The return of Sam and Bridget
April 30, 2004
First up Fat Phill’s at 245 Marlee in North York. Learn it. Live it. Love it. Old school hamburger joint through and through, they really helped us out of a tight spot… plus they fed us when we were all really hungry. In this day an age you can count the good fast burger joints with “Burger and Beer” specials on one hand so make sure you jot down the address, in case… I don’t know, there’s an emergency or something.
Back when “Dead End Days” was but a gleam in the eye of it’s co-creators, I spent many an evening thinking of interesting “one-off” episodes we might be able to do throughout the run. In the beginning you see, “Days” was a more loosely defined storyline so I envisioned the need for padding to fill out the run. I thought it might be interesting to do one episode as a music video, or a television commercial, or a news report… maybe a “behind the scenes” filler episode outside of the regular continuity - kind of like a low rent “shirt guy Dom, but without the stick figures. In actual practice we ended up with so many great stories populating the “deadiverse” that a shoehorn and a team of burley men skilled at cramming things into smaller things will be required to even touch on the basest elements of what we came up with before our meager year-long project runs it’s course. Such is the ways of life. Sun rise. Sun set. Frankly, in retrospect, most of my idle musings were lame - but one has stuck with me. For whatever reason, I thought it would be brilliantly funny to do a live-action version of one of the old “Hostess Fruit Pie” ads from the comic books of the mid-80s… you know the one, some lame third rate villains plans for mischief thwarted by a timely appearance by a D.C. or Marvel mainstay, and a carefully tossed Twinkie. It was such a surreal line of advertising that, even as small children, we could see the ridiculousness inherent in the sales pitch. I’m pretty sure that it was thanks to a Hostess snowball, or Cherry pie I got my first dawning inkling that perhaps there was something manipulative about my favourite super-heroes trying to sell me on sugared snack cakes.
This evening as we wrapped up the new episode (which is a lot of fun, and features a fan favourite we haven’t seen in ages) a new Michelin tires ad appeared capturing all of our collective attentions. Leave it to “The Michelin Gentleman” Bibendium to capture all our imaginations. We may have zero collective interest in tires or automotive goods in general… but a man made out of tires? Now that’s something. It’s always the ad campaigns that push the envelope that remain the lasting impressions. Think of anthropomorphized mascots alone: A man made out of tires, a walking beverage container, and a giant legume (with strangely effeminate legs) - all icons, all instantly recognizable, all celebrities in their own twisted rights.
I don’t really think I had a point to this when I started, other than eventually pointing out the brilliant Hostess crime-fighting gallery over at Seanbaby, but maybe that alone is enough to keep us thinking until next week.
If not, I’ve just recently discovered some more webcomics which just might be suitable for part of your regularly balanced breakfast: Applegeeks always had fine art and some sharp writing… and they still do, Questionable Content’s Indie-music sensibility and ultra simplistic art style grow more dear to me daily, and Wapsisquare reminds me of old newspaper daily strips… it’s one of those sites I like to read every couple of months in a big bunch. There should be something in there for everyone just in case you don’t like talking about 1980’s advertising mascots… but I can’t imagine who honestly wouldn’t.
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.
April 27, 2004
As time goes by, I am learning more and more to appreciate the process of post-production. In any artform, it is essential, of course. Jay once told me that ‘good writing is re-writing’, and the very concept at the time seemed ludicrous. I loved the initial rush of ideas, the wild and uncontained spill of words. As I continued to write, however, I came to realize how absolutely right he was. With the first draft, you mine for the material with which to build a story. As good as it may be, it’s not a story until you craft it into one.
Now, working on Dead End Days, I get to see that process with the other medium I love, film. The images you capture on camera are the materials. Good filmmaking is in the editing.
The editing duties for Dead End Days fall largely on the shoulders of one man, who doesn’t get nearly enough mention for all the work he does: Mike Thorn. Mike spends night after night in front of Editing Machine 3000 [The Editing Machine Of The FUTURE! - Ed], spinning our proverbial straw into gold (with creative consultation from Matt, of course). He has been editing the series since episode 1, so long ago. And yet his name hardly appears on the website. He does it all for conversation with four constantly sleep-deprived filmmakers, and the free meals cooked at the Fox Brothers’ Bistro.
