Here There Be Monsters

That's what they used to put at the edges of old maps, before the continents were charted and we settled into the current boring state of knowing where everything is: Here There Be Monsters. The idea being, if you don't know, expect the worst. I'm coming to the edge of the map of the world of my movie. A week from yesterday, on the day of my 25th wedding anniversary, I hand it to the producers, and a few days after that to the network. At that point I go from King to serf. I can argue my case, I can make my point, but at the end of the day I don't have final cut. What am I worried about? That they will soften the edges? That they will demand clarifications of things that I already know, from showing the movie to people, are already clear? That I will hear things I know are true and won't want to hear? That they won't like it? That they won't hire me again? All of this adds to the general feeling of post partum letdown and creeping anxiety that has taken hold of me. The party is winding down...

The pad in the picture is the apartment they rented for me while I was making the movie. It was virtually never as neat as shown--I am a domestic slob and I cleared everything off the surfaces before I took the picture. I loved that apartment, and it actually makes me happy to look at it: the party may be winding down, but its been a damn good party and I think I've gotten everything out of it, and put everything into it, that I possibly can.