Righteous Insanity

Thoughts from one tired writer

The last three weeks have been exhausting. I have a busy enough fall, with my full-time job, being a husband and father, Righteous Insanity, student teaching, an online class, and play rehearsals. On top of all of this, God put something on my mind that had to be put down. It took two weeks of work, but I finished the first draft today.

 

God doesn't come when it's convenient for us. Often it's when we're already too busy. But he gives us the strength we need. I found that to be true these last two weeks.

 

The project is officially in "first draft" status. I'm hoping to find a few folks with some spare time to give it a read and give me their thoughts. It's another work of fiction. Not science fiction, though. Think one of those business "parable" books that your quirky co-worker with the frequent buyer card to the Franklin-Covey store likes to pass around and share. Except there's spiritual meaning beneath the story about the business man.

 

Much as I want to be free of office life forever and be in a classroom full-time, I know this wouldn't have come about without the years I spent dwelling in cubicles. (Yes, Mike Judge and Ricky Gervais deserve some credit too.) Again, God always has a plan and a purpose for where you are. Even if his plans don't match up with yours.

 

A friend told me yesterday, if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. Lot of truth in that. Lot of blessing in breaking your plans for his.

All About Fluffy 3

When I first began work on the first Fluffy script, I never dreamed I'd one day be working on a second sequel. Fluffy was a stand alone piece, and there was never even supposed to be a Fluffy 2. But as I've stated before, after meeting and working with Erica Goldsmith, I had to go there again. Erica IS Trish Angel, the heroine of all three films. She's the actress I needed the first time around. F2 was essentially the next best thing to a do-over, with the same themes as the first film.

Fluffy 3 is an extension of those themes, building particularly on the theme of sexual sin (and the wages of sin) and extending it to the myth of "safe sex" as well as marital fidelity. I can't say more on the themes without giving away too much plot. But then again, the plotline of Fluffy 3 looks very much like the first two: people think Fluffy is a harmless little critter. But soon as they get too close, it eats their faces off.

Fluffy 3 picks up after F2, with another strange outbreak of people being slaughtered by Fluffy. This time, the story broadens, and we see the president's alien czar, Dave Priest, working on suppressing the Fluffy menace. The idea for the alien czar came straight out of today's czar-happy administration. It only made sense that we have an alien czar, since we have czars for everything else, and our alien czar is played by none other than Len Cella, the creator and star of "Moron Movies." Len was a big hero and inspiration to me a few years back, and his influence is particularly strong in films like the Adam and Eve shorts. Len was very gracious in giving his time and talents to our little film, and we're proud to have a cult movie icon like him in the cast.

Of course part of the military force called in to take down Fluffy is Trish Angel, who leads a squad of commandos into the woods to find the alien. The commando squad includes professional wrestler Ben Wood, a former Ohio Valley Wrestling TV champion; Denny Grinar of the upcoming slasher film "Girl Number Three;" and newcomer Darrien Phillips, one of my former students at Christian Academy.

Darrien's not the only former student in the film. Actress named Sarah Driver makes her film debut as Julie, a teenage girl who witnessed a Fluffy attack. Sarah's just one of many young actresses set to join the ranks of Katy Wheeler, Colleen Mooney, and Stacey Smith, who made the first two Fluffy films famous for their screaming. Kentucky sweetheart and fan fave Kayla Perkins also makes her debut in a Fluffy film, along with Katie Stanley, Leslie Rodgers, Bethany Reul, Jenny Ansman, and Sarah Bohannon, a terrific actress I discovered over the summer at Hayswood Theatre.

The cast includes a few other staples of Kentucky's slasher film scene, including producer Belinda Cooke and actors Cory Stringer, Claude D. Miles, and Sonny Burnette. And actor/ director Herschel Zahnd III will also be returning as the venerable military man turned astronaut turned small town sheriff, Stone Brockman.

One big difference from this film and the others is that I will not be behind the camera for any of it. Bob C. Cooke, our resident "Obi Wan" on the Fluffy films, is taking the helm for our primary shooting dates. Assisting Bob is his wife Belinda. Assisting them on the set is Jerry Williams of Kentucky’s Goat Boy Films, and covering the second unit shoots is another Fluffy veteran, Jason Dixon. Erica Goldsmith and Denny Grinar have also taken on some producer duties for this final Fluffy chapter.

There's no immediate plan for a release date, but once the film is completed, it will be making the rounds at horror fests all over Kentucky, Indiana, and the Midwest. Once production wraps in October, you can expect to see a trailer by November. We hope to have a projected release date set by some time in December.

