Paul Cram Actor

Nude Audition... I am Naive Sometimes

2012-01-26T07:20:00.000-06:00

The dictionary definition of "Naive" having or showing unaffected simplicity of nature or absense of sophistication. A few years ago my naive-ness reared it's head... I auditioned for a play where the role was written to be butt naked. And I didn't realize it until very late into the audition process. But I am getting ahead of myself.

The audition posting is exciting, local play seeks male actor for dramatic lead role! I fit the description well enough so I attend the preliminary casting session. Walking into the audition room, I see several actors that I know from previous work, as well as some that I've never seen before. No surprise there. I am called in for my audition, I do my prepared monologue, answer a couple questions and then leave. I am striving not to think about how it went afterwards. I go crazy if I do, as I'll nit-pick every little word I said and was said to me.

Awkward Call Back

I get a call back. So I find myself waiting in line a few days later to read with the woman they have pre-cast in the leading woman's role. While standing there, the play's director walks out of the casting room and down the hallway past our single-file line. Apparently he is on his way to use the restroom. Maybe too much coffee? On his return he stops right in front of me, says "Paul, I am really looking forward to seeing much more of you." Pats my shoulder and walks back into his inner sanctum.

A Dim Light Bulb Flickers

That's when the two men to my left start talking about how they each were going to handle it when they take their pants off. Which doesn't register with me at first. (Actors are always getting dressed and undressed for stuff.) But wait a second. Dimly the light bulb above my head starts to sputter a little. The director's comment starts to replay in my head. "I am really looking forward to seeing more of you." Ding, ding, ding! WHAT? I turn to the two guys and ask "do you mean you are going to take your pants off in the audition room?" and they just give me weird looks and say that this is the call back for the show. Then give me another look that says I ought to be in the know somehow.

Dumb Intern? Or Me Just Being Dumb?

So I walk to the front of the line to speak with the young 20-ish intern sitting in a chair. She's got her nose deep in a romance novel. I try to keep my voice low as I ask/tell her that I am not sure if I am understanding what is required in this audition? She turns to me and raises her eyebrows and loudly says in a Well Duh! tone of voice "The play is Equus." And I just blink not knowing why it is that she is telling me the title of the play. So I say "I know the name of the play."
Oh, the looks and laughter that were shot between all of the guys in line behind me. I had no idea what it was about, until it was told bluntly to me by the intern that Equus has nudity, tons of nudity in it. I wound up leaving the audition before my call back. So the director never did get to see "more" of me. I just found it to be too odd to be asked to undress for a call back. More-so when it wasn't pointed out in the audition notice. I just don't like that kind of surprise. I suppose I could mention too that nudity doesn't bother me much, but something about this whole experience left me wanting to put on a snow suit. :)

In Defense of My Naive-ness

Walking to my car I keep thinking that even if the play is famous for it's nudity, that doesn't mean it will always be performed nude. In my opinion I think the theater ought to have not assumed that everyone auditioning would know how the play was going to be performed. Example: A good friend of mine played the role of Mrs. Kendal in The Elephant Man. Her role was originally performed with some quick flashes of topless nudity. But in her G-rated production she simply wore a flesh toned camisole. Sort of a nod to the nude effect without the nudity.

My Experience with the Fragrance Underworld

2012-01-24T07:00:00.000-06:00

Now before you read on thinking I have a dark association with the black market underbelly of the perfume world. I don't. (What would I know about that? I am a scrawny actor). I mean my experience with the cologne adeptly named Underworld by Liz Zorn. (Creator of Rivertown Road cologne, a favorite of mine.) When I read the name of the fragrance Underworld I was intrigued. My mind conjuring up the inspiration for the scent being mythological images of Anubis, the Jackal-headed Egyptian god bringing condemned souls into the underworld.
So I ordered a sample. Thinking of a haunting scent shrouded in darkness.

Jackal headed Anubis reads the scales

Is Underworld the Perfumer's Interpretation of Eternal Damnation in a Bottle?

The ingredient list includes "vetivers from around the globe." Having not yet fully grasped what exactly vetiver smells like on it's own. I research it. Here's what I find...

What Vetiver Is

Vetiver Chrysopogon zizanioides is a type of perennial grass closely related to lemon grass. Unlike most grass root systems which grow in a clumped vertical system, vetiver roots grow into the ground horizontally. Much more like a tree's root system than a grass one. This is also where the essential oil for vetiver is gathered, from it's roots. Major cultivators of vetiver are India and Haiti. Vetiver not only has a unique scent, it also has excellent chemically related fixative qualities. Which is one of the reasons it's found in countless perfume and colognes around the globe.

Harvesting Vetiver Video

The Aroma Recipe of Underworld

In addition to vetiver, Underworld also includes rich notes of cinnamon, ginger lily, clove, roasted coffee, cocoa, rose, leather and balsams. It is very helpful that Liz lists all the ingredients of a cologne on the packaging. Especially for those allergic to some essential oils. But just like a cooking recipe to me, I can't really tell how it will be from only reading the ingredients.

Smelling Brings a Different Story

I crack open the small glass vial of Underworld and pour some onto my skin. As the scent molecules waft to my nostrils, the Anubis imagery vaporizes out of mind. I was mistaken. This fragrance isn't the underworld of condemned souls. Nope. This is the underworld of a forest floor. Of roots & leaves. Of dirt not disturbed for years. The scent of darkness absorbing light. I mean that in a fanciful way as well as literally. Which makes perfect sense to me now, knowing that vetiver is from a root buried in the dirt.

A Journey Into The Underside

The scent reminds me of the Summer days spent out in the dense forest around my house. When I'd be raking up decaying leaves and mulch. (I was a kid that liked to work out in the yard building gardens...I still like that actually.) Raking, sweating, wiping some pine sap from the knee of my tree-climbing torn jeans. Moist dirt caked beneath fingernails. The deep aroma of earth being opened that hasn't breathed for years. Not unpleasant. A bit dirty. Musty, loamy, yet far from stale. A small heap of dried pine needles burning a few yards away.

Would I Wear It

I imagine someone wearing this would like wearing black eyeliner, paint their nails dark tones of black cherry, and read mostly macabre themed books. I just may have to order a whole bottle.

Good Read... When To Speak Up & When To Shut Up

2012-01-23T11:19:00.000-06:00

After getting two chapters into this pocket-sized book, I shut it. Place it atop my will-get-to-it-sometime stack of books. It isn't the quick fix magazine article "Five sure-fire tips to get your way" that I was hoping it would be. Nope. Instead it delves into gray areas of communication where the reader has to use their own reasoning skills and intuition. Where's the easy-to-discern black & white theoretical situations where speaking up is obvious? Nearly 8 months pass, and I finally hunker down and begin reading a chapter a day which gets me through the book in under a week.

Now am so glad I have read it cover to cover. I find myself referring back upon what the book lays out in a quasi-check list of questions to ask oneself before speaking up in the midst of tumultuous situations- be it with a boss, co-worker, spouse, or who-ever. It explains how to ask good questions. Why to check motives when talking to friends, family, and authorities. Ways to deal with anger and resentment, and how to overcome pressure to remain silent.

Something that stood out to me while reading:
"When then Prime Minister Clement Atlee was asked what [Winston] Churchill did to win the war, he replied simply "Talked about it."
What a poignant statement! He talked about it. It was not how clever their military strategy was during the war, the force of their guns, ships, planes or troops. It was not their threats, anger or their superior battle plans that won the war. No! it was that Prime Minister Churchill talked about it and was unwilling to hide in fear and intimidation..." from When to speak up & when to shut up by Dr. Michael Sedler

The book comes at it from a spiritual perspective, so if you have no desire to read tid-bits of the Bible woven into support the ideas presented, this isn't the book for you.

Grateful for the Teen Who Makes Cookies & Shares A Few with Me

2012-01-22T13:16:00.000-06:00

There's this teenager who, without fail, always gives me several cookies in a box on holidays. She makes them herself. While the cookies are super yummy, and my sweet tooth is ohh so satisfied biting into them, there's something more about the gesture repeating itself over and over, becoming a tradition of sorts that warms my heart so much. I liken it to getting a regular phone call from a good friend. There's just something about it that makes me happy (and full).

Passive Aggressive Response to the Kid Kicking the Back of My Seat While Flying To Hollywood

2012-01-18T21:43:00.000-06:00

My flight to Hollywood has me sitting a row in front of a mom and her two youngsters. Her hands are full as both children appear to be under the age of 6. If I guess their ages, I'd put them at 6 and 4. The four year old was seated directly behind me. I know how hard it is to be cooped up in a small space at that age as you have so much energy that needs to be expended. So I don't do much about the sporadic kicks to the back of my seat during the flight. They are just annoying enough though to make me sigh with relief when the familiar "skid skid" of the planes wheels announce our touch-down to the ground in Los Angeles. But, that's when the kid begins using both feet together on the back of my chair. Creating a sort of battering ram.

Kick, kick, kick, kick, kick...

The man sitting next to me looks at me with eyebrows raised. We both wait a few moments expecting the mother to say something to her little "darling" of a boy.

Kick, kick, kick, kick...

No response. Thinking that she must be in the lavatory I glance behind me. Nope, she is sitting there staring at something apparently very interesting on her empty lap. By now my entire seat is rocking as the kid really gets into a rhythm.

Kick, kick, kick, kick, kick...

Everyone within a seven seat vicinity can hear my chair being kicked. So I take a passive aggressive approach. Turn to the guy next to me and say loud enough for people in several rows to hear, "Gosh, you know how annoying it is when kids are obnoxious and their parent acts as if nothings going on?"
You'd have thought I zapped the mom or something with the way she snapped out of whatever reverie she was in and turned to her son and told him to stop doing that.

All in all, not a bad flight. And that mom did a fine enough job. Which of us hasn't zoned out sometimes to the obvious? And hey, she did a whole lot better than the last time I was on a plane with a kid when the mom gave her son a whistle to play with during the flight. (Oh, I wish I could say I am kidding.)

A Nice Get-Away Buried in the Heart of LA: The Farmer's Market

2012-01-14T21:01:00.000-06:00

Spent a few hours walking around the farmer's market located at The Grove in Los Angeles. Loaded with baubles appealing to just about everyone: salted caramels, fresh strawberries & produce, fresh fish, post cards, herbs, cactus plants, raw steaks, and hats.

I decide to eat dinner here. Again, there's something for everyone along the aisles of open air stalls, from sushi all the way to sauerkraut and pastrami sandwiches with fries.

I get in line for the beef brisket with parsley broiled potatoes on the side. It's divine, so tender. Yum. After that I walk over to the bakery stall and purchase two custard filled eclairs to carry back with me to the hotel. Only one makes it back though, because I eat the first while sniffing some odd oils labeled "china rain" and "bergamot" from a stall that is loaded with assorted sizes of jars. Some smell really icky, and others smell great.

The Farmer's Market, it's really a nice get-away buried in the heart of LA.

Thankful to the Lady that Made Me Mittens From A Coat & Sweater

2012-01-08T07:46:00.000-06:00

Iknow a lady that wouldn't call herself one, but I do, I call her an artist. She has a knack for keeping and creating items loaded with nostalgic memories. Her house is filled with trinkets and mementos, even mundane things that each have a little story or association from her life. We all do it, but somehow she seems to have a knack at it. She sewed me these mittens made from an old man's coat & sweater. Somehow they seem just right. Time to tug them on for a walk down to the corner drug store.

Pick a Scent for a Movie Character & My Surprise at Colognes Carrying Their Creator's Signature

2012-01-02T00:19:00.001-06:00

Makes perfect sense to me now (and probably anyone who thinks about it for a moment). I was surprised though that all of the niche colognes I am sampling seem to have the indelible mark of their creator carved into the molecules of the scent. Which becomes noticeable once you smell several of any one perfumer's colognes. A quasi-theme develops. It's not so much that the colognes smell the same, far from it. It's more that they have a same-ness to their structure. It reinforces to me how our individuality in life comes out in everything we do. We look at Picasso paintings and are able to identify the artist behind his sometimes wildly different paintings. We watch Steven Spielberg's films. They all have his mark on them. You could see several films and pick out the ones Spielberg directed. Why not in perfume or cologne? I suppose I just never thought about it before. So it should have been glaringly obvious to me that there would be a signature of the perfumer in all of their work, but I just didn't think that far ahead.

Scent a character... At some point I'll have to make a sort of scent profile for an acting role I am playing. Along with the regular character work, such as how I walk and talk, I'll include how I smell. I have my doubts as to how much this would help my acting performance, but I find it entertaining, so I say why not? Along the lines of make-believe, here something to try...

List a Character & Their Scent

Could be an existing character like Vampire Lestat (Tom Cruise in Interview With a Vampire), or a generic one like "A Vampire."

I'll start.

Character: Kindhearted Bartender
Scent: Vanillaville by Soivoile. It smells of vanilla, leather, & chewing tobacco.

Character: North Pole Elf
Scent: December by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz, smells of Cardamom cookies & fir trees

Character: Pirate Captain Jack Sparrow (Infamous Johnny Depp role)
Scent: Ore by Slumberhouse, smells of whiskey, coco, milk, & pepper. (Very very heavy on the Whiskey!)

Take a turn if you please, leaving it as a comment.

Pecans Roasting on An Oven Rack... My Attempt At Chocolate Turtles with a Twist: Cayenne Pepper

2011-12-20T22:14:00.000-06:00

No chestnuts roasting here just yet. Spiced pecans, yes. I am trying a twist with my home-made chocolate turtles this year by using spiced pecans instead simply using raw ones. The spiced pecans have a tiny kick because of the addition of Cayenne pepper. I suppose I could name these "Snapping Turtles" :) I am unsure if the crunch of the spiced pecan is too much. I'll find out. Chocolate turtles are time consuming to make, but I love caramel so I consider it worthwhile. I make the spiced pecans (See how in my Spiced pecan recipe blog post). Then use those as the base for the turtles.

As the pecans are cooling, I start warming the caramel. There's a candy maker's shop up the street where I get baking chocolate & their fresh hand-made caramel. I haven't yet learned how to make caramel... one of these days.

After putting dollops of warm caramel on their four-pecan-bed, I scrub out the double boiler of all caramel gooey goodness. Then chip away the block of chocolate and melt that in the boiler. Once it's melted, the fun begins by repeating the same dollop motion again. Once the first layer of chocolate has cooled, then I have fun making squiggles all over it all.

I ate a lot of the spiced pecans while making these. Of course I sampled one. The spiced pecans are a bit crunchy, which isn't bad, but I will have to forewarn people before eating to beware of it.

An Actor's Decemeber Weekend Comforts = A Good Read, Heavy Blanket, & a Warm Scented Cologne

2011-12-17T08:00:00.000-06:00

Following my challenging trip of filming out east last week, it's a welcome distraction to receive an order of cologne from independent Portland based perfumer Slumberhouse and to have a great book to read over the weekend. The scent I ordered from Slumberhouse is called Rume. A spicy rendition that brings to mind the visits I made to my Grandmother's farm. Specifically standing in her kitchen peering over the sides of a ruby-red carnival cut glass bowl, perpetually filled with spiced gum drops. It's a wonderfully warm cologne scent.The audio book I have is Sisters Red. A coming of age story about Scarlett March & her sister Rosie as they hunt down Fenris (Wherewolves). So far it's a great weekend. I plan on spending more of it curled under a blanket, listening to the book, and sipping something warm.

What are your comfort items on a weekend when you are wanting to unwind and de-stress? What do you do?

Funny Audition Requirement: Beautiful Feet Bottoms

2011-12-15T07:00:00.001-06:00

This weeks audition has me competing for the role of a male who is described as having "beautiful feet." The photo is from the audition. Acting is one of the few industries that's required to actively hire people according to their race, gender, & public opinion of their beauty. It's understandable. If a script calls for an obese male with long red hair and paper-white skin, it would be hard to cast Beyonce in the role. Still I find myself chuckling at auditions when I am asked to speak so they can hear my pronunciation, or in this case- to remove my shoes & socks so they can see the bottoms of my feet.

Getting My Feet Ready For Their Close-up

Before the audition I make a quick pit-stop into my medicine cabinet, take out the bottle of French lavender scented body oil that I use after showering (see my Body Oil blog post). I tug off my shoes & socks only to see small lint bunnies between my toes. I fold up my jean hems. Step into the bathtub. Turn on warm water and rinse the bunnies into the drain. Returning to the bottle of body oil. It's scented with French Lavender, which I find is a pleasing scent for feet. I take care to rub it between each toe. I rarely spend this much time pampering my feet, but it isn't often a requirement. I forgo socks. While having my feet photographed for the audition, I am very aware of tension in my toes and try to relax everything as much as possible. I don't recall ever having spent so much time looking at my feet before. Actors do some weird things. Art imitating life. Life's surreal sometimes.

Anyone else have to do quirky things for their job?

Pre De Provence Triple Milled Soap, Sensitive Skin Soap Holy Grail

2011-12-08T07:30:00.000-06:00

So excited today to introduce you to guest blogger & my good friend Kathryn Vento. (@KathrynVento) She's a fellow actor who shares many of the same interests as I do, and many of the same zany quirks. I asked her to do a guest post for me about the triple milled Pre de Provence Soaps. Drumroll please...

