Top 10 of 2014

It's already New Year's Eve? Where has this year gone?!

Irregardless! Here is Joe Moore's Top 10 movies from 2014. There are films I didn't have time to see (The Babadook, Into the Woods, John Wick) that unfortunately will not be on this list. Nor will there be many "Oscar bait" movies since I am but a wee peasant, and most award-caliber films don't get a wide release until the new year. There will also not be any Marvel flicks on this list, though a couple were definitely runners-up. So, ya know, here goes nothing!

10) Snowpiercer

I'm really glad this post-apocalyptic flick is accessible on Netflix because it's one of the best sci-fi movies to come out in recent years. Chris Evans is excellent going against type, but Tilda Swinton steals the show as always. Check it out!

9) The Fault in Our Stars

Yeah that's right. I loved the book, and this is a great adaptation. YA queen Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort share an amazing chemistry. If this flick doesn't leave you in tears, you have no soul.

8) Edge of Tomorrow

What is essentially Groundhog Day with aliens is one of the most fun sci-fi/action romps to come along in quite some time. Cruise plays up his image hilariously until his character eventually becomes the action hero, and Blunt astounds as the tough-as-nails war heroine. 

7) The Skeleton Twins

This is my favorite of many wonderful independent flicks released this year. Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig continue their great chemistry from their SNL days. Also I may be biased because of my love for 80s movies, but their lip synch to Starship is one of the best scenes of the year.

6) Interstellar

This is the 2001 of our generation. Even though I guessed a couple of the twists early on that didn't impact the overall experience. Nolan has crafted a wonderful film that I will treasure forever. The father-daughter relationship is the heart of the story, and what a heart it is.

5) The Grand Budapest Hotel

I'm convinced that Wes Anderson can do no wrong. Well except for Darjeeling, but we'll forget that happened. This is probably his most accessible movie to date, but that doesn't make it any less whimsical. The entire cast is great, but Ralph Fiennes is an absolute delight as the wonderfully eccentric M. Gustave.

4) Gone Girl

I've been Fincher-ized again! He and author Gillian Flynn have done the impossible and created a nearly perfect film companion piece to her thrilling novel. Affleck is great as Nick Dunne, but this is Rosamund Pike's show all the way. What an astounding performance!!

3) Guardians of the Galaxy

I knew this flick was gonna be great just from the soundtrack, but I don't think anyone expected the fantastic soap opera we got. I'd even go as far to say that this is our generation's Star Wars. That's how awesome it is. What a fun ride!

2) The Lego Movie

Everything really is awesome! This is my favorite family flick of the year. It abounds in imagination, humor, and toward the end, a whole lotta heart. I'm pretty convinced Phil Lord and Christopher Miller can do no wrong. They're 4 for 4 in my book. Bring on the sequel!

1) Birdman

What can I say about Birdman that hasn't already been said? It's a highly entertaining film that everyone should see. The ensemble cast is terrific. Everyone gets at least one scene to shine. This is Keaton's film though. It's so great to see him back on top. Oh and how about that cinematography? Somebody stop me before I talk about this masterpiece for hours. See it now.

Now for the turds. They're mostly flicks the studios dumped early in the year. I hated I, Frankenstein, Pompeii, and That Awkward Moment. Then Escape From Tomorrow disappointed. I realize it was made on a minuscule budget AND extremely privately. However it was just weird for the sake of being weird. I wanted more.

There you have it. Again I can't believe 2014 is already over. 2015 is gearing up to be an even better year. I'll see you at the movies!

Stuff and Things

My last post was on Halloween so that shows how well I keep up with this thing. Although once I did go a couple of years without an update sooo compared to that length of time, I'm doing pretty well!

First thing's first. In case you missed my Halloween costume this year...

WHOA!

I know what you're thinking. "Those two are pretty awesome!" You would be correct.

Since Halloween I've had more car issues. My poor baby. My '97 Camry is on its last leg methinks. At least this time it wasn't as serious. I just needed a new battery. That still sucks though, especially when you've been at work all day, and all you want to do is go pick up some pizza and beer on the way home. Then you go out to your car to discover that the battery is dead. I mean, I had to wait until after work the next day to get pizza and beer! My life is so hard! Fortunately I have a handy dandy mechanic for a roommate. Or at the very least she can replace a battery. So there's that! Note to self: learn how to be butch.

Thanksgiving dinner '13

This winter at work I have 3 days off. That's right. I'm a 4-day/10-hour cast member with Tuesday Wednesday Thursday off. The point of all this? Guess which holidays are all on a Thursday this year?! Thanksgiving, Christmas, AND New Year's Day!! I've already booked my flight to go home for Thanksgiving, and I am SO EXCITED! It will feel wonderful to be back at 61 Lundy St having dinner with the immediate family including my uncle John and grandfather, Mr. Diddy. Hopefully this is going to become an annual thing again. That would be lovely.

Last year was the first time I spent Thanksgiving dinner with my family since 2006. We spent it in Charleston where my sister Emily lives with her Freddiehusband. We listened to Christmas music. We took family pictures. We stuffed ourselves with food and wine. I felt all warm and bubbly inside, and that feeling wasn't from the wine. The feeling was great, and I can't wait to feel it when I see my family next week!

Umm let's see... MOVIES!

Don't see Maleficent. Unless you have in which case I feel sorry for you. To be fair, I didn't hate it as much as I thought I would. It's certainly better than both Snow White and the Huntsman and Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. The changes to the original story didn't bother me. The movie just didn't grab me in any way at all. Blah.

Do see Interstellar. It is our generation's 2001 though it isn't anything at all like Kubrick's classic. While Kubrick's film was opaque and weary of the human race, Nolan's film is all heart, full of hope that the human race will survive. The relationship between Matthew McConaghey and his daughter is the heart of the film, and if you don't cry once, you have no soul. Then there's the visuals of course. They are absolutely astounding, as is Hans Zimmer's booming score. See this flick on IMAX to get the full experience. It's totally worth it.

