Recently in Film Category

Today's cuppa: Sony Studios coffee

Earlier today, I headed over to Sony Studios in Culver City to see a taping of the new ABC series "Shark Tank," in which entrepreneurs run a gauntlet of potential wealthy investors in hopes of realizing their business dreams.

If the rapt attention paid by the crew to the goings-on is any indication, the spirited interplay among the business moguls and the hopefuls makes for great theater -- and great TV. Also said a quick hello to executive producer Mark Burnett ("The Apprentice," "Survivor"), who knows a few things about putting together a reality show.

The show premieres Aug. 9, and I'm writing a feature story on it this week, including an interview with Burnett, so watch this space for further updates.

But, before I left for Sony, I got on the phone with Elizabeth Vargas of ABC News, who's hosting a special called "J.K. Rowling: A Year in the Life," airing Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.

Originally aired in late December 2007 on ITV in the U.K., this documentary by filmmaker James Runcie digs into the private life of the British author whose seven "Harry Potter" novels have set a new standard in young adult literature, along with spawning several movies -- the sixth and latest, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," just came out -- and a worldwide fan phenomenon.

"As a person, she's fascinating," says Vargas. "It's always interesting to see how someone creatively comes up with stories and characters that are riveting for so many people around the world and in so many cultures. When you really get into her personal story -- and she rarely talks like that -- it's even more fascinating.

"She's very candid in this special about her depression, about how poor she was, how difficult her life was when she first thought of 'Harry Potter,' and how close to the brink of contemplating suicide -- she did contemplate suicide.

"It's a pretty dire experience. I think a lot of people will find her relatable and surprising."

According to Rowling -- in a tale now as much a part of "Harry Potter" lore as the characters themselves -- the story and the characters came to her during a train trip from Manchester to London, England, in 1990.

"Not only did the characters and the idea come to her in a rush," says Vargas, "but the entire arc of the story came to her in a rush, which I find fascinating.

"She maintains when she was writing the first book, she already knew what was going to happen further down the line. I don't think she knew precisely that there'd be seven books, but she knew the arc of each character's story.

"For example, while making the movie from 'Harry Potter' one or the second book, she could pull actors aside and say, 'Play this guy a little more ambiguous, because, I haven't written book five yet, but I know that you'll find he's not a bad guy. He's a good guy.'

"She was able to actually advise actors early on in the process and give them tips on how to play their characters, because she already knew how their story was going to play out."

Not only did Rowling, a single mother struggling to make ends meet, carve out the time to write the first "Harry Potter" novel, but she found inspiration in the difficulties of her own life.

"That's amazing," Vargas says, "how much she takes from her own life and applies to her characters Harry Potter has her birthday. Harry Potter is orphaned; she felt very orphaned by her mother's death. Her mother died of multiple sclerosis when Joanne was quite young.

"Her father was very emotionally remote. She hasn't spoken to her father in years and years and years. He really isn't a presence in her life. So she felt very orphaned.

"The house that she lived in had a cupboard under the stairs, just the way Harry Potter lived in with his nasty aunt and uncle at the beginning of book one.

"She uses a lot of her own life and her own feelings. Even her battles with depression are used in later books with the Dementors, which are real, physical manifestations of depression. I was amazed at how she was able to bring something as ephemeral and as powerful and debilitating as depression and make it a physical presence."

As for the future, Vargas says, "She did leave a door open recently for another 'Harry Potter' book, a book that wouldn't be about Harry per se, but maybe about one of the other characters.

"At this point, Harry's story, through seven books, has really been told. Perhaps there's a child coming or some other smaller character that she might elaborate on.

"I don't know if she's going to do that. At this point, she has no plans to do that."

Tonight's cuppa: peppermint tea.

Did my regular Thursday appearance on Shaun Daily's TV Talk show on blogtalkradio.com, and despite some thunder and lightning on Shaun's end in Las Vegas, got through without a hitch (Shaun did briefly get cut off from on the guest before me, but they reconnected in short order).

Click here for the broadcast -- I come in at about the half-hour mark.

We talked about the latest Michael Jackson news and speculations, the sad death of "Pitchmen" star Billy Mays and what might happen to that show, and in the middle, hashed over the apocalyptic "Clean House: Messiest Home in the Country 3," which also repeats on Friday.

Click here for the interview I did about the episode with the show's designer, Mark Brunetz (just in case you don't see the post, which is right before this one).

