24 hours of TV for THAT????

Granted I'm a little slow on the uptake here but my wife and I just spent a few weeks watching the entire first season of 24. And I'm pissed, though it may be a symptom of watching a whole television series like it was a movie.

Now, first let me say that I really liked most of the series. It seems to fall somewhere between a James Bond movie and the X-Files. I'm not a big fan of Bond, but I was of X, and I have to say were it not for the season finale of 24 Season 1 - I would be of this.

Here's my problem (and in case you're as remedial as I am in your television watching, consider this a SPOILER alert. ) The season runs it's course, Jack's family is in danger, they're out of danger, Jack's going to kill Senator Palmer, he saves senator Palmer, Jack's family is BACK in danger, Jack's still going to kill Senator Palmer... Up, down, up down, suspense, suspense, suspense, minor resolution, more suspense, more suspense, more suspense. They did a pretty good job of it. Sure there were a few things that strained credulity, but what the hell, it a TV show.

Then they get to the last episode and we're on a roller coaster ride to a happy ending.

Then they kill Jack's wife - OFF CAMERA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I mean WTF????????????? Number one, they killed a sympathetic character. Number two it was the story telling version of being raped. (Hey, we've gotten you this far, 24 hours of edge of your seat television down the road and just when you've fallen in love with these characters and just when you thought it was going to turn out well, F.U. I mean if we were writing it, Luke Skywalker wouldn't have blown up the Death Star and Leia would have been killed by Chewbacca. ) AND They did it off camera. God damnit. Talk about an anti-climax.

Then again, it could turn out to be like the moment Bruce Wayne's family is killed thus turning him into Batman.

I'll probably watch Season 2.

Sigh.

Posting Has Been Slow

Posting has been slow of late, not, I realize, that it's ever been brisk. But having a new child along with all the other things I do that keep me in the lavish lifestyle I'm used to living have taken it's toll on my writing time. And it's taken it's toll on my thinking time - which is what leads to writing.

Actually, I've been wanting to blog about a TV series - long canceled that I'd heard about and Netflixed on DVD called Wonderfalls. It was great - really a nice little quirky series that was well done but alas didn't fit into the current reality/cop/lawyer/doctor show that fills television these day.

I'm also watching the first season of 24 which I was resistant to watch though now I'm hooked.

I sent out a couple of DVDs the other day and they vanished in the mail. It's not the first time this has happened, though this time the envelope and cover letter actually made to the addressee, just the DVDs were missing.

Sleep, sleep, I need sleep

Sleep... new baby in the house - need sleep... arrgghhhh...

The Conversation I'm hearing

I've always been an eavesdropper. I love to listen to conversations in public places. I've always been like this every before my play writing teacher in college told us this was a good way to learn dialogue - to learn how people talk.

So right now I'm in a coffee shop - my favorite coffee shop - a WRITER'S coffee shop (if the number of people I see in here writing screenplays is any indication,) and I'm listening to a conversation at the next table. Actually I'm trying to avoid listening, but they are fairly loud and I keep hearing words like "enema"(made even weirder because one of them is gorgeous.) Turns out they are two midwives and they are chatting about their weekly cases. It's fascinating to hear the words that they use and the way they use them - their professional banter. I'm sure I'll get to use it sometime but who knows when.

By the way - TWO MORE friends are leaving. My neighbor, who is a camera assistant, is packing it in and heading home and a friend of mine who has been trying to produce for the last few years is moving to San Francisco, though that may be a lateral move. Certainly it'll be more interesting than L.A. In any case, two more bite the dust.

Should this make me feel better???

The other night I was flipping channels, actually, since we have Directv I was paging through the guide and I saw a tantalizing entry on Showtime. Actually, it might not have been Showtime itself, it might have been The Movie Channel, but given that they are part of one cuddly media conglomerate I'm going to lump them together.

Now - a little backstory. Back when I finished my first film I decided it would be a good idea to head up to Sundance and press the flesh a little. So as I'm riding the shuttle up from SLC, I start chatting up one of my fellow passengers and it turns out he's the acquisitions guy for Showtime and he asks about my film. I tell him and he says, "We love William Katt," (who is in my film) "send it to me," he says.

So I did. Months later I was given a call by someone's assistant's assistant and was told that they were passing. No explanation, just a pass. Thanks, but no thanks. (did I mention I'd received this call after months of calling them (after a suitable waiting period?))

Then comes the other night and I'm flipping around as I mentioned and come across this tantalizing entry:

The Witches of Breastwick.

Now given that I tend, on occasion, to write with my tongue firmly implanted in my cheek, I should pause for a moment to explain that NO that is NOT a JOKE.

Well, there was no way I could let a film like that pass without at least taking a gander at it. You know? And so I did.

