#[ I loved Daniel Gillies performance in The Originals ]

[sanguinesophistication]

I think you’re getting Daniell Gillies confused with Matt Davis. Daniel has never been “alt right” in his entire career, a google search will tell you that very quickly. If you can’t provide evidence for your claim, you shouldn’t be broadcasting it publicly.

Hey so I'd appreciate not talking about this a lot, people probably don't want to hear about this a lot. I was purposely vague to try and avoid annoying people/getting into long debates about it because I'm really not a very confident person.

I haven't really been "broadcasting" it and that's because I don't want this blog to become super negative and for people to feel as if I'm telling people what they can and can't do on their blogs. I'm really not. This is in part why I didn't go into a huge amount of detail because I'm really not trying to "cancel" anyone, I'm just saying I don't want to use the FC in the most succinct way possible.

I never said Daniel is alt-right, or at least that's not what I'm trying to say, just that he's been reposting tweets from people on the alt-right/are alt-right adjacent like Sam Harris (who believes Islamophobia doesn't exist, and has talked about race being linked to IQ), whose podcast episode titled "What is "Islamaphobia"?" Daniel promoted on Twitter (x) (which describes the term Islamophobia as basically made up to supress people criticising Islam). He's also retweeted posts minimising the destruction and loss of life in Gaza, also on Twitter (x,x).

These things make me uncomfortable about using him as a FC. It's totally fine if you'd prefer not to write with my Elijah as a result, or if you write with people who use him as a FC or even if you do yourself. I've just said I don't want to.

Like I said it's not something I want this blog to become about, so I'd appreciate it if you could not send any more anons about it, if you'd like to discuss it we can do it in DM if you like.

Apologies for the links, an anon won't stop harassing me.

[shifterdomain]

Your favorite movie to watch together

A/N: I highly suggest watching (most of) these movies if you haven't yet. I also added in Tom Blyth from The Hunger Games A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and have added him to the previous preferences as well.

Jonah Hauer-King

The Lion King will be playing on repeat during movie night. Maybe the sequel Simba's Pride will also play once in a blue moon.

Be ready for a sing-along with Jonah blasting I Can't Wait To Be King.

Tom Glynn-Carney

Saltburn is a fun movie to have on on a Sunday evening.

He likes mysterious movies almost as much as playfully teasing his on-screen brother Ewan Mitchell by pestering him with theories of Mitchell's character. And let's not forget that him and Barry Keoghan also go way back to Tom's debut movie 'Dunkirk'.

Ewan Mitchell

The Mask of Zorro is one of those movies you can watch every week and not tire of.

He likes the idea of a masked man with a somewhat troubled past being the hero and will find a way to make it about his character Aemond Targaryen. Whatever you watch, there will always be a parellel drawn. He just loves him too much.

Matt Smith

Gremlins, especially the first installment, is just a whimsical movie that will always remain entertaining.

Die Hard would be a runner up, but he just enjoys the sillyness that Gremlins has. And it is even better knowing that it used to be a feared horror movie.

Joseph Morgan

Joseph is a big fan of scifi movies, especially Star Wars.

His favorites would be the old movies with Han Solo, but you also like to watch the ones with Anakin Skywalker, interested in the arc of him turning into Darth Vader.

Daniel Gillies

Fifty Shades of Grey.

You both love making fun of how bad the movie truly is, jokingly making headcannons about the story to try and make it better. But failing.

Paul Wesley

Deadpool is one of his favorite movies to watch with you.

Deadpool & Wolverine would probably be his favorite. He loves how unhinged they are and Ryan Reynolds is just a comedy legend. His favorite character would be Dogpool.

Ian Somerhalder

The Graduate is his favorite film, but he enjoys it even more when he watches it with you.

He likes the more classical and old movies and discussing them afterwards while finishing your snacks and tea, or Bourbon, especially because there is something nostalgic about movies made before Hollywood became as big as it is. He enjoys the simplicity of the old school.

Chris Wood

The Scream franchise are fun movies to watch, whether it's Halloween or early August.

He likes the first two because they're new and they're classics, but the first installment of the reboot is also up there, being more creepy and gory. He will also probably be performing songs from the parody musical.

Jensen Ackles

The Silence of the Lambs is a thrilling movie that with the brilliance that is Anthony Hopkins will never be a bad watch.

It's a little spooky, has some humor and shows one of the greatest characters brought to life by Hopkins. While other movies in the franchise are enjoyable, nothing can truly top the brilliance of the original.

Jared Padalecki

Good Will Hunting is a movie that means a lot to Jared, especially with the passing of Robin Williams (RIP).

The movie gives a good and well-read view into the psychy of Matt Damon's character Will. Especially the line 'Some people can never believe in themselves, until someone believes in them,' is a line that really hits home for him.

Matthew Daddario

Grown Ups (RIP Cameron Boyce) is just a fun-loving movie to watch in whatever mood you're in.

It is a campy and funny movie that doesn't require any deep thinking, which is especially good after a long day of work. You can just relax, grab a bite and cuddle up on the couch without worrying about anything else but each other.

Dominic Sherwood

James Bond might be a classic British franchise, but it's always fun.

There's plenty of movies in the franchise with plenty of actors stepping into the shoes of the titular character, so you can always pick another movie in the franchise and by the time you've seen all, you probably won't remember all of the one you started with. The ones that will probably be played most are those with Daniel Craig, Pierce Brosnan or Sean Connery (RIP). There will probably also be a lot of teasing with you trying to convince him to audition to be the next Bond.

Dylan O'Brien

Never Been Kissed.

Are you even surprised? It's Dylan's favorite movie as it's a funny and cute movie. He will however probably be mouthing along the words as you watch.

Tom Holland

Spider-Man has been Tom's favorite for almost all of his life.

Whether it is Andrew Garfield or Toby Maguire behind the mask, as long as it is not him because, like most actors, he doesn't like watching himself. But they're funny and have enough action to keep your attention.

Josh Hutcherson

Josh likes scary movies, but with you his favorite would be Saw.

It's creepy and bloody and has a hint of mystery to it. He especially likes the way you curl up against him and hide your face in his shoulder with the scary moments or the scenes that make your skin crawl.

Tom Blyth

An underrated movie that he loves to watch with you is the trilogy of Sissi, Die Junge Kaiserin with Romy Schneider as Elisabeth.

The original movies are old and mostly forgotten and skipped as they lack the sense of excitement in today's movies. But that old school feeling is one of the things he likes about it. It's romantic and very sweet and also brings out the romantic in him.

[bittergirlsworld]

rewatching TO and I really mourn the potential Hayley had, specially as Jackson wife/alpha. they could really go deep in the Andrea Labonair ™ storyline before season 4/5, but absolutely not. let's make haylijah against instead who tf cares anyway she was better with Jackson, was the first time Hayley had some nuance in the originals

It does not helps that, although they really tried to make it work to her, Phoebe Tonkin have absolutely two emotions and that's it. Most of Hayley's lack of appeal in most scenes it's due the fact the actress playing her does not have range. She has the same face when she's angry, when she's thought, when she's trying make the man in her life feel better or be better (why she's being used to placate Jackson's anger or to be Elijah's nightmare or to give Klaus a pep talk whenever he needs?) or even when she's supposed to be horny. And it's not like she does not have great performances as Hayley, she does, but those are so rare during seasons, such as Hope's birth or Jackson's death, her own death in season 5 and guess that's it.

Another actress could actually make Hayley work just fine. She was good in the vampire diaries because that was the attitude required to play the character Hayley was supposed to be in TVD but in TO she should be mature, an actual adult woman with actual conflicts and war back and forth, protecting a child, being in a marriage and in a relationship with a thousand years old vampire. She's none of those. Maybe Hayley is not even a Mary Sue or something, she just poorly acted and directed. She's surely well written. Her storyline, in my personal opinion, makes it perfect sense. But, Jesus... I'm struggling with the acting so bad.

It's worse when she's paired with an actress like Leah Pipes or the scenes she had with Charles Michael Davis, Joseph Morgan and Daniel Gillies itself. I love Phoebe, i think she's great, she was amazing in previous works, she had great performances outside The Originals. Hayley's portrait was the problem.

[letterboxd]

Noir Zealand Road Trip.

Breakout noir filmmaker James Ashcroft speaks to Letterboxd’s Indigenous editor Leo Koziol about his chilling new movie Coming Home in the Dark—and reveals how Blue Velvet, Straw Dogs and a bunch of cult New Zealand thrillers are all a part of his Life in Film.

“Many different types of feet walk across those lands, and the land in that sense is quite indifferent to who is on it. I like that duality. I like that sense of we’re never as safe as we would like to think.” —James Ashcroft

In his 1995 contribution to the British Film Institute’s Century of Cinema documentary series, Sam Neill described the unique sense of doom and darkness presented in films from Aotearoa New Zealand as the “Cinema of Unease”.

