Summer Box Office Heats Up!

It seems that there was something for everyone at theaters these past few week! Pixar's animated heroine with a bow and arrow, Brave best out its rivals in its first week but went down to #3 behind Mark Wahberg and his raunchy, pot smoking talking teddy bear voiced by Seth McFarlane in Ted followed by more raunchiness with Matthew McConaghey and Channing Tatum starring as male strippers in  Magic Mike. Brave was followed by a gun-totting Madea in Witness Protection for the #1, 2 and #4 spots, respectively.

Things got even hotter as the new Spider Man reboot opened to great numbers. I'm looking forward to The Dark Knight Rises, the newest Batman sequel with Tom Hardy as Bane as well as Anne Hathaway as Catwoman, which opens July 20th. Meanwhile Comic-Con starts this weekend so there should be 1 or 2 interesting stories coming out of that.

Olympics:
The London Summer Olympics starts runs July 27th -August but it is doubtful that this will take much out of the summer B.O. numbers.

My IMHO Movie Reviews:
I'm way behind on my summer movie viewing and reviewing 'cause I'm busy writing and polishing a few scripts. Also, my movie logline (story idea) and part of my movie outline was selected for the short film project, Let's Make A Movie for the Alameda Writers Group. The AWG plans to make the short film in 2013 and the script is in it's first draft. If all goes well, I should be getting my first and second writing credits! I should be returning to my IMHO reviews by mid July so "stay tuned"!

Update:
I read an interesting conversation on deadline.com about animated movie characters Ted, the raunchy teddy bear from the movie, Ted and Toon Town's Roger Rabbit from Who Killed Roger Rabbit fame as compared to Citizen Kane ("what!"). Of course, I couldn't resist making a comment on Jessica Rabbit versus Angelina Jolie. So sad that Jessica's never won an Oscar ;D Check my response and more here:
http://www.deadline.com/2012/06/early-fireworks-ted-and-magic-mike-open-with-huge-2m-midnights/

Writers Write!

Write Now!
I missed the final May 1st deadline and then the extended deadline (May 2nd) for the Nicholls Fellowship screenwriting competition due to persistantly dilated pupils and eye sensitivity from and an eye exam 2 days prior and to an ungoing computer glitch (shoots!). Needless to say, I was very disappointed and exhausted but I attended the National Day of Prayer-Hollywood at CBS Studios with great hope for my writing future and Hollywood in general(see National Day of Prayer post).

I rested the rest of the week then I busied myself by writing for the 100 Word Writing Challenge on the Alameda Writers' Group (AWG) website. AWG has a monthly writing exercise or 100 Word Challenge contest on its site and for this challenge you had to write something that reflects the story behind the picture or photo posted but in 100 words or less. In the first case, it was this 1950s styled drawing of a male and female character as they sit at a table sipping tea or coffee?

The following month's contest was a 1950s styled drawing of a red-headed man in a tux shooting a gun from a convertible as a blond in her bra and undies? drives them recklessly.

This month's photo is of that post-hockey game riot in Vancouver a few years back where the boyfriend was kissing his girl while she was lying on her back in the middle of the street amidst crazy rioters and battle-ready riot police.

I thought that was the craziest of things to see so writing about it was too much fun. See my various submissions for the 100 Word Challenge at http://www.alamedawritersgroup.com/

More on the AWG:
The Alameda Writers' Group meets every first Sat of the month at the Glendale Public Library on Harvard Street. They offer a monthly Speaker Series (which is FREE for non-members) along with writing contests and loads of writing resources. For $60 a year you can become a member and you can attend their SIG groups, a group for critique and feedback of your script or novel and you can attend and vote at the monthly GENERAL MEMEBERS MEETINGS  held before the seminar speaker speaks.

I'm not an actual AWG member yet but I attend about 4-5 times a year and find the meetings to be worth an early Saturday morning wake up. There are also small prizes for contest winners and also raffle tickets for other prizes. Plus, there's usually donuts, milk, coffee, tea and often times fruit, all for FREE but donations are welcomed!

