Writers Strike Near the End?

As the Academy Awards draw nearer, the rumor mill is working overtime that the Writers Strike might be coming to an end. I hope that this is true for all of those folks that are out of work and just waiting to get back to it.

I, however, won't celebrate until the ink is dry. I'm off to the movies today, but you won't see my review on this blog until the strike is over. This continues to be a real blow to the fans of entertainment and I (for one) am reaching the end of my rope. I'm very disappointed in the writers for constantly walking away from the table. If it wasn't for the return of "Lost" on TV and the new show "Eli Stone", I'd probably be more disappointed in the industry. However, I can't hold all of the folks that are not part of the studio system and the WGA responsible for this strike.

I hope it ends soon - for everyone's sake and we can all get back to work.

End.

"Comfort Food"

Just as people have "comfort food", I have "comfort movies". One of those is "10 Things I Hate About You". I own this movie and watch it at least 1/2 dozen times a year.

One of the reasons I watch this movie over and over (really - the only reason) is Heath Ledger and his great scene where he sings "I Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You". It is my favorite scene and each time I watch the movie, I watch this scene 'bout five times.

Therefore, with heavy heart, I say goodbye to Heath Ledger. I wish him a safe passage to the other side. And my prayers are with his parents, sisters, Michelle and Matilda. People die everyday and those people touch lives. I didn't know Heath Ledger - but the reality is, celebrities do touch lives through their art.

This "accidental" death was a cry for help - no matter how the picture is painted by the media and his family. People don't accidentally mix drugs. I hope that people recognize this and look to the people they love to be sure that all their family is healthy and not suffering.

For a look at my favorite Heath Ledger flick, view the first two clips at the bottom of this page.

End.

Writers Strike Continues

As we head into a new year, the Writers Strike continues with no resolution in sight. My brother is now officially unemployed due to the strike. He is not a writer - so there will be no back pay for him after the strike is settled. Lucky for him, he just spent the last three weeks on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon and was able to put the strike behind him since he had no outside access.

Now however, it is time to face a reality re: his future. He will be filing for unemployment soon, I have to admit that I'm a bit miffed at both sides regarding the strike. Too many peoples' livelihood is at stake to continue to bicker over money. I commend David Letterman and his company World Wide Pants for coming to a separate agreement re: writers' wages and getting his shows back on the air. If Dave can do it - I don't see why we can't have a resolution to the entire strike.

Well - that is enough for now. It is hard to feel passionate about movies (and write reviews) when the strike further intensifies the greed of the industry. The groups involved with the strike might remember where their bread is butter - with the consumer. These entities need our support in viewership. The longer the strike, the less interest we will have - we are a fickle group with short attention spans. Really - who is going to watch "24" when it finally airs (after baseball) in 2009 - no one. Everyone loses - the studios, the writers, all the other folks in the industry and us.

Quit your bickering - end the strike now and get back to work.

Writers Guild Strikes

The WGA began its strike this past week and I'm relatively irked by it. While I love entertainment, I'm not so concerned about my own movie and TV viewing. However, I am concerned about the larger ramifications of all of those non-WGA individuals employed by the industry - and suddenly - out of work.

While I appreciate the writers wanting to be compensated fairly (don't we all), this strike has ramifications for so many others. In LA alone, this strike will send over 250,000 other industry folks out of work. And at the end of the strike, some of these individuals will have not only suffered lost wages - they aren't going to get any additional raises either.

Because of that, I believe the strike should be settled ASAP. There is a fine line between being compensated fairly and being greedy. Hundreds of thousands of additional people unemployed (in my opinion) really walks that line.