The Writers Hangout

In honor of our sponsors, PAGE International Screenwriting Awards , celebrating their 20th anniversary, I'm interviewing some of the competition's winners. Today's guest is Nardeep Khurmi, who won the PAGE 2021' Silver Prize in drama for his screenplay, LAND OF GOLD.   LAND OF GOLD also received AT&T's 2021 Untold Stories award, which provides a grant of $1 million to...

We have a terrific show for you today.  As promised, for January 2023, we are doing a series of interviews with PAGE Awards winners. First up is R. Scott Shields who won the PAGE Bronze Prize in 2009 for his beautiful family drama STRAWBERRY MANSION and then won our Grand Prize in 2010 for his animated feature SUPERCAT!  Since then, sometimes with representation and sometimes without, Scott went o...

Happy New Year!!  We have a fun, happy episode this week.  Sandy puts all the Christmas movies away for the year and discusses her favorite New Year's Eve movie scenes.  Terry checks in with a report for the San Fernando Valley.  And last but not least, Sandy reads your New Year Writing Resolutions, and one lucky winner wins a free entry into the PAGE Awards Competition. 👍 If you enjoy the s...

Ho, Ho, Ho!!  Happy Holidays. On August 9, 1996, a late-night shoot of James Cameron's TITANIC suddenly broke out into chaos after crafty served the cast and crew seafood chowder. At first, everyone thought it was food poisoning from the chowder, but someone had spiked the food with PCP. To commemorate the film’s 25th anniversary of TITANIC being released, let’s look back on a fateful night....

Listen to VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS by The Sno-Globes featured in Episode 49 -- That Time The 'Titanic' Cast and Crew Ate PCP-Spiked Chowder Here's a link to listen to more of their holiday music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McFx8spF0Cc&t=5s 👍 If you enjoy the show, please follow us and leave a review so we can keep hanging out. 💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would lik...

Update on one-time rising star Elisabeth Finch the GREY'S ANATOMY writer accused of faking cancer.   What made her do it and can she make a comeback?   👍 If you enjoy the show, please follow us and leave a review so we can keep hanging out. 💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to make a comment please contact  us at  thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com  📸 Check out our IG for...

Listen to When You Wish A Christmas Wish by The Sno-Globes featured in Episode 48 Update - Elizabeth Finch The GREY'S ANATOMY Writer Accused Of Faking Cancer . Here's a link to listen to more of their holiday music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McFx8spF0Cc&t=5s

The conclusion of Thelma Todd's Inexplicable Death In Hollywood's Golden Age. Actress Thelma Todd was the “Queen of the Lot” and had made it in Hollywood when she died of mysterious circumstances at just 29 years old. Who killed her? Could it be her business partner Roland West a one-time screenwriter? Maybe it was the ex-husband, son of the Broccoli King, and agent Pat DiCicco? Police i...

Listen to HOW I LOVE THATY SANTY CLAUS by The Sno-Globes featured in Episode 47 Thelma Todd's Inexplicable Death In Hollywood's Golden Age - Pt. 2  Here's a link to listen to more of their holiday music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McFx8spF0Cc&t=5s 📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast 💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to comment, please...

Actress Thelma Todd was the “Queen of the Lot” and had made it in Hollywood when she died at just 29 years old. Who killed her? Could it be her business partner Roland West a one-time screenwriter? Maybe it was the ex-husband, son of the Broccoli King, and agent Pat DiCicco? Police investigate, and all roads lead to The Trocadero, a famous nightclub that opened on the Sunset Strip in 1934. Hang ou...

Listen to The Sound Of Christmas by The Sno-Globes featured in Episode 46 Thelma Todd's Inexplicable Death In Hollywood's Golden Age - Pt. 1  Here's a link to listen to more of their holiday music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McFx8spF0Cc&t=5s 📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast 💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to comment, please contac...

Today we have the talented and charming Kelly Edwards , who has worked for every major studio in Hollywood and developed shows like LIVING SINGLE, GIRLFRIEND, THE PARKERS, CLUELESS, AND TWO GUYS A GIRL AND A PIZZA.   After a film and television executive career, she transitioned to writing.  Kelly wrote the best seller, The Executive Chair: A Writer’s Guide To TV Series Development, and if you wan...

We discuss the age-old question, do you have to move to Los Angeles to be a successful screenwriter with answers from William Goldman, Diablo Cody, and Aaron Sorkin?  Plus, a fun quiz that pits a native-born Los Angeleno, Kathy Rager, and The Writers' Hangout's very own Terry Sampson. 👍 If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. ...

