clarkblog

CONTAINS SCENES OF KICK-ASS ACTION

This is gymnast Damien Walters and he will rock your damned world. No wires, no CGI, just an athlete who's blending parkour with traditional gymnastics and a cocky "hell, yeah, I can do that" attitude. This guy needs a movie where it's just non-stop chase.

I had to shrink this video down to column-width. Please take four minutes and watch it in full-screen mode.

TEAM PLAYERS

Last Tuesday, writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman revealed how they wrote the new Star Trek movie while creating Fox's TV show Fringe and penning the upcoming Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, among other things.

They work hard. It's that simple.

The duo spoke at the Writers Guild Foundation. John August has posted some good notes from the event.

DESIGNING ROOM 101

"In 1946 Observer editor David Astor lent George Orwell a remote Scottish farmhouse in which to write his new book, Nineteen Eighty-Four. It became one of the most significant novels of the 20th century. Here, Robert McCrum tells the compelling story of Orwell's torturous stay on the island where the author, close to death and beset by creative demons, was engaged in a feverish race to finish the book."

Fascinating, inspiring and heartbreaking stuff from the UK Guardian: "The Masterpiece That Killed George Orwell."

POINTERS

 

Lisa Klink points to the amazing Writers on the Verge program at NBC, which will soon be accepting applications.

Kira Snyder gives good tips on how writers should handle the ups and downs of staffing season.

And Kay Reindl looks at the magical machinery of Bad Robot. With Lost, Fringe and the new Star Trek film under his belt, J.J. Abrams' allegiance to genre speaks for itself.

YEAH YEAH YEAHS: "ZERO"

At the 2:40 mark, this aural aberration in the space-time continuum shoots the listener sideways to an alternate 1980s New Wave universe where a sassy Debbie Harry belts out a lost Iggy Pop song with backing from OMD and the Human League, all under the production of Brian Eno.

I want to go to there.

MAKE 'EM LAUGH

Got an original pilot script for a half-hour comedy?

Then enter it in a new contest sponsored by FOX and the New York Television Festival. They're giving away $25K and a development deal. No joke.

TALKING TREK

Over at The House Next Door, Jason Bellamy and Ed Howard have a interesting and spirited conversation about the first six Star Trek films.

I agree that Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is the best Trek film. At least, it is until this weekend, maybe.

The comments extend the conversation nicely, but be warned they will probably soon contain spoilers for the J.J. Abrams-directed revamp opening this weekend.

FACEPALM

More classic pix from last month's Tea Party here.

Our forefathers would slap the holy living shit out of these idiots.

MARCH OF THE PENGUINS

Some amazing book covers to browse at The Art of Penguin Science Fiction.

 

 

I WOULDA GUESSED CHENEY