Short Films for the bored

With the production of our new web series going slow, we have been writing and planning to do a short film or 2 in the near future. Looking for inspiration I have been searching youtube and other websites to find all types of short films. If anyone out there is as bored as me (probably not), here are the 7 best shorts I came across that may keep you entertained at work.

7. Sun Sessions

The coming of age tale about a unique high school elvis fanatic who gets dumped by his first true love. Instead of roses and chocolates, Henry and his bandmates try to win back the girl through more creative methods, but her new annoying "jock" type boyfriend is ready to fight for her.

6. Samsara

The sun is dying, the sky is falling, the world is ending. But in less than eight and a half minutes, hope is coming.

Samsara: Episode 2 - "Jeff" from Roshan Murthy on Vimeo.

5. Bullet In The Brain

Based on the short story by Tobias Wolff. Amazing acting, writing and directing. A must see for a writer or director.

PART 2 here: watch

4. School Of Life

A school teacher gives her students the answers to all of life's questions.

3. Autonomy

A man contemplates the numbing monotony of daily working life, and his escape from it. All of you recent college grads realizing how much working life sucks will appreciate this one.

2. The Legend Of David

FCRabbath (Freddy Rabbath). Remember this director, he will be the next Steven Spielburg.

This short film is long but amazing for a high school student on a zero dollar budget. Beautifully made with a great suspenseful story.

1. Hotel Chevalier

A beautiful love story... Or maybe not. This was the short film that played before the Darjeeling Limited, written and directed by Wes Anderson. Amazing directing/cinematography, wonderful acting and beautiful dialogue. If you like this you should watch the whole movie, The Darjeeling Limited.

A Take on Michael Vick

This is a take on Michael Vick from the viewpoint of a dog lover and sports fan.

Michael Vick is a man that has committed heinous crimes against animals. He was also once classified as the most electrifying man in professional sports. There are no amount of apologies that will satisfy PETA supporters and extremists but Michael Vick has fully served a 2-year jail sentence for his crimes and is ready to move on with his life. As a dog owner, I wouldn't want him anywhere near my dog, but as a sports fan, I am not alone when I say that I am curious as to whether he can still play at a professional level. A court appointed arbitrator sentenced Vick to a 2-year jail sentence to pay his debt to society. He has completed that sentence and he's paid his debt to society. In my opinion, he should now be able to continue with his career.

Professional football is not a sport for everyone. Professional football takes a physical toll on the players who play the game ensuring that even the longest of NFL careers would end around the age of 40. A player who plays the game like Michael Vick would be lucky to be wearing a jersey and pads at age 32 and he's already 29. Having 2 seasons taken away from him, having a $100 million dollar contract torn up, eventually going bankrupt, and spending 2 years in jail seems to be a tough price to pay. To go from having everything, to having everything taken away from you would hurt. It would drive some men to throw in the towel, but Michael Vick still wants to play pro football. He still has the attitude of a competitor. Why not give him a shot?

I'm not saying Michael Vick is a good person, but the horrendous crimes he committed have no relevance to football. If a stock broker gets busted for insider trading, they are banned for life from trading stocks. If an NFL player gets busted for dog fighting, they should never be able to own a dog again. That reasoning makes sense. To say an NFL player gets busted for dog fighting so they can never play football again does not make sense.

Two years ago, before the dog-fighting drama, if you told any team owner in the NFL that they could have Mike Vick in two years for league minimum salary, they would say "Fool, what are you smoking?" Michael Vick was under a $100 million dollar contract!! He was the definition of a franchise player. His name was synonimous with the Atlanta Falcons. Now, two years later, after a horrific public trial and court case, he is available to any team for the league minimum salary.

In my opinion, the NFL is a league that is better off with Michael Vick than without him. I'm not petitioning that he come in to Atlanta and become their starting QB because there is no way Vick would be able to come in and compete for a starting QB spot for any team in the NFL right now. His ability as a runner, his ability with the football in his hands was unquestioned 2 years ago. Is there anything left? Can he still compete and contribute as a role-player? I would think most sports fans, players, and coaches would agree with me, but they also realize what sort of frenzy will erupt with the signing of Vick. They also realize what sort of backlash a media frenzy of that nature could have on a team. Because of this fact, I would rule out any Super Bowl contenders (Pittsburgh, New England, San Diego, etc.) from signing him. If a team does want to take a chance on Vick, I would think it would be to play only in certain packages. He poses problems for opposing teams by just appearing on their roster as another explosive threat to be prepared for.

Ideally for Vick, he would be a similar player to Reggie Bush, but with a greater threat to throw the ball downfield. He could be lined up as a receiver, tailback, or wildcat QB with a real threat of passing. Or he may have nothing left. He may have lost a step and is now worthless on the field. Maybe a team signs him and cuts him 2 days later, never to be heard from again. Then again, maybe he can still make some plays with his feet. I am a dog lover but I still want to see the best competition and best players compete in the toughest sport in the world. Putting Vick in the UFL if he can still compete in the NFL is not the answer. Let him play.

