Happy New Year!
Hope 2011 is a great year for all of you!
- Bill
Friday, December 31, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
National Film Registry inductees 2010
These 25 films have been deemed "national treasures" by the Library Of Congress. There are several of my favorites on the list every year, this time around we get AIRPLANE! and ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN and EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and McCABE AND MRS. MILLER. The last film on the list is a documentary ride on a cable car down San Francisco's Market Street only days before the earthquake.
AIRPLANE! (1980)
ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN (1976)
THE BARGAIN (1914)
CRY OF JAZZ (1959)
ELECTRONIC LABYRINTH: THX 113B 4EB (1967)
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980)
THE EXORCIST (1973)
THE FRONT PAGE (1931)
GREY GARDENS (1976)
I AM JOAQUIN (1969)
IT'S A GIFT (1934)
LET THERE BE LIGHT (1946)
LONESOME (1928)
MAKE WAY FOR TOMORROW (1937)
MALCOLM X (1992)
MCCABE & MRS. MILLER (1971)
NEWARK ATHLETE (1891)
OUR LADY OF THE SPHERE (1969)
THE PINK PANTHER (1964)
PRESERVATION OF SIGN LANGUAGE (1913)
SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER (1977)
STUDY OF A RIVER (1996)
TARANTELLA (1940)
A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN (1945)
A TRIP DOWN MARKET STREET (1906)
How many have you seen?
- Bill
AIRPLANE! (1980)
ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN (1976)
THE BARGAIN (1914)
CRY OF JAZZ (1959)
ELECTRONIC LABYRINTH: THX 113B 4EB (1967)
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980)
THE EXORCIST (1973)
THE FRONT PAGE (1931)
GREY GARDENS (1976)
I AM JOAQUIN (1969)
IT'S A GIFT (1934)
LET THERE BE LIGHT (1946)
LONESOME (1928)
MAKE WAY FOR TOMORROW (1937)
MALCOLM X (1992)
MCCABE & MRS. MILLER (1971)
NEWARK ATHLETE (1891)
OUR LADY OF THE SPHERE (1969)
THE PINK PANTHER (1964)
PRESERVATION OF SIGN LANGUAGE (1913)
SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER (1977)
STUDY OF A RIVER (1996)
TARANTELLA (1940)
A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN (1945)
A TRIP DOWN MARKET STREET (1906)
How many have you seen?
- Bill
Monday, December 27, 2010
Week Between
I am not shacked up with Scarlett Johannson, I was not run over by a raindeer, nor was I returned without a receipt and had to pay a restocking fee... I’ve been too busy to blog. That’s why you’ve been getting all of these YouTube videos - even though, some of them were kinda cool - love the zombie one. Between family holiday stuff, hanging out with old friends, and trying to get this danged new spec finished; there’s been no time to tell you about doing all of those things.
First off - I finished the new script the day before Christmas... a couple of weeks behind schedule, but before the end of the year. This script is DREAM LOVER, the one I plan to shoot sometime in the last half of 2011 up here in the Bay Area with the guys I’ve been hanging out with. It’s a thriller with a high concept twist about a guy with a dead end job and dead end marriage who begins to have dreams about his college girlfriend and wonders where she is... and whether they might hood up again... after he dumps his cheating wife and steals the money his evil boss has been embezzling. So it’s kind of like BODY HEAT meets DREAMSCAPE - designed for most to be shot in my friend John’s luxury home. I’m happy with the first draft - it’s full of suspense and has lots of twists.
And around Thanksgiving I had a potential script sale that fell apart - but for about 2 weeks it was on again / off again and kind of consumed my attention. A producer who had a star (from a big movie that played in cinemas over summer) under contract and a director signed and a start date in January... but no script. I’m assuming they had a script but it fell out. Well, my amazing Lawyer sent them some loglines including three of mine, they wanted to read one of the scripts: Producer loved it, director loved it... star took his time deciding it didn’t wow him. Producer liked the writing, asked for another one of my scripts: Producer loved it, director loved it... star took his time deciding it didn’t wow him. End result - I don’t think they are making a movie. No way they can make their start date. Stars run the biz, and after talking to a couple of friends who have also had dealings with this star - he takes forever to make up his mind and then nothing wows him. But for a couple of weeks, my life was all about some star liking one of my scripts, saying yes, and I end up with a nice big deal. The good news is, a director and producer who have never read my stuff read it and liked it. Hey, somewhere down the road they may call me about one of those scripts.
Those couple of weeks put me behind on the spec... plus all of the holiday stuff.
I had lunch with some friends from High School who had moved away and were just back for the holidays.
I had Chicken & Waffles and saw THE FIGHTER.
It rained. A lot. Not as much as in Los Angeles, but enough to keep that new bicycle in the garage. I took it out one day, and the back tire was flat - there used to be a Shell gas station a few blocks from my parent’s house - a guy I knew from high school used to manage it (Rick), but they tore that whole block down and put in a mall with a Bed bath & Beyond. Closest place to put air in the tire? I do not know. So I returned the bike and walked down the street (been doing too much driving - no exercise!). That was one of a handful of days that it didn’t rain.
I had planned to post some new Friday’s With Hitchcock - um, one is a couple of hours from finished and a couple are partially written, but I made an executive decision to save them until next year - Christmas Eve and New Years Eve not the best days for blogs.
The plan is always to kick off the new year with 2 weeks of new tips - but I don’t see those being written in the next couple of days. I will try to get some new tips into the mix in January - which had almost all new tips last year (and some great ones) - and might end up with 2 full weeks of new tips in February instead. Still working on that.
This week I also planned to write 5 new Hitchcock articles as chapters for the first ofthe three Hitchcock screenwriting books, plus rewrite the others... um, not gonna happen.
January I begin a new spec script - which looks like it has a deal in place. I believe there’s a producer with a funding source and a distributor. It’s a movie waiting for a screenplay - which means it is waiting on *me*. No pressure. So that has to be finished before the end of January.
So this week I’m going to try to get as much stuff done as possible before New Years Eve and then next year... when I’m writing a new spec script after finishing this last spec script a few days ago. There may be some short entries, some of those movie reviews, and some more YouTube videos... maybe even some actual entries in the next week or two - but mostly, I’ll be busy writing.
