In which I announce the release date of the Regulation 19 sequel, A Place Without Shadows, and I find out what $20 will get you on BookOutlet.com.
Content / Sidebar
Let’s Learn from The Shawshank Redemption
Vanity Fair posted a fascinating article yesterday about how The Shawshank Redemption went from a box office failure with a title no one could remember to being one of the most beloved films of all time.
Like all great stories, there are plenty of lessons to be learned from this one. Here are my takeaways:
Be True to Your Art
Frank Darabont was broke. He says in the article he was barely making enough to pay the rent. Then his screenplay adaptation of Stephen King’s novella Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption found its way to Castle Rock Pictures.
And they loved it.
Rob Reiner offered Darabont somewhere in the neighborhood of three million dollars for the script. But there was a catch: Reiner wanted to direct the movie himself.
It was Darabont’s dream to direct this movie. So he said no. [Read more…] about Let’s Learn from The Shawshank Redemption
Writing Heroes: Ira Levin
Hylton’s Hall of Heroes #1: Ira Levin
Ira Levin was the author of A Kiss Before Dying, Rosemary’s Baby, The Stepford Wives, The Boys From Brazil, This Perfect Day, and more. I love the careful–dare I say beautiful?–way he constructs his stories.
He’s the first inductee in Hylton’s Hall of Heroes.
August Book Reviews
Call of the Green
I like to write songs and make videos, so, just for fun, I started a new thing over on YouTube: The Pop Culture Sing Along.
This is a new monthly series where I sing a song about something related to pop culture. And I included the lyrics so you can sing, too. Don’t even pretend you are too cool to sing. Just don’t.
This one is a song about two of my favorite superheroes: Green Lantern and Green Arrow. Nerdy but true. Check it out.