Kyle Kerr

How Long Has It Been?

06/22/08 | Awesome, Books, My Writings | 3 Comments

It’s been a month since my last update.  Why?  Because I don’t really have anything to say.  The writing honestly hasn’t been going very well, and I just haven’t wanted to talk about it.  It’s not that what I’m writing is bad, but the fact that I’m NOT WRITING.  I’ve tried to figure out what my problem is, but the truth alludes me.  I don’t know what’s wrong.  Hopefully, it’ll correct itself soon, and I can finish my book at some point.

One of the things keeping me sane in my little bout of no writing is my work on the film news site, Filmonic.  It was actually an outlet I never knew I needed, not until I had it.  I love movies, more than any person I know.  I’d go to the movies several times a week if I could afford it.  I’ve even watched the special features on some movies MORE TIMES THAN I’VE WATCHED THE ACTUAL MOVIE.  Anyone who knows me knows that I have ambitions of writing a screenplay.  It sounds hokey, but I love everything about writing, and most forms of it.  I’ve written a novel, many short stories, and even a short screenplay.  They are all satisfying to write, and immensely challenging in their own rights.  With a novel, you have to have a good storyline, intriguing characters, and sustainability for 80,000+ words.  A short story needs the same first two characteristics, but you need to do it in a much more condensed form.  Screenplays, along with all of the characteristics of a novel, coupled with a little shorter format (about 90-110 pages) and more of a visual impact, has its own challenges.  Challenges I’m very much willing—and eager!—to undertake…!

All of that being said, I love movies.  I love finding out little tidbits about movies in production, all of that behind-the-scenes stuff, and I’m a self proclaimed Movie Trailer Whore.  The day I set foot on a movie set is the day my life is complete.  (Well, I’m assuming that I would have already published a novel by that point! )

What’s cool is that the site has already been recognized by IMDb and PerezHilton.com (whose plug sent so many viewers to the site that it crashed our server!).  It’s on its way to becoming a great site, and that’s a good thing.  I’m hoping that, once the site gets big enough, that I can apply to the Broadcast Film Critics Association (since I do all of the movie reviews for the site), which would bring a great credibility to the site!  We just have to hope that the site continues to grow as rapidly as it has been!

IN OTHER NEWS:

On July 10, I’m heading to NYC to attend ThrillerFest. NO, it’s not a Michael Jackson gathering, but a convention for thriller writers!  Now, I’m not a thriller writer, but I do read thrillers.  Plus, why would I give up the chance to rub elbows with some of the best known authors in the world?  Some of the people I’ll be meeting?  Maybe you’ve heard of them: JAMES PATTERSON, SANDRA BROWN, JAMES ROLLINS, STEVE BERRY, DAVID MORRELL, LEE CHILD… the list goes on.  If I don’t die on the spot, I’ll have to work on my vocal skills… ie, making sure I can talk, and not simply squeak or drool at them.  I’m sure they’re used to that reaction, but I’d rather avoid it if I could!

There are going to be two days of sessions, ranging in all topics about writing, storytelling, and publishing, and then an awards banquet at the end of the second night (which I’ll also be attending)!  I’m super excited about it!

I’m actually reading my first ever James Patterson book right now, and it’s really good!  It’s called When the Wind Blows, and it’s about genetic experiments on children that turn them into super smart halfbreeds.  You heard right, they’re half human, half bird (they have wings).  About 100 pages in and it’s got me hooked.  And, it’s a pretty quick read!

Also, Entertainment Weekly has released a list of 100 Best Books Published Since 1983.  You’ll find that list below, but I have to say… I’ve only read EIGHT of the books!  Well, eight and a half (I never finished William Gibson’s Neuromancer).  I’ll highlight my pitiful reading list in bold.  How many have you read?

1. The Road, Cormac McCarthy (2006)
2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling (2000)
3. Beloved, Toni Morrison (1987)
4. The Liars’ Club, Mary Karr (1995)
5. American Pastoral, Philip Roth (1997)
6. Mystic River, Dennis Lehane (2001)
7. Maus, Art Spiegelman (1986/1991)
8. Selected Stories, Alice Munro (1996)
9. Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier (1997)
10. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Haruki Murakami (1997)
11. Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer (1997)
12. Blindness, José Saramago (1998)
13. Watchmen, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (1986-87)
14. Black Water, Joyce Carol Oates (1992)
15. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Dave Eggers (2000)
16. The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood (1986)
17. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez (1988)
18. Rabbit at Rest, John Updike (1990)
19. On Beauty, Zadie Smith (2005)
20. Bridget Jones’s Diary, Helen Fielding (1998)
21. On Writing, Stephen King (2000)
22. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Díaz (2007)
23. The Ghost Road, Pat Barker (1996)
24. Lonesome Dove, Larry McMurtry (1985)
25. The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan (1989)
26. Neuromancer, William Gibson (1984) (never did get to the mancer part! LOL)
27. Possession, A.S. Byatt (1990)
28. Naked, David Sedaris (1997)
29. Bel Canto, Anne Patchett (2001)
30. Case Histories, Kate Atkinson (2004)
31. The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien (1990)
32. Parting the Waters, Taylor Branch (1988)
33. The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion (2005)
34. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold (2002)
35. The Line of Beauty, Alan Hollinghurst (2004)
36. Angela’s Ashes, Frank McCourt (1996)
37. Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi (2003)
38. Birds of America, Lorrie Moore (1998)
39. Interpreter of Maladies, Jhumpa Lahiri (2000)
40. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman (1995-2000) (This is technically THREE books!)
41. The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros (1984)
42. LaBrava, Elmore Leonard (1983)
43. Borrowed Time, Paul Monette (1988)
44. Praying for Sheetrock, Melissa Fay Greene (1991)
45. Eva Luna, Isabel Allende (1988)
46. Sandman, Neil Gaiman (1988-1996)
47. World’s Fair, E.L. Doctorow (1985)
48. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
49. Clockers, Richard Price (1992)
50. The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen (2001)
51. The Journalist and the Murderer, Janet Malcom (1990)
52. Waiting to Exhale, Terry McMillan (1992)
53. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon (2000)
54. Jimmy Corrigan, Chris Ware (2000)
55. The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls (2006)
56. The Night Manager, John le Carré (1993)
57. The Bonfire of the Vanities, Tom Wolfe (1987)
58. Drop City, TC Boyle (2003)
59. Krik? Krak!, Edwidge Danticat (1995)
60. Nickel & Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich (2001)
61. Money, Martin Amis (1985)
62. Last Train To Memphis, Peter Guralnick (1994)
63. Pastoralia, George Saunders (2000)
64. Underworld, Don DeLillo (1997)
65. The Giver, Lois Lowry (1993)
66. A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again, David Foster Wallace (1997)
67. The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini (2003)
68. Fun Home, Alison Bechdel (2006)
69. Secret History, Donna Tartt (1992)
70. Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell (2004)
71. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Ann Fadiman (1997)
72. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon (2003)
73. A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving (1989)
74. Friday Night Lights, H.G. Bissinger (1990)
75. Cathedral, Raymond Carver (1983)
76. A Sight for Sore Eyes, Ruth Rendell (1998)
77. The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro (1989)
78. Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert (2006)
79. The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell (2000)
80. Bright Lights, Big City, Jay McInerney (1984)
81. Backlash, Susan Faludi (1991)
82. Atonement, Ian McEwan (2002)
83. The Stone Diaries, Carol Shields (1994)
84. Holes, Louis Sachar (1998)
85. Gilead, Marilynne Robinson (2004)
86. And the Band Played On, Randy Shilts (1987)
87. The Ruins, Scott Smith (2006)
88. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby (1995)
89. Close Range, Annie Proulx (1999)
90. Comfort Me With Apples, Ruth Reichl (2001)
91. Random Family, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc (2003)
92. Presumed Innocent, Scott Turow (1987)
93. A Thousand Acres, Jane Smiley (1991)
94. Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser (2001)
95. Kaaterskill Falls, Allegra Goodman (1998)
96. The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown (2003)
97. Jesus’ Son, Denis Johnson (1992)
98. The Predators’ Ball, Connie Bruck (1988)
99. Practical Magic, Alice Hoffman (1995)
100. America (the Book), Jon Stewart/Daily Show (2004)

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

05/22/08 | Awesome, Movies, Reviews | 2 Comments

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe took the world by surprise. Not many thought that the success of the Lord of the Rings trilogy or the Harry Potter series could be repeated, yet it happened again with The Chronicles of Narnia. The first movie went on to gross over $730 million worldwide and left audiences all over the globe wanting MORE.

In Prince Caspian, the world of Narnia has been ravaged by time and the harsh rule of a race of humans called the Telmarines, a people who do not believe in magic. In the 1300 years since the Pevensie siblings left Narnia after serving for years as Kings and Queens, the Telmarines invaded and managed to drive Narnians almost to extinction.

The King of the Telmarines is dead and his son, Prince Caspian, is waiting for a time when he can take the throne. In the meantime, Caspian’s uncle, Miraz, serves as Regent of the realm. However, when Miraz’s wife gives birth to a son, Caspian’s life is suddenly in danger and he is forced to flee in order to survive. In the throes of his escape, he blows a horn with a mysterious past, and in doing so summons the Kings and Queens of old to help in his plight.

It has only been a year for the Pevensies, yet the transition from royal adults back to ordinary “children” hasn’t been easy for all of them. Peter, for one, hates being treated for his age and starts fights with other school-aged boys just to prove his manhood. Yet one day they feel an strange pinching in their stomachs as they’re waiting for the train to school, a pinch that feels oddly like magic. In the blink of an eye, the children are back in Narnia and they are faced with fighting two battles: the advancing Talmarine army, and their waning faith in Aslan and in themselves.

From the moment I stepped out of the theater after watching the first Narnia installment, I instantly wanted to watch the next one. It has been two and a half years, and six months longer than the original release date, and I’m very pleased to say that the wait has been well worth it. Through most of the two and a half hour movie, I literally had chills running up my spine. This movie, in my opinion, is even better than the first.

What makes it so great is that director Andrew Adamson didn’t try to recreate the look and feel of the first movie. This is a much darker movie, one with severe moral undertones about acceptance and prejudice, and it shouldn’t feel as fluffy as the first one was. A number of reviews I read about the movie complained that there wasn’t enough magic in this one, yet what did they expect? The Pevensies come back in an age where magic is all but gone, so there naturally wouldn’t be any magic to see. There are still a number of Narnians left: from centaurs and minotaurs, to talking badgers and mice to dwarves. There was plenty of magic in that respect, and certainly enough action, to let the audience leave feeling satisfied.

Another interesting element of this movie is the level of emotion that the young actors were able to bring to their roles, as well as the feelings the characters themselves were feeling. In the first Narnia, it’s obvious that it was their first real acting job. Yes, they did the best they could at the time, but they have all grown as actors, resulting in much more three dimensional characters this time around. They actually FELT like they were the Kings and Queens of Narnia past stuck in the bodies of teenagers and children. It was something in their eyes, a sense of knowledge far beyond their years, and the very way they held themselves that made it so believable. They have all grown, and I can’t wait to see what they do next.

My favorite transition was in the character of Edmund who, in the first movie, betrayed his family for his own gain. In Prince Caspian, you can tell he is still trying to make up for this betrayal and will do anything for his family. Not only does he defend his brother, stick up for Lucy when no one believes that she’s been seeing Aslan when none of the rest of them has, but he’s turned into a calculated, badass warrior. He’s very confident in his position as a King, gets right into the thick of battles, and even slides down a roof to kick a Talmerine soldier over a balcony. He is able to stand in front of the Telmarine usurper, surrounded by enemies, and shoot off a witty sort of banter that lets Miraz know exactly who Edmund is: a Narnian King.  Not to mention how much older he seems, considering actor Skandar Keynes’ voice dropped about three octaves!

Newcomer Ben Barnes as Prince Caspian only added to the great cast. The only thing I was confused about was his accent. He’s British, yet he had some sort of Italian accent in the movie, which didn’t exactly match up with the rest of the Telmarines. Other than that, I’m glad we’ll be seeing more of him in the upcoming The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader movie in 2010.

Overall, really incredible movie. The action is enough to keep anyone’s eyes glued to the screen, but the sarcasm and wit will keep you in your seat, and the emotion will leave you longing for more. This is one of those movies that you really need to see in theaters, and one you’re likely to see multiple times (like I’m surely going to do myself!): 10/10.

GO SEE THIS MOVIE.

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

Moving Forward

05/12/08 | Genius Mode, My Writings | 11 Comments

Bad news first: My screenplay didn’t get chosen for the ‘Locker 13” competition.  Damn.  What else is new?  Moving on.

I haven’t written anything for my novel in over a month.  (In keeping with bad news.) But, I’m looking to change that, and soon.  Like, now.  I’m moving back to Pennsylvania in a couple of weeks, so am in this sort of limbo… I can’t get a job to have something to do, because I’m leaving, so I basically sit around my apartment, surf the internet, read, watch TV and movies, and generally putz around.  Not very productive.

I need to write, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.  Starting today, I will be a writing machine.  Or, I’ll try to be anyway.  A number of my blogging writer friends have been talking about goals and such lately, and that’s what I need to focus on.  I’ve already broken down the book into individual chapters, so that it is far less daunting to go through and edit each chapter instead of going in to edit the entire book at once.  It’s a lot more reassuring to see that you have edited 10 pages and you have 15 to go instead of having edited 10 pages and you have 325 to go.  Right?

Well, the screenplay thing worked in the way I’d hoped it would, though, giving me the confidence to move on to bigger projects.  My friend Dawn and I will be working on a screenplay soon, which is all very exciting… AND, I’ve decided that I want to start writing a TV show.  (Yes, Pam, some other writers ARE that ambitious!)

Surprised to hear that?  It’s only a natural progression of thought, honestly, and I’m not going to be creating something from scratch.  The show will be based on the characters of my novel, Love, Simon (hey, I’ve spent almost 8 years with these characters… you can’t blame me for not wanting to give them up!), though with a different storyline.  I mean, one of the main characters dies in the book (I’m not ruining anything, you learn about it in the first paragraph of the book!  Go to the Writing section of my website to check it out…!), and we obviously wouldn’t want that to happen in the show.  At least not right away… And I have some ideas that would make the show really dramatic and witty at the same time, which I think would be perfect material for a network like The CW.  Teen drama… takes me back to my Dawson’s Creek days!

I’m hoping to have the pilot script written in the next couple of months, after I’ve plotted out a little of the first season.  No, I’m not crazy.  I know how hard these industries are.  BUT, you have to be prepared when you go in.  All I’m doing is planning and preparing.

It’s odd.  I find I have more ideas than I know what to do with.  At the pace I’m writing, I wonder if I’ll ever get to all of the other projects I have planned.  Not only do I have to finish my current novel-in-progress, but I have three more literary novels in mind, all of which have some plotting done on them.  I also have a fantasy trilogy that is halfway plotted out, which I don’t know when I’ll get the chance to write… On top of that, I have another screenplay that’s been fully plotted out for a while now and I just need to sit down and write the damn thing.  Throw on the screenplay that Dawn and I will be starting soon and the TV show I want to start, and I’m exhausted just thinking about it.  That’s about EIGHT projects I have in various stages of development and production.

Which is why I need to learn to write faster.

And now I leave you to do just that.

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

My Screenplay

04/25/08 | Genius Mode, My Writings | 10 Comments

I finished the rewrite of my script!

(I’m also rewriting this POST, because, apparently, you have to hit submit BEFORE you close the window!)

Just for a little background on the competition, here’s a little information from their site:

Locker 13 will be an anthology feature film comprised of 6 vignettes along the lines of “Four Rooms”, “Short Cuts”, “The Red Violin”, or “A Night on Earth”.  6 award-winning directors will take the top six 10-15 page scripts submitted to this site, shoot them and then combine them to make one feature length film.

1.  Answer the question, what’s in Locker 13? Locker 13 can be anywhere, a school, a bus station, an airport...a locker room. Anywhere, all that matters is that a Locker with the number 13 is part of the story.  What is your story?
2.  Genre is open.
3.  The Rating can be left open right now, but we may ask the scripts be toned down so that we can shoot for a PG or PG-13 rating.
4.  Limit the script to 1-3 locations.
5.  Limit the script to 1-6 main characters, no crowd scenes.
6.  The script has to have a beginning, a middle and an end.
7.  No explosions, little to no special FX.
8.  Think LOW BUDGET.
9.  10-15 pages in length.

