Warm Milk Productions Inc.

Random Updates.

2012-01-23T19:42:00.005-05:00

Click to enlarge

Hello there superfans, I bring you just a few little updates on this rainy Monday in New York.

A new writing site called The Chosen Seed has written about the film, and it's quite a glowing review. It's also the first review to really explore the deeper context of the story and highlight the theme - plus it's really well written. Brought a tear to my eye.

I won't get into it now but I'm working closely with GoDigital on making this film perfect for their distribution plan. I only bring it up to state that the GoDigital team is an absolute pleasure to work with, and I can't say enough nice things about them.

And one more thing: I'm writing this to you on a PowerMac G5 with no Intel Processor and therefore an outdated operating system and loooooow RAM. This computer has been great to me over the years: she saw me through many many projects. And she actually still runs fine. But I've had a thirst for power that only an upgrade could quench. I guess this is a long winded way of me saying: I ordered a new computer.

Changes to PurgatoryComics.com

2012-01-08T22:41:00.015-05:00

I uploaded a few changes to PurgatoryComics.com, included new images on a couple of the pages. So now on the home page we have the new logo, trailer, and a new image of Angela. There are also minor image and content changes in the "about" and "cast and crew" sections.

The biggest changes are in the online store section: the new poster is now available to purchase at cafepress (realize I made about a buck a sale, that's it), and for now I took down a few items that will hopefully soon be improved. Regarding the poster: it's cropped slightly different that the one I revealed in the last post, and that's only because cafepress set different size parameters. So you see a little more Angela on the left, and a little more Tim on the right.

I'll provide more info as I receive it, including when and where the actual film will be available to watch again. Enjoy the site changes and pick up a little swag to support the flick!

New Purgatory Comics Poster Art

2012-01-03T20:56:00.004-05:00

Hey superfan, check out the new poster art for Purgatory Comics. You can click it to see it slightly larger. Like the new trailer, this is for the 2012 distribution efforts. A good handful of people made this one possible: Angela's image comes from Vanessa from this shoot, Jonathan and Tim come from Rob from this shoot, and Bree comes from her shooting day. Rob built the poster then passed it on to me for some final touch-ups. I'm really happy to have a poster that includes Tim and Jonathan. And it doesn't hurt to highlight Bree's special appearance either.

In other news, today I took another drive to Duplication Specialists in Baldwin New York to pick up my HD Cam copy of the flick. David turned it around for me in a day and at a great price, and he's definitely a guy that supports local indie talent.

In the coming weeks I'll put this new poster up in the online store, and as promised new art will trickle into the web site. For now what you should do if you haven't yet is Like us on Facebook, and tell your friends to like us too. That would be the bomb, yo.

Purgatory Comics Trailer 3

2011-12-31T20:05:00.005-05:00

Happy New Years, folks!* Here is a new trailer for Purgatory Comics, made specifically for our distributors. It has much of the same template as the second trailer, but mostly new footage. I wanted to go more into the zanier elements of the film and reveal much more than the trailer I made in '09, which was purposely vague. Plus this trailer has one of my favorite lines in the whole film ("That can't hurt me 'cause I'm a zombie...but I get the message...").

Since my last post I've been preparing a laundry list of desirables for GoDigital, which has proven difficult this week with so many businesses I need closed for the holidays. But I've still had some amazing help: I met with Todd in New York City yesterday and he delivered my hard drive with all of the digital encoding I need. Rob and I have been working on the art over the past few days (he also created the new Purgatory Comics logo you'll see in the trailer), and Monday I have an appointment with my local duplication specialists to get an HD Cam version of the flick.

See, I've been busy. Just nothing you really want to read about.

*Please, for the love of God, call it "twenty-twelve" and not "two-thousand and twelve." You don't call the year 1912 "one-thousand nine-hundred and twelve" do you? Argh.

Purgatory Comics to be Distributed by GoDigital Media

2011-12-09T18:52:00.004-05:00

First of all, this post is extra sweet because it's happening right around the 5 year anniversary of this blog's first post ever.*

Purgatory Comics has signed a distribution deal with GoDigital Media Group. As the name implies, GoDigital focuses primarily on distribution in digital space (Netflix streaming, iTunes, Hulu, etc). This is a perfect fit for Purgatory Comics, and what I sincerely believe is the future (if not the present) of the indie film movement. This has been in the works for awhile but was made official this week - sorry the blog got quiet but the work never stopped.

This is a direct result of the effort put in by Circus Road Films; a great bunch. I also have to thank a few more people helping me make this happen: John K at Digital Cut helped me improve the film sequence (edit talk). Todd G is helping me prepare the digital material needed. He already found distribution for his film Drawing with Chalk, which you can and should buy right here.

Over the next few weeks there will be more updates, new art both here and on purgatorycomics.com, and hopefully more. My mind is blown; after years of highs and lows, there is an incredible payoff for this project. I'm excited that it will finally reach the audience it was made for, I'm grateful for everyone who's helped me (even if it was a quick recommendation to a friend), and I'm humbled.

More to come, tonight, celebration.

*Oh, how naive I was at 26. Thought I could make a movie for 10-grand. Ha! For those wondering, PC clocked in over twice as much (three times as much if you count additional post/publicity efforts).

Movies & Music Panel Sept 25th @ Dix Hills Performing Arts Center

2011-10-01T12:28:00.007-05:00

Last Sunday I spoke briefly and then returned for a panel at the Dix Hills Performing Arts Center at Five Towns College. It was the first Movies & Music Event, which was a way to introduce the public to local filmmakers and musical talents, and it also was a good networking resource.

Russ Camarda spoke first, introducing a trailer for his film Night For Day.

Then I spoke, and of course screened the trailer for Purgatory Comics. I think this was the first time the trailer was played on a big screen for an audience.

Next was Mitchell Kase, presenting a trailer for True to the Heart.

Kim Cummings showed a montage of footage from her still-in-production film In Montauk (can't wait to see it).

Alexander Etseyatse presented a teaser for his indie boxing film Mikel's Faith. Then T.J. Collins presented his film, Willets Point.

Fred Carpenter showed the trailer for one of his earlier films, The Blue Lizard. Interesting note: this film stars Fred's frequent collaborator Paul Regina, who sadly passed away in 2006. Years ago I got to hang around with Paul on a few occasions, and his passion for film definitely inspired me to keep going with it.

After a brief intermission, the music half of the event began. Stella Davie played a track called Fools Gold.

Then we were treated to a live performance of Marianna, from David Bailey.

Martha Trachtenberg played One Step Ahead of the Storm, with some backup from Tom Griffith. Then, Tom played 1,000 Shades of Grey with some help from Martha. I've GOT to see more shows from these two.

Steve Farella took to the stage and sang Mississippi Mudslide. Afterwards, Jerry Silverstein played a track called Then There's Love.

All of the filmmakers and panelists were invited back to the stage for a brief Q&A session. Debra Markowitz of the Long Island Film Foundation also fielded a question about next year's Long Island International Film Expo.

I took a question about how I found the music I used in my film. I mentioned how important the right song choices are when creating a scene; something many filmmakers don't realize until they're deep into editing.

Afterward I got to give away some DVDs, mingle, and swap contact info with some of the musicians and filmmakers. Hope you enjoyed the report!

New Event - An Afternoon of Movies & Music

2011-09-06T18:59:00.007-05:00

Hey friends, come check me out Sunday September 25th 2011 at the Dix Hills Performing Arts Center at Five Towns College. This time I'll be on a panel along with filmmakers Russ Camarda, TJ Collins, Alexander Etseyatse, Kim Cummings and Mitch Kase discussing the use of great music in our film projects. The event starts at 2pm. General admission is $15 and you can buy tickets online right here.

You'll see a segment of Purgatory Comics, followed by a brief discussion of how and why I picked the music I did. There will also be 7 musicians who will put together their own music that they think will match the films. Sounds creative, why not come check it out?

New Photo Shoot! Tim and Jonathan!

2011-08-07T19:56:00.005-05:00

Today we returned to Hidden Pixel Studios in Deer Park, New York for a photo session I've waited years for: Tim and Jonathan in-character publicity photos! Vanessa of Hidden Pixels and my graphic designer friend Rob handled all photography.

Tim Kelly and Jonathan Zungre were good enough to dig out their iconic on-screen shirts and trek out to Long Island one more time. We've got great shots that we can match up with older images Vanessa took from the Angela sessions that took place 2.5 years ago (or, if we're lucky, maybe one day we'll get new Angela pictures).

It's nice to have new publicity images to play around with, especially with the film's other two stars. The new designs are in preparation for possible distribution - with a little help from our west coast friends at Circus Roads.

New Short Film in Works: Inquisitive

2011-07-23T18:52:00.003-05:00

After ~~what feels like an eternity~~ a few months of planning, I'm now comfortable revealing a few tidbits on a new project. It's one of the ones I alluded to back in May, and it's a joint project with my friend Jim Cook (above), who recently incorporated Spirit Owl Films. We're doing a short film under the working title Inquisitive. The screenplay is by me and the story is by both of us, and Jim is set to direct. I've already written the script: it's 12 pages and I guess you could classify it as a smart romantic comedy.

The script was copyrighted today and we did a quick script breakdown (looking at maybe 4 days of shooting), and we're just going to do some more budget math before casting begins. More details to come.

Turning a Page

2011-07-17T16:27:00.003-05:00

I was digging through old backup CDs today in search of something from years ago, and I stumbled upon a very early draft of Purgatory Comics, titled "Turning a Page." This clearly pre-dates the original working title "Bagged and Boarded." This draft of the script was when Cola was a guy named Cole, which I've mentioned before on this blog. Other than the gender switch, a lot of scenes and elements remained the same. However there is one scene that was cut entirely, and I'd like to share it.

Forgive how Blogger will butcher the format a little. This is a very early scene in the script. In fact it's scene 2, and the first scene after the beginning credits.

ext. SUBURBAN HOME - day – “THREE months later”

A beautiful day greets a quiet, welcoming home.

inside the basement

The room is filled with cardboard boxes of all shapes and sizes.

MRS. ROGERS enters. She is an older, motherly figure.

mrs. Rogers

Cole? Are you home?

She looks around but finds no signs of life.

The woman steps toward a larger box and feels it to judge its firmness. She has a seat on the top. The box immediately caves in and Cole shouts. She falls into the box, on top of her son.

The mother is frightened. She bats at him as she struggles to stand.

mrs. rogers

(shoutng)

Ahhh! Jesus cart-wheeling Christ!

cole

Mom! Mom! It’s me! It’s Cole!

mrs. rogers

Huh?

cole

Cole!

mrs. rogers

Cole?

She stands and tries to catch her breath.

Cole emerges from the box.

cole

What are you doing? You never come down here!

mrs.rogers

What the hell are you doing in that box?

cole

I needed a place to sleep. I never bothered putting my bed back together.

mrs. rogers

It’s been three months. Are you going to unpack or are you going to move back out? Huh? Which one is it?

cole

Ma, I’m not staying, so there’s no point in unpacking.

mrs. rogers

Then when are you leaving?

cole

No rush.

Cole reaches into a nearby box and pulls out a clock.

cole

Shit, I’m late.

mrs. rogers

No cussing in my basement.

cole

I gotta get to the store.

mrs. rogers

Cole, I don’t understand what you’re doing. You had such a nice apartment, and I know you have enough money to stay there a few more months until you got back on your feet.

Cole reaches into another box and pulls out some clothes. He changes into a pair of jeans while he talks.

cole

I told you, ma. I’m trying to stretch out those savings as long as I can.

mrs. Rogers

Here’s an idea. Why not get a new job? I know you needed some time off but like I said, it’s been three months.

cole

Why are you complaining, ma? It’s good for you to have a man around the house. So remember the drill. If anyone calls looking for me, you haven’t seen me.

mrs. rogers

What about Alexis?

cole

I told you a hundred times. She won’t call. I have to get going. I love you.

mrs. rogers

I love you too. And I am glad you’re here. I just—

cole

Thanks. You’re the best.

Cole kisses her on the forehead and rushes out.

cole (OC)

I’ll be home for dinner!

The mother stands amongst the boxes and sighs. She randomly reaches into one and feels around. She pulls out a beer bong.

mrs. rogers

(to beer bong)

What are you?

She scrutinizes it and even goes as far as to put her nose directly on it.

And from there, we go to scene 3 where Cole arrives at the comic book store where Evan is, and the movie continues as you (better) know it.

Obvious reasons why this scene was never shot: I felt it was too blatantly spelling out Cole's situation, whereas I preferred it to be revealed through the course of the film instead. Also I felt like it was pointless to introduce this mother character so early, and then never have her return or mentioned again.

Even the final draft of Purgatory Comics says "Scene 2 - Omit" and then skips to scene 3. The missing second scene went through two more drafts before being cut completely. One was Cole and his mom having this same conversation, but at a breakfast table. The other is Cole in an apartment alone, in the bathroom realizing he was balding. I think an answering machine message was also playing, which is a device I've grown to hate in movies.

Hope you liked it! Or didn't like it. Since I never made it.

Some Random Updates

2011-07-13T19:29:00.005-05:00

Hey all, sorry it's been so quiet. Here are just a few updates.

Atoki Ileka, who we're all very proud of, tweeted a thank you to Warm Milk for a letter of recommendation that helped him get into the New York Film Academy. He promised he won't let us down. Also, Atoki really really likes tweeting.
I have a conference call tomorrow with Circus Road Films, and I've also made a really sweet E-press kit for Purgatory Comics. Also purgatorycomics.com now reflects how they represent exclusive distribution queries.
In early August we'll be doing a photoshoot at Hidden Pixels with Jonathan Zungre and Tim Kelly, both back in character. We're in the process of getting new photography for promotional material.
Also congrats to Jonathan, who's now engaged!
Has it been a year already? This week, the Long Island International Film Expo has been underway. The awards ceremony is tomorrow, so if you're on Long Island, grab some information from their web site.
Our pal Bree Olson is on the cover of Playboy (nsfw) for August 2011. She's interviewed about her time with Charlie. Here's the cover:

There you go, plenty of updates. There's a lot of waiting going on right now and I apologize for the lack of exciting news, but wheels are always in motion!

