Rami Ungar The Writer

The Results of My Shameless Plugging

Posted: September 10, 2012 in Living and Life
Tags: college life

Okay, remember how yesterday I got to plug my work, including this blog and my short story Aasif, thanks to being picked to participate in a skit by my school’s improv group? The plugging payed off; my stats counter registered a huge rise in visits to my blog, ending up at 113 visits by midnight. In addition, most of these visits were to the home page, and some of the search terms used to find my blog included “rami ungar” and “rami ungar soldier”, the latter most revealing as Aasif is about a child soldier. Doesn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to guess what happened, right?

So thanks to all those who visited my blog because of the 8th Floor Improv show. I had no idea that you would all actually come, and guessed that only perhaps a dozen of the 150-person audience would actually log on. Boy, was my guess off. So please enjoy the blog, and come back again if you like what you read. Have a nice day.

An Evening On The 8th Floor

8th Floor Improv, to be exact. You see, this evening I went with some members of my dorm to see the campus improv-comedy group, 8th Floor Improv. I’d never seen an improv show before, so I was expecting the show would be awesome or a total fail. Luckily, it was awesome.

Of course, that’s not what I’m here to write about. I’m writing about something the members of 8th Floor did that was very special to me. You see, at some point during the show, the cast asked for a volunteer. Guess who got picked? ME. They sat me down for a candid interview al a Jon Stewart at the Daily Show to talk about who I was, my political impressions, and I got to plug my blog and short story Aasif (which may explain the sudden rise on my stats counter). I also got to show a little of my creepy side, perhaps a little more than I intended, but still enough to show that I’m serious about being the next big wave in horror, and I got to talk about Hunger Games, the book of which I’m reading for the first time, and how I would use economic warfare to bring the Hunger Games to a grinding halt.

It was pretty fun, and afterwards the actors used the discussion to “portray my dreams and nightmares”, which was pretty funny; the actress playing me nearly got me confused with Mitt Romney, couldn’t pronounce my legal name, tried to kill someone criticizing her by writing that person into a short story, and nearly got sued by actors playing Stephanie Meyers and Suzanne Collins.

To 8th Floor Improv, thanks for making me laugh till I nearly puked. In return, I’ll put the link to your website here for anyone who’s interested (http://8thfloorimprov.com/). And if anyone from the group wandered onto this blog, here’s the link to that child-soldier short story you sounded so interested in (http://mobiusmagazine.com/). It’s the fifth one on the list right under “Fiction”. Enjoy.

Oh, and to those who follow this blog and write also, I got a question or two for you: have you ever been interviewed? And if so, do you have any tips? Because like I said, I got to show my creepy side, but I worry sometimes that when I show it, I show too much of it.

Watching the President Gives Me Hope

Posted: September 7, 2012 in Living and Life, Politics and Leadership, Social Activism
Tags: activism, college life, government, human rights, politics and leadership, proper decisions

A wonderful image that speaks for itself.

This evening I went to a watch party close to campus to see President Obama accept his party’s nominations. We heard Eva Longoria, Jill and Joe Biden, Charlie Crest, John Kerry and several other people speak, telling us about what the President Obama’s done for the nation, too many to list here. And finally, when the man of the hour appeared, all I could do was feel like I was about to burst from a single emotion.

That emotion, my friends, was hope.

Yes, I feel hopeful. Amid the screaming, the clapping, the chanting of “USA!” and “Four more years!” and “Yes, We Can!” and others, I was hopeful. Obama spent nearly fifty minutes speaking about his beliefs and his plans in the future, and all of us, those of us listening at the convention, those watching at home, and me, one of nearly a hundred people crowded into a gourmet restaurant, were one in our hopes for this single man.

I support the President on many issues: as a student who needs financial aid and works in the financial aid office part-time at his university, I feel secure in my education knowing that the President is doing his utmost to protect mine and others’ educations and access to higher learning; as a supporter of Israel and of peace, I think the President’s approach to the Middle East, while at times at odds with Israel’s plans, is a vision that includes all parties working together and compromising, not one side getting everything while others are left in the cold; as a human being and as someone with LGBT friends and family, I’m happy my President supports my friends and families and doesn’t think they’re causing a degeneration in American values; as a young man coming from a family that’s at least 78% female, I’m glad my President doesn’t want to mess with my family’s right to make choices about their health; as a student on his parent’s medical insurance, I’m happy my President is defending my basic right to healthcare, not making it more expensive; as a grandson, I’m happy my President is looking out for people like my grandparents, who can afford medical services with his help; and most of all, as a future member of the work force, I’m excited that the President is protecting working and middle-class families and helping them keep their taxes low and their jobs secure.

