April 4, 2005

Gordon: We're back, and as we don't have enough time for a full 20 questions, due to Nat's festival, we will pepper him with questions until he has to leave.
Chico:  Why don't you tell us a little about that before we start.
Nat:    I started running this store I'm at, called Dog Ear Music & Movies. It just celebrated it's 30th birthday. As far as I can tell, it was one of the first 300 places in the country to start renting video tapes (Beta was a little more popular the VHS). I started there in August of 96, and in May 02, I bought the place. I have always pushed independent movies, and often hear from people that it's a shame they didn't get to see such and such in the theatre. (Rabbit Proof Fence, City of God, The Station Agent, etc..) so, in August 04, I started a film festival in my county. Lake County is halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee. It's a county of 750,000, and there's no independent theatre at all. It was perfect timing because, as a huge fan of Ultimate Film Fanatic, I knew I would do great on the show, except for the stuff about collecting things, which I don't really do. This was something i could bring as an item that represented more. Of course, I didn't even know at the time that they were doing a second season, but they had auditions in September.
Jason:  Very Very cool.
Gordon: How much notoriety did you get from being on the show?
Nat:    Not any, really. I'm already somewhat of a figure in town. I can't go to any store, at any hour, without running into people that know me from the store. A customer made a dozen copies of the show on disc, and I loaned them out to customers. The people that already knew me seem to have a new found respect for me.
Chico:  Interesting promotional device there.
Nat:    Auditions for season 3 are supposed to start soon, and if you know anyone you think would be worthy, make them go, it was one of the best things I've ever done. Winning on UFF made great press for the film festival.
Chico:  There a website they can go for more information?
Nat:    Probably just keep your eye on IFCTV.com. They said April. They are NOT the most with-it people.
James: LOL.
Nat:    They were super great, but everything seemed to be last minute and such.
James: I felt the same way with some game shows I've tried out for.
Nat:    I ended up doing a 2 hour interview with the Chicago Tribune, and it's a really great story, how tangled a web it is, between the store, the game show and the film festival. The only volunteer at the film festival that I'm not related to is the guy I beat in the debate round - and we're showing a movie written and produced by Chris Gore, the host of the game show.
Gordon: Is the interview article online, Nat?
Nat: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/northshore/chi-0503290257mar29,1,902602.story?coll=chi-newslocalnorthshore-hed
Gordon: Any info on Chris Gore's independent movie?
Nat:    www.mybigfatindependentmovie.com
Gordon: This all seems very familiar to another show that's starting up it's second season - Stump the Schwab 2. James - do you want to talk about your auditioning for that show?
James: I live in Atlanta, and they did an Atlanta audition for StS a few weeks ago. The two guys who ran the audition showed up 10-15 minutes late, and spent the 15-20 minutes looking for a light switch at the bar where the audition was held.
Chico:  So they're already hammer down on this for an April 11 release.
James: I know they started taping earlier this week. I'll probably speak with a contestant coordinator Monday, and ask about any changes.
Nat:    It's like a sports trivia show?
James: Yes it is, Nat.  I did a previous sports trivia show for ESPN called 2-Minute Drill.
Gordon: Think of it as a sports version of Win Ben Stein's Money.
Nat:    When you guys were on the shows, did you guys make friends with the other contestants?
James: Definitely.  Not on the level of the 1997 J! College Tournament contestants reuniting for a wedding, but friends nonetheless :)
Nat:    We created a mailing list, so we could all talk and keep in contact. We may be a special breed.
Chico:  It'll be interesting to see what happens in season 3.
Nat:    Like I said, it was one of the best things I've ever done, so if you know someone that would be good for it...urge them to go
Gordon: And I will be there to cover the show again and hopefully get just as much e-mail from contestants as I did for this past season.
Nat:    How much did you get? See, someone posted a link to your site on the list-serv, so we all ready.
Gordon: At least 4-5 e-mails, which was very cool. We posted most of them on previous episodes of WLTI.
Chico:  And we appreciate all of them.
Nat:   There's only 30 of us on the list, and at least 5 of them are guys I hunted down from the 1st season, so, maybe 25% E-mailed you...a lot of which, I assume was to complain about our physical description.
Gordon: Actually, most of the mail was complimentary. My wish for the third season is that UFF has graphics of the contestants names so I don't have to spell them incorrectly.
Nat:    You said I look like someone I didn't know who he was...Jim Ross?
Joe:    Jim Ross = play-by-play man for World Wrestling Entertainment.
Gordon: I didn't get any physical description gripes.
Jason:  (in Ross Voice) THE CARNAGE! THE CARNAGE!
Nat:    I have to go. Let me finish by saying this - one of my projects after this weekend is a website home for us ultimate film fanatics.
Chico:  Let us know when it's up!
Nat:    Hopefully we will soon have something up. maybe a month or two. www.ultimatefilmfanatics.com will be the future location.
James: Very nice.
Nat:    I'll let you know Gordon.
Gordon: Sounds good. Thanks for your time, Nat.
Nat:    Time to go get ready for the festival....thanks guys!
Gordon: Chico gives us fun coming in threes - when we come back.

(Brought to you by Dog Ear Music & Movies... go visit Nat! Tell'm WLTI sent you!)

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