Happy Holidays From Nightmare Boss!

I would yet again like to thank everybody for supporting Nightmare Boss.
The response to "The Nightmare Boss Holiday Special" has been over-whelming.
Lot's of things are happening with this project and I will do my best to Blog about them.
(And yes this could very well alter my production plans over the next year or so.)
Later,
Paul Parducci

Post Thanksgiving, Dexter and Masters of Horror

I hope everybody who celebrates it had a great Thanksgiving Holiday. I sure did. My time off included three epic Risk battles, a couple timid forays into various stores and plenty of turkey (I really like turkey-save the drumstick for me please.)

I am hooked on the Showtime series Dexter. (If you haven't been watching it, do yourself a favor and tune-in and catch-up.) Last night after Dexter I bounced over to Video On Demand where I saw the excellent Masters of Horror episode entitled "Family."Brent Hanley wrote it,(I've blogged about his work before on this site) John Landis directed it and George Wendt perfectedly inhabited the main role. (I worked with George a few years ago on a radio project for the BBC and he is a great guy: easy-going and pleasant etc.)
Well it's time to get back to work...
Have a Great Day!
Later,
Paul Parducci

PS: If you like Rockabilly and early Rock and Roll like I do check out RRRadio.com

The Interview and The Expanding Universe

This is the postcard from: "The Interview." It's been hanging around on one of my book shelves. It's the only one left so I figured I'd better post it before it too disappears.
You can watch the film itself here.
Later,
Paul Parducci

PS: Of course this is truly insignificant in light of the Expanding Universe.

Nightmare Boss #7 "Is This My Pen?"

So far this one is my agents favorite.
Later,
Paul Parducci

Citizen Kane Theatrical Trailer

Is this cool or what?
You can just feel the excitement. At this moment the whole world was there for Orson Welles.
Later,
Paul Parducci

Introducing The Official Nightmare Boss Podcast!!

Again I would like to thank everyone for making "Nightmare Boss" such an amazing success.
I have had many requests for a Podcast of this series, so I am very pleased to announce:
"Here it is."
Also for your ipod.Have a Great Day!
Later,
Paul Parducci

PS: For Cool Cartoon Podcasts go here.

Freakonomics, Age of Empires 3 and Work Front Decisions

I am currently reading Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner's fascinating book: "Freakonomics." This book is essentially the economics of the stuff you really want to know about delivered with a refreshingly comfortable clarity. A wonderful read.

Currently playing: Age of Empires 3.
I have been a fan of Age of Empires since the beginning and I regret taking so long to move on to this installment. In fact the expansion for #3 has just been released and I suspect that I will be getting that soon as well.

On the work side:
"Nightmare Boss" continues to grow in popularity and I continue to polish the script for my next feature film.(the feedback from readers has been uniformly positive) As time is really the only thing any of us have to spend,I feel a tough decision coming up.
Later,
Paul Parducci

Paul Parducci's Next Movie Project Update # 4

The Second Draft is finished.
It is now going out to select people for their reactions.
Later,
Paul Parducci
PS: I like it and Shadow the Script Dog approves!

Why I Don't Read The Calendar.

I do my best to keep things simple:

Act.
Write.
Make Movies.

The Calendar is the Entertainment News section of the LA Times. It along with the Hollywood Reporter and Variety are what are known as the Trades.

From time to time over the years I have tried reading them in order to "Stay Informed," but I ultimately find them (yet again) to be both disheartening and useless.

As an artist I want to surprise, scare, entertain, inspire and make you laugh. I have found that for me,to do this properly, (as properly as it can be done)I have to focus single-minded on the work itself, not on the results of the work.
And the Trades are generally all about the results, real or imagined, honest or spun.

Well, that's all the pontificating I can stand from myself for now.
I wish you all exciting ideas and the time to fulfill them!
Later,
Paul Parducci

The Houdini, Ghandi, Fellini Halloween Connection

What do Harry, Indira and Federico all have in common?
They all died on Halloween. Forbidden Knowledge maintains a list of other well-knowns who passed on October 31st right here.

In the spirit of the day here is an apartment in New York supposedly haunted and well-covered with Cameras by Ghostwatcher.com
Happy halloween!
Later,
Paul Parducci
PS: This is a picture I think is kind of creepy that I took in a Hanseatic League kitchen in Bergen, Norway.

Bosnian Pyramids, Helmut Schleppi and Falling Back

Just saw Helmut Schleppi's excellent film a Foreign Affair. I suspect we'll be seeing a lot more of this director in years to come.

Also have you are heard about the very strong possibility that there are Pyramids in Europe?

This weekend we in North America Fall Back, that is we set our clocks back one hour in order to get us some extra daylight (Daylight Savings Time). Unfortunately this necessarily causes it to get dark sooner- and lets me know that summer is really over. I know it's been over for a while now. But for a Southern California transplant like myself (who had his fair share of winters and snow) an endless summer would be fine with me!
Later,
Paul Parducci
PS: This is a picture I took of Big Ben. (Remember it's the clock not the tower that carries the name.)

