Nerd-dom is in bliss today as Warner Bros. announced it will be releasing a new version of the 1982 science fiction cult classic "Blade Runner" in conjunction with a remastered theatrical release cut by Ridley Scott. This isn't the first time "Blade Runner" has be re-released as in 1992 Scott supervised an edit and another theatrical release that boasted an added dream sequence and the deletion of a Harrison Ford voiceover reportedly forced on the initial release by a studio worried that the film lacked a narrative that could be followed by the general audience. Scott clashed with the studio over the theatrical release - which flopped at $26.2 million - and also said he faced pressure when releasing it the second time. The new-new edit of "Blade Runner" will be in theatres in September followed by a DVD release.

"Blade Runner" is set in a gloomy Los Angeles 2019, a teeming megalopolis transformed by pollution and the extinction of most animal life. When a group of manufactured humans called replicants escape from their makers, a retired policeman Rick Deckard (played by Harrison Ford) is sent to track them down and eliminate them. The noirish story examined the question of whether a manufactured being who had almost all human qualities had the right to life and famously teased the audience on whether Deckard himself a replicant. Despite its poor initial showing "Blade Runner" spawned a cult following, influencing the development of the cyberpunk subgenre in science fiction and production design in futuristic films.

"Blade Runner" was the first of many adaptations of science fiction writer Philip K. Dick's works. Originally penned as "Do Android's Dream of Electric Sheep?", it was adapted for the screen by David Peoples and Hampton Francher. "A Scanner Darkly", another adaptation of a Dick novel, will come to summer screens starring Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder.

Philip K. Dick on watching "Blade Runner" transformed on the screen.
A list of other Dick works that made it to the screen.

Posted by Keith Loh at 8:46 AM | Permalink

Canadian actors took a swipe at Canadian broadcasters buying new U.S. series, this week, at the Los Angeles Screenings, accusing them of turning their backs on homegrown production.

Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists' (ACTRA) national executive director Stephen Waddell said "Canadian private broadcasters are spending hundreds of millions in Hollywood, and the rising Canadian dollar means U.S. producers will be less inclined to bring work up to Canada this year."

"CTV and Global are bound to spend millions buying (U.S.) shows they have no intention of airing just to keep them away from the others," he added.

Canadian broadcasters started screening new shows in Los Angeles last weekend and started buying Thursday. Often, they will buy shows they have no intention of airing to keep them away from competing networks.

CTV dismissed ACTRAs attack as "inflammatory" and said in a statement: "Buying U.S. reserve programs is a necessary and normal course of the business of building a complete schedule. Canada is a small country -- we all need to work together to achieve success."

ACTRA also took shots at the US suppliers accusing them of "dumping" US programs into Canada at cheap rates saying it's tantamount to "cultural product dumping."

On the web:
Article in Hollywood Reporter
ACTRA
CTV
Global

Posted by Mike Laverdiere at 3:06 PM | Permalink

After unveiling it's fall lineup just last week, NBC has made the unusual move of reshuffling it.

Included in the changes, finding new nights for the "Law and Order" franchise and it's only hit "Deal or No Deal" expected to move to Mondays.

In a conference call Thursday, NBC president of entertainment, Kevin Reilly, acknowledged that it was unusual for a network to make multiple changes so soon after an upfront, but stressed how important it was to "platform our new crop of series, which we think are very strong."

The peacock network had the disadvantage of announcing its schedule before the other broadcasters, indicated it would likely make changes after the upfront presentations.

On the web:
New NBC Fall Schedule

Posted by Mike Laverdiere at 5:10 PM | Permalink

The technorati blog BoingBoing is covering the plight of Philip Sandifer, a graduate student in creative writing at the University of Florida who is under investigation by police after they were alerted to a post on his blog which contained a short piece of fiction. The piece "I am Ready to Serve My Country" is written from the point of view of an applicant to a special forces unit who lists among his accomplishments having killed a homeless man. University police have interviewed Sandifer twice and have demanded his DNA and fingerprints despite his English department advisors vouching for him. According to one advisor, at one point police questioned whether writers in the department should be writing about murder at all.

Read more here >>

Posted by Keith Loh at 3:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

After Lost fans complained about a haywire 2005-2006 schedule and the show's ratings fell slightly, ABC has announced that fans of the show will no longer have to suffer through a crazy schedule of scattered new episodes amid many reruns. Next season, Lost will likely begin airing new episodes in October and play 7 new episodes before the show takes a break. ABC will then replace Lost with a new Drama called "Daybreak" until Frebruary, when the show will return - commercial free - until the end of the season in May.

Read more at Lost-TV.com

Posted by Michael Seidelman at 10:24 PM | Permalink

After the success and controversy over the film version of 'The Da Vinci Code', Columbia Pictures has ordered a film version of 'Angel and Demons.' Dan Brown's 2000 novel that also features Robert Langdon in a fast-paced story about another conspiracy around the Vatican. It was Brown's third novel, but his back catalogue didn't become best sellers until the success of 'The Da Vinci Code.'

