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The Key to Becoming Steve Niles

Posted by Robin Paulson Categories: Interviews, IDW Publishing,

Horror writer Steve Niles Steve Niles is a self-proclaimed horror addict. Then again, judging by his books 30 Days of Night, Criminal Macabre, and Freaks of the Heartland, it’s not that difficult to spot.

Taking time out of his Halloween festivities to write about his horror heroes, Niles credits I Am Legend author Richard Matheson as well as directors George A. Romero and John Carpenter among his leading inspirations.

“John Carpenter hardly has to be introduced, let alone explained, but for those of you out there who are unaware of his work go out right now and rent or buy the original Halloween and (John Carpenter’s) The Thing and see how horror is done. These two movies made on very different budgets hit every beat of what makes great horror.”

Wait a second—does that mean I ought to skip over David Slade’s $30 million adaptation of 30 Days of Night when I’m perusing Netflix?

Best of all, Niles lets us in on the most notable secret of all: how to become a sought-after comic book creator in Hollywood.

Click to continue reading The Key to Becoming Steve Niles

Ridley Scott’s Alien Speaks

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials,

Sigourney Weaver Noted sci-fi author John Scalzi (The Android’s Dream; Agent To The Stars) doubles as Creative Consultant for the new Stargate: Universe TV series (which you can check out on Hulu if you’ve missed some eps). More importantly, he also writes a regular column for the AMC website (that’s American Movie Classics; not the defunct auto-maker responsible for the Gremlin). Last week, he held a sci-fi writing contest for his audience—you could pick one of 10 different scenarios he suggested and write a short post relating to your choice.

You could choose from movie pitches, disciplinary reports, speeches, monologues, movie scenes, and lots more involving sci-fi icons like Will Smith, E.T., Jar-Jar Binks, Uwe Boll and many others. I chose: “Write a brief monologue from the point of view of the creature who burst out of the chest of John Hurt in Alien.”

And here’s what I posted:

Click to continue reading Ridley Scott’s Alien Speaks

Vince Vaughn Finds Work After Rejection

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Celeb News, Celebrity Gossip, Scripts,

Vince Vaughn started writing scripts to get acting work.

The Couples Retreat actor says he is grateful for the number of rejections he has received throughout his career as it wouldn’t have made him consider writing screenplays as well as starring in front of camera. He said:

“It something that I’ve done forever uncredited. Even on Return to Paradise, I wrote a lot of the stuff in that. I’ve never taken credit. It was just my approach. “I remember a moment in time, when I was talking to [Jon] Favreau, and I said, ‘Man, I’m so tired of sitting around and waiting for parts to come. No one’s hiring me, but there’s no material.’ I was waiting for material that I would do. I couldn’t get hired for anything. I was just an out-of-work actor. ‘I said, ‘We should really write stuff,’ and then he wrote Swingers, and we got to improvise and do stuff. I really got my wings, in that moment, and took it upon myself. Sometimes rejection in an area, at the time, can seem hard, but it can actually be a gift because it forces you to get better at things that you weren’t initially considering doing.”

Click to continue reading Vince Vaughn Finds Work After Rejection

Tarantino and Roth Say Inglourious Basterds Is a Date Movie

Posted by Robin Paulson Categories: Weinstein Company, Action, Horror, Period, Political, Filmmaking, New Releases, Videos,

Tarantino and Roth on MySpace's Artist on Artist

Inglourious Basterds writer-director Quentin Tarantino and his friend and star of the film, Eli Roth, share their thoughts on writing scripts, making the ultimate “Jews-kicking-Nazi-ass” film, why he hired Roth, and watching the premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.

Best of all, Tarantino and Roth were both in agreement that Inglourious Basterds is definitely a date movie:

“If you’re a nerdy, little Jewish guy, and you’ve got that platonic, pretty-girl friend that’s not, like, giving it up, but is like your best friend and doesn’t mind you paying for her movies… Alright.. When you take her to see Inglourious Basterds, if you can’t get it done that night, then just.. she’s not your friend. Close the deal,” Tarantino exclaimed.

After you check out the full interview after the jump, make sure you see the film, which opens this Friday.

Click to continue reading Tarantino and Roth Say Inglourious Basterds Is a Date Movie

On Writing: Kurt Busiek

Posted by Kris Madden Categories: Editorials, Independent,

Picture of Busiek

I’ve always been a fan of “How to” articles, books, blogs, etc. I blame my dad for my addiction to the DIY lifestyle. As a kid, I would browse through comics with awe and wonder. They were the most beautiful things that I had come across; with vivid colors and pages of action sequences. Why wouldn’t I love them?

