Thursday, June 15, 2000

Kim Dae June



First let's review the American Film Institute list of 100 Funniest Movies. I note that several selections from our own Favorite Flicks contributors made the list: #9 The Graduate is on Jane Halliday's list; #23 When Harry Met Sally is on Annie's List; #29 This is Spinal Tap and #31 Raising Arizona are both on Cousin Randy's list, #31 is also on Jane's list; and #88 The Jerk is on Sister Cindy's top 5. The only comedy on my list, Midnight Run, did not make the cut.

I got an e-mail from my old Mariner's Gate sidekick David "Tex" Hamburger, who has recently moved to Austin, Texas. Having lived there once myself I am certain he will eat it up with a greasy spoon. Fellow newsletter subscriber and Wes Alum Bob Sweeney lives there too, hey -- maybe you two should hook up for a couple Lone Stars and some Honky Tonkin'

You can also visit Dave at his website:
www.davidhamburger.com

Speaking of Mariner's Gaters -- I've been spending some more time hanging with Jon Sperry and his lovely sidekick Ivana. They've given me some excellent notes on my screenplay APRIL FOOL as well as plenty of delicious pasta. They have recently returned from France where they closed up shop in Paris and then stopped off at Cannes to crash the Coen brother's party. They are the only people I know who can arrive in the middle of the Cannes Film Festival with no credentials and no hotel room and within hours they are partying with George Clooney. Actually that's not true, because they introduced me to a guy named Ralph who apparently crashed more parties and mingled with more celebrities than anyone could count. Ralph, among other things, is a professional 'pitch' man -- he goes to the studios with ideas for movies and sells them based on the idea alone and then hires a writer to do the screenplay. Beats working.

I got an email from another guy in Texas who wanted to know more about IN YOUR DREAMS, so I sent him the following description: "In Your Dreams" is more parody than farce in the sense that I took the classic James Bond adventure and turned it inside out by focusing on the person who gets rescued rather than the 'hero'. I actually got this idea from Ian Fleming's novel The Spy Who Loved Me but I reversed the genders. While there are certainly references to Bond sprinkled throughout, the story takes on a life of its own as the young lawyer is plunged into a world that exceeds his wildest dreams and meets a woman who makes those dreams come true. First and foremost, however, IN YOUR DREAMS is a comedy about what happens when the line between fantasy and reality becomes blurred and incredibly hot female secret agents have sex with timid, semi-geeky corporate lawyers.

The guy sent me another e-mail in response asking for a copy for 'production consideration' -- i.e. for one of our flunkies to read and the toss into the 'recycle' pile. But, it's worth a shot.

Brian and I have been doing some awesome hiking lately. Memorial Day weekend we drove out to a place called Crystal Lake in the San Gabriel Mtns. It's a campground about 5800 ft above sea level. We then proceeded to hike up to the top of Mt. Islip, elevation 8200 ft. It was rough going for those of us used to breathing oxygen, but the scenery was magnificent and the feeling of accomplishment was unbeatable. Last week, we went down to the peninsula of Palos Verdes and hiked around the rocky shoreline, past the wreckage of a Greek freighter called the Dominator that ran aground in 1962. Plenty of oxygen this time, but very treacherous footing. Again, though, the scenery was amazing. I, however, have one question -- since ships are always referred to as 'she' shouldn't the name of the freighter have been the 'Dominatrix'?

Happy Dad's Day to all the Dads.
Happy Graduation to all the Grads.

Love, HWD