Archive for October, 2009
Chance McClain of 1560 The Game talks about new film “Horrible Turn”
Closed Published by mikemcguff October 30th, 2009 on mikemcguff.com blogChance McClain is the program director of 1560 The Game KGOW but is also a man of many, many talents. You probably know him for his music releases such as Yao Ming Song and The Big Puma. Now he and collaborator Frank Bullington (KGOW too) have shot an entire musical to release on the Internet. The film is called Horrible Turn and hits the Web for your pleasure November 10, 2009.
Mike McGuff: So what made a radio guy like yourself think, “It’s time to shoot a full musical?”
Chance McClain: I have wanted to write and direct a movie for a long time. I got swept up in Dr. Horrible mania and decided to give it a go. I figured if I was going to shoot a movie , why not do a musical? Most of the people that worked on the film have some kind of musical background so everything came very naturally to us.
MM: What’s the summary of Horrible Turn?
CM: Boy meets girl, love blossoms, bad things happen, boy turns evil.
MM: Was it all shot in Houston? Where did you shoot?
CM: The movie was shot in and around Houston. We used my house in Spring, the office at 1560 The Game, Upper Hand Hair Salon in River Oaks, Strake Jesuit High School, a residence in Memorial, and a surprise shot in Galveston.
MM: How long did the production take?
CM: The first draft of the script was completed on March 11. Most of the music was written by the end of May. We shot over the summer in 24 days. Editing and post-production has taken us up to now.
MM: Who are the stars of the film and where did you find them?
CM: All of the actors are local. Most from around the musical theater scene. Tyce Green plays Billy. Jacob Buras plays Kenny. Kristin Massa plays the Aussie Katie. Christian Haile is Johnny. Dominic DiFelice is Wade. We did a casting call in June. I think and a lot of the actors were cast from that.
MM: Any celebrity cameos in the film?
CM: A certain Spencer Tillman gets behind the newsdesk again…Sean ‘The Cablinasian’ Pendergast is in the movie. Raheel Ramzanali and Kevin G. Joseph wear skirts in the film.
MM: How many 1560 The Game references did you fit in?
CM: There are a ton. The mic flag in a shot is the only obvious one.
MM: Anything else you want to add?
CM: Dr. Horrible is pretty much required viewing to fully appreciate the movie. It stands on its own ok but I highly recommend folks picking up a DVD of Dr. Horrible or watching it on Hulu before peeping Horrible Turn. Remember, it is fan art. I am a fan of Joss Whedon and wanted to make a movie about Dr. Horrible. Part of the marketing they did with Dr. Horrible was inviting the fans to submit video applications for the Evil League of Evil. Unfortunately we did not have time to send one in so went the prequel route instead. I hope the music is well received, we busted our ass on it. I hope people can appreciate that the film was done by volunteers, in spare time, and on a limited budget.
Mike McGuff linked to Engadget
Closed Published by mikemcguff October 30th, 2009 on mikemcguff.com blogMy KHOU 11 Nintendo Wii post was a response to an Engadget post and the tech blog linked back to me after I found out more information. For those of you who do not know, Engadget is one of the top blogs in the world! Now the mikemcguff blog has been linked to both Engadget and BoingBoing (another top blog)!
