Casting your Life

My pal Rob, AKA The Annekenstein Monster recently posted a fun little diversion. Here's my variation on his game. Cast your life from specific characters in specific movies, not some idealized dream cast of family and friends... but cast them as closely as possible...including yourself, at this particular moment in your life. Add and subtract people as you see fit. For example, for our hero, the cast of his life might look something like this:

Dave: Paul Giamati in "Sideways"
Mom: Ruth Gordon in "Harold and Maude"
Dad: Darren McGavin in "A Christmas Story"
Sister #1 Emma Thompson in "Sense and Sensibility"
Sister #2 Joan Cusack in "Broadcast News"
Sister #3 Oprah Winfrey in "The Colour Purple"
Brother Nicolas Cage as Donald Kaufman in "Adaptation"
Friend #1 Philip Seymour Hoffman in "State and Main"
Friend #2 Donald Sutherland in "Murder by Decree"
Co-worker: Bonnie Hunt in "The Bonnie Hunt Show"
Co-worker: Topher Grace in "That 70's Show"

I could see where anonymity might be desired... but it kinda takes the fun out too.

Dave's Yes/No Movie Review: The Devil Wears Prada

Yes.

Podcast with James Dunnison and Brian Hamilton

Tonight director James Dunnison and I were interviewed by Robson Arms producer, Brian Hamilton. It was an appropriate way to spend my last night in Vancouver. We were at Taylor Manor as the second unit shot the last couple shots of the season and was the last thing on my To-Do list for Robson Arms Season II.

I hope our geniune appreciation for one another's work doesn't come across as self-congratulations. One wants to be enthusiastic and sincere when speaking about these things but I'd be mortified if it came across as immodest. Every one I know associated with the show is feeling proud about the work we've done, but we're all waiting and hoping... and praying that the audience is going to enjoy it. And it's driving us crazy that we'll not know that for another six months-- or more!

I fly back to Charlottetown tomorrow morning and am now officially out of excuses to keep me from the work piling up on my desk back on the Island.

It's a wrap... Part Two.

No... the show is still wrapped, that hasn't changed. Except... that's not entirely accurate. While it's true the actors are gone and the make-up people have packed up their trowels and brushes, and the directors and (some of the) writers are spending the day trying on dresses, getting their hair done or shopping for souvenirs, there is still, at this very moment, a band of intrepid film makers: a producer, a director, a DOP, a couple of camera, gaffer and grip types who are hard at work shooting pick ups and establishing shots and all the minutiae that somehow fell between the cracks while primary photography was going on.

They are The Second Unit... think of the A-Team... only tougher. Many of this crew were working (in addition to the 12hourday5dayweek (Saturdays and Sundays when the rest of us were in rolling around in bed complaining how tired we were.

It's all the more impressive that they are shooting today after the exciting day we had yesterday.

It began early, at the corner of Burrard and Pender right in the middle of downtown. Peter and Susan, our locations people, managed to get a great office building and plaza to shoot a big musical number that will be prominently featured in the next season. There were lights, choreography, music playback and something like 50 extras. The circus, (the place where all the performers’ trailers and the catering truck are) was about two blocks away so there was a constant flow back and forth between it and the four locations nearby.

Having so many factors to consider there was something bound to go wrong... and it did. But what makes it all the more incredible to me... is that they actually planned for something unforseen to go wrong and we prepared for whatever unexpected thing to go wrong did... what the hell?

In this case we lost an hour or more to this major air conditioning unit from an adjacent building that choose this one scene-- the only scene with synched dialogue in our entire day-- to do whatever it is that air conditioning systems for fifty story office towers do. It made filming in the location impossible.

What did we do? And by we, I mean not me (who stood there holding a box of belts-- another story for another time) but I mean these teams of men and women in tank tops and khaki shorts who literally erased any trace of our presence in that place and set us up inside in a location for which they had planned, in case it rained, or snowed, or the neighbouring office tower decided to start snoring.

So while that was being set up we (and by we I mean not me, but an entirely different team of men and women in tank tops and khaki shorts) set up other shots, originally slated for later in the day. So our last shot of the day was actually second last and our third last shot was actually the last.

When the last shot of the day was done there was much cheering and clapping. There were plenty of hugs both sincere and showbiz in nature, and a couple of tears, which seemed entirely genuine.

I missed the wrap last year, and I'm glad I came back these last few weeks for this one. There’s a real sense of accomplishment and family. And I'm glad to say, even though like any family there are occasional arguments and hurt feelings, it's not a dysfunctional one. It's a family that works very hard together and takes pride in one another's accomplishments.

At least it looks that way from where I sit. I’m feeling very excited about the show this year, and I think our pride isn’t immodest but earned.

I guess we’ll see in six months or so.

It's a wrap.

The last day of shooting today. I left the bed and breakfast at 6:45am and returned at 11:10pm.
A long but good day. Tomorrow will be filled with writing thank you notes, and eventually, the Wrap Party.

Dave's Yes/No Movie Review: Nacho Libre

Si!

Podcasting with Alisen Down

I can't imagine a much gentler introduction to the world of "celebrity interviewing" than interviewing Alisen Down. I got my chance to interview the very sweet and gracious Alisen in her trailer on location last Friday. As some of you may know Alisen is a very sincere lover of all furry beasts, while I have a soft spot for women who are fighting Cylons one minute and neurotic chain-smokers the next, so we got just fine. The theme of the inteview centred around Alisen's character on Robson Arms, Sault.

We talked about the origins of the character in the Robson Arms writer's room in 2003 and how Sault (and Alisen's performance) has evolved over the last two seasons. It was interesting to note how the acting and the writing keep informing each other and pushing the character on to new levels... at least that was my take on it. The talented Ms. Down talked, among other things, about being involved in the series' first chase scene... and its first musical number.

