Lancelot Link Thursday! Okay, I'm back from London, still getting over jet lag, and typing up some reviews from Raindance (I'm going to run the whole fest in order - which will be a little weird.) Here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are eight links plus this week's car chase...
1) Diablo Cody on The Pitfalls Of Being A Successful Screenwriter.
2) Easy Joe's 10 Golden Rules Of Screenwriting.
3) Quentin Tarantino's Top 10 Films of 2013.
4) Gavin Hood on ENDER'S GAME.
5) GRAVITY Proves Original Screenplays *Rule*!
6) Julian Fellowes forced to defend his story - everyone's a critic!
7) Thinking of chucking screenwriting and writing YA novels? Think again!
8) Concept designs for Sam Raimi's SPIDER-MAN.
And the car chase of the week...
- Bill
Wednesday, October 09, 2013
Thursday, October 03, 2013
Lancelot Link: London Edition
Lancelot Link Thursday! Okay, I'm in London for the Raindance Film Fest and was planning on blogging every day... but I return to my room at midnight and have to do a class at noon and there's not much time for detailed blog about the films I've seen. So here's the usual Thursday post. Here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are seven links plus this week's car chase...
1) Color Behind The Scenes Photos From Dr. STRANGELOVE.
2 Rom Coms (as we know them) Are Dead!
3) Young ANd Hungry List - Top New Screenwriters! Congratulations!
4) Nicholl Fellowship Finalists. Congratulations!
5) Make A Feature For $6k?
6) Tony Gilroy: How To Write A Blockbuster.
7) The Story Behind PRISONERS.
And the car chase of the week...
From DATELINE DIAMONDS (1965).
- Bill
Here are seven links plus this week's car chase...
1) Color Behind The Scenes Photos From Dr. STRANGELOVE.
2 Rom Coms (as we know them) Are Dead!
3) Young ANd Hungry List - Top New Screenwriters! Congratulations!
4) Nicholl Fellowship Finalists. Congratulations!
5) Make A Feature For $6k?
6) Tony Gilroy: How To Write A Blockbuster.
7) The Story Behind PRISONERS.
And the car chase of the week...
From DATELINE DIAMONDS (1965).
- Bill
Friday, September 27, 2013
Raindance Day 3
My class went well, then I spent the rest of the day watching movies!
GREATFUL DEAD - no Jerry Garcia, this is a strange Japanese comedy about an unusual young woman whose hobby is watching and tracking misanthropes and people who have accepted their loneliness. But when some religious missionaries give some of her subjects hope to reenter society... she connects with a crazy misanthrope and, well, kills them. Beginning a crazy war with an old infomercial king. *DARK* comedy, really well done.
OUTPOST 11 - UK contained weird sci-fi film about three soldiers in a remote outpost in the Arctic during WW3 who each begin to go mad. Made on "a small bag of cash" (according to the director) it has some nice stop motion, some okay CGI effects... and a story that's a bit slow for a contained thriller with 3 characters. One of the things that might have helped - near the end one of the soldiers goes to another outpost and discovers that something has driven them all violent crazy - and everyone is dead. Had this been the first scene, the slow parts of the rest of the film would have been filled with suspense because we would know what *might* happen to them. Lots of steampunkish stuff, too - and some non-science sci-fi stuff that we weren't really sold on. Still, for a movie made with just a small bag of cash, nice.
TWO JACKS - Based on a Tolstoy novel, directed by Bernard Rose (CANDYMAN) and starring Danny Huston, this tells the story of a legendary film director who returns to Los Angeles flat broke and owing everyone money or favors... who continues to screw up big time! But somehow manages to screw all the wrong women and still land on his feet, and gets a film deal. 20 years later, his son comes to Los Angeles to direct his first film... and encounters the *daughter* of one of the women his father screwed and dumped... and many other people who are part of the ghost of his father. He is his father's son - and soon is making love with the daughter and promising her a role in his film... plus screwing the producer's mistress while drunk in a moving car. Where the father managed to land on his feet, the son lands on his ass... and is banished from Hollywood.
So, here's the great thing about Raindance and film fests in general, and why you should go. All three films had Q&As with the directors... and often the stars and key creatives. The Japanese director was there for a (translated) Q&A, the UK director was there with the entire cast and the producers and editor and pretty much everyone else who worked on the film for a great Q&A, and Bernard Rose and Danny Huston and the producer and actress Rosie Fellner were there for a great Q&A afterwards. At a fest, you get this kind of access to the talent that made the film.
- Bill
GREATFUL DEAD - no Jerry Garcia, this is a strange Japanese comedy about an unusual young woman whose hobby is watching and tracking misanthropes and people who have accepted their loneliness. But when some religious missionaries give some of her subjects hope to reenter society... she connects with a crazy misanthrope and, well, kills them. Beginning a crazy war with an old infomercial king. *DARK* comedy, really well done.
OUTPOST 11 - UK contained weird sci-fi film about three soldiers in a remote outpost in the Arctic during WW3 who each begin to go mad. Made on "a small bag of cash" (according to the director) it has some nice stop motion, some okay CGI effects... and a story that's a bit slow for a contained thriller with 3 characters. One of the things that might have helped - near the end one of the soldiers goes to another outpost and discovers that something has driven them all violent crazy - and everyone is dead. Had this been the first scene, the slow parts of the rest of the film would have been filled with suspense because we would know what *might* happen to them. Lots of steampunkish stuff, too - and some non-science sci-fi stuff that we weren't really sold on. Still, for a movie made with just a small bag of cash, nice.
TWO JACKS - Based on a Tolstoy novel, directed by Bernard Rose (CANDYMAN) and starring Danny Huston, this tells the story of a legendary film director who returns to Los Angeles flat broke and owing everyone money or favors... who continues to screw up big time! But somehow manages to screw all the wrong women and still land on his feet, and gets a film deal. 20 years later, his son comes to Los Angeles to direct his first film... and encounters the *daughter* of one of the women his father screwed and dumped... and many other people who are part of the ghost of his father. He is his father's son - and soon is making love with the daughter and promising her a role in his film... plus screwing the producer's mistress while drunk in a moving car. Where the father managed to land on his feet, the son lands on his ass... and is banished from Hollywood.
So, here's the great thing about Raindance and film fests in general, and why you should go. All three films had Q&As with the directors... and often the stars and key creatives. The Japanese director was there for a (translated) Q&A, the UK director was there with the entire cast and the producers and editor and pretty much everyone else who worked on the film for a great Q&A, and Bernard Rose and Danny Huston and the producer and actress Rosie Fellner were there for a great Q&A afterwards. At a fest, you get this kind of access to the talent that made the film.
- Bill
Sunday, September 22, 2013
New Blue Book!
Tomorrow I leave for London for jury duty at the Raindance Film Festival, and tonight I put up my *longest* Blue Book so far, on Story... a great story, well told. The book looks at the elements of story and how to tell one well using irony and set ups and pay offs and stakes and all kinds of other things. Looks to be about 300 pages, but Amazon has their own gizmo that decides that. 85,000 words.
And it's priced at $2.99 until the end of the month.
I was going to price it at $3.99, but since *all* of the Blue Books are going up $1 at the end of the month, why not just do them all at once? So, for the next *week* it's $2.99.
I'll link it here as soon as Amazon sends me the info.
STORY BLUE BOOK - should be here soon!
- Bill
And it's priced at $2.99 until the end of the month.
I was going to price it at $3.99, but since *all* of the Blue Books are going up $1 at the end of the month, why not just do them all at once? So, for the next *week* it's $2.99.
I'll link it here as soon as Amazon sends me the info.
STORY BLUE BOOK - should be here soon!
- Bill
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Lancelot Link: Short Bus
Lancelot Link Thursday! Here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are *two* links plus this week's car chase...
1) Three Steps To PRISONERS.
2) Robert Towne Joins MAD MEN.
And the car chase of the week:
- Bill
Here are *two* links plus this week's car chase...
1) Three Steps To PRISONERS.
2) Robert Towne Joins MAD MEN.
And the car chase of the week:
- Bill
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Blue Book Price Increase
In the next few days, a new Blue Book - SECRETS OF STORY - will come out... at a cover price of $3.99. The reason why? It's looking like 280 pages right now! I couldn't figure out why it was taking so long to finish, and when I did my rough assembly last night I had my answer - 80,000 words. I was trying for 60,000 words! The original paper version was around 14,000 words.
The e-version of the Blue Books began as a way for me to test the format before I published the expanded version of SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING. The first couple were *really* experiments... and I learned from them. Since then I have revamped the Protagonist Blue Book taking it up to 205 pages. I made a decision to scrap a pair of proposed screenwriting books that would use some of my Script Magazine articles and put those in the Blue Books instead. Make all of the Blue Books about 200 pages like the new ones are.
The IDEAS Blue Book (first one I did) is a little short, now I'm adding a couple of articles (one has run on the website) and integrate the tips and clean it up. See if I can get it close to 200 pages. The DIALOGUE Blue Book was the last one that I did before forming the new plan, and it's just shy of 200 pages. I have a "missing chapter" that I couldn't find on any of my computers that I'm going to retype and slip in there... along with integrating the tips and cleaning up some problems. That was part of the plan since I figured out that the Blue Books weren't just going to be experiments... but actual books that would be expanded from the 40 page paper versions to 200 page e-book versions... and then probably do a CreateSpace paper version.
The current price of $2.99 makes them a deal. The 40 page paper versions are $4.99... but most of that is paper and copy costs! I thought it would be fair to lower the price on the e-versions, since there's no paper. Though I'm not making millions, writing them is kind of an investment - once they are out there they keep making money. So if it takes me a freakin' long time to write the STORY Blue Book, that's okay because it will make money for years afterwards, right?
But then I took a look at books priced at $2.99 (and some that were priced higher) to see if my 205 page $2.99 books were priced fairly. Here are some screen grabs I assembled:
Okay. Do you think I'm over priced or under priced?
Yes, there were some books in the $2.99 range that were similar to mine, but *most* were in the 60-70 pages... with some of those 13 page screenwriting books in there!
The DIALOGUE Blue Book has more pages than the one selling for $5.99! And, um, I think it's probably worth $5.99!
