3 Movies to Watch When You're Done with Black Mirror's Bandersnatch.

So. Bandsersnatch. Here are two weird things that immediately preceded our viewing:

1. In an attempt to reach sixty blogs for 2018, I combed through old, unfinished drafts. One was about fan theories, specifically, about LOST being a psychological experiment.

2. My sister showed my best friend her favorite episode of Black Mirror titled Play Test. Which is thematically relevant, to say the least. I also talked to them about how true to the simulations industry and scenario design the episode really is. If I were insane, this would be a bad time to be...well...insane.

Luckily, I'm not. First, I'll share my favorite ending. Then, I'll give you three movies to cleanse your palate of the Black Mirrory-ness of it all.

We enjoyed several endings, none of which I will ruin for you here. After trying several variations of choices, I chose to end my experience with the "Do you want more action?" ending. Not only is it true to the era of the story, but it's also funny and self-aware. Two of my very most favorite things, especially when they're thrown together. If you need a palate-cleanser...

Here are 3 Movies to Watch When You're Done with Black Mirror's Bandersnatch

They'll take you back to the real 80's and put you in a great mood.

1. King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

2. Atari: Game Over

3. Raiders! The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made

Remember when the world was simple? When the Thompson Twins were new? When Indiana Jones was young? When you could go to Jennifer and Kimberly's house and play Donkey Kong and Pong? When you were connected to the world around you and the summer smell of freshly mowed lawns left you to adventure in your imaginations instead of the internet on a tiny box phone? 

Okay, Audrey. Oddly specific. I guess Bandersnatch messed with my head, shifted me firmly into Nostalgia mode. Anyway. Music played an integral part in Bandersnatch, yes? Here's another movie moment for you that made excellent use of an 80's song. 

Where's your head after Bandersnatch? Are you feeling any better yet? 

P.S. Happy New Year!

3 Things I Still Love: Fan Theories

1. Toby is the Scranton Strangler

Related: Michael Scott is the all-time greatest.

2. The Whedon-verse is all connected

Related: There was almost an animated Buffy series this famous fan opening by the talented Stephen Byrne gave us a taste. And there's a unified Pixar theory too.


3. LOST was a psychological experiment. A simulation designed to see how humans would perform and behave outside of their normal environments. How susceptible would they be to the power of suggestion? And so on and so forth.

Of course, the video explaining the theory is gone. So I'll explain. Briefly. This excellent theory claimed origination from cast and crew who worked on season one. No proof was offered. But all the dots connected story-wise. That is, until the series was so successful, it needed to be extended and milked for all it was worth. Along with J.J. Abrams famous "mystery box" philosophy at the heart of the series.

3 of the Best Film Analysts on YouTube

1. Lindsay Ellis

2. Rob Ager at Collative Learning

3. Be Kind Rewind

Eartha Kitt's Vocal Performance for Yzma

You never know how long these banned videos will last on YouTube. Enjoy this 2002 "making of" (directed by Trudie Styler) for The Emperor's New Groove while you can. It's titled The Sweatbox and the whole doc is pretty great.

You can also skip ahead to 10:38, 23:10, 51:32, and 1:09:56 to see Eartha Kitt working her absolute magic in the studio and in her real life.

You Must Whip It

Gerald Carale, the founding member of DEVO, wrote an in-depth treatise about capitalism. Again. BoingBoing.net posted this last week and it's worth a read.

I've been doing a deep dive into the sites I first loved when I started Born for Geekdom a DECADE ago. A decade, you guys. Ten years. Ten yeeeeeeaaaaaarrs.

*Please feel free to read the rest of this post in the voice of Minnie Driver from Grosse Pointe Blank*

It was pretty much BoingBoing.net,  WilWheaton.net, and Doombuggies.com for me back then. And that was plenty. That and my Indiana Jones-themed Myspace page.

I used to visit this spot with DEVO's handprints in San Francisco. It was a happy place. Still is. I dream of a day when Mark Mothersbaugh scores one of my projects. As far as dreams go, that's pretty pipe-shaped, I realize. But you never know.

Mark Mothersbaugh has since become a hero of mine. He's a master of tone and one of many from the pop pantheon who have gone on to the wonderful world of film score. (hullo, Danny Elfman of Oingo Boingo)

What were you perusing on the internet ten years ago? Who is your favorite 80's musician/film score genius/capitalist essayist? Do you even want to think back that far or should we give the past the slip?

