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2) That stupid development executive has been replaced by a computer!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

1 comment:

James said...

Hey Bill. Had a comment on your Act 2 sag thing.

"Act 1: Sets up your conflict.
Act 2: Is the conflict. (and escalation of conflict)
Act 3: Resolves the conflict."

I think its misleading to say Act 3 "Resolves the conflict." Most narratives culminate at the end of Act 2 that propels or spins off an Act 3. I actually think saving everything to resolve the conflict at the end of a narrative is what causes Act 2 sag. A narrative should be on course to end at the end of Act 2, but then something happens that derails, or changes that plan.

True Lies Act 3 starts after Arnold rescues Jamie Lee Curtis and they kiss in front of a mushroom cloud.

Aliens is literally a run to the getaway shuttle at the end of Act 2, when Newt gets abducted.

Wall Street ends its Act 2 with Budd Foxx busted for what Gordon Gekko did.

Die Hard, Act Two ends with the bad guys getting the money. Act Three starts only because their plan is to blow everyone up.

Speed doesn't end when they are off the bus. It ends when the bad guy is caught. Act Two ends when they get off the bus.

Back to the Future has a massive Act 2. It ends when Marty makes everything right with his parent's timeline. Act 3 is a race to save Doc Brown.

You talk about how Constantine is really only a Two Act film -- I think that happens for exactly this reason -- people don't realize that the purpose of Act 3 is to subvert expectation, while still having everything add up. It's also a trial for the hero, to see what/if he learned anything from his struggles in Act Two.

I'm not disagreeing. I do think Act 2 is about struggle and conflict. But it has its own Resolution.

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