Your Favorite Movie Is Safe: Why There’s No Need To Fear Any Remake

OK, so this is a good news/bad news post.

GOOD NEWS! The Princess Bride is not going to be remade. (Not yet.)

BAD NEWS! Your favorite movie is going to be remade. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but soon…and for the rest of your life, there will be a remake of your favorite film, if there isn’t one already (there likely is.)

BEST NEWS! Your favorite movie will be fine even if it is remade.

I know some of you are already mad reading that. However, if you are in a place of listening, I invite you on a quick read which I hope will help you stop worrying and at least accept the remake because they are not ever going away.

Before we had Trump shutting down society at large to make us angry, the topic of a movie being remade was an easy to get internet mob mentality out in force. The fact of the matter is remakes are neither a new phenomenon or anything other than business as usual. And quite frankly, the sheer volume of anger said remakes has received cannot always be described as rational.

Movie remakes can be traced back to the late 1800s in French cinema and early 1900s in Hollywood: https://filmschoolrejects.com/hollywood-remake-history/

Why does Hollywood insist on a constant stream of remakes? For the same reason Hollywood does anything – because they make money. And before one writes that off as simple studio greed, that money being is coming from an audience who says “yes, I will spend my disposable income on a remake.”

Audiences don’t hate remakes. Audiences LOVE LOVE LOVE remakes. Audiences flock to remakes creating hugely profitable properties and have done for decades.

And they’re going to for decades more.

You don’t have to take my word for it:

*Love Pacino in Scarface? A remake.

*Netflix’s content creation empire was launched by House Of Cards – a remake.

*Which version of A Christmas Carol is your favorite?

*A Star Is Born – again – remade and not only ate up box office but brought tears to a live audience who forgot those are actors.

*We now have three different versions of Mr Spock – all supported by a robust audience, except actually for Leonard Nimoy’s at first. That was the one that got cancelled.

*”Wait – there were other Doctors BEFORE Christopher Eccleston???”

*Ocean’s 11, The Lion King, every other horror movie. Hell, I just found out doing research for this that Scent Of A Woman (which Pacino had to clear some shelf-space for) is a remake. Late last year, someone I know posted “Oh God! I can’t believe they’re making Little Shop Of Horrors!!” I asked which version was being remade.

*Also, West Side Story will have to thrown out with the bathwater as well. That’s all kinds of remake.

Here’s my favorite example to cite:

Clash Of The Titans in 1981 worldwide gross about $115,000,000 in today’s money (pretty good)

Clash Of The Titans in 2010 worldwide gross – $500,000,000 (spawned a sequel the sequel)

That is a gross increase of 400 million dollars. 400 million. 400,000,000 increase in business.

If Hollywood were to stop doing remakes, it would not just be a poor business decision. It would be malpractice.

But still, whenever a remake is announced, one can find a very angry corner of the internet – usually of a particular age group – expressing a near existential rage at the very IDEA that such a thing could occur. And often, the sourcing of that anger is well, I don’t want to say invalid or misguided but it can be driven from a false premise. Let’s take a look at some of those.

Looking at the Princess Bride for example. “But it’s perfect!!” many said to me about Princess Bride.

Hey look, I LOVE The Princess Bride. Tremendous storytelling from a master Director and the guy who literally wrote the books on modern screenwriting. Action! Adventure! Comedy!! And as if that’s not enough – ANDRE THE GIANT!!! Even though he was playing a bad guy in the WWE when it came out, this movie helped immortalized Andre as wrestling’s gentle giant good guy beloved by the public.

The Princess Bride is just WONDERFUL viewing great for any family!

Quick question about The Princess Bride – where’s the Black person?

Another question about The Princess Bride – how come the Spaniard is being played by a Jewish actor from New York?

The answer is there are no people of color in the Princess Bride. If I’m wrong about that, please correct me. There are two gay characters – and they’re the villains.

And back in 1986, casting actors out of their ethnicity was perfectly acceptable. It’s not so much these days. Mandy Patinkin is an AMAZING actor & seems like a very nice man. But in 2020, his being cast as a Spaniard out for revenge would create as much outrage as the remake has received and he would be out of the role by the end of the day it was announced.

So when news of the Princess Bride remake hit, I took to the facebook (something that actually ages me even now) and I said “Not only would I remake it, I would diversity the shit out of it!” Here’s my cast list for a 2020 Princess Bride:

Michael B Jordan – Wesley

Rihanna – Buttercup

Benicio Del Toro – Indigo Montoya*

James Franco – Humperdink

Randall Park – Count Grugen

Uzo Aduba – Vezzini (oh real damn conceivable)

Big Show – Fezzik

Jordan Peele – Miracle Max

Chelsea Peretti – Mrs Miracle Max

Laurence Fishburne – The Grandfather

Miles Brown – the kid

(Mr Del Toro is Puerto Rican but I’ve seen reports that he is of Spanish descent and was granted Spain citizenship in 2011)

You would have thought I posted pictures of murdered animals. This list and this very idea of remaking The Princess Bride was considered blasphemy. I should point out no one of color objected to this list. Just the opposite. All of the objections came from Left-leaning White people. In other conversations I had about this – the world seemed obsessed with this for two weeks – “Why does it have to be remade?” I was asked by some. “Why can’t today’s Black or Latino kids have their version?” was my response. Because the old one is notably absent of people who like them. Many cries of “why do they have to have one?” sounded quite a bit like the “why do Gays have to be married? Why isn’t a civil union enough?”

Because it’s not enough.

And look, part of me gets it. Part of me really really gets it.

Movies are not just movies. TV shows are more than that. They’re EXPERIENCES. That becomes all the more clear when you become a creator of these things. “What experience am I giving the viewer?” Thanks to the irresistible pull of nostalgia which only grows more powerful with each passing year makes those experiences something sacred, something precious that much never be touched or encroached upon.

While I see how a remake might feel it’s doing that, a remake is not doing that. Your most precious memories have nothing to fear from a remake. I’m not being glib. I’m being sincere. There is nothing to fear from the remake. So please allow me to assure you –

Your favorite movie is safe.

Nothing and no one anywhere can take away your experiences with your favorite movie. My two favorites are Jaws and Casablanca. Both have not technically been remade. Both have been remade thousands of times. Nothing and no one anywhere can take away those movies and my memories or experiences watching them. And as a working screenwriter, I would take the gig to rewrite either one of them tomorrow. (Oh, you want the shark to be the hero this time? No problem)

A remake is not a special edition recut of your favorite film. No one is going to come into your home, remove any DVD or Blu-Ray copies of that film. No one is going to delete any digital copies. Whatever your favorite movie is, you can watch it once every single day or however much you want until the day you die.

And a remake of Jaws is not going to magically erase the 45 years people have spent watching the original. (Sorry Mandela Effect)

I own the entire original Transformers cartoon series on DVD. It was my favorite as a kid and I’m glad to have it those pulls of nostalgia. I saw Michael Bay’s first Transformers movie. I liked it fine. I found it fun. I saw Michael Bay’s second Transformers movie and there my journey with Michael Bay’s Transformers came to an end. The box office receipts for that franchise assures Mr Bay and his crew that my absence from the theatres was not debilitating to their success. And Bay knew the moment he took the gig “not everyone who grew up on this will love this” because it wasn’t made for me or the generation who grew up on that cartoon. If we like it, great! But we’re gravy. The kids & teenagers at the time were Bay’s target demo. As they long as they enjoyed it and kept coming back for the sequels – mission accomplished as more perils for Earth and Cyberton were dreamt up. And I had my originals. Safe and sound on my shelf. Literally – everyone wins.

(There is one notable exception to this rule but we’ll get there)

“But the original is PERFECT!!”

No movie is perfect. Casablanca? Goddammit, why does Ilsa say “boy.” Jaws? Peter Benchley, the author of the book, has spent the rest of his life trying to undo the misinformation about sharks the story spread.

No movie is perfect. The memories of certain movies are perfect. The experiences and feelings that movie give you are perfect. And again – those are untouchable. Even as the world races into the future around us which is always a scary prospect as we grow older. The blue skies and golden sunsets that you felt/feel with your favorite movie are eternal.

There’s a reason the dying Tycoon was thinking of his childhood sled in his final moments. It was the one thing the world who hated him could not take away.

“The original should be good enough!”

OK, when you were a kid were you watching the newest, hippest cartoons everyone was talking about? Were you begging your parents to take you to that new movie opening because “Mom! Dad! EVERYONE is seeing it and I’m missing ooouuuuttt!!”? Did you race to get all the latest toys tied in with the biggest blockbusters of the summer? Was your wallpaper covered with Gremlins, Goonies and Marty McFly?

Of course it was!

Or were you watching the Marx Brothers every night? Were you looking up old episodes of the Milton Berle show used to fill up late-night weekend slots? Did you beg your parents to put in the VHS of Gunga Din just once more, pretty please?

Of course not.

Sure, you caught old stuff like the Three Stooges or Andy Griffith et al. But the children of the 1980s were not molded by the content of the 1950s. The children of the 2000s are not going to be molded by the content of the 1980s.

And there’s nothing anyone can do about that. It’s practically a kid’s job to hate the stuff their parents like. Before you argue that, remember your reaction to when your parents showed you their favorite movie. You don’t have to answer that out loud.

“But the original does not need to be improved upon!!”

This one always baffles me. Maybe there’s a remake out there that was trying to improve upon the original. Dear reader, if you know of one, let me know. I can’t think of a single remake that tries to do that. That’s just not how it’s done.

Let’s go back to the Princess Bride. Yes, I would diversity the shit out of it. No, I don’t think that’s necessarily an improvement. It’s updating, sure but that’s just making it more accessible to modern audiences and diverse audiences. Are filmmakers putting their spin on it? Sure. But that’s not unique to remakes. (The Temple Of Doom is one giant love letter to the Morlocks’ underground world in George Pal’s Time Machine)

If Hollywood was trying to improve a movie, then you’d be seeing remakes of long-accepted crap but fire up your favorite streaming service and you are not bombarded by remakes of Ishtar, Howard The Duck and Leonard Part 6.

Yes, Hollywood is trying to cash in with remakes of popular, established properties. But those are not efforts to improve. If you watch the original The Thing From Another World and then John Carpenter’s The Thing, you will see two totally different interpretations of the same story, both of their time, both trying to scare audiences, both in two totally different ways. Which one is better? In addition to the answer being totally subjective, both movies while similar are so different it’s like asking “what do you like better? Lamb chop or apple sauce?”

Time is a funny thing. You graduated high school yesterday but really it was over 20 years ago, if you see what I mean. It’s easy to not see how much changes when we’re in the middle of the times we live in. The internet recently erupted when a bunch of people learned that Robert Downey Jr played a comedy lead – IN BLACKFACE!!! Tropic Thunder isn’t ancient history, it happened 12 years ago as of this writing. Your favorite movie is likely very outdated, dull and boring for today’s audiences. And it doesn’t matter what year “today” is in.

And as even that example shows, yes, Tropic Thunder does not fit 2020 sensibilities. Neither does The Princess Bride. So a fresh coat of paint for today’s audiences brings the story up to speed. No improvements made. Just sensibilities being recognized.

“I just wish Hollywood made more originals!!”

Fortunately, Hollywood makes a ton of original material but the success for those is mostly found in the world of TV where the profit margin is safer for original material and where an audience is more likely go “ooo, what’s this?”

But at the movies? Originals for many decades have long had an uphill battle. There are several production companies who have committed themselves to producing original, unique films that are different from everything else in the market. Sadly, they teeter on the brink of bankruptcy.

No one wants you watching original material more than Hollywood. Many careers have been shortened and many fortunes have been lost in trying to get eyeballs in front of original material.

Apple TV’s rollout of purely original material was seen around the business as a massive flop (immediate resignations kind of flop) and they’re hoping to rebound with Foundation – an adaptation of Issac Asimov’s legendary novels. Disney+ hung their hat on a new Star Wars property and watched subscriptions roll in by the millions – literally.

Originals are the toughest property to try and sell and market. But Hollywood keeps trying and will keep trying.

“But I just don’t like remakes”

OK, fine. Never watch another remake again as long as you live. That is your right, your prerogative as a discerning consumer. Every single day you choose not to watch a movie and you can continue to do so. Watch what you like. Ignore what you don’t.

There is no obligation anyone is putting on you to watch a remake ever again. Sure, there’s some cultural pressure if the movie is all the rage but think about how many movies or TV shows that are major conversation pieces in your circle that you’ve actually missed? I bet it’s a lot. Hell, there’s no way everyone can watch all the award-worthy TV being made nowadays. Hollywood has lots of data that sees how much you choose not to see a movie.

“I don’t want to see a remake because I just don’t like remakes” is a perfectly sound reason to skip one.

Dear reader, I’ll be honest – I don’t always love remakes. In fact, I rarely like remakes. I like being surprised which after this long in the factory is all too rare. I love new, original fresh voices. “Beasts Of No Nation” blew my mind when I saw it a few years ago. But remakes being old stories up to speed with changing times only makes those stories last longer. It shows Hollywood reflecting changing times. These are good things that any smart business should keep in mind if they want to last. Adapt and overcome. Evolve or die.

No, remakes don’t ruin the original.

No, remakes do not improve the original.

No, remakes do not replace the original – especially in this age of movie/TV libraries at our fingertips.

Screaming at remakes is like screaming at the changing seasons. It’s like getting angry at nightfall. Time is going to move in one direction and the world changes with those times. I think that’s at the heart of all this. “My experience was so perfect! There does not need to be another one! Don’t replace those experiences…don’t replace me.”

Are you over 40? You’re not the key demo movies are made for anymore. I know. I’m there with you. It sucks and it hurts. Even those R-rated horror movies are made for 18 – 20 year olds, not us cynical old people who are stuck in our ways. It was true 40 years ago. It’s going to be true 140 years from now.

No remake anywhere is ever going to make me mad. No remake anywhere is ever going to upset me because remakes can’t take anything away from me or my experiences.

But as I said, there is one notable exception.

I type and post this on May 4th, 2020. I cannot pull up the original Star Wars movie on Disney+ I cannot reach over to my shelf and pull off the original Star Wars on Blu-Ray. Oh sure, I can pull up some special editions which have been recut, reedited and reshaped by new special effects. And the original filmmaker has forbidden any commercial release of the original film. There was a low-resolution version put on a DVD a few years ago to quiet those of us who complained but it’s not the same. The resolution is such that the film is actually difficult to watch.

This day has been dubbed “May The 4th Be With You” but The Force is not with me today.

I cannot watch the movie that I grew up on, the movie that made me love movies so much I’ve dedicated my life to them. That childhood favorite film that meant so much has been taken away from me.

No remake did that.

No sequel did that.

The original filmmaker did that.

It’s worth noting that many parents have relayed tales of trying to show their kids Star Wars and even with the updated special effects, the kids cry “BORING! Put on Pixar!” I get it. Yesterday’s Star Wars isn’t for today’s kid. But this kid from yesterday sure wouldn’t mind another look at the twin sunset with Luke Skywalker.

Cults On Parcast

Last year, I have the pleasure and privilege to write several episodes for the renowned Cults podcast on the Parcast Network. The good folks at Parcast have numerous channels broadcasting a slew of terrific deep-dive documentary style podcasts released every week. I’m delighted to have contributed to the Cults series which was a rewarding challenge but also incredibly educational.

Here are links to the four stories, I wrote. Each one is about 2 45 or so minute episodes, perfect for long walks to sprucing up the commute. These do, however, go unapologetically to some dark places. Parcast endeavors to be as truthful (and tasteful) as possible with some disturbing subject matter so there’s aren’t for the kids.

RAËLISM – Claude Vorilhon went for a hike one day which he claims led to being contacted by the alien race which supposedly created humanity. He then launched a following of free love & orgies – all at the behest of the aliens – that continues to this day.

Raëlism Part 1: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/409-cults-28501448/episode/e45-raelism-claude-vorilhon-30009346/

Raëlism Part 2: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/409-cults-28501448/episode/e46-raelism-pt-2-claude-30009456/

THE RIVER ROAD FELLOWSHIP – Listener discretion very much advised. Victor Bernard convinced dozens of families that he was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. He lead them to create a commune in remote Minnesota. What happened next was true horror which lead to manhunt across several countries.

River Road Fellowship Part 1: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/409-cults-28501448/episode/e70-river-road-fellowship-victor-30480298/

River Road Fellowship Part 2: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/409-cults-28501448/episode/e71-river-road-fellowship-pt-2-30513126/

NEW VRINDABAN – This is a truly epic story of a con-man who created America’s Taj Mahal, the Hare Krishna city of New Vrindaban in West Virginia. But within those halls, he inspired the crimes of theft, committed sexual deviancy and even ordered mafia-style executions to hold on to his power.

New Vrindaban Part 1: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/409-cults-28501448/episode/e75-new-vrindaban-kirtanananda-30646284/

New Vrindaban Part 2: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/409-cults-28501448/episode/e76-new-vrindaban-pt-2–30679172/

LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS CHURCH: (AKA STRONG CITY) Wayne Bent felt his church wasn’t interpreting the Bible literally enough. So what does he do? Branches out to create a commune where convinces people he’s a Messiah and cuddles naked with underage girls. This all leads to a trial which captivated the nation.

Lord Our Righteousness Church Part 1: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/409-cults-28501448/episode/e89-lord-our-righteousness-church–45895763/

Lord Our Righteousness Church Part 2: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/409-cults-28501448/episode/e90-lord-our-righteousness-church-pt-46190054/

I hope you enjoy listening to them as much as I enjoyed writing them. These are a fascinating look into a darker side of our reality, but they also can answer a lot of questions about human behavior in some of today’s headlines.

And if you like these, dig into the other content Parcast has to offer here: https://www.parcast.com/

Happy Listening!

No, Virginia, The Patriots Are Not Cheaters

“It was hard to swallow because I always felt something happened but I didn’t know what it was and I couldn’t prove it anyway. Even to this day, I think something happened.” – former St Louis Rams head coach, Mike Martz

“There isn’t a day that goes by since 2003 that I haven’t questioned … that there were some things done that might have been beyond the rules that may have given them a three-point advantage,” – former Carolina Panthers GM Marty Hurney.

“Do your job. Maybe the one word that isn’t in that’s implied is ‘Do your job … well. It could be enough to make the difference.” – Bill Belichick, New England Patriots head coach

Not sure when you’ll be reading this but I’m typing this a few hours before the kickoff of the 2019 NFL Season. There’s a lot to object to about the NFL. As an organization, they still not remotely take domestic violence seriously. They have a commissioner, Roger Goodell, who does not understand the basic difference between right and wrong. The participating athletes sometimes suffer debilitating injuries that even the millions they make doesn’t always make up for. If you’re a consumer who chooses not to watch football, quite frankly – I don’t have a counterargument for you.

I still like football. For all of its flaws, many of the participating athletes will tell you it’s an amazing game with incredible rewards not often found elsewhere. I’ve also found the game of football to be an incredibly accurate metaphor for the game of life. Whatever one does for a living, or even in personal relationships, we’re all engaged in game of inches. We’re all fighting and clawing through bombarding obstacles just to move forward be it one yard, fifty yards or one inch. I see so many parallels between football and life when it comes to missed catches, punching it through to the end zone, even embracing our rivals. So I remain a fan. And as one who learned to love football in the fair city of Boston, I remain a fan of the New England Patriots.

In February of 2019, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady lead the Patriots to their sixth Super Bowl win. I actually had to stop and count for a second (wait is it five or six?) Their Super Bowl record as a coach and quarterback combo is 6 wins, 3 losses. There are some combos wishing for that playoff record or a similar ratio for their regular season. That particular Super Bowl stat is kind of unheard of. And there’s a good chance they’re not done. Entering this season, Belichick and Brady are both widely recognized as the greatest coach and greatest quarterback of all time. Sure, that’s some that disagree and those are some hella fun barstool debates that will happen every Sunday between now and next February.

But there still remains a large portion of the population that think the Patriots are cheaters. That their success can be summed up with stealing some defensive signals on video tape or even more ridiculous – deflating footballs. Not only is this a false narrative, it’s an unhealthy one that actually does more hope to the people crying “CHEATER” than it does the Patriots.

Even as a Patriots fan, I’m going to be as objective as possible here. And I ask you, dear reader, to do the same. I ask you set that piping hot hatred aside for these pages because as you’ll my point here is not to get you to love or even forgive the Patriots. Because many people hate the Patriots, not for any kind of cheating, but for their success.

I don’t want to go down to deep a rabbit hole – this is actually still a post about screenwriting – but it’s easy to point out how flawed the accusations are.

In 2007, Eric Mangini famously reported the Patriots for videotaping defensive signals on the sideline. No getting around it – Patriots broke the rules. When confronted, Bill Belichick offered an explanation that he misinterpreted the rules as to mean videotaping signals was fine as long as the video was not used during said game. Commissioner Goodell didn’t buy it so fines were levied.

But the stigma was created by many fans everywhere because it offered a great comfort. It offered the sigh of relief, “SEE! The Patriots aren’t really that good” They had something they could use as an excuse should their team lose – are having already been defeated by – the Patriots.

