movieguyjon

What I’ve Been Up To

Posted on March 24, 2009 by movieguyjon Internets My Life Tech 0

Just so you don’t think I was yanking your chain the other day about being really really really (did I mention really?) busy, I thought I’d give you a little bit of an update about what I’ve been up to and do some general self-promotion. You’ve been hereby warned.

Things with Geek Troika Productions are going swimmingly! I still edit the podcast on a weekly basis and write little articles when I can. We just recorded our 20th episode last week, which is pretty exciting. Twenty freakin’ episodes, people! I never thought that we would last that long, or that we’d develop such an amazing rapport with each other. Now, my Mondays are spent waiting for the evening’s recording session, quite impatiently I might add. Mattie and Mike are awesome and recording just wouldn’t be the same without them.

Anyways, enough gushing…

To celebrate or 20th episode, we opened a merch store. It’s only got one item at the moment, but I’m drawing up new artwork and preparing logos to post later this week. I’m sure I’ll be pestering the lot of you about this later on in the week. So, if you have a little extra money to spare and want some pretty schweet schwag, go the Geek Troika Merch Store NOWZ and click “buy!” If not, well…..don’t. I just won’t like you anymore. Hrmphh.

As if that wasn’t enough, I went ahead and created a new podcast under the Geek Troika banner. Technicolor Commentary is podcast of young film school alumni making commentary tracks to replace the boring ones you find on your DVDs. We bitch about what’s on screen as well as provide insight based on our film school background. With me on this project is Tom and Graham, my co-hosts. When we’re not recording the commentary tracks, we’re busy writing up posts about films, television and media in general. Be sure and bookmark the site and add it to your RSS reader. TCC will be here for years to come!

Later on this year there will be some web series that Geek Troika Productions will be dishing out for your viewing pleasure. The first is Matsie Reads Her Spam, a web series about a girl named Matsie and her relationship with the spam that she collects in her inbox. I’ll update you more as it develops but just know that you’re in for a treat. Next will be an animated web series that my friend Tom thought up awhile back. I can’t really dish out too many details yet, but I will fill you in more as time goes on.

That about wraps it up for what I’ve been up to lately. When I’m not working on all of this, I’ve been working my butt off with contract gigs and making ends meet. It’s some kind of crazy, I tells ya.

Jonathan is a VJ, Part 5

Posted on March 23, 2009 by movieguyjon Music Youtubes 0

Hey guys! What’s the haps? Yeah, I’ve been quite the busy bee this past month or so with various forms of work. It’s been so crazy that I’ve pretty much neglected most of my blogs. But hey, I’m here now and posting, so that’s got to count for something. Right? RIGHT?!

Anypoo, it’s time for another music video session from yours truly. You’ll notice a few things different about this one. Namely, I’m not using MTVMusic anymore for my source of music videos. While the service showed promise, their API continued to suck and navigating the site was an extreme chore. Now, I’m just sticking with Youtube. Already, I’m happy I switched back. So, without further ado, I present five really awesome music videos from some artists I really enjoy!

Goldfrapp Caravan Girl

Jonathan is a VJ, Part 4

Posted on February 3, 2009 by movieguyjon Internets Music TV 2

It’s been awhile since I’ve done one of these posts, and for that I apologize. School ended, and then I went on the big bad job hunt. In fact, I’m still on the big bad job hunt and have been bouncing around from contract job to contract job to help with the bills. But that’s beside the point. I’ve been lax in making a music video mix for you and for that I apologize. Let’s start February off on the right foot and get this show on the road!

RJD2 |MTV Music

I’d Like To Thank The Academy

Posted on January 28, 2009 by movieguyjon Comics Film Screenwriting 0

I had a rather large post written up in textedit about the Oscars and who I thought should win based off the nominations. Truth be told, I haven’t seen any of the films that were nominated this year, with the exception being Wall-E, Iron Man, and The Dark Knight. Therefore, I chucked the post in favor of a shorter one that I think will be just a wee bit more discussion worthy. See, I’ve noticed a lot of backlash about the snubbing of Gotham’s finest hero at the Oscars, and how it should have been nominated for Best Picture and yadda-yadda-yadda. “OMG, Chris Nolan should have been nominated for BEST DIRECTOR EVAR!”

