Can I Win an Oscar Posthumously?

After my stirring, unpaid, non-speaking (who needs words when one can emote like I do?) rendition of a Restaurant/Bar Patron in the highly-anticipated, expected-blockbuster of a short film titled 32 Degrees, of course the next logical step for me was to get a paid, speaking role in the full length feature film El Frio Silencio, right? By the way, that title is Spanish for The Frio Silencio. Something just wasn’t adding up, but there was the role of Social Studies teacher Mr. Warren being dangled in front of me.

I saw a social media post from the Director that the classroom had already been arranged.

That was indeed the classroom we used for filming with me at the front forgetting my lines. I think we shot this new film in the same school in which the Director’s 2017 film The Wild Cats was filmed when I’ll bet he was a student at that school at that time. Here’s the trailer for his 2017 film The Wild Cats.

Production values took a giant leap forward with the release of his 2019 feature film thriller Equinox.

I searched online to see where I could watch it. Unfortunately …

But good old YouTube came through again. You can watch the full film here …

I did not. I’m not sure, but I think COVID has scuttled or delayed the release of Zach To The Future from 2020, a film in which Zach both stars in and directs. Trailer follows.

Maybe it was for the best, or maybe that’s just how long it takes to edit and release a feature film. I hear El Frio Silencio is due for release in 2024! Will I even be alive then? MAGAs are threatening civil war in this country if Trump is charged for his blatant crimes. As one Trumper explained, “Civil war seems like the easier choice than climbing up on my roof to take down my Confederate flag. Besides, my ladder dun’ broke.” Would I survive Civil War 2.0? Doubtful. I was recently named Most Likely to be Offered to the Enemy in a Hostage Swap. I hope I can survive. I think I have a real shot at getting nominated for an Academy Award for Best Insignificant Actor in a Low Budget Indie Film.

The bottom line for me is that I got a free lunch, paid, and some interesting experience. I didn’t particularly like the lines I delivered. My lines were not worded as I wanted them to be. That’s the writer and editor in me coming out. I had a hard time delivering some of them as written. Hell, I had a hard time remembering them as written. My mind kept mentally editing them, so it was hard for me to keep straight what I was supposed to say vs. what I wanted to say. But I said enough for Zach to keep me there most of the day. He dismissed me before the bedroom scene. Good choice.

I noticed that the experience of one actor in 2019’s Equinox has springboarded him to semi-stardom. Van Ferro received credit per imdb.com for his role in Equinox.

He got his start in acting in my hometown.

Mr. Ferro parlayed his role as Rumpelstiltskin into a role in 2019’s Equinox. From there, his career has been on the upswing culminating in his 2022 award-winning performances.

Good for him! I’ll bet that his interpretation of a dwarf dwarfed all dwarfs. I dread the day when dwarf is the Wordle word.

Just like in 32 Degrees, the cast came from all over to be a part of El Frio Silencio. One of the two leads had traveled from about 100 miles away numerous times for filming. Maybe they think that Director Zach will be the next Scorsese. After speaking with several individually, they all invariably have dreams of making film their career and perhaps stardom. It’s always important to have dreams. However, at my age, it is equally important to be able to ascertain between my dreams and age-related dementia.

I’ve decided to scale back the acting just a bit. My recurring paid role on a TV show has been delayed until September, and perhaps won’t happen at all. I was selected to be part of a studio audience for a new court TV show. The studio audience is supposed to be an integral part of the show with frequent camera cuts to the audience for reactions. But I couldn’t start when they needed me, so they are now telling me, “Maybe in September.” It’s fine if that doesn’t work out. It would be hard for me to take lowly TV work after so much success in a feature film.

There is a movie shooting in late fall in the area with a role I want as a gruff soccer coach of a girl’s team. I’ve already lived that role when I coached 2 of my daughter’s teams. I like the script as written. I can hear myself saying those lines. Maybe I’ll share my audition video with you. Until then, I think that may be a wrap on my movie career.