Danny Boyle...

I caught an early screening of this tonight...

Danny Boyle's latest, Slumdog Millionaire. There are a few directors in this town that I can point to and say, yeah like that. Mr. Boyle is certainly one of them, though he doesn't exactly work in this town. And it's safe to say that he's an artistic hero of mine. Most of the stuff he does speaks to me, absolutely. And he puts it on the table, no doubt, every time. I can't think of a greater compliment to give, in this business or any other.


And I was in the theater listening to his brilliant and spastic rants about India and shooting and cameras and anecdotes and then watched his blaze of a film. And standing on the street next to him, like I said, a hero of mine...maybe it reminded me of something. I don't know...maybe inspiration and why we do the things we do -- why I'm doing the things I'm doing. It was just a random Friday night, no expectations on Sunset in the heart of Hollywood...and I felt like a little kid, in this town, in my world. And it's a good feeling.

Return to Form?

I’ve been stewing...don’t know what it is. And get me not wrong, this isn’t a complaint. This, is enjoyment…but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to at least try and put a finger on it. Sometimes, for moments at a time, I worry of the death of my heart…a combination of lacking inspiration and the continual thought and reminder of the hollowing affects of fucking loveless. I’m confused…or about to explode…or both. And the times in my life where I worried that feeling was gone, I recall a need to weep. So to it now, I can only bid warm welcome.

Welcome, welcome.

And yes, F Y fucking I, I have a heart…the sort that makes me either want to snap necks or kiss them so sweet I’d teach the world they’ve been missing much, much of their lives. This heart…it’s a piece of machinery quite emotionally advanced, actually. Not necessarily hearts in general, not that I’ve encountered, just mine.

…

I feel I’ve reached a working crossroads, and I’m alright with that. Basically, because sometimes, I think I have distaste for this new job I took…distaste because hate is such a strong word. And by crossroads, I mean after the summer, I think I need to find a good way to cut my salary in half and do the right thing.

I very recently made a pass at writing a television series based on the first restaurant I worked. It’s not on TV because it’s nothing more than my little secret. Right now, although I haven’t exactly found out yet, I believe I’ll find there’s not a whole lot I can do with it…again, key on yet. So instead, my eyes and ears have recently turned to something that is on TV, a little show called Rescue Me with the genius savage, Denis Leary. The idea is to pick a show whose voice you can emulate and elevate (my words), write an episode and then find out what the fuck what. I thought it was in my ballpark until I saw the 4th episode of season 3…right up until Leary’s character’s rape of his ex-wife turns into the best TV sex I’ve ever seen (because she’s into it, not because I’m openly into rape). Anyway, after I saw it, I knew that even though it took a while to open myself up to TV, if I was ever going to write a TV spec while on hiatus from stabbing at features, this would be the show to eat my time.

…

Do you ever see or read about something and just want to talk about it? Okay, obviously. There’s a reason I’m not in Washington. Most of the time, politics fail to move. I’m not in parts of New York because I don’t “get” business…in cases applicable. And I sure as shit ain’t preaching hypocrisy in the form of Jesus or Muhammad…

I’ve talked about Danny Boyle in the past…even on here after seeing Millions, and I find myself wanting to talk about him again. He’s absolutely on my must list (and not solely due to beautiful Muse overuse) and apparently looking to climb his way to the top of it. But anyway, I’ve been following this thing for a while now, Sunshine. Now I can’t let it go. I can’t help but smell incredible…a scent in the movies I rarely pick up on, especially early, but as a close today, I want to lead any eager eyes to their own close…

Because I’m stewing, like I said…and am going to save emotional resonance for another day. B-Day USA is here and will be covered in stops ranging from Pasadena to Malibu to Santa Monica. Shut eye tonight…not optional.

…

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/sunshine/extendedtrailer/

Why do I so yearn to be epic?

3-22-05

I saw something tonight.

It was a movie called Millions.

Looking back onto my Monopoly days, I do recall The Get Out of Jail Free Card. It was great. You could essentially shatter any and all liberal laws of the Monopoly landscape with immunity from prosecution. Or, you could throw doubles and get out in one to three rolls. It seems an absurd way to govern Monopolyland, but then again…we’re not the ones who elected a midget with a top hat into the mayor’s office, are we?

The point is, it existed in the form of either an orange or yellow card…and it had the power to make hardship disappear.

Where was I going with this? Okay, I remember…

So anyway, this movie…Millions. All I am going to tell you is that right now…I feel right. That’s not saying I live all the other moments of my life in misery. Actually, I get along quite fine. Quite fine. But personally, it’s a rare thing to feel “right.” There’s no time to explain. Either you get it or you don’t.

I’m not telling you to rush out and see this movie.

Instead, tuck it in your back pocket. Know it’s there.

A day will roll along and you’ll need getting calibrated…to find your lost tune. When that day comes, it never comes gentle. It’s going to blast you across the face…then in the gut. And sometimes, though rare…it’s going to get you somewhere off the map.

That’s when you pull it out. Slap that thing down on the table and ante up. See what happens. I realize this won’t be a universal remedy. But for me, tonight…it was. What other gauge do I have?

Even if you never see it…or if you do and it does nothing, you can still roll doubles.

But cross your fingers and hope that when they land, there’s still a game left to be played.