tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-304133832024-03-13T09:12:33.792-04:00Mystery Man on FilmScreenwriting news and in-depth analysis from a devoted, yet mysterious, student of the craft.Mystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.comBlogger627125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-16615320886599272542009-11-03T15:32:00.000-05:002009-11-03T15:32:05.315-05:00101 Best Of MM Articles!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SvCOXCKct1I/AAAAAAAAFPs/Vt9h94ghMng/s1600-h/MMmaybe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SvCOXCKct1I/AAAAAAAAFPs/Vt9h94ghMng/s320/MMmaybe.jpg" vr="true" /></a></div><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hey guys,<br />
<br />
I’m back for one last post – links to 101 of my best articles!<br />
<br />
Who needs film school?<br />
<br />
-MM</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SRJ738iRZJI/AAAAAAAADBM/YLpVBSGjtlo/s1600-h/Shoes.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265407115422426258" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SRJ738iRZJI/AAAAAAAADBM/YLpVBSGjtlo/s320/Shoes.JPG" style="display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 317px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/06/cinematic-storytelling.html">Cinematic Storytelling</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">I read</span> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/193290705X?tag=mysmanonfil-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=193290705X&adid=07QQ886PBV9DE3NMA3Y7&">Cinematic Storytelling</a><span style="color: #0c343d;">, which was written by the great Jennifer Van Sijll, and I just LOVED IT. This should be in the library of every aspiring screenwriter on the planet and every single technique should be memorized backwards and forwards. Period. This book is exactly what the screenwriting community needs right now.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/07/art-of-visual-storytelling.html">The Art of Visual Storytelling</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">…reminds me of a quote by Ingmar Bergman’s Swedish cinematographer, Sven Nykvist: <em>The truth always lies in the character’s eyes. It is very important to light so the audience can see what’s behind each character’s eyes. That’s how the audience gets to know them as human beings. It opens up their souls.</em></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/07/visual-storytelling-part-ii.html">Visual Storytelling, Part II</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To sum it up - if we are to take from all of those straight, rigid lines that John, like Harry Caul, is perhaps a rational, technically competent, detached, and remote individual, then the image on the television tells us that there is something very disturbing at the core of his "dilemma."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/11/completely-visual-screenplay.html">The Completely Visual Screenplay</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Creative writing exercises are good for the writer's soul. We never do them enough. Billy Wilder did "limbering up writing exercises" every morning of his life by imagining more and more original ways in which a young couple could meet for the first time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/11/write-shots.html">Write the Shots!</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s not enough that we, as screenwriters, must have a god-like knowledge about the story we wrote and about the art of storytelling, characters, dialogue, and structure. Screenwriters are filmmakers, too, and we have to think like filmmakers and endeavor to render our stories CINEMATICALLY, which means that we should write the shots.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/12/locations-locations-locations.html">Locations, Locations, Locations</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is such a pet peeve of mine when writers are so thoughtless, unoriginal, and uncreative about locations in their scripts. (Or they keep returning to the same boring location again and again. Or a protagonist goes halfway around the world to Italy only to spend the majority of the time in a hotel room. Are you kidding me..?)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/02/examples-of-cinematic-storytelling.html">Examples of Cinematic Storytelling</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Reading this for the first time was such a revelation to me. I love the way Towne uses Secondary Headings to cut back and forth between Gittes and Mulwray. In the hands of lesser writers, this sequence could have been a bear to read and follow. With a pro like Robert Towne, it’s simple, seamless, and visual. As far as I’m concerned, there was no other way to write this sequence.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/02/more-cinematic-storytelling.html">More Cinematic Storytelling</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is brings to mind the scene in Citizen Kane, where Kane, having just learned from his guardian, Thatcher, that the crash of ’29 wiped out his estate, paces along the Z-Axis and walks from the foreground to the background and back to the foreground again. Orson Welles communicated visually without one word of dialogue that Kane had returned to a state of boyhood. Great!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/03/minghella-on-page.html">Minghella on the Page</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love the simplicity of this visual statement about Ripley. The light and darkness say it all about Ripley’s arc with crystal clarity. This is also the one and only time I can recall Minghella actually referencing the camera.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/09/visual-storytelling-kieslowskis-blue.html">Kieslowski’s <em>Blue</em></a></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Throughout the film, you’d see blue lights reflected on her face, particularly the glass crystals she carried with her, which she ripped from the blue chandelier that hung in her daughter’s bedroom. That was the only thing from her past she could not let go. The light on her face signified the ghosts of her past, the presence of memory.</span><br />
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<div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SvCEA33NLXI/AAAAAAAAFOo/QVfC5XRv2Uc/s1600-h/Charlize_Theron3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SvCEA33NLXI/AAAAAAAAFOo/QVfC5XRv2Uc/s320/Charlize_Theron3.jpg" vr="true" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/09/character-depth-articles.html">Art of CHARACTER DEPTH!</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I’m sure all of you fanatical students of screenwriting know, one of the ways you create depth is by constructing contradictions in the character. For example, a character talks one way but BEHAVES another way. Or a character ACTS one way but at his/her core, that person’s True Character is in fact, something very different.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">See my character depth descriptions of</span> <a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/09/cyrano-de-bergerac.html">Cyrano de Bergerac</a><span style="color: #0c343d;">,</span> <a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/11/character-depth-michael-corleone.html">Michael Corleone</a><span style="color: #0c343d;">, and </span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/10/character-depth-lois-lane.html">Lois Lane</a><span style="color: #0c343d;">.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/03/character-development-sheet.html">Character Development Sheet</a><span style="color: #0c343d;">, which includes articles on</span> <a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/03/backstory.html">Backstory</a><span style="color: #0c343d;">,</span> <a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/03/character-goals.html">Character Goals</a><span style="color: #0c343d;">,</span> <a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/04/inner-conflict.html">Inner Conflict</a><span style="color: #0c343d;">,</span> <a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/06/character-arcs.html">Character Arc</a><span style="color: #0c343d;">,</span> <a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/07/character-depth-cast-design.html">Character Depth</a><span style="color: #0c343d;">, and </span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/07/character-depth-cast-design.html">Cast Design</a><span style="color: #0c343d;">.</span></span><br />
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<div align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SvCEvLbLGpI/AAAAAAAAFOw/PMKt0kIXiww/s1600-h/MysteryMan_by_DaemonGFXvoid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SvCEvLbLGpI/AAAAAAAAFOw/PMKt0kIXiww/s320/MysteryMan_by_DaemonGFXvoid.jpg" vr="true" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/02/stanley-kubricks-napoleon.html">A 9-Part Script Review on Stanley Kubrick’s <em>Napoleon</em></a><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">Time and again, in scene after scene, Stanley uses his own style of poetic cinema in which he shows us one thing on the screen but he makes us hear something quite different that undercuts the meaning of what we are seeing.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><em>Batman vs. Superman</em> (</span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/01/script-review-batman-vs-superman.html">Part One</a> <span style="color: #0c343d;">&</span> <a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/01/part-2-batman-vs-superman.html">Part Two</a><span style="color: #0c343d;">)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">A 3-part series on</span> <a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/09/batman-year-one.html"><em>Batman: Year One</em></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">A 3-part series on</span> <a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/11/clash-of-titans-complete-series.html"><em>Clash of the Titans</em></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">A 3-part series on</span> <a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/10/hitman-complete-series.html"><em>Hitman</em></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/08/ikiru-revisited.html"><em>Ikiru</em></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/05/script-review-fahrenheit-451.html">Fahrenheit 451</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Donner's impeccalbe vision of </span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/12/donners-superman-ii.html"><em>Superman II</em></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">That notorious</span> <a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/10/crossroads-review.html">"Crossroads" Review</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/01/how-to-write-constructive-review.html">How to Write a Constructive Review</a></span><br />
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<div align="center"><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Rify-zeCkoI/AAAAAAAAAXc/QZoalsSJhuc/s1600-h/mystery_1a.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5055276267528688258" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Rify-zeCkoI/AAAAAAAAAXc/QZoalsSJhuc/s320/mystery_1a.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">3 articles from my </span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/07/art-of-subtext.html">Art of SUBTEXT!</a> <span style="color: #0c343d;">Series:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/04/film-noir-subtext-of-gilda.html">Film Noir & the Subtext of <em>Gilda</em></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Subtext in </span><em><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/10/subtext-apocalypse-now-redux.html">Apocalypse Now Redux</a></em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Subtext in </span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/09/subtext-birth.html"><em>Birth</em></a></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SvCMT-qu6XI/AAAAAAAAFPE/do0gmGxf6S4/s1600-h/3907396904_d42d5d5fc6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SvCMT-qu6XI/AAAAAAAAFPE/do0gmGxf6S4/s320/3907396904_d42d5d5fc6.jpg" vr="true" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/01/top-ten-format-mistakes.html">Top Ten Format Mistakes</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/10/secondary-headings.html">Secondary Headings</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/08/side-topic-perfect-formatting.html">Side-Topic: Perfect Formatting</a></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SvCNLU2g0gI/AAAAAAAAFPM/vCIqOvU7tS4/s1600-h/230-15web-indiana-silhoutte_standalone_prod_affiliate_91.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SvCNLU2g0gI/AAAAAAAAFPM/vCIqOvU7tS4/s320/230-15web-indiana-silhoutte_standalone_prod_affiliate_91.jpg" vr="true" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/03/raiders-story-conference.html">The <em>Raiders</em> Story Conference</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/05/50-flaws-of-indy-iv.html">50 Flaws of <em>Indy IV</em></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/06/50-strengths-of-darabonts-draft.html">50 Strengths of Darabont's Draft</a></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SvCMRVk48FI/AAAAAAAAFO8/5KwBYrU9LoM/s1600-h/1891341636_de50ef211b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SvCMRVk48FI/AAAAAAAAFO8/5KwBYrU9LoM/s320/1891341636_de50ef211b.jpg" vr="true" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/08/exposition-of-rear-window.html">The Exposition of <em>Rear Window</em></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/10/elements-of-suspense.html">Elements of Suspense</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/11/john-michael-hayes-lucky-bastard.html">John Michael Hayes, Lucky Bastard</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><em>Mary Rose</em> </span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/03/script-review-mary-rose.html">Part One</a> <span style="color: #0c343d;">&</span> <a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/03/mary-rose-part-two.html">Part Two</a></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SvCN762oB3I/AAAAAAAAFPc/5EvEJSqeN3I/s1600-h/movie_theater_curtain-filtered.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SvCN762oB3I/AAAAAAAAFPc/5EvEJSqeN3I/s320/movie_theater_curtain-filtered.jpg" vr="true" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/12/never-ever-sell-yourself-short.html">Never ever sell yourself short</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/09/wheres-screenwriting-revolution.html">Where’s the Screenwriting Revolution?</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">2-Part Series on </span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/05/sex-in-screenwriting.html">Sex in Screenwriting</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/12/on-adaptations.html">On Adaptations</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/12/in-praise-of-jean-pierre-melville.html">In Praise of Jean-Pierre Melville</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/05/fatal-flaws-in-screenwriting.html">Fatal Flaws in Screenwriting</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/07/even-shakespeare-failed.html">Even Shakespeare Failed</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/07/kurosawa-on-screenwriting.html">Kurosawa on Screenwriting</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/07/morality-exposition-adverbs.html">“Morality,” Exposition, & Adverbs</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/03/timid-screenwriter.html">The Timid Screenwriter</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/02/trust-reader.html">Trust the Reader</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/02/that-oh-so-unsympathetic-hedda-gabler.html">That Oh-So-Unsympathetic Hedda Gabler</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/12/rip-harold-pinter.html">R.I.P. Harold Pinter</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/03/nature-of-todays-storytelling-debate.html">The Nature of Today's Storytelling Debate</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/12/art-of-dialects.html">The Art of Dialects</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/11/todays-sermon-quantum-of-solace.html">Today’s Sermon: “Quantum of Solace”</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/09/on-breaking-structure.html">On Breaking Structure</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/08/eyes-wide-shut.html">Eyes Wide Shut</a></em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/08/look-at-dark-knight-script.html">A Look at <em>The Dark Knight</em> Script</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/08/screenwriting-state-of-emergency.html">A Screenwriting State of Emergency!</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/11/writers-strike-great-big-elephant-in.html">The Writers Strike & The Great Big Elephant in the Room</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/04/breathing-room-in-films.html">Breathing Room in Films</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/04/formula-freaks.html">Formula Freaks</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/04/question-of-exposition.html">The Question of Exposition</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/10/close-ups-baby.html">Close-ups, Baby!</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/07/goodbye-lois.html">Goodbye, Lois</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/09/lives-of-others.html">The Lives of Others</a></em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/06/satire-protag-serial-killer.html">Satire & the Protag Serial Killer</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/05/long-time-ago.html">A Long Time Ago...</a> <span style="color: #0c343d;">(for the <em>Star Wars</em> Blog-a-thon)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/05/psycho-shower-scene.html">The <em>Psycho</em> Shower Scene!</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/03/godfather.html">The Godfather</a></em> <span style="color: #0c343d;">(for the blog-a-thon)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/04/great-ones-that-failed.html">The Great Ones That Failed</a> <span style="color: #0c343d;">(for the blog-a-thon)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/03/15000-useful-phrases.html">15,000 Useful Phrases</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/02/reverse-arc.html">The Reverse Arc</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/12/melodrama.html">Melodrama</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/10/great-voice-over-debate.html">The Great Voice Over Debate</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/12/merciless-logicians-sliding-scale-of.html">Merciless Logicians & The Sliding Scale of Plausibility</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/10/characters-as-individuals.html">Characters as Individuals</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/07/weak-characters-in-comedies.html">Weak Characters in Comedies</a></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SvCOAuu2_XI/AAAAAAAAFPk/PZaoAh3SzdQ/s1600-h/film_projector4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SvCOAuu2_XI/AAAAAAAAFPk/PZaoAh3SzdQ/s320/film_projector4.jpg" vr="true" /></a><br />
</div><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>And finally…</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/07/further-revelations-of-man-of-mystery.html">Further Revelations of the Man of Mystery</a></span>Mystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.com60tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-55406984254772058892009-09-05T12:21:00.031-04:002009-09-05T12:30:32.504-04:00I've moved!<span style="color: blue;"></span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hey guys,</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ve moved! You can find me at</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mysteryman.org/">http://www.mysteryman.org/</a> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>About the new site</strong>:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #073763;">- I was finding that most of the things I used to blog about ("news," "around blogosphere," "check out this article" type posts) I </span><a href="http://twitter.com/MMonFilm">now tweet</a><span style="color: #073763;">, which doesn't take up as much time. This new site will be premium content only, which means true articles written by me.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #073763;">- A comments section for articles is a feature they're still developing and should be available in a couple of months. Until then, talk to me </span><a href="http://twitter.com/MMonFilm">on Twitter</a><span style="color: #073763;">.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Those who were receiving e-mail notifications for the old blog will continue to get e-mails about new articles. If you'd like to sign up, just send me an e-mail, and I'll add you to my distribution list (mysterymants@hotmail.com)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #073763;">- I will also post new articles on </span><a href="http://scriptmag.blogspot.com/">Script Mag's blog</a><span style="color: #073763;"> if you or someone you know is not be able to view the site.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- One of the old books is an "easter egg" you can click. Eventually, you'll be able to click all of the old books.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- There are many valid reasons to complain about the new site - no RSS feed, no search function, no archives, and no url's for individual articles. So sorry but I need to do something a whole lot more creative and fun than what I had before. I hope you'll have fun with me.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">-MM</span>Mystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-11261692129580419752009-08-22T11:22:00.008-04:002009-08-22T12:09:30.732-04:00Until we meet again…<p></p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SpAUtapYguI/AAAAAAAAFNw/wQneOT7uKac/s1600-h/img485.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372817125932565218" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SpAUtapYguI/AAAAAAAAFNw/wQneOT7uKac/s320/img485.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">Hey guys,<br /><br />I think it’s time for a new website, don’t you? Nothing terribly ground-breaking, just a little more organized, a little flashier. So we are devoting all of our energies to the as yet unnamed site, which I will announce here in due time. Until then, you can catch me </span><a href="http://twitter.com/MMonFilm"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">on Twitter</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">.<br /><br />In fact, I tweeted last night about smoking my first Cuban cigar. Above is a pic of me holding the soft, smooth, almost leathery, Cohiba Cubana that was accompanied by some Courvoisier VSOP Cognac. Below are pics of our special spot, which was heart-stoppingly gorgeous. The old man (twice my age) is my contact for all cigar-related needs. He’s pretty well-connected and hilarious.<br /><br />Until we meet again,<br /><br />-MM<br /><br />-------------------------<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SpAXjz2iMgI/AAAAAAAAFN4/nqlN5d-jxes/s1600-h/img488.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372820259434803714" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SpAXjz2iMgI/AAAAAAAAFN4/nqlN5d-jxes/s320/img488.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SpAUVGzq0-I/AAAAAAAAFNo/pEe--tUoeoM/s1600-h/img494.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372816708290139106" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SpAUVGzq0-I/AAAAAAAAFNo/pEe--tUoeoM/s320/img494.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SpAUUxYqTmI/AAAAAAAAFNg/YVUjMwaf8AA/s1600-h/img496.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372816702539714146" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SpAUUxYqTmI/AAAAAAAAFNg/YVUjMwaf8AA/s320/img496.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SpAUBLReyhI/AAAAAAAAFNY/nJPj-CdOu50/s1600-h/img502.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 256px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372816365891537426" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SpAUBLReyhI/AAAAAAAAFNY/nJPj-CdOu50/s320/img502.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SpAUAl8SSCI/AAAAAAAAFNQ/HfFhuiQHags/s1600-h/img506.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372816355870525474" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SpAUAl8SSCI/AAAAAAAAFNQ/HfFhuiQHags/s320/img506.jpg" /></a></span>Mystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-15553779614978794622009-08-14T00:45:00.010-04:002009-08-14T01:20:26.567-04:00In Celebration of Hitchcock<p></p><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SoTt5LvJTMI/AAAAAAAAFNI/GcqGEjFCMCA/s1600-h/hpsycho2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369678222391332034" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SoTt5LvJTMI/AAAAAAAAFNI/GcqGEjFCMCA/s320/hpsycho2.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">Hey guys,<br /><br />Yesterday was Alfred Hitchcock’s 110th birthday. He was born on the east of London at Leytonstone on August 13, 1899.<br /><br />To celebrate, MTV </span><a href="http://newsroom.mtv.com/2009/08/13/alfred-hitchcock/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">posted Faith No More's video</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">of "Last Cup of Sorrow,” a comical yet faithful homage to the master’s canon of great films. Lindsay Goldwert and Emily Christensen Flowers </span></span><a href="http://www.abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=8316026&page=1"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">celebrated at <em>ABC</em></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">. Megan Wedge compiled some </span><a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-10163-Denver-Creative-Arts-Examiner~y2009m8d13-Creative-Artist-of-the-Day-Happy-Birthday-to-Alfred-Hitchcock"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">quotes for <em>the Examiner</em></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">. <em>The National</em> had a nice </span><a href="http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090813/ART/708129992/-1/SPORT"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">piece on the master of suspense</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">. <em>Psycho</em> recently topped <em>Telegraph</em>’s poll of </span><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/6021124/Psycho-tops-poll-of-greatest-movie-shower-scenes.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">10 Greatest Movie Shower Scenes</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">. And I have to mention Bill Martel’s great, thoughtful ongoing series for screenwriters called </span><a href="http://sex-in-a-sub.blogspot.com/search?q=Fridays+with+hitchcock"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Fridays with Hitchcock</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">.<br /><br />The study of Hitchcock is one of the true joys of being a screenwriter or even just a cinephiliac. Of course, reading </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">Truffaut’s </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PYR1U8?ie=UTF8&tag=mysmanonfil-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000PYR1U8">Hitchcock</a></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">is a must. I personally enjoyed Steven DeRosa’s </span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FWriting-Hitchcock-Collaboration-Alfred-Michael%2Fdp%2F0571199909%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1214691282%26sr%3D1-1&tag=mysmanonfil-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Writing with Hitchcock</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">, David Freeman’s book, </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FLast-Days-Alfred-Hitchcock-Collaborator%2Fdp%2F087951728X%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1214690796%26sr%3D1-1&tag=mysmanonfil-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creativ"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The Last Days of Alfred Hitchcock</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">, and Dan Auiler’s </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0380799456?ie=UTF8&tag=mysmanonfil-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0380799456"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Hitchcock’s Notebooks</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">was quite addictive. Online, there is the </span></span><a href="http://www.hitchcockwiki.com/wiki/Main_Page"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Alfred Hitchcock Wiki</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">for enthusiasts.<br /><br />I thought I might share some of my own articles from over the years with photos of mosaics that were recently installed in the entrance corridors of Leytonstone tube station (via </span></span><a href="http://www.xerocomix.com/archives/2689"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Xerocomix</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">).<br /><br /></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SoTtvrc0YGI/AAAAAAAAFNA/s2wAPDmCIYQ/s1600-h/hbirds.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 218px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369678059105706082" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SoTtvrc0YGI/AAAAAAAAFNA/s2wAPDmCIYQ/s320/hbirds.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br />Perhaps one should begin with his philosophy on </span></span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/07/hitchcock-cinemas-purist.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Cinema’s Purity</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">:</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">In many of the films now being made, there is very little cinema: they are mostly what I call ‘photographs of people talking.’ When we tell a story in cinema, we should resort to dialog only when it’s impossible to do otherwise. I always try to tell a story in the cinematic way, through a succession of shots and bits of film in between.<br /><br />It seems unfortunate, that with the arrival of sound, the motion picture, overnight, assumed a theatrical form. The mobility of the camera doesn’t alter this fact. Even though the camera may move along the sidewalk, it’s still theatre.<br /><br />One result of this is the loss of cinematic style, and another is the loss of fantasy. In writing a screenplay, it is essential to separate clearly the dialog from the visual elements and, whenever possible, to rely more on the visual than on the dialog. Whichever way you choose to stage the action, your main concern is to hold the audience’s fullest attention.<br /><br />Summing it up, one might say that the screen rectangle must be charged with emotion.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">- from </span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FHITCHCOCK-TRUFFAUT-Definitive-Hitchcock-Truffaut%2Fdp%2FB000PYR1U8%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1215187409%26sr%3D8-1&tag=mysmanonfil-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=178"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Hitchcock by François Truffaut</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SoTtaK9Q8yI/AAAAAAAAFM4/fv_SYnoMHw8/s1600-h/hnorthbynorthwest.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 264px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369677689606173474" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SoTtaK9Q8yI/AAAAAAAAFM4/fv_SYnoMHw8/s320/hnorthbynorthwest.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Here’s a taste of a </span></span></span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/11/1939-alfred-hitchcock-lecture.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">1939 Alfred Hitchcock Lecture</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">:</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000000;">Sometimes you cannot get the characters you want to take you into these places, so you say, "All right, I will have the society woman." The next thing is, of course, what to do with her. You might say, "I would like to have her in a ship's stokehole." Your job becomes very hard, indeed! You have to be really inventive to get a society woman into a ship's stokehole, to get a situation that will lead that way, and a character who, by reason of the situation, would find herself in a ship's stokehole.<br /><br />Of course, I'd bet a lot of you would say, "It is too much trouble. Let's put her in a yacht's stokehole. A society woman is bound to go there." That, of course, is radical and you must not do it, because the moment you do, you are weakening and not being inventive.<br /><br />If you can summon up enough courage to select your background and your incidents, you will find you really have something to work out. In The Man Who Knew Too Much, I said, "I would like to do a film that starts in the winter sporting season. I would like to come to the East End of London. I would like to go to a chapel and to a symphony concert at the Albert Hall in London."<br /><br />That is a very interesting thing, you know. You create this terrific problem, and then say, "How the devil am I going to get all those things into it?" So you start off, and eventually you may have to abandon one or two events, as it might be impossible to get some of the characters into a symphony concert, or whatever it is. You say, "Well, can't Stokowski have his hair cut?" or something like that, and you try and blend the characters in the best way you can -- appear to be quite natural that all the events have taken place in those settings because it was necessary for them to do so.<br /></span><br /></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SoTtMxSyjYI/AAAAAAAAFMw/e5tYYC07DQ0/s1600-h/hskingame-480x562.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 274px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369677459378834818" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SoTtMxSyjYI/AAAAAAAAFMw/e5tYYC07DQ0/s320/hskingame-480x562.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="color:#000099;">I loved writing this article – </span></span></span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/08/exposition-of-rear-window.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The Exposition of <em>Rear Window</em></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">:</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="color:#000099;">"First, the studio had a 13-page treatment written by playwright and director Joshua Logan. To brutally simply things, Logan provided a backbone to the film, although the details were kind of weak. Jeff was a sportswriter who enjoyed playing amateur sleuth when he had the time. He broke his leg by, uhh, slipping down stairs. He had a girlfriend by the name of Trink who was struggling as an actress. He didn't think she'd ever make it, which was the source of their conflict, and he couldn't commit to a relationship. In that pivotal scene where she’s caught inside Thorwald's apartment, she 'acts' her way out convincing Jeff she's a great actress and thus, they get married.<br /><br />"When Hitch and his new writer, </span></span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/11/john-michael-hayes-lucky-bastard.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">John Michael Hayes</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">, got onboard, they made a number of significant, yet fascinating changes. They wanted to make Jeff’s occupation more EXCITING and the reason for his broken leg more DRAMATIC. Thus, they made him a photographer who was wounded in the line of duty. They also wanted a more plausible way for these two characters to meet. So he wasn’t just a photographer, but a foreign correspondent who had to do a fashion shoot and that’s how they met. I’ve said that characters come first. But when you have a great concept like <em>Rear Window</em>, I see nothing wrong with designing characters that fit perfectly into that concept..."<br /><br /></span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SoTtAhEFPCI/AAAAAAAAFMo/bajz8Z5rmJE/s1600-h/hsuspicion2.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369677248863747106" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SoTtAhEFPCI/AAAAAAAAFMo/bajz8Z5rmJE/s320/hsuspicion2.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br />I was also fascinated by Hitch’s </span></span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/06/unproduced-scripts-of-alfred-hitchcock.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Unproduced Projects</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">. This first quote comes from </span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/07/derosa-links.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">the Derosa Links</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">and a lost project called </span></span><a href="http://www.stevenderosa.com/writingwithhitchcock/italianconnection.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>R.R.R.R.</em></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">:</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">“It was about a hotel like the Plaza,” explained Hitchcock. “The manager was Italian, his mother lived in the penthouse, and his relatives held different jobs in the hotel. They were all crooks, but he himself didn’t go in for this crookery so he was blackmailed by the rest of the family. When a woman like Sophia Loren arrives with a collection of coins she wanted to sell and took a room, of course all the family have itchy fingers. So he had to fight against his own family about stealing the coins.” The title was to be <em>R.R.R.R.</em>, as Hitchcock explained, “Numismatists mark coins by the letter R. R, RR, RRR, RRRR.” No doubt, the title was to have a double-meaning, grading not only the coins to be stolen, but the leading lady as well. </span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Here’s another concept from the </span></span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/07/unproduced-hitch-complete-list.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Complete List of Unproduced Projects</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">:</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><strong><em>The Blind Man</em> (1960)<br /></strong>After the success of </span></span><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>Psycho</em></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">, Hitchcock re-teamed with </span></span><a title="Ernest Lehman" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Lehman"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Ernest Lehman</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000000;">for this original screenplay idea: A blind pianist, Jimmy Shearing (a role for </span></span><a title="James Stewart (actor)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Stewart_%28actor%29"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">James Stewart</span></a><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">), regains his sight after receiving the eyes of a dead man. Watching a </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Wild West</span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> show at </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Disneyland</span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000000;"> with his family, Shearing would have visions of being shot and would come to realize that the dead man was in fact murdered and the image of the murderer is still imprinted on the retina of his new eyes. The story would end with a chase around the ocean liner</span> </span><a title="RMS Queen Mary" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Queen_Mary"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">RMS Queen Mary</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000000;">.</span> </span><a title="Walt Disney" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Walt Disney</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000000;">purportedly barred Hitchcock from shooting at </span></span><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Disneyland</span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> after seeing </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>Psycho</em></span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000000;">. Stewart left the project, Lehman argued with Hitchcock, and the script was never shot.