Saturday Morning Catch Up

Gentle Reader, it is good to touch base with you again. There has been much afoot here on this end of the internet connection so I do apologize for not checking in sooner.

“Really. …Really, Evil Chicken?”

Yes Really. I love Chicken Scratch but I’ve had some other irons in the fire lately.

“Really?”

Yes. Stop saying that. It’s getting annoying. Here are a few things that have been preoccupying my time…

A good friend and example to yours truly passed away recently. Mr. Michael McCarthy left us behind to be with the Lord. I do not weep for him. He went home. I weep for Cindy his wife, Mike his son and for the rest of us who knew him for the amazing man in the Lord that he was. I love ya Big Mike.

The act of collaboration! Myself and my partner in crime, Mr. Robert R. DeFrank completed a screenplay, “Being Others”. We registered it with WGA West and are now in the process of shopping it around. It’s family friendly fare that would work great on Nickelodeon or the Disney Channel (YOU HEAR THAT NICK & WALT!). It’s about a young man who gains a power that changes his life and what he does with said power. It’s got a good message and I’m jazzed to have another script registered with the WGA. This marks the fifth time that I have conspired with another writer on a script. Interestingly enough each time has been different and has presented their own unique series of challenges. When you collaborate on a project you have to not only find your voice but co-conspirator’s voice as well. Once that happens all you have to do is serve the story. After some initial hiccups Bob and I have a script that we are very pleased with. I’ll let you know how it goes, Gentle Reader.

Speaking of the WGA, I also registered a short screenplay based on a short story I wrote a couple of years ago called, “NO RETURNS”. After it was registered I entered it into a short script competition called the Gimme Credit Short Script Competition. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Speaking of collaborators; I had the pleasure of acting in a short film, “For Love of Zombies” by Ron DiPrimio I was a cemetery caretaker and then I was a zombie. Ron and I have written two scripts together. We pitched them in LA some years back. I am very pleased to see that he continues to move forward with his writing and his filmmaking. He’s a talented guy and I can’t wait to see the finished product!

I am working on two books. One is a collection of essays and the other is a collection of short stories. There will be much more about this in the future here at Chicken Scratch.

I’ve got a couple of blogs in my back pocket…

Oh man, I’ve gotta go… Mother Hen, who is busier than I am these days, just said that we are running late for a Geocaching Event.

Talk soon, Gentle Reader

Thanks for stopping by!

I Want To Believe

Cue the theme music.

Scully and Mulder are coming back to theaters this summer – July 25, 2008, to be exact; X-Files 2 – on the big screen. I am one X-Phile that can’t wait. Here’s Ain’t It Cool News’s coverage from WonderCon: http://www.aintitcool.com/node/35726.

Man… It’s good to be a geek. Harry and company do a great job of getting news that’s well, pretty cool. The vernacular on the site can be distracting when you read some articles and talk-backers so be fair warned – if you can look beyond that Harry’s site is the gold standard of geekdom.

And now, back to topic.

Friday nights during the nineties started with watching the X-Files on TV. What a great little show that was. If you get a chance check it out in reruns or rent the series. If you want a reminder of just how cool the show was check out: http://xfiles.wearehere.net/xfiles.htm#Start - it’s a great X-Files site and where I grabbed the “I Want To Believe” poster that used to hang in Mulder’s office before being burnt out in season 6 (?). After 202 episodes, 9 seasons of broadcast television the X-Files threw in the towel in 2002. The series, for me, didn’t end on the high note that it really deserved. X-Files was cutting edge when it was in it’s prime. The show lost it’s footing after David Duchovny (Fox Mulder) left. Oh the stories were good but the draw was the relationship between Scully (played by the amazing Gillian Anderson) and Mulder. The show suffered from Favoratus Disappearis and it was palpable.

I always felt that there were more tales to tell within the world of supernatural conspiracy, creepy monsters of the week and alien abductions. I know that I’m not alone in this belief. "X-Files 2" could be just what Chris Carter (creator, writer, director) needs to carve out an X-Files movie franchise.

I’m hoping that he does, after all – I want to Believe.