Better Than The Original Vol 2: Books To Movies

In our second volume of "Better Than The Original" we'll cover films that were better than the books they were based on. Considering the fact that it's midnight and I have the swine flu, and also that this topic has very few examples, this list will be a short one.

Borne Identity - After starting to read this book I was amazed it was made into such a suburb trilogy.

Forrest Gump - I only read a little of this book, but that was enough to tell that it didn't compare with the absolutely amazing adaptation.

Golden Compass - The book was pretty good but lacked a single likable character. Although, the movie would have been better if it had followed the books story more closely, particularly where chronology is concerned.

Lord of The Rings - Oh man people are gonna be pissed at me for this.

Pride and Prejudice (LDS Version) - This quirky little film is the only Mormon comedy I can stomach. It's cheesy but endearing and the only version of this story in which Mr. Darcy is likable enough for me to be happy about the ending.

I am Legend - I still don't really know if I think this one was better. They are really so different that they can't be compared, but despite page after page after page of emotional narrative in the book, Will Smith's performance was much more emotionally effective. However, the book is definitely worth the read.

and now...rosebud.

Back in Utah

Hey everybody. To start with, you may have noticed that I deleted my "Why I am voting for Obama" post. I did this because now that the election is over I think we all need to work hard to try and overcome some of the partisanship that has been eating away at our nation for so long. Moving on.

Since my last post the biggest thing that has happened is that I cut my hair!

This is the before, with my lovely stylist Brittany. I go clear to St. George to have her cut my hair. I won't let anyone else (but me) touch it.



























I also moved home to Idaho for October to work in the harvest. That is always great fun and I had a blast with all my friends and new friends up there. No one was really sure why I left when it was all over...neither am I.










I have done some new recordings and will be doing a lot more in the coming months. The holidays are my busy season :). Speaking of which, traffic at LostBoysRecords.com has been growing at a steady rate the past few months, actually it has tripled every month for three months now! I'm really excited about this because I'm not even advertising! Its all word of mouth. Anyways if you have any suggestions of what Christmas songs I should cover this year I would appriciate them. So far the only song on the upcoming list is a cover of Ron Sexsmith's "Maybe this Christmas".

I also am getting back into photography full swing. I am working on getting set up to do it professionally. Like Kim I will do portraits and Engagements, but my goal is a career in Model photography and Professional Headshots. If you know anyone looking for any of the above, send them my way.

Halloween was good. My costume wasn't great this year, I was Johnny Cash. As was Jyllian's Roomate's Boyfriend. After Jyllian's Party we went to Nosferatu at UVU. It was one of the most impressive productions I've ever seen.

That's about all for me right now. Dracula kinda hit a wall and so I am turning to some outside help to help me complete it, but the music will still be all me.

till next time!

A brief update

Hey anyone who reads this! How goes it? It's been over a year since my last update so I thought it may be time. :) Here goes-
Since my last post I moved home to Idaho to work on the farm for a while, harvest was a blast as usual. Jyllian came up and drove truck this year and really enjoyed it. Then I ended up staying for about 4 months longer than I had originally planned. In March of 08 I moved back to Orem, into my own little place. I love it here. It's a two bedroom house (half of a side by side duplex) which I have all to myself. To answer the common questions, yes I love it, but yes on occasion it gets lonely, but not enough for me to desire roommates. Jyllian and I are not officially together anymore, but are never really apart either. I worked at a web design company for a while, but last month that went south and I decided it was in my best interests to jump ship. It was a very tough decision, but I knew it was the one I needed to make, and i have not regretted it in the least, despite the financial challenges it has presented.

In other topics, music is going well. Logankendell.com shut down for a while, but is back up, but in the mean time I started Lostboysrecords.com, where from august '07 through May '08 I posted a song every week for free download. They are all still there so go check them out! I stopped posting new music in May to work on a new album. No release dates at this point but I am looking forward to it. It will be my most possative release to date. To those who are familiar with my work, yes I know...That's quite a switch. Anyways, the site has seen a steadily growing following since its launch in March. This month I have actually had three times as many visitors so far as in previous months, so I'm excited about it.

My writing career has been on hold for about a year due to a lot of distractions (full time jobs) but my recent imancipation has freed me up to pursue that goal. I completed a Short musical screenplay a year ago and It is being prepared to go into production locally. I'll post the finished video here. My next project probably my most intense one, a large scale full lenth stage musical. This project has been my Unicorn for 2 years. Wish me luck.

Oh, The Black Pearl (The Beetle) sold. sad day. But i did get a message from the owner stating "Great job on the engine. we drove it 750 miles none stop at 85 mph and got 35 MPG and had no problems" This made my day.

So here's some more fun pics: My costume for Harry Potter midnight showing last year.

















I suprised Jyllian by showing up in Canada Last Year.