Fluffy 3 will not be immediately available on the web, as past Fluffy films have. The plan is to make it available on DVD and at film festivals first. As with the first two films, a guide for youth ministers and others will be available on Fluffy's website once the DVD is released. The DVD will include a director's cut of Fluffy, F2, and as many extras as we can dig up.

"I'm sorry about my followers."

I caught the cast of "Family Guy" on "Inside the Actor's Studio" last night. During the traditional closing questionnaire, James Lipton asked Seth MacFarlane, "If God is real, and there is a heaven, what would you want him to say when you get there?" MacFarlane's answer was both telling and sad: "I'm sorry about my followers."

The teachings of Christ are hard, hard enough that the rich young ruler turned away. But God himself has never caused as many people to turn away as those who claim to be his followers. Are we giving Christ reason to apologize to the world? What attitudes and habits do we cling in the name of self-righteousness and false piety to that grieve the Holy Spirit in us?

The world will never embrace the cross fully. But we can do a lot better as Christ's ambassadors in being Christ to the world around us. Ask God to reveal one thing, one habit in your heart that keeps others from seeing Him as He truly is. Repent of it. Remove it. Then remove another. It won't happen over night. But it has to happen.

I can't remember who originally said this, but I do recall hearing it on DC Talk's "Jesus Freak" album: "The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who proclaim Jesus with their words and deny him with their lifestyle. That is what out unbelieving world finds so unbelievable."

It's not about pleasing the world. It's becoming more fully like the God who saved us - something we should be doing anyway.

Righteous Insanity Films - Fall 2009 Update

Just a quick update on Righteous Insanity's fall film projects.

 

First of all, if you haven't heard, we're making a sequel to a couple little movies we made about a fluffy little alien. Principal photography for "Fluffy 3" goes down this Sunday in Shepherdsville, KY with an all-star cast, including Erica Goldsmith, Claude D. Miles, Sonny Burnette, Denny Grinar, and the recently added Ben Wood, a former OVW TV champion. Second unit is nearly done as well, with Kentucky scream queens Kayla Perkins, Katie Stanley, and Leslie Rodgers all making appearances. And if you haven't heard, the creator and star of Moron Movies LEN CELLA will also be featured! Just a few scenes will be left to shoot after Sunday, including a special appearance by the incomparable Herschel Zahnd III, then we're good to go.

 

Speaking of one scene to do, that's exactly where the short film "Bots" currently resides. Comedian Marty Pollio has most of the film shot and cut and hopes to have the film wrapped and finished some time this fall.

 

A few more shorts are also on the way, including the long in development documentary on people with the spiritual gift for turning the music pages for piano players in church. A lot of the "Midsummer" cast from Hayswood has chipped in on this one, which should be a lot of fun. I'm also hoping to finally put the wraps on "Open Window," a short but powerful dramatic piece.

 

There's been some progress on a sci-fi project I wrote called "Med 814." I have several of the 14 segments in production now, from Florida to California, but there are still some good chunks of material to be filled in. Probably looking at Winter 2010 for a release on that. I'm also planning to finish the puppet series "The Sensitive Christian Man" at that time, and I'll be shooting a follow up to the Easter flick "I Don't Want to Dye" entitled, "Dye Hard."

 

And at long last, Prunella Douglas is preparing to make her video debut on getyoked.net. Crystall Goodhall has been cast in the role, and her video blogs will be online by the end of 2009, along with a few new video personals for all you pathetic, loser singles out there.

 

There's plenty more on the way, but that's enough teaser for now. Gotta call the Seelbach in Louisville and make sure they received Fluffy's rider contract. You think J-Lo has a lot of demands when she's on location? You should see Fluffy's!

This is not really a performance piece per se, but it was inspired in equal part by some good conversations with my wife and the classic DX press conference sketch from back in the day. Feel free to forward or repost if you agree and want to share with others. 

We, the people of God, in order to become a more perfect witness for the God we love, pledge the following to you, the world.

We promise to no longer talk about our faith using strange and weird sayings you don’t understand like “Born again,” “Washed in the blood,” and “It’s all gonna burn.”

We promise to stop wearing T-shirts and putting bumper stickers on our cars with obnoxious statements such as, “God is my co-pilot,” “Get right or get left,” and “In case of rapture, this car will be unmanned.”

We promise to stop inviting you over to our homes to watch the latest Christian movie – until Christian film makers learn how to make movies with the same quality acting, directing, and screenwriting as Hollywood now offers.