To sum it all up, I think teams are ready to sign Michael Vick but the real question is, are any teams prepared and willing to take on the media circus and PETA protesters that come along with Michael Vick?

Only time will tell.

The Youth is Starting to Change

Wouldn't it be sweet if we could pass a law that made it mandatory to teach children in Elementary School that Star Wars was based on a true story. Interstellar wars between super and sub-human races throughout the galaxy resulting in mass chaos and the aryanization of Earth. Awesome idea? I think so. Here is why:

First, I know what you're thinking, "what about when my kids want to go to the moon?" We'll just tell them that Obama banned travel across space and light sabers in 2009. This way he can be responsible for putting the fictional, intergalactic bus-drivers out of work too. I mean, I would have much rather learned some made up facts about a race called the "wookies" that live on planet Rygel 7 and dig up giant gummi worms for food than the dumb guy who invented the light bulb. There are gajillions of light bulbs in the world, how many wookies are there? None. Why? Because they became extinct after the wars.......The Star Wars. (That's what we'll tell them, at least) If you tell kids that wookies are on the extinct animal list, they wont go looking for them. That could get dangerous, wookies eat kids all the time. My half-brother Bobby Sanchez Apelian got eaten by a wookie just last year. He went to this Phish concert and never came back. We just assume a wookie ate him........fucking hippies cant get enough gummi worms.

Also, this could be the long-awaited solution to racism. If we have imaginary Wookies, Klingons, and Ewok's to hate, we wouldnt have to hate blacks, or whites, or asians, or mexicans (well maybe still mexicans). We can all claim to be 1 superior race, the chosen race, or as I like to call our futuristic race "the whiteys." It's possible because we would still have imaginary people to hate and that means no feelings get hurt!! I know, this shit just got deep....

Back to the point, let these kids have a friggin imagination. I want hovercars god damnit, I want a light saber (which got banned after the Wars, by the way). Fuck an Escalade with some phatty rims, I want to ride that flying white dog thing from Neverending Story to school. Can I dream? Can I live? Without imagination, I wouldnt be able to write this. Why? No internet. People used to poop in pots and throw it in the streets. That's cool, right? Yea....No. Someone imagined that there could be pipes to take the poop the the sewer, hence the toilet and plumbing. That also created jobs, that's where the exposed butt plumber came from, duh.

Imagination is a powerful thing. In the words of Steven Tyler, "Dream on....motherfuckers."

Totally Sorry

Been totally busy. Totally got more stuff coming. Totally funny. Totally sweet. Totally stuff.

Thanks....totally.

How Phillip's Head Became Immortal

So, I doubt I'm the only person who ever thought, "why do they call it a phillip's head screwdriver? is Phillip some guy with a weird shaped head or something." ("they" is everyone in the world....except babies. Babies don't call anything by name....idiots.) My next immediate thought was, "Wow Dan, are you serious? you don't really think that, do you? I mean, a guy with a weird shaped head? That's so stupid."

I realized that I don't and that if I did, I would most likely be half-retarded and probably live somewhere in Georgia.

But I still didn't know why they call it a Phillip's head screwdriver ("they." Still everyone but babies). So I did some research. Turns out, what really happened was that in 1698 some idiot named Phillip wanted to hang his favorite watercolor painting of Tupac Shakur and Dr. Dre, his favorite rappers of the era, in his den but he didn't have a screwdriver (back then, there was only one type of screwdriver, that is why I am not more specific in screwdriver style). The next day, like any member of a generous community, Phillip went next door and asked his neighbor to borrow his screwdriver and his neighbor accidentally gave him the prototype of a new "2 Way Flathead Screwdriver" that he was working on. So Phillip used the screwdriver on a 2 way flathead screw and it worked wonders. With basically no effort or wrist fatigue involved, Phillip was finally looking above his flat-screen, plasma TV set at his 2 favorite rappers. The very next day Phillip went down to the patent office and patented it as a screwdriver that provides better leverage and turnability than your standard flathead screwdriver. It could also be used as a multi-purpose weapon used to beat/stab your wife or spawn, but Phillip decided to leave that part out of the patent. He took all of the credit and named the screwdriver after himself.

Phillip never returned the original prototype. Phillip was an asshole.



Question (too lazy to make up another story): Why in the Hell Are There 2 Different Types Of Screw Heads?

You're not as cool as you think you are, Alexander Graham Bell.

Yea, I said it....Alex. You're not as cool as you think you are. Is it ok if I call you Alex? No, you know what, I don't even care.

