Audience, Withoutabox

Four Fags in a Fabulous Car U S A

Directed by: Ted Williams
Written by: Ted Williams
Starring: Christian Moralde, Derrick Sanders, Ernest Monroe, Gabriel Romero
Country:U S A
Created:2009
Runtime:120 min.
Member: cmgsoonproductions
Average rating: 5 by 1 users



Film Description:

Synopsis

Juan Carlos is a successful gay Latino living in West Hollywood who was kicked out of the house for being gay when he was just 16-years-old. He hasn't had contact with anyone in his family for over 26 years. But when his father dies, Juan decides to go home to the funeral. Since he's afraid to fly, Juan's culturally diverse friends, a white guy named Greg, his Asian boyfriend Tony, and his black friend Danny, decide to drive him to Seattle in a fabulous new BMW. Of course they take the scenic route up the Pacific Coast Highway, and make a few friends along the way. The four-day journey helps them all to learn new things about themselves and their friendship, while also rediscovering their gay pride. Along the way, they notice the same cars on the highway: Dikes on Bikes, Old Man Sydney and his lovely wife Gale, the Abercrombie Gay Boys, Four Horny Chicks in a bad-ass SUV, Maria the rose lady from the Abbey, Sticky Buns the midget who is obsessed with Danny, drag queens Ethel Merman, Diana Ross, Cher and Madonna, the Beautiful Family, plus the boy from Ipanema, a hot young hitchhiker named Pablo. On the four-day journey the guys discuss issues ranging from religion to sexual promiscuities. It's Sex and the City meets The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. With lots of surprises.

Forms: Feature
Genres: Comedy
Niches: African American, Asian American, Gay/Lesbian, Hispanic, Latino

Cast & Crew

Production

Ted Williams (Director), Ted Williams (Producer)

Writing

Ted Williams (Writer)

Performance

Christian Moralde (Lead Actor), Derrick Sanders (Lead Actor), Ernest Monroe (Lead Actor), Gabriel Romero (Lead Actor)