There couldn’t be a more appropriate addition to this canon than Māori filmmaker James Ashcroft’s startling debut Coming Home in the Dark, a brutal, atmospheric thriller about a family outing disrupted by an enigmatic madman who calls himself Mandrake, played in a revelatory performance by Canadian Kiwi actor Daniel Gillies (previously best known for CW vampire show The Originals, and as John Jameson in Spider-Man 2). Award-winning Māori actress Miriama McDowell is also in the small cast—her performance was explicitly singled out by Letterboxd in our Fantasia coverage.

Based on a short story by acclaimed New Zealand writer Owen Marshall, Ashcroft wrote the screenplay alongside longtime collaborator Eli Kent. It was a lean shoot, filmed over twenty days on a budget of just under US $1 million. The film is now in theaters, following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January, where it made something of an impact.

Erik Thomson, Matthias Luafutu, Daniel Gillies and Miriama McDowell in a scene from ‘Coming Home in the Dark’.

Creasy007 described the film as “an exciting New Zealand thriller that grabs you tight and doesn’t let you go until the credits are rolling.” Jacob wrote: “One of the most punishingly brutal—both viscerally and emotionally—first viewings I’ve enjoyed in quite a while. Will probably follow James Ashcroft’s career to the gates of Hell after this one.”

Filmgoers weren’t the only ones impressed: Legendary Entertainment—the gargantuan production outfit behind the Dark Knight trilogy and Godzilla vs. Kong—promptly snapped up Ashcroft to direct their adaptation of Devolution, a high-concept novel by World War Z author Max Brooks about a small town facing a sasquatch invasion after a volcanic eruption. (“I find myself deep in Sasquatch mythology and learning a lot about volcanoes at the moment,” says the director, who is also writing the adaptation with Kent.)

Although Coming Home in the Dark marks his feature debut, Ashcroft has been working in the creative arts for many years as an actor and theater director, having previously run the Māori theater company Taki Rua. As he explains below, his film taps into notions of indigeneity in subtle, non-didactic ways. (Words in the Māori language are explained throughout the interview.)

Kia ora [hello] James. How did you come to be a filmmaker? James Ashcroft: I’ve always loved film. I worked in video stores from the age thirteen to 21. That’s the only other ‘real job’ I’ve ever had. I trained as an actor, and worked as an actor for a long time. So I had always been playing around with film. My first student allowance that I was given when I went to university, I bought a camera, I didn’t pay for my rent. I bought a little handheld Sony camera. We used to make short films with my flatmates and friends, so I’ve always been dabbling and wanting to move into that.

After being predominantly involved with theater, I sort of reached my ceiling of what I wanted to do there. It was time to make a commitment and move over into pursuing and creating a slate of scripts, and making that first feature step into the industry. My main creative collaborator is Eli Kent, who I’ve been working with for seven years now. We’re on our ninth script, I think.

But Coming Home in the Dark, that was our first feature. It was the fifth script we had written, and that was very much about [it] being the first cab off the rank; about being able to find a work that would fit into the budget level that we could reasonably expect from the New Zealand Film Commission. I also wanted to make sure that piece was showing off my strengths and interests—being a character-focused, actor-focused piece—and something that we could execute within those constraints and still deliver truthfully and authentically to the story that we wanted to tell and showcase the areas of interest that I have as a filmmaker, which have always been genre.

Do you see the film more as a horror or a thriller? We’ve never purported to be a horror. We think that the scenario is horrific, some of the events that happen are horrific, but this has always been a thriller for me and everyone involved. I think, sometimes, because of the premiere and the space that it was programmed in at Sundance, being in the Midnight section, there’s a sort of an association with horror or zany comedy. For us it’s more about, if anything, the psychological horror aspect of the story. 

It’s violent in places, obviously, but there’s very little violence actually committed on screen. It’s the suggestion. The more terrifying thing is what exists in the viewer’s mind [rather] than necessarily what you can show on screen. My job as a storyteller is to provoke something that you can then flesh out and embellish more in your own psyche and emotions. It’s a great space, the psychological thriller, because it can deal with the dramatic as well as some of those more heightened, visceral moments that horror also can touch on.

Director James Ashcroft. / Photo by Stan Alley

There’s a strong Māori cast in your film. Do you see yourself as a Māori filmmaker, or a filmmaker who is Maori? Well, I’m a Māori everything. I’m a father, I’m a husband, I’m a friend. Everything that I do goes back to my DNA and my whakapapa [lineage]. So that’s just how I view my identity and my world. In terms of categorizing it, I don’t put anything in front of who I am as a storyteller. I’m an actor, I’m a director. I follow the stories that sort of haunt me more than anything. They all have something to do with my experience and how I see the world through my identity and my life—past, present and hopefully future.

In terms of the cast, Matthias Luafutu [who plays Mandrake’s sidekick Tubs], he’s Samoan. Miriama McDowell [who plays Jill, the mother of the family] is Māori. I knew that this story, in the way that I wanted to tell it, was always going to feature Māori in some respect. Both the ‘couples’, I suppose you could say—Hoaggie [Erik Thomson] and Jill on one side and Tubs and Mandrake on the other—I knew one of each would be of a [different] culture. So I knew I wanted to mirror that.

Probably more than anything, I knew if I had to choose one role that was going to be played by a Māori actor, it was definitely going to be Jill, because for me, Jill’s the character that really is the emotional core and our conduit to the story. Her relationship with the audience, we have to be with her—a strong middle-class working mother who has a sort of a joy-ness at the beginning of the film and then goes through quite a number of different emotions and realizations as it goes along.

Those are sometimes the roles that Māori actors, I often feel, don’t get a look at usually. That’s normally a different kind of actor that gets those kinds of roles. And then obviously when Miriama McDowell auditions for you it’s just a no-brainer, because she can play absolutely anything and everything. I have a strong relationship with Miriama from drama-school days, so I knew how to work with her on that.

Once you put a stake in the ground with her, then we go, right, so this is a biracial family, and her sons are going to be Māori and that’s where the Paratene brothers, who are brothers in real life, came into the room, and we were really taken with them immediately. We threw out a lot of their scripted dialogue in the end because what we are casting is that fundamental essence and energy that exists between two real brothers that just speaks volumes more than any dialogue that Eli and I could write.

Matthias Luafutu as Tubs in ‘Coming Home in the Dark’.

What was your approach to the locations? [The area we shot in] is very barren and quite harsh. I spent a lot of time there in my youth, and I find them quite beautiful places. They are very different kinds of landscapes than you normally see in films from our country. We didn’t want to go down The Lord of the Rings route of images from the whenua [land] that are lush mountains and greens and blues, even though that’s what Owen Marshall had written.

I was very keen, along with Matt Henley, our cinematographer, to find that duality in the landscape as well, because the whole story is about that duality in terms of people, in terms of this world, and that grey space. So that’s why we chose to film in those areas.

Regarding the scene where Tubs sprinkles himself with water: including this Māori spiritual element in the film created quite a contrast. That character had partaken in something quite evil, yet still follows a mundane cultural tradition around death. What are your thoughts on that? Yeah. I’m not really interested in black-and-white characters of any kind. I want to find that grey space that allows them to live within more layers in the audience’s mind. So for me—and having family who have spent time in jail, or knowing people who have gone through systems like state-care institutions as well as moving on to prison—just because you have committed a crime or done something in one aspect of your life, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t room and there aren’t other aspects that inform your identity that you also carry.

It’s something that he’s adopted for whatever reasons to ground him in who he is. And they can sit side by side with being involved in some very horrendous actions, but also from Tubs’ perspective, these are actions which are committed in the name of survival. You start to get a sense Mandrake enjoys what he does rather than doing it for just a means to the end. So any moment that you can start to create a greater sense of duality in a person, I think that means that there’s an inner life to a world, to a character, that’s starting to be revealed. That’s an invitation for an audience to lean into that character.

Erik Thomson and Daniel Gillies in ‘Coming Home in the Dark’.

What is the film that made you want to get into filmmaking? The biggest influence on me is probably David Lynch’s Blue Velvet. I saw that when I was ten years old. A babysitter, my cousin, rented it. It’s not a film that a ten-year-old should see, by the way. I was in Lower Hutt, there in my aunty’s house, and it was very cold, and there’s a roaring fire going. My cousin and her boyfriend were sitting on a couch behind me, and they started making out. I sort of knew something was going on behind me and not to look. So I was stuck between that and Dennis Hopper huffing nitrous, and this very strange, strange world opening up before me on the television.

I’ve had a few moments like that in my life [where a] film, as well as the circumstance, sort of changed how I view the world. I think something died that day, but obviously something was born. You can see what Lynch did in those early works, especially Blue Velvet. You don’t have to go too far beneath the surface of suburbia or what looks normal and nice and welcoming to find that there’s a complete flip-side. There’s that duality to our world, which we like to think might be far away, but it’s actually closer than you think.

That speaks to Coming Home in the Dark and why that short story resonated with me the first time I read it. Even in the most beautiful, scenically attractive places in our land, many different types of feet walk across those lands, and the land in that sense is quite indifferent to who is on it. I like that duality. I like that sense of we’re never as safe as we would like to think. Blue Velvet holds a special place in my heart.

