Star Wars Subway Car

Jeremy,

This is for you:

The genius of Francis Ford Coppola: The Patton Edition

In this video, Francis Ford Coppola explains the introduction to the movie Patton. The best part of the movie is the intro. It is pure genius. And yet he was fired because the studio didn’t like the intro. This only goes to show that the things you’re fired for when young are often the same things you’re given awards for later in life.

Who knows when The Hobbit will actually be made into a movie

The Wall Street meltdown has claimed another victim, Guillermo de Toro has stepped down from directing The Hobbit “in light of ongoing delays in setting of a start date for filming…”

The problem is MGM’s poor financial situation. They currently have $4 billion in debt, making it difficult to finance new pictures and making the company unattractive to prospective buyers.

Hopefully MGM can get its act together and they can make a good movie.

100 Things You Didn’t Know About The Empire Strikes Back

On the 30th Anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back, IGN has a list of 100 factoids about the movie. 

I watched part of the movie yesterday and I was impressed again at the special effects. Special effect just meant more when before they could do anything with computers.

David Mamet’s Memo on Writing Drama

A few years ago, David Mamet wrote this memo to the writers of the crime drama, The Unit. Mamet gives good advice to these writers. It’s good to see that all of us struggle from time to time with our writing, even professional writers. I don’t write fiction, but the general premise is the same. Here’s the core of Mamet’s teaching:  

WE, THE WRITERS, MUST ASK OURSELVES OF EVERY SCENE THESE THREE QUESTIONS.

1) WHO WANTS WHAT?
2) WHAT HAPPENS IF HER DON’T GET IT?
3) WHY NOW?

…

START, EVERY TIME, WITH THIS INVIOLABLE RULE: THE SCENE MUST BE DRAMATIC. it must start because the hero HAS A PROBLEM, AND IT MUST CULMINATE WITH THE HERO FINDING HIM OR HERSELF EITHER THWARTED OR EDUCATED THAT ANOTHER WAY EXISTS.

…

ANY TIME TWO CHARACTERS ARE TALKING ABOUT A THIRD, THE SCENE IS A CROCK OF SHIT.

 

ANY TIME ANY CHARACTER IS SAYING TO ANOTHER “AS YOU KNOW”, THAT IS, TELLING ANOTHER CHARACTER WHAT YOU, THE WRITER, NEED

THE AUDIENCE TO KNOW, THE SCENE IS A CROCK OF SHIT.

 

DO NOT WRITE A CROCK OF SHIT. WRITE A RIPPING THREE, FOUR, SEVEN MINUTE SCENE WHICH MOVES THE STORY ALONG, AND YOU CAN, VERY SOON, BUY A HOUSE IN BEL AIR AND HIRE SOMEONE TO LIVE THERE FOR YOU.

I get really bored with exposition instead of drama. I don’t now if I realized that before, but as Mamet explains, scenes have to be dramatic and exposition isn’t dramatic. 

This Tron Legacy trailer is strangely compelling

I really like this trailer. I’m trying not to have high hopes for the movie. But the first trailer looked great too.

My Avatar review in three bullets

• The 3D visuals were fantastic and that makes it worth seeing.
• The story was terrible. It’s Dances with Wolves in space. It’s that boring and that predictable. But this characterization might be a little off. As Adam Kempenaar wrote, “My favorite part of AVATAR was when the ewoks used their slingshots to beat the stormtroopers.”  Well said Adam.
• If this movie wins the Oscar for Best Picture, it will be the worst movie ever to win Best Picture.

Ridley Scott’s Rood Hood trailer

Ridely Scott’s Robin Hood could be fantastic, or it could be terrible. It’s hard to know. Ridley Scott’s Gladiator was great, but Kingdom of Heaven was a snore-fest because the story was weak. Sadly, Robin Hood could be boring if the script is bad:

A quality trailer for Iron Man II

Iron Man was one of the more enjoyable action movies last year. Hopefully Iron Man II will be more of the same.

Yesterday was Saint Crispin’s Day

In honor of Saint Crispin’s Day yesterday: