was kind enough to take a picture with me afterwards.

A heads up to anyone that likes Jeff Garlin, Book Soup and/or book groups: Jeff Garlin is starting a book group at Book Soup with the first book What Makes Sammy Run? as the first book. The first meeting will occur tentatively on May 8, 2010. Book Soup will post further information on its website.

So cool. I can't wait!

Curb Your Enthusiasm Paley Fest

2010-03-16T21:56:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a day I had been anticipating for the past two months. Originally I planned on attending Comedy Death Ray Presents Michael Cera at the Silent Movie Theater, but once I heard about Paley Fest- attending the Curb Your Enthusiasm event became a priority. After getting my ticket I was super stoked and couldn't wait to see Larry David live.

Two weeks ago I attended the Community event at Paley Fest (which was very last minute) and had an amazing time. I was hoping to have a similar experience, but had a feeling it wouldn't be as smooth. My seat was further back in the rear orchestra instead of third row, but a great seat nonetheless. I didn't receive a program book this time, probably due to the fact they ran out and/or it was the last night of programming, but was glad I brought my sixth season DVD of Curb Your Enthusiasm just in case for autographs. You never know.

Considering Season 7 just ended I was curious what kind of footage they would show before the Q & A with the cast. Before the presentation they showed an old episode of Fridays with Larry David (with hair!) and it was Hi-Larry-ous! So cool to see what Larry David looked like in the early 1980s before Seinfeld. Afterwards, they wound up showing a compilation of old clips from Curb. Once the clips ended, the cast was introduced: Bob Einstein, Richard Lewis, Susie Essman, Cheryl Hines, Jeff Garlin and Larry David . Bob and Richard told great anecdotes. They were by far the funniest there. They were so funny Jeff was bursting out in tears from laughing so hard. It was well worth attending!

Once the Q & A was over, most of the cast left immediately despite very few people really wanting autographs. The majority of the people were diheard autograph collectors and dealers with stacks of photos/posters for cast members to sign. It kind of makes sense why Larry David and the cast would leave quickly especially with these "fans" rushing the stage immediately once the presentation ended. Larry David rushed out of there, Richard Lewis signed a couple of autographs, while almost everyone else signed for a couple of minutes. Bob Einstein was signing autographs as Marty Funkhouser and I got him to sign my DVD. Cheryl Hines was kind enough to sign my DVD as well and left shortly thereafter. Handlers, assistants, and security really escorted the cast out. Jeff Garlin and Susie Essman signed autographs, went backstage and came back out again to sign for people. Jeff, Susie, and Bob stayed the longest signing autographs. I only stayed there for five minutes and left after getting Bob and Cheryl since I already met Jeff and Susie before. As you can see I didn't take any pictures because it wasn't worth me pulling out my camera.

Glad I went, but talk about a totally different experience at Paley Fest. All I can say is I can't wait until next year. I will definitely be checking to see what other future events will be happening at the Paley Center.

RIP Mark Linkous

2010-03-08T20:19:00.000-08:00

My copy of Dark Night of the Soul signed by Danger Mouse, Mark Linkous and David Lynch

Last week while in my mythology class I read some great news that Dark Night of the Soul would finally be released on CD later this year. Sparklehorse's Dark Night of the Soul became infamous last year when record company EMI refused to release the album over a dispute with producer Danger Mouse a.k.a. Brian Burton (from Gnarls Barkley). The dispute stemmed from Danger Mouse's The Grey Album, a mash-up of The Beatles' White Album and Jay-Z's Black Album. Burton then encouraged fans to burn the leaked album . After nine long months, the dispute has been settled, but over the weekend things went from sweet to sour when it was announced Mark Linkous, singer-songwriter of Sparklehorse, had committed suicide at the age of 47 in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Yesterday when I woke up, I was puzzled why some people were talking about Mark Linkous on Facebook and how we had "lost a great artist." The name seemed to ring a bell, but I couldn't place it at first. After stumbling upon Rolling Stone it hit me, he was the leader of Sparklehorse. I couldn't believe it. Before last year I hadn't listen to Sparklehorse, but immediately fell in love with the band and especially the album Dark Night of the Soul. The album features collaborations by James Mercer of The Shins, Julian Casablancas of The Strokes, Frank Black of The Pixies, Iggy Pop, Vic Chesnutt, and David Lynch to name a few. Dark Night of the Soul was the best album of last year that was never released. It's absolutely brilliant and very thought provoking! Some of the best tracks are "Just War," "Little Girl," "Angel's Harp," "Pain," and "Insane Lullaby." Like others I hoped it would be released before 2010. As a result, I left it off my Top 10 List of 2009 because it was never "officially released." However, it would have been in the top 3 if I had included it. It's a MUST LISTEN!

On July 7, 2009, I had the pleasure to meet Mark Linkous, Danger Mouse and David Lynch at the Dark Night of the Soul book signing at Book Soup in Hollywood. The Dark Night of the Soul book is a 100 page book of photographs that was supposed to accompany the album, but a blank CD-R was included instead (so fans could burn the album) and was limited to 5,000 copies. Brian Burton a.k.a. Danger Mouse, the producer of the album, was very optimistic and super friendly when I met him, while Mark was more quiet and reclusive. Still I thanked both for making a great album. I treasure that moment even more now. (You can read more about the signing in the blog I posted on 7/7/2009).

To make matters worse, Linkous was nearly finished on a new album for Anti-Records. Luckily, he has left us a great body of work to enjoy. We have truly lost a fantastic and innovative musician. Rest in Peace Mark Linkous (1962-2010).

Community Paley Fest

2010-03-03T23:04:00.001-08:00

Gillian Jacobs signed on the bottom left, Ken Jeong scribbled across Gillian's face, Dan Harmon signed the top left, Chevy Chase signed across Gillian's body while Joel McHale and Donald Glover signed on their characters.

Ken did not fully sign across the stage and jumped off at one point to make it easier to sign autographs and take pictures. This was like a minute before everyone got kicked out. Ken Jeong was literally the last person to leave.

Sometimes the most screwed up and last minute plans turn into the best. That was the case with me attending Paley Fest this year for the Community event. When Paley Fest was first announced I was stoked to see Community as one of the events, but was not thrilled about the prices. However, another one of my favorite shows, Curb Your Enthusiasm, was also slated for programming. Immediately I planned on get tickets to go see Curb no matter the cost because that is my favorite show on television. Once tickets went on sale I wasn't able to get a front row orchestra ticket to Curb Your Enthusiasm, but still managed to get an orchestra seat. Still I was stoked I would finally be able to attend Paley Fest and see Larry David live!

A few weeks passed and my father noticed something in the Los Angeles Times advertising Paley Fest. For a limited time, all remaining seats to ALL Paley Fest events would be $15. Immediately I bought myself a front orchestra ticket for Community at $15 instead of paying $75. Talk about seizing a moment!

Considering I only had two weeks to prepare for the event I scrambled to find something Community for the cast to sign in case I got the opportunity to meet them. Before the event happened tonight, only Joel McHale and Chevy Chase were the only two publicly confirmed, so it was kind of a shot in the dark. After several mishaps with possible items I just decided on bringing blank index cards along with a couple of DVDs (The Hangover- Ken Jeong, Caddyshack and Fletch- Chevy Chase) and my Choke book (for Gillian Jacobs to sign) so I could be prepared in case they didn't have a program book (When I got to the event they handed everyone a program book).

With my index cards, pens, sharpies, DVD covers, book, Mapquest directions, camera and ticket, I headed off to Beverly Hills. By the way, if you have a general idea how to get to a place you have never been, go with your gut and don't listen to Mapquest- they just give you complicated directions.

4:35 p.m.

Just entered the freeway and have been listening to Green day's 21st Century Breakdown CD.

5:05

Getting ready to take the Oxnard Exit and enter Laurel Canyon. So far I have had not trouble with traffic and everything is going smoothly.

5:30

Almost at the Saban Theatre, but traffic is almost unbearable now with people not knowing how to handle everyone around them. Got to love Hollywood traffic during gridlock.

5:37

Where else can you pass Trashy Lingerie, Bloomingdales, and Johnny Rockets all in a 1/4 mile stretch? Only in Beverly Hills.

5:42

Arrive at Saban Theatre and park down the street. I am pleasantly surprised parking is only $10. Finished Green Day and just started LMFAO.

5:44

Got in line with about 20 or 30 people in front of me. I look like an idiot as I appear to be the only one not wearing a jacket or sweatshirt.

6:00ish

Enter the theater and pick a seat, only to realize that my ticket is better and move up 7 aisles to the third row stage right ( a.k.a. the left side if you enter the theater).

About 7:00 p.m.

Dan Harmon introduces the "Physical Education" episode (#18), which has yet to air. The episode is hilarious and definitely one of the funniest episodes thus far.

After that, the cast slowly came out one by one including Chevy Chase, Ken Jeong, Gillian Jacobs, Joel McHale, Donald Glover, and Dan Harmon (creator). Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Alison Brie were working tonight so they could not make it, but several of the producers were also able to attend.

Chevy Chase was hysterical on stage and totally stole the show during the Q & A. He fell over in his chair, pretended being deaf, passed out money to "help his cast members out", mocked Ken Jeong (who was sitting next to him) in a playful manner when Jeong talked, etc. It was really entertaining and the cast did a great job keeping up. By the way, Gillian Jacobs looked stunning in her blue dress and it was very difficult to pay attention to anyone else.

Donald Glover, Ken Jeong, Chevy Chase and Dan Harmon really played off each other really well. They all have great comedic chemistry with one another and it's great to see that. Chevy even mentioned that this cast has brought his comedy to a whole new level over his SNL days. WOW!!!!

After about a dozen questions, the cast stood around and signed autographs/taking pictures with everyone. I was able to get Dan Harmon to come over ( when it seemed like he was getting ready to go backstage and leave) and sign my program book, which was pretty cool. We literally talked for five minutes about Channel 101 and the Heat Vision and Jack movie, which never happened. It was cool learning how much trouble there was in trying to get a movie made after the pilot bombed and how two attempts were made at reviving it as a series/movie. I learned they are working on a possible way to resurrect it as a cartoon series with the cast returning and doing voice-overs like the Star Wars cartoon. From there, who knows, but they are trying to get the ball rolling. In retrospect I probably should have gotten a picture with him, but talking to Dan Harmon was just amazing nonetheless. He was so cool and down to earth.

Then I got Donald Glover and briefly talked about the comedy troupe he is in, Derrick Comedy and their movie, The Mystery Team. He was stoked to talk about it and passed along the info that it is coming to the Nuart Theater next week and later this month on DVD. He was super cool. I was able to get a picture with him the second time he came around.

Gillian Jacobs did her best to sign autographs for everyone and really didn't take any pictures. I was bummed because I was really hoping to get a picture with her and/or Alison Brie, but obviously the latter would have been impossible. I can completely understand because the cast literally had to get on their knees and/or squat to take pictures with fans. There was no way Gillian could do that in her blue dress, but I still managed to get her to sign my program book.

Chevy Chase moved like a mad man across the stage signing autographs. I was able to get him to sign my program book and tried to get my Fletch DVD cover signed for my mom. I tried getting him to personalize it, but he refused because "then everyone would want personalizations". I can understand his point with him trying to sign as many things as possible, but then again it shows I was a true fan. Besides my mom will still love that I got her a DVD signed.

Joel McHale and Ken Jeong were the most personable people besides Dan Harmon, taking pictures and signing autographs for everyone that wanted one. Joel was kind enough to sign my program book and I also got a photo with him. Joel and Ken were literally crawling across stage to sign autographs/take pictures with fans. I was able to get Ken to sign my Hangover DVD and my program, but he literally just marked my program because he was getting rushed out/ kicked out by security.

Overall it was an amazing night and I can hardly wait for the new episode of Community tomorrow and for the Curb Your Enthusiasm event on 3/14! Definitely recommend the Paley Fest!

A Single Man Screening with Colin Firth

2010-02-15T23:15:00.001-08:00

A picture David took after I got Colin Firth to sign my DVDs in the lobby

Sometimes last minute things are the best things to plan for. Last week my friend David mentioned to me that Colin Firth was doing a Q & A at the Laemmle Sunset 5 on February 15th. Initially I was puzzled because I knew the Aero Theater was doing a retrospective for Colin Firth about that time (sometime this week) and the Los Angeles Landmark was also doing a Q & A on the 15th for A Single Man. After checking it out, Colin Firth was going to do back-to-back Q & A's across town with the Sunset 5 screening being the second one.

After debating about it for a couple of days I was won over for several reasons:
1) The location is great and a cool theater I just don't visit often enough
2) Time: I wouldn't have to rush over there for a 7:30pm screening instead of a 5pm screening
3) Very intimate theater and very relaxing too
4) Good excuse to finally see A Single Man.

So I bought my ticket and decided to meet up with my friend David on Monday night. After arriving and parking my car I met up with David in line. There was between ten to twenty people already lined up outside for the screening and were all big Colin Firth fans, which is always cool to see. I like going to events with real fans because it makes the experience so much better.

After being let into the theater, we were in for a real treat. A Single Man is one of the best films of 2009 for sure. Colin Firth is amazing in Tom Ford's directorial debut and absolutely deserves his nomination 100%. On top of a stellar performance by Firth, the film is visually stunning and one of the best I have seen in years. Anyone who appreciates cinematography and visually stunning films, go see A Single Man- you will not be disappointed.

The Q & A started shortly after the movie ended with Colin Firth looking very distinguished as he sat in front of the audience. He answered questions for about twenty minutes before staying afterwards to sign autographs and take pictures. It was cool because Colin Firth was very relaxed and didn't seemed rushed at all. He loved the fan interaction and there weren't any autograph dealers at the screening at all, which was a huge plus too! Colin graciously signed and took pictures until theater employees kicked out everyone to leave because they needed to clean up the place. Most people left the area, including myself and David, and waited in the lobby for Colin to come out. After waiting a few minutes, Colin Firth came out and apologized that he has to leave another way, but thanked everyone for coming. I quickly got his attention and got him to sign two DVDs for me, Love Actually (One of my favorite films) and Mamma Mia!, which he graciously signed. I thanked him for being so kind and commended him on his great performance. He is a true gentleman! I have not heard one bad thing about any British actor/actress at Q & A's and Colin Firth keeps the reputation alive. He just got a little bit more awesome in my book.

The one downside was I double paid for parking afterwards. I was pissed to find out that it's now entirely automated parking and you have to use a pay station. What is even more frustrating is to find out that you only get 10 minutes to leave the parking structure. It doesn't help when it takes five minutes to take the elevator and another couple to locate your car. I was pissed when I found out I had to pay another $1.50 with a credit card after paying cash, literally 15 minutes before. Why 10 minutes instead of 20 minutes? That was just ridiculous, but I had a good time nonetheless.

February Hollywood Collector's Show

2010-02-13T17:47:00.000-08:00

Today I got to meet Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick, and Verne Troyer. I also had planned to meet Vincet Pastore and Corey Feldman, but Mr. Pastore cancelled and Corey showed up super late, which changed my mind to get his autograph and wait for another opportunity. Robert Patrick was super excited to be there and was glad to met his fans. He was so down to earth and just a great all around guy. The same can be said about Linda Hamilton and Michael Biehn. It was a fun, exciting day despite it not going as planned.

Gene Simmons/ Paul Stanley Signing

2010-02-09T15:23:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I visited one of my favorite places, the Barnes & Noble at the Grove, to meet two of my favorite musicians, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. Simmons and Stanley were promoting and signing copies of KISS Kompendium, which is a giant book that has every KISS comic book inside.

Last week I had the honor of meeting Ozzy Osbourne and now I was going to meet two members of my favorite band, KISS. I have met Gene Simmons a couple of times and he is just what you would expect- arrogant, egotistical and awesome. On the other hand, I have never met Paul Stanley and really wanted to meet him so I decided to attend the event. If it weren't for Paul Stanley showing up to the signing I would have attended the Quentin Tarantino retrospective at the Egyptian Theater, where Quentin was doing a Q & A after Pulp Fiction and Inglorious Basterds. So I left early to make sure I would get a good spot in line.

Like last week I left a couple of hours early, but had no trouble parking at the Grove. I made my way towards Barnes & Noble and picked up my copy of Kiss Kompendium. The line was not bad at all, but makes sense considering the book was $75 if you weren't a Barnes & Noble member. All I have to say is thank you membership card for saving me 20%. After waiting around for maybe an hour or so it was announced at about 6 p.m. that Paul Stanley would not be showing up because he was sick. Immediately I started contemplating about returning the book, but decided to stay since I was already there. I hoped this now meant that I could get one of my CD booklets signed and/or get another picture with Gene. After the event coordinator announced that Gene would only be signing copies of the book I started to have doubts.

To pass the time the guys around me thoroughly discussed our KISS stories of meeting various members and had a blast reminiscing about our cool anecdotes. Before we knew it, Gene showed up and signed autographs throughout the line. Instead of standing behind a table, he literally went from person to person signing books and taking pictures with all the fans. I found that to be really cool of Gene to graciously take pictures for the hundred or so fans there. He was truly a nice guy and definitely made it worthwhile to stay.

Oscar Predictions

2010-02-06T11:45:00.000-08:00

This Tuesday was one of those busy days for me, but I wasn't too busy checking out the Oscar nominations on my Droid when I woke up. After cursing a couple of times and let out a couple of WTFs I started to mull over who has the best options to win and decided to boldly pick my winners already. I have not changed my opinion since Tuesday morning and now I can finally publish my thoughts after a hectic week.

Why the Blind Side was nominated for Best Picture is beyond me, but the choices for Best Picture are just as questionable as last year when the Reader was nominated instead of The Dark Knight, which is one reason why we have 10 nominees this year. But the Blind Side, An Education, A Serious Man, and Up being nominated makes me wonder what the Academy is thinking. I do realize they are trying to reach the widest possible audience, but The Hangover and Star Trek get ignored? I am not a Sci-fi fan at all (I think Star Wars is just okay), but why can't comedy be considered and is ignored time and time again? That just pissed me off. Up I agree is one of the best films out there, but that's why there was a BEST ANIMATED FEATURE category created so I don't know why they would allow that film to take the spot for a REAL film. But I digress.

It's down to Avatar versus The Hurt Locker. No one else stands a real chance, but I realistically think it's: AVATAR. What it's going to come down to is I don't think Avatar and The Hurt Locker will not win both BEST DIRECTOR and BEST PICTURE. I have a feeling it will be Brokeback Mountain all over again, where the Academy is divided evenly split down the middle.
Realistically I think Kathryn Bigelow will win BEST DIRECTOR, but loses out on BEST PICTURE to ex-hubby James Cameron for Avatar.

