In an endearing scene, Harlan Ellison explains (and gets worked up over) DVD extras for Babylon 5 and why he should be paid for interviews used. It’s only right
When I was an undergraduate in the first day of an upper-divsion creative writing class, the professor had us write our manifestos as our introductions. Much of what I wrote for mine was “blah, blah, blah” except for one thing—I wanted to be a paid dreamer. Perhaps its the biggest pipe dream I ever had, but the flamboyant, pugnacious, and prolific author Harlan Ellison had been paid to dream and share for decades. Also, he’s known for much of his opinions, solicited or not, and his fights, as seen in A Dreamer with Sharp Teeth.
For any writer, this documentary is a definite must-see. As much as Ellison runs his mouth off, he does a what a writer is supposed to do—write. Also, he’s on point, whether he’s discussing using the mind or what it is to be a professional writer, as shown in a scene where he discusses Warner Brothers wanting to use interviews with him for DVD extras for Babylon 5 without paying him. Ellison puts up a fight, of course, but only because he believes he is right. And he is. Gotta love him for that.
Tags: documentaries, Harlan Ellison, Netflix