Akiva Goldsman (Da Vinci Code, A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man) will write the script.

A spokesman for Columbia said The Da Vinci Code director Ron Howard had not yet signed on for another film but both he and Hanks would be given first option to work on 'Angels and Demons.'

Columbia also owns the rights to Brown's other novels - 'Digital Fortress' and 'Deception Point.'

On the web:
Plot summary of Angels and Demons (on Brown's website)
Sony Pictures Website
Wikipedia: Columbia Pictures

Posted by Mike Laverdiere at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Believe it or not but the Canadian TV market is one of the most sought after by LA TV distributors. Traditionally, Canadian broadcasters buy more US programming than anyone else in the world.

This week the Canadian TV buyers will be at LA screenings in hopes of acquiring the broadcast rights to some, hopefully, new hits.

CTV is said to be buying and sometimes shelving new TV series to protect it's US saturated schedule. They already have the biggest audience share at 13.6% in primetime with 8 of the top 10 shows. The network often buys and shelves new series to keep them from Canwest (Global/CH) and often sublets the series to cable networks.

Canwest is desperately trying to find some hits. With only two of the top ten shows, "Survivor" and "House", they hope to give CTV a run for their money this year and acquire some hits to boost their schedule.

In the past, they did well with an output deal with NBC for shows like "Friends", "Will and Grace", and "Frasier." But NBC's days of domination are over with the current roller coaster ride for #1. Last year Global picked up "Prison Break" and "My Name Is Earl", but those shows have a long way to go to be a top 10.

CHUM Limited (CityTV, Muchmusic, Bravo, Space) is in a new position this time around. Last year they hadn't quite gone to air yet with it's newly acquired 'Craig' stations in Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg. This year, they have more buying power and are expected to spend a little more on it's primetime lineup.

The networks will also be vying for shows from the US cable networks as well with the quality of programming becoming equal. The market for US dramas on conventional and cable networks is becoming a more competitive one.

Read more in The Hollywood Reporter

Posted by Mike Laverdiere at 1:03 PM | Permalink

Filling the Bleachers on She's the Man
By Barbara Robertson
May 9, 2006 Source: Film & Video

How do you fill a stadium with 3500 people -- while letting the director shoot with a moving camera, from any angle -- without busting a low budget?
read rest of article CLICK HERE

Posted by Adam Fulford at 11:24 PM | Permalink

A group of primetime's top showrunners, including Marc Cherry ("Desperate Housewives"), John Wells ("The West Wing") and Neil Baer ("Law and Order: SVU"), met with the Writers Guild of America earlier this week calling for a policing on excessive product placement in scripted television. They claim advertisers are frequently overstepping their creative bounds to dictate story lines featuring their products.

The group argued that accepting sponsorship for sitcoms and dramas was tantamount to networks selling off plot points to the highest bidder.

At a press conference in New York, Marc Cherry said "There's growing concern that if the advertisers start to dictate a story line, just how horrible that would be." He adds, "I haven't been asked to do anything I didn't want to, but what about writers who work on shows that aren't big hits? We must establish a policy of consultation and compensation."

While product placement that doesn't alter a storyline isn't really a concern, they are opposed to deals that compromise artistic integrity.

For example, a character drinking a Coke is okay, to have characters in a conversation about Coke is a no-no.

Some members of the group admit that product integration is the future of TV advertising. Especially in an age with digital recording allowing viewers to skip past commercials. But the group wants writers and producers to be more in-the-loop and want something decided before the WGA contracts expire.

Alliance of Motion Pictures & Television Producers president Nick Counter said that the networks were more than open to kicking off discussions with showrunners and have already created a forum in which to do so.

More at E!Online

Posted by Mike Laverdiere at 12:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Globe and Mail reports that Michael Jenkinson will not be showing up to work less than three weeks after he was introduced as Telefilm's newest feature film czar. In a brief statement Jenkinson said that he could not remove himself from his obligations to his existing company Urban Entertainment which recently brought "Undercover Brother" to the screen. Jenkinson had been an LA insider for 13 years before Telefilm announced he was being lured back to Toronto with his family. Executive director Wayne Clarkson will assume the duties for now.

More in the Globe and Mail >>

Posted by Keith Loh at 10:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The CBC has a laundry list of programming wants and it's up to Canadian producers to jump in. According to the Globe and Mail the national broadcaster is seeking:

one great family drama series for Sunday at 7 p.m.

one or two adult drama series for weekdays at 9 p.m.

a couple of narrative comedy series, for both family and adult audiences

a daily talk show, lifestyle program or soap opera for the daytime lineup

the next Greatest Canadian or similarly exciting reality program for the broadcaster's expanded and "critically important" factual-entertainment programming

On the way out are miniseries, MOWs, sketch comedies and anything "too weird" (??). Executive director of network programming Kirstine Layfield and executive director of arts & entertainment programming Fred Fuchs are travelling around the country letting producers know "not to waste time pitching ideas that aren't wanted".

