Jane Espenson is one of TV’s science fiction writing greats. She’s a big fave around here, which means that we consider any interview with her to be a Must Read.
Or, in this case, a Must Hear.
What? You don’t know Ms. Espenson’s work? Don’t worry. This article will straighten your ignorant self out:
Since the mid-1990s, the sci-fi/fantasy TV fan set, of which I am proud member, has been showered by a vast degree of eclectic programming. Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, The X-Files, Buffy, The Vampire Slayer; an update on the classic 1970s TV favorite Battlestar: Galactica, Supernatural, Smallville, Arrow, and so many more.
Star Trek fans, in particular, were – overall – pleased with the various small screen sequels to the original series, beyond Star Trek: The Next Generation, including: Deep Space Nine and, to a lesser extent, Voyager and Enterprise.
I don’t think anyone’s actually reading these, so I don’t feel I’m giving away any secrets.
I direct films from time to time and do all my own casting. For some reason, I’m often asked what I look for in an actor. Do I want specific “types” for a project? Do I look for training? Do I want energy? Thoughtfulness? Something else?And the answer is: None of the above.
I look for one thing and one thing only. I look for the perfect blend of strength and vulnerability. I look for those because in my opinion, that’s what allows an actor to reach out past the surface of the screen and touch the audience.
No, no, chill, please. Those aren’t our words. They’re the gist of words uttered by the D-peeps over at Legendary Pictures. Words that inspired this brilliant rant analysis of the current cinema situation:
You probably haven’t heard of Legend of the Red Reaper. The passion product of Tara Cardinal, who also stars, it’s about a Reaper, or guardian of humanity, who goes on a quest for vengeance against those who betrayed her kind. It’s the sort of high-fantasy action story that’s gotten more popular since Game of Thrones hit it big. But you probably won’t be seeing it in a theater, since Legendary Pictures passed on it. Why? They don’t think people want to see action movies with female leads. Because Sucker Punch failed. Yeah.
Hey, we were wondering when somebody would tell us why this Leonard dude was such a Big Deal. And if Mr. Levine is mourning him, well…
R.I.P. Elmore Leonard
by Ken LevineLike all writers, I was greatly saddened to learn of Elmore Leonard’s passing yesterday. He was 87. Until a recent stroke, he was writing until the end. His fiction was always so vivid, his stories clever, and most of all his characters jumped off the page. When people ask me for examples of good dialogue I say pick up any Elmore Leonard book.
His work was also filled with humor. He was Quentin Tarantino long before Quentin Tarantino. He was Carl Hiaasen long before Carl Hiaasen.