Ten Inch hero and strike update

Found this picture and just thought it looked so... well. Adorable?



Priestley (played by Jensen Ackles in Ten Inch Hero) supporting the strike (and still looking for backing on getting that movie from the festival touring to becoming avaliable for the rest of us).

For updates on screenings and the progress, as well as information on how to show your interest and support, check out the official sites. (P.S. They've got a blog too...)

Love (and happy hollidays)...
Des

Quote #3, why we write (and hear voices)

"I never told anyone about these ‘voices’. I didn’t want to be labeled as a crazy. It wasn’t until I got my first staff job that I confessed my eccentricity. And that’s when I discovered that someone else heard voices, too.

Writers hear voices. Which is why I never think of writing as writing. To me, it’s more like dictation."

Written by Carol Mendelsohn (WGA Negotiating Committee member, showrunner and exec. producer of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, plus co-creator and exec. producer of CSI: Miamiand CSI: New York)for the 'Why we write'installments.

Quote #2, 'why we write'

"After getting a C minus on my Cheers script for refusing to take my professor's notes, I was one of two people in the country selected by Warner Brothers to go to Hollywood for a week. This is when I first learned to never take notes you don't agree with. If I had taken my professor's notes I'd probably be digging ditches right now instead of having my dream job of walking around in a circle holding a sign on a stick." written by Greg Garcia, the creator and exec. producer of My name is Earl, for the first insallment in the Why we write essay series.

Strike costs

Just got some numbers on teh 1988 strike. Started in March and lasted for 22 weeks, costing the industry approximately half a BILLION dolalrs. This strike is expected to exceed $200 million a month in losses (for LA) by january. This means not only the execs and studios are loosing money like crazy but there are the assistants, crews, directors, all of those currently out of work and lookign forward to a season without tv shows being recorded, and the writers are (or heading there) struggling financially...

Half a billion dollars... And turns out that apparantly the studios are happy to have a chance at cleaning up so they've pretty much made up their minds about cancelling spring tv and pilots ala 08/09... I'm hoping that's just rumors and really really bad jokes.

Support the writers at unitedhollywood.com and find freash info and objective reporting on the strike at Nikki Fine's deadlinehollywooddaily.com

Why we write- a series of essays

The 'why we write' installments is a series of short essays by prominent television and film writers. It was conceived by C. Craig and T. St. John (avaliable on whywewrite@gmail.com). The installments are being posted on Nikki Fine's blog deadlinehollywooddaily.com

The third installment was written by Howard Gordon (executive producer of 24), and makes for a very interesting and inspiring read on the ups and downs of being a writer. Check it out fellas...

Love (and merry x mas wishes)

Des

Letter to the entertainment execs: Pilot writers' new years wishes

I just came accross this at Nikki Fine's site, and it makes my heart all mushy and emotional. Especially the part stating it's not yet too late to save a part of the TV spring. A bunch of pilot writers got together and completed this little letter which was mailed out to 200 studio and network tv development execs. It's signed by 127 writers on strike all with pilots pending...

The writers want to get back to writing... Let them, please...

(Quote regarding the letter) "Tonight on Christmas eve, the following letter signed by 127 striking writers with pilots pending was emailed to the Hollywood CEOs and almost 200 studio and network TV development execs. "These execs are our partners in these projects," say the two people who initiated this letter and wish to remain anonymous (although I have confirmed their identities), "so we wanted to reach out in an effort to get the AMPTP back to the table while there is still a chance of getting pilot season back on track. We did our best to contact all the writers with pilots, but some were out of town or out of reach, so this does not represent ALL the writers with pilots -- only those we were able to reach who agreed to be included. This was done with the blessing and support of the WGA, but not through the WGA."

Dear (studio/network exec),

‘Tis the season. Pilot season. We, the pilot writers, feel the loss of our ongoing creative partnership, and in the spirit of the holidays, we wanted to offer our help in getting the ’08-’09 crop of television shows back on track. We’re willing to write silent night after silent night to make up for lost time if your company will only finalize a fair deal with the WGA. To do that, talks must resume. Our guild is ready and eager. We feel that what our guild is asking is more than reasonable, and we believe that you, as our partner in these new shows, know our value and know that what we are asking is not excessive.

We love our new projects. We want to create great television which would put everyone back to work and ensure prosperity for all. We know we would all like to start the new year getting back to doing what we love. If there is any way you can facilitate this process, we would be eternally grateful.