Sigh.

Truth be told, I think The Dark Knight was nominated for everything it deserves. The only makeup worthy of note is the Joker’s. The only performance worthy of note is the Joker’s. There’s no art direction to speak of, and the directing is inconsistent throughout the film. The screenplay is nothing special, and feels particularly bloated with the Hong Kong sequence. Bruce Wayne was not the focus of the film, and because of that, it felt more like “The Joker” than “The Dark Knight.”

Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed the hell out of The Dark Knight. It’s definitely a favorite of ’08. But Oscar worthy? Bitch plz!

Feel free to try and convince me otherwise, but I hold to the fact that Heath Ledger was the only AMAZING thing in that movie. The rest was WAY below the standard set by Batman Begins.

Fakin’ the Nut Allergy – A Rant

Posted on January 21, 2009 by movieguyjon Blather My Life Science 3

According to Joel Stein:

My nut allergy is a product of my white upbringing.
I can stop my anaphylactic shock with my mind.
My parents were yuppies.
Your parents are yuppies.
God hates retarded children.
Fat friends make you fat (He quoted a guy for this fact).
Nuts are good.
Durr.

Ok, the last few bullet points were me being silly, but I think you get where I’m coming from. It’s hard to take this opinion piece seriously when the writer didn’t really bother to make a “good” point. As someone who’s experienced anaphylactic shock numerous times growing up (most involving hospital visits), I hardly think that my nut allergy is a product of my parents worrying I could be allergic to things. In fact, it’s because they let me eat whatever the hell I wanted as a young’un that we discovered my little “aversion” to nuts.

While I can’t necessarily argue against certain illnesses and allergies being “all in the mind,” I can’t outright say that that’s the case either. I’ve met people who fit into both sides of the argument and it’s led me to believe that things like this CAN be in the mind and CAN actually exist. And sure, there’s yuppie paranoia and the issue of being “too clean” and “too healthy,” but people like me still do exist and our problems are real.

Am I crazy in finding this guy’s ramblings aggravatingly written?

Chicken With It’s Head Cut Off

Posted on January 21, 2009 by movieguyjon Blather 0

I didn’t feel much in the mood to post anything interesting this late in the evening, so I thought I would post some lyric from The Magnetic Fields instead.

Eligible, not too stupid
Intelligiable, and cute as cupid
Knowledgeable, but not always right
Salavagable, and free for the night

Well my heart’s runnin’ round like a chicken with its head cut off
All around the barn yard falling in and out of love
Poor thing’s blind as a bat
Gettin’ up, fallin’ down, gettin’ up
Who’d fall in love with a chicken with its head cut off?

Woah Nelly

My wife doesn’t understand me
Many dozens, hope to land me
I’m for free love
And i’m in free fall
This could be love
Or nothing at all

But my hearts runnin round like a chicken with its head cut off
All around the barn yard falling in and out of love
Poor thing’s blind as a bat
Gettin’ up, fallin’ down, gettin’ up
Who’d fall in love with a chicken with its head cut off?

We don’t have to stars exploding in the night
Or electric eels under the covers
We don’t have to be
Anything quite so unreal
Lets just be lovers

Well my heat’s runnin’ round like a chicken with it’s head cut off
All around the barn yard falling in and out of love
Poor thing’s blind as a bat
Gettin’ up, fallin’ down, gettin’ up
Who’d fall in love with a chicken with its head cut off?

It ain’t pretty

People Know Me

Posted on January 20, 2009 by movieguyjon Internets My Life 17

I got a little shoutout the other day from fellow Friendfeeder Mona on her blog Pixel Bits for a meme I participated in. Apparently I’ve been in a lot of vehicle accidents! Woo! Anyway, here’s the meme I participated in, reprinted for your edification. Enjoy.