Now I understand porn - BELIEVE me, I understand porn. And I understand that there's a place for porn (soft core) on Showtime - heck - I think that's where my 2nd film wound up. I understand porn. But this was - - uh - - it was - - uh - -

Look - let me put it this way. I've watched some serious crap in my life because there was some naked on screen. (I mean I've actually sat through the dialogue of Dr. Penetration (mmm, this is worth three more dollars...for those of you who know - you know...)) But... well, I think I finished the remained of the hour watching Good Eats on the Food Network.

So my question is, should it make me feel better or worse that this network turned down my film?

Another Friend Has Hit The Road

It seems like one by one all my friends from my first years in Hollywood are packing it in and heading out of town. Though the story with this one is a little different in that he's kept a job here that he's going to try to wrangle long-distance, the song remains, essentially the same. Worked at it for years, struggling, trying, making an OK living and striving for something greater only to sit back and realize you're getting to that point where you start to worry that if you haven't made it yet, you're never going to make it.

I kind of reel like the old man in "Ran" watching his sons, get swept up in their own ambitions and leave him in that burning tower in the fortress. All right, fine, it's not a perfect parallel, in fact it's a pretty weak one at best, BUT it just shows where my mind is at. Here I am thinking about, pondering about the great beyond (so to speak) and I'm seeing Japanese Films in my head.

Speaking of what a film geek I am, I watched "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" and could help feeling that it was a rip off of "Star Wars" (which of course got me thinking about "Hidden Fortress " which is the Akira Kurosawa (who also directed Ran, which is why I thought of this now) movie they say Lucas ripped off for Star Wars, though I've seen it and DON'T know what the fuck THEY are talking about) Harry Potter and the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy. The irony of course is that the Chronicles of Narnia predate all of those, except for Lord of the Rings which was actually contemporary (CS and JRR were amigos) to it. And really what that got me thinking about was Joseph Campbell (who I was introduced to by another friend who hit the road (and is doing rather well, actually)) and "The Hero With A Thousand Faces," (also another alleged inspiration for Star Wars, though I think this one actually makes a lot of sense.) Which I've decided, given my current script writing pains, I need to read again.

Also - I found out that the Maltese Falcon was a REMAKE. Apparently nothing was ever sacred.

Syd is Dead

Well, this isn't film related but Syd Barrett is dead. Obit here. He was the founder and legendary "Crazy Diamond" of Pink Floyd, a band I was once a huge fan of. I still basicly am, though my fandom pretty much stops with, or really after, "The Final Cut" (other Floyd geeks out there will understand what I'm talking about.) Anyway, Syd pretty much fried his brains with drugs and drifted off into the mist leaving the remaining members (David Gilmour essentially came in to replace him) to go on to become the band that they were before "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" (which was, for all intents and purposes a David Gilmour Solo album.) He's been a kind bizarre, cult figure for years and has inspired legions - well several - mainstream artists.

In other news, being the superstitious moron that I am (or it could just be a mild case of OCD - as I always put my left shoe on first)) I have some things I may (or may not) be working on that I can't talk about yet - which makes it hard to build any kind of suspense into this riveting blog - but I am hoping to be able to reveal soon.

And - well this isn't my news, but I happy about it anyway - my friend - who I wrote about here - has gotten a writing job on a mid-season replacement show with Stanley Tucci. I should be jealous as hell, but oddly I'm not.

Apparently my Asking Price was Too high

Actually - there was no price involved. I was asked to review a film called The Edge of Outside and I said, Sure - love to! but haven't gotten a copy yet. I think it's going to run on TCM fairly soon, so I guess I'm out of luck.

I should have sold out long ago to that fetish porn production company that wanted me to provide good review snippets for their films.

Anyway there was a great article about how Chaos theory applies to Hollywood in the LA Times magazine (otherwise called, in a fit of creative genius, "West.") Read it here.

Have I sold out?

Well, not quite yet, though if someone is willing to pull out their check book, I'm more than happy to quote a price. In the meantime I've become part of the internet marketing machine - I've been asked to review a movie. Unfortunately, it's not a studio tent-pole, CGI flick - something I'd REALLY have fun reviewing (read with evil chuckle) but in fact is a documentary about Indie filmmakers, something I'm actually really interested in - which means I'll actually pay attention and won't write anything snarky and dismissive. Anyway, I'm waiting for the DVD now and when I see it you can be sure - being the Journalism Bachelor of Arts that I am - that it will be an honest and at least - capably written review. There's also a press release involved and some pictures, all of which I'll save for the review.

In other news, the Onion has published a list of 10 Movies it's OK to Hate and while I agree with some of them, Network, Caddyshack (yes - I'll admit it, I just don't like that movie) The Big Lebowski, Roger and Me, some of them seem a little picky and they downright just missed some. Of course their list seems based on popular rather than, say the AFI Top 100 - though holy crap - I went over to AFI.com to see what was on the list and it turns out they have 11 lists. There are 11 Top 100 lists - and they also list the 400 nominees for most of the list. Does it sound like someone couldn't make up their minds?

