Back in March, we showed our short film NIGHT OF THE COOTERS at the Midwest Weirdfest festival in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and won the award for Best Science Fiction Short.
The trophy was not ready at the time, but it is now, and the good folks in Eau Claire were kind enough to send it to us.
It’s very cool, and we’re pleased to add it to the awards shelf.
NIGHT OF THE COOTERS had a good run on the festival circuit. We exhibited the film at LA Shorts and NY Shorts, Genreblast (Provo, Utah), Midwest Weirdfest (Eau Claire), Atlanta Film Festival, Santa Fe International Film Festival, Dubuque Film Festival, and took home five awards. At this point, though, COOTERS is retiring from the festival circuit for the time being, while we try to put together a distribution deal. Meanwhile, we have two more Howard Waldrop shorts almost ready to go. Watch this space. When we have some details on times and showings, I will be glad to share them here.
NIGHT OF THE COOTERS was based on Howard Waldrop’s short story of the same title, with a screenplay by Joe Lansdale. Vincent d’Onofrio directed, and also starred as Sheriff Lindley of Pachuco, Texas.
I had another birthday sneak up on me last Wednesday, September 20. Honestly, I don’t know where the time goes. The years seem to be flying past much faster than they used to. We had a great birthday party, with lots of friends on hand. Thanks to them, and to all of you out there who sent cards and even gifts (not necessary, though). Friends, family, fans, readers, viewers, I appreciate all of you.
Birthdays always make me think of Eliot.
I grow old… I grow old… I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled. Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach? I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.
I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.
I do not think that they will sing to me. For what it is worth, I mostly wear jeans, not white flannel trousers, and I remain unafraid of peaches. We had peach ice cream at the party, yum yum. Along with homemade apple pie, Papa Hemingway’s favorite hamburgers, corn on the cob, and baked beans. The weather was perfect, and the company was great.
And who knows, maybe one day the mermaids will sing for me.
The second season of DARK WINDS was a great success. If you missed it, you can still catch it on AMC+. Along with the first season, which is still streaming as well.
And last week AMC informed us that we’ve been renewed for a third season.
The new season will once again be based on one of Tony Hillerman’s amazing novels. If you’ve enjoyed the show, and want more to tide you over to the next season, read the books. They are fantastic.
Meanwhile, my thanks to AMC, to our showrunner John Wirth, to Robert Redford and Chris Eyre who made this all possible, and to our cast, crew, writers, and directors.
The fine print needs to be settled by the lawyers, and the terms need to be ratified by the membership of the WGA, but the overall feeling seems to be very positive. The Guild has suspended all picketing for the nonce.
Writing cannot resume until all that is sorted out, but it should not be too much longer.
Which means labor peace may be at hand, and those pens that were set down may soon be taken up again.
… but especially these times we are living in, when free speech is under attack as seldom before. Book banning has become pandemic, and now some are even threatening arrest for teachers and librarians who give students the “wrong” books to read.
I have never claimed to be perfect… but if the good folks at VANITY FAIR want to say so, who I am to argue?
Of course, they are not actually saying Iam perfect. They are talking about “Blackwater,” one of the episodes I wrote for GAME OF THRONES. (I scripted four. And yes, “Blackwater” is my own favorite of those, although I thought “The Lion and the Rose” turned out very well too, and I have a soft spot for that one).
I haven’t seen all of the other episodes on the list… but I have to say, the ones that I have watched were by and large extraordinary, so I can’t take issue with many of VANITY FAIR’s choices. “The Suitcase” from MAD MEN, the heart-wrenching “Ozymandias” episode from BREAKING BAD… THE SOPRANOS had lots of great episodes, but “The Pine Barrens” was special, and for the entire rest of the series I kept waiting for that Russian to turn up again when we least expected… for “The Wire” they picked the episode where Stringer died, and one can’t argue with that, though Omar’s death hit me maybe a tiny bit harder… but the show was so good, it came close to perfection pretty frequently… and BLACK MIRROR is an extraordinary series in so many ways, but “San Junipero” is the episode I love to watch over and over, and tell my friends to watch… if I had to pick one episode that was even more perfect than all the others on the list, though, it would have to be the final episode of SIX FEET UNDER. I liked that series well enough, though I cannot say I loved it as much as I loved ROME or DEADWOOD or FARGO or a few other shows missing from the list, but that last episode was far and away the best finale in the entire history of television, and I cannot imagine how anyone could possibly do better.
