Pics For my NYC MARATHON page

John Carter 2012

It is rare that I go see a movie in the theater and dislike it so much I want to leave. John Carter is the only movie in my life I have ever seriously considered walking out on. So many things about the story and characters drove me to anger. This was a movie created by a filmmaker I admire who I looked forward to using his powers to make a sci-fi epic. What was created was a mess. The main character was not likable. The romantic interest (a scientist princess warrior) was so selfish that when faced with the situation of entering a hollow marriage for the sake of saving thousands of people's lives from a bloody war, she chose to be single. Thats it. Be single. The villains were shape shifting eternal beings who could be killed with a bullet. You did not read that sentence wrong. As a viewer I was lost. Motivations for characters were blurry and/or force fed.

It's too easy to blame audiences for not embracing the sci fi genre as one of the writers Michael chabon did unwired magazine. The top grossing movie of all time, avatar, featured blue alien characters. It managed to hook a broad audience and take them on a simple story. An adventure. Audiences today are more receptive to the sci fi genre than ever before. This is a generation that has embraced star wars and star trek. The characters in those works, including avatar, were more real than any character in John Carter. There were no character arcs. No lessons learned. Justice not being served. Underdogs not rising to an impossible challenge. The movie just had stuff happening to people that at times I was supposed to care about and times when I was not supposed to care about them.

Piña 3-D (2011)

Saw an interesting movie tonight. Part documentary and part dance performance. Directed by Wim Wenders. I'm not a big fan of his work, but this was impressive. Specifically the use of 3-D and shot composition. The movie examines the impact of a choreographer in Germany to her dancers and the pieces she made. It's high art, intense, and funny. The dream-like moments reminded me of another movie, The Red Shoes.

Movie: HAXAN: WITCHCRAFT THROUGH THE AGES (1922)

This was recommended to me by a friend JT Petty. I've heard about the movie back when The Blair Witch Project was released. So, I picked it up from the library this past week...

A silent film that is part educational film and part horror movie. It's an engaging overview of how and why the myth of witches came to be and an expose on the hysteria of witch hunts.

It's a fascinating film and I recommend it to anyone interested in great silent films. Some of the images are scary, funny, and realistic. You get sucked in by the images you think you're looking into a portal to the middle ages when it's really just some Swedish actors in the 1920s.

What was really neat was all the creepy make-up/ monsters that just happen. Some great trick photography & special fx. The devil in this movie is creepy.

I don't remember my dreams and RARELY have nightmares. After watching Haxan, I went right to sleep and had horrible dreams. Mostly about people doing bad/ gross stuff to other people. I'd prefer to not remember my dreams. Life's too short to spend time trying to analyze them.

STARS: 9 out of 10

QUOTE FROM ERIK: "Want to see one of the creepiest devils in cinematic history? Watch Haxan."

Urban Dictionary Challenge: "4-D"

One of my new year's resolutions is to be a little more creative. I gave myself the goal of getting some of the slang terms I use published by Urban Dictionary. The site is one of my favorites.

The first term I submitted in 2012 was approved recently.

4-D

Watching a 3-D movie while drinking alcohol or being drunk. Usually done for a poorly rated big budget 3-D Hollywood movie.

Example:

"The Green Lantern is gonna suck, but at least we're seeing it 4-D."

Book: THE BLACK BANNERS by Ali H. Soufan

This is an important book in the history of America. It's by Ali Soufan, a brilliant FBI agent who became an expert on Al Qaeda. The shared research in this book is fascinating. It really shows how office politics & egos (CIA) can get in the way no matter what the goal is. Told from his perspective it's a book where you feel the frustrations he went through during his career. It's amazing to see that even in the intelligence fields people will make claims without being backed by facts & research.

The book itself feels like the clearest & most concise report on Al Qaeda and the events that led up to and after 9/11. You really understand why Mr. Soufan rose through the ranks quickly. He's able to simplify a lot of material like a master. You also get a real insight into countries you will probably never step foot in (Yemen). Sections of the book are blacked out. Some you can figure out. Some you really can't.

His insights on interrogation go against everything that Hollywood would have you believe. You just need to be smarter, do the research, do some acting, and have a little luck. "Enhanced interrogation techniques" don't work as well as just having a conversation with respect. Soufan was able to get information out of suspects & informants by knowing who they were, where they came from, what they believed in, and more. I'm happy I live in a world with real heroes like Mr. Soufan.

[*I'll probably add more to this since i read it in Nov of 2011.]

STARS: 10 out of 10

QUOTE FROM ERIK: "It's one of my favorite nonfiction books of all time."

