Wuv...Twue Wuv

Love; the subject of millions of songs, poems, musings, teenage angst and Tom Hanks movies. It's not easy to find, and everyone knows it. I mean, Bon Jovi tells us love is tough, right? So, how is it that I found it again? Not just once, but twice?! Yes, I have my amazing daughter and this new, amazing love that somehow feels not new. It feels like something familiar, and something pretty amazing that I've never seen. This story, like all good stories, is about a girl...

Her name is Cheree. I found her on a dating site. For some reason, I still feel kinda weird admitting that. Why is that? Anything that allows me to find people without having to dance and get drunk is a good thing. Anywho, I saw this really pretty picture of this person and you know how you can feel excited just be reading those things? Well, I did. The problem is I was planning on cancelling my membership. I hadn't much luck and didn't really want it anyway. Then, I got a message. It was from HER! The next hour was us going back and fourth, enjoying eachothers conversation. It seemed just so amazing.

We exchanged phone numbers and even talked on the phone. Then came the moment. Was she a big, hairy guy named Chuck? We would find out. The first date. It's like an interview, only more important. So, there I am at Panera's in the worst storm I've ever seen. Then, lightning struck, both literally and figuratively. Lightning hit the building I was in at the same time she came in. It was an omen.

For the next 4 hours we sat and talked. Yes, four hours. We broke the first rule of first dates. When we looked down, time had passed and neither of us could believe it. We also weren't ready for the date to end! Rule number two is now broken. She asked if I wanted to see a movie! Yeah, I loved this woman.

It was Spiderman: Homecoming. Right about the time Robert Downey Jr.s Tony Stark walked on screen, I reached in and held her hand. This was huge. The movie ended and there we were; a 6 hour first date and I just wanted more. A lot more. I reached in for a kiss during that akward moment and nailed it. The kiss was amazing, and passionate and closed down the world around us for a moment. I couldn't wait to see this girl again and she hadn't even left my sight yet. Yeah, I know, I fell hard.

My therapy

It's been two a half months since she moved out. It's been almost 4 since my wife of 5 years said she wanted a divorce. Things have been tough, to say the least. We share custody of our amazing 3 year old daughter, Savannah and I have the dogs. My soon to be ex-wife (that would be the first time I've referred to her as such) has been about as kind as you could possibly hope for. If I want extra Savannah time, she's great with it; I was really depressed about Thanksgiving and she made sure I had Savannah this time. It isn't perfect, but it's something.

During these past few months, I have faced a lot of questions, and thoughts; most of which I just can't seem to get out of my head, thoughts that wake me up in the middle of the night most nights. I thought getting them down would help, so you don't have to read any further. I appreciate your support, but this blog is for my sanity more than anything.

The first thought is dealing with me no longer having a family. A family is all I have ever wanted in this world. My parents were so amazing and set such a high standard for parenting that all I ever wanted was to be able to measure up to their kindness, devotion and love. Even now, they invite me over for dinner, and out for golf, constantly checking on me. Now, with things different, I have often thought of my family as gone; done. It's the hardest part of this, especially as I am hanging Christmas lights alone.

My family isn't gone, though, is it? Like so much of life things change, and so has my family. I have my daughter, who daily shows me how to live and teaches me more than I could ever teach her. I have 3 dogs...do I really need more? I mean, where's the line of getting greedy, huh? I may not be like my parents, but you will never find someone who loves their little girl more than I, and for now, that's something.

My other thought that seems to creep its way in my head is what exactly you are supposed to do when you find out you simply aren't enough for someone. Make no mistake, I hold no animosity toward her, but what do you say when the person I married tells me I'm simply not enough to make her happy. It's a hard thing to live with, and one that keeps me in bed just a little longer every morning. If I'm not enough for her, can I be enough for anyone?

Another thought is kinda a selfish one; what do I do now? I find myself closing the doors on the world, and not wanting to get out. It's all part of the process, I suppose, but how do I get over such a thing? I can't seem to pick my life up and move on. I simply don't know who I am or how to take that first step back into society, now as a single parent that is a divorcee. That first step is what it takes, but it's that first step that seems to allude me.

And, have we talked about dating? I break into cold sweats at the thought of downloading a dating app, let alone trying to make a real connection. I get I'm not ready, but should I be? Will I ever be? My guess is 'yes' but it's kinda murky right now. So, for now, the thought of connecting with someone will have to stay a dream. I think, for now, it's more important to find out how to take that first step into a much larger world.

