Thong Girl Blog

The Next Phase

2011-10-16T13:58:00.000-07:00

With the new DVD "Thong Girl 4: The Body Electric" finally released and the new video game ready for purchase it's time to start looking to the future. I'll be selling the DVD at Cons and online from the TG website and soon you'll be able to rent it online from Netflix. I'll also be looking for distribution from independent companies that are looking for product, but it may be a hard sell. The movie has a little bit of T&A but not enough to qualify for an R rating or a "bonerfied" soft-core. It's a superhero film but it doesn't have a lot of flying or fight scenes. It's more of a comedy with a lot of ass lasers and gay references, courtesy of TG's gay sidekick BoxerBrief Boy. And at 110 minutes it's quite epic for an indie film. It's really more of a Troma Film without the puking and shitting; it's sort of my homage to one of my film heroes, Lloyd Kaufman, who makes a cameo appearance. It's got two musical numbers and lots of hot chicks.
I'm also really excited about my new venture. I've teamed up with comic book artist Gaylord Tause, who's created a new comic book series called Thong Girl vs. Xolta From Outer Space (I added the Outer Space part). He's written and illustrated a new series based on a story he's created about a really hot alien chick who comes to Earth and battles Thong Girl. At first they're adversaries but then they team up to defeat another weird alien dude with a pointy blue head. I've been talking with b-movie legend Jim O'Rear about playing this part. I'm going to turn these into webisodes that you'll be able to stream or download for purchase on YouTube. There will be a fifteen minute pilot episode followed by weekly three-minute vignettes. This will broaden our fan base and hopefully extend worldwide to include the Asian market that I've always wanted to target.
In the next few months I'll be casting and building sets for this new project and I hope to have it out by Spring of next year. I've included a cover from one of the new comic books so you can get an idea of what the real life characters will look like. My hope is that I can finally start to see some return for all of the money that I've invested in this franchise. The last movie pretty much broke me so, of course, I'll also be vigorously seeking distribution.
I'm also writing songs for my pet project "Thong Girl: The Musical" and I hope to get with Martin Brady (Dweeble) soon and start fleshing them out and composing a score.
You can keep up with all the new merchandise and the DVD and video game on the website and I'll try and post more blogs this winter.

Summer is Thongtastic!

2011-05-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

Meet the new Thong Girl for 2011 Maxx Kelley! Maxx will be starring in a series of webisodes that we will host on our website this summer and Fall. The webisodes are based on the comic book series "Xolta vs Thong Girl" by comic book artist Gaylord Tause. Because of the ever-growing expense of shooting a feature film and the cost of making my last feature "Thong Girl 4: The Body Electric" I've decided to go with a less expensive production and use the internet as our media to broadcast the webisodes.
The stories revolve around a super-hot alien chick called Xolta and her space odyssey. While traveling the galaxy in search of new adventures Xolta runs into her old nemesis VISH'SS, a blue cone-headed tyrant from the planet ZORCON. Realizing that she is no match for VISH'SS and his new and improved powers she enlists the help of earth-babe Thong Girl and together they team up for some sexy, raunchy fun. If you liked the old "Lost In Space" TV shows you'll enjoy the campy sci-fi adventures of Xolta and TG.
The new TG4 dvd will also be available for purchase later this summer and it will include a host of dvd extras including deleted scenes, bloopers, a director's commentary and access to the new TG video game!
I'll also be working on the Thong Girl stage musical all this summer and fall with piano player/composer extraordinaire Martin Brady, also known as Dweeble in the TG movies.
Summer 2011 is going to be HOT HOT HOT for Thong Girl.

Max Kelley (Thong Girl) | Monsters From The Basement

2011-02-26T09:04:00.000-08:00

Max Kelley (Thong Girl) | Monsters From The Basement

Thong Girl Is Back!

2011-02-23T08:24:00.000-08:00

It seems like it's been forever since I've updated my blog. There is so much to tell you, but I'll just touch on a few of the great things that have happened since my last update.
I guess the biggest thing is the film premiere of Thong Girl 4: The Body Electric. The new feature film will be screening at the fabulous Belcourt Theater on Thursday, April 7th at 7pm. I have been working on this movie for almost three years and I haven't had time for anything else. It's been a truly rewarding experience and I've learned SO much, especially in the post-production phase. I've learned a lot of editing techniques that will help me in my future endeavors - specifically my move to Los Angeles! I will be moving in a little over a year; as soon as I can sell my house and line up a job out there. Obviously, with the economy sucking and the housing market at an all-time low, I'll be waiting until things improve a bit. But I feel like I can't really do the things I love while living in Nashville. I moved here for music but that's just not where my interests lie anymore. I feel a really strong desire to work in the film industry, in just about any capacity that is available.
The new movie will be premiering about the same time as the release of the new Thong Girl video game. A trailer is online now and the game will be ready to play the night of the premiere. It's turned out super-cool and fun and it was a big hit at the Con Nooga Comic Convention that we attended on Feb. 18-20th.
We also introduced our new Thong Girl, Maxxine Ransdell at Con Nooga (see photo) and we will be enbarking on a new film and comic book adventure called Thong Girl Vs. Xolta. I've become involved with a new comic book artist from Atlanta named Gaylord Tause and there will be a lot of his artwork in the new movie. He has created an alien female space vixen named Xolta and we will be turning the comic book into a live-action webisode adventure series starring Maxxine and an as yet-to-be announced actress who will play Xolta. The webisodes will be available for purchase and download sometime in the Fall of 2011. This is very exciting stuff and it's our way of taking TG into the realm of the internet where everything seems to be heading. It has gotten so costly to make feature films without investors that I just don't think I'll be able to continue making bigger and better movies on my own dime. This will be a way to cut back on the budget without sacrificing quality.
Please try and make it to the premiere of Thong Girl 4: The Body Electricon April 7th at the Belcourt Theater and watch for our new webisodes coming this Fall.

Okay, NOW It's A Wrap!

2010-02-14T22:47:00.000-08:00

I'll bet you thought it would never happen, but the moment has arrived - it's a wrap! We started building the first set back in the summer of 2008 and we've just finished shooting the Big Finale scene. That's almost two years... and that's not counting the six months it took me to write the script or the six months it's going to take me to edit and score this thing. Why, you ask has it taken so long? Good question. My only logical answer to this is lack of money. If I'd had a realistic budget I would have shot this like a real movie - cast and crew sequestered for eight weeks of seven-day work weeks with construction crew diligently building sets in anticipation of our relocation. But when you try to do a movie of this magnitude with little or no money you kind of have to spread it out over a long period of time. Another obstacle was having a lead actor who is out of the country on business 75% of the year. This makes for a logistical nightmare when trying to schedule shoots with him in the scenes.
But enough bitching and moaning. IT'S A WRAP!!! Well, I still have a few pick-up shots and I still have to take my much-anticipated trip to new Orleans to shoot some exteriors. And then there's post-production which involves getting some of the actors back for ADR (dialogue re-recording) and editing and special effects and music scoring. Now you see why only about 1% of all indie feature films ever make it to fruition from conception - it ain't easy, folks. But you know that old saying... "If it were easy, everybody would be doing it".
Now, about the finale: What an amazing experience! I won't bore you with all of the details but since it's my blog and if you are reading this then you must care somewhat about the details of my filmmaking experience, I'll tell you what it was like. It also helps me to purge my soul of it's burdens by writing this.
First things first; I had to find a suitable location. If you go to my Facebook page you'll see photos of the Neuhoff site. This is a former livery stable - yeah, where they used to slaughter the cows to make beef for your disgusting hamburgers and steaks (I recently went semi-vegetarian). The stables look like a parking garage with three levels. The lower level looks like something out of Blade Runner - subterranean and spooky - and I knew that if we smoked it up and threw a ton of white and purple lights up and we shot at night it would look cool as hell; I was right (see photos). The problem was we were shooting in the dead of winter and it had open sides and no electricity. Long story short, everyone made frequent trips to the heated make-up trailer and froze their asses off while on the set. The make-up trailer was an expensive proposition but a godsend because it made for a comfy staging area for the thirty-plus cast and crew when not on the set.
Through some fortuitous unexplained phenomenon I came upon a twenty year-old choreographer named Tessa Mendoza. Tessa was recently back from California and was restless to do something different with her time and talents. We both had the same vision and she proceeded to knock out a spectacular dance number using students from her dance school (see pictures) who were more than enthusiastic and rocked the place. We used the music from a band from California called Archer and after three months of preparation and a big-ass grip truck with a plethora of lights provided by my good buddy Jeff Steinborn we staged an elaborate throw-down dance sequence that would rival Michael Jackson's "Thiller" minus the budget.
This was easily the most ambitious project I've ever attempted; even more ambitious than my very first film which included live horses, 1800s period costumes and muskets and Civil War re-enactors. This was like a real music video shoot with crew all over the place and me shouting through a megaphone. Unfortunately, I forgot the walkie-talkies, but in retrospect walkie-talkies are a little self-indulgent, don't you think?
Anyhow, everything went off beautifully and I am going to start by putting out a new teaser-trailer music video using the footage we shot for the finale. I won't be blogging much during post-production, because it's a boring and tedious process, although it is actually my favorite part of the filmmaking experience. I guess that's because you don't have to rely on a huge cast of characters as you do in the production phase. I like to edit and do a lot of my own post stuff, so I get to hole up in my studio and put it all together without having to explain or answer to anyone.
I hope to premiere the film in late Spring/early summer, but I'll be putting out at least two more trailers before the movie is finished.
That's about it for now. This has been an incredible journey and I have a very clear vision for what happens in the next three years that I will tell you about in later posts. Now it's time to edit!
Please visit my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/Thong-Girl-Films/298896868453?ref=ts
And my Myspace page: www.myspace.com/trumpetlipps

It's A Wrap...Almost!