Now, I know some more conservative bloggers will disagree with me on several points. But I’m hopeful. I’m confident. I’m optimistic. And I’m looking forward to casting my vote in my first presidential election. Because Obama’s been there for me, so I’m going to be there for him.

Something I Learned Today I Wish To Share With You

Posted: September 5, 2012 in Living and Life, Reflections, short story
Tags: college life, online magazine, short story, writing

Now, you’re probably thinking, “Rami’s a college student at Ohio State. What’s so important that he wants to share it with us?” If you’re not thinking that, then I’m sorry for trying to read your mind and failing miserably at it.

But back on subject: I was talking with a friend of mine and I told him my short story, Aasif (which, if you have not read, can be found at this web address: http://mobiusmagazine.com/ ) was published over the weekend. Since my friend was right by a computer, I told him the web address and gave him the name of the story.

Now my friend, who is Muslim, saw the title and said, “Did you know that ‘Aasif’ means ‘sorry’ or ‘apologies’ in Arabic?”

No, I did not. Most likely, I got the name from Aasif Mandvi, the Indian-American correspondent from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, not caring what the name meant. But strangely that name, “Aasif”, makes sense for the character, given what happens to Aasif (and if you still haven’t read the story even though I posted the link above, read it now because there’s a spoiler alert after I close these parentheses): Aasif has to kill a child. Not only that, it’s a child he knows, and the possibility of facing the child’s parents after what he’s done grieves him horribly. He’s also worried because right afterward he killed the warlord Marda’ar, and he wonders if that will have reprecussions on him and his soul.

Now, I won’t get into whether or not Aasif’s problems have solutions; I will say though that I think that everyone has done something horrible, something we wish we could take back, and like Aasif, there’s no way we can. In a way, we can emphasize with Aasif because we’ve all been in his situation before.

Any thoughts on this? Oh, and if you’ve read the story, thanks for your patronage!

Review: The Possession

Posted: September 3, 2012 in Review
Tags: entertainment, films, review, scary stuff

The movie poster for “The Possession”; if you want to scare your girl, bring her to this movie.

aka The Exorcist for both this generation and the Jews.

Did that opening statement interest you? Well if it did, then good, because this movie was awesome! I was freaking out! Based on a true story (there’s a book out there that explains that true story, and I’m trying to get my hands on it), The Possession chronicles a family’s troubles as the youngest in the family buys a box from a yard sale, unaware that the box contains a dybbuk, a type of demon or spirit from Jewish folklore. The movie featured among its cast Jeffrey Dean Morgan trying to be a good dad after divorcing his wife, played by Kyra Sedgewick, Natasha Callis as the possessed little girl (and who might have a good career going for her, if you ask me), and Hasidic rapper Matisyahu as an exorcist named Tzadok (and yes, there are Jewish rappers; including this guy, there are three professionals I know of).

The film was very well done in my opinion, with the little girl Em showing both some Exorcist, some The Ring, and even some Grudge in her performance. The effects were simple but very effective, with wind, flashing lights, and a roomful of moths among what was used. And in the end when you actually see the dybbuk, you can’t help but be grossed out by it; it’s disgusting to behold.

The script was also well-written, though reminiscent of The Exorcist in that at first the possession is considered a reaction to the divorce, followed by a medical/psychological problem, and only afterwards, with a little too much grace, is the supernatural acknowledged. However, even though the plot was done, it found new life here. Not to mention that the end left room for a possible sequel.

Oh, and Matisyahu’s character made a joke at some point that has a distinctly Jewish flavor to it.

For the possession, I give The Possession a 4.8 out of 5 for being utterly freaky, the actors convincing me with their emotion, and some very nice special effects. Points were taken off, because like I said, the acceptance of the supernatural was just too rapid for me, or at least there was less reluctance to accept it than I thought there would be.

What I Hope People Get From “Carrie”

Posted: September 3, 2012 in Living and Life, Reflections
Tags: films, government, reflections

It seems only lately we as an American people have begun to realize that bullying is more than just something all people have to go through while in school. It’s a problem, one that should be a crime punishable by law, and if left untreated, it can lead to depression, suicide, and in some extreme cases, violence. The subject of bullying is one I’m all too familiar with: in third grade I was bullied horribly in the form of nasty and ridiculous rumors that my classmates ate up, and eventually I just said they were true in the hope they would shut up and leave me alone (they didn’t). In fourth grade I changed schools, but a few kids thought I’d make a great target for teasing. Boy, did they realize just how wrong they were when little fourth-grade me decided to fight them off!

