AL: Plot Concept -- The Band

In Almost Lynched the constant sub theme, besides Frank's development, is what happens to the band over the course of the film. The short answer is: Not much good. They eventually break up (duh!), and after trying to change styles -- What if CSNY went Glam? or Punk? -- they fall apart airing their idiotic childish grievances, as if they were the "cause" of the bands breakup, when they are really the end after effects. But in this film, failure isn't as evil and harsh as it might be in other venues. There are always comebacks, if you ever built a fan base to begin with. You can usually find some ground to work with some members of the band in some way. Hell, even Paul and John had moments of non hatred. Paul and George even held on briefly to work in 1994-5. The great lesson that Frank could have learned from hanging out with the band is that you can be a total fuck up and somehow have everything still work out. He never gets that. Many of us don't!

AL: Characters -- The Women

I find it interesting that the only person who really changes over the course of AL is Frank, and this change is not in a good way. The two major female leads think that they can interact with Frank and transform themselves through this interaction, but this does not become true. They both underestimate how much they determine their own fates, through their own actions, and not through what might be called a traditional female "supportive" role.

Eva, in particular, is a person who is stuck in a particular moment. It's as if achieving a personal "nirvana" means that's it, you'll not need to change anymore. Eva senses that she will fall behind the times soon, and thinks Frank is a 'divining rod' for the future, but Eva will see that 1.) he is not, and 2.) she still likes the self she has established so she couldn't get rid of her defining traits.

Evil Mrs. Partridge, (EMP) despite constantly hanging around artists, doesn't really like them. She hasn't seen one whom she doesn't think is either slow-witted or gullible, which are terms that arouse a lot of disgust in her. She realizes that Frank is neither of those and yet, she perceives his artistic temperment, and latches onto him in an effort to create a more sensitively attuned version of herself. She can't grasp that Frank may have a sensitive sense of perception, but this doesn't make him any more caring about others than she is.

Still more to come about these two.

AL: Characters -- Frank.

One of the things I like about the central character of Frank is that he is the only character really internally driven. Everyone else is driven by what they do in life; Frank, by what's in his head. Have you ever met someone who has a remarkably clear set of life goals, but who is never happy? No matter what they accomplish, it always turns out to disappoint them. This constant disappointment never, I repeat never, causes them to think the problem may be them. Here is how they learn how evil the world is! Frank is like this.

What interests me is what his mind set inspires in others. Eva thinks he can be "saved", Evil Mrs. Partridge thinks he just needs to "learn what reality is." Both approaches are doomed to failure, even though they couldn't come from more different premises. This never stops people from trying...

More on the ladies next.

Almost Lynched, the first Couch Buddha film

This first film idea was inspired by both Almost Famous and Blue Velvet. I like Cameron Crowe's sweet story of a young lad who follows a band around gets those Valuable Life Lessons, but I've wondered this: What if the boy who gets exposed to Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll doesn't come out all sugar-spun and happy? What if he comes out like....Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet? Perverse, angry, totally messed up inside and willing to blame his being in the wrong place (with a band) at the wrong time, (late '60's, early '70's) rather than admit that it was him. Almost Lynched is our story. In this post let's just describe our characters.

The Band

Our band is a kinda of 3rd rate Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young clone. They think they're striving for social relevance, but they haven't really thought about things that much. They're in it for the money and chicks, really, but they bring themselves to admit that. In the band are:

The Lead Singer -- Handsome, but as much as he thinks he is, and he can sing, but not as good as he thinks he is here either. He can play the guitar, but he's a poet and thinks that that's beneath him, despite counter -examples like Dylan. He's the object of desire of the groupies.

The Rhythm Guitarist -- The most talented member of the group, he thinks if he's just great that rewards will come his way. Yes, he believes that.

The Bass Player -- Been with the two guitarists forever, but hates rock and wishes he were a jazz soloist. Not enough guts to leave the band or be a soloist, so here he is!

The Drummer -- Implacable, inscrutable, kinda like Charlie Watts only more laconic.



The Others

Evil Ms. Partridge -- She drives the bus, she manages the group, and is taking them for every penny. Take every story you've ever heard about corrupt band management, and put it here.

Frank -- Our lead. Nervous, anxious, he just knows in his heart that the right combo of drugs, women and music will bring him to a higher state of being. He's a great guitar tech, and makes the group sound better than they are. He could care less.

Eva -- Sublimely beautiful lead groupie of a pack of groupies who define themselves in a pack hierarchy. Eva sets the aesthetic character of the group, and symbolically represents a truly sexually powerful woman whose great flaw is that she is eternally stuck in 1968.


This is just to start us off. I have a lot of this in my head and more will emerge.

What is the sound of one camera shooting?

Although those of you who've known me for awhile have known of this, Fluffy Stuffin would like to formally introduce Couch Buddha Enterprises, the film making wing of The Vast Fluffy Empire, which at the moment, is on the other side of broke. This means things can only look up! (and see the falling Acme safe heading straight for us!)

Couch Buddha right now is about the writing of screenplays that I intend to direct, by any means possible. These have rattled around the noodle for quite some time and it's time to start writing them out at length. I don't think offhand that I'll be putting them up here, for much the same reason I'll quit putting the novel up here as well; no one seems to be all that interested, except Herr Dinners, for whose support and comments I will always be grateful. But there's our Icon at the top of the page, sublime, stoked on coffee and on the phone! Our ideal! As I progress, I'll let you know where things are at. If folks are interested in what filmic ideas I've got, I may indeed discuss them, just let me know.

Ronaldo