Movie Night at the Co-Op

Last night, the Media Co-Op had a screening of Bright Sunny South, which was shown at Indie Memphis and has now been selected for the Slamdance Film Festival in 2006. I didn't get the film the first time, but now I think I understand it. I felt as though nothing happened. That was the point. It shows a guy who tries to progress himself, but he is constantly stuck in a rut. Shout out to Andrew Neninger for playing the lead, and shout out to Mrs. Doris, another local Indie Memphis film actor, for playing an administrative assistant with an attitude.

They also showed Ben Siler's Prom Queen, which was very interesting. They kept showing pictures of teenagers with different captions under their faces. It was very riveting, provocative, albeit very anit-Germantown. The revolutionary in me loved it, but the bougie side of me was like, "Hey, what's next, an all-out verbal assault on my beloved Cordova?!" Nevertheless, an entertaining gem. Hopefully, I will work with him in the future. Also, I ran into Chris McCoy of Oddly Buoyant Productions. He wants me to read for a part next month. And, I ran into this guy named Jason Rawlings who is working on a film and he wants me to play some kind of guardian angel type character. Cool, something different. It feels good to have people want me to read. It feels funny but I guess I've earned it. Oh, well, that's later. Today I plan to go home and chill. Be easy, readers.

More fun with my Film Family

Yesterday, Rod and I helped Keenon push his car from the Walgreen's on Park and Highland to Smitty's Garage or something like that down the street on Highland. In spite of this tragedy, Keenon still cracked jokes. He described how he drove down Tuesday night on his daughter's pink bicycle to ensure that the car hadn't been towed. His description begs for a visual. I mean, it BEGS for a visual. After that, Rod and I went to Best Buy on Winchester. Boy, that Rod's a cutup. We always have these crazy conversations that make me wish we had a camera. That's my crew. Pittstop Productions and Dog Day Pictures have my back like recliners. Keenon's misfortune has also delayed production on Just the Two of Us, but not to worry, dear readers, we will resume filming after January 1. To all the actors who gave magnificent performances, I understand your plight and frustration. We are getting closer to the finish line. Sometimes, real life can make our film fantasies come crashing down. We'll get through this, though. That's about it, good readers. Be easy.

PS Gotta plug this going on at the Media Co-Op tonight:

The MeDiA Co-op, and Sawed-Off Pictures present Thursday December 29th 8:00pm @ The MeDiA Co-op 1000 S. Cooper Memphis, TN 901.278.9077
A world premiere screening of a new film by Ben Siler PROM QUEEN2005 30min"The most clever, insightful, and hysterical film to come out of Memphis...certainly Ben Siler's best work to date" -MjFFeaturing Katherine Dohan, Morgan Stewart, Alanna Stewart, Lindsay Reed, et al...
and The award winning short film from Kentucker AudleyBRIGHT SUNNY SOUTH2005 27min
**official selection 2006 Slamdance FilmFestival****best local short film 2005 indie Memphis Film Fest**Featuring: Brett Magdovitz, Mark Pergolizzi, Carly Cripe,and Andrew Nenninger

Holding On

Yesterday, Rod Pitts, Bryan Newcomb, and myself went to Best Buy. Rod purchased a hard drive, Bryan watched the Tigers whoop Gonzaga (Go Big Blue!), and I purchased Napoleon Dynamite on DVD for $12.99 (Flippin' Sweeet!). I was in a mood. I was very bitter and jaded and sarcastic. I have come to a realization:

I just don't give a damn right now.

I have been battiling burnout, asking myself do I still love acting. The answer is yes, but not in the same way. I need it, I crave the outlet. I am an attention whore, and I love being on stage. I can't help myself. Also, I have to find creative ways to let off steam from my day job. If I didn't have this outlet, I'd curse some people out, pimpslap my supervisor, go to jail, and have to fight off some dude named Bubba who'd probably try to make me his wife. Oh, wow, that was gross, wasn't it? Too damn bad! Forgive me, I 'm in a mood yet again. I have to stay in acting. It's all I got. All I have is my faith, hopes, and dreams. Hell, I'm lonely. No girlfriend, no wife, definitely no kids. Shoot, a brother like me ain't even got a partner to kick it with. Also, I am sick of being told what to do for peanuts. I don't mind being told what to do on set. That's fulfilling the director's vision, which helps my vision, too. Being told what to do at this damn place?! This crap's for the birds. Therefore, I will ride this horse until the wheels fall off. I can't give up now. I may be lonely, but hopefully, one day I can wipe my eyes with hundred dollar bills. Boo hoo, boo hoo! So, I am focused, and I understand what I must do. It's get free or die trying. Damn, I need a hug. Be easy, readers. Get free at all costs! Flee corporate tyranny! Hell, dream a little dream. Dream a big dream. Do what is in your heart. Unless it's in your heart to be a serial killer or something. That's just sick. Oh, well, enough rambling, until the next time: same blog address, same blog ramblings.

