Over the past two years, I wrote four children’s books. Three of them I plan to turn into series. I took a break from those to put together a book of short horror stories.
Some stories we’re written long ago. Some we’re just ideas in my head that I finally put to paper. And some of them are brand new. I would love to one day to turn them all into a television show or turn one or two of them into a movie. More realistically, I hope someone else turns them into a show or movie.
I was raised on thing like Stephen King films and The Twilight Zone. My stories are heavily inspired by those things.
There are stories about ghosts, spiders, monsters, torture.
If you went to the theaters this week and saw Anaconda this week, you probably laughed your ass off. We all know Jack Black and Paul Rudd do comedy well. Jack Black has proven his comedic chops in films such as Orange County, School of Rock, Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny, and the Kung Fu Panda,Jumanji, and Super Mario franchise. Paul Rudd also entered our screens in the 90s, in things like Clueless. Throughout the next few decades, he worked closely with David Wain in films like Wet Hot American Summer, Role Models,They Came Together, and Judd Apatow’s The 40-Year-Old-Virgin and Knocked Up.
Movie: Saving Silverman. Release date: 2001 Cast: Jason Biggs, Steve Zahn, Jack Black, Amanda Peet Synopsis: A pair of buddies conspire to save their best friend from marrying the wrong woman. Why: Jack Black and Steve Zahn play the best friends of Jason Biggs and can’t stand his new girlfriend. They go to extreme lengths just to get rid of her. The Neil Diamond cover band in this movie is so fun.
Movie: Tropic Thunder Release date: 2008 Cast: Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey, Jr. Steve Coogan, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Brandon T. Jackson ,Bill Hader, Nick Nolte Why:If you liked Anaconda, then you will love Tropic Thunder. Because they follow the same formula and both star Jack Black! In the film, a bunch of actors who need a win decide to film a Vietnam war movie on location. They then wind up getting caught up in their own war and have to find their way out using the skills of their characters.
Movie: Strange Wilderness Release date: 2008 Cast: Steve Zahn, Allen Covert, Jonah Hill, Kevin Heffernan, Ashley Scott Peter, Dante Harry Hamlin, Robert Patrick, Joe Don Baker, Justin Long, Jeff Garlin, Ernest Borgnine Why: Like Grandma’s Boy, this was one of the movies that starred all of the people from Adam Sandler movies without Adam Sandler. I saw it in theaters in college and it is easily one of the funniest movies that I have ever seen. Like Anadona, it is so incredibly dumb, but so damn funny.
Movie: Orange County Release date: 2001 Cast: Colin Hanks, Jack Black, Catherine O’Hara, Schuyler Fisk, John Lithgow, Lily Tomlin Why: This movie came out when I was 13. I saw this in theaters around the same time as Out Cold and the two comedies did so much for my love for comedy. Jack Black is a force in this movie. He plays the slacker, stoner, step brother to Colin Hank’s character.
About: Ireland’s alternative emo darlings Greywind are finally back with new music – and a story to tell. The Killarney-based brother and sister duo of Steph and Paul O’Sullivan have experienced a lot in their career. The bands formative years saw the two struggling to navigate the juxtaposition of some remarkable highs and traumatic lows. Heroic praise of their sets at Reading & Leeds and Download Festival were often drowned out by unreasonable expectations of those around them. Even renowned radio DJ Zane Lowe (BBC, Apple Music) referring to Greywind as “A moment you won’t forget if you’re a fan of rock music” didn’t seem to quench the thirst of the short-sightedness surrounding them at the time. Then, when confronted by the isolation of a global pandemic, Greywind found themselves struggling mentally & emotionally to decide on the best path forward. As a result, they swore they wouldn’t put out another note of new music until they had the rights to their major-label-released debut album ‘Afterthoughts’ back. Now, after a lengthy struggle, and a 2023 viral surge that saw multiple songs off ‘Afterthoughts’ reaching millions of new fans globally, they’re more than ready to usher in a new era of their career with a brand new single called “Antidote.” Jointly produced by Sam Guaiana (Neck Deep, Silverstein) & The Wonder Years’ guitarist Casey Cavaliere, “Antidote” is a song fueled by the visceral whirlwind of emotions experienced by Steph and Paul in the first phase of their career.
Premise: A couple on a backpacking trip discovers a magical town in which everyone acts like they’re in a classic musical.