So, I think raising the prices to $3.99 next month is fair. STORY will be $3.99 when it comes out in a few days, the others will go up next month... and the new Blue Books that come out will be $3.99 (Scenes is next, then First 10 Pages) and then I might raise the prices to $4.99 in a year or two. Depends on the market.
But the clock is ticking on the $2.99 price. If you have screenwriter friends who you think might want them, tell them to buy them before I raise the price next month.
- Bill
The e-version of the Blue Books began as a way for me to test the format before I published the expanded version of SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING. The first couple were *really* experiments... and I learned from them. Since then I have revamped the Protagonist Blue Book taking it up to 205 pages. I made a decision to scrap a pair of proposed screenwriting books that would use some of my Script Magazine articles and put those in the Blue Books instead. Make all of the Blue Books about 200 pages like the new ones are.
The IDEAS Blue Book (first one I did) is a little short, now I'm adding a couple of articles (one has run on the website) and integrate the tips and clean it up. See if I can get it close to 200 pages. The DIALOGUE Blue Book was the last one that I did before forming the new plan, and it's just shy of 200 pages. I have a "missing chapter" that I couldn't find on any of my computers that I'm going to retype and slip in there... along with integrating the tips and cleaning up some problems. That was part of the plan since I figured out that the Blue Books weren't just going to be experiments... but actual books that would be expanded from the 40 page paper versions to 200 page e-book versions... and then probably do a CreateSpace paper version.
The current price of $2.99 makes them a deal. The 40 page paper versions are $4.99... but most of that is paper and copy costs! I thought it would be fair to lower the price on the e-versions, since there's no paper. Though I'm not making millions, writing them is kind of an investment - once they are out there they keep making money. So if it takes me a freakin' long time to write the STORY Blue Book, that's okay because it will make money for years afterwards, right?
But then I took a look at books priced at $2.99 (and some that were priced higher) to see if my 205 page $2.99 books were priced fairly. Here are some screen grabs I assembled:
Okay. Do you think I'm over priced or under priced?
Yes, there were some books in the $2.99 range that were similar to mine, but *most* were in the 60-70 pages... with some of those 13 page screenwriting books in there!
The DIALOGUE Blue Book has more pages than the one selling for $5.99! And, um, I think it's probably worth $5.99!
So, I think raising the prices to $3.99 next month is fair. STORY will be $3.99 when it comes out in a few days, the others will go up next month... and the new Blue Books that come out will be $3.99 (Scenes is next, then First 10 Pages) and then I might raise the prices to $4.99 in a year or two. Depends on the market.
But the clock is ticking on the $2.99 price. If you have screenwriter friends who you think might want them, tell them to buy them before I raise the price next month.
- Bill
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Lancelot Link: Chapter Two
Lancelot Link Thursday! INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 2 comes out, making us wonder how many chapters are in this book? Can we just flip to the end and check the number? Here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are seven links plus this week's car chase...
1) "Outlines stifle creativity!" Famous Authors Handwritten Outlines.
2) 15 Successful Authors Share Their Best Writing Tips.
3) The 14 Stages Of Writing A Novel (works for screenplays, too)
4) "What would you do?" 15 Reasons Why SPEED Is The Greatest Movie Ever Made.
5) 5 Top Screenwriters *You* Have Heard Of But This Bozo Thinks Are "Unknown".
6) Billy Bob Thornton On Filmmaking.
7) How *Not* To Handle Viewer Criticisms. (Imagine if this guy had my credits!)
And the Car Chase Of The Week!
- Bill
Here are seven links plus this week's car chase...
1) "Outlines stifle creativity!" Famous Authors Handwritten Outlines.
2) 15 Successful Authors Share Their Best Writing Tips.
3) The 14 Stages Of Writing A Novel (works for screenplays, too)
4) "What would you do?" 15 Reasons Why SPEED Is The Greatest Movie Ever Made.
5) 5 Top Screenwriters *You* Have Heard Of But This Bozo Thinks Are "Unknown".
6) Billy Bob Thornton On Filmmaking.
7) How *Not* To Handle Viewer Criticisms. (Imagine if this guy had my credits!)
And the Car Chase Of The Week!
- Bill
Tuesday, September 03, 2013
Me And Julian Assange
Just got back from the Portland Film Festival and I will begin posting reviews of the films and shorts as soon as I type them up. It was a fun film festival, with a great outdoor venue for many of the films. Here's a picture of it:
At the end of the month I'm off to the Raindance Film Festival in London to teach some classes (if you are in the UK, come on down!)) and be on the jury again. I always love going to Raindance, the films are always interesting... and many pop up as examples in my articles and Blue Books. In addition to the great movies, this year I have an interesting fellow juror... Julian Assange! (Assange On Raindance Jury) Weird, huh? As usual, I'll be blogging about the film festival and movies *here*, so stay tuned!
- Bill
At the end of the month I'm off to the Raindance Film Festival in London to teach some classes (if you are in the UK, come on down!)) and be on the jury again. I always love going to Raindance, the films are always interesting... and many pop up as examples in my articles and Blue Books. In addition to the great movies, this year I have an interesting fellow juror... Julian Assange! (Assange On Raindance Jury) Weird, huh? As usual, I'll be blogging about the film festival and movies *here*, so stay tuned!
- Bill
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Lancelot Link: 2000
Lancelot Link Thursday! Labor Day Sales? Shouldn't stores be *closed* on Labor Day to give Labor the day off? This used to be an *all stores closed* paid holiday, but now? No real day to honor labor. Pisser. Here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are five links plus this week's car chase...
1) Brian DePalma On Scenes.
2) Why It Took Seven Years For MANDY LANE To Hit The Screen.
3) Who Is That Guy?
4) Writer's Advice... By Hand!
5) That Kevin Spacey Guy Just Doesn't Get Hollywood!
And the car chase of the week... soon to be a TV series:
- Bill
Here are five links plus this week's car chase...
1) Brian DePalma On Scenes.
2) Why It Took Seven Years For MANDY LANE To Hit The Screen.
3) Who Is That Guy?
4) Writer's Advice... By Hand!
5) That Kevin Spacey Guy Just Doesn't Get Hollywood!
And the car chase of the week... soon to be a TV series:
- Bill
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Lancelot Link: TAKE A NUMBER!
Lancelot Link Thursday! The end of August... and we're getting an artie horror flick in cinemas. From a producer I know. A cool guy. So, see his movie. Here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are a baker's half dozen links plus this week's car chase...
1) How Not To Pitch.
2) RAMBO TV!?
3) Stallone on Kickstarter?
4) Sharni Vinson from YOU'RE NEXT!
5) The other people from YOU'RE NEXT!
6) RIP: Elmore Leonard.
7) Elmore Leonard's Opening Lines.
And the car chase of the week:
From one of my favorite creepy little movies that no one has heard of, DEATH VALLEY.
- Bill
Here are a baker's half dozen links plus this week's car chase...
1) How Not To Pitch.
2) RAMBO TV!?
3) Stallone on Kickstarter?
4) Sharni Vinson from YOU'RE NEXT!
5) The other people from YOU'RE NEXT!
6) RIP: Elmore Leonard.
7) Elmore Leonard's Opening Lines.
And the car chase of the week:
From one of my favorite creepy little movies that no one has heard of, DEATH VALLEY.
- Bill
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Lancelot Link: Good Evening!
Lancelot Link Thursday! We are halfway through August! Some of the kids are back in school (is there anytime more cool for writers than Back To School Sales?) and KICK ASS 2 is about to be released on an unsuspecting public. Here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are a half dozen links plus this week's car chase...
1) Robert Towne video interview.
2) Interview with John Milius on APOCALYPSE NOW.
3) BLADE RUNNER sketchbook.
4) Hitchcock's Birthday was Tuesday - here are 2 great docs and a chart!
5) How To Get Page Count by Joss Whedon. 6) Posters for the movies discussed on SEINFELD.
7) Honey, I lost my job... I was replaced by a computer!
And the car chase of the week!
Not cars... but a cropduster.
- Bill
Here are a half dozen links plus this week's car chase...
1) Robert Towne video interview.
2) Interview with John Milius on APOCALYPSE NOW.
3) BLADE RUNNER sketchbook.
4) Hitchcock's Birthday was Tuesday - here are 2 great docs and a chart!
5) How To Get Page Count by Joss Whedon. 6) Posters for the movies discussed on SEINFELD.
7) Honey, I lost my job... I was replaced by a computer!
And the car chase of the week!
Not cars... but a cropduster.
- Bill
Wednesday, August 07, 2013
Lancelot Link: The Secret Of The Ooze!
Lancelot Link Thursday! Here we are entering the "Dog Days" of summer films... with ELYSIUM, the follow up to DISTRICT 9. Here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are a dozen links plus this week's car chase...
1) STAR WARS... one minute at a time.
2) The Film Orson Welles Made *Before* KANE.
3) New At Pixar - TOY STORY TV series?
4) ZOMBEAVERS! Attacking a cinema near you.
5) THE SPECTACULAR writers on how execs should talk to us.
6) Words of wisdom from DP Roger Deakins.
7) Most Screenwriters Used To Be Women.
8) Advice From Famous Writers.
9) OBLIVION - concept to screen.
10) Lindelof on Screenwritring In 2013.
11) Why Movies Suck and TV is great.
12) Bradley Cooper on PLACE BEYOND THE PINES.
And this week's Car Chase Of The Week:
- Bill
Here are a dozen links plus this week's car chase...
1) STAR WARS... one minute at a time.
2) The Film Orson Welles Made *Before* KANE.
3) New At Pixar - TOY STORY TV series?
4) ZOMBEAVERS! Attacking a cinema near you.
5) THE SPECTACULAR writers on how execs should talk to us.
6) Words of wisdom from DP Roger Deakins.
7) Most Screenwriters Used To Be Women.
8) Advice From Famous Writers.
9) OBLIVION - concept to screen.
10) Lindelof on Screenwritring In 2013.
11) Why Movies Suck and TV is great.
12) Bradley Cooper on PLACE BEYOND THE PINES.