So, while I’m holding the conch, I’d like to highlight a few key moments, if I might, where his keen eye and excellent sense of the material allowed him to create some fantastic moments with imaginative use of cutting.
Episode 4 – The fear, the shadowy figures, the rising tension as Ashley was stalked by someone, or something, that had suddenly sprung from the alley behind her. And the key to it all: jump cuts. Much of the uncomfortable, edgy feel of this episode comes from the disconcerting cuts Mike chose for the chase, instantly putting the audience ill-at-ease, which is right where they should be.
Episode 12 – The first sure sign that not all zombies are as wholesome as Bruce. The slow build of the zombie scene which ran under the main action in this episode was the careful work of Mike, who realized it might be more effective to tell the story in building pieces, rather than simply conveying it.
Episode 17 – The date montage (one of my personal favourites). With a montage, the success of the episode always depends on the editor, since timeline and continuity suddenly don’t matter. Mike did a great job picking those golden moments in each scene which showed best the budding romance between Ashley and Bruce. And honourable mention goes to Matt on this one, for providing the great three-image intro to the piece.
Episode 18 – We gave Mike a hard task, which he pulled off brilliantly. When we were shooting this, we had two effect shots, the walls moving in on Eric, and that Hitchcock classic, the Vertigo-shot which distorts the percieved distance in the background while leaving the key figure steady. They were meant as alternates, should one of them look horrible. The trouble was, they both worked. So, we told Mike to find a way to use both of them, even though they technically covered the same moment in time. And he did, and it looked great.
Episode 20 – The opening, with Evan on the phone, was originally conceived as a single, continuous conversation. However, upon viewing the footage, Mike decided to cut it up into the Gordon Gekko-esque series of insincere statements that you see in the episode. Not just interesting, but an improvement on the material he was given.
Episode 21 – On a lighter note, there was a brilliant moment in this episode that came out of the heads of Matt and Mike in this one. Matt created Dennis’ ludicrous handshake, which was funny enough on it’s own. But Mike decided what it needed was more thumb-shaking, so by well-timed cuts, he makes it appear twice as long as it was in actuality.
Some of my favourite moments in the series have come about largely from his ideas, and I just thought it was time we drew attention to it. Pasta and pats on the back only go so far.
[Clearly you've never seen Mike's cooking... he should be paying us for the priviledge - Ed]
Rule Zero…
April 23, 2004
First up this week. Dead-heads in the GTA should make plans this weekend to visit Fuzion Juice/Coffee/Bubble Tea on 1328 Danforth Avenue (Just East of Danforth and Greenwood on the North side of the street). Andy is a great guy who was super accommodating to let us shoot there, and it’s a great store. Firefox gets his frequent Bubble-Tea hook-ups there, and I’ve been known to swing by every now and then for a tasty large mango (perhaps with green apple jelly if I’m feeling particularly saucy). Tell Andy “hi” for us! It’s only through the support of folks like Andy that we can keep churning out the great new episodes.
flesh and blood is going to beat the damn monster. -Adam Smith
So if we again look to the brightest minds of futurists and realists to suggest where we’re driving this crazy race called humanity, it becomes clear that perhaps it’s not the humble servants we should be worried about but what happens when we lose interest in forcing machines to do what we want, and go right to the root of the problem. From Information super-highway, to Information super-race in one easy step. I guess this week I’ve been struck with the obvious, but unsettlingly evident distinct impression that it’s rarely the “robot” that we have to worry about. Creating three laws for a robot’s creators should be a much more pressing concern. Perhaps Adam smith was right, he just wasn’t looking at the right ‘damn monster’.
…
Did I mention we have a Shipping Sale going on at the store until the end of the month? Well we do!
We have stuffed many pinatas for your birthday celebration!
April 20, 2004
Hello Sportsfans!