<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"><em>Hehehe</em>…<br /><br />I also shared a </span></span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/02/murder-scene-written-by-hitchcock.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">murder scene actually written by Hitchcock</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">which would have been for his <em>Kaleidoscope</em> project. And over here are two other <span style="color:#000000;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/11/two-fabulous-unused-hitchcock-ideas.html">fabulous, unused ideas by Hitchcock</a></span>.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SoTseGhBOcI/AAAAAAAAFMg/UlHkZVxDfho/s1600-h/hwrongman.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 238px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369676657621809602" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SoTseGhBOcI/AAAAAAAAFMg/UlHkZVxDfho/s320/hwrongman.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br />I wrote reviews for two unproduced scripts of his. This first quote comes from what would have been </span></span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/01/script-review-hitchs-short-night.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Hitch’s final film, <em>The Short Night</em></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">:<br /><br />"The film was to be an adaptation of a book called </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0213763230?ie=UTF8&tag=mysmanonfil-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0213763230"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The Short Night</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">by Ronald Kirkbride. It’s a very simple setup for a film. A British double agent (working for the communists) by the name of Gavin Brand escapes from prison. An American civilian, Joe Bailey, is persuaded (unofficially, of course) by the CIA to assassinate bad boy Gavin because Gavin had murdered his brother years ago. Joe naturally agrees. They know that Gavin will be meeting up with his wife and two sons to take them back to Russia. Find the wife and sons, and you’ll eventually find Gavin. And Joe does, indeed, find his wife, by the name of Carla Brand, on an island in Savonlinna, Finland. And while they wait for Gavin to arrive, they fall in love…"<br /><br />And this comes from an article on </span></span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/03/script-review-mary-rose.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>Mary Rose</em></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">based on the J.M. Barrie play, which I also love dearly:<br /><br />"This was the film Hitch purportedly wanted to make more than any other but the studios always refused. Biographer </span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/030680932X?ie=UTF8&tag=mysmanonfil-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=030680932X"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Donald Spoto</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">said that Hitch’s failure to make this film was “perhaps the single greatest disappointment of his creative life.” Hitch would say repeatedly in interviews that his contract with Universal allowed him to make any film so long as it cost under $3 million and so long as it wasn't <em>Mary Rose</em>. Of course, this was never verified and probably not true. In truth, the reasons why this didn’t happen are complicated, involving the Tippi Hedren fallout, the failure of <em>Marnie</em>, Hitch’s career crisis, and concerns about audience expectations of Hitch at the time."<br /><br />And finally, below, are vids from a 1964 Hitchcock interview:<br /></span><br /><object width="400" height="326"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ydvU64L758c&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ydvU64L758c&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="326"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="400" height="326"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WtWi3-eLQqY&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WtWi3-eLQqY&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="326"></embed></object></span>Mystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-48230222665200382122009-08-10T00:42:00.009-04:002009-08-10T08:17:01.098-04:00Script Review - “Balls Out”<p></p><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;color:#000000;">BALLS OUT<br /><br />A <del>Truly</del> Somewhat AWESOME Original Screenplay<br /><br />by<br /><br />THE ROBOTARD 8000</span></div></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">I can’t tell you how many e-mails I’ve received about this script. Over a hundred, I’ll bet, all asking (sometimes begging) me to do a script review. I added this to my to-do list. And God help me, the moment has arrived. So I took time out last weekend (from writing, </span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/08/tweeted-screenwriting-news.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">tweeting</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">,</span> </span></span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/07/kurosawa-on-screenwriting.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">watching the masterpieces of Kurosawa</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">, and </span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/07/even-shakespeare-failed.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">studying Shakespeare</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">) to consider a script called <em>Balls Out</em> by The Robotard 8000. </span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sn-tol38XyI/AAAAAAAAFMY/ou9bPGYZvuM/s1600-h/avatard.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 104px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 125px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368200193722048290" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sn-tol38XyI/AAAAAAAAFMY/ou9bPGYZvuM/s200/avatard.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">First, the script is available </span></span><a href="http://www.therobotard8000.com/BALLS%20OUT_WEB.pdf"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">here</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">via </span></span></span><a href="http://www.therobotard8000.com/Robotard_Main/Main.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The Robotard 8000</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">who also </span></span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/TheRobotard8000"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">twitters</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">. In fact, he has a (tasteless/insulting?) photo of an obese mentally-handicapped male with an award. You can also read his random bursts of comedy-writing: </span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">My balls, y'all.<br /><br />Though I can't taste them, I know they're salty, crunchy and delicious.<br /><br />My motherfuckin' balls.<br /><br />Y'all.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Second, a variety of individuals have sung the praises of <em>Balls Out</em>, most notably </span></span></span><a href="http://www.cinematical.com/2009/03/30/read-the-best-movie-that-youre-never-going-to-see/"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">William Goss at <em>Cinematical</em></span></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">and </span></span></span><a href="http://artfulwriter.com/?p=782"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Craig Mazin at <em>The Artful Writer</em></span></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style="color:#000099;"><span style="font-size:85%;">who wrote, “<em>Balls Out</em> isn't safe, it isn't family friendly and it might be illegal. But it made me laugh. Out loud. A LOT.”<br /><br />On the flip-side, <span style="color:#000000;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0523094/">Jeff Lowell</a></span> is quoted as saying, “<em>Balls Out</em> is a stain on the craft of screenwriting. I'm sure that I'm worse as a person for having read it. I could feel precious things slowly slipping away from me with every page I turned - my skill as a writer, my decency, my hope for humanity. Is this the kind of quote you were looking for, Robotard? Good. Now release my children, you monster!”<br /><br />And <span style="color:#000000;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0291082/">Scott Frank</a></span> reportedly said, “if you love jamming shards of broken glass into your eyeballs, then by all means tuck into <em>Balls Out</em>.”<br /><br /></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sn-tSAc1DOI/AAAAAAAAFMQ/EaPEq-TikgE/s1600-h/screenplay+scribble.JPG"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 222px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368199805719088354" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sn-tSAc1DOI/AAAAAAAAFMQ/EaPEq-TikgE/s320/screenplay+scribble.JPG" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />I will start with praise of the writer. <em>Balls Out</em> is a great title for a comedy. The grammar was surprisingly decent. I believe this writer actually has potential to create superb comedy. This is important enough to be repeated: I <em>genuinely</em> believe this writer has <em>potential</em> to create great, gut-busting comedy.<br /><br />Having said that, I found this script to be a vile, degenerate, 107-page piece of shit, about as witty as a maggot-infested corpse but only half as intelligent. At this stage of his writing career, Mr. Robotard has merely ascended to the level of comedy butcherer, and that’s it. The only way he could make any (good) money for these types of scripts is if the WGA paid him to stop writing, which isn’t an altogether bad idea. It’s a tragedy how this writer revels in the most base instincts in mankind, as well as the most brutal behavior between human beings, and calls it “comedy.” Every unbearably boring, ultra-shocking, execrable idea he can dream up is paraded across this flimsy story with such repetition that the script should be guilty of murder by monotony. A poor reader would have to swim through a football-field-sized septic tank of shit to find microcosmic evidence of wit. It’s like peering into some quaggy latrine into which every imaginable iniquity had already flowed twice-over. This is the running sore of comedy, the putrid puss of screenwriting, the rancid gangrene of storytelling. Abandon hope all ye who enter! Struggling in vain to lift yourself out of the muck, this script just sucks you in deeper.<br /><br />I know what you’re thinking: “That was so brutal, MM.” I’m being as brutally honest as Mr. Robotard was as brutal with his assault on humanity and exploitation of all things degenerate. How I wish I had stopped after reading the Title Page, which is a good starting point:</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;color:#000000;">BALLS OUT<br /><br />A <del>Truly</del> Somewhat AWESOME Original Screenplay<br /><br />by<br /><br />THE ROBOTARD 8000</span></div><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">As I said before, <em>Balls Out</em> is a great title for a comedy. Within those two words you know it’s a comedy of the outrageous gross-out variety, which is perfectly acceptable, and you also know its theme.<br /><br />But then the writer felt compelled to tell us that he’s written a TRULY SOMEWHAT AWESOME screenplay, and herein lies the first red flag - no confidence in the reader. He’s telling you what to think before you’ve even been given a chance to read the script. More than that, I’d say he has a disdain for his readers, because he doesn’t think you have the intelligence to figure out its greatness for yourself. If someone has to tell you they’re funny, they’re usually not funny. Likewise, if they have to go out of their way to tell you that what they’ve done is truly somewhat awesome, more than likely it’s shit. Overselling is a sign of no confidence in the reader.<br /><br />And then you see that the script’s written by “THE ROBOTARD 8000,” which doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. In fact, the name has the unmistakable stench of arrested development.<br /><br />If the Title Page wasn’t enough to warrant outright dismissal, this first scene will surely get the job done:</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>FADE THE FUCK IN:</strong><br /><br />A brief, painful MONTAGE establishing THE COD:<br /><br />CAPE motherfucking COD.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">What a disaster we have with just this opening scene alone. “FADE THE FUCK IN” screams immature amateur screenwriter. He incorrectly has the transitions and Master Scene Headings in bold. This is also not the proper format for a MONTAGE. Since Robotard tossed format to the wind, he has undermined confidence because he isn’t proving that he understands how a screenplay actually FUNCTIONS.<br /><br />Exactly how would this montage be “painful?” There are no specifics. While “CAPE motherfucking COD” may sound slightly funny, this does nothing to help sell the film because the visuals presented in the script are not funny. All we’re seeing is Cape Cod. Okay, so?<br /><br />So far, what has actually happened in the film? We faded in and we’re given an unspecific montage about Cape Cod. That’s it. Thus, we already have a misfire in terms of the writer trying to be funny in his action lines about something that may not translate into funny visuals. From this point forward, the reader will have to knowingly endure a mental war with the script to determine what would actually be funny in a scene despite how the writer has written the action lines.<br /><br />What’s the most important aspect about an action line? It’s not how funny it’s written. It’s THE FINAL RESULT – what winds up on the screen. You must convey with absolute clarity what we’re seeing ON THE SCREEN. Thus, Robotard communicates in his first scene that his action lines are not to be trusted. What may sound funny in his action lines may not translate into funny visuals, a poisonous thought to start with for anyone who is reading and reviewing your work. And, of course, you will find that the rest of the script is filled with a litany of unfilmmables in the action lines - incidentals, asides, backstories, inner thoughts, author’s intrusions, <em>ad nauseum</em>.<br /><br />That is, if you continue reading after that awful Title Page.<br /><br />“Okay, MM,” you’re thinking, “Enough of this nit-picky junk. Didn’t you find the script funny?”<br /><br />I never laughed once, but I frequently wanted to cry.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:courier new;color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>WE ZOOM INTO ROB’S MIND</strong><br /><br />A COMPUTER ANIMATED world of snow. The Canadian arctic. Just like in those classic Coke® commercials, we see a MOMMA POLAR BEAR and her BABY BEAR playing with a ball.<br /><br />LIVE ACTION ROB is a short distance away, watching from astride his snowmobile. </span><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">ROB<br />Awww...</span></div><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Baby Bear paws at the ball, accidentally knocking it into a hole in the ice. Baby Bear tries to reach the floating ball but has no luck. Momma Bear just smiles...“Isn’t he precious?”<br /><br />Just then, a BABY HARP SEAL pops up in the water. Locks eyes with Baby Bear. They smile, not as lovers but as friends. The tableaux is so cute it hurts.<br /><br />The fluffy white baby harp seal nudges the ball so that his new friend can retrieve it. The Baby Bear leans over the hole and...<br /><br />Without warning, the Baby Harp Seal latches onto the Baby Bear’s throat! Blood gushes from the “bahhing” Baby Bear’s mangled throat as...<br /><br />FIVE MORE BABY HARP SEALS erupt from beneath the water and pounce on the Baby Bear.<br /></span><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">ROB<br />OH, FUCK!</span></div><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Like piranha, the Baby Harp Seals ravage the Baby Bear, taking him down, consuming him even as he fights for his life. Soon there is nothing left but bone and red snow.<br /><br />Momma Bear’s eyes are wide with shock. Even MORE BABY HARP SEALS emerge from the water and swarm toward the Momma Bear. She finally comes to her senses and takes off running.<br /><br />They flop after her shockingly fast. Within seconds, they’re on her, devouring her hind quarters before she even realizes it. Momma Bear roars in agony as the reality of her pain reaches her brain...<br /><br />Rob winces as the bloodthirsty Seals finish her off, leaving nothing but a nasty swath of guts and bones. Time to leave. Rob tries to fire up his snowmobile but it won’t turn over!<br /><br />THE BABY HARP SEALS HEAR HIM!!!<br /><br />They flop towards him, a seething mass of crimson fur and teeth. Rob yanks the starter cord furiously.</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;color:#000099;">I’d suggest to you that this sequence is analogous of the entire screenplay. The Baby Seal is Robotard. The Baby Bear is comedy. And Momma Bear is the audience. Rob is Hollywood.<br /><br />I’ll go out on a limb to say that I think Robotard is at war with himself. He has that potential to achieve the heights of great comedy, but he’s sidelining himself with an obsession about ultra-shock humor, which in the context of his stories does nothing more than create abominable characters for which we feel no emotional connection. Characters come first. The hints of wit and potential, for me at least, came out in isolated moments between characters like between Jim and Jill early in the story. There’s so much more to comedy than this ultra-shock schlock, and Mr. Robotard 8000 can be so much more than this.<br /><br />Recommend: Trottier’s </span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FScreenwriters-Bible-Complete-Writing-Formatting%2Fdp%2F1879505843%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1201228109%26sr%3D8-1&tag=mysmanonfil-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Screenwriter’s Bible</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">, Helitzer’s </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1582973571?ie=UTF8&tag=mysmanonfil-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1582973571"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Comedy Writing Secrets</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">, and you can download (for free) </span><a href="http://www.topviewed.info/2009/08/screenwriting-for-dummies.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Screenwriting for Dummies</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">.<br /><br />You did NOT just say that.<br /><br />“Fuck YEAH, I did!”</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">I'm sure you're thinking “What was the story about?” My point exactly.</span></span><br /><br /><div align="right"><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;color:#000000;">FADE THE FUCK OUT.</span></div><br /><span style="font-size:85%;color:#000099;">-MM<br /><br />--------------------------<br /><br /><strong>NOTES </strong>(up to page 17):<br /><br />On the title page, get rid of “A <del>Truly</del> Somewhat AWESOME Original Screenplay.” You should never have to tell someone what to think. It’s like the guy who has to tell you, “I’m not a pervert.” If you hear that, you better hide your animals. Pg 1 – “FADE THE FUCK IN:” Here’s a thought: keep it professional. And don’t put Master Scene Headings in bold. That looks amateurish. This is also not the proper format for a MONTAGE. You have to convey in the first few pages that you understand how a screenplay FUNCTIONS and what you’ve presented here is woefully inadequate. Go buy Trottier’s </span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FScreenwriters-Bible-Complete-Writing-Formatting%2Fdp%2F1879505843%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1201228109%26sr%3D8-1&tag=mysmanonfil-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Screenwriter’s Bible</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">so that a) you know what you’re doing and b) you can build early confidence in the reader. In the action lines, keep the cursing to PG levels. “CAPE motherfucking COD” may be slightly funny to a few readers, but it does nothing for your film because all we’re seeing is Cape Cod. And thus, we already have a misfire in terms of you trying to be funny in the action lines about something that will not be funny in the film. What’s the most important thing here? THE FILM, THE FINAL PRODUCT. You’ve already conveyed the idea that what may be funny in the action lines will not translate into something funny on the big screen which is a poisonous thought to start with for anyone who is reading and reviewing your work. Just write “DAY” instead of “SUNNY DAY.” Scenes are shot for DAY or for NIGHT. Your action paragraphs should be four lines or fewer. This is wrong: </span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:courier new;color:#000000;">In the distance, we HEAR the persistent sound of a STUCK CAR HORN getting louder.<br /></span><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">“Stuck car horn” does not need to be in caps nor “hear.” Sounds do not need to be in caps. And there’s no point in “we hear” or “we see” in a spec EVER. Rewrite as:<br /></span><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:courier new;color:#000000;">In the distance is the persistent sound of a stuck car horn.<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Let’s talk about this paragraph: </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;color:#000000;">It’s a scene, man. He’s folded in half, ass submerged in the trash can, knees dangling over the side. Jim flips to the sports page, seemingly unaware of the slack-jawed GAWKERS crowded around. </span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">Cut “It’s a scene, man.” Obviously it’s a scene, right? This is a screenplay. Second, how would we know he's reading a sports page? Is this a shot over his shoulder to show us a sports page? How does this matter to the scene? Third, I’m not even sure this moment would be funny unless it’s a moment filmed in real life a la <em>Jackass</em> or <em>Bruno</em>. Even then, we may not laugh because we’ve seen this very prank in many different forms in the Jackass films and TV show.<br /><br />Bottom of page - you don’t even have the correct transition. This is a MATCH CUT not a CUT TO. Plus, to do a match cut transition to boiling water “for no good reason,” “no good reason whatsoever,” is unimpressive, uncreative, and will likely not get a laugh. (Granted, you returned to the boiling water on pg 92 with the hot dogs, and there might be some meaning there with hot dogs boiling in water, but you keep saying that it's there for no good reason, which is annoying. Mostly, I'm guessing you wrote that merely to setup the introduction of Tom Cruise, all of which was necessary. You avoided the story by bringing in Tom Cruise. His appearance in your script was an act of screenwriting insecurity, as if you needed to include Tom Cruise to validate the telling of this story and that's a mark of weakness on your part as a writer. Your story should be able to stand on its own two feet without any star-studded cameos. Stick to the story! Back to my notes...) “TWO WEEKS EARLIER” should be in quotes. Pg 2 – Get rid of “MORNING” in the Master Scene Headings. Scenes are shot for “DAY” or for “NIGHT.” I’m not mentioning these again. Consider this line:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;color:#000000;">The barking dog next door wakes Jim up two hours too early, just like always.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">How would we know that? A detail like that has to come out through the story. All the audience is going to see is that a barking dog woke Jim. And that’s all we, the readers, should know, too. The BATHROOM need only be a Secondary Heading. Consider all of the other places that need only be Secondary Headings. Cut “The proper place to shit.” That’s obvious, since this is a bathroom, right? This is what we call an author’s intrusion and should be avoided always. “But he’s not.” is another author’s intrusion. You should focus on Jim’s REACTION to what he said in front of the mirror. That’s what we’ll be seeing in the film and that’s what the audience will be caring about. Consider this line:</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:courier new;color:#000000;">But the second he steps onto the sidewalk, A BIG ASSHOLE DOG - the same one whose barking woke him earlier - menaces him.<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">What does this mean “menaces him?” What exactly are we seeing here? Clarity is the key about what we see in the film. Pg 3 – Finally something funny! The string dangling from the dog’s ass would be funny. I actually smiled. Unfortunately, 3 pages is too late to get your first laugh. What would happen if he tried to pull the string out? You cannot reference specific songs in a screenplay unless the song’s in the public domain or you have the express written permission from the artist. Besides, someone might think of a better song to use. Write about an 80’s pop tune. Pg 4 – You should use DUAL DIALOGUE for the moment with Jim and the Hot Young Clerk. Pg 5 – You don’t need “(CONT’D)” when a characters speaks twice in a row. You’re breaking one of Trottier’s Ten Commandments. Pg 6 – “(O.S.)” is not correct when we’re hearing a voice from a speaker phone. I’m not even going to give the answer. Pg 7 – Consider this line:</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:courier new;color:#000000;">Her response is another forty-five second burst of insane chattering.<br /></span><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">This action line is wrong on so many levels. You talk about another forty-five second burst when you never mentioned the first forty-five second burst. Forty-five seconds is a lifetime in film. A minute and a half of nothing is intolerable. So we have a minute and a half of indecipherable screaming from a woman on a phone. A) it’s too long to be funny and after some point, the audience will be irritated. I’d workshop this first to see for how long this will be funny, and B) something that takes up forty-five seconds of screen time should fill up ¾ of a page in a script because one page equals one minute of screen time. This is supposed to be a comedy. Now, granted, many laughs are had by dragging something out longer than usual, but one page equals one minute of screen time. Thus, you should write out what’s going on for the full length of this routine. In this case, I’d suggest a MONTAGE for, perhaps, half a page. What should you write? Well, all YOU tell us about is this woman screaming. But what would be seeing? JIM’S REACTION. So write about funny things he does as he endures this woman chewing him out. He takes a nap, he cooks breakfast, he clips his toe nails, he reads a big book, whatever. THAT is comedy. And that is the difference between thoughtless action lines thrown into a script by an amateur and quality craftsmanship.<br /><br />Okay, the next Master Scene Heading: “INT. COPY ROOM - FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER”. And then you have “INT. FILE ROOM - FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER” How would we know that it’s fifteen minutes later? Are you going to SUPER the words? Maybe we’ll see a clock? Does it even matter? Just write “MOMENTS LATER”. Pg 9 – This is SO wrong: “VOICE OVER LOUD SPEAKER (O.S)” Pg 14 – No point in the CUT TO. Readers always assume it’s a cut unless they’re told otherwise. Pg 15 – Avoid “then” in the action lines. Let’s consider these action lines:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;color:#000000;">Jim and Rob turn to see LARRY WILLS, 40’s, decked out in a tank-top, flip flops and lifeguard shorts. He’s a beach parking lot attendant by day and thieving playboy by day, too.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">This second sentence concerns me greatly and also gives the impression the size of a tidal wave that you have yet to learn how a screenplay FUNCTIONS. How are we, the movie-going audience, to know that Larry Wills is a “beach parking lot attendant by day and thieving playboy by day?” This is the kind of information that should come out THROUGH THE STORY. “So what,” you might say. This matters. You wasted two very precious lines in your script when you only have (for a comedy) about 100-110 pages to work with. If you didn’t have these wasted two lines, you would’ve had room for MORE COMEDY. Question: what’s more important - pointless information in the action lines or comedy? I’d say comedy. You’re shooting yourself in the foot by neglecting format and wasting space in your screenplay. Writer, edit thyself. Pg 17 – If you’re still in the same location and it’s later, you don’t need a new Master Scene Heading. Just write, as an action line, “LATER”. And I don’t for a minute believe that “an hour later” is relevant to the story in any way. I’m going to stop with the notes because if I write down every complaint, my notes will grow to 10,000 words before I finish reading the script. So very sorry. Wait, Pg 55 – “SHKA-BANG!!!” was obnoxious to the point of immaturity. Don’t ever do that.</span></span></span>Mystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.com90tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-33464760475621968362009-08-09T15:17:00.004-04:002009-08-09T15:36:37.026-04:00Tweeted Screenwriting News<p></p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sn8g7xGmqFI/AAAAAAAAFMI/TsHBGi8ry20/s1600-h/twitter.gif"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368045492014327890" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sn8g7xGmqFI/AAAAAAAAFMI/TsHBGi8ry20/s320/twitter.gif" /></a> <span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Hey guys,<br /><br />I’ve decided to give up the old Screenwriting News posts and </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/MMonFilm"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Tweet Daily</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">any and all screenwriter-worthy links as soon as I see them. I’ve also added the “Tweeted Screenwriting News” feed to my sidebar, and yes, you can </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/MMonFilm"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">follow me</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">without joining.<br /><br />If you appreciate the news but not the overload of tweets, you might also consider </span><a href="http://tweetdeck.com/beta/" target="_blank">TweetDeck</a><span style="color:#000099;">, which I use. With TD, you can organize all of the accounts that you actually want to follow.</span></span><span style="color:#000099;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /><br />Hope you’re well.<br /><br />-MM</span></span>Mystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-80838845096504452402009-08-07T12:25:00.009-04:002009-08-07T12:36:50.284-04:005 John Hughes Screenplays<p></p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SnxVl8A2dsI/AAAAAAAAFMA/2l2DH7RmETQ/s1600-h/johnhughes.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 282px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367258966172006082" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SnxVl8A2dsI/AAAAAAAAFMA/2l2DH7RmETQ/s320/johnhughes.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">Hey guys,<br /><br />In light of the recent news on the passing of John Hughes, I thought I’d post a collection of his available screenplays.<br /><br />There’s a continuously updated round-up of links </span><a href="http://www.theauteurs.com/notebook/posts/895"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">at Auteurs</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">.</span> </span><a href="http://www.premiumhollywood.com/2009/08/06/john-hughes-1950-2009/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Will Harris</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">offers snippets of great John Hughes dialogue. </span></span><a href="http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/08/06/47-minute-interview-with-john-hughes-from-1985/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">/Film</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">found a 47-minute interview with Hughes from 1985, and </span></span><a href="http://www.interviewmagazine.com/blogs/film/2009-08-06/john-hughes/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Mark Matousek</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">spoke with Hughes that same year for <em>Interview</em> Magazine. There’s also an interesting link on some of </span></span><a href="http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/theampersand/archive/2009/08/06/the-unproduced-screenplays-of-john-hughes.aspx"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">his unproduced projects</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">. One was called <em>Bartholomew Vs. Neff</em>, which would have pit Sylvester Stallone & John Candy against each other as feuding neighbors.<br /><br />I could write volumes, but, alas, I shall offer 5 screenplays.<br /><br />If anyone is aware of other available scripts, let me know.<br /><br />-MM<br /><br />-------------------------------<br /></span><br /></span><a href="http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/NL_Vacation.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">National Lampoon's Vacation</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">- April 30, 1982, 4th draft<br /></span><br /></span><a href="http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/The_Breakfast_Club.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The Breakfast Club</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">– 1985 Shooting Script (possible transcript)<br /></span><br /></span><a href="http://www.hundland.org/scripts/Ferris-Buellers-Day-Off.txt"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Ferris Bueller’s Day Off</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">– July 24, 1985 Shooting Script<br /></span><br /></span><a href="http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/NL_Christmas%20Vacation.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">– April 14, 1989 draft<br /></span><br /></span><a href="http://www.godamongdirectors.com/scripts/homealone.txt"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Home Alone</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">– transcript with commentary<br /><br /><br /></span></span>Mystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-69957045398577998712009-08-05T00:00:00.007-04:002009-08-05T00:22:13.196-04:00"Zen Pulp"<p></p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">Do I ever love the video essays of </span><a href="http://www.movingimagesource.us/articles/authors/Matt%20Zoller-Seitz"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Matt Zoller Seitz</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">, which can be found over at </span><a href="http://www.movingimagesource.us/articles/authors/Matt%20Zoller-Seitz"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Moving Image Source</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">. In fact, I shared another video essay of his last June on </span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/06/follow-shot.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The Follow Shot</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">.<br /><br />Here, Seitz gives us a sensational five-part series that he titled “Zen Pulp” on the TV shows and films of Michael Mann.<br /><br />Be sure to click the lower right-hand button in the video player, because this really should be viewed full screen, particularly during Part Four where he gives a shot-by-shot analysis of <em>Manhunter</em>.<br /><br />I loved it!<br /><br />-MM<br /><br />-------------------------------------------<br /><br /><strong>PART ONE </strong><br /><br />In this first vid embedded below on <em>Miami Vice</em>, Matt says, “The city presented on the show was ultimately no more “real” than the title locale of <em>Casablanca</em>, a film that Vice, in its glamorously grubby way, often resembled—a global way station, a port city where people came to make a fortune and remake their identities and where international political forces—the CIA, the FBI, the Medellin Cartel, the IRA, the Yakuza—wrought havoc with individual lives. The weekly body count made real-world, mid-’80s Beirut or El Salvador seem like Club Med. Crockett, Tubbs, and their fellow officers rarely went a week without shooting several people and having several more killed on their watch—often innocents too naive or stupid to realize their dreams were unattainable. The show's depiction of violence is Exhibit A in the case for Mann as an irreconcilable mix of reporter and huckster. Depicting the impact and aftermath of violence, Vice was at once empathetic and glib. The bloodshed was grotesque and lovely. It meant everything and nothing. And by next week, it was usually forgotten.”<br /><br /><object width="400" height="322"><param name="movie" value="http://www.movingimagesource.us/flash/mediaplayer.swf?id=48/789"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.movingimagesource.us/flash/mediaplayer.swf?id=48/789" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" width="400" height="326"></embed></object><br /><br />-------------------------------------------<br /><br /><strong>PART TWO<br /></strong><br />“Michael Mann's heroes are thieves and killers, G-men and cops. They exist both inside and outside the system. Some like working in concentrated groups; others are lone wolves. But they all have certain traits in common. They are radical, sometimes fanatical individualists. They have a code of honor and stick to it. They value loyalty. respect, and professionalism and despise incompetence, equivocation, and ass-kissing. Above all else, they prize their freedom—freedom to live in the present moment, pursue their happiness without interference, and define themselves on their own terms. But their pursuit of their biggest dreams and highest ideals invariably puts them at odds with larger forces: representatives of institutions, governments, organizations, and cartels, big guys that reflexively seek to subvert, control, or profit from the little guy, and that destroy all who resist.”<br /><br /><object width="400" height="326"><param name="movie" value="http://www.movingimagesource.us/flash/mediaplayer.swf?id=50/792"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.movingimagesource.us/flash/mediaplayer.swf?id=50/792" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" width="400" height="326"></embed></object><br /><br />-------------------------------------------<br /><br /><strong>PART THREE</strong><br /><br />Matt has a quote so good, I wish he’d said it sooner so I could’ve used it in my </span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/05/sex-in-screenwriting.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">sex article</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">: “There is no such thing as casual sex in a Michael Mann film, because for his characters, sex is a respite from everything else. The lovers' bed is a sanctuary from the oppressiveness of life, the only place where they can experience true bliss. Mann is one of the most modernist of Hollywood directors, but when the action shifts to the bedroom, he becomes a religious filmmaker.”<br /><br /><object width="400" height="326"><param name="movie" value="http://www.movingimagesource.us/flash/mediaplayer.swf?id=49/794"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.movingimagesource.us/flash/mediaplayer.swf?id=49/794" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" width="400" height="326"></embed></object><br /><br />-------------------------------------------<br /><br /><strong>PART FOUR</strong><br /><br />This is probably the best in the series. Matt focuses his attention on <em>Manhunter</em> and gives lessons on the Shot-Reverse Shot technique as well as scene-by-scene analysis of the finale.<br /><br />He says, “The film is itself a mirrored narrative, dividing its attention between Graham and Dollarhyde and then, in its final third, letting Graham recede so Dollarhyde can take center stage. It's no coincidence that we finally get a good look at the killer after Graham has accessed the buried part of himself that understands Dollarhyde; nor is it accidental that whenever Graham has a eureka moment that reveals Dollarhyde's essence, we hear rage welling up in his voice. Dollarhyde represents the hideous aspect of Graham that the agent must channel, confront, and defeat in order to defend the domestic paradise that Dollarhyde threatens, and from which he must ultimately separate in order to live in peace with his family.”