So, if you are still reading, you have to be ready to jump off a bridge. Or, maybe you have some similar feelings. In the end, I have Savannah, and I am beyond greatful for her and the blessing to my life she is. That is enough, for now.

Besides, I have some Christmas decorations to put up.

Just sitting here, thinking of writing

The whole purpose behind my repurposed blog is to get me some writing, and maybe some other writers can relate or maybe even comment and give advice.

So, I'm sitting here, dying to write. I literally don't have any clue what the next sentence will be, but I'm craving the writing. Does that happen to anyone else? I feel complete when I'm writing. Savannah is asleep, and my wife is at Target, so, it's very quiet at the moment, and I'm sitting here, just craving to write. I read recently that writing every day will help your creativity and make all your blogs better. It can't hurt, right?

My job consists of being creative. I am in charge of the online marketing and e-commerce for a fiberglass supply company. I love my job like crazy. But, it's not easy, because there is no advice for what I do. I make blogs and social media campaigns with no budget and a lot of expectations, so, after a long day, it's tough to write, but lately, I'm dying to release my creativity.

My daughter and my wife are inspiring. I feel like every day I just go to work, I'm not doing enough. I want to remake the world for them. When my little girl looks at me, I feel like everything just makes sense. My wife doesn't even have to look at me, I just want to be better for her.

So, here I am, dying to write, with no ideas on what to write, but I can't let my ladies down; I will write and I will succeed, and someday down the line, this blog will be a full time job for me. Until then, I'm going to go check on my princess and promise her that I will make this world better. For her.

ShellyK - boating for a lifetime

Prologue -

At 16 days old, I was on a boat. From the earliest memories on, most of my fondest and strangest memories take place on the family boat. From my 9th birthday, to family trips to marinas all over the state, my favorite stories involve boating. I give boating full credit for my family being as close as it is, but with some of my stories, you have to wonder how. I suppose bonding over everything from days at the beach to harrowing sinkings has made us stronger than we ever could without our trusty, floating piece of entertainment. I want to make one thing very clear; every memory I ever have on a boat is a treasured one, and one that I hope to keep with me forever. I can't thank my parents enough for exposing me to so many wonders, because it's made me who I am today.

The Shelly K -

The first vessel to bare the monicer "Shelly K." The name came from my sister and I, "Shelly," which was my sisters name before she decided at the ripe old age of 5 that she was too mature for that nickname, and "K" for me, Kevin. I am not sure how I got the short end of the stick with only one letter, but that's life, right? The boat was a 23 foot Formula Thunderbird with an 8 cylinder 350 engine (which, if I remember right, my dad built, and I remember a time where it caught on fire in the driveway). Anywho, it had a small little cuddy cabin with a port-a-potty.

The fist Shelly K was possibly the sturdiest of the boats I can remember. My first memories of boating are on this boat. I remember fishing from the Skyway, and getting stuck at Picnic Island. My dad and I were bonding when I was really young, and he was trying to teach me to fish, when the boat wouldn't start. We had a police officer take us in. I remember it because the officer was so nice, and apparently I was scared (it was my first time I was stuck on a boat) that the officer hand-coughed my dad as a joke and let me work the siren (which was awesome!).

What I want: A Reintroduction

So, it's been nearly 3 years since I've written on this blog. It may be no coincidence my last post was right before my daughter came out. No one said being a parent would be so hard! Maybe next time, give me a heads up or something. That being said, some amazing moments have happened in the last three years. I have so much to share with you, and I want to use this blog to share those stories and develop my writing and make a blog I can be proud of. At the same time, I want to connect with other writers and share that journey, too. It may be a lot to ask, but let's get started anyway.

Now, expanding writing isn't just like working out and building that muscle. While that is a part of it, the bigger part is to build an audience. That audience, I want to come here and read something entertaining, endearing, and maybe something inspiring. I want this to be a place where I can talk to other writers and people going through similar issues and we can grow together. Life is a crazy, fun, insane ride and I don't want to miss any of it.

My voice is a combination of my inner movie geek meeting my outer dad self, all with a large helping of sarcasm. My daughter is feisty and just like her mother, so between the two of them, I am usually outnumbered, but there will never be a shortage of content.

Let's hope it won't be another 3 years before another post...