Okay, there IS a crowd scene in the script, but I assure you it’s necessary!

Be aware that it has some disturbing content.  YOU WERE WARNED.

For those of you who wish to read it, click here.

Keep in mind that this is my first attempt at writing a screenplay, so constructive criticism is welcome if you wish to give it!

Enjoy!

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

Sneak Peek At New Potter Movie!

04/23/08 | Awesome, Movies, Making Of | 3 Comments

As I was looking at new trailers, I stumbled across these!  Behind-the-Scenes featurettes for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince!

Anyone else looking forward to this as much as I am?

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

New Narnia Trailer!

04/23/08 | Awesome, Movies, Trailers | 1 Comments

I haven’t posted any trailers in a while, and what better one to restart with than Narnia?!

Enjoy!

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

Competitions Are Fun

04/15/08 | Genius Mode, My Writings | 7 Comments

Just a quick update to show I haven’t died.

Today, April 15, is my official last day of classes.  All that I have left to do is a final next Friday and I’m DONE with this infernal business program FOREVER.  I will finally be able to concentrate on my writing, which should hopefully benefit from a jump in productivity once I don’t have tests and papers to worry about!

Lately, I haven’t been working on my novel, but I have been working… on my first screenplay!

For anyone who knows me, you know I’m fairly proficient at writing short stories (which don’t normally turn out very short, but what can I say?), so I figured I would try my hand at a short film (ie. a short screenplay).  Right now it’s a 10 page completed first draft.  After I finish the second draft, which includes an almost complete rewrite of the pivotal scene to incorporate a plot change, it’s going to be upwards of 13-15 pages.

This is actually for a competition to have my screenplay turned into a short film, which would be included in a short film anthology.  If they choose my script, an award winning director (which, honestly, could mean anything!) will shoot my script, which will hopefully then be shown at Cannes (that’s their plan, anyway!).  Not only will it be filmed, but I would also get 2% of the gross profits from the movie… that would be a great bonus, but the honor would be in having the script made and being able to say my script was chosen for this project and actually filmed, which would (hopefully) give me an in when moving on to feature length scripts.

I will be posting the entire script once I have finalized it, which has to be by the end of the month (but will likely happen within a week!).  Keep a lookout for it!

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

Life After Graduation

04/3/08 | General | 0 Comments

Now that I know I’m not going to Emerson, I have post-graduation life to think about.  What do I want to do with my life?  Well, obviously I want to be able to write full time, but it’s not something I can count on happening anytime soon.  Many writers aren’t able to do that EVER, so I’ve got to have another plan.

I love books, which is probably the biggest duh statement ever, but it’s true.  If I weren’t able to read, I’d probably go insane.  So, what does that mean?  I’m going to look for jobs in the publishing industry.  What else does that mean?  A potential migration to New York City.

Now, I love Boston, so the idea of leaving is not one I particularly enjoy.  If only there were some of the big NYC publishers up here!  If I do end up getting offered a job in NYC, I’ll go there until I’m able to write full time, then come back to Boston (unless I really enjoy the job I get and the life I build, and then I’d have some decisions to make!).  I just have to go where the money is right now, and if I stay in Boston, I’d have to get some sort of marketing job that I won’t particularly like.  Yeah, it’s money, but I don’t know how long it’s going to take for me to get published, and I’d rather ensure I was moderately happy during that time.  And I’ll be damned if I’m going to work retail or something as equally suicide inducing.

Plus, it would be nice to be closer to my family down in Pennsylvania.

I’ve found a number of jobs in publishing that nicely incorporate my skills as a marketer and a writer, so I’m preparing my resume and cover letters to send to those companies.  I’m interested to see if any of them respond! 

Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

A Moment In Time

03/31/08 | My Writings | 3 Comments

Starting out with the bad news here: I didn’t get into Grad School.  I don’t really know why (I was rejected through the use of a form letter).  Understandably, I’m sad, but I’m not really devastated.  I sort of have this mantra of “hope for the best, plan for the worst,” so I had been setting myself up for a loss from the word go.  I do wish that I could have had some feedback, though, and can only hope that there was an exceptionally high number of well qualified applicants this year and yes, they regret not being able to take me, but they just couldn’t fit in everybody and I lost out by one spot.  Or something like that.

But, sadly enough, as a writer I’m used to rejections.  This is a business where “no” is heard way more often than “yes”, and we’re warned of that right from the off (at least I was; I can’t speak for everyone.  O, but to live in ignorance!).  It’s just one more piece of shit to throw into the inferno that is my life, or should I say career…?  The odds are against us from the very beginning, and it’s to the point where I have to hope that others fail so that I might have better chances at success.  With the advent of self-publishing and the internet, everyone thinks they can write a book (Paris Hilton, anyone?), and, even though there have never been so many people on earth, there have also never been so many would-be writers, either.  Think about it.  Even if one half of one percent of people wanted to be writers, that’s still 30 MILLION people I have to compete with.

The keys are persistence and—hopefully—talent.  As awful as it is, I’ve come to the point where rejection seems to roll off my back.  I opened the rejection letter from Emerson and, after a slight pang, it was more Eh.  Really.  I expect to fail, and every acceptance is somewhat of a shock.  Yet I continue to write.  Why?  Because I love it, and I wouldn’t be able to stop even if I wanted to.  It’s ingrained in me, and it doesn’t look like it’s ever going to leave, so I keep going.  I’m aim to persevere.  And I’m a stubborn little bastard (just ask my mother).

I try to write every day.  It’s been hard working on my novel lately, so I write in other ways.  Not only do I have the novel in the works, but I work on short stories, I write for three different blogs (this one, Yeah, Great Blog..., and Filmonic), and I’ve even done a little work on my second novel (not much… mostly planning, but I have started the first chapter).  And, as always, I continue to read, ever broadening my mind, ever absorbing new words and voices and writing styles.

There are as number of things going for me, I think.  I discovered my passion relatively early.  No, I didn’t start writing little kid stories when I was 7, but I did start when I was 14, and that’s pretty good.  I’ve had all of those years to write crap, and I feel that I’ve reached a point where I write in my own voice and don’t emulate my favorite authors/books.  I have a great support system of family and friends and other writers, people I trust to tell me that my shit doesn’t smell like the roses I thought it did.  I’m widely read, and read as often as humanly possible (taking schoolwork into consideration, as always!).  I like to think I understand what constitutes a good story, and have the ability to provide/create one.  And, most importantly, I still have many years left to fail.  As much as I would like to have been published yesterday already, I know it’ll happen in due time.  Sounds oddly optimistic for a writer (and for me especially), but I have faith in myself and in my talents as a writer.  I know something is just around the corner, and I can’t wait to see what it is.

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

A Year In The Life

03/29/08 | Awesome, Books | 1 Comments

It’s probably one of the worst kept secrets that I love all things Harry Potter, and the author herself is not exempt from this.  The last book in the series came out last July and, for the year preceding that day, Jo was followed around by a camera and a documentarian (is that a word?).  It was shown on ITV in the UK, but hasn’t found its way State-side yet, though has recently popped up online.  I found it really interesting, so I figured I would share with all of you.  Below are five videos, each about 10 minutes long, documenting a year in the life of JK Rowling (including the moment she writes the last line of the book!).  Enjoy!

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

Michael Cunningham

03/27/08 | Awesome, General | 0 Comments

I had one of the most amazing nights of my life last night.  For about two hours, I was in the presence of one of the most critically acclaimed authors in the country: Michael Cunningham.

Michael has written some truly amazing books, two of which I have read, including The Hours, which was made into an Academy Award-winning movie starring Nicole Kidman and Meryl Streep, Specimen Days, Flesh and Blood, and At Home at the End of the World, which was also made into a movie, this one starring Colin Farrell.

We started planning for this event about six months ago, originally intending to bring in either Alice Sebold (The Lovely Bones, The Almost Moon) or Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club), but both of them had to decline because of conflicts with their touring… which actually turned out to be a blessing.

How is one supposed to act around someone like that?  I mean, here I am, 22, working on finishing my first novel, pretty much trying to stay sane in my last few weeks of college, and I’m supposed to interview a PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING NOVELIST?!  How cruel is fate?  But he was more than generous, and it was an immense pleasure to even be in his presence.  He was kind, he was surprisingly humble, and he was an all around nice person.  Never before have I seen an author take so much time to talk to his fans during a signing.

