By Sean McCormick
On June 16, the Wall Street Journal published an op-ed written by Vice President Pence, titled, “There Isn’t a Coronavirus ‘Second Wave.’” As Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, feels the United States hasn’t reached the end of the first wave, the article…
Author: Sean McCormick
Cops Has Been Defunded
Photo: Sean McCormick
By Sean McCormick
After 32 seasons, Cops — a reality television show once described as a “one-celled amoeba” by co-creator Stephen Chao — has been cancelled by Paramount.
On June 9, a Paramount Network spokesperson made a no-frills statement regarding the cancellation to the New York Times. “Cops’ is not …
A Unique Problem and a Unique Opportunity
On June 8, the Los Angeles Times published an opinion piece by screenwriter John Ridley titled “Hey, HBO, ‘Gone With the Wind’ romanticizes the horrors of slavery. Take it off your platform for now.”
The next evening, HBO Max did just that.
Whether this was a coincidence, a coordinated effort or a capitulation is irrelevant. What mat…
A Problem With the Problem With Apu
By Sean McCormick
The Simpsons and I have had a near-daily relationship for decades now — it was the only therapy I could afford during my turbulent 20s. The show is both a celebration and an occasionally savage indictment of the times we live in. I owe it my fealty.
Sadly, my beloved show — now heading into its 32nd season — might…
Are We In?
By Sean McCormick
At the beginning of the workday on any film set, the first thing heard is, “we’re in, we’re in!” It’s the production world’s equivalent of a factory whistle. Thousands of furloughed television commercial workers — including yours truly — yearn to hear this again. It’s time we got back to work.
Commercials …
Turn off the Webcams and Cellphones – a Plea to Celebrities
By Sean McCormick
As an entertainment industry technician and a big fan of music, theatre and film, I’m making a plea to celebrities: please turn off your webcams and cellphones.
It’s understandable that furloughed celebrities are getting bored and stir-crazy—it has to be jarring for those who were involved with dynamic projects to…
Still a Prince
This weekend, we will all have access to a very specific time machine. Not the kind that we typically use to go back and kill Hitler, or to release the Beatles' catalog one year before they did. This time machine has one setting, March 30, 1985.
From May 14 through May 17, Prince & The Revolution: Live will be made available to watch on You…
EYES WIDE OPEN
[caption id="attachment_187" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Texas filmmaker Clint Bentley[/caption]
“Everyone may know of your idea; even though, it will never be as it real as you thought.” ― Alan Maiccon
Independent filmmaking is often a dubious and quixotic endeavor, better-suited for chess players than first-person shooters. Truly, a g…
From Hater to Player
Cast of Annie rehearsing at an elementary school
By Sean McCormick
Come on, kids, we got some rehearsing to do.—Babes in Arms
Over the years, “community theater,” a term coined by author and director Louise Burleigh in 1917, has often been depicted in an awkward light: uncomfortable venues with poorly-functioning or no sound systems…
Some Big Fish in a Small Lago
By Sean McCormick
04/19/2019
In 1999, Milton Wright, a now-79-year-old retired African American man and his wife, Helen, moved to Lago Vista, Texas. At that time there were fewer than 40 black people in the entire city. Wright’s reason for moving to Lago Vista was simple: he wanted to retire out in the hills by Lake Travis. “We saw a house …