Things done changed

Things with me are crazy right now, as Wes and I are shooting the trailer for Wasteland until the 9th of April. Head on over to Wasteland to get updates. I haven't done any yet, but a shitload will be coming soon.

Meet my friend

That's my friend Dustin freestyling with Matt and Kim.

I think after people watch this, they will claim that Dustin is their friend also. He is really my friend though. Not in the myspace way, where I've heard of him before you, or that I know someone who knows him. No, he is actually my friend. I have his phone number, I have been in his apartment, I know the intersection where he lives in LA, and there is a good chance he will soon become my business partner and we will make lots of money together. So before everyone knows who he is, let me give you the pleasure of introducing you to my friend; Dustin Sussman.

Super Tuesday

Ever since I discovered the Interweb (Thanks, Al Gore!!) and especially eMusic (Thanks, Steve Sprinkel!!), I have changed the ways I procure music. I have always been a music freak. I think I have somewhere around 500 CDs at my home in Sacramento, and maybe 20 here that I have purchased in the nearly 2 years since living in New York. I do, though, have no frigging clue how many albums I have downloaded since introduced to high speed internet my freshman year of college. My parents still had dial up, and I remember in high school, my friend Scott asked me to download a newly released Underworld song and it took me all night. 7 hours for 1 song. Then Napster came along, and it was free and amazing. I downloaded scores of albums, but I usually only did that to get a preview of an album I would buy anyway. I can't think of too many albums I just downloaded without buying.

With eMusic, it made things simple. I could download them, have them immediately and not feel guilty about stealing music. It does, though, leave me feeling that music is a bit disposable. At my most recent count, I have almost 5 gigs of music that I have downloaded legally from eMusic. The problem I have is that I have no jewel cases, no artwork, no liner notes, etc. If my computer goes down, I lose thousands of dollars in music in a heartbeat.

While I rack my brain trying to figure out how to transfer my music to a more sturdy source, I think I will be going to the store (Other Music, most likely), and purchasing the actual CDs for SEVERAL releases today. First off is the eagarly anticipated follow up to El-P's stunning debut, I'll Sleep When You're Dead. Great title, it has gotten great reviews, and even has a blog written by the creator. Jay Dee's Ruff Draft album is being released in a special mega-version by the fabulous Stones Throw records. I think I actually downloaded this vinyl-only release while in college. It is on my dad's computer at home, and it is certainly worth having, so I will be throwing my support to the Stones Throw label. My roommate Steve already bought the new Modest Mouse, which is really good. I might also grab the new Ted Leo, but it sure is tempting to get it from eMusic (as I write this, I am downloading the new Panda Bear)(Scroll down).

In the meantime, I have some music to listen to.

Wha happend?

A long weekend is finally over. The weekend started on Thursday (as opposed to most weekends lately, which start on Monday. Ugh.) with some pretty good basketball. Of course this tournament will always be remembered as the tourney of no upsets. The Duke/VCU game was simply divine, as was the Nevada/Creighton game despite its frustrating outcome. Yesterday some giants fell, like Wisconsin and Texas, but all of my final four teams are still intact. I can still win my league for the first time.
I also had my Fantasy Baseball draft yesterday, which was fun, then boring. I feel good about my picks, some of them might SNAFU my team, but overall I did better than last year.

Ok, enough of that. What is this, a sports blog?

I tried to watch The Black Dahlia with my roommates last night, and it was absolutely fucking horrible. We actually turned it off after 30 minutes and watched Into The Blue. A great movie. Seriously.

This week should be pretty intense for me, Wes comes in Friday and we start shooting Wasteland next Monday. We have quite a bit of work ahead of us, so keep your eyes on the Wasteland blog for news.

Oh yeah, after Fantasy Baseball, I went to the Upright Citizens Brigade for the first time in a really long time, and I was reminded of why I like it so much: It makes me pee myself with laughter. Those people are really funny, and Amy Poehler is pretty effing adorable. I am always on the lookout for her husband, Will Arnett, so I can shower him with praise for having been on the best sitcom in recent memory.

And now for our only feature here at Rosenblog, the Haiku Reviews


Kind of like heaven
Just with more tall guys and beer
My bracket is fucked


Even scenes like this
Don't help this piece of shit film
Box office poison


Holy fucking shit
Alba snorkles in swim suit
Thank God I'm a man


Stat dorks will unite
Who the fuck is Jonny Gomes?
What a waste of $50


I think I'm funny
Then I go see them perform
Christ I suck at life

Oh, so THAT's why

With the exception of my friend Greg, all non mentally challenged people I know hate Duke. It is easy, it is fun, and let's face it, it was all worth it to see that little kid crying when they lost to then-unranked Maryland 2 years ago. The schaedenfruede has never been better articulated by Mr. Peter Rosenberg, a Maryland grad who managed to kill two birds with one stone in his excellent expose: explain why, in fact Duke sucks, and show beyond a reasonable doubt that Jews can rap.

Out for Madness, will be back in 4 days

Friends, neighbors, fellow sporting event enthusiasts, this Thursday begins my favorite time of the year. No, they are not giving away free pizza anywhere, it's the start of MARCH MADDNESS!!!!!!