Buying soap is a minefield for me- one filled with hives and puffy skin and itchy reactions to drive you mad. If you haven't figured it out yet, and aren't completely grossed out, and yes, decided to keep reading, I have sensitive skin. REALLY sensitive skin. I am a natural redhead and unfortunately this is not an uncommon part of that package. I love being a redhead- it's just a little frustrating when buying what should be a no-brainer, everyday product. Chalk it up to the American body care industry's drive to put more cheap (translation: irritating) fragrance and cleansing ingredients into their body care products, for what I deduce is to reduce costs and increase profits. Which for most is not an issue. And I while I would like nothing more than to buy one of these gorgeously scented, silky creations that feel like a creamy dream in the shower, they have me frantically itching like a dog with fleas within an hour of using them. (Oh yeah, I'm THAT sexy. Oh baby, turn me ON.) And this lovely allergic reaction can intensify for days. In short, years of sensitivity has turned me into a research scientist when I look at ingredient lists. A soap savant if you will. Which has led me to try every unscented product on the market. Some are good, some are not, and I eventually found a few that worked fairly well.

I Miss The Wonderful Smells

The only problem was that I missed, well, smelling GOOD. Not smelling like freshly melted plastic toys (mmmm- singed Barbie hair). Any fellow unscented product buyer knows what I am talking about. You get all excited reading the label thinking, GREAT! Finally! I have found the ONE! (Some search for the perfect mate, me for the perfect soap. Yes, this quest lasts a lifetime- my own personal Holy Grail. And I'm kinda serious. Oh what a sad, sad little sensitive life I lead…) So you open it up to smell said product, and you're met with that god awful plastic smell from Dante's fourth level of hell. But then you think, well, it can't be THAT bad. The smell will go away after a few minutes, right?? (When, when WHEN- will I ever learn? Sigh. Like a sucker at a county fair Sam I am, I'll win that prize, I will!) So you go ahead and try it out, with great hopes. Great, foolish idiotic hopes because you know better. You know what lies ahead. And. The. Smell. Does. NOT. GO. AWAY. And while you may not itch, you're thinking that THIS is just as bad, and back to the store you go with crumpled receipt in hand (because you were convinced this was the ONE, and you threw out the receipt and had to go digging around in the trash can to find it. One more humiliation to add to the list).

Pre De Provence Soap

Which brings me to my latest venture into the great surfactant wilderness: Pre de Provence triple-milled Milk scented soap (Triple-milled means it doesn't dissolve into (very expensive) goo once you set it down. It actually lasts *Gasp* a long time. Who knew such a thing existed?). The scent doesn't linger, but I'd much rather have this, as opposed to a smell so powerfully strong that it screams to everyone within a hundred yard radius (and maybe beyond): HEY!! HEY EVERYBODY!! I SMELL LIKE CUCUMBER MINT JASMINE HYACINTH SANDALWOOD JOLLY RANCHER CHERRY CHEESE POPCORN BOOGER EAR WAX AND ISN'T IT AMAZING AND DON'T I SMELL GOOD!! OMG SMELL ME!!!! Meanwhile, everyone around you and on the next block is gagging from your pretty, pretty smell. (A little HP Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans reference crept in there but you get the point.) So after trying out my new soap for a week- without allergic incident and cautiously hopeful- I absent-mindedly touched my arm and realized it was incredibly silky. Not that I have scaly gator skin to begin with- I may have been a woman without soapy scent, but I did require they leave me touchably soft. But this was a whole 'nother level. Baby soft. Then I realized why. Cue the Oh Happy Day song a la Sister Act II.

A Good Soap

While good soap can't change the world, it can give a few quiet moments of respite from the outside world. It can wrap you in copious, creamy clouds of richly scented lather, a bubble of warm steam and hot water, in a world that doesn't exist beyond the bath. And if you bathe at night as I do, off to sleep you go, with the warm smell of comfort cocooning you in your burrow of blankets, drowsy and drifting into dreams.

And that, my sensitive friends, and all you curious non-sensitives who've journeyed along with me, is the end- my Holy Grail of soap.

Actor's Skin Care: Warding Off Dry Skin

2011-12-06T19:31:00.001-06:00

Am hyper-aware of the state of my skin lately. Seeing that I am making a trip out east in two days, where I'll be on-set playing a sci-fi Alien, this is a good thing. The Alien costume/full body suit requires a lot of special effect make-up and rubber. So there is a good amount of spirit-gum applied to my skin, especially my face, holding things in place. It's while removing it all, with the spirit-gum remover, gentle tugging, and pulling to get it all off, that I am left a bit raw sometimes.

My Dry Skin

It was during some initial work with the special effects artist, that he pointed out how dry my skin was, and I ought to make sure it's hydrated for the shoot. So I've been taking extra measures to stay hydrated as that will lessen the raw-skin after effect.

My Hydrating Regimen

What I've been doing is: showering with warm (not hot water) as heat drys out skin, slathering on body oil after showering, drinking more liquids, applying face moisturizer day & night, and putting a humidifier on my night stand. All in hopes of keeping my skin hydrated. (I figure it can't hurt any to try anyways.) After doing this for the past two weeks I've noticed my skin feels softer. Which makes sense. Dry skin is harsh.

A Nice Body Oil

Am happy to see body oils offered by artisan perfumer Liz Zorn. I like hopping out of the shower and slathering some on as it smells great and keep my skin from drying out in this extreme winter weather. (If you havn't read about my discovery of men's body oil, take a peek at it.) Liz has some great smelling oils. I like the Dark Coffee Bean the most, but also have Invigorate Me, Heart Symmetry, Clary Sage, and French Lavender. They all smell great.

Anyone have any other hints or tips for keeping your skin from drying out & looking it's best? I know I'll be on the airplane for awhile and don't usually like how dry the air is on them. Leave a comment! Thanks.

7 Good Gift Ideas & 1 Bad One (I learnt the hard way)

2011-12-03T16:36:00.001-06:00

My eyes have been feasting on all the great gift guides around. Seriously, I need to remind myself that I don't need ALL of it. I just want ALL of it. So, in classic mimic-style, I'm sharing too. Most of these are items from independent artists I've come across. I like indie artists, certainly because I consider myself one; being an independent film actor. I think it probably goes without saying, but I want to mention that I have no affiliations with the companies.

1. Beautiful Books

I was given a book on December 25, 1999 that is one of the most insightful gifts as an acknowledgement from the giver to me that they really were listening to me in my life and the book was a token of that. I have been giving books as gifts ever since. I find the cloth-bound classics released by penguin publishing to be very endearing. The designs are by Coralind Bickford-Smith and I think she did a very clever job with them. I see all of them online at Amazon.com for under $15 a piece.

Bad Gift Idea: Self-help Books
I 've stood in the self-help section at the local book shop, and while skimming the titles made mental note of who I know that ought to read the book. I've learned not to give them as a gift. It's the wrong platform for it. If I really want someone to read a self-help book, I give it to them in a private moment that isn't a holiday.
Although, maybe you are the type that likes to stoke the fire, burn bridges, and twist the knife in a bit deeper. ;)

2. Brass Octopus Necklace via Etsy

Forget wearing it. I wanna hang it in my bathroom. I saw this hulking necklace while looking online at Canadian necklace maker Chrys Designs on Etsy.com.. (For those that don't know, Etsy's a site where artists sell their trinkets & goods.)
Brass Octopus Necklace $20, Chrys Designs Jewelry Etsy.com

3. Twisted Wick Candles

I have wise sisters. They've clued me in on the fact that if you give someone a candle and they don't like it- they can always burn it. Twisted Wick is cool because it's a small company with interesting wicks. The wick is literally twisted. Almost like it was raveled around a straw before it was dipped into the candle. The idea is it burns more evenly this way.
3oz. Spiced Clove candle by Twisted Wick $5.99

4. Rivertown Road Pour Homme Cologne

The number of compliments I get from this cologne is just amazing. Produced by independent artisan perfumer Liz Zorn. (I highly recommend looking into some niche perfumers, like Liz Zorn. Their scents are usually so much more interesting.) It smells a bit like Bay Rum, with a modern twist. Inspired by rivers, and rivertown people. Rivertown Road Pour Homme 35ml $135.00
She also has a 6 piece sampler set: Liz Zorn sampler set $42-$54

5. Mother-In-Laws Tongue Plant (AKA Snake Plant)

Not only is it a cheeky nod to your spouse's mother, it's also listed on NASA's list of the top plants to clean indoor air of toxins. Many people use this plant in their bedrooms as it can tolerate low light and it is at night that this particular plant creates oxygen. Mother-in-laws Tongue plants are readily available at local florist shops. Depending on size the price is usually $15-$45

6. Give A Goat & Two Chicks

Truly the perfect gift. Donate a goat and two chickens to children in need through the charity World Vision. The chicks grow up & lay eggs and a goat provides up to 16 cups of milk per day. Giving families a source of food, and income. World Vision is awesome as their mission is to help overcome poverty and injustice.

This is my favorite gift on this whole list!

Donate Goat & Two Chicks $100 World Vision

7. Raw Lavender Blossom Honey
Bare Honey is wonderful. It's beyond organic. There is no chemicals, no treatments, no antibiotics, no GMO's, nope. Just raw natural honey.
Each jar has a sprig of lavender, (The aroma is so good) & the health benefits are long lasting too. Raw Lavender Blossom honey has a delicate and velvety texture, with a warm, lingering, lavender blossom finish.
4oz jar $7 Bare Honey

Also, I am always interested in suggestions or things you think I'd like. Leave a comment.

My Heroin Horror Film Screening At Underground Film Festival

2011-12-01T14:09:00.003-06:00

Saturday December 3rd, Director Elijah Woodcock's thriller Dope Sick screens as a part of the Minneapolis Underground Film Festival during the segment Themes of Horror Shot Film Selections.

The film has Todd Parker (played by Paul Cram) in a Heroin addled haze, lost in the maze of a run down hotel where he encounters sexy prostitue Terra Crowe (Ladonna Craelius) who guides him through the twists and turns of his own mind attempting to escape his fate. Tickets $9 at the door, or $6 online.

There will be a Q&A following the piece.

The monster (played by Michael VanHoever) was created by Special Effect Make-up artist Ryan Schaddelee.

Dope Sick was directed by Elijah Woodcock and shot by director of photography Anthony Cousins. Written by John Karsko, Produced by Mason Makram, Brandon Van Vliet, Edward Throckmorton & Elijah Woodcock.

Full cast includes:

Paul Cram, Ladonna Craelius,
Brandon Van Vliet, Ryan Drees, Mullet Michael VanHoever,
Jay Anker, Mike Borka, Anthony Cousins, Jesse Doheny, Chris Hunter, Punnavith Koy, Mason Mackram, Eric McCulloch, Jessica Van Vilet, Elijah Woodcock

See it

I Was Wrong Justin Bieber You Don't Smell Bad

2011-11-28T20:08:00.001-06:00

Why is it whenever I turn my nose up to be snobby that I inevitably have a big green bugger hanging for all to see? I laugh with friends over Justin Bieber releasing a perfume fragrance called Someday. Feeling so much more enlightened than all the masses of consumers being duped into another celebrity cash cow. Rolling my eyes at people buying stuff just because it has a celebrity name on it's package. I make jests at my niece about this, because she seems to own just about everything Justin Bieber: posters, nail polish, his perfume. So imagine the look on my face at Thanksgiving, when I smell a wonderful aroma and blurt out "Wow, someone sure smells good" only to find out that the wearer of the wonderful aroma is my niece. Someday has arrived. All I can say is Justin Bieber's perfume smells awesome.

I wonder what part Justin Bieber played in it's creation? I know Sarah Jessica Parker (Lead actress on that hit show Sex and the City) played a huge role in the creation of her best selling fragrance Lovely. Maybe, just maybe I ought to not assume that all Justin did is lend his name to the marketing of Someday. Just maybe the teenager worked side by side with the chemists as they created the scent? Maybe.

Grateful This Week for People that That Craft Beauty

2011-11-27T16:45:00.000-06:00

This is two-fold. The first being those people that make beautiful objects & things; like writing a song or making a wonderful cologne. The second being people that use objects & things to make beauty; like decorating one's home for guests. While I certainly agree that the best things in life aren't things, my heart is warmed by the ways people utilize items to acknowledge one another's importance & meaning in their lives with them.

Making Things Pretty

During my Thanksgiving festivities this week I encounter many examples of people making things beautiful as
a way to express love for one another. Example: The tiny apple-green & lavender toned candles flickering beside each place setting at the dinner table.

Making Pretty Things

The very act of crafting something for others to enjoy is beautiful to me. Just this week, my day-to-day life was enriched with things of beauty made by artisans. Each made further enjoyable to me because of other people noticing them too.

1. I feel great being stopped in the grocery store. As I turn to an inquisitive woman in the frozen foods aisle, she asks what scent cologne I am wearing as it smells so wonderful. Thank you perfumer! (For you fellow scent lovers, I was wearing Rivertown Road by Artist perfumer Liz Zorn.)

2. I laugh out loud at this. I was stopped in the middle of the street downtown while wearing my favorite bomber leather jacket. The 20-something woman telling me "You are just too d*** cute!" (Be still my inflating ego.) Thank you leather designer!

Ultimately what these things (cologne, leather jacket) mean to me is that the person who made them put thought, time, energy, and creativity into their task. For me to enjoy. Same with my relatives that made Thanksgiving so special with all the beautiful little touches.

Brings to mind the passage ...continue to think about what is good and worthy of praise. Think about what is true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected. -Phillipians 4:8

So I repeat myself, this week I am grateful to all those people that took time and thought into making things beautiful.

What beauty have you encountered this week that you've enjoyed seeing/hearing/smelling/tasting/touching?

Got Busted After Being Plastered, Now It's Up To Movie Special Effect Artist to Work His Magic

2011-11-25T08:00:00.000-06:00

From left: Wearing bald cap as prep for plaster. Drying out. Finished bust of head & neck. Photos courtesy: Crist Ballas

Special effects artist Crist Ballas molds my head, neck, and hands. Using the mold, he makes a plaster bust. It's all for an upcoming project in which I play an Alien, filming down in the southern part of the USA. The entire mold process is painless. Well almost, had to shave the top half of my chest. But that didn't hurt. It just looks funny. Good thing I am not needing to have my shirt off for any gigs in the next few weeks. While prepping me for the mold, Crist does a great job of talking me through the whole process. I like his description of the sensation. "It's a cross between being in a deprivation tank and getting a facial at a spa"
says Crist. And he is correct. The plaster is slightly scented with spearmint, and it's warm & gooey. Having it cover my face, neck, and head, all while having fingers prodding around gently- very much like getting a facial at a spa. Once it's on, sound becomes muffled. Much like being under water in a pool. while I am not claustrophobic, there's one or two moments when I tell myself "I am fine, just breathe, the desire to pull off this hardening plaster is just an instinct..." As the plaster dries it seems to get heavier. It does feel great once Crist cuts me out of the head mold.

I've been fortunate to work with the expertise of Crist many times in the past for special effects work. He's the one who created the Moss Boy look for the controversial Rolling Stone ad that never ran, and my Elvish ears for a fantasy film.

From Left: Elf costume design by Katrina Hawley. Moss effect by Crist Ballas

Crist even let me keep the elf ears after filming was done.

I have no idea how Crist does what he does. He's like a mad scientist or eccentric artist. I imagine he works like a sculptor. Which is something I don't understand. Two dimensional sketching, sure, I get that. Three dimensional sculpting. No clue here. Fortunately, I am the actor, Crist is the master special effects artisan. Utilizing techniques with plaster, rubber, and his sculpting tools, he creates modern day monsters that would make the likes of Universal Studios proud.

So Much to Be Thankful For!

2011-11-23T22:17:00.001-06:00

Such as: Eating nachos at midnight with a good friend while discussing politics. Hour long chats on the phone at 2am about random topics like perfume. Bike rides & laughter with a little brother. Opening a hand written letter from a friend & finding a small pressed flower inside. It's little things like these that make my heart grin. God is good. Life is truly beautiful.

I am thankful.

My 2011 Gift Guide for The Horror Fan in Your Life

2011-11-21T14:39:00.000-06:00

My eyes have been feasting on all the great gift guides around. Seriously, I need to remind myself that I don't need ALL of it. I just want ALL of it. So, in classic mimic-style, I'm sharing too. I think it probably goes without saying, but I want to mention that I have no affiliations with the companies that have made these items.

1. Horror Novel We Have Always Lived In The Castle
It's beautifully macabre. Once I began reading, I couldn't stop. Sad, not in a crying way, but in that somehow beautiful melancholic way. It's depiction of comfort coming from a routine of mundane things we do in life. At some points delving into great detail of setting the table for tea, making a list for the market, and gardening. All of which sound like they'd make for a dull read- they aren't. If you'd like to read my full blog post about, see it here
$10.20 Amazon.com

2. Bloody Hand-print Shower Curtain
During a movie I was filming last Spring, I saw this shower curtain in the producer's pathroom. It made me chuckle with the great nod tp Hitchcock. I found this on online at Flashwear.com But I am sure you could find it just about anywhere online if you search for it.

