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February 2012
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Age
40

Sex
Male

Relationship Status
Married

Location
Colorado (USA)

Work/School
Freelance writer, screenwriter, novelist.

Links
Homepage


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Fan of 21 items > See all
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Raiders of the Lost Ark
#1 Movie of All-Time
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
#1 Fantasy
... View the rest.
Rogue428
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Just sent out my latest novel to a new agent. Fingers crossed

TOTAL POSTS
436 Posts
Senior Schmoe
Rogue428 updated his STATUS: 8 months ago

Just sent out my latest novel to a new agent. Fingers crossed

Servo
Servo at 01:31 AM Jun 18

Good luck man

Cherry Liquor
Cherry Liquor at 02:26 AM Jun 18

Good luck.

VitamanMan8
VitamanMan8 at 02:47 AM Jun 18

Luck to you!

Read all 4 comments >>

Rogue428 posted a VIDEO item: 8 months ago

Star Wars the Old Republic E3 footage.

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG1muhoIeVA&feat...

Rogue428
Rogue428 at 10:29 PM Jun 14

The cinematics alone are better than most of what Lucasfilm has put out in years. That's kind of my point. I don't know what the game is like, I haven't played it. But the 3 cinematics were better than the prequels.

joeyc5
joeyc5 at 10:40 PM Jun 14

Lucas Arts needs to quit teasing us with this jaw dropping kinematics and simply make a feature length cg film!!!

WP-DFA
WP-DFA at 10:51 PM Jun 14

^yeah, I never got why The Clone Wars looked so shitty when they could've done something like this...

Read all 5 comments >>

Rogue428 updated his STATUS: 8 months ago

Raiders of the Lost Ark is 30 years old today. A fantastic movie that still holds up. Countdown to Hollywood f'ing it up with a reboot in 3....2....

randychico
randychico at 04:25 PM Jun 12

I welcome another sequel.. a reboot would not work at all, maybe just continue the franchise ala James Bond

Rogue428
Rogue428 at 04:31 PM Jun 12

I would not mind another Indiana Jones adventure at all. Maybe with a new actor playing Indy, but continuing the franchise. More like "Raiders" and less like "Crystal Skull" or "Temple of Doom" that would be okay.

randychico
randychico at 05:28 PM Jun 12

heey... I feel offended you put Crystal Skull and Temple of Doom in the same context haha :p

Rogue428 posted a VIDEO item: 8 months ago

WatchPonies

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1hETuP33r8

Rogue428
Rogue428 at 03:25 PM Jun 11

I'm not sure what the hell just happened...

randychico
randychico at 03:39 PM Jun 11

I just saw that it was something animated so I clicked it hahaha.. I didn't understand the title until I was already watching, that was awesome, thos little ponies look badaass!

Rogue428 posted a BLOG item 9 months ago

Keeping Promises: Pseudo-random musings about "LOST" and storytelling.

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Telling a story in modern times is really all about keeping promises. I am trying to make a living as a professional writer. My chosen medium for storytelling is the novel. I sometimes dabble in screenplays. When a prospective reader picks up my book, they might do so for any number of reasons: the cover art, the blurb on the back, my first page, or even my first sentence. All of these become part of the ‘hook’.

The same goes for other forms of storytelling, regardless of medium. Sometimes, we call the hook a trailer; sometimes we call it a teaser. But it is still a hook and what it amounts to is a promise. When someone buys a book, or a movie ticket, or tunes into a television program, they do it because the promise, the hook, is something that resonates with them. Writers in any medium break that promise at their own peril.

Think about the stories that you don’t like. A lot of them started out good, even great. The concept was something that interested you. You bought into the promise. Then when the story’s execution fell short of the promise, you felt cheated. That’s really the root cause of your dislike of these stories, that they didn’t fulfill their promises. Because, you feel cheated, emotion enters the equation. That can turn mere dislike of a story into absolute hatred for the story and its creator (i.e. Star Wars prequels). That’s the kiss of death for a storyteller.

This brings me to some brief thoughts on “LOST”. As quick background, I was an avid fan of the show and never missed an episode. I looked forward to each episode but actually, when I think back about it, it wasn’t the episodes I really looked forward to, it was the discussions about the episodes on the forums, at work, and with my friends that made the show fun. “LOST” was some of the best television to come about in years. For the most part, it was ably acted, well written, and played with our emotions. It could be funny, sad, smart, and flat-out entertaining all at the same time. Anytime you have story that good, you will get emotions wrapped up in it. To say the series finale conjured up an emotional response is a severe understatement.

So, now we have two camps. Those that think “LOST” was a monumental success down to the last closing credits versus those that believe that “LOST” was ultimately a failure in its execution of the series finale.

I place myself firmly in the latter camp.