Dear Savannah

So, you are a beautiful girl! Your mother and I couldn't wait for the big reveal with the doctor, so we went to a more private viewing of your beautiful self. Your mom and I were so nervous! Up until then, it was the biggest day in your life, and one of the biggest in ours. We saw your beautiful face, and we were both instantly in love. Love at first site happened when I met your mom, and it happened again on that day when I saw you.

"She has her legs open...just like her mom." Yeah, I don't know what your mom meant, just know that your mom was too happy for coherent words, and the lady at the sonagram place thinks you and your mom like to spread your legs.

In the days and weeks since, we have redid your room, gotten more clothes than you could ever wear and gotten diapers for your beautiful little bottom. I've been so nervous about the day you come, I have worked as hard as I can to get our house looking nice so your mom and you come hope to perfection. Sadly, it won't be perfect, but I hope you like it.

I also got armed. Yep, your grandfather gave me a shotgun. It's partly because I wanted one and partly because if I see a boy looking at you the wrong way, I will use it! Yeah, I've gotten really protective of you, too. The lady with the sonagram wand was getting a little physical last time we were there and I almost had to take her out. No one is hurting my little girl.

So, baby, that's it for now. I'm so happy you are getting so big. You are nearly two pounds now, and your mom and I are literally counting down the days until you come into our lives.

a perfect kid

Hi, my little peanut!
Apparently, you aren't a peanut anymore, but you'll always be a peanut. The books say you are the size of an orange. Isn't it weird to think you were ever that small? We still don't know if you are a girl or a boy, but the money, apparently is that you are going to be a beautiful baby girl. To say I'm excited is an understatement.

So, peanut, I realized something the other day. I was thinking about what kind of kid I was hoping you are going to turn out like, I realized, I'm not sure, nor do I care if you are a jock, or a nerd or an extrovert or an introvert; whether you turn out gay or straight. Your mom and I are going to love you with every bit of our heart no matter what. What I realized is that we simply want you to turn out better than us.

We want you to have it better and we want you to be better than we ever could be. Apparently, it's what every parent wants. Your mom sets the bar pretty high. I hope you get her zest for life. I can tell you I've never met someone with so much life in them, and I just hope you get some of that. I think my generally optimistic view would be what I would hope you get from me. But, in the end, we hope you are better than we are. It's something to work towards, and it's something you will work toward for a long time, but your mom and I will hope that you are happy and we already think you are the best of us. You are the product of love; how could you be any less?

Ramblings of a ...

So, my little peanut, I saw a bubble gun today and I thought of you. If you are thinking you are too grown up to think bubble guns are cool, I say that I am 31 (very old) and I still think bubble guns are awesome. I mean, they shoot bubbles! It got me thinking of all the toys I would want to get you.

I know some of these are going to be for when you are older, but, my peanut, we are not settling for a rattler. You've got to have one of those guns that shoot ping pong balls. I had one when I was young, and let me tell you... it will annoy your mother to no end! Also, when you are young, you don't need any of those annoying noise-making toys. They are over-rated. You will definitely need one of those power wheels. A boy or girl, it doesn't matter, you will need one of those. Also, a teddy bear is a must. Those things are classics, and you can't mess with a classic. Also, I'm thinking lots and lots of legos. Star Wars legos, cars, boats, houses, you name it, we will need to get you some. Be warned, however, that your father may enjoy the legos more than you. Deal with it, kiddo, it's fathers perogative (you can look that word up).

If you are a girl, Barbie dolls are it, but none of those stupid ones like trailer trash Barbie, or Gheto Barbie, no, you will be a princess, so anything but Princess Barbie just wont do.

If you are a boy, G.I. Joes, Army Men and Transformers. They rock. It still amazes me how those transformers are a guy and a car at the same time! Also, ask your uncle how awesome Army Men are.

I also need to teach you how to fish. Don't let me forget that, it's an important part of being a Floridian. Don't let your grandfather talk to you about snook, because he doesn't know how to catch one, but we will catch catfish, drown bait, and I will have a beer; you have one of those juice packs and it will be good times.

This week, we may have an idea if you are going to be a boy or a girl. I'm terrified! Don't worry, though, peanut, we love you either way! We just want you to be healthy, and we want you here more than anything. You don't have ears yet, but we will blast some Star Wars this weekend, just in case.

More ramblings of a...

I can't really say "ramblings of a dad" yet, can I? Maybe contributor to a peanut? I'm not sure, but referring to myself as a father just gave me chills in the 'all kinds of amazing' category.