And this week's Car Chase Of The Week:
- Bill
Thursday, August 01, 2013
Lancelot Link: The Cradle Of Life
Lancelot Link Thursday! SHARKNADO is playing midnight shows on Friday... is this the end of the world? Here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are a dozen links plus this week's car chase...
1) Women In Cinema.
2) 2 Sentence Horror.
3) 30 Twist Endings (spoilers).
4) Writer's Block?
5) The Awesome Lem Dobbs Interviewed
6) Martin Scorsese On Cinema.
7) The Awesome-But-Depressing Paul Schrader Interviews on making a "micro budget" $200k movie.
8) 5 Successful Movies Made For Under $30k.
9) Billy Wilder Interview Part 1
10) Billy Wilder Interview Part 2
11) Billy Wilder Interview Part 3
12) And now for our own twist ending - the patterns behind various films. Pretty scary stuff!
And the car chase of the week...
- Bill
Here are a dozen links plus this week's car chase...
1) Women In Cinema.
2) 2 Sentence Horror.
3) 30 Twist Endings (spoilers).
4) Writer's Block?
5) The Awesome Lem Dobbs Interviewed
6) Martin Scorsese On Cinema.
7) The Awesome-But-Depressing Paul Schrader Interviews on making a "micro budget" $200k movie.
8) 5 Successful Movies Made For Under $30k.
9) Billy Wilder Interview Part 1
10) Billy Wilder Interview Part 2
11) Billy Wilder Interview Part 3
12) And now for our own twist ending - the patterns behind various films. Pretty scary stuff!
And the car chase of the week...
- Bill
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Lancelot Link: Titanic Summer Cruise!
Lancelot Link Thursday! Is Hollywood doomed? Is it the end of the blockbuster as we know it? Or just a typical summer with hits and misses? Here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are a dozen links plus this week's car chase...
1) R.I.P.D. unites critics!
2) Summer Of Flops?
3) Is Save The Cat at fault?
4) 5 Ways We Can Fix Summer Movies.
5) Stephen King spends years coming up with a single sentence, maybe Hollywood should spend more time on screenplays and lock them down before they go into production?
6) Maybe A Different Perspective Is Required?
7) Maybe Film Execs Should Be Required To Know More About Great Movies?
8) And Stop Doing Silly Remakes?
9) This Writer Thinks We Need Fewer Sequels And Remakes And More Original Screenplays.
10) His Film was Called A Flop... But Looks Like A Hit Overseas. Artwork.
11) Same As it Ever Was? 25 Years Of Blockbuster Flops!
12) Biggest Flops Of All Time!
And the Car Chase Of The Week...
- Bill
Here are a dozen links plus this week's car chase...
1) R.I.P.D. unites critics!
2) Summer Of Flops?
3) Is Save The Cat at fault?
4) 5 Ways We Can Fix Summer Movies.
5) Stephen King spends years coming up with a single sentence, maybe Hollywood should spend more time on screenplays and lock them down before they go into production?
6) Maybe A Different Perspective Is Required?
7) Maybe Film Execs Should Be Required To Know More About Great Movies?
8) And Stop Doing Silly Remakes?
9) This Writer Thinks We Need Fewer Sequels And Remakes And More Original Screenplays.
10) His Film was Called A Flop... But Looks Like A Hit Overseas. Artwork.
11) Same As it Ever Was? 25 Years Of Blockbuster Flops!
12) Biggest Flops Of All Time!
And the Car Chase Of The Week...
- Bill
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Lancelot Link: Lancelot's Bogus Journey!
Lancelot Link Thursday! Mid Summer Edition. Here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are ten links plus this week's car chase...
1) Lilo & Stick Pitch Book.
2) STAR WARS comic... from the epic rough draft of the screenplay.
3) ASH The Great And Powerful?
4) Note To Actors About Agents... Works For Screenwriters, Too.
5) 8 Year Old's Script Is Better Than SHARKNADO.
6) Take Him To Detroit!
7) Black List Screenwriting Lab In Vegas.
8) Page Awards Quarter Finalist List.
9) Beijing Screenwriting Contest Awards.
10) Scorsese on PSYCHO.
And the car chase of the week:
(My average day riding my bicycle in Los Angeles.)
- Bill
Here are ten links plus this week's car chase...
1) Lilo & Stick Pitch Book.
2) STAR WARS comic... from the epic rough draft of the screenplay.
3) ASH The Great And Powerful?
4) Note To Actors About Agents... Works For Screenwriters, Too.
5) 8 Year Old's Script Is Better Than SHARKNADO.
6) Take Him To Detroit!
7) Black List Screenwriting Lab In Vegas.
8) Page Awards Quarter Finalist List.
9) Beijing Screenwriting Contest Awards.
10) Scorsese on PSYCHO.
And the car chase of the week:
(My average day riding my bicycle in Los Angeles.)
- Bill
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Lancelot Link: Born Of The 4th Of July
Lancelot Link Thursday! Here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are eleven links plus this week's car chase...
1) Top 50 Recent Low Budget Movies.
2) For The 4th Of July: The Summer's Best Explosions!
3) Behind The Scenes On John Carpenter's THE THING!
4) Highest Grossing Movie Franchises infographic.
5) Behind The Scenes Photos From STAR WARS!
6) Good, Bad, & Weird Buddy Cop Movies.
7) Roger Corman Has His Own Channel... And Starts A Trend!
8) The Changing Shape Of Movie Screens
9) Saturn Awards.
10) Low Budget Films That Are Better Than Studio Films.
11) 4 Things STAR TREK Can Teach Us About Writing.
Not a car chase...
- Bill
Here are eleven links plus this week's car chase...
1) Top 50 Recent Low Budget Movies.
2) For The 4th Of July: The Summer's Best Explosions!
4) Highest Grossing Movie Franchises infographic.
5) Behind The Scenes Photos From STAR WARS!
6) Good, Bad, & Weird Buddy Cop Movies.
7) Roger Corman Has His Own Channel... And Starts A Trend!
8) The Changing Shape Of Movie Screens
9) Saturn Awards.
10) Low Budget Films That Are Better Than Studio Films.
11) 4 Things STAR TREK Can Teach Us About Writing.
Not a car chase...
- Bill
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Lancelot Link: Chimpization Of Smaug.
Lancelot Link Thursday! WHITE HOUSE DOWN? You can cheer it up by sending flowers! Or maybe a clown! Here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are nine links plus this week's car chase...
1) Terry Rossio Interviewed At The Lone Ranger Premiere
2) How To Be A Prolific Writer (by Joss Whedon)
3) Raymond Chandler In Hollywood.
4) What If Lucas And Spielberg Are Wrong About That Implosion?
5) Warner Bros Deal With Legendary Ends - What Does This Mean To Us?
6) Longest Average Shots In Current Hollywood?
7) THE GODFATHER that almost happened... with Martin Sheen.
8) How Summer TV Hurts Residuals.
9) Got A Zombie Script? I Do!
Car chase of the week...
- Bill
Here are nine links plus this week's car chase...
1) Terry Rossio Interviewed At The Lone Ranger Premiere
2) How To Be A Prolific Writer (by Joss Whedon)
3) Raymond Chandler In Hollywood.
4) What If Lucas And Spielberg Are Wrong About That Implosion?
5) Warner Bros Deal With Legendary Ends - What Does This Mean To Us?
6) Longest Average Shots In Current Hollywood?
7) THE GODFATHER that almost happened... with Martin Sheen.
8) How Summer TV Hurts Residuals.
9) Got A Zombie Script? I Do!
Car chase of the week...
- Bill
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
RIP: Richard Matheson
Yesterday Richard Matheson died. He was one of my favorite writers and I read some of his books again every year or two. To say he was the most important horror writer *ever* would probably not be hyperbole. There would be no Stephen King without Matheson (and King is the first to say it). Matheson brought horror into the modern world, and one of the great things about his stories is that he made you believe they were *scientifically* possible. HELL: HOUSE (greatest haunted house novel ever written) is about the *science* of haunted houses. He made monsters believable in a world that was beyond superstition.
You have seen TV shows or movies either written by Matheson or based on his novels and short stories.
Have you seen SOMEWHERE IN TIME? Based on his novel.
Have you seen that TWILIGHT ZONE episode with Shatner in the plane and the gremlin on the wing? Based on his short story.
Have you seen KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER? His screenplay.
Have you seen DUEL? The Spielberg TV movie about the killer truck? His story and his screenplay.
Have you seen that movie where Karen Black is chased through her apartment by the little devil doll? His story and his screenplay.
Have you seen INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN? His novel.
Have you seen those great old Edgar Allen Poe movies with Vincent Price (directed by Roger Corman)? He wrote the screenplays.
He wrote something like 16 episodes of TWILIGHT ZONE, and you know all of them.
He wrote so much stuff, I can't list it all. And he influenced so many writers (like King) that things he *didn't* write probably wouldn't have existed without him.
I could go on, but instead I'm going to re-post the review of the terrible Will Smith version of I AM LEGEND and recommend the book if you haven't read it. On FaceBook I posted the first line of his first published short story (BORN OF MAN AND WOMAN)... and people posted how much they loved that story. That means it made a big impression on them, because they *remember a sentence from it*. How many stories can you remember a sentence from?
Matheson was from that era of science fiction and horror that gave us Bradbury and all of the greats. I hate to pull a "good old days" thing, but there was a golden age of sci-fi and Matheson was part of that. We have lost a legend.
- Bill
I AM LEGEND (2007)
Okay, I am a huge fan of the Richard Matheson novel, even though I haven't read it in years. I first read it, probably in high school. Still have that copy. If you don't know who Matheson is, he's the guy who wrote all of those TWILIGHT ZONE episodes you remember. Seriously - make a list of 5 episodes and I'll bet at least 3 of them are his. Anyway, that's how I discovered him. I was a fan of old THE TWILIGHT ZONE TV show, noticed that Matheson wrote some of my favorite episodes, discovered that he wrote books, too... and Stephen King called his haunted house book HELL HOUSE the best horror novel ever written. An Matheson also wrote the book that was made into INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN, one of my favorite Saturday afternoon Sci-Fi movies.
