The Official Blog for Jeff Goldsmith

Follow Me On Twitter or Facebook

2010-03-12T11:47:00.000-08:00

Due to the ease of tweeting - I've been posting a lot more over on Twitter and Facebook. So c'mon over and join me and other podcast listeners from around the world.

1. Follow yogoldsmith on twitter

2. become a FAN of Jeff Goldsmith on Facebook - as a "fan" it's all podcast listeners all the time - I separated it that way on purpose so my family doesn't bore of film talk...

Both sites get the same "feed" so you can't lose!

See ya over there!

-JG

The 2010 Oscar Screenwriting Nominees Q&A Participants!

2010-02-12T06:16:00.000-08:00

I'm pleased to announced the following writers be on hand for the Feb. 15th Q&A!

Mark Boal for The Hurt Locker
Nick Hornby for An Education
Oren Moverman & Alessandro Camon for The Messenger
Armando Iannucci, Simon Blackwell & Tony Roche for In The Loop
Geoffrey Fletcher for Precious
Terri Tatchell for District 9
Pete Docter and Bob Peterson co-writer/director for Up
Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner for Up In The Air

If you have a question you'd like to ask - email it to me. Don't forget to include your name and the city you're writing in from. Remember the more unique the question - the better its chance of being asked...-JG

Sundance Day 2 Schedule - Friday 1/22

2010-01-21T19:37:00.000-08:00

This is technically day 1 for me as I got so hosed with my travels yesterday.

These are the films I'll be seeing on 1/22 - assuming I don't get any "surprises" with my tickets.

If we're at the same film, come on over and say, "Howdy."

You can read about each of these films in the Film Guide at www.sundance.org

8:30 am - Daddy Longlegs - Prospector Theater

12:15 pm - HappyThankYouMorePlease (not a typo) Eccles Theater

3:15 pm - Hesher - Eccles

6 pm - Boy - Egyptian Theater

9 pm - Animal Kingdom - Egyptian

11:59 pm - Tucker & Dale vs. Evil

Hopefully it'll be a smooth day... -JG

Go see THE COVE!

2009-08-07T00:29:00.000-07:00

Folks,

The Cove is an excellent documentary and if it's playing in your hometown - I strongly urge you to see it and/or to look for it on video later this year.

23,000 dolphins a year slaughtered in this one cove - and no one seems to be able to stop the Japanese government from practically endorsing this behavior.

Oddly - as the film shows - the mercury levels from the pollution these dolphins are exposed to show up in their meat at 20 times the acceptable level for mercury consumption in seafood as set forth by the WHO (World Health Organization) or even allowed in Japan for that matter - yet - the meat is being resold as "whale" meat - not dolphin meat - and thus poisoning their own citizenry.

The whole thing is really preposterous if you think about the fact that if we can't as a civilized society stop something like this from happening in one tiny cove - you've really gotta wonder what we're actually capable of doing.

I guess it should come as no surprise as the genocide continues in Darfur - a much more serious issue than this - but it really is mind-boggling since I certainly wouldn't consider the Japanese government as far gone as the powers that be in Darfur...

Anyhow - see the movie - tell a friend. Here's the trailer...JG

Hippie Weirdo Yoga Farmers are kinda disturbing...

2009-07-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

My friend Steve sent me this link...now here's a TV show that might make for a good horror-feature remake! - JG

Klingon Happy Meal...

2009-07-18T00:54:00.000-07:00

I mean - Klingons were not the biggest part of the original Star Trek film, but clearly Ronald M. didn't care much about that...JG

Just Shoot Me, He Said...

2009-07-15T23:10:00.000-07:00

I mean - this is odd - but seemingly real.

Forget piercings - this guy wants to have a gunshot wound...

I like the tension right up to the final moment - real or unreal that worked.

As for wanting to get shot to have a wound? Kind of a dumb idea...JG

Star Trek in the Park

2009-07-15T15:51:00.000-07:00

Portland is a great city wish I could visit again and man if only LA had such entertainment in the parks...

Scroll down to see the video...JG

Trek in the Park

Funny People viral videos are - well - Funny

2009-07-14T03:03:00.001-07:00

Don't forget to check out my Judd Apatow interview in the July/August issue of Creative Screenwriting Magazine - on sale everywhere.

Apatow was a great interview and I'm quite happy with the way the piece turned out.

Funny People is a funny enough film (go see it) and interestingly they filmed a large concert sequence with so much great footage that there isn't time for in the film that they've already planned a DVD of it but have begun releasing some viral videos of it.

check out their site at : www.funnypeoplemovie.com -JG

I'm the first person to ever sign up on Facebook and Twitter!

2009-07-10T04:12:00.001-07:00

Hooray - I'm such an early adopter of new tek... or maybe not.

Nonetheless - I'm now on Twitter and Facebook and will do my darndest to post as often as makes sense without utterly boring you.

TWITTER: yogoldsmith

--- yeah my name was taken ages ago

FACEBOOK: Jeff Goldsmith

Here I set up an actual page so you can become a fan and follow what I'm doing.

I prefer fans rather than friend requests since I'm keeping the other profile I created reserved for family and folks I actually know in the real physical world - and hey - you don't want to see my mom's updates anyhow - so - no offense - please choose the fan option if you're interested!

And of course I'm always still up to answer an email - so - you can always hit me that way as well!

--JG

Wainy Days in the Summer Sun

2009-06-16T00:36:00.000-07:00

If you haven't yet seen it - don't forget to tune into Wainy Days - now in its fourth season of webisodes, it's great stuff.

Of course this is the brainchild of good 'ole David Wain (Role Models) and he really bats it out of the park with each quirky episode. It's Wain's smart writing that really makes the show. Were he to do it with "no-names" I'm sure it would be equally as successful as its already been, yet the fact that he uses stars and popular comedians only elevates it.

Check it out at www.wainydays.com
-JG

Wow the future sucks!

2009-06-03T18:17:00.000-07:00

Thankfully none of this ever happened.

I mean - who buys clothes from a computer?

You can't even try them on...

-JG

You'll Go INSANE from playing this awesome game!

2009-05-27T16:25:00.000-07:00

Empire Magazine out of the UK is celebrating their 20th Anniversary and they've put together an amazing collage that is interactive and contains images relating to 50 great movies (some honestly are not so great - but whatever)

I love Empire Magazine - and you'll love this game - so check it out.

The darkened areas on the photo are films that I've already "solved" as this is a screen-shot of my game in progress.

REMEMBER TO SOUND OUT the image that you're seeing - literally say it out loud to yourself and you should be able to guess the movie title.

I had to describe the flags into google to get a hint for the ones with flags - but this game is a blast! - JG

You can click below to play now!

http://www.empireonline.com/crypticcanvas/

Death Star destroys the Enterprise!

2009-05-17T20:28:00.001-07:00

Glad to see the Star Wars vs. Star Trek rivalry is alive and well...

I believe this was created by Mike Horn --JG

New Kirk and Spock(s) take on doubtful fans

2009-05-11T03:29:00.000-07:00

This was a funny Saturday Night Live sketch... however I'm not so sure you can write off the original series or its fans so easily just yet...something I of course look forward to examining in the Star Trek Q&A I'll be doing this Tuesday. Look for it in Itunes on May 8th...-JG

Furniture for Black People and White People (and Hispanics too)

2009-05-05T12:12:00.001-07:00

This is a very odd commercial that cracked me up. It seems this is a real company, but I'm not 100% sure on it.

Actually I just called and they are a real company - it turns out Rhett and Link made this commercial for them and these comedians have been specializing in cheezy commericals that have become internet sensations - you can visit their site to learn more about them and even watch a news piece on how this commercial has goten Red Furniture calls from around the world...

(http://rhettandlink.com/)

Enjoy-JG

Slap Chop Music Video

2009-04-29T15:13:00.000-07:00

Somebody had a lotta time on their hands and a love for a certain infomercial... kinda funny... kinda creepy... - JG

Talking Gadgets Talk Blade Runner

2009-04-29T03:59:00.000-07:00

Um, yeah - this amused me...

Kinda poetic to have these devices do their best to do Blade Runner...

Enjoy - JG

An old Jerky Boys video

2009-04-10T02:31:00.000-07:00

I used to love doing prank phone calls and really haven't done one in a while - thus why not take a look back at the pros...