Anyway… I feel very pleased and flattered to be in such great company. No work of art is ever truly perfect, of course… but it is very gratifying to hear that maybe you achieved it, or at least came close… for some of your readers (or viewers)… once in a very great while. There is always a next time, though… and regardless of how well (or poorly) one of my tales is received, I always want to do better the next time I sit down in front of the computer.
Exciting news from AMC about DARK WINDS, season two.
It would not have been possible without Zahn and Kiowa and Jess and the rest of our amazing cast, or Chris Eyre and Billy Luther and our directors, without a first-rate crew (a NEW MEXICO crew, by and large, many of them Native), without showrunner John Wirth and a great staff of writers, without Robert Redford and Tina Elmo and Anne Hillerman and Vince Gerardis and our other EPs… and of course without the late great Tony Hillerman, who brought us Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee.
Keep watching, friends, and we hope to bring you many more seasons. Tony wrote eighteen Leaphorn novels, after all, and his daughter Anne has added eight more since his passing.
(And if you’re enjoying the show, as I hope you are, READ THE NOVELS! We have some of them at Beastly Books.)
Back in April, “Monster Hunter” (the premiere episode of the first season of DARK WINDS) won the Wrangler Award for the Best Television Drama from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma.
I was not able to attend the awards ceremony in person, alas, but the good folks at the museum promised to send the award.
I’m delighted to report that the Wrangler finally rode up here in Santa Fe.
The Wrangler is quite an impressive award, as you can see. Solid bronze, I think. I have a few spaceships and nebulae on my mantle, and some busts of literary luminaries as well, but this will be the only cowboy. I’m thrilled to have him. We’re very proud of DARK WINDS.
Thanks to the museum, the judges and voters, all the viewers at home, our amazing cast and crew, my producing partner Robert Redford.. and of course the late great Tony Hillerman, whose stories of Joe Leaphorn, Jim Chee, and the Navajo Tribal Police are the basis of DARK WINDS.
Speaking of which, the second season of DARK WINDS premieres on JULY 30on AMC and AMC+. It’s even better than the first season, I think. Take a look and see what you think.
But wait a minute. Who says? Okay, okay, there was that sitcom way back when, and sure, eight is enough when you’re talking children. In fact, you could even say that eight is MORE than enough… kids.
When you are talking Emmy Awards, though… well…
It’s still pretty damn good.