More in the Globe and Mail >>

What do you think? Is what the CBC wants what you want to watch or develop?

Posted by Keith Loh at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

You may have seen these postered around Vancouver. The "Canada Screens" film series is a campaign to get Canadians to watch Canadian films, featuring classic domestically produced films with an added live element of introducing the public to filmmakers and actors involved in the production.

The next showing is on June 4th for "It's All Gone Pete Tong", the mockumentary about a 'famous' British DJ who has lost his hearing. The director Michael Dowse will answer questions after the film.

The trailer : http://www.firstweekendclub.ca/98.html

The Canada Screens film series is the most recent marketing campaign of the First Weekend Club, a partly industry-sponsored group who want to generate enough buzz for the opening of Canadian films so that first-run distributors won't yank the film after the first week. Anita Adams, the coordinator of the FWC (it is Vancouver-based), is really nice and a great voice for domestic film. (She also started the Alibi Unplugged reading event where local actors conduct a public table reading of original screenplays. )

Have you seen "It's All Gone Pete Tong"? What's the most recent Canadian film you've seen? Go to our discussion forum and discuss >>

Full disclosure: the company I work for, Clipstream(TM), encodes the trailers on the FWC website as a sponsor. Actually, that's my baby as I want to help Canadian film as much as possible, eh?

Posted by Keith Loh at 9:38 AM | Permalink

The LEO AWARDS are given out in honor of outstanding achievement in the British Columbia film and television industry.

Leo Award Winners

FEATURE LENGTH DRAMA

Best Feature Length Drama
Capote
William Vince, Michael Ohoven, Caroline Baron - Producers

Best Direction in a Feature Length Drama
Julia Kwan
Eve & The Fire Horse

Best Screenwriting in a Feature Length Drama
Julia Kwan
Eve & The Fire Horse

Best Cinematography in a Feature Length Drama
David Geddes
A Simple Curve

Best Picture Editing in a Feature Length Drama
Michael Brockington
Eve & The Fire Horse

Best Overall Sound in a Feature Length Drama
Bill Sheppard
Capote

Best Sound Editing in a Feature Length Drama
Gashtaseb Ariana, Gordon Durity, Velcrow Ripper, Glen Noseworthy, Michael P. Keeping
Eve & The Fire Horse

Best Musical Score in a Feature Length Drama
Daniel Seguin
Murder Unveiled

Best Production Design in a Feature Length Drama
Mary-Ann Liu
Eve & The Fire Horse

Best Make-Up in a Feature Length Drama
Rebeccah Delchambre, Jill Corp, Hayley Miller
Murder Unveiled

Best Supporting Performance by a Male in a Feature Length Drama
David Richmond-Peck
Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Mork and Mindy

Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Feature Length Drama
Sarah Lind
A Simple Curve

Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Feature Length Drama
Chenier Hundal
Murder Unveiled

Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Feature Length Drama
Sarah Strange
The Zero Sum

DRAMATIC SERIES

Best Dramatic Series
Terminal City
Jayme Pfahl, Angus Fraser, Gordon Mark - Producers

Best Direction in a Dramatic Series
Rachel Talalay
Terminal City - Episode 8

Best Screenwriting in a Dramatic Series
Angus Fraser
Terminal City - Episode 8

Best Cinematography in a Dramatic Series
Barry Donlevy
Smallville - Spirit

Best Picture Editing in a Dramatic Series
Stein Myhrstad
Terminal City - Episode 10

Best Overall Sound in a Dramatic Series
Chris Duesterdiek, Dean Giammarco, Bill Sheppard
Terminal City - Episode 6

Best Sound Editing in a Dramatic Series
Jeff Jackman,Chester Bialowas, Rick Senechal, Ian Mackie, Don Harrison
Andromeda - Totaled Recall

Best Musical Score in a Dramatic Series
Schaun Tozer, Ben Mink
Terminal City - Episode 1

Best Production Design in a Dramatic Series
David Wilson
Smallville - Sacred

Best Costume Design in a Dramatic Series
Heather Douglas
Young Blades - The Exile

Best Make-Up in a Dramatic Series
Leslie Graham
The Collector - The Vampire

Best Guest Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series
Christopher Heyerdahl
The Collector - The Alchemist

Best Guest Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series
Veena Sood
Godiva's - Flipping Switches

Best Supporting Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series
Rick Tae
Godiva's - Dead Flowers

Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series
Sonya Salomaa
The Collector - The Person with AIDS

Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series
Stephen Lobo
Godiva's - Out the Door

Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series
Tricia Helfer
Battlestar Galactica – Pegasus