BEST ACTOR- Jeff Bridges
BEST ACTRESS- Merryl Streep beats Sandra Bullock
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS- Mo'Nique
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR- Christoph Waltz

Jeff Bridges easily wins because he has no real competition. Meryl Streep is a far better actress than Sandra Bullock and the Academy knows that in the long run. It's only because of the box office success that she is even mentioned. Mo'Nique has practically won every award possible for her role in Precious and if that weren't enough the competition is not impressive. Christoph Waltz dominated his performance and was the real reason to see Inglorious Basterds, not Brad Pitt. Even back in August when I saw this I thought to myself, "My God! This guy totally deserves an Oscar!"

As for screenplays I am really torn on this one. I think for ADAPTED SCREENPLAY its going either to District 9 or Up in the Air. There has been so much love and appreciation for both, but my gut says it will go to Up in the Air for Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner. For original screenplay, it will go one of three ways: The Hurt Locker, Inglorious Basterds or A Serious Man. The Coen Brothers are 3 for 4 right now for Best Screenplay Oscars and have a good chance to win once again. Quentin Tarantino has also won prior (with Roger Avary) for Pulp Fiction, but can he pull it off since Basterds has been compared to Pulp this award seasons? Then there is Mark Boal who has only written one prior screenplay, In the Valley of Elah. The Coen Brothers have the best chance in my mind, but Boal may win if The Hurt Locker gets shut out by Cameron with Tarantino as a wild card.

Meeting Ozzy: or Meeting the Most Famous John Michael

2010-02-06T11:00:00.001-08:00

On Tuesday this week I finally got to meet one of my favorite musicians, Ozzy Osbourne at Book Soup. Ozzy is considered the godfather of metal music and in my book, the coolest person ever to be named John Michael. Yes, both Ozzy and I share the same name (R.E.M's lead singer Michael Stipe is also another John Michael).

Back when I was in middle school I always loved music, but never really discovered it. I only knew a few bands by name and knew a lot of lyrics to songs, but was horrible at the names of songs. That started to change around the time when a little TV show on MTV started, "The Osbournes." Yes, I became a big fan of Ozzy's after watching the show and really began to appreciate his body of work. It was during a haircut when I was reading a copy of Rolling Stone that Ozzy went from a "reality TV dad" to complete badass when I learned his birth name was John Michael. From that moment on I have been following his career and truly became a huge fan of Black Sabbath and his solo work.

But I digress. For the past couple of months I had been anticipating this signing after checking Book Soup's website. Originally I had planned to attend the Autograph Nationals on March 20th in Pasadena to get my chance to meet Ozzy since he would be doing a signing there. But once news broke about the book signing I put all my efforts to attending that so I wouldn't have to drive out to Pasadena just for Ozzy in March. Plus I would be provided with an opportunity to meet Ozzy a month early by attending the book signing. So I started to plan.

Originally I intended to buy two books, one personalized and one to put away. I like doing that because then I can enjoy reading a copy without worrying about ruining a copy of the book. Also I had planned to bring my "Blizzard of Oz" promo album to see if Ozzy would sign it since I like collecting autographed albums. But as the event grew closer, so did the restrictions: First it became a 5 book limit, then a no memorabilia policy (Only his book would be signed), then no posed photos (but photos from the line okay), then it became a two book limit and the one that pissed me off- NO PERSONALIZATIONS! I was stunned and appalled that I couldnt get a book, "To John Michael- Ozzy Osbourne" One of the main reasons was to get a personalized copy, but now that wasn't going to happen. Still I decided to go because you never know what might happen.

When the day came I decided to leave a few hours early because I knew there was going to be a long line and I knew I would have trouble parking. It took me an hour and a half to park my car after leaving three hours early and the line was gigantic- it's the longest line I have ever seen at Book Soup. To get an idea where my place was in line, there were about 500-700ish people in front of me and a couple of hundred people behind me as well. It was going to be a long night. The people who were around me were pretty awesome as we talked about our favorite Ozzy experiences, the Super Bowl, music, the signing, etc. I even joked at one point it would be funny if it wasn't Ozzy doing the signing, but Sharon, Jack and Kelly Osbourne doing the signing in drag pretending to be Ozzy. It was a funny notion, but the idea that Ozzy was going to sign the 1200+ copies Book Soup seemed a little far fetched- even for more. But the line moved pretty steady and Ozzy even started signing early to get things underway.

I was supposed to meet my friend David and didnt notice him until I was about 30th or so in the line to enter Book Soup. I decided to ditch my new friends and hung out with David until we met Ozzy. Once we got up to Ozzy the whole thing became anticlimatic as we were rushed through to place our books down and pushed aside. You barely had a chance to say hello. I managed to get off two pictures, but was bummed I couldn't get a picture with him, couldn't get a personalization and didn't even get to say "My name is John Michael too!" Afterwards David and I discussed how rushed that was and discussed the Autograph Nationals. I am now definitely going just so I can meet Ozzy once again and say wassup. Still it was cool, but I wished I could have interacted with him instead of being pushed away. Signings like that just suck, but I understand there are over a thousand people thinking the same thing. Oh well, it's just one of those things.

My 30 Day Experiment of Being a Vegetarian

2010-01-31T16:53:00.001-08:00

To Whom It May Concern:

Over two months ago I contemplated becoming a vegetarian after attending a book signing with Alicia Silverstone (Star of "Clueless) back in November 2009. It was during her Q & A at Book Soup that I began to legitimately question whether or not I could successfully become a vegetarian, albeit temporarily. When I started to mull over the possibility of undergoing this challenge I asked some of my closest friends what they would think IF I were to become a VEGETARIAN for a month or so. The responses were overwhelming and shocking to say the least and usually went along the lines of "There is no f*****g way you could do it." That motivated me even more that I wanted to undertake this challenge, thus I did it.

I am going to be honest, I love meat, especially red meat and poultry. Chicken is probably one of my favorite things to eat besides steak. In a typical day it is pretty common for me to eat only meat and very, very few fruits and vegetables. So doing this was going to be a big challenge. After testing the waters with my friends' responses I decided to go for it starting New Year's Day and began to prepare myself in December 2009. As soon as I got done with my last final on December 14th, I really went all out eating as many different types of meat as I could including having two filet mignons the day before New Year's Eve. Crawfish, shellfish, chicken, beef, steak, shrimp, sushi, etc. I pretty much ate it all. But on New Year's Eve I was ready to go when the clock struck 12:01 a.m.

Only my closest friends knew I was doing this before New Year's Eve, but on that day I publicly admitted online (here and on Facebook) what my New Year's Resolution was going to be. Once it became 2010, it was a whole new world for me. The day started off horrible for me as one of my friends accidentally woke me up at 8:30 a.m. when he decided to leave the couch and go home. It was bad enough I had gone to bed maybe four or five hours ago when I crashed at my friend's New Year's Party, but to be woken up on a loveseat with a hangover wasn't exactly how I imagined 2010 would start. As soon as I sobered up and got home my dad offered to make me bacon and I just felt sick to my stomach, but I am pretty sure it was the tequilla still in my system. Nauseated and tired I soon began to question whether or not becoming a vegetarian for the next 30 days would be a wise decision. As the ensuing days would prove, being a vegetarian is no easy task at all.

On the second day, my friend Kent and I decided to eat at Quizno's, which proved to be a huge challenge. As I learned that day, Quizno's no longer has the soup bread bowls and I was forced with literally two options, soup or salad- that's it (A few weeks later I discovered at another Quizno's located in Simi Valley that they do in fact have a vegetarian sandwhich). I decided to order a small side salad and bowl of soup since they had a special of 2 for $5. Completely forgetting to ask for no chicken or bacon on my salad I was pleased to spend an extra fifteen minutes picking through my salad to remove every single piece of chicken and bacon. For whatever reason, they decided to make them the tiniest pieces so that "customers could have chicken in every bite."

Kent soon commented, "Dude, I don't know how you're doing that. I would just give up and eat the whole thing rather than pick at it like you. I won't tell anyone if you do."

"Kent, if I am going to cheat and ruin this whole thing I am going all out. I will go to Wood Ranch, The Palm, Morton's Steakhouse or someplace like Saddle Ranch ordering a nice juicy steak or two. Not a stupid chicken salad with bacon at Quizno's. Besides I couldn't and will not cheat on this experience because that completely defeats this whole experience."

And I didn't. This entire time I stayed restrained and never really felt tempted until around day 17 or so. I wrote daily blogs of what I ate and sometimes gave some insight on my activities to stay motivated and keep with it.

In the beginning I was extremely frustrated with people thinking I was a vegan instead of a vegetarian. I will admit I have mocked both lifestyles and would confuse them on purpose just to piss off someone. In some cases... who am I kidding, in almost every case, I would call them hippies. God gave us the earth and the earth gave us animals. Animals give us meat, so therefore God gave us meat. So why question God? In addition to ridiculing and mocking these lifestyles I was always genuinely intrigued what would make someone give up meat and in some cases, anything and everything produced by animals. I remember one day when I was having dinner with my friends Amber and Casey at California Vegan and asked them when two overweight girls came in, "Hey I have a quick question, Casey. Why are there so many fat 'vegetarians' out there? Isn't that counterproductive?"

First off, both Amber and Casey laughed before replying. Casey answered, "What happens is that most people pig out on dairy products and carbohydrates to get full. They over consume and overindulge in dairy products, which are high in fat and don't do anything about it. In most cases, they are eating three or four times what they should be eating and actually eat less fruits and vegetables."

So when I decided to take this challenge, I seriously tried to avoid eating too much dairy products and eat a balanced meal as possible. Since I could not eat meat I used Muscle Milk and nuts to supplement my diet to get the protein I needed. It was during the last two weeks where that became a challenge avoiding dairy products with easy to make/accessible items like grilled cheese sandwiches, nachos, quesadillas, enchiladas, etc. In the beginning I lost a good amount of weight by eating "rabbit food," but that was countered with eating stuff like quesadillas and "midnight snacks."

The problem with converting to vegetarianism was most food that you can have doesn't really fill you up. This was a problem because I was naturally up all hours of the night going out and coming home. I actually found myself eating a lot more late at night when I didn't have a "full" dinner. Other than that I really didn't change my lifestyle too much besides not eating any meat. I cut out alcohol for the most part with the exception of one party and two "birthday" celebrations (Jan 22 and Jan 23), but even then it was nothing more than a couple of drinks. Over the past month I maybe have had a total of 10 drinks, not counting New Year's Day. I probably should have planned out my meals more and gone to the gym more regularly, but I wanted to keep it as balanced as possible. Every Friday or at least once a week I did do open gym volleyball, which was one of the few constants.

As the month long challenge came to and end, I got anxious when I could consume meat once again. Yesterday I even got some extra Chicken from Hawaii BBQ when I got my parents their dinner just so I could have something at 12:01a.m. this morning. It was bad, but I believe I totally deserved it. Despite having a guilty pleasure really early, I really enjoyed the whole vegetarian experience.

For the past couple of paragraphs I summed up some of the things I have experienced, but there are a few things I would like to discuss:

1) I had a lot more energy than I normally do from eating so many fruits and vegetables. On some days I was getting anywhere from 2 to 5 times the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables. I was bursting with energy everyday.

2) There is a huge difference between vegetarianism, veganism and not eating red meat. So often people would ask me, are you eating any chicken or fish? No, that defeats the purpose of saying you are a vegetarian. You are just someone who doesn't eat red meat so stop lying!

3) Hello, I am a vegetarian. If you go out to eat, be honest that you have peculiar eating habits and don't surprise people with it. Back when I was a freshman in college this happened to me several times (when I dated four vegetarians and one vegan in a row) and is one of the reasons why I underwent this task. I vividly remember one date where I took a girl out to a Chinese restaurant and there was literally only two things she could eat. We had hung out before and she "allegedly" said something about being a vegetarian when she ordered a cheese quesadilla, but none of my friends or I remembered that when I asked about the situation. Still I experienced this a couple of times and a few of my friends accomadated me when they wanted to eat at "Meat Only" places, where nothing else was really available, and instead we went to "vegetarian friendly" places.

4) Most restaurants and fast food places DO NOT HAVE vegetarian/vegan friendly menus at all. Like Quizno's and the "Date from Vegetarian hell," I was forced to have limited options in most cases where I could literally only eat only three or four things on the entire menu. It's tough and now I have literally been in other people's shoes having ordered from the other side. So try and be considerate. It's not as easy as you think.

5) I tried a lot of new and interesting food. I ate tofu (twice!), eggplant, and a bunch of other interesting food that I came across when I visited various restaurants. Whole Foods and Fresh N Easy were two awesome places I NOW LIKE. The whole experience totally opened my eyes to try new foods that don't look and/sound appealing and to not be afraid to ask for food recommendations. The worst was a GREEN TEA FRAPPUCINO at Starbucks- NEVER, EVER GET THAT!!!!!!!!!!! So bad!

6) Trying old things in a new way made a difference and made it easier. Vegetarian pizza is like normal pizza, but without the meat and is perfect if you like pizza with everything. Get a cheese/vegetable quesadilla and it will be a LOT better than just a plain old cheese quesadilla especially at Baja Fresh.

7) ASK BEFORE ORDERING. A few times I ordered salads and was shocked, both in restaurants and in fast food, when meat was included on something you never thought of. In one case I ordered Caesar Salads from Wendy's to discover that it "comes with bacon" something THAT HAD NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE when I ordered them. I didn't realize that until I came home, but it taught me a valuable lesson to double check before confirming my order.

8) Don't be embarassed. I will admit I never felt shame or embarassed with some of the things I have eaten during these past 30 days. One of the days I had lunch with my friend Chelsea in Northridge and ordered a salad while she ordered a burger at Islands. In the past I have had that happen before with the server giving my salad to the girl and placing her burger in front of me (That has happened SIX TIMES BEFORE). That didn't happen this time, but I was prepared for the worst. Most of the time I felt proud ordering and sticking with my "new hippie lifestyle." It was pretty cool.

9) Why didn't anyone really tempt me? I was really disappointed most people buckled like a belt and didn't challenge me. The only exception was when I hung out with Christian and Jonathan one night and they tried to tempt me by offering to take me to Morton's for a free steak. They offered to buy me a steak if we went "right now," but I just waved them off saying if we went I WILL ORDER A SALAD so be my guest. They tried tempting me by making loaded sandwiches filled with meat and ate them around me while I just had salsa and chips. It didn't intimidate me at all, but I felt bad because it looked like they weren't enjoying their food due to the fact that it didn't bother me one bit.

10) It's better to plan your meals than winging it. You never know what could happen. Most of the time I actually bought my own groceries specifically for me, but sometimes when I felt lazy I made due with what was at home. I must say it was a LOT MORE EXPENSIVE eating healthy.

Overall it was a fun experience and I might do it again. It wasn't too bad at all and I think that was due to the fact I actually like salads to begin with, which made the transition a lot easier. I think I will now visit the grocery store more often and buy my own fruits and vegetables. Everyone should take a challenge seriously at least once in their lifetime to sacrifice something they really like for an extended period of time. That was another reason why I took this challenge just to prove that it can be done. Someone who consumes as much meat as I do and can successfully do it, then there should be no reason why you can't do your own challenge. One of my pet peeves is when people don't take things seriously when they "want to" or "should" in challenges and only do them "half ass." I am going to be the first to say I love to goof off all the time and in some cases, at really inappropriate situations, but I can pull it off naturally where it doesn't offend too many people and actually accomplish things as though I am a giant slacker. But when people make half-ass "Resolutions" or "Giving up things for Lent" then I am like, why did you even bother? Some of the best ones I heard was:

"I am giving up chocolate"- You're a diabetic.
"I am giving up reading"- You don't even own a book.

There are so many others, but they are too inappropriate to actually post. You get the idea anyhow. They were all lame ass excuses to begin with and were not taken seriously. Again you can do anything as long as you put your mind to it. It's all mind over body. Just have faith and believe in yourself. Anything is possible if you just put your mind to it.

Feel free to ask me questions. I will gladly answer them all.

Sincerely,
John

Day #29 and Day #30

2010-01-31T16:49:00.000-08:00

These past two days were my last of being a vegetarian for 30 days. The following is what I ate my last two days.

FRIDAY
Hasbrown nuggets
Small Sprite
2 Cheese Quesadillas
1 Sam Adams Cherry Wheat
Water
Pretzels bites filled with Peanut Butter.

SATURDAY
2 Donuts- One plain and one powdered
Glass of Milk
Caesar Salad
Small Coke
Small sprite
Macaroni and Cheese
Coke

#28

2010-01-28T23:24:00.000-08:00

1 1/2 cups of Green Tea
2 bowls of Total cereal
Green Tea Frap from Starbucks
Spicy Jack Quesadilla
2 orders of Jalepeno Rings
Glass of Milk
Small Coke
Screwdriver

RIP Miramax

2010-01-28T23:00:00.000-08:00

Rather than write out an epic obituary about the travesty of Miramax being shut down I would like to list all my favorite Miramax films:

Sex, Lies, and Videotape
My Left Foot
Reservoir Dogs
The Crying Game
The Piano
Bullets Over Broadway
Clerks
Exotica
The Crow
Pulp Fiction
Il Postino
Mighty Aphrodite
Trainspotting
From Dusk Til Dawn
The English Patient
Don't Be A Menace in South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
Swingers
Cop Land
Chasing Amy
Good Will Hunting
Mimic
54
Air Bud: Golden Receiver
Life is Beautiful
Phantoms
Rounders
Senseless
Shakespeare in Love
The Mighty
The Velvet Goldmine
Happy Texas
The Cide House Rules
She's All That
Bridget Jones' Diary
Chocolat
Amelie
The Shipping News
40 Days and 40 Nights
Confession of a Dangerous Mind
Full Frontal
Gangs of New York
The Importance of Being Earnest
Waking Up in Reno
Chicago
Cold Mountain
Kill Bill Volume 1 and 2
Duplex
Deep Blue
Aviator
Garden State
Hero (2002)
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Jersey Girl
Hollywoodland
The Hoax
Breaking and Entering
Eagle vs. Shark
The Diving Bell and Butterfly
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood
The Lookout
Smart People
Doubt
Adventureland
Extract

Then there was Dimension Films with the Scary Movie franchise, Scream franchise, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and so much more. So many great films came from Bob and Harvey Weinstein when they ruled Miramax. Now that Miramax is gone...I do feel the indie world lost a great friend.

J.D. Salinger Dead

2010-01-28T22:33:00.000-08:00

Back when I was in middle school I looked forward to reading some of the essential "High School" books that are highly praised as must reads for teenagers. When I was at that age I hated reading, but was genuinely excited about several key books. In my mind it was proving I was an adult and mature individual once I read these books for my English classes. These included Slaughterhouse Five, 1984, and, of course, The Catcher in the Rye. Once I arrived in high school I was soon disappointed because all my English teachers hated these books and instead read other books because these books "were so over read" and that they "were sick and tired of them."

My dreams were shattered about missing out on that experience of reading The Catcher in the Rye, while in high school. Instead I read To Kill a Mockingbird, for the fourth consecutive year freshman year. From sixth to eight grade, it impressed all my English teachers that I was reading To Kill A Mockingbird and I didn't mean because I loved it, but to re-read in high school...NO THANK YOU.

Before I started college I finally read The Catcher in the Rye and was blown away. Even from everything that I heard, the book was just as good if not better than what I expected. After leaving my 17th Century English Literature class today (Yes, I am really taking that despite being a Journalism major), I was stunned to check my Facebook and see Book Soup's staus saying, "RIP Salinger", which immediately caused me to check online. Salinger became reclusive later on in his life, but I will always cherish that he gave us a great piece of literature. He will be missed!

Jerome David Salinger January 1, 1919 to January 27, 2010

Expo Represent

2010-01-27T20:42:00.000-08:00

Was there any doubt Andre Dawson was going to go into the Hall of Fame as an Expo? I think not.

Randy Winn...Yankee?

2010-01-27T20:16:00.000-08:00

I am super disappointed that the Yankees are going to sign Randy Winn. They have agreed on about a one year, $2 million contract, but is he worth it? Let me be honest, I was never really impressed by his offense nor his arm. I was really hoping they would sign Rocco Baldelli. I was always a big fan of his and really hoped he would blossom into an All Star caliber player that would breathe life into the Devil Rays' organization. After a couple of solid seasons, injuries plagued his career reducing him to a backup/utility role. I thought this could be his shot and to see him in a Yankee uniform would be awesome.

Even a couple of days ago I heard rumors of Jim Edmonds and thought that would be badass to see him in pinstripes. Edmonds is another favorite player whose career has been altered due to injuries. Still he could be an awesome player to come off the bench or play a couple times a week. Either one of those guys would have been cool instead of Randy Winn. Even bringing back Xavier Nady or Jerry Hairston Jr. would have been a better decision. It will now be interesting to see where Johnny Damon winds up and for how much considering Spring Training is almost here.

#27

2010-01-27T20:15:00.000-08:00

Plain Donut
Green Tea

SOUP PLANTATION
Caesar Salad
Three Cheese Pasta
Alfredo Pasta
Cornbread
Honey Oat Toast
Water
Grapes
Dr. Pepper
Cheese Bread

Baked Potatoes with Butter
Coke

#26

2010-01-26T21:41:00.000-08:00

Only a few more days until I am done with those whole "experiment" and on my last day I will give a detailed description of my experiences.

Two bowls of Total cereal
Tall Green Tea
Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Three Small Cokes
Two Baked Potatoes
Mini Margherita Pizza
Two Bananas

Colts/Saints Super Bowl

2010-01-25T18:45:00.000-08:00

I am super stoked that the Saints are playing the Colts in the Super Bowl. Finally, we can truly see who's the best. Earlier in the year I was hoping for a Manning Bowl, but after the Giants took a downward spiral that possible reality became pure fantasy. Still it was great seeing Peyton what he does best, humiliate a defense and prove he is the best QB in the league. Going up against the New York Jets, the #1 ranked defense, and crushing them proves this is the Colts' year. Just take a look at the original Pro Bowl roster. There was a reason why the Colts had six Pro Bowl Selections with five starters as opposed to the Saints who only had three starters (with five players making the team). Oh and by the way, the Colts have the reigning two time MVP as their captain and QB. On February 7th, a great game will take place in Florida. So can't wait!

#25

2010-01-25T18:43:00.000-08:00

Plain Donut
Powdered Sugar Donut
Glass of Milk
Cheese Quesadilla
Volcano Nachos
Two small cokes
Powerade
Broccoli and Cheese casserole

Day #24

2010-01-24T14:25:00.001-08:00

Plain Donut
Powdered Cinnamon Donut
Glass of Milk
Two Cheese Enchiladas
Rice
Pellegrino
Small Coke
Onion Rings
Fried Zucchini
Coke

Day #23

2010-01-23T14:23:00.000-08:00

These past couple of days have been crazy as I have been helping one of my best friends celebrate his 21st birthday. On Friday night, a group of us went out exactly at 12:01 am so my friend could order his first drink on his birthday. Later today, we went out to Hollywood and hit up Sunset to go bar hopping. We spent most of the night at Saddle Ranch and had a really good time. Last night and today were one of the few nights that I have actually had a drink since New Years. But here is what I consumed:

Cottage cheese
Grilled Cheese
Hashbrowns with Lawry Salt
Tortilla Chips with Sala and Cream Cheese
Strawberry Soda
Pellegrino
Water
Sam Adams Wheat
Dos Equis
Stella Artois
Heineken
Couple shots of Kettle One with a chaser

Day #22

2010-01-22T14:22:00.000-08:00

Muscle Milk
Bread Bowl with Broccoli Soup
Strawberry Soda
Cottage Cheese
Pellegrino
Bagel with Cream Cheese

Day #21

2010-01-21T17:26:00.004-08:00

1 1/2 bowls of Total
Green Tea
Pasta Primavera Pasta Breadbowl from Dominos
Strawberry Soda
Raisin Bread with Butter
Pellegrino

Day #20

2010-01-21T17:26:00.003-08:00

Today was my long day at school with a four hour gap in between classes so I decided to visit my grandma and have lunch with her. At breakfast I had two bowls of Total cereal with Green Tea to start off the day. I find starting the day off with some tea is better than waking up with coffee and is just effective. At lunch I planned to go to Dominos and try their new pasta breadbowl, but left all the information at home so I decided to go to Whole Foods instead to have soup with my Grandma Jo.

At Whole Foods in Porter Ranch I originally had planned to get soup, but the four choices were not that appealing with me having to decide between Mushroom or Squash soup. Instead I decided to be bold and try Sesame Chicken Tofu from the Deli. This was the second time I have ordered tofu in my entire life and was pleasantly surprised how good it was. In addition I got Greek Orzo Salad, which consists of Orzo, feta cheese, bell peppers, sundried tomatoes, spinach, Kalamata olives, red onion, extra virgin olive oil, rice wine vinegar and basil. I have to say that it was delicious and definitely worth checking out another time. I wound up getting my grandma some Squash soup and we both split cornbread. That was a very fulfilling lunch as I topped it off with a Pepsi.

When I came home after my three hour class I really wasnt hungry and had Potato Pancakes along with a small coke. I also had a couple of waters before going to bed.

Day #19

2010-01-21T17:26:00.001-08:00

Sorry for not updating this. It has been one of those weeks with starting school and readjusting to waking up before noon for the first time since New Years.

2 Green Teas
2 Bowls of Total
Chips with cream cheese and salsa
Bagel with I can't believe It's Not Butter
Bagel with Cream Cheese
Garden Salad with Caesar dressing
Vitamin Water
small coke
Pellegreno water

Day #18

2010-01-18T20:41:00.000-08:00

Cheese Quesadilla with Onions, vegetables and peppers
Chips with Queso dip
Green Tea
Small coke
2 baked potatoes

Taco Bell Founder Dead at 86

2010-01-18T12:39:00.001-08:00

Glen W. Bell Jr., founder of Taco Bell, is dead at 86. Thanks for creating delicious fast food and for making high school awesome. You will be missed!

Day #17

2010-01-17T13:33:00.000-08:00

Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Cup of Cheez-Its Party Mix
Vitamin Water
Small Coke
Cheese Enchilada with vegetables
Trail Mix
Green Tea
Raisin Bread

Back in the AFC Championship

2010-01-17T13:31:00.000-08:00

Way to Go!

Day #16

2010-01-16T13:30:00.000-08:00

Bagel with cream cheese
Nesquick Milkshake
2 Cups of Cheez-Its Party Mix
2 Bananas
Baked Potato with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter
Vitamin Water
Muscle Milk
4 Green Teas

Day #15

2010-01-15T17:15:00.000-08:00

Four Cheese Cantoloni
Bagel with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter
Green Tea
Muscle Milk
2 Bowls of Total Cereal
Grilled Cheese at IN N OUT with everything
French Fries with Spread
Sprite

Best Filmmakers of the Decade

2010-01-15T15:04:00.000-08:00

Near the end of the year I compiled a 100 Best Films of the Decade List that I posted online. After discussing the list with several close friends and coming across some of my DVDs, I realized I left off several key films including a few foreign films and documentaries I really love. It just goes to prove how difficult it is to really compile a best decade list. There are really too many options even for the most diligent writers and researchers to compile an accurate list.

Hopefully I have done a better job with this list. After careful thought and consideration I wanted to celebrate ten filmmakers who made the 2000s amazing. Originally I wanted to just do The Top Ten Directors of the Decade, but felt several key writers, directors and producers would be left off, thus its filmmakers instead.

But before I announce my favorite filmmakers of the decade, there are a few who just didn't quite make it. The way I compiled this list was by the overall body of work and rated each of their films. If someone made a great film, but also made a lackluster mainstream film then that was considered a wash. All these filmmakers are great in their own right, but they just made a few too many "bad" films in order to really be Top 10 Worthy. Every filmmaker needed to make at least three films to be considered.

Steven Spielberg
Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001)
Minority Report (2002)
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
The Terminal (2004)
War of the Worlds (2005)
Munich (2006)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

If Spielberg just made Munich and maybe a couple of the films mentioned then it wouldn't be bad, but he helped ruin an iconic character/series so its hard to forgive him. No one, not even Indiana Jones should have to deal with aliens. Thanks George Lucas and Steven Spielberg for ruining Indiana Jones! Also War of the Worlds is probably one of the worst remakes ever and is one of the few movies I can sleep throughout. My rule is simple: If I try to watch a movie, legitimately try and watch a film, three times and can't make it all the way through in one sitting then the movie really sucks. War of the Worlds falls into that category.