Working with Circus Road Films

2011-06-17T21:28:00.003-05:00

I had a great phone call this week with Glen Reynolds, founder of Circus Road Films. He's a big fan of Purgatory Comics and as of today his company is officially representing us for distribution dealings. This is exciting for a few reasons, one being that this is a renowned company with solid connections, another being because they only represent a small handful of films at a time. More details to come...

Collaborations, Updates

2011-05-21T13:22:00.002-05:00

I've got a couple of projects in the works, but everything is so early-stage right now that I haven't really been publicizing much yet on this blog. So it's been pretty quiet here, and I am sorry about that. A lot of indie filmmakers are very cautious about "false start" projects, so they don't like to spill the beans until the project becomes a reality. Me included.

Right now, I'm extremely interested in collaborations, and I've got two in the works. One is a short film that I'm writing while sharing a "story by" credit, and the other is a feature with a few friends from "Purgatory Comics." I can't say much else yet but I have been writing/brainstorming over the past weeks, so my brain has been active.

I've also written a few scripts for myself: two finished shorts and one feature. I go back and forth on if I feel strongly about actually shooting them, but I think at least one of the shorts may find itself to production eventually.

I miss being involved with a production in a big, bad way. I'm going to keep writing and I really hope for a chance to feel the high that comes from filmmaking again very soon.

Ain't It Cool News Review, Response

2011-04-20T17:36:00.006-05:00

It’s hard to be 31 and defend something you wrote at 26. And it’s awkward rebutting a review instead of just absorbing the blows of criticism. But this review frustrated me, and it also happens to be on a high-traffic movie site.

In their comics section today, Ain’t It Cool News contributor Kristian Horn reviewed Purgatory Comics. I’d submitted it to him weeks earlier. I was warned it would be an honest review and that’s completely cool; we’ve been bashed before. Early in the review, Kristian basically calls Purgatory Comics a Clerks ripoff, which again, is fine. It’s been done before. But then Kristian stays on that point for the rest of the essay; comparing me to Kevin Smith and calling the film “Clerks Light.” And he doesn’t attempt to truly review the film because he can’t see passed this by his own admission.

Kristian gave me 90 minutes of his life and he did write nice words about me having potential, so I’m not going to knock on the guy. Plus I appreciate recognition from AICN. But I do want to present my side of this whole “Clerks Light” thing.

Look, I get it. I love Clerks and I’m very public about that. So I see why the film world believes Kevin Smith owns the monopoly on the “young adult dialogue comedy in retail” subgenre. But to me, that’s just what it is: a subgenre.

I challenged the monopoly because I thought I had a story worth telling that hadn’t been told in this exact way. Is the film community really so "day and night" that a different filmmaker can’t try this? With a completely different theme?

Because beyond dirty humor in retail, I fail to see the tonal comparisons that are so substantial, Kristian can’t see through them to write an honest review. Purgatory Comics has no banter about the minutia of pop culture. There’s no ragging on customers. Half of the film doesn’t even take place in the comic book store. The movie is half drama (and is always billed as a comedy/drama). The store owner is a divorced man in his early 30s who loves his shop – so much that he almost has a meltdown at the thought of losing it. The protagonist is a woman running from a successful business career and relationship. And the youngest guy is a simple-minded kid who was never taught responsibility, but has a huge heart. All three of them are changed by the end.

I just don't see this potent tone similarity Kristian can't get passed; and I'm the first to rip on my own work. And I'm not going to deny Smith was an inspiration in the early stages, but I worked very hard to go my own route from there.

The day I decided I wanted to shoot in a comic store, I was completely prepared for the Clerks comparisons. And I get it. And believe me, I’ve met many people who disliked my film and I get that too. But be constructive, Kristian. If the movie failed to hit a spark because of the script, acting, direction, whatever . . . criticize that. I can take it. Don’t write it off as “Clerks Light” because it reminds you of a movie made over 10 years earlier, and then leave it at that. Believe me, I know I’m not Kevin Smith without you pointing it out. I’m not trying to be.

Even when you’re a broke indie filmmaker, you can’t help but feel the pressure to be innovative and give the audience something that’s never been done; even in the slightest. On one hand, the pressure is healthy: I probably would have more success if I invented something completely new. On the other hand, it’s maddening - and I argue - unfair. And I would never tell an aspiring filmmaker to pass up on a personal, low budget story because it isn’t 100% groundbreaking.

So there’s my review of Kristian’s review. I guess we both have a lot of room for improvement.

One last point: Kristian unfairly states that the biggest thing I have to sell my movie is Bree Olson. Kristian: if you had even an inkling of how competitive the indie film world is, and how difficult it is to stand out, you’d understand grasping to name-recognition in marketing.

Older Video Projects Posted Online

2011-04-16T12:54:00.002-05:00

This will interest anyone who's known me prior to 2005: some of my very early short films are now available for streaming at Dailymotion. This includes Warm Milk, which is a college short film I made for 3 credits (and also the inspiration for my company name), Warm Milk 2, Fly on the Wall, and If.

All of these are ultra low-budget, one-man crew projects made before the dawn of youtube. And they all play a part in leading up to Purgatory Comics. I have 3 other shorts I'd love to post, but they feature copyrighted music and I fear the wrath of Dailymotion. It's a shame too because 2 of those 3 are amongst my personal favorites. Enjoy!

April Fools.

2011-04-01T17:36:00.004-05:00

Sequel to Purgatory Comics? Come on. It's hard enough pushing the first movie on people. And all those actor-issues I stated are true. But I had a lot of fun with this prank, and it's the first one I pulled on the blog since 2008.

Ask any girl I've ever dated and they'll agree I tend to drag jokes far beyond their death. I restrained this time, but I'll tell you, I came damn close to actually writing a few pages of the fake script and then posting them. What stopped me? Knowing me, I'd wind up writing the whole film and then really wanting to make it.

One last thing I thought I'd share: a lovely message from Angela after reading the blog post:

If that's not an April fools joke, I'm getting on a plane right now and kicking the ever-loving shit out of you.

Hehe...

Announcement: Purgatory Comics Sequel in Pre-Production!

2011-04-01T08:10:00.000-05:00

And now, the big news! It was really hard keeping this quiet, but now I can finally spill some of the details on Purgatory Comics 2! I'm making the sequel for roughly triple the cost of the first one and there's already a script. This might change, but the working title right now is "Purgatory Comics: Bagged and Boarded." Personally I love that, because it kinda ties the working title of the first movie into the 2nd one.

Prepare yourselves though: there's going to be some cast swapping for this. First, Angela will NOT be reprising the role of Cola. We're starting pre-production this summer and there's no word when she'll be back from the UK. Also, no Jonathan. Which means no Berner. This isn't my choice. Jonathan's a SAG actor now and this isn't a SAG shoot.

Really, no Berner means no Mia or Andrew also. And no Bob, because the Peter Whales character is dead. So this script focuses on Evan, X-Ray, and then a mostly new cast.

I have one more major change: since Golden Memories Comics moved, I don't have the comic book store I had to use for the first movie. So I had to work that into the script. In the film, the store only exists online.

Little bit about the plot: The movie starts off with Evan and X-Ray at a comic convention (we're cleared to shoot at Comic Con!!! A little.). Evan's store has been out of business for 3 years but he is still a huge collector. At the con, he meets his dream girl. And she will literally be played by his dream girl from the first film - BREE! That's right, she'll be shooting a few scenes late this year to make her role a major one. And she might've convinced a well known "warlock" to also make a cameo...can't say much more there now. ;)

Following the con, Evan and X-Ray set out on a road trip to Bree's home state, and the hijinks begin. I don't want to ruin anything else, but I literally laughed out loud while writing this screenplay.

Oh yeah, and my little cameo from the first film? I'm somewhat of a major character now. Teehee.

Only 2 months until shooting starts. I'm really, really pumped to start. I really miss filmmaking, and this is the most solid script I've ever written. Plus I've learned so much from the first shoot.

Like it or not, here comes Purgatory Comics: Bagged and Boarded, folks.

So get yourselves ready, take the first letter of every paragraph in this entry and read it, and wish me luck!!!

E! Online Plugs Purgatory Comics

2011-03-18T18:20:00.003-05:00

E! Online did a story on Bree Olson's new non-porn film project Mancation, a low budget comedy with a former N*Sync member or something like that. The article originally reported tthat his was her first non-porn film, but luckily someone set them straight and they updated the article to mention Purgatory Comics. Yay!

Click for E! Online plugging Purgatory Comics

(what is with the picture they used?)

And then there's this.

2011-03-14T17:49:00.006-05:00

Here's something. The mother of all nudey celebrity blogs, egotastic.com, put up some stills from Bree Olson's naked scene in Purgatory Comics. See for yourself right here but be warned, it's nsfw of course.

'Course many argue that owning Purgatory Comics on DVD is worth it for her topless dance alone. And really, I can't argue that...

Purgatory Comics: Best Seller. Again.

2011-03-08T20:16:00.003-05:00

We're currently once again on the monthly best-seller page at filmbaby.com. Not too shabby!

Kevin Smith Red State Tour @ Radio City Music Hall 3/5/11

2011-03-06T14:39:00.008-05:00

Last night, Kevin Smith kicked off his Red State USA tour at Radio City Music Hall. He screened the film and followed with a Q&A session featuring most of the cast. I went with Jim and my lady, and it was exciting as it was my first Kevin Smith "event" since the Clerks 2 advanced screening at the IFC theater years ago (check out Clerks 2 disc 2; I'm interviewed on a bonus feature).

For those who don't know, Red State is set to make its theatrical debut this October, but until then, Kevin's taking it on the road starting in New York and ending in LA. The bookend screenings will most likely be the only two with the cast present for the Q&A. Red State officially premiered at Sundance along with Kevin Smith's "Jerry Maguire" moment. The reviews that followed were mixed, although it seemed that most critics had a hard time separating the art from the artist. I went into this screening mostly cold turkey, but I was aware that some slight pacing edits had been made so this wasn't exactly the same film screened at Sundance.

Jim and I outside of the theater. What's with the woman (?) on the right there?

So as expected, the event starts with Kevin Smith taking the stage. And you can't help but get in a good mood the moment he starts talking. He's often accused of being overly sensitive on the Internet, especially when he defends his work on social networks, but in person that man is just plain likable. I've seen him many times over the years and that hasn't changed.

From here he screened the film. I don't want to get into a full review because I think it's best to go in with little expectations and few plot details. But I will say I really, really enjoyed it. The acting across the board was stellar. The black comedy/satirical elements were a far cry from Smith's usual "dick and fart" jokes. And I feel like this needs major acknowledgment: David Klein's cinematography was great. The man has come along way since Clerks, and his shots, combined with Kevin's editing, creating moments of tension and anxiety that today's horror films and thrillers mostly lack.

The film wasn't perfect and it definitely won't attract every film lover. But about the worst thing I personally can say about it was Kevin made some editing choices I didn't favor (cutting to unnecessary title cards or flashbacks, I assume to bandage bad edits). Other than that, this might be my favorite of his films since Chasing Amy. It's the first one I find myself still thinking about the next morning. I can't help but compare it to a Coen Brothers movie (maybe because of the John Goodman presence?), and in all honesty, if this were one of their films and not Kevin's, I feel like critics across the board would've loved it. So there's my mini-review.

After the film, Kevin presented the cast for the Q&A session.

So from left to right: Kevin Smith, Jennifer Schwalbach (his wife), Melissa Leo (Academy Award winning actress for The Fighter), John Goodman (!), Betty Aberlin (Mr. Rogers!), Stephen Root (Office Space), Ralph Garman (Family Guy), Nicholas Braun (Sky High), Michael Angarano (also Sky High), and Kerry Bishé (Scrubs).

I might've taken 200 pictures. These are just a few.

As with every Kevin Smith Q&A I've ever been too, most fan questions went to him. And for every 1 good question were probably 2 dumb ones. Still, Kev and the cast seemed to have a real good time and make the best of it.

The highlight for me might have been when John Goodman dropped a "Shut the fuck up, Donnie" for the Big Lebowski fans in the audience.

The young members of the cast.

I do miss the days of seeing Kevin at private screenings; usually for free. But I guess the fact that he's in Radio City speaks for how far he's come from the days of having an exclusive fan base. Plus, I got to see some of my old friends from the days of View Askew past. These are people that have known me now for almost a decade, and have seen me grow from a guy who did dumb Internet skits, to a guy who did dumb web comics, to a guy who made a dumb feature film. Yet they still stand by me, and we all still stand by Kevin. But with Red State, he really gave us a movie to be proud to stand behind.

The Truth About Bree Olson

2011-03-01T20:05:00.006-05:00

Ahem. So. Okay, this isn't really a gossip blog, so I've been trying to not chime in too much about the Charlie Sheen mania on the Internets, and Bree's involvement. But I will say two things about it. One. It's OLSON. Not OLSEN. Spell her fake name right already. And I'm not just talking about blogs here . . .the NEW YORK POST is misspelling a person's name. A person they put on the front page this week. Then again, this is the New York Post we're talking about here.

Two. Bree is not only cool as hell, but smart. I picked her brain for an entire dinner the night before we shot her scene in Purgatory Comics. Then at Comic Con, I got to talk more with her. I don't feel like it's right to gossip about the personal things she told me, but I'll mention that this girl is smart. She knows what she's doing. She might genuinely love hanging around Charlie. She might love the attention. I'm not sure. But I'm pretty sure she's not being "tricked" or "taken in." She's one smart cookie and she'll be fine.

