Bramble Rambles

WE'RE BACK!

2006-11-29T19:16:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know. It's been ages and ages, and what the hell ever happened to the Little Guy and Di?
So much, and yet, perhaps, so little. There was sudden fame, fancy cars, jazzy parties, the dog was in a few paternity scandals...
You can read about it in the tabloids.

Anyway, I have uploaded all the movies to YouTube because, quite frankly, the technology is easier, and more accessible. I know. I've heard it all before. YouTube is to video what the Enquirer is to journalism, blah blah blah ...however, let's be honest. This blog is not the New York Times and our videos are not, well, ...you get the gist.
I tried to embed the video into the blog itself but THAT turned out oh-so-messy and caused considerable page-wreckage, so, just follow the links on the pages here and you can watch all the videos on YouTube. Hey, I LOVE YouTube. It's hilarious and astonishing, ...just like me. And the Little Guy. He's hilarious and astonishing, too.

So, what about new movies huh? What about them, indeed. We will absolutely be getting back into it soon, so stay tuned, watch this space, giddy up boys and girls because the mayhem is about to start again. I'll be posting again soon. THANKS FOR WATCHING.

The Little Guy says WOOF.

Eye Kidd: Pirate P.I.

2006-04-24T21:19:00.000-07:00

EYE KIDD: PIRATE P.I.
Click this for the video.

Well, the Little Guy and I finally finished a video, and we are so very very very very sorry it took so long. Anyway, the film noir motif is the Little Guy's; and the pirate thing is mine. It isn't the most polished video, but what the heck. It was a bit of a rush job.

As for the sequel to Toy of Vengeance, neither one of us is very keen to work with toys again anytime soon, so don't hold your breath on that just now.

Enjoy!

The link at YouTube.com is temporary, until I can get my account re-established with Ourmedia.org and the Internet Archive which is meaningless to you all, but let's just say the latter organization is much cooler than YouTube. But I didn't want to make anyone wait, so there we are.

My excuse this week:

2006-03-15T06:40:00.000-08:00

Okay. My excuse for not making movies THIS week is a good one: I've been sick - some sort of cold virus bug thing that had me aching and nauseous, but not filled with any form of mucus* and so I was sitting around the house for four days feeling crummy. Now I still feel crummy but I have to work and quite frankly, I'm sick of sitting around the house.
The Little Guy is bored out of his mind, he's currently dragging his pillow around the room and alternatively wrestling and humping it. And yes, he has a pillow for sleeping. So what. Don't you? (Yes, you say, but he's a DOG!) And to that, I say, yes he is. He's my dog. And he has a pillow. He is winning in the Wrestling Match, but not so much success in the Humping Competition. Poor little neutered guy.
Anyway, I've been sick. Also, I only have two days a week to make movies (my days off) and that's because the rest of the time I'm busy watching TV. Ha ha. Not really. Well, actually, yes, really. No, ha ha. I'm kidding. Sort of. Ha ha. No, seriously, the rest of the time I am working, tired from working, or simply not afforded the privacy required to make the kinds of movies I make. I don't act like a fool very well when people are around. Well that's not really true. But I do like to make these movies when I'm alone with the Little Guy. It's just a thing.
Now the Little Guy is gnawing the pillow. Victory is his. I have to go, so thanks again for your patience and don't delete this blog from your bookmarks folders just yet. I assure you at some point there will be new videos.

*(Aieeee! More than we wanted to know thank you very much. Aieeee!)

Where the hell are the new movies?

2006-03-08T06:35:00.001-08:00

All right, let me just say one word: GAMES.

And now let me explain.

When I first bought this computer, I told the fellow who was building it from scratch (and that's right, this is no over-the-counter Future Shop model: this is a customized rocket ship that was put together by two fabulous geniuses who own and operate Groove-Pro Solutions [www.gpropc.com] and might I say, yowsa, baby, this thing FLIES)...anyway where was I? Ah yes, I told the fellows, Jess and Eric, that I needed a computer for video-editing. They told me this would be no problem and then somehow the idea of 'gaming' entered the mix and I said that I would also like a computer that was excellent in gaming because I'd never really played many computer games and I thought it might be interesting to see what it was all about. And it turns out these chaps are pros in the gaming-computer world and so, voila, Caroline the Rocket Ship Computer was born.

And so, now, back to why there have been no movies: First, well, problems getting the computer set up (rocket ships are a little high-strung.) Then, once it was working beautifully, there were internet connection problems that made anything to do with on-line video impossible. Then, it was Christmas and I was so freaking exhausted that movies were impossible to consider.