Four Fags in a Fabulous Car May 24, 2008 05:48PM
The Agent Query to Ken Greenblatt went good. He responded by saying he is not the right agent for me but would love to act as Line Producer on the film. I plan to keep in touch with him. On a higher note, I am almost finished with the investor's prospectus, and yesterday I learned I was hired to work on Project Runway. Life is good.
May 15, 2008 10:18PM
The Fabulous Prospectus May 15, 2008 10:14PM
It has taken weeks to write the prospectus. Today I completed the section on product placements. Here are the highlights. VI.) PRODUCT PLACEMENT Product Placement opportunities in the script are endless. PQ Media noted that product integration is a special type of product placement in which the advertiser's product is central to the program's plot line. The report discussed three ways an advertiser can provide compensation for product placement: The first is straight pay; the second is barter, in which the product itself is the compensation. In both of these cases, PQ Media values the product based on the quality of the placement. The third way an advertiser can provide compensation for product placement is when it is considered value-added and included in the purchase of more traditional ad time. Gay men lead fabulous lives and are generally known to have more disposable income than married people with children. In the script, the Fabulous Car named Trudy plays a pivotal role in the story. BMW of North America has an obvious brand for product placement within the film. For a fee or in exchange for the use of the new BMW 335i retractable hardtop, BMW will have the opportunity to create a promotional campaign targeted at gay men. The BMW 335i convertible will be promoted as the car every gay man must own if he hopes to be fabulous. Other product placement opportunities come with the Dykes on Bikes. The girls caravan up the Pacific Coast Highway on Harley Davidson’s. Girl celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres, Margaret Cho, Rosie O’Donnell and Queen Latifah will make it cool for Lesbians to own a Harley. More products integrated into the script will come from companies like Chrysler PT Cruiser & Chrysler 300. Old Man Sydney and his lovely wife Gale celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary cruising up the Pacific Coast Highway in a fabulous PT Cruiser convertible. The four drag queens Ethel Merman, Madonna, Cher and Diana Ross are in a tricked out Chrysler 300. Land Rover Group, LTD will provide the car for the young, hot Abercrombie Gay boys cruising up the Pacific Coast Highway in a fabulous Range Rover. General Motor’s will provide the Cadillac Escalade for the Four Horny Chicks in a Bad-Ass SUV. As with all gay-themed movies there are steamy sex scenes in the film in which the characters practice safe sex. Trigg Laboratories, the makers of WET Lubricant, and Church & Dwight Company, the makers of Trojan Magnum condoms are potential advertisers. Absolut Vodka is a proud sponsor of gay pride events and LGBT film festivals. The Gap which owns Banana Republic and American designer Kenneth Cole are two fashion icons who will dress the Four Fags in Fabulous attire. Tony’s character has a shoe fetish larger than Imelda Marcos. Tony will be stepping out in style in Steve Madden shoes. No gay man’s wardrobe would be complete without a pair Versace Sunglasses. Billabong will supply The Boy From Ipanema with the latest surfing gear. At the beginning of the story, Greg buys a house for his boyfriend Tony. He rolls into the circular driveway of a Victorian-style house in Silver Lake with a for sale sign staked in the lawn by Sotherby’s International Realty. The Abbey Restaurant and Bar, 11 Restaurant and Bar in West Hollywood will benefit from the publicity in two scenes that will be shot there. Other potential places will come when the guys stop in Monterey and stay at The Monterey Plaza Hotel. In Seattle they stay at the fabulous Fairmont Olympic Hotel. The transitions will be by Google Earth. Tony writes with a laptop by Apple Computers. In San Francisco the guys go shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue, R.H. Macy and Company, Gump’s, Bullock and Jones, Neiman Marcus, Tiffany and Co., and A Different Light Bookstore just to name a few.
Greg and Tony get married May 15, 2008 10:11PM
With todays decision by the California Supreme Court that allows gay people to get married, the sequel to Four Fags in a Fabulous Car will center around Greg and Tony's wedding. I'm really excited about this historic day. I went to West Hollywood this evening to attend the rally with my friends George, Corey and Cecil, who is the production designer on the film. There were thousands of people there, many were couples. I guess there's still hope for us all. I'll probably start writing the sequel later this year called, Four Fags Down Under.
Agent Query May 14, 2008 05:25PM
Okay, so after the run in with the very well-trained intern Chris at Killer Films this morning -- and I assume Chris is an intern since in her book Christine says interns answer the phones -- I decided to send out another agent query letter. My target was Genesis Literary. If you sign up for IMDBpro you can get a wealth of contact information. So a friend knows one of the agents there and I emailed him the following: Ken Greenblatt Jeff Benson Genesis Literary 360 North Crescent Drive, North Building Beverly Hills, CA 90210 RE: Four Fags in a Fabulous Car Dear Ken and Jeff, My name is Ted Williams, the writer of Two Shades of Blue starring Marlee Matlin. I directed the short The Dream Comes True starring Carlos Mendez, (Eva’s Brother) which I’m now editing. I’m producing and will also direct the gay-themed feature comedy I wrote, Four Fags in a Fabulous Car. It’s about four gay friends from West Hollywood who take a four-day trip to Seattle to attend a funeral. Juan Carlos was kicked out of the house by his father for being gay when he was 16-years-old. He lived on the streets and even hustled to survive. Years later, Juan beat drug and alcohol addiction, and now runs an organization he founded that helps people with HIV. Juan hasn’t had contact with anyone in his family in nearly 24 years. But when his father dies, Juan decides to go home to the funeral to find closure. Since he’s afraid to fly, his three diverse friends agree to drive him to Seattle in a fabulous new convertible. And of course, they take the scenic route up the PCH. There’s Greg, the hippest white boy in West Hollywood, his Asian Boyfriend Tony and their token black friend Danny. Along the way they learn new things about themselves and each other, while also reclaiming their gay pride. This sexy, coming-of-middle-age comedy is a journey of four ethnically-diverse friends who reflect upon their lives, what it feels like for a gay man turning 40, and whether or not they made the right choices in life and of course they talk candidly about their sex lives. It’s like Sex and the City on wheels, with gay characters. I plan to shoot the movie like one of those fabulous old Doris Day Movies from the 1960’s and even use fake rear-screen projection. I need an agent to submit the script, budget and investor’s prospectus on my behalf to production companies and investors. The budget is $3 million but I will shoot it for less if I have to. I am in the process of attaching star talent and a crew. Everyone who has read the script so far loves it. It’s a well-written script plus it’s funny. My attorney is Michael Donaldson, Joe Hart and Lisa Callif at Donaldson & Hart. I can have them send you a copy of the script if you would like to read it. I have a few produced screenwriting credits under my belt and have written several other screenplays of various genres ranging from dramas to science-fiction that I could send you, so that you can get a sense of my writing style. I also work as a Story Producer-writer on Reality TV shows. You can view the trailer to my short film on Myspace.com (watch the trailer). I look forward to hearing from you. Best Wishes, Ted Williams Cmgsoon Productions 8581 Santa Monica Blvd., #271 West Hollywood, CA 90069 I'll give them a few days to respond to my email and then start the process of pestering them until I get a yes or no. It's how my first movie got made. I nagged my then manager constant for months until he got so sick and tired of me calling him he finally read the script. I remember when he called and said how brilliant he thought the script was. The next thing I knew I was meeting him and his wife and son at Jerry's Deli in Encino. They were all grins and had a contract for me to sign. The rest is history. The next thing I knew I was standing on the set of my movie pinching myself. Many years later we had what they refer to in the movie biz as an amicable split. I will always have fond memories of them though. They got my first movie made and I'll always be thankful to them for that.
Christine Vachon May 14, 2008 05:13PM
So I'm reading Christine Vachon's book on how to produce independent films. It's very good and I'm so inspired by her words and I'm not even through the first chapter. It inspired me so much that I called Killer Films in NY. Christine produces a lot of films by first-time directors and produced one of my favorite movies by Todd Hayes called Far From Heaven. I wasn't able to convince the intern who answered the phone to put me through to her. His name was Chris and he's perfect for his job. No matter what trickery or flattery I threw his way, he only had one thing to say. "We don't take unsolicited material." Don't you just hate it when that happens? She's probably at Cannes anyway.
Sreen Actors Guild May 14, 2008 05:09PM
Today I got the ball rolling on becoming signatory with the Screen Actors Guild. It was easier than I thought. We're going to make this movie for less that $3 million. Since 50% of the cast are people of color I can pay scale even if the budget goes up to $3.7 million. I'm almost finished writing the investors prospectus and have an email from a hedge fund guy who wants me to send him a package. He's able to find film funding for independent guys like me for up to $10 million. I'm excited about the process of raising money to make a movie. It's a learning experience to say the least.
Production Designer Cecil Gentry May 14, 2008 05:02PM
I had lunch with an old friend the other night. His name is Cecil Gentry and he's a production designer on films like the gay comedy Adam & Steve and the popular gay-themed film, Boy Culture. We met at Basix Cafe on Santa Monica Blvd. Cecil looked great and I was happy to see him again. He read the script and loved it. Needless to say, Cecil is officially the Production Designer on the film. Cecil’s approach to designing Fags in a Fabulous Car will be to blend a modern look with the classic appearance of a Doris Day movie from the 1960s. Lavish colors and rich tones made those movies feel fabulous. Cecil plans to reimage a look that feels as if you are flipping through the pages of an October 1960 issue of Look Magazine. Cecil is a talented artist who will bring a great deal of experience and quality to the project. I'm so happy to have him aboard.
FOUR FAGS IN A FABULOUS CAR PHOTOGRAPHY May 08, 2008 10:24PM
I've decided to shoot the film with the Panavision Genesis Digital Camera. Here are the specs from Panavision's website. A PROVEN TRACK RECORD The Genesis® system works. To date, Genesis has shot more features, television and commercials than all other single-chip digital cinema cameras combined. Genesis has proven itself in a variety of difficult locations, including tropical rain forests, and in a host of different contemporary film configurations: inside planes and cars, handheld, on cranes and Steadicams. Many Genesis projects have mixed Genesis footage with 35mm film, often in the same scene. As of the fall of 2007, Genesis features include: Superman Returns, Flyboys, La Maison du Bonheur, Click, Scary Movie 4, Apocalypto, Reign Over Me, The Tigera Tail, Grind House, Lookout, Next, The Ferryman, Balls of Fury, Condemned, Slipstream, Asterix 3, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, His Majesty Minor, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, How About You, Superbad, I Know Who Killed Me, The Comebacks, 21, Le Deuxi me Souffle, Tourist, Snow Buddies, Walk Hard, Addicted, Enfin Veuve, La Jeune Fille et les Loups, Get Smart, Taken, Disco, Christmas in Wonderland, The King of Kung Fu, The Heavy, Finder T.A.T.U, The Rocker and The Other Boleyn Girl. QUALITY WITHOUT COMPROMISES For the cinematographer, shooting with Genesis means no compromise on depth of field control, portability, sensitivity, dynamic range or color. Genesis was designed as a Panavision camera. It uses the same Primo® lenses and the same accessories as our film cameras. The Genesis sensor is true RGB, with the same number of pixels for each of the three primaries, unlike Bayer pattern cameras that have half as many red or blue pixels as green ones. Genesis was designed with digital in mind. It offers a unique gamma and colorimetry that enables seamless intercutting with all 35mm film emulsions. Genesis shutter angles range from 3.8 to 360 degrees and frame rates from 1 to 50fps. The 360 degree shutter is new territory for film cinematographers, yielding one more stop of exposure, with increased motion blur. Thus the nominal EI 400 sensitivity can be extended to EI 1600 and above for low light situations, by the judicious use of shutter and gain. TWO WAYS TO RECORD Genesis can record either to the new Panavision Solid State Recorder SSR-1, or to the Sony HDCAM-SR videotape recorder. Both units dock directly (top or rear) to Genesis, ensuring a totally portable package without cables to external recording devices. Record start/stop and format options for both recording devices are directly controlled from Genesis.
FOUR FAGS IN A FABULOUS CAR POSTER May 08, 2008 10:20PM
The new poster with all of the cast members has been posted on WAB and Myspace. It will post on IMDB within a few weeks. This completes the casting of the four main characters. Gabriel Romero as Juan Carlos, Derrick Saunders as Greg Fisher, Christian Moralde as Tony Chinn, and Ernest Monroe as Danny Livingston. The poster was designed by Andy Diaz.
Four Fags in a Fabulous Car Cinematographer May 05, 2008 02:25PM
I was in Providence, RI this weekend attending a national conference on behalf of the Writers Guild of America for Jobs With Justice so I haven't had much time to post. The investor's prospectus is nearly complete and I got an email today from Russell Carpenter. He's the cinematographer I want to shoot my film. I'm hoping for the best. Hearing back from him is a very good sign.
My lunch with Charlie David, star of A Four Letter Word and Mulligans Apr 26, 2008 10:59PM
I've met Charlie David several times, more recently at the last OTF function at the 11 Lounge and Restaurant. Charlie is the star of HERE TV's Donte's Cove and can currently be seen in A Four Letter Word. He's a very nice man. I see him at my gym a lot but I never go up to him. I guess I don't want to bother him or come across like some giddy groupie looking for an autograph. Admittedly so, I have never really sat down and watched Donte's Cove. My best friend Gabriel Romero was on the show for two seasons until they killed off his character. And when he showed me a few episodes I honestly have to say I was embarrassed for him. But hey, who am I to judge anyone who is out there doing it. So I'm at this OTF function where Charlie was promoting his latest film, A Four Letter Word, and he walks by me. I tapped him on the shoulder and reintroduced myself. I couldn't believe how engaging he was and very polite. He gave me his business card and said that if I ever had any questions about how to raise money to make an independent film I should give him a call. So I did and we met for lunch last Wednesday at one of my favorite spots called The Whisper Lounge at the Grove. The weather has been in the 90s lately and the Grove is a covered outdoor restaurant with a cool breeze flowing through it. It's the perfect spot for afternoon cocktails and quiet conversation. Charlie has a new movie coming out that he produced through his production company Border 2 Border Entertainment (He's Canadian) called Mulligans which he wrote, produced and stars in. He shows up and we get a table and I noticed he had some paper work with him. Charlie is a good-looking guy and he made me nervous. I've seen him in his birthday suit on Donte's Cove and he's quite successful. Even though I have had two of my screenplays produced and have 11 prime time TV credits writing for Reality TV, it still strikes me as odd whenever I meet someone famous. The one thing that stood out about Charlie was his calm and confident manner. I wouldn't say that he's a dainty man, but he's charming in a very delicate kind of way. And he has really white teeth. This guy is a true movie star. Everything on him was pressed and well put together. The way he ordered his cappuccino and salad was done with such commanding confidence and grace that it made me wonder if this perfect gentleman was single or not. Not that he's my type but I would at least have lunch with him. And there I was, having lunch with Charlie David. But this was a business lunch so I had to block out my typical Sagittarius curiosities that sometimes land me in a world of trouble. I'm the type of guy who can be quite blunt whenever I'm curious about something. He took off his sunglass and put them down on the table and I saw straight away they were by Varsace. I tried to hide my Target sunglasses but it was too late. He had already spotted them. I played dumb and just smiled. Maybe his were knock-offs. Who knows. To make matters worse I foolishly ordered a cheese burger and fries. You know, one of those huge sloppy burgers that falls apart the moment you bite into it. Here I am trying to appear professional with juice and tomatoes pouring out of the side of my mouth as he gracefully ate his salad without spilling a drop. Thankfully, nothing spilled on my shirt but It was a challenge to keep lettuce from getting stuck between my teeth. No telling what he was thinking but I just thought, the hell with it. It's not as if we were out on a date and I was trying to impress him. The purpose of our meeting unlike the many lunches I've had with actors this year, was not to ask him to be in my movie, but to pick his brain on what he knows about financing independent films. Charlie slid the paper work across the table and it was a prospectus of his film that included everything from bios, to the film's budget to projections. He was so upfront with how he managed to raise $200,000 for his film. He told me about his corporation and how it was structured, the primary investors, market and profit returns and he even talked about tax incentives. Our lunch went on for well over an hour and he continued to talk candidly about his experiences. As time went on, I became less nervous and it was almost as if I were talking to a friend. What impressed me most about Charlie was when he said it does him no good to see people like me fail. The more gay cinema we make the better it will be for the next young filmmaker who is trying to get his or her LGBT movie made. He said it will only benefit him to share his knowledge with others. Can you imagine that? I can relate to what he was saying because I have been blogging my experiences in making Four Fags in a Fabulous Car for over a year. I want everyone out there reading my blogs to know exactly how I got this movie made, and how I came up with the money to make it. Charlie inspired me. He's super smart, articulate and he shared a wealth of knowledge that afternoon I can take with me and apply to my own upcoming film project. But above all else Charlie David is one of those rare individuals working in Hollywood who really cares about others. His kindness is something I will never forget. I've read through his prospectus a dozen times. Each time I read it, a new light bulb comes on in my head. Meeting Charlie has helped me to sharpen my focus. It was one of the most pleasant afternoons I've ever had.
Cinematographer Russell Carpenter Apr 26, 2008 10:14PM
Today I email Russell Carpenter to inquire as to whether or not he would be interested in shooting my movie. The look of Four Fags in a Fabulous Car must resemble a fabulous Doris Day movie in cinemascope, the way they shot them back in the early 1960s when everything and everybody was gay. I have long been a fan of Russell Carpenter's work and I feel he is the right DP who can bring my vision to the big screen. He's a Sagittarius like me. Our birthday's are on the same day. December 9th. So my instinct says he will at least want to read the script. There are major cinematic challenges in Four Fags in a Fabulous Car, chief among them, is making the guys look fabulous at all times, even when they're riding around in the car with the top down. And photographing the scenic Pacific Coast Highway is another hurdle that only Russell can overcome. I drove up the coast from Los Angeles to Seattle with my mini-camcorder. I took the direct route as the four fags do so I know exactly where I want to shoot. My favorite locations were crossing the Bixby Bridge, Monterey and crossing over the Bay Bridge into San Francisco. The trip took four days exactly, which is why I wrote it that way. During my trip I was still writing the script. I'm eagerly awaiting to hear back from Russell. His work is brilliant. He has shot many of my favorite movies such as True Lies, Titanic, Charlie's Angels, Full Throttle, Monster-in-law and the recent hit 21 which was beautifully shot. I loved the opening shot of the camera flying over Jim Sturgess as he drove over the bridge and into Washington DC. I don't know how they did it but I sure did ask Russell how he did it in my email. Although this is a low-budget indie, I feel the quality of the script and the vision I have have in mind for the film will peak his curiosity. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Damon Charles Make up Artist Apr 25, 2008 10:36PM
I received a lovely email today from Damon Charles. He popped out of nowhere a few weeks ago offering to do make up and hair for my film so I sent him the script. He read it and had this to say. Ted, I read the script and enjoyed it very much. Actually right at the beginning I was laughing hysterically about the painted lawn ... because believe it or not, our lawn here in The Bay Area was painted green when we first looked at it. After we moved in, I was walking in the grass and noticed my shoes were turning green. I touched the grass and the color came right off onto my hands. The characters were well written, and I especially liked the references to past films, TV shows, and characters. It added an original flair to the material. The sex and hot talk was stimulating to say the very least. I'm interested to see if all that can stay in the script ... or at least what I imagined in my mind. Please keep me informed as to your progress, and I will definitely let you know when I will be down there so we can meet. Thanks again for letting me read the script. I don't foresee any extra special makeup needs other than what I had originally considered from reading your blog. Keep your blog updated. It is definitely a way to get your name, script, concept out there ... and hopefully pull in others that want to see this project in the works. Until then, stay well, keep safe, be happy...................Damon My script is so funny. Even when I reread it I laugh out loud. I can't wait to make this movie. It's going to be a hit.
Douglas Spain is out -- for now. Apr 25, 2008 10:30PM
Douglas Spain sent me a very nice email the other day and says that he can not commit at this time to appear in my movie. You may remember Mr. Spain from the movie Star Maps. I wanted him to make an appearance as Carlos the Handsome Realtor at the opening of the movie before the credits roll. I'm hopeful that he will change his mind. It would be funny to see him in my movie and the audience scratching their heads wondering, "Is that Douglas Spain?" Next I'm going after Queen Latifah. I want her to be one for the 7 Dykes on Bikes who trek up the PCH to Seattle that the four fags see on the way. I may be able to get Margaret Cho and Jane Lynch as well. I doubt Jada-Pinkett Smith will say yes but one never knows until you ask. I've met her twice at what used to be Morton's Restaurant. She was there with Will Smith watching him like a hawk at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party. My friend Gwenda used to be the bartender. She got me in as a waiter and I was serving Evian Water to the likes of Nichole Kidman, Andrea 3000 and James Bond, I mean, Pierce Brosnan. I saw her again at the same restaurant a few weeks later at the Matrix Launch Party. They're really big on Launch Parties in LA. You can make a home video of your baby taking his first steps and they'll launch it at some swanky joint. Anyways, I was serving meatballs that night and it was the only tasty appetizer on the menu, so people were grabbing them off of my tray as fast as I could get them on there. Because I had meatballs, I was able to slip past the velvet rope and into the VIP section that was guarded by the twins from the movie. I guess they were still in character. Jada was chatting up Missy Eliott and when I stuck the tray of meatballs in her face she looked up and into my eyes, almost as if she had never seen a black man before. Maybe she thought I was cute. I get stared at all the time so I just figure that must by the reason. Missy yells out to me, bring us some more meatballs. I was more than happy to oblige. Jada is beautiful and petite. Much smaller in person than she looks on screen. I want her to play the lipstick lesbian in my movie. I just have to figure out out to get her the script without her agent cock blocking me because I know she'll say yes.
New Cast teaser Apr 25, 2008 06:09PM
I posted the new cast teaser on facebook and also on Youtube. For some strange reason I don't seem to be having much luck getting it uploaded on withoutabox.com Be sure to click the "watch in high quality" just below the screen to the right if you view it on Youtube. I'll be replacing this cast teaser with live shots of the cast as soon as I can coordinate things. Watch the teaser http://youtube.com/watch?v=WEG6TmVWmNg
Here TV PASSES ON FOUR FAGS IN A FABULOUS CAR Apr 25, 2008 06:03PM
So I must give the fine folks over at HERE TV credit. I got a letter in the mail from them the other day that reiterated what Billy Cogar told me over the phone. But the letter also included a nice little paragraph inviting me to feel free to send them anything else I have. That was nice. Not that I will, but hey, you never know. Once the film is finished I have little doubt many film companies and distributors will be lined up wanting to have some part of it. In the meantime, I just returned from Virginia which finally concludes my business relationship with Mr. Hunter. We're still good friends but he will no longer be on the project. I wish him well. While there, I was able to cut a new teaser with cast photos. I'm working on the investor's prospectus and will try to shoot an actual teaser with the four main cast members soon. My poster artist Andy Diaz will soon swap out the composite of Danny on the one sheet and replace it with Earnest Monroe who I just cast as Danny. The next step will be to attach celebrities for cameo appearances.
HERE TV passes on Four Fags in a Fabulous Car Apr 15, 2008 03:07PM
I got the weirdest phone call yesterday afternoon from some guy named Billy Cogar. I'm sitting outside having lunch at the Cheesecake Factory at the Grove and my cell phone rings. It's Billy and he sounded almost as if he were scared. Is this Ted, he said? This is he, I replied. This is Billy Cogar from Here TV. We reviewed your materials and it's a pass. I said, who is this? Then as if rehearsed he repeated himself. His tone was like that of a hostage who answers the door and speaks in code when being held at gunpoint by an assailant hiding behind the door. It's Billy Cogar from Here TV, he said. We reviewed your materials for Four Fags in a Fabulous Car, and it's a pass. My black bean soup was getting cold and my only response was, oh that's great news. Thanks for your consideration. Then I hung up and finished my lunch. What was so weird about the call was about a month ago I emailed the VP of Production Matt Freeman. This is what he wrote me: Ted Thank you for your email and for considering here! TV. Billy Cogar, our Director of Development, will be contacting you shortly. Best regards, Matt Freeman Weeks went by and I never heard from Billy. So I called Matt and he called me back whilst I was getting lunch at Whole Foods Market. They seem to catch me when I'm eating. I told Matt I never heard from Billy. So he said to send him the script and another email. I told him I would do so that afternoon. A few days went by and I get this weird email from some guy named Andy. He wrote that he was asked by Billy to get in touch with me regarding my script Four Fags in a Fabulous Car. He attached a release form for me to sign. I'm thinking, that's weird. I already emailed the script to Matt Freeman. So then he writes me a few days later reminding me to sign the release form. I have never been a big fan of release forms. To me it gives anyone a chance to rip of my ideas and then I would have no legal recourse. If I had to give any screenwriter advice it would be never sign a release form. I told Andy I needed to run this by my attorney. I was just stalling because I had no intention of signing it and had pretty much written these people off. So last Friday, my attorney agreed to formally send the script so that I wouldn't have to sign a release. Then comes the weird call from Billy that following Monday saying they Passed. I thought it was strange they read the script that fast, and so did my attorney. But maybe it's just as well. I know people who have worked with them and from what I've heard, they've had really bad experiences with Here. Ive also heard they don't pay. It's probably a blessing in disguise. My film deserves the best.
Ernest Monroe joins the cast of Four Fags in a Fabulous Car Apr 15, 2008 02:30PM
I had lunch last week with Ernest Monroe to talk to him about playing the role of Danny. I've been looking at other actors for several months and today made my decision. It's official. Earnest Monroe will join the cast of Four Fags in a Fabulous Car. Ernest and I spoke this afternoon and he loves the script. This is a challenging role that calls for a skilled African-American actor who is the glue of the friendship between the four characters and one who can also pull off an Australian accent. Danny grew up in Australia but spent his high school years living in Oakland. The even bigger challenge is that Ernest is straight playing a gay role. Along with Carlos Mendez, who is also straight, the two will have a kissing scene on the beach in Monterey. But there seems to be no reservations on the part of Ernest about doing the scene. I'm really excited about working with Ernest. I met him about a year ago and we've kept in touch. Earnest is a very nice guy and I couldn't be happier that he has come aboard.
Douglas Spain to join the cast of Four Fags in a Fabulous Car? Apr 01, 2008 10:00PM
I had dinner with Doug Spain at Basix on Santa Monica Blvd to give him a copy of the script and talk about the project. It was a nice dinner. The dude is deep. We wound up talking about politics for the majority of the night. Doug is a very insightful person and looks so young for his age. I recall seeing him in the movie Star Maps so long ago, yet it seems almost as if he's barely aged since. We shut down the place talking well into the night and after dinner and two drinks later, I am hopeful that he will be a part of the cast.
Four Fags in a Fabulous Car Mar 19, 2008 12:17PM
A few weeks ago I had dinner with Antonio Brown, the Executive Producer of "Coffee Date" and the upcoming "Tru Loved." It was a great meeting. We both love Sushi and after reading the script, Antonio feels passionate about wanting to work with me on developing the project. I'm meeting him for brunch on Saturday to go over a few developments. I got an email from Matt Freeman at Here TV! and looking to set up a meet and greet with their development guy. We'll see how it goes. Still haven't cast Danny, but once I do, we will have our first official reading. Four Fags in a Fabulous Car is slated to begin shooting in the summer of 2008.
Four Fags in a Fabulous Car Update Feb 10, 2008 03:12PM
Attorney Bob Myman has the script and sent it to J2 Productions. The budget is now at $1.4 million. I'm in talks with line producers Rick Osaka and Jeanette Brill who read the script and loved it. Today at 6:00 I am meeting my friend the Deobia Oparei at the Abbey to give him a copy of the script. I've been considering casting him in the Role of Danny and think he would be right for the part. Deobia would bring a unique prospective to the character, in that his real-life persona reminds me of some of the same qualities as Danny Livingston. I like Deobia and consider him a good friend. If he likes the script, it would be great to have him as part of the cast. I also think the chemistry between Deobia and Gabriel is right. Deobia Oparei can be seen in Moulin Rouge!, and the soon to be released feature film "The Code" starring Morgan Freeman and Antonio Banderas.
Four Fags in a Car Dec 23, 2007 03:44PM
I'm sitting at Starbucks in West Hollywood on a sunny and crisp Sunday afternoon. The weather is mild and as 2008 approaches I realize this may be my last blog of 2007. It's been a very good year. I am officially living back in Los Angeles, and have worked on two Reality TV shows this year, plus I finished my screenplay. I recently sent the script to a big entertainment attorney in LA who loves the script. He is going to send it to two finance companies his firm represents. I also sent it to an agent at the Gersh Agency. My next plan is to complete the production budget which is now just under $3 million, and I have just commissioned a brilliant artist named Andy Diaz, who did the first One-Sheet poster for the film. Overall, I'm pleased with the progress. I plan to start a list of celebrity actors so that I can send them the script, including Diahann Carroll, Madonna, Cher, Ellen and Queen Latifah, just to name a few. I also have to follow up with Celeste Holm, who has already received a copy. I think it would be very funny if Madonna actually agreed to play herself as a drag queen, along with Cher and Diana Ross. I wouldn't even want to audience to know going into the movie that it's really Madonna, but after watching the movie, come out of the theater wondering "was that Madonna?" It's very involving and time consuming putting together a movie but worth it. I'm really learning a lot. I'm going to start thinking about music and also the cinematographer. I was very impressed with both the editing and photography on the movie "The Great Debaters" so Phlilippe Rousselot is on my radar. "Four Fags in a Fabulous Car," has to be shot with a specific tone that gives one the feeling of watching a Doris Day movie from the 1960s. In January I'm planning on shooting a teaser with the four fags, though I have yet to cast Danny. With any luck, we should have raised the funding by mid February. I completed the shooting schedule and it will take 7 weeks to film. Principle photography is tentatively scheduled to begin April 7, 2008 with a shot at sending it to Sundance 2009. I'll keep you all posted on my progress.
Aug 14, 2007 01:33AM
Four Fags in a Fabulous Car Aug 05, 2007 02:11PM
So on Friday I finished the final draft of the script. It took me over a year to write this screenplay, and I am so proud of the way it came out. There have been many changes to the script, and some of the characters where cut out. The two gay Al Queda bank robbers had to be cut. There just wasn't enough time to include the storyline. The turning point of the script happens when Juan lets Tony read his sex journal. The story takes on a whole different feel and while the humor is there, there is more character-driven drama that unfolds, and tons of conflict. That was a tricky balancing act. The final draft come in precisely at 120 pages. Earlier drafts were 140 to 150 pages. I've never been a writer lacking in what to write. I usually over write and start editing. My time working as a story editor on Reality TV has helped with my own screenwriting. So the next step of this project is to bring in more elements. My producing partner and I have the funds to start preproduction, and will go out with the script to actors to attach. We plan to attend the American Film Market in November. I have also sent the script to producers Jeanette Volturno and Rick Osako at Catchlight Films. I had a nice meeting with them a few weeks ago and I am hoping they will want to work with me on my project.
My new blogs will now shift focus from the process of writing a screenplay to getting in made into a movie.

