Happy holidays from Fletcher Rhoden.com:
It may seem that things have been quiet around FR.com since the release of the children's ebook IMAGINE NATHAN ON SUPERMARKET SAFARI in the fall. But the year ended on a big note with the day-long Mt. Hollywood Winter Music and Arts Faire on Saturday, Dec. 12. This rousing celebration featured performances by soul legend Willie Chambers of the Chambers Bros., the Snozzberries, Rickyricardo Sims and many more. Website- and production company namesake (and head of the PR department) Fletcher Rhoden performed with singer Ryan Seaton and others on songs including EVERYBODY PLAYS THE FOOL, ON THE WINGS OF AN ANGEL, I AM THE ONE, CAN'T STOP TALKIN' LIKE CHRISTOPHER WALKEN and others. Photos have been posted at the RISTANDRHODENGROUP on Yahoo! Videos are soon to follow. It is possible that a DVD of the event will be issued, but this is unverified. The other lingering DVD release from Fletcher Rhoden.com, EVA JAMES BAND LIVE 2006 is in the can and waiting for Ms. James' final approval.
2009 was also going to see the release of one or more Rhoden books through CreateSpace, which has successfully distributed the FR.c DVD releases this past year. But the books have been held over for a 2010 release schedule, set to include at least 4 novels and the recent IMAGINE NATHAN... children's book in full-color paperback. The novels that are not already available as ebooks will be released in that format as well as in paperback. (CARING FOR CAROLYN and SISTERELLA are already available in digital download form but are due to be released in paperback in a single volume as TWICE IN THE HEART: TWO SHORT NOVELS.) THE REBELS OF OZ, Rhoden's graphic novel from earlier in 2009, may or may not be included in the release lineup. (2009 also saw the release of a full-length cd RESONATOR and an episode of HISTORY DETECTIVES featuring Harold Rhoden and including Fletcher Rhoden.)
2010 will also see the development of 2009's last in-house project, an as-yet unannounced stage musical in two acts by Fletcher Rhoden. Demos and a completed script are due to be shopped to producers in January and, failing an outside production, will be produced for its premiere run by Fletcher Rhoden.com in the first half of 2010, with the writer to direct. FR.c has not released details of the play, but is expected to shortly.
You'll hear from FR.com again in 2010, until then -- tres bien!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Fletcher Rhoden HISTORY DETECTIVES episode Mon. Aug.31
Greetings family, friends and fans:
Monday, Aug. 31 at 9 pm will be the first airing of HISTORY DETECTIVES episode STALAG 17 PORTRAIT, wherein I am interviewed about my own artwork and that of my late father, Harold Rhoden. The show will rerun on Sept. 5 at 4pm. It's already being called the highlight of the episode (which featured two other twenty-minute segments) and is featured on many affiliate websites. There is even a preview video up at the PBS.org site on their HISTORY DETECTIVES page. To celebrate, my paintings and fans are being made available for sale DIRECTLY FROM THE HOME SITE (www.fletcherrhoden.com) with a handy and safe PayPal transaction. Get them while they're hot, collectors -- values are sure to go up after the episode airs!
In other news, I am recording a new pop song as previously mentioned, but have decided to hold it back from release as it may well become part of a larger, new project. I can't discuss details, but if the project comes together as planned it will be my first stage musical. A planned new cd release, unrelated to this project, will likely be delayed (but not scrubbed) so I can focus on the musical which, if I don't have any complicated legal issues, should be one of my highest-profile projects ever. Unlike my last play, the successful LAST TANGO WITH MARLON, which went into production only a few months after the writing began, this new project will develop more slowly, so fans shouldn't expect any kind of production before the end of this year. A staged reading is a possibility, however, with some type of production also possible in the first half of 2010. But there will be plenty of good stuff from Fletcher Rhoden.com between now and year's end, so stay tuned!
If you miss the scheduled airings of HISTORY DETECTIVES, my understanding is that it can be seen anytime at the HISTORY DETECTIVES page of the PBS.org website on or after September 1st.
See you on the tube!
FR
Monday, Aug. 31 at 9 pm will be the first airing of HISTORY DETECTIVES episode STALAG 17 PORTRAIT, wherein I am interviewed about my own artwork and that of my late father, Harold Rhoden. The show will rerun on Sept. 5 at 4pm. It's already being called the highlight of the episode (which featured two other twenty-minute segments) and is featured on many affiliate websites. There is even a preview video up at the PBS.org site on their HISTORY DETECTIVES page. To celebrate, my paintings and fans are being made available for sale DIRECTLY FROM THE HOME SITE (www.fletcherrhoden.com) with a handy and safe PayPal transaction. Get them while they're hot, collectors -- values are sure to go up after the episode airs!
In other news, I am recording a new pop song as previously mentioned, but have decided to hold it back from release as it may well become part of a larger, new project. I can't discuss details, but if the project comes together as planned it will be my first stage musical. A planned new cd release, unrelated to this project, will likely be delayed (but not scrubbed) so I can focus on the musical which, if I don't have any complicated legal issues, should be one of my highest-profile projects ever. Unlike my last play, the successful LAST TANGO WITH MARLON, which went into production only a few months after the writing began, this new project will develop more slowly, so fans shouldn't expect any kind of production before the end of this year. A staged reading is a possibility, however, with some type of production also possible in the first half of 2010. But there will be plenty of good stuff from Fletcher Rhoden.com between now and year's end, so stay tuned!
If you miss the scheduled airings of HISTORY DETECTIVES, my understanding is that it can be seen anytime at the HISTORY DETECTIVES page of the PBS.org website on or after September 1st.
See you on the tube!
FR
Sunday, August 16, 2009
WIZARD OF OZ 70th Anniversary
Greetings, folks:
As many of you know, I recently created a graphic novel called THE REBELS OF OZ, based on the original works of L. Frank Baum and following an adult Dorothy Gale's return to Oz to overthrow the tyrannical regime of her former allies Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion. And as such, somebody asked me recently what my thoughts were on this 70th anniversary of the well-loved musical motion picture starring Judy Garland.
It's an interesting question. I was never a fan of the movie, to be honest. I was attracted to the graphic novel project I did for a number of reasons: I was interested in returning to that medium, I wanted to exploit the new softwares that made creating such a project so easy. And I liked the story of Dorothy going back to face down her now-corrupted allies. I thought it was a nice story about the drawbacks of intelligence, bravery and sensitivity, and the need to face and accept your past.
But the movie never really grabbed me. I find the sets and costumes kind of cheap. Honestly, I know this film was shot on a sound stage, with painted backgrounds and wooden sets. But when the film was refurbished and digitized (which I think it has been a few times) couldn't they have blurred out that obnoxious line between the edge of the set and the bottom of the painted background? When they're trotting "Off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz..." I keep wincing, half-expecting them to skip face-on into that backdrop. And while the music is good and the acting overall is pretty solid, the script is very, very weak. Now I know this will rankle a lot of people. I'm just a largely unknown writer, after all, and this film is considered a classic. It is often used in screenwriting books as one of the great screen examples of the Hero's Journey and of the basic three-act structure (I've even mentioned it myself in my writing seminar WRITE MAKES MIGHT: Stronger Structure in Storytelling, now on DVD from my site, Fletcher Rhoden.com). But throughout most of the movie Dorothy pouts and whines, she runs away from home, rides a bicycle and talks to her pet in a voice that sounds almost cartoonishly meek and childlike. She's carried from one place to another by a force of nature, helpless in the hands of a virtual God in the Machine. She is then sent on a fool's errand and does just what she's told without question, without countering. Later Dorothy is plucked out of the action near the midpoint and spends much of the rest of the act sitting in a tower sobbing, waiting for death. Once rescued, she spends the rest of the time running away from the witch until accidentally killing her. Then she pleads and pouts some more to the Wizard. By today's standards, this behavior is considered much too passive. Today's heros do the rescuing, they don't sit around needing to be rescued -- especially today's female heroes. While I realize it can be considered less than fair to hold one work up to the standards of another era, I would say that the best works in any era do hold up to the standards of another. Even by today's standards, for example, the Mona Lisa is still a great painting, the great pyramids are still great engineering feats. Charlie Chaplin's City Lights still holds up. Which is why it's not a matter of holding TWOZ up to the standards of its own time and not our own; even back then lead characters were more dynamic. These elements of story are consistent all the way back to the first stories ever told; those of the hunts to kill the mammoth and the cave bear, told by the hunters to their Neanderthal and Cro Magnon women and children over 15,000 years ago.
There's another glaring weakness with this film that is centered around the depiction of Dorothy Gale. In the first book, Dorothy is 8-years-old. In the movie based on that book, she's supposed to be 12, but is portrayed by an actress of about 15 (Garland was born in 1922.) So what we wind up with is a 15-year-old, fast becoming a woman, who is dressed like a 12-year-old and acts like an 8-year-old. Then she runs off and travels across a country she doesn't know in the company of three single middle-aged men. And these men, all outcasts and without significant social ties, can only find wholeness in the company of this woman/child. The psychosexual undercurrents of these relationships are not new ground, but in this day of child predation I think they deserve a second look. Strippers and hookers (whose business it is to be sexual) dress up as Judy Garland's Dorothy, so it's not hard to find the contemporary manifestations of this troubling dynamic. A brief surf on the internet will reveal even more frightening echoes of MGM's Dorothy Gale. Seventy years on, the legacy of THE WIZARD OF OZ continues to evolve along these strange lines. As long as Hollywood continues to hypersexualize young women, I expect the Oz legacy to continue on its twisted course.
www.fletcherrhoden.com/therebelsofoz.htm
As many of you know, I recently created a graphic novel called THE REBELS OF OZ, based on the original works of L. Frank Baum and following an adult Dorothy Gale's return to Oz to overthrow the tyrannical regime of her former allies Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion. And as such, somebody asked me recently what my thoughts were on this 70th anniversary of the well-loved musical motion picture starring Judy Garland.
It's an interesting question. I was never a fan of the movie, to be honest. I was attracted to the graphic novel project I did for a number of reasons: I was interested in returning to that medium, I wanted to exploit the new softwares that made creating such a project so easy. And I liked the story of Dorothy going back to face down her now-corrupted allies. I thought it was a nice story about the drawbacks of intelligence, bravery and sensitivity, and the need to face and accept your past.