The Coen Brothers
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
The Ladykillers (2004)
Paris, je t'aime (2006)-Segment
No Country For Old Men (2007)
To Each His Own Cinema (2007)-Segment
Burn After Reading (2008)
A Serious Man (2009)

You either love them or hate them. They are just part of those select few you either enjoy their movies or you don't. You can literally say that about all the Coen Bros.' films, they are either good or really bad. They started and ended the decade off good, but every feature film in between with the exception of No Country For Old Men was pure "intolerable cruelty."

Woody Allen
Small Time Crooks (2000)
The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001)
Hollywood Ending (2002)
Anything Else (2003)
Melinda and Melinda (2004)
Match Point (2005)
Scoop (2006)
Cassandra's Dream (2007)
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
Whatever Works (2009)

Small Time Crooks is the first Woody Allen film I ever saw and thought it was hilarious. Ever since I have been following his career and literally rushed out to see every one of his films. Like the Coen Bros., you either like or dislike Woody Allen. The quality of his films are mixed with everything from great (Match Point), really good (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), solid (Melinda and Melinda) to bad (Anything Else and Hollywood Ending). It's hard to really judge him for an erratic decade, but Woody Allen will always be one of the best in my mind.

Clint Eastwood
Space Cowboys (2000)
Blood Work (2002)
Mystic River (2003)
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Flags of Our Fathers (2006)
Letters From Iwo Jima (2006)
Changeling (2008)
Gran Torino (2008)
Invictus (2009)

Clint Eastwood is the only director on my list that I saw every one of his films in theaters with the exception of Gran Torino. My mom loves Clint Eastwood and as a matter of fact, my Dad and I really like his films too. He is a great actor and director, but the overall quality of his films are something you can debate. Flags and Letters are two films I absolutely hated this past decade and I wasn't the only one. Its the only time, for both films, that the majority of the audience hated and discussed how much they loathed the movie while walking out of the theater. I have never seen that kind of reaction before and I have seen over 3,000 films in my lifetime.

Peter Jackson
LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
LOTR: The Two Towers (2002)
LOTR: Return of the King (2003)
King Kong (2005)
The Lovely Bones (2009)

LOTR was a well made trilogy, but I am not into fantasy movies at all. Clerks 2 (2006) probably best explains the trilogy. Also explain to me why King Kong needed to take 2 hours to get to the island? If you can really explain that then I will change my mind on this selection.

I just realized that all of these directors have at least one BEST DIRECTOR OSCAR, a couple have multiple BEST DIRECTOR OSCARS, and are all multiple ACADEMY AWARD WINNERS. Still it's hard to defend some of the movies they made this past decade and as a result, didn't quite make it on my list. It just shows once you got an OSCAR it doesn't matter what you do, just ask Cuba Gooding Jr.

Now my Top 10 Filmmakers of the Decade:

#10
Hayo Miyazaki
Spirited Away (2001)
Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
Ponyo (2009)

He is just one of the best filmmakers around and has made some of the best animated films ever. One of my best friends insisted I watch Spirited Away and actually lent me the movie, literally the day after Christmas when he got it. I held onto it for three years before finally watching it. The first time I saw Spirited Away, my mind was blown away by how amazing it was and it turned me on to animated films again as a teenager. Spirited Away made my Top 100 Films of the 2000s.

#9
Catherine Breillat
Fat Girl (2001)
Brief Crossing (2001)
Sex is Comedy (2002)
Anatomy of Hell (2004)
The Last Mistress (2007)
Bluebeard (2009)

Catherine Breillat has become one of my favorite directors and has directed some of the most beautiful French films I have ever seen. Her films are usually exotic and erotically themed, but deal with taboo subject matter in a unique way that captivates you. Her films are brilliant and some of the best films I have ever seen. They are engaging, entertaining and emotionally charged films that stimulate your mind. This is what you want from a good filmmaker. Go see her films!

#8
Danny Boyle
The Beach (2000)
28 Days Later (2002)
Millions (2004)
Sunshine (2007)
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Talk about variety, Danny Boyle has done it all and that is one reason why he is on this list. Danny Boyle is one of the few directors who has successfully transitioned between various genres and created some of the best films over the past two decades. The other day I was watching Slumdog and completely forgot how good a film it is. His entire body of work is great and truly one of the best directors out there.

#7
Michael Moore
Bowling for Columbine (2002)
Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
Sicko (2007)
Slacker Uprising (2008)
Capitalism: A Love Story (2009)

Whether you like him or hate him he is a very talented documentary filmmaker. It's a shame he only has one OSCAR, but his documentaries are some of the best out there. Almost all his films listed here have made my yearly Top 10 Lists or barely missed out. They are all really good and worth checking out if you haven't already seen them. Whether or not you like his politics, he makes solid films.

#6
Quentin Tarantino
Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)
Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004)
Death Proof (2007)
Inglorious Basterds (2009)

Jackie Brown (1997) is probably his weakest film and that says a lot about Tarantino as a director. You can argue Four Rooms (1995) where he directed one section, but that really doesn't count as a Quentin Tarantino film, much like Sin City (2005) because he was only a guest director. I have loved every film that he has made this past decade and I really don't consider myself a huge Tarantino fan, but he is one of the best writers/directors. He truly respects and appreciates all cinema-that's why he rules!

#5
Christopher Nolan
Memento (2000)
Insomnia (2002)
Batman Begins (2005)
The Prestige (2006)
The Dark Knight (2008)

Christopher Nolan is one of the best directors to have come out in the past decade along with Darren Aronofsky. He has created two of the best movies ever with Memento and The Dark Knight. It's undeniable the talent he has and only seems to get better with age. Nolan's films get better with age and I now appreciate his early films even more.

#4
Wes Anderson
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
The Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Wes Anderson is another great director out there that is vastly underrated. His films are some of my favorites and are always great. The visual style and story he brings to life are what filmmaking is all about.

#3
Steven Soderbergh
Erin Brokovich (2000)
Traffic (2000)
Ocean's Eleven (2002)
Solaris (2002)
Ocean's Twelve (2004)
Bubble (2005)
The Good German (2006)
Ocean's Thirteen (2007)
Che (2008)
The Girlfriend Experience (2009)
The Informant! (2009)

One of the best filmmakers ever!

#2
Martin Scorsese
Gangs of New York (2002)
Feel Like Going Home (2003)
The Aviator (2004)
No Direction Home: Bob Dylan (2005)
The Departed (2006)
Shine a Light (2008)

Two of my favorite directors of all time are Oliver Stone and Martin Scorsese. Both make violent movies, but also make passionate films that are pretty relatable. Scorsese finally won his Oscar with The Departed and just solidified his reputation as one of the BEST DIRECTORS ever. If Scorsese just made Gangs, The Aviator and The Departed then that would have been fine, but he also made three great documentaries as well. Tarantino is the younger version of Scorsese- someone who truly appreciates all art and cinema. That's one of the things I admire most about Scorsese is that you can see his passion in ALL his films. Scorsese = Quality

And the BEST FILMMAKER of the DECADE GOES TO: Three Guys who are most deserving of this recognition- Charlie Kaufman, Spike Jonze, and Michel Gondry. Undoubtedly these three are the most talented of the bunch producing some of the most mind-numbing, spectacular films of the past decade. It's unbelievable that they made so many great films in such a short period. Unlike everyone else on the list I have decided to list their particular films in chronological order with comments after each film.

Human Nature (2001)
A very under appreciated film written by Charlie Kaufman that stars Patricia Arquette and Rhys Ifans. Michel Gondry directed this film with Spike Jonze producing and just marked the beginning of a great collaboration of the three men. This film came out after Being John Malkovich and preceded Adaptation, which is one reason why it's often overlooked.

Adaptation (2002)
Charlie Kaufman wrote and executive produced this mind numbing metafilm that is a film within a film making a movie about a book within the film starring "Charlie Kaufman." This ambitious cerebral masterpiece was directed by Spike Jonze and is one of the best films ever made!

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)
Charlie Kaufman only wrote this Chuck Barris story and was very displeased with how George Clooney handled his film, but it is still a well made film starring Sam Rockwell.

Jackass (2002)
Did you know that Spike Jonze is one of the co-creators of the hit TV series with Johnny Knoxville and Jeff Tremaine ? He also produced and performed in the movie.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
One of the greatest films ever! Yes, I know I said that earlier with Adaptation, but this film is also one of the best. Of course it should be no surprise it was written by Charlie Kaufman with Michel Gondry collaborating on the story. Kaufman also executive produced with Gondry directing Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet in two of the best performances ever captured on screen!

Jackass 2 (2006)
Spike Jonze did it again producing and performing in another fun movie.

The Science of Sleep (2006)
Michel Gondry wrote and directed this absurd film that blends English, French, and Spanish into an absurd film that captivates you from beginning to end. This film introduced me to Gael Garcia Bernal and Charlotte Gainsbourg, which in turn opened my mind to appreciate European cinema.

Be Kind Rewind (2008)
Michel Gondry wrote and directed this fun film starring Jack Black, Mos Def, and Danny Glover. It's a great concept and is a film that grows on you.

Synecdoche, New York (2008)
This was in my top ten movies of 2008 and one of my favorite films to have come out in the past decade. Charlie Kaufman initially wrote this film in mine with Spike Jonze directing it, but had to pass since he was working on Where The Wild Things Are and instead helped produce it. This was Charlie Kaufman's directorial debut and talk about a vivid and visual film. It's one of those films that is a meta-fiction and a complex cerebral film that is filled with layers that just blows your mind away. I once described this film as, "My mind being raped and I liked it." Very stimulating and not for your average person.

