Contour At The Movies

And here’s the (blurry) last slate of the last day of shooting on season 2 of OVERRULED.  Thirty-three days of shooting, all on time and on budget!  It was a great shoot, and the early cuts of the episodes look terrific. 

Thanks to all of you who have tracked the occasional posts FROM THE FLOOR.  I’ll try to post more next time we’re in production.  In the meantime, remember this: production starts with the writing.

So quit reading this and GO WRITE SOMETHING!

-Jeffrey Alan Schechter

Overall Impression – Mesmerizing.  Bill Murray’s performance caps even GHOSTBUSTERS… and that’s saying something.

THE FOUR QUESTIONS

Who’s your main character? – Bob Harris.

What’s he trying to accomplish? – Professional: make it through his commercial work.  Personal: start enjoying life again.  Private: truly connect with another person.

Who’s trying to stop him? – Himself, his work, various minor antagonists throughout.

What happens if he fails? – Bob will continue moving through life instead of living it – metaphorical death.

THE FOUR ARCHETYPES

Orphan – The picture says it all.  Bob’s in a strange country, he doesn’t connect with anybody, and he feels isolated and sidelined due to his waning fame.

Wanderer – Bob’s entire experience of Japan is one of discovery and bewilderment.  He explores a new culture, a new way of life… but most importantly, he meets Charlotte, who’s as much a lonely outcast as he is.

Warrior – Bob prolongs his stay in Japan in order to spend more time with Charlotte, meaning he has to endure more embarrassing and bewildering publicity work.  As the two of them become close, they learn both about themselves and each other, and start to enjoy life to the point where neither of them wants to be apart.

Martyr – Bob and Charlotte may be kindred spirits, but they’re both from different worlds.  They have to say goodbye to each other and go back to their normal lives.

AND, IN THE END…

Apparently talent runs in the family.  LOST IN TRANSLATION was written and directed by Sofia Coppola, and what a great job she did.  This is an insightful look at a foreign culture, human connection and isolation.  It’s also hilarious.

I only wish I could’ve experienced this in theaters.

- Dan Pilditch

Overall Impression – Truly some of the grossest (and most awesome) special effects ever put to film.

THE FOUR QUESTIONS

Who’s your main character? – R. J. MacReady.

What’s he trying to accomplish? – Professional: kill The Thing once and for all. Personal: N/A. Private: N/A.

Who’s trying to stop him? – The Thing, the other scientists, and the arctic.

What happens if he fails? – The Thing will kill everybody and infect the entire world.

THE FOUR ARCHETYPES

Orphan – R. J.’s team works in a remote Antarctic outpost, and they soon become completely cut off from the rest of the world.

Wanderer – R.J. checks out a destroyed outpost, only to discover a monstrously deformed creature. Upon further investigation, they realize that they’re looking at an alien life form that mimics other creatures… and any one of them could be infected.

Warrior – As The Thing begins to mimic members of the team, paranoia sets in and R. J. must discover who’s who if he’s to destroy the alien for good.

Martyr – R. J. is willing to sacrifice himself to destroy The Thing and save the world.

AND, IN THE END…

For all intents and purposes, the special effects are the star of THE THING, and R. J. is the main character simply because we spend the most time with him.  As such, the characters lacked definitive personal and private goals, needing only enough shading that we can differentiate them.

(This is a trait I’m seeing more and more in certain movies.  Check out my recent review of CRANK 2: HIGH VOLTAGE, another movie in which the main character takes a backseat to the real star – in this case, the movie’s crazy antics!)

Re-watching THE THING got me thinking about today’s abundance of CG compared with traditional make-up and puppetry, and I still think CG falls short in some areas.

As an obvious but unfair example (given that these was the early days of CG effects), remember when the STAR WARS trilogy was re-released?  Lucas finally managed to cram it with the CG he always wanted, but which didn’t exist in the seventies.  However, to my eye, the puppets in the Mos Eisly cantina look way more realistic than their CG alternatives.

A modern movie to compare to THE THING might be SLITHER.  It’s a great example of gross ‘splatter CG’, and both movies successfully creeped me out… yet when it comes to horror, I still prefer the look of traditional special effects.

I don’t think I even have a good reason why…  Traditional special effects just feel more real, which they are, I suppose.   While make-up, goop and puppets exist in real life, a CG monster doesn’t.  Perhaps this knowledge makes it harder to suspend disbelief toward CG elements in movies?

Enough rambling.  Point is, I’m still waiting for a horror movie with effects to rival THE THING.