2009-11-23T19:25:00.000-08:00

Winter is upon us and hibernation is imminent. That can only mean one thing...it's time to start editing the movie! We officially wrapped up shooting for "Thong Girl 4: The Body Electric" last weekend when I took over the camera helm and shot a scene on green screen simulating the base of the AT&T Tower where the police have gathered, along with BoxerBrief Boy and Dweeble, to witness the wrath of Electar as he shoots electrical beams off the top of the building. We were originally going to shoot at the actual location but I decided that having actors dressed as Metro police officers without a filming permit was a little too risky - even for me! I can defy speeding CXS trains and endure mayoral scandals, but I draw the line when it comes to impersonating an officer in a public place.
So we shot everything on green screen and I believe it turned out well. It's always hard to say with green screen until you actually start editing and add the backgrounds. Luckily, with the software available, even a mediocre chroma key job can be salvaged and made to look pretty darned good.
It was a sad day for me when I finally turned in the keys to the owner of the warehouse. We spent the whole summer shooting against a big green wall that we built from scratch. The wall stood 26 ft. tall and 14 ft. wide and it provided the opportunity to create some pretty amazing illusions. For instance, when we shot the funeral scene in September we got rained out before we could finish; so DP James Houk shot some background footage for safety, in case we couldn't return for some reason. As it turned out, we couldn't schedule a return shoot until the beginning of Nov. and the leaves had turned and fallen off the trees, making the background look totally different than the shoot in Sept. So we moved the coffin in front of the green screen and matched up the angles and VOILA! We had a seamless transition from one scene to the next. Hopefully you won't even be able to tell the difference. Pretty amazing stuff.
It was like a dream-come- true for me to have my own green screen and a cool warehouse facility at my disposal and I am eternally grateful to Tony Warner for his kindness in letting us use the building. Tony also owns the Devil's Dungeon where we shot all of the laboratory scenes earlier this year. He is one of the Executive Producers of the film. If you've ever wondered what an Executive Producer does, well this is a good example. He makes it possible financially and logistically for the director to shoot his movie by using his resources, whatever they may be. In this case, it was commercial property that would have cost me a fortune to rent for as long as we needed it. Thank you, Tony, for trusting in me and giving me free reign to do what I do.
So, everything has been shot except the big finale scene where Electar and his posse of evil henchmen take on our heroine Thong Girl and her small band of do-gooders: BoxerBrief Boy, Dweeble and DynoWoman. We're planning a big throw down with choreography and music and lasers and special effects. This will be a two-day shoot and it will be very similar to Michael Jackson's "Beat It" but without the zombies. I'm putting together a team of extremely talented people to pull this off, including a dance choreographer, a fight choreographer, a lighting specialist, three camera operators, riggers, a smoke and laser technician and a set decorator. This will likely be the biggest shoot I've ever attempted and will require a lot of preparation and organization. It sort of stands on its own as a movie within a movie - almost more like a music video than a scene from a film. We'll be using the music from a band called Archer from California. This will have a decidedly harder rock and roll edge to it than the music from the previous TG movie which featured the Dark Widow and her hip-hop urban sound. Electar brings a sort of Billy Idol meets Metallica sort of feel to the mix.
So it's off for a week to Colorado for Thanksgiving then back home to dig in for the winter and try to create some movie magic. As it stands now the premiere will be in Spring, but you know how that goes. I want to take my time and make sure every element of this film is as good as it can be. This may be the end of the Thong saga, so I want to go out with a big BANG. I'll post another blog after we shoot the finale in February and then I'll probably wait until the film is finished before I post again.
I hope you all have a terrific Thongsgiving and a Merry Christmas and I'll see you next year.

August Update

2009-09-06T09:47:00.000-07:00

Summer is almost over and we are winding down with production of Thong Girl 4:The Body Electric. We have shot most of our green screen scenes and I am VERY grateful to Tony Warner and Warner Construction for his generosity in letting us use one of his warehouses for the summer. He also owns the Devil's Dungeon haunted house and he let us shoot the first few months of production there. Make sure you get out to the Devil's Dungeon for Halloween. They have the best haunted house in Nashville. I mean it! (www.devilsdungeon.net)
Here are a few highlights from the past couple of months: A couple of weeks ago we shot a scene with the original TG, Leah Adcock. I've already let it slip that Thong Girl dies in a tragic accident at the beginning of the new movie and her sister (Alex del Monacco) comes to Music City to attend the funeral and unwillingly acquires the power of the Thong. Leah graciously agreed to do a cameo role and it turned out fantastic! I was planning on using a body double to stage the "accident" but I thought, what the hell, I'll ask her if she'll do it and she said yes. It was great working with her again and it adds so much to the movie. I know her fans will be glad to see her return.
Also, I finished a teaser/trailer for the new movie and we took some promo shots with Alex, Will (Electar) and Tony (BoxerBrief Boy) for the new poster and banner. The trailer will be available to view on Facebook, YouTube and MySpace in a few days. We'll also have a link on the TG website. We still have several scenes to shoot so this is more of a teaser than a full-blown trailer. But you'll get to see some of the footage that we've shot, including the strip scene at the Brass Stables with the lovely Stacey Dixon (DynoWoman).
We shot a robbery scene last weekend at Comix City Too in Madison. In this scene TG tries out her ass laser for the first time with mixed results. Thanks to Mark Angel and James Hannon for letting us use their store and hanging in there with us until 4am.
September will be the busiest month yet with several key scenes left to shoot and then the big finale in October. Then it's off to post-production solitude. This is my favorite part of the filmmaking process because I get to do what I enjoy most - hibernate and edit. All of the elements of filmmaking are extremely important to the final product, but you can literally make or break a film in editing. That's where you take all of your ingredients and mix them together to form something cohesive and viewable. With all of the amazing technology available through Mac and Final Cut Pro, it's like being a kid in a candy shop for an editor. I am SO psyched for post-production.
Well, that's it for now. It may be awhile before I blog again but please check the TG website (www.thonggirlfilms.com) for updates and new behind-the-scenes pictures. We also will be appearing at the Nashville Comic and Horror Convention in October and Alex del Monacco will attend this year. Hope to see you there.

A Long, Hot Summer

2009-07-16T19:56:00.000-07:00

Hello TG friends and fans! I have a rare weekend off from shooting while my DP James Houk participates in the 48 Hour Film Project. Personally, I don't see the appeal in writing, shooting, editing, scoring and delivering a short film in 48 hours. It's stressful enough to make a movie over several months, but to have to complete one in two days is totally INSANE! On the other hand, humans love to push themselves past the boundaries of what is considered "normal" and have been doing so for centuries. This is how we strive toward greatness. Anyhow, enough pontificating... let's get down to the Thong business at hand.
We are two thirds of the way through production of "Thong Girl 4: The Body Electric" and things are going very well. We shot at the Brass Stables a few weeks ago and we got some amazing footage (see picture). Thanks to all of our terrific extras who showed up to whoop and holler as Stacey Dixon, alias stripper Candy Slice aka DynoWoman did her amazing pole dance. Thanks also to the Brass Stables for being such gracious hosts for the day.
We moved into our "green screen facility" warehouse last weekend and did our first shoot with Will Jones as Electar on top of the AT&T building and a really sweet scene with Tony Domenico and Martin Brady as BoxerBrief Boy and Dweeble. This scene had our superhero sidekicks driving to the scene of a crime while reminiscing and commiserating over the loss of their dear departed Lana Layonme. (Here comes a spoiler: Lana aka Thong Girl dies at the beginning of the new movie) We'll be shooting on green screen for the next eight weeks or so. Many thanks to Warner Construction for letting us use the building.
Last week my gameboys from DeVry University completed a beta test version of the new TG video game! We sent it out to several of our friends and we've had really positive results. If all goes well the game will be ready for release by September; just in time for our appearance at the Nashville Comic and Horror Convention.
I am currently working on a TG4 trailer and I am planning on having it ready for the Kentucky Fright Night Film Fest in mid-August. Alex del Monacco (the new TG) will be appearing as well Stacey Dixon and myself and possibly a few other cast members.
Lastly, I'm cooking up a really fun contest to draw some superhero wannabees into the TG realm. There's a scene in the movie where TG and BoxerBrief Boy go to see the Maharishi for spiritual training and enlightenment. Since the last film, word has spread that the Maharishi is a miracle worker with a knack for training wannabee superheroes. So every manner of kooky crimefighter has lined up outside his door to seek his spiritual guidance. We're looking for ten or so original superheroes - similar to Stan Lee's "Who Wants To Be A Superhero" TV show - to appear in a scene with Thong Girl. I'll have more info on this coming soon.
One more bit of news: Former TG star Leah Adcock has graciously consented to making a cameo appearance in the new movie. This is great news to me and to all TG fans and it will bring the Thong Girl saga full circle. I will not divulge the nature of her appearance and you can't make me (except with large sums of money). But I will say that her appearance will be "electrifying".
Well, that's about it for now. After this weekend it's back to the moviemaking biz. This film promises to be much bigger and better than the last one and we're really going to do some serious promotion to get this movie out there. Thanks again for your continued support and interest in Thong Girl.

Progress Report

2009-05-25T23:15:00.001-07:00

Hey Everybody, Here's the latest on our progress: We just wrapped up shooting on our laboratory set last weekend. After three months of shooting mostly weekends we got everything we needed, including a FANTASTIC shoot with my hero, Lloyd Kaufman in a cameo appearance as Dr. Thomas Edison. Jim O'Rear also made an appearance as Igor, Edison's hunchbacked assistant (see photo). Lloyd brought his unique sense of humor along with the promise of droves of Troma fans. Lloyd also said he would like to attend the premiere of TG4, schedule permitting.