So I wish all of you a Happy New Year, and I hope 2011 is *your* busy year!
- Bill
First off - I finished the new script the day before Christmas... a couple of weeks behind schedule, but before the end of the year. This script is DREAM LOVER, the one I plan to shoot sometime in the last half of 2011 up here in the Bay Area with the guys I’ve been hanging out with. It’s a thriller with a high concept twist about a guy with a dead end job and dead end marriage who begins to have dreams about his college girlfriend and wonders where she is... and whether they might hood up again... after he dumps his cheating wife and steals the money his evil boss has been embezzling. So it’s kind of like BODY HEAT meets DREAMSCAPE - designed for most to be shot in my friend John’s luxury home. I’m happy with the first draft - it’s full of suspense and has lots of twists.
And around Thanksgiving I had a potential script sale that fell apart - but for about 2 weeks it was on again / off again and kind of consumed my attention. A producer who had a star (from a big movie that played in cinemas over summer) under contract and a director signed and a start date in January... but no script. I’m assuming they had a script but it fell out. Well, my amazing Lawyer sent them some loglines including three of mine, they wanted to read one of the scripts: Producer loved it, director loved it... star took his time deciding it didn’t wow him. Producer liked the writing, asked for another one of my scripts: Producer loved it, director loved it... star took his time deciding it didn’t wow him. End result - I don’t think they are making a movie. No way they can make their start date. Stars run the biz, and after talking to a couple of friends who have also had dealings with this star - he takes forever to make up his mind and then nothing wows him. But for a couple of weeks, my life was all about some star liking one of my scripts, saying yes, and I end up with a nice big deal. The good news is, a director and producer who have never read my stuff read it and liked it. Hey, somewhere down the road they may call me about one of those scripts.
Those couple of weeks put me behind on the spec... plus all of the holiday stuff.
I had lunch with some friends from High School who had moved away and were just back for the holidays.
I had Chicken & Waffles and saw THE FIGHTER.
It rained. A lot. Not as much as in Los Angeles, but enough to keep that new bicycle in the garage. I took it out one day, and the back tire was flat - there used to be a Shell gas station a few blocks from my parent’s house - a guy I knew from high school used to manage it (Rick), but they tore that whole block down and put in a mall with a Bed bath & Beyond. Closest place to put air in the tire? I do not know. So I returned the bike and walked down the street (been doing too much driving - no exercise!). That was one of a handful of days that it didn’t rain.
I had planned to post some new Friday’s With Hitchcock - um, one is a couple of hours from finished and a couple are partially written, but I made an executive decision to save them until next year - Christmas Eve and New Years Eve not the best days for blogs.
The plan is always to kick off the new year with 2 weeks of new tips - but I don’t see those being written in the next couple of days. I will try to get some new tips into the mix in January - which had almost all new tips last year (and some great ones) - and might end up with 2 full weeks of new tips in February instead. Still working on that.
This week I also planned to write 5 new Hitchcock articles as chapters for the first ofthe three Hitchcock screenwriting books, plus rewrite the others... um, not gonna happen.
January I begin a new spec script - which looks like it has a deal in place. I believe there’s a producer with a funding source and a distributor. It’s a movie waiting for a screenplay - which means it is waiting on *me*. No pressure. So that has to be finished before the end of January.
So this week I’m going to try to get as much stuff done as possible before New Years Eve and then next year... when I’m writing a new spec script after finishing this last spec script a few days ago. There may be some short entries, some of those movie reviews, and some more YouTube videos... maybe even some actual entries in the next week or two - but mostly, I’ll be busy writing.
So I wish all of you a Happy New Year, and I hope 2011 is *your* busy year!
- Bill
Monday, December 20, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
The Black List - 2010
Here is a link to the list:
Black List 2010
And here is the story of the Black List:
Which scripts look interesting on this year's list?
- Bill
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: Protagonists At War With Themselves - and IN BRUGES.
Dinner: Three Brothers From China - Shanghai Pork Chop.
Pages: Yes! Am plugging along on a new spec - 5 pages yesterday, 6 or 7 pages every day for the past couple of weeks - and should have it finished in a couple of days!
Bicycle: No.
Movies: Yes, and some reviews are coming soon.
Black List 2010
And here is the story of the Black List:
Which scripts look interesting on this year's list?
- Bill
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: Protagonists At War With Themselves - and IN BRUGES.
Dinner: Three Brothers From China - Shanghai Pork Chop.
Pages: Yes! Am plugging along on a new spec - 5 pages yesterday, 6 or 7 pages every day for the past couple of weeks - and should have it finished in a couple of days!
Bicycle: No.
Movies: Yes, and some reviews are coming soon.
Tourists vs. Amtrak
Below is a photo of Yoshi's Jazz Club in Jack London Square. Jack London Square is a tourist destination - upscale restaurants, night clubs, ship tours, etc. There's also a multiplex cinema with discounts on Tuesday nights, so my friends and I have been seeing movies there... on Tuesdays.
But here's the strange thing about Jack London Square - railroad tracks run right down the middle of the street! Both Amtrak and freight trains use these tracks... frequently. Like every half hour some train flies through. Yeah, there are gates that lower to keep tourist cars from getting hit, but tourist pedestrians need to get off the street when a train shoots through. So far, people have gotten off the street when the gates lower - but this is kinda crazy!
- Bill
But here's the strange thing about Jack London Square - railroad tracks run right down the middle of the street! Both Amtrak and freight trains use these tracks... frequently. Like every half hour some train flies through. Yeah, there are gates that lower to keep tourist cars from getting hit, but tourist pedestrians need to get off the street when a train shoots through. So far, people have gotten off the street when the gates lower - but this is kinda crazy!
- Bill
Friday, December 10, 2010
Fridays With Hitchcock:
Index
Fridays With Hitchcock seems to be on accidential hiatus as I deal with the Holidays and try to finish this new script before the end of the year.
You know, the original idea was to do one of these a week for a year... just dash out 1,000 words (4 pages) a week and post it. Nice plan, but it didn't work. Most of the entries are around 4,000 words (16 pages) and take a couple of days to write after I've watched the movie and taken notes... and finding the 2 or 3 or 4 days a week required to produce one of these entries? Hey, I have screenplays to write! So there have been months without a single entry. Sorry!
