Go, Ben!

I saw this on the movie-bytes.com website:

Newcomer Ben Frahm, who had been working as a special-needs teacher at a middle school, has sold his comedy spec Dr. Sensitive to Universal in a deal valued in the mid-six figures. Shady Acres will produce. The script, in the vein of Liar, Liar, is about a doctor with the world's worst bedside manner who undergoes a transformative experience that makes him overly empathetic. The screenplay was discovered by Frahm's reps at Underground Films through a query letter, and was developed for a year prior to going Shady Acres, where it was developed further.

The thing that caught my eye was that it was initially discovered via a query letter. Whoa. Somebody actually read one of those things? Anyways, good for Ben.

Funny Games Poster

Kudos to the marketing people for this film. Actually, there have been some pretty cool posters coming around lately. Can't stand the typical "headshot" posters Hollywood usually slaps together. Anyway, check this out........

Phillies Phever!!!

Congrats to our Fighting Phils, who came from 7 games back only a short time ago to the champs of their division. Certainly, it helped that the Mets completely C H O K E D, but the Phillies kicked all kinds of ass to win their division. Sweet! Jimmy Rollins - MVP!

Before The Devil.........

I need to add this to my list of "must-sees," this is the new film from Sidney Lumet. Sweet poster.

Also, the Wes Anderson short film (prequel to Darjeeling) called Hotel Chevalier is a FREE download on itunes (co-stars Natalie Portman (she gets nekkid!!!). Check it out.

"Union" countdown - I'm into the 80s, I should have an updated page count for my next post.

Go Phils! Goodbye, Mets.

Script countdown - UNION

Finally finishing this one. Been creeping and crawling around my head for a few years, got it started last year but put it on the backburner while I did other scripts.

It's called Union, and is a sorta comedy/drama about a family, set around Christmas. I won't divulge the rest yet, the actual plot is pretty high god damn concept.

I'm on Page 74 now, and plan to wrap it up within the next week.

TV

Some cool stuff coming up this season. The shows I'm looking forward to most are Chuck & Reaper, and the return of Lost, Weeds, Dexter and Heroes. Californication is holding my interest, but Tell Me You Love Me is a snooze. It's supposed to be so "real." Try lame. Bunch of whiners.

It'll be interesting to see where Heroes goes after their limp finale - some showdown. They should have just had a rock/paper/scissor battle royale. But it's a good show that should get better.

Thought the first K-Ville was decent, although I'm not sure that an escaped convict could join the Army & be a cop, just because records were lost in New Orleans from Katrina. Wouldn't his social security number come into play?

Bionic Woman could go either way, but I think it'll be decent. Can't promise I'll watch though. I'll check out Pushing Daisies, at least it sounds different.

What will get canceled? Hmm, there's no way Life will make it past a few epdisodes. It's a so-so premise, and too much other stuff on for people to care. Big Shots will probably have a big premiere then die. Journeyman looks blah - people didn't dig Daybreak and that had Taye Diggs. And Dirty Sexy Money might make it, but it's got a shit title and a lesser Baldwin.

What will U be watching??????

Can't Wait To See This

Hot Veggie

Back 2 Work

Thanks, team, for all of your condolences. It means a lot. Some day I'll meet y'all and buy you many drinks.

Been a rough week, but the services are over, things are slowly getting back to normal. It's a pretty horrible feeling I'm left with though, thinking I could've done more - even though I did the most really. But I just hope my mom is in a good place - a place without fear, pain, and lame remakes. Maybe Heaven is a constant Coen Bros, Weir, Spielberg and Scorcese marathon. Could be!

I'm slowly getting back to writing. I'm working with my manager on my Laid re-write. Need to re-work the beginning (to similar to Superbad - how was I to know 4 months ago when I wrote the beginning!!!???) and get some character work done.

Other than that I'm going to work on some stuff that aren't comedies, namely my horror script Route 66, my crime drama called Dakota, and another new idea callled Rollin' Thunda.

Just trying to keep busy, and finally sell one of these puppies.

K.R. 1944-2007

So, my Mom died yesterday at around noon. She had been a heavy smoker most of her life, and had battled horrific emphysema for many years.

(Hey kids - Stop smoking - Yes, it will KILL you. Chew some fucking gum.)

The real tragedy of this was the life she led. I'm won't get into specifics too much (this is a LONG story), but I'll say it involved her deteriorating health (mentally & physically), which began when I was young, at a time when people who suffered from mental health problems were labeled as simply "nuts."

The main thing she suffered from was depression, which I think began as a form of post-partum depression that went un-noticed, then spread into other things as a lack of understanding & frustration from her family basically made her an outcast. Her disintegrating marriage couldn't have helped, either. She had been diagnosed as bi-polar, with psychosis n.s., depression, and schizophrenia.

Yeah, that's a pretty bad hand to be dealt.

Note: When someone is suffering from depression, get them help (!).

I'm sure some relatives attempted to help at first, but it certainly wasn't enough, so it was left up to me. But by the time I got her the help she needed, it was too late really. Like I said, this is a long story, this only scratches the surface.

And even though 90% of childhood was a living hell, I knew that deep down she was still a good person and a loving mother, and I made my peace with her before she died. But seeing her get worse as the days passed was heart-wrenching, and although her passing has hit me like a ton of bricks, I am glad she is finally at peace. The last 30+ years of her life sucked.

She was 63.

Austin Newz

My family comedy, That's How We Roll, made it into the 2nd round of the Adult/Family portion of the Austin Screenplay Competition, but did not make the Semi cut.

Still, they say 2nd rounders are in the top 10-12 %, so I can't complain.

What Summer?

Damn, that was fast. My oldest heads back to school on Wednesday, I feel bad because his Summer was lightning quick. I hope his year goes fast, and I hope by the end of it I've got a script sold and in production.

On that end of things, there are some rumblings. My Agent pitched my family comedy A Couple Of Joes to a producer who liked the idea and wanted to read it, so we sent it to him before Labor Day. And my Manager and I went over Laid and I've been tweaking it over this past week, and am almost done Draft #2.

For music fans: Check out recent releases from The National, Editors, The Bravery, and Interpol. Good music to write to.

Late!

PS - Pic is from Hotel Chevalier, the short film that will play before The Darjeeling Limited, and stars Jason Schwartzman (as his Darjeeling character) and Natalie Portman. Super cool. Can't wait to see this!

Wait A Minute - Stills

Back in 2003 we were in production of a no-budget epic I wrote called WAIT A MINUTE. My wife and I were self-producing, and I directed and was DP, also.

Things were going pretty smoothly, and then I pulled the plug. The main concern I had was that we were wasting our time. It had a crap budget, and looked like a crap budget, and even if we finished it, NO ONE would EVER distribute it. NO ONE. It was just this scrappy little movie that would never sell.

Plus, the actors were nailing it. They all rocked. If Philly has anything, they've got a kick-ass pool of talent.

It was my own fault for ushering it into production without a real budget, but as I learned from my other past projects, it would'nt have gone anywhere. Some stills I took in '03:

2007 Thus Far

Not many flicks have completely blown me away. I'm waiting to see stuff like Sunshine & Rescue Dawn, and upcoming films like Jesse James, There Will Be Blood, The Darjeeling Limited, Michael Clayton, No Country For Old Men, Trade, Crossing Over, 3:10 to Yuma, And Gone Baby Gone that will likely make their way onto a Top 1o list.

Best of the year so far? Scott Frank's The Lookout. Very well made all around.

Stardust was fun, but it wouldn't end up on an end of the year Top 10. Also thoroughly enjoyed Knocked Up & Superbad.

300 was barely okay. The Simpsons was funny but pretty much like a long episode - not that that's a bad thing. Pirates 3 was decent but 2 was better. Shrek 3 had moments but didn't need to be made. Saw the original recently and thought it was still great.

