Life on Mars?

This still image, captured by NASA's Mars rover, "Spirit" in 2004, is stirring up a debate around the world these days. Check out the picture and decide for yourself what the controversy might be. A magnified version of the picture, appears to resemble a human form among a crop of rocks. Let's zoom in and see what all the fuss is about.Some say it looks like a rock, others say it looks to be a figure striding across the surface of the planet. This controversy has been all over the news this week and has reignited the debate about life on the Red Planet.

Personally, if you ask me, I don't think that it is an alien life form at all. In fact, I think it is just a rock structure that just happens to resemble a living figure. But, I do want to point out something funny that I noticed. Look at the position the so called "figure" is in. It looks awfully familiar, doesn't it? The picture above is a frame taken from the Patterson-Gimlin film. It was allegedly filmed on October 20, 1967 by Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin who claimed the film was a genuine recording of a Bigfoot. Many have called the film a hoax, but it is a unique and interesting piece of film. See for yourself...

There is a reason I have laid out all this info. I want to bring it back to the original subject. I say, if the world really wants to believe this picture is of a distant being, I just want to point out that based on past experiences (see above), it would be more likely that NASA has actually spotted Bigfoot on Mars and not an alien life form. I mean come on, it's a single photograph, it could just be a smudge on the lens (think about it, the rover traveled millions of miles through space before arriving. Something could have easily smeared). It could also be a strange pile of rocks, Jimmy Hoffa or even a piece of beef jerky. In fact, if you think about it, after all that pestering those mischievous hikers did to Bigfoot in those classic commercials I wouldn't be surprised if this picture was just Sasquatch's way of getting his revenge.


For more Messin with Sasquatch I HIGHLY recommend you CLICK HERE. Hilarious!

A MONSTROUSLY entertaining movie...

This weekend I saw a movie that I had heard and read extensively about, and yet I was still very surprised and impressed by the end result. Cloverfield, produced by J.J. Abrams, is an apocalyptic thriller that manages to keep the audience on the edges of their seats. This film puts a creative and unique twist by using a "camcorder point of view." I can assure you that this flick pulls off what the Blair Witch Project tried, that is make a legitimately entertaining movie with a very REAL feel.

The one and ONLY complaint I have about the movie is the fact that the human eye struggles with all the quick movements and if one chose a seat in the front half of the theater they would be regretting their choice an hour into the movie. But those that sat in the back half, would find it less challenging to follow the action.

If you haven't figured it out by now, this film documents the invasion of a giant monster and the path of destruction it leaves on the island of Manhattan. The movie is supposed to be a piece of evidence gathered by the Department of Defense, a video tape allegedly found in what used to be known as Central Park. And I must say that the production value is high enough to trick the audience into thinking the film is a record of an unbelievable attack. If you go see this movie you will have a riot. It is highly entertaining. If you don't want to take my word for it, check out the record-breaking numbers Cloverfield pulled off in the box office during its opening weekend.

Now if you will excuse me, I have to go destroy Downtown Los Angeles...

Beards are BACK, and if you don't like it SHAVE!

Many of you have seen the massive growth of hair that is slowly accumulating on my chin. Some have chimed in with their opinions on it, and I've heard comments that are both in support and in opposition of my manly growth. Personally, I do prefer to have minimal facial hair, but as we are in the midst of winter, I feel that it is more than appropriate to have some.

Throughout the history of mankind beards have been a symbol for various attributes such as wisdom, sexual virility, or high status; and, conversely, filthiness, crudeness, or an eccentric disposition. I hope that when people see me they only think of the first few.

I was inspired by the recent resurgence of the "Man Mane" in the mainstream culture. Several films spotlight the benefits of the beard. Last year, 300 rocked the world as bearded muscle-clad Spartans battled the forces of evil. King Leonidas, their powerful leader, had one of the biggest beards in recent movie history. This character was the epitome of strength, wisdom and power. Speaking of power, and more recently in theaters, a totally different character traveled the seas to rid a troubled Danish town of a menacing monster. Beowulf's beard is much smaller, but don't let that make you think he was any less powerful than King Leo. To this day there are still tales and poems that praise Beowulf's heroism. I'm telling you beards are a sign of strength.

With that said, I must tell you that I am not growing my beard out in hopes to attain instant power. Nor am I trying to be like Beowulf or King Leo. I merely wanted to give a little background and point out the recent recognition of beards in the mainstream media.

If you must know the real reason for the beard, it is actually quite simple. I have never truly tested my beard growing capabilities, and now that the industry I work in is dealing with a writers strike, I feel like now is an opportune time to try it out. So in a way I am growing a "Strike Beard." But I must make it clear, I am not doing it in support of the writers cause, which I only partly agree with, but rather, I merely want to see how the beard progresses during the duration of the WGA strike. I'm well into my growth, been growing since Thanksgiving, but my decision was solidified when I saw Conan O'Brien do this comedy bit:

Another contribution to bringing back the beards is the fact that two of the three Late Night hosts are sporting them. You already saw Conan's, Jay Leno has yet to hop on that wagon, but David Letterman was the first of all the Late Night hosts to appear on television with the face fuzz. In fact, his bristles were the inspiration behind a list on The Best Week Ever's: 10 Most inspiring Beards of ALL-TIME. I recommend you check it out, good stuff. For some real impressive facial hair feats, I also recommend that you take a gander at this website:

World Beard Championships

Pretty impressive, huh? Don't worry, I will not let my beard reach any of those proportions. I will be sure to at very least be presentable. One thing you can bet on is that I will never look like this!

George A. Romero not done yet...

The master of horror, George A. Romero is making a mighty return to a theater near you. George, who is widely known for pioneering the zombie genre, has another film coming to theaters in February. Romero's original classic, Night of the Living Dead (1968), raised the bar for horror film to a level that it had yet to see. Multiple films followed including, Dawn of the Dead(1978), Day of the Dead and the more recent, Land of the Dead. Clearly Mr. Romero knows zombie films and that isn't stopping him from trying something new. Check out the trailer below, you'll see what I'm talking about.

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I was able to screen this movie back on October 12th 2007 as part of the The Screamfest Horror Festival. I really enjoyed it, and it seemed like many of the festival goers felt the same way. It is a bit of a departure from his other films, but still very entertaining. If you are a fan of horror as I am, then Diary of the Dead is for you. It arrives in theaters February 15, 2008. Go check it out....

Is HD DVD defeated?

It made pretty big news recently, and it could mean the complete demise of HD DVD. Warner Bros. Entertainment announced it will release movies exclusively in the Blu-ray format, becoming the latest studio to reject the rival HD DVD technology and possible seal its doom. Up until the announcement, Warner Bros. was the only remaining studio releasing high-definition DVDs in both formats.

With that in mind, I saw this video on Youtube regarding this historic turn in the technological battle. Very funny, I hope you enjoy it as much as i did...

Poppin my professional hockey cherry...

Today was a pretty monumental day in my life. I attended my first EVER professional hockey game. My friend hooked me up with some tickets to the Los Angeles Kings / Dallas Stars game at the Staples Center. I had been to the Staples center several times before, to see the Clippers play. Although this wasn't my first hockey experience, it was the first time I had seen an NHL game first hand and I must say that it was quite the experience. The cool crisp air in the stadium reminded me of the cool Park City mountain air back home. The sound of skates scraping on the ice and the puck slapping against the hockey sticks spoke to my soul. I knew I was experiencing something special. The game was surprisingly good. We hadn't even reached our seats and the score was already 0 - 2, in Dallas' favor. Now, let me explain a little something, for those of you that KNOW hockey, two goals in one period is VERY unlikely. So right off the bat, I assumed that the game wouldn't be very close and we would be lucky to see any more goals scored by either team. It wasn't much longer after that, the Kings scored a goal. Shortly after that goal, they scored their second, bringing both teams to a tie at the end of the first period.

"NOW WE HAVE A GAME!"

Not only was the game great, but so was the company. My friend, Katie, hooked us up with the seats, so thanks to her. Along with myself, Matt, Rafaela, Katie, Amy, Micalea and a few others, we filled nearly two rows. We all scored some sweet red shirts and killer LA Kings ball caps. The game carried on like any other, turnovers, several penalties, but unfortunately there were no fights. I don't care who you are, one thing is certain, if you're going to a hockey game in the U.S. of A. you're a hopin' for some fight to break out. But I'm not complaining too much, because the Kings ended up winning, which is a feat in itself, seeing that the team is ranked last in their conference. And not only did they win, but the game ended up going into overtime, which went goalless, so officials were forced to call a shootout. Now, besides fights breaking out, shootouts are the next best thing in hockey. LA went first, SCORED! Dallas followed, a miss! This put LA up 1-0 in a best out of three shots. The pressure was building on Dallas and LA fans were ecstatic, feeling that a victory was near. LA sent its second man in the shootout, a miss! Dallas went, SCORE!! Now the numbers are dead even, 1-1, with only one shot remaining for eachsquad. LA's third man, had to put one in the net to pull out the win and this is what happened...


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Yes, I shot that on my digital camera. The game was a lot of fun. If anyone is willing to hit up a Kings game in the future, I am your man.

Foreign gets SCARY.....

If you want to see something that is scary, but isn't predictable I highly recommend The Orphanage. Produced by Pan's Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro, this supernatural thriller more than exceeded my expectation. Very few movies hold my attention well after I have left the theater, but this Spanish film had me pondering well after. I would even go as far to say that this is the best thriller I have seen in months. Most of the time I am less enthusiastic about films with subtitles, but the story was SO enthralling I barely even noticed that I was reading them.

The story revolves around a woman. a former orphan, who buys the orphanage she grew up in, and converts the old building into her residence alongside her husband and only son. Strange things begin happening, causing her to revisit her childhood memories. Eventually her only son disappears and she is convinced the spirits in the house are to blame. There are several unexpected twists throughout the film and the end has you saying "OH NO!!" The suspense in the climactic scene is so THICK you can literally cut the tension with a knife. This is a MUST-SEE film. grab a date and get to your local theater...

New Years Resolution: the follow up...

It's been the first full week of 2008 and I must say that I have been doing pretty good at keeping my new years resolutions. I will admit that I have slipped a few times, but I have gotten back on track and still have my eye on my goals for the month. I did slip and have a soda the other day...it was honestly a simple case of forgetfulness. On the exercise front, I was so good this week. In fact, I worked so hard that my whole body was so sore that I wasn't able to even work out on Friday. Seriously, not a case of me just wusing out, I couldn't move my arms or legs, without being in complete pain. Next week, I should be back in full force. I look forward to hitting it again really hard. I'm still confident that I will get close to my goal weight. My only real weakness right now it my eating habits, I really need to focus on eating HALF the amount I usually do. I think that will be the key to my success.

Get up and walk around without getting out of bed....

Think back to when you were a kid and would go camping. Do you remember waking up in your toasty warm sleeping bag, not ever wanting to unzip and get out into the cold mountain air. Well, as silly as they are I think I found a solution. They are called Lippi Selk'Bags. Essentially they are high quality sleeping bags with leg and arm compartments added on. I know they really look like puffy spacesuit or something, but imagine the benefits. You wake up, it's a chilly 35 degrees out and you can get up and do your morning routine around camp, and not even get out of your bag.

Unfortunately these are not available in the states at this time, but if you are willing to pay the shipping you can get yourself into one of these for a mere £89.00 (that's about $165.00 American). With that said, I wouldn't be surprised at all if we see Ad Rock, Mike D, and MCA, the Beastie Boys, sporting a Lippi Selk’Bag in their next music video.

Two Movies and one great Filmmaker...

One of my favorite things about living in LA is the close proximity to great movie events. A few months back I discovered this little historic theater in Santa Monica called the Aero Theatre. I found this place when the theater announced it would screen the widely popular 80s film The Monster Squad. After screening the classic, I noticed that the the place frequently has screenings of retro films. The next engagement I saw on the schedule was a double screening of two Richard Donner classics Goonies and Ladyhawke and the best thing about it, Richard Donner would be there in person to talk about his films. That was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. Not only did Mr. Donner direct both of those films, but he is known for directing the Lethal Weapon Franchise, Superman(1978), and Maverick among others. I bought a ticket to that screening and have been a fan of the Aero Theatre ever since.

Now to the point of this blog, on January 23-27 the Aero is showcasing 5 double features of comedies directed by "spoof Godfather," Mel Brooks. The clincher is that the man, Mel Brooks, will be there in person to take questions in between films at two of the screenings. The best part is that I am going to one of them, I bought tickets yesterday. We will be screening Blazing Saddles and The History of the World: Part I, two classics. I am very excited, Blazing Saddles is one of Mel's most popular comedies. Stay tuned, I'll have an update after the screening.

Blazing Saddles (1974) - Robyn Hilton, Mel Brooks

I don't think PETA would approve...

You remember all those Sci-fi movies about giant insects invading and destroying the city? I think every teen aged boy growing up in the 1940s and 1950s feared that nuclear fallout would cause insects to mutate and grow to mammoth proportions. Just like the cult classic Them! With that in mind let me tell you about a little something I found online today.
I subscribe to this daily newsletter called Thrillist. It always hooks me up with random links and information. Today, I received a particularly interesting link.

japanesebugfights.com

It feels like a combination of a bad Godzilla movie and a Street Fighter video game. Essentially the creators of this website match up two VERY different types of bugs in a small container. The two creatures battle until only one is left standing. It's not exactly something that PETA would approve of, but I must say it is pretty entertaining to watch. Japanese Bug Fights has to be a concept of a couple of really bored Japanese dudes sitting in their basement with nothing better to do than plan the next "match up" between bugs they find in their backyard. If you watch, I recommend you add your own sound affects, it really makes it that much better. Check it out...

More reflection on 2007...

I am a big fan of movies, in fact anyone who knows me would be able to tell you that. But the other day it came to my attention just how much I do. It actually kind of scared me, it came to my attention as I was reflecting back on the year 2007. Let me share with you the complete list of flicks I saw in the theater last year:

(key: $=tickets purchased "free"= you get the idea)

1. Alpha Dog - $
2. Pan’s Labyrinth - $
3. The Hitcher - $
4. Smokin’ Aces – free
5. Norbit - $
6. Ghost Rider - $
7. Bridge to Terabithia - $
8. The Number 23 - $
9. Reno 911!: Miami
10. Zodiac - free
11. Black Snake Moan - $
12. 300 - $
13. Dead Silence - $
14. Shooter - $
15. Hills Have Eyes 2 - $
16. The Lookout - $
17. Blades of Glory - $
18. Grindhouse - $
19. The Reaping - $
20. Disturbia - $
21. Pathfinder - $
22. Fracture - $
23. Hot Fuzz - free
24. Spiderman 3 - $
25. 28 Weeks Later - $
26. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End- $
27. Knocked Up - $
28. Ocean’s 13 - $
29. Hostel: Part II - $
30. 1408 - free
31. Ratatouille - free
32. Live Free or Die Hard - $
33. Transformers - $
34. I Now Pronounce you Chuck and Larry - free
35. Sunshine - $
36. The Simpsons Movie - $
37. The Bourne Ultimatum - free
38. Rush Hour 3 - $
39. Superbad - $
40. The Invasion - free
41. War - free
42. Mr. Bean’s Holiday - free
43. September Dawn - $
44. Halloween – free
45. Balls of Fury – free
46. Death Sentence – free
47. Day of the Dead - free
48. 3:10 to Yuma - $
49. Shoot Em Up – free
50. Hatchet - $
51. Eastern Promises - free
52. The Brave One - free
53. Dragon Wars: D-War - free
54. Resident Evil: Extinction - free
55. Good Luck Chuck - free
56. Lust, Caution – free
57. Diary of the Dead – free
58. 30 Days of Night - $
59. Saw IV - $
60. No Country For Old Men - $
61. P2 - $
62. Beowulf - $
63. Hitman - $
64. Atonement – free
65. I am Legend – free
66. The Kite Runner – free
67. National Treasure: Book of Secret - $
68. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story - $
69. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – free
70. Alien vs. Predator: Requiem - $

Gone with the Woman...