I AM LEGEND has been made twice before, once with Vincent Price and once with Chuckles Heston... and was the inspiration for NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (so just about every modern zombie movie owes its existence to the book). Here's the thing - no one has ever done a faithful version of the book. So, several years ago they decided to correct that, and make *the book*. They needed a star, and Ah-nuld stepped up - not the guy I see playing Robert Neville, who is kind of a typical 1960s suburban husband. But I would accept Ah-nuld if the movie was like the book, rather than like the Heston version. Then Ah-nuld became governator and the project was shelved....
Until someone dug it out and did some rewrites and some more rewrites and suddenly it was nothing at all like the book... and so they made it.
My problem with the film is that it's kind of one note. I thought it started out good... then just kept going on a straight line without changing or escalating or twisting or becoming dramatic or anything else... which means it becomes more boring with every minute until it just turns to crap with a silly ending.
The book is kind of a through-the-looking-glass commentary on 1960s suburban life - the kind of stuff on LEAVE IT TO BEAVER and OZZIE & HARRIET and FATHER KNOWS BEST. Robert Neville is the typical suburban husband and father who carpools to work every day with his buddy Ben Cortman... then a plague breaks out that turns everyone into vampires. Now all of his neighbors and everyone he knows lives at *night* and he is the sole person who lives by day - his world is been turned upside down.
His car pool buddy Ben Cortman is now the leader of the vampire clan in his suburban town (Glendale?) - and comes for him every night, pounding on his door and screaming for him to come out... so that they can kill him. Almost the same way he used to knock on the door in the morning for Neville to come out so that they could go to work. The world has turned from Day to Night... and Night to Day.
Every day Neville goes from house to house through the town, searching for the vampires and driving stakes through their hearts... mostly searching for the leader, Cortman. The people he stakes - are his neighbors, his friends. It's a terrible job, but they become an army at night... and soon they will be powerful enough to get through the barricaded windows and doors of his typical suburban home. Every morning, his lawn is littered with dead vampires - people he knows. He has to clear them, take them to the giant bonfires that were designed to burn the dead when the plague had just begun taking lives...
Neville is the last man on Earth, and extremely lonely. During the day, the streets are *empty* - except for the occasional corpse. He has no one to talk to, no one to be with... and that is never going to change. In the novel, he is the *loneliest* man on Earth. The isolation is slowly killing him. And at night, the female vampires *know* he wants female companionship... and strip and thrust, trying to lure him out. One of the things that always ends up on the cutting room floor in the cinema versions of Matheson's novels is the sexuality. In SHRINKING MAN the protagonist's penis shrinks, too - so even if his wife wanted to have sex with a man the size of a boy, he couldn't satisfy her. In HELL HOUSE the Belasco House was the site of Satanic orgy's... and this leads the professor's quiet wife to be possessed by spirits and do some very naughty things. Did she like it? Matheson was writing in the time when Playboy was born, and people were talking about sex... and Matheson made sex issues into part of his stories. Not in a prurient way, but as an aspect of character. Neville is the last man on Earth, and longs for female companionship... and sometimes considers opening the door to one of those naked female vampires.
None of that stuff is in the new movie. The creatures aren't people he knows, just CGI fake looking monsters, and who cares if you kill them or not?
But he doesn't kill them - the typical suburban dad from the book has been turned into a top military scientist who was working on curing the plague... and still is. He wants to *help* these vampire-creatures, not kill them. And, because he's a scientist *and* a badass army guy, he's got all the heroic bases covered. He's the *perfect* guy to deal with this sort of problem (unlike the character in the book who had to grow and change in order to deal with it). (Note: The character in the Price version was also a scientist, mostly just to give us an exposition scene about the plague and how it works... but he was still a suburban guy with a station wagon, not a badass.)
And everything from the novel has been blunted or thrown out - In the book, his daughter contracts the plague, and he and his wife do everything they can to get her medical attention... but she dies. They want a funeral, but instead must take her body to the huge bonfire pit and toss her in with the others. There is nothing as sad and horrible as the mass pit where they burn the dead from the book... which is also in the Vincent Price version. The dead daughter is a major part of the Price version, and when she dies she's put in the back of a huge truck filled with dead people and *dumped* into the fire pit like trash... as Price tries to stop them. Heartbreaking.
The dog death in the Will Smith version is no substitute for the daughter's death... or the wife's death and return... and death again. Actually, it’s not really instead - because the dog is in the book and Price version, too... and dies, so they've just cut the emotions out of the story and made it bland.
That's the big scene in the book - Neville's wife gets sick... and dies. He is supposed to take her to the big bonfire, but can't go through that again... so he sews her up in a shroud and buries her... and then she comes back - covered in earth - dead... and wanting to feed off of him. This is the love of his life... back from the dead! A miracle. He just wants to hold her in his arms. Kiss her. Tell her how much he has missed her, how much he loves her...
But instead he must pound a stake into her heart! This scene destroys him... and destroys us when we read the book.
Instead we get a dead dog and a scene where his wife and daughter are the victims of an accident - never to be seen again.
And the "Alpha Male" in the Will Smith movie is a poor substitute for his car pool buddy Ben Cortman - after he turns into the car pool buddy from hell. Those two characters had a *history* and a *relationship* which brought drama and baggage to the scenes where Cortman and Neville battle each other. By making the "night seekers" just monsters they rob drama from every scene they are in.
Having to kill his friends and neighbors by day was gut wrenching - a normal guy having to do terrible things to survive. In the film we have a hero who does heroic things (search for a cure). Nothing dramatic about that. It's a person doing what is already in their nature.
Though I haven't read the novel in a couple of years, one of the things I loved about it when I first read it was how it looked at vampires *scientifically* - all of the vampire lore gets a logical explanation that makes complete sense. In the book, Neville doesn't begin as a scientist, the part of his days not staking his friends and neighbors is spent trying to figure out what happened - and that leads him to learn about science and learn about the plague... which gives us all of these amazing logical reasons behind vampires being killed by wooden stakes, and garlic repelling them, and light burning them. You read the book and begin to believe that vampires *could* really exist. None of that in the film - it's just a bunch of creatures.
The book's title comes from the end - a huge twist where we discover that Neville is a monster to the vampires. To them, he's a serial killer. A monster. I think you could pull that twist end in today's popcorn world. I think as long as 99% of the film has Neville as "hero", that 1% where we reveal he's a monster won't rock the boat too much. And he's still a vampire killer - which may be a good thing to most of the audience. But to those of us who are looking for more than popcorn, that end would have had us thinking about being on the right side or wrong side in a war - is there really any difference? On both sides, people are killed.
There's a Matheson short story about a suburban guy who cuts himself shaving... and bleeds oil. Now, everywhere he looks he sees people eating greasy food and realizes that he's lived with his eyes closed his entire life - and he is a robot. I think the end of LEGEND is Neville opening his eyes... and Cortman and all of the vampires are not really any different than they were before - they still have their eyes closed. They see him as a monster... and he gets a chance to see them as people.
This movie wasn't the Matheson book and it sucks... and it's strange that the cheapo Vincent Price version you can download on the internet for free (LAST MAN ON EARTH) is closest to the book. But, maybe 20 years from now, they will make a faithful version. Who knows?
- Bill
You have seen TV shows or movies either written by Matheson or based on his novels and short stories.
Have you seen SOMEWHERE IN TIME? Based on his novel.
Have you seen that TWILIGHT ZONE episode with Shatner in the plane and the gremlin on the wing? Based on his short story.
Have you seen KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER? His screenplay.
Have you seen DUEL? The Spielberg TV movie about the killer truck? His story and his screenplay.
Have you seen that movie where Karen Black is chased through her apartment by the little devil doll? His story and his screenplay.
Have you seen INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN? His novel.
Have you seen those great old Edgar Allen Poe movies with Vincent Price (directed by Roger Corman)? He wrote the screenplays.
He wrote something like 16 episodes of TWILIGHT ZONE, and you know all of them.
He wrote so much stuff, I can't list it all. And he influenced so many writers (like King) that things he *didn't* write probably wouldn't have existed without him.
I could go on, but instead I'm going to re-post the review of the terrible Will Smith version of I AM LEGEND and recommend the book if you haven't read it. On FaceBook I posted the first line of his first published short story (BORN OF MAN AND WOMAN)... and people posted how much they loved that story. That means it made a big impression on them, because they *remember a sentence from it*. How many stories can you remember a sentence from?
Matheson was from that era of science fiction and horror that gave us Bradbury and all of the greats. I hate to pull a "good old days" thing, but there was a golden age of sci-fi and Matheson was part of that. We have lost a legend.
- Bill
I AM LEGEND (2007)
Okay, I am a huge fan of the Richard Matheson novel, even though I haven't read it in years. I first read it, probably in high school. Still have that copy. If you don't know who Matheson is, he's the guy who wrote all of those TWILIGHT ZONE episodes you remember. Seriously - make a list of 5 episodes and I'll bet at least 3 of them are his. Anyway, that's how I discovered him. I was a fan of old THE TWILIGHT ZONE TV show, noticed that Matheson wrote some of my favorite episodes, discovered that he wrote books, too... and Stephen King called his haunted house book HELL HOUSE the best horror novel ever written. An Matheson also wrote the book that was made into INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN, one of my favorite Saturday afternoon Sci-Fi movies.
I AM LEGEND has been made twice before, once with Vincent Price and once with Chuckles Heston... and was the inspiration for NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (so just about every modern zombie movie owes its existence to the book). Here's the thing - no one has ever done a faithful version of the book. So, several years ago they decided to correct that, and make *the book*. They needed a star, and Ah-nuld stepped up - not the guy I see playing Robert Neville, who is kind of a typical 1960s suburban husband. But I would accept Ah-nuld if the movie was like the book, rather than like the Heston version. Then Ah-nuld became governator and the project was shelved....
Until someone dug it out and did some rewrites and some more rewrites and suddenly it was nothing at all like the book... and so they made it.
My problem with the film is that it's kind of one note. I thought it started out good... then just kept going on a straight line without changing or escalating or twisting or becoming dramatic or anything else... which means it becomes more boring with every minute until it just turns to crap with a silly ending.