The original plan was to take those 53 articles at around 1,000 words each and add a prologue and epilogue and turn it into a screenwriting book. Um, make that 3 screenwriting books! The first, EXPERIMENTS IN TERROR, should be out early next year - the blog entries are being rewritten for the book, and the versions here will have most of the "meat" deleted (the lessons) and some new elements added (Hitch stock company players listed). So read any you missed before they go on an information diet!
Here are the Fridays With Hitchcock that have run so far, in case you missed any:
The Lost Hitchcock Film.
YOUNG AND INNOCENT (1937) - Show The Decision, Gags, A-B-C Plots, In Media Res, Disguises, Disasters, Only A Model.
THE LADY VANISHES (1938) - All Of The Caldecott & Charters Films, Unusual Act 1, Clues, Great Dialogue, Supporting Characters.
JAMAICA INN (1939) - Bumpers, Opening Scenes, 3 Act Structure, Early Reveals.
REBECCA (1940) - Negative Cinderella, Minefields, Mood Reveals, Three Characters.
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (1940) - Set Pieces, Gags, Leading The Audience, Human Villains, Speeches.
MR. & MRS. SMITH (1941) - Bellamys, Symbolic Characters, Visual Symbols, Escalating Conflict, POV In Scenes, "If You Know What I Mean" Subtext.
SUSPICION (1941) - Creating Suspicion, Test Audience Endings, Leitmotifs.
SABOTEUR (1942) - Nice Villains, Invisible Storytelling, Biggest To Smallest, Hitchcock's Chocolates, Trapped In A Crowd.
SHADOW OF A DOUBT (1943) - Did He or Didn't He?, Unusual Characters, Small Suspense, Protag & Antag Similarities.
LIFEBOAT (1944) - Contained Thrillers, Symbols.
SPELLBOUND (1945) - Dali Dreams, Psychiatric Mystery.
NOTORIOUS (1946) - DNA, Focus Objects, Odd Ticking Clocks, Subtext.
THE PARADINE CASE (1947) - Selznick, Converting Ideas Into Actions or Situations.
ROPE (1948) - Single Shot, What Is A Scene?, Poking The Tiger!
UNDER CAPRICORN (1949) - Fake Twists, Melodrama, Novel vs Screenplay.
STAGE FRIGHT (1950) - Flashbacks That Lie, Not My Problem (wrong protag).
STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (1951) - Transference Of Guilt, Sound Triggers, Suspense.
I CONFESS (1953) - Character & Story Flow, Chess Dialogue, Misunderstandings, String Theory.
DIAL M FOR MURDER (1954) - Focus Objects, Suspense Triggers, Unlikeable Leads.
REAR WINDOW (1954) - Kuleshov, One Point Of View, Helpless Suspense.
TO CATCH A THIEF (1955) - Alliances, Allegiances, Adversaries. Opening 10 pages.
THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY (1955) - Clever Dialogue, Comedy Suspense, Death Can Be Funny.
THE WRONG MAN (1956) - Passive Protagonists, Verite, Faith On Film.
VERTIGO (1958) - Nexus, Ticking Clocks, Visual Storytelling.
NORTH BY NORTWEST (1959) - MacGuffin Definition, Suspense, Focus Objects, Which Of These Red Caps Is Not Like The Other?
PSYCHO (1960) - Serial Protagonist, Non-Voice Over, Rule Of The Logical Opposite.
THE BIRDS (1963) - Visual Links, Unseen Threats, Building Suspense.
MARNIE (1964) - Dirty Pictures, Soap Opera Plotting, Split Screen Suspense?
TORN CURTAIN (1966) - Making Murder Difficult, When Act 3 Peters Out.
TOPAZ (1969) - Pulp Fiction, Multiple Stories, All Suplot & No Plot.
FRENZY (1972) - Hitchcock Wipes, World Of The Story, Twist Ends.
FAMILY PLOT (1976) - Intersecting Stories, Out Of Control Car, Puzzle Chase.
THE TV SHOW - You Can Watch Full Episodes On HULU - Free!
I'm going to add to this index with each new blog entry, and index the "screenwriting lessons" from each entry to make it easier to find what you may be looking for.
- Bill
You know, the original idea was to do one of these a week for a year... just dash out 1,000 words (4 pages) a week and post it. Nice plan, but it didn't work. Most of the entries are around 4,000 words (16 pages) and take a couple of days to write after I've watched the movie and taken notes... and finding the 2 or 3 or 4 days a week required to produce one of these entries? Hey, I have screenplays to write! So there have been months without a single entry. Sorry!
The original plan was to take those 53 articles at around 1,000 words each and add a prologue and epilogue and turn it into a screenwriting book. Um, make that 3 screenwriting books! The first, EXPERIMENTS IN TERROR, should be out early next year - the blog entries are being rewritten for the book, and the versions here will have most of the "meat" deleted (the lessons) and some new elements added (Hitch stock company players listed). So read any you missed before they go on an information diet!
Here are the Fridays With Hitchcock that have run so far, in case you missed any:
The Lost Hitchcock Film.
YOUNG AND INNOCENT (1937) - Show The Decision, Gags, A-B-C Plots, In Media Res, Disguises, Disasters, Only A Model.
THE LADY VANISHES (1938) - All Of The Caldecott & Charters Films, Unusual Act 1, Clues, Great Dialogue, Supporting Characters.
JAMAICA INN (1939) - Bumpers, Opening Scenes, 3 Act Structure, Early Reveals.
REBECCA (1940) - Negative Cinderella, Minefields, Mood Reveals, Three Characters.
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (1940) - Set Pieces, Gags, Leading The Audience, Human Villains, Speeches.
MR. & MRS. SMITH (1941) - Bellamys, Symbolic Characters, Visual Symbols, Escalating Conflict, POV In Scenes, "If You Know What I Mean" Subtext.
SUSPICION (1941) - Creating Suspicion, Test Audience Endings, Leitmotifs.
SABOTEUR (1942) - Nice Villains, Invisible Storytelling, Biggest To Smallest, Hitchcock's Chocolates, Trapped In A Crowd.