3. Brass Octopus Necklace via Etsy
Forget wearing it. I wanna hang it in my bathroom. I saw this hulking necklace while looking online at Canadian necklace maker Chrys Designs on the website Etsy.com. (For those that don't know, Etsy's a site where artists sell their trinkets & goods.) It's a fun design, and there are a ton more than just the octopus necklace to choose from.
Brass Octopus Necklace $20, Chrys Designs Jewelry Etsy.com

4. Blood Concept Cologne/Perfume
Independent Italian perfumery house created a line of scents based on blood type. They say "The human body is totally pervaded by a liquid vital rush that brings us what we are most fond of: Life. Filled with legends and meanings‚ blood is soaked with mystery, fascination and respect: it’s the most tested and studied part of the human body. Hiding the multitude of secrets that reveals our inner and unique way of being. BLOOD Concept is a ceremony devoted to the pulse of life and its visceral boost. It is actually the river of life."
40ml dropper bottle $185 LuckyScent

5. Mother-In-Laws Tongue Plant (AKA Snake Plant)

6. Modern Alchemy Candles
Wonderfully dark and mysterious candles that seem to belong on the desk of a vampire. With names like Salem, Ex Libris, and Tincture of Winchester.
$45 Modern Alchemy sold at Candles off Main

Also, I am always interested in suggestions or things you think I'd like. Leave a comment.

Good Read... The Little Book of Perfumes (Cologne too.)

2011-11-19T13:37:00.000-06:00

Wandering the shelves of the library this morning I glimpse Luca Turin's latest addition to his series of perfume review books. The Little Book of Perfumes: The Hundred Classics. I've read some of Luca's work before and always bust out laughing from his sometimes snarky words. Not that it's all acid, there's some very beautiful imagery as well.

I nab it along with some cook books for my Saturday afternoon reading.

Good Timing

An envelope is waiting in my mail box. Inside, the three scent samples I ordered from New York perfumer Neil Morris. Whom I've heard a lot about from my fire red-haired chum, as she's been drooling over his fragrance descriptions for weeks. Going as far as to read them aloud to me during late night phoning. Which in turn, makes my nose drool too. (Somehow the "nose drooling" reference sounded better in my mind while typing than it does as I just reread it.)

I'll include pictures of the the three scent samples I received from Neil Morris. Gotham, Cafe, and Dark Season at the foot of this entry.

Black, White, & Hyper Pink

I enjoy the it when opening the black & white cover of Luca's book to get hit in the face with the hyper-pink paper color used for the interior paste down page and free end page. Being that I didn't know what a paste down page or free end page were before jotting this review, I had to look up a book anatomy diagram while writing this.

Size Matters

As the title suggests, this is a small book. This is certainly a slimmed down version of Luca's earlier penned piece Perfumes, The A-Z Guide which hefted 640 pages. This title comes in at 107 pages. Which is not very many when you consider getting past the dedication pages, the author's note pages, the foreword; the glossary in the back & index of terms. Maybe size truly doesn't matter? We'll see.

How The Book Works

Husband/wife author duo Luca Turin & Tania Sanchez put together the catalog of perfume reviews in an easy-to-digest format. The 100 perfume/colognes are organized by name alphabetically. Along with the perfume house that created the scent, a two word description of the scent, and include a one-to-four dollar sign as a price guide. One dollar sign $ means 5-50 dollars, $$ means from 51-100, $$$ from 101-200, $$$$ over 200. All based on standard U.S. retail rates.

Example Review

Derby (Guerlain) smoky wood $$$

Derby is an oddity, the only case of a Guerlain masterpiece gone unnoticed. Released in 1985, it had very little impact, probably because of poor advertising and an ugly bottle. It was then repackaged and sold only at the Paris store, then briefly deleted, then reissued and now part of their lineup, one hope permanently. Guerlain's gush and guff would have us believe that every one of Jean-Paul Guerlain's best fragrances is a paean to the eternal feminin. The truth is he's always been rather better at composing things for his own use, exhibits being Vetiver and habit Rouge. Derby sits halfway between the confident swagger of HR and the dry restraint of Vetiver, on what might be described as the center of gravity of male fragrance. In structure, it is woody-balsamic with a touch of smoke. In radiance, it is like a Kirlian photograph of a healthy leaf, projecting a deep-green aura no farther than an inch, but surprisingly intense and durable up close. One of the best masculines of all time. LT
-From page 29 of The Little Book Of Perfumes, The Hundred Classics

Nice Touches

Two Word Fragrance Description Atop Each Review

In two words, size up the aroma. "Chocolate rose, Hot rubber, Butter tuberose, & Godzilla floral." Apt descriptions like these brings a smile to my face. If brevity is a virtue, these are almost holy.
So far, of the scents I've whiffed, I agree with the two-worded tag from Luca & Tania.

Date Of Their Sample Bottle

I appreciate the inclusion of the date on some of the samples they are smelling for their review.
This is great considering so many colognes and perfumes are being reformulated by strict (sometimes silly, sometimes not so funny) guidelines.

Top Ten Lists

Some great lists. I've used the Best Masculines list to test out new fragrances. There's a lot of fun one's:
Best feminines
Best masculines for women
Best feminines for men
Best big ticket splurges
Desert island (This list is funny to me, answering the question of which ten fragrances Luca and Tania would choose if they were marooned on a desert island.)

All In All

This is a great book if you don't want to stray too far from commercialized fragrance. (I've been finding some amazing scents by going off the beaten path. See On My Quest for a Good Cologne Had To Stop & Ask for Directions. This also is a great read if you are looking to stay on the positive side of things. But if you are anything like me, and enjoy some sarcastic jabs and mockery, then take a look at Perfumes: The A-Z Guide in which Luca & Tania include scents they give one star ratings. Verbally shredding celebrity fragrances brought about by the likes of Paris Hilton and The Olson Twins.

Looking Forward To Trying These Fragrance Samples

Neil Morris, Gotham

Neil Morris, Cafe

Neil Morris, Dark Season

Growing Fresh Air - Space Station Style

2011-11-19T09:30:00.000-06:00

Lock me in an airtight bottle with a spider plant, and I'll be fine... Okay, maybe don't screw the cap on all the way. But NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) does list the spider plant on their list of 27 plants usable to clean & oxygenate the air of space stations so maybe you can screw that cap on tight if I have several spider plants in it with me.

I am pleased to see the list includes several variety of house plants I am familiar with. The spider plant (non toxic to cats!), snake plant, and devil's ivy. (Dunno why am I familiar with only the nasty named ones.)

Green Plants, Healthy Placebo?

Setting one on my night stand and a few around on windowsills, I don't know if it's a bit of a placebo? But I do find myself feeling healthier since doing so. It makes me content somehow that year round I have an air cleaner next to me on my night stand every night while I sleep. Now if someone would just invent a flying car propelled with water as fuel and personal robot my childhood expectations for the year 2012 would be a reality!

Learning How To Use Men's Scalp, Hair, & Body Oil At Home

2011-11-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

First encountered hair/body oil in a review of Aveda Men's Pure-formance online at The Chap Blog (See Chap Blog Review). I liked his description of the scent, skin moisturizing, and hair softening effect it had on his hair. So I ordered a 50ml jar of it for myself.

The fragrance includes: Kunzea, citrus, Spearmint, Vetiver & Lavender. What's Kunzea & what's it's aroma? I go to a search engine and investigate.

What The Scent Kunzea Is

Kunzea is the essential oil derived from the Australian plant Kunzea ambigua. Related to the Tea Tree. (Explains the medicinal quality of the aroma.) It's often been utilized in the treatment of muscle pain as a rub. When I whiff the aroma concoction it does bring to mind a scent some masseuse at a spa would use. It's invigorating with the spearmint.

Oops, I Over Did It

I have never used a hair/scalp/body oil before. My first application of the oil is disastrous as I over apply to my hair. The smell overwhelms. If you've ever tried to get oil out of your hair, then you know how hard it is to get out.

How I Apply The Oil For Best Results On My Hair/Scalp/Body

I step out of the shower and towel off lightly, so I am still dripping a bit with moisture. Then shake out about five to ten dime-sized drops into my palms. Rub them together. Quickly rub the oil all over into my skin. Avoiding my head until the end when there's just a little oil left on my hands, that's when I brush my fingertips in my hair.

Ahh, Just Right

I do like the effect of the oil (when used sparingly) on my hair. It gives it a nice subtle shine and a bit of texture. My skin feels nice after applying too. And the scent is good, again only if I use a little and don't over-do it. I plan on buying another bottle when this one runs out. I may even see how this scented oil works in a batch of my home-made soap. A side-note: the dry down of this scent reminds me a smidge of Liz Zorn's earthy perfume Underworld. Which makes perfect sense as vetiver is a major component of both.

Caution: Don't Mix Strong Scented Body Oil With Cologne

When I put on the body oil, I skip applying any cologne. At least for a few hours as the body oil itself has a strong silage. I find that with most Aveda products I have to use a light application because of the strong aroma.

My Rant About The Bottle Design

The words on the bottle are nearly illegible.

To the naked eye, being that the glass jar is clear & full of transparent liquid- it creates a sort of magnifying glass convex lens. As I try to read the lettering on one side of the bottle, the lettering on the backside becomes a jumbled mess of over exaggerated backward facing letters, making my eyes cross.

This effect would be cool to explain during a junior high science fair, but is out of place in a grooming product.

For me, when design gets in the way of function, the design must be so wonderful that the user is willing to forgo function. An example would be a woman wearing Stiletto heels. Ouch, but hubba-hubba!

I'd rather be able to read the words in this case.

On Going Experimentation

I am curious to try out some more. I notice that Liz Zorn (My current favorite artisan perfumer) has a line of oil perfumes called Acoustijus that are built on a coconut oil base. I think I may be able to dilute with some Vitamin E and use in a similar way to this Aveda hair/body/scalp oil.

Thanks to The Chap Blog for writing about this oil. I wouldn't have known about it otherwise.

Has anyone else used body oils before? This one by chance? Any other good ones?

Good Read... The Hunger Games

2011-11-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

At three fourths through the novel The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, I stop reading for several days. I find myself actively avoiding it. Not because I don't like the writing, it's quite the opposite. By not reading it, I convince myself, that the characters are kept in a quasi-state of suspended animation. But each time I slip under my blankets into bed, there it is atop my nightstand, beckoning to be read. As if the characters are expectant for me to crack open the pages. To let them continue onto their destined journey set forth by the
author. No matter what will come. I do need to mention that the plot line of The Hunger Games follows a very similar line to the internationally controversial Japanese thriller film Battle Royale released in the year 2000. I am surprised a bit at the popularity of The Hunger Games only a decade later, as Battle Royale was so controversial at the time. (I have not seen the film Battle Royale, only read reviews of it.)

On With The Hunger Games

I am reluctant to keep reading. I want them all to stay as they are. I feel for them. The author did too good of a job making them seem real. I want them to stay unchanged. I don't want anymore of them to die. (Many do in The Hunger Games).

Unfortunately the clock is ticking on it as it is on loan to me from the library. And considering it took a month and a half for me to get The Hunger Games, because of how long the waiting list is, I do open it up and continue reading.

I am so glad I didn't know anything about the plot before I began reading. I purposely avoided reading online reviews.

Instead of writing a lot about it, I'll just say it's a New York Times best seller. Along with it's tear inducing plot points, it surprisingly had me questioning the morality of our current entertainment system juxtaposed against the entertainment style of the coliseums of old.

Anyone else read it? What did you think?

Grateful to the People That've Shown Me How To Pray

2011-11-13T08:30:00.000-06:00

Grrr. It seems that life get's beyond bearable for each of us. Not everyday (Thank God!) but sometimes the pressure is enough to make ya go batty. Like the times my tongue ties into a million knots because I don't know what to say to someone who's asking for help or insight. (And sometimes I am the one asking.)
Or those horrific moments in life when I find my heart is melting from a tragic life event.
Even in the good times, when my sides hurt from all the laughter. I find praying (not always out loud but under my breath too) to be good.

Not Knowing What To Do Or Say

I know I am not the only one that's been at a loss for words towards someone in pain, and am so glad to have heard and seen an example of what to do when that presents itself. Pray. And sometimes take the person by the hand, admit that I have no idea what to do or say but that I'd be happy to pray with them for a moment.

Much gratitude to those along the way that have shown me how simple it is to speak a prayer, and how soothing!

Becoming A Horror Creature, See Time Lapse Camera Footage of Special FX Makeup

2011-11-12T09:00:00.000-06:00

Horror fans, take a look at behind-the-scene footage of how "The Keeper" creature was made for the short pshycological thriller/horror film Dope Sick. (Along with footage of bloodied beauty Ladonna Craelius.) The film has Todd Parker (played by Paul Cram) in a Heroin addled haze, lost in the maze of a run down hotel where he encounters sexy prostitue Terra Crowe (Ladonna Craelius) who guides him through the twists and turns of his own mind attempting to escape his fate.

The monster (played by Michael VanHoever) was created by Special Effect Make-up artist Ryan Schaddelee.

Dope Sick was directed by Elijah Woodcock and shot by Anthony Cousins. Written by John Karsko, Produced by Mason Makram, Brandon Van Vliet, Edward Throckmorton & Elijah Woodcock.

Additional cast members include: Brandon Van Vliet & Ryan Drees

Kale & Sesame Salad That Actually Tastes Good?

2011-11-11T08:53:00.000-06:00

Kale is tasty? Yes. I can't stop eating this salad. Here is the recipe for those that asked. The soy sauce and toasted sesame oil really lend an Asian inspired flavor. I first tried something like it when I picked up a kale salad at the local health food deli. (for the pic above, I added a couple pomegranate seeds).

Kale Sesame Salad Ingredients

1 bunch Kale

2 glugs olive oil

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce (or Tamari)

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 chopped garlic clove

Chop kale & garlic, toss it all together until leaves are all coated.

I've found that it keeps great in the fridge and tastes great even a day or two later.

On My Quest for a Good Cologne I Had to Stop & Ask For Directions

2011-11-10T08:30:00.000-06:00

After reading a few books on the topic of smell (Like NY Times Scent Critic Chandler Burr's The Perfect Scent & The Emperor of Scent, also Luca Turin's wickedly funny scent manifesto Perfumes: The A-Z Guide) I've been a lookout for great cologne. Hopefully one I can call my go-to scent. Easy enough, right? Um, sure... if there were only a handful of scents to choose from. But there's hundreds on the market and a steady stream of new ones every month it seems. (Let's just toss in a few more truck loads of hay onto that stack hiding the needle.)

Navigating Without A Scent Compass

During a long phone conversation with my fire-red haired chum on the topic of perfumes and scent, I came to the realization that she has a quasi-scent-compass. Opium. By Yves Saint Laurent. (Oh the lament she wailed about Opium's reformulation! But that's a different story.) It's her go-to scent. Hearing her speak, I think it bestows her with supernatural powers. Clark Kent needed a telephone booth to transform, she just needs a spritz of Opium. It seems that she navigates through perfume with more ease than I do. I theorize this is because Opium has become a sort of bearing for her in the endless stretch of perfume land. It's something she can return to if she doesn't find something else her nose enjoys. I want a scent-compass of my own.

Trudging Through Aroma

At first, I like every single cologne I smell on my skin. Nothing is bad. This isn't because everything is good. In retrospect, I realize it's because most everything I was trying out was just mediocre. Nothing that I'd really want to sleep in.

Bottled Up Shiny Blue & Red Spandex

I am under-whelmed. I am asking for a lot, I know. Who doesn't want to crack open a bottle of cologne and find a red cape and spandex tights inside? (You know what I mean.) An aroma that turns the wearer from normal to super with just a spritz.

Making Headway With An Emerging Scent Motif

From all the time spent whiffing, I realize my nose responds favorably to Honey, Violets, warm spices, and Citrus. (Can someone say classic Bay Rum cologne recipe?) Of which I have tried a few versions. Like St. John's Bay Rum, C.O. Bigelow, and Ogallala. Of those I prefer the second. My issue with all of them is they disappear from my skin in a matter of an half hour or less. Which isn't really what I am after.

Finding Tweeters Leads Me To Artist Perfumer Liz Zorn

Upon slight coaxing from my red-haired chum, I join Twitter. (Love the idea of getting away from ~~Big Brother~~ Facebook.) Which leads me to follow the tweets of business luxury-brand blogger @NathanBranch and men's scent blogger @FragrantMoments. Adding much delight to my online reading time.
It's through reviews by each (read Nathan's review & Fragrant Moments) that I become introduced to independent perfumer Liz Zorn and her recent work Rivertown Road Pour Homme. Their glowing write-ups pique my curiosity. Especially the quote from Liz herself saying "Rivertown Road is a complex yet modern Bay Rum Fougere with Seville Lavender Absolute..." The clincher is the Bay Rum reference. So I buy a sample vial to try out. Then I look up the word Fougere.

