Weekend Recap

We held our second round of auditions for the short on Saturday morning. We've cast the female role and we're still waiting for word from Danny Trejo's agent regarding the villain role, but we've had a ridiculous time casting the 45-50 year old Caucasian male (intellectual bully). Some actors come in and you can tell that they really don't care if they get the role or not because it's a short. Others are incredibly eager but are wildly underwhelming in their auditions. Some people are amazing, but just not right for the role. We had one guy who was the second coming of Tom Sizemore. He gave a terrifying performance and left no doubt that when his character gets home, he compulsively and viciously beats and/or rapes his wife. Unfortunately, we're looking for a narcissistic academic pussy. The whole process was frustrating since this is our 2nd time around and with the shoot only a month away now, we still haven't cast one of the major roles. The person who gave the best audition had a strong English accent so we've requested that he work with a dialogue coach next week and if he can come to the call back next week with a very convincing American accent, we'll be able to go with him. Meanwhile, Reggie is going to give a certain TV actor a call to see if he'd be willing to do this project. I'm just praying that we have the right person for this role by the end of next week so we can keep everything moving.

We locked down the special fx guy from CSI: NY to create the decapitated head and severed arm that will be integral props to our film. I'm really excited to work with this guy and for someone with such a creatively morbid job, he's a very bright and enthusiastic personality. I always love talking to him on the phone.

Saturday afternoon was spent location scouting. We're looking for desert dirt roads and the search has filled each weekend in the last month with road trips out to the BFE extensions of Southern California. But Matt, our UPM, found us this place in Agua Dulce (which I had never heard of), which is this area just north of Santa Clarita filled with horse and film production ranches. The good news is that it's relatively close to LA, so we won't have to put people up during the shoot.

We went and saw Domino on Saturday night at the Crest. Well, first, we went to the Arclight because we were scouting the area as a potential location for our restaurant (love it!), and we assumed that everything plays at the Arclight, so Domino would be there. Well, it wasn't. But who WAS there, was Jake Gyllenhaal and his other cast/crew mates from Jarhead, there for a cast and crew screening. He was standing outside so I called Digit Whit who loves him to tell her that he was here. Funny enough, she happened to be heading over anyway. Jake was drawing quite a circle of admirers. Meanwhile, Elijah Wood, who seemed to be impatiently waiting for a friend, was standing just a few yards off with no admirers . Reggie asked me if Elijah was gay, because he stands just like his gay cousin. I wasn't sure. Since Brian loves celebrity sightings, I felt it was my duty to call him. I left him message saying, "Hey, I'm at the Arclight. Jake Gyllenhaal is here and so is Elijah Wood, who looks really, really gay."

Later today, I asked Brian if he had gotten my message; he checked his voicemail but apparently it never showed up. Strange. It's like the message had somehow gotten routed to some phantom message limbo, or to some random stranger somewhere out there who got the cryptic message, "Hey, I'm at the Arclight. Jake Gyllenhaal is here and so is Elijah Wood, who looks really, really gay." I think I would be tickled maroon if I got a crazy, random message like that.

So anyway, back to watching Domino at the Crest. The Crest is this cool little theater on Westwood Blvd that has a large mural of Hollywood spanning three of its walls, and twinkling "stars" on the ceiling. I was really looking forward to Domino since I love screen girls who kick ass. The first 20 minutes of the movie were badass (check out the scene where she asks the sorority bitch if she's had a nose job...) but the rest of it focused on a convoluted and complicated heist plot that completely buried Domino and drove me crazy. Brian Austin Green getting punched in the nose while playing himself is priceless though.

Sunday morning found me waking up to my new iPod alarm clock (Trent Reznor's mix of Enigma's Sadness). Went and had S.O.S. (shit on a shingle) at Doughboy's with Brian as I flirted with my usual waiter, then headed over to Starbuck's to do some writing and work. Reggie met me over there and we went over the business plan for the restaurant. We headed over to his friend Elvis' sister's BBQ, where we watched a dog hump a stuffed bone for an hour and then came back to our car to find a praying mantis on the tire. Came home, watched Spartan with Val Kilmer and Al Bundy (I'm convinced that David Mamet's films point to a psychology characterized by a control freak who relies on intellectual dissection to deal with his personal and existential anxieties. But then again, doesn't that describe us all?)

And now, onto the moment you've all been rolling your eyes at:

Fantasy basketball season is about to rear its ugly head and our leagues draft tomorrow. Reggie and Alex are going to take me on this year. My secret must-have picks are Baron Davis (I think he's going to stay healthy this year), Ron Artest (he was a fantasy monster before he got suspended last year) and Dwight Howard (who I think may show flashes of Amare). For those of you playing fantasy, I think the sleepers (people you'll get relatively cheaper than their true value) this year will be:

Rafer Alston (trade to Houston where Bobby Sura is just about done with his career will benefit him. Watch out for his bad FG%)

Donyell Marshall (will be available late because word is that he's playing behind Drew Gooden. But honestly, how long will it take Gooden to work himself into the doghouse?)

Emeka Okafor (since my definition of sleeper is someone you can get cheaper than their true value, he's going to give you consistent double-doubles while stay healthier and have more stamina late in the season)

Andrei Kirilenko (don't forget about him...there are sexier picks this year but don't forget he started out last year averaging close to 5 blocks per game)

Bonzi Wells (I'm not a big fan of his but he's going to be a big part of the Sacramento offense. He's known for inconsistency, but when he's on, he'll give you big points and steals)

Rookies:

I like Hakim Warrick.

Actually, I love Hakim Warrick.

That's because I love Shawn Marion.

Why don't people say more about the fact that Dwyane Wade's name is spelled wrong? It's Dwayne, Dwyane. You know, I know, everyone in the world knows, so I think it's about time someone told your mama.

I'm out like Bradley Cooper doing his "girlfriend"'s Tae Bo videos.