'Fresh Ideas' Appears in Anthology

Just read over the story, bio and index for my contribution to The Best of Every Day Fiction 3. Launching on May 21, this hard cover short-story collection should be available at various on-line book emporiums. I'll link to the site when the book goes up. This will be my very first fiction story appearing in an anthology and I'm as pleased as a man with unlimited access to bacon.

Review: Atlas Shrugged

No one loved the original Clash of the Titans more than I. (Except for the golden mechanical owl. I constructed one after seeing the film just to destroy it utterly.) So when I saw a title with the Greek Titan Atlas, I was all in. Alas, neither old-fashioned stop-motion animation or state-of-the-art CGI could save this film. In fact, we have two films: the story of a woman tycoon running a railroad surrounded by incompetence and government meddling interwoven with the tale of a Titan holding the world on his back as punishment for revolting against the Olympian gods. (At some point I hoped the films would intersect and Atlas would drop the world on a train like a beach ball, shrug, then lift the Earth back on his shoulders. But that was wishful thinking.) Clearly Atlas was aware of events in the train story. More often than you'd think possible, the film CUT TO a CLOSE SHOT of Atlas who would look TO CAMERA, shrug and say something along the lines of "So who takes trains anymore?"

Emotional scenes where Dagny Taggart, (Taylor Schilling) fights to keep her company afloat were undercut by annoying ZIP PANS to Atlas, portrayed by screen newcomer Leemon Waddle. At one point, Atlas breaks into a full blown Yiddish accent saying, "You think a railroad is tough? The world you should try holding some time. Oy gevalt!"

Maybe it worked in the screenplay, but presenting the audience with Titan cutaways made me wish for a golden mechanical owl. And that's never happened before. Rated Two Stars for filming in color and English. (Image: flickr.com)

Making Counter-attack

Rugg says this. My reply, when it comes, shall be like the CRACKING OF WORLDS!!

Paul Rugg and I Clash over Making

Paul Rugg is using every little verbal trick and twist in his bag—a bag he did not "make" by the way—in his attempt to force free form making on those least-equipped to handle it. No one who isn't IN THE PAY OF BIG MAKE would even adopt, let alone urge, such a policy. Twisting and squirming like a great blonde eel he lays out his mangled logic and slapdash analogies for all to see in the manner of a crazed merchant selling pastry covered in crickets. I await his next salvo. WITH THUNDEROUS LOGIC, I will bend his words back upon him. WITH THUNDEROUS LOGIC, I will make him keen like an old Chinese ox cleaner. WITH THUNDEROUS LOGIC, I will respond in a THUNDEROUS MANNER!!!

Hi

Hi everyone! What's up? Are you happy? I am. Ha, ha, ha, oh, ha. See? How happy are you?

Extra Finished

Extra work—did it myself back in the day—now is losing out to technology. No, not green screens but the inflatables. No water breaks, no sack lunches, no long lines outside Costume. Rumor has it they're already in talks with SAG.
via Ace of Spades

Reasonable? You Decide!

Anyone following the debate over making may have noticed Paul Rugg's sinister slide toward a form of making that would be nothing less than free-fall—and a danger to people most at risk under 5'10. How did a responsible man arrive at such a conclusion? And at WHO'S BEHEST? HOW MUCH IS HE BEING PAID? For now, let's suspend these questions and await Paul's latest response. I hope it will herald a much needed return to sanity.

Prose and Pitch Update

Turned in three concepts to my agent for 3 brand new animated series. She'll set up meetings and I'll go in with a pleasant smile, a load of confidence and various executive buzzwords refashioned to sound as if they were my very own ideas.

By April's end I need to turn in a book proposal - three chapters and an outline for a Young Adult novel. (Different than the weighty tome I've been blogging about for two years.) The YA chapters/outline mixes elements of dark urban fantasy with H.P. Lovecraft. We shall see what the market says.

Is everyone happy and filled with various jellies? Let me know.

This Gives New Meaning to 'homo erectus'

Scientists believe they may have discovered the first gay caveman, citing the neatest of his dwelling and the fact that cave art matched the rock floor.

