Buck Up And Smile

For those who just arrived in Los Angeles in hopes of making it in the film industry. I envy your stupidity...er...I mean bravery.

I remember coming out here back in 1993 as an 18 year old kid. I think a lot of us when we were young had this image of Los Angeles as stretches of beaches. And surfing daily. I was obsessed with "Baywatch" so there you have it. But, instead of Erika Eleniak, I saw a LOT of homeless bums with shit-stained pants, and burned out hippies who reeked of patchouli. Where the FUCK was my Erika Eleniak?! (look her up ya' dummies). I ran out of money for college and headed back to Ohio, really pissed off that Los Angeles was so filthy with shitty human beings, and shitty traffic. I needed to get back to wide open spaces.

I run into a LOT of people who love Los Angeles the minute the step foot on its borders. I'm really not sure why. 16 years ago, when I came here, the place did have a mystery to me. I drove on Route 66 with my friend Ed whom we roomed together in Hollywood. The town was smoggy as fuck. And for whatever reason, seemed to have a cloud looming over it. I went to graduate school at the time, so I preoccupied myself with classes. It's weird to think at that time I thought I was old. 25 years old and thinking I knew everything. How naive this was.

Again, I can't talk anyone out of the business here. I'm sure I'm just that sourpuss that struggles harder than most. There are really talented, smart motivated people who work hard and have pushed through. There are also the ones who have all that, don't get ONE single opportunity and wash out. The reality is the latter (from what I've seen). So, I really try not to burst anyone's bubble, but being talented and smart...still has limitations in a business that doesn't completely have any logic. That's why people are batty. And then when you meet them, you're surprised to know how normal they are.

I miss those days of being 25 and in school and not knowing much about the movie business. I probably know less now than I do then, since nothing makes sense. Even if you do your best and try your hardest...you may be asked to go further. But you may not have much more in the tank. That's the ones who do eventually crack it, have no other choice.