(I'm sorry. I had to.)

Speaking of the Tower of Terror...let's muse

I've been thinking a lot about The Twilight Zone since my post the other day. You know what makes me happiest about The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror? The mystery.

I feel the same about The Haunted Mansion. It's the mystery in between the spots of well-defined narrative. It's the objects in the library that don't have a story. The tiny bits of detail in the Boiler Room that remind me of walking through the bowels of The Queen Mary.

It's all that wonderful possibility. Let's think about it while we look at some pics I took the last time I was there...

It's December

You know what that means.

It's time for this:




And this:



Shut up, Wesley.

What's on your annual holiday geek watchlist?

Three Places to Get Your Twilight Zone Fix While You Wait for the New Show

Twilight Zone mini-golf

I recently discovered a Twilight Zone-themed golf course in Las Vegas. I was so overjoyed, I thought I'd make a list of a few more places fans can get a fix while we wait for Jordan Peele's (sure-to-be-brilliant) new iteration.

1. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida. I particularly enjoy the glee-like fear everyone experiences at the end of the ride as they notice the ventriloquist dummy from the aptly-named episode The Dummy. It's situated uncomfortably close to the ride vehicle.

(Eagle-eyed fans will also notice a lot more props in the ride and the exit through the gift shop.)

2. There was also a very nineties made-for-tv movie based on the ride, which is itself, based on the show. It's creepy turtles all the way down. By the way, I love the movie and I'm not sorry. It was the dry run for the theatrical Pirates of the Caribbean movies. So we owe it a lot.

Fun bonus fact: Melora Hardin who played Jan on The Office plays an old-timey nightclub singer in the movie. She was also a singer in The Rocketeer.

3. Last but certainly not least, I've been bingeing a lot of Blank on Blank lately. Rod Serling's episode is nothing short of spectacular. Enjoy.

More Spaceship Librarian Is Coming

I shared an update on Instagram the other day. I'm ridiculously excited, even though my progress on this project has been glacial. But hey, slow and steady is much better than not happening at all, right?

View this post on Instagram

The brilliant Jen Hersey sent me this in June, along with more new pages for my comic Spaceship Librarian. I’ve just been too busy to push it through. But Justin Birch has it now for lettering. Woo! #onward #indiecomics #independentcomics Learn more at SpaceshipLibrarian.com 🚀📚 “In space, noone can hear you read.” #writersofinstagram #comicwriter #space #scifi #sciencefiction It’s a little bit about the loneliness of being a nerd. #spaceshiplibrarian

A post shared by Audrey Brown-Williams (@audreyscleverusername) on Dec 1, 2018 at 8:50am PST

When Your Horse Doesn't Like You

Optional Pre-Reads
For anyone confused by the whimsy and glitter and puppetry of it all.

Part 1
What I Learned Growing Up with a Mom Who Did Singing Telegrams

Part 2
Hammer Pants: The Making of a Nerd

Part 3

When Your Horse Doesn’t Like You

To my imaginative, creative mother, horses meant prosperity and dignity. She sketched them in whimsical shades of pink and blue with curly manes and purple stripes. Sometimes they had wings. Usually glitter.

In an effort to share the inspiration, my parents once scavenged a carousel horse for me. Mom painted it white with rainbow zebra stripes. Dad hung it on a trellis in the back yard. I must’ve been four or five.

I'd happily swing back and forth until I got too high. The chains would catch. I'd fly through the air, land in the grass, cry for a few minutes, go inside, have a popsicle, then come back out and repeat the whole routine. Knowing the horse could throw me, at any moment, offered a strange bonus thrill. An adrenaline rush.

History, it turns out, would repeat itself. And you know what they say about history, those who don't learn from their mistakes are doomed to repeat them. In fact, history has a lot of helpful advice for avoiding calamity. But hindsight is always twenty-twenty...there's a lesson in here somewhere amidst this Mike Brady paroxysm.

I promise I'll get to it at the end.

This Crimes of Grindelwald Promotional Video from Marie Claire You Need To See

Forget the fact that Dan Fogler is a charming, hilarious gem. Forget the fact we're all discovering Ezra Miller's edginess. Just. Please, please watch this video from 3:03 to 4:45 for a good laugh.