You Can't Make

Means to an End

Author Deanna Fei lists her top seven books on writing for writers. When in doubt, write about what you know. And so Deanna did just that.

Auel In

Clan of the Cave Bear author Jean M. Auel talks writing and night hours. (Could be a role model for certain nocturnal writing friends of mine.)

Fem-a-Geek

Via Geek O System, all women needed were a chance to launch their own Geek site. I salute them for their desire to serve a neglected niche. ('Neglected Niche' would, I think, also be a good name for a blog.)

Nothing Ventured

Venture Brothers creators chat here.

Paul Rugg's Big Moment

Go behind the scenes with Paul Rugg as he auditions to be the next voice of Aflac.

Mark-mark-mark-marketing

Had lunch with an old Warner Bros. friend Amy yesterday. Amy works in...marketing for a big network. We talked buzz words and running and finally parted to return to our... marketing.

I have a little break in...marketing today so I'm using my new-found speed-typing to try and finish a draft on a short story. I'm thinking Monday I'll resume...marketing. They want lots of stuff written in a short time, but they pay exactly when they say they will. Even animation never managed that consistently.

80 Years of Shatner

That's what we have as of today. The Rocket Man himself has cracked eight zero. Screen Rant has a look back at the History of Bill.
(Image: last.fm)

Animation Pitches Dispatched

These chores were finished today and sent out. Only the book outline was a little light on heft, but that's because I'm a stranger to the Young Adult 'hood and need a little agenty advice on whether my story is original enough.

Fortunately the marketing storm held off until I could finish. But that will probably change today or tomorrow morning. Good. Me catchee all same same dollar. Sorry, I forgot to mention this is international Speak Pidgin English Day. You catchee, sailor man?

Runners Rock in Rainy Marathon

Way to go, LA Marathoners! On a stormy day with 2 inches of rain and winds gusting up to 20 mph, when, according to the LA Times, thousands of runners were checked for hypothermia and 26 hospitalized, you guys rocked it. Gail, Inez, Lindsey, Tiffany, Coach Chris and everyone else, outstanding job.

Special shout out to Kate Freeman for a 3:11:57. That's an average of 7:19 a mile for 26.2 miles. (The last time I ran 7:19 there were cops after me.) Out of 7,406 chick finishers, Kate was the 34th woman to cross the finish line.

Kate's speedy husband Jimmy waddled in at 2:56:38. That's 6:45 a mile, 100th dude overall out of 11,531 guy finishers. (I think it takes me almost 3 hours to get out of my robe.) Nice to see a pair of former TNT coaches get after it.

Outstanding job runners, especially Team in Training!

Those of you so inclined, have a beer on the person next to you.
(Image: AP via NBC Sports.)

Review: Battle: Los Angeles

This bittersweet romance set before the backdrop of an alien invasion promises much but delivers little. The "battle" is metaphorical, fought between a retiring Marine Staff Sergeant (Aaron Eckhardt) and a Hispanic woman (Michelle Rodriguez) who has come to America to be CFO of a large corporation. She grows bitter after her dream is foiled by a lack of education, knowledge of standard accounting practices, and the inability to speak English. Blaming Eckhardt, Rodriguez shuns him as we watch Los Angeles bombarded by alien war craft. The city's destruction represents the implosion of a relationship collapsing under the weight of failed expectations and unfulfilled desire.

Director Jonathan Liebesman turned often to static master shots followed by long slow pans of LA, letting the camera demonstrate that the search for understanding and passion are endless and futile. In the climatic scene, Liebesman used a locked medium shot of the two characters eating flan. Without touching the camera, Liebesman let the actors convey with action—the pensive holding of a spoon or the irritated sip of espresso—that all was finished—except for the flan, which the Staff Sergeant took back to his unit.

In the end we're left to wonder how the characters met, what they needed, and why they were eating dessert and breaking up in the middle of an invasion. I would rate this two stars out of five for the patient, unhurried pace of the film and the excellent use of flan in a supporting role. (Image: IMDb)