Category: Opinion

munchman Recommends: “Difficult Men: Behind the Scenes of a Creative Revolution”

Difficult MenActually, the full title is Difficult Men: Behind the Scenes of a Creative Revolution: From The Sopranos and The Wire to Mad Men and Breaking Bad. But, clearly, author Brett Martin didn’t have headlines in mind when he came up with it.

This is good, though. Really good. Well written and informative. An explanation of how the television business, in which writers have always been the objects of contempt, ended up depending on a showrunner-driven creative machine. (While still holding those very writer-showrunners in contempt.)

Hell, I can more than recommend this. If you want to be a TV writer, or already are a TV writer, and you’re looking to get to the top, Difficult Men et al is a must-read.

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

TVWriter™ Contribs See MAN OF STEEL Pt. 1 – Kathy

For reasons we aren’t certain of, MAN OF STEEL has become the most-discussed film of the year among TVWriter™ visitors/staff/students/fans. Here’s the first of two passionate viewpoints:

by Kathy Fuller

Oh, Henry.
Oh, Henry.

Continuing onward with my #1 summer activity, I went to the movies again and saw Man of Steel. Now, I love me some superhero movies. I don’t care if they’re from DC or Marvel, I enjoy them all. So Man of Steel would have to literally be unwatchable for me not to enjoy it. And enjoy it I did. But it’s not without its problems.

First, the good. I loved the story concept. The CGI was very cool–I kinda wish I hadn’t made a vow for eternity not to watch another 3D movie, because I think this one would have been excellent in that format. The casting was spot on. And I’m not afraid to swim in the shallow end and say Henry Cavill is so easy on the eyes it’s hard to believe he’s real. Despite all that, there were two main problems with the movie. read article

Kathy Fuller Sees TALES FROM THE SCRIPT

All these writers and many more!
All these writers and many more!

Ah, Netflix. How I love thee. Although you’re far from perfect and need to a) offer more current streaming options and b) not wait so long to release new seasons, I can’t complain because you bring me gems like this: Tales from the Script. 

I love documentaries and biographies. Netflix is full of them. Somehow this ended up on my recommendations list and when I saw that it featured not one, not two, not even three but 50 Hollywood writers telling their stories I pounced on it. Honestly, I expected it to be soundbites and superficial interviews of just a few writers who made it and a bunch more writers who were trying to break in. Not so. If you’re a writer–any writer but especially a screenwriter–you MUST see this doc.

No spoilers here. No details here because you HAVE to watch it. But I will say this: you will find a lot of truth, inspiration, discouragement, encouragement, and advice. read article

If You Can Be Talked Out of Your Dream, You Don’t Deserve for It to Come True

Or to put it another way:

Ostrander-Art-130616John Ostrander: Conviction

My very good friend, William J. Norris, is an excellent actor, a wonderful director, an inspiring playwright (I wrote my first play because I really admired a play that he wrote and that led, in turn, to my writing career), and one helluva teacher. I should know. I’vestolen cribbed borrowed applied so many ideas and concepts from his teaching into my own attempts.

I met him one night for drinks after he taught an acting class and he told me that a student came up to him after a session and asked Bill if he thought the student could act. Bill said, “No.” William J. says that every time a student asks him that question, he gives the same answer. That seemed a little brutal to me in this nurturing, everyone-wins-an-award-for-showing-up era we live in. Bill said he was being kind; the life of an actor – of any artist, actually – is hard enough and if someone can be talked out of it, they should be. read article