Long time no see + JJ's F-Bombs

So it's been a while. I keep meaning to post something. But it's amazing how getting married will sidetrack you. And I've been writing -- so less writing here. Which is a good thing. But it does off-set things. I haven't even been reading blogs as of late. It's like how you want to write for TV, and you find you have to start watching less of it to get your writing done.

But I've had two people in the last week ask me where I've been. And I finished my draft of my Fringe spec this past weekend, so I have some time before I jump into the next draft.

Speaking of which: the JJ conundrum. I've been JJ-ing up my Fringe spec. But I can't seem to find a balance for it. One can only assume that Fringe follows the Abrams style of CAPS, underlining, and F-bombing up their scripts. But in a spec? I'd assume one should follow suit, but to what degree? I have this fear that someone who reads it might not be aware of said JJ-ing. And then they'd have the same reaction I did when I saw my first Lost script.

And what about the three-dimensional location headings? I wonder how much people are using those. The show isn't exactly consistent in how much they use them to begin with. On paper, I assure you, they're not nearly as intriguing anyway.

So I wrestle with these things.

I also wrestle with specs in general these days. I'd much rather spend my time writing a pilot, or a feature. But what are you going to do? Specs are faster anyway. And they tend to grease the hinges. But I've been feeling the itch. So I have to figure out this Fringe, ship it off to the WB, and move on.

Thoughts on the JJ-ing, anyone?

ps. Leverage starts up again tomorrow night. So summer TV may just have an alternative revenue stream yet.

The Oddities of HIMYM

I've been out of commission for a while. But considering I got married in April, I'm lucky I didn't end up in a post-nuptial Bermuda Triangle. It's kind of like waking up in a field naked, with a big gap in your memory and crop circles shaved into your hair. Though I doubt my wife would describe it that way.

Anyway, to the point, I was planning on discussing the Bones finale. But I really do enjoy that show and I just couldn't bring myself to discuss how horrible it was.

Instead, I'm going to return to my bloggerly interest in How I Met Your Mother. Aside from the fact that HIYM often plays the salt to my wounds, and I'm fairly certain that Carter Bays and Craig Thomas are stalking me -- I found tonight's season finale to be incredibly interesting. (No worries, no spoilers.) And no, it wasn't the Mother tease. Anyone who actually thought they were going to fulfill on their show's titular promise when there's still syndication fuel to add to the fire, well, you're glutton for punishment.

What I found so interesting is that both Alyson Hannigan and Colbie Smulders were entirely un-pregnant. No belly hiding, no big poofy shirts and dresses with wild patterns, so big bags. (Well, not for Colbie Smulders, anyway.) Ms. Smulders gave birth three days ago. And Ms. Hannigan not so long ago herself.

Which means that they shot this episode, what, shortly after the middle of the season? It was before Colbie Smulders started showing, which had to be 6-8 episodes ago. I'm sure this isn't unheard of, and it's not like the show is Lost or anything.

Obviously the show's arc was plotted out. No shocker there. But what is interesting is that this would explain the somewhat shaky drive of the last six or so episodes of this season. Would this finale have hit better if they had been working towards it, and have been able to tinker last minute with the flow of the last four episodes?

Maybe, maybe not. But I thought the last four episodes where a little up and down. A lot of stopping and starting. I don't know if anyone else felt the momentum was a little off -- but I felt it. And the apparent mechanics of this finale seemed to clear some of that up for me.

But, nonetheless, this season was pretty "on" for HIMYM. It wasn't always at its best, but it was a pretty consistent and pleasing season. While I was in line at the ABC/Disney presentation at The Fine Art Theater on Sunday, I heard two aspiring comedy writers criticizing the "softball" humor of HIMYM. But they also were fans of recent Entourage, so, I took that with a grain of salt.

I think HIMYM is one of the more successful sitcoms on television. Sure, it's no 30 Rock. But it's good. And I think they did a good job while juggling not one, but two pregnancies. So hopefully next season's unencumbered momentum will lead to another onward and upwards season. And not just a syndication fodder line-up.

ps. You can't softball Jesus.

If you don't see -- and love -- Adventureland, well, then you SUCK

Well, not really.

