tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post6189211621780299491..comments2023-11-05T07:45:02.082-05:00Comments on Mystery Man on Film: Breakdown - Inside ManMystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-82007354621295467312010-05-03T04:13:51.768-04:002010-05-03T04:13:51.768-04:00Sohbet Siteleri | Chat Siteleri | Sohbet | Mynet S...<a href="http://www.sohbetizm.net" rel="nofollow">Sohbet Siteleri</a> | <a href="http://www.sohbetizm.net" rel="nofollow">Chat Siteleri</a> | <a href="http://www.sohbetizm.net" rel="nofollow">Sohbet</a> | <a href="http://www.sohbetizm.net" rel="nofollow">Mynet Sohbet</a> | <a href="http://www.sohbetizm.net" rel="nofollow">Sohbet Odaları</a> | <a href="http://www.sohbetizm.net" rel="nofollow">iStanbul Sohbet</a> | <a href="http://www.sohbetizm.net" rel="nofollow">iStanbul Chat</a> | <a href="http://www.chatbul.net" rel="nofollow">Chat</a> | <a href="http://www.askainat.com" rel="nofollow">Mynet Sohbet</a> | <a href="http://www.idealsohbet.org" rel="nofollow">Sohbet Odaları</a> | <a href="http://www.sohbetsev.net" rel="nofollow">Mynet Sohbet</a>sohbet odalarıhttp://www.sohbetizm.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-59293808480508272182007-07-09T21:10:00.000-04:002007-07-09T21:10:00.000-04:00Ooohhh. Directing the Director. Sounds intriguin...Ooohhh. Directing the Director. Sounds intriguing.<BR/><BR/>And more film breakdowns to come. Hooray!Mimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11590214841424958129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-33036540888849890212007-07-09T11:55:00.000-04:002007-07-09T11:55:00.000-04:00Oh, and Len, I'll be happy to post any breakdown s...<I>Oh, and Len, I'll be happy to post any breakdown studies you do.</I><BR/>Thanks MM. :)<BR/><BR/><I>I also plan on doing my own script-to-screen study of a favorite film of mine. It's my first! I'm excited.</I><BR/>Excellent!crosswordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10495338772991002583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-19610436159688152552007-07-09T11:04:00.000-04:002007-07-09T11:04:00.000-04:00Oh, and Len, I'll be happy to post any breakdown s...Oh, and Len, I'll be happy to post any breakdown studies you do.<BR/><BR/>I also plan on doing my own script-to-screen study of a favorite film of mine. It's my first! I'm excited.<BR/><BR/>-MMMystery Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-25517361721914302162007-07-09T11:02:00.000-04:002007-07-09T11:02:00.000-04:00Hey guys,I've pointedly stayed out of this discuss...Hey guys,<BR/><BR/>I've pointedly stayed out of this discussion, because DARNIT, I've been working on a "Directing the Director" article. And I want to get this article out before we start the exposition study next month. I've got A LOT to say on this subject.<BR/><BR/>-MMMystery Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-75686970811459275612007-07-09T10:17:00.000-04:002007-07-09T10:17:00.000-04:00I'd like to see another perspective on one of thes...<I>I'd like to see another perspective on one of these, even if it's a different film.</I><BR/><BR/>Okey-doke, Mim you're on! I have about 400 DVDs so will have to ponder and select, watch and then scribble :)crosswordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10495338772991002583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-18486700741787137732007-07-09T08:28:00.000-04:002007-07-09T08:28:00.000-04:00Thanks, Mickey Lee. I had quite forgotten about t...Thanks, Mickey Lee. I had quite forgotten about the script to screen breakdown of Taxi Driver that MM put me up to. The most noticeable difference is that the scenes in the film are put together in a completely different order than on the page.<BR/><BR/>Did Scorsese shoot it "in order" and then re-cut it? Or did he ask Schraeder to reorganize it during the pre-production re-write?<BR/><BR/>And, Len, if you want to do one of these, I would love to read it. I'd like to see another perspective on one of these, even if it's a different film.Mimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11590214841424958129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-71864552821210388192007-07-09T01:26:00.000-04:002007-07-09T01:26:00.000-04:00Most excellent! I've started to scrawl these mysel...Most excellent! I've started to scrawl these myself on occasion whenever I see a film but I feel bad about publishing any of them because they're Mim's gig, ya know?<BR/><BR/>But the ones here and out on TS are very thoughtful and revealing. Quite unique.crosswordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10495338772991002583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-70083417234227405842007-07-08T22:23:00.000-04:002007-07-08T22:23:00.000-04:00MiriamGreat work! I really enjoyed this. One thi...Miriam<BR/><BR/>Great work! I really enjoyed this. One thing I liked about "The Inside Man" was that it had this very loose feel, and yet, not a wasted scene. It's been my impression that Spike Lee does a much better job telling other people's stories than he does when he's a writer/director.<BR/><BR/>I should probably know better, but just to weigh in on the discussion....<BR/><BR/>I agree with Miriam as far as the authorship of a film is concerned. The director is the number one indicator of how the film is going to turn out. <BR/><BR/>People go on and on about Charlie Kaufman, but let's not forget that Spike Jonze has a unique visual style that was paired with Kaufman's zany scripts for a reason. And Kaufman is also referred to ad nauseum because he is a very unique case. There's very few screenwriters that have star power. In fact, he may be the only one.