The book is kind of a through-the-looking-glass commentary on 1960s suburban life - the kind of stuff on LEAVE IT TO BEAVER and OZZIE & HARRIET and FATHER KNOWS BEST. Robert Neville is the typical suburban husband and father who carpools to work every day with his buddy Ben Cortman... then a plague breaks out that turns everyone into vampires. Now all of his neighbors and everyone he knows lives at *night* and he is the sole person who lives by day - his world is been turned upside down.
His car pool buddy Ben Cortman is now the leader of the vampire clan in his suburban town (Glendale?) - and comes for him every night, pounding on his door and screaming for him to come out... so that they can kill him. Almost the same way he used to knock on the door in the morning for Neville to come out so that they could go to work. The world has turned from Day to Night... and Night to Day.
Every day Neville goes from house to house through the town, searching for the vampires and driving stakes through their hearts... mostly searching for the leader, Cortman. The people he stakes - are his neighbors, his friends. It's a terrible job, but they become an army at night... and soon they will be powerful enough to get through the barricaded windows and doors of his typical suburban home. Every morning, his lawn is littered with dead vampires - people he knows. He has to clear them, take them to the giant bonfires that were designed to burn the dead when the plague had just begun taking lives...
Neville is the last man on Earth, and extremely lonely. During the day, the streets are *empty* - except for the occasional corpse. He has no one to talk to, no one to be with... and that is never going to change. In the novel, he is the *loneliest* man on Earth. The isolation is slowly killing him. And at night, the female vampires *know* he wants female companionship... and strip and thrust, trying to lure him out. One of the things that always ends up on the cutting room floor in the cinema versions of Matheson's novels is the sexuality. In SHRINKING MAN the protagonist's penis shrinks, too - so even if his wife wanted to have sex with a man the size of a boy, he couldn't satisfy her. In HELL HOUSE the Belasco House was the site of Satanic orgy's... and this leads the professor's quiet wife to be possessed by spirits and do some very naughty things. Did she like it? Matheson was writing in the time when Playboy was born, and people were talking about sex... and Matheson made sex issues into part of his stories. Not in a prurient way, but as an aspect of character. Neville is the last man on Earth, and longs for female companionship... and sometimes considers opening the door to one of those naked female vampires.
None of that stuff is in the new movie. The creatures aren't people he knows, just CGI fake looking monsters, and who cares if you kill them or not?
But he doesn't kill them - the typical suburban dad from the book has been turned into a top military scientist who was working on curing the plague... and still is. He wants to *help* these vampire-creatures, not kill them. And, because he's a scientist *and* a badass army guy, he's got all the heroic bases covered. He's the *perfect* guy to deal with this sort of problem (unlike the character in the book who had to grow and change in order to deal with it). (Note: The character in the Price version was also a scientist, mostly just to give us an exposition scene about the plague and how it works... but he was still a suburban guy with a station wagon, not a badass.)
And everything from the novel has been blunted or thrown out - In the book, his daughter contracts the plague, and he and his wife do everything they can to get her medical attention... but she dies. They want a funeral, but instead must take her body to the huge bonfire pit and toss her in with the others. There is nothing as sad and horrible as the mass pit where they burn the dead from the book... which is also in the Vincent Price version. The dead daughter is a major part of the Price version, and when she dies she's put in the back of a huge truck filled with dead people and *dumped* into the fire pit like trash... as Price tries to stop them. Heartbreaking.
The dog death in the Will Smith version is no substitute for the daughter's death... or the wife's death and return... and death again. Actually, it’s not really instead - because the dog is in the book and Price version, too... and dies, so they've just cut the emotions out of the story and made it bland.
That's the big scene in the book - Neville's wife gets sick... and dies. He is supposed to take her to the big bonfire, but can't go through that again... so he sews her up in a shroud and buries her... and then she comes back - covered in earth - dead... and wanting to feed off of him. This is the love of his life... back from the dead! A miracle. He just wants to hold her in his arms. Kiss her. Tell her how much he has missed her, how much he loves her...
But instead he must pound a stake into her heart! This scene destroys him... and destroys us when we read the book.
Instead we get a dead dog and a scene where his wife and daughter are the victims of an accident - never to be seen again.
And the "Alpha Male" in the Will Smith movie is a poor substitute for his car pool buddy Ben Cortman - after he turns into the car pool buddy from hell. Those two characters had a *history* and a *relationship* which brought drama and baggage to the scenes where Cortman and Neville battle each other. By making the "night seekers" just monsters they rob drama from every scene they are in.
Having to kill his friends and neighbors by day was gut wrenching - a normal guy having to do terrible things to survive. In the film we have a hero who does heroic things (search for a cure). Nothing dramatic about that. It's a person doing what is already in their nature.
Though I haven't read the novel in a couple of years, one of the things I loved about it when I first read it was how it looked at vampires *scientifically* - all of the vampire lore gets a logical explanation that makes complete sense. In the book, Neville doesn't begin as a scientist, the part of his days not staking his friends and neighbors is spent trying to figure out what happened - and that leads him to learn about science and learn about the plague... which gives us all of these amazing logical reasons behind vampires being killed by wooden stakes, and garlic repelling them, and light burning them. You read the book and begin to believe that vampires *could* really exist. None of that in the film - it's just a bunch of creatures.
The book's title comes from the end - a huge twist where we discover that Neville is a monster to the vampires. To them, he's a serial killer. A monster. I think you could pull that twist end in today's popcorn world. I think as long as 99% of the film has Neville as "hero", that 1% where we reveal he's a monster won't rock the boat too much. And he's still a vampire killer - which may be a good thing to most of the audience. But to those of us who are looking for more than popcorn, that end would have had us thinking about being on the right side or wrong side in a war - is there really any difference? On both sides, people are killed.
There's a Matheson short story about a suburban guy who cuts himself shaving... and bleeds oil. Now, everywhere he looks he sees people eating greasy food and realizes that he's lived with his eyes closed his entire life - and he is a robot. I think the end of LEGEND is Neville opening his eyes... and Cortman and all of the vampires are not really any different than they were before - they still have their eyes closed. They see him as a monster... and he gets a chance to see them as people.
This movie wasn't the Matheson book and it sucks... and it's strange that the cheapo Vincent Price version you can download on the internet for free (LAST MAN ON EARTH) is closest to the book. But, maybe 20 years from now, they will make a faithful version. Who knows?
- Bill
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Lancelot Link: World War Chimp!
Lancelot Link Thursday! Claudia Puig says: "The Bling Ring is the cinematic equivalent of the vapid, superficial kids it features - all visual panache and minimal substance." Have the critics finally caught on to Sophia? Let's see what happens at the box office this weekend... against WORLD WAR Z and MONSTERS UNIVERSITY. Here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are eleven links plus this week's car chase...
1) Want To Read 25 Nicholl Award Winners?
2) A Dozen Famous Writers Get Rejected.
3) Now It's Linda Obst's Turn To Say The Hollywood Sky Is Falling.
4) 50 *Great* Movies You Can Legally Watch Now... like Fritz Lang's M.
5) Your Action Screenwriting Competition... Is An Ex-CIA Agent.
6) STAR WARS Already Making Money For Disney.
7) MAN OF STEEL screenwriter David Goyer Interviewed.
8) MAN OF STEEL music composer Hans Zimmer interviewed.
9) 14 Upcoming Movies You Won't Believe They're Making.
10) Del Toro on PACIFIC RIM.
11) Inside JAWS Documentary.
And the car chase of the week:
- Bill
Here are eleven links plus this week's car chase...
1) Want To Read 25 Nicholl Award Winners?
2) A Dozen Famous Writers Get Rejected.
3) Now It's Linda Obst's Turn To Say The Hollywood Sky Is Falling.
4) 50 *Great* Movies You Can Legally Watch Now... like Fritz Lang's M.
5) Your Action Screenwriting Competition... Is An Ex-CIA Agent.
6) STAR WARS Already Making Money For Disney.
7) MAN OF STEEL screenwriter David Goyer Interviewed.
8) MAN OF STEEL music composer Hans Zimmer interviewed.
9) 14 Upcoming Movies You Won't Believe They're Making.
10) Del Toro on PACIFIC RIM.
11) Inside JAWS Documentary.
And the car chase of the week:
- Bill
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Lancelot Link: The Quest For Bananas
Lancelot Link Thursday! This weekend we get both MAN OF STEEL *and* THIS IS THE END! Maybe Superman will save all of those spoiled Hollywood stars? Here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are nine links plus this week's car chase...
1) The Agency Wars are getting ugly!
2) Zack Snyder's 10 Rules Of Movies.
3) A tour or Aaron Sorkin's office.
4) Agatha Christie on writing.
5) Behind The Scenes Pictures From Iconic Movies. Including METROPOLIS!
6) Martin Scorsese Film School - the 85 films you *must* see!
7) New York City 100 Years Ago - what was it really like?
8) A nice write up on Les Blank who died a couple of months ago. I saw his GARLIC movie with him running around the cinema with a toaster over filled with garlic.
9) Want to read 2,731 Film Reviews From Variety?
And the Car Chase Of The Week!
- Bill
Here are nine links plus this week's car chase...
1) The Agency Wars are getting ugly!
2) Zack Snyder's 10 Rules Of Movies.
3) A tour or Aaron Sorkin's office.
4) Agatha Christie on writing.
5) Behind The Scenes Pictures From Iconic Movies. Including METROPOLIS!
6) Martin Scorsese Film School - the 85 films you *must* see!
7) New York City 100 Years Ago - what was it really like?
8) A nice write up on Les Blank who died a couple of months ago. I saw his GARLIC movie with him running around the cinema with a toaster over filled with garlic.
9) Want to read 2,731 Film Reviews From Variety?
And the Car Chase Of The Week!
- Bill
Thursday, June 06, 2013
Lancelot Link: Chimp Of Steel
Lancelot Link Thursday! This weekend we are preparing for MAN OF STEEL next weekend... Here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are eight links plus this week's car chase...
1) Interview with Gary Whitta about AFTER EARTH (and other projects.
2) 7 Bad Storytelling habits From Superhero Comics.
3) Trends In Chinese Cinema.
4) It's Show *BUSINESS!*
5) 101 Best TV Series Of All Time.
6) 13 Rules For Creating A Great TV Series.
7) Scorsese's AFTER HOURS... the lost footage.