Definition Of The French Word Fougere

"Fern-like", is one of the main families into which modern perfumes are classified, with the name derived from the perfume Fougère Royale... The class of fragrances have the basic accord with a top-note of lavender and base-notes of oakmoss and coumarin. Aromatic fougère, a derivative of this class contain additional notes of spice and wood. -From Wikipedia

Cracking Open The Vial Of Zorn's "Modern Bay Rum Fourgere"

It comes in the mail on Saturday. I quickly cut open the envelope and pop open the top of the vial and apply to my skin. I am not sure of this scent at first. Sweet, a little honey. I move on with my afternoon of reading and every few minutes find myself putting my wrist to my nose and inhaling. The book winds up slipping from my hands as I drift into a cat-nap. A half hour later coming out of a cozy sleep haze, I wonder what the good smell is? It's me- err, it's the Rivertown Road. It would seem that this scent doesn't vanish in 30 minutes like those earlier mentioned bay rums.

The Aroma Brings to Mind a Sprig of Fresh Lavender Dipped in Honey & Spice

I like it so much that later that same evening I order the 32ml bottle from Liz's website. It comes inside a red cardboard cylinder. The bottle itself makes me think of a chunky nail-polish jar. Rather cool.
Considering that I've already used up a third of the bottle, also that I find myself sniffing the aroma in my shirts when I take them off, and that I wear the cologne to bed- I think it's safe to say I've found my go-to scent.

Gratitude

It seems to me that I've got a sense of my bearings a little better now in the terrain of men's cologne. I'll certainly be trying out more Fourgere style scents, that's for sure. Much gratitude to the bloggers & authors that assisted me.

Fellow Scent Soul Mates?

I actually like Rivertown Road so much I find myself spritzing my wrist before bed so I can smell it while I drift off to sleep. (Does anyone else do that with your favorite scent? Let me know with a comment, so I know I am not a lone weirdo.)

Director of Male Room Mate Comedy Film Wins Award in Houston

2011-11-09T13:39:00.001-06:00

Congratulations Ryan Becken! Taking home the Best Director award from the 3rd annual Houston Comedy Film Festival for the 40 minute comedy Hair Rules. (I play a male masseur in the film, so fun). Watch the movie trailer below

It was a blast working with Ryan during filming.(Though next time, I hope my character gets to wear more outfits than a bathrobe on set).He always had great ideas and thoughts for us actors.

Produced by Eyehustle Entertainment Hair Rules was written by Bryan Turek, directed by Ryan Becken, with Cinematographer Nick Hillyard working as D.P., Sound by Seamlesssound, Music by Bryan McDonald . With actors Amber Johnson, Jenelle Kidd, and Amity Carlson.Starring actor Sasha Andreev and Paul Cram.

On set filming Hair Rules.

Spiced Pecans & How To Make 'em

2011-11-08T22:17:00.000-06:00

Caution, making these pecans will induce munching. After tweeting the above photo, a handful of people emailed me asking what the recipe was that I used in making them. I actually pieced it together from a few online recipes as well as from some tips in the cook book Appetizers by Taste of Home that I picked up at the library. I simplified, switch-swapped, and made a sort of bits-n-pieces recipe that turned out pretty tasty. This is certainly one of those easy recipes that you can tweak however you'd like. (Such as, if you don't like any heat, skip the Cheyenne pepper.)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon Cheyenne pepper
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cumin

5 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons canola oil

1 pound pecan halves

How To Put It Together

Mix sugar, salt, cinnamon, Cheyenne pepper, pie spice and ginger; set aside.
Bring water, honey, and oil to a boil in Dutch Oven (or a tall sauce pan)
Add pecans; cooking and stirring until the liquid evaporates (took me about a minute)
Immediately toss in the sugar mixture & stir to coat pecans.

Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake at 325 for 20 minutes. Stir twice.
Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack if ya have one. (Or just toss onto another baking sheet.)

Be Ready To Munch

I think Spiced Pecans are one of those things that's hard to ruin. These tasted great. I love how the Cheyenne pepper is a bit of a surprise. You don't really notice it at first.I found myself constantly munching on these for a few days until they were all gone.

Good Read... Talk to the Hand

2011-11-08T08:00:00.000-06:00

To me, the delight of people answering or making calls [in public places] is that they suddenly - and oblivious to the enforced eavesdropping - reveal enormous amounts about themselves, as if they had, under the influence of hypnosis, stood up on a table and started stripping, and just as suddenly, got down again, adjusted their clothing, and resumed the anonymity of the everyday humdrum passenger. -Excerpt from Lynn Truss' book Talk To the Hand where she explains why she loves cell-phone users.

Dry Wit

She has a great knack for dry humor. (She is British and it shows.) I first came across her writing in her best-selling book "Eats shoots and leaves" which is about punctuation and found it wonderful too.

I Like Her Insights

I find myself nodding my head in agreement with so much of what she tackles in this book on why it's important to be polite and kind to fellow human beings in our daily lives. It resonated with me when she said we are teaching generations to demand respect without giving it. So true!

Give her book a read. It's worth it.

What are you reading lately? Comment and let me know. Am always on the hunt for something new to check out.

Cobalt Blue Glass & Sunlight Makes Me Smile

2011-11-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Happy weekend.

Found My Fave Hair Grooming Goo While Working On a Horror Movie & It's Technically For Girls

2011-11-04T23:04:00.000-05:00

My hair is thin. Always has been. If not for the slight wave to it, it'd look nearly non-existent. If your hair is anything like mine, then you know that the challenge then is to enhance the curly wave but to not weigh it down with product. That's what I've learnt from sitting in hair stylist chairs on set. So I am very pleased when sitting in the make-up chair of stylist Krystianna Campbell that she doesn't scoop into the tub of hair gel nearby. But rather takes a few minutes sizing up my short strands. She doesn't want my hair to look overly fussed with. We couldn't have that. Not with my character being a survivor in a post apocalypse horror movie and all. The desired effect is "natural, wavy, a little bit of bed head while being clean." She touches my hair a little, runs her fingers in it a moment then makes a "Hmmm" sound. Turns to her table spread with glass & plastic containers full of hair gels, sprays, etc. Pulling out a crystal clear container, she unscrews the top. I see a lavender toned purple goo inside. Uh Oh.

She Is Going To Turn My Hair Purple

I think to myself. She dips the tips of her fingers inside. Then works some tiny daubs of the gooey purple taffy between her fingers. She then works her fingers through my thin wavy head of hair. "It's really just to hold in the fly aways and give your hair texture" she says. I sigh with relief, seeing that once in my hair it is transparent, not purple.

The smell is amazing! I ask if it's alright for me to look at the container? She knods. I pick it up and am surprised with how light it is. The container is deceptively heavy looking. Lifting it to my nose I am again asailed with that wonderful scent. It's something familiar. What is it? It's on the tip of my memory. I dip the very tip of my finger into some of the goo and pull it out. It stretches lightly, like taffy but not as thick. Not knowing what to do with it, I just wipe the little bit from my finger into my hair.

I Can't Stop Sticking My Nose Into The Container

It makes my hair look tossled. Mission accomplished Krystiana. The scent disipates too, so it is almost odorless. Loving the aroma, I again put my nose to the edge of the jar. It's fruity for sure. Then it hits me. The scent reminds me of chewing on purple grape flavored Now & Later's candy.

Kenra Platinum Texturizing Taffy $21.00 2oz. jar. A jar lasts a very long time for me. Being a guy, with short hair and all. What about you? Any great grooming finds while working on set? Or just something you've found that works well for you? Please share.

Rooting a Devils Ivy Plant in a Mason Jar

2011-11-04T19:06:00.000-05:00

With a name like Devils Ivy is it any wonder this plant is hard to kill? Thriving in low light & neglect, along with pointed leaves & serpentine-like vines, makes it apparent (to me at least) where it gets it's name. Somehow it even looks malevolent perched atop my windowsill. But those attributes that likely helped garner it's name are just the things that make it ideal for most of us to grow in low light spaces. And, it's included on NASA's list of 27 best air filtering plants to oxygenate and clean toxins from the air.

Growing It In a Jar Is Simple

Getting it to grow in a jar of water is easy. All you do is clip a short vine off a plant (About 8 to 12 inches). Strip off any leaves from the vine clipping that would be under water in the jar. Then put the stem into your jar of water and give it some light. A windowsill is ideal. Roots will start shooting out from the vine in a matter of days. The plant can live like this for a very long time in the water. Feel free to pot it in soil once the roots have developed a bit if you like.
For any one that's curious, Devil's Ivy scientific name: Epipremnum aureum.

Of all the plants I've grown this way, the Devil's Ivy seems to be easiest. But there's a lot that aren't too hard. I've grown several: Swedish Ivy, Spider plants, Avacado trees, and begonias. Have you? Any that are good to try? Let me know.

Booking the Role of an Obese Bald Man

2011-11-03T09:30:00.000-05:00

When I see the casting specifics for the role of Carl in the comedy film Hair Rules I can't help but laugh. "Seeking an over-weight bald man, the type of guy that is a loser yet loveable." The synopsis of the story sounds fun to me. It follows the lead actor Bruce who has it all. He's the perfect specimen of a male. Great hair, women throwing themselves at him, an aspiring underwear model career... all he needs to fill out his life is a rent paying room mate. Enter the Carl character. Something about the description of Carl makes me want to play the role. I may not be obese or bald, but I think I can play a geeky loser that is lovable, I think to myself. So I type out an email to the director and attach a photo (Actually the photo you see above). After clicking send, I smile and keep my fingers crossed.

Is Your Self Image Healthy?

I get a response from director Bryan Turek later in the evening. "You do realize that you are neither fat nor bald right?" After exchanging emails to assure him that I am not an anorexic guy that views himself as needing to lose a few more pounds of fat, he gives me an audition slot.

Don't Call Us We'll Call You

After my audition the director tells me on my way out the door "You're not really the physical look that we are looking for. We'll be in touch."
I sigh to myself and think "Ahh, it's the old We'll call you, don't call us" speech. At least I tried.

Actually, We Like You, You're Hired

A few days later I get the call. "We are rewriting the script to accommodate your physical build and what you'll bring to the character." I am elated. (Though secretly a tad disappointed that they aren't going to put me into a fat suit for the role instead of the rewrite.)

Behind the scenes of filming "Hair Rules" with Sasha Andreev and Paul Cram

Any Houston, Texas peeps can see the film when it plays on November 3rd at the Houston Comedy Film Festival at The Alamo Draft House Theater. Tickets are $10 Get all the Hair Rules screening info here.

Hair Rules TEASER from Eyehustle Entertainment on Vimeo.

Good Read... Adventures Of A No Name Actor

2011-11-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

Obviously Not Written By The Likes Of Zac Efron, Rachel Weisz, Or Claire Daines

Nope. This book is penned by a name you haven't heard of, but maybe have seen on a show if you've ever turned on a TV or loaded a show on your computer.

What's The Book About

Chronicling his exploits in auditions, on set stories from shows like Walker Texas Ranger, and mishaps performing live on stage, Marco Perella does a top-notch job of giving insight into the life of a working actor. Not a fake look at it (like we see so much from Hollywood) but a real one.

Boring? Nah Too Witty For That

What keeps the read from getting stale is Marco's writing style. He's funny.
I found it refreshing, witty, and silly. If you are an actor, you most certainly will be able to relate to his stories.

A Tidbit Of What You'll Find

Like the time he auditioned in three different cities in Texas all in one day and barely made it to his theater show's evening performance. Or the weird behind-scenes-politics that come into play while working on set. He does a nice job of showing people's ego. Along with the absurdity that is the entertainment industry.

On Set Stories Like This

"George patiently takes me aside and earns his pay.
You mean I don't look like a poor, lovelorn dupe lost in the depths of demented devotion? [Marco wonders]
George patiently and gently explains to me that I look like a bad laxative commercial.
We do it again. This time I restrain myself and am content with a lip quiver that speaks volumes. Huzzahs all around."

Am always on the look out for a good acting book. Let me know what you've read. I'd like to read it too.

What's Your Favorite Halloween Candy?

2011-10-31T21:33:00.000-05:00

Most may disagree with me, but I like chewy runts. I can hear the horrified gasps from all you chocolate lovers. While I adore a good chocolate bar, I like chewy runts more often. Dots, runts, sour patch kids too. So just what is your favorite candy? There's so much to choose from: Twix, Snickers, 100 Grand, Dark chocolate, caramel, starburst, M&M's, bubble gum, tootsie pops... the list goes on and on.

Laying atop my pile of Halloween candy I bid you all to eat your candy hearts out all you little ghoulish ghosts & goblins.

Grateful to the Random Stranger That Gave Me a Hug

2011-10-30T10:30:00.000-05:00

It was a brisk spring day several years ago when our paths crossed. I was stooped in the grass crying.

She, a random white haired grandma-type, was passing nearby. She didn't say anything at first. She came over and put her hand on my shoulder a minute, then gave me a hug whispered some soothing words ending with a gentle "it'll be alright." Then quietly continued on her way.

God help me to be like Her

Warm hearted towards a complete stranger & knowing when not to speak too much.

Staying Up Until 2 in the Morning Because of a Good Book Makes Me Smile

2011-10-28T03:00:00.000-05:00

Those nights when you just can't put down the book because you have to know what happens next.

Am always on the look out for a late night page turner.

What are some page-turners that you've read? Please comment if you have some book titles for me to look up.

Horror Novel, Good Read... We Have Always Lived In The Castle

2011-10-27T00:38:00.000-05:00

It's Beautifully Melancholic Macabre

Once I began reading, I couldn't stop. Sad, not in a crying way, but in that somehow beautiful melancholic way. It's depiction of comfort coming from a routine of mundane things we do in life. At some points delving into great detail of setting the table for tea, making a list for the market, and gardening. All of which sound like they'd make for a dull read- they aren't at all.

I Understand Labeling It Horror But It's Not Gory & Jumpy

The classification of this being a horror story is surprising. Yes, the whole story is about the death of an entire family. But it isn't scary in a slasher sort of way. It's more unsettling in it's sadness.

The novel, narrated in first-person by 18-year-old Mary Katherine "Merricat" Blackwood, tells the story of the Blackwood family and an terrible event that took place some years before the book begins.

Award Winning Fiction Character
Author Shirley Jackson would've been proud to know (had she been living long enough) that the character of Mary Katherine was included at number 71 in Book Magazine's list of the best characters in fiction since 1900. This was actually Shirley Jackson's final book, penned one year before she passed.

A Sliver About The Story& Characters
Merricat, her elder sister Constance, and their ailing uncle Julian live in a large house on large grounds, in isolation from the nearby village. Constance has not left their home in six years, going no farther than her large garden...

I won't tell you any more than that. The author does a much better job at getting into the intricacies of each character and the reasons why they do what they do and what's shaped them to become themselves.

Check it out We Have Always Lived in the Castle (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

And if you have any good October reads, please comment and tell me what they are.

Caution Caustic Flesh Burning Chemical In Use For Making My Soap

2011-10-25T18:32:00.000-05:00

Keep The Antidote Nearby
Lye is an alkaline chemical that gives chemical burns when it makes contact with the skin. The antidote to this chemical reaction is vinegar. Which I keep within arms distance while making soap.

I am amazed that a chemical like Lye that can cause such chemical burns to our skin is what is used to make soap of all things.

I've blogged about the process I use to make my soap Castille Soap. (See Making Fight Club Style Soap)

The Dirt On Making Soap
Making bars of soap that will give a clean sudsy lather is everything but clean.

It's messy, sticky, globby, grimy and unless you enjoy the aroma of boiling oil, it's stinky. (Don't get me started on the first time I made a batch using lard instead of vegetable based oil. Let's just say Have You Ever Smelled Boiling Pig Hooves? Enough said.)

Autumn Hobby
I find myself making batches of Castille Soap mainly in the Autumn. (Castille means that the soap contains a lot of Olive Oil). It's becoming a rite of passage of sorts it seems from Autumn into Winter for me.

The part that's dangerous is working with lye. Because lye can eat through aluminum and cause major chemical burns to skin.

Scent Box
The most fun part for me is pulling out my small box of essential oils and deciding what the batch will be scented with.

My go-to scent combination is clove, cinnamon, cedar wood, cassia wood, & citrus orange.

I like trying new scents out though. We'll see what other combos arise.

I know a batch worked well when I wash out the crock pot and it's gets all sudsy.

I usually let the soap batter cool in a mold overnight.

Finished Product
While cutting the bars I really get whiffs of what the scent has turned into.

I place them out to air harden a bit more. Castille soap seems to get better and better with age.

How Do I Kill Thee? Let Me Count The Ways...

2011-10-24T09:14:00.000-05:00

Movie directors love to kill me.

This truth didn't dawn on me until a newspaper reporter pointed it out by asking me why it is, with alarming regularity, that I am the guy that gets beat, pulverized, and generally killed in so many of the movies I work on.

Ways Actor Paul Cram's Characters Have Met Their Maker

Blown up by bomb/landmine
Death by poison
Mauled by a bear/wild animal
Death by drug overdose
Bullet to the brain, face, stomach and/or back
Stabbed in the neck, back and/or stomach
Run over by a car
Bled to death from an open wound while crawling on concrete
Bled to death while crawling across a frozen lake
Broken neck
...the list goes on & on

I hadn't thought about it much. All these dire ends to my characters. But the question posed by the newspaper reporter forced me to think about it.