SHORT DRAMA

Best Short Drama
Broken House
Larry Lynn - Producer

Best Direction in a Short Drama
Matthew Swanson
Hiro

Best Screenwriting in a Short Drama
Tracy Smith
Sandra Gets Dumped

Best Cinematography in a Short Drama
Philip Lanyon
Hiro

Best Picture Editing in a Short Drama
Tony Dean Smith
Hiro

Best Overall Sound in a Short Drama
Brad Hillman
Hiro

Best Sound Editing in a Short Drama
Kevin Hamilton
Patterns

Best Musical Score in a Short Drama
Don MacDonald
Hiro

Best Production Design in a Short Drama
Courtenay Webber, Jeff Khonsary
Patterns

Best Costume Design in a Short Drama
Melissa Woods
When Jesse Was Born

Best Make-Up in a Short Drama
Kevin Priebe, Justin Ewart, Tracy Mack
Remembrance – A Soldier's Story

Best Performance by a Male in a Short Drama
Chang Tseng
InConvenience

Best Performance by a Female in a Short Drama
Carly Pope
Sandra Gets Dumped

DOCUMENTARY PROGRAM OR SERIES

Best Documentary Program or Series

Arts/Performing Arts
Shakin' All Over
Nick Orchard, Randolph Eustace-Walden, Pierre Touchette - Producers

History/Biography/Social/Political
Slammin' Iron: Rebuilding the World
Gabriela Schonbach, Brian Hamilton, Leigh Badgley - Producers

Nature/Environment/Adventure/Science/Technology
Running on a Dream: The Legacy of Terry Fox
Leigh Badgley, Bette Thompson, Brian Hamilton, Michael Chechik - Producers

Best Direction in a Documentary Program or Series
Jerry Thompson
Slammin' Iron: Rebuilding the World

Best Screenwriting in a Documentary Program or Series
Jerry Thompson
Slammin' Iron: Rebuilding the World

Best Cinematography in a Documentary Program or Series
Pieter Stathis
Secret Files of the Inquisition - Tears of Spain

Best Picture Editing in a Documentary Program or Series
Stuart De Jong
College Days, College Nights

Best Overall Sound in a Documentary Program or Series
Patrick Brereton, Ewan Deane
College Days, College Nights

Best Sound Editing in a Documentary Program or Series
Larry Baker
Shakin' All Over

Best Musical Score in a Documentary Program or Series
John Sereda, Mike Thomas
Secret Files of the Inquisition - The War on Ideas

INFORMATION OR LIFESTYLE SERIIES

Best Information or Lifestyle Series
My Fabulous Gay Wedding
David Paperny, Trevor Hodgson – Producers

Best Direction in an Information or Lifestyle Series
Kelly McClughan
Making It Big - Entertainment Reporters

Best Screenwriting in an Information or Lifestyle Series
Sue Smitten, Maureen Palmer
Making It Big - Fashion Designers

Best Cinematography in an Information or Lifestyle Series
Ian Kerr
The Next Great Chef - Ontario

Best Host(s) in an Information or Lifestyle Series
Anna Wallner, Kristina Matisic
The Shopping Bags

TALK SERIES

Best Talk Series
Urban Rush
Carmen Salerno, George Lacny, Samuel Charles, Marlene Gurvich, Fiona Forbes, Michael Eckford, Lisa MacFarlane - Producers

Best Host(s) in a Talk Series
Fiona Forbes, Michael Eckford
Urban Rush

MUSIC, COMEDY, VARIETY PROGRAM OR SERIES

Best Music, Comedy, or Variety Program or Series
Corner Gas
David Storey, Brent Butt - Producers

Best Direction in a Music, Comedy, or Variety Program or Series
Trent Carlson
Corner Gas - Security Cam

Best Picture Editing in a Music, Comedy, or Variety Program or Series
Paul Gill, Jeanne Slater, Bruce Smith, Scott McEachern
Zed Tunes - Episode 5

Best Performance or Host(s) in a Music, Comedy, or Variety Program or Series
Gabrielle Miller
Corner Gas - The Brent Effect

ANIMATION PROGRAM OR SERIES

Best Animation Program or Series
Being Ian
Kathy Antonsen-Rocchio, Blair Peters, Chris Bartleman - Producers

Best Direction/Storyboarding in an Animation Program or Series
Sean Sullivan
Max Steel - Forces of Nature

Best Screenwriting in an Animation Program or Series
Colin Yardley, Larry Raskin
Pucca - A Force of Won, Cat Toy, Noodle Round the World

Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series
Marcel Duperreault, Todd Araki, Jason Fredrickson, Kirk Furniss
Pucca - A Force of Won, Cat Toy, Noodle Round the World

Best Musical Score in an Animation Program or Series
Hal Foxton Beckett
Edgar and Ellen

STUDENT PRODUCTION

Best Student Production
A Great Big Robot From Outer Space Ate My Homework
Mark Shirra

YOUTH OR CHILDREN’S PROGRAM OR SERIES

Best Youth or Children's Program or Series
Make Some Noise
Heather Hawthorn-Doyle, Lauren Millar, Brian Hamilton, Michael Chechik - Producers

Best Direction in a Youth or Children's Program or Series
Catharine Parke
Make Some Noise - Suicide Walkers, Story

Best Screenwriting in a Youth or Children's Program or Series
Sarah Dodd
Zixx: Level II - Pet Project

Best Overall Sound in a Youth or Children's Program or Series
Greg Stewart, Ken Biehl
Romeo - Teed Off

Best Performance in a Youth or Children's Program or Series
Chris Gauthier
Zixx: Level II - Spin Cycle

MUSIC VIDEO

Best Music Video
Told You So - The Draft Dodgers
Gabriel Napora, Sergio Sato, Matthew Schilling - Producers

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD – GROUP

the Motion Picture Production Industry Association

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD – INDIVIDUAL

Babz Chula

Posted by Adam Fulford at 8:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Don't Wait!