So, my peanut, your mother went to the doctor and it's confirmed; you are coming. We were so excited to hear that all is well, we were literally jumping up and down. If you felt something like an earthquake, well, sorry, but that's gonna happen as things get closer.

As we embark on this journey, I'm starting to see things that I can't wait to do with you. It's not just movies, although I can't wait to show you Bugs Bunny. You will thank me later. Also, I can't wait to take you knee-boarding! Your uncle James and I do it all the time during the summer. The secret is to pull your knees up into your chest as soon as the boat goes. It'll take you some time, but we will have patience. Just be careful, because your uncle James likes to slow down at random times. Your mom gets scared of sea creatures and stuff, but trust me, nature is awesome, and as long as you respect it, you'll be fine.

Also, make sure I get on the whole 'teaching you to read' thing. Reading and writing is extremely important. Don't think the terms "lol" and "LMAO" is writing, because it's not english. Writing is a true art form and it's in your blood, so just let it flow, because between your mom and I, you will be a natural.

Also, don't believe in racism. As Ferris Bueller says "ism's are bad, I don't think someone should believe in isms." Also, I need to show you Ferris Buellers Day Off, but be careful, because ditching school is not ok.

Ok, well, we are tossing around what to do with your room. You are going to love it. It's going to be beautiful. Your grandparents are already trying to help put furniture in there.

That's all for now, my little peanut. I'm sure you won't care too much about these posts, but just maybe it'll inspire you, or atleast let you know how much you are loved.

Ramblings of a...

Hello! I'm Kevin. So, uhh, that's that. I haven't written here in a long time because, well, life outside the internet kinda happened. I got married, and it's been a whirlwind of awesome. So, instead of just writing movie stuff, well, it's gonna be all the Hopp's all the time, and well, there's movies. This blog post, the first of a few of them, will be something different.

This post, I'm writing not for any readers, or even for myself. This post is for my kid. At the moment, it's a peanut, and an 'it.' We just found out and it will be a long time before it can read this, but it's here, just in case.

So, peanut, we don't know if you are a boy or a girl, yet. Your mom and I are incredibly excited to have you. We have wanted you in our lives for so long, and finally, a miracle came and you are in the oven.

I know it's a bit impersonal, posting my letters to you online, but your mom and I have don't have much privacy, now, with her being Cuban, and everything being online, and it'll be even more public when your born, so this is a good way for you to get used to it.

There are billions of things you need to know. I'm only 31 right now, but I'm already starting to lose my memory, so I better get a few things down:

First off, Star Wars, you'll love it. I'm pretty sure you are already old enough...at a few weeks conceived to see Star Wars. You don't even have eyes yet, but you can listen...as soon as you get ears. You need to know the prequels will never be as good as the originals, Anakin Skywalker was just pre-Darth Vader and not a whiney adolescent and I'm forbiding you to like Jar-Jar Binks. And, yes, if they have one, you can have a real light saber. I have a fake one, and it's all yours one day.

Secondly, you can't compare Star Trek and Star Wars. They both start off with "Star" but that's where the similarities end. Both are awesome, for the record.

And, there's Doctor Who. Yeah, it's british, but that doesn't make it bad. It's amazing, and I can't wait to watch episodes with you.

Your mom and I have been together for a few years and we've been married for about a year and a half, now, so there's a certain B-word that if anyone calls you that, well, you let me know and I'll take them out, but if I'm not around you can simply say that doesn't apply to you. Your mom and I have have had an amazing time together so far. We've been on all kinds of adventures together, and there are many more on the horizon, and you will be our greatest adventure and we can't wait.

As I think of more things, I'll post them so I don't forget.
Also, I'm sorry because I'm not a very good baseball player. I will still teach you to throw a ball and how to hit the ball, but I never made it to the MLB.
Ok, that's it for now. We can't wait to see you, and December is how long you are going to be in there, so it can't come soon enough.

Review: The River Ep. 1 & 2

If you haven't seen The River, NBC's newest show, then you should. Just in case, I may touch on some minor SPOILERS, so be warned....

Let me first off acknowledge that I fall for the shaky-cam technique the same way Charlie Brown falls for Lucy holding the football; it gets me every time. So when I saw the trailer for The River, a TV series done in that format by the director of the most successful movie using the technique, Oren Peli from Paranormal Activity fame, I knew I was probably going to like it. Is it bias? Yep. Should you run and tell the critic police? Of course. I'm ready for 'em! That being said, let's discuss.