<br /><br /><object width="400" height="326"><param name="movie" value="http://www.movingimagesource.us/flash/mediaplayer.swf?id=52/799"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.movingimagesource.us/flash/mediaplayer.swf?id=52/799" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" width="400" height="326"></embed></object><br /><br />-------------------------------------------<br /><br /><strong>PART FIVE </strong><br /><br /><em>Crime Story</em>, yeah baby! I used to love that show. Seitz tells us that “despite the peculiar specialness of <em>Crime Story</em>, it bears the dramatic hallmarks of a Mann production, starting with its two-sides-of-a-coin approach to its hero and villain. On first glance, Torello and Luca seem as different in their ways as Detective Vincent Hanna and thief Neil McCauley in <em>Heat</em>: strong antagonists marked by their respectively hot-blooded and ice-cold approach to their lives and jobs. But like Hanna and McCauley, Torello and Luca have similar weaknesses, including hair-trigger tempers. And both men are so obsessed with their jobs that they foul their nests, destroying the relationships that are theoretically most important to them.”<br /><br /><object width="400" height="326"><param name="movie" value="http://www.movingimagesource.us/flash/mediaplayer.swf?id=54/801"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.movingimagesource.us/flash/mediaplayer.swf?id=54/801" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" width="400" height="326"></embed></object></span>Mystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-41274278284701592472009-08-04T00:00:00.006-04:002009-08-04T20:27:26.302-04:00“Ikiru” Revisited<p></p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270953037369800882" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SSYv3FwxeLI/AAAAAAAADFQ/O-nv8hi-Bx4/s320/ikiru.jpg" /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">To this day, I still get e-mails about Kurosawa’s <em>Ikiru</em> and I never tire of talking about that film. It’s been nearly 10 months since I’ve seen that movie and yet the emotions, the imagery, and Kurosawa’s impeccable craftsmanship haunts me still. This is a film so powerful that </span></span><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19960929/REVIEWS08/401010329/1023"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Ebert wrote</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">: “I think this is one of the few movies that might actually be able to inspire someone to lead their life a little differently.”<br /><br />I have to share this with you. I discovered a recent, phenomenal, two-part analysis of <em>Ikiru</em> at </span><a href="http://www.offscreen.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Offscreen</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">by Aryeh Kaufman. My </span></span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/11/ikiru-broke-my-heart.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">meager notes</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">really didn’t do the film justice and this extensive analysis opens the film up so beautifully. “<em>Ikiru</em>’s focus on the great loneliness of the individual and the struggle to achieve meaningful encounters with others,” Kaufman writes, “proves relevant to all.”<br /><br />To appreciate how groundbreaking the film is, you first have to understand its context in the cultural and social history of Japan at that time. This film was quite revolutionary. From </span></span><a href="http://www.offscreen.com/biblio/pages/essays/ikiru_part_1/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Part One</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">:</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><em>Ikiru</em>, meaning “to live” or “living,” was directed by Akira Kurosawa in 1952 under Toho Productions. Kurosawa, with the help of Hashimoto and Oguni, wrote the screenplay for the black and white film at age 42. The film, widely recognized as one of Kurosawa’s masterpieces, must be understood within its historical and cultural contexts. <em>Ikiru</em> emerged during Japan’s postwar reconstruction, as the country sought to adapt to its newly inherited capitalism and democracy. Calling for forms of cultural upheaval and self-scrutiny, the film may be viewed as political cinema. Specifically, <em>Ikiru</em> affirms the pride and power of the individual. It promotes breaking traditional ties to larger social groups, such as family and company, for the sake of personal achievement.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Quite powerful, too, was what Kaufman wrote about Watanabe’s broken relationship with Mitsuo, his son:</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><em>Ikiru</em> explicitly reveals the unworthiness of family, and questions the importance of communal bonds generally. Most illustrative is the father-son dichotomy. Palpable distance exists between Watanabe and Mitsuo, increased by misunderstandings and a generational gap that recalls Turgenev’s <em>Fathers and Sons</em>. Mitsuo first mentions his father by calling him a “petty bureaucrat.” Respect is absent in his claim that “even Pop wouldn’t want to take all that money to his grave.” Watanabe hides in the corner of his son’s room, most likely intending to disclose to Mitsuo the fateful news of his cancer, until hearing Mitsuo and Kazue discussing him and his savings. He leaves claiming that nothing is wrong—his son is too selfish to consider alternative causes to Watanabe’s sadness aside from his eavesdropping and hearing their discussion. In fact, Mitsuo fails to take notice of his father’s agony and never learns of his illness. He is more interested in whether Watanabe squanders his savings. Ironically, through a chance misunderstanding, Mitsuo concludes that his father has taken a young mistress in Toyo, played by Miki Odagiri, and scolds his father for his “degenerate” behavior. Once again, such remarks prevent Watanabe from explaining to his son the true cause of his suffering.<br /><br />Viewers learn, through Watanabe, that 30 years of continuous work and significant time spent unmarried as a widower were for the sake of his son. Still despairing from his recent lay-diagnosis, Watanabe hears the laughter of Mitsuo and Kazue upstairs. This worsens his despair, as it appears they laugh at him. Suddenly, Watanabe hears the call of “Dad” twice. Music stops before Watanabe climbs the stairs to his beckoning son, only to receive an order to lock the front door. Watanabe descends with head lowered; all hopes of reconnecting with Mitsuo have vanished.<br /><br />A series of flashbacks demonstrates how far father and son have grown apart. These flashbacks prove to be the visual equivalents of Watanabe’s freely associated thoughts. A baseball bat used in locking the door to the house leads to the memory of Mitsuo playing baseball and hitting a single. Watanabe shouts “Mitsuo” in congratulation in the stands before the film cuts back to Watanabe’s room for a close-up. Here, “Mitsuo” sounds twice though Watanabe fails to move his lips—the call is internal and in Watanabe’s choked voice. Returning to the baseball diamond, Mitsuo is called out in a run-down. As Watanabe sits down in the stands we return to his room as he shrinks down into sitting position. The camera, however, moves upward, providing a greater sense of his descent. Immediately, Watanabe recalls his adolescent son on a gurney in a hospital lift, similarly descending as the camera climbs. After informing his son that he cannot remain with him for the appendectomy, Mitsuo is wheeled away. Cutting back to Watanabe’s room, “Mitsuo” sounds twice again. Mitsuo’s being wheeled away lends itself to the flashback of Mitsuo’s train-departure for war. Son holds father before jumping back onto the moving train. Now, “Mitsuo” sounds <em>nine</em> times, echoing off in a final call. These images, so varied and freely instigated, show the breadth of memory father holds for son. Though these memories hold meaning, they emphasize the absence of successful communication.<br /><br />“I have no son. I’m all alone,” Watanabe explains to Toyo, the young worker who becomes quite important to him. “My son is somewhere far, far away—just as my parents were when I was drowning in that pond.”</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">I daresay this film possesses the best use of flashbacks ever.<br /><br />Even more interesting for me was the way Kaufman illustrates how Watanabe fits the mold of a hero as defined by Joseph Campbell. This comes to us from </span></span><a href="http://www.offscreen.com/biblio/pages/essays/ikiru_part_2/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Part Two</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">:<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Joseph Campbell explains the following:<br /><br /><em>Everywhere, no matter what the sphere of interest (whether religious, political, or personal), the really creative acts are represented as those deriving from some sort of dying to the world; and what happens in the interval of the hero’s nonentity, so that he comes back as one reborn, made great and filled with creative power, mankind is also unanimous in declaring.</em><br /><br />Certainly, Watanabe’s transformation from servile worker to active public servant represents one significant “dying to the world.” “The mummy” has finally been laid to rest. In this sense, creative acts, encompassing the volitional drive to create the playground, recreate Watanabe. The act of creation not only results in something new being formed but also in the essential recreation of the creator. Furthermore, Campbell’s statement may be applied to Watanabe’s physical death. Watanabe’s “nonentity,” his absence between the first and second divisions of <em>Ikiru</em>, results in his spiritual return to those at his wake, in the form of his portrait, his hat, the toy-rabbit, and even a wind-up clock, all which have been transformed by Watanabe’s deeds.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">And then there is that marvelous break in the structure, which I wrote about </span></span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/11/ikiru-broke-my-heart.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">in my <em>Ikiru</em> article</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">. I love these paragraphs:</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Kurosawa further prepares viewers to internalize Watanabe’s life as an example by depicting various coworkers deliberating the meaning of Watanabe’s final days, his behavior, whether he in fact knew he was to die, and whether he “created” the playground himself. Viewers want the misunderstanding mourners to think as they do, to believe that Watanabe did in fact accomplish a worthy goal and transform his life and that without Watanabe the playground would not have been. Viewers are prepared to argue and preach to these mourners—to do so with force—influenced by the knowledge and insight gained from the first part of the film, which now stands as absolutely real. We understand Watanabe’s situation and that he suffered from the knowledge of his terminal cancer. The mourners know the events immediately leading up to his death but not his inner mind. Kurosawa depicts drunken mourners disparaging the bureaucratic system, usurping credit for the playground from Watanabe, and finally claiming superficially, “I’ll work at it like I’m a man reborn…sacrifice the self to serve the many.” However, the next scene presents a mirror image of the opening scene: the chief officer, sitting in Watanabe’s place, passes off a potential project to the Engineering Department. One man stands up in silent protest, only to be submerged behind stacks of paper. Such an explicit failure to internalize and act on Watanabe’s lesson provides the strongest incentive to viewers to avoid such similar fate.<br /><br />The perspectivism of the wake scene serves not only to inspire viewers to actively support Watanabe but also to grasp the ultimate incommunicability of enlightenment. Everyone views Watanabe’s life and death through the lenses of their own particular life and belief system. Mitsuo believes his father’s behavior is attributable to his overhearing talk of savings and pensions; Watanabe’s brother believes his transformation is due to a mistress; the Deputy Mayor claims most of the credit for the playground for himself. <em>Rashomon</em> forces viewers to question the veracity of conflicting perspectives. <em>Ikiru</em>, however, provides viewers with flashbacks that are literal and accurate in the wake scene. Mourners respond jointly to the flashbacks as if they too were watching them on screen. Therefore, <em>Ikiru</em> may be interpreted as building upon <em>Rashomon</em>’s perspectivism. In <em>Rashomon</em>, viewers must choose to believe either that no single truth exists, only perspectives, or that one view is more appropriate or truthful than others. The latter view implies an active engagement with the film that is similarly featured in <em>Ikiru</em>. An omniscient narrator serves as a teacher of Watanabe’s lesson to viewers, who, though perhaps differing in terms of interpretations of what exactly transformed Watanabe, accept the hero’s version of events as opposed to those of the erring bureaucrats. On balance, in addition to supporting one perspective through the demonstration of alternative perspectives, <em>Ikiru</em> develops <em>Rashomon</em>’s perspectivism by promoting the moral approach that one must necessarily detach from others to find meaning in life. Personal enlightenment and transformation cannot be achieved through the complex differences inherent in alternative perspectives. Such a view conforms to Campbell’s theory that detachment from interpersonal bonds and social groups is essential to personal transformation. “The hero has died as a modern man, but as eternal man—perfected, unspecific, universal man—he has been reborn,” claims Campbell. “His second solemn task and deed therefore…is to return to us, transfigured, and teach the lesson he has learned of life renewed.” </span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000000;">Watanabe, through his creative deeds, returns to society after despair and isolation reached a peak. His creative action helps form meaningful interpersonal bonds; however, his return does not entail submission or acceptance of social mores and guidelines. This is one of the key lessons of his life. Watanabe struggled with and threatened to undermine office culture. He defied the Deputy Mayor thereby “changing city hall” and brought meaning to his public servant position through such an overthrowing.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">So check it out: </span></span><a href="http://www.offscreen.com/biblio/pages/essays/ikiru_part_1/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Part One</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">and </span></span><a href="http://www.offscreen.com/biblio/pages/essays/ikiru_part_2/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Part Two</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">, thanks to Aryeh Kaufman</span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">.<br /><br />-MM</span>Mystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-51861571397913065182009-08-03T00:00:00.007-04:002009-08-02T21:56:01.861-04:00Screenwriting News, Baby! 8/3/09<p></p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SnYsckQQeCI/AAAAAAAAFL4/NzbzuRjX3Sw/s1600-h/jenny.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 221px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365524875338348578" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SnYsckQQeCI/AAAAAAAAFL4/NzbzuRjX3Sw/s320/jenny.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">Ahh, yes, the lovely Jenny Lumet who can be seen in </span><a href="http://www.style.com/vogue/feature/2009_August_The_Age_Issue/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>Vogue</em>’s latest Age Issue</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">. God, I love screenwriters.<br /><br />Now that my schedule has cleared up and I finally have the opportunity to get reconnected with all the goings-on around the World Wide Web, I thought we’d resume the News Links. “Around Blogosphere” will resume as well as “Goodies for Cinephile.”<br /><br />Hope you enjoy the link love.<br /><br />-MM<br /><br />--------------------------------------<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"><strong>New Screenplays</strong> (with a hat-tip to </span></span><a href="http://www.simplyscripts.com/movie.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">SimplyScripts</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">!):<br /></span><br /></span><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/17716412/To-Catch-a-Thief-Screenplay" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">To Catch a Thief</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">– An undated draft script by </span></span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/11/john-michael-hayes-lucky-bastard.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">John Michael Hayes</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/15970228/S-Darko-2nd-Revised-Draft" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">S. Darko</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">- undated 2nd draft script by Nathan Atkins</span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/HJNTIY_072007.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">He's Just Not That Into You</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">- July 20, 2007 draft by Abby Kohn & Marc Silverstein </span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.joblo.com/WOLVERINE.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">X-Men Origin: Wolverine</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">- June, 2006, draft by David Benioff & </span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/10/hitman-complete-series.html">Skip Woods</a><br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.joblo.com/tropic_thunder.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Tropic Thunder</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">- September 5, 2006 revised draft script by Etan Cohen, Ben Stiller, Justin Theroux </span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/16202861/The-Wild-Bunch" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The Wild Bunch</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">- February 12, 1968 revised draft script by Walon Green & Sam Peckinpah</span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/16202643/Petulia" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Petulia</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">- March 30, 1967 draft script by Larry Marcus</span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/16202589/The-Miracle-Worker" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The Miracle Worker</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">– undated draft script by William Gibson </span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.aellea.com/scripts/WHAT.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">What Price Hollywood</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">- May 10, 1932, final draft by Adela Rogers St. Johns (What a name!)</span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.coenbrothers.net/scripts/aseriousman.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">A Serious Man</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">- June 4, 2007, draft by Joel and Ethan Coen</span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.horrorlair.com/movies/the_ruins_script.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The Ruins</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">- January 19, 2007 draft script by Scott Smith </span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/2971397/Speed-Racer-Script" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Speed Racer</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">- January 4, 2007 draft by Larry & Andy Wachowski, although WHY anyone would want to read this is beyond me.<br /></span><br /></span><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/218434/CasinoRoyale" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Casino Royale</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">- December 13, 2005 draft by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade (and revised by Paul Haggis)</span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/11754028/The-Imaginarium-of-Dr-Parnassus-Heath-Ledgers-Final-Performance-Screenplay" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">- May 26, 2007 draft by "Terry McKeown and Charles Gilliam" (in other words, Terry Gilliam and Chalres McKeown. Those crazy kids!)<br /><br />--------------------------------------<br /></span><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/R0rrBrlsIcI/AAAAAAAABOg/ZLvwK-U-NmM/s1600-h/News+Banner.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137176739082674626" border="0" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/R0rrBrlsIcI/AAAAAAAABOg/ZLvwK-U-NmM/s320/News+Banner.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="color:#000099;">From the </span></span><a href="http://hollywoodroaster.wordpress.com/2009/07/20/study-reveals-88-of-screenwriters-did-indeed-fall-off-the-ugly-tree-and-hit-every-branch-on-the-way-down/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Hollywood Roaster</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">:</span> <span style="color:#000099;">"Study reveals 88% of screenwriters fell off the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down." </span><span style="color:#000099;">(Really? Take a good look at </span></span><a href="http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=hottopic&id=3186"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>Variety</em>’s 10 Screenwriters to Watch</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">. Some of them are hot. And did you see the photo of Jenny Lumet above?)<br /><br />Spielberg to </span><a href="http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/08/02/steven-spielberg-to-direct-harvey-next/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">direct a <em>Harvey</em> remake</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">. Yippee.<br /><br />More exciting news. Hold me back:</span> </span><a href="http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1617315/story.jhtml" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>Twilight</em> Screenwriter Reveals One Of Rachelle Lefevre's Final Scenes</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">. Even better: Etan Cohen tries to </span><a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5gkX8KnladbElpzNTcNQn1IIFlxaw"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">defend the idea of a <em>Candy Land</em> movie</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">: "I think that people expect that it's just a way of marketing toys," he says. “But the real opportunity and the fun of it is to take a game that people love and have really warm associations from playing it as a kid and then do something totally innovative and new.” Uh huh.<br /><br />“I have written or co-written 15 screenplays and I have only seven movies,” </span><a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2009/07/prepare-for-the-guillermo-del-toro-decade-the-hobbit-director-is-just-getting-started.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">said Guillermo del Toro</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">. “I find it frustrating when you write a screenplay and it lives, but you don’t get it produced – which is a lottery – it exists in a limbo that does not allow it to become public. A filmmaker will never be known by the movies he left in the drawer. Unlike a musician, a painter or a poet, nobody is going to open a box after I’m gone and say, ‘Oh, look, another great movie that he didn’t make.’”</span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2009/07/peter-jackson-movie-fans-are-fed-up-with-the-lack-of-original-ideas.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Peter Jackson: Movie fans are 'fed up with the lack of original ideas'</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://theappleblog.com/2009/08/01/final-draft-8-review/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Apple Blog’s review of Final Draft 8</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SnYsDPufj6I/AAAAAAAAFLo/4_CILgtB3SY/s1600-h/02nightout_600.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 160px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365524440331292578" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SnYsDPufj6I/AAAAAAAAFLo/4_CILgtB3SY/s320/02nightout_600.jpg" /></a><br /></span><a href="http://www.transformers-movie-buzz.com/news/954/screenwriter-says-star-trek-2-wont-be-like-revenge-of-the-fallen.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Screenwriter Says <em>Star Trek 2</em> Won't Be Like <em>Revenge of the Fallen</em></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">. Not only that, Orci and Kurtzman are also being showcased in the <em>New York Times</em>, of all places, who have labeled the scribes of <em>Transformers 2 </em>as</span> </span><a href="http://www.dailyactor.com/2009/07/david-johnson-screenwriter-of-orphan-with-audio/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The Dynamic Duo</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">. The world is coming to an end.<br /></span><br /></span><a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-12491-Dallas-PS3-Examiner~y2009m7d29-InFAMOUS-movie-picked-up-by-screenwriter"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Via <em>The Examiner</em></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">: <span style="color:#000000;">Through news from <em>The Hollywood Reporter</em>, Sucker Punch Studios now has the chance to bring its highly successful game <em>inFAMOUS</em> </span></span><a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ide843f7bf07c511ffc026ea4b606ff51" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">from the Playstation 3 to the big screen</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000000;">, not unlike that of Naughty Dog Studios and its own prized title, Uncharted. Screenwriter Sheldon Turner has worked with the studio and Sony Pictures to bring what she believes is "...the future of gaming. The game, while big and fun, is at its core a love ballad to the underachiever, which is what our hero, Cole McGrath, is."</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Interview with <em>Orphan</em> screenwriter, David Johnson </span></span><a href="http://www.dailyactor.com/2009/07/david-johnson-screenwriter-of-orphan-with-audio/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">here</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">and </span></span><a href="http://www.digitalcity.com/2009/07/23/orphan-screenwriter-david-johnson-talks-thrills-and-creeps/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">here</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">.</span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.thecelebritycafe.com/features/30942.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">$70 Movie to Hit Theaters</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="color:#000099;">This is for you, Mickey Lee: </span></span><a href="http://www.appscout.com/2009/07/mass_effect_2s_lead_writer_tel.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>Mass Effect 2</em>'s Lead Writer Tells us How to Get a Writing Gig at Bioware</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/07/26/screenwriter-hired-for-roland-emmerichs-foundation-trilogy/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Via FirstShowing.net</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">:</span> <span style="color:#000000;">Way back in January it was announced that Roland Emmerich would be directing an adaptation of Isaac Asimov's <em>Foundation</em> trilogy. That's all we really knew at the time, but when Emmerich appeared at Comic-Con yesterday, he confirmed (via </span></span><a href="http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=57499"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">ComingSoon</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000000;">) that they've hired a screenwriter for the adaptation - Oscar nominated writer Robert Rodat (<em>Saving Private Ryan</em>, <em>The Patriot</em>). "He is the most knowledgeable person I ever met about the <em>Foundation</em> novels. It's great to write with somebody like that because… he knows it. I had a certain idea and he had a certain idea and that together I think will make this a movie."<br /><br /></span><span style="color:#000099;">“Screenwriters persuade us to adore characters we should hate and make us see ourselves in the most demented scenarios.” </span><span style="color:#000099;">Thank you, </span></span><a href="http://inside.org.au/on-the-couch/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Ellie Rennie</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">. And now Judd Apatow (whose latest film </span><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090802/film_nm/us_boxoffice"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>Funny People</em> has tanked</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">at the box office) says </span></span><a href="http://www.movieline.com/2009/07/some-people-hate-my-fing-guts-judd-apatow-talks-sexism-and-more-in-nyc.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">"I Don't Really Want to Watch People Who Do the Right Thing"</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">. I guess the Apatow <span style="color:#000000;"><a href="http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2009/07/31/funny_people/index.html">revolution is over</a></span>.</span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.star-telegram.com/visual_arts/story/1505945.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Author Paul Theroux's main advice to writers: Leave the house</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/07/31/PK2N18TEM4.DTL" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Screenwriter finally gets top billing on <em>GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra</em></span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">He must be proud.</span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00026120.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">No Eric Bana for <em>Star Trek</em> Sequel</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">– This is news?</span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://news.bigdownload.com/2009/07/24/former-world-of-warcraft-movie-scriptwriter-reveals-himself/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Former <em>World of Warcraft</em> movie scriptwriter reveals himself</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000000;">In a post on the Quarter to Three forums, Gary Whitta, the former editor in chief of <em>PC Gamer</em> magazine and now a big time Hollywood screenwriter (</span><a href="http://thebookofeli.warnerbros.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Denzel's next movie</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000000;">is written by Whitta), stated he had actually been working on the <em>World of Warcraft</em> movie script "for the past two years" for </span></span><a href="http://news.bigdownload.com/tag/legendary-pictures"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Legendary Pictures</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000000;">and </span></span><a href="http://news.bigdownload.com/tag/warner-bros"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Warner Bros</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000000;">. The result was a screenplay that he felt "distilled the sprawling <em>Warcraft</em> mythology into a narrative that was easily accessible to the non-player, and everyone was really pleased with the results." That is until Raimi was brought in as the movie's director. Whitta states that Raimi "had his own pretty specific vision of what he wanted to do story-wise so that's the version they're now pursuing." There's no hard feelings, however, as Whitta says, "so far as I'm concerned Raimi is the best possible director for this."</span><br /><br />From </span><a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1912412,00.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">10 Questions for Jerry Bruckheimer</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Does an unknown writer have any chance of getting a script read by a studio or put into production?</strong> Of course. Every writer in Hollywood started by writing a screenplay and getting recognition. If the movie didn't get made, it at least got noticed by somebody--a producer or an agent. If someone is prolific and keeps working at it, they're going to do it. You've just got to keep writing. I'm sure we could show you instances of very famous screenwriters whose first screenplay wasn't very good. They just kept at it.</span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-4529-LA-Writers-Examiner~y2009m6d16-Top-25-Movies-About-Writers-21-to-25"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Top 25 Movies about Writers</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/obensonreport/2009/07/27/Black-Screenwriters-Roundtable" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Black Screenwriters Roundtable 7/27/2009</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Thoughts on the </span></span><a href="http://kotaku.com/5319947/the-gears-of-war-screenplay-our-thoughts"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>Gears of War</em> Script</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10292321-36.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>Social Network</em> script: A meaner take on Facebook</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://screenrant.com/twilight-zone-movie-screenwriter-robf-17890/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>Twilight Zone</em> Movie Gets Screenwriter</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SnYsRAjajkI/AAAAAAAAFLw/u7desyqDAfA/s1600-h/6a00d8341c630a53ef0115720a412b970b-800wi.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 216px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365524676776463938" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SnYsRAjajkI/AAAAAAAAFLw/u7desyqDAfA/s320/6a00d8341c630a53ef0115720a412b970b-800wi.jpg" /></a><br /></span><a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2009/07/raymond-chandlers-double-indemnity-cameo.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Raymond Chandler's <em>Double Indemnity</em> cameo</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/13/girls-on-film-men-writing-women/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Girls on Film: Men Writing Women</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000000;">There's no way around it. Unless a screenwriter is writing about one-minute section of life where other sexes do not enter, or a world filled with one sex that practices asexual reproduction, men are going to write about women, and women are going to write about men. But can they do so successfully? </span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-1550-Seattle-Movie-Examiner~y2009m7d13-QA-with-500-Days-of-Summer-director-Marc-Webb" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Q&A with <em>(500) Days of Summer</em> director Marc Webb</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://horiwood.com/2009/07/12/alan-ball-true-bloods-screen-writer-speaks/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Alan Ball on <em>True Blood</em></span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>What genre of television would you say True Blood is, if you had to pick just one?<br /></strong>Drama. We don’t have an actual sign in the writers room that reads, “It’s the emotions, stupid,” but we might as well. We feel like we have to keep these characters rooted in some sort of emotional reality because otherwise, it’s a parade of special effects and set pieces.</span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2009/06/sonys-amy-pascal-speaks-out-about-moneyball.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">On the implosion of the <em>Moneyball</em> project</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000000;">The movie, based on the bestselling book by Michael Lewis, wasn't just in pre-production. It was literally five days away from filming when Soderbergh turned in a new version of the script that Pascal and her Sony team found unacceptable. The decision was so abrupt that the film's producer, Michael DeLuca, got the call about it while on his honeymoon in Paris. As a courtesy to the talent, Pascal gave them an opportunity to try and set the film up elsewhere, but no other studio has shown any interest. So the movie remains at Sony, but will it ever get made? Will Pitt stick with the project? And what exactly went wrong…?</span> <span style="color:#000099;">And now, apparently, Aaron Sorkin is </span></span><a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i3c6dccc0e054906973a245467fd2f88f"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">rewriting the script</span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">.</span> </span>Mystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-80219984592836484702009-07-28T20:57:00.026-04:002009-08-01T21:34:27.535-04:00Even Shakespeare Failed<p></p><div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7058/3261/1600/Shakespeare.0.jpg"><img style="CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7058/3261/320/Shakespeare.0.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">After my last project, I needed to renew my mind and soul. So I’m reading Harold Bloom’s </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/157322751X?ie=UTF8&tag=mysmanonfil-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=157322751X"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Shakespeare: The Invention of The Human</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">. I’m now 300 pages into this 700-page book, and my cup already runneth over. It’s deep analysis of characters, some of the greatest in all of literature, and the genius of Shakespeare unfolding before me play by play. I’ve added Bloom’s book to my sidebar, and I daresay, this should be required reading for every writer. His book will forever alter your perspective, and perhaps even approach to, characters.<br /><br />In a recent <a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/07/kurosawa-on-screenwriting.html">article on Kurosawa</a>, I suggested that no other filmmaker has created more masterpieces. So out of 30 films he made, how many would you say are masterpieces? 10? 15, perhaps? Consider that Shakespeare wrote 39 plays and critics agree that about <em>two dozen</em> or so are masterpieces. So the answer to the question, “Why are you reading about Shakespeare?” can only be, “Who else is there?”</span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sm-iU1euHRI/AAAAAAAAFKw/AflGFrEg-kM/s1600-h/event_430.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 319px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363684160058563858" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sm-iU1euHRI/AAAAAAAAFKw/AflGFrEg-kM/s320/event_430.jpg" /></a><br />I’m no expert on Shakespeare. The book was enlightening for me in many ways - like how Shakespeare was for so long under the shadow, influence, and popularity of Christopher Marlowe; how so many early plays were imitation Marlowe; and how Shakespeare struggled to get out from under that influence to find a fresh approach and his own unique voice, which took time. Genius never happens overnight.<br /><br />His were characters of <span style="color:#000000;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/09/character-depth-articles.html">depth</a></span>, both good and bad, very little of this “sympathetic protagonist with a goal” crap (and he luckily didn’t have gurus who would’ve limited his genius with narrow-thinking ideas about stories). Shakespeare is storytelling unlimited, unhindered, and undiluted. It's bottomless depth. It’s characters, story, and lots of poetry. Fascinating, too, that Shakespeare was pointedly ambiguous about many subjects and had so many characters with so many differing points of view, that it’s difficult to nail down who the scribe really was and what he truly thought. It’s staggering not just the sheer volume of characters but how his greatest characters like Rosalind, Falstaff, and Hamlet, differ so distinctly from one another.