The AAA Contest ends June 1st. That's just 16 days away!

To submit your screenplay right now, click here!

Call for Entries!
Breaking into the world of screenwriting is no easy task. Creative Screenwriting Magazine is proud to sponsor the AAA Screenplay Contest, a chance for a few talented writers to take the next step in their writing career.

Access
The winning script and synopses for the top ten screenplays have been requested by 350 producers, development executives, agents, and managers including:

* A Band Apart
* Atlas Entertainment
* Beacon Pictures
* BenderSpink
* BET - Black Entertainment Television
* Brillstein-Grey Entertainment
* The Broder, Webb, Chervin, Silberman Agency
* Conundrum Entertainment
* David Foster Productions
* Davis Entertainment
* The Donner Company
* Endeavor
* Escape Artists
* The Gersh Agency
* Gunnfilms
* Guy Walks Into a Bar
* Hofflund/Polone Management
* International Creative Management
* Michael De Luca Productions
* New Line Cinema
* Paradigm
* Radar Pictures
* The Radmin Co.
* Regent Entertainment
* Section Eight
* Single Cell Pictures
* Spring Creek Pictures
* Weed Road Pictures
* Weintraub/Kuhn Productions
* VH1
* Winkler Films
* Zide/Perry

For an updated and complete list of companies, click here.

Acclaim
The winner of the AAA contest will be profiled in Creative Screenwriting magazine and the names of the top ten finalists will be published in CS Weekly. Finalists and their screenplays will also be publicized in press releases sent to industry publications.

Achievement
Prizes include $5,000 cash for the Grand Prize winner, plus the winning script mailed to over 350 agents, managers, and development executives who have requested it, screenwriting software, a subscription to Creative Screenwriting, and free admission to Screenwriting Expo 5.

Second and third places receive $500 cash, free software, subscription, and admission. Plus the top ten have synopses for their scripts submitted to over 350 agents, managers, and producers who have requested them.

Submit your best work in any genre. Only $40 to enter.

Deadline: June 1, 2006.

For complete details, click here!

To submit your screenplay right now, click here!

Contact Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: info@creativescreenwriting.com
voice: (323) 957-1405
web: http://www.creativescreenwriting.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Posted by Adam Fulford at 9:51 PM | Permalink

DEAD RINGERS by David Cronenberg
Thursday May 18 at the Vancity Theatre
1181 Seymour Street (corner of Davie)
Screening begins at 7:30 pm (doors open at 7 pm)
Ticket reservations: email dorothy_s@telus.net or call 604-684-4528 by April 13 (noon)

Panel discussion guests TBA Moderator: Colin Browne

DEAD RINGERS is one of Cronenberg’s most important features, receiving both critical and commercial success during its original release. This landmark psychological drama serves as a bridge between David’s early horror films and his more celebrated adaptations. Loosely based on true events, DEAD RINGERS tells the story of identical twin gynecologists—suave Elliot and sensitive Beverly, (played by Jeremy Irons)—who share the same practice, the same apartment, and the same women. When a new patient, glamorous actress Claire Niveau (Genevieve Bujold), challenges their eerie bond, they descend into a whirlpool of sexual confusion, drugs, and madness. Jeremy Irons’ tour-de-force performance—as both twins—raises disturbing questions about the nature of personal identity.

Winner of 10 Genie Awards (Best Motion Picture, Best Director & Best Lead Actor, Best Art Direction/Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Music Score, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Sound Editing, Best Overall Sound) and numerous international film awards including the Los Angeles Film Critics award for Best Director and Best Supporting Actress and the New York Film Critics Circle award for Best Actor.

A truly original director, David Cronenberg has directed films that have the unnerving ability to delve into society's collective unconscious and dredge up all of the perverse, suppressed desires of modern life. Underlying all of Cronenberg's work is a queasy exploration of the edges of human physiology, psychology, and sexuality. Following the success of A History of Violence, Cronenberg’s next feature is the satirical drama Maps to the Stars, followed by Eastern Promises. He is also developing Dead Ringers into a TV series for HBO.

Please forward this message to anyone who may want to check out this Canadian Classic!

Moving Pictures and The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television are proud to present Canadian Classics, a film series highlighting award-winning films from the past. Future Canadian Classics presentation: June 8. For information on Moving Pictures, call 604-681-4549 or visit www.movingpictures.ca MOVING PICTURES: CANADIAN FILMS ON TOUR. Bringing Canadian films and creative talent to your community.
Watch it. Celebrate it. Learn about it.

