Screenwriting Blog
Ruminations about screenwriting, movies, Hollywood, and the Seattle filmmaking scene by NWSG President, Aadip Desai
February 2008:
February 23, 2008 - Download Oscar Nominated Screenplays
Hey all, we just got out of Wally Dalton's workshop on pitching. Just got home and realized that I'd like to read a bunch of scripts that are nominated for the Oscar this year. I found a site where you can download the screenplays (some shooting, some drafts, etc.) for There Will Be Blood, Atonement, Ratatouille, Away From Her, Diving Bell..., The Savages, Eastern Promises, Juno, and Michael Clayton, The Namesake, Bourne Ultimatum, Elizabeth, Gone Baby Gone, Into The Wild, In The Valley of Elah, Sweeny Todd, and many more. Enjoy.
February 22, 2008 - Board Member Nominations and Voting
To ensure that all NWSG members who have paid their dues have a chance to nominate and vote for Board Members, we ask that NWSG members send in their nominations for Board Bembers. Nominations can also be raised at the meeting. Nominees will be voted on at the meeting before our speaker begins. This will be the only time that members can nominate and vote for Board Members for 2008.
February 19, 2008 - No Country For Old Men
I finally saw No Country For Old Men tonight. Consider it cramming for Oscar
weekend. I loved the film - the cinematography, the plot, the pacing, the performances,
the characters. A very satisfying piece of cinema. Is it THE best movie to
come out this year? Not sure. I did love Juno, There Will Be Blood, and of
course, Transformers (OK, not this last one). I think Best Original Screenplay
will go to Juno, while Best Adapted Screenplay is a toss-up between NCFOM and
TWBB. Anyone else think these titles sound like emo bands? Of course, they
pre-date all these bands.
February 14, 2008 - Colbert Report and Note to Oregonians
I was happy to see Stephen Colbert welcome back his writers one by one on camera, awarding them with a pencil and well, their jobs. There was only one suspect writer, namely the ubiquitous Kevin Bacon.Colbert did continually make fun of the strike throughout, but it's a comedy show.
Hey Oregonians - The Oregon Writers Colony asked us to let you know that Christopher Vogler, who wrote The Writers Journey, will be teaching a seminar in Newport, Oregon on April 12.
Washingtonians and others - We'll be hosting Catherine Ann Jones that same weekend.
February 12, 2008 - WGA Strike is Over!
Well, let the buying frenzy begin. I'm glad to see that many of our past guest speakers can get back to work and pay their mortgages.
Some 92.5% of the 3,775 ballots cast were in favor of ending the 100-day strike, with 3,492 members voting yes and 283 die-hards ready to tilt at the windmill of continuing the work stoppage that began Nov. 5.
FYI, the SAG-AFTRA contract on feature films and primetime TV expires June 30. No talks have yet been set.
February 5, 2008 - Teen Wolf and February 22 Event
OK, so our February event has nothing to do with Teen Wolf. I just saw Teen Wolf on TV and realized what a great, crazy, '80s movie it is. It's kinda sad to see Michael J. Fox now, but fun to see him playing basketball covered in fake fur. We also just watched a little Back To The Future and for some reason, Doc Hollywood. There must've been a Michael J. Fox movie marathon on cable.
Good news, we've locked down our speaker for February, the multi-talented Wally Dalton. He'll be dropping in to chat with us about his career as an actor, writer on Benson, Barney Miller, and Laverne and Shirley, and we can ask him about his sideline as a stuntman. The cool thing is he lives in Ballard of all places.