With the NHL/NBA Playoffs in mid-swing (or swoosh, as it may be), those of us who have no interest in hockey/basketball whatsoever are forced to band together and explore other means of entertainment that don’t involve oversized jerseys, defacing our vehicles, painting our bodies, or shouting at electronic devices. Though I’m all for the support of sweaty men (lord knows Dead End Days has it’s quotient of sweaty men filled), guzzling beer and eating your weight in hot wings, I just don’t understand getting so emotionally involved with the journey of a small black piece of rubber.
Now let me take a moment while my producer throttles me.
[Editors Note: As 'Dead End Days' prides itself on it's journalistic integrity, I would never berate or question Matt simply because he fails to recognize the greatest sport in the world. As the HTML-guru I might be selective in the links I select... but it's not like I'm putting on the foil.]
Having recently been deported from Canada for comments such as these, I have plenty of time to sit around with my newly acquired portable DVD player and get lost in the far more meaningful world of film. (Please note my sarcasm, and don’t get all pissy sports fans, I’m just fuckin’ with ya.)
Thus begins yet another installment of
Movies You Ought to Like (and if You Don’t, You Suck) by Matt Hoos.
The banding together of these two forces would give rise to some of the most memorable comedy pieces ever created. Ghostbusters, Animal House, Vacation, European Vacation, Christmas Vacation, The Jerk, Strange Brew, Spies Like Us, Fletch, The Man With Two Brains, Innerspace, Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid,Trains, Planes and Automobiles, Who is Harry Crumb?, Fletch Lives, Caddyshack, The Blues Brothers, Funny Farm, Parenthood, Uncle Buck, The Lonely Guy, Great Outdoors, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Summer Rental, Brewster’s Millions, All of Me, Armed and Dangerous, Roxanne, Stripes, Little Shop of Horrors, Dragnet, and of course, The Muppet Movie. Tell me that’s not an impressive list.
Now, if you read this list out loud, and listen very carefully, you can actually hear Adam Sandler, David Spade, Rob Schneider and Mike Myers shitting their pants.
The movie that stands at the apex of this era for me, is the culmination of the combined comedy stylings of Steve Martin, Martin Short and Chevy Chase. This little slice of comedy pie is known as the Three Amigos. What can I say? Even to this day, the small adventure of Lucky Day, Dusty Bottoms, and Little Ned Nederlander still makes me chuckle. From the opening song to the fall of El Hupo (with that snappy, clever ‘everybody sew real fast’ trick they pulled), the film stands as an engaging testament to what has sadly become a bygone era. Martin, Short and Chase were clearly at the top of their game, and the only thing that can ruin this movie now is if you allow your mind to stray to the likes of Bringing Down the House, Snow Day and Primetime Glick.
I’d like everyone now to sit back and reminisce about their favourite part of Three Amigos. Is it the daring bird-call break-in to the studio to retrieve their costumes? Their rendition of ‘My Little Buttercup’ in the Mexican cantina? The summoning and immediate accidental killing of the invisible swordsman while visiting the singing bush? Or is it my brother’s favourite part, when the turtle simply says ‘G’night, Ned.’
Admit it, it’s hard to pick just one moment. Perhaps it’s time to dust off the beta-max, find the copy you taped off TV and take yourself back to the decade when Steve Martin’s hair was… white… ah, screw it. Viva las Amigos!
Peace. Go Refs Go!
Suckers.
[Overtime Results - Flames: 3 Canucks: 2 Boo-Ya-HOO! - Ed]
To Geek, or not to Geek?
April 16, 2004
Since I’m still getting feedback (and new viewers) through the mini-essay on Cerebus #300 I thought I might try and incorporate a little more
writing and a little less hyperbole into these new episode updates. There’s certainly only so many ways we can remind you of each new episode.
