CURRENT STUFF La Floridiana DVD Enthusiast Matt's Rail Mike's Rant (Links listed above indicate "final edition" status.) CONTRIBUTOR'S Homepages Michael A. Smith's The Omnipresent M. Smith homepage and Email                     Matt Drinnenberg's The Masters of Horror Terence Nuzum's Viddywell Productions William Moriaty's T.R.E.E., Inc.

	Established A.D. 2000, March 19.  Now in our third calendar year!    Number 127 (Vol. 3, No. 35). This edition is for the week of August 26--September 1, 2002.

Peaks and Valleys

		ALSO.... Difficult PCR week...unavoidable delays Florida Governor candidates unite against Jeb Bush Viking Ship in Loch Ness Indy film action in Brandon (pictures are in!) And...oh yeah...I got the job

Well, as you can see from the "Current Stuff" links section at left, most of the PCR writers are celebrating Labor Day a little prematurely this year. As of Wednesday morning as I write this, I haven't heard from anybody, save William Moriaty, but that was expected because of our weekend shenanigans.
   Complicating matters, in recent issues I may have oversold my hopeless job situation to the point where everyone might've figured they'd tune in to find the PCR in a pine box this week and didn't bother to send anything in.
   OK, well, it's hard to be the cheerleader while the Titanic's propellers are coming out of the water, but there's been a development that will halt my sinking.
   The convenience store job I alluded to in last week's issue as the last, best hope for financial salvation for someone like me (i.e., no "marketable" skills, no car, and a revulsion to dress codes) came through for me and I started this week. Believe me, it's harder than it looks. (Being a starving artist/musician/writer and public access producer of some acclaim failed to impress potential employers.) I had hoped to have my name tag in time to surprise you all with a scanned image of it right here under the headlines, but alas, I haven't received one yet.

I've been training literally around the clock, all shifts, with no real sleep in days, which is why this week's columns are coming out slower. I apologize for any inconvenience this causes. I will keep my comments brief, again, this week, only because I've got to conserve my strength. My contributions, like last week's, will be short and sweet. Hopefully next week, stability will once again have a home here.

Democratic debates unite against Jeb Bush
   In a recently televised debate, the leading Democratic candidates for Florida governor -- Daryl Jones, Bill McBride and Janet Reno -- held what was billed as a debate but was closer to love fest Tuesday, speaking almost in unison about the need to unite behind any candidate to beat Gov. Jeb Bush. I myself know a few state employees that are less-than-thrilled with Bush's highjinks, particularly in let's-sell-off-state-jobs-to-the-private-sector department.
   McBride, a Tampa lawyer, said, ``Either one [Jones or Reno] would be a better governor by far than we currently have. ... I'm proud to be on the same stage with them.'' The other candidates were likewise complimentary.
   All three backed the constitutional amendment to limit class size, and they criticized the use of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test to grade schools. Reno and McBride advocated tougher growth management; Jones pushed water conservation and Everglades cleanup.
   They appeared to be much more enthused about targeting Jeb Bush and the November elections than the September 10 primaries.
   When reached for comment, Jeb Bush said he watched "Entertainent Tonight" rather than the debates, because "all they're gonna do is talk bad about me". Wow...that saved a lot of time.

Viking Ship Found in Loch Ness
I owe this tip to Steve Beasley who found news online that a couple scientists, using special sonar gear of some sort, had found wreckage of a Viking Ship at the bottom of Scotland's Loch Ness. No word yet on whether it is possible occasional dislocated and floating wreckage could account for the many sightings of "Nessie" or The Loch Ness Monster as told over the years.
   But the more surprising revelation is the presence of ground coffee in some of the old timbers. Up to now, Vikings were not thought to have known of the existence of coffee. This means that the ship had likely traveled over to this neck of the woods first, before becoming dinosaur bait at the bottom of Loch Ness.

Indy Film Action In Brandon     by William Moriaty
"It's A Wrap!" Saturday, August 24, 2002 was a night of fun and frivolty, and a night to remember for both me and PCR publisher Nolan Canova, who, through the gracious invitation and coordination of Florida Folk Hero film star Joel D. Wynkoop and Florida Folk Hero film stars Gus Perez and Richard Souza, attended the "Twisted Illusions 2 Wrap Party and Sneak Preview" event at the Comfort Suites in Brandon.

