"Fade To Zilch, a Screenplay" - The Venus of Cyrene Meets the Hollywood Casting Couch

"Fade To Zilch, a screenplay" - Cover

Rising from the rabble of Hollywood stories to challenge the status quo, Fade To Zilch, a screenplay is a powerful contemporary drama, whose time has clearly come.

"No one is innocent … not in this town." Thus, begins a riveting drama that shines a bold and illuminating light into the darkest reaches of the human mind as Fade to Zilch takes readers behind the scenes of the fabulous theatrical world of Hollywood. Revel in this compelling work of social criticism as powerful movie moguls strive to embrace the source of their creativity, while struggling with their own psychological demons. Brimming with sexual intrigue, eye-widening spectacle, and a host of recognizable characters, this unsettling mystery sets a new standard of transcendence in postmodern literary fiction, made more accessible to a general audience through the "perspicuous windows" of cinema and dramatic arts.

Follow the footsteps of Dr. Joseph Metropolis—an unlikely Private Investigator—as he investigates The Lost Love of the Latest Tycoon, examining the provocative role of the muse, the intemperate impulses of the femme fatale, and the atrocious allure of the casting couch, while witnessing the fall of an empire that has become degenerate—devoid of artistic inspiration.

Based on the novel, The Unbearable Sadness of Zilch by Konrad Ventana, the drama is a stunning commentary on modernism, existentialism, male egotism, and the emergence of a radical new brand of feminism—the feminist provocateur. Fade to Zilch by F. Lewis Hall, is a story for the ages that lays bare the human heart as it presages current events.

Konrad Ventana/F. Lewis Hall (image via konradventana.com)

About the Author: 

F. Lewis Hall is an American writer, inventor, and some might say visionary who began his professional career on Sunset Boulevard. His award-winning Post-Lux Trilogy (postmodern, post-enlightenment stories), published under the pseudonym Konrad Ventana, illuminates three vital aspects of artistic creativity.

Encouraged by friends in the movie business to adapt his Hollywood Novel: The Unbearable Sadness of Zilch into a motion picture screenplay, the heart-wrenching drama, Fade to Zilch was painstakingly crafted. Alas, it did not receive a green-light at the time; and yet, it was recently re-discovered by professional book scouts—in light of recent Hollywood scandals and revealing current events.

"The Unbearable Sadness of Zilch" - cover artwork (image via konradventana.com)

SOURCE: Konrad Ventana

Bonus Videos:

Octavia Spencer Shares Her Most Treasured Moments Rising to Fame in the December/January Issue of AARP The Magazine

Octavia Spencer on the December/January Issue of AARP The Magazine

After years of struggles playing unnamed roles – clerk, waitress, bus driver, and woman in elevator – the now Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA Film Award-winning actress Octavia Spencer is making the most of her opportunities, but what she treasures the most are the experiences and bonds forged along her journey.

Starring in the new romantic fairy-tale, The Shape of Water, on the heels of her breakout roles in The Help and Hidden Figures, Spencer talks of the importance of experiences and relationships in a candid interview with AARP The Magazine (ATM). 

"If you're constantly chasing success, then you're not really living in the moment. Save money and go places. Do things…Trust me, I love working and getting to do what I do, but I had a lot more fun on the way up," says Spencer as she looks back fondly on the days when her friends were all short on money yet long on time. Close pals like Melissa McCarthy, Allison Janney and director Tate Taylor would join Spencer and other friends on a number of adventures. 

Now, no longer short on money, but short on time, she doesn't see them as often but they remain close and Spencer cherishes the times they can gather for dinners. "We just revel at the idea of getting to hang out for a night," says Spencer. Growing up as the sixth of seven children all raised by a single mother in Montgomery, Alabama, Spencer highlights that it's the company of her family that grounds her. "Until I get married, I'll always spend Christmas with my family in Alabama," says the actress.

Professionally, The Shape of Water, in which Spencer portrays the best friend of a woman who falls in love with a sea monster, is a marked departure for an actress who has repeatedly played people of that era struggling to assert their civil rights. 

Though the film is set in 1960s America in a mainly white workplace, Spencer's race is not mentioned. "As crazy as this will sound, that was quite refreshing for me, to not have to talk about my race," says Spencer.