Now, here’s the thing in the NFL. It’s not really great defense to say “everyone does it.” But everyone does it. There are probably about 32 teams that videotape signals in the NFL. They will be videotaping signals this weekend. You know who else videotapes signals – NBC, CBS, FOX and ESPN. Hell in 2006, when the Miami Dolphins tried to buy a bootleg videotape of Tom Brady in practice, ESPN’s John Clayton dismissed it because videotaping your opponent is just part of the game. He was much harsher when the Patriots were busted, of course, because the Dolphins are established NFL winners while the Patriots were decades-long losers. They just can’t be that good, right?

Rulebreaking is not an anomaly in the NFL. It is a woven part of the game. Teams use violations every game to their advantage. Some of those false starts and off sides calls that get a flag thrown? Strategy to throw off the other team or move the chess pieces around.

The Patriots broke the rules and they got punished for it.

But if one is to be honest – people aren’t mad the Patriots cheated. They’re mad the Patriots won. The St Louis Rams Greatest Show On Turf was supposed to cement their place in NFL history as perhaps the greatest offense to ever play the game. They were supposed to roll over the Patriots like the Bears did way back in the Rock-N-Wrestling days. This is something numerous longer fans of football told me. Instead, the Patriots pulled off an upset over the Rams shifting the paradigm and changing the balance of power in the NFL.

What happen next is actually heartbreaking. The St Louis Rams were back on the field the next season. Did they compete in the Super Bowl? Not until this year would they return. That’s a 17 year gap. 17 chances they had to return. 17 chances to get that second ring. 17 years later, they were back in LA. In the meantime, the Rams suffered a collapse that was hard to watch. They were consumed by the bitterness of the loss. They never got over it and as result, that team never even came close to touching that greatness again.

Kurt Warner has said on NFL’s “A Football Life” that the loss changed their culture and an atmosphere of negativity poisoned the team. Running Back Marshall Faulk continues to preach that the Patriots cheated and videotaped their practice. But that has long been debunked with no shred of truth. Marshall Faulk is one of the greatest running backs to ever play the game. He defines elite athlete but he clings to this accusation in a way that’s maybe more validating than the wins he accumulated.

Most sad of all – it’s not easy to recite this but – former Rams head coach Mike Martz gave damning testimony that the NFL pressured him into not accusing the Patriots of cheating. Where was Mike Martz? In a cabin in Idaho. Why? Because ever since that Super Bowl ever single coaching gig he got ended in miserable failure. In one of Martz’s final stints as offensive coordinator, NFL cameras caught his quarterback Jay Cutler scream “Tell Martz I said ‘fuck him.’”

Bill Belichick is competing for his seventh Super Bowl win as a Head Coach this year. Mike Martz, unemployable in the game, told ESPN this “It was hard to swallow because I always felt something happened but I didn’t know what it was and I couldn’t prove it anyway. Even to this day, I think something happened.”

One can’t blame Mr Martz really. It’s comforting to say, “they cheated” or the even more pathetic “I don’t know what they did but they did something.” That’s a lot easier to say then “I lost. I failed. I wasn’t good enough, not that day.” But quite frankly, everyone has to say that on those terrible days. That’s not limited to football and failure is something no one is immune to.

But let’s just say for the sake of argument, the Patriots are dirty low-life cheaters. They stole that game from the Rams.

Here’s the rub.

What happened to the Rams after that game – that’s still not the Patriots fault. 32 teams are going to face heartbreaking losses this year. How they respond is not the responsibility of their opponents.

Martz’s Rams had several more seasons to compete for a title. They became a shell of themselves. Kurt Warner returned to the Super Bowl in a valiant but losing effort to the Steelers. He’s admitted it took years from him to get over the first Rams loss but now has embraced a much healthier attitude about looking at life. In other words, instead of sour grapes, drink the fine wine.

The best answer – and quite frankly, best defense – for the spygate allegations came from one of their fiercest opponents, then-Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Bill Cowher. Mr Cowher knows more about football than you & I combined. The idea that his team, his dominant, kick-ass steel curtain Pittsburgh Steelers would lose a game because of stolen signals on videotape was an idea he found insulting to himself and his players. He’s gone on the record several times dismissing the idea: https://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/post/_/id/4294/cowher-dismisses-impact-of-spygate

It’s a great summation of this problem. If one thinks their team is being beat by deflated footballs and stolen signals – one’s team has much bigger problems than the Patriots.

“But, Tim, you’re rationalizing their cheating.” Nope. I’m arguing that speeding tickets should not be treated like committing murder.

I don’t have to turn to the Patriots or any Boston propaganda. I actually can turn to one of their most hated opponents for this defense because they understand what competition is all about – adapt and overcome.

This is a phrase I’ve heard from several professional athletes I’ve worked with. Adapt and overcome. Adapt and overcome. Adapt and overcome. Great advice that works on and off the field.

Here’s the reality of football people don’t want to talk about – it’s not a fair game. “But it’s supposed to be!!!” Sure, but it’s not. Without even pointing to the numerous 60 – 10 scores that liter college football let me ask this question – let’s pit the Kansas City Chiefs against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Know what’s fair about that game? Nothing. Not one Goddamn thing. Oh wait, both teams wear red.

“But it’s supposed to be an even playing field!” That’s the ideal sure and the NFL introduces a lot of parity into the league. But barring major injury – anyone really think the Patriots, Steelers, Seahawks, Chiefs and Rams are missing the playoffs this year? Also, the NFL does not care about an even playing field. Google NFL Winnipeg for more.

“Saying other teams cheat is no defense for the Patriots!!” It sure isn’t. Just because other teams steal signals doesn’t mean the Patriots should be forgiven or overlooked for videotaping signals from the sidelines. However, in the context of the NFL where the Jets were caught deflating footballs, where the Vikings were caught heating footballs, where Bill Parcells would open stadium doors to effect the wind during field goals, where players are fined every single week for dirty hits and suspended for banned substances – please don’t insult my intelligence by telling me the NFL is some pure wonderland of innocence. It is good & evil, right & wrong, man’s strength & flaws, angels & demons, all vying for every inch between the 20s.

Also, want to call the Patriots out for Spygate. Fine. But there’s a looooooong list of teams who committed similar crimes that received no such outrage. That’s the very definition of double standard. 10 teams break a certain – “it’s all part of the game.” The Patriots break the same rule – “THEY’VE ALWAYS BEEN CHEATERS AND THEIR SUPER BOWLS DON’T COUNT!!!!”

No. That’s not how it goes.

There was a Super Bowl between the Ravens and the Niners a few years back. The refs let the players play hard to the part where certain rules were neglected all game. So the Niners were constantly holding illegally – but no calls from the refs. In the end, when one of the Ravens was seen holding one of the Niners illegally there was mass outrage from the Bay Area. But that’s not how it works – you can’t accept an overlooking of the rules that benefits your team, then cry foul when it doesn’t. That’s truly not fair.

“But the Patriots look for any competitive advantage and bend the rules as much as they can!!!”

Read that last sentence again. People have said that like it’s bad. Quite frankly, if your team is not doing that, the Patriots aren’t the ones you should be mad at. There are self help seminars all over the country teaching people these lessons. There are corporate meetings all over the world right now employing this strategy. This is something I see in the entertainment business all the freaking time.

Look for every competitive advantage and use the rules – even bend them – to your favor. Yes. All the time do that. That’s great. That’s how many great things have been achieved across all walks of life.

And this is probably one of my biggest grips with the bitching about the Patriots. Want to be mad at them for Spy Gate? Fine. I get that. I mean, again, if you’re going to mad teams for that kind of infraction, there’s another 31 other suspects but OK. But to mad at the Patriots for doing what they need to do to be successful – that’s the very height of bitterness. That’s completely irrational. It makes no sense and it sums up on the unhealthiest philosophies out there – “In order to lift myself up, I’m going to pull you down.”

Only it just doesn’t work that way.

Playoffs. January 2015. The Ravens accuse the Patriots of using an illegal formation to get certain players open as receivers. One problem – it was not remotely illegal. Just wasn’t used that often but perfectly legal.

The Ravens lost the game. They would not return to the playoffs until 2019.The less said about those 4 years for the Ravens the better. Well, it is worth mentioning they’re a team which publicly said Ray Rice only backhand slapped not punched his fiancé.

None of that is the Patriots’ fault.

The very next game, the Indianapolis Colts GM Ryan Grigson -tipped by the Ravens who were mad they lost the previous week – complained to the NFL about a deflated football. Everyone heard about this one. Deflategate.

I won’t spend a lot of time debunking this because I really don’t have to. A simple google search does it since the New York Times, Neil DeGrasse Tyson and even high school science fairs have alllllll debunked deflategate. Wired magazine even debunked the Tom Brady cell phone smashing because without destroying the server, destroying a cell phone is pretty meaningless. Even the Indianapolis beat reporters demanding Belichick & Brady’s heads have printed mea culpas regretting they even touched this story.

“But Brady was suspended” Sure was and an NFL even said it was because they wanted the Patriots punished more for Spygate so this was a make good.

The Colts went on to win 3 or the next 4 Super Bowls. Correction – they collapsed in historic fashion. Instead of trying to improve, they clung to the false notion “if only the Patriots didn’t cheat, we’d be Super Bowl Champions.” No, they didn’t and no you wouldn’t be, Colts. GM Ryan Grigson & Head Coach Chuck Pagano (who would never back the deflategage allegations) were embroiled in a bitter power struggle which saw both lose their jobs. They work on other teams and both in a lower capacity. The Colts mismanaged their talent so bad, they placed the incredibly talented Andrew Luck behind a porous offensive line which saw Luck accumulate years of injuries. He just retired from the sport.

None of that is the Patriots’ fault.

So while everyone else was crying cheater, while the NFL actually changed certain rules like the eligible receiver play they used against the Ravens or revisiting the catch rule because it cost the Steelers a win over the Patriots, while everyone else was screaming, yelling & moaning – the Patriots just went to work.

The Patriots won in 2015 after Belichick stared down Pete Carroll and spooked him into throwing. (I’m not convinced Lynch punches it through anyway, was 0-5 from the goal line that season but still)

The Patriots won in 2017 wearing down an explosive Atlanta Falcons team to mount the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history.

The Patriots won in 2019 in a defensive slugfest that saw them make just a few better plays than the resurgent Rams.

Since 2015, they appeared in 4 Super Bowls. They lost 1 of them.

From 2002 to 2012, they appeared in 5 Super Bowls. They lost 2 of them.

To think that is because of stolen signals (something that is super common even without videotape) or deflated footballs is at best, completely misinformed and at worst, total madness.

The Patriots lost some of those Super Bowls. You will hear no accusations of cheating from them about Tom Coughlin’s Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles, who won with a quarterback considered a backup.

After losing an upset to the Eagles, the Patriots took the offseason, got some rest and got to work. They won the next Super Bowl. The Los Angeles Rams averaged 30+ points a game in the regular season. The Patriots held them to 3 points.

I listen a lot sports radio. I hear it all the time. “How do they do it?” “This has to be the year they collapse.” “They can’t be this good year after year.” “How are they still around?”

There’s no secret. There’s no mystery. It’s on the walls of their locker-room. Hell, it’s on T-Shirts they market to the general public. It’s the mantra and motto of the entire organization:

“Do Your Job.”

And as Coach Belichick’s quote at the top clarifies – do your job well. As well as you can. Every day. Strive to improve. Do Better. Whether you win or lose. Do Your Job. Do it well.

This another reason why I’m a damn proud Patriots fan. This philosophy has done so much for me and my accomplishments. Do your job.

In the screenwriting world, there’s a lot of snake-oil out there for sale. Writing is a difficult task to not only engage it but to even wrap one’s head around. I have an aptitude for it. I enjoy it. I love sitting at my desk. I’ve had a ball writing this!

One thing I’ve learned being a writer of numerous projects that have gotten off the ground and enjoyed by millions of people – is there is no magic bullet to make it easier. There is no “do this on this page” cheat map. There is no trick. There is one magic formula – sit down and get to work. Put one word after the other in the best voice you possibly can. Then put one page after another. One scene after another. One script after another. Keep putting the words down.

In other words: Do Your Job.

But what if the words aren’t good enough. There’s answer for that too – adapt and overcome.

That’s the secret. That’s the magic formula. Do Your Job.

The Entertainment business is probably even more unfair than pro sports. I see and hear it too much – “they’re not THAT good a writer, they just happen to know the right people.” “Oh the only reason so-and-so got that gig is because they slept together.” “if I was a different color and different orientation, I would have gotten that job,”

And it is all BULLSHIT. Time spent complaining about that should be time spent doing one’s job, honing one’s craft, arming oneself against the unfair obstacles that will be thrown your way. I’ve been in entertainment since 2003. I’ve been screwed over and given rotten deals many times. It’s part of the game. These pages aren’t filled with complaint about that. Instead, my laptop is filled with screenplays. Doing My Job.

“But, Tim, there IS cheating that happens out there. It must be called out and punished.”

That’s right. There is. And it should be. As I said about the Patriots have been punished (falsely in the case of deflategate) so it’s long past time to move on.

And that cheating in life is not going to go away. Vent to your partner. Bitch to your friends. Go ahead, get it out of your system. But then – adapt and overcome. Do the one thing you can do in the face of life’s unfairness – Your Job.

Because if you don’t, if you let it eat you, if you let it color your lens, if you continue to scream at phantoms and bitter false narratives, it will poison your progress. There will be failures. Defeats. Hearbreak. Hell, rejection is practically the currency of a screenwriter. Get up. Shake it off. Move on to second down.

Bill Cowher stuck up for the Patriots. He didn’t get caught up in the cheating accusations. He’s a proud Super Bowl winner & one of the most respected coaches in Super Bowl history. He did his job.

Tom Coughlin stuck up for the Patriots when they were accused by Mike Tomlin of messing with in stadium communications. Tom Coughlin beat the Patriots to win the Super Bowl. Twice. He did his job.

Bill Belichick’s Patriots have been called cheaters, frauds, fakes, every name in the book. Hell, I’ve been harassed publicly for wearing Patriots T-Shirts. They heard it all. And they did their job. They’re 6 and 3 in the Super Bowl.

So as we begin this Season, the Stairway to Seven. I present the 2019 New England Patriots.

Tom “Tom Brady” Brady

“Double J Jeff” Jarrett Stidham

Brandon “Fortune Favors The” Bolden

Rex Burkhead-ing “To The End Zone”

Damien “The Omen” Harris

“My First” Sony Michel

“King” James White

James Develin “Eggs”

“Lucky” Philip Dorsett

Julian “Ladies And” Edelman

Josh “Flash” Gordon

“Better Call” Jakobi “And” Myers

Gunner “Run All Over Youski” Olszewski

Matthew “Saved By The Bell” Slater

“Nefarious” Demariyus Thomas

“The Carney” Ryan Izzo

Matt “Belichick’s Other Favorite Sport” LaCrosse

Jermaine “Eliminator” Eluemunor

“Bill And” Ted Karras

“Love” Shaq Mason

Joe “Me So” Thuney

Marcus “Laser” Cannon

Korey “Ritchie” Cunningham

Isiah “Doesn’t Lose He” Wynn

Michael “First And” Bennett

John Simon “And Simon”

Chase “Better Get The Catch” Winovich

Deatrich “Word To The” Wise

Adam “Don’t Call Me Malcolm” Butler

Byron “Colin” Cowart

Lawrence “What A” Guy

Danny “Give “Em Hell-ton” Shelton

“Money In The Bank Champion” Jamie Collins

Dont’a “Inferno” Hightower

Elandon “On Ya” Roberts

Kyle “He’s Van Nuys” Van Noy

Ja’Whaun “Yes, I Do Drive A” Bentley

“The Clique” Shilique Calhoun

Stephon “Not Gil Less” Gilmore

Jason “No, I’m Devin” McCourty

Devin “No, I’m Jason” McCourty

“Mighty” Joejuan Williams

Terrence Brooks “No Quarter”

Nate “Siskel And” Ebner

JC “Just Catchin’” Jackson

Jonathan “Break Your Bones” Jones

Obi “Wan Kenobi” Melifonwu

Patrick “Everybody Wang” Chung “Tonight”

“Big Ben’s Favorite Target” Duron Harmon

Stephen “Gotstokicksi” Gostkowski

Jake “Beetle” Bailey

Joe “Find Your Beach” Cardona

Murder Made Easy – NOW AVAILABLE!!

Hello dear reader & dear listener – it is with great excitement I can announce that Murder Made Easy, the independent feature film written by yours truly is now available for purchase on blu-ray from major online retailers everywhere. It’s never been easier to pick up your copy of what Horror Society calls “American Psycho meets Clue.”

Murder Made Easy is a love letter to old fashioned murder mysteries made famous by Agatha Christie and a slew of other great writers. Film buffs will see homages to crime classics “Rope” & “Sleuth” among others – I don’t want to give too much away. It is a whodunnit after all. The logline is very simple – friends come over for dinner, one by one they get killed – by whom and why?

Since our world premiere at the Women In Horror Film Festival in the fall of 2017, we’ve been so fortunate to receive an outpouring of support from the independent horror community. It’s funny because Murder Made Easy *technically* isn’t a horror film – but those fans missed this kind of mystery and have embraced us in a way we are most grateful for.

Bringing any film to life is a back-breaking challenge which brings new challenges and obstacles each day. This appreciation of the process is why you won’t hear too much criticism of other films on these pages. Murder Made Easy was a true labor of love. Director David Palamaro had a clear vision and his passion for the material was infectious, driving us all through long, hard days until we reached this shore – a critically acclaimed film now available for people to enjoy.

Big thanks to our distributors ScreamTeam Releasing and MVD Entertainment Group for this widespread Blu-Ray Release.

“But, Tim, I don’t buy Blu-Rays. I only watching stuff through streaming.” That’s OK! Watch this space – more news on that coming soon.

And just in case you missed it on my front page, here’s the trailer. Thanks so much and please help spread the word! Independent film can’t survive without your help. Fight the good fight!

Mean Gene Okerlund 1942 – 2019

“Bobby Heenan taught me, be the first one up and the last one to go to bed.”

“If you were to hang the chef for making a great taco, you will have hung an innocent man.”

“Hillbilly, I don’t want to spend the weekend shoveling horseshit.”

In 2012, I had the great privilege to work on the (so far) only season of WWE Legends’ House. I pride myself on being cool around celebrities but when I had to interview Mean Gene Okerlund for soundbites, I was genuinely star struck. I stumbled over my words, couldn’t ask questions clearly, ugh, it was awful. But Mean Gene being a 40 year pro thought nothing of and easily carried me through the interview. I was beating myself up and I learned in that moment to never again be star struck – he was a colleague, a coworker, not a celebrity.

It’s no exaggeration to say that Mean Gene became one of my closest friends on the entire cast & crew of the show. I asked a few questions about Wally Karbo & Verne Gagne and he knew I was legit. I got so good at interviewing Mean Gene he would request me daily – “you’re interviewing me today, right, Timmy?” We got our interviews down to where I got the bites I need to with one or two word questions. Mean Gene did indeed become my colleague, my coworker – and my friend.

It’s a wild thing to work closely with someone who was such an ingrained part of your childhood. But Gene Okerlund could not have been nicer, more cordial and above all – more professional. He was an industry pro who was game to do anything to make the show everything it could be.

Gene was also always complimentary to folks, making sure people were smiling and laughing. One time in an elevator at a casino, it was just me & Gene. A grandmother and her young grandson came on. Gene could be have been quiet, kept to himself but instead lit up and told jokes to the young boy. He then says to the grandmother “Anything goes wrong at this place, you send them to me.” No cameras looking. No one looking. Just Gene wanting to make people – everyday people – feel good.

My girlfriend at the time visited us on set. Gene was very taken with her and would ask the other wrestlers if they met her. “Hey, Hacksaw, did you get a look at the armpiece on this kid? Stunning!” he would bellow across the dinner table. Yes, that’s an antiquated saying but Gene was from another era and the intention was of the highest calibre.

Gene paid me two enormous compliments. It’s legend in the business that Gene like an after dinner cocktail. He didn’t say no to a before dinner cocktail either or one during. Several days he’d say to me “Timmy, when are we drinking?” I pride myself as one who never drinks on set or during. But after hours, the second to last day of shooting, myself, another crew member got to enjoy a nightcap with Mean Gene Okerlund & Pat Patterson who shared with us some of the best stories of their time in the business.

The second one came a few weeks into the shoot. I kept my experience on the small indie scene in the early 2000s to myself. I wanted to the wrestlers to know me as a TV Producer with a wrestling knowledge. When I opened up to Gene that I did in fact go to pro wrestling school in Rhode Island and reffed some indie matches, he beamed. “You should have gotten in the business! You’d have done great!” I don’t regret my decision to concentrate more on TV & movies than wrestling especially as I’ve been involved with producing wrestling from 2011 – 2018. So in a roundabout way, I did get in the business. To have the endorsement of someone with the success of Mean Gene Okerlund give me his own personal stamp of approval, well – that’s one award no one will ever be able to steal off of my shelf.

I never asked Gene for an autograph or to record a voicemail message as some other folks had. He had become a friend and that seemed wrong. When I got home from the shoot, I was delighted and flattered to see an email from Gene thanking me for all my hard work and the hope that we would work together one day. And it wasn’t lip service. A LinkedIn request soon followed. Unfortunately, we didn’t work together again but during the time with Lucha Underground, I got the chance to reconnect with Gene at a convention in Chicago. He lit up seeing me and was ever bit the gentleman his sterling reputation suggests.

Safe travels to my dear, long-time close personal friend, Mean Gene Okerlund who leaves us at 76 years young…

Sing Your Songs

The last time I wrote a long form blog was to articulate why I was a supporter of Hillary Clinton and ally for women’s equality. Shockingly, the case for was defeated in favor of a rich, white con-man whose false promises appeal to the rage and fear generated by an ever changing world.

Election night of 2016 was a stunning moment. Looking back, I’m ashamed at my own response. I saw people openly weeping. I heard too many stories from those close to me about the hopelessness and hurt they were feeling. The glass ceiling was firmly back in place. Voter apathy was never more damaging. White nationalism was made mainstream. The thousand lies from a man who were not equal to the sin of one lie from a woman. The idol of the rich, white man (on both sides) was revealed as the real symbol of America – not the shining city of the hill that Ronald Reagan once so nobly described.

As someone firmly rooted in the Left, I have no problem saluting Ronald Reagan. Or George W Bush. Or George HW Bush. Or Mitt Romney. We’re not in a Left vs Right struggle now in America. We’re in the midst of a moral crisis in which we as a nation are deciding who we are.

Now, I want to be clear about something – it is now more than apparent that a hostile foreign power interfered in this election. We do not have a legitimate President at the moment. The office is filled but it is vacant. He should not be recognized and how that story plays out is a long way from over.

But the Russian interference does not take away from the rampant “fear of the other” on the side of the right. Nor does it take away from the exceptional privilege on the left. To put the needs of a progressive ideology over the needs of the many pretty much cancels out said ideology.

So who are we? What are we doing?

Election night when they called Florida for Trump, it felt like the death blow. The path to victory was pretty murky after that. Like a lot of folks when dealing a befuddling question, I took to social media. I went on to facebook and wrote something along the lines of:

“OK, if he wins, what do we do?”

Despite being a scatter-brained creative who likes to color outside the lines and fill his blog with typos, I’m blessed with a healthy sense of pragmatism. Yes, I know how oxymoronic that sounds but that’s where I like to live. I would have no success in the arts if I didn’t have a strong sense of practicality.

So what do we do?

It’s late June, 2018. The election has only become more stunning. The unthinkable nightmare is the new normal. I cannot believe he’s lasted this long. I’m a lot more upset about him now then I was when he was declared victor. And with 2020 around the corner (for you younger readers – time really flies by as you older) it appears that he maybe there even longer.

In the almost 2 year timeframe, I and many others have marched in protest at the injustice and rampant corruption. I know people who’ve not only volunteered but have become involved. As in running – and winning! – in local elections. There is a blue wave. It is real. It is not future tense. It’s happening.

But is it enough? And does it quell the feeling of helplessness when children are screaming in cages for the simple fact that they were born a different color?

So what do we do?

It’s been an odd feeling for me. Recently, Murder Made Easy played at the Dances With Films Festival here in Hollywood. (We played the Chinese Theatre – I mean, HOLY SHIT) I had the great fortune of meeting a slew of great filmmakers. They had noble stories of how to fix the world, confronting today’s problems, tackling inequality and breaking the injustice at its core.

And then they’d turn to me and say “What’s your movie about?” Sheepishly, I responded “well, it’s an old fashioned murder mystery.” At times it felt like one going to a civil rights protest but their main contribution was bringing the snacks for everyone.

However, everyone lit up. Smiles widened. When asked by the festival what I felt people should walk away from Murder Made Easy with I said simply, “Fun. Indie movies can be fun.” Several of my fellow filmmakers concurred, telling me, “we need fun movies – especially today.”

Love letter to Agatha Christie aside, I do actually write stories which tackle the human condition, how we hurt each other as we help ourselves, despair, isolation, self-destruction. Those are things I like to write about. And again – it’s fun.

So for a few hours though, a movie can help us deal, can keep us sane, can help us catch our breath as we continue to say “no more” “enough” and “resist.”

We need to keep marching. We need to keep calling. We need to keep protesting.

And the artists out there – we need to sing our songs. I believe it was Johnny Cash who said after 9/11, an artist had to put pen to paper. Just to try to understand.

Our attention spans have become hyper-focused on the moment. Yes, we are in a national moral crisis. But it’s easy to forget we are in just the latest national moral crisis.

The DNC called me a few days after the election and told me that we are doomed without fundraising help. I told them, if we doomed, I’m not going to waste my money on a futile gesture. The poor fellow on the other side didn’t have much of response. His talking points were to point such an awful picture that people would scared into giving over money.

My experience has taught me that fear can be a terrible motivator. There is a strong argument agains that sentence but in this situation, I refuse to believe in doom. I’m not blind to the threat we’re under. I’m not turning away from the blatant racism that the US government is perpetrating at the border. And I’m not going to rationalize a single thing this administration has done.

But the path out, I believe, is through one of hope.

The more we believe we’re doomed, the more Putin has won. But the fact is we have a track record with some of this stuff.

We as a nation did not accept slavery. We fought our way out of that. Yes, massive prison reform is needed. John Legend sang his songs and is bringing attention to that.

The unrest we’re facing today kind of pales when compared to the 1960s. Sure, the hippies grew up to be the 80s Reagan’s and yes, red hats remind us that the desire to segregate remains strong. The marches must go on. And as we march we must remember – it was not a sense of “we’re doomed” that drove people across the bridge in Selma.

I didn’t defriend or block any Trump voters on facebook. I actually talked someone out of voting from Trump when I should them a speech from Trump where we said he would proudly eliminate her job. I get why many are turning their backs but I’m not sure that’s the answer. Nelson Mandela shook hands with his captors upon release from prison.

Sing your songs. Many who voted for him rationalized injustice, ignored racism and embraced their fears. Sing your songs. Let them know. You’ll be surprised how many will hear you.

It’s easy to feel like being creative is a waste of time. But look at many of your favorite artists and movies. I don’t need to see your collection but I know some if not many were inspired by times such as the one we’re in.

Sting sang about fields of gold but he also sang about the exploitation of the working class. “Brass watch, a check, maybe three weeks to live…”

Every look up the “Sunday Bloody Sunday” U2 sang about?

The heavy metal I grew up on featured some of the harshest criticism of war out there. And speaking of, the final episode of Blackadder Goes Fourth – a sitcom – is possibly the most powerful piece on World War I that I’ve ever seen.

Children are being ripped from their families. I’m seeing the new tax laws just brutalize people’s finances. Around the world, we are no longer being recognized by the allies with whom we defeated genuine evil.

Future generations are going to look back on these very days and ask “How?” Just as we do looking back on the insanity of slavery and the absurdity of segregation.

So sing your songs. We need them. Nope. It won’t fix everything. It won’t replace practical action like protest, volunteering and getting involved. But they will help.

We need to laugh. We need to hope. We need to be inspired. We need to counteract our worst ugliness with our purest beauty.

In pain? Sing your song – someone else in pain needs it. Badly.

Helpless? Sing your song – it will help someone else.

Hopeless? Sing your song – it will bring hope to others.

Sing your songs. They will drown out the vile hatred that comes screaming from under a red hat.

My signature for all my writing correspondences for a while has been “Keeping fighting the good fight.” It’s a phrase that can be traced back to the Bible. And I used it as an anthem of encouragement to my fellow writers as we all face times of rejection and self-doubt. It takes on a much more literal meaning nowadays.

So dear reader, we will talk more soon. Until then, keep fighting the good fight and sing your songs.

Below is one of oldest and dearest friends who’s been an inspiration to me, Genevieve, singing her song on one of the Sing for Hope pianos in New York City. Go on and give her page a like, then go sing your songs.

https://www.facebook.com/genevievemusicpage/videos/634820003545975/

A Note About Ron Greenfield

Hello, dear reader and hello, dear listener. A lot has happened since I had the chance to sit down and write in these pages. The election we all wanted over and done with is finally over and done with. And like with so many things we rush through, many of us wish we had a second chance at it to get it right. 2016 turned into 2017. Many celebrities have left us. Many new babies have joined us. The New England Patriots pulled off the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. A movie I wrote is currently wrapping up in post. More on that in the coming weeks and months. And on top of other constant changes in the dance of life, I’ve accepted a position at a cable network which has taken up much of the time I dedicated to this venture.

But I don’t want these pages to go idle completely. I’m delighted to report that traffic for the blog and currently paused podcast has held steady since November, 2016. I have several more topics and announcements to explore the next few weeks but as I’ve been thinking about my first post for 2017, one name kept coming to mind…

Ron Greenfield.

I hope many of you heard my interview with Ron in 2014. If not, it’s embedded below. I first met Ron over twitter (where I’ve done a ton of my networking) as he was expanding his “Aspects Of Entertainment” brand. Our conversations were easy, enjoyable explorations of this funny thing called Show Business. Ron had been there, done that on his extensive career. I, on the other hand, had only been in the biz for 10 years or so at the time so I was just getting warmed up.

Ron and I had several great conversations over Skype and email. He always knew how to offer advice without telling you what to do. When talking about my search for representation, I’ll never forget his simple pearl of wisdom – “Just remember, Tim, there’s representation and then there’s representation.” A great reminder. Ron had been in the trenches with many Hollywood luminaries bringing promotions, designs and shows to life. He didn’t like to bash anyone and he was never snobby about what he achieved. In fact, he struck me as just as fascinated and full of wonder for Hollywood after his career as he was before it all started. And even in his “retirement” he worked tirelessly on his website and putting together his collection of interviews.

Ron was fully committed to yet another new venture when ill health forced him to put the pen down for a bit. The fight was as valiant as any I had seen but on November 9th, 2016, Ron Greenfield left us at 66 years young.

Ron was a tremendous supporter of myself and these pages. It is only fitting that I return here in 2017 with a tip of the cap to top gent, talented artist and good friend to so many creators – Ron Greenfield.

Ron’s fantastic website Aspects of Entertainment is filled lots of wisdom and knowledge about entertainment:

http://www.aspectsofentertainment.com

Ron’s Book Perspectives Of Entertainment is available here:

http://www.amazon.com/Perspectives-Entertainment-Ron-Greenfield-ebook/dp/B00B2Q5H36/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413309395&sr=8-1&keywords=Ron+Greenfield

The Handsome Timmy D Express is proud to be a part of:

The Dan & Travis Show Podcast: An Awesome Thing

http://thedanandtravisshow.libsyn.com/

and

The Chronic Rift: A series of podcasts that attempt to “find the culture in pop culture.”

http://www.chronicrift.com/

I’m With Her…And Not Just Hillary.

“When everyone looks good, everyone looks good.” – pro wrestling axiom.

It’s always been my intention to keep politics out of the blog but with the Presidential election less than two weeks away, I find it hard not comment on the implications of what we’re the edge of.

A quick disclaimer: This post is not meant to be Anti-Republican or Anti-Conservative. How one votes is their business and as a storyteller, my first question for my audience is not “who’d you vote for?” Maybe one day over some cold refreshment, I’ll share which Republican principles I passionately agree with. (Stay the hell out of my script, government.)

This post isn’t even meant to be Anti-Donald Trump. Though let me add for the record. I, Tim Davis, Screenwriter, TV Producer and former pro-wrestling referee hereby reject Donald Trump because of his rampant bigotry, racism, homophobia, sexism, White nationalism, penchant for sexual assault, his disrespect of our Democracy, his possible sociopathic tendencies, fraudulent business practices and pathological lying. In whatever order you’d like. So actually, I guess yeah, I’m very Anti-Donald Trump. Sorry, Donald. Next time don’t be such an asshole.

Oh, go ahead and sue me Donald. I could use the publicity. Hey, maybe I’ll get to meet Jessica Drake in court! I mean, I don’t know who that is.

So suffice to say, I’m voting for Hillary Clinton. And the idea of putting Hillary Clinton on the same scale as Donald Trump is at best, intellectual dishonest and at worst, completely delusional. Saying Hillary Clinton is just as bad as Donald Trump is like saying “this Big Mac I just ate for lunch was almost as bad as the day my entire family was killed in a house fire.” And that’s not an exaggeration. Churchill was a sexist alcoholic. Anyone calling him as bad as Hitler would be deemed nuts.

I was for Hillary before I was for Obama. And with respect to the honorable Senator from Vermont, he was unable to dissuade me away from supporting her. I’m not voting for Hillary Clinton because she’s not Donald Trump. (I can think of no living or recently retired politician I would not pick over Trump.)

I’m voting for Hillary Clinton because she’s the most qualified candidate to run for the Presidency in my no longer short lifetime. She’s the single toughest politician I’ve ever seen in said lifespan. She’s overcome more smear, more attacks, more lies, more so-called scandals, more debasement, more sheer persecution than I’ve ever seen. They started on her long before Obama. I remember so many grown-ups in the 1990’s: “Who the hell does she think she is? She’s the first lady! She needs to learn her place.”

Oh, she learned her place alright. Her place is first one across the finish line of every political battle she’s had. Dick Morris and Trey Gowdy are in a “where are they now?” file while Hillary’s on the cusp of her biggest win yet. There’s a name for people like that in sports – Champion.

After all that the overt and covert sexism our society has thrown at her, Hillary stands poised to become the first female President of the United States. And in an election cycle that can only be described as surreal, she’s become the overwhelming rational choice for sanity everywhere accumulating the most votes of any candidate so far.

So yes, I’m voting Hillary. I’m one of the quiet majority that is actually VERY EXCITED AND ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT VOTING HILLARY!!!! Sorry news narrative, all the Hillary voters I know are crazy psyched about it. Yes, we actually do indeed like her.

And not only am I voting for Hillary, I’m voting for equality. No, not because we need a “token female President” to catch up with the rest of the world. But because the prejudices of America still need to be overcome. Voting for Hillary is my way of not listening to the inherent sexism of our society.

If Hillary Clinton were a man, her popularity would be through the roof. If Hillary Clinton were a man with the last name Kennedy, she’d have a statue by now. “BUT THE EMAILS!!!!” George W Bush (hell of a painter) and Karl Rove (yikes) deleted 5 million White House emails. No one cared. A woman does an infinitesimal percentage of a similar infraction and society at large is scandalized? That right there is sexism 101. If you’re mad at Hillary’s emails and not mad at W’s, I highly suggest you have some gender-equality figuring out to do.

And you know something? I might have deleted the same emails. It’s politics. It’s a tough business. Show me your favorite politician and I’ll show you similar corruption. It’s more ridiculous than deflate-gate at this point. (How’s that ratings drop, Goodell? Good job.)

It’s quite remarkable that when I ask people often very specific reasons why they dislike Hillary I get two kinds of answers either a) long debunked conspiracy theories (she has in fact murdered zero people) or b) these vague, amorphous blanket judgements. “I can’t explain why I just don’t like her.” Who’d have thought ambiguity could spark such passion?

“She’s shady…she’s suspicious…she’s mean…I just don’t like her.” She’s arguably the most vetted politician to get this close to the oval office. As far as the mean stuff goes, I’ve never seen her more harsh than her male counterparts which leads me to wonder if there’s some kind of sociological thing going in our culture. Does her yelling to defend herself remind us of when Mom used to yell us to finish our chores? Do we as a culture not like seeing women in such forceful roles?

“But she wrote mean emails about the Bernie campaign” So what? Seriously, so what? Welcome to big league politics. Bernie himself said he wrote mean emails about the Clinton camp! And I should hope so. They were fighting a high stakes game. Remember when Obama called Joe Biden stupid on a conference call? Upset about that one? Of course not, because men are expected to do that. A woman does it – GASP! Spare my blushes!!

Hillary hasn’t had to break a glass ceiling. She’s had to break through a glass ceiling that was covered in concrete while covered in mud and shackled in chains that spelt out “Double Standard.”

And she is far from alone. Hillary represents the plight of far too many women who don’t get paid as much male counterparts, don’t get the respect they deserve and are still pushing past second class citizen status.

One of the front lines in the battle for equality is my own industry – Hollywood. There’s been much written and talked about in regards to gender issues in the movie and TV business. There’s good news – progress and awareness for the issue has grown in the past few years. There’s bad news – there’s a hell of a lot more than needs to be done.

I don’t know what the answer is. I’m just one guy trying to sell some screenplays and making some movies I hope you’ll enjoy, dear reader.

I do know we need to talk about it more. I do know that Hollywood, our culture at large and the living generations have a lot to figure in regards to equality. Being quiet won’t help. Being defensive, yelling and screaming won’t help. But talking about it might.

So allow to share with you some experiences I’ve had and why I’m proud to write in these pages – we need gender equality in Hollywood right now.

The majority of bosses I’ve had in the Entertainment Business have in fact been women. Actually, the majority of bosses I’ve had in my life had been women. Most of them were great – driven, passionate, inspirational leaders. A few of them were shit – power-hungry, insecure, abusive. I could say the exact same thing about all the male bosses I’ve had. Because women, like men, are people.

Things are improving in Hollywood, albeit too slowly. But I noticed something this past year that I found very interesting. I did an enormous amount of pitching. The majority of “yes, I’d love to read your script” came from women. Like A LOT. I don’t have the exact stat (writer not a mathematician) but I’d guess it was around 70% of my “yeses” came from women. It got to the point where I was only seeking women to pitch to. (And uh, don’t give me the “but women execs are nicer than men execs” No. No, they are not. No one has the time to waste on a sympathy read.)

I can’t tell you why this track record has happened. No, I’m not flirting with them or bribing them or anything like that. I pride myself on professionalism. Maybe it’s because my stories are more intimate character dramas concentrating on people over concept? Or maybe the concepts I have appeal to the female demo that’s growing in genre? Maybe because I treat these women like equals and with respect? Maybe none or all of the above – I don’t know and I don’t ask. Once I get a yes, the script is mailed with a big “Thank You.”

People fear equality in an irrational sense. “If we give X more jobs, then there will be less jobs for us.” Before you email with examples of that happening, studies have shown that equal opportunity has lead to growth and expansion in many industries. An interesting read on the subject here from someone who I’m guessing is not a bleeding liberal: http://conversableeconomist.blogspot.com/2012/08/equal-opportunity-and-economic-growth.html

In other words, THEY are not coming to take YOUR job. THEY are coming for THEIR job which may in fact create a lot more of YOUR job. My own experience say my opportunities in my industry increase exponentially because of an increase in women gatekeepers in Hollywood. So keep ‘em coming, I say, I got a lot more scripts to pitch.

Inclusion is vital in Hollywood. There’s a limited number of plot lines and jokes. There’s a limitless number of ways to tell those plot lines and jokes when all ethnicities, cultures, orientations and genders (oh, the people who think there’s only two – they’re in for a shock this next century) are brought to the table. And no it will not be done at the expense of the White Man.

It’s always interesting to hear those who voice opposition to equality. Some basically say “I will not let you do to me what I’m doing to you.”

My girlfriend is writer. It makes me furious to think opportunities will be denied her just because she’s a women but I know they are. It’s happening and it needs to change. Some of the best producers I know are women. Some of the most kick-ass people creating their own brands and kicking down doors are actresses. The new trailblazers in the industry bring new stories, new visions and new frontiers are in fact women. “Murder Made Easy” a feature film written by yours truly, just wrapped production and our producer was a woman who was smart, tough and invaluable in making sure we got every shot we needed in the schedule and budget allotted.

When I look at who has inspired me the past few years as I fight this good fight in screenwriting, the majority of them are women.

While we have a long, long way to go and I certainly have not been perfect in this area, equality should be a no-brainer. Putting barriers in front of someone is asking for those same barriers to be put in front of you one day. I put these words on the page saying I stand with the moral justice that is equal rights for all. But there’s a selfishness to it, because I’ve seen the benefits to my own career the equality has brought. I want those people brought to the table because they may be the exact people who will look at me to write their stories.

Or as Hillary Clinton put it at the Convention: “when any barrier falls in America, for anyone, it clears the way for everyone.”

I’m with her. Because she’s for me.

Don’t forget to vote for freedom, for democracy and for equality.

The Handsome Timmy D Express is proud to be a part of:

The Dan & Travis Show Podcast: An Awesome Thing

http://thedanandtravisshow.libsyn.com/

and

The Chronic Rift: A series of podcasts that attempt to “find the culture in pop culture.”

http://www.chronicrift.com/

Pulling Into Station

Hello Dear Reader and Hello Dear Listener,

As you’ve probably noticed by now, I’ve not recorded any new episodes of the Handsome Timmy D Express since 2015. There is a very good reason for this. Several in fact. Beginning in January 2016, my screenwriting workload grew exponentially. Thanks in large part to several years worth of networking, some screenwriting awards and increased experience in writing of course, I was able to hook up and work with several independent producers and directors to write a myriad of projects currently in varying stages of development. In order to make sure I hit all my deadlines, some things had to go on the back burner and well, sadly, the podcast was one of them.

Starting and making this podcast was one of the very best decisions I’ve ever made as some the above opportunities were in fact a direct result of the connections I made doing the show. I enjoyed just about every single second of making every single episode. However, I’m a one-man operation without interns or staff so the challenges of making a top quality show became harder and harder. And I do NOT want to put out substandard product. Over the course of March through May, I tried to schedule several episodes but found my workload was such that I couldn’t make the time work. Editing, promotion, posting across social media outlets, copy etc, while all very very fun, can take up an entire workday and with several screenplays being juggled those hours become more precious. In fact, I was hoping to announce new shows in the fall but a movie shoot schedule pushed that back as well. Never say never, maybe I’ll record a new season of episodes in 2017. I’d love to be able to make it work, but at the end of the day I am a screenwriter, not a podcaster about screenwriting. I will still be blogging when I can various thoughts, quibbles and anecdotes from the world of writing when I can. And hopefully you’ll get to see one of these movies I’m writing sooner than later.

