Location, Location, Location.

Yesterday was a wrap on Taylor Manor. It's a former seniors home and girls' reform school which is now home to the main set of Robson Arms. And, until yesterday, we did the majority of our shooting there.

Today we moved out into the city and began our "location block" of shooting. Over the next week, we'll be like unwelcome guests hopping from one place to another, transforming them to our needs. Today we were on the BCIT campus and created a Fringe Theatre out of a TV studio, a 12 Step Program meeting place out of an empty class room and a Boiler room out of... a Boiler Room. That was actually much harder than it sounds.

Today was the day when you could really feel the end of the shoot approaching. Whenever one of the main characters of the series is finished their scenes for the season they're "wrapped" which involves much hooting, hand-clapping and back-slapping. Today Laura Bertram, AJ MacKenzie, Peter Deluise and John Cassini were all wrapped.

I was able to catch a lift with James Genn and sneak back to my bed and breakfast to get some more writing done for the website before the end of shooting today... but it was still 7:30pm before I got back. I can't help but think of the crew that has been working 12 hour days for the last three months and how pooped they must be.

Tonight, I gotta prepare an interview I'm doing with Alisen Down tomorrow, a podcast for the Robson Arms website.

There are worse ways to spend the day.

I was lucky to get back to Vancouver in time to catch the last couple days on set before production heads out to a week of location shooting. I was even luckier that it was one of my episodes being shot. I enjoyed sitting beside director, Monika Mitchell, who didn't seem to mind me spending the day laughing at my own jokes. Maybe 'cos she's married to a bit of a character.

Thanks all!

First, thanks to the folks from Sketch22 who asked me to lend a hand today. It's always fun to shoot something other than commercials. I think it was our most ambitious Sketch22 short to date. A small part of an entertaining whole.

Also thanks to the many volunteers and passersby of all ages who gave up part of their gorgeous Saturday morning to perform a series of manoevers, each more complicated than the last. Bravo!

The result of your efforts can be seen starting July 6th at the Arts Guild!

Congratulations all.

Great Movies You've (Probably) Never Seen: The In-Laws.

This was a movie that was introduced to me line-by-line by Travis Pratt, a force of nature who lived on PEI during the 1980's.

"Serpentine, Shel, Serpentine!"
"There's no need to shoot at me, I'm only a dentist."

Produced in 1979, The In-laws was directed by canadian Arthur Hiller and written by Andrew Bergman but the heart of the film are the performances by its two leads: Adam Arkin and Peter Falk. To single out one over another would be a mistake. It's the two actors as a team that makes the film transcendent. Falk's son is marrying Arkin's daughter. Arkin is a nervous dentist, Falk is a unstable-seeming import-exporter... or maybe not... Arkin discovers that Falk is behind the robbery of the US Treasury and winds up "becoming inadvertently involved in a plot to defraud the US government out of millions of dollars."

It's hilarious and holds up surprising well. Rent or buy the DVD you won't regret it... Don't make the mistake of getting the 2000 remake with Micheal Douglas.

Dave's Yes/No Movie Review: X-Men: The Last Stand

No.

Dave's Yes/No Movie Review: Brick

Yes.

CTV Announces My Show as Part of 2006-2007 Season

That's right. My show.

CTV announced today that Robson Arms is going to be in the 2006-2007 season. Which is great. But looking at the fall line-up it looks like it'll be more 2007 than 2006. Hey CTV, that's fine, give Aaron Sorkin's new show Sunday night. Sure he's created two of the finest shows on television... but will he love you like I will?

I think, not CTV... I think not.

(and CTV? by "like I will" I'm talking about the drug-free "all night long" kind of love.)

Why don't you take me to... Gore-tex™ Town.

Thinking about packing my bags. What have I learned from previous trips? One pair of shoes, one pair of pants, one pair of shorts and as many socks, t-shirts and underpants as I can fit into one bag.

Travelling to Vancouver can be intimidating sometimes. People look and dress differently on the west coast. Mostly they look healthy and wear Gore-tex™... unless they're crack addicts. The crack addicts are thinner, and their Gore-tex™ a little filthier.

June marks the start of Crotch Itch Season

It's that time of year again. When a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of Gold Bond Powder. It's Jock Itch season. So let's keep things cool and dry down there.

Tips? Drop your pants as soon as you get in the door. Also you might be tempted to get another half day out of those underpants....DON'T! Sure it might be easy and fun-- but it is mostly unsanitary.

You might be tempted, because of the whole two pounds you lost, to put on that pair of pants you've been saving in the closet for a rainy day. You know, the ones that are two inches smaller than the comfortable size you usually wear. The ones that *almost* fit. Again: DON'T. It is imperative that you are floating free and easy south of the border.

Speaking of which, you might have read in some "men's" magazines, while waiting in the express lane at the grocery store, that some men are keeping things cool by tidying things up "down there". DON'T FALL FOR IT. It all grows back eventually. We're trying to find ways to STOP you from digging at yourself... not give you another reason to do it.

So, to sum up, stick with the loose fitting cotton, avoid the tight fitting synthetics, make free with the cooling baths and powders and above all--- KEEP THE LAPTOP OFF THE LAP. Keep it on the table.

Follow this advice and you will thank me. And your crotch will thank you.

Dave's Yes/No Movie Review: Slither.

Yes.