Book review: 'Kings of Colorado'

I enjoyed reading David Hilton's Kings of Colorado. You can read my review of this story of kids at at remote, and quite brutal, reformatory in the Austin American-Statesman.

Connie Britton starring in 'When Angels Sing'

One name I hadn't heard associated with Tim McCanlies' film adaptation of Turk Pipkin's book When Angels Sing is Friday Night Lights alum Connie Britton. Sounds like an interesting cast, headed by Harry Connick Jr. and featuring such musical actors as Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Sara Hickman and Kris Kristofferson.

You can read more about the film, which is shooting through March, here.

I listened to Britton talk about FNL a while back. You read about that here.

Alert! Snow attacks Austin, Texas!

And, no, we don't have the right shoes for it. Here are more photos taken right outside of Austin.

Justin Bieber sez: "Beavis and Butt-head' is back!

Yes, you read that right. MTV somehow let Justin Bieber break the news that Beavis and Butt-head from Austin resident Mike Judge will be back on the channel that seems to be all lame "reality" shows all the time. Heh. Heh. I said Bieber....

'My Sucky Teen Romance' with SXSW

Count young Austin filmmaker Emily Hagins (that's her above) as among the Texans whose films will be shown at the South By Southwest Film Festival in March. Her My Sucky Teen Romance made the cut. Emily is 18 and this is her third film!

Other notables:
Wuss, a comedy from Clay Liford, who recently moved from Dallas to Austin.
Where Soldiers Come From, a war doc that Heather Courtney has been working on for a few years.
blackinto from Aaron Burns with heavy assistance from producer Elizabeth Avellan.
Incendiary: The Willingham Case from Steve Mims.
Building Hope, more good world vibes from Turk Pipkin.

Here's the full list.

ABC semi-hot for 'Good Christian Bitches'

Yes, the Dallas-set show Good Christian Bitches based on the Dallas-set book by Kim Gatlin is getting a semi-pilot from ABC or at least it "ordered a pilot presentation." I don't know what that code talk means, but it's clearly a start (if not a full pilot).

According to The Hollywood Reporter:

Executive produced by Darren Star and Aaron Kaplan, Bitches, is a primetime soap set in Dallas that asks: Is it possible to start over in a town that thinks they already know you? Robert Harling wrote the script and will exec produce.

According to the synopsis, it focuses on Amanda, the "mean girl" in high school, who returns home after her marriage ends in scandal. Her old classmates reacquaint themselves with the new, humbled Amanda, but will they give her a second chance or seek revenge?

J.R. does 'Dallas'; will 'Dallas' do Dallas?

This just in from The Hollywood Reporter: Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray will reprise their Dallas roles in TNT's reboot of the series, which this time is focused on the kids. Also in the cast are Josh Henderson (Desperate Housewives) and Jordana Brewster (Fast & Furious) as a couple of those crazy Ewing kids.

Earlier reports had Hagman, aka J.R. Ewing unlikely to join the crew after money haggles. Now the big question remains: how much of Dallas will shoot in the actual Dallas? Don't be surprised if that's the clarion call for efforts to keep the Texas film incentives program fully funded by the Texas Legislature.