<BR/><BR/>I'll analogize like this: There's this book that my 2 year old son loves, "Hop on Pop" by Dr. Seuss. Seuss is the author, as we all know.<BR/><BR/>Daddy reads the story, and although he gives it the old college try, it's a fairly dry performance.<BR/><BR/>Mommy reads the story, makes all the funny voices, sing songs the lines, etc. Who do you think my son chooses to read the book for him every night?<BR/><BR/>In each case, neither one of us wrote the material, but it was Mommy's power as a storyteller that carried the day for our son. She's the director.<BR/><BR/>And let's not forget how much of the "writing" is actually done in the editing room, long after the film is in post-production. You wanna guess who's standing over the editor's shoulder? I'll give ya a hint, it's not the writer.<BR/><BR/>One of the reasons that writers, such as Kaufman, decide to become directors is because they are tired of being shut out of the storytelling process. Everyone's interpretation of a script is different -- just one peak at the reviews on TS can tell you that -- so writers that have moved up higher on the food chain are happy to grab the director's hat and not let any more of their puppies get killed.Mickey Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00412489099199994379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-58298813993237894872007-07-08T17:25:00.000-04:002007-07-08T17:25:00.000-04:00No doubt screenwriters are disempowered, which is ...No doubt screenwriters are disempowered, which is one reason I celebrate this blog (and Unk's) for highlighting the contribution of screenwriters and the value of doing what they do and how well they do it . . . hopefully it will inspire a cool revolution . . . I direct as well as write, and I think every aspect of it should be studied . . . <BR/><BR/>It's not just that a director choses a story to direct, but also a writer at some point chooses to write it . . . Kaufmann originally wrote BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, according to what I heard, because he fantasized about cheating on his wife . . . he wrote that to get it out of his system . . . he's also been fortunate to work with directors who get him . . . but those directors have also been fortune that Charlie decided to write screenplays . . . <BR/><BR/>And I would note that many writer-directors are nominated for Oscars because it's one way of protecting the script . . . <BR/><BR/>The thing is, if no one wrote anything, the directors wouldn't have a whole lot to do . . . <BR/><BR/>BTW, have you read John Irving's book called MY MOVIE BUSINESS where he discusses adapting CIDER HOUSE RULES? Great book, and fast, too. <BR/><BR/>The less said about SIMON BIRCH, the better . . . it's always a wonder that a director believes they know more about a book than the novelist who actually wrote it . . .Joshua Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08239067667651048280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-18943935086712448222007-07-08T16:21:00.000-04:002007-07-08T16:21:00.000-04:00I don't mind agreeing to disagree, but that's pret...I don't mind agreeing to disagree, but that's pretty much why I'm studying directors, not writers. Part of what makes a great director is choosing a great script and working with the writer to put his own stamp on it.<BR/><BR/>Some directors, like Ron Howard, work with the same writers on nearly every film. If you look on IMDB, many of the "great" directors also have writing credit on their scripts.<BR/><BR/>I think part of being a successful writer is being able to collaborate with the director who is going to turn your script into a movie. We've all heard stories of writers who get cut out of the production and another writer is brought in to "give their script a final polish." In a lot of cases, you can argue that it's because of ego, but sometimes don't you think it might be because the writer doesn't want to make certain changes.<BR/><BR/>Of course, sometimes those changes would harm the story. The famous case of Simon Birch, which started out as A Prayer for Owen Meany, comes to mind. John Irwin had successfully worked on two of his other novels to turn them into scripts. He just ran up against a director who wanted to do things with his novel that he felt would harm the story.<BR/><BR/>He was right, of course, which is why the title was changed. It was the only bit of power he was able to wield. The property was already sold and the contracts were already signed. Bummer for John.<BR/><BR/>It's the directors who have power in Hollywood, and very rarely the writers. We write and sell at their whim. The story starts out as ours, but it ends up as theirs.Mimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11590214841424958129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-30054462157292575342007-07-08T15:24:00.000-04:002007-07-08T15:24:00.000-04:00Having worked with two directors on a couple scrip...Having worked with two directors on a couple scripts myself, one of which is an adaptation of a book which I adapted as per their request, I can honestly say otherwise . . . but that's me, we can agree to disagree . . . <BR/><BR/>Maybe someday I'll get a chance to ask Spike myself - I hope too, anyway . . .Joshua Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08239067667651048280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-83441789714728288222007-07-08T15:15:00.000-04:002007-07-08T15:15:00.000-04:00Having worked with two directors on scripts that I...Having worked with two directors on scripts that I wrote at their request, I have to say that Lee is truly the author of the film. The writer is only the author of the script.