And dude (I guess this is "three"), as long as there are no drugs involved, who cares anyway. Charlie passed his test, and Bree is one of the few porn stars who doesn't touch that crap. So, awesome. They're love life right now. I'm jealous. Now, what I really wish for...is for at least one of these damn blogs to be like "Bree Olson, who appeared last year in Purgatory Comics" or some crap like that. Because that would be awesome. Just. Awesome.

Charlie started a twitter today here (I'm guessing Bree taught him how). Bree's twitter is here (not many "real" tweets but very entertaining). And surprise! Warm Milk started a twitter. Follow us right here. Please.

Interview with Atoki Online

2011-02-25T18:15:00.004-05:00

Atoki Ileka, who plays the subtle but hilarious character of Andrew, asked me to pass along this interview he did for Theater of the Mind. And it's a great read: he speaks about a recent audition where Robert DeNiro gave him some pointers, and some other projects he's been busy with. Here's a snippet:

DB: What projects have you worked and or starred in so far

AI: The first big project was an indie film called “Purgatory Comics” (Link to IMDB page – http://imdb.to/h2kqVb ) Following that I did a commercial for American Cancer Society, I did three of them. I played the son of a family that was now cancer free. I also did voice over work for the spot, but I still haven’t seen them. Next I did an Independent film for a friend of a friend, the director was Geoffrey Jean-Baptiste is part of a group that make their own scripts and host their own film festivals. So I did a short for them called “Authorized Dealer.”

You can read the rest right here. It's good to see Atoki's still keeping busy with his acting career and he's some some great opportunities even though he's only 22 (he was the baby of the cast when we were shooting).

New Site Design

2011-02-21T21:06:00.004-05:00

Tonight I uploaded the brand new PurgatoryComics.com. I did this site on my own and it still needs some tweaks, but I didn't want to hold up the premiere. The new design is simple and clean, but more importantly it's very browser friendly and a breeze to navigate. It works on portable devices right down to the trailer being viewable (and no more autoplay!). I'm very happy with it as you can see.

Also, the biggest addition to this site is the Music page. More credit for the artists who dedicated music to this film is long overdue, and now anyone can find their music (and in some cases, buy it) easily. Enjoy!

New Art From Rafael, New Site in the Works

2011-02-18T18:57:00.002-05:00

Our go-to artist Rafael Rivera whipped up some brand new Purgatory Comics artwork for me this week, and you can see the preliminary sketch work above. I commissioned him to help me out with the brand new site design, which will launch hopefully within a week. The new site will be extremely browser-friendly, and offer much easier navigation. I'm doing it myself but so far I'm digging how it's looking!

You can check out Rafael's thoughts on his role in the project, and also the finished color version of the picture above, at his official blog.

Own Bree's Comic Con Pass

2011-02-03T23:16:00.002-05:00

Bree Olson's got lots of goodies for sale on her official site, including her exhibitor passes from recent events including Comic Con. She'll also give you a personalized message. Check it out, but careful navigating the site...there be nudie pics about.

Some Random Updates

2011-01-27T20:33:00.006-05:00

Okay, I don't have a whole lot of news but since I can't have the latest post say Merry Christmas forever, I'll force this. So what's new so far in 2011?

Well our friend Bree Olson has been in a few gossip blogs. Charlie Sheen (star of the classic Men at Work, and I'm not being sarcastic I really do love that film but mostly because of 90s comedy great Dean Cameron) was in Vegas during the 2011 AVN Awards, and apparently he spent some up close and personal time with Bree, another porn star, and who knows what else when Charlie Sheen is involved. Anyway old news and I never claimed to be a breaking news blog, but the Purgatory Comics cast keep asking for me to comment on this event. So my comment is "eh."

Kevin Smith has gotten a lot of buzz early this year too when he announced at Sundance that he'll be touring with his new film Red State. His first stop is Radio City Music Hall, which I'm gonna try to grab some tickets to. I haven't seen Kevin since the IFC Clerks 2 premiere so I'd love to catch an early screening of his new flick. Here's a video of Kevin discussing his reasoning by this release tour, and also explaining his problems with the current film distribution system.

That's really it. I've written a few shorts and I'd love to shoot one this year. Plus I have a new Nikon D7000 which is an insanely badass HD camera, so I'm dying to use it. Of course if it happens I'll write all about it on this blog, so stay tuned! If you've heard about the nonstop snowstorms on the eastern coast, yeah I'm stuck in all that so productivity has been slow.

Merry Christmas from Warm Milk Productions - New Skit!

2010-12-22T18:35:00.004-05:00

Here's our 3rd annual Christmas card from Warm Milk Productions. I like to share these especially with people who we've come to meet and work with in the preceding year. Of course you can still enjoy last year's card here, and the first video card here. This year's card features the acting talents of our friend Cheryl who I met at the Bellmore screening earlier this year.

As a reminder, you can still Save $3 on the Purgatory Comics DVD when you order it from Filmbaby.com. Just enter coupon code XMAS10 during checkout, and $3 will automatically be deducted from the price. This special offer is only good until Christmas!

Best Tribute Ever

2010-12-15T17:56:00.002-05:00

Even though it's by far my most popular youtube video, and it gets tons of hits and comments daily, I try not to write much about "The Duck Song" skit (full story here). For one, the original video is so old! It was made in '03, when I was a weird 23 year old. Most of the people who comment on that video now didn't even know what the Internet was when I made it. Second, I mean come on. How dumb is that video! I mean, I still enjoy it, but I did make an entire motion picture since.

Still, the hit counter climbs and the comments mount. For a young generation of youtubers, "The Duck Song" is my magnum opus. But that's okay, because responses like you'll see below make it all worth it. I've had some tributes in the past, but never before has someone put this kind of time and effort into memorializing the Duck Song. Enjoy...

Now that, my friends, is why I do what I do. I've been teasing youtubers about making a third Duck video for months now. Maybe this will inspire me to go one step closer...

Save $3 on Purgatory Comics DVD until Christmas!

2010-11-28T12:58:00.006-05:00

From now until Christmas, you can Save $3 on the Purgatory Comics DVD when you order it from Filmbaby.com. Just enter coupon code XMAS10 during checkout, and $3 will automatically be deducted from the price. This special offer is only good until Christmas, so don't wait! Get the award-winning, best-selling indie film now!

Also for the holiday season, I re-published the Christmas theme from last year at PurgatoryComics.com. It's always fun to pop a Santa hat on Angela's head.

"I'm a Screenwriter"

2010-11-27T16:39:00.003-05:00

Here's a little video I whipped up out of boredom at Xtranormal.com, using their text-to-movie program. It's a tongue-in-cheek message to fellow aspiring filmmakers. Enjoy!

iPhone Cases Now Available!

2010-11-18T19:40:00.004-05:00

Purgatory Comics iPhone protector cases are now available at our Cafepress online store. The design for the iPhone 3G features art from Rafael Rivera featuring 'toon versions of Cola, Evan and Berner. The iPhone 4 case features the Purgatory Comics store logo as it appeared in the movie, which was done by Vinny Bove. This one is also available in white, silver and pink. They each retail for $21, the same price iPhone cases cost everywhere.

Also worth mentioning: from November 20-23, you can Save $10 from my Cafepress online store on all orders over $50. Just use coupon code Friend10 at checkout. Snag one of these awesome cases and grab a shirt or poster while you're there!

Some Updates

2010-10-18T17:46:00.004-05:00

I never know what to use for the picture/video for "general update" posts, so enjoy our Purgatory Comics star Angela making a dolphin out of a banana.

The IMDB page for Purgatory Comics now features quotes from the film! I picked a few nuggets and some of the more prominent monologues from the script. Also it's worth noting right now we have a score of 7.4 out of 10. Which is higher than the original Land Before Time, so suck it Don Bluth! You and your 18 goddamn sequels to that movie. I give a crap about Littlefoot. They all just go extinct in the end, asshole. Of course our rating is based on only 5 votes, but you figure it out I'm not a mathemagician.

When it comes to googling myself, (points to self) guilty as charged. A blog called Heated Steve gave a "wow that's a lot of details" recap of visiting my booth at Comic Con. It's actually really funny, and he called my girlfriend cute so there's a man with ~~a deathwi~~good taste.

More details to come later, but I got an invite to do an interview on 960WELI, a New Haven talk station. That's really awesome but it has to be at like 6:30am, which is fine but that first half hour I'm awake is rough because I tend to mix the dreams I just had with reality. So if I tell them my movie is about my flying landlord, that's why.

New York Comic Con - Day 2

2010-10-12T18:38:00.007-05:00

At its fever pitch, the crowd at the 2nd day of New York Comic Con was crammed shoulder-to-shoulder. In other words, the place was packed.

The day started with a visit from our own Jonathan "Berner" Zungre! Seeing him again ruled.

I finally got to give him his trophy for Best Supporting Actor from the Long Island International Film Expo. "Wow, it's heavy," he replied . . . which is absolutely true. Poor guy had to carry it around for the rest of the con.

This is Sam from PatchTogether.com, one of our neighboring's booth. These guys were great and helped make the weekend a lot of fun. Check out their site, where they do customized figures and toys.

Tim "Evan" Kelly and Bob "Peter Whales" Socci both swung by after Jonathan left. Tim helped hold down the fort for the rest of the day.

Our friend from LIIFE Jim Cook also showed up. He mentioned trying to reach my cell so I pulled out my phone and noticed 6 missed calls. Worried I would miss Bree's arrival call, I rushed downstairs.

Bree arrived and we navigated the crowd to return to the booth. By the time we got there, her line had already formed! She got right to work doing signatures and pictures.

Let me tell you, this girl works. She spoke with every single fan at length, signed everything they had, did interviews and posed for pictures for 5 hours straight with only one break. And she never complained once. Bree rules.

This particular interview was with the Loud Idiots. I'll post the link when they put the video online. Now...more Bree:

Tim, Bree and I.

Jim and Bree.

And Bree just having fun.

By the end of the day, I was excited to have pushed out so many copies of the DVD. Not only can I now put my vacuum cleaner in my closet because the space is free, but we've finally reached the audience that is perfect for this movie: the comic fans. With all our screenings so far, it's been a challenge to get them to come to us. So, we went to them.

And we bribed them with a porn star.

The booth was only open for about a half hour on day 3 because we ran out of inventory. So on that day, I got to wander the con with my girlfriend and enjoy it finally. I won't be posting a report on that, but it was a much welcome break from the madness of days 1 & 2.

New York Comic Con - Day 1

2010-10-11T21:01:00.007-05:00

Last weekend was the 2010 New York Comic Con (No. 5) at the Jacob Javitts Center. It's now Monday night and I'm still recovering! That's why for now I'll just cover day 1, which was Friday Oct 8th.

My brother Paul hopped the train with me to New York City to help out. Our booth placement was awesome...seriously, I was expecting a tiny spot near the bathroom. But instead we got a high traffic area that really helped us look professional.

We arrived at the booth to discover there was no table. Because I never ordered one. Because I assumed for some crazy reason you get one. So I had to run to their help desk and order one, and I won't reveal how much it cost but I'll say that for that amount, they should've let me keep the table and 10 additional tables while they're at it.

The lady said it would be at my booth in about 15 minutes. 45 minutes later, the table arrived and we set up. Ta-da!

We had the banner stand designed by my friend Rob, along with table art promoting Bree's Saturday appearance, and lots of DVDs and pins. We probably could've used more flair but give me a break, I just spent my rent on a 10x10 block of space and a table.

The first few hours was professionals and press only, so I mostly gave discs out free to network. I got to talk to a lot of great people and made plenty of new friends.

Here's my brother Paul, who was a huge help running things. Of course that's Silk Spectre he was with. The costumes were incredible. Here are a few more of my favorites...

Here's me with Pedobear.

Psylocke and Deadpool.

Me with Bat Boy.

And a couple of Princess Leias. Leii? Either way.

Our neighboring booth was Brain Theft, run by Aaron, who used to sculpt for McFarlane toys and now does his own thing. Rock on.

Here's Peter Whales himself, Bob Socci.

My old college buddy Chris (who played the boss "Mr. Floyd" in the film), and Alex "X-Ray" Adams.

I gave the cast new mini-posters I printed out. I also had them all sign mine, which is already up on my wall looking raaad.

And here's Al, also known as "Customer #2" from Purgatory Comics.

This was my first time running a convention booth and I found it exhausting, but also a lot of fun. The buttons were a tremendous hit and definitely drew some welcome attention our way. That was one thing I was very glad we did. The other big "draw" was the table stand advertising Bree's signing for Saturday.

Bree's high-recognition factor and huge fanbase, combined with insane convention attendance, led to an intense Saturday. And we'll save that for the next blog entry. But here's a quick hint about my feelings for the day...

...it friggin rocked.

New York Comic Con This Weekend!

2010-10-06T18:32:00.006-05:00

As I've been advertising, Purgatory Comics has a table for all 3 days at this year's New York Comic Con! We are booth 2466. The con is this weekend, Oct 8th-10th at the Jacob Javits Center.

At the table at varied times will be Ralph (the writer/director), Tim Kelly (Evan), Jonathan Zungre (Berner), and Bob Socci (Peter Whales).

Adult film star Bree Olson will be at the table Saturday Oct 9th, from roughly 2pm - 7pm. She's available for pictures and will be signing Purgatory Comics DVDs. On a related night, tomorrow's her birthday!

Come check out our table and say hello. We've got exclusive buttons, a brand new banner stand, and more. We look forward to mingling with you!

Get your tickets now!

Comic Con Exclusive: Purgatory Comics Buttons!

