William Mapother

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Archive for 2010

Sometimes, no news is just, well, no news

Posted on: March 16th, 2010 by wmapother 2 Comments

In response to literally thousands, perhaps millions, of letters and emails that have nearly shut down southern California servers and post offices, I’m here to save the day with updates on a couple projects.

A Warrior’s Heart‘ when last I checked was nearing the final stages of post-production.  How and when you’ll be able to see it is still uncertain.  It may receive theatrical distribution, or it may go right to video/cable.  As soon as I hear something, I’ll send word immediately.

Another Earth‘ is definitely still in post-production.  (These things take time, people!)  It will almost surely first go to film festivals, in order to attain the momentum necessary to fill theatres both near you and across the globe, thereby vaunting it into a box office bonanza far, far beyond anything that weakling ‘Avatar’ ever dreamed of.  Or something like that.

Posted in Acting Projects, Film, News & Events

Criminal Teasing

Posted on: March 16th, 2010 by wmapother 1 Comment

Early press about some of the guest stars on this season of Law & Order: Criminal Intent is here.  The season starts Tuesday, featuring the lovely Saffron Burrows (right).  I’ll be on in a few weeks.  Details as they become available, Cap’n.

Posted in Acting Projects, Press, TV

Scream-in, er, Call-in Show

Posted on: March 12th, 2010 by wmapother 3 Comments

For those dying to ask me a tough question, or hear me try to field toughies from others, I’ll be on the podcast ‘Lost’ Causes, this Monday at 8p eastern/5p western.

The website is here.  It lists a phone number and links to previous shows.

Be gentle.

Posted in Acting Projects, In Person (or, like, Live), Interviews and Q&A's

Countin’ the Bab(i)es

Posted on: March 9th, 2010 by wmapother 3 Comments

When Reno Wilson phones, I take the call.  Last year he and I were on the last two episodes of Prison Break as a pair of FBI agents, and I had trouble keeping a straight face at time during shooting.  He’s one funny man.  He also has the gift of being extremely, immediately likable, both in person and on screen.  I can’t stand him.

So he rings me up to do a cameo in a video he’s shooting for Funny or Die, and who am I to say No?  It’s called Babymaker and is in the Top 20 over at Funny or Die.  You can watch it and vote here.

Posted in Acting Projects, Funny Like Ha-Ha, Video (Online & Home)

The Award for Best Award goes to…

Posted on: March 7th, 2010 by wmapother 2 Comments

Friday night I inched downtown in typical L.A. traffic to attend the 25th Annual Spirit Awards, the Oscars for independent films.  The winners and some videos are here.

The outlines of the evening were fun:  I ran into old friends, enjoyed Eddie Izzard’s opening, and got swag to pass out to my sisters and agent.  My difficulty is with the stuff in between.  
Watching endless clips of good work makes me want to get work, like, immediately.  It falls somewhere between a challenge and an inspiration.  It doesn’t diminish my happiness for them or appreciation of their work, but I end up feeling like a player hopping on the sidelines, waiting for his squad to take the field.
My other thorn is the usual lament about award shows in general.  Not only comparing, but ranking, films (or books, music, etc.) reminds me of the quote sometimes attributed to Elvis Costello:  Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.  
I’m not demonizing such awards.  Objectifying the voters’ subjective responses doesn’t cause poverty or warfare.  But it does contribute to Americans’ discomfort with a lack of certainty and having to figure things out for ourselves — and those things are just what’s required from audience.  
Movies aren’t NCAA teams.  And the awards voters don’t have clear, or even agreed-upon, standards they use for voting.  Our accepting their collective messy, individual responses as having value for anyone but them makes it that much harder for us to have our our own messy, individual responses to the movies.  And isn’t that why we watch them?
P.S.  Colin Firth is remarkable in A Single Man.
Posted in Random