Okay I think that's more than enough for now. If you'll excuse me I'm going to enjoy the rest of my night off before my third day off this week. Yay for being a 4-day! Deuces.

Hide Behind the Chainsaws!

First things first.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, Y'ALL!

I dunno if you could tell from my past couple of posts, but Halloween is my favorite time of year. Hands down. It's wayyy better than Christmas. I mean, sure you can get candy and watch Christmas-themed horror movies then too (hello Black Christmas and Gremlins!), but Halloween is where it's at yo! And yes I just said "yo". I'm constantly living in the past.

Here are some things I've learned this Halloween season:

1) Don't put off checking on your car.

Seriously. There was one Tuesday I was going to go get my oil changed and tires rotated, but I decided to be lazy at home instead. Bad idea. What followed is a week and a half of broken timing belts, cooling exchanges, spark plug housing problems, battered coils/cylinders, random tax liens from 2007, and remembering what it was like to be a CP i.e. life without a car. *SPOILER ALERT* It's not pleasant. 

So stay on top of your car care, people. You need it running when there is a serial killer after you. 

2) Don't dismiss movies so quickly.

I've never been a big fan of Hocus Pocus. It's all just too silly, and I prefer my Halloween movies to have more bite. However, over the past couple of years, I've come to find myself liking it. The trio of witches are wonderfully hammy. Bette Midler hasn't had a decent role since Winifred, and Sarah Jessica Parker has never appealed to me except here. She's beautiful, silly, and kinda sexy. Also there's a lot of adult humor that of course flew over my head as a kid. Kinda surprising for a Disney film. However I still question how on earth these witches would suddenly know how to work modern technology AND know modern music. And that line about the driver's license is just awful. 

I watched it at the Enzian this year with a packed house. People were sitting in the bushes watching this beloved film from their childhood, and I'm sure they're showing it to their kids. I guess what I'm trying to say is... good for you, Hocus Pocus. You go, Hocus Pocus.

3) Decide what you're dressing up as before Halloween week.

I'm sure I didn't actually learn this lesson. Next year my costume choice will be just as late. Also this year I was kinda limited with car repairs/lack of sufficient funds. I will say that despite the stress, my costume will be fairly awesome. Definitely not as awesome as last year, but if you have an affinity for late 80s/early 90s TV shows, you'll get a kick out of it.

Oh! I know you guys are oh so curious so I'll let you know that The Abominable Dr. Phibes, starring Vincent Price, is one odd ditty of a film. It was made in the early 70s, when horror movies didn't have much of a plot but a string a bizarre scenes that border on the macabre. Think an ahead of its time Final Destination and that's basically Dr. Phibes for you. So if that meets your fancy, check it out!

Alright everybody enjoy your Halloween! Dress up all slutty, nom on all that sweet sugary goodness, and get crunk off your favorite pumpkin beer/ciders. But keep your wits about you, just in case...

Head For the Cemetery!

It's October! It's Halloween season! There really isn't any time of year I like better. Christmas is cool and all, but it's so commercial and overrated. I mean let's be honest. Some hooligans out there are probably already decorated and/or listening to Christmas music. Enough, people! You only have to wait 40+ more days before that is officially acceptable. You can do it!

If you didn't know already, I am a huge horror movie buff. I watch horror movies all year round. The Halloween season is just an excuse to watch even MOORE horror movies (horror TV shows as well. I'm talking to you "The Walking Dead"!). This year I've decided to watch one horror movie each day. I've been mostly successful with this quest, except on days when Disney schedules me 13-hour work days. Thanks a heap, work. Don't you know I have better things to do?!

I'm trying to watch either movies I've never seen before or movies that I haven't seen in a while. The only flick from horror mastermind Dario Argento that I've ever seen is Suspiria. I've got two of his other flicks (Inferno and Phenomena) sitting in my Netflix queue. Then there's all the genius cheeseball movies from the 80s such as Re-Animator, Creepshow, and House. You think you've seen them all then 10 more pop up either on TV or Netflix, and it's like the heaven opening up its pearly white gates and the angels singing in chorus "Ahhhh horror movies you're welcome AHHHH!" Or ya know something like that.

There's nothing more terrifying than deep V-neck sweaters

There's a few movies I'm rewatching. I've already watched what is arguably my favorite horror movie, The Others. It was the first horror movie I ever saw. If it wasn't for The Others I wouldn't even like horror movies today. Okay that's not true, but that movie was a great launching pad. Another couple of my favorite movies from the turn of the century are The Ring and Signs. A lot of people bash Signs because of the ridiculous ending. Yes, the ending is ridiculous, but there's so much more to that movie than the ending. There's themes of faith, very dry humor, and crazy Mel Gibson... I mean what's not to like? Also how about that kid's birthday video? Scary stuff!!

I'm going to the Enzian later tonight. Every year they show different horror movies for free out on the lawn. Tonight's model is an oldie from the 70s: The Abominable Dr. Phibes, starring Vincent Price. I've never heard of it before, but it's supposed to be awesome. I'll let you know what I think.

Scariest movie ever

Enough about me though. What say you all? What are some of your favorite horror movies? Do you have any that you watch every Halloween season? Of course there's the classics such as Halloween, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Psycho, and Poltergiest. (I'm saving all of those for Halloween week.) Or maybe you have obscure horror movies you watch? Let me know in the comments below. Enjoy the next couple of ghoulish weeks!

September Shenanigans

I haven't really written a lot this month. That's because I've been out actually having something of a life. And working. Mostly working. 