I can't leave anything as it is. Here is my Laptop after I painted it.










These are from Halloween, we had two parties, so I had two costumes.





















Jyllian's Photography Skills, I love this one.





East Bound and Down...












Midget (Gavin) making cookies ( my nephews and neice are cuter than yours...deal with it.)












Ready for Ski season! For the doubters, I would say this beard made about a 100% difference in my warmth on the mountain. Its coming back next season for SURE.

















The Beards last moments :( Pretty impressive though huh!












"That's a good lookin woman you got there McCascle."












Hangin out with Darcy from Pride & Predjudice. He's a cool guy!











Jyllian and I campin with a bunch of friends last weekend. It was super fun except the 3 hour failed hunt for the hot pots.

Bittersweet

They're here! Finally! You can all see pictures of the mysterious Beetle I've been working on for almost a year now! Today was a bittersweet day for me and Jyllian. I finally finished pedro enough to take pictures of him. It's so exciting to see him this finished. The sad part is today is also the day I listed him on Ebay. I have put alot of work into my little pirate ship. But at least in the end I can say I am proud of my work. Hopefully some shopper on e-bay will be equally proud of it! so, Lets look and some of the things I've done, shall we?

Ok here is Pedro before (by the way, if your wondering where the name pedro comes from, there is a disney cartoon called Saludos Amigos in which there is a short cartoon about a South American Mail Plane named Pedro, and this car sounded exactly like him when I bought him.) This picture doesn't do a very good job of showing his condition. His paint was cracked, He didn't run, and he had rust bubbles under the
paint.




I decided if I'm going to collect VW's I better know how to Fix 'em myself, So I rebuilt the Engine myself! (with help from Dad, Jyllian, Kevin, Mario, Pete, Constantine, Juan, Chava, etc. etc.)















I also decided to paint it myself and put wood paneling on it. I had my doubts for a while, but i'm pretty happy with the results now.















I figured while I was tearing everything apart I may as well Redo the interior

I'm
pretty sure I'm gonna be pretty down the day they come to take The Pearl away. Jyllian and I went out for one last cruise in it today. It's

amazing how well it runs. He hits 90 MPH with no effort at all! and thats going uphill! Jyllian was sad that I have to sell him too, after all, she stayed up countless nights with me working on the engine.

It was so exciting seeing it with the custom eblem I had made for it! That was kind of the finishing touch. I wish I could finish it completely so you all could see it in person. Oh well, this is as close as you get I guess! Here's some more pics of the finished product. Leave me some

comments and tell me what you think!

Christmas Time Is Here!

So, Despite the fact that i seemed to be cursed by some strange curse that makes everything I touch turn to disaster, I'm still very excited for Christmas!! I've been doing lots of things trying to get into the Holiday spirit! Decorating my apartment being one of them! Last year I made a rad Wreath with a Parrot on it and a sign that said "Mele Kalikimaka", so this year I opted to make it a tradition to make a custom Wreath every year. So here is this years creation . Yes, That is the Black Pearl. Here are some more shots of my festive place!

I also started a Christmas Charity Drive on Myspace called the Buy Some Christmas Spirit Drive.



Basic Idea being if your too lasy to go out and do something nice for people, you can come here and make a donation which is then devided evenly between Unicef, The Red Cross, and Toys For Tots. We raised around $115 from various anonymous donors.

One of the funnest things I've done started having Christmas Pajama Movie Night every sunday night at 9:00 at my apartment. Week one we watched Elf, Week two was Muppet Christmas Carol, This week we had to move it until tuesday(tomorrow), and we are going to have a marathon: Charlie Brown Christmas, The Original Grinch, Frosty The Snow Man, Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, and Mr. Krueger's Christmas. Last week before we had movie night we went to SLC to see the lights at Temple Square, Which is one of my favorite things to do at Christmas.

Jyllian and I went to Idaho last weekend to see Shanda in The Nutcracker, which was great! I won't lie. I'm not a fan of Ballet, and I think the Nutcracker is deffinately the result of bad acid, but Shanda's current Dance Company makes it enjoyable and I have never been more impressed with Shanda's Dancing.

Jyllian and I did some Christmas Recording this year as well! We did a Duet, an island version of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (right click links to Download), and yes, that is me playing clarinet. I also did a Peeves cover of "Santa Clause is Coming to Town" Featuring Jyllian on backup vocals. We're quite proud!
Well, I hope you all have a great holiday season! Merry Christmas!

Courtesy of Chef Messy:

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot Chocolate, Egg Nog be NASTY

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Mostly wraps them in the same paper your family uses, then to save time, he just sets the big ones out.

3. Coloured lights on tree/house or white?
I have to disagree with jenny, Multi colored strands are awesome but ONLY if its the big old school bulbs! otherwise they gotta be one color or clear with one color.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Only on years I'm not gettin any. This year I have a hot Girlfriend!