Post-Christmas Stuff

Friday, I attended my good friend Paul West's holiday R&B showcase. My girl Denna Greer (What Goes Around) was in the house, as was my good friend Damarico Fowler (www.blacksupervillain.blogspot.com, www.newnegro.blogspot.com). I chatted with this singer Thomas Spurlock. We talked about writing and lyrics. I also ran into a guy named Pee Wee who's a member of Closed Kaption, the band fronted by Latoya Baker-Smith (Just the Two of Us). I also chatted with Chandra, a poet/singer. My god buddy Bryan Newcomb (Just the Two of Us, Divine Manipulation) took photos. Thomas Spurlock was joined by Kimberly Slater, also known as Whisper, and a woman named Syreeta. The first set was classic, soulful Christmas tunes, such as Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas" (Best Christmas song ever!), "Merry Christmas Baby", and an arrangement of Winter Wonderland that was very funky! They incorporated the melody from Kanye West's song "Heard 'Em Say" (the one from his Pepsi commercial), and it was great. One of the band members started doing Tribe Called Quest lyrics near the end. The hip-hopper in me was very pleased. The second set was covers and an original song by Thomas Spurlock, "Infatuated". This song is freakin' excellent! I am telling you now, Spurlock is going places. You heard it here first. They covered Kindred's "Far Away from Here", OutKast's "Prototype", and Erykah Badu's "Didn't Cha Know". Very, very soulful. The third set was spirituals. It was cool. Bryan and I helped the band break down the equipment. It was a good turnout and excellent performances. Syreeta's voice was like a precision instrument. Whisper was very warm and a little sultry. Okay, I'll say it. I have a crush on her now. She might get chosen to join the "harem". Just kidding...kinda. Overall, it was a triumphant performance and a great rebuttal for all those who think my city is just crunk music , twenty-inch rims, pimping, and the whooping of tricks. Craig Brewer showed one side of Memphis, the side that he could identify with. It is up to us to show our sides, our voices, and our visions. Okay, end of sermon. Send checks to: The Good Reverend Doctor Seaberry through paypal at Salvationaintcheap.com. That's a joke, don't go typing that into your address bar.

Saturday, I gave my good buddy "Angry" Nick Jones his gift; I bought him Saul William's book-length poem Said the Shotgun to the Head. I put it in the brightest, happiest gift bag I could find just to mess with him. If you can't prank your friends, who can you prank? After that, I attended a family function. My family decided to do the united family thing on Christmas Eve while reserving Christmas for individual celebration. It was cool, I threatened my little cousins and beat them up. Hey, it'll make them tougher. It's not like I left scars or anything. My cousin Kamaria said that I was a "JJ", and proceeded to make the "Dynomite!" hand motions that Jimmy Walker is famous for. I was offended and amused at the same time. At least the little girl is exposed to the quality TV of my youth. Very cute girl. May have to use her in something down the line. I chilled with my cousin Archie, in from New York. He is a recent Dartmouth grad and, like myself, had adopted the bougie lifestyle. Of course, our family teases us about this. I teased my cousin Lanelle about her new braids. I accused her of being a Rastafarian and insinuated that she had marijuana in her pocketbook. Ah, nothing like family togetherness! My only real gripe is that my one-year old third cousin, Kelbe, dances to "Laffy Taffy". My cousins started humming this very vulgar hip-hop song and Kelbe was shimmying. I was outraged! Of course, no one cared but me. I think music effects people, even if they are too young to understand the words. Everybody said, "she just liked the beat, Markus." I wasn't feeling that. I eventually got my fill of "family togetherness" and got out of there.

Sunday was Christmas. My brother and I made our way out to the country. To say Moscow is rural is like saying that Hulk Hogan gets a little excited when he does interviews. Nevertheless, we hung out with the parental units for the majority of the day. I received clothes, my brother received tools, and leisurely time was had by all. I showed my Christmas gift from Rod entitled "The Seaberry Experience". It is like a DVD retrospective of my work with Pittstop Productions. It has the trailer for What Goes Around, my best scene from What Goes Around, the short The Survivor in its entirety ( I am the silent orderly), my dramatic reenactment of Ed Norton's "F**k you" monologue from The 25th Hour, a trailer for my documentary about my career, King Indie, and footage of me attempting to freestyle rap. Hey, nobody's perfect...wow! I can't believe I admitted that! Mom liked the work, but hated the profanity. Based on my film work, we'll be having this conversation frequently.

Monday , Bryan and I went to the very crowded Oak Court Mall so I could give Ken Hill his gift. I bought him the first Tomb Raider movie on DVD because he's a diehard Angelina Jolie fan (and what re-blooded American male isn't?). We then moved downtown to the Peabody Place. We saw The Ringer, the movie where Johnny Knoxville impersonates a mentally challenged person to fix the Special Olympics. This movie is wrong, very wrong, but very hilarious. I felt guilty. I felt as though God himself would appear in the theater and condemn my wretched soul to Hades, but it was funny! Afterwards, I went to Wet Willy's for karaoke. I had an off night. My first song was Stevie Wonder's "All I Do", and, well, I didn't DO so hot. I improved with Barry White's "Practice What You Preach", and I struggled with Jay-Z's "Excuse Me Miss". I had no idea that I would have to do the rapping and singing. My brother sugggested that I may need a break. I should take some weeks off and start fresh. Good suggestion. Every so often, inbetween our testosterone-filled conversations about the female physique and crazy episodes of Nip/Tuck, Big Bro drops a gem. Well, I am now easing back into the work grind. Hopefully, we can resume production on Just the Two of Us. Boy, movies really are a collaborative process. A lot of pieces have to be in place for a shoot to even occur. It's a pain, but when it comes together, it's beautiful. Be easy, readers. Live your dreams.

Holiday Event

Paul "P-Dub" West is having a Soulful Christmas showcase at the Center for Southern Folklore located at 119 South Main. Thomas Spurlock, Kim Slater, and others will be backed by a live band and singing popular songs. The first set will be popular Christmas songs, the second set will be covers and an original song by Thomas, and the last set will be spiritual Christmas songs. The festivities start at 8:30. Please come out if you can. I plan to be there. The cost is $10.00 at the door.

