Elton Brand is cool

Speaking of Elton Brand's involvement with Werner Herzog's film about Dieter Dengler, some schmoe from the Associated Press interviewed Mr. Brand.

There is the hoary stereotype about athletes being idiots, but I would never place Mr. Brand in that category, especially after reading this interview. Too bad the Bulls traded him away for, basically, Michael Sweetney and some snacks.

Here's an excerpt:

LA Daily News - Clippers star Elton Brand is a Hollywood player on and off court:


Elton Brand: I write — I write a lot of stuff — and I actually wrote a screenplay.

AP: Wow, what's it about?

Brand: Well I wrote a few — I don't want to give it away. There are some talented people that could take it up real fast.
AP: Ah, intellectual property and all that.

Brand: Yeah, intellectual property rights, copyright infringement, things like that. So my good friend and partner in Gibraltar Entertainment is (nightclub owner) Steve Marlton, and he said, “Why don't we make a production company?” I was like, “OK.” But we had no projects, so we were searching for projects, and “Little Dieter Needs to Fly” was a documentary that I fell in love with.

AP: What is it about movies that appeals to you?

Brand: Just that you can take your mind to a different place. It's like an escape — even if it's a scary movie and you're fearful, or a romantic movie and you're sad, or a comedy and you're laughing. I enjoy that aspect of watching movies and moviemaking.

AP: So growing up, you must have loved movies.

Brand: Growing up, we didn't have cable or nothing. There was cable in Peekskill (N.Y.), but I didn't have it. But when I got the opportunity to go to the movies, it was a special treat.

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