I wrote a book, Salvation Boulevard.
Cathy Schulman, the Oscar winning producer of Crash, optioned it for Mandalay.
Cathy gave it to George Ratliff, the fine young director of Joshua and Hellhouse.
George wrote a script with Doug Max Stone.
It was good enough to get Pierce Brosnan to play the charismatic mega-church preacher.
Then they got Greg Kinnear (Oscar nominee), Jennifer Connelly (Oscar winner), Marissa Tomei (Oscar winner), Ed Harris (four-time Oscar nominee, and deserving of at least one), Ciarin Hinds (Caesar in HBO's Rome), and, at the last minute, Isabelle Fuhrman.
It also has Jim Gaffigan. When I told my 19-year-old son about the cast it was only after I mentioned Gaffigan that he said, "Props, dad!" Pierce Brosnan had the same experience with his kids.
Somewhere in there, Celine Rattray (The Kids Are Alright), also signed on as a producer.
The film got shot. It got cut. It got selected for Sundance.
It premieres Monday, January 24th.
All I know about Sundance I got from watching HBO's Entourage.
For those who don't know, Entourage is about a young guy -- like Mark Wahlberg, who created it -- who goes to Hollywood to be a star. He brings two friends and his brother, Johnny Drama, a struggling TV actor, with him from Queens, New York. They all go to the Sundance Film Festival which takes place primarily in Park City, a ski town, with two more ski areas on its flanks, Deer Valley and The Canyons.
They decide to go skiing. They start ragging on Johnny Drama, "What do you know about skiing?" Johnny says, in his blustering way, "I've skied Hunter Mountain, and if you can ski Hunter Mountain, you can ski anywhere!"
I am a Hunter Mountain ski instructor (two days a week -- usually Tuesdays and Fridays if you want drop by.) My daughter, Ana, started working in the ski school this year. My son, James, taught snowboarding there for a season. The above is, naturally, our favorite line in all of television history.
Originally, I was going out for ten days, my wife coming for two or three days, my daughter, maybe, and my son would maybe come up from Boulder, where he's in college.
As it turns out, my wife, Gil, Ana, and Ana's friend Trevor are all coming with me for the whole ten days. I have my skis, Ana has her snowblades, Trevor has his snowboard, and I can't wait for the moment when we get to the top of one of the peaks, look down and cry, in unison, "If you can ski Hunter Mountain you can ski anywhere!"
Oh, yeah, there are movies, too.
The first up, at midnight tonight, Friday, January 21st, is the documentary Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel.
It was produced by Stone Douglass. Stone started in the business as a grip. Which I did (key grip on Lords of Flatbush --look it up). Then he made money in a dot.com start-up. He has the option on The Librarian, another of my books. He loves to ski. He is also a mensch. Or if you prefer Italian to Yiddish, a stand-up guy.
As it happens, my wife was in a Corman film, Rock'n'Roll High, as Angel Dust, the Ramones' #1 groupie.
I told Stone. He invited us to the pre-movie dinner with Roger Corman, to the premiere, and to the after movie party, starting at 1:30 AM. We left home at 5 AM this morning to get on a flight from Newburgh to Atlanta to Salt Lake. There's a two hour time zone shift. I normally pass out two minutes after the The Daily Show, so starting to party at 3:30 AM, my body's time, is going to be interesting.
On Saturday, I have a 9 AM screening of The Last Mountain. That's serious stuff, about mountain top removal to strip mine coal. The sort of thing I want to report on for Huffington Post.
This has been the set-up. To let you know who I am, and where I'm coming from. My first Sundance blog of many, hurriedly hashed out in Atlanta airport.
The others will be a mix of political and social significance -- presuming the films I see have political and social significance -- celebrity gossip, and ski reports.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.