Book Review:
Syd Field - Going To The Movies
I was going to sum up this book with one sentence that appears on page 222:
"...Good structure does not create a good story, but rather that a good story is what creates structure."
I have a habit of posting 3x5 cards on my wall with these bits of wisdom on them. This is surely going up there.
For those of you who have read Syd Field's Screenplay, This book just elaborates what Mr. Field had explained already in his previous books. He just goes more in depth with how he came about with his brilliant bits of revelations. At the end of every chapter, I felt that Paul Harvey's voice should play like a greeting card message proclaiming, "...And now you know, the rest of the story."
Syd Field should give himself more credit for the hard work he's done and all that he's given us lowly screenwriters. He views himself stumbling upon these bits of information regarding structure much like the apple hitting Newton on the head and in the process discovering gravity. But as Ol' Syd pointed out in this book, Gravity wasn't sitting there waiting to be discovered - it was already there.
But alas, the book is about Syd Field's movie going experience. One that was brought home, personally to me, by the last chapter. When Syd recalled his own experiences seeing Pulp Fiction, Run Lola Run, Magnolia. These are the movies I also can recall very vividly. These are the movies that have inspired me to become a screenwriter. In a sense, I can see Syd Field coming to the end of his run. He is holding his baton out, beckoning me to take it and continue on. For it's in these moments where He and I overlap.
It's encouraging to know there's a connectedness in all cinema as it grows greater and greater with every passing year. It's just waiting out there for me to discover their truths as they fall from the sky like frogs. And like frogs falling from the sky, they can only be understood in their proper context.
The other bit of wisdom I found in this book are the words, "So what?"
When Syd was facing his inner critic he would take out a sheet of paper and call it the Critic's Page. Then he would write words like "These pages are no good", "I've read this before", and "You suck". I added that last one because that's what my inner critic tells me quite often. At the end he would write "So what?" And he was able to continue writing. The whole process was quite cathartic for him.
Then talked about the movie Magnolia and how people trashed it. But somehow, Syd liked it, as I did to. He would answer the critics. "It's too long." So what? "It doesn't make sense." So what? Frogs falling from the sky?" So what? If it works, it works.
So come on everybody out there in MovieLand. Let's all say it together. SO WHAT?
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Monday, August 13, 2007
Death To Creatures Of The Night
I just got back from watching Skinwalkers. It's not as bad as the critics pan it out to be. Which leads me to one conclussion. Critics don't want to see another vampire or werewolf movie. To them, they hit there peak with American Werewolf in London or Interview With A Vampire. This is tough news for me because I'm writing a screenplay about a vampire. And it doesn't matter how original or invigorating my idea is (one critic described Skinwalkers as having a few clever twists to add to the genre), it's still not good enough. Critics don't want to see it. At least I still got fans of vampires and werewolves movies. They'll come out to see the movie. Maybe not on opening weekend (Skinwalkers - .75 million. Good enough for 17th place), But they will still see the movie. When it comes out on DVD, that is. It's ashamed how the movie business works. But that's the ultra-independent DIY in me speaking.
Friday, August 10, 2007
The Bourne Romance
To celebrate the opening of The Bourne Ultimatum this week, I went out and bought the previous two movies. That was only because my friend was supposed to let me borrow them and didn't come through. But, hey, they're worth the 10 bucks a piece.
I've only seen both movies once. The first one, Identity, was barely recognizable. There was a lot I had forgotten. It even makes me wonder why they felt a sequel was justified. But I think the franchise didn't really take off until the second movie, Supremacy. That's when I truly realized we had a James Bond in the making. Each movie was able to develop the character further, quite successfully.
So I was eagerly awaiting the third installment. And it didn't fail to entertain me. Although I was a bit let down on where it ended, the movie delivered on everything I expected. Great action. Great character development. A great movie.