I’d like to express my deepest gratitude to every single person that listened. Based on the numbers of the various feed, many thousands of people, maybe even tens of thousands of people tuned in across over 90 countries. I would have been thrilled to hit 10 countries but to have someone from at least 90 countries tune in is almost impossible for me to comprehend. Thanks so much, everyone and the episodes are still archived on the site’s index for your listening pleasure. And quick-fun fact about podcasts, people are still discovering the show every day. I hope the information and insight offered by my guests remains timeless and helpful to all listening whenever and wherever they tune in.

Along those lines, my guests took time out of their busy schedule to appear on my podcast for free. This was a non-profit operation. No one was paid a single dollar to take part and I can assure, I didn’t make a single dollar from the show. All I could offer was getting the word about their projects. This was just about spreading information and generating buzz in the digital do-it-yourself age. I can’t express my gratitude enough to every guest who appeared: Matt The Cat, Megan Karasch, Mike Doto, Dan And Travis, Chelese Belmont & Shannan Leigh Reeve of Beleeve Entertainment, Brian Veys, Joe Lidster, AJ Feuerman, Arnold T Blumberg, Talia Harari, Stephen J Llorens, Chris Garcia, Rizelle Januk, Mike Sundy, Ron Greenfield, Stephen Scaia, Rick Dominicus, Gordy Hoffman, Tom Krajewski & Jen Muro, Tom Grey of Player Piano, Simone Bailly, M. Dal Walton III, Sammi Kat, Dan Mason, Rory LaPointe-Smith, Paul O’Brien, Jon Matthews, Crystal House, Kyle C Mumford, Ramon Hamilton, Travis Rust & Stacy Gueraseva, Chavo Guerrero, Simon Guerrier, Gregor Collins, Daphne Ashbrook, Chuck Slavin, Jennifer Sharp, Kyle Newmaster, Amy Reynolds and Elizabeth Lombino. These folk are all doing spectacular work to add to their sterling resumes and they have my best wishes for continued success.

I also have to thank John S Drew (who made the above photo), Dan Lackeye and Sean Reiser for linking to my show which provided a ton of new listeners. I did my best to plug their shows back and hope I was as helpful to them as they were to me.

Now, if you’re still looking for some great podcast to check out about the creative world for the upcoming holiday weekend or any weekend in particular, let me throw these options out there:

The closest thing to my podcast is “Making The Sausage” from fellow screenwriter and all-around top gent Nick Rheinwald-Jones. I had the good fortune of meeting Nick at the wonderful Austin Film Festival. Like myself, Nick found real industry pros to interview for his show about how the nuts & bolts of a creative profession works. He’s collected some great guests so far and there’s a lot of knowledge on his show: http://previously.tv/shows/making-the-sausage/

For some criticism and analysis of the latest happenings in the entertainment world, check out the Hollywood Picture News. Loren Erlanger and Ryan Thompson along with some special guests dive into every possible detail examining how and why things work in the ever-changing world of TV and movies: http://hollywoodpicturenews.com/

One of the good guys in the podcasting world is Kenny Mittleider. He’s one of the passionate and knowledge fans of all things “geek” out there and offers several podcasts covering it all: http://geekyfanboy.blogspot.com/

Don’t forget there’s still plenty of great podcasts on the network I was proud to be a part of, John S Drew’s Chronic Rift: http://www.chronicrift.com/ Including of course, the Dan & Travis show who are the first guys who put me on internet radio waaaay back when.

And if you’re just looking from some great old music to discover, you’ll never go wrong with Matt The Cat as he explores The Juke In The Back: http://www.jukeintheback.org/

Thanks again everyone. It’s uncertain world these days, as it is most days, so I hope it’s a safe and happy 4th of July Weekend. Keep fighting the good fight!

The Handsome Timmy D Express is proud to be a part of:

The Dan & Travis Show Podcast: An Awesome Thing

http://thedanandtravisshow.libsyn.com/

and

The Chronic Rift: A series of podcasts that attempt to “find the culture in pop culture.”

http://www.chronicrift.com/

On The Importance Of Tits And Dragons

Ian McShane is a master of his craft. I don’t know if I’d call him a genius because that label sometimes discounts the many hours of disciplined work and practice someone puts into their profession. But Ian McShane is a master. Just watch any episode of Deadwood for evidence. But the 73 year old actor has an incredible resume of achievements from “Dallas” to “Pirates Of The Caribbean” to his famous series “Lovejoy.” If I ever have the privilege of meeting him I would shake his hand in Congratulations on a stellar career.

Recently, Mr. McShane has raised the ire of many genre fans for giving away spoilers for his appearance on “Game Of Thrones.” He gave a response in the Telegraph which said, “You say the slightest thing and the internet goes ape…I was accused of giving the plot away, but I just think get a fucking life. It’s only tits and dragons.”

Here’s the original Telegraph article:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2016/03/11/ian-mcshane-game-of-thrones-is-just-tits-and-dragons/

I encourage you to read the entire article because there’s a lot more than just the “tits and dragons” line that made the headline.

And before you get excited, this isn’t a complete rebuke of Ian McShane’s comments. He’s done more than enough in this business to be entitled to whatever opinion he has. Besides, interview quotes are tricky. Was he just joking? Was he rolling his eyes at internet outrage? The quality of “Game Of Thrones” is pretty much undisputed so I’m sure he’d have some very glowing things to say about the script and experience. Of course, the internet being the internet, that’s harder to find than the mean comments.

But he does bring up some interesting points about internet outrage, spoilers and the genre experience.

Ian McShane cannot be more correct when he says “You say the slightest thing and the internet goes ape.” One just has to look at the ongoing feuds between many Bernie Sanders supporters and many Hillary Clinton supporters to know that’s true. Secretary Clinton and Senator Sanders are putting an exemplary debate exchanging ideas in the political discourse. Some of their surrogates, however, are shouting at each other on talk shows and across social media. (Following the example of those they profess to love is some advice that wouldn’t go amiss.)

As I have explored in these pages, the keyboard can be a sword bringing bravery to many a troll. The black and white image of one quote taken out of context can instill an extreme judgement of “HOW COULD THEY?!?!” when in fact there was much more to the story.

I ain’t mad at McShane’s comments because every once in a while (or maybe every day) internet outrage really does need to be told to chill the fuck out. Judgments shouldn’t be made on one out of context quote, but by meticulously researching all aspects of a story. And I say this from no high horse. This all has to be learned the hard way. (“Well, OF COURSE, Iraq has weapons of mass destruction,” said I in 2003. We all can be very wrong about who we believe in.)

I was blocked on twitter not that long ago by a fellow Democrat who was losing her mind about Bernie Sanders ATTACKING Barack Obama. Mr. Sanders wasn’t in fact attacking Obama, but just pointing out how his policies differed from the President’s. In a very reasonable manner. It’s also reasonable to guess President Obama wasn’t mad at Senator Sanders comments. Disagreements happen all the time in politics but the mere suggestion that Bernie Sanders wasn’t the enemy lead to a barrage of rage from this person toward myself and several other people. I’m a loyal and proud voter of Barack Obama but I apparently betrayed the cause by not being mad enough at Bernie Sanders it seems.

(I’ve received the same rage by the way from some Bernie supporters for not loving him so much. There is no political bent that is immune to the pitchfork mentality of mob outrage.)

There’s also the matter of spoilers. In this day and age, they’re getting harder and harder to avoid, but as I’ve mentioned before, apps like this can be a lifesaver:

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/unspoiler/oookgbbhgojdebhnmkmhgfagoiknifgi?hl=en-US

Typing in Game Of Thrones into that app might have kept fans safe from the secret being spilled. It’s impossible to ask the whole world to be quiet about spoilers but there are earmuffs out there that we can wear.

But then there’s the matter of dismissing the genre. In all honesty, I don’t think that’s what Ian McShane meant to do. However, for a great number of years, many us who lurked in Comic Book shops have had to deal with our passions being dismissed with an easy wave of the hand. The explosion of genre programming today shows that those passions weren’t just passing phases and they should not have been so easily dismissed.

Recently, even I was gobsmacked by the amount of attention the new “Captain America: Civil War” trailer got. I don’t mean the buzz but I mean voluminous articles breaking down every shot. Spider-Man’s uniform being combed over. New theories about the plot were written in great detail. People went nuts over this trailer. Google it if you don’t believe me.

Why in the hell would anyone spend so much time and energy over a single few minute long trailer?

The answer is quite simple: It’s important to them.

VERY important to them.

Some scoff and say that Comic books, sci-fi and escapist entertainment is nowhere near as important as serious drama. Perhaps not. That is the endless debate between critics and fans.

Then of course some say that people shouldn’t get so emotionally invested in these kind of genre things. It’s not as important as cancer, domestic violence, rape, abuse and all the other horrors of the world that need fixing. “Why don’t people spend more time worrying about that than the new Godzilla movie?” some will ask with furrowed brows of disappointment.

Those furrowed brows are missing a very key point. Cancer, domestic violence, rape, abuse and all the other horrors of the world are WHY genre is so important. The words nerd and geek have now become affectionate labels for those of us who spend time watching the TARDIS materialize or dress in Starfleet uniforms. It’s easy to forget that the words nerd and geek used to be (and maybe still are) some of the worst names you could be called on the playground. Bullies earned their stripes by inflicting as much torment on the geeks at school and as far as dating went? Forget it.

The “It Gets Better Campaign” reminds us these trends are still there despite the mainstream money-machine that genre has become. So when school is a place of abject terror, when home is a hell of domestic violence, when the steel grip of depression keeps you clawed down, it’s hard to know where to turn.

Many people find not just solace and comfort, but pure bliss in the pages of a fantasy novel, the images of comic book or the wild adventures found in deep space. That faraway land isn’t just mindless escapism but where our troubled minds can escape the painful, chaotic asshole that is real life and find some kind of peace.

And that is the one place I would respectfully disagree with the estimable Mr. McShane. Many of the people who are so invested in shows like Game Of Thrones ARE in fact getting themselves a life.

Yup. Genre entertainment can be damn silly. The sets sometimes wobble and the acting can reach over the top proportions.

Yup. Genre entertainment can take itself way too seriously. Fandom can overreact to the slightest changes in canon and should sometimes take a step back a bit. (I still for the life of me do not get the rage at Goyer & Mazin’s She-Hulk jokes. Google that if you don’t believe me or maybe don’t.)

The world is unfair. The world is filled with tragedy that can strike at any second. The world hurts. Genre, escapism and entertainment, I put it to you dear reader is not just spaceships and superheroes. It is medicine for those hurts.

People often ask me if I’m ashamed of the work I did in Reality TV. “Are you kidding?” is usually my reply. I spent more than a decade laboring to entertainment millions upon millions of people. Even some of the small shows I worked in got around 700,000 viewers. That’s a SHIT TON of people when you think about it. If the show I was working on was a way for those folks to unwind, relax from their day and deal with whatever they were stressing out about, I’m not only not ashamed of the show – I am HONORED to have been a part of it.

Yup. Genre entertainment IS people’s lives. And it will always be of vital importance as long as there are hurts that people need healed.

And besides, the description of “Tits and Dragons” I daresay would attract a great number of viewers. I mean, come on, a show about tits and dragons – how can you go wrong?

The Handsome Timmy D Express is proud to be a part of:

The Dan & Travis Show Podcast: An Awesome Thing

http://thedanandtravisshow.libsyn.com/

and

The Chronic Rift: A series of podcasts that attempt to “find the culture in pop culture.”

http://www.chronicrift.com/

A Tiny Bit Of Inspiration: An Interview With Kyle Newmaster

Writing music feels like voodoo to me so it’s with great pleasure I welcome composer Kyle Newmaster to the show. Kyle is a classically trained musician who studied jazz before turning his hand to movie soundtracks. A lifelong fan of the movies, Kyle has scored a variety of films including “Where Hope Grows”, “ABC’s Of Death 2”, “Something Wicked” and “The Myth Of The American Sleepover.” With “Star Wars” in the air, we also touch upon Kyle’s work on video games for the famous saga.

Kyle gives us a detailed rundown on how a movie score is completed, from those first notes on a piano all the way to orchestration. The process is not that different from that of screenwriting as we found many similarities in our discussion. Sometimes creative endeavors seem impossibly daunting but Kyle offers great insight on how to tackle them one step – or note – at a time. Enjoy:

For more on Kyle and his music, check out his website:

http://www.kylenewmaster.com/

Kyle’s IMDB page is here:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1786083/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

For samples from his Kinect soundtrack:

https://soundcloud.com/kylenewmaster/sets/kinect-star-wars-soundtrack

The Handsome Timmy D Express is proud to be a part of:

The Dan & Travis Show Podcast: An Awesome Thing

http://thedanandtravisshow.libsyn.com/

and

The Chronic Rift: A series of podcasts that attempt to “find the culture in pop culture.”

http://www.chronicrift.com/

Perspectives On Entertainment 2 from Ron Greenfield

After months of interviewing others, I was very delighted and flattered to be interviewed by my friend and colleague, Ron Greenfield. Ron offered one of the most informative episodes of the Express thanks to his hands-on, in-the-room experience in many areas of the entertainment business.

Just released is Perspectives Of Entertainment 2 in which Ron interviews a great number of esteemed artists pursuing the creative life. It is a great thrill that he included me in such august company and I hope I was able to offer some valuable words. This new collection is a must-read for those looking to break-in to show business or those who just fascinated by it because you’re hearing from folks who have truly “been there, done that” and are still doing it.

From the Press Release:

Ron Greenfield is a recognized authority on the Entertainment Industry who has just released his second book, “Perspectives on Entertainment 2, Pursuing Our Passion” on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014GBQTIA and iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1033732329 It is an exploration into the creative process, conducted through a series of interviews, with extraordinarily talented individuals, providing an insider’s view into the highs, lows, triumphs and setbacks they have encountered in their respective careers in this industry.

Each person sheds light on their individual creative process which enables them to work and realize their creative ambitions under the illumination of the entertainment spotlight. The conversations vary in length, but get to the heart of the matter: their creative aspirations, ambitions, and the work they do. Each interview is an excursion, moving through the worlds of the Broadway Theater, dance, and nightclub performers to the complexities of game development, writing, pod-casting, acting, and preserving our film heritage.

“I’m the audience…There has to be something relatable to the audience…something that is unique.” – Neal Rubinstein, Broadway Producer

“I’m here to sing for you and to take you away because I’m an entertainer. I’m singing about something you can relate to.” – Karen Wyman, Entertainer and Performer

“I always felt a bit more comfortable with costume design…I like working with actors, and I like the collaboration it involves.” – Jess Goldstein, Costume Designer

“…the bar is set very high these days, and so the people I represent and other publicists represent have to have something special to stand out above the crowd.” – Lisa Wartur, CEO and Publicist, Noodlehead Productions

“You have to write, write, write, all the time. Write screenplays. Write treatments. Write notes… Help inspiration out with exploring this stuff actively.” – Tim Davis, Screenwriter

“I trust my intuition more than anything. I usually go with my first initial reaction after reading a script where it comes to creating a character.” – Jeffrey Staab, Actor

“It’s the director’s vision of what he is really allowing you and focusing your eyes to see.” – John Carpenter, Film Historian and Preservationist

Ron Greenfield is the CEO and creator of www.aspectsofentertainment.com , and an acknowledged expert on the entertainment industry. He writes extensively on subjects pertaining to the industry and creativity through his blogs, articles, videos, and featured interviews. For more information and/or interview booking, speaking engagements and television appearances, please contact him at: info@aspectsofentertainment.com

My interview with Ron Greenfield can be found here:

https://handsometimmydexpress.com/2014/10/14/aspects-of-entertainment-an-interview-with-ron-greenfield/

The Handsome Timmy D Express is proud to be a part of:

The Dan & Travis Show Podcast: An Awesome Thing

http://thedanandtravisshow.libsyn.com/

and

The Chronic Rift: A series of podcasts that attempt to “find the culture in pop culture.”

http://www.chronicrift.com/

Legends Never Die, They Just Get Better: Remembering Rowdy Roddy Piper

I like to unplug from my phone and internet during lunch. If I check my phone, I will have to rewind the TV to see what I missed. So it was with quite a shock this past Friday, after a late lunch my girlfriend Megan called me with a frantic, “Are you OK?”

“What the hell happened?” I asked, going from relaxed lunch to full alert.

I heard her take a deep breath and say, “TMZ Sports is reporting Roddy Piper died.”

What? No, that can’t be right. Not THAT Roddy Piper. Not Rowdy Roddy Piper. Must’ve been someone else. Must’ve been Lonnie Phipher, someone got confused somewhere. There’s no way Roddy Piper could be dead. Not someone with that much life and zeal. But in this day and age, TMZ is pretty accurate when it comes to reporting this sort of story. Remember, these are the guys who outwitted the entire NFL with one well-placed phone call during the Ray Rice scandal. I had to believe the story was true even though as a story it seemed unbelievable.

I talked with Megan for a bit and then read up on it, hoping they were wrong somehow. There are celebrity death hoaxes all the time after all but it wasn’t long before Vince McMahon, the boss with whom Mr. Piper had a long love/hate relationship, took to twitter to eulogize Hot Rod.

I can’t sit here and claim to have been a close friend of Roddy Piper or even that I knew him very well. But as the picture above shows, I did work with Rowdy Roddy Piper. And yes, technically for one night at least, at Chippendale’s in Las Vegas. So I thought I’d share some thoughts and memories.

As my homepage tells you, I worked as a producer on WWE Legends’ House which put Roddy Piper along with WWE Legends Pat Patterson, Mean Gene Okerlund, Jimmy Hart, Tony Atlas, Howard Finkel and Hillbilly Jim inside a house in Palm Springs, CA for a month-long shoot. The resulting episodes can be found on the WWE Network and as a life-long wrestling fan, the experience remains one of the fondest memories of my entire life. And while I did some work as a referee on the New England independent wrestling circuit in 2001, I kept that information to myself. I did not want these Legends thinking I was in their league or their business. I have too much respect for what they achieved to do that.

All of the Legends were fantastic people. They were always telling stories, trying to make the crew laugh and were consummate professionals. If you got to spend 10 minutes with any of these Legends, you’d have a great time and will be happier for it.

Wrestlers are one of a kind people. Roddy Piper even more so. The internet is now a memory lane of a generation’s favorite memories of the Rowdy One. My aforementioned girlfriend never watched or like wrestling yet she knows exactly who Roddy Piper was. Roddy Piper was not just a wrestling celebrity. He was a bona-fide celebrity, an indelible part of this generation’s childhood. I’ve long argued “I have come here to chew bubble-gum and kick ass. And I’m all out of bubble-gum” is one of the great lines in movie history.

As a person, Roddy Piper could be a tricky character. I know this because he told us. He was weary of the crew at first. Mr. Piper was a veteran of scheming territorial promoters and Hollywood crews so his weariness was completely understandable. But within a few days of seeing how professional things were going, he became as gracious as could be. When I first met and told him I’d be interviewing him about some of the scenes we were shooting, he beamed and said “ask me anything you want, a pleasure.”

Roddy Piper was an open book to the camera. He would regale the crew with stories from the road, such as the famous night in Fresno with Bob Orton, or clotheslining plants with Ric Flair. And of course, when he was put in warpaint for a day of LARPing, he told us about the time Andre The Giant & Arnold Skaaland made sure he stayed painted half-black for several days after Wrestlemania VI. But also he was happy to hear stories from the crew. One night while waiting before the shoot, we talked about my screenwriting career and my life with Megan back home.

Most nights at 8 PM he’d feel a burst of energy from years of being amped for showtime. Some nights, he’d howl at the moon. He was fascinated by the moon. Many days though, he and his roommate, Hacksaw Jim Duggan would just relax telling stories about their kids. One night I was interviewing Pat Patterson about a scene, but Roddy wanted Pat at dinner with the other Legends. He came over and pulled Pat away from the interview but don’t think he was being disruptive. He put his hand on my shoulder and said, “You’ve been working all day, you all need dinner too. We’re taking a break.” I could make a quip that one doesn’t mess with this former Intercontinental Champion but I’m guessing this was the father in Roddy Piper, making sure everyone got fed during a long day.

Roddy Piper could tell you stories about a million fights he’d been in. But now in his late 50’s, he was the peacemaker when some heat between Jim Duggan and Tony Atlas flared up. And he seemed to enjoy it. For his wild reputation, Roddy Piper was now a man happy to bring peace to the valley. When another argument between two wrestlers occurred, I conducted an interview with Roddy about it. Maybe in 1985, he would’ve said “Let them fight!” But in 2012, he enthusiastically looked at all angles and perspectives, sympathizing with where people were coming from and trying to come up with solutions.

For weeks, he called me Bambi. One of the executive producers asked him why I was called Bambi. He snapped his fingers, going, “Bambi, not Bambi, Lassie, aha, Timmy” and smiled. That’s how he remembered my name and you know something? Never in my whole life could I be more pleased to be nicknamed Bambi. Only Rowdy Roddy Piper could make that nickname cool. When I got ribbed a little by one of the wrestlers, I told Roddy about it conversationally. He perked up and looked at me very seriously, “Was he mean to you?” And I said, “No, not at all, just playing around.” “OK,” he said. THAT’S when Roddy Piper got Rowdy – whenever anyone was threatened. But don’t think I’m the only member of the crew he had nicknames for or was protective of. By the end of the shoot, lots of folks had autographs, nicknames and stories.

