No, this doesn't mean that hot chick from American Idol who sings "Before He Cheats" is doing a concert in France! ;-)

What it means is that the short film U: The Underwood Company—in which I appear as a character named "Packard Winslow"—has been accepted into the Cannes Film Festival's "Short Film Corner" program.

According to Underwood director Joe Varhola, the Short Film Corner is "a 'market' for short filmmakers looking to sell their shorts to american/international television or the internet. It's also a place to find perspective investors to expand shorts to features."

The program runs from May 14th through the 24th, and you can actually go online and check out the films at www.shortfilmcorner.com. And, just in case you forgot what film I'm talking about here, click over to my "videos" section and check out the trailer! (There's also a scene from the film in my "theatrical/feature" demo on the same page!)

This is huge for me! It officially marks my first appearance at Cannes! (Let's hope it's not the last!)

If you're not doing anything this coming Thursday night, January 10, why not come to the event below:

Of course, I'm in this film and if you liked Striking Distance then you'll enjoy this one too!

In other news, you can catch me again all month long in the latest installment of the web series Nocturnal. This time around, my character Marcellus Hawthorne has a deadly encounter with the vampire Ulrich Von Der Linn. Who will survive this clash of the supernatural titans? Log on to Nocturnal Web Series to find out!!!

And pay attention to your TV in the upcoming months because you'll be hearing my voice as the announcer in the new series of Roomful Express Furniture commercials!

Enjoy!!!

If any of you out there have seen Mel Brooks' brilliant comedy The Producers (either the version with Zero Mostel or the recent musical with Nathan Lane) then you can understand how some stage/film producers get the reputation for being complete scumbags. Well, I'm here to tell you from personal experience that Brooks hit the nail dead on the head. And, I'm sorry to say, that the malady is not limited to the big Hollywood types, either. Yes, sadly it trickles down to some producers working on the local, low/no-budget scene as well.

Now, before any of my friends who fall into that aforementioned group get their britches in an uproar, perhaps I should fill you all in on some details. Some of you may know that a couple years back I answered a posting on the Pittsburgh Audition Yahoo! group for an actor to play the role of Fred Noonan, Amelia Earhart's navigator, in a dramatized that would comprise part of a new documentary about the famous aviatrix. Through a series of communiques, my part in the production evolved from simple actor to casting direction/location manager and ultimately to cinematographer and editor. The producer behind this ambitious project (who shall remain nameless) told me that this piece of film would be playing on PBS stations and/or Discovery Channel once it was finished.

Well, I took on my various, ever-evolving responsibilities on this project with all my usual enthusiasm and dedication, even though I was not being compensated in any way, shape or form for my efforts. The payoff, I presumed, would come at the end when others saw the work I put in and offered me similar positions on other productions. Unfortunately, I was never given the opportunity to see my vision realized. After two years of work, my involvement in the project came to an abrupt end after I ran into issues lining up a narrator for the film. And even though I had reassured the producer that I could find someone else to fill the role in the very near future (keeping in mind once again that I was not being paid to work on the film, therefore I could not devote myself to its production full-time) this was not good enough for her. Therefore, I regretfully relinquished control of the portable harddrive containing all media related to the project back to her. (Keep in mind, too, that I had I not explained to her where to keep said media, there would be no portable harddrive to relinquish!)

Now, one might say that that was the proverbial "that". However, this past week, I received word from a fellow actor and friend had attended a local screening of the finished documentary. According to him, it appears that all evidence of my involvement with the project has, as I expected, been expunged. Nearly all of the material I ended up shooting for the film does not appear in the final cut and the material that is there is, no doubt, not even credited to me. Moreover, it appears that the producer took the project elsewhere to be finished, again - as I expected. What surprised me, however, was where she took it for completion. According to my friend, this film had in fact been taken to, of all places, a high school near her where a group of students completed her work for her as an extracurricular activity!

Not only that, but apparently because of the agreement she signed to acquire the rights to use the name "Amelia Earhart" in her production, she could neither sell nor distribute the finished film in any way shape or form. She apparently only has the right to tour with it as some sort of lecture tool. (Remember I was told that it was going to be exhibited on PBS/Discovery?) Well, of course, had I known that this was going to be how the fruit of all my labor was going to be shown to the public (a very limited public as it turns out—there were only 25 people at this screening) I would never have put forth the effort I did, nor would I have wasted the time and talents of my fellow thespians whom I roped into doing it(also without pay and only the same promise that I originally had).

Now, of course, I'm not trying to say that absolutely all the producers out there—indie or otherwise—are like this woman. Quite the contrary. Many of the people I have worked with over the years are decent, honorable individuals hoping to express their artistry the best they can with what they have. They don't promise you the moon and the stars; they simply tell you that they want to make some sort of creative mark in the world. Admittedly, it's primarily for themselves, but if you are a decent, hard-working person, then there's plenty of accolades to share with your cast and crew. (And, if you don't believe that, just watch any award show. You quickly learn why they go on so long and have to "play people off stage".)

