Red Right Hand

THIS IS WHO WE ARE

2009-07-18T11:37:00.000-07:00

I received an email, the entirety of which will be reprinted below, with interjected commentary.

Let there be no question, Millennium is one of my favorite series...particularly the Morgan & Wong--showran(?) second season which transformed the show from serial killer of the week to a demon and angel themed conspiracy show. Then, the third year it became a whole other third thing.

In fact, the poster you see here hangs in my...officeish room.

The main point of the letter is to seek support for a fan-spearheaded effort to get a Millennium movie made. These things tend to strike me as a little delusional, but the involvement of the biggest names connected to the show earns a little respect and the more that I think about it, a Millennium flick just might be viable as a direct-to-DVD release, especially if it can be dual-marketed as just an awesome movie and also to the niche of Millennium fans. And maybe it shouldn't actually be called Millennium.

So it goes as thus:

Dear Michael,

Please forgive me for impeding upon your valuable time and allow me to thank you in advance for taking the time to read this letter.

Ha! He thinks my time is valuable.

I am writing to you on the behalf of a group of Millennium fans who have pooled their efforts into a campaign to raise awareness of the depth of feeling with regards to a potential Millennium Movie. We have created a website that we are currently publicizing to serve as a campaign hub for the letter writing campaign we have devised.

Oh, dear...I have a rather dim view of these fan-based campaigns. Sure, it got Star Trek a third season last century. Fan support got Serenity greenlit..well, DVD sales did. Occasionally they might be a factor in pushing a series that's close to death to go on for one more "retooled" season that is not what the fans wanted anyway. Or they result in lots of Subway sandwiches (Yeah, Chuck fans, you can't stop buying the sandwiches because the show got renewed, you have to keep eating BMTs until it's dead and gone.

We are proud to have secured the support of Frank Spotnitz and additionally delighted to have had the opportunity to interview Lance Henriksen, Kristen Cloke, Sarah Jane Redmond, Klea Scott, Trevor White, Doug Hutchison, Tobias Mehler, Tucker Smallwood, Frank Spotnitz, Stephen E. Miller, Juliet Landau and many more in written, audio and video format.

I suppose that's better than catching Henriksen at a convention and just getting a "sure, kid, whatever."

We are proud, thus far, to have been championed by the likes of award winning horror authors, John Muir and M. R. Sellars

Who, now?

...and we have been promoted in articles by such respected entities as Fangoria Magazine, Fangoria Radio (Live Interview with Lance Henriksen which focussed on our campaign) Black Magazine, SciFi Now Magazine, Rue Morgue Magazine, Zone Horror Satellite Channel, X-Files News, LA Times, Rue Morgue and countless podcasts, blogs, websites and social networking profiles.

OK, dude...why, for fuck's sake, would you bury the L.A. time near the end of a list of obscure genre mags and not lead with that?

We have recently assisted in the promotion of a book signing event featuring Chris Carter, Frank Spotnitz and Matt Hurwitz which we worked with Palace Press Publishing and the LA Times to organise.

I would have liked to hear about that when it happened. I'm in goddamn L.A. and, y'know...I like Carter, so...

At present we are in the progress of working closely with Lance to explore the possibility of Convention appearances to maximize the potential of the campaign. Lance contributes to the campaign as much as he can and is exploring new ways with us to raise our credibility and further awareness of us as well our expand our podcast releases which have most recently had guest appearances from Frank Spotnitz, Mark Snow and Klea Scott.

OK, good. Except for Klea Scott having time for podcasts because she's not tied up making more Intelligence episodes. Dumb Canadian TV execs.

Sir we wondered if our campaign would be something you feel would be of interest to you readers. We have a large fanbase of supporters, many within the industry, and we would return any promotion of us and bring our supporters to the attention of your work also.

I'm nothing if not an attention whore here on the internet webulation system.

On behalf of all the team at www.BackToFrankBlack.com may we extended our continued support and best wishes to you and our thanks for being part of something that means so much to so many people even today.

Yours sincerely,
Mark Benjamin Hayden - UK - markbhayden@gmail.com
Publicist - Promotions - Public Relations
[phone number redacted]
www.BackToFrankBlack.com

So, there you have it. After looking at the website and reading through their FAQ, it seems to me the best options (and this group fully supports a return of the property in any form). Is for Fox to go either direct market or to do it as a web series. It doesn't really sound entirely like all the principals would want to do that, but...hey future...it looks different and you know that even if you got everybody who ever watched the show but a ticket to a movie in advance, it's probably not enough for a theatrical release.

EMMY MADNESS

2009-07-16T06:42:00.000-07:00

OK, the drama writing nominees.

