RIP: Ken Russell... Billion Dollar Brain

Director Ken Russell has passed away - he was one of those interesting British directors from the 60s and 70s who was making films up until his death. The thing about a Ken Russell movie was that it would always be visually interesting, often in an acid trip kind of way.

I wrote this a couple years back about his very first film...

Last week I had an entry about one of my favorite movies, THE IPCRESS FILE starring Michael Caine. That was his first starring role after playing bit parts and supporting in films and TV series, and he performed like a veteran. The film was both a critical and financial success - and based on the first in a series of novels by Len Deighton - so you know what happens next...

Sequels.

The first sequel, FUNERAL IN BERLIN, is one of those great Cold War movies - directed by James Bond vet Guy Hamilton (GOLDFINGER) and is pretty good. Not as great as IPCRESS, but it’s a fine second film. Maybe because it didn’t measure up to the wild director of Sidney J. Furie, the producers decided to bring in someone arty for the third film, so they hired the flamboyant Ken Russell to direct BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN.

Ken Russell is an interesting director, and I believe this is his first feature film. He would go on to direct WOMEN IN LOVE a couple of years later, which features Alan Bates and Oliver Reed wrestling naked - I am still trying to remove those images from my mind. He would then specialize in over the top musicals and musical biographies like THE BOY FRIEND, THE MUSIC LOVERS, TOMMY, MAHLER, LISZTOMANIA, and VALENTINO before going through ALTERED STATES and coming out the other side as a kind of kinky horror movie director with the wacky CRIMES OF PASSION and GOTHIC and LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM. I believe he is now making erotica with a consumer camcorder - and I’m sure it’s inventive and strange. Russell is one of those crazy geniuses like Orson Welles who needs someone to tell him when he has gone too far, someone to tell him when he has ventured into the really weird.

There was no one like that on BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN... so we have a movie where the army is dressed in white outfits with purple helmets and look like a bunch of penises (or penii) and everything is bright and crazy and the plot goes way off the rails about halfway through and it seems to be a parody of James Bond movies. You keep expecting a big musical number to break out. Ed Begley Sr is so over the top he ends up in the stratosphere somewhere. I have no idea what this movie is - but it is *not* a Harry Palmer movie. I saw it at the American Cinematheque a couple of years ago double billed with FUNERAL IN BERLIN, and it was entertaining in a "How Much Acid Did Ken Russell Drop Before Making This Film" sort of way... but not a Harry Palmer movie.

But here is the trailer...



And here are Maurice Binder's opening titles - you can see they are turning Harry Palmer into some sort of artsie-fartsie James Bond, instead of the more realistic look at espionage from the first two films.



Though this movie is completely crazy, and killed the franchise dead for a couple of decades, you may want to check out Russell’s WOMEN IN LOVE and some of his other films - he’s a wild director, and with material that isn’t supposed to be realistic he makes some interesting films. I've seen most of them. (Amanda Donahoe is mostly naked in LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM...)

- Bill






CYBER MONDAY SALE:
*ALL* CLASSIC CLASS CDs

ALL SIX CLASSIC CLASSES!
Why break up a set? Get ALL of the Classic Classes on CD for one low price - and save on postage, too! SIX CDs packed with information!
From IDEAS & CREATIVITY to WRITING INDIES to WRITING HORROR to the 2 part WRITING THRILLERS to GUERRILLA MARKETING. These classes used to sell for $15 - for a total of $120 with postage & handling. Buy the whole set and get 'em for only $50 plus *discounted* postage and handling.
It's the big deal - You SAVE $60!!!! ENDS SOON!
BUY NOW!

NEW!

*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Kindle!

*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Nook!

Expanded version with more ways to find great ideas! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is around 155 pages!

Only $2.99 - and no postage!




NEW!

*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Kindle!

*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Nook!

Expanded version with more ways to create interesting protagonists! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is once again around 155 pages!

Only $2.99 - and no postage!



NEW!

*** DIALOGUE SECRETS *** - For Kindle!

*** DIALOGUE SECRETS *** - For Nook!

Expanded version with more ways to create interesting protagonists! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is almost *200* pages!
Only $2.99 - and no postage!

NEW CLASSES!




STRUCTURAL FREAKS! - 80 minute CD packed with information! Ready for the freak show?
William Goldman says "Structure is everything". Do you understand structure? Is your script running out of steam halfway through? Exploring different methods of structuring your screenplay - alternatives to the three act structure like the Navajo Story Circle, Tag Teams, Strange Chronologies, and more. Using examples like INGLORIOUS BASTERDS, RUN, LOLA, RUN and PULP FICTION and THE HANGOVER and TIMECRIMES and CRASH and SLACKERS and other odd storytelling methods. The Structural Freaks Class sells for $15 (plus $5 S&H)



NOIR & MYSTERY - 80 minute CD packed with information on writing Film Noir and Mystery scripts. Using examples from CHINATOWN to OUT OF THE PAST to DOUBLE INDEMNITY you'll learn how to create stories in this dark, twisted genre. How to plant clues, red herrings, suspects, victims, spider women, fallen heroes, the funhouse mirror world of noir supporting characters... and the origins of Film Noir in literature Noir dialogue and how noir endings are different than any other genre. All of the critical elements necessary to write in this critically popular genre. The Noir & Mystery Class is only $15 (plus $5 S&H).




THEME & VOICE - Theme is the center of your story - the reason for telling your story. How to find theme with your character and use theme to explore your character. Why theme is the most important element in any screenplay. Theme and nexus. Theme and dialogue. Theme and scenes. Your personal themes and finding your unique voice as a screenwriter. This 80 minute CD is packed with information - THEME & VOICE sells for $15 (plus $5 S&H)

Click here for more information on CLASS CDs!

Lancelot Link: HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Lancelot Link Thursday! If you wonder what the President has for dinner on Thanksgiving after he pardons the turkeys, here are some articles about screenwriting and the biz plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...



Here are five cool links plus this week's food chase...

1) Gee That Movie Poster Looks Familiar!

2) Some People Take Researching Serial Killers To An Extreme!

3) Cool Film Posters From Another Time!

4) Doug Richardson - DIE HARD 2 writer on The Worst Note He Ever Got!

5) 20 Stunts Gone Really Wrong.

Today is THANKSGIVING in the USA, a time when we eat until we explode... much like Mr. Creosote. So - no car chase this week...



Happy Thanksgiving!

- Bill



BLACK FRIDAY SALE:
*ALL* CLASSIC CLASS CDs

ALL SIX CLASSIC CLASSES!
Why break up a set? Get ALL of the Classic Classes on CD for one low price - and save on postage, too! SIX CDs packed with information!
From IDEAS & CREATIVITY to WRITING INDIES to WRITING HORROR to the 2 part WRITING THRILLERS to GUERRILLA MARKETING. These classes used to sell for $15 - for a total of $120 with postage & handling. Buy the whole set and get 'em for only $50 plus *discounted* postage and handling.
It's the big deal - You SAVE $60!!!! ENDS SOON!
BUY NOW!

