Apartment Living - That Smell in the Hallway

Apartment Living - That Smell in the Hallway

That Smell in the Hallway!

If you have ever lived in an apartment or other group setting you know exactly what I mean. Why is it that when we are hungry and are cooking food it smells so good and we only get hungrier? But when it's someone Else's cooking that is stinking up the place we want to call the Natural Disaster Response Team and be life flighted out of there?

I have lived in apartments for many years now and enjoy having gardeners, maids, repairmen, pool attendants and security guards at my beck and call 24 hours a day. However, I've never been able to tolerate the person on the floor who's cooking makes your eyes water.  There is one in EVERY building. Hopefully, it's not you in your place.  More importantly, I hope it was never me!

For years I have referred to these individuals collectively as "Mrs. Manzetti".  I will ask, sometimes rhetorically, "What the *$!# is Mrs. Manzetti cooking now"? Honestly, I understand diversity and the concept that one man's junk (or foodstuff) is another man's treasure, but come on.  Some stuff shouldn't be internationally recognized as food!

Here are some of my least favorite dishes that Mrs. Manzetti makes.  Keep in mind that I am identifying and naming these culinary delights by the smell that they produce:

     *Clorox Chicken

     *Bar B Que'd Horse hair

     *Eye Melter  (I have no idea what this is but my eyes feel like they are melting out of my head)
                         I suspect that this involves toxic waste

    * Meth Lab Leftovers (once again, no idea but smells like chemicals and burning pasta)

     *Peanut Butter Tuna

     *Hot and Spicy Cheese cake

     *Then, of course, there is always the bubbled over food in the oven, burnt smell

     *There are many, many more....

What the hell?!?!  Seriously! I can only assume that curry is involved in the Eye Melter but I have no idea what is happening in the kitchens responsible for the other smells. It's like Rosie the robot maid has gone haywire and short circuited.  Can't these people open a window or turn on a kitchen fan? And trying to cover up the smell by spraying cleaning products is like covering up skunk by burning a bad of popcorn in the microwave.  That's another one come to think of it....but we've all burned popcorn, right?...forgiven.

If you have a Mrs. Manzetti where you live or have other smells to add to my list, post a comment and I will make sure to feature them in the blog.  Go ahead, get something published in a blog without having to actually write one.  If you ARE a Mrs. Manzetti, please consider eating out, asking Santa for a cookbook or giving a "courtesy flush" of your kitchen by opening opening the window and keeping the front door shut (preferably with duct tape around the edges).  Thanks Mrs. Manzetti!!!

Allan



Being an Extra in a Movie

This past summer I had the distinct honor of working on two big budget movies filmed here in Cleveland, Ohio; Avengers and I, Alex Cross. What a blast! I was an extra for both movies; that means that I did not have speaking parts. An extra (better described as background actor) is a person that is, literally, part of the background and not a primary actor. You know, the people sitting at a cafe, running screaming down the street, buying a newspaper, etc. in a movie. On Avengers I played a New York police officer and in I, Alex Cross I played a Detroit police officer.....I guess I just look good in the uniform. Talk about being type-casted! The days were long and repetitive and just like the military, it was all about "hurry up and wait".

How to Get to be an Extra:

Casting agencies will have what are sometimes referred to as "cattle calls" where they will advertise an open casting where hundreds or thousands of people will attend, wait in line and basically have their picture taken and contact information added to a data base. Then you wait to get a call or an email offering to "book" you for a role. Watch your local news channels for information on filming and use the Internet to search for filmings near you. Major cities will likely have film commission web sites. I met people who traveled from Iowa and New Mexico to Ohio just to go to the cattle call for the chance to be in Avengers!

Be flexible. You may not get the character that you originally wanted but sometimes casting directors/agencies or sometimes directors will have VERY specific ideas of whom they want where and what characters should look like. Directors are the final say and their creative talents are what they are hired for. Take the role and let wardrobe and makeup do what they want with your character (short of cutting off all of your hair or something that you are morally or ethically opposed to). If you have talents or experience in a particular capacity try to write it in or mention it on your paper application / contact sheet.

Remember: EVERYBODY has a look. NOT everybody is a model....YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE! To add reality to movies, there needs to be the same mix of "real" people in the background most of the time. Society is made up of people of ALL different looks and levels of "beauty"(...I fall at the low end of this scale!) and the physically challenged. I could go on but you get the point.

What to do Once You are Booked:

Follow directions given! The casting folks have sometimes thousands of people to keep track of, to make sure are on set and to disseminate information to. Respond to phone calls and emails promptly.  Arrive early for whatever you are booked for; wardrobe fittings, hair and makeup or on set. Many days were 12-14 hours long (food provided) and scenes were rehearsed and filmed over and over. Don't be surprised if you find yourself running down the same sidewalk fifteen times.

Do what you are directed to do by the director or more likely the assistant director (First Assistant). They will decide where you will be in the movie and what your "action" is. If you don't understand what they are looking for, ask questions and get clarification.

Don't try to be a camera hog. That is, if you happen to be faced away from the camera or put on the fringes of a scene, don't be discouraged. Remember, you are being hired to do what they want you to do. Better to get just your butt in a scene than nothing at all. You will likely be used in several different versions of a scene and they may be filmed from different cameras and angles so don't fret if you think you are not being filmed.

Background actors may also be used over and over in similar scenes to add continuity and can be re-cast as different characters in different scenes. Be flexible and have fun with it.

Things wind up on the "cutting room floor". Since many versions of a scene are filmed you never know what will be used or spliced together and what won't. Some scenes are filmed and never used..."That's Show Business". Don't feel bad if you don't get a lot of screen time. Use the experience to pad your resume for the next production stating your experience.

I have now decided to try to get some experience on the production side of the movie business. I just secured a job as a production assistant (P.A.) on an independent film and working on getting the same position with another movie.  Whatever bulks up the resume!

Good Luck!

Anyone else ever done extra or background acting. Let me know and I will feature you in my blog.

Calling off of Work

     I was at the beach in Cleveland, Ohio yesterday....yes, the north coast does have beaches.  I was getting some sun and reading a text book in preparation for classes starting in  a few weeks  when two young men (22-26 years old) came near to play frisbee.  They were yelling back and forth as they tossed the bright pink disk while one was laughing and informing his partner how easy it was to get off work for the day to go to the beach.  He thought it was soo funny that he convinced his boss that he needed extra money and that a profitable venture had come up.  He laughed and stated that his boss, being sympathetic to his financial condition, said that the business would do without him for the day so that the young guy could make some better money.
     Now, I'm well aware that people call off of work for less than acceptable reasons to enjoy a nice summer day, but if you're going to be dishonest, why not just say you're sick or take a personal day.  To go to the length of concocting an elaborate story and to play on your supervisor's heart stings stating that you are in need of money is going a little far.  Perhaps this guy had a history of calling off and had to have a good story or maybe he just enjoys taking advantage of people or enjoys the thrill of decieving people in his young, exhuberant, pre-manhood cockiness.  Either way, the delight he expressed in his dishonesty made me a little uncomfortable as he tossed the frisbee in the same carefree fashion that he evidentally treated his employer.
     Just my thoughts.
Allan