We promise to no longer assume you share the same worldview that we do when we speak to you about our faith. We will follow the example of Paul at Mars Hill by listening first, then speaking to you from where you are, not where we think you should be.

We promise to no longer roll our eyes or make snide comments about your clothing, your lifestyle, or anything else that doesn’t fit in our little bubble.

Most of all, we promise to stop waiting for you to come find us inside the ivory walls of our churches, to go out into the community, to meet you where you are – the way Christ asked us to in the first place. 

What Christian writers can learn from Rod Serling

Rod Serling was not a Christian, though he shared many values in common with the Christian faith. After witnessing a great number of atrocities as a veteran in World War II, Serling had a great many things to say about the world in which we live - and what he saw wrong with it. He began expressing his thoughts writing for television dramas, but grew weary of seeing his scripts censored, especially those that touched on controversial topics. But Serling would not be denied. He created his own TV show where he was free to express everything he wanted to say - veiled by the genre known as science fiction.

 

Christian writers, be they novelists, dramatists, or screenwriters, would do well to invest some time in front of the television with Serling's masterwork, The Twilight Zone. Serling boldly taught lessons on equality, racism, and other highly controversial topics to a television audience without ever writing one "sermonette" into the script. Serling wrote parables, and like the parables of Jesus, they taught memorable lessons in ways that surprised the listener - then stuck with them for a long time.

 

If you struggle with keeping the sermons out of your scripts, or if you're one of those who believes that we HAVE to spell things out for the audience no matter how disruptive it is to the story, take a journey to The Twilight Zone. If it doesn't change your mind about the way we as Christians write drama, it might just change your mind on something else. That's the way things go in The Twilight Zone. 

"The Master's Tournament" - New skit about golf... sort of

The more you remember your Bible stories from VBS and Sunday School, the more you'll get it. Enjoy!

The Master’s Tournament

By John Cosper

www.righteousinsanity.com

 

CHARACTERS

Bob- A sports anchor

Pam, Glen, Sally, Gary- Roving reporters

 

This skit can be done reader’s theater style, or filmed as a video on a golf course, or performed on stage with Bob at a desk and the other reporters scattered throughout the auditorium. No background action is required. Open with theme music from a sports show, something majestic.

 

BOB: Welcome back to the Master's Tournament. If you're just joining us, we've had a great day of action so far. Right now the Apostle Paul is on top of leader board having shot the lowest score. That may seem strange to those of you not familiar with the game of golf, but as the Master himself once said, "The last will be first and the first shall be last." Let's get right to the action with Pam who is on the eighteenth green with Moses. Pam?

PAM: Bob, Moses is having a difficult time trying to finish his day, as he has been stuck in the rough just outside the 18th green for what feels like forty years. This has to be disappointing to the one time leader who had a nice start to the day. As you recall, his first drive of the day landed in the water hazard off one, but Moses was able to use his brother's 9-iron to part the waters and eagle the first hole. Bob?

BOB: Thanks, Pam. While Moses struggles to finish his day, another favorite, Elijah, is having trouble getting his day started. For that story, we go to Glen on the first hole. Glen, what seems to be the hold up?

GLEN: Bob, Elijah was paired with the Baal for this round of the tournament, but while Baal's followers and fans have shown up in droves, the false god has yet to show up and tee off. Despite the hours and hours of chanting and cheering by his fans, Baal remains a no-show while Elijah waits patiently beside the first green. Bob?

BOB: Thanks, Glen. Meanwhile, a tournament underdog continues to wow the fans with an improbable run at the leaders. Sally is standing by with that story. Sally?

SALLY: Bob, I’m standing here beside the eleventh green, where young David continues to astonish fans and foes with his play on the course. He's just birdied his fourth hole in a row, prompting fans to break out in a cheer of "Saul birdied thousands, but David tens of thousands."

BOB: That can't be sitting well with the former champ.

SALLY: Not at all, Bob. In fact, every time David makes a nice shot, Saul throws one of his clubs at his head.

BOB: Saul would do well to remember what David did on the first hole to his former playing partner. By the way, how is Goliath doing?

SALLY: He's dead, Bob.

BOB: Thanks, Sally. Now over to Gary on the ninth hole, where another shocking story is developing even as we speak. Gary?

GARY: Thank you, Bob. And it looks like one of the more interesting pairings of the day is no more, as Abraham and his nephew Lot have decided to part ways here in the ninth fairway.  

BOB: Can you tell us what happened there, Gary?

