The Gayest Thing You'll See This Week: Etc. Version

I love these "Literal Music Videos," where people re-write the lyrics to songs so they are about what's happening on screen, rather than the song's original intent. Some are really hilarious. I love Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart." It was written by Jim Sharman, who wrote several songs for Bonnie (uh... and a little album called "Bat Out of Hell" for some guy named Meatloaf - seriously one of the defining albums of my youth). Anyway, I never quite realized how homoerotic the video for that song really is, until (thank goodness) this version pointed it out for me. Enjoy!

Then I was bipping (yes, I actually typed the word "bipping") around, looking for amusements, when I came across a video of something called "The Headphones Sketch" on funnyordie (for some reason, funnyordie's videos won't embed for me properly, so I've just linked to it for you). It made me smile and it's set at a bus stop, which made me think of "City of Strangers,"one of my all time favorite sketches from "The Tracey Ullman Show" on Fox:

I hope that's the first time you've ever seen that sketch, so you are as shocked and delighted by the surprise ending as much as was, the first time I saw it. Man, I love Tracey! I wish she would make more movies. And of course, we do have her to thank for this.

On (slightly) less gay issues, I have to say that I am hating the end of this weekend, as it was just fabulous - both literally and figuratively. I found two major props for the show over the weekend. The first was purely by accident, while in pursuit of the second. The second was just a matter of figuring out the right place to go. So, in addition to an amazingly fun night at the movies on Friday; prepping and opening my pool on Saturday and Sunday, I had a delicious and delightful Sunday breakfast with an exceptionally special group of many of my dearest friends: Janet; her husband, Dale (who is NOT "my dear D," but is as dear a friend); K; Walter (my Puppet Master for The Skin of Our Teeth); his lovely wife, Kelly and their gorgeous, well-behaved and completely hilarious children, Ben and baby sister, Kasey. Kasey may well be the most beautiful child alive and Ben is just wise beyond his years. Dad just read him a children's version of Moby Dick. Could you die? And almost 3 year-old Ben knew the whole story. "Captain Ahab had a... a peg-leg! 'Cause Moby Dick bit off his real leg!" Ben's "Why-Is-This-Child-Not-On-Baby-Magazine-Covers?" gorgeous sister has the most amazingly big, clear and delightfully blue eyes you could even dream of losing yourself in. Both Ben and Kasey are going to be quite the catches when they grow up.

Oh - and bonus points for taking my mother to Walmart on Sunday afternoon. You honestly have no idea...

And how was your weekend?

More, anon.

Prosero

Dogs and Cats, Living Together...

So, this has been floating around:

Thanks to my friend James, who first linked it to me on Facebook.

Riki "Garfunkel" Lindhome and Kate "Oates" Micucci sing a pro-gay marriage song in response to a Pat Robertson quote that legalizing gay marriage would lead to legalizing sex with ducks. Why doesn't some demon drag Pat Robertson to hell, already? You and I both know there's an especially hot and painful seat waiting for him. Which kind of reminds of the otherwise deplorable Little Nicky, an awful Adam Sandler film. In the funniest scene, Hitler's condemnation includes a having a pineapple shoved up his rectum everyday. I hope Pat will someday be right alongside him. But it's agave instead of pineapple. Flaming agave. Covered in habeneros.

Don't forget to wear your white ribbons, folks!

More, anon.

Prospero

Review: "Drag Me to Hell."

I have three words for you: "Ho Lee Crap!" Sam Raimi (and co-writer, brother Ivan) is at the pinnacle of his game with his triumphant return to horror, Drag Me to Hell. I kid you not when I say Drag Me to Hell is certainly the best horror movie of the last 20 years, and quite possibly the best since The Exorcist. And all of it without a single profanity or exposed nipple.