Goofy out-pimping Pluto at Studios

September is the transition month. The transition from summer to fall. Or in Orlando's case the transition from hot as balls to insanely hot. Movies that are released aren't really very good. Just like January and February, September is the "dump month" for studios. I have watched a few very good independent movies plus a lot of "so bad, they're good" movies at home. Otherwise movies released in theaters are kinda meh.

The one good thing about September is MY BURFDAY!!! It's at the beginning of the month, but I never wrote about it so it's like it didn't even happen. I decided at the last minute since I already had some vacation time that I would spend it back home in the Nan (that's Newnan, Georgia for the uninitiated) (that's a half hour outside Atlanta for the unaware). 

AHHHHHHH

I had a wonderful time with the familia of course. I saw my mother very scantily clad in my hometown's production of "Sordid Lives". We took a long, sweaty trek down Stone Mountain in 100 degree weather. We saw Bill Murray at his deadpan best in Ghostbusters... on the big screen! I got a new tattoo (!!!). For those who don't know, I LOVE the 80s band Tears For Fears. They are my favorite forever and ever. They don't have a symbol for their band so I grabbed something off one of their album covers. The original sun from "Sowing the Seeds of Love" is all golden, but the tattoo artist thought adding some color would make the tattoo POP more. So I said, "Go ahead, man. You're the pro." It looks absolutely amazing!

Let's see. What else? 

The Halloween season is upon us. No pumpkin flavored references here. Except experience Ben & Jerry's Pumpkin Cheesecake ice cream if you never have. Okay let's move ahead. 

*hums Halloween theme*

I have already attended Halloween Horror Nights once. I decided to buy a Frequent Fear pass yet again even though I probably won't be able to attend the event as much as I usually do. *cue sad face here* However, I will definitely try to go as many times as possible. I love Horror Nights!! The big update this year is that for the first time ever they have a Halloween (as in the 1978 classic) house!! I geeked out the entire time walking through that house. It was amazing. I giggled and screamed with glee. I will definitely be walking through that house the next 2 or 3 times I attend the event.

The Food and Wine Festival at Epcot has also begun. I haven't attended yet, but I do intend to on Friday after I get off work. Starship is the band playing that night, and 80s music is my favorite ever (in case you couldn't tell up above) so obviously I will be there no matter how tired I am after work. I need to jot down the other artists who will be performing for the rest of the event and plan accordingly.

So yeah that's September in the life of Joe Moore. Not the most exciting month ever but nearly the most awesome by default. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go be a hooker at the Kingdom.

A Little Known Fact

WELCOME TO MY BLOG POST!

Something you may not know about me: I love movie soundtracks. Seriously I love them. Soundtracks are how I've gotten most of the tunes in my music collection. In my teenage years I used to listen to the soundtracks for Dick and Charlie's Angels all the time. Both of these albums contained numerous 70s hits, some still popular today and some more obscure. Donnie Darko was the movie that launched my LOVE for all 80s music, especially anything new wave. The montage set to Tears For Fears' "Head Over Heels" introducing most of the main characters is possibly one of my favorite movie scenes of all time. You can check it out here!!

GAH. That was awesome!!

Okay moving on.

Last year's The World's End (you may remember me gushing about that film here) had an excellent soundtrack jam-packed with new wave 80s and 90s songs both Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg remembered from their college years. Apparently they listened to said songs while they were writing the film's screenplay. This is a genius idea, and it's something that I've started doing while writing my coming-of-age flick.

2014 has been a great year for movie soundtracks! This summer's huge gamble/most successful movie Guardians of the Galaxy takes the cake for best soundtrack of the year. Its jumble of 60s/70s tunes is probably more obscure than both Dick and Charlie's Angels combined, and you know what? I love listening to new music! Granted I did already know at least 4 songs on the album, but others have quickly become personal favorites.

A couple of other little known flicks released independently have also flown through my radar. John Carney, director of Once, released his second feature film called Begin Again. Sure it's basically Once with bigger stars and a bigger budget, but it still has a lot of heart and an awesome soundtrack. Who knew Keira Knightley could sing? I sure didn't. Her cover of "Lost Stars" (also sung by Adam Levine in the film) is beautiful and a must listen right now.

A more obscure film is God Help The Girl. It just had an extremely limited release this past week. It's written and directed by indie band Belle & Sebastian's frontman Stuart Murdoch. The film is based off Murdoch's 2009 musical project also titled "God Help The Girl". Apparently the film is a straight up musical, and it looks adorable. Kind of like That Thing You Do but with even more music. Oh! The soundtrack... right. I haven't listened to the whole thing, but the title track is pretty awesome. I can't stop listening to it.

Oh, and while we're on the topic of indie movies, I cannot wait to see Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig flex their acting muscles in The Skeleton Twins. The trailer already has me both in tears and stitches. Their lip-synch to Jefferson Starship's "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" will probably be one of my favorite scenes of the year. That is not even an understatement. I cannot wait to watch that scene!!

I could keep going on and on about even more movie soundtracks that you should all check out, but I'll stop there. I hope this has at least peaked your interest, and you'll look into some of these movies and the AMAZING music that comes along with them. 

So. There ya go. That's a little known fact that now... YOU KNOOOW!!!

I'll Give It To You

I was right in the middle of my post about my adoration for the Guardians soundtrack when I completely lost interest. I couldn't stop thinking about last night because it was beyond amazing. I attended the Villains Unleashed event at Hollywood Studios! I know. This is a big enough shock because I never go into the parks. I used to all the time but not so much anymore.

The event itself was kinda dull. Not enough to do and what there was to do had long lines. My buddy John aptly named it Queue Lines Unleashed, which is very appropriate. All that aside though there were two reasons I was there, and both completely surpassed my expectations. I was there for both Oogie Boogie's Freaky Funhouse Show and to meet Constantine, the villain from Muppets Most Wanted.