GARY: Bob, Abraham and Lot are as close as an uncle and nephew can be, but it seems their caddies can’t stop fighting amongst each other. Rather than try to continue with their quarreling caddies, Abraham and Lot have agreed to part ways. Abraham will continue playing the Master's course, while Lot and his caddy will play at the much more lucrative Sodom and Gomorrah Open, presented by Visa. Bob?

BOB: It sounds like we have an update on Moses, so let’s go back to Pam on the eighteenth hole. Pam, how did the old man do?

PAM: Bob, a disappointing finish for Moses today. Unable to get the ball out of the rough himself, Moses consulted with The Master himself, who told Moses that if he would simply speak to the ball, it would drop in the hole. But rather than listen to the Master, Moses chose to hit the ball with his driver hard as he could. He finished the hole, but as a result of his disobedience, the Master has forbidden him to enter the club house.

BOB: Pam, I understand Zacchaeus just finished his day as well.

PAM: Yes he did, Bob. He had a nice drive off the eighteenth tee and only needed to sink a four foot putt for a piece of the lead. But unfortunately, he came up a little short.

BOB: Thanks, Pam. And it seems that pandemonium has broken out on the first tee. Let's go back to Glen for an update. Glen?

GLEN: Bob, the followers of Baal have started a bonfire to try and summon their champion to the course, but as we said earlier, there has just been no sign of the deity anywhere. Ever the jokester, Elijah began teasing the fans that Baal had gone back home to get a second pair of pants in case he made a hole in one. Bob? 

BOB: That's why they fans love Elijah. Meanwhile, another fan favorite seems to be having his struggles on the third hole. Sally, what's the word on Samson?

SALLY: Not good, Bob. Fans will remember from past tournaments that Samson was easily the strongest driver on the course, regularly hitting five hundred feet off the tee with the jawbone of a donkey. But the former champion came out this weekend with a new haircut, and it looks as if all the power has gone out of his game.

BOB: Any chance he might make a late run?

SALLY: There's always a hope with the Master, Bob, but I gotta be honest, Samson is just kind of staggering around like a blind man out there.

BOB: Thank you, Sally. Now let's go to Gary on the eighth hole, where another player has had some struggles with the water hazards. Gary?

GARY: Bob, the Apostle Peter was having a great day until he chipped his second shot on eight into the water. Prompted by the Master, he began walking out onto the water to hit out of the hazard with a chance for birdie. But as we've seen him do before, Peter began to doubt and sank right into the water. Looks like he's going to double bogey this one.

BOB: Wow, tough break. But that's how it goes here on the Master's course. There are hazards to the left and right, but if you stay on the straight and narrow path, you'll find the Master waiting for you with open arms in the end. We’ll be right back.

 

New skit - "Bat Blues"

Bat Blues

By John Cosper

www.righteousinsanity.com

 

CHARACTERS

Narrator

Batman/Dick Grayson

Commissioner Gordon

Chief O'Hara

Barbara Gordon (aka Batgirl)

 

The old school Batman theme plays.

 

NARR: And now, the New Adventures of BATMAN! As our story begins, Bruce Wayne has left Gotham City to begin a long-awaited and well-deserved retirement in the Bahamas. But the mantle of the caped crusader has not been hung up for good! Dick Grayson, Bruce's youthful ward and the boy wonder Robin, has stepped into the shoes of his friend and mentor to become the new Dark Knight!

 

The Commissioner's office is on stage. Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara are at the desk. The phone buzzes.

 

SECRETARY: Commissioner Gordon, Batman is here.

GORDON: Good. Send him in.

 

Batman enters.

 

BATMAN: Commissioner.

GORDON: Batman! So good to see you.

BATMAN: Good to see you as well. You remember Chief O'Hara?

CHIEF: Lookin' good there, caped crusader.

BATMAN: Thank you.

CHIEF: You lose a few pounds? You look trimmer.

BATMAN: Well, I thought I'd try a new diet.

CHIEF: Looks good on you.

GORDON: Say, where's that boy wonder of yours, Robin?

BATMAN: Gentlemen, Robin will no longer be working with me.

GORDON: Oh no?

BATMAN: Robin has decided to move on to other interests. He resigned a few weeks ago, and I wish him all the best.

CHIEF: You mean no more Batman and Robin?

BATMAN: That's right. It's just me.

GORDON: Well, if you don't mind my saying so, it's about time.

BATMAN: Excuse me?

GORDON: That little numbskull was a drag on this whole city!

BATMAN: Robin? The boy wonder?

CHIEF: You mean the boy blunder!

 

Gordon and the Chief laugh.

 

BATMAN: What's so funny?

GORDON: Are you kidding? Come on, Batman, Robin was a total loser!