Sincerely,
Allison Adler
Justin Adler
Jack Amiel & Michael Begler
Jeff Astrof
Katy Ballard
Alex Barnow & Marc Firek
Edward Allen Bernero
Scott Z. Burns
Cindy Caponera
Cindy Chupack
Dan Cohen & F.J. Pratt
Randy Cohen & Chris Kelly
Brad Copeland
Rick Copp
Matt Corman & Chris Ord
Carter Covington
Mark Cullen & Rob Cullen
Ed Decter
Nastaran Dibai & Jeffrey B. Hodes
J.P. Donahue & Kevin Polay
Chris Downey
Larry Doyle
Aaron Ehasz
Amy Engelberg & Wendy Engelberg
Jacob Epstein
Stephen Falk
David Feige
Michael Feldman
Joel Fields
Christopher Fife
Chad Fiveash & James Stoteraux
Dave Flebotte
R. Lee Fleming, Jr.
Dan Fogelman
Victor Fresco
Michael Frost Beckner
Jonathan Goldstein
Rob Greenberg & Suzy Mamann-Greenberg
Lyn Greene & Richard Levine
Hart Hanson
Zach Helm
William Blake Herron
David Holden
Amy Holden Jones
David Hudgins
Doug Jung
Alexa Junge
Mitchel Katlin & Nat Bernstein
Joe Keenan
Tim Kelleher
Jack Kenny
Moira Kirland
Marc Klein
Jennifer Konner & Alexandra Rushfield
Bill Kunstler
Dave Lampson & Andrew Leeds
Sheila R. Lawrence
Jim Leonard
Christine Levinson
Jeffrey Lieber
Matthew Lieberman
Angel Dean Lopez
Rob Lotterstein
Caryn Lucas
Greg Malins
Patrick Massett & John Zinman
Blake Masters
Dan McDermott
Gregg Mettler
J. Israel Miller & M.A. Fortin
Murray Miller & Judah Miller
Norman Morrill
Kevin Murphy
Bill Oakley & Josh Weinstein
Michael Oates Palmer
Bob Odenkirk
Jan Oxenberg
Mark Palmer
Charles Pratt, Jr.
Rebecca Rand Kirshner
Ethan Reiff & Cyrus Voris
Jeffrey Richman & Suzanne Martin
Julie Rottenberg & Elisa Zuritsky
Paul Ruehl
Dario Scardapane
Robin Schiff
Dana Schmalenberg
Mike Scully & Julie Thacker-Scully
John Scott Shepherd
Mike Sikowitz
Stephanie K. Smith
Jon Steinberg
Joshua Sternin & Jeffrey Ventimilia
Dana Stevens
Francis Stokes
Rob Thomas
Gary Tieche
David Titcher
Stephen Tolkin
Kriss Turner
Mike Werb
Thomas Wheeler
Nicholas Wootton
Posted by Nikki Finke on Monday, Dec 24th, 2007 at 04:34PM"

X mas quote

"We’re ready any time, any place, to sit down to negotiate -- even as AMPTP members take off on holiday jaunts to Vail or Aspen or wherever it is moguls mogul."

from WGA (east) president Michael Winship's christmas statement. Already a classic...
Happy Holidays. Happy New Year.

Best story start...

...in a long time.
I can't for the life of me remember where I read this, only that it's from a fanfiction story and that it makes we inspired to want get creative every time I read it.

"Forget all the fancy chick-flick stuff. That's what really makes a family; being fucked beyond all reason, and loving each other anyway.

I had just given my brother permission to kill me.

And he had accepted."

I can't even express how brilliant I find those two last lines, really for no reason at all it just holds so much potential and prompts so many ideas. My muse in words... =)

Hope you enjoyed it too (go write stuff... and send me links =), oh and if you can figure out where it came from please let me know so I can credit the author.

XoXo
Des

Ten Inch Hero

The "supply run" scene from the upcoming feature film Ten Inch Hero. Shown in this scene are Jensen Ackles and Danneel Harris. Also Jed Williams and Reid Godshaw as the dudes in the store.

Basically, this is the way to get tampons. Men, watch and learn from Priestley.


This promising flick has been screened at multiple festivals so far and received bucketloads of praise from audiences. Support it and help them get it out to the rest of us by subscribing to the video, recommending it to your friends, and leaving honest reviewing comments in that little fancy field on their youtube account (click on the video and it'll take you there). Personally, I find Priestley very admirable, why aren't more boys like that?

/Des

No waiver for the Golden globes or Academy Awards

So the WGA has officially declared that the waiver requested by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for the NBC broadcast of the Golden globes has been rejected. As have a whole load of other request related to the possibilities of managing the annual award shows early 08. Further, everyone's expecting not only the WGA to walk the picket lines by the award shows if they do take place (and the strike isn't resolved by then) but also that the SAG (screen actors guild) to stand in solidarity with them and boycott the gala...

Basically, the oscars should be very interesting this year... Hopefully the strike is resolved by then.

"The Writers Guild has notified the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and dick clark productions that their requests for an agreement to allow writers to prepare material for the 65th Annual Golden Globe Awards show have been denied."