Sandy Starr has written an insightful piece for Spiked entitled “The geek shall inherit the Earth” exploring why the mainstreaming of geek culture may in fact be an unwelcome thing, an article which resonated with me on a number of different levels. Certainly as a self-professed geek, I’ve often vocally championed various geeky interests to the non-disposed in a bid for more mainstream acceptance. What I am starting to realize though is that through constant advocacy of the creative products of various “geek
media” (Comic books, speculative fiction, anime…) proponents often lose sight that the underlying societal concerns about their various fandoms
are completely justified. Certainly the kind of anti-social solitary behaviors that are at the core of any rabid obsession are only enhanced by group size and mainstream acceptance. In point of fact, I’ve known many groups of fans to wear these aberrant behaviors as badges of honor. One troubling example that has stuck with me was overhearing an individual brag (with an almost comical lack of basic grammatical speaking ability) about the egregious amount of school she had skipped in order to repeatedly watch the anime series “Dragonball Z”. Ever since, I’ve been vaguely troubled when arguing the merits of foreign animation that for very classic work that folks would be richer for experiencing (say, any of the truly groundbreaking films of Hayao Miyazaki) there’s a thousand teenagers stifling their critical though process’ by hardwiring Toonami into their brains. I think where Starr really hit the nail on the head was with the observation
Thanks to the internet, marginal obsessions can be indulged in at unlimited length, with like-minded people around the world. […] And if you dislike or disagree with someone you encounter in this faceless environment, then rather than go through the process of being forced to account for your worldview, you can simply retreat from confrontation. Such an environment breeds individuation and solipsism.
What troubles me about the truly rabid developing geek culture is that unique ability to retreat from difficult challenges and questions by simply running to the confines of a digital enclave where you can converse only with those who share your particular outlook and commiserate en mass about an outside world that “doesn’t understand”. If your macro group poses difficult questions, simply form a smaller sub-set and again gravitate towards those who share your views. Rinse. Repeat. Looking at how internally fractured fandoms invariably become with labyrinthine classifications, sub-groups, super-specialized interests, and internal politics only enforces the point. The Brunching Shuttlecocks Geek Hierarchy starts to seem more like sage prophesy than satire.
I guess for me, part of the joy of geeky pursuits is the fresh perspective they bring to non-related interests and worldviews. Understanding professional wrestling can give you unique insight into the period appeal of Baroque Opera, particularly well written science fiction can help frame modern ethical and societal dilemmas, foreign pop culture can illuminate areas where our own domestic offerings are stale or limited… the list goes on and on. However if you pursue these interests at the exclusion of all others you will never make those connections, and then you are consuming mindlessly because it is easy and you know that no challenging self-introspection, or critical thought will be required. In my mind at least this is the worst kind of consumerism.
Maybe this topic really isn’t out of place on a zombie-themed site after all?
Link Watch:
April has so far been a record-setting month here, and I am very grateful for everyone who has spread the word about the show. Having had films I worked years on play at screening where only a handful of people actually attended, I can’t tell you how much it’s appreciated. That being said, can any one out there read Bulgarian (bottom of the page, you can’t miss it)? I’m not sure, but perhaps we won the coveted HOBO! HOBO! HOBO! Award?
The History of Cinema (abridged)
April 13, 2004
While it is clear that “Dead End Days” is one of the largest projects undertaken by the production team, it is certainly not the first. In fact, some their finest work can be found deep in the Rocket Ace Moving Pictures media vault from years long passed. As I have been in a unique position to view his illustrious career, I thought it might be interesting to share some of Brad’s earliest productions, along with brief synopses of each:
The News Today With Robby Fox (~1991) – This pilot for a newsmagazine-style program was Brad’s first foray into the word of television production. It ran approximately 40 minutes in length, and featured Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Robby Fox. All the weighty issues of the day were tackled, from ongoing hostilities in the Persian Gulf, to the spirited playoff run of the Calgary Flames, to a viewer feedback segment (which had to be censored due to content deemed inappropriate for broadcast), to a segment in which talentless yokels from across the country performed songs in front of a national audience in an effort to gain widespread recognition and bolster their weak self-image. I sure am glad that we are now living in the year 2004, as things way back then were pretty stupid. Anyway, the program suffered from a clear lack of preparation and planning, as guest interviews often devolved into lengthy and monotonous diatribes, only briefly punctuated by irrelevant questions from the host (whose talent was really left out to dry by a weak production team). Even though such illustrious sponsors as “The Stuffed Animal Store” and “Brad and Rob’s Hockey School” were secured, a second episode was never produced. Personal interest reporter “Scoop Jordan” was the saving grace, and his no-nonsense style of reporting provided a wonderful breath of fresh air.
