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capmango
IMDb member since June 2003
Michael J. Elwell was born in Bethlehem at Christmas time... Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, December 10th. He grew up in Philadelphia & attended 12 years of Catholic school. Michael started out as a Drummer, then at the age of 12, his Father taught him Guitar. By Freshman year of highschool, Michael started his 1st Rock band, "Voyager". Frontman, Lead Vocals & Guitar Michael rehearsed the band in his Parent's basement & within months they were playing Clubs, Parties, School Dances, Proms & Graduations. Elwell was quite the performer & had his 1st chance to show his acting talents on a CBS mini-series, "George Washington" as a Chicken Vendor. Michael decided he wanted to act & left his current band, "Allied Force" & headed a few hours north to check out New York. It was the Winter of '84 & New York seemed a very cold & uninviting place. So Michael decided to move to Hollywood, California instead. Elwell loaded up his Grandfather's Buick Century to the brim with everything he owned including his Electric & Acoustic Guitars & amps & started out west in a blizzard, but he was used to driving in the snow. Michael started out with over $3,000. in his pocket, money he had gotten from an insurance claim from an accident, a girl hit him with her car on his motorcycle, his foot was hurt for a while but he just wanted his bike fixed which he ended up scrapping for junk cause of the damage. Elwell had a blast driving cross country, played Guitar & sang solo in some bars & even did a Stand-Up Comedy act in a club in El Paso, Texas! Michael met up with his old Guitarist from "Voyager" in Scottsdale, Arizona & was the guest of Gregor Veith, his mom & 2 sisters for several weeks before continuing his journey west. Elwell decided to head South of the Border into Mexico & have a Fiesta! By the time Michael reached Hollywood, he had $87.00 & change left to his name & was living in the front seat of his Grandfather's Buick, because the trunk & back seat were filled to the ceiling with his belongings. Michael struggled to find employment while living in a car. "It wasn't that bad...I was cleaner than most people that lived in the apartments around where I parked!" "I used to fill empty gallon juice jugs with water & put them on the dash of the car...they'd get so hot from the sun that I'd have to mix them with cold water, then I'd stand outside in my gym shorts & pour the water on me & lather up everywhere & then rinse off." "I even had a propane camp stove...though oatmeal & ketchup gets old fast when you run out of canned goods." Michael worked at all different types of jobs while trying to get a break as an actor... (To Be Continued)
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Reviews
The Big Announcement (2006)
"Friends" meets "Seinfeld" Good story, acting, music
21 April 2007 - 3 out of 3 users found this review helpful.
I thought it was going to be a chick flick but turned out to be a bit of both... a chick & a guy flick giving good views of the minds of both. Entertaining & funny! A "Friends" meets "Seinfeld type of feel to it with memorable characters. The original soundtrack really helped move the story along. The acting & dialog was totally believable... Yet unpredictable. I also liked the "Extras" DVD that had the Writers & Director talking about how they made the film & I was impressed with how it turned out given the low budget it was made on... But then again, I'm tired of seeing huge budget movies with no story. This was definitely a refreshing change.
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