spoofmaster | (no subject)

So here we are again--picspamming. Photobucket's working for me once more.

I think I shall watch Dear Frankie once more, with the commentary turned on, then force myself to put it right back in the envelope and return it--best take full advantage of having Netflix by getting as many movies as I can. It's awfully expensive to buy a copy of Dear Frankie, but such is life.

Anyhooo, picspamming time. I have icons, a sort of ramble/rant about the short film Please! with pictures to illustrate, and some pictures of things in the amusement parks, including something that rather surprised me and that I'm sure my fellow Lost fans will appreciate.

It's icon time! I have both Gerry and Johnny, so take your pick.
Sample:

Gerry, from the short film Please! (explanations will follow, I promise!)

Gerry, from Dear Frankie

Johnny (first picture from an episode of 21 Jump Street, second from a forgotten source)

Last but not least, a Mickey Mouse icon that has already been given as a gift to

nobleplatypus, so ask her if you can use it

Next we have the film Please! which I saw earlier tonight after Dear Frankie. It's only fifteen minutes long, and you can go see it on AtomFilms if you have Real Player or Windows Media Player. Apparently it was quite popular at various festivals, though I don't really see why. I've put all the images under links because there were so many, and be warned, HERE BE SPOILERS!

It has good old Gerry Butler (actually credited under that nickname) as a novelist ("I'M A NOVELIST!!ONE!") whose life has gone down the drain. His wife and daughter have left him, he hasn't heard from his publicist in ages, and he's living in what appears to be a really cheap apartment.

The movie begins in that apartment, where Peter (Gerry's loverly character) is busy loading a borrowed revolver with a single bullet. He spins the chambers, stares at a photograph of his wife and daughter, puts the gun to his head, and pulls the trigger. Nothing happens, of course, or else we wouldn't have much of a movie. He then proceeds to wander about his apartment with no pants on, screaming at his wife over the phone and drinking some sort of liquor. After she apparently hangs up on him, he jumps over the bed (an impressive sight indeed) and bashes his cell phone against the wall repeatedly. After that, he has a good cry and curls up on the bed in a fetal position.The next thing we see is Peter driving down the road in his crazy European car with the driver's seat on the wrong side. He comes to a stop because someone is blocking up the road, and we have Drama. The woman in the car behind Peter starts honking, so the man ahead of him gets out of his own car and starts banging on the hood and door and yelling. He insults Peter's car and calls him a wanker, and demands that Peter get out of the car immediately. Peter does so. After a bit of yelling and Peter holding the gun to his own head the man gets back in his car and speeds off. Peter yells in the guy's face that he is a novelist (at first I thought he'd said "My life is awful!"--that's accents and shouting for you). He repeats this cry several times after the man speeds away, waving his arms and generally looking insane.

Following this happy outing, he continues his journey to his wife's house, where he stands outside the window and threatens to blow his brains out...again. His wife is very encouraging with her shouts of "do it, then!", but after telling her repeatedly that "I WILL use this thing!" he instead asks her to please talk to him. She lets him in, and they have tea. In the conversation that ensues we learn that they each blame each other and that she is as emotionally unbalanced as him. Makes me wonder what their daughter will grow up to be. After attempting to shoot herself and getting an empty chamber, she tells him that he needs to go sort his life out.

Peter next travels to the office of his publicist, who ignores him until he yanks her phone away, whips out his gun, and starts shouting. He then proceeds to rant at her about why he has a gun (I'm a novelist!") why he's a novelist ("I must be bloody mad!") and why he's waving the gun at her--because, of course, he wants his life back, to "get this insanity out of my brain," etc. She looks on, and really looks like she's just trying not to laugh. When she asks him who he is and he replies ("Peter Dunn!"), they discover that hey, there's a big muhonkin' note on her desk saying to call him and that hey, if he hadn't smashed his phone the night before he would have gotten the call that morning. He sinks down onto his knees in front of her desk, and when she asks about his phone he says "I broke it" in a truly piteous voice. She then proceeds to tell him how awesomely awesome his story is, and all is yey.

Finally, he goes to pick up his daughter...possibly from school. It's very vague. She grills him about if he's sure her mother said he could, and if he still loves her mother, and generally gives the impression that she's intelligent. However, when he is stopped at a payphone to call the friend who lent him the gun, she proves to be the stupidest child ever born. After pulling the trigger with the gun pointed directly at her own face and chancing upon an empty chamber, she points the gun out the window and pulls it again. Thus, Peter is shot.

Roll credits.

Now, one reviewer wrote that this film was "unsentimental"--undoubtedly because they up and shot Peter. I say that this is not an example of admirable writing, but rather of the filmmakers being total smartasses. What the hell was the point of all that, anyway? It was pretty funny, yea, but I doubt that was their intention. The only actual meaning I can think up is that this is, in fact, nihilist cinema. How dull.

Holy poo, it's time for pictures from Real Life--or as real as it gets down here.

First, let's talk Spectromagic. I did not manage to tape the entire parade last Saturday due to my battery running out, but I got the first few floats, so you can all see part of The Parade That Ate My Life.

Here is the first float, the Fanfare. I hate dressing them. Oh, and last night I was so glad I didn't have to--the Fanfare Girl From Hell was there again. So glad I got Chipmunk duty.

Next are the Pods, which are peopled by Spectromen.

After them comes the Logo float, which has both Fanfare and Spectromen on it.

The next float is Mickey Mouse himself. You have to use a forklift to get on that thing.

The Music Float is next, which has Genie, Goofy, the Bassmen, and the Chipmunks. I only got Genie and Goofy before the battery died.

Mmmkay...and how about when I went to MGM on Saturday...heeh, you'll love this. I stopped by the ABC Comissary that evening, wondering what it was (it turned out to be a quick service restaurant with mediocre burgers), and what should greet me in the display cases right inside the doors buuut *drumroll* these!