According to Forbes, Americans will keep buying movie tickets despite the economic downturn. Good news for aspiring screenwriters, like myself.

Movie Tickets
Despite the fact that movie theater attendance decreased
by 5% in 2008, theaters made $9.8 billion, a 2% increase from 2007, according to
the Motion Picture Association of America. Even though tickets can run $15 a pop
in some cinemas, going to the movies is still one of the cheapest forms of
entertainment available.

Slumdog Millionaire

If you haven't seen Slumdog Millionaire, you're missing one of the best movies of the decade.

The screenwriter, Simon Beaufoy, did a masterful job weaving the plotlines (it's actually several stories woven into one) into a coherent and riviting story. The director, Danny Boyle, shot the film using handhelds so the feeling of being in India isn't lost someplace on a soundstage. The entire cast is perfect, especially the young children.

Interestingly enough, despite winning the Golden Globe for Best Picture and having a ton of great press with a lot of Oscar buzz, Fox Searchlight (the US distributor) still has it in limited release.

If it's not playing in your hometown, make the drive to see it. You won't be sorry.

An Open Letter to Jim Gibbons re: a Six Percent Salary Cut

Governor Jim Gibbons of Nevada promised he would not raise taxes during his administration.

His solution? Cut the salaries of public employees by six percent, force them to give up longevity pay and force them to give up pay raises for two terms.

I, like the Governor, am afiliated with the Republican Party. But this guy is nuts. Sure, the state is in a fiscal crisis - which one isn't. Cut spending, fine. But try to impose pay cuts on those who can least afford it just so you can keep an election year promise of not raising taxes?

I've got news for you Jimmy. You're raising taxes in abstentia on a group that can't even write a portion of the salary cut off. Businesses being taxed in Nevada - especially public companies (i.e. casinos, mining corporations and developers) could at least take a deduction against federal taxes.

But not individuals. Not teachers, not custodians, not the state employees who would be forced to enact your ludicrious plan.

I knew there was a reason I didn't vote for you.

So, This Is It

The purpose of this blog is going to be multifold.


One is to express my varied opinions about most everything. From movies and screenwriting to international politics and religion.


I mostly intend to post essays, but on occassion I may use a different format - you'll just have to watch!