The show’s defenders will often trot out bromides like, “It wasn’t about the mysteries,” “the answers don’t matter,” “Character first.” Often they do it in a snide tone, since I, and others that disliked the show’s ending, obviously don’t “get it.”

I get it. I actually agree with ‘Character first’. In any genre or medium, the best stories are the ones that place character first. The best stories have the plot driven from character motivations and not the other way around. So why don’t I agree with the programs defenders? Why did I hate the series finale so much?

Because as much as you can say, ‘it wasn’t about the mysteries’, it really was. The show’s entire premise relied on them to move the story along. Each episode ended with a hook, a new promise, a new mystery be it the Dharma initiative, the Hatch, the Others, the numbers, Walt? (Ah, for those heady days when Walt and Whidmore were still important.) A good number of viewers tuned in to see how the characters would deal with the mysteries.

By ending the show the way they did, I feel “LOST” broke its promise.
The series finale attempted a heck of twist and a year later, I still hate it just as much as the second it aired. That’s not to say that I don’t like twists or that storytellers can’t have twist endings. In fact, we need new twists to keep old ideas fresh. But that twist still has to fulfill or exceed the original promise. That’s why Star Wars: Episode I is disappointing, why the Matrix and Pirates of the Caribbean sequels fail to live up to the originals, why the “Dallas” dream ending finale is still notorious after all these years.

No, the show wasn’t just about the mysteries. Yes, it is about the characters. But denying that the mysteries, and how the characters dealt with them, were a key factor of the show is false.

Imagine the following: An Agatha Christie story, with no mystery. A Sherlock Holmes story where he never leaves 221B Baker Street and instead reflects on the uses of cocaine for the entire tale. An Indiana Jones movie that’s just a college lecture for two hours. A Doctor Who episode where he takes the T.A.R.D.I.S. through time, just to eat at a restaurant and then nothing else happens. People can tell these stories, but no one will care, because no one wants to hear about the stories that don’t fulfill the original promises. Fans of Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes want the mystery. Indy is best when he’s having adventures. Doctor Who is about time traveling surprises with clever solutions. When a storyteller tampers with that, they risk breaking their promise and compromising the story.

To me, the “LOST” series finale violated its promise deeply. I feel cheated. Lied to. But there are many people out there that feel that the storytellers fulfilled or even exceeded their promise. I can never convince them otherwise and vice versa. But both sides actually “get it” and therein lies the rub.


Mood: Chillin'
JohnLocke2342
JohnLocke2342 at 10:52 AM May 24

I feel really satisfied with the ending of LOST and I'm sorry you hated it so much. At the end of the day, I got answers to what the island was, what the numbers meant, why they survived the crash, why the polar bears were there, why the nuke didn't kill them, the voices in the jungle, why the dead can be seen on the island, what the "sideways" world was and a decent but not fantastic conclusion to Walt. I wanted a better, more elaborate response to a lot of those questions, but the ones they provided were satisfying enough, or just didn't matter in the long run (like the bird from season 1 and why Walt was taken). I think the fact that Walt was written out of the show for 5 seasons kind of helped with my acceptance of his story coming to close.

I can see why people would be frustrated at the initial response, but I feel like the writers did enough to justify the ending and give us a satisfying, but not perfect conclusion. I respect your opinion and I'm sorry you hated it so much... at least you're not in the camp that feels that he "wasted" his time watching the episodes.. because I just feel bad for those people.

But I agree with you that it definitely wasn't perfect, and I wanted some more after it ended.. but I think I just had so much fun watching the show and felt so good about the conclusion of the characters that it just.. doesn't bother me.

Munson, Roy E.
Munson, Roy E. at 04:10 AM May 25

Agree with Locke, but the Walt thing kinda pisses me off

Rogue428 updated his STATUS: 9 months ago

Rogue428 created a LIST: 9 months ago

Favorite...

57110
1. Movie - Raiders of the Lost Ark
2. Color - Black
3. Animal - Dog
4. Animal (wild) - Panther (black)
5. Band - Metallica (pre-St. Anger...back when they didn't suck and still had souls)
6. Superhero/Superheroine (if you're into stuff) - The Punisher / Rogue
7. Possession - USS Enterprise Model signed by original cast.
8. Season - Fall
9. Video Game (if you play them) - Mass Effect 2, Battlefield BC2
10. School Subject (past or present) - Military History, Planetary Science
11. Book - The Lord of the Rings / Atlas Shrugged
12. Job you've ever had - Job I have now, Writer... yeah its on spec. But it still beats anything I've ever done before.
13. Place to hang out -Home
14. Baseball team - Um....no. Baseball is dumb.
15. Football team - Bears (pro) / Falcons (college...my Alma Mater)
16. Basketball team - Bulls
17. Hockey team - Blues (my bro likes them....I don't watch hockey)
18. Soccer team - Um....no.
19. TV Show - Probably have to go with Law & Order or its variants since I watch the reruns a lot because they're on. NCIS too..for same reason. Def. Not LOST.
20. Fruit - Apples
21. Vegetable - Broccoli
22. Food - Chicago-style Hot Dog w/ real Vienna Beef!
23. Musical Instrument (even if you don't play) - Electric Guitar
24. Outdoor activity - Paintball.
25. Thing about MFC - podcasts and interacting with opinionated people who love movies!