2010-09-30T18:06:00.005-05:00

Come check us out at New York Comic Con at the Jacob Javits Center Oct 8th-10th. We're booth 2466 and if you visit for a DVD, you can get 1 of the 3 exclusive buttons pictured above! Or maybe we'll give you a button anyways. They're really badass and they come courtesy of JustButtons.org.

For a complete list of guests, check out this page. My mission: Bruce Campbell. My God.

Fringe Festival Sept 26th @ CW Post

2010-09-28T20:41:00.008-05:00

This weekend of course was the Fringe Festival at the CW Post Campus of Long Island University. I had to miss the opening party and first day of events since I was out of state, but I was back just in time for my own screening. Here are some pics:

Purgatory Comics was preceded by two short films: Bathtub Gin by Lou Yablonsky (above left), and The One That I Want by Sean Gannet (right). Both were incredible; Lou's short was a drama focused on bootleggers during the Great Depression, and Sean's was a hilarious musical with a sci-fi twist. Sean was also on the Bellmore panel with me this summer.

My pals from the Long Island International Film Expo: Jim Cook...

...and the lovable Debra Markowitz & John Marean! Great to see them as always, and would love to work with any and all of them one day in the future.

Details on our Screening at Fringe Festival 2010

2010-09-12T13:54:00.004-05:00

In their own words, the Long Island Fringe Festival is the "crest of Long Island’s live professional avant-garde entertainment wave. We present a diverse, talented and unified artistic showcase to wow and inspire." You can find a complete schedule of the main festival events on this site.

From the official press release: Four film blocks comprised of nine local independent films from the Long Island International Film Expo (LIIFE) will screen at the Long Island Fringe Festival on Saturday and Sunday, September 25 and 26, 2010 in the Humanities Building by the Tilles Center at CW Post College. The complete schedule is below. Purgatory Comics is screening Sept 26th at noon.

Sat, Sept 25

12:00 Noon

This Mortal Coil
Night for Day

3 pm

Hindsight
Just Like Joe

Sun, Sept 26

12:00 noon

Bathtub Gin
The One That I Want
Purgatory Comics

3:00 pm

Mildred Richards
Video Guys

Screenings are $5 for Filmmakers Connection members, $7 for the general public. You pay for one admission, and can go to any one film block (unless you buy the bundle and can see more than one film block). You can purchase tickets in advance at this web site.

I'll be returning from a much-needed vacation that weekend so I'll miss the Saturday screenings, but if you can get there, I recommend the short film "This Mortal Coil" that was made by my buddy Sean. I'll be there Sunday for our screening and to enjoy the festival!

Bree Olson Appearing at Comic Con

2010-08-24T20:48:00.007-05:00

Our friend Bree Olson will be joining us October 9th - one day only - at the New York Comic Con! Purgatory Comics will have a table all 3 days of the con (Oct 8-10th). On Saturday from roughly 1pm-6pm, Penthouse Pet and adult film star Bree Olson will be signing copies of our DVD and mingling with fans!

We're excited to have Bree back . . . her fame has blown up since she filmed her hilarious scene in our film, and she's been spending a lot of time appearing on popular radio, and some great Internet sketches (check out PG Porn).

We're booth 2466.

Tim "Evan" Kelly and I will be there all 3 days and it looks like Jonathan "Berner" Zungre will be stopping by as well. More details to come!

Side Panels - The Making of Purgatory Comics

2010-08-13T17:18:00.003-05:00

The "Side Panels" mini-documentaries I made during production of "Purgatory Comics" (formerly "Bagged & Boarded") have been edited together to make a half-hour feature. It also includes new footage, such as auditions from our actors.

If you're into indie filmmaking and you have 30-min to kill, check it out!

Interview from AfterLIIFE party

2010-08-09T18:00:00.003-05:00

Another video was posted from the 2010 Long Island International Film Expo (click here for all winners), this one being an interview with me at the AfterLIIFE party. Donna Sirianni interviewed me about our 5-nomination, 4-win blowout. And if I seem overly giddy, it's because we just had a 5-nomination, 4-win blowout.

Fringe Festival 2010 Invites us to Screen

2010-08-08T13:43:00.006-05:00

Mark your calendars, we were invited to screen at the 2010 Fringe Festival Sept 26th around noon. Brookville, NY. This is not a straight up film festival...from what I understand it's a celebration of all sorts of arts. Our invite comes directly from our 5-nomination, 4-win blowout at the Long Island International Film Expo.

Sounds like a lot of fun. More details to come!

PS - The image above is Zombie Gal art done by my old friend Ian, who began contributing some art for the movie but never got a chance to finish. Thought I'd pull it out of the archives!

Videos, Interviews, and Articles on Festival Wins

2010-08-02T18:42:00.006-05:00

Before we get to the goods, I have to proclaim that Patch.com is an awesome concept. It's owned by AOL, and it's a network of news sites that really focus on community. I think that's such a great concept and I'm only sorry I didn't learn about it sooner.

The Sachem Patch did a piece on Purgatory Comics that went up today. The editor of the site, Chris Vaccaro, wrote it himself. It gives a nice shout-out to my projects of yester-year and some of the supportive teachers I've met along the way.

Read the Sachem Patch Article Here

Then they included a full news report video! This is from reporter Chris Collora. The video shows Jackie "The Joke Man" Martling announcing our win, which I was excited to see, and also an interview I did in the theater lobby shortly after winning (notice my glowing).

And here's something that came out last week but I haven't linked yet: a festival wrap up from the Bellmore Patch.

Read the Bellmore Patch Wrap up Here

And they also have a video that summarizes the entire festival. It also features a different clip from the same interview with me (still glowing).

See the Bellmore Patch Wrap up Video Here

Lots of awesome coverage there. Enjoy!

Filmmaker Panel July 17th @ Bellmore

2010-07-25T18:49:00.009-05:00

We're going a little out of order but on July 17th, as part of the Long Island International Film Expo, a couple of filmmaking panels took place moderated by Mitchell Bard of Snapper Films. I spoke in the first panel, which was titled "The Good, The Bad and the Horror Stories: The Perils of Independent Filmmaking."

The panel was a neat array of filmmakers with an assortment of different perspectives of the craft. For example a topic of discussion was the use of SAG during the casting process. Some cited it as completely favorable, maybe even necessary. Others, including myself, told stories of how we casted completely non-union and enjoyed the end result.

The time flew. I did get to tell my story on how a bar we were supposed to shoot at bailed on us the day before, and also the various tricks we did to help Bob remember his lines (such as taping the script to Angela's chest). It's a fun story and I think the audience and panel got a kick out of it.

But I probably spent less time talking and more time listening. I love hearing "war stories" from other filmmakers. Next to me in that picture is Stevan Mena (Malevolence). Since he's one of the filmmakers whose movie got full on distribution and acclaim (check it out on Netflix), I was humbled to be on a panel with him. It was a great time and great experience.

Our panel was immediately followed by a panel called "Write Stuff." If you couldn't guess, it was about screenwriting. The lady above is Marilyn Horoitz, an author, writing coach and script consultant. Although the panel catered mostly to screenwriting basics, I did get some useful information out of it.

In fact between the two panels, I became very inspired to work on a short film. They make great "business cards," so I learned. And I'm sure it'll be a heckuva lot easier getting someone to watch a short than getting them to watch Purgatory Comics.

So I've been working on a short script called Double Blind. I'm about to go into my third draft. You heard it here first!

Purgatory Comics Wins Best LI Feature, Nomination for Best Feature

2010-07-19T12:32:00.008-05:00

Last night was the 2010 Long Island International Film Expo closing ceremony and party. It was a big day for Purgatory Comics and we've got a lot to go over, so let's get started!

You're going to see a lot of familiar friends in this post. Recall Todd Giglio, writer and director of Drawing with Chalk. He took home the Best 1st Feature Film Award at the ceremony.

Sean King, who played the zombie in Purgatory Comics (I don't think a lot of people know that), stopped by to check out the ceremony. Here he is with Drew and I at the pre-party.

My new friend, assistant director and tie-knot-fixer Jim Cook.

And of course Leo Fiorica, who we met in the last blog entry when his film screened in the same film block as Purgatory Comics.

Brian O'Halloran (Clerks) showed up to cohost the ceremony, to my complete surprise. I first met Brian when I interviewed him for my old web series back in 2003, and then again at the Clerks 2 premiere at the IFC theater. If you're around Holmdel New Jersey, you can see him perform in the Crucible on select days from July 22-25th.

Here's Peter Greene (The Mask) who presented at the ceremony.

The beautiful acoustic music of Gathering Time opened the show.

Jackie "The Joke Man" Martling opened with a set of jokes, and then began presenting the awards.

Here's where things get crazy. We already knew about the 3 awards Purgatory Comics had won, but it turns out we were also nominated for 2 others! And one of those was Best Long Island Feature. Another nominee in that category worth mentioning is a film called A Little Help, starring Jenna Fischer (the Office) and Chris O'Donnell (NCIS).

Needless to say I was shocked to win. I tried to deliver a decent acceptance speech but I was quite overwhelmed. I thanked my family, LIFTF, fellow filmmakers who helped make Purgatory Comics happen, my girlfriend, and of course the cast and crew.

Here I am returning to my seat, glowing because I won a trophy but also a little starstruck because many celebrities shook my hand on the way back to my seat, including Cathy Moriarty (Raging Bull).

I returned to the stage to accept Angela's Best Actress in a Film Award, and I made a joke that if any actresses in the audience want to work with me in the future, I'll get them an award too. A little later Brian did a bit about how I thanked my girlfriend earlier, and then was propositioning the other girls in the audience. When I returned to the stage to accept Jonathan's Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Feature, he came back with some playful jokes and it led to some great banter.

But later I got to tell him how much it meant to me to share a stage with him. There's no doubt that Clerks is a source of inspiration for Purgatory Comics, so to receive an award and be onstage with Brian was a very poetic moment in my life. Here he is with me and Stevan Mena (Malevolence).

Here's what made my night, maybe even more than the awards I won. We were nominated for Best Feature, and the company we were in were some quality, high-end productions. Stevan's prequel Bereavement won the award, and I can't wait to see it.

Folks in the New York area will no doubt recognize Jill Nicolini, an anchor for WPIX, actress, and media personality.

I got to do a lot of interviews through the course of the evening. Hopefully I'll be able to post some here in the future. In most talks, I mentioned what a struggle it was to make the film, and how grateful filmmakers are to have the support of an organization like LIFTF.

Here's J.Mullee, a screenwriter who won the writing competition. Thank God she didn't shoot the film yet or I would've had some serious competition!

Here's actor Drew Henriksen and I trying to look tough. I look startled. Which is why I don't do much acting.

And here's Michael Arbouet, the award-winning cinematographer of Last Day of Summer.

Cheryl Martin returned for stage duties and interviewing again, and also to tease me about a great idea she has for a script she's going to write (but not tell me what the idea is).

Here's Cheryl interviewing 4 winners at once. I had already put my trophy in the car so I held my DVD.

And here's me getting one last post-ceremony interview.

It was an amazing night of acknowledgment, networking, and overall fun. LIFTF puts on a hell of a film festival that exceeded my expectations as well as many of the other filmmakers there. It felt great to be in my "element" too and make some new friends, and it definitely motivated me to get started on a new project. So here's one more public thank you to Debra Markowitz, LIFTF, and everyone else who made the festival happen.

One last note, I do have pics from the panel I was in the day before. I'll post them soon, but come on . . . the news in this post just couldn't wait.

UPDATE: Here is a complete list of winners.

Purgatory Comics at the Bellmore Theater June 9th

2010-07-10T18:35:00.004-05:00

Purgatory Comics played opening day at the Long Island International Film Expo. Our screening was preceded by 3 short films, and then followed by a filmmakers wine and cheese meet to kick off the festival.

At the festival I had the pleasure of meeting Leo Fiorica, who was screening his short Window Shopping: Attack of the New Releases. The 12-minute film is hilarious, and definitely a similar brand of humor as Purgatory Comics. Follow Leo's site to learn more.

It also turns out Leo and I share a mutual friend in Matt, who was one of the first to see my film.

Here's Leo and I on stage during a Q&A after our screening. When we were asked "what's next for you two?" I answered "A collaboration."

Always a pleasure to see our own Peter Whales again, Bob-O Socci.

Bob took this picture right after I got interviewed by Cheryl, a super-cool actress who was interviewing filmmakers for a behind-the-scenes web series. If I make the cut, I'll be sure to post the video haha.

And here's Deb, the director of events and overall badass. It was a pleasure to finally meet her after many email exchanges, and if you're a filmmaker on Long Island, you want Deb in your corner.

So quick recap: there was a good turn out to the screening, but the audience age overshot my demo by a few decades. I was terrified that the theater would clear out during my very vulgar movie. To my surprise, everyone stayed and I received some amazing feedback later.

During the wine and cheese party, I got to hit it off with some awesome filmmakers. I also got to chat with some members of the LIIFE, who are just a great and friendly bunch. Although my screening is done, we still have the panel and awards ceremony to look forward to. More to come!

Come see me on the Filmmaker Panel July 17th at Bellmore

2010-07-07T17:44:00.004-05:00

Today I was invited to speak with a panel of filmmakers in a panel titled “The Good, The Bad and the Horror Stories: The Perils of Independent Filmmaking.” The panel will be moderated by Mitchell Bard of Snapper Films. It will take place toward the end of the Long Island International Film Expo.

The panel is open to the general public on Saturday July 17th with breakfast being served at 10am and the panel going from 10:30am to noon. It's $10 for the general public.

Here's a complete list of panels and events.

In other news, today the expo got a mention in Newsday, and yesterday in the New York Times.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to read through the blog archives and try to remember the best stories...