So, you find out Dr. Emmett Cole (Bruce Greenwood) is the spearhead of a nature show, where he brings his family along in search of wonders and magic. His catchphrase is "there's magic out there." Think Steve Irwin without the accent. After his small son grows up, the family drifts apart, until Dr. Cole leaves for a secluded area of the Amazon and is never heard from again. After 6 months, his beacon is triggered, leading Dr. Cole's wife, Tess (Leslie Hope) and his now grown son Lincoln (Joe Anderson) and a camera crew to race out there and save him. Simple enough, right?

Now, from that, you would assume the whole series would be about finding the beacon, and the father, but the show does a slight zig-zag. They find the beacon pretty early on, along with Dr. Cole's boat, and a whole bunch of archive footage, but they also find something else, which is the focus of the episode. It's this zig-zag that will be the running part of the show, with the finding of the good doctor being the overall story-arc.

The second episode goes even further, when they find a possible path the possibly late-explorer took, they find something incredibly terrifying that won't let them leave until it gets what it wants, and what it wants is for someone to die. Pretty serious stuff, and it has little to do with the search for their father, rather more about survival. We also get a bizarre possible hint the doctor is still alive through an almost demonic possession of the mechanics daughter, leading us to believe he's out there, but the search is going to be rough.

The episode used the guerrilla-filmmaking style, or shaky cam well, without over-doing it. Some of the scenes were purposefully degraded to make it look more authentic, but it actually just made it look silly. You don't get a lot about the characters in the first two episodes, with the exception of the son and wife, with snippets of old footage to help you along.

That being said, I found it incredibly eerie, and successful in using the same formula that made Paranormal Activity such a hit, that less is more, and this show does it perfectly. Each episode was an hour-long horror movie that opens, scares and closes nicely.

Overall, it's set for a season pass on my DVR, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens next. There's some things I would like to see happen, and I don't know how it will happen in 7 episodes, but I can't wait to find out. There is magic out there, and I think The River could be it.

What did you think?

Love, Death, Taxes and everything in between

I am recently married, as you all know. It's been three and a half amazing months, which still puts me in the newly married column. I am not sure what the exact amount of time is to move you to the 'married' column, but I guess I'll figure that out. Anyway, things have been going really well. Both my bride and I have tried to work really hard at making our relationship the best it can be in stressful times, and I can say that new feeling in a relationship still hasn't gone away. Today, I figured out my first problem with being in a relationship with the one, true love of my life.

We have lived together for nearly a year, and been together longer than that. I wake up next to my beautiful wife; easily the highlight of my day; I kiss her goodbye as we leave for work, and when I get home, I kiss her on the way in before doing our evening ritual. If you're noticing a pattern, then you're good, because it's something that doesn't really hit you until something happens that points it out to you. Today, that happened to me.

At my place of employment, there is an older lady I've known for a few years now. We exchange pleasantries at the elevator, and as we pass in the hall. She's come to me for assistance a few times and now knows my name. There is something that has remained unspoken between us, however, that everyone in the office knows about, and it's her husband. Her husband has been in the hospital for years, suffering from liver failure, amongst several other things. It's a tragic, horrifying tail of one man losing the quality of life over several years. It's hard to hear, and I have never discussed it with my coworker, who has remained stronger than I could ever be. Sadly, today, my coworkers husband of over 20 years passed away.

I never knew the guy, and I am one who doesn't let the death of someone I've never even met affect me. I deal with death a hundred times a day in my job, and as such, have developed a bit of insensitivity for it. So, you would think the death of someone I didn't know, related to a coworker I barely talked to would just pass through one ear and out the other. Strangely, you would be wrong.

I'm not sure if it was the news being heard the same time I got a text that said "I love you" from my wife, or if I'm just getting sensitive in my old age, but this one bothered me. Here, this older lady had to watch the person she loved more than anything slowly die. When he finally passed, she is now left in a big house they recently bought, alone. It's a sad thought, but never one I contemplated until now.

My wife is my world. She makes me happy when I'm sad, she is my biggest fan, and supports me in everything I do. She is a passionate, loving woman, and I have said everyday that I'm the luckiest guy in the world. But, with the news this morning, I put myself in my coworkers shoes, standing in a house, alone. I never do that. My shoes are comfortable enough, I don't like trading, and here I am, fighting back the horrible feeling of being left without the one I love.

