Sarah Mason

On October 31, 2020, Sir Sean Connery died in his sleep at his home in the Bahamas. He was 90 years old. I was first introduced to Sean Connery in the 1970s when my father took to me to see John Huston's, The Man Who Would Be King. For years I was unaware that Connery had portrayed Bond because at the time Bond was Roger Moore. Perhaps it was serendipitous that I regarded Sean Connery as an actor first. It would certainly have pleased Himself as Connery spent his career escaping the label of Bond. He succeeded yet somehow found room to appreciate 007's legacy.

Today would have been the 50th birthday of actor River Phoenix who tragically died at just 23 years old Oct 31, 1993. Here are two of his 13 films that are often overlooked but I highly recommend watching: RUNNING ON EMPTY (1988) and DOGFIGHT (1991).

For over 50 years Steve Martin, the Texan born, California raised, comedian, actor, musician, writer, filmmaker, has been making us laugh, cry, think, read, and yes, swoon. Asking someone to list their favorite Steve Martin "moment" is a bit like asking Who's your Bond? His career literally has something for every generation. So who's your Steve Martin?

Those of us who are storytellers need to do it now more than ever--in whatever medium you can do it in. I've been writing about movies for 25 years. So here's what I offer up to lighten the load -- 25 great movies that you can stream right now for free with your Amazon Prime or Netflix account.

When you think of Maine, do you think of the movies? Well, you should. The Pine Tree State has been the setting and inspiration for some of the most iconic films in cinema history. Nurtured by its mighty woods, mountains, lakes and rocky coast, its native and visiting storytellers unearth the soul of Maine in songs, novels, poems and cinema.

As part of Maine's Bicentennial celebrations, "Maine in the Movies" film festival, runs statewide across 17 cities from March 5-15, 2020.

Groundhog Day 2020 marked 25 years that Josh Mankiewicz has been reporting for "Dateline NBC", "And it went by like that," remarked Mankiewicz. The Emmy-winning, unscripted, investigative series has been integral to the network’s programming since its 1992 debut. Mankiewicz joined in 1995. In its 28th season, the show covers stories ranging from mysteries to documentaries and in-depth investigations.

This piece was born out of my response to a posed question, "What is the greatest movie fight scene of all time?" Opinions will vary and that is part of the magic of movies. They touch us so personally and birth many varying and opposing interpretations. In truth, how could any of list be definitive?

Interview with Michael Giacchino, whose score for the 2009 film, Up, won him an Oscar®, Golden Globe®, BAFTA, Broadcast Film Critics’ Choice Award and two GRAMMY® Awards. He has composed original scores for the some of the biggest feature films in recent history, including, The Incredibles, War for the Planet of the Apes, Ratatouille, Star Trek, Jurassic World, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and Coco. In this interview with Sarah Mason, Giacchino discusses his work on the Oscar nominated film, Jojo Rabbit.

JOKER marks the sixth film ASC Cinematographer Lawrence Sher has worked with director Todd Phillips. Their successful relationship began with THE HANGOVER and, as you will hear in Sarah Mason and Jake Essoe's interview with Sher, has become a critical and valued partnership for both men. In addition to JOKER, Sher and Phillips collaborated on all three of THE HANGOVER films, DUE DATE and WAR DOGS. Sher was recently nominated for his work on JOKER.

It seems trite to say Carnival Row, Amazon’s original fantasy-drama series, strikes the ultimate balance, visually and metaphorically, between light and dark, yet that is truly what elevates it from other similar fantasy series. Born from an original screenplay, “A Killing on Carnival Row,” written by Showrunner Travis Beacham, Carnival Row is a master class in world-building brought to life by stunning cinematography, production design and VFX, all perfectly choreographed like...

The Age of Distraction Podcast, hosted by Sarah Mason and screenwriters Warren Lewis and Stephen Godchaux, discusses the Content Explosion and its impact on Hollywood and the creative process.

Avengers: Endgame marks the end of a long journey for the the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) beginning with Iron Man in 2008. The launch of the MCU was a massive gamble for Marvel Studios. In order to finance the first set of films — Iron Man, The Hulk, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger, the studio risked the rights of all four films to financier Merrill Lynch as collateral. Since production begin in 2007, 23 films have grossed over $22.5 billion worldwide with 2.8 billion of that ...

The Harold & Maudecast, a podcast hosted by Sarah Mason and Jake Essoe. The Harold & Maudecast celebrates the stories, fandom and culture of Genre Fiction -- Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Super Hero, Crime, Westerns. With over 400 episodes and counting, Sarah and Jake have traveled around the world capturing the spirit of fandom from San Diego Comic-Con to Tokyo's Comiket.

From creatives for creatives -- True Field Test is hosted by filmmaker Sergio Pinheiro, Workflow engineer Cutter Stevens and producer and writer, Sarah Mason. We discuss the challenges facing independent filmmakers and creatives today, review new gear and applications, workflows for post-production and distribution and talk industry insights, news and trends.

After my 90 year old aunt built a fully functioning treehouse in her backyard, I was inspired to find treehouses to rent. Here are eight treehouses that caught my attention for particular reasons; their incredible craftsmanship, comfort, location, most clever use of space, amenities and overall cool factor. You can reserve all of them through Homeaway and other booking services.