All speakers and panels are hosted by AWG President, Marc Cushman (see pic above), who is a writer, director, author and producer. Cushman has written for such shows as Star Trek:NG and Diagnosis Murder and he currently teaches a class on screenwriting at the Pierce Colllege extension program. Learn more about Marc at http://www.marccushman.com/ and at http://extension.piercecollege.edu/

AWG's Emily Wright also gives extra-ordinary feedback for most of the contest entries and I follow her on her blog. 

The AWG's speaker for the month of May was Ken Rotcop (pictured below), a writer, producer and former chief executive of creative development at four Hollywood studios. His writing has varied from writing for The Super Friends Saturday morning cartoon series to writing the award winning American Playhouse TV movie: The Medgar Evers Story. Rotcop is also the author of 2 books on how to pitch. ( off topic: hey do you know that they're re-making Robocop?)

Back on topic: Ken gave great advice about writing, pitching and the biz. As the Great America Pitch Fest(GAPF) was the next week, Rotcop reminded us listeners that he holds a form of pitchfest every year. He calls his a pitchmart but his is smaller than the other pitchfests and says he has agents attend who are interested in repping writers at his pitchmart event. In fact, Rotocop claimed that at the end of every one of his mart, all the writers are repped by agents! Learn more about Ken at http://www.pitchmart.com/  and get his pitching DVDs online, too.

AWG met Sat June 2nd, 2012 at the Glendale Library and their speaker was Christine Conradt, a writer and exec. producer. She read our submitted bios and loglines to help us craft one that works best.
The speaker events usually runs from 10:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m. followed by a Q&A after but July's meeting will be dedicated to the Let's Make A Movie outline selection with 3 established Hollywood producers judging for the winner.

You can attend the AWG for FREE but not the other events like smaller sub-groups or SIGs. I suggest joining the AWG because all the great feedback you get and the speakers they invite to speak are definitely worth your money.        

Glendale Library            

222 E Harvard St.     
Glendale, CA 91205

Update:
My computer crashed and I had to reboot the entire system. I had about 95% of all my writing, artwork and photos saved on flashdrives and CDs as back up, Thank God! I have to rescan some of my most recent artwork but otherwise I am restored. My laptop is actually running better now so even the crash was a blessing. My laptop is old, too (7 years-old) so I used to have to pray over it regularly and annoint it (seriously)!
Wow! God is a restorer of things!

More Star Sightings

Star Sightings:

I was in the check-out line at Trader Joe's off Sunset/H-wood recently when I looked at the guy checking out next to me. He looked real familiar and not because I had nearly swiped him with my cart in the refrigerated food aisle minutes earlier. I mean the guy REALLY looked familiar. The guy looked to be in his mid 30s and about 6 feet tall. He was nicely built, kind of ruggedly handsome in a down-to-earth way in just t-shirt and jeans. He was with a happy teenage girl and another lady who looked like a family member. I stared at the guy again and he caught me but I looked away, totally embarassed to be caught staring. But I mean this guy looked like I knew him... like maybe from church here in LA. I made brief eye contact again and he shrugged and nodded real humbly back at me. That nod confirmed that I did know him... maybe from back east... But not from home.. No... not from home...

I shook my head as I continued to ponder the situation then I placed my bananas from my cart to the counter. I finally gave in and decided to ask the guy where I knew him from. So I tapped him and said, “You look so familiar to me. Where do I know you from"? The guy put his hands in his pocket shyly and paused then he took his hands from his pockets and motioned with them as he began to explain to me the situation. He turned around to face me mid-explaination and I finally saw his full face and then I immediately knew! Meanwhile, the guy took a big breath to start to explain to me quietly but I cut him off almost simultaneously with ” Oh, Greys...” .

You see, it was Justin Chambers aka Alex Karev from Grey's Anatomy. Chambers blushed a little at me then he smiled boyishly and nodded as I told him what a great job that I thought he did on the show. Then I mouthed sorry, lowered my voice and slinked away hoping no one else recognized him because of my noise and nosiness.

