THE LAST CHAPTER - HEROES 4/27/09!

Once again, the word-smashers at NBC/Universal say it succinctly! "The Invisible Thread", written by Tim Kring, directed by Greg Beeman, watched by you (and me)!

AS “VOLUME 4: FUGITIVES” COMES TO A CLOSE, THE FIGHT TO STOP SYLAR HAS CONSEQUENCES THAT WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING

Nathan (Adrian Pasdar) faces off against Sylar (Zachary Quinto) to keep him from meeting the President (guest star Michael Dorn). Sylar has his own plans for his new partner. Meanwhile, Hiro (Masi Oka) learns that there are repercussions to regaining his ability. Elsewhere, Matt (Greg Grunberg) is forced to go to extraordinary lengths to protect his future with his family.

Zeljko Ivanek and Michael Dorn guest star.

Some major shocks are in store! MONDAY NIGHT at 9:00PM on NBC!!

Somebody's Getting Creative (BSG Related)...

I'm not quite sure why these are being done, but they are oddly compelling...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D72KuDNRos8

TONIGHT on HEROES! 9:00 PM ON NBC!

Tonight - "I Am Sylar." Written by Adam Armus and Kay Foster! Sinister things are afoot as Sylar gets a little... wonky. And since he's a serial-killing mad-man, that's not good! It all leads up to a seriously intense season finale next week...

The NBC PR folks once again create a synopsis with skill!

SYLAR’S NEW ABILITY BEGINS TO TAKE ITS TOLL ON HIM

Sylar continues his unusual partnership and begins to have an unexpected identity crisis. Hiro and Ando take measures toward bringing down Building 26. Meanwhile, Matt’s new found fatherhood changes his priorities. Elsewhere, Nathan sets a plan in motion to right the wrongs of his government operation.

Noah Gray-Cabey, Lisa Lackey, Ellen Greene and Željko Ivanek guest star.

Shane Black Is Right...

Creative Screenwriting sends me an e-mail every Friday, usually with a quote from some professional on the movie racket. For some reason today's hit a chord:

"Here's what I didn't know when I was starting out that I now know…I thought when you were starting out it was really hard to write because you hadn't broken in yet, you hadn't really hit your stride yet. What I found out paradoxically is that the next script you write doesn't get easier because you wrote one before…each one gets harder by a factor of 10."
– Shane Black

Yep.

TONIGHT on CBS - CSI! By guys I know!

I've been in hunkered-down writer-guy mode for awhile now, but that doesn't mean I don't occasionally come up for air. Between plotting how to personally secede from the union (Texas Governor Rick Perry owes me an e-mail!), throwing out my blue jeans (George Will doesn't like them! http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/6375695.htm) and going to see Springsteen (also tonight!), I've got to point out something cool on television!

Tonight, on CSI! AKA "Crime Scene Investigation." AKA, that show that just keeps going and going and going...

But forget all that! Tonight's episode was written by my good buddies David Weddle and Bradley Thompson and directed by the extraordinarily talented all-around good guy Michael Nankin. Battlestar fans will certainly recognize these names, and it appears the apple doesn't fall far from the Galactica tree. Tonight's show is set at a science fiction convention and explodes certain, umm, "tropes" regarding reinventing old shows. Check it out, 9:00PM on CBS! Remember, tonight at least, CBS stands for Certain to Be Sensational!

Warner Brothers Archives - DVD On Demand...

I was reading a soundtrack review and discovered that Warner Brothers has started an "archive" division that sells DVDs of some of their older/less popular/less commercial movies "made to order." The titles they're offering run the gamut, from early talkies all the way to films from the 80's. Among others, I ordered "The D.I." starring Jack Webb (and would someone PLEASE release the 1950's Dragnet movie to DVD!), "Rage" with George C. Scott (who better to demonstrate rage than George?) and the unfortunate "Doc Savage" movie from 1975.

The site notes that the titles aren't remastered, but DVDs are burned from the best video masters. I will report on quality when the first batch arrives. Meanwhile, I hope the other studios jump on this bandwagon and offer their own more obscure goodies to the viewing public...

https://www.wbshop.com/Warner-Archive/ARCHIVE,default,sc.html

TONIGHT on HEROES!!

