I'm Officially Older

I’ve been working on a post about sequels, but that is going to have to run later...

Because today (Friday) is my birthday.

For over a decade I’ve been spending two weeks that include my birthday in Las Vegas. This began as kind of an accident with a few road trips, but when Las Vegas Screenwriting Conference came along in mid-July it became my locked in stone plan. The Conference is long gone, but I still spend 2 weeks at the end of July in Vegas... usually hanging out with friends at the VSDA (video biz trade show). My birthday is a low key day - I’m not really one for celebration - but in Vegas you can splurge on a meal and maybe a show and just have a good time.

This year I am not in Vegas.

Due to last minute scheduling with the London class, by the time I got ready to book my regular hotel (which I’ve been staying at so many years I constantly get comped) they were full... probably VSDA convention spill over. Pisser. I could either phone around for another hotel, or spend my birthday in Los Angeles this year.

So, here I am. I’ll be in Vegas next month (hey, I still need a vacation).

The original Vegas-centric plan for this year was much grander than the Los Angeles version will end up - but my plan is to hang out with friends, eat my weight in barbeque, drink a few beers, and see some movie...

And here’s where we get back to screenwriting momentarily, because I have zero desire to see CHUCK & LARRY even though (like every heterosexual male) I have a thing for Jessica Biel and I’ve bumped into Kevin James a few times at the movies. It just looks like forced humor. HAIRSPRAY? Not even on my list - the minute John Waters movies stopped featuring people eating dog poop, I was no longer interested in them. NO RESERVATIONS? Looks like a generic rom-com... I can’t see what makes this story special in any way. No high concept - in fact, no *concept* - she’s a bossy chef, he’s a cute chef! Oh, and there’s Abby Breslin throw in for the cute factor. HARRY POTTER? I’ve seen all the Potter films so far, and I still think the Potter in IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE is more interesting. The thing about the POTTER films is that they are mostly high school dramas with some wizard stuff and at least one magical creature thrown in. They seem to be short of magical moments. That leaves SUNSHINE - the movie about the first astronauts to land on the sun... they go at night so they aren’t burned to a crisp.

Where are the mid-summer movies? Okay - you’re probably thinking those are all mid-summer movies, and not bad ones. But I want to see a movie for older kids and adults where stuff blows up. TRANSFORMERS was a younger kids film, and just didn’t do it for me.

Yes, I’m getting grumpy in my old age.

So, it’s all up to Danny Boyle and company to make my birthday film a success.

Yes, I’m 40 again....

- Bill