Lost • The Incident • ABC • Grass Skirt Productions and ABC Studios
Carlton Cuse, Writer
Damon Lindelof, Writer

Mad Men • A Night To Remember • AMC • Lionsgate Television
Robin Veith, Writer
Matthew Weiner, Writer

Mad Men • Six Month Leave • AMC • Lionsgate Television
Andre Jacquemetton, Writer
Maria Jacquemetton, Writer
Matthew Weiner, Writer

Mad Men • The Jet Set • AMC • Lionsgate Television
Matthew Weiner, Writer

Mad Men • Meditations In An Emergency • AMC • Lionsgate Television
Kater Gordon, Writer
Matthew Weiner, Writer

Yeah. It's the fucking Sopranos effect all over again. It sucks. Now, understand. I like Mad Men. Quite a bit, to be sure. And I believe that it should be acknowledged as a nominee, but really, only maybe two of these really deserve to be here. Maybe just one. I really think this is a case of lavishing the praise on the it series of the moment. Just as The Sopranos was frequently over nominated. There are certainly series with an episode more worthy of praise that
"The Jet Set" or "Six Month Leave."

And I'm not even going to wonder about Doctor Who's eligibility or if the BBC even pursued it.

Just looking within the confines of the Outstanding Drama Series nominees, there's Breaking Bad and House. Both with one or two I can see on the list.

You know what? Don't care. Just a dumb awards show anyway. You know its fucked up when there's a danger of shuffling the show off to the cable channels when the network's don't get enough nominations.

I only care when people I like get nominated. So I'm not complaining that they pulled the same thing in the comedy category. Go Tina!

Flight Of The Conchords • Prime Minister • HBO • Dakota Pictures and Comedy Arts in
association with HBO Entertainment
James Bobin, Writer
Jemaine Clement, Writer
Bret McKenzie, Writer

30 Rock • Reunion • NBC • Broadway Video, Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studios
Matt Hubbard, Writer

30 Rock • Apollo, Apollo • NBC • Broadway Video, Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studios
Robert Carlock, Writer

30 Rock • Mamma Mia • NBC • Broadway Video, Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studios
Ron Weiner, Writer

30 Rock • Kidney Now! • NBC • Broadway Video, Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studios
Jack Burditt, Writer
Robert Carlock, Writer

Oh, wait...Tina's not nominated for writing...

Complete list of nominations here.

CRY

2009-07-09T08:05:00.000-07:00

Inspired by my colleagues at CBR, I've decided to take their idea and give it a predictable tweak. So rather than Six Comics That Made Me Cry, here's Six TV Episodes That Made Me Get A Little Misty.

These may be a little spoilery, so don't read past the title if you haven't actually seen it.

1. HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET: "Crosetti"
Detective Crosetti's dead. Found out in the water. And it was very probably suicide. Religiously, he's going to hell. Departmentally, he's not getting a police funeral.

Pembleton has problems with both. He's losing his faith in God and won't go to the church for the service, but when the funeral procession makes it's way (on foot, New Orleans style) past the station house, Pembleton's standing out front, along, at attention in his dress blue and crisp white gloves, giving Crosetti the last salute he deserves. Screw the church. Fuck the department. Don't have faith in things, have faith in people.

2. DOCTOR WHO: "Family of Blood"
Doctor Who, believe it or not, can do this. Because it is so fucking well written and benefits from dwelling in the darkness that seems to be required and expected of modern science fiction. I decided, though, to only highlight one from this series and it's good one, because it keeps kicking you when you're down. And that's "Family of Blood."
At the end, the Doctor sees the life he'll never get, the one he gave up. He says good bye to the woman he could love, but invites her to join him on his journeys and perhaps rediscover John Smith in him. She says no.

Then he visits the boy who's life he eventually saved in World War I with the gift of a watch..at the end of that boy's life, at a veteran's remembrance in the our present, he remains in the distance as Martha pins a poppy on his lapel...and the look of wonder, recognition and comfort in that old man's face...sniff.

3. STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION: "The Inner Light"
Picard gets the life he never had, but it never really happened...not to him. Zapped by a space probe from a dead world, Picard learns about their civilization in the best way possible, by living the rest of his life in it.

His life was a happy one, but his planet is dying

4. HOUSE: "Wilson's Heart"
If you've lost someone, or even just fear it...there's a certain element of unexpectedness. Maybe someone's died in a car accident and they're just ripped away. Even when someone has a terminal illness, it goes on for a bit, and though you knew it was coming, when they finally pass...it still seems sudden. It's easy and painful to put oneself in Wilson's situation. You're in love with this woman. You get her, she gets you. It works. And she's going to die. Not like she's going to die sometime soon...she's going to die in the next five minutes. You have five minutes.