That's all for now. Have a safe and fun Fourth of July, celebrating our Independence Day! (oooh, may have to watch that movie at some point ...)

Hang on, while I'm thinking about it, if you want to celebrate the Fourth in the spirit in which it was intended, this list may be the beginnings of a good movie/miniseries marathon:

"1776," in which you learn how little things change in the New York State Legislature over a couple of centuries or so (and that William Daniels can sing, more or less). BTW, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is airing this on Saturday night. Check local listings.

"John Adams," in which Paul Giamatti does one of our Founding Fathers proud.

"The Crossing," in which Michigan homeboy Jeff Daniels more than pulls off a portrait of Virginian George Washington.

"April Morning," in which Tommy Lee Jones plays an ordinary Massachusetts man whose life is changed forever by a shot heard round the world. What's that? Here's "Schoolhouse Rock" to explain.

"Liberty! The American Revolution," in which History Channel rocks the revolution in a documentary miniseries.

And, whatever happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence on that fateful July 4, 1776? Click here to find out.

Let freedom ring ... happy Fireworks!

Today's cuppa: English afternoon tea, in the morning (living on the edge, here)

I haven't mentioned this in a while because there's still no move toward a strike vote, and the SAG (Screen Actors Guild) members continue to work under the conditions of the previous pact, which expired June 30. One presumes -- or probably more accurately, hopes -- that talks are proceeding.

But that doesn't mean nothing is going on.

After much sniping between SAG and AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists), which ratified its own contract with the AMPTP (Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers), the battle lines have been redrawn within SAG itself.

A group calling itself United for Strength is fielding a slate of candidates for the Sept. 18 election for the SAG Board of Directors, opposing an established group calling itself MembershipFirst, which United for Strength holds responsible for the contract negotiation difficulties (and the current rancorous atmosphere between SAG and AFTRA, which have many members in common).

I wouldn't presume to know the ins and outs of a union to which I don't belong, so it's hard to tell if this development represents healthy dissent or the beginnings of a fundamental breakdown. That will be for the actors to decide and time to tell.

One interesting thing I did learn is that either SAG or AFTRA -- depending on various conditions -- can have jurisdiction over scripted cable shows. For example, when I was on the set of ABC Family's "The Middleman," I was told that show is under AFTRA jurisdiction.

Considering the growth in scripted cable, this is probably one of the issues SAG and AFTRA continue to work out between themselves.

Of course, at the heart of all this is the ongoing chaos surrounding new media and the Internet -- in particular, in the case of TV shows, digital distribution and how that affects residual payments -- which is ripping asunder the fabric of the entire media industry right now, from music to movies to TV to newspapers.

The only thing that's for certain is that the evolution of distribution models will not stop, and if it can be slowed at all, it won't be by much or for very long. Nothing can be taken for granted anymore, most of all the audience.

One result of the digital revolution is to free viewers and users from the confines of the traditional information pipelines. Media used to be funneled to people through specific gateways, whether it was a TV-network schedule, the local news broadcast or the local paper.

The gatekeepers have now discovered that the barbarians are not only at the gates, but they went over them a while ago.

People are rapidly getting used to choosing when and through what means they consume their media. They want to watch what they want when they want, and the traditional ad-supported model -- which depended on a limited number of outlets controlling how media was distributed, thereby concentrating consumer eyeballs -- is falling apart.

As the Writers Guild of America, which went on a three-month strike in late 2007 and early 2008, SAG, AFTRA and the newspaper world fight over each one's piece of the media pie, it's probably a good idea to look up once in a while to make sure the pie's still there.

More than ever, the audience now rules. With mouse and TV remote in hand, an increasing number of them is in no mood to be dictated to anymore about when and how TV shows and movies can be watched.

On the upside, the audience's appetite for shows and movies hasn't diminished, so the trick is going to be figuring out how to build and maintain the new distribution pipelines and how to make sure everybody gets paid.

After all, it's show business, not show fun.

Speaking of "The Middleman," I'm heading there later today to catch a few minutes with creator Javier Grillo-Marxuach during filming on their last episode (don't know if it will air last, it's just filming last). Can't give many deets, but here's a clue.

No, this doesn't mean Leonard Nimoy is guesting on the show (not that that would be a bad thing). I'm talking more theme here.

And yes, this is my own action figure. And no, it isn't my only action figure. You got a problem with that?