Drive on the Right Side of the Road

As a restaurant manager I had two rules that I repeated daily: move with a purpose and Drive on the Right Side of the Road! The restaurant was busy and staff was always hurried and skating by one another. Just like on the roadway, many times a pre-occupied coworker would cause a "traffic" crash by cutting somebody off or "driving" on the wrong side of the road. The simple idea of driving on the right side of the road (like we do here in America) can go a long way in society.
I am forever wondering why people will walk on the wrong side (left lane of traffic) of an aisleway, sidewalk, elevator, etc. when they drive their vehicles on the right side of the road to perpetuate traffic and to avoid accidents. I am involved or almost involved with "traffic crashes" with other people on a daily basis and it could all be avoided if people would simply walk (bike, skate, slink by) with the same rules as when they drive. This would avoid those empasses at the elevator or revolving door that we all encounter (at least I hope others experience this problem). It only makes sense, doesn't it?
Distractions are no excuse. Ever heard the old adage, "Can't walk and chew gum". That saying is reserved for the dolts that CAN'T do both implying that most of the souls that, in fact, can walk, are able to do both effortlessly. I  just don't get it!
Walk on the right side of whatever pathway you are traversing and all should go well for everyone invovled.
Please let me know if this also drives you crazy or if I'm the only one who experiences this. Could be the problem is me!

Allan

Men and Women Drivers

I've been a police officer for almost eight years and I have a theory on why both men and women think that the opposite sex are the worst drivers...they drive differently. Men constantly complain about women and their driving habits and women argue that, statistically, men have more accidents.  This arguement may be true, however, if you take into consideration weather related (lack of driving skill) accidents, it all evens out in my experience.
Here is what I've noticed about men and women drivers: men drive with a "pack" mentality, as in "pack animals" or "sports team". They tend to evaluate the driving of other drivers, anticipate what everyone else is doing and adjust their behavior and attention appropriately (or as they feel is appropriate based on their perception) to make the team work and to get EVERYONE into the right positions and make things happen.  This sometimes causes them to make sudden movements with quick decisions (often times accompanied by colorful language and squalling brakes) but the goal is to help the other "team members" win.  Each traffic movement is a victory for the team and movement to the (undefined) goal.

Women tend to drive with their personal goals and agendas in mind and aren't concerned about everyone else (they can tend to themselves).  I have interviewed dozens of women who were involved in motor vehicle accidents and have noticed this common theme. They tend to not pay attention to the other traffic or anticipate what the other traffic patterns may mean and don't seem to interpret other traffic (motorist and non motorists such as pedestrians or animals) the same way as men.  They do not approach driving like a field sport of teammates and goals.  Female drivers repeatedly focus on only their own driving and automobile operation as well as their goals of where they want to go or what manuever they are tying to negotiate.  I often hear women explain what happened in an motor vehicle accident in terms of "I was going to...", " I was trying to...", "I didn't see....", "I didn't know they were going to....", "Why would they have...",etc.

Yes, I am aware that I am generalizing men and women here (I don't think the guys will complain, though). However, I am compiling information that I have personally witnessed over and over again and am identifying the patterns that develop from the individuals that I have interviewed, the witness statements that I have read and the logical conclusions that have to be made on every accident investigated.  There is nothing researched or scientific about my conclusions but am simply offering an my observations on the different driving approaches between men and women.  It is just one additional evidence that the sexes do, in fact, think differently.

Allan

Celebrity Invasion

Im amazed at how some people interact with celebrities sometimes. We are collectively responsible for their success and status, I get it! I would like to think that if I were more famous that I would be accessible and engaging to my fans. I was backstage at a concert the other day and Cindy Wilson of The B-52's was present.  She was meeting a few fans for the first time...I know this because Cindy stated, "It was nice to meet you." in her southern charming manner.  The lady she was speaking to reached up with both hands, grabbed Cindy by either side of her [Cindy's] head and ran her hands down Cindy's straight blonde hair! What a complete invasion of Cindy's personal space.  I was embarrassed for everyone involved! I couldn't believe the nerve of the female fan to be so presumptuous and bold.  Cindy just smiled and said goodbye again and walked away with a poker-face smile. I have met many celebrities in my life and I have to say that only one was awkward and cold. Everyone else was engaging, generous and charming. I show my appreciation and respect for them as, not only a celebrity, but also as a person, by respecting their time and attention.

Check out http://www.theb52s.com/ for all their Good Stuff!
Allan