The man who targeted and killed Rep Melissa Hortman of Minnesota, was a Trump Supporter. The man who targeted Josh Shapiro was a Trump Supporter. The man who wanted to hang Mike Pence on Jan 6th was a Trump supporter.

God bless America and E.Jean Carroll, a true patriot and fighter. 🇺🇸 Reading her book feels like an act of resistance this weekend.

1.THE DIRECTORS' LAMENT🧵 You stumble back to your hotel room praying for six hours of sleep. At the wrap party you learn the DP was screwing the boom man, the producer split with his wife and the crew had an intervention for the key grip. While you're in your room doing the next day’s homework.

Rebeccas Solnit does it again. Brilliant, acutte, simple.

Hearing “if you call white guys racist enough they’ll become racist to spite you” be voiced on a podcast I like/respect was a real bummer earlier this year

TEN ANECDOTES, TRUE AND OTHERWISE🧵 "Hits, Flops & Other Illusions" 1.An actor insisted on having holes in his pants pockets so he could hold his genitals while acting. One day the wardrobe mistress innocently sewed them up. In the middle of a take he started cursing and left the set. She was fired.

TOMORROW I have the pleasure of sharing the stage with Charles Yu, National Book Award author and creator of the fabulous "Interior Chinatown" (now on Hulu.) We'll talk books, tv, movies and everything in between. Tickets still available.

From, "Hits, Flops & Other Illusions" Anecdotes, Admonitions & Apocrypha 1. A PRODUCTION ODYSSEY🧵 The director hated the van and drove his Porsche. On a scout in New Mexico he misread a map, sped on ahead, took a wrong turn and never made it back to tell the designer what colors to paint the set.

SCREENWRITING from, "Hits, Flops, & Other llusions" 1. COUNTING PAGES Each rewrite begs another. Don’t despair, the best souffle is made beating egg whites by hand. Just when you’re ready to give up, they peak. Take it out of the oven too soon, it collapses. Food metaphors work every time.

SCREENWRITING from, "Hits, Flops, & Other llusions" 1. COUNTING PAGES Each rewrite begs another. Don’t despair, the best souffle is made beating egg whites by hand. Just when you’re ready to give up, they peak. Take it out of the oven too soon, it collapses. Food metaphors work every time.

From, "Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions" Observations, admonitions and love songs 1. EXALTED SELF-REGARD ‘We think the script is only 60% there.” How best to react to group notes? Besides violence. Mark Twain said: “The only people entitled to use ‘we’ are editors, kings, and people with tapeworm."

10 CONFESSIONS OF A RECOVERING SHOWRUNNER…🧵 1. The "TEAM" Back In the day, one executive could greenlight a pitch. Now it’s all about "the team." But consensus is the enemy of vision and the best storytelling is eccentric. If they could substitute an algorithm for a writer, they be much happier.

10 CONFESSIONS OF A RECOVERING SHOWRUNNER…🧵 1. The "TEAM" Back In the day, one executive could greenlight a pitch. Now it’s all about "the team." But consensus is the enemy of vision and the best storytelling is eccentric. If they could substitute an algorithm for a writer, they be much happier.

SO YOU WANT A CAREER IN THE MOVIE BUSINESS? from "Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions"🧵 1. FILM SCHOOL Is the best preparation for a talented young person hoping to enter the film industry. It is also the worst disservice to an untalented person who should have gone into the family cleaning business.

A chance to talk books, movies, and everything in between with the brilliant Charles Yu.

THE GENIUS OF LIEV SCHREIBER From, "Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions" Paperback edition available now.

Claire Danes & MY SO-CALLED LIFE: an origin story from, "Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: Paperback in bookstores now.

THE BRILLIANCE OF THE SUPPORTING ACTOR from, "Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions" Paperback edition in bookstores and online

"Gifts for the audience" from, "Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions." Paperback in bookstores and online.

The essence of Leonardo DiCaprio from, "Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions" (paperback available next week)

Is it just me, or would he not have been a better choice for Nosferatu?

THE CAMERA IS A BUDDHA from, "Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions" Paperback in bookstores next week...