In case you haven't already read anything about it, Alison Lohman (Big Fish) plays Christine Brown, a sweet, farm-raised gal working as a loan officer in a big city bank. Looking to win a promotion - against an egotistic tool named Stu (Star Trek's Reggie Lee) - Christine decides that playing hardball is the way to go and denies a mortgage extension to a creepy old gypsy woman (wide-ranged character actress Lorna Raver). The inevitable curse ensues and Christine has three days before she is dragged away to eternal damnation by a goatish demon named Lamia. Apple commercials' cutie Justin Long (Jeepers Creepers; Live Free, Die Hard) is Clay, Christine's skeptical, albeit adoring and supportive boyfriend, who thinks she's suffering from post-traumatic stress. Newcomer Dileep Rao plays the seer Christine consults for help and Spanish Language TV veteran Adrianna Barraza plays the medium who has faced the demon before, and lost.

Within the first five minutes of the film, Raimi grabs you by the balls and never lets go. Loaded with Raimi's eye-popping visuals, extreme gross-outs and cartoonish violence, Drag Me to Hell is what Evil Dead II would have been with a Hollywood budget. Raimi's infamous and fantastically weird tracking shots and trademark outlandish physical effects (Christine takes as bad a beating as Ash ever got) all help make Drag Me... quite possibly a perfect horror movie. Hilariously funny, exceptionally gross and over-loaded with shocks which, even though you know they are coming, are still really shocking; Drag Me to Hell is the work of a master artist, rediscovering what made him love what he does in the first place. Raimi's eye for detail and ability to build tension have never been on better display, and his cast of mostly unknowns are more than willing to go along for an amazing rollercoaster dark-ride. The score by Christopher Young (Hellraiser) is brilliantly deceptive and adds tension in unexpected places. The effects are top notch and I was pleased to see a small homage to Poltergeist, near the end (hint: "The swimming pool! The swimming pool!!!!").

I saw it with my my cast, all of whom loved it as much as I did. We screamed, cringed, laughed and carried on the way every good horror movie should make it's audience do. I think it is important to note that like every terrific movie, no matter what the genre, Drag Me to Hell is meant to be seen on a big screen with a great sound system and an audience filled with screamers, cringers and laughers. Do NOT wait for Blu-ray. Get your butt (and a load of your friends' butts) down to the local Cineplex and see this movie! See it now! See it, see it, see it! And take someone you want to jump into your arms. They will! The most fun I've had at the movies in a ages. This is the movie Horror fans have been waiting for, for a very long time. Thank you, Mr. Raimi, for finally giving it to us. The only thing I missed? The obligatory cameo from the legendary Bruce Campbell (unless some slyer fox than I caught a glimpse of him, somewhere).

***** (Five Stars). Rated PG-13 for 'Intense Horror.'

Drag Me to the Movies

Seeing Drag Me to Hell tonight with my cast and I couldn't be more excited. I've been waiting for this since they announced it. It is currently at 95% on RottenTomatoes and I don't remember the last time a horror movie (one rated PG-13, no less) was so universally praised. This jaded, practically unscareable horror fan is trying to keep his expectations low, just in case, but I have a feeling I'll be adding to the raves come 1:00 AM. Plus, I get to hang out with people I'm very much in love with right now. Double-Plus Good!

We'll be going for drinks and carousing afterwards, I'm sure. But I will post my review as soon as I get home.

More, anon.
Prospero

How the Mormon Stole Everything

You may want to file this under "Prospero's Philosophy," though I will leave it up to you. Suffice it to say, I think this is the first time I have shared my personal views on philosophy and religion (other than the "Religious Right's" role in the passing of Prop 8) on this blog.

From The Big Gay Sketch Comedy Show on Logo (via) comes this hilarious animated parody.

More Gay & Lesbian Videos At LogoOnline.com

I don't hate members of the CLDS. They're only doing and saying what has been ingrained in them since childhood. I don't hate anyone, actually. Well, maybe Brad Pitt. And whoever is sleeping with Brandon Routh. And Goldie Hawn. Oh... and for a while, Meg Ryan.