Dinner and Karaoke

The last Actor's bash of the year (I guess) was at Willie Moffat's on Whitten. I saw a lot of people I hadn't seen in weeks, like Jen Morris (Delusions), Forrest Pruett (Slow Down You're Dating Too Fast, 40 Shades of Blue), director Arnold Edwards II, Dayna Hinkel (Fayette County! What!), Krista (PA intern, Black Snake Moan). I also met Cassie Ayala (Divine Manipulation of the Threads) who is a HUGE University of Memphis fan. She recently returned to good ol' U of M for her Masters. She was cool. Jon Sparks (www.jonwsparks.blogspot.com) was there, as was his lovely wife. The GREAT Travis Stone (Ray, Delusions) was there, as was Alisa from my acting class. Red West represent, yo! Lauren Shepard (Delusions, Slow Down You're Dating Too Fast), Sarah Ewell (Shutter, Delusions) , and even my girl Tiffany Pemberton (Delusions, Slow Down) stopped by. The acting community was well represented. I also met a lady that used to take acting classes and is a radio personality on FM 100. She was nice. I ran into my old buddy Jarrod of Cowboy Up Productions who I have not seen in ages. He was accompanied by his wife. That was cool. I tried to bounce to the Iron Mic Coalition show (www.ironmic.net), but my acting cohorts vigorously insisted that I journey with them to Flashback's and perform "Nuttin' But A G Thang" with Joseph B. Smith (Delusions, Slow Down). He is Snoop Dogg, and I am the good Dr. Dre. There was a LONG wait. We finally hit the stage after 11. I have got to work on my breath control. The delivery of the rhymes on that song are pretty rapid. We rocked it, like we normally do. I dashed to the IMC show afterwards, but I was too late. Jason Harris and Quinn told me that they rocked it. I will try to be at the next show.

Gift news:
My brother brought me the increasingly hard to find Jamie Foxx CD, Unpredictable. I in turn gave him the Eric Benet CD, Hurricane. For those who had been wondering, I broke down and purchased the CD at Spin Street. He decided to gift me early, so I gifted him in kind. We was gifitn', mane! Sorry, had a North Memphis flashback. So my current gift count is at 2: The Hulk Hogan autobiography and the Jamie Foxx CD. I'll finish the CD first and more than likely share my thoughts because, after all, this is my forum, dangit! Be easy, readers, and in the words of some soulful group back in the day, "Don't you be afraid to shoot the moon". Peace.

Bloggers United

I went to the Blogger Bash at Quetzal's. It was a nice event. I apologize because I do not remember all the names of the people, but I enjoyed meeting you all. Paul Ryburn, a blogger who mainly talks about his escapades in downtown Memphis, taught a computer class that I attended at the University of Memphis. As late comedian and creator of Bebe's Kids, Robin Harris, would say, "Small world, small world". I also met Rachel, who has a blog called Pulpfaction (www.pulpfaction.org). She goes to several different events. She seemed cool. We all spoke on how it seems like you become this character on your blog and the pressure to maintain that character so as not to offend your regular viewers. Boy, could I relate! I met several interesting people and, again, if I don't say your name, just know that I remember our conversations. I am horrible with names. Of course, one of our more well-known bloggers was there; your friend and mine, Jon Sparks (www.jonwwsparks.blogspot.com). We chatted about acting (of course), parties, and his idea for a karaoke duet. We'll probably have to spring that one on you guys next year. I plan to dip in and out of the actor party tonight. I will go and converse with my fellow thespians for a short spell, but I REALLY feel obligated to also support my friends in the Iron Mic Coalition (www.ironmic.net), who are also having a holiday concert tonight at Precious Cargo. I will TRY to make both events, I think this dual lifestyle of working a full-time job and working on all these movies is taking its toll on me; I wonder if this is how Superman feels. Okay, that was a corny joke, but c'mon, I'm a geek, you knew there had to be a pop culture reference in this post somewhere. I will be sociable and support everybody, but after Christmas, this (Memphis) Grizzly needs to hibernate. Oh, well, at any rate, I will see people for probably the last time this year. My actor family is cool. Indie Memphis, baby! Who messing with us! Sorry, had to sound off for my people real quick. Oh, well, back to work, I am now checking the 50 CDs I burnt yesterday for sound quality. Yay! Oh joy! Let me stop, some people are unemployed right now..of course, some people are living off their rich uncles, too. I will suck it up and do it. Hey, it's better than begging for change off the expressway. I guess. Not that I've tried it, or anything. Okay, I'm rambling (shocker!), I will now take my leave, dear readers. Be easy, and live your dreams.