I want to start by getting the mushy stuff out of the way:

Dear Alexander Graham Bell,

Thanks for inventing the telephone, sometimes I call my mother with it....but that is all I will thank you for.

(Editor's note: After checking wikipedia, turns out this dude invented a bunch of other sweet stuff including air conditioning. I would add a few more thanks' but I already mailed the letter. This was just a scanned copy.)

Sincerely

Dan Apelian

Now that that's out of the way, let the public smearing begin.

Alexander, you are the sole reason for the creation of the reality show featuring host Justin Timberlake, aired on Fox at 9pm on Wednesday nights (thanks again, wikipedia.), called "The Phone."

As a matter of fact, you were behind some of the worst theatrics ever produced. I'll start with the movie "Phone Booth." A movie that takes place in a phone booth? Dude, come on? You can't be serious?

"Cellular." Cellular is a movie about a dude who gets a call saying the person has been kidnapped and he has to solve the mystery talking to people on his phone. This is unlike other mystery movies where the criminal uses mime's to act out the crimes to police. This is unlike other mystery films that the criminal captures a hostage 8 year old at the San Diego zoo's kangaroo exhibit to demand a glow-in-the-dark bible that transforms into a panther. Every action/mystery movie criminal uses cell phones to talk to people. Are you kidding me movie producer? Of course they use a phone. It's not exactly like they can walk to the police station, report a kidnapping, throw human fecal matter at the receptionist, break 10 pearl necklaces to give yourself a better chance, and then run away from the cops. You use a fucking phone. The phone that Alex Bell so kindly invented (sarcastic undertone included).

And I don't even want to get started on titles like "One Missed Call", "I Know/Still Know/Think I Still Know What You Did Last Summer!?", "The Ring 1&2", etc. So, I won't. You already got the point.....unless you're stupid and think I'm being serious. Then you're just dumb.

Byeeee

-Danny Boy Jr.

(All facts provided by Wikipedia.com)

Barbershop IV

Haircut lady says "what can I do ya for, skinny?"

I says, "lady, I'll take a haircut...and don't give me that straight line across my forehead. I don't want to look like a lego-man for the next three weeks. Okay?"

She responds with, "Sure kid, take a seat (spins chair, tosses me a lollipop)"

A few minutes in, I'm already thinking, "Ok, can we just put it all back and start over?" But you can't, it's not possible, nor reasonable. So you have to shut up and say "Yep, just like that. Yep, exactly like a lego-man. Perfect." Because of you, I now have to walk around looking like an asshole lego-man for 3 weeks. Thanks.

In the end, it'll grow back. And that's the beauty of being a barber (hair stylist?), you get to cut hair, and if you do a shitty job, who cares? Just the idiot with the bad haircut.

At least I have a nice hat collection, whore.

A Letter to Captain Kirk

Dear Captain Kirk,

I always had a few questions for you that I was never able to ask. Back in 1998, I met you at a Star Wars convention in Dayton, OH, but I couldn't muster up the courage to ask you in person. Hehe, pretty silly, huh? I mean, you're a complete legend. You're the total package; pssh, try not to be intimidated! I must say, I felt a little bit like you felt when you found out that Princess Leia was really your sister and it got a little awkward between the two of you because 4 days earlier you guys had both gotten really drunk on planet Naboo and you two deep space 69'd til' the sun came up. Talk about uncomfortable....

So, I always wondered, did you ever get laid based purely on the fact that you were the captain of the millenium falcon?

Could Chesley Sullenberger do your job?

Even though Spock was merely a Padawan, could he still hook up with human females? or was he more of a sexual outcast forced to make love to Wookie women (yuck!)?

I always pictured Chewbacca as a chronic masturbater? Did you ever walk in on him rubbing one out? Maybe in the bathroom with a centerfold of a teen wolf?

This is more of an opinion thing, but, was it wrong for me to have broken up with my girlfriend because she referred to Dr. Bones as Mr. Bones? The Doc didn't go to 4 extra years of school to be called Mister. No respect, ya know?

Welp, I've gotta go, my friends and I like to play trivia at the local sports bar on Sunday nights, our team is called the "Trek Stars." I don't want to be late.

To infinity and beyond!!!

It's a Small World....Full of Bastards.

So, I've been following the whole Sandra Cantu murder that happened in Tracy, California a few weeks ago pretty closely. I'll give you a brief rundown of the events to catch anyone up who doesn't know what happened (does anyone even read this?):

-Sandra Cantu is an 8 year old girl who lived in a trailer park in Tracy, CA who was missing for several weeks
-Eventually they found her body in a suitcase at the bottom of an irrigation pond
-The last day she was seen, they caught her on a surveillance tape skipping happily to a friends house like you can imagine a happy, healthy, 8 year old girl would
-The friend she was going to see was a 5 year old playmate who lived in the same trailer park
-Finally, they get some clues and leads that the mother of the 5 year old girl, Melissa Huckaby, is the murderer
-Melissa Huckaby is charged with rape with a foreign object and murder of 8 year old Sandra Cantu

Now, I'm going to guess Tracy, CA is a pretty fucked up place. This statement isn't just me being the asshole that I am, it's based on facts! Sure, I don't like poor people, but not only was an 8 year old girl raped and murdered, but one of her neighbors within the trailer park admitted to kissing Sandra on the lips 2 years earlier, when she was 6! He is a grown man, he kissed a 6 year old girl on the mouth. Obviously, this douchebagel is a suspect, but it turns out it wasn't even him.