But the movie never really grabbed me. I find the sets and costumes kind of cheap. Honestly, I know this film was shot on a sound stage, with painted backgrounds and wooden sets. But when the film was refurbished and digitized (which I think it has been a few times) couldn't they have blurred out that obnoxious line between the edge of the set and the bottom of the painted background? When they're trotting "Off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz..." I keep wincing, half-expecting them to skip face-on into that backdrop. And while the music is good and the acting overall is pretty solid, the script is very, very weak. Now I know this will rankle a lot of people. I'm just a largely unknown writer, after all, and this film is considered a classic. It is often used in screenwriting books as one of the great screen examples of the Hero's Journey and of the basic three-act structure (I've even mentioned it myself in my writing seminar WRITE MAKES MIGHT: Stronger Structure in Storytelling, now on DVD from my site, Fletcher Rhoden.com). But throughout most of the movie Dorothy pouts and whines, she runs away from home, rides a bicycle and talks to her pet in a voice that sounds almost cartoonishly meek and childlike. She's carried from one place to another by a force of nature, helpless in the hands of a virtual God in the Machine. She is then sent on a fool's errand and does just what she's told without question, without countering. Later Dorothy is plucked out of the action near the midpoint and spends much of the rest of the act sitting in a tower sobbing, waiting for death. Once rescued, she spends the rest of the time running away from the witch until accidentally killing her. Then she pleads and pouts some more to the Wizard. By today's standards, this behavior is considered much too passive. Today's heros do the rescuing, they don't sit around needing to be rescued -- especially today's female heroes. While I realize it can be considered less than fair to hold one work up to the standards of another era, I would say that the best works in any era do hold up to the standards of another. Even by today's standards, for example, the Mona Lisa is still a great painting, the great pyramids are still great engineering feats. Charlie Chaplin's City Lights still holds up. Which is why it's not a matter of holding TWOZ up to the standards of its own time and not our own; even back then lead characters were more dynamic. These elements of story are consistent all the way back to the first stories ever told; those of the hunts to kill the mammoth and the cave bear, told by the hunters to their Neanderthal and Cro Magnon women and children over 15,000 years ago.
There's another glaring weakness with this film that is centered around the depiction of Dorothy Gale. In the first book, Dorothy is 8-years-old. In the movie based on that book, she's supposed to be 12, but is portrayed by an actress of about 15 (Garland was born in 1922.) So what we wind up with is a 15-year-old, fast becoming a woman, who is dressed like a 12-year-old and acts like an 8-year-old. Then she runs off and travels across a country she doesn't know in the company of three single middle-aged men. And these men, all outcasts and without significant social ties, can only find wholeness in the company of this woman/child. The psychosexual undercurrents of these relationships are not new ground, but in this day of child predation I think they deserve a second look. Strippers and hookers (whose business it is to be sexual) dress up as Judy Garland's Dorothy, so it's not hard to find the contemporary manifestations of this troubling dynamic. A brief surf on the internet will reveal even more frightening echoes of MGM's Dorothy Gale. Seventy years on, the legacy of THE WIZARD OF OZ continues to evolve along these strange lines. As long as Hollywood continues to hypersexualize young women, I expect the Oz legacy to continue on its twisted course.
www.fletcherrhoden.com/therebelsofoz.htm
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Fletcher Rhoden's new ebook / read-along video now available!
Greetings from Fletcher Rhoden.com! The namesake here, happy to announce that FR.c has released IMAGINE NATHAN ON SUPERMARKET SAFARI as an ebook and in read-along video format. Over 40 fully illustrated pages -- all full-color, hand painted and digitally reproduced -- this first "Imagine Nathan" story turns a boring chore into a wild adventure into the deepest jungles! Go face-to-face with charging rhinos, deadly sea creatures and more as Imagine Nathan makes the everyday extraordinary. This is a great book for any imaginative child, homeschooler, busy parent or concerned teacher. The ebook is a handy pdf that downloads in a snap and is designed to be read on any computer or similar device. The read-along video will help your kids with any reading difficulties they may have, and downloads as a safe and convenient m4v file, perfect for iTunes. IMAGINE NATHAN ON SUPERMARKET SAFARI is my 3rd ebook for kids, after THAT'S RUDE, JUDE! and BALLOONZEE: LET'S GO FLOATIN'. There are several more Imagine Nathan adventures for possible sequels, in case any publishers are out there and are interested. Anybody can buy the book and video, as well as enjoying free ebook and video clips, at the new IMAGINENATHAN page of our home site, Fletcher Rhoden.com (www.fletcherrhoden.com/imaginenathan.htm). Publishers can request free pdfs when considering acquiring various rights by emailing me. The address is on the page.
To celebrate the release of IMAGINE NATHAN ON SUPERMARKET SAFARI, we've spruced up Fletcher Rhoden.com -- many of our videos are now embedded right on the page, so you don't have to link over to Youtube or Yahoo! Video and then back to the site. Also, the new CHILDREN'S STORE has been completely revamped for easy use. Check out the NEWS page to see what else has been added since you've been there last, and what you can expect when you go there to buy IMAGINE NATHAN ON SUPERMARKET SAFARI.
I was very happy with the way IMAGINE NATHAN ON SUPERMARKET SAFARI came out. Visually, it's a combination of a cartoonish style I sometimes use for face and body painting, but I used acrylics (my usual paint medium) instead of Indian ink (the norm). Kids' books are also often done in crayon, oil pastel and colored pencil. But the first two were hard to use and the colored pencils weren't going to give me the depth of color I wanted. In any case I think it's just the right balance -- it looks like most kids books in the stores. As for the writing, this book is smart, funny, never talking down to kids but appealing to the very things they love; imagination, whimsey, and constant entertainment.
Next up for me are some possible musical projects (including a new pop single I wrote on a fishing boat off the Malibu Pier last month.) I still plan to release several of my novels through CreateSpace, likewise the Eva James Band Live DVD (which could be the next official release from Fletcher Rhoden.com) and a few other things I hope to get in by the end of the year. There is also a possibility that I may return to theater directing, working with my LAST TANGO WITH MARLON star Frank Cavestani, who played Marlon Brando. I have also appeared recently with my TANGO star Raf (Wally Cox) Mauro in his for-kids improv show THE MAGIC MIRROR. We hope to continue that, but have no plans to do so until early 2010.
In other news, I continue to work as a medical ghostwriter with Jeanell Suggs. We are also finishing a non-fiction book proposal which I'm sure we'll have done by the end of the summer. Add this to the stream of dvd rereleases, the graphic novel (THE REBELS OF OZ) and the two cds I put out early in the year, and 2009 is bound to go down as one of my hottest yet. And there could still be even more great news, putting the year way way over the top, but (like me) you'll just have to stay tuned and wait for the news to roll in.
Steady on,
FR
To celebrate the release of IMAGINE NATHAN ON SUPERMARKET SAFARI, we've spruced up Fletcher Rhoden.com -- many of our videos are now embedded right on the page, so you don't have to link over to Youtube or Yahoo! Video and then back to the site. Also, the new CHILDREN'S STORE has been completely revamped for easy use. Check out the NEWS page to see what else has been added since you've been there last, and what you can expect when you go there to buy IMAGINE NATHAN ON SUPERMARKET SAFARI.
I was very happy with the way IMAGINE NATHAN ON SUPERMARKET SAFARI came out. Visually, it's a combination of a cartoonish style I sometimes use for face and body painting, but I used acrylics (my usual paint medium) instead of Indian ink (the norm). Kids' books are also often done in crayon, oil pastel and colored pencil. But the first two were hard to use and the colored pencils weren't going to give me the depth of color I wanted. In any case I think it's just the right balance -- it looks like most kids books in the stores. As for the writing, this book is smart, funny, never talking down to kids but appealing to the very things they love; imagination, whimsey, and constant entertainment.
Next up for me are some possible musical projects (including a new pop single I wrote on a fishing boat off the Malibu Pier last month.) I still plan to release several of my novels through CreateSpace, likewise the Eva James Band Live DVD (which could be the next official release from Fletcher Rhoden.com) and a few other things I hope to get in by the end of the year. There is also a possibility that I may return to theater directing, working with my LAST TANGO WITH MARLON star Frank Cavestani, who played Marlon Brando. I have also appeared recently with my TANGO star Raf (Wally Cox) Mauro in his for-kids improv show THE MAGIC MIRROR. We hope to continue that, but have no plans to do so until early 2010.
In other news, I continue to work as a medical ghostwriter with Jeanell Suggs. We are also finishing a non-fiction book proposal which I'm sure we'll have done by the end of the summer. Add this to the stream of dvd rereleases, the graphic novel (THE REBELS OF OZ) and the two cds I put out early in the year, and 2009 is bound to go down as one of my hottest yet. And there could still be even more great news, putting the year way way over the top, but (like me) you'll just have to stay tuned and wait for the news to roll in.
Steady on,
FR
Friday, June 19, 2009
WRITE MAKES MIGHT seminar now on DVD
From the PR desk of Fletcher Rhoden.com:
DATELINE, LOS ANGELES: The essential writing seminar from the acclaimed author, playwright and director covers the mythic 3-act structure, scene and sequel structure and more, using modern classic films like THE GODFATHER as examples. Shot live in Hollywood, CA in 2008. Includes the entire 2009 appearance on AUTHORS! AUTHORS! featuring Raf Mauro (LAST TANGO WITH MARLON). Available for the first time ever on DVD. "I had a good time with this seminar, and I think it can be of great value to a lot of writers on every level," Rhoden said. In point of fact, the dvd has been available for a few weeks, but Rhoden is only now promoting the release online, and this after a spat of high-profile releases. "I've just been so busy with the video editing and the medical writing," Rhoden said of his increasingly frequent freelance work. "And this being one of the last dvd releases of the series, I guess it got put off. It's not for a lack of confidence in the dvd, of course." The DVD also includes Rhoden's 30-minute appearance on 2hip4tv's AUTHORS! AUTHORS! an interview program hosted by Raf Mauro, who played Wally Cox in Rhoden's acclaimed stage play LAST TANGO WITH MARLON (now on DVD). Rhoden and Mauro discuss the play and novella about the friendship of Cox and acting legend Marlon Brando, in addition to Rhoden's other projects.
https://www.createspace.com/266817
The next (and perhaps last) DVD release expected from Fletcher Rhoden.com is a live DVD of Eva James Band, featuring Rhoden on lead guitar, backing vocals and featuring several performances of the Rhoden/James pop tune I LOVE YOU, NOW CHANGE. "I was very happy with the work I did with Eva, and that DVD will make our best work available to her many fans." The DVD will feature the video JUDGMENT DAY, featuring Robbie Rist (who produced the recording.) The dvd will the the third musical dvd from Rhoden, whose other dvds are more literary and dramatic in nature.