- KHOU 11 makes Net news for Wii traffic remote
- PICTURE: Wedding gun cake - only in Texas
Pixies, U2, Sublime, Megadeth and more
Closed Published by mikemcguff October 30th, 2009 on mikemcguff.com blogPixies Announce Support Acts For US ‘Doolittle Tour’
U2 Upset About Their Last Album
- Eno, Lanois Talk “Unforgettable Fire” as U2 Reissue Arrives
Sublime Debut New Singer at SmokeOut Festival Despite Nowell Family Protests
Bands want to know if their music was used on Gitmo detainees (Thanks Will-E)
- Agency names 35 artists, songs used on U.S. military terror suspects
Megadeth Radio’ Channel Now Broadcasting
- DAVE MUSTAINE Says He Plans To Add METALLICA’s ‘No Life ‘Til Leather’ Demo To ‘Megadeth Radio’
Halloween songs: scary mix and more
SLASH Talks SCOTT WEILAND, ‘Chinese Democracy’
- Lull Your Baby to Sleep With Lullaby Versions of Guns N’ Roses (Thanks Jennifer)
LIMP BIZKIT Frontman: ‘We Have Recorded What We Feel Is Our Most Addictive Album Yet’
RATT: New Audio Interview With STEPHEN PEARCY, WARREN DEMARTINI Available
Michael Jackson’s Final Dreams Come to Life as “This Is It” Film Premieres
“Led Zeppelin II” Turns 40
Trent Reznor Celebrates 20 Years of NIN’s “Pretty Hate Machine”
Walk This Way: The Autobiography of Aerosmith review
Google, Facebook Plan to Beef Up Music Features
Susan Farb is Houston’s PR Fairy
Closed Published by mikemcguff October 29th, 2009 on mikemcguff.com blogSusan Farb is a well known PR pro in Houston. She just launched a new site called the PR Fairy:
Houston-based Susan Farb Public Relations has launched the website farbulous.com featuring the first-ever blog of the PR Fairy. The 19-year-old Houston public relations firm and its site are owned and operated by public relations and media relations consultant Susan Farb Morris. “Our clients can think of us as their PR Fairy — with a wave of the media relations wand, articles and interviews ‘magically’ can appear in newspapers, magazines, television, radio, blogs, e-zines, social media and in optimized news releases that are often tops on Google searches,” says Farb Morris. “However, we all know that it’s hard work, not magic, that creates the desired results,” said the Houston public relations consultant. READ MORE
Westheimer Block Party 2009
Closed Published by mikemcguff October 29th, 2009 on mikemcguff.com blogIt’s that time of year again for Montrose:
Westheimer Block Party returns this Fall with a now- 2 day Celebranza of arts and music. The festival will be November 14th and 15th and will host more than 250+ bands. We recommend doubling your B6 intake and wearing fresh socks. Spread thine word. Also- Saturday Night the 14th will host a finale with Dead Prez, Japanther, Eastern Sea (CD Release), Black Congress, and DJ Melodic.
Why is the Guy Expo coming to Houston and what are the Almost-Darwin Awards?
Closed Published by mikemcguff October 29th, 2009 on mikemcguff.com blog
It’s no secret I’ve teamed up with the Guy Expo Houston to let you all know about the big event coming up November 6-8 at the GRB. Did the big Flash banner up top give it away? (Thanks to those who have mentioned news about the Guy Expo via social networking due to my humble blog)
To find out even more about this big event, I interviewed the expo’s producer Shawna Suckow via email.
Mike McGuff: How would you describe The Guy Expo?
Shawna Suckow: I would describe it as everything guys love under one roof. We have beer tasting, a beer garden, a tailgating zone, home improvement, 3200 square feet of indoor laser tag, all the major Houston sports teams, Hooters, and the Houston Fire Department’s Street Machines Car Club will be there too. Also the Eat more Heat Zone will feature fiery foods from Houston and elsewhere. There’s something at the Expo for every guy out there. As a woman, a lot of this stuff appeals to me too, but I have to admit that every now and then something has to be explained to me. I didn’t have a clue about MMA until we started working on the Expo.
MM: Where did the idea come from?
SS: We wanted to create an Expo that didn’t exist, something unique that we all would enjoy working on. We used to produce all kinds of other conventions for real estate and government – beer and cars definitely are a lot more fun.
MM: Why was Houston picked as the second place to hold the event?
SS: We were considering several major cities for the next Expo, and Houston was the most welcoming by far. They partnered with us from the beginning, working with us in ways that other cities weren’t willing to. It’s enabling us to give this Expo some legs in a down economy, but also benefit the City of Houston while we do it. For selfish reasons, I’m happy to be headed to Houston and getting the hell out of Minnesota in November.
MM: How will Houston’s sports teams participate?
SS: The Tailgating Area is hosted by the Houston Texans, who will bring a life-size inflatable goal post so guys can try their skills at kicking a field goal, and the cheerleaders will make appearances on Saturday and Sunday. The Houston Energy will feature a quarterback toss contest in the same area, and will bring some players as well. In the Fox Sports Team Zone, we’ll have the Rockets Power Dancers and Clutch along with some interactive contests. The Aeros will have an inflatable slapshot contest and will bring the AeroDynamics and Chilly. The Astros will be featuring some contests, and The Dynamo are bringing an inflatable field and possibly some players. For some reason, it seems like everything I just mentioned is inflatable.
