TOP 10 TV SHOWS 2019: The Golden Age Has Arrived
I've done this annual feature list a few times before, focusing on the year's best films. But after slogging through 2019's cinematic contenders, only one really floored me. But on the small screen? The 'golden age of television' was in full goddamn swing, son. I can honestly say that the lion's share of my procrastination this year falls squarely on TV's considerable shoulders...
CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS: How a Comic Book Epic Was a Master Class in Storytelling
When I look back at the stories that had a lasting effect during my youth — those that shaped me, and inspired me, and frankly blew the roof off my poor little mind — I'd have to say that one of the defining tales was this 12-issue DC comics epic. For a hick kid with a second-rate movie theatre, a laughably small local library, and six channels on cable? My storytelling could pretty much be summed up as BC and AC: Before Crisis on Infinite Earths...and AFTER it.
PODCAST TIME: How an Epic Hike Across Spain Changed the Course of My Career
30 years ago, I first heard of the legendary 900km pilgrimage across Spain — the Camino De Santiago. 10 years ago, after reading The Pilgrimage and The Alchemist by acclaimed author Paulo CoeIho, I made the decision to walk it myself. And in the summer of 2008 -- with a huge career opportunity in the dust and nothing but a 20kg backpack as my companion, I took the first steps on this life-changing journey...
INTERVIEW: A Creative Career Retrospective w/ EPN (Games, TV, Travel, and MUCH More!)
With just a few days left in my Vancouver visit, I got to sit down for a LIVE interview at Vancouver Film School. And the icing on the cake? It was with old chum and the creator/producer/host (+ damn fine fella, to be sure) of The Electric Playground — VICTOR LUCAS. Gaming! Storytelling! Dirty Words! Travel TV! And SO much more!!!
HAVEN: A 'Choose Your Own Adventure' Mini-Mystery (TEXT ONLY)
I'm an oldschool text adventure fan. ZORK 4 LIFE. Thanks to a client's prompting, and the power (and ease) of TWINE, I whipped up this wee mystery/thriller 'prologue'. Zero frills. More of a proof-of-concept than anything else. But as a fan of Twin Peaks and The Prisoner, you KNOW that weirdness awaits...
MOVIE SEQUEL or NEW TV SEASON — Who's Better?
I was recently asked an interesting question: 'What do you see as the key differences/similarities between writing a sequel to a movie, and breaking a new season of a television show?' I answered in a giggling torrent, more with 'gut' than logic...but I still think the analysis holds up well.
MASTER CHEF SPOOF = Game Writing Prompt
Things got hot in the narrative kitchen with a recent request — write a brief (10-15 lines) scene between two contestants and a judge on a Reality TV Cooking show. Yes, Chef!!! (BONUS: my 60min interview with acclaimed Aussie chef ANTONIO BRUNO is embedded for your listening pleasure!)
TWIN PEAKS: The Return—Finale Rant + Series THEORY
I just woke up on the other side of the world. Didn't feed the cat or even have a cup of coffee. Instead, I watched the TWIN PEAKS: The Return finale. And now that it's over? I need to get some (admittedly surreal) shit off my chest—embedded audio AND updated *theory* attached!!
TWIN PEAKS — 10 Wild Theories You NEED to Consider
I think I’ve earned a moment of indulgence — so try to humour an old yarn-spinner in some wild and wooly prognostications as we fall through space, faster and faster, towards what is sure to be the consciousness-altering conclusion of TWIN PEAKS: The Return*!
THE NEW PODCAST IS A THING!!!
I've been asked countless times do a podcast. Thing is, I kinda hate my voice. Which is surprising, considering my tendency to babble. But you kept on nudging me. And then, one crisp winter’s day on the Greek Isle of Rhodes, a pal sent me an outrageous sale listing for a most excellent USB mic on Amazon. That's when I got to fiddling...