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1 Second Almost Every Day - A Supercut of My Life!

Okay, I’m really bad at forming good habits.

On four separate occasions I started a “1 Second Everyday” video, all attempts ending in failure. I saw some of my friends posting their own collections of memories, and thought that would be a great way for me to have some chance of remembering my life. But I couldn’t even…

If I don't get a comment on this article, I might just quit blogging and start an insurance firm.

There’s more to life than movies. But honestly I have a hard time not getting excited for this stuff. Here’s my ten most anticipated movies of 2019!

Avengers: Endgame

‘Nuff said!

Spider-Man: Far from Home

As if I’m not excited to see my favorite hero go up against bearded magical Jake Gyllenhaal.

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My favorite films of the year!

This wasn’t the strongest year for movies, but I feel like I say that every year. Maybe my taste is just getting more pretentious as I work in the entertainment industry. It seems I’m starting to enjoy the average movie less than I used to. Nevertheless, I still can’t get enough of them.

In 2018, thanks to movie subscription services, I was able to see more movies in a theater than I normally…

These were my ten most anticipated films of 2018. Let’s see if they lived up to my expectations.

These were my ten most anticipated films of 2018. Let’s see if they lived up to my expectations.

Avengers: Infinity War – May 4

I thought there was no way this movie could deliver on all the hype. But it did. It absolutely did.

I’m not saying this is groundbreaking cinema here, but the fact that it works at all — with so many characters to juggle, so many plot lines to tie up, so much backstory…

Location: Ford Theatres, Los Angeles, CA

If you’ve known me for longer than a day, you know my favorite TV show is Lost. And while the networks have tried for years to copy the best show of all time, most of their efforts have crashed and burned (no pun intended). There just hasn’t been a show that captures my imagination the way Lost did, and I would take any opportunity to go back and visit the Island once again.

Destiny came calling in the form of “We Have To Go Back: The LOST Concert 2018.” They had an event like this two years ago, but I decided not to go for money reasons. After seeing pics and articles, I regretted not being there. How could a major Lost fan like me not attend such an event? It’s tailor-made for me. Thank God they decided to get the band back together again!

As I walked through the gate, sporting my new Lost t-shirts, I heard the Smoke Monster roaring in the trees. I had a quick snack, checked out the merch table, then headed inside. My girl knows me well, so she surprised me by getting us two perfect seats months ahead of the show. The icing on the cake: I was sitting in Seat #108. If you’ve seen the show, you’ll understand the significance of that number.

  We were sure to get there early for the Q&A with composer Michael Giacchino and showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, or as Losties call them, Darlton. These guys are basically my writing heroes. As I try to make the transition from post production to writing, I soak up all the knowledge I can from the people who wrote my favorite things. I’m pretty sure I’ve listened to or watched every interview that Damon and Carlton have given.

I debated if I should ask them a question as a line formed at the mic. I had a question in mind, so my girl convinced me to go up (I had already tested this question at a Comic-Con fan panel a couple months earlier). Unfortunately, the last question they took was from the person right in front of me, so that will teach me not to hesitate again. People were asking a lot of dumb questions, either stuff I already knew the answers to, or just hogging the mic. Still, I had the advantage of watching the whole Q&A very close to the stage. And when special guests started coming out, I was able to get some great shots.

One by one, cast members entered and took a seat: Josh Holloway (Sawyer, one of my favorites on the show), Daniel Dae Kim (Jin), Rebecca Mader (Charlotte), Andrea Gabriel (Nadia), and Emile de Ravin (Claire, actually pregnant like her character in the pilot). This was a completely different crew from the PaleyFest panel I witnessed four years ago. You never know who’s gonna show up to these things!

After a brief break, the Hollywood Studio Symphony Orchestra took the stage, their instruments swelling together in that familiar tone. Then Michael Giacchino came back out, and the show began. At the very beginning. Suddenly, we flashed back in time, fourteen years ago. The opening scene of Lost was projected on the screens, while Michael conducted the orchestra through the music of the pilot.

Over the next three hours, the orchestra played many of the most recognizable pieces from the show. Themes of love and loss, adventure and mystery, action and suspense. The absolute highlight for me was “Parting Words” which was played along with the Raft Launch scene from the end of Season One. I’m not an outwardly emotional guy, but I always tear up during that scene. I’ve always told people, if I can just write one scene as good as that, my writing career will be a success.

