Category: writing
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“Velma” Watched, Enjoyed, and You’re Wrong About It
Yes, I mean YOU, the person reading this. First, some backstory. “Velma” is an animated comedy series on HBO MAX (aka “Home Box Office Maximum?”). It’s a parody of a couple things, namely ‘Scooby Doo’ and ‘Riverdale.’ That’s key. It’s a parody. Taken in a vacuum, the show is just fine. It’s a comedy show…
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“Pistol” Series Watched, Mostly Enjoyed
On a total whim — or as “total whim” as it can be for something that is almost perfectly designed to entice my eyeballs — I watched “Pistol,” the mini-series about the Sex Pistols, directed by Danny Boyle. Here are some random thoughts about that experience, shall we, won’t you, we shall. 1. Excellent Opening.…
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I Watched “Aquaman” For Some Reason!
Availability is everything. My grandfather lived his entire life in rural Illinois. However, in his later years (around the 2000’s), he once mentioned how his favorite basketball team was the Los Angeles Lakers. This seemed sacrilegious to me. He liked watching sports, sure, but I thought he favored local teams. The Bears, the Cardinals (it…
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Under the Silver Lake: WILD Theories
YES, I’m still thinking about this movie. And YES you can read more about it in prior posts here and here. And YES YES, I’m done with this intro. “Under the Silver Lake” is filled with lots of crazy conspiracy theories, puzzles and mysteries. Consequently, it has inspired viewers to look for patterns and clues…
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Under the Silver Lake: How to Watch It Wrong
Yes, more on this movie. And, yeah, it gets a little grumpy. Sorry. One of the ways modern movie viewing works is through an odd process. With slight variation, it goes like this: See the trailer for the movie Watch the movie Post on social media about the movie Look up other people’s social media…
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Heroism in ‘Under the Silver Lake’: “This MEANS Something” vs. “THIS Means Something?!”
An attempt to explain part of why this movie works is nearly impossible and easy. It either makes sense or it doesn’t.
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How To Be a Good Podcast Guest
Podcasts! They’re all great, right? Everyone’s got one, so they MUST be fantastic. Most of them are, in some way, fun. Many rely on guests and that’s where YOU come in (I’m pointing at you right now). I’ve been fortunate enough to not only produce a few podcasts, but to guest on even more. I’ve…
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The Worst Book I’ve Ever Read is Also the One I Think The Most About, Part 3
The following is Part 3 of a series, wherein I will discuss details of a book I not only read but fully experienced. Nobody is talking about it, so I’m getting it a boost. However, the names have been changed to protect the innocent (or the guilty, however you look at it). You can read…
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The Worst Book I’ve Ever Read is Also The One I Think The Most About, Part 2
Part 2 of a series, wherein I will discuss details of a book I not only read but fully experienced. Nobody is talking about it, so I’m getting it a boost. However, the names have been changed to protect the innocent (or the guilty, however you look at it). Read Part 1 HERE. Descriptions I…
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The Worst Book I’ve Ever Read is Also The One I Think The Most About
Part 1 of a series discussing the worst and most-fascinating book I’ve ever read.
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The Best On-Screen Writing Scene? Check out “Wu-Tang: An American Saga”
One of the hobbies of any writer is trying to figure out “how you do it.” There are tons of conventions, TedTalks, tutorials, classes and books whose subtext or selling point is that they will show you just how to actually do the writing. This is, of course, a fallacy since the way to write…
Phillip Mottaz 