Ooh, ooh...how about a show called Dan Fogler Reacts? Where we just show Dan Fogler weird stuff and he, you know, reacts. I'd watch. 

For the record, I love it when actors get fatigued during press junkets. I know it's schadenfreude, but it's funny schadenfreude, which is the best kind. Also, it happens a lot, mostly because actors get locked in rooms for hours on end where they're forced to answer the same three or four questions ad nauseum. It's enough to make anyone slap happy. But this is a new level. A whole. 'Nother. Level.

Conan O'Brien Has a New Podcast

Get thee hence, comedy nerds!

Bonus Conan Content:

1. Here's my all-time favorite Conan remote.
2. Here's a thing I wrote about Conan that went moderately viral back in the day.

All the Classic Film References in Hail, Caesar!

Behold, my guide* to all the classic film references in the highly underrated Hail, Caesar! (Plus, here's another time I wrote about The Coen Brothers and their predilection for western genre structure.)

Now, onto the show...

The Coens have written yet another incredible detective story. This one is filled with fictionalized versions of real Hollywood figures. Their dreamlike universe is a nice place to visit if you already know the referential sites. If you're new to Old Hollywood, you may have been a little lost.

It would be easy for me to wax not-so-poetic about how much I loved Hail, Caesar! Instead, I've put together a primer to the film's many references.

If you're a Lebowski fan, but couldn't find your way into Hail Caesar!, read this list, then try again. It'll be worth it. I promise.

Question 1: What was up with Channing Tatum's character?

31 Days of Halloween

I know October is almost over. By now, you've probably seen the new Halloween, The Haunting of Hill House, and our sweet, beloved Hocus Pocus and Nightmare Before Christmas about 43 times. (And if you haven't, what are you waiting for?)

If you're all funned out, if your inspiration is waning, check this list I made a few years ago. It has suggestions you may have overlooked. Some are cult classics, others will be new to you.

31 Days of Halloween

Ghost Story is an important precursor to movies like What Lies Beneath. Robert Wise's The Haunting is the foundation for The Haunting of Hill House. If you're a chicken like me, there are plenty of cop-outs. I highly recommend Transylvania 6-5000 and High Spirits, flicks we simply must do more to push into the cult classic category.

If you're looking for some fun reads, I re-edited my dorky FanFiction (totally safe for work, the playground, church, etc.) Mulder and Scully Visit the Haunted Mansion.

I also shared my poem Monsters' Girlfriends via Twitter and Instagram. Because I'm needy. 

Happy Halloween! What are you watching?

Mulder and Scully Investigate the Haunted Mansion

My favorite episodes of The X-Files were always "monster of the week". In my opinion, the very best of these were The Ghosts Who Stole Christmas, Triangle, and Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster.  In the grand tradition of weird one-offs, I bring you my very own X-Files episode, wherein Mulder and Scully investigate The Haunted Mansion. 


WHEN HINGES CREAK...

Photo via DisneyAvenue.com

Scully visited a lot of unexpected places with Mulder, but none this ridiculous. Over the years, the two saw tiny towns, big government facilities, and worst of all, Los Angeles. 

No, she thought, this is the new winner. No doubt about it.

Scully's flashlight danced across a nearby sign. She read it aloud, making sure to keep the two words distinct, “Haunted. Mansion." They emerged with all the sarcasm she could muster as she looked up at Mulder from under thick eyelashes. “Just when I think…” her words trailed off but she held her gaze. 

Hello Giggles Articles

In 2016, I began contributing to Hello Giggles. I wish I had more time to write for them because I really appreciate an organization that amplifies the voices of women and girls.

And I'm proud to say one of my articles even made it into one of their editor's Best of 2016 lists.

Here are a few more of my articles:

10 Productive Ways To Celebrate Earth Day

8 Movies and TV Shows To Help You Feel Brave

I talked to Ashley Eckstein of "Star Wars" about empowering fangirls, running a business, and harnessing the power of positivity. (Hello Giggles called this one a "must read" and I wrote a follow-up here.)