However, for every decent producer out there, there are one or two (like this woman) who call to mind good ol' "Max Bialystock" from The Producers. So, I just want to warn all my fellow thespians out there that yes, even at the indie level, they are out there! Beware of them, and don't get roped into their webs of intrigue!

OK, if I wasn't irritated enough at my last posting, this story from Yahoo News may have pushed me over the edge!

Have you heard this story? It was reported on most of the morning radio shows around the country from New York to LA. (I can personally verify this since I listen to both Opie and Anthony's and Adam Carolla's shows!)

Apparently, an Australian company responsible for hiring men to play Father Christmas (or Santa Claus as he is known in the US) at retail stores throughout the country has made the stipulation that they are not allowed to use Santa's signature laugh, (i.e., "Ho ho ho!") They have reportedly done this because, as we all know and have heard over and over again since the firing of Don Imus a few months back, "Ho" can be interpreted as a derogatory moniker aimed a certain portion of the female population.

If this isn't a joke perpetrated by someone in Australia, as has been suggested, or at the very least, an off-handed comment blown up into a nothing story by the Australian media (after all, does "Ho" really carry the same connotation in the Outback as it does here?) then I think it's safe to say that this whole "political correctness" movement has officially gone too far!

I mean, come on, people! It's bad enough that the holiday season has become so heavily commercialized and diluted—what with other religions and "manufactured" festivals furiously demanding equal time—that we now have to greet people with the likes of "Happy Holidays" and decorate so-called "Family Trees," available at Lowe's! Have we as a society now become so squeamish about the prospect "hurting other people's feelings" that we now feel the imperative to change something as innocuous as this???

Of all the people in the world, I never thought I'd be the one to say this, but I really think all this "sensitivity" balderdash is turning our society into a bunch of wimpy, whiny wussies who can't take it when their little feelings get hurt. You know what? I've had my feelings hurt A LOT in my life (just ask anybody who knew me back in high school) and, guess what? I got over it. I mean, sure; you feel bad for a little while, but then you dust off your pants, pick yourself up and move on!!! 

I hate to be the one to tell you this, but there are people out there who are gonna do things and say stuff to you—intentionally or inadvertantly—that at some point or another are gonna be at odds with your own personal beliefs. And you know what? It's OK! As the French say, "Vive la difference!" Exposure to all kinds of differing philosophy is the path to enlightenment! It may excite you; it may revel you. But don't force someone else to change his or her way of thinking (particularly if it's stood for a long time and hasn't hurt anyone) just because it happens to conflict with yours. And if you're one of those people out there who still insists on making a case against something silly that just happened to hurt your feelings, I offer you the immortal words of the great  Denis Leary, "Life sucks. Get a f**kin' helmet!"

So, at this time of year, when we're supposed to be experiencing peace on earth and extending goodwill toward our fellow humans, let's all take a moment to remember that there are things in this world that are far worse than "saying the wrong thing." (Famine in Africa, possible global warming, governments interested in their own personal agendas instead of the will of the people... these just some examples I can think of off the top of my head.) If you want to wish me a Happy Hannukah, a Joyous Ramadan, a Kickin' Kwanzaa, or whatever it is you happen to celebrate, it won't hurt my feelings. And, if I, in return, should happen throw a Joyeaux Noelle in your direction... I hope you'll feel the same way.

It is my fondest with that in a few years (if not sooner) we'll all be able to have a big chuckle over this whole thing. And when we do, let's make it a big, hearty, "Ho Ho Ho!!!"

Well, for the... one or two of you out there who are concerned about such things... November is going to be a special month for me, because it seems like I'm going to seen everywhere!!! No, I haven't figured out how to clone myself, I'm just going to be making several appearances both on stage and on the silver screen in the month of November.

First up is the Three Rivers Film Festival opening November 2 at several venues throughout the city of Pittsburgh. You can catch me in the world premiere of the psychological horror thriller Strange Girls which opens the festival November 2-3 at the Pittsburgh Filmmakers' Melwood screening room located on, where else? Melwood Avenue in Pittsburgh's Oakland section. Screening times are 7:30pm Friday and 3:00pm Saturday. Admission is $8.00 (and, if you go on Friday, you get a free pass to the opening night party!)

Plus, you've seen the trailer here for some time; now come see the finished film! The premiere of the short film U: The Underwood Company is screening as part of the "shorts" program at the samesaid festival on Sunday November 11 at 7:00pm. Same venue and admission price as mentioned above. For all the details, please visit www.3rff.com.

Now, on the stage front, you can catch me appearing in yet another psychological thriller at the Kean Theatre on Meridian Road on the campus if Saint Barnabas in Gibsonia November 9-10, & 16-17. I'm among the cast of the theatre's production of Wait Until Dark. For more information, including directions and ticket prices, please visit www.stbarnabashealthsystem.com/kt_001_perf.html.

Oh, and I'll probably do a separate announcement about this when it becomes available, but you'll also soon be able to see my onscreen debut in the web series Nocturnal and Dead Patrol this month.

I could go on about about something special that took place in my life over the Labor Day weekend, but my own "leading lady" has already done it so well...

