Did that guy I signed up for a newsletter with really just put something about floating dead in a pool?
Yes. Yes, I did. But before I address that, I wanted to see if you checked out the other floating thing… you know, that episode of Beyond Geek I hooked you up with.
Well, in case you didn’t get the link to watch Floating to Space, here you go again: Beyond Geek-Floating to Space
Now back to the floating dead in a pool… It’s actually because of Sunset Boulevard, which is the answer to question Tim Robbins asked in The Player, “Anybody know who Joe Gillis is?”
For many, the name Joe Gillis conjures up the image of said character floating dead in a pool from the opening of Sunset Boulevard. You know, that film from 1950 featuring Norma Desmond (played by the amazing Gloria Swanson) saying, “Alright Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close up.” You know the one, right?
Luckily, this is how I take to water:
Yep, this Joe Gillis is a merman (yet I suck at swimming… more about that in the future), and my name is the same as a movie character who is a down-and-out screenwriter whose life obviously takes a serious wrong turn (floating dead in a pool, and all).
Just like William Holden's Joe Gillis, I’m a screenwriter—and my beginning was tied to silent films, too. My first film, 9 Items or Less, is a silent comedy that I starred in, wrote, produced, and directed, and just like Sunset Blvd., it was shot entirely on glorious black and white film. That’s right, actual celluloid film. Am I a film snob? Nope, I love film, and even ran a few different motion picture theaters back in the '90s. If you would have asked me about digital back then, I would have said it sucked (it was the '90s, so it sort of did), but digital can now produce absolutely phenomenal results, so I’m a big fan of both.
After that, I made a feature film and then some music videos for the band Groovie Ghoulies. You can check out the first video I did here: ‘Til Death Do Us Party (Featuring Odin Abbott as the Intruder)
Eventually, I found myself editing, writing, and producing TV shows.
I’m a lifelong geek, so it didn’t take long for me to combine my knowledge of television production with my true passion of all things geek, and create Beyond Geek.
My career has come full circle now. I moved from just being behind the camera, to doing both again, joining Beyond Geek on-screen as a host.
I do have a lot in common with Billy Wilder’s character Joe Gillis: I’m a writer… check. Silent films played a pivotal part in my life… check. Well, that one’s a reach since Gloria Swanson was the silent film star. But I am ready for my close up; the writer part of me just hopes for a different ending.
Join me on my journey of geekdom. In my next email, I’ll share with you that time I pissed off Peter Parker, and send you another episode of Beyond Geek to check out. I mean, come on… Spider-Man and Beyond Geek… How could you say no to that combo?
Until then, happy viewing!
Joe
P.S. What about Hugh Jackman knowing Joe Gillis? We’re leaving Wolverine to the post-credits scene in true Marvel fashion. Hugh Jackman once played me… I mean, Joe Gillis, on stage. How cool would it have been to see that?