Update: January 11, 2023

The word of the week is WEATHER. Since NYE, we’ve made it through three additional storms including more power outages, a ton of debris, and some leaks in our ceiling. We can’t wait for some sunshine. Please send some this way.☀️

Despite the weather I’ve watched many great films this week including Tarantula, Alice in Wonderland, and three of my personal favorites: Detour, Caged!, and The Blue Gardenia. Each of these three fantastic films feature brilliant performances by women. Watching Ann Savage devour every scene in Detour is a must. And mysteries don’t get better than The Blue Gardenia. I also watched Airport 1975 with the the wonderful Karen Black as a fearless flight attendant who has to land a damaged passenger jet. Good stuff!

You can read my review of Caged at the official Filtinsel website. It’s a film noir women-in-prison movie from 1950 and it’s terrific.

To bring some laughter into our lives, we’re re-watching the classic British sitcom  Absolutely Fabulous - and we’re loving every minute of it. We just finished the first season. We also finished the first season of Shadow and Bone (a great show on Netflix). I’m in love with the series Home Before Dark. It’s on Apple TV and I can’t recommend it enough. Along with the entire excellent cast, Abby Miller (one of my favorite actresses who I secretly dream will stare in many projects I write) gives a terrific performance. 

I’m currently reading The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner and I’m really enjoying it. 

The musical artist of the week is 10,000 Maniacs (during the era when Natalie Merchant was the lead singer). Their album In My Tribe is one of my favorites. It includes the fantastic track Like the Weather, my theme song of the week.

Despite thunder storms and 60 mph winds, I managed to pitch my TV series Cups and Saucers to a major network. It went well. I should hear something back soon. After the script reached an almost point (in terms of going into production) twice, I’ve spent the last three months reworking the pilot script by applying all of the great notes I’ve received from industry experts. I’m in love with the end result. But who doesn’t love a sci-fi adventure about four young people who discover an underground world inhabited by alien life? The universe will decide what happens next with this project. I’m just the satellite who wrote it. 

I’m putting the finishing touches on a new stage play titled Bitter and Sweet and a new screenplay called Whirl. I’m also prepping for some upcoming pitch meetings related to the TV adaptation of my all-female stage play Sky Lines. 

I get asked a lot about my creative process. This year I’m writing two hours a day (one hour session in the morning, one at night) and editing two hours on Saturdays. I’m no longer writing or editing on Sundays: it’s become a true day off. This will be the first time I’ve not written seven days a week in about twenty years. 

This week, I’m including some fun photos: our dog Kody and his new favorite toy (it was a Christmas gift from Grandma), Kody and his feline sister Phronsie (I’m sure they’re plotting against us; this photo is proof), and me at Studio Blue Salon where my wonderful friend Jodi worked her usual hair magic. 

Until next week… 

Onward and upward.

“Your imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” 

– Albert Einstein

P.S. You can watch the video versions of my weekly updates on my TikTok account. You can find me there at davidmatthewbarnes.