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/157322751X?ie=UTF8&tag=mysmanonfil-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=157322751X"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 133px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363687483371593298" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sm-lWRySnlI/AAAAAAAAFLg/LQpfDQVfKig/s200/bloom.jpg" /></a>But Shakespeare failed. Oh, how he failed. He failed because he hadn’t mastered his craft yet in his youth. He failed because he experimented. He failed because he took short cuts. He failed because he was lazy at times. He failed because… that happens to every writer. On <em>The Two Gentlemen of Verona</em>, Bloom wrote: </span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Never popular, whether in Shakespeare’s time or our own, the <em>Two Gentlemen</em> might merit dismissal were it not partly rescued by the clown Launce, who leaps into life, and Launce’s dog, Crab, who has more personality than anyone else in the play except Launce himself.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Toward the end of the play, one of the two “Gentlemen” tries to rape a girl named Silvia, just as the other “Gentleman” interrupts and the two reconcile from a previous conflict. Bloom writes:</span> <span style="color:#000000;">…poor Silvia never utters another word in the play after she cries out ‘O Heaven!’ when the lustful Proteus seizes her to commence his intended rape. What is the actress playing Silvia to do with herself during the final hundred lines of <em>The Two Gentlemen of Verona</em>? She ought to whack Valentine with the nearest loose chunk of wood, but that would not knock any sense into the lummox or into anyone else in this madness… </span><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sm-itimHY-I/AAAAAAAAFK4/0GlKlkQ3qAA/s1600-h/david_garrick.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 245px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363684584486036450" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sm-itimHY-I/AAAAAAAAFK4/0GlKlkQ3qAA/s320/david_garrick.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Of <em>Richard III</em>, Bloom says:<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">…this Richard has no inwardness, and when Shakespeare attempts to imbue him with an anxious inner self, on the eve of his fatal battle, the result is poetic bathos and dramatic disaster. Starting up out of bad dreams, Richard suddenly does not seem to be Richard, and Shakespeare scarcely knows how to represent the change:<br /><br />Give me another horse! Bind up my wounds!<br />Have mercy, Jesu! – Soft, I did but dream.<br />O coward conscience, how dost thou afflict me!<br />The lights burn blue; it is now dead midnight.<br />Cold fearful drops stand on my trembling flesh.<br />What do I fear? Myself? There’s none else by;<br />Richard love Richard, that is, I am I.<br />Is there a murderer here? No. Yes, I am!<br />Then fly. What, from myself? Great reason why,<br />Lest I revenge? What, myself upon myself?<br />Alack, I love myself. Wherefore? For any good<br />That I myself have done unto myself?<br />O no, alas, I rather hate myself<br />For hateful deeds committed by myself.<br />I am a villain – yet I lie, I am not!<br />Fool, of thyself speak well! Fool, do not flatter.<br />My conscience hath a thousand several tongues,<br />And every tongue brings in a several tale,<br />And every tale condemns me for a villain:<br />Perjury, perjury, in the highest degree;<br />Murder, stern murder, in the direst degree;<br />All several sins, all us’d in each degree,<br />Thron to the bar, crying all ‘Guilty, guilty!’<br />I shall despair. There is no creature loves me,<br />And if I die, no soul will pity me –<br />And wherefore should they, since that I myself<br />Find in myself no pity to myself?<br />Methought the souls of all that I had murder’d<br />Came to my tent, and every one did threat<br />Tomorrow’s vengeance on the head of Richard.<br /><br />I cannot think of another passage, even in the tedious clamor of much of the <em>Henry VI</em> plays, in which Shakespeare is so inept. Soon enough, the playwright of <em>Richard III</em> would transcend Marlowe, but here the urge to modify from speaking cartoon to psychic inwardness finds no art to accommodate the passage…<br /></span><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sm-jf0ybreI/AAAAAAAAFLA/3ipxhCXixkM/s1600-h/DeathofCaesar.gif"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 197px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363685448362995170" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sm-jf0ybreI/AAAAAAAAFLA/3ipxhCXixkM/s320/DeathofCaesar.gif" /></a><br /><span style="color:#000099;">On <em>Julius Caesar</em>, Bloom questions why Shakespeare didn't exploit the father-son relationship between Julius Caesar and Brutus:<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Brutus is an unfinished character because Shakespeare exploits the ambiguity of the Caesar-Brutus relationship without in any way citing what may be its most crucial strand. <em>Julius Caesar</em> has an implicit interest as a study in what shades upon patricide, but Shakespeare declines to dramatize this implicit burden in the consciousness of Brutus.<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">On <em>Titus Andronicus</em>:<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">…I can concede no intrinsic value to <em>Titus Andronicus</em>. It matters only because Shakespeare, alas, undoubtedly wrote it, and by doing so largely purged Marlowe and Kyd from his imagination… <em>Titus Andronicus</em> performed an essential function for Shakespeare, but cannot do very much for the rest of us.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sm-kQtXxO7I/AAAAAAAAFLI/ugcLKPG563s/s1600-h/Egg_TamingOfTheShrew.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 185px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363686288185703346" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sm-kQtXxO7I/AAAAAAAAFLI/ugcLKPG563s/s320/Egg_TamingOfTheShrew.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="color:#000099;">All of this tough criticism for the greatest writer who ever lived. The weak plays were necessary stepping stones to achieve the masterpieces. And baby, Bloom’s enthusiasm for the masterpieces is so infectious. I love all the great moments Bloom shares from the plays, like this portion from <em>The Taming of the Shrew</em>:<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">From this moment on, Kate firmly rules while endlessly protesting her obedience to the delighted Petruchio, a marvelous Shakespearean reversal of Petruchio’s earlier strategy of proclaiming Kate’s mildness even as she raged on. There is no more charming a scene of married love in all Shakespeare than this little vignette on a street in Padua:<br /><br /><strong>Kath</strong>: Husband, let’s follow, to see the end of this ado.<br /><strong>Pet</strong>: First kiss me, Kate, and we will.<br /><strong>Kath</strong>: What, in the midst of the street?<br /><strong>Pet</strong>: What, art thou ashamed of me?<br /><strong>Kath</strong>: No, sir, God forbid; but ashamed to kiss.<br /><strong>Pet</strong>: Why, then, let’s home again. Come, sirrah, let’s away.<br /><strong>Kath</strong>: Nay, I will give thee a kiss. Now pray thee, love, stay.<br /><strong>Pet</strong>: Is not this well? Come, my sweet Kate. Better once than never, for never too late.<br /><br />One would have to be tone deaf (or ideologically crazed) not to hear in this subtly exquisite music of marriage at its happiest. I myself always begin teaching the <em>Shrew</em> with this passage, because it is a powerful antidote to all received nonsense, old and new, concerning this play...</span><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sm-kuLfo-LI/AAAAAAAAFLQ/VDUq82NeNzE/s1600-h/SirFrankDicksee-Romeo-and-Juliet-1884.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363686794487986354" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sm-kuLfo-LI/AAAAAAAAFLQ/VDUq82NeNzE/s320/SirFrankDicksee-Romeo-and-Juliet-1884.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="color:#000099;">I loved what he said about Mercutio’s death in <em>Romeo and Juliet</em>. This passage follows Mercutio’s “a plague on both your houses” speech:</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">That indeed is what in his death Mercutio becomes, a plague upon both Romeo of the Montagues and Juliet of the Capulets, since henceforward the tragedy speeds on to its final double catastrophe. Shakespeare is already Shakespeare in his subtle patterning, although rather overlyrical still in his style. The two fatal figures in the play are its two liveliest comics, Mercutio and the Nurse. Mercutio’s aggressivity has prepared the destruction of love, though there is no negative impulse in Mercutio, who dies by the tragic irony that Romeo’s intervention in the duel with Tybalt is prompted by love for Juliet, a relationship of which Mercutio is totally unaware. Mercutio is victimized by what is most central to the play, and yet he dies without knowing what <em>Romeo and Juliet</em> is all about: the tragedy of authentic romantic love. For Mercutio, that is nonsense: love is an open arse and a poperin pear. To die as love’s martyr, as it were, when you do not believe in the religion of love, and do not even know what you are dying for, is a grotesque irony that foreshadows the dreadful ironies that will destroy Juliet and Romeo alike as the play concludes.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sm-lBYMMmOI/AAAAAAAAFLY/Tz5g84FADRU/s1600-h/rosalind_robert_walker_macbeth.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 251px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363687124313610466" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sm-lBYMMmOI/AAAAAAAAFLY/Tz5g84FADRU/s320/rosalind_robert_walker_macbeth.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="color:#000099;">And when Bloom gets going on his favorite characters, like Rosalind in <em>As You Like It</em>, get ready for a feast of insights.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">…Rosalind, least ideological of all dramatic characters, surpasses every other woman in literature in what we could call “intelligibility.” You never get far by terming her a “pastoral heroine” or a “Romantic comedian”: her mind is too large, her spirit too free, to so confine her. She is as immensely superior to everyone else in her play as are Falstaff and Hamlet in theirs... To be in love, and yet to see and feel the absurdity of it, one needs to go to school with Rosalind. She instructs us in the miracle of being a harmonious consciousness that is also able to accommodate the reality of another self. Shelley heroically thought that the secret of love was a complete going-out from our own nature into the nature of another; Rosalind sensibly regards that as madness. She is neither High Romantic nor a Platonist: love’s illusions, for her are quite distinct from the reality of maids knowing that “the sky changes when they are wives.” One might venture that Rosalind as an analyst of “love” is akin to Falstaff as an analyst of “honor” – that is to say, of the whole baggage of state power, political intrigue, mock chivalry, and open warfare. The difference is that Rosalind herself is joyously in love and criticizes love from within its realm; Falstaff devastates the pretensions of power, but always from its periphery, and knowing throughout that he will lose Hal to the realities of power. Rosalind’s wit is triumphant yet always measured to its object, while Falstaff’s irreverent mockery is victorious but pragmatically unable to save him from rejection. Both are educational geniuses, and yet Rosalind is Jane Austen to Falstaff’s Samuel Johnson; Rosalind is the apotheosis of persuasion, while Falstaff ultimately conveys the vanity of human wishes.</span></span>Mystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-17928669584315592072009-07-20T00:00:00.017-04:002009-07-22T20:24:56.083-04:00Script Review – “The Beaver”<p></p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SmPkQutMQAI/AAAAAAAAFKo/nBAzy2vQ8rg/s1600-h/beaver1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 186px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360378957567639554" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SmPkQutMQAI/AAAAAAAAFKo/nBAzy2vQ8rg/s320/beaver1.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;"><strong>* MINOR SPOILERS *</strong><br /><br />Mel Gibson, at this very moment, may be standing in front of a mirror with a puppet in his hand desperately trying to make the concept of <em>The Beaver</em> work. Mel Gibson. Mad Max. In front of a mirror. With a puppet. Trying to make it work. Now that, my friends, is the first and perhaps only humorous thought to be had in relation to <em>The Beaver</em>. Gibson has, as you have probably heard, </span><a href="http://www.variety.com/VR1118005842.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">signed on to star</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">in this film with Jodie Foster directing (who will also play his wife).<br /><br />I thought now might be the time for a script review, MM style.<br /><br />What-<em>oh-what</em> is one to think about Kyle Killen’s <em>Beaver</em>?<br /><br />The script, which rose above all others on </span></span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/12/are-you-on-black-list.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The Black List</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">, is available </span><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=517b661d3a2a84ae91b20cc0d07ba4d2f5c85749d50c9da1"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">here</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">. Parallels between Walter Black, the main character, and Mel Gibson, the flawed human being, can be found </span><a href="http://www.movieline.com/2009/07/mel-gibson-vs-his-the-beaver-character-the-parallels-are-uncanny.php"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">here</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SmPjjQ-BL-I/AAAAAAAAFKY/eJFkoMm8Pto/s1600-h/20081110_beavercarell_250x375.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 133px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360378176491040738" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SmPjjQ-BL-I/AAAAAAAAFKY/eJFkoMm8Pto/s200/20081110_beavercarell_250x375.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><em>New York Magazine</em> </span></span><a href="http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2008/11/exclusive_weve_seen_steve_care.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">called it</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">“one of the more elegantly fucked-up stories we've read in a long, long time.” </span></span><a href="http://www.gointothestory.com/2009/06/spec-script-takeaway-beaver.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Billy Mernit commented</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">, “As a story analyst who's been reading for the studios (and indies) for 17 years, I'll just cite one reason the script clicked with readers: energy.” Our good friend, </span><a href="http://www.gointothestory.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Scotty Myers</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">, praised the script for its </span><a href="http://www.gointothestory.com/2009/06/spec-script-takeaway-beaver.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">killer opening</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">: “Just over 1 page -- and I guarantee you that any professional script reader would not only be engaged by the script, but also know this crucial fact: ‘<em>I am in the hands of a quality writer</em>.’” He also praised the script for its </span><a href="http://www.gointothestory.com/2009/06/spec-script-takeaway-beaver-part-2.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">transitions</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">- “…Killen effectively employs different narrative devices to stitch together scenes in a seamless fashion.”<br /><br /><em>ScriptShadow</em>, who also offers a fairly comprehensive overview of the story, </span></span><a href="http://scriptshadow.blogspot.com/2009/05/beaver-scriptshadow-challenge.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">wrote</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">: “It's not the best script I read on The Black List, but it's definitely the most memorable. And I think there's a lesson here. 9 out of 10 writers would've explored this concept as a broad comedy. The fact that we're essentially watching a drama about a guy who talks through a British beaver puppet distinguishes this script from every other script out there.”<br /><br />And then there were </span><a href="http://sex-in-a-sub.blogspot.com/2008/12/little-hard-on-beaver.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Bill Martel</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">’s thoughtful comments: “…here’s the thing - a movie and a screenplay can be saved by their ending... and as a story continues, we tend to become invested in the characters... so by the time I reached the end of THE BEAVER I wasn’t thinking about all of the problems as much as I was thinking about all of the things it did well... and that end (which oddly uses the narration I disliked from the beginning) had me liking the script despite its flaws. The narration in the opening is a set up for the narration at the ending... so it ended up being kinda cool. And the characters grew on me. A great heartwarming end made all of the problems seem to disappear. I can see why it got a bunch of votes - but still can’t see how it will work on screen without some heavy rewrites.”<br /><br /></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SmPikquU6KI/AAAAAAAAFJw/FF4J3jYFjZY/s1600-h/6a00d8341bf6c153ef011570fa8b34970c.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360377101072787618" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SmPikquU6KI/AAAAAAAAFJw/FF4J3jYFjZY/s320/6a00d8341bf6c153ef011570fa8b34970c.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br />All well and good.<br /><br />I'd like to do something different and start with the ending (only minor spoilers). Did anyone notice how the (what some called “satisfactory”) ending was not the resolution of the main plot but, in fact, the <em>subplot</em> of Porter and Norah? And all the while we are watching the final images of this particular resolution between Porter and Norah play out, we hear The Beaver talk in voice over about… Walter Black.<br /><br />That’s a bit strange, don’t you think?<br /><br />It’s not only the final images of Porter and Norah that I’m referring to but also the sequence leading up to those final images, which were also filled with massive voice over by Porter in what would have been a certain speech he would have made. If you felt good about the ending, you felt good because of Porter’s story, not Walter’s.<br /><br />It’s telling to me that the writer should lean so heavily on the subplot to end a story on a high note as opposed to the main plot.<br /><br />Why is this?<br /><br />I would suggest that this is the heart of the problem with <em>The Beaver</em>, that is, Walter Black and his puppet show is too thin of a concept for a feature film. He is at best a secondary character whose existence can only help to exacerbate the feelings of what should be the main character, in this case, Porter Black. This is really Porter’s story, as evidenced by the ending. There isn’t enough substance to Walter’s story to have a satisfactory resolution, and I’ll tell you why:<br /><br /><strong>1) He’s not really a sympathetic character.</strong> Some might assume that because the story opens with his depression and suicide attempts that he’s automatically sympathetic, but that’s a con. We do not feel sympathy just because the movie opens with a character who is depressed. We feel sympathy in the act of watching how he addresses this issue, how he interacts with other characters, and how he pursues his goal of inner peace. What does Walter Black do? He creates this psychological crutch of interacting with the world through a puppet (just as Killen uses the Beaver as a crutch to explain everything through voice overs). It’s all too strange to support and too tragic to want to laugh. It’s the kind of situation that, if you <em>are</em> going to laugh, it’ll be at the expense of Walter Black, which you don’t really want to do because you just saw how suicidal he is. There’s a fine line between comedy and tragedy, which Killen has not yet mastered, because this script dips too heavily into the tragic. My emotions as I read the script ranged from uncomfortable to <em>very</em> uncomfortable. I never once laughed. The puppet concept is just a one-joke affair rooted in the reactions of the people who encounter this Beaver-talking phenomenon, and that gets old quick. You need to have more to offer to make this worthwhile. If this was a case where the Beaver gave him the freedom to say whatever the hell he wanted to say to people, things that never get said, a la <em>Liar Liar</em> or Lester Burnham from <em>American Beauty</em>, you might have some opportunities for humor. As it is, this script is a curiously absurd concept taken to its most absurd heights, which audiences would be willing to embrace IF it was funny. But no laughs are to be found here. Any marketing campaign proclaiming this to be “a comedy” would be guilty of false advertising.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SmPjRvGwyzI/AAAAAAAAFKQ/su9TicwjSto/s1600-h/gibson-beaver-thumb-585xauto-2586.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 154px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360377875343133490" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SmPjRvGwyzI/AAAAAAAAFKQ/su9TicwjSto/s320/gibson-beaver-thumb-585xauto-2586.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><strong>2) There was an absence of conflict and tension in Walter’s story.</strong> Once he makes his conversion to deal with the world through a puppet, everything goes right for him. Thus, we have no conflict, no drama, and no tension. A wife who at first kicked him out and said the only words left to say, “goodbye,” reluctantly accepts his change. (If you buy that plotline, I’ve got a bridge to sell you.) His son, Henry, immediately (and most conveniently) embraces wood working to spend time with the Beaver. (If you buy that plotline, too, I’ve also got an island to sell you.) Yes, one could argue that people would keep on reading <em>because</em> things <em>shouldn’t</em> be going right and they’ll wonder <em>how</em> this will go wrong. But there weren’t even hints that problems were on the horizon for Walter. Things keep going right for him until he becomes a national star, which is so absurd. Absurdity on this scale should be in a comedy or satire and this is neither. The biggest gaffe for me was the total lack of conflict at Walter’s toy company. We have a once-great organization spiraling downward due to Walter’s ineptitude as CEO, and in the real world, when the boss fails and becomes vulnerable, the vultures start circling, and the ambitious make moves to take him out. They would be even more determined if the crazy boss returned to work to talk to the entire company through a puppet and promised eight months of severance pay to anyone who isn’t satisfied in two weeks with all the organizational changes the puppet wants to make. Yes, that’s eight months of severance pay from a company teetering on bankruptcy. Bridge, anyone?<br /><br /><strong>3) Another problem for me is the way Walter’s story reaches its climax.</strong> “And then one day,” says the narrating Beaver, “Walter starts to tire of himself all over again.” He merely falls into his pattern of depression and over-sleeping only because the script called for it, not because something happened in the story to make Walter fall back into that old pattern of behavior. This should have come out through the drama and conflict that was so lacking in Walter’s story. Perhaps he gets fired from the toy company, and he falls back into depression. That would make more sense to me. We were also denied an emotional payoff to his problems with Meredith.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SmPiuBU4yzI/AAAAAAAAFJ4/hmy078HeGeg/s1600-h/beaver2.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 194px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360377261758925618" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SmPiuBU4yzI/AAAAAAAAFJ4/hmy078HeGeg/s320/beaver2.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><strong>MM’S BIGGEST COMPLAINT </strong><br /><br />Check out these page numbers from my notes: pg 26, pg 31-32, pg 37-39, pg 51, pg 70-71, pg 75, pg 83-84, and pg 100-106.<br /><br />What do all of these pages have in common? RIDICULOUS HEAPING BLOCKS OF DIALOGUE. Did you see the big paragraphs I wrote for points <strong>1)</strong> and <strong>2)</strong> above? See all those words in a single paragraph? That’s what the mountainous blocks of dialogue look like in the script. It’s one thing to speed read the dialogue, but it’s quite another to experience those huge monologues in a film. I’m not sure if anyone else noticed, but Killen manipulated the margins of the dialogue so that it’s as wide as acceptable (3.5 inches, although some writers stick with the preferred 3 inches) and then he squeezed the lines together so that the tops of some letters are touching the bottoms of other letters, such as the bottom of a “y” touching the top of an “h.”<br /><br />“So what,” you say. Letters in a script should not touch each other, and margins should not be manipulated. If you find that you’re having to manipulate margins to make the dialogue look smaller, the problem is you, not the format. You see, one page of a script should equal one minute of screen-time. Lines that have been squeezed together give a wrong impression about how long a scene will play out. Thus, the huge blocks of dialogue in Killen’s script will take longer to endure on screen than what is presented on the page.<br /><br />And that puts a whole new light on the huge blocks of (mostly expositional) dialogue when you think about how much it’s going to test the patience of audiences enduring those long speeches.<br /><br />Consider the Beaver’s monologue on page 84 as he’s talking to Matt Lauer. I’ll bet you that speech, if it’s not edited down, will take up a minute and half or longer than the nearly one whole page it fills up in the script. This is the endlessly… talking… Beaver… puppet.<br /><br />There’s a reason Miss Piggy never gave big speeches.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SmPi5nKZ4DI/AAAAAAAAFKA/E1wR-UUXOuA/s1600-h/MissPiggyIYN.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 290px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360377460894064690" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SmPi5nKZ4DI/AAAAAAAAFKA/E1wR-UUXOuA/s320/MissPiggyIYN.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><strong>A FEW OTHER RANDOM THOUGHTS</strong><br /><br />- Jared was a wasted character. What’s the point of having a character that’s only going to be in one scene? Why couldn’t that scene have been about Porter and Hector?<br /><br />- Did anyone buy that this cheerleader is also a brilliant valedictorian while also being a brilliant artist? I guess if you buy into the absurdity of Walter’s ascent into stardom with his puppet then you’re also inclined to buy into all of the other minor absurdities in the script like the bankrupt company offering eight months of severance or the cheerleader who is also the brilliant intellectual <em>and</em> genius artist.<br /><br />- All of the WE SEE’s and camera angles were nauseating. Particularly irrelevant were the CUT TO’s. You should never write a CUT TO. Readers always assume it’s a cut unless they’re told otherwise.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SmPjFIApAhI/AAAAAAAAFKI/_1hGUtJ5g70/s1600-h/10799.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 250px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360377658690044434" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SmPjFIApAhI/AAAAAAAAFKI/_1hGUtJ5g70/s320/10799.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><strong>AND FINALLY </strong><br /><br />I dare say, there is not an actor alive who can make the role of Walter Black work in its current form. Not Jim Carrey. Not Steve Carell. And most certainly not Mel Gibson whose recent fall from grace makes this whole project feel even more uncomfortable, as if Mel had to do this because he himself may be depressed and feels that he must humiliate himself with a beaver puppet to pay for his sins.<br /><br />It’s not just his shaky public image that makes this project such a risk. The financing has yet to be finalized, which will be around $20 million dollars. There’s no studio backing, which means they may have to go the indie route. If you’ve read the trades, this was the worst year ever at film festivals in terms of getting sales and picking up distribution, because nobody will touch an indie film that’s hard to market. In this economy, if you can’t sell something as a straight horror or comedy or something that already has a built-in audience from a pre-existing source material, buyers will be reluctant. And <em>The Beaver</em> falls into that hard-to-market category because it’s not a comedy.<br /><br />“Yeah, but it’s got Mel Gibson,” you say. Mel has had two other films that failed to pick-up distribution: </span></span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120753/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>The Million Dollar Hotel</em></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">(even with a soundtrack by U2) and </span></span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0314676/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>The Singing Detective</em></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">. Those films were long before his now tarred and shaky public image.<br /><br />Ya know, Peter Sellers might have made this concept work but not as it’s written in the script. A genius like Sellers would have to take this concept home, make it all his own, and bring his genius to every scene to make us laugh and care about the suicidal puppet man. He’s the only actor dead or alive who had a chance of pulling this off.<br /><br />But even his film would’ve lost money.<br /><br />-MM</span></span>Mystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-50002677008275239172009-07-14T00:00:00.002-04:002009-07-14T00:41:37.138-04:00Kurosawa on Screenwriting<p></p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SlwHFF6WX2I/AAAAAAAAFJo/96mkwEJ-7lk/s1600-h/Ran06-HD-800.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 170px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358165440731701090" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SlwHFF6WX2I/AAAAAAAAFJo/96mkwEJ-7lk/s320/Ran06-HD-800.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">The photo above is from </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ran_(film)"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>Ran</em></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">. Isn’t that a fabulous image?<br /><br />Of all the directors in the history of cinema, I’d rank </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurosawa"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Akira Kurosawa</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">somewhere at the top of my list. One could argue persuasively that no filmmaker has created more masterpieces than Kurosawa.</span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://archive.sensesofcinema.com/contents/cteq/05/34/high_and_low.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Patrick Garson wrote</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">, “</span><span style="color:#000099;">Analysing any film by Akira Kurosawa is a joy. The sense of care, placement and thought lying behind every shot is an unspoken guarantee that nothing on screen is accidental.</span><span style="color:#000099;">” I couldn’t agree more, as I had once analyzed </span></span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/11/ikiru-broke-my-heart.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>Ikiru</em></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">, which broke my heart.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">We are also reminded by </span></span><a href="http://archive.sensesofcinema.com/contents/directors/02/kurosawa.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Dan Harper</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">that, “Despite his unarguable success, Kurosawa was, in fact, one of the greatest risk-taking filmmakers in the history of international film (many of those risks, I might add, didn’t pay off). Every one of his world-renowned films was either preceded or followed by a film more experimental in form or more difficult. You can even argue that some of his greatest successes (</span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashomon_(film)"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>Rashomon</em></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">,</span> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikiru"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>Ikiru</em></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">,</span> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Samurai"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>Seven Samurai</em></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">) were enormous risks for Kurosawa’s career – the ones that <em>did</em> pay off…”<br /><br />Of course, Kurosawa was heavily involved in the screenwriting of his films with a handful of writers he used throughout his career. So this begs the question: what did the renowned risk-taker, ground-breaker, and masterpiece-maker, have to say about screenwriting?<br /><br /></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SlwG6JvVAZI/AAAAAAAAFJg/0Z2LWV21aJ8/s1600-h/Kurosawa_01.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 160px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358165252780654994" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SlwG6JvVAZI/AAAAAAAAFJg/0Z2LWV21aJ8/s320/Kurosawa_01.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br />These quotes come to us from Akira Kurosawa’s book, </span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0394714393?ie=UTF8&tag=mysmanonfil-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0394714393"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>Something Like an Autobiography</em></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">. Hope you enjoy them.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">‘<strong>W</strong>ith a good script a good director can produce a masterpiece; with the same script a mediocre director can make a passable film. But with a bad script even a good director can’t possibly make a good film. For truly cinematic expression, the camera and the microphone must be able to cross both fire and water. That is what makes a real movie. The script must be something that has the power to do this.’<br /><br />‘<strong>I</strong>n order to write scripts, you must first study the great novels and dramas of the world. You must consider why they are great. Where does the emotion come from that you feel as you read them? What degree of passion did the author have to have, what level of meticulousness did he have to command, in order to portray the characters and events as he did? You must read thoroughly, to the point where you can grasp all these things. You must also see the great films. You must read the great screenplays and study the film theories of the great directors. If your goal is to become a film director, you must master screenwriting.’<br /><br />‘<strong>A</strong> good structure for a screenplay is that of the symphony, with its three or four movements and differing tempos. Or one can use <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noh">the Noh play</a> </span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000000;">with its three-part structure: jo (introduction), ha (destruction) and kyu (haste). If you devote yourself fully to Noh and gain something good from this, it will emerge naturally in your films. The Noh is a truly unique art form that exists nowhere else in the world. I think the Kabuki, which imitates it, is a sterile flower. But in a screenplay, I think the symphonic structure is the easiest for the people of today to understand.’<br /><br /></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SlwGsJi8K6I/AAAAAAAAFJY/SYN0YYBGabk/s1600-h/sevensamurai_l.jpg"><span style="color:#000000;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358165012210527138" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SlwGsJi8K6I/AAAAAAAAFJY/SYN0YYBGabk/s320/sevensamurai_l.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"><br />‘<strong>S</strong>omething that you should take particular notice of is the fact that the best scripts have very few explanatory passages. Adding explanation to the descriptive passages of a screenplay is the most dangerous trap you can fall into. It’s easy to explain the psychological state of a character at a particular moment, but it’s very difficult to describe it through the delicate nuances of action and dialogue. Yet it is not impossible. A great deal about this can be learned from the study of the great plays, and I believe the “hard-boiled” detective novels can also be very instructive.’<br /><br />‘<strong>I</strong> began writing scripts with two other people around 1940. Up until then I wrote alone, and found that I had no difficulties. But in writing alone there is a danger that your interpretation of another human being will suffer from one-sidedness. If you write with two other people about that human being, you get at least three different viewpoints on him, and you can discuss the points on which you disagree. Also, the director has a natural tendency to nudge the hero and the plot along into a pattern that is the easiest one for him to direct. By writing with about two other people, you can avoid this danger also.’<br /><br />‘<strong>I</strong>‘ve forgotten who it was that said creation is memory. My own experiences and the various things I have read remain in my memory and become the basis upon which I create something new. I couldn’t do it out of nothing. For this reason, since the time I was a young man I have always kept a notebook handy when I read a book. I write down my reactions and what particularly moves me. I have stacks and stacks of these college notebooks, and when I go off to write a script, these are what I read. Somewhere they always provide me with a point of breakthourgh. Even for single lines of dialogue I have taken hints from these notebooks. So what I want to say is, don’t read books while lying down in bed.’<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270953037369800882" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SSYv3FwxeLI/AAAAAAAADFQ/O-nv8hi-Bx4/s320/ikiru.jpg" /><br />‘<strong>A</strong> novel and a screenplay are entirely different things. The freedom for psychological description one has in writing a novel is particularly difficult to adapt to a screenplay without using narration.’<br /><br />‘<strong>C</strong>haracters in a film have their own existence. The filmmaker has no freedom. If he insists on his authority and is allowed to manipulate his characters like puppets, the film loses its vitality.’<br /><br />‘<strong>A</strong>t some point in the writing of every script I feel like giving the whole thing up. From my many experiences of writing screenplays, however, I have learned something: If I hold fast in the face of this blankness and despair, adopting the tactic of Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen sect, who glared at the wall that stood in his way until his legs became useless, a path will open up.’<br /><br />‘<strong>T</strong>hose who say an assistant director’s job doesn’t allow him any free time for writing are just cowards. Perhaps you can write only one page a day, but if you do it every day, at the end of the year you’ll have 365 pages of script. I began in this spirit, with a target of one page a day. There was nothing I could do about the nights I had to work till dawn, but when I had time to sleep, even after crawling into bed I would turn out two or three pages. Oddly enough, when I put my mind to writing, it came more easily than I had thought it would, and I wrote quite a few scripts.’