Octavia Spencer (image via AARP The Magazine)

The following are excerpts from AARP The Magazine's December/January 2018 cover story featuring Octavia Spencer, available in homes starting December and available online now here.

Selections from Octavia Spencer's Cover Story in AARP The Magazine'sDecember/January Issue

⏩ On her new film, The Shape of Water:
"I knew I wanted to do it the minute my agent told me I would be meeting with Guillermo (Director Guillermo del Toro)," says Spencer. "I've been a fan of his for years. He is like the godfather of the horror genre, and I'm a huge horror fan."

⏩ On overcoming adversity:
Diagnosed with the learning disability dyslexia as a child, Spencer learned to cope by reading mystery novels. Spencer says, "My teacher told me, 'You have to pay attention to everything, because you don't know what is a clue,' " Spencer recalls. That gave her the motivation to decode every word. "That's how my brain processes information now," she says. "I can always tell people, 'This is what's about to happen. Connect the dots.' It's not like I'm psychic or anything—it's just all there in the details."

⏩ On being typecast:
"When I was 26, they were trying to give me 50-year-old parts," Spencer laughs. "As a woman of certain physical attributes, people would like to only see you in a couple of archetypes, like the nurturer nanny or the sassy woman."

⏩ On treasured moments while young, broke and struggling:
Spencer looks back fondly to the time when her friends were short on money but long on time: "On my first trip to New Orleans…one of our friends was a successful writer—it was Steven Rogers…and he kind of sponsored a writers' retreat for us all, because we were all writing things." Another time, about 20 friends shared a house in Laguna Beach, California, where they wrote during the day and cooked dinner together at night. "It was wonderful," Spencer says.

⏩ On being more mature and achieving success:
Spencer says, "When you are 20, you still care about what people think and how you're perceived. When you turn 30, you start to get an ownership of self. By the time you turn 40, you start to care less about how you're perceived, and you own your mistakes."

⏩ On how she spends her free time:
"When I see people who are happy and joyful and of a certain age, I know it's because they know the meaning of life," says Spencer. "It's about how you spend your time. It's not about chasing things on life's treadmill…it's about the people that are sitting around my table–my family, my nieces and nephews, my friends."

⏩ On friends and enduring relationships:
Says Spencer, "There are those people who love you stripes and all, and there are people who only love the idea of you. The ones who love the idea of you are there for you when you're successful. The people who love you stripes and all know that there are peaks and valleys to life. And they're going to be with you in the peaks and in the valleys."

⏩ On simple pleasures:
"My biggest indulgence is quiet time in front of the TV with a fire," says Spencer. "And I recently discovered Sangría. It's cheap wine with a lot of sweeteners."

⏩ On her admittedly dark sense of humor:
"I laugh at people falling down, as long as I know they are OK," says Spencer. "I'm that person."

⏩ On dating:
"I don't really like to talk about dating," says Spencer. "It's not easy dating anywhere, but definitely not easy dating in Hollywood. I don't know whether I'd call it 'fun.' It's very Interesting—let's just say that. "

⏩ On aging:
While traveling in Ireland, Spencer recalls "seeing all these women with platinum silver hair and there was something about them—they were all so beautiful. My friend said it's because they haven't done anything to their faces. They look like a real 50-year-old or 60-year-old…if you've got a laugh line, you've earned it. It means you're really happy. I'm fine with creases."

⏩ On holiday plans:
The company of Spencer's family grounds her: "I've always spent Christmas with my family," she says. "Until I get married, I'll always spend Christmas with my family in Alabama."

SOURCE: AARP

Octavia Spencer in "Hidden Figures" (image via LoupDargent.info)

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New Music Video From Beliefs Project Takes on White Nationalism, Divisive Politics, and Gun Control

Scenes from "In the Streets of Charlottesville" music video

"In the Streets of Charlottesville" is a new protest music video by multimedia artist/producer Jeff Burger, released on YouTube through the non-profit Beliefs Project he co-founded. 

The song provides savvy commentary on both the violence that turned the bucolic Virginia town into a hashtag, and the underlying themes continuing to tear at the whole nation. 

