I like comic books just like most other people (well maybe not as much as George R.R. Martin). However, I have to remind myself from time-to-time that comic book movie adaptations should have an open license to do anything with the characters, and I shouldn't complain.
Why would I say this? Well for starters, over time comic book writing is some of the worst that there is. Take Wolverine for example. I'm looking forward to the new movie, so I brushed up on some of the history on this character. After I did so, I came to the decision that I honestly don't care where the movie goes as long as it has a self-contained story that makes sense and has good action scenes. Here's Wolverine's history as it's evolved over time (I'll let you be the judge):
1) Wolverine was originally meant to be an actual wolverine turned into a human by the high evolutionary. His claws were part of his gloves.
2) The claws became implants created by Weapon X, and he was a mutant.
3) Someone decided he was meant to be Sabertooth's son.
4) Someone decided he had bone claws all along and they just got covered over with adamantium. Magneto exposed this by ripping all the adamantium form his body which made his regeneration insane (see number 6).
5) In the present incarnation, he isn't a mutant. He's a Lupine, which is a human-looking species that evolved parallel to humans but from wolves and not apes. There are two tribes of lupines: blond and dark-haired. They hate each other, hence Sabertooth vs. Wolverine being in conflict all the time. Other Lupines include Wolfsbane, Feral, Wild Child, and Thornn. All of them are manipulated by an elder Lupine called Romulus.
6) Originally he could heal faster than most. It evolved into an uber superpower so that at one point, he was left as a skeleton from an explosion and healed completely within seconds. To set limits, every time he dies, Wolverine had to fight the Spirit of Death to return to the living. And then they got rid of that, so he doesn't have to do it anymore. But now if he dies, this time, it's the real deal! *shocked face
And you can do the above analysis with any serialized comic book character. Spiderman, Hulk, Superman, Wonder Woman... Every single one of them from Jean Grey to Dr. Fate is a complete hot mess. And let's not even get into how every single female character now has rape in their background because "rape" makes female characters "edgy." At least that's what writers think. "Let's put a rape in the background and that explains why she's all doom and gloom now."
Comic book writing is just...SO BAD... I really understand why I no longer buy them. Maybe that explains why I think so much of the YA genre featuring comic book-ish heroes is bad too. Writers are emulating this crap. But hey, it sells. So as long as the money train is rolling hop on for a ride.
To anyone that reads and appreciates good writing, comic book movies will always be better than the actual serialized comics. Yes, I said it. I don't care how bad the movie is either. Just look at the complete and utter mess Wolverine is and try to argue with me. You can't. You'll just lose.
Seriously, anyone who pokes fun at George Lucas for tampering with Star Wars over time and yet loves serialized comic books has nowhere to stand. If you're one of these people, you're a complete hypocrite. The plot holes, the continuity problems, the stuff that plain just doesn't make sense at all is the reason why comics for the most part are just examples of the most awful commercial writing available. However, because all superheroes come with six pack abs, sexy bodies and big tits, and action scenes rife with special effects, they will always make billions of dollars. That being said, I'm looking forward to the new Wolverine movie. Here's the latest trailer (it hits theaters July 26th):
I read about this HERE in an article by Tona Kunz.
Science, you so crazy. Transparent aluminum sounded cool when I was a kid. Who
knew the stuff was actually real? After reading the article posted as a news release
on Argonne's site, I think I just crapped my pants. And for those of you too young to
know, this is a screen capture from Star Trek IV. That's Scotty on the left and Bones on
the right. Scotty is talking into a computer mouse, because he's not used to such
primitive technology. After all, he's the chief engineer of the Enterprise.
To paraphrase Tony's article, scientists have only this month unraveled a formula for turning liquid cement into liquid metal. I know, this sounds ridiculous, and I'm trying to wrap my head around this even as I jot this down for my blog. But I can't help but think of that scene in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home when Scotty gives the secret to making transparent aluminum to a man in a Plexiglas plant. Best line from that movie (for the record) is: "THERE BE WHALES HERE!"