I went back to checking out but couldn't resist leaning back over to Chambers and whispering to him that I was a medical doctor and that Grey's was the only medical drama that I had really liked in years and that my first two spec scripts were for Grey's (then Monk, then Samantha Who, then House, M.D. -lol). He shook my hand and asked me my name. I told him and he said he would let the cast, crew, writers and Shonda Rhimes etc know of my feedback. I have already met a few of Grey's Anatomy's writers who are medical doctors also but it was nice meeting Mr. Chambers as he was very, very sweet.

Update: TV Medical Dramas
Speaking of TV Medical dramas, House, M.D. had its series finale a few months back but I didn't watch it. IMHO, I felt the show ran it's course and actually jumped the shark big time this past season. I have one spec script for House that I'll be posting here soon because it is useless as a spec now. I haven't kept up with Private Practice or Grey's but I hope they have at least 1-2 more years because I have 2 written specs for Grey's.

I do like Dr. Neal Baer's new show, A Gifted Man, where the doctor sees the ghost of his dead ex-wife but I wish the show had more Judeo-Christian elements as oppose to the shaman elements. I can't seem to catch any episodes of Gifted Man though so I hope it's not canceled. I have caught ads for a new NBC medical TV drama for Fall 2012 called Hope which reminds me of Gifted Man.


I will definitely do a spec for Gifted Man with added Christian content if it comes back for the 2012-2013 season. Or I may write an original medical drama spec like Dr. Sunjay Gupta just did.

"Heaven Knows..." RIP Donna Summer

More Falling Stars:
News reports state that 70s Disco songstress aka "the Queen of Disco", Donna Summer,  has died from lung and possibly breast cancer at age 63. Ms. Summer early hits like McArthur Park, Hot Stuff and the moan-filled, Love To Love You, Baby" were the rage of the 70s night clubs, record stores and radio stations.  Despite the erotic nature of some of her songs, Ms. Summer was still my favorite singer of that era along with Gloria Gaynor, Patti Labelle, Chaka Khan and way before Whitney Houston and Anita Baker. Summer's songs, "Dim All The Lights", On The Radio and Enough Is Enough (her duet with Barbara Streisand),  were among my favorites and I remember dancing and singing to her LPs for hours. I love to dance and Summer's songs always had a great dance beat that evolved beyond disco. In fact, Summer is often credited for starting the electronic dance craze that is so hot today.

Ms. Summer was born LaDonna Adrian Gaines and grew up in a Christian family. She began singing in the church as a child then she moved on to sing in musicals like Hair, Show Boat and Godspell in the U.S. and Europe. Summer's career continued pass the disco era into the 80s and 90s with hits like the woman's empowering, "She Works Hard For The Money" and a Christmas album. She won a total of 5 Grammy Awards, garned a star on The Hollywood Walk Of Fame and was also inducted into the Dance Music Hall Of Fame. 

Summer tried her hand at acting and had a role in the film, Thank God It's Friday. She appeared as a guest star on many TV shows and TV specials and televised events including MTV and President Ronal Reagan inaugural in the 80s. She appeared on the X Factor as recently as last season.

Summer had talked openly about her struggles with depression and suicide but she had had a spiritual conversion in the 90s and became a born-again Christian. Summer returned to her greatest hits tour and she often toured with many greats like the Bee-Gees. Summer was said to have been in the studio recording around the time of her death and reports said that she was due to go back on tour again soon.

Donner Summers will be greatly missed but her music lives on. Our prayers go out to Donna Summer's husband and daughters at this sad time. Rest in peace, Donna Summer.

"Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Staying Alive..."
Update:  Ah, the words to this song seems so sad now as I just heard that Robin Gibb of the Bee-Gees/Gibbs Brothers fame has lost his battle with liver against liver cancer in the U.K. The Gibbs, a trio from England /Australia known for their falsetto sound rose to fame after singing the award winning 70s disco sound track for Saturday Night Live.

