Thursday, October 30, 2008

When Life Gets You Down, Sometimes You Just Have To Make 'D4: The Mighty Ducks' Yourself

When Life Gets You Down, Sometimes You Just Have To Make 'D4: The Mighty Ducks' Yourself

By Emilio Estevez


Life is unfair. That's just a fact. But when you've got no money and no family and it's been three years since Hollywood offered you a role in a film, you've got to ask yourself, "Am I going to sit here on the couch all day and wallow in self-pity, or am I going to get out there and make D4: The Mighty Ducks on my own?" Well, for me, the answer is simple: The Quack Attack is back, Jack!

Sure, I could wait for the studio to contact me. I could wait for the script for D4: Running Afowl to magically appear in my mailbox with a neat little bow on it. Or, I could brush these Sun Chips crumbs off my stomach, put on some pants, and do this thing! How hard can it be? All you need is some pluck, determination, a buddy with a camera, one of those long microphones they hold above you when you talk, a videotape, and a head full of good ideas. Ideas like that the Ducks are pro hockey players now and I'm the coach.

Bingo bango bongo. Something the whole family can enjoy.

Folks, the real message I'm trying to convey here is that we all face tough times. We all get stuck in a rut. We all contemplate slitting our wrists with the blade of the ice skate we wore in the original Mighty Ducks movie, released in 1992 to warm reviews. I know I've been there. But we have to rise above all that and keep calling Josh Jackson until he returns one of our voicemails, keep trying to figure out how to do a special effect that makes it look like a really fast slap shot burned a hole through the net and set it on fire. Because if we don't do that, I ask you, how are we ever going to get work again?

Now, I've been kicking around D4 ideas for the past 12 years, and it's high time I start putting them out there, because they aren't doing any good rattling around in my head. I got this one idea that Coach Bombay (i.e. me) is skating on a frozen pond in slow motion, sort of reflecting on his life like he always does, and then the ice cracks and he falls in. For a second it looks like he's going to drown, but then you see someone extend this hockey stick into the ice-cold water, and the camera zooms up, and it's Charlie (i.e. Charlie Conway, my protégé). He saves me. He's old now and has a beard. And he says in this really gravelly voice "Ducks fly together" and I nod at him and then the team gets back together to play in the Olympics. Then "Whoomp! (There It Is)" starts playing.

It's really all a metaphor for life and for saving people.

But like I said, that's just one idea. I'm coming up with things all the time. Like the other day, I was doing some doodles of cartoon hockey players, like a pig who's a goaltender because he's fat. It got me thinking that D4 could be half animated, half live action. Like the movie Space Jam was. This could be like Space Jam, but it can be called Hockey Jam. I could be the Michael Jordan guy.

I didn't get to where I am in life by sitting back and not making Mighty Ducks movies. And I'm sure as heck not going to stop now. I've just got to type up these scripts, and do some funny jokes and some cool new characters like a guy who can shoot a puck backwards through his legs. Also I have to find a budget somewhere, because movies need budgets. Then it's just a matter of picking up the phone and calling the old gang. I'm sure they'd be up for another sequel. Guys like Fulton, Lester, Jesse. I wish I knew their real names.

Of course, if I can't get the original actors, am I going to whine and give up? No. When life gives you shit, you've got to turn that shit into D4: The Mighty Ducks: The Prequel.

I've even got some great ideas for awesome new moves. You can't have a Mighty Ducks movie without having cool and funny ways to score goals. In the first one, we had the Flying V and the triple deke. Then in D2 we had the knuckle-puck. Well get ready for this, because this is going to blow you out of the water. Are you ready? Quadruple deke. That's four dekes! Like D4, get it? Four.

The movie will hinge on this, because—spoiler alert!—it's the thing the players will do at the end to win the final game that it looked like they would not be able to win. So this cool move, or "trick," will be an important part of D4.

If anyone reading this has any equipment for making movies with, or is a movie executive, or would like to look over my script and give me some feedback, you can reach me at coach.bombay57@gmail.com.