Based on a list by wallcrawler383

WalkAway
WalkAway at 05:44 PM May 12

planetary science sounds fun!

JohnLocke2342
JohnLocke2342 at 06:14 PM May 12

#1.. oh yeah.

Rogue428
Rogue428 at 06:36 PM May 12

Planetary science is great! Wind effects on Mars, geology of Luna, liquid methane oceans on Titan, liquid water pressurized oceans under tons of ice on Europa, anti-clyconic storms that could hold the entire Earth on Jupiter. It is fantastic and never boring!

Rogue428 updated his STATUS: 9 months ago

Zounds! Mine eyes have witnessed the Mighty Thor! Verily tis a powerful and worthy spectacle!

Rogue428 created a LIST: 9 months ago

A Few Of My Favorite Things

1. Favorite Movie: Raiders of the Lost Ark
2. Favorite Director: Ridley Scott
3. Favorite Musical: Les Miserables
4. Favorite Horror Movie: The Exorcist
5. Favorite Film Critic: Chris Bumbray
6. Favorite Band: Metallica (pre-St. Anger)
7. Favorite Album: Operation Mindcrime
8. Favorite Musician: Heather Dale
9. Favorite Book: Atlas Shrugged
10. Favorite Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
11. Favorite Graphic Novel: Watchmen
12. Favorite Superhero: The Punisher
13. Favorite Supervillain: General Zod
14. Favorite Supermodel: Meluxine
15. Favorite TV Show: Southland (for now), of all time I'd say a close tie between "Robin of Sherwood" and "Firefly"
16. Favorite Sitcom: Don't watch any, unless Futurama & Southpark count.
17. Favorite Play: Henry V
18. Favorite Playwright: Shakespeare
19. Favorite Artist: Donato
20. Favorite City: Chicago
21. Favorite Dish: Italian Beef and Cheddar
22. Man -Crush: Gerard Butler
23. Lady-Crush: Nicole Kidman
24. Favorite Comedian: Daniel Tosh (right now)
25. Favorite Podcast: JoBlo podcast
26. Favorite Sport: Fencing
27. Favorite Capitalist: Elon Musk
28. Favorite Socialist: Um....no.
29. Favorite Nihilist: probably Nietzsche
30. Favorite Planet: Saturn
31. Favorite Asshole: Glen Beck

Based on a list by Servo

Rogue428 updated his STATUS: 10 months ago

Pitching a new project to an agent today. Here goes nothing again.

jekupka
jekupka at 11:03 AM Apr 30

Good luck.

Rogue428 posted a MOVIE REVIEW item: 10 months ago

Sucker Punch



Suckerpunch-banner4

Directed by: Zack Snyder
Written by: Zack Snyder, Steve Shibuya
Cast: Carla Gugino, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, Michael Jai White, Jon Hamm, Abbie Cornish, Jamie Chung
Studio: Warner Bros
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Thriller
Official Site: suckerpunchmovie.warnerbros.com
Plot: A young abused girl uses her imagination to escape a mental hospital.

Review:

Short, Sweet, and Spoiler-Free as usual.

This movie is all over the place. It plays like a video-game adaptation and a Zach Snyder love letter to 13 year old boys inside every guy. The heroines, able warriors all, go about dressed in what amounts to glorified lingerie (which comes off as utterly ridiculous, even though they all look amazing!) and the set pieces derive from video and tabletop games, with one (my favorite) being heavily inspired by Warhammer 40,000 and Secret Weapons of the Third Reich.

Snyder employs his singular style but this film is much more style over substance than his other efforts. That said, I did enjoy the film for what it was. The only failure on his part I felt was not actually showing us a sample of Baby Doll's dance. But then again, the film is PG-13 and given that Baby Doll could essentially hypnotize men by her dancing alone, perhaps it was for mature audiences only.

Bottom line: It's okay. Crazy visuals, excellent camera-work and fight choreography. (Sweet Pea (Abby Cornish) in particular looks like she really knows what she's doing.) Sadly, a disjointed story that doesn't quite figure out what it wants to be until the third act, hurt this movie. Still better than most things by Michael Bay, but in that same kind of turn-your-brain off entertainment.

Other reviews of this film: Derek237 (5/10) , cerealkiller182 (5/10) > Display all

Read all 1 comments >>

Rogue428 updated his STATUS: 10 months ago

2 of the shorts I worked on to screen at Cheyenne International Film Festival! Apparently we're opening and closing the program!

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