Funny, they Bee-Gees had toured with Donna Summer and they were inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame together and now both past away so close together. The Bee-Gees have certainly had their share of tragedies. They. lost youngest brother, Andy Gibb due to a drug habit and myocarditis in the 90s and Robin's fraternal twin, Morris died from twisted intestines in 2003.

Robin himself fought courageously to beat his cancer but reports had said that his health had taken a recent turn for the worse. Older brother, Barry Gibb is now the only surviving Gibbs brother so we send prayers to him and Robin's family.  It is unclear what faith Robin Gibb followed while living but I pray that his family may be comforted and that he rests in peace.

National Day of Prayer HOLLYWOOD

The National Day of Prayer HOLLYWOOD was held at the CBS Studio Center in Studio City on May 3rd and Christians from different churches and different walks of life were well represented at the event though there were many many entertainment industry people there, too.

We had a glorious time giving God praise and praying for God's blessings. Opening Prayers were said by Karen Covell, Director of Hollywood Prayer Network(HPN), and Kim Dorr-Tilley, Associate Pastor of Bel-Air Presbyterian Church. Prayers for our Nation was lead by Jack Kerr, a war Veteran then prayer for the Government was lead by Gary Montecuollo, Chief of Police at Glendale City College. Cheryl Allen, Director of the Pasadena International House of Praise PIHOP, lead prayer for the City followed by Eric Hannah, President of Lift Up America, who lead prayer for  Relationships & Families. Kim Dorr-Tilley lead the prayers for the Churches followed by Mark Joseph, a producer at MJM Entertainment Group, who lead prayers for Hollywood and the Entertainment Industry.

There was also strong prayers for the Youth lead by actress, Avrielle Corti and prayers for a local and a world-wide Revival lead by Jimmy Fisher, Pastor of Worship at Faithful Central Church. Fisher also lead us to pray for Christians around the world especially the persecuted church in China, Nigeria and Egypt. There was great corporal prayer and beautiful praise music including "How Great Is Our God", "Be Exalted", "Alleluia", "worthy of It All", "Amazing Grace" and "All My Worship" performed by David Brymer, the Worships/Arts Director at PIHOP. Plus, a stirring "stomp and parise" rendition of "Great is Thou Faithfullness" perfomed by Contagious Praise of Faithful Central and written by Jimmy Fisher to close out the evening.

There were also Personal Prayer Stations so that indiviuals could receive prayer for any personal short comings or need. They also had various stations set up espousing godly characteristics (like LOVE, HOPE, PURITY, CHARACTER, SALVATION) with the applicable Bible verses. We ended the night with a final Prayer then we were able to meet and greet friends or new acquaintences after. I met .... ., the Pastor of PIHOP and a few of his friends then I talked with some friends from Ecclesia who were also there.

I left CBS Studios so filled up with hope and the Holy Spirit that I was not feeling any pain anywhere and my friend T.H. and I praised the Lord all the way home. Wow, when God called me to Hollywood, I never ever could imagine that I would be at a major Hollywood studio praising the Lord with a room full of other Christians and praising Him as mightily and as beautifully as we did. NEVER, EVER, EVER!!! God is amazing!!!

May God bless CBS Studios for allowing us to have our National Day of Prayer on their property and may they continue to be open to being used by the Lord for His glory. May more of the CBS TV shows reflect a love for the Lord and His people and may the Bible be extolled as the very Word of God that it is. I have been praying for the CBS Studios, Charlie Sheen, Chuck Lorre and the two Lorre sit-coms Two and a half Men and Big Bang Theory since the Charlie Sheen/Men fall out last year but I will try to pray even more now.

Update: CBS Comedies
Sat May 5th: Speaking of CBS comedies, I got some old shooting scripts for the TV show, Two and a Half Men when I was at the Alameda Writers Group. I had written about 1 page for a "clean" Two and Half Men spec in 2010 but abandned it because I felt the show was at the end of its run. Now I can use this old shooting script and compare it with how they are writing for the show with Ashton Kutcher replacing Charlie.

