2009 Calendar

Me&Todd is proud to announce the release of this date-and-time tracking device. Todd stars in 12 impossibly dangerous scenarios that involve a threat from either deadly beasts or Nazis.

Please let us know if you would like to hang one of these bad boys on your wall (they are for sale). OR, if you would like to star in your own calendar for 2010, Me&Todd can turn your fantasies into a reality for every month of the year.

Holy Ninjas!

In April, A film that I started to make with the Bamsley House Production Co. will be turning 4-years-old! To celebrate this occasion, I'm happy to announce that I will be releasing a Director's Cut of said film, "Holy Ninjas!" So look forward to that!
The trailer, submitted-to and lost-at John Woo's Ninja Film Contest, 2003, may be viewed here:

Holy Ninjas!



Thank you.
And furthermore, the following is from a correspondence between Holy Ninjas' Satan, Actor / Editor Ryan Rutan and a man named Sebastian Mahfood, an assistant professor from Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri, who saw the trailer online and took an interest in the film. He credits Rutan for "creating the film." That's incorrect, but its fine with me on the account that Rutan didn't get even close to enough cred for the ideas and editing work he put into this movie. The Director's Cut will hopefully restore credit where deserved, to those swell dudes from the Bamsley House. Most of you will be receiving Associate Producer credits, (or other titles I haven't made up yet). Props, guys!

Quoting Sebastian Mahfood's blog on Dante:

"Purgatory: Canto 6: Ante-Purgatory: Those who Died by Violence:
In Ryan Rutan's "Holy Ninjas," the spoof I played in Canto XVI of the Inferno about the young acolyte Abdul training for the priest ninjahood, a nun confides in the Pope, "Your Eminence, I'm quite concerned. The world is so violent. There's so much terror." While comically portrayed, Rutan's purpose was in exploring the concept of theodicy, the problem of evil in the world. If there is a just God, then why do bad things happen to good people? Why did so many good people meet their end by violence before they had the opportunity to repent, and how is it that good things happen to bad people who continue living with the same chance for redemption as those they've dispatched from this life?"

AND

"Inferno: Canto 28: Sebastian Mahfood said...
Folks, this just in from Ryan Rutan, the creator of the Holy Ninjas:

'Sebastian,

I must say that it was quite a surprise to receive your email. Holy Ninjas was a story devised by a friend of mine named Todd Mein, which we decided to film for a Ninja Film contest back in 2003. The footage you most likely saw was our 3 minute trailer submission, with the “Go Ninja Go” track in the background. We shot quite a bit of footage (30-45 minutes worth of storyline), but found it difficult to squeeze most of it into the 3 minute time slot….hence the rapid story pace. If memory serves me correctly, we never put the full movie together as a final product primarily due to time constraints; however, the footage is sitting around somewhere to be edited.

Needless to say, Abdul’s role in the story is explained in greater detail as he come transcends into the sacred trinity of ninjas to save the day. =) As for sequels, I know that there have been episodes drafted; however, bringing those episodes to fruition may be difficult as some of our cast members have moved out of state and time has become a scarce resource for all of us.

I would be most interested to know how you came by the video…I am aware that a link exists on my personal website; however, I am merely curious as to what chain of events led to your viewing of the file. I will forward your comments onto the cast and crew, as I am sure they will be delighted to hear of your comments.

If any updates come from your inquiry, I will be sure to let you know.

Thank you again for your interest and compliments,

Sincerely,

Ryan Rutan
rrutan@interconnect.net'

S.

4:41 PM"

We were delighted to hear of actual seminary students and future priests of America pontificating about our picture. Although, I think Mr. Mahfood might actually be insane. Hopefully, he will enjoy the Director's Cut! More on that later...

Oscar® the Slouch

Here's what I wrote less than two weeks before the Oscars®:

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2007

You Know:
The Oscars® are less than two weeks away.

CELEBS, the RED CARP, the MOST ELEGANT night H-WOOD has to offer.
I hear Ellen will be hosting. Proving you don't have to be crude or mean-spirited to be funny.
So get excited. And cast yer dogdamn votes by downloading the Official Oscar® Ballot.

And peep Me&Todd's kickin' Oscar® picks:

Well, The Oscars® came and went. And Mostly, I was pleased. Didn't Ellen do a GOOD job? I DIDN'T actually think Forrest Whittaker should have won. I DEFINATELY didn't think Jennifer Hudson should have won. But I was PLEASED that Alan Arkin won, and about as SURPRISED as a fulltime employee receiving a lunchbreak that Hellen Miren won. Oh, and I was PROUD that an Inconvenient Truth won. Even though Jesus Camp was a better movie. Oh, AND Scorcese and the Departed's victory = YES! ANYWAY, I'm stickin by my kickin' Oscar® picks.

Overall, I caught Oscar® fever, but wasn't hospitalized for it.

See you next year. Goodnight.

We Saw Bob Go Into the Water Closet...

Quoting Todd:



Hello. So last evening with the Crumbs was, in fact, sold out...

But with a little perserverence, Caitlin and I showed up for the stand-by line, (we were numbers 9 and 10 in line), and BOOYAH- they let us purchase tickets!!

It was a bizarre event, featuring a very bizarre couple of artists. From Aline Crumb, who is trying to sell a book, to R. Crumb, who played smirking and snickering interviewer, to the officially stuffy British library man who introduced the Crumbs, and to the people in the audience, a large percent odd-looking, (large spectacle-wearing)--everyone involved in this event seemed delightfully awkward on this Valentine's evening.

I enjoyed it.

Oh, and when we were waiting in the stand-by line, R. Crumb actually did wander by us, nerdily looking for the bathroom.

Meat on the Web

I liked the following AD soooooo much, that I e-mailed the post to Jef:


The AD:

HAY!
Wouldn't it be cool to get together on line once a week with web cams, like our moms do? Then we could ask each other questions that we already know the answers to. Time to get the weird out, people.
Jef says he'll be there....



Git Yerself a Gol' Darn Webcam
and Download AIM or Skype TODAY!!!

Todd's AIM: toddjimmyjames
Jef's AIM: thenumber19