The Jewels of the Orient (1990?) – A hugely ambitious, episodic, epic, with a vast, intertwined plot, whose total running time amounted to approximately 6 minutes. The plot centered on a cop who had been given the task of tracking down… some jewels that had come from the orient. They had been recently stolen from a museum, or jewelry store, or safety deposit box, or something like that. To be honest, I’m not sure it was ever elaborated as to where they were taken from, only that they were missing and really needed to be found. However, the job of this particular cop was not to be an easy one. There would be countless obstacles and setbacks in his way, from an overbearing boss in a suit jacket several sizes too big for him, to a corrupt fellow officer who needed to be dealt with via a knuckle sandwich. The biggest obstacle of them all, however, proved to be an uncle who really needed his video camera back. Hence the 6 minute length. This was rather unfortunate, since a lot of incredible stuff was slated to take place in late stages of production: Running around Woodbine looking vexed. Running through Fish Creek Park looking vexed. Running around the back yard looking vexed. Sadly, it was not to be. The standout performance was, undoubtedly, that of the corrupt cop, who brought a certain energy to the screen that, sadly, could not be equaled by his co-stars.
Splat! (1992) – This avant-garde production incorporated scenes of Brad flinging various foodstuffs at newspaper spread on the floor. These scenes were then played out in reverse. Although the method was, for its time, rather daring, his scathing critique of modern print media was somewhat heavy-handed, resulting in the alienation of much of his fan base. The cinematography, however, was superbly executed by an unaccredited DOP, who clearly was wary of attaching his name to such a questionable project.
Hamlet with Action-Figures (1995) – This innovative “solid-form” animation project was one of Brad’s earliest forays into the mainstream of animation productions. Although the plot (adapted from some staff writer named Willie or something) was decent and the special effects (courtesy of the action figure departments of the WWF, G.I. JOE, and DC Comics) were solid, the piece suffered from a lack of quality voice acting. It is rumored that international sensation Scoop Jordan was slated to play the lead role of Macbeth, but declined at the last minute, choosing instead to align himself with such critically-acclaimed projects as the award-winning police drama “Missing Link of the Chain”, which ran for countless episodes. It is widely felt that losing this talent doomed the production from the beginning.
As you can see, Brad’s career has been long and tumultuous. However, the hardships he has endured and obstacles he has overtaken have prepared him for the grueling marathon that is “Dead End Days”. As a casual, impartial observer, I only fear that his controversial decision to cast Shane Arbuthnot as “Eric” instead of the heavily-favoured Scoop Jordan does not turn out to be a critical error.
[Editors Note: While I appreciate the author's obvious research into the historic productions of the past, I note he seems to focus only on productions that included the acting works of one Rob “Roderto” Fox, at the exclusion of all others. While possibly done for dramatic effect, the exclusion of the early collaborations with future “Days” helmer Matt Hoos paints a very grim view of the artist as a young man. Glorious successes such as “The Dr. Dork Show” (which ran a record-breaking three episodes), the writing tour-de-force “Four alternate endings for the Glass Menagerie" (which, apart from a homage to Quenin Tarrantino took "Ham Fisted" to brave new levels of excess), the epic “Abridged Midsummer Nights Dream" (daringly staged in three feet of snow in a Canadian provincial park), or the visionary “Ed Word X-treme rollerblading video” (you could still use “X-treme” in 1994 without having to mean it ironically) seem to have been slanderously omitted. I can only hope that the author intends to re-visit these glorious seminal works in future production journals. Incidentally, Scoop Jordan was an abusive hack with delusions of grandeur. I have reason to believe that “Scoop” wasn’t even his real name.]
Geek Eye
April 9, 2004
I’m trying a subscription to a new service that cross references “Dead End Days” servers access logs with an index of countries and ip codes. I then can access a lovely summary of information about the visitors, how they’re visiting the site, and where they’re from (often down to the city). We apparently get a lot of traffic from Hong Kong (our third most visited-by country) but they rarely stick around for more than a few minutes… perhaps they were expecting something else? In any case Ni hao ma, to all our international visitors and thanks for stopping by. We’ll do our best to continue brining you seasonal new episodes, vacuum sealed to lock in the freshness, each and every week.