Try as I might I couldn't weasel any information out of her about Season Three of the new BattleStar Galactica.

The podcast will be posted on the Robson Arms site once the second season begins to air. Other podcasts include interviews with producers, directors, actors from the series. Next week, James Dunnison and I will be interviewed about "Daughter of Frankenstein" an episode I wrote and he directed.

Dave's Yes/No Movie Review: A Prairie Home Companion

No.

Location, Location, Location.

Yesterday was a wrap on Taylor Manor. It's a former seniors home and girls' reform school which is now home to the main set of Robson Arms. And, until yesterday, we did the majority of our shooting there.

Today we moved out into the city and began our "location block" of shooting. Over the next week, we'll be like unwelcome guests hopping from one place to another, transforming them to our needs. Today we were on the BCIT campus and created a Fringe Theatre out of a TV studio, a 12 Step Program meeting place out of an empty class room and a Boiler room out of... a Boiler Room. That was actually much harder than it sounds.

Today was the day when you could really feel the end of the shoot approaching. Whenever one of the main characters of the series is finished their scenes for the season they're "wrapped" which involves much hooting, hand-clapping and back-slapping. Today Laura Bertram, AJ MacKenzie, Peter Deluise and John Cassini were all wrapped.

I was able to catch a lift with James Genn and sneak back to my bed and breakfast to get some more writing done for the website before the end of shooting today... but it was still 7:30pm before I got back. I can't help but think of the crew that has been working 12 hour days for the last three months and how pooped they must be.

Tonight, I gotta prepare an interview I'm doing with Alisen Down tomorrow, a podcast for the Robson Arms website.

There are worse ways to spend the day.

I was lucky to get back to Vancouver in time to catch the last couple days on set before production heads out to a week of location shooting. I was even luckier that it was one of my episodes being shot. I enjoyed sitting beside director, Monika Mitchell, who didn't seem to mind me spending the day laughing at my own jokes. Maybe 'cos she's married to a bit of a character.

Thanks all!

First, thanks to the folks from Sketch22 who asked me to lend a hand today. It's always fun to shoot something other than commercials. I think it was our most ambitious Sketch22 short to date. A small part of an entertaining whole.

Also thanks to the many volunteers and passersby of all ages who gave up part of their gorgeous Saturday morning to perform a series of manoevers, each more complicated than the last. Bravo!

The result of your efforts can be seen starting July 6th at the Arts Guild!

Congratulations all.

Great Movies You've (Probably) Never Seen: The In-Laws.

This was a movie that was introduced to me line-by-line by Travis Pratt, a force of nature who lived on PEI during the 1980's.

"Serpentine, Shel, Serpentine!"
"There's no need to shoot at me, I'm only a dentist."

Produced in 1979, The In-laws was directed by canadian Arthur Hiller and written by Andrew Bergman but the heart of the film are the performances by its two leads: Adam Arkin and Peter Falk. To single out one over another would be a mistake. It's the two actors as a team that makes the film transcendent. Falk's son is marrying Arkin's daughter. Arkin is a nervous dentist, Falk is a unstable-seeming import-exporter... or maybe not... Arkin discovers that Falk is behind the robbery of the US Treasury and winds up "becoming inadvertently involved in a plot to defraud the US government out of millions of dollars."

It's hilarious and holds up surprising well. Rent or buy the DVD you won't regret it... Don't make the mistake of getting the 2000 remake with Micheal Douglas.

Dave's Yes/No Movie Review: X-Men: The Last Stand

No.

Dave's Yes/No Movie Review: Brick

Yes.

CTV Announces My Show as Part of 2006-2007 Season

That's right. My show.

CTV announced today that Robson Arms is going to be in the 2006-2007 season. Which is great. But looking at the fall line-up it looks like it'll be more 2007 than 2006. Hey CTV, that's fine, give Aaron Sorkin's new show Sunday night. Sure he's created two of the finest shows on television... but will he love you like I will?

I think, not CTV... I think not.

(and CTV? by "like I will" I'm talking about the drug-free "all night long" kind of love.)

Why don't you take me to... Gore-tex™ Town.

Thinking about packing my bags. What have I learned from previous trips? One pair of shoes, one pair of pants, one pair of shorts and as many socks, t-shirts and underpants as I can fit into one bag.

Travelling to Vancouver can be intimidating sometimes. People look and dress differently on the west coast. Mostly they look healthy and wear Gore-tex™... unless they're crack addicts. The crack addicts are thinner, and their Gore-tex™ a little filthier.

June marks the start of Crotch Itch Season

It's that time of year again. When a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of Gold Bond Powder. It's Jock Itch season. So let's keep things cool and dry down there.

Tips? Drop your pants as soon as you get in the door. Also you might be tempted to get another half day out of those underpants....DON'T! Sure it might be easy and fun-- but it is mostly unsanitary.

You might be tempted, because of the whole two pounds you lost, to put on that pair of pants you've been saving in the closet for a rainy day. You know, the ones that are two inches smaller than the comfortable size you usually wear. The ones that *almost* fit. Again: DON'T. It is imperative that you are floating free and easy south of the border.

Speaking of which, you might have read in some "men's" magazines, while waiting in the express lane at the grocery store, that some men are keeping things cool by tidying things up "down there". DON'T FALL FOR IT. It all grows back eventually. We're trying to find ways to STOP you from digging at yourself... not give you another reason to do it.

So, to sum up, stick with the loose fitting cotton, avoid the tight fitting synthetics, make free with the cooling baths and powders and above all--- KEEP THE LAPTOP OFF THE LAP. Keep it on the table.

Follow this advice and you will thank me. And your crotch will thank you.

Dave's Yes/No Movie Review: Slither.

Yes.