8) Rod Serling's Last Interview.
And the car chase of the week...
- Bill
Here are eight links plus this week's car chase...
1) Interview with Gary Whitta about AFTER EARTH (and other projects.
2) 7 Bad Storytelling habits From Superhero Comics.
3) Trends In Chinese Cinema.
4) It's Show *BUSINESS!*
5) 101 Best TV Series Of All Time.
6) 13 Rules For Creating A Great TV Series.
7) Scorsese's AFTER HOURS... the lost footage.
8) Rod Serling's Last Interview.
And the car chase of the week...
- Bill
Tuesday, June 04, 2013
Telephone
You remember that old game called “Telephone” where a group of people sit in a circle and you whisper something to the person next to you, and they whisper it to the next person, until it comes all the way back around to you and it is *completely different*? Aside from being a good primer for screenplay development notes, this has evolved for the text era.
I spent some time crafting an e-mail to a producer on a project... and a couple days later he sent me a quick text from his phone in response. The problem is, when you send a text you only have so many characters so you use as few words as possible, plus you use those irritating text abbreviations like “ur”, and then your fingers often hit the wrong little keys and autocorrect takes over and substitutes some other word that often makes no sense... or, worse yet, makes complete sense.
So I try to decypher the producer’s text... but I was on the road that day and responded to what I thought he said on *my* phone, adding my autocorrect insanity to my response to what I thought he said, and it went back and forth several more times...
Somewhere along the line I realized that *his* confusion was due to his initial text to me being autocorrected to mean something entirely different that he meant to say. So we have had this entire bizarre debate/argument for no reason at all. Now I have to find some way to make amends and politely get us back on track (and not blow this deal) in another carefully crafted e-mail that he will read from his phone and respond in 140 characters that have been autocorrected into insanity.
For all of these new forms of communication we have available to us now - everywhere we go - yes, even texting on the toilet - we somehow have *less* communication now than ever before. Or maybe more miscommunication.
- Bill
I spent some time crafting an e-mail to a producer on a project... and a couple days later he sent me a quick text from his phone in response. The problem is, when you send a text you only have so many characters so you use as few words as possible, plus you use those irritating text abbreviations like “ur”, and then your fingers often hit the wrong little keys and autocorrect takes over and substitutes some other word that often makes no sense... or, worse yet, makes complete sense.
So I try to decypher the producer’s text... but I was on the road that day and responded to what I thought he said on *my* phone, adding my autocorrect insanity to my response to what I thought he said, and it went back and forth several more times...
Somewhere along the line I realized that *his* confusion was due to his initial text to me being autocorrected to mean something entirely different that he meant to say. So we have had this entire bizarre debate/argument for no reason at all. Now I have to find some way to make amends and politely get us back on track (and not blow this deal) in another carefully crafted e-mail that he will read from his phone and respond in 140 characters that have been autocorrected into insanity.
For all of these new forms of communication we have available to us now - everywhere we go - yes, even texting on the toilet - we somehow have *less* communication now than ever before. Or maybe more miscommunication.
- Bill
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Lancelot Link: After Earth
Lancelot Link Thursday! Last night AFTER EARTH was only at 7% on Rotten Tomatoes, today it is at 15%! At this rate, it will be at 120% by Sunday! Here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are four links plus this week's car chase...
1) Danny Boyle's 15 Rules Of Filmmaking.
2) Warner Bros Hires Writer From Black List *Service*.
3) *REVENGE* OF THE JEDI!
4) Direct From Cannes! Highlight Movies!
And the Car Chase Of The Week!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvYyTDXY-0A
- Bill
Here are four links plus this week's car chase...
1) Danny Boyle's 15 Rules Of Filmmaking.
2) Warner Bros Hires Writer From Black List *Service*.
3) *REVENGE* OF THE JEDI!
4) Direct From Cannes! Highlight Movies!
And the Car Chase Of The Week!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvYyTDXY-0A
- Bill
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Lancelot Link: The Undiscovered Country
Lancelot Link Thursday! This is HANGOVER 3 weekend... and I will be mega-pissed off if Doug is excluded from the group again. The first film, the plot was that he was misplaced after a night of drinking... and these three guys who are *not* friends with each other but are connected by Doug must search for him. So, movie #2 rolls around, and... they manage to exclude Doug from the story! Hey, *he* is the only reason these three know each other! Without him, they would never be together! So #2 was obviously some sort of search-and-replace screenplay, since there is no other logical reason why Doug wasn't part of the group in that one... and now we have #3. Will Doug be part of the Wolf Pack? Or will they once again search-and-replace the script and find some way to remove him from the story? He was the *center* of the first story... yest somehow unimportant in the second. WTF? Here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are seven links plus this week's car chase...
1) Complete List Of New TV Shows!
2) How To Be Creative *And* Pay The Bills.
3) The Truth Behind Screenwriters!
4) Too Many Blockbusters?
5) Six Types Of Writers - which are you?
6) TV Executive's Notes - what do they mean?
7) NBC Pilots, anyone? - Watch them here!
This week's car chase is from a subtitled art house film...
- Bill
Here are seven links plus this week's car chase...
1) Complete List Of New TV Shows!
2) How To Be Creative *And* Pay The Bills.
3) The Truth Behind Screenwriters!
4) Too Many Blockbusters?
5) Six Types Of Writers - which are you?
6) TV Executive's Notes - what do they mean?
7) NBC Pilots, anyone? - Watch them here!
This week's car chase is from a subtitled art house film...
- Bill
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Lancelot Link: The Wrath Of C.H.U.M.P.
Lancelot Link Thursday! This is STAR TREK weekend... and I wonder what will happen with GATSBY and IRON MAN 3? No matter what - Hollywood's Summer is HERE! It was 103 degrees for a couple of days in Los Angeles, too. Here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are a dozen links plus this week's car chase...
1) What You Need To Know About STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS (and they don't tell you that the villain is Harry Mudd!)
2) Writing For STAR TREK - the original TV series!
3) *Everyone* gets rejected. Everyone.
4) When You Do Get Published, Other Writers Dump On You.
5) Drew Pearce, co-writer of IRON MAN 3... and a *stack* of other films!
6) Roger Deakins On Cinematography.
7) What's Hot At Cannes?
8) WILD BUNCH remake? What will they remake next?
9) The Film No One Wants To Be Associated With?
10) Co-Writer Nightmares - He Steals Your Script And Sells It And It Becomes A Hit Film!
11) Q&A With Mystery Novelist Walter Mosley.
12) Read A Script A Week? Here's a good list.
Not a car chase...
- Bill
Here are a dozen links plus this week's car chase...
1) What You Need To Know About STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS (and they don't tell you that the villain is Harry Mudd!)
2) Writing For STAR TREK - the original TV series!
3) *Everyone* gets rejected. Everyone.
4) When You Do Get Published, Other Writers Dump On You.
5) Drew Pearce, co-writer of IRON MAN 3... and a *stack* of other films!
6) Roger Deakins On Cinematography.
7) What's Hot At Cannes?
8) WILD BUNCH remake? What will they remake next?
9) The Film No One Wants To Be Associated With?
10) Co-Writer Nightmares - He Steals Your Script And Sells It And It Becomes A Hit Film!
11) Q&A With Mystery Novelist Walter Mosley.
12) Read A Script A Week? Here's a good list.
Not a car chase...
- Bill
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Free Book Day!
On Wednesday the 15th I’m doing a *free* promotion of the Supporting Characters Blue Book - sorry to those of you who just bought it. Even though I did a bunch of work expanding it and like how it turned out... it’s not a big seller. I would like to change that, and I need your help.
First: Please tell every writer you know that the book is free on Wednesday. Just go to Amazon and you’ll see the price is $0.00 and click on it. They don’t need a Kindle device - all you need to do is download the *free* program. You can read the book on your computer, tablet, even phone.
Second: After you (and your friends) (and total strangers you may send this info to) read the book, please write a review on Amazon. That’s the deal - get the book for free, write a review on Amazon. I’m not saying you have to write a *good* review, I want you to be HONEST. But write a review.
Here’s the thing - Supporting Characters has *three* reviews total. SAVE THE CAT has *420* reviews as I write this. I need more reviews on all of my books! People e-mail me how much they liked the book, and I thank you all for that, but reviews on Amazon help people make up their minds if they want to buy the book or not.
Third: I think one reason why people don’t write reviews on Amazon is that they don’t know what to say. So here are some suggestions:
A) The Blue Books sell for $2.99, and the average screenwriting book at that price has 60-72 pages... the Blue Books all have 150-210 pages. Supporting Characters is 164 pages. So, even if you got it for free, was it worth the retail price? Was it a good value?
B) What was your favorite part or tool from the book? Explain why.
C) What did you learn from the book? List the things and maybe explain them a little.
D) Were there tools and techniques in the book that you have never read anywhere else?
E) Were there a good variety of examples, and what examples were most helpful?
F) Was the book a pleasant read, or was it boring or dry or too academic?
G) Would you recommend this book to other Screenwriters? How about Novelists?
One of the problems is that Amazon requires a certain number of words for a review, and some people would rather just click the “like” button because they don’t know what to say. Hopefully those will give you someplace to start.
If you bought the other books, please take a minute or two to go to Amazon and write a review. It’s strange to have books with only 3 or 4 reviews that are in the Top 20 sales! I’m not a big company with a marketing budget and adverts in magazines and newspapers - it’s just me. I want to keep the price low - Act Two Blue Book is (at least) 209 pages for only $2.99 - but that means *you* are my advertising team. Next up is the Story Blue Book, and I think it’ll be over 209 pages... that’s a lot of research and writing! Please help me with this, and I’ll keep the Blue Books (and others) coming.
Thank you.
Wednesday the 15th, go here for a free book: Supporting Characters Blue Book.
To write reviews for other books:
ACT TWO BLUE BOOK.
VISUAL STORYTELLING BLUE BOOK.
YOUR IDEA MACHINE BLUE BOOK.
CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS BLUE BOOK.
DIALOGUE SECRETS BLUE BOOK.
SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING.
- Bill
First: Please tell every writer you know that the book is free on Wednesday. Just go to Amazon and you’ll see the price is $0.00 and click on it. They don’t need a Kindle device - all you need to do is download the *free* program. You can read the book on your computer, tablet, even phone.