NEW!

*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Kindle!

*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Nook!

Expanded version with more ways to find great ideas! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is around 155 pages!

Only $2.99 - and no postage!




NEW!

*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Kindle!

*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Nook!

Expanded version with more ways to create interesting protagonists! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is once again around 155 pages!

Only $2.99 - and no postage!



NEW!

*** DIALOGUE SECRETS *** - For Kindle!

*** DIALOGUE SECRETS *** - For Nook!

Expanded version with more ways to create interesting protagonists! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is almost *200* pages!
Only $2.99 - and no postage!

NEW CLASSES!




STRUCTURAL FREAKS! - 80 minute CD packed with information! Ready for the freak show?
William Goldman says "Structure is everything". Do you understand structure? Is your script running out of steam halfway through? Exploring different methods of structuring your screenplay - alternatives to the three act structure like the Navajo Story Circle, Tag Teams, Strange Chronologies, and more. Using examples like INGLORIOUS BASTERDS, RUN, LOLA, RUN and PULP FICTION and THE HANGOVER and TIMECRIMES and CRASH and SLACKERS and other odd storytelling methods. The Structural Freaks Class sells for $15 (plus $5 S&H)



NOIR & MYSTERY - 80 minute CD packed with information on writing Film Noir and Mystery scripts. Using examples from CHINATOWN to OUT OF THE PAST to DOUBLE INDEMNITY you'll learn how to create stories in this dark, twisted genre. How to plant clues, red herrings, suspects, victims, spider women, fallen heroes, the funhouse mirror world of noir supporting characters... and the origins of Film Noir in literature Noir dialogue and how noir endings are different than any other genre. All of the critical elements necessary to write in this critically popular genre. The Noir & Mystery Class is only $15 (plus $5 S&H).




THEME & VOICE - Theme is the center of your story - the reason for telling your story. How to find theme with your character and use theme to explore your character. Why theme is the most important element in any screenplay. Theme and nexus. Theme and dialogue. Theme and scenes. Your personal themes and finding your unique voice as a screenwriter. This 80 minute CD is packed with information - THEME & VOICE sells for $15 (plus $5 S&H)

Click here for more information on CLASS CDs!

Lancelot Link: Their First Assignment

Lancelot Link Thursday! If you believe that monkey from RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES should get nominated for best actor, here are some articles about screenwriting and the biz plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...



Here are EIGHT cool links plus this week's car chase...

1) The Brit List - Best Britsh Unproduced Screenplays!

2) Hollywood's Most Overpaid Stars - who isn't worth their pay check?

3) Michael Bay and His Explosions - charts and graphs and data!

4) What if you wrote a novel by taking 6 page chunks of other novels and just changing the names?

5) Uni Chief Ron Meyer on the TOWER HEIST video on demand fiasco.

6) Shane Black On IRON MAN 3

7) Writers who make the most money per word are profiled.

8) The Found Footage Genre.

An this week's car chase features Gary Busey - a guy I've worked with 2 or 3 times...



- Bill

The Secrets Of Action Screenwriting

If you got the new issue of Script Magazine, there's an excerpt from the fully revised version of THE SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING... and I fully expected it to be available by now. But things happened. It looks like it will be available in 2 weeks, now.

I also expected to have a new entry in Fridays With Hitchcock up today - THE LADY VANISHES. But I'm still working on it. I'm going to try to get it up by the end of today. Problem is - it's another monster! I'm at the intended word count right know... but only half done! So check back later today or tomorrow and you should find it.

Meanwhile - all 3 of the Blue Books are in tghe Amazon Top 10! Kind of cool.

- Bill

Lancelot Link: On Stranger Tides

Lancelot Link Thursday! Here are some articles about screenwriting and the biz plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...



Here are five cool links plus this week's car chase...

1) The Last Movie Camera.

2) Dictator Kidnaps Director - Makes Epic!

3) From my friends at Raindance - Coen Brothers Screenplays!

4) Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher? What does the novelist have to say? (Did Tom Cruise take the role because he wanted to stretch?)

5) Director so out of control that it's *weird* - are they still making a movie?

And the Car Chase of the Week!



SUPERCOP - and I've been on this road in Hong Kong!

- Bill

NEW!

*** DIALOGUE SECRETS *** - For Kindle!

*** DIALOGUE SECRETS *** - For Nook! (coming soon)

Expanded version with dozens of ways to improve your dialogue! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is almost 200 pages!

Only $2.99 - and no postage!

NEW!

*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Kindle!

*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Nook!

Expanded version with more ways to find great ideas! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is around 155 pages!

Only $2.99 - and no postage!

NEW!

*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Kindle!

*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Nook! (coming soon)

Expanded version with more ways to create interesting protagonists! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is once again around 155 pages!

Only $2.99 - and no postage!

November Issue Of Script Magazine

The new issue is out now!

They Gave us the Business: An Interview With Margin Call’s J.C. Chandor
by Bob Verini

It was the “Masters of the Universe” who turned all Americans into high rollers during the “Me Decade,” but it was the ordinary Wall Street Joes and Janes who brought the ride to a halt. A scintillating new suspenser, Margin Call — from first-time feature filmmaker J.C. Chandor, suggests how and why they did it.

From Script to Screen: The Rum Diary
by David S. Cohen

To adapt Hunter S. Thompson’s The Rum Diary, screenwriter Bruce Robinson (The Killing Fields) had to break a promise, go off the wagon, and risk the wrath of Thompson’s fans.

Writers on Writing: J. Edgar
by Dustin Lance Black

Scribe Dustin Lance Black (Milk) bucked preconceived public opinions in his search for the “real” J. Edgar Hoover when cracking the script for his powerful biopic of the enigmatic founder of the FBI, J. Edgar.

The Last Ride: An Interview With Writer Howie Klausner
by Randy Rudder

Howie Klausner (Space Cowboys), along with co-writer Dub Cornett, remained true to history while scripting the last days of music legend Hank Williams while retaining just enough creative license to leave their fingerprints on this touching story of an icon gone too soon.

An Interview With Final Draft, Inc. Hall of Famer Steven Zaillian
by Ray Morton

This October, Steven Zaillian (Schindler’s List) was presented the Final Draft, Inc. Hall of Fame Award, adding to his already extensive list of accolades — an Oscar®, a WGA Award, a BAFTA, a Golden Globe®, a Humanitas Prize, and, just last year, the Writers Guild of America, West’s Laurel Award honoring a lifetime of achievement. Script takes a look at his inspiring career as Zaillian recounts how he has honed his craft over more than two decades of penning unforgettable screenplays.