Of course, that scene has almost no dialogue, so the scripting wasn’t even the most important part. It was the music that made it something truly special. Damon and Carlton both cried when they heard that piece for the first time. They also talked about the advantages of having Michael compose for Lost. His music was so iconic eventually they would just write his name into the script.

To explain, Emile de Ravin read us a scene from the Season Three Finale “Through The Looking Glass.” An explosion goes off in the underwater hatch, which is now filling with water. Charlie is about to die a hero’s death. “…And Giacchino starts to play…” The other cast members read excerpts from the show as well, a nice supplement to the orchestral score.

The concert wrapped up with music from the emotional final scene of Lost. We watched all our favorite characters embrace each other in the church. The plane took off from the Island successfully. Jack closed his eye for the last time, and it was over. Except for a couple bonuses: a track that was almost cut for time, and a never-before-heard piece from Michael’s brand new movie Bad Times at the El Royale.

After the applause, we rushed the stage to get a good position for pictures and autographs. I was able to score autographs from several of the cast members, as well as Michael and Damon. I nervously told Damon what an inspiration he’s been to me over the years. He was very gracious with his time and made sure we got a decent photo. Here’s proof:

Unfortunately the crowd was too thick, so I didn’t make it to Carlton in time. Oh well, I’ll get him at the next concert. Here we are with Michael. Just look at those smiles!

I can definitely say this night is one of my top ten favorite experiences. It made me want to go home and binge all my Lost DVDs for the millionth time. It also sparked my creative imagination, and I’ve been on a roll with my writing. How can we ever top this concert? I guess we’ll just have to fly to Hawaii and put our feet in the sand where this all started!

I leave you with the beautiful Raft Launch…

It's that time of year again! Check out my picks...

It’s that time of year again! The time when all of Los Angeles comes together and pretends that they’ve seen every film nominated for the most prestigious awards in the business. I’ve seen the majority of major films, but I still haven’t gotten to Phantom Thread, Darkest Hour, Mudbound, Call Me By Your Name, and Victoria & Abdul. Over a year ago, I proclaimed Get Out the best picture of the year.…

We have a lot to look forward to!

Even though next year’s best movies are nowhere on my radar right now, I can’t help but get excited for all the adventures I know are coming soon. After a minimal amount of research and trailer watching, here’s what I’m looking forward to this year… Avengers: Infinity War – May 4 The culmination of all Marvel’s success in the past ten years. There’s almost no way it can live up to the hype and…

My ten favorite films of 2017!

I always assume I’ll have more time than I actually get. I thought buying a Movie Pass would help me see more movies at the end of this year. But life has other plans. Still, I managed to see enough in 2017 to cobble together a top ten list. The top ten films of 2017 in order of how much I liked them. Not how well they were done. Not how long they will last. Not how deep their themes. Not how…

These ten films were my most anticipated of 2017. Let's see how they did.

These ten films were my most anticipated of 2017. Let’s see how they did. Star Wars Episode VIII – December 15 Definitely a great Star Wars film that deserves major points for taking risks and trying new things. Will have to watch again to fully comprehend my feelings. Didn’t leave me euphoric like The Force Awakens did, but left me…

Pretty Pics from a PlayStation Powerhouse

I don’t consider myself a video gamer, but I’m not afraid to devote 100 hours of my life to a game that really catches my eye. The Uncharted franchise has been consistently at the forefront of the gaming industry for a decade. I’ll never forget when I first hung off the side of a cliff in Uncharted 2 years ago, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Uncharted 4, the final entry in the series, is the…

Most Anticipated of 2017

I already showed you guys my ten favorite films of 2016. Now check out my ten most anticipated of this year! Of course, most of them are sequels of some kind. Even Christopher Nolan himself could qualify as a brand. I’m sure I haven’t heard of many of the movies I’ll end up loving this year, but until I do here’s an unsurprising list of sequels! Star Wars Episode VIII – December 15…

Here are my 10 favorite movies of the year...

2016 was not a great year for movies. Many times this year I left the theater with an indifferent look my face, not having been excited or moved in any significant way. Still, I managed to scrape together a top ten list… The top ten films of 2016 in order of how much I liked them. Not how well they were done. Not how long they will last. Not how deep their themes. Not how wide their appeal. The…

I know you want to read this.

Whether or not you like this movie, I think we all have to agree…that’s one sick title. I love titles that spell out exactly what you’re gonna get, e.g. Snakes on a Plane, The Girl on the Train…basically any version of living things riding vehicles. Oh, and how about this explicit zinger from Alfred Hitchcock: Murder! What if all movie titles were so literal? It would certainly save us a lot of…