The process the scientists at Argonne discovered makes cement into a semi-conductor. If you're like me, you might ask "What does this mean?" and "How soon will I be able to take a transporter to and from work?" Well (unfortunately for us) there's no transporter applications yet. However, you're going to see it show up in your consumer electronics as thin films, protective coatings, and in the manufacture of computer chips. Here's a diagram of how thin films work in solar cells so you can better understand how your "cement" is going to look in the very near future:
Or if you aren't into solar panels, then how about a thin film laptop computer? Here's one in development from Cymbet Corporation using thin-film battery technology that's far superior to the clunky batteries in today's laptops. This laptop can be recharged thousands of times without ever seeing a depreciation in the time it stays charged (nice eh?), will retain its charge way better than the batteries you are using right now, will charge super fast, and doesn't have toxic chemicals to damage the environment. Imagine writing your next masterpiece on this baby.
This thing is a battery. Yeah, you read that right.
Computer chips made from cement? Yeah, it's happening. But why is it happening? Well, there's a need for materials that have resistance to corrosion (traditional metal is rather poor at resisting corrosion), that is less brittle than traditional glass (you'll be able to see through this cement), yet has conductivity, low energy loss in magnetic fields, and fluidity for ease of processing and molding. Cement can do all of this by a process called electron trapping. DISCLAIMER: I'm not going to go into what electron trapping is because, quite frankly, I can only barely grasp the concept myself.
Also, to make this stuff, they had to blast levitated cement with lasers until it melted and turned into liquid metal. You should read that last line again. THEY LEVITATED CEMENT AND BLASTED IT WITH LASERS UNTIL IT MELTED AND TURNED INTO LIQUID METAL. My reaction:
We don't just live in interesting times. We live in AMAZING times. Talk about all the fuel us science-fiction writers now have in our toolbox for genuine HARD science fiction stories...I'm truly blown away. Here's hoping that science somehow inspires you in your endeavors. Have a great Wednesday.
When Steve Jobs left us almost two years ago, comedians joked that he was from outer space because he gave us something so amazing, it's been described as magical. And "magical" isn't just a word I pulled out of thin air. It's from a quote I'm borrowing that originated with the NPR Podcast called This American Life, and about Mr. Daisy's visit to the Apple factory in Shenzhen, China. One of the workers who assembles the iPad gets to play with it for a while, and he uses the word "magical" to describe it.
What Mr. Jobs invented was so revolutionary that those who took the time to truly comprehend it were left speechless by his ability to envision it. Therefore, he must not be from our planet.
The joke goes even further in my own day-to-day life as I refer to the iPhone as "my miracle box." You might wonder why, and the answer is pretty simple. It's because my iPhone can do so much stuff that (a decade ago) I never could have imagined outside of Star Trek or in the least, J.J. Abrams' home. Hence, "miracle box" seems like a good nickname for such a device.
Well, it appears that if you share my thinking, the joke's on all of us now. The plans that Steve Jobs left behind for Apple's new campus headquarters to be built in Cupertino, California looks a lot like the mother ship from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Seriously, if this thing doesn't lift off into space at the touch of the red button, I will be surprised.
Expected to open in 2016 (that's election year for you Republicans who are keeping track of such things), Apple's new 2.8-million square feet facility was brought to the Cupertino city council by none other than late CEO Steve Jobs himself. Catch this little factoid: its diameter is larger than that of the Pentagon. I've been to the Pentagon in Washington D.C. and it's frickin' huge. This thing is going to dwarf that building. Impressed? *Nods head.
The building is meant to incorporate and develop much of the surrounding green space. There's going to be a system of bike lanes put in for all the health conscious tech geniuses. There's going to be bio-fueled "green" buses to take people around and to go to and from work. The facility will also house its own natural gas-burning power plant. I have a friend that says natural gas is the "fuel of America's future." Well if Steve Jobs believed in it, I think it probably means it's the number one choice of space aliens too.