What TMJ taught me about listening to my body

What I learned growing up with a mom who ran a singing telegram business

How Changing My Hair Color Taught Me A Life Lesson

How other women's stories of surviving sexual assault taught me to let go of shame

New Short Comic - Swamp Ape

I'm so incredibly sensitive about human and animal welfare. That's not a brag. Frequent public weeping isn't exactly a superpower. I become overwhelmed with feelings of helplessness when I see animals hurting.

But. I've recently discovered I can sometimes write my way out of the melancholy, like a lobster scooting backwards out of a trap. When I saw a particularly moving story about abandoned orangutans, I decided to write them a guardian.

Here's our backstory for a famous photo...

Story: Yours Truly
Art: Javi Laparra

Lettering: Justin Birch

Page 1

Page 2

Please consider donating a dollar to International Animal Rescue's Borneo Orangutan project. Unfortunately, nobody can help the orangutans except us humans. So, pony up. 

Writing Prompt

How about you? If you could re-write a wrong, what would it be?

Disclaimer Town

I have work to do when it comes to clarity. Everyone who reads this has to ask me questions about it. Which is bad. But I'm learning. I think this script is better than Author. I can feel myself getting a better handle on how to harness the turn of the page or the natural way the eye reads left to right and up to down for the benefit of reveals. You would think a lifetime of reading comics would make an initial attempt at writing them less clumsy. 

Alas...a clumsy effort is an effort nonetheless.

New Short Comic - Author

I'm still learning this format. It's hard. I'm obviously struggling with clarity. But the artist (Javi Laparra) and letterer (Justin Birch) I'm working with are tremendous. I don't want their work to go unseen just because I'm a perfectionist Debbie Downer.

I have three more scripts I'm currently redrafting that are better. Prey, Sunk, and Mothers. But this was my first attempt at a short comic. Two pages only. The concept has been knocking around my brain since college.

Obviously, the idea was fresher back in 2003. It's been done to death now. Back then, I was still really obsessed with Shane Black's The Long Kiss Goodnight. I thought about how funny it would be if an ordinary woman just thought...well, you'll see...

Story: Yours Truly
Art: Javi Laparra
Lettering: Justin Birch

Page 1

Page 2

~

These were Patreon exclusives for a few months. A two page short comic costs me about $400 to create. If you want to chip in to help me continue creating short comics, essays, or anything else, consider becoming a Patron here: https://www.patreon.com/audreybrownwrites or sending a one-time donation to: https://www.paypal.me/AudreyMarieBrown

I'm so intensely thankful to the people who support me. I also take requests and commissions! This month, I'm writing a creative nonfiction essay about my grandma for Liz Tippy!

There's So Much You Don't Know About Angela Lansbury

I'm writing an essay about how the brilliant Dame Angela Lansbury continues to stay relevant. She's not just a childhood favorite. She's a legitimate role model for a million reasons I'm currently trying to put into words.

I even keep a framed picture of her on my desk. It was a gift from my friend Jen about ten years ago. I've displayed it in every office since then. Is it a little weird? Sure. But I do enjoy watching people slowly figure out who it is, then try to get up the nerve to ask if she's my grandma.

Anyway, while I draft, I want to make sure you know about the Angela of three key eras. This is your homework, my friends.

Hammer Pants: The Making of a Nerd

I turned into a nerd the way people in movies change into werewolves. All at once and completely against my will. 

Pictures of me from fourth-grade play like a makeover montage in reverse. At first, the images show a normal-enough little girl with straight teeth and mismatched clothes.

(Please say the following line in the voice of Jacques Cousteau.)

Then...a rapid progression.

(Un-Jacques)

3 Times the Coen Brothers Displayed Their Devotion to Classic Film

1. Hail, Caesar!



Related Thing: Why Do People in Old Movies Talk Weird? & tracing the roots of the homage in Hail, Caesar!


2. Raising Arizona



Related Thing: I see Raising Arizona as following the classic mythical western template. There's no better example of that than the most iconic spaghetti western of all time, The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. Sergio Leone intended to create a satire. He accidentally elevated that which he meant to critique. He was just too good at it.

(The most popular theory to emerge states that the three main characters of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly are Gods who have descended in the disguise of humanity to wage spiritual battle on Earth.)

The Coens have an innate understanding of how tight scriptwriting and intense focus on small details can amplify a seemingly run-of-the-mill story. A focus on simplicity of plot and clarity of character transforms a story into an artifact. Something audiences can read meaning into, as so many have done with Raising Arizona. (Many people posit that the entire film is Hi's dream sequence or slow death, populated by people he interacts with while serving time.)