Posted by Adam Fulford at 2:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This is the week that the US commercial TV networks unveil their plans for the fall schedule to it's advertisers.

NBC releases it's lineup first. They've already renewed the "Law and Order" trilogy and "Medium." "My Name Is Earl" and "The Office" show promise, but even with "Deal or No Deal", the game show hosted by Howie Mandel, they have no real hit shows. They are testing the waters with three new dramas in the fall.

ABC has a strong Sunday night lineup with "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy." But that's not enough to make a network. They may risk breaking it up to spread the wealth to other nights. The alphabet network also produced 33 pilots this spring, indicating they recognize the need to develop and build.

Fox has a lot of strength in it's schedule with "24" and "American Idol." Even "House" is a surprising top 10 hit. "Prison Break" and "Bones" also show promise. The network has commited to four new series in the fall including a new crime drama from Jerry Bruckheimer's production house.

CBS still has it's schedule chalked full of crime dramas like the "CSI" series and "Criminal Minds." Unfortunately, their biggest hits "Survivor" and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" are getting a little long in the tooth. They need to diversify their programming more to stay on top in the future. They should be safe for next season though.

CW (the CBS/WB joint venture) will take the top shows of The WB and UPN and jam them into a new network. "America's Next Top Model" and "Gilmore Girls" will be among them. But in the last 10 years the two soon-to-be-former networks have had a hard time creating a solid image for their networks. The CW will have it's work set out for it if it wants to be the fifth major network.

On The Web:
More on what the networks have in store at AP

Posted by Mike Laverdiere at 1:40 PM | Permalink

One of TV's finest shows - Deadwood - will likely end after the upcoming third season. HBO has decided not to pick up the options of the actors on the show for a fourth season, leaving them to pursue other projects. Deadwood's creator, David Milch, will be focusing on a surfing-themed drama called "John From Cincinnati" that he is writing for HBO.

Read the original article here
Deadwood Official Site

Posted by Michael Seidelman at 4:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Fees are going up four per-cent for Canadian film and TV screenwriters in the next three years, the Writers Guild of Canada said after reaching a collective agreement with the Canadian Film and Television Production Association. Furthermore, writers of TV movies and miniseries will receive a 6.5 per cent increase, agreeing to work for no less than $32,457 per two-hour show.

More in the CBC >>

Posted by Keith Loh at 4:50 PM | Permalink

Director Ron Howard has rejected demands by controversial organization Opus Dei to attach a disclaimer before "The Da Vinci Code."

In a letter sent to filmmakers and Sony Pictures, last month, the ultra-conservative sect of the Roman Catholic Church demanded, that Howard put a disclaimer stating that it's a work of fiction. The director rejected that today telling the LA Times "It's not theology. It's not history. To start off with a disclaimer...Spy thrillers don't start off with disclaimers."

Ron Howard has opted to go without the disclaimer, claiming that since the book was a work of fiction, it goes without saying that the film is too.

"It's very controversial," he said. "What Dan Brown did with the novel, we didn't back away from in making the movie. I think what a lot of people have discovered--a lot of theologians--is this is a work of fiction that presents a set of characters that are affected by these conspiracy theories and ideas. Those characters in this work of fiction act and react on that premise."

This is the latest in a long line of pre-release controvesies for "The Da Vinci Code." It wraps it's thriller plot around the bloodline theory, based on the notion that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and that their children gave rise to a line of French royalty.

The book version of "The Da Vinci Code" doesn't paint Opus Dei in a favourable light. In Dan Brown's novel the organization comes off as a group of murderous, deceitful, power-hungry monks.

On The Web:
Da Vinci Code Movie
Imagine Entertainment (Producer)
Opus Dei

Posted by Mike Laverdiere at 1:03 PM | Permalink

The annual Nebula awards given for outstanding creative accomplishment in science fiction were handed this weekend by the Science Fiction Writers Association of America. Winning for best screenplay was Joss Whedon for the screenplay he would eventually shoot as Serenity, the feature release that ends the story began in his TV series: Firefly. Firefly followed the adventures of the crew of a frontier-travelling cargo spacecraft as they tangled with authorities, outlaws and a fringe of cannibalistic spacefarers. Despite cult acclaim, Firefly was cancelled after one season. In "Serenity" the crew uncovers a conspiracy maintained by the ruling powers that puts them on the run.

Joss Whedon has been a favourite of speculative fiction fans for his work as the showrunner of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", its spinoff "Angel", as well as for "Titan A.E." , "Toy Story" and a draft of "Aliens Resurrection". Whedon is currently bringing "Wonder Woman" to the big screen.

More about this year's Nebula awards here: http://sfwa.org/awards/2006/.

Posted by Keith Loh at 3:31 PM | Permalink

The US online DVD rental company Netflix is launching the 2006 Netflix Rolling Roadshow, a tour that will present 10 classic Hollywood movies at the locations they helped make famous. The Roadshow gives both Netflix customers and non-customers an opportunity to see popular movies in their true settings. For example, on August 26th, you can see Escape From Alcatraz on Alcatraz Island or on August 16th, you can see The Shining in the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO.

