Another One Bites the Dust

My DVD player died. I haven't had much luck with DVD players. I have bought expensive ones. I have bought cheap ones. They all die. Hmm. On second thought, I think it might be more accurate to say they are killed. I have a sneaking suspision that having four children has a little something to do with rate I have to replace DVD players.

I am hoping to find a good deal this weekend. Wish me luck!

Kiddie Corner Movie Review

I have four children ages 15 to 7. Needless to say, most of the movies I get to actually see in a movie theater are aimed at kids. I thought I would make a comment or two about the last few movies I have seen for those of you who are also stuck in the kiddie section.

The Game Plan
It is a tradition for my family to go see a movie on Halloween. There was only one PG rated movie playing and this was it. I cringed, but what is a mother to do? It is $60 and an hour and a half of my life I will never get back, but the kids seemed to like it. At least the Rock is easy on the eyes.

Fred Claus
Fred Claus won out over The Bee Movie in a 3 to 1 vote. I am a big Vince Vaughn fan, so I tried to be hopeful. I must say the movie did have its moments and the kids loved it. It wasn't quite as good as Elf, but it wasn't nearly so bad as the Tim Allen Santa Claus movies.

Enchanted
I have been looking forward to seeing this movie since I caught the trailer awhile back. It looked like it would be right up my alley and it was. I love musicals. The world would be a better place if only people would randomly burst into song throughout their day. I try to sing on a whim where ever I am as often as I can. It is my little contribution to world. Anyway, the movie was a great balance between humor and sweetness. It worked for me. The kids thought it was great, too. Although, the Susan Sarandon character scared the heck out of the younger ones.

Turkey Day

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you have a great day with your friends and family!

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." - J.F.K.

Ask A Ninja

I have come across some pretty interesting videos on the net about the writers strike. This one has to be the strangest. Hey, who doesn't love a ninja?

Borrowed From Films

Myfilms.com did a survey to find out which movie lines we use the most in everyday conversation. Here is their list:

Top Ten Film Lines

1. "I'll be back." The Terminator
2. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." Gone With The Wind
3. "Beam me up, Scotty." Star Trek
4. "May the force be with you." Star Wars
5. "Life is like a box of chocolates." Forrest Gump
6. "You talking to me?" Taxi Driver
7. "Show me the money." Jerry Maguire
8. "Do you feel lucky, punk?" Dirty Harry
9. "Here's looking at you, kid." Casablanca
10. "Nobody puts Baby in the corner." Dirty Dancing

That is the dream, isn't it? Imagine writing something that is so memorable it becomes a common catch phrase.

(Note that all of the lines listed were spoken by men. Are we not writing great lines for women? Hmm.)

As an interesting side note, there was more to the survey. They also asked the people which movies they would like to star in. Women chose Dirty Dancing and Pretty Woman. The men opted for Star Wars, Die Hard, and James Bond films. I told you it was interesting - ha!

Online Petition

"United Hollywood has created an online petition for you to be able to add your voice (e-voice?) to the growing numbers who are supporting the writers. Sign the petition, and spread it around to everyone you know who thinks that writers deserve fair compensation for use of their work." - from the United Hollywood blog

In support of the WGA strike

S N L Sums Up Writers Strike 2007

Here is the skit I wrote about a few days ago -

Musical Meme

I was tagged by the lovely Julie O. Here are the instructions (copied from her blog) -

So here is your assignment for today, dear readers. Find a song that inspires you to write something, whether it gives you an idea for a script or just puts you into a better frame of mind. AND/OR (don't you love choices) peek into the lyrics and find a stanza that sums up the theme of whatever script you're working on. It's quite uncanny how the two circumstances go together.

If possible, post a video of the song to really get people into the mood. (Yep, I'm aware of the irony of using Internet clips during the pissing contest. I like irony as much as bitchiness.)

Then, send the assignment (by e-mail or posting to one of their blog entries) to 5 other writers to do. Inspire the world! Or just some random people from your blogroll, like me. Then pass it on like a gonorrhea outbreak on a Degrassi episode. Woohoo, TV rules!

I often listen to music when I am trying to set a tone in my mind for whatever it is that I am writing. The song that best fits the screenplay I am working on now is definitely Learn To Be Still by the Eagles.

Here are a few lines from the song that tell the story -

How do I get out of here
Where do I fit in?
Though the world is torn and shaken
Even if your heart is breakin’
It’s waiting for you to awaken
And someday you will-
Learn to be still
Learn to be still





Tag! You're it!

Using Your Power

SNL featured an excellent skit on the writers strike during the Weekend Update. It's great to see writers using their talent to make the point. Great job!

The Headlines

Hollywood writers ready to strike...
Some of the most popular shows on US television could be forced off the air if writers go ahead with a strike over pay. Scriptwriters are threatening to log off their computers on Thursday if a last-minute deal cannot be reached over royalty payments. (and so on...)

I don't have much to say about the possible strike. I do hope that the increased media attention will increase the general public's awareness about the importance of the writer. A little more respect and appreciation for movie and television writers would be awfully nice.

Well, I am off to Artful Writer to see what Craig Mazin has to say about the state of things.