Where I was let down was partly my own doing. They say every great movie is a great love story. I was wondering who Jason Bourne's love interest could be in this movie. His last girlfriend Marie was killed off and she was the catalyst for the last two movies. I wondered who it would be this movie. I had a brief thought that it could possibly be Nicky Parsons. She's been in the other two movies. She's a very minor character who has ties to Jason. I thought that would be a good idea.
Then when you watch the movie (This has nothing to do with the main plot line so there's no spoilers here) there is a brief scene in a diner where Nicky sits across from Jason and looks at him like a long lost lover. Then she asks him, "You really don't remember anything, do you?"
I knew I called that one right. So the rest of the movie I'm anticipating the Jason Bourne/Nicky Parsons story line that never comes. There's even a scene where Nicky has to dye her hair, like Marie had to do in the first one. But Jason doesn't help her do it like he helped Marie. And Jason just looks at her completely unattached. You can tell the thought running through his head is, "Not now. I can't deal with another relationship at this moment." Or maybe he was protecting her; not wanting her to end up dead like Marie. Either way, the storyline was dropped.
But The very end leads you to believe the powers that be know there is going to be another movie so we should set it up as such. When they end on Nicky Parsons watching television announcing Jason was still alive, she smiles. The ending I wanted was Jason appears out of nowhere to take Nicky in his arms and kiss her. But they already did that in the first movie and such an ending wasn't properly set up.
The Bourne Romance - The Jason and Nicky Story. That's the story I was anticipating and that's the movie I want to see.
I've only seen both movies once. The first one, Identity, was barely recognizable. There was a lot I had forgotten. It even makes me wonder why they felt a sequel was justified. But I think the franchise didn't really take off until the second movie, Supremacy. That's when I truly realized we had a James Bond in the making. Each movie was able to develop the character further, quite successfully.
So I was eagerly awaiting the third installment. And it didn't fail to entertain me. Although I was a bit let down on where it ended, the movie delivered on everything I expected. Great action. Great character development. A great movie.
Where I was let down was partly my own doing. They say every great movie is a great love story. I was wondering who Jason Bourne's love interest could be in this movie. His last girlfriend Marie was killed off and she was the catalyst for the last two movies. I wondered who it would be this movie. I had a brief thought that it could possibly be Nicky Parsons. She's been in the other two movies. She's a very minor character who has ties to Jason. I thought that would be a good idea.
Then when you watch the movie (This has nothing to do with the main plot line so there's no spoilers here) there is a brief scene in a diner where Nicky sits across from Jason and looks at him like a long lost lover. Then she asks him, "You really don't remember anything, do you?"
I knew I called that one right. So the rest of the movie I'm anticipating the Jason Bourne/Nicky Parsons story line that never comes. There's even a scene where Nicky has to dye her hair, like Marie had to do in the first one. But Jason doesn't help her do it like he helped Marie. And Jason just looks at her completely unattached. You can tell the thought running through his head is, "Not now. I can't deal with another relationship at this moment." Or maybe he was protecting her; not wanting her to end up dead like Marie. Either way, the storyline was dropped.
But The very end leads you to believe the powers that be know there is going to be another movie so we should set it up as such. When they end on Nicky Parsons watching television announcing Jason was still alive, she smiles. The ending I wanted was Jason appears out of nowhere to take Nicky in his arms and kiss her. But they already did that in the first movie and such an ending wasn't properly set up.
The Bourne Romance - The Jason and Nicky Story. That's the story I was anticipating and that's the movie I want to see.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Midnight In The Garden Of Savannah
I'm in Savannah, Georgia at the moment enjoying the fine weather and sunny beaches. Actually, I've been flown down here by my company to work. 52 hours of work a week for two weeks. I did have a couple of days off and was able to swim in the Atlantic Ocean for a bit, lay out on the Savannah beach and get an annoying sun burn on my back.
What is of interest to people out there in MovieLand is Savannah is the place where many movies are filmed. The most notorious being Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil. If you've seen the movie you know Savannah is beautiful. It's even more spectacular in person.