</span></span>Mystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-52892327648423543932009-07-09T08:00:00.001-04:002009-07-09T23:11:54.351-04:00New Script Mag (& Bleu)<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">Hey guys,<br /><br />I’m in the new July/August issue of <a href="http://www.scriptmag.com/"><em>Script</em> magazine</a> with an article called “How to Show Don’t Tell,” a favorite subject of mine. It’s hard to condense the topic down to 3,000 words, but I covered trusting the face, actions defining characters, locations, Jennifer van Sijll’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/193290705X?tag=mysmanonfil-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=193290705X&adid=07QQ886PBV9DE3NMA3Y7&">Cinematic Storytelling</a>, and so much more. I also offered some insights about a film called <em>Bleu</em> and thought I might repost an old article on the film so you can see the complete analysis.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;"><br /><br />For more articles on “How to Show Don’t Tell,” feel free to visit my section on </span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/09/art-of-visual-storytelling.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">the Art of Visual Storytelling</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#000099;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">.<br /><br />I also really love this video.<br /><br />-MM<br /><br />-----------------------------------<br /><br /></span><p></p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><object width="400" height="326"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jJetkmTWxQc&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jJetkmTWxQc&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="326"></embed></object><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">Hey guys!<br /><br />I’m the only screenwriting blogger who is CRAZY enough to follow-up a popular </span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/08/look-at-dark-knight-script.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">article about <em>The Dark Knight</em></span></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;"> with Krzysztof Kieslowski’s <em>Bleu</em>, the first in his <em>Three Colors Trilogy</em>. Only 6 people will give a shit, I’m sure, but if you’re one of the six, baby, this article’s for you.<br /><br />Even if you’re not familiar with <em>Bleu</em> (or <em>Blue</em>), you’ll love the stirring tribute to the film in the vid above. Much of what I’m about to write can be seen in the video. Here’s the thing. Kieslowski truly was a genius. And one of the great annoyances about screenwriting gurus today is how they say endlessly to “show, don’t tell,” but they never tell you HOW. Hence my series on the </span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/09/art-of-visual-storytelling.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Art of Visual Storytelling</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">. Hence my article on </span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/06/cinematic-storytelling.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Cinematic Storytelling</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">and my praise of Jennifer van Sijll’s brilliant </span></span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/193290705X?tag=mysmanonfil-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=193290705X&adid=07QQ886PBV9DE3NMA3Y7&"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">book</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">of the same title. And hence the need to talk about Kieslowski, because he was THE MASTER of “show, don’t tell!”<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242386619100445570" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SMCy2s6-O4I/AAAAAAAACoM/uaj7aw1_xY4/s320/binoche460.jpg" /><br />Revisiting <em>Bleu</em> again last weekend, I was so blown away by the visuals that when I watched the film yet again with Anne Insdorf’s commentary, I had to pull out my phone and start taking notes. When I first saw the film, I thought, “wow, that was kind of weird.” But now I think that the film wasn’t weird at all but that the problem was me because I had for so many years a weak visual vocabulary, thanks to Hollywood spoon feeding me most of my life with dumbed-down shit.<br /><br />There’s a great article about Kieslowski </span><a href="http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/masterpiece/2002/06/10/three_colors/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">in Salon</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">. They wrote,</span> <span style="color:#000000;">“In 1995, the Los Angeles Times asked Krzysztof Kieslowski how movies should participate in culture, and this was his reply: ‘Film is often just business -- I understand that and it's not something I concern myself with. But if film aspires to be part of culture, it should do the things great literature, music and art do: elevate the spirit, help us understand ourselves and the world around us and give people the feeling they are not alone…’”</span> <span style="color:#000099;">I love it! They went on to write,</span> <span style="color:#000000;">“The richly textured trilogy capped Kieslowski's extraordinary career, taking on the deepest and most complex moral subjects with grace and panache, but always at ground level. Ostensibly it was derived from the French Revolution themes of liberty, equality and fraternity, and their corresponding colors in the French flag. But the films are deeply personal and in many ways Polish; they restore those lofty concepts, without diminishing them, to humble human proportions.”</span><br /><br /></span></span><span style="color:#000099;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Blue</em> is the story of a woman, Julie (Juliette Binoche), whose husband and daughter die in a car accident. Her reaction is to escape - to run away from her past, from her friends, from her life, and from her pain. Did you see the moment in the video where she scraped her knuckles along a rock wall? She really was scraping her hand across that wall. In any case, in one scene, Julie sees one of her servants in the kitchen and asks her why she’s crying. “Because you’re not,” is the reply. Then she sells everything. “I don't want any belongings, any memories,” she says. “No friends, no love. Those are all traps.” She moves away and lives in a quiet apartment. Interesting that you sympathize with her situation but you can’t connect with <em>her</em> because she’s made herself so emotionally closed off to everyone around her. She’s a character in a sympathetic situation but she’s not a sympathetic <em>character</em>. So you find yourself rooting for her to change, to face her pain and reconnect with the world again, because you know that her story is really about the rehabilitation of a human spirit after a painful tragedy.<br /><br />Simple story, right?<br /><br />With Kieslowski, every aspect of the film was used to support the telling of the story. I recall the commentator saying repeatedly that Kieslowski would pare down the dialogue, pare down the dialogue, and pare down the dialogue, until only the most essential words are spoken and everything else is communicated through visuals. This brings to mind what Ebert </span></span></span><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19940211/REVIEWS/402110301/1023"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">said of the film</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">:</span> <span style="color:#000000;">“Binoche has a face that is well-suited to this kind of role. Because she can convince you that she is thinking and feeling, she doesn't need to ‘do’ things in an obvious way… Here, too, her feelings are a mystery that her face will help us to solve. The film has been directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski, born in Poland, now working in France, and, in the opinion of some, the best active European filmmaker (he made "The Double Life of Veronique" two years ago). He trusts the human face, and watching his film, I remembered a conversation I had with Ingmar Bergman many years ago, in which he said there were many moments in films that could only be dealt with by a closeup of a face - the right face - and that too many directors tried instead to use dialogue or action.”</span><br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">He trusts the human face to convey feelings and information!<br /><br />And how does one write that?<br /><br />Very carefully.<br /><br /><em>Hehehe</em>…<br /><br />Consider how Kieslowski uses music to help tell the story. He doesn’t just have the brilliant composer, Zbigniew Preisner, design a soundtrack to play alongside the story to force the audience to feel a certain way during a scene. Instead, Kieslowski makes Julie’s former husband a famous composer who was working on his final assignment, the theme to the reunification of Europe, which can be heard in the vid above. This music is what brings Julie back to life. She first denies the music exists, rejects what bits he had composed because it was a source of pain in her life. Later, she works with a man to finish the music, which paralleled her own reunification with the people in her life. There are times when she hears the music and it haunts her. She can’t deny it or escape it. She has to face it, just as she has to face her own pain. Julie went from passive escapist to active contributor.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242386625750150498" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SMCy3FsYrWI/AAAAAAAACoc/Bi3KBW-V8t0/s320/blue4.jpg" /><br />You might notice in the picture above, which is taken from the film that most of the music sheet is blurry. This isn’t without meaning. Many shots in the film were from her point of view and her left eye was damaged in the car accident. You may recall in the video the shot of the feather swaying with Julie’s breath and the blurry hand behind it reaching out to her. That’s what she saw. Did you see the closeup of the doctor’s reflection in Julie’s eye? That was no special effects. That was a real reflection using a very special camera. We could see the doctor better in the reflection in Julie’s eye than Julie could see him. Later, in the end, we’ll see a reflection of Julie’s naked back in the eye of her lover. He finally SEES her in a moment of emotional honestly.<br /><br />There were a number of moments where you’d also see extreme closeups of specific objects, like the shadows over Julie’s coffee cup on a table in a coffee shop. Wonderful! It’s very European in the sense that they create visual poetry out of everyday banalities. On the one hand, it’s beautiful to see and on the other hand, it makes audiences appreciate everyday experiences that much more. It enriches their lives. Kieslowski does that, but here, it’s a crucial element of the story. You may have noticed beginning at 2:56 in the video a shot of a sugar cube above a cup of coffee soaking in the coffee before it gets plopped into the cup. I believe it’s followed by another moment where we’re shown Julie's reflection on an upside-down spoon dangling in the neck of a water bottle. Beautiful, right? It’s also crucial to the story.<br /><br />The spoon and sugar cube represented her own self-obsorption. It was her focusing on something obscure to shut out the world, to escape from it. She’s trying to put a lid on her world and her immediate environment. She’s shutting out all the things she doesn’t accept. And in that scene in the coffee shop, she’s rejected the man who loved her, and she’s trying to ignore the music the flute player outside is playing because it’s similar to her husband’s last piece of music, which she denies and avoids. But then she finally drops the cube into the coffee and goes out to address the issue of music with the musician.<br /><br />MORE NOTES:<br /><br />At times, like right in the middle of a conversation, the film would suddenly go black and all we’d hear is music. Then we’d return to Julie’s face. You might think, “What the hell was that all about?” It was Julie’s blackouts, her being lost in her own memories.<br /><br />Throughout the film, you’d see blue lights reflected on her face, particularly the glass crystals she carried with her, which she ripped from the blue chandelier that hung in her daughter’s bedroom. That was the only thing from her past she could not let go. The light on her face signified the ghosts of her past, the presence of memory.<br /><br />Twice you’d see what might first seem to be inexplicable shots of bungee jumpers. But if you think about it, it’s not without meaning. It shows how far we can fall and come back up again.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242386625265225730" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SMCy3D4xUAI/AAAAAAAACoU/Ao6jYVpnZ9c/s320/blue2big.jpg" /><br />The opening shot, pictured above, and the closeup of a car’s tire just sucks you into the tragedy that is to about to befall the protagonist.<br /><br />The motif with windows - when Julie visits her mother, we see them talk through a window filled with other reflections that illustrated visually the dislocation of their relationship. Glass that separates us also connects us as when the nurse looks in on Julie when she tried and failed to commit suicide. Yet, glass invites us in but keeps us out as when Julie visits her mother a second time and decides not to go in.<br /><br />The mice represented her first dealings with the pains in her life. Her getting the cat was one of the first transitions in her character arc.<br /><br />Interesting that when Julie visits Lucille, who works in a sex shop, and has a conversation with her, Kieslowski chooses to not use the old school shot / reverse-shot technique. Instead, he chooses to have his camera pan back and forth to reveal the flesh on display in the background between them because the flesh has <em>come</em> between them in their relationship. However, when they both lean forward, Kieslowski illustrates that they both have moved past what’s come between them. Later, when Julie talks to her husband’s mistress, it’s a shot / reverse-shot because the characters are not as close.<br /><br />The pool was a place of escape, yet incomplete mourning.<br /><br />Other reading: the </span><a href="http://quietbubble.typepad.com/quiet_bubble/2007/03/the_krzysztof_k.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Krzysztof Kieslowski blog-a-thon</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">and Roger Ebert’s </span></span></span><a href="http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2008/08/how_to_read_a_movie.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">How To Read a Movie</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">.<br /><br />-MM</span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span>Mystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-19565715850874854302009-07-05T17:38:00.039-04:002009-07-07T00:33:41.188-04:00“Morality,” Exposition, & Adverbs<p></p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">Not long ago, I read through the </span><a href="http://www.esquire.com/search/fast_search?search_query=issueyear:2009%20and%20issuemonth:July&toc=1"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">July, 2009, issue of <em>Esquire</em></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">. In it, there is a new short story called “Morality” by Stephen King, which is available in its entirety</span> </span><a href="http://www.esquire.com/print-this/stephen-king-morality-0709"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">here</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">. This story evoked a few thoughts about <em>exposition</em> and <em>adverbs</em>. Plus, this gives me the chance to post pictures of Bar Refaeli, because the words of King’s story were painted on her not-so-terribly-unpleasant body for the cover.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SlEfaRv0WnI/AAAAAAAAFJQ/QGegxD4wSzE/s1600-h/bar-refaeli-esquire-cover-0609-lg.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 235px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355095968221256306" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SlEfaRv0WnI/AAAAAAAAFJQ/QGegxD4wSzE/s320/bar-refaeli-esquire-cover-0609-lg.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br />I don’t know why <em>Script</em> Mag doesn’t do covers like this. I’ve offered to pose nude, too, but Shelly seems reluctant. <em>Hehehe</em>…<br /><br /><strong>“MORALITY”</strong><br /><br />First, I’m going to praise King and then rip him a new one.<br /><br />The story is very simple. You have a financially struggling young couple. The husband is an aspiring writer working part-time as a substitute teacher. The wife is a nurse to a retired and wealthy priest, who decides that he wants to do something really really bad before he dies. He propositions the nurse to do this on his behalf for $200,000.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SlEfRp7XkzI/AAAAAAAAFJI/YvLPyhgtB7U/s1600-h/bar-refaeli-topless-0609-lg.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 235px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355095820093330226" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SlEfRp7XkzI/AAAAAAAAFJI/YvLPyhgtB7U/s320/bar-refaeli-topless-0609-lg.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><strong>THE HANDLING OF EXPOSITION</strong><br /><br />Here's a classic example of good exposition. King never tells you what the proposition is. We know it’s really bad. We know it involves blood. We know it has to be filmed so the priest can watch this dirty deed later in his mansion. And we know this moral question of “should we or shouldn’t we do this really bad thing” is tearing apart the young couple. So you’re hooked. You keep reading because you want to find out A) what the proposition is and B) if they’ll do it. But you will not learn any of these details until the time has come to carry out the dirty deed.<br /><br />This is good exposition in a nutshell: it’s putting a question in the minds your readers and making them want to keep on reading to get the answer. A lot of amateurs, I suspect, would’ve given the game away early. They would've explained in full detail what the proposition is when it’s proposed, which not only makes the story less intriguing but it’s also risky because if the proposition’s not interesting or juicy enough, people will stop reading your story right then and there.<br /><br />Essentially, just <em>show</em> instead of <em>tell then show</em>.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SlEfGL1R2-I/AAAAAAAAFJA/LmUu86zxZwM/s1600-h/bar-rafaeli-naked-0609-lg.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 235px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355095623036165090" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SlEfGL1R2-I/AAAAAAAAFJA/LmUu86zxZwM/s320/bar-rafaeli-naked-0609-lg.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br />There are exceptions, of course. Sometimes you have to explain a plan beforehand, so that people know what’s supposed to happen and feel tension when that plan goes terribly wrong in the midst of its execution like in a </span></span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/12/in-praise-of-jean-pierre-melville.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Jean-Pierre Melville film</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">. Or, as in the case with </span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/08/exposition-with-pat-part-3.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>Titanic</em></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">, James Cameron wisely explains how the ship sinks before we see the ship sink so that we will understand what’s going on as the ship is sinking and can stay focused on the story.<br /><br />But putting questions in the minds of the readers to make them want to keep reading even from scene-to-scene is an art form. I loved a point that Carol Phiniotis made in her column, “The Art of the Rewrite,” in the brand new </span><a href="http://www.scriptmag.com/magazine/current.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">July/August issue of <em>Script</em> Magazine</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">:<br /><br /></span><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Scene transitions</strong> are often overlooked. A simple line of dialogue at a scene’s conclusion can greatly affect the flow of your story. In an early draft of <em>American Beauty</em>, a scene transition between Jane and her soon-to-be boyfriend Ricky played out as follows:<br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:courier new;">RICKY<br />Come on, let’s go to my room.</div><br /></span>By the shooting script, Ball revised the line:<br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:courier new;">RICKY<br />You want to see the most<br />beautiful thing I’ve ever filmed?</div><br /></span>While the first transition is functional, it falls flat. However, the second transition not only engages Jane, it also engages the audience. We’re invited to participate in the mini-mystery Ricky has woven.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">I whole-heartedly agree.<br /><br />Although I’d stack this Bar Refaeli vid up against Ricky's fluttering plastic bag any day of the week. <em>Hehehe</em>…<br /><br /><object width="400" height="326"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oqn7nWcBVog&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oqn7nWcBVog&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="326"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong>LET’S TALK ADVERBS</strong><br /><br />I place the blame for everyone’s hysteria about adverbs squarely on the shoulders of Stephen King. Remember what he wrote in </span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743455967?ie=UTF8&tag=mysmanonfil-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0743455967"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">On Writing</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">? “The adverb is not your friend.” “The road to hell is paved with adverbs.” King was and is <em>horrifically wrong</em> about adverbs.<br /><br />Of course, he backs up his opinion with Strunk & White’s </span><a href="http://www.bartleby.com/141/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The Elements of Style</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">, a book SO pre-digital age and revised only 4 times since 1918. About 50 years later, E.B. White wrote in <em>The New Yorker</em>, “I felt uneasy at posing as an expert on rhetoric, when the truth is I write by ear, always with difficulty and seldom with any exact notion of what is taking place under the hood.” Even Strunk, the English professor, said, “the best writers sometimes disregard the rules of rhetoric. When they do so, however, the readers will usually find in the sentence some compensating merit, attained at the cost of the violation.”<br /><br />WHAT? You can break the rules?<br /><br /></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sb_9g5xge0I/AAAAAAAAE6o/yfsarRPta34/s1600-h/0684853523_01_LZZZZZZZ.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 112px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 175px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314244827026586434" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sb_9g5xge0I/AAAAAAAAE6o/yfsarRPta34/s200/0684853523_01_LZZZZZZZ.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;">But King told us to follow the rules. You do not use adverbs, period. And every time I read an adverb in one of his stories, I want to stand on the rooftops and scream “HYPOCRITE!” The man is incapable of abiding by his own rules. This short story alone has over 100 adverbs. (Yes, we counted.) Consider these doozies:</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">With the hiring freeze <em>currently</em> in effect in the city's schools… </span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">or </span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">…but it would be a very small contract, likely a good deal less than you <em>currently</em> make as a teacher…<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Would anyone argue that “currently” is essential in either sentence?<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">…the stroke had left him <em>partially</em> paralyzed on the right side…</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Wouldn’t a hater of adverbs change that to “semi-paralyzed?”</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">She was also a masseuse and <em>occasionally</em>…</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Wouldn’t a hater of adverbs change that to “on occasion?”<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">…although Chad had had a <em>relatively</em> good few months teaching...<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Couldn’t that sentence be rewritten to describe exactly how those months were good without having to resort to “relatively?”<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">It was the first time she had <em>really</em> thought of him in connection with money.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">“Really?” Isn’t that the mother of all bad adverbs?</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><em>Deliberately</em> planned and executed.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Aren’t most plans “deliberate?”</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">…she wrote <em>simply</em>: Savings.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Can’t we see for ourselves that what she wrote was <em>simple</em>?<br /><br />And so on. Here’s the deal about adverbs. No one will complain about your adverb so long as it’s a good adverb. There is nothing wrong with an adverb so long as you’re not being redundant, like <em>glitters brightly</em>. Why say <em>ran speedily</em> when you can just say <em>raced</em>? Most people think of adverbs in terms of a word that reinforces the adjective: <em>extremely gorgeous</em>, <em>really sensual</em>, etc. Shoot me now, right?<br /><br />But a good adverb can inject an air of freshness to those stale words: <em>bitingly gorgeous</em>, <em>witheringly sensual</em>.<br /><br />In fact, I prefer adverbs that are almost contradictory to the words they’re supporting: <em>delightfully hypocritical</em>, <em>engagingly demented</em>, <em>sporadically authoritative</em>, and <em>charmingly brutish</em>.</span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SlEd5DTAZRI/AAAAAAAAFIw/xa0khUVqKPE/s1600-h/spunky3.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 109px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 181px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355094297895003410" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SlEd5DTAZRI/AAAAAAAAFIw/xa0khUVqKPE/s200/spunky3.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;">Not long ago, I read a fabulous book,</span> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001O222C2?ie=UTF8&tag=mysmanonfil-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001O222C2"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Spunk & Bite by Arthur Plotnik</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">, a spirited argument against Strunk & White’s principles. He writes:</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Arts reviewers (and blurbists) everywhere seem enamored of [adverbs], and little wonder; it offers an alternative to shopworn critical adjectives like <em>brilliant</em>, <em>gripping</em>, or <em>plodding</em>. It can also tweak such adjectives toward fresh meanings, as in <em>yawningly brilliant.</em><br /><br />These examples feature what grammarians call “adverbs of manner.” They reveal the way in which a thing or quality is distinguished. According to yet another <em>New York Times</em> critic, Allesandra Stanley, a new television show was “deliciously horrifying,” distinguishing it from other modes of horrifyingness. Writers also toy with so-called adverbs of degree, which answer the question “how much”? Performances are routinely described as “hugely boring” or “minutely entertaining.”<br /><br />When a term and its modifier seem paradoxical, like <em>horrifying</em> and <em>deliciously</em>, they form the rhetorical device known as the oxymoron. Oxymorons can produce any number of effects: sarcasm, incisiveness, archness (i.e., roguishness, sauciness). But not all adverbial zingers employ the incongruity of terms in contrast. Many reach for metaphor, as in <em>lashingly funny</em>, or hyperbole (exaggeration), as in <em>woundingly beautiful</em>. In addition, critics often find –<em>ly</em> forms suited to the put-down. <em>Slate</em>’s Gary Lutz called the grammar chapter of the fifteenth edition of <em>The Chicago Manual of Style</em> “perversely unhelpful” – though I deviantly disagree.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Plotnik had other examples I enjoyed like <em>dormantly Mormon</em>. (Why write 20 words to avoid an adverb when <em>dormantly Mormon</em> will work just fine?) Other examples: <em>gloriously uproarious</em>, <em>scarily fervent</em>, <em>militantly prosaic</em>, <em>incongruously ordinary</em>, <em>juicily ridiculous</em>, <em>resolutely unclever</em>, <em>wittily intricate</em>, <em>inflammatorily hostile</em>, and <em>metaphysically naïve</em>. Consider, too, all the adverbs in </span></span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/03/15000-useful-phrases.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">15,000 Useful Phrases</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SlEe1wFCcUI/AAAAAAAAFI4/ne8Jt9KgEIU/s1600-h/bar-refaeli-measurements-0609-lg.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 235px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355095340708163906" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SlEe1wFCcUI/AAAAAAAAFI4/ne8Jt9KgEIU/s320/bar-refaeli-measurements-0609-lg.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br />So now we’ve come full circle back to Bar Refaeli. I couldn’t help but smile at the use of adverbs in </span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.esquire.com/women/women-we-love/bar-refaeli-naked-0709">Ross McCammon’s article</a></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;"> on the Israeli model. As he’s observing the words of King’s short story getting applied to her body by an “application professional,” he writes:</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">She is wearing white bikini bottoms and a red bikini top, which is pulled up, revealing the bottom third of her breasts. The skin there is white. She reads a novel in Hebrew. She doesn't talk. She doesn't move. Without her clothes on, she looks 10 percent larger. She is thin, of course, and her stomach is <u>impossibly taut</u>. But she has grown somehow. Maybe it's the <em>clivvage</em>.<br /><br />She's become <u>inaccessibly exquisite</u>. </span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Indeed!<br /><br />-MM</span></span>Mystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-77372678044577189262009-07-02T00:00:00.013-04:002009-07-03T00:24:36.001-04:00I love that.<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">This will be quite the strange post, I’m sure, but here’s a collection of fabulous quotes about characters I’ve read recently in other articles.<br /><br />First, <em>The Hurt Locker</em>, which has been on my radar for some time.<br /><br /><object id="VI156517OyrT3a" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="400" height="326"><param name="_cx" value="10583"><param name="_cy" value="8625"><param name="FlashVars" value=""><param name="Movie" value="http://www.movieweb.com/v/VI156517OyrT3a"><param name="Src" value="http://www.movieweb.com/v/VI156517OyrT3a"><param name="WMode" value="Window"><param name="Play" value="-1"><param name="Loop" value="-1"><param name="Quality" value="High"><param name="SAlign" value=""><param name="Menu" value="-1"><param name="Base" value=""><param name="AllowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="Scale" value="ShowAll"><param name="DeviceFont" value="0"><param name="EmbedMovie" value="0"><param name="BGColor" value=""><param name="SWRemote" value=""><param name="MovieData" value=""><param name="SeamlessTabbing" value="1"><param name="Profile" value="0"><param name="ProfileAddress" value=""><param name="ProfilePort" value="0"><param name="AllowNetworking" value="all"><param name="AllowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.movieweb.com/v/VI156517OyrT3a" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="326"></embed></object><br /><br />I loved </span><a href="http://movies.nytimes.com/2009/06/26/movies/26hurt.html?ref=movies"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">A.O. Scott’s review</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">of the film and in particular, his character descriptions. That he gets the characters so well and feels compelled to articulate <em>excitedly</em> the distinctive differences in the personalities of the characters already tells me that the writer has done a good job: </span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">“The Hurt Locker” focuses on three men whose contrasting temperaments knit this episodic exploration of peril and bravery into a coherent and satisfying story. Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) is a bundle of nerves and confused impulses, eager to please, ashamed of his own fear and almost dismayingly vulnerable. Sgt. J. T. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) is a careful, uncomplaining professional who sticks to protocols and procedures in the hope that his prudence will get him home alive, away from an assignment he has come to loathe.<br /><br />The wild card is Staff Sgt. William James (Jeremy Renner), who joins Delta after its leader is killed and who approaches his work more like a jazz musician or an abstract expressionist painter than like a sober technician. A smoker and a heavy metal fan with an irreverent, profane sense of humor and a relaxed sense of military discipline, he approaches each new bomb or skirmish not with dread but with a kind of inspired, improvisational zeal.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Skwx48u4lYI/AAAAAAAAFH4/dPO-nWp-D3g/s1600-h/THE%2520HURT%2520LOCKER.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 178px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353708911481886082" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Skwx48u4lYI/AAAAAAAAFH4/dPO-nWp-D3g/s320/THE%2520HURT%2520LOCKER.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Scott also delved a bit into the </span></span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/09/character-depth-articles.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">depth</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">of William James: </span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">And Mr. Renner’s performance — feverish, witty, headlong and precise — is as thrilling as anything else in the movie. In each scene a different facet of James’s personality emerges. He can be callous, even mean at times, but there is a fundamental tenderness to him as well, manifest in his affection for an Iraqi boy who sells pirated DVDs and his patient solicitude when Eldridge, under fire and surrounded by dead bodies, has an understandable bout of panic.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">I love that. [I should also mention that</span> </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1676793/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Mark Boal</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">, the screenwriter, wrote an article about his experience writing <em>The Hurt Locker</em> in the new July/August issue of my beloved </span><a href="http://www.scriptmag.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>Script</em> Magazine</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">. I loved his opening sentence: <span style="color:#000000;">Embarking on an embed with the troops seemed like a good idea at the time, but I’m seriously reconsidering now that I’m on an Army C-130 cargo plane that is plummeting to the earth.</span> <em>Hehehe</em>... That’s fabulous. Good job, Mark.]<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SkwybqzHikI/AAAAAAAAFIA/ZgYUmOEfxzc/s1600-h/271_6238_sq.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353709507963226690" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SkwybqzHikI/AAAAAAAAFIA/ZgYUmOEfxzc/s320/271_6238_sq.jpg" /></a><br />I read not too long ago about the </span><a href="http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118005133.html?categoryid=13&cs=1"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">two-year first look deal</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">between </span></span><a href="http://www.filminfocus.com/blog/sam_mendes_and_focus_features_sign_two_year_deal"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Focus Features</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">and </span></span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005222/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Sam Mendes</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">that may have Mendes directing </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Davies_(writer)" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Andrew Davies</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">'s adaptation of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Eliot" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">George Eliot</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">'s book, “Middlemarch,” a project that, as </span><a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/mendes-beats-scorsese-to-middlemarch-movie-1710734.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Arifa Akbar</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">reminded us in the <em>Independent</em>, </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Scorsese" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Martin Scorsese</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">had hoped to get around to himself. In any case, I was reading about “Middlemarch” </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middlemarch"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">on Wikipedia</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">to refresh my mind about the story, and I loved what was written about self-delusion, which may be one of my favorite aspects about characters: </span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Most of the central characters of this novel have a habit of building castles in the air and then attempting to live in them. Because they are idealistic, self-absorbed, or otherwise out of touch with reality, they make serious mistakes. These mistakes cause them great unhappiness, and eventually their illusions are shattered. Some characters learn from this process, and others do not. Those who learn not to build castles in the air generally end up happy, while those who persist in ignoring pragmatism are miserable.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SkwzBS3H5fI/AAAAAAAAFIQ/eugYRVny5ls/s1600-h/geliotprettified.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 166px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353710154372605426" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SkwzBS3H5fI/AAAAAAAAFIQ/eugYRVny5ls/s200/geliotprettified.jpg" /></a>Dorothea, who wants nothing more in life than to do good, rejects a young man who would have been a reasonably good match for her in order to marry the aged scholar Mr. Casaubon. She does this because she likes the idea of being an assistant to him and helping him with his great intellectual pursuits. Unfortunately, she is so much in love with her image of Mr. Casaubon that she fails to notice he isn't actually writing anything. He is supposedly working on a great work that, when completed, will link together and explain all world mythologies. However he is so obsessed with creating a perfect work of scholarship, and so afraid of criticism from his peers, that he never publishes anything. He is not interested in contributing to the discipline for its own sake; rather he uses scholarship to enhance his ego and improve his image. Dorothea, in her youth and enthusiasm, does not recognize this. Later, when she meets people who genuinely do love knowledge for its own sake (Ladislaw and Lydgate come to mind) she cannot help but notice the discrepancy between what she wanted and what she actually chose. Yet this discrepancy does not keep her from marrying foolishly a second time, to Ladislaw whom she hardly knows. Based on a few days' acquaintance developed during her honeymoon and a handful of occasional conversations, Dorothea is attracted to Ladislaw but does not have an opportunity to get to know him. Their mutual love is developed apart from one another.