Probably the most amazing part of the night was when, right after Michael and I had left the stage, he asked me how my novel was going.  Like, he was genuinely interested!  And there’s me, and the first word out of my mouth sounded something like, flablneble.  What could I POSSIBLY have said to him?!  It was all I could do to, you know, not pass out.

Definitely something I will remember for the rest of my life.

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

Back In The Bo…

03/17/08 | My Writings | 0 Comments

London was amazing, and it was such a creatively invigorating place to be that I would love to be there on a more permanent basis.  I have always said that, once I am well off enough to afford it, I am going to buy a flat in London, and this trip only helped to cement that thought.  There was this little pub I found right near my hotel that seemed to have the perfect balance of synergy and charm/ambiance that made it a veritable melting pot for my imagination.  If only there was a way of transporting that place, as well as its employees and clientele (which added to the overall effectiveness of the place), to Boston, I would only be too happy…!  I guess I’m just going to have to find a similar place here.  Ah well.

While I was over there, I didn’t get as much writing done as I would have liked.  I mean, it was ridiculous of me to think that I wouldn’t be distracted by the lure of the city to have any significant amount of time to concentrate on writing.  (I guess I’ll have to go for an extended stay next time!) I was able to finish a short story I had been working on called Frozen Innocence, which is told from the point-of-view of a pedophile (who refuses to believe he IS one).  Now, before you start thinking weird and disgusting things about me, there was a point behind delving into such a character: one of the characters in my novel is abused as a child, and I wanted to see what would go into such abuse.  It was necessary for me to see what happens on the other side of abuse before I could effectively write it from the victim’s side of things, and I think this really helped.

As far as Simon goes, though, I haven’t had much time to work on him, unfortunately.  I think I just really hate the revision process.  If I sit down and start writing fresh, stuff flows, but when I go about revising something I wrote three years ago, the flow is more sludge than water.  I have heard many writers talk about the joys of revision, and how it’s their favorite part of the process.  Well, if only that were true for me.  When I write something, I usually edit as I go, so that the end result is usually fairly polished.  I put so much effort into THAT, that the thought of going back over it is often too much to handle.  I think I just need to get over it.  I mean, there are times when I enjoy it, but then there are other times…

School is going to end within the next month and a half, and I will never have to worry about going to classes again, and this excites me to no end.  I have always been about work, and school was only a means to that end.  I love to work; it’s when I’m happiest.  It is also a time of high productivity where my writing is concerned, because I don’t have tests and projects and papers looming over my head.  Work is work, and it stays in the office (at least for most people it does… but I’m not intending to be a lawyer any time soon), so I get a lot of ‘me’ time to work on my writing.  I know this is true because of past experiences… those two times I was on co-op (6-month full-time working periods during my four years at this school) were my best writing times in years.  It’s the schooling that bogs me down, and that’s going to end in May.  Thank god.

So, as ever I keep plodding along.  Hopefully I get some time to write soon, because Simon is getting restless.

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

Hopping The Pond

02/29/08 | My Writings | 0 Comments

It’s now the end of February, and ONCE AGAIN I have missed one of my own personal writing deadlines.  I was on a real kick for a while there, but it seems to have fallen off again as of late.  I haven’t done anything for Simon in about two weeks.

What happened?  It was going so well!  I don’t really know, but I need a recharge.  Maybe it’s the monotony of life anymore, just waiting for school to be over so life can begin.  Who knows.

In an attempt to break up the drudgery of life, I have decided a change of scenery is in order to reinvigorate my mojo (since Dawn won’t share him!).  So, I’m hopping the pond to Simon’s hometown, actually… a little place called London.  Maybe you’ve heard of it?

I will be there for about nine days, with a day trip to Edinburgh (maybe I’ll see Jo Rowling!).  Guys, I’m SO excited!  I love London.  I’ve only been there once before, and only for a couple of days, but it was so wonderful that it has been engrained into my very being.  The moment I have some extra income, the first thing I’m going to do (after doing the responsible things and paying down my school loans and other debt… boo) is buying a flat in London.  It’s always been a dream of mine!

Anyway, that aside… I am going to spend the next nine days relaxing in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and concentrating on my writing.  Hopefully, Simon will come to me more naturally in his home town than ever before.  He’s got a lot to tell me, that boy has.  I’m the only one that’ll listen to him right now, and his story needs to be told to the world.  With any luck, a good chunk of it will be ready when I get back, and the book can be finished not too long after.

Keep your fingers crossed for me!

I don’t know if I’m going to be able to update while I’m away… I’m sure I’ll find an internet connection somewhere.  But, if I don’t, I’ll see you all in a couple weeks!

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

Oscar Recap

02/25/08 | Movies | 0 Comments

The 80th Annual Academy Awards was on last night, and it was… okay.  You could tell that the show was kind of thrown together at the last minute.  Almost every few minutes, it felt like they were showing another clips montage.  I can’t imagine how awful that would have been if the writers HADN’T been there!  Clips galore!  PLUS, they showed these awful montages, yet they were rushing the winners off the stage!  Poor Marketa Irglova (who won the Oscar for Best Original Song for “Falling Slowly” from the movie Once with Glen Hansard) got cut off right as she was about to speak!  Thankfully, host Jon Stewart was kind enough to bring her back out after the commercial break and let her give her Thank Yous… which was very kind of him!

Also, did anyone notice some things...?  Like, recently deceased actor Brad Renfro was mysteriously absent from the In Memory Of montage?  Also, they seemed to snub Whoopi Goldberg, who they only showed as an Oscar winner… but excluded her from the hosts’ clips, even though she was the first woman host, the first black host, and the first host who was also an Oscar winner… Not cool, guys!

But, in case you missed the show, here are the nominees and winners for each category (*’s are next to the nominees who I THOUGHT should have won!):

PICTURE
Atonement*
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

DIRECTOR
Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Jason Reitman, Juno*
Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
George Clooney, Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd*
Tommy Lee Jones, In the Valley of Elah
Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age*
Julie Christie, Away from Her
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose
Laura Linney, The Savages
Ellen Page, Juno

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson’s War*
Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild
Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Cate Blanchett, I’m Not There
Ruby Dee, American Gangster
Saoirse Ronan, Atonement*
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Diablo Cody, Juno*
Nancy Oliver, Lars and the Real Girl
Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton
Brad Bird, Ratatouille
Tamara Jenkins, The Savages

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Christopher Hampton, Atonement*
Sarah Polley, Away from Her
Ronald Harwood, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Beaufort, Israel
The Counterfeiters, Austria
Katyn, Poland
Mongol, Kazakhstan
12, Russia

ANIMATED FEATURE
Persepolis
Ratatouille*
Surf’s Up

ORIGINAL SCORE
Dario Marianelli, Atonement*
Alberto Iglesias, The Kite Runner
James Newton Howard, Michael Clayton
Michael Giacchino, Ratatouille
Marco Beltrami, 3:10 to Yuma

ORIGINAL SONG
“Falling Slowly,” Once*
“Happy Working Song,” Enchanted
“Raise It Up,” August Rush
“So Close,” Enchanted
“That’s How You Know,” Enchanted

ART DIRECTION
Arthur Max, Beth A. Rubino, American Gangster
Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer, Atonement*
Dennis Gassner, Anna Pinnock, The Golden Compass
Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo, Sweeney Todd
Jack Fisk, Jim Erickson, There Will Be Blood

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Roger Deakins, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Seamus McGarvey, Atonement*
Janusz Kaminski, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Roger Deakins, No Country for Old Men
Robert Elswit, There Will Be Blood

COSTUME DESIGN
Albert Wolsky, Across the Universe
Jacqueline Durran, Atonement*
Alexandra Byrne, Elizabeth: The Golden Age*
Marit Allen, La Vie en Rose
Colleen Atwood, Sweeney Todd*
(This one was a major tie for me… They all did a great job!)