Beyond the Page: Change of Art
by Peter Hanson

Searching for new ways to explore his favorite themes led screenwriter Joe Forte (Firewall, Say I Do) to a thriving second career as a painter.

What are Your Real Chances of Success?
by Corey Mandell

Writers know it’s not easy to launch and sustain a career. After all, the odds aren’t necessarily stacked in your favor. But, what exactly are your chances of making it in the industry? The answer might surprise you.

Goldman’s Rule on Structure
by John Buchanan

No element of a successful script is more important than a solid, effective structure. And no fundamental discipline of screenwriting is more misunderstood or misapplied. Here experts weigh in on the art of mastering structure.

10 Tips for Talking to Hollywood
by Peter Hanson

Practicing savvy techniques can help ensure you’re taken seriously by the film industry — even before you’re a working professional. Learn why the movie business is just like any other private club: Once you learn the secret handshake (metaphorically speaking), you can get in the door.

Booze Control: Terence Winter and a Sip of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire
by David Radcliff

Last year, Terence Winter (The Sopranos) traded Mafia stories for tales of gin mills and moonshine during Prohibition-era Atlantic City in the first season of HBO’s gripping drama Boardwalk Empire. The result was a smash-hit cable series that left frenzied fans immediately clamoring for the show’s second season.

Pacing Your Script
by Mike Kuciak

One of the elements that makes a professional-level script stand out is it moves in a speed and rhythm that feels like what we’re used to seeing in a theater. There are several common missteps that often contribute to making the pacing slow or uneven in a screenplay. Finding and addressing them will help turn your works into fast, fun, professional reads.

Wind From the East, Part 2: Manga and Anime
by Northrop Davis

Script further examines the growing influence of Japanese manga and anime in Hollywood and the opportunities the global medium presents to creative minds looking to start a career in film or television.

Script Secrets: Hero is Villain?
by William C. Martell

For every yin there is a yang, for every hero there is a villain … unless they are the same person. In an excerpt from his book The Secrets of Action Screenwriting, columnist and professional scribe William C. Martell explains this unique story situation.

For more info:
http://www.ScriptMag.Com

- Bill

Still #3!

Sorry, folks, I have a terrible head cold so the LADY VANISHES entry isn't going to pop tomorrow, and the half finished links entry never got up for today. My good news is that my laptop is back from the shop, so I'm working on the SECRETS OF ACTION rewrite between nose-blows.

The miracle of the two Blue Books on Kindle continues, here's today's ranking on Amazon:

NEW!

*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Kindle!

*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Nook!

Expanded version with more ways to find great ideas! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is around 155 pages!

Only $2.99 - and no postage!

NEW!

*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Kindle!

*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Nook!

Expanded version with more ways to create interesting protagonists! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is once again around 155 pages!

Only $2.99 - and no postage!

Next up will be Dialogue (#10) - which is mostly rewritten and waiting for the three new articles... which I have to write between nose-blows.

Hope to have e-book version of SECRETS OF ACTION ready around the start of November. There will be an excerpt in the November issue of Script Magazine. The excerpt is 2,500 words (10 pages of typing) and was a *single sentence* in the original version! That's the problem with this danged rewrite - every chapter has more information and is twice as long!

- Bill
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: Do You Have The Wrong Idea - Making sure you have the best version of the story before you write it.
Dinner: Chicken breast, salad, mashed potatoes... at home while blowing my nose. Yech. Couldn't taste any of it.
Pages: Got my laptop back from repairs... but now *I* need repairs. Mon & Tue wrote a new article for Script. Also did a quick pass on a script requested by a manager.

Raindance Film Festival Winners

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE presented by Lomography

WINNER
Just Between Us / Rajko Grlic - Croatia
Set in contemporary Zagreb, Just Between Us is a beautifully told tale of infidelity charting the convoluted love lives of two middle-aged brothers, their wives and their mistresses.

BEST UK presented by Yahoo! Movies

WINNER
Stranger Things / Eleanor Burke - UK
An unusual and touching bond develops when grieving Oona reaches out to a mysterious homeless man, offering him a place to stay in her shed.

BEST DEBUT presented by Digital Cinema Media

WINNER
Tilt / Viktor Chouchkov Jr. - Bulgaria
This Bulgarian coming-of-age drama is about four friends who dream of opening up their own bar. Things get complicated when one of them falls in love, the group are busted for illegal distribution of pornography and exiled from their home country.

BEST MICROBUDGET FEATURE presented by Electric Sheep

WINNER
MONK3YS / Drew Cullingham - UK
Voluntarily locked in a cell for 48 hours with no restrictions and no outside help three emotional archetypes battle for psychological supremacy before they can be destroyed by their own weaknesses.

BEST DOCUMENTARY presented by VICE

WINNER
How to Start A Revolution / Ruaridh Arrow - UK
HOW TO START A REVOLUTION is the remarkable untold story of Nobel Peace Prize nominee Gene Sharp, the world's leading expert on non-violent revolution.

BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORTS

WINNER
Words / Sven Vinge - Denmark
A stranger, apparently a great fan of the author, asks for a signed copy of Strøm's recent novel ... the one with the girl.

BEST UK SHORT presented by Raindance TV

WINNER
Love At First Sight / Michael Davies - UK
Do you believe in love at first sight? When Arthur spots Ruth he knows in his heart that it's true...

- Bill

Lancelot Link: Red, White, And Blonde!

Lancelot Link Thursday! Here are some articles about screenwriting and the biz plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...



Here are six cool links plus this week's car chase...

1) RIP: Steve Jobs - Apple As Movie Star.

2) Want To Be An Intern On A Hollywood Film?

3) Robin Swicord Interview

4) WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER writers speak!

5) Charlie Kaufman On Writing.

6) 5 Secrets About BREAKFAST AT TIFFANYS.

And the car chase of the week is *awful* and from SAMURAI COP:



What's up with that hair?

- Bill

NEW!

*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Kindle!

*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Nook!

Expanded version with more ways to find great ideas! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is around 155 pages!

Only $2.99 - and no postage!

NEW!

*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Kindle!

*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Nook! (coming soon)

Expanded version with more ways to create interesting protagonists! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is once again around 155 pages!

Only $2.99 - and no postage!

Yet Another Remake Of SCARFACE

First it was Paul Muni, then it was Al Pacino, and now...


EMBED-Scarface School Play - Watch more free videos

Gives a whole new meaning to Childrens Theater.

- Bill
Your warning:
Movies 4 Men Channel: 10/2 - 11:00 - Crash Dive - The crew of a nuclear submarine rescue supposed victims of a boat disaster, but the victims turn out to be terrorists intent on capturing nuclear weapons aboard the sub. (1997)

Lancelot Link: The Next Day

Lancelot Link Thursday! Here are some articles about screenwriting and the biz plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...



