A Certain Point of View: Writing, Film and Stuff

Book Club (2018) Directed by: Bill Holderman Written by: Bill Holderman and Erin Simms Starring: Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, Andy Garcia, Don Johnson,  Richard Dreyfuss, Ed Begley Jr., Wallace Shawn, Alicia Silverstone, Katie Aselton Sharon: If women our age were meant to have sex God wouldn't do what he does to our bodies. Vivian: Speak for yourself. Sharon: Well, that was not God, that was Dr. Nazaria. Q: What do you get when you put a first-time director, four legendary leading ladies, a supporting cast of A-list actors, and a somewhat flimsy plot centered on four friends who end up dissecting a trashy "mommy porn" trilogy of novels together? A: A sometimes unbelievable but nevertheless watchable romantic comedy about friendship, drinking lots of wine, and lots of bawdy dialogue delivered by a quartet of talented actresses. three of whom have earned Academy Awards. The premise of Bill Holderman and E...

Today’s winner of Silliest Question on Quora is…. Would you support a bill that would allow the President of the United States to serve for life? Short and sweet version: No. Short and not-so-sweet version: Hell, no. Longer, informative, and hopefully  educational  version; No, I would not support a bill that would allow  anyone , regardless of party affiliation, to serve as President of the United States for more than the two-term limit set down in the Twenty-Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. In case you have never read that amendment, which ironically was proposed in 1947 and ratified in 1951 at a time when there was a Democratic President and a Republican-controlled Congress, states: 1. No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office...

On Quora, Cameron McCall asks: Which came first, Star Trek or Star Wars?  Star Trek, or as it is known today, Star Trek: The Original Series, was created by ex-pilot, World War II veteran, L.A. Police Department police officer, and television writer Eugene Wesley Roddenberry in 1964, sold to Desilu around that time, and approved for a network run on the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) in late 1965. It premiered (with The Man Trap ) on September 8, 1966 and ran on NBC for three seasons until its cancellation in March 1969. Star Wars began its long creative development as early as 1971, and by 1973 George Lucas, a graduate of the University of Southern California’s film school, had a first draft for a screenplay then titled The Star Wars. After shopping it around to the big studios, including Universal Pictures, he sold the script to 20th Century Fox after finally convincing Fox’s VP for Development Alan Ladd, Jr., who didn’t quite understand the story but nevertheles...

Which is better: the J.J. Abrams Star Trek films or Star Wars: The Force Awakens? All things being equal - and leaving aside the fact that other comparisons between  Star Trek  and  Star Wars aren’t  relevant, I’d venture to say that J.J. Abrams did a better job with Lucasfilm’s Crown Jewel franchise than he did with Paramount’s. I like J.J. Abrams. I like his genuine affection fo r the medium of film. I like his ’80s Kid, 21st Century Adult ethos. I like the fact that he, too, listened to John Williams’ scores as a teenager the way  I  did. He’s a  Star Wars  fan of my generation, even though he’s a few years younger than me. All of this makes Abrams a good choice to direct  Star Wars  films. His detractors may not agree, but it’s a free country and my opinion is just as valid as theirs, I think. Now, understand this. You don’t have to be a Trekker or a franchise actor to direct a  Star Trek  film. In fa...

Does George Lucas regret making Star Wars I, II and III? Star Wars I especially has been badly received but do you think he has any regrets about its production? I don’t know Mr. Lucas in person, but given what I know about him, his films, and the  Star Wars  franchise, here’s my educated opinion. No, I don’t think he regrets making the  Star Wars Prequel Trilogy;  he created that universe, its history, its population, and the rules that govern how that galaxy far, far away works. Financially, the Prequels did not tank at the box office;  The Phantom Menace  had a worldwide gross of  $983,588,295.  The other two prequels didn’t do as well due to backlash from those fans who hated  Episode I,  but still,  Attack of the Clones  earned $640,912,840, while  Revenge of the Sith  earned $848,754,768. Sure, if the Prequels had been given a warmer reception by both critics and fans, they would have earned more. (And,...

Cover art (derived from Issue #5) by Paolo Rivera. ©2018 Marvel Comics and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) On November 6, 2018, nearly a year after the debut of director Rian Johnson's eponymous film, Marvel Comics released Star Wars: The Last Jedi, a trade paperback that collects the six issues of writer Gary Whitta and artist Michael Walsh's series  Star Wars: The Last Jedi Adaptation. Featuring a dynamic cover by Paolo Rivera that was originally done for the series' fifth issue, this slim 136-page  volume continues the Sequel Trilogy saga that pits General Leia Organa's small band of Resistance fighters against the forces of the evil First Order of Supreme Leader Snoke and his powerful but unstable apprentice, Kylo Ren. The FIRST ORDER reigns. Having decimated the peaceful Republic, Supreme Leader Snoke now deploys his merciless legions to seize military control of the galaxy. Only General Leia Organa's band of RESISTANCE fighters stands against the risin...

Ad for the 2015 Limited Edition Steelbooks of the Star Wars saga Blu-rays. © 2015 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) Seen on Quora today:  Do you like the  Star Wars  Prequels? Do I like the  Star Wars  Prequels? Sure. They’re not my  favorite  Episodes in the  Star Wars  Saga; that honor goes to the Original Trilogy. After all, I’m a Generation 1977 fan, albeit one who waffled about going to see  Star Wars  for  five months  during its original theatrical release. The movie premiered in Miami in late May of that year, and if it had only had modest success instead of becoming a phenomenon as it did, I probably would have missed it altogether. Luckily for me, in those last pre-home video days, hit movies sometimes had their runs extended, and  Star Wars  had an unusually long one - it was still in theaters in July of ’78 before 20th Century Fox finally s...