An Essay by Dan Lopez III
It all started really in 1998, that is when One Last Weekend was
actually conceived. Orginially Written as a teenage coming of age story.
The scripts was weak at best. So at that point I stuck it back on the self.
Then enters VARSITY BLUES. the was the worst football picture I
ever saw. It cheapend the whole Texas High School Football
experience. Not only that I remembered how raunchy it was and
noticing that the theatres which showed it were allowing 14,15, even 16
year olds in to see it. Brian Robbins and Micheal Tollins insulted thoses
of us who actually played the game. Of course they made BIG
FAT LAIR, which I affectionately like to call "VARSITY BLUES: The
Aplolgy."
With the release, the script came back off the shelf. I stuggled for
Months trying to improve the story. Then I found out one of my friends
was getting ready to join the Marines. that's when it hit me. Small town
Kids, friends since kindergarden, two go off into the military, the other
two go to college. So the Foundation was there. But I felt it needed more.
Enter Josh Crittenden. He came up with some of the ideas for the
flim that is not only modernized it, but told it like it was. So with that the
screenplay was finished with Josh helping the story. In the spring
of 1999 we set out to start principal photography on ONE LAST
WEEKEND. We had shot 37 minutes wirth of the flim. However,
we never completed more than that. On New Year's Day morning, Josh
was killed ina car crash.
For two years ONE LAST WEEKEND has sat in limbo. In the scrpit
process created the controversy by those who never read the script.
Now in April 2002, we begin principal photography with the support
of the city of San Antonio Flim Commision as well industry
professional. Those who have read the script have hailed it as The Last
Picture Showo fthe 90' generation. ONE LAST WEEKEND's 5 year
wallow in the myre is finally over.