What I hate is the perpetuation of the misunderstandings and outright lies of nearly every religious doctrine in the world. Why, in 2009, do we still hold on to mythology? The answer, of course, lies in our unending quest to know why.

The teachings of Zen tell us we need to learn to accept life as it is; savor it and revel in the joy of existence. Hinduism espouses multiple incarnations toward the ultimate goal of enlightenment. Valhalla is accessible only through valour in life and death in combat; eternity with Ra requires the careful preservation of of the body and the accompaniment of all that is earthly, while Wiccans pray to goddesses of the Earth and Moon, long thought dead. As Paul Rudnick says about members of the LDS, "If he'd told (his wife) the truth, you'd all be worshipping a waitress."

And I'm certainly not saying you should not believe in God (or the deity of your choice). Personally, I consider myself an 'Agnostic Secular Humanist with Leanings Toward Buddhism. ' Does that mean I don't believe in a Higher Power? No. What I believe is that the Higher Power is unknowable (that's the actual definition of Agnostic., by the way).

In fact, some important scientific minds agree that there must be something intelligent in the design of the complex mathematics and physics which seem to guide the Universe (even if the more we know, the less much of it makes sense), though they offer no truly rational explanations for their beliefs.

Since the dawn of civilization, man has struggled with the same philosophical questions.

There are more theories; superstitions; legends; mythologies and religions, than I can count on hands, fingers and other appendages (wink-wink). With so many things from which to choose, how can there possibky be One way; One answer? How can only one religion be the "true" religion? Obviously, it can't. Which then implies that all religions are false. And in a way, they are. I honestly believe that some questions will be forever left unanswered. And I'm OK with that. Because I am having a grand time while I'm here. Not all of it is wonderful, but most of it is amazing!

Of course, a lot of what I am saying is directly influenced by my current theatrical project, which I am sure you sick of hearing about, by now.

Alright. I know, I know. You didn't stop by for a lesson in esoterica. Honestly, I didn't expect to give one. It's just that kind of night.

'

Thank you for reading. I love that you do. Comment away.

More, anon.

Prospero

Disappointment Mixed with Joy

What an oddly dichotic day.

First, as I am sure you know by now, the California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8. I don't understand why they would do this. This is the same court that ruled it Unconstitutional to deny same-sex marriage in the first place. I cried when I read the decision. Then I heard some activist say something on the evening news that made me feel a little better: "No civil rights issue has ever been defeated, before. No civil rights issue will ever be defeated." As our President continues to back peddle on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and the idiots in CA fall to pressure from the religious right, I am comforted by the fact that at least 5 states now allow same-sex marriage. That's 10%. And that's what the LGBT community is estimated to be (though I think it's probably a low-ball estimate). So this year it's 10%. Next year, it may be 12% or 15%. Soon, maybe not today or tomorrow, it will be 100%.

Then, I went to rehearsal for "The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told," our first since the holiday weekend break. There I was pleasantly surprised to see that my cast had not only actually worked on trying to memorize (they have until Monday to be off-book), but were ready to play, experiment and grow in their roles. It's always a joy to work with fearless actors who are willing to take the extra step and invent business and shtick on the fly, and I am lucky enough to have found 9 who are not only willing to do so, but more than capable of it.

So - a dichotomy of a day. Bad news, supplanted by a good rehearsal. If this show opens just one pair of eyes; if it opens up one heart; if it lessens one person's misunderstanding, then I will consider it a job well-done. If my cast keeps going in the same direction, I can't see us not doing that.

Once again, tickets to the James Tolin Memorial Fund's 7th Annual AIDS Fundraiser featuring Paul Rudnick's "The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told" are available by visiting http://www.jtmf.org/; http://www.kelseyatmccc.org/ or by calling the Kelsey Theatre box office at 609-570-3333. If you cannot attend, but want to help, you secure donation via PayPal can be made at http://www.jtmf.org/. Or your Silent Auction donation can be sent by contacting Event Coordinator Tracy Antozesski at jtmf@verizon.net. Past Silent Auction donors have included the Home Shopping Network; Comcast; Mr. Robin Williams; the cast of ABC's "Desperate Housewives;" Miele Appliances; Simon and Schuster; Ms. Carol Burnett and Broadway Cares.