After losing someone, you think that you'd give anything for five more minutes. Those five minutes are going to hurt.

5. STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE: "The Visitor"
Okay, last sci-fi one. I promise.

This is one of the best kind of story. it's intensely personal and emotional and explores character so well, though entirely impossible means. This one's though time travel and possible futures. Jake Sisko spends the rest of his life, from teenager to old age (older Jake played so fucking perfectly by Tony Todd) trying to save his father, who after an accident, is hurtling through time.

His father, Captain Ben Sisko, periodically and tantalizingly, has appeared to Jake. For a minute or two, they're together again. Maybe this time, he'll stay. He'll be free of the time anomaly, but then he vanishes.

Jake realizes he's tethered to Jake though time and that the only way he'll break free is if Jake dies. Ben appears to Jake one last time and Jake has given himself a lethal hypospray and advises Ben to dodge the accident that happened decades ago. Elderly Jake dies in the arms of his father.

This is Michael Taylor. This guy, you may know from Battlestar Galactica, is the shit.

I recall, some years ago, there was a TV guide poll as to the best episode of all the Star Trek series. Surprisingly...or maybe not...this one came out on top.

6. OZ: "A Day in the Death..."
Though, yeah, he killed a guy, you can't help but to empathize with Cyril, who is scheduled to doe tonight. Why, because since he committed that crime, he suffered a brain injuries and know has the mind of an eight year-old. He doesn't even understand that he's going to be executed. And his loving brother (and fellow inmate), Ryan, can't do a fucking thing about it.

You got one? That you'll admit to?

And as a bonus...not TV, but watch this. This can be used as, like, a cry weapon or something.

MASTERMIND - HIS BOMB IS TICK(ET)ING

2009-07-01T09:27:00.000-07:00

Over this last weekend, I attended a rehearsal for the upcoming run of Mastermind at the Eclectic Company Theatre this July 10-19 (tickets now available). I can assure you now, it's gonna rawk.

And here's the thing - I fully admit - I was not sure of it's rawkitude until last Saturday. I was hoping for the best, to be sure, but I handed over my script and it found it's way into the hands of a director. It could have been a crap director who decided to stage it full of absurdist symbolism, with Liz played by a man dressed as a giant opium-smoking hamster.*

Luckily, this is not the case. Susan Lee is directing and with actor Brad Wilcox have devised a version of the main character I had not previously imagined. Wilcox, who reminds me, in turns, of both a young Scott Bakula and a whatever-his-current-age Nathan Fillion. And this is appropriate, because if you dig the Firefly aesthetic, then you're gonna dig the look of this version of the titular super-villain.

It's a little scary handing over your work to be interpreted, but then if you're looking to make a career of out of scriptery, that's exactly what's gonna happen (unless you're all auteurish or something). It's fucking thrilling though when the results surprise you favorably.

As I said, tickets are now available: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/71273

Go the the Facebook page here, mark that you're attending...invite all your friends.

*Though, let's not be so hasty to write that idea off.

WHY THE THREE NAMES?

2009-06-27T10:45:00.000-07:00

I'm not being pretentious, or excessively Irish...or a serial killer. I'm just distinguishing myself from these tools.

And the 33 other guys on IMDB.

COOL STUFF BY PEOPLE I KNOW

2009-06-23T08:39:00.000-07:00

The Knightmare

Pulpy goodness from the Mad Pulp Bastard himself. I likes me a little pulp now and then, but this guy is the pulp master and he proves it in The Knightmare.

As a fan of the old timey Shadow radio shows, this audio drama by Bill Cunningham and produced by the Decoder Ring Theatre is right up my alley and the Bastard nailed it. Check it out, it's free and awesome and it comes in two chapters, two chapters.

Fury of Solace

Originally begun as an entry for the Dr. Horrible contest that had fans producing their own applications for the Evil League of Evil. Now, creator and star Emmett Furey is hard at work spinning it into a multi-media empire. In July he starts it as an online series, but with the twist that not every episode is int he same format. Some are videos, some are comics, there's music and minisodes. I can't wait for this to get underway. Emmet is also one of the brains behind Bumps In the Night on Strike.tv. Check it out, for 'tis a fine ghost hunting comedy.

In Plain Sight

"A Frond in Need" was written by Brynn Malone. She's cool and an awesome giver of notes in my writers group. Watchable online at the moment.