In other words, good writing consistently stokes fan theory culture.


3. The Hudsucker Proxy



Related Thing: Pee Wee's Lament and relevant information about why I think Jennifer Jason Leigh's character is an overt homage to Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday.

I Just Never, Ever, Ever Get Tired of This Scene

Seven Predictions for Avengers: Infinity War

UPDATE: 1 out of 7. Yikes. 

To be honest...I didn't love it. I didn't go back to see it again, which is almost unheard of for me. So....yeah. Still processing.

ORIGINAL POST:

The great Marvel Rewatch of 2018 has concluded. I hit everything except the first two Thor movies.

(Sorry, big guy.)

The first Avengers was a masterwork of what-if scenarios involving established characters. I hope this movie also takes full of advantage of quirky pairings, inevitable personality conflicts, and comic book references.

Before I head out to Avengers: Infinity War tonight, I wanted to record my predictions.

Here are my top 7:

How do you prep for Marvel May?

I usually do a Marvel March prep run for Marvel May. I'm only through the first Iron Man, so I'm looking forward to continuing my re-watch.

I must admit, I'm a little worried about Infinity War. I'm the weirdo who preferred Whedon's tone to the Russo Brothers. I saw Avengers: Age of Ultron seven times in the theater and loved it.

I also prefer the tone of Ant Man, Spiderman: Homecoming and Thor: Ragnarok to the more serious Captain America sequels. I go to the movies to have fun and forget my troubles for a little while. Some writer/directors think that raising the stakes means making things as miserable as possible. And I know the comic version of Infinity War pretty well. It's not gonna be fun watching the heroes I love die in a bloodbath. So...yeah. Not as excited as usual this spring.

Here's the other reason I love my annual Marvel marathon. I get to revisit each movie and boil them down to a takeaway or two.

This time, Iron Man felt like a poignant reminder that sometimes a sickness, and what we have to do to care for ourselves in the face of one, can create a super power. I live with a chronic illness. I'm looking into every avenue I can in the hopes of a cure. I use every treatment available to me. (I'm currently looking into stem cell therapy.)

In his first couple appearances, Iron Man is isolated. His scattered focus means he's not spending too much time feeling sorry for himself. He just does whatever he needs to do to stay alive. He even drinks anti-inflammatory green juice. He goes through ups and downs, overmedicates from time to time.

But Tony Stark is spurred on to live as much life as he can because he knows death set up camp on his doorstep.

Tomb Raider Reaction - Respect Your Action Heroine Elders and Let People Have Their Feelings

I held back on publishing this for days. Mostly because it's a topic I've written about repeatedly. I promise this is the last post I wax poetic about the action heroine's cinematic past.

As a writer, sometimes you have to ask yourself who you're trying to persuade. When I feel compelled to defend what I love, I think I'm writing to old bullies. Old boyfriends. It's time to move on to my own characters and scripts

But one last time for the people in the back. This is why Tomb Raider matters.

A Reel Pitch Fest: Borgin and Burkes - The first Harry Potter TV Series!

Hey! Here I am in this thing:



Here's the TV show I accidentally stole the idea from:



And here is the charismatic and criminally under-used Louise Robey who starred in the series. She has a very His Girl Friday, Rosalind Russell, ocassional Rita Hayworth vibe. If I ever get a proper film or TV series up and running, I'll look for her!

I've said it before and I'll say it again, while I work up the gumption to go through official channels (I'm redrafting for a handful of contests right now and I have some comedy shorts ready to enter too.) if you find this and you're a cool executive type looking for writers, hire me! I'm prolific, hard working, and irritatingly optimistic.

3 Things I Still Love: The Film Documentary Edition

I watched 21 Years: Richard Linklater on Hulu last night. His identity never congealed for me until then, though I loved his movies without knowing they were "his". Once, I named a turtle I kept seeing at Epcot "Richard Linklater" for no justifiable reason. (It just felt like the right thing to do at the time.)

Anyway, now that I've seen the doc, I'm in full geek obsession mode. Here are 3 film documentaries to watch ASAP.

