People – Page 2 – The Thinking Writer

The What Festival?!?

Here’s a sentence you don’t see everyday: “Screenwriter Brian Miller came to the project after winning the inaugural Astana International Action Film Festival screenplay competition in Kazakhstan, founded by Bekmambetov.” Via Hollywoodnews.com, the project is being produced by The Weinstein Company and includes allegedly authentic recently unearthed secret government footage, a cover-up conspiracy, astronauts and alien life forms. It’s got everything.

Alba Disses Screenwriters

Jessica Alba apparently squawked for Elle Magazine, saying “good actors never use the script unless it’s amazing writing. All the good actors I’ve worked with, they all say whatever they want to say.” She’s currently working with Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Ben Stiller, Harvey Keitel, Laura Dern, Blythe Danner and Barbara Streisand filming Little Folkers. Maybe they’re the good actors that “say whatever they want”? (The birds to the left are included because they are Ardea alba. They also say whatever they want.)

Shut Up and Write

“Shut up and write,” his friend whispered from his deathbed. Sage advice that launched the career of screenwriter Donald Martin.

Screenwriter versus Subway

Academy Award nominated screenwriter Will Rokos (“Monsters Ball”) was hit by a subway train. He apparently leaned over to peer into the tunnel just as the train barreled out, hitting his head and knocking him onto the tracks. He was conscious at the scene and is hospitalized in critical but stable condition. TW sends well wishes for his speedy recovery.

The Mineshaft Gap

TW stumbled upon this interesting essay from screenwriter Terry Southern about his experiences writing Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb with Stanley Kubrick, who called him out of the blue because of “certain indications” that he could help with the script.

Nice Guy Eddie

Screenwriter/actor/producer/blah-blah-blah Edwards Burns (“She’s The One”) is “excited to help fans discover my latest screenplay by making it easily available on Kindle”, or so says his publicist in a press release plugging his new film, “Nice Guy Johnny”, which was released today on DVD, Kindle (and its owner, Amazon.com) and his screenplay. That’s three plugs in one press release. Pretty good.

Rich Football Player Is Writing One, Too

What wealthy defensive end drives from his Malibu home in a rented Ferrari to take meetings in Los Angeles in his quest to become a working screenwriter/producer? Answer here.

Thirty Grand And A Hand Shake

Screenwriting Award — Photo: David Ortmann @ flickr.com

AMPAS announced the five Nicholl Fellowship winners:
* Destin Daniel Cretton, San Diego, Calif., “Short Term 12”
* Marvin Krueger, North Hollywood, Calif., “And Handled with a Chain”
* Andrew Lanham, Austin, Texas, “The Jumper of Maine”
* Micah Ranum, Beverly Hills, Calif., “A Good Hunter”
* Cinthea Stahl, North Hollywood, Calif., “Identifying Marks”
They beat out 6300 scripts submitted to win the award. Was yours in the pile?