Let me be frank. the movie wasn't really that great. I don't know why my free time has been consumed with the movie. But I found it at Best Buy for $7.50 and picked it up. I enjoyed watching the movie and then seeing the actual scenery that was filmed in person. I can imagine the only thing better would be to see a movie actually being filmed at the time. No wait. Even better would be to see your own script being filmed live on location.
I wanted to see the Bird Girl, the statue that graces both the movie poster and the book. But they've moved it out of the cemetery and placed it in a museum that was going to charge me ten bucks to see it. I didn't think it was worth that much at the time. Maybe later. Really, I was only going to look at it just so I can say I've seen it live in person. I did buy the book and a post card of the Bird Girl. So that will have to do.
I did stop at a shop that calls itself the official store of the Midnight book and movie. If I wanted to I could have walked out with a small statue of Bird Girl for a Hundred Bucks. Maybe next time, also.
I had an interesting conversation with the lady who worked there. She was one of those people who love to tell stories and had a ghost story to tell us relating to the nearby city we working in. When I told her I was from Kalamazoo she said it sounded like a song. So I told her about the old song with the same name, which she was familiar with. I asked her about the Savannah Art College because we were seeing a lot of buildings with their name on it. She city was behing taken over by the college. It turns out she was a graduate of the college along time ago. She got her degree and probably never left the city. She said she survived cancer twice and now was working at a tiny gift shop. I'm assuming since she went to college and works at a gift shop she never achieved anything with her art degree. And that she is a struggling artist who devoted her entire life to art with nothing to show for it. But she did seem very happy. I can only hope that after I've lived a long life, whether or not I have achieved any success in screenwriting, that I can be doing something I love associated with my passions in life and be just as happy as she seemed.
I was asked the other day by a good friend how much am I willing to put into this to achieve success in screenwriting. My answer was if I live the rest of my life writing screenplays and I achieve nothing, it will still be worth it because I am having that much fun reading screenplay books and watching and studying movies now. My answer reminds me of the old lady working in that gift shop. Maybe living in Savannah just being surrounded by great art is enough for her to be passionate about life. Just like how I would perceive living in Hollywood being surrounded by movies and artists passionate about movies would be.
What is of interest to people out there in MovieLand is Savannah is the place where many movies are filmed. The most notorious being Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil. If you've seen the movie you know Savannah is beautiful. It's even more spectacular in person.
Let me be frank. the movie wasn't really that great. I don't know why my free time has been consumed with the movie. But I found it at Best Buy for $7.50 and picked it up. I enjoyed watching the movie and then seeing the actual scenery that was filmed in person. I can imagine the only thing better would be to see a movie actually being filmed at the time. No wait. Even better would be to see your own script being filmed live on location.
I wanted to see the Bird Girl, the statue that graces both the movie poster and the book. But they've moved it out of the cemetery and placed it in a museum that was going to charge me ten bucks to see it. I didn't think it was worth that much at the time. Maybe later. Really, I was only going to look at it just so I can say I've seen it live in person. I did buy the book and a post card of the Bird Girl. So that will have to do.
I did stop at a shop that calls itself the official store of the Midnight book and movie. If I wanted to I could have walked out with a small statue of Bird Girl for a Hundred Bucks. Maybe next time, also.
I had an interesting conversation with the lady who worked there. She was one of those people who love to tell stories and had a ghost story to tell us relating to the nearby city we working in. When I told her I was from Kalamazoo she said it sounded like a song. So I told her about the old song with the same name, which she was familiar with. I asked her about the Savannah Art College because we were seeing a lot of buildings with their name on it. She city was behing taken over by the college. It turns out she was a graduate of the college along time ago. She got her degree and probably never left the city. She said she survived cancer twice and now was working at a tiny gift shop. I'm assuming since she went to college and works at a gift shop she never achieved anything with her art degree. And that she is a struggling artist who devoted her entire life to art with nothing to show for it. But she did seem very happy. I can only hope that after I've lived a long life, whether or not I have achieved any success in screenwriting, that I can be doing something I love associated with my passions in life and be just as happy as she seemed.