Purgatory Comics Wins 3 Awards at LIIFE

2010-07-01T19:51:00.006-05:00

Purgatory Comics has won 3 early special awards from the Long Island International Film Expo. The awards will be officially presented during an awards ceremony Sunday July 18, 2010. Angela Benedict won Best Actress for a Feature Film for her portrayal of Cola.

For his role as Berner, Jonathan Zungre got the much deserved Best Supporting Actor in a Feature Film.

Fox Vulpini, the incredible acoustic band from Finland, won Best Song for "In the Spin." And seriously, if you haven't downloaded this track yet, you're missing out on some amazing music. Go to their myspace right now! Seriously, bias aside, you regular readers know I love my music, and their sound is so remarkable that they need to get signed in America, like, now.

It's an honor to win these awards from a Long Island festival, as the island has been my home for 30 years now. The recognition humbles me, so here's a sincere thank you to the Long Island Film / TV Foundation.

I'm told we're nominated for at least one more award, but I won't know the category or results until the end of the festival. In the meantime, make sure you get to the 2pm film block on July 9th at the Bellmore theater!

Purgatory Comics Promotional Cards

2010-06-26T12:27:00.006-05:00

I wanted to share these postcards that were made to promote our upcoming screening at the Long Island International Film Expo. They were designed by myself and my friend Rob, and then printed at Ocean Printing. The cards are available at a handful of stores in the area, including Utopia and of course our own Golden Memories.

You can see that besides promoting the screening, there's also a new coupon code available! By using the code FILMEXPO before August 30, 2010, you can Save $3 on the Purgatory Comics DVD at filmbaby.com.

2010 LIIFE Commercial

2010-06-22T21:05:00.003-05:00

Here's the commercial for the 2010 Long Island International Film Expo. Remember Purgatory Comics screens during the 2pm film block on July 9th 2010. If you haven't seen it on a big screen yet, or you want to see it again, come check us out!

Check out our Profile Page at LIFTF

2010-05-31T12:18:00.006-05:00

The Long Island Film & Television Foundation updated their web site to include the official schedule of the Long Island International Film Expo. The schedule also includes links to individual profile pages. You can check out the Purgatory Comics page right here. Remember we screen during the 2pm film block on July 9th 2010.

What I think is really cool is that we're preceded by a 20-minute documentary called Dig Comics. How awesomely relevant is that? Check out the trailer and see for yourself:

Make sure you get to the 2pm film block on July 9th so you can check out both Dig Comics and Purgatory Comics!

Official Selection LIIFE 2010

2010-05-11T17:43:00.003-05:00

Purgatory Comics has been selected for the 2010 Long Island International Film Expo at Bellmore Movies in New York. This is somewhat of a homecoming as this is the same theater we screened at almost one year ago. This is also the same festival that I joked played with my heart last year, so it's good to be a part of the program officially this year.

Mark your calendars: we're screening Friday, July 9th at 2:00pm. If you haven't seen Purgatory Comics on the big screen yet, get to this screening! It looks stunning.

Poster Added to IMDB Page

2010-04-29T20:33:00.005-05:00

The official poster for Purgatory Comics has been added to our page at IMDB. Click the above banner to see a bigger version, or you can just go here. Of course this poster is still available to own at the PurgatoryComics.com online store!

BluRay Content Revealed!

2010-04-27T22:26:00.005-05:00

Mike received the drive I sent him and began building the Purgatory Comics Special Edition DVD. While that's in the works, I thought I'd list everything we're planning to get onto the disc:

The film, in glorious hi-def, with chapter select.
An audio commentary track by me, the writer/director.
An audio commentary track by Mike, the cinematographer.
A 30 minute documentary "Side Panels: The Making of Purgatory Comics." This combines all the mini youtube documentaries, and also includes never-before-seen footage.
A deleted scene, edited back into the movie where it would've gone with an audio introduction by myself.
"Comic Book Icons: Peter Whales," a mockumentary a bunch of us made on the Peter Whales character.
The Trailer.

The art for the bluray sleeve will also differ from the DVD packaging, so this whole thing's going to be really cool.

I should also mention that this is the kind of stuff Mike loves doing and he built a great system for it, so if you're looking to author your own blurays, check out his site.

BluRay News, More Drive Problems

2010-04-23T18:48:00.004-05:00

Allow me if I may to share some woes, and in this bitch-fest you'll also get some cool updates. So our friend Mike LaVoie over at CCPFilms (new site!) rigged himself a pretty badass editing suite complete with BluRay authoring capabilities. As I wrote, he's eager to work with me on a Purgatory Comics BluRay special edition, so I put some special features together and we got the ball rolling.

I got myself a 1.5 TB My Book from Western Digital, mostly because it has eSata capabilities which Mike needs for his editing suite. I also used it to backup my PS3, which was a waste because I had to reformat the drive later on to be Mac compatible. Keep in mind I'm an idiot so even a simple task like that is a big to-do for me.

But 14 hours later, it did get done and the little drive was ready to go. Then I hooked up my big 'ol 1 TB LaCie, the drive the movie is on. It wouldn't mount. And it made an awful sound. After months and months of mounting fine, it took that moment to start crashing. I'm sure if you read this blog, you're familiar with my past LaCie troubles (crash, another crash). I've had it with this brand, so this is for the search engines: LaCie sucks, LaCie sucks, don't buy LaCie, LaCie crashes.

When it finally did mount, I copied everything on it to the My Book, which took another 10 hours. I do have another backup, but it's a LaCie and LaCie sucks.

Tomorrow I'm shipping the My Book over to Mike, and I'm also going to quickly author some menus as he gets the ball rolling. Let's hope that's it for drive issues for a little while. I'll also reveal the special features to you this weekend!

New York Comic Con - Confirmed!

2010-03-31T20:26:00.006-05:00

As I mentioned not too long ago, this year Purgatory Comics will be at New York Comic Con, which takes place from October 8-10. That is now truly confirmed as I booked my table with the wonderful exhibitors today!

Our friend Bree Olson is also confirmed to appear on the 9th for a signing and meet and greet, so that's definitely going to be a fun day. And of course I've got some goodies cooking up to make this whole thing exciting.

But I can't stress this enough: there is an early bird ticket price that runs until April 30th and you can get those discounted tickets right here. You know you're going; book early and save!

By the way the poster above is fan art of Chris Evans as Captain America. (click to enlarge). The suit is badass; I hope they do something like that in the movie. But they won't. The fan art is always better...

"It's not a waste of time"

2010-03-19T17:52:00.004-05:00

I hadn't seen this video until today: it's Michael Giacchino's Oscar speech when he won for Best Original Score in 2010 for "Up." It's short and really touching, so I wanted to share.

Bid on Bree Olson's Clothes from Purgatory Comics! Part 2

2010-03-08T22:53:00.006-05:00

It's time for Spring cleaning, and that means I've mustered up almost all I have left from the infamous Bree Olson wardrobe and put it up for auction. The last time I had auctions up, I got tons of emails asking when the skirt would be available. Well, it's ready for your bidding! Same as her long tube socks, and even the paddleball she played with in the film. To check out the auctions, simply click here.

And remember, you can meet Bree in person this October when Purgatory Comics is at Comic Con!

Purgatory Comics at New York Comic Con!

2010-03-02T22:52:00.005-05:00

This year's New York Comic Con will take place from October 8-10, and we're going to have a Purgatory Comics table! Comic Con is the perfect fit for this film, and I'm really excited to be there this year as an exhibitor. I'm planning to bring some of the cast with me, as well as Bree Olson for a one-day signing and meet & greet. Also I've already got the wheels turning on some cool giveaways but luckily there's a ton of time between now and then to get it all organized. In the meantime, mark your calendars and I hope to see you there!

Another quick note: this year legendary comic artists John Romita Sr. and John Romita Jr are the keystone guests of honor. Besides them, it's still too early for other guests to be announced. BUT if comics, toys, movies, and games are your thing, and you know you'd go anyway, there is an early bird ticket price that runs until April 30th and you can get those discounted tickets right here.

Purgatory Comics Commentary Track

2010-02-20T15:56:00.005-05:00

Purgatory Comics Commentary Track Snippet

Last night I recorded an audio commentary track for Purgatory Comics. I tried my best to give as much inside information about the shoot as I could but even now I'm remembering a few tidbits I forgot to mention. This is for a possible bluray project I'm working on with DP Mike LaVoie. He also has a commentary track in the can, so if I makes a bluray disc it will have both commentary tracks, and some other goodies like the trailer and a behind the scenes feature (I'm taking all the "Side Panels" videos and combining them into one feature, with new footage). If these blurays happen, it will be on a very small scale at first, with an extremely limited release. So we gotta keep getting those DVDs out there because the more of those we sell, the more revenue there is for cool things like blurays.

Mike also redesigned his web site, so check it out. In the Writer/Director/DP section you can watch some shorts that Mike himself wrote and directed. I recommend "Father Tom" since I really enjoy that one.

Last I'm going to drop this little nugget: I am in fact looking to get a table at the NY Comic Con this October. The price isn't the issue; I'm just waiting to hear back on a little more information I requested and I have to figure some scheduling out. We may have ourselves a hot little guest doing a signing. Stay tuned, I'll let you know. :)

What's in a Name?

2010-02-03T22:41:00.006-05:00

To me, a sign of a good screenplay is when a viewer walks away from a screening and can remember at least a couple of the main characters’ names. This is especially important if your script becomes a Hollywood studio film because star-power will only make this more difficult. Take Jim Carrey. If I’m talking about his character in “Yes Man,” I’m probably going to refer to him as Jim Carrey.” “Remember the part where Jim Carrey went running on Red Bull?” I mean, he’s Jim Carrey, and it’s hard to forget it. But he’s also in my favorite movie of all time: “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” This is the first time ever where I actually forgot he was Jim Carrey, and I refer to the character in conversation by his name: Joel.

I first noticed the importance of this way back when “Independence Day” was in the theaters. The characters as I perceived them were: Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, the President, a bunch of aliens, that guy, and that other guy. Not a sign of strong characters. Granted, a film like “ID” is more plot-driven than character-driven (actually, it was probably money-driven), but that’s no excuse for weak characters to drive the plot. “Law & Order” is the most plot-driven show on television and I can name you every character from the first ten years.

Bringing the topic down to a personal level: I used to love coming up with character names. Back in my college student-film days, I cranked out some of my favorite character names ever. I had a few personal rules to follow: make the lead’s name somewhat unique but believable, and try not to repeat a first-letter in the same script (in other words, I can’t use two names that begin with “B” in one project). These were my little tricks to making the names more memorable, and for the most part it worked.

It was a little harder to name characters in “Purgatory Comics” because by this point, all of my favorite names were already used up in college. The first name I had was “Berner,” because I actually knew a Berner in college and I liked the name. But when I decided on the whole “Purgatory” theme, I thought it would be cool to have my lead (Cola) around characters with names that rhymed with “Heaven” and “Hell.” So, I came up with “Evan” and “Mel.” “Mel” of course would be Berner’s first name, and Evan was the comic store owner played by Tim. Coming up with the lead was more tricky. Originally she was a he, and his name was Caden. Over time, I no longer liked this name so I changed it to Cole. Then when I decided to make the lead a female, I took a quick shortcut of making the name “Cole” feminine. Thus, Cola. At the time, I declared Cola to be short for “Nicola,” a name I ignorantly thought I made up.

When it got time to do the side characters, I took more unconventional approaches. Mia was named after my beloved cat (who, over a decade ago, was named after a character in a video game I was playing at the time). Danny was taken from my own middle name. Realize at the time I had also planned to play Danny in the movie, which I can now see would’ve been a very “meta” move. X-Ray was obviously a pun on the Ray character making himself a member of the X-Men. The rest of the names are pretty standard: Peter, Andrew, etc.

So how did it all work? Well here’s a quick consensus based on feedback I’ve gotten over the last year. Everyone remembers the name “Berner” to some degree, even if they spell it “Burner.” I think a couple of people referred to him as “Burger” at some point too. Most but not all people remember Cola. Everyone remembers X-Ray. And the rest is 50/50: sometimes it’s names and sometimes it’s “the old guy, the boyfriend, Berner’s girl, the store owner.”

I’ve been working on the plot of a new script for nearly a year, and I’ll be honest, I’ve been hung up on some names. I have a female lead name, and I have a handful of possible names for other characters, but it’s certainly a roadblock I’m not used to. There is an added pressure that my working title has the main character’s name in it, whatever it turns out to be. I’ve resorted to downloading a free “baby names” app on my iphone. By the way, the best review for this app is when someone wrote “I use this app to name my Sims characters.” After considering this script for so long, it’s finally itching to be told and I’m anxious to begin writing. I’ll post a logline and title soon, but in the meantime, back to the name game. Yes, it’s that important.

Bree Takes Over Web Site to Pimp Auctions!

2010-01-26T19:34:00.004-05:00

There are still 3 days and 19 hours (as of this posting) left to bid on our Bree Olson "Purgatory Comics" wardrobe items! From what I can see when I log in, each auction has a lot of watchers. I hope you all keep a close eye and secure your bids! And in case you didn't notice already, Bree Olson is everywhere right now as she's temporarily taken over the home page at purgatorycomics.com!

Bid on Bree Olson's Clothes from Purgatory Comics!

2010-01-23T15:21:00.008-05:00

This week you can bid for the chance to own clothes and props used by adult film star Bree Olson in "Purgatory Comics"! Today I uploaded wave 1 of items: her white blouse, her shoes, and her glasses. These are the actual items that appear in Bree's scandalous scene! And to sweeten the deal, every auction winner will also get a free DVD copy of "Purgatory Comics."

Wear these things, frame them, worship them, I don't really care just get them out of my office! But seriously, Bree is a kickass girl to help by posing for the auctions, and now you can own a little piece of her awesomeness for yourself! This wave of auctions will last 1 week, so start putting in those bids!

Wave 2 of auctions will occur most likely in February so keep checking back. That wave will most likely include the the skirt and bra.