Here are six cool links plus this week's car chase...

1) Superheroes In Their Off Moments.

2) Duct Tape Tron.

3) John Landis On Movie Monsters.

4) Want To Read All Of The Christopher Nolan Screenplays?

5) Hollywood Without DVDs.

6) Linda Obst on BRIDESMAIDS and women on screen.

What happens when your search terms are "Movie Car Chase Norway"?



- Bill

More People Dying!

RIP: David Zelag Goodman - screenwriter of STRAW DOGS and the Mitchum FAIRWELL MY LOVELY.

RIP: Uan Rasey - trumpet player on the CHINATOWN soundtrack. Thanks to my brother Dave (pro musician) for the heads up on this. Jerry Goldsmith's CHINATOWN score is amazing, and Rasey's trumpet solo work carries the score.

Both will be missed.

- Bill

Lancelot Link: The Legend Of Curly's Gold

Lancelot Link Thursday! Here are some articles about screenwriting and the biz plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...



Here are eight cool links plus this week's car chase...

1) Indie Producer Who Will Not Be At AFM This Year.

2) Screenwriter Breaks His Nose Without Fighting Uwe Boll.

3) Indiana Jones 30 Years Later.

4) Universal Remakes Classic 1932 Gangster Film!

5) The Locations For DRIVE (2011)

6) How does Jason Statham make so many films in a year?

7) Prop House That Dripped Blood!

8) GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO remake full trailer.

Car Chase Of The Week: Something romantic from The Marseille Contract (1974):



- Bill

September 20...

TUESDAY:

Okay - at 4pm today: IDEA MACHINE was #1 and PROTAGONISTS was #3...

WEDNESDAY:

Neither has ever been #1 before!

NEW!

*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Kindle!

*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Nook!

Expanded version with more ways to find great ideas! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is around 155 pages!

Only $2.99 - and no postage!

NEW!

*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Kindle!

*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Nook! (coming soon)

Expanded version with more ways to create interesting protagonists! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is once again around 155 pages!

Only $2.99 - and no postage!

Idea Machine has been out since JULY and has stayed right around #3 the whole time. Protagonists was bounced all over the place.

- Bill

Lancelot Link: The Search For Spock!

Lancelot Link Thursday! Here are some articles about screenwriting and the biz plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...



Here are six cool links plus this week's car chase...

1) Horror Filmmakers: Take Pride In Your Work, Please!

2) 40 Rare STAR WARS Behind The Scenes Photos!

3) Justin Samuels - Writer Suing Agencies For $8m - Rebuttal!

4) HOllywood Can Make A $450 Million Movie Unprofitable!

5) JONNY QUEST in stop motion!

6) Was RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES a political film?

And the Car Chase Of The Week:



VIOLENT CITY (1975) aka FORCED IMPACT. The cool thing about this chase is that it's old school - camera mounted behind the wheels and all of those classic shots from BULLITT and FRENCH CONNECTION.

- Bill

September Issue Of Script Magazine!

Beyond the Page: Words’ Worth
by Peter Hanson
For Oscar®-nominated screenwriter Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich), helping at-risk youth express themselves through poetry underscores the transformative power of language.

M.Y.O.M. (Make Your Own Movie)
by Jim Cirile
As lowly writers, we are taught that we are at the mercy of others. If you can’t get a representative or your screenplay doesn’t sell, sorry, pal — you will never get produced. But the digital age has changed all that. It’s time to seize the reins. You CAN make your own movie.

Concept is King
by John Buchanan
In today’s tight spec-script market, nothing is more important than your idea. In fact, an inferior concept can render even talent and opportunity effectively meaningless. Learn why story concept is king of the screenwriting jungle.

Writers on Writing: 50/50
by Will Reiser
Diagnosed with cancer at 25, scribe Will Reiser decided he finally had firsthand knowledge of a topic deep enough to merit a movie. He tackled the misconceptions about having the dreaded disease and a wrote a poignant, funny, and sometimes irreverent … buddy comedy.

From Script to Screen: Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
by David S. Cohen
It took about 17 years, but Guillermo del Toro and Matthew Robbins turned Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark into the movie del Toro saw in his head when it scared the bejeezus out of him at age 10.

Story in Television
by John Truby
Renowned screenwriting instructor and sought-after story consultant John Truby explores why he advises: If you want to be a working writer, and the very best writer you can be, turn your sights to TV.

Emilio Estevez Shows Us The Way
By Bob Verini
Using the classic tale of The Wizard of Oz as an inspirational starting point, filmmaker Emilio Estevez writes and directs his father Martin Sheen in his modern-day spiritual epic The Way.

Writers on Writing: Martha Marcy May Marlene
by Sean Durkin
Writer-director Sean Durkin reveals the challenges in writing a character, Martha Marcy May Marlene, for whom time, like her own name and identity, is fluid. His critically acclaimed drama about a woman released from a cult back into her family challenged his ability to capture the emotions of several characters and led him to embrace the old writer’s mantra: Less is more.

Rubber Stamp Misery!
by William M. Akers
Screenwriter and teacher William M. Akers has seen the same mistakes in screenplays so many times that he created a series of rubber stamps for each common error. Learn how to avoid these tell-tale blunders and get your script on top of the read pile.

Transition Points
by Ray Morton
Over the 100 or so years of its existence, narrative cinema has developed a number of devices that screenwriters can use to effect transitions. Professional script analyst Ray Morton catalogues which devices to use to create seamless changes in time, place or perspective for the reader.

How to Get Your Script Read by Industry Players
by Michael Ferris
You can have the best screenplay in the world — but unless you can get people to read it, it might as well be a paper weight. Find out how to get your script in the right hands.

Script Secrets: Your Own Devices
by William C. Martell
MacGuffins, villains’ plans, Bellamys, and broomsticks are some of the most common types of plot devices. Do you know how to use them? If not, columnist and professional scribe William C. Martell is here to show you.

For More Info Click Here!

- Bill

Lancelot Link Thursday: Across The 8th Dimension!

Lancelot Link Thursday! You know what happens when you forget to post the links one week? Twice as many links the next week! Here are some articles about screenwriting and the biz plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...



Here are seven cool links plus this week's car chase...

1) A Rejection Service For Writers!

2) Hollywood Cliches Make Sweet Infographics.

3) 21 Refs To PLANET OF THE APRES in the new RISE OF film.

4) Worst opening for a movie ever - $11 - beats the previous champ Zyzzyx Rd which made $30.

5) Studio Mandated Endings... from hell!

6) The Schwarzanegger Trilogy.

7) The Squid And The Reservoir Dogs.

