F. Scott Fitzgerald / Jay Gatsby / Harry Whittington

On a recent road trip we visited the F. Scott Fitzgerald Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. The curator explained that it is the only F. Scott Fitzgerald Museum in the world, where Hemingway has about 4 dedicated to his life and work. The museum needs donations as it rents a few rooms to boarders and the remaining part of the house is the museum. Fitzgerald and his eccentric socialite wife, Zelda, lived for a very short time in the house during the latter years of their lives. Since Warner Brothers is releasing a new version of "The Great Gatsby" during the holiday season in 2012, I believe it would be very noble of them to help this legend's only landmark, by sharing a healthy donation to complete the remaining house and show some support to the writer's fan base. F. Scott Fitgerald was my mentor, Harry Whittington's favorite author. Harry passed away in 1989 and approved the outline for my novel, Marquel. My husband and I recently had dinner with Howard Whittington and his wife and he shared that Kathryn Whittington, Howard's mother, had gone to great expense to get Harry a first edition of "The Great Gatsby" in the early years of their marriage. I'm now reading Gatsby and knowing Harry, I can feel his excitement with the Gatsby lifestyle and his insecurity with social wealth. After learning more about Fitzgerald and Zelda, I see Kathryn and Harry as a couple on the extreme lower rung as somewhat of a mirror image. The Fitzgerald's lived the high life, the Whittington's dreamed of it. Harry wrote more and published more than his idol and struggled to meet his bills, but he wrote daily. It was about the time that I met Harry that he was living the good life. He had been honored in Reims, France, he was making good money writing under the name Ashley Carter and Blaine Stevens and was living in a waterfront home on Indian Rocks Beach, Florida with a beautiful 2nd floor intercoastal view from his studio office. If Fitzgerald had had Harry's discipline, he likely would have conquered some of his own demons. Both men longed to make movies and each had moved the Hollywood for a period to make attempts. Zelda was Fitz's larger than life flapper wife, Kathryn was a country girl unknown to the world, but known to the close fans of Harry and maintained close touch after Harry's death. Harry lived twice as long as Fitzgerald, who was in his forties when he passed from complications due to his alcoholic lifestyle. Harry lived life to the fullest well into his eighties. What I find in Jay Gatsby that is common to Harry and Fitzgerald is the class struggle. All 3 men come from common roots, excel at their talents, love a woman who has challenges of her own, but they are restless in their self-confidence. They seem to be always fighting to fit in or get to a place of earned respect that meets a standard that only they can define. It's unattainable really, but it keeps them hungry and it's that restlessness that makes us love them. We know they aren't perfect, but we know there is no one else like them and for that, we cherish them. And isn't it interesting that Fitzgerald's legacy is commemorated by a landmark that isn't complete? Harry at least has his western novels archived in a college library in Wyoming. But both men deserve better.

Collection of thoughts

The first thing I want to discuss is the Google Chrome function. I'm not in favor of blogspot blocking my view of prior settings, pretty much forcing me to use Google Chrome. I want options! I liked Blogspot as it was. _______________ A collection of websites that I made note of from magazine articles were either surprisingly boring or didn't exist. These were from national magazines. What gives? _______________ I went to the Tampa Bay Comic Con awhile ago and have wanted to get more info on www.501st.com or www.fl501st.com, the Florida Garrison of Star Wars re-enacters. I would love to see these guys battle the civil war re-enacters! Talk about Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, this would be epic! ______________ Debating whether to go to another writer's conference before getting a sale? I've got plenty of work to do on the 2nd novel and it seems these conferences fan the flames of hope, but I've got to get a deal! ______________ California food: please open a Trader Joe's, Urth Cafe and Larchmont Cafe in Florida! We need your quality and some better organic options.

Volume control PLEASE!