Wait, I just thought of another thing. We could have the Ducks face the terrorist's hockey team, and if we win, they have to stop being terrorists. That could not only be funny, but also symbolic. - The Onion

Holy crap. This is awesome.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

My God, where have you been?

I've been loving this song a lot lately. The last line "My God, where have you been?" first kind of hit me as being somewhere in your life and not really feeling God with you, or doubting or something along those lines, but I don't think that's what it is. When I was driving home from school or the store or somewhere equally unimportant as the previous two places today, I was listening to this, and on those last few lines I started thinking about it as being the realization that God is there, and that you just couldn't see Him or wouldn't see Him, and in your most broken you just look up and there He is. I got chills at this thought. Whether this is right or wrong as far as what Andy Hull intended when writing this song, I don't know. I don't really care. Art is meant to be interpreted. Below is a video of Manchester Orchestra playing it and some guys from Brand New come out and play drums, and Jesse sings part of the song with Andy. I hope you enjoy it. Love to all.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Free NMH/ Jeff Mangum downloads for you sooooo.

Yeah, that's how Fumi would have written the title. Anyway, I stumbled on this stuff today, and I want all my friends to enjoy it as well. Gotta love Mr. Mangum.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Brad + not stuying = awesome videos for you.

I can't get motivated, so here's some things I'd like to share.


Iron & Wine - Flightless Bird, American Mouth


Midlake - Roscoe


Thrice - Daedalus


David Bazan - Hallelujah

Enjoy.

Jeff Mangum plays a NMH song for the first time in 10 years. Hell yes.

Holy crap. I can't imagine hearing much better news today. He played in Pittsburgh and in Columbus, two consecutive nights. This is insane. Could this bring about more appearances? Could we see some new NMH? I sure do hope so. We have been deprived Mangum's genius for 10 years too long if you ask me, so let's hope this is only the beginning. More info on it at Pitchfork. Thanks to Cara for pointing this out to me.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Thanks.

I've been going through some crazy stuff in the past several months. I really hate everything about where I am right now, location and myself personally. I'm making a lot of changes, I'm praying, I'm trusting and I'm talking it through with some great friends. Thanks so much for just hearing me out and stuff. I feel like I've lost some friendships in the past 6 months or so, some were really close to me, others not as much, but for those of you who are helping me out and talking and loving, thanks. Just know that I appreciate it and I love you.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Death Cab and M. Ward...oh my this is a nice Friday.

So over at the Hard to Find a Friend blog, Caleb has been gracious enough to post two shows for everyone today. The first is a Death Cab show from 2000 (lots of stuff from "We Have the Facts.." which is probably my favorite Death Cab record, and the other is M. Ward from 2007. Go get downloading, son!

Monday, October 13, 2008

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Wow, talk about random...

The cooler nights show more than hot air from our mouths.
They're presenting us with death.

I'm wanting more than the existence of leaves,
how could I be evergreen?
This is harder than expected,
this is nothing that I dreamed.

The foundation is compromised - feel the collapse.

Where is the presence of grace within autumn?
Not one tree being spared of the rod,
the reaper takes to his content, the cold stealing the chlorophyll.
My fate is the same.

Crutches can be stronger when made of bone,
though flesh and marrow can tear, ligaments snap.

What bridge might my Savior be under tonight?
He has many shapes, these dry eyes cannot decipher this.

Friday, October 10, 2008

If someone will buy me Sigur Ros' "( )" on vinyl, I'll give 'em a big 'ol kiss.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Chris [kind of] made me do this.

A while ago I was talking to my friend Chris. Friend almost doesn't explain it in that phrase. I've known Chris since I was about 7 or 8 yrs. old. I owe a lot to Chris, he's been there for me on many an occasion, and I feel that all the influences that led me to be the guy I am today [you can judge for yourself if this is a good or bad thing, haha] comes from either Chris and his brothers or Paul Huyghebaert. Anyway, I'm getting off track.

One night I was talking to Chris and I don't remember if he asked me or if I was talking about it and offered up this information, but somehow the topic of what I am looking for in a girl came up. He begged me to post it somewhere after that conversation, so here it is, a little late, but nevertheless, here it is.