Second: After you (and your friends) (and total strangers you may send this info to) read the book, please write a review on Amazon. That’s the deal - get the book for free, write a review on Amazon. I’m not saying you have to write a *good* review, I want you to be HONEST. But write a review.
Here’s the thing - Supporting Characters has *three* reviews total. SAVE THE CAT has *420* reviews as I write this. I need more reviews on all of my books! People e-mail me how much they liked the book, and I thank you all for that, but reviews on Amazon help people make up their minds if they want to buy the book or not.
Third: I think one reason why people don’t write reviews on Amazon is that they don’t know what to say. So here are some suggestions:
A) The Blue Books sell for $2.99, and the average screenwriting book at that price has 60-72 pages... the Blue Books all have 150-210 pages. Supporting Characters is 164 pages. So, even if you got it for free, was it worth the retail price? Was it a good value?
B) What was your favorite part or tool from the book? Explain why.
C) What did you learn from the book? List the things and maybe explain them a little.
D) Were there tools and techniques in the book that you have never read anywhere else?
E) Were there a good variety of examples, and what examples were most helpful?
F) Was the book a pleasant read, or was it boring or dry or too academic?
G) Would you recommend this book to other Screenwriters? How about Novelists?
One of the problems is that Amazon requires a certain number of words for a review, and some people would rather just click the “like” button because they don’t know what to say. Hopefully those will give you someplace to start.
If you bought the other books, please take a minute or two to go to Amazon and write a review. It’s strange to have books with only 3 or 4 reviews that are in the Top 20 sales! I’m not a big company with a marketing budget and adverts in magazines and newspapers - it’s just me. I want to keep the price low - Act Two Blue Book is (at least) 209 pages for only $2.99 - but that means *you* are my advertising team. Next up is the Story Blue Book, and I think it’ll be over 209 pages... that’s a lot of research and writing! Please help me with this, and I’ll keep the Blue Books (and others) coming.
Thank you.
Wednesday the 15th, go here for a free book: Supporting Characters Blue Book.
To write reviews for other books:
ACT TWO BLUE BOOK.
VISUAL STORYTELLING BLUE BOOK.
YOUR IDEA MACHINE BLUE BOOK.
CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS BLUE BOOK.
DIALOGUE SECRETS BLUE BOOK.
SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING.
- Bill
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
Lancelot Link: Into Dorkness
Lancelot Link Thursday! Hey, this STAR TREK takes place on Earth as well!Wasn't their 5 year mission *in space*? Here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are five links plus this week's car chase...
1) Would YOU Sue Over GI JOE 2?
2) That stupid development executive has been replaced by a computer!
3) Shane Black is Back! And DOC SAVAGE is next!
4) Win the lottery, become a film mogul!
5) Danny Boyle bitches about current films.
6) Does it bother anyone else that, once again, Doug is *not* part of the team in HANGOVER 3... when he's the very reason the other 3 guys (in the poster) know each other?
And the car chase of the week...
- Bill
Here are five links plus this week's car chase...
1) Would YOU Sue Over GI JOE 2?
2) That stupid development executive has been replaced by a computer!
3) Shane Black is Back! And DOC SAVAGE is next!
4) Win the lottery, become a film mogul!
5) Danny Boyle bitches about current films.
6) Does it bother anyone else that, once again, Doug is *not* part of the team in HANGOVER 3... when he's the very reason the other 3 guys (in the poster) know each other?
And the car chase of the week...
- Bill
Saturday, May 04, 2013
Scenes Class Tuesday!
On the 14th I'm doing an online class for Final Draft on Scenes!
For more information: Scene Class.
- Bill
For more information: Scene Class.
- Bill
Thursday, May 02, 2013
Lancelot Link: Beyond The Valley Of The Chimps
Lancelot Link Thursday! IRON MAN 3 is set to kick butt over the weekend! Here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are a dozen links plus this week's car chase...
1) Christopher McQuarrie on JACK REACHER and USUAL SUSPECTS.
2) Shane Black on IRON MAN 3 and his career.
3) Steven Soderbergh on the problems with Hollywood.
4) If that didn't bring you down, this will - The Reality Of Novel Writing.
5) Zach Braff's Kickstarter project - Crowdfunding or Crowdfleecing?
6) Top Rated Movies From The Past Couple Of Decades.
7) Brad Pitt's zombie movie is a little pricey...
8) Classic Movies They Thought Were Crap While Malking Them.
9) Talk about a film by committee! 30,000 screenwriters on one film!
10) Larry McMurtry On Writing.
11) Movie Posters From The Villain's POV.
12) *Very* detailed review of screenwriting software.
And this week's Car Chase!
From SUPERCOP. I've been on this road in Hong Kong!
- Bill
Here are a dozen links plus this week's car chase...
1) Christopher McQuarrie on JACK REACHER and USUAL SUSPECTS.
2) Shane Black on IRON MAN 3 and his career.
3) Steven Soderbergh on the problems with Hollywood.
4) If that didn't bring you down, this will - The Reality Of Novel Writing.
5) Zach Braff's Kickstarter project - Crowdfunding or Crowdfleecing?
6) Top Rated Movies From The Past Couple Of Decades.
7) Brad Pitt's zombie movie is a little pricey...
8) Classic Movies They Thought Were Crap While Malking Them.
9) Talk about a film by committee! 30,000 screenwriters on one film!
10) Larry McMurtry On Writing.
11) Movie Posters From The Villain's POV.
12) *Very* detailed review of screenwriting software.
And this week's Car Chase!
From SUPERCOP. I've been on this road in Hong Kong!
- Bill
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Lancelot Link & Robin
Lancelot Link Thursday! It's still April and Movie Summer is about to begin! Here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are seven cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) Shane Black on IRON MAN 3 and Christmas.
2) Screenwriter Max Landis Interview:
3) Brian Helgeland On The N Word In 42.
4) Ten Documentaries Every Screenwriter Needs To See!
5) Was The Idea For PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 Stolen?
6) Ten Best Screenwriters?
7) Tomorrow NUMBERS STATION opens in limited release in the USA, written by a guy I know from online, Scott Frazier. This film needs your support, so if it's showing near you and the trailer looks interesting, check it out:
And this week's car chase...
I own this film on DVD... and wish I did not.
- Bill
Here are seven cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) Shane Black on IRON MAN 3 and Christmas.
2) Screenwriter Max Landis Interview:
3) Brian Helgeland On The N Word In 42.
4) Ten Documentaries Every Screenwriter Needs To See!
5) Was The Idea For PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 Stolen?
6) Ten Best Screenwriters?
7) Tomorrow NUMBERS STATION opens in limited release in the USA, written by a guy I know from online, Scott Frazier. This film needs your support, so if it's showing near you and the trailer looks interesting, check it out:
And this week's car chase...
I own this film on DVD... and wish I did not.
- Bill
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Lancelot Link: Monkey Geniuses 2
Lancelot Link Thursday! Because I missed posting this last week, we have *ten* links this week! Here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are ten cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) Shane Carruth (PRIMER) *doesn't* explain his new movie.
2) Everything You Wanted To Know About Screenwriting (But Were Afraid To Ask).
3) Work Spaces Of Geniuses!
4) Smell-o-vision makes a come back?
5) William Friedkin On Directing Unruly Actors.
6) Only 100 Little Problems With PROMETHEUS.
7 Top 50 Film Festivals.
8) Behind The Scenes On NBC's HANNIBAL. This show is like an R rated movie - dark, disturbing, dangerous!
9) The war over KNIGHT RIDER gets bloody!
10) The script for that amazing dramatic film THE ROOM...
And the car chase of the week is from one of my favorite movies...
- Bill
Here are ten cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) Shane Carruth (PRIMER) *doesn't* explain his new movie.
2) Everything You Wanted To Know About Screenwriting (But Were Afraid To Ask).
3) Work Spaces Of Geniuses!
4) Smell-o-vision makes a come back?
5) William Friedkin On Directing Unruly Actors.
6) Only 100 Little Problems With PROMETHEUS.
7 Top 50 Film Festivals.
8) Behind The Scenes On NBC's HANNIBAL. This show is like an R rated movie - dark, disturbing, dangerous!
9) The war over KNIGHT RIDER gets bloody!
10) The script for that amazing dramatic film THE ROOM...
And the car chase of the week is from one of my favorite movies...
- Bill
Thursday, April 04, 2013
RIP: Roger Ebert
When I was in community college all of the film geeks went to Mike's house on Sunday night where his mom would fix dinner and we'd all watch the PBS show SNEAK PREVIEWS with Siskel & Ebert which included the ever-popular Dog Of The Week film. As a film geek I had read critics like Kael, Simon, and Canby - but reading their reviews wasn't the same as watching SNEAK PREVIEWS. Siskel and Ebert were there on the screen, arguing about movies the way my friends and I always argued at that back table at Dennys after seeing some movie. They could see the same movie from two different perspectives and each argue their points using scenes, lines, performances, shots, and anything else from the movie. You'd learn more about movies from the films they disagreed about - because they would each make good points. If Siskel liked a film that you liked and Ebert hated it, you would learn *why* Ebert disliked the film. You may not agree with him, but you understood his points. Two guys who were passionate about movies - as our little group of film geeks were. They debated films just as we did... but had seen many more films and could use many more examples than we could. Dinner at Mike's house every Sunday night was an important part of my film education.
Later, when I was in Los Angeles writing scripts, Ebert was on Compuserve's Showbiz Forum and we often debated films online. Those were the early days when the internet was green writing on a black screen, and Ebert would talk movies with anyone with a dial up modem. There was a group of regulars who were kind of like the film geek's at Mike's house on Sundays. We'd argue films at however much a minute Compuserve charged us. What was cool about Ebert is that, despite being one of the most famous film critics in the world, he treated everyone and everyone's opinion with respect. Though he was completely wrong about DIE HARD. I was thrilled when an online conversation we had about Best Screenplay Oscar Nominees became part of his 1997 If We Picked The Winners show... and he talked about me on his TV show! Many of the discussions on the Showbiz Forum ended up in Roger's Movie Answer Man columns... and later the books. It was cool when some smart-ass remark of mine started an online conversation that ended up in a book at the Book Star in Studio City. Many of the other forum members had dinner with Roger and his wife - if you were going to be in Chicago, he'd find the time to meet you. Roger came to Los Angeles every year for the Oscars (he hosted the red carpet show on the local ABC station when the red carpet show was more about the nominees than the celebrities and what they were wearing) and I probably could have met him... but my "I'm not worthy" gene kicked in, even though we "knew each other" from online. So, I never met him... though many of my online friends did. I don't know whether Andy Ihnatko was a journalist before the Showbiz Forum or not, but he became a columnist for the Sun-Times. What's interesting to me are how many members of that old forum are working writers, now.