When I tell people I worked on Legends’ House, the first question is “what were the wrestlers like?” Awesome is always the answer. What was Roddy Piper like? Always took a picture with the fans. Always had a great story. Always polite and professional. Never hiding anything.

And more than anything else – Rowdy Roddy Piper was a family man. Many wrestlers have called Roddy a great father in their remembrances and our cameras can back up at that story. One night, Roddy Piper told his fellow Legends his proudest moment was that he was saw all of his kids being born. Considering wrestlers are on the road 300+ days a year, that is no small feat. And while Roddy Piper’s achievements made him a unparalleled figure in the century plus history of pro wrestling, he never ever lost sight of what was most important in his life.

On the last day of shooting, I was busy doing closing interviews with some of the Legends. There was a rush to get things signed by many of the crew. I could only get one thing by each signed because it was so busy. I handed my copy of Roddy Piper’s autobiography to one of the EP’s to get it signed.

Later on after the shoot, I happened to bump into Roddy Piper. “I didn’t know you were a referee,” he exclaimed, “Why didn’t you tell me?” I told him basically what I said above. A guy can play in the minors but that doesn’t necessarily make him a peer of Mickey Mantle. But I’m glad that EP told him the story and that he was glad to hear it. He wished me all the best with my writing and gave me a big hug.

Of course, I’ll remember the dog-collar match, the coconut shot to Jimmy Snuka’s head, Wrestlemania, the match with Bret Hart & They Live. But more than that I’ll remember this kind, generous and unique person who carved his own path in a harsh world and knew how to make everyone smile.

His autograph remains one of the finest pieces of advice I could think of:

I haven’t watched the WWE tribute to Roddy Piper yet. I hear it’s amazing and I will. Soon. But not yet. For now, I’ll raise my Scotch north toward Oregon & Canada while listening to “Scotland The Brave.”

Below is a picture of Roddy Piper preparing his roast. He didn’t know I took this quick, grainy shot. Maybe I shouldn’t have. But I was nearby while this artist was at work. He sat quietly alone taking note after note of what he was going to say . This producer became a journalist, saw a moment and snapped the pic. I’d like to think he’d be pleased.

Safe travels to Rowdy Roddy Piper who was 61 years young…

Rowdy Roddy Piper’s homepage:

Official Rowdy Roddy Piper Website

The Handsome Timmy D Express is proud to be a part of:

The Dan & Travis Show Podcast: An Awesome Thing

http://thedanandtravisshow.libsyn.com/

and

The Chronic Rift: A series of podcasts that attempt to “find the culture in pop culture.”

http://www.chronicrift.com/

From The Broom To The Boom: An Interview With Chuck Slavin

There’s a lot happening in the entertainment industry outside of Los Angeles and New York. One American city that’s become a hotbed of production over the past 10 plus years is beautiful Boston, MA. And one guy who’s been a part of that production explosion is Chuck Slavin. Transitioning from in front of the camera to behind it, Chuck has worked positions from Production Assistant to Driver to Production Coordinator to Assistant Director building his career in the industry.

When not working on set, Chuck has also been a huge advocate and champion for the State tax credits that are keeping productions coming to Massachusetts. Combining enthusiasm and practicality, Chuck has become a master at networking in New England. This is a great listen on how to network but also a look at some do’s and don’ts when it comes to etiquette on set. Enjoy:

Chuck’s IMDB Page:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2336925/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Chuck on twitter:

https://twitter.com/thedotcom

Chuck on facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chuck-Slavin/39937977095

As mentioned in the interview, here’s Chuck talking to then Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick about the tax credits:

https://youtu.be/iYzaUlvemUQ

The Handsome Timmy D Express is proud to be a part of:

The Dan & Travis Show Podcast: An Awesome Thing

http://thedanandtravisshow.libsyn.com/

and

The Chronic Rift: A series of podcasts that attempt to “find the culture in pop culture.”

http://www.chronicrift.com/

Once More, With Feeling: An Interview With Daphne Ashbrook

Daphne Ashbrook is an actor who has probably appeared in your favorite show. With a resume in theatre, film and television shows ranging from “Knight Rider” to “Murder She Wrote” to “NCIS” to “The OC,” just to name a few, Daphne’s honed her craft into an incredibly successful career. She is a favorite among science fiction fans as well for being one of the few people to appear in both “Star Trek” and “Doctor Who.” In recent years, she’s branched beyond acting by releasing several albums “Grace Notes” “All Good Dreamers” and penning a memoir on acting “Dead Woman Laughing.”

Daphne’s latest adventure is writing, producing and starring in a new short film, “Once More, With Feeling.” Inspired by a true and frightening turn of events during a trip to Joshua Tree, “Once More, With Feeling” tackles intense issues such PTSD and suicide but with a humorous slant as well. As you’ll hear, Daphne’s indefatigable spirit is sending her on an artistic journey where she has to relive her fears. This is a great and inspiring listen which brings home the courage needed to bring your vision to life. Enjoy:

Once More, With Feeling IndieGogo fundraising site:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/once-more-with-feeling–2/x/3052639#/story

Once More, With Feeling FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/OnceMoreWithFeelingmovie?ref=hl

Once More, With Feeling website:

http://once-more-with-feeling.weebly.com/

Once More, With Feeling IMdb:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4813566/

Daphne Ashbrook’s website:

http://www.daphneashbrook.com

Daphne Ashbrook Official FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/reallydaphne?ref=hl

Matthew Jacobs’ “Doctor Who Am I” website:

http://www.doctorwhoami.com/

The Official “Doctor Who Am I” Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/doctorwhoami?ref=hl

The Handsome Timmy D Express is proud to be a part of:

The Dan & Travis Show Podcast: An Awesome Thing

http://thedanandtravisshow.libsyn.com/

and

The Chronic Rift: A series of podcasts that attempt to “find the culture in pop culture.”

http://www.chronicrift.com/

Leonard Starr: 1925-2015

Over on social media, I like to write little tributes and obituaries to notable deaths, partly as an industry pro and partly because I find it interesting. I don’t get too personal about certain family events and passings on facebook because for whatever reason I don’t alway find it appropriate. But this week those two things sort of collided.

Leonard Starr was my father’s cousin. He made his living as an illustrator and comic strip artist. The piece he was most well-know for were Mary Perkins On Stage and the adventures of Little Orphan Annie and her faithful dog Sandy in daily comic strips from 1979 – 2000. He was even given an onset tour of the movie with pictures from the set decorating his kitchen.

What Leonard will most be famous for (and what was often a party topic for me to bring up) was being hired to develop a team of “Supercats” into a cartoon show for producers Rankin & Bass. So impressed were they by his drawings, they commissioned Leonard to be the head writer of the show now called “Thundercats.” So yes, my uncle Leonard was a creative force behind “Thundercats.” Leonard was always bemused by the fame of “Thundercats” especially in recent years as the retro craze swept over pop culture.

His influence on me was rather unconscious. He never told me to pursue a career in movies or TV. But when I was 6 years old, I saw my uncle’s name on TV in the credits. So the idea of working in Hollywood writing movies & TV was never baffling or bizarre to me. It wasn’t a world a million miles away. It was a vocation like any other so for that influence of success I’ll always be grateful. And when I did finally venture forth in 2003, Leonard was always open in sharing much advice from his experiences. Two phrases which have rung particularly true: “It’s an assault” and on how to make it as a professional writer: “Keep doing it just keep doing it because the next thing you know, you’re doing it.”

His home was filled with drawings, paintings, mountains of opera & classical CDs and thousands upon thousands of books. An expert in literature in Shakespeare, when his nephew Handsome Timmy D stopped by Westport, CT on his cross-country trip, I was given an education on Henry V over some expensive scotch until about 3 AM. The next morning Leonard was up before with less of a hangover.

Leonard was stricken several forms of cancer of the past year, finally winning the battle at around 12 Noon EST. Until the end, Leonard was still writing, drawing and listening to his beloved opera. Leonard is survived by his wife, Bobbi. Safe travels to Leonard Starr who was 89 years young.

Mary Perkins On-Stage:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0985928425/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-2&pf_rd_r=15BGC85FK5PVK3CN4M0D&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2118400682&pf_rd_i=desktop

The Handsome Timmy D Express is proud to be a part of:

The Dan & Travis Show Podcast: An Awesome Thing

http://thedanandtravisshow.libsyn.com/

and

The Chronic Rift: A series of podcasts that attempt to “find the culture in pop culture.”

http://www.chronicrift.com/

The Accidental Caregiver: An Interview With Gregor Collins

What happens when you discover a powerful emotional connection to someone three times your age? Gregor Collins tells us in his open and honest memoir “The Accidental Caregiver” which was turned into a stageplay that premiered in January 2015. In 2008, Gregor found himself employed as caregiver to famous Holocaust refugee Maria Altmann. What occurred from there was an unexpected journey which opened up Gregor’s mind and heart in ways he could not have predicted.

Gregor Collins is a writer, actor and producer based out of New York City. Like myself, he’s got an extensive career in the world of reality TV. The Accidental Caregiver and other works has propelled Gregor’s career in new directions that have made him realize that living the creative life means taking control of your own destiny. During this interview we talk about the emotional honesty needed to be an artist but also the courage to stop waiting and start doing. Enjoy:

You can buy The Accidental Caregiver here:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Accidental-Caregiver-Legendary-Holocaust-ebook/dp/B0092GS96K

A trailer for the book is here:

https://youtu.be/JSCXfw7l9yQ

For more on the film Goodbye Promise:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodbye_Promise

Gregor Collins on IMDB:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1859942/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Gregor Collins on twitter:

twitter.com/gregorcollins

The Handsome Timmy D Express is proud to be a part of:

The Dan & Travis Show Podcast: An Awesome Thing

http://thedanandtravisshow.libsyn.com/

and

The Chronic Rift: A series of podcasts that attempt to “find the culture in pop culture.”

http://www.chronicrift.com/

Science, Archeology And Grace: An Interview With Simon Guerrier

Trying to tackle the subject of real-life science in a fantasy series as varied and long-running as Doctor Who is no easy task. But Simon Guerrier and his colleague Dr. Marek Kukula have risen to the challenge. “The Scientific Secrets Of Doctor Who” blends new fiction while tracing the role of science in the show’s history. Sometimes the science in Doctor Who is dubious but sometimes there’s examples of brilliance accidentally come true by the wildest of ideas. And of course, science has served as inspiration to the show’s many writers.

Simon Guerrier is multi-published author of Doctor Who fiction, writer and producer of Big Finish audio stories, notably the Bernice Summerfield adventures, contributes both fiction and non-fiction to many publications and has even made a few films with his brother Thomas. He and I have whiled many hours talking the wonderful world of Doctor Who. This interview explores the show’s history but also the nuts and bolts of putting together a project as ambitious as “The Scientific Secrets Of Doctor Who.” Enjoy:

The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who will be released June 4th:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Scientific-Secrets-Doctor-Who/dp/0062386964

Don’t take our word for it. The book is already getting great reviews:

http://www.cultbox.co.uk/reviews/books-a-cds/the-scientific-secrets-of-doctor-who-book-review

For more on Big Finish and their wide range of stories:

www.bigfinish.com

You can find Simon online here:

https://twitter.com/0tralala

Simon & Thomas’ movie can be found here:

http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/cleaning-up-download-957

Simon’s Headshot by Lisa Bowerman:

http://lisabowerman.com/

The Handsome Timmy D Express is proud to be a part of:

The Dan & Travis Show Podcast: An Awesome Thing

http://thedanandtravisshow.libsyn.com/

and

The Chronic Rift: A series of podcasts that attempt to “find the culture in pop culture.”

http://www.chronicrift.com/

Making Lucha Underground: An Interview With Chavo Guerrero

As a lifelong wrestling fan, I’m thrilled to welcome third generation pro wrestler Chavo Guerrero to the Express. In 2014, Chavo became involved in an innovative new program, Lucha Underground which combines Lucha Libre with Grindhouse Cinema. Made by Mark Burnett Productions, airing on Robert Rodriguez’s El Rey Network and importing Luchadors from Mexico’s premiere Lucha League, AAA, Lucha Underground brings all those worlds together to make a hybrid wrestling show never seen before.

Chavo Guerrero tells us he came to be involved in Lucha Underground not only as a wrestler but as a producer, helping to design wrestling matches for television. We also talk in-depth about why screenwriters should study the storytelling techniques of pro wrestling. And also, Chavo tells us how his wrestling career prepared him for his recent ventures in action films. A fun listen for wrestling fans & TV buffs alike. Enjoy:

For more on Lucha Underground:

http://www.elreynetwork.com/originals/lucha

https://www.facebook.com/LuchaUnderground

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaVwpbqM8dkhQvbL8XileAA

For more on Chavo Guerrero:

https://twitter.com/mexwarrior

http://vivalarazashop.com/

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0346144/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

The Handsome Timmy D Express is proud to be a part of:

The Dan & Travis Show Podcast: An Awesome Thing

http://thedanandtravisshow.libsyn.com/

and

The Chronic Rift: A series of podcasts that attempt to “find the culture in pop culture.”

http://www.chronicrift.com/

The Only Hope Is A Complete Stranger: A Guide To Watching Doctor Who

“I can’t stand burnt toast. I loathe bus stations – terrible places, full of lost luggage and lost souls. And then there’s unrequited love, and tyranny, and cruelty.” (Ghost Light, 1989)

“There are some corners of the universe which have bred the most terrible things, things which act against everything that we believe in. They must be fought.” (The Moonbase, 1967)

“The ground beneath our feet is spinning at a thousand miles an hour. The entire planet is hurtling around the sun at sixty seven thousand miles an hour. And I can feel it. We’re falling through space, you and me, clinging to the skin of this tiny little world. And, if we let go…That’s who I am.” (Rose, 2005)

I’ve been watching Doctor Who since 1983. At that time, the show was celebrating its 20th anniversary. And not just an anniversary of its first airing but a proper 20th Season on the air. For a low-budget science fiction show, that was a remarkable achievement. (For context, the original Star Trek ran for three whole seasons. Four if you include the animated and you should, it’s awesome but that’s another story for another time.)

With Doctor Who making its long-awaited (by many) resurgence in 2005 after an extended hiatus, the show has risen to higher public profile than ever before. Some folks have dived right in but a lot of my friends have asked me all kinds of questions like “How do I watch Doctor Who? Do I start with the old series or do I watch the new one? Who are the Daleks and why do they have plungers? Wait…it’s bigger on the inside? How does a sonic screwdriver work? What is a Capaldi?”

But the big one is “Where do I start watching Doctor Who?”

Doctor Who ran for 26 original seasons, a BBC/Universal made for TV movie on Fox and now 10 years of the new relaunch. That’s A LOT. And that’s just TV. There’s also a wide variety of stories on audio, in comics and in all kinds of books. So asking where to begin and what one needs to know about Doctor Who is a fair question.

And it can be tricky to answer. I’m not sure I can even answer the question, “Why do you love Doctor Who so much?” I remember watching it as a very young kid, not at all understanding it but thinking it was cool nonetheless. As I grew up, the show grew up with me and rewatching the episodes, I understood more and saw new layers to the stories.

But honestly that answer is lame. So are answers like, “It’s like this but in space with space-ships and monsters.” I can’t define why I like this show so much and I don’t want to. Doctor Who is just a part of my life and always will be. Doctor Who is magic and brilliant and wonderful and you should just enjoy it.

So if you’re looking to start watching Doctor Who, bookmark this page because I’ve got spots for fans who never watched, as well as old series and audio story recommendations for those who are enamored with the new series but want to explore the show’s history.

Just to say it because this is the era we live in, I don’t pretend to be the final word on any of this. What’s presented here is just one longtime fan’s opinion for new people on how to approach the series. You may hear different recommendations/suggestions from other fans and those are just as valid.

What do you need to know to start watching Doctor Who? After much thought and deliberation I came up with this answer:

Nothing.

Honestly. You don’t need to know anything. If you start from the spots I recommend, everything will be made clear as you watch. So don’t worry about any Time Lords, why Cybermen delete stuff or what Cybermen even are or any of that stuff. Listening to Doctor Who fans talk can be a foreign language with Blinovitch Limitation Effects being met by Tissue Compression Eliminators. Or mentions of the lost moon of Poosh and Raxacoricofallapatorius.

Don’t sweat any of it. All will be made clear.

OK, here’s one basic thing that you should know. But again, don’t have to. But it’s a question I get a lot. The Doctor is one character played by numerous actors. Unlike James Bond, the changing face of Doctor Who is part of the mythology. This was another example of necessity being the mother of all invention as the first actor to play The Doctor, William Hartnell was suffering from deteriorating health and couldn’t carry on in the role. But the show had become such a hit that the BBC didn’t want to pull the plug. Since the Doctor was a mysterious alien from unknown (at the time) origins, his ability to “regenerate” into a totally new person was introduced. You will see one Doctor turn into another on-screen. And it’s always always always sad to see the old Doctor go and it’s always always always exciting to see the new Doctor appear.

David Tennant explains it to David Letterman here:

I will argue this is one of the strokes of genius in all of TV history. Yes, there are stories were the various incarnations of the Doctor have met. But think about your own life. Imagine if the 10-year-old, 20-year-old and 30-year-old version of you were all put in the same room? Three totally different characters but essentially the same person. The Doctor’s different incarnations are a genius metaphors for every person’s own individual growth and change.

So clear your mind, make some popcorn. For those of you who take a drink, feel free to pour one. Here’s how you watch:

DOCTOR WHO – SERIES ONE

Start here. This is the relaunch series starring Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper. First episode is called “Rose” and is one of the hardest episodes of TV ever written because it establishes the show’s mythology while regenerating it 😉 for a new generation. Everything you need to know to enjoy Doctor Who is in here.

The story basically sees bored teenager thrust into an adventure of alien intrigue with a mysterious stranger known only as The Doctor.

Here’s a link. It’s available on itunes and netflix as well.

http://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Who-Complete-Christopher-Eccleston/dp/B0089AD8IO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428450432&sr=8-1&keywords=Doctor+Who+Series+1

Now, here’s where some confusion needs to be cleared up. Yes, it’s called Series One but technically it’s Season 27. For marketing purposes, the BBC booked this as Series One because who wants to start a show at Season 27? But it is the continuation of the old Doctor Who. But again, it doesn’t matter if you’ve never seen a minute of the old series. Russell T. Davies does a masterful job setting up the universe of Who for you to relax and enjoy. Just make no mistake, the show has never been rebooted. It is a direct continuation of the classic series. (My apologies for being pedantic and I know reboot no longer means reboot but there’s no Doctor Who reboot.)

Why not start with the original or classic series? You can but I think the new series is more accessible to many of today’s viewers. That’s not to say the new series is better. But it’s designed like today’s TV with 45 minute episodes and a proper production budget. (Mind you, I’ve heard some viewers knock current Doctor Who as low-budget.) Classic Who has some great stories and we’ll get into those in a bit. But at 25 minute serials and with a downright frightening small budget, it might be viewed by some as a nostalgia piece instead of the same show as today.

The low budget of the classic series can’t be overstated. The budgets were TINY. Honestly, as a TV professional, it’s a miracle some of these stories were actually pulled off. Before you laugh at some of the rubber monsters and toy spaceships, know that the crew of Doctor Who has featured some of the very best folks in the industry, including Oscar Winners. And even Douglas Adams. The Classic Series of Doctor Who is what it looks like when you give brilliant, creative people a lot of brilliant, creative ideas and then take away all their money.

Also, I recommend not starting with David Tennant’s era because it is a direct continuation of the Eccelston era. I think David Tennant’s first season starting with the Christmas Invasion would be a bit confusing to any first-time viewer. Rose on the other hand was designed for first-time viewers.

So for you first timers, I’d say start with Series One. Here’s the trailer, which I watched about 5000 times in 2005:

There’s one other spot I’d suggest:

DOCTOR WHO – SERIES FIVE

Matt Smith’s era also starts fresh. This season does refer back to the previous seasons but not in a way that alienates viewers. A new Doctor, new friends, new foes and a new showrunner.

Doctor Who’s relaunch has been overseen by two of the best writers in the history of television. I make no exaggeration when I say that. Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant’s Doctors were overseen by Russell T Davies. Matt Smith and now Peter Capaldi were overseen by Stephen Moffat.

There’s eras are both drastically different yet warmly familiar. Each showrunner has their critics and detractors. Each has their champions. At the end of the day, it’s all a matter of taste. The past 6 years or so, after each new episode airs, my facebook is 50-50 split, “That was wonderful.” “That was terrible.” Make up your own minds. And take anyone who says “so-and-so is the worst showrunner of Doctor Who EVER” with a grain of salt.

What about the latest Doctor, the incredible Peter Capaldi? You could start with Series 8, his season, but again it’s a direct continuation of the Matt Smith era so might be confusing to new viewers.

Now, some folks will welcome that confusion and mystery. Like I said, I didn’t understand anything about Doctor Who when I was little kid but there I was riveted. But if you want to follow in a clear, linear line – Series One and/or Series Five won’t steer you wrong.