- Dan Pilditch

The final two days of shooting for season 2 of OVERRULED are upon us!  If all goes according to plan, Thursday, April 23 wraps production of these 13 episodes.  After that, it’s back to the normal grind of juggling many balls.

It’s been a great shoot so far, made even more exciting by having caught some promos for the series on Family Channel.  We’re told that season 1 will air either in the summer or the fall.

So…what have I learned from the experience this time around? Firstly, I think that I’ve improved my 1/2 hour comedy writing.  I used to take more time setting up a joke, now I fish for the joke in almost every line.  I’m not sure this is the right pace for features, but for 21 minutes and 5 seconds of tween television, it’s what the genre demands.

Secondly, I’ve learned what the big hole in my skillset is.  I’m awful at the politics of this business.  Not the politics of getting a show made, but the politics of knowing what I want and not making people feel off-put because of it.  

I grew up in this business thinking that people like clarity and decisiveness.  You don’t want a director, executive producer, or showrunner who dithers.  However in the hands of some people, clarity and decisiveness come off as strident.  I may be one of those people.  My enormous certainty (not to mention ego) is an acquired taste.

But what can I do?  Without falling victim to delusions of grandeur, I can look back on my career and empirically say that the greatest successes I’ve had have been when I’ve followed my own lead.

I’m reminded of that scene in BROADCAST NEWS (written by James L. Brooks) between Holly Hunter as the news producer and her boss.  Holly’s character, JANE, is relentlessly pushing her vision for how a time-critical news segment should be produced.  Her boss, PAUL, disagrees with her but SHE WON’T LET IT GO.  Finally, he looks at her and says, sarcastically “It must be nice to always believe you know better, to always think you’re the smartest person in the room.”  Jane looks at him, ready to cry, and says from the bottom of her heart and totally in earnest the following:

“No. It’s awful.”

– Jeffrey Alan Schechter

Overall Impression – How can you not root for this underdog?

THE FOUR QUESTIONS

Who’s your main character? – Rocky Balboa.

What’s he trying to accomplish? – Professional: beat Apollo Creed in the ring. Personal: win Adrian’s heart. Private: prove that a nobody can become a champion.

Who’s trying to stop him? – Mostly it’s Rocky himself, occasionally it’s his difficult friend Paulie, and various other characters in Rocky’s life keep him from realizing his goals.

What happens if he fails? – This is Rocky’s one and only shot.  If he doesn’t take it, he’ll never amount to anything… both professionally and in his personal life.

THE FOUR ARCHETYPES

Orphan – Rocky’s bravado is just a shell, and nobody knows him for who he really is. He’s actually lonely, and doesn’t like the way his life has turned out.

Wanderer – When Rocky gets a life changing opportunity to fight boxing champion Apollo Creed, he must decide whether or not to take the shot, and if so… how to go about it.  However, the thrust of the movie lies with Rocky negotiating how to ask out the incredibly shy Adrian, and eventually Rocky gets help from his friend Paulie, who’s also Adrian’s abusive brother.

Warrior – Rocky deals with his newfound fame and starts his training in earnest, getting support from both Paulie and his boxing coach, Mickey.  He also works on his relationship with Adrian, and she becomes a warrior herself by finally coming out of her shell and standing up to Paulie.

Martyr – Rocky’s willing to be beaten to a pulp before the entire world to achieve his dream.

AND, IN THE END…

Ah Rocky – now there’s a character you want to WIN!

He’s sympathetic in all the right ways: a streetwise tough guy who keeps pet turtles; a thug who doesn’t like hurting people; a rough-edged boxer who’s a real thinker.

In other words, there’s way more to Rocky than what you gather at first glance, and that’s what the movie’s about for me – that fact some people are more than they appear.

This theme is inspiring, genuine, and most important, it resonates.  ROCKY cleverly tapped into something that most – if not all – people can identify with, which is just one of the reasons it achieved such success.

What I like most about ROCKY is that the passion behind it rings true.  Sylvester Stallone was in dire straights when he wrote the screenplay, which, amazingly, took him about 3 days.  He created the part of Rocky with himself in mind, and eventually won Best Picture at the Academy awards.

ROCKY, like the mind behind it, argues that with passion and determination, success is possible.   How can you not like that?

- Dan Pilditch

Overall Impression – An all time classic.  I can’t believe I wasn’t forced to watch this in film school.

THE FOUR QUESTIONS

Who’s your main character? – Michael Corleone.

What’s he trying to accomplish? – Professional: help the Corleone family survive. Personal: figure out where his loyalties lie. Private: figure out what kind of person he is – the man Kay wants him to be… or the man the ‘family’ wants him to be.