COME HANG OUT with us as we talk about one of the most famous parties in Hollywood.  To thank his employees for the success of SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS , Walt Disney threw a party at the Norconian Resort in the California Desert.  The party turned wild, and Walt himself never referred to the party again.  And, if you wanted to keep your job, you didn’t mention it either. 👍 If you enjoy the...

Adrienne Shelly was waiting to hear if the movie she wrote, directed, and starred in, WAITRESS , would get selected for the Sundance film Festival.  On Halloween night in 2006, Shelly and her husband, Andy Ostroy, threw a party for their family and friends.  The next day, Andy found Adriene hanging from a sheet in her office's bathroom in the West Village.  Police said suicide, but anyone who...

On the eve of Halloween, we have only treats for you because our guest Niceole Levy is here to discuss her new book entitled: The Writers’ Room Survival Guide Don’t Screw Up the Lunch Order and Other Keys to a Happy Writers’ Room.  Niceole has written on Ironside, Shades of Blue, Cloak & Dagger, and S.W.A.T. She is currently a co-executive producer on Graymail, which will air on Netflix. Grab...

Writers, we are so happy to have Emmy-winning writer/director/ playwright and major league baseball announcer KEN LEVINE hangs out with us.   Ken’s credits include M*A*S*H, WINGS, CHEERS, FRASIER, and ALMOST PERFECT, which he created with his writing partner, DAVID ISAACS . He voiced Dan Hoard in THE SIMPSONS as well as co-wrote the episode.  Ken has directed over 60 TV episodes, co-wrote the Tom...

Spooky Season continues with Sandy and Terry as they discuss the life and gruesome death of Al Adamson , a horror film director and writer. Al worked on the fringes of Hollywood during the golden age of drive-ins and grindhouse films. Al died in 1995 in a manner so dreadful it could have been a scene from one of his movies. The 2019 documentary discussed in the episode: BLOOD & FLESH: THE REEL...

PAGE Awards’ Judge Nate Adams hangs out with us!!! Nate is an award-winning writer, Director, and Producer with over 20 years of experience in entertainment. His career started as an actor but quickly transitioned to screenwriter, where Nate was re-writing and polishing scripts for some of the biggest producers in Hollywood. In 2006, Nate started directing and producing, and he hasn't looked...

Sandy and Terry discuss Poltergeist , one of America's most beloved horror films.  Released by MGM on June 4th, 1982, and written by Steven Spielberg, Michael Grais, and Mark Victor, POLTERGEIST is rumored to be cursed for using real human skeletons during a pivotal scene. The curse is blamed for three lives lost in brutal and devastating ways.  POLTERGEIST just might be the most cursed film...

Sandy and Terry discuss screenwriter Robert Riskin who spent most of his career working with legendary director Frank Capra. Over the years, Capra's name has overshadowed Riskin's enormous contribution to their collaborative work. And in the end, one of these men didn't show up at the other's funeral.   Robert Riskin was like a character from one of his films, a self-made man w...

Hang out with Sandy and Terry as they talk about of the most famous last lines in film, "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown" from the 1974 film CHINATOWN written by Robert Towne , directed by Roman Polanski and starring Jack Nicolson and Faye Dunaway.  But in this episode, we learn that famous last line almost didn’t happen and why!  👍 If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow...

Gotta get off, gonna get Have to get off from this ride Gotta get hold, gonna get Need to get hold of my pride When did I get, where did I How was I caught in this game When will I know, where will I How will I think of my name Roberta Flack/20th Century Fox Records/Johnny Williams · Barbara Parkins · Dory Previn Hang out with Sandy and Terry as they chat about Valley of the Dolls , one of the bes...

The hardest thing for new writers, and many seasoned pros, is to sit down and start writing your screenplay. Sure, you’ve been contemplating and telling everyone who will listen what a great idea you have for a script for months but haven’t written anything down.   Then, you see a movie trailer that looks exactly like the movie you have in your head, and you want to curl up in a ball and punch you...

Hello Writers, come hang out with Sandy and Terry as they talk about Ted Bergman , a 40-year veteran comedy writer with a long list of credits, including THE MUSTERS, HOLLYWOOD SQUARES, ALL IN THE FAMILY, SANFORD AND SON, WHAT'S HAPPENING, GIMME A BREAK, and THE GARY SHANDLING SHOW. Find out how Ted's Auntie Lee started his long writing career with a favor. Plus, we take you behind the s...