cinriter's Friends
[Most Recent Entries]
[Calendar View]
[Friends View]
Below are the most recent 25 friends' journal entries.
[ << Previous 25 ]
| Monday, July 13th, 2009 |
jlassen
|
10:54a |
Killing Libertarians!!
So I discovered this game called Bioshock. You run around in a steampunky setting, killing mutant Libertarians. It is fucking awesome! I mean.... It's basically Wolfenstien, but instead of Nazis, its Libertarians. What a concept!! I only hope Alan Greenspan is the big bad guy at the end. Of course, Tor beat me to the Media Tie in front.... They are doing a bioshock novel this fall. Sign me up! A novel about killing mutant Libertarians! fuck yeah! -jl |
ellen_datlow
|
1:05p |
Charles N. Brown R.I.P.
I just heard the awful news. I saw Charlie at Readercon Saturday. I've known Charlie (I've always called him Charlie in person)since I joined the sf community in the easrly 80s but I've only come to be friends with him in the past ten years. He could be annoying and abrasive but I and many other people cared a great deal about it. I'll miss our dinners and lunches and just hanging out. He was a fixture and a very important part of the field for decades. I know that Locus will continue--he and his close friends and colleagues made sure of this several years ago. Charles N. Brown, 1937-2009 This entry was originally posted at http://ellen-datlow.dreamwidth.org/201091.html. Please comment there using OpenID. |
ellen_datlow
|
12:04p |
|
ellen_datlow
|
10:31a |
Winners of the Shirley Jackson Award announced
The 2008 Shirley Jackson Awards winners were announced on Sunday, July 12th 2009, at Readercon 20, Conference on Imaginative Literature, in Burlington, Massachusetts. Congratulations to all the winners NOVEL Winner: THE SHADOW YEAR, Jeffrey Ford (William Morrow) Finalists: * Alive in Necropolis, Doug Dorst (Riverhead Hardcover) * The Man on the Ceiling, Steve Rasnic Tem and Melanie Tem (Wizards of the Coast Discoveries) * Pandemonium, Daryl Gregory (Del Rey) * The Resurrectionist, Jack O’Connell (Algonquin Books) * Tender Morsels, Margo Lanagan (Knopf Books for Young Readers) NOVELLA Winner: DISQUIET, Julia Leigh (Penguin/Hamish Hamilton) Finalists: * "Dormitory," Yoko Ogawa (The Diving Pool, Picador) * Living With the Dead, Darrell Schweitzer (PS Publishing) * The Long Trial of Nolan Dugatti, Stephen Graham Jones (Chiasmus Press) * "N,", Stephen King (Just After Sunset, Scribner) NOVELETTE Winner: "PRIDE AND PROMETHEUS," John Kessel (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction) Finalists: * "Hunger Moon," Deborah Noyes (The Ghosts of Kerfol, Candlewick Press) * "The Lagerstatte," Laird Barron (The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy, Ballantine Books/Del Rey) * "Penguins of the Apocalypse," William Browning Spencer (Subterranean: Tales of Dark Fantasy, Subterranean Press) * The Situation, Jeff VanderMeer (PS Publishing) SHORT STORY Winner: "THE PILE," Michael Bishop (Subterranean Online, Winter 2008) Finalists: * "68° 07’ 15"N, 31° 36’ 44"W," Conrad Williams (Fast Ships, Black Sails, Night Shade Books) * "The Dinner Party," Joshua Ferris (The New Yorker, August 11, 2008) * "Evidence of Love in a Case of Abandonment: One Daughter’s Personal Account," M. Rickert (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Oct/Nov 2008) * "The Inner City," Karen Heuler (Cemetery Dance #58, 2008) * "Intertropical Convergence Zone," Nadia Bulkin (ChiZine, Issue 37, 2008) COLLECTION Winner: THE DIVING POOL, Yoko Ogawa (Picador) Finalists: * A Better Angel, Chris Adrian (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux) * Dangerous Laughter, Steven Millhauser (Knopf) * The Girl on the Fridge, Etgar Keret (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux) * Just After Sunset, Stephen King (Scribner) * Wild Nights!, Joyce Carol Oates (Ecco) ANTHOLOGY Winner: THE NEW UNCANNY, Edited by Sarah Eyre and Ra Page (Comma Press) Finalists: * Bound for Evil, edited by Tom English (Dead Letter Press) * Exotic Gothic 2: New Tales of Taboo, edited by Danel Olson (Ash-Tree Press) * Fast Ships, Black Sails, edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer (Night Shade Books) * Shades of Darkness, edited by Barbara and Christopher Roden (Ash-Tree Press) This entry was originally posted at http://ellen-datlow.dreamwidth.org/200500.html. Please comment there using OpenID. |
nick_kaufmann
|
8:24a |
When Selling Your Soul, Be Sure to At Least Get a Receipt