And this week's car chase, from THUNDERBOLT & LIGHTFOOT:



- Bill

CIRCLE OF ENEMIES is here!

Today is the day.

A few years ago my friend Harry wrote a novel called CHILD OF FIRE that was picked up by Random House / Del Rey. Publisher's Weekly gave it a starred review. It was also one of their best novels of the year. Everybody loved it. Last year the second novel in the series GAME OF CAGES came out. Once again - great starred review in Publisher's Weekly. Good reviews every place else. Hey, that Harry can write!



TODAY the third book in the series, CIRCLE OF ENEMIES, comes out in paperback. Publisher's Weekly *again* gave it a great starred review. Harry is three for three in the great reviews derby!

The new book is on bookstore shelves today, and available at Amazon and B&N Online, and maybe in airports and drugstores.

Last time I posted about CIRCLE OF ENEMIES I put up the trailer they made for all three books - and unlike those boring book trailers where the pudgy writer holds up a copy of his books and while the announcer tells you how great it is, the the writer says, "I'm James Patterson, read this week's book with my name on it", this is more like a movie trailer... kinda cool!



The other thing they are doing is selling the first two books in the series on Kindle (and other e-book platforms) at a discounted price - for anyone who missed them.

CHILD OF FIRE - 99 cents.

That is under a dollar! For one of the best novels of 2009!

GAME OF CAGES - $2 off!

This is a limited time deal to promote the new book.





Harry has already finished the next book in the series, but how brilliant is he to write a book about Google Plus "Circles" and have it hit bookstores just when Google Plus is taking off? By the way - love that cover!

- Bill

Back In My Home Town...

Back in my home town for a few weeks, and one of my first stops was Hop Sing's Chinese Take Out...

If you ever watched BONANZA on TV, Hop Sing was the cook at the Ponderosa - which isn't that far from where I grew up (though - it's fictional and I grew up in some form of reality). Hop Sing's Chinese Take Out may have been the first in a proposed chain... but I don't think that happened. Instead it's a single store. No seats, nowhere to dine in - take out only.

Map of the Ponderosa on the wall:

When I was a poor community college student Hop Sing's was close to the college (DVC) and close to one of my jobs (K-Mart) and *cheap* and great food. So I could easily dash there and grab some to-go food and munch it between classes or between jobs or just between. Even today, they have the best Chinese fast food I've ever eaten - for $5.75 you get a meal that makes Panda look like garbage. I had a #3: 4 *huge* prawns, almond chicken, BBQ pork fried rice (with a ton of BBQ pork). Their #1 is $4.99 now - BBQ pork chow mein (again - LOTS of BBQ pork), sweet & sour pork, special fried rice with the works... back when I was in community college I have no idea how much it was, but cheaper than McDonalds. I lived off Hop Sings back then.

Now, my sister works at the bowling alley across the street from Hop Sing's, so I visited with her before grabbing dinner and taking it to the park down the street.

So now that I'm here there will be some meetings on my no budget film project, and I plan to make a short film just for fun, and some other stuff.

- Bill

HOW TO MAKE A SCI-FI BLOCKBUSTER FOR LOOSE CHANGE – AND TURN A PROFIT!

My friend Marc Zicree sent me an e-mail about his new class, asking me to help him get the word out. If you don't know who Marc is, you can IMDB him - he wrote the Twilight Zone Companion and was head writer for the TV show SLIDERS and at least one of the STAR TREK spin offs... plus I think he won an award for a STAR TREK episode with Sulu. Marc and his wife do classes every month, and I used to put a blurb about them in my newsletter... only I have not sent out a newsletter in ages! So, here's Marc to tell you about the class...

Our class this upcoming weekend with Neil Johnson HOW TO MAKE A SCI-FI BLOCKBUSTER FOR LOOSE CHANGE -- AND TURN A PROFIT! is getting quite a response -- folks flying in from across the country to take it, people dying to learn the secrets only Neil knows.

It's funny -- just the other day an indie filmmaker I met was telling me that the way to make a film is to scrounge together whatever money you have, don't expect to make anything back and assume nothing will come of it.

Well, Neil, Elaine and I utterly reject that proposition!

(And who are Elaine and I, you might ask. We're Marc and Elaine Zicree, writer-producer-directors who've worked for all the major studios and networks, have hundreds of hours of produced credits -- including STAR TREK - THE NEXT GENERATION, DEEP SPACE NINE, BABYLON 5, SLIDERS, FRIDAY THE 13TH - THE SERIES, etc. -- and have been nominated for the Hugo and Nebula Awards and just won the 2011 Saturn Award.)

Neil's filmed with multi-million dollar budgets and budgets of only a few thousand -- and he's made a profit on everything he's shot! PLUS on his most recent film ALIEN ARMAGEDDON he got big-budget effects and name stars for a total budget of only $27,000!

Don't be left out! This is the real deal!

As a rule, shooting a movie with two people in a room talking for two hours doesn't get Hollywood to sit up and take notice. Neil's got fleets of spaceships invading Earth, major cities being nuked, big gun battles between aliens and humans, biomechanical monsters menacing beautiful heroines, the works -- LEARN HOW YOU CAN DO IT TOO!

To see the TRAILER click on TRAILER!

Log onto http://www.scifiblockbuster.com for more info and to sign up.

Class will be Saturday and Sunday August 27-28, 10-5, L.A. Valley College, 5800 Fulton Ave., campus center room 104, first floor, Van Nuys 91401; park in Lot 3 for free.

It's going to be a great ride!

PLUS anyone who mentions my name (Bill Martell) when they sign up gets a BONUS 10-HOUR DVD set of the class (a $249 value) -- FREE. Um, I want that. I'd be there, but I'm on vacation right now.

- Bill

#2

YOUR IDEA MACHINE never made it any higher than #3 on the Amazon Top 20 Screenwriting List...

IDEA MACHINE is still in the top ten at #6.

- Bill

I'm On Vacation

Thought I was going to have another new Hitchcock entry up today, but it isn't finished because I've been goofing off. Sorry.

Okay, here's a link to PSYCHO.

- Bill

Lancelot Link Thursday

Lancelot Link Thursday! Now that PLANET OF THE APES has been #1 two weekends in a row, do you think all movies should be about Monkeys? OF MICE AND MONKEYS? FINAL MONKEY 5? 30 MONKEYS OR LESS? GONE WITH THE APES? HOW GREEN WAS MY MONKEY? MONKEYBLANCA? If so, here are some articles about screenwriting and the biz plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...



Here are seven cool links plus this week's car chase...

1) All Of The Final Destination Deaths!

2) Police Blow Up Suspicious Screenplay - in case you missed it.

<3) Hunter S. Thompson doesn't like your work... and makes Josh Olson look like a pussycat.

