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Comedy

How to Do Visual Comedy the Edgar Wright Way

Posted on May 28, 2014

One of my favorite writer/directors is Edgar Wright. His films, including Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, The World’s End and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, are some of my all-time favorites. Why, you may wonder?

One of the many reasons is his very inventive visual style. He knows how to use a camera and his actors to maximize comedic or dramatic effect. And sometimes he even does both at the same time.

Don’t know what I mean? Fortunately, I don’t really have to explain further because someone else, Vimeo user Tony Zhou to be exact, has already made a video highlighting exactly what I’m talking about.

Watch it. You just might learn something.

[vimeo 96558506 w=560 h=315]

Medieval Land Fun-Time World

Posted on October 17, 2013

You can probably guess I’m a big fan of the HBO series Game of Thrones. If you know me at all, ever heard my podcast or read most anything I’ve written, it should be pretty obvious I’m a geek/nerd. And geek/nerds love GOT.

The show is really fun and I enjoy pretty much every minute of it. In fact, I can’t wait until it starts again with season four.

I never read the books before I saw the series, but I don’t really see that as a problem. I think the series stands on its own as one of the best on TV.

That said, I can also see the potential humor in a lot of what goes on during the show. Some of it, although taken very seriously, could be very funny if presented in a different way. Apparently, the folks who made this video agree and have taken the idea and run with it. Far.

I haven’t laughed this much in some time. That could be because I’m extremely tired (we do have a new baby in the house after all), but if so, that doesn’t take away from the fact that this video is extremely funny. Enjoy.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Krz-dyD-UQ?rel=0&w=560&h=420]

D&D Players Can Be Ruthless In This Trailer for ‘Zero Charisma’

Posted on July 22, 2013

Long ago, when Dungeons & Dragons was just called D&D and about the time the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons arrived, I started playing the game. Back then it was a group of like-minded friends who gathered around the ping pong table in my parent’s garage and had adventures.

It was a simpler time and I don’t remember the games ever getting violent, or even very confrontational, except when we were engaged in epic battles for our band of adventurers very survival. In the game, of course.

So when I saw this trailer for the indie film Zero Charisma (a title which works for me on several levels), I had to think if I ever had these kinds of problems as a young D&D player. I was pretty sure I didn’t, but perhaps I was remembering it wrong? Or, was I just lucky that none of the people I played with back then were bona fide sociopaths as, unfortunately, the character of Scott (the terrifically creepy Sam Eidson) seems to be.

I like to think we were all just good friends brought together by our love of role playing games, the desire to use or imaginations and because we liked to have fun. I really hope it wasn’t that other stuff. I don’t like to think that I can’t remember things or that I could have misjudged people’s character so badly back then.

As I still keep in touch with most of the guys I played with “back in the day,” I guess I can just check with them and see if my recollection of events jives with their own. I’m pretty sure it will.

You can call a prison directly, right? I kid, I kid.

Check out this trailer for Zero Charisma and some scenes from the movie. It looks like a lot of fun and I look forward to seeing it when I get a chance.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRRCt0tbQvw?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgbLhDUqAXM?rel=0&w=560&h=315]