Auteur Watch - F. Gary Gray

I've probably said/blogged this before, but you hang around long enough, even in a shark-infested swamp like Hollywood, learn to play the game a little... and BOOM!  You get the coveted job of directing a "Fast and Furious" sequel.  Forgive me... Fast and Furious.  Didn't John Singleton do one of those?  ...why, yes he did!  Thanks, IMDb!  Of course, having a debut like Friday under your belt doesn't exactly hurt, either.  Keep the star happy, keep the producers happy... that's basically the game, and probably its name as well.  Then you can go be an artist.  Once you have enough hits.  Like Spielberg!  Of course, every film a director does is a work of art... even the ones with Marky Mark, I suppose.  But after all the music videos he did, I suppose Be Cool was his little jab at it.  Just a light, loving jab in case he ever has to go back.  I'm sure Elmore Leonard knows more about music videos than F. Gary Gray, but still, I suppose another point of view doesn't hurt.  Or maybe David Fincher was unavailable.
But if his IMDb birthday is to be believed, Mr. Gray is dangerously close to the not-so-nifty age of 50.  Just ask Bowfinger! ...damn my lack of HTML experience.  Note to self: make a billion damn dollars by creating a special HTML tag that says, like... you know, # Go To the Word "Smell".  Ah, who'm I kidding?  Those billionaires keep it all to theyselves.  On the upside, not all these CEOs can afford to give themselves one dollar a year!
And so, Mr. Gray has had two big hits back-to-back: Straight Outta Compton and The Fate of the Furious.  Surely there's one more title to make this a trilogy, you're asking?  Well, the answer is yes, I just found out!  Thanks again, IMDb!  I'm so glad I didn't have to invent you myself... most of the time.  Damn, can't find it.  Never mind.  Anyway, hope he likes sequels and/or spin-offs!  The Powers that Be are firing up a Men in Black spinoff, and Mr. Gray gets to do the first one.  We don't have any cast information yet, but he's probably not too much in control of that.  As long as you come in under budget, ahead of schedule, don't get tired of the Green Screen room, and are able to say it was either like a Clint Eastwood set or a Coen brothers set... you'll do/be just fine.  Do/Be?  Doo-be-doobie doo!  Boy, I hope I don't have that Superflu.  That's one of the signs.  Sorry, Boss, might be calling in sick tomorrow.

(ten minutes later) ...HAH!  Found it.  Oh boy, fresh ravings.  I mean, check THIS guy out!  Either he's the Highlander or... nah, can't be it.  But it could be!  I mean, the Powers that Be that run the IMDb clearly have bigger fish to fry.  I submitted a work ticket for this guy, but still nothing.  Too much of a pain to fix, apparently.  But look at this guy's résumé!  I mean, LOOK AT IT!!!!!!!!  A hundred years old and he's now a sound recordist?  Dang.  Strong union!  Or maybe he's got motel pictures on someone.