weekend three: what's it gonna be?

You have to be able to laugh at yourself. This weekend, like many of the previous weekends (not to mention many a weekday, weeknight, random conversation and all the like) I was asked the magical question for the next-to-millionth-time, "So what's your movie about?" When we did the last film, A Cowboy's Silver Lining, I came up with a few answers that seemed like a fair explanation of a dark and strange tale. Divine Manipulation of the Threads is a little easier to explain... and you would think that (as the writer and creator of the script) I would be able to give a well detailed description of exactly what my film is about. Here is the typical response and conversation that I give to those that may ask:

"It's basically a comedy that revolves around a Heist."
"A heist?"
"Yeah, a heist... a bank heist"
"Oh."
"There is a group of four that is trying to hijack a $70 million dollar bank transaction. Throughout the film you get to see that everyone is trying to screw each other out of the money. They're really just a bumbling bunch of idiots... but you later find out that there was a devilish plan designed by the main character to take care of all of his problems."
"So it's like Ocean's Eleven?"
"No... yeah... in a way... but it's not really... there's a dance scene."
"That sounds interesting."
"It will be funny. I had to promise to make a funny movie after disturbing everyone with A Cowboy's Silver Lining."

So, that's the general feel of the explanation and the typical responses. I'm sure that it wouldn't change too much if a film exec. asked what it was about. So, we finished off a couple of more scenes and pages with this weekend's Saturday shoot. Ralph and I had some fun, Joe was great as usual, Sara made a very interesting waitress costume (by hand)... it was really hot... I ate two props (ham sandwiches)... drank Ralph's beer... "got bitchy" about shooting in the 98 degree heat... cursed at trolleys and motorcycles... screwed up numerous lines... but most of all, we had a great time and that's why we do this thing called "playing movies." If we didn't love it, I'm sure that I wouldn't be able to get any of these guys together on the weekend. A lot of great people put a lot of their important time on the line to support each other and take a stab at living the dream.

So here are some of the threads from this weekend's shoot:

RALPH: "He's....Bevan's touching my pineapple"

SHAUN: (Ralph and Bevan mess up lines) "We're through with the stand-in's,bring in the actors"

BEVAN: "These are just pick up shots" (of the plate of food), SHAUN responds: "Where are the lines?"

RALPH: "Give me a Bruce Willis frame to hide my lack of hair," BRAD responds: "Can't we just get Bruce Willis?"

RALPH: "You tongued my Corona"

BRAD: "My Thong String is getting wet"

BEVAN: "fucking trolleys... fucking motor cycles"

SHAUN: "You tell Anthony that I don't tell him how to push the red button on the camera and he doesn't tell me how to point the damn microphone."