Results tagged “tomfontana”

The Daily News reported that Field was working without a contract at WWOR.

Sure, you might think of Christopher Meloni as the always angry Detective Eliot Stabler on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, but he's also had some indelible roles in The Runaway Bride, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, Wet Hot American Summer and, of course, Oz. We were perusing the official Christopher Meloni website when we found this great speech that Oz (and Homicide) creator Tom Fontana gave for him at a Human Rights Equality Awards dinner:

When we were shooting OZ, there was a scene where the character he played, Keller, was in the Hole and had to take a piss. Chris got the script and came to my office: "I want to do this," he said, "I want to actually take a piss on camera." Normally, a scene like that would involve prop men and tubes and other special effects, but because Keller was naked, Chris' instincts were a hundred percent correct -- the scene would have more impact if he actually peed. Now, I don't know how an actor prepares for that, whether he uses Stanislavsky or Pellegrino - but the moment came, we're on the soundstage, the director calls action, the camera pans down and Chris starts peeing -- on cue. The shot is perfect. Except for one slight technical glitch. Okay. Take two - same deal, action, camera pans, Chris starts to pee on cue. The shot is even better. I'm happy. The director's delirious. Chris says, "Do we want to do it again? 'Cause I got another one in me."

- Homicide and Oz creative force, Tom Fontana, is being honored tonight by Scenarios USA, the non-profit that helps teens face issues through the creative process

- And the catchphrase of 2005: "Is this because I'm a lesbian?"

Hot pilot news: One of Gothamist's favorite TV producers, the brilliant Tom Fontana, will be headed to the WB with a drama series set in a "small liberal arts college in NYC" that will center around a human behavior class. Fontana said, "The show specifically centers on a human behavior seminar where (the students) openly talk about their sexual lives or the lack of sexual lives and come to understand themselves and the world they live in better." It'll film in NYC (we guess the pilot will probably get a Made in New York logo), and Gothamist found this tidbit in the Variety story (unfortunately, subscription necessary) a hoot:

You can tell a lot about a year by seeing which posts were popular, and from Gothamist's standpoint, it's been a banner year for our readers who are perverts or nerds (we're hoping the loyal readers are both). Here are a few of our most popular posts: Thoughts on the Matrix Reloaded; 100 Best Songs; when we pretended to know all about friendster messages; Paris Hilton sex tapes and her SNL appearance; Nicole Richie's racial identity; What not to do when you blog; Jelly Kelly; Best Movie Sex Scenes; Michael Jackson's mugshot; Nudist camps for teenagers; Blackout Edition; Lever House Restaurant; Metrosexuals; Hating Lauren Weisberger (related, Weisberger on her boss Anna Wintour ), Jayson Blair, Blair Hornstine; Larry Wachowski's possible sex change; anything on teenaged stars, speficially Hilary Duff (related, her nutty fans); the New York City Blackout Edition; and our Events page, brought to life by editor Mindy and intern Willa.

It's all about Baltimore lately. If it's not the Times' Bryan Miller looking at Baltimore area restaurants, then it's another critical rave (and query: Why aren't more people watching?) for HBO's Baltimore-set drama, The Wire. Or it's the Yankees sweeping the Orioles (George Vecsey gives a little Baltimore local color in his piece about how Yankees fans worry and worry and worry). Gothamist knows one Baltimore blogger, and that's eebmore, who has noticed that even the stoop sales in Baltimore are suspiciously New York-like: Residents are trying to flog their wares Brooklyn style.

Not only will we have to hear the words "synergy" and "strategic fit" even more, we'll probably being seeing more cross-selling, multipurposing, and unbeknownst-to-the-viewer-reader-listener-type-marketing with the FCC's decision to relax media ownership of multiple properties in different markets and of different mediums- as the Times says, Big Media Gets the Chance to Get Even Bigger. Stephen Labaton's overview in the Times explains: "It will permit a company to own up to three television stations, eight radio stations, a daily newspaper and a cable operator in the largest cities. It will also permit the television networks to buy more stations."

Tom Fontana on TV
Tom Fontana (St. Elsewhere, Homicide, Oz) spoke at the IFP From Script to Screen Conference and Gothamist listened.

This Saturday and Sunday, the IFP is holding its annual "From Script to Screen Conference" with panels of film, television, and stage professionals giving their insights and thoughts about breaking in, getting the work made, and the business involved. Paul Schrader, writer of Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Last Temptation of Christ, will be speaking about his career (his most recent work was directing AutoFocus). Gothamist is looking forward to Tom Fontana, the creator behind the best cop show ever (Law & Order is the best cop-and-lawyer show ever), Homicide: Life on the Streets. Fontana will be speaking about his career as writer-producer of St. Elsewhere, Homicide, and Oz. Other panelists include Dylan Kidd (writer-director of Roger Dodger), Austin Chick (whose film XX/XY opens today), Marshall Brickman (co-writer of Annie Hall), Erin Cressida Wilson (writer of Secretary) and United Artists head Bingham Ray (UA released Bowling for Columbine).