More, anon.

Prospero

Lego Madness

The good folks over at BoingBoing have posted this amazing clip of a clockwork pirate play that's just incredible and I had to share. It's short and amusing, but more importantly - it's all made out of Lego blocks. Talk about labor intensive! Watch to the end to see backstage and the mechanisms at work.

Fun, no?

More, anon.
Prospero

A Movie I'd Pay to See

Via BoingBoing comes this fan-made trailer for a Green Lantern movie that doesn't actually exist. Regular readers know how I feel about Nathan Fillion, but it is rumored that Bradley Cooper (Midnight Meat Train) will be playing the role in the actual proposed 2011 film. I like both actors, but in my humble opinon, Cooper can't hold a candle (or a lantern) to Fillion.

The clip features Fillion in scenes from Firefly other films/shows. Enjoy.

While I may not be an actual comic book fan, I am a fan of comic book movies. And I have to say, I'd be first in line to see this version of Green Lantern.

More, anon.
Prospero

From the Depths of Hell, I Spit at Thee

OK - a rant. I once had a wonderfully functional and easy to use music program that came with my old PC. Sadly, that PC died, so I was forced to download Apple's "ITunes" software on my new PC. Apple software is meant for use with Apple computers. PC users who hate Apple computers, consequently hate Apple software.

I use ITunes sporadically, at best - maybe once or twice a year while creating the soundplots for whatever show I happen to be directing at the time (something I like to have control over), so I'm hardly what you'd call an "expert." But the damned thing is so annoying and overly complicated, it takes me twice as long as it should to do the simplist of tasks. Damn you Steve Jobs!

Does anyone out there know of an MP3 program that's easy and simple to use for PCs? Please let me know, before I end up strangling someone at Apple.

OK - rant over.

More, anon.

Prospero

Sebastian's Voodoo

Sebastian's Voodoo is an animated short which played at the Cannes Film Festival this past week. I first came across it on i09 while surfing at work, and made a mental note to come back and view it again. Tonight, when I logged onto YouTube, it was first on my list of suggested videos.

Like so many things in my life, it is haunting, strange and beautiful, all while speaking about several subjects at once. Turn the volume up - the score is lovely and perfect.

More, anon.
Prospero

The Bravest Actors in the World

As a gay man; an actor and a director, there is nothing more annoying to me than seeing straight actors play gay characters without an ounce of sincerity: Tom Hanks in Philadelphia; River Phoenix in My Own Private Idaho; Chris Meloni on any given episode of "Oz." People say "He's so brave to do that!" "What a terrific performance!" "How did he do that?" But in the back of my mind, I'm always aware that the actors playing those parts are straight. How many gay actors playing straight roles are praised for being "brave?" Few, if any, I guarantee (and even fewer are even acknowledged at all, for doing so).

It's one of the many reasons I love the performances in Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain. Not once did I question Heath Ledger's or Jake Gyllenhaal's sexuality. Especially in the scene where they meet at Ledger's apartment complex and kiss passionately in the shadows, hoping no one can see (we'll talk about Michelle Williams' stunning performance in this scene some other time).

The two actors playing Adam and Steve in my production of The Most Fabulous Story... are both straight. They are both terrific, personable and talented young men, and very good friends. One is even the Godfather to (and namesake of) the other's baby. And both of them trust me enough to go to the same places that Ledger and Gyllenhaal apparently went.

In preparation for the show, I have been conducting intimacy sessions with both of them, getting them used to touching and kissing each other and being sexually intimate together (without the actual sex, of course). And while they were both nervous and skeptical at first, they both have acknowledged that the sessions have helped them deal with and explore their sexualities in ways they might never have done. In addition, the sessions have helped establish their characters' relationship as something beyond sexual and will go a long way into making our audience believe that they share a very real, very strong love.