Based in Charlottesville, Burger was inspired by his community who has responded to hate with love, as echoed in the song's culminating lines: "Now we choose our destiny / unity through diversity."

"I wanted to give people everywhere the deeper story and a paradigm for navigating divisiveness and violence," Burger says. "The song is also helping locals heal open emotional wounds. Ultimately, it's about the urgent need to examine beliefs, and embrace inclusiveness and compassion societally."

Confederate monuments—flash points for white nationalism throughout the South—get their due: "Statues stood and glorified / the whips and chains of Dixie pride / All more troubling now because / they mixed it up with swastikas."

Burger also calls out presidential emboldening of white nationalism in the thinly veiled lines, "When leaders lack accountability / or even common civility / there's always someone else to blame / and the bully pulpit fanned the flames."

America's stalemate over gun violence isn't left off the hook: "Time's upon us we knew would come / when free speech marches with a gun / Amendments beg us what to do / to reconcile numbers one and two."

Burger's one-man production delivers insightful spoken word set to music dynamically evolving from the opening's sparse urban heartbeat and military snares into a full rock anthem finale. He orates in his natural Caucasian voice without pretense of white rap.

 "While I felt the message would be more powerful spoken than sung, an urban voice could be too easily dismissed as just angry and disenfranchised in this racially charged context. White introspection is critical to meaningful healing and progress."

The song reinforces such soul searching in candid lines like "Here's our chance to realize / we all hold our secret lies / Judge brothers for this, sisters for that / Time to take ourselves to the mat."

Burger's self-produced music video elevates the piece to multimedia storytelling art. Eschewing screen appearances, he enhances emotional impact by employing a seamless visual montage intimately reinforcing the lyrics' message.

Jeff Burger, creator "In the Streets of Charlottesville" and co-founder of Beliefs Project

About Jeff Burger and Beliefs Project:

Jeff Burger is co-founder of Beliefs Project, a non-profit transmedia project dedicated to the collective evolution of human consciousness. 

An ASCAP songwriter, he is also an accomplished professional in the music and media industries, with clients including Apple, Disney, and Paramount. He has served on the masthead of four music magazines including Electronic Musician and EQ, and penned six books and 500+ articles on media arts.

The Video:

The Lyrics:

In the Streets of Charlottesville

This is the place Heather died

Gave it all to stem the tides

Of anger and hate racing ‘cross the land

As men arrived with guns in hand

Yeah, here’s where they came with rage in their hearts

Here’s where they came to tear us apart

Dressed for war, spoiled for fights

Waving flags righter than right

In the streets of Charlottesville

Statues stood and glorified

Whips and chains of Dixie pride

All more troubling now becuz

They mixed it up with swastikas

After millions paid the ultimate cost

We won’t bring back the holocaust

A classic case of us versus them

Can’t we just live as women and men 

In the streets of Charlottesville

Stay home and pray or call hate out? 

Join the fray, shout down the shouts?

A stand for peace could still transpire

In pouring gas onto a fire 

When leaders lack accountability

Or even common civility

There’s always someone else to blame

And the bully pulpit fanned the flames 

In the streets of Charlottesville

Opening wounds we hoped to ignore

Our oldest issues came to fore

Festering here, simmering there 

Time to come clean, clear the air

Here’s our chance to realize

We all hold our secret lies

Judge brothers for this, sisters for that

Time to take ourselves to the mat

In the streets of Charlottesville

Over and over again we make our battlefields

Have we had enough pain to drop the swords and shields?

Can’t fight hate with hate or fear with fear 

Love’s the only way our children will see all their years

Time's upon us we knew would come

When free speech marches with a gun

Amendments beg us what to do

To reconcile numbers one and two

The man on the screen plays to our fears

Says you’ll lose what you hold dear

Are you left or are you right?

You must see life as black or white

In the streets of Charlottesville

Draw lines here, draw lines there

'Til what’s left are maps of despair

Time we get all blood is red

Time we say enough's been shed

Together we can turn the page

On hate, on anger, on rage

Now we choose our destiny

Unity through diversity

In the streets of Charlottesville...

Words and Music Copyright © 2017 Jeff Burger

"In the Streets of Charlottesville"  - Official video thumbnail

SOURCE: Beliefs Project

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(Courtesy of Trumpton)

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