The Commune

I only know her internetularly, but I'm sure that will change sooner or later, but Elisabeth Fies has made what is, by all accounts, a kick-ass horror flick. I really wanted to see it at the Dances With Films festival, but couldn't make it, so I'm hoping that sooner, rather than later, I'll get another opportunity. Theatrical release, DVD...just gimme some creepy.

I'm even more excited to see Pistoleras. A female spaghetti western, How cool izzat? She's gotta make it first, though.

I intend to make this cool stuff a recurring feature, so people I know should get crackin' on making cool stuff.

MASTERMIND @ ECT

2009-06-19T07:21:00.000-07:00

Mastermind will be plying his villainy at the Eclectic Company Theatre in July. Specifically, July 10-12 and 17-19. A total of six performances. Tix are fifteen bones. Fridays and Saturdays at 8PM and Sundays at a delightful 2PM. Have some lunch, go see Mastermind.

Written by me. Directed by Susan Lee. Starring Brad Wilcox and Beth Ricketson.

GEEK THEORY #3: THE WEST WING

2009-06-15T02:58:00.000-07:00

In the West Wing Universe, the elections happen on different even numbered years and there are past fictional presidents, yet real life U.S. and presidential history is referred to as well. At one point did the real world diverge into the Sorkinverse? With the aid of some TV history, some real history, some conspiracy theories and a little too much Cherry Dr. Pepper, I shall endeavor to answer this conundrum that has plagued mankind for the last 18 seconds.

First, the facts.

Nixon is mentioned by name at least twice in the series. Specifically, in "17 People" and "Access." There is no mention, that I recall, specifically of Carter, Reagan, Bush the Elder, or Bubba. While there may be mention of policies or something that might be tied to those administrations, that can be reattributed to a fictional president. Also, in regards to Nixon, in "Six Meetings Before Lunch" there is mention of the panda(s) gifted the U.S. by China, which could lead one back to Nixon, but I'm not going to assume that and we already have a couple of Nixon references (only one actually puts him in the White House though).

We know of two predecessors to Bartlet. Lassiter, a two-term Republican, and D.Wire Newman, a single term democrat.

This only accounts for half the years between Nixon's resignation in 1974 and Bartlet's election in 1998. We know that Bartlet succeeded a Republican, so it was likely Lassiter. This would put his administration running from 1990-98. Thus, Newman's term was probably (but not necessarily) 1986-1990.

The change is narrowed from 1974-1986. With no mentions of who was in office in that period, it could be fictional or reality-based. Or both. Rather than take a full-on dump in sandbox I do not own, let's just pee a little by basing the shift from our world to Sorkin's on something already existing in reality. And then spinning it wildly like a coked-out ballet dancer.

Let's say that Ford took over for Nixon and was succeeded by Carter who then lost to Reagan as it was in real life. But what happened after that to move the election cycle two years and cause Democratic and Republican eras to essentially become reversed? That's some fuckin' upheaval, son.

These are also facts. Reagan was shot by John Hinckley. John Hinckley's brother is Scott Hinckley who knew Neil Bush, son of George Bush (I). They were alleged to be friendly and were set for a dinner engagement that was cancelled after John went bat-shit crazy. The Hinckley's had an only company. We know that the Bush family likes oil companies (Neil worked for Amoco at the time) and have worked for and/or owed them.

Hinckley had a history of being a little bat-shit already. He was prescribed drugs by a psychiatrist. He had previously been detained in what was likely an attempt to kill Jimmy Carter. He had guns with, crossed state lines and a journal detailing his plan. He was released.

Bush (I) was a former director of the CIA for year, not that long before running with Reagan. The CIA ran mind control experiments.

Here's where I go off the rails.

While in he was the DCI, perhaps he went noodling around in the files of people he and his family knew. He found John Hinckley was part of a program to create sleeper assassins in an extension of MK-Ultra, called MK-Omega. There were given bizarre psychoses (impress young actresses) to mask their underlying program (in his case, eliminate troublesome presidents). His programming misfired or accidentally activated at one point and he tried to go after Carter, but rather than lose the asset, the Company had him set free.

Reagan taps Bush for the Veep spot in '80 and, as in real life, they win. Now he's in a power position, more so if that pesky former actor were dead. Bush activates Hinckley. Hinckley is successful. Reagan is dead, Bush is now in position to carryout his family's fascist leanings (Prescott Bush was a huge dick too). It's now April 1st (apropos, no?) 1981 and Bush is sworn in.