What other films did you have in mind when forming your approach to Coming Home in the Dark? Straw Dogs, the Peckinpah film. The original. Just because it plays in that grey space. Obviously times have changed, and you read the film in different ways now as you might have when it first came out. But that was a big influence because there was a moral ambiguity to that film; those lines of good and bad or black and white, they don’t apply anymore. It just becomes about what happens when people are put under extreme pressure and duress, and they abandon all sense of morals. The Offence by Sidney Lumet would be another one, very much drawn to that ’70s ilk of American and English filmmaking.

‘Coming Home in the Dark’ was filmed on location around the wider Wellington region of New Zealand.

Is there a New Zealand film that’s influenced you significantly? There’s a few. I remember watching The Lost Tribe when it was on TV. That really scared me. I just remember the sounds of it. Mr. Wrong was a great ghost story. That stuck with me for a long time. The Scarecrow. Once I discovered Patu! [Merata Mita’s landmark documentary about the protests against the apartheid-era South African rugby tour of New Zealand in 1981], that sort of blew everything out of the water, because that was actually my first induction and education that this was something that even occurred. I think I saw that when I was about eighteen. That this was something that occurred in our history and had ramifications that were other than just a rugby game.

And Utu, every time I watch that, it doesn’t lose its resonance. I get something new from it every time. It’s a great amalgamation of identity, culture, of genre, and again, plays in that grey space of accountability. Utu still has that power for me. It’s one of those films, when it’s playing, I’ll end up sitting down and just being glued to the screen.

It’s a timeless classic. I will admit that when I watched your film, The Scarecrow did immediately come to mind, as did Garth Maxwell’s Jack Be Nimble. Yeah. [Jack Be Nimble] was really frightening. Again, it was that clash of many different aspects. There was a psychosexual drama there. You’ve got this telekinetic mind control and that abuse and that hunkering down of an isolated family. There are plenty of New Zealand films that have explored a sort of similar territory. They’re all coming to me now.

Bad Blood has a great sense of atmosphere and photography and the use of soundscape to create that shocking sense of isolation and terror in these quick, fast, brutal moments, which then just sort of are left to ring in the air. But I love so much of New Zealand cinema, especially the stuff from the ’80s.

Kia ora [good luck], James. Kia ora.

Related content

Leo’s Letterboxd list of Aotearoa New Zealand Scary-As Movies Adapted from Literature

Dave’s Cinema of Unease list

A Brutal Stillness: Gregory’s list of patient, meditative genre films

Sailordanae’s list of Indigenous directors of the Americas

Follow Leo on Letterboxd

‘Coming Home in the Dark’ is available now in select US theaters and on VOD in the US and New Zealand. All photographs by Stan Alley / GoldFish Creative. Comments have been edited for length and clarity.

[aeruthien]

The shock of finishing the Originals after bingewatching five seasons has finally worn off somewhat so I want to do a series of aspects which I think are the reason why this show is one of the best supernatural/fantasy show of the last decade.

So first up is the cast. I remember an interview with Julie Plec in which she jokingly said that the Original family was created because they wanted to surround Daniel Gillies with actors who are as good as him. And if that is the case, its one of the best decisions Plec has ever made.

(Im sorry in advance, this is just me gushing about how awesome these people are. It is sometimes hard to articulate exactly why I think they are so good. During writing this I realised that one of my criteria is that if the actor/actress can be in a scene with Joseph Morgan and not have him steal the show, then they are good.)

The actors in the Originals are just on another level. This is not to talk down on the actors in the Vampire Diaries, but I do feel that the actors in TO are overall stronger, partly also because they are all older and have more experience, but also because there is this synergy between the actors, the writing and the tone of TO which lifts the whole show that much higher. There is always a second layer to every scene between the characters, and the actors convey that brilliantly.

So J Morgan, D Gillies, P Tonkin, C Holt are great, but they also appeared on TVD, so Im not going to gush too much about them now, because there are so many others who are also so good.  

Charles Michael Davies is brilliant as Marcel. In the very first episode he charmed the hell out of everyone, but also showed Marcel's more ruthless side. The scene in which he goes IM THE KING is still one of the best scenes in my opinion. His intonation and body posture and the way that he plays the room... in that scene but later on in the series as well.  

Leah Pipes. I love Leah Pipes. She showed Cami's inner turmoil so well in those first few eps when Klaus keeps compelling her to forget. The desperation and fear that she is going crazy. And she keeps this up throughout the series, giving Cami grace and strength. She sometimes seemed stronger than the other characters even though she was the 'token human' just because of her on screen presence.

Danielle Campbell. She is amazing. She was eighteen in the first season. Eighteen! How? Sometimes I didn't like Davina, but this actress is powerful.

The awesomeness isn't limited to the core actors/actresses either, and that is I think the main strength of this show. The actor who plays Josh is wonderful, and brings in a genuine and immediately likeable performance. The actress who plays Sabine/Celeste and the one who plays Aya in S3 also stand out.

And then there are the actors/actresses who were brought in to play the already established characters of Esther, Kol, Finn and Rebekah. That is no easy task, but in the cases of the first three, I actually prefer the second actor/actress to the original one. The actress who plays Esther in s2 is phenomenal. Her voice is so gentle yet so sinister. Whispering gently in your ear why her torture is for your best interest. Chills. I already said that I prefer Daniel Sharman over Nathaniel Buzolic, but this has more to do with preferring witch!Kol over vampire!Kol. I would have loved to see Buzolic do witch!Kol, but sadly we never got that. Yusuf Gatewood actually made me fear Finn. And then he turned into Vincent, who had a completely different energy about him.  

But let's not forget the actress Maisie Richardson-Sellers who had to fill in the impossibly large shoes of Claire Holt and play Rebekah. And she more than lived up to it. I almost immediately forgot that it was another actress. She was just Rebekah to me, down to the small mannerisms and the way she carried herself.

And last but not least, Riley Voelkel. Who had the task to be the oldest Mikaelson in an already established family, and come in and take charge and take no shit. Like I said, one of the criteria is being able to steal a scene from Joseph Morgan, and when she walked in, planted herself between him and Daniel Gillies and snarled into his face, I was sold.

So all my love to this brilliant cast.

[sserpicko]

Announcing Winners WGA Awards 2019: ‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?,’ ‘Eighth Grade’

In a pair of upsets, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” has won the Writers Guild of America’s adapted screenplay award for Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty and Bo Burnham has won the original screenplay award for “Eighth Grade.”

The major television trophies went to “The Americans,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Homeland” and “Barry” for the 71st Writers Guild Awards, held at dual ceremonies at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif., and the Edison Ballroom in New York City. It was the last major awards show before the Feb. 24 Academy Awards.

“Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” based on the memoir of the late Lee Israel, topped the screenplays for “Black Panther,” “If Beale Street Could Talk” “A Star Is Born”; and “BlacKkKlansman.” Though the script for the comedy-drama — the story of how Israel discovered her talent for forgery — has received an Oscar nomination, “Beale Street” and “BlacKkKlansman” were regarded as the front-runners. It appears that the tale of the travails and redemption of a professional writer clearly resonated with Hollywood writers.

“I want to thank Lee,” Holofcener said in her acceptance. “She’d probably be sitting in the room judging all of us. She though she was the smartest person in the room and she probably was.”

A stunned Burnham credited star Elsie Fisher for his winning the WGA award. Burnham won over Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma”; Adam McKay’s “Vice”; Bryan Woods, Scott Beck, and John Krasinski’s “A Quiet Place”; and Peter Farrelly, Nick Vallelonga, and Brian Currie’s “Green Book.” “Roma,” “Vice” and “Green Book” are all nominated for Academy Awards along with “The Favourite” and “First Reformed” while “Eight Grade” did not receive an Oscar nod.

“Eighth Grade,” which stars Fisher as an awkward teen dealing with the final week of eighth grade, also won the first-time Directors Guild of America Award for Burnham on Feb. 2. The film is also up for four Spirit Awards on Feb. 23.

“To the other nominees in the category — Have fun at the Oscars, losers!” Burnham joked in his acceptance. “No, I prepared nothing. This all belongs to Elsie Fisher who performed the script. No one would care about the script if she hadn’t done it.”

“Eighth Grade” is the first film to win the WGA Original Screenplay award without being nominated for an Academy since Michael Moore’s “Bowling for Columbine” in 2003.

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” won the comedy series award for Kate Fodor, Noah Gardenswartz, Jen Kirkman, Sheila Lawrence, Daniel Palladino and Amy Sherman Palladino. Starring Rachel Brosnahan, “Mrs. Maisel” won the Emmy for best comedy series last year.

The final season of “The Americans” took the drama series award for Peter Ackerman, Hilary Bettis, Joshua Brand, Joel Fields, Sarah Nolen, Stephen Schiff, Justin Weinberger, Joe Weisberg and Tracey Scott Wilson.

