I’ve always been a fan of Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. It’s a movie about a guy who makes a lot of friends across the country and after he plays a role in a movie, he invites them to the premier. Yes, there is his quest for his bike, but I think the movie is more about the friends than the bike itself.
Last Wednesday, I had a Pee-Wee moment in a movie theater. Woah, let me rephrase that.
Last Wednesday, I had a life accomplishment not unlike Pee-Wee’s character at the end of Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. I invited my friends and family, many of whom have never met, to see me in a movie, Joel Wynkoop’s latest low budget psychological thriller-horror-comedy Beast Mode.
I’ve been promoting Beast Mode for a while and while that was a lot of fun, it was even more fun to sit in a nice cushy theater seat, look up, and see a giant me acting on screen. My character Jordi Scrubbings is the first character appearing in Beast Mode. None of my guests had to wait to see me. I am not just some guy walking in the background. I play a reporter and newscaster who has segments throughout the movie.
I may have tapped my mom on the shoulder every time I appeared and whispered “That’s me!”. I wonder if big time actors had the same moments of awe the first time they saw themselves on screen. I don’t think I have ever seen that question asked in a Hollywood interview.
Big thanks to my mom (pictured above) and my friends former wrestling cameraman Jason Davis; Mabili from WMNF 88.5, who also helped with some promo videos (below); fellow writer Eddie Peeler; and former wrestling ring announcer/promoter The Don Vinnie. Not surprising, I have an eclectic group of friends.
One of my friends asked my mom if she was surprised I was in a movie. She said something to the effect that she wasn’t because my creative adventures aren’t really surprising anymore. I hope they are still fun and enjoyable. I actually agree with my mom. I made a 35-minute low budget sci-fi movie in 1999 and thought about applying to film school at Florida State before settling on English. I didn’t apply because the FSU advisor didn’t think my movie, Flash vs the Aliens, was enough experience to get accepted into the program. So I started writing.
Fast-forward 27 years and I am in a movie directed by the King of the B-Movies. I don’t know how many FSU film school grads can say that.
