Are you infected? We are!

Yes! We love zombies. The obsession is real and infectious. Holly and I even had #zombies on our wedding cake.#ZombieWeddingCake I have the chainsaw. Holly’s sporting her black and white signature Chuck’s, glasses and shotgun. What better weapons to protect you and your loved ones when the Apocalypse hits?

As my niece pointed out, “Even if the world ends in the #Apocalypse, you’ll still be fighting together alongside one another.” Hell yeah! I suggested a Star Wars cake for our wedding, but was denied. When I brought up zombies, she lit up. We compromised and used the “Imperial March” for our grand entrance.

We also played zombies in our own movie. How cool was that? It was Heaven even though it was supposed to be Hell on earth.

I love the #EvilDead and #ArmyOfDarkness movies. It was the perfect swirl of horror and comedy with the Three Stooges all rolled into one. Bruce Campbell would’ve made an excellent Moe in the Hollywood remake of the #ThreeStooges. The #AshvsEvilDead series was the perfect follow up to the movies. Every scene was tailored for maximum blood splattering. Lucy Lawless was the icing on the cake. If the Apocalypse ever occurred and I turned into a zombie, I’d want my wife to take me out… with a chainsaw.

Who would you want taking you out when the Apocalypse hits?

Oprah and Thanksgiving?

As I flipped through channels on a Thanksgiving weekend, I saw Oprah reunited with her long lost half-sister, Patricia Lee. They spent their entire #Thanksgiving lunch with their mother. Oprah said it was a ‘Beloved Moment’. I thought how courageous it was for both Oprah and Patricia to forgive their mother for hiding her secret for so long. I also believe it was probably cathartic for their mom as well.

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The word “Thanksgiving” is a time of #gratitude. It is formed by ‘Thanks’ and ‘giving’, but the virtue of forgiveness is often overlooked. Forgiveness is part and parcel of ‘Thanksgiving’. We cannot be truly grateful unless we have forgiveness in our hearts. Thanksgiving is that perfect opportunity for us to break bread as family with relatives and beloved friends. It is truly a time to let go of past hurts and celebrate our love for one another.

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My screenwriting teacher, Peter Russell, encouraged me to dive deeper into this family theme in my story. I discovered that forgiveness is the cornerstone when writing this movie. The Korean son, Kim, must forgive himself and take responsibility for having gone to prison due to drugs. His parents, Jung and Me Young, must find a way to forgive him.

The protagonist, Marcus, watching Oprah’s reunion began one of my earlier drafts of this story. That same episode I watched was what lit the fuse for Marcus to seek his long lost mother. That’s why there’s a mention of Oprah in our movie for her reunion was truly inspiring.

In my own situation, I was able to find forgiveness through Christ. ‘With God, all things are possible.” If you’re also in need of further assistance, I recommend professional help such as Brenda Adelman. She helped me understand my suffering has meaning. Its meaning is love. My loving wife, Holly Soriano, also helped with her bountiful heart of love.

What film, book song or moment inspired you to forgive?

#HappyFathersDay

As the writer of My Apocalyptic Thanksgiving, I paid tribute to my father, Marvin Soriano, in our movie as the character of Jung. He teaches his son Kim like most fathers. His lessons include both academics and life ones, but Kim refuses to listen to his father the older Kim got. It makes for a more contentious relationship between Kim and Jung. It's especially since Kim is around the age where he believed that he knows everything. To fulfill Jung’s personal needs, he takes Marcus under his wing at the laundromat like a father to a surrogate son.

My father wasn’t the best academic teacher. He was extremely bright and things came effortlessly for him. An example was at his final CPA exam in college. He found a mistake on it and brought it to the board’s attention.

I remember in fifth grade I couldn’t understand a math problem. My father struggled to teach me and he even raised his voice which made me cry. I felt completely stupid and never asked him for his advice on math again.

He soon became my greatest life lesson teacher.

My family owned a printing shop on Melrose Ave when I was young. A customer once eviscerated him for a poor quality job in front of me, but it was one I did and not my father. I had rushed through it so I could go out with my friends. My father stayed late to redo the job while the customer angrily waited hissing at every step. I felt completely devastated that I abandoned my father and betrayed his trust. He never said a word in retaliation to me, or threw me under the bus to the customer.

My attitude did a 180 from that point forward. I do my best even if it meant making sacrifices. It was a teachable moment that has stuck with me to this day. And I honor it every time I stay late, get up early, or make personal sacrifices.

What lessons has your father taught you? How do you celebrate it?