I was asked the other day by a good friend how much am I willing to put into this to achieve success in screenwriting. My answer was if I live the rest of my life writing screenplays and I achieve nothing, it will still be worth it because I am having that much fun reading screenplay books and watching and studying movies now. My answer reminds me of the old lady working in that gift shop. Maybe living in Savannah just being surrounded by great art is enough for her to be passionate about life. Just like how I would perceive living in Hollywood being surrounded by movies and artists passionate about movies would be.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Office Memo #1
They say you should treat your screenwriting career like a business. The sooner you can take it that serious enough, the sooner you'll be on your way to making the necessary steps to success. Well, I created an inter-office memo to myself to do just that.
To: Myself
From: Myself, CEO & Chairman of your career
Date: 7/05/07
Subject: Morning Habits
We'd like to thank you for your commitment and dedication to screenwriting. We feel your accomplishments in the not-too-distant future will have a positive effect financially for our organization. We'd like to take this opportunity to challenge you to remain steadfast in our company policy.
It has recently come to our attention that you have been "sleeping in" instead of rising early enough to perfect your craft. Although your alarm clock is set at 4 a.m. eastern/standard time, pressing snooze for an hour and a half and awakening at the last possible minute before being taken away to your other job is counter-productive and goes against your better judgments as a screenwriter. Please make all necessary changes to keep your account in good standing with our firm.
To: Myself
From: Myself, CEO & Chairman of your career
Date: 7/05/07
Subject: Morning Habits
We'd like to thank you for your commitment and dedication to screenwriting. We feel your accomplishments in the not-too-distant future will have a positive effect financially for our organization. We'd like to take this opportunity to challenge you to remain steadfast in our company policy.
It has recently come to our attention that you have been "sleeping in" instead of rising early enough to perfect your craft. Although your alarm clock is set at 4 a.m. eastern/standard time, pressing snooze for an hour and a half and awakening at the last possible minute before being taken away to your other job is counter-productive and goes against your better judgments as a screenwriter. Please make all necessary changes to keep your account in good standing with our firm.
Monday, July 2, 2007
The Bathroom Reader Of Screenwriting
Book Review: Zen And The Art Of Screenwriting Vol. 1 & 2
It's not that these were awful books full of toilet humor or anything like that. It just happens to be the time that I chose to read this books. I needed something screenwriting related to read while taking a massive a dump only a man can be proud of (I ripped that off of John From Cincinnati). These books were the perfect opportunity to do so. The insights were usually only a couple of pages long and offered plenty of good food for thought. The interviews were also informative. Not Like, "Holy-shit, I need to know this stuff!". But more in retrospect of your favorite movies and authors. The first volume was published in 1996, with volume 2 in 2000. So most of the interviews from author William Froug are with the legends of screenwriting and seem to be a bit dated. So anybody looking for fresh perspectives on the industry today might do better with a current copy of Creative Screenwriting.
Another problem I have with the book is the misinterpretation with the title. There is no chapter on Zen philosophy and how it relates to screenwriting. But that's fine. I understand it was just a clever title. I pretty much try to pattern the titles of my blogs in a similar fashion. Hell, the title "Philosophy Of Screenwriting" was inspired by these books. I just wish they had picked something else so I could use the title for a true journey into Zen and screenwriting. But I digress.
So these books, along with Joel Engel's "Screenwriters On Screenwriting", have become my choice for bathroom reading. I have a few other books by Engel and Froug that will later take their place on top of the magazine rack in my bathroom full of old Playboy's and men's magazines. If it has to be all screenwriting all the time, then I need to keep my priorities straight. So that Playboy will have to wait. Right now, my current bathroom reader is "Screenwriters: America's Storytellers In Portrait." Hey, what do you know? It's got pictures. Who needs those Playboy's after all.
