Check out this awesome drawing of me and Tyler (Sock) by Reaper’s #1 artistically inclined fan, Cheri Nowak.  Thanks, Cheri!

If you’ve got something you’d like to share, send it along.  I love this kind of stuff!

Bret
May 30, 2008

Currently (as I type this, in fact), I’m sitting in a hotel in the Big Easy (New Orleans to most of us) in between shooting days on a new Sony feature film called, what else, “Mardi Gras”!

The movie is a buddy comedy about three friends who head down to Mardi Gras to blow off some steam and so far it’s been nothing but fun.  We’ve been down here filming for a few weeks now and what I wanted to talk about was the difference between shooting a TV series and shooting a film.  Let me apologize in advance if this gets too “inside.”See, when you shoot a television show, it’s all about speed.  You have to get it done as quickly as possible because there’s never an end in sight (at least not if you’re doing well).  Every day, the goal is 8-9 pages of script (which translates to about the same number of minutes of screen time).  It’s a lot to tackle from a writing, directing, producing, crew and acting perspective, but it’s the way it’s done – you gotta constantly feed the beast.

But in film, at least with a big studio film like Mardi Gras, we get to take our time.  So far we’re shooting 2-4 pages a day.  That’s 4 minutes of screen time tops.  The biggest positive to this is that the actors (and the director) get to really play around with the scenes.  I mean, it’s a comedy, so there’s certainly no harm in doing a scene over and over and over, with the actors constantly trying new deliveries or reactions or even lines.  If the crew doesn’t laugh on the first take, change it up for the second and see if that works.  Not only does this result in funnier takes, but, as an actor, it really keeps it fresh as we do shot after shot of the same line readings.  Add to that the fact that I get to play a character who is not the same one I play every single week for 6-9 months and you can understand why I’m finding this refreshing enough to write about.

You can read a little about the movie here:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1083462/.  It’s due out next year.

As always, thanks for reading.

Bret
May 27, 2008 

The bad news is you’ll have to wait until 2009 for new episodes of Reaper, your favorite, original, critically acclaimed series starring great actors. 

The good news is you’ll have a remake of Beverly Hills 90210, a series that ran its course years ago, was panned as a banal soap for the young, and starred some questionable actors, to hold your attention until then.

Here’s a link to an article on the schedule announcement.  Extra points to the author for making reference to our sock campaign.

What the sock is going on?  I mean, one seemingly harmless post on this tiny microcosm of the webiverse and all of a sudden the entire ‘net is reporting on it???  I’m talking, of course, about the whole “Save Reaper with Socks” campaign.

When Dave (Editor’s note: David Baldy, Bret’s writing partner and majority contributor to krakoom) first suggested the idea, I loved it.  Not because I thought anyone would actually do it, but because it made me laugh – and that’s really all I strive for here.  But now… well, now I see this site as so much more.  I mean, it’s a powerful thing to be able to share a few words with your fans and have literally thousands respond to it.  And, well, I just want you all to know that’s not lost on me.

As for the actual campaign, whether it works or not, I’ll still be happy knowing we did all we could do to keep the dream alive.  That said, the CW doesn’t announce their new fall schedule until May 13th so that gives us 8 more days to make our voices heard.  Keep those letters, emails and foot warmers flowing.

We’ve come this far, let’s finish this.

Bret
May 4, 2008

What that also means is that YOU, the loyal Reaper enthusiasts and proud Bret fans have to BOMBARD the CW with emails and letters and phone calls or anything else you think might be convincing.  We’re not suggesting a Jericho-like barrage of peanuts to be sent to the CW offices, but perhaps a Jericho-like barrage of peanuts sent to the CW offices would do the trick.  Only instead of peanuts (also hackneyed) how about something a little more original and a lot more appropriate for the show.  We’re thinking… socks! 

If you’re interested, here is the CW’s address:

CW Network
ATTN: Executive in charge of Reaper
3300 W. Olive Ave
Burbank, California 91505

Oh, and here’s a link to the LA Times article.

Calling All Bret Fans! (In Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Boston, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, Dallas, and maybe New Orleans.)

The long awaited release of ‘Deal,’ starring Burt Reynolds and Krakoom’s own Bret Harrison is finally upon us.  If you live in one of the above metropolitan areas, make sure you check it out in theaters this weekend.  The success of the opening week is going to determine if the movie spreads to other markets, so you have to see it this weekend.  But don’t take our word for it.  Here’s the film’s director, Gil Cates, Jr., explaining the “sitch”:

“”DEAL”, starring Bret Harrison, Burt Reynolds, Shannon Elizabeth and Charles Durning, will be released by MGM this Friday, April 25, in select cities (Los Angeles San Francisco, Las Vegas, Chicago, Dallas, New Orleans, Boston, and Philadelphia).  The film also features World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker stars Joseph Hachem, Phil “The Unabomber” Laak, Jennifer Tilly, Antonion Esfinaidari, Chris Moneymaker, Greg “Fossilman” Raymer, Mike Sexton, Vince Van Patten and more…

If the movie has a good opening weekend it will expand to more theatres and into more cities across the country.  If it does not… it’ll be on DVD within a few months :).  Unfortunately NY is not one of the opening cites, but for those of you in the east coast who have been looking for an excuse to have a clam roll or a cheese steak, now’s your chance!

Please spread the word if you live or if you know people who live in these cities.  Again, opening weekend is the most important…

Thanks!

Gil

www.dealthemovie.com “

So there you have it.  Go see it!

My favorite movie right now is Eastern Promises.  Viggo Mortensen’s performance is amazing.  Especially the naked fight scene.  Very raw, real and “ballsy.”  Go Viggo!

For television, look no further than The Wire.  I realize I’m late to the game with this one, but I recently purchased season 1 on DVD and watched half of it in one day.  That’s 6 hour-long episodes.  And I’m not talking about 42 minute network “hour-long” episodes, like Reaper.  These are really a full hour… and worth every minute.  LOVE IT.   

My favorite book right now is A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore.  It reminds me a lot of Reaper in tone, mixing humor with horror. 

And finally, music.  Right now, I’d have to say my favorite song is Air Aid by Menomena.  I can listen to it all day.  “People of the future will remember…”