From "Albert" to Troma

I finished a two day shoot for the short film "Albert" the other day.  A brilliantly whimsical story about determination and imagination.  I played Geenie, a sworn protector to Mr. Sputnick, a cantankerous old man filled with angst and frustration.  In the end the old man is shown what magic the human spirit can produce when he believes in himself. :-)  So I'm a bodyguard and my costume (this is kinda funny) was almost the same as when I was the devil in "The Lair" a few days before.  Instead of red baggy Thai pants, no shirt and red body glitter... I wore baggy white Thai pants, no shirt and gold body glitter! LOL! 

Part of my ticket into the movies is taking my shirt off! LOL!  I have no problem with that.  I am visual art, so I use it to my advantage. ;-)

Moving on... I had a meeting with some brilliant young minds at Troma Entertainment recently.  While at Troma headquarters in Long Island  City, NY I stole a moment at the great Lloyd Kaufmans desk.  Lloyd is co-creator of one of the biggest cult classics "Toxic Avenger"!  A movie I remember watching one late night on Cinemax when I was probably in the 6th grade.  Now I'm sitting at the makers desk!  Life can be so cool if you let it. ;-)

At Lloyd's desk...

THE LAIR

Just wrapped shooting (for me anyway... they still maybe have another day of shooting to complete the film) The Lair.  Directed by Joe Rosario http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1317851/  I auditioned a month or so ago and Joe said on the spot that he didn't have a part for me but he liked me so much he'd write me in!  And not only did he write me in... he made me the premise of the whole film! LOL!  Thank you Joe so much for being so kind and for taking a chance.  Thank you!  I had such a good time playing this part... the Devil!  Hookah Master Ray is my name and I am the devil.  I run a sexy smokey bar with sexy smokey ladies... and well... it was pretty cool to say the least.  Acting is lots of sitting around and waiting for your scene to be shot.  A 12 hour shoot day is a short day.  But the craziest thing... I enjoy it.  I don't get bored.  I soak it up and sit patiently.  I never thought I'd be that comfortable with work.  Thank you God!

Here are some pics from rehearsal earlier this week.  They're pretty cool.

Oh and by the way... it's not all yellow brick road for me.  I was rejected after a call back (call back is when they like you enough to call you in for another round of auditioning) for a White Castle hamburger commercial.  Ah well... they commended me on a great audition but gave the part to the taller guy! LOL!  I'm still not dramatic enough! LOL!

Anyway... those rehearsal shots... ;-)


The Lair - Rehearsal Proofs from Jeff Larkin on Vimeo.

CALIGULA

Yeah.  Caligula.  You know who that was?  Caligula was a Roman Emperor in power I think probably at the beginning of the end of the Roman Empire.  Anyway that was a long time ago.  So this Caligula guy... he was a little tapped in the head so to speak, and threw some really wild and really crazy parties, orgies; festivals of mass grotesque and beauty.

Today I auditioned for a part in Caligula, a live theatrical production.  I used a monologue from Shakespeare's "The Tempest"; Caliban, act II scene II seemed more than appropriate.

I don't ever want to say "I got it" because you never know shit until shit happens.  But...  the director  smiled an aweful lot and maybe even chuckled from joy while speaking with me today.  So either way I made a good impression.  And that's all I can do.

Life is good.  Making it happen. :-)

CONEY ISLAND SIDE SHOW LAST NIGHT

Well last nights performance in Williamsburg Brooklyn with the Coney Island Side Show was a hit!  Place was packed so tight it was your worst nightmare to walk to the stage from the back of the place where the dressing room was.  Finally on stage there was just enough room for the tattooed strong man, his accomplices, a snake, implements of fire, bed of nails, steel bars, electric metal grinders, swords for swallowing... you get the picture.  I started with a posing and flexing routine to Rob Zombies Dragula then went to a bed of very sharp nails then on to steel bending.  Very cool. ;-)

Funny story... Dick Zigun owner of the Coney Island Side Show www.coneyisland.com owns 2 beds of nails.  One that I had used in past was older.  So lets say maybe the nails weren't quite as razor sharp as the ones on the "newer" one he had brought for me to use last night! LOL! When I saw which bed he had brought I thought "shit."  And to top me off... we brought two ladies on stage to stand on top of me while I focused on not letting nails impale my skin. LOL!  When I saw the two girls come on stage I thought "fuuu**."  Later when I mentioned all this to Dick he looked at me and gave a chuckle.  "No worries Dick!  I do this stuff for the art man!"  I do it for the art.  And I love art.

Some photos from last night including this pre midnight brew challenge.  Get all this in yer gut! :-)  The venue was just so damn crazy and hectic with so many people therefor there was no good opportunity for filming.  Alas still photography will do ;-)

Bed of nails is bad ass.  And bending steel bars over your head... brutal. ;-)

~TD~

BTW... that beer was heavy.