Anyway, it's an interesting list and the accompanying pros and cons are fun to read.

Struggling

I'm deep into this script I'm re-writing and I'm struggling with it. There's a lot of story waiting to burst out and there's an awkward transition I'm working with/ on, but I need to get a draft out. I need to lay the foundation before I can put up the house. The transitional problem is all mine, though I think it was inherent in the original draft. It's - and I'm loathe to use this term - a kink in the main character's "arc." Plus I feel I've veered away from something really important in the story, but I can't go back to that until I get this draft done.

How's that for cryptic.

But I'm actually really enjoying this script. I really like the characters because I see something of myself in them. Or maybe I'm just good at seeing things from their point of view.

Dave, if you're listening, you did a much better job with this than I originally thought. I hope you like what I'm doing with it.

I'm a Country Music fan - I think

Wow,

So I just got back from Las Vegas where I was shooting some behind-the-scenes-kind-of of video at the Country Music Awards. I was in a big room with a ton of radio stations set up and for two days the stars came in and walked from station to station doing interviews - and I shot it. Now, having listened to country music on a few car trips - when it was pretty much all you could get on radio - and knowing virtually no one in county music before I did this I have to say I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I had a fantastic time. The stars were wonderful - and actually looked like they were really happy to be there. And man were they working the room. There were big names who talked to 40 radio stations in about 4 hours. It was amazing. They were friendly, nice, no attitudes and no - for the most part - people. That's right - there were fairly big names cruising around with no entourages. Heck, I was standing in line at Starbucks in the MGM Grand and there were country music stars in line with me - ordering their own coffee. Astounding.

I - and a friend - spent a few minutes chatting with Brad Paisley (who's a big name in Country) about the Sci Fi show "Ghost Hunters."

So then when I got home I watched the actual award show and I have to say there was some pretty damn good music. I even downloaded a song from iTunes (Boondocks - by Little Big Town) and I'm looking for a few others.

Yee-haw!

Deep into the Re-write

I had a great meeting yesterday with the assistant of a manager I've been trying to get in touch with. She was really nice and we got along great. I'm hoping the door stays open.

In other news I'm deep into this re-write. It's funny because the more I get into it the tougher it is - not because I'm finding more problems, quite the opposite in fact, I'm finding more opportunities. This script started out with a great story and great characters and as I dug in and added structure and re-wrote dialogue the characters felt like they were jumping off the page and trying to write the thing themselves - which to me is fantastic - the hard part is containing them. The hard part is keeping them on track toward the actual end of the story. They want to spin off in their own direction, which, if I were writing from scratch would be great - but since there's an ending I have to get to with them, I have to keep them - and myself - focused.

More later.

What's up with the Brokeback Mafia?

I don't really have any comment here, but I've been watching the Sopranos and the Brokeback Mafia thing popped into my head.

The Re-Write

Wow - I'm working on a re-write. It's a first for me - not re-writing a script - I re-write mine all the time, but re-writing someone else's script. It's wild - a whole different experience but I'm really excited about it. It was written by a friend of mine and it's his true story, but he's not a writer, so while it's a great story it needs a bit of structure and some dialogue and character development. Though it's interesting because all of that's in the story already it just isn't in the script, if you understand what I mean. Or maybe I'm reading all of that into it.

Anyway it's a challenge, but a fun one. In a way I'm breaking down the script as a director would and then putting it back together with needle and thread. The big dilemma I had in starting was do I attack the actual file and cut and paste it in shape or just start out with a whole new blank page and re-type some stuff as I re-write others.

Hmmm.

The Firefox Spot Redux

So the Firefox spot is finally up.



Click on the pic to navigate to it. It's funny because I'm not sure how many people actually get the joke. They used to have comments on the posts but they seem to have removed that. Anyway - enjoy.

The Firefox ad

It's been a while but I've been busy. Firefox has been having an ad contest and I did one with my friends, Steve, Bob and Juliette. It was a lot of fun and now we're just waiting around to see it get posted on their site.

The spot was fun and it's a bit racy, but in a very subtle way. I'm curious to see what the response is once it's up. Its title is "The Way it was Meant to Be." Look for it here and check out some of the competition.

I also cut a piece for the Grammy footage I shot. That was fun because it was celebrity stuff and I'd shot some good stuff.

Well, back to the grindstone - waiting to here from an agent's assistant about a meeting and waiting for a script from a friend that I'm going to work on and waiting for an option from a writer who's short story I fell in love with. And editing and writing and just trying to have a life.