I don't know about you, but I'm really getting frustrated with the volume of movie previews, trailers and action scenes. It's to the point that I cover my ears!
I have a hearing loss and I am very appreciative for the gift of hearing and my doctors have told me that loud concerts, fireworks and noise that is excessively loud is unhealthy for me and will speed up more loss.
So I'm wondering, what studies are out there to show how society hears today vs. decades or centuries ago?
I'm sure the industrial revolution sped up hearing loss for factory workers and the invention of TV and radio gave people more to listen to, but what of the first transistor radios? And it's already reported that ipods are causing hearing loss, but how about cellphones, the music played loudly in bars, coffeehouses and concerts?
I've not researched the blogs that I'm sure report on these stats, but I want to make a request to all businesses.
Turn down the volume!
Give us a chance to hear each talk and in a film, for Pete's sake, please have some common sense on the sound mixing. I'm going to boycott promotions and commercials that just are extreme in their loudness. I'm going to walkout and get my money back, if theater's insistent on injuring our hearing health and wait the film to hit DVD.
Come on, people. Do you really want to wear hearing aids at younger ages, because you're headed there. Express yourself, ask them to turn down the volume and don't accept the excuse that it's set by the management.
And for those talented actors who like to whispertalk like you, John Malkovich, remind the sound guys to give us some volume on your dialogue but bring it back down when the other actor responds. I'm a big Malkovich fan, but close caption is the only way to watch your films.
So to recap. Volume up for whispertalk. Volume down on just about everything else.

"Marquel" The Movie - press release




Robert Enriquez

  Florida native Robert Enriquez is President and owner of Red Baron Picture Corp. and Red Baron Management. He began his career as an actor in regional theatre, feature films and television before going behind the career to produce, direct and management talent. His latest project will be to adapt Emily Skinner’s 2001 novel MARQUEL to a screenplay. Robert hired Emily’s daughter, Marquel Skinner, in 2011 as Unit Production Manager and to act in a small role in his film 3 DAYS IN MAY. Impressed with Marquel’s drive and talent, Robert signed the actress to his Red Baron Management division. It was late 2011 that Marquel shared with Robert her mother’s novel of the same name, MARQUEL.

Emily Skinner, a protégé of Florida’s pulp legend, Harry Whittington, penned the novel in longhand after Whittington blessed the plot weeks before his death in 1989. Emily had set a goal as a 15-year-old to name her first daughter Marquel and write a book with the single name title. It wasn’t until she met Harry Whittington and interviewed him for a local beach newspaper that the story began to take shape and a friendship developed. She learned from this prolific author of nearly 200 novels and screenplays how to plot and write a chapter a day. Emily wrote the novel and shelved it until 2001 and published it in paperback when Marquel was 15 (it is available in print & on Nook & Kindle). Now as an empty-nester, Emily is writing a young adult paranormal novel with her younger daughter’s name, Blair, titled “St. Blair, Children of the Night,” and a sequel to “Marquel.”
Marquel Skinner will star in MARQUEL. She found her passion for acting after finishing a Bachelors degree in Criminology and English at the University of South Florida. Her younger sister, Blair, an aspiring director, used Marquel for a couple of her student films. Realizing how much she loves acting, she attended a Sunscreen Film Festival workshop with the casting director for Twilight (Lana Veenker) and began working with acting coach (Peggy Sheffield). Marquel’s work includes theatre, commercials, student, and films. In 2011 she won the 2011 Suncoast Theatre Award for her role as Toni in “Cactus Flower.” She now resides in Burbank, California and is pursuing a career as a working actor.


Marquel Skinner

Blair Skinner will co-produce MARQUEL. Blair was St Petersburg College’s 2009 Winner for Best Direction for her film noir titled, “Three’s A Crowd.” Skinner interned for Last Call with Carson Daly and E! True Hollywood Story before landing her first film job with the Oscar Winning “The Help.” She met Brunson Green at a Sunscreen Film Festival 2009 Q&A. It was her persistent follow-up with Green that landed Skinner a job on the 2010 Dreamworks Film. In 2011 she invested some of her (“The Help”) earnings to make her first professional short film “Relative Eternity” while also working as a production assistant for Oliver Stone’s “Savages” (to be released summer of 2012). In her spare time she co-wrote and directed a pilot for a new comedy series “Pleasant Pastures.” She resides in Hollywood.