Here's one of the afore-mentioned healthy tech geniuses jogging along the path that probably goes around the huge mega-structure. I guess that's what $140 billion dollars and screwing the taxpayers of America out of billions of dollars in taxes can build for you. Did any of you watch Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, address Congress on CSPAN? Cook completely "owned" them, practically having our senators lapping the dirt off of his shoes. I think Yahoo Finance (which I read to stay on top of stocks) had an article that said, "Tim Cook should tell Congress to kiss his ass." Since Congress is comprised of elected officials, that means "Tim Cook should tell the American people to kiss his ass." Nice, right?
Apple's terms and conditions page 1 of 99 as seen on the iPhone. Remember
Tim Cook says that the United States tax code could take a cue from Apple.
"We like things simple."
When asked to defend his company's practice of holing billions of dollars in tax shelters in Ireland, Mr. Cook responded (more or less), "The tax code has not kept up with the digital age. Apple thrives on keeping things SIMPLE, and Congress should do the same with the tax code. Eliminate loopholes, reduce overall rates, and make it attractive to bring overseas cash back to the United States."
So it's all your fault people. Apple likes things simple. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE NEXT TIME YOU READ THROUGH APPLE'S ITUNES TERMS & CONDITIONS, WHICH IS 56-PAGES LONG! Yeah, Apple wants things "Simple."
I work with disabled people five days a week. Seeing technologies like the ones that I'm about to show you not only blow my mind, but tell me that HALO isn't all that far into our future. Cue Master Chief...
Aside from just looking really f'ing cool, the HALO armor is just the evolution
of technologies we are seeing today. Technologies that could quite possibly
make any of us "superhuman." As an aside note, HALO is being brought to
the silver screen by Steven Spielberg. Does that excite you? It should.
Without further ado, here are five incredible robotic suits that prove Tony Stark technology will be here in your lifetime:
The Lockheed Martin HULC
1) Lockheed Martin is a defense technology developer (basically they are the real Stark Industries), and they've developed an exoskeleton fit for the battlefield called a Human Universal Load Carrier (HULC). As an aside note, I think it's awesome that the letters almost spell "HULK" as in "your favorite green muscle dude with anger management problems." The HULC can divert up to 200 pounds in weight through powered titanium legs while allowing the user to move freely. Lockheed claims that a fully laden soldier will retain the ability to march at 3 mph and even break into 10 mph sprints while wearing the battery powered HULC. The system is designed to reduce stress on the leg and back muscles and comes with a lift assist device attachment that allows a soldier to safely lift heavy loads with the strength of two or more men.
Cyberdyne HAL-5
2) Japanese firm Cyberdyne used its robot suits as the disaster-fighting protection of the future during the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in 2011. It is the first personal exoskeleton robot to receive a global safety certificate. Thus far, 330 of these things have been leased to hospitals across Japan where they are used to assist patients with muscle weakness or disabilities due to stroke and spinal cord injuries. The suit interprets faint electrical signals in the skin around damaged muscles and moves the motorized joints in response. Cool eh?
Muscle Suit by Kobalab
3) Kobayashi Labs' Muscle Suit replaces electronic actuator motors with a system of inflatable pneumatic "artificial muscles" to help nurses or care workers carry elderly or ill patients. It currently allows users to support 110 pounds with ease, carrying it with fixed arms like a walking forklift. Think of James Cameron's Aliens and the machine that Ripley uses at the end to fight the xenomorph.
The Ekso by Ekso Bionics
4) Ekso Bionics created the "Ekso" to give paraplegics upright mobility. The man in this photo is paralyzed from the waist down, and he can walk with the assistance of the "Ekso." I think that is just mind-blowing as I work with a quadriplegic who has been confined to his chair for 24 years, and things like this are giving him hope that he may be able to walk again in his lifetime. The commercial version of the Ekso has recently been made available to hospitals and rehab centers and the company hopes to have a personal version available as soon as 2014. The company claims that the Ekso weighs 50 pounds, but the one wearing it doesn't feel the weight at all. It has 4 electric motors and 15 sensors that recreate your nervous system and tie it into a computer that serves as the brain.