The next suspect, Melissa Huckaby; the mother of the girl Sandra was going to play with the day she disappeared. This 28 year old; grown woman; mother of a 5 year old, is a Sunday school teacher!! She is currently being charged with rape and murder of an 8 year old girl. Are you f'n kidding me? She is a mother and a Sunday school teacher! I feel like I'm watching a farfetched crime drama on TBS. What the hell went on in her mind to make her want to, not only rape but, take the life of an 8 year old friend of her daughter? The girl never had a chance, she wasn't even old enough to form an identity, she didn't even have a chance. Now, what could a normal 8 year old girl have done to deserve that? If I was Sandra's parents, I would make it a mission to see this woman get the chair. Not only do they have the unfortunate luck to live in some shitty trailer park, but their 8 year old daughter was taken from them and killed.

It only gets more ridiculous. Today, there was an article online about another woman; 28 year old, Sunday school teacher, 2 daughters aged 5 and 8. Guess what her name is? Melissa Huckaby. Guess where she lives? 12 miles from Tracy, CA. What are the odds of that? Seriously, math whizzes, what are the odds of that? There are what....a couple hundred people on Earth? Same name, same profession (is sunday school teacher a profession?), daughters the same age as the two kids involved, same age. Crazy. She is now getting death threats because of the obvious confusion, but fuck her. My message to the non-murderer Melissa Huckaby: "change your name and get a real job you idiot." My message to the murderer Melissa Huckaby: "I hope you fucking die in prison, you fucked up, cuntbag bitch. You suck."

I love the news, but it kind of sucks that bad things need to happen to keep me interested. It's weird, I couldn't care less about "Man slides under moving 18 wheeler to catch baby falling from empire state building because it's parachute got tangled by flock of seagulls." (Okay, I lied, that story sounds awesome, but you know what I mean). I would totally give up reading the news if shit like the Sandra Cantu murder didn't happen. I can be entertained by lots of other things, i.e. video games.......yea, video games is it.

It just pisses me off that someone on this planet could destroy and then take the life of a young person who never had a chance. Think about all the people you walk past each day, all the people you pass on the road, all of your friends and family. Could you honestly say you picture anyone you know being a child rapist/murderer? I know I couldnt (adam), but they exist. I like to think people are generally good and that's the sad part, that's what everyone always says, "it's not like her." "she couldnt have done that." Well, if it turns out that she did it, she needs to pay....with her life (you have to read that last part very dramatically). Same goes for any and every other child-killing fuck-up out there. Find something positive in your lives, you bastards.

I should be a reporter......bitch.....

Interview with Will Ferrell

DA: Hey Will, thanks for joining me for my first interview. I'm really excited, I hope I dont climax until the very end.

WF: Oh, thanks for having me. You guys do great things with merely a camera and eachother's (obviously) super human minds.

DA: Gloop glorb (thank you). So Will, let's get right down to it. Why are you such a douchebag?

WF: Excuse me?

DA: Ever since Old School, you've played some of the shittiest comedy roles I've ever seen : Ron Burgundy - Anchorman (wasn't all bad, people quoting this made it worse), retarded rollerblader or something - Blades of Glory, retarded race car driver - Talladega Nights, a retarded basketball coach - Semi-Pro, and one of the retarded step brothers - Step Brothers. They are basically all the same character with different jobs. Did you notice that when you accepted the money for these roles?

WF: Hey, I never noticed that, but it's kind of true if you think about it. You are smart! Do you think I'm retarded?

DA: You are....you must be....is it still a question? it's still a question?

DA: Moving on. 2 Part question: What made you decide John C Reilly should be in comedy and did he enjoy the flavour of your penis?

WF: Hey man! before Talladega Nights he played Buck Bretherton in "Days of Thunder," hell! he was Tucker Van Dyke in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?." Case in point.

DA: Yea...no, not much for a convincing case. Did you ever see that movie with the cat and dog and they float down the river in a box?

WF: Umm...yea, but what does that have to do with my interview?

DA: Ohh, I'm done. I figured you'd have realized that I pretty much hate you by know and would have jumped off a cliff onto a pile of rusty hacksaws and famous cartoon villains!

WF: Ok, welp, I should probably go get braces anyways. See ya.