However, for you fans who have seen the new series or those of you who wish to start with the classic series, allow me to suggest these titles (again most of which are available through your trusted retailers/online providers)

The first two Doctors adventures are all in Black & White but you’ll be deal, I’m sure:

THE FIRST DOCTOR

The Daleks: Actually the second story in all of Doctor Who history and I will argue makes a better pilot than the caveman murder mystery of “An Unearthly Child.” One part sci-fi horror, one part 50’s sci-fi expedition, Terry Nation introduces the Doctor’s most famous enemy with immediate, frightening effect.

The Romans: Doctor Who was originally designed to be science fiction and educational historical episodes. For real. Several early episodes like this one featured no monsters or aliens. The Romans is a comedy of mistaken identity that sneaks in some real depth during the time of Nero. An underrated gem.

THE SECOND DOCTOR

Enemy Of The World: Speaking of mistaken identity, a power-mad dictator happens to look just like the second Doctor. A product of James Bond 60’s with plenty of twists, turns but real characters. Doctor Who (and TV in the 60‘s) wasn’t always great in its portrayal of other races but this episodes features a Black character who’s given her fair due on screen. And it also features the best cook in the show’s history.

The Mind Robber: The Doctor and his friends are thrust into a world where make-believe comes to life. And the limitlessness of Doctor Who, even on a low-budget, is brought to life when one of the Doctor’s companion’s loses his face.

The War Games: This is an investment. A 10 part epic in which The Doctor confronts a species exploiting the war’s in Earth’s history. The Doctor may have finally met his match and needs to call for never-before-seen reinforcements.

THE THIRD DOCTOR

Inferno: While exiled on Earth by The Time Lords, the Doctor tries to get his TARDIS working again during an experimental operation drilling into the Earth’s crust. Instead he ends up in a parallel world where that same drilling operation is destroying the planet. Lots of proper science exploration but even some real philosophy as well. Widely considered one of the best stories ever.

Frontier In Space/Planet Of The Daleks: The final and possibly the best appearance of the original Master, Roger Delgado. What’s the master up to? Using xenophobia to pit two parties into war. An example of how in staying topical, Doctor Who becomes timeless as the themes are just as accurate today. Frontier ends in a cliffhanger so you may want to check out Planet to see how the Doctor gets out of this one. Planet Of The Daleks is fine, a good old-fashioned “let’s stop the Daleks from blowing up the world in a forest of invisible people” romp.

The Green Death: Talk about topical. A corporation puts profits over safety standards which results in giant maggots invading the countryside. The brilliance of producer Barry Letts & script editor Terrance Dicks is exemplified in this, possibly the best story of the Third Doctor. And don’t let anyone tell you the old series wasn’t about characters or the Doctor not loving his companions. Katy Manning cried during the DVD commentary AND at the Gallifrey One convention when talking about the final scenes.

THE FOURTH DOCTOR (this is the one with the scarf)

The Ark In Space: Steven Moffat called this the prototypical Doctor Who story. A lost colony in space is trapped on a space station infested by an insectoid alien race. The Doctor must rally his companions and inspire the surviving humans to fight or perish. “Indomitable.”

Genesis Of The Daleks: My personal favorite of the classic series. And I’m not into origin stories or prequels. Terry Nation delivers possibly the greatest villain in the show’s history, Davros, brought to life with chilling exactitude by Michael Wisher. An exploration of the evils of war as well as the blindness to the causes of wars. Something special. Trivia note: One of the few stories to not feature the TARDIS in any capacity.

Horror Of Fang Rock: A love letter to Agatha Christie that new series writer Paul Cornell calls a perfect story. Imagine some of the shadier characters in Downton Abbey trapped in a lighthouse and then a shape-shifting alien kills them off one-by-one. Awesome.

City Of Death: Just watch it. Ghost-written by Douglas Adams. The villain is played by Julian Glover. Pure bliss. “I say, what a wonderful butler. He’s so violent. Hello, I’m The Doctor.”

THE FIFTH DOCTOR

Kinda: It’s pronounced like kin-da, as in “next of kin”-da, not like kinda of the “kinda, sorta” variety. The PBS station in New Hampshire promo-ed this as next week “Doctor Who: kinda” Bless ‘em. Why don’t people talk about this story more? A garden paradise, a mythological evil, genuine insanity and possibly the most frightening line in the show’s history: “You will agree to being me, sooner or later, this side of madness or the other.”

Earthshock: OK, honestly, the Cybermen’s plans for invading the Earth here are overly complicated and convoluted. But it’s a fun adventure with lots of shootouts, a brilliant Cyberleader (who exposes that maybe the Cybermen haven’t eliminated all emotion) and a shocking ending. And man, that’s such a great title.

Frontios: What happens when humanity reaches the end of the universe? Not a perfect story by an stretch but a cautionary tale about keeping horrendous secrets under the rug. And just some wicked cool lines. “Frontios buries its own dead.”

The Caves Of Androzani: Gun-runners, androids and a must for House Of Cards lovers as John Normington’s Morgus is Doctor Who’s Frank Underwood, directly speaking to camera with his plans and machinations. An epic final story for the Fifth Doctor. Sorry about the magma monster though.

THE SIXTH DOCTOR

Vengeance On Varos: More relevant now than its first airdate in 1985, The Doctor and his companion Peri find themselves trapped on world that exports videotapes of execution and torture for torture for entertainment. A grim but poignant look at both political ideology and the morality of voyeurism.

The Two Doctors: The Sixth Doctor finds a lost human on a ransacked space station. It’s his old companion Jamie who tells him that the Second Doctor has been killed. The future Doctor is sent on a rescue mission to save his old self and the entire universe.

The Trial Of A Time Lord: For the hardcores. Four stories in one which deal with Time Lord conspiracies, mind-transference and killer plants. Between the Time Lord manipulation and the creation of the Valeyard, this is a precursor to much of the new series more than some folks realize.

THE SEVENTH DOCTOR

Remembrance Of The Daleks: Who is The Doctor? What was he doing on Earth in the 1960’s? What did he bring with him? What is he going to do with it? Some of those questions are answered as a Dalek Civil War descends upon 1963 London.

The Greatest Show In The Galaxy: The Doctor goes from wanderer to confronter of ancient Gods. The champion of Time seen in the current series emerges here. Oh and there’s lots of evil clowns who want to kill people. And the way Sylvester McCoy plays the Doctor and how he’s directed here is nothing short of bad-ass.

The Curse Of Fenric: I will always argue this is one of the best Doctor Who stories ever. At least Top 5. Ancient Viking curses, underwater vampires, monsters from the future. All told against the backdrop of World War II England where Russian spies are on a secret mission to steal the an early computer prototype. But the heart of the story comes down to the trust between The Doctor and his companion, troubled teenager Ace who’s own demons come back to haunt her.

Survival: A direct prequel to Rose. A lazy Sunday in a surburban estate exposes an alien struggle right under everyone’s nose. There’s even a shouty Blonde who I’m convinced has the last name Tyler. The final episode of the classic series, the perfect lead-in to the new series.

Yes, I gave the 7th Doctor four stories. He’s my personal favorite and it’s my blog so there you have it.

THE EIGHT DOCTOR

The TV Movie: YES. Watch the TV Movie. A look at what might have been had Doctor Who become an international production aired on both Fox and the BBC. No, it’s not perfect but it’s an American TV pilot. The mythology is over-explained yes but it is FUN. Paul McGann is combines childlike wonder with a confident gravitas that assures you he IS The Doctor. And there really are some good lines. Why is the Master a disembodied ghost snake? “Because in the fight to survive, there are no rules.” Brilliant.

Quite a list so far but this blog needs a Big Finish, hahahaaaaahhhh ahem. Now, if you want to dive into the wonderful world of audio plays from the good folks at Big Finish (and you should, great stuff there), here are some suggestions. Some of the CD’s are out of print but there are downloads available here:

http://www.bigfinish.com/

The Holy Terror: Still my personal favorite of the Big Finish stories and I’ll argue one of the best stories ever. The Doctor and his companion, the shape-shifting-but-loves-to-be-a-penguin Frobisher, land in a medieval theocracy. Sort of. I don’t want to say too much more as it might give away the layered reveals. Funny, thoughtful and then downright terrifying. I first listened to this at 27 years old and it scared the hell out of me.

Spare Parts: The Doctor lands on the planet Mondas, where the people are slowly replacing their organs and body parts with cybernetics. The origin of the Cybermen doesn’t try to be Genesis Of The Daleks and therein finds its brilliance. Seedy, scary and unflinchingly tragic, this a genuine masterpiece in all of Doctor Who. “Oh Vonny, what have they done to you?”

Master: The Doctor ends up in the home of his old enemy the Master who has amnesia and is a good man doing good deeds in the town he’s settled in. It’s now The Doctor who must confront his own evil deeds. An exploration of the nature of good and evil. Brilliance.

Real Time: The far-flung future collides with a distant, parallel universe in an exploration of the Cybermen at their most frightening and gruesome.

The Unnatural History Of Fear: What can you do with the limitations of audio? This story tells you – A LOT. The Eighth Doctor’s visit to an alien world sets off consequences he can’t possibly imagine.

The Nowhere Place: The Doctor and his companion Evelyn find themselves on spaceship that contains a mysterious door. When your time is called, you cannot resist the call to the door.

Live 34: The Doctor and his friends join a planetary revolution – all on the radio.

Shada: Don’t worry about continuity, the Doctor sometimes treads the same trail twice. The Eighth Doctor finds his old companions Romana and the robot dog to settle some unfinished business in 1979. A unproduced script by Douglas Adams brought to life on audio with fun and flourish. “Well, when I was on the river, I heard a strange babble of inhuman voices.” “Oh, undergraduates talking to each other, I expect. I’ve tried to have it banned.”

The Renaissance Man: The Fourth Doctor’s first season on audio is highlighted by the wonderfully absurd tale which weaves the fanciful with the macabre, the calling card of this Doctor’s era. Pure bliss every time I hear it.

Shadow Of The Scourge: The manifestations of personal demons invade an unsuspecting hotel packed with conventions. We’ll get into the novels another day but if you want to dip into the books, this one is a great place to start. For the first time ever, The Doctor and Ace are joined by novel-only companion Bernice Summerfield brought to life with downright spooky accuracy by Lisa Bowerman.

OK, you should now be armed and ready for your journey into the world of Doctor Who. I hope you enjoy. Feel free to contact me with any questions. If you’re mad that I left off Terror Of The Autons or Seeds Of Doom on the list of classic episodes, fair enough, you can recommend those to your friends when they ask for an introductory list. I love those episodes too but can’t answer “all of them” to a friend staring at pages of stories, wondering what to watch.

There’s a whole universe of Doctor Who out there. Lots more classic episodes, audios, comic books and original novels. But these all should be a good start.

I leave you with this anecdote. In 2004, before the new series came back I attended the Gallifrey One convention, which I try to every year. The show had not yet returned and many of the old-school fans were filled with trepidation (to say the least) at the news series returning. The convention showed UK news clips as part of the closing ceremonies. When Russell T Davies came on screen during an interview, several folks in my section booed. Like for real, booed like he was a bad guy wrestler. And then the interviewer asked him why he was bringing Doctor Who back or why he liked it. I forget the exact question, but I will never forget the exact answer:

“Because it’s the best idea ever invented in the history of the world and I love it.”

The audience broke out in applause. Doctor Who was in safe hands. And has soared back to and surpassed its former glory.

“Do you think I care for you so little that betraying me would make a difference?” (Dark Water, 2014)

The Handsome Timmy D Express is proud to be a part of:

The Dan & Travis Show Podcast: An Awesome Thing

http://thedanandtravisshow.libsyn.com/

and

The Chronic Rift: A series of podcasts that attempt to “find the culture in pop culture.”

http://www.chronicrift.com/

Synergy: An Interview With Stacy Gueraseva And Travis Rust

Sometimes when thinking about making a short film, it’s easy to get caught up in the limitations of the format. “There’s not enough time to develop story or surprise people.” Filmmakers Stacy Gueraseva and Travis Rust have made a short film that disproves those misconceptions. The just released “Synergy” is a short they made in February that’s a topical comment on social media and infomericals with plenty of comedy, twists and turns.

Stacy Gueraseva is an experienced magazine editor and non-fiction author. You may recognize her name for her book “Def Jam Inc.” Travis Rust is a seasoned unscripted TV editor and has made short films before. In addition to their own experience, they assembled a trusted cast of talented people. As a husband & wife team, this is Stacy & Travis’s first film together. They tell us how they divided their labor but also trusted their instincts and welcomed the input of their cast & crew. Enjoy:

You can watch Synergy here:

www.vimeo.com/synergythemovie/watch

For more on Synergy, click here:

www.likesanity.com

Calise Hawkins will soon be seen in Funny Girls on Oxygen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIiY0U5bMh0

Narrator Ray Van Ness’ website:

http://www.rayvanness.com/

Synergy on IMDB:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4394380/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2

Synergy on Twitter:

twitter.com/synergythemovie

The Handsome Timmy D Express is proud to be a part of:

The Dan & Travis Show Podcast: An Awesome Thing

http://thedanandtravisshow.libsyn.com/

and

The Chronic Rift: A series of podcasts that attempt to “find the culture in pop culture.”

http://www.chronicrift.com/

Blood Red Turns Dollar Green: An Interview With Paul O’Brien

How did an Irish playwright became a highly regarded author within the world of professional wrestling? When Paul O’Brien sat down to write his first novel, a crime drama, he decided to use the sometimes honorable, sometimes seedy but always fascinating world of territorial pro wrestling as his backdrop. A lifelong fan of the squared circle, Paul was surprised to find that no one had really delved effectively into this world before. As a result, his years of studying the wrestling business became an armory of knowledge which helped structure his story.

“Blood Red Turns Dollar Green” is a trilogy of books that takes place during the 1970’s and 1980’s as the world of pro-wrestling and pop culture in general went through dramatic sea changes. In those days, pro-wrestling was a world highly protective of its secrets convincing their audience it was a legitimate sport. Paul has masterfully created a bevy of three dimensional characters in a world driven by deception and where greed pushes some people to the most horrible crimes.

Wrestling icons such as Mick Foley, Bret Hart, Jim Ross and William Regal have proudly endorsed this series. However, this novel is not just for wrestling fans as it will open the eyes of people unfamiliar with that world but love a gritty crime story. Paul has become an international hit because he wrote honestly about one of his passions. A great listen for those to endeavor to do the same. Enjoy:

You can purchase “Blood Red Turns Dollar Green” here:

http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Red-Turns-Dollar-Green-ebook/dp/B007Q6EMCI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1423158196&sr=1-1&keywords=blood+red+turns+dollar+green

For more information on Paul O’Brien and his stories:

http://www.paulobrien.info/

You can find Paul O’Brien on twitter here: @tweetpaulobrien

The Handsome Timmy D Express is proud to be a part of:

The Dan & Travis Show Podcast: An Awesome Thing

http://thedanandtravisshow.libsyn.com/

and

The Chronic Rift: A series of podcasts that attempt to “find the culture in pop culture.”

http://www.chronicrift.com/

The Reality Behind Reality TV: An Interview With Rory Lapointe-Smith

There’s a lot of discussion and speculation about the reality portrayed in Reality TV. This week I asked long-time colleague Rory Lapointe Smith to join the show to shed some light on the matter. Rory is a Story Producer who’s worked on shows ranging from medical documentary to celebrity to competition to docu-soap. He’s currently working on the MSNBC staple show “Lock Up” about the world of prisons.

Rory has climbed the ranks to Story Producer from working as a logger and story assistant. He’s worked every facet of Story Departments and is an expert on how to build narrative in the unscripted genre. This interview is a nuts-and-bolts look at the Story Producing craft and also examines the impact of Reality TV has had on our entertainment landscape:

You can find Rory online here:

https://twitter.com/RoryGeorge

and

https://www.facebook.com/RoryGeorge?fref=ts

Rory on IMDB:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1754530/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

The Handsome Timmy D Express is proud to be a part of:

The Dan & Travis Show Podcast: An Awesome Thing

http://thedanandtravisshow.libsyn.com/

and

The Chronic Rift: A series of podcasts that attempt to “find the culture in pop culture.”

http://www.chronicrift.com/

The Creative Soul: An Interview With Dan Mason

The Handsome Timmy D Express is back for 2015. And we’re kicking the New Year off with a great show. I’m delighted to welcome veteran DJ and radio program director Dan Mason to the Express. Dan began his radio career immediately after college programming a radio station in Augusta, Maine. This type of ascension is just about unheard of in the radio business. Dan has built upon that opportunity to create a long and fruitful career in radio in markets such as Sacramento, Cleveland, Miami and Boston. He’s currently the Operations manager for a network of three stations in the Tampa Bay area.

Dan gives us a rundown of why the radio industry refuses to not only die, but continue to thrive, despite numerous predictions of its doom. But this episode is about more than radio as Dan takes us through some of the best ingredients of the creative life. I wanted this show to be about getting screenwriting advice sometimes from non-screenwriting sources. Dan summed that up perfectly as this is a great listen for everyone trying to come to terms with their artistic side. Enjoy:

You can find Dan on Twitter at @DanMasonTweets

The Handsome Timmy D Express is proud to be a part of:

The Dan & Travis Show Podcast: An Awesome Thing

http://thedanandtravisshow.libsyn.com/

and

The Chronic Rift: A series of podcasts that attempt to “find the culture in pop culture.”

http://www.chronicrift.com/

Who’s Paul McCartney?

“Larry Bird’s not walking through that door, fans. Kevin McHale is not walking through that door, and Robert Parish is not walking through that door. And if you expect them to walk through the door, they’re going to be grey and old. What we are is young, exciting, hard-working, and going to improve. People don’t realize that.” – Rick Pitino as coach of the Boston Celtics in 2000.

My posting of the Paul McCartney pic should assure you that I do in fact know who Paul McCartney is. However, a few days ago as I’m sure you heard, this happened:

http://entertainthis.usatoday.com/2015/01/05/genius-alert-kanyes-fans-thank-him-for-discovering-unknown-artist-paul-mccartney/

If your social media feeds are like mine, you saw (or maybe yourself posted) many a message of woe that civilization is lost because a new generation of young people don’t know who Paul McCartney is. These HANDFUL OF TWEETS even got coverage on national outlets like number one rated morning show “Good Morning, America.”

However, if one digs just a little deeper there’s this probably not-as-widely read piece about the “Unknown Paul McCartney” scandal: http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6429435/kanye-fans-asking-who-is-paul-mccartney-joking

I was quite disturbed by this whole affair – and not by people who didn’t know who Paul McCartney was. But rather by the vitriolic rage that’s spewing from a no-right-to-be-this-indignant older generation.

Let’s just say for the sake of argument that these Kanye fans were not joking and that they genuinely had no idea who Paul McCartney is.

First of all, the number of fans tweeting this is so infinitesimally small it in no way could be used to gauge the overall knowledge of their respective demos at all. It was worth no press coverage at all. A few people not knowing something that’s accepted common knowledge is not a story.

Secondly, there’s a very important question people forgot to put this into its proper context. Some young people on twitter don’t know who Paul McCartney is – Why should they?

Seriously, why should anyone under 25 be THAT familiar with Paul McCartney. “He’s a cultural icon.” Yup. He sure is. Paul McCartney changed music, culture and maybe even the whole world itself thanks to his work with the Liverpool skiffle band, The Beatles. And his work with Wings and his solo career is more than enough to get anyone get on their knees and say “We’re not worthy.”

He’s also, like, just plain awesome: http://youtu.be/m_zf6kYvR8k

Paul McCartney, if you’re reading this, if we ever meet, the first pint is on me.

(Side-note, I had the good fortune to meet Ringo Starr on several occasions. Top gent & very nice man.)

But Paul McCartney, I think would also be the first to agree that maybe today’s generation isn’t really all that familiar with the music that was the cultural norm OVER FIFTY FUCKING YEARS AGO. Maybe, just maybe, that’s why Paul McCartney is recording with an artist much more in tune with today’s audiences. An artist like Kanye West.

It’s easy to look at a 15 or 20 year-old who doesn’t know all the words to “Yesterday” and be like “What? You don’t know that song? What’s wrong with you?” But honestly, think about how much of a dick move that is.

The Beatles are not on every street corner. Their posters aren’t in record store windows. There aren’t even record store windows anymore. They’re not on the covers of magazines every month. Their ubiquitousness in our culture, like it or not, fades with each passing year.

The Cultural Zeitgeist is not, as many aficionado would have you believe, a sacrosanct permanence. It’s more fluid than a raging river changing all the time in ways faster than we can keep up with.

The kids today are not growing up on the things we grew up on. And they shouldn’t. Today’s Doctor Who fans watched David Tennant & Matt Smith while my generation’s watched Tom Baker & Peter Davison (and wondered what it was like to see William Hartnell & Patrick Troughton as they aired.) Today’s wrestling fans are not cheering on Hulk Hogan & Randy Savage. They’re rooting for John Cena & Daniel Bryan. Today’s Star Wars fans will not be watching Empire Strikes Back 50 times over and over again. With hope, they’ll be watching The Force Awakens 50 times over and over again.

(Fingers crossed about Star Wars but that’s another story for another blog)

One generation is under no obligation at all to spend their leisure time in deference to another. Today’s kids owe it to no one to like or ever even listen to The Beatles. Now of course, I think they should. The Beatles are one of the truly great bands of all time – and not just because they got there first. But publicly shaming anyone who had the temerity to not grow up the same time as you is NOT going to get anyone to agree to a certain line of thinking.