Paul Parducci's Next Movie Project Update # 3

The first draft is finished. (95 pages) Actually I finished the first draft Tuesday night and it came it at 93 1/4 pages. But the process of tighting, fixing and refining has already brought the page count up.

In any event, I am now a prisoner to this project. To that end here is a picture I took at the POW exhibit at Edinburgh castle the summer before last.
There were two American Sailors held there. This picture shows the Stars and Strips carved into the prisons heavy wood door.
Later,
Paul Parducci

Deliberate Practice and Success

I ran across a fantastic article on Success from Fortune Magazine.
They talk about deliberate practice as a key component in success. I agree completely.
You can read it here.
Later,
Paul Parducci

Paul Parducci's Next Movie Project Update # 2

76 pages in.
Later,
Paul Parducci

Nightmare Boss # 6 "Business Attire"

Thank you all for your continued support of Nightmare Boss. Here is Episode #6 where NB gives his rational take on Dressing For Success!
Later,
Paul Parducci

The Fascinating Subject of Cycles

There has been a great deal of research in the area of identifying and studying Cycles. From sunspots to Real Estate, a mountain of data has been collected, analyzed and interpreted in an effort to discern repeating patterns. One of the most famous proponents of Cycles was the late Edward R. Dewey who was also the chief economist with the Department of Commerce.

Here are some excellent links.

Cycles Research Institute

Sunspot Cycles

Ray Tome's site

The Case for Cycles

War Cycles

As always I am interested in your opinions, reflections, observations and theories. (As evidenced by my email this Blog has some of the smartest readers in the world!)
Have a Great Day!
Later,
Paul Parducci

The Fascinating Concept of Cycles

There has been a great deal of research in the area of identifying Cycles from sunspots to Real Estate one of the most famous proponents of Cycles was the late Edward R. Dewey who was also the chief ecomnomist with the Department of Commerce.
Here are some excellent links.

Cycles Research Institute

Sunspot Cycles

Later,

Paul Parducci

The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Long Overdue Watching and a Russian Possession

Well I'm back.
Had a great trip back east visited with family, did some Leaf peeping in Massachusetts and New Hampshire and caught up on some movies.
Finally saw The Aviator: Excellent (It's Scorcese what did I expect? Cate Blanchett as Katherine Hepburn: Amazing)

Robert Schwentke's Flight Plan: Great Cast, Big Fun! See it.
and The Exorcism of Emily Rose: If you are a regular reader of this Blog you would probably think this would be a day of release viewing for me. But I must admit to a prejudice: I am suspicious of Horror movies rated anything other than "R." And Emily Rose is PG-13 so I thought it would be at the very least ineffective. I was wrong, see this movie. Scott Derrickson masterfully brings this film in and it does not disappoint. (Tom Wilkinson, Laura Linney,Jennifer Carpenter and Campbell Scott knock it out of the park---It is based on a real exorcism performed in the 70's in Germany.)

Here's a bonus, this is purported to be the recording of a Russian Exorcism.

Later,

Paul Parducci

PS: The photo is of the real "Emily Rose" Anneliese Michel

Paul Parducci's Next Movie Project

Sorry for the grandiose Title but it helps with the search.

Since House Jesus in 2004 I've written three screenplays, Wrote and Directed as well as produced and acted in the Nightmare Boss Mobi/webisode series and worked various and sundry Acting jobs.
But through it all I have been artistically restless.
"House Jesus" which is available online as well as linked to this site, was in many ways a personal breakthrough for me as a filmmaker. Although I had been moving in this direction since EVP-by the way I want to thank everyone out there who continue to support this film)Because of it, I couldn't go back to doing things the way I did them before.

With the success of "Nightmare Boss," the next logical step for me should be a comedy feature, but it's not there.

So for months now I've been outlining and chasing various ideas that have all ended in dead-ends... Until now.

I am 22 pages into the script for the next feature length project that I will be making. It is a Dark contemporary piece.

I've decided to periodically Blog about the entire process from Script to Screen.

Stay tuned.
Later,
Paul Parducci

PS: I'll be traveling for the next week so as is usually the case when I'm with suitcase, I will not be posting-but I'll catch you all up when I get back.

Johnny Appleseed and the Church of the New Jerusalem

When I was a kid I remember frequently hearing about Johnny Appleseed.
Everybody(my teachers) seemed to think it was of tremendous value to the United States that he planted Apple trees everywhere.
To this day deep down I feel that Apple trees are fantastic.
Anyway, on this day in 1774 Mr. Chapman(his real name) was born.
You can learn all about him here.
Later,
Paul Parducci

Fun Fact: Like Helen Keller, Johnny Appleseed was a follower of Emanuel Swedenborg he was in fact a missionary for the church he founded(The Church of the New Jerusalem.)