(In)Frequently Asked Questions

What is Rocket Number 09?

This is my blog. After writing for various student publications and maintaining a few websites here and there, I dove into the burgeoning blogosphere in 2004. Rocket Number 09 is the third — and arguably most succesful — incarnation of my film and humor blog. My entries here range from film reviews, to entertainment commentary, to news about music, gaming, and web-related nonsense. This is also the home of my succesful series of MST3k-esque commentaries, Trailer Trashing.

OK, so what's Trailer Trashing?
Originally, Trailer Trashing was a way for me to review the commercials for movies that were being released. Occasionally I would praise them, more often I would poke fun at them. After a few months, Trailer Trashing morphed into more of a Mystery Science Theater 3000 style commentary series, focusing primarily on public domain short films of decades past. I write, record, edit, and produce each episode myself, often with the help of supportive friends and family and occasionally with guest commentators, known as Trashers. You can watch every episode here.

And the Great Trashing?
Normally, I write, record, edit, and release episodes of Trailer Trashing by myself. The Great Trashing is an annual contest I hold every December that involves people submitting scripts with their own riffs for a special episode of Trailer Trashing. I will use at least one joke from every submission, oftentimes more. It's a great way to get involved with Trailer Trashing and see your work online. Check out this year's submission rules here.

What about Monster Riffs?

Shhhh! It's a secret (you'll find out soon).

What kind of equipment and software do you use to produce Trailer Trashing?
Until very recently, I used a cheap Logitech USB mic with a homemade pop screen for recording, and Windows MovieMaker for editing. Now, however, I use a Blue Snowball USB microphone and Ulead VideoStudio 11.5. Both are great products that I highly recommend. The Snowball, in particular, is a great buy for its relatively meager pricetag. For audio recording, editing, and rendering, I use Audacity, which is a free program that works like a charm.

What experience do you really have as a writer?
Well, aside from writing short stories since the tender age of six, I've also been active in the semi-professional film journalist and entertainment columnist fields since before puberty. I've written for and managed several publications, appearing in The News Tribune, JagWire, The Mast, and Saxifrage. My reviews have been featured on Smart-Popcorn and Movie Review and Film Critique, and in 2006 I was a featured essayist with the River and Sound Review podcast. I've also been recognized for my efforts on several occasions by the WJEA and SPJ, most notably with a Superior rating for my review writing. If you must know more, check out the about page.

The formatting on some of your archived entries is really weird. What gives?

How very observant of you. Yes, R#09, since its inception in late 2006, has undergone four major design overhauls. Certain older posts are formatted strangely to fit these old page designs (i.e. larger images, no justification, strange font colors). Eventually, I'll re-format every single entry on here to fit with the current design (which, as far as I know, is semi-permanent). For now, I apologize for the odd formatting on some of my older posts. But hey, those posts are still hilarious and awesome, so please don't let the big images and weird colors keep you from enjoying them.

What the hell is the ninth rocket, anyway?
The title of my blog is actually an obscure reference to the television show Mystery Science Theater 3000. From Wikipedia:

Sometimes Joel/Mike and the Bots would become aware of something happening outside the ship, and would instruct Cambot to "give [them] Rocket Number Nine." Once they did this, they were provided with an external view of the ship and whatever was nearby. This is an oblique reference to a tune by Sun Ra. This became a running gag; every external shot of the ship, no matter what angle or element of the ship was shown, was of "Rocket Number Nine."

You see, Rocket Number Nine was the location of the external camera of the ship, shedding light on every situation, and showing Mike/Joel and the Bots the root of every problem. And that, my friends, is what my lovely blog, Rocket Number 09, aims to do. Shed light.

Can I write for your blog?
Believe it or not, I have been approached by people offering their talents for Rocket Number 09. I'm sorry, but this is a solo operation. Rocket Number 09 is my brainchild and so it shall remain. I am, however, always open to comments, criticism, suggestions, and any questions you might have pertaining to my blog or its content therein. Send them my way at rocketnumber09@gmail.com.

What are some of your favorite movies or filmmakers?
If pressed, I always choose Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark, with Dark City also vying for top prize. The truth is, I love all types of cinema, from every conceivable decade, director, genre, and country. Some of my favorite filmmakers include Stanley Kubrick, Akira Kurosawa, Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Scorsese, David Lean, Charlie Chaplin, Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Ridley Scott, Quentin Tarantino, Alfonso Cuaron, Guillermo Del Toro, Peter Jackson, Christopher Nolan, and dozens more.

What is R#09's moderation policy for comments?
It is very rare that I will moderate comments posted to my blog. So long as everything remains civil and good-natured, I don't mind disagreement, discourse, or any manner of conflict. However, I do maintain a strict policy on racist, sexist, homophobic, or otherwise offensive comments. I will also promptly report and delete all spam. The official policy reads as follows:

All comments are strictly moderated by this blog's administrator. Obscene, hateful, or otherwise offensive comments will not be tolerated. Racist, sexist, or homophobic remarks have no place on this blog. Spam will be promptly reported and deleted.

By reading and commenting on my blog, I will assume you have read, understood, and agreed to the above policy. Ignorance is no excuse for unwanted commentary. Otherwise, feel free to comment and converse at your leisure. I allow anonymous comments so that people who aren't registered on Google or Blogger don't have to go through that process if they don't want to. Please don't abuse that trust. I do so hate feeling betrayed.