The script is very sexy now. I'm not sure how much sex I will actually show in the film, but most gay films do have quite a bit of sex. I think if it's necessary for telling the story, then it should be included. We'll just have to wait and see.
Carlos Mendez Joins the Cast of Four Fags in a Fabulous Car Jul 05, 2007 12:40PM
Actor Carlos Mendez had signed to play the role of Pablo, in the upcoming feature comedy, "Four Fags in a Fabulous Car." Sources say that Carlos Mendez, of Cuban heritage, will play the hitch-hiking surfer boy from Ipanema who encounters Danny, Juan, Greg and Tony in Santa Barbara, California. He refuses a lift, as he is straight, and continues to bump into them along the 4-day journey at various rest stops and coffee shops. There is one scene where Pablo experiments, (as most straight guys do), in a steamy scene with Greg. Mendez joins the cast along with Gabriel Romero, Derrick Saunders and Christian Moralde. No confirmation on who will play the role of Danny.
Four Fags in a Fabulous Car Jun 18, 2007 05:34PM
I have been developing the script for a year. It's amazing how fast time goes by. I am close to completing the final draft. I find myself back where it all began. At my favorite coffee shop called Marcus Cafe on Santa Monica Blvd. & Crescent Heights. I spent most of the day writing here and finished the funeral sequence.