Purgatory Comics: Best Seller.

2010-01-13T18:56:00.007-05:00

Today the online independent film store filmbaby.com has declared "Purgatory Comics" to be one of the month's best sellers. This includes DVD sales and online downloads. Freakin. Awesome. And as evidenced by the screen grab below, other DVDs go for $20, $25, even $30! Yet I've still kept the DVD price of "Purgatory Comics" at a measly $10. I would love to make money, but more than that I want people to see this thing. So what are you waiting for? Here's the link. Take a minute and order a copy of the award-winning, best selling "Purgatory Comics!"

Some Random Updates

2010-01-12T19:24:00.006-05:00

"I can haz brains?"

Been a little bit since a nice update post, so here goes. Let's start with a film review! FilmBizzarro.com reviewed a DVD of Purgatory Comics. The reviewer wasn't really into it as it wasn't his cup of tea (he prefers his movies with lots of blood and guts and honestly, I can't blame 'em). But rather than rip it apart, he reaffirms he's just not the right audience which was cool, and if he took the time to write and plug it, I'll take the time to plug 'em. Be warned though, nsfw image of Bree Olson at the site. Read the review here.

DP Mike updated his demo reel over at his site. There's some glimpses of Purgatory Comics in there, so check it out. He has gained so many new capabilities since shooting my movie that I'm itching to work on a new project with him. In the meantime he's exploring some cool new Bluray authoring capabilities. I'll keep you posted on that. Also he made himself a top-notch editing suite so if you're in the tristate area and you're looking for a good editor, check out his site.

Angela's still at it with the youtubin' from London. Here's her latest vid:

And last: I've got two scripts in the works. Both have been in my head for nearly a year and they're both in different stages of development. A relationship movie is trickling onto paper very slowly, and a thriller is completely outlined and 30 pages of script are done. Even though the latter is further along, my passion for the former is much stronger. I'll keep you posted.

Happy Belated New Years! Resolutions coming soon...

Angela Benedict Drinking Tea in a Furry Hat

2009-12-29T10:37:00.010-05:00

These new snapshots of Angela with the video above prove two things: she's keeping things sexy in London, and she really loves furry hats. Click to enlarge:

Of course you can see a lot more of Angela in "Purgatory Comics," which you can buy on DVD for a very low price at filmbaby.com. Their stock is refilled and ordering is both quick and easy!

Merry Christmas from Warm Milk Productions - New Skit!

2009-12-21T23:00:00.008-05:00

Hope you enjoy this year's Christmas skit. We had a lot of fun making it and I might be biased, but I'm a fan. Exactly one year ago today I posted last year's skit, and yesterday was this blog's 3 year anniversary. Time is whizzing by.

Quick note, this Wednesday the $3 discount coupon for the Purgatory Comics DVD expires! Head over and buy! Don't sweat their "out of stock" text; I already shipped them more DVDs and they'll get them to you soon!

Sale Going Strong, 1 Week Left! Bree Olson Endorsements!

2009-12-16T20:27:00.006-05:00

There's only one week left until December 23, 2009 . . . the date that the above coupon code expires! Remember, when you enter the special coupon code to buy our DVD from filmbaby.com, you will save money and get this awesome movie for only $7 bucks. After that, it goes back to its normal price, and it might even have to go up from there. All I can promise is that right now is the cheapest it will ever be available for! I'm pleased with the sales we've been getting but if you haven't grabbed this DVD yet, hurry!

Our friend Bree Olson gave us a little publicity too by plugging the movie (and a special coupon code made for her) on her web site, twitter, facebook, and myspace! Almost all of that stuff I just mentioned is NSFW, but if you'd like to see, I did post two censored screen grabs below (click to enlarge). Thank you Bree! She is definitely an awesome gal and her fans will love her comedy-turn in "Purgatory Comics." So order now!

You're still here? Get your copy of "Purgatory Comics" on DVD now!

Christmas Theme for PurgatoryComics.com, and Limited Time Coupon!

2009-12-06T18:03:00.003-05:00

I had a lot of fun creating a Christmas themed home page at purgatorycomics.com this weekend. I also highlighted the limited time coupon for $3 off DVD copies of the movie. Remember, the offer expires December 23rd! Click the coupon below and get a copy of Purgatory Comics on DVD dirt cheap!

Also we're coming up on the 3 year anniversary of this blog. Time is flying!

Save $3 on Purgatoy Comics DVD!! Limited Time!!!

2009-12-03T17:45:00.003-05:00

From now until December 23, 2009, you can take $3 off your order of the Purgatory Comics DVD by entering the code PCSALE09 during checkout. In other words, when you order Purgatory Comics from filmbaby.com for the already low price of $10, you will save another $3. That means the DVD only costs $7!!! But you have to hurry, because this coupon code is set to expire right before Christmas Eve. Consider this your gift from Warm Milk Productions! Hurry up and head over to our page at filmbaby.com, enter coupon code PCSALE09 during checkout, and have this hilarious flick rushed to your door cheap!

The Duck Song 2: Duck Wars

2009-11-22T20:43:00.006-05:00

You'll recall a few entries ago I wrote about the history of the Duck Song. Well as promised, here is the long awaited sequel in which I playfully retaliate for the other (admittedly superior) duck animation on youtube. Enjoy!

Purgatory Comics Digital Download Now Available!

2009-11-17T21:50:00.007-05:00

Now you can download Purgatory Comics and watch it on your ipod, iphone, Zune, or other devices! A full-movie download is available on our page at filmbaby, and it only costs $4.99. What a deal! So download Purgatory Comics or own a DVD copy at filmbaby. It's a great site, it's easy to use, and it's your source for owning Purgatory Comics for just a few bucks.

Purgatory Comics Available to Buy at FilmBaby.com

2009-11-11T20:19:00.007-05:00

The Purgatory Comics DVD is now available online at Filmbaby.com. Here is the exact page you can preview and order from. If you log in as a customer, you can also rate the film after viewing.

This is a neat site because it gives movie lovers a chance at stumbling upon my film while browsing other independent flicks. Plus a quick glimpse at the other DVD prices will demonstrate how low I set my price point. Yup, the Purgatory Comics DVD is still only ten measly bucks. So, you can buy from filmbaby.com, or you can buy from the store at purgatorycomics.com. Either way, all proceeds go to the same cause: reimbursing the cost of making the flick.

On another note, how you can you actually be reading this blog and not have bought the film yet? What are you waiting for??? Click one of those links and get your copy!

Here's a grab of Purgatory Comics being introduced on the main page. Click to enlarge!

The Story of the Duck Song

2009-11-08T23:30:00.007-05:00

The Youtube account for Warm Milk Productions is actually our second. Our first one got deleted by Youtube because apparently Viacom took issue with something I posted... even though every single video I'd posted was 100% my material. The appeal process is set up to be very long and difficult, so rather than go through with that I set up a second account: the current one that's now about 2 years old.

I re-uploaded a lot of the old original skits but lost all of the comments and ratings. One of those skits titled "The Duck Song" (below) has gone on to be the most viewed video of the account. As of this writing, it's at 495,132 views . . . crushing the count of every other video I have including Purgatory Comics videos. I made the video in 2003 (I think) as an animation for my old web comedy show Disorderly Conduct. The crude cartoon makes little sense, as you can see here:

I will reveal that it was originally supposed to go on a little longer. The hunter would take the duck home, eat him, and then the duck would emerge from his stomach (think "Alien") intact and finish the song. In the end . . . well I got lazy. What's left is an animation that is just plain random, yet a massive youtube hit! I get comments every single day on this one. So, why fight it? All these years later, today I began animating a sequel. That's right. I'm hoping it will be up this month. My plot? Well. There's a second duck song video on youtube, and even though it went up after mine, it has way more hits than me:

Let's just say I thought it might be funny if the two ducks from the above videos met each other. To many of you this might be just a throw away project. But to my massive youtube audience that have kindly favored my account over the past two years . . . this next quack's for you.

Some Updates

2009-11-06T00:14:00.004-05:00

I just got done making some tweaks to the site, mostly in areas that aren't visible to browsers. I added new meta keywords and meta descriptions to help with how search engines describe the site. I also changed my URL redirecting so it's no longer masked. In other words, instead of just "purgatorycomics.com being the title of every page, a better title appears along with the true URL of each page. I added Brian Lynch's quote to the home page and I did some other little things here and there.

Today I sent out DVDs to 5 more film festivals. I haven't entered any festivals in months because (1) it gets expensive and (2) they really leave a sour taste in your mouth. But I found a batch on withoutabox that I like, and I sent to half of that batch today. Next month I plan to send to the other half of that batch.

The coolest news however is that I put the movie on the distributor site filmbaby.com. It's not available yet so don't bother looking for it. When it becomes available, you'll be able to buy the flick from them also. It's a really cool store for indie films, just like how cdbaby is a cool site for musicians. I'll keep you posted on that.

That's about it. I mean I reprinted business cards but you don't want to hear about that. I'm trying to find other sites to sell the DVD through. Unfortunately I can't do sites like amazon because I don't have a UPC (a barcode). I can get one cheap (actually filmbaby provides that service to filmmakers), but I already printed hundreds of DVDs so it's too late for this inventory. I'll probably get a code anyway and use it in the future. In the meantime, I'm always looking for new ways to get the word out on Purgatory Comics!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T11:52:00.005-05:00

Disorderly Conduct Ep4 - Halloween

Here's a blast from the past: the Halloween episode of my old web series "Disorderly Conduct." If you have a half hour to kill and wanna watch some neat low-budget Halloween parodies, then enjoy!

Everclear @ The Crazy Donkey - Oct 15, 2009

2009-10-23T14:18:00.006-05:00

The Crazy Donkey is a Long Island venue that I probably don't check out enough given their history of booking some pretty awesome acts (i.e. Shiny Toy Guns, They Might Be Giants, etc). This month I did go for what would be my second time seeing Everclear in concert (the first being them playing at my college). I do enjoy me some Everclear, but the specific reason I went was to see an old buddy of mine, Jordan Plosky, who is now Everclear's drummer.

The band went through a major lineup change, which Art Alexakis wrote about on their official site. Jordan tells me that he basically went in to audition and got picked. The show was solid; they sounded as good today as they did when I saw them 10 years ago. Afterward I chatted with Art and Jordan for a little and got a CD signed. Below is a snippet of "Father of Mine" I recorded; this has always been one of my favorite alt rock songs from the 90s. Look for Jordan drumming in the back!

everclear - father of mine

Lebowski Fest New York - Sept 22, 2009

2009-09-23T18:03:00.013-05:00

Anyone who knows me well knows that one of my favorite movies of all time is The Big Lebowski. It's one of those films that gets funnier and more enjoyable every time I watch it, so I can completely understand why such a thing as Lebowski Fest would exist. The festival started in 2002, and the web site describes it best as "a two-day party that typically opens with live performances and screening of the film the first night and concludes with a raucous bowling party the following night." Last night some friends and I attended the screening-part of Lebowski Fest as the "Speed of Sound" tour hit Terminal 5 in New York City.

There's me with a couple of "Dudes."

There are some buddies with Walter. "Shomer Shabbos!"

Here we have a Karl Hungus and a landlord (in full stage performance gear).

The Dude and an event organizer present the film! This is the second time I've seen this movie on a big screen with a crowd shouting quotes while drinking White Russians. It never gets old.

Here's a grab from an introduction video from the real dude, Jeff Bridges. Notice the Tron helmet, as Mr. Bridges stated he couldn't make it to the fest since he's doing the whole Tron revival thing.

This is my "El Duderino" T-shirt that I wore to the fest. Buy your own here!

It was definitely an awesome time (you know, once you get passed the point that you paid $20 to see a film you own on DVD, and paid $6 per cup of beer...). I'm sorry I won't be able to make it to the bowling party, as I hear that's when the real craziness goes down. Still, I highly recommend Lebowski Fest to any other diehard fans. It'll really tie your room together.*

*what?

Purgatory Comics on Sale at Utopia on Long Island

2009-09-14T20:38:00.003-05:00

If you're on Long Island, New York and you'd like a copy of Purgatory Comics, but you want to save on shipping, then stop by one of two Utopia locations. They specialize in rare CD finds, underground music, cool merch, and subculture clothing. Our disc can now be found in their DVD sections! They've got a location in Centereach, and one in Hicksville. So swing by and pick up a Purgatory Comics DVD . . . or of course you can order one online.

Elephants on Acid (And Other Bizarre Experiments)

2009-09-04T17:56:00.012-05:00

I just finished reading "Elephants on Acid: And Other Bizarre Experiments" by Alex Boese: a nice, quick and extremely interesting read. If you can't tell from the title, the author chronicles some of the more unconventional and interesting scientific studies that have taken place over the past century and beyond (including getting elephants high on acid). The book was discussed heavily during a Kevin Smith podcast awhile back, which is where I first heard of it. I'll summarize a few interesting studies below, and you can also download Kevin (smodcast #28) and hear a very heavy summary of the whole book (R-rated, of course).

1. Inattentional and Change Blindess - In 1998, researchers Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris conducted an experiment on the phenomenon where our minds focus so heavily on some details, that we completely fail to see other events . . . even when they're right in front of our eyes. This is called "inattentional blindess," and it's demonstrated perfectly in the ad below:

On the other hand, "change blindness" demonstrates how our mind's may be blind to alterations that occur right before our eyes. Simons, with Daniel Levin, investigated this in the mid-1990s with an experiment not unlike the one you can view here. Both of these experiments show that our mind's must be selective with what information we "absorb" . . . because absorbing everything would probably over-stimulate our brains and make us all insane.

