First I'm Gonna Eat That Kid, Then I'm Gonna Buy Some Beanie Babies(The Rubber Pool Movie)

I was 23 and Greg was 20 when we made this featurette about a troubled teen running away from his abusive uncle.

Forward by Dan Bruce

I remember being initially nervous coming into it. Matt, Greg and all their friends had been making incredible shorts for years, and I certainly felt like an outsider from the get-go. But once we got going I was having so much fun that all the trepidation melted away, and they really made me feel welcomed into their fold. I have so many great memories of making this film that it's hard to list them all. From the time I fell in the muddy creek at 6 in the morning (it's in the movie), to the time I accidentally broke Greg's jaw (it's in the movie), and the time I mistakenly ate mushrooms on a day of filming (it's in the movie)...

I remember being so impressed that we actually had a permit to film in the park after hours. It felt so professional. Although, I was disappointed that we were never once asked to show said permit, despite having a campfire burning in plain sight in the middle of a closed park. And the fact that I was paid in Taco Bell makes this one of my most lucrative acting gigs ever (Thanks guys!). Oh, and Dr. Troy. I still hear his voice in my dreams.

Sadly, I never got to see this with an audience, which might be for the best seeing as I find my performance to be cringe-worthy at times. But I did come up with the "It was a night just like today" line, and for that I am pleased. All in all, this was a great experience, and while it might not be Zabba Zabba's crowning achievement, I find there are still lots of laughs to be had in this movie and I'm glad I got to be a part of it. 

Oh, and here's a fun drinking game: Every time I almost ruin a take by cracking a smile take a drink. You will be wasted in no time.

P.S. I owe a big thanks to Edward Norton for dropping out at the last second, thereby giving me the chance to shine. I hear he is still kicking himself over that decision.

The original poster and one of my first awkward forays into Photo Shop.

Another Rubber Pool poster. This one had illustrations made in Adobe Illustrator.  Making this poster while working in the archive room of ad agency FCB (Foote Cone and Belding) in Chicago was a real learning experience.  

Matt Brookens, videographer and TMBG fan.

Dan Bruce and Chad Wheeler on set at SHG with Andy Kapitan giving the crucial Thumbs Up!

The original script complete with the Kinkos order form to make more copies for the cast.

Greg Brookens, Steve Puglia, Tim Antonacci and Matt Brookens getting a dolly shot in their old high school, Sacred Heart Griffin.  I recommend filming in your old high school.  You feel like you "WON".