Hey, fellow Americans! Remember when our last President, President Bush, shat all over the Constitution and created the illegal warrantless wiretapping program? Remember how you were all, "What's the big deal? They're just trying to keep us safe. Screw the Constitution -- I'd rather not die from a suicide bomber at Six Flags. And besides, if you haven't done anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about." And remember how Dick Cheney, just this past May, defended the illegal surveillance program by saying it "prevented attacks and saved lives"? Well, guess what? It didn't prevent a single attack or save a single life. In fact, it didn't do jack shit. Other than set the precedent of allowing the government to eavesdrop on our phone conversations and read our emails whenever they want, of course -- but I'm sure nothing bad could ever come of that. |
| Sunday, July 12th, 2009 |
glamberson
|
11:44p |
Day 3
I woke up with 3 concerns: first, getting Robert Sabin to the bus terminal; second, solving the port-a-potty crisis; and third, getting through a long day when starting an hour later because we went late the night before. Sephera took Robert to the station and the port-a-potties arrived two hours afters set call. I find it exhausting to get up at 5:30 am, trouble shoots for 2 hours, then direct for 12. I don't enjoy producing, but I do take pride in solving the myriad problems that arise. Day 3 was the first day of filming the main, post apocalyptic story line for SCM. We started out with the scene that introduces Kory (Kealan Patrick Burke), Alexa (Jennifer Bihl), and Slime City (this time around, the nickname for a neighborhood in the wake of a dirty bomb attack). Picture the cast, crew, cars, truck and generator. Now picture 20 extras and their cars, with the extras sitting on a hillside as Kealan and Jen pushed a grocery shopping cart into the post apocalyptic wasteland. Besides Kealan and Sephera, other HWA members included Derek Clendening and executive producer John Maclay. It took us quite a while to get the first shot 90 minutes - but I'm not exagertaing when I say it looks SPECTACULAR. My motto this time has been, "take the time to do it right." Chris Santucci is the best DP I've ever worked with and this film will look like a million bucks. THen we shot the next scene, in which Cory and Alexa relocate to a covered train platform, under the disdainful (and possibly violent) gaze of a dozen (in the script) homeless people. I was worried that we wouldn't have enough extras, but we had a ton of them - three or four times as many as I scripted. Arick had to "grunge" them all up himslef. We got those shots off and then did a scene in which Kelan scales a fence over Jennifer's protests. A word about my actors: I wanted to cast Kealan as the lead in a much bigger film, so I obviously have faith in his abilities. He had his lines down pat and looked great in his outfit. He also maintained a good sense of humor throughout the day and was a pleasure to deal with. I know Jen can act because I cast her in GRUESOME. Because I didn't have time to rehearse them, I specifically scheduled their earliest scenes - in sequence - so that they could develop a working relationship, if not chemistry. Try chemistry to spare! They both did exceptionally well - especially during their first slime sex scene! But first we shot a wide angle shot on a jib rig in which the camera starts high, revealing the crumbled interior of our main location. then descends to floor level, revealing Jen and Kealan in the process. Magnificent. After the slime sex, I decided to call it a day, three scenes short of my goal. As I wrote, better to take our time and get things right. I knew the crew was tired, and we didn't have snacks, so I made an executive decision not to "make" our day. |
jkrissw
|
4:30p |
the San Diego Chicken
...currently called "The Famous Chicken",or, once upon a time, the " KGB Chicken", will be making his Albuquerque debut Saturday night, July 18, at the Isotopes game. :-) Ted Giannoulas pioneered the now commonplace idea of the professional sports mascot in a funny suit (like the Isotopes' own " Orbit"). I remember his antics fondly at San Diego sporting events, and I think, though I can't find documentation of it at the moment, that he had a cameo bit in the end of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, a San Diego B-movie satire that was (maybe still is) a cult favorite there. |
sewedel
|
5:07p |
Why is he in a cowboy museum?
So, I have had other stuff I wanted to post about besides the stupid literature pirates. Maybe my old brain will remember most of it. First, though, to the subject line. I wish I could post a picture, but I can't find the cord that connects my phone to my computer. Anyway, after weeks of him asking, I finally took my youngest son back to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum today. Sadly, like most kids today, he doesn't really watch or appreciate Western movies like I did. He likes the play area and the Old West town recreation. And, of course, the gift shop. But, back on topic. There is a massive and incredible statue of Abraham Lincoln sitting in the museum. First Jake told me it was George Washington, but then he guessed it right. Then he looked at me and asked in his this-makes-no-sense voice, "Why is HE in a cowboy museum? He should be at the White House." Eh, maybe you had to be there. Personally, I was impressed that my 7-year-old son recognized Lincoln and could place him in the White House. Last week was brutal! I was at an Advanced Placement workshop all week and worked my part-time job, too. The workshop was pretty draining, but I learned a lot I'll be able to use in class. Still, I didnt have much juice left for creative stuff when I got home. The big thing at the moment is preparing for the first Vampire vs. Werewolf signing with Gabrielle Faust this Saturday. I did two interviews about the signing the other day, so we're hoping for a good turnout. I have to say that Gabrielle and I are both disappointed in the online response to the charity component of the "battle". The werewolves are ahead, but not by much ... because donations have been really slow. Come on, folks, you could win four signed books for a simple $2 donation that will go to help rescued wolves. Or bats, if you prefer. Well, between my daughter and her boyfriend watching the (I'm sure crappy) remake of My Bloody Valentine and the smell of whatever my wife is cooking for dinner, I can't recall what else I had to say. Besides, I need to reserve this typing for the werewolves. There's a new character and I'm dying to know what part he's going to play. |
nick_kaufmann
|
12:03p |
Harper's Island - The Shocking Finale! (Not Entirely Spoiler Free)
Well, maybe not shocking, but it was still pretty good. I was able to guess the (second) killer's identity about an hour before it was revealed. Not because there were any clues pointing in that person's direction -- there weren't -- but because this character was literally the last person left that it could be, barring the Agatha Christie-like reappearance of someone we thought was dead. Harper's Island was excellent at setting up clues, but only ever for red herrings, I found. They did a splendid job making you think Abby's ex-boyfriend was in on the killing spree, but kind of a terrible job at leaving any clues as to the second killer's true identity. Which kind of came out of nowhere, in my opinion. We knew John Wakefield had a child because of his journal, a child who literally could have been anyone except the black guy, but they didn't leave us a trail of crumbs to follow to the truth. Instead, they sprang the revelation on us as expository dialogue, with nothing we previously witnessed to back it up. Still, the scene where the true second killer is revealed was absolutely brutal. And that was Harper's Island's true strength. In 13-hour long form, it took the time to let you really get to know the characters, something your average 90-minute slasher movie tends not to, so when characters you've grown to like get offed, you feel it in a way you don't when Freddy rakes some cardboard character with his glove and spouts a kooky one-liner. Also, though Harper's was cheesy as hell (but such delicious cheese!), there was some writing talent behind it. The dialogue was a lot better here than in your average slasher, especially in the later episodes -- again, this is probably because they had time to develop the characters instead of just giving them quick defining characteristics before turning them into puddles of goo. Anyway, Harper's Island is over, and as an experiment in using a finite thirteen episodes to tell an entire story on American television, I think it was a success. It didn't get much viewership, but I liked it quite a bit and would love to see more horror and mystery miniseries make their way to the airwaves digital transmission system. After Harper's failure to capture a sizable audience, though, I'm not holding my breath that it'll happen anytime soon. Still, kudos to CBS for giving it a shot, and for showing all the episodes (in order!) even after announcing its cancellation so all five of us who were watching could see it through to its conclusion. |