SHADOW OF A DOUBT (1943) - Did He or Didn't He?, Unusual Characters, Small Suspense, Protag & Antag Similarities.
LIFEBOAT (1944) - Contained Thrillers, Symbols.
SPELLBOUND (1945) - Dali Dreams, Psychiatric Mystery.
NOTORIOUS (1946) - DNA, Focus Objects, Odd Ticking Clocks, Subtext.
THE PARADINE CASE (1947) - Selznick, Converting Ideas Into Actions or Situations.
ROPE (1948) - Single Shot, What Is A Scene?, Poking The Tiger!
UNDER CAPRICORN (1949) - Fake Twists, Melodrama, Novel vs Screenplay.
STAGE FRIGHT (1950) - Flashbacks That Lie, Not My Problem (wrong protag).
STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (1951) - Transference Of Guilt, Sound Triggers, Suspense.
I CONFESS (1953) - Character & Story Flow, Chess Dialogue, Misunderstandings, String Theory.
DIAL M FOR MURDER (1954) - Focus Objects, Suspense Triggers, Unlikeable Leads.
REAR WINDOW (1954) - Kuleshov, One Point Of View, Helpless Suspense.
TO CATCH A THIEF (1955) - Alliances, Allegiances, Adversaries. Opening 10 pages.
THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY (1955) - Clever Dialogue, Comedy Suspense, Death Can Be Funny.
THE WRONG MAN (1956) - Passive Protagonists, Verite, Faith On Film.
VERTIGO (1958) - Nexus, Ticking Clocks, Visual Storytelling.
NORTH BY NORTWEST (1959) - MacGuffin Definition, Suspense, Focus Objects, Which Of These Red Caps Is Not Like The Other?
PSYCHO (1960) - Serial Protagonist, Non-Voice Over, Rule Of The Logical Opposite.
THE BIRDS (1963) - Visual Links, Unseen Threats, Building Suspense.
MARNIE (1964) - Dirty Pictures, Soap Opera Plotting, Split Screen Suspense?
TORN CURTAIN (1966) - Making Murder Difficult, When Act 3 Peters Out.
TOPAZ (1969) - Pulp Fiction, Multiple Stories, All Suplot & No Plot.
FRENZY (1972) - Hitchcock Wipes, World Of The Story, Twist Ends.
FAMILY PLOT (1976) - Intersecting Stories, Out Of Control Car, Puzzle Chase.
THE TV SHOW - You Can Watch Full Episodes On HULU - Free!
I'm going to add to this index with each new blog entry, and index the "screenwriting lessons" from each entry to make it easier to find what you may be looking for.
- Bill
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Lancelot Link Thursday
Lancelot Link Thursday! For those of you who think PLANET OF THE APES was based on a true story, here are some articles about screenwriting and the biz 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) Understanding INCEPTION.
2) Combine the titles of several books to form a story!
3) Almost Every Line From Almost Every Movie.
4) Rudolph, You Don't Have To Put On The Red Light!
5) Truth In Advertizing - Movie Posters
6) This week's car chase is from... THE BLUES BROTHERS.
- Bill
Here are five cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) Understanding INCEPTION.
2) Combine the titles of several books to form a story!
3) Almost Every Line From Almost Every Movie.
4) Rudolph, You Don't Have To Put On The Red Light!
5) Truth In Advertizing - Movie Posters
6) This week's car chase is from... THE BLUES BROTHERS.
- Bill
Friday, December 03, 2010
I'm Sorry...
UK's Movies For Men channel...
12/5 - 12:50 - Steel Sharks - When a United States submarine is seized by terrorists, a rescue attempt by Elite Navy Seals goes awry. The submarine crew wages a silent war beneath the waves in this tense undersea thriller.
12/6 - 13:40 - Crash Dive - The crew of a nuclear submarine rescue supposed victims of a boat disaster, but the victims turn out to be terrorists intent on capturing nuclear weapons aboard the sub.
(The STEEL SHARKS synopsis is still wrong - they don't hijack a sub, they kidnap a chemical weapons specialist and take him aboard one of 3 identical subs, creating a "shell game" for the US submarine - which can they return fire on?)
- Bill
12/5 - 12:50 - Steel Sharks - When a United States submarine is seized by terrorists, a rescue attempt by Elite Navy Seals goes awry. The submarine crew wages a silent war beneath the waves in this tense undersea thriller.
12/6 - 13:40 - Crash Dive - The crew of a nuclear submarine rescue supposed victims of a boat disaster, but the victims turn out to be terrorists intent on capturing nuclear weapons aboard the sub.
(The STEEL SHARKS synopsis is still wrong - they don't hijack a sub, they kidnap a chemical weapons specialist and take him aboard one of 3 identical subs, creating a "shell game" for the US submarine - which can they return fire on?)
- Bill
Monday, November 29, 2010
Cyber Monday sale!
Okay - this is a complete cheat. I just changed the title. But classes on CD are still on sale...
For those of you who don't know - Black Friday is our crazy shopping holiday in America. The day after Thanksgiving, when all of the Christmas sales begin. A retail store in the red can get back in the black in one day (which is why it's called Black Friday). Not wanting to be left out of the festivities, I figured I'd slash some prices for 5 days...
Best Prices Ever on Classic CD Classes - will never be this low again (Okay, maybe *next* Black Friday)!
CYBER MONDAY SALE! (click here for sale price)
These prices good ONLY November 26, 27, 28, 29 & 30... Sale ENDS November 30th at midnight.
After I pick up my DVDs on sale, I plan on writing a blog entry about how reading screenplays is *critical* to learning how to write screenplays - and that is still coming!
- Bill
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: Tennis Plotting - and SPEED.
Dinner: Actual turkey burritos.
Pages: Still behind on the new spec - but I did write a good scene yesterday (Sunday), so I'm not beating myself up much.
PLUS... I am so sorry...
Movies4Men - 11/26- 14:50 - Crash Dive - The crew of a nuclear submarine rescue supposed victims of a boat disaster, but the victims turn out to be terrorists intent on capturing nuclear weapons aboard the sub.
For those of you who don't know - Black Friday is our crazy shopping holiday in America. The day after Thanksgiving, when all of the Christmas sales begin. A retail store in the red can get back in the black in one day (which is why it's called Black Friday). Not wanting to be left out of the festivities, I figured I'd slash some prices for 5 days...