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Skwz1TRBktI/AAAAAAAAFIY/eIqSk6sig9k/s1600-h/middlemarch.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 122px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353711047834440402" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Skwz1TRBktI/AAAAAAAAFIY/eIqSk6sig9k/s200/middlemarch.jpg" /></a>Lydgate, the other tragic character in this novel, chooses his wife based more on physical attraction than on a knowledge of her character. He marries the materialistic, self-absorbed Rosamond Vincy who, unbeknownst to Lydgate, has been harboring her own delusions and misconceptions about who Lydgate is. Once safely married, they each find out exactly how poorly they suit one another. He cannot free himself of Rosamond, yet he is unwilling to set aside his (and her) upper-class pretensions to buy himself the time and resources to conduct the medical research he wants to do. He ignores the basic financial reality of life in Middlemarch, does not dispense prescriptions, and alienates patients by not filling what they believe to be his proper role as a doctor. Eventually he succumbs to Rosamond's desire to leave Middlemarch, and turns into the kind of doctor he never really wanted to be, his research permanently abandoned. He becomes financially successful, which appeases Rosamond. After Lydgate dies, Rosamond marries someone better suited to her tastes, who can indulge her materialism and who never asks her to do anything difficult…<br /><br />Rosamond Vincy Lydgate never abandons her delusions about herself, and persists in viewing herself as a perpetually wronged princess even though she's scheming and manipulative. Yet she does eventually realize that being married to an idealistic doctor is not easy, and that marrying into a wealthy family does not guarantee that she and her husband will be rich. She also realizes that Lydgate, whom she decided she loved because of his upper-class background and distant origins, is not the meal ticket to which she felt entitled. At the end of the book, after Lydgate's death, Rosamond correctly identifies the attributes most desirable to her in a husband: a fat wallet and an indulgent nature. She obtains such a husband and lives happily ever after.<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">I love that. Plus, I once dated a girl just like Rosamund Vincy. <em>Hehehe</em>… “Middlemarch” is in the public domain and available </span></span><a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/145"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">for free at Project Gutenberg</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">. (See my other post on </span><a href="http://scriptmag.blogspot.com/2009/06/mystery-man-on-adaptations.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">adaptations</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">.)<br /><br /><object width="400" height="326"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PuUt1NhkdvM&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PuUt1NhkdvM&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="326"></embed></object><br /><br />Above is a vid of Disney characters who have imbibed some tobacco. There's another vid <span style="color:#000000;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEBqqLfbHCw">here</a></span> about smoking in the top ten films of 2008.<br /><br />I was at my new favorite cigar hangout smoking a <span style="color:#000000;"><a href="http://www.cigar.com/cigars/viewcigar.asp?brand=474">Partagas 160</a></span> (I save the 150s for special occasions), and I was flipping through various cigar magazines. In the</span> </span><a href="http://www.smokemag.com/1208/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Winter 2008/2009 (volume 14, no. 1) issue of <em>Smoke</em> magazine</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">, with a cover image of libertarian Tucker Carlson (bow-tie free, thankfully), there’s an article about smoking characters in comic books, called “Smoke & Ink,” by Max Gartman.<br /><br />Pretty interesting read. Gartman covered The Comics Code, which was similar to cinema’s old Hays Production Code and had set standards for both editorial and advertising content in comics to protect children from “corrupting influences.” Just as Sidney Lumet’s film, <em>The Pawnbroker</em>, <span style="color:#000000;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/05/sex-part-1.html">paved the way for change to the Hays Production Code</a></span>, Stan Lee also did battle with The Comics Code in 1971 when he was approached by the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare to do a story on drug abuse. Here’s Gartman:</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Lee agreed, and wrote a Spider-Man story where drug abuse was portrayed as unglamorous and dangerous – and the Comics Code Authority had a fit. Despite the fact that the story was written with the intent to act as a cautionary moral tale, the Code was against it: “no drugs” meant no drugs. Lee published the comics anyway, without the Code’s stamp on the book, and upon the success of this story, the Code backed down, paving the way for change...<br /></span><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Skw1r-Q7jtI/AAAAAAAAFIo/mNplO5dpyrY/s1600-h/howardtheduck.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 143px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353713086601334482" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Skw1r-Q7jtI/AAAAAAAAFIo/mNplO5dpyrY/s320/howardtheduck.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Here’s a sampling of comic book characters who smoke cigars.<br /><br />First, the GOOD GUYS:<br /><br /></span><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Hellboy</strong>: <em>Red demon who fights for the U.S. government (and MM has it on good authority that the cigars were Nicaraguans). </em><br /><strong>Wolverine</strong>: <em>(Logan) The hard and wise one from the X-Men.<br /></em><strong>Puck</strong>: <em>The little guy in the black onesie of Alpha Flight.<br /></em><strong>Sgt. Nick Fury</strong> <em>of the Howling Commandoes and later of the clandestine S.H.I.E.L.D.<br /></em><strong>Grey Hulk</strong>: <em>(Joe Fix-it) One of the many Hulk incarnations.<br /></em><strong>Cable</strong>: <em>The fire-arm-hauling-leader, for a time, of X-Force.<br /></em><strong>The Thing</strong>: <em>(Ben “Clobberin’-Time” Grimm) of the Fantastic Four.<br /></em><strong>Howard the Duck</strong>: <em>Yes, he really was a duck – and a cab driver, too.<br /></em></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Second, the BADDIES:<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Kingpin</strong>: <em>(Wilson Fisk) The master manipulator who ran the New York City crime scene.</em><br /><strong>J. Jonah Jameson</strong>: <em>(JJ) Peter Parker’s boss at the Daily Bugle.</em><br /><strong>Gen. Thunderbolt Ross</strong>: <em>Hulk’s antagonist.</em></span><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Skw072iSJSI/AAAAAAAAFIg/UhNxku5xw_w/s1600-h/3385308454_f9c1175851.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353712259892913442" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Skw072iSJSI/AAAAAAAAFIg/UhNxku5xw_w/s320/3385308454_f9c1175851.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Here’s the bigger point: what’s the significance of a character who smokes? What does that convey about the character?<br /><br />Here’s what Gartman had to say:<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Smoking, first a luxury, then the demon-spawn of society, has now become a marker of those who operate outside of the norm. These are people who partake of a substance that can damage health – and knowingly accept that risk, like the adults that they are.<br /><br />Cigars and cigarettes still carry meaning as symbols… The cigars that our characters smoke mark them as not-one-of-the-herd, as one who is capable of making decisions solo, without Big Brother to look over each and every step. They’re still markers of class, of elegance, and of power. Nobody who knows what they’re doing will treat a good cigar like trash, because there’s an implicit knowledge of everything that goes along with the cigar – the history, the culture, the weight of the world against each smoker. And still, they shoulder the burden, and march on, smoke in hand.<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Interesting. I love that.</span></span>Mystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-61508312655427731642009-06-27T00:00:00.004-04:002009-06-26T22:48:26.898-04:00The Darabont Collection<p></p><p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SkWEBqUoyhI/AAAAAAAAFHw/1ig_Hr-1Fug/s1600-h/frank-darabont.gif"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 182px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351828896275286546" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SkWEBqUoyhI/AAAAAAAAFHw/1ig_Hr-1Fug/s320/frank-darabont.gif" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">Hey guys,<br /><br />Below are links to my somewhat recent reviews of Frank Darabont’s latest screenplays. I must say, <em>Fahrenheit 451</em> was such a fabulous experience, probably the best read of the year so far for me, that the other scripts didn't quite measure up.<br /><br />This brings to mind an interesting topic, something that all writers go through. What do you do when you write something everyone loves and then you follow up with scripts that don’t quite measure up? Everyone goes through this. Friends will tell you, “I liked this one, but it’s not as good as that last one you wrote.” There’s a mentality in the world, particularly Hollywood, that you’re only as good as your last script. Am I going to stop reading stories of friends and writers just because their last few scripts haven't been as good as some of their earlier successes? Perish the thought. We know better. Screenwriting is a long-term devotion to the craft. Stories aren't born great. They are shaped into greatness with a little help from our friends.<br /><br />An inevitable part of life is that you will achieve varying levels of success and yes, that includes failure. So what do you do when this happens to you? You take the lumps and keep writing. You stay obsessively devoted to the craft. You find stories you’re passionate about and you apply everything you know about the craft to make each and every story you touch reach its fullest potential.<br /><br />There's also a lot to be learned from stories that don't quite work.<br /><br />-MM<br /><br />-----------------------------------</span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/05/script-review-fahrenheit-451.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>Fahrenheit 451</em></span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000000;">…this is easily the best script I’ve read so far this year. The handling of the story is right down the line everything I would’ve done had I landed this assignment. It’s everything I would want to see in an adaptation of the book. Every strength in the book that I listed at the beginning of the article is evident in the script.<br /></span><br /></span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/06/script-review-law-abiding-citizen.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>Law-Abiding Citizen</em></span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000000;">…what bugs me about this story is that it has such potential for greatness and yet the filmmakers, which I’m sure includes a lot of interference from this bloated committee of producers, seems content to let this story flounder in the realm of marginally above grade B-movie thrills.<br /></span><br /></span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/06/script-review-mine.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>Mine</em></span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000000;">I can pinpoint where the story lost me. It lost me in the 80-page range. It really lost me in the 90-page range. Then it pulled me back somewhat with a thrilling car chase sequence. After that, I was just waiting for the predictable events to play themselves out. And then I was disappointed that those events played out as predictably as I thought.</span> </p>Mystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-85855334013757484562009-06-26T00:00:00.012-04:002009-06-26T22:01:32.976-04:00Script Review – “Law-Abiding Citizen”<p></p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SkRObPmjzzI/AAAAAAAAFHo/N9iXcf1G-pQ/s1600-h/law_abiding_citizen_large.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 216px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351488487174688562" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SkRObPmjzzI/AAAAAAAAFHo/N9iXcf1G-pQ/s320/law_abiding_citizen_large.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">I knew what I wanted to say about</span> </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1197624/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>Law Abiding Citizen</em></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">long before I ever finished the story, probably in the mid-60-page region.<br /><br />First, the script. I’m looking at a September, 2008, shooting draft by </span></span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001104/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Frank Darabont</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">(previous revision by </span></span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0934483/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Kurt Wimmer</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">). This script was also in the hands of </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1417242/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Sheldon Turner</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">and </span></span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0043742/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">David Ayer</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">. Apparently, the story has changed dramatically over the last few years. The version I have concerns Nick (</span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004937/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Jamie Foxx</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">), an assistant D.A. who must deal with a victim-turned-vigilante-but-actually-a-twisted-criminal-mastermind (</span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0124930/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Gerard Butler</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">). His name's Clyde. He wreaks havoc on the entire city of Philadelphia all from inside his solitary jail cell. It brings to mind aspects of other films like <em>Silence of the Lambs</em>, <em>The Dark Knight</em>, and <em>Shawshank Redemption</em> (with a smattering of <em>The Green Mile</em>). Kind of intriguing, isn’t it? How does he do it? Once they get that hook into you, once he starts wreaking havoc from inside his jail cell, you have to read to the end to find out exactly how it was all done.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SkRNLuoejsI/AAAAAAAAFG4/MAh_8NrN9OM/s1600-h/Law_Abiding_Philly.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 119px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 179px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351487121114697410" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SkRNLuoejsI/AAAAAAAAFG4/MAh_8NrN9OM/s200/Law_Abiding_Philly.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;">Darabont feels like the natural choice for this kind of material. He was set to direct the film, but rumor has it there was an ugly parting of ways between the director and committee of ten producers on this project. Yes, I said TEN producers. I don’t know the details, but dealing with ten producers sounds like a recipe for a nightmare. Now the film is being directed by </span></span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0336620/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">F. Gary Gray</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">who gave us <em>The Italian Job</em>.<br /><br />I’m not sure how well I can articulate this, but what bugs me about this story is that it has such potential for greatness and yet the filmmakers, which I’m sure includes a lot of interference from this bloated committee of producers, seems content to let this story flounder in the realm of marginally above grade B-movie thrills.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SkRNXO4QgHI/AAAAAAAAFHA/7KCncJ_9ALQ/s1600-h/lac-still-2.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351487318749380722" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SkRNXO4QgHI/AAAAAAAAFHA/7KCncJ_9ALQ/s320/lac-still-2.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br />You have a man named Clyde, who, in the opening scenes, loses his wife and daughter to a pair of murdering bad guys. Loved it. Totally gripping. Then, he deals with Nick and some other attorneys. He’s infuriated that only one of the two bad guys will be prosecuted. The other will confess, testify against his accomplice, and in return, he’ll serve a minimum sentence. The other will get lethal injection.<br /><br />Cut to about ten years later. It’s come time for the bad guy to get his lethal injection, which goes horrifyingly wrong in a scene almost reminiscent of the botched electrocution scene in <em>The Green Mile</em>. The other bad guy is also coincidentally butchered beyond recognition around the same time. Naturally, the cops pick-up Clyde who gives himself over willingly. While they have Clyde in jail, he starts making demands. Give me a comfy bed and I’ll confess to the murder. So they give him a bed and he confesses. Then he says, give me my iPod and I’ll confess to something else. And they do. And this goes on until he starts promising that he’s going to kill every man in the room.<br /><br />And they do, indeed, start dying in very interesting ways.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SkRNAclqUfI/AAAAAAAAFGw/8-ToA3wIR_g/s1600-h/law2-270x312.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 270px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 312px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351486927292486130" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SkRNAclqUfI/AAAAAAAAFGw/8-ToA3wIR_g/s320/law2-270x312.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br />Great setup. Loved it.<br /><br />How Clyde accomplishes these amazing feats, I would not dream of revealing. <em>Why</em> he does these things, however, is a cause for a script review, because this is where I believe the script falters.<br /><br />Clyde is obviously doing these things because he’s never gotten over the deaths of his wife and daughter. Perfectly understandable. He’s also doing these things to exact revenge onto those responsible for the murders and subsequent injustice that followed. Okay, I get that. He wants to stick it to a justice system that only half succeeded for him. In his scenes with Nick, though, he only goes so far as to impress upon him the pain of losing one’s family and the need to be angry about injustices and compromises with murderers.<br /><br />Eh. That’s rather weak.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SkRNq9AeYfI/AAAAAAAAFHI/jTZG2dU0giQ/s1600-h/gerard-butler-jumpsuit.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351487657549390322" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SkRNq9AeYfI/AAAAAAAAFHI/jTZG2dU0giQ/s320/gerard-butler-jumpsuit.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br />A mastermind would not need to sit inside a jail cell and wreak havoc on a city just to make those minor points about pain and anger. A mastermind would sit inside a jail cell and wreak havoc on the justice system to make points about the system’s inherent weaknesses. And this is the core of my concern: there needs to be something deeper and more meaningful here to warrant the telling of this story. You may recall that, in <em>The Dark Knight</em>, the Joker wasn’t just crazy and committing random acts of terror on the city. He was out to make a point to Batman about human nature. Remember what he said?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;color:#000000;">Their morals, their code... it's all a bad joke. Dropped at the first sign of trouble. They're only as good as the world allows them to be. You'll see - I'll show you... when the chips are down, these civilized people... they'll eat each other. See, I'm not a monster... I'm just ahead of the curve.<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">That’s what this story is damn near crying out to be, what it’s missing: a deeper point that Clyde should be making about the justice system.<br /><br />Halfway into this script, I wanted to just rewrite all of the dialogue. And then I realized that the dialogue is weak because the setup is weak. The setup is weak because Clyde’s motivations and reasons are weak. You need a higher purpose here, an ongoing conversation between Nick and Clyde as to whether one should have faith in the justice system or not just as Batman and Joker were having an ongoing discussion about human nature. And this debate begins when they talk about how one of those two murderers gets away and continues through his time in incarceration. In the end, Nick should triumph, the system is faulty but still good. As it is, this story regresses into a who-can-outhink-the-other-contest, which isn’t as satisfying.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SkRN2bQEb-I/AAAAAAAAFHQ/6oWS6MLJ7RY/s1600-h/lawabidingcitizen.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 152px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351487854646423522" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SkRN2bQEb-I/AAAAAAAAFHQ/6oWS6MLJ7RY/s320/lawabidingcitizen.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br />Three more points:<br /><br />1) At first, Clyde demands that he only speaks with Nick and relents when other lawyers insist on participating in the talks. Why make such demands if he’s only going to relent and nothing becomes of it? If Clyde can get them to put a bed in his cell, he can certainly force them into letting him talk to Nick and Nick alone. That’s what this story calls for, an evolving relationship between Nick and Clyde, just as you had an evolving relationship between Clarice and Hannibal Lecter. This should only be about Clyde and Nick, a contest of beliefs and wills. So when, say, Clyde makes demands about having records in his cell and someone other than Nick interrupts and answers that question for Nick, you’re undermining an opportunity to develop that relationship between protagonist and antagonist.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SkROJgKH7VI/AAAAAAAAFHY/sRqVR4QYaSM/s1600-h/law_abiding_600.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351488182381178194" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SkROJgKH7VI/AAAAAAAAFHY/sRqVR4QYaSM/s320/law_abiding_600.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br />2) A note about Nick’s temperament. Nick is quick to go off the handle, to threaten Clyde, and leap over a table to strangle him, etc. That’s dangerous, because that could undermine audience support of the protag. They will respect and support more a man who can stay focused and keep his cool. But the test, the inner conflict, for Nick could be him keeping his cool when he wants so much to kill Clyde. And Clyde’s always prodding him and trying to push him over the edge. That could create a tension and a battle of wills between the two characters that would add layers to the dialogue and the scene. And of course, ultimately, Nick would be able to defeat Clyde <em>because</em> he kept his cool and didn’t fly off the emotional handle as Clyde did in seeking revenge. For me, amateurish screenwriting is very much like that, sudden extremes of obvious emotions in characters. But, over time, when a writer matures, I think you delve more into subtleties, layers, and subtext in the scenes. Because you know enough to ask yourself: “what would be more interesting - a guy who is disciplined in keeping his cool facing his ultimate challenge and watching him struggle to keep his cool throughout the conversation or a guy who flies off the handle whenever he’s pissed?” You know good and well that Clarice wanted to scream her head off in the dungeon with Hannibal, but she didn’t. She kept her cool, stayed focused on the case, and struggled through it. We could see her struggling and supported her for the difficulties she was going through.<br /><br />3) It’s a bad decision that the Spook would make himself known to Nick and the team in order to pass along a bunch of verbal exposition. THEY should be the ones to find HIM.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SkRORtslJ-I/AAAAAAAAFHg/yhmh8kSIN2w/s1600-h/jamie-foxx-d16regina-hall-best_0_0_0x0_400x525.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 243px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351488323454314466" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SkRORtslJ-I/AAAAAAAAFHg/yhmh8kSIN2w/s320/jamie-foxx-d16regina-hall-best_0_0_0x0_400x525.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br />To everyone’s credit, there’s a lot of great suspense and thrills. How the murders play out and how Clyde accomplishes these things are the elements that would impress some people who see the film. But this could’ve been so much better. And what would’ve made this story and this film a classic, something that would make people want to revisit this again and again and again, is a deeper point and an evolving relationship between the two main characters.<br /><br />I can already hear the argument: “what the hell’s wrong with above average B-movie thrills?” I say fuck that. Shoot for the moon.<br /><br />-MM</span></span>Mystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-88922327167939516262009-06-18T00:00:00.004-04:002009-07-05T11:49:44.425-04:00Script Review – “Mine”<p></p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sjm89-N-DpI/AAAAAAAAFGA/UHwbKdRT3sQ/s1600-h/mine_43_brit_tpb.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 130px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348513805338807954" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sjm89-N-DpI/AAAAAAAAFGA/UHwbKdRT3sQ/s200/mine_43_brit_tpb.jpg" /></a>Hey guys,<br /><br />I was so exhilarated by <span style="color:#000000;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/05/script-review-fahrenheit-451.html">Darabont’s <em>Fahrenheit 451</em></a></span> that I thought I’d read some of his other scripts I have lying around here beginning with his February, 2008, adaptation of <em>Mine</em>. This story is based upon the </span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0671664867?ie=UTF8&tag=mysmanonfil-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0671664867"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">book of the same name by Mr. Robert McCammon</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">, who claims on his book cover and </span><a href="http://www.robertmccammon.com/novels/mine.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">website</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">that <em>Mine</em> “rivals Thomas Harris’s <em>The Silence of the Lambs</em> for sheer, riveting storytelling power.”<br /><br />Come, come, Mr. McCammon. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.<br /><br />This is the story of Laura Clayborne, a journalist who gives birth to a baby boy and has her child literally stolen out of her hands in the hospital by Mary Terrell, otherwise known as “Mary Terror.”<br /><br />Stop right there. What’s a more intriguing title: <em>Mine</em> or <em>Mary Terror</em>?<br /><br /><em>Mine</em> makes me think of old WWII land mines or a maybe a big underground tunnel built for digging coal or something. If he had written the title as <em>Mine!</em> he may have conveyed better his intent.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sjm9MxEEt7I/AAAAAAAAFGI/4GdxQ4Qahew/s1600-h/mine_53_spain_tpb.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 132px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348514059505678258" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sjm9MxEEt7I/AAAAAAAAFGI/4GdxQ4Qahew/s200/mine_53_spain_tpb.jpg" /></a>What about <em>Mary Terror</em>? Now that piques my curiosity a little bit. This title practically guarantees big thrills and chills, and sort of like <em>Planet Terror</em> has an air of B-movie horror, which is really all this story could ever hope to become. Granted, Mr. McCammon has won some awards. <em>Mine</em> received the 1990 Bram Stoker award for Best Novel. But these characters and this story has no hope of reaching the heights of <em>Silence of the Lambs</em> on any level.<br /><br />I can pinpoint where the story lost me. It lost me in the 80-page range. It really lost me in the 90-page range. Then it pulled me back somewhat with a thrilling car chase sequence. After that, I was just waiting for the predictable events to play themselves out. And then I was disappointed that those events played out as predictably as I thought. At least <em>Silence of the Lambs</em> had the twist ending with Lecter free. The problem here is that once Mary takes the baby and Laura goes after her, the script regresses into a big chase movie, about 50 pages of chase sequences, with a baby as a McGuffin. After the third or fourth time Mary gets away, you feel like the story’s being drug-out unnecessarily and, like me, you might find yourself disappointed that the story never aspired to be more than chase sequences.<br /><br />Let’s talk characters. First, Laura, the “sympathetic” protagonist. While I was somewhat intrigued by Mary, I never crossed that threshold where I actually cared about Laura or her predicament. And I’m wondering “why is that?” We first see her sitting outside a café with her friend, Carol, who feels a bit like a wasted character as she reappears only one other time in the story. In any case, the scene, which was all dialogue, establishes Laura’s pregnancy, that she’s a journalist, that her husband works long hours, that they’re having problems, and that she’s having a baby mostly because she realized that she didn’t truly have anything in life “that’s mine.”<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sjm9gGm9fxI/AAAAAAAAFGQ/bbaIRsMq0rA/s1600-h/mine_60_pb.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 124px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348514391706664722" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sjm9gGm9fxI/AAAAAAAAFGQ/bbaIRsMq0rA/s200/mine_60_pb.jpg" /></a>All in all, the scene is flat and unconvincing because it’s all a bunch of on-the-nose verbal exposition from Laura about her own motivations. We just have to accept it at face value. Words alone in the form of on-the-nose verbal exposition does little to persuade audiences to sympathize with a character. It’s actions that persuade. Put that character under a little pressure and watch her fight for what’s important to her. Then, you will get people to support her. Say, for example, that Doug, her cheating husband, was sitting with her at that café instead of Carol, and we had a scene of Laura desperately trying to salvage her marriage. Or something. The fact that she’s actively doing something to get what she wants persuades us to support her.<br /><br />In a situation in which the protag is the one who has been wronged, like Laura who has been wronged by her cheating husband, I think one has to consider how well that character handles the situation. Because a sad, whiny, moaning, bitchy protag tends to turn off people even if that character’s mood is justified. Here, Laura kinda tells off Doug and argues with her annoying mother, which is understandable. Many people would do that. But what is Laura doing to really earn the support of the audience? In a scenario like this, I would have Laura rise above the situation and her stupid husband and her annoying mother, which I think would’ve earned some more emotional support from me. She’d avoid telling off her husband or arguing with her mother. She’d be putting on a strong front to Doug, act as if she doesn’t care, that she isn’t hurt, but when she’s alone, she weeps. Perhaps she does something extraordinary like wishing him a good time with his mistress. Something different, ya know? To be above the situation would add some layers and some <span style="color:#000000;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/07/art-of-subtext.html">subtext</a></span> into those scenes to make them more interesting. Besides, she has what she wants. She has her baby and she doesn’t care about anything else in the world and nothing will ruin her time with her new baby.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sjm9uBnxb-I/AAAAAAAAFGg/waOvZXH79IU/s1600-h/mine_75_french_pb.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 137px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348514630886060002" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sjm9uBnxb-I/AAAAAAAAFGg/waOvZXH79IU/s200/mine_75_french_pb.jpg" /></a>That is, until Mary comes along.<br /><br />I’m not saying that THIS is the solution to those scenes. I’m just saying that everything is so on-the-nose and so predictable and so flat, a writer should try to find ways to add layers to those scenes and </span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/07/art-of-subtext.html">the dialogue</a><span style="color:#000099;">. Even better, why address the affair at all? Why not have this couple living one big lie, which doesn’t get addressed until the end of the story? There are so many possibilities.<br /><br />Now let’s talk about Mary Terror. Since Mr. McCammon felt the need to compare himself to <em>Silence of the Lambs</em>, let me ask a question: what made that film so great? Characters. It was the well thought-out evolving relationship between Clarisse and Hannibal Lecter, the head games, and the </span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/09/character-depth-articles.html">depth</a> <span style="color:#000099;">of its characters, particularly Lecter. Remember what our good friend, </span></span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/09/character-depth-hannibal-lecter.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Pat, wrote about Hannibal</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">:</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">That a sociopathic cannibal could be brought to tears by beautiful music, recall with delight the fate of a census taker who had the temerity to disturb him, behave so tenderly toward Clarice (the finger touch as he hands her the file), take such pleasure in tormenting Miggs, salivate at the thoughts of eating Dr. Chilton, patiently explain the delicate flavor of (human) brains to a child, gently guide Will Graham toward death, and disfigure himself instead of his captor (who happened to be the only person he loves or has ever loved) makes Hannibal Lecter my nominee for the most interesting and complex character in modern cinema, the only character I've loved, feared, admired, and despised all at the same time.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">THAT is a character with depth. Unfortunately, Mary Terror pales in comparison. She is, </span></span><a href="http://www.robertmccammon.com/novels/mine.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">according to McCammon</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">, “a scarred and battered survivor of the radical ‘60s. Once a member of the fanatical Storm Front Brigade, Mary now lives in a hallucinatory world of memories, guns, and above all, murderous rage. Prompted by a personals ad in <em>Rolling Stone</em>, she becomes convinced that the former leader of the Brigade, the man she knows as Lord Jack, is commanding her to bring him the child she was carrying when her life and the lives of the other Storm Front radicals exploded in a bloody shootout with the FBI.”<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sjm9txH5UMI/AAAAAAAAFGY/F5c4c5GGAK0/s1600-h/mine_71_it_bce.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 122px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348514626457391298" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/Sjm9txH5UMI/AAAAAAAAFGY/F5c4c5GGAK0/s200/mine_71_it_bce.jpg" /></a>Yeah, she’s a crazy little bitch, but so much of what defines her as a character is her backstory. It’s what she does in the present that truly impacts how an audience feels about her and, for the most part, she’s flat as a character because she’s mostly psychotic most of the time. She can just barely hold a conversation before knocking off that person, usually with a shotgun. Lecter could carry an intelligent conversation, read you like a book, get inside your head and under your skin right before he feeds off of your body. With Mary, it’s just a few words and – BOOM – you’re done. The point shouldn’t be how psychotic the antagonist is or how quick she is to kill or what’s going on in her hallucinating mind, it’s in the interactions with other characters that molds great antagonists and great drama and great suspense. It’s hard work thinking through those scenes and giving them layers and making them somewhat unique and interesting.<br /><br />But that’s what we have to do.<br /><br />I’m not so sure what I’d do to fix this story. I’d cut much of the chase and save the best sequences for last. I might re-think Laura as a protagonist. I’d probably look for ways to allow Laura and Mary to talk and have some kind of evolving relationship. I might even let Mary live in the end. I’d probably cut Carol and expand Doug’s role. And I would seriously tone down Mary and make her less psychotic, at least, she could carry a longer conversation and have some </span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/09/character-depth-articles.html">depth</a><span style="color:#000099;">.<br /><br />I’d like to end this on a note of praise. The opening scene was quite gripping – the dark room, the crying baby, the concerned mother trying to calm the baby, which gets worse and worse, until the mother totally loses it to the point where she slams the baby’s head down onto a fired-up stove burner. Only to find out that the crying was all in her head and the baby was actually a doll. Very cool.<br /><br />There was also a gripping scene, which was a flashback of Mary giving birth. She was pregnant and her belly cut up after the FBI invaded her home, and she was lying on the floor in a gas station bathroom and she gives birth to her own baby by pulling it from her body with her own bloody hands. EW.<br /><br />The highlight has to be the thoroughly gripping car chase scene that started around the mid-90 page range. Man, it had a police car in hot pursuit, a big-rig, which explodes, and two more cars chasing Mary, who is throwing grenades out of her window, and which bounces down the highway until it lands on your windshield and you’re toast. And all the while that baby is so close to death. Great stuff.<br /><br />Shame about the characters, though.<br /><br />-MM</span></span>Mystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-57759692497583054132009-06-17T00:00:00.004-04:002009-06-16T22:00:50.928-04:00“Synecdoche, NY” Revisited<p></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207052581463446642" border="0" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SEMqvBTo1HI/AAAAAAAACZM/KJ8qeyd6bRo/s320/synecdoche1.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">To my loyal readers,<br /><br />Thanks so much for your patience with my rather infrequent blog posts of late and kind words of encouragement in e-mail, as I try to finish this film project that took up WAY more time than expected.<br /><br />But on to the subject at hand! To this day, I get curious e-mails referencing my script review of</span> </span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/10/script-review-synecdoche-new-york.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Charlie Kaufman’s <em>Synecdoche, New York</em></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">and politely wondering if I’ve finally seen the film.<br /><br />Yes, I’ve seen it. God help me, I’ve seen it.