But, yeah. Really.

I loved this movie. Loved it. And I think in our modern world of Appatowian dramedies, this film could be an Us-or-Them divider. As in, cat or dogs. Beatles or Stones. Hilary or Barack. Despite Greg Mottola's Super Bad credit, this is no Super Bad. No Knocked Up. This harks back to his Daytrippers days. This is the kind of movie where I was watching it, and I thought, "Oh...a filmmaker made this."

Which, granted, is snooty as hell. But we are who we are.

And it's not just that. I was eager to see the movie because the trailer looked fun. But then I read an article in the LA Times about Mottola where he described Adventureland as a "romantic movie for sensitive males."

Now, that's either going to sell you or it isn't. And I was effing sold. Throw in Kristen Stewart and I've got myself a party.

On a weekend where Fast & Furious is bound to take the #1 spot -- and I really do need to point out that this umpteenth sequel is semantically hinged upon the removal of two articles and the substitution of a conjunction for an ampersand -- you're either in the cars & guns camp, or you want to see the awkward boy get wrapped up with the indie rock girl with emotional issues.

That's about as Hilary & Barack as you can get.

But I think it goes further than that. Even though Mottola is most definitely in bed with the Appatow dynasty, I find it interesting that he'd make this movie. Appatow's stamp is all over current hit comedies. And sure, you might think Jonah Hill or Leslie Mann are the most annoying aspects of that.

But what pisses me off is the Appatow Man. You know. The eternal child. The emotionally stunted Peter Pan with a beer gut who's prone to outbursts and fashionable loserdom. With the occasional Paul Rudd thrown in as an emasculated yet snarky schmuck -- because someone has to get their balls handed to them to remind the Appatow Man why they must maintain the status quo.

But Adventureland is a movie that dares to dip back into the indie 90's pool of smart, neurotic guys who aren't Appatow-Man-fat, and who bumble more than quip. It dares to acknowledge that you can be a pathetic guy without being a moron. You can have ambition, be educated, and be self-aware -- and still have no idea what you're doing. Hilarity can still ensue.

And Kristen Stewart. C'mon.

But I think that my point is that this movie isn't just straddling the genre film and the smart film. It isn't just jockeying for position in the same market market as, dear god, yet another Vin Diesel movie. But it's also an alternative to I Love You, Man.

It's one for the rest of us.

ps. But I'm also talking about a movie that thanks about every member of the Appatow gang in the credits. So maybe I'm all alone on this. But that's coo', cause Martin Starr was smokin' a pipe. So it's all good.

pps. B pointed out to me that Fast and Furious in fact has no ampersand. Touché, B, touché. But I'm pretty sure my point still stands.

ADDENDUM

Even the Variety review of Adventureland seems to dislike Jesse Eisenberg's character for Appatowian reasoning. He has a "furrowed brow," and is "earnest." Which basically finds fault in his giving a fuck, and not being a complete dumbass. Seriously? Seriously Variety? I'm picturing Frank from 30 Rock at a keyboard here, because, "earnest?" Earnest young males pretty much make up for a wildly significant portion of dramatic story telling prior to the 21st century.

I guess I just miss the era of Whit Stillman, and Mottola's own Daytrippers. And I'm thrilled at its return, even if it's a slight return. And a good friend of mine who choice to see Fast and Furious instead this past weekend agreed that while we went in very opposite directions, we both still find the present cinema climate to be confusing and troublesome.

But he got his cars, and I got my earnest boy and quirky girl meet-cute.

Writer Beware

Courtesy of Louis, here's an article that confirms many of my fears of writing contests. There are legit ones, but still -- I haven't heard of anyone who has gotten work or representation because of a contest win.

I'll keep applying to certain fellowships and whatnot, but I ruled out writing contests a while back. I think it's best to remember that these contests are a business, or a revenue source at the least. So unless Timothy Hutton is actually connected to the contest and assuring you that it's funded by an alternate revenue stream, then...writer beware.

ps. The list of all the big profile writers that lent their names to this Fade In contest is also pretty disturbing. I'm going to be more hesitant about contest name-dropping.