5. When do you put your decorations up?
As soon as I can after halloween :D

6. What is your favourite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Mom's Christmas Eve Beef Stew!

7. Favourite Holiday memory as a child?
Santa Called me once and asked me to ask my dad to leave some hay out the the reindeer, and as a thank you present he left me a special gift and a letter! (the gift was a shaving kit, which i allready needed at 7.)

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
When i was 8 found a box of presents from santa about three days before christmas, I chose to beleave that santa was phsycic and knew a storm must be coming on christmas and gave my parents the presents to set out.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Yes, Pajamas and our home made gifts.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
The Cowboy ornaments My Uncle Paul left to me when he passed this year, Small White Lights, Big Multi Colored Lights, Candy Canes, and some little kids craft ornaments Jyllian and I decorated.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
Love Snow, HATE COLD!

12. Can you ice skate?
I Try, Everyone else laughs

13. Do you remember your favourite gift?
When my mom told me I was going to have a little sister. This Year's Disney trip is a close second.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Just the whole christmas spirit! The fact that most people are a little happier! I also love the movies and the music! and The Christmas Food.

15. What is your favourite Holiday Dessert?
Pumpkin rolls, and Ginger Bread Cookies

16. What is your favourite holiday tradition?
Sitting around in my PJ's watching Christmas movies and playing with my new Toys!


17. What tops your tree?
Right now, and really funny looking owl named Archamedes, but I'm searchin for the perfect star. (which will probably not make it on the tree till next year.)

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving?
Giving, but I love making Christmas Lists!

19. What is your favourite Christmas Song?
Silent night is the best ever, But specific songs, "Holly Jolly Christmas" by Burl Ives,
"White Christmas" by Bing Crosby, "Yule Shoot Your Eye Out" by Fall Out Boy, "The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" by InMemory, and Anything From Jimmy Buffet's "Christmas Island" album

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum?
Depends on the Flavor!

21. Do you still send paper Christmas cards?
mmm, no.

22. What do you do with the gifts you won't ever use?
I return them and unlike Jenny, this happens to me ALOT! I'm not talking about
things i just didn't really want either. I sometimes think that a certain relative of ours forgets there are any boys in the family while shopping, its the only explanation of why i have recieved things like a "Kathy" desktop calendar, The Movie "Anywhere But Here"

23. Who is the hardest person to buy for on your list?
Ugh, I'm the worst at Christmas and Birthday Shopping. The Stuff I buy NEVER gets opened! Seriously! I buy people the movies that two days earlier they called their Favorites, and Six months later they are still in the wrapper! Hardest though i would say is Mom. Dad's getting tough as he gets older though!

24. Do you know anyone who was born on Christmas day?
Jimmy Buffett!

25. How long after Christmas until you take down your decorations and tree?
When My Roomates start to Complaign :)

Tis the Season to be JOLLY!

Merry Christmas everybody! It's been about a month since my last blog, and loads has happened. Mostly having to do with "The Curse of the Black Pearl" which is the name that has been given to my amazing bad luck, which as far as we can tell mostly started with the purchase of the Beetle I turned into the Pearl. For example, In early november I was robbed for the fourth and fifth times in a year.
Luckily I got a short and very welcome break! And it seems as though the Disney Magic is strong enough to counter my cursedness. We went on a Family Vacation to Orlando. IT WAS AWESOME! I'm just a big kid, so I loved everysingle minute of it! Disney Parks are about as close to my Idea of heaven as I think exist on earth. (Especially after 8pm!) and the weather was PERFECT! ok, well for me i could have handled it a touch warmer, but it was warm enough for me and not too hot for anyone else, so PERFECT! I went on Splash mountain twice, Small World twice, The Haunted Mantion twice, Pirates...five times, and every other ride I wanted at least once (except Mr. Toads Wild ride, which has been replaced by the Winnie the Pooh Ride, which thankfully is just as good if not better than Mr. Toad). I even loved the Parades and Shows this time! I just sat and fantasized about working for Disney the whole time. I had a life Changing experience at MGM Studios where I saw an amazing Biopic of Walt Disney which has led me to a pretty sure decision about my future. So, if anyone has any info on good film/animation Schools, I would be happy to hear it! Anyways, I would like to take this moment to thank my whole family for an AMAZING family vacation. Thanks Dad & Mom for taking us! I can never repay you! and thanks to Jenni (and anyone else) for planning it!
Sadly the Magic cannot last forever. The Day after I got home Jyllian and I went to pick up the car I found for her at the Auction. We were both really excited at how nice it was. Then within 10 miles the Transmition started acting up, or not acting at all. We left it in Salt lake and headed back to provo. I spent the next few days trying to figure out how to solve the problem, eventually deciding i would take it back to the auction, sell it, and take the hit. The hit came in a much more unexpected way, at about 80 mph. As we were taking it back to the auction, Me driving the Saturn (the broken car) and Jyllian driving my Kia Behind me, suddenly i heard a crunch and looked into my mirror just in time to see the Kia flying straight at me. As soon as I got stopped I ran to the Kia to get Jyllian, who (as much as she denies it) was pretty in shock, though pretty calm for being so. She was taken to the Hospital by ambulance with Leg, Neck, and head Injuries, all of which apear to be minor as of yet. I had minor neck and back injuries as well. She had been rearended by a third driver who apperantly didn't see our hazard lights. He is allright as well thankfully. The Kia is unquestionably totalled as there is basically nothing left behind the driver's seat. The Saturn is fixable, but not worth it, and the third car is also totalled. Luckily we're pretty sure the fault is his, because his car was worth about twice what jyllian's and mine car are worth combined! Strangly the thing I am saddest about is that The Lilo and Stitch statue/picture frame I bought Jyllian in Disneyworld didn't make it. I'll Put more pictures of the car's and stuff on here soon.




