Saturday Hot Links
Time for the 128th installment of Saturday Hot Links.
Today: The Memorable Bill Murray Moments Edition.
Bill Murray performs “House of the Rising Sun” karaoke style [video].
50 greatest Bill Murray moments [video].
David Letterman announces his retirement in 2015 [video].
Related: Late night hosts react to news of David Letterman retirement [video].
Why Kurt Cobain was the last rock star.
Interview with Jan Harlan, longtime producer for Stanley Kubrick.
10 pasta recipes every cook should know.
Amazon greenlights 6 series and renews “Alpha House”.
Watch liquid boiling and freezing at the same time [video].
25 fun facts about Back to the Future.
The 24 most bizarre injuries in baseball history.
J.K. Rowling writing HP spinoff trilogy “Fantastic Beasts”.
These U.S. colleges and majors are the biggest waste of money.
5 things you should know about the making of No Country for Old Men.
Why college basketball teams cut down the nets.
5 unfilmable novels that became movies and 5 more on the way.
9 historical methods of detecting pregnancy.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes releases first TV spot [video].
Over 80 photos from Monsterpalooza 2014.
5 tricks for managing your email inbox.
How do we drag indie film into the 21st century.
Dozens of planes have vanished in the post World War II era.
50 dating tips from the movies.
The 30 best “How I Met Your Mother” moments.
“How I Met Your Mother” killed the Big Romantic Gesture, then forcibly resurrected it.
Why this fan’s ending to “How I Met Your Mother” is the right way to end the series [video].
8 old Prodigy ads explaining why you need the Internet [videos].
Old Hollywood homes for sale including Bela Lugosi and Janet Leigh.
10 painful rejection letters to famous people proving you should never give up on your dreams.
Loyola Marymount University recently hosted The Exorcist director William Friedkin [video].
Can silence actually drive you crazy.
11 movies based on poems.
11 fantastic French phrases for baseball.
50 scariest horror movie houses.
Watch a table tennis champ take on world’s fastest robot [video].
ESPN’s soccer announcer Ian Darke calls a date [video].
Eric Heisserer tweets about how to pitch.
11 surprisingly smart birds.
Joss Whedon apologizes for filming in South Korea [video].
Why make short films? Filmmakers and jurors at the Bermuda International Film Festival say why.
Can atheist audiences enjoy Darren Aronofsky’s Noah?
Watch adorable cats react to viral videos [video].
Watch “The Birth of the Lightsaber” featurette [video].
Warner’s CEO is bullish on the big screen.
“This American Life” considers self-distribution.
1o movies to see in April.
WGA and producers reach a deal for new MBA.
How about a helmet-shaped Darth Vader toaster that cooks the Dark Side onto your toast.
Debuting in May on Syfy: The Wil Wheaton Project.
KCRW’s “The Interview” with David Itzkoff, author of “Mad As Hell” about the making of Network [audio].
25 things you didn’t know about The Shining.
22 things you might not know about The Breakfast Club.
Since 2005, Disney has spent $18B on acquisitions (Pixar, Marvel, LucasFilms, etc).
Related: Marvel movie map plotted to 2028.
Why did Halle Berry’s Frankie & Alice take so damn long to get into theaters (shot in 2008, released this week).
What’s the difference between flotsam and jetsam.
“I was a Hollywood personal assistant.”
41 years ago this week: The first cell phone call.
April Fools: The 10 Best Movie Idiots.
Billy Mernit gets in touch with his inner requiem: “Romantic Comedies Banned in the USA.”
Another requiem: “A Brief History of the Death of Cinema”.
21 things you might not have known about Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Has found footage horror entered a new stage.
Watch the first 7 minutes of the new TV series “Fargo” [video].
6 secrets to the perfect reality TV pitch.
Pele gives an emotional Jon Stewart an autographed jersey [video].
Why Hollywood people never say “no”.
Ron Howard, Brian Grazer to launch digital studio with Discovery Communications.
New from Monty Python: “The Silly Walk Song” [video].
MGM, James Bond producers sue Universal over “Section 6”.
Sony Pics looking for other suitors for slate co-financing deal.
Bryan Cranston writing a memoir about his time on “Breaking Bad”.
Here’s what Kill Bill looks like in chronological order [infographic].
Say goodbye to “True Detective” with all the music from the series [videos].
Finally: RIP Roger Ebert, one year later.
Screenwriting Master Class tip of the Week: A reminder that you do not need to spend one dime to learn what you need to know about the craft of screenwriting. Read Scripts. Watch Movies. Write Pages. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. That is one path to Hollywood.
However you can expedite the process by learning screenwriting principles and practices from proven professionals like Tom Benedek and myself. We have worked on the front lines of the movie and TV business for over five decades. Plus we have learned the ins and outs of online education over the last twelve years. Combine that with our passion for storytelling and you really get your money’s worth with SMC classes. Our next two course offerings:
April 7: Breaking in — Network Hollywood (Tom Benedek)
April 14: Pages II: Rewriting Your Script (Scott Myers)
As always, we look forward to the opportunity to work with you!