We have a very busy summer ahead of us with lots of location shooting, including a scene at the Brass Stables on Printer's Alley this Sunday (May 31st). We need about thirty extras to whoop and holler as Stacey Dixon, alias stripper Candy Slice, aka DynoWoman does her lasso dance onstage. Shooting is from 11am to 2pm and there will be free food and non-alcoholic beverages courtesy of the Brass Stables. For more info email me: glenhweiss@comcast.net

We are also planning on attending the Fright Night Film Festival in Kentucky in August with TG4 stars Alex del Monacco, Tony Domenico (BoxerBrief Boy) and Will Jones (Electar). We are putting together a trailer that will screen multiple times throughout the festival to promote the new movie.

Also, the new Thong Girl video game is nearing completion. My DeVry University gameboys are hoping to have a test version ready by early summer with a completion date in September.

How cool is that?

We are planning to attend several festivals and ComiCons this year and next to promote the new film so look for us in a city near you.

Thanks for your continued support and please check out our newly renovated website at thonggirlfilms.com

April Update

2009-03-30T16:41:00.002-07:00

Spring is finally here and we're well into our second month of shooting TG4. We've shot five or six scenes so far and we've got a very busy April and May. Here is a picture of our laboratory set that we started building back in November of last year. We'll be on the set for the entire month of May and then we'll do all of our outdoor location shooting in June and July, followed by a month of "green screen" shooting and then we should wrap by the end of the summer. Then it's on to post-production which will include bigger and better special effects, music and a very special "secret" that I'm not at liberty to discuss... aw, hell, everybody knows I can't keep a secret. We're going to try and shoot the grand finale dance/throw-down fight scene in 3D!!! James Houk, our Director of Photography is working out the details and, as far as we know, this will be the first local feature film to utilize 3D and 3D glasses. Very exciting!

I'm also looking forward to filming a flashback dream sequence at the end of the month with one of my personal heroes, Lloyd Kaufman. Lloyd will be making a cameo appearance as Doctor Thomas Edison from the 1920s. Lloyd is the founder of New York based film company Troma Films, home of the well-known Toxic Avenger series.

Since we're shooting mostly weekends it's taking a lot longer than most indie films to shoot, but we're getting some really great footage and I think you'll see the end result will be well worth the wait.

Keep checking back with me and also check out our revamped website for some behind-the-scenes photos. And remember: If You Do Wrong, You'll Answer To The Thong!

Thong Girl 4 Begins Production

2009-02-17T05:23:00.006-08:00

Hello, Thong Fans. We have officially started production on Thong Girl 4: The Body Electric. We're into our second week of shooting and this movie promises to be be bigger and better than its predecessor TG3!

First, the movie stars the lovely and talented Alex del Monacco as the new Thong Girl. The story calls for Lana Layonme, alias TG, to meet a tragic demise only to have her reluctant sister Laura, an attorney from L.A., take on the task of becoming the new TG. The story is based on historical events involving the rivalry between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse for the electricity patent in the early 1900s.

Making a cameo appearance as the brilliant scientist Thomas Edison will be founder of Troma Films, the inimitable Lloyd Kaufman. Lloyd is best known for creating the comic book icon The Toxic Avenger. His company, Troma Films has produced and distributed over 800 titles, many of which were written and directed by Lloyd himself. Troma's newest opus is called Poultrygeist: Night Of The Chicken Dead, a must-see musical masterpiece!

In the role of great-grandson and billionaire scientist Miles Edison is Will Jones, known internationally as "Dr. Epiphone", the spokesman for the Gibson Epiphone guitar company. Fittingly, Miles' alter ego is named Electar, after the Epiphone brand guitar and amplifier. Due to a medical experiment gone wrong, Miles unwittingly becomes the evil guitar lord Electar and exacts his revenge on Music City, USA. Laura must rise to the challenge and carry on where her sister left off as protector and superhero Thong Girl!

Also returning in the role of crimefighting sidekick BoxerBrief Boy is Tony Domenico. And Martin Brady reprises his role as nerdy ally Dweeble Mahoney.

Joining forces this time around with our band of hilarious heroes will be newcomer Stacey Dixon in the role of DynoWoman.

We will be updating our website soon and I'll keep you posted as to our progress. This is a much more complicated production than any of the past TGs and will take a little longer to complete. But the grand finale of the film will be something that B-movie buffs and critics alike will be talking about for literally minutes after viewing!

Please check out our soon-to-be-revamped website at www.thonggirlfilms.com and keep watching for news about Thong Girl 4: The Body Electric".

Thong Girl 4: The Body Electric

2008-11-04T06:32:00.000-08:00

Winter is upon us and that usually means hibernation for me, but there's just too much work to do this year. First, let me tell you about our new Thong Girl, Alex del Monacco. As I mentioned in the last blog, I met Alex online and we discovered that we had a mutual connection through the Nashville Comic and Horror Convention. I wasn't going to do the Con this year because we didn't have any new product and Audra Lynn had just dropped out due to health issues. Frankly, I was feeling a little forlorn at the task of having to search for another Thong Girl. And then along came Alex! Alex is a beautiful, sexy actress/model from Carterville, Illinois with loads of modeling experience and some film experience. She heard about the Thong Girl project and was interested in taking on the challenge of a crimefighting superhero who just happens to look hot in a thong bikini. She, like Audra, had not done many starring roles and was anxious to use her acting skills for the good of humankind and comic book and film fans alike (huh?) Anyhow, she contacted me and we decided to join forces at the Nashville Con and it turned out GREAT! You can see some of the Con pics on the TG MySpace page at this link: http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewAlbums&friendID=64204205
In the next few months we'll be preparing our new set located at the Devil's Dungeon Haunted House in Nashville and scouting locations for the rest of the film. We plan to start shooting on the new set just after the New Year. We will also be looking for extras for several scenes, so if you'd like to be in the new movie please contact me through my email or the TG website. I'll be posting a new blog every couple of weeks to keep you updated on our progress and keep checking the website at www.thonggirlfilms.com for more TG info. And never forget: IF YOU DO WRONG, YOU'LL ANSWER TO THE THONG!

Nashville Comic & Horror Convention

2008-10-14T07:37:00.000-07:00

I know this is kind of short notice but we will be appearing at the Nashville Comic & Horror Convention at the State Fairgrounds this weekend (Oct. 18 & 19) here in Nashville. Admission is $10 and there will be all kinds of creepy creatures and comic book stars there along with actress and model Alex del Monaco as Thong Girl!!! Alex will be representing Thong Girl Films and donning The Thong this weekend and signing autographs and selling her merchandise as well as ours. While Alex is here she'll also be auditioning for the role of Thong Girl for the upcoming feature film "Thong Girl 4: The Body Electric" which will begin filming in just a few short weeks.
Please come out and meet Alex and support Thong Girl Films and buy some cool TG merchandise including dvds, tee shirts, comic books and autographed 8X10s of the lovely Alex del Monaco. For more info about the Con please go to http://comiccitytn.com/hfest08_home.html
I'll have more about the new film in the coming weeks. This film will be bigger and badder than the last one and will feature more cool special effects and even a big dance number!!! Hope to see you this weekend.

Thong Girl where have you gone?

2008-09-14T18:06:00.006-07:00

It seems like forever since I've posted a Thong Girl blog and I apologize profusely. The fact of the matter is, not much has been happening. Things are starting to pick up again and I'll start with the good news/bad news portion of the blog.

The good news: We'll be doing the Nashville Comic and Horror Convention on Oct. 18th & 19th.

The bad news: Audra Lynn will not be there. Unfortunately, Audra has opted out of the Thong Girl project due to health issues and personal reasons which I can't go into. The last I heard she had moved from Los Angeles back to Minnesota and is living with her parents during this period of transition. I wish her well and I totally enjoyed the few months that we worked together. But the good news is we've teamed up with actress/model Alex del Monaco for the Nashville Con and Alex will be wearing The Thong and appearing as Thong Girl for the two-day convention. While she's here she'll also be doing a screen test for the movie and we'll discuss the possibility of her assuming the role for the next film "Thong Girl 4: The Body Electric". Alex brings a ton of modeling experience and also some film experience along with a really solid fan base and we're all excited about the possibility of her becoming the next Thong Girl. I'll be posting more info in the next few weeks concerning the Nashville Comic and Horror Festival.

We've also been working diligently on the set for the new movie. The story is based on historical events concerning Thomas Edison and the electricity patent wars between he and George Westinghouse in the 1920's. The set will resemble the funky old Frankenstein laboratory where the monster was created. Thanks to the artistic talents of my buddy Pablo Scruggs we've been able to replicate a lot of the old laboratory ambiance and what better location for the set than a haunted house? The folks at the Devil's Dungeon (www.devilsdungeon.net) have graciously donated a room for us to film the laboratory scenes. They will be using our set during the Halloween season and as soon as they close we'll move in and start filming. I wanted a place where we wouldn't have to move everything around everytime we wanted to shoot. The laboratory scenes will take the longest amount of time to film, so I wanted a place where we could stay set up for a month or two. Filming will begin in late November. Look for a mystery celebrity in a cameo appearance as Thomas Edison!

Also, the Thong Girl video game is coming along right on schedule and my guys from DeVry University are hard at work putting that together for a 2009 release.

That's about it for now. I'll be busy casting the new film and tightening up the script for the next few weeks. Thanks to those of you who have inquired about the new movie and I hope to see you all in October at the Con.