Best Prices Ever on Classic CD Classes - will never be this low again (Okay, maybe *next* Black Friday)!
CYBER MONDAY SALE! (click here for sale price)
These prices good ONLY November 26, 27, 28, 29 & 30... Sale ENDS November 30th at midnight.
After I pick up my DVDs on sale, I plan on writing a blog entry about how reading screenplays is *critical* to learning how to write screenplays - and that is still coming!
- Bill
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: Tennis Plotting - and SPEED.
Dinner: Actual turkey burritos.
Pages: Still behind on the new spec - but I did write a good scene yesterday (Sunday), so I'm not beating myself up much.
PLUS... I am so sorry...
Movies4Men - 11/26- 14:50 - Crash Dive - The crew of a nuclear submarine rescue supposed victims of a boat disaster, but the victims turn out to be terrorists intent on capturing nuclear weapons aboard the sub.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Those Mayans Aren't Giving Up!
On the corner of Vineland and Vanowen in NoHo is this bus bench advert... it was there *yesterday*!
Now, either:
1) They are putting out a special edition soon in cinemas, like AVATAR.
2) They thought the film was going to be much more popular than it was, and bought adverts thinking it would still be in cinemas a year later in Nov of 2010.
3) It has nothing to do with the movie, and is just warning us that those Mayans are still predicting the end of the world.
- Bill
Now, either:
1) They are putting out a special edition soon in cinemas, like AVATAR.
2) They thought the film was going to be much more popular than it was, and bought adverts thinking it would still be in cinemas a year later in Nov of 2010.
3) It has nothing to do with the movie, and is just warning us that those Mayans are still predicting the end of the world.
- Bill
Monday, November 15, 2010
Filler Material
Still recovering from AFM and the post-AFM work catch-up, so here's a trailer for one of my films from Germany...
The quest for peace seems to involve lots of explosions, huh?
New blog entries are coming soon!
- Bill
The quest for peace seems to involve lots of explosions, huh?
New blog entries are coming soon!
- Bill
Thursday, November 04, 2010
November Issue Of Script Magazine!
Nov./Dec. issue of Script is on newsstands now! (Bought a copy from a newsstand yesterday in Santa Monica)
The Top-10 Scriptwriters of the Decade
by Bob Verini
Script looks back at the 2000s and names the most influential scribes of the decade. From Quentin Tarantino to Christopher Nolan, find out who made the cut and why.
Interview: The Next Three Days With Paul Haggis
by David S. Cohen
In The Next Three Days, veteran writer-director Paul Haggis remakes a French caper film, darkens it up, and turns the conventions of the prison-break movie upside down.
Writers on Writing: Conviction
by Pamela Gray
Screenwriter Pamela Gray struggled with the true story of Betty Ann Waters’ fight to vindicate her brother Kenny, who was wrongly accused of murder in 1980. Gray’s eight-year journey from script to screen involved thousands of Post-its, close interaction with director Tony Goldwyn, and a unique approach to structure that essentially melded four movies into one.
Writing 127 Hours: An Interview With Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy
by Ray Morton with additional reporting by Joshua Stecker
In May 2003, amateur mountain climber Aron Ralston was hiking alone in Utah’s remote Blue John Canyon when a large boulder tipped, crushing his right forearm against the canyon’s wall. Five days later—out of food and water and facing certain death—Ralston finally saved himself by using the dull blade of a cheap multi-tool knife to saw off his own arm. Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire) took on this heartrending story of survival and the challenge of writing a script where the protagonist spends much of his time immobile.
Beyond the Page: Grape Expectations With Robert Mark Kamen
by Peter Hanson
In this first in a series of articles about what screenwriters do when they’re not writing, Script visits Robert Mark Kamen’s vineyard to discuss his intoxicating form of personal expression—winemaking.
Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems
by Jim Cirile
Scribes everywhere dream about the six-figure spec sale, but how much of that money do you bank, and how do you survive until the next sale comes along? Here’s how to keep from going broke as a successful writer.
Interview With Megamind’s Brent Simons & Alan Schoolcraft
by Joshua Stecker
Writing partners Brent Simons and Alan Schoolcraft discuss how their spec Megamind went from long-distance collaboration to finished script, from writing sample to sale, from live-action to DreamWorks Animation, and what they learned along the way.
Making Magic: Wizards of Waverly Place
by Zack Gutin
Script steps inside the writers room with the Emmy®-winning staff of Wizards of Waverly Place to learn the secrets of making Disney magic.
Scenes We Missed, Part Two
by John Buchanan
The popular article on the realities of scene omissions is back with a look at Point Break, Patriot Games, Under Suspicion, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Learn what scenes were cut and how the screenwriters feel the edits affected the final film.
Holiday Shopping for the Screenwriter You Love
by Jenna Milly
Show the scriptwriters in your life how special they are with the gift that touches their hearts and supports their craft. Get the can’t-miss list of gifts for every writer on your list, from the novice to the pro.
Script Secrets: Distinctive Dialogue
by William Martell
One of the most common problems with screenplays is you can’t tell one character from another when they talk. Fix this script-killing flaw with tips and tricks from veteran scribe William Martell.
- My article is a part one, part two in the January issue!
SUBSCRIBE NOW!
- Bill
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: Elements - is this the best possible location for your screenplay? Best possible protagonist? Best possible concept?
Dinner: I'm at AFM, so it ended up being pizza.
Pages: AFM - but I have written 8 family synopsis and 13 disaster synopsis a couple of action synopsis to try and set up. Out of all of that work, I am hoping one of the stories clicks.
Bicycle: No - but lots of stair climbing.
Oh, and the usual warning that one of my films is attacking the U.K.
Movies 4 Men Channel - 11/7 - 16:00 - Steel Sharks - When a United States submarine is seized by terrorists, a rescue attempt by Elite Navy Seals goes awry. The submarine crew wages a silent war beneath the waves in this tense undersea thriller.
I am sorry.
- Bill
The Top-10 Scriptwriters of the Decade
by Bob Verini
Script looks back at the 2000s and names the most influential scribes of the decade. From Quentin Tarantino to Christopher Nolan, find out who made the cut and why.