Blair Skinner

Please see our facebook page  http://www.facebook.com/MarquelTheMovie

Tour de TMZ

TMZ Cast member Jen and my husband, Tom (a major TMZ fan)

    On our annual Spring Break visit to see our daughter(s), it was priority one that Tom take a ride on the TMZ bus. We didn't spot any celebrities on the tour and I was a little surprised Jen didn't ask if we had spotted any that day, given that is good content for TMZ, because we actually dined at a lunch spot where the cast and star of Castle, Nate Fillion, were out celebrating the Fillion's birthday at a table in front of the cafe (not on the tour route). How did we know it was Nate's birthday? They were discussing it in earshot. Tim Roth of "Lie to Me" was also dining at a table inside and I've got to say, it's more fun to be among "them" than stalking them. I rank it right up there with seeing a coyote climbing the hillside of the Hollywood sign. We had hiked up to see the Hollywood sign earlier and our oldest daughter pointed out the stray coyote (not to be confused with Wile E. Coyote) because this little guy was on all fours and less animated. We do have random coyote sightings at home in Florida, but it's always one of those news stories about how domestic pets go missing.

   So Nate and Tim you are my coyotes, beautiful animals to observe and watch, but not disturb. Not that I think you would harm our pets, but I'm not getting close enough to find out.

   But regardless of the fact that we didn't see celebrities on the TMZ Tour, it was a fun 6:30 pm ride through Hollywood and Beverly Hills. Thankfully the folks at TMZ had blankets on the open bus as it was cold out. We learned that TMZ refers to the Thirty Mile Zone that is the center of Hollywood and spans a radius of 30 miles and was used to determine how extras got paid in the early days and I believe how the unions determine some of the current wages.

  The tour mixes stops where infamous/famous moments occurred and intertwines video clips to keep you from getting bored. Traditional sightseeing tours depend on the guide to keep you interested, but since this is show oriented, we get to watch TV periodically and ride, almost like a bunch of kids watching a DVD while dad drives the family across country (or part of L.A.). Naturally we're playing a road game "who can spot the celebrity" on the side of the road or driving by, but bunch-buggy would have been more successful on that evening.

   My only goal was to see my teacher husband enjoy being part of his favorite 7pm after work habit. Jen was gracious to take a picture with Tom and that was a mission accomplished moment. The only way it could have been better is if Harvey made an appearance or Shaq had stopped our bus! Where is a giant athlete when you need one?

What to expect from your car transport professionals

Ok, this was my 2nd adventure shipping a car to the west coast and I thought I was so smart! The broker would have nothing on me as I was going direct to the transport company this time and cutting out the middle man. Well, not so fast... (remember this word, "Fast")

I found that it's possible in this economy that you could wait forever to get your wheels from point A to point B. It might just be easier to make the drive out to California than hire a transport.

Case in point, I started early. I was shipping the "acting" daughter's car this time in hopes it would arrive by (not the real date) Dec 19th. So I started on November 1st talking to the transport and shared that they had shipped the "film director" daughter's vehicle and could I book directly with them instead of the broker. You know, they could make a little more money that the broker usually takes and I would perhaps pay a little less than last time?

Well, it was 3 weeks of "we're trying to get a full load to return from California" and "Tuesday he is leaving from San Diego" and "Tuesday he is leaving from San Diego" and wait a minute, I thought he left last Tuesday? Isn't the truck in Florida now? So I gave them another Tuesday and still they were in San Diego, so I asked my husband to call his best friend, a trucker, to see what connections he had and hubby of course spent the weekend watching The History Channel while I'm handling other things and Monday I'm like, "wait, did you call?"

NO!

So I email trucker-wife and she tells me to call her hubby the trucker-friend and now I have a truck that is ready to load the car in 20 minutes (not trucker-friend's truck, but someone in his sphere of influence) and I've still got to load it full of daughter-stuff (which they don't want you to do) before it goes on the truck. Daughter is in NY on a birthday adventure (not hers) with friends and I just stopped everything (my work) and loaded the car.

I called the awaiting transport to learn he really needs to get out of Dodge and I just let him go, figuring I was just panicking by dealing with the prior (Lost in San Diego) transport, this was going to be easy.

WRONG!

So back to the internet to look for candidates for my transport dollars! Yes, we agreed to help the girls make the journey west.

Now I know what you are thinking, why doesn't your trucker-friend transport the car? Because that isn't what he trucks and he doesn't have transport buddies waiting for him to send them a car, otherwise I wouldn't be telling you this story. DUH! He happened to have a neighbor transporting and well, you don't need to know all that...

So I'm on the master site of all transport reviews and I'm ready to ship, less a bike that I can't figure out how to dismantle to shove under the black sheets that concealed a mound of packed duffle bags (full of fragile dishes and glassware in bubble wrap). Really, the bubble wrap party was a week earlier over wine and reruns of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

Oh and only daughter and I could handle the duffle bags, as one wrong move and it would look like the Wolverine was trying to break out. So it was probably better that I couldn't figure out the bike thing.

