From Ain't It Cool News: Harry Knowles and his reviewer dissed the science in the sci-fi flick The Core. So the screenwriter, John Rogers, decides to diss back.

 

From The Guardian (London): We're not sure what the author means, in this profile of Russian playwright Vassily Sigarev, when he refers to "provincial intellectuals." Do provincial intellectuals think smaller thoughts than, say, metropolitan ones? One thing's clear, though: there's nothing small-time about Sigarev, who has plays on in Moscow and London, and a drinking habit the size of Mexico City.

Tuesday, February 04, 2003

 

From The Dog Pile: making his way in an industry swamped by hype, screenwriter Joe Catoe ponders the merits of self-promotion versus sitting down at your desk and just doing it. We like his conclusions.

 

From The Los Angeles Times: He's at (or near) the top of the pile in Hollywood. His plays (well, the old ones anyway) are revered worldwide. But on the whole, David Mamet would rather be back in Vermont .

 

From The Associated Press: At 88, William (Two for the Seesaw, The Miracle Worker) Gibson doesn't write plays anymore -- but he does write.

 

From The Evening Standard: Are you in the London, England area, or planning to travel there? This lecture series featuring screenwriters Chris Columbus, William Nicholson, Michael Tolkin, Hanif Kureshi, Christopher Hampton, and Bruce Robinson sounds pretty much must-see.

 

From The Rocky Mountain News (Denver): Playwright Paula (How I Learned to Drive, The Mineola Twins) Vogel makes a foray to Colorado and tells a local paper "something I've never said in print before." Hint: it involves Republicans.

Sunday, February 02, 2003

 

From The Guardian (London): As he leaves Prague Castle after 13 years as President of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Havel's friends and colleagues say power hasn't changed him: "He has never stopped being a playwright."

 

From The Times (London): She may be married to a screenwriter, but Virginia Nicholson, great-niece of Virginia Woolf, isn't letting the makers of The Hours off easy.

 

From News24.com (South Africa): And you think you have problems. In South Africa, bankrupt playwright Mbongeni Ngema now faces a demand of 39 cows from his aggrieved father-in-law, Chief Cilongo Mpungose of the Mpungose clan in Ulundi!

 

Plug: E-script's online courses and workshops for playwrights and screen & TV writers continue year-round. Check them out.

 

From The Palm Beach Post: the real Antwone Fisher, whose screen adaptation of his own chilling autobiography made Roger Ebert cry, says he won't be glued to the TV set when the Oscar nominations are announced: "You don't want to be standing around in your PJ's at 5 in the morning, waiting to hear, (and) not hear anything."

 

From The Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, Virginia): Matthew Burnett got his start in theatre playing the Second Baseball Player in a high school production of Our Town. (Did anybody not act in Our Town in high school?) Now he's drawing quite a bit more attention, with his stage adaptation of Wilder's novel Theophilus North at the Arena Stage.

 

From the San Bernardino County Sun: USC announces the nominees for 15th annual Scripter Award, the only prize to honor both the author and screenwriter for a film adaptation. (Note: when you get there, scroll down a bit.)

 

From the San Francisco Gate: A few years ago, David Hare said he was through with screenwriting. Now, with The Hours and his forthcoming screenplay for The Corrections, he's the hottest screenwriter on two continents. So, does that mean he's giving up theatre?

 

From The Hindustan Times: Screenwriter Tracy Johnson wants to see South Asians reflected in U.S. film more. A good idea, but we wonder: shouldn't a South Asian writer do the job?

 

From The New York Times: Whaddaya know? A playwright who doesn't aspire to be a screenwriter. The fact that August Wilson may also be the greatest dramatist of our age only makes his loyalty all the more inspiring. (Note: requires free registration.)