Contour At The Movies

Well, I guess my partner (Jeff Biederman) and I didn’t mess up season 2 too badly…we just heard last week that we got picked up for season 3.  Not sure when we go to camera yet; looks like it’ll be sometime in the late fall.

Season 2, frankly, looks great.  Some very funny stuff in there that we’re really proud of.  Now…if only the show would start airing already!   The schedule is still in September, 2009.

–Jeffrey Alan Schechter

I got this a few minutes ago from Amazