One Busy Week in Sin City.....

Well....

My second week in Las Vegas has come and gone. And, to be honest, I'm wiped out at the end of every day.

I've been here 2 weeks. Got a new place; enough food to last me through September; a new job that I just finished my first full week; got the final great proof here this week for Mother's new STRIPPER book; filmed footage this week of Opal here in Vegas for our upcoming feature documentary THE OLD STRIPPER before she drives back to Missouri this week; and more. It's just a job trying to get by each day right now, get settled in Vegas and things started out here.

This coming week's gonna be another busy one. I'm trying to get my new job down good these next few weeks, and getting money coming in before I start focusing back on my film projects. I'm not looking forward to Mother heading back home. It'll be lonely out here without her. I know she could do well here in Vegas with her book, films and trying to get an act out here for her. But she'll be back out here soon enough. Also, this week, I'll have to start taking public transportation to get around. So that'll make things a little tougher. But I'm used to that. Been there, done that in Chicago and L.A.

Lots going on....and more to come....

I love being a filmmaker....truly independent....

One Busy, Rockin' Week as a Filmmaker....

Sometimes, life is, simply put, just....great.

This has been one awesome week. Busy; non-stop; draining; restless; but very satisfying as an independent filmmaker, and as a free spirit.

I'm now in Las Vegas. Will be for at least the next 6-8 months. I've got 3 film projects lined up here in Sin City over the fall and winter; and have a lot more going on as well.

Opal took the drive out here with me; and will be here for the next week before she heads back to Missouri. We'll be shooting footage of her here in Vegas while she's here for our upcoming feature documentary THE OLD STRIPPER. So some good filmmaking lined up here over this next week....

Our short films are rockin' the festival circuit right now. Too much is going on. This week, our new hit comedy short film FUCKIN' OLD BITCH is playing the Atlanta Underground Film Festival; next week, our award-winning cult comedy short PHONE SEX GRANDMA has its Australia premiere at the Sydney Underground Film Festival; and this morning, I just got word that FUCKIN' OLD BITCH will have its Alabama premiere next month at Birmingham's Sidewalk Film Festival! Whew....plus, before I headed out here to Vegas last week, I got our submissions sent off for Park City 2010....sent FOB and our brand new comedy short PAYDAY LOAN to Slamdance; and submitted PAYDAY LOAN to Sundance. So we'll know by Thanksgiving (right around the corner) which ones make the Park City cut for January. I'm really crossing my fingers, and hoping that we'll have one short at each fest this time around. It would be a blast to have a film at both Sundance and Slamdance the same week! Anything's possible....

All this, plus trying to do some edits for Mother's new STRIPPER book that's available on Lulu. Over these next 6 months, there's going to be some major book expos, adult expos and conventions here in Vegas and Los Angeles. And I think it'll be a perfect opportunity to market and promote Mother's new STRIPPER book to the book and adult entertainment industry. And at the same time, we'll be able to promote our hit shorts and upcoming documentary THE OLD STRIPPER. Exciting times coming...I'm feeling really good about things.

Life is good....

The Trip Out West...and the Vegas Move

Man....life is crazy.

It's been about 3 weeks since I've written a blog. Simply put, I have had no time to just sit down, relax and write online. I haven't been on the internet that much these last few weeks. But hopefully, now that some major life changes have happened, I'll get the opportunity to work on things more.

Alot is going on. Life is good.

Where do I start? Let's see....

First things first. And probably, the biggest news. I am now in Las Vegas. Yep. Who knows how long? We'll have to see how things go. Headed out from Missouri last Saturday, got here Sunday night, moved into my new place Monday, finally got things set up yesterday to start generating income very soon, and now, trying to work on getting things settled to work things here in Vegas this next year. Will be working a job to pay the bills, get by out here, and keep things paid up with the properties back home; and will be shooting 3 film projects here in Vegas over the next year. Busy times lined up for the next 12 months!

Opal made the drive out here with me. I rented a car; and figured it would be a free Vegas trip for Mother. Plus, while she's here, I'm planning on getting some footage of her here in Vegas for our OLD STRIPPER documentary. So I'll be shooting production of that film a little over the next several days...

Starting a new job this week...no details though; everything that is not film related I try to keep pretty private in my life...

And just to give a preview of what's coming up out here in Sin City for me production wise over this next year....I'll be shooting a new short film out here in Vegas later this fall, a television pilot over the winter and spring, and also shooting quite a bit for our feature documentary THE OLD STRIPPER. In addition, will also be working a lot on Mother's new STRIPPER book; got several expos and conventions we're lining up for this next year to get the book out there.

Hello, Sin City....you've now got an independent filmmaker here for the next year, at least; filmming movies, working distribution of films, publishing and production work, filmmaking, and living life....

More to come.....

A New Week: Filmmaking, Life...and Decisions

This has been a rough summer.

Money wise, things are rough. Here in cattle country. Can't find a job. Not making any money. Working almost every day online applying for good jobs, bad jobs, teaching jobs, filmmaking jobs, and more....but still unemployed and broke.

Still making movies and exploding on the festival circuit....got about 20 fee waivers to festivals worldwide to mail my films out these next couple of weeks; our new hit comedy short FUCKIN' OLD BITCH screens this month in festivals at Atlanta and Seattle; trying to film footage when I can for my documentary of Mother, THE OLD STRIPPER; and trying to figure out ways to get these other film projects done, and make money with what I've already made.

Trying to sell Mother's new STRIPPER book to the world; have it online, on a website, with total control of sales; trying to get the book set up with Createspace so it's available on Amazon.com; but I'm having major issues with Createspace right now. And it doesn't seem like there's any time to really put aside to work the book hard online.

Have over 60 social networks online that I haven't had time to visit or network in months...

Working out at the house; going through years of storage, and hashing through buildings of things; trying to get my properties cleaned up.

Seriously considering moving back out west. Financially, nothing has been working for me around here for over a year; need to make a change.

All of this going on....and more.

I've got so much to do as a filmmaker and as a person living life...films to make, money to make, books to read, messages to get out, and more.

Life to live...movies to make....decisions to make....life is tough.

But it goes on....

The YouTube trailer for Jack's upcoming film THE OLD STRIPPER:



Own the award-winning hit comedy short PHONE SEX GRANDMA on DVD at:

https://www.createspace.com/255255

Own Mother's new book STRIPPER: A MOTHER'S STORY at:

http://thoughtsofastripper.webs.com

Watch the new Book Trailer for STRIPPER: A MOTHER'S STORY:

Thankful to Be a Poor, Free-Thinking Filmmaker

I'll tell you....

I have to be honest. I take living in this country of ours WAY too much for granted. Just look at what's in the news right now....violence and death in Tehran because your vote is not counted with their government corruption; those 2 girls filmming a project for Al Gore's film company in North Korea, and being sentenced there to 12 years hard labor....and the list goes on...

It's things like this; simple things; like being able to vote; being able to freely speak your mind; being able to just live and let your independent voice be heard; that make really value living in this country. Granted, people around here think I'm a nut; a freak because I'm a vegan in Bible-thumpin' cattle country; a pervert because I film truly alternative movies about my liberal, outspoken Mother, an old stripper; a bum because I'm not working a regular 9-5 job for the next 50 years; a queer because I'm in my 40's, never married, being a single independent hermit, and not already a Grandpa, married for the last 25 years...I could go on and on....

But I can't say how happy I am that I'm able to live this life, and let people make their judgments about me the way they do.

I wouldn't want it any other way. And to be honest, it truly scares me the direction our country is heading.

Look at this culture. The reality show loving, internet crazed, obese, lazy, self obsessed, fast paced nation we're living in. Everything's all 'Me, me, me'....the only time you hear from someone is when they need you for something and can use you....people would rather be fat, lazy and live a short life, instead of being healthy, vegan, environmentally active, and trying to save the planet. Those 2 girls in North Korea...over there filming about modern day slavery....they knew how that country thinks about that....should have never gone over there. I think there's enough going on in our own country that filmmakers can keep busy with getting their messages out before risking their lives globally. I think we need to start with our own country...then go from there.

That's what makes this country of ours so great. You may not agree with everyone; in fact, you may be like me; and not agree with about anyone; and be in a deep minority; but we have the right to think the way we want, and live our lives the way we want.

I'd rather be a poor, liberal, vegan, broke filmmaker in the most obese per capita area in the country, saying what I think, living how I want, and getting my messages out....

Thank God, if there is one, that I'm a poor, free-thinkin' filmmaker....

My Mother, Opal, THE X-RATED GRANDMA, talking about shit:



Get Mother's new STRIPPER book only online at:

http://thoughtsofastripper.webs.com

Our new documentary film THE OLD STRIPPER:

My Current Film Projects...and Being Broke

I'll tell you...it's tough times as a filmmaker.

I don't think I'm alone either. I see it all over the country.

To be honest, I'm broke. I don't any money coming in. Don't have a job; and can't find one here in farm country. Want to move somewhere to get some work; but can't afford to move. So for now, I'm stuck out here in the boonies, with no money.

But I am getting things done.

Thankfully, my Mother Opal is a great film subject! It's hard as hell to manage all these projects....it's maddening, really.

I've been trying like hell these last 2 months to sell Mother's new STRIPPER book online. We aren't making money yet; but at least it's getting out there to the world for them to know about it.

Trying to find a good agent for our new feature screenplay PHONE SEX GRANDMA, based off the hit short...

Working as much as is possible on production of THE OLD STRIPPER, my first feature documentary, about Mother's old stripping days....been shooting this going on 3 years....

Trying to get pre-production done for JUNK, a feature unscripted comedy that can be filmed easily out here in the boonies....plus trying to sell the pilot TV script for JUNK...a rockin' script, if I can say so myself....

Working here and there on self-distribution of THE X-RATED GRANDMA....

Finishing post for our new comedy short PAYDAY LOAN, which we'll be pushing this next year as our Oscar qualifying short....

And working my first 5 short films worldwide on the festival circuit; along with getting ready soon to making 4 of the shorts available online on DVD through self-distribution!

Busy times, huh?

Along with all of this, when I can find time, I need to start writing my upcoming book NO BUDGET FILMMAKING....who knows when that'll be!

I'll tell ya...it was so much easier when I just had my first film, the hit short PHONE SEX GRANDMA, that I was working. Now I can't seem to get about anything done. But I keep busy non-stop, with film projects, even though I am broke.

John Steinbeck was right...he said 'Ideas are like rabbits. You get 1 or 2, get to know how to handle them, then pretty soon, you have a dozen."

How true that is....

Get Mother's book STRIPPER at:

http://thoughtsofastripper.webs.com

Watch the new Book Trailer for STRIPPER on YouTube at:



Find out more about our first feature film THE OLD STRIPPER at:

The Dentist, Mother's Book, and being numb.....

What a day....

I've been over in Pittsburg....you talk about a dead town, in the friggin' boonies of S.E. Kansas...just got back here to Lamar....and just as dead....

Had to come over here to Pittsburg today to go to the dentist and get a tooth filled. The left side of my face is totally numb from novocaine....it'll probably be numb all day. Won't get back out to the shack until later today...and by then, probably'll need to rest off this numbness. We'll see if I can get anything done today. Doesn't look likely...

Wanted to spend today promoting Mother's new STRIPPER book online at http://thoughtsofastripper.webs.com . No time today to work online! Maybe tomorrow...

Gonna try to work her book hard tomorrow. Have about 15 mailings of festival waivers for our hit shorts to put together and send out; get distribution screeners sent out for THE OUTHOUSE, ACCEPTABLE SIN and 60 YEAR OLD STRIPPER to start making distribution money online with those hit fest shorts; gotta pick an Oscar qualifier to have the premiere of our upcoming short PAYDAY LOAN; find time to shoot a little bit of THE OLD STRIPPER documentary; and get pre-production wrapped up for JUNK...

Busy times!

Get Mother's new book THOUGHTS OF A STRIPPER online at:

http://thoughtsofastripper.webs.com

Watch the new YouTube Book Trailer for STRIPPER at:



Our new film JUNK on INDIEGOGO:

THE X-RATED GRANDMA on Indiegogo

Well...we now have a new website for our film project THE X-RATED GRANDMA....

INDIEGOGO!

Indiegogo has partnered with us to help us raise money to make our new feature film. It took me over 2 years, but I finally filmed the movie, and got that done...7 different short films of my Mother Opal, aka PHONE SEX GRANDMA!

We've got to raise just a little more money to get the editing done for this film, so we can start getting it out on the film festival circuit. Indiegogo is going to try to help us make this happen.

PHONE SEX GRANDMA, THE OUTHOUSE, THE 60 YEAR OLD STRIPPER, THE ACCEPTABLE SIN....these little short films I've made have played over 60 festivals worldwide....now we just need to finish editing our first feature...and we'll already have a worldwide film market for THE X-RATED GRANDMA to play!

Today With My Real Father....

I've been spending the day with my real father....my Mother.

Opal is my Father. My parents divorced when I was 6 years old, and my deadbeat dad had nothing to do with my life. He just cared about himself. My Mother raised my sister and I on her own in the 1970's and '80's; all alone. She showed her ass on stage to jack-offs around the country for 20 years because nobody else would help her. She was on her own...all alone.

She is my Father. My Mother. My best friend.

Last Year in L.A.

It was about this time last year I was in L.A. the last time. Man, that was a fucking rough time. I never L.A. being that tough to survive before.

I went out there for the World Premiere of my documentary short THE 60 YEAR OLD STRIPPER. It was premiering at the L.A. Shorts Fests in Burbank at the AMC Theater. I thought this would be a great time to finally move out there again for awhile and work the industry. Boy, was I wrong.

The biggest is not always the best. That fest was for shit. You had to pay for everything, everyone lied all the time (typical L.A. stuff), and I was fighting to survive. I was staying in this rat hole in Hollywood. And working telemarketing jobs by the day to make ends meet. I'm glad I was out there for the Burbank premiere; but it wasn't worth it. I stayed out there for about 6 weeks, then took the bus back home. Mother was with me the whole time, too. She was the subject of THE 60 YEAR OLD STRIPPER. She's the subject of all my beginning films these first few years. I don't know how she survived that city. I'll never put her though that again.

It's times like that that make be appreciate being stuck out here in the boonies. It may be boring out here right now; but at least I'm living. I'm not a rat in a hell hole.

Last Night's Tornadoes

Well...I survived another night out here in farm country.

I thought we might be goners for sure this time.

It was crazy....my tv went out for good last night during Nightline, then my internet was out (this dial-up internet is for shit...doesn't work 80% of the time)...so I was stuck reading Walden on my bed. Then, 10 minutes later (around midnight), the tornado sirens went off. I got Mother and Patches, and we walked down to the church basement. The radio down there was saying about all of the tornadoes around. Finally, about 1 a.m., the warnings stopped and we walked home. All of the electric power was out for the county, so it was pitch dark. Power just went back on here about 2 hours ago. Then, I tossed and turned, and couldn't sleep last night.

It's crazy out here in the boonies....no car, no electric, no public communication, unable to work on my movies right now, or communicate with others...unable to get a job somewhere...but I'm alive another day!