On May 3, I had the pleasure of attending an intimate screening of "Lovers, Liars and Lunatics" directed, written and starring Amber Benson. It's about a dysfunctional family whose path crosses with two equally dysfunctional burglars. I recommend renting, netflixing or attending a screening to get far more than my review could give.

After the screening, Ms. Benson herself took the floor to answer questions from the audience ranging from experience versus education (she prefers the education where you get experience), to film locations (this film was shot at her then home and her exact words were "Don't shoot where you eat,"). When asked about the pros and cons of directing, she answered that being the boss of the project counted as both. Other highlights included: riding a seesaw with a grip for "OMWF," breaking her foot on a garbage can before being offered a role on the SciFi channel, and her favorite scene to direct: a heart-wrenching monologue about salt and vinegar chips from the screened movie. It ain't about chips, but alone is worth the price of admission.

Afterwards, I had the unbelievable luck of accompanying her to dinner and getting to speak with her more privately. One of the more interesting tidbits she passed along were lessons from Steven Soderbergh and Joss Whedon in the form of "cast well" and "have fun," respectively. She also discussed her love of the writers, which I will summarize as such:

1. David Fury and Drew Greenburg are very fun to hang out with.
2. Tim Minear is one of the most talented people she has ever worked with--given her peers this is a damned heavy and humbling statement.
3. Danny Strong turns everything he touches into gold. From turning a tertiary character into a favorite, to arranging lasting relationships, to "Recount."
4. Jane Espenson is painfully shy. At which point I interrupted and went into a tirade on what a crime it was that Jane could deny the world her voice. I know: the writing, but call me greedy if I want more in the form of talk-y words.

The only Tara-talk I could bring myself to ask was if it was true that the original Tara was supposed to be elf/sprite like and cast as such. She confirmed this and revealed that it was Marti Noxon who came in with the brilliant casting move (she also cast Alexis) and added to Marti's already badazzed cred.

After all was finished, I can only say that Amber is a genuine and talented person, and I am better off for having spent an evening with her. I can't thank Amber and Michelle and all my other awesome dinner guests enough for making a tiny dream come true.



p.s. Amber enjoys "Rock of Love" and we have Adam to thank for this.