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Monday, 12 October 2009

LA-LA LAND

It is cheesy and vacuum packed, but I really love LA. There are some truly wonderful people here and I always have such a blast with them. It's always the people that enrich one's life and I am wealthy beyond my wildest dreams in that regard.

I'm staying with a seriously kind friend in West Hollywood called Andre Fabrizio, (or as The Mullighan, our mutual friend, calls his old mate, Fabs) an Italian-Aussie whose been living here for over a decade and has finally got his green card (in the mail the day before yesterday). He lives in a great building tucked behind Hollywood Blvd, with lovely neighbours and a swimming pool!!! I've been in it every single day washing off the Melbourne winter and feeling less like a pudgy white worm with each swim.

Fabs is a screenwriter who has finally been able to give up his day job producing movie trailers to write full time. He's in the midst of projects for studios and big directors and is doing well. I'm rather nervous, as he's currently reading my script and we've got a business lunch on the morrow where I'll get his advice. We're going to my fave Japanese restaurant - Iroha - where the spicy tuna tartare on rice cakes is to die for.

To go back a bit, I was so overtired (as usual) I hardly slept a wink on the flight. I watched so many movies and started off laughing happily at comedies (THE PROPOSAL) and ended up blubbing my heart out to Aussie films (finally got to see BEAUTIFUL KATE and BLESSED - both are tough but brilliant flicks - and the end to AUSTRALIA). I hardly ate and this time avoided alcohol, as I knew the drive would freak me out at the other end. Getting straight off the plane into a hire car is a truly surreal experience, it feels like you're in a video game.

I abhor driving in LA. The highways terrify me as people seem to switch lanes without warning and I always feel like I'm lucky to make it to my destination alive. I was proud to make it to Fabs' abode in one piece. After a rest and swim I took to the streets and ended up on Hollywood Blvd where I mingled with the Michael Jackson impersonators and inexplicably, loads of Jack Sparrows pirates.

I pounded the pavements for quite a while doing various errands and by the time I got back, I was shattered. I had a monster sleep and was off again the next day with missions before meeting my old boss Simon Kelton and some of his friends for a drink and going to see the doc ANVIL at a BAFTA screening. The film is a mixture between THIS IS SPINAL TAP and STILL CRAZY - a good combination and a tale about a Canadian heavy metal group who never quite made it, despite influencing some of the best metal bands who went on to make fortunes. They are still giving it their all in their fifties.

The Director, a Brit called Sacha Gervasi (friend of Simon's) directed the film and the crowd just loved it. We had a bit of a natter afterwards and my favourite story is that his cameraman thought the guys were actors and on the second day of the shoot, he took Sacha aside and said "Come on, you've got to tell me. They're actors right?". He thought it really was Spinal Tap. Classic.

Afterwards I had a frolic with some old girlfriends and a lovely mate of theirs (Patrick). Nickers and Jodi were in fine form and we had a ball catching up. Jodi even gave me the keys to her flat in Mulberry St in NYC for me to use when I'm there next week. Bless her! People are so incredibly kind. Though I'll be staying with Samantha and Suzanne in Brooklyn, as I'd get in so much trouble if I didn't, it will be great to have somewhere to bolt to if I need to when I'm in Manhattan.

Saturday was a day of lovely sun filled missions in Silverlake. I had to ask directions to a cafe and realised half way through that I was asking Shirley Manson from Garbage the way to Stella!!

At brunch, it turned out that Patrick used to work for an old producer friend of mine from New York, so I'm hoping to catch up with him. I had been wondering how to reconnect with him. Such a tiny, wee world.

Time just slips away so quickly. I can't believe I only have 2 more days here.

I took Fabs out with me last night to the awards night for my cousin Andrew Bossom's polo club, which he's President of. We had a drink at he and his delicious wife Amza's incredible mansion in Glendale, Bette Davis' old house. I had such fun hanging out with their two little boys - Bayne and Piers. Soooo cute. I met some of their horses and chased after them as they ran wild and happily around the property with dogs yapping at their heels.

Dinner was at a true blue Italian restaurant and it was a delicious meal with lots of colourful characters. The awards were fun and Andrew gave a running commentary, while a lady did a good job of keeping things on track. It was raucous and great fun. I had a very unexpected proposal from a gay guy at a neighbouring table and ate far too many profiteroles.

Afterwards we went to a bar where a friend of Fabs' was having a party. I hadn't had any Mexican food (which I adore) so decided to get a burrito while Fabs found his friends. Bad decision. We checked out another sleazy bar around the corner which was hilarious, but decided it was time to head out and I loved watching CHILDREN OF MEN when we got home. Such a good film. Though I'm told the book is better.

Despite my hatred of driving here, I managed to make it to Santa Barbara today. I'm spending the night with the Keltons as Simon and Heather kindly invited me to join them for dinner. Simon and I had a big session talking about my script and he had a lot of suggestions about how to improve it and make it commercial. It will mean a lot of changes, but if I can pull off a great next draft then we could be onto something.

I'm shattered now. We had a lovely dinner and Jasper, their 2 year old boy, is the most divine creature in the whole world. He is a real peach. Heather has been going through a tough time following the death of her beloved Mum, so it was really nice to have a proper catch up. They are so happy out here. She works for some big Hollywood players, who are local and Jasper adores it too. I'm looking forward to taking a walk in the morning. The coastline was amazing on the drive up here but it got dark almost as I arrived.

Really wish I could keep on driving to San Francisco, where one of my great mates lives but hey ho. You can't do everything at once. But you can try.

Must get some sleep as the next two days will be jam packed.
Wish me luck.
Lxxx

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