I almost didn't jot that list above. I grabbed a pad of paper and was just about to write out a bullet point list of the ways I'd died... but I paused though just before putting ball point pen to paper.

I felt weird.

Would writing down the ways I'd died in movies somehow like be writing out a personal jinx and I'd never get cast ever again in these fun kinds of roles? (Trust me, It didn't sound so over dramatic in my head at the time.)

But I thought then that some of the great writers of mystery novels, like Agatha Christie, maybe kept a little note pad on their night stand where she'd jot down lists like "ways to kill characters" and "poisons that leave no trace". That got me over the weird superstitious-ness. If Agatha Christie could delve into a sort of dark-side while writing, I'll be good too.

I don't know exactly why I get cast in so many of these macabre roles.

Some of the reason is certainly because of the horror movie genre. Though that's not the only genre movie that I get beat up in because I've done some comedy and drama. With the same effects on my characters.

I have the suspicion a percentage of the reason is because of my body type.

Heretofore, for centuries of human society, it's been the skinny guys that get picked on. A sort of "survival of the fittest" coming into play.

It's a creative writer that comes up with a new way to kill my character.

Grateful to The Woman That Gave Me a Light

2011-10-23T11:06:00.000-05:00

I know a woman that surrounds herself with beauty. Trinkets, baubles and shiny things.

I think she remains grounded and un-snobbish because she shares these pretty things with the people around her too.

She gave me this Bamboo Green Tea scented candle and told me to use it and to let her know when it's all gone because she'll get me another one.

So I was burning it last night while reading and it made me smile. I am grateful for the example of unselfish giving that she displays.

Inhaling Crisp Autumn Air Makes Me Smile

2011-10-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

...Happy weekend all.

I Laughed Reading Stephen King's Take On Harry Potter & Twilight

2011-10-20T20:51:00.000-05:00

“Harry Potter is about confronting fears, finding inner strength and doing what is right in the face of adversity. Twilight is about how important it is to have a boyfriend.” -Stephen King

I have not read Twilight. Somehow I haven't found the idea of them to be very appealing. Though I have read all of the Harry Potter series and even shed some tears during.

Good Read... Fablehaven

2011-10-20T09:29:00.000-05:00

Ahh, looting the library is so wonderful.

I was wandering the shelves of the local library on a Saturday afternoon.

Children's ficiton section. Which I read often. Pulling books at random I came across this one. I liked the title, so I checked out the book not knowing a thing about it other than the title and cover art.

My Rant About Glitter & Gold Foil:

I almost didn't take this one because the of the added gold foil lettering and glitter stamped onto the cover art.

It made it seem like they were trying too hard. Kind of like what Disney does a lot with their stuff. Too perfect. Too cute, too everything. Really, does a good story need anything other than plain ink and paper? But then I thought of the Harry Potter books and they had amazing cover art (Thank goodness they didn't try to add glitter and gold foil though). So I picked it up anyways and this is the end of my rant paragraph about glitter.

Two days later, while reading on page 236, it dawned on me that I was digging the plot and pace of the unraveling story.

Three enchanted knots are the only thing standing between an old witch and the dark mischeif she wants to inflict on those around her at Fablehaven. How she get's the knots undone is sad. As is the book. But it's wonderfully imaginative too and loaded with creatures from all sorts of fables.

And really I haven't even mentioned to you about the three main characters and how they find themselves interacting with the witch. Or the Satyrs, Water Nymphs, and Fairies.

I can see, after reading this first in the series, why it made it's way onto the New York Times bestselling list.

I hope your curiosity is piqued and you check it out of the library or get it online Fablehaven At Amazon.com

What's on your night stand at the moment?

Comment and let me know.

A Book I Recommend For Dumb & Smart Aspiring Actors Alike

2011-10-18T20:38:00.000-05:00

Breaking Into Acting For Dummies

It Isn't About How To Act. It's About How To Get Into The Business of Acting.

I admit that take some pleasure at the look that crosses a face when I tell them to read this.

I picked up my first copy of "Breaking Into Acting For Dummies" while I was scouring the local library for any and every title that had anything to do with the topic. This book was eye opening. Much of it is very simple information. Laying a foundation that can be built upon with your own experiences as an actor.

This Book Is:

About the business side of things. Covering such things as questions to ask agents, how head shots ought to look, and how the acting industry works in California specifically. Delving into the Breakdown services that Casting directors use when casting projects.

It's easy to find on Amazon Breaking Into Acting For Dummies or see if your local library has a copy.

Experimenting With That Recipe Until It's Just Right Makes Me Smile

2011-10-17T20:41:00.000-05:00

For me it's been home-made pot stickers.

The first time I cooked them I discovered they are pretty easy to make. The second time I tried cooking them I found out that they are hard to ruin. Even if you cook them wrong they're still edible.

So, I've been experimenting a bit with ingredients to see what I like the best.

Some Past Experiments

Tried adding less shredded Ginger (mistake, the Ginger adds texture and smell).

Tried adding chopped up Lemon Grass (pleasant surprise to the nose & tongue when you bite into one).

Tried different sauces to dip them into (Sweet & Sour just seems to hit the spot the best).

The ingredients are readily available at a market.

Pot sticker Ingredients:

Pot sticker wrappers
1 Carrot
1/2 Cup Cabbage
1 Egg
1/2 pound Ground Pork
Tablespoon Shredded Ginger Root
Vegetable Oil
Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce

Fry Then Boil

I fry the pork. Chop the cabbage. Shred half the carrot, and a bit of Ginger root. Toss it all together, break the egg over it and stir. That is the filling for the Pot stickers.

I put about a spoonful in the center of a Pot sticker wrap. Dip my finger in some water and wet the rim of the wrapper, then fold the wrapper so it makes a sort of envelope around the filling.

It's time consuming. Filling each little Pot sticker. While the recipe is easy, it can get dull.

Once I have enough, I put a coating of vegetable oil in a frying pan. Turn on the heat so the oil is hot, and place the Pot stickers in to fry the bottoms of them.When the bottoms become golden brown, I take about a cup of water and slowly pour it into the pan. Then I cover the pan and usually turn the heat down a smidge.

It takes about ten to fifteen minutes for the water to boil and evaporate in the pan.

Make A Lot, They Can Be Reheated Later

There is a reason they are called Pot stickers. They can be little devils to scrape out of the pan! But worth it.

The methodical nature of cooking makes it feel like the best way to unwind sometimes. The wafting aromas and flavors help too.

Ugly Face But Alright Body

2011-10-16T14:33:00.000-05:00

Another Darndest Audition Comment

Before I left the audition room the casting director turns and says to the director "Paul's got the whole Chestnut Face look."

I haven't heard the term before, so continue walking out of the room.

Being a curious actor I make a mental note to look it up. Once home, I log online to a search engine and type in "Chestnut Face".

The online Urban Dictionary gives this definition:

Chestnut Face

It is a term referring to a man who has a hot body, but has an ugly face. It is a play on words, implying the phrase 'chest, not face', meaning his body is attractive, but not his face.

It is the male equivalent for the commonly used term "butter face" used to describe girls with attractive bodies and ugly faces. Both terms use a food word before the word "face", but sound like another word describing the looks of the person.

Ouch!

Though I'll be honest, I do get a big grin about the buried compliment. Having been called Gollum before by a casting director- this seems to be a few steps up at least.

Who says stuff like this out loud in a casting? Waiting until I am out of the room might be a better way?

Seriously though, I think what happens often times is that the casting director's need to quickly affix labels to the actors they audition. So they can recall them.

In this case they were caught up in their work so much that they lost sight of the living, breathing human being (me) that was still in the room with them.

It's a good note to myself to not get so busy that I forget the person standing in front of me.

4 of Paul Cram's Horror Movie Trailers

2011-10-15T13:54:00.000-05:00

Intermedio, B-movie Horror, Rated R
Netflix
Blockbuster
Amazon

Four teenagers encounter a supernatural force during an underground excursion in this spine-chiller. Malik (Edward Furlong), Gen (Cerina Vincent), Barbie (Amber Benson) and Wes (Callard Harris) decide to explore a labyrinth of caverns beneath the Mexican border. But evil awaits them there. As they go deeper, the friends become trapped -- and are set upon by malevolent ghosts determined to pick them off, one by one. Steve Railsback co-stars.

13 Hours in a Warehouse, Supernatural Horror, Rated R

Netflix
Blockbuster
Amazon
After a successful heist, five thieves hide in an old warehouse for the night. But when a series of mysterious numbers appears on the wall, followed by a bloody attack, they quickly catch on that somebody -- or something -- doesn't want them there. Soon, they're fighting for their lives. Does the clue to survival lie in the strange string of numbers that keep showing up everywhere? Dav Kaufman directs this taut supernatural thriller.

Living Arrangements, Horror, Rated R

Buy Direct From the Film Maker

Sasha and Billie just found a new apartment right next to their favorite coffee shops and thrift stores. Life couldn’t be better until they discover a blood-thirsty werewolf living in the attic. Coping with the uninvited roommate challenges their vegan lifestyle and may turn these animal savers into animal slayers.

PRODUCTION NOTES: LIVING ARRANGEMENTS is a low budget feature shot mostly in Uptown, Minneapolis mid 2008.
The feature is based off of the short, "There's a Werewolf In My Attic!" which screened at the 2008 Slamdance Film Festival and received an Honorable Mention award at the 2009 Atlanta HorrorFest.

Chiseled, Horror, Rated R
Amazon
While visiting an Art's Festival a young sculptor and her five art school classmates get lured one-by-one to a desolate machine shop in the hopes of viewing some "real," industrial art...

A Hot Shower After An 8 Hour Day in Special Effect Makeup Makes Me Smile

2011-10-14T20:18:00.000-05:00

Special effect make-up looks great. Is fun to wear while performing because of the truth it can add to a scene (nothing like a swollen-shut eye to help me get in character). But the squeaky clean feeling after scrubbing off the layers of fake blood, dirt, and latex is amazing!

Just toss in a pineapple scented bar of soap to lather with and I am apt to start singing something from The Sound Of Music.

While working on the film "Intermedio" out in the Mojave Desert with special effect make-up artist Richard Miranda (his work can be seen on Army of Darkness & one of the Freddy Kruger films.) He mixed gelatin and boiling hot water together to make a thick gooey paste. Which he let cool just a touch, then smeared it onto the back of my head. After daubing on blood and a few blotches of tissue, it looked like you could see my brain.
It was totally gross looking.
I kept it that way until I was back in my hotel in Hollywood. Which was a blast, because I took a stroll down Sunset Boulevard before making it to my hotel for the shower. The looks on people's faces were fun!

I find my path crossing often with special effect make-up guru Crist Ballas. (His resume is amazing. Touting such credits as Star Trek, Batman & Robin to name just two).

He was the one that applied the moss onto my body for the Rolling Stone magazine ad where I am playing the video game. Most of that is real moss. Not computer generated. The ad wound up not running because the advertiser found it to portray gamers in too negative a light. Which is surprising to me only because it was supposed to run in Rolling Stone... do I need to spell out the humor?

Crist also did the kick-butt swollen eye and face in as a part of director Josh Thacker's film "Subversion. That was one of the longer prosthetic make-up applications. It was around four hours of me sitting in the chair while Crist did his magic. The challenge was that my face started to itch, and ya can't touch it because much of it is covered in latex. So ya just wait until the end of filming then scrape it off as quick as ya can.

Take a look at the short film "Subversion" below.

I am off to shower. Viva la Shower!

Male Underwear Model Comedy " Hair Rules " Plays in Houston

2011-10-13T16:43:00.000-05:00

Watch "Hair Rules" Movie Trailer

One Male Underwear Model + One Male Masseur = Two Unlikely Room Mates

Bruce is an aspiring male underwear model. He has the looks, the ladies, and great hair. Life is great. The only things he is missing from having it all: a big break into a legit modeling career. To get one, he needs a rent-paying roommate.

When Carl appears on the scene, he's the perfect fit to Bruce's picture perfect existence. Carl pays his rent on time, cleans up after himself, and he even has bad hair!

So just why does Bruce plunge into a downward spiral following Carl's move in? You'll see in "Hair Rules"

What: Comedy short film "Hair Rules"
When: November 3rd at 7:15pm
Where: Playing as a part of the 3rd annual Houston Comedy Film Festival Hosted at The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, West Oaks Mall, #429, Houston, TX, 77082
Cost: Tickets $10 Buy Tickets From DraftHouse
Who: Actors Paul Cram (Carl) & Sasha Andreev (Bruce)

The Full Line Up of Films Showing on November 3rd at 7:15 PM - (120 Minutes Total)

“Behave” - Directed by Don Worley (Houston, Texas)
“Brown Duck” - Directed by Ryan Becken (Apple Valley, Minnesota)
“Deadbeat TV Vol. 2” - Directed by Steven Katz (Houston, Texas)
“Earthbound” - Directed by Jose Asuncion (Los Angeles, California)
“Hard Rubbish” - Directed by Steve Mitchell (Maid Stone, Australia)
“Hair Rules” - Directed by Ryan Becken (Apple Valley, Minnesota)
“Vampire Vampire Vampire Vampire” - Directed by Brenton Stumpf (Santa Monica, California)
“What’s Life Got To Do with It?” - Directed by Noah Weisberg (New York, New York)

12 Scary Films For The Faint of Heart

2011-10-13T10:52:00.000-05:00

I f you are anything like me, easily-frightened by horror films, then you maybe shouldn't watch these 12 films... though I liked 'em.

This list will quickly be very obvious to horror buffs that Paul gets squeamish easily- hence the absence of typical horror slasher flicks.

Note: a few of the movies on the list aren't classified as horror films in the genre... but they made Paul's list because it's his list and they freaked him out.

	1. Vertigo (1958) Psychological horror
	2. Resident Evil (2002) Horror action
	3. Pans Labrynth (2006) Drama
	4. Pacific Heights (1990) Phsycological Thriller about a psycho tenant
	5. Shawn of the Dead (2004) Comedy Zombie Movie
	6. Psycho (1960) horror
	7. 28 Days Later (2002) Zombie Movie
	8. The Decent (2005) Horror/psychological horror
	9. Diabolique (1955) Psychological horror
	10. Underworld (2003) Horror Action Vamp/Wherewolf
	11. Arlington Road (1999) Psychological thriller
	12. The Others (2001) Supernatural thriller

Rusty Railroad Spike Hunting Makes Me Smile

2011-10-12T10:46:00.000-05:00

A reader sent in this spiked photo. He said he recalled something I had said about liking them.

Which I do mention in my biography that one of my fun past-times, when not working on a film set, was exploring the railway station down the hill with my little brother. We'd find the old railway spikes in the ditches along the tracks.

Makes me grin at the memories it brings to mind. The clanging of metal in the distance where the railway workers were doing their work, the vibrations felt under foot as the trains slowly rumbled past, and the sound of the grass as wind passed over it. Great summer-time memories.

Thanks for sending the photo Steve V.

I am curious to know what your Summer past-time thing to do is? Drop me a comment.

What Movie Turns You Into a Scaredy Cat?

2011-10-11T01:10:00.000-05:00

For me, Dracula and Aliens aren't too scary as movie subject matter. Nope. But a movie that has a neighbor being nice by day then burying bodies by night- those types of horror movies make my skin crawl.

Can anyone say Hitchcock's "Rear Window?"

Makes me shiver and pull the covers tight late at night when I hear something go "bump."

Am a huge fan of Alfred Hitchcock. Vertigo, Psycho, and Rear Window to name a few. Brilliant. Freaky.

What about you? What movies get under your skin & keeps you from turning off your light at night?

Short-Sleeve-Shirt Weather In October Makes Me Smile

2011-10-09T14:46:00.000-05:00

Along with the amazing colors of Autumn, I am loving this 80 degree October weather.

It's perfect. No bugs, or mosquitoes. A nice warm breeze. Perfect to practice some dancing moves outdoors.

It's amazing to me that we are a week into the month and it's so hot outside ya can take off your shirt.

If you like nerdy people dancing in awesome fun ways, take a peek at the video below. Some day I hope to be that cool!

Am off- gotta try some more back-spins

Paul Cram Actor.com

Play The 3 Minute Comedy Zombie Flick

2011-10-06T11:00:00.000-05:00

Here's a tip: Don't Answer the Door. In the 3 minute film "Unwelcomed" Paul Plays a Mormon Zombie. Yep, a Mormon Zombie. It was shot on location in Hollywood, California.

Watch & you'll hear why my lines on this horror zombie movie project were so easy to learn.

To me. zombies are scary either alone or in huge groups. Alone because you might not notice one until it's too late, and it's obvious why you'd be afraid of a huge number of them- because you may run out of ammo before they all die. Which wouldn't be a good thing at all.

I find the pop-culture version of Zombies to be an odd departure from the history behind them.

A Zombie is classicly an animated corpse. Usually animated by use of witchcraft or sorcery. Currently so many movies are taking the approach of science being the thing that animates the corpses- like we see in such films as Resident Evil, and 28 Days Later which use virus type means to explain the reanimation.