In the Land Of Women was interesting, I'd give it a C+. We also saw I Could Never Be Your Woman starring Michelle Pfeiffer & Paul Rudd (it's been retitled All That Really Matters and comes out in November) and that had some fun stuff, but again, didn't rock me.

Worst of the year so far is still Hostel 2.

What are your faves/non faves of the year so far?

Super

Superbad - Go see it. It's a hilarious ride. The writing is sharp, and the actors really carry it. Great performances all around. Smart, fun, and pretty damn real.

And the good news it, I didn't unknowingly rip it off when I wrote Laid. One thing I worrried about was doing that as I finished my script, but they are pretty different so I'm not concerned about that anymore.

I was gonna start a new script tonight, tentatively called Rollin' Thunda but decided to go back and punch up some Laid. The Agent is reading it this weekend, and I'll get his thoughts.

Check out Superbad though. I liked it a lot. Knocked Up was probably a better movie overall, but Superbad has some truly classic scenes & dialogue. Damn funny stuff.

Done

It's sloppy. I gotta go in and pull some teeth, whiten some others, break out the floss, but for the most part, stick a fork in it. It's done.

Gonna take a few passes at it, hunt for typos, funny up some scenes, then move along to the agent, see what he thinks.

It's done!

Final Lap!

Almost there! Page 88. If I don't crash, I should have it done on Saturday night. It should land in the mid 90s, right about where I want it.

Ah, The 70s.

Blasted through Page 70 last night, tonight I'm aiming for 80. It's almost done. And it's feeling great.

Below is a scene (I can only cut & paste it, please forgive it's appearance) from LAID. I was trying to think of one to post, and I thought this one would be good. Our hero, Joe, has a flashback to when he lost his virginity:

INT. CARAVAN - NIGHT - FLASHBACK
Joe and GLORIA, 17, are getting hot and heavy. He tosses a condom wrapper aside.

GLORIA

Is it on?

JOE

Fits like a glove.

She looks down between his legs.

GLORIA

Doesn’t it get any bigger?

JOE

I think that’s gonna be about it.

GLORIA

It’ll be fine. Just put it in.

Joe nods and concentrates, trying to insert himself.

GLORIA

I don’t feel anything.

JOE

I’m still searching. Wait, here you go.

GLORIA

Hey. Not up the ass, please. I’m not an up-the-ass girl.

JOE

No problem. I’m not an up-the-ass guy.

GLORIA

Good to know. Here. I’ll help you.

She reaches down between his legs, pulls him closer. She BELCHES loudly into his face.

JOE

Wow.

GLORIA

Sorry about that. Kinda did that in your face. Must’ve been those peppers I had at dinner.

JOE

Yeah, I thought it smelled like peppers.

GLORIA

Here we are.

JOE

Oh, God. Oh, my God!

GLORIA

Feel nice?

JOE

Shit yeah! Oh, boy. Gloria. Oh, Gloria.

GLORIA

No, no! Wait, Joe! Don’t come yet! I want to get it, too!

JOE

Yes! Oh, yeah! I’m coming! I’m coming!

GLORIA

God dammit!

He shudders and pulls away, exhausted, with a huge smile.

JOE

Nice. Did you get an orgasm, too?

GLORIA

Fuck off.

60s

Laid is into the 60s now. Kinda hard to put an exact number on it, I have another file with notes, scenes, etc, that I will cut & paste soon which will add to the total.

The end is finished, and I feel real good about it.

On my main file I'm at 64, and will get some more done tonight. I'll try to post a scene or 2. trying to figure out which ones though. Many are filled with extreme raunch. I mean, I don't want to offend EVERYONE.

LAID

Oh, man. This is a good one. My goal is to have this baby finished ASAP. It's so damn funny, it's raunchy, it's cool. I'm just happy as a pig in poop when I'm writing it.

I'm talking about Laid, and it's about, well, getting laid. I'm concentrating all firepower on it until it's done, then my agent will send it out and it WILL SELL. I have no doubt.

I'll update my progress throughout the week. I'm on Page 55, and am aiming for the mid-90s, maybe lower 100s before I slice & dice it.