The freakshow was a lot of fun. I was surprised Disney got away with showing some of the stuff in their park. Parts were kinda sexual. Oogie Boogie was the emcee of the show introducing different acts: sword-swallowing, archery, and fire-breathing. They were all a lot of fun! The sword swallower was probably my favorite. He was completely in character, portraying a guy who had clearly escaped the crazy house to attend. Oh not to mention Oogie Boogie himself, who was absolutely amazing!

Meeting Constantine took all evening (too long of a story, not getting into it) but all the waiting was completely worth it! It was the Muppet from the movie, and it was the Muppet performer as well! IT WAS CONSTANTINE!! I was too excited. Thank God my friend Jason was there to be the voice of the group. I was speechless. I couldn't say a word.

He certainly made my dreams come true

Before we met Constantine, we were talking about what to say to him. We thought we'd ask him to impersonate Kermit. WELL the bitches in front of us overheard us, and they totally asked him to do that! RUDE! No bother though. It was still hilarious. When we reached him, he went on about how one of us needed to break him out, but none of us had any explosives, so he mourned how we were such a disappointment to him. It was great. I couldn't even handle it for the rest of the night. Or all day today.

So yeah. The event itself needs A LOT of ironing out, but we did what we wanted to do, and it was AMAZING! You should all be super jealous. 

OH! Before I go I have to give a shoutout to my sistah gurl Emily and her Freddiehusband. Today is their one-year anniversary! Congratulations to you both and many more years to come!

The Legacy Award Goes To...

Warning: This post is all things sappy and sweet. If you are allergic to either of these things, please run.

I'm sure by now you all know that Robin Williams has passed away. When I heard the news, I wanted bawl my eyes out watching Dead Poets Society before shedding happy tears with The Birdcage. Williams was part of many a childhood across the country starting in 1978 with "Mork & Mindy" all the way to the 90s with Hook and Jumanji. He wasn't just a gifted comedian. His dramatic work was incredible too. Look no further than Society or his Oscar-winning turn in Good Will Hunting. 

Meeting Genie and Abu in 2007 at the Pirate & Princess Party. Wow.

His legacy lives on at Disney of course through his voicework as the Genie in Aladdin (and to a lesser extent, its second sequel, Aladdin and the King of Thieves). Aladdin isn't my favorite of the "Golden Age" movies, but there's no denying Williams is a key element to what makes that movie so memorable. The Genie is also still a beloved character at the Disney parks. Today's generation of kids love to meet him. It's fun to see their faces light up when he pops up during Magic Kingdom's Move It Shake It Celebrate It Street Party.

So thank you, Robin Williams, for the memories and the many laughs. Your legacy will live on forever.

I want to take this time to commemorate some people who were and still are very special to me. They are definitely very much with me today. I didn't update at the time of their deaths so here goes nothing.

Ann Caldwell, lovingly called Miss Momma by her family, was a wonderful woman full of life and love. She got her nickname when my mom was a kid. Mom had a friend over and introduced her parents as Momma and Diddy. So her friend, ever the southern belle, said, "Hello, Miss Momma. Hello, Mr. Diddy." The names stuck forever.

Miss Momma and a young Joe Moore

In 1986 Miss Momma was diagnosed with MS. She never let the disease get her down though. Even as her body deteriorated she was determined to very much be a part of her childrens' and grandchildrens' lives. She taught all of her grandchildren piano. (That's right, folks. I got some skills though my fingers have a good 10 years of rust on them.) She went to church every Sunday and Wednesday night. She was always there for any special event: birthdays, graduations, ballet recitals, etc. She even visited Disney World three times!

There's actually a pretty humorous story about Miss Momma that I don't think I've ever told anyone. Back when I first started writing, I would let her read my stories. (They were awful Harry Potter ripoffs by the way.) I used a thesaurus to find other words for the basic "said", "replied", and "exclaimed". So you can imagine the look of horror on this Christian woman's face when she read the following:

"Run! He's coming for us!" Dawn ejaculated.

Poor, poor Miss Momma. She calmly told me, "Joseph, you shouldn't use that word." That's all she had to say. Very matter of factly. That's how she was, and I never questioned her. I didn't even find out what the word meant until my teenage years. Good job, me.

Ray Moore. What can I say about Ray Moore that hasn't already been said? He's kind of a big deal. Yes that's an Anchorman quote. Very fitting because Ray Moore was an anchorman. He interviewed Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Frost. He hired Tom Brokaw. Click here for more of his fascinating broadcasting career.

Even with all his success in the news, he was simply Granddaddy to us kids. Like Miss Momma, he loved spending time with his family. Every time we visited his place, he always had something for us to do. We went to the park or the pool, and for dinner we would either have pizza or Chinese food with some Vienetta (sugar free of course) for dessert. Despite his age, he loved taking us to Six Flags every summer. He even took us on our first ever trip to Walt Disney World! That's the thing about Granddaddy. His body may have been old, but his mind was sharp as a tack! It must have been the journalist inside him.

There's a video Grandddaddy made when he was nearing the end of his career. He wanted to write a piece on grandparenting to show Atlantans he was a real person with a real family. WSB loved the idea and suggested that his son, my dad, shoot and edit the piece and that a young yours truly should be the star. Click here for that lovely three-generation feature, and grab the tissues if you haven't already. (It's on Facebook so I apologize if you are unable to view it.) There's also a great forward from my dad you can read, some of which I liberally borrowed just now. Thanks, Dad!

There's one more person I want to say good-bye to, and that's Marie Brinson, my father's mother. She was Grandma to us. We didn't know her very well. I vaguely remember her visiting us when I was very young, and that memory is probably from old VHS viewings. She and her husband Joe owned a lot of farmland not too far from our place, and we visited there a few times during my teenage years. I set one of my screenplays at that farm. It was based off a dream I had, and that dream was inspired by watching Invasion of the Body Snatchers earlier that night. While that might not be the most pleasant memory of Grandma and her farm, it's still a memory, and it still makes me smile.