It is always a privilege to direct a JTMF show. It is made especially sweet by having two actors who are willing to set aside their own concepts of their sexuality in an effort to honestly portray a real and loving same-sex relationship.It is because of their unwavering trust in me and my vision for the show, that I nominate both of them as "The Bravest Actors in the World." And this is just my way of crowing about them. If I could marry both of them, I would.

Tickets for The JTMF production of Paul Rudnick's The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told are available by visiting http://www.jtmf.org/ or calling the Kelsey Theatre box-office at 609-570-3333. 100% of our ticket sales benefit The Open Arms Foundation, which provides support and services for NJ residents living with HIV/AIDS and the James Tolin Memorial Scholarship at Mercer County Community College, which provides financial support for deserving Performance Arts majors at MCCC.

More, anon.

Prospero

Preview: "Pornography"

Horror and gay porn have never really been explored in "mainstream" cinema (or at least, not that I am aware of). Here then is the trailer for Pornography, which combines the two (in a strictly "R" rated, probably safe for work way):

Interesting, yes?. I'll probably have to see it on DVD. Lord knows there are few theatres in my area that would play it.

More, anon.
Prospero

I Want a New Drug...

So, after an amazing and productive night working with just 'Adam' (my Dear D) and 'Steve,' tonight's rehearsal for The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told had only one advantage: we got to move out of the cramped and useless rehearsal space we had and into the theatre, proper. Bonus, right?

Wrong. First, one of my actors (who has already been late for three rehearsals) called to say he had a "family emergency" and couldn't make rehearsal. I know things happen beyond our control, but this raises a red flag in my mind, especially in light of his history with me. Second, we arrive at the scheduled rehearsal space, only to find it locked, which means we have to find a security call-box and then wait for an ancient Campus Police Officer to pull up in his golf cart and unlock the shitty little lecture hall with the obtrusive work station which we've been given for rehearsal. Then, we finally get on our feet and my producer shows up unexpectedly and says "We can move into the theatre."

So, rehearsal stops again as me move over to the actual performance space, which is a very happy thing. But... by this time my cast is so discombobulated and distracted, that the rehearsal takes twice as long as it should have and most of them are barely paying attention to what's going on. Bonus points for our costumer arriving to at least meet the cast and discuss what seems like a million and four costumes in Act I, alone. And we did manage to take some publicity shots.

But still... it was a disappointing rehearsal...

I know I have a terrific cast and I trust (most of) them as much as I am asking them to trust me, but I'm now just a little nervous. Opening night is less than a month away...

So I guess the title of this post refers to the fact that maybe I need some Zoloft, or (heaven forfend) Prozac to help me stay more positive...

Or maybe I just need to get some.

Hmmm....

More, anon.
Prospero

One More Thing

Here is a video I recently came across that sort of reminds me of Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire." I give you "Pride: 2009"

Belated Review: Star Trek

This will be more of a mini-review for two reasons: First, the movie's been out for a week and every body's already posted their reviews; Second, I have a million and four things to do for the JTMF benefit and just don't have the time I'd normally spend on a movie review.

In director J.J. Abrams reboot of Gene Roddenberry's classic Sci-Fi epic, everything we think we know about James T. Kirk; Spock; McCoy; Scotty; Chekov; Ohura and Sulu is wrong. Not because Abrams doesn't respect his source material, but rather because he plays time-travel games with the plot and basically erases the past with the introduction of a revenge-bent, time-travelling villain. These are the same sort of games Abrams plays on his television shows "Lost" and "Fringe" (both brilliant and much fun).