If you're reading this and don't know who The Jerky Boys are just look 'em up in Itunes and buy their first album or watch a little on Youtube.

This clip gives you the rare chance to actually see the people on the other end of the phone. To my memory - and I'm usually wrong - this was produced near the time of their feature film debut many years ago - which was at the height of their career.

Their original tapes were copied and distributed by friends of friends onto college campuses across the world - pre-internet - and based on such underground popularity ready to go mainstream with their film - MTV allowed them to wire their own customer service offices and tape these calls.

It's not exactly representative of their work - but rare and still amusing.

What was genius about their calls aside from being quite funny is they developed a cast of characters who each had their own quirks, so that over the course of that one initial underground tape, you truly got a sense of who these imaginary callers were.

Hollywood couldn't resist and sadly, the script completely failed The Jerky Boys and made for a bad film. With all respect to the co-writers - it was a very tough assignment, to take prank phone calls and make a movie out of them which would star the real-life prank callers. Much can be debated about the film, but, it's late and I'm not going to do it now.

SO - if you're looking for a good laugh - of course check out the above video and make sure to listen to a CD or download from Itunes to hear more of what these guys are about. While often risque, they've always kept me laughing... -JG

Nick Cage Sure Loves Pachinko

2009-04-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

These ads really cracked me up. As we all know American stars are often offered insane amounts of cash to do foreign spots and here's a whole set of commercials Cage did for Pachinko.

Back in the day, it seemed that these gigs were one-offs that no one would ever see - of course now with that internet thingy...it ain't the case...

Cage's quirkiness translates well to the absurdity of some of the ad concepts shown here which I guess just proves that cult of personality transcends all borders. -JG

Really Cool Looking Video

2009-03-21T11:35:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine sent me this video by Keith Loutit.

I gotta say it's a really cool video that uses a smart blend of stop-motion photography and tilt-shift lens trickery in a perfect combination with the intent of taking an ordinary place and giving it a heightened reality feel.

Enjoy -JG

Bathtub IV from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.

What if Watchmen was a cheezy Cartoon?

2009-03-10T01:51:00.000-07:00

Here's a hilarious fan parody that shows just how cheezy Watchmen would look if cleaned-up to become kid friendly...

Of course the whole conceit behind Watchmen is adult in nature, so I'm quite glad this never happened, but alas, here's the clip for your viewing pleasure! -JG

Hitler Dismayed by new Watchmen Ending!!!

2009-03-06T04:23:00.000-08:00

This clip has been used for other purposes a few times before - but it still cracks me up whenever someone finds a new use for it.

The subtitles work quite well with the content and man - somebody just needs to tell 'ole Adolph to get over the fact the original squid ending is gone (there were solid reasons) and that he should go see the film and decide for himself...

If you want to know more about why the squid ending was left by the wayside - keep an eye out for the Watchmen cover story I wrote for the March/April 2009 issue of Creative Screenwriting Magazine.

Please note - they do spoil what the new ending is in this clip - so - if you're trying to avoid that information - only watch this after you've enjoyed the film!

Enjoy! - JG

Watchmen - The Keene Act PSA

2009-03-06T04:14:00.000-08:00

Here's another great viral video, this time a 1970s styled Public Service Announcement about the Keene Act, the legislation that forced superheroes to retire as they were deemed dangerous vigilantes.

Again - this clip is nowhere to be found in the film and although it's filled with too much exposition to be chopped straight in - it's really well done and I could see how some of this could end up in a longer director's cut... Enjoy! - JG

The Full Dr. Manhattan Newscast

2009-03-06T04:10:00.000-08:00

I really like this clip. Oddly very little of it is in Watchmen. Actually - most of the footage of Dr. Manhattan (B&W here - which looks cool) is shown in pieces during the film - but this news show isn't in the film and it's kind of cool.

Of course there's way too much exposition for it to be in the film and it's really only intended as a viral video - but it's definitely got some style - so enjoy...-JG

Alan Moore Discusses Watchmen

2009-03-05T11:33:00.000-08:00

Keep an eye out on newsstands for the Watchmen cover story I wrote for Creative Screenwriting Magazine featuring an interview with screenwriters David Hayter and Alex Tse - but how about a few words from the master himself, Watchmen writer Alan Moore! - JG

Kate Winslet's Oscar Plan - as told to Ricky Gervais!

2009-02-23T11:45:00.000-08:00

Extras was a fantastic show and I totally thought of this clip once I first heard about The Reader - so - now that's she's won an Oscar - it's quite a funny Kate Winslet clip indeed. I wonder if she now regrets doing this skit? Oh - well. She gave a fantastic performance in The Reader - so it's all good... enjoy the clip - JG

Hoorah For Itunes!

2009-01-30T02:36:00.000-08:00

Well - this was a cool week.

Itunes recognized the Creative Screenwriting Magazine podcast and featured it on it's main podcast homepage.

Our numbers were great before - but this shot us up to number 6 out of the top 100 podcasts in the Film and TV section and to number 56 out of the top 100 podcasts in the main podcasting section.

Thanks Itunes!

And thanks to you for listening in as well!

And heya - while we're chatting about Itunes - don't forget to leave us a positive review on Itunes as well!

I became quite busy with Sundance and am now putting the finishing touches on the March/April 2009 issue (and yes I'm writing a Watchmen cover story) - so expect more blogging after those deadlines...

I plan to podcast the Sundance experience as best I can - so - definitely drop me a line and let me know what you think once those episodes go live.

More Oscar writing nominee episodes are on their way into Itunes soon - so keep an eye out. - JG

History Has Been Made Today...

2008-11-05T00:15:00.001-08:00

And man am I psyched to see what tomorrow brings...

Thanks to all who've debated with me these last few months...it's been intriguing to say the least...

Needless to say I was pacing around like a fanatic at a sporting event for the first few hours of results and then started to calm down toward the end... I am quite happy with the final results to say the least. -JG

A New Hope On Election Day?

2008-10-31T02:18:00.000-07:00

So - I've grown quite tired of arguing with old friends and acquaintances about politics - especially when so many of them are misinformed.

I really wish people would learn to use sites like www.factcheck.org to learn actual facts and cut through the spin - but of course - it would seem that folks are much happier believing half-truths than the actual truth.

As for the above picture - for anyone reading this outside the United States - it is a clear parody which mixes Obama's "Hope" Campaign poster with Luke Skywalker and the title of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

I find it hilarious but can't decide if the image is from Episode IV or not... I mean - Luke wears dark clothes in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi - so - I kinda wished he was in the white robe from Episode IV - but whatever - you get it.

My friend Claude who is as sick as I am of the politicized-spin encountered in all media this year replied with the following hilarious comment when considering Luke Skywalker as a 2008 presidential candidate:

"Luke Skywalker is an inexperienced elitist Jedi Knight who wants to convert the entire galaxy to the Force, which will raise taxes on middle-class planets and destroy their proud way of life. And he looks French."

Claude's hilarious - and maybe should work in a Republican think-tank but I guess were someone to further politicize the image - they'd have to add this as well:

"This Jedi sympathizer is also a rebel terrorist who has repeatedly fought and plotted against the Empire and commonly associates with other terrorists and enemies of the Empire."

I guess it'd be funnier if it wasn't so sad to see how misleading the Republican party has been ranging from a Plumber they call "average" even though he seemingly out-earns the working class that the Republicans claim to be protecting...

...To the folksy VP candidate who is so down to Earth that she wears the most expensive outfits one can find with the purpose of donating them to charity - a tradition that I guess comes from having the power to "read everything," as she told a reporter when asked what publications she reads.

Wow - I wonder if she's read any of my stuff in Empire, Total Film, Variety, The Los Angeles Times or even Creative Screenwriting?

Alas - here's hoping for an Obama win - and a bunch of votes toward seriously restructuring the Congress as well.

Then maybe laws can be enacted the way they were supposed to have been - which isn't exactly from the throne of the oval office with special "war time powers."

Who knows? With enough votes, maybe the Empire may finally come to the end?

Heck - I'd dance with Ewoks if that happened - and well - I freaking hate Ewoks - 'nuff said. -JG

I actually can't say it better myself...