Oh man, I am so excited. Cinderellas, brackets, beer, 12 hours of consecutive television watching, upsets, watching Roy Williams and Mike Krlaiuyshdf;jkj;flkdjf;s lose in early rounds....I cannot freakin wait. That photo up there is from the most exciting game of March Maddness I have ever seen, as Deron Williams finished off a 20 point comeback against Arizona in the Elite 8. If there is a moment half that exciting in this year's tournament, then I will be a happy camper. If not, then I will have wasted 4 days of my life, consumed countless calories in beer form, and eaten way too many pizza slices.

Yes, friends, sometimes being a (unemployed) free lance worker has it's perks.

The RB will return at the conclusion of this weekend's maddness. MADNESS!!!

Also, it is St. Patrick's day, so I will be celebrating my Irish heretige with my similarly Irish friends all weekend. I think I like March more than my own birthday.

Wasteland Blog

I decided to start up a blog that will chronicle Wes and I as we shoot, edit, and attempt to distribute our new film Wasteland. Instead of bog down the heavy traffic already accumulating here at the Rosenblog, Wes and I will add journal entries, pictures, and movie clips over at the new site.

Click here to check out progress.

Just like SportsCenter, but without the sports highlights.

After those two little tidbits yesterday, I felt it was time to let my 4 faithful readers in on what has been happening with me lately. I was originally going for a FreeDarko-esque free association with the photos, but then decided against it. Plus I can't even begin to compete with the Darko's way with words. It is simply stunning.



Oh man, have you seen trailers for this movie? It looks horrible. A studio executive must have lost a bet, or his mind or something, because this looks fucking wretched. Tim Allen, John Travolta and Martin Lawrence in the same movie? This movie should have been called Box Office Poison. I bet that Carrott Top movie has more laughs than thi---Wait. Hold on a second. Is that William H. Macey? How the fuck did he get on the poster for this movie? This must be some photoshop job or--What? He is IN the movie? No he isn't. William H. Macey? The Oscar nominated one? The Coen Brothers/Paul Thomas Anderson favorite William H. Macey? Uh. That's bullshit.

Oh, by the way it's the number 1 movie in America. Yeah, millions of people went to see Wild Hogs. Millions. Yes, that is vomit AND feces coming out of your mouth.

In other news, I saw two movies this past weekend, and both of them were quite excellent. The first, David Fincher's Zodiac, I expected to be great. It is part police procedural, part monster movie, part portrait of obsession, and it really is a great film. Fincher lets his actors do their job, and carefully weaves a very complicated story about the in-vain search for San Francisco's Zodiac Killer in the 60's, 70's and 80's. All 3 lead actors (Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr.) give stellar performances, and the supporting cast of Elias Koteas, Donal Logue, Anthony Edwards and the boss from Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead are great. There is even a surprise appearance of Adam Goldberg. I mean, really, who doesn't love Adam Goldberg?

The 2nd film I saw was Craig Brewer's follow up to Hustle and Flow, Black Snake Moan. I think I can honestly say it surprised the hell out of me with it's quality. Like Hustle and Flow, it also has terrific supporting characters to help out the two leads played by Sam Motherfucking Jackson and Christina 'Eat Something, Girl' Ricci. They are both excellent, as is the increasingly reliable Justin Timberlake. Yes, that Justin Timberlake. I guess my only real complaint is that they didn't revert back to their original title, 'Skanks on a Chain'. This Brewer character really is quite a talent, and he was sure able to avoid that sophomore slump that plagues many emerging filmmakers. Karyn Kusama, I am most definitely looking in your direction.

I also watched the 1st season of the Showtime series Weeds (Yes, I work. Mind your own fucking business). It sucks. Poorly written, poorly conceived, and it wastes the black guy from The 40 Year Old Virgin. The dude barely even curses on the show, let alone tells hilarious dick jokes. Nothing. What a waste. This show seems to be aimed at two groups of people; frat guys, and mid 40's mid life crisisees who want validation that it's cool to smoke pot. Somehow I don't think they are getting that from Kevin Nealon.

I am getting geared up to start my documentary film Wasteland, which kicks off at the end of this month. I think I am going to start a blog for that. Then I will start a blog about the blog. Blog. Blog.

So let's review, in the form of haiku. (I am truly a poet sometimes)



Go see Zodiac
Really long but not boring
No gay cowboy sex



Sam Jackson curses
Character development
The South is dirty



It's plain and simple
I would rather watch myself
Take a big huge dump



Overrated crap
Old people smoke pot, bad jokes
At least the mom's hot

I just couldn't wait on this one.

Still tired, almost done with the first season of Weeds (what a waste), but this is truly genius. I think that this piece of intellegent and intuitive journalism ranks right up with A Modest Proposal and Altman's Nashville in the canon of brilliant political satire.


I would like to be the first of many to encourage Mr. Bachem Macuno to run for some sort of elected office. The man certainly has a way with words. And obviously, sphincters as well.

I'm sooooooooooo tired

Sorry there have been some cobwebs developing on the Rosenblog, but I have been pretty swamped. Once I get some rest today i will deliver a full report. With pictures! Irrelevant pictures, but hey, you beggers can't be choosers.