Chiropractor Claire Lomas used the Argo ReWalk to become the first
person to complete a marathon in a bionic exoskeleton at the London
Marathon in May 2012. Please note that this happened five years after
a horseriding accident left her paralyzed from the chest down.
5) The Argo ReWalk (pictured above on Claire Lomas) is already commercially available for $65,000, and it enables people with spinal cord injuries to walk again and can now claim 220 trained users around the world.
It's a great world we are living in. Technology, science, and human engineering are turning the imaginations of those of us who write science fiction into reality with each passing day. Superhuman is now becoming a question of "when" and not "if." Have a great weekend and remember to be inspired. :)
The Ruby's Fire cover has flying red birds, blue-painted nails, and a skull house that screams all kinds of YA Awesome! What do you guys think of the cover for Catherine's new book? It's designed by Jay Montgomery, and yes I'm typing in all bold because I'm that excited! Here's more on this project brought to you by Catherine's publicist, Giselle Cormier:
BOOK AND AUTHOR INFO:
Ruby's Fire
Catherine Stine
Series: Fireseed, #2 (however, can be read as a stand-alone)
Publication date: June 26, 2013 <== Mark this on your calendar if you are a fan of the first book. If you've never heard of it, then you still have time to read it by clicking purchase HERE.
Genre: YA Sci-Fi
Synopsis:
If everything about you changes, what remains?
Seventeen year-old Ruby, long-pledged to the much older Stiles from the Fireseed desert cult, escapes with only a change of clothes, a pouch of Oblivion Powder and her mute little brother, Thorn. Arriving at The Greening, a boarding school for orphaned teens, she can finally stop running. Or can she? The Greening is not what it seems. Students are rampaging out of control and as she cares for the secret Fireseed crop, she experiences frightening physical changes. She’s ashamed of her attraction to burly, hard-talking Blane, the resident bodyguard, and wonders why she can’t be happy with the gentler Armonk. She’s long considered her great beauty a liability, a thing she’s misused in order to survive. And how is she to stop her dependence on Oblivion to find a real beauty within, using her talent as a maker of salves, when she has nightmares of Stiles without it?
When George Axiom, wealthy mogul of Vegas-by-the-Sea offers a huge cash prize for the winner of a student contest, Ruby is hopeful she might collect the prize to rescue her family and friends from what she now knows is a dangerous cult. But when Stiles comes to reclaim her, and Thorn sickens after creating the most astonishing contest project of all, the world Ruby knows is changed forever. This romantic fantasy set in 2099 on earth has a crafty heroine in Ruby, and a swoonworthy cast, which will surely appeal to the YA and new adult audience.
This cover is seriously gorgeous! Click to EMBIGGEN
Catherine Stine writes YA, New Adult and middle grade fiction. Her YA futuristic thriller, Fireseed One, illustrated by the author was granted a Bronze Wishing Shelf Book Award and an Indie Reader Approved notable stamp. Her YA Refugees, earned a New York Public Library Best Book. Middle grade novels include A Girl’s Best Friend. More and more, she’s enjoying writing speculative tales. She teaches literature at the School of Visual Arts and creative writing at the Philadelphia Writing Conference and in her own ongoing NYC writing workshop. Catherine earned a double focus MFA in Creative Writing at the New School.
I know most of you who follow me on twitter (or who read my blog) know that I love The Big Bang Theory. It's currently on hiatus for the summer. The season finale last week was pretty good (not the best) but Sheldon and Aimee broke some new ground. For the record, the best season finale was Penny's "walk of shame" out of Leonard's bedroom with Raj coming out afterward and Penny saying to Sheldon, "It's not what it looks like" thereby creating a riddle for Sheldon that lasted until the next season.
This awkward scene of Raj and Penny made for the best
season finale thus far in the CBS comedy.
