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Thinking back to my childhood, (my terms of childhood, after the Disney movie years when I’d first really become conscious of the world around me), when I first REALLY started to love movies, I had some definite favorites. Some were because they were things I shared with my dad; some were because my friends liked them; but mostly, I liked what I liked and grew up on some specific stuff.
This past year, as I’ve gotten more into the film-school mentality, I’ve seen people ridiculed for liking things that weren’t exactly groundbreaking or influential to the vast majority. I started doubting what I liked because my new peers didn’t respect any of them. Earlier tonight, I was at work and one of the chicks there didn’t know who Wes Anderson was, and when I told her that if she didn’t care about who the directors were and didn’t give a film (Moonrise Kingdom) a chance before labeling it as bad, she shouldn’t work at a movie theater, I felt the full brunt of my new status. I’d become my old roommate, the pretentious film-school kid.
Yes, I love the Coen Brothers and I’ve grown to appreciate a lot more “sophisticated” and “respected” filmmakers and their works, but I can’t ever drop who I am just to fit in with these kids I go to school with. I grew up loving Adam Sandler’s movies like Little Nicky, and that generation of SNL actors, Tommy Boy was my friggin favorite, and I loved Kevin Smith, I used to hunt his shit down! The first movie I ordered online was Mallrats (sprung for the 10th anniversary edition, an extra $7 which was hard to come by when I was 11), and I once drove half an hour to another city to check a small second-hand book/movie store to see if they had one of his movies I didn’t have yet.
Basically, I want to get back to my roots and never forget what made me love the adventure, the cinematic storytelling medium in the first place. I may not be the best comedy writer, but I will never retract my respect for these movies, these actors, these filmmakers again. I strive to make movies that will entertain people; my purpose in life is to entertain, has been since I was very young, and I intend to do so.
PS. These guys, they all had these friends, this awesome group of people around them who wanted to make the stuff they’d want to make. I thought I met a couple people who wanted to be my Happy Madison crew, my View Askew guys, and idk, maybe I have, but honestly, that’s what I’m looking forward to in the near future the absolute most. I can’t wait to have my friends who’ll want to make our movies just as much as I do. First step is meeting them. Know anybody cool and passionate? send em my way
Don't take anything too seriously. Just... enjoy