Chris Pine is fine as James Tiberious Kirk, the impetuous Star Fleet Cadet who cheats on the infamous Kobiashi Maru test, weasels his way (via his buddy Dr. McCoy) onto the Enterprise and eventually becomes its Captain. Zachary Quinto ("Heroes") is also well-cast as Spock, the ship's half-Human/half-Vulcan First Officer. Rounding out the cast are John Cho (Harold and Kumar) as Sulu; Anton Yelchin (Alpha Dog) as Chekov; Zoe Saldana (Vantage Point) as Ohura; Simon Pegg (Sean of the Dead) as Scotty and Karl Urban (The Bourne Supremacy) as McCoy. Urban is particularly good as the Enterprise's eventual Chief Medical Officer, channel Deforrest Kelly's Bones in an hilariously eerie way. Eric Bana (Hulk) is on hand as the weirdly sexy villain, Nero and Bruce Greenwood (Capote) is terrific as the Enterprise's original Captain, Christopher Pike. Almost unrecognizable, Winona Rider plays Spock's human mother while Ben Cross staunchly assumes the role of Spock's father, Sareck. Several of Abrams' regular players are on hand in bit roles and Leonard Nimoy appears as "Spock Prime," the future Vulcan Ambassador to Romulos.

The SFX are top-notch and include some of the finest space battles ever filmed and Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman's screenplay manages to provide some terrific background for the characters we've known for so long. All in all, Star Trek is an exciting and fun ride and I, for one, can't wait to see where Abrams and company take the franchise. ***** (Five out of Five Stars).

More, anon.
Prospero

Inappropriate Movie Scores

I first came across these on Bits and Pieces , which linked to Trailer Trasher, which then led me to seek out more on YouTube. Some enterprising person, with more time on his/her (probably his) hands than he/she knows what to do with, applies hilarious music to scenes from popular films which change the mood and intention of the scenes, entirely. I found myslef laughing out loud more than once.

Trailer Trasher picked their favorite 18. Here, in no particular order, are my favorites:

Raiders of the Lost Ark



Kill Bill, Vol. 1



A Clockwork Orange



Gone with the Wind



Pulp Fiction



And my second favorite: Titanic



And my very favorite and most hilarious: The Exorcist



Do you have a favorite Inappropriate Movie Score? Let me know.

More, anon.
Prospero

The Gayest Thing You'll See This Week

I have a whole post coming up about Inappropriate Movie Scores, but it's late and that will have to wait until tomorrow night. In the meantime, please enjoy this hilarious video clip (via) from the Jimmy Kimmel Show, first sent to me by by dear friend, Megan:

Hmmm... First Jimmy is seen f***ing Ben Affleck and now showering with Matthew Fox. Is it any wonder Sarah and he broke up? I'm just sayin' is all.

More, anon.
Prospero

Okay... Some Nonsense

Last night's rehearsal was sort of a bust. I won't go into details, but two of my actors were late enough to make the whole evening a wash. So, we went out for drinks and a bonding session instead...

Of course, my sweet, innocent looking Maddie (who was also in my production of "The Skin of Our Teeth") once again proved herself to be the dirtiest young lady I know. At one point, the discussion turned to "Wolverine" and Hugh Jackman in particular. From the baby-faced mouth of sweet Madelaine came what may well be the filthiest (albeit funniest) comment I have ever heard: "Hugh Jackman gives me a wide-on."

Could you die?

But to be honest...

Seriously...

More, anon.

Prospero

Why I Love Keith Olbermann

Not too long ago, after the passing of Proposition 8 in California, MSNBC commentator Keith Olbermann gave an impassioned speech about Same Sex Marriage (it won him a GLAAD Media Award). Now, he takes on the misguided (and extremely stupid) Carrie Prejean and the ridiculous hype surrounding her loss of the Miss USA pageant and the subsequent media firestorm surrounding her misinformed opinions (via).

You have to love the girl's grammar: "...for which my grandfather fought for." Really? We should listen to the opinion of a young lady who can't even compose a sentence in proper English? Of course, media whore (and King of the Bad Comb-Over) Donald Trump, who owns the Miss Universe Pageant, had the final say in the matter, allowing the stupid little bimbo to retain her title as Miss California. And we all know that Mr. Trump is the be all to end all. Afterall, he does host "The Apprentice" and "The Celebrity Apprentice," two of the "finest" examples of "reality" TV programming. Quite honestly, I don't understand why Trump's 15 minutes weren't over ten years ago.