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SQPIKrlqgDI/AAAAAAAAC50/d5tKn4l2D8E/s1600-h/6394poster.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261268875523817522" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SQPIKrlqgDI/AAAAAAAAC50/d5tKn4l2D8E/s200/6394poster.jpg" /></a>I kept putting it off. I finally had to ask myself, “Why are you so scared to watch this film?” So I tried to articulate the reasons: because the script was the most deeply excruciating read of my entire life; because I felt emotionally tortured by all of those constant deaths and suicides; because there were many scenes I didn’t want to see, like all the various shades and colors of Caden’s shit, like the moment in the script when Hazel hits a dog with her car, runs over to it, and we are forced to see the bloody, gory mess of that poor dog, which was still alive and whimpering, or like the moment with the Salvation Army Santa spastically clawing at his own beard and revealing a tortured blue face right before he gasps and dies.<br /><br />And then I thought, “ya know, those are damn good reasons.”<br /><br />I sucked it up. I cracked open an Evan Williams single barrel straight bourbon whiskey bottle, the black label, and drank my way through it.<br /><br />Two things:<br /><br />1) Reading a screenplay is always a much more intimate experience than watching a movie. Don’t you think? You have the words of the script dancing in your head and you’re participating more in the <em>experience</em> of the story as you’re visualizing what’s on the page. I think you’re more deeply affected by reading a story than watching it.<br /><br />2) Interesting how your feelings about a character can change when you put a quality actor in that role. On the page, I hated Caden with every fiber of my being. He was passive to the point of extremes. He let the things that are important in life slip through his hands. As a man, he offends me. He is the poster child for everything an artist (or a man) should not do, what not to say, and how not to live your life. Yet, I love watching Philip Seymour Hoffman. So what’s the result of this weird combination? Caden wasn’t as unbearable on the screen as he was on the page. At times, I almost felt for the big oaf, but mostly, I wanted to give him a swift kick in the ass. I guess, for me, there is value in watching the film if you view Caden as a tragic figure and walk away feeling that you don’t want to make the same mistakes he made.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SQPIwKqOTZI/AAAAAAAAC6c/qVhmogjW5rA/s1600-h/Synecdoche-NY-cannes-03.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 181px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261269519519600018" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SQPIwKqOTZI/AAAAAAAAC6c/qVhmogjW5rA/s320/Synecdoche-NY-cannes-03.jpg" /></a><br />To Kaufman’s credit, much of the finished film was different than what I read in his 152-page emotional lobotomy of a screenplay to the point where many of my complaints were actually addressed. There were fewer death scenes, only one or two shots of Caden’s shit, no dead dog, and no blue-faced Santa clawing at his beard. Whew! Without a doubt, there were isolated scenes of brilliance, but the story as a whole left me... less depressed than when I read the script.<br /><br />Ebert gave the film </span></span><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081105/REVIEWS/811059995"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">four stars</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">. He said, “</span><span style="color:#000000;">This is a film with the richness of great fiction. Like <em>Suttree</em>, the Cormac McCarthy novel I'm always mentioning, it's not that you have to return to understand it. It's that you have to return to realize how fine it really is. The surface may daunt you. The depths enfold you. The whole reveals itself, and then you may return to it like a talisman.</span><span style="color:#000099;">”<br /><br />Another critic I enjoy reading, James Berardinelli, </span></span><a href="http://www.reelviews.net/php_review_template.php?identifier=1379"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">said of the film</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">, “</span><span style="color:#000000;">I walked out of <em>Synecdoche, New York</em> feeling frustrated and a little cheated. If I look hard enough, I'm sure I could find something meaningful in the wreckage, but I don't feel compelled to dig through the detritus. Kaufman is inviting meaning-seekers to enjoy his masturbatory ride. He has sacrificed plot, character, and logic on the altar of self-aggrandizement. Yes, parts of the film work. Individual scenes are funny, or poignant, or thought-provoking. But the picture as a whole is a mess. Some will call this art. I'll content myself with thinking of it as an ambitious misstep by a creative individual who failed to realize what he was trying to represent.</span><span style="color:#000099;">”<br /><br />All I know is that I will read or listen to anything anyone has to say about the film, but I hope to never see it again.<br /><br />-MM</span></span><span style="color:#000099;"> </span>Mystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-73555536681839241592009-06-06T10:54:00.005-04:002009-06-07T01:02:47.605-04:00The Follow Shot<p></p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SiqKONceh-I/AAAAAAAAFF4/Yrq0VKTqwpE/s1600-h/2172104035_74454b9f5b.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344235884560418786" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/SiqKONceh-I/AAAAAAAAFF4/Yrq0VKTqwpE/s320/2172104035_74454b9f5b.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">Hey guys,<br /><br />I love the video below. Longtime friend of this blogger and former film critic for <em>The New York Times</em>, Matt Zoller Seitz, put together a montage called “Following” </span><a href="http://www.thelmagazine.com/newyork/following/Content?oid=1185679"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">for <em>The L Magazine</em></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">that celebrates the Follow Shot, which I also love dearly. He wrote:</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">"Following" is a montage of clips illustrating one of my favorite types of shots: one where the camera physically follows a character through his or her environment. I love this shot because it's neither first-person nor third; it makes you aware of a character's presence within the movie's physical world while also forcing identification with the character. I also love the sensation of momentum that following shots invariably summon. Because the camera is so close to the character(s) being followed, we feel that we're physically attached to those characters, as if by an invisible guide wire, being towed through their world, sometimes keeping pace, other times losing them as they weave through hallways, down staircases or through smoke or fog...</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">You can read the rest </span></span><a href="http://www.thelmagazine.com/newyork/following/Content?oid=1185679"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">here</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#000099;">in which he describes briefly the history and influences of the Follow Shot. In fact, I’d say that’s one of my favorite aspects of Kubrick and Scorsese films. It’s a way of marrying the characters to their environment and saying, “Hey, look, these characters are products of their environment” or “They are being horribly affected by their environment.” So how does one describe a Follow Shot in a script? You write about the character walking from room to room with the use of </span></span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/10/secondary-headings.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Secondary Headings</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">.<br /><br />So here’s the vid. Hope you enjoy it.<br /><br />-MM<br /></span><br /><embed height="326" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" src="http://blip.tv/play/AYGGqg2Wpls" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed>Mystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-46642289003986438712009-05-25T09:21:00.002-04:002009-05-25T10:50:03.358-04:00A Long Time Ago..<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">Hey guys,<br /><br />32 years ago today a little film called <em>Star Wars</em> was released in only 32 theaters. To celebrate, I thought I’d repost a favorite article from a couple of years ago for Ed Copeland’s </span><a href="http://eddieonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/05/let-star-wars-blog-thon-begin.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>Star Wars</em> Blog-A-Thon</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">.<br /><br />Two great lessons about <em>SW</em> that I hold dear to this day:<br /><br />* The early drafts were so stunningly awful and so unlike the finished film, it’s such a great reminder that any bad script has the potential to reach great heights like <em>Star Wars</em>.<br /><br />* Lucas had the amazing ability to scrap a script he just wrote and approach the story again from a completely different perspective, which he did repeatedly before settling on Luke and the hero’s arc. We all need this quality. Too many of us get too stuck on what we write and we lack the discipline to start from scratch or even approach our stories from a different perspective just to see how it plays.<br /><br />Hope you enjoy it.<br /><br />-MM<br /><br />--------------------------<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;"></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;"></span><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/RlZqdOBlJdI/AAAAAAAAAb8/7_0LuDz7NF8/s1600-h/StarWarsOpeningLogo.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068355480865547730" border="0" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/RlZqdOBlJdI/AAAAAAAAAb8/7_0LuDz7NF8/s320/StarWarsOpeningLogo.jpg" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">Exactly 30 years ago today, <em>Star Wars</em> was released in only 32 theaters.<br /><br />And subsequently </span><a href="http://movies.msn.com/movies/starwars?"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">changed the world</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">.<br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/RlZnXOBlJTI/AAAAAAAAAas/pQ_LVRD-HwY/s1600-h/rainbow_autographs.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; FLOAT: left; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068352079251449138" border="0" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/RlZnXOBlJTI/AAAAAAAAAas/pQ_LVRD-HwY/s320/rainbow_autographs.jpg" /></a>In celebration of not only the 30th anniversary of <em>Star Wars</em> but also the </span><a href="http://eddieonfilm.blogspot.com/2006/05/let-star-wars-blog-thon-begin.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Star Wars Blog-A-Thon</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">, which is being hosted by our very good friend </span><a href="http://eddieonfilm.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Edward Copeland</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">, I thought I’d have a little fun and talk about the early drafts of <em>Star Wars</em>.<br /><br />Thus, I tried my very best to read all six drafts - </span><a href="http://www.scifiscripts.com/scripts/swd1_5-74.txt"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">May 1974</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">,</span> </span><a href="http://www.scifiscripts.com/scripts/star_wars_1st_7_74.txt"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">July 1974</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">,</span> </span><a href="http://www.scifiscripts.com/scripts/SWSECOND.TXT"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">January 1975</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">,</span> </span><a href="http://www.scifiscripts.com/scripts/star_wars_3rd.txt"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">August 1975</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">,</span> </span><a href="http://www.scifiscripts.com/scripts/star_wars_4th.txt"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">January 1976</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">, and</span> </span><a href="http://www.scenebyscene.net/iv/anhscript.txt"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">February 1977</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">. Yeah, that was a bit much. Each one of those suckers is filled with about 30,000 words.<br /><br />So I’d like to concentrate on the very first draft, which was titled simply <em>The Star Wars</em>. (Lucas would go on to title later drafts <em>Star Wars: Adventures of the Starkiller</em>, God help us all, but thankfully, he came to his senses and in the end stuck with <em>Star Wars: A New Hope</em>.)<br /><br />Let it be said, my friends, that the early drafts of <em>Star Wars</em> should be a rich source of encouragement to every aspiring screenwriter the world over - because they royally sucked. They are of the same low, amateurish quality that may be found in many first screenplays written by newbies on </span><a href="http://www.triggerstreet.com/gyrobase/index"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">TriggerStreet</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">. (Thus, many scripts and new writers have the potential to reach <em>Star Wars</em> heights.) Had <em>Star Wars</em> never happened, had Lucas uploaded his first draft onto </span><a href="http://www.triggerstreet.com/gyrobase/index"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">TriggerStreet</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">, and had he theoretically asked me to review his script for him, I’m not sure I could’ve even finished reading the darn thing.<br /></div></span></span><br /><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">His first version only vaguely resembles the final film that we all know and love. There is an Empire. There is a rebellion. There’s a princess. There are themes of tyranny verses democracy, which are mostly verbalized through somewhat preachy dialogue. There are characters who are called Luke, Han, Leia, Chewbacca, Darth Vader, etc, but the similarities end there. It is one thing to create from scratch a magnificent fictional universe, and it is quite another to create an effective story that sucks an audience into that world and makes them care about those characters and the conflict.<br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/RlZo_uBlJXI/AAAAAAAAAbM/Hnu79jwH1Xw/s1600-h/poster.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; FLOAT: right; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068353874547778930" border="0" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/RlZo_uBlJXI/AAAAAAAAAbM/Hnu79jwH1Xw/s320/poster.jpg" /></a><br />Let’s compare the opening scenes of the 1974 draft vs. the 1977 draft.<br /><br />The 1974 draft opens with a shot of space and “the vast blue surface of the planet, Utapau. Five small moons slowly drift into view from the far side of the planet.”<br /><br />The main titles roll-up:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">“Until the recent Great Rebellion, the Jedi Bendu were the most feared warriors in the universe. For one hundred thousand years, generations of Jedi perfected their art as the personal bodyguards of the emperor. They were the chief architects of the invincible Imperial Space Force which expanded the Empire across the galaxy, from the celestial equator to the farthest reaches of the Great Rift.<br /><br />Now these legendary warriors are all but extinct. One by one they have been hunted down and destroyed as enemies of the New Empire by a ferocious and sinister rival warrior sect, the Knights of Sith.”</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">And then:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">A small silver spacecraft emerges from behind one of the Utapau moons. The deadly little fightercraft speeds past several of the moons, until it finally goes into orbit around the fourth moon.<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Now consider the 1977 version:<br /><br />First, the roll-up:<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">“It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire.<br /><br />During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire's ultimate weapon, the Death Star, an armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet.<br /><br />Pursued by the Empire's sinister agents, Princess Leia races home aboard her starship, custodian of the stolen plans that can save her people and restore freedom to the galaxy...”<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">And then the action:<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">The awesome yellow planet of Tatooine emerges from a total eclipse, her two moons glowing against the darkness. A tiny silver spacecraft, a Rebel Blockade Runner firing lasers from the back of the ship, races through space. It is pursed by a giant Imperial Stardestroyer. Hundreds of deadly laserbolts streak from the Imperial Stardestroyer, causing the main solar fin of the Rebel craft to disintegrate. </span></span><br /><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068351654049686786" border="0" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/RlZm-eBlJQI/AAAAAAAAAaU/au08D_aHpAA/s320/bscap0029b.PNG" /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">The first is just setting and backstory. And it’s boring. The second is setting, backstory, establishes the conflict, and then we’re thrown right into action with this little spacecraft being chased down by a giant Imperial Stardestroyer. It also sets up better the expectation of the thrills to come and makes a very clear visual statement.<br /><br />Of this statement, I loved what Barry Toffoli said at </span></span><a href="http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/2006/07/opening_shots_star_wars_1.html#more"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Scanners</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">:</span><br /><br />“Star Wars" opens with a shot of space and the soft sound of John Williams score, then the shot shifts to a planet. So right away we know we’re in for adventure on foreign soil, in outer space no less. Then a small vessel comes from the top of the screen. This is quickly followed by a series of blasts as the score turns into that famous booming on sound, akin to Gustav Holst’s ‘Mars’ [from "The Planets"]. This is all quickly followed by the enormously famous and copied shot of a behemoth star cruiser coming in from the top of the screen and going on forever. It doesn’t take long to figure out that this story is a tale of good versus evil, the little guy getting bullied by the big guy. Even the planet in the shot plays into the theme, representing a new undiscovered world a new hope for freedom and life. But we know the journey will be hard as the star cruiser looms over everything from the rebel ship to the planet below to the audience watching it in the theatre.</span><br /><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068354574627448258" border="0" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/RlZpoeBlJcI/AAAAAAAAAb0/o7geHRPQm5c/s320/th_StarWars.jpg" /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Following the opening sequence (in the first draft), we find ourselves on the wastelands of the fourth moon called Utapau with an 18-year-old Annikin Starkiller (who would eventually become Luke Skywalker). He’s wearing a “breath mask” and “goggles.” He’s surveying something with his “electrobinoculars.” He runs home. We’re introduced to his younger brother, Deak, and his father, Kane Starkiller, who is a master Jedi. The three go out into the wasteland together to investigate a Sith spacecraft that had landed nearby. His father leaves the boys to get a closer look. While he’s gone a “sinister Sith warrior” attacks Annikin and Deak. “Laserswords” are drawn. The Sith kills Deak. And just when Annikin is about to die, he is saved by his father. (All of this business about Jedis and Siths and laserswords was just too much too soon.)<br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/RlZnWuBlJRI/AAAAAAAAAac/Ki8MnFNi878/s1600-h/250px-Star_wars_old.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; FLOAT: left; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068352070661514514" border="0" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/RlZnWuBlJRI/AAAAAAAAAac/Ki8MnFNi878/s320/250px-Star_wars_old.jpg" /></a>Darth Vader is just a “tall, grim-looking general.” We see the Emperor tell his troops about a forthcoming battle and the Empire’s intent to conquer the Aquilaean System, “the last of the independent systems, and the last refuge of the outlawed, vile sect of the Jedi.” It is a system that will bring them “more scientific wealth than that of any other House in the Tribunal.” They will easily “gain control of the directorship.” Oh. Nice.<br /><br />The armies of Aquilae are led by an old Jedi – General Luke Skywalker. “He is a large man, apparently in his early sixties, but actually much older. Everyone senses the aura of power that radiates from this great warrior. Here is a leader: a Jedi general. He looks weary, but is still a magnificent-looking warrior. His face, cracked and weathered by exotic climates, is set off by a close silver beard, and dark, penetrating eyes.”<br /><br />Kane and his son just sort of... show up. Kane’s old friends with Skywalker. He begs Skywalker to take Annikin as his Padawan Learner in order to be a complete Jedi, because he is too old to complete his training. Annikin’s already reached “the fifth stage.” Skywalker reluctantly accepts him. And then Kane takes off for “the spaceport at Gordon to visit an old friend, Han Solo, the Ureallian.”<br /><br />And from here, the story descends into the seventh circle of screenwriting hell.<br /><br />There’s this business about Skywalker desperately trying to get a “war code” in order to “start the war computers” and send his troops into space to be ready for an imminent attack by the Empire, but he can’t get it until there’s a vote about an alliance treaty. And then they say, “May the force of others be with you all.”<br /><br />Skywalker learns about a death star, which we never see, but we see “a space fortress.” Maybe they were the same thing. I'm not sure. In any case, they’ll be attacking at sunrise. He sends Starkiller to get Princess Leia to bring her to safety.<br /><br />And here’s the basic arc of their sordid relationship.</span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;"></span></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068352830870725970" border="0" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/RlZoC-BlJVI/AAAAAAAAAa8/HslV0ITFHBg/s320/starwars_anewhope_1.jpg" /><br />First encounter:<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">STARKILLER<br />Forget the cases - we've no time.<br /><br />LEIA<br />These are my things. They must...<br /><br />STARKILLER<br />I said forget them, and hurry...<br /><br />LEIA<br />Just who do you think you are?<br /><br />Starkiller grabs the princess by the arm, and hauls her to the speeder. Mina and the old women run after them.<br /><br />LEIA<br />I will not be treated like this! You bring my things.... My father will have your head... (etc.)<br /><br />Leia struggles to break away from the young warrior's grasp as he opens the door of the speeder.<br /><br />STARKILLER <a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/RlZpAOBlJZI/AAAAAAAAAbc/-nPrAsadUyc/s1600-h/starwars_anewhope_12.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; FLOAT: right; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068353883137713554" border="0" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/RlZpAOBlJZI/AAAAAAAAAbc/-nPrAsadUyc/s320/starwars_anewhope_12.jpg" /></a><br />Settle down!<br /><br />When the door to the speeder is opened, Mina starts in, and Starkiller stops her.<br /><br />STARKILLER<br />You must stay. Here, take the Crest.<br /><br />Starkiller rips the royal crest from the princess' neck, and hands it to the startled handmaiden. The old women gasp in horror. The princess starts hitting Starkiller with little result.<br /><br />PRINCESS<br />Mina's not staying...I'm not leaving her. You can't....<br /><br />Starkiller punches her square on the jaw and knocks her cold. Mina is panic stricken, one of the old women faints, and another starts for Starkiller with a large staff.<br /><br />STARKILLER<br />She'll be all right. I'm taking her to safety...as ordered. You will wear the crest and continue as before.<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Later as they are flying along in a landspeeder:<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">PRINCESS<br />You are such a barbarian. I'll have my father cut you into little pieces when we get back...and I'll take pleasure in feeding you to the Gonthas....a little bit each day. I may save your eyes though. I'll have them petrified and made into a necklace.<br /><br />STARKILLER<br />Your sweetness is only surpassed by your beauty. Just try to remember, I'm only following orders.<br /><br />PRINCESS<br />... to beat me and abuse me?<br /><br />STARKILLER<br />I'm afraid I've only learned one way to treat wild animals.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">And then, somehow, they fall in love:<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">LEIA<br />Will we make it? Is there any hope? Stay with me... I love you.<br /><br />Starkiller is slightly shocked at this outburst. The princess starts to cry and clings to him for support.<br /><br />STARKILLER<br />No-one is going to die...so stop acting like a child, and start behaving like a queen. What is this silly talk of love? You belong to the people of Aquilae, and my job is to return you to them, nothing more. Now straighten up and get into a lifepod.<br /><br />She's deeply hurt by his callousness. She breaks away from him and runs down a hallway into a lifepod. He is tired, and angry at the whole incident.<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">And in the very next scene:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">WHITSUN<br />What's going on with you two?<br /><br />STARKILLER<br />We're in love. She loves me, and I just realized... I love her.<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Pardon me while I heave.</span></span><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;"></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068352826575758658" border="0" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/RlZoCuBlJUI/AAAAAAAAAa0/WFjtBXs_X88/s320/1349767.jpg" /><br />There were two androids. They were annoying. "Artwo" could speak.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">THREEPIO<br />This is madness; we're going to be destroyed. I'm still not accustomed to space travel.<br /><br />ARTWO<br />The external bombardment does appear to be concentrated in this area. The structure has exceeded the normal stress quotient by point four, although there appears to be no immediate danger.<br /><br />THREEPIO<br />No immediate danger! You're faulty. This is madness!</span></span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068354570332480946" border="0" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/RlZpoOBlJbI/AAAAAAAAAbs/XnmxpisKPXU/s320/death_star_trench.jpg" /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Because they’re losing the battle to the Empire, they decide to take the Princess and 33 of the greatest scientific minds to the Ophuchi system to be safe. But they don’t actually take the scientists.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">The doctor moves over to a safe-like cabinet guarded by two attendants. The doctor gingerly picks up a small clear vial filled with grey fluid. It has a label which reads: Faubun, Astro-dynamics...In the background the scholar on the operating table is undergoing a form of mechanized brain surgery.<br /><br />GENERAL<br />"Bloodory's distillation?"<br /><br />DOCTOR<br />Yes. It has been greatly perfected. The brain is condensed into five ounces of fluid. Cloning cell samples are included so that a structural duplicate of the scientist can be reproduced. When the duplicate child reaches the age of six, he or she begins a series of injections of the brain fluid. By the age of ten years, they have received all the knowledge and memory of an experienced scientist: an old mind in a young body. We have prepared a special shock-belt to carry the vials.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">I’ll bet that was fashionable.<br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/RlZo_-BlJYI/AAAAAAAAAbU/wKTS2ISRGZk/s1600-h/starwars.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; FLOAT: right; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068353878842746242" border="0" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/RlZo_-BlJYI/AAAAAAAAAbU/wKTS2ISRGZk/s320/starwars.jpg" /></a><br />Here’s the rest of the story, which was woefully inadequate:<br /><br />- Skywalker, Starkiller and company try to flee with the princess (and scientists floating inside their special shock-belts).<br /><br />- The escape attempt fails and they crash land on the planet Yavin.<br /><br />- They lose the princess.<br /><br />- They’re taken in by “Wookees,” whose colony is run by Chewbacca.<br /><br />- The Empire captures the princess and takes her to the “space fortress.”<br /><br />- Skywalker and company teach the “Wookees” how to fly a spacecraft.<br /><br />- And then the “Wookees” fly the spacecrafts into outer space and attack the “space fortress.” Vader tells Leia, “I'm afraid I have no more time to deal with you. A senseless and futile attack by your friends has forced me to take a rather unpleasant course of action. Your execution will have to be expedited.”<br /><br />- Skywalker and Starkiller board the “space fortress,” rescue the princess, take her to a spacecraft, and float away with the garbage, while the “Wookees” continue the attack and eventually blow up the “space fortress.”<br /><br />- There is much celebrating in the end.</span></span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/RlZnW-BlJSI/AAAAAAAAAak/8VcHtVlktlw/s1600-h/133946__skywalker_l.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; FLOAT: left; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068352074956481826" border="0" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/RlZnW-BlJSI/AAAAAAAAAak/8VcHtVlktlw/s320/133946__skywalker_l.jpg" /></a>Okay, I should make at least one serious point here. Let me ask a question: why should we care about this kid, Annikin Starkiller, who gets pushed off onto General Skywalker? Here, I think we find some of the great lessons in the transformation of <em>Star Wars</em> as a story. It’s not just about special effects and being entertaining and being halfway intelligent (please!) about the relationships between these characters. This is about having a protagonist who </span></span><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/03/character-goals.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">has a goal</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">. In this first draft (and second), Annikin is just a young adult who has almost completed his training and seems likely to do so. And then we just watch him in action. Yawn. So what? He’s all set!<br /><br />But consider the final version in which we’re given a young Luke Skywalker who not only has an inner goal to be a hero</span> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hero-Thousand-Faces-Mythos-Books/dp/0691017840/ref=pd_bbs_2/102-9105260-3653741?ie=UTF8&s=books&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;qid=1180064364&sr=1-2"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Joseph Campbell style</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">, but he’s also disadvantaged because of his circumstances, and they're holding him back from being what he really wants to be. Who couldn’t sympathize with that? When Luke stared at that horizon on Tatooine and those two setting suns and longed for something better, we longed with him and rooted for him to get it. When his parents were murdered we knew he was on a trajectory for a great adventure that we were very ready to go on with him. And so we were introduced to this great universe <em>through</em> Luke and his inner needs, which made all the difference in the world.<br /><br />By the way, George, I am interested to know what the hell happened to those scientists floating around in those little bottles on Skywalker's shock-belt. I guess they're okay now.<br /><br />May the force of others be with you all.</span></div></div></div></div>Mystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.com48tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-22182035444055054942009-05-18T00:02:00.009-04:002009-05-18T02:02:55.356-04:00Sex in Screenwriting<p></p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDzFs3PixI/AAAAAAAAFFg/vu2TUGcxbaI/s1600-h/bM0383-SharonStone%40BasicInstinct-9b.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 134px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337032837701798674" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDzFs3PixI/AAAAAAAAFFg/vu2TUGcxbaI/s320/bM0383-SharonStone%40BasicInstinct-9b.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">Hey guys,<br /><br />Today, I’m breaking one of my own rules and I’m posting my two-part series on <em>Sex in Screenwriting</em>, as a shameless plug for my beloved </span><a href="http://www.scriptmag.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>Script</em> Magazine</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;">. This kind of no-holds-barred-blazing-new-ground analysis is what you’re missing by not having a subscription! And I will not post my magazine articles on my blog... except this once.<br /><br />This is not about who showed what when. And this is not about writing a sex scene for the sake of prurient interests. This is about rising above those oh-so-clichéd scenes of two characters meeting and having mind-blowing sex. This is about how a sex scene can have so much more depth than that, a crucial dramatic element to your story.<br /><br />I wrote this nearly a year ago, my first article for the magazine, which appeared in the November/December 2008 issue. I walked away from that whole experience with one key writing principle:<br /><br />A sex scene is only as good as its characters.<br /><br />So let’s get it on! <em>Hehehe</em>…<br /><br />-MM<br /><br />------------------------------------------ </span><br /><br /><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/05/sex-part-1.html">Sex, Part 1</a><br /><span style="color:#000000;">“It’s like what bad boy writer, George Bernard Shaw, once wrote, ‘A pornographic novelist is one who exploits the sexual instinct as a prostitute does. A legitimate sex novel elucidates it or brings out its poetry, tragedy, or comedy.’”</span><br /><br /><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/05/sex-part-2.html">Sex, Part 2</a><br /><span style="color:#000000;">“Horizontal vs. Vertical... Sex is also an opportunity for vertical writing in your screenplay. Maya Deren once made a distinction between drama that’s ‘horizontal’ and ‘vertical,’ and by that she means that the <em>narrative</em> is ‘horizontal’ and the <em>lyric</em> is ‘vertical.’”</span></span><span style="color:#000000;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Mystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-68352835469390442372009-05-18T00:01:00.004-04:002009-05-18T01:46:12.172-04:00Sex, Part 1<p></p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">Hello, <em>Script</em> readers.<br /><br />Let’s skip the introductions and go straight to the sex, shall we?<br /><br />Because I have a few questions for all you virgin screenwriters out there. As we look forward to 2009 and beyond, how should we view sex in our specs? Can sex be crucial to a story?<br /><br />It seems to me that in films, as in life, sex complicates things. People get all confused and distracted when breasts, butts, and bushes flash across the screen. So let’s see if we can unveil a few secrets about sex in screenwriting. To do that, we first look to the past.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDruoXsbzI/AAAAAAAAFFY/X9Q3719AMSQ/s1600-h/moon-is-blue.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 234px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337024744777346866" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDruoXsbzI/AAAAAAAAFFY/X9Q3719AMSQ/s320/moon-is-blue.jpg" /></a><br />Starting in the 1920s until the mid-60’s, the rather prudish Hays Production Code overshadowed every creative writing decision in every production of every film. If your film didn’t get a Seal of Approval from the Production Code, you were in trouble. Some tried to distribute their films without a Seal, just as Otto Preminger and United Artists did with their 1953 film, <em>The Moon is Blue</em>. The Code denied the Seal because the script contained the words <em>seduce</em>, <em>pregnant</em>, and <em>virgin</em>. Not only that, a film distributed without a Seal into the heartland of America ran the risk of prosecution for breaking local obscenity laws. Otto’s film was banned in Kansas, which got challenged, and went all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court who reversed the decision.<br /><br />During World War I, Americans were concerned about something called “social hygiene,” umm, you know, venereal diseases, and filmmakers like Ivan Abramson put together little movies, like <em>Enlighten Thy Daughter</em> from 1917, which explained the “facts of life.” This, if you can believe it, evolved into underground sexploitation films of the ‘30s - ‘60s, which were showcased in tents or run-down theaters called grind houses. Even then, the celluloid gypsies of the ‘30s and ‘40s had to come up with reasons to include all of that envelope-pushing sexuality in their films in case they got hit with a lawsuit. Their reasoning? “Education.” Or it was a “morality tale.”<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDlPq3HbkI/AAAAAAAAFD4/xLPUWz2DaSQ/s1600-h/8.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 132px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337017615800299074" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDlPq3HbkI/AAAAAAAAFD4/xLPUWz2DaSQ/s200/8.jpg" /></a>They’d have lurid titles like <em>Sins of Love</em> (1932), <em>Road to Ruin</em> (1934), <em>Slaves in Bondage</em> (1937), <em>Mad Youth</em> (1939), <em>Secrets of a Model</em> (1940), and <em>Confessions of a Vice Baron</em> (1943). The posters would scream “Open Your Eyes! Protect Your Daughters!” “Girls Enslaved Into Lives of Shame!” “A Throbbing Drama of Shackled Youth!” The stories, of course, always ended badly for those who, uhh, misbehaved so that there would be an acceptable “balance” of moral condemnation. The narrative might be a policeman investigating a seedy party that went wrong or we’d have a man sitting in jail telling a story with regret about the things he’d done. By the 60’s, they’d have voice overs literally condemning what you were seeing on screen or they’d speak passages from great works of literature or play the music of Bach to make it more difficult for prosecutors to convince jurors that a particular film had no redeeming value.<br /><br />Fascinating to me, however, was a haunting film from 1965 by Sidney Lumet called <em>The Pawnbroker</em>, which helped bring some change and revision of the Production Code. The film, following many heated confrontations, was released with a Seal and with nudity because the fleeting shots of breasts were actually crucial to the story. In one scene, a prostitute visits Sol Nazerman, a pawnbroker and Holocaust survivor. She says, “I’m good pawnbroker. I’m real good. I’ve done things you haven’t even dreamed about before. Just twenty dollars more. I’ll make you happy, like you never know.” She takes off her top. “I gotta get me some money. Look… Look… <em>Look</em>…” And her breasts trigger Nazerman’s memory of the tragic fate of his wife at the hands of Nazi rapists. We’re given flashbacks via French New Wave quick cuts of his wife (topless) in a cell, men looking in, a Nazi guard entering, and then back to Nazerman throwing his hands onto his face. There’s also a lengthy flashback in the concentration camp. A German soldier asks, “Willst du was sehen?” meaning, “Do you want to see?” He’s cruelly forced to witness heinous acts, and the soldier’s “want to see” question parallels the prostitute’s “look” commands. For Nazerman, sex has become a source of trauma. Nazerman snaps back, covers the girl with a raincoat, and gives her twenty dollars.