1. "Ricky Ticki Linklater"

Related Thing: Blank on Blank and a list with which you may disagree.

2. "Richard Stanley climbed into a tree today and wouldn't come down." Anyone who has ever directed anything at all will understand that quote at a quantum level. I'm not using "quantum" correctly, am I?

Related Thing: H.G. Wells was right about a bunch of stuff & so was Star Trek.

3. "Does everyone have brown gloves?"

Related Thing: Burden of Dreams & Werner Herzog on Parks and Rec

Bonus: I was captivated by Jim and Andy: The Great Beyond but/and I think this guy is at least partially correct about Jim Carrey. Actually, that was politeness talking. I think he's entirely correct. Nobody gets a free pass on a set to be a jerk in the name of artistic expression. That's egomaniacal and unprofessional. The studio was right to withhold that footage and I hope Jim sends apology gifts to the people he troubled.

Jessica Jones Season 2 Premieres in 1 Week

That's one week, people. Get thee to Netflix!

Happy March

Last night, I dreamed I was making a movie titled Motorcycle Jane and Danny Trejo loved the script so much he took a lead role for free and donated all the motorcycles. That's gotta be a good sign, right?

3 Things I Still Love: The Political Satire Edition

1. "It will be difficult, difficult, lemon difficult."

Related Thing:  Zach Woods and Steve Coogan elsewhere. (There are currently three Trip movies and a bit of TV as well. The last movie, The Trip to Spain had an ending that left me utterly shocked.)

2. "If you want to win a vote, scratch a bigot's itch."

Related Thing: This is the song Sallah sings. It's from the HMS Pinafore, which is classic and timeless. Simpsons nerds will know it from this episode. Star Trek nerds will know it from this. It's often mistaken as being from The Pirates of Penzance. (Another Gilbert and Sullivan joint.) It's not. But this is!

3. Because nothing screams, "I'm not actually powerful," quite like listing the things that make you powerful. Politics and colonialism, amirite?

Related: This. It is not from The Mikado, but to bring it full Kelsey Grammer, this is.

BONUS: Nothing to do with political satire, I just like it.

25 Essays (or Video Essays) I'd Write (or Create) if I Had The Time

Why don't I have the time, you may ask? I'm busy taking freelance work to pay my bills. I'm grateful I have said skills to pay said bills, so that's no complaint.

I know it's risky to go around throwing theses, but I want to make some of my ideas public now in case Net Neutrality makes it harder for me to share them in the future. God forbid. The fight is still on, FYI.

A lot of these come from my days of teaching film waaaaay back in grad school. 

If I didn't have to freelance anymore, I'd be creating content like this on a regular basis:

1. What's an Ephod? a.k.a. How God works in the Indiana Jones Universe

2. Conflict Trends in Film and how they reflect the decades in which they appear (or How I Went to see Star Wars and Every Preview was about war)

3. How Conspiracy Theorists Mistake Comedy Writing for "Predictive Programming"

4. How (and why) Modern Blockbusters Repeat the Theme of Physical Sacrifice

5. The Most Popular Film Genre of Each Decade, Beginning in 1900

6. Craft and Artistry on Film: How the Visual Representations of Sewing, Baking, Painting and More Are Used in Movies

7. How Movies Change with Us as We Age (and why our changing perceptions matter)

8. The Parody Effect: How Familiarity Transitions Horror Icons from Feared to Revered

9. In Defense of the Mary Sue 

10. 10 Under Appreciated Costumed Performers

11. 10 Times Film and Television Characters Probably Had Migraines

12. Trends in Actings Choices: Pop Culture Moments vs. Bad Technique

13. How Pop Culture Answered Conservative Christianity in the 90's and 00's 

14. The 7 Types of Conflict in Film

15. The Only 2 Types of Stories in Film

16. Common Character Types You Can Find in (almost) Every Story

17. 10 Opening and Closing Images from Famous Films

18. 10 Opening and Closing Images from Beloved TV Series

19. What is a Story Arc and How Does It Function?

20. Pop Culture Criticism 101: Learning the Difference Between "That's bad," and "I don't like it."

21. Why The Big Sick is the Greatest Modern Rom-Com of the 21st Century (To Date)

22. Deleted for Stupidity Reasons - it was a bad idea

23. If It Bleeds It Leads - How News Headlines Are Chosen (according to my former professor who worked at CNN)

24. What Are Style Cycles at Film Studios?

25. 10 Historic Uses of Symbolic Color in Film 

What's that, you say? You'd like me to create such content? Here's how you can help! Support my brand new Patreon page and visit this page and click on Stories where you can read about some more content I'd like to create. 