I was sad when Siskel passed away - half of a great team who had turned movies (and art films and indie films) into something that stupid guys from Concord could discuss. One of the great things about their show were the films I probably would never have heard of without them. We all know about the big studio releases, but would I have ever seen some art house film if they had not brought it to my attention? Well, maybe I might have - but I think in those early days of home video they brought many great little films to the attention of the average viewer. Part of the success of movies like SEX LIES AND VIDEOTAPE (aside from that title) was due to Siskel and Ebert recommending them on national TV. Over the years, I would favor Siskel or favor Ebert. It was always changing. Sometimes I though Ebert was a complete idiot... and sometimes I though Siskel was. But without their show, would we be *thinking* about film? Or just watch movies passively?
I followed Roger's blog - never thought a rice cooker would make me cry, read his reviews and disagreed with many... but he always explained your reasons. So I understood why he liked or disliked some film. But even with the blog, he opened it up to all of the other film geeks out there. I loved how he created a place for film fans in far off lands to talk about movies as "correspondents". He allowed us to see the world through different eyes... and allowed us to see Hollywood through different eyes.
*Yesterday* he posted a blog entry celebrating 46 years as a film critic, and saying that he was going to slow down a little and take a "Leave Of Presence". Still be around, but many not post as much. Last year he posted reviews for *306* movies plus did blog posts plus posted material on Facebook and Twitter. In that blog entry he mentioned that they had found cancer in his leg, but the post was so upbeat about his future plans that I wasn't sad. Roger was a fighter, and an innovator and had a grand plan for his website's future and the future of the TV show. So I was shocked when I heard that he had passed away... but, like Mad Max, he will always live on in our memories... and live on in all of the people he touched and all of the films he championed that didn't get pushed aside by those big studio blockbusters. The world is a better place because he was here... and movies are better because he and Gene would tear them apart every week.
I'm sure he and Gene are up there discussing movies again...
I know that I will miss him.
- Bill
Later, when I was in Los Angeles writing scripts, Ebert was on Compuserve's Showbiz Forum and we often debated films online. Those were the early days when the internet was green writing on a black screen, and Ebert would talk movies with anyone with a dial up modem. There was a group of regulars who were kind of like the film geek's at Mike's house on Sundays. We'd argue films at however much a minute Compuserve charged us. What was cool about Ebert is that, despite being one of the most famous film critics in the world, he treated everyone and everyone's opinion with respect. Though he was completely wrong about DIE HARD. I was thrilled when an online conversation we had about Best Screenplay Oscar Nominees became part of his 1997 If We Picked The Winners show... and he talked about me on his TV show! Many of the discussions on the Showbiz Forum ended up in Roger's Movie Answer Man columns... and later the books. It was cool when some smart-ass remark of mine started an online conversation that ended up in a book at the Book Star in Studio City. Many of the other forum members had dinner with Roger and his wife - if you were going to be in Chicago, he'd find the time to meet you. Roger came to Los Angeles every year for the Oscars (he hosted the red carpet show on the local ABC station when the red carpet show was more about the nominees than the celebrities and what they were wearing) and I probably could have met him... but my "I'm not worthy" gene kicked in, even though we "knew each other" from online. So, I never met him... though many of my online friends did. I don't know whether Andy Ihnatko was a journalist before the Showbiz Forum or not, but he became a columnist for the Sun-Times. What's interesting to me are how many members of that old forum are working writers, now.
I was sad when Siskel passed away - half of a great team who had turned movies (and art films and indie films) into something that stupid guys from Concord could discuss. One of the great things about their show were the films I probably would never have heard of without them. We all know about the big studio releases, but would I have ever seen some art house film if they had not brought it to my attention? Well, maybe I might have - but I think in those early days of home video they brought many great little films to the attention of the average viewer. Part of the success of movies like SEX LIES AND VIDEOTAPE (aside from that title) was due to Siskel and Ebert recommending them on national TV. Over the years, I would favor Siskel or favor Ebert. It was always changing. Sometimes I though Ebert was a complete idiot... and sometimes I though Siskel was. But without their show, would we be *thinking* about film? Or just watch movies passively?
I followed Roger's blog - never thought a rice cooker would make me cry, read his reviews and disagreed with many... but he always explained your reasons. So I understood why he liked or disliked some film. But even with the blog, he opened it up to all of the other film geeks out there. I loved how he created a place for film fans in far off lands to talk about movies as "correspondents". He allowed us to see the world through different eyes... and allowed us to see Hollywood through different eyes.
*Yesterday* he posted a blog entry celebrating 46 years as a film critic, and saying that he was going to slow down a little and take a "Leave Of Presence". Still be around, but many not post as much. Last year he posted reviews for *306* movies plus did blog posts plus posted material on Facebook and Twitter. In that blog entry he mentioned that they had found cancer in his leg, but the post was so upbeat about his future plans that I wasn't sad. Roger was a fighter, and an innovator and had a grand plan for his website's future and the future of the TV show. So I was shocked when I heard that he had passed away... but, like Mad Max, he will always live on in our memories... and live on in all of the people he touched and all of the films he championed that didn't get pushed aside by those big studio blockbusters. The world is a better place because he was here... and movies are better because he and Gene would tear them apart every week.
I'm sure he and Gene are up there discussing movies again...
I know that I will miss him.
- Bill
Lancelot Link: Retaliation!
Lancelot Link Thursday! Spring is here! And it brought ten links! Here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are five cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) Ten Hot Screenwriters!
2) Graham Yost (SPEED) talks about screenwriting.
3) Ten Big Money Script Sales.
4) Hey, whatever happened to the cast of GROUNDHOG DAY?
5) Pretty Scary Stuff! Best Horror Movies?
And the Car Chase Of The Week!
From THE ULTIMATE IRON BALL.
- Bill
Here are five cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) Ten Hot Screenwriters!
2) Graham Yost (SPEED) talks about screenwriting.
3) Ten Big Money Script Sales.
4) Hey, whatever happened to the cast of GROUNDHOG DAY?
5) Pretty Scary Stuff! Best Horror Movies?
And the Car Chase Of The Week!
From THE ULTIMATE IRON BALL.
- Bill
Monday, April 01, 2013
Reno Class in April
After doing my 2 day class at some film festivals and teaching classes at several screenwriting events, it finally occurred to me that I could just do a class on my own. This took a few years, by the way - I'm dumber than I look. Through a connection, I made a deal with a hotel in Lake Tahoe that was right across from both the mansion used in GODFATHER PART 2 and the CalNeva Casino where Sinatra and the Rat Pack were a regular feature. Cool!
I did a two hour "warm up" class for the Reno Screenwriting Group a couple of days before, and many members of that group took the two day class.
The last time I did the 2 day class "for myself" was maybe 2007 at the Beverly Garland Hotel a couple of blocks from where I live. I still do classes for film fests and whatever screenwriting events that still exist, but haven't done a class that was just me in the USA since 2007...
So when the Reno Screenwriting Group asked if I would be a guest at their April meeting - and do it as a full day class, I said yes. What goes around comes around. They have opened it up to the public (probably as a way to get some new members), so here is their flyer with all of the info.
- Bill
RENO SCREENWRITERS PRESENTS
I did a two hour "warm up" class for the Reno Screenwriting Group a couple of days before, and many members of that group took the two day class.
The last time I did the 2 day class "for myself" was maybe 2007 at the Beverly Garland Hotel a couple of blocks from where I live. I still do classes for film fests and whatever screenwriting events that still exist, but haven't done a class that was just me in the USA since 2007...
So when the Reno Screenwriting Group asked if I would be a guest at their April meeting - and do it as a full day class, I said yes. What goes around comes around. They have opened it up to the public (probably as a way to get some new members), so here is their flyer with all of the info.
- Bill
RENO SCREENWRITERS PRESENTS
BILL MARTELL
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Reno, Nevada
Bill has written over nineteen
produced films, including three HBO Premier movies, is the West Coast Editor of
Scr(i)pt Magazine’s Independents
screenwriting column, is a contributor to Writer's Digest Magazine and a past
columnist for Hollywood Scriptwriter Magazine.
He’s been interviewed by Variety, featured in The Hollywood Reporter’s
first Writers Special issue, and
continues to teach around the world.
This day-long seminar
is presented in two parts for both beginning and advanced screenwriters. Attend either session – or BOTH!
AM Session SO
YOU WANT TO WRITE A SCREENPLAY?
8:30am
-12:00pm ...Introduction to Screenwriting ...Protagonist vs Antagonist
$45.00* ...Story
Ideas and Formatting ...Plot
& Premise
(lunch
not included) ...Character
Introductions ...First
10 Pages
PM Session YOU'RE ON YOUR WAY... NOW WHAT?
1:00pm-5:00pm ...Developing
Characters ...Improving
Dialogue
$45.00*
...Getting Emotions on the Page ...Transitions
(lunch
not included) ...Act II
Development ...Pitching
& Selling
...Q & A Session
BOTH SESSIONS* Discount and lunch for those who
pre-register for
$80.00* both
sessions by April 7th,2013 !
LOCATION: KNPB
Studios, University of Nevada-Reno, Reno Campus 1670 North Virginia Street (at
Seventeenth Street), Reno, NV
TO REGISTER: Send your name,
address, phone number, session(s) you want to attend and your check (made
payable to Pam Dulgar), to:
Pam
Dulgar
3581 La Tierra Terrace
Reno, NV 89502-5936
QUESTIONS? For additional
information, please call (775) 827-2808.
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