MAKEUP
Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald, La Vie en Rose
Rick Baker and Kazuhiro Tsuji, Norbit
Ve Neill and Martin Samuel, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End*

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
No End in Sight
Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience
Sicko
Taxi to the Dark Side
War/Dance

SOUND MIXING
Scott Millan, David Parker and Kirk Francis, The Bourne Ultimatum*
Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter Kurland, No Country for Old Men
Randy Thom, Michael Semanick and Doc Kane, Ratatouille
Paul Massey, David Giammarco and Jim Stuebe, 3:10 to Yuma
Kevin O’Connell, Greg P. Russell and Peter J. Devlin, Transformers*
(Both had really great sound mixing.)

SOUND EDITING
Karen Baker Landers and Per Hallberg, The Bourne Ultimatum*
Skip Lievsay, No Country for Old Men
Randy Thom and Michael Silvers, Ratatouille
Christopher Scarabosio and Matthew Wood, There Will Be Blood
Ethan Van der Ryn and Mike Hopkins, Transformers*
(Same as above.)

VISUAL EFFECTS
Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris and Trevor Wood, The Golden Compass
John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and John Frazier, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl and John Frazier, Transformers*

FILM EDITING
Christopher Rouse, The Bourne Ultimatum
Juliette Welfling, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Jay Cassidy, Into the Wild
Roderick Jaynes, No Country for Old Men
Dylan Tichenor, There Will Be Blood

SHORT FILM - ANIMATED
“I Met the Walrus”
“Madame Tutli-Putli”
“Même Les Pigeons Vont au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go to Heaven)”
“My Love (Moya Lyubov)”
“Peter & the Wolf”

SHORT FILM - LIVE ACTION
“At Night”
“Il Supplente (The Substitute)”
“Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)”
“Tanghi Argentini”
“The Tonto Woman”

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
“Freeheld”
“La Corona (The Crown)”
“Salim Baba”
“Sari’s Mother”

I was not happy with most of the winners, actually.  I’m sure No Country for Old Men was a good movie, but I didn’t see it.  My vote has always been for Atonement, and they all got gypped.  The movie lost Best Picture, Saoirse lost Best Supporting Actress, Christopher Hampton lost Best Adapted Screenplay, they lost Best Set and Costume Design, and Kiera, James, and director Joe Wright weren’t even nominated for Oscars!  What is wrong with these people?  I swear, when I’m finally part of the Academy, I’m going to make sure the GOOD movies win.  Seriously.

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

I Retracted It, Didn’t I?

02/17/08 | Movies, Reviews | 1 Comments

Movie reviews!

WATCHED

In Bruges

I am really starting to love Focus Features.  Not only have they produced my most recent favorite movie, Atonement, but they have also brought us such movies as Brokeback Mountain, Lost in Translation, Pride and Prejudice, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Constant Gardner, The Pianist, Billy Elliot, and Eastern Promises, just to name a few.  To add to that list of amazing movies (and cult classics), they now bring us In Bruges.

This movie is not for the conservative at heart.  In fact, it takes a really good sense of humor and a very un-politically correct mindset… both of which I have.  Not only is every other work ‘fuck’, but they manage to throw in the C word about 10 times, and they make fun of blacks, gays, fat people, midgets, Belgians, and just about everything you can think of, while throwing in a mixture of sex (almost), drugs, violence and crudity.  They were able to get away with a LOT in this movie.  And I couldn’t have loved it more. 

Behind everything listed above is some truly remarkable acting, a incredibly witty and well written script, and some surprisingly serious moral undertones.  I’m not really a Colin Farrell fan, but he really won me over in this movie.  He’s a hired hit man, he’s just killed a priest, and yet you’re pulling for him almost from the word go.

Here are some examples of the witty (and crude) dialogue in the movie (not work appropriate):

Ray (Colin Farrell): If I’d grown up on a farm and was retarded, Bruges might impress me.  But I didn’t, so… it doesn’t.

Ray: They’re filming midgets!

Ken (Brendan Gleeson): Harry, let’s face it. You’ve always been a cunt. The only thing that’s gonna change, is that you’re gonna be an even bigger cunt. Maybe have some more cunt kids.
Harry (Ralph Fiennes): You fuckin’ retract that bit about my cunt fucking kids!
Ken: I retract that bit about your cunt fucking kids.
Harry: Insulting my fucking kids?! That’s goin’ overboard man!
Ken: I retracted it, didn’t I?

In the context of the movie, it really isn’t offensive at all.  By the time you reach the conversation between Ken and Harry, the language of the movie is already well established, and it only adds to the humor of the moment.

Definitely worth a watch (if you meet the above mentioned requirements for viewing, that is!)...!

Jumper

I was actually somewhat disappointed with this movie.  It has a really great premise (people who can jump through space and can pretty much go anywhere they want to go), some phenomenal actors had signed on (Diane Lane, Samuel L. Jackson, Jamie Bell), and some great special effects to back the sci-fi themes of the movie.

Yet, somewhere it fell short.  Yes, the special effects were really great, and some of the action was thrilling… and, there was a semi-good twist at the end, though most people could probably have guessed it.  But, there were a lot of things that were off-putting about the storyline, such as characters not being surprised to see someone they thought had been dead for eight or so years, and the main character’s flippantly nonchalant attitude to being attacked by a man who was able to keep him from jumping with some strange electronic device.  Not to mention the girl who gets on a plane to Rome with the guy she thought had been dead for eight years without even a second thought.  It also had some really cheesy dialogue at times (to the point where audience members were laughing during “serious” moments).

I don’t know; I’m all about suspension of disbelief in the name of moving the storyline forward.  I mean, you can’t really have twenty minute exposition scenes where you explain everything that’s happening, but there has to be a sense of realism to what you’re doing, too.  I was able to believe the jumping, and the circumstances behind how his first jump happens, and even the war that’s brewing between the Jumpers and the religious zealots who think that no one but God should be able to do what they are able to do (though, I would have liked a little more back-story on them, too…).  But you need to back it up with something, and that something was definitely missing.

See it in theatres if you want, but only for the cool special effects.  This one is probably better left for your Netflix queue.

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

Indy Kicks Some Serious Butt!

02/14/08 | Movies, Trailers | 3 Comments

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Cyrstal Skull is set for release on May 22.  As my Valentine’s treat to you, here’s your first look at the movie:

Looks sooo good you guys!  And Cate Blanchett looks FIERCE.

What do you think?

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

Writers’ Strike Officially Over!

02/13/08 | Awesome, Business, Movies, The Industry, TV Shows | 1 Comments

Hot news straight from the WGAe website:

Members of WGA Vote by 92.5% to Lift Strike

To Our Fellow Members:

On Tuesday, members of the Writers Guilds East and West voted by a 92.5% margin to lift the restraining order that was invoked on November 5th. The strike is over.

Writing can resume immediately. If you were employed when the strike began, you should plan to report to work on Wednesday. If you’re not employed at an office or other work site, call or e-mail your employer that you are resuming work. If you have been told not to report to work or resume your services, we recommend that you still notify your employer in writing of your availability to do so. Questions concerning return-to-work issues should be directed to [...].

The decision to begin this strike was not taken lightly and was only made after no other reasonable alternative was possible. We are profoundly aware of the economic loss these fourteen weeks have created not only for our members but so many other colleagues who work in the television and motion picture industries. Nonetheless, with the establishment of the WGA jurisdiction over new media and residual formulas based on distributor’s gross revenue (among other gains) we are confident that the results are a significant achievement not only for ourselves but the entire creative community, now and in the future.

We hope to build upon the extraordinary energy, ingenuity, and solidarity that were generated by your hard work during the strike.

Over the next weeks and months, we will be in touch with you to discuss and develop ways we can use our unprecedented unity to make our two guilds stronger and more effective than ever.

Now that the strike has ended, there remains the vote to ratify the new contract. Ballots and information on the new deal, both pro and con, will be mailed to you shortly. You will be able to return those ballots via mail or at a membership meeting to be held Monday, February 25th, 2008, at times and locations to be determined.

Thank you for making it possible. As ever, we are all in this together.

Best,
Michael Winship
President
Writers Guild of America, East

Patric M. Verrone
President
Writers Guild of America, West

Thank GOD that’s finally over and done with!  Writers prevail!

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

Possible End To The Writers’ Strike?

02/8/08 | Awesome, Business, Movies, The Industry, TV Shows | 1 Comments

According to an article from CNBC.com, a deal has finally been reached between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).

According to Disney CEO Michael Eisner: “A deal had been made, and [the writers] will be back to work very soon.  I know a deal’s been made.  I know it’s over.”