Bradley Richard Maki's Girl Prerequisites [yeah, the title needs some work]

No particular order of importance, except the first thing. [I'm trying to cover all of the bases to get to Heaven]
I'm looking for a girl that loves Jesus. I want someone who is strong, and will push me to be who I was created to be, but that needs my strength at the same time. I want a girl who is into good music. I know. This may be kind of shallow, like it may not matter in the long run, but it is so hard for me to get into a girl who likes crappy music. I don't even mean someone who likes every band that I do. I just don't want to date a girl who's music collection is mostly singles from artists that are radio stars. Yeah, I AM that much of a nerd when it comes to music. Anyway... I want a girl who is really into doing something great as far as bringing the kingdom here to earth. I want her to be passionate about something and to strive to make it happen, to work so hard towards her goal. I want someone who doesn't spend a ton of time every morning trying to look pretty under 10 gallons of makeup. Don't get me wrong, it's cool to get dressed up and go somewhere nice, but if you're not comfortable with how you look how are we even dating. I'm a fat wannabe-lumberjack. C'mon. I want someone who is strong in their choices and decisions. I'm most certainly not one to live with regrets, only situations that I can learn from, and I hope that she is the same way. I want a girl who will have a couple drinks with me. I'm not talking about going to the hottest club or college bar and getting trashed only to make some bad decisions later in the night, I'm talking about a small, out of the way pub or something that will have some decent beer or if you don't like that some wine or maybe even a mixed drink, but you get extra points if you like pale ales. I want a girl who doesn't put stock in material things. Sure I own some stuff, but that doesn't mean that I'm scraping by so I can get some crazy new Cadillac or something like that. I'm scraping by now because I work at Kroger and I'll be scraping by after school because of Sallie Mae. I trust you understand. I want a girl who will laugh at my jokes that are funny and make fun of me for the ones that aren't. Now that my friends is love.

I'm sure there are some things to add on to this, but the main point is there. Anyway, enjoy my crazy list, and if you know anyone that seems to fit...you can send them my way..haha. Hope you get a kick out of this Chris.

Monday, October 6, 2008

The Poision is a love song...

I have been in this state for awhile where I absolutely love bands that are [fiction] storytellers. I remember that I started picking up on this a few years ago, thinking how crazy this or that subject matter was in a song, only to later find out that it wasn't true, it was just something that this or that frontman wanted to say. At first I was kind of turned off by this notion, I wanted "my" bands to be honest and loud and either pissed off or happy, but I wanted them to be doing this while excavating their own demons. Don't get me wrong, I still have a wonderful appreciation for this kind of honesty (not in a whiny emo way) that is so masterfully conveyed by many artists that are currently living in my iPod, but these storytellers had something else to offer. Searching for more music like this, I started getting into Pedro the Lion, The Decemberists, Neutral Milk Hotel, the more recent Fleet Foxes and last but not least my dear friends in The Apprentice (their sophomore effort "An American Portrait" really shows the talent that lies in Eric's writing).
I was recently watching some clips from the new DVD that's coming out from David Bazan (formerly of Pedro the Lion) entitled "Alone at the Mic" which consists of him playing songs in his home studio, in his truck while at red lights and interviews with him. In one of these interviews he is talking about how someone at Barsuk challenged him to write a lovesong, to which he starts talking about how he has written several, just not in the stereotypical sense. One of these songs is called "The Poison" from the last Pedro the Lion album "Achilles Heel". I thought that thinking of it as a lovesong was an interesting take on the song as it seems to me to be about defeat, although I guess love lost is still love, in some sense. Anyway, I thought I might share this song, and if anyone actually reads this, let me know some of your favorite bands that do this kind of songwriting, or if you don't have any of those, just any other kind of band that you may want to post.



Edit: I couldn't find a live video for this song, so here's one that some fan made. It's kind of weird, but not as weird as the time Andrew sang "Oh Comely" in front of the Haugh family. Semen.
saw some friends last night, didn't make it to class, about to go to work, watch this video, ok, bye.