4) Interview With The Writer Suing WME & other agencies for $8 Million Bucks.

5) World's Largest Stop Motion Animation (by Aardman).

6) Groucho Marx vs. Warner Bros lawyers.

7) CONAN writer on bad reviews.

And this week's car chase:



VANISHING POINT remake - Charger & Challenger.

- Bill
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: Nice Antagonists - Just because they are the antagonist doesn't mean they're not nice!
Dinner: All I Could Eat.
Pages: Working on the Action Book revisions... kinda.
Bicycle: No bike where I am.
Movies: Yes, I have seen FINAL DESTINATION 5...

Number 3!

Here is the Amazon Top 10 Screenwriting List for Kindle - 8/13/11:

Also #3 today (8/14) but the top two have traded places.
Thought for sure it would be #63 by now.

NEW!

*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Kindle!

*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Nook!

Expanded version with more ways to find great ideas! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is around 155 pages!

Only $2.99 - and no postage!

Wait... There's more!

NEW!

*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Kindle!

*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Nook! (coming soon)

Expanded version with more ways to create interesting protagonists! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is once again around 155 pages!

Only $2.99 - and no postage!

Next up will either be Dialogue (#10) (which needs me to write 3 new articles) or one of the others that requires less work.

- Bill

Lancelot Link Thursday: The Final Thursday!

Lancelot Link Thursday! They are already planning a sequel to RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES... does this mean the apes have taken over our cinemas? If so, here are some articles about screenwriting and the biz plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you or the apes who are reading this blog. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...



Here are five cool links plus the car chase of the week...

1) Ian Fleming (James Bond) on writing thrillers.

2) Following The Cliche

3) JAWS in the style of PEANUTS.

4) John Sayles interview. (because I'm a massive fan, I must link every Sayles interview, sorry!)

5) All of the Hitchcock Trailers!

And this week's car chase...

LINK BECAUSE EMBED IS DISABLED... It's that good! One of Lancelot's *favorites*!

- Bill
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: Always The Journey - if the hero kills the villain at the end, what's the use of watching?
Dinner: Baja Fresh Fish Tacos... black beans & rice.
Pages: Finished a script, and now working on a NEW Hitchcock blog entry for Friday... then on to the Action Book revisions.
Bicycle: Some medium to longish bike rides over the past couple of days because I'll be going on vacation... and no bike. Lots of eating too much and sitting on my fat behind. Better get some exercise in now!

NEW!

*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Kindle!

*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Nook!

Expanded version with more ways to find great ideas! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is around 155 pages!

Only $2.99 - and no postage!

Fade Out

So, the original plan was to finish up this great blog entry that has been half written for at least a month, now, and post it for Wednesday... but I'm not sure I'm going to have time to get it done, so it's coming next week.

Instead I thought I'd mention that I finally got to FADE OUT on this new spec, and I did a read-through looking for screw ups today and I think I got most of them... and the script has some scenes that seem better than I remember them when I was doing the typing. I came up with a better ending along the way – the basic end in the same but the details are different – and overall I like the script. Now all I need is to sell the sucker...

But I finished it just in the nick of time, since I want to squeeze in a vacation (which is just working in some other city) and then head back to my hometown to hang out with friends and discuss the movie project... which has already hit a little bump. One of my co-horts – the guy whose *house* we're shooting in – is booked with work until the end of the year. So it looks like we won't be filming until *next year*. We'll have some meetings and beers and come up with a new start date and plan for the film.

The big plan at this point in time is to complete the revisions on THE SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING and get that sucker up on Kindle and Nook (hopefully by the end of this month) and then spend next month getting the Blue Books up there. I have another spec script that I want to write by the end of this year – and I might *just* be able to squeeze that in. This year is zipping past!

I am amazed that YOUR IDEA MACHINE is still hanging in there on the Amazon Top Ten for Kindle list. Over the weekend it dropped down to 15... and then rose back to #6 on Monday.

But I have a new screenplay! And hope to have some new blog entries soon!

- Bill

Lancelot Link Thursday: Lancelot Takes Manhattan!

Lancelot Link Thursday! Now that they've made BATTLESHIP: THE MOVIE, are you waiting for BARREL OF MONKEYS: THE MOTION PICTURE? If so, here are some articles about screenwriting and the biz plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...



Here are four cool links plus this week's car chase...

1) Pick Movies Based On The Writer - amazing idea!

2) 25 Ways To Become A Better Writer

3) The Overlook Hotel from THE SHINING is a house of cards... a tour. (Thanks to Brad!)

4) A Nice Little Article About Alien

5) Batman Villains - did poor potty training turn them into monsters?

6) And I am still worried about people bathing their taints in the Los Angeles water supply. That's why tap water tastes like...




And this week's car chase... is more of a foot chase...



DISTRICT B13 - one of those arty French films.

- Bill

Now on Nook!

Your Idea Machine (Blue Book #1) - for Nook! That was fast - I posted it to the site yesterday, the note said it would take 48 hours or more... but it's up today.

Your Idea Machine for Nook.

Same deal as Kindle - 160 pages (if it were a paper book) for $2.99.

And Kindle got my cover up. It was #3 on the sales list for Kindle Screenwriting books for a while today. Just think, if I had written a book about identifying ants by sex, it might *always* be #1 in its category!

Okay, you guys are tired of all of this crap, I'm going back to work on the screenplay - almost done!

- Bill

Shady Producers

So, today's Script Tip is on your first script sale with all kinds of warnings about producers who may seem a little shady. Like this guy...

Unlucky Producer? Or Fraud?

- Bill

Blue Book update

Okay, Nook ended up being easier than I thought it would be except for one minor cosmetic issue (it "page ends" after every sub-chapter - no big deal). It hasn't popped on B&N yet, but when it does I'll link it.

Due to some weird timing issue, I am locked out of uploading the cover to Kindle until tomorrow. I will fix a couple of cosmetis issues when I dfo that (two lines break in the middle of a sentence due to a stray bit of code, a couple of paragraphs didn't break - you probably wouldn't ever notice it.)

Though I'm finishing up a script right now, and next up is the Secrets Of Action Screenwriting, I may find a minute or two to get some other Blue Books up.

TUESDAY UPDATE: Nook version still in the grinder, will come out soon.

- Bill

The Blue Book Project

I hate my Blue Books. If you don’t know what they are - they’re these booklets I sell from the website, each on a specific subject of screenwriting and each 48 pages (including covers). There are supposed to be 20 of them, but I still have 3 that are in some form of “not finished” - in one case, the material is there but I just haven’t put it in booklet form.