Holiday Blues

I just haven't been in the Christmas spirit. Maybe it's because I'm tired. I used up most of my vacation time chasing my acting dream and I really need a rest, but it ain't happening. I need a vacay in the worst way!!! Oh, well, gotta suck it up. One Christmas present is preventing me from completion. My brother, Thaddeus, wants the new Eric Benet CD. As many of you know, Eric Benet was once married to Halle Berry. Maybe his name is mud in the media, I grant that, and I can kinda understand Target not having the Cd since he's on an independent label, but I could not believe that his CD wasn't at Best Buy!!! C'mon, now, Best Buy?! You would not believe the obscure, independent hip-hop I have bought at these establishments. Sadly, the same zeal and all-inclusive nature does not apply to independent R&B. I was dejected and cursing the holiday gods in Target when I actually found a few items that brightened my day. I was cruising the toy aisle, looking for things for my "cousin" (wink, wink) when I happened across some WWE figures. They had a figure of Jerry "The King" Lawler. I had to buy it. They also had a figure of Hulk Hogan. The old-school, red-and-yellow, "Whatcha Gonna Do?" Hulk Hogan. I had to buy that as well. I felt a little guilty, but darnit, it's Christmas! You have to treat yourself sometimes. Incidentally, my good friend Denna Greer (What Goes Around) gave me a Hulk Hogan related gift. She gave me his autobiography. I love it! I know it's cheesy, I know it's fake, but wrestling has always been one of my favorite things. I am also a bit of a pop culture geek, so I have to get goofy gifts for myself on occasion...okay, several occasions.
Today, I will probably attend this Bloggers Bash at Quetzal's. I will also man up and accept the fact that I will have to pay a little bit more for the Eric Benet CD. It's cool. It is my brother, after all. He only offered to let me live in his home and asks for an astonishingly low rent fee in comparison to the house expenses. I love my brother. I should probably say that more often. I guess I get caught up in that stupid macho crap. Oh, well, I said it in cyberspace. That will have to do for now. Be easy, readers.

Can I Get a Minute? The Weekend Wrap-up

On Friday, my recent illness was getting to me. I decided to not assist Keenon and Rod in filming. I hate that, because they filmed with Sarah Ewell (Shutter, Delusions). I think she is a phenomenal actress. I like to see her in action. I also didn't go to this hip-hop concert that my friends perfomed at. I had to take a recovery day, and I was trying to make sure that I would be ready for Saturday, which was my good buddy Paul "P-Dub" West's graduation.

Saturday, I rolled over to my good friend Denna Greer's (What Goes Around) house. I rolled in her brother-in-law's SUV. We were also joined by her sister, Lois, our homie Donovan, and Lois' daughter, Reca. Denna and P-Dub are a couple, and they were my buddies before the whole indie film craziness that is my life. First, we went to the Pyramid. Then, we learned that the graduation was at the Fed Ex Forum. It was fun, it was long, I joked around to break the monotony. I was like, "Dang! the graduates are like educated roaches! They keep multiplying! Why did so many people have to be so studious?" Yes, that was wrong, but it was a long ceremony, man! Afterwards, we hooked up with Paul and attempted to eat at the Hard Rock. When the wait became unbearable, we migrated to Pat O'Brien's. Donovan and I tasted alligator bites. They taste like chicken. We tripped out and sang songs that were playing in the restaurant and I did my Dusty Rhodes impersonation. You had to be there. Later, we went our separate ways and I shopped at Target and Borders for Christmas gifts. I picked up Rod from the library and we went to Party City. Rod bought boxes, I bought gift bags. I don't wrap presents; it just ain't happening. I dropped Rod off, hung around the Poplar Plaza (mainly in Bookstar) until it was time for David M. Lee's farewell party. David Lee directed Slow Down You're Dating Too Fast! I really wanted to work with him. He seemed like a cool dude. Arnold Edwards was in the place, as was Dayna Hinkle (Fayette County! what!), Bevan Bell (Delusions, Slowdown), his girlfriend Christine, Tiffany Pemberton (Delusions, Slow Down), Forrest Pruett(Forty Shades of Blue, Delusions), and several theater and film actors and coworkers of David's. It was a cool celebration, I guess. It's hard for me to really enjy myself because I don't smoke or drink and I tend to be a little concerned when people get excessively drunk. I guess I'm square. So, after a while, I began feeling sick and a little out of place. Plus, my asthma and prolonged exposure to cigarette smoke doesn't mix. I said my goodbyes and broke out.

Sunday, I helped Bryan run errands. I ran into Keenon Nikita (director, Just the Two of Us), and his daughter, Ashley at Target. I chatted with Keenon about the business. Later, Bryan and I watched a wrestling pay-per-view at my friend Shomari's house.

Today, we should resume filming on Keenon's project. I hope we can finish soon. I hope I can stay focused at this boring-ass job that I really don't want to be at right now. I need a Christmas Break, dammit! Be easy, readers.

Songs in My Heart

I was unsure if Forrest Pruett(Forty Shades of Blue, Delusions) and the rest of my Red West posse would go to our usual karaoke haunt, Flashback's. So, I decided to kill two birds with one stone. My good buddy Bryan Newcomb (Just the Two of Us, Divine Manipulation of the Threads) and I ventured to Wet Willy's to a) satisfy my karaoke fix and b) get more footage for King Indie. The problem is, we started filming way too late in the independent film "season". Most companies wrap up or rest by late Novemeber, early December. We didn't start filming until October 27, which was the day of my first premiere, Dollars and Signs, directed by Brandon Hutchison (Peace BH!). Well, I braved the smoky confines of Wet Willie's and performed two songs, "Fabulous", by Jaheim. For the uninformed out there, that's a very inspirational R&B song. My next number was "Come Together" by the Beatles. The crowd was somewhat receptive. My good Buddy Rod Pitts (www.geocities.com/pittstopproductions) told me to document the dry spell because that's part of being an actor as well. Well, in lieu of me sitting on my bum watching Beat Street, I decided to document my other interests, such as poetry and karaoke. After I dropped Bryan off, I decided to roll by Flashback's and see if the gang was in da house. I saw Joseph B. Smith (Slow Down You're Dating Too Fast, Delusions) and fellow student Lina about to enter the joint, so I soon followed behind them. Forrest and other Flashback's regulars were there. Okay, apology time. I called Forrest Pruett a "pillar of consistency" for always performing Queensryche. I think he boycotted the song last night. Sorry, man. I was just joshin' ya! I like "Silent Lucidity". Of course, I had never heard it before I started doing karaoke with you guys, but it's cool. Forrest also performed some Nickelback, I think. Joe did the Smoky and the Bandit theme song, "Eastbound and Down". That was great! Lina did "Bette Davis Eyes". It was a packed house. Later, Joe and I reprised our duet of "Nuttin' But a G. Thang". I think Joe enjoyed my profane ad-libs. Sorry, God, sorry, mom, I was in character! As usual, I was M. Dre and he was Joe Doggy Dogg. I had to cut out after that because I was tired and I have a full day ahead of me.