Tokyo! (2008)
Like Paris je t'aime, New York I Love You, and other ensemble films composed of several vignettes, Tokyo! is one of the best ever made. Michel Gondry wrote and directed the segment "Interior Design" and definitely worth checking out. I was surprised how well balanced the overall film was considering it was only composed of three "short films."

Where the Wild Things Are (2009)
Spike Jonze co-wrote and directed this film, which I still can't believe a studio let him make this movie. Visually and musically one of the best to come out in recent years.

So there you go, my BEST FILMMAKERS OF THE DECADE. I hope you enjoyed. I know I did.

Day #14

2010-01-14T18:49:00.000-08:00

BREAKFAST
Two bowls of Total cereal
Glass of Milk

LUNCH
Muscle Milk

DINNER
Broccoli cheese soup in Bread Bowl
Dr. Pepper

SNACKS:
Several Green Teas

2009 NFL ALL PRO TEAM

2010-01-14T18:38:00.000-08:00

Loving this year's selections:

OFFENSE

QB: Peyton Manning
RB: Chris Johnson and Adrian Peterson
FB: Leonard Weaver
TE: Dallas Clark
WR: Andre Johnson and Wes Welker
OT: Ryan Clady and Joe Thomas
G: Steve Hutchinson and Jahri Evans
C: Nick Mangold
K: Nate Kaeding
KR: Joshua Cribbs

DEFENSE

DE: Jared Allen and Dwight Freeney
DT: Jay Ratliff and Kevin Williams
OLB: Elvis Dumervil and DeMarcus Ware
ILB: Patrick Willis and Ray Lewis
CB: Charles Woodson and Darrelle Revis
S: Darren Sharper and Adrian Wilson
P: Shane Lechler

Day #13

2010-01-13T19:31:00.000-08:00

BREAKFAST
2 bowls of total cereal
Glass of Milk

LUNCH
2 slices of Vegetarian pizza
Dr. Pepper
Vitamin Water

DINNER
2 slices of Vegetarian pizza

SNACKS
Trail Mix
Toast

Malcolm McDowell Signing

2010-01-13T12:39:00.000-08:00

Last night I got to meet one of the coolest and down to earth actors there are, Malcolm McDowell. Last night, Sid Haig and Malcolm McDowell were promoting Rob Zombie's Halloween movies and signing autographs at Dark Delicacies. I have met Sid many times and as a matter of fact, he just lives over one city in Simi Valley. But it was Malcolm who I really wanted to meet. I always heard great stories about him and have been wanting to meet him for quite sometime. Malcolm has been in some of my favorite movies, A Clockwork Orange, Mr. Magoo, Tank Girl, and TV shows like Entourage, Tales From the Crypt and Heroes. He also has the distinct honor as being the only special guest actor to appear in person on South Park.

Malcolm was really cool last night when I got him to sign my laserdisc of A Clockwork Orange. He even commented that he almost never sees (laserdiscs) at all and complimented me on having one. Malcolm was kind enough to take a picture with me, which my new friend Shawn took for me after I took a picture for him. Overall a pretty cool experience.

Day #12

2010-01-12T21:28:00.000-08:00

Potato Logs
Dr. Pepper
Vitamin Water
Spicy Jack Quesadilla
Jalapeno Rings
Nacho Fries
Water
Green Tea
Trail Mix

No More Spiderman Movies...For Now

2010-01-11T17:23:00.000-08:00

Thank God!!!!!!!! I hated the whole Spiderman franchise and was not a fan at all. Totally thought it was overrated and I am glad to see they aren't making a fourth. The first one was ok, the second one was bad, and the last one was just awful. Why keep making superhero films that suck? Sam Raimi it's time to make a new Evil Dead movie and I hope Tobey Maguire learns to act soon otherwise he is doomed with his acting career, cough, Brandon Routh, cough. So get your act together and treat your fans with some respect, Spiderman.

Day #11

2010-01-11T17:17:00.000-08:00

BREAKFAST
Strawberry Smoothie

LUNCH

Taco Bell:
Volcano Nachos- no beef
Cheese Quesadilla
Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes
Vitamin Water

DINNER

Johnny Rockets:
Garden Salad with Bleu Cheese
Water

SNACKS
Green Tea

Mark McGwire Comes Clean

2010-01-11T17:03:00.000-08:00

Back in 1998, everyone was watching the home run chase between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa as they chased Roger Maris' single season record of 61 home runs. It's crazy that it has already been over ten years, but that year will always bring back a lot of memories. That was the first year I really paid attention to sports and was the first of four consecutive years the New York Yankees made the World Series, winning three straight from 1998 to 2000. But it was also the year a lot of children and fans idolized Mark McGwire, me being one of them.

Back when I was a child, my parents bought me a membership to the Mark McGwire fan club in the early 1990s and I was always fascinated by Mark McGwire. Baseball has always and will always be my favorite sport, despite being tainted by the "Steroid Era." I just wish more players would come out and admit they took steroids. It's really disturbing, especially as a fan idolizing these players as a child. It's hard to look at Starting Lineups, baseball cards and various memorabilia of these players because of the good memories I had and the tainted memories I have now.

I am glad that Mark McGwire has finally confessed and he should continue to apologize. We all make mistakes and I forgive him. I just hope more notable players come out and admit the truth too!

Pete Carroll Going North

2010-01-11T16:55:00.000-08:00

Pete Carroll had a great run at USC and was only a matter of time before he was going to leave. That has become the business of college football where its uncommon to stay too long at one school as a coach. Maybe its just me, but what happened to coaches spending their entire or majority of their careers at one school like a Bobby Bowden (Florida State) and a Joe Paterno (Penn State)? Sadly that is no longer the case for athletes and coaches today, but I completely understand Carroll leaving.

Carroll has done everything possible at USC including winning two championships during his tenure from 2001 to 2009. He had a great career at USC and he will be missed, but it will be great to see him in the NFL once again. Thanks for all the memories Pete and best of luck in Seattle!

Day #10

2010-01-10T15:53:00.001-08:00

BREAKFAST
Two Bagels with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter
Nesquick Milkshake

LUNCH
Enchilada Bowl
Cherry Dr. Pepper

DINNER
Caesar Salad
Vitamin Water
Baked Potato with chives, butter and sour cream
Dr. Pepper

Day #9

2010-01-09T18:18:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was hectic and a lot has happened recently, but I did not let that phase me at all to keep tally of this whole veggie odyssey. Last night was great playing volleyball and actually being 100% for the first time since August when I fractured my foot. Nothing really exciting happened, but I made sure that was the case today so I could take a breather.

BREAKFAST
Two Bagels with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter
Glass of Milk

LUNCH
Onion Rings
Cherry Dr. Pepper

DINNER
Potato Pancakes
Steamed vegetables (carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower)
Brisk Ice Tea
Yoohoo

Congrats, Mr. Manning! You Made History

2010-01-09T17:48:00.000-08:00

Peyton Manning has won his fourth MVP and became the first NFL Most Valuable Player to win four times. This is Manning's second consecutive award and breaks a tie he held with Brett Favre of winning three MVPs. Peyton easily beat Drew Brees by receiving 39 1/2 votes to 7 1/2, with Philip Rivers receiving two votes and Brett Favre one vote.

Although Manning and the Colts didn't go 16-0 they truly dominated the season considering how tired, injured and depleted the team was this season. Indianapolis was ranked dead last and was statistically considered the worst rushing offense in the league with 1294 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns. Most football fans didn't and still don't realize how much Manning truly led this team. Do you think Brees and Favre could do that? No, Brett had the luxury of having the best running back on his team in Adrian Peterson, which really helped lighten the load for Favre to pass the ball. Brees not only had one, not two, but three quality backs in Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell to help relieve the stress. Most people tend to forget that and it truly shows why Peyton is arguably one of the best players the NFL has ever had.

Philip Rivers had a solid season and put up similar numbers despite not having a running game as well with the Chargers ranked 31st. Rivers didn't get as many wins, but it just solidified him as a quality quarterback who can lead his team to victory. Peyton is the all around player who is quick on his feet and knows how he can help his team win. He isn't selfish and truly shows what a Captain is supposed to do, Lead his team. That's what Peyton does best!

Peyton Manning notable 2009 stats:
-Threw for 4500 yards
-Threw 33 Touchdowns
-Completed 68.8% of his passes
-Won 14 games
-Had 7 comeback wins

Day #8

2010-01-08T23:03:00.000-08:00

BREAKFAST
2 bowls Total cereal
Milk

LUNCH
Potato Logs
Dr. Pepper
Stuffed pasta shells
Water

DINNER @ IN-N-OUT
Grilled Cheese with Tomatoes, Lettuce, Onions, and Spread
Animal Fries (half eaten...maybe one third)
Root Beer
Water

Day #7

2010-01-07T16:15:00.000-08:00

BREAKFAST
Two bowls of Total cereal
Glass of Milk
Bagel with Butter

LUNCH
Fettuccine Alfredo
Vitamin Water

DINNER
Potato Pancakes
Muscle Milk

SNACKS
Carmel candy from See's Candy
4 Green Teas

Gilbert Arenas Banned

2010-01-06T19:27:00.000-08:00

He deserves it. I don't feel any sympathy for Gilbert Arenas at all and its time for him to reflect on his actions. Good riddance!

