After my recent post wondering why so many readers still use Internet Explorer, I’m happy to report the numbers have shifted in favor of Firefox.
Before January 25, 2004:
26% Internet Explorer
22% Firefox
5% Safari
3% Opera
For the week ending February 20, 2004:
23% Firefox
19% Internet Explorer
4% Safari
3% Opera
(Numbers don’t total 100% because bots and RSS readers are excluded.)
In the share-the-love category: A growing number of writers have websites and/or blogs that you may want to check out for more information and opinions about the craft, the business and the unreality of screenwriting. Here are a few worth perusing:
1. [Lee Goldberg](http://leegoldberg.typepad.com/) has written extensively for television, and also has several novels to his credit. I haven’t read his book [Successful Television Writing](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0471431680/), but clicking through the first few pages (thanks, Amazon), I’d say he seems to know what he’s talking about.
2. [Ask Dr. Hollywood](http://www.disinfotainmenttoday.com/drhollywood.htm) is a question-and-answer site, much like [johnaugust.com](http://johnaugust.com). Because it’s structured as a series of very long pages, it’s not quite as reader-friendly, but the advice is helpful.
3. [Complications Ensue](http://complicationsensue.blogspot.com/) is a blog run by Montreal-based writer Alex Epstein, who authored the book [Crafty Screenwriting](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805069925/). Again, I haven’t read his book, so *caveat emptor*. (Or for library patrons, *caveat lector*.)
4. Terry Rossio and Ted Elliott’s [Wordplayer](http://wordplayer.com) has been in the sidebar forever, but in case you haven’t clicked it, you should definitely check it out. They’ve been dispensing useful advice for years. They also have open forums, which I’ve never been brave enough to try.
5. [The Artful Writer](http://artfulwriter.com/) is a new site aimed at already-working screenwriters. I actually spoke with its owner, Craig Mazin, on the phone while wife was in labor. He had questions about Movable Type and CSS. Now that’s dedication.
[![[German Charlie Still]](http://johnaugust.com/Assets/germancharlie.jpg)
](http://wwws.warnerbros.de/movies/charlie/)Warner Bros. Germany has their own version of the [teaser trailer](http://wwws.warnerbros.de/movies/charlie/) up for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, or *Charlie und die Schokoladen-Fabrik*. I wouldn’t normally single it out, but they went through the effort to re-do the “Willy Wonka” song in German, and, well, it’s kind of amazingly great.
Any Deutsch-speaking readers who’d like to translate the song, I’d certainly welcome it.
The [Japanese Warner Bros. site](http://www.warnerbros.co.jp/web/main/movies/movies.jsp?frompage=wb_homepage_jp) has a taunting and tiny version of the poster, but no link to a trailer. Yet.
**UPDATE**
Mike points out that there’s now a [French version](http://wwws.warnerbros.fr/movies/charlie/?frompromo=movies_comingsoon_Charlie) available — check the “bande-annonce” section. Translation is forthcoming.
[![[Burning Puppets]](http://johnaugust.com/Assets/wonkafire.jpg)
](http://wwws.warnerbros.co.uk/movies/chocolatefactory/?frompromo=movies_comingsoon_charlieandthechocolatefactory#)Warner Bros. UK has a new [teaser trailer](http://wwws.warnerbros.co.uk/movies/chocolatefactory/?frompromo=movies_comingsoon_charlieandthechocolatefactory#) up for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It’s almost exactly the same as the US version, with the addition of some burning puppets about two-thirds of the way through, right after the lyric, “A magician and a chocolate wiz.”
“What’s the deal with those flaming puppets?” you may well ask.
Well, they were always supposed to be there. In the movie, these puppets sing the catchy-yet-annoying “Willy Wonka” song, and well, things go awry. Apparently, the US version of the teaser trailer was supposed to be identical to the UK version, but when the MPAA reviewed the trailer, they wouldn’t approve the puppets being on fire. (For whatever reason. I don’t know the details, and it’s only frustrating to speculate.)
The good news is that thanks to the web, you can see the teaser as it was meant to be. [See it here.](http://wwws.warnerbros.co.uk/movies/chocolatefactory/?frompromo=movies_comingsoon_charlieandthechocolatefactory#)