Badge Kickstarter's Sparkling Start, Plus New Pieces

Getting $2610 in the first week of the Kickstarter campaign to fund the publication of Badge is friggin' awesome. There's still a long way to go, but for one week, consider my expectations exceeded.

Still, do you know what I'm most tickled about? The comments I've gotten about the first chapter of Badge, which I also posted last week. People, feel free to give this thing a look before you donate. 

Also this past week, my Weeklings piece "Like this Essay"  was picked up by The Good Man Project. This hasn't hurt my ego one bit. Give it a read while I can still fit my head in the room.

Finally, Word Riot was kind enough to run my review of Rob Roberge's latest, The Cost of Living, which takes us well up the sex and drugs road of rock lit. Give it a read as you wait for Badge, who also likes to imbibe.

Yours in laying down the law,

Art

Contribute to the Kickstarter campaign for my third novel Badge.

 
Check out the Trailer for Stuck Outside of Phoenix the Movie, which premiered in Tempe in May 2013.

Or try Stuck Outside of Phoenix in print form for just $5.

Or try Stuck for your Kindle for just $2.99.

Badge's Kickstarter Campaign Goes Live, plus Badge Sample Chapter

Today's a big day for me.  

Today I'm starting the Kickstarter campaign that will allow me finally to bring my third novel Badge to you. I've been waiting years for this. 

Please take a look at Badge's Kickstarter page, check out the project summary and rewards, and please donate.

Also, I've posted the first chapter of Badge at my website. Get your first real taste of the novel right here!

Yours in laying down the law,

Art

Contribute to the Kickstarter campaign for my third novel Badge.

 
Check out the Trailer for Stuck Outside of Phoenix the Movie, which premiered in Tempe in May 2013.

Or try Stuck Outside of Phoenix in print form for just $5.

Or try Stuck for your Kindle for just $2.99.

New Stuck the Movie Review/New Piece

First of all, I hope you caught this wonderfully complimentary review of Stuck the Movie. These are the surprises that make it all worth it. Thank you, Michell Hillman.

Second, a new piece of mine is up at The Weeklings, which explores Facebook as increasing the divide between our personas and our real selves. Is your Facebook page you? Are you your Facebook page? What's the difference?

Yours in laying down the law,

Art

Check out the Trailer for Stuck Outside of Phoenix the Movie, which premiered in Tempe in May 2013.

Or try Stuck Outside of Phoenix in print form for just $5.

Or try Stuck for your Kindle for just $2.99.

"So, What Did You Think?"

As you might imagine, last Saturday was overwhelming in the best way. What a surprise to find Trouble himself Brian Blush sitting right behind me in the theater. General mayhem ensued. Good to see my old roomy and cohort again.

So, the movie. 

There was so much to like, it's hard to know where to start. The biggest surprise was that each principle actor nailed his moment or two to say what his character believes in. I'm thinking of Lola's dialog about Paris, Gad's "musical epiphany," Lance's "drums and basketball," and Hote's "what makes a good band good" moments. Hote's really a blank slate (or map, tehee) at the beginning of the movie, despite his chest thumping. He's looking for the way forward in his life, and all these characters help him figure it out. Funny, but it's baby Franco who teaches him the most. Way to escape the crib, Hote! 

And how about that baby, eh? What a little charmer! A natural actor if I've ever seen one. I chuckled every time he popped up.

Funny was not in short supply. Four of my favorite moments, two scripted, two not:

1) Digs Ven, when Hote buys him a beer: "You're not gay, are you?"

2) The four-way stop scene when Hote is walking from Lola's to Lance's place to get his car;

3) Hote whispering in Gad's ear while Gad meditates: "You're fuckin weird." (Maybe my favorite moment.)

4) Hote, when Lance offers up one too many "Santanic"s: "You seriously need to stop that." 

And there were some beautiful shots too. I'm partial to that one of Hote squatting in front of Papago Park, but there were others, including the closing shot. Tres beau!

Some of the flaws of the film are obvious, and from what I gather, easily fixable. Here are the ones I haven't heard mentioned:

1) I felt like the "Two Weeks Earlier" backstory dragged and could be pared down considerably. These scenes went down late in the writing phase, and over-explained just about everything. I blame the writer.

2) The scenes overall felt long. I found myself squeezing my armrest when scenes kept going. Every stroll from car to house/apt. door, for example, could be pared down. The 5/2 version is 100 minutes, but this thing could rip your head off at 80-90.  

These are small. The last thing Nico and Co. need right now are 300 voices telling them what to do. Still, those are my two pesos. 

If you missed the premiere, there's another showing at ASU this Friday, and it's free!

Thanks a thousandfold to Nico and everyone who made this movie as wonderful and touching and rockin' as it is. Kel and I were chatting about it all the way home.

What did you think? Favorite part? Least favorite? 
 
Yours in laying down the law,

Art

Check out the Trailer for Stuck Outside of Phoenix the Movie, which will premiere in Tempe in early 2013.

Or try Stuck Outside of Phoenix in print form for just $5.

Or try Stuck for your Kindle for just $2.99.