Anyway, despite the fact that I thought it would be crazy wonderful if Stuart (the comic book store owner played by Kevin Sussman) and Rajesh Koothrappali managed to become a couple, it was not meant to be. That being said, I also never thought I'd get the opportunity to post an interview with Kevin Sussman. But I guess my audience is bigger than I thought because Michael Bivona, the Media Director for www.web2Carz.com sent me this guest post on an interview they did with Kevin. And it actually made me squee!
And how could I say "no" to that? I love Kevin Sussman more than I like Wil Wheaton. So if you too are a fan of the comic book geek guy on BBT, read on:
Kevin
Sussman Speaks
"Big Bang Theory" star on writing, evil
empires, and George Clooney.
Kevin Sussman has become a ubiquitous presence in TV and
movies since he was first cast in the Barry Levinson feature film Liberty
Heights in 1999. He is perhaps most recognizable as Walter on the
one-time ABC dramedy,Ugly Betty. Kevin’s character "Stuart
Bloom" on CBS’ The Big Bang Theory, is now a series regular,
and he recently guest starred on Showtime’s mini-series Weeds with
Mary Louise Parker. And, along with writing partner and collaborator (Big
Bang Theory co-star) John Ross Bowie,wrote a sci-fi comedy about two
slackers working onboard an evil space station, Dark Minions, now
an animated stop-motion TV pilot produced by Amazon Studios.
We recently talked to Kevin about his acting career and his
successful foray into screenwriting.
Before we talk about your acting career tell me about
your most recent success co-writing with your Big Bang Theory cast mate, John
Ross Bowie.
We originally wrote Dark Minions as a live action thing and
the major networks all turned it down because they all thought it was too “high-concept."
That was the first time John and I had sold a script; actually, SONY optioned
it and we were taking it around. Everybody loved it but they were afraid
of it. We learned really quickly what a broadcast network is willing to buy,
which is basically two things: shows about friends in their 20s or a quirky
family. If you go outside those areas, you have a much more challenging
road ahead.
How did the show evolve into a stop-motion
project? We pitched the show to Amazon as an animated thing, and they suggested
stop-motion. We love stop-motion. [British stop-motion film] Coraline is
one of my favorite movies and I love the hell out of it…and I see everything
that comes out in stop-motion. I was delighted. I didn’t realize it would be
possible to do something as time consuming as “stop-mo” for TV. Ross Shuman
(the director) had worked on Robot Chicken and the studio that
did Dark Minions, Shadow Machine that created Robot Chicken.
But Robot chicken was only 11 minutes, unlike Dark Minions which
is a full-length show.
But you and John had already sold a couple scripts The following two seasons we pitched and sold shows, The Ever
After Part and The Second Coming of Rob—one to Fox and one to ABC. They
were family oriented and both were never made once we got through the
development process, and the networks had nerfed the edgy stuff. But,
when we were doing The Second Coming of Rob they were starting
to animate Dark Minions and building the sets and puppets…it was so
great. To see all of these artisans constructing the mini set and sewing tiny
clothes was amazing. Shadow machine was so into the script and everybody was so
excited. So, while we were getting frustrated with the network, John and
I would constantly say to each other, “can we just get back to playing with our
space puppets now” which is what we wanted to be doing.
What was the evolution for Dark Minions?
You know the scene in Star Wars when they’re invading the
Rebel ship…and there’s this stark white, modular hallway. And I always thought,
“What’s in all of those cabinets in the hallway? Do people use those?” and I
wrote a scene about troopers marching by and a moment later a guy who's half-dressed comes out of a door, and goes to one of those cabinets and takes out
some Cheerios and then goes back into the room. I sent that to John and he
added another scene to it with the same exact tone.
So he got the joke?
He got it immediately and we agreed to outline it and come up with a story: two
guys who get jobs onboard an evil space station that don't agree with the
politics, but one's got student loans to pay, and the other doesn't have a
college degree.
Do you do the voice work first on something like that?