Who’s trying to stop him? – There are many elements, but the big ones are the law, Michael’s conscience, his family, and enemies of the family.

What happens if he fails? – Everything the Corleone family has fought for will be lost, and for Michael, family is everything.  Additionally, Michael’s conscience and his relationship with Kay hangs in the balance.

THE FOUR ARCHETYPES

Orphan – Michael is the only male member of his family who doesn’t want to be involved in the family business. He has also been away for WWII, and has only recently come home.

Wanderer – As Michael explores old relationships and learns more about the family’s activities, so do we.  He starts to understand the danger and sacrifices that come with being involved in the Mafia, and its effect on his girlfriend, Kay.  We also see how the family treats its friends and enemies, and how it negotiates the arrival of the heroine market.  When Don Vito refuses to change with the times and refuses a deal with drug smuggler Sollozzo, there’s soon an attempt on his life.

Warrior – Michael volunteers to kill Sollozzo and makes his first ‘hit’ for the good of the family.  He’s forced to hide in Italy as a result, and tries to make a life for himself.  Meanwhile, things heat up between the rival families, and Don Vito does everything he can to avoid an all out war.  Michael returns to assume a role in the business, and after Don Vito dies, he takes revenge against all those who wronged the Corleone family.

Martyr – Michael becomes the head of the family, sacrificing a normal life.  He also forces Kay to become an unwilling martyr, since her life will never be the same as long as she associates with him.

AND, IN THE END…

THE GODFATHER commands respect in so many ways. Even its production is a story unto itself, detailing one of Copolla’s (many) battles against the studios.

Voted one of the greatest movies of all time and launching the careers of some of the greatest actors of all time, THE GODFATHER is a film to be studied as much as it is to be enjoyed.

I once saw Mr. Coppola’s academy award for THE GODFATHER at his vineyard in California. Of course, I was fourteen and had about as much interest in one of the greatest directors of all time as I did in fine wine. I’m still angry with myself for not taking a picture.

- Dan Pilditch

Overall Impression – CRANK 2: FULL THROTTLE delivers exactly what it promises: non-stop electrified action!

THE FOUR QUESTIONS

Who’s your main character? – Chev Chelios.

What’s he trying to accomplish? – Professional: stay alive long enough to get his heart back. Personal: N/A. Private N/A.

Who’s trying to stop him? – Chinese gangs, Mexican gangs, local thugs, cops, dog walkers… pretty much everyone and everything becomes an obstacle.  Additionally, Chev’s greatest enemy is his temporary fake heart, which requires consistent jolts of electricity to keep him moving.

What happens if he fails? – He’ll die.

THE FOUR ARCHETYPES

Orphan – Chev’s a Brit in LA, seems to be on everyone’s wanted list, and his friends and loved ones have moved on after believing him dead for the past three months.

Wanderer – Chev’s heart has been removed, and with the help of his friend Doc Miles, he learns that he needs to juice his temporary thumper with electricity in order to survive. The rest of the movie is one big chase as Chev hunts Vang, a Triad thug whom Chev believes is transporting his real heart. Also thrown into the mix is a helpful hooker named Ria, Mexican gangsters out for revenge, Chev’s old flame Eve, and Venus – the identical twin brother of Chev’s murdered transvestite friend.

Warrior – The chase continues: Chev needs bigger shocks for his fake heart, and increasingly crazier antics are required to get them.  He fights like a dog to finally get to Vang… only to discover that his heart has already been transplanted into the head of the Triad gang!  Chev is kidnapped by the Mexicans, whose leader wants revenge after Chev killed his brothers in the first movie.

Martyr – A bit muddled…  It might be that Chev’s willing to get as close to death as possible in order to keep on living.  It might also be that he’s willing to give up his heart and even Eve to get revenge on the Mexicans… in which case the CENTRAL QUESTION flip flops.

AND, IN THE END…

I find it hard not to enjoy a movie that plays on its own ridiculousness, and CRANK 2: HIGH VOLTAGE is no exception.  When Chev whistles the film’s score whilst interrogating a baddie, we know the filmmakers are just out to have fun, and so can we.

While the movie’s structure is questionable, the ways in which CRANK 2 laughs at filmic conventions gave it the feel of spectacle as opposed to story, making some of these elements feel appropriate rather than failings.  Here are a few examples:

- Chev’s lack of PERSONAL and PRIVATE desires.  Chev’s a simple, tunnel-visioned guy, much like the movie itself.  It may have been inappropriate for the style, tone and objectives of the film to feature those elements which most movies both need and aspire to have.  CRANK 2 doesn’t bother with these… its hero just wants his strawberry tart (heart) back.

