Days in Japan:1 (Original)

           I'm currently in Japan! Here's a few photos I took when I traveled to a town called Kobe.

In The Moment: Larry Joe Campbell interview (Original)

     I got a chance to sit down with actor Larry Joe Campbell around the time he visited Central Michigan University this past January. We talked about college, movies, work ethic and a little about directing. Larry had strong words of advice for young aspiring actors seeking to pursue a career in show business.

"Don't do it for fame, do it for the love of it because you'll never be happy," said Larry Joe Campbell. "You'll always be disappointed if you chase the carrot, you got to do what feeds you."

 Hear the full interview bellow:

In The Moment: Martin Luther King Day (Original)

On this day we remember and celebrate the legacy of a man who forever changed the face of the United States of America. His impactful words still resonate in our hearts to this day. His protest, peaceful. His message, an equal coexistence.

Nearly half a century ago the United States was a much different place than the U.S. we know and love today. African Americans were treated horribly, schools, buses, restaurants, and even bathrooms were segregated, white and black. The nation was filled with a hate who's origins have yet to be revealed. But there were those who would challenged that hate. One of the most iconic of those warriors of love was Dr. Martin Luther King. With a powerful message from on high, he followed by those who also believed in a dream marched. Their journey was riddled with ridicule, thrown rocks, assault and battery from police, water hosing from firemen and the unleashing of attack dogs. But in the end, they made it to their destination. Because of their sacrifice we are now able to enjoy freedom from segregation and oppression.




Today people still believe in that same dream. So in remembrance and in unification, we all march together, black, white, brown, yellow, green, purple in this nation of red, white, and blue.

Movie Review Time: The Bates Haunting (Original)

     Horror laced with a heavy dose of gore and the paranoia of knowing nobody can be trusted. The Bates Haunting is one to look out for. The story takes place on a farm (the Bates farm) that annually hosts a Halloween attraction. The plot begins with a young woman (Lily Hansen) meeting her untimely demise from the fiery breath of a mechanical dragon. After her mysterious death, rumors spark about the farm being haunted. Friend of Lily, Agnes Rickover, plagued with nightmares of her friends death and unable to except it was a freak accident, decides to investigate. She accompanied by her close friend Clyde Abelson, venture out to the farm in search of the truth behind the strange happenings. Agnes gets hired to work the Bates farm Halloween attraction, where she crosses paths with Junior Bates, a strange young man with a strong sense of dedication to the farm. Soon after she begins working, things start to take a turn for the worst. People begin to die in seemingly similar freak accidents as Lily. Agnes finds her suspects as victims and those she didn't suspect as the masterminds. The Bates Haunting was well put together. The characters played their roles excellently, the acting didn't seemed forced. The plot was interesting, the most obvious suspect was Junior, but his character was so harmless you couldn't help but give him the benefit of the doubt. Agnes was no where near the scared female role one would expect. The most clever part of the movie was the theme of a haunted farm. All the murders were seen as just apart of the show! I give director Byron Turk two thumbs up for a job well done.

I had a chance to briefly discuss the movie along with future plans with director and producer Byron Turk during 2013's Thriller Chiller event in Grand Rapids. 

For more information on The Bates Haunting visit http://www.thebateshaunting.com/ also follow the film on twitter @BatesMotelMovie. Also follow Byron @ByronFever and visit his website http://byronfever.com/main.html for information on upcoming projects.


For more video of Byron visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAM15C1pSFQ via Weird Review.

In Attendance: Gabriel Iglesias 's Stand-Up Revolution (Original)

   I got a chance to attend Gabriel Iglesias's 'Stand-Up Revolution' comedy tour this past weekend.
Four comedians preformed on Sunday night of Nov. 10 at the DeVos Performance Hall. The notorious Martin Moreno, Alfred Robles, Rick Gutierrez, and the very funny and fluffy Gabriel Iglesias.

   Unfortunately Fluffy was under the weather, so the fans did not get a chance to meet with him. However, Martin, Alfred and Rick were healthy and up for taking pictures and a little small talk.

 

 
   The hall was packed out, with people coming from all around Michigan and a few out of state visitors from near by neighbors such as Chicago, IL and Gary, IN. Come to the fans surprise Fluffy had lost a considerable amount of weight (100 pounds) after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Fluffy had fans on the floor with stories of his travels to India, but also in emotion from a story about meeting his father at one of his shows after 30 years.

For information on tour dates go to: http://fluffyguy.com/tour-dates

An event in Grand Rapids: Thriller! Chiller! 2013 Groovy Awards! (Original)

     Thriller! Chiller! awards certain movies shown during the festival. While speaking with Anthony Griffin I asked him to break down the process of selecting the winners, here's what he had to say:

"About 15% of the movies that are in Thriller Chillier are formally submitted to a jury process and this year we had five different jury members and they watched the movies in five different categories for Features, Short, Best Thrill, the award for the movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat, Best Chill, the award for the movie that makes you want to recoil and tear and then Best FX, which honors the use of speacial effects to help tell a story, as far as the main awards. We also have The Radical Award, for the best post apocalyptic and or zombie movie, and then we have the fabulous, famous if you will now, Boomstick Award for best Michigan movie."



    Groovy awards

The 2013 Groovy award winners!

Best Feature- For No Eyes Only

Best Short- Killer

Best Thrill - On Air

Best Chill - Cold Turkey

Best FX - NOVR

The Radical Award - Dust of War

The Boomstick Award - Break Glass in Case Of..

                                        
                                                                Awards ceremony 

                                                      
                         

An event in Grand Rapids: Thriller! Chiller! Film Festival (Original)

     Scary, thrilling and out of this world. A few words that describe the films showcased during the Thriller! Chiller! film festival. Thriller Chiller is an international film festival held yearly in Grand Rapids Michigan inside of the Wealthy Theatre. Running for 8 years, it has become one of Grand Rapids largest events. The festival invites independent film makers on a global scale to submit their short or feature films to be screened to an audience sitting readily on the edge of their seats. It's called Thriller! Chiller! for a reason. Thriller Chiller showcases action, suspense, syfy and horror films with a touch of drama and comedy here and there. Though the festival focuses on these particular genres it does not exclude others.

     One of the great things about Thriller Chiller is the level of engagement. The directors, producers and actors that attend the festival talk, take pictures and even joke around with movie goers, giving the event a very welcoming and down to earth atmosphere. Every one that attends is sure to have a good time. However, parents be mindful as there is alcohol served and some movies may contain content not suitable for children.





     I sat down with Anthony Griffin, one of Thriller Chiller's founders, to talk more in depth about the original idea behind the festival and to discuss it's defining moment along with the best compliment it has received.