see the groomsmen and skip the puffy chair

I just returned not that long ago from The Grove (you know something must have really drawn me to get me to go there let alone on a weekend afternoon) where Edward Burns talked about making The Groomsmen on a Mac with Final Cut Pro at the Apple Store. It was a pretty interesting Q&A session. He's really down to earth and hot as hell. Man, I always thought he was attractive, but he's getting better with age. Though knowing he's married to Christy Turlington, I know I'm certainly not his type (aside from my refusal to knowingly participate in adultery). Anyway, the questions were pretty decent too. Nothing with the attitude of "I clearly want to get in the business, can I mooch off you as much as possible?" I even asked a question!

I happened to see the movie on Thursday night as a free advance screening that was clearly underpromoted. I was by far the youngest person there; next up were people in their late-to-mid 30s, I kid you not, and there were lots of elderly people. Very odd. Anyway, excellent film. It's my favorite of his (as writer/director/star). Although it completely revolves around men in their 30s who are perhaps aging without growing up much, it wasn't alienating to me at all (unlike so many other male-bonding things I cannot understand the appeal to like Swingers and Diner). And it's very funny. And it's shocking as hell to see Matthew Lillard in a role where he plays his own age, let alone a father of two sons over ten! and Jay Mohr who has been where lately?? as a totally over-the-top overgrown child. Go see this movie, if you can! He made it for $3 million (he said he had to get Brittany Murphy to play his fiance in the film as a favor in order to get it made... who knew she was considered bankable?) and so far it's only getting released in NYC and LA this Friday. If it does well it will move elsewhere. It was interesting to see how someone who's been plugging away at this for awhile and gotten a fair amount of attention (even he doesn't consider himself indie-indie) has such a hard time.

On Wednesday I saw The Puffy Chair as a free drive-in style screening. What a boring piece of shit, and all three characters were quite annoying. The drive-in experience was pretty cool, though, since I've only been to a drive-in once. I think the novelty has finally worn off. It's more comfortable in my bed or even in a theater.