However, John Chancellor on NBC news first uncovers the Neil Bush/Scott Hinckley connection. It is followed up and eventually the whole conspiracy is unraveled. Coming so soon after Watergate, the nation can scarcely take this level of shenanigans (to put it lightly). Bush in impeached and indicted. Bush's appointed vice president, former Secretary of State Alexander Haig gets to finally utter the words he did in real life "I'm in control here." But Tip O'Neill ain't having it. Trust has deteriorated too far in the country and in a special joint session of congress, a special election is enacted. Haig vetoes. The veto is overturned by the required majority and in 1982, the presidential cycle is reset.

Who was President from 1982-1990?

Julia Mansfield.

It was such a disaster that no one talks about it...ever. Whoever the next female president is, that's the first one.

NEXT GEEK THEORY:
I don't have one. I'm open to suggestions.

GEEK THEORY #2: DOCTOR WHO

2009-06-12T08:18:00.000-07:00

If you don't watch Doctor Who, just don't bother.

And by the way, you're missing out on one of the most fun and best written shows currently in production. You...Dave...are you watching this? Why not?

So, in the original series of Doctor Who, it had been expressly stated that Time Lords can regenerate 12 times, allowing for a total of thirteen possible incarnations. It has been demonstrated that this limit can be cheated by a few means.

The Master employed some of the nastier ones, like hijacking bodies for his own use. The High Council of Time Lords had at one point offered the Master a new cycle of regenerations for his cooperation and success in a mission to save the Doctor. He cooperated...for a while. Then he tried to kill him, so no new cycle for him.

This is the key to my theory. Time Lords are not born with regenerative abilities. In fact, let's not even call Time Lords a race, even though that's what the Doctor does. Gallifreyans might be a race, but Time Lords are what they become, through selections and training. There have been references to Time Lord Academies, after all.

In the only Eighth Doctor adventure, the Master had plotted to steal new regenerations by jacking something called the Eye of Harmony. It is an artificial black hole that powers all the Time Lord's endeavors, including, apparently, all the TARDISes. Either there's a mini one on board or it's a connection to the main one or something, I dunno. I don't care.

My theory is such that the Time Lords grant themselves regenerations using the power of the Eye of Harmony. They capped it at twelve for philosophical, legal, and/or practical reasons but ultimately, since they control it, they can change their own rules and offer the Master more regenerations of they want. General rule though: You get twelve and then you die.

Since Time Lord's are linked to their TARDISes psychically, then they can access the Eye whenever they get killed, inside or out of the TARDIS. most of the Doctor's have happened outside.

When the Master regenerated from Derek Jacobi to John Simm in the new series, he'd already gone past his twelve and at least two hijacked bodies. Who knows how he wound up looking like Derek Jacobi. He did it anyway. He was in a TARDIS at the time. Not his, but being a Time Lord, it's not unreasonable to think that he could establish a link to one when he's fucking in it.

But what of the limit?

Well, the Time Lords are all dead. There's no one around to enforce the limit. The Master went to town. Kid in an infinite energy candy store. He not only regenerated for an umpteenth time, he seemed to even choose his appearance (something that had been established when Romanaregenerated in the original series).

So, no worries that the Doctor is starting to run out of lives like a Super Mario player who's gone well past his level of Troopa-trampling competence. He's about to hit his eleventh incarnation. (i.e. ten regenerations). He's only got two left. Nope. he's got as many as he wants as he has the only (known) remaining access to an/the Eye of Harmony. So we get to the end of the thirteenth Doctor (let's call him James) and a little writhing and pretty pretty lights and we get a fourteenth doctor (let's call him Russell). Business as usual.

NEXT GEEK THEORY (maybe):
At what point did the West Wing universe divert from our own and what caused the presidential election cycle to shift two years and was it the same thing in both cases?

GEEK THEORY #1: LOST

2009-06-08T08:40:00.000-07:00

This has spoiler's for "The Incident," the last episode of the fifth season of Lost. It's that fucking simple. You read any further, it's your damn problem. Why do I keep apostrophizing plural s's. Not that one, though.

By the way, on an unrelated note, my personal rule about spoiler warning is: After one year from date of release or transmission, there are no spoiler warnings. Suck it. You've had time and obviously, you didn't care about it that much to watch/read/ingest it. It doesn't come up that much. The only time I remember being called on it was revealing that "Jack" is Tyler Durden three years after the Fight Club flick came out. This being in a group of people who I knew had pretty much all seen it...apparently except that guy. He had at least 1,100 days to see it. NO guilt.

For some reason, I've spent inordinate amounts of time thinking about some aspect or another of certain shows. Now, for a television writer, on the surface, this doesn't sound too odd. It could be mental spec prep or meeting prep or something.