Bill Hader and Alec Berg won the episodic comedy award for the opening segment of HBO’s “Barry,” “Chapter One: Make Your Mark” (“Barry”). They also won the new series award.

Stephanie Gillis won the animated award for the “Bart’s Not Dead” episode of “The Simpsons” — which was just renewed for its 31st and 32nd seasons by Fox — and showrunner Alex Gansa took the episodic drama award for the “Paean To The People” segment of “Homeland.” “Bathtubs Over Broadway” took the documentary award and “God of War” won the videogame trophy.

Hulu’s “Castle Rock” won the long-form original award and “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” took the adapted long-form trophy. “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” won the comedy-variety series cagtegory.

Chelsea Peretti hosted the West Coast ceremonies while Roy Wood Jr. was the emcee in New York. “All the glitz and glamor of the Oscars without the pressure of public interest,” Peretti said in her intro.

Jordan Peele’s horror-comedy “Get Out” won the WGA Award for original screenplay and James Ivory’s coming-of-age drama “Call Me by Your Name” won for adapted screenplay last year. Both went on to win the Oscar.

The WGA awards are mixed indicator of Oscar sentiment. Six of the last 10 WGA winners have gone on to win Academy awards over the past five years. The awards are decided in voting by the 17,000 members of the WGA.

The West Coast ceremonies included plenty of political commentary. Adam McKay, on receiving the WGA’s Paul Selvin Award for “Vice,” asked for a “beat of silence” for the million people who died during the invasion of Iraq.

Jenji Kohan, recipient of the Paddy Chayefsky Award, was unable to attend due to having to shoot the final episode of “Orange Is the New Black.” She said in a taped message: “I’ve been incredibly lucky to work with enormously funny and kind people. I love the people I work with. Life is too short to work with a******s, by the way. That’s my Public Service Announcement.”

Here are the nominees with the winners in boldface:

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

“Eighth Grade,” Written by Bo Burnham; A24  (WINNER)

“Green Book,” Written by Nick Vallelonga & Brian Currie & Peter Farrelly; Universal Pictures

“A Quiet Place,” Screenplay by Bryan Woods & Scott Beck and John Krasinski, Story by Bryan Woods & Scott Beck; Paramount Pictures

“Roma,” Written by Alfonso Cuarón; Netflix

“Vice,” Written by Adam McKay; Annapurna Pictures

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

“BlacKkKlansman,” Written by Charlie Wachtel & David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee, Based on the book by Ron Stallworth; Focus Features

“Black Panther,” Written by Ryan Coogler & Joe Robert Cole, Based on the Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

“Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” Screenplay by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty, Based on the book by Lee Israel; Fox Searchlight  (WINNER)

“If Beale Street Could Talk,” Screenplay by Barry Jenkins, Based on the novel by James Baldwin; Annapurna Pictures

“A Star is Born,” Screenplay by Eric Roth and Bradley Cooper & Will Fetters, Based on the 1954 screenplay by Moss Hart and the 1976 screenplay by John Gregory Dunne & Joan Didion and Frank Pierson, Based on a story by William Wellman and Robert Carson; Warner Bros.

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY

“Bathtubs Over Broadway,” Written by Ozzy Inguanzo & Dava Whisenant; Focus Features  (WINNER)

“Fahrenheit 11/9,” Written by Michael Moore; Briarcliff Entertainment

“Generation Wealth,” Written by Lauren Greenfield; Amazon Studios

“In Search of Greatness,” Written by Gabe Polsky; Art of Sport

VIDEO GAME WRITING

“Assassin’s Creed Odyssey,” Associate Narrative Directors Matthew Zagurak, Joel Janisse, James Richard Mittag; Narrative Director Melissa MacCoubrey; Story by Jonathan Dumont, Melissa MacCoubrey, Hugo Giard; Scriptwriters Madeleine Hart, Betty Robertson, Jesse Scoble, Diana Sherman, Kelly Bender, Jojo Chia, Ian Fun, Zachary M. Parris, Ken Williamson, Daniel Bingham, Jordan Lemos, Simon Mackenzie, Katelyn MacMullin, Susan Patrick, Alissa Ralph, Stephen Rhodes; Team Lead Writer Sam Gill; AI Writers Jonathan Flieger, Kimberly Ann Sparks; Ubisoft Quebec

“Batman: The Enemy Within,” Episode 5-Same Stitch, Lead Writer James Windeler; Written by Meghan Thornton, Ross Beeley, Lauren Mee; Story by Meghan Thornton, Michael Kirkbride; Telltale Games

“God of War,” Written by Matt Sophos, Richard Zangrande Gaubert, Cory Barlog; Story and Narrative Design Lead Matt Sophos; Story and Narrative Design Richard Zangrande Gaubert; Narrative Design Orion Walker, Adam Dolin; Sony Interactive Entertainment  (WINNER)

“Marvel’s Spider-Man,” Story Lead Jon Paquette; Writers Benjamin Arfmann, Kelsey Beachum; Co-Written by Christos Gage; Additional Story Contributions by Dan Slott; Insomniac Games & Sony Interactive Entertainment

“Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire,” Narrative Designers Alex Scokel, Eric Fenstermaker, Kate Dollarhyde, Megan Starks, Olivia Veras, Paul Kirsch; Additional Writing Tony Evans, John Schmautz, Casey Hollingshead, Nitai Poddar; Narrative Design Leads Carrie Patel, Josh Sawyer; Obsidian Entertainment

DRAMA SERIES “The Americans,” Written by Peter Ackerman, Hilary Bettis, Joshua Brand, Joel Fields, Sarah Nolen, Stephen Schiff, Justin Weinberger, Joe Weisberg, Tracey Scott Wilson; FX Networks  (WINNER)

“Better Call Saul,” Written by Ann Cherkis, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Gennifer Hutchison, Heather Marion, Bob Odenkirk, Thomas Schnauz, Gordon Smith, Alison Tatlock; AMC

“The Crown,” Written by Tom Edge, Amy Jenkins, Peter Morgan; Netflix

“The Handmaid’s Tale,” Written by Yahlin Chang, Nina Fiore, Dorothy Fortenberry, John Herrera, Lynn Renee Maxcy, Bruce Miller, Kira Snyder, Eric Tuchman; Hulu

“Succession,” Written by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Jon Brown, Jonathan Glatzer, Anna Jordan, Lucy Prebble, Georgia Pritchett, Tony Roche, Susan Soon He Stanton, Daniel Zelman; HBO

COMEDY SERIES “Atlanta,” Written by Ibra Ake, Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, Taofik Kolade, Jamal Olori, Stefani Robinson, Paul Simms; FX Networks

“Barry,” Written by Alec Berg, Duffy Boudreau, Bill Hader, Emily Heller, Liz Sarnoff, Ben Smith, Sarah Solemani; HBO

“GLOW,” Written by Liz Flahive, Tara Herrmann, Nick Jones, Jenji Kohan, Carly Mensch, Marquita Robinson, Kim Rosenstock, Sascha Rothchild, Rachel Shukert; Netflix

“The Good Place,” Written by Megan Amram, Christopher Encell, Kate Gersten, Cord Jefferson, Andrew Law, Joe Mande, Kassia Miller, Dylan Morgan, Matt Murray, Rae Sanni, Daniel Schofield, Michael Schur, Josh Siegal, Jen Statsky, Tyler Staessle; NBC

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” Written by Kate Fodor, Noah Gardenswartz, Jen Kirkman, Sheila Lawrence, Daniel Palladino, Amy Sherman Palladino; Prime Video  (WINNER)

NEW SERIES “Barry,” Written by Alec Berg, Duffy Boudreau, Bill Hader, Emily Heller, Liz Sarnoff, Ben Smith, Sarah Solemani; HBO  (WINNER)

“The Haunting of Hill House,” Written by Meredith Averill, Charise Castro Smith, Mike Flanagan, Jeff Howard, Rebecca Leigh Klingel, Scott Kosar, Liz Phang; Netflix

“Homecoming,” Written by Micah Bloomberg, Cami Delavigne, Eli Horowitz, Shannon Houston, Eric Simonson, David Wiener; Prime Video

“Pose,” Written by Steven Canals, Brad Falchuk, Todd Kubrak, Janet Mock, Ryan Murphy, Our Lady J; FX Networks

“Succession,” Written by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Jon Brown, Jonathan Glatzer, Anna Jordan, Lucy Prebble, Georgia Pritchett, Tony Roche, Susan Soon He Stanton, Daniel Zelman; HBO

LONG FORM ORIGINAL “Castle Rock,” Writers: Marc Bernardin, Scott Brown, Lila Byock, Mark Lafferty, Sam Shaw, Dustin Thomason, Gina Welch, Vinnie Wilhelm; Hulu   (WINNER)

“My Dinner with Hervé,” Teleplay by Sacha Gervasi, Story by Sacha Gervasi & Sean Macaulay; HBO