glamberson
|
5:02a |
Day Two
We had a lot to shoot Saturday, including an orgy scene which required a ton of coverage because we had so many characters and extras. We made our day, and the footage looked remarkable, but we went late and will be starting an hour later than polanned today. Due to a comedy of errors, our actors were locked out of Actor House and John Renna had to break a window to get them in. Today we'll have to figure out what to do about that... A bigger problem today is that our port-a-potties were not delivered to today's location on Friday,a and as far as I know we don't have access to any other tolets until 3 pm... |
| Saturday, July 11th, 2009 |
nick_kaufmann
|
11:19a |
|
glamberson
|
7:07a |
|
| Friday, July 10th, 2009 |
ladyeuthanasia
|
8:48p |
Respecting Other Writing Disciplines
Over the years, I've been hearing both veteran and amateur fiction writers chirp, "Screenwriting is easy!" What they mean is: bad screenwriting is easy. Poetry is easy to write, too -- bad poetry, that is. (Lord knows we've got plenty of examples of that in horror. Examples that have even won Bram Stoker Awards.) People seem to think that all you have to do is write a few words per line -- hey, it doesn't have to rhyme, right? -- and voila! A poem! It's so EASY! No, dumbass, it's a BAD poem. A GOOD poem -- like a GOOD screenplay -- takes years of study, sweat and practice to write. A huge number of people will never write a good screenplay or a good poem. Not because they're not talented writers, but because the rules and finesse of the discipline escape them. Some people, though, can learn. It might take years of practice and study, sure. But just because they can write in one discipline doesn't mean their writing extends to every discipline out there. It's especially appalling when professional writers use this "easy" talk. We need to respect one another's disciplines. The only thing the various disciplines have in common, folks, are words. The rest takes study, discipline, savvy and talent to write for well. It's like the French chef who specializes in his own ethnic culinary arts stepping in and saying, "Oui! I can make ze sushi. C'est facile! You just roll ze raw fish in the ze rice, non?" We would call that arrogant, wouldn't we? It seems fiction writers -- or whoever -- don't seem to realize how insulting this attitude is to the professionals who make their living writing screenplays or what have you. There's a reason that poetry collections full of work by people who are not poets often suck. Brilliant fiction writers often write abysmal, coltish poetry. Why? Because they are not necessarily poets. (Most, I say, are not poets and can't write their way out of a wet paper Plath.) I see this play out at Uncle Walt's all the time. We've had some enormously talented writers take the test for the job I do and fail. It's not because they aren't brilliant writers. It's because this kind of writing not only takes training and talent, but it also takes the ability to mimic the various voices of Uncle Walt's websites. Sure, it looks "easy" -- as does poetry and screenwriting -- but not everyone can do that well enough to be paid for it. And neither should you expect it when you approach a new discipline. Yes, I think there are people who could do my job who simply haven't tried yet. But no, I don't think it's "easy" and that anyone and his pet banana can do it who happens to be a writer. So, the next time you're approaching a new discipline -- whether it's screenwriting, poetry, memoir, or what have you -- please have some respect. Don't assume that just because you can put words in respectable order that you can write well in a form that's relatively new to you. It's arrogant and insulting to the people who have worked in that area for years. The world doesn't afford writers much respect to begin with. Let's at least give it to one another. Current Mood:  calm |