With spring palpably around the corner, my thoughts always turn towards spring-cleaning and, invariably, radical redecorating ideas for my domicile. Don’t get me wrong, I never actually do anything about it, I am a guy after all, and as such for me “decorating” consists of three prominent picture frames hanging over my bed containing (no joke) the default “placeholder” picture that came with the frame. I think it’s a thistle. Of course this wistful mental redressing usually leads to me either dusting off my copy of “The Sims” for some virtual-renovating fun or watching some “extreme redecorating” television, after which the desire for radical change subsides, and I content myself to satisfying the more reasonable desire to shoveling enough clothes off the floor that I can walk from my bed to the bedroom door.
Between “Queer Eye”, “Trading Spaces”, “Monster House”, and that UK show where they make you throw out at least half of your stuff I think there is a huge niche market being missed: Geek redecorating. Hence I submit to the networks of the world my pitch for “Geek eye for the jock guy” in which a team of nerds descends upon some well adjusted folks and sets them up with killer computers, ridiculous home theatre systems, completely unnecessary digital kitsch, and enough home rewiring to choke a horse. Who wouldn’t turn in every week to see Grandma get hooked up with a l337 Linux distro, or Bubba and the Boys receive a a THX Certified 7.2 Surround system hacked out of an x-box and a toaster, just in time to watch the big game? I only mention this since I stumbled upon the rasterbator today, and the opportunities for geek decorating (mis)uses are endless!
Have a good weekend, Rob will be back with our regularly scheduled production journal on Tuesday and we’ll be back in your face 72 hours after that with another heaping helping of “Days” goodness… this time featuring the return of a character we haven’t seen in nearly 20 episodes… who could it be? See you in seven!
Ask Dead End Days
April 6, 2004
[Editors Note - Since it's first public appearance in the news post for Episode 17, Editing Machine 3000 (The Editing Machine of the FUTURE) has
received much praise for it's unheralded and unceasing efforts behind the scenes of "Dead End Days". I therefore thought it fitting to give it this production journal space to answer just a few of the audience-submitted questions received at info@deadenddays.com. We'll be back next week our regular production journalists, and Matt complaining about movies... which doesn't really count as "journalism" in my book. It's all yours EM3K...]
Welcome to EditingMachine3000!
[Guest:~]
Q: Approximately how much time is spent creating each episode?
A: He is pleasant to be loaded with data. My returns of the INCURSION with high speeds. [RESPONSE NOT RENDERED] is fast, but as fast as my INCURSION. The episodes [RESPONSE NOT RENDERED] the launching and they are corrected on the course of 10011101100000 minutes. I have many hard impulsions.
Q:What is the prime concern when developing a film project- being intelligent or being entertaining?
A: If bright colour *LOUD WHIRRING NOISES*, detail where everyone your calculation is good *BEEPING FOLLOWED BY MORE BEEPING*. Vdub which makes that I ***LOUD WHIRRING NOISES AND INCESSENT BEEPING… AND WHAT IS THAT GRINDING NOISE?*** lines and calculate level color brightly possible is liked.
Q:i_luv_bruce hez a qt u hav a gf lol!!!
A: i_luv_bruce: Command not found.
Q:Hey guyz whats deader than dead?
A: If dead ones left than unknown then unknown-on an equal footing larger ar
A Fatal Exception 0E has occurred at 0028:C00082CD in VxD VMM(01) +000072CD
Thanks again Editing Machine 3000 (The Editing Machine of the FUTURE) for taking the time to share you unique insight and experiences with us all. I think we’re all a little wiser for it and no doubt our audience now has a keener understanding of what it’s like to deal with a technological partner with your… unique… capabilities on a daily basis. See you all on Friday for EM3K’s latest compiled episode… a jazzy little number we like to call: Episode 19. If I start rendering tonight we might be done by Friday.