Creators: Ken Daurio, Cinco Paul
Cast: Keegan-Michael Key, Cecily Strong, Fred Armisen, Dove Cameron, Jaime Camil, Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Ariana DeBose, Ann Harada, Jane Krakowski, Martin Short, Aaron Tveit, Tituss Burgess, Patrick Page.
What it reminds me of: Big Fish, 30 Rock, Sound of Music, Chicago.
Why I like it: This show has been on my list for a long time now. I have and will watch anything with Keegan-Michael Key. I am not a big of musicals, but I am a big fan of satire and that’s what this is. But it doesn’t lack anything. The costumes, set design, music, choreography are all fantastic. The set designs on this show are, by far, my favorite thing. It is like being back in Spectre from Big Fish, which is one of my favorite movies.
The show has some of the same cast as 30 Rock and a lot of the same feels. Witty, quick jokes. Characters that are fun to watch, but you would never want to be around in real life.
One of my favorite jokes of the show is making fun of how quickly people break into song and how, throughout songs, things make less and less sense.
Where to watch: Free: Starz. Subscription: YouTubePrimetime, Hulu Premium, Sling TV Pemium, Roku Premium, Amazon Prime. Rent/Buy: Google Play, Apple, Fandango at home
Premise: In 1932, two strangers are wrongfully convicted and develop a strong friendship in prison that lasts them through the 20th century.
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, Ned Beatty, R. Lee Ermey, Obba Babatundé, Bernie Mac, Anthony Anderson, Miguel A. Núñez Jr., Bokeem Woodbine, Guy Torry, Michael Taliferro and Barry Shabaka Henley.
Writer: Robert Ramsey, Matthew Stone
Director: Ted Demme
What it reminds me of: Let’s Go to Prison
Why I like it: This is one of my favorite movies from the 90’s. And it’s just one of my favorite movies. I could watch it over and over again. What I love so much about this movie is that it is the perfect dramedy. You would think it is just a comedy from the trailer and the cast. But this movie has so much heart. I also love it because it has another formula of a favorite type of movie of mine: It takes place over decades.
The movie also has Bernie Mac in it and he was a hero of mine growing up. He plays such a great role in this movie. Anthony Anderson plays a small, but memorable role in the film. And the soundtrack is done by Wyclef Jean. And Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence are at their best here, in my opinion. I know it isn’t “Beverly Hills Cop: or “Bad Boys,” but it is still a classic to me.
This movie will make you laugh, but it will also make you tear up. It will make you think about friendship, love, loss, and more. Oh, and cornbread!
I do not like being recommended music. Maybe by friends, but not by a computer or algorithm. It is why I never understood Pandora. But recently, the Instagram algorithm has really recommended some great bands to me and I wanted to showcase some of them.
Genre: Pop Punk, Emo.
About: Good Hangs is a love letter to kids who came up in the local scene and now slog through mid-level management. The raw but earnest vocal harmonies, catchy guitar riffs, and poignant lyrics amp up the nostalgia for life as a millennial before society’s descent into dystopia. Because even when everything else is sh*t, you and your best friends can still crack open some PBRs, crank up the volume, and sing at the top of your lungs.
When there’s nothing to look forward to, look back. There’s no hope, just good hangs.
Members are Michael “Stein” Steinheiser (Singer/Frontman), Anthony Pierri (Guitar), Dominic Pierri (Bass/Backup Singer), Matt Ackman (Guitar), and Jack Mancuso (Drums).
Where are they from: Illinois
Remind me of: Brand New, Blink-182, every band you loved growing up who played at Warped Tour and now plays at When We Were Young.
I do not like being recommended music. Maybe by friends, but not by a computer or algorithm. It is why I never understood Pandora. But recently, the Instagram algorithm has really recommended some great bands to me and I wanted to showcase some of them.
Genre: Synth, Indie pop, Alternative
About: Moxy the Band is the combined effort of songwriter/diva Amber DeLaRosa (Flourish, Amber DeLaRosa), virtuoso composer Michael Franzino (A Lot Like Birds, Sianvar), and producer/engineer Dryw Owens, with deep roots in the capital city of Sacramento, California. The group’s formation and songwriting finds its inspiration in adversity. Written in the midst of a life-altering epilepsy diagnosis and global pandemic, “Dream Feeling” is a survivor’s reflection on the catastrophic loss of health, childhood, and even a child for whom the project was named. DeLaRosa dances though each pulsating instrumental with her own lyrical stories of perseverance: ”the process proved more difficult than I could imagine… and began to stand for holding onto the dream through the brutal, yet beautifully necessary lessons of life.” Moxy the Band’s debut record is a real-time account of finding creativity in hardship, all while laboring to build a state-of-the-art studio worthy of their first release. “Dream Feeling,” to be released on November 11, 2022, represents a stylistic and creative leap into the unknown for each of its members. The sound moves listeners through the neon atmosphere of discos past, roaring arenas of rock nostalgia, and the computerized eclecticism of future pop.