This short doesn't delve into any of the reasons behind what is going on... Enjoy!

Actor Paul Cram website

20 Reasons to Show Special Politeness to Other People, by Lynn Truss

2011-10-04T19:28:00.000-05:00

1 they are older

2 they know more than you do

3 they know less than you do

4 they got here first

5 they have educational qualifications in the subject under discussion

6 you are in their house

7 they once helped you financially

8 they have been good to you all your life

9 they are less fortunate than you

10 they have achieved status in the wider world

11 you are serving them in a shop

12 they are in the right

13 they are your boss

14 they work for you

15 they are a policeman/teacher/doctor/judge

16 they are in need

17 they are doing you a favor

18 they paid for the tickets

19 you phoned them, not the other way around

20 they have a menial job

I love, love, love this list. Came across it while reading British author Lynne Truss's book "Talk to the Hand."

From chapter five of her book:
"Respect and consideration are traditionally due to other people for all sorts of reasons, some big, some small. Here are twenty (mostly lapsed) reasons to show special politeness to other people that have nothing to do with [social hierarchy] class."

Lynn has a great sense of humor. (She is British and it shows.) I've also read her book "Eats shoots and leaves" on punctuation and found it wonderful.

Photo by Graur Codrin

Independent Movie actor Paul Cram website

About the South Dakota Film "Dust of War"

2011-09-29T19:30:00.000-05:00

Paul Cram filming his role of Gelman in Dust of War

The PlotIn a post-apocalyptic American Frontier, a lone soldier fends off a brutal warmonger to rescue a girl fated as the savior of humanity. Our hero joins forces with a cynical veteran and a slimy thief to bring the girl to safety, encountering mysterious invaders and traveling showmen along the way.
The Look
Dust of War can be billed as a South Dakota flavored Mad Max, infused with the earthy textures of Dances With Wolves and the stark beauty of Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal. South Dakota’s savagely beautiful landscape will serve as the perfect backdrop to a classic action-adventure picture.

What does ‘Dust of War’ mean?

directed by Andrew Kightlinger

In a literal sense, it represents the settling dust of war itself, from the rubble and carnage to the bomb residue still lingering in the air. The more theoretical interpretation represents the spoils of our humanity.

Visit Dust of War Movie website

Don't Step On The Snakes Please

2011-09-28T19:56:00.000-05:00

PAY ATTENTION I mentally shout at myself while standing on the "Dust of War" film set in South Dakota. Trying to listen to the instructions being set forth by the on-set production coordinator gal is hard.

I am attempting to stop thinking of the snake scene in "Indiana Jones, Raiders of the Lost Ark." The one where Indiana is looking at the floor covered with poisonous snakes. They are crawling over everything. And even pouring out of the walls. To free himself, Indiana douses them with kerosene and uses a torch to light it all ablaze.

Just the mental image of all those writhing scaly snakes is enough to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

I don't like snakes. Never have. Their long bodies undulating together in a twisted knot of scales and slithering. Ick!

"Snap out of it." I say mentally.

Taking a deep breath I review it all out trying to use logic:
For one, I don't have any readily available gasoline. Or a torch with which to set snakes alight with. And for two, I am not locked in the bottom of an ancient desert pyramid with snakes at every turn. And for three, I can't see any snakes... yet.

"Just because you can't see them doesn't mean they aren't there" says the gal. Almost as if she can read my thoughts.

My pulse starts picking up again.

I am standing in a circle of about twenty people, mostly men, at the film's base camp. It's obvious who is an actor and who is with the crew. All of us actors are wearing tattered war-torn costumes. A look achieved by putting Civil War costumes into a blender with Desert storm gear. We are all listening to the production coordinator, who is giving instructions on snake protocol. There's the make-up trailer to our left, the wardrobe trailer to the right, and directly behind us is the food trailer.

"This area is a hot bed for Rattlers" she says.

I didn't realize, until just moments ago, that this location we are filming at is a breeding ground for venom fanged snakes that shake their tails. Usually I consider myself to be smart, but somehow I totally spaced it out that if I am going to be filming in the prairies of South Dakota, that means there are going to be snakes.

The production coordinator obviously was smart with her selection of footwear. She is wearing knee high leather cowboy boots. Which makes me glance down at my wardrobe-provided canvas boots. It's that odd blender thing again- this time with what is essentially a canvas shoe, with extra canvas attached to make it look sort of like an army boot.

Looking to my left I see that all the other actors are in thick leather boots that come at least mid-calf. Which makes me wonder if I was a venomous snake, which shoes would my fangs be able to pierce?

The production coordinator's talk continues with information that Rattlesnakes will try to avoid you. They only bite if they feel threatened. "Much like a honey bee" she coos. Her voice actually went up a register higher when she said that part. And with a gleeful smile! And immediately my brain pictured her in her bedroom at night singing bedtime stories to an aquarium tank of snakes at the foot of her bed.

Furthermore the boot-clad gal says that we will be walking single file from the base camp (make-up trailer, food trailer, wardrobe trailer, etc.) over to the filming location. Which is set atop a small hill. The snake wrangler will lead the way, with each of us actors behind.

I could see the filming location from base camp. About two football field lengths away.

"Be alert while walking. If you hear a rattle, stop and shout 'Snake' and stand dead still. If you hear someone shout 'Snake' and you don't see one, you still should stand dead still. The snake wrangler will come back and handle the snake from there."

Ten bucks says the production coordinator will take the sack and brings it home to her aquarium. I think to myself.

I break from the circle and start walking towards the production coordinator to follow her to set. But she interrupts me and says that there is more yet.

"Not only are their Rattlesnakes out here, there are also Bull snakes." she says. "Which opens a new set of concerns because while Rattle snakes wouldn't hurt you at all, unless they are threatened, a Bull snake is aggressive and will chase you." she says.

Oh this is just great! I think. So here we are supposed to watch our step and not move if we hear someone shout 'Snake!' because we don't want to disturb the nice-as-honey-bees Rattlesnakes. But there could be snakes fiercely hissing and slithering towards us too? And we are supposed to stand still?

This just isn't sounding like a good thing for my canvas-covered ankles.

So we all get into a line. Walk single file to the filming location.

All of my senses were sharp. My eyes peeled to the ground, constantly scanning. No one spoke, just listened.

I didn't see any while walking.

Fortunately for my dramatic scene that day, I had to freak out. Be scared. All while pleading for my life. We did several takes of filming. The director came over and said "You are doing great. Whatever you are tapping into to get that primal fear- keep it." I keep my mouth shut, just nod my head. I don't find it necessary to tell him that I am using a bit of my environment in to effect my performance. Seriously, how could I not let some of that fear of writhing snakes at my feet soak up and into my voice? So at the end of the day of filming I feel good about the work.

That evening walking bare foot on my snake-free hotel room floor, I think about how I got there & that I ought to have put more thought into where I would be filming before I arrived. So mentally I wouldn't have gotten as worked up. The audition was unique. I used my computer's cam to video myself reading the lines without anyone reading the opposite lines. Which is not how I usually do out-of-town auditions. It's just that no one was available to lend their time to read with me. After the casting director saw the audition video, he sent a note saying "That was a very odd but refreshing audition video. And we like it." And the rest was fairly simple. Getting the nuts & bolts hammered down of travel dates, and things like that. I drift off to sleep thinking about what's coming for my character the next day. My second day of filming has me wading into a river. While soaking wet, my character is shot at by the villain of the movie.

I wake up, get dressed, and dash out the door to meet my ride. It's a 30 minute drive from the hotel to set.

I walk into wardrobe and am pulling my canvas shoe/boot things on my feet. Today I am happy about the light canvas they are constructed of because of how wet I am going to be in them.

We get to the river via a van.

The crew is setting up. I wander to the edge of the river.

I dip my feet into the water. It's temperature is perfect. The day is hot, around 80. I get right into the mucky water and duck my head under, swimming a few yards. When I come up for breath I see a few of the crew looking from their shore-line vantage points. The looks are quizzical. I can only assume they think I am nuts to be willing to get into this dirty water. Little do they know that I am used to swimming in dirty ponds. When I was a kid, my brothers and I would swim in a river and have leeches all over our bodies after. And we did that again and again. So this seemed like nothing. And the water's great on this dusty afternoon. I float on my back waiting for the crew to set up the camera.

The camera is all set and the director of photography gets into position. The director calls out action and the establishing shot is filmed without a hitch. "Cut" yells the director.

The camera man moves the camera and the shot is readied for my character to be fired upon.

I don't like snakes. I don't like guns. And I don't like violence. Over the course of many bumps and bruises, I've learned (See Paul's Backstage article Kick to The Head) that it's best to have someone else do the stunt first. To show me how it is properly done.

This is the point where I turn to the director and say that I was fine being shot at with the blank bullet, but only if he would stand in and have it shot at him first.

And guess what? He was more than willing to do it. He pulls down his pants, leaves on his boxer underwear, tosses off his shirt and wades into the river with me.

It made me happy to see him stand soaking wet and call "action."

"CRACK" the echo of the shot reverberates along the river. The bullet doesn't do a thing to the director. He turns to me and gestures for us to trade places.

I slosh into place and the same thing is done. Once the director shouts out "cut." I am wrapped with my role. It is a brief two days of filming for my character.

The only thing I have changed though is that I would have read up on venom antidotes before arriving on set. I love too that the director, Andrew Kightlinger, only wore open-toe sandals on set.

South Dakota horizon photo by Paul Cram, Rattlesnake photo by Rick Budai

Casting Director's Conflict of Interest

2011-09-27T18:43:00.000-05:00

Can a casting director or talent agent have a "conflict of interest" when they ask their actors to go out and buy products from a store to audition for that store's commercials?

I suppose casting directors and agents aren't holding a gun to actor's head telling them they must buy or else, but they sure are waving a carrot.

As actors, our agents make money when we book jobs. And casting directors make money when they are hired to find actors that will book the jobs...

But why bring buying merchandise into the equation? Is the store that is making the commercial looking for another way to bring in revenue? By having thousands of actors across the country go into their store to buy stuff for the audition? Seems far fetched... yet it seems to be happening.

Dictionary.com defines a conflict of interest as:

"The circumstance of a person who finds that one of his or her activities, interests, etc., can be advanced only at the expense of another of them."

I am very curious what thoughts fellow actors, agents, and even casting directors have on this.

On the topic of "Conflict of Interest" I like Dan Ariely's talk & warnings.

Another side note, I am not certain on the actor unions stance on such practice? Do any SAG or AFTRA actors out there know?

Experimenting With Tulip Bulb Plantings Makes Me Smile

2011-09-25T21:59:00.000-05:00

Watering the Tulips

Spent the Autumn afternoon potting Tulip bulbs. Hoping that In seven months, they'll bloom. I mixed the pots so they each have a blend of colors. Hot pink & blazing orange.

I am trying out potting them instead of putting them into the ground. I like that they are movable that way. Or I can give them away as a gift once they bloom next spring.

The tulip potting instructions I came across online said similar things:

1. Plant in Pot Early
enough in the season for roots to develope before it freezes outdoors. Plant bulbs 6 inches deep in each pot. Make sure the
round end of the bulb is pointed down. Cover with soil and press it down gently with your fingers. Water thoroughly after planting until water drains from the bottom of the pot.

2. Store in a cold space,
like a garage.

3. Begin watering once a week in the Spring
& move into a sunny location.

I'll see if it works.

I enjoyed reaing the book "The Tulip" by Anna Pavord. She delves into such past times of the Tulip in Turkey, Europe, and of course Holland in the Tulipmania of the early 1600's.

"In an auction held in Holland in February 1637, 99 lots of tulip bulbs fetched a staggering 90,000 guilders, more than $3.5 million in today's money. Tulipomania had reached its height, and its story is told in just one of the fascinating sections of Anna Pavord's wonderful book on this most seductive of flowers."

Pianist Loses Arm Yet Continues To Play

2011-08-28T11:45:00.000-05:00

At the family estate, summer 1917. Paul Wittgenstein is second
from left; his philosopher brother Ludwig Wittgenstein is at right.
Photo by Michael Nedo

After having his right arm amputated in WWI, stubborn pianist Paul Wittgenstein kept playing using only his left hand.

The Beauty of the Music Makes My Heart Swell

I came across his life story because I was listening to the Piano Concerto No. 2.

Hear Piano Concerto No. 2

Someone had to point it out that it was being played with only one hand.

Inspiring

I didn't realize it was being played with only one hand because I got caught up in the music and didn't read the entire title "Piano Concerto No. 2 For Left Hand Only Opus 23"

My jaw dropped. This beautiful piece of music was being played single handed? And I couldn't tell! Love it.

Paul Wittgenstein, from the book De Wittgensteins

History Tid Bit

It was in 1923 that Paul Wittgenstein commissioned this Piano Concerto No. 2 by composer Sergei Bortkiewicz.

*Contented sigh*

I just finished requesting the book "The House of Wittgenstein" from the library.

On-set with David Midthunder (Cowboys & Aliens, Hidalgo)

2011-08-21T19:11:00.000-05:00

In between filming scenes on-set of Dust of War with David Midthunder (Cowboys & Aliens, Hidalgo)

Read about Dust of War

H.P. Lovecraft Horror Story Podcast

2011-08-15T09:33:00.000-05:00

I voiced the character of Edward on the audio horror literary program 19 Nocturne Boulevard.

Click to visit podcast site & hear the story

In their 30 minute podcast episode "The Thing On The Doorstep" based on a frightful story of a body snatcher penned by H.P. Lovecraft.

http://www.nineteennocturne.libsyn.com/19-nocturne-boulevard-the-thing-on-the-doorstep

Reading Is One Of The Most Amazing Abilities in the World

2011-08-13T18:28:00.000-05:00

After the several block walk with an illiterate woman getting her cigarettes today, I walked on feeling like I had one of the most amazing abilities in the world. She had approached me at the bus stop and asked me to walk with her to read the bus detour signs directing pedestrians through the mile of road reconstruction. I wish I could say that I hadn't started out by looking around to see if anyone else would help her, and upon not seeing anyone muttering under my breath about how busy I am and am on a schedule, blah blah blah. Sometimes my inner monologue just needs to shut up.

Thinking of The Right Response Immediately Makes Me Smile

2011-08-06T20:20:00.000-05:00

Today a gal on the bus was swooning over a guy. He proceeded to tell her that he'd date if she'd help him buy a few things. Then he glances at me and says "ya know how it is." I shook my head NO, and said "That's not dating, that's being a bum. Let's be clear." The cute elderly woman sitting two rows over flashed me a "thumbs up" sign.

Green Manor II... Books I've Read On Set

2011-05-26T11:12:00.000-05:00

A delightfully macabre look at the way members of the Green Manor club come to their unfortunate deaths over the years. Revenge, affairs, murder, lust & lunatics.

It reminds me of some of the classic short horror stories presented in that television show "Alfred Hitchcock Presents."

The art is fantastic. Capturing in pen & ink that wonderfully sketchy clever style that I adore in a graphic novel. It's great for presenting Victorian Europe. A bit of art nouveau, which was such the rage in that time.

"Green Manor, The Inconvenience of Being Dead"

You Look Weird In Real Life... Directors Say the Darndest Things

2011-04-22T18:11:00.000-05:00

While filming, the director looked at me with a quizzical expression.

Then back to the camera monitor.

Back up at me.

Back to the monitor.

Once more up at me.

Back to the monitor.

Raises her eyebrows & blurts out, "Paul, you look so much better on screen than in real life."

Paul Looks Like An Innocent Kid... Another Darndest Comment

2011-04-21T06:05:00.000-05:00

My latest backhanded audition comment:
"You have a look that makes me feel sorry for you, like you're an innocent kid in a grown-ups body."

Too bad I was auditioning for the role of a rough-tough guy. :(

Graffiti Art by Paralyzed Hospital Patients

2011-04-20T10:30:00.000-05:00

Technology empowering paralyzed to create art using only their eye movement.

EyeWriter project is an ongoing collaborative research effort to empower graffiti writers and artists suffering from ALS. An insightful innovation that captures eye movement and lets people express themselves in real time. To know more about The EyeWriter, log on to eyewriter.org.

Read more: It Was All As Ephemeral As A Rainbow — Imprint-The Online Community for Graphic Designers
For great design products, visit our online store: MyDesignShop.com

The Eyewriter from Evan Roth on Vimeo.

A Choir Built From YouTube Submissions Makes Me Smile

2011-04-18T21:15:00.000-05:00

Beautiful. 2,000 people videoed themselves singing alone, and they were all put together to make a virtual choir. Voices from 58 countries. I ♥ this.

Here's what a single voice sounded like:

And here's what it sounds like when he put the virtual choir all together:

Planet Macabre Horror Podcast

2011-04-12T16:51:00.000-05:00

Was pleased to be invited as a guest on Planet Macabre's horror movie podcast discussing several blue ray DVD movie releases. So if you like to watch blu ray horror movies, check out the podcast. It's over 2 1/2 hours long!

You can listen to Horror Movie Podcast

The hosts of the show are from all over the globe, including horror a few horror fans from the USA, some from Australia, and South America. So it's certainly got international viewpoints. If you like terror moies then this is the podcast for you horror fans.

