When I woke up today I was under the impression it was around 9 am. Only about an hour into the day did I find out it was 1 pm. The overcast sky must have hid this fact from me. The rest of the day was spent reading Erich Fromm's The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness, playing Apples to Apples, receiving a chess lesson, watching Joe Dirt, and eating way too many ginger snaps.
Sometimes I'll start reading a book simply because the title makes me laugh. The title factored into my decision to read the aforementioned book, but I've also enjoyed other works by Fromm. Marx's Concept of Man was something I read at a formative age(for me that was around 20 years old!) and it has stayed with me until this day. Fromm died not too long ago. I will always consider him one of the thinkers who opened the door to a world of new ideas for me. Brett has a good policy, he won't ask you what you're reading because he hates when people ask him. It always takes too much explanation. Most books I've read have titles which are esoteric, purely poetic, or just plain ridiculous. If you ask me what I'm reading then you should also be prepared to endure a half mumbled and highly confused explanation of what the book is. This doesn't mean you shouldn't ask, I guess this is more of a preempted apology for future confusion. I'm sorry.
My chess lesson was more intensive than I had anticipated. The great Michael Schatz has taken me under his wing. He's a great teacher and he likes to lighten the mood by nibbling on Cool Ranch Doritos while we work. He taught me about the 7 imbalances, which kind of sounds like a principle of the martial arts, a Lars Von Trier film or a concept found in Buddhism. We played a few games while he gently corrected my mistakes and offered encouragement. I should be able to hold my own by the time I'm done with my lessons, so if you see me on the street I'll be taking on new challengers.
We laugh a lot. Sometimes I like to stop and think how lucky I am to have such funny people in my life. In fact, I'm very lucky, because the people in my life are funny and talented. I could just as easily be surrounded by a bunch of talented but humorless bastards.
This is the way I want to make films. I like working on a small scale with people I trust and love. It's not a job, for me it's a labor of love. No matter how tired or frustrated I might become, I always try and remember how lucky I am to be part of something I believe in. I have high hopes for this film. It feels special.
While playing Apples to Apples I accumulated several adjectives which I hope don't describe me. I guess that's the risk you take when you play the game. When you dance with the devil he inevitably takes the lead.
Anyway, a rainy day, a good book and good friends. I'm satisfied.
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