Winter update

2008-02-11T07:30:00.000-08:00

Hey Everybody, It's been awhile since my last update. I tend to go into hibernation in the winter... something about being a bear in a past life. We're about to get very busy again and I wanted to let you know about some of the cool Thong things that are on the way for 2008.
First, the new comic book is finished and this looks to be the biggest and best yet! This book will mirror the new movie (more on that below) and Desi has outdone himself with the artwork on this book. It looks fabulous! It's at the printers right now and will be ready for the ConNooga Comic Convention on Feb. 22-24th (www.connooga.com). As soon as I get the proof from our publisher I'll post the cover on the Store page of our website and you'll be able to order it online! I'm really proud of the storyline; it's based on historical events and I used the book as a sort of prototype for the script for the new movie.
As for ConNooga, we're all really excited about headlining the three-day event in Chattanooga this year. If you go to their website (www.connooga.com) you'll see Audra Lynn's pictures and if you click on Schedule you'll find some of the panels that we'll be participating in, such as Filmmaking 101, Script Writing and Acting in Independent Films. I'll be joined by my good buddies from Allied Horror, Jim O'Rear and Ted Alderman and a few of the other Con guests and we'll be talking about how we've all made millions of dollars in the world of independent filmmaking (not). Audra will also be joining me to talk about being an actress in indie films. On Sunday we'll be screening "Thong Girl 3: Revenge Of The Dark Widow" followed by a Q&A and a discussion on the future of Thong Girl. And of course, we'll have a booth set up and we'll be selling all of our Thong Girl merchandise, including the new Thong Girl tee shirts with Audra's picture on the front!
As you know by now, Audra Lynn is our new Thong Girl. She'll be starring in the new TG movie which will start filming this summer. Audra will be flying in from Los Angeles next week and we've scheduled photo shoots and a script reading with some of the cast members. I have yet to hear the script read aloud and I'm excited about having it read by actual people! The script took four months to write and it's considerably longer than the last one, but the first reading is a good way to judge how it will flow onscreen and so consequently it will be trimmed and honed to make the dialogue tighter. Some scenes will work and some will not, but I've learned that the script is basically a blueprint for the movie and it is constantly evolving and growing as the film grows... just like a child!
The other exciting Thong thing that I wanted to tell you about is the video game. My DeVry gaming guys have wrapped their other project and are focusing all of their attention on the new Thong Girl video game. We'll be talking again this week and finalizing the plot points and the outline for the new game. I'm really anxious to get started on this; it will take about a year to develop and build and I'll be monitoring and advising them along the way but the production is basically in their hands. I, of course, know nothing about video games. But I see the potential in having one and I see the huge crowds of gamers at the Cons that we attend so I know that this is where we need to go. We'll be advertising the new game and talking it up at ConNooga and I hope to get some feedback from some of the resident gamers there.
Well, that's about it for now. We're going to be putting a lot of new pictures and merchandise up on the website in the next couple of months and... oh, yeah, we're also going to re-design the website for the new year. We've added so much stuff in the past year that it's looking a little "random" (do they still say that?) these days and it needs a make-over. So Robin, our web mistress will be giving the website a new look and making it a little more user-friendly and easier to navigate.
Come on out to ConNooga if you're free next weekend and stop by and say hey to Audra Lynn and Desi and me. It's a beautiful drive from Nashville and there's lots to do and see in Chattanooga, including one of the finest aquariums in the world. See you soon.

Seriously.... Meet the New THONG GIRL!

2007-10-24T06:03:00.000-07:00

Every once in awhile the heavens open up and fortune smiles on one very lucky bastard; this time, dear friends, that bastard is me! There is a new Thong Girl patrolling the skies of Music City, USA and, rest assured, Music City is in very good hands. Meet Audra Lynn, the new Thong Girl.
Audra, as I mentioned in the last blog, is a model and an actress from Minnesota, now living in Los Angeles. She saw a posting for the lead role of Thong Girl on a national casting call site; once again, the amazing power of the internet has worked in our favor. As with the ThongGate incident, where I posted a blog thanking the mayor of Gallatin for letting us use his office and it spread all the way to China (literally), I posted an ad with a local casting agency and it spread to several different national sites...and that's where our story begins.
Audra has been in numerous magazines and made appearances on television shows such as Frasier, MAD TV, the X Files and David Letterman, but she's been trying to get more work in motion pictures. She made a brief appearance in 20th Century Fox's "Epic Movie" and she's worked on a few indie films, but she was looking for a lead role in a film that would showcase her talent and beauty. That's when she happened upon the ad for a crimefighting superhero who fights crime in a thong bikini. She checked out the website and thought that it looked like a lot of fun and a role that she could really make her own.
When we talked on the phone she mentioned that she and her girlfriend like to go to comic book conventions (a beautiful nerd?) and she asked about the Nashville Con. We worked out the details and, lo and behold, here was Miss Audra Lynn, Playboy Playmate Oct. 2003 standing next to yours truly, wearing the cape we got at Wal-Mart and the sparkly platform boots and signing autographs as Thong Girl!
Audra flew in on Thursday night and on Friday we did a photo shoot at my good buddy Paul Griffin's photo studio (see attached pic). Paul took about 400 photos and we settled on two shots that we used for 8X10's and a big poster. Audra has a lot of her stuff from her Playboy days that she sells and the response was really, really great. Not only were people excited about meeting a real Playboy centerfold, but they seemed to really like the idea of her also being a superhero in a bikini (no-brainer there). It was a really fun weekend and I was really encouraged by the positive response. Audra seemed especially popular with the little kids. We had numerous little boys and girls come up to have their picture taken with the new Thong Girl - while their Dads checked out her Playboy portfolio!
All things Thong aside... I had the best time just hanging out with Audra all weekend. She is absolutely the kindest and most humble person you'd ever want to meet. In a business that can be cut-throat and devious, she has stayed unjaded and kind and sensitive while still remaining a consummate professional. She's parlayed her career as a model into a lucrative business and now she wants to expand her talents into the world of film.
So I'm planning on spending the next three months working hard to make the next Thong Girl movie bigger and better than ever. I'm writing the script to showcase my new star's exceptional beauty and charm and I'm working up a storyline that will take Thong Girl places that she's never been. The working title for the new film is "Thong Girl 4: The Body Electric" and this movie will be based on historical events that transcend into current events. That's all I can say for now, but I'm really excited about the new movie and I'm hoping to start casting after the first of the year and do a basic read-thru when Audra comes back to town for the ConNooga Convention in February in Chattanooga. I'm also hoping to do some shooting in L.A. - a lifelong dream of mine - so Audra won't have to travel back and forth as much.
Well, it's time to dig in and get to work on the new screenplay. In the meantime, Desi is finishing up the new comic book - our 4th - and the guys from DeVry University will begin work on the new TG video game next month. That will take about a year to complete but it's something I've been dreaming about doing for a long time.
I'll keep you posted as to the progress of the new film and look for updates on the website (www.thonggirlfilms.com) in the coming months. In the meantime, you can check out Audra's MySpace page at http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=37530933 and if you didn't make it to the Nashville ComiCon you can purchase Audra's rare collectable items AND the new autographed Thong Girl photos on her Ebay store page http://stores.ebay.com/Pinup-Emporium.

Introducing...The New Thong Girl!

2007-09-27T07:54:00.000-07:00

Okay, STOP THE PRESSES!!! Totally disregard everything I said about making a musical in my last blog - at least for now. I'm back in moviemaking mode. A lot has happened in the last week or so.
Let's start at the very beginning... it's a very good place to start. I received an email a couple of weeks ago from an actress who had seen a posting for auditions for the new Thong Girl. She said she was from Los Angeles and she had checked out our website and thought it looked like a lot of fun. She wanted to find out how she could audition for the role. She sent a resume and a headshot. She was drop-dead gorgeous and had a pretty impressive resume which included guest appearances on the Tonight Show and Jimmy Kimmel and MAD TV. She had done a lot of modeling and National ad campaigns for well-known companies. I emailed her back and told her that I'd be thrilled to have her audition for the TG role and that she should probably send an audition tape since she was in L.A. She also gave me her phone number as well as her manager's phone number. She emailed back and said she was having trouble with her computer and to give her a call.
In the meantime, I also noticed on her resume that she was a world-class figure skater and that she showed champion horses. I thought this was pretty amazing so I googled her to find out more and lo and behold, she also just happens to be Playboy Playmate Audra Lynn, Miss Oct. 2003!
All of a sudden the heavens opened up and pigs started flying and snowballs came rolling up from Hell. In other words, I thought someone was playing a terrible joke on me. Executive Producer Will Jones and I had talked in great length about who we thought the ideal TG would be and we both agreed that someone like Jenny McCarthy (only younger) would be perfect. Then along comes the beautiful Audra Lynn.
Anyhow, I called her and we had a really nice conversation and she is super-cool and we both love dogs. In fact, her German Shepherd is scheduled to play Rin Tin-Tin in the next movie of the same name. Even her dog is gorgeous and talented. Well, Audra mentioned that she noticed on our website that we were doing the Nashville Comic Convention in October and she asked if it is a pretty big Con. She and her girlfriend go to Cons around the country and they had just come from San Diego. I told her it was nowhere near as big as that but it's still a pretty good sized convention. She said that they might be interested in coming down for the Nashville Con and all of a sudden the little light went off in my head. I took a deep breath and told her that I was looking for someone to portray TG at the Con and would she be interested in donning the costume and being Thong Girl for a couple of days. She agreed! So we worked out the details and sure enough, Miss Audra Lynn will be representing the Thong at the Nashville Con on Oct 20th and 21st!
While she's here she's going to audition for the lead role in the new TG4 feature film. If all goes well and she wants the role, we could have a new Thong Girl on board by mid-Oct.
I keep pinching myself to see if I'm dreaming. Not only is she a beautiful woman she also is REALLY nice and I'm looking forward to her visit next month for the Convention. She would bring the TG franchise up to a whole new level. And this has inspired me to go back to my original plan of shooting the next installment of the TG film series. This film is tentatively called "Thong Girl 4: The Body Electric" and the story is based on historical occurrences from the early 1900's. That's all I can say about that for now but I guarantee the storyline will knock your socks off!
Well, that's all for now. I'm going to go take some oxygen and resume pinching myself. Please see the attached photo of Audra Lynn and visit our website at www.thonggirlfilms.com for more information on the Nashville Horror and Comic Convention Oct. 20-21st. There is a link on our website that takes you to the Con site. I hope to see you there.

Thong Girl: The Musical???