So what do we have here? One celebrity whose life inspired millions around the world, and three family members who touched many lives during their time on this earth. It just goes to show that no matter who you are, you always leave behind a legacy. Whether you're a famous celebrity or more family-oriented (or in Granddaddy's case, both) there's always somebody out there that loves you. 

I hope you've enjoyed this sugary side of Joe Moore. He doesn't come out to play very often. Everybody have a good hump day!

The In-Betweener

I have three blog posts scrambling around in my head. Of course I'm never by a computer when the urge to write strikes. That's why I always carry around a handy dandy notebook. I've been keeping notebooks since high school. I mostly use them to write screenplays. When I hit a roadblock, I flip to the back of the book. That's where I doodle or write playlist ideas or other randomness that has nothing to do with anything. I love looking back at my old notebooks. It makes me laugh.

ANYWAY on to the three update ideas! 

1) Write a California blog, even though my sister has already gone above and beyond in that respect. Check out her version of our California Adventure! There's at least five stories from all the different shenanigans.

2) Write about how awesome Guardians of the Galaxy is, and how everyone should see it... yesterday. Also about how I'm obsessed with the soundtrack (surprise surprise).

3) This last one is more of an emotional update, which is saying something because I'm such a complacent guy. Losing Robin Williams last night was heart-wrenching (because we were bffs). Then I realized it's been two years since the family lost my grandmother, Miss Momma. So I'm suddenly reeling from that all over again. I should probably write this one while the emotions are still fresh in my mind.

I'll get one of these written before I leave for work tonight. That's the goal anyway. I always get distracted when I'm writing, either because I listen to music and end up throwing a dance party or because I hit a roadblock. You see, I'm kind of a perfectionist when it comes to my writing. If it isn't perfect the first time, I can't stand it. I know the first time is never perfect. That's what drafts are for. I've never been good with drafts. It always has to be airtight the first time around. Even writing this brief in-between blog has taken me two hours. Just ask my pff bff, Andie. She can totally vouch for me. Totes.

Okay, enough of this. Gotta get writing!

All I Ever Wanted

No need to panic people, but I am freaking out right now!! You may be asking yourselves, "Why? Should we be concerned? Joe Moore does not freak out. It's against his complacent nature." You would be correct on those points. However I just saw the most magical thing I've seen in years: next week's schedule. I wish I could post the picture. Alas, I'm typing this post from my phone, and it isn't allowing me to post pictures sooo imagine looking at your schedule for the following week and seeing mostly one word:

VACATION!!!

Now surely you understand why Joe Moore is practically having a panic attack. But wait! There's more! Joe Moore is going on vacation. With his family. To California!!! That's right folks. The Moore Weiss crew is gonna have Moore fun for the next 10 days than you will. Let me just dig that knife in a little deeper. 

I am SO EXCITED!! In the 27 years of my existence, I have never been further west than Texas. I was only 2 years old when that trip occurred so that probably doesn't even count. So let's say the further west I remember traveling is Louisiana. Wow. I can't even... 

We're hitting LA, Disneyland, San Fran, and whatever else we feel like/have time for/can afford. We will also be seeing one of the adopted Moore kids, none other than Laura Williams or Wi, as she has been lovingly called since our GYB days.

So yeah, I can't believe this is finally happening. This week is going to be the longest week ever. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go. As per my buddy Joshua, I have lots of hugs to give.

Kick Rocks

MJJ.

Some of you just shuddered a little bit. Others probably got a little emotional. No matter what you just felt, one thing is for sure. Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade is gone... forever! Mwah ha ha!

I remember the first time I ever watched MJJ. It was 2007. I was a brand new College Program kid, and as all new CPs do, I was playing at Animal Kingdom with some of my training group friends. We had just gotten soaked on Kali River Rapids and were heading toward Africa when our path was blocked by some random procession heading down the street. Yes. That procession was Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade. Maybe I was annoyed because it stopped our fun, or maybe because I was drenched, but I thought it was a piece of crap. Little did I know, I would get trained in that piece of crap a few months later.

May 2007 is when my life forever changed. Getting trained in MJJ meant that Disney's Animal Kingdom (or DAK for short) would be my new home. I was nervous at first because I'm a shy guy. It takes me a while to make new friends. There was no reason to worry though. The people there quickly accepted me as one of their own, and I was officially a DAKian. Chilling at Tamu Tamu with Baloo and King Louie before rocking it out with them in parade became my new life. Sure it was summertime, and it was HOT. AS. BALLS. but the old school people took care of me, and I am forever grateful for their generosity.

Top L - clockwise: Baloo and Louie being foolish buffoons; full-timers saying farwell to the best CPs ever; Face Rope and Water with Bernadette and Jamaica Jen; Katie and Christy, I'd be a lost Papa Bear without all their help

After a very brief hiatus when I thought I was going back to school, I returned to Disney in summer of 2008 as a seasonal cast member. These 2-3 years of 4-hour calls (working parade only) are definitely NOT missed. During my broke years I learned a few other roles in parade. Not only was I jammin' with Papa Bear. I had the pleasure of driving the parade floats, causing a ruckus with Br'er Bear, and I guess I enjoyed a few select days having a wing-ding of a time with Goofy.

During my time at MJJ I made lifelong friendships that still last to this day. Some of these people have moved on to bigger and better things, but had it not been for MJJ, I wouldn't have met some of my nearest and dearest friends. We stuck together through the good times and the bad, and we always rocked that jungle no matter how we were feeling backstage. So thank you MJJ for creating some of the best memories a guy could ask for. I wouldn't trade all the shenanigans for anything.

