DVC#7 - Meet The Rod
 

Okay, I'll bite. Here's the deal:

1) This movie should have been titled "Pull My Finger."

2) The lighting kinda stinks but they were quick setups to prevent actor inconvenience.

3) Sound stinks in one segment because of onboard camera mic usage.

4) With all of the wonderful, well crafted, somber, serious minded, message laden, tribute style movies made thus far, I feel kinda silly reminiscing with friends about a true incident concerning... well you'll see.

I guess I just wanted everybody to laugh. Enjoy! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Special thanks to my volunteer actors and the Gilchrist Restaurant on Maryland Avenue in Atlantic City (Their food is awesome!) You guys rock!

hahahahaha. That was freakin funny. I watched it twice and I think it was even funnier the second time. Did they know that each one was being interviewed? LMAO.

Hi Hugh
 

lol...

Wow. New Jersey is more dangerous that I had initially thought!

Actually, I can relate to the poor fellow. Election Day 2006, I just got home from voting and turned into what I lovingly refer to as "The Human Windmill". No fun for The Rod!

"...they were quick setups to prevent actor incontinence"???

Best wishes~
Bradley

Eeeewwwww!!! What a memory to recount! LOL!!! You guys were pulling it off so straight—until Charlie guffaws. Even though I was already getting a big kick out of it that’s when I started laughing, too.

Why is it that “pull my finger” is universal??? The Rod’s casual recollection cracked me up, and the rest of ya’s—well the rest of ya’s with your Jersey boy deliveries were just too fun to watch. “Bind him up?” Hahah! Never heard such a thing in reference to uh…that.

Besides the characters (and you are ALL characters) the quick edits and timing are what gave this little romp through gross-out land its zing. Funny stuff, Hugh—great job!

Funny story. From the looks of the guys, I expected some sort of brawl being recounted, not, er, uh, well--- issue of incontinence...

:) LOL

Good choice of questions...I like how its vague at first and slowly the story is recalled and built up, until its obvious what they're talking about.

What happened after his finger was pulled is best left to the viewers imagination. Though it would have been funny if you shot a re-enactment. :P

Good stuff

I have got to show this to my dad, it's definitely his kind of movie. Funny stuff!

I think it could be tighter, though (no pun intended). For the first question or two, I can understand showing everyone giving their responses, most of which are the same. But as the movie goes on, I think the momentum should build a little more; maybe get rid of the "Who called Bob?" question altogether--not much in the way of interesting detail revealed by the various participants--and then mix the others up a bit. Cut from John saying "Well, he said he didn't want to go", to Charlie saying "I believe he had a stomach virus", then finally to Bob with "I wasn't feeling good, and I didn't want to go". The way it is, what with everybody repeating "stomach virus", it just strikes me as a bit too much.

Then perhaps later on do a similar edit pattern. Go from one person to another in a string when they're talking about the leisure suit. Back and forth, just like the virus: "He was wearing a cheap" "cheesy" "white" "double-knit polyester leisure suit", or something to that effect. I guess it might be too gimmicky to do twice in the same movie, but I think at least one of those two would work nicely.

Excellent work, you've showed incredible restraint deciding not to recreate the event. A lesser man might jump right for the visual aid and I, for one, am glad you did not. Well done.

Thank You All!
 

Thank you all for you responses. You have no idea how much “cajoling” it took to convince Bob to allow us to tell the world about his accident. Believe me, at the time, it was incredibly hilarious. The restaurant was crowded. Oh, and I left out a lot.

Michael: Yes. Each interviewee knew the other had been or would be interviewed.

Brad: NJ is much more dangerous. Especially with Bob and Charlie around. Great incontinence hit!

Lorinda: Yes. I often wonder why I even chose such a sordid memory to recount. Guys will be guys I suppose. Thank you for your kind review on editing. I guess being Jersey Guys and natural “characters” was one saving grace. “Pull my finger” is a traditional lesson lovingly handed down from every father to son. Am I right, guys?

Chris: There was a brawl, of sorts. We all fought for air!

Darryl: Believe it or not, a reenactment had been considered! Can you imagine?

Robert: Excellent editing options! You really took the time to give thought to improving my movie! Thank you!

Very funny movie. Reminded me quite a lot of a few guys I know. :)

Good bunch of guys...

That made me laugh. If you had more time some flashbacks like they use in "Unsolved Mysteries" might have been fun to do. Aside from that it was fun to watch that's for sure.

It was more fun actually being there for real! Oh those crazy 80s! Thanks, guys!

Awesome movie! (All be it a bit gross in the end). I definately liked how serious everyone was. It made you think at first that you were building up to some serious event that happened that night...Was it hard for everyone to keep from cracking up?

