Would You Like Two Lumps or One?

In anticipation of our forthcoming feature-length LP, the Mendition of the Quay has released a music video for "The Gelatin Cloud Tea Party Society:"

Tiny Tim Tribute Song: "Eternal Troubadour" by Harve Mann

I recently had the privilege of contributing liner notes for the online release of "Eternal Troubadour," a tribute song to Tiny Tim written & performed by Harve Mann. You can download it here.

Here are my liner notes as they appear at cdbaby.com:

The Tiny Tim story has got to be one of, if not THE, greatest underdog story of all time; Herbert B. Khaury, a social misfit from an unglamorous part of New York City endured nearly twenty years of discouragement and ridicule only to rise above it all and become, albeit briefly, the most famous man in the world under the ironic, given his size and larger than life persona, name Tiny Tim.

Overlooked is the fact that even though his mainstream successes largely ceased in the early 1970's, Tiny Tim remained one of the most instantly recognizable personalities in show business and a pop culture icon. Some have pointed out that he had to take gigs at dingy nightclubs and perform stints with the circus, but the flip side to that was the next night he could be playing a venue as prestigious as the Sydney Opera House (which he did on September 5, 1982, over ten years after his star had supposedly faded) and he never had to retire from show business. To jaded skeptics, Tiny Tim was merely a one-hit-wonder who's career floundered after a few years at the top. To the intellectually honest, he was a physical embodiment of the American Dream.

All this notwithstanding, Tiny Tim never forgot the many years he spent scrapping around Greenwich Village, trying to find his ticket to stardom. Throughout his career, he championed underdogs like him and used whatever clout he had to help many overcome the obstacles of breaking into the show business mainstream. In some artists, such as Isadore Fertel, Tiny recognized their appeal as a novelty. With Harve Mann, however, Tiny recognized his potential as a musician, performer, and songwriter; booking Mann for many years as his opening act, conductor for his own shows, and recording several songs which Mann wrote.

In the very long process of writing my to-be-released biography of Tiny, Eternal Troubadour: The Improbable Life of Tiny Tim, I have interviewed close to 100 people with varying affiliations to Tiny Tim. Among these, Harve Mann sticks out as one of a handful who it is safe to say was one of Tiny's true friends and respected collaborators. This is clear in Tiny's enthusiastic performances on his versions of Mann's own songs (See “Perhaps in the Next Life,” “Haribee,” “Shine Your Love,” and “Keeping My Troubles to Myself”) and their 20 year relationship.

The kinship which developed between these two artists comes through very strong when listening to “Eternal Troubadour (The Ballad of Tiny Tiim).” In a time when Tiny Tim is fast becoming known to younger audiences for having one of his songs, “Tip-Toe Thru' the Tulips With Me,” featured in the 2010 hit horror film Insidious, Mann's song touches on all the important points as to why he should be known for so much more. In the song, Mann sings, “The Beatles and Dylan dug him/How cool is that?” to which I say, “Tiny Tim dug Harve Mann/How cool is that?”

Justin A. Martell, Tiny Tim Biographer
New York City, December, 2011

Watch "Running in Flip Flops" on Vimeo!

Running in Flip Flops (2006) [Complete Movie] from Ship to Shore Media on Vimeo.

Before "The Hangover" there was "Running in Flip Flops!"

In anticipation of the forthcoming release of "Running in Flip Flops II," we are making the original "Running in Flip Flops" available for the first time since its initial limited DVD run in 2006. Enjoy!

MORE DETAILS:

R.I.F.F. is the first film to spawn from the collaboration of Googly Films and Jonesi Productions, which later merged in 2009 to create Ship to Shore Media.

Though severely technically crippled, "Running in Flip Flops" was and remains our most popular out of the four Googly Films/Jonesi Productions movies that were produced at Franklin Pierce University between 2005 and 2009.

In 2010, in honor of the impending five year anniversary, the entire cast and crew of the original film converged in New York City to shoot, in 48 hours, the long-awaited sequel to "Running in Flip Flops." Stayed tuned for more details...