<BR/><BR/>I'm a screenwriter. I don't harbor any illusions about ever directing movies.Mimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11590214841424958129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-74765494722191616712007-07-08T14:17:00.000-04:002007-07-08T14:17:00.000-04:00Again, I'm really being nitpicky about the issue (...Again, I'm really being nitpicky about the issue (tho' I do believe that the authorship issue is not a small one) and would like to say again how much I enjoyed your very thorough and thought-out analysis . . . truly great stuff.Joshua Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08239067667651048280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-51906167541343259712007-07-08T14:13:00.000-04:002007-07-08T14:13:00.000-04:00Right, but it's not HIS story . . . he didn't auth...Right, but it's not HIS story . . . he didn't author it, merely shot it . . . the fact that the story jibes with his personal politics (what we know of them, anyway) is besides the point. <BR/><BR/>I'm being nitpicky, of course, it is an excellent breakdown . . . <BR/>But I commend you on pointing out that there are two protags and the big reveal is exactly that . . . they're not protag and antog, etc . . . <BR/><BR/>but you have many instances where you mention things like, "Spike really doesn't like cops", which I find interesting in that, again he didn't write it and also, the hero is a police detective. <BR/><BR/>He didn't write it, though . . . he's not the author of it . . . the fact he chose to present some scenes in his fashion or cut others doesn't change the fact that Spike didn't write it. <BR/><BR/>There are some rather interesting articles out there about the screenwriter, if I recall, and how he came up with the story. <BR/><BR/>If another director directed this script, it would have essentially the same discoveries . . . they would be presented in different ways, perhaps, and if Sidney Lument or Sydney Pollack directed them, a different flavor - but I maintain that they would be essentially the same story and the same movie . . . <BR/><BR/>Writers are authors . . . . directors are presenters of the stories . . . <BR/><BR/>Lee tells us stuff only because someone wrote down a scene for him to tell . . . <BR/><BR/>Now Lee is a great writer, and when he does write a scene (HE GOT GAME, for instance) you know it's in his voice . . . this movie, which dealt with themes and ideas and a location obviously dear to Lee's heart, which explains why he chose to direct it, does not have that voice . . . it has the voice of another writer . . . and with all due respect, I feel it belittles the good job that writer did on that script by assigning authorship to Lee. <BR/><BR/>I'd bet Lee would say the same . . .Joshua Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08239067667651048280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-69664185075823737912007-07-08T13:47:00.000-04:002007-07-08T13:47:00.000-04:00The writer writes the story and the cinematographe...The writer writes the story and the cinematographer recommends the camera shots, but it's up to the director how he wants to present it. He is the last one to "touch" it. Trust me. It's definitely Spike Lee showing and telling us these things. He assembled a team of people who would help him present HIS vision, not show their own.Mimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11590214841424958129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-35151439866821713752007-07-08T11:51:00.000-04:002007-07-08T11:51:00.000-04:00excellent . . . the only minor quibble I would hav...excellent . . . the only minor quibble I would have is the tendency to say that "Lee tells us" and "Lee means" as tho' Lee were the author of the story . . . Lee directed the movie, but he didn't write it. <BR/><BR/>I say that with much love to Spike, an Oscar nominated scribe in his own right, but he didn't write this movie . . . <BR/><BR/>other than that, a great breakdown and I thoroughly enjoyed this . . .Joshua Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08239067667651048280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-25011405562666584762007-07-08T00:24:00.000-04:002007-07-08T00:24:00.000-04:00Man, I wish blogger had a "cut" feature... ... wil...Man, I wish blogger had a "cut" feature... <BR/><BR/><BR/>... will read this later in the week when I have time.Laura Deerfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06481017193764065233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-4913809398039755972007-07-07T23:26:00.000-04:002007-07-07T23:26:00.000-04:00Oh wow! Awesome clips, MM. It's hard to convey h...Oh wow! Awesome clips, MM. It's hard to convey how great that song was with mere words. I also found a few mistakes I made. The scene I thought was one shot actually had cuts in it. Oh well.<BR/><BR/>The hook in this film is perfectly placed. Once you see and hear Dalton, and then the opening titles start, you're primed to watch.Mimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11590214841424958129noreply@blogger.com