The "Reason For The Season"

Hey there folks

I've been super uber busy this week, and haven't really had the time to sit down and communicate or blog properly (though I do have to say, I'm getting to like Twitter - it gives me the freedom to post little bite-sized thoughts as they occur to me. Check it out).

Anyhoo... today is Thanksgiving, a holiday that tends to get short shrift with a lot of people. Sure, it's an excuse for Americans (who can afford it) to celebrate excess and stuff themselves with food and drink... but there's more to the holiday than big dinners and football. I don't think I can sum up the spirit of the season quite as well, though, as Actor/ Writer/ Comedienne Ritah Parish did in a recent blog... check it out, and then think a bit about what you have in your life to be thankful for... even in this age of economic uncertainty and fraying personal relationships, there's probably more to be thankful for than you initially think.

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=74416579&blogID=451537488&Mytoken=A8E4B599-1F90-4FA3-AEC10BDA09A3DB24297051752

Or, you could just go the Louis C.K. Route with things:



In any case, I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and a great weekend. I'll try and get you all caught up soon with what's been going on in the near future :)

Harold

Trailer Central

Hey there folks

Two film projects I'm involved with have released new trailers on their respective web sites. Pop on by and take a look!

>> The first is The Bicyclists, a new, alternate take on the popular webisode series The Bicyclist. The Bicylcists takes some of the series' characters in different directions. From the official web site:

"We’ve kept much of what you’ve loved about the episodes but reinvented the story. We still have the same main four characters (Conrad, Steve, Zack and Lissa), but each character changes in both small and big ways. We still have some of the same quirky comedy, but the drama goes much deeper and the story takes us to unexpected places. "

Stop on by www.thebicyclist.tv/movie.htm and take a look at the new trailer, "Boy Meets Girl."

>> Next up is the new full trailer for writer/ director Steve Coker's "comedy of questionable morals," Crackin' The Code. Be warned, however... the trailer is just as raunchy as the entire file promises to be - I think I'd categorize it as "not safe for work" (or kids, or grandmothers, or pets... you get the idea). Code is a labor of love for everyone involved - Steve has written a very funny and touching script, and though the trailer says the film features "actors you've never seen," Portlanders may just have seen a few of these guys...

The trailer's available for viewing at the official site (http://www.crackinthecode.com/), or at the Crackin' The Code Myspace page, the Crackin' The Code Facebook page, the Crackin' The Code Blog... or right here:



Now, I should probably mention that I'm not in either one of these trailers... but take a moment to give 'em a look-see - then keep checking back for more post-production news as both films get closer to their release dates!

That's it for now... hope you're all doing well!

-Harold

Meanwhile, Back In Frontier Idaho...

Hey there folks

This has been a big week for Animus Cross, the new webisode series that Trish and I are in.

First off, the entire site got a facelift last week. Stop on by and take a look - there's now a synopsis, character bio's, and more.

Producer/ Director A.L. Steen also launched a production blog last week... visit http://animuscross.blogspot.com/ to get all the latest info on the series (in fact, you might want to do what I did and set up a "monitor" at http://www.changedetection.com/ so you receive an email when the blog is updated). You might even learn a little about that fancy axe that series star Jerry Buxbaum carries around!

But wait, there's more... Animus Cross also has brand-spankin'-new MySpace profile - please stop by, myspace users, and "friend" the series.

And here's the super-duper-special news of the week: TubeFilter News did a special profile on Animus Cross and its historical background. Pop on by and take a look - 'Animus Cross' Combines Horror With History (a PDF version of the story is also posted in the "Press" section of http://www.haroldphillips.net/).

So, the word is spreading about Animus Cross. If you haven't stopped by the site to watch the first episode, please do... and be sure to sign up for the mailing list so we can notify you when episode 2 comes online!

Well, that's it for me today... time to go see what The Lich King has to offer (hey, didn't I say I was a massive nerd in my last post?)

Hope you're all doing well...

-Harold

Nerdgasm!

A new Watchmen Trailer is up on Yahoo Movies:http://movies.%20yahoo.%20com/movie/1808406490/video/10658091

Oh boy oh boy oh boy... if you haven't read The Watchmen, do yourself a favor and pop by Powells Books and pick up a copy. It truly is one of the greatest graphic novel/ comic book series of all time. In fact, I'd really recommend reading the book before seeing the movie... because no matter how good Zach Snyder's film is, it can't encompass everything in the books. They play with literary and narrative structure too much... it's a hell of a ride. Well worth the read, folks...

In other nerd news, good friend Tony suggested that I try Twitter... so, I set up an account (http://twitter.com/haroldPDX, if any of you tweet twits want to "follow" me - I feel so messianic when I say that!).

Of course, Twitter would be yet another web page to check a couple of times a day... and I don't need another one of those! Luckily my friend Trisha told me about Spaz, a simple desktop program that feeds Twitter information. Leaving it running on my computer will keep me from having to pop back to my Twitter page to check "tweets" from people I'm following.

So, now I've got MySpace, Facebook AND Twitter... plus three email addresses, Craigslist, the Oregon Media Network, four or five listservs, the blog, Actors Access, and a whole host of online resources I check daily... I'm just making it harder and harder to get away from this pesky computer!

Sigh... I guess that I'm just going to have to content myself with the fact that I'm a massive nerd.

Then again, I'm blogging at 11:45 on a Friday night, so I guess that pretty much says it all. In my defence, though, Trish is still in bed sleeping off the pain meds from her recent surgery (just a minor procedure - she's fine... but she'll have some recovery to do), so I'm not as big a geek as I could be... right? Riiiight...

Animus Cross Begins, And Piracy On The Oregon Coast!

Howdy there, folks!

I know that everyone's still a little focused on the post-election fall-out, but I did want to take a moment this morning to mention a couple of things.

First off, you might remember that Trish and I spent a week in Northern Idaho a few months back shooting a new web series... well, today I can happily announce the launch of that new series: Animus Cross. Set in the post-Civil War Idaho Territory, Animus Cross takes audiences into a dark frontier world where life is a daily challenge... and settlers have good reason to be afraid of what lurks in the dark.

The first episode is live online at http://www.animuscross.com/. Future episodes in the series' pilot run are expected to be released each month - so stop by the site and join us on the journey to Animus Cross. Don't take too long, though... every time you stop, they get closer!

One other little item... many of you know that from time to time I perform in interactive murder mysteries for Wild Bills' Murder For Sale division. Generally these shows are for private parties, and aren't open to the public. This weekend, however, I'll be appearing in a semi-public show at The Mill Casino in North Bend, OR.

I say "semi-public" because technically the show is for the casino's "Millionaire$ Club" members. Joining the Millionaire$ Club, however, is free. So, if you're inclined to spend the weekend in North Bend, Oregon watching me in a pirate-themed murder mystery... come on down! Directions to the Casino can be found at The Mill's web site.

That's all the news I have to share at the moment... but you never know what the future may hold! Hope you're all doing well...

Harold

Finally! The 21st Century Can Begin

Yeah, I know... you've probably seen the acceptance speech about 100 times by now. But just in case...

And... Here We Go (At Last) !!

Make Election Day A National Holiday!

Folks, you've already seen the pictures from polling places around the country... Election Day has become something of a nightmare in many communities, as electronic voting machines, voter challenges, and a lack of resources force people to wait in line for as much as eight hours just for the opportunity to exercise their right to vote.

Historically, American voter turn-out is among the lowest in the world's democracies. How is someone working for minimum wage at a fast-food restaurant to be expected to spend six-to-eight hours waiting in line to cast his or her vote? I think (and several others do as well) that Election Day should be made a national holiday. People should not be penalized for taking the day off work to attend their polling places and casting their vote.

Please, take a moment to sign this petition. I don't know if it'll do any good or not... but at least you won't have to wait in line all day to have your voice heard.