On today's plate, I have work, an audition, and (God, I hope) filming scenes from Just the Two of Us. Man, I am tired! I may not take on as many projects next year. Balance is important for more than just gymnastics, let me tell you. Oh, well, that's the nature of the business...if you wanna be in pictures, you gotta put in da woik (work). I said I would sleep in December; let's try January, January would be cool. Be easy, readers.

PS Why am I in such an old school music mood lately? I purchased a used copy of Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam's first album, and now I am bumping Janet Jackson's greatest hits. Man, I'm getting old and jaded. And I'm still in my twenties! Go figure.

I'm Back Like I Left Something

M.Sea was a little under the weather, so there was no blogging the last few days. Let's recap the events, shall we?

On Monday, I went back to good old Fayette Ware Comprehensive High School and watched their end of semester play. Dayna Hinkel of Cowboy Up Productions and director exraordinaire Arnold Edwards were there. Dayna was assisting our former drama teacher, Rose Marie Cross. We had her years apart, but once a Kaleidoscope Player, always a Kaleidoscope Player. The play was...okay. Many kids did not know their lines. What's up with that? Back in my day....okay, I am now officially the uncool adult by saying "Back in my day". One girl, Ebony Gray, was phenomenal. I may have to use her in something in the future. It was my first time talking to Mrs. Cross since I was a senior in high school. It was cool. It was also cool to hang with Arnold and Dayna.

Tuesday, even though I was a little sick, I did my voiceovers for John Fuess and Vineet Thapar's untitled feature. Vineet was a great coach. Then, we all went to an open forum at the Media Co-Op. Morgan Fox, Suzy Crashcourse, and another person whose name escapes me talked about production, audition, getting actors focused, and post-production. Good stuff, but I was tired and sleepy. I met a guy named Tim who directed a short called Ants in an Ant Farm. It was shown at Indie Memphis. He seems cool and has a lot of great ideas. I wish that I had given him a card.

Wednesday, I went to see a performance by Latoya Baker-Smith (Just the Two of Us) and her band, Closed Kaption. They rocked! I also met the poet Banta and his sister. They perform spoken word under the name Camp Wisdom. They are also part of Conscious Concepts with Jason Stewart. They had an open mic. I performed "World Outside My Window", my Hurricane Katrina poem. Check the archives, it's on this site. Also, fellow actor/hustler Arnita Williams (Other Side of the Pillow, Slow Down...You're Dating Too Fast) was in attendance to support Latoya, our fellow castmate from Just the Two of Us. My boy Jason Harris also performed. He is a clean yet witty rapper. He did his great song about his beat-up car, "Riding on Size 13s". I told you he was witty. Check out him and the rest of the IMC on www.ironmic.net. Also, members of IMC are performing in a show this Friday at The Vault on 529 South Highland. I plan to be there. Also, the Tunnel Clone and other alternative hip-hop acts will be there. As Jason Stewart said, Memphis is more than just bling-bling, gangsters, and thugs. I've been preaching that since this summer. I was glad for Latoya and Jason.

Tonight, hopefully, my acting class is going to do some karaoke tonight. Good times ahead.
Be easy, readers.

Mourning, Partying, and Chillin:Yet Another Weekend Wrapup

On Friday, I actually went home (shocker!). I had to rest because I had to go out to Fayette County on Saturday. I had to go to my mom's house to retrieve my black suit. I had to go to my high school, Fayette-Ware Comprehensive High School, to attend my cousin Damon Boyd's funeral. It was a relatively low-key ceremony. I didn't know him well, so I was not very emotional. Of course, I felt guilty for not being emotional. I did run into my biological father. I made sure to put his number in my cell phone. Gotta keep in touch with Pops. My cousin Lee and his group, The Jump Out Boys, want to film a video soon. I told them about Keenon's company, Dog Day Pictures. Hopefully, we can all help each other out, and isn't that what it's all about? Well, that...and the hokey pokey, but I digress. Later on Saturday night, I went to a party that my coworker Tracey had. It was a tree decorating/graduation celebration. I believe that she is receiving her Master's in Business from Belhaven next weekend. Go, Tracey! It was a cool little party. I tripped out, acted a fool, got goofy, pretty much a regular day at the office. This one dude wanted to get all deep and started polling us on our thoughts on Stanley "Tookie" Williamson. I just wasn't in a political mood. From there, I rolled on to a party held by Laura Hocking and Chris McCoy. Morgan Fox (Blue Citrus Hearts, Dollars and Signs) was there, as was filmmaker Ben Siler, young director Tommy "The Future" Kha, and other Indie Memphis regulars. It was cool. Once again, I was like one of five people not drinking. It's a little awkward at times. I bounced around midnight.