The proposed deal will be revealed to WGA members on Saturday, with both coasts holding conferences for their regional members: one in NYC, and the other in LA.

If the deal is approved over the weekend, the writers may be back to work as early as Monday.

What does this mean for us?

New episodes of all of our favorite TV shows, and a less likely chance that the Fall 2008 TV season and 2009 movie season will be affected!  This is GREAT news.

And, according to sources, the two groups were able to come to amicable terms over such hot button issues as New Media and online advertising revenue royalties!  This means more money for the writers, who, as we’ve seen, are the backbone of the industry!

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

Back In The Habit

02/5/08 | Genius Mode, My Writings | 2 Comments

So, I had a new Journal entry all prepared to post the other day establishing my failure as a writer… meaning, I was lacking some serious motivation.

I knew exactly where the story needed to go, how I was going to get there, and what I needed to do to get it done… yet, for the life of me I couldn’t do it.  It just wasn’t working for some reason.  I would open a file and just stare at it, get frustrated, and end up closing it without making any progress (unless you count the frustration… I had succeeded at that!).

A lot of people were telling me how promising the story was, how promising I was as a writer… and I had an agent interested in the book!  What was wrong with me?!

Well, the only thing I can think of to account for my lack of motivation is that fact that I’m sort of stuck in a place I really don’t want to be anymore.  Over the years, writing has become more and more of a driving force in my life, yet here I am, trying to finish my business degree.  I don’t want to be in business anymore, but, with only four months until I graduate, it would be a grade-A stupid decision to drop out, or even to switch my major.  So, I’ve trekked on.  But I think it took a serious mental toll; it was sucking the soul right out of me, and it got to be a cold and frightening place.

Yet, I realize now that it’s all going to be over VERY SOON.  I won’t have to deal with business classes anymore, and hopefully I’ll be heading straight into the Creative Writing Graduate Program at Emerson College in the Fall.

Plus, I also realized… I just love to write.  That seems like such a DUH statement, but it really hadn’t occurred to me to think of it like that.  Yes, I’m stuck in these business classes right now, but there’s an escape!  When I don’t want to be in that mindset, I can switch to Writer-Kyle, and everything is okay again.

So, I’m happy to say that, in the last week alone, I have finalized three more chapters of my novel, and I’m in the process of getting the fourth one going.  It has been going REALLY well, and I think Simon is once again talking through me, as he was doing in the beginning.  Now, I just have to be there and be ready for when he starts talking.

All-in-all, it’s been a good week.  Let’s hope that the momentum (and the motivation, for GOD sakes!) keeps on the up and up.

With any luck, Love, Simon will be done by the end of February, and be ready to send out to agents.

Keep me in your prayers!

Genius Mode!

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

Raise Your Hopeful Voice

02/1/08 | Movies, Clips, Trailers | 3 Comments

Don’t you love hearing amazing success stories?  Here’s one for you:

WATCHED

Once

This is the independent movie to beat all other independents.  It was made for a measly $150,000 (no, I didn’t forget any zeroes), and went on to make $10M in limited release in the Unites States alone…

Numbers aside, this movie is incredible.  It’s pegged as a modern day musical, but I wouldn’t go that far.  No one breaks out into random song and choreographed dance, but there is a lot of singing in the movie; about 60% of screen time, as a matter of fact!

This is the story of an Irish Guy, stuck in a rut and wanting nothing more than to earn a living as a musician.  Enter an immigrant Girl with an affinity for the piano and a voice to match.  Together, they make stunning music, and make you fall in love with them all at the same time.

I have watched this movie three times in the last two weeks, downloaded its soundtrack about ten minutes after watching it for the first time (and listened to it a minimum of 60 times since then, some songs more than others), and plan to watch and sing along to it for years to come.

What’s really extraordinary about this movie is that these are not actors, but real musicians.  The director (John Carney) was setting up to make this movie and asked his friend, Glen Hansard, to write some music for it.  After John heard the music, he realized that no one was going to be able to pull those songs off like Glen; he’d rather have a great musician who was an okay actor, than a great actor who was an okay singer.  And it really paid off.  After that came Marketa Irglova, a friend of Glen’s, and a fellow musician.  Together, they are able to wend one of the most heartwarming and beautiful movies I have seen in a long time.

Here is the song Falling Slowly, sung by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova:

Definitely worth a watch… and believe me, once you hear the soundtrack, you’ll never get it out of your head...!

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

How Far Is Too Far?

01/28/08 | General, Idiot Mode, The Industry, TV Shows | 5 Comments

(This post is a prime example of why “Rambling” is in my Journal’s title… so be prepared for a little rant!)

I just read this article.  It talks about the FCC fining ABC $1.43 MILLION for airing a “woman’s naked backside.” Oh, did I mention that this was from an episode of NYPD Blue… from 2003?

The episode in question depicts “a nude woman [who] is surprised by a young boy as she prepares to shower.”

FCC Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate had this to say about the fine:

“Our action today should serve as a reminder to all broadcasters that Congress and American families continue to be concerned about protecting children from harmful material and that the FCC will enforce the laws of the land vigilantly.”

The “indecent” video is below:
(If ABC can get sued for this, I’m guessing you shouldn’t watch it at work… just saying!)

I don’t know about you, but there is nothing sexual in nature about this clip.  It’s an embarrassing situation that happens all the time, and they were just using it for comedic effect.  Besides, NYPD Blue had been on the air for ten years prior to this episode airing, and the show was known for its racy scenes… scenes that depicted naked people (women AND men) either having sex or in some sort of erotic scenario.  This was tame compared to other scenes they’ve aired.

Am I the only one who thinks this is completely ridiculous?  What’s with the “save the children” routine?  Why do we even care if our kids see a little skin now and again?  The kid didn’t walk in on two people having sex (which, I can assure you, happens all the time, too).  Go to France and you see naked billboards and soap commercials.  It’s not harmful for children to see these things, but the media and ultra-conservative parents make is seem that way.

Has the American culture become overly sexualized?

(I felt like Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City as I wrote that line just now.)

How have we somehow become more prudish?  I just watched the original 1963 adaptation of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, and couldn’t help thinking that the same movie would never be made the same way today.  Not only are there scenes depicting the usually angelic creatures that are little boys as pure demons, but they run around naked for half of the movie as well (and you see everything). 

(I hope this picture doesn’t offend anyone… I was just posting it to prove a point! Me having to add this disclaimer is sort of a point maker on its own, if you think about it...)

Back then, the boys being naked would have been out of innocence and a need to free themselves in a world where adults couldn’t rule over their existance.  The saying “Boys will be boys” didn’t come from nowhere, you know.  Today, this would be seen as gay or indecent… but you tell me of a little boy who likes having his clothes on.  I know I didn’t when I was younger, and I have seen more little boys pull down their pants in front of a crowd than I can count (and little girls pulling up their skirts, for that matter).  It’s what kids do.

The 1963 rating of this movie was:

Now, it wouldn’t get anything less than PG-13, or even R, for extreme violence and nudity.  The boys kill animals, they kill two of the boys (one in a way that still gives me shivers as an adult), they chant and dance in a ritualistic fashion (as shown in the first image above), they are volitile, they are dangerous, and they have a taste for blood.  What parent would take their child to see such a movie today?

In the first season of the ABC Family hit Kyle XY, Kyle gets an erection at the public swimming pool and doesn’t understand what it is, or how to get rid of it.  He later talks to Josh, the younger child in the family (who I’d put at 15-years-old during that season), who explains masturbation to Kyle and even proffers a porno magazine for Kyle to use.  Why wasn’t the FCC all over that?  Was it because they only talk about sex and didn’t show it, or is it because you never actually saw any skin?

I really don’t know, but I think some people are taking this a little too far.  Seeing a couple seconds of a naked woman is not going to scar America’s children for life.  They know what nudity is, they have seen people naked before.  As long as you’re not exposing them to actual sex, I think they’ll be just fine.

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

Heath Ledger: 1979 – 2008

01/24/08 | General, Movies | 6 Comments

As I’m sure you have all heard, actor Heath Ledger was found dead this past Tuesday at the age of 28.

Instead of going through the motions of saying how brilliant of an actor he was (which is true), or saying how shocked I am that he’s really dead (which I am), I’m going to talk a little about why people are reacting so passionately about the whole situation.