It's a nasty thought, and that is when it hit me; the problem with getting married, or really just close to the one you love is that you realize that there is no possible way you could live without them. Love is the forbidden fruit that once you eat it, there is no turning back. It's a poison that kills your love for independence and makes you realize that the life you had, on your own before, can never be returned to. It frankly, makes the thought terrifying because those simple moments of kissing your wife goodbye in the morning, or making dinner with them could be gone the very next day.

I guess, this incredibly long-winded blog could've been condensed to say that you really do have to cherish those moments, because they could be gone at anytime. The thought is terrifying and I hope it doesn't happen to anyone, especially me, because that person that existed pre-wife is long gone, and is never coming back, and I would be lost without her.

The Nerd Party...

With all these Republican Party talk and Democratic Party talk, it's made me realize politicians (which are all "Washington Insiders") don't really get me, or what I want. It's why I'm proposing a "Nerd Party," and if you want, I'll lead it. Whitehouse in 2014!!!

Just in case the name didn't immediately make you change your voting card status, let me lay out the ideas and principles of the Nerd Party:

First off, immigration isn't immigration anymore, it's called the "Noob policy." While some don't like noobs, they're an integral part of the game society.

Healthcare is now "Powerup Care," and is very important. Not all of us run around with health and shield bars always recharging, so we're putting it right at the top of the priority list.

Movies are now Government subsidized. No more shitty Transformers 37 without committee approval, and more indie movies will get their chance. (this is a personal project of mine).

The economy? The treasury will now be "the ore refinery," and we Nerds have a very simple plan to create jobs. Government money for tech-stuff like new, Remote Controlled bombers, smart computers, and those Tron light-cycles, everyone who is un-employed is now employed contributing to one nerd category...video games (if you program, great, if not, gamers need their soda...), Comic books (if you draw, awesome, if not, then learn to, or get them their soda), or movies (there is plenty of need for extras, and track-layers.) Or Soda makers...see above.

Military? Take all the Command and Conquer and Starcraft players and put them in one room and don't tell them their units represent real computer-driven units....watch them take over the world.

Energy? - All the people who couldn't find a job can run a hamster wheel, or blow on a windmill. And U.S. companies will be required to use solar or electric within two years. No questions asked. Before you get upset, they have the technology, they just don't want to use it to upset the oil people. So, I say, eff them. No likey? Frag Grenade to the face.

Infrastructure will be taken care of by Lego, and their many, many Lego engineers. If you can build an amazing Dinosaur at Disney with legos, you have my vote for highway infrastructure.

It's the age of the Nerd, and it's about time we took over. It was bound to happen anyway.

Got anymore nerd-inspired changes? You have to share them with me!

Moovie...buh..buh..buhlog?

Before I get going, let me stretch here.... there we go. Still with me? Yep, still no one. Alright, so I haven't done this whole movie writing thing in a long time. I'm not sure if I still know how to do it. I've written a lot about my new wife and my journey to amazing happiness, I figured I would look back on how I started writing, throw it over my shoulder and continue on. So, with that being said...

Whassup? So, umm, have you seen any movies lately? To be honest, my movie watching hasn't been too high lately. It's partially because 2011 has been the year of some crappy movies. Go ahead, think of the top 5 movies of the year so far. You can't do it, can you? What's that? I didn't give you long enough time to think about it? Fine, you get five periods..... there, give up? Fine. Now, while it's been rough for movies this year, I didn't realize weddings and being crazy-in love could put such a dent in my movie watching habits, but it did. Oh yeah, it was worth it.

So, I saw some movie news today. Yep, saw something, liked what I saw, and read most of it. Darn near the whole thing. What? Sweet, right? So, here's what I saw, let me know your thoughts.

Evil Dead isn't really Evil Dead - So, the remake is on, and Juno scribe Diablo Cody is writing a remake of the Evil Dead, without the Chin, Bruce Campbell. I don't know how it's possible, but they're giving it the old high school try. I am not a fan of Cody, and a remake of Evil Dead, minus the cheese and cheapness just seems to miss the point. I'm not going to lie, I'll probably see it, but will it end up on my shelf? In the words of my magic 8 ball, "all signs point to no."