BUY IT HERE: http://www.amazon.com/Black-Banners-Inside-Against-al-Qaeda/dp/0393079422

NEW BLOG FORMAT: Media Journal/ Notes

I'm not really a blogger and haven't figured out how to best use this thing. So, I'm going to use it as a record of movies, games, and books I've consumed. My takes & descriptions will be brief. Trying to pull out what I liked, found insightful, interesting, didn't like, etc. I consume a lot of this stuff and should probably keep my notes somewhere.

I really hope I keep this up.

The Next Project & I'm Starting A Company

Hey. It's been a while.

I will be posting some new info officially about 2 important things in my life.

1- The next project I'll be working on.

2- The tiny company I'm starting. (Our first project is... you guessed it... #1)

More details to come and I promise I will be updating this blog more often.

Interview with Horror News about S&MAN

An interview I did for the movie is up on the interweb!

http://horrornews.net/16361/interview-eric-marciak-sman/

The movie comes out on Tuesday! FINALLY!

S&MAN (Sandman) premiere this friday! In Brooklyn!

Hey friends,

I am flying from chilly Nova Scotia, Canada to NYC this week for a very special reason...

The movie I starred in, S&MAN (Sandman) is going to be showing for a week in Brooklyn starting this Friday, October 1st at the very cool reRun Theater in DUMBO-- http://reruntheater.com/. The director (JT Petty) and I will be at all three showings this Friday doing Q & A's.

There will be some free drinks for my friends at the 9:30pm screening. Please celebrate this absurd moment in my life!

And spread the word! We're playing a week in the reRun and come out on DVD and Blu-ray on October 12th. It's a tiny theater, So buy your tickets in advance!

SCREENINGS
reRun
147 Front Street,
Mezzanine, Rear
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Friday, October 1st at 7:00, 9:30, and Midnight.
more screenings through the week.

PARTY
reBar
147 Front Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201

JT and I are going to be there at least from 6:30pm-2am for marathon intro/Q&A sessions. Should be an increasingly ridiculous night. Even if you can't see it on friday or have seen it... hang out with me at the bar. How many times will you get to celebrate a friend's movie premiere... in DUMBO?

I'm real proud of the movie we made 4 years ago and excited that it's finally getting out into the world. Hope to see you Friday.

-erik

Website Revision is happening

I'm currently revising the website. It will look cooler. I promise.

S&MAN (Sandman) will be on DVD & Blu-Ray!!!!

Amazing news! S&MAN (Sandman) is getting released this October on DVD & Blu-ray! It's going to be the best movie on your shelf and I'll tell you why...

THE SPECIAL FEATURES!

• A commentary track with director JT Petty & actor Erik Marcisak (me!)
• A commentary track with director JT Petty & actor Erik Marcisak(me!) playing the character of Eric Rost!

That's right! I'm on both! The Rost commentary is kinda like an unofficial sequel and also (if they kept it in) has Rost saying some of the worst things ever said in a commentary track.

BUY IT HERE

I can't wait to creep you out in October. :)

GUNDEAD DEFENSE!

The latest iPhone game I was Lead Writer on is out now on the iTunes.

Play the campaign and tell me what you think about Cubby & Duke!

It's Free!

-erik

BUY IT HERE-->

http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/gundead-defense/id345386238?mt=8

GUNDEAD DEFENSE - Wild West Zombie Tower Defense

The ONLY MULTIPLAYER Tower Defense Game for the iPhone and iPod touch.

1885. A zombie outbreak is ravaging the Western Frontier. Death is everywhere, but there's plenty of money to steal if you can get to it alive.

Take charge of a gang of outlaws looking to pull a legendary heist in the middle of zombie country.

A NEW TYPE OF TOWER DEFENSE GAMEPLAY
Not only DEFEND your stronghold, but for the first time ever order your henchmen to ATTACK the zombie base!

PLAN YOUR ATTACK!
- Order henchmen into battle, ranging from speedy scouts to slow burly brawlers.
- Time the waves of your attacks to exploit weaknesses in the zombie defenses.
- Strategically spend funds to boost your men's Speed, Health, and Resistance for the perfect assault.

DEFEND YOUR STRONGHOLD!
- Command a posse armed with Six Shooters, Shotguns, Molotov Cocktails, and Gatling Guns to make a stand against those brain-thirsty zombies!
- Upgrade your weapons to inflict even more damage with devastating special attacks.