Alright, so then it was January and I was still exhausted, but I tried to get Toy of Vengeance II: Geysers of Blood filmed. There were "problems" and I realized I wasn't having fun, it was work, this is supposed to be fun, blah blah blah. The Little Guy is nagging me about this and that and so, then, I decided to change rooms.

Yes. I took over the big room in the house, which entailed a month or so of painting and moving furniture and bags and lots of dust and so on.

I finally moved into the big room, and I finally got an internet connection that befits my rocket ship computer, and so, well, now I'm rested and ready to play with movies, right?

Not so fast. There's the issue of games. I've been sucked into a heretofore never explored world of pc-gaming and OH WHAT A WORLD IT IS! Wheeeeeeee! Now I can't stop. I am downloading all these spectacular demos and playing these games, and I'm immersed a bit in "Morrowind," and trying to learn "Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30" and then there's this game called "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 3: Chaos Theory" which I don't even want to try to describe, however kickass does come to mind.

So. I am distracted. But hey, I am wanting to be making another movie, and the Little Guy is getting psyched for another movie, so it will happen. I promise. It will happen. We're just adjusting to the new room and the new computer and the new stuff that we can do with this rocket ship. Sweet Caroline the computer. I loves her.

Nevertheless, some things are worth waiting for. We have a script for a little ditty called "Eye Kidd: Pirate PI" that combines my interest in pirate movies and the Little Guy's interest in film noire. This is the next project. And we will get to it, I promise, games or no games. Really.

Production Problems Plague New Movie: Toys Can't Navigate Snow

2006-01-09T08:02:00.000-08:00

A spokesperson for the Little Guy and Di Productions announced this morning there are yet further delays in the problem-plagued production of the highly anticipated sequel to last year's blockbuster, Toy of Vengeance.

Citing the weather as the most recent culpit for stalling the filming of Toy of Vengeance II: Geysers of Blood, the production company claims it has been forced to delay shooting yet again. The spokesperson read from a statement that admitted to an increasingly frustrated cast and crew, and a growing fear that the film was suffering from a potential "Heaven's Gate Curse."

"The battle scene in 'Geysers' has to be shot in the snow. It's not negotiable. There have been so many equipment problems that we never even considered how the weather was going to interfere with our shooting schedule. But snow is unpredictable, volatile, and something like a snowstorm can just stop a production in its tracks. That's what we're facing right now."

When asked to elaborate, the spokesperson said, "Well, it's snowing. We can't shoot when it's snowing. And once the snow stops, we have to go out and re-shovel the paths we need as well as a clearing for the cast. I mean, we're talking about toys here, right? They can't go stomping through two feet of snow. They get stuck. They complain, and in some cases they even get misplaced and accidently buried. FIlming with toys isn't like filming with people. People can walk through the snow. Toys can't."
Production is expected to resume within the week.

Coming soon...

2006-01-04T19:11:00.001-08:00

I know I promised you all a Christmas Special, but quite frankly the holidays were exhausting and the retail business at Christmas-time is insane. I was, accordingly, insane for most of December. There. Happy?

I am in the middle of filming Toy of Vengeance II: Geysers of Blood and had hoped to finish this weekend. This is the plan, but I can't promise anything. The toy actors are IMPOSSIBLE to work with, really. Who'd have thought that there would be so much ego in all that fluff and stuffing? The Little Guy is being a pompous ass and is refusing to even be filmed for this movie. Never mind. He has agreed to help with the editing. Stupid pretentious dog. He's all fascinated with film noir these days, so we can look forward to something along those lines from him sometime in the new year.

I will have a movie up soon, and I am sorry that so much time has passed since my last film. I do this for fun, and of late I have been too busy and too exhausted to have fun. Fucking retail business. Anyhow, rest assured, the Little Guy and I are still making the films, we were just side-tracked with the holiday. Stay tuned - within a week or two we should have the exciting sequel to Toy of Vengeance online.

Cheers to all my fans.
And yes, there will be a pirate movie. Soon.

Technical difficulties - thanks for your patience

2005-12-07T05:59:00.000-08:00

So, I bought a new computer, but it has taken a long time to get the thing in and working properly. It is, near as we can all tell, now all good. And so yes, we can finally resume the making of the movies.

Coming soon: We have plans for sequels to Mousezilla (Mother of Mousezilla and her sidekick, Ninja Norm) as well as for Toy of Vengeance (Toy of Vengeance II: Geysers of Blood).