2008-09-26T16:38:00.001-07:00

So - I'm reposting Jon Stewart's smart and sadly comedic assessment of our current "crisis." I think the rush to a deal with no oversight due to an emergency has in the past proven to be ineffective and irresponsible to say the least.. these clips demonstrate that quite well...--JG

Stewart and the rush to for a deal with little analysis:

Stewart and his awkward loan interview:

Plato on Play-Doh

2008-09-23T10:19:00.000-07:00

Allright - it's fancier than that...but still...

This is a kinda cool random flick featuring Plato's The Cave allegory. Expect more random postings than I did this summer - which really fell off...

Expo planning is in its intense stage now - remember if you want to go and want to save 10% use the discount coupon code: CSPODCAST to save on your price of admission.

I'll leave one spoiler note below...

Spoiler note: Consider this - if these guys were prisoners in a cave next to each other for a long, long time - is it really feasible that when one of them comes back the others wouldn't recognize his voice? The story still works - and what he's describing to them might still be indecipherable - but not recognize his voice? That's pushin' it Plato... --JG

The Dark Knight Soars to New Heights of Masterful Storytelling

2008-07-18T06:21:00.000-07:00

This is amazing character-driven action writing and one of the greatest adaptations I've ever seen of material stemming from the illustrated page. In my podcast today I mentioned that The Dark Knight certainly deserves writing nominations. It also deserves a best picture nomination as well since it really is the best film I've seen this year.

Here characters are often tempered through action and they in fact grow through the action. Action also reinforces the thematic of "How far will you go to deliver justice?"

Everything really fits into place and works in this film which smartly comments about the times we live in without hitting you over the head with it. Even the dialogue says a lot even as the characters are generally saying so little. It's really tight writing and great structuring.

I had a screenwriting friend who wanted me to break down the plot of the film after I saw it three weeks ago, spoilers included, so that he could figure out what everyone was raving so much about.

I refused to do so because as I explained, there isn't anything truly new in this film so much as it simply adds the classic tenets of drama to the mythology of the Batman universe.

There's a familiarity of the world you're in while at the same time the presentation of the narrative and character arcs have been so meticulously well thought out that everything does in fact seem new and polished. It truly has to be seen to be believed.

Of course, I think this response only annoyed my pal since he was convinced that if someone would just tell him the secrets of the film - he might get a leg up on his own project, which is again absurd because the only secret of The Dark Knight is to take the high road when it comes to narrative and character writing - which isn't easy to do.

After he sees the film, I'm going to ask him what he possibly could have told me were the roles reversed. What "secret" or spoiler from this film could help you in your own writing vs. did experiencing watching other writers setting the bar so high for the genre inspire you to do so yourself? Nothing I could have emailed him could have enlightened him to the film's masterful writing beyond me emailing him a PDF of the script itself.

The Dark Knight's character writing is so strong that I couldn't wait to return to the characters when immersed in an extended action sequence, like the prisoner transfer. Sure the characters are all there - but - the real anticipation of bringing them close together to see how they interact is what kept me on edge. The film's final confrontation between The Joker and Batman was sublime.

As discussed in my podcast with co-writer Jonathan Nolan, he and his brother, co-writer/director Chris Nolan and (story by writer) David S. Goyer all envisioned The Joker as a force of nature, which is a cool conception but not so easy to translate to the screen - yet, they totally pulled it off. Ledger's acting was incredible and definitely nomination worthy - but - I certainly hope people don't forget about the excellent performance by Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent.

The writing of the Harvey Dent character was Shakespearean in scope and is the character with the grandest arc in the whole film. Dent goes through the most change phsycially and of course mentally as Gotham's White Knight falls when we see his conceits of justice meld into a lust for revenge by the film's end. It's great writing and Eckhart simply "got it" which is evident in every frame of his strong performance.

I was really glad Jonathan Nolan was able to sit down for our podcast (you can find it in Itunes) and hope that during the awards season this excellent film is properly rewarded with the nominations it deserves.

I've already seen The Dark Knight twice in Imax and have been absolutely blown away by it and can't wait to see it for the third time on Saturday night... - JG

Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford discuss The Empire Strikes Back - way back....

2008-07-02T01:10:00.000-07:00

Ah the fun of Youtube, here's a Today Show interview about The Empire Strikes Back shortly before it came out. It's especially interesting to hear the 3 prequel concept explained all the way back then...

And then of course the second part, where Hamill oddly makes a comparison that involves a sister - this of course a few years before the sister revelation in Jedi...
Enjoy - JG

Acting is For Orangutans - thank goodness writing isn't. Whew .

2008-06-09T01:57:00.000-07:00

If the marketplace wasn't tough enough already..-JG

The Foot Fist Way Conan TV Appearance

2008-05-31T01:26:00.000-07:00

In this week's Creative Screenwriting Magazine Podcast in Itunes of The Foot Fist Way Q&A, an audience member asks about the Conan O'Brien TV appearance made in Feb. 2008.

For your viewing convenience - I've posted the clip below. It's quite amusing, and for the film's sake, I wish it'd been closer to release, but still feel its a very cool bit of marketing. Enjoy - JG

And of course now the clip has been pulled - stay tuned - I'll try and find it again! Email me if you have it!

Cinematic Losses

2008-05-31T00:51:00.000-07:00

I was very saddened by the passing of the great filmmaker Sydney Pollack this week, which of course only reminds me of the other cinematic loss suffered this year with the passing of Anthony Minghella.

I've been fortunate enough to have had the honor of interviewing both of these film greats in years past and while I can't say I knew them personally, felt compelled to remember them here.

I interviewed Mr. Pollack as part of the Interpreter cover story for Creative Screenwriting Magazine and he was very generous with his time for the interview. As co-writers Scott Frank and Steven Zaillian explained in the article, Mr. Pollack had a passion for storytelling and took the development process very seriously. While exhausting at times, Mr. Pollack strove for the story to be the best it could be and refused to settle for any sort of short-cutting.

He was very supportive of our coverage and frankly I'd had it in the back of my mind to try and figure out some sort of a retrospective piece on his work. Yet, I'm sad to say I never got around to doing it. I felt lucky to have interviewed him and as a fan of his work have always had the deepest amount of respect for him.

I first interviewed Mr. Minghella for Cold Mountain as the cover story in Creative Screenwriting Magazine and he was also kind enough to come spend time with us for a screening and Q&A of the film. I had recorded this Q&A although it was in the days before podcasting and the tape seems to have been slightly damaged, but probably fixable. I'm hoping to one day restore the footage and get it online.

Mr. Minghella was a fascinating interview since his process, especially in his research stage, was very in-depth and focused. Upon the completion of research he seemed to store the information in his deep in the back of his mind allowing it to bubble forth as needed while writing his scripts. In effect if he remembered something he researched, he deemed it worthy enough to be put in his script as opposed to having a stack of papers by him when he wrote.

After the screening he stayed around to chat with our readers and subscribers and sign various books and posters. A few years later he was kind enough to double-book a screening with us, meaning he drove across town from one screening and Q&A to ours. While many busy writer/directors can always do this - few wind up doing it as it really takes a lot of time and energy to do two Q&As in one night. I made sure that we were the last stop of the night so that we'd have more time for our Q&A.

That Q&A for Breaking and Entering can be heard in Itunes as part of Creative Screenwriting's podcast. Again Mr. Minghella was very kind to our readers and subscribers afterwards and his presence on the big screen will be greatly missed.

Both Mr. Minghella and Mr. Pollack's company Mirage had a bunch of interesting projects in various stages of development. It will be interesting to see what the fate of those projects become. I hope that somehow a few of them make it to the screen as they always had such good taste.

Ultimately, talented filmmakers live on through their films and based on the work left behind by these two greats, I'm confident that they shall be admired and studied for years to come. -JG

A Great Week to be a Geek!

2008-04-30T17:14:00.000-07:00

So um,

I've seen Iron Man and it's an excellent comic-book adaptation.

Surprisingly a bit more violent for a PG-13 film than I'd expected, it'll be interesting to see if parents complain. Of course, middle-eastern terrorists are being killed -- so I'm guessing there'll be few complaints.

What's so great about Iron Man is how well its character-driven focus translates to the screen. Rather than getting caught up in a multitude of villians (here only two work together for just the right amount of time) and their villian back-stories, we focus on a transformational arc for Tony Stark as he realizes that he could probably do more good for the world.