MULTIPLAYER
- Two modes to square off against you friends:
- Head to Head: Play against your friends wirelessly
- Hotseat: Pass and play on a single iPhone or iPod touch

CLASSIC FEATURES [FREE]
- Quickplay Mode throws you right in the middle of the action!
- Campaign Mode takes you along on a bank heist to hell and back!
- Multiplayer immediately available.
- 7 different maps.
- An edgy art style that soaks the Classic Western in the gore of Zombie Horror.
- Original soundtrack written & performed by the band Tomcat Combat.

ZOMBIE IN-GAME EXPANSION [$0.99]
- Play as the Zombies! New powers! New strategies!
- 7 additional maps!
- Lead a zombie hoard of Biters, Screamers, Hurlers, and Swarmers to MORE BRAINS!
- Campaign Mode features a storyline from the Zombie perspective!
- Zombie faction unlocked in Multiplayer.

Is #1 when it comes to being overlooked!

Today, a nice little article came up via my GoogleAlert for the movie I acted in. S&MAN is the most overlooked horror/sci-fi film of the decade according to this...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

http://www.soundonsight.org/top-10-overlooked-horrorsci-fi-films-of-the-decade/

Last I heard, they are close to a DVD distribution deal for the movie?

Best Friends Tonight is available on AMAZON

The game I worked on in PEI is finally available as a pre-order on Amazon. My first game that comes in a box! I'll start putting up some posts about what music I listened to while writing certain characters.

OH YEAH---> BUY IT HERE

TNA Wrestling got a "Best" Award

Really cool news. The wrestling game I was lead writer on on got an award!

http://www.iphoneappsplus.com/games/tna-wrestling/index.htm

*That's Samoa Joe. Follow his twitter it's really funny and he can kick your ass.

http://twitter.com/SamoaJoe

On a new project

I'm on a new project. It's time consuming!

Ray Charles Story - with reference to the mug!!

(Thanks Sandeep for sending me this)

I remember meeting Ray Charles on a Saturday morning at his RPM International studio on Washington Blvd.

The previous day I had taken possession of Ray's complete master reels from the Atlantic tape library, which were sent from Manhattan. It was my great responsibility and honor to deliver these reels, which were to be incorporated into Ray's personal tape vault.

I arrived and pushed the backdoor buzzer, when, to my surprise, it was Ray himself who appeared at the door, in his stocking feet.

After carefully hoofing the boxes up the steep stairs, around a few tight turns, it became rather obvious the only folks in the building were Ray and myself. I recall it being a warm day and the studio air was stuffy. I thought to myself, that's why he wasn't wearing shoes.

Ray returned to stand behind the massive mixing board in the center of the room, with his coffee cup (a large beer stein) set exactly where he had left it, as I unloaded the reels.

I somewhat nervously began a conversation with him. "What happened to your shoes, Ray?"

Without missing a beat, he replied, "Man, don't you know nothin' 'bout recording?!" Then, almost whispering, his mouth curled with his trademark grin, he said "I don't want the sound of my shoes hitting the floor to be heard on the tape."

"Now, what do you have there?"

I begin to read song titles off the tape boxes -- familiar titles that we shared like a common friend we both knew and loved -- when I come across a label dated 5/10/53. Ray said, "Hand that to me." He slid down into his office chair and rolled backwards, snagging the box from me. He pulled out the tape and spooled it on a reel-to-reel machine behind him in seconds flat.

There was a moment of silence as the leader passed over the playback head. Then, we were transported back in time, to a rehearsal session with Ahmet Ertegun in New York forty-six years earlier.

What can I say? It was a thrilling moment, certainly a life-long memory, underscored only by the incredible joy of watching and listening to Ray sing along.

As I later read aloud more song titles, we came across an Atlantic “45 RPM comp” tape of Ray and other label artists grafted onto a 12-inch reel, I mentioned a song title there by LaVern Baker. Ray began to sing a couple verses and the chorus of "Tweedlee Dee."

Yep, that's right -- I'm a lucky so-and-so.

With the greatest respect for the real deal, thank you, Ray Charles.

-- Michael Johnson
Co-Reissue Producer of The Complete Country And Western Recordings 1959-86

I now own the coffee mug that Ray Charles used

This was Ray Charles favorite coffee mug which he used for over 20 years. Rays initials "RC" are on the side of the mug. Obtained from Vernon Troupe who was Ray's personal assistant for 30 years.

I won this at a Rock n' Roll Museum online auction last week. A normal person would put this in a glass case. Not me. I plan on using it every day at the office!

The first beverage will be Diet Pepsi. "You Got The Right One Baby! Uh-Huh!"

If you are too young to know what that last line is from, watch this youtube clip...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIfRlKuYaFE