1. Most of my heroes are dead. When it comes to music, I hear dead people.
2. The system hammered me down so I wandered the wastelands for 10 years regrouping my thoughts, my ideas, finding my voice again (literally) and waiting for the right time to summon up the inspiration from my guts to want to create again. I now realise that every thing that happened to me was not a curse but rather a gift. It has sharpened my talent and instincts on every level as well as given me the sight to see through false people. My old enemies and those that worked against me, alas, have only succeeded in making me better. Sorry.
3. You don’t appreciate the power of love until you lose it. It takes the giddy highs and severe depths to actually remind us that we are alive. I pity those who sleepwalk through life clinging to “safety” and thus never experience the Great Divine Comedy in all its glory.
4. I am “determined to make each day better than the one before.” Thank you P.F. Sloan and Stephen Kalinich for passing on that wisdom to me.
5. I create. The rest of the time I wait.
6. I have loved many wonderful women in my life and given them all my money. On reflection, It was worth every cent. Maybe.
7. The more you see of Life, the less you know.
8. I love making movies. Especially when they have a real budget.
9. I am blessed to have some truly incredible friends. Some of whom saved my life because they cared more about me than I did.
10. I miss dinner at Guido’s and at Dan Tana’s (L.A) with my friends.
11. I love working with great actors who know their stuff. I love it when they actually listen and allow you to gently guide them to the height of their talent. Phony doesn’t play well. I usually stop actors when I see them “acting.” Nothing better than witnessing the “magic” when it happens. And playing a part in igniting that.
12. My greatest co-production is named Oliver. One day he will realise the truth in that.
13. I love restaurants that have atmosphere. Those secrets places that become cherished destinations.
14. I love people.
15. I no longer allow those filled with darkness to enter my life.
16. I love it when liars tell me something and expect me to believe it.
17. I have a very good in-built shit-detector these days.
18. The past is called that for a reason.
19. I love the Sherlock Holmes Pub in Melbourne. I sit in the Moriarty corner.
20. I miss the all night beer sessions Barry and I enjoyed while we talked until dawn and solved the problems of the world. I used to play Walter Brennan’s album just to annoy him.
21. I miss Santa Barbara and my friends there.
22. I miss a girl I danced with on Venice Beach at sunset, and the world just seemed to go away.
23. It didn’t.
24. Some men kill the thing they love the most.
25. I have a feeling my best years are yet to come. God willing.
26. I miss those nights Tezza and I laughed until we (literally) fell over.
27. I miss Hong Kong and my new friends – whom I’m hoping will be lifelong friends.
28. I miss Joe Banana’s Bar in Wan Chai.
29. I miss Jeff Craig attempting to buy a Popeye’s Chicken Basket on Hollywood Boulevard wearing a Wookie mask. Then going back to Motel 666 to stare at it and tell me it’s too good to eat.
30. I miss those friends who are gone too soon.
31. I miss Marlon Brando who, even when he sleep-walked through a movie, always gave you at least one scene where he showed you who he was. Reminding us all that respect must be paid.
32. I miss Max.
33. I miss Davy Crockett.
34. I miss Mum and Dad.
35. I miss going to the Joint in L.A every Monday night and hearing the Waddy Wachtel Band – arguably the greatest rock’n’roll band in the world.
36. I miss Terry Reid and I singing Anthony Newley after too many drinks. Or maybe not enough.
37. I miss listening to Stan The Man on the radio. Especially when he played tracks from his own record collection and ignored the station’s playlist. Those were the days.
38. I miss the ol’ Smokin’ Wordsmith, Mike Smith, and our trips to Las Vegas that seemed to last for weeks. Or until the money ran out. Oh how we laughed.
39. I miss working with Warren Wills, Kirt Kashita, Mike Brooks, Celina Jade & Stephen Agisilaou on creating some magic. Thanks for understanding the organic process I go through to create. I don’t do formula.
40. I miss listening to the words of wisdom of Dr. Phil Whelan who prescribed me tequila.
41. I’ve been trying to find my way home for such a long time.
42. I miss Breaking Bad.
(c) Frank Howson 2014