Interview: The Next Three Days With Paul Haggis
by David S. Cohen
In The Next Three Days, veteran writer-director Paul Haggis remakes a French caper film, darkens it up, and turns the conventions of the prison-break movie upside down.
Writers on Writing: Conviction
by Pamela Gray
Screenwriter Pamela Gray struggled with the true story of Betty Ann Waters’ fight to vindicate her brother Kenny, who was wrongly accused of murder in 1980. Gray’s eight-year journey from script to screen involved thousands of Post-its, close interaction with director Tony Goldwyn, and a unique approach to structure that essentially melded four movies into one.
Writing 127 Hours: An Interview With Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy
by Ray Morton with additional reporting by Joshua Stecker
In May 2003, amateur mountain climber Aron Ralston was hiking alone in Utah’s remote Blue John Canyon when a large boulder tipped, crushing his right forearm against the canyon’s wall. Five days later—out of food and water and facing certain death—Ralston finally saved himself by using the dull blade of a cheap multi-tool knife to saw off his own arm. Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire) took on this heartrending story of survival and the challenge of writing a script where the protagonist spends much of his time immobile.
Beyond the Page: Grape Expectations With Robert Mark Kamen
by Peter Hanson
In this first in a series of articles about what screenwriters do when they’re not writing, Script visits Robert Mark Kamen’s vineyard to discuss his intoxicating form of personal expression—winemaking.
Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems
by Jim Cirile
Scribes everywhere dream about the six-figure spec sale, but how much of that money do you bank, and how do you survive until the next sale comes along? Here’s how to keep from going broke as a successful writer.
Interview With Megamind’s Brent Simons & Alan Schoolcraft
by Joshua Stecker
Writing partners Brent Simons and Alan Schoolcraft discuss how their spec Megamind went from long-distance collaboration to finished script, from writing sample to sale, from live-action to DreamWorks Animation, and what they learned along the way.
Making Magic: Wizards of Waverly Place
by Zack Gutin
Script steps inside the writers room with the Emmy®-winning staff of Wizards of Waverly Place to learn the secrets of making Disney magic.
Scenes We Missed, Part Two
by John Buchanan
The popular article on the realities of scene omissions is back with a look at Point Break, Patriot Games, Under Suspicion, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Learn what scenes were cut and how the screenwriters feel the edits affected the final film.
Holiday Shopping for the Screenwriter You Love
by Jenna Milly
Show the scriptwriters in your life how special they are with the gift that touches their hearts and supports their craft. Get the can’t-miss list of gifts for every writer on your list, from the novice to the pro.
Script Secrets: Distinctive Dialogue
by William Martell
One of the most common problems with screenplays is you can’t tell one character from another when they talk. Fix this script-killing flaw with tips and tricks from veteran scribe William Martell.
- My article is a part one, part two in the January issue!
SUBSCRIBE NOW!
- Bill
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: Elements - is this the best possible location for your screenplay? Best possible protagonist? Best possible concept?
Dinner: I'm at AFM, so it ended up being pizza.
Pages: AFM - but I have written 8 family synopsis and 13 disaster synopsis a couple of action synopsis to try and set up. Out of all of that work, I am hoping one of the stories clicks.
Bicycle: No - but lots of stair climbing.
Oh, and the usual warning that one of my films is attacking the U.K.
Movies 4 Men Channel - 11/7 - 16:00 - Steel Sharks - When a United States submarine is seized by terrorists, a rescue attempt by Elite Navy Seals goes awry. The submarine crew wages a silent war beneath the waves in this tense undersea thriller.
I am sorry.
- Bill
Monday, November 01, 2010
First, Let's Kill All Of The Consultants!
Over on The Artful Writer, Craig Mazin came home from the Austin Festival with a bug up his butt and wrote a pretty strong piece against Script Consultants and People Who Write Screenwriting Books. John August came back from Austin with a similar though more level headed) blog entry.
I came back from Santa Fe and wrote this:
Act 2: Conflict!(Mentor Panel)
And have a Script Tip in circulation with this advice:
Should I Pay For Notes?
But I think we are all adults, here - except for that danged 12 year old girl working on her screenplay - and we can make our own decisions. I understand wanting to protect writers from scams and scammers, but over reactions always make me wonder if there are other motivations involved. When the reaction seems *personal* instead of informative, I wonder what those motivations are. Also, when someone hits too hard, I feel like hitting back - even if I don't have a dog in the race. You just want to *react!* even if you more-or-less agree with the comments.
I think most of you people are going to think twice before spending $2,500 on some consultant who has never sold a screenplay and isn't currently part of the film biz. That's a lot of money! I think $20 for a book is fine, I buy and read screenwriting books every once in a while to see if there's some technique I can use. But, I also expect you to be smart enough to compare whatever a book says to the actual screenplays you have read - and not just do whatever the book says to do. Especially if it seems weird.
There is a difference between helping people and punishing people - let's try not to give in to the dark side of the force.
* And Speaking Of The Dark Side Of The Force...
Tomorrow (Tuesday) is election day, so go out and vote. I'm not going to tell you who or what to vote for, that is not my place. But if you don't vote, you will not be heard. It always seems like the extremists on either side get all charged up and vote, and those regular folks in the middle just aren't angry enough to stop by the polls and cast their votes. Hey, vote even if you are not angry. The regular people in the middle are usually the majority, so make sure your voice is heard. We have to live in this country, so we might as well see if we can make it the kind of place where we are comfortable. So - VOTE TOMORROW!
* Comments Section?
Any comments on the whole Script Consultant & Book thing are welcome in the comments section, any political stuff will be deleted.
** BIG PS: So, why are there folks who are so anti Screenwriting Book and Script Consultant and Screenwriting Teacher? What causes that knee-jerk reaction? What causes that in a character?
- Bill
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: Theme & Emotional Conflict - and why even silly summer popcorn films need to be well written.
Dinner: Salad.
Pages: Finished an online interview, but not the big 2 day project I had planned to do.
Bicycle: Saturday - no, rain. Sunday - yes, but not far.
I came back from Santa Fe and wrote this:
Act 2: Conflict!(Mentor Panel)
And have a Script Tip in circulation with this advice:
Should I Pay For Notes?
