Kent’s Official Blog

Picked up a couple of DVDs over the weekend and it turned out to be a good case studies in Hollywood.

First, and most off theme, was King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters.  Awesome.  Just awesome.  A great dissection of a subculture that deftly avoids mocking the subjects while showing the humor and pathos of people investing their lives into the pursuit of setting world records on classic video games.

The director’s commentary is pretty sharp (and fun — they come up with a drinking game) and shows just how much luck and persistence go into a good documentary.

Next was the Extras Holiday special.  A really good meditation on the pitfalls of fame getting what you want and then always wanting more.  It’s a good peak into the mind of creative people and why they walk away from lucrative careers for seemingly foolish reasons.

Brilliant cameos by Clive Owen and George Michaels.

Third was The TV Set.  It walks through the creation of a TV show from casting the pilot to it getting put on the network’s schedule.  The film itself is a very real glimpse into Hollywood and the creation process here, but for a true and unvarnished take, listen to the commentary by Judd Apatow and Jake Kasdon.

It’s so amazing.  Two friends and colleagues just talking about the process and how they’ve been screwed over by it and their occasional triumphs.

I finished the day listening to the Creative Screen Writing podcast Q&A with Gustin Nash, writer of Charlie Bartlett.  Inspiring tale of how he was a mall-working, film school grad that wrote a great script and now is a very established writer.