A day after seeing Iron Man I got my special edition Grand Theft Auto IV which includes a soundtrack, book of art, Rockstar Games bag and most importantly my authentic GTA IV lockbox! I can only wonder what crazy things I'll figure out to lock up in there...

I'm digging the game which will itself break records this week financially, but will also serve as a wake-up call to the marketplace that this M-Rated (Mature) game has a large audience of adults with money to spend on non-traditional and at times even risque (but not pornographic, at least not what I've seen) adult entertainment.

Most importantly the game provides an immersive character experience where you can go on missions that play into the game's structure or of course you can utilize other GTA "Sandbox" games throughout the huge city and have fun on your own with a gamut of entertaining activities.

Iron Man and GTA IV in one week - gotta say - it's been a heck of an entertaining week...--JG

See More Grand Theft Auto IV Screenshot at IGN.com

Davey and Son of Goliath

2008-04-26T01:10:00.000-07:00

Mark Bell of Film Threat recently revived this video, which I'd kind of forgotten about - but ya know - share and share alike, it's always cracked me up. If ya dig this you can easily find a few more in Youtube as well...

Enjoy -JG

Wain Attacks Web! (like months ago)

2008-03-11T16:53:00.000-07:00

Um, there was a David Wain Surge on the web last summer and I believe this utterly silly and great show, Wainy Days, was even mentioned briefly in The Ten podcast we did - but I somehow forgot to ever watch the damn thing until today.

Wow - am I slow or what? (answer is yes)

But the good news about jumping in to an ongoing comedic serial webshow is that you don't have to wait for new episodes to be posted since there's already two seasons up there that you can blaze through.

Wainy Days is as plot-driven as Lost and as dramatically intense as an episode of ER where a small child dies so - you really gotta watch every episode - in order, all the way through.

I asked writer-director Wain about his writing process for these webisodes via email today and he was cool enough to respond before heading in for surgery.

When asked about how much improv vs. scripted material there is in each episode Wain replied:

"It's 95% scripted but improv is allowed!"

The rest of his answer was garbled as I think the anesthetic had kicked in. - JG

Chatting With Jonesy

2008-02-29T03:47:00.000-08:00

For this week's podcast I was honored to be a part of the legendary LA Radio show Jonesy's Jukebox on 103.1 FM as part of the LA Times Envelope/Buzzmeter Panel.

The Envelope is a special section to the LA Times that I was able to write for in 2007 and the buzzmeter is a part of The Envelope's website which compiles a group of journalists, critics and pundits to rank Oscar categories and try and predict both nominations and the winners themselves.

If yer unfamiliar with Jonesy's Jukebox, it's a show hosted by Steve Jones, the guitarist for the Sex Pistols and is a fantastic interview and music show here in LA that has filmmakers, actors, musicians and yes even an occasional journalist like me on for a chat. To hear more Jonesy, just type 103.1 FM into Itunes to find their great podcast.

As a Sex Pistols fanatic and fan of the show - it was a blast to be on it as a guest and quite strange to actually answer questions for once rather than ask them.

If only I'd prognosticated more Oscar winners....oh well - I got best picture, original screenplay, adapted screenplay and director correct and of course there's always next year...JG

whew - the strike is over

2008-02-19T11:38:00.000-08:00

I know it's a week late on my blog to say this - but - last week was a long week. So - just wanted to say congrats to all the hardworking men and women of the WGA who toughed out this strike. While many were confused about the strike being related to DVD pricing - really it was about setting some foundation of authorship in the new media age - which is quite important. I think the WGA had great leadership and unity and found it very interesting that the AMPTP moved forward in the strike without much of a face.

By face I mean - no real point of view. Sure they had a lead negotiator - but even after hiring a PR Agency they simply were never able to explain why they refused to deal fairly with writers. Interestingly the strike came to a close via back-channel dealings as the AMPTP's lead negotiator and membership were not in agreement as to what they wanted or would negotiate about thus - off-line chats ultimately settled it without the power-brokers help. Granted they were negotiating on the power-brokers behalf, but, it was just interesting how there seemed to be very little focus and definitely not much fiduciary sense to the AMPTP's refusal to come back to the negotiating table for so long.

Nonetheless - glad it's over and congrats again to the WGA for enduring a tough strike and having it conclude with some well deserved gains. -- JG

David Lynch vs. Flix on yer Phone

2008-02-11T15:54:00.002-08:00

Lynch is a master of experimental narrative which is why I was slightly surprised he'd be against someone experiencing his work in an alternative environment like on a mobile phone, but, artistically I can completely understand his gripe with someone experiencing his work intended for a big screen on such a tiny device. To date, I've never watched a flick on a phone and I couldn't imagine having that much time to stare at a phone outside of a long plane ride. I definitely want the new iPhone when it comes out - so - maybe I'll give it a try.. but I certainly won't be watching Blue Velvet, out of respect to Mr. Lynch --JG

Why I Walk...

2008-02-02T01:00:00.000-08:00

From www.unitedhollywood.com - a wild tale. It was recently speculated by Variety that if the strike continues too long some writers may lose their health insurance and the WGA's best move at that point is to pay for COBRA coverage. I hope it doesn't come to that... - JG

This was submitted by WGA member Mark Kunerth.

Invariably, while walking the picket line, conversations to turn to one of three things: dissecting the issues we are fighting for, speculating as to the status of the negotiations, or determining how many miles we’ve walked during a particular picketing shift. Perhaps it’s grown to urban legend proportions, but recent reports put the latter at 29 miles per shift. Oddly, in thirteen weeks, I’ve lost exactly zero pounds.

We all have our own reasons for marching in circles for hours on end. It may be the hope of achieving fair compensation for new media or the desire to revamp the dreaded DVD formula or it could simply be to show solidarity and resolve.

However, the reality that often gets lost in the mix is how the outcome of these negotiations – the fair compensation for all of our work – will affect contributions to our pensions and health fund. Any concessions or rollbacks, regardless of how the companies may try to decorate them, will directly and significantly affect the stability and viability of two funds we largely take for granted.

I know I certainly used to take them for granted. That was until six years ago when my wife was stricken with a life-threatening illness. It was a time filled with grief, confusion and uncertainty, yet the Guild was there. That is why I walk the strike line. To support a union that supported my family during a very dark time. During that time, a faceless organization became a collection of caring, compassionate friends. For that, I will always be grateful.

When my wife was just over seven months pregnant, I found her on the floor in our home office convulsing in a violent grand mal seizure. Instinct took over, paramedics were called, and an ambulance rushed my wife to the nearest hospital. There, while awaiting treatment, she suffered two more seizures, underwent a CAT scan and spent the next twenty-four hours drifting in and out of consciousness as doctors struggled to come up with a diagnosis.

Once stabilized, we were told my wife’s CAT scan was negative, and that her seizures were the result of adult-onset epilepsy; an odd diagnosis and punch to the gut, but a relief that the previous days’ drama was nothing more serious. Sent home with anti-seizure medication and an otherwise clean bill of health, my wife and I spent that day trying to wrap our heads around this diagnosis. That night, however, she had another seizure in her sleep. Again paramedics were called and back we went to the hospital.

Doctors performed another CAT scan. Afterward, they pulled me aside and said, “We found a mass. Your wife has a brain tumor.” This was impossible. The scan two days earlier showed nothing. The doctor checked my wife’s patient file. No record of a previous CAT scan. The cynic in me said, “Of course.”

Over the next thirty-six hours, my wife was held in intensive care where she suffered five more seizures, each more violent than the last. Finally stabilized with heavy doses of anti-seizure medication, she was moved to a private room in the High Risk Pregnancy ward where we would remain for the next six weeks, allowing our baby to grow as close to term as possible. The plan was to wait for our baby to be born; then schedule my wife for brain surgery. The entire time, she was exhaustively monitored by state-of-the-art equipment, impressive machines and mind-boggling technology that a writer can’t possibly begin to understand.

We spent time between blood draws and neurological tests learning all we could about brain tumors. We researched doctors, and tried, with great difficulty, to adjust to our new reality. Less than a week into our ordeal, the phone in our tiny hospital room rang. It was a representative from the Writers Guild of America. Word had gotten out about our little story, and the Guild wanted to make sure that we were receiving everything we needed, and to ask if there was anything they could do to help.
We didn’t know what we needed, just that our plate was suddenly and ridiculously full. There was even an IRS audit in the middle of this. Seriously.