2007-09-22T08:30:00.000-07:00

Hey Everybody, Well, I've officially gone off the deep end. In my constant quest for new challenges I've decided to put the next movie on hold and do Thong Girl as a musical! That's right, a full-blown stage production with music and costumes and flying and.... a laser show! Let me start from the beginning.
A few weeks ago I got a call from out of the blue from a lady named Kim Armstrong and she told me she worked for a laser light company here in town called KLS Kozmic Lazer Shows. She said she'd been reading the Tennessean and she spotted a story they had written about us in the Sumner County section and she noticed the part that said Thong Girl shoots lasers out of her ass. So she decided to call me and see if there was anything they might be able to help me with. At first I was confused and I told her that I'd check them out on line and get back to her. I thought about it for a while but nothing really struck me. Well, that night I had a dream about Thong Girl bending over to shoot her ass laser and a brilliant array of lights and lasers were emitted from her derriere and it was all set to music! For the next couple of days I started knocking around the idea in my head.
I should tell you that I have a pretty extensive musical background. I played music all through high school and I majored in arranging and composition in Boston and Los Angeles. I play piano and trumpet and I moved here to Nashville originally to be a songwriter. I've done various styles of music and I've also written dinner theater murder mystery plays. The only thing I haven't done is write a musical. And that's mostly because I've never had a vehicle interesting enough for me to pursue the arduous task of taking on a full musical stage production - until now.
Okay, here's the thing about the movie. It took me a year and a half from conception to finish with "Thong Girl 3: Revenge Of The Dark Widow". I used mostly my own money and I have yet to see any return, although I do have a few things in the works, which I'll tell you about in a minute. But honestly, the thought of going through all of that again and going broke was not really appealing to me. So I called Kim back and we set up a meeting with the owner of the company, Patrick Sittnick.
What started out as a one-hour meeting at Starbucks turned into a five-hour gabfest. Patrick and I talked about everything ranging from the physical impossibilities of projecting holographs into thin air to our mutual attraction to Asian chicks. Oh yeah, and we talked at great length about the logistics of staging a Thong Girl musical light/laser show. We both got very excited and from that moment on I made up my mind that I was going to fulfill my lifelong dream of writing a musical stage production.
Of course, something like this would take a lot more time and money than an indie film could ever take. We're talking renting venues, lights, lasers, talent, crew, insurance, blah blah blah. But Patrick says that there are people out there who have money that they're just waiting to dump into a creative project like this, and that this is just weird enough to catch someone's eye.
I can't really worry at this point about the money aspect. I just have to hope that Patrick is right and believe in fate and folly. I have turned all of my focus now to writing a stage show that will be visually and theatrically stunning and elegant and, most of all, fun to watch.
I'm using the script for what would have been TG4 and converting it into a vehicle for wacky, weird musical fodder, not unlike Team America: World Police. Whether this actually ends up as a stage production or a musical movie (like Team America) I don't know. All I know is I'm moving forward and writing a script and songs and I'll work out the technical details with Patrick as I go. This is either going to be a total disaster or it's going to be just weird enough to make people sit up and notice. But either way, when it's finished I can say that I've fulfilled another dream - I WILL HAVE MY MUSICAL!
Now on to other Thong Things: If the musical isn't weird enough, it now looks like there will be a Thong Girl video game! This is another aspect of the TG franchise that has interested me for awhile. When we go to comic book conventions I've noticed how crowded the gaming rooms are. The video game industry has exploded in the last few years and they've gotten incredibly advanced graphically. I've long thought that Thong Girl would play out well in the virtual world, what with her ass laser and flying and martial arts skills - not to mention her hot bikini-clad bod. So I contacted DeVry University Game Services and I inquired about possible students that might be interested in designing a video game based on my superhero.
I was put in touch with three students from Ohio and after a three-way conference call that lasted almost two hours we all decided that we were interested in the same things: money, success and fun. The guys agreed to go to work and design a Thong Girl video game. Since I don't know crap about video games I'm pretty much leaving it up to them to create a game that gamers will find entertaining and challenging and, best of all will be glad to pluck down their hard-earned cash to buy and play.
The reason I chose students is because I know these projects take hundreds of hours to design and I could never afford to pay professionals for their services. So I've found three guys who eat, sleep and breath video games, who do it for the love of the game and because they see a potential moneymaking investment. What more could I ask for?
The other big thing is I've signed with a small independent distributor called Knight Entertainment. This is not the lucrative deal that filmmakers dream of, where they give you a ton of money up-front and get your film in theaters and video stores across the country. This is one guy who does this out of his house and he lists with a few on-line companies that carry your title and make it available for internet sale. The thing that makes this an attractive deal is it's a non-exclusive, non-binding contract that allows me to pull out any time I want, with no penalties or bad feelings. This seems like a way to get the TG name out there, sell a few more dvds and maybe get noticed by a bigger distributor. And this is run by a guy who's just trying to do what I'm trying to do - build a franchise from the ground up and maybe make a living along the way. It's a win/win situation. We'll also be listed on Amazon.com and imdb.com, the international movie database.
Lastly, "TG3: Revenge Of The Dark Widow" will be showing at the Southern Appalachian Film Festival on October 13th in the Tri-City area of Bristol, TN. Last year at SOAPIFF TG2 won awards for Best Actress in a Comedy (Leah Adcock), Best Actor in a Comedy (Tony Domenico) and Best Comedy Short and Director (me). Hopefully TG3 will bring home a few more this year. We'll be at the Nashville Comic and Horror Con on Oct. 20-21st and at ConNooga in February of next year. Please check the TG website for all TG Happenings and upcoming events.
Well, that's about all for now. I'm going to crawl into my hole and start work on TG: The Musical. I'll come out from time to time and let you know how things are progressing. In the meantime, please keep checking the website for new listings and, oh yeah, the new TG comic book will be ready just in time for Christmas - they make excellent stocking stuffers! Take care and see you soon.

TG Reporter Wins Award!!!

2007-07-21T08:53:00.000-07:00

Hey Y'all, We're coming up into August and this will be a very busy month for all things Thong. But first.... congratulations to Gallatin News-Examiner reporter Katrina Cornwell for winning the Annual Tennessee Press Association Newspaper Contest Award for Best News Reporting for her series pieces on little ole THONG GIRL!!! You may recall Katrina was the reporter who first broke the story last September involving our filming in the Gallatin Mayor's Office. This sparked the international coverage that brought us our 15 minutes of fame. Katrina went on to do a number of stories on us, including the first interview with Leah and Tony. She continues to be a staunch supporter of TG and will be promoting the upcoming First Ever Thong Girl Look-Alike Contest and Video Shoot next month at The Ranch in Gallatin. So a BIG SHOUT-OUT to Katrina for all of her hard work and support.
We're starting August with a free screening of TG3 at Cafe Coco on Monday, Aug. 13th at 7:30pm. There will be door prizes and food and drinks and I hope to see all of our TG friends, especially if you haven't gotten to see the film yet. This is a smoke-free event and you are encouraged to EAT. I'll be arriving early so please join me for dinner.
On August 25th we'll be presenting the first ever THONG GIRL LOOK-ALIKE CONTEST AND VIDEO SHOOT at The Ranch Bar and Grill in Gallatin. As you may know by now, Leah Adcock will not be returning in the role of Thong Girl for the next film and we will be making an exhaustive search for a new Thong Girl. As part of the promotion for this search we will be having a TG Look-Alike Contest starting at 8pm at The Ranch. First prize will be $150 cash and a featured appearance in the next TG movie. Four runners-up will win an appearance in the new music video that we'll be shooting based on the TG theme song written and performed by the group Enyaface, which is Mark Allen's band. Mark is the composer of the TG filmscore and he and the band have written a really catchy pop tune that screams MUSIC VIDEO! So we'll be shooting the performance part of the video that night at The Ranch and all of the remaining video in and around Nashville the following week. If you'd like to hear the song just go to our website www.thonggirlfilms.com and click on TG Theme Song.
This is going to be a really fun night and after the contest and video shoot the band will perform until midnight. Admission is $10 at the door and, (guys) not only will you see a lot of hot babes in bikinis, but (guys & girls) you'll get to be in the crowd scene in the video while the band performs.
I am also working with a casting agent in Atlanta who's setting up a casting call for the next Thong Girl. I plan to look in several cities for my next TG star; I'd prefer a Nashvillian but I'm prepared to go to Atlanta, Miami, and even Los Angeles to find the right girl for the part.
As for the status of the film "Thong Girl 3: Revenge Of The Dark Widow" I've begun entering film festivals and submitting it to potential distributors in the hopes of selling the film for wide release. It's the dream of every filmmaker to sell their movie and make enough money to shoot the next film. That would be very rewarding, but what I'd really like is to be able to pay the actors and the crew for all of their hard work. That would be most gratifying for me.
I'll be sending out emails to remind everyone about the upcoming events in August and we're also adding an Events page on the website so please check us out at www.thonggirlfilms.com. See you soon.
"If You Do Wrong, You'll Answer To The Thong"

