A Hollywood Producer Reborn; Harry Shearer Screens His Doc

As a Hollywood producer, Simon Lewis made a handful of B-movies in the 80's and had one blockbuster credit, as co-producer of the 1989 talking-baby hit, Look Who's Talking. But in 1994 Lewis was in a horrific car accident and lost everything. A KCRW UnFictional story covers that accident and his recovery in more detail. The Business looks at the Hollywood side of the story because 17 years later, saddled with a couple of bizarre neurological conditions, Lewis is trying to break back in to the business.

Then we sit down with Harry Shearer to talk about self-distributing The Big Uneasy, the documentary about the flooding of New Orleans. After releasing the movie for one night on the fifth anniversary of Katrina in August, 2010, he hoped to get it into theaters through traditional means of distribution but that proved harder than expected. So he enlisted the help of Eddie Schmidt, producer of documentaries like This Film Is Not Yet Rated, who devised an alternative distribution method for Shearer's movie involving theatrical runs in independent theaters with Shearer opening the film. The film is currently available on DVD and VOD on most cable providers.

You can chat live with Simon Lewis on TED.com, September 27 at 10.30am PDT. Go to TED.com for more details. And Simon Lewis will be doing a book signing of Rise and Shine at the Barnes & Noble on Westwood Boulevard in LA on October 13 at 4pm.

Today's Banter Topics:

Motion Picture Academy make new rules on Oscar Campaigning

The highs and lows of the new Fall TV season

Netflix Drama: the announcement of Qwikster, it's alienation of customers, and the Neflix apology video