I'm not trying to disturb you guys' vacation so I'll keep the e-mails to a minimum, but these are just some thoughts mid-way through the 2nd draft: 1) Like a Woody Allen film, EA is basically a series of set pieces involving complicated or improvised verbal humor, usually exaggerated. Every scene with Tony is an exercize in verbal absurdity. We got Weegee and his two vaudevillian scenes, Jack and Kitsy's exchange on top of a building about superhero names, and of course every scene with the Professor is right in this vein.
2) EA also feels a LOT a lot like a Jerry Lewis film from the 60's, except not nearly as assaulting. Then again, Jerry Lewis is like Woody Allen, only in like seventh gear.
3) There so far hasn't been a set-back or disappointing scene, which is a miracle. I'm about 1 hour through the 2nd draft, and every scene is complete. You don't understand how big an accomplishment this is until you make a feature film WITHOUT every scene complete (I have, Spade on the River). Finishing a feature film and realizing you don't have it all is like marrying a beautiful girl and finding out she has a contagious flesh-eating disease. It's an awful feeling.

I'll e-mail you guys again when the 2nd draft is complete. After this, I'm gonna color correct everything before adding transitions and visual effects as originally planned. Tom Boykin and I will start doing foley work and sound effects/mixing within the next three weeks hopefully. I am having a test screening of the movie within the next two months, and it could be as soon as two weeks. I'll let yall know.

QUICK UPDATE ON OTHER THINGS

For those that care, I've been taking some extensive notes on the next movie I want to do. Very excited about it. More of a drama than a comedy at this point. It's going to deal with some ideas that deeply intrigue me. Also might be 2+ hours long. I'm going to try and write a 1st draft of it be the end of the summer; it'll hopefully be about 300 pages long. For you writers out there: if your first draft isn't unreasonably long, you're doing something wrong. It's underdeveloped. Even a genius doesn't write a good first draft at 100 pages, unless it's a comedy. Comedies have different rules.

Also, I will be (and Ken Dickason as well, more than likely) acting in Mike Backus' flick called 'Strangers'. I think it will be fun. I'm playing a character not AT ALL like Jack. I mean, other end of the spectrum. Manipulative killer. Not sure if any of you care about that, but just in case.

It's freaking hotter than the freaking blazes. But Southern Cali was 118 today! ONE EIGHTEEN! That's not even realistic! Ugh... I better start listening to Al Gore.