A graduate of the USC School of Cinema-Television, I have written, directed and edited several low budget feature films including Shamelessly (2009) and Gods of Los Angeles (2005). I have starred in several feature and short films as a mostly comedic lead actor, and performed stand-up comedy. I've appeared on MTV, and on the official 3-disc Spider-Man 3 DVD (discussing my fanfilm work). I am an accomplished animator and graphic designer. I have written fourteen feature film screenplays.

As an editor I have edited all my own features and shorts and am known as an accomplished film restorationist and animation scholar for my restoration of Richard Williams' (Who Framed Roger Rabbit) unfinished animated masterpiece, The Thief and the Cobbler. As an animator my work has been profiled by The Guardian, SFX Magazine and the WIRED Magazine Blog. I currently write for the Editors Guild Magazine and ACE CinemaEditor, interviewing the editors of Hollywood's biggest films and TV shows.

I was born in Monroe, Connecticut in 1981. My father was and is a newspaper cartoonist, who was then doing Jim Henson's Muppets, and currently does Ernie Bushmiller's Nancy. My older sister and I had a big backyard to play in and it felt like the world was something to explore. I was drawing and animating flipbooks, doing puppetry, and I wanted to make films. I still have a videotaped interview with me, about my film career and where I intended to take it, shot when I was about 7 years old, and very full of myself. At that age I figured I was really going to be somebody. Nowadays I'm not so sure.

My parents divorced when I was 11 or so, which broke my little heart, but as a parting gift my father did manage to give me a Minolta Master 8mm video camera, bought from a less-than-reputable shop in New York. That camera was always breaking but it could do animation, and meant everything to me. I had seen Terry Gilliam's Brazil, which changed my whole opinion about what a movie could be - that a director could create an entire strange world right out of his head and make that world live and breathe and exist as reality on film. The Nightmare Before Christmas came out and I remade the movie with action figures on the kitchen table. My ten-minute animated short "The Izzy & Bud Show: Down the Drain" aired on local access, making my 13-year-old self happy.

My first live action piece was Dr. Fred's Amazing Exploding Cow Show (1996-1998), a 90-minute sketch comedy. In the first half of 1999 as high school was ending we filmed four feature length projects. It was a very creative time. But at graduation in 1999 I made the decision to go as far away from Connecticut as possible. My mother, a California girl at heart, convinced me to go to USC in Los Angeles. I often wonder what would have happened had I gone to NYU instead - my life would have been so different that it's hard to imagine. There's something in the air in California that gave me headaches sadly. I lived in Southern California for ten years.

I began to write more serious screenplays, wanting to write witty, truthful and heartbreaking dialogue in character dramas that could reveal how strange our lives really are. Love was always a major topic. This let to Gods of Los Angeles, a romantic drama which I spent 3 years making into a low-budget feature film and released in 2005. It was clear what my voice and style as a writer was at this point, but also clear that I needed to be more structured and concise, but also be looser, and have more fun with what I was writing.

Recently I wrote, directed and am editing Shamelessly, a feature about a smart, witty female superhero. I have known for a long time that writing movies and television is what I do, and what I'm good at. It's my reason for being. I'm hoping, like so many are, for that big break, or just a small one. So I keep writing, keep surviving, and keep hoping. Thanks for visiting this site, and I hope you keep watching.






The Animal Game
2 hours 35 min, 1999.

Starring David Ashe, Garrett Gilchrist, Ben Sipprell, Justin Bielawa

One of the old movies from 1999. One of the most unusual no-budget movies ever made, this all-improvised, experimental documentary-style drama/comedy, shot in a single night, follows six teenagers as they attempt to create a horror film and instead discover horror, humor and truth inside one another.

A slightly psychotic young filmmaker, Larry, convinced he is about to die, tries to create a feature film in one night, in the guise of shooting a horror film but wanting to somehow create something more meaningful - driving his "cast" and "crew" to the brink of madness in the process. As the line between their horror film and reality is gradually erased, can they make it through the night without killing one another?


The Animal Effect
2 hours 6 min, 2000.

Starring David Ashe, Liz DiMenno, Garrett Gilchrist, Justin Bielawa, Steve Nagy, Tal Pearson, Ben Sipprell

One of the old movies from 2000. Not released until 2009, so this was digitally edited for DVD quite recently.

This all-improvised, experimental documentary-style drama/comedy was shot in a single night. Like the original Animal Game, it explores serious themes about growing up in a sometimes comedic way.

On one night in 1999, a teenage filmmaker named Larry drove three of his "friends" insane while making a movie called The Animal Game.