I loathe lotions of any kind. I won’t even use sunscreen because of how horrible it feels on my hands.
I chew on the string of my hoodies.
I’m very jittery. Watch me try to keep still and see…
I lose my train of thought in the middle of stories.
I have some kind of insomnia. I say “some” because I manage to get sleep in there somewhere. Stayed up till 6am this morning, matter of fact. (edit: That was a day or so ago, by the way)
I get panic attacks. They last awhile sometimes.
I walk a lot.
I have two pet cats who have steadily become more and more important in my life. I carry conversations with them regularly.
I’m allergic to wood nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, anything like that that grows on trees). Many trips to the ER have proven this. And yes, it’s a fatal allergy.
I can eat the same thing day in and day out and not get sick of it, provided that I only have it once a day….if that makes sense.
I usually WILL go there. That’s right! You heard me.
Before I can get truly relaxed for bed, I need to rub my feet together a few times. It’s very soothing.
I have been hit by a taxi before, while crossing the street.
You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry…in a car…during rush hour.
I have fan art published in the Knuckles spin-off comic from Archie Comics.
I absolutely MUST MUST watch a TV show from episode 1 forward. If I watch it out of context, I don’t get into it.
I have crashed two vehicles, one a conversion van and the other a pickup truck. Both were my fault, but no one was hurt except me…
I fear even the smallest of heights. If I’m on a ladder, my knees shake and I get all sweaty in the palms.
Bloody noses tend to push my panic button in a very serious way.
I’m a writer because I’m not good with the talky talky.
I have a difficult time looking people in the eyes. A very difficult time.
I’m one of those people who becomes way friendlier when booze is involved.
My shoe size is 13.
I overthink things way too much.
Public mirrors. Cannot stand to see myself in them. I HATE HATE HATE them. I hate myself in them. I don’t think I can stress this enough.

Oh yeah, and we have a new president now. Fun times.

These Aren’t Resolutions

Posted on January 15, 2009 by movieguyjon Film Internets My Life Screenwriting 12

It’s late, I can’t sleep, and my mind is racing a million miles a second. I figured that since this is the case I would write out a list of things I’d like to do in 2009. Before I go any further, I need to clarify: these are NOT resolutions. Resolutions (if you recall) are things that people break. I don’t want that to be the fate of these items, and if I don’t call them by the “r” word, maybe I’ll actually succeed. Following so far?

Sell my first screenplay.
Finish my second screenplay.
Sell that one.
Produce my short film that got rejected by the Columbia College Practicum.
Write a third screenplay.
Ice skate.
Take a road trip with friends.
Find a job that parallels my interests and be able to keep it.
Continue my webcomic.
Draw a new one that’s been kicking around in my head for some time.
Go on an honest to god date. You know, where you dress up super nice and drink wine.
See at least 12 bands in my library.
Cook more. (I’ve cooked more this year than before just in these past few months!)
Go to a rave.
Do my part in making the production company I’m a part of the big thing this year.
Go to at least 2 conventions of any kind and get my picture taken with someone “famous.”
Go to comic con.
Record an episode of Geek Troika at each of my co-hosts’ places.
Get to writing that fourth screenplay.
Submit my writing to competitions.

I definitely plan to add to this list as I think of more things. There’s so much to do this year and only 365 days to do it in. Not much time, if you ask me. Oh yeah, and if you enjoyed this list, make your own and share it. I kind of like the idea of being accountable to the internet on this one.

Rambling About Screenwriting Books

Posted on January 7, 2009 by movieguyjon Blather My Life Screenwriting 5

Thought I would try out my new account with Viddler by ranting about a screenwriting book that I hate and one that I love. Kind of threw it together fast so it ain’t “all that” nor is it the definitive source on what you should buy if you’re in the market for books on screenwriting…so be kind. :)

My Year In Lists

Posted on December 30, 2008 by movieguyjon Blather Internets Music My Life 0

Hey folks, I thought I would end the year a little differently and end it with a “playlist” for the year. I went all dorky and divided it up by month, talking a little bit about why I picked that track. It’s been one hell of a year. Hopefully you get that from my selection. See you in the new year!