Copyright © 2006 Ship to Shore Media, LLC. (Formerly known as Googly Films and/or Jonesi Productions) All Rights Reserved.

Watch "The Connoisseur" on Vimeo!

The Connoisseur from Ship to Shore Media on Vimeo.

This film was shot during the summer of 2006 almost directly after "Running in Flip Flops." It is very much in the spirit of RIFF and fans of that will most definitely enjoy this one (You'll also notice that the production quality is not a far cry from RIFF either :-/). Due to various problems with the editing and busy schedules, the film was never properly screened during the school year and remained a sort of lost movie throughout the rest of my time at Franklin Pierce.

During my senior year, I finally went back and made a new cut of the film, which is the version I am sharing with you. We are also currently developing a feature-length remake of "The Connoisseur."

Justin A. Martell and Dan Mason Present...
"THE CONNOISSEUR:
Starring: Dan Mason, Rose Champagne, Justin A. Martell, Steve Moore.
Featuring: Luke Casey, Mike Jackman, Brian Reed, Elizabeth Battey, Cathy Joseph, and Ken Dignard.
Written, Produced, and Directed by: Justin A. Martell and Dan Mason

Our New Years Eve Epic Mealtime Tribute

A re-creation of the Fast Food Lasagna with a few modifications:

Epic Meal Time Tribute - New Years Eve Lasagna (HD) from Ship to Shore Media on Vimeo.

New "Running in Flip Flops II" Teaser

A new teaser for our vanity project, "Running in Flip Flops II," a sequel to our first college film "Running in Flip Flops."

Running In Flip Flops II Teaser #1 (HD) from Ship to Shore Media on Vimeo.

RIFF II will be available via createspace.com in a few months.

Dark Windows Now Available on DVD!

Friends,

I am proud to announce that the Ship to Shore Media production, "Dark Windows," is now available on DVD through Createspace.com and Amazon.com. "Dark Windows" is our senior film and the last film we made at Franklin Pierce University. Over the last two years, we have painstakingly re-cut and re-edited the movie, as well as compiled never-before-seen DVD extras for this release. Please support Ship to Shore Media and independent film and buy a copy, so that we may continue to make our movies available to the public.

Watch the new DVD release trailer HERE!

Click HERE to order from Createspace.com (The preferable choice as we receive a larger percentage!)
Click HERE to order from Amazon.com

MORE DETAILS ON THE RELEASE:

SYNOPSIS: Wesley Keaton (Vito Trigo, "Mr. Bricks: A Heavy Metal Murder Musical") is an investigative reporter who specializes in reporting on serial killers. Keaton's world is forever changed when one night he and his photographer stumble across one of the most grizzly murder scenes of all time.

As more stories about serial killers fall into his lap and a reclusive writer requests an audience with him, it becomes clear to Keaton that all these events are connected not by accident, but by design.

SPECIAL FEATURES: Widescreen Edition, Remastered, Blooper Reel, Theatrical Trailer & Original Teaser, Deleted Scene, Rehearsal Footage, Behind the Scenes Clips & Photos!

REVIEWS:

"I've seen many dark, brooding and gelatinous things in my 40 years in the business, but it's hard to match the grit and chilling atmosphere of Dark Windows. I've seen the future of horror and his name is Anton Peck." - Lloyd Kaufman, President of Troma Entertainment and Creator of the Toxic Avenger.

ABOUT SHIP TO SHORE MEDIA: Ship to Shore Media, LLC is a New York City based independent film production company, founded in 2009 by Justin A. Martell, Vito Trigo, and Jeff Cornell.

In 2010, Ship to Shore Media produced its first feature, "Mr. Bricks: A Heavy Metal Murder Musical." The film gained worldwide distribution through the legendary film production and distribution company, Troma Entertainment.

"Dark Windows" is among many short films which Ship to Shore Media has in its catalogue.

"Dark Windows" and associated content, Copyright (c) 2009. Ship to Shore Media, LLC. (Formerly known as Googly Films and/or Jonesi Productions) All Rights Reserved.