It's not that these were awful books full of toilet humor or anything like that. It just happens to be the time that I chose to read this books. I needed something screenwriting related to read while taking a massive a dump only a man can be proud of (I ripped that off of John From Cincinnati). These books were the perfect opportunity to do so. The insights were usually only a couple of pages long and offered plenty of good food for thought. The interviews were also informative. Not Like, "Holy-shit, I need to know this stuff!". But more in retrospect of your favorite movies and authors. The first volume was published in 1996, with volume 2 in 2000. So most of the interviews from author William Froug are with the legends of screenwriting and seem to be a bit dated. So anybody looking for fresh perspectives on the industry today might do better with a current copy of Creative Screenwriting.
Another problem I have with the book is the misinterpretation with the title. There is no chapter on Zen philosophy and how it relates to screenwriting. But that's fine. I understand it was just a clever title. I pretty much try to pattern the titles of my blogs in a similar fashion. Hell, the title "Philosophy Of Screenwriting" was inspired by these books. I just wish they had picked something else so I could use the title for a true journey into Zen and screenwriting. But I digress.
So these books, along with Joel Engel's "Screenwriters On Screenwriting", have become my choice for bathroom reading. I have a few other books by Engel and Froug that will later take their place on top of the magazine rack in my bathroom full of old Playboy's and men's magazines. If it has to be all screenwriting all the time, then I need to keep my priorities straight. So that Playboy will have to wait. Right now, my current bathroom reader is "Screenwriters: America's Storytellers In Portrait." Hey, what do you know? It's got pictures. Who needs those Playboy's after all.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Pulp Fiction And The Theory Of Autonomy
Have you ever been asked what your favorite movie is? Have you ever asked someone what their favorite movie is and they couldn't give you a response? It's a hard question to answer. With all the great movies out there it's hard to narrow it down to just one. And there's always the fear of rejection when they didn't like the movie you chose.
I find this a hard question to answer when it comes to music. I listen to so many different types of music and I love music so much that I'm not able to give a justifiable answer. Giving an answer to your favorite band question is even more typecasting than movies. If I said Nine Inch Nails then you would automatically assume I'm goth. Or if I said Bon Jovi, you would assume I'm an over-the-hill pot smoker stuck in the 80's. And If I told you what I really like to listen to right now is Bluegrass, you would assume I'm a down-on-the-farm country hick with straw sticking out of my mouth. But really, I'm a college town suburbanite from the Midwest.
But when it comes to movies, it's more ambiguous. For instance, what does it really mean to like Will Ferrell movies? Well, for me, it's on par to liking Britney Spears or the Backstreet Boys. Yeah, they have that one good song, but overall they suck!
But not having an answer to your favorite movie is just as bad. It either means you are incapable of forming your own opinion or you just haven't thought it through yet. Or it means, your afraid I'm going to judge you harshly for liking Will Ferrell movies .
I decided long ago that the answer to my question was going to be Pulp Fiction. And here are the reasons:
A) It's a safe option, being one of the most critically acclaimed movies. And it's constantly being listed on every one's best movies of all time lists. Besides, if you say you didn't like it, I can say you're a moron and more people agree with me than you.
B) No move has ever given me a better movie-going experience than Pulp Fiction. Here's the story: Me and my girlfriend at the time went to go see it at the theater when it first came out in 1994 (So I'm not jumping on the bandwagon, here). To me, I was just going to see the latest Bruce Willis movie. I'm one of those people who will go see a movie just because it has Bruce Willis in it. And I remember sitting there listening to Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer just talk about nothing important and it through me for a loop. Where's the story at? What's the point? Then the cool surf music came, then there was that guy from Grease and some black guy with an Afro. I thought, "How cool is that?"
Then they killed a guy for something in a brief case and then John Travolta was dancing. And then Uma Thurman O.D.'s and John stabs an adrenaline shot into her chest to make her wake up. At this time it's game over. This has been the coolest movie with the sickest shit I've ever seen! My best friend at the time, rented this movie and got to this part and had to shut it off. He couldn't watch any more. I don't think to this day, he ever did finish watching it.