Sunday, I lounged around until about 1:45. Called Vineet Thapar. Realized that he was trying to get me to rerecord my audio for the movie that we are working on with John Fuess. I thought he was asking me for assistance with African-American dialogue for a script. He said that that's way down the road. Hopefully, I'll try to record my audio again on Tuesday. Mic check, one, two, one, two. Sorry, I always wanted to type that. Afterwards, I chilled with Bryan Newcomb (Just the Two of Us, Divine Manipulation of the Threads). We cruised the mall, I bought a t-shirt, pretty much the normal routine there. I always say I'll budget more, but it was a U of M t-shirt. As an alumni, I have an obligation to own as much Memphis Tiger paraphernalia as possible, right? Well, that's my story and I'm sticking with it. We then went to the urban clothing stores on American Way. Gotta love a t-shirt with Oscar the Grouch counting money with the words "Hood Rich" over his head. No, I didn't buy it...yet. I then went over my boy Shomari's house and watched a wrestling pay-per-view. All my people were there. I guess I don't always have to film to have a good time. Today, I plan to go back to Fayette-Ware once again to see my high school's end-of-semester drama production. Dayna Hinkel of Cowboy Up Productions is assisting; she's an alumni of my high school and studied under the same drama teacher that I did. I figured I'd go out and support. I hope these kids do a good job. There have been lot of talented kids to carry the Kaleidoscope Player tradition. Maybe I'll take someone under my wing on some Obi Wan Kenobi/Luke Skywalker type stuff...or maybe I'll just sit in the back and watch. We'll see. Be easy, readers.

PS RIP, Richard Pryor. I'm sad that he's gone, but I'm glad that he's no longer suffering. I really wanna see Stir Crazy. Heck, I'd settle for Superman 3. Or his kiddie show, "Pryor's Place"...sorry, having a geek moment. Somebody needs to pull a Ray and chronicle his life, pronto.

Too Much Fun

After work, I went to the last Red West Acting Class until February. Forrest Pruett (Delusions, Forty Shades of Blue), Jon Sparks, (www.jonwsparks.blogspot.com), Christin Ackerman(Delusions, Divine Manipulation of the Threads), Alexis Green (The Survivor), and many others. Alexis and a woman named Kim performed a scene from Sex, Lies, and Videotape. It was very humorous. I performed a scene from The Crying Game. I played Forrest Whitaker's character, Jody. I guess I did pretty good. I had to keep my hands behind my back because I was supposed to be a prisoner. I am glad because it forced me to use my face as opposed to my normal crutch of vivid body movement. I am learning to not force my actions and to be more natural. Brandon and Christin performed a scene from White Palace, it was pretty long and intense. Forrest and Joseph Smith (Divine Manipulation, Delusions) did the Sex, Lies and Videotape scene. It was supposed to be two sisters, but they flipped it. I laughed so hard I was in pain. After class, we had some refreshments, and a lot of us went over to Flashback's for karaoke. Forrest, ever the pillar of consistency, performed Queensryche's "Silent Lucidity". Joe did an Elvis song. Lina performed "Aida" by Sarah McLachlan and "Betty Davis Eyes". I performed Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal", then later Alexis and I dueted on Beyonce and Jay-Z's "Crazy in Love". I did the rap, of course. I flew solo on Sugar Ray's "Fly", and my last song was Joseph and I dueting on "Nuttin' But a G Thang". He was Joe Doggy Dogg and I was M. Dre, or something like that. It was wild, it was crazy, and I probably stayed out way too late. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

With Keenon and Rod and the rest of the gang off in New Orleans, I will probably take it easy and go to the $2.50 movies tonight or rent something. So far, I've only performed a scene from a movie I've actually seen once. That was Hustle and Flow, which I performed during my first class (Check the archives). Saturday is my cousin Damon's funeral, and some holiday get-togethers in the evening. Gotta make sure I rest up. Wow, even when I'm not filming, I'm still busy. Be easy, readers.

A Brief Tribute to my Cousin

I will not be going to New Orleans to finish up the "Project Gangsta" video. I recently received news that my first cousin, Damon Boyd, was killed in a car wreck last night. I decided to give voice to my grief. Here goes

Peace, Cuz
for Damon Boyd, who went home 12-6-2005

What can I say? What words can console my cousin's mother?
I can't bring him back.
Honestly, I really didn't know him that well.
He was still family, though.
I can still feel his mother's pain.
He was probably driving along, thinking everything was fine,
Now he's gone, and it's messing with my mind.
I normally have a way with words, I'm usually clever,
But this is one of those rare times when it's hard to put syllables together.
First my great aunt went home, now my first cousin gets the call.
Recent tragedies slow my usual fastbreak pace to a crawl.
Peace to all my deceased loved ones, I truly miss you all,
My only response is to bend my knees and fall.
Even on my worst days the creator is still working,
Gotta push on, gotta get past the hurting.
Peace, cuz, don't have too much fun up there,
I just know our paths will cross again someday, somewhere.

Treasure family, because time is a precious and limited gift.