Currently in production: "A Very Special Christmas with The Little Guy and Di" Christmas Special. LA LA LAAAAAA, LA LA LAAAAAA, LA LA LA LA LAAAAAAAA.

Cheers y'all. Thanks for watching!

Our First Epic Production

2005-11-07T14:11:00.000-08:00

Toy of Vengeance
Starring Charlie, the Broken Toy

This is a big movie. It took weeks to finish. It's our first real epic production. All in all, yes, this is a big movie. And it's a dramatic thriller, so it isn't in the tradition of the silly films we've been making so far. This is our "departure movie," the film that sets us apart from the other dog & people amateur video production organizations. Yes indeed. If I do say so, and I do, this is the film that sets the tone for all films to come.

The Little Guy would like me to mention that Charlie is a pain in the ass to work with, a real "Val Kilmer" of the acting toy community. Having said that, the Little Guy and I agree that in spite of Charlie's general attitude problems, he has the chops. Seriously, this toy can say more with one look at the camera than a hundred speaking toys. We are pretty sure Charlie will be nominated for best actor at the Acting Toy Academy Awards.

Enjoy Toy of Vengeance

Finally...the thrilling conclusion

2005-11-02T05:59:00.000-08:00

At last, the final battle between Mouse-zilla and Cody the Adventure Dog! There isn't much to say about this, I mean, it really is pretty self-explanatory. Enjoy, and no, sorry, no outtakes from this one. Outtakes are impossible to stage, of course. It has to happen.

Cody the Adventure Dog and Mouse-zilla: End Game
It's brief, but exhilirating.

(Now when I checked, the server was running a bit jerkily, so good luck with the download. If it's choppy, try watching it here:
Another site for the Mouse-zilla movie)

A new video from Little Guy and Di!

2005-10-26T07:28:00.000-07:00

Yes, yippee. Me and the Little Guy filmed this on the set of our new movie. It's exactly the same as our other productions in that it is very, very silly. Enjoy.

A Little Visit with the Little Guy and Di

Ruh-roh!

2005-10-24T07:06:00.000-07:00

My sister Karen has decided to teach the Little Guy how to talk like Scooby-Doo. Ruh-roh.
I've decided to try and make a movie of this, so we all might share the magic. Stay tuned.
As for new movies, I've got a couple in the editor, but nothing is finished at the moment. I hope to have something uploaded in the next day or so. The exciting conclusion of Mouse-zilla was stalled bcause, well... there was a prop mishap and we are waiting for a new, er, prop so that we can record the thrilling battle.

In the meantime, here's a lovely little bit of new information from a certain cadre of American Conservatives. Yes, yes, they are those scary scary people that some of us do love to ogle in bewildered fascination.

Top Ten List of the Most Harmful Books of the 19th and 20th Century!

Wheeeee!!! I love "top ten" lists! Wheeee! And this is not just a list of generally harmful books, is it. No, these are the most harmful books. And really, who hasn't, at least once, been seriously harmed by a book? Paper cuts? Ouch! Dropping a heavy tome on your foot? Owie!
Most of the books on the list are required reading for a proper leftist education in university, especially for feminists; so, I shouldn't be surprised... and yet, I am. But in a delighted way, really. Yay! I've read most of the books that do the most harm to the American Conservative academic community! Yay!

[Edit] Okay okay. So yesterday I wrote a little bit at the end here about how all those harmful books had been so influential in the researching and writing of my Master's Thesis and doctoral dissertation and then I posted a link to the dissertation. And then this morning that seemed really pretentious to me, so I deleted the link. And then a few folks contacted me about the dissertation because they had been reading it and were recommending it but lo! The link was gone... So, here it is again:
The Falling Scholar: Essays in the Outside
(Might I add that at no time during the reading of any of the books on that list was I harmed in any way whatsoever... not even a hangnail.)

A Slow Day at the Store - Omigosh! A new movie!!

2005-10-12T09:26:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right. A new movie. Wheeee!
I opted to work at the shop on Thanksgiving Monday (the tidy Canadian holiday, not the "other" one...) and it was, predictably, pretty quiet. So I video-taped bits and parts of that day so that you all can get a glimpse of the kinds of things I do when no one is around. Heh.
I am also now using a new movie-editing software, and I haven't yet figured out all the bells and whistles so this movie lacks credits and titles. Aawww. Oh well. Soon enough.

The Little Guy and I are at work on our next Cody the Adventure Dog feature, but this one is especially ambitious because (a) that dog has SUCH an imagination!(b) Karen, my sister, also has SUCH an imagination! and (c) I have SUCH an imagination; well, I am just trying to keep up with all this imaginative input. Probably the next one will be ready early next week. It involves zombie toys, as well as the exciting conclusion to Mouse-zilla. *squeals with excitement* Yes. Yes. I know. It's hard to wait.

In the meantime, you can see my day at the store here:
Slow Day at the Store and as for outtakes...Well, honey, you're looking at them. My entire life is an outtake.

New movie - Cody the Adventure Dog

2005-10-06T05:41:00.000-07:00

Sorry for being so tardy with the posting of the new movies and all. I've been busy, but who cares? Here we go - The Little Guy and I decided it would be fun to do a serial adventure kind of movie and the Little Guy came up with Cody the Adventure Dog as a sort of alter ego. The dog loves to act, loves to ham it up for the camera and I have to say he follows directions brilliantly.
A FEW THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

1) This movie isn't very "tight" in terms of editing and that is because I'm using Movie-Maker which is very limited in the editing department. I am hoping to secure better editing software, but for now, this is the best I can do. Cheers.

2) There are outtakes here, so I posted those separately. You'll notice that one of the outtakes is in the actual film as a "final take" which is just because we were laughing too hard to keep re-shooting certain scenes.

Here we go: Cody the Adventure Dog and Mousezilla and The Outtakes. Enjoy.

The Little Guy makes a video

2005-09-07T10:04:00.000-07:00

Alrighty then. If you click on the video title, Sleeping, you'll connect to the videos. Ideally.

This one is pure Vinnie. It was his idea, he wrote the script and while I did some shooting, he did a lot of it himself. It's also his choice of soundtrack (Casals, "Song of the Birds" performed by Ofrah Harnoy). It's a little pretentious, if you ask me, but what the heck. The Little Guy wants to be a movie-maker. I translated the French titles and I might have made a couple of mistakes. Mea culpa. I'll correct any errors when I get back.

I am on holiday now for two weeks, but when I return, we will resume our video projects with renewed zeal. There are oodles of ideas percolating and no end to our enthusiasm. Cheers.

Our first movie project

2005-09-06T09:04:00.000-07:00

So we finished our first video. It's called This is What I Do.

Here's the thing: I was on my way to shooting a pretty interesting little video, but the damn dog kept sneaking out with the camera to shoot his own movie when I wasn't around. As a result our first project isn't so much a collaboration as it is a curious series of interruptions; however, we've since dealt with the issue and things should run smoothly from now on. Anyway, we are working on our next project. It's Vinnie's film. He has some grandiose ideas and French films and dream sequences, so we'll see how it turns out.

In the meantime, I am still learning about video compression, uploading and so on. As we learn, we improve. You'll see. Isn't this fun? You bet it is!

I expect great things from me

2005-08-22T09:19:00.000-07:00

I'm fairly certain that I have very little to say that is interesting enough for folks to read. Having said that, let me say this: I'm in the process of starting a small video production company with my dog. We've called it The Little Guy and Di Productions and we'll be posting our videos here, I think. I've never posted videos on the web, so I'm not actually sure of how that will work just yet.

What I can promise is that the Little Guy (Vinnie) and I have already put together several scripts for short videos, and we've got video editing and sound editing software set up on the computer. I am getting a camera this Saturday and, with enormous pots of luck and ingenuity, we should have our first video posted by next week.

I can say with complete confidence that these are funny videos, very silly, and we do have plans for the very first Puppet Blog (plog) sometime in the near future. In the meantime, well, apparently starting a blog site is one of the first necessary steps in posting online videos so that is what this is for... or, um, this is for that. This blog site is for posting the coming-soon videos. Yes. Very good. Right.

The Little Guy would like me to mention that he is a 3-year old dachshund, with "harlequin-brown colouring" (his phrase, not mine), single, loves running on soccer fields, chasing cats, basking in the sun, and hates rain.

Stay tuned. We could be having a terrific time very shortly.
Cheers,
Di

(Nota Bene: This phrase - Bramble Rambles - refers to the shop I run, Bramble House [a British Grocery in a French-Canadian province] and the "rambles" part refers to my tendency towards using a lot of words that ultimately yield very little content. This particular trait can be traced to my training as a Doctor of Philosophy in Education, a spectacularly useful accomplishment that is essential for basic retail trade and, of course, light bulb changing.)

(Nota-not-so-Bene: This particular morning the Little Guy is driving me crazy with the random startle-barking. Anyone out there with a dachshund should know what I am talking about. So I think we all need to bugger off for five minutes and just calm down.