Or, we can create a corporate sponsorship or pay me directly to create one of these. I'm worth it, I promise. 

Labyrinth Returns to the Big Screen

According to EW.com, Fathom Events has announced that Jim Henson's classic Labyrinth will return to movie theaters across the country on April 29th, May 1st, and May 2nd.

For many of us, this will be our first chance to see it on the big screen. There were three things that could make me run screaming from the room as a kid. Slimer, Thriller, and the scene from Labyrinth where all the goblins are hiding under the crib. It's a brilliantly framed shot and a bold choice for a kid's movie.

So, are you going? I am! Tickets are on sale here, and they're going fast!

Coincidentally, I was just writing about this very under-appreciated David Bowie song the other day. I was saving it for later publication as an edition of Good Geek Stuff, but why not throw it in here?

This David Bowie song from the Labyrinth soundtrack still speaks to me. I feel it where I feel all beautiful music, rattling around in my chest cavity somewhere.

Growing up in the age of the VCR, it was easy to fast forward through opening credit sequences. But I always listened to this entire song, utterly captivated.

What's your favorite under-appreciated Bowie song? When did you first hear it? Why did it stick?

While you think, enjoy the song in it's original context. It packs a bit more of a punch this way:

P.S. I'm 100% certain that Labyrinth is why so many of the stories I write have magical men showing up via interdimensional portals. i.e. The Chosen One and Leaves.

So, I Do This Now: A Reel Pitch Fest - Episode 7 (+ An Interview with The Mexican Vampire Woman)

The thing about being a writer and director is that you must be able to speak up for your ideas. Did you know they make you say them out loud? Did you know you also have to be good at saying them out loud to actors, producers, and anyone with money?

This is a challenge if you hate your own face. Or voice. It's ironic that the gripping self-consciousness that makes some of us creative is also what prevents us from creating a finished product. Unless curling up in a ball or being socially awkward is a product, in which case, I am a captain of industry.

So anyway, I started a YouTube *show* though I don't feel like you can call it a proper show if there's no biz afterward. I mean, it's just me recording videos with QuickTime on my laptop. No lights, no audience, no key grips. Just...my face. That I hate. 

But the other thing about being a writer and director is that it's fine if - oh, say - you have really big teeth and a tiny upper lip, because you don't have to win any pageants to do your job.

So again I say...I started a YouTube show.

It's called A Reel Pitch Fest. I share ideas I have for movies. Sometimes they're original, most times they're prequel, sequel, or remake ideas. Because why the heck not?

My goal is to get better at pitching and communicating. It's definitely not my goal to have one of my ideas go viral and get discovered and be given merry loads of cash to immediately put several of my movies and short films into production. That would just be grandiose.

I've been test driving it for a while and there are 7.1 official episodes on my YouTube channel. Here's the latest. I'm not usually in a car...so...sorry about that.

I'll share each new episode here on my blog as they release every Friday. If you want to play catch up, here are links to the other episodes.

Episode 1 - Gremlins

Episode 2 - Nacho Libre

Episode 3 - Ghostbusters

Episode 4 - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Episode 5 - The Long Kiss Goodnight

Episode 6 - Original: Fast Walkers

Episode 6.1 - Original: The Adventure Sisters

Episode 7 - Single White Female

Also on my YouTube channel? An interview I did with the Mexican Vampire Woman back in 2011 during my correspondent days that randomly got 8,000 hits one night after I transferred it from Vimeo because they changed some of their rules.*

Oh, internet, you wily minx. You're so unpredictable.

*Long live run-on sentences AND also long live Maria Jose Cristerna, the Mexican Vampire Woman, who is a really nice former lawyer and mother of four.

Good Geek Stuff: The Uma Thurman/Quiet Amidst Chaos Edition

I've been thinking of this scene a lot lately. Horrific events in the news trigger something in my brain. My mind calls upon soothing memories to quiet the chaos. I don't know what it says about me that so many of them are movie-related.

It's just how I'm wired.