March Madness is upon us. Funny enough, I got asked to join about 4 "NCAA Basketball Brackets". I had to say no. I’m the worst of all time when trying to pick a winner. I’m more "gut feeling" than "logic" so as a result, if i have to pick a winner, I lose all the time, so I don’t even bother. I’ll just root for any of Philadelphia’s teams, "The City 6", looks like 3 of the City 6 are in the mix, St Joes, Villanova and Temple. I’ve hung out at all these places and don’t necessarily have a favorite...so this year I’m rooting big for Saint-Temp-Anova. Go big, fellas.
My brother Bryan, has been talking at great length for a good solid 6 months about this band called "Dragon Force"...
All the while, I thought this band was from 1985. Turns out they’re a modern band, you’d never know though. I encourage any hair metal though, I’m not ashamed, it’s a guilty pleasure. We still play some of that stuff at the house, we tivo Bret Michaels’ dating show, I bought that Darkness record a few years back, and I like the "Iron Maiden" feel of Dragon Force too. It’s a great fun record. With warm weather and barbecue/relaxing season starting up here on the east coast, you want to make sure you’re getting the best and fun music that you can on your ipods/cd players/mp3/ tape decks etc etc
You ever hear a random song or an artist on the radio that you haven’t heard in 10 years, and immediately worry that someting is wrong? On Monday I was traveling, and for some reason, heard Cyndi Lauper on the radio 4 times that day, all different stations. I immediately thought "oh no, did Cyndi Lauper die?" I went on line just to make sure, and to my great relief, Cyndi is alive and well.
Doing a little press for the LEAF screening on Friday night the 21st, and among that, it came out like 3 or 4 cast members have had the great privelage of working with Robert DeNiro. I actually did too, but for me, it was less about the work that I did, and more watching Mr. DeNiro’s patience.
It was a few years ago, and I’d been staying in New York City (I think I was working on some tv show that never aired), it was a solid film, we had Academy Award Winners on set and just hanging out, also the press was also mobbing the place. I had a pretty useless line that wasn’t working with the "intensity" of the scene.
Plus I probably looked like a wide eyed, scared freak.
So I just hung out on set with pretty much nothing to do. I did listen a lot to Mr. DeNiro’s stand in. The guy was rocked out in a "Meet the Parents" hat, an "Analyze That" pin on that jacket and a hat with "Men of Honor" on it. It’s fun to goof on that, but if I was Robert DeNiro’s stand in for 25 years, I’d probably wear it all too. Can you imagine how many great performances he’s had the chance to witness first hand? I figured it’d be a great chance to learn about DeNiro’s method, so, while we were talking, I’d ask him. However, DeNiro’s stand in, couldn’t care less. He told me about some amazing ham he’d had the other night. Then after 15 minutes, he just started saying "bruschetta. bruschetta".
No reason at all. He just probably liked bruschetta and wanted to mention that. Eventually, while the cameras were setting up,and I was standing next to DeNiro, this surfer dude extra came up to DeNiro, and just started HOUNDING him with questions about the movie HEAT. I don’t blame him, HEAT was bad @ss.
But this constant hounding of DeNiro, was making him REALLY uncomfortable, he just looked down at the floor the whole time and started fidgeting with his cell phone, and with no assistant around, no director around, and DeNiro’s stand in was off looking for ham.... there was no stopping it, and although I was very scared of DeNiro. I said to the surfer guy "hey man, maybe a little later on? we’re about to shoot". Like I knew anything "WE’RE about to shoot?", I was in the process of getting cut from this movie as I stood there. I was just trying to bail an uncomfortable guy out of an uncomfortable conversation. Surfer guy went away, and DeNiro turned and just nodded at me. I didn’t know why, but I was scared of him, so I nodded back. Just for the record, the Surfer Guy did ask DeNiro some good questions. Apparently there was folklore that in HEAT, Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino never really filmed their scenes together, DeNiro said they did. Just a little FYI. I did fight every urge to look at him and say "Dude Mean Streets was so f’ing awesome". It was an internal battle, but I behaved myself and kept my "MEAN STREETS" love to myself.
Okay, got to get out the door, the Big Apple awaits, see you all at Millennium (66 E 4th St between 2nd Ave and the Bowery) at 730 on Friday night. Good times, good times indeed.
take care and be good.
it’s been 5 years, let’s bring ’em all home safe and sound.
TIM