Getting Into the Tim Crowd

May 25, 2005

Academy Award winning actor/producer/director Tim Robbins paid a visit to the show today. Howard said one of his favorite things about Tim is that he calls him every once in a while making him feel like he was part of Tim’s whole cool crowd. Howard wanted to know what Tim’s wife, Susan Sarandon, thought of him because he got the impression she might not like him that much. Tim said that was not true, she’s not a big fan of the show like he is, but she does not dislike him. Howard also thought Susan was Tim’s key to being in the cool crowd, but Tim said that he’s known most of the people like Julia Roberts and Sean Penn since before he started dating her. Howard wanted to know how he could get into a cool crowd like Tim and then spy on everyone and talk about them with Robin. Tim thought it started before he became famous and had to do with the way he treated people on his way up. Howard said that explained why he wasn’t in the same circles as Tim, but said he was going to start being nice to everyone from now on. Tim talked a little about vacationing with people like Julia Roberts, Sean Penn and Bruce Springsteen and mentioned a birthday party he threw for Susan in the Bahamas a few years ago. Howard wanted to know what he had to do to be invited to the Bahamas with the Robbins/Sarandons. Howard thought he probably had to go to Africa and cure AIDS. He said the only person in his “crowd” was John Stamos and that didn’t seem to be helping any. He asked Tim if his recent efforts to save the rhinos would help and Tim thought it might, but also suggested that getting arrested would be a big plus with his friends. Howard switched gears and asked about Tim’s current project. He read that Tim put up $500,000 of his own money to produce a film he can’t find a distributor for. Howard wondered why he felt the need to work since he must be set for life. Tim claimed overhead as the reason, mainly family. Howard continued to quiz Tim about his finances for a while before finally hitting on the real key to getting into Tim’s crowd: a hybrid car. Tim said he has one and gets 55 miles to the gallon. Howard knew immediately that this was what he needed to be accepted by the Hollywood elite. Howard talked a little about how hot he thought Sean Penn’s wife, Robin Wright Penn was and wanted to know if Tim had ever hung out at their house, (he hasn’t). Howard said because Sean once compared him to Osama Bin Laden, Tim might have to choose between Howard and Sean.

Embedded With Tim

Howard asked Tim about his current project, “Embedded Live”. This started out as a play Tim wrote, starred in and directed which ran in New York, London and LA. Tim said they filmed the play with 9 cameras and put effects into it so it looks more like a movie than a play now. Unfortunately, there are no hot chicks in it, so Howard suggested a “Girls Gone Wild” version. Tim said the DVD is available for purchase through his Website and through Netflix.com. Howard thought Tim chose this way of getting the film out because he couldn’t find a distributor, but Tim said that was not the case. He is distributing “Embedded Live” this way because it allows him to retain primary ownership of a project that is very near and dear to him. It is also a good example of how the Internet is changing the movie business. By developing grass root support for a film prior to signing a distribution deal, it helps prove the project’s value. Especially for a film that contains political content that might make some studios nervous. Robin said she saw the play and highly recommended it. Howard read an article that seemed to say that Tim had apologized to the Bush administration for some critical comments he had made. Tim said that article was not true and reiterated that he has never apologized for any criticisms he may have made of the Bush administration. He said the reporter asked if he would like to retract what he said about the Bush administration being “chicken hawks” and he refused, but the next day the reporter wrote that he had anyway. Tim has also had a run-in with NY Daily News gossip columnist, Lloyd Grove, who wrote something about his kids. Tim told Grove never to write about his kids again, (and he hasn’t). Howard said he had a similar experience with the same guy. Howard talked a little about Tim’s films and the fact that he has two Oscars which he keeps in his bathroom. He said he keeps them there in hopes they’ll mate. Howard couldn’t understand why he hides his awards. Howard won a Blockbuster Video Award for “Private Parts” that he keeps out in the middle of his apartment with special lighting. He said that, during his single days, he would walk his dates by it a couple times and it always got him lucky. Howard then went back to trying to get into Tim’s circle of friends, adding that he has slept with a black woman and gave some money to a homeless guy a few weeks ago. He even threw in the (made up) fact that his apartment is powered by solar power to sweeten the deal.