2. Reanimation - Since the late 1700s, researchers have been fascinated with the concept of bringing back the dead. This book gives ample examples of scientists who have stimulated movement from corpses, be it through electrical shocks or crude mechanisms that mimic bodily functions. An example I'm going to cite involves the Soviet physician Sergei Brukhonenko. In the 1920s, his team succeeded in keeping an isolated dog head alive for hours through the use of a machine he called an autojector. Not only did the dog head live, but it reacted to various stimuli as you'll see in the science video below. Adding to the "creep" factor is fact that this public domain video is old-school footage. Skip to 5:39 for reanimated dog head goodness.

Some believe the video to be a recreation due to the fact that you never see the dog head move from a far angle. Also, some of the movements may only be possible through the use of neck muscles that this poor dog obviously lacks. Whether the video is fake or not, the experiment itself is very real and well-documented.

3. Electrical Stimulation of the Brain - Brain chips that control action make for great science fiction, but there have been many studies - on both animals and humans - where this concept became a reality. One was done at Yale by researcher Jose Delgado in 1963. Delgado implanted chips in cats, monkeys, and humans that triggered areas of the brain which made the organism act in a way inconsistent with its free-will. And Delgado had a remote control to make the chip work. He could make a monkey run across the room, a person feel rage, and he even stopped a charging bull dead in its tracks. The public became worried about the implications of ESB technology, and research on it soon slowed down. But as we enter an increasingly computer-dependent world, predictably there has been a reassurance of interest in ESB interest.

4. The Pleasure Button - Imagine pushing a button that instantly gave you intense feelings of ecstasy . . . even orgasmic sensations. In 1954, James Olds and Peter Milner researched the pleasure-inducing properties of an area of the brain called the septal region. By placing a small electrode in a rat's brain, they could administer a tiny shock that would bring pleasure to that rat. They know this because they allowed the rat the choice of pushing the shock button on its own . . . and the rat pushed the button over two-thousand times in one hour. You'll have to trust this hilarious recreation:

The experiment took a bizarre turn when they hooked it up to a homosexual human in the hopes that he's receive enough pleasure to transform his aggressive gay tendencies into straight ones. The subject did experience the same addicting bliss as the rat, and it was reported that he had a heterosexual encounter with a woman (awkwardly set up by the researchers). Whether it stuck or not, we don't know. But I still can't help but wonder how different the world would be if we all had the ability to feel pleasure by the push of a button. You'd be reading a blank blog right now, that's for sure.

5. The Stanford Prison Experiment - Does power structure dictate behavior? In the case of a prison system, do the defined roles of "guards" and "prisoners" create a violent atmosphere? In 1971, Philip Zimbardo set out to answer this question by creating a mock prison, and assigning twenty-four good men the roles of either "guard" or "prisoner." Then, he sat back and let the guards do their thing. At first - as expected - the participants had a bit of trouble taking their roles seriously. But it didn't take long before the guards warmed to their roles and began to both physically and psychologically abuse their "prisoners" by blasting them with fire extinguishers, stripping them naked, and so on. The experiment was supposed to go on for 2 weeks . . . but Zimbardo ended it after 6 days.

As a writer, I can't help but feel that nearly every story in this book would make for a superb movie or "Twilight Zone" episode. If this is your kind of thing, and the exerts above interest you, then I highly recommend picking up this book. Yes, there are some disturbing sections (I find the sections on human behavior a little more disturbing than the cruel animal studies). But behind many of these experiments is a tremendous leap in science that we all owe a debt to. Plus it's fun to read about how the CIA tries to weaponize almost everything science discovers, and also how every animal imaginable has been tested with LSD at some point in time. Hence - Elephants on Acid.

Angela's Exporting Herself

2009-08-27T17:52:00.006-05:00

In a few days, our rising star Angela Benedict is moving back to the UK with her husband Benn. Although I don’t get to see them much these days, I’ll miss ‘em. To me, it feels somewhat like an epilogue to the whole production process.

Since many of you are just now starting to see Purgatory Comics for the first time, let me just quickly reflect on Angela’s contributions that stem beyond leading role: She provided make-up for the entire cast with a kit she bought herself. She saved my ass when a bar owner bailed on me by convincing another bar owner to let me shoot at his location (the night before). She discovered Jennifer Stone, who played Zombie Gal. She did wardrobe and costume duties, including for Bree Olson. She made Jonathan's hair look long. She got me someone to play the Lee role (her husband Benn, who she got to punch in the face on-screen). Later Benn and she would do incredible photography and graphic design for the film. And through all this, she found the time to memorize all of her lines, follow directions, and also become someone I consider a friend. She’s a good egg, and someone with a lot of potential and big dreams. I wish ‘em the best and I’m sure we’ll see more work out of her in years to come.

Filmmaker / Comic Writer Digs Purgatory Comics

2009-08-18T23:07:00.006-05:00

I've been really busy getting organized with the new DVDs and getting them out there. I'm really happy to say they've been moving, which means people are seeing this movie, which makes me feel good. Anyways, make sure you order your copy from purgatorycomics.com right away!

A pleasant surprise worth mentioning was a glowing review from someone I respect very much: Brian Lynch. He did a hilarious flick ten years ago called Big Helium Dog, and now he's a a comic writer for popular series such as Angel: After the Fall and Spike: After the Fall (both, with a thumbs up from Joss Whedon, chronicle canon adventures of the mega-popular "Buffy-verse" characters). So, a filmmaker and comic writer . . . someone born to see this flick. Brian, who's been very supportive of this project from the beginning, writes on our facebook page:

Watched it last night. Only planning on watching a little because I was really tired, but it was so entertaining I cruised right through it. Your three leads are excellent. So good. Likable and really funny. Best lines: the noise Berner makes after the Ziggy quip (okay, not a line, I guess...but the Ziggy line is gold), Berner's reaction to Zombie Gal's voice, and the old man's comment about Cola's hair reminding him of his cat and thanking her. Everyone did a great job, you guys should be really proud.

He also showed some more genuine support over a few emails, so it's definitely something I'm going to wear as a badge of honor. BTW, that pic (where I look terrible) is from years ago . . . taken in California at a View Askew film festival. Check out Brian's site Angry Naked Pat, it's a riot.

More updates soon. Also, I finally got myself an iphone, and it's everything I dreamed it would be.

New Purgatory Comics Web Site Launches, Order the DVD Online!

2009-07-30T21:31:00.004-05:00

Tonight we launched version 3.0 of www.purgatorycomics.com! This site comes to us from Nineswilddesign.com, and the most exciting new feature is the ability to order Purgatory Comics the DVD online for a cheap $10. Hope you like the site, and I really hope you place your order for the DVD right away!

Paul McCartney @ CitiField 7/18/09

2009-07-21T22:22:00.004-05:00

Last Friday I got back from Europe, and the next day I was off to CitiField to see Paul McCartney with my friend Shane. I saw McCartney at the Garden a few years back, and the bad news is that the CitiField show is almost the exact same set list. Plus, since this was supposedly a "historic" show, there were rumors of special guests joining Paul on stage; but that didn't happen. on Saturday. However, since it's Paul McCartney - ya know, a former friggin BEATLE - I'll give him a free pass. He sounded great, and it was a beautiful night for an outdoor show. Set list? You got it:

1. Drive My Car
2. Jet
3. Only Mama Knows
4. Flaming Pie
5. Got To Get You Into My Life
6. Let Me Roll It / Foxy Lady
7. Highway
8. The Long And Winding Road
9. My Love
10. Blackbird
11. Here Today
12. Dance Tonight
13. Calico Skies
14. Mrs Vanderbilt
15. Eleanor Rigby
16. Sing The Changes
17. Band On The Run
18. Back In The USSR
19. I’m Down
20. Something
21. I’ve Got A Feeling
22. Paperback Writer
23. A Day In The Life/Give Peace A Chance
24. Let It Be
25. Live And Let Die
26. Hey Jude
---
27. Day Tripper
28. Lady Madonna
29. I Saw Her Standing There
---
30. Yesterday
31. Helter Skelter
32. Get Back
33. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band / The End

He did Calico Skies this time, which is one of my favorite McCartney songs ever (I'm pretty sure he didn't do that one last time I saw him). But instead of a slow acoustic, he gave it a little "umph" with a full band including an accordion. The video's a little boring but the audio came out good:

Some cool news around the corner...I've been working with my new pal Jenny, who has been designing a brand new purgatorycomics.com (I've seen what she's got so far, and it's awesome). The DVDs are ready to go out and soon, ordering online will be a piece of cake.

Also, I found some inspiration in Europe (especially for some new characters I want to write). It was an amazing trip in general; I'll have to go into that another time. I'm still jet lagged apparently, and I think I have a cold. So, bedtime for me!

DVDs are Here!

2009-07-03T12:47:00.004-05:00

Today I went to Icon to pick up my 1,000 Purgatory Comics DVDs! They look great. Again, it's a bare bones disc with the movie and no special features, to allow for as much disc space as possible to be used in the Hi-Def film compression. If you're part of the cast or crew, I'll be mailing these to you as soon as I get back from my trip (I'm leaving for Europe tomorrow).

While I'm away, I have someone working on the new web site (purgatorycomics.com version 3.0). It will feature a way to buy the DVD online for $10 each. That will hopefully launch before summer is out.

I'm off to explore Europe for a couple of weeks, but I'll be back in mid-July to pick up right where we left off. I'm excited to finally have DVDs!!!

The LIIFE Keeps Playing with my Heart

2009-06-22T18:23:00.005-05:00

Right off the bat, I'll say the Bellmore theater on Long Island is an awesome place, and a big supporter of the indie filmmaking scene. They also host the Long Island International Film Expo each year, which of course I entered a few months ago. Since I'm a Long Islander, and since my film's pretty cool, I thought for sure I'd get in. Alas, I was rejected. That was months ago.

Flash forward to the screening of Purgatory Comics at the Bellmore theater. I wasn't kidding back then when I said the response was strong. There was a huge turnout, and everyone genuinely seemed to enjoy it. The folks running the theater, who by the way are awesome and kind folks, noted the positive response. I was talking to one of the owners and she'd asked if I got into the LIIFE (she's also on the decision panel, and she couldn't remember). She mentioned my film came so close . . . but ultimetly they only had a few slots and it came down to "eeny, meeny, miny, moe." I mentioned that I was really hoping to get into this one, and for a moment I thought she'd slide me in, but no dice. But, she acknowledged that it was an enjoyable film and she wished there was more room to get me in there (and she was genuine about it).

Flash forward to today. I'm at lunch with some coworkers and I get a very friendly phone call from a lady from LIIFE. She says that another film that was accepted may not screen, and there might be a spot for me afterall. I got pretty excited, and I was also honored that my movie really WAS next in line like the first woman said. The lady on the phone went on to compliment my movie and she said she'd call me back soon. About an hour later she called me back and said that the other film was screening afterall.

Dagnabit.

The poor women felt so bad, and she went on to compliment Purgatory Comics some more. It's no big deal, as I'll be in Europe for most of the LIIFE anyway (sour grapes). But to commemorate my "almost" selection, I made this laurel:

The sad part is, this isn't even the first film festival we ALMOST got into! Months ago I also entered Acefest, and their rejection stated, and I quote, "Your entry made it to the final round of the selection process! However, with just a day and a half of festival programming to fill, yours was one of many that we are very sad to have to pass on this year." So...

It's nice to know I have a movie that's almost good enough for some festivals. I know that sounds sarcastic but I actually mean it. I haven't entered any in a long time because I've been waiting for the new DVDs to come in. Which by the way, they come in July 3rd. And I'm leaving for Europe (!) July 4th, so I'll distribute/sell them immediately when I get back.

Coffee House Mix CD

2009-06-21T09:26:00.007-05:00

And in the "too much free time" department...yesterday started with me looking online for templates for a new website, and somehow turned into a completely unrelated arts and crafts session. I made a "coffee house" mix CD (acoustic originals and covers), and I thought it would be cool to give it a custom CD case. So, I made one.

Here's the case closed. You wanna know what I did to take this project a little too far? Under that fabric is some real ground coffee bean, to make the CD case smell like coffee. Works well too.

When you open the case, you can see the CD itself is being held in a snap-holder I broke off another case. Course I had to go for a coffee bean label.

It's a trifold! And opening it up reveals the 21-track acoustic style setlist. I admit I kinda rushed through this last part but still, it came out kinda cool. Here's the setlist (links will open itunes):

1. Brand New Day - Joshua Radin
2. Umbrella - Marié Digby
3. When the Stars Go Blue - Ryan Adams
4. Cannonball - Damien Rice
5. These Words - The Walls
6. Down Under - Colin Hay
7. Quiet Town - Josh Rouse
8. Take Five - Dave Brubeck
9. Dancing Queen - Luka Bloom
10. Falling In Love At a Coffee Shop - Landon Pigg

11. The Way I Am - Ingrid Michaelson

12. Good People - Jack Johnson
13. Toxic - Juliet Turner
14. Gagging Order - Radiohead
15. 1, 2, 3, 4 - Plain White T's
16. All the Right Reasons - Jayhawks
17. Put Your Records On (Acoustic) - Corinne Bailey Rae
18. Hey Ya - Matt Weddle
19. Near You Always - Jewel
20. Hold You In My Arms - Ray LaMontagne
21. You're the World to Me - David Gray

My itunes "coffee house" playlist (inspired by the XM station of the same name) has over 400 songs, so it was hard to widdle that down to 21 for a CD. But the whole is greater than the sum of the parts here; that is to say a lot of attention went into the order and how they blend together. Plus I sprinkled in a few tracks of sentimental value to me, making this a strong CD for me personally. Maybe you'd like it too.

Purgatory Comics DVDs go into Production

2009-06-17T21:17:00.005-05:00

Today in the mail I received my New York State Dept of Taxation and Finance Certificate of Authority. See back in 2007 when I incorporated Warm Milk Productions, I didn't do this part because I had nothing to sell. Now, I do. DVDs baby.