No. This is me totally geeking out in a way I've not been prone to that much unless provoked...by other geeks. Unless I am spec'ing something, I generally try not to overly speculate on things. Largely because if I'm right, I feel kind of cheated. I start thinking "If I could have written that, why didn't I get paid to do it." I want it to be something I would never think of...and yet be totally perfect, set up and pay off.

So this is first in a series of, I dunno...three or four. Also, use the comments to suggest things for me to theorize about. Like "What was in Inara's syringe if it wasn't for suicide?" in Firefly? But not that, because that's been outed (and not about Book's past either. It's kind of obvious. He was an Operative. End of story).

Now, on to it. This isn't so much a theory of what the smoke monster is as who it is.

It's that guy.

The guy on the rock, not the guy on the log.

And now he's using his smoke monstery abilities to be this guy.

The guy with the orange shirt, not guy with the paper hat.

This is not exactly supported by the following but fits the following:

That Locke is not Locke, because Locke is dead and unceremoniously dumped out a cargo box.

When last Ben Linus tried to call upon the smoke monster (or Cerberus, as named by Radzinski on his glow in the dark map), it didn't come out to play. Because he was already standing right there, looking like Terry O'Quinn.

When Locke first encounter Smoky, he saw a bright light. When Eko encountered him, he saw flashbacks of his life and was killed for not confessing his past sins. For not being evil enough? Because, yeah, it's probably Jacob is the good and his black shirted friend is the evil, in plain simple visual terms. Maybe he saw light because smoke monster was checking him out to kinda be his tool for...whatever he's doing. Maybe it was a brain scan. Maybe it knew it was going to have to be Locke one day. With all the timey-wimey stuff going on, I'm sure there's some possibility of knowing this.

Smoky can only take the forms of the dead, maybe. Kinda like The First on Buffy. He appeared as Eko's dead bro-ham. And that's why fake Locke told Richard to tell real Locke he had to die.

Smoky lives in an underground temple. Jacob lives under an old statue. There's some parity in that. Suggests they've both been there quite a while. Both are are full of Egypty stuff. Side note: I think Richard Alpert is Egyptian or something. Explains the eyeliner. I've seen that mentioned elsewhere though and has no real bearing on this.

They both wear black.

NEXT GEEK THEORY: DOCTOR WHO
Why we don't have to worry about the Doctor running out of regenerations and why the Master had no problem doing so despite the fact that he ran out of 'em a long time ago.

NO REASON

2009-06-07T14:11:00.001-07:00

THINGS THAT ARE THE WAY THEY ARE

2009-06-02T11:59:00.000-07:00

I am currently exactly halfway through my Fringe spec, currently titled "The Gain." The Leverage spec that had been mentioned previous has been mothballed...for now anyway. Area Four's initial vomit draft is completed and will be put through the notes ringer...later, right now I'm returning to a previous pilot for tweaking.

A feature script is in the preliminary stages. It may either be a feature version of The Black House or of Mastermind.

Mastermind will be produced in July by the Eclectic Company Theatre in North Hollywood. There will be six performances as a part of their Hurricane Season Festival of New Plays. There will be more about that later.

And it also appears that Mastermind may be produced this summer in Canada. More on the "international premiere" as it develops.

There's one thing that I'm not going to tell you about. But it was huge. For me.

I've got to dash off a new Auslander shortly. Likely set in Mexico and titled "Viva El Extranjero!" Also, there is news pending regarding The Auslander...watch out for that at some point.

Had a bunch of meetings around town, all of which went in varying degrees of well, however the staffing environment being what it is, all are likely all just groundwork for the future.

KHAAAAAAN!

2009-06-02T08:21:00.000-07:00

A meditation on the greatest moment in the history of film. (LA Weekly)

COMING IN JULY

2009-05-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

"There will be mind control drugs in your pancakes."

THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE

2009-05-26T01:50:00.000-07:00

Bloody brilliant, these are.

Movies redone as vintage paperback covers.

OK, getting back to work now.

Here I am/I'm the master of your destiny...

TOWEL DAY

2009-05-25T13:53:00.000-07:00

Honoring the date two weeks after the death of Douglas Adams (rather than the date itself). As Adams is easily one of my top five most influential writers (you know, to me), I cannot let this pass this year.

Allow this to be my virtual towel. This is a clip from the extras on the Doctor Who: "City of Death" DVD. It has fuck-all to do with Doctor Who, so have a watch.

I'M IN THE LAB

2009-05-21T09:29:00.000-07:00

You would think that between staffing season meetings and the upfronts news and the cancellation of Marvel's best super-hero comic, I'd have something to post about.

Nah. I'm busy. I'm working on shit.

Why aren't you - you know - working on shit?

