Addison Road

I discovered something funny about myself today: I write much better than I speak.

My friend Chris Browne, who is a filmmaker and “Creative Executive” (new title, created for him) for Robert “Bob” Zemeckis, has a movie review podcast called Scene Unseen with his friend/nemesis Jimmy. (If you haven’t yet checked it out, do yourself a favor and subscribe on iTunes, where Scene Unseen was chosen as a staff pick for 2006.) The schtick of the show is that Chris sees the movie and Jimmy doesn’t, and they both review it. Sounds stupid, I know…but it works because they’re both so gol-darn entertaining and knowledgeable about film making and the marketing of movies. I laugh aloud. A lot.

For their “Best of 2006″ show, they decided it would be a great idea to invite a few of their (hopefully) erudite and film-literate friends to sit in and mix it up. Through some bizarre twist of irony, I was asked to participate, so I meticulously assembled my Top Ten List with a few notes about why I think each film deserves some attention, and drove up to Bob’s studio in Carpinteria for the recording session…

…to find that I’m the only person of four (besides Chris and Jimmy, both film nerds) who doesn’t work in The Industry. One guest, Jeromy, a documentary director, is the biggest filmophile I’ve ever met. I was struck dumb every time he opened his mouth. (Me: “Mulholland Dr. deeply confused me but David Lynch seems very nice!”) Another, Rayne, is working on The Fair Trade, a film due out this year that looks to be pretty darn good, and an inspiring true story to boot. The last, Brian, is a novelist moonlighting as a production assistant for various productions. (Me: “Oh, I’m working on a novel, too! Sometimes.”)

And me. Lucky-Number-Slevin-is-on-my-list-should-I-leave-now Me.

I didn’t have a lot to add. Everybody talked all over each other about cinematography and CG and story arc (”Oo, pick me! I know that one!”) and sound design and set dressing and “The Three Mexicans,” and I felt like I was watching a tennis match, only it was love-40 and my serve. (”Children of Men was the best movie of the year. Uh…who are the other two? Oh! 21 Grams was incredible…that Babel guy’s a Mexican? No, I didn’t see it. But did I mention that Cuaron’s Harry Potter is my favorite?”)

If I could have written out everything I was going to say ahead of time (and believe me, I tried…I even had this funny bit about Ang Lee playing the baby in Children of Men that I never got to use), I might have been okay. But instead I was…very quiet.

All in all, though, it was a fascinating conversation…I could have listened for another 2 hours. I’ll let you know when the finished product is online.