Why do I mention this story? Because in a strange way, Carrie White from Stephen King’s Carrie is very similar to me. Although my home life was much better than Carrie’s, I was in elementary school, I didn’t have psychic powers, and I belonged to a different religion (among other things), Carrie and I both faced daily torture in the form of bullying, and we both wanted revenge, to lash out and take control of an uncontrollable situation. And in the end we both did, though my lashing out was bloodless and had better results than Carrie’s did.

I hope that when people see any version of Carrie–the 1976 film, the 2002 TV remake, or the new version due out in spring 2013–or if they read the novel, they realize just how horrible bullying is. It’s not just something kids do, and it doesn’t toughen anyone up. It’s a form of abuse and harassment, and if schools are any good at taking care of their students, they will crack down on bullying. If I had my way, I’d require schools across the nation to either show a version of Carrie to the students–ratings and nudity be damned, they see that stuff at home already, so why not show it at school with some moral lessons attached–or make it required reading in middle school. Yes, that early! And I’d include the ABC Family film Cyberbully to further get the point across!

So if you plan on seeing or reading Carrie anytime soon, I suggest you keep in mind what the story of Carrie White can teach us about accepting those different than us. Thanks for reading.

What I Expect From The New “Carrie”

Posted: September 3, 2012 in Reflections, Review, Scary Stuff
Tags: celebrities, entertainment, films, novel, review, scary stuff

The cover of the original Carrie novel. Oh, does this bring back some fond memories.

In case you haven’t heard, MGM and Screen Gems are doing a remake of that wonderful debut novel of His Highness Stephen King, Carrie. I feel a strange connection with that novel, not just because I’m a huge fan of King, but because I was bullied when I was a kid, so I know what it’s like to want to lash out (and sometimes actually lash out) at the bullies who hurt you. So you can tell I’m super-excited that Carrie‘s getting a third chance at the screen, big or small.

I’d like to devote two posts to Carrie. One will be on what I hope the filmmakers will do with the novel, in comparison to what others have done with the novel. The second post, which I will write in the morning or afternoon, will deal with what I hope people will get from a new film adaptation of Carrie. And trust me, what I’m thinking of, is probably different than what you’re thinking of; they are two very different subjects.

Theatrical poster for the wonderful 1976 film.

Alright, the first film, the one that’s famous, starred Sissy Spaceck as Carrie, and Piper Laurie as Margaret White. Spaceck was very believable as Carrie, though a tad prettier than I expected, while Laurie was freaky as hell as Mrs. White (honestly, I’m soooo glad my mother, who’s a rabbi, is not like her!). The prom scene seemed not as scary as I’d hoped, though that may be because I’m a Generation Y-er, which means I’m used to special effects and whatnot. And of course, Chris Hargensen was a total bitch. 4.2 out of 5, if I had to review it.

The second film, a made-for-TV movie, could’ve done a lot better. Angela Bettis not only looked like a real Carrie, she embodied the role to the point I believed that girl was Carrie. Patricia Clarkson, on the other hand, did not intimidate, but then again what do you expect: the woman was passive, and wore colors other than black. Not scary in the least. The music for that film also was better suited for a Hallmark Channel white-women romantic drama centered around family life, not a Stephen King-based horror movie. There were high points though: not all the characters were Caucasion, and Sue Snell was even African-American, so kudos for diversity, which I think should be looked for in every movie, especially horror with its nearly-always white victims. And the special effects, while not exactly state-of-the-art enough to look very real, were done in such a way that during the prom scene, I had a huge grin on my face from glee. Once again, freaky as hell.

Poster for the flop of a TV remake.

Like I said however, the TV remake could’ve been better, barely getting a 2.9 on my review scale.

Now what I hope from the new movie: we’ve learned by now that Chloe Grace Moretz, the little girl with a punch from Kick-Ass, is playing Carrie, while Julianne Moore, who I’ve seen in a couple of films but never really taken note of till now, is playing Margaret White. Now, as I’m not that familiar with Moore’s work, I’m going to decline to specualte on her in the role and hope she plays a good crazy woman. As for Moretz though…well, she’s a very pretty fifteen-year-old. The make-up artists are going to have to work hard to make her look plain. I’m also a little surprised that they didn’t include an actress who’s maybe a little chubbier so as to be more in-line with the book, but hey, if Moretz can seel it, I won’t complain.

