At the mental institution, where I belong

Yes, it’s true. Last night I was finally admitted to the mental institution, a place I should have gone to a long time ago.

OK, well there was another reason that I was going… I had my first “interview” for my job at the Indie Film Alliance. Now, so far, I have done an interview with an established producer, Dennis Fallon, who is shooting his first feature as director out in Kansas City, MO. You can read the interview here: Fallon Article
But that interview was done over the phone, something my jangling nerves could handle.

That wasn’t the case last night. I wrangled an interview with William B. Davis (AKA Cancerman/Cigarette Smoking Man for all you X-files fans) and was to pop down to the set of Matthew Perry’s new film “Numb” which was shooting out at Riverview MENTAL hospital out in Coquitlam. I was to come by sometime between 6 and 11pm and there was a chance I could meet Matthew Perry as well.

AHHHH. So, I freaked out. I get nervy about these kinda things. I used to get nervous just interviewing the local crappy “politicians” in Kamloops. And now this was an actual actor on an actual set. Yeah, I know I work at a film set, but this was different somehow. For one it was at a mental institution. Maybe I would finally get the help I needed.

So I raced home, got extra batteries for my mp3 voice recorder and camera then raced out to Coquitlam. Then took the wrong highway and ended up in ArmPitt Meadows or something, in the pouring rain. So, after a few U-turns and frantic phone calls to my parents asking where the mental institution was (which reminds me, I should phone them back and let them know I actually wasn’t committing myself), I found the place.

Then the fun began. Driving in the rain, around a creepy, sprawling mental institution, as the sky grew colder and darker by the minute. Finally I just phoned Bill (Yes, I call him Bill now) and he let me know I was on the right track. I found a few trailers and then Trevor, the 3rd…which I assume was the 3rd AD.

The door to a lux trailer swung open and there stood Cancerman, looking happy to see me, for some reason. I stepped into his trailer, sat beside him on his comfy leather sofa and started to awkwardly ask questions (I say awkwardly cuz I feel awkward when I find myself in celebrity’s movie set trailers). But he put me at ease right away. An easy going guy, not at all like the Alien-loving, CIA/FBI-manipulating, Mulder-hating Cancerman from the show. For one, he wasn’t smoking. And for another, he had the demeanor of someone’s highly intelligent and life-loving Grandpa. After I figured out that he wasn’t going to get his alien cronnies to off me, the interview went better than I expected (ei, I didn’t fuck up).

I left a half hour later after he got called to hair and makeup and I snapped a few pics of him getting ready for his upcoming scene with Perry (he plays Perry’s happy-go-lucky father). In the end, I didn’t actually get to see Matthew Perry, but I’m sure that can be arranged. I think one actor interview a day is all I can handle. Anymore than that and I think I would have to be committed after all.