One of the best duplication centers on Long Island coincidentally is located very close to me: Icon Omnimedia. These guys do all sort of cool graphic work and fulfillment; mostly for bands but also for local filmmakers such as myself. In fact two separate entities recommended them to me. One was Sean King (Lost Suburbia, Gouligans), who not only has a cameo in the film but has also been a tremendous help afterward. The second is my pal April (lead singer of the Rosies - awesome band), who has helped with a lot of PR-type since we wrapped.

Now despite how I rambled on and on last year about all the cool special features I want to pack onto a disc, this is going to be a bare-bones release. Recall my film-pal Todd Giglio created a superb hi-def compression onto a standard DVD, and for maximum quality we kept it film-only (there are strategically placed chapter markers, but there's no fancy-schmancy chapter menu). This will do for now. The disc art was done by myself, and the sleeve art was done by myself and Benn Fielding. I'll post it soon, but basically it's the two poster images I've posted on here before.

SO in about two weeks time, my home will be filled with 1,000 copies of Purgatory Comics DVDs. Yikes. I'm planning a new web site soon for easy online purchasing, and I'll announce the price real soon too. But there's your DVD update!

The Decemberists @ Radio City Music Hall 6/10/09

2009-06-13T18:52:00.001-05:00

Awhile back I gushed about how in love with the new Decemberists album I am. Well the only thing that beat their latest release "The Hazards of Love" is hearing the entire thing live, in order, with no breaks. The Decemberists show came in two parts: part one was the new album all the way through. The audience sat for this part and the music was simply amazing.

After a brief intermission, the band returned and did a mix of greatest hits. For this portion of the show, there was much more interaction with the audience, who stood and danced. Here's the setlist for the second half:

Crane Wife 3
July! July!
Billy Liar
Sleepless
The Bachelor and the Bride
Daughter of Dracula
O Valencia!
The Chimbley Sweep
Crazy on You (Heart cover)
Begin the Begin (REM cover)
Sons and Daughters

Here's the WORST part...I missed the Heart cover because I had to leave by that point. I can't find video of the Radio City night on youtube, but there are plenty of videos from other nights. As you'll see below, it was a great cover and also a lot of fun for them to perform:

I felt very lucky to see one of my favorite albums of all time done live, because I'm sure that won't happen again. And this being the first time I've ever seen the Decemberists live, I can honestly say they sounded perfect.

And I'll say one more thing about one of my new favorite bands...if folk/acoustic/rock is your thing, for the love of God pick up the Hazards of Love!

Purgatory Comics at the Bellmore Theater May 21st

2009-05-24T12:54:00.013-05:00

Last Thursday evening, Purgatory Comics made its Long Island premiere at the Bellmore theater. This was a private screening for cast, crew, family and friends, and the turnout was amazing. I couldn't believe how many coworkers swung by after work to check out my little flick. Plus I had friends from high school and college, and family too. It was bizarre seeing so many different "worlds" colliding like that, but the overwhelming support was probably the most rewarding experience of my life. Not to mention, I got to reunite with my talented cast...

Here's my leading man Tim "Evan" Kelly standing outside of the theater with me. It was great seeing the name of our flick up on the theater marque. Tim brought a small crowd from Staten Island to check out his performance, and there was a thunderous applause when he appeared on screen.

Here's some of my family inside the theater: my brothers and sister. I sat behind the little one and covered his eyes during the nudey scenes.

Here's leading lady Angela "Cola" Benedict with Bob "Peter Whales" Socci. Both brought their families to the screening. I think Bob's family was a little shocked as his character's foul mouth.

Here's one of several crowd shots I took from the stage before I said a few words. I basically thanked everyone for coming, the Bellmore theater, and a handful of people who got involved with the project late (so they weren't in the end credits). I also thanked my family for their unconditional support.

The screening went great! People laughed at all the right moments and the response was extremely positive. After the credits finished rolling I saw that Jonathan "Berner" Zungre did make it (he got stuck in traffic so came in right as the film began). His character definitely became classic.

After the film screening wrapped, I got to mingle a little and hear some people's great responses. Then I got to snap a few shots with the reunited cast.

Here's me with the leading cast, with DP Mike lurking in the back. We're in the theater lobby glowing from the excitement of seeing Purgatory Comics projected gorgeously on a big screen.

Here's DP Mike in the lobby with Bob.

After the screening, some of the audience joined me across the street for a few drinks at a pretty cool bar. In this picture is my longtime best friend Howard and his wife, me and Angela, and a guy who hilariously photobombed us in the background.

I got to mingle with a lot of friends (again, from all different "worlds"). Finally the night ended and I headed home. The next few days I got to hear a lot more positive reactions and learn everyone's favorite parts or lines. It was amazing. I think a lot of viewers were genuinly impressed, and a few even said they could relate to the story (the greatest compliment I could possibly get). Since I first decided to do a film, an image of this screening was on my mind. It was great to finally experience it, and it was everything I hoped it would be.

Cast & Crew Private Screening Next Week

2009-05-14T19:37:00.002-05:00

There's a secret theater screening of Purgatory Comics next week for the cast, crew, family and friends. If you fit into one of those categories and haven't heard about this, drop me an email and let me know (email address is on right side panel). Should be awesome...I'm excited and terrified.

Star Trek: The Return of the Theater-Going Experience?

2009-05-10T11:32:00.009-05:00

I've seen the new Star Trek twice already: the first was an advanced preview screening with a limited audience (friend in radio hooked me up), and the second was opening weekend with a large crowd. After the end credits began rolling on the second screening, I saw a father and his son - must've been 3 0r 4 years old - walking out of the theater. The father asked what the boy thought, and the boy absolutely loved it; but he was in too much shock and awe over the visuals he'd just witnessed to really elaborate further.

This triggered a flashback for me: I was about that boy's age when I saw Return of the Jedi in the theater, and I remember feeling the exact same way. And scattered memories of watching Jedi on the big screen during its original run still stay with me to this day: Ewoks, Yoda's death, Lando blowing up the Death Star...to my young impressionable mind, it was absolute magic.

I like to think - and I hope - that the new Star Trek may become sort of what the original Star Wars trilogy was to this new generation. I think our culture desperately needs that right now. Sure, Pirates of the Caribbean and Iron Man and even Transformers were imaginative visual romps, but I feel Star Trek is something more (before I go into this, keep in mind I knew NOTHING about Star Trek before seeing it): the film is a near-perfect blend of action, comedy, drama and sci-fi. The pacing is wonderful, the cast is likable, and Michael Giacchino's score is epic. From a marketing perspective, I'm inspired how they were able to package a product for everyone from ages 3-103. From a screenwriting perspective, I'm blown away by how one movie is a sequel, prequel, and reboot all in one.

I don't really do movie reviews on here (maybe I should?), but the whole point of this entry's headline is about the experience of seeing this on the big screen. Yes, theater ticket prices go up while DVD prices go down. The gap between national screenings and home video release is getting smaller and smaller. And we can all agree Hollywood has been putting out a lot of crap lately. The big question has become: what will become of the theater going experience as time marches forward? The threat of losing it all together is depressing for a guy like me. Not only do I love movies, but I dream the big dream that one day I'll see my own flick projected up there.

But Star Trek revived my hope, if only for a couple of hours. Needless to say, I enjoyed my second viewing more: an audience of all ages experienced a full range of emotions together, and applauded in the end not out of courtesy, but because they had experienced a type of movie magic that reminds me why people like me got into film in the first place.

If I can ever capture a fraction of that audience response in a screening, I'll feel accomplished. While I work on that, you see Star Trek. It's not the perfect movie across the board, but it's the exact kind of movie I think we need right now.

Three and a half stars ***1/2

Reporting from Lancaster PA

2009-05-03T00:23:00.006-05:00

Today we took a drive to Lancaster Pennsylvania for the Lancaster Area Film Festival that I've been writing about for a month now. Above you see me with some local stormtroopers securing the area. Here's the building where it took place:

Here's a spread from the program, where you'll see Purgatory Comics got a special spotlight:

And here's me and DP Mike backstage. We got to screen both of our projects in hi-def because Mike hooked up his PS3, which was really cool.

Overall, it's been a pretty neat experience so far. My friends and I are crashing in Penn. tonight and we're looking for something fun to do tomorrow. The festival was a blast, but the downside was that multiple theaters were screening multiple films at once, dividing the ticket-buyers substantially. So I didn't get the big audience I was really hoping for, but I did get to watch my flick projected in beautiful quality. And the audience reaction was positive, which makes me happy.

Purgatory Comics Gets Mention in Local Penn. Newspaper

2009-04-30T21:41:00.003-05:00

There is a nice write-up on the Lancaster Area Film Festival in the Entertainment section of the Lancaster newspaper. The Entertainment section is in the Thursday evening "New Era" and the Friday morning "Intelligencer Journal."

"The two features are 'Purgatory Comics,' directed by Ralph Suarez, of Long Island, N.Y., about a young woman who hides out in a comic book store rather than face the responsibilities and challenges that come with young adulthood, and 'Schism,' directed by John C. Lyons, of Erie, about about a man's descent into Alzheimer's, as told from his perspective."
Click here to read the full article!

And don't forget to get your arse to Pennsylvania this Saturday for the festival. It's Saturday at 7:15 pm, doors open at 6pm. Tickets are $15 each. Address is Liberty Place, 313 W. Liberty St. Purgatory Comics screen roughly around 8:45pm in theater 1. See you there!

Purgatory Comics 2009 Festival Poster Art

2009-04-25T15:00:00.003-05:00

Check out the new 2009 poster art above! I'm going to print these and distribute them at some upcoming screenings, though I won't have them in time for LAFF. This will also give you a pretty accurate idea what the front cover art of the DVD is going to look like.

Remember, we're screening next weekend in Pennsylvania! If you're in the area, go to this site for information and be sure to be there. Our film is headlining the event and getting a special spread in the program! More screenings to be announced soon. In the meantime, let me know what you think of the new poster art!

Edit: Made some minor tweaks to the "page tear" effect.

The Wanting Comes in Waves

2009-04-22T23:04:00.007-05:00

A few weeks back, my pal Kristin hounded me to download the latest album from the Decemberists, "The Hazards of Love." I did, and . . . oh man. I think I already have my pick for album of the year. Instant love. I'd describe it as a folk/acoustic mix, blending Kings of Leon, early Radiohead or Oasis, Damien Rice, and then a pinch of Jethero Tull.

Before you start sampling 30-second previews from itunes, you have to realize a couple of cool things about this album. First, many songs change drastically, so those previews might be misleading. Second, each song blends harmoniously into the next, thus creating the type of album we haven't seen since the days of classic rock (think Floyd). And the reason is because the entire record tells one story.* It's a fun story too about forbidden love, and like a Broadway show, the characters in the tale sing their emotions complete with duets and reprises. It. Is. Great. I love driving because it's an excuse to listen to this CD, from the start, yet again. I don't know about you but I find a disc like that once maybe every 2 or 3 years. So this is my high recommendation for my readers. I'll be seeing the Decemberists in Radio City this summer and I haven't been this excited about a concert in a long time.

*A woman named Margaret falls in love with a shape-shifting forest dweller. A jealous forest queen and an ensemble of recurring characters bring conflict to the album's story arc.

Screening of "Drawing with Chalk" in Tarrytown

2009-04-21T23:47:00.005-05:00

A few blogs back I mentioned a film called "Drawing With Chalk." Last Saturday I took a drive north to Tarrytown in Westchester County to meet up with writer/director/actor Todd Giglio along with DP Mike. The film screened in a cool cafe by the water, projected from an HD disc playing on a Playstation 3. The film looked gorgeous, and it's absolutely worth checking out if you ever get a chance. A pleasant surprise was I got to see Suzanne Guacci again too, who shot a film called "Cycles" a couple years back (also with DP Mike). She helped me with the early stages of my flick and even lent her son for a scene!

While there, Todd hooked me up with gorgeous discs of "Purgatory Comics," which will be the DVDs I'll duplicate for the cast and crew in the near future. Awesome awesome awesome. It was nice to talk filmmaking a little with Mike, Suzanne, and Todd. Personally I draw a lot of motivation from other filmmakers and this was a good recharge for me. I wish I took some pics of us all together in one room, but I did snap the image of the bridge above.

Purgatory Comics Wins Two Accolade Awards!

2009-04-14T18:54:00.006-05:00

Purgatory Comics won two Awards of Merit from the Accolade Film Awards out in California. It's a competition I used to enter my old short films in back in the day. You can choose which categories to compete in, and I entered Purgatory into four categories (I honestly can't remember what the other two were). Looks like we're one of 13 winners for feature film for this award, and the only winner for casting. I was hoping we 'd get a mention for casting because I think my awesome group deserves the special recognition. So, congrats guys!

Most of the other festivals I've entered so far haven't closed out yet, with the exception of the Tribeca Film Festival. Yeah, that one was a long shot. Don't forget we're headlining the Lancaster Area Film Festival May 2nd! Click here for all the information you need!

DVD News

2009-04-13T18:15:00.004-05:00

Easter morning I met up with Todd of Drawing Chalk Pictures in New York City. Todd made a film called "Drawing with Chalk," which DP Mike LaVoie worked on shortly after my film. Todd had the same issue as me: how do you compress an HD film to an S-DVD without losing too much quality. But Todd's much smarter than me when it comes to technical stuff, and he's helping me out so we can finally have "Purgatory Comics" on a barebones disc, in a format that will look good. Below is the trailer for Todd's film...it looks great and I'm a huge admirer of his many talents, which you'll see below also includes acting and music.

Support true independent film...visit Todd's site, look out for screenings of "Drawing with Chalk," and look out for screenings of "Purgatory Comics" as well. We're an art form on life support and we need your help.