FRANK
Hi, this is Frank over at St. Claire’s. Is Walter Bishop there?
INTERCUT:
INT. WALTER’S LAB - NIGHT
ASTRID’s doing some filework. The lab is dark, except for the glow of her flatscreen monitor. Handset lodged in the crook of her neck. Too busy to stop working.
ASTRID
No, I’m afraid he’s not in right now. Is there anything wrong?
FRANK
So he’s not dead or nothing?
ASTRID
No. Of course not.
FRANK
When was the last time you saw him?
ASTRID
A few hours ago.
FRANK
So he could be? He could be dead now?
Okay, now she'll stop working.
ASTRID
What’s going on?
FRANK
I think I thought I saw his ghost or something.
Off Astrid; weirded and worried.

By the way, Glee. Dug it. Feel a little dirty about that.

"KICK OUT THE JAMS"

2009-05-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

street sweeper social club (w/ trent reznor)
san diego, ca
5.16.09

"TERRIBLE LIE"

2009-05-17T18:41:00.000-07:00

nine inch nails
san diego, ca
5.16.09

I AM A LEAF ON THE WIND-- NO. NOT THAT. THAT DOESN'T END WELL.

2009-05-13T12:03:00.000-07:00

It is considered, in any culture that matters, that when you're killing time before your meeting outside The Grill at Uni, should you spy a space pilot or deranged multiple-personality killing machine it is a sign of good luck.

In other news, it appears that Mastermind shall once again be on the boards. Details are not yet finalized, but this time I don't have to produce it myself. I look forward to showing up and watching it. Watch this space for updates.

In other, other news, I'm reconsidering the Southland spec. I'm getting kinda itchy to do a Fringe spec. Though with the events of the final, there might be some rethinking to do there as well. I've gotta decide soon if there's any chance of squeezing it in for any of the program deadlines in the summer.

In other other news, Star Trek kicked sweet, sweet space ass. As a reformed Trekkie, it made me giddy with...giddyness. And it's in continuity...unfortunately, it leaves Enterprise completely intact. Those first three seasons...gah. Did enjoy the reference to Archer's beagle all the same.

NOTHING EVER ENDS

2009-05-08T06:51:00.000-07:00

The last NIN tour starts today. The first new Star Trek starts today.

Mash up!!!

AREA FOUR: PAGE SIX

2009-05-04T07:53:00.000-07:00

Finished the vomit draft of Area Four last night. More or less. Now it goes to...the group.

EXT. VACANT LOT - LOW QUALITY VIDEO - NIGHT (TEN YEARS AGO)
Outside somewhere. Too dark know exactly where it is. Lots of GANGBANGER youths and boom box blaring “Got Your Money” by O.D.B. in the b.g.
YOUNG TAEWON (20, hip-hop gangsta) pulls a YOUNG LUTHER CRUMP (18, Bulls t-shirt, skinny and as comfortable as a rabbit at a dog track).
TAEWON
And yo, this is our boy, know what I’m sayin'?
CAMERA OPERATOR (O.S.)
Say it, dawg.
YOUNG LUTHER
My name is Luther Crump.
CAMERA OPERATOR (O.S.)
And what?
YOUNG LUTHER
And I’m eighteen. Eighteen years old.
TAEWON
Yeah. He be legal and what-not.
CAMERA OPERATOR (O.S.)
What you gonna be when you grow up?
YOUNG LUTHER
(with no enthusiasm at all)
I’m going to be a Chicago Police Officer.
EXT. AREA FOUR HEADQUARTERS - DAY (PRESENT)
A press conference. LUTHER CRUMP (28, CPD dress blues, only marginally more comfortable stiffly reading prepared remarks behind a dozen tv microphones).
LUTHER
Those were the words I frequently said to myself as a young man. I know what you’re thinking. “When was that? Yesterday?”
Among the officials is DETECTIVE JIM “SWERVE” SWIERCZYNSKI (40s, testing the limits of department fitness guidelines as much as the stitching on his cheap suit). He’s standing beside DEPUTY CHIEF KURT RUTZ (little more years, little less weight, crisp uniform).
SWERVE
Press for a new detective? Really?
RUTZ
Don’t.
SWERVE
You know, I took an impressive dump this morning. Think we should get channel nine down here for that?

THE AMNESIAC AVENGER STRIKES AGAIN

2009-04-29T07:19:00.001-07:00

Yes, I do seem to have an affinity for bad guys that forget they're bad guys.

The latest issue of Astonishing Adventures has hit the internets. Soon, the hardcopy will be available at Amazon.com. Previous issues are still available.