thong girl search

2007-06-29T17:44:00.000-07:00

With the premiere of Thong Girl 3: Revenge Of The Dark Widow now behind us, I'm moving forward and working toward letting the whole wide world know about Thong Girl. We have three showings booked in the Nashville area in the next two months.
On Thursday, July 12th at 8pm we'll be screening the film in it's entirety at TRIBE, a gay club on Church St. I've long thought that TG would appeal to our gay/lesbian friends because of it's campy, splashy nature... not to mention that TG's sidekick, BoxerBrief Boy played by Tony Domenico is the gay hairdresser to the stars when he's not helping Thong Girl fight crime and making Music City, USA a safer place for hat-wearing country music stars like Kenny Chesney. So with that in mind, I want to start building a TG following among the gay and alt community and TRIBE is a great place to start.
On Monday, August 13th at 7:30pm TG3 will screen at Cafe Coco on Louise Ave. just off Elliston Place. I'd also like to build a following among the college crowd and Cafe Coco attracts a lot of the Vandy students.
And on Saturday, August 25th at 8pm we'll hold the first ever THONG GIRL LOOK-A-LIKE CONTEST AND VIDEO SHOOT at The Ranch Bar and Grill in Gallatin. We're going to shake up the Gallatin Town Square in an attempt to find the NEW THONG GIRL!!! You heard right - we are on a nationwide search to find the next Thong Girl for the new music video and feature film. Leah Adcock will not be returning as Thong Girl for TG4 and I'll be auditioning far and wide to find her replacement.
The contest will be held at 9pm following a short set by Enyaface, the band that wrote and performed the Thong Girl theme song from TG3: Revenge Of The Dark Widow. We'll pick four runners-up and one Grand Prize winner. The four runners-up will win a featured role in the new TG music video and the Grand Prize winner will receive $150 cash and a featured role in the next TG film as well as the music video. We'll also be shooting some of the TG music video that night at The Ranch and we're looking for plenty of extras for the crowd scene.
So please put the word out; any actress that would like to take on the role of Nashville's first crimefighting superhero should contact me through our website or through email at glenhweiss@comcast.net. She must be at least 5ft. 5 inches tall and physically fit. Blondes are preferred but not required - we've got a wig. Oh yeah, she also must be able to shoot lasers from her ass. Just kidding! Actually, we'll do the special effects work for her, but she must have an open mind and a great sense of humor (obviously). We have a lot of work coming up in the next year and I need someone who is dedicated and hard-working. As you know we've gotten a lot of press in the past year and we'll most likely be getting more when we take TG to CHINA!
That's right, I'm also planning a trip to China and Hong Kong next year to promote TG to the Asian markets. We've already had some interest and I just need to do the legwork to get them all the information that they need to promote us overseas. I believe that Thong Girl could be a big hit with the Asian film industry. Can't you just see it now? Thong Girl VS. Godzilla! Okay, maybe I'm getting a little carried away.
Well, that's all for now but any potential Thong Girls, please contact me and we'll see if you've got what it takes to be the next bikini-clad superbabe from Nashville, TN.

TG3 Premiere A Success!

2007-06-15T08:33:00.000-07:00

Hey Everybody, Well, we finally made it! We had our premiere of "Thong Girl 3: Revenge Of The Dark Widow" on June 9th and it was a great success. We had a good turn-out and Channel 4 came and covered the event. The movie played from start to finish and there were no glitches - which was a great relief to me because we actually finished burning the dvd three hours before the premiere. I swore I wasn't going to cut it close this time around but, inevitably, problems arise and you have to deal with them. In this case it was a technical glitch that prevented me from taking the movie files from my editing system and putting them into a format that could be played on a commercial dvd player; all technical jargon that I had no idea about until this actually happened. But through the grace of God and my two new best buddies, Alex Lucas and James Houk, we were able to burn a clean copy of the movie just in time.
The movie looks REALLY GOOD, and I'm not just saying that because it's my film. The film composer, Mark Allen, has created a brilliant musical score and has elevated the film to a much higher level then I ever expected. Mark and I have spent the last four months together hashing out the score. Working with a film composer is a lot like being married. You spend a lot of time with another person who, hopefully, has like-minded ideas and goals and you try to create something that is a part of both of you, yet has it's own unique qualities (your child). Along the way there is compromise and fighting and more compromise and joy and pain and, eventually, a finished product. It's very intense!!!
So, the movie's finished and the next hurdle is taking it to the streets of Gallatin, TN where the whole "ThongGate" scandal was born. You may recall that we received national and international attention after we filmed a scene from the movie in Gallatin Mayor Don Wright's office at the time that he was up for re-election. Well, if you mix politics and a hot chick in a red bikini you're gonna get sparks, and these sparks went all the way to China (see earlier blog). So this weekend we'll be showing the film at The Ranch Bar and Grill on Sunday, June 17th at 3pm and 5pm. If you'd like to attend you can find directions and ticket info at www.thonggirlfilms.com. Tickets are $5 and the buzz is pretty good that the shows may sell out. There are also rumors of protests that are being organized for Saturday and Sunday in the Town Square. Mayor Wright has said that he'd like to attend and if this showing goes well we'll repeat it at a later date.
I'll send out another blog after this weekend and let you know how it goes in Gallatin or, better yet, come on out and see for yourself. After this weekend I'm going to start seriously shopping the film. Three distributors have already expressed interest in the movie but you know how that goes. It's always a crap shoot trying to get your movie sold at this level. I'll also be hitting the film festival and comic book Convention trail this Fall with a new comic book scheduled for an October release and possibly a finished screenplay for TG4 by the end of the year.
Thanks to all who've made this an incredible journey for me. I've had the pleasure of meeting and working with some amazing talent in the past year and a half and I look forward to more great experiences in the near future. Let's make 2007 the YEAR OF THE THONG!!! Glen

Two more weeks!!!

2007-05-21T22:49:00.001-07:00

Hey Everybody, Can you believe it? Just two more weeks until the premiere of Thong Girl 3: Revenge Of The Dark Widow. Mark Allen, the Music Composer and I are busy adding the finishing touches to the score and the sound design. We're determined to have the movie completed one week before the premiere, which will give the people authoring the dvds just enough time to put the dvd package together so they'll be available at the premiere.
The new updated website is also up and running, thanks to some great work by our webmaster (or is that web mistress?) Robin Grandin. You'll find all kinds of cool stuff, including the new TG3 trailer and the infamous Jay Leno clip. There is also some new merchandise on the Store page.
I'll be sending out a mass email in a few days to invite everyone to the premiere on June 9th & 10th and we've also added a special screening at The Ranch in Gallatin... just one block from the Palace Theater. That's right, the same theater that BANNED the movie, for some unknown reason! The Ranch has a big screen tv and a projector system and the entire town of Gallatin is invited to see for themselves what all the fuss was about. I've spoken with former Mayor Don Wright and he has graciously accepted my invitation to come to the screening. This is one event you won't want to miss. Admission to both the Nashville premiere and the Gallatin screening is $5 (free for cast and crew).
Well, that's all for now. I'll be sending out one more blog before the premiere. I hope you'll all come out and support local filmmaking at it's cheesiest. And don't forget: "If You Do Wrong, You'll Answer To The Thong!"

Here she comes!!!!

2007-04-25T22:54:00.000-07:00

Hey Everybody, Sorry it's been so long since the last blog but this editing process is kicking my ass! All I've been doing for the past six months is working, editing and sleeping (not enough of the latter). The premiere of "Thong Girl 3: Revenge Of The Dark Widow" is set for June 9th & 10th here in Nashville. The website will have all of the latest info and directions to Watkins Film School where the premiere will be held. The website should be updated within the week. I'm also going to attempt to attach a movie clip from the Tonight Show with Jay Leno where Jay talks about the filming we did in the Gallatin mayor's office. It's the coolest thing EVER! If you don't see it here it will be on the website soon. That's all for now but I plan on updating this blog at least a couple of times between now and the premiere. See you soon.

Thong Girl Update

2007-03-21T21:39:00.000-07:00

Hey, Everybody. Just a quick update on the progress of "Thong Girl 3: Revenge Of The Dark Widow". I've pushed back the premiere date to June 9th. I was feeling a little overwhelmed with the amount of work it takes to make a feature film and I realized that the April 28th deadline was unrealistic. I hated to change the date but my dear friend Shannon said it best; "A year from now no one will remember that you pushed the premiere date back a couple of months, but they WILL remember if your film sucks!" Well said. I don't want to be sitting in the theater thinking... I should have done this or I should have changed that. It's not fair to me or to the people who have contributed their time and talents to make this the best film it can be. So please mark your calendars for Saturday, June 9th at 7pm and 9pm and then a 3pm matinee on Sunday the 10th. I'll also have a surprise announcement soon about a certain screening in a "certain town" in the Nashville area that has some significance to the whole Thong Girl saga. Stay tuned for that!
Well, I gotta get back to editing right now so thanks for being patient and supporting Thong Girl and indie filmmakers. By the way, if you're in the Atlanta area the weekend of April 6th come check us out at FroliCon. (www.frolicon.org) See you soon.

The Year Of The Thong

2007-02-12T07:25:00.000-08:00

Well. here it is 2007 and this is my first blog of the New Year! I've been totally immersed in editing "Thong Girl 3: Revenge Of The Dark Widow". I never imagined it would be so much work. I had to learn a new editing software program called Final Cut Pro and it's AMAZING! My dream was to be totally self-sufficient when it comes to post-production and, except for farming out the special effects and music scoring part of it, I'm now able to do all of my editing and post production at home.
The movie is coming along nicely and I'm aiming for an April 28th premiere at Watkins College in Nashville. I anticipate many long nights and early mornings but the film actually has to be finished by the first weekend in April because I'm showing it in Atlanta at a convention called FroliCon. This is an adult convention that features "alternative" lifestyles and interests such as fetishes and light bondage. While Thong Girl is most definitely PG-13 fare, I want to test the more adult waters and maybe pump up the "sexy" in Thong Girl without becoming soft-porn. I think you can be campy and funny and sexy all at once without losing your integrity - watch a John Waters movie. I'm also a guest speaker at the Con; I'm doing a presentation on independent filmmaking.
We have a lot of irons in the fire this year. Along with the new feature film and a new comic book for the Fall, I'm planning a trip to China to see if Thong Girl can be sold to the Asian market. Along with all of the national media attention we got last year with the "ThongGate" scandal, the Beijing Youth Daily in China did a feature story on us (see attachment) and I have become friends with the reporter who wrote the article. I've always been enamored with the Asian culture and I've long thought that Thong Girl could be a hit with the Chinese and Japanese markets. So now I know someone in China and I'd be stupid not to explore the possibilities. We're also developing the script for a TG4 movie and it's a really cool concept!
I have a lot of other new ideas for the Thong Girl franchise that I'd like to delve into this New Year, including video games and action figures, but it all starts with the movie. I am totally focused on making TG3 something everyone involved can be proud of and that is my short-term goal.
I'll update this blog several times before the premiere on April 28th but also please check out the website (www.thonggirlfilms.com) from time to time - we'll be adding more production stills from the movie soon and adding a special Movie Premiere page with some of the articles from across the country from last year's media blitz when we filmed in Gallatin. So mark your calendars for April 28th & 29th. There will be two shows on Saturday @ 7pm and 9pm and a Sunday matinee at 3pm. See you soon.