The best of friends causing all the shenanigans!! (Yes I know there's a repeat picture. Sorry it's so AWESOME!)

May 31, 2014 was a bittersweet day for me. Yes, it was the last day of MJJ. Yes, I shed a few tears. Yes, it was past time for parade to go. Out with the old and in with... Avatar... oh wait that's old too. Good job staying current, DAK! (Yes, I know there on sequels on the way. I'm not a fan. Sue me.) I didn't get to work the last day, but thanks to some scheduling finagling I got to watch as my closest friends performed their little hearts out. It was definitely the best I've ever seen parade. Great job to you all!

So after seven years, MJJ is gone. My life is not going to be the same, but I can't say I'm going to miss the parade. I will miss performing in it, especially when I got to jam with my bffs! I'm also grateful for all the friends I made at DAK. I'm glad we were able to close out parade properly: sweating profusely in the hot as balls sun. You all are like a family to me, and I look forward to the next wild adventure life brings our way.

I leave you with this delightful CatPaint

#BYE

My Spidey's Back!

Let me preface by saying I consider myself a huge Spider-Man fan. Comic book nerds may find that statement hypocritical because I've never read any of the comics. I've done enough research of the comics to know about Peter Parker and his amazing adventures, but that's it. I am thoroughly a fan of the movies. To get a little insight of my slightly biased love for Sam Raimi's first Spider-Man flick, please peruse this vignette in Joe Moore's life.

Okay on with the review!

Since everyone is asking, the answer is yes. I have seen The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Yes, I enjoyed it. Do I think it's the best of the films? Not at all. I don't understand why the critics are trashing it though. It's better than its predecessor, and it's certainly better than Raimi's Spider-Man 3, a film that also had one too many villains and numerous plot threads.

The best part of AS2 is the romance between Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy. Both Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone are excellent, and the chemistry between them is dynamite. If you thought they were good in the first film, you will fall in love with them here. They are so cute! They're so good anytime the action starts up, you wish it would stop just so the pair can bicker or gaze longingly into each other's eyes. They even made me shed a tear or two so thanks a lot, you two! No really, thank you.

Speaking of the action scenes, they are much better this go-around. Maybe the first flick was just a practice round for director Marc Webb because he feels a lot more comfortable handling the action. There's some very nifty slow-motion that I dug a lot. The only downside is there's not really a standout action set piece. They're cool, but nothing pops out like either the Aunt May ping-pong or the runaway train sequence in Raimi's Spider-Man 2.

Now for the other downside: the villains. Jamie Foxx's Max Dillon is slightly nerdy with no self-confidence and no friends. We're supposed to feel sympathy for his fate, but the way Foxx played him made the character kinda pathetic and unlikable. Then after the incident that turns him into Electro, he decides to go bad so people will notice him? Dude, you're blue and shooting electricity everywhere. People are noticing you. Then there's Dane DeHaan as Harry Osburn. He makes for a great brooder, but his slide into madness is unfortunately rushed. He is creepy as the Green Goblin though. Don't even get me started on Paul Giamatti's Rhino. His role is a cameo. He's a good fit for the role though so hopefully he'll be better used in part 3 or the rumored Sinister Six movie.

A lot of people are complaining about the mid-section being dull. I don't think so. The mid-section has Peter finding out the truth behind his father's research. That's one plot-line I found the first film threw away halfway through so I was more than thrilled to see it continued and resolved here. Oh, and before I wrap up, can I just say how much I love Sally Field as Aunt May? She and Garfield have a terrific scene halfway into the movie, and I almost cried. Almost.

So no the latest Spidey installment isn't perfect. There's still a part of me that wishes Sony had just left well enough alone, and these two flicks shouldn't exist. However they do exist, and I'm okay with that. Sure, the villains needed a bit more development, and there's no standout action sequence, but as long as you have Garfield and Stone being ADORABLE, that's okay. I wouldn't say the film is a must-see, but it is entertaining. Check it out for yourselves, and let me know what you think!

You Can't Sit With Us!!

Today is the 10th anniversary of the greatest teen flick of my generation. No, not Bring It On. No, not Pitch Perfect (screw that movie). I'm talking about the most awesome movie to come from an awesome time i.e. my awesome adolescence. I'm talking about Mean Girls!

As always here is a little back-story, and by a little back-story. 

I never saw Mean Girls upon its initial theatrical release. The previews looked asinine. I, being a completely heterosexual teenage male, thought the sight of Lindsay Lohan diving head-first into a trashcan and Lacey Chabert admitting she was popular before trust-falling on top of Amanda Seyfried was completely ridiculous. I still don't remember the first time I saw the flick. My sister, our ballet friends, and I watched Moulin Rouge, Eternal Sunshine, Fight Club, and Garden State a lot... but not Mean Girls. 

None for Gretchen Wieners. Bye!

I never thought it was a big deal that Tina Fey wrote the script. Saying that nowadays seems like blasphemy, but 10 years ago Tina Fey was head writer on SNL and reported on "Weekend Update". She wasn't the SUPERPOWER she is today. Her writing is flawless. Fey brilliantly satirized the life of teenage girls while keeping it grounded in reality. Not to mention the dialogue has been quotable for the past 10 years. We DAKians quote Mean Girls every day. I'm not even kidding. At least one quote every single day.

You can only imagine my excitement when I learned the Enzian was showing this great flick on one of their "Cult Classics" evenings. I quickly spread the word to fellow fanatics because I am *SUCH* a good friend. One by one they all dropped out with my "Somebody That I Used To Know" friend Abe using exhaustion and illness as an excuse. All I have to say to that is, "Boo, you whore!"