Rhoden has a slew of other projects, both new and from his canon, that will be released this year. In addition, he hopes to resume live performances on a regular basis this year as well. For more information, check in often with the home site:
http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/index.htm
DATELINE, LOS ANGELES: The essential writing seminar from the acclaimed author, playwright and director covers the mythic 3-act structure, scene and sequel structure and more, using modern classic films like THE GODFATHER as examples. Shot live in Hollywood, CA in 2008. Includes the entire 2009 appearance on AUTHORS! AUTHORS! featuring Raf Mauro (LAST TANGO WITH MARLON). Available for the first time ever on DVD. "I had a good time with this seminar, and I think it can be of great value to a lot of writers on every level," Rhoden said. In point of fact, the dvd has been available for a few weeks, but Rhoden is only now promoting the release online, and this after a spat of high-profile releases. "I've just been so busy with the video editing and the medical writing," Rhoden said of his increasingly frequent freelance work. "And this being one of the last dvd releases of the series, I guess it got put off. It's not for a lack of confidence in the dvd, of course." The DVD also includes Rhoden's 30-minute appearance on 2hip4tv's AUTHORS! AUTHORS! an interview program hosted by Raf Mauro, who played Wally Cox in Rhoden's acclaimed stage play LAST TANGO WITH MARLON (now on DVD). Rhoden and Mauro discuss the play and novella about the friendship of Cox and acting legend Marlon Brando, in addition to Rhoden's other projects.
https://www.createspace.com/266817
The next (and perhaps last) DVD release expected from Fletcher Rhoden.com is a live DVD of Eva James Band, featuring Rhoden on lead guitar, backing vocals and featuring several performances of the Rhoden/James pop tune I LOVE YOU, NOW CHANGE. "I was very happy with the work I did with Eva, and that DVD will make our best work available to her many fans." The DVD will feature the video JUDGMENT DAY, featuring Robbie Rist (who produced the recording.) The dvd will the the third musical dvd from Rhoden, whose other dvds are more literary and dramatic in nature.
Rhoden has a slew of other projects, both new and from his canon, that will be released this year. In addition, he hopes to resume live performances on a regular basis this year as well. For more information, check in often with the home site:
http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/index.htm
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Two more DVDs at Fletcher Rhoden.com!
From the desk of Fletcher Rhoden.com:
As promised, two more DVDs have been released by Fletcher Rhoden.com through CreateSpace and Amazon.com. FLETCHER RHODEN LIVE! features over 90 minutes of live and televised performances featuring Robbie Rist and Eva James. Great Christian pop and some fun secular tunes too. Acoustic and full band performances compliment a full-length interview. SOUL CANCR is an hour-long stage play in one act starring Robbie Rist (THE BRADY BUNCH, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES) as a tormented man searching for the details of a failed romance. Michael Dunn (EXPECTING LOVE), Christy McBrayer (SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKIE), April McKay (BALLOONZEE) and Quinton Flynn (THE CHRISTOPHER WALKEN ECSTATIC DANCE ACADEMY) also star. This powerful drama did well at the New York Independent Film and Video Festival and the play was performed live (in excerpt) at New York's Madison Square Gardens. New commentary by star Rist, plus animated shorts and more make it an excellent gift or addition to any DVD collection. A favorite of writer/director and website namesake Fletcher Rhoden, who calls it, "A piece that is close to my heart, in many ways closer than all the others." It is a worthy companion to the FR.Com flagship release, LAST TANGO WITH MARLON, a stage play about Marlon Brando and Wally Cox, written and directed by Rhoden last year and released this year on DVD. The next DVD is WRITE MAKES MIGHT: STRONGER STRUCTURE IN STORYTELLING, in which the acclaimed author and playwright breaks down the famous 3-act story structure and more, using modern film classics as examples. Rhoden's 30-minute interview on Authors! Authors! rounds out the DVD, due next week. Other DVDs from Fletcher Rhoden and Fletcher Rhoden.com are now available:
http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/store.htm
As promised, two more DVDs have been released by Fletcher Rhoden.com through CreateSpace and Amazon.com. FLETCHER RHODEN LIVE! features over 90 minutes of live and televised performances featuring Robbie Rist and Eva James. Great Christian pop and some fun secular tunes too. Acoustic and full band performances compliment a full-length interview. SOUL CANCR is an hour-long stage play in one act starring Robbie Rist (THE BRADY BUNCH, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES) as a tormented man searching for the details of a failed romance. Michael Dunn (EXPECTING LOVE), Christy McBrayer (SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKIE), April McKay (BALLOONZEE) and Quinton Flynn (THE CHRISTOPHER WALKEN ECSTATIC DANCE ACADEMY) also star. This powerful drama did well at the New York Independent Film and Video Festival and the play was performed live (in excerpt) at New York's Madison Square Gardens. New commentary by star Rist, plus animated shorts and more make it an excellent gift or addition to any DVD collection. A favorite of writer/director and website namesake Fletcher Rhoden, who calls it, "A piece that is close to my heart, in many ways closer than all the others." It is a worthy companion to the FR.Com flagship release, LAST TANGO WITH MARLON, a stage play about Marlon Brando and Wally Cox, written and directed by Rhoden last year and released this year on DVD. The next DVD is WRITE MAKES MIGHT: STRONGER STRUCTURE IN STORYTELLING, in which the acclaimed author and playwright breaks down the famous 3-act story structure and more, using modern film classics as examples. Rhoden's 30-minute interview on Authors! Authors! rounds out the DVD, due next week. Other DVDs from Fletcher Rhoden and Fletcher Rhoden.com are now available:
http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/store.htm
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
ST. LOUIS BLUES dvd now available!
DATELINE, LOS ANGELES: The classy music video is coupled with behind-the-scenes footage, over an hour of live performances and more. Featuring Fletcher Rhoden (Last Tango With Marlon) Robbie Rist (Soul Cancer) and more! Over 90 minutes! Featuring R&B singer Kina!
https://www.createspace.com/266091
This is a special release, folks. As part of the Fletcher Rhoden.com dvd roll-out, this is the first official music release (FLETCHER RHODEN LIVE! was held over for a chronological release pattern). Basically, these two dvds are the Fletcher Rhoden career overview, musically speaking (an EVA JAMES BAND LIVE dvd will round things out later this season). ST. LOUIS BLUES not only includes a fresh print of the classy video and fun behind-the-scenes stuff (fans of Robbie Rist must have this dvd) there is over an hour of vintage live performances by my '90's jazz/rock band Dance Hall Racket (featuring Rist) and also some Avenue Out performances, my pre-DHR pop/punk club band featuring future PROMISE KEEPERS drummer Rich Johnson. Good stuff all around.
One interesting thing about this dvd is that it captures several of my major collaborations: long-time partner-in-crime Robbie Rist, also Mighty One Productions mainstay April McKay, who appears in the video as the flirtatious waitress. And the whole video was directed by Patrick Francis, a lifelong friend who has worked with me on several things, including THE CHRISTOPHER WALKEN ECSTATIC DANCE ACADEMY, he did the camera work for SOUL CANCER and others. Great guy, very talented. Then there's Rich, a wonderful friend and awesome drummer. We'd played for years before these Avenue Out sessions, although he isn't the only drummer, as Jose Murillo rounds out the set as a fill-in player (he also did some time on some of the DHR performances.)
The other big collaboration that appears in the ST. LOUIS BLUES DVD (it must be addressed) is with DHR rhythm guitarist Jeff Greene (then called Jet). He was my first true collaborator of any sort, and since I've had many in music, literature and so on. ST. LOUIS BLUES is the last thing we did together (the video was really our last thing, the dvd is just recently compiled and released), and it's basically the best of our many years working together. Good to have gone out on a high note. (One point: the Avenue Out performances on this DVD, from 1988, are as far back as the new dvd releases are likely to go. Before that it's all school plays and baby pictures anyway.)
And of course, THE CHRISTOPHER WALKEN ECSTATIC DANCE ACADEMY represents a lesser collaboration I had with the producer of that short. This was another working and social relationship that I brought to a close.
Now, as I enter a new and very exciting phase in my writing career with a new and extremely talented and trustworthy collaborator, it makes me consider what elements make a great partner and which make a bad partner. Certainly, it's a matter of chemistry, but that's only enough to get a partnership started. After that, it's a matter of respect -- earning it, having it and showing it. It's also a matter of carrying one's own weight and evolving creatively and socially and, more importantly, not devolving in those same areas. Do I speak of my collaborators or myself, or both? I'll let you decide.
But for a look at some of my most significant collaborations, check out ST. LOUIS BLUES and enjoy what must be considered, in retrospect, a very productive and accomplished time in my creative life. Next week, FLETCHER RHODEN LIVE presents the next chapter in my musical evolution -- or is it devolution?
Or both?
Stay tuned.
FR
https://www.createspace.com/266091
This is a special release, folks. As part of the Fletcher Rhoden.com dvd roll-out, this is the first official music release (FLETCHER RHODEN LIVE! was held over for a chronological release pattern). Basically, these two dvds are the Fletcher Rhoden career overview, musically speaking (an EVA JAMES BAND LIVE dvd will round things out later this season). ST. LOUIS BLUES not only includes a fresh print of the classy video and fun behind-the-scenes stuff (fans of Robbie Rist must have this dvd) there is over an hour of vintage live performances by my '90's jazz/rock band Dance Hall Racket (featuring Rist) and also some Avenue Out performances, my pre-DHR pop/punk club band featuring future PROMISE KEEPERS drummer Rich Johnson. Good stuff all around.
One interesting thing about this dvd is that it captures several of my major collaborations: long-time partner-in-crime Robbie Rist, also Mighty One Productions mainstay April McKay, who appears in the video as the flirtatious waitress. And the whole video was directed by Patrick Francis, a lifelong friend who has worked with me on several things, including THE CHRISTOPHER WALKEN ECSTATIC DANCE ACADEMY, he did the camera work for SOUL CANCER and others. Great guy, very talented. Then there's Rich, a wonderful friend and awesome drummer. We'd played for years before these Avenue Out sessions, although he isn't the only drummer, as Jose Murillo rounds out the set as a fill-in player (he also did some time on some of the DHR performances.)
The other big collaboration that appears in the ST. LOUIS BLUES DVD (it must be addressed) is with DHR rhythm guitarist Jeff Greene (then called Jet). He was my first true collaborator of any sort, and since I've had many in music, literature and so on. ST. LOUIS BLUES is the last thing we did together (the video was really our last thing, the dvd is just recently compiled and released), and it's basically the best of our many years working together. Good to have gone out on a high note. (One point: the Avenue Out performances on this DVD, from 1988, are as far back as the new dvd releases are likely to go. Before that it's all school plays and baby pictures anyway.)
And of course, THE CHRISTOPHER WALKEN ECSTATIC DANCE ACADEMY represents a lesser collaboration I had with the producer of that short. This was another working and social relationship that I brought to a close.
Now, as I enter a new and very exciting phase in my writing career with a new and extremely talented and trustworthy collaborator, it makes me consider what elements make a great partner and which make a bad partner. Certainly, it's a matter of chemistry, but that's only enough to get a partnership started. After that, it's a matter of respect -- earning it, having it and showing it. It's also a matter of carrying one's own weight and evolving creatively and socially and, more importantly, not devolving in those same areas. Do I speak of my collaborators or myself, or both? I'll let you decide.
