game time for cafe murder, folks!

Cafe Murder is up and running! Just click this link and you can buy Zack and Eli's game and play it on your smartphone for less than $2. (I have a dumb phone, sadly.)
The official release party will be June 8th in Atlanta. If I had planned ahead, I would be there, to shake their hands and give them big hugs, too.
For the International Gaming festival, the guys at Beaver Toad Software made this video about how to play the game. Quite informative and fun, too! I'm not sure I could keep up with all the food flying around the room - and keep Stabby from killing the diners - but that bazooka o'sandwich is a handy tool. Oh, yeah!
Apparently, many concepts of electronic games never make it into this stage of life. I am so very proud of Zack Wood and Eli Burke, two guys from Georgia, not Simi Valley, who dared to dream it and then put in the many long hours of WORK to get it done.
Again, Good job, y'all!
And happy birthday to me!

hello, hellyfish?

Well, one thing I am learning with these kickstarter projects: when the people in charge of making them move away from each other or graduate from SCAD, the project goes into slow-motion status.
Pat Longsteth moved to California in late May of 2012, after filming was totally complete, as he states in the "comments" portion of my posting.
Since then, it's all but stopped, at least as far as I can tell.
The Savannah Magazine's July 2012 issue, titled "Life on the Water", sported a very nice interview with Pat and Rob McLean. The story was titled, aptly enough, "Creature Feature" and is quite entertaining.
Also in July of 2012, their blog was updated to let all know that the trailer for the film was complete and available on youTube. I have it posted above, for your one-stop viewing pleasure! Pretty exciting!
It also tends to whet one's movie-viewing appetite.
So far, that is still unsated.
Near the end of February, their blog reassured all that they had been "chiseling away all winter on the post-production of Hellyfish, and I must admit that this monster is a tough one to REEL in. When tackling any large problem, it’s important to take a break, have a little fun, and learn about what else is happening in the world. So here goes."
The rest of that post, while interesting, was not helpful.
When would the film be completed?
As it has not been completed, that must mean they were unable to enter it in the 2012 SXSW Film Festival.
Will they try again this year? If so, the deadline for submissions is in October.
Stay tuned...
I will!

Rip Van Winkle sleeps no more!

When I first backed this musical by the Savannah Stage Company, I didn't know how well it would succeed. Please do not misunstand me: I had hoped it would. But their dream was so lofty, and so different, and I honestly did not know how well the school system would accept it.
But "Rip Van Winkle: A New Musical" has done quite well!

In an update posted on October 30th of last year, we backers were told:
On November 5th, Savannah Stage Company opens Rip Van Winkle: A New Musical at the Moses Jackson Center in Savannah. Our first performance will be for a group of senior citizens from West Savannah that the Moses Jackson serves, as a 'thank you' to them for providing us a home to rehearse in. They have been extremely welcoming to us and very accommodating.
Later this month we'll perform the show 2 more times for elementary school aged children and, since we've decided to extend this tour until the end of the school year, we're continuing to book shows for next year. If you haven't been keeping up with our progress on Facebook, we encourage you to take a look at some of our rehearsal photos and be on the lookout for production photos once we open.
This tour is coming to life daily and we're doing our best to share our progress with you. Without you guys this thing would never have been possible and we're reminded everyday of how lucky we are. Thank you for your continued support. Be on the lookout for our website launching mid-November. Have a Happy Halloween!

Since then, there have been shows at an art gallery and at several libraries! I have not yet managed to catch any of these shows, but you can see my name here, on the troupe's website.
I'll keep my eye out for the postman to bring my video soon!

ol' devil sherman and the mint juleps

Again that magic word: burlesque - how wonderfully exotic!
This time, I most assuredly would be able to attend the show, as it is quite local! Not all the way off in Texas, like that last one with kickstarter!
My friend, Megan Jones, is the woman in charge of this project. She does a lot of photography and encourages her clients to dress in lavish styles for their glamour shots. Of course, it doesn't hurt that many of the folks she photographs are local theatre people!
One of the categories on her page is for "Pin Ups".
Yep, you read that right.
For gals - and guys! - wanting to get their smooth on, they can book with her and have their hair styled especially for the 1930's, '40's, and 50's, with clothes to match, 'natch. Look here if you're wanting to get some ideas for your day in the sun!
When she sent out the word on facebook that she was trying to fund a burlesque show, I gave serious consideration to becoming a backer. My funds are not what they once were, especially as the summer is upon me (no pay for professors for those three months) and my status as full-time parlayer of knowledge has ended. Unless I find some other job, I will return to adjunct status, at one-fifth pay, in August.
Hell's belles, darlin', that's why God made credit cards!
You know what, you are absolutely right.
Plus, you can declare it part of your 55th birthday celebration this year!
By Golly, Miss Molly! That sounds like a winner, indeedy it do!
So, that's what I've done: added a Benjamin to the top hat, plus a dollar for every year I've been on this planet.
Happy birthday to me!
Hope you can make it to the party - it's gonna be a beaut!

ray harryhausen lives in the fantasy world now

Wow.
As I've said before, timing is everything.
Ray Harryhausen has died at the age of 92, about six weeks before his 93rd birthday.
If it's on National Public Radio, you know it must be true.
It hasn't even been a year since the Bronze Tribute and Letter of Appreciation was sent to him, as the final product of Bruce Bowman's kickstarter project.
Perhaps the thought of another impending birthday without his best friend, Ray Bradbury, was too great a burden. One birthday without the other Ray was probably enough. I lost a dear friend five years ago and almost lost my mind.
Perhaps, old age was the culprit. After all, he had already put in more than nine decades on this blue planet.
I'm just glad he was able to know, from this recent project, that he still has fans who treasure his work.

(The photo above appears here, at "The Official Ray Harryhausen Website". The original photograph was taken by Simon Harvey, at the European premiere of "Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan" at The Gate Cinema in Notting Hill, London on Friday, 9th November, 2012.)