We did all the voices first and videotaped us (for scenes that had some
physicality in them) so the animators have stuff to reference. But it’s
such a slow process. Normally, when you’re working on a show you get to see the
dailies….on this if they’re lucky, with several different animators working at
the same time you get five seconds a day…so, rather than dailies we had
weeklies and at the end of the week, the cast and executives come and watch on
the big screen, a minute or two of animation and it's really cool to see this
stuff come to life.
What’s your history with John? Sometimes we get mentioned online in the context of Big Bang Theory,
that we met on Big Bang Theory. That’s not true. But, we’ve known each other
for years when we were two geeky guys winding up on the same commercial
auditions. We were those guys, working in tech settings in the corporate world.
Nerds.
What kind of job did you have?
I worked at Chase Bank and Fuji Bank in the World Trade Center actually doing
everything from admin assistance to basic programming. Excel and Word to I.T.
stuff—just real hardcore nerd shit. John was doing similar stuff down the
block. When you’re an actor in New York, you are either a waiter or you
learn Excel.
Did you guys get together on lunch breaks? Did you
hang out?
We sort of were acquaintances in NY but we’d run into each other at auditions.
We really didn’t connect until I moved out to L.A. and started working on Ugly
Betty. I became good friends with Anna Ortiz (who plays Ugly Betty’s
sister) and she’s good friends with John’s wife Jamie Denbo. Then we became
actual friends, as opposed to acquaintances. We had already written a couple of
scripts together before we coincidentally got jobs on Big Bang Theory. I'd auditioned for Chuck Lorre who had created Big Bang Theory.
He originally offered me the role of Barry Kripke which John ended up getting
because I was working on a movie at the time. The next thing Chuck had for me
was the comic book guy. Coincidentally, He had no idea that I had worked
at a comic book store for years. I worked at Jim Hanley’s Universe (comic
book store) in Manhattan. It’s weird how things turn out, because had I
been available for John’s role, John would have gotten the comic book guy part
(I tease him about it).
It sounds like it’s a pretty effortless collaboration.
It would be impossible to do if either of us had a big ego in terms of
criticism; neither of us do…we try not to be harsh…John and I work in an
almost,old-school, very respectful, deliberately diplomatic way in terms of
criticism of each other’s work. Not that there’s no ego, sometimes the writing
is better because there’s a healthy competitiveness. When we hand something
back and forth, one of us will tweak a joke to make it funnier. There’s a
little bit of one-upping each other that is fun, and productive, but we also
try not to hurt each other’s feelings.
Everyone over at Big Bang Theory must be very proud of
you guys?
The writers on Big Bang are really supportive of us—they tease
us and say they’re going to show up and start acting in episodes of Big
Bang. But they also offer comforting advice because they know how hard it
is to work in the system.
Were you an improv guy like so many actors who book
parts these days on sitcoms? I know it doesn’t show but I am a traditionally trained actor. I went
to the American Academy of Dramatic Art. And then I studied under Uta Hagen, a
renowned actor who had been blacklisted during the McCarthy era. John’s
at Upright Citizens Brigade in an improv group with Rob Courdrey and he’s
amazing at it. I think that as collaborators we work so well, because we
approach writing totally different, in that regard. He’s quick and you can see
his improv background. He will take anything I give him and go with it—so I try
not to give him crap.
But the formal theater training must help with scene
structure… Oh yeah, I’ve had to read endless plays and I suppose that informs my
writing (fundamental stuff like characters and conflict or that every
scene needs forward momentum. I also have read a lot of books on writing,
probably too many. Drew's Script-O-Rama is a gold mine for
somebody that wants to go into screenwriting. It’s basically a database of
shooting scripts. It’s an invaluable and essential resource.
When were you able to act full time and say goodbye to
those nefarious day jobs?
