More on Pandora...and a movie pitch

So I mentioned Pandora.com in my last blog. I think I sold it short saying it's for indie/alternative rock. It's great for every type of music. Here's how it works: you type in a band's name on the website, and it automatically creates a radio station featuring that band and similar artists. Most of the bands you will never have heard of before. I first checked it out by putting in Red Hot Chili Peppers. From there I got kind of addicted and added like 10 bands. The coolest thing about it is all the stations stay saved, so now when I log in, I can choose which station to play, or I can play a compilation station, which is perfect, because it mixes all the statoins together. I've got a Roots station and a Talking Heads station and a few others, so it turns out to be a pretty sweet mix. And it's 100% free. I highly recommend it.

Since it's a Sunday and I have to go to work tomorrow, let's pitch a quick movie idea.

Picture Matthew Simon. He was president of his high school, went to a great college, grad school, works at a law firm, etc... Basically he has his shit together. Well now he's a little down in the dumps (girfriend broke up with him, got passed up for a promotion, some other stuff that I don't really want to go in to). Anyway, he kind of snaps, thinking how he spent his whole life preparing for the next thing. He was that guy who always had things planned out, always needed a reason for things. Now he is sitting in his old bedroom at his parent's house, flipping through his high school yearbook, wondering what went wrong. Fast forward to what's gonna happen in the movie:

He and three of his old buddies who haven't really done much with their lives end up going back to their old high school as teachers. Matthew is principal, his nerdy poindexter friend becomes the geometry teacher, his jock friend becomes football coach/gym teacher, and his smart stoner buddy ends up teaching history. Oh, and this sleazeball guy who tags along becomes the janitor.

Now, my original idea would have been for like, a total comedy. Picture Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrell, etc, playing the roles, or maybe the guys from Super Troopers. Instead, it might be a bit more serious, instead of just goofball funny. This is for 2 reasons. 1. Matthew realizes how these high school kids are falling for the same stuff he did, taking things too seriously, always looking ahead instead of enjoying the moment and 2. Because all the characters get something out of it in the end. The geometry teacher gets confidence by proving to himself that he is smart and he can talk in front of people and stuff. The stoner buddy gets really into history. He never had to try before so this gives him some direction. He is the one that ends up staying and being a teacher after the end of the movie. The ex-jock meathead guy gets back into shape and stops reliving his glory days (this guy was wearing his varsity jacket 12 years after the fact), and the sleazeball janitor gets to oogle high school chicks.

Oh, and furthermore, Susan, our old buddy Matthew Simon gets some meaning out of his life, and probably falls in love with some blonde science teacher who happens to be smoking hot.