Archive for May, 2007

Beneath Monkey Island, Part 02

Based on the Monkey Island games by Lucas Arts, containing characters created by Ron Gilbert.

Excerpted from “The Memoirs of Carl, the Swordmaster of Jambalaya Island: The Monkey Island years”

“Well, my voyage to the far off distant land of Monkey Island is about to start, and there’s no way you can put a good spin on that. My companions are a crazy pirate who seems to think that pants and hygiene are optional extras, and Guybrush Threepwood, voted three times most likely to soil himself in a swashbuckling situation. Some confidence they instill!”

Starring:
Tom Negrette as Guybrush Threepwood
Matthew Smith as Carl, the Swordmaster of Jambalaya Island
Stanley Brain as Valora DeCazador

Written and produced by Matthew Smith

“Se La” by Lionel Richie
“Slippery When Wet” by The Commodores
“Cupid” by Jack Johnson

 

 Beneath Monkey Island, Part 02: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (864)

Hi there, Tim. You might remember me, a bit. You bumped into me with my girlfriend in Pitt Street mall in Sydney on Wednesday night and asked me for directions to the monorail station. I gave you a puzzled look for a moment before I worked out who you were, and proceeded to give you completely wrong directions. You should have continued along Pitt St, across Market St, and it would have been there on your right. I haven’t caught the monorail in years, and hope you weren’t lost for too long. It’s apparently a very male thing to do, give directions even though you aren’t certain. I think I should rely on that defense. I hope things are going well for you, I always kinda liked ‘Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush’.

Oh, my girlfriend says hi. She had no idea who you were, but then again, she’s Belgian and can be forgiven for that. And the reason she acted so shocked when you said we make a lovely couple and should have lots of babies right away… is because we’ve been together for six weeks. Not cool, amigo!

For those of you who don’t know who Tim Ferguson is (and really, to be fair, that’d be most people, Tim), he is a former member of the comedic Australian band “Doug Anthony All Stars” and occassionally crops up in media related places. He’s in the middle of the picture above. I’ve been heckled before by his buddy, Paul McDermott (he’s the guy on the left, he called me Seal Boy for some reason). If I buy a taco off Richard Fidler one day does that make my life complete?

Spoiler warning for the end of the season of Lost. I mean it. Big time.

This morning, I watched the last episode of Lost for third season. It ended rather strongly, I was surprised by a few things, all in all… it’s left me looking forward to the next season some time in 2008. So that’s all good.

Charlie’s death was a brave move that’s been building for the entire season. So while I hoped it would happen and they wouldn’t chicken out of it, it brings a bit of a lost oppurtunity to Lost. In fact, the character of Charlie has been an entire lost oppurtunity from start to finish - and that’s in the music he could have provided.

Dominic Monaghan (who plays Charlie) can play the guitar. So why didn’t they let him? Every now and then he turned up with it and belt out a few chords, but extremely infrequently. The only song I’ve actually seen him bash out is “Wonderwall” by Oasis (and don’t get me started about Oasis, they bought out four songs with slightly changed music).

If they wanted a musician in Lost, they should have gone the whole nine yards with it and cast someone like Jack Johnson or Donavon Frankenreiter. Someone who could embody the feelgood nature of the island, follow the characters around with a guitar and just sing. Back in the first season, before Hurley’s discman ran out of batteries, we got music montages. Now it seems like they’ve stopped trying.

The finale for this season was screaming for it - right at the point where Jack successfully used the satellite phone would be the point where Jack Johnson would have pulled out his guitar and started playing ‘Cupid’. You’d have the Losties cheering and celebrating, while Jack starts spinning as the camera pulls away from him in the air. Someone telling the people on the beach with the radio, and them rejoicing. Desmond looking at the dead Charlie through the hatch door window, and a tear rolling down his face. Then it cuts to Jack’s ‘flashback’ and the song’s playing on the radio, and he switches it off. Nice tie in there?

But no, Charlie has died a noble death (at the hands of the Beach Boys, no less), and it just leaves me wondering what could have been, if they actually had a guitarist character that they decided to put to use…

Nightlight’s getting muddled with slightly. Just some normal shakedown things, cosmetic changers… we’re considering going for a look that has a little more green in it. Because you can never have enough of that.

At the moment, direct your eyes to the menu. There’s a register option! You can now register to log in and post comments on the main page. Is life good, or what?

Edit: Just as a note, you can post comments without registering. But the option is there if you want it! Thanks for that Met (I knew it in my head, but didn’t make it clear!).

Check… check one two… is this thing on?

The time has come, my esteemed friends, to get this party started. Nightlight Productions is now back, better, and (debatably) greener then ever! Sure, many of you are wondering what Nightlight Productions is. It’s a website that, at some point in time, had some rather cool radio plays online. That’s something that you should look forward to. Not only that, but updates. Maybe even more frequently than one a month.

It could happen. Stranger things have. Man on the moon, for one, if you believe it.

For now, Nightlight is streamlined. There’s interesting things to read on the frontpage, there’s radio plays, and heck, you can now even get them in handy podcast format.

Much thanks goes to Metallus for this website looking the way it is. Heck, all the thanks. Throw some his way. He loves it. He thrives on it. In fact, go to his blog and throw a little love his way. Tell him that Nightlight sent you, and it’s looking mighty green these days. Seriously. I mean, some sunglasses might be called for.

Thanks also goes to The LFNetwork. They host Nightlight Productions. I’m not sure if they’re completely aware of that fact or not.

Beneath Monkey Island, Part 01

Based on the Monkey Island games by Lucas Arts, containing characters created by Ron Gilbert.

Excerpted from “The Memoirs of Carl, the Swordmaster of Jambalaya Island: The Monkey Island years”

“So get this. There I was, minding my own business and just chillin’ out on Melee Island, when this nervous looking guy who had ‘victim’ painted all over him in big letters came and offered me the job of a lifetime. Unfortunately, it had Guybrush Threepwood attached to it.”

Starring:
Tom Negrette as Guybrush Threepwood
Matthew Smith as Carl, the Swordmaster of Jambalaya Island
Stanley Brain as Number Two

Written and produced by Matthew Smith

“Send Me On My Way” by Rusted Root

 

 Beneath Monkey Island, Part 01: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1065)