There was a comment to a blog post talking about Heath’s death that read something like this:

“I tried to kill myself and nobody noticed.  Why does anyone care about him?”

You’d think it was about America’s obsession with celebrity, to think that there was a bump in their picture perfect lives.  But you know what?  I don’t agree at all.

I could really care less about what they write about in gossip magazines/websites.  Don’t get me wrong, I love to read about it, but I don’t take it to heart where that person’s work is involved.  Tom Cruise is a brilliant actor, and Britney Spears is an amazing entertainer (yes, don’t lie… you, too, sing along to her in your car).

When you think about it, we spend a lot of time with our favorite artists—be them actors, musicians or writers—and invest so much of our emotions in them, that sometimes we feel that we know them on a personal level.  No, you’re not the only one; it happens to all of us.  When something like this happens, this kind of tragic death, we can’t help but feel personally connected to the person, and so we feel like we’ve lost someone close to us.

One of my friends was really happy to find out that The Dark Knight was still going to come out, but immediately felt guilty for thinking that in the wake of Heath’s death.  I have to admit that that was one of my first thoughts as well.

But I don’t feel sorry for thinking it.

I actually think it’s a tribute to his memory and his legacy as an actor for us to have those kinds of thoughts.  Keep thinking them.  Is it so wrong that we want just that last little piece of our favorite artists?

Think of the singer Selena, comedian Mitch Hedberg, and actress Marilyn Monroe… wouldn’t you have liked just one more song, one more joke, or one more movie?  As much as we would like these people to live forever, that’s just a wild dream… everyone dies, but we always hope it’s when they’re old and have had full use of their careers and their lives.  Yet, when someone dies even before their prime, that’s when it hurts the most.

So, yes, people are upset that Heath Ledger died, and they have every right to be.  It really is a tragic loss, and we’d be equally as emotional were it any of our other favorite artists.

I know I said I wouldn’t talk about how amazing an actor Heath was, but I really am truly saddened by his death.  He hadn’t even scratched the surface of his potential, and Hollywood has been struck a serious blow to their talent pool… It’s rare that you find someone with genuine talent without all of the modern day superficiality attached to them.

My well wishes go out to his family, especially Michelle Williams and their 2-year-old daughter Matilda, who will never get to know her father.

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

Kindle: Read It, Or Set It On Fire?

01/18/08 | Books, General | 4 Comments

I’m a pretty technologically appreciative person; I couldn’t live without my laptop, my BlackBerry, or my iPod, not to mention my new digital camera, and all of the cool new entertainment products out there (flat panel HDTVs, Blu-Ray players and DVDs, and new 7.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound, none of which I have but hope to at some point soon).  I have been buying music online ever since I got an iPod three years ago, when iTunes was just starting to get big, and I have also purchased just shy of 70 TV shows and 4 movies online (haven’t gotten into movie downloads too much yet… I still prefer DVDs).

But, taking all of that into consideration, there is one thing that I have yet to purchase.  Something that has been around for a while, but has been making a little bigger splash now that technology is catching up to the concept: eBooks.

Up to this point, you would have to download a PDF of the book to read on your computer, or some sort of PDA version (which, I would think, would be a real pain in the patookus to read).  Reading a book on your computer is the equivalent of watching TEN movies on your computer in a row (considering a good sized book is about 20 hours on an audiobook, and an average movie is about 2 hours).  I have never wanted to be restricted to my computer for that length of time.  In fact, that’s one of the main reasons why I haven’t downloaded more movies on my computer.  Two hours is long enough to lie in bed, or sit at a table to watch a movie, so I could never imagine sitting there for the inexorable amount of time it would take to read a novel.  I even have a tendency to print out longer websites, because I prefer paper to screen.

But, like I said, technology has caught up with the concept of the eBook.  Not only has Sony come out with their E-reader, but Amazon.com has recently released the Kindle, a wireless version of the E-reader (meaning, you can connect to WiFi and download new eBooks without connecting to your computer).

I have to admit that the second I first saw the E-reader… I HATED it!  I hated the very idea of that little device of the devil.  Who would ever want to replace a book, something that has been around for millennia, with a black and white screen?  You could never replicate the feel of a book in your hands, nor the smell of a fresh book from the store—or an old one off your bookshelf, for that matter!—not unless they put a little scent emitter into the machines (which I wouldn’t put past them).  And they just look so damn good lining my walls.  If you know me, you know that I live in the smallest apartment known to man, yet half of my wall-space is devoted to shelf-space.  In fact, I have recently run out of room, and have an ever increasing stack of books piling up on my desk!  And, as a writer, the thought of an eBook, or Kindle for that matter, appalls me.

Yet, Uncle Stevie (Stephen King, people, keep up with me!) recently reviewed the Kindle in his monthly Entertainment Weekly column.  Shockingly, he likes it.  He argues that “the story means more than the delivery systems involved.” He’s also referencing audiobooks in that statement (which I don’t have a problem with, because stories were spoken even before they were being written down).

I’d honestly like to see one of these machines in action, to see if they really live up to the hype.  Is it at least easier to read than I think it is?  How does it feel in my hand?  Would I instinctively want to chuck it across the room?

But, I think I can safely say that they will never replace books (certainly not with me), at least not in my lifetime.  It saddens me to think that physical books may one day be obsolete, but they will always hold a special place in my heart, and they will always add some color to my white walls.  And, who knows, if all my worldly dreams come true, I may very well get the Beauty and the Beast library I’ve wanted since I was a kid.

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

The Connors Are Back!

01/16/08 | Awesome, TV Shows | 2 Comments

So, did anyone see the premiere of the new Terminator series on Sunday and Monday?

I did!

WATCHED

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Guys, wow.  It was truly amazing.  From the opening sequence, which shows headlights traveling along a road at night (which was the last scene in Terminator 2: Judgment Day), I was completely hooked.  It transitioned into an apocalyptic dream sequence, which was absolutely perfect, and drew you right into the storyline.

I have to admit, though, it took a little bit for me to get used to the new Sarah and John Connor.  I mean, how could you ever get better than Linda Hamilton and Eddie Furlong?  You can’t, but obviously they couldn’t do it (Eddie Furlong is in his 30s now, and even though I know people play below their actual age all the time, that would have been a bit ridiculous).  But after a few minutes, once the action starts, you forget all about it and just go with it.  Seriously, it’s that good.

And, with 34 million viewers in two days, we know we’ve got a hit on our hands!

The story starts off about two-three years after T2 leaves off, when John is 15.  They’re in hiding, with Terminators and government agencies searching for them.  The government actually thinks that Sarah killed Miles Dyson, the original creator of Skynet, who died in the second movie (because the police shot him, by the way).  When they move to a new town, all hell breaks loose.

Along as the “good” Terminator is Cameron (named after James Cameron, the creator of the Terminator storyline), played by Summer Glau.  I’ve liked her ever since seeing her in Joss Weadon’s Firefly series, and subsequent Serenity movie.  She makes the perfect robot.  She may look tiny, but she packs a serious punch, and can take one hell of a beating.  The new “bad” Terminator is no Arnold, but still menacing.

At the end of the first episode, Sarah, John and Cameron transport themselves from the 90s to 2007, two years after Sarah is supposed to die of cancer (which we found out in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines).  And, you know what that means!  You can’t time travel with anything, including clothes… booty shots!

My only slight complaint is John Connor, but I can understand what they were trying to do.  He’s such a little smartass in T2, and I loved that about him.  He cursed, he talked back, he had an attitude, you know?  But this John is a little too passive and nice.  I know that the John in T3 is nice and honorable and all that, so they’re trying to show the transition from smartass to hero, but I kind of miss all of the one-liners and talk-backs.  I’m sure I’ll get over it, though.

If you haven’t seen the first two episodes, definitely check them out before the next episode, which airs Monday, January 21st, at 9PM on Fox.

I don’t know if it’s true of not, but my parents told me I was named after the character Kyle Reese in the first Terminator movie.  That movie came out in 1984, and I was born in ’85, so I go with it.  That may be why I’m so in love with the series… it’s been engrained in me since birth.  T2 is one of my favorite movies of all time (probably number two or three, definitely in the Top 5).

Now, a new trilogy is in the works.  Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins is slated for release in June 2009, with Christian Bale taking up the role of John Connor after the apocalypse.  I am so psyched that this franchise is going to continue for a good long time.