Click here to see the other movie and locations at the Roadshow

Posted by Michael Seidelman at 6:02 PM | Permalink

Conservative Christians have long been the loudest critics of Hollywood for profiting from violent or sexually graphic films that 'corrupt the young.' But Hollywood is starting to see that there is a market for films catering to those critics.

In a panel discussion on "What would Jesus direct?" at the Tribeca Film Festival this week, Jonathan Bock, head of a movie marketing company that specializes in religious audiences, said "On Sunday, 43 percent of America was in church." He added, "For studios to not recognize that's an audience is like them saying, 'We're not marketing movies to men.'"

He and the other panelists, which included a 20th Century Fox executive, said the turning point was "The Passion of the Christ." Two months before it's release, it was known as the least marketable film in Hollywood. But it went on to gross more than $370 million in the US.

While "The Passion" is credited with knocking down the door for religious-themed films in Hollywood, Bock said the growing interest was clearly linked to politics. He noted President George W. Bush, a born-again Christian, was elected twice with solid backing from conservative Christians.

On The Web:
More Detailed Story at Reuters

Tribeca Film Festival

Posted by Mike Laverdiere at 12:30 PM | Permalink

Tired of only being able to talk of screenplays in development, David Levinson decided to to turn to service work in order to feel the fulfillment of having done something that people appreciated.

"I'd written a lot of movies that hadn't been made. I went year after year talking about the same movies that were in development. I had projects that were stuck in development hell for years," he said. "I wanted to do something that had tangible results. Something you didn't have to ask yourself why you were doing it."

More in the LA Times >>

Posted by Keith Loh at 10:13 AM | Permalink

Keifer Sutherland, who plays Jack Bauer on the hit TV series "24" says the movie version of the show will be shot in London.

Appearing on BBC One's "Friday Night with Jonathan Ross," Sutherland revealed his plans in an interview that airs tonight. "We're working on that," he said. "We'll shoot the film here. We're really excited about it."

He added, "In the US, 24 was slow to catch on but in the UK it was big so Fox stuck with it, so thank you Britain."

Kiefer Sutherland has starred in the Fox TV show for five seasons and just recently signed a $40 million deal for three more.

On The Web:
'24' Website at Fox
'24 Inside' (An official behind-the-scenes site. Watch an interview with the stars, producers even script coordinators on the show.)

Posted by Mike Laverdiere at 11:52 AM | Permalink

CBS has signed on "Innertube", it's new free, advertising-supported broadband channel unveiled Thursday at CBS.com. It is the first effort by a broadcaster to spin off a separate channel online, where most of the younger viewing audience and advertisers are swiftly migrating.

"Innertube" will include a mix of original, low-cost shows and operate under the standards of advertiser supported cable. it will allow the network to be more edgy than CBS but isn't expected to be too avant-garde.

The series opening day had a rotation of three shows including "Greek to Chic," a fashion makeover series dedicated to college students. Throughout the spring and summer other original scripted and animated series will be added to the schedule. Some programs will only be a few minutes long.

Some shows will have primetime tie-ins like "Beyond Survivor" offering behind-the-scenes footage for the hit reality show "Survivor." All original shows scheduled are produced by CBS' digital division.

Companion programming will give producers of CBS series a bigger canvas outside the traditional 30- or 60-minute episode for storytelling.

On The Web:
Innertube
More in The Hollywood Reporter
Discuss this in The Forum

Posted by Mike Laverdiere at 11:08 PM | Permalink

One of the most legendary unproduced properties of the past twenty years may finally be coming to the screen this time next year. "I Am Legend", the post-apocalyptic Richard Matheson story of the last surviving human in a world populated by vampires and mutants was last produced as the Charlton Heston vehicle "The Omega Man" in 1971. Before that, Vincent Price starred in "Last Man on Earth" (1964).

In Matheson's novella, Robert Neville sees a pandemic slowly transform his town (and the entire world) into mutants and vampires until he is the only real human left. Eventually, Neville turns his fight for survival into a one-man vendetta against the new dominant species, hunting down the vampires as they sleep by day. By the end of the story, Neville has become the fearsome monster who stalks the daylight that all the new humans fear.

Matheson, who has penned many scripts from The Twilight Zone, Star Trek to his "Incredible Shrinking Man" and "What Dreams May Come", may not have foreseen that "I Am Legend" would wait until 2007 to be remade. Names such as Ridley Scott, Arnold Schwarzennegger, and Michael Bay have been attached. In recent years Will Smith has been the name most associated with the on-again-off-again project and, according to Variety, will finally be appearing in the film next year under Warner Bros. Akiva Goldsman ("A Beautiful Mind", "The Da Vinci Code") is attached to rewrite a draft by Mark Protosevich ("The Cell" and "Poseidon").