glamberson
|
11:33p |
Day One
Everyone was on time. Shutting doiwn a city street to shoot in front of a building was definitely a different experience. Unfoirtunately, the noise was so loud that we recorded dialogue "wild" (audio only) to cover our asses.  The entire cast - Robert Sabin, Brooke Lewis, Sephera Giron, Michael O'Hear, and Sondra Roland were excellent - excellent! And the crew kicked ass. And the food, prepared by our production manager, was awesome.  It's been great working with Robert again, and he's never been better. All of the "Coven of Flesh" members have made their characters so three dimensional and LIKEABLE. I'm bummed that we'll be finishing with all of them tomorrow (Kealan, Debbie and Lee are arriving in the afternoon). Sun brings a new cast, a new location and the film proper. We made our day (got everything we wanted to get) - and finished 90 mins. early! |
asian_cinema_la
[ mondocurry ]
|
5:32p |
nyaff 09 blog
Greetings, I have been giving an account og my experiences at the New York Asian Film Festival this year. It is not in LA. Maybe some of the movies shown there will be playing in LA. you might want to read about them. You may just be bored. http://mondocurry.livejournal.com/take a look if you like. Thank you. Current Music: ゆらゆら帝国 - Only One | Powered by Last.fm |
faustfatale
|
9:41a |
100 Bullets: Last Shot
It’s been a mad dash for THE END over the past few days. A dash that will continue until the 15th, at which point something with “the end” written on the last page needs to be submitted to my agent, the Tartan Ninja. Today needs to be a stellar writing day so that I can fuck off to Meltdown Comics for the big 100 Bullets bash tomorrow night.  |
mssrcrankypants
|
7:05a |
Readercon 20
I'll be at Readercon 20 in Burlington, MA, all day today and about the first half of tomorrow. This was a last-minute decision, so I didn't put in for any programming this year. If the scheduling gods don't mess with me three years in a row, I hope to attend the whole con and serve on a panel or two next year. But this time around, I'm hoping to catch up with folks I haven't seen in a year or more, including Laird Barron, Ellen Datlow, Jeff Ford, Peter Straub, and Gary Wolfe. I'm looking forward to meeting Stephen Graham Jones for the first time; his novel Demon Theory just blew me away. It looks like a terrific line-up of panels and guests, with many former GoHs in attendance. This year's Guests of Honor are Elizabeth Hand and Greer Gilman, and the Shirley Jackson Awards will be presented on Sunday in the late morning. I really wish I could be there for the ceremony, but that just couldn't be worked out this year. Stop on by if you can. Current Mood:  excited |
glamberson
|
5:51a |
Day One
MAYBE 4 hrs. sleep. Up an hour early to do my schedule... for the first day. 10 years since I've directed a feature, 23 since I directed the original SLIME CITY. Let's make a movie! |
| Thursday, July 9th, 2009 |
glamberson
|
11:39p |
The Last Day of Pre-Production--
--was crazy enough to be the first day of production. I won't bore you with the details - or tax my brain trying to remember them - but I did go through 3/4 of a tank of gas. My traveling companions were Robert Sabin and Wil Keiper form HorrorYearbook, and, later, Brooke Lewis and Sephera Giron. Long as story made short: around 3 pm we found our replacement actress and she's GREAT; Emil Novak's art direction in the soup kitchen is impressive as hell; and our late rehearsal was not only worthwhile but pretty inspiring; the 5 actors from the flashbacks not only breathed life into my characters, but created genuine emotion in what are essentially very short scenes. I'm very happy for all of us! Now I need to whip up some contracts, do a 1-day schedule, and hit the bed hard. Six hours to go... |
jlassen
|
3:05p |
|
nick_kaufmann
|
4:13p |
Writing Opportunity: Is Anyone Going to Comic Con This Year?