As for special effects…let no expense be spared. This is a movie about a psychic girl with a ton of issues, and the one thing the TV remake did right was make that prom scene scary to behold. So this time around, I hope they can top that: students screaming, flames burning students while scoreboards fall into water to electrocute other students, and Carrie standing in the middle of it all, a melding of the Queen of Hearts and the Red Queen, silently chopping off heads.

Promotional image for the new movie. So far, I like what I’m seeing.

Was that a great metaphor or what?

Two other things I’d like to see: one would be more of a stand-off near the end between Chris Hargensen and Carrie. It just seems a little anti-climactic that Chris and Billy always see Carrie on the road and then get killed while accelerating at her. Can’t Carrie have a few seconds to say, “Very funny, bitch” or something before crushing them? Or maybe just a stare to say, “Our eyes are locked. Here’s my revenge”?

I’d also like to see the inclusion of the subplot featuring Sue’s pregnancy. So far, that hasn’t made it to the films, but I would love to see it happen in this one. After all, it plays a big part near the end of the novel, especially since this is a story centered around blood. Blood starts it, blood is at the climax, and blood should symbolically end it.

By now I’m thinking my words won’t affect the script, but hey, I can hope, right? Let’s see what happens.

Tune in at some point tomorrow; I’m planning on doing some thoughts on the subjects of Carrie and bullying, all before I go to see a movie at the theater near campus.

Bye.

Aasif is Published in Mobius Magazine!!!

Posted: September 1, 2012 in Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
Tags: entertainment, Kony 2012, online magazine, publishing, scary stuff, writing

Oh, happy first day of Septhember! The Buckeyes are preparing to kick Miami of Ohio’s butt, the sun is shining, and a certain little short story got published! The web address for Mobius Magazine is down below. Once you get to the website, you’ll find my short story on the left under fiction. I hope you enjoy reading it.

This story was inspired by the Kony 2012 video that came out back in April, and you can definitely see the influence there. The story itself may have taken me a week to write, but I credit the fact that I had great inspiration behind it that it didn’t take longer.

Please feel free to tell me what you think of the story. Did you like it? Hate it? Was there a particular part that stuck with you? Did you think a certain character may have been a racist caricature of some ethnic group or another? Whatever your thoughts, please leave me a comment and let me know.

So, without further ado, here’s the address for Mobius Magazine. Hope you like what you read.

http://mobiusmagazine.com/

Some Thoughts On Voice

Posted: August 31, 2012 in Reflections, Writing
Tags: writing

As the days wind down and the exact day when my short story Aasif, being published by Mobius Magazine, draws nearer and nearer, I can’t help but think of what a friend of mine said to me in a conversation last week:

I can’t remember how we got onto the topic, but my friend told me he’d been on my blog and that he thought that I’d become famous. When I said, “Really?”, he said, “Yeah, you write with such confidence. I think you’ll make a great author.”

I was so happy that he’d logged onto my blog (it always warms your heart when you find out a friend’s been on your blog and has thoughts on it, doesn’t it?), that I didn’t think to tell him that the voice I use as a blogger, and the voice I use when telling a story, are two very different things. By voice, of course, I’m talking about writing style, word choice, the sort of things that scholars analyze years after a famous writer’s death and look for in order to make sure it is a genuine work by said author.

I’ve had time to think on my two voices (and that makes me think of split personalities for some reason, but whatever), and here’s what I’ve thought up: my voice for my blog Rami Ungar the Writer is more laid-back. If you were to actually meet me and speak with me, you’d get something like the way I write on my blog when I speak. In my short stories and my novels (which I’m still marketing to publishers and agents, so be patient, all you who want to read them), I write it differently: my tone is more subdued, and I’ll admit, sometimes I think my description of action is a little sloppy. I do think though, that I can describe a scene with a few choice phrases, something that I see as a plus, and I tend to think my character’s thought processes tend to mirror real-life thought processes.

Of course, I’m the only one who’s read my work and my blog, so I’m probably not the best person to ask about my own voice. Perhaps you all, you readers who will find out where and when my short story is published and read it for yourselves, will do a better job telling me about my own voice. Again, just sharing my own opinions and thoughts, so disagree if you wish to.

What’s your opinion on your voice? Do you have one?

And do you have an opinion on mine?

200 Comments!!!

Posted: August 30, 2012 in Living and Life, Progress Report
Tags: blogging

This evening I reached the 200 comment mark! For me, that’s a big deal, as it means people are actually stopping by this blog to read it and give me their thoughts. Thanks to everyone who’s been with me all this time, a special thank you to everyone who’s ever given me their thoughts, and a very special thank you to my dad, Rabbi Michael Ungar, who gave me my 200th comment when he commented on my hair. Abba, you’re the man.