Kaaaahhhnnn - There has been all kinds of talk about J.J. Abrams sequel to the 2009 hit Star Trek, regarding the films bad guy. All signs are currently pointing to Kahn, the same baddie from the original second movie, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn. The character also appeared in one episode of the original series, entitled "The Space Seed." You have some hardcore trekkies crying about the timeline and you have others clamoring for an original, with a select few saying Kahn is like the Joker, and you can't make a Batman film without the Joker.

For me, I think the film would benefit more from a Klingon feud, than anything else. They are a classic race with plenty of depth and more than enough possibilities from Klang, to Kirk's murdered son, there is enough to pull from without re-hashing an old villain. If you have to have an old villain, Kahn is good, but there is no setup, like the original Wrath of Kahn. Here, you would have to compress the episode and the movie into one movie. It can be done, but it's pretty tricky, all while showing the crew truly gelling into the crew we all know and love.

Doctor Who - I love me some Doctor Who, and the prequel and the trailer for the Christmas episode has come out and gotten me all kinds of excited, but we won't get any new non-Christmas episodes until the autumn of next year, which sucks all kinds of Dalek toe.

Alright, that's my first attempt back in the world of movie writing for this whole blog thing. I think I need to go lay down now. But, I'll be back!

A Wedding to Remember

October 15, 2011. A day that will live in infamy. The day some dorky little movie nerd found his soul mate and married the love of his life.

So, it's a bit dramatic, but hey, I'm a writer! I can't just write "I got hitched, yee haw," they'd take away my license or something. For the past 8 months, I've referred to my significant other on this blog as "my future wife," "fiancee," or "my love," but now, it's official, she's my wife, she's Mrs. Hopp. Yeah, pretty sweet, right? In case you weren't there, let me tell you what happened.

What? Yeah, I guess she now owns the rights to TheHopp.NET too. No, she isn't taking over, but talking about perks, eh? Ok, back to it....

So, it started with me arriving at my parents house. Most of the guests had already arrived, and my family and friends were already coming up and hugging me, wishing me the happiest of times. Little did they know that would be coming as soon as she said "I Do." I wasn't allowed to see the bride (see A Wedding to Remember: Bad Juju), but she was there, which was a relief. Without looking, I shouted that I loved her, and I heard her say that she loved me. Neither of us could see the other, but we both could feel the others tension...and love.

With last minute things coming together, the next thing I know, I was walking my sobbing mother down the isle, the music was playing, my mother was crying, and I think there were some other people there. I can't be sure. I heard a lot of pictures being taken, as I took my place under the arch as the wedding party descended on me. They all looked amazing, as the people that mean the most to my wife and I came and joined me in anticipation of my bride. Then, it happened: The Star Wars theme played. What were you expecting? See, I had asked the DJ if he could do that, ya know, just a snippet. No one seemed keen on the idea, so I dropped it, asking the DJ to do the normal thing. Well, my incredible wife changed it back on me, and yes, the award for greatest bride is already in the mail.

Finally, after I finished laughing, I saw her. And my mouth, for once, stopped working. I truly wanted to say something poignant, or meaningful, ya know to show how blown away I was, but all I could come up with was "wow." My mouth hung open like a Venus Fly Trap, awaiting flies, as this amazingly beautiful woman came walking to me. I had never seen something so angelic, so beautiful, and so awe-inspiring. I started shaking, feeling the full force of the situation hitting me like a ton of bricks, so I let out another "wow." Yeah, eloquent, right?

So, there we stood, holding each other's hands as we cited our vows. No, I didn't use the word "obey," but she did tell me she reserved the right to cut me if need be. We spoke our words, we poured our sand together, and exchanged rings. I said "I do," knowing that my life would change for the better right now. She said "I do" too, and I finally took my first breath of the day. It was over. We were married! Just like that, the dream, from childhood to adulthood just happened. I think I let out another "wow." Someone got me some champagne, as we took pictures, ate an amazing dinner, and partied the night away. All of it was perfect. The centerpieces were beautiful, almost everyone that meant something to me was there, in support of us, and we had so much fun, doing the wedding thing, throwing garter belts and bouquets.

I tried to soak up the wonderful, wonderful evening. I don't think I got it all, and as I look through pictures, I get a huge smile, remembering the amazing day I had. It ended with a trip to a hotel on the beach, as we partied even more with some friends, still in shock over the piece of jewelry on my finger. "So this is what it feels like to be married" I whispered to her as we went to bed. Now, the honeymoon!