“Paterno,” Written by Debora Cahn and John C. Richards; HBO

LONG FORM ADAPTED “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story,” Writers: Maggie Cohn, Tom Rob Smith, Based on the book Vulgar Favors by Maureen Orth; FX Networks  (WINNER)

“The Looming Tower,” Writers: Bash Doran, Dan Futterman, Alex Gibney, Shannon Houston, Adam Rapp, Ali Selim, Lawrence Wright, Based on the book The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright; Hulu

“Maniac,” Writers: Nick Cuse, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Amelia Gray, Danielle Henderson, Mauricio Katz, Patrick Somerville, Caroline Williams, Based on the Norwegian television series Maniac by Espen PA Lervaag, Håakon Bast Mossige, Kjetil Indregard and Ole Marius Araldsen; Netflix

“Sharp Objects,” Writers: Ariella Blejer, Scott Brown, Vince Calandra, Gillian Flynn, Dawn Kamoche, Alex Metcalf, Marti Noxon, Based upon the book written by Gillian Flynn; HBO

SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA ORIGINAL “After Forever,” Written by Michael Slade & Kevin Spirtas; Vimeo.com

“Class of Lies,” Written by Tessa Leigh Williams; Snapchat    (WINNER)

“Love Daily,” Written by: Lauren Ciaravalli, Andrew Eisen, Aaron Eisenberg, Will Eisenberg, Alexis Jacknow, Nathaniel Katzman, Yulin Kuang, Nathan Larkin-Connolly, Alexis Roblan, Bennet D. Silverman, Ryan Wood; Go90.com

“West 40s,” Written by Mark Sam Rosenthal & Brian Sloan; West40s.com

SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA ADAPTED “The Walking Dead: Red Machete,” Written by Nick Bernardone; AMC.com

ANIMATION “Bart’s Not Dead” (The Simpsons), Written by Stephanie Gillis; Fox  (WINNER)

“Boywatch” (Bob’s Burgers), Written by Rich Rinaldi; Fox

“Just One of the Boyz 4 Now for Now” (Bob’s Burgers), Written by Lizzie Molyneux & Wendy Molyneux; Fox

“Krusty the Clown” (The Simpsons), Written by Ryan Koh; Fox

“Mo Mommy Mo Problems” (Bob’s Burgers), Written by Steven Davis; Fox

“Send in Stewie, Please” (Family Guy), Written by Gary Janetti; Fox

EPISODIC DRAMA “Camelot” (“Narcos: Mexico”), Written by Eric Newman & Clayton Trussell; Netflix

“The Car” (“This Is Us”), Written by Isaac Aptaker & Elizabeth Berger; NBC

“Episode 407” (“The Affair”), Teleplay by Lydia Diamond and Sarah Sutherland, Story by Jaquen Tee Castellanos and Sarah Sutherland; Showtime

“First Blood” (“The Handmaid’s Tale”), Written by Eric Tuchman; Hulu

“Paean To The People” (“Homeland”), Written by Alex Gansa; Showtime  (WINNER)

“The Precious Blood of Jesus” (“Ozark”), Written by David Manson; Netflix

EPISODIC COMEDY “Another Place” (“Forever”), Teleplay by Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard, Story by Aniz Adam Ansari; Prime Video

“Chapter One: Make Your Mark” (“Barry”), Written by Alec Berg & Bill Hader; HBO   (WINNER)

“Halibut!” (“Santa Clarita Diet”), Written by Victor Fresco; Netflix

“Kimmy and the Beest!” (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”), Written by Robert Carlock; Netflix

“Pilot” (“The Kids Are Alright”), Written by Tim Doyle; ABC

“Who Knows Better Than I” (“Orange Is the New Black”), Written by Jenji Kohan; Netflix

COMEDY/VARIETY TALK SERIES “Full Frontal With Samantha Bee,” Writers: Kristen Bartlett, Samantha Bee, Ashley Nicole Black, Pat Cassels, Mike Drucker, Eric Drysdale, Mathan Erhardt, Joe Grossman, Miles Kahn, Nicole Silverberg, Melinda Taub; TBS

“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver;” Writers: Tim Carvell, Raquel D’Apice, Josh Gondelman, Dan Gurewitch, Jeff Maurer, Daniel O’Brien, John Oliver, Brian Parise, Owen Parsons, Ben Silva, Will Tracy, Jill Twiss, Seena Vali, Juli Weiner; HBO   (WINNER)

“Late Night with Seth Meyers;” Supervising Writers: Sal Gentile, Seth Reiss; Writers: Jermaine Affonso, Alex Baze, Bryan Donaldson, Matt Goldich, Dina Gusovsky, Jenny Hagel, Allison Hord, Mike Karnell, John Lutz, Seth Meyers, Ian Morgan, Amber Ruffin, Mike Shoemaker; NBC Universal

“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” Head Writers: Jay Katsir, Opus Moreschi; Writers: Emmy Blotnick, Michael Brumm, Aaron Cohen, Stephen T. Colbert, Cullen Crawford, Paul Dinello, Ariel Dumas, Glenn Eichler, Django Gold, Gabe Gronli, Greg Iwinski, Barry Julien, Daniel Kibblesmith, Matt Lappin, Michael Pielocik, Kate Sidley, Jen Spyra, Brian Stack, John Thibodeaux; CBS

COMEDY/VARIETY SKETCH SERIES “At Home with Amy Sedaris,” Writers: Cindy Caponera, Paul Dinello, Jodi Lennon, Meredith Scardino, Amy Sedaris; truTV

“I Love You, America,” Head Writer: Dave Ferguson; Writers: Glenn Boozan, Leann Bowen, Raj Desai, Kyle Dunnigan, John Haskell, Tim Kalpakis, Opeyemi Olagbaju, Gavin Purcell, Diona Reasonover, Jocelyn Richard, Christopher J. Romano, Sarah Silverman, Beth Stelling, Dan Sterling, Nick Wiger; Hulu

“Nathan For You,” Writers: Leo Allen, Nathan Fielder, Carrie Kemper, Michael Koman, Adam Locke-Norton, Eric Notarnicola; Comedy Central  (WINNER)

“Portlandia,” Writers: Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein, Jonathan Krisel, Karey Dornetto, Megan Neuringer, Phoebe Robinson, Graham Wagner; IFC

“Saturday Night Live,” Head Writers: Michael Che, Colin Jost, Kent Sublette, Bryan Tucker; Supervising Writers: Fran Gillespie, Sudi Green, Streeter Seidell; Writers: James Anderson, Kristen Bartlett, Megan Callahan, Steven Castillo, Andrew Dismukes, Anna Drezen, Claire Friedman, Alison Gates, Steve Higgins, Sam Jay, Erik Kenward, Rob Klein, Nick Kocher, Michael Koman, Alan Linic, Eli Coyote Mandel, Erik Marino, Dave McCary, Brian McElhaney, Dennis McNicholas, Lorne Michaels, Nimesh Patel, Josh Patten, Katie Rich, Simon Rich, Gary Richardson, Marika Sawyer, Pete Schultz, Mitch Silpa, Will Stephen, Julio Torres, Bowen Yang; NBC Universal

COMEDY/VARIETY SPECIALS 2018 Rose Parade Hosted by Cord & Tish, Written by Will Ferrell, Jake Fogelnest, Andrew Steele; Prime Video

Drew Michael Stand-Up Special, Written by Drew Michael; HBO

The Fake News with Ted Nelms, Written by John Aboud, Andrew Blitz, Michael Colton, Ed Helms, Elliott Kalan, Joseph Randazzo, Sara Schaefer; Comedy Central  (WINNER)

The Oscars 2018, Written by Dave Boone, Carol Leifer, Jon Macks; Special Material Written by Megan Amram, Tony Barbieri, Jonathan Bines, Joelle Boucai, Gonzalo Cordova, Adam Carolla, Devin Field, Gary Greenberg, Josh Halloway, Sal Iacono, Eric Immerman, Jesse Joyce, Bess Kalb, Jimmy Kimmel, Molly McNearney, Danny Ricker, Joe Strazzullo; ABC

QUIZ AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION “Hollywood Game Night,” Head Writers: Ann Slichter, Grant Taylor; Writers: Michael Agbabian, Alexandra Kokesh, Dwight D. Smith; NBC

“Jeopardy!,” Written by Matthew Caruso, John Duarte, Harry Friedman, Mark Gaberman, Deborah Griffin, Michele Loud, Robert McClenaghan, Jim Rhine, Steve D. Tamerius, Billy Wisse; ABC

“Paid Off with Michael Torpey,” Head Writer: Ethan Berlin; Writers: John Chaneski, Rosemarie DiSalvo, Leigh Hampton, Katie Hartman, Amanda Melson, Larry Owens, Jennie Sutton, Michael Torpey, Jeremy Weiner; truTV

“Who Wants To Be A Millionaire,” Head Writer: Stephen A. Melcher, Jr.; Writers: Kyle Beakley, Tom Cohen, Patricia A. Cotter, Ryan Hopak, Gary Lucy, James Rowley, Ann Slichter, Dylan Snowden; Disney/ABC Syndication  (WINNER)