Loved how you cut back and forth between the four different recollections of the same story. Its cool to see how everyone remembers parts of the same event a little differently (like who's idea it was to go out or who suggested what) but then in the end its still the same story. Very cool approach to the theme!

Major props to Bob for having the guts to let everyone hear about that FUN night. :-)

There was alot of cracking up. As a matter of fact, every time the tale is told over coffee around the diner booth it gets funnier, hence the idea to share it with the world. Plenty of outtakes. If you think that story is funny, wait until you hear about the time...

Maybe next challenge. :-)

OMG this is one that gets funnier the more you watch it. Very nice concept, totally unexpected for the holiday season. Nice job you guys.

The problem with coming in on this one this late is that everyone has already said the good stuff.

I've watched it several times and still find it funny. Each of the guys portrays his reminiscence in a very direct, realistic, yet funny way.

Bruce

This could literally be a sitcom!

These guys have so much character and the way they piece together a story (even with differing perspectives of it) makes for a really funny short. I'd like to see these guys recall other moments! Maybe that time when Rod drank the water down in Tijuana!!! Hahaha.

Bruce, Dennis and Brent:

What a pleasant surprise to see even more feedback! Thank you, fellows, for a great Christmas present this year. You know, when I post the outtakes I will include the footage that never made the cut due to time constraints. Did you know that Charlie (the guy at the restaurant counter) tortured poor Bob with months worth of magazine subscriptions sent to his house in phony names that made fun of Bob's, er, girth. And these magazines covered topics that Bob despised. I won't give them away but you'll see. Brent, you are not too far off the mark with that Tijuana reference. Bob is quite a character, always the center of attention and the brunt of everybody's jokes (in an affectionate sort of way).

I thank everybody for the positive feedback and am glad everyone had a good laugh. These guys really are nuts. But then again, what do you expect from cops?

They're cops?!

Oh that has to be a tv show!!!

Oh Yes. Cops.
 

Charlie just retired after 30 years on the job. Bob is currently a sergeant with 30 years getting ready to pull the pin. John and I are still hanging on for another three years until the 25 mark. I can speak for all of us when I say that being a cop has been a blast (although lately things have changed dramatically, and not for the best).

Thank goodness for the DV Challenge, eh?

That was funny! and familiar, in a couple ways... one the standard pull my finger, but I had a roommate in college who used to tend bar at the LibraryII on rt 73 about that time. thanks for the memories!!

I ate at the II. It didn't hit my hot button. :-( Do you realize that every time I dine at the III I think of this little incident?

I could only think it would! LOL

I was only at the II a couple times, mostly because Sean was tending bar hic!

That was really funny. I'm assuming unscripted, which makes it even better. Though if it was scripted then it was well written and well acted. A couple of picky things: the sound was a bit low, and not even among them. The light was also a bit hot on Charlie. If there had been room (and I'd bet from the space that there wasn't) to pull the instrument back a foot or so it would have helped.

Smile,
Kris

Laughted my butt off, even my wife liked it. Great work. Bob

Bill: If you ever visit the III in Egg Harbor TWP walk through the middle dining room on your way to the salad bar and check out the crime scene. Pretty morbid thought, like how people visit the Marshall, Garden State Parkway murder scene from the book and movie "Blind Faith."

Kris: Part scripted (when the dialog went where I didn't want it to go) and mostly recollections. Yes, the sound and lighting were way unbalanced. Poor Charlie got a tan from my SV 500 watter that was as far back as it could go because I had to shoe horn it behind the counter.

Bob: If you think that was funny, check out my soon-to-be-posted outtake and "Too Gross For The DV Challenge" extras! Hee hee hee! Beware! My obnoxious background cackling is annoying as all GET out!

Hugh, well done. I liked the buildup and frankly was praying it went another direction but -

Shot well, interesting angles, edited together well and lit pretty good too.

Another one of my favorites.

Sean

Sean:

Thank you for making "Meet The Rod" another one of your favorites. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending upon your POV), with good old Bob, it usually goes in that direction. But really, I could have lit the locations better. As far as the angles, I was at the mercy of my existing "sets." I have much work to do! Thanks again for you kind review.

I don't usually post feedback, but I really enjoyed this one Hugh. Ok, the production value could have been tweaked and it could have been cut a little tighter, but what is important to me is that it got my attention (slowly at first) and then drew me in to the point where I HAD to know what they were talking about. Nicely done, it'll stand out as one of my favorites of DVC7.

Thank You, Dylan!

I appreciate your kind words. I even hope you laughed out loud which is why I made that movie.