We were reassured that the Guild was a phone call away, ready to provide anything: doctor referrals, recommendations, assistance with paperwork and the peace of mind that our medical insurance – still one of the best in the country – would cover everything. We were instructed to make our medical decisions based on need and what we deemed best for us, and the Guild and its insurance would do the rest.

A month and a half later, our little girl was born – three weeks early and with under-developed lungs. She spent the first several days of her life in the neonatal unit. (Because we still hadn’t had enough drama.)

With the help of referrals, we found the best brain surgeon in the country, if not the world. Dr. Keith Black, who heads up the Maxine Dunitz Neurological Clinic at Cedars Sinai Hospital, has dedicated his life to treating brain tumors and working for a cure. He agreed to perform my wife’s surgery, and a week later, she was transported to Cedars Sinai Medical Center where she underwent four-hour brain surgery to remove a racquetball-sized tumor from her left, frontal lobe. Three days later, she was home. The WGA called again to inquire about the health of my wife and daughter. In the course of eight weeks, we had accumulated hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills.

All of it was covered by our insurance.

A week after brain surgery, we met with Dr. Black for her biopsy results. Our research had led us to a morbid hope. “We need the tumor to be either grade one or grade two.” Those, our research had told us, were the types of tumors that were eminently treatable or even curable.

Our doctor sat us down and said, “Surgery went incredibly well.” Hope.
He went on, “Unfortunately your tumor was a glioblastoma multiforme – grade four.” The words we didn’t understand turned out to mean, ‘Incurable.’ Complete devastation.

We were told that it would be treated aggressively. Radiation. Chemotherapy. Still, the prognosis wasn’t good. Most people diagnosed with these tumors live, on average, 18-24 months. We were told of the incredible likelihood that my wife would not see our daughter walk.
The next few months were filled with innumerable doctor visits, MRIs, radiation treatments and finally a steady diet of oral chemotherapy that my wife would continue indefinitely.

The whole time, the WGA supported us, helping us cut through healthcare red tape and managing an unending maze of hospital and insurance company beauracracies.

It’s now been nearly six years since my wife collapsed in our home office. Our little girl started kindergarten in the fall. My wife has valiantly fought her way back from the most vicious of diseases and the direst of prognoses. She discontinued her monthly chemotherapy nearly three years ago and now, aside from a really cool scar on her head, you’d never know she was sick. And despite no longer working as a sitcom writer, she still benefits from my WGA insurance coverage and marches side-by-side the rest of us, logging more hours than most, I’m sure.

For us, the strike is about much more than DVDs, streaming video, ESTs and any number of negotiating bullet points that involve math I don’t entirely understand. Like my fellow guild members, I want to be paid fairly for all of our work. On top of that, however, I hope to keep the very real and significant contributions to our pension and health care funds, which will continue to provide all of us with world class healthcare.

So while I walk for a fair deal, I also walk out of loyalty to my union. I walk because I will never forget their support in the face of adversity. I know my reasons are probably different than most, and oh, how it would be so very easy for me to hit the snooze button and forego that 6 a.m. strike walk. But it also would have been very easy for the Guild to have not gotten so personally involved in our lives.

And while this letter may be perceived as ‘heart-tugging,’ ‘manipulative,’ or some lame attempt at sympathy, it is really a long overdue thank you letter to the Writers Guild of America.

Thank you, WGA.

Mark Kunerth

Stephen Gaghan speaks out

2008-01-31T21:58:00.000-08:00

Writer-director Stephen Gaghan chats about his views on the strike from voices4action.com and when Gaghan talks - I listen - JG

Good Dick

2008-01-31T01:05:00.000-08:00

Marianna Palka wrote, directed, starred in and produced Good Dick a dramatic competition selection at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. I was really impressed with the film which also stars Jason Ritter and think Palka is definitely a screenwriter/director to watch. Here's an interview with her from the Sundance site...-JG

Use this link to watch it:

http://www.zoom-in.com/media/video/drupal/spotlights/sundance/2008/gooddick.swf

Human Tetris from The Game Over Project

2008-01-28T23:37:00.000-08:00

I'm still in love with these guys and here's their latest video. I'm sure the logistics behind this were tricky - but well worth it! -JG

Same Old Story Video

2008-01-08T01:43:00.000-08:00

Another great video from www.unitedhollywood.com with a long-term via as to how long writers have been getting the short end of the stick from the studios - JG

Phil Robinson - This Is Our Moment Video

2008-01-03T11:42:00.001-08:00

Writer-Director Phil Robinson speaks out about the importance of the strike - JG

Simpsons Writers Speak Out!

2007-12-24T20:21:00.000-08:00

Another great video from www.unitedhollywood.com this time with the writers of The Simpsons. This video was posted early into the strike but as it's continued - I figure it's a good thing to continue showing what the strike is all about. --JG

Ask A Ninja about the WGA Strike!

2007-12-24T20:19:00.000-08:00

From the popular Itunes Podcast, "Ask A Ninja," he does his best to well...advise folks the way only a podcasting ninja can advise... However, it would seem that the Ninja himself might be in need of a few good writers to come up with some wittier material...-JG

Lars & The Real Girl LA Times Piece

2007-12-12T12:01:00.000-08:00

As an entertainment journalist, this time of year is always especially busy due to the awards season. Below you'll find a link to an article I wrote for the LA Times that appeared in print in The Envelope special insert section. They've now posted it online too - here's a link.

Read Jeff Goldsmith's LA Times "The Envelope" Q&A article with screenwriter Nancy Oliver by clicking here

Nancy Oliver

Of course if you want to hear more from screenwriter Nancy Oliver, don't forget to tune into the podcast as I was pleased to do a Q&A with her in the screening series too! -JG

John Edwards Strikes with the WGA!

2007-11-20T22:31:00.000-08:00

Old News - I know - but still worth mentioning. Afterall - you still gotta ask a serious question: Why is Edwards the only presidential candidate who's so publicly sided with the WGA that he showed up to march? Easy photo op? Sure. But - at least Edwards cared enough about the issue to make it a priority for his campaign that he would publicly side with the WGA. It's a good show of character. Edwards' warnings about media consolidation are actually part of a much bigger problem outside of the strike - I plan to discuss more on that soon - but for now enjoy this great video from www.unitedhollywood.com -JG

Imaginary Digital Download Residuals

2007-11-20T22:14:00.000-08:00

The AMPTP said writers are getting paid for internet downloads of their work. Of course, they curiously didn't mention exactly how much that cut was... here's a video with some comedic insight to what TV writers make from current Netresiduals... it's from the always great www.unitedhollywood.com -JG

Screenwriter Phil Alden Robinson's Strike Story Notes!

2007-11-16T21:15:00.000-08:00

Wow - I wish I had someone as cool as Phil Alden Robinson to submit posts to my rag-tag blog, but, since I don't - I gotta again say hats off to www.unitedhollywood.com for doing amazing coverage of the strike. This letter really cracked me up. --JG

Screenwriter Phil Alden Robinson

From www.unitedhollywood.com

Story Notes for Nick Counter

(Nick Counter and the AMPTP (The Media Moguls) paid for an expensive ad in yesterday's "Variety" -- for those of you who don't work in the industry, "Variety" is an entertainment business magazine that is in the pocket of the Media Moguls.

Since we don't have tons and tons of money like the Media Moguls do, we'll have to respond here - on the Internet - which they don't entirely own and control ( but they sure would like to).

Below, WGA member Phil Alden Robinson gives Nick Counter "story notes" on his advertisement and general "script".)

From: Story Department

To: Nick Counter

Dear Nick:

While we are still very excited about your project "Stonewall", we feel there are still some serious script problems that need to be addressed.

1) As every writer knows, the first rule of fiction is to at least SOUND believable. But you have a character saying dialog like "writers do receive residuals for digital downloading (regardless of whether the download is temporary or permanent)". Then why do you have the WGA character have to arbitrate to get what's already in the contract? Wouldn't the AMPTP character have more credibility if he just told the truth and did the right thing?

2) You also have a character say "the notion that we are not sharing new media revenue with writers is simply not correct." Wow. If that's what you want him to say, then we suggest you delete all the scenes in which entire episodes of TV shows - with COMMERCIALS - are streamed on the internet for millions of users, and the studios earn advertising revenue, but pay the writers nothing. This is a major logic problem with your script, and needs to be fixed.

