I’M VERY PROUD
What movie should you not watch with your children? Chrisvania Handita, I don’t like horror movies Written Dec 19 Ok, please don’t judge my parents once you read my answer. I’m sure they didn’t do this intentionally. I’m pretty sure I was no older than 8 years old. I remember going to the cinema with […]
THEY LEFT OUT THE FUNNY
I’m a big Christopher Guest fan. WAITING FOR GUFFMAN, FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, BEST IN SHOW, truly funny films. It’s great to see the wonderful actors – it’s a company of great comic actors – Eugene Levy, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Fred Willard et. al. – are fantastic and funny. In A MIGHTY WIND, no one […]
TOM LAZARUS INTERVIEWED BY DEBRA ECKERLING
Why did you write The Last Word? I’ve been teaching Advanced Screenwriting Workshop and Advanced Rewriting Workshop at UCLA Extension, Writer’s Program, for many years and have found that the workshop process, based on the writing of the screenwriters in class, is invaluable in terms of teaching screenwriting. These real world screenwriting problems and their solutions […]
HOW TO BE A WRITER, NOT GO CRAZY AND SURVIVE
Over the years, I’ve learned how to survive emotionally and psychologically in Hollywood so I didn’t end up floating face down in Norma Desmond’s swimming pool. (See SUNSET BOULEVARD, the movie. It’s fantastic. One of the top ten movies of all time.) I don’t get my ego strokes only if someone likes the script, […]
I HAVE SCRIPT NOTES FOR YOU – DON’T KILL ME
Two of my recent script consultations freaked out when I gave them notes on their scripts. My notes were referred to as “Callous.” And “Not helpful at all.” Hmmm. Getting notes on a script you’ve worked your fingers to bone on is difficult stuff. I know. I’m terrible at getting notes. I get […]
IT TAKES A 150% TO BE GREAT
I saw a musical comedy last night: THE PEOPLE VS FRIAR LAURENCE – The Man Who Killed Romeo and Juliet – at the Whitefire Theater in Sherman Oaks, California. There was piano player and a cast of twelve. It ran two and half hours, had close to thirty original songs. Everyone sang. Everyone […]
A CREEPY GREAT MOVIE
I watch a lot of documentaries. For me, it’s all about storytelling. In this day and age of evolving media, we’re not just screenwriters or just novelists, we’re storytellers – across media. These days, some of the best storytelling is happening in documentaries. They are fulfilling one of the original missions of movies – […]
BOOK SIGNING RIOT SWEEPS LOS ANGELES!
What started as a laidback little book signing for my new book THE LAST WORD quickly turned ugly at Chevalier’s, our wonderful local independent bookstore in Larchmont, a semi-quaint enclave of expensive restaurants and upscale stores., Called for one o’clock, lines began to form early outside the store. When the doors didn’t open […]