Election results

2006-11-08T09:57:00.000-08:00

It's the day after elections and I'm sad to announce that Mayor Don Wright lost his bid for re-election as Mayor of Gallatin. I guess I feel partly responsible but everyone that I've talked to has said that he was up against some pretty tough competition and this was probably not the issue that would make or break him. I sincerely want to wish him well in his future endeavors.
There are a couple of Thong Girl events coming up in the next two weeks I wanted to tell you about.
We're doing a book signing at MegaUsed Books this Saturday, Nov. 11th from 11am to 1pm. Desi Turner, the comic book artist and I will be signing the new 30 page limited edition comic book published by Purrsia Press (www.purrsiapress.com) based on the upcoming movie "Thong Girl 3: Revenge Of The Dark Widow". We'll have prizes and giveaways and one lucky winner will get a cameo appearance in the next TG movie! We'll also be showing TG1 and TG2, the previous two Thong Girl short films and you can meet Thong Girl's crimefighting superhero sidekick BoxerBrief Boy!
MegaUsed Books is located at 1016 8th Ave. South. From downtown take I-65 South to the Wedgewood Exit. Turn right on Wedgewood and right again on 8th Ave. MegaUsed Books is between EdgeHill and Divison, one block north of Greer Stadium on the right.
Also, on Friday evening, Nov. 17th we're having a Thong Girl party at the Church Street Cafe. We'll be showing TG1 and TG2 and giving away free passes to the upcoming screening of "TG3: Revenge Of The Dark Widow" in February. We'll also have a Thong Girl look-alike contest and the winner will receive a featured role in the next TG movie. We'll also be selling and giving away TG merchandise.
Church Street Cafe is located at 1707 Church Street in downtown Nashville. For more info call 615/321-3234.
I hope to see you at one or both of these.

What's next?

2006-10-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

Hey Y'all, Well, we're back from the Nashville Horror and Comic Convention. It was a lot of fun and we met a lot of really cool people, including Jackson Bostwick, the original Captain Marvel from the TV series "Shazzam!" , Cathy Sr. George, a Playboy centerfold from the eighties and David Naughton from "American Werewolf in London". He was very nice and gave us some encouraging words.
Everyone who came up to our table said that they had heard about the controversy with the Mayor of Gallatin and that they wanted to come over and wish us well. The biggest selling item was an autographed 8X10 of TG herself -- people really wanted to meet Thong Girl and get an autograph. Overall, we had a really good turnout.
The next TG happening is the Southern Appalachian Film Festival in Johnson City, TN. They'll be showing TG1 and TG2 this Saturday night (10/28) at 7:30 pm. Johnson City is in the Eastern portion of the state past Knoxville. This is where the Nashville Film Festival got it's start before it moved to Nashville.
I'm really excited about this next event; we'll be doing a book signing at MegaUsed Books & Discs at 1016 8th Ave. South here in Nashville from 11am until 1pm on Saturday, Nov. 11th. We'll be selling the brand new hot-off-the-press TG comic book edition two, which is actually our third book. You can meet Desi Turner the comic book artist and we'll be giving away TG merchandise and one lucky winner will win a cameo appearance in the next TG movie! We're hoping for a good turnout so please try and make it down there to see us. MegaUsed Books & Discs is located one block south of Greer Stadium.
As for "Thong Girl 3: Revenge Of The Dark Widow" this Sunday is our last day of shooting and then the film will be "in the can", as they say. All the scenes will be shot and I'll start furiously editing so that it will be ready to premiere on Feb. 10th at Watkins College. Mark Allen is also on board now to do the music, so he'll be scoring as we go. Doing a feature film is a lot of work but very gratifying!
Well, that's all for now. I hope to see everyone at the book signing and I'll keep you posted as to the progress of the movie. See ya soon.

Comic Book Convention

2006-10-21T05:38:00.000-07:00

This weekend is the annual Nashville Horror and Comic Book Convention at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. If you're looking for something to do and you'd like to meet Thong Girl and a host of other fantasy and horror characters come on out and say hello. Admission is only $5 and we'll be selling the new TG tee shirts and the brand-spankin' new hot-off-the-press Thong Girl comic book Edition #2, as well as TG dvds and autographed pictures and calendars and other assorted crap.
This will also be the first time since "ThongGate" that Thong Girl has made a public appearance. Do ya think the Mayor Of Gallatin might show up for a photo op? Check out the website at www.comiccitytn.com. Come early and stay late; it's loads of fun!

15 minutes

2006-10-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I think my fifteen minutes of fame have come and gone...at least for now. Just to give you a brief update, I have had the craziest two weeks of my life! Following in the wake of the "mayor controversy", I was contacted by fifteen radio stations from across the country, three major TV shows (The Tonight Show w/Jay Leno, the NBC Weekend Today Show, MTV Canada) every local television network, twelve newspapers from all over the U.S. and three on-line blog sites. One of the last interviews I did was for the Beijing Youth Daily, one of the top newspapers in China! We were mentioned in Jay Leno's monologue and we were one of the top searches of the week on Google, prompting them to do a cool feature story on us. (see previous blog to view video) In fact, if you were to Google "Thong Girl" before all of this happened you'd get mostly porn sites. Now, you'll get at least seven solid pages of my superhero and her mayoral antics.
Our website took so many hits, almost a million and-a-half in just three days, my web host guy had to expand our bandwidth four times! Two weeks ago I didn't even know what a bandwidth was! And the website was down half of the time so there's no telling how many hits we actually got. All because of a crimefighting superhero in a red thong bikini.
Now, I know that there are a lot more important things going on in the world than us filming a scene in a local mayor's office, but apparently people just need a little diversion from time to time; and far be it for me to deny anyone a little silliness on occasion. Glad I could help.
What this has done is bring a whole lot of attention to a project that has been my main focus for the past five years. It's a really good feeling to walk down the street and have people say, "hey, you're that Thong Girl guy". One of the coolest things was a guy named Mark who lives in Gallatin, where all of this took place, asked me if he could have a few Thong Girl tee shirts. It seems the town of Gallatin is having their OctoberFest this weekend and Mark and a few of his friends want to parade around the Gallatin Town Square in TG tee shirts! Now, that's loyalty. I don't want there to be any bad feelings about this in Gallatin and I sincerely hope they'll reconsider and let us show "Thong Girl 3: Revenge Of The Dark Widow" at the Palace Theater when it premieres. I think we could have a really good turn-out. I'd think that people would want to see it just to see what all the fuss was about and let them make their own judgements. There have been a lot of independent horror films done in and around Gallatin that make TG3 look like a Disney movie and no one said a peep about those, so, c'mon folks, cut us some slack.
Speaking of premieres, I've set a tentative date for the first showings of TG3 for Feb. 10th at Watkins College Of Art. They are located at the former Fountain Square Theater location and they have a really nice little venue there. I am an alumnus of Watkins Film School and they have always been receptive to new and different ideas and they've been very encouraging in my efforts to premiere a film that has taken on a life of its own. If there is still a buzz going on at the time of the showing we might possibly add a few more showings.
All is quiet at the moment and the phones have stopped ringing and the emails have slowed, but that's a good thing. I mean, the attention was awesome and I can't say that I minded being in the limelight for awhile, but the reality is, if I don't have a film to show this was all for nothing.
That said, we're shooting the last two or three scenes in the next two weeks and then I'm going to lock myself in the house and begin post production. That will entail capturing all the footage we've shot over the last six months in the computer and editing it together to make a cohesive film. I met with a film scorer the other day, a guy that I've had in mind for the past year, and we seem to be on the same page as to what direction we'd like to see this movie take. The music is SO important and it can make or break a film, so I'll be spending equal time editing and working with Mark on the music.
I hope when February comes around people will still remember something about this crazy scandal and be curious enough to come out and see for themselves what all the fuss was (or wasn't) about.
Thanks for continuing to support local film and television and don't forget to come out to the Nashville Comic Book Convention at the State Fairgrounds Oct. 21st & 22nd. (comiccitytn.com) We'll be selling all kinds of TG merchandise and showing the new TG3 trailer. We're also doing a comic book signing at Mega Used Books & Discs at 1016 8th Ave. South in Nashville on Nov. 4th. We're also one of the featured films from Tennessee at the Southern Appalachian Film Festival in Johnson City at the end of the month (www.soapiff.com).
Hope to see you soon, Glen

Google Current Whale Tail

2006-09-26T22:52:00.000-07:00


Google Current is an up to the minute look at what the world is searching for. In this episode, one of our favorite Google Current is an up to the minute look at what the world is searching for "thong girl", "thong girl 3". Host: Nzinga Blake Date: 09/18/06

This is crazy!!!