Next comes the tender moment between Juan and his mother Sergia. She will give Juan the forgiveness letter written by Juan's father before he died. Juan reads the letter at the pier by the Puget Sound and finally meets Gale, the woman who has been on the road with them since they left Los Angeles. I wrote the scene already where Gale instills a little sound advice to Juan but I want to re-write tomorrow morning.

So much of the script has changed. From the early postings I have read, it's remarkable to see the development of an early draft become what will soon be the shooting script. When all is said and done, I must admit that I am very happy with the script. I can't wait to start filming.
Four Fags in a Fabulous Car - The funeral Jun 18, 2007 03:19PM
Juan's journey home to Seattle comes to a climatic end when he and his friends Tony, Danny and Greg arrive to the service late.

Here are the highlights:

"Four Fags in a Fabulous Car" is a copyrighted screenplay. All rights reserved, Ted Williams. Registered with WGA.


INT. A CHURCH IN SEATTLE - DAY

The church is packed with hundreds of mourners. Four Fags enter ahead of the Ghetto Latinos. Everyone turns and looks at them with contempt. Four Fags are like fish out of water and they hesitate to enter. Danny, Tony and Greg look for a place to sit whilst the three Ghetto Latinos loiter in the back of the church.

DANNY
Are these taken?

A Macho-masculine man named HECTOR slides over. Hector is unbelievably good-looking. Danny, Tony and Greg squeeze in. Danny smiles and Hector. He can’t take his eyes off of him. Hector looks at Danny and wonders what he’s looking at.

Juan continues down the aisle. People stare at him as walks by. It’s so quiet, we can hear a pin drop. It feels as if he’s not welcomed. A man seated in the front row stands up and scowls at Juan. He’s Juan’s brother Francisco Jr. He wants Juan and his friends to leave.

FRANCISCO JR.
(In Spanish, subtitled)
Don’t disrespect the family. You and your friends are not welcomed here. Now, go.

A low murmur echoes throughout the church. A woman seated next to him stands up and touches him gently on the shoulder. The woman looks at Juan. She’s dressed in black and seems to be the Matriarch of this enormous Latino Clan. Her name is SERGIA, Juan’s mother.

THE CAMERA slowly moves in on Juan. He recognizes his mother instantly, as does she.

Sergia steps into the aisle. She holds her head high and walks up to Juan. He sees her coming and freezes where he stands. Sergia has a powerful presence. She reeks of old money and world sophistication. As she gets closer to Juan, people in the church begin whispering to each other. We don’t know what she’ll do or say to him, and neither does he. He prepares himself for the worse.

Sergia reaches Juan. She takes his hand and turns her cheek. Juan kisses her on the cheek. Then, she turns her other cheek. Juan kisses it. This woman wrote to book on QUEEN.

JUAN
Momma?

SERGIA
Pay your respects to your father.
(In Spanish, subtitled)
He has been waiting to see you for twenty-six years.

PULL FOCUS from Juan to Francisco laying peacefully in the coffin. Juan turns toward his mother, frightened.

SERGIA
We will speak later. Go.

Sergia steps aside, leaving Juan to face the music on his own. Now, Juan completes the journey. He slowly walks down the aisle, passing by people he has not seen in over two decades. Some familiar, others unfamiliar. He walks by FRANK and GLORIA LOPEZ, a stately couple in their sixties, who are good friends of the family. Gloria reaches out to Juan, but her controlling husband grabs her by the arm and firmly forces her to sit back down.

Juan looks up and sees LORENNA FIGUEROA seated next to her older sisters BERNA and ELLENA. Albeit, Lorenna is Juan’s age, she doesn’t look a day over thirty. Lorenna smiles warmly at Juan. It seems almost as if she’s been saving herself all these years for his inevitable return home. Juan looks straight ahead and sees a white opened-casket at the very end of the aisle. The coffin is adorned with the most beautiful roses we have ever seen. Hundreds of them.

Juan sees Maria, the flower lady from the Abbey, seated in the pews dressed in black. As it turns out, she’s an old friend of the family who has come all this way to provide flowers the funeral service.

Juan sees a row of important MEXICAN MEN dressed in black looking at him. They know who he is, but he has no idea who they are. Whoever they are, they look very important. They could be Senators, Congressmen or local businessmen. Two of them wear visible earpieces and dark sunglasses. They appear to be Secret Service agents there to protect someone. We just don’t know who.

Tony, Danny, and Greg watch sympathetically, as Juan strains to make it down the aisle. He takes one careful step at a time, moving closer and closer to the casket. He pauses momentarily, and then turns toward his friends for support. Greg nods at Juan. The familiar gesture gives Juan the courage to continue.

Juan passes by a pew of young NIECES and NEPHEWS ranging from ages three to twelve. They watch Juan in a curious way. They wonder who he could be.

Glancing to the left, Juan sees a slew of relatives. Old AUNT CLARA still looks remarkably sexy. She must be pushing 100-years-old. AUNT CORINA and UNCLE JOSE look hostile. Closeted COUSIN JOSE and his so-called “roommate” LUIS are still together after all these years. They avoid eye contact with Juan. He might blow their cover and out them. As Juan nears the front row he instantly recognizes his 86-year-old GRANDMA MARGARITA, seated at the end of the row. She reaches out to him and embraces him for what seems like an eternity. He lets go of her. Then, he kisses her hand and continues walking towards the coffin. Juan is now close enough to catch his first glimpse of his father, resting peacefully in the coffin. The closer he gets, the more he can see of his father laying there.

THE CAMERA moves in closer to Francisco, until we finally see a full shot of him laying in the casket in a black suit and grey striped tie. He looks extremely peaceful, and has a slight grin on his face.

Juan chokes back tears. Seeing his father for the first time in over 26 years is shocking. Juan caresses his father’s body and weeps like a child. The emotional breakdown in front of everyone triggers a chain reaction of sobs from everyone seated in the pews.

Juan’s mother Sergia wipes away tears streaming down her face. Seeing Juan grieve for his father gives her a sense of closure. Her son has come home.

Juan kisses Francisco on the forehead and pulls himself up. He looks at his father.

JUAN
Papi? Papi, wake up.

Juan nudges Francisco slightly.

JUAN
Papi? My Papi!
(Cries out loud)
This journey has not been an easy one for me.

Francisco lays motionless. We expect him to wake up and order a round of cocktails for everyone in the church.

JUAN
I forgive myself, Papi. I don’t want to live with self-hate anymore. You and me are very much alike.

Francisco lays there, dead. It’s as if he’s listening. We expect him to wake up any minute. But he doesn’t.

JUAN
Like father. Like son. The Party’s over. I love you, Papi.

Juan notices a pendant pinned to Francisco’s lapel. It short-circuits him. The pendant belongs to the company that has been anonymously donating millions to Juan’s Project Stay Alive over the many years. Juan turns around and notices the important Mexicans are also wearing the company pendants on their lapels. The man in the center is the MAYOR of Seattle. The reality of his father’s anonymous support over the years hits Juan like a ton of bricks. He starts to chuckle privately to himself.

Greg wonders what Juan is thinking about. He squeezes Tony’s hand. Tony gives Greg an endearing smile, then turns away and thinks about how he will break the bad news to Greg. The relationship is over. Greg senses it.

EXT. A CHURCH IN SEATTLE - DAY

Juan and his brothers and cousins emerge from the church as pallbearers. They carry the coffin past mourners lining both sides of the stairs. The pallbearers carefully place the coffin into the back of the hearse. Juan steps back and watches it drive away. Tony, Danny and Greg join Juan at his side.

EXT. A STREET IN SEATTLE - DAY

Four Fags in a Fabulous Car drive in a long funeral procession. Motorcycle cops pull ahead into the intersection to stop traffic to let the funeral procession drive through.

INT. TRUDY WITH TOP UP - DAY

Greg, Tony, Juan and Danny are in a somber mood. Juan looks through the window.

EXT. CEMETERY - DAY
Mourners gather around the burial site. Juan watches the coffin that is slowly lowered into the ground. Through the dark sunglasses he wears, tears stream down his face.

A WIDER SHOT - reveals Juan standing next to his mother Sergia, Grandma Margarita, his brother Francisco Jr., his wife Maria and their three sons Cristobal, Tony and Pablo. His younger brother Fautso strokes his wife Gloria and their two kids Jackie and Rebecca.

EXT. JUAN’S FAMILY HOME - DAY

Nestled in the exclusive Ann Arbor neighborhood of Seattle is an estate home that overlooks Lake Union.

EXT. BACK YARD - DAY

A Mariachi Band plays a traditional Mexican song at the funeral reception that seems more like a celebration. We see various shots of Juan’s relatives eating, drinking, laughing, relaxing, some are sleeping. The music slowly lowers to a hushed moment that affords us an inside look into Juan’s family and the loving way they interact with each other. Everyone moves in SLOW MOTION. Children chase wayward puppies through the yard. A child named ANNA is chased by her little brother DAVID. She seeks refuge by ducking under Juan’s legs, then she clings to his pant leg, causing Juan to nearly spill his plate of food.

Juan looks up and sees his younger brother Fautso at a table with his two kids Jackie and Rebecca. His wife Gloria kisses him and then sits down next to him. The family bow their heads and say grace before digging into a feast.

He glances to Old Aunt Clara laughing with Tony. They hug and she pinches Tony on the butt. Tony pinches her back and laughs. Greg converses with Juan’s closeted cousin Jose and his boyfriend Luis. He looks over at Tony and watches him from a distance. It seems almost as if he sees Tony in a different light.

GREG (V.O.)
By know means I’m I the perfect boyfriend. Gay men learn to lie early on in life in order to blend in the mainstream.

We see a shot of closeted Cousin Jose and his boyfriend Luis dancing with their lipstick Lesbian girlfriends.

GREG (V.O.)
Lying becomes so much a part of our moral fabric we get used to lying to our friends and family about who we are. We lie to ourselves to avoid being rejected by the people who matter. As we grow older and begin to explore our sexuality, we lie to get sex.

Tony notices Greg watching him. They glance at each other affectionately. Juan mingles with Aunt Corina, Uncle Jose, Grandma Margarita and the three Ghetto Latino cousins. Francisco Jr. comes up to them and orders them all to stand closer together. He takes a group photo of them. Sergia is seated at a table next to her sister LUPE. She watches Juan posing for a picture with his brothers Francisco and Fautso. She’s proud to have her children home again.

Macho-masculine Hector hands Danny a beer. The two of them walk away together down a garden trail. Juan sees them sneaking away and smiles. Who knew Hector was gay?

Juan walks up to Lorenna Figueroa. The animated look in her eye says that she is still in love with him. Juan puts his arm through hers and they stroll through the garden together.

Marcos Cafe - Four Fags in a Fabulous Car Apr 26, 2007 12:13PM
I was saddened to read today that my favorite coffee shop and restaurant next door, Marcos Cafe, is being evicted along with other tenants to make way for a Walgreens and a new apartment complex. It's a grovey little neighborhood hang out where I wrote the majority of "Four Fags in a Fabulous Car." I had even planned to film the coffee shop scene there where Tony, Juan, Danny and Greg decide to drive to Seattle.
I'm going to miss writing there very much. Seeing all the familiar faces of other writers, and being able to order food during writing, and the free wireless internet made it so nice to write there. Not too many places inspire creativity like Marcos Cafe.
Four Fags in a Fabulous Car is coming soon.
Four Fags in a Fabulous Car Mar 07, 2007 02:03PM
After spending three frigid months in Virginia, I'm in Miami attending the Miami International Film Festival, enjoying the warm tropical sun. I've seen a few good films, most of which are from South America, and one very good film from Israel called "Someone to Run With," that was very impressive. A few seminars later I find myself writing at Starbucks on Ocean Avenue. I'm going through the script, making revisions on dialogue and hoping to deliver a readable draft in a few days. I'll spend the rest of my time here in Miami completing the final draft.
New Teaser Jan 11, 2007 07:26PM
A new teaser is available for "Four Fags in A Fabulous Car." I plan to upload it tomorrow. An official website will be launched next month. Stay tuned.
Four Fags in a Fabulous Car Dec 09, 2006 01:11PM
Today is my birthday. I'm still in New York and have been rewriting all week. I've made a few interesting changes along the way and intergrated the dikes on bikes into the story much better. The two bank robbers we see holding up convenience stores along the way are now two Hesbala rejects on a mission to prove they can be terrorists by blowing up the Space Needle. Of course, our Four Fags will inadvertently thwart that plan.

Writing in Manhattan is inspiring. I've been writing at the Starbucks in Columbus Circle next to the Time Warner Building. I've been here for just under a week after visiting Miguel from the Atlantis gay cruise whom I met back in October. This is our second visit. So far so good.

I return home to Virginia on Monday and will be back in Los Angeles sometime in January to begin shooting the new trailer.

Other scenes include the new musical number by Ethel Merman in the men's room at a rest stop. It's hilarious, when she encounters Danny, Greg and Juan, washing their hands, and recognizes Greg as the one who flipped her off on the road. Ethem Merman gets in Greg's face and warns him to be careful, or things my just turn ugly.

Here are the highlights:

Four Fags in a Fabulous Car is a copyrighted screenplay. All rights reserved, Ted Williams. © MMVI, registered WGA

INT. REST STOP MEN’S ROOM - DAY

Greg, Juan and Danny primp in front of the mirror. Styling hair, applying product, spritzing cologne, eye drops.

GREG
The scent of man’s crotch is his calling card. Say you’re out of town at a convention. Afterwards, you pick up a trick at the local bar, invite him to your room for a night of hot sex. He whips out his penis. Mind you, this is no ordinary sized penis. His is a big, thick, uncut chalumpa.

The four Abercrombie & Fitch Boys using adjacent urinals listen intently to Greg’s analogy.

GREG
You go down on him, right. If it’s a pleasant scent, you tuck the business card in your wallet and save it for the next time you’re passing through town. If it’s the funky cheese, you rip the card up and move on. No offense taken.

Two of the four Abercrombie Gay Boys do the funky cheese sniff test, while the other two continue their business. Meanwhile, Ethel Merman FLUSHES, and then comes out of the stall to wash her hands next to Greg, Juan and Danny. She puts on a loud red lipstick then SMACKS her lips.

ETHEL MERMAN
What do you think. Is this shade too loud on me?

Greg, Juan and Danny placate her, just to be polite.

GREG/DANNY/JUAN
Oh no, it’s perfect, fabulous.

She smiles and then whips out an electric razor and BUZZES her five o’clock shadow. Next, she SLAPS aftershave on her face, then dabs a little under her hairy pits. Greg, Juan and Danny try not to laugh but can’t help it. Greg snickers.

Ethel Merman slowly turns, and gets in Greg’s face. She towers over him. He looks up at her like a child.

ETHEL MERMAN
Is there something funny to you?

GREG
No, ma’am.

ETHEL MERMAN
Good. Because I would hate to have to break my foot off in your ass. It would be so unlady like.

GREG
I certainly agree, ma’am.

ETHEL MERMAN
(recognizing him)
You flipped me off on the road back there, I don’t appreciate it, nor do I like Tailgaters.

GREG
Sorry about that, Ethel.

ETHEL MERMAN
(snaps a Z)
That’s Ms. Merman. Star of Broadway and silver screen. Hit it!

She belts out a show tune with a crazed look in her eye.

ETHEL MERMAN
(singing)
There’s no business like show business, like no business I know.

Abercrombie & Fitch Gay Boys FLUSH and become her chorus, dancing and singing in the background real faggoty-like.

ABERCROMBIE & FITCH BOYS
Everything about it is appealing. Everything the traffic will allow. No where could you have the happy feeling, when you aren’t stealing that extra bow.

They lift her up by the arm pits and carry her, the way they did with Marilyn Monroe in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.”

ETHEL MERMAN
There's no people like show people, they smile when they are low. Even with a turkey that you know will fold, you may be stranded out in the cold. Still you wouldn't trade it for a sack of gold, let's go on with the show.

Ethel Merman is so heavy, they DROP her. She lands perfectly on the floor into the SPLITS, and then fans out her arms.

ETHEL MERMAN
Let's go on with the show!

CAMERA MOVES IN on her mouth to her vibrating tonsils.

The Abercrombie & Fitch Gay Boys give her a standing ovation. Greg, Danny and Juan look at each other questionably, and then they start to applaud. Ethel approaches Greg.

ETHEL MERMAN
I was performing drag shows for the troops overseas on tour with Bob Hope when the three or you were all pooping in your diapers.

GREG
I meant no disrespect, Ms. Merman. I’m a fan. It won’t happen again.

ETHEL MERMAN
See that it doesn’t. Otherwise things may get ugly around here.

DANNY
That won’t be too difficult, now will it.

ETHEL MERMAN
(shoots Danny a dirty look)
If you have something you want to say to me, say it to my face. Otherwise, shut your trap.

DANNY
Don’t go there, Ms. Merman. You’re a big girl. I would hate to have to take you down.
(slowly reaches)
But I will.

Danny pats the imaginary gun tucked in his pocket. The ploy works. The Abercrombie & Fitch Gay Boys run for their lives. Ethel Merman backs away, watching Danny until she reaches the exit. Then bolts. They all start laughing.

EXT. REST STOP - DAY

Ethel Merman runs to the car where Madonna, Cher and Diana Ross are waiting for her. She gets in and starts the engine.

MADONNA
You look like you’ve seen a ghost?

ETHEL MERMAN
There’s a mad black man in the bathroom with a gun. Let’s get out of here.

She FLOORS it in reverse and speeds away. The Abercrombie & Fitch Gay Boys PEEL off next. The masked gunmen, searching randomly for a clean getaway car to steal, spot Trudy with the keys left in the ignition. They load the big bag of loot from the trunk of the stolen Blue Honda and put it in the back seat with the missing toddler.
Derrick Sanders joins the cast of Four Fags in a Fabulous Car Nov 07, 2006 09:22PM
Actor Derrick Sanders has joined the cast of the feature film comedy, Four Fags in a Fabulous Car, it was announced today. Writer/Director Ted Williams met Sanders at a party last summer and thought he would be good for the role of Greg Fisher. Greg, a conservative Log Cabin Republican, is the white boy who drives his friends from West Hollywood to Seattle. A bit of a nerd, Greg is a walking contradiction. He cheats on his boyfriend Tony and risks loosing the best thing that has ever come his way because he can't stay monogamous.

Derrick Sanders, who has taken a hiatus from acting, was last seen in the movie Dogma. "This is going to be a wonderful collaboration and I'm looking forward to working with Derrick," says Director Ted Williams. When I look at Derrick, I see Greg Fisher.

"I can't think of anyone I've looked at for the role who would be better suited for the part than Derrick. He's charismatic, genuine and comes across as the geeky white boy I envion Greg to be, who at the same time is a big player."

After meeting with Derrick at his favorite coffee shop, Cafe Marcos, on Santa Monica Boulevard today, where "Four Fags in a Fabulous Car" was written, Williams showed Derrick the teaser, and filled him in on the character he wants Derrick to play. "I think it's going to be a great cast," says Williams.

Principle photography begins in the spring of 2007.
Four Fags in a Fabulous Car Nov 01, 2006 09:23PM
Today I finished Four Fags in a Fabulous Car. It took six months to write. Now, all I have to do is tweak it. After returning from my first gay cruise to Mexico just last Sunday aboard the fabulous Serenade of the Sea, I have concluded that most gay men are promiscuous and do drugs. I have always wanted to show my characters not doing drugs, but that may be unrealistict. As a writer, it is my job to be true to the things I experience in my life that are transfered into the characters I create. But at the same time, I have to be responsible by not stereotyping my characters the way they did on the show "Queer as Folk." With that said, I think I may show my characters engaging in smoking pot. At the very least, what I saw on the Atlantis Gay Cruise, which was awesome, gay men have fun. Drugs, sex, party, dancing until the sun comes up, it is all a part of the gay experience. As a filmmaker, I must tell a story of truth, while balancing a tight-rope act of not making it seem as if all gay men engage in drugs and free sex.

I am going to blog the entire script once I tweak it. And then my four cast members will perform at the writers boot camp.

Tomorrow, I am going to the AFI fest at the Arclight theater to schmooze with fellow filmmakers. It's that time of the year. As a member of WGA, I plan to catch up on all the movies in Oscar consideration that I have missed, and can see for free. I'm inspired. And now that I'm finished with my script, I can start planning the preproduction of my film.

Guess who's coming to dinner? Four Fags in a Fabulous Car Oct 18, 2006 10:01PM
Today I edited a new teaser. It came out great. I wrote a new scene as well. Four Fags talk about visiting their parents. I'm almost finished with the script.

Here are the highlights:

EXT. PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY - DAY

Trudy cruises along the picturesque Coast.

GREG
Let’s take the scenic route up the PCH to Monterey, then cut over to the 101 North to San Francisco.

TONY
Do we have time to visit my parents?

GREG
Danny’s parents live in Oakland. We’ll invite them over to your parent’s house for dinner.

TONY
Not a good idea.

GREG
What could possibly go wrong?

TONY
My parents aren’t very receptive to people of color.

GREG
I’ll prepare a peace offering. A meal fit for a King. Add my secret ingredient and let them ponder on whether or not their sons are queer.

DANNY
Or why there are no women in our lives.

TONY
The missing pitter-pattering of little feet.

JUAN
Kids. I’m allergic to them.

DANNY
I’m not out to my family, so you queens keep it butch.

JUAN
Your mother knows you’re a big homo. All mother’s do.

DANNY
She doesn’t ask. I don’t tell.

TONY
My mother still thinks Greg and I are business partners. She insists we sleep in twin beds when we come home for a visit even though we’ve been together for five years.

GREG
Wait until you meet my folks. My father’s a conservative, my mother a liberal. There weren’t very many black people growing up in Oregon except for my best friend Eddie Woodfy. We weren’t allowed to play together when my father was home.

DANNY
Now I know where you get your colorful personality.

GREG
My parents aren’t racists. My mother loved having Eddie over. When my father was away on business she’d let him spend the night.

TONY
(on cell phone)
Hello, mom? It’s Tony. Guess who’s coming to dinner?

The New Teaser Oct 07, 2006 12:20AM
I'm happy to announce the new teaser if completed. I will be posting it ASAP. Four Fags in a Fabulous Car is near completion. Stay Tuned!
Four Fags in a Fabulous Car Oct 01, 2006 09:30AM
There is a new Four Fags Teaser available. I will be uploading it today! This is the closest I've come to deciding who to cast in the four lead roles.
Danny and Juan get into a fight. Sep 28, 2006 12:25PM
After waking up naked drunk on the beach Danny and Juan realize they slept together. They end up getting into a fight when Danny, who is a top, realizes he gave it up to Juan without using a condom.

Here are the highlights:

EXT. BEACH - DAY

Greg and Tony race down to the beach to break up the fight. Dressed in pajama bottoms. Shirtless and barefoot.

DANNY
How could you be so irresponsible!

GREG
Come on, you two. Break it up!

Greg pulls Danny off of Juan, who now has a busted lip.

DANNY
I trusted you!

GREG
What are you two fighting about?

JUAN
He’s overreacting. We got drunk and well... boys will be boys.

DANNY
This sex addict didn’t have the decency to use protection.

JUAN
You weren’t complaining last night.

Danny breaks free from Greg and throws a PUNCH square to Juan’s jaw. Tony backs away, horrified.

DANNY
That’s for fucking me without a condom.

TONY
He fucked you? I thought you were a top?

DANNY
You know how I’m a germophobe!

He KICKS Juan in the stomach.

TONY
It’ll make you less cranky.

Greg grabs Danny from behind. Danny ELBOWS Greg in the gut.

DANNY
Get off me! Don’t ever touch me!

Greg drops to his knees holding his stomach. Tony comes to his side. Greg motions for him to stay back.

TONY
You guys, stop it! We can’t fight like this! This isn’t the way friends treat each other!

DANNY
When were you last tested?

GREG
Danny.

JUAN
Every six months. I’m tested every six months. I’m negative. Do you think I would ever do anything to place your life in peril? Tony’s right! We’re friends. Friends treat each other with respect.

Juan walks up to Danny and looks him right in the eye.

JUAN
You guys are the only family I have.

Juan runs away as fast as he can leaving the others behind.

GREG
Juan! Juan! Wait!

Greg goes after him. Tony and Danny soon follow. Our Four Fags race along the beach. It turns competitive. Juan sees Greg gaining on him and speeds up. Finally, Greg catch up and passes him. Here comes Danny. He takes the lead. Tony passes Greg. Then Juan. Now Danny. All four of them drop to the ground. Tired and completely out of breath.

GREG
Juan... you’re our family... All of you guys... you’re my family.

They look at each other while trying to catch their breath.

DANNY
You guys are my family.

GREG
Danny... apologize.

DANNY
For what?

GREG
The four of us... here together... this didn’t happen by accident. There’s a reason for it.

DANNY
I’m sick and tired of people... telling me... things happen for a reason, that... shit happens, what comes around goes around, the lord works in mysterious ways, keep the faith...

JUAN
(interrupts)
...Que Sera, Sera.

Everyone looks at Juan.

TONY
Que what?

JUAN
Que Sera, Sera. It’s Spanish for -- whatever!

Greg starts to laugh. Tony laughs. Juan cracks a smile. Danny can’t hold it back and starts to laugh.

DANNY
I’m sorry.
Danny crawls over to Juan and kisses him on the check.

DANNY
Still friends?

JUAN
(thinking about it)
Okay.

EXT. PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY - DAY

Four Fags are back on the road. It’s a gay Big Chill moment as Greg lip synchs his favorite song playing on the radio. “LIVING THING,” by ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA.


GREG (LIP SYNCHING)
Sailing away on the crest of a wave it's like magic.

Tony, Juan and Danny are bobbing their heads to the grove of it.

GREG (LIP SYNCHING)
Rolling, and riding, and slipping and sliding. It's magic.

The surreal rear-screen projection is right out of a Doris Day Movie. The phony scenery passing them by is Fabulous.

GREG
I loved this song in high school!

DANNY
Me too. Electric Light Orchestra.

