Oh, it's the wild life

It was my birthday this week! I decided to just get myself a cake. Of course, it was more icing than cake, but you know it wouldn't have been a birthday without icing! It was good to see family at a new Mexican food place ON THE BORDER where once upon a time PIZZA RANCH used to be which was buffet style. The Mexican food place took all that out. Their bar menu has no prices and the place is practically run by teenagers and a few college students (or so it seems). It was very busy and we went on a weeknight. It took us 30 minutes to be seated. We got there at 6 and didn't leave til 8. The waitress would dash about. Took us over an hour to get our food. She kept bringing gigantic chips and spicy salsa. Honestly, everything was good but the cheese enchiladas. And I was a good girl I didn't drink anything alcoholic. Of course, we will go back. Someone gave me a gift card for the place.

 

Recently, I found an interview with Ilan Mitchell-Smith about his first film WILD LIFE in 1984 by Cameron Crowe.

It was his first film. He'd been scouted in a ballet studio one summer when he was in NYC taking dance lessons and staying with family there. He's originally from Masschutes. Although, the film starred Eric Stolz (as his old brother) and Chris Penn along with Jenny Wright and Leah Thompson. Iian was just 14 at the time and his story might have only been a side story at the time. Although, from a film class POV, he was the story. 

Sure this was a story of the party life, but there was the coming of age of someone who really wanted to know what it was like in war and all he could think of was guns and ammo, being tough. While Ilan was no Jim as in the story....it does mark how youth is still resilient and how often chaos can be created so easily in their hands. He really acted the part. He didn't even smoke. Of course, he kept saying all through the interview that he knew he wasn't a good actor. Yet that didn't show in the film. His vibe made me think a lot of REM's ITS THE END OF THE WORLD youth. Although, in this film, the music score was by Eddie Van Halen (another reason to watch this film!)

Another thing is seeing how he is the Outsider and realizing the world is not as one might seem. Near the end he watches the girl who he thought was his brother's perfect girlfriend, making out with the cop who is always stopping by at the donut shop where she works. However, Crowe gave the character a way to find his own way in the end without hurting himself or others.