It's been a wet and dreary weekend. I cannot remember the last time it has rained as much as it has. In fact the streets have virtually been turned into rivers. But there has been some light at the end of this weekend. I just got back from the Scandinavian Film Festival L.A. 2008.

I came across this film festival as I was reading Variety magazine. I noticed an add for this film (pictured to the right, Tatt av Kvinnen) and noticed that it was directed by the same man that directed one of my ALL-TIME favorite Norwegian films Elling. I had to see this movie no matter the cost. After all, its not often that I get the chance to watch a film made in my motherland on the big screen. So I ventured out to Beverly Hills to see Tatt av Kvinnen aka Gone with the Woman.

When I arrived I was surprised to see that the lobby was full of various scandos of all ages, shapes and sizes. Even as I bought my ticket the lady at the ticket box said,

"You're name is Kristian Odland? Snakker du Norsk?" (Do you speak Norwegian?)

I replied, "Ja det snakker jeg." (Yes, I do!).

She then said, "Du må bare snakke sånn da!" (Feel free to speak it, then!)

Finally, after several years I am surrounded by my kinsfolk. Kind of a fun situation to be in. Shortly after buying our tickets we were told that the director of the film, Petter Næss will not only introduce the film in person, but will take questions afterwards.

I must say that I REALLY enjoyed the movie. It is about a young man and his troubles with his difficult girlfriend. She seems to always pop up at every inopportune time and ruin any of his plans. Over time he comes to realize the complexity of love and more importantly, the complexity of women. Before long Marianne, his girlfriend, has moved in and is turning his life upside down.

He finds his escape at the local swimming pool, where he meets Glenn, played by Peter Stormare (click picture for larger view). Glenn seems to have all the answers to his woman problems and gives him a shoulder to lean on. (You might recognize Peter Stormare from blockbuster hits Armageddon, Bad Boys II, Fargo, and The Big Lebowski.) Between Glenn and all his friends in the Sauna, our lead character finds himself in a difficult situation.

Things take a very interesting turn when Marianne talks him into taking a long trip through Europe. Upon their arrival in a rural French town, the couple has a falling out. Marianne decides to remain, but our main character goes back to Paris to venture out on his own. In doing so he meets a beautiful French girl and experiences first hand what it is like to actually get along. He feels guilty for almost cheating on Marianne and returns home to Norway.

As he is alone and waits, Marianne finally comes back and traps him, yet again with sex. Using his passion for swimming, Marianne tells him that she is turned on by men that wear swimming goggles during the "horizontal mamba." The rest of the film tells how he manages to escape her devious clutches and find true love. I don't want to tell you anymore without ruining the end. But I must say that this is a fine film, too bad it will never reach theaters here in the states, it would be a great date movie. However, this film is also being considered for "Best Foreign Language Film" for this years Academy Awards, so there has to be more to it than just Norwegian appeal. If you ever get the chance this is a must see. Don't worry I haven't already ruined anything for you.

There is sunshine in my soul today...

With this blasted writers strike still in full force things have really slowed down here at the office I am finding that I am having a lot of extra time to surf the web. Today, I was overjoyed to see that two of my favorites movies from 2008 are coming out on DVD this month.

First, 3:10 to Yuma. Many critics say this movie has brought back the western. Although this is a remake I really enjoyed it. Christian Bale became my favorite actor this year, and it his role in this movie that was the last straw. Great action, suspense and dialog.

Also, out this month Danny Boyle's science fiction thriller Sunshine will hit shelves on January 8th. This film was only released in a limited number of theaters across the country. But if you didn't get the chance to see this movie I highly recommend that you buy or Netflix this one. Set in the not so distant future this film sets a team of astronauts on a mission to re-ignite the dying sun to save the human race. The team led by Robert Capa (Cillian Murphy) runs into several MAJOR hiccups while on their mission to detonate a massive bomb, able to restore the Sun's natural state. Many homages to Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey and Ridley Scott's Alien.

Both of these titles are on my wish list. They should be on yours.

Just to pay the RENT...

What a MORNING, I just wanted to share with you how my morning has gone. First, let me give you a little back story.
In November, as usual, my roommates and I gave our landlord rent checks. A few weeks passed, then out of the blue, he contacts us, saying that he has lost the checks, can you believe that? So he asked us to cancel the old ones and write him new checks. So after being a little irritated, I wrote the new check and deducted the check cancellation fee from the total. So should be all said and done, right? Guess again, this morning, my roomie sends me a text message saying:

"don't cancel your checks, the landlord found the old ones and has already deposited them."

Okay, by this point I was fuming. Here I have already done more than my part, and now the check I just canceled might bounce? AAAARGH! Luckily, I called my credit union and they were able to work it out so my check won't bounce. Don't know why I shared this info, I just thought it was a little amusing.

More jib Jab fun...

I'm completely addicted to the new JibJab sendables feature...I have made 2 more. Here they are:

1) This one was made by me for my friends at work (Matt, Aaron, Scott, Katie and Edit.)

2) This one I made for my good friend Suzanne in Utah.

So Far So Good....

I have been more than diligent my blog writing goal. It hasn't even been a week and I have already made several posts. On top of that, I went to the Universal gym here on the lot last night signed up for a membership.I even did 30 minutes of cardio. While I was there it donned on me that I should weigh myself so I could see the gradual weight loss and get a better sense of accomplishment. As of yesterday, this hefty viking weighed in at a whopping 242lbs. I will be hitting up the gym tonight and will finish this entry.

(***hours later)
Well, just got back from the gym. Still weighing in at 242lbs, but I feel like if I stay at it, I will trim down the eventually! I really feel like I have started out the new year on the right foot. I have found a workout program that should be really good for burning fat and toning muscle. I will start that program next week.

Indiana Jones: First look...

America got its first taste of George Lucas & Steven Spielberg's highly anticipated Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Click Here to see the segment that aired on the Today show this morning.

This installment comes nearly 20 years after the last Indiana Jones film. The story is set in the 1950s and instead of Nazis the film sets Dr. Jones against Cold War Era Soviets.

Below are some pictures that were taken for this month's VanityFair Magazine.

Cate Blanchett as the villain.

Shia LaBeouf and Harrison Ford.

Ringing in the New Year...

Before I start, I just want to wish each and everyone of you a VERY happy 2008. 2007 has officially come to a close. As I think back on the year, I remember some really good times, some hard times and see all the mistakes I made. This is the time of the year when we are supposed to make New Years Resolutions. And I, like everyone else have made them and broken them every year. We have all heard that writing down these resolutions make it much easier to keep them. This year I am going to take a different approach, instead of making several big goals for the span of the whole year, I am going to make several Goals that span the length of one month. That way I will be able to see the success of them much quicker and have a greater sense of accomplishment. That is actually one reason I am writing this blog. I want to document my results. I started this blog just over a year ago and have not been so diligent in writing on a regular basis. So this in itself, will be one of my resolutions. So with no further delay here are my goals for January 2008:

1. Gym Membership & workout every weekday(drop weight approx. 10lbs)
2. Eat half as much & No soda for entire month.
3. Write in blog at least twice a week.
4. Read 1 book this month.
5. Spend money only on necessities.

I will be keeping track of these 5 goals and will follow up at the end of the month. For those of you reading this, I would also appreciate your support and encouragement. Feel free to ask me how my goals are going. I could use the extra encouragement. Happy new year to all, stay tuned for more blog entries.

Jib Jab makes the world go round...

This is pretty hilarious...thanks to JibJab.com

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!"