TONY
I never heard of them.

GREG
Danny has, haven’t you, Danny.

DANNY
I grew up around white people.

FOUR FAGS (SINGING)
It's a living thing... It's a terrible thing to lose... It's a given thing... What a terrible thing to lose.

Everything slowly becomes surreal. The music slowly fades and we see our Four Fags singing and laughing in SLOW MOTION.

Character Arcs Sep 28, 2006 11:59AM
Traveling up the PCH to Oregon really inspired me to develop my character's journey in Four Fags in a Fabulous Car. I'm sitting at a Starbucks on Castro in San Francisco after having sent a week in Eugene.

On the way back, I'm getting more of a visual sense of what the movie will look like. Oddly enough, driving South is like watching the screen and what the movie will look like cinematically as our four fags drive North.

Character arcs are important to development of a character. On this trip I have found some interesting ways of developing my characters.

Greg will give Yankee doodle speeches, the way Oliver did in Green Acres whenever he feels preachy. Most of what he has to say will be irrelevant and pointless but funny in the way he thinks he knows what's best.

Greg's homophobic behavior will be shown when he fears holding Tony's hand in public, then dance with him in Monterey at dinner. Finally ending in an elogant ballroom sequence on the rooftop of a fancy hotel and the Seattle skyline glowing in the background. Very Woody Allen-like. Jesus Christ will be tending bar watching them.


At Dinner in Monterey, after Greg musters up the courage to ask Tony to slow dance they do a spoof on Pulp fiction and dance to Black Eye Peas "Pump It" while mocking John Travolta and Uma Thurman. I think that would be so funny.

Juan admits he's never kissed a black man and after kissing Danny on the beach, sings to Danny a Luis Miguel song Contigo en la Distancia. It's like a Doris Day movie where the characters break out in song. Juan and Danny will stroll the beach naked with sand stuck to their butts. I want to shoot it with a full moon to mock a Disney film when characters start to sing. Cheese factor makes this fun.

Juan dialogue before the kiss explains why he has never had a successful relationship in his life. Blames it on his father/son estrangement.

After Juan sees his father in the car for the first time when they are drinking Martini’s he freaks out and wants to turn around and go home.

Pablo sees them getting towed. Maybe after this he gets into the trucker’s car.

They talk about seeing sharks (CHP) on the road.

Horny chicks are going to funeral to sing. They have a singing group.

Juan’s father is gay and he didn’t know it. Turns out he was a leader in the gay community and well respected. Juan had no idea.

Juan’s mother tells Juan his father was a big queen but she stuck by him because she loved him.

Juan’s father was a politician. Think Jim McGreevey

HAS WEST HOLLYWOOD GONE STRAIGHT? Sep 22, 2006 12:07PM
I had a conversation with a friend about how West Hollywood seems to be turning straight. One of my favorite clubs, The Abbey, is all but straight on Saturday nights. I recently read on Wehonews.com about a brawl in front of Pearl last Saturday night. Straight guys like to fight after last call, whereas gay guys hook up and have fun. Frequent fights outside of the many bars along Robertson Blvd. is a sign West Hollywood is indeed going straight.

http://wehonews.com/z/wehonews/archive/page.php?articleID=815

Where have all the gays gone? I noticed something in San Francisco last night while walking through the streets of Market and Castro. The gays were out in droves. The rarely seen in West Hollywood boyfriends and girlfriends holding hands were in abundance in Castro.

I felt safe walking the streets at night alone. And the vibe was nothing but gay and gay friendly. But something I have noticed just this summer is how West Hollywood feels a bit dangerous. Do you get that inner voice telling you to be alert when your'e walking back to your car along Roberston anymore? I do.

I'll come out and say it. Straight people are ruining West Hollywood. On any given night, walking down Santa Monica Blvd, is like walking through a ghost town. Where have all the gays gone? The streets used to be packed with gay men and lesbians roaming from bar to bar in West Hollywood. Now, whenever you walk the streets on a Friday night everything seems empty. There's a void. The one noticable difference is there seems to be a lot of unfriendly straight people roaming around. It's almost as if they have something to prove by venturing onto gay turf.

Unlike San Francisco last night, which was lively with laughter and buzzing with bar-hopping gay people everywhere, West Hollywood, at least what was once the gay section of Weho seems to be getting the big squeeze. The Tango Grill was once a busy place packed with friends, couples, dates, where you would have long waits just to get into for dinner. Now, there are empty tables there each time I walk by.

Straight guys like to fight when the club closes. It has nothing to do with race, as was suggested in an article last summer published in the Los Angeles Times. My summer spent in rural Fredericksburg, Virginia is an example of this. Mostly rednecks and hicks, I went out with my straight friends only to witness, to my amazement, brawls between raging white boys filled with testosterone.

I'm going to rewrite a scene with Danny, who after leaving the Abbey is called to the emergency room to perform surgery on a victim of gay bashing. This victim will be in a coma throughout the movie and act as the catylist for my spin-off feature film, "Monogamy and the Lair," where Danny falls in love with his patient.

In Four Fags in a Fabulous Car, I have decided to make a political statement. When Danny leaves the Abbey and walks to his car. He will see straight boys across the street fighting, and the police breaking it up. As he gets to his car, I'm going to make the Sticky Buns stalker seem almost as if Danny fears he is about to get jumped by straight boys.

I want to create the feeling I get when I walk to my car after the Abbey closes. I remember a time when I could walk the streets of Weho after last call with a complete feeling nothing bad would happen to me. Find a bush to pee on, say goodbye to my friends and call it a night if I didn't get lucky. Now, ten years after moving to Los Angeles, I think twice before I walk back to my car alone. As more straight people frequent the Abbey, the less gay people are likely to want to go out anymore. The expansion of the Abbey is the culprit, and also, the management is now corporate, according to a bartender I spoke with.

A bartender told me the Abbey wants to go straight. Gay men are not violent the way straight men are. An occassional lesbian food fight may occur but they're like straight guys anyway.

Gay men do not want to have to deal with the brawling of their straight counterparts which in my view, is the main reason why the Abbey is turning straight. Gay men started bringing their straight fag hags with them to the Abbey. The fag hags returned with their girlfriends. Women love music and it's their nature to want to dance. Straight men, who are unlucky at straight clubs began sniffing around at the Abbey. They blend in with the gay guys who have no interest in going home with a girl. At last call, the women are drunk and horny and the straight guys move in. It's that simple. As word began to spread, more straight men show up at the Abbey to swoop up horny drunk chick. Once they couple up, they return with their straight friends. And the fights begin.

I want to make this statement in my movie. Someone has to. I'm going to write a scene where they talk about how West Hollywood is turning straight. Probably in the camping scene I want to add.

Being in San Francisco gave me another idea about Greg and Tony's relationship. Greg, who is embarrassed to display affection to Tony in public, will be more than happy to hold Tony's hand in public once they're in Castro.

How clever!

But the question remains, where are all the gays going? Silverlake? Perpahs they're staying home and hooking up online. That seems to be the latest trend which I write about in my movie. Danny's character is a big internet user. He hooks up online all the time, partly because he's on the DL. I want to write a movie called "Trick Chat," that shows the goings on with the way gay men meet on the internet.

TED WILLIAMS JOURNEY NORTH Sep 22, 2006 11:06AM
As I stated in a blog I wrote while in New York, I planned to drive from Los Angeles to Seattle to find inspiration for my screenplay which I'm almost finished with.

First and foremost, California is a beautiful state!

Yesterday, I drove the route our Four Fags Danny, Greg, Tony and Juan are going to take during the movie. Starting on the PCH through Santa Barbara and Malibu I drove all day taking in the scenery and finding new ideas to include into the script.

The trip has thus far inspired me visually to the point I was able to see certain landscapes, areas, beaches, seaside cliffs, and cute little shops and restaurants that are perfect for gay men to visit while on a road trip.

I am also going to be able to more clearly detail and advance their journey but splitting the dialogue in various locations throughout California instead of just in one city. The Four Fags will now talk about the same subject or story beat, but at different locations.

For instance, during their conversations about women not having gaydar and how straight men cheat on them, I will now continue that beat from Malibu through to Santa Barbara, instead of having them talk about that particular subject in one scene.

Spread it out over the beautiful locals, the way the do in movies. It really wasn't something I thought about as I wrote from Starbucks or Marcos Cafe only because writing sometimes is born from pure imagination. But in living the journey my characters will take, I was able to better see the flow of the journey through their eyes.

The development will make this a much better movie. By keeping the Doris Day, Que Sera, Sera feeling, but at the same time, making it a contemporary gay movie.

Another inspired moment came to me while listening to Luis Miguel. Tony, the show-tune queen loves Ethel Ennis and sings to her songs as if he's her. But then I thought, what if each of my characters has his (or her) song to sing.

There is a moment when Juan and Danny hook up on the beach will drinking tequla. Juan confesses he has never kissed a black man. Then when he does, the music starts and he sings, the way they did in those movies from the 50s. I laughed so hard I nearly lost control of the wheel and skid off the road to my death.

Another inspired moment came when I decided to cut across from the 101 Freeway to the PCH. I drove through a forest, across bridges and through winding cliffs that overlooked the Pacific that was blanketed with clouds. As I came down to sea level I drove through the mist of clouds and then got out and filmed it. I did a video dairy of my trip.

I realized by driving up the coast that I can spread the dialogue out over several cities and through these breathtaking landmarks to give the story a more realistic pace of going from point A to point B.

The California coast is beautiful. Not just beautiful, it's fabulous! And thats the theme of the movie. These guys have no real adversities during the trip. Because they're fabulous. The conflict in the story comes from them and the way the interact with each other.

I drove through to Carmel-By-The-Sea and up to Monterey where they wil spend the night. I took the 101 through South San Francisco and into the city. It was an amazing reversal of what we normally see of San Francisco in movies. Coming to San Francisco from the South and seeing the magic city lit up at night from that angle was breathtaking. I think now, my four fags will arrive to San Francisco at night. It will be easier to shoot at night and get the necessary permits with less traffic. Plus, I liked the glow of the city lights. There was something exciting about it. It reminded me of when I was young and would go to San Francisco from Sacramento anticipating the night ahead of me. Dinner, drinks, and then dancing afterwards with the hope of meeting someone new is what made going to San Francisco so exciting.