CHIEF: He couldn't fight. He wasn't half the detective you are. He ran like a girl.

BATMAN: He took third in the state running cross country in high school.

CHIEF: In the girl's tournament maybe!

GORDON: Remember that time he got himself and that princess captured by the Joker?

CHIEF: Oh I know! I can still hear him now. "Batman, save us!"

GORDON: The princess had to slap him, he was so hysterical!

BATMAN: Now see here--

CHIEF: And what was with that outfit? Come on, green booties?

GORDON: And those cute shaved legs.

BATMAN: It reduces wind drag!

GORDON: I was gonna say he wore drag!

 

Gordon and the Chief laugh.

 

CHIEF: And how about that orange shirt? Safety orange? That's not stealthy!

GORDON: I always wanted to tell him, "Aquaman called, he wants you to stop raiding his closet!"

BATMAN: He wore that outfit in tribute to his family, a family that perished when the Joker killed them.

GORDON: Who were they, circus people?

BATMAN: Yes!

 

Gordon and the Chief laugh even harder. Gordon pounds on his desk.

 

GORDON: That's hilarious, Batman!

BATMAN: That wasn't a joke!

CHIEF: His father was a midget, and his mother was the bearded lady!

BATMAN: Hey! Don't talk about my-- Robin's momma like that!

CHIEF: Oh come on, Batman, surely you knew how we felt about Robin. He was a nice kid, but he wasn't half the man you are.

GORDON: He'll never fill those shoes, that's for sure.

BATMAN: Oh yeah? We'll just see about that!

 

Batman turns and exits.

 

CHIEF: Oh that was fun.

GORDON: I'm sure on the inside, he's laughing with us.

 

Barbara Gordon enters.

 

BARBARA: Daddy?

GORDON: Hello, Barbara.

BARBARA: Was that Batman I saw crying on his way out of the building?

GORDON: Crying? Batman was crying?

BARBARA: I think so.

CHIEF: What's the matter with him? Is he, Batman or Batgirl?

GORDON: Batgirl? Ha ha ha. Talk about your total losers! She couldn't fight her way out of a paper bag, much less take on the Catwoman!

 

Gordon and the Chief laugh harder. Barbara slaps Gordon hard, then storms out. The two men stop laughing.

 

GORDON: Gee, what got into her?

 

A reminder for directors

Positive reinforcement is not an option in the theatre.

I know it's a pain to have to say nice things to your actors sometimes, especially those rare few who act as if they have ego enough for ten men. But they still need to hear "good job," "way to go," or "I liked it when you did this."

Many directors get by with nothing but negative notes in rehearsal. It's a great director who will make the effort to look for, write down, and give POSITIVE notes. They motivate your cast. They actually do inspire them to work harder. Hearing positive notes gives them a sense of pride and ownership in your production. And they lead to even more positive notes - I promise you.

Demonica: The new book from John Cosper is here!

The latest and greatest work of fiction from John Cosper is now available on Amazon.com. See what happens when the world's most notorious villainess returns to her hometown in "DEMONICA: Confessions of a Small Town Super-Villain." 

DEMONICA begins where most super hero tales end - with the complete and utter defeat of the super-villain. The hero of the story is War Eagle, a champion for good whose strength and powers are only surpassed by his ego. The super-villain: a vixen of the evil known as Demonica. Trained by the best (worst?) the underworld has to offer, Demonica was on the brink of world domination when War Eagle smashed up her secret island lair and destroyed the rocket that would carry the doomsday weapon to its target. Demonica escaped out a secret passage way... and vanished.

With her plans in ashes, her fortunes ruined, and the holidays right around the corner, Demonica - aka Monica Deluna - decides to go some place she hasn't been in a decade: home. She journeys across the country by bus to the aptly named Smalltown, Iowa to spend the holidays rekindling relationships with her mother and her best friend. But Monica is not alone. Old enemies with scores to settle flock into town, hoping to get a piece of Demonica. And if that wasn't enough, the relentless War Eagle is hot on her heels, determined to bring the evil doer to justice by Christmas.

Told in first person from Monica's point of view (with supplementary material from War Eagle's autobiography, WAR EAGLE: MY STRUGGLE), DEMONICA is a funny and touching story of super heroes, Christmas and redemption. The book also includes photos and excerpts from the autobiography of Pops Bender, the famed super-villain "life coach" who has worked with everyone from Gothan City to Monte Carlo. It's a must read for comic book fans, and at only 74 pages, a quick read easily shared with others.

Watch the trailer; click play below!

Get the book from Amazon.com