A Plastic Grin So Big Makes Me Smile

2011-04-07T16:48:00.000-05:00

Saw this sculpture "Panda" by Takashi Murakami while visiting the MIA art museum.

It makes me happy.

It's made of fiberglass with an antique Louis Vuitton trunk and wooden pedestal.

It measures 100 1/2 by 65 by 43 inches. It's tall!

Was executed in 2003.

It sold for $385,600

Five Children and It... Books I've Read On-set

2011-04-01T11:36:00.000-05:00

I read a lot of teen fiction.

Five Children and It is a fantastic story set in the countryside where five children discover "It." (Fortunately "it" is not a clown from a Stephen King novel.) Nope. "It" is a sand fairy that grants wishes. And oh boy, do the children use the wishes up.

I really do like that with each wish the children learn something valuable about themselves.

also, I loved that the book was written decades ago. It is very obvious that the world was a much different place without cars and so much technology. It's great to experience some of that through this book.

Paul Looks Like Gollum... Casting Director's Say The Darndest Things

2011-03-30T00:41:00.000-05:00

Left to right: Gollum, Paul Cram

During a casting session for a television show, famed Lord of the Rings casting director Victoria Burrows asked Paul, "Where were you a few years ago when I was casting for Gollum?"

Horror Movie Acting

2011-03-28T23:26:00.000-05:00

I've been asked a few times if horror movie acting is any different than acting in a drama or comedy.

I'd have to say that acting in a horror movie usually means more fun for me while working on set. In the horror films that I have worked on, they've had me screaming and running all over the place, and I get to die such dramatic deaths. (every actor's dream)

Scary movies are some of the best to work on, I think.

Scream Collector's Intern Paul Cram

2011-03-23T10:52:00.000-05:00

Paul Cram plays the role of the Scream Collector's intern for Nickelodeon Universe.

"We Want Your Scream"

Commercial also stars Ari Hoptman. The DP on the project was Bo Hakala.

Z Fest Winner

2011-03-17T10:47:00.000-05:00

From the short film Karl's Big Break

The short film "Karl's Big Break" directed Jim Morgan cleaned up many awards at this years Z Fest film festival.

Karl's Big Break won:
Best Picture - 1st Place
Best Makeup, Hair & Wardrobe
Best Creative Use of Graphics and/or Props
Best Film Editing
Best Storyline
Best Acting

It was a very great film to work on. If you ever are presented with the opportunity to work with Jim Morgan- do it.

Violent Horror Film Goes to SxSw Film Festival

2011-03-16T10:46:00.000-05:00

Short horror themed film "Good Morning Beautiful" written & directed by Todd Cobery was accepted and screened that the re-knowned South by Southwest film fest this month. The film stars David Tufford, and has a great cast...

I play a super brief role in the piece, I am a super gay club goer- complete with too tight pants, bright plaid shirt and sunglasses. My character is one that gets caught in a cross fire of gunfire. It's a fun scene.

Student Film "Dope Sick"

2011-03-16T01:59:00.000-05:00

"The Keeper" creature in Dope Sick

Completed filming on "Dope Sick" with MCTC Film Student Elijah Woodcock who had me in the lead role of a heroin addict Todd in the short psychological thriller.

Synopsis: Upon waking up in a rundown hotel room, Todd strives to understand & escape the hallways and memories lurking in them.

The film also stars a prostiute in a red dress, and a ghastly creature The Keeper, brainchild of horror special effects artist Ryan Schaddelee.

Another Faust... Books I've Read On-Set

2011-03-01T11:00:00.000-06:00

Honestly, I didn't read this book.

But wait. Don't stop reading just yet.

I listened to it on CD.

It's an updated take on the classic "Faust" tale.

What I like about this one is that the characters each are fleshed out to my liking.
While they each have their flaws and make bad desicions, there's enough of each of their back story included to show some of the reasons why they made the decisions they did. And the ending had me very pleased.

I really found the line spoken near the end when one of the characters is speaking to the devil about her soul. She tells the devil that one doesn't sell their soul once in their lifetime to the devil, but that desicion happens multiple times every day. Made me stop and think.

And the story has some fun teen angst stuff in it too.

i Kill Giants... Books I've Read On Set

2011-02-19T21:56:00.000-06:00

A fifth grade girl who kills giants. Has a sassy response to everyone & must deal with accepting illness and even death as a part of life..

This teen graphic novel made me sad & happy. The subject matter is hefty stuff: Learning to live on, be thankful for the time together we get on Earth, and even fleetingly touches on metal illness.

Certainly topics that are not for the faint of heart. The underlying message is a simple one, heartwarming.
"All things that live, die...
you must find joy in the living, while the time is yours and not fear the end.
To deny this is to deny life.
To fear this is to fear life.
But to embrace this... You are stronger than you think." -Joe Kelly, author of I Kill Giants

I found it to be a good read & the drawings get better with each page turn.

My 5 Best Tips to Get Cast Again & Again by the Same Director (1 Will Save Your Life)

2011-02-03T19:26:00.000-06:00

Daily Actor asked me for 5 things actors can do to get cast over & over again.

Here's the resulting tip article:

1. Know Your Lines, No More Faking
This seems obvious, but about 30% of actors I’ve worked with didn’t know their stuff before they arrived on-set. Memorize ‘em and you’ll not only come off as a pro, but also have the benefit of taking out all the fakey dramatic pauses that actors do when trying remember their cues.

2. Save the Drama for the Movie
No one likes working with divas. (Male or female.) “But I am not a drama queen,” you say. Of course you aren’t... Does it seem that if other people would just do their job better, then you could finally do yours? If you do, then it’s time to revise your attititude. Actively seek solutions instead of pointing blame. Reccommended reading: “Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier” by Robert Emmonds

3. Practice the Golden Rule
If you find yourself in on-set purgatory with a toxic drama queen, refrain from your instinctive desire to pull their hair out. Take a deep breath and remind yourself that many creatively brilliant individuals weren’t hugged enough as children. Choose not to take everything to heart while practicing the Golden Rule. Which doesn’t mean you should become their personal Dr. Phil or bend over backwards to get them to like you. Rather, do your job, learn as much as you can, and take it all in stride. It’s a business after all, and treating everyone with respect and dignity will be noted by the director. An added bonus with obnoxious people is they make for good veteran actor stories later on. Recommended reading: “Boundaries (When to say yes, when to say no to take control of your life)” by Henry Townsend

4. Require That Someone Show You How To Perform a Stunt Before You Do It
If a director or stunt coordinator won’t perform a stunt for you to see how it’s done, don’t do it. You’ll avoid breaking bones, scarring your face, or worse yet... dead from a stunt gone wrong. I’ve handed a baseball bat sized candle stick back to a director and said “Before I hit the other actor with this, you show me how to do it” Once he realized he might break the other actor’s spine, he said “We need to change the shot.” I gained his respect saying “no.” Recommended resource: StuntPlayers.org. Get a Stunt Coordinator to show you how to do a stunt.

5. Boil Directions Down to A Physical Action and an Emotional Need
For example, a director says “In this scene your character is fleeing childhood failures through seeking another level of physical height.” How do you act that? Look to the script’s stage directions for your physical action Run up the stairway, slam the door and attach an emotional need to escape bad memories. Put together Run up the stairs while remembering bad things that have happened to you. It seems simple, that’s the point! It’s something you can physically and emotionally actively do in the moment. Quickly taking directions and translating them into stunning performances always gets positive attention from the director. Recommended reading “The Intent to Live” by Larry Moss

The Perfect Scent... Books I've Read On Set

2011-02-01T02:36:00.000-06:00

I was picking up some manilla envelopes at my local dollar store when a good friend called me to discuss some movies we had just seen. Not wanting to leave the store while on my phone (because it was winter outside and I didn't drive, but walked to the store without my mittens.) I stayed in the store during the call, and just wandered while talking.

I found myself in the book section, and started fingering through the titles, half paying attention to them. I saw this one "The Perfect Scent, A Year Inside the Perfume Industry in Paris and New York" by Chandler Burr.
I picked it up and glanced inside reading through a few lines while still talking on the phone. I wound up buying it, and am super pleased with it.

The book delves into the world of perfumers. Giving a very artistic, yet well rounded with science, look into the world of luxury that is scent.

The author does an amazing job of blending art and science. His descriptions of scent and perfume is brilliant. I had to put the book down several times while reading to look up fragrances online that he was talking about. (I wanted to see what the bottles looked like.)

Since reading the book, I've found myself following perfumer's blogs and such. And have begun looking around for a cologne that is me. :)

If you are into cologne and perfume, are kinda geeky with science, this is a great read.

Opening A Letter From A Foreign Country Makes Me Smile

2011-01-24T22:28:00.000-06:00

Opening the post office box and fishing out letters with stickers from places like "Luftpost" & "Deutsche Post" makes me want to tear into my mail while standing in front of the walls of locked PO Boxes.

But I don't.

There's something delectable about waiting until I am back home and sitting at my writing desk to look over the envelope. It's like waiting to eat one's desert. The anticipation.

I can't help but grin ear to ear when I get notes from other countries from autograph collectors of a variety of ages. While I utilize email for most of my daily correspondence, I really like opening letters that are written on paper and have been sent through the post.

I will write more with pen and ink this year. It's wonderful.

Taking Off Your Clothes: Awkward Moments On Set

2011-01-19T00:50:00.000-06:00

I find wardrobe fittings to be a necessary evil.

Necessary because it's important to figure out what a character will look like in their clothes, and how they relate to other character's clothes... etc.

The awkwardness is that for me, the actor, I feel like am a human hanger during a fitting.

I wonder if this is what models feel like?

Stripping out of clothes. Trying on grey pants instead of khaki. Then standing in front of the wardrobe designer and the director. Having them stare at ya, but not looking at ya- rather the clothes.

When I am acting I have things to do in a scene. With fittings, I just try on clothes and stand while people stare at me and make comments about the way my backside isn't filling out the rear of the pants, so maybe the khaki's would be better as they seem to fit better.

It's an awkward feeling.

I've decided that models don't have an easy life.

Today I Found Two Cats At the Bus Stop

2011-01-16T20:43:00.000-06:00

I found two cats today at the bus shelter while waiting for my bus. They were mewing like mad and shivering as they obviously aren't outdoor cats. So I put them in my pockets and carried them home. Thing is that I can't keep 'em due to allergies. Does anyone know someone that would like two? They are house trained.

Night of the Living Podcast, Horror Show

2011-01-13T22:15:00.000-06:00

Was a special guest on the Night Of The Living Podcast. Which delves into horror. All things- horror movies, books, games, etc.
In this special episode clip we talk about the film "Black Swan" with Natalie Portman and what we all thought of the film. I was pleased to be invited onto the show, and enjoyed speaking with the hosts. You can listen to it below or log into the horror podcast website notlp.com.

Check out Night of the Living Podcast's website and other shows

Vampire-like In Roller Skates

2011-01-06T23:10:00.000-06:00

Making movies isn't always glamorous. (No big surprise.)

While some of it is. Like having someone style your hair, do make-up, choose wardrobe, take your photograph, etc. There are parts of it that (like any job) really are mundane and down right tiring.

My latest vampire-like filming schedule begins at 2:30am on Friday for the film "M4W."

While I am considered a night-owlish because I tend to stay up reading until about 1am, a 2:30 am call time makes me, well, yawn.
It makes me want to curl up and sleep just thinking about that call-time.

But... if I didn't love it, I wouldn't do it.

So I am going to stop clacking the keys, putting out my "woe is me" about something as silly as a call-time and instead write about how honestly I am excited.

M4W is a fun script about a man and woman that meet online, share emails for a few months. Then meet in person at a roller-rink. Only to find that in real life things aren't as easy as they are online.

Am looking forward to working alongside actress Sheena Leigh. She hails orginally from Minnesota, but now is a Californian. As well as Cynthia Uhrich, the writer/director of the project.

P.S.
I am going to dance a bit in the roller skates.

Ten Poems to Change Your Life... Books I've Read On-set

2011-01-01T07:46:00.000-06:00

For February's "Books I've Read On Set" I picked Ten Poems To Change Your Life.

I came across this book while meandering through the shelves of the library. The title lives up to it's name. (I hate over hyped-titles)

It's from this book that I came across my all time favorite lines from a poem by Antonio Machado.
Last night as I was sleeping,
I dreamt- marvelous error!-
that I had a beehive
here inside my heart.
And the golden bees
were making white combs
and sweet honey
from my old failures.

The two poems that stand out the most in this collection are "Last Night as I Was Sleeping" by Mexican poet Antonio Machado, and "The Journey" by Mary Oliver.

"Ten Poems To Change Your Life", by Roger Housden.

Oil Painting is an emotional release

2010-12-28T00:39:00.000-06:00

Painting is cathartic for me.

I get out some dark emotions.

I am always surprised to step back and see beauty from emotions that aren't pretty and are sometimes painful.

There is beauty from ashes.

"...to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair..." -Isaiah 61:3

BONE... Books I've Read While On-Set

2010-12-27T01:05:00.000-06:00

Am always sniffing around for something to read while I wait on a film set for the next camera set up.

So for January's "Books I've Read While On Set" I found a great read with Bone, by Jeff Smith.

His epic 1344 page graphic novel that took him 12 years to complete, is sure to make your hand sore from holding it by it's sheer weight. It's worth it. With dragons, cartoon characters, adorable animals of the forest, pretty girls, and things called rat creatures.

Love the dry humor in parts of it, and the art is awesome. Was sad when it was all done reading.

If you are into graphic novels check it out. www.Boneville.com

Singlets, Stubbies, & Speedos, Lesson On New Zealand Slang

2010-12-22T01:33:00.000-06:00

A friend in New Zealand (where it is currently Summer) was talking to me today about it being so hot that everyone's in their Stubbies, Singlets, and Bungee smugglers.

Which had me scratching my head as here in the States we don't have anything called "stubbies" and singlets are the skin tight uniforms that wrestlers wear, and what is a Bungee Smuggler? So the mental image was rather funny to me.

Especially if you add to the wrestling gear image the fact that I imagine everyone in New Zealand to be characters from the Lord of the Rings, like Hobbits and Elves.

So, I did have to ask for clarification.

What I learned is that in New Zealand, those short shorts that were so popular here in the States in the 1970's... well, they never went out of style. All the guys wear them in the summer there. And they are referred to as "stubbies."

Singlets aren't spandex wrestling uniforms. They are just like what we wear, but call basketball jerseys.

Bungee Smugglers are what are wore to the beach. In Europe and here in the states we'd call them speedos. The term "bungee" would mean literally "little bird". I assume you can get the reference. It made me chuckle.

Stubbies Short Shorts

I do love that they call sun glasses "Sunnys."

4 Ways to Survive in a Horror Movie

2010-12-07T20:41:00.000-06:00

Scream Queen Rachel Grubb and Actor Paul Cram

And 8 movies Where They Are Disregarded
By Scream Queen Actress Rachel Grubb & Easily-Frightened Actor Paul Cram

1. Never Take Off Your Clothes
Especially if you take a shower. The person who shows the most skin first always dies.
Rachel Recommends: Deep Red, By Dario Argento. About a musician who sees the murder of a psychic, and teams up with a reporter to find the killer bent on keeping a dark secret buried.
Paul Recommends: Psycho, by Alfred Hitcock. The classic tale of a young woman who steals $40K, and encounters a young motel proprietor too long under the domination of his mother.

2. Stay Away From the Creepy Looking House
But since it’s inevitable that you’ll wind up inside, remember not to run upstairs to escape. Your chances of survival are just as good if you simply stood still and shouted "Your Momma’s So Fat” jokes. At least then you’d drown out the psycho killer’s deep breathing.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, by Tobe Hooper. Five friends visit their grandpa's house are hunted down and terrorized by a chainsaw wielding killer and his cannibal family.
House, by Robby Henson. It’s set in rural Alabama, where two couples find themselves running from a maniac (The Tin Man) bent on playing a cat & mouse killing game with them.

3. Always Be Nice to the Shy Unpopular Girl
Practice the Golden Rule. Be especially nice to the mousy girl in school. Trust me, when prom roles around you’ll thank me. That being said, go ahead and slap the screaming hysterical girl because she’s the one that will distract everyone when there is real danger.
Ginger Snaps, by John Fawcett. One of the Fitzgerald sisters gets bitten by something in the woods (and it ain't a neighborhood dog). The film uses Wherewolfism as a metaphor of puberty.
Hangman’s Curse, by Rafael Zielinski. Bullying students fall deathly ill after screaming the name of a legendary ghost.

4. Don’t Test Urban Legends or Take the Occult Lightly
Especially don’t read outloud a cryptic occult curse or joke about the local folk lore, these are sure-fire ways to end up dead, or running from a demon intent on killing you.

The Ring, by Gore Verbinski. A young journalist must investigate a mysterious videotape which seems to cause the death of anyone in a week of viewing it.
What Lies Beneath, by Robert Zemekis. The wife of a university research scientist believes that her lakeside Vermont home is haunted by a ghost -- or that she's losing her mind.

A Kick to the Head

2010-12-05T23:55:00.000-06:00

Sprawled on my back, I stare up at the unnatural glare of fluorescent lighting.