But for a look at some of my most significant collaborations, check out ST. LOUIS BLUES and enjoy what must be considered, in retrospect, a very productive and accomplished time in my creative life. Next week, FLETCHER RHODEN LIVE presents the next chapter in my musical evolution -- or is it devolution?
Or both?
Stay tuned.
FR
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
New online article
Greetings, friends and fans:
I'm taking a moment or two from my dvd rollout to circulate this online article I wrote about the new netiquette and current marketing ethics. What is spam and what isn't? It's a complicated issue that should reverberate with anybody who has ever or will ever buy or sell anything over the internet. I am posting it here on the blog for your convenience. Feel free to copy and paste it around, maybe stir up a little positive action.
And stay tuned to Fletcher Rhoden.com for more on our exciting dvds and other releases!
Fletcher Rhoden
Moon Over My Spammy
An online article by Fletcher Rhoden 5/20/2009
Spam. Here’s how J.D. Falk describes it on spam.abuse.net:
“Spam is flooding the Internet with many copies of the same message, in an attempt to force the message on people who would not otherwise choose to receive it. Most spam is commercial advertising, often for dubious products, get-rich-quick schemes, or quasi-legal services. Spam costs the sender very little to send -- most of the costs are paid for by the recipient or the carriers rather than by the sender.
There are two main types of spam, and they have different effects on Internet users. Cancelable Usenet spam is a single message sent to 20 or more Usenet newsgroups. (Through long experience, Usenet users have found that any message posted to so many newsgroups is often not relevant to most or all of them.) Usenet spam is aimed at ‘lurkers’, people who read newsgroups but rarely or never post and give their address away. Usenet spam robs users of the utility of the newsgroups by overwhelming them with a barrage of advertising or other irrelevant posts. Furthermore, Usenet spam subverts the ability of system administrators and owners to manage the topics they accept on their systems.
Email spam targets individual users with direct mail messages. Email spam lists are often created by scanning Usenet postings, stealing Internet mailing lists, or searching the Web for addresses. Email spams typically cost users money out-of-pocket to receive. Many people - anyone with measured phone service - read or receive their mail while the meter is running, so to speak. Spam costs them additional money. On top of that, it costs money for ISPs and online services to transmit spam, and these costs are transmitted directly to subscribers.
One particularly nasty variant of email spam is sending spam to mailing lists (public or private email discussion forums.) Because many mailing lists limit activity to their subscribers, spammers will use automated tools to subscribe to as many mailing lists as possible, so that they can grab the lists of addresses, or use the mailing list as a direct target for their attacks.”
So this is what spam is. But how about what spam ISN’T?
I am a writer and producer with a stream of new releases through Createspace. I have ebooks and video files available for download, all on my site, which has been rebranded as a digital media superstore (Fletcher Rhoden.com) Like many others, I am promoting my products, which include dvds of acclaimed plays LAST TANGO WITH MARLON (https://www.createspace.com/259516) and SOUL CANCER, among others. Where better to market my digital media than the internet? There are lots of like-minded people out there surfing the web who would want to know about my acclaimed works and live performances (maybe even you, dear reader.) And while other types of advertising are becoming less effective and more expensive, the internet provides near-limitless choices and venues and ways to reach people. This is the very heart of the internet, giving voice to the individual, circumventing the gatekeepers and allowing a true democratization of our world society; one person, one voice, one vote. No longer do the rich and powerful record companies, film studios and publishing houses get to decide what’s available for sale, which authors get to share their vision with the world. Now we can all have our say! So, when I recently published THE REBELS OF OZ (http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/therebelsofoz.htm), my digital download graphic novel, I alerted a variety of sites and many of them posted information about the book. So far, so good, no spam to worry about.
Then I went to the user groups. For those who don’t know, these are groups (most are on Yahoo! and Google, though AOL and MSN host quite a few as well) founded by fans of one thing or another and featuring related media and chatting about that thing. There are forums that offer basically the same interactive, message- and file-sharing functions. There are plenty of Wizard of Oz user groups and forums out there, as there are for all kinds of subjects of interest. (And I use this as a hypothetical example, as I relate nothing specifically about any of the Wizard of Oz groups. I’ve posted at Marlon Brando groups, homeschooling groups and others, depending on which product I was marketing.) But after posting a notice about a given product (and my work is widely acclaimed) and where to find it, I was often hit with a request not to, “spam the group.” Often my message was never allowed to be posted.
This is where I get confused.
It’s true, my messages were basically commercial in nature, whether marketing an Oz book to Oz fans or my novella THE TRIAL OF DAVY CROCKETT (http://www.trafford.com/01-0132) to students of American or Latin/American history. But look at the definition of spam again. I never posted any of these messages 20 times (not more than once per group.) I’m sure the group moderators didn’t search all groups to count other postings, as they never numbered even close to 20. Also, my messages were always related to the interests of the group, so it wasn’t like I was sending penis enlargement ads to groups concerned with freeing Tibet. Relevance is key.
Falk says the cost of such advertising is covered by the recipient, and this makes it wrong. But what cost? I have a Yahoo account and several groups and they’re all free. I pay for the internet service, but I’d be paying that anyway. If somebody goes to my new Rist and Rhoden Yahoo! group (http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/ristandrhodengroup/) a place for the individual and joint projects of my friend Robbie Rist and I, and they post an ad for Brady Bunch costar Maureen McCormick’s book, that doesn’t cost me a single penny. So there’s really no harm financially, even in the worst-case spam scenarios. Falk says that some people pay for their internet by the minutes used, and so extra emails cost them money to open and read. But these emails have subject headings, and one glance at them will tell you if its something to invest your time and money in. If the subject appeals and you don’t like the email itself, it seems like a matter of getting what you pay for. If you don’t want to waste your time and money reading it, just delete it en mass with the others you don’t want. And this is just for user group and forum post-related emails. People who send automatically generated spam mail directly to users usually find their goods winding up in the mailbox SPAM box anyway, right? I don’t defend them, in fact I separate myself from them for the purposes of our new parameters. But in any case I haven’t set eyes on one of those for years, or even bothered to empty my SPAM box (it happens automatically.) And in any case that is not the nature of my posts or of posts like mine from other young producers and artists. These are not multilevel marketing schemes to defraud people, rather the faint echoes of an underdog artist’s noble struggle to reach an audience and live out the true meaning of the American dream.
Falk refers to reaching out to, “Lurkers” who read but don’t post. But what’s wrong with that? Maybe they’re bashful about sharing their information (who wouldn’t be?) but still want some good information about the group’s subject of focus? Why shouldn’t they find what they’re looking for?
Falk maybe right that spam makes it difficult for moderators to moderate, but they can allow or disallow comments on a case-by-case basis with relative ease by deleting the membership of the true spammers and letting the rest of us industrious types grab a little face-time.
People have insinuated that these posts interrupt the flow of conversation in the message sections of these groups and forums. But it’s not an interruption in the traditional sense because you don’t have to stop and read it, nobody is physically interrupting anything. Just reply to the message you’re replying to and ignore the ones in between. It’s just a headline on a newsletter, not a pop-up ad! Why is your conversation the only one worth occupying that section of the group?
Of course these uninvited posts do wind up in somebody’s mailbox often enough, but these members choose to have the emails from the group sent to them. They can arrange a daily digest and skip the articles not part of their conversation, if receiving uninvited emails is really a problem. I don’t see why that slight inconvenience has to prevent me from being able to share my work with a potentially interested public. They might even be interested in the work themselves if they’d take a look.
And what harm does even a slight interruption do? An isolated post every now and then about a relevant subject shouldn’t prevent anyone from enjoying their discussions in these groups or forums.
But some of these moderators of those groups disallowed my messages and labeled me a spammer, which may be their right, but they do so not in accordance with the above definition. I know these are privately moderated groups (I’ve founded about five myself), and I’m not suggesting people be forced to allow posts they don’t want. I’m just trying to help clarify this year’s netiquette so we can all enjoy (and yes, USE) the internet to greater effect. The internet is not serving us all the way it should. Instead of greater freedom of expression and more opportunity to reach out and share our lives with others, we have less freedom and more rules, different gatekeepers deciding who can say what to whom. Of course I’m not advocating yelling, “Fire!” in a crowded (internet) theater, or that any forum should be able to be abused by anyone for any reason. But I do think a person promoting animated children’s programing should be able to post their dvd url on a group dedicated to animated children’s programing, such as my new dvd BALLOONZEE (https://www.createspace.com/265047).
So how difficult is it for us all to agree on a parameter? Falk provides us with a good one above (if flawed in spots), one which allows for a person like to me post (within numerical and contextual guidelines) without infringing on the rights of others. If only we could all agree to these parameters, it would be a big step forward in self-governing this wonderful world wide web.
So let’s have a compromise: Group moderators, let the reigns up a bit, give a person a chance to spread his wings and promote their relevant products and services. What’s a plug or two gonna hurt? Promoters, keep it brief and relevant, don’t repeat the same post in any given group. Updates should be allowed if there’s truly new information, but let’s keep it reasonable. You true spammers out there, with your search engines and your email list thefts and your penis enlargement drugs and your get-rich-quick, multilevel marketing schemes, you should be paying for your advertising anyway. Stop ruining it for the rest of us.
###
Other online articles by Fletcher Rhoden can be found at this site and at www.fletcherrhoden.com/onlinearticles.htm
I'm taking a moment or two from my dvd rollout to circulate this online article I wrote about the new netiquette and current marketing ethics. What is spam and what isn't? It's a complicated issue that should reverberate with anybody who has ever or will ever buy or sell anything over the internet. I am posting it here on the blog for your convenience. Feel free to copy and paste it around, maybe stir up a little positive action.
And stay tuned to Fletcher Rhoden.com for more on our exciting dvds and other releases!
Fletcher Rhoden
Moon Over My Spammy
An online article by Fletcher Rhoden 5/20/2009
Spam. Here’s how J.D. Falk describes it on spam.abuse.net:
“Spam is flooding the Internet with many copies of the same message, in an attempt to force the message on people who would not otherwise choose to receive it. Most spam is commercial advertising, often for dubious products, get-rich-quick schemes, or quasi-legal services. Spam costs the sender very little to send -- most of the costs are paid for by the recipient or the carriers rather than by the sender.
There are two main types of spam, and they have different effects on Internet users. Cancelable Usenet spam is a single message sent to 20 or more Usenet newsgroups. (Through long experience, Usenet users have found that any message posted to so many newsgroups is often not relevant to most or all of them.) Usenet spam is aimed at ‘lurkers’, people who read newsgroups but rarely or never post and give their address away. Usenet spam robs users of the utility of the newsgroups by overwhelming them with a barrage of advertising or other irrelevant posts. Furthermore, Usenet spam subverts the ability of system administrators and owners to manage the topics they accept on their systems.