Instead of screaming “What’s wrong with these idiots?!?!?” Maybe it’s a better idea to, I don’t know, introduce them to The Beatles. We all know Millennials. We all know young people who’ve not seen all the stuff we’ve seen. I have a sneaking suspicion they’re interested in quality entertainment and maybe, if presented nicely, would be very open to being introduced said classics.

Maybe instead of hating your nephew because you like U2 and he likes Coldplay, introduce him to U2. He may love them more than Coldplay.

Maybe instead of shaming those younger coworkers for not seeing Ghostbusters – explain why it’s a classic & it’s worth their precious 100 minutes to give it a shot. (I worked with someone who never saw Ghostbusters. She was born two years after it came out. It was never a part of her culture. That is NOT her fault. She doesn’t deserve to be made to feel bad about that.)

Maybe instead of sneering down our noses creating a divide between generations we need to be reaching across the aisle so to speak, because after all, aren’t we all looking for good shit to enjoy?

Besides, it goes both ways. When you were 15 way back in the 1980’s or whenever, did you know who The Beatles were? Ok, you probably did. Media was a lot less crowded then. Besides, Paul McCartney recorded with Michael Jackson (probably for the same reason he’s recording with Kanye.) A friend on Facebook brought up that he knew all about Elvis too.

OK, fine but in 1987, were you listening to Del Shannon, Robert Johnson, Bill Hailey & The Comets, Buddy Holly & The Crickets, Etta James, Cole Porter and Jerry Lee Lewis OR were you listening to Def Leppard, Poison, Bon Jovi, INXS and Van Halen?

Also, a bunch of over 30 folks are incensed at people for not knowing Paul McCartney but how many of those folks know more than one Nicki Minaj song? How many have been to a Lady Gaga concert (I have! It was awesome)? How many can name the bands who are topping the iTunes download charts or are the most-played on the rap stations?

When I first heard the name Iggy Azalea I thought that was a song off the new Primus album.

“But Tim, our generation’s stuff was SO much better than today’s”

Really?:

I’ve written about the need to stay current before in regards to screenwriting and I think it’s a topic I’ll be revisiting again and again because I’m a part of a generation that appears to want to keep its feet planted in either the 80’s or 90’s. We’re being dragged kicking & screaming into the 21st Century and have quickly fallen into the “What’s wrong with the kids today?” snobbery that I found so repugnant when I was one of those kids today.

I was very fortunate to be exposed to some great classic rock when I was getting into heavy metal as an angry young teenager (gulp) all those years ago. But if it wasn’t for an older brother who was a diehard Pink Floyd fan playing them all the time, I’m not sure I ever would have picked up any of their stuff. I was too busy moshing to Metallica and Anthrax to care about crusty old 70’s rock. As a film buff, it was The Wall movie that entranced me and I did become a Pink Floyd fan in my teens. Even saw the last US show ever at Giants Stadium in 1994. That doesn’t make me better than younger Floyd fans. It only makes me older than them.

But The Beatles? I bought my first Beatles record when I was 19. Black Sabbath, I believe I was 18. Led Zepplin? I actually got into them in 2002 at the ripe old age of well, as young some of these so-called ignorant, stupid and possibly joking Paul McCartney tweeters. I was into Queen but that was because they were still releasing material (and great material at that) in the late 80’s. When I heard “I Want It All” I had no idea about “Bohemian Rhapsody” or “Fat-Bottomed Girls” or “I Want To Break Free.” And I owe no one an apology for that.

People can get mad at the changing times all they want. Industry pros like us screenwriters, I’m not sure we have that luxury. If we want to write movies that speak to audiences in 2015, we can’t write movies for 1984. There’s a reason why some of the tricks used in Top Gun and Rocky III aren’t going to work today. (“But everyone watches Rocky III on cable.” Sure, and everyone hated Iron Man II.)

People will always want good stories and compelling characters but the delivery genres, styles and platforms are in constant flux. And of course there’s homages & love letters to times gone by. “Foxcatcher” was in my mind astounding but it’s paced for 1973, very very slow and some of today’s audience didn’t respond to that. But while we can wink and high-five our influences in our scripts, we have to constantly be looking forward.

Apparently, the new Ghostbusters will be a total reboot. Fine. If you’re a Ghostbusters purist and you hate the new one, fair enough. The original Ghostbusters are on DVD, BluRay and digital download for you to enjoy in comfort and safety. Because the older generation is owed nothing by the new. Nothing.

I’m not a big fan of Michael Bay’s Transformers movies. But they draw a metric shit-ton of money from a worldwide audience so no need for me to curse Mr. Bay and his hard-working crews names. (I will refrain from my Galvatron is not a truck rant at this time) I have the originals on DVD and can enjoy them whenever I want. I’m not going to see Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull. I’m not going to see Superman Returns. Our media libraries are becoming impossibly vast so that each generation can enjoy what each generation enjoys without throwing stones at each other.

Because here’s the bad news – let’s say those Paul McCartney tweeters were just joking. There will come a day when a large number of young people WILL have to be told who Paul McCartney is. There will come a day when The Beatles will be a dot in the rearview. Their records will be rarities sought-after by only the most die-hard collectibles. Kids may even have to be taught about The Beatles…in school!!!

Sure they’ll be there but like so many gems from the early to mid 20th-Century, you’ll have to look for them.

Railing against the changing times is screaming at a runaway train with no breaks. Culture will shift, change, move on and there’s literally nothing we can do to stop it. We, instead, should embrace it and do whatever we can to spread the merits of what we find important so that maybe it’s then embraced by the future generation. And stays alive just a little bit longer.

From “Doctor Who: The Chase” when a young companion from the future got a chance to finally see The Beatles:

IAN: Well, where are we now?

VICKI: Shh.

ANNOUNCER [OC]: This is BBC One. The next programme is due to start in just under one minute.

BARBARA: Vicki, what year have you got on there?

VICKI: 1965.

DOCTOR: Come along, come.

IAN: You’ve got a television.

VICKI: Shh!

IAN: showing

VICKI: I want to watch it.

HOST [on monitor]: Here singing their latest number one hit it’s the fabulous wait for it. It’s the fabulous Beatles!

VICKI: Yes! Fabulous!

BEATLES: I think I’m gonna be sad, I think it’s today, yeah! The girl that’s driving me mad, Is going away.

She’s gotta ticket to ride, She’s gotta ticket to ride. She’s gotta ticket to ride, and she don’t care. My baby don’t care.

(Everyone is bopping and singing along until Barbara leans on the volume and they loose the picture)

IAN: Oh, Barbara.

DOCTOR: Now you’ve squashed my favourite Beatles!

IAN: Vicki, I had no idea you knew about the Beatles.

VICKI: Of course I know about them. I’ve been to their Memorial Theatre in Liverpool.

BARBARA: Well, what do you think of them, Vicki?

VICKI: Well, they’re marvellous, but I didn’t know they played classical music!

BARBARA: Classical music?

IAN: Get with it, Barbara. Get with it. Styles change, styles change.

Yes, I see the irony of quoting a 1965 Doctor Who story in an article about staying current. But again, don’t get mad at new Who fans for not seeing those old classics. Tell them why they should. You never know. They just may love it as much as you do.

The Handsome Timmy D Express is proud to be a part of:

The Dan & Travis Show Podcast: An Awesome Thing

http://thedanandtravisshow.libsyn.com/

and

The Chronic Rift: A series of podcasts that attempt to “find the culture in pop culture.”

http://www.chronicrift.com/

The Other Side Of The Desk: An Interview With M. Dal Walton III

It’s always scary whenever a screenwriter thinks of the production executive who will oversee their script. But M. Dal Walton III joins me for Episode 22 to tell you why screenwriters have nothing to fear. Dal has served for years as production executive guiding movies such as “Narc”, “Once Fallen”, “16 Blocks” and “Righteous Kill.” Dal tells us about how a production executive is there to help a script become the best movie possible. Yes, it’s true – they’re actually on the screenwriter’s side!

Dal has also worked as a manager for years and goes into detail about the manager/screenwriter relationship. Dal is now moving to the other side of the desk becoming a director and writer himself. Having seen many changes in the business over the years, Dal gives some great observations about why this is one of the best times to be screenwriter or director in Hollywood. An invaluable and experienced source of how it works inside a production company, Dal is very generous here with his insight. This interview is helpful to screenwriters everywhere whatever their skill level. Grab a pen, take some notes and enjoy.

Dal Walton’s resume can be found here:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0910466/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

You can find Dal on Twitter:

twitter.com/DalWalton

The Handsome Timmy D Express is proud to be a part of:

The Dan & Travis Show Podcast: An Awesome Thing

http://thedanandtravisshow.libsyn.com/

and

The Chronic Rift: A series of podcasts that attempt to “find the culture in pop culture.”

http://www.chronicrift.com/

Finding Character: An Interview With Simone Bailly

We kick off December with Episode 21 of the HTD Express. Simone Bailly is an actress who’s worked across many genres in television and film. You’ve seen her in recent sci-fi icons like “Stargate: SG-1,” “Battlestar Galactica” and “Smallville.” But she’s also appeared in dramas like “The L-Word” as well as a new independent feature about modern romance “Life Partners” alongside Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl) and Gillian Jacobs (Community). This being the digital age, you can rent “Life Partners” on itunes right now but it also opens in theatres this Friday, December 5th, 2014.

Simone has experienced the acting industry in both Vancouver and Los Angeles. She shares with us an actor’s perspective on how to approach character. For screenwriters everywhere, this conversation offers a new angle of looking at your scripts. Simone tells us exactly what goes through the mind of the person who is handed a script and tasked with bringing characters to life. We also talk about the pros and cons of taking risks to stand out from the crowd. There’s a lot of insight in here about how close acting and screenwriting actually are. Enjoy:

“Life Partners” is available here:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/life-partners/id927831172

Simone Bailly’s website:

http://simonebailly.com/

Simone Bailly’s facebook fan page:

www.facebook.com/pages/Simone-Bailly-Fan-Page/202595129755687

Simone Bailly on twitter:

twitter.com/SimoneBailly

Simone Bailly on IMDB:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1140759/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Simone Bailly is repped by Bright Alliance Media.

The Handsome Timmy D Express is proud to be a part of:

The Dan & Travis Show Podcast: An Awesome Thing

http://thedanandtravisshow.libsyn.com/

and

The Chronic Rift: A series of podcasts that attempt to “find the culture in pop culture.”

http://www.chronicrift.com/

See You At The Driskill: A Look At The Austin Film Festival

Sorry it’s been a while with a written blog dear reader but I’ve been too busy interviewing industry professionals for your listening pleasure. Thanks again to everyone who’s listened, shared and spread the word about the podcast. It’s very much appreciated and as long as people are tuning in, I’m going to keep recording.

The next two week’s shows are scheduled despite the fact that I’ll be taking a trip to the most liberal part of the Lone Star state for arguably the best festival for screenwriters in the country. How liberal is Austin? There are streets where it’s legal for women to be topless in public. For real. I think you can figure out how I found that out.

Don’t get excited, this blog isn’t about public displays of bosom. Get excited, this blog is about the Austin Film Festival. Now, it’s not meant to be a foolproof guide and I don’t claim to know everything about the festival. I should also point out this blog is not authorized or under the auspices by the AFF, it’s just me talking about it. Last year, I was fortunate enough to place 2 of my scripts into the Second Round of the 2013 Festival and it was an amazing, even career-changing experience. It was also the Festival that validated me as a writer and industry professional in ways I didn’t realize.

The AFF opened my eyes to new ways of looking at writing. This blog and podcast are actually the direct result from a panel with “You’re The Worst” (GREAT show) showrunner and writer extraordinaire Stephen Falk. I met some people whom I like, admire and look forward to years of friendship with. I got to shake hands with some great writers who wrote some of my favorite movies. I even get a tutorial on Westerns from this gentleman:

With the festival coming up next week, I figured this was a good time to share some do’s & don’ts I learned from my experiences last year. Take all this with a grain of salt but I dare say these are some pertinent suggestions from myself and others.

FOR THOSE TRAVELING:

The Festival can actually start before you get to Austin. Last year for me it started on the plane as my slumber was awakened by folks in neighboring seats talking about the movies they were showing at the Festival. An hour of friendly conversation later, business cards were exchanged and the networking was underway – 35,000 above Arizona.

Don’t accost people in the airport of course but chances are you’re flying with fellow festival goers. And they’re probably just as scared and nervous of the festival as you are. After all, we wouldn’t be writers if we were great with people. If the opportunity presents itself to talk to folks, take it. The filmmakers I spoke to on the plane (unless they read this) have no idea how much they put me at ease. It was a relief to meet folks who were excited, friendly and nice while still in the air. My nervousness about the festival went way down.

(More on those films at the bottom of the page. They’re great, check ’em out)

THAT MAGIC AGENT

Speaking of nerves, if you’re a 2nd Rounder or above, the spotlight is a bit on you. You’re now a recognized writer and hopefully at the festival you’ll meet that one agent or manager who can open all of Hollywood’s doors for you to finally make it as a professional screenwriter. Only one problem – that person doesn’t exist. There is no agent or manager who can magically do that. Sorry. Keep reading though and keep writing because there’s actually better (if slower) solutions.

Ed Solomon, the screenwriter of “Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure”, “Men In Black” among many others, brought this home in the very first panel I went to. He was at the very first AFF and reminded us all it’s not about finding the agent who will help you leapfrog above everyone else. It’s actually about meeting everyone else, working with them, making connections with other creative people to ultimately improve your craft and become the hot commodity that all the managers and agents chase. I can’t remember his exact words but he was almost like a football coach telling us how to play the game right and smart as opposed to just rushing the field, trying to kill the other team.

As screenwriters, we’re in competition for jobs and work sure, but we’re all in it together. We’re all on the same team.

TALK TO EVERYONE

Talk to everyone. Everyone. Every. One. Talk to directors. Talk to filmmakers. Talk to writers who write the same stuff. Talk to writers who write different stuff. Talk to writers who’ve written 30 scripts. Talk to writers who’ve not even finished their first screenplay. Make sure you say Thank You to the staff who are working tirelessly to make this happen and love movies as much as we do. Talk to everyone.

No, that magic agent isn’t there. Probably isn’t there 😉 But that long lost writing soulmate might be. The Paul Schrader to your Martin Scorsese. The Larry David to your Jerry Seinfeld. The Stone Cold Steve Austin to your Vince McMahon may be standing next to you in line. Talk to them.

If you talk to someone and you don’t like each other or it’s awkward, who cares? Wasn’t meant to be. Move on.

For many folks outside of LA, it’s hard to find other writers or people who understand the life & struggles of screenwriter. The AFF is your chance to be in the room with like minded people. Talk to them.

I collected something like 160 business cards last year. For real. I counted. I handed out well over 250. Again, I counted. You’re not going to stay in touch with everyone. Just the way it is. And not everyone is going to stay in touch with you. Life happens. (Stupid life) But you will strike up real connections and friendships the wider net you cast.

I’ve probably stayed in touch with about two dozen or so people from last year’s AFF. Over the past year, they’ve been friends and colleagues and we’ve helped each other stay sane in the good fight of screenwriting. This year, we’ve already get plans to reunite and catch up at some of the events.

DON’T GET MAD ABOUT THE LINES

One of the bad news about Austin is there’s a fair amount of lines. Lines to get into the big panels with the wicked famous guests, lines to get into the movies, lines at the BBQ. Lines. Lines. Lines.

Here’s the good news. Lines are a great place to meet people. Some of the best conversations I had last year were in lines. No one likes lines. Everyone’s exhausted. Everyone is a writer. Ice is broken. Get talking. About your favorite movies, about your favorite scripts, about your favorite BBQ joint you’ve found. If the person you try talking to is unreceptive. No worries. There are THOUSANDS of other writers to meet and connect with. But lines in Austin are not an annoyance, they are an opportunity.

FIRST DATE BEHAVIOR

My friend and colleague Stephen Scaia used this line to describe the festival to me. He won the festival overall a few years back and on next week’s show talks about how that launched his career.

What does this mean? Be yourself, be cool and comfortable but remember you are trying to make a good impression. I have a T-shirt collection that is such that I could wear a different T-Shirt every day of the year. I only wore T’s on my travel days. The rest of the time, button downs and suits. In other words, what I would wear to a meeting or interview.

In some ways the festival is one giant meeting. Yes, it’s wicked fun but it’s also intensive. For screenwriters, the AFF is like graduate writing programme crammed into a weekend. You’re doing panels, taking notes, sitting under the learning tree all day long. (Some days, yeah no lunch – eat later or bring a granola bar to munch on during lines.) You’re going to be getting schooled by award-winning screenwriters, directors and producers. The very best in our field is going to be at the front of the room telling us what’s what. Dress accordingly.

IT’S OK TO BE A GOOD WRITER

Promote yourself. It’s OK. Doesn’t mean you should walk around handing out your script but it’s OK to tell people that you are in fact not just a writer, but a good one. We get so self-conscious about our writing, don’t we? It’s actually easier for us to promote other writers as opposed to ourselves sometimes. Pretend you are another writer. Be confident in the work you are doing. You are telling a story. People out there want to hear it.

AFF validated me more than I can say. You will hear professional writers talk about the same problems you face when writing. Listen to their process and how to solve some of those problems. Sure, they may be running shows on TV and may have written 50 movies. But in Austin, they’re not on the mountaintop. They’re side by side with you and they’re there to tell you to “Keep Writing.”

Chances are as you listen to them describe their struggles and problems, they will be sending you the message that you are in fact, doing it right.

DON’T BE THAT GUY

Don’t hog all the questions during one of the roundtables. At the roundtables, you may only get 20 minutes with one of the industry pro’s. Don’t do all the talking so that no one else gets in. I had to block some guy last year who asked like 20 questions and kept cutting off someone else who had only 1.

Don’t hog all the time with one of the big celebrities. There’s a fair amount of accessibility at the AFF. Some of the celebrities are happy to talk to everyone. But don’t hog all their time and not let anyone else in. It’s rude, it’s ugly and it’s unprofessional. Here’s the other thing. If you really are truly making a connection with that celebrity and they want to work with you and hire you, that’s all the more reason to get out of the way. You’ll get to talk to them all year. Some of us may only get a few minutes at the BBQ or in the bar. It’s a lot more impressive to be gracious and generous than snobby and inconsiderate.

Unfortunately, even at the best events with great people, it happens. Don’t be that guy.

THE FILM & FOOD PARTY

DO IT! Oh my God. Sooooo Good. There’s a sampling from a ton of Austin restaurants. So yeah, you get to walk around talking movies with folks while professional chefs shove lobster mac & cheese, smoked salmon and authentic Texas BBQ at you.

Honestly, I can’t imagine going to AFF and not going to this event. And fortunately, the actual festival starts in earnest at noon the next day so don’t worry, have another glass of wine.

LET’S TALK ABOUT DRINKING

We’re all adults and I’m not trying to lecture. There’s a lot of meeting, chatting, networking that happens at the parties and in the bars. And if you’re like me, you like a glass of beer. By all means, imbibe but bear in mind this is still a professional event. Share a beer with your favorite writer. Don’t get frat house drunk and puke on his shoes. Don’t be remembered for all the wrong reasons. A few people last year got the wrong kind of drunk at a few of the parties. Trust me, people notice. Have some beers. Don’t have all of them.

GET SOME BBQ

SERIOUSLY

DON’T JUDGE

Last year I met some folks who wrote two dozen screenplays. I also met some folks who either hadn’t finished their script or felt their script wasn’t ready for the festival. I actually admired those folks more because they’re taking the time to sit under the learning tree and are striving for excellence.

Some people, though, don’t agree. Megan’s scripts weren’t in the festival last year but she came with me for the experience and the education. Yes, we did run into a few folks who actually looked down on her for assuming she didn’t place. That’s not cool. Festivals are subjective and not the only way one’s writing is endorsed or noticed.

We ran into a guy who ignored Megan but would only talk to me because I was a second rounder. Then a few minutes later he met a finalist and completely ignored me. I consider this “Wrong Festival Etiquette 101.”

Because here’s the thing – this year, Megan is a twice 2nd Rounder. We both have won various contests this past year. And for AFF this year, I’m going with Megan for the experience and education. Just another writer there to enjoy myself. But I know I will bump into at least one person who will think I’m not a qualified writer.

GO TO THE MOVIES

You’ll meet a lot of filmmakers. You probably won’t be able to go to the all of their movies which sucks but there’s only so many hours in the day. But GO. Make sure you see some of the films there. Yes, there’s marquee premieres but with all due respect to the big guns, there’s some real gems in the various competitions. Great stories that studios or more commercial production companies can’t/won’t tell. Also, if you’re thinking of making a short or an independent feature someday, definitely make the time to hit at least movie a night. Take notes at the Q & A. Put the Q in Q & A. Talk to the filmmakers and learn from their mistakes and ingenuity.

And quite frankly, screenwriters, even if you’re not going to direct one day – talking to directors only helps us to look at our scripts in new and inventive ways.

DON’T FORGET TO ENJOY EVERY SECOND

Don’t let any of the above mentioned don’ts affect your good time. Last year I flew back to LA thinking “There was my career before Austin and then there’s my career after Austin.” What’s happened to me since?

-Completed Three Pilots in the past year.

-One of those pilots won The Chicago Screenplay Contest and The Hollywood Screenplay Contest.

-That same pilot also has ratings of 7,8 & 8 on The Black List. I got an email saying I’m in the top 5%.

-Also finished a feature script from scratch.