Andre Dawson Elected to the Baseball HOF

2010-01-06T19:16:00.000-08:00

Today Andre "Hawk" Dawson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Dawson played 21 seasons in baseball, playing for the Montreal Expos, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, and Florida Marlins. During his career he hit 438 home runs, had 2774 hits, and has a career batting average .279. Dawson is also an eight time all star and eight time gold glove winner. In addition, Dawson won NL Rookie of the Year with the Montreal Expos in 1977 and the NL MVP in 1987 with the Chicago Cubs.

Day #6

2010-01-06T19:14:00.000-08:00

BREAKFAST
2 bowls of Total cereal
Glass of Milk

LUNCH
2 slices of vegetarian pizza
Dr. Pepper

DINNER
Fruit Salad
Muscle Milk
Water

SNACKS
Cheetos
Vitamin Water

Day #5

2010-01-05T14:39:00.000-08:00

Caesar Salad
Ice Tea
Vitamin Water
Banana
Muscle Milk
Vegetarian Burrito
7 Waters
Artichoke Dip with Chips
Irish Root Beer
Slice of Vegetarian Pizza

Day #4

2010-01-04T19:52:00.000-08:00

So this is what I ate for Day #4 of being a vegetarian

BREAKFAST
Donut with sprinkles
Glass of Milk

LUNCH
Macaroni and Cheese
Potato Pancakes
Vitamin Water
Muscle Milk

DINNER
Vegetarian Pizza (Mushrooms, Onions, Green peppers, and Cheese)
Mozzarella with Sauce
4 Glasses of Green Tea

SNACKS
2 Bananas

Avatar Cracks $1 Billion Worldwide

2010-01-03T20:36:00.000-08:00

Last year I honestly thought The Dark Knight would take over Titanic as the biggest grossing film of all time, but Avatar has a legitimate chance to take over. It has been consistently making money at the daily box office and seems to be a similar phenomenon much like how Titanic was in 1997 and early 1998. I was shocked when I learned it had already passed the $1 billion mark worldwide. Every time I have gone to the theaters since seeing Avatar, every screening of Avatar has been sold out at my local theater and there is always a huge line outside. Should be interesting to see what its final box office will be after awards season.

Day #3

2010-01-03T20:30:00.001-08:00

Today was my dad's birthday, but nothing of note really happened otherwise than celebrating it. I did check out Smart & Final and GNC to get some groceries, but those were the only highlights of my day.

Breakfast:
Two bowls of TOTAL cereal
Giant glass of milk

Lunch:
Cheese Quesadilla with Peppers and Onions
Chips with guacamole and sour cream
Vitamin Water

Dinner:
Veggie Platter of carrots, tomatoes, and celery
Cherry Dr. Pepper
Muscle Milk

Snacks:
Two bananas
One Bagel with butter

Day #2

2010-01-02T22:50:00.001-08:00

Today was really rough on me. I tried going to bed early last night, but didn't get to bed until 4 a.m. and was woken up at 10:15 a.m. Yesterday, my phone died on me and I needed to visit the Verizon store today. After figuring out that mess and ordering a new phone I finally had lunch around 1 p.m. For the first time thus far I truly felt what it was like to be a vegetarian eating out.
I decided to have lunch at Panda Express and ordered some eggplant tofu, chow mein, mixed vegetables and some veggie rolls. This was my first time having tofu and I did not like it all. I have had synthetic chicken before and it tasted great, but tofu is not for me at all. After eating Panda Express I know exactly how one date felt when I took her to a Chinese restaurant and there were only four things she could eat- I had just as many options.

Vitamin Water and Green Tea definitely help with the transition of cutting out meat, well, at least for me. Because I have no phone it has been challenging to make plans, but luckily one of my best friends decided to hit me and we kicked it for a few hours. Of course, he wanted to grab dinner at Quiznos and I was again put into an interesting predicament: Soup or Salad. Not too appealing, but I liked the challenge. One of my favorite things to have is clam chowder in a bread bowl and it had been a really long time since I ordered a bread bowl at Quiznos. Much to my surprise I discovered they discontinued the bread bowls a month ago and a customer behind me was shocked as well when he walked in moments after me. I settled on a small salad and bowl of broccoli soup. It was good, but not filling as I just ate various stuff when I got home. I think the biggest challenge is actually being fully satisfied after eating only "veggies," but I have gone two days now. Thanks everyone for the compliments. I really appreciate it!

Bobby Bowden Wins Last Game

2010-01-01T23:29:00.000-08:00

The Florida State Seminoles gave Bobby Bowden one last win in his impressive coaching career to give him 389 wins by beating West Virginia 33 to 21. Bobby was a great coach and he will be missed in college football.

Tebow Goes Out In Style

2010-01-01T23:22:00.000-08:00

Tim Tebow didn't get to go to the BCS Championship this year, but he and the Gators dominated the Sugar Bowl by beating Cincinnati 51 to 24. Tebow went 31 for 35, throwing 482 yards with three passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. To say Tebow isn't NFL quality you need to rewatch this game because he obliterated the competition and commanded the Gator offense. I really can't wait to see how he performs in the NFL.

Day #1

2010-01-01T22:56:00.001-08:00

Today was my first day giving up meat to become a vegetarian for the next 30 days as part of my New Year's Resolution. I am going to be honest, it was a lot harder than I thought, but it's not why you think. Last night, like most individuals, I partied hard and celebrated with some of my closest friends to bring in the New Year. It was fun celebrating until 4am this morning, but not fun waking up at 8:35 a.m. The pounding headache, the lack of sleep, and just wanting to feel better was not an ideal way to start the day/ year.

After being woke up by one of my friends I tried going back to sleep for thirty minutes, but decided to sober up and go home, which took me an hour. Since it was early and the first time I had been up before noon in a week I debated what I should do about breakfast. Instantly McDonald's came to mind because I can't remember the last time I had any, but decided I would be too tempted and came home instead. Of course my father offers to make me a full breakfast including bacon at 10a.m. when I walk in the door. Luckily my mom had premade a cheesy potato casserole that just needed to be heated up. After heating up the oven and taking a nap for an hour I finally enjoyed my "breakfast" at 11:45 a.m.

For most of the day I just felt sick and continued to drink Sprite, Ginger Ale, and other liquids to feel better. Slowly I felt a little bit better, but was out of it the entire day. I had fetuccini alfredo in the afternoon and had a Marx Brothers marathon to bring in the New Year. Every year at the Aero Theater in Santa Monica, they play Marx Bros.' films on New Years to bring in the new year. Since my friends and I were incapable of driving to Santa Monica, which I had a feeling would be the case, I decided to watch the Marx Bros. and have a good laugh at home.

I wound up having cereal for dinner because whenever I start out with lunch/ dinner food I feel obligated to have "breakfast" even if it's my last meal of the day. Plus cereal is just delicious and can be eaten any time. I had a bunch of various snacks throughout the day, but didn't feel tempted at all despite an entire fridge full of meat. This will be a fun challenge and all I can say is, One day down!

Have a Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T12:34:00.001-08:00

Going Vegetarian

2009-12-30T20:38:00.001-08:00

To Whom It May Concern:

For the past couple of months I have been toying with a pretty radical idea. A couple months ago I attended a book signing at Book Soup for Alicia Silverstone, who starred in Clueless, Blast From the Past and Batman & Robin. She was promoting her book, The Kind Diet, which is a vegan cookbook (something I did not know until she presented her book before she signed copies of the book). The more veganism was discussed, the idea really intrigued me why someone would change their lifestyle from eating meat to none at all and not eating anything produced by animals.

Back when I started college a weird trend started for me: I dated four vegetarians and one vegan in a row. What are the odds of that happening to one person in a six month span? I found that pretty ridiculous and it seemed like a weird coincidence. However I just kept meeting more and more people who were vegetarians or vegans. I loved hanging out with them and would always question, why go "hippie" and hate meat. They always hated that, but loved that I was curious and genuinely interested in their lifestyle. As a result, I learned about an awesome vegan place, California Vegan Kitchen, on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood that has some amazing food. Just be warned if you go with me, I do call everyone in there a hippie, especially when I go there with Amber and Casey. But let me get back on track.

The real reason why I am writing this is to let everyone know that I will become a vegetarian for the next 30 days starting on 1/1/2010 at 12:01 a.m. Yes, this is my New Year's Resolution for 2010. I feel that it's a good time as any to try this whole "vegetarian" thing. The subject has come up too much for me not to address and I feel this will be a good challenge. I love challenges and I think this will be a fun experience. To prepare for this challenge I ate all my favorite meat products over the past couple of weeks so I don't feel too tempted: steak, chicken, bacon, ham, filet mignon, hamburgers, shrimp, fish, eggs, etc. Giving up chicken will probably be my biggest challenge, but you got to do what you go to do.

Don't worry my attitude won't change and feel free to tempt me. It won't bother me at all and I actually encourage it. I am just glad I had sushi at my favorite place before undergoing this crazy task. This blog will change slightly for the next 30 days and include updates on my thoughts/ eating habits. Depending on how I feel after 30 days I might extend it, but we'll find out in a month. Hope everyone has a great New Year's and don't party too hard.

Sincerely,
John

Jim Caldwell... You Did Good

2009-12-29T14:27:00.000-08:00

I am going to take back what I said about Jim Caldwell being stupid for pulling Peyton and other starters in the third quarter to 14-1. It was a smart move, but as a Colts' fan I was frustrated that we didn't have a chance to go 16-0. Caldwell recognized that he is going to have to live with his decision and I respect that. All I can hope for is the Colts stay strong in the playoffs and keep their eyes on the real prize, the Super Bowl.

Way To Go Jim!

2009-12-27T19:56:00.000-08:00

Thanks for stopping perfection and pulling out your best player against a playoff contender. Smart move!