Email spam targets individual users with direct mail messages. Email spam lists are often created by scanning Usenet postings, stealing Internet mailing lists, or searching the Web for addresses. Email spams typically cost users money out-of-pocket to receive. Many people - anyone with measured phone service - read or receive their mail while the meter is running, so to speak. Spam costs them additional money. On top of that, it costs money for ISPs and online services to transmit spam, and these costs are transmitted directly to subscribers.
One particularly nasty variant of email spam is sending spam to mailing lists (public or private email discussion forums.) Because many mailing lists limit activity to their subscribers, spammers will use automated tools to subscribe to as many mailing lists as possible, so that they can grab the lists of addresses, or use the mailing list as a direct target for their attacks.”
So this is what spam is. But how about what spam ISN’T?
I am a writer and producer with a stream of new releases through Createspace. I have ebooks and video files available for download, all on my site, which has been rebranded as a digital media superstore (Fletcher Rhoden.com) Like many others, I am promoting my products, which include dvds of acclaimed plays LAST TANGO WITH MARLON (https://www.createspace.com/259516) and SOUL CANCER, among others. Where better to market my digital media than the internet? There are lots of like-minded people out there surfing the web who would want to know about my acclaimed works and live performances (maybe even you, dear reader.) And while other types of advertising are becoming less effective and more expensive, the internet provides near-limitless choices and venues and ways to reach people. This is the very heart of the internet, giving voice to the individual, circumventing the gatekeepers and allowing a true democratization of our world society; one person, one voice, one vote. No longer do the rich and powerful record companies, film studios and publishing houses get to decide what’s available for sale, which authors get to share their vision with the world. Now we can all have our say! So, when I recently published THE REBELS OF OZ (http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/therebelsofoz.htm), my digital download graphic novel, I alerted a variety of sites and many of them posted information about the book. So far, so good, no spam to worry about.
Then I went to the user groups. For those who don’t know, these are groups (most are on Yahoo! and Google, though AOL and MSN host quite a few as well) founded by fans of one thing or another and featuring related media and chatting about that thing. There are forums that offer basically the same interactive, message- and file-sharing functions. There are plenty of Wizard of Oz user groups and forums out there, as there are for all kinds of subjects of interest. (And I use this as a hypothetical example, as I relate nothing specifically about any of the Wizard of Oz groups. I’ve posted at Marlon Brando groups, homeschooling groups and others, depending on which product I was marketing.) But after posting a notice about a given product (and my work is widely acclaimed) and where to find it, I was often hit with a request not to, “spam the group.” Often my message was never allowed to be posted.
This is where I get confused.
It’s true, my messages were basically commercial in nature, whether marketing an Oz book to Oz fans or my novella THE TRIAL OF DAVY CROCKETT (http://www.trafford.com/01-0132) to students of American or Latin/American history. But look at the definition of spam again. I never posted any of these messages 20 times (not more than once per group.) I’m sure the group moderators didn’t search all groups to count other postings, as they never numbered even close to 20. Also, my messages were always related to the interests of the group, so it wasn’t like I was sending penis enlargement ads to groups concerned with freeing Tibet. Relevance is key.
Falk says the cost of such advertising is covered by the recipient, and this makes it wrong. But what cost? I have a Yahoo account and several groups and they’re all free. I pay for the internet service, but I’d be paying that anyway. If somebody goes to my new Rist and Rhoden Yahoo! group (http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/ristandrhodengroup/) a place for the individual and joint projects of my friend Robbie Rist and I, and they post an ad for Brady Bunch costar Maureen McCormick’s book, that doesn’t cost me a single penny. So there’s really no harm financially, even in the worst-case spam scenarios. Falk says that some people pay for their internet by the minutes used, and so extra emails cost them money to open and read. But these emails have subject headings, and one glance at them will tell you if its something to invest your time and money in. If the subject appeals and you don’t like the email itself, it seems like a matter of getting what you pay for. If you don’t want to waste your time and money reading it, just delete it en mass with the others you don’t want. And this is just for user group and forum post-related emails. People who send automatically generated spam mail directly to users usually find their goods winding up in the mailbox SPAM box anyway, right? I don’t defend them, in fact I separate myself from them for the purposes of our new parameters. But in any case I haven’t set eyes on one of those for years, or even bothered to empty my SPAM box (it happens automatically.) And in any case that is not the nature of my posts or of posts like mine from other young producers and artists. These are not multilevel marketing schemes to defraud people, rather the faint echoes of an underdog artist’s noble struggle to reach an audience and live out the true meaning of the American dream.
Falk refers to reaching out to, “Lurkers” who read but don’t post. But what’s wrong with that? Maybe they’re bashful about sharing their information (who wouldn’t be?) but still want some good information about the group’s subject of focus? Why shouldn’t they find what they’re looking for?
Falk maybe right that spam makes it difficult for moderators to moderate, but they can allow or disallow comments on a case-by-case basis with relative ease by deleting the membership of the true spammers and letting the rest of us industrious types grab a little face-time.
People have insinuated that these posts interrupt the flow of conversation in the message sections of these groups and forums. But it’s not an interruption in the traditional sense because you don’t have to stop and read it, nobody is physically interrupting anything. Just reply to the message you’re replying to and ignore the ones in between. It’s just a headline on a newsletter, not a pop-up ad! Why is your conversation the only one worth occupying that section of the group?
Of course these uninvited posts do wind up in somebody’s mailbox often enough, but these members choose to have the emails from the group sent to them. They can arrange a daily digest and skip the articles not part of their conversation, if receiving uninvited emails is really a problem. I don’t see why that slight inconvenience has to prevent me from being able to share my work with a potentially interested public. They might even be interested in the work themselves if they’d take a look.
And what harm does even a slight interruption do? An isolated post every now and then about a relevant subject shouldn’t prevent anyone from enjoying their discussions in these groups or forums.
But some of these moderators of those groups disallowed my messages and labeled me a spammer, which may be their right, but they do so not in accordance with the above definition. I know these are privately moderated groups (I’ve founded about five myself), and I’m not suggesting people be forced to allow posts they don’t want. I’m just trying to help clarify this year’s netiquette so we can all enjoy (and yes, USE) the internet to greater effect. The internet is not serving us all the way it should. Instead of greater freedom of expression and more opportunity to reach out and share our lives with others, we have less freedom and more rules, different gatekeepers deciding who can say what to whom. Of course I’m not advocating yelling, “Fire!” in a crowded (internet) theater, or that any forum should be able to be abused by anyone for any reason. But I do think a person promoting animated children’s programing should be able to post their dvd url on a group dedicated to animated children’s programing, such as my new dvd BALLOONZEE (https://www.createspace.com/265047).
So how difficult is it for us all to agree on a parameter? Falk provides us with a good one above (if flawed in spots), one which allows for a person like to me post (within numerical and contextual guidelines) without infringing on the rights of others. If only we could all agree to these parameters, it would be a big step forward in self-governing this wonderful world wide web.
So let’s have a compromise: Group moderators, let the reigns up a bit, give a person a chance to spread his wings and promote their relevant products and services. What’s a plug or two gonna hurt? Promoters, keep it brief and relevant, don’t repeat the same post in any given group. Updates should be allowed if there’s truly new information, but let’s keep it reasonable. You true spammers out there, with your search engines and your email list thefts and your penis enlargement drugs and your get-rich-quick, multilevel marketing schemes, you should be paying for your advertising anyway. Stop ruining it for the rest of us.
###
Other online articles by Fletcher Rhoden can be found at this site and at www.fletcherrhoden.com/onlinearticles.htm
Sunday, May 3, 2009
BALLOONZEE dvd now available online!
This week BALLOONZEE joins LAST TANGO WITH MARLON on the growing list of Fletcher Rhoden dvds available for purchase online from Amazon.com/Createspace.
In the wonderful world of BALLOONZEE, bright-eyed balloon animals sing, dance, tell jokes, learn to count, add, spell and much more. Created to California Content Standards, this 30-minute, all-digital animated dvd features educational shorts, a 13-minute series pilot and even a bonus short! Kids all over the world love balloon animals, and your whole family will love BALLOONZEE. Order now!
https://www.createspace.com/265047
Rather watch BALLOONZEE on your iPhone or similar device? Download the videos and picture ebook now!
http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/balloonzee.htm
Also great for the kids, THAT'S RUDE, JUDE! the hilarious ebook for early readers that teaches kids what NOT to say! As funny for Mom and Dad as it is for the kids!
http:www.fletcherrhoden.com/thatsrudejude.htm
And for Mom and Dad there are other dvds, downloadable videos and ebooks (perfect for your Kindle 2) ready to buy through Google Checkout or PayPal -- take a look at our impressive catalogue!
It's always a safe and secure transaction with Fletcher Rhoden.com, and there's more fun stuff coming up, so stay tuned!
FR.c
In the wonderful world of BALLOONZEE, bright-eyed balloon animals sing, dance, tell jokes, learn to count, add, spell and much more. Created to California Content Standards, this 30-minute, all-digital animated dvd features educational shorts, a 13-minute series pilot and even a bonus short! Kids all over the world love balloon animals, and your whole family will love BALLOONZEE. Order now!
https://www.createspace.com/265047
Rather watch BALLOONZEE on your iPhone or similar device? Download the videos and picture ebook now!
http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/balloonzee.htm
Also great for the kids, THAT'S RUDE, JUDE! the hilarious ebook for early readers that teaches kids what NOT to say! As funny for Mom and Dad as it is for the kids!
http:www.fletcherrhoden.com/thatsrudejude.htm
And for Mom and Dad there are other dvds, downloadable videos and ebooks (perfect for your Kindle 2) ready to buy through Google Checkout or PayPal -- take a look at our impressive catalogue!
It's always a safe and secure transaction with Fletcher Rhoden.com, and there's more fun stuff coming up, so stay tuned!
FR.c
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
LAST TANGO WITH MARLON on dvd from Amazon.com
Folks, the wait is over -- LAST TANGO WITH MARLON, the acclaimed stage play about the lives and legendary friendship of actors Marlon Brando and Wally Cox, is now on DVD and for sale from Amazon.com. The dvd was recently called, "A welcome dvd release...a theatrical dance to remember..." by LivelyArts.com, in addition to the critical raves heaped on the play itself during its premiere run ("...Exquisite... Intensely comedic... fast-moving and funny...). Just $18.00 and available for sale nowhere else on the net. The ideal gift for the Brando fan in your life.
https://www.createspace.com/259516
To celebrate, I'm also making three novels available for sale in e format:
SISTERELLA combines the revisionist fiction of WICKED with the modern light comedy of BRIDGET JONES' DIARY in a story of 3 sisters who find disharmony when a young rock star enters their lives. A contemporary Cinderella.
