Drum Roll Please....

It's official!! After months of job searching and interviews I am officially a full time employee of NBC/Universal. As of November 5, 2007, I will start my new job as a coordinator at Universal Media Studios. After spending six months as an NBC Page in the department, I was offered the chance to stay on full time. I am so excited and anxious for this opportunity and know that it is a step in the direction that I want to go. You may have noticed my "On the Verge" Blog entry. That was a temporary job that I was doing that could have become permanent, I was being tried out to drive around one of Hollywood's most prominent producers but this coordinator job came around. It offered better pay and more importantly benefits so I took it. I know that this is the best place for me to be right now in my career. And it will give me some stability and best yet more money.

"I was a present" or "Halloween with the Odlands"

I've never been asked to be a birthday present for anyone until about a month ago. Angie, my brother's girlfriend (pictured on the right), called me and asked if i would come out to Utah for a weekend to visit my brother, not known to him of course. So I accepted, and even took it a step further, that's right, I am inside that box. I thought not only would it be fun to surprise Timmy, but thought it would be a lot of fun to actually be wrapped like a present. So, Angie and I made plans, I flew out of LA early on a Saturday morning, she picked me up at the airport and we headed up to Park City to surprise him. Once we got up there, I hopped in the box , we wrapped it up and I sat and waited for the birthday boy to come out.

And waited...



Amazingly, Tim was totally surprised and didn't expect a thing. We ended up having a great Halloween weekend. As Odland tradition carries we all ended up getting in costume and went out to eat. Aren't we a scary bunch?

On The Verge!!!

Something pretty big is about to happen to me. This has been something that I have been waiting to happen since I moved to Los Angeles last October. I don't want to say anything more about it until it's completely official, but this could potentially be very beneficial to my future in the entertainment biz and to my career as a whole. Stay tuned...

*thanks to Kyle for making this picture!!

Job Interviews...

On my death bed, when I'm looking back on my life I will come to remember the year 2007 as the year of job interviews. I can't tell you how many interviews I have been on this year. The story usually goes like this:

1. Find job posting online and/or hear about opening from coworker.
2. Send resume
3. Recieve call to schedule interview
4. Interview
5. WAIT (why does this seem to take the longest)
6. Get a call/email saying "we really liked you but we decided to go with someone else."
7. Start over again.

In my defense, I have been pretty picky with my job search, so I have been up against some pretty stiff competition. Now, I'm currently waiting to have my second interview for a REALLY great job prospect. I have a really good feeling about this one...so I'll just wait in the meantime

Is the end nigh, for REAL?

It seemed to be just another weekend, that was until a meteorite struck down near a rural village in Southern Peru. Officials are now reporting that many of the townsfolk that visited the impact site are falling ill with symptoms including headaches, diarrhea and nausea. Government Health Officials are trying to determine what is causing people to get sick and one has been sighted saying the illnesses were the result of a strong odor emanating from the site of the impact.

The Associated Press filed this report on the incident Tuesday, September 18 2007(see below).


Now this may not seem like a very big deal to any of you, but this little crash landing has me a little concerned. In fact, if you are not, you should be and let me tell you exactly why. There are multiple science-fiction/Horror movies that begin with an interplanetary meteor crash landing on earth. I can think of at least three that start exactly like that: The Blob, Slither and War of the Worlds (1953). All three of which begin with a meteor crash landing on earth unexpectedly. In all three, some curious villager(s) see the meteor flash through the night sky and crash in the woods nearby. They then proceed up to the crash site to investigate the crater. Of course this poor decision starts a chain reaction that leads to events that quickly spiral out of control and put the human race's very existence in jeopardy.

This 1988 trailer gives a brief summary of what we quite possibly have to look forward to..

*The Blob (1988)

I know my claims are a little far fetched, but wouldn't you rather be prepared for the worst case scenario. You never know just how accurate our imaginations can be. One moment it's a scary science-fiction horror movie, the next, reality.

"If it bleeds we can kill it!"

What do you get when you combine the most amazing scene from an action film with three incredibly bored friends? Well to make it easy, just watch this...

**We have put the original scene in the lower right corner

With that said, 20th Century Fox is giving another go to the action/sci fi disappointment Alien vs. Predator (click here to see the trailer). After the highly anticipated movie turned out to be mediocre at best flick, and with a PG-13 rating, most fans were more than let down by director Paul W.S. Anderson. I, like most fans, was used to the extreme violence and gore from the Predator/Alien series, so you can imagine how upset we were were that neither were present in 2004's AVP. BUT, there may still be hope. 20th Century Fox unveiled the trailer for an AVP sequel. Titled "Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem." See below to view the trailer, or CLICK HERE to see the full screen HD version.

As you can see this actually looks somewhat entertaining and on the brighter side, fans can rest assured that this installment will not be rated a harmless PG-13, in fact this thing is going to be so bloody they needed to put a red banner at the beginning. With this projected being directed by Visual effects masters, Colin Strause & Greg Strause, one thing is for certain, the VFX are sure to be nothing less than phenomenal. I know it's rare that sequels turn out to better than the originals, but it is possible (ex: Terminator 2, Aliens, etc). And with the prior AVP as the measuring stick, it shouldn't be hard for fans to like AVP 2 more than the original.

"Your worst nightmare..."

Just when you thought the summer of sequels had been pushed to the greatest limits possible, the fourth installment of the Rambo Series is brought to light. That's right folks, this is for real, Rambo 4, officially titled "John Rambo" will be arriving in theaters next summer. It was nearly 20 years ago that "Rambo III" was released. If you ask me, this is just a desperate attempt for Sylvester Stallone, and film executives to make a quick buck off of a classic 80s franchise. I mean, the Italian Stallion will be celebrating his 61st birthday this year, and it was already hard enough to believe that the then 30-something military mercenary could single-handedly bring down an entire Russian military force (Rambo III). If nothing else, when American audiences see just how much ass "Sly" kicks next summer, maybe people will think twice about messing with senior citizens. Stallone, who stars in the picture is also directing and even penned the upcoming fourth installment.

John Rambo is not the first example of 80's pop culture resurrecting this decade. This summer's highly anticipated Transformers, the upcoming Masters of the Universe (aka He Man) feature film and Speed Racer are also projects to watch for in months to come. With the success these franchises had in the 80s, it's no wonder why studio execs are willing to gambling on movie adaptations. As a fan of the original Rambo trilogy, I will admit that although John Rambo may be two decades too late, it appears to have the same gratuitous violence and over-the-top action sequences that made the original three so popular. One thing is for sure, there is NO concern that this movie will be rated PG-13, check out the trailer below to see for yourself......


**if there's no sound, double click on the volume slider



"I'm your worst nightmare!"

Family Tragedy....

On April 14, 2007, I lost my dear uncle Knut Harold Odland after he was injured during a high speed police chase in Salt Lake City. The tragedy happened on Friday the 13th at about 5:00 pm. Uncle Knut was walking home from the Hideaway bar on 1700 S. Main Street when two cars collided in the intersection, slid toward my uncle, smashing him against a wall. He was rushed to a nearby hospital were hospital staff intensely worked on him. He later died from internal bleeding, he was 49 years old.
The Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office charged Donald Lee Snyder, 36, the man responsible for the tragedy, with manslaughter, failing to stop at command of police, theft by receiving stolen property and possession of a dangerous weapon, all second-degree felonies. He was also wanted for parole violation out of Virginia. The driver of the other car involved in the collision, 36-year-old Douglas Butcher, was listed in critical condition following the crash. Doctors told Butcher's family the trauma to his body was too severe and that there was nothing they could do to save him. He died a week later on April 20 from injuries he sustained in the crash.

Because this was such a freak accident, you can imagine the shock my family has gone through.
Click Here to see news story.
Knut was my father's little brother, and because of his different lifestyle we did not see him frequently. In fact, my last memory of Uncle Knut was in my early teens. But each and every one of those memories are great ones.

Although this tragedy has been hard on the family, it has been a blessing in that it brought the Odland family closer together. Following the tragedy, all of the Odland's living in Utah got together for the first time in over a decade. I was able to travel home and spend time with my family. We gathered to honor and remember the life of our Uncle.All the Odland children, minus Tim A. It's amazing how such a terrible tragedy can strengthen family unity.

We will miss you Uncle Knut, hang tight, we'll see you soon.

To read Knut's Obituary CLICK HERE

Success, is it in the coffee?

Today was a beautiful winter day in Southern California. You know, 70 plus degrees, clear skies, the kind of weather that makes one want to tip back a tall piping hot cup of coffee. Actually, wait a tick, that's not exactly my cup of joe (wow, that pun wasn't intended, but it works quite nicely), I would in fact, prefer a cool crisp ice-cold water over anything on a day like this. But here in SO CAL folks seem to disagree with me. They drink the hot stuff like its some sort of magic potion that has the power to grant anyone their innermost desires. Whether it's an aspiring actor trying to make it big time, or a recent college grad attempting to break into the industry as a director, producer or even writer. To them this hot beverage is their key to "making it" in this town. That's why I think people, specifically in the entertainment business seem to be piling into the nearest Starbucks. The proof is in the company's logo (right), you can plainly see there is some sort of mystical witch pictured right in the center. She has the long wavy black hair and even appears to be using some sort of meditation or telekinetic power, which must be her devious method in mystifying all the tasty drinks inside each store. And for the price you have to pay for one of these hot beverages, there better be more in that cup than just coffee.

I originally thought the name "Starbucks" was derived from the actual amount of money one would pay for a cup of their coffee. If you break down the name you can get the real meaning. It's just like Dan Brown's best-selling book The Da Vinci Code. Words are symbols and symbols are words. If you split "Starbucks" in half it becomes becomes "STAR" and "Bucks." Everyone knows most stars have 5 points, so if you take the word "STAR" and switch it with the number "5" you get "5 bucks coffee." Is it a coincidence or a just secret code thought up by the company's founders to reveal their true motives?

I am almost convinced that Starbucks is also a cover for an ancient religious secret society that has been attempting take over the world for centuries. I mean, if you really think about it, there is one of these coffee shops on every street corner in every major city around the world. Their world domination plans must not be far from completion. So please, keep going to Starbucks, you never know your wildest fantasies may just come true, even if it's world domination.

Changes on and around my mind....

I had a realization this morning after I fumbled out of bed, walked into the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. That's it, I have had it up to my ears with my hair. I know the stereotype, just because I'm a dude, I shouldn't have that much to do with it, but every morning but I am tired of waking up hoping that my little strands of protein are in the mood to be arranged into a specific formation. As you ladies know, when these little guys* choose not to cooperate with your demands it turns into what you might call a "bad hair day." (*Side note: I am 100% unaware of any studies that have proven that hairs sprout from a newborns head with an assigned sex, but I'm going to call them "guys" anyway.) And, unless you ladies know any secrets to make the population living on my scalp work together, I'm going to play evil dictator and punish them my way without regard to their well being.

I know most men fear male-pattern baldness, but at this point the idea of having a limited colony residing on the sides of my cranium sounds pretty nice. Plus, the ones on the side kind of stay out of the way and only need a little attention. But it's always those ones on top that cause the most problems, so away with them (look on the bright side bald people, you don't have to deal with these narcissistic strands, be glad they have abandoned the shiny fields of your bountiful noggin). Take my current hairstyle for example. (I know, I have the whole Ed Grimley look going on, but it has seemed to work for me these past few months.) The problem with my hair formation is the rebellious group of hairs that stand front and center. You know, the ones who get all the attention, yeah, you got it, on my head it's that thing that looks like it should be on Donald Duck's ass. For the record, getting this group of show offs to work together on a daily basis is just about as common as reading that Bigfoot was recently found drinking a friendly cup of tea with Rosie O'Donnell and Donald Trump (No "bad hair" pun intended with reference to the Donald.). Basically it NEVER happens. And when it does, on those few and far between days, I'm looking pretty damn good.

So seeing that my hairdoo-doo looks bad more days of the month than it looks good, I have officially decided to change things up, completely. And if they still don't cooperate I have something special in store for this mutinous group. That's right, I'm will attempt to do to my do, the same thing the military does to it's recruits in boot camp. Cut their egos down to almost nothing and build them back up over time. The bonus would be that while my little follicles are working hard to rebuild each individual hair back up, I won't have to worry about putting them into any special type of formation. That is until they're ready for it. *sinister laugh* And that, my friends will not only save me time in the mornings, it will save me from the disappointment of my team not wanting to get along. Stay tuned for pictures....

Fleet the parents...

I've been out in California now for a little over three months now and it truly is amazing to look back on all that I've done since my arrival. I think the weight of it all came to my realization when my parents showed up last week. They arrived last Tuesday (Jan. 9 2007) and I led them all around southern California until the following Sunday. Up until their arrival I had not understood the magnitude of the job I have. Like any job, you get used to your duties and tend to forget how many others would LOVE to do what you do. And my parents visit made me realize just how lucky I am.

It was the first time my folks have ever been out in the LA area. It was a lot of fun to take them to all of the sites. You know, downtown Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Universal Studios. As you can see, it was a riot. I hope they had a good time and will come back someday soon!

Weekend of DEEP thoughts....

This past weekend, I decided to lay low and not do much, which turned out to be very therapeutic. I spent most of the time catching up on films that I have not yet seen. And both made me think about the world we live in, but most importantly a little bit about the status of my life.

The first, Children of Men, starring Clive Owen, swept me away on a futuristic mission to save the human race from totally extinction. I must say that I had my doubts about the film before seeing it, but I was quickly sucked into the futuristic apocalyptic world, set in 2027, and found myself totally enthralled. The artistic cinematography and the unpredictable plot completely changed my mind about the movie. This film raises valid and important issues that are contributing to our troubles in the world today. For example racism, war and politics.

The second film I enjoyed was Stranger than Fiction, starring Will Ferrell. I had heard good things about this film, but I must say that I was also pleasantly surprised while watching it. This movie really makes you take a step back and look at yourself, your habits, routine, lifestyle; almost through someone else's eyes. The plot is unbelievable, but the writing is so clever that one looks past the obscurity of the plot and goes with it. I could identify with the main character, Harold Crick, a creature of habit stuck all alone in his world of boredom and repetition. If you need some motivation to make a change in your life NOW, this movie might just give you a nudge in the right direction.

Following Through...

Okay, I have to admit. Following through on my goal to blog once a week is turning out to be a but more challenging than I originally thought. Maybe it has to do with the time of year. Granted, I did choose to start doing this right around the holidays. So it's no surprise that I am having trouble finding time. Well a lot has happened since coming back from my holiday trip home. New Years, which was a lot of fun, was more memorable in 2006 than in any other year. Reason being, not only did I party well into the night, but only a few hours later I worked in Pasadena at the 2007 Rose Bowl Parade. Yeah, you're probably thinking that I'm crazy actually choosing to work at 4:00 am on New Years Day, BUT besides the fact that I was super tired and hungry, it was an experience that I will never forget. And no, I did not put a picture of marching storm troopers on this post because I'm a HUGE Star Wars fan, there were actually hundreds of the armor clad space soldiers marching in the streets of Pasadena. George Lucas was the parade's grand Marshal this year, so many portions of the parade were Star Wars themed. Overall, a great parade and fun experience.