The Shield, a plea and a Hustle

I am continually impressed by "The Shield." The writing, the acting and the directing on it is superb and if there's any chance that anyone with any kind of a producing credit on that show is reading this I just want to take a moment here to beg for the chance to direct even 2nd unit. I actually fell in love with this show the first season it aired because it's about characters. In fact it's the only cop show, currently on the air where the plots focuses on characters as opposed to the killing of the week. I'm also extremely impressed with how they've taken a character who is basically a bad dude and made you root for him. The Sopranos did the same thing but the Shield takes it to a whole new level. The Sopranos also kind of fell victim to the occasional episode where you watched it and then said, "what the fuck was that about?" They also let plots drift away - or am I the only who's hoping to see the Russian Christopher and Paulie shot in the woods re-appear this season? Anyway, the Shield - Please, please, please hire me.

Also, I've been on DVD kick. We've watched recently, Crash, March of the Penguins, Sullivan's Travels (1942), Wedding Crashers, The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Hustle and Flow.

It's been a good run. I have great things to say about all these films though some I liked better than others. I think my two favorites were Wedding Crashers and Hustle and Flow, which was a movie I knew virtually nothing about before putting the disc in the machine, but I really related to it.

Reading and the Oscars

The Academy Awards always kill me. I have to watch them yet they're somewhat painful as a reminder of how far I still have to go. I was pretty pleased to see Crash win best picture. Not that I was rooting for it above all the others, but because it's the only one of the bunch that I've actually seen. I intend to see the others, I've just been too busy.

I did like Crash though. It was a powerful film.

Busy doing - readin' and 'riting and 'rithmetic... Quite literally. I've gotten a ton of emails pitching scripts so I'm trying to get through all of those. I'm working on one or two scripts of my own - one that I'm on a re-write of and one that's still in treatment form. AND doing my F******* taxes.

Oh - and I'm trying to prep some spec spots. Anyone know where I can get a 16 mm (preferably Super 16) for free?

A Deluge of Stories

Wow,

So the entry I included below looking for stories hasn't exactly yielded an avalanche of letters, but I posted the same notice at moviebytes.com (a site devoted to writing and writing contests) and the response have been overwhelming. I've gotten so many emails that I can't even keep up with responding to tell them that I'm swamped and it will take me a while to get through them all.

So far I haven't found what I'm looking for, but I've only read through a handful of them.

The First Movie

I took my daughter to see her first movie in a movie theater this weekend. We went to see Curious George. I think she enjoyed it, though I have a feeling I was far more excited about it than she was.

Also, I have to say it was the perfect movie for her tender age and I'm glad it was her introduction to the theater. It was also my first trip back to the cinema in quite some time, though that really has to do more with the cost of babysitters than anything else.

Is it any wonder that studios aren't making movies for people my age? Ah well, I'm sure I griped about it in the past, it just never occured to me that it was a smart move on their part.

Searching for Screenplays

By the way, I should mention here that I'm searching for screenplays. Actually I'm searching for screenplays, stage plays, short stories, un-optioned novels, anything I can turn into a movie. I write myself, but the process is sometimes slow and I'm chomping at the bit to have a script I can run with.

What I'm looking for, or at least what I tell people, is I'm looking for my Pulp Fiction. In other words I'm looking for a good script with great characters and a good story that transcends genre.

That shouldn't be too tough to find. Right?

No, seriously, what I'm looking for is something that's interesting and a little different. Genre doesn't matter, though I've been told by more than one person that the whole Horror wave has gone back out to sea in a fast, sucking rip tide.

One thing I don't want it straight drama. Unless it's twisted.

Twisted is good.

Anyway, if you have something shoot me an email at: director1229@mac.com (that's a different email address than the BLOG email.) Give me a log line and maybe a little description. Budget range should be under $10 million.

Oh and I have no money to actually pay for anything, so I'm looking for something I can option either free or very cheap in order to get it made. I'm more than willing to make up for a stingy option with a decent purchase price, should we get it off the ground.

Work

Just spent a few days doing a little press-junket style shooting backstage at the Grammys. It was pretty cool. I'm not generally over-awed by meeting celebrities, I've worked with too many to get really crazy over it, but I have to say, it was pretty cool meeting Herbie Hancock.

I also realized, after meeting Fall Out Boy (a few minutes after I first heard of them,) that I need to start hitting iTunes a bit more.

Just a Thought

Am I the only one who wonders if he'll ever make it big enough to be listed in the obituaries in Variety?

The Social Welfare State Hard at Work

Nice.

Positive Development

Well here's a positive development. According to The Independent, a UK newsrag, John Lasseter, the Pixar guru recently named as head of Disney Animation, has axed Toy Story 3. The story is that Disney had put 100 writers and animators on the job in opposition to Pixar which did not what to dillute the franchise with crappy sequels. Though I suspect those 100 writers and animators may have a different opinion, this looks like Pixar is going to stay true to course.