Check out my Hollywood bucket list

Posted Tuesday, July 23, 2013 at 5:24 PM Central
Last updated Tuesday, July 23, 2013 at 5:25 PM Central

by John Couture

It's funny what the birth of a child will do to you. Heck, even the impending birth of your second (and last!) child will make you pause and take stock of things.

On the one hand, you have the hope of a new life and all of the things that he (or she, but in my case he) will experience for the first time. But on the other hand, you start to think about your own life and everything that you've accomplished and things that you always thought you'd get to, you know, eventually.

It doesn't help that my son's impending birth next month is dangerously close to my 39th birthday in December, which is literally only a year from 40. EEK! I mean, where are those flying cars already?

I have been very fortunate in my life and my chosen profession has given me the opportunity to meet several people that I otherwise wouldn't have gotten to meet, such as Patrick Swayze, Danny Glover and that adorable dog from The Artist.

Heck, I even got to share the stage and introduce my idol Kevin Smith before his screening of Red State at my alma mater Butler University.

So yeah, I've lived a pretty charmed life and I don't have any complaints thus far, but as the quote from one of my favorite films of all time goes, "get busy living, or get busy dying." Well, I'm not ready to get busy dying, so I figured that it was time to come up with a bucket list for the next 40 years.

You might recall that I created a pop culture bucket list back in 2009 and sadly the only thing that I can cross off that list since then was the studio backlot tour. That list is great and it's still one that I'm planning to revisit from time to time, but I thought it was important to come up with an industry specific bucket list.

This is a list of things on my Hollywood bucket list. I've listed them in order from what I perceive to be the least challenging to the most challenging. I really think I could knock out a bunch of these fairly easily. Now it's just a matter of getting motivated and doing it.

You know, as I was thinking about this, I realized that this bucket list has so much in common with Jimmy Buffett's song, "A Pirate Looks at 40." So, if you want a little musical accompaniment as you read the list, simply hit play below.

1. Attend San Diego Comic Con

   This one's pretty timely, eh? As Hollywood has slowly taken over Comic Con to promote their upcoming films and TV shows, this event has me more and more intrigued. Not being a true comic book geek, I think I would have felt a bit like a fraud in the past, but now I say that I can walk those halls without shame of not knowing the difference between adamantium and the Atom-Smasher.

   True story: Atom-Smasher just popped into my head as something that sounds like a comic book character. As it turns out, three different Marvel characters have shared that moniker. Who knew?

   Beyond movies, tv shows and comic books, it really is a pop culture extravaganza. Heck, I just found out today that my favorite author Chuck Palahniuk announced a graphic novel sequel to his book turned movie Fight Club at this past weekend's Comic Con.

   My mind is officially blown.

2. Cover the Sundance Film Festival

   Whether in an official capacity or simply as festival goer who reports on the the goings-on at the Sundance Film Festival, this should be rather attainable. A plane ticket Salt Lake City and a few nights in a posh Sundance lodge and I will be good to go.

   Did I mention that I love the snow and the idea of Utah in January is something that I dream about? It would be an added bonus if we could actually get credentials for the site, but it would simply be fun just to attend the film festival and watch some great independent films.

3. Be a Walk-on or Extra in a Kevin Smith film

   I know. I really do know. I've had so many amazing once in a lifetime memories with Kevin Smith that I shouldn't push my luck. Sure, I could adopt that attitude and have a so-so back 40 or I could reach for the stars.

   Call me a sappy dreamer and an idealist, but I'm going for it. Actually, this probably won't be too difficult to fulfill either. When he announced Clerks III, Kevin mentioned that the script calls for a ton of extras in a couple of different scenes.

   While that certainly excites me with the possible direction of the film, it also makes me happy that I can probably cross this item off the bucket list with a simple trip to the set of Clerks III, if and when it ever gets made.

4. Attend a Hollywood Premiere

   I suppose this one is really just a case of having enough cash in the old bank account, what with Kickstarter these days. It's one thing to simply buy your way to a Hollywood Premiere, but it's a completely different experience to be invited.

   At least I would think so.

   Either way, it would be cool to walk the red carpet and have that Hollywood star experience, even if just for one night.

5. Attend the Cannes Film Festival

   I know, this one is very similar to the one above for Sundance, but let's face it, getting to Southern France is a lot harder than Utah. Of course, the wife would be much more agreeable to Southern France in May than she would Utah in January.

   Hmm, maybe I need to work Cannes into our eventual European vacation. As long as it doesn't end up like this.

6. Attend the Academy Awards

   I've got this killer tux just taking up space in our closet. What better time to break it out than to take in the Academy Awards?

   Who am I kidding? I don't have a tux, but if I did I suppose that would increase my chances of attending the Oscars. I think it would be a great event to take in and who knows maybe I'll have occasion to actually be there one day.

7. Party with Robert Downey Jr. Seth Rogen

   Who doesn't want to party all night with a famous Hollywood bad boy? The only problem is that the bad boys are all getting to old to party all night. My first choice was infamous party rocker Robert Downey Jr., but Tim tells me that he's since cleaned up his ways.

   Well, I suppose I have to aim a bit younger. I think a night of partying with Seth Rogen and his crew would be rather interesting. Or, you know, we'd stay in a smoke a bunch of weed and wait for the world to end. Either way, it's definitely a once in a lifetime experience to be sure.

8. Play hockey with Jerry Bruckheimer

   The Pirates of the Caribbean and Armageddon producer is a huge hockey fan. I also happen to know that he frequently skates with a men's league team out in L.A. I know this because someone that I used to play with down here in Nashville moved out to the West Coast and he's played with Jerry Bruckheimer numerous times.

   Of course, I'm not getting any younger (nor is Bruckheimer), so if I want to cross this one off my list, I'll have to move fast.

9. Dinner with Christopher Nolan

   I actually debated long and hard about whether to make this one or the next one the hardest on my bucket list. Let's face it Christopher Nolan is not exactly an easy guy to get dinner with these days, if ever. But as Tim rightly pointed out, it's really just a matter of money and the right connections.

   Which is really true for both of the last two items, it's just that dinner would be a lot cheaper. Who wouldn't want to pick the brain of the man who gave us some of the finest films this century? Maybe, I'll finally be able to find out if the top ever stops spinning in Inception.

10. Get one of my screenplays produced

    You might not know this about me, but I fancy myself a screenplay writer. The only problem is that none of my screenplays have ever been optioned, let along produced. I would say though that selling one of my scripts would the pinnacle of this bucket list.

    Of course, if I were really lucky, I could kill a few birds with this one stone if the film went on to have a Hollywood premiere and perhaps get nominated for an Oscar or two. You never know.

So, what do you think? Did I get the order right? What items would be on your Hollywood bucket list?