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDmfJ_4LeI/AAAAAAAAFEQ/-wDVD3zf2PE/s1600-h/thepawnbroker1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 242px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337018981368212962" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDmfJ_4LeI/AAAAAAAAFEQ/-wDVD3zf2PE/s320/thepawnbroker1.jpg" /></a><br />Of course, not every sex scene (or in this case, an <em>almost</em> sex scene) has to be tragic to be crucial to a story, but I believe this helps to point us in the right direction to learn a deeper truth about sex in screenwriting today and that is:<br /><br />A SEX SCENE IS ONLY AS GOOD AS ITS CHARACTERS.<br /><br />It’s like what bad boy writer, George Bernard Shaw, once wrote, “A pornographic novelist is one who exploits the sexual instinct as a prostitute does. A legitimate sex novel elucidates it or brings out its poetry, tragedy, or comedy.” Exactly! And how do you do that? Through characters. When I read a sex scene in a script, I’m not usually moved by the mechanics of the act itself. I’m drawn to the emphasis on the characters in the scene and if the writer is doing something interesting beyond the clichéd emotion of <em>euphoria</em>. That’s the difference between exploiting sexual instincts and elucidating the poetry, tragedy, or comedy of sex.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDl-l0p_8I/AAAAAAAAFEI/DM7qnQbXseg/s1600-h/chinatown_movie_image_jack_nicholson__1_.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 212px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337018421901656002" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDl-l0p_8I/AAAAAAAAFEI/DM7qnQbXseg/s320/chinatown_movie_image_jack_nicholson__1_.jpg" /></a><br />So let’s explore some of the ways sex can be crucial to a story. It can, first of all, be a way to get to a truth about a character. <em>Chinatown</em> was all about obtaining truth through knowledge of sexual behavior. It opened with Jake revealing to a man photos of his wife having an affair. The story moved on to what may be Mulwray’s affair with a young girl and ends with a devastating revelation. I’m sure you know the story. If you don’t, you’re not much of a screenwriter. <em>Hehehe</em>… In any case, there is a scene in a bathroom with Jake and Evelyn, which precedes the sex, where Jake removes the bandage off his face. She’s shocked by his deep physical scar, just as Jake will later be shocked by her emotional scars.<br /><br />Then, he allows her to dabble peroxide on his nose in a moment of trust. Jake notices a black mark on the green part of her eye. She tries to shrug it off as “a flaw in the iris,” “a birthmark of sorts.” Uh huh. Interesting that we have two characters both avoiding talking about the past (Evelyn and her father, Jake and Chinatown) while both have deep scars to share. Then, we cut to Jake and Evelyn lying in bed having obviously had sex, and we’re given more subtle clues to the murder mystery. The phone rings. She answers. She tells Jake she has to leave. Jake mentions that he recently met with her father, which gets a subtle, yet important reaction. Evelyn is visibly shaken, has to cover her breasts with her arms, and she quickly goes to the bathroom. Some scars can only be seen when we’re naked emotionally and physically.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDm0PFpKNI/AAAAAAAAFEY/KZ2Xc-17ic0/s1600-h/16931__american_l.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337019343511824594" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDm0PFpKNI/AAAAAAAAFEY/KZ2Xc-17ic0/s320/16931__american_l.jpg" /></a><br />Sex can be a way to chart a character’s arc, too. A character’s attitude toward sex is one way in the beginning of a film and completely different by the end. Masturbation was the vehicle to showcase Lester Burnham’s character arc in <em>American Beauty</em>. You may recall the opening sequence where Lester tells us in voice over that he’ll be dead in a year and that he’s already dead spiritually. We’re given a scene where we’re to look pitifully at Lester “jerking off in the shower,” which will be, as he says, “the high point of my day.” Later, when Caroline catches Lester masturbating in bed, she becomes furious. Lester tells her, “I’ve changed. And the new me whacks off when he feels horny!” In the beginning, masturbation illustrated how desolate he was, but later, it signified the new, assertive, independent Lester Burnham.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDnKA6LvtI/AAAAAAAAFEg/8D-pjVLpA94/s1600-h/Faye_Dunaway-Network.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 232px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337019717662785234" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDnKA6LvtI/AAAAAAAAFEg/8D-pjVLpA94/s320/Faye_Dunaway-Network.jpg" /></a><br />A sex scene can also be a way to reveal different sides of your characters. It can, on the one hand, illuminate a character’s hypocrisy, as an individual says one thing in public and does something quite different in private. On the other hand, you can have a character that simply behaves one way out in the world (timid) only to be completely different in the bedroom (tiger). I love the scene with Faye Dunaway and William Holden in Paddy Chayefsky’s <em>Network</em>. This woman was so passionate and so sexy in the office that a guy can only wonder how fantastic her love life must be. However, when you finally get her into the bedroom, you are revealed just how totally cut off she is from her emotional and sexual roots. She will not stop talking about the ratings and the network and the TV shows. But she will pause briefly for an orgasm:<br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="color:#000000;">She busily removes her shoes, unbuttons her blouse, whisks out of her slacks down to her bikini panties. She scours the walls for a thermostat. </span><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="color:#000000;">DIANA<br />...Christ, it’s cold in here...<br />(turns up the heat)<br />You see we’re paying these nuts<br />from the Ecumenical Liberation Army<br />ten thousand bucks a week to bring<br />in authentic film footage on their<br />revolutionary activities, and that<br />constitutes inducement to commit a<br />crime. And Walter says we’ll all<br />wind up in federal prison...</span></div><br /></span><span style="font-family:courier new;color:#000000;">Nubile and nearly naked, she entwines herself around Max, who by now has stripped down to his trousers. The two hungering bodies slide down onto the bed where they commence an affable moment of amative foreplay.<br /><br /><div align="center">DIANA<br />(efficiently unbuckling<br />and unzipping Max’s<br />trousers)<br />...I said, “Walter, let the<br />government sue us! We’ll be front<br />page for months! The Washington<br />Post and The New York Times will be<br />doing two editorials a week about<br />us! We’ll have more press than<br />Watergate!”</div><br />Groping, grasping, gasping, and fondling, they contrive to denude each other, and in a fever of sexual hunger, Diana mounts Max. The screen is filled with the voluptuous writhings of love. Diana cries out with increasing exultancy...<br /><br /><div align="center">DIANA<br />(in the throes of passion)<br />All I need... is six weeks of<br />federal litigation... and “The Mao<br />Tse Tung Hour”... can start<br />carrying its own time slot!</div><br />She screams in consummation, sighs a long, deliciously shuddering sigh, and sinks softly down into Max’s embrace. For a moment, she rests her head on Max’s chest, eyes closed in feline contentment.<br /><br /><div align="center">DIANA<br />(after a moment, begins purring)<br />What’s really bugging me now is my<br />daytime programming…</div><br /></span><br />A ROLLER COASTER NAMED DESIRE<br /><br />This brings us to one of the most obvious points about a sex scene and that is, sex can be a way of gauging the health and stability of a relationship. The great Peter Ustinov, <em>Mr. Hercule Poirot</em> himself, once said, “Sex is a conversation carried out by other means. If you get on well out of bed, half the problems in bed are solved.” Exactly. When there are problems in the bedroom, when there’s passionless, perfunctory sex on display, we know something’s wrong.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDn5AivrgI/AAAAAAAAFEo/TcNUOgiO050/s1600-h/Annie-Hall-Woody-Keaton_l.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337020525018328578" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDn5AivrgI/AAAAAAAAFEo/TcNUOgiO050/s320/Annie-Hall-Woody-Keaton_l.jpg" /></a><br /><em>Annie Hall</em> gave us scenes filled with problems in the bedroom (usually bad timing, mood-killing mishaps, or lowered romantic interests) all of which satirized the idea that sex was the foundation upon which all contemporary relationships were built. Here, if the sex was dead, so was the relationship. You may recall the sequence where Annie and Alvy are seeing their respective therapists and revealing their differing perceptions about the same question of “How often do you have sex?” Alvy: “Hardly ever. Maybe three times a week.” Annie: “Constantly! I’d say three times a week.” <em>Hehehe</em>… Those two seemed fated to always be searching for a love that lasts but never find it, which was punctuated by Allen’s non-linear structure.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDoE13_-vI/AAAAAAAAFEw/C8xE7N2pxcM/s1600-h/j102-111b.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 251px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337020728313117426" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDoE13_-vI/AAAAAAAAFEw/C8xE7N2pxcM/s320/j102-111b.jpg" /></a><br /><em>Shampoo</em> boldly proclaimed that those who concealed conflicting desires were hypocrites, not that those conflicting desires did the characters any good. Robert Towne incorporated a motif of interruptions during sex, which implied unsatisfied desires. The interruptions always happened to the lustful rake by the name of George played by a young Warren Beatty. His affair with Felicia in the opening sequence was interrupted by a phone call from another woman named Jackie. George’s affair with Jackie was twice interrupted by a man named Lester from whom George was trying to secure money and who was also married to Felicia while having Jackie as a mistress. Is your head spinning yet? George is so self-obsessed that when his wife, Jill, tries to communicate with him and achieve greater intimacy, George ignores her or interrupts her.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDoXIeGvKI/AAAAAAAAFE4/0__gQ_8ARlM/s1600-h/bM4774-MargoStilley%409Songs-06b.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 174px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337021042542427298" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDoXIeGvKI/AAAAAAAAFE4/0__gQ_8ARlM/s320/bM4774-MargoStilley%409Songs-06b.jpg" /></a><br />I have to mention <em>9 Songs</em>, which was written and directed by Micheal Winterbottom. This is the only film to be on the Independent Film Channel’s online lists of both the <span style="color:#000000;"><a href="http://www.ifc.com/news/2007/07/the-50-greatest-sex-scenes-in-5.php">50 Greatest</a></span> and <span style="color:#000000;"><a href="http://www.ifc.com/news/the-50-worst-sex-scenes1.php">50 Worst Sex Scenes</a></span> in Cinema History. While not a masterpiece, I think it had some interesting ideas, which were explained best by <span style="color:#000000;"><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050825/REVIEWS/50822001/1023">Mr. Roger Ebert</a></span>: “<span style="color:#000000;">What Winterbottom is charting is the progress of sex in the absence of fascination; if two people are not excited by who they are outside of sex, there's a law of diminishing returns in bed. Yes, they try to inspire themselves with blindfolds and bondage, but the more you're playing games, the less you're playing with each other. Their first few sexual encounters have the intricacy and mystery of great tabletop magic; by the end, they're making elephants disappear but they know it's just a trick.</span>”<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDo2_jTGLI/AAAAAAAAFFA/b5gfbzBw3lI/s1600-h/bM2131-KathleenTurner%40BodyHeat-6b.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 181px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337021589904103602" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDo2_jTGLI/AAAAAAAAFFA/b5gfbzBw3lI/s320/bM2131-KathleenTurner%40BodyHeat-6b.jpg" /></a><br />“YOU AREN’T TOO SMART, ARE YOU? I LIKE THAT IN A MAN.”<br /><br />A sex scene can also be about manipulation, a means to an end. In James Bond films, it’s usually a way of coaxing information out of a female spy. In Film Noirs, <em>femme fatales</em> are notorious for using sex to convince men to do things that are not very nice, like murder. Film Noir is the only genre where it’s essential to have a weak, passive, male protagonist.<br /><br /><em>Body Heat</em> took place in a small town in Florida that had no air conditioning and seemed to be stuck in limbo, like its protagonist Ned Racine (William Hurt). Here’s a guy who is grown up, hit with the reality that adulthood isn’t as wonderful as he thought it would be, and he lacked the will to better himself or move away. Thus, he became susceptible to the charms of Matty (Kathleen Turner), who used sex to convince him that life with her would fulfill all his fantasies and restore his self esteem, if only he would do this one little thing for her. In fact, she first got him to break the law by encouraging him to break into her house to have sex with her:<br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;color:#000000;">EXT. FRONT TERRACE - NIGHT<br /><br />…He pushes at [the windows] as his eyes lock with Matty, who watches from the hall. The windows won't move. Racine spins and picks up the nearest object, a wooden rocking chair. He lifts it, turns and smashes the big window. Glass showers into the dining room.<br /><br />Matty watches. She hasn't moved.<br /><br />Racine pushes the broken window out of his way. He comes in, like a violent gust of wind.<br /><br />INT. HALL<br /><br />Racine crosses the dark living room fast. As he reaches Matty, she lifts her arms to match his embrace. They come together hard and tight. They kiss. And kiss again. Her hands travel over his body, as though she's wanted them there for a long time…</span><br /><br />In other erotic thrillers, like <em>Sea of Love</em> or <em>Basic Instinct</em>, the sex scene is the moment of reckoning for some characters. Will she or won’t she stab him with an ice pick? Thus, a sex scene can also be an important turning point in the plot.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDpQ2Bmg_I/AAAAAAAAFFI/x3XU9RzcXFw/s1600-h/bM2544-MariaSchneider%40LastTangoInParis-2b.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 163px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337022034023449586" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDpQ2Bmg_I/AAAAAAAAFFI/x3XU9RzcXFw/s320/bM2544-MariaSchneider%40LastTangoInParis-2b.jpg" /></a><br />“GO GET THE BUTTER.”<br /><br />“You make me crazy. You’re so damn sure I’ll keep coming back here. What do you think? That an American on the floor in an empty apartment eating cheese and drinking water is interesting?”<br /><br />Well, apparently it is, because I can’t get around the topic of <em>Last Tango in Paris</em> in an article about sex in films. Frankly, when I first saw this movie a couple of years ago, I hated it. I thought it was boring, un-erotic, tonally inconsistent, and I was particularly incensed by Paul’s sexist, narcissistic, degrading treatment of Jeanne. I mean, he practically raped her twice! In preparation for this article (and after reading 12 critical essays on <em>Tango</em>), I’m more comfortable with the film than I used to be. When they first meet in the apartment, I no longer think it’s a case of rape. He picks her up, carries her to the wall, and at any time, she could’ve screamed, fought, or tried to resist him. But no, she doesn’t. I think we’re given a visual illustration that she was literally swept away by Brando’s pain, hunger, and need for her. The butter scene still angers me, though, and it’s inexplicable to me that Jeanne doesn’t storm out of that apartment. Her behavior in the third act is also inexplicable to me. If anything, Tango fails to be a masterpiece because Jeanne behaved the way the filmmakers wanted her to behave, not because her character was fully developed and we could see that it was in her nature to be that way.<br /><br />Sex was not the point of the film, of course. Sex was used as a means to escape the loneliness of the relationships that left those two characters so unfulfilled. Julian Ebb wrote that it was “sex as an instrument of power divorced from tenderness or curiosity [that] results in chaos and despair.” That could be. The bigger point is that sex, in and of itself, never should be the point of a scene when it comes to quality screenwriting. The emphasis should be on the characters.<br /><br />For Part Two, <span style="color:#000000;"><a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/05/sex-part-2.html">click here</a></span>.</span>Mystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-72567229514105676002009-05-18T00:00:00.004-04:002009-05-18T01:45:47.404-04:00Sex, Part 2<p></p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDk9KIGvsI/AAAAAAAAFDw/IfYUU0hotNQ/s1600-h/bM1759-NicoleKidman%40EyesWideShut-6b.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337017297775541954" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDk9KIGvsI/AAAAAAAAFDw/IfYUU0hotNQ/s320/bM1759-NicoleKidman%40EyesWideShut-6b.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000099;"><span style="color:#000000;">“Hey, don’t knock masturbation! It’s sex with someone I love.”<br />- Woody Allen in <em>Annie Hall</em>.<br /></span><br />I recently read screenwriter David Freeman’s great book,</span> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FLast-Days-Alfred-Hitchcock-Collaborator%2Fdp%2F087951728X%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1214690796%26sr%3D1-1&tag=mysmanonfil-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creativ">The Last Days of Alfred Hitchcock</a><span style="color:#000099;">. David worked with Hitch on what would’ve been his final film, called</span> <a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/01/script-review-hitchs-short-night.html"><em>The Short Night</em></a><span style="color:#000099;">. It was an adaptation of a book by Ronald Kirkbride of the same title. It’s about an American agent chasing after a very bad British double agent who escaped from jail. While the American waits for this bad Brit to arrive in Finland to meet up with his family, he has an affair with his wife. The project was always on the brink of being shut down due to Hitch’s failing health, but it was the passion of his characters and their love affair that kept him going. Here’s David:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDYPf5ACPI/AAAAAAAAFDY/1D076uQmVQ8/s1600-h/1135229068606.jpg"><span style="color:#000000;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 133px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337003319204251890" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDYPf5ACPI/AAAAAAAAFDY/1D076uQmVQ8/s200/1135229068606.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000000;">“The talk of love was a tonic for him. ‘Yes, yes. That will work. Very exciting.’ It was as elaborate as praise ever got: He was saying, ‘I will put that in my movie.’ He was off and running.<br /><br />“‘The lovers are seated across the room from each other,’ he began in his deliberate tones. ‘Their robes open as they look at one another.’ He stopped, savoring the scene, repeating that the robes were open. He was starting to sound suspiciously like a schoolboy with a copy of <em>Penthouse</em>. ‘Outside, on the bay, a tiny boat is approaching, coming over the horizon’ (the scene takes place in a cabin on an island off of Finland). ‘The lovers know the husband is approaching. They can hear the sound of his boat’s motor, growing louder as it comes over the horizon. They stare at each other and begin to masturbate, each of them. The camera moves closer to their eyes. The sound of the motor grows louder as their eyes fill the screen.’ He’s grinning now and actually stretching his legs, his cane has fallen away with the lovers’ robes. ‘Then, after orgasm, the man must take an ivory comb and comb her pubic hair.’ Now he didn’t actually intend to put this in the film. It was a private vision, playful and from the heart, a true home movie.”</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">I love that scene. I love the aching desire between those two characters combined with the fact that they can’t touch each other in those few moments they have together. Plus, you have the noise of the approaching boat’s motor that brings a sense of rising tension into the scene with the arrival of her evil husband and by extension, the moment where he must be executed. Fabulous! It’s different from all the usual sex scenes we see in films. It’s rooted in the story, and it capitalizes on the high emotions of the moment. (A good friend reminded me of a film called <em>Bent</em> that had two men in love who couldn’t touch each other, and in one scene, they “have sex” by imagining it while standing side-by-side.)</span><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/RZbgdFG2aPI/AAAAAAAAAD0/aL3R6DFLID4/s1600-h/402davidb.JPG"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5014442025315363058" border="0" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/RZbgdFG2aPI/AAAAAAAAAD0/aL3R6DFLID4/s320/402davidb.JPG" /></span></a></div><br /><span style="color:#000099;">HORIZONTAL VS. VERTICAL<br /><br />Let me get on a soapbox. Sex is also an opportunity for vertical writing in your screenplay. Maya Deren once made a distinction between drama that’s “horizontal” and “vertical,” and by that she means that the <em>narrative</em> is “horizontal” and the <em>lyric</em> is “vertical.” To quote her:</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">“In Shakespeare, you have the drama moving forward on a ‘horizontal’ plane of development, of one circumstance—action—leading to another, and this delineates the character. Every once in a while, however, he arrives at a point of action where he wants to illuminate the meaning to this moment of drama, and, at that moment, he builds a pyramid or investigates it ‘vertically,’ if you will, so that you have a ‘horizontal’ development with periodic ‘vertical’ investigations, which are the poems, which are the monologues… You can have operas where the ‘horizontal’ development is virtually unimportant—the plots are very silly, but they serve as an excuse for stringing together a number of arias that are essentially lyric statements.”</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">In one of my favorite screenplays,</span> <a href="http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/02/stanley-kubricks-napoleon.html">Kubrick’s <em>Napoleon</em></a><span style="color:#000099;">, you can really see the distinction between that which is “horizontal” and “vertical,” because in order to cover all of the important events in Napoleon’s life, you have to fly down that horizontal plane at lightning speed in order to squeeze it all in before you reach page 150. And thus, you cannot help but notice those moments when Stanley shifts gears in the narrative and chooses to slow down to be “vertical,” to spend just a few pages to highlight the meaning of a dramatic moment.</span><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/RcEBbsAoWVI/AAAAAAAAAKM/NEg4GwR_9M8/s1600-h/Emprjoseb.JPG"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000099;"><img style="CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5026300234304084306" border="0" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/RcEBbsAoWVI/AAAAAAAAAKM/NEg4GwR_9M8/s320/Emprjoseb.JPG" /></span></a></div><br /><span style="color:#000099;">And the first “vertical” moment that comes to mind has to be the sequence involving Napoleon’s marriage to Josephine. We’ve been flying through pages about his quick rise to power and his preparations for the Italian campaign, which we know will send him into worldwide fame and headlong to becoming the next Emperor of France. But we stop for this very important love affair. We hear Napoleon’s many poetic love letters to Josephine. “Sweet and incomparable Josephine, what is this bizarre effect you have upon my heart?” “By what magic have you captivated all my faculties, concentrated in yourself all my existence? It is a kind of death, my darling, since there is no survival for me except in you.”<br /><br />And while we hear Napoleon pour his heart out, we watch Josephine have a torrid sexual affair with Captain Hippolyte Charles.<br /><br />This sequence is not just about establishing their marriage and her betrayal and how much Napoleon loved Josephine. It was also about how much he overwhelmed her with the kind of love that suffocates a human being, which in this case drove Josephine into the arms of another man. (Of course, she was indifferent to him since the beginning, but his behavior certainly didn't help matters either.) It also showed a believable contradiction in the main protagonist, which gave him depth - that is, the arrogant, powerful, confident Napoleon was also the insecure, needy, emotionally reckless Napoleon who naively wanted to be loved as overwhelmingly as he loved Josephine. We see that he completely gave himself over to her with an almost childlike honesty without realizing the consequences of his behavior, a stark contrast to the genius who meticulously calculated (and won) every battle. And by making us hear his voluminous words of love while at the same time showing us Josephine’s sexual betrayal, we are practically forced to feel the sting of her infidelity just as Napoleon felt it, and we sympathize with him.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDWtu-aKFI/AAAAAAAAFDI/d-QjJZKWwNE/s1600-h/bM0174-NicoleKidman%40EyesWideShut-1c.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337001639626287186" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDWtu-aKFI/AAAAAAAAFDI/d-QjJZKWwNE/s320/bM0174-NicoleKidman%40EyesWideShut-1c.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br />EYES WIDE OPEN, BABY<br /><br />Okay, a couple of thoughts about <em>Eyes Wide Shut</em>.<br /><br />We know that with Kubrick, his movies aren’t always about the lead character’s journey. He doesn’t write stories like we do. He’s usually thinking in broader terms and he’s making statements about mankind, history, civilization, power, etc. A Kubrick story should not be judged solely by its psychology but by it sociology, too. For example, due to Bill’s (Tom Cruise) interest in becoming a member of the ultra-elite, he grows uninvolved and disconnected from his wife, Alice (Nicole Kidman), which in turn made her nothing more than an object to be used whenever he wanted her. And her resentment of his attitude surfaced only in her dreams and when she’s stoned. From that first opening shot of her slipping out of her clothes, she is presented to us as an object of desire. Everyone from the babysitter to Ziegler to Szavost praises Alice only for her looks. Her daily regimen is pretty much devoted to rigorously maintaining her looks. She's constantly looking at herself in the mirror. Of course, these kinds of details don’t exactly make for exciting dialogue and cinema (unless you know to look for these things), but it’s Kubrick non-verbal way of making statements about Alice, the objectified wife.<br /><br />Kubrick also likes to make visual connections between characters in order to make statements about them. That typically requires more than one viewing to notice. (Or, thank God, you could look them up on the internet.) What’s interesting to me is that you have to look past the nudity and sumptuous visuals of <em>Eyes Wide Shut</em> to see the details to understand the connections Kubrick’s trying to make. If you notice, Kubrick visually associates Alice with all of the other women in the movie, and therefore, he’s also making statements about Alice as <em>the prostitute wife</em>. For instance, she’s identified with Mandy. They are both first presented to us in bathrooms. They both have a penchant for drugs. Mandy’s final night of her life in which “she got her brains fucked out” by many men is echoed disturbingly in Alice’s dream. Alice is also associated with Domino by the purple bed sheets and the similar dressing-table mirrors, essential for any true courtesan. It could be argued that there was only one woman in that film. All the women Bill encounters are various incarnations of the one he is truly seeking – his wife.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDWtxylghI/AAAAAAAAFDQ/EBz71VX8g_E/s1600-h/bM0174-NicoleKidman%40EyesWideShut-1b.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337001640382005778" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDWtxylghI/AAAAAAAAFDQ/EBz71VX8g_E/s320/bM0174-NicoleKidman%40EyesWideShut-1b.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br />And then there is Helena, their daughter, named after the most beautiful woman in history. The subtext of all of their interaction with her is really about her being groomed to be the same kind of high-class object as her mother. During the day, she is always with her, observing her, learning from her. She wants to stay up to watch “The Nutcracker,” which is, of course, about a little girl whose toy comes to life and turns into a handsome prince. The fact that this story takes place during Christmas-time is no coincidence. This is when consumerism is at its height. Later, when Helena reads the bedtime story, she recites, “before me when I jump into my bed.” Alice mouths it along with her. In the dining room, Alice helps Helena with a little math problem - how to calculate which boy has more money. There’s a photo of Helena in a purple dress in Bill’s office, eerily reminiscent of the one worn by Domino the night before.<br /><br />In the final scene in the toy store, Helena’s carefully observed actions speak volumes. Alice said she was “expecting” them to take her “Christmas Shopping” (even though they already have piles of presents under the tree). Perhaps the trip was so Helena could shop for her friends, which is telling, because she only thinks about herself in the store. She wants everything in sight. She wants the blue baby carriage (similar to the blue stroller we saw twice outside Domino's door). Then she grabs an oversized teddy bear. Then she shows them a Barbie doll dressed as an angel, which was no coincidence, because Helena herself wore an angel costume in the opening sequence when she asked if she could watch “The Nutcracker.” Helena runs down an aisle full of stuffed tigers that look suspiciously similar to the one on Domino's bed...<br /><br />By the way, I think it was all a dream in Bill’s head.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDUcoirsOI/AAAAAAAAFC4/OVEon_ZCfDo/s1600-h/cabaret2_preview.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 172px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336999146818351330" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDUcoirsOI/AAAAAAAAFC4/OVEon_ZCfDo/s320/cabaret2_preview.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br />“YOU WANT TO MAKE LOVE ALL THE TIME, HUH?”<br /><br />One of the books I read as research for this article was Jody Pennington’s fabulous </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0275992268?ie=UTF8&tag=mysmanonfil-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0275992268">History of Sex in American Film</a><span style="color:#000099;">. Those who like to use their minds, as I do, will be delighted to learn that this book is all words and ideas and hardly any pictures. In any case, an over-obsession about sex can make characters blind about bigger, encroaching evils. Pennington articulated these kinds of ideas that ran through <em>Cabaret</em> far better than I could:</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">“<em>Cabaret</em> obliquely portrays the strange coexistence between the Weimar Republic’s sexual decadence and the rise of an intolerant totalitarian regime. The film does not establish a causal relationship between the two; instead, it underscores the futility of decadent entertainment in the face of brutal repression. The Kit Kat Klub’s patrons, symbolizing a populace diverted from political reality by sexual diversions, were not blinded by political ignorance but an indifference fomented by sexual excess.”</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">By the way, the growing, extreme sexual obsessions of two lovers led to a rather inconvenient third act climax for a man named Kichizo in a movie called <em>In the Realm of the Senses</em>. Ouch! In her essay, “A Theory on Female Sexuality” (1966), American psychiatrist Mary Jane Sherfey noted that “the strength of the [sex] drive determines the force required to suppress it.”<br /><br /></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDVLPpA3EI/AAAAAAAAFDA/yjXdFzxHM0w/s1600-h/bM1205-ChloeSevigny%26HilarySwank%40BoysDontCry-3b.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 176px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336999947587869762" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDVLPpA3EI/AAAAAAAAFDA/yjXdFzxHM0w/s320/bM1205-ChloeSevigny%26HilarySwank%40BoysDontCry-3b.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br />IT’S MORE THAN SEXUAL ORIENTATION<br /><br />In <em>Boys Don’t Cry</em>, you may recall the moment when Teena is arrested and while she’s in jail, Candace discovers her secret. Then Candace tells Lana who quickly sees Teena in prison. Teena tells her she’s a hermaphrodite but it “sounds a lot more complicated than it is.” Lana tells her she doesn’t care if she’s “half monkey or half ape” and gets Teena out of jail. They make love in the front seat of a car. Thus, sex can be the payoff to a giant setup, the deep inner goal of a character, that is, the long-awaited moment of acceptance.<br /><br />Of course, sex here was not the goal. <em>Love</em> was the goal. And this concept sometimes gets lost because there’s an over-emphasis by some in the industry on the <em>sexual</em> part of “sexual orientation.” Why does there have to be an emphasis on sex just because a character has a different orientation? Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender characters can have, like any other great character in literature or cinema history, depth, contradictions, goals, inner conflicts, and arcs. I’ve read quite a few scripts by aspiring gay, lesbian, and bisexual writers, and some have shared with me their feelings of anxiety about sex scenes. I say don’t worry about the sex and focus on the depth of your characters. In that context, the sex will find its natural place in the script. Don’t force it. Write that scene when you know it’s crucial to your story. Because the point of a sex scene is not the act itself, it’s the characters. What does the scene reveal?<br /><br /></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDc0miWLXI/AAAAAAAAFDg/vUpFspRcdRs/s1600-h/bM8488-AsiaArgento%40BoardingGate-3.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 134px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337008354689953138" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDc0miWLXI/AAAAAAAAFDg/vUpFspRcdRs/s320/bM8488-AsiaArgento%40BoardingGate-3.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br />SO HOW DO YOU WRITE A SEX SCENE?<br /><br />It seems fitting that I’m contributing to a magazine that showcases <span style="color:#000000;"><a href="http://www.keepwriting.com/index.htm">Dave Trottier</a></span>, because I’m a huge supporter of his book, <span style="color:#000000;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1879505843?ie=UTF8&tag=mysmanonfil-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1879505843">The Screenwriter’s Bible</a></span>. A sex scene is like any other scene in a script. Use action lines. Make them lean and mean. Write active verbs. Keep the action paragraphs down to four lines or fewer. Emphasize the characters. Avoid incidental actions.<br /><br />I must commend Bob Verini who also wrote a great article about sex in <em>Script</em> Magazine’s 2005 January / February issue. He talked about the mechanics of writing a sex scene and pointed out how Joe Eszterhas loved using the ellipsis in <em>Basic Instinct</em>:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;color:#000000;">She moves higher atop him ... she reaches to the side of the bed ... a white silk scarf is in her hand ... her hips above his face now, moving ... slightly, oh-so slightly ... his face strains towards her.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">I’m okay with that so long as it’s in small doses. You can also write a MONTAGE, which Trottier explains in detail in his book. Verini had some good montage examples as well. I would only add Truffaut’s <em>Jules and Jim</em> and Nichols’ <em>The Graduate</em>.<br /><br />The only film I’ve watched that had a sex scene that actually moved me to tears was a 2003 film called <em>Lilya 4-Ever</em>. Abandoned by her mother and living in poverty in the former Soviet Union, 16-year-old Lilya resorts to prostitution to survive. Without revealing too much of the plot, there is a montage toward the end of the film in which we (looking up) view from Lilya’s perspective all of these older, disgusting men having sex with her. I was so saddened by what was being done to her. I wanted to get on a plane to Sweden and save that little girl. It was such an effective tragedy in the way it condemned those horrible, underground, sex slave organizations.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDdayfvAcI/AAAAAAAAFDo/09J6KhAgx4E/s1600-h/bM1700-MonicaBellucci%40Irreversible-3b.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 138px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337009010735251906" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kZREEb7YA8E/ShDdayfvAcI/AAAAAAAAFDo/09J6KhAgx4E/s320/bM1700-MonicaBellucci%40Irreversible-3b.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br />MAKE A CLEAN BREAST OF IT<br /><br />There’s so much more territory we could’ve penetrated. There’s the art of seduction. There’s sexual abuses, disorders, and addictions. There’s rape, infidelity, and incest. There’s symbolism, sex for the elderly, and teen sex comedies, which I believe happens only once every generation. There’s orgies, although I really don’t know what I’d say about that. I like what Mason Cooley wrote, “Orgies are an early form of what will someday become sex by committee.” <em>Hehehe</em>… Say, how many prominent asexuals can you list in films? Depp’s Willy Wonka? Pee Wee Herman? How about Hercule Poirot? Can you think of a film in which a character’s asexuality became the source of a conflict? I cannot.<br /><br />OH, THE CLIMAX<br /><br />There was an interesting article by Dylan van Rijsbergen in <em>Sign and Sight</em> called <span style="color:#000000;"><a href="http://www.signandsight.com/features/1586.html">Sexing the Handbag</a></span>. He wrote: <span style="color:#000000;">“Time has come to start a new movement inventing new images of sexuality and pornography. Time has come for a new Jan Wolkers, male or female, someone who can write powerful stories of authentic sexuality. Time has come for all kinds of individuals in the media, art and literature to invigorate the tired imagery of commercial porn. Time has come for a slow sex movement, which stretches sexuality beyond the single moment of the male orgasm. Time has come to return sexuality to what it has always been: elusive, exciting, intense, playful, authentic, dynamic and sublime.” </span><br /><br />Okay, I’m spent. Was it good for you?<br /><br />-MM<br /><br />------------------------------<br /><br />WITHOUT THEM WE WOULDN’T BE GETTING ANY<br /><br />I’d like to thank Jennifer van Sijll, Eric, Joel, Kelly, Randy, Rebekah, Joseph, Jeff, Erin, as well as the readers of my blog: Emily Blake, Joshua James, David Alan, James Patrick Joyce, Laura Deerfield, Purpletrex, Miriam Paschal, Pat (Gimmebreak), Christina, Matt, Nestori, DougJ, terraling, Lisa, Christian M. Howell, Seeing_I, deepstructure, Gabbagoo, James, Scott, Kevin Broom, Bob Thielke, Spanish Prisoner, Cody, Ben, Trevor, rdas7, hwee, Unknown Screenwriter, and the Anonymous Production Assistant. Their raging debates about sex in film last July on my blog provided much needed food for thought. Thanks so much, guys.</span></span></span>Mystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.com12