3) Major typo: you've got a character saying "the Writers Guild is asking that writers get a percentage of what the Internet site owners receive in advertising revenue". But it's not. The WGA's proposal is for a percentage of "company's accountable receipts". It has nothing to do with Internet site owners.

4) In earlier pages (the Sunday night negotiation scene), you had the AMPTP character say that progress was being made, and then you have that character abruptly walk out of negotiations. We've asked you to fix that, but you still haven't made sense of it. This sort of behavior is usually reserved for the villain. Is that your intention for this character?

5) The WGA character keeps saying they're ready to return to the bargaining table, but you still haven't had the AMPTP character respond. Suggestion: why not have the AMPTP character call the WGA and return to the table? Along these lines, we suggest you put a pin in the 1st and 2nd act problems, and just concentrate on the ending.

In short, we still have high hopes for you, so please don't be discouraged. We're looking forward to the next set of pages.

Warmest regards,

Your friends in the Story Department.

p.s.: Aren't you glad we didn't give you a one-draft deal on this?

Todd Bridges Speaks Out! Um, thanks todd...

2007-11-16T00:30:00.000-08:00

Man, I really wish I had some time and equipment to hit the strike lines and document more of what's going on, but I'm utterly short on both and sincerely wish I could be more active.

I take the strike very seriously, but have been under harsh journalistic deadlines that I can't get out of. I hope to write about the strike soon and have a few interesting articles being considered so - we'll see if they get the greenlight... Putting on my journalistic hat seems to be the best way that I can help the writers I so admire.

Thankfully www.unitedhollywood.com is continuing to produce great videos. And I guess - why not in a time of need turn to the important political rhetoric of TV's "Willis," Todd Bridges...JG

Actors Show Solidarity With The WGA

2007-11-16T00:21:00.000-08:00

Perty repetitive - but that's the point right? Actors without good words might just get perty repetive...JG

Voices of Uncertainty

2007-11-13T01:35:00.000-08:00

Another excellent video from www.unitedhollywood.com entitled, "Voices of Uncertainty." --JG

Have You E-Signed this E-Petition?

2007-11-11T22:50:00.000-08:00

Here's a petition that has been generated and was mentioned on the www.unitedhollywood.com site. I think this is a solid way to show support. It seems like a legit document however it is unclear to me how and when this document will be submitted.

Click below to check it out for yourself and if you feel so inclined - don't forget to E-Sign it...JG

Check out the petition by clicking here

Patrick Dempsey Speaks About The Strike

2007-11-10T01:32:00.001-08:00

Another solid video from www.unitedhollywood.com -- JG

Lost & Desperate Housewives Writers Comment On The Strike

2007-11-09T00:12:00.000-08:00

I'm really impressed with www.unitedhollywood.com as they've continued to produce great videos providing insight into the Writer's Strike.

Here's another of their videos featuring Lost's David Lindelof and Desperate Housewives' Marc Cherry explaining their perspectives on the WGA strike. --JG

Curious What The Writer's Strike Is About?

2007-11-08T23:54:00.000-08:00

This video pretty much sums up the basics. It doesn't really take into account some of the non-residual issues like coverage for animation writing, etc., but is a decent primer if you want to get a grasp on why writers felt the need to authorize a strike in order to protect the future of a residual based payout structure.

What can't be stressed enough is that a residual is only paid on earnings a studio makes. They are not arbitrary payments. A flop of a film that garners no public interest will pay a low amount of residuals as there's a lower demand for it in ancillary markets. A huge success, on the other hand, has lots of ancillary options and play and thus as networks pay to televise the film and consumers pay to re-experience it on DVD or cable - out of such newfound financial interest in the film a residual payment is also made to the writer. It's not really an added cost and anytime the studios pretend a residual is an added cost it's intentionally misleading.

This video is from www.unitedhollywood.com a really well done site that has tons of info and first person accounts regarding the strike. --JG

The Strike's First Scab Writer!

2007-11-08T02:05:00.000-08:00

Well, the strike is on and I gotta say I'm perty amused by the first official scab writer, Alex Perez (if that's his real name and I'm guessing it is).

By showcasing all this "scab's" bad ideas, dialogue and pitches he subtly makes a good point that folks should be waking up to soon in such that without good writing, all the technical prowess in the world ain't worth a dime. Good writing is invisible, bad writing ain't so invisible.

Alex Perez - Scab Writer

It's definitely worth checking out his site and watching some of the funny promotional videos too. --JG

Visit the Hollywood Scab Writer Site by clicking here

9 Podcasts Posted And I'm Freaking Exhausted...

2007-09-08T07:04:00.000-07:00

I know I've been really, really bad about posting lately - but the screening series, magazine, podcast and upcoming expo have just kinda done me in.

I mean - it's nutty as is that I haven't had time to post my comic-con travelogue. Oh well - I will get back to it as there's still a bunch of interesting stuff to show and tell...

The madness of it all is that I have multiple podcasts that still need to be posted sitting on my hard-drive. So expect more podcasts to keep coming your way.

This week's podcast included 9 really cool items: The Hunting Party Q&A, 3:10 To Yuma Q&A, Shoot 'Em Up Q&A and 6 Shoot 'Em Up animatics that writer-director Michael Davis cleared for me to use. (Watch Davis' animatic introduction below) And remember to click that Subscribe button in Itunes so podcasts are downloaded for you automatically (it's free).

These animatics are really interesting as they're what Davis used to convince New Line to not only buy his script - but - also hire him as a director.

I'm really happy with these Q&As and hope ya dig 'em.

In the works for next week I should be sitting down one on one with director James Mangold to get him into the podcast discussing 3:10 to Yuma. He was out of town when we did our screening - so luckily he's a cool enough chap that we're coordinating this post-release interview.

He's a smart guy with lotso interesting things to say and while I plan to cover much of the same territory with him - just for sake of synchronicity on the questions - the intriguing part will be the fact that he'll have more directorial-based answers to add a whole new perspective.

Until then - JeF

Comic-Con: Part 1

2007-07-30T23:21:00.001-07:00

Comic-Con was a blast this year and I'm still recovering. I was going to have much, much more blogged by this point, but of course - I wound up having a major car-malfunction on the ride back which bit into tons of my time on Sunday and Monday... but more about that later...

For starters if you're looking for something meaty to read - why not start by checking out the article I recently wrote for Daily Variety by clicking below.

Read Jeff Goldsmith's Variety article about prolific comic artist and writer turned screenwriter/director - Frank Miller - by clicking here

My quickie post about comic-con is as follows with more to come:

Comic-Con isn't just about the comics, toys, collectibles, books, posters, videogames and oddly costumed freaks - to me it's always represented a great getaway from LA where my friends and I can unleash our inner geek. Now that I find myself working as a journalist, I sometimes have less time to spend with my friends which can be a bummer...

TV Week's Alex Romanelli, myself and Jeff Bond of Geek Monthly on the floor of Comic-Con for a calm moment

I managed to spend about 20 minutes catching up on Friday with my pals Jeff and Alex on the main hall floor. This photo was in fact taken by Bill Zahn - a longtime friend who works at Pixar and I don't get to see as often as I want to - Man - I'd almost wished that Bill was in this photo with us as I didn't get a photo with him...

This was the only time I saw Jeff, but did manage to hang with Alex during much of the weekend because as journalists we covered the same stuff.

I've been going to comic-con since the early 1990s and have really seen it grow. Some folks complain about the huge crowds and expanded fields of interest (videogames, cinema, anime, etc.) yet I only see those outgrowths of comic-con as healthy for the sector as a whole. How can you really get upset when a small creative community focused on comics expands into an even larger creative arena with a wider array of interests? Sure, it's crowded as all hell and this year had record numbers, but I think it's great.

While I had planned to post the Fantastic Four podcast featuring co-writer Don Payne and director Tim Story on 7/27/07 - I simply wasn't able to get it done in time. I drove down on Thursday and had to prep for the comic-con panel I hosted which I promise to podcast soon.

While I hate having the podcast go dark on a Friday (I always post a new episode on Fridays) - I knew I was safe since I'm posting a brief Q&A with Hot Fuzz co-star Nick Frost and co-writer/director Edgar Wright on Tue (timed with the DVD release for Hot Fuzz) - so - all's well in the podcasting department.