- There wasn’t a strongly discernible switch from WANDERER TO WARRIOR.  Instead, the entire mid-section of CRANK 2 can be seen as one non-stop warrior race, continually escalating in intensity and insanity.

- The CENTRAL QUESTION changes right at the end,when Chev’s desire to get his heart switches to a desire for revenge.  (This I found harder to forgive )

Again, none of this is intended to fault the movie, and in many ways CRANK 2 might be seen as ambitious.  Think no further than the final confrontation between Chev and Vang, which inexplicably becomes a fight between giant puppet-like caricatures.

By venturing into areas which might be deemed outrageous, stupid or just plain weird, you’ll definitely see things that you’ve never seen before, and that’s probably why CRANK 2 was so ridiculously fun.

– Dan Pilditch

I’m not going to do a full breakdown of this movie, but just a quick mention.  I saw it last night on cable.  Lush, beautiful, and a total CAUTIONARY TALE ABOUT THE DANGERS OF A WEAK MAIN CHARACTER!!!

The two lovers Fermina and Florentino meet in their youth and he takes a vow to love her forever.  And he does.  Even though separated by her scheming father, Florentino goes from a romantic youth to a pathetic adult…unable to be apart from the girl who not only no longer loves him, but is married.  

To drown out the pain of separation, Florentino goes on a fornication rampage, chalking up over 622 conquests over 50 years while trying to achieve his goal…to wait for Fermina’s husband to die so he can win Fermina back.

LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA is a celebrated book, but as a movie Florentino is a disaster of a main character.  We aren’t rooting for him to achieve his goal, he has no real drive (waiting for someone to die of old age is not an active goal, it’s a punch line) and he’s so weak that breaks down in tears quite a lot as an adult.  If you thought Javier Bardem was scary when he was killing people, you should see him cry.

To be forewarned is to be forearmed; if you have an unsympathetic character, going after a weak goal, with no real opposition, you’re in big trouble.    This movie was made by top people, with a great cast, beautifully shot…and it all meant nothing without a good “filmic” story behind it.  Budget $45M.  Worldwide box office $11M.

I have no doubt that the book is wonderful, but rules of film structure and character driven stories are to be ignored at one’s peril.

–Jeffrey Alan Schechter

Overall Impression – One of the best comedies this year!

THE FOUR QUESTIONS

Who’s your main character? – Peter Klaven.

What’s he trying to accomplish? – Professional: find a best man for his imminent wedding. Personal: find his first best friend. Private: truly cut loose and be himself.

Who’s trying to stop him? – Mostly it’s himself, but there are lesser antagonists at work.

What happens if he fails? – Peter will miss out on one of the most fun, freeing and essential aspects of any person’s life – a best friend.

THE FOUR ARCHETYPES

Orphan – Peter’s more a girlfriend guy than a friend-with-guys guy.  When Peter’s stumped as to who should be his best man, he realizes that he’s the only person he knows who doesn’t have a best friend.

Wanderer – Peter learns how much he’s missing, so on his brother’s advice, he embarks on a series of disastrous “man dates”.  However, it’s only when Peter bumps into the free-spirited Sydney that he thinks he has a chance.

Warrior – Peter call Sydney for a “man date” and works at developing his first real friendship.  Thanks to his new best friend, all aspects of Peter’s life brighten… except with his fiance.  Zooey feels like she has to compete with Sydney for Peter’s attention, and some misunderstandings between Sydney and Peter put the engagement in jeopardy.

Martyr – Peter tells Sydney they should take a break, giving up his best friend for the sake of his marriage.  However, Zooey is the real martyr when she invites Sydney to the wedding, understanding that Peter needs his best friend almost as much as he does her.

AND, IN THE END…

Great twist on an old concept!  There ain’t a boring moment throughout, and Rudd’s Peter is wonderfully awkward when it comes to being “cool” enough to make friends.

Ultimately, that’s one of the nicest aspects of the film.  The feeling of having a true best friend is evoked throughout the entire movie, and Sydney and Peter’s friendship is one of the best illustrations of a ‘feel good’ theme I’ve seen in a while.

There are many laughs to be had, many of them thanks to the actors.  Not sure whether to classify this movie as a romantic comedy, a buddy-romance or a buddy comedy (maybe all three!), but Paul Rudd and Jason Segel were great, both individually and together.  Hope to see more of them in the future.

- Dan Pilditch