And while Mr. Olbermann may have his detractors (admittedly, he can be as over-the-top as his conservative rivals at Fox News), at least his opinions make sense. For example, here's his latest "Worst Person in the World" segment, taking on Fox legal correspondant, Greta Van Susteren:

Here's the thing: I don't understand why, in 2009, people are still being fed (and believing) the lies that are being told about the LGBT community. I have absolutely no interest in your marriage. Nor should you have any interest in mine (or anyone else's). When morons like Carrie Prejean and Fred Phelps are given a platform to disseminate bigotry and hate, we all suffer, gay and straight alike. Thank goodness that people like Keith Olbermann have platforms of their own, where truth and sensibility can be aired alongside the lies.

Oh, dear. I'm on that high horse again. I'm finally going to see Star Trek this coming weekend (between vacation and rehearsals, it's the first chance I've gotten), so I'll get back to movies and nonsense, soon. I promise.

More, anon.

Prospero

I'm Back, Bitches!

Hi gang! Didja miss me? A small post tonight.

I won't bore you with the details of my trip, other than to say it was wonderful. The weather was gorgeous (sunny, upper 80's every day), most of the food was yummy (except for one particularly nasty, though FoodNetwork recommended, restaurant in Indian Rocks Beach where, among other issues, Uncle Prospero found a hair in his fries... Ewww!) and the company was terrific. My sister, brother-in-law and I managed to sneak off one morning to have a photo portrait done for my mother for Mother's Day (she loved it); we spent a day in Downtown Disney where I took advantage of the going-out-of-business sale at the Virgin Megastore and a day at Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, which is just lovely (and small enough to cover without exhausting oneself). I have a nice tan and feel quite rejuvenated.

Tonight was the first real rehearsal for "The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told" and I am happy to report that we are already ahead of schedule (though trying to get a great big str8 boy to do a chorus line kick while delivering a joke proved something of a challenge). The cast is smart, funny and intuitive, which makes my job that much easier. This is going to be an exceptionally fun show and I can't wait until they get their scripts out of their hands.

And how was your week?

More, anon.

Prospero

Gone Fishin'

I'll be spending the next nine days in sunnier climes, folks! We'll chat when I get back!

As always, more, anon.

Prospero.

Pareidolia Strikes Again

Ah, pareidolia! Like persistence of vision, the phenomena that allows us to perceive movement while viewing a rapid series of still images (that would be movies, folks), pareidolia allows us to perceive common images in mundane objects. Scientists think this may very well be hard-wired into our brains; akin to the same sort of thing that allows infants to recognize their mother's faces. Well, the British newspaper The Daily Mail has posted new images from the Mars Rover which many have come to interpret as an "alien skull." See for yourselves:

I don't know... looks like a rock to me. Maybe if you squint hard and use your imaginations.

I watched part of a documentary on the Discovery channel the other day, which said that Hitler was working on creating "flying saucers" because the allies were bombing German runways into extinction and he wanted to develop vertical lift aircraft which didn't require runways. The program seemed to imply that the rash of UFO sightings (starting with the 1946 incident at Roswell and continuing to today), were the result of US Military tests, led by defected Nazi scientists who went on to develop aircraft for the U.S. Of course, this just made me think of my post on the film Iron Sky, in which Nazi's who've spent the last 70 years on the Moon, return to Earth in another attempt to take over the world.

Fun, fun, fun. I love this kind of stuff.

And how about you, dear readers? Have you ever seen a UFO? Been abducted? Been probed? Do you have weird metal implants in the back of your neck? Has a "Grey" spoken to you using only his (its) mind? Does Christopher Walken visit you at night?

Your comments are always welcome. Just know that comments to this post won't be moderated until I get back from vacation on May 11th.

More, anon.

Prospero