CARING FOR CAROLYN: Painful memories and an antagonistic sister challenge a young woman's attempts to care for her estranged stepmother, the only survivor of a plane crash that takes the life of the siblings' father and brother. From the author's own life experiences.
NEVER DIE TWICE: A young man must look after his deranged grandfather, who believes himself to be an international spy. Hilarious adventure.
These handy pdfs are affordable (just $7.99) and formatted for your Kindle or other portable device, with 12 point fonts and 1.5 line spacing for easy reading. Download them today and, as always, stay tuned for more.
http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/novels.htm
https://www.createspace.com/259516
To celebrate, I'm also making three novels available for sale in e format:
SISTERELLA combines the revisionist fiction of WICKED with the modern light comedy of BRIDGET JONES' DIARY in a story of 3 sisters who find disharmony when a young rock star enters their lives. A contemporary Cinderella.
CARING FOR CAROLYN: Painful memories and an antagonistic sister challenge a young woman's attempts to care for her estranged stepmother, the only survivor of a plane crash that takes the life of the siblings' father and brother. From the author's own life experiences.
NEVER DIE TWICE: A young man must look after his deranged grandfather, who believes himself to be an international spy. Hilarious adventure.
These handy pdfs are affordable (just $7.99) and formatted for your Kindle or other portable device, with 12 point fonts and 1.5 line spacing for easy reading. Download them today and, as always, stay tuned for more.
http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/novels.htm
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Fletcher Rhoden.com Download review, DVD preview
Greetings, all!
That's right -- another fletcherrhodenblog! But lots of things are happening, and it was suggested to me that I recap all the downloads we've had and try to sum up what you can expect in the coming months.
As many of you know, and hopefully many more didn't up until now, Fletcher Rhoden.com has been rolling out all our digital video and other media for download, making Fletcher Rhoden a fully functioning download superstore... and more.
In addition to various publisher and distributor links for such popular products as my novellas (LAST TANGO WITH MARLON, THE TRIAL OF DAVY CROCKETT, Trafford) or the award-winning slasher STUMP THE BAND, you can now find PayPal and Google Checkout links to buy things from the site through trusted file sharing site Payloadz.com. These titles include:
THE REBELS OF OZ: A new, dark sequel to the original books finds an adult Dorothy Gale returning to Oz to overthrow the tyrannical regime of her former allies Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion. Already showing up all over the internet, this is an all-digital, full-color downloadable graphic novel for mature readers -- just released! $7.99!
WRITE MAKES MIGHT: STRONGER STRUCTURE IN STORYTELLING -- two mp4 video files cover this funny and frank 30-minute writing seminar covering the mythic 3-act structure, scene and sequel structure and more. One lunch break with your iPhone or iPod can save you hundreds of dollars and hours with various screenwriting books or classes. Just $5.99 per file!
http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/writemakesmight.htm
THE CHRISTOPHER WALKEN ECSTATIC DANCE ACADEMY -- the internet legend comes to download in a new DIRECTOR'S CUT with new sound, new music. The only place on the net to find the new (or any) version of this acclaimed short. Just $2.99 for a 9-minute mp4!
http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/tcweda.htm
BALLOONZEE -- Those bright-eyed balloon animals are back, singing and learning and floating over exotic places in a new picture ebook, "Let's Go Floatin'" and two downloadable 15-minute animated programs, "Quickies" and "Blue, No Clue". $5.99 each.
http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/balloonzee.htm
THAT'S RUDE, JUDE! A laugh-out-loud ebook for early readers, "That's Rude, Jude!" teaches over-observant children what NOT to say! Gross enough to keep kids amused, with pictures parents are bound to find hilarious. $5.99
http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/thatsrudejude.htm
That represents our current download catalog, and while April has been all about the downloads, May will be all about the dvds from Amazon.com. For example:
LAST TANGO WITH MARLON -- the already-acclaimed dvd of the critic's darling play, based on the widely-praised novella about Marlon Brando and Wally Cox, due out this week. Just $18!
BALLOONZEE -- The line of Balloonzee products continues with this dvd, the second release in the Fletcher Rhoden.com DVD roll-out. Just $12.00!
SOUL CANCER -- the hard-hitting one-act that made LAST TANGO WITH MARLON possible, in a brand-new director's cut. Features new commentary by star Robbie Rist and stars international actor Michael Dunn. Unpriced
THE CHRISTOPHER WALKEN ECSTATIC DANCE ACADEMY -- the director's cut of this legendary short, with hilarious, unrated outtakes, never-before-released performances, new videos and commentaries, animated short subjects and more. Unpriced
FLETCHER RHODEN LIVE -- a decade of performances from the singer/songwriter behind CAN'T STOP TALKIN' LIKE CHRISTOHER WALKEN and others. Unpriced
Even more? Sure, the late summer should see dvds from the EVA JAMES BAND, DANCE HALL RACKET, possible special edition CD re-releases of NEW HEAVEN, JOY OF SONG and others, ebook novels from the vast store of unpublished work by Fletcher Rhoden and even more.
Original artwork by Fletcher Rhoden can now be purchased online through Emerging Painters.com and others. See the links on http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/paintings.htm
So check out http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/index if you just want to browse around this fascinating and far-reaching site. There's never a membership or subscription fee and always lots of free content. Kids stuff is clearly labelled (separate kids store!). Includes links to groups for various Fletcher Rhoden.com products and those of our friends and associates.
Even in these tough times, you can afford to splurge at Fletcher Rhoden.com!
That's right -- another fletcherrhodenblog! But lots of things are happening, and it was suggested to me that I recap all the downloads we've had and try to sum up what you can expect in the coming months.
As many of you know, and hopefully many more didn't up until now, Fletcher Rhoden.com has been rolling out all our digital video and other media for download, making Fletcher Rhoden a fully functioning download superstore... and more.
In addition to various publisher and distributor links for such popular products as my novellas (LAST TANGO WITH MARLON, THE TRIAL OF DAVY CROCKETT, Trafford) or the award-winning slasher STUMP THE BAND, you can now find PayPal and Google Checkout links to buy things from the site through trusted file sharing site Payloadz.com. These titles include:
THE REBELS OF OZ: A new, dark sequel to the original books finds an adult Dorothy Gale returning to Oz to overthrow the tyrannical regime of her former allies Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion. Already showing up all over the internet, this is an all-digital, full-color downloadable graphic novel for mature readers -- just released! $7.99!
WRITE MAKES MIGHT: STRONGER STRUCTURE IN STORYTELLING -- two mp4 video files cover this funny and frank 30-minute writing seminar covering the mythic 3-act structure, scene and sequel structure and more. One lunch break with your iPhone or iPod can save you hundreds of dollars and hours with various screenwriting books or classes. Just $5.99 per file!
http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/writemakesmight.htm
THE CHRISTOPHER WALKEN ECSTATIC DANCE ACADEMY -- the internet legend comes to download in a new DIRECTOR'S CUT with new sound, new music. The only place on the net to find the new (or any) version of this acclaimed short. Just $2.99 for a 9-minute mp4!
http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/tcweda.htm
BALLOONZEE -- Those bright-eyed balloon animals are back, singing and learning and floating over exotic places in a new picture ebook, "Let's Go Floatin'" and two downloadable 15-minute animated programs, "Quickies" and "Blue, No Clue". $5.99 each.
http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/balloonzee.htm
THAT'S RUDE, JUDE! A laugh-out-loud ebook for early readers, "That's Rude, Jude!" teaches over-observant children what NOT to say! Gross enough to keep kids amused, with pictures parents are bound to find hilarious. $5.99
http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/thatsrudejude.htm
That represents our current download catalog, and while April has been all about the downloads, May will be all about the dvds from Amazon.com. For example:
LAST TANGO WITH MARLON -- the already-acclaimed dvd of the critic's darling play, based on the widely-praised novella about Marlon Brando and Wally Cox, due out this week. Just $18!
BALLOONZEE -- The line of Balloonzee products continues with this dvd, the second release in the Fletcher Rhoden.com DVD roll-out. Just $12.00!
SOUL CANCER -- the hard-hitting one-act that made LAST TANGO WITH MARLON possible, in a brand-new director's cut. Features new commentary by star Robbie Rist and stars international actor Michael Dunn. Unpriced
THE CHRISTOPHER WALKEN ECSTATIC DANCE ACADEMY -- the director's cut of this legendary short, with hilarious, unrated outtakes, never-before-released performances, new videos and commentaries, animated short subjects and more. Unpriced
FLETCHER RHODEN LIVE -- a decade of performances from the singer/songwriter behind CAN'T STOP TALKIN' LIKE CHRISTOHER WALKEN and others. Unpriced
Even more? Sure, the late summer should see dvds from the EVA JAMES BAND, DANCE HALL RACKET, possible special edition CD re-releases of NEW HEAVEN, JOY OF SONG and others, ebook novels from the vast store of unpublished work by Fletcher Rhoden and even more.
Original artwork by Fletcher Rhoden can now be purchased online through Emerging Painters.com and others. See the links on http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/paintings.htm
So check out http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/index if you just want to browse around this fascinating and far-reaching site. There's never a membership or subscription fee and always lots of free content. Kids stuff is clearly labelled (separate kids store!). Includes links to groups for various Fletcher Rhoden.com products and those of our friends and associates.
Even in these tough times, you can afford to splurge at Fletcher Rhoden.com!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
digital download roll-out continues at Fletcher Rhoden.com
Friends and fans, the digital download roll-out continues at Fletcher Rhoden.com with the DIRECTOR'S CUT of the popular short subject THE CHRISTOPHER WALKEN ECSTATIC DANCE ACADEMY. Starring Quinton Flynn and Robbie Rist, it's got new shots, new sound, new music and more. You can download the short for just $2.99 from the VIDEOS page of our home site, www.fletcherrhoden.com! This is the only place you'll be able to find this short on the net -- there are no other postings which will be sponsored by Fletcher Rhoden.com. Here's a little promotional trick -- if anybody finds the short in its non-director's-cut form (it won't say DIRECTOR'S CUT in the opening) I will send you the new director's cut short, free of charge (as long as you or a friend didn't post the file yourself). Or you can wait for the DVD to come out from Amazon.com next month -- it'll have commentaries, newly released performances, animated shorts and a ton more, but it'll price at about $15 bucks or so. S'up to you. Email me at fletcherrhoden@yahoo.com
I always liked this short, even if it had a very controversial debut. But it was called, "Hilarious...best in show...rivals the best output of SNL... we're treated to the immensely hummable tune..." The song CAN'T STOP TALKIN' LIKE CHRISTOPHER WALKN was very popular for me on a solo stint I did in 2000, and I giggled all the way through this re-edit. Some people may wonder if it's fair to make this short available only for money. What about those who worked on it, who might need it for some online posting of some sort? To that I can only say that TCWEDA averages several hundred hits a month -- not a ton by internet standards, but it's been a free ride for a lot of people for a long time now. Now that Fletcher Rhoden.com is an AFTRA signatory and all our selling permits are in order, we gotta do what we gotta do. Last year when we closed our DVD page at Fletcher Rhoden.com, we announced that we were streamlining our distribution system. This is what we meant. Anybody who wants an mp4 can buy a download, those who want better fidelity should get the dvd. Anyone else can post the link on their site and let their friends or fans decide for themselves at http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/videos.htm!