The reason why the Blue Books exist is my friend Jim... When I was sending out preview copies of the Action Book to pro-screenwriters for cover blurbs, he asked me what I was going to sell in the book. I said, I don’t understand that question. He explained that my book would be in bookstores all over the place, and when people bought the book and took it home... what other products would I have listed in the book so that people who liked my book could buy something else like it? Okay, now I was understanding the question, but my answer was: Nothing. I didn’t have anything else to sell, and I only had the Action Book by accident: I had these xeroxed pointers on how to write an action script that I gave to my friends, which had turned into a 100 page booklet with a red cover, that turned into a 200 page book with a glossy blue cover, which turned into the 240 page version that I sold about 13,000 copies of and is now for sale on e-bay for hundreds of dollars because it has been out of print for so long. But every step along the way on the Action Book was just a reaction to whatever happened with the last version. The 240 page version was that original xerox thing with some additional articles added. I was never really trying to write a book... and I had no idea what I could use that book to sell.

So Jim said I should think about some other stuff, and I thought it would be cool to have a book where you picked the chapters yourself - if you wanted to know more about characters and visual storytelling and great endings, you could just buy those “chapters” and make your own book. I jotted down 20 “chapter” ideas - and put a page in the back of the book announcing them. Except, the problem was, people *did* like the Action Book and *did* want to but the danged booklets! So that meant I had to write them. And they kind of came in batches - a bunch came out in 2000, and then in 2002, and then in 2004... and then a couple have come out since then and the last three...

But just writing them was only one of the problems. I had to manufacture them myself. At first, this was fairly easy - the place that copied my scripts gave me a great deal if I ordered about a zillion Blue Books - they would not only knock the price down, if they had nothing better to do they would fold and staple them for free. If you have ever priced folding and stapling (called “saddle stitching” for some reason) at Kinkos, you know this was the deal of the century. Kinkos charges folds by the page - and a 48 page booklet would cost a pile of money in addition to the copy costs. Then, my script copy place went out of business - and to this day that has caused all kinds of issues with the Blue Books, main one being the fold and staple thing.

The other wonderful issue with the Blue Books is that people order weird things. For instance, I suddenly got a bunch or orders for #12 and #4 - and ran out of those two booklets. The new place that prints them has a “bulk discount”, but when I only need some odds and ends, the price goes up and sometimes I basically break even. I might run 20 sets of 17 booklets and get a price break, then get 30 orders for #12 for some weird reason and it screws up everything. If next batch I get extra #12s, there will be a run on #6. You just can’t predict this.

But the biggest problem? Postage. If I mail a complete set of Blue Books to Australia, it costs more that half the cost of the Blue Books themselves - and people often complain. And they are right to complain - if you pay more than half for shipping, something is wrong. The books are heavy - they cost a lot to ship. That’s one of the reasons why I’ve tried to switch over to classes on audio CD - they cost much less to ship. Even with the $1.50 padded envelope, I can get more info sent to someone on a CD that weighs less than that same amount of info on *paper*. But I’ve had a couple of CD classes waiting for me to go into a booth and record.

So I have a possible solution... what do you think?

I’m reading more books on my Kindle than on paper... and someone gave me a link to an article that said 75% (or some large number) of Kindle books sold are technical and educational books with a niche audience. So maybe that’s the answer for the Blue Books? No expensive postage - you just pay for the book. And I knock some money off because there’s no paper involved. (There will still be the paper versions if people want them.) At first I thought I’d do a page one rewrite on every book - a lot of them were written *11 years ago* and could use some work (many have film examples that no one remembers anymore... or examples from films that stink). But a full rewrite would take a long time... that’s 816 pages! And you know, by the time I finished it would be at least 2,000 pages because I’d want to add more. The danged Script Tips from the year 2000 started off as 2 paragraphs and once I get done rewriting them they usually end up 8-10 pages!

I talked this over with some friends, who all said: If you sell them on paper as they are now, why would you need to rewrite them for Kindle/Nook/e-book? Just put out exactly what you have! Good question. But changing formats means I’ll be touching the words again, not just the paper the words are printed on... and I feel kind of compelled to rewrite them while I’m at it.

So look for the new Blue Books in about 20 years...

Or, dang it! What if I did a touch up on each Blue Book for now, and add 4-5 Script Tips on the same subject? The Script Tips pop up every year and a half on the website for free, and eventually it will be every 2 years... but they would be a “bonus” in the e-Blue Books, so I wouldn’t be charging for something you get for free. Does that make sense? And the older Blue Books will probably get a lot more touching up than the more recent ones - since they need it.

Eventually all of the Blue Books will get a more thorough rewrite, but this will work for now... and hopefully I'll get those last three finished and up as well. I will also code them for Nook and other platforms.

I am also *considering* setting up the paper versions on Amazon as a print on demand. When I looked into it, the main problem is that to print a 48 page booklet costs the same as printing a 100 page booklet. And if I charge less than $6.99 it would literally cost me money. So if I do that, I would make the paper Blue Books 100 pages and charge about $7.99 – which is $3 more than now, but for twice the material. I may play around and see if $7.49 for twice the material works. This would solve all of my printing problems – but kind of by passing on a price increase to you. I hate doing that, but sometimes I have too many things going on and this would take one thing off my To Do List.

What do you think?


PS: First one is done and up on Kindle right now - the Your Idea Machine Blue Book. I added about 10,000 words in the rewrite (new techniques to come up with story ideas), not counting the Script Tips. Total words = 40,052, which is about 160 pages. Paper price was $4.99 plus postage for 48 pages, Kindle price is $2.99 and no postage costs at all. Hey, there's even Kindle for your computer if you don't have the device... free. Nook version is on the way, and other platforms, too. This is the first, most of the rest should come out in September if all goes as planned.

Of course, it never does.

- Bill

PS: Due to a screw up the cover isn't up, yet.

Lancelot Link Thursday: Lancelot Goes To Hell!

Lancelot Link Thursday! For those of you who want can't wait to see that documentary about the family who raised a chimp as their child (mom actually breast fed it!)... here are some articles about screenwriting and the biz plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...



Here are four cool links plus this week's car chase...

1) The Brit List.

2) The DARK KNIGHT RISES poster.

3) Terrible Movie Taglines

4) Production Budget = $0, Income so far = $20k.

And this week's car chase...



The remake of OUT OF THE PAST.

- Bill
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: Tom Cruise Takes You For A Ride - Where?
Dinner: Panda - that garlic chicken.
Pages: Still screwed up - I'm way behind.
Movies: THE TRIP... weird combo of improv and fiction.

Book Reports #2

Okay, I actually read this book a while back, and a friend of mine wrote it... but he has a new wrinkle and I thought I'd mention it. If you've ever clicked on But The Third One Was Great! blog over there --> you've read some of Joshua Grover-David Patterson's work. His blog looks at the never-ending sequels to horror movies and has a good time making fun of the bad ones. He's an award winning film maker and has written for film related magazines like FILM THREAT and others.