I am making a prediction and a statement to you all, here and now: I WILL write the screenplay for T5 or T6, one way or another.  Katie Holmes said she would marry Tom Cruise when she was younger, and look how that turned out for her.  This will happen, and it will be one of the highlights of my life.  Remember this day.

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

You Talkin’ To Me?!

01/14/08 | Awesome, General | 2 Comments

I’m really excited to announce that the comments have been enabled for all of my Journal entries!  Finally, you can tell me what you think about the topics I post...!  And I would LOVE to hear what you have to say about them…

All you have to do is click on the title, or the word “Comments” in the post heading, scroll down to the bottom and fill out the form!  For those of you who read my posts through an RSS feed, just click on the title of the post and you will be brought to the appropriate page… Simple!

Anyone and everyone is welcome to comment…!  According to FeedBurner, my RSS service provider, there are at least 216 people who subscribe to this Journal, so I hope to hear from some of you!!!  Use this post to introduce yourselves!  And be sure to check back often for updates (I make several a week)!

I am working with my web developer to implement a more convenient way of posting, but how it is now will work for the interim.

Just remember, if you do comment, this is something that agents and editors may see, so be professional (ie. try to stay on topic, no cursing, etc…)!

I hope you are all doing well and that I see some comments from you soon!

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

Cloverfield “Monster”?

01/10/08 | Idiot Mode, Movies, Making Of | 1 Comments

This picture has been making the internet rounds, and I just HAD to share it with you guys.

It appears to be a production sketch of the monster from the upcoming movie Cloverfield, showing a scale measurement of the “beasts” as compared to the Statue of Liberty and a person.

This is almost as “scary” as the “alien” from Signs.

A mutated humpback whale?  Really?

Do you guys find this scary at all?  I mean, if it were real, yeah, but as a movie monster?

I think that the parasites (also shown) are way scarier than the whale.

Tell me what you think!

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

There Are Times I Can’t Breathe…

01/8/08 | Music, Samples | 2 Comments

I’ve been doing something lately that I haven’t done in a long time… buying random CDs because they just look good.  This is something I used to do when I was younger, when I didn’t have rent and credit card payments to worry about.  But, thanks to a few generous people over Christmas, I got a nice chunk of change in iTunes gift cards, which has allowed me to experiment and have a little fun.  In the past, I have discovered some of my favorite artists in this fashion… and, I have to say, it happened again.

LISTENED

Various Artists – Dreaming Wide Awake: The Music of Scott Alan

This album is the work of composer and lyricist Scott Alan.  Listening to a 30 second sample of one song on iTunes was enough to get me to buy the entire album.  It’s put together sort of like a musical, with each song telling its own amazing story… which fits, because Scott grew up with musicals.  He’s even written two critically acclaimed musicals himself: Detour and Piece.  Dreaming Wide Awake is a sampling of his music through the years, sung by some of Broadway’s best musical talent, including Baby‘s Liz Callaway, The Pirate Queen‘s Stephanie J. Block, Wicked‘s Shoshana Bean, Brooklyn‘s Eden Espinosa, Xanadu‘s Cheyenne Jackson and many more.

This really is an amazing album.  I clicked on the first song, I am a Star, sung by Eden Espinosa, and I was immediately hooked.

My favorite song on the album is Now, sung by Jonathan Groff.  It’s a really haunting piece about a man who loses the love of his life, and the pain he’s feeling is almost unbearable.  I’ve listened to it about 110 times… and I bought the album about a week ago.  Here is a sample of that song:

At only 29, Scott has accomplished something incredible.  He’s young, and hopefully he’s going to have a very, very long career.  Check out samples of the rest of the songs off his debut album, Dreaming Wide Awake:

I’m a Star - Sung by Eden Espinosa

Surrender - Sung by Cheyenne Jackson

Magic - Sung by Adriane Lenox

Let Love Begin - Sung by Tracie Thoms

Home - Sung by Shoshana Bean

Never Neverland (Fly Away) - Sung by Stephanie J. Block

At Seventeen - Sung by Carly Jibson and Jackie Hoffman

If I Own Today - Sung by Shayna Steele featuring Michael McElroy and Capathia Jenkins with guest Pianist Dave Cook

Kiss the Air - Sung by Danny Calvert

Say Goodbye - Sung by Katie Thompson

The Journey - Sung by Josh Strickland and Jill Zadeh

Goodnight - Sung by Liz Callaway

There are two easy ways to purchase the album: iTunes and CD Baby.

Check it out… you won’t regret it!

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

Amazing Shot

01/7/08 | Awesome, Movies, Clips, Making Of | 1 Comments

It’s probably the worst kept secret these days that I am in love with the movie Atonement.

In the movie, there is one of the most amazing tracking shots I have every seen; a five minute long shot through complete and utter chaos… there are soldiers marching, singing, fighting, shooting horses (obviously, they didn’t really shot them… but it looks incredibly realistic!), and pretty much just going stir crazy all over the place.  It’s a right miracle that they were able to pull it off in one go.

I am posting two clips below.  The first is the actual scene from the movie.  I honestly don’t know how long this clip will be up for, so you should check it out while you have the chance.  The second clip is a little piece on how they created the shot.

(The behind-the-scenes Dunkirk footage runs the first five minutes of this video.)

Again, I can’t stress how amazing a movie this is.  It is being released in more theatres every day, so check your local theatre for show times.

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

Did I Really Just…

01/6/08 | General, Genius Mode, My Writings | 0 Comments

…apply to Grad School?  Yes.  Yes I did.

As of midnight on Saturday, January 5th, 2008, I am officially an applicant for the Master of Fine Arts Degree in Creative Writing at Emerson College here in Boston.

Whew.

Aaahhh!!!

Okay, now that I got that out… I can say that I’m really excited.  It has been really difficult finishing my degree in Business Administration, knowing that my life if going to be devoted to writing.  If I get in, I’ll be around people like me for a change.  You have no idea how utterly boring it is to be in a room full of people who have nothing but business on the brain.  It’s a miracle I’ve been able to last as long as I have.  Seriously, I’m going to need some serious detox come May.

So, because I had to go through the process of writing it, I’m going to include my admissions essay in this post.  Also, if you’d like to read my writing sample, click here.

Enjoy!

The essay question asks us to talk about our short- and long-term goals.  Well, you can’t really talk about the future without first mentioning the past.

I am also very open to trying new things.  New mediums and experimental genres excite me to no end, and I have even dabbled in a few of them already.  Flash fiction, column writing, screenplays, novels, novellas, memoirs, stage plays, and short stories; to all these I bring my enthusiasm and my willingness to experiment and learn.  Writing has become my life—it is my life, will always be my life—and it would be forever enhanced with an Emerson education.

Thank you for considering my application for admission.

Wish me luck…!  I’ll let everyone know the outcome as soon as I do!!!

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr

Good, You Got It!

01/3/08 | Movies, Clips, Trailers | 0 Comments

So, this weekend I…

WATCHED

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

I was intrigued when I first learned that they were making this movie.  Ever since Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl came out a few years ago, I have liked most of the roles that Johnny Depp has taken on… Willy Wonka, J.M. Barrie, Jack Sparrow, and now Sweeney Todd.  So, I knew I had to see it when it came out.  And I wasn’t disappointed, at ALL.

I have only recently gotten into musicals, and have enjoyed the likes of Rent and Hairspray, and Sweeney Todd was well up to par.  It has such a singable soundtrack, and the cinematography and acting were definitely grade A all around.  I’ve also come to appreciate the brilliance that is Helena Bonham Carter since her role as Bellatrix Lestrange in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix earlier this year.  (Other Potter alum who make an appearance in Todd include Alan Rickman, who plays Severus Snape, and Timothy Spall, who plays Wormtail.) Newcomer Ed Sanders as Toby is delectably adorable, with one of the cutest little kid British accents ever!

There is almost no way I can do any justice to this movie with a simple review; just know that it was amazing and you should see it.  Make sure you see it while it’s in theatres, though, because it’s really a sight to see.  You need to experience it twenty feet high with theatre surround sound.  Stephen Sondheim’s score and lyrics are some of the juiciest I’ve heard in a long time, as well as some of the funniest.  I’m including the lyrics to my favorite song on the soundtrack, A Little Priest, below.