2006-09-18T10:23:00.000-07:00

Whew! This is the first chance I've had to sit down and write anything since "ThongGate". I call it ThongGate because this could very well be the ruination of a political career - and for that I am truly sorry. But I digress.
If you haven't been following the news in the past few days, let me update you. My silly little film "Thong Girl 3: Revenge Of The Dark Widow" has been causing quite a stir... around the world! I kid you not; we have had correspondence and web hits from as far away as China, Australia, Poland and even Afghanistan. I think bin Laden has had way too much time on his hands at Club Med Tora Bora. Anyhow, we filmed a scene from the new movie in Mayor Don Wright's office at Gallatin City Hall. Let me add that we DID have the Mayor's permission and full cooperation. He knew that we were filming a movie about a crimefighting superhero who protects Music City from bad guys and those who would hurt Kenny Chesney and other hat-wearing country music stars. What he DIDN'T know was that she was called Thong Girl and wears a red bikini and a cape. He didn't ask me and I didn't tell him - much the same way that if you asked me who Catwoman or Elektra was, I wouldn't go into their wardrobe. I mean, let's face it; superhero hottie chicks these days are dressed to tantalize. And so is Thong Girl.
Well, what I didn't know is that the Mayor is in a heated battle for re-election this November and one of his opponents or their foot soldiers got wind of this and alerted the press. It started with the Gallatin News Examiner and then went to the Tennessean and then to every local television network and then to the radio stations and so on and so on... all the way to the Weekend Today Show on NBC! That's right, we were on national television.
I have been getting calls from all over the country for radio and web interviews. I've already done three radio shows; I was interviewed by WTVF News Channel 5 locally and I'm still getting requests for more interviews. My 15 minutes has turned into 20 minutes.
I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I am not ecstatic for all of the attention. I've been working on this project now for nearly five years and this is not a bad thing to say the least. At least it's not for me. But, believe me when I tell you that I am so sorry for what this has done to Mayor Don Wright. He is a good man and he really loves to help indie filmmakers and he's all for the little guy. His city has played host to numerous indie films, and the people of Gallatin have been incredibly generous with their resources. I have several friends that have spent their time and money filming in Gallatin. I just hope this hasn't tainted the town's opinion of local filmmakers and their pursuit of their cinematic visions. I will keep doing as many interviews as I can as long as I'm asked so that I can stress the fact that Mayor Wright was doing nothing wrong by letting us film in his office.
Oh, yeah, and did I mention that this has been blown way out of proportion? This is a silly comedy action hero movie based on a character I created that wears a modest red bikini and a cape and red boots and patrols the skies of Music City fighting bad guys. There is no sex, nudity, no excessive cursing or violence. A lot of people are passing judgement not having seen the movie. But why does that surprise anyone? Remember "Passion Of The Christ"? A lot of people were passing judgement without actually seeing the film. Thong Girl is a PG-13 romp that's done tongue-in-cheek (pun intended) and with more than a small dose of campy cheesiness.
Let me wrap this up by saying that I'm grateful to all of you who've supported me and my crew through all of this. Maybe it will blow over and maybe it won't. This is an election year and come November it might all hit the fan again. But, mark my words; if Mayor Don Wright is re-elected I want Thong Girl as his running mate in his bid for the Presidency.
Please check out the Thong Girl website at thonggirlfilms.com if you haven't already and there is now a trailer for TG2 online on the movie page and on You Tube and we'll have some merchandise on the Store page in a day or so.
We just finished shooting another scene for TG3 last night and I still plan on having the film completed by January of next year. I hope you'll come to the premiere and see first hand what all the fuss is about and judge for yourself. See you soon. Glen

goin' south

2006-08-31T16:26:00.000-07:00

I'm leaving tomorrow morning to do some shooting with Lauren Benjamin, aka The Dark Widow. She lives in Orlando and rather than fly her back up here for one more scene I've decided to go to her to shoot her final scene. This is the scene where she's in the jacuzzi watching TV when Chaz Chernobyl cuts in and announces he's escaped from prison and he's looking for revenge on his arch enemy, Thong Girl. The Dark Widow, alias, Luwanda Capris sees a prime opportunity to get back at Thong Girl for killing her man and acquire some of the power that Mr. Bigg posessed. Even though she doesn't trust Chaz, she sees this as an opportunity to double their strength and form a dubious alliance.
This is the first time we see Luwanda/Dark Widow and I want her to give off a strong sense of power and sensuality, so I have her rising up out of the hottub, naked from the back (in silhouette) and putting on a silk robe. She walks over to the intercom phone and says to her secretary, "Get me Chaz Chernobyl" as she lights a cigar and blows a puff of smoke. So all we see of her is her bare back and an extreme close-up of her mouth saying the line. Hopefully this will introduce her as being both sexy and strong.
While I'm in Florida I'll be taking a much-deserved three-day vacation. Hopefully I'll miss the hurricanes and I'll have some nice weather. When I get back I'll be jumping right into a heavy shooting schedule. I want to shoot all of the remaining scenes (about five) in September and the first two weeks of October so I can start editing and also prepare for the Nashville ComicCon on October 21st and 22nd. We'll be premiering the new 30-page comic book and showing the trailer for TG3 at the convention. We'll also have the new TG tee shirts for sale.
Thanks for checking in with me and I'll fill you in on all the stuff that happens in Florida when I get back - providing my plane doesn't go down due to SNAKES!!! Have you seen "Snakes On A Plane" yet? This movie is AWESOME. I went in not expecting too much, because of all of the hype, but I was pleasantly surprised. The snakes were really cool and scary and the story was really pretty good. However, I would discourage anyone from going to see the movie with THEIR MOTHER! My mom was here visiting and for some ungodly reason, she said she wanted to see it. Well, there's a scene where a hot naked chick gets bit on the tit (you gotta see it to believe it) and Samuel L. Jackson cusses like Mel Gibson at a Bar Mitzvah. Probably shoulda taken mom to see "Cars" or something and saved "Snakes" for another day. But seriously, you gotta see it!
Okay, well I'm off to Florida. My plane leaves at 6am so I'm gonna hit the sack here in a few minutes. Thanks for supporting The Thong and I'll talk to you again soon. Glen

New website

2006-08-16T11:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm starting to get the hang of this blogging business. It never ceases to amaze me how computer-savvy kids are today. My friend Julian, who's nineteen, is a computer genius; he edits and does graphics and knows his way around Final Cut Pro with his eyes closed. He even created his own Flash website and it's awesome. And on top of that he's a normal 19 year-old kid with a girlfriend and everything. Used to be, you had to be an anti-social geek to use a computer. Anyhow, I digress.
The new Thong Girl website is up and running at www.thonggirlfilms.com. Robin Grandin (formerly Weaver) did an excellent job making it look like a comic book website and still be full of information and resources. It will take a few weeks to get the merchandise section operational to where you can buy stuff directly, but you can see photos from the shoots and read the story of The Thong and, oh yeah, you can link to this blog....DUH! I just realized that you must already know about the website if you're reading this blog. See what I mean? I don't know crap!
Last Sunday we filmed another scene from the movie in Mayor Don Wright's office. Mayor Wright is the mayor of Gallatin and he graciously allowed us to decimate his office. Actually, we only moved a bunch of stuff around and didn't put it back in the right place, but luckily we didn't break anything. We're also going to shoot the finale scene in Gallatin Square where the Mayor (played by Rob Wilds) gives Thong Girl and BoxerBrief Boy the key to the city for saving Music City USA from the evil clutches of Chaz Chernobyl and the Dark Widow. We'll be looking for lots of extras for that scene so if you're reading this and would like to participate, shoot me an email.
Next weekend we're shooting three more scenes at my house and at the end of the month I'm going to Florida where Lauren "Dark Widow" Benjamin lives to shoot her final scene and to take a few days vacation. September will be a very busy month for filming and I hope to have all of the shooting wrapped by the end of September or the beginning of October. It's taking a lot longer to try and shoot everything than expected, mostly because of a lack of budget, As you know, I'm fronting most of the budget myself, with a little help from the Executive Producer, Will Jones. That means that we can only shoot when there is money to do so. Some of the locations require a fee, and then there are props and costumes and food... it can be very daunting. I think lack of money is probably the biggest deterrent to local filmmakers. An indie filmmaker rarely gets a backer; it's all your own money and credit cards and gracious relatives. But hopefully it all pays off in the long run.
One advantage to a movie like Thong Girl is it has the potential to generate some revenue on a smaller scale - through comic book conventions and merchandise and smaller distributors. I'm also hoping to develop action figures and video gaming at some point.
Okay, well that's enough for today. Thanks to the two people that may be reading this and I'd welcome anyone to send a comment or just a howdy to know that this is, in fact, being read by SOMEONE. Talk to you soon, Glen

My Very First Blog

2006-08-01T23:16:00.000-07:00

Hey Everybody, This is my very first blog, so please don't be too critical. I've created this blog so I can keep everyone informed as to the progress of the making of my first feature film "Thong Girl 3: Revenge Of The Dark Widow". My friends are always asking how the filming is coming and I thought this might be a good way to communicate with everyone at the same time.
This being the first in a series of many blogs, I'll keep it short and simple; we're about two-thirds of the way through shooting what's known as "principle photography", which is just a fancy way of saying the shooting of the main scenes of the film. After the principle photography is done I'll go back and get any "pick-up" shots that I need, which is another fancy way of saying anything I missed during principle photography. Then I'll get all of my "establishing shots", which are shots of buildings and locations that I'll use to establish where the scenes are taking place. Sometimes these are a good tool and sometimes they're just plain unnecessary. This is determined during the editing process. Then I'll start my post-production, which involves editing, sound effects, dialogue replacement and the all-important musical score. Then I'll watch the film all the way through about a hundred times and go back and correct any editing mistakes I can before the big premiere.
I'd like to premiere the film in January at the Belcourt Theater. The Belcourt are the sponsors for my cable access tv show "2 Guys Who Don't Know Crap About Movies". I'm hoping they'll give me a deal on the rental of the theatre. I've been spending most of my own money to make this film and I need all the help I can get! By the way, you can see "2 Guys Who Don't Know Crap About Movies" at www.fylmz. com and click on the Entertainment page. Fylmz.com is the brainchild of local filmmaker and all-around nice guy Tony Vidmer. You can also view trailers for all the new releases and create your own "talking heads" (ala Conan O'Brien). Check it out; it's a really cool site if you're a film buff.
In the coming months I'll be telling you about some of the experiences we've had making the film and also about our trips to the upcoming comic book conventions where we'll be selling our TG comic books as well as a bunch of new TG merchandise.
That's all for now but I look forward to sharing all of our Thong Girl experiences with you and I hope this blog site will also provide an outlet for you to comment on all things Thong. Take care and see you soon, Glen