I hear my name and feel a hand shaking my shoulder. At the same moment, flashing through my mind is that tidbit from CPR class about the importance of assessing someone's injuries before moving them.

I try slowly moving my jaw up and down, it's not broken. Check.

I feel my face, not bleeding. Check.

I spread my hand in front of my eyes, five fingers, not blurred. Check.

I use my tongue to scan for missing and/or broken teeth, they are all there. Check. (At least I think they are; it's hard to tell with this odd Novocaine sensation.)

As more hands grab my shoulders and try to get me to stand up, I rudely spit out, "Let go of me!" which sends a pang of regret into my Midwestern conscience, and a sting to my jaw from opening my mouth.

I stand up and lean against the cash register of the station. A make-up artist swiftly appears by my side with ice and a handful of aspirin. "To help reduce any swelling," she says. I gulp a few down while she stares into my eyes. "I want to make sure they aren't dilated," she offers. "A sign of a concussion."

"Hmm, they look normal, but we will have to redo your make-up to cover up all the redness & swelling."

As I hold the ice pack to my numb face, I replay in my mind the events leading up to this moment.

*************

We're shooting in Willmar, Minnesota. It's a low-budget indie in which I'm playing a gas station attendant who—stupidly—fights back against a would-be robber.

As choreographed, I'm supposed to kneel down to retrieve a gun off the floor, and the actor playing the villainous robber is supposed to kick it out of my hand with his steel-toed cowboy boots.

No problem.

We rehearse and rehearse in slow motion. Four times, five times. Everything goes perfectly. Then we shoot a take. A little awkward. Another take. Everything's perfect. "Let's do it one more time," says the director.

Each movement has a beat. One, two. I turn. He swings, misses. I hit him. He drops the gun, I lean forward to grab it. Up comes his foot.

Unfortunately for me, the tempo of the choreography is mucked up. He misses the gun by about two feet, kicking my face instead. Doubly unfortunate is the fact that he's wearing steel-toed boots, the kind that went out of style in 1987.

My head whips back, I land on my back. My skull thuds against the tile floor.

*************

I seem destined to be that actor that gets pummeled, kicked, and bruised every time I try to do a stunt. But why?

On the West Coast, I had a conversation with a stunt woman about the list of my stunts that seemed to go haywire. "Was I doing something wrong?" I asked.

"No," she said. She pointed out a little-known fact about why stunt coordinators are so valuable to have on a film set. "When doing stunts," she opined, "Method actors are something we keep an eye out for. They are a danger to themselves and their fellow actors."

Ah ha! A lightbulb turns on above my head. From my memory, a pattern starts to take focus.

Now, let's be clear: I do know that you'll get a bruise here and there when doing your own stunts. It's just par for the course—nothing too surprising.

But this guy was lost in what I now call 'Method Madness'—the desire to be real, not act. And the only result is pain, usually mine.

My first experience with this kind of actor happened in Des Moines, Iowa. I was playing a Meth addict who gets the crap kicked out of him.

It started simply: I'm on the floor. My fellow actor is straddling me, holding a gun in his palm. In the scene, his character is supposed to pistol-whip my face.

It went splendidly during the rehearsal. Once, twice, three times. The crew settles in, camera rolls, clapboard snaps, and the director yells "Action!"

The actor begins fake-whacking my cheek, and I act like it is slamming against my head. So far so good. Then I see the actor's eyes narrow, and he starts whacking the cold steel to my cheek—for real.

I struggle to get loose of this actor-turned-maniac, but seeing as he's got about seventy pounds more weight than my 125-pound body, I couldn't escape.

As I try to wriggle out, the irony is not lost on me: What's supposed to be fake became so real that no one can tell I'm being hurt. They think we are simply doing a great job faking it.

Only when the director yells "Cut!" does the actor release enough of his weight for me to wiggle out of his grasp. Like an injured animal, I abruptly bolt to the opposite side of the set, trying to put as much distance between him and me as possible.

The actor keeps pace with me, still brandishing the gun in one hand. While reaching for my shoulder, I jump, but he blurts out an apology. Turning to him, my cheek visibly swollen, I tell him in the coldest voice I can muster: "Get away from me." He backs off with a "what did I do?" look.

Fortunately, I didn't need stitches. Other than bruises that were visible for a full week, I came out of it mostly uninjured, if a little skittish.

Since that first stunt-gone-wrong experience, I've striven to do due diligence on every role to make sure that I'm not put into that position again. That's difficult, since a large portion of my work is in low-budget films, most of which can't afford real stunt coordinators.

It's when I find myself getting my face kicked in, and pistol-whipped so bad that I have bruises for a week, that I ask, "How could this have been avoided? Should I have turned down the project? Should I have said 'no'?"

"No" is a hard word for me. I like to be agreeable. I like them to like me. And I like to work as an actor. I take pride in my work.

Recently, though, I found that the only antidote to Method Madness is with that two-letter word.

In the script, my character heists a ski-lodge-styled mansion. After the homeowner's boyfriend unexpectedly arrives, I grab a heavy wooden candlestick holder—the size of a baseball bat—and hide in their mammoth kitchen, awaiting the cinematic moment to pounce. I'm supposed to knock him out, and make my dastardly escape into the night.

It read great on paper. But being skeptical, I took my concerns to the director. He reassured me over and over that the stunt would be handled safely. So I signed up.

But once I arrive at the three story mansion, however, the director changes his tune.

As we discuss the scene in the ultra-modern mansion kitchen, he turns to me and says, "I've decided you should really whack the actor on the back." Stunned, I'm not sure what to say. If that's not bad enough, my fellow actor loudly agrees. "Yeah, be real with it!" he enthuses, "Really whack me! It'll give my character motivation."

Ohhhh-kay.

The whole situation quickly evolves into a surreal "Twilight Zone" moment, in which everything moves in slow motion. The crew are looking at their watches while I stand between the director and the actor, both of whom are egging me to smack the actor's back for real.

For some reason, my mother's voice suddenly pops into my head, repeating her well-worn cliché—you know the one: "Just because the other kids are about to jump off a cliff doesn't mean you have to."

So, turning to this Method-crazed actor, I say, "No movie role is worth you losing the ability to walk." Inflated by my principled stand, I make a 180-degree turn, hand the candlestick to the director. "Before I hit anyone with this," I add, "you show me how to do it."

The director smiles.

Without pause he takes the bat, hefts it up like Babe Ruth, and winds up for a swing. I take a deep intake of breath, turn my face away, and tightly shut my eyes in anticipation of the loud sound of wood crunching the man's spinal cord and vertebrae...

Nothing happens.

I open up one eye and listen another moment, but all I hear is the pleasing thump of solid wood being set onto stone-tiled floor.

The director then tells his D.P. to change the angle of the camera changed so that no contact is made between the wood and the actor's body.

Now, I'm annoyed. Why couldn't he have just done that from the start and avoided the whole "hit me for real" peer pressure conversation?

But I'm also relieved. Let's just say that I was glad, for once, not to be on the delivering or receiving end of a mighty thwack.

**************************

As the ice pack starts to burn my cheek, I remove it, set the pack on the counter and sit down.

Snapped out of my reverie, I suddenly see the difference between the three experiences. In Iowa, it was pure madness. Here in Minnesota, it was a simple accident. And in the ski-lodge-mansion, it was a bit of insane method.

I laugh and wonder if this stunt-Method-madness is curable.

Probably not.

Paul Cram hails from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was home-schooled. Got bit by the acting bug while doing plays in church. Some current work includes "Peer Gynt" performed with the Minnesota Orchestra, as well as bit parts in several small independent films that have made it to DVD rental shelves. When not acting, Paul can either be glimpsed with his head in a book between the rows at the library, or running to look for loose railway spikes at an old train station with his younger brother. To see clips of Paul's acting, visit www.PaulCramActor.com.

Romantic Comedy Short "M4W" To Begin Filming Around Minneapolis January 2011

2010-11-27T23:45:00.000-06:00

Paul Cram in M4W

Synopsis: Two people fall in love over the internet, where their imperfections are easily hidden. Their face-to-face meeting however, isn't the stuff of which epic (or Hollywood) romance is made; and each must come to terms with what "real world" relationships entail.

"M 4 W" (Man for Woman) is written & being directed by Cynthia Uhrich. The first draft was penned in 2008, and was one of two adult scripts selected by THE STORYBOARD to be presented to the public in a staged reading at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. The feedback Cynthia received was so positive, that she decided to continue developing the piece. At that time, Cynthia approached actor Paul Cram (who was the reader for that evening) and asked him if he'd ever consider playing the role, if she were to produce the work. He said he "never gets to play a romantic lead, so yes!"

The other actors in the piece are: Sheena Leigh of Los Angeles, David Tufford, Gary David Keast and Dakota Rose have been cast in supporting roles.

Interview I did with Horror Actress Rachel Grubb

2010-11-26T11:45:00.000-06:00

Actress Rachel Grubb

Rachel Grubb write:
With the DVD release of 13 Hours In A Warehouse on October 28th, I thought I would use my blog as an opportunity to talk with my co-star and friend, Paul Cram. I’ve known Paul for a few years now, and he and I both share a passion for acting…and sushi. I’d like to introduce him to you now…

Rachel: What can you tell us about your character, Craig Teller?

Paul: Craig has a mohawk, can melt anything he touches and can fly like Superman.

Rachel: Really? I must not have been on set the day they filmed that stuff…

Paul: Am kidding. (Not about the mohawk.)
Though Craig certainly reads comic books, which you’ll see in the movie. He’s the get-away driver for the team of art thieves that hole up in an abandoned warehouse following a heist. Craig is the outsider of the group, has very low self-esteem and wants desperately to be accepted. It’s his need for other’s approval that clouds his gut-instinct and ultimately destroys him. When I read the script, out of all the thieves, I identified most with Craig. I mean, don’t we all want to be loved?

Rachel: You’ve done quite a few horror films. Are you a fan of the genre?

Paul: No… Surprised? Let me clarify so readers don’t black list me. Playing Craig was a blast. I got to scream, cry, run around in an abandoned warehouse sporting a mohawk. It doesn’t get much better than that as an actor. So I do enjoy working in the genre, but I don’t always enjoy watching it. Truth is, I get queasy at the sight of other’s blood. Hard-core fans like yourself may consider me a wimp, but it’s in my genes. My dad nearly blacked out when my older brother was born, too much blood. When I rent a movie to cozy up on my couch with popcorn, I go for suspense thrillers with a psychological aspect. I like “What Lies Beneath” with Michelle Pfeiffer or director M. Night Shymalan’s “The Village.” Hitchcock’s “Psycho” & “Vertigo” are on my list of top ten faves.

Rachel: What did you think of “Tenebre”? I remember that we got to see that one together when “13 Hours In A Warehouse” was in the Nevermore Film Festival. Dario Argento is one of my favorite directors.

Paul: Yikes, yes. I do remember that movie. I shut my eyes a lot when all the blood happened, but I liked the plot twist at the end. Writing like that makes me happy.

Rachel: What do you think of the film scene in Minnesota?

Paul: It’s one of the little gems of filmmaking in the nation. It’s strong with crew & talent. Look at “13 Hours in a Warehouse.” It was shot on a shoe-string budget but looks like it cost a million more than it did to make, a big part of that is that the crew and cast were really good at what they do.

Rachel: What was your favorite thing about making “13 Hours In A Warehouse”?

Paul: Hmmm, besides working alongside friends, my favorite thing was being paid to act. Was yours getting all that special ghoul make-up put on?

Rachel: Well, getting it put on was actually a long and tedious process.

Paul: Oh, here you go, bring out the inner diva. How about some cheese with that whine?

Rachel: Dude, you weren’t there! It took three hours a day! But as for walking around set wearing it, yeah, that was my favorite part! Everyone on set would stare at me when I walked into the room.

Paul: You realize it’s because you looked dead, right?

Rachel: No, it was because we looked awesome! The ghosts got to sit in the nice, air conditioned room, so that we wouldn’t sweat our makeup off. We had people to bring us food, and even open our sodas for us, since we had makeup on our hands. It was great!

Paul: So you don’t always have people peeling grapes for you while you are working on a movie?

Rachel: No, I usually just walk to the craft services table myself. And I open my own soda cans.

Paul: For readers who don’t know what a craft service table is, it’s a table with a variety of snacks, drinks, breath mints and first aid.

Rachel: There’s a lot of waiting around on set, and you get to snack a lot while you’re waiting.

Paul: Hey, what about the rumor I heard on set, the one where you’d finish filming your ghost stuff, go home and sleep with all the make-up on, then come back to set with most of it intact?

Rachel: Haha! Yes, it was! Although I would wash it off my face and hands, I left the rest of it on, if I was filming the next day. As I said, it took so long to put on that it saved me time sitting in the chair. I would get done an hour or two early. Crist Ballas, the makeup artist, just needed to paint my face and hands and touch up the rest. Since it was body makeup, it wasn’t the easiest stuff to take off anyway. I left it on just to save myself the trouble of scrubbing it off with baby oil, only to get up the next day and have it airbrushed all over me again.

Paul: Yuck! And that totally shatters the diva rumor I heard about you. Hey, if you kept your pillow case we could sell it on Ebay as the Tourin Shroud of Rachel Grubb’s ghost!

Rachel: Unfortunately I had to wash it. It really stank! So what was your least favorite thing about making the movie?

Paul: My dramatic final scene in which Craig ends up half-naked on a filthy bathroom floor. I had to lie there, face down, on cold concrete for 6 hours without moving while they worked to get the shot.

Rachel: Aw, poor Paul…

Paul: Hey, now it’s my turn to say “Dude, you weren’t there!”

Rachel: Actually, I was…

Paul: Along with the cold hard concrete, my abdomen and lower regions were pooling fake blood, which after 6 hours- dried. Literally I was stuck to the floor. I wouldn’t push myself up, because doing so would have left portions of my skin adhered to the concrete. I don’t know that it would’ve rendered me unable to have kids in the future, but I wanted desperately to keep everything intact, so the set was cleared of all crew and only Crist was allowed to come in with hot water, towels, and a spray bottle to help get me up. What would have been a very embarrassing situation was minimized. (Though I did scream once or twice.) Ouch! Oh, I ought to mention too that during that 6 hours, you drooled all over my backside. I suppose you’ll want to be the one to explain to the readers how it happens that your character has serious salivating issues and how you conveniently happened to be standing over me when I am glued to the floor?

Rachel: Oh, God! My character had a wooden bit in her mouth. Crist showed me two sizes, and I thought the bigger one looked creepier, so I chose it. It fit comfortably in my mouth when I tried it. But I didn’t realize until the whole piece was done and strapped onto my head that I couldn’t close my throat. I kept drooling! The thing is, I’m totally grossed out by drool. Dav loved it, though. Every time there was a closeup up of my face, he would hold the take until the drool came out. Unfortunately, one of those times, I was standing above you while you were stuck to the floor.

Paul: Imagine yourself lying face down beneath a flock of sea gulls, never quite knowing when the drops are going to goo down, that’s the sensation.

Rachel: I knew it! I knew that would be one of your least favorite things about filming. Sorry about that, Paul.

Paul: Ahh, thanks. It does make for a good story though, and I’d do it all again.

Rachel: So you’ve got a role in Dav Kaufman’s next movie. What can you tell us about it?

Paul: It’s tentatively titled “The Psychosis of Ghosts,” but I haven’t read the script yet. Dav did tell me to learn Origami & be ready to live in the Men’s Bathroom as my on-set location again. Aren’t you going to be in it too?

Rachel: And I’m going to be a ghost. I think we’re both being typecast!

Paul: I do think Dav has some serious issues. We oughta find him a therapist.

Rachel: So what would be your ideal role?

Paul: I can pick one?

Rachel: Of course!

Paul: I’d want to play Aaron Stampler in “Primal Fear.” Edward Norton did this role and he was amazing, I’d want a role like that, something to really dig one’s acting teeth into. I love characters that are misunderstood, or judged incorrectly at first by the audience, only later to find that the character isn’t what was first thought. Characters with a twist.

Rachel: As for my ideal role (you didn’t ask me, but I’m going to tell you anyway!), in a perfect world, one in which Heath Ledger was still alive, I would like to play Harley Quinn to his Joker. I’m a huge fan of the comic book, and he brought that character to life in a way I never thought possible. I think I could learn a lot working with him. So do you have any other projects you’d like to let us know about?

Paul: I have been working on a lot of projects this year. One that I was really happy to be a part of was “Peacock” with Cillian Murphy, Susan Sarandon, & Ellen Paige. I have a tiny part (I say two lines) but it’s a great script and I can’t wait for it to hit theater’s next year. If people are interested they can always get updates on my projects at my blog: http://www.PaulCramActor.com/blog I enjoy comments and feedback! Thanks Rachel for the interview.

Minneapolis Voice Over

2010-11-26T10:48:00.001-06:00

Actor Paul Cram's latest radio spot:

Independent Short Film "Lie"

2010-11-16T09:22:00.000-06:00

Record producer Terry Melcher. That's the role I play in the award winning short film "Lie" directed by Vaughn Juare