Expect more posts and photos soon - as I try and weigh in on the events, images and parties of comic-con that left me jazzed. -JG

Eagle vs. Shark and Flight of the Conchords

2007-07-07T14:52:00.000-07:00

JG, Co-star Loren Horsley and writer-director Taika Waititi pictured below

So - not only was I excited to have a great podcast for Eagle vs. Shark (and I hope you've checked out the film by now) but I also ended up writing an LA Times article about the New Zealand comedic invasion happening this summer.

Read Jeff Goldsmith's LA Times article about the New Zealand comedy invasion by clicking here

If you haven't already been watching Flight of the Conchords on HBO - I highly suggest it as the comedic writing is quite strong. You can watch the pilot in Itunes or on Myspace - but having thus far seen the first four episodes, all I can say is that it's a show worth sticking to as it simply keeps getting funnier and funnier.

I'll try and post some more clips of theirs later in the summer...but for now - take my word for it - watch the pilot for free online!

--JG

The George Lucas Red Carpet Q&A Is Up!

2007-06-11T16:14:00.000-07:00

It was great to get 2 minutes with Mr. Lucas on the red carpet and hopefully we'll be able to get him into the magazine at a later point. I hope you enjoy this brief interview where he explains a bit about his writing process - right after I explain a bit about my passion for Star Wars. -Jeff Goldsmith

The Greatest Film Ever Made!

2007-06-01T17:24:00.000-07:00

Oh the glory of film journalism! Lo-and-behold I opened my door today and was pleasantly surprised to see a package from Lobel's of New York. (www.lobels.com)

I wondered if this could be a gift from an enthused podcast listener or fan of the magazine and opened the cardboard box to find a foam box inside and after opening the foam box found a plastic sealed steak surrounded by ice packages!

Here's what my mysterious steak looked like

As I picked up the steak, I noticed it was a choice large cut, real red and bloody.

The packing slip said it was a Hanger Steak.

I then saw a sealed plastic package inside the foam box - finally - I thought, this must contain info on who sent such a cool thing to me. Right as I opened the plastic package I decided to try and guess...

It's a big looking hunk of meat, seems like a studio promotion of sorts (WB's Nancy Drew sent lemon wedges, which were tasty) and then I decided that it would be completely cool and cruel if this was a promotional item for Hostel 2.

And sure enough it was!

Also included was some Hostel 2 swag, featuring more meaty pictures and leading me to believe cannibalism might be a part of this flick.

Yes, that is a meaty bandanna

For years studio publicity departments have sent journalists little bits of swag, mainly with the hopes of keeping their various films on the radars of journalists and editors completely overtaken by a very crowded film marketplace. It's a smart move since it's appreciated by the underpaid journalists and since the items are rarely anything of great worth, so, it can barely be considered payola.

Yet, I must insist sending someone a steak is different.

Lions Gate Films has yet to screen Hostel 2 for journalists, however, they did take the time to send us steaks. Thus, what we have to judge their film most accurately on is in fact the aforementioned steak.

Now, please keep in mind; I'm a man of integrity who refuses to be bought and I will never sell out! But, based on the evidence at hand, I must contend that Hostel 2 is possibly the greatest film ever made.

I say this confidently without having seen the film, but insist again, Hostel 2 is the greatest film ever made. Prove me wrong! I dare you! I mean scroll up - Hostel 2 is clearly awesome and there's about 16-18 ounces to back up my assessment just in case you're doubting the clarity of my judgment.

While it doesn't look like Hostel 2 will be in the screening series - it is looking very likely that we will be able to do a one-on-one podcast with Hostel 2 writer-director Eli Roth - so keep an eye out for it in Itunes!

PS: Anyone know what summer film might have a garlic mashed potato tie in?

Read more about what a Hanger Steak is by clicking here

Waitress Podcast Notes

2007-05-05T15:33:00.001-07:00

I get into random arguments with people all the time, and definitely took pause after hearing about what tragically happened to actress/writer/director Adrienne Shelly when she confronted a worker in her building regarding the noise he was making.

Read more about the incident by clicking here

Shelly's film, Waitress, was accepted to Sundance shortly after her murder and was very well received at the 2007 film fest, just as film critics have been positively reacting to it as it hits theaters now. I was really glad that Fox Searchlight put forth such a strong press presence for the film even though Shelly, a principal creator as the writer/director/co-star, obviously couldn't do any press.

Producer Michael Roiff and co-star Cheryl Hines participated in the Q&A at our packed screening on the Fox Studio lot and gave an informative and entertaining Q&A that also served as an oral history that gave us a glimpse into Shelly's creative process.

Co-star Cheryl Hines, JG and producer Michael Roiff pictured below

On a positive note, after this tragedy, Shelly's family and friends have now started the Adrienne Shelly Foundation which will dish out a series of grants each year to emerging filmmakers, with a focus on female filmmakers. It looks like there's a few opportunities for the fellas there too.

Find out more about the Adrienne Shelly Foundation by clicking here

I hope you enjoy the Q&A and the film! -JG

John Wells and Bradley Whitford Podcast Notes

2007-04-27T16:27:00.000-07:00

It was a short and sweet podcast and one of these days I might be able to post more of the full Writer's Guild Foundation event which had Bradley Whitford interviewing John Wells. Whitford did a great job as moderator. I barely scratch the surface with Wells in this brief episode, but decided to make sure to ask him a question I know a lot of our podcast listeners would want to hear more about - submitting TV specs and what Wells looks for in material submitted when considering new writers.

John Wells has made a great contribution to the craft of TV writing and I hope to be able to interview him again another time and also bring more to light about his latest "writer's collective" project that involves other produced writers banded together to make writer-centric studio films on smaller budgets.

Here's some more photos from this event. Of course remember to turn on your "Show Album Artwork" setting in Itunes and you'll always see a pic of myself and the guest - so - a JG & John Wells pic has already been embedded into the podcast.

John Wells interviewed by Bradley Whitford

JG interviewing Bradley Whitford for the podcast

Thoughts on my 'Dark Matter' LA Times Article

2007-04-21T01:40:00.000-07:00

I was as appalled as everyone else this week by the Virginia Tech Massacre. Yet, as I thought about it I was reminded of a film from the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, Dark Matter, which concerns an Asian foreign exchange student murdering fellow students and professors at a college campus. Inspired by a real incident - I was surprised this film which stars Adian Quinn and Meryl Streep wasn't picked up for distribution especially since it also won the Alfred P. Sloan award at Sundance.

After the VT incident - I was simply waiting to see which outlet would put together a story about Dark Matter because I was interested to hear what the principal creative team thought about the VT incident. By Wednesday when no one had come up with a story - I pitched mine to the LA Times who quickly greenlit the story and gave me about 24 hours to turn it around.

I'm pretty happy with the way the story turned out and while Dark Matter certainly won't provide any answers regarding the VT incident - I feel that in a time when people are taking a new interest in academic violence, the film is quite relevant and definitely deserves both a release and closer look.

Here's a link to the article which appears in print on Sat., 4/21/07 in the Calendar section of the LA Times.

Read My Article By Clicking Here

Ode To Videogames Of Days Of Old

2007-03-30T23:29:00.000-07:00

I just finished my proofs for the May/June issue of Creative Screenwriting Magazine - where I interviewed comedic genius Judd Apatow about Knocked Up and did my Lost Scenes column on Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - which showed moments and pieces of dialogue wisely removed from the final film as found in the production draft.

So - what now? Of course I have to finish generating my questions for tomorrow's Hot Fuzz screening/podcast but it'd be great to mellow out and play a video game.

Sadly - That'll probably have to wait a full day or so as I'm fresh out of time.

For me videogames are like comic books a long yearned after respit from the grind that I rarely have time for. Don't worry - I'm not going to launch into a rant about the next generation of first person story-telling via videogames (too obvious - will save it for a later date) yet as a kid of the '80s I do still have a soft-spot for classic videogames - so you can imagine how psyched I was when I found the work of a brilliant Swiss artist, Guillaume Reymond, who did short films which stage classic '80s videogames with human beings instead of pixels.

Lots of filmmakers post shorts on the web - but it seems that less and less of them are original or inspired. This is a smart concept, well executed and worth a look.