Nominations for the 2023 Emmy Awards were announced last week, and I am pleased and proud to report that HOUSE OF THE DRAGON racked up eight nominations:
CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A SERIES (ONE HOUR) | “The Lord of the Tides” | Catherine Goldschmidt, Director of Photography
FANTASY/SCI-FI COSTUMES | “The Heirs of the Dragon” | Jany Temime, Costume Designer; Joanna Lynch, Costume Supervisor; Katherine Burchill, Assistant Costume Designer; Paul Yeowell, Assistant Costume Designer; Rachel George, Assistant Costume Designer
PERIOD AND/OR CHARACTER MAKEUP (NON-PROSTHETIC) | “We Light The Way” | Amanda Knight, Dept. Head Makeup/Makeup Designer; Hannah Eccleston, Makeup Artist; Heather McMullen, Makeup Artist; Kashiya Hinds, Makeup Artist; Harriet Thompson, Makeup Artist; Natalie Wickens, Makeup Artist; Bonny Monger, Makeup Artist
PROSTHETIC MAKEUP | “The Lord Of The Tides” | Barrie Gower, Prosthetics Designer; Sarah Gower, Prosthetics Co-Department Head; Emma Faulkes, Key Prosthetics Artist; Duncan Jarman, Prosthetic Makeup Artist; Paula Eden, Prosthetic Makeup Artist
PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A NARRATIVE PERIOD OR FANTASY PROGRAM (ONE HOUR OR MORE) | “The Heirs Of The Dragon” | Jim Clay, Production Designer; Dominic Masters, Supervising Art Director; Claire Nia Richards, Set Decorator
SOUND EDITING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (ONE HOUR) | “The Black Queen” | Al Sirkett, Sound Supervisor; Paula Fairfield MPSE, Sound Designer; Adele Fletcher, Supervising ADR Editor; Tim Hands, Supervising Dialogue/Crowd Editor; Mathias Schuster, Foley Editor; David Klotz, Music Editor; Barnaby Smyth, Foley Supervisor/Artist; Timeri Duplat, Music Editor; Paula Boram, Foley Artist
SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS IN A SEASON OR MOVIE | Angus Bickerton, Visual Effects Supervisor; Nikeah Forde, VFX Producer; Thomas Horton, VFX Producer; Sven Martin, VFX Supervisor; Mark Spindler, VFX Co-Supervisor; Mark Dauth, Virtual Production Supervisor; Sebastian Meszmann, VFX Producer; Mike Bell, VFX Supervisor; Tobias Graa Winblad, VFX
All those, PLUS the big one:
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
Additionally, House of the Dragon: Inside the Episode was nominated for OUTSTANDING SHORT FORM NONFICTION OR REALITY SERIES. Which I suppose means we are up for nine Emmy Awards, not eight, but somehow this last one counts differently, so…
My congratulations to Ryan Condal, Miguel Sapochnick, and the amazing cast and crew of HOT D. They did some amazing work, and this recognition is well deserved. Come Emmy night, I hope some of them get to take home a golden lady… but win or lose, it IS an honor just to be nominated. ((No idea at this writing when that Emmy night will be. The televised ceremony is scheduled for September 18, with the technical awards a week earlier, but if the strikes have not been settled by then, there is an excellent chance everything will be pushed back to November, or even to next year.)) ((Whether that happens or not, it is unlikely that I will be attending this year’s awards. Too much to do)).
This was a record-breaking year for HBO… well, okay, a record-tying year. In addition to HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, THE LAST OF US, SUCCESSION, and THE WHITE LOTUS were also nominated as OUTSTANDING DRAMA (along with some great shows from the other networks and streamers, of course). This is only the third time in Emmy history that one network has had four different shows in the same category. CBS did it in 1973, and NBC in 1992. And now us.
As to whether eight is really enough… well, one hates to be greedy, but I would have loved to see some of our writers, directors, and actors on the final ballot as well. You don’t get to contend for Best Dramatic Series unless you have some great actors, directors, and writers working of you. Most of our team will have other shots at the prize in seasons to come, to be sure ((I lost six Emmy Awards before I won my first)), but that’s not true for Paddy Considine, alas, not unless Ryan brings King Viserys back as a White Walker — and that’s heartbreaking. My gods, his portrayal was magnificent. He earned a shelf of trophies for episode eight alone.
We are living in a Golden Age of television, though. So much great work is being done on so many shows, it is hard to keep up.
Those of you who have been following the news out of Hollywood will already know that SAG-AFTRA, the actor’s union, has gone on strike, joining the Writers Guild of America (WGA). We have been striking since May 2. If you’re in LA or NYC or… sometimes… here in Santa Fe, you may have seen our picket lines. The pickets have gotten bigger since the actors joined us, and you may see some familiar faces holding signs.
Fran Drescher, president of SAG-AFTRA, gave a rousing speech when the announcing the strike.
Not much I can add to that, except “AMEN.”