We were treated to the sneak preview of two soon-to-be-released movies produced in large part by Joel D. Wynkoop: "The Part" to be released in ""Twisted Illusions 2" and "Time for Dessert" to be released in "Finishing Up". "The Part" concerns a disturbed actor obsessively rehearsing his part, and "Time for Dessert" uncovers the dubious motivations of a shadowy vixen with a lip-smacking hunger for men. It is important to note that both of these movies feature actor Gus Perez, and that these newest releases were not mentioned in my story on Gus this issue. I will do a review of these two movies in the very near future, either next issue, or after my book review of "All The Little Birdies" by Florida author and Folk Hero Dan Allison.

The video presentation, featuring these two shock-style thrillers from a larger anthology collection, drew regular rounds of chills, laughter and applause, and Nolan and I enjoyed the event thoroughly. Particular stand-out performances by Gus Perez, Joel Wyncoop, Kevin Bangos, and Mark Nash (with a cameo by Richard Sousa) are an encouragement to Florida filmmakers everywhere as to what can be done on a shoestring budget. Mark A. Nash, and his actress wife Tina, are due to wrap "The Raging Bells" in November.

In addition to Wynkoop, Perez, Souza, and Nash, other Florida Indies illuminaries such as film producer and actor Garland Hewlett and his fiancé, Venus, film producer Steve Pena, actress Catherine Holseybrook and actress Tina Frankel, were amongst the many in attendence. I only apologize that I did not get the names of all of the fine people at this wonderful event!

In addition to the fun of viewing these two movies, it was also a night of another type of celebration-- for it was Joel's 42nd Birthday, and to celebrate, a beautiful cake with Spider-Man figurines on it took center stage at the front of the meeting room next to the television.

Nolan and I also had the good fortune to meet a Florida Indies film writer, producer and director, Mr. Michael A. Albano of Clearwater, who is currently in production of the full length film feature "Shadows of Doubt", which is being produced by Mark A. Nash and being directed by Steve Pena.

Party pix----click on images to view larger versions
Top row, left to right, #1--Lead us the way...to the "Twisted Illusions 2" Wrap Party and Sneak Preview! #2--Happy Birthday Joel! August 24, 2002 was not only the night of the Twisted Illusions 2 Wrap Party and Sneak Preview, but Joel's 42nd birthday. Pictured is Joel's birthday cake complete with Spider Man figurines proudly displayed prior to consumption. #3--VHS tapes of Joel D. Wynkoop's latest two movies on a display table at the Comfort Suites meeting room in Brandon. #4--L--R: "Nolan Canova's Pop Culture Review" publisher and "Crazed Fanboy" webmaster Nolan B. Canova, actor Gus Perez, star of the evening, actor-producer Joel D. Wynkoop, and "La Floridiana" columnist William Moriaty. Second row, left to right, #1--An overview of the Twisted Illusions 2 Wrap Party, Sneak Preview, Comfort Suites, Brandon, Florida, August 24, 2002. #2--Actor Gus Perez and "La Floridiana" columnist William Moriaty. #3--Actress Tina Nash, actress Catherine Holseybrook, and star of the evening, actor-producer Joel D. Wynkoop. #4--Venus Collette Fish and her fiancé, actor-producer Garland Hewlett; actor Gus Perez, and writer and major producer of the upcoming movie "Shadows of Doubt", Michael A. Albano. Third row, left to right, #1-- Actors Richard Sousa (on left) and Joel D. Wyncoop. #2--Upbeat man David Vogel on the left, standing with Collette Fish and Garland Hewlett #3--Actor and producer of the soon-to-be-released movie "The Raging Bells", Mark A. Nash, actors Kevin Bangos and Gus Perez, and "La Floridiana" columnist William Moriaty.#4--PCR publisher Nolan B. Canova and producer/director Garland Hewlett. Fourth row, "La Floridiana" columnist William Moriaty and writer and major producer of the upcoming movie "Shadows of Doubt", Michael A. Albano.