Starting with the 1970s classic game Pong - check out what Reymond did for the Game Over Project:

Of course after Pong, the world fell in love with Space Invaders - and here it is in a whole new light:

The third and final short from this series is from the first big driving game Pole Poisition.

As videogames took off they were advertised on TV and this Pole Position Ad took its lesson from the kids toy ads of the '70s and early '80s in which it seems from this ad that Pole Position is the most incredible game ever made - but alas most of what you see has little to do with the gameplay - still - it's quite amusing to watch and funny in a counterculture way as it subjects a boring preppy family into some wild times.

As ads followed so did the birth of corporate giants within the videogame industry and one of the early innovators of course happened to be the fine folks at Activision. Check out this goofy corporate ad from 1981 or 1982 which proclaims their bright gaming future.

Now if you're a youngin' or not well versed in '80s videogames why not have TV's
Mr. Rogers show you how Donkey Kong works as he literally takes apart the machine.

As far as writers are concerned, Infocom was a great '80s company that created games for home computer users in the days before ANY sort of graphics were available (beyond an Atari or Intellivision - which was a different piece of hardware than a home computer). Infocom created a series of games which were completely text based. Thus without graphics these were like computerized choose-your-own adventures. You would read text and type in limited commands to play the game. Author Douglas Adams was involved with the designing and writing of this game based on his book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and the BBC has revived a free playable version of the text game online and did a contest to have artists add graphics to the game that would appear in a nearby window.

Some folks were annoyed that graphics were added as the text games would encourage you to imagine the settings and adventures in your mind - so there've been arguments against quantifying or limiting your imagination with someone else's graphics. Hell, I'm just glad they brought it back. You still type and read the game, but now also see much of what you're doing. It's a fun game - a great place to spend some time and you can check it out at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/hitchhikers/game.shtml

That's the homepage for the game - pick Edition One or Edition Two and you're ready to go (the art is different in these two editions - the game is the same). There's instructions there and you can find cheats and hints on the site if your skills are lame - but I'll give you your first hint. Once you start the game - your first command should be TURN ON LIGHT after you see a prompt telling you, "It Is Pitch Black." Kinda like a fade-up for the beginning of a great adventure.

Hmmm... maybe after all this typing maybe I shoulda popped in one of my own games....

JeF

Photos from the Notes on a Scandal Event!

2007-02-17T12:22:00.000-08:00

You've heard the Itunes podcast of our Notes on a Scandal Live Event (I hope) now check out some of the photos from the event!

Enjoy - JeF

A GROUP SHOT FROM LEFT: Philip Glass, Patrick Marber, Zoe Heller, Jeff Goldsmith

PHILIP GLASS CHATS WITH THE CROWD:

PHILIP GLASS PERFORMS:

PATRICK MARBER AND ZOE HELLER READ FROM THE SCRIPT:

PATRICK MARBER AND PHILIP GLASS READ FROM THE SCRIPT:

WGA Beyond Words Event

2007-02-10T04:46:00.000-08:00

I checked out the WGA's Beyond Words event this past thurs, which featured a panel of WGA nominated writers including; Zach Helm (Stranger than Fiction), Peter Baynham & Anthony "Ant" Hines (Borat), Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada), Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine), Guillermo Arriaga (Babel) and Tom Perotta and Todd Field (Little Children). It was a cool sold out event and kinda funky as everyone on stage with the exception of Helm had been in the podcast or screening series (Granted Helm's film was CS's cover story in fall of 2006). I actually got about 8 mins with Helm before the event to chat about his new project, The Disassociate, for the podcast and hope to put that up soon. We had Baynham and Hines in the screening series, but for some odd reason the studio did not want us podcasting the Q&A - so it was just for the benefit of our voting WGA members in attendance that night.

If anything this panel was proof again as to how diverse and character driven this year was for screenwriting as ensembles like Babel, Little Miss Sunshine and Little Children have received noms along with strong character driven pieces like Borat, Devil Wears Prada and Stranger Than Fiction. Some of the more amusing banter occurred when Arndt and Arriaga shared differing opinons regarding their approach - Arndt a traditionalist who likes to outline vs. Arriaga someone with self-described A.D.D. who never outlines and actually writes non-linearly to the point that both Babel and 21 Grams (as he explained) which were written in a non-linear style that included Arriaga stopping one story and picking up the next as his attention shifted. As mentioned in my podcast he sits down to write his script not entirely sure what the ending for any of his multiple storylines would be. Of course, both screenwriters habits are legit as talent is the gift they obviously share.

Hines and Baynham explained how it was heavily debated as to what color bag Borat would bring downstairs from the bathroom - the bag as you'll recall was filled with feces and presented at a dinner party (real feces provided by a crew member) and the color ultimately agreed on was something translucent so the aud would know the goods were really in there and translucent was preferred to a clear bag as a clear bag would just be too harsh.

At one point it was debated how the Academy viewed comedy in referrence to Tootsie's loss against Ghandi and Zach Helm said that Dustin Hoffman told him a story about going to see Ghandi and then calling Sydney Pollack and explaining, "Yeah, we don't have a chance. It's a movie called Ghandi that really is about Ghandi. It's the guy who saved India and I'm just a cross-dressing actor. We don't have a chance at any award."

Another highlight included Arriaga explaining how a doctor told him he had a possibly fatal heart condition, which inspired the plot for 21 Grams and was of course a life changing moment that led to him putting more time into his craft.

The Writer's Guild Foundation will sell CDs of the 90 minute event for a reasonable rate and they should have them available on their website sometime soon. It was a solid event, with free drinks and cookies afterwards and was fun for all who attended.

No Animal Love For Me @ Sundance...

2007-01-25T05:33:00.000-08:00

So,

I will be posting a travelogue in Creative Screenwriting Magazine's Itunes podcast regarding my Sundnace journey, but wanted to post this brief review of the documentary Zoo.

This is the doc about the guy who died when his colon perforated during a romantic interlude with a horse (I'm not joking - this is a real film).

I and my journalist friends were pretty let down by this film mainly because it was so horribly boring - and for subject matter that would seem to be so offbeat it truly is a lost opportunity of a film and it all stems from the writing's complete lack of creating a broader scope to the story. It's simply a retelling of a limited amount of information again, and again, and again, and... you get the point...

Film Threat's Mark Bell interviewed me for their podcast and gave me permission to respost the interview - so - here's my brief review - click on the link below and enjoy...

Watch my video here

Congrats to WGA Award Nominees

2007-01-12T08:36:00.000-08:00

Sure it's a day late - but - better late than never!

Congrats to these WGA Award nominees!

Here's the list and remember you can hear me interview some of these folks in the Creative Screenwriting Magazine podcast in Apple's itunes - just type Creative Screenwriting into the Itunes Music Store search window - and then you'll find our podcast - click subscribe (it's free) and then the latest episode will download and you can go back and download old episodes too.

Remember you don't need an Ipod to tune in - just the Itunes software or the podcatching software of your choice - here's the list of WGA nominees!

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Babel, Written by Guillermo Arriaga, Paramount Vantage

Little Miss Sunshine, Written by Michael Arndt, Fox Searchlight Pictures

The Queen, Written by Peter Morgan, Miramax Films

Stranger Than Fiction, Written by Zach Helm, Sony Pictures Entertainment

United 93, Written by Paul Greengrass, Universal Pictures

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Peter Baynham & Dan Mazer, Story by Sacha Baron Cohen & Peter Baynham & Anthony Hines & Todd Phillips, Based on a Character Created by Sacha Baron Cohen, Twentieth Century Fox

The Departed, Screenplay by William Monahan, Based on the Motion Picture Internal Affairs, Written by Alan Mak and Felix Chong, Warner Bros. Pictures

The Devil Wears Prada, Screenplay by Aline Brosh McKenna, Based on the Novel by Lauren Weisberger, Twentieth Century Fox

Little Children, Screenplay by Todd Field & Tom Perrotta, Based on the Novel by Tom Perrotta, New Line Cinema

Thank You for Smoking, Screenplay by Jason Reitman, Based on the Novel by Christopher Buckley, Fox Searchlight Pictures

Blogging Indeed...

2007-01-05T15:14:00.000-08:00

At this the official blog for Jeff Goldsmith, you can expect very unofficial postings from said journalist, filmmaker on a vast array of topics ranging from filmmaking, screenwriting and of course podcasting!

Stay tuned for more info and feel free to drop me a line anytime.

JeF