Well, he wrote a novel called MERCY - a Kindle & Nook original - that is kind of LOST meets DAWN OF THE DEAD. A plane from Ethiopia crashes on a remote island and the survivors thought just finding food and shelter (and rescue) was going to be the worst of their problems... until the zombies began attacking. The zombie plague has broken out - and those passengers who went down with the plane, seat belted in? Once the seat belts rot their bloated corpses rise to the surface and come looking for flesh to eat!

Now, here's the interesting thing about MERCY - it's really a story about a mother (named Georgina Fulci - this book is fun) who will do anything to be reunited with her young adopted daughter (Mercy) and husband (Rob). The plane crash and zombies are the obstacles. So it's a story with lots of heart. Though there are plenty of zombie attacks, Josh doesn't go overboard on the gore - and that may be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on what you like. I think by not overdoing the gross out stuff he makes the novel more human... and focuses on what makes us human. Those dead people attacking look like humans, but they aren't anymore, why?

The great thing about this book is that it never loses sight of the human side - Georgina's reason to live is to return home to her husband and daughter. Each of the characters is a real person with real problems, and the conflicts between the survivors form the real meat of the story. This, and specifically the character of Marshall (big guy, doesn't talk, deeply religious - reminded me of Tom Cullen) are the things that echoes Stephen King's THE STAND for me. On the island they must form a society and decide what's right and wrong and who lives and who dies - and some of the deaths are shocking.

One of the elements of the book is that Georgina becomes the surrogate mother for a child survivor, in a way adopting the kid the way she and her husband adopted their daughter. Motherhood, and that strength and power that comes from being a mother, are major elements in the story. That makes it more than just a zombie story - though it's a zombie story, too. A handful of people trapped on an island surrounded by zombies.

But one of the interesting factors of this story is that Josh and his wife have an adopted daughter from Ethiopia in real life... so this is kind of "write what youy know" (except for the whole plane crash and zombie attack part). The early chapter of the book in Ethiopia has that authenic feel because Josh has been there... that's where his daughter comes from. In an online conversation with a bunch of friends, he told a fascinating story about a man from Ethiopia who went to college in the United States (San Francisco I believe) and returned to Ethiopia to get kids interested in reading. In Ethiopia there are no libraries where a kid can get a book... and really no books for children. This guy has changed that - travelling from village to village on a *donkey* loaded with books! His version of a mobile library. He has since built some actual libraries, and now has several donkey mobile libraries making the rounds. That's an amazing story!

Well, Josh's new wrinkle is that he's going to donate 10% of all of his book sales to this guy with his donkey-libraries in his daughter's home country. He has a blog entry about it here. And if you just want to donate without buying his zombie book, there's a link on his blog.

But the zombie book is a lot of fun... and only $2.99. And lots of great reviews on Amazon that *aren't* from me.

- Bill

Script Magazine - July issue is out!

On newstands, in book stores (if any still exist) and in your mailbox or in box!




Captain America: The First Avenger
By Aaron Ginsburg

When screenwriting duo Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely heard that Marvel Studios was rebooting America’s most iconic superhero, they chased the job … and got it. But re–imagining Captain America proved a daunting task, with over 70 years of material on the Man Behind the Shield. Markus and McFeely recount their journey from research to set rewrites on Captain America: The First Avenger.

Cowboys & Aliens: A Genre Mash–up With Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby
By Tom Benedek

With Cowboys & Aliens, the graphic novel had no famous characters, no famous situations. Scribes Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby were thrilled with the idea and the chance to do a genre mash–up like no other. Here they explain how John Ford’s films and Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind helped inspire this summer’s highly anticipated sci–fi Western adaptation.

From Script to Screen: A Better Life
by David S. Cohen

Through 22 years of development, two screenwriters, a title change, and a page–one rewrite, Summit Entertainment’s A Better Life still remained remarkably true to its original concept. Roger L. Simon (story) and Eric Eason (screenplay) share their experiences scripting the East Los Angeles drama.

Dread Ringer: Summoning Up The Devil’s Double
by Bob Verini

Latif Yahia was given an offer he couldn’t refuse: Become the body double for Saddam Hussein’s vicious elder son Uday, or let his family suffer the consequences. Scribe Michael Thomas couldn’t pass up the chance to delve into the terrifying world of the Black Prince of Iraq and the man forced to do his bidding in the upcoming drama The Devil’s Double.

Taming the Script: Stranger Comics’ Sebastian A. Jones
by Joshua Stecker

Sebastian A. Jones, comic book writer and founder of Stranger Comics, talks about the challenges and advantages he faces when translating his tales of modern fantasy from the script to the screen.

Writers on Writing: Road to Nowhere
by Steven Gaydos

Writer Steven Gaydos recounts his experience scripting Road to Nowhere, a meta–noir crime tale about a filmmaker determined to make a great movie from a crime story written by his screenwriting pal. The story echoes the longtime working relationship and friendship between Gaydos and director Monte Hellman, who realized Gaydos’ vision for the dark and complex film.

Chemical Dependency: Breaking Bad
by David Radcliff

Script rounds up Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan and stars Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, and Dean Norris to discuss the mad science behind their award–winning AMC series.

How to Sell Out!
by Thomas Lennon & Robert Ben Garant

Everyone has an idea for a script, but most aren’t able to cash in on it. Comedy hyphenates Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant (Reno 911!, Night at the Museum) provide 10 easy tips for writers on the “art” of selling out to the Hollywood studio machine and scripting movies for profit.

Script Secrets: No Dramatic Stone Unturned
by William C. Martell

Film is a dramatic medium, so as writers we should always be looking to mine those tense moments in our scripts. Columnist William Martell encourages scribes—in any genre—to show their stories’ drama, not try to avoid it, and he uses the comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall as a great example of dramatic gold.

Script Magazine homepage.

- Bill

Lancelot Link Thursdays: The New Blood

Lancelot Link Thursday! For those of you who wonder if that crested black macaque in Indonesia would take *your* picture, here are some articles about screenwriting and the biz plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...



Here are five cool links plus this week's car chase...

1) Story Notes From Hell!

2) 5 free videos on how to make it in the biz.

3) Literary Greats... In Their Bathing Suits! - closest we're getting to a swimsuit issue around here.

4) Your Last Girlfriend's IMDB Page

5) Lawrence Block's new Parker intro... which is about titles and characters and first sentences.

And this week's car chase:



Yes, I hate shaky-cam. I think BOURNE 2 would have been much better with a different director, and gets a lot of flack due to the danged shaking camera thing. Story is fine.

- Bill
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: When People Explode - You need explosions in your screenplay, especially the dramas.
Dinner: Hawaiian burger at Islands.
Pages: Totally screwed up - I'm way behind.