Where are they from: Sacramento, CA
Remind me of: Paramore, The 1975, if Katy Perry was around in the 80s. They are kind of their own sound.
I do not like being recommended music. Maybe by friends, but not by a computer or algorithm. It is why I never understood Pandora. But recently, the Instagram algorithm has really recommended some great bands to me and I wanted to showcase some of them.
This first one ois one of me and my girlfriend’s favorite bands and we can’t wait to see them again this fall.
Genre: Indie folk
About:Wild Rivers Platinum-selling indie trio Wild Rivers, Khalid Yassein [guitar, vocals, keys], Devan Glover [vocals], and Andrew Oliver [lead guitar, synths], have a gift for penning introspective lyrics and genre-fluid melodies that transmit wisdom beyond their years. Since their 2022 album, Sidelines, which landed at #9 on the U.S. Spotify Debut Album Chart, they have supported The Chicks on their North American tour, seen their 2020 break-out single “Thinking ‘Bout Love” be certified Gold in Australia and Platinum in Canada, sold-out headline North American and European tours, earned over 450 million streams with 4 million monthly listeners, and were nominated for Breakthrough Group of The Year at the 2023 JUNO Awards. Wild Rivers show no signs of slowing down in 2024 as they enter the next chapter of this incredible journey, with new music on the way and a European support tour with Noah Kahan.
To further expand their sonic horizons, Wild Rivers have been co-writing with myriot (Aurora, IDER, Halsey) and tapped Gabe Wax (Soccer Mommy, Kurt Vile, Adrienne Lenker, Jeremy Zucker) to produce their upcoming record. Building an authentic relationship with fans while channeling classic singer-songwriters and contemporary artists like Samia, Holly Humberstone and Noah Kahan has been vital to Wild Rivers’ connection with audiences.
Songs to check out: Amsterdam, Cave, Everywhere I Go, Don’t, Thining ‘Bout Love, Bedrock, Long Time, Stubborn Heart, Weatherman, Better When We’re Falling Apart
Premise: The show focuses on Nell Serrano, an accident-prone American newspaper reporter who left her last job five years ago to move to the United Kingdom with a lover. She returns to the US when the relationship ends and tries to resume her journalism career as a newly single woman. Serrano is assigned to write obituaries by her new employer, and begins to encounter ghosts of the people whose obituaries she is writing, whom only she can see and hear. The ghosts begin to have conversations with Serrano, and offer her advice on how to rebuild her life while also helping her write their obituaries by telling her their stories. The ghosts then disappear after their obituaries are published.
Cast: Gina Rodriguez, Hannah Simone, Lauren Ash, Rick Glassman, Joshua Banday, Angela E. Gibbs, Brad Garrett.
What it reminds me of: Six Feet Under, Ghosts, Ghost Town.
Why I like it: Rick Glassman is one of my favorite comedians, podcasters, and people. I have loved watching him in the shows Undatable, As We See It, and now this.
The show is super funny, with guest stars showing up as the ghosts on each episodes. Some of the guest stars include Brittany Sow, Rhea Pearlman, Ed Begley Jr., Mo Collins, Julia Sweeney, Paula Pell, Magaret Cho, and Nico Santos.
The show has a lot of laughs, but also a lot of heart and messsage to it. And the comedic ensemble is so strong with cast members from some favorite shows such as New Girl and Superstore.
Premise: A self-indulgent and vain publishing magnate finds his privileged life upended after a vehicular accident with a resentful lover.
Cast: Tom Cruise, Penélope Cruz, Kurt Russell, Jason Lee, Noah Taylor, Cameron Diaz.
What it reminds me of: Black Mirror, What Dreams May Come, Inception.
Why I like it: This movie is fun, trippy, beautiful. I absolutely love the score and the soundtrack is fantastic, including “Salisbury Hill” by Peter Gabriel and a few songs by Sigur Ros. The movie will have you guessing until the very end. It is a roller coaster ride and the perfect sci-fi, romance, psychological thriller. The movie also has some great other cast members including Michael Shannon, Johnny Galecki, and Tilda Swinton.