Is anyone planning to attend the San Diego Comic Con this year and also a fan of The Prisoner? My friends at AMCtv.com, the website of the AMC cable movie channel, are looking for a writer who'd be interested in covering their Comic Con Prisoner panel on July 24, which will include actor Jim Caviezel and others involved in the new miniseries, for AMC's SciFi Scanner blog. If you're interested, please contact me at nkaufmann AT nyc DOT rr DOT com and I'll put you in touch. Thanks! |
jkrissw
|
1:06p |
a roller-derby movie
Picked up from some derby chatter on my various friends lists. :-) Drew Barrymore's directorial debut, Whip It, is scheduled for release in October. Could be interesting. :-) |
mssrcrankypants
|
2:28p |
I'm Not ALWAYS Spock
Sometimes I forget how much Leonard Nimoy informed my childhood. My father and I watched reruns of the real Star Trek together from the time I was in elementary school, and I think I even took him to  a showing of Wrath of Khan (and maybe Search for Spock, too). Spock was cool, collected, super-strong, super-smart, and had the wicked nerve pinch everone I knew tried on their friends. In a lot of ways, he was more superhero than sidekick, despite Kirk's leading role. But when I was in middle school, I would catch Channel 38 or 56 or someone showing reruns of Mission: Impossible in the afternoons. Everyone thinks of Peter Graves (or, more depressingly, Tom Cruise) when they hear that DUM-dum-dum-da-DA-dant opening beat, but fans never forget Nimoy as Paris, mysterious magician and master of disguise, and way cooler even than Martin Landau's Rollin Hand. Once again, Nimoy's character seemed to possess powers beyond even his fellow super-spies. Nimoy was also the voice of In Search Of..., a show that helped to cement my interest in the supernatural and horrific (along with Kolchak: The Night Stalker, issues of Famous Monsters of Filmland, and the films that showed on Channel 56's Creature Double Feature on Saturday afternoons). Everything sounded so plausible when intoned by Nimoy, his precise inflections and gravelly gravitas lending credibility to the most outrageous footage of voodoo, Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and everything else. I ate that show up. These three series are part of the backbone of my weird childhood, and Nimoy was at the center of each. So, you know, thanks Len. Of course Nimoy's done a whole lot else in his career, and when I stumbled across "The 10 Awesomest Things Leonard Nimoy Has Done That Have Nothing To Do with Spock" at the Topless Robot blog, I just had to show my appreciation. Current Mood:  nostalgic |
jlassen
|
1:25a |
Kool Music that I like
The Gossip: Live in Liverpool. The Track Coal to Diamonds is a fave, but the whole album is amazing... I first heard this off of local college radio station KUSF, on carolyn Keddy's show, I believe.Chumbawamba (Yes, that Chumbawamba) has a new album called The Boy Bands have won... Well Okay. It was new to me about 6 months ago, and was old then, but whatever. Also heard this on KUSF. Battlehooch: A Local band that performed an impromptu live on the corner of 16th and Valencia in June, one night when I was getting a schwerma from Truly Med. Fucking awesome live show, and somehow their self Produced EP OOF OWF manages to capture their live energy, and also convey an amazing sense of musicianship. Looking forward to their first full length album, which was released a week or so ago while I was out of town. Another local band that kicks ass is the Jugtown Pirates. I've seen em around town a bunch of times... and their track "easy come easy go" is quite awesome. added bonus. Their myspace pic was snapped by me. :) Also... Punk (Semi Legends) Sean Wheeler (throw Rag) and Zander Schloss (Circle Jerks) teamed up for some Old-timey goodness with "Schloss and Wheeler," doing some covers and original material, like the instant classic "Good Pussy is like Heroin..." Isotope James turned me on to this project. Fucking awuesome stuff. They are touring the west coast in August. Don't miss em. Pick up their EP if you can find it. Otherwise just enjoy the two tracks on their myspace page And this track has been at the forefront of my mind... and dedicated to Liza... |
glamberson
|
1:29a |
2 days to go
Last night at this time, I learned that an actress might not be available to do the film even though she had committed to Fri & Sat. When I told her how many people her absence would affect, she dsaid, "Oh, never mind, I shouldn't have sent that e-mail." Awesome! Until she e-mailed me tonight telling me that she can't get out of work. So I hav eless than 24 hours to recast the part or rewrite my script, which I guess means I have another reason not to do my schedule... We picked up 1 truck, 1 cargo van, and 1 generator. John, my PM, is setting up Actor House. Andrew and Arick worked hard on the tub gag today. A LOT of people discussed the guy who flaked out on us yesterday; he burned a lot more bridges than I would have guessed. |
[ << Previous 25 ]
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
cinriter's Friends Page