I was working at Fuji Bank at the Word Trade Center doing Excel spreadsheets. I
got along really well with the Japanese guy who actually offered to take me on
as a permanent employee and give me health benefits, which I didn’t have. He knew I was trying to be an actor (every once in a while I’d put some costume
on at lunch and go uptown for an audition). And then a week later I booked my
first TV show,Ghost Story—kind of like a "B" version of Tails from
the Crypt. So, I had this dilemma about whether to take the job or
take the step and keep acting. I felt so horrible about Toro
Tanaka. (laughs).
Do you know if he was in the World Trade Center on
9-11? I don’t think so because I once looked at a fatality list and didn’t
see anyone that I knew from Fuji. He was probably back in Japan by then because
he would have been rotated out of there. What a horrible thing. Fuji was
located on the 80th floor...
I was watching David Krumholtz being interviewed on
Kevin Pollak’s chat show and he mentioned working with you on your first big
film Liberty Heights.
Yeah, David, Adrian Brody and I hung out a lot and Barry Levinson made it so we
could spend a lot of time together. We had a great time, a lot of laughs Brody,
Krumholtz and I… I remember at the end of the film when we were saying goodbye
David Krumholtz said, “I’ve worked on a lot of movies and when they’re done
everybody says, ‘we’ll keep in touch’ and we never do, so let’s not even do
that.’” (laughs)
So, you’ve never seen him since? We have, and that’s the irony.
So, when did you finally move to LA?
I moved out there when I booked Ugly Betty.
You’re recognized a lot for Wet Hot American Summer. I was a last minute replacement for Wet Hot and I came in
towards the end. But that movie is so beloved for people who have a sense of
humor.
Were you able to bond with George Clooney on Burn
After Reading? Yes, the guy is so grounded that you almost get the feeling that he’s doing
himself a disservice (laughs)… “Don’t forget now, you’re George Clooney you
don’t have to waste your time hanging out with me…you must have better things
to do. When people ask me who the coolest celebrity I’ve worked with it’s
an easy answer. Clooney for the win.”
That was a very physical scene and he tackles you. And, also technically difficult because he had just been in a motorcycle
accident and his back was fucked up. He was doing something most stars don’t
do…which is do something physically painful, over and over, just to help the
collaborative effort. That was the striking thing about him… weirdly selfless
for a guy who could have a black SUV whisk him away at a moment’s notice.
Do you often reflect on having worked with Joel and
Ethan Coen, two of the most beloved filmmakers out there? When I talk about my experience on that, it’s usually in terms of experienced
directors’ versus inexperienced low budget directors. The Coens are the
experienced directors. They show up, having already worked everything out shot
by shot and they’re pretty hands off with the acting part of it. The
better directors have spoken to me less.
Did you experience the same direction from Steven
Spielberg? Yes, same thing with him and Roger Michell (Changing Lanes), the
ones who get the best performances are the ones who say the least. If I feel
they trust me, it relaxes me and I’m able to take risks, in the moment, As
opposed to stuffing my concentration with added tasks the director wants me to
do even though it’s not coming from me organically.
What does your summer look like? So much depends on if Dark Minions gets picked up and
if it does my summer is going to be about writing episodes. If not, it’ll be
about trying to develop something new, probably for TV, and then the acting
thing as well. Since Big Bang doesn’t pick up until August,
I’ll do what I usually do, kick around and see if I could show up in somebody’s
movie.
*****
I gotta see this. I'd never heard of it 'til today.
So did you guys like the interview? As an existing fan of Kevin I learned so much, am going to look up Dark Minions, and just really appreciated this view into his life and the writing process. I'm glad no one he knew died in the World Trade Center. Oh and according to the YouTube trailer, Dark Minions can be watched for free on Amazon Instant video.
Why would I say this? Well for starters, over time comic book writing is some of the worst that there is. Take Wolverine for example. I'm looking forward to the new movie, so I brushed up on some of the history on this character. After I did so, I came to the decision that I honestly don't care where the movie goes as long as it has a self-contained story that makes sense and has good action scenes. Here's Wolverine's history as it's evolved over time (I'll let you be the judge):