I can recreate that excitement through our Four Fags. After stopping in Milbrea to visit Tony's parents, they will all sneak out when the parents go to sleep. Like young kids stealing the parents cars, they will all go out to the city. It will be exciting for them to revisit the past.

But then, I got a great idea for my characters once I got to Castro. I walked around not so much in cruise mode, but in "What happened to Castro" mode. I saw that everything had changed. I was amazed yet disappointed. Personally, I used to stay in touch with San Francisco after moving to Los Angeles by making frequent weekend trips home to Sacramento. But stopped doing ss several years ago after going there with my second exboyfriend and realizing even then how everything was changing.

The bars I used to go to in the city when I was in my 20s are gone or dead. I went into the Midnight Sun, which used to be the IT place to go. I remember a time when you had to stand in a long line that reached all the way back to Castro just to get in.

Last night, when I went in there were four people in there and a bartender who looked to be in his 40s with a huge sore on his lip. I had a nice chat with him. And then I thought, what if Greg is so excited about showing his friends his old stomping ground and when he gets there, the places he used to love as a young man are gone. His generation has been replaced by twinks smoking clove cigarettes and wearing their pants drapped down below their ass to expose their baggy underwear.

What if, at this moment, our four fags begin to feel like dinosaurs. And what if Greg bumps into the man he lost his virginity to. This guy was the straight high school football quarter back. Now his a tired, fat and out-of-shape alcoholic who looks twenty years older than Greg, Tony, Danny and Juan. It is in this moment, that I will be able to demonstrate how gay men are more into keeping themselves fit and in shape. Even in their late 30s, our Four Fags look and feel Fabulous compared to those who have lived their lives as barflys. Our Four Fags are very successful and focused and they don't do drugs.

Another beat I want to reveal here is the Danny, Juan, Greg love triangle. I can use this moment to show how Greg and Danny used to be lovers by having them bump into the Latin bottom boy they tag-teamed many years ago, who is a bit heavier but still cute. His character will come up to Danny and Greg and spill the beans inadvertently by recounting the time they had a three way ten years ago. Tony will learn the truth for the first time and storm out of the bar, only to nearly become a victim of a gay bashing, which ties into Danny's beat. He has a patient in a coma who was beaten. These will be the same guys and Danny will be instrumental in their capture. It ties up that beat.

All this inspired by my road trip. And I would recommend to any writer to get out there and see what you are writing. Don't rely on the internet for information, or your imagination. Live the journey of your characters to understand the subtle nuances and to better develop their arc.

I encountered a mean drunk driver and called 911. This is another good idea for my script. This idiot pulled onto the freeway and cut me off then started flailing his arms and screaming profanity at me. He slammed his brakes on purpose and I nearly rear-ended him. Then he tried to pull over and stay even with me. I put the brakes on and let him go then called 911. Like Darth Vader said to Luke, I could feel his hate. The guy was definitely on the dark side and the evil energy he projected was real. The 911 operator told me to stay away from him. I gave a description of the van and went on my way.

I would say this would be a good way to show the kidnapped Toddler Juan rescues but it's a bit too heavy and serious. I want to keep it light and inadvertent by showing clutzy bank robbers who didn't really nmean to kidnapp the baby.

So I'm going to write this in.

Then my friend Josch called. Josch is who I want to play Danny. We talked about getting the cast together for a reading once I finish the final draft. Of course, the final Draft will never be final. Josch is also a music producer and it is my hope to use some of his music and one of his artist in my film. Albeit, there may be a conflict of interest being that I have dissolved my partnership with my producing partner, who is in business with Josch. I would not want to interfere with the success they are out to achieve and hope there will be a way to work around it.

I continued my journey late into the night. At around 2:00 a.m. I drove across the Golden Gate Bridge with Ethel Ennis playing in my car and the windows rolled down. I was one of three cars on the bridge and it was almost as if I had it all to myself.

There's a scene in the movie that shows our four fags leaving San Francisco to this song called "Mr. Wonderful," that underscores Danny's disappointment of not finding the man of his dreams. He's ended his brief fling with Juan and also was rejected by the Boy From Ipanema.

Juan has a flashback, and imagines his father and mother driving with he and his siblings in the backseat. They are in car seats, as this is a black and white flash back of when he was a child. His father is driving where Greg drives. His mother sits where Tony sits, and his two brothers sit next to him with this song "Mr. Wonderful" playing which symbolizes Juan vieing his father as Mr. Wonderful.

Plus, we learn more about old man Sydney and Gale in the PT Cruiser. They are celebrating their 60th anniversary by retracing a trip they took when they were young. I want Celeste Holm to be Gale. That would be so cool.

Then we intercut to shots of Pablo, the boy from ipanema, with his surfboard looking for a street address. Then cut to Danny's patient who is still in a coma to Pablo knocking on the door only to have his Mr. Wonderful, a very good-looking black man who he hitchhiked to be with, greet him with opened arms, while Greg watches Danny in the back seat feeling sorry for himself. The song MR. WONDERFUL by Ethel Ennis continues to play here, and symbolizes how Greg and Danny are each others Mr. Wonderful as they are now no longer embarrassed to display effection in public.

The Camera pulls away from the BMW they are in as they continue North across the Golden Gate Bridge and we see an aerial shot of San Francisco and the ending of the song that goes something like this... Mr. Wonderful... Mr. Wonderful... Mr. Wonderful... I... Love... you.... with a ditty of "I left my heart in San Francisco."

The details are what I feel are the important part of the trip. My characters have more depth now, and their arcs are fully realized.

I'm at a Starbucks near Redding, CA this morning blogging my adventures from last night.

I was terribly windy last night. Late last night, I almost got trapped in that HUGE fire! OMG I thought I was going to burn alive. I took a detour when the 580 was shut down. There was a HUGE fire. The kind you see on TV but I have never seen one like this in person. It was massive. The dark skies were blazing in a red hue. I whipped out my video camera and started filming my dairy. I took a gravel road but it got so windy I couldn't see anything in front of me and at one point stopped out of fear I would hit something.

I got lost when I turned down another deserted dirt road and then saw flaming debris dropping all around me. I turned around and went back the other way but couldn't find the road I was on. The only thing I could see was the fire not more that 1000 yards away to the East. My instinct told me to retrace where I had come and to not go any further. So I turned around again and stumbled upon these alien-like tractors out of a Steven Spielberg movie. I was scared! I thought I had found a government experiment. It was so surreal. These huge spider-tractors were lined up in rows with bright lights harvesting human bodies. Well, that's my writers imagination. But they were out there doing something and it really looked like a scene out of Close Encounters of a Third Kind.

The only thing I could think of was that I had somehow managed to escape being burned alive only to get abducted by aliens.

So I turned around again and finally the 580 was reopened and I drove through the flaming hills. Wow! I filmed a lot of but my battery died.

Leave it to Ted Williams to get lost even with a GPS system.

I may add this to my movie where they get lost when Tony is driving and the others are sleep. He uses the GPS and they end up narrowly escaping a fire that confuesses Tony. When the smoke clears and the others wake up, they end up in Montana.

More scenes to come! And the script is nearly complete!

How long does it take a queen to get dressed? Sep 19, 2006 01:03PM
I've revised a scene from yesterday and wrote three new ones that I will blog today. In this scene, Juan is showing signs of wanting to take his own life. Danny is showing his character misbehavior. Tony can't find his iron. And Greg thinks he may need a face lift after noticing he has crows feet. <
BR> Here is the newly revised version.

INT. GREG AND TONY’S HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Greg and Tony get dressed for dinner.

TONY
Have you seen the iron?

INT. DANNY’S HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Danny uses the iron he stole from Tony to press his shirt. He steams over it compulsively. Then sets the iron up and opens his suitcase. Every item of clothing is folded as if brand new. But when Danny sees a wrinkled shit he gets upset and dumbs the entire contents of the suitcase onto the bed.

EXT. JUAN’S HOTEL ROOM BALCONY - NIGHT

Juan places an old black & white picture of his father on the patio table, then lights a candles and incense. He sits in a chair and meditates. A WIDER angle reveals he is nude.

INT. GREG AND TONY’S HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Tony throws everything out of his suitcase searching for the iron. Greg looks at himself in the mirror looking for any signs of wrinkles.

GREG
I have crows feet.
(turns to Tony)
Do I look old?

TONY
(ignoring Greg)
Where’s my fucking iron!

Greg turns back to the mirror and examines the wrinkles on his face. He’s a relatively young-looking man but through his eyes, he only sees the flaws of aging. He grabs his face with both hands and stretches his skin back.

GREG
Maybe I should have some work done.

INT. DANNY’S HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Danny refolds all of his shirts neatly. Obsessed with the task. He folds them perfectly, almost as if they were fresh off the store shelve.

EXT. JUAN’S HOTEL ROOM BALCONY - NIGHT

Juan climbs up on the balcony rail and looks down at the jagged cliffs below. He closes his eyes and looks as if he’s about to jump. A KNOCK on the door stops him.

INT. JUAN’S HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Juan answers the door standing naked. It’s Danny, Tony and Greg, fully dressed. They look at Juan strangely.

JUAN
Yes?

TONY
Aren’t you dressed yet?

Juan looks down and notices he’s naked.


COMING UP NEXT, SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN GREG ASKS TONY TO DANCE, AND, JUAN LEARNS DANNY'S REAL AGE. PLUS, DANNY AND JUAN HOOK UP?!
NEXT
How long does it take a queen to get dressed? Sep 19, 2006 12:55PM
I've revised a scene from yesterday and wrote three new ones that I will blog today. In this scene, Juan is showing signs of wanting to take his own life. Danny is showing his character misbehavior. Tony can't find his iron. And Greg thinks he may need a face lift after noticing he has crows feet. <
BR> Here is the newly revised version.

INT. GREG AND TONY’S HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Greg and Tony get dressed for dinner.

TONY
Have you seen the iron?

INT. DANNY’S HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Danny uses the iron he stole from Tony to press his shirt. He steams over it compulsively. Then sets the iron up and opens his suitcase. Every item of clothing is folded as if brand new. But when Danny sees a wrinkled shit he gets upset and d