One year later, Mike, the "star" of the first film, is making his own movie, and invites Larry back as part of an attempt at revenge. Our star actress is Audrey - and for her, this isn't going to be an easy night. As these former friends stumble through a long and painful night, they discuss sex, love, their parents and growing up. And Mike must face the truth of why he's really making his movie ....

Clip: "Mike's Confession"
Clip: "Basement Scene"



Excaliburger
(or, the Spatula in the Stone)
90 min., 2000

Starring Garrett Gilchrist, David Ashe, Michelle Caruso. Written/directed by Garrett Gilchrist. Produced by David Ashe.

Comedy. Adventure. Magic. Sex. Wouldst thou like fries with that? The last of the original, older Orange Cow comedies, shot after my first year of college. This wasn't shot or edited digitally, so don't expect too much visually. It's still a funny little movie I think. The writing is very much inspired by Douglas Adams or Monty Python. I wouldn't mind writing something this silly again someday.

"Once upon a waste of time ..."

It is a time of kings, warriors and hamburgers. The legacy of the "king who couldn't get it up in bed" has brought ruin to the kingdom, and EXCALIBURGER, the spatula in the stone, is the only key to breaking the spell. The kingdom needs a hero. What it gets is a former fast-food clerk named Spanky (Garrett Gilchrist). With the help of Merlin - no, not the famous Merlin, but a powerful sorcerer nonetheless (David Ashe), Spanky sets out on a perilous quest, encountering danger, silly people, and cheesy special effects at every turn. He'll need the help of a young girl squire named Arthur (Michelle), but she's planning to ditch him and become the king herself! What nerve! Who will pull the spatula from the stone? Good question?




Dr. Fred's The Phantom Movie
111 min., 1999.

Starring David Ashe, Justin Bielawa, Liz DiMenno, Garrett Gilchrist

One of the old films - A parody of "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace" (and other George Lucas films) shot in summer 1999 - the first feature-length spoof of the film. We meet Whis-kei Jinn and his apprentice Boink, who take on the lovely but confused Queen Amadeus, the evil (but equally confused) Lord Hologram, the evil but sexually confused Jar-Jar Binks, the somewhat evil, confusing wise-cracking aliens Gerald and Ford. It all ends in a spectacular plastic swordfight with Darth Ass-Kick, and all-out war with an army of lawn chairs.

This was one of our first films, from 1999, certainly the first feature which attempted to tell a story the whole way through. David Ashe and I were equal collaborators on this one. There were a lot of inside jokes and obscure references, but it nonetheless proved popular with some Star Wars fans at the time. It was remastered for DVD release in 2006. The DVD featured commentary, 35 minutes of outtakes, music videos and promos.



Dr. Fred's Amazing Exploding Cow Show (90 min., 1996-1998)
My first live action movie. A primitive, high school attempt at sketch comedy, including animation and puppets. Inspired by jokes David Ashe and I would tell each other during our English classes. Back then it was hard to get anyone to show up for a shoot, so a lot of the movie was just me ...


Dr. Fred Strikes Back (Approx. 90 min., 1999)
Everyone had been impressed enough by the first Dr. Fred to want to do it right this time. So this was attempting sketch comedy with a full cast. And animation and puppets. Scenes from the various Dr. Fred movies aired on cable access as a half-hour show, and got written up in Gear Magazine as #7 on the nation's top cable access shows. Very pre-Youtube.


1381 (50 min., 1999)
Ben Sipprell and I were supposed to make a class project about a year in the middle ages. This became a mostly-improvised sketch comedy about the black death (shown as a soul-singing lizard monster) and Wat Tyler's peasant rebellion (Wat Tyler was depicted as a pimp, to the theme from Shaft, which I think is historically accurate enough).




Ghostbusted Trilogy

Watch Ghostbusted 3
Watch Ghostbusted
Watch Ghostbusted 2

Are these guys afraid of no ghost? No, they are not. See, it's a quote from that movie that one time?

Eddie, Seymour and Max have put together an amateur Ghostbusting business, which isn't exactly going well. Do they have what it takes to defeat the vicious Ghostmaster? (Hint: No, they don't.)

Not exactly features, nor shorts, this series of three movies were filmed quickly when we were on vacation in South Dakota for the Camp Rewind film festival every year. No one ever wanted to be in them or take them the least bit seriously and cast members would come and go. I think that lends the films a certain je ne sais quoi. Ghostbusted 3 is the only one that's actually about Ghostbusting. The others are just bizarre.