And Bruce Willis hadn't even done anything at this point. When he comes out and does his "Die Hard" thing, It's like you've watched two cool movies at once. And it ain't over. There's the Bonnie Situation, and Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer again. None of the stories put together made any sense, but you still walked out of the movie theater thinking you watched a complete movie.
Not only can you quote from it, you can watch it over and over again and still surprised.
So that's my favorite movie of all-time. When I tell people that, they're either surprised that I've thought it through so much or they didn't see the movie to begin with and couldn't say much either way.
And it pretty much defines who I am. I love crime movies. I love Tarantino. I love Film-Noir or Neo-Noir. And I live my life in a post-modern society where pop-culture is recycled and spoon fed to the masses. This movie is the turning point. It's the Nirvana "Smells Like Teen Spirit" of Cinema. You can take it or leave it. But that's just me.
I find this a hard question to answer when it comes to music. I listen to so many different types of music and I love music so much that I'm not able to give a justifiable answer. Giving an answer to your favorite band question is even more typecasting than movies. If I said Nine Inch Nails then you would automatically assume I'm goth. Or if I said Bon Jovi, you would assume I'm an over-the-hill pot smoker stuck in the 80's. And If I told you what I really like to listen to right now is Bluegrass, you would assume I'm a down-on-the-farm country hick with straw sticking out of my mouth. But really, I'm a college town suburbanite from the Midwest.
But when it comes to movies, it's more ambiguous. For instance, what does it really mean to like Will Ferrell movies? Well, for me, it's on par to liking Britney Spears or the Backstreet Boys. Yeah, they have that one good song, but overall they suck!
But not having an answer to your favorite movie is just as bad. It either means you are incapable of forming your own opinion or you just haven't thought it through yet. Or it means, your afraid I'm going to judge you harshly for liking Will Ferrell movies .
I decided long ago that the answer to my question was going to be Pulp Fiction. And here are the reasons:
A) It's a safe option, being one of the most critically acclaimed movies. And it's constantly being listed on every one's best movies of all time lists. Besides, if you say you didn't like it, I can say you're a moron and more people agree with me than you.
B) No move has ever given me a better movie-going experience than Pulp Fiction. Here's the story: Me and my girlfriend at the time went to go see it at the theater when it first came out in 1994 (So I'm not jumping on the bandwagon, here). To me, I was just going to see the latest Bruce Willis movie. I'm one of those people who will go see a movie just because it has Bruce Willis in it. And I remember sitting there listening to Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer just talk about nothing important and it through me for a loop. Where's the story at? What's the point? Then the cool surf music came, then there was that guy from Grease and some black guy with an Afro. I thought, "How cool is that?"
Then they killed a guy for something in a brief case and then John Travolta was dancing. And then Uma Thurman O.D.'s and John stabs an adrenaline shot into her chest to make her wake up. At this time it's game over. This has been the coolest movie with the sickest shit I've ever seen! My best friend at the time, rented this movie and got to this part and had to shut it off. He couldn't watch any more. I don't think to this day, he ever did finish watching it.
And Bruce Willis hadn't even done anything at this point. When he comes out and does his "Die Hard" thing, It's like you've watched two cool movies at once. And it ain't over. There's the Bonnie Situation, and Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer again. None of the stories put together made any sense, but you still walked out of the movie theater thinking you watched a complete movie.
Not only can you quote from it, you can watch it over and over again and still surprised.
So that's my favorite movie of all-time. When I tell people that, they're either surprised that I've thought it through so much or they didn't see the movie to begin with and couldn't say much either way.
And it pretty much defines who I am. I love crime movies. I love Tarantino. I love Film-Noir or Neo-Noir. And I live my life in a post-modern society where pop-culture is recycled and spoon fed to the masses. This movie is the turning point. It's the Nirvana "Smells Like Teen Spirit" of Cinema. You can take it or leave it. But that's just me.
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