Next up the BALLOONZEE picture ebook LET'S GO FLOATIN' joins the two animated shorts in the download arena -- the DVD should be out in about two weeks, after the imminent release of the LAST TANGO WITH MARLON dvd.
That's about it for now -- happy viewing, Fletchheads!
FR
I always liked this short, even if it had a very controversial debut. But it was called, "Hilarious...best in show...rivals the best output of SNL... we're treated to the immensely hummable tune..." The song CAN'T STOP TALKIN' LIKE CHRISTOPHER WALKN was very popular for me on a solo stint I did in 2000, and I giggled all the way through this re-edit. Some people may wonder if it's fair to make this short available only for money. What about those who worked on it, who might need it for some online posting of some sort? To that I can only say that TCWEDA averages several hundred hits a month -- not a ton by internet standards, but it's been a free ride for a lot of people for a long time now. Now that Fletcher Rhoden.com is an AFTRA signatory and all our selling permits are in order, we gotta do what we gotta do. Last year when we closed our DVD page at Fletcher Rhoden.com, we announced that we were streamlining our distribution system. This is what we meant. Anybody who wants an mp4 can buy a download, those who want better fidelity should get the dvd. Anyone else can post the link on their site and let their friends or fans decide for themselves at http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/videos.htm!
Next up the BALLOONZEE picture ebook LET'S GO FLOATIN' joins the two animated shorts in the download arena -- the DVD should be out in about two weeks, after the imminent release of the LAST TANGO WITH MARLON dvd.
That's about it for now -- happy viewing, Fletchheads!
FR
Friday, April 17, 2009
Write Makes Might joins digital download roll-out at Fletcher Rhoden.com
Greetings, friends and fans:
The digital download roll-out continues at Fletcher Rhoden.com with the release of WRITE MAKES MIGHT: Stronger Structure in Storytelling in 2 handy mp4 files. You can watch them on your desktop, laptop, iPod, iPhone or other portable device. In WRITE MAKES MIGHT, I break down the all-important 3-act structure, as well as scene and sequel structure, using popular films such as JAWS, THE GODFATHER, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK and other modern classics to illustrate. You can spend countless hours and hundreds of dollars on books or classes, or you can spend a half-hour during your lunch break to check out this funny and informative seminar. Do you think a sequel is the second film in a franchise? Are you struggling with that long second act of your screenplay or novel? Then WRITE MAKES MIGHT is for you. Beginners and professionals alike will benefit from this seminar, shot live in Hollywood, CA just last year. My credentials as an acclaimed author and playwright are too long to list here, but you can link to them on the WRITE MAKES MIGHT page of my site -- you can also see some free sample clips and more. The mp4 files are just $5.99 each and all transactions are safe, secure and automated. Use Paypal and Google Checkout, just like with all the new downloadable stuff from Fletcher Rhoden.com, including the new graphic novel THE REBELS OF OZ.
http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/writemakesmight.htm
http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/therebelsofoz.htm
Stay tuned for more!
Fletcher Rhoden
The digital download roll-out continues at Fletcher Rhoden.com with the release of WRITE MAKES MIGHT: Stronger Structure in Storytelling in 2 handy mp4 files. You can watch them on your desktop, laptop, iPod, iPhone or other portable device. In WRITE MAKES MIGHT, I break down the all-important 3-act structure, as well as scene and sequel structure, using popular films such as JAWS, THE GODFATHER, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK and other modern classics to illustrate. You can spend countless hours and hundreds of dollars on books or classes, or you can spend a half-hour during your lunch break to check out this funny and informative seminar. Do you think a sequel is the second film in a franchise? Are you struggling with that long second act of your screenplay or novel? Then WRITE MAKES MIGHT is for you. Beginners and professionals alike will benefit from this seminar, shot live in Hollywood, CA just last year. My credentials as an acclaimed author and playwright are too long to list here, but you can link to them on the WRITE MAKES MIGHT page of my site -- you can also see some free sample clips and more. The mp4 files are just $5.99 each and all transactions are safe, secure and automated. Use Paypal and Google Checkout, just like with all the new downloadable stuff from Fletcher Rhoden.com, including the new graphic novel THE REBELS OF OZ.
http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/writemakesmight.htm
http://www.fletcherrhoden.com/therebelsofoz.htm
Stay tuned for more!
Fletcher Rhoden
Saturday, April 11, 2009
New graphic novel THE REBELS OF OZ and MORE!
Happy Easter, gang!
Here's the sup-sup on all the exciting new stuff at FLETCHER RHODEN.COM. Very happy to announce that my new digital-download graphic novel THE REBELS OF OZ is now available for sale. This 140-plus page, all-color, all-digital work comes in a handy 48 mb pdf file, safe and secure from either PayPal or Google Checkout. In this mature-readers sequel, Dorothy Gale must return to Oz to overthrow the tyrannical regime of Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion. This stunning piece is just $7.99, so check out the free posted excerpt and download the whole file today from www.fletcherrhoden.com/therebelsofoz.htm
Also newly available is my laugh-out-loud-funny ebook for early readers THAT'S RUDE, JUDE! the only book that teaches kids what NOT to say, and why. Just gross enough for kids, helpful for parents and a handy tool for teachers or home-schoolers. At just $5.99 and 7mb, THAT'S RUDE, JUDE! is affordable and easy to download and send to friends with that problem child you just don't know how to correct.
www.fletcherrhoden.com/thatsrudejude.htm
In other exciting news, the dvd of LAST TANGO WITH MARLON comes to you from Amazon.com later this month with a price of just $17.99 -- that's only pennies per word if you tally up all the great reviews we got! There's more information on that (INCLUDING NEW CLIPS FROM THE DVD) and on the acclaimed novella:
www.fletcherrhoden.com/lasttangowithmarlon.htm
That's right, it's all at the new Fletcher Rhoden.com -- come in and take a look around. In addition to the new easy-to-use PayPal and Google Checkout buttons, there is lots of FREE content, including archival PERFORMANCE VIDEOS, new MUSIC and other cool stuff -- too much to mention, so think of it like an Easter egg hunt with cool free music and videos as the rewards! There are more dvd and ebook releases coming up from Fletcher Rhoden.com, including BALLOONZEE products and much more, so stay tuned.
Happy Easter!
Fletcher Rhoden
Here's the sup-sup on all the exciting new stuff at FLETCHER RHODEN.COM. Very happy to announce that my new digital-download graphic novel THE REBELS OF OZ is now available for sale. This 140-plus page, all-color, all-digital work comes in a handy 48 mb pdf file, safe and secure from either PayPal or Google Checkout. In this mature-readers sequel, Dorothy Gale must return to Oz to overthrow the tyrannical regime of Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion. This stunning piece is just $7.99, so check out the free posted excerpt and download the whole file today from www.fletcherrhoden.com/therebelsofoz.htm
Also newly available is my laugh-out-loud-funny ebook for early readers THAT'S RUDE, JUDE! the only book that teaches kids what NOT to say, and why. Just gross enough for kids, helpful for parents and a handy tool for teachers or home-schoolers. At just $5.99 and 7mb, THAT'S RUDE, JUDE! is affordable and easy to download and send to friends with that problem child you just don't know how to correct.
www.fletcherrhoden.com/thatsrudejude.htm
In other exciting news, the dvd of LAST TANGO WITH MARLON comes to you from Amazon.com later this month with a price of just $17.99 -- that's only pennies per word if you tally up all the great reviews we got! There's more information on that (INCLUDING NEW CLIPS FROM THE DVD) and on the acclaimed novella:
www.fletcherrhoden.com/lasttangowithmarlon.htm
That's right, it's all at the new Fletcher Rhoden.com -- come in and take a look around. In addition to the new easy-to-use PayPal and Google Checkout buttons, there is lots of FREE content, including archival PERFORMANCE VIDEOS, new MUSIC and other cool stuff -- too much to mention, so think of it like an Easter egg hunt with cool free music and videos as the rewards! There are more dvd and ebook releases coming up from Fletcher Rhoden.com, including BALLOONZEE products and much more, so stay tuned.
Happy Easter!
Fletcher Rhoden
Sunday, March 1, 2009
New performance video posted at Fletcher Rhoden.com
Yikes, Bloggies, where did February go? First of all, I know I'm late getting the DVD of LAST TANGO WITH MARLON on the market -- sorry, folks! But the webcast is up at 2hip4tv.com, and the dvd should be available from CreateSpace on Amazon.com in March -- this time, I promise. Thing is, I was just a bit distracted this month with some editing I'm doing for 2hip4tv.com, and some rewriting of a script for a very interested producer -- we're waiting to hear from a certain Oscar-winning actress about starring. In other news, I'm jumping into a project also slated for a March release -- look for this one at the end of the month though, at the earliest. Can't say much about it yet, but it's pushing back my various dvd releases (except for TANGO, of course) and will be taking me places I haven't been since 1992. Any guesses? Feel free to join the fletcherrhodengroup at Yahoo Groups and post your spoilers if you have any.
In the mean time there's another archival performance on the PERFORMANCES page of the home site, Fletcher Rhoden.com -- this one a gospel favorite I did around 2006, and hadn't performed live in almost 15 years. So there's that... Stay tuned and have fun! And slow down, March -- don't rush by the way February did (I need time to breathe!)
FR
In the mean time there's another archival performance on the PERFORMANCES page of the home site, Fletcher Rhoden.com -- this one a gospel favorite I did around 2006, and hadn't performed live in almost 15 years. So there's that... Stay tuned and have fun! And slow down, March -- don't rush by the way February did (I need time to breathe!)