DAYTIME DRAMA “Days of Our Lives,” Head Writer: Ron Carlivati; Writers: Sheri Anderson, Lorraine Broderick, David Cherrill, Joanna Cohen, Lisa Connor, Carolyn Culliton, Richard Culliton, Rick Draughon,  Cydney Kelley, David Kreizman, David A. Levinson, Rebecca McCarty, Ryan Quan, Dave Ryan, Katherine Schock, Elizabeth Snyder, Tyler Topits; NBC

“General Hospital,” Head Writers: Shelly Altman, Christopher Van Etten; Writers: Barbara Bloom, Anna Theresa Cascio, Suzanne Flynn, Charlotte Gibson, Lucky Gold, Kate Hall, Elizabeth Korte, Daniel James O’Connor, Donny Sheldon, Scott Sickles; ABC  (WINNER)

CHILDREN’S EPISODIC AND SPECIALS “Carnivorous Carnival: Part One” (A Series of Unfortunate Events), Teleplay by Joe Tracz; Netflix

“The Ersatz Elevator: Part One” (A Series of Unfortunate Events), Teleplay by Daniel Handler; Netflix  (WINNER)

“For The Last Time” (Andi Mack), Written by Jonathan S. Hurwitz; Disney Channel

“Picture Day” (Alexa & Katie), Written by Ray Lancon; Netflix

“Warehouse Towel Fight” fka “Emil Strikes Back” (Prince of Peoria), Written by Marty Donovan; Netflix

DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – CURRENT EVENTS “Black Hole Apocalypse” (Nova), Written by Rushmore DeNooyer; PBS

“Blackout in Puerto Rico” (Frontline), Written by Rick Young; PBS

“The Gang Crackdown” (Frontline), Written by Marcela Gaviria; PBS

“Trump’s Takeover” (Frontline), Written by Michael Kirk & Mike Wiser; PBS   (WINNER)

DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – OTHER THAN CURRENT EVENTS “Bitter Rivals: Iran and Saudi Arabia – Part 1” (Frontline), Written by David Fanning & Linda Hirsch & Martin Smith; PBS

“The Circus, Part One” (American Experience), Written by Sharon Grimberg; PBS

“The Eugenics Crusade” (American Experience), Written by Michelle Ferrari; PBS  (WINNER)

“Into The Amazon” (American Experience), Written by John Maggio; PBS

NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT “Catastrophe” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley, Katie Kerbstat, Nicole Young; CBS News

“Las Vegas Massacre” (CBS Evening News with Anthony Mason), Written by Jerry Cipriano and Joe Clines; CBS News

“The Spotted Pig” (60 Minutes), Written by Anderson Cooper and Oriana Zill de Granados; CBS News

NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY “100,000 Women” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley and Oriana Zill de Granados; CBS News

“On Broadway: Rodgers and Hammerstein” (CBS Sunday Morning), Written by Mo Rocca and Kay M. Lim; CBS News

“War Crime” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley, Katie Kerbstat, Nicole Young; CBS News

“Wounds of War” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley, Katie Kerbstat, Nicole Young; CBS News

DIGITAL NEWS “D.C.’s Biggest Homeless Shelter Is About to Close. Will Amazon Take Its Place?,” Written by Emma Roller; Splinter

“How To Not Die In America,” Written by Molly Osberg; Splinter

“Inside The Culture Of Sexism At Riot Games,” Written by Cecilia D’Anastasio; Kotaku.com  (WINNER)

RADIO/AUDIO DOCUMENTARY “2017 Year in Review,” Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio

“RFK: 50 Years After Shots Rang Out at The Ambassador Hotel,” Written by Andrew Evans; ABC News Radio   (WINNER)

RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT—REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT “5pm CBS News Radio Glor Newscast,” Written by James Hutton; CBS News Radio

“ABC News 6p Hourly 9-27-2018,” Written by Stephanie Pawlowski; ABC News Radio

“Remembering The Good, The Bad and the Brilliant,” Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio  (WINNER)

“World News This Week 9-21-2018,” Written by Joan B. Harris; ABC News Radio

RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY “John McCain: A Life of Service,” Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio  (WINNER)

“A Tribute to Le Grand Orange,” Written by Thomas A. Sabella; CBS Radio News

ON-AIR PROMOTION (RADIO OR TELEVISION) “FBI 2018 Promo Reel,” Written by Ralph Buado; CBS

“Tribute to Star Trek for the 2019 Creative Arts Emmys,” Written by Sean Brogan; CBS  (WINNER)

“Westworld: Season 2 Promo (Super Bowl spot),” Written by Jonathan Nolan; HBO

Source: variety

By DAVE MCNARY

[oxfamontour-blog]

‘You can’t close your eyes’.

Oxfam Volunteer Kristine tells us about her experience as an Oxfam On Tour crew member.

Last week Coldplay played a show in Omaha, a city based in the Mid-West of the USA on the edge of the State of Nebraska. At the show we had the pleasure of meeting Kristine, an inspiring mum of 3 boys and a daughter who was determined to open people’s eyes to the world. We spent some time with Kristine during the show as she shared with us a little more about her journey with Oxfam and Coldplay. 

So Kristine, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 

My name is Kristine.  I am 47 years old, born and raised in Nebraska, although I have lived a spell in California and also in Boston I’ve always ended up back here.  I am a single mother by choice to three adopted boys ages 16, 16, and 15.  I also have one biological daughter aged 10.  I work for a leading Dialysis Clinic in Omaha and I adore my job.  My goal in life has always been to do something that makes a real difference for people.  Pushing papers is just one small portion of what I do.  

How did you hear about Oxfam?

To be honest, I am a huge fan of an actor named Daniel Gillies from the CW show The Originals.  As he was doing his travelling for the summer attending conventions around the world I caught a live stream interview he did in France with Allocine.  He began talking about Oxfam and his intentions to visit Uganda.  I was shocked that anyone would want to travel to a war-torn country just for the purpose of observing the refugee situation.  As he got closer to his trip, he continued doing live feeds and I just decided I wanted to understand why he was making this decision.

Can you tell us a little about the journey you took to find out everything you know about Oxfam?

After watching Daniel Gilles’ social media posts I began to research more about Oxfam.  First I checked their website, then the social media accounts of Oxfam.  I signed up for daily notifications and began to read the articles they would share regarding the horrific living conditions of the displaced people all over the world.  I learned about the organization, what it stood for and began to yearn to do something to help in some way other than making a monthly pledge which, while it might help, would give me no sense of fulfilment to truly assist those in need.

Living in Omaha, there is no local Oxfam chapter, so following, sharing and talking about what was happening within my small world seemed to be the best option. When Daniel went to Uganda, he began to live stream with staff members from Oxfam who went in to detail about how they provide the water, housing and sanitation needed in the camps. He also bonded with the people who were living in Imvepi and Bidi Bidi and it was eye opening to realize that I am spoiled beyond compare when placed beside these humans who are battling for basic daily needs.

He forged a campaign with "Represent" to sell t-shirts with all money going to support Oxfam.  For me, that was the actual first step, getting the shirts.  I also continued to voraciously read, listen and try to learn as much as I could. Really feeling inside that I had found a calling for a way to make a difference in the world.  One thing he said really resonated with me, he said that years from now when his own son and daughter ask him if he knew about this world crisis and what he did about it he wanted to be able to tell them he stood up and did something, he started a movement and initiated conversations all over the world.

It was at this time I saw the tweet asking for volunteers with @Oxfamontour and I signed up immediately.  I shared the news via all my limited social media trying to encourage others to do the same.

Do you think the knowledge you now have has changed you in any way?

It has opened my eyes to a situation that is buried under political headlines and daily drama.  We in the US don't pay attention to these huge issues that are ongoing and NOT getting any better.  I'm as guilty as anyone of doing this.  I think it's a feeling of overwhelm, just a "what can I do?" attitude, but it can be as simple as spreading the word and keeping the situation alive and in the public eye.  When enough people protest, things change. 

I will never unlearn or un-see what I now know.  I will not be able to just push it to the back of my mind and forget about it.  If it means I will need to travel further from Omaha to continue to be involved, then that is what I will do.  I want my children to say, my mom helped, she did something.  Maybe it will spur them on to do humanitarian work as well.

You volunteered at the Coldplay show in Omaha, can you tell us what volunteering with Oxfam entails? 

Well, I responded to the recruitment tweet sent by @OxfamAmerica.  Confirmed via several emails that I would be there, and then showed up at the venue.  I met the other volunteers and sat with the team leader to learn what was expected.  Prior to arriving at the venue I received a packet of information and expectations which really prepared me for what was going to happen.  I appreciated that. 

Meeting other people who felt the same passion as I do was truly rewarding and everyone was so amazing.  I worked for about three hours, just approaching concert goers and asking them to sign our petition, not for money or time commitment but rather just as a name, a VOICE to send to world leaders that our priority is to keep the protections for refugees all in place.  Learning what the band has done by having Oxfam on tour only fuelled my drive to do well.