It turns out it was for the best not many people were able to go. Andie, Alyssa, and I arrived at the Enzian 15 minutes before the doors opened, and there was already a line wrapped around the building. Like, really people? Go away! The whopper was when we walked inside to find 3/4 of the tables reserved. The three of us sat in the back right corner at two separate tables, like a trio of art freaks.

"You can only wear your hair in a ponytail once a week... so I guess you picked today."

I still enjoyed the experience though. I had never seen Mean Girls on the big screen so that was a lot of fun. What made it even better was people would shout most of the popular lines. I'm not talking Rocky Horror craziness, but it was still amusing. It certainly showed that everyone in the auditorium was a huge fan of the movie. 

To make a long story short (TOO LATE), I could not be happier Mean Girls exists. It has become a huge pop culture phenomenon. I cannot imagine life without quips such as "I know right" and "whatever I'm getting cheese fries". I could seriously go all night, but I'm trying to post this before the 10th anniversary is over. So if you don't mind, I'm gonna go have some fun. I'm gonna go to Taco Bell. 

Miracles, miracles. Wow!

It's Easter Sunday!! For the past 8+ years, I've been working all day, whether it was at Kroger, Disney, or Universal. This year I've been fortunate enough to have most Sundays off so guess what? Your lives are about to be enriched with my lastest post! Yay!!

There was a time long, looong ago when Easter was like a mini-Christmas for the Moore clan. Early that morning, we Moore siblings would wake up to see what the Easter Bunny had brought us. It was usually LOTS of candy with at least one gift for each kid. That Easter Bunny knew what was up.

After a nutritious part of a complete breakfast (i.e. candy, duh) it was time to get all gussied up for pictures and church. Below are some gems, as in some are precious and some are just ridiculous. OR maybe all are a healthy combination of both. Anyway, enjoy!

see? precious!

I'm... hesitant... to hold my sister's hand. Hashtag: chicken pox

looking oh so dapper! sistah likes puffy-shoulder dresses. or mom did.

ohh yeah. this one is a gem.

why do I look like I'm about to collect someone's taxes?

oh yeah. Brady Bunch style.

After church, we would head to the grandparents' house for the most important part of Easter Sunday: the easter egg hunt! More candy! Yeah! Oh, and maybe Easter dinner. Food is kind of important I guess.

Sure, that doesn't sound like a lot, but it was the Moore/Caldwell Easter tradition at least through my adolescence. It's also a lot more than I do nowadays. I think the last time I actually celebrated Easter was in 2010. We all got together at the Williamsburg house and watched a movie somewhat relevant of the holiday: Godspell! There's talk of watching that today. I am off all day so who knows.

Before I go, a couple of side notes. It's 4/20, everybody. At least watch the Towelie episode of "South Park", and please party responsibly. Also this past Friday was Good Friday! Yeah, I know. Thank you, Rebecca Black. Ooh! Speaking of Rebecca Black, everybody reading should watch this awesome video. 

Leave your angry comments below.

Just Around the Riverbend

I'm back in the good ol' Newnan for the weekend, and I could not be happier to get away from that stupid rodent for a few days. Seriously this is a much needed vacation.

Last night after watching the terrific Frances Ha (If you haven't checked it out yet, do it now. It's streaming on Netflix!) for the thousandth time, I had a great heart-to-heart with mi familia about what lies in store for me up the road. As most of you know, I am an avid film buff. If you did not know that please head right over here to find out.

Are we finished? Ahem... let's move ahead!

The film industry is something I have always wanted to be a part of. Maybe not always but at least since I was... 11? Okay yeah always. Shortly after I officially moved down to Disney in 2008 is when the film boom exploded in Georgia. Mom sent me newspaper clippings about both Zombieland and Get Low (a cute fable-style movie starring Robert Duvall and Bill Murray) being filmed here. My sister, Emily, spent a day as an extra in the Footloose remake. Also in the past year both "The Walking Dead" and the upcoming Mockingjay have shot scenes in my very hometown. That's right folks. Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Jennifer Lawrence, and Liam Hemsworth have lived and allegedly hung out in bars in Newnan, GA. Needless to say all this awesomeness was missed by one jealous green monster.

This picture is from "The Walking Dead" episode that aired a couple of weeks ago. Filmed last October. That building across the street with the ramp in front? That's our community theatre. My mother was working inside... while they were filming!! Ugh.

I've said for years it's time to stop being so complacent with my job at Disney and actually get back to the one thing I've always loved. Don't get me wrong. I love performing, and I could not be happier with the time I've spent and the family I've made down at the House of Mouse. I regret none of that. It's just past time to move on, and with Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade closing this summer (more on that subject in an upcoming post), I could not think of a better time to do just that.

Do not fret, Whorlandians. I won't be moving away anytime soon. I'm not the kind to just toss aside my current job of 7 years to move back home without another job waiting for me. I am going to start networking though. My dad happens to know the head of a production company that's building up over in Fayette County (where I used to dance btw). He said he'd put in a good word for me so we'll see where that goes. I've also been chatting with my awesome buddy Nick. I know him from JTA (Jedi Training Academy, for the unaware), and he cuts my hair.

Excuse me while I have a Cataldo moment. "Hairdresser, hairdresser... oh whoa oh"

Anyway Nick's brother Tony is our stage director over at JTA. He also happens to be a screenwriter himself. He and one of his good friends have made a couple of movies over the years. Nick had copies of both and let me borrow them. One was a zombie movie shot back in 2008, and the other was a ghost story shot a couple of years ago. Both are fairly low-budget, but it's pretty cool that I know the screenwriter, and they shot both in the Orlando area! According to Nick, Tony and his friend have already written a new script and are starting pre-production stuff. I think it would be AWESOME to hang out and be a part of the making of an actual movie even if it was just for a day.

So that's what's been going on in my world lately. Lots of exciting things might be coming round the bend here pretty soon. I say BRING IT ON!

