Quickie Movie Reviews: Late Summer 2005

Well, I woke up this morning and got a message from a friend on my instant messenger reminding me to try to write more often in my blog. I've been so busy lately it's one of the ways friends can find out what I've been up to. I've seen a few movies I haven't written about yet.


Well, I don't know if I've raved yet about 40 Year Old Virgin. One of the funniest movies I've seen this year. Some of it can be pretty raunchy, but the sweet love story helps even it out. I highly recommend it. Good character development. In my textbook Total Directing, the author Tom Kingdon says, "strong characters make for strong plot". If you care about the characters, you want to see what happens to them.


Last night I saw An Unfinished Life with Jennifer Lopez, Robert Redford and Morgan Freeman. It's directed by Lasse Hallstrom who directed one of my favorite films of all time Once Around. I really enjoyed it. And I find it difficult to enjoy Jennifer Lopez, usually. An abused woman on the run from her bf with her daughter goes to stay with her estranged father-in-law and his ranch hand. It's a story more of forgiving and letting go of resentments. Josh Lucas was good eye candy. He reminds me of my favorite guy Matthew McConaughey.


I also saw Just Like Heaven, cute but not great. It had some very funny and sweet moments.


I also saw Proof at a sneak preview that my friend won tickets to see. It was not bad, my friend Rox thought it was too slow moving. I think we were a test audience or something because halfway through the film changed color temperature and it was very noticeable. I thought Gwyneth Paltrow was great as always, Jake Gyllenhal was as cute as a button. Hope Davis did a great job playing the know-it-all sister that you want to just smack across the face.

Well, I got a 94% on my script that I had to hand in this week. I didn't have the format quite right, but I now have an idea how it goes. Now we have two weeks to film a one shot video. Well, I'm looking forward to the work, but it will mean I still won't be around a whole lot. Take care, folks. Back to the books......(after the cleaning is done)......

More ramblings to come.......

Quickie Movie Review: Dancer in the Dark

Well, I started writing this earlier, but my browser shut down for some reason. Anyhoo.....


Our film class screened Lars von Trier's Dancer in the Dark yesterday. What an emotional experience that was. Our professor warned us that it dealt with some strong emotions and that it would probably affect us for the rest of the day. She was right. It was beautifully done. Bjork and the rest of the cast did an amazing job. But it was depressing as hell. Everybody was crying at the end. Which I guess is part of the reason it's so good, when you can illicit that kind of a response from your audience. It is the kind of film I could only experience once, though. Too powerful.

Well, I don't have a lot of time anymore to keep up with my blog. But like I said last entry, I'll try to keep up. I got my script and my dialogue assignment done. The more I learn about the creative process, the more it excites me. I wish I would have discovered this new passion of mine a long time ago. But then again, I might not have gained the life experience that I want to express in the film medium. There are so many things that I'm learning and I have a whole new outlook on the process of movie making. An unbelievable amount of work, discipline, labour and love. And a time consuming process, too. I'll elaborate more when I have the time.

Back to the books......til next time.......

School Crap

Wow, it's been awhile since my last entry.

I was talking to a friend of mine tonight about how it seems that there is no middle ground, this summer I was bored off my ass dying to get back to school. Now, two weeks in I feel like I'm already drowning. But, I'm still enjoying it when I'm not tired as hell.

For my narrative production class, I've already done a presentation on Working with Actors and have a script to write for next week. My theater class is interesting. I'm studying screenplay writing in film 300 and looking at theater playwriting in theater 100 at the same time. My professor in my film class is very nurturing of our creativity. She's one of those new age-y and flaky profs who start out class with breathing exercises and has us do trust exercises and theater improv games. I love it. Although, I might not have time to add any more stuff to my blog that often with my schedule. But I will try.

I also haven't had a lot of time to think about the "deep" stuff that I did during the summer. So along with starting back at school, kids starting back, my ex has decided that now is the time he's determined to win me back. I'm not going to really comment on that right now. I have some conflicted emotions, but not enough time to delve into them.

More ramblings to come.....

Musings: Screenplay Writing

Did I say I couldn't wait to get back to school? I know I'm gonna kick myself for that later.

Well, it's been two days and already my courseload is looking very heavy for this semester. I have to throw a presentation together for next week and I have a script to hand in the week after. Oi. And that's just for one class.

We humans always have to overcomplicate things. I was thinking about this when I was doing my reading for tomorrow's class. The reading is on Screenplay writing. The author says that people tend to overcomplicate things when they are writing screenplays. Especially when they are inexperienced, adding detailed camera directions and stage directions that aren't necessary. He said it's as simple as this: A screenplay is about a person in a place doing his or her thing. That's all. Of course you have the three act, set up, conflict, resolution thing happening, too. "Without conflict, there is no drama. Without need, there is no character. Without character, there is no action." You need a character, and that character needs a goal. Then you have to throw some obstacles in the way of that goal so you have a story, basically. My favorite quote from that section of the reading is from F. Scott Fitzgerald, "Action is Character". I like that because it not only applies to screenplay writing, but in life. Action is character. A person is what they do. A person shows you who they are by what they do.

Another quote that I liked was from the section emphasizing the importance of research. How the more you research what you want to write about, the more you know and the more choice you have in your writing. "The more you know, the more you can communicate." But my favorite quote is a hint to use when you are seeking material to inspire your writing. For example, he told about a screenwriter he knew who wanted to write a script taking place on a train, so he rode the train across the country. When he got to the end, he still didn't have a story. This is what he says "When you are looking for a subject, the subject is looking for you. You'll find it someplace at sometime probably when you're least expecting it." I guess inspiration can be pretty random and uncontrollable.

Keep your eye out for that unexpected inspiration, til next time......