Andrew McCarthy, who began with "St. Elmo's Fire," "Pretty in Pink" and recently did "Lipstick Jungle," is doing things like walking across Spain, kayaking in the Arctic, sailing the Amazon. And now writing, directing, producing his own movies. But, first, he's out next month in Roadside Attractions' "The Good Guy." Explains Andrew: "It's about ambitious young Manhattanites who want it all. I play their boss. The one who s - - - s on them." (Nice good guy phrase, no?) Like a Mamet character. "Like maybe Alec Baldwin in 'Glen-garry Glen Ross.'

"I also directed a 'Gossip Girl' segment, which is on in March. We filmed on New York streets, which means you just point the camera and stand there or get out of the way because suddenly a taxi's racing through your shot. New York location shooting is terrific for filmmakers but a headache for pedestrians or anyone who lives on the block.

"Working with these young actors is different from when I started 20 years ago. You say, 'Go over here,' they go over there. They know exactly what to do. Very savvy. Very conscious of their careers, they take it more seriously than we did. In my day, we just worked to get the next job.

"And I have a boy of 7 and a girl of 3. Work is the easy part, raising them is what's hard. More demanding than your work days. When I grew up in Jersey things were easy. Home by 6, and that's it. Now kids have schedules. They're so overcared for. Last night I attended a PTA meeting, another meeting the other day. Parenting is a full-time job.

"My new thing is my own movie, 'Blink of an Eye,' where a fellow with the world by the tail ends up killing the man who mugged him. I wrote it. I'm also directing. If you're the one driving it, if it's your act of will, you're the one who has to push it and get the money up for it. So I'm now discovering I'm also the producer."