-Launched this blog & podcast.

-The networking skills I learned tripled my contacts.

-Those same networking skills have led to consultation employment in that field.

-I remain unsigned but as I write to you my work is with several management companies with meetings scheduled for the next few weeks.

So, yeah, the Austin Film Festival was very very good for me and if you’ve not entered a script yet, I highly recommend making it the best you possibly can, enter it into the festival and save up for the trip. Because I believe immersing yourself into a weekend with some of the very best screenwriters and filmmakers is worth going whether you place or not.

And of course, you might want to walk up the street to Gordoughs: http://gourdoughs.com/

Because:

Keep your eyes, ears and mind open. Take in all the knowledge from the pros. Learn from people who write different stuff from you. Use everything you see and hear to arm yourself for coming year as you keep writing, keep producing and keep fighting the good fight.

If you are at AFF and would like to meet, I’ll be in the Driskill bar. You can’t miss me, I’ll be the guy with the pens.

For more on the AFF Experience, check out my interview with Mike Sundy:

Thanks to the filmmakers I met on the plane. Check out their great movies:

http://www.findingneighborsmovie.com/

and

http://aleadingman.com/v2/

The Handsome Timmy D Express is proud to be a part of:

The Dan & Travis Show Podcast: An Awesome Thing

http://thedanandtravisshow.libsyn.com/

and

The Chronic Rift: A series of podcasts that attempt to “find the culture in pop culture.”

http://www.chronicrift.com/

Hello From South Africa: An Interview With Rizelle Januk

In the most multicultural episode of the Express yet, I’m proud to be joined by actress, model and director Rizelle Januk. Rizelle is of Indian descent and joins us all the way from the nation of South Africa. I didn’t know a whole lot about Indian culture or South Africa so this episode turned out to be a real education for me. And despite the geographical distances Rizelle offers insight that will be useful to anyone on the outside of Hollywood who dreams of getting inside one day.

Rizelle talks about the challenges of chasing her dreams while living in a region that doesn’t have many opportunities. And what opportunities do arise, many casting people don’t know where to fit her because of her mixed heritage. However, Rizelle is not taking “no” for an answer and has created her own opportunities in several international independent films. She also highlights how to use social media for networking and how to capitalize on any kind of break, such as being a finalist for Miss Earth in 2010.

In order to make the time difference work, I had to stay up a bit late and Rizelle had to get up a bit early so please pardon any tiredness you may hear. Overall, this is a great message about following your dreams, no matter what the restrictions. I hope you enjoy…

LINKS:

Rizelle’s Acting Reel Can Be Seen Here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mu2wl539sazlzb2/Rizelle%20Show%20reel.wmv?dl=0

Rizelle has more on her Youtube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/user/MegaRizelle

The Girl Makes Indie Homepage:

http://girlmakesindiemovie.com/

You can also find Rizelle on Twitter:

@Rizellej

The Handsome Timmy D Express is proud to be a part of:

The Dan & Travis Show Podcast: An Awesome Thing

http://thedanandtravisshow.libsyn.com/

and

The Chronic Rift: A series of podcasts that attempt to “find the culture in pop culture.”

http://www.chronicrift.com/

Remembering Joan Rivers: An Interview With Talia Harari

Quick-note: WordPress has assured me that the audio issues from last week have been fixed, but if you do have any problems playing the interview, post a comment & I will immediately address it. Thank you for bearing with me & I hope you enjoy the episode.

Time for Episode 10 of the Handsome Timmy D Express and this week I welcome Talia Harari who’s worn many hats in the world of reality television. However, this week we talk mostly about her experience in the world of comedy as she’s been doing stand-up in the Los Angeles area for 4 years now.

Talia takes us step by step through the process of coming up with material and the terrifying last few moments before walking on stage to make strangers laugh. She tells us about the rush of making a crowd laugh and those terrible nights when they don’t. And we revisit the topic of challenges facing women in comedy – and entertainment in general.

Also, Talia goes into great detail about working on set with Joan Rivers who recently passed making the world a lot less funny. This episode, I think, serves as a fitting tribute to a comedy icon especially because this contains some very not safe for work language so put the kids to bed, it’s time for Talia Harari on the Handsome Timmy D Express…

The Handsome Timmy D Express is proud to be a part of:

The Dan & Travis Show Podcast: An Awesome Thing

http://thedanandtravisshow.libsyn.com/

and

The Chronic Rift: A series of podcasts that attempt to “find the culture in pop culture.”

http://www.chronicrift.com/

Haters Gonna Hate: Trolling The Trolls

The 27 favorites and 13 retweets all came from total strangers. It seems I struck a welcome chord in today’s rough and tumble internet frontier. This was the original post I was replying to:

For the record, I do not know Wil Wheaton. I’ve never met him either through industry connections or at fan conventions. He’s not endorsed me writing this blog and I do not speak for him in anycapacity whatsoever. Unlike VictorWTF, I’m a fan of his work in Star Trek: The Next Generation (arguably the best US Science Fiction show ever) and especially his performance in “Stand By Me”. Mr. Wheaton and I both share a love of the LA Kings and Doctor Who. He’s done a tremendous job reinventing himself on-line and has the reputation of being an easy-going, fun-loving, all-around good guy.

He’s also an adult, a well-seasoned celebrity and certainly doesn’t need me sticking up for him or fighting his battles. But still I had to say something on the twitter because there’s nothing quite as despicable and gutless as anonymous trolling, is there? And considering how folks responded to my tweet and some recent events, I figured this is a good time to investigate the modern phenomenon of anonymous internet bravery.

I’m kind of disappointed that the term troll has evolved to be used beyond the anonymous. I remember (or maybe I misunderstood the term, I’m not 20 anymore) just a year or so ago when the trolls were only the cowards who hid behind aliases and fake photos. Now trolling can be referring to even passing criticism of a celebrity or public figure. I don’t think this is a good thing as I believe the cowards hiding behind keyboards deserve an exclusive epithet and “troll” more than fits.

Of course, irrational criticism of celebrities wasn’t born during the internet age but it seems like our online world has either shone a spotlight onto it or brought a lot of scum rising to the surface. The fine folks at Jimmy Kimmel Live know how to make a joke out of it:

But take a look at some of those twitter handles. Very few use a proper name and who knows if that’s even a real name.

The internet gives voice to the voiceless in many grand ways explored by both symbolic and practical activism. But it also gives voice to the voiceless who have found no other way of expressing themselves productively.

Let me be very clear though, this blog is not meant as an indictment against online criticism. This blog is an indictment of those who criticize without taking responsibility for their words and actions. I like to debate and discuss a wide-range of topics on my twitter account (@handsometimmyd, go on, give a follow if you’re so inclined) but I have one policy: People can disagree with me all they want but anyone using a fake alias and/or doesn’t have a picture of a real person gets only one reply – and that’s usually to tell them they’re blocked.

(Now might be a good time to mention I will employ a similar policy on this blog. Disagreement, vehement or otherwise, is more than welcome in the comment section. Name-calling of myself or others will not be approved by this handsome devil.)

See, it’s hard to argue with someone in your real voice using your real face. That requires the possibility of consequences. It SUCKS being wrong, doesn’t it? No one likes to be wrong, even fewer like to admit it. But it happens to the best of us. I’ve been wrong hundreds of times (back in 2002, I thought the Iraq War was a good idea until the WMDs were evidently not in existence. I’ve gotten numerous technical details wrong. I’ve had to admit when I’ve written the wrong thing in a script or produced an episode of TV in the wrong direction. In 1996, I even thought the internet would be a fad soon to tire out. Yup, I was wrong about all that shit.) The sun still rises and sets of course. As much as it sucks to be wrong about stuff, it’s simply part of the human experience, much like failure that I’ve written about before. But there’s something refreshing about writing about all that stuff openly – I can say (hell, I just put it in writing) that I’m man enough to admit that I’ve been wrong and not only that, learned quite a lot from those and other experiences of being “wrong.”

It’s funny but the older I get, which is each passing minute, the more I can admit I don’t know – and ironically, that makes me feel a lot smarter.

So everyone hates to be wrong. If there’s anyone out there who likes it, I’ve not had the pleasure of meeting them. But there’s more to it than that. Hiding behind a keyboard and alias not only hides you from consequence – it hides you from hurt. Maybe Victorhcj reveals everything about himself in his profile somewhere. I don’t know but I doubt it. Because when you hide behind an alias you can say “YOU SUCK” all day long at people – and no one can say “YOU SUCK” back at you, not really.

Attacking people like this is engaging in a kind of modern day duel. But it’s a duel that goes only one way. The target gets all the rocks thrown at them, but the rocks that are thrown back are sent to the alias – not the true identity of the attacker. That person can go about their day, feeling like they’ve accomplished something or giving themselves a false sense of superiority because they took it upon themselves to act like some of kind of digital Grover Norquist, thinking they speak for the rest of us. In the example above, VictorPussyface speaks for “a significant amount of people” who hate Wil Wheaton because “he sucks.” Whatever scientific method he used to take this survey and the exact statistical results of said survey, he elected not to post.

“But Tim, you’re calling Victor names and I may have seen you tweet John Boehner calling him an asshole once or twice. Isn’t that hypocritical of you? What’s the difference?” I don’t think it’s hypocritical at all. You see, I’m not hiding. I’m Tim Davis. My resume is available online at imdb and linkedin. I appear regularly on a podcast. My personal email is easy to find and my phone number is on my calling card which is all over town.

I got into a very fierce debate with John Cusack on twitter last year about the Edward Snowden gambit. I didn’t troll him. I didn’t name-call him. We just debated several points and I didn’t hide behind any alias. He was debating with Tim Davis. He knows my name & he knows my face. I wasn’t some weird troll with a weirder name or a stupid picture. In fact, I’m guessing Mr. Cusack engaged me in debate for so long BECAUSE I didn’t hide behind keyboard courage. God knows, celebrities hear from countless nameless trolls every day, and as much as he disagreed with me, I wouldn’t be surprised if I got a hearty handshake from him one day over the whole affair.

And it’s not just celebrities. I’m going to share three cases of anonymous trolling in my life. They were some parts hurtful, borderline frightening and all equally pathetic.

The first occurred when I was in High School. I was pranked called regularly by someone who instilled a fair amount of verbal abuse toward me. They always used a different name when calling but never their real one. It being small-town New Jersey, it wasn’t hard to figure out who it was. I could tell you his name but it wouldn’t mean anything to you. His main purpose was trying to goad me into a meeting or confrontation. He told me to meet him at several points at certain times. I took him up on none of these rendezvous figuring that physical harm was on the agenda and who needs that? We came close to calling the police but after hanging up on him so many times, he got bored and moved on to God knows what. I don’t know where he is or what he’s up to. And I don’t care.

The second occurred in 2004. Remember Friendster? Well, I was new to LA and someone set up a dummy account for the sole purpose of sending me one email. The account was called “Cheez Whiz” and I doubt that appears on any birth certificate. And there was no profile picture. The gist of the email? I was unwelcome in LA amongst my group of friends. No one in LA liked me and also that despite my best efforts, I was ugly and bald. This letter came at a particularly low period of time. I was recently in a car accident and going through a very tough transition at work. I hate to admit it, but this letter threw me for a loop. I asked several of my friends what they thought of it and was given many numerous assurances that yes, I was indeed welcome in LA and that whoever sent the letter was the real asshole. Really didn’t take that much to eventually figure out who it was that wrote that one either. I’ve never confronted the person for 2 reasons 1) Deference to mutual friends. I don’t want people to worry about inviting both of us to a party in case of drama 2) Is there really any point? More on that later.

And you know what’s even more ironic, I was put in a position a few times to help this person out – and I did. You know why? Because I’m not the person they think I am – I’m a lot better person than they think I am.

The third instance I’m going to tell you about came up because of this blog. Yup, I got my first piece of hate mail on my piece about guns “Just Another Day In America.” It was from a dummy account under the name “Ed.” No picture, of course. This person had this to say – and this is the one and only time I will allow abusive comments like this on the blog and it’s simply for context:

Knew this POS trust fund baby when he lived in Boston. Arrogant beyond belief. Especially for a guy with hair grown nearly down to the small of his back in order to compensate for his advanced male pattern baldness. (FYI: Everyone laughed about it behind your back.) So nice to know that back in those days you were screaming into your laundry basket when you weren’t being a condescending prick to anyone who wasn’t a woman, a racial minority, a homosexual, or uglier than you. Btw, how’s your talk show that you used to tell everyone you’d have?

I find the last part weird because the talk show I told everyone about was the podcast I’m part of now. The Dan & Travis Show. It’s awesome. Check it out. We did it in 2002 during the infancy of internet radio and we restarted it last year. And it was very easy to find via google, so Ed can’t even do simple homework (always important when throwing stones).

(Side-note about the hairline thing: It’s low and crude to attack someone for something they have little-to-no control over. Ed, like Cheez-Whiz, sound like that goofy thug in “Roxanne” saying “big nose” because I can come with 20 better jokes off the top of my head easy.)

Ed here decided to attack me opening up about personal pain here. Well, I’m a writer. Every writer will have to be honest with themselves and write about their personal pain for all the world to see. If he thinks this is detracting me from doing more opening up about personal pain, I have disappointing news for him. In fact, I have A LOT of disappointing news for him in a bit.

So, you may be asking yourself – well shit, Tim, did you deserve this? Ed from Boston says you were arrogant beyond belief. Were you arrogant? Were you an asshole? Were you some kind of prick? Did you say things that hurt people’s feelings? Did you offend people, however accidentally?

Of course, I did. I’m plenty guilty of things like that. Like being wrong, it’s part of the human experience. Anyone NOT full of piss & vinegar in their 20’s? (And if you weren’t, MAN did you miss out.) Am I arrogant? I think my confidence has slid to the arrogant/egotistic side at times. Sure, I’ll cop to that. There’s always room for lessons in humility. Am I an asshole? Well, of course there have been many situations and conversations I wish I handled better but that’s certainly not unique to me. We’ve all had those. There are plenty of people in this world who don’t like me. But here’s the interesting thing: many of the reasons some people don’t like me are the very reasons other people like me. So what in the world did I do to make these people so upset that they had to sum up all of their false internet bravery to anonymously try to hurt my feelings.

Because trolling has one purpose and one purpose only: to hurt people.

Besides, any betterment I’ve received as a person has been face to face from real friends – not unsigned letters from gutless trolls.

Like I said, I know who two of these people are (sorry, “Ed’, for the life of me, I have no clue who you are). And when I looked at their lives then looked at mine, I realized what I had done. I wasn’t being trolled because I was an asshole sometimes. I was being trolled from the very opposite reason. Here’s my great sin:

I’m a happy and successful person.

(Yeah, OK, I’m a lot more outspoken and opinionated than some others which will of course lead to being targeted more – though I’m not sure how that justifies being trolled. Especially because I am an easy to find open book who is more than happy to talk about anything.)

But when I look at the totality of my life and accomplishments, I can see what makes these sad people so angry:

-My closest friends are truly golden human beings anyone reading this would be glad to know. I can’t begin to describe my luck when I think of the people I’m closest with.

-I’m in a healthy, long-term relationship with a successful, intelligent and beautiful woman with no low standards. (It doesn’t hurt that I can cook too)

-I have 614 Facebook friends & believe it or not, I’m selective. If I can’t see myself having lunch with you, I’m not approving the friend request.

-I have worked alongside, learned from and been instructional to some of the most talented people in my chosen profession. My services have been requested by some of the best crews in Los Angeles. My skills as a writer have been endorsed by movie producers, film festivals and other more-acclaimed writers. That is not only an honor, it’s a privilege.

-I have close to 800 twitter followers, not always folks I know but many acquired through networking as I transition from reality to scripted.

-I’m also blessed and fortunate to be able to say that I have friends and family who would put me up in the following cities; Seattle, Phoenix, Boston, Salem, Baltimore, Minneapolis, Houston, Chicago, Orlando, Gibbsboro, Las Vegas, New York, San Francisco, and London. I know this because they’ve told me “You have to visit us.”

-I say none of this with any kind of arrogance. It may literally be impossible for me to truly express the gratitude I feel for the life I’m living. And the same can be said for so many of the people I choose to spend my precious time with. People who worked hard and smart to live the lives they want on the paths they’ve chosen.

-I’ve been successful in every profession I’ve endeavored on, from being promoted to the corporate office at City Sports to writing copy for Stone Cold Steve Austin. I smile as I go about my day. I dance in the shower. I sing in the car. When I set out into the world, I know that I’m in my own small way, helping. I’ve followed my bliss. Just like Wil Wheaton. Just like countless other celebrities. Just like countless other successful people who are not famous but are living happy lives as I type this. Just like anyone who looks in the mirror and likes what they see.

And THAT’S what the trolls can’t stand. When others are happy – and they’re not. So instead of following their own bliss or doing what they can to make themselves either happier or at least on the way to happiness, it’s easier to try to tear down others. Especially from behind an internet shield where they can hide their plentiful vulnerabilities, insecurities and hurts.

Because underneath every angry, hateful line a troll is writing, is one underlying thought:

“How dare you try to be happy when I’m not?”

For my past sins, anyone whom I owe an apology to has gotten it. I will, however, never ever under any circumstances apologize for being successful or trying to be happy. No one should ever apologize for that.

Because to take to a nameless, faceless identity to attack someone, God almighty. That’s a bit more than just an asshole move. It’s not merely pathetic or weak or gutless or petty.

It’s sick.

To be so consumed by hatred and anger and jealousy – whatever world these guys and other anonymous internet keyboard haters inhabit is a frightening and sad place. I hope you, dear reader, and I never end up there.

So, Ed, Cheez-Whiz and every other internet troll hiding behind a keyboard: YES, I dare to be happy. And I will continue to be happy. I will continue to endeavor and bust my ass every day to further my career. I will continue to improve my writing skills. I will continue to try to be a better, more generous, more thoughtful, more considerate person. I will continue to blog my thoughts and opinions under my real name Tim Davis (and my wrestling-bump earned nickname of Handsome Timmy D) for the world to see, read, enjoy and disagree with.

Over the past 15 years, I can think of about 6 or 7 people whom I truly despise. A handful of folks whom I find irredeemable in any way, folks whom I can say I truly HATE. I think about them sometimes, my blood boils for a few minutes – and then I move on with my day. I do my best to keep them in the rearview because that’s how I handle people I hate. I have nothing to do with them. No contact whatsoever, via social media or otherwise (again apart from mutual politeness for the benefit of our friends). They become non-issues in my life aside from what the memory triggers.

I want to have a happy, successful and productive life. I want to laugh and be giddy and over the top and goofy and silly and dance like there’s no tomorrow. And no matter how bad a day, no matter how stressed or overwhelmed I get, no matter who vehemently I argue my points – I just don’t ever want to live a life where I hurt people.

I hadn’t thought of the prank caller in years, Cheez-Whiz I still see now and then but Ed’s hateful email brought them to the surface. But return to the rearview they will where I’m sure they’ll be joined by more future anonymous trolls.

However, Ed did me an accidental favor. I went onto social media outlets announcing that this dear old blog had received its first piece of hate mail. The result? The traffic on the blog Skyrocketed to see what the hubbub was about:

Funny, but it looks like a middle finger right at Ed, doesn’t it? It was my most read day and almost served as a kind of coming out party for me as I’m restarting this blog and am still building my readership. And that’s how I have to take that hate-mail just like how people should take every bit of anonymous trolling: Just another sign of success.

Epilogue:

When you leave a comment on here, you have to give an email so with Ed’s trolling was an email address. I don’t know if it was his real email address or not. I wasn’t going to reply because it’s best not to fight on their terms, but because my traffic exploded, I couldn’t resist. Just in case he hijacked someone else’s email, I hid the real name I found when I researched it. But here’s the email I sent to him. To the surprise of no one, there’s been no reply.

After all, there’s bravery quite like anonymous internet bravery:

Hello Ed or (name excised),

You gave the name Ed to wordpress but when I researched your email, I found the name “(excised)”. If you are neither of these people, then your email has been hijacked or erroneously used & I apologize for bothering you on this lovely Saturday.

If I am addressing the person who commented on my blog, though, I must first Thank You Very Much for your interest and comments. However, I have a policy of not allowing name-calling in the comments sections so I’m afraid I couldn’t approve your comment.

I must Thank You again though because when I publicized your comment as my first piece of hate-mail (you must admit, it was on the hateful side) the traffic to my blog DOUBLED in an hour. Today has been my highest traffic/read day so far so Thanks to your comment, you’ve been able to contribute to my growing digital popularity. I’m new at this blogging thing so I appreciate all the help I can get.

I have to correct you on one small detail, I am not associated with nor ever have been associated with any trust funds. I earned every dollar I ever got, whether in retail or over the past 10 years as a Television Producer in which I contributed to shows which have entertained millions of people around the world.

You claim to know me well, but for the life of me, I cannot remember you who are. (No Eds or xx ring a bell, xx or otherwise) Sorry, but try as I might, I’ve not lived in Boston or on the East Coast for over 12 years so forgive me for not recalling you out of the hundreds of people I knew & worked with during those years.

I wish you all the best – and quite frankly, hope you find some peace in the world instead of anonymously attacking people you haven’t seen in over a decade. Take Care.

May The Best Days Be Ahead… —————

Tim Davis
Writer/Producer
handsometimmyd.wordpress.com

The Handsome Timmy D Express

Tales from the creative life.

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