The SAG contract ended on June 30, but the actors gave AMPTP every chance to reach an equitable agreement by extending negotiations to July 12. That proved to be a futile gesture. The studios did not move an inch from their previous positions, and still refuse to address some of the most important issues on the table, including AI and payments and residuals from streaming. They gave the actors no choice but to walk.
As for the writers… well, the studios are not even TALKING to us. All negotiations between AMPTP and the WGA shut down back in May when the strike started. It is hard to reach any agreement when the other side won’t even come to the table.
I joined the WGA in 1986 and have been through several strikes with them. We made gains in all of them, but some issues are more important than others… and this year’s strike is the most important of my lifetime. An unnamed producer was quoted last week saying the AMPTP strategy was to stand fast until the writers started losing their homes and apartments, which gives you a hint of what we’re facing.
But we ARE facing it. I have never seen such unity in the Guilds; the strike authorization votes for both SAG and WGA were as close to unanimous as we are ever likely to see.
No one can be certain where we go from here, but I have a bad feeling that this strike will be long and bitter. It may get as bad as the infamous 1985 strike, though I hope not.
You may be wondering how all this has affected me and my own projects.
Well, the second season of DARK WINDS wrapped before either strike began. Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee will be returning to television on July 30, on AMC and AMC+. Union members will not be participating in any promotions, however… at least the actors and writers won’t (you may see some directors, since the DGA settled and signed a deal with the studios). The DARK WINDS premieres that AMC had scheduled for New York and LA have both been cancelled.
San Diego Comicon is being held as usual, but virtually all the big television and film promotions that usually occur there have been cancelled, after the stars and writers all pulled out. SDCC may need to return to its roots, and focus on comic books and the writers and artists who produce them. (Excelsior!).
I have been on several pickets here in New Mexico. So far as I know, all the shows shooting here have shut down. So have most of the films and television shows shooting in LA. The studios can stockpile scripts, but they can’t stockpile the actors.
(No, that’s not me).
One of the few shows till shooting is HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, as you may have read. That’s true. I am told the second season is half done. ALL of the scripts had been finished months before the WGA strike began. No writing has been done since, to the best of my knowledge. HOT D is shot mostly in London (and a little bit in Wales, Spain, and various other locations), which is why filming has continued. The actors are members of the British union, Equity, not SAG-AFTRA, and though Equity strongly supports their American cousins (they have a big rally planned to show that support), British law forbids them from staging a sympathy strike. If they walk, they have no protection against being fired for breach of contract, or even sued.
((Honestly, I was shocked to hear that. One of the two major UK political parties, Labour, has its roots in the trade union movement. How in the world could they have allowed such anti-labor regulations to be enacted? Seems to me that Labour Party really needs to do a better job of protecting the right to strike)).
As for me personally, my overall deal with HBO was suspended on June 1.
I still have plenty to do, of course. In that, I am one of the lucky ones. (These strikes are not really about name writers or producers or showrunners, most of whom are fine; we’re striking for the entry level writers, the story editors, the students hoping to break in, the actor who has four lines, the guy working his first staff job who dreams of creating his own show one day, as I did back in the 80s).
Last week we had a great meeting with the producers on THE IRON THRONE, the stage play we’ve been working on the past few years. The scripts for that one are coming along well, and it’s got me very excited. SAG-AFTRA covers television and film, but not the stage, so the strike has no impact there. Maybe we will even be able to bring the show to the West End by… well, no, better not say, do not want to jinx the project.
I have also been editing a couple new Wild Cards books. PAIRING UP just came out, but we’re still working on SLEEPER STRADDLE and HOUSE RULES for Bantam.
And, yes, yes, of course, I’ve been working on WINDS OF WINTER. Almost every day. Writing, rewriting, editing, writing some more. Making steady progress. Not as fast as I would like.. .certainly not as fast as YOU would like… but progress nonetheless.
It keeps me out of trouble.
So that’s the latest from the front lines. I hope we will have your support. HONK if you see us picketing… and NEVER cross a picket line… and maybe we will be able to get this settled quickly. Before we all lose our houses….
happy
contemplative
excited
pleased