Mark Protosevich draft of "I Am Legend" on JoBlo's Movie Scripts

Posted by Keith Loh at 1:02 PM | Permalink

As many movies aren’t making as much money at the box office as they used to, it may not be worth paying stars as much money as they’re currently getting. The latest Entertainment Weekly talks with studio execs who note that paying Jim Carry $25 million for Fun with Dick and Jane isn’t good business when the film made only $100 million at the box office and cost millions to market. Will Ferrell may have had his hits but paying him $20 million for Kicking and Screaming hurts the studios’ bottom line. The magazine points out that more stars will be forced to take responsibility for their flops by taking pay cuts and if their movies are profitable, they will get a cut of the profit. For stars like Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks, whose movies are almost always guaranteed hits, they are already reaping in the benefits of taking home a large cut of their movie’s profits but other actors like Nicole Kidman, who has had flop after flop (Bewitched, The Stepford Wives, to name a few), could lose out on what they are used to be getting.

Yahoo article on actor wage cuts
Entertainment Weekly website

Posted by Michael Seidelman at 6:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Fans of the ABC series "Commander in Chief", starring Geena Davis, will have to wait until June to see the season's remaining three episodes.

It's a bad sign for the series, that originally started strong for ABC but started slipping. The alphabet network had taken the show off the air at one point, but gave it a second chance this spring. The show also went through three supervising producers in one year.

This announcement comes, ironically, the day Geena Davis picked up an award at the United Nations Tuesday night for her role on the show as a female president. The award is from The White House Project, a non-profit organization that works to promote women's voting, political participation and leadership, with a goal of electing a woman president.

The US networks are headed in to the crucial May sweeps before they announce their Fall schedules.

ABC's website is stating "The next episode of Commander in Chief has not yet been scheduled. Check back for more details!"

On The Web:
More details at Yahoo! News
"Commander In Chief" Website (at ABC)
The White House Project

Posted by Mike Laverdiere at 2:30 PM | Permalink

Newly published author, and Harvard Student, Kaavya Viswanathan has had her two-book deal cancelled and her first novel withdrawn from sale permanently after accusations of plagiarism.

The publisher Little, Brown initially said "How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild and Got a Life", Viswanathan's book, would be revised. However, the company has now announced it will not publish a new edition.

Opal Mehta tells the story of a brilliant student from New Jersey, who is rejected from Harvard because she has no social life.

Viswanathan, last month, apologised for some similarities between her book and works by author Megan McCafferty. She said the similarities were unintentional promising to change her novel for future print runs.

Crown Publishing Group, publisher for Megan McCafferty, claims more than 40 passages of "Opal Mehta" contained either identical language or common scene and dialogue structure to two of McCafferty's books.

The publisher declined to comment on whether Kaavya Viswanathan would have to return her reported six-figure advance.

On The Web:
More details at the BBC Website
Hachette Book Group USA (Home of Little, Brown and Company)

Posted by Mike Laverdiere at 2:14 PM | Permalink

"Waking Up Wally: The Walter Gretzky Story," the biopic about the father of hockey great Wayne Gretzky has picked up several awards at The Alberta Film Awards.

Shot in Edmonton, where Wayne Gretzky spent many years playing hockey, the film picked up "Rosies" for best drama, best director and best cinematographer.

Lately Alberta has been attracting many film productions, including Brokeback Mountain and the recent Robin Williams film R.V. (Also shot in Vancouver)

The Rosies honour feature films, television shows and documentaries made in Alberta. There are 24 awards and 30 craft categories. They were presented at a gala Saturday in Edmonton hosted by the Alberta Motion Picture Industry Association.

On The Web:
More on 'The Rosies' at CBC
AMPIA Website

Posted by Mike Laverdiere at 7:29 PM | Permalink

The Praxis Centre for Screenwriters is taking applications for 2006 Story Internship until Friday May 5th.

The opportunities for interns to observe and work with senior professionals are invaluable for developing the complex skills required - not only the ability to analyze story, character, genre and theme, but also the interpersonal skills required in the delicate task of guiding creative work and mediating between writer and producer.

Applicants must send in a resume, industry references and examples of notes they've given on screenplays.

For more information see Praxis' website:
http://www.praxisfilm.com/en/newsevents/news/default.aspx?item=25&year=2006

Posted by Keith Loh at 6:03 PM | Permalink

Another mystery popped up on Wysteria Lane Friday as the top producer on the hit comedy-drama "Desperate Housewives" walked off the job and may be replaced next season.

Tom Spezialy, the show's executive producer/showrunner, left after an apparent falling out. According to sources, things calmed down over the weekend. A spokeswoman from Touchstone TV says Spezialy returned to work Monday with only a few days of production left on the series' second season.

This season of the popular TV series has been dogged by critics who are saying it's has lost it's edge and creative footing. The spokeswoman from Touchstone denied any imminent shake-up.

On The Web:
Desperate Housewives Website (ABC)

Posted by Mike Laverdiere at 1:00 PM | Permalink