life as a dog…

OK, we all know how ridiculous Hollywood has become – remaking movies that don’t need to be remade. Classics that have been destroyed. I’m not talking Charlie & the Chocolate Factory – that was done well and was NOT a remake. But there was NO reason to remake Shall We Dance? The Japanese version was good…it didn’t NEED remaking into a crap Richard Gere vehicle. Hairspray did NOT need to be remade. John Waters did it. Leave well enough alone! Now I hear that they are planning to remake Footloose with the guy from High School Musical. WHY??? But no…that’s not the worst of it.

I don’t care WHAT someone’s opinion of Rob Zombie is…good or bad. But there should be NO remake of Halloween. Halloween was one of the best (the best in my opinion) horror flicks ever made – and on a shoestring budget, no less. Why fuck with that?

I figure it’s only a matter of time before someone tries to remake a classic like Citizen Kane, and only a matter of time before someone tries to remake a pop favorite, like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

Are studios so pathetic that they can’t think of new things? Are writers so bad that nobody can get a new idea made? Are studio execs just simply too fucking lazy to look at new stuff?

Two words Hollywood…. STOP IT!

I am currently working on a video for the American Cancer Society. We are in the edit stage right now – getting a rough cut together for review by the client. When I was at my old company, we did some decent work – interesting clients, interesting videos. But sadly, virtually nothing I would put on a reel. Why? Either it was simply a talking head, shot badly, or the worst…so many people would get involved in editing that it turned to muck. Classic case of too many cooks in the kitchen.

Now, I’m at my new company, and the three projects I’ve been working on…I’d use material from all three in a reel. It’s been that much of a step up that quickly. Especially this video for the American Cancer Society. Minimal lighting. Minimal set. Minimal editing. It’s very clean…and effective. This would never have happened at the old place. Stuff would have had to have been added..just to have it. It would have been very cluttered. Detraction from the message to an extreme.

Of course, it helps that we are also shooting on HD and not MiniDV.

I’ve been at the new company now for 1.5 months. Things are starting to pick up after the summer lull. Right now we have about 8-9 projects running (most started before I got here, so I pretty much don’t have anything to do with them). There are also some possibilities coming up that could be VERY cool – things like working with all the Presidential candidates, the Holocaust Museum, Mount Vernon and other historical sites. (These are separate projects, by the way). Some of these may include travel (maybe, just maybe, international included). Hopefully, they will all come to fruition.

Our company picnic was Saturday – it’s the first time I’ve ever worked at a company that actually HAD an event like that. I’ve had Christmas dinners before, but not a day where everyone just gets together to have some fun. This is just another reason I like this company – it isn’t just about the bottom line…it’s about having a fun time, too.

So a little more about this “getting-in-better-shape” kick… I broke out the bike today. I just got back from an hour on the W&OD trail – made it 12 miles total: from Reston to Ashburn and back. Not bad for the first time back on the bike in about 2 years. BUT…the even more impressive news… it has now been about 48 hours since I’ve had a soda of ANY kind. I have only had one carbonated beverage in those 48 hours – and it was carbonated water. Oh wait…sorry…that’s “Sparkling” water.

I know, I know…not much of anything has been written on here lately. But not too much has been going on lately. So just a few updates…

My birthday was a couple weeks ago – a major milestone one, no less. 40. That’s odd just writing that. I’ve resolved to get myself into better shape. (Yeah yeah, I know…isn’t this what always happens to someone and then they lose track of their goal). But I’ve been pretty good so far. I have cut my caffeine intake (and through that, my soda intake) by an enormous amount. Whereas I could easily down 2-3 2 liter bottles of caffeine-laced soda, I have knocked it down to where I may have 2-3 large cups of it. I used to have a ton of soda on hand at home – any time it was on sale, I’d buy 5-8 bottles to set aside…and be finished with them within 3-4 days. Now? I actually have NO soda at home. While that may not seem like a big deal to anyone else, to anybody who knows me – it’s a huge deal. Somehow, I’ve managed to cut it without getting major headaches (this has happened any other time I’ve attempted this). The headaches always led to my failure to cut the caffeine.

My eating habits – making an improvement (if only slight). Except for a couple weekend days, I have not gotten restaurant food in the last couple weeks for dinner – including NO pizza. (Lunch is another matter – I’ve still done fast food, but I’ve been better at that.)

I’ve also started going back to swimming. The first time I went back – I could barely make it 4 laps. 2 weeks later, and I’m making 12 laps. Unfortunately, yesterday was the last time I could go to the pool until late September – they close it for 6 weeks for cleaning (I have no idea why it takes 6 weeks, but alas, it does). I’ve been contemplating what to do for these 6 weeks – do I go to Herndon’s pool (half the size, and not nearly as nice)? Go to Alexandria’s pool (that causes a problem with Harley’s schedule)? Go to the YMCA (not sure if they allow drop-ins)? Bite the bullet and sign up for membership at Lifetime Fitness (the only local gym with a pool, but expensive initiation fee)? Eventually I may do the Lifetime thing (especially since work will reimburse the monthly fee (though not the initiation fee). But for now, I think I’ll break out the bike. The swimming has, for the most part, been mostly a cardio workout for me, and biking will do that as well – plus the weather should *hopefully* get a little cooler. Biking also doesn’t cost me a dime.

Along with me trying to improve my diet and fitness, Harley gets to improve as well. Originally, he was getting Beneful. If you know anything about pet food, you’ll know that Beneful is crap. “Beaks and Feet!” is what L likes to refer to it as. And his treats were Marrow Bones snacks. Both are gone. I switched him a while ago to Eukanuba. Not fantastic food, but miles beyond Beneful. This week I stepped it up – as his Eukanuba runs out, he will be switching to Wellness. His treats were changed a while back to Old Mother Hubbard (the makers of Wellness). So Harley should be happy, too.

I will try and update more often.