But I think we are all adults, here - except for that danged 12 year old girl working on her screenplay - and we can make our own decisions. I understand wanting to protect writers from scams and scammers, but over reactions always make me wonder if there are other motivations involved. When the reaction seems *personal* instead of informative, I wonder what those motivations are. Also, when someone hits too hard, I feel like hitting back - even if I don't have a dog in the race. You just want to *react!* even if you more-or-less agree with the comments.
I think most of you people are going to think twice before spending $2,500 on some consultant who has never sold a screenplay and isn't currently part of the film biz. That's a lot of money! I think $20 for a book is fine, I buy and read screenwriting books every once in a while to see if there's some technique I can use. But, I also expect you to be smart enough to compare whatever a book says to the actual screenplays you have read - and not just do whatever the book says to do. Especially if it seems weird.
There is a difference between helping people and punishing people - let's try not to give in to the dark side of the force.
* And Speaking Of The Dark Side Of The Force...
Tomorrow (Tuesday) is election day, so go out and vote. I'm not going to tell you who or what to vote for, that is not my place. But if you don't vote, you will not be heard. It always seems like the extremists on either side get all charged up and vote, and those regular folks in the middle just aren't angry enough to stop by the polls and cast their votes. Hey, vote even if you are not angry. The regular people in the middle are usually the majority, so make sure your voice is heard. We have to live in this country, so we might as well see if we can make it the kind of place where we are comfortable. So - VOTE TOMORROW!
* Comments Section?
Any comments on the whole Script Consultant & Book thing are welcome in the comments section, any political stuff will be deleted.
** BIG PS: So, why are there folks who are so anti Screenwriting Book and Script Consultant and Screenwriting Teacher? What causes that knee-jerk reaction? What causes that in a character?
- Bill
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: Theme & Emotional Conflict - and why even silly summer popcorn films need to be well written.
Dinner: Salad.
Pages: Finished an online interview, but not the big 2 day project I had planned to do.
Bicycle: Saturday - no, rain. Sunday - yes, but not far.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
More Halloween Fun!
About 15 years ago we were at KNB FX doing an interview for DEAD BEAT Videozine and they had all of these very realistic fake buffalos in the shop from DANCES WITH WOLVES, and Greg ran over and put his head up the butt of one of them. That video tape still exists, but I doubt I could blackmail Greg with it because he'd just think it was funny. Here's Greg's short film, just in time for Halloween!
- Bill
- Bill
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Lancelot Link Thursday
Lancelot Link Thursday! For those of you who think KING KONG was based on a true story, here are some articles about screenwriting and the biz 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) Most ridiculous edited for TV movie lines - including some Sam Jackson favorites!
2 United States Of America Movie Map - what movie is your state?
3) Top Ten Tech Tricks We're Tired Of Seeing In Movies.
4) Screenwriter Ryan Condal and his manager Adam Marshall on breaking in.
5) Top 25 Worst Halloween Costumes!
6) This week's car chase is in celebration of Halloween! You have seen the Paul Haggis version of CRASH and the David Cronenberg version of CRASH, but here is a clip of my favorite movie titled CRASH...
Directed by Charlie Band. I think the German dubbing and blurry transfer and small screen make it even better! Have a great weekend and trick or treat safely!
- Bill
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: Subtext in dialogue - and THE CLOSER.
Dinner: Ham sandwich at Togos.
Pages: Knocked out an article for Script Mag.
Bicycle: Short ride to NoHo and back.
Here are five cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) Most ridiculous edited for TV movie lines - including some Sam Jackson favorites!
2 United States Of America Movie Map - what movie is your state?
3) Top Ten Tech Tricks We're Tired Of Seeing In Movies.
4) Screenwriter Ryan Condal and his manager Adam Marshall on breaking in.
5) Top 25 Worst Halloween Costumes!
6) This week's car chase is in celebration of Halloween! You have seen the Paul Haggis version of CRASH and the David Cronenberg version of CRASH, but here is a clip of my favorite movie titled CRASH...
Directed by Charlie Band. I think the German dubbing and blurry transfer and small screen make it even better! Have a great weekend and trick or treat safely!
- Bill
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: Subtext in dialogue - and THE CLOSER.
Dinner: Ham sandwich at Togos.
Pages: Knocked out an article for Script Mag.
Bicycle: Short ride to NoHo and back.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Weekend BO Smells Sweet!
1 Paranormal Activity 2 - $41,500,000 - (new) $41,500,000
2 Jackass 3-D - $21,600,000 (-57.1%) - $87,147,000
3 RED $15,000,000 (-31.1%) - $43,483,000
4 Hereafter - $12,005,000 (+5,348.8%) - $12,320,000
5 The Social Network - $7,300,000 (-29.2%) - $72,931,000
6 Secretariat - $6,917,000 (-25.8%) - 37,360,000
7 Life as We Know It - $6,150,000 (-31.3%) - $37,615,000
8 Legend of the Guardians - $3,175,000 (-24.9%) - $50,172,000
9 The Town - $2,720,000 (-31.6%) - $84,653,000
10 Easy A - $1,750,000 (-33.5%) - $54,785,000
What I find interesting - the (%) is percentage of change from last week, and often films go into a 50% free-fall where they earn half of what they earned last week. Except, the drops seem more modest this week. Did more people go to the movies? Or was it spill over from sold out showings to PARANORMAL 2?
PA2 set a new record for horror movie opening weekends, beating the long time leader THE GRUDGE. And JACKASS 3D has now made more than the first film made in its entire run! Movies (in the cinema) seem to be doing well. 2010 is ahead of record year 2009 in cash (+12%), but behind in ticket sales... and that's in a year with a lot of not-so-good movies. So, there will still be films in the near future, and those films will need screenplays... or people who come up with dangerous stunts for a bunch of idiots to try in 3D.
- Bill
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: Late Starts - and SIGNS.
Dinner: Togos - #9.
Pages: YES! Saturday I finally finished the assignment rewrite, Sunday I wrote 4 blog entries for Script Mag Online (lessons based on tips), and worked on some other things.
Bicycle: Sat - Yes, Sun - Rain.
Movies: HEREAFTER - there will not be many people here after the first half hour of this boring film.