Sun May 6th:

I was with friends after church on Sunday and just happened to run into Simon Helberg aka Howard Wolowitz of The Big Bang fame at the Farmer's Market between Sunset and Hollywood. He was walking through the crowd unrecognized in a cap when I saw him and did a double take. He looked real cool and he was sporting a beard and holding hands with a cute 20 something girl(his wife?). I just had to tug him and tell him how much I love his portrayal of his character on the show etc. but I did it quietly so no one else would recognize him and spoil his privacy. Helberg just smiled happily at my response and he seemed truly surprised and humbled to be recognized amidst the thick throng.
I even managed to hug him and whisper to him that I actual pray for him and for his success and I really do! Weirdly, Helberg's Howard character (though fictional) has really given me some insights to Jewish-Christian relations. It's like he is the walking breathing version of the "Jewish Book Of Why" that I often read.

The Avengers Are Box Office Champs!

After 2 weeks of international release, The Avengers movie was released in the US( finally) to record earnings of 200 million for the opening day numbers! This number smashes ("Hulk SMASH!") the previous numbers set by the last installment of the Harry Potter films. Boy, the trailer looks sweet and the tension between the team looks good with convincing dialog. I still don't like the way the Hulk is done but it is better than the previous two.

Confession:
I have only seen the first Iron Man (unimaginable as a fan of comic book heroes) so I'm off to rent Captain America and Iron Man 2, I may or may not watch Thor then I can watch the Avengers and be a part of this history making Box Office Hit!

Super Heores Rock!
Talk about just in time - it was FREE Comic Book Day at the Glendale Public Library last Saturday and I got 2 FREE comics! I couldn't decide between the DC Superheroes cover with Superman, Wonder Woman and the Dark Knight or the Marvel Comic Superhero cover with The Avengers (Iron Man, Captain Amarica, Thor etc.) plus Wolverine and Spidey ( see above). The Library even had a Superman comic drawn and written for those 6 and under and a Mousegaurd book (yipee)!

The Free Comic Book Day is a project of DC and Marvel Comics in conjunction with local comic book stores to promote reading among children. The comics for the Glendale Public Library are provided by Legacy Comics located at 123 W. Wilson Avenue in Glendale. Give them a call at 818-247-8803

Update: May 8th
Saw glimpses of the trailer for the new Spider-Man remake today during the finale of The Voice. Spidey's trailer looks tight so far especially the web-swinging part... Wait! Is that Iggie as the villian played by my fav Welshman, Rhys Ifans? I think so. Wait... are there any Americans in Spiderman? There's none in the new Superman remake either I heard. Yikes!

Back To The Future Fundraiser

The Kenya Team 2012 (KT12) at Ecclesia Church is throwing a Back To The Future Fundraiser next Sunday, June 10th at 6 pm for all the Sci-Fi loving comedy geeks like you and me. The KT12 team will be showing the first film of the BTTF franchise on the church's large movie screen and there will be a BTTF costume contest with prizes, too. There will also be food and snacks for sale at the concession. Best yet, an actual DeLorean car will be on display at the event! It's not the one from the film but I'm beyond stoked. The BTTF event is FREE but generous donations are welcomed so give 'til it hurts (in a good way :D ). Remember, this BTTF event is how the KT12 Team is kicking off it's fundraising for their July trip to the Kiberia slums in Kenya.

Ecclesia Church and the KT12 Team has a heart for God's people in Africa but it takes money to cover the cost for each Kenyas Team member's trip including the cost for their flight, room and board, ground transportation etc. Not to mention the large cost of the arts, craft, medical, food and Christian teaching supplies for the children in their programs. Each KT12 member is responsible for raising $3,500 for the trip and last year's fund-faising ranged from a musical concert for Kenya with bands affiliated with Ecclesia to indiviuals passing around donation sheets at their jobs.

Kiberia is among the largest slums in Africa and the children are in great need there. So come on out in BTTF gear as McFly, Doc Brown or even as the tower clock (lol)! Or dress in any 50s or 80s Rock-n-Roll costume and come have "a ton of fun" as we raise "a ton of cash" for Kenya !