Where was I? So I'm freaking out, I'm trying to work and now I'm 1-1/2 weeks from delivery date (when daughter would be in California) and thinking, she'll have to rent a car if hers doesn't arrive on time?

So you're saying, "hold the phone," why isn't the daughter handling this? Because, I'm the one with prior experience. Remember... the opening sentence... I figured this would be easy.

Ok, so now I'm Googling car rentals to see what that costs and I'm ready to just jump in the car and start driving, because this is really pissing me off!

So I call the AAAAA+ rated transport after scrolling through a gazillion reviews and I get an intelligent woman on the phone and tell her everything you know so far and she says are you willing to pay $50 more if I get a driver sooner. SURE!

Now I'm happy, I have a brokered transport (and paying more, but who cares by now), and I don't have to worry anymore and bingo, she calls me the next day with a truck that's ready by 6 pm Friday and I arrange for hubby to meet the truck after work because I'm going to be at a tradeshow and life is good.

The transport day arrives and hubby gets a call that the transport is 30 minutes away. I'm still not home. I get home an hour after the call. The transport calls and the truck is 30 miles away, deja vu San Diego. So we go to dinner. We come back from dinner and call the transport and they are still 30 miles away. They call us at midnight and have 2 flat tires and they'll come in the morning.

Saturday arrives and we get a call that the transport is 10 minutes from our house. I just stayed in my pajamas. "They are probably on the other coast," I told hubby. He cheerfully dresses and so I eventually follow suit-- in time.

Now he calls the transport back after an hour and they say they can't come down our street there are too many trees that can scratch the cars. "Ok, we'll meet you at the vacant shopping center down the road."

We were so naive! We drove daughter's car and I drove my my car and we waited, and waited and waited.

They must have done a Google Earth to tell us about the trees, because they were still hours from us and we got another call that they were 1 mile away and I just started making lunch and my husband took the bike to a bike shop to get packed for shipping.

And 30 minutes later I get a call that while hubby's out he's found the transport truck and I needed to bring the car to them?

Ok, so (I've left a lot more out for the sake of time) they have to unload the whole truck to get daughter's car on the top (last delivered) position. We watched, a lot more time passes and I notice they left her window down!

So I said, we can't leave until the window is up. So hubby agrees to stay with the transport and watch. Oh and I didn't mention, there is a language barrier.

As it turns out, they had a near-dead vehicle that wouldn't start consistently and using some chain contraption (I'm repeating hubby's story because I left), they couldn't get it up on the truck and the stress snapped the chain and it ricochetted back and cracked the vehicle's windshield. Hubby felt terrible for them and went out and bought a winch for them to use and finally they were fully loaded and ready to leave and then my husband looked up and noticed the window was still down on our daughter's car!

So he stopped them again and they gladly took care of her window. He watched.

When the car arrived in California, it was more lies on where the transport was, and I just said, "tell me you've not entered the state, because I know you are nowhere near your destination."

The car arrived 3 days early and we found a friend to receive the car in, another long story... And everything was in perfect condition. Both transport deliveries did a good job of taking care of the car. But why, why? All the headaches with telling the truth? I'm ok with the truth.

They only had to say, "we have a piece-of-crap-mobile on the truck that is costing us time and we can't dump it, so it's going to be several hours before we get there."

Was that so hard?

It's Pilot Season for One and ALL

Blair went home to Cali last week and Marquel is moving out to LA shortly, just in time for pilot season so it could be a chance for her to get some work immediately. Blair is quickly editing a pilot she and a friend wrote, directed and shot last month and they already have interest! After seeing some recent movie trailers I noticed an emerging trend, so I think they've got something.
Being The Film Mom, I just learned a new term, Momanger or Mom/Manager and while I find it cute... is that what Dina Lohan is? My kids have not expressed ANY interest in having me interfere with their developing entertainment opportunities and quite frankly, being their mom is job. I get last minute calls to locate resources, send electronic files, transport vehicles, run errands, find, sew and ship props, read, review scripts/films, fund raise/send money, P.R. (aka family newsletter) and plan family activities. It's never a dull moment and that's what I love!