Was the volunteering hard work?

Not at all!  I was a little nervous about approaching strangers, but let's face it, everyone loves freebies and pictures, so it was a great opportunity to offer the exclusive wrist band and then tell them about Oxfam and why we were there.  Surprisingly, many people knew about Coldplay's commitment to refugees and I met so many amazing people from all over who had travelled for the concert.  Everyone there is aiming to have fun and I felt like we were giving them an opportunity to help a great cause and get a memory with a photo and a keepsake in the Stand As One wristband.  It was a win-win evening!  Honestly, out of all the folks I approached and spoke to, only one set of people declined and walked away.

Was there anything that surprised you about your evening? 

I was surprised at how much fun I had.  It was emotionally exhausting because I was truly invested in getting a message out.  I wanted people to be more aware and maybe think about it or research it after they left the concert so I put my whole heart into my message and it was incredibly fulfilling and also exhausting.  I would do it again anytime!

What was the best part of the evening? 

Truly, the best part for me was making new friends with the other volunteers, meeting Rachel (the staff lead) and feeling like I was part of larger movement that is focused on building a world that is fulfilling for everyone regardless of nationality and colour.  I guess that sounds corny, but when it comes down to it, all we really want is to live a satisfying life with friends and family and safety.  I wish that for ALL the humans on this planet.

How was Coldplay’s show? 

I am a Coldplay fan.  Not a super fan I guess but the concert was like a massive rave!  It was so much fun!  The light show, the confetti, the singing and dancing, the oneness of the crowd, it truly is in the top five of the best concerts I have ever been to.  They put their whole heart and soul into their performance even though it was the 96th on this tour!!!  Their message of love is undeniable.

What was your favourite part of the show?

It was just a sensory experience all around.  The lights, the flashing wrist bands, the confetti and balloons made Coldplay’s music the cherry on top.  Chris Martin was charming and funny and so amazing. I would say I am a different level of fan than I was before this entire experience. 

What would you tell people about Oxfam to someone who knew nothing about the organisation? 

Oxfam is under-acknowledged in the US.  We [US citizens] consider ourselves untouchable and have a way of turning the other cheek on issues affecting third world countries.  Oxfam is not about collecting massive funds for their own gain, they are on scene, in the heart of the darkness figuring out how to get water and sanitation for all the folks being driven forcibly from their home.  They are about keeping a degree of dignity for people who have fled, leaving everything behind them.  Giving them clothing, shelter, a feeling of community and support even after they have lost their homes and often times family members.  These are people just like you and me in that they want to go home.  We need to work on ending the crisis that pushed them out in the first place, but Oxfam is there at the forefront making sure they survive and thrive day to day until that peace eventually arrives.

If you can share one piece of wisdom, what would it be? 

You can't close your eyes and make things go away.  Ignoring things does not change them.  If there is ANYTHING you can do you have a responsibility to the other humans on this planet to make the effort.  Talk about it, keep it at the forefront of the news and headlines.  Donate if that is how you can best help.  Life is too precious to just let it pass you by living with rose coloured glasses on.  This is in no way a lecture; this is what I have told myself, what I have pledged to myself.  It is important to me and it is now a drive in my life to be better, to try harder, to reach out in any way I can and improve life for everyone.  I finally understand what it means to be the change you want to see in the world. 

Thank you for allowing me to share my story, and for giving me the opportunity to participate with #oxfamontour. 

You can find out more and sign up at Oxfamontour.org

[winstonhcomedy]

“Dope A-F” - 8/22-8/24 - “Last Minute Headline, Bethesda Bomb, and DC Adventures”

I screwed up and didn’t post the IG video again yesterday. I got everything else out though. So that is a start. This was an interesting few days. I had some fun shows and some nightmarish ones. So let’s not waste time laydees and baybees! Let’s get to some #cutecomedy !

8/22

After a chill day at work I headed over immediately to The Camel for the open mic. I had asked for a spot on the mic the night before, but Jameson asked me if I wanted to be one of the headliners since Laurè dropped off the show. So I was getting to do about 15 minutes which I was incredibly excited to do. 

I got there super early. I kind of hung out with the bartender. I ordered a meal, and kind of relaxed. I spent the time finishing up my blog post that day. After a little bit Paige showed up. After we hung a bit a lot of other comics showed up including a handle of the people taking Patrick Buhse’s class.

Then Will Minor, Aaron Shoemaker, Taylor O’Sullivan, Torrey Huggins, Mike Engle, Jameson, and a few other’s showed up. We are all hanging out and having a pretty good time. Jameson gives the lineup, and then he goes in and starts the show.

The first few comics on the mic did ok. There was a nice little crowd here, but they didn’t seem crazy into the show. They were just kind of quiet, and not really reacting to jokes the way you’d think they would. After the few open mic comedians Torrey Huggins went up to do the first headlining set. He did about 15 minutes and it was kind of up and down. Some of his stuff hit, but he ended on a racial joke that didn’t really go over well. Richmond can be kind of pc, and stuff that kills in Virginia Beach (where Torrey is from) just doesn’t fly here. 

Then it is my turn. I had a list of material that isn’t polished, and told myself I wasn’t just going to do crowd work. So I go up and do 15 minutes of newer stuff. I had a solid set too. Definitely the bet one up to that point. I captured people’s attention and riffed on the fact that due to the storm outside people were stuck with my comedy. After that they were ready to laugh. 

I was incredibly proud of this set. I did all of my time, and didn’t resort to 15 of crowd work. It was an incredibly validating set. I’d give it a solid B-. I got off stage and grabbed my stuff. I said goodbye and dipped out after Paige got off stage. It was a fun night. 

8/23

The next night after work I headed up to Falls Church to perform at The State Theatre. This is a monthly show hosted by Jose Sanchez that I have been waiting to do for a while. There was a weird vibe around the shows.

All week Rahmein Mostafavi had been calling for the State Theatre to pay its performers more money, and not let the show producer (some dude named Tyler) pocket all of the cash. He had been doing it all week and it was just kind of weird. Like don’t get me wrong. I honestly completely agree with Rahmein. When you have that many people there you can obviously afford to pay the 8 performers more than 5/10 dollars a spot. 

I also know that none of the performs on the show are full time comedians. We are all good, but this isn’t paying the bills. So we are hungry for as much good stage time as possible. So of course people are going to do the gig. 

So with all of this going on it just was a weird vibe. Like I felt like a scab even though I wasn’t breaking up a union. I did feel like I needed to value my work more, but also I didn’t have any other paying gigs lined up, I needed a video, and it was stage time with gas money. So definitely just a weird air over the show.

I met TJ at his place before heading over to the theatre. When I got there Jelani, Joey Duffield, Bridget Geiran, Jose, and Tj were there. TJ showed me where to set up my camera. I went and set it up before heading upstairs to the green room were Liz Norman, Shelley Kim, Eric Dadourian, and Dom Rivera had all showed up.

There was a good hang going on and I loved catching up with everyone. I headed downstairs to order chicken tenders, and told people I was going to record their sets if they wanted them. 

The show starts and everybody is diode well. It is a super hot crowd of several hundred. I am enjoying meeting and hanging out while the show goes on. When it is Shelley’s spot I go downstairs to watch because I am up in a few. 

After her Dom Rivera goes and he murders. He had a really dope set doing his shit. They vibed with him, and he did really well. I had to go next and I didn’t know what to do.

I get on stage and went with my original plan to just do new shit. So I did. I did about 10 minutes of stuff I hadn’t done in a spot like that before. I am happy with how most of it went. One joke got nothing, but other than that it was solid. I could have done my best stuff and probably gotten a better response, but I couldn’t do that. I really need to do this new. I am in a standstill comedically were I have a lot in progress but not a ton of confidence in using this new stuff on paying shows, So it was productive to do that. I’d give my set a C.

The rest of the show went on and Tj had a good set doing new stuff too. Everybody did well, and eventually Andrew Cook showed up to do a spot. I asked him if I could do Big Hunt the next night instead of tonight and he said of course. The show ended and it felt great. After hanging a little longer, and putting away my camera I headed out and met TJ at Denny’’s before we headed back to his place and I passed out. 

8/24

The next day I had a show in Bethesda at Positanos for Curt Shackelford. I headed up and got to the show a little early and Curt asked me if I could switch to featuring. He said the feature bailed on him. So I went in the corner and hung out and got my set together. He bumped someone else up to host, and the headliner Aaron Kleiber (Pittsburgh) showed up. We are all hanging with a few of the new comics and then Dom Rivera showed up.

Turns out he was the feature and Curt was txting the wrong person. So I get bumped back to host 5 minutes before show starts and Curt is a very thorough showrunner so he keeps telling me the same things over and over. It is honestly stressing me out. I get in my own head, and am so stressed from the switch around.

I then go up and bomb. I hate my set. It was a normal hosting set. I did newer stuff, and some stuff just didn’t work. I didn’t use my energy and I didn’t catch their attention. I hated this set. I got laughs but who cares. I’d give it a D-. 