A trailer for a book? Why not... "Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions." Now in paperback...

Thrilled to share the stage with Charles Yu. Feb 26th @7:30pm

It's getting a little North Korean around here.

LANGUAGE IS POLITICAL

If you haven't yet read JVL's piece from yesterday about why Trump would want to fire the archivist of the United States, who heads the National Archives and Records Administration, you should, especially now that it's actually happened. www.thebulwark.com/p/the-story-...

Trump's Executive Order:EGREGIOUS ACTIONS OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA:The US shall promote the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees escaping government race-based discrimination including racially discriminatory property confiscation. Until he met Elon Musk, Trump couldn't find S.Africa on a map.

Trump's Executive Order:EGREGIOUS ACTIONS OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA:The US shall promote the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees escaping government race-based discrimination including racially discriminatory property confiscation. Until he met Elon Musk, Trump couldn't find S.Africa on a map.

Slowly but surely, all the dots begin to connect... Whose influence could possibly be felt behind the curtain on this? Until he met Elon Musk, Donald Trump couldn't find South Africa on a map.

"Much of the magic of film lies in not knowing how its illusions are conjured up. When peeking inside is as enjoyable as this, though, it is hard to resist." -- The Guardian HITS, FLOPS, AND OTHER ILLUSIONS Order now www.simonandschuster.com/books/Hits-F...

The irony of Trump's latest idiocy about invading Gaza is that the American army (which struggled for 20 years in Afghanistan) and has nowhere near the familiarity of the IDF, nor its assets within Hamas and the PA, would probably end up causing twice as many civilian casualties and still fail.

SPIKE In 1990 I got a call he was in LA to do an Oscar campaign and wanted to stop by. I had loved “Do The Right Thing” and was eager to meet him. We gave each other respect (I still have the t-shirt he brought me). “Neither of us are going to win” I said. "Not yet" he winked. @spikelee.bsky.social

More friends checking in... @cobiesmulders.bsky.social Paperback available Feb 15th. Or you can order now.. www.simonandschuster.com/p/hits-flops...

THE ART OF LISTENING In Blood Diamond when Jennifer Connelly coaxes Leonardo DiCaprio to tell of his traumatic childhood, it's a master class in active listening. Audiences don't recognize it as a skill, but actors know playing opposite an active listener makes them both better.

Kristy McNichol played "Buddy," an adolescent girl on ABC-TV's "Family." I’d write surly teenage dialogue and get notes with the initials N.O.B. meaning “Not Our Buddy.” I vowed someday I'd portray real adolescence. From, "Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions" www.simonandschuster.com/books/Hits-F...

The universe speaks in mysterious ways.

Friends weigh in... Thanks, @pattonoswalt.bluesky.social The trade paperback (w/a new afterward) is in bookstores Feb 15th. Or you can order now! www.simonandschuster.com/books/Hits-F...

"Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions" Trade Paperback in bookstores Feb 15th (with a new afterward) ORDER NOW! www.simonandschuster.com/books/Hits-F...

Two more thirtysomething refugees clearly checking to see how many times they're mentioned (and what percentage of the truth I tell...) Paperback edition will be available February 25th.

For those thirtysomething fans whose long-term memories are still functioning, my book fills in a few gaps and spills some fond tea -- to which these two lovely humans will attest... The paperback edition will be in bookstores on Feb.25th

JAMIE LEE CURTIS seems to be everywhere doing everything, and doing it all at once with grace and aplomb. She was an early champion of the book and I couldn't be more grateful.

THE CAMERA IS A BUDDHA... from "Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions" Paperback at bookstores Feb. 25th

TWO DIRECTORS OVERHEARD AT A PARTY... Q: How do you make an actor miserable? A: Cast them.

TWO DIRECTORS OVERHEARD AT A PARTY... Q: How do you make an actor miserable? A: Cast them.

if you know literally one thing about RFK Jr it would be that he is famously anti-vaccines

For those who missed it the first time around... the trade paperback will be in stores Feb 25th (with a new 'afterword').

For those who missed it the first time around... the trade paperback will be in stores Feb 25th (with a new 'afterword').