The TV Addict 

If you’re anything like me, you may relish (even devour, depending on your ferocity) the opportunity to hear about how some of your favorite films are made, or what the filmmakers who made them think of them and others involved. Well, I’d recommend checking out SNAM’s “10 Days in L.A. Blog.”

Now at this point some of you may be shaking your heads, wondering what the heck I’m talking about with this blog, and why you’ve never heard of this show called SNAM. Well, for those of who don’t count yourselves among my fellow noble countrymen, a little explanation is perhaps necessary (Canadians in the know, can “Choose Your Own Adventure” and just skip the next paragraph).

TV Ontario – a Canadian version of PBS, but better – has a show called “Saturday Night at the Movies,” which is something of a Canadian institution, having been on the air for a soon-to-be whopping 35 season (that’s like combining the runs of THE SIMPSONS and LAW & ORDER). The basic format of SNAM is that “every Saturday night, the program airs a double-bill of uncut, uninterrupted movies with ‘The Interviews,’ a segment in-between featuring explorations into and discussions about how movies are made.” Though their film selections have always been excellent, it is often “The Interviews” segment that is the true gem of the show, featuring a vast array of filmmakers (actors, directors, producer, screenwriter, designers, etc.) who provide juicy behind-the-scenes tidbits, and thoughtful insights about the making of films, or their significance.

Since each new season SNAM adds new movies and/or double bills to the line-up, naturally new interviews are needed. So every year the team travels to Los Angeles to interview a whole new set of filmmakers, and as of last year, they’ve started to blog about their daily experiences in the City of Angels. It makes for a pretty great read for any movie buff fan, given the array of people they talk to. This year they managed to sit down with people like Oliver Stone, Mariel Hemingway, Ione Skye (swoon), Richard Schiff, Imelda Staunton, Zach Grenier, and a whole slew of people involved with BEING JOHN MALKOVICH. Though most of the interview contents will be inevitably reserved for their upcoming season, Thom Ernst (the witty, and pleasant down-to-earth author of the blog) does drop a lot of intriguing tidbits along the way.

So, long story, short, you can check out the blog postings here.