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Signs of the Apocalypse Roundup “ June 2009 “ Week 2

Two scribes tapped for ‘Girls’
Ben Karlin, Stu Zicherman to adapt fourth-grader’s book
Writers Ben Karlin and Stu Zicherman have been hired to translate a 9-year-old boy’s How to Talk to Girls,” a self-help book written by fourth-grader Alex Greven. Greven was selling his handwritten pamphlet at his school book fair before HarperCollins published it in November. The youngster apparently was trying to give his peers some tips on communicating with their fairer schoolmates beyond pulling hair and kicking shins

‘Full House’ feature film on John Stamos’ mind
Former sitcom star John Stamos confesses that he’s conceptualizing a Full House feature film. I’m working on a movie idea, but it wouldn’t be us playing us, he told us. I’m not 100% sure, but it would probably take place in the first few years of the 1987-95 series.

Fox reality gets ‘Stranger’
People who have never met get married on new show
Fox is developing a matrimonial reality series where brides-to-be don’t meet their husbands until they exchange vows. In “I Married a Stranger,” a woman frustrated by the dating scene agrees to wed a man she’s never met. While she prepares for her blind wedding, friends and family are shown selecting a spouse from a pool of six eligible suitors offered by producers. The men are eliminated one by one until only two candidates remain. Both finalists walk down the aisle, but only one makes it to the altar to reveal himself to his new wife.

Reality bites French TV companies
Participants on shows must get pay, contract
Appearing in a reality TV show is work, a Paris court ruled Wednesday. This means that participants in French reality series will now have to have employment contracts and receive wages. The ruling came in a case brought by participants in the 2003 season of “L’Ile de la tentation,” based on the U.S. series “Temptation Island.” The court concluded that demands made of the couples by production company Glem made this a working relationship, even though participants signed documents saying that they were taking part for personal rather than professional reasons.

Ripa, Consuelos cater to TLC
Duo to produce nonscripted catering series
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos are among the producers of TLC nonscripted series “Masters of Reception,” which will focus on a New Jersey family-owned catering business and the wide range of clientele and events they service, with no small emphasis on the unusual.

Business of the Business

Titans of the big screen hope to conquer a smaller screen: video games
Top-name producers and directors are pursuing new opportunities in the $50-billion global interactive entertainment industry.
Game sales, which long ago surpassed music revenue, are quickly gaining on the movie business. In March, the average American spent 33% of his entertainment budget on games, compared with 40% to buy, rent or watch movies and television shows, according to market research firm NPD Group Inc. Music took up 27% of the average budget.

GenArts links with Lucasfilm
Software maker, studio form strategic bond
Lucasfilm and software maker GenArts have formed a strategic relationship aimed at improving visual effects production and vidgame graphics. GenArts makes popular visual effects software, including plug-ins for Autodesk’s Inferno and Flame. Under the agreement, the two companies will share resources for developing software tools. GenArts engineers will work on-site at Lucasfilm’s San Francisco HQ, building tools as needed to meet the demands of the company’s vfx artists and animators.

BBC1 boss to shun U.S. series
Hunt to seek out innovative British drama
The head of the U.K.’s most popular web, BBC1, has ruled out more U.S. acquisitions. Jay Hunt, who took over as controller of BBC1 a year ago, will instead continue to spend most of her drama budget on locally produced fare, such as Doctor Who and Life on Mars.

Specialty biz scores with home run
Indies see hopeful signs in VOD debuts
We feel very strongly about the model,” IFC topper Jonathan Sehring says. “VOD users are kind of early adopters — a relatively small group but very influential in terms of creating word of mouth. We don’t see it as hurting the theatrical revenues.”

‘Life-altering injuries’ cited in ‘Bruno’ suit
Universal calls woman’s allegations baseless
Attorney Kyle Madison released a statement asking for privacy for Richelle Olson, who sued Baron Cohen on May 22 in Lancaster, Calif. Olson, 39, claimed Baron Cohen and a camera crew ambushed her on the stage of a bingo tournament that she organized to raise money for nursing students. The lawsuit states that Olson suffered brain injuries after a fall that happened as a result of actions by Baron Cohen and film workers, and that she now has to use either a walker or a wheelchair.

Planet of the Odd

Luc Besson probes third dimension
EuropaCorp forms alliance with tech firm
Luc Besson’s EuropaCorp has pacted with France’s Dassault Systemes to develop 3-D software applications for marketing and movies. Beyond marketing tools, which are already under design for Arthur 2, EuropaCorp and Dassault will develop interactive and 3-D concepts, including spectator online communities and new- media devices, both for marketing and moviemaking.

Jason Priestley tapped for online series
‘90210′ alum will direct drama ‘The Lake’ for TheWB.com
TheWB.com is teaming with Jason Priestley for “The Lake,” a new online coming-of-age drama about four families who spend each summer together at a lakeside retreat. Priestley will serve as director.

Hollywood hippies unite! Jim Carrey, Eckhart Tolle reveal the power of yawn and plot global betterment
No Jim Carrey movie could be as kooky as his new real-life role: Hollywood spiritual leader.
I woke up and suddenly got it, Carrey says. I understood suddenly how my thoughts were just an illusory thing. And how ‘thought’ is responsible for most of the suffering we experience … and suddenly I had this amazing feeling of freedom “ from myself, from my problems. I saw that I was bigger than what I do. I was bigger than my body. I was no longer a fragment of the universe “ I was the universe.

Reveille, MSN set Web series
Subway to sponsor ‘Fit to Boom’
MSN and sister news site MSNBC.com have teamed with Reveille for “Fit to Boom,” an original Web series that features a group of baby boomers who have recently embarked on health-driven major life changes. The show consists of short vignettes of real boomers like Phyllis Coletta, 52, who ditched a successful New Jersey law career to ride horses and work at a ski slope in Colorado.

Carradine’s death may be accidental
‘Kung Fu’ actor was found hanged in Thailand
Mystery remained Friday over the death of American cult actor David Carradine, best known for the 1970s TV series “Kung Fu” and whose naked body was found in a hotel closet in the Thai capital. Police initially suspected suicide but now believe he may have died from accidental suffocation after finding a rope tied to his neck and genitals.

The Fine Print

This is by no means meant to be a comprehensive roundup of the entire weeks’ news. All stories are chosen by me for no other reason than that they got my attention and might capture yours. If something you think is more important chime in on the feedback; we’d love to hear comments and have a conversation about it.

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About The Author

Scott From LA

Scott is an art director, writer and comics creator living in Los Angeles. He has been a pop culture maven from a very young age. His very first job was as a manager of a comic book store. He spent several years working in a video store, and yes, we are talking VHS tapes. A student of literature and Writing, he brings his obsessive love of comic book trivia, movie history and science fiction/fantasy writing to bear on the work he does for CoolShite.

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