Oh and if you didn't understand the Cataldo reference, CHECK OUT THIS AWESOMENESS. You're welcome. Farewell!

A Writer's Life For Me

Have I ever mentioned that one of my hobbies is writing screenplays? No? Well now I'm mentioning it.

As long as I can remember I've wanted to become a writer of some kind. I've been writing stories ever since I was a pre-teen. I started out with a completely awful Harry Potter ripoff series cleverly entitled "The Wizards and Witches of Newnan, Georgia". It dealt with three siblings who find out they have magic powers. Then they go on to have many, many misadventures. I'm giggling to myself as I remember the asinine plots I came up with back then. There's even one where the children and their friends attend... wait for it... a school of witchcraft and wizardry. The stories just become worse and worse as the series goes on and on, like a horror franchise that doesn't know when to stop. Those folders are hidden somewhere in the depths of my bedroom back home. I pull them out every once in a while if I want a good laugh. Then I tuck them away immediately because they really are that God-awful. You can't blame me though. I was 11 years old! Everybody has to start somewhere.

*clears throat* Okay, let's skip ahead!

The year 2002, the year Sam Raimi's Spider-Man was released, was when I realized maybe I was more of a screenwriter than an actual author. I don't want to keep bringing up my terrible works of fiction, but after Spidey came out, I did write a particularly ridiculous script that has my teenage self rescuing actress Kirsten Dunst from the hands of her evil agent. Then my family and I have to go into the witness protection program after we witness said evil agent kill... somebody? I don't remember. It was really convoluted. Man, now I gotta search for THAT gem. Maybe it's on my external hard drive! *memories memories*

EDIT: It's not on my external hard drive ...damn!

Around that same time frame was when I realized I was a huge horror buff. I have three horror-related drafts collecting dust on my obsolete laptop. One is a Body Snatchers-type story, set on a farm in the middle of nowhere as a family reunion takes a turn for the worst. I wrote that one after the last visit to my grandmother's farm over 10 years ago. The second is one I wrote around the time The Ring came out. It's about this notebook that brings to life whatever is drawn in it. The protagonist, a horror-crazed, picked-upon loner, draws a typical horror-movie villain inside, and the jocks who pick on him slowly start dying. Whooo is killing them?? Sheesh, that one is staying put. The third is a typical home-invasion thriller. It's meant to be an homage to Halloween and the original Black Christmas. I wrote it when I was a junior in high school. The first 20 pages or so up through the invaders breaking into the house and the baby-sitter/kids hiding from them are actually really suspenseful. Or they are in my head. It might make a great short film. What happens afterward still needs work. I've never gotten the tone quite right.

My favorite project is one I've been writing ever since the spring of 2005. It's partially auto-biographical with a few changes to spice things up. It's a coming-of-age story about an introverted guy who attends a small Christian school, and the girl who he likes helps break him out of his shell. At least that was the plot in the first ever draft I wrote many moons ago. Several things have changed since then. These days it's not so much a romantic coming-of-age story. I want the story to mainly focus on the protagonist and his realization that he isn't happy in his humdrum life: taking his sister to school then to dance while he works all night to help his single mother with the bills. Let me explain. The protagonist, Peter, used to dance with his sister, but after the sudden death of his father he feels the need to help out his mother. So he gets a job, and he isn't happy with where his life is going. It takes the help of a free spirit who goes to the same school AND dance studio for him to realize what he's been missing all this time.

It definitely needs work and a lot of focus, but I guess you could say it's my passion project. I've set the time in 2004, around the same time I was also an introverted guy attending a small Christian school. I already know the soundtrack is going to be AWESOME, with some great 80s new wave (Peter's favorite genre, duh) sprinkled with hits/alternative songs from the time period. So basically you've got some Echo & the Bunnymen, Tears for Fears, and Duran Duran when on the flip side there's The Killers, Cake, The White Stripes, and a bunch of really random but really rockin' alternative shtuff. I listen to the music every time I sit down to write, but I usually end up distracted and hold a solo dance party in my room instead.

I've always been a firm believer in "write what you know". Two themes that are common in pretty much all of my writing are a strong family unit and witty teenage girls.

First off there's usually a bond between the protagonist and his family. In the horror scripts, as minor as the family subplot may be, toward the beginning of the story, it's clear there is a strong bond among the family unit. So when shit hits the fan (not literally, ew) it's heartbreaking to see that unit be torn apart. Especially in my forever-hidden "notebook" idea, as the protagonist slowly starts to unravel, he drifts further and further away from both his family and his close friends. That drifting apart has always been a very terrifying idea to me, mostly because I cannot begin to fathom life without my family.

My favorite parts of my "passion project" are the scenes between Peter, his sister, Liz, and all their friends at the ballet studio. These parts of the story are very auto-biographical. I was always extremely close to my sister, Emily, and all our ballet friends growing up. We had the best of times whether it be dancing in class, staying up late watching terrific movies (such as Bring It On, Moulin Rouge!, and Donnie Darko), or rocking out to tunes such as the great "Bouncing Off the Ceiling" by the A*Teens. Emily and her friends were also extremely quick on their toes, and that's something I feel I've really brought to life with Liz and her ballet friends in my script. Hmm... maybe I should just write a pilot for the Disney Channel... NAH!

I hope this update has given you an insight into the secret live of Joe Moore. Writing has always been and will always be one of my favorite pastimes. I've had a lot of fun reminiscing as I've shared both my embarrassing first projects and my screenplay ideas. I kinda want to get on my computer from 1994 (it might as well be), and write the evening away, but seeing as it's 2:30am, I guess I've already done that. I have to be up and ready for work in less than five hours. I ain't no spring chicken anymore, so this upcoming morning is gonna be rough. But you know what? It was totally worth it to jot down this stroll through memory lane! Good night, and have a pleasant tomorrow.