Heartfelt Appreciation

I want to thank my fellow Red West student and AGENT, Forrest Pruett, for a heartfelt acknowledgement on his website. I am touched and honored. Sometimes, I have my little actor fits. Ask Arnita Williams, Rod Pitts, Keenon Nikita, Tommy Kha, Arnold Edwards, Dayna Hinkel, Aaron Jones, and many others. I thought that everybody pretty much thought of me as a goofball actor because I tend to play comedy relief a lot. I didn't really think that anyone really grasped how hard I worked or took me serious as an actor. It was bugging me. Man, I be trippin' sometimes! I am overly sensitive and melodramatic. It makes me a good actor, but not always the best company. I apologize for my multiple tirades and cheese and whine sessions that the aforementioned people have had to endure. Being my friend can be an extreme 50-50. As my good buddy and director of King Indie, Bryan Newcomb, put it, "You're loyal, but you're crazy!" Good old Bryan. I would be a lot more arrogant if he wasn't around to put me in check. Just check out what Forrest had to say about me on his site: http://www.forrestpruett.2ya.com/ (Click on the section labeled What's New)

Wow. I am so grateful for the opportunities and the great experiences that I have had this year. If it all ended tomorrow, I really couldn't complain. This year has been one wild rollercoaster ride. I appreciate it all, even the failures and criticisms, constructive or cruel, because they have made me better. Thank you to the readers of my little blog as well. I know it has evolved from my random musings into the life and times of an independent film actor. To those who could no longer relate, I apologize. To those who joined after my acting took off, I hope I continue to be entertaining. I hope it gets better. Thank you and God bless you all.
Be easy, readers.

Chillin' at the Co-Op

I arrived late at Sarah Fleming's night at the Co-Op. She showed a short that they did about the Sam Cooper sniper from last year. Very funny. Also, she did a short that incorporated footage from the Baptist Hospital Memorial explosion. Hilarious. I talked to her again. I hope to get a part in a horror satire that she is working on. I also ran into blogmeister Jon Sparks (www.jonwsparks.blogspot.com), Al Lahiri (Third Wheel Date, Ants In an Ant Farm), Tommy "The Future" Kha (Ants in an Ant Farm, Harmless Internet Chain Letter Joke), and up-and-coming producer Jason Rawlings. I was offered a role in his next picture. Thanks, Jason. He said that he sees me in a lead role and he could see me in a serious role. Wow! I'm glad somebody can see me in that type of role. I also saw Vineet Thapar. He wants me to help him out with African-American dialect and slang on one of his scripts. I'm honored. Of course, having been African-American my whole life, that makes me an expert. That will be next week. I also met a woman named Shelley Weber. She manages a few bands and she invited me to a show at the Full Moon next week. I will try to make it. To say my dance card is full is like saying Da Vinci painted pretty pictures or Fred Astaire had a few nice dance moves. It was a cool evening. I'm just glad that people see my talent and my love for the game. Be easy, readers

Random News Bits

Yesterday, I actually went home after work (can you believe it?). However, I did come across this interesting piece about the death of the producer of Saw at the age of 42. Check it out:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051206/ap_en_mo/obit_hoffman

Also, actress Wendy Jo Sperber of 80s TV show Bosom Buddies with a young Tom Hanks passed away recently, check it out:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/eo/20051201/en_celeb_eo/17880

And finally, fellow actor/hustler Arnita Williams is Beauty of the Week on Memphis Mix. Shout out to Ms. Williams. Keep doin' your thing, girl! www.memphismix.com

And, that's it. No one can accuse this blog of being all about me...maybe eighty-five, ninety percent of it IS about me, but, hey, I make a conscious effort to not be bored and I think it makes for pretty good reading. Be easy, readers. Live those dreams.

Weekend Update: From the Poetry Spot to the Hood and Beyond

As I type this, it is another Monday morning back in the corporate wasteland (my day job). Fortunately, the soothing sounds of Phil Collin's Greatest Hits are providing me some comfort.
Enough with the preface, let's review another wacky, fun-filled crazy weekend.

Friday: After work, I arrived at The Dish on Cooper for the filming of the last scene of Vineet Thapar and John Fuess' untitled movie. Lauren Shepard (Delusions, Slow Down You're Dating Too Fast) was in the house, as was Lee Mauney (Delusions, Just the Two of Us), Tommy "The Future" Kha, and Ryan Fuess, John's son. Tommy and Ryan are a part of I Hate This Place Productions, and I like working with these young kids. They've got spunk! After the scene wrapped, we moved over to Cafe Ole. It was cool, but I don't drink, and everyone of legal age was drinking. Also, Cafe Ole was so cramped, we really couldn't sit together. I had two root beers and broke out. Thank you to John and Vineet for selecting me to be in your movie and believing in my talent. I really appreciate that. Shout out to Patrick McDeavitt and whoever else I am overlooking that has been involved in the movie. It was an honor and a privilege to work with you all.
I stopped by the home of Keenon Nikita (Poor and Hungry, Just the Two of Us) to brainstorm ideas for the next day's video shoot. After that, I went to Nappi by Nature on 1275 Winchester for a poetry reading. That night, in addition to some great local poets, we were graced by Umar Bin Hassan of The Last Poets. A rapper named Common featured them in a song called "The Corner", off his latest album Be. I was honored to hear the thoughts and poetry of an elder. I hope my poetry will have such longevity and social impact.

