QUEUE THIS!

This week, I put a little thought into the five selections I picked for you folks and chose films that had something in common-- in other words, a theme!  But I can't decide if the theme is "Intense Movies" or "Doc & Narrative Takes on the Same Topic." I'll let you decide which one you prefer, since I'm on an early flight to San Francisco and operating on about thirty minutes of sleep.  The last one, by Susanne Bier doesn't have a related doc, but I hear it does fall under the intense umbrella.  Note that some of these are only available on Netflix as a DVD.  Let's get queueing!

Boys Don't Cry (dir Kimberly Peirce, 1999 DVD) Netflix says: "Based on actual events, director Kimberly Peirce's powerful, often harrowing drama stars Hilary Swank (in an Oscar-winning performance) as Brandon Teena, a transgender young man searching for love and acceptance in a small Midwestern town. But even as he forges a deep connection with local beauty Lana (Chloë Sevigny), the prejudices of the community threaten to doom the fledgling romance."  A film that really inspired me as a young filmmaker.  Yet, somehow I have a filmography full of comedy...??  

The Brandon Teena Story (dir Susan Muska & Gréta Olafsdóttir, 1998)  Netflix says: "Brandon Teena -- a Nebraska woman who was born Teena Brandon but identified and dressed as a man -- is the focus of this absorbing documentary that uses interviews, reenactments and news footage to tell the story. Although Brandon found happiness with a girlfriend and made a number of friends, he was brutally attacked -- and later murdered -- when his secret was discovered."

WIGS Channel. Where Women Go to Laugh, Cry & Create Content.

Julia Stiles in the WIGS series entitled BLUE

Imagine if Lifetime married HBO and had a baby. That's WIGS Channel. It was launched a year ago on YouTube and offers stunning broadcast-quality web dramas and comedies for and about women. 

Each series follows a strong, interesting female character played by well-known actresses such as Julia Stiles, Jennifer Beals, Allison Janney, Dakota Fanning, Maura Tierney, and Rosanna Arquette. (The list goes on!)  What's even more exciting is that women are behind the camera too. Apparently the channel's two male creators, Rodrigo Garcia and Jon Avnet, didn't get the Hollywood memo to "not hire women" because WIGS is wall-to-wall women in the creative department. Garcia and Avnet recruited women writers and directors such as  Marta Kauffman, Amy Lippman, Rose Troche and Lesli Linka Glatter to contribute.

Still in its infancy, WIGS has already seen great success and in February partnered with FOX on a multi-year programming, marketing and distribution pact. The idea is that WIGS will act as an incubator for original content that can be programmed on FOX or other networks. This is major on so many levels -- the biggest being that the networks are now questioning the value of the long-standing tradition of shooting expensive pilots to determine new shows for their fall slates. They're beginning to focus more and more on this type of "trial" or "incubator" platform to develop their content. The fact that the FOX "boys club" has chosen to partner with the WIGS "girl's club" for this trial platform is beyond fantastic. 

In light of WIGS' rapid and undeniable success, I think an amazing shift is happening as the web becomes the great level playing field where women can finally find their footing in this crazy industry. WIGS is proof-- Build the web series. They will come.

For additional info on WIGS, go to www.watchwigs.com & www.youtube.com/wigs

Top 10 Female SNL Writers

In a 2011 appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Jane Curtin discussed how misogynistic SNL was when she was there.

(this video isn't the best quality, but it has the clip that I wanted to share)

Still, there have been many wonderfully talented women on their writing staff, and I'd like to dedicate this week's top 10 list to them. Many of the women on this list went on to create sitcoms after leaving SNL.

Here are the Top 10 Female SNL Writers:

10) J.J. Philbin

9) Laura Kightlinger

Shot Lister - An App for Shot Listing

Still From 'Unsolved'

Broken arm and all, I'm in the middle of directing a short film. An ambitious, period piece, kind of elaborate short film. I have often kicked myself in the butt looking at footage after the fact and wishing I had gotten another angle, or remembered a shot I planned that I didn't get on set.

I have often made shot lists, or stick figure storyboards. These all work to some extent, but feel like more work than helpful tool. Well, trough the wonder that is Twitter I found out about this great app for the iPad and iPhone. 

Check out the video and see for yourself how flexible this tool can be. My DP simply loved being able to reference what I wanted on the fly. You can buy it for $13.99 at the App store.

QUEUE THIS!

I'm back with another round of five movie suggestions for your Netflix queue.  No real theme this week, just some good films, and a tv series, that I think are worth checking out.  Let's get queueing!

Top of the Lake (dir Jane Campion, 2013)  Netflix says: "When pregnant, 12-year-old Tui tries to kill herself in a freezing New Zealand lake, Detective Robin Griffin has plenty of questions for the girl. But when Tui suddenly disappears, Griffin finds herself knee-deep in small-town secrets. With Elisabeth Moss and Holly Hunter."  I was really surprised to see this premium series from The Sundance Channel on Netflix so quickly (I hope that's a new trend!).  The great Jane Campion together with the great Elisabeth Moss and Holly Hunter-- I cannot wait to start watching this!

Friends with Kids (dir Jennifer Westfeldt, 2011)  Netflix says: "Best friends Jason (Adam Scott) and Julie (Jennifer Westfeldt) decide that the way to have kids without sacrificing their social lives or careers is to raise a child together platonically. But romance and other complications interfere with their perfect plan. With Maya Rudolph, Chris O'Dowd, Kristen Wiig, Jon Hamm, Megan Fox and Edward Burns."  I love this cast!  And I liked this movie because it stayed clear of most of the over-the-top RomCom tropes that have ruined this genre for me over the last several years.  It's not perfect, but I appreciate that it takes a more realistic approach that I can actually relate to...and it has my dream cast.  Did I mention how great the cast is? 

Union Woman Unite!

It's about time tinseltown became an old girls club. If the new InterGuild Working Group has its way, that'll happen sooner rather than later. The InterGuild Working Group is a brand-spankin' new group that provides a way for the women of the WGA, PGA, DGA, SAG-AFTRA and Alliance of Women Directors to network, post job listings, share information and support each other's progress in the industry. With the mantra of "a rising tide carries all boats," it's aim is to increase opportunities for women in all aspects of film.  Literally just one week old, the InterGuild Working Group is still in the early stages, but they have big plans to host inter-guild panels and events. For now, the only place you can find them is on Facebook. So join them there and then brace yourself for the female power tidal wave.  

Review: "Morning Glory" is Not Your Typical RomCom

In the mass of romantic comedies, there’s one film that’s been pegged as one, but really isn’t. That film is “Morning Glory” (2010) and I’m really excited to talk about it. Now there is a guy-meets-girl situation in the film, but the reason I’d never label it as rom-com is that the romance element could be removed and it wouldn’t hurt the film. It’s not ABOUT finding love, it’s a film about a woman trying to make it to where she wants to be in her career and the risks she takes to get there.

Also, the romance in the film is there to develop her character and bring out her insecurities about finding a guy who can accept how much she loves her work. It’s truly a character film, and it’s one of the funniest I’ve seen in the last few years.

The film was written by Aline Brosh McKenna, and seriously the writing is really great. The characters are wonderful and the overall story just shows the incredible work ethic women are capable of without losing their own identities. And as I said before, it’s really funny.