The shoots rapidly degenerated into nonsense and chaos, that had little or nothing to do with Ghostbusters. Watch as some of the best amateur film directors and actors from all across the country are caught on camera, not knowing what to do! Watch in hilarious shock as they improvise bizarre, pointless and idiotic scenes, just for your amusement. Watch as they turn on the director and attack him!

These films are stupid and make no sense. They are also very funny if you're in the right mood. I never sold the DVD for profit but it contains all three films, 1 hour of outtakes, and a bonus short film, "Torgo and the Quest For Fuck" (dir. Jay Bauman).

(18, 51 and 46 min, MiniDV, 2001-2004.) Starring Mike Stoklasa, Garrett Gilchrist, Jason Santo, Jonason Ho, Warren Blyth, David Ashe, Rich Evans, Lisa Renley, Jon Ashby, Jay Bauman, John Brugmann, Michael Yebba and many more. Largely directed by Garrett Gilchrist. Improvised by the cast.

A not for profit internet project. No money will ever be made from this film. Any characters referenced or parodied are copyright their original creators.


Blanc Screen Cinema Presents
Indulgence
(Directed by Jay Bauman, 70 min., 2003)

I starred as Melvin (Melf) Statler in the film, as well as being cinematographer and co-writer. Jay Bauman (who was then one of my favorite writer-directors) flew me up to Milwaukee for three weeks to play the leading man in Indulgence. A better performance than I'd given in any of my own movies, really. I'm also proud of the look of the film, which I lit.

The cast was very good. The movie has comedy and drama, warmth, sweetness, romance, wit and shocking scenes ... like Jay's other movies, it crosses genres and boundaries in entertaining ways. You also get to see me drunk (for real) onscreen and eating paint.

Jay and I disagreed over a lot of things on the film and no longer speak. Our working relationship on this film ended very badly, and the film sort of got caught up in that. It's a decent film, but hard to separate it from that. Jay cut out huge chunks of the film in post, and it is what it is. But I'm proud of it in many ways. I think.

Watch the Trailer



GMP Pictures presents
Gorilla Interrupted
(Directed by Mike Stoklasa, 70 min., 2002.)


I played a supporting role as "Jacob Spaulding" in the film, also providing the voice of Satan, and doing stuntwork as various aliens who get shot. David Ashe rewrote Mike Stoklasa's screenplay, adding gags to it, and also has a cameo as "Tall Man Named Julie." I also did camerawork for the film, and some special effects artwork.

Dim-witted aliens. Punk rock. A laser gun battle pack. A guy who turns into a gorilla. A safari man. Jesus. Satan. Unrequited love. This movie has a little bit of everything. A collaboration between Chicago's GMP Pictures, Milwaukee's Blanc Screen Cinema, and of course Orange Cow, this was fun yet painful to shoot. Mike Stoklasa flew me to Chicago and we shot this entire movie in a week. The script was slapped together in a matter of hours, and rewritten in a matter of hours. We became horribly sick and injured during the shoot, and the director and I lost our voices and still had to act. It shows. It was shot on a horrible cheap camera. The director put off editing it for over a year. Regardless, the film is often quite funny, and attracted its own little cult following at the time.

Watch the Trailer



Feature Work for Other Directors

Blanc Screen Cinema presents Pervert Goes Home (Directed by Jay Bauman, 70 min., 2002.)

I play a small supporting role as "Porno Jesus" in the film, and wrote the main scene I appear in. Other Orange Cow related people, including Mariana McConnell, David Ashe, and Cori Haisler have cameos in the movie. I also drew the poster art for the film and designed a website, arlosuckscock.com, seen in the film.

This was definitely the best of Jay's early work. Jay played the lead role of Arlo Jenkins, a college dropout and writer with an immature attitude toward women who returns home in a futile attempt to recapture the fond memories of his high school years.

The film had some very shocking and offensive humor, but it also had heart, and an autobiographical quality. Jay and I worked together after this, on Gorilla Interrupted, Clowns and Suicide, and Indulgence, among others.

Blanc Screen Cinema presents Clowns and Suicide (Directed by Jay Bauman, 70 min., 2003.)

I created two very extensive animation sequences for this film, the "Squiffy the Derelict Cat" cartoons. I voice Squiffy, The Mayor, and The Bum. I also have a cameo in the film - as Larry Charvet, my character from The Animal Game. Dave Ashe voices Frank Gifford in the Squiffy cartoon, and also has a cameo, with John Brugmann. Michelle Caruso has a cameo as well.

Shot in black and white, the movie tackled the dark topic of teen suicide, as a comedy with some serious bits. "Clowns" swept the Rewind awards in 2003.



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