2 Jackass 3-D - $21,600,000 (-57.1%) - $87,147,000
3 RED $15,000,000 (-31.1%) - $43,483,000
4 Hereafter - $12,005,000 (+5,348.8%) - $12,320,000
5 The Social Network - $7,300,000 (-29.2%) - $72,931,000
6 Secretariat - $6,917,000 (-25.8%) - 37,360,000
7 Life as We Know It - $6,150,000 (-31.3%) - $37,615,000
8 Legend of the Guardians - $3,175,000 (-24.9%) - $50,172,000
9 The Town - $2,720,000 (-31.6%) - $84,653,000
10 Easy A - $1,750,000 (-33.5%) - $54,785,000
What I find interesting - the (%) is percentage of change from last week, and often films go into a 50% free-fall where they earn half of what they earned last week. Except, the drops seem more modest this week. Did more people go to the movies? Or was it spill over from sold out showings to PARANORMAL 2?
PA2 set a new record for horror movie opening weekends, beating the long time leader THE GRUDGE. And JACKASS 3D has now made more than the first film made in its entire run! Movies (in the cinema) seem to be doing well. 2010 is ahead of record year 2009 in cash (+12%), but behind in ticket sales... and that's in a year with a lot of not-so-good movies. So, there will still be films in the near future, and those films will need screenplays... or people who come up with dangerous stunts for a bunch of idiots to try in 3D.
- Bill
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: Late Starts - and SIGNS.
Dinner: Togos - #9.
Pages: YES! Saturday I finally finished the assignment rewrite, Sunday I wrote 4 blog entries for Script Mag Online (lessons based on tips), and worked on some other things.
Bicycle: Sat - Yes, Sun - Rain.
Movies: HEREAFTER - there will not be many people here after the first half hour of this boring film.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Lancelot Link Thursday
Lancelot Link Thursday! For those of you who think the movie HEAD (written by Jack Nicholson) would have been better starring actual monkeys, here are some articles about screenwriting and the biz that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are four cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) Six very Misunderstood Books - including FAHRENHEIT 842 (actual temperature that paper burns).
2) 101 Movie Quotes You Should Know.
3) Horror Hostess Elvira Also Says She Is Not A Witch.
4) 3 Euros (short French film... it's *culture*!)
5) And today's car chase... Because it has been raining here in Los Angeles, here's a car chase that features a lot of slip-sliding away! It's from a not-good movie called BLAZING MAGNUM (aka SHADOWS IN AN EMPTY ROOM) an Italian/Canadian co-production starring Stuart Whitman as a crazed cop searching for his sister's killer. The best part of this movie is the car chase...
So there you go!
- Bill
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: High Concept vs. High Stakes - and AMERICAN BEAUTY vs. PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED.
Dinner: Tortas on Ventura again, and a burrito as big as my head.
Pages: An awful day for writing... If it could go wrong, it did.
Bicycle: Longer bike ride in damp weather.
Here are four cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) Six very Misunderstood Books - including FAHRENHEIT 842 (actual temperature that paper burns).
2) 101 Movie Quotes You Should Know.
3) Horror Hostess Elvira Also Says She Is Not A Witch.
4) 3 Euros (short French film... it's *culture*!)
5) And today's car chase... Because it has been raining here in Los Angeles, here's a car chase that features a lot of slip-sliding away! It's from a not-good movie called BLAZING MAGNUM (aka SHADOWS IN AN EMPTY ROOM) an Italian/Canadian co-production starring Stuart Whitman as a crazed cop searching for his sister's killer. The best part of this movie is the car chase...
So there you go!
- Bill
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: High Concept vs. High Stakes - and AMERICAN BEAUTY vs. PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED.
Dinner: Tortas on Ventura again, and a burrito as big as my head.
Pages: An awful day for writing... If it could go wrong, it did.
Bicycle: Longer bike ride in damp weather.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Down Terrace plays Sunset 5
I saw DOWN TERRACE a year ago at the Raindance Film Festival... and now it is playing at the Sunset 5 cinemas here in Los Angeles. Here's what I said about it in an article for Script Magazine last year...
*Down Terrace* from England, written by Ben Wheatley and Robin Hill was the winner of Best British Feature and was shot in only 8 days, mostly in Hill’s parent’s house. This blacker than black comedy uses genre subversion to make the most of its limited locations and budget ($30k, 8 days of shooting).
*Down Terrace* opens with the welcome home party for the aging leader of a small town criminal organization and his slacker son are released from jail. Not all celebration because someone on their crew must have ratted them out... but who? Dad is an ex-hippy who got into the drug trade because he thought drugs would change the world. We would all be dropping acid and dropping out. He sings folk songs and has a guitar collection and when he gets drunk talks about the 60s. Not exactly Don Corleone.
What makes it funny is that each member of the crime family has a very human character element that is in contrast to their gangster persona - which subverts the genre. The hit man has a three year old son and can’t find a sitter, so he takes his kid in a stroller on an assassination. The kid gets away, as does the target, and the hit man must juggle controlling his child and cornering and killing the target all at the same time... and that’s funny. We don’t expect gangsters to have problems like this.
- Bill
*Down Terrace* from England, written by Ben Wheatley and Robin Hill was the winner of Best British Feature and was shot in only 8 days, mostly in Hill’s parent’s house. This blacker than black comedy uses genre subversion to make the most of its limited locations and budget ($30k, 8 days of shooting).
*Down Terrace* opens with the welcome home party for the aging leader of a small town criminal organization and his slacker son are released from jail. Not all celebration because someone on their crew must have ratted them out... but who? Dad is an ex-hippy who got into the drug trade because he thought drugs would change the world. We would all be dropping acid and dropping out. He sings folk songs and has a guitar collection and when he gets drunk talks about the 60s. Not exactly Don Corleone.
What makes it funny is that each member of the crime family has a very human character element that is in contrast to their gangster persona - which subverts the genre. The hit man has a three year old son and can’t find a sitter, so he takes his kid in a stroller on an assassination. The kid gets away, as does the target, and the hit man must juggle controlling his child and cornering and killing the target all at the same time... and that’s funny. We don’t expect gangsters to have problems like this.
- Bill
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