It's about 8,000 degrees in my bedroom so last night I decided to sleep on the couch next to the air conditioning unit, which meant I couldn't roll around and the cat kept waking me up by staring at my face and rubbing against my nose hoping I'd feed him.
Then this morning I had to go sub for a coworker, and while the kids were working I trained to become an SAT essay grader. Yep. That was about five hours of reading paper after paper about the same topic and trying to figure out what grade I'm supposed to give it so I can pass the test and start making some money affecting high school kids I don't even know.
Anyway, I got about three hours of sleep and spent the day staring at really dull information on a computer screen, is my point. And I did most of the testing in the school library which was hotter than my bedroom since today LA has teleported to the middle of the sun and the library is without air conditioning. The books were trying to grow feet and run out the door before they melted.
Yesterday I was all excited because tonight I was gonna go see Synecdoche, NY at a Creative Screenwriting screening on Sunset. And Charlie Kaufman is supposed to be there for the Q&A.
Yesterday I was all hyped up about it. Best Friend was going to come up to Hollywood early and we were gonna go stand in line for the inevitable three hours to make sure we got a seat.
That sounded really swell until I was sweating to death in the library staring at the thirty thousandth essay written by a kid with early onset of Parkinson's and struggling to keep my head off the table.
That's when I realized the main reason I wanted to go was to see the JD Salinger of the screenwriting world in person. I can see the movie later, and I can listen to the Q&A in podcast form, so the main reason to go is for the privilege of seeing the movie early - a movie I want to see but am not chomping at the bit to get to - and to see the man in person.
And I decided - fuck that. I like his work, I admire his creativity, but to be honest the only film of his I truly LOVE is Eternal Sunshine. Why am I so interested in seeing him in person? Because he's a recluse who never comes out of his hole.
I am too tired, too cranky and too sweaty to stand in line for three hours just to see a man who hates people talk to a room full of people. I'll just listen to him talk to them later. Right now I'm going to take a nap.
I don't think he hates people. I think, like many writers, he's just extremely uncomfortable talking about himself in front of strangers.
ReplyDeletePissed off TWICE AS MUCH NOW.
ReplyDeleteFirst, Palin said:
""Say it ain't so, Joe, there you go again pointing backwards again. You preferenced your whole comment with the Bush administration. Now doggone it, let's look ahead and tell Americans what we have to plan to do for them in the future. You mentioned education and I'm glad you did. I know education you are passionate about with your wife being a teacher for 30 years, and god bless her. Her reward is in heaven, right?"
That's right. She said teachers get our rewards in Heaven.
Not here.
We should be poor like freakin' church-ass-mice here.
Fuckin' Dick Van Dyke chimney-sweep poor.
Then, you got to see Synecdoche?
Dammit!
Lucky...
Aw, man. And you didn't go?!?! Crap.
ReplyDeleteEternal Sunshine was good. Being John Malkovich was okay. Adaptation was okay too. But all three films are way too fucking long-- I wanted them to be shorter.
ReplyDeletebut i'll still give him credit-- he definitely stands out from other screenwriters. it remains to be seen how his films will be recieved by the audience in 20, 30 years.
At least it's supposed to be cooler over the next few days. Just to note, this weekend at the New Beverly the festival hosted by Patton Oswald begins and the first double bill features the previously discussed, highly recommended Taking of Pelham One-Two-Three. Second on the bill is Charley Varrick, featuring Walter Matthau as a bank robber. And no, I don't work for the theater.
ReplyDelete