JOHN LANDIS

The Beverly Hilton

Beverly Hills, CA

April 27, 2015

Photo credit: John Landis

I was sitting in a nondescript conference room at a plush Beverly Hills hotel. The beige walls, carpet, and chairs weren’t doing anything to enhance this setting but my ears were so impressed by the fantastic sound system that my eyes didn’t care. Superstar record producer, songwriter, and musician David Foster was playing the piano, taking us through some of his greatest hits and—really? He wrote that song too? Man! He’s good.

He’d just wrapped up his performance and, as people were milling about, I looked to my side and saw a familiar face. Oh perfect, John Landis.

I said hi. He smiled and said hi, then I jumped right in. “This is kinda weird, but I have this celebrity photo album.” He was relaxed and listening. “It's just a bunch of pictures of me taken by celebrities. Will you take my picture?” He chuckled and said, “Sure.”

Now let’s pause and review the events to this point: John Landis—award-winning director of such monumental comedy blockbusters as The Blues Brothers, National Lampoon’s Animal House, Trading Places, and my personal favorite, Three Amigos! chuckled at my idea. That may not sound like a big deal to some but in my eyes, he’s worked with the cream of the comedic crop. I’m sure he’s heard a couple of funny things in his day, but lucky for me, this idea was new, and it seemed to catch him off guard.

I handed him my camera and his instinct to direct kicked in. With his eye locked on the viewfinder, he said, “Okay, tilt your head up.”

I did.

"A little more."

I did.

“Okay, down.”

I did.

“Just a little.”

I corrected it and brought it back up.

“Now up again.”

Haha!

“More.”

Click.

Yay!

We were both laughing as he handed my camera back. Even though I barely moved during our short time together it was an honor to be directed by Mr. Landis. He’s bossed around some of the best: Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Dan Akroyd, Martin Short—and let’s not forget that epic music video he directed: Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

Thanks for joining me in some spontaneous silliness, John. With little effort, you were able to elevate our ordinary encounter into a sparkling and memorable moment. Bless you and your Midas touch.