An episode called "1961." Once again, I'll let the crack NBC promotions folks toss up a teaser:

THE HAUNTING SECRETS OF ANGELA PETRELLI’S PAST CAN’T STAY BURIED FOREVER

As Nathan (Adrian Pasdar), Claire (Hayden Panettiere), Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) and H.R.G. (Jack Coleman) help Angela (Cristine Rose) uncover her past, she reveals the dark secrets that have haunted her for years. Meanwhile, Mohinder (Sendhil Ramamurthy) learns of his father’s involvement in a long forgotten government operation. Diana Scarwid, Alexa Nikolas, Laura Marano, Ravi Kapoor, Casey Kringlen, H. Michael Croner and Edwin Hodge guest star.

You wanted something different in your Hero sandwich? Here's different!

And remember, the Heroes For Autism blow-out is THIS SUNDAY, April 19, at the Avalon Ballroom. Auctions, bands, celebrities -- and it's all for a great cause.

AOL Picks 50 Best TV Dramas Of All Time...

These "top 50" lists are, of course, wildly subjective, but this one actually includes older shows (Dragnet, Gunsmoke, Bonanza)... and any list that has the Fightin' Adamas at #12 (one notch behind Deadwood) is okay in my book.

http://television.aol.com/insidetv/2009/03/11/50-best-tv-dramas-ever/?icid=main|main|dl2|link3|http%3A%2F%2Ftelevision.aol.com%2Finsidetv%2F2009%2F03%2F11%2F50-best-tv-dramas-ever%2F

Famous Monsters Of Filmland Billy Bob Style

Folks sometimes ask me where I, umm, stole the title of this blog. Well, Billy Bob Thornton explores the joys of "Famous Monsters Of Filmland" magazine in this... remarkable interview. The fun starts about five minutes in...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJWS6qyy7bw

The Beatles -- Finally!

From the official Beatles site (thanks to JG for the tip):

http://thebeatles.com/core/news/7th April 2009

Apple Corps Ltd. and EMI Music are delighted to announce the release of the original Beatles catalogue, which has been digitally re-mastered for the first time, for worldwide CD release on Wednesday, September 9, 2009 (9-9-09), the same date as the release of the widely anticipated "The Beatles: Rock Band" video game. Each of the CDs is packaged with replicated original UK album art, including expanded booklets containing original and newly written liner notes and rare photos. For a limited period, each CD will also be embedded with a brief documentary film about the album. On the same date, two new Beatles boxed CD collections will also be released.

The albums have been re-mastered by a dedicated team of engineers at EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London over a four year period utilising state of the art recording technology alongside vintage studio equipment, carefully maintaining the authenticity and integrity of the original analogue recordings. The result of this painstaking process is the highest fidelity the catalogue has seen since its original release.

The collection comprises all 12 Beatles albums in stereo, with track listings and artwork as originally released in the UK, and 'Magical Mystery Tour,' which became part of The Beatles' core catalogue when the CDs were first released in 1987. In addition, the collections 'Past Masters Vol. I and II' are now combined as one title, for a total of 14 titles over 16 discs. This will mark the first time that the first four Beatles albums will be available in stereo in their entirety on compact disc. These 14 albums, along with a DVD collection of the documentaries, will also be available for purchase together in a stereo boxed set.

Quantum Of Contracts...

Obviously I'm a little behind in my film going, since I'm just catching up with the latest James Bond effort, "Quantum Of Solace." It's packed with lots of action and James Bond witticisms, but there was one aspect of the movie that left me puzzled. I suppose this might qualify as a

SPOILER

...so be warned.

A major plot point hinges on the villain convincing a skeezy South American dictator to "sign over" the rights to a huge plot of desert in said dictator's country, in return for various nefarious machinations to keep El Dictator in power. It turns out that the (rather dull witted) dictator thought the desert land was worthless, but our bad guy had found massive amounts of water under the sand. Water that, if controlled by him, would give him power and leverage and all that villainous stuff.