One final quick note. Christmas is coming and I need to know what ya'll want, cause if I don't I'll shop my way, which is to find things I think you MIGHT like, which tends to end with movies staying wrapped for YEARS! Here are my two Amazon lists. Don't forget to change the sorting order to "By Priority"
http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/2THHJ95WE5049/ This one is most up to date
http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/225EDL4J6ITYP/ This one has slightly more variaty.

Long awaited update!

Hey there everybody! Happy Halloween! So its been a Long time since I set this up and I have done NOTHING with it. So here is updates:

Basically here is my life right now; I am living in Orem, UT, I sell used cars, and I am about to become a substitute teacher again. I am dating a hot Canadian named Jyllian. I am in the process of narrowing down what I want to do with my life. I have it narrowed down to film and music, focusing on Screenplay writing, Directing, Score composing, and songwriting and recording. I bought a beetle in may, it exploded and I have spent the last few months rebuilding it, making a sweet custom VW, The Black Pearl. Ever seen the movie Money Pit? And in case anyone wondered from the pictures, yes...I am getting fatter.

so on to more recent news:

I finished rebuilding the engine for The Black Pearl back in Late July, and took it for its first over the road trip at the beginning of October. It runs GREAT! I got it over 90 mph uphill! Not bad for a '68 Beetle! Now if I could just get the rest of the car put back together I'd be in business!

Things are going good with Jyllian, but we had a bit of a tragedy recently. On the 10th Jyllian's older brother and my friend, Jordan, passed away unexpectedly. It's been a really rough few weeks. I pretty much lived at the Petrie's home for a week, then we all went up to Cardston, Alberta, Canada for the funeral. Despite the awful reason for going, it ended up being a pretty nice trip. Canada was beautiful. Its too bad it such a bloody long trip up there, I'd go more often!
Even if just for the candy! Just so's ya'll know, Canada's candy is only about a million times better than ours.
This was our road trip group, me, Jyllian, Joel, and Jyllian's cousin, Dave.



What do you do with all this empty space when nothing you have to say is about this picture?

It was so insanely windy that you could stand on the edge of this hill and hold your coat up like a parachute and fall forward and the wind would not only hold you up, but sometime even push you over backwards! Which is good cause if you fell forward you would fall off the cliff and die. These pictures are all near Watertown.

Back in provo Jyllian and I have been getting into all the holiday Festivities for Halloween. Jyllian even won us tickets to got to the Haunted Forrest for answering the following question: Why did people originally dress up on Halloween? Answer: So the spirits of the dead who arise on Halloween wouldn't recognize them as being human mortals and wouldn't try to steel their bodies. Pretty cool eh? Here's the pumpkins we carved. Mines the one with brains falling out. Cute eh?

Jyllian's is the one that looks like President Hinckley :) Not on purpose.

A note: if your looking for a good scary movie for Halloween, The Wickerman and American Haunting are both really bad choices, avoid like the plague.

So our costumes pretty much rocked this year (again)!

Well, They rocked except for the fact that I couldn't eat any of the food at the parties cause my teeth would have broken off, and Jyllian couldn't walk, or sit, or move. But we looked rad!

Sunday night Jordan's best friend's Jim and Jewels came for dinner at the Petrie's. Jim (DJ Koppertop) is pretty huge in the club scene, Jordan was their babies Godfather. Their baby was hilarious, everytime I would put my arms in the air and grin she would do the same thing and giggle like crazy, even if she was bawling she would stop and do it, I miss having babies around (no, that doesn't mean I want any of my own any time soon!)

So as a final note, ya'll probably only have a couple days left to see Nightmare Before Christmas in 3D, Don't Miss it! Anywho, that's a basic update about my life to date. Hope you enjoyed, now that I'm up to date maybe I'll update this more often!