So, anyway, this is the third part of a 4-part blog she posted on her own MySpace page recently. If you're interested in reading the whole story, click over to her page. (She's my number one MySpace friend, as you might expect: Cavermeg):

"So when I last left off, 4 members of the caving expedition had remained behind in a large room, while the others explored a low muddy crawl.  The "other Dave" and Dan meandered around the room looking at the details of the room.  (My) Dave and I found a nice seat near the enterance to the low crawl.  I thought it would be neat to see the lights as the group crawled back on their return.  We sat there in silence and waited.

Then Dave said, "This is exactly what I thought it would be like."
Huh?  "Caving?  So is that a good thing or bad thing?" I asked.
"This is perfect.  This is exactly what I had in mind," he replied.
Umm? "Ohhh," as I realized he wanted to make out with me in the cave.
"No, you're not quite getting it.  Your mind is too far in the gutter," Dave explained.
I was confused and starting to worry, Dave seemed to be hyperventilating (but he seemed to do so well through the cave).  "Are you ok?"  I'm not sure if he even answered me. 
He had turned his headlamp off and mine was the only one to light our corner of the room.  He got down on his knee in the mud in front of me.  And he was staring and me and smiling.  He was so close and staring me right in the eyes.  And it really made me nervous and slightly uncomfortable and confused.  Thinking maybe he wanted to kiss me, I reached up and flicked off my headlamp and that threw us in total darkness.  There was a pause, waiting for the kiss that didn't come.  But during that pause, a slight glow of realization started to appear to me.  And then, in the dark, he whispered, "Will you marry me?"
And without any hesitation, I replied, "Of course, I will."

And then we leaned into each other to kiss and our helmets banged together.  Turned out heads sideways and kissed.  And then we took out helmet off, still in complete and utter darkness and silence, and talked and kissed.  He told me that the ring was back in the car, that he had thought about bringing it in the cave with him but decided that probably wasn't a good idea.  He told me that he had been planning on doing this for months.  That he really wanted to propose to me in a cave.  He bought the ring back in May.  He said he had only within the past couple weeks told a few of his friends that he was planning on proposing to me.  And he said that he was 99.999998% sure that I would say "yes" but there was always that small chance that I might not.  After talking, we felt around for our helmets which were difficult to find in the darkness.  I flicked on my light. 
"Gee, the others should be back by now.  Maybe we should go find (other) Dave and Dan?" 
"Oh, we're right around the corner.  Just wanted to give you two your moment," (other) Dave replied. 
Ha, ha, he had heard the whole thing.  I knew that sound carries well in caves.  We stood up and walked around the corner and sure enough, Dave was literally right around the corner.  And Dan was curled up on the other side of the room asleep.  A group of 5 spelunkers came through (wearing t-shirts, tennis shoes, and carrying only flashlights) and they crawled through the small passage after consulting a paper with the cave's description.
"Hey, while you slept, those two got engaged," (other) Dave told Dan.
"Nawh, really?" Dan asked.
"Yeah, really," we replied. 

So we decided that there might have been some miscommunication and that maybe it was supposed to be a through trip and the low crawl led to another entrance.  So the four of us exited the way that we had come in.  Sure enough, there others were out, in clean clothes, and waiting at the bottom of the hill.  So Dave and I walked hand in hand down through the field.  After changing clothes, Dave slipped the ring on my finger.  It's beautiful.  It looks likea flower, like Queen Anne's Lace. 
"So what did you think of the cave?" one of the random cavers asked.
"Pretty good, considering I got engaged in the cave."

So that's pretty much it.  There are probably some details I left out.  For example, the ring is alittle too big, so Dave bought a plastic yellow bat ring for 10 cents to wear as a placeholder while I walked around the campsite.  (Actually, I've been wearing both the diamond and the bat rings the past couple of days at work.)

Woah!!! I'm engaged!!!! Who'd'a thunk it?!?!?!?!?

It's funny how the performing arts/entertainment industry works. I mean, I think it's pretty much like every other industry on the planet, where the old adage of "feast or famine" holds true. However, more and more, I'm starting to believe that maybe entertainers (court jesters, most likely) were the originators of that adage.

To wit, I seem to be getting myself into even more projects in the coming months. Here's more of what's coming up:

•  Filming a guest starring role on the faith-based (i.e., Christian) sitcom Pastor Greg at the end of August. This is for an episode entitled "Misguided" that's set to air sometime during the show's third(!) season on faith-based stations all around the country. (Hey, there are worse ways for an agnostic to get exposure!)

•   I recently learned from producer David Silvio that not only am I working behind the camera on the gothic web series Nocturnal, but I will also have a featured on-camera role in the show sometime toward the end of the first "season." And this role will also carry over into next "season." I don't really have a lot of details on this at the moment, but I do know that my character has something to do with witchcraft!

•  Along with my girlfriend Megan (and possibly even her dad, of all people) I will be playing a zombie in the web series Dead Patrol. (Keep your eyes on this one because it may lead to a more prominent role in the show sometime later on.)

So, the moral of the story is... well, I guess there is no moral per se. But I am working like a madman! Hope you can catch some of it!