The rest of the show went well. The guest spots did ok, and Dom had a super solid set. Then Aaron killed at the end. I just kind of sat around and wished I was anywhere else because I had disappointed myself. I just haven’t been feeling it, and am wondering if comedy is for me. 

After the show I say thank you and goodbye. I then head to DC and walk to the Improv to grab my notebook. I pop in snag it and say hi. I then txted Andy Kline and he said he’d have a spot for me over at Drafthouse. 

I got to Drafthouse and saw a bunch of my friends. Benjy, Eddie, Keith Marcell, Andy, Jenny Questell, Jose, Max Wolfson, Kevin Skiffington (hosting), Ben Daniels, and Ross. I headed inside after talking for a bit because the show had already started. It was a smaller crowd, but they weren’t awful.

Some people went up and had some pretty good sets, but nobody was killing. I kept telling myself to do new stuff, and this set would be better than earlier. Randolph went up right before me and did pretty well.

I went up and my opening riff didn’t work at all. I had like very other line in my jokes work as well. I got some ok laughs and also got a lot of nothing. I looked at my notes a few times and ended on a weak laugh. I’d give this set a D-. I think it felt this way because of how bad I did earlier. I got off and caught an uber over to Big Hunt.

I went in and as I was walking downstairs they told me I had just missed a dude get into a fight and get thrown out. This basically makes me feel like I’ve got another bomb coming. I am also like 14th on the list and they are on 6. 

The dude on stage is Shane Gillis. He was headlining at DC Drafthouse, and came over for a late spot. He is super funny. He had some killer stuff. The next few comics went up while I kind of sat down and tried to get in a good headspace. 

The show went on and eventually it was my turn. Natalie McGill went up before me and she did well. They were drunk, but not awful. So I went right on stage and went right into my newer stuff, It went really well too. Honestly everything worked and I did stuff that didn’t work earlier, but worked here. I was selling everything the way I needed to and I was actually having fun. I’d give this set a B/B-. 

I got off stage and Shane Gillis told me I was funny and had a good set. I had no idea he was still there so that was incredibly validating to hear. I said goodbye and thanked everyone and headed back to my car. It was almost 1:30 am and I had a 2 1/2 hour trip back home. 

I got home exhausted, but unable to sleep. I was up until almost 6 before I passed out from exhaustion. 

BOOM did it! All caught up. That’s how the shows went. I took Sunday off to help move some furniture and just enjoy my day. I’ve got some great shows this week, and I am off work. So make sure you check out my youtube and follow me on everything @winstonhcomedy ! So much #cutecomedy and so little time ! xoxo love you laydees and baybees!

[cabaretkel]

Highlights of 2017

1. Travel

Big trips, small trips & weekenders - there was a lot of travel in 2017!

The 1st major trip of the year was Jan/Feb to the UK, Norway, USA & Puerto Rico.

Top: London, Cambridge & Bergen

Bottom: Oslo, New York & San Juan

The second big trip was in October to all the ‘hot spots’... Japan, South Korea & Russia.

Top: Tokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima, & Ōkunoshima (Rabbit Island)

Bottom: Kyoto, Busan, Seoul & Vladivostok

And a little closer to home... 4 days in Adelaide, a trip to Auckland in June, 2 Brisbane weekenders, 5 Melbourne weekends & just about every other weekend in between was spent in Sydney. The last trip of the year will be 6 days in Tassie.

Top: Brisbane, Glenelg, & Melbourne

Bottom: Auckland, Sydney & Vivid Sydney

2. Musicals

The list of musicals I saw this year is very long, so if you want to skip to the end I’ve added 5 favorite productions in a bit more detail.

London: Lazarus & Rent

New York: The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart, Dear Evan Hansen, In Transit, Waitress, The Great Comet & Sunset Boulevard

Brisbane: American Idiot & The Wizard of Oz

Melbourne: The Book of Mormon & Spring Awakening

Sydney: Nosferatutu, Cabaret, Calamity Jane, Big Fish, Only Heaven Knows, Mame, Between Worlds, Miss Saigon, Camelot, Melba, City of Angels, Assassins, Beautiful, Spring Awakening, Muriel's Wedding & High Fidelity

Favourites:

Dear Evan Hansen at the Music Box Theatre in January - this was an amazing musical that went on to win 6 Tony awards including Best Musical.

Sunset Boulevard at the Palace Theatre in February - Glenn Close reprised her role as Norma Desmond & even came to the stage door to sign Playbills.

The Book of Mormon at the Princess Theatre in May - I had seen the original Broadway cast in New York back in 2012 & was pleasantly surprised that the Melbourne cast were almost as good as the Broadway Cast.

Assassins at the Hayes Theatre in September - I enjoy a good Sondheim musical but this was one of the few I hadn’t seen before. I loved it!

Muriel's Wedding at The Roslyn Packer Theatre - after a few semi decent attempts (e.g. Priscilla), we finally have a great Australian musical. I hope this production goes all the way to Broadway! I enjoyed it so much I am going back to see it again!

3. Conventions

This was my second year attending BroadwayCon in New York - after I survived the inaugural BroadwayCon during the record breaking blizzard in 2016 (in terms of snowfall this was the biggest blizzard since the records began back in the 1800′s). That convention was later referred to as ‘BlizzardCon’; 2017 in comparison was a tamer affair in regards to the weather that is. The con itself was bigger & in some ways better this year, but not as intimate - some of the highlights being the Dear Evan Hansen panel & performances by Lakes & Loose Cattle.

The rest of the convention year went like this:

Adelaide Oz Comic Con in April - photos with Jason Momoa (GOT/Aquaman), Arthur Darvill (Legends of Tomorrow), Melissa Joan Hart (Sabrina the Teenage Witch) & Sasha Roiz (Grimm).

Melbourne Supanova in April - photos with Cory Michael Smith (Gotham), David Boreanaz (Buffy/Angel), Mechad Brooks (Supergirl), Natalie Dormer (GOT) & Tom Hopper (Black Sails).

Melbourne All Hell Breaks Loose VIII (a Supernatural convention) in May - photos with Jensen Ackles & Jared Padalecki together, Jared Padalecki (separately) & Hilly & Hannah Hindi from the Hillywood Show.

Melbourne ThronesCon (a Game of Thrones convention) in May - group photo with Dominic Carter, Miltos Yerolemou & Ian Beatie.

Sydney Supanova in June - photos with Teri Hatcher & Dean Cain (Lois & Clark), Colin Donnell (Arrow), Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead) & Chris Hemsworth (Thor).

Melbourne Oz Comic Con in July - photos with Jason Momoa (GOT/Aquaman), Keegan Allen (Pretty Little Liars), Zach McGowan (Black Sails), Aly Michalka (iZombie), Rahul Kohli & Robert Buckley (iZombie), Alyson Hannigan (Buffy), DJ Qualls (Supernatural), Daniel Gillies (The Originals) & Eldon Henson (Daredevil).

Sydney Video Junkee in July.

Sydney Oz Comic Con in Sept/Oct - photos with Tim Rozen (Wynonna Earp), Jason Momoa (GOT/Aquaman), David Giuntoli (Grimm), Jenna Coleman (Victoria), Michael Malarkey & Matthew Davis (The Vampire Diaries) & Denis O’Hare (American Horror Story).

Melbourne Return to the Gate (a Stargate convention) in November - group photo with Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks & Amanda Tapping.

Brisbane Supanova in November - photos with Franz Drameh (Legends of Tomorrow), Melanie Scrofano (Wynonna Earp) & Jodelle Ferland (Dark Matter).

Sydney All Hell Breaks Loose Krampus (a Supernatural convention) in December - photos with Alaina Huffman & Ruth Connell.

4. Concerts

Just a few concerts this year, but they were all pretty amazing! Sierra Boggess, Clare Bowen, Elton John & Midnight Oil.

5. Theatre

You can probably tell from the plays I attended this year that I like my Shakespeare. I especially enjoyed the Pop Up Globe in Melbourne where I saw Henry V & As You Like It. I enjoyed it so much that next month I’m heading back down to Melbourne to see the other plays in the rotation - Othello & Much Ado About Nothing.

New York: The Front Page

Melbourne: Macbeth, Henry V & As You Like it

Sydney: Measure for Measure, Superhal, Richard III, Mr Burns, The Rover, 1984, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest & The Merchant of Venice

So those were the highlights of 2017 - but I also attended the symphony, went to the ballet in Sydney & London, the opera in Sydney & New York, took in some art exhibitions & even went to a couple of soccer matches.

There’s already a lot in store for 2018 (and even the remaining days of 2017 - boxing day harbour cruise & Tassie trip), and one of the things I’m most looking forward to is my next trip! Once again off to New York for some shows with 2 operas, 4 plays & 6 musicals already booked & a few time slots left to fill. Also on this trip I will finally be setting foot on the South American continent when I head down to Quito, Ecuador!

See you in 2018! Xx