So the dictator eventually (and reluctantly) signs off on the deal, our villain goes "mwah ha haaa" with his freshly minted documents and I'm left thinking -- huh? That bad guy certainly has an inordinate amount of faith in whatever legal system exists in South American dictatorships. Does he honestly think a signature on some scrap of paper is going to be upheld by whatever courts uphold that sort of thing? Sure, there's some chat about "the Quantum" league or group (or whatever the hell they call their criminal cabal) getting medieval on the dictator's ass if he doesn't fall into line, but if threats were all it took to make the deal, why bother with paperwork in the first place?

There are a lot of people who think getting a "signed contract" makes all the difference in the world when it comes to business, but in my experience, contracts are only as good as the parties who sign them and the courts willing to enforce them. If one side or the other decides to renege on a deal, for whatever reason, then generally the side with the most financial wherewithal will triumph. I've certainly had my share of signed contracts that turned out to be unenforceable, and those were usually with fairly reputable corporations, not murderous South American dictators...

Since it was a James Bond movie, the good guys won the day anyway, so we didn't get the sequel, "Quantum Of Courtcase Docket #324589." But I'm sure it would have been exciting!

TONIGHT on HEROES...

"Turn And Face The Strange." No, the episode does not involve a driving school and/or an appearance by Marvel's Dr. Strange. Rather, our old friend and ruthless agent Danko discovers he's provoked one of our Heroes to the breaking point, while Noah "H.R.G." Bennet looks into Sylar's death and gets a surprise visitor.

Written by yours truly and Rob Fresco, directed by Jennot (Supergirl! Jaws 2! Somewhere In Time! My "Perry White" episode of Smallville!) Szwarc!

That's MONDAY NIGHT on NBC, 9:00PM!

HEROES Keeps On Hero-ing...

I've been in madcap work mode for as long as I can remember, so there's not much to update at the moment (that I can actually write about). HOWEVER...

Heroes Season Three is still finishing up (post-production stuff mostly, shooting is done done done) and there are four pretty great episodes coming your way, if I do say so myself (and I did, so...)

This week's episode, "Turn And Face The Strange", was co-written by yours truly and Rob Fresco, and digs into some heartbreaking turns for two unlikely characters. Rob and I did a "writer's commentary" on the episode that I'm told will be on the internet by midnight Monday, after the episode airs, so if you're into "backstage stuff", there you go! Rob and I desperately tried to work up a rivalry during the writing of the show but instead we (sigh, no story here) managed to work together well AND remain friends.

And while my good friends at Heroes and NBC/Universal would be loathe for me to reveal any of the twists and turns to come, there's some cool stuff coming up. Week after next is "1961," a great episode written by Aron Coleite that presents another intriguing chapter of Hero-lore. Then we get into the big finale episodes. Episode #24, written by Adam Armus and Kay Foster, explores one of our darker characters in a unique and fascinating way and tees up the season finale, written by Tim Kring, which is a total knock out and a shocker. I will say no more... just be prepared for some, *ahem*, startling twists and turns.

I'll say more as we get closer to each air-date, but I just wanted to whet some appetites...

Things That Make Me Happy...

I have a steadily dwindling list of "music I'd love to see released officially on CD," and I just saw it dwindle a bit more with the announcement that the first two Del-Lords albums ("Frontier Days" and "Johnny Comes Marching Home") are being released at long last, with bonus tracks. Their third record, "Based On A True Story," is also being reissued, though it had an abbreviated CD release back in the day. The fine folks at Collector's Choice Music are doing the honors, and evidently lead singer Scott Kempner has a hand in picking the extra tracks.

The Del-Lords were a breath o' fresh air in the late 80's, straight forward rock and roll with great lyrics. It helps that I met Scott Kempner a few times when he worked (and maybe he still does) at the Amoeba Records store in Los Angeles. His more recent solo CDs are also worth the $$. Anyhow, check out the Del-Lords fun at ccmusic.com.

Now if some enterprising folks would start issuing official CDs of all those Golden Record cartoon albums ("Huckleberry Hound", etc.), the world will settle back on its axis.

Obama Saddened By End Of BSG...

I know just how he feels...

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/obama_depressed_distant_since?utm_
sour%20ce=onion_rss_daily