That Wacky IMDB

Hi Folks. (Or at least, Hi, Charlie's folks.)

I'm back and couldn't help but notice Charlie's little link to the Siege entry on IMDB. You know, the one that says it's written by David Neilsen... and nobody else.

I will admit that I saw this a while ago and have been meaning to do something about it. However, I absolutely had nothing to do with putting it up there. When I first found it last month, I was as shocked as the next guy. (next guy being my co-writer, Charlie). At first, I thought maybe Charlie had put it up there, and that the reason his name wasn't on there was that since Siege will be his first IMDB entry that I'm aware of, he didn't have a page up yet, and it took longer to make a new page.

Of course that's a really stupid theory.

When it dawned on me just how lame that was, the only other explanation is that Producer Dude entered Siege into the database, and only put my name on it. Why would he do that? Well one, he knows me, and has only just met Charlie through this project. But also, he can be a little careless. Truth be told, if he found out that Charlie discovered he wasn't listed, he'd feel horrible.

So don't tell him, cause he gets embarrassing when he apologizes.

Anyway, we're fixing the problem, Charlie will be added, and this gives me an opportunity to discuss the ins and outs of that all-mighty powerful database, the IMDB.

The IMDB is a wonderful thing. I've used it as a resource for many things. But, especially when you climb down the ladder of projects (from Studio pics, to Independent, to B-Movie, to C-movie, to "My Family Vacation to Epcot") you can't always believe what you read.

Allow me to demonstrate.

I have a page. Go look at it. David Neilsen.

There are a number of things listed on this page. I specifically added none of them.

Starting at the very top, there's a bit of trivia. This trivia is, more or less, accurate. But I didn't put it there. And Lord knows I have no idea who would have bothered to put that bit of trivia up there. I mean it was the second item on my listing (I'll get to that in a minute) so you pretty much had to search me out, find me, and then take it upon yourself to add this obscure bit of trivia.

Some people need to get out more, but thanks for the ego boost.

Next up I currently have 4 items listed under "Writer". Siege has just been added, and is a real project that I am, indeed, involved with. Next we have The Eliminator, my true claim to fame. So far, so good.

Then we have The Eligible Gentleman, which I wrote, and Moist Book, which I didn't. I did not enter these films (remember, I've actually never entered anything into my entry.) However, both of these short films were directed by the same man, who I'm thinking, just forgot that I didn't write the first one. But now, until the end of the Internet, the world will think I wrote it.

Now one could say that I could get off my lazy ass and correct IMDB, take Moist Book off my listing. I could. But here's the thing. Both films were shot as a part of a project called Instant Films. I have written seven or eight Instant Films. None of the others are listed. So while I have 2 Instant Films listed, I should actually have about 8. So I'm not worried.

Also, Moist Book wasn't that great, so I doubt the author is dying to get credit for it.

Eligible Gentleman was pretty damn good, though.

Now we move on to my acting credits. I have two. Listed. Both are accurate. Both were written/directed/produced by the same friend of mine. Who actually listed me as "Dave Nelson" so I DID go in and fix that, so that they'd show up here.

I've got other acting bits that ought to find their way here, and some probably will over time.

Lastly, I'm listed as "Director" of something called Dominion.

Huh.

After doing some research, I know what Dominion is. And the listed is KINDA, ALMOST, SORTA right. But not really. A long time ago, I directed a really bad version of a couple of short films for a friend. She then re-shot all of those bits, but I was still listed as one of the directors, though nothing that I shot still remained. Now, they are re-shooting the project once again. I'm so far removed that it's silly, yet there's my name.

So really, IMDB is a crap shoot. Oh sure, the info's probably right for 40 Year-Old Virgin or War of the Worlds. But the stuff you've never heard of? Take it with a grain of salt.



Tags: imdb, The Eliminator, Moist Book, b movie