Even though I racked up quite a collection, I confess: I never read them. I looked through them and admired their artwork often, but considered the dialogue sections of comic books the “boring parts”.

It wasn’t until I was older that I began reading comics, and while some were tacky and cheesy, others were thoughtful and intriguing. My attitude changed quickly and I became obsessed with comic writers.

When I went to the local comic shop I looked for names like Moore, Miller, Busiek, and Brubaker. As I read more, I wanted to learn how they wrote comic books.

So here are links to Kurt Busiek’s comic book writing advice, which I have enjoyed. They’re a great resource for anyone looking start writing their own comic books.

Click to continue reading On Writing: Kurt Busiek

Go Gonzo with Hunter S. Thompson

Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Documentary, New Releases,

Unless you were well-read and politically savvy in the late 60s and early 70s, you might not have heard of Hunter S. Thompson until the somewhat obscure Johnny Depp film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas helped push him back in the limelight. But if you think the documentary-style Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson will take you back into that drug-soaked world, you’re wrong.

Known for his self-destructive ways, inebriated days and off-color behavior, Hunter S. Thompson was a larger-than-life character. But he was also a fantastic writer. It is to this side of Thompson that Gonzo pays homage.

Reviews of the film are full of praise. Variety says the flick “has a wealth of delightful archival footage to draw on, both directly involving Thompson and evoking the cultural landscape around him.” The Associated Press critic called it “a remarkably balanced look at a man whose creativity sprang from his perpetual state of imbalance.”

Click to continue reading Go Gonzo with Hunter S. Thompson

Why Jay Leno’s Monologue Must Not Go On

Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Late Night, NBC, News,

Hey, even celebrities have to follow the rules - a fact that is being pointed out to late night host Jay Leno by many major media outlets. Here’s the deal: there’s an active writers’ strike going on, but the Tonight Show must go on anyway. At least, that’s the stand taken by NBC.

During a recent new episode of his late night show, Leno delivered a monologue and announced that he’s writing his own jokes. However, under Writers Guild rules those who are still on strike are not allowed to write for any studio’s project. NBC maintains they’re following the rules, while the Guild says Leno is a member and subject to all the strike rules therein - which means, no writing. The entire issue is now going before a union panel.

With all this itty bitty quibbling, it’s no wonder no one can seem to get any negotiations scheduled which might actually end this thing.

The Freelancer’s Toolset

Posted by Jenny Lewis Categories: Internet, Misc. Tech,

While perusing del.icio.us bookmarks over the holiday, I came across technology and productivity blog Codswallop’s fantastic Freelancer’s Toolset. Yoav Ezer posted this list of 100 tools for freelancers back in May, and barring a few recent developments in the web app universe, it’s exhaustive and incredibly helpful. With apps covering organization, calendaring and to-do’s, money, storage, project management and productivity, writing and design, security and privacy, mobility and contact, marketing and networking, business and legal, contact and feedback, website tools, printing and packaging, revenue building and giving, and more - just about anything that a freelancer can use on the web to further their business can be found on this list.

Is a Writer’s Strike Imminent?

Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Reality, American Idol, Gossip, News,

Writing Hand It’s been making headlines for months as negotiations continue to drag, but that doesn’t mean the bomb has been completely defused. In fact, it’s ticking louder than ever before. The union representing TV and film writers (the Writers Guild of America) is currently trying to work a deal with the networks and studios (the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers)—unfortunately, things aren’t going well.

Back in 1988 during the famous writers’ walkout, the entertainment industry lost an estimated $500 million when writers refused to produce scripts. Today? A strike would be even more damaging. The current issues up for debate include splitting revenues for new media, and whether reality shows should be unionized. The guild could call for a strike as early as November 1, which would really put a damper on the fall season…and even the mid-season, if things aren’t worked out. As a result, studios have moved up production schedules to shoot as many new episodes as possible, before any work has to stop. Extra script orders are coming in…which isn’t making it any easier for the possibly-striking writers. The good news is that reality shows don’t use writers (at least, that’s the official story), so fan favorites like American Idol should be safe from the threat…but that also means the mid-season could be crammed with reality and re-runs…and not a whole lot more.

Inkless Pen is Pencil in Disguise

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Misc. Tech,

We rarely write anything longhand anymore, at least since spellcheck was invented. But for those of you who still do, the Inkless Pen features a metal alloy nib that will show up on printer or photocopy paper. Think of it as an a no-sharpen pencil that can’t erase. No more refills, no more smudges for left-handers. The pen is guaranteed for at least 25 years, so we think that the MSRP of $29.98 is definitely fair. Find it at Grand Illusions in its very own metal case.

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