Daniel Pyne's Blog

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Uncredited rewrite of an early HBO movie.  One that got away.

Director, co-writer with John Mankiewicz.  A busted pilot that we convinced Paramount we could turn into an indie movie.  And we did.

As a story editor on Miami Vice for the first season and a half, I was lucky enough to write not only the very first one hour episode, but also the two-hour season two opening episode.  It was a wild ride.

Publishers Weekly Starred Review of Catalina Eddy

Three loosely connected novellas, each focused on a homicide case, make up this gritty, darkly witty, and often bitter California noir from Pyne (Fifty Mice)…Pyne’s wounded characters walk their mean streets honorably in this compelling account of attempts to find sense in a senseless world.

CLICK HERE to read the full review.

Kirkus Review of Catalina Eddy

The Catalina Eddy sets in, and lust, greed, racism, and corruption come ashore. Like the Santa Ana wind, the Catalina Eddy can affect behavior and attitude. The “June gloom” it brings is the background of these three linked novellas. The first begins with a bang…three engaging and satisfying adventures. A worthy addition to the shelf, between “noir” and now.

CLICK HERE for the full review.

This was a short-lived series I created for CBS, that aired in 1991.  Lauren Holly, David Andrews, prosecutor and a criminal defense attorney … kind of a post-modern Adam’s Rib.  12 Episodes.  RIP.

I love this movie, but can’t really take much credit for it.  My friend Mike Tollin was the producer, and asked me, after they began shooting, for some dialogue help with a few of the climactic scenes.  After I was done, in lieu of payment, I had Paramount Studios build a batting cage at Pan Pacific Park in mid-city Los Angeles, for the kids who play baseball there.  Seemed appropriate.  And the cage is still there.

I did a late production rewrite to address notes from Denzel Washington on this film.  I was even called to the set to make adjustments on a scene as it was shooting.  I discovered later that the original writer had continued to work on a parallel version of the screenplay while I was doing mine, a serious violation of protocol for the WGA.  In the end, I decided not to arbitrate for credit.  Working with Denzel was incredible, the rest is best forgotten.

While we were looking for directors on Manchurian Candidate, producer Scott Rudin asked if I could help find a new ending for Changing Lanes.  They’d tried several none had worked.  It was classic Greek tragedy, escalating revenge, but the bitter, bleak endings simply did not hold in a modern story.  It asked for some resolution, some catharsis and escape from the spiraling conflict.  I spent a week in a tiny dark room at the W Hotel in New York, wrote a series of linking scenes, met Jonatha...