Archive for December, 2016

“His writing career happened almost by chance. [Richard] Adams had children late in life and liked to entertain them with stories. In 1966, driving from London to Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s birthplace, he began telling them about two rabbits named Fiver and Hazel who traveled to the real-life Watership Down, five miles from his childhood home. “Two […]

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“I’m telling an old myth in a new way. That’s how you pass down the meat and potatoes of your society to the next generation.” George Lucas on creating Star Wars Related Posts: Star Wars & The Four Functions of Mythology Screenwriting Structure, Snake Oil, & Star Wars Before Star Wars (Screenwriter Kasdan) Jim Mercurio […]

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“Speaking personally, Martin Scorsese is one of my absolute favorite directors, and I will watch anything he makes. Where he leads, I will follow. His new ‘Silence,’ is ready-made for this time of year, a tale of religious faith and deep spiritual questioning.” Mark Olsen, LA Times December 25, 2016 “With the religious historical drama Silence, […]

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“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest.” Jesus I met my wife in an elevator in Burbank. (A line that’s more humorous if you’re aware how Johnny Carson used the line “beautiful downtown Burbank” when he was the king of late night TV.) My wife to be […]

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John wanted to be a screenwriter. He was born to public school teachers in Longview, Texas and raised in Texas City, Texas. Eventually he earned an English degree from Baylor in Waco. Then after graduating from law school he became a lawyer in Houston. What are the odds of John making it as a Hollywood […]

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“I write about outsiders seeking redemption in one form or another and always will.” Novelist Anne Rice  (The Vampire Chronicles) 2016 Billboard interview with Alice Cooper Related posts: Hope & Redemption Storytelling Soul Game Fear, Pity, Catharsis (Tip #69) Broken Wings & Silver Lining ‘The Verdict’ Revisited Scott W. Smith Tagged: Alice Cooper, Anne Rice, writing

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“If you’re looking for an excuse, you’ll find one.” Actor/Director Denzel Washington  60 Minutes interview December 18, 2016 I’m not sure where this quote originated, but hearing it from Denzel Washington was the first time I heard it. He said it in reference to diversity in Hollywood. The two-time Oscar-winner Washington’s answer #OscarSoWhite was not […]

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“Most producers go years in between producing movies; in fact, most of our time is spent not making movies.” Producer Rick Schwartz (The Departed, Black Swan) This is a fitting echo post to my last post where writer John Grisham said, “It’s very, very difficult to get a movie made.” This one from the perspective of a […]

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Novelist John Grisham (The Firm, The Pelican Brief ) had a great ten year starting in 1993 where films made based on his writings attracted some of the finest talent in Hollywood: Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington, Matt Damon,  Sandra Bullock, Matthew McConaughey, Susan Sarandon,  Joel Schumacher, Samuel L. Jackson , Gene Hackman, Claire Danes, Francis Ford Coppola, Sydney Pollack. But here’s how he explains […]

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