FR
Friday, January 30, 2009
New performance video posted at Fletcher Rhoden.com
Well, bloggies, the video itself is new, but the performance dates back to 2002 -- "My Ship" from Kulak's Woodshed. This was taped the same night of the Abby Rode stand-up set that would eventually be released (in a very-limited edition) as ALMOST INFAMOUS. Those who were there might remember Quinton Flynn, of THE CHRISTOPHER WALKEN ECSTATIC DANCE ACADEMY, did a stand-up set that night as well. In addition to this solo-guitar piece, which has become a staple of the Fletcher Rhoden.com index page, I did a version of CAN'T STOP TALKIN' LIKE CHRISTOPHER WALKEN which has never been seen and might surface soon. A different performance of the same song, also from Kulak's Woodshed, has drawn thousands of hits online over the past few years. But I don't want to give too much away about all the upcoming releases from Fletcher Rhoden.com. In the mean time, you can enjoy this little jazz guitar clip. It's on the PERFORMANCES page of the home site, but here's a direct link:
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/4396950/11795266
I was reminded of this clip when I read the cover story in LA Weekly about the ongoing struggle between Paul Kulak and his neighbor on Laurel Canyon Blvd. who objects to the sound and activity of the Woodshed. I'm not involved in this struggle (I haven't been a regular at Kulak's since around 2001 and I haven't really been a patron since after 2002) but I would like to go on the record attesting to the character of Mr. Paul Kulak. Here is a man who gives of himself -- his time, his energy, his money -- to further the opportunities of a small class of below-the-radar entertainers. He is one of the very rare people who seek not to take advantage of those who struggle, but to assist them. He still invites people to play (as far as I know) and tapes everyone as a free service. Some of the material I taped there during my 2000 open-mic tour will appear on dvd soon, and now I understand he offers a 6-camera set up (only used to be one!) Thinking about all this makes me want to go back to the Woodshed for some more performances -- maybe I'll do just that. I encourage others to do the same -- take advantage of this unique and fantastic opportunity, and support a man who is ready and willing to support you. Seems fair, doesn't it?
Rock on, Paul Kulak!
Best,
Fletcher Rhoden
fletcherrhoden.com
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/4396950/11795266
I was reminded of this clip when I read the cover story in LA Weekly about the ongoing struggle between Paul Kulak and his neighbor on Laurel Canyon Blvd. who objects to the sound and activity of the Woodshed. I'm not involved in this struggle (I haven't been a regular at Kulak's since around 2001 and I haven't really been a patron since after 2002) but I would like to go on the record attesting to the character of Mr. Paul Kulak. Here is a man who gives of himself -- his time, his energy, his money -- to further the opportunities of a small class of below-the-radar entertainers. He is one of the very rare people who seek not to take advantage of those who struggle, but to assist them. He still invites people to play (as far as I know) and tapes everyone as a free service. Some of the material I taped there during my 2000 open-mic tour will appear on dvd soon, and now I understand he offers a 6-camera set up (only used to be one!) Thinking about all this makes me want to go back to the Woodshed for some more performances -- maybe I'll do just that. I encourage others to do the same -- take advantage of this unique and fantastic opportunity, and support a man who is ready and willing to support you. Seems fair, doesn't it?
Rock on, Paul Kulak!
Best,
Fletcher Rhoden
fletcherrhoden.com
Monday, January 26, 2009
New RESONATOR cd now available!
Greetings, bloggers and Fletchfans:
This week Fletcher Rhoden.com is releasing my new covers cd, RESONATOR. First, for those interested in such things, there are a few noteworthy facets to this new cd. It's my second all-covers cd in a row, following up the late-2008 release CLASSIC JACK. And like CLASSIC JACK, RESONATOR includes versions of popular tunes that are vastly different from the original versions. But unlike CLASSIC JACK, which features different genres for each cover, RESONATOR is basically Delta blues versions of classic rock tunes, so there's not so much disparity or variety of song styles. This is also the first cd without an electric guitar since the unreleased SERIO from 1989 or the half-live, half-demo release ACOUSTIC ROCK from way back in 1986. Yikes. And, unusual for a group of recordings from me, there's only one guitar solo on all ten tracks. When you hear it, you'll know why. There is a lot of harmonica on it though, an instrument I haven't recorded with for almost 10 years. I don't want to say too much more about this new CD, since there are even more exciting things to come from this particular project, I suspect, and I don't want to give too much away too soon. But I do think it's a pretty snappy little cd, regardless. I wasn't even going to release these new recordings, but they did come out pretty well, and I'd like to drum up interest for future exploitation of this very novel music. Tunes are up at the Yahoo group fletcherrhodengroup -- you have to join, but it's confidential, it's free and it's fun -- like me. If you count my cd of originals from a few months back, NEW HEAVEN, both recent covers cds and my Christmas tune, I AM THE ONE, it's clear that I haven't cranked out the music at this rate since the late '80's or early '90's. What can I tell you? As I explained to American Chronicle, if I could help it, I would. Until then, let's keep rockin' a little while. Where's the harm in that?
There is still an amazing amount of cool stuff coming up, but 2009 is off to an incredible start and we here at FR.com can't wait to share the joy!
Arise and shine in 2009!
Fletcher Rhoden
This week Fletcher Rhoden.com is releasing my new covers cd, RESONATOR. First, for those interested in such things, there are a few noteworthy facets to this new cd. It's my second all-covers cd in a row, following up the late-2008 release CLASSIC JACK. And like CLASSIC JACK, RESONATOR includes versions of popular tunes that are vastly different from the original versions. But unlike CLASSIC JACK, which features different genres for each cover, RESONATOR is basically Delta blues versions of classic rock tunes, so there's not so much disparity or variety of song styles. This is also the first cd without an electric guitar since the unreleased SERIO from 1989 or the half-live, half-demo release ACOUSTIC ROCK from way back in 1986. Yikes. And, unusual for a group of recordings from me, there's only one guitar solo on all ten tracks. When you hear it, you'll know why. There is a lot of harmonica on it though, an instrument I haven't recorded with for almost 10 years. I don't want to say too much more about this new CD, since there are even more exciting things to come from this particular project, I suspect, and I don't want to give too much away too soon. But I do think it's a pretty snappy little cd, regardless. I wasn't even going to release these new recordings, but they did come out pretty well, and I'd like to drum up interest for future exploitation of this very novel music. Tunes are up at the Yahoo group fletcherrhodengroup -- you have to join, but it's confidential, it's free and it's fun -- like me. If you count my cd of originals from a few months back, NEW HEAVEN, both recent covers cds and my Christmas tune, I AM THE ONE, it's clear that I haven't cranked out the music at this rate since the late '80's or early '90's. What can I tell you? As I explained to American Chronicle, if I could help it, I would. Until then, let's keep rockin' a little while. Where's the harm in that?
There is still an amazing amount of cool stuff coming up, but 2009 is off to an incredible start and we here at FR.com can't wait to share the joy!
Arise and shine in 2009!
Fletcher Rhoden
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Adios, Ricardo -- Hello, Brando!
Just a moment to reflect, Bloggies -- it's a sad day for the Mantalban family. But he's in a better place, so for the rest of us, "Smiles, everyone -- smiles!" There is also a bit of news -- a new ad for the webcast and upcoming dvd of LAST TANGO WITH MARLON up on Yahoo video. It's also part of 2hip4tv's "15 Seconds Of Fame" which I've been editing for Raf Mauro and which should be up on that site soon. They're already webcasting the LAST TANGO WITH MARLON program and the video of my seminar, WRITE MAKES MIGHT: STRONGER STRUCTURE IN STORYTELLING. Here's the direct link to Yahoo video:
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/4296406/11544030
Enjoy the rest of this historic month, blog-readers and deep-kneaders -- things are about to get very interesting.
Fletcher Rhoden
www.Fletcher Rhoden.com
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/4296406/11544030
Enjoy the rest of this historic month, blog-readers and deep-kneaders -- things are about to get very interesting.
Fletcher Rhoden
www.Fletcher Rhoden.com
Saturday, January 10, 2009
LAST TANGO WITH MARLON webcast and more at Fletcher Rhoden.com!
Greetings, 2009-ners!
Here we are, just about 11 days into the new year, and there's already big action at Fletcher Rhoden.com. Over the holidays I wrote my first official Christmas song (if you don't count A CHRISTOPHER WALKEN CHRISTMAS) and now a little demo of I AM THE ONE is up at the MUSIC page of the home site, Fletcher Rhoden.com. It's a sweet little ditty currently making the rounds with publishers across the country -- snap it up while you can, as this one could make Santa Claus come every year, albeit through the mailbox, not down the chimney. And so you don't think I'm all about the Benjamins, the new tune is about remembering Jesus on Christmas (and those whom we've left behind...) Incidentally, if anyone is interested in the single A CHRISTOPHER WALKEN CHRISTMAS, it's always up at the Yahoo! fletcherrhodengroup, along with other neat stuff you can't see or hear anywhere else. It's part of a small family of groups, including one for Balloonzee (balloonzeecartoongroup) and the other various animated shorts (mightyoneproductionsgroup). They're all free to join, completely private, and a swell way to spend a little time and catch a few laughs on the side. Back to current events, it is also true that I've been recording some other music in the last few months, but to what end and exactly how much if any of that will ever reach the public remains to be seen -- hey, I gotta keep some sense of mystery going here!
In other fairly huge news, the digital video of LAST TANGO WITH MARLON, the acclaimed stage play in two acts, is now available -- webcasting on 2hip4tv.com, also there as a PPV, and on DVD from the 2hip4tv store. The dvd is coming soon to Amazon.com -- we're expecting a February release, but it could happen even sooner. Still on the way, the new tune with Eva James, news on other DVD release and a few big surprises -- stay tuned.
FR.com
Here we are, just about 11 days into the new year, and there's already big action at Fletcher Rhoden.com. Over the holidays I wrote my first official Christmas song (if you don't count A CHRISTOPHER WALKEN CHRISTMAS) and now a little demo of I AM THE ONE is up at the MUSIC page of the home site, Fletcher Rhoden.com. It's a sweet little ditty currently making the rounds with publishers across the country -- snap it up while you can, as this one could make Santa Claus come every year, albeit through the mailbox, not down the chimney. And so you don't think I'm all about the Benjamins, the new tune is about remembering Jesus on Christmas (and those whom we've left behind...) Incidentally, if anyone is interested in the single A CHRISTOPHER WALKEN CHRISTMAS, it's always up at the Yahoo! fletcherrhodengroup, along with other neat stuff you can't see or hear anywhere else. It's part of a small family of groups, including one for Balloonzee (balloonzeecartoongroup) and the other various animated shorts (mightyoneproductionsgroup). They're all free to join, completely private, and a swell way to spend a little time and catch a few laughs on the side. Back to current events, it is also true that I've been recording some other music in the last few months, but to what end and exactly how much if any of that will ever reach the public remains to be seen -- hey, I gotta keep some sense of mystery going here!
In other fairly huge news, the digital video of LAST TANGO WITH MARLON, the acclaimed stage play in two acts, is now available -- webcasting on 2hip4tv.com, also there as a PPV, and on DVD from the 2hip4tv store. The dvd is coming soon to Amazon.com -- we're expecting a February release, but it could happen even sooner. Still on the way, the new tune with Eva James, news on other DVD release and a few big surprises -- stay tuned.
FR.com
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