Continuing my unbroken streak, this issue contains yet another adventures of The Auslander, this time with art by Larry Nodolsky. "My Hostage, My Hero" finds the mysterious foreigner with a debilitating injury and minutes to stop a diabolical plot. Whats a good guy to do? Force somebody to help him, what else?

It was not the first time the white-haired foreigner had heard the crack of bone. It wasn’t even the first time in the last two minutes. It was, however, the first time that the cracking sound had emanated from his own body.

And check it out, the Mad Pulp Bastard himself, Bill Cunningham has a story in it. It's called "Passover" and I think I'll go read it right now.

Open publication - Free publishing - More short stories

And soon, I should have some interesting Auslander news.

THINGS, STUFF AND A COUPLE OF VIDEOS

2009-04-26T05:15:00.000-07:00

These are things I could have written about but didn't because I was all wrapped up doing Mastermind.

PALEYFEST - DOLLHOUSE

Pretty cool. A lot of the rightmost panelists didn't talk a lot, but Joss did. It's easy to listen to him talk about anything on account of him being, you know, witty. Nothing major in the way of news that came out it, but it was certainly interesting from the perspective of a series with network troubles and a somewhat disgruntled exec.

Matt Roush, Joss, Eliza, Fran, Dichen, Miracle, Craft & Fain

Saw five people I know there. Probably missed another five.

In other Joss news, he won the Bradbury Award at the Nebulas.

PALEYFEST - PUSHING DAISIES

Certainly benefited from the more-fun-with-an-audience effect. Not that I didn't like Pushing Daisies in the first place. Very cool to see the last three episodes on the big screen. I'll not spoil them as they will air next month or so and be out on DVD.

Except to say that closure is provided, abruptly, but not unsatisfyingly.

Fuller was present and unofficially announced a 12 "episode" continuation of Pushing Daisies from DC Comics.

Watched with Josh and Jul Weiss-Roessler (who can be found at Boring Future Generations and Pink Raygun respectively) and an Unidentified Individual of Some Import. Cat and Fiddle. It was warm and there was an unusually high douchebag quotient outside, so we got the big corner booth. We spoke of pilot progress, sobering realizations, live theatre, job opportunities, lack thereof, and the fact that the J's had seen both my evil twin and the UISI's earlier that day.

There was some question that I am the evil twin and he was the good one, but...no.

WRITING

Returning to it after having been preoccupied. Thinking about not finishing the Leverage spec. I'm not sure it's working. Though maybe finishing, subjecting it to the writers group and a rewrite might cover things. Wanted to get it done for the programs this year, but might go with Mad Men instead...or Southland. If I get to that quickly.

Yeah, seriously considering Southland. It's looking pretty viable at the mo'. Holding off though, while I finish my own (Chicago) cop show...now called Area Four. I settled on Area Four because it's the police region that covers a lot of gang territory while also covering the gentrified/hipster/white collar neighborhoods like Humboldt Park and Wicker Park. Midtown and West Side.

And I've been convinced to attempt a feature script again. Haven't done in some while. It'll be a feature version of Mastermind.

RANDOMISH VIDEO

You've probably seen this by now. If not...here it is. Carousel by Adam Berg.

MASTERMIND KILLS ('CUZ THAT'S WHAT HE DOES)

2009-04-20T17:39:00.000-07:00

Mastermind's premiere performance went off pretty damned well, if I say. And I do have a tendency to just remember the things that went wrong, even if no one else was aware of them.

However, I'm scarcely objective. So look at these couple of reviews (in the links), from people who are generally really objective about stuff and not just people I know.

Emily Blake of Bamboo Killers says:

The play was funny, tragic and beautiful. I didn't look at my watch at all. Actually I don't have a watch but if I did I wouldn't have looked at it.

And Josh Weiss-Roessler, he of Boring Future Generations said:

With a twisty "am-I-a-supervillain?" story and rapid-fire dialogue that plays like a strange, cool marriage between Joss Whedon and Aaron Sorkin , Sullivan's play is equal parts tense and funny, with wit and creativity to spare.

~~Their checks are in the mail.~~ Their PayPal is being processed.
A great thanks to all those who found the time to come to a fairly warmish little theatre on a very nice Saturday night to check out my endeavor. And it looks like I'll have made back my expenses.

I've had work on the stage before, but this is the first time I was solely responsible for getting it up on its feet and doing so in three weeks was nerve-wracking to say the least, but my cast and crew pulled it all together in awesome fashion.

Mastermind will hit the boards again if I have anything to say about it. Hopefully with the original cast intact. They rock.

J. Claude's mom was there. I thanked her for having him.