Guest-blogger John August with more on 'The Nines'

Screenwriter John August (Go, Big Fish) is but two weeks away from the premiere of his directorial debut, The Nines. He's been filing PopWatch updates periodically to describe the process. (You should also check in on his frequently fascinating blog.) In today's installment: Venice, scheduling, cannibals, and pirates.

The Nines opens August 31st in New York and Los Angeles. By coincidence (really), we have our international premiere three days later at the Venice Film Festival, where we're the sole American film in Critics' Week.

That seems like a lovely bit of timing, but it's been a logistical nightmare. In the space of ten days, we have a press day in Los Angeles, a press day in New York, a press day in Venice, three Q&A screenings, a director's commentary, and four photo shoots. Ryan Reynolds will be visiting Conan O'Brien, TRL, and a bunch of other New York media — but we still need him in Los Angeles to do other press. Melissa will have to squeeze in appearances between shooting her new TV show. Venice is out of the question for her.

And then there are the non-Nines variables: babysitting grandparents, geriatric pugs, and the Tim Burton retrospective I want to attend. Plus eight more lessons of Pimsleur Italian, so I can politely explain why I'm throwing myself in a canal.

It all feels like one of those brain-teaser logic problems, where you need to transport people in canoes across a river — but some of them are cannibals, who can't outnumber you. (I'm honestly not sure who the cannibals are in this metaphor. And whatever happened to Fine Young Cannibals? They were great.)

I'm still getting the update e-mails about press reactions. I was relieved to find that Zink magazine liked the movie — but too late for the September issue. Oh well. Now I'll never have to find out what Zink magazine is.

What's been a little surprising to me is how many people are getting screener copies on DVD. Since Sundance, I've been pretty ruthless about keeping track of the three official DVDs, in order to lessen the chances of the movie showing up online before it hits theaters.
But the publicity people are a lot less reluctant to share, and so far, nothing's shown up where it shouldn't. (That's not a dare, by the way. Thanks.)

Tickets for the exclusive L.A. screening at Landmark's Nuart Theater are on sale now, at all the usual places (MovieTickets.com, Moviefone). The 7:30 p.m. screening on August 31st is the Q&A, which is selling out. If you want any questions answered about the movie, or my appreciation of FYC, that's your chance.