Saturday, I met Keenon at noon at Dream Rentals on Union Avenue. Later, we were joined by Jason Dancy (Just the Two of Us, The Survivor) and Learyn (Just the Two of Us, The Survivor). We were also assisted by Cleavy, a friend of Hank. This is my Dog Day Pictures family. We worked on a video for a rapper named Del (pronounced Deal). The song was called "Project Gangsta". I am not a big fan of gangsta rap, but the beat was tight. Most of the guys were cool. We even went to the Dixon Homes Projects. I have not spent a lot of time in the projects, but it was surreal. It's like its own little world. The little kids were happy to see us and most were happy to be filmed. The older people were watching, too. I felt a lot more comfortable than I normally do in the hood. After that portion of the shoot, I cut out.
Then, I went to Smoky Bones on Winchester to celebrate my friend Terra Hollis' birthday. I bought her one of those Mahogany (Hallmark's African-American division) cards, and a purple monkey pen. It's an inside joke, people! The homey Nick Jones, Shomari Gant, Donovan, Isaac, and everyone's favorite couple (in my crew), Paul "P-Dub" West and Denna Greer (What Goes Around). P-Dub is a HOT up and coming music producer. The boy got that soul and hip-hop sound on lock! After eating , I broke out and dashed to the next episode...
A party at Aaron Jones' house. Aaron Jones is in the University of Memphis' Theater Program and we have worked together on Third Wheel Date and PA Pretender. Aaron's roommate is Ashley Davis, also of Third Wheel Date and PA Pretender. I also met an actress named Kim who was in a production of In the Blood at the U of M this year. We talked acting for a bit. It was cool, but I didn't really know these people. I started feeling out of place again. It's crazy how I know so many people, but I still don't feel like I belong. Maybe it's me. I cut out around 1AM and headed back home.

Sunday, we were supposed to shoot some more on the "Project Gangsta" project, but that shoot was cancelled. I went back to my side of town, went to the movies and saw the latest Harry Potter, and called it a night. It was pretty good. One of the subplots tended to drag, but it was entertaining.

Today, I am looking forward to shooting on either "Project Gangsta" or Just the Two of Us. My AGENT Forrest Pruett has piece on his site (www.forrestpruett.2ya.com) about how most indie film companies shut down around the holidays and most actors are bored. I am trying to keep it moving with crew work, the occasional fun activity, and hopefully, writing something soon. We'll see what happens. Be easy, readers.

Practice Makes Perfect.

I was in Red West's acting class again, I was paired up with my AGENT Forrest Pruett (yet again). We did a scene from Clerks; I was Randall, he was Dante. Red said that I was overselling the scene, trying to punctuate every word with an expression. I am not used to subtle comedy. I normally play goofy, over the top characters. Sometimes, less is more. Of course, the usual suspects were there: Jon Sparks, the GREAT Travis Stone, and Alisa. We were joined by a new student, Kim. She was great, too. Sparky really nailed this scene from Body Heat. I dare say, Sparky was pimpish! After Red West's class I went to Keenon Nikita's house and manned the boom mic yet again while Rod manned the camera. We filmed a few small scenes involving Keenon on the telephone. We are close to finishing, it's just a matter of pieces falling into place. After finishing up, I went to Flashback's and rejoined my fellow Red Westers in some karaoke. When I entered, Sparky, Lina, Forrest, and Sarah Ewell (Shutter, Delusions) joined several of my other classmates in singing War's "Low Rider". I joined in the fun by singing Aerosmith's "Janie's Got A Gun". Yes, I am very versatile and I have no street cred in real life. It's okay. I think some people went on to celebrate at another place; I had to go home because I have to be at work (BOOO!). Tonight, we should wrap up Mail Call/whatever else it may be called at a club called Dish on Cooper. I believe the after-festivities will be at Young Avenue Deli. Hey, Midtown is Memphis, too! I had to say that. Saturday, I should assist Keenon in a video shoot. I also have birthday parties and gatherings to attend. Good times are rolling. Be easy, readers.

The Hustle Don't Stop

I was feeling sick at work yesterday...or was that sick of work? Anyway, I called Rod and he told me that we would be getting sound from Jason Dancy (Just the Two of Us, The Survivor) to wrap up The Survivor. Before that, however, I had to go to Wal-Mart (my boycott is over, I'm a horrible revolutionary) and buy Rod some Panasonic Hi8 film. I must learn more about these things. By the time I got to the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library (the one on Polar), Rod was getting audio from a girl named Taki for a scene in What Goes Around. Next, we went to the University of Memphis Theatre Building (our favorite location) and shot some classroom scenes of Taki. These scenes will be edited in with our other classroom scenes that were filmed over year ago. I was an extra then (You can see my arm and wristband), and I am an extra in this part of the scene (my elbow is visible). When I finally watch the finished product, it's gonna be like Where's Waldo. I will be looking for myself as an extra. I'm an extra at least five times in this movie. Taki is also in Just the Two of Us, so she is a member of our Pittstop Productions/Dog Day Pictures family. Yes, Keenon Nikita has renamed his film company. Goodbye Nikia Entertainment/Ocean Gate Films, hello Dog Day Pictures. I think it's fly. I must mention Taki's child, Angela. She is six years old and very bright. She is adorable. She's also a ham, so you know I love her! I tend to have a soft spot for drama queens at any age. It's a tragic flaw. She told me that she's an actress, too. She was Cinderella in a school play. The girl was so sweet I almost got a toothache!

We then left Taki and Angela and went to the home of Jason and Learyn. Rod recorded Jason's sound. Once again, I worked on two movies in one day. We were hoping to get with Keenon and film for Just the Two of Us, but he had paperwork to do. Oh, well, it was still cool. The Survivor is basically wrapped. I can't wait until it's edited and entered in film festivals. Pittstop Productions, baby-The Future of Filmmaking. See us on the web at www.geocities.com/pittstopproductions. We are serious, and we are coming out hard. Be easy, readers.