MM: The Almost-Darwin Awards must spark interest?
SS: It’s a completely ridiculous contest that’s a lot of fun. Guys basically get on stage and share the story about the stupidest way they almost died. We’ve had some hilarious ones, let me tell you. I can’t wait to hear what Houston brings. There will be some great prizes for all our contests, so it’s completely worth the humiliation. Contestants can learn more and enter the contests by visiting www.theguyexpo.com.
MM: What type of guy will want to come to the Expo?
SS: We’ve got 12 different themed zones, so I believe there’s something of interest for almost any guy. If they like beer, then it’s a no-brainer. It’s also completely interactive wherever you go, so there are things to do, not just to look at. Any guy wanting a few hours of complete guy-ness should come and check it out. If they’re worried about missing the game, we’ll have 7 big screen TVs, including an 82-incher, in the Hooters Novemberfest Beer Garden.
MM: Anything else you want to add?
SS: Yes – the Houston Women Fire Fighters have put together their inaugural calendar, and they’re unveiling it at our Expo, so come on out to meet them and get signed copies of their calendar, all to benefit charity. We’re also giving away certificates for free beer for a year every night of the Expo. No catch, except we encourage everyone to donate to the Houston Fire Fighters Burned & Crippled Children’s Fund. Also, the Houston Habitat For Humanity is building the Ultimate Tricked-Out Garage, and auctioning off the materials at the end to benefit their organization. Tickets are eight bucks, but you can get in for half price from 5-6pm on Friday,10-11am on Saturday, and all day on Sunday. Fire fighters, police and military all get in free with their ID.
VIDEO: Guy Fieri at Houston’s Niko Niko’s Greek restaurant
Closed Published by mikemcguff October 29th, 2009 on mikemcguff.com blogThe Food Network’s Guy Fieri with Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives at Niko Niko’s Greek restaurant in Houston’s Montrose. READ MORE
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Texas Tribune to debut in realm of nonprofit journalism
Closed Published by mikemcguff October 29th, 2009 on mikemcguff.com blogI told you in September how The Texas Tribune raided journalism houses for employees and now we are starting to see media coverage in anticipation of the site’s November 3rd launch. Kevin Brass of The Austin Chronicle brings us this piece on how the site is funded, what it will cover and what the top dogs are making salary wise:
To many industry observers, the Tribune (www.texastribune.org) and nonprofit operations like it represent nothing short of the future of journalism. While traditional media organizations continue to shrink, dozens of nonprofits have sprouted around the country in the last year, hoping that public funds will maintain investigative and public service journalism. Established players like Voice of San Diego and the MinnPost are already affecting their communities, breaking stories, and exposing the gaps in coverage supplied by newspapers and TV. READ MORE
Houston based TexasWatchDog.org is another similar entity that is open for business and already breaking some big stories.
I cannot believe it has been a year since little James came into our lives. What a fun year it has been! Honestly I was a hesitant parent in the beginning. Being an only child, I was not really a baby kind of guy in the past.
Flash forward a year I actually quit my job to stay at home with him! And it has been worth it. I might be poorer in cash, but much richer in other ways.
15 Hottest Newswomen in America
Closed Published by mikemcguff October 29th, 2009 on mikemcguff.com blog
This must be an important article, because multiple people have called and emailed to make sure I saw it. It’s even better that one of Houston’s own made the list.
The site Manolith rated the 15 hottest newswomen in America and KPRC Local 2’s Daniella Guzmán made the list. She is the only current Texas news talent to make the list. Read more about Guzmán.
My friend Sonia, who I have mentioned on this blog before, was a sorority sister of Lily Jang from Q13 Fox News Seattle. I think if Sonia would have stayed in TV news, she could have made this list.
Here she is and this photo isn’t even all Photoshopped like those rated on Manolith:
If I had remained in Waco instead of returning to Houston for KTRK, Sonia and I could have been coanchors!
