In the movie Southland Tales there's a scene where the Rock and Seann William Scott sit at a café and one of them asks, “Do you ever feel like there are a thousand people inside you…?” I can’t remember if that’s the exact quote or which one actually said it because at the time one of the people within me told me to check my phone to see if I received a reply to an email that I sent the night before.

This week was pretty interesting.

I had started writing a feature-length screenplay of my own at the beginning of the week, and even though my bank account is now negative from an automatic payment sneaking through right before my rent check cleared, and my friends all seemed to be going through something that made them unavailable to hang out; I was writing. This is when I am my happiest.

The week flew by with the constant question, "when am I going to fit in this week’s viewing."

I try to wait until at least Thursday to give myself a good amount of time between viewings. I was also hell-bent on finishing this screenplay, my band Gilbert Grape and the Trucknuts had band practice on Sunday, and I had a grip and electric job on Monday. It was looking like things were going to be pretty tight.

I usually end up watching the movie on Monday night so I decided to stick with the tradition and see what happened.

​I had just gotten off of work and I was on page 94 of my script. I figured the loudest voice of the thousand would bug me the entire movie if I didn’t finish my script. I’d already heard how loud this voice could be whenever I was away from the computer while at practice and work.

I decided that I’d watch the movie as soon as I was done.

Cut to:

Tuesday, March 13th at 4:30 in the am.

I typed the words, “FADE OUT.” as I finished the script and looked bleary-eyed at the TV.

I decided to watch the movie when I woke up.

Cut to:

Tuesday, March 13th at 10:00 in the am.

I woke up to use the bathroom. When I returned I wanted to fire up the movie just to get it out of the way. One voice spoke up and said, “You’ve seen the movie three times now, if you fall asleep, you fall asleep.” Then another voice informed me that would be cheating.

Instead… I started my favorite documentary about dinosaurs and humans coexisting, kind of an Ancient Aliens of dinosaurs.

I was right.

I fell asleep.

Cut To:

Tuesday, March 13th at noon in the pm.

I woke up again and hit play, this time starting the main event. 

I got about a half-hour into the movie when I started to realize I was enjoying this movie on a whole different level this time.  The voice in me that constantly chimes in with ideas about what to write must have still been asleep.

I was just watching the movie and enjoying it.

Not a thought passed my mind as to what angle I would take this week.

It’s when I made that realization that this annoying voice must have woken up.

Now everyone started to wake up.

This is why I normally watch movies at night when I'm tired.

I kept switching back and forth between really appreciating the movie and wanting to check my phone as it vibrated with each like of the announcement that I’m running for Pope.

I caught jokes and information that I had missed during the other viewings and zoned out through complete scenes while reading and replying to comments.

I wonder how much of a movie I usually retain while watching purely for fun. Am I over-analyzing this movie because of the way that it was written and made, or am I over analyzing this movie because of if this project?

One of these days I hope to watch the entire movie in the same frame of mind I was in for the first half-hour, with a silent mind. It felt nice to not think about all my other worries and just be entertained by the world being broadcast on the screen.

Maybe watching this movie with company would add another layer.

We’ll find out next week!!!

Oh yeah, what is the deal with Bai Ling in this scene? Would she continue to stand there like that if the Rock didn’t step in?