The WGA also denied the organizers to use clips from previous shows for the presentations. Basically the WGA is continuing to play hardball, much like the other side, which is probably the only way to go. At some point the strike must come to an end, and it won't until the WGA are satisfied that they are being given the fair deal they work hard to deserve.

New numbers are circulating too, indicating the losses this strike has already (and will if it continues into early 08) resulted in not only for the studios but also for LA and California.



" AN OPEN LETTER TO THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY
FROM THE AMPTP
As the WGA-initiated strike now enters its seventh week, the strike's economic consequences are growing more severe by the day. The below-the-line workers whose families depend entirely on our industry have already lost more than $200 million in the Los Angeles area alone, and the health care benefits for many of these families are now in real jeopardy because of the WGA strike. The working writers themselves have now lost more than $115 million, and these writers are no closer today to getting their fair share of new media revenues than they were when the strike began. The economic impact to our regional economy is also growing. By January, the economic losses to the region will exceed $200 million a month, with as many as a third of the entertainment industry's 250,000 jobs jeopardized."



Keep yourself informed, and take whatever stance you feel is just and right from your perspective... Just keep in mind, without these writers hollywood won't go round in the creative artsy way we are used to. And, well, this industry is art isn't it? On some level, that has to still be fact. And all parts are necessary. Alot of people ARE loosing their jobs and abilities to make a living for themselves and their families because of this strike, very true, but at the same time the WGA cannot take all the blame for this as it is the other side doing the walking-from-the-tables and kicking of ass in quite un-justly fashions, pardon the language...

/Des

PS. Keep reading deadlinehollywooddaily.com for updates and good commentary.


UPDATE: Variety is also reporting that the WGA decision is now official, if the strike is still reality on January 13th then the writers will picket the Golden globes. The SAG have not yet officially pronounced their standpoint (although in all likelihood they will to the most part support the WGA to gain future support for their own negotiations on new media etc.).
However, what with the security restrictions the event might take place and we would never even be able to see the picketers... Globes without any (/many) stars or nominees attending still does not seem like a big hit.

Let's hope the strike is off by then!

Mama Mia trailer

So after years of playing around the world and charming audiences with nostalgia, an utterly confusing storyline, and well written music, Mama Mia the musical is becoming Mama Mia the flick. With Meryl Streep as one of the leading roles, and Pierce Brosnan as one of the potential dad's, there is a lot of potential here. Or, at least, that's what all the generated fuzz has been implying. Check out the trailer (the movie's due sometime 2008) and then go watch the fun at your nearest cinema once the time is right.

Personally I had no idea about the storyline (I expected Benny and Björn to come up with something quite awesome actually) and when my sister took me to see it (the musical) in Stockholm I was fairly disappointed.

The highlight of the musical was seeing Björn Ulveus sitting in the audience watching his own production. And of course the music. Don't have too high expectations on the plot though... No matter, what with being Swedish the movie is something of a must see I suppose.

/Des

Franco stoned?

Now I really don't want to get sued, and after his performance in James Dean (2001)I actually had some serious respect for his acting skills, but this video simply begs so many different questions... Was he stoned? Over-caffeinated? Just really really really bad at handling interviews (although, hasn't he had at least some practice after the Spider-man trilogies)?




Watch it and make up your own minds. Personally I had to pause it repeatedly because it was simply too painful... Oh and according to PerezHilton the MTV interviewer claims this is not a spoof, but an actual attempt at getting a good and proper interview. I'm not even sure referencing like that's legal, but again I'm not at all sure what the real story behind this is so just make up your own minds...

sharing the joy
Des

Katherine 'Izzie' Heigl to wed, T.R. 'George' Knight handles bridesmaid duties

I find this quite adorable in every sense! Why aren't more people like this?

I hope adorable and talented Katherine and future hubby musician Josh Kelley keep their love going strong, and have a long and prosperous marriage to look forward to. All my best...

But seriously, T.R. Knight's her bridesmaid. I just am completely in love with this... And honestly, why not? It's the most natural thing ever. Screw conventional and medival customs. He'll make the hottest bridesmaid ever, and I'm pretty sure he'll manage the duties well. Can you just imagine the bachelorette party?

Best wishes,
Des

MakeitrightNOLA

So I have been going back and forth for years on the topic of Brad Pitt, but this interview with him by Larry King (a bonus clip from the full version) where Pitt talks warmly about the re-building project (funded by FIVE million USD from his own pocket) in New Orleans and Louisiana deserves a lot of respect.

The guy is trying to use his fame for good causes, and honestly it seems he's doing a pretty honest and good job. Let's hope people take an honest interest and keep spreading the word. Coming together in a crisis is admirable, staying together once the media coverage of said crisis halts is necessary but rare.

Check out makeitrightNOLA.org for further information. You can contribute, whether it is by a dollar or ten thousand...

/
Des