Saturday Hot Links
Time for the 111th installment of Saturday Hot Links!
Today: The Day The Videos Died Edition!
Blockbuster to close all remaining U.S. stores.
Blockbuster to stop movie rentals Saturday.
Abraham Lincoln’s retirement plans.
John Sayles: “I don’t think there’s an independent movie business anymore.”
Nearly 2-hour interview with Joni Mitchell [video].
As “Treme” end, David Simon sings TV blues.
More David Simon: A Q&A about “Treme.”
Why puppies are born with their eyes closed.
THR feature on Nebraska screenwriter Bob Nelson.
How the owners of all 30 NBA teams made their money.
Megan Ellison’s Panorama Media hits AFM.
AFM: The hottest titles for sale.
A new map for the human brain: Top brain / Bottom brain.
The cineaste’s guide to watching movies when stoned.
Twenty year-old Hunter S. Thompson’s advice on how to find purpose in life.
Forbes: Marvel’s marvelous money-making machine.
Netflix picks up four Marvel live-action series.
What does the Netflix partnership mean for the Marvel universe.
How drinking too much alcohol sabotages your finances.
50 greatest movie drinking moments.
Watch the first episode of new Showtime series “Time of Death” [video].
Little Miss Sunshine producer David Friendly on crowdsourcing.
Swedes develop invisible bike helmet.
More Scandanavia: Sweden introduces female-focused movie ratings.
Texting and driving: A deadly habit.
J.J. Abrams explains screenwriting shift in Star Wars: Episode VII.
TotalFilm: 25 things we don’t want to see in Star Wars: Episode VII.
1984 video of Michael Stipe singing the Lou Reed song “Pale Blue Eyes” [video].
13 sculptures made out of books.
Nice feature on writer-director James Ponsoldt about The Spectacular Now and “Rodham”.
1o strange and delightful “Twin Peaks” tattoos.
10 screenwriters who broke in after they were forty years old.
How to tell if you’re a feminist in two easy steps.
Ben Stiller’s problem with seminal moment in the movie There’s Something About Mary.
BPL goalkeeper scores a 100 yard goal.
Samuel Goldwyn writing award goes to UCLA student.
A closer look at the NYT YA bestsellers list.
The “Entourage” movie is a go.
There will be more than 60 kittens in the Kitten Bowl.
Steven Soderbergh talks about James Bond movies.
10 things disappearing from elementary schools.
9 films punched up by famed screenwriters.
Why mathematicians make great comedy writers.
The top grossing NC-17 movies of all-time.
Ellen DeGeneres gives $10K to waitress.
Netflix gets back in the movie business: Big deal, little deal or no deal?
What’s the point of baby talk.
Why TV networks are bypassing pilots for direct-to-series orders.
NYT: Spike Jonze discusses his new movie Her.
10 fictional TV companies you wouldn’t want to invest in.
Indiewire. The best documentaries of 2013.
15 Oscar nominated actors in television horror anthologies.
The Dissolve: What still scares us in horror movies.
10 great silent horror films.
An 80-minute interview with Mel Brooks by Conan O’Brien [video].
Nikki Finke departs Deadline.
Screenwriting Master Class tip of the week: You have two last chances to work with me in 2013.
The first is the final session of Prep: From Concept To Outline. This popular 6-week online workshop not only shows you the ropes on how to break a story in prep, you use what you learn to actually take your story through this unique development process.
The class begins Monday, November 11 which means you could have a story prepped to write by the New Year.
To enroll, go here.
The very last class I will be teaching this year is the final course in the Core curriculum. Core VIII: Time is to my knowledge the only screenwriting class of its type, providing a comprehensive take on the theory of screenplay, starting with the implications of writing in the Present Tense, as well as how to handle narrative devices such as flashback, flash forward, series of shots, montage, and much more.
Time management in a script is a critical aspect of the craft, each jump from scene to scene a transition that requires special attention in order to smooth the narrative flow and nail down a story’s pace.
This class begins Monday, November 18. To enroll, go here.
Many of you have asked about the Craft classes I offer. Here is that list:
Pixar and the Craft of Storytelling
Coen Brothers and the Craft of Storytelling
Character Development Keys
Character Introductions
Handling Exposition
Story Summaries: From Loglines to Beat Sheets
Create a Compelling Protagonist
Write a Worthy Nemesis
Each is a 1-week class and gives writers a chance to dig down into a specific area of the screenwriting craft. They are extremely popular classes and I will be offering them on pretty much a bi-weekly basis beginning in January 2014.
Consider enrolling in The Craft Package which enables you to take all eight Craft classes at nearly 50% and allowing you to access all the course content on your own time as well as take the live 1-week sessions. Go here to enroll.
I will be firming up the 2014 Screenwriting Master Class calendar in the next few weeks and will have an announcement with some exciting news where I will be heading out on the road for more 4-day Quest Workshops. More info soon!
As always, I look forward to the opportunity to work with you!
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