Author: Herbie J Pilato

Writer, Author, Producer, Actor, Singer/Songwriter, Lover of Life

TVWriter™ Contribs See MAN OF STEEL Pt. 2 – Herbie J

As we’ve said, MAN OF STEEL has become the most-discussed film of the year among TVWriter™ visitors/staff/students/fans. We presented one view of the movie below. Here’s the second POV:

by Herbie J Pilato

Man of Real Steel (2)In their mutation from the printed/digital comic book world into the live-action feature film universe, Marvel’s superheroes are overwhelmingly the victors while to DC’s camp go the spoils, the clunkers and the position of a distant second best.

Marvel not only continues to throw all the right the heroic punches, as much as it consistently enters the ring with sheer, unadulterated courage and innovative product. read article

Herbie J Pilato: Don’t Tug On “Superman’s” Cape – Or “Batman’s” Either

by Herbie J Pilato

SupermanFor the solid success of any creative property – whether it be for television, film, the stage, new media, or the printed form – it’s all about the writing; getting the story right (write!) and flushing out the proper development of the characters.

When it comes to the superhero genre, in particular, attaining the proper casting and wardrobe (i.e the costume) plays heavily into the creative process in very real, tangible and pertinent ways.

Disney/Marvel have hit the nail on the head with Joss Whedon’s The Avengers, if not with the X-Men film franchise, which was ignited by Bryan Singer (The First Class film featured atrocious casting and acting, while the earlier X-Men destroyed the colorful costumes, displayed so wonderfully in the comics and the animated TV series from the early 1990s.) read article

Herbie J Pilato: It’s A “Mad Men” World (But We’ve All Been Here Before)

Patterns_Serling
All the elements of MAD MEN are here in Rod Serling’s 1955 drama, PATTERNS. For reals.

by Herbie J Pilato

According to a recent report from Reuters of Rome, Oscar-winning director Bernardo Bertolucci, during a tribute in his honor by the American Academy, claimed disappointment with the Hollywood feature film world that once inspired him. Instead, he prefers to watch television shows like Mad Men, explaining that such programming offers superior casting and direction above and beyond movie-house productions.

Bertolucci, who guided classic cinema gems like Last Tango in Paris, The Last Emperor and Novecento, said his “generation had an affair with American culture, there’s no doubt about it. A street lamp and a fire hydrant made me sing in the rain….But the American films I like now do not come from Hollywood studios but from television series, like Mad Men,” among others. read article

Herbie J. Pilato: The Brady Bunch is Still the Best – and Here’s (the Story) Why

TSDBRBU EC004 by Herbie J Pilato

What first aired from the fall of 1969 to the spring of 1973 as ABC’s original half-hour family sitcom (created by executive producer Sherwood Schwartz – of Gilligan’s Island) has transmuted over the decades into syndicated reruns; with sequels, retrospectives and remakes on additional networks (CBS and NBC); for the big-screen and small; with DVD releases; on the live stage or the printed page; and certainly online.

First there was animated sequel, The Brady Kids (ABC, 1973)…followed by The Brady Bunch Variety Hour (ABC, 1976)…which gave birth to The Brady Girls Get Married (NBC, 1981)….

which led to The Brady Brides (NBC, 1981)…and then onto A Very Brady Christmas (1988)…which morphed into the serious-mindedThe Bradys (1990)…followed a few years later by the first feature film, The Brady Bunch Movie (1995)….and the subsequent big-screener A Very Brady Sequel (1996); then straight-to-video with The Brady Bunch in the White House…along with additional incarnations. read article

“Star Trek Into Darkness?” Unfortunately, Yes

Herbie J. Pilato is one of our favorite writers on the subject most dear to our heart: Television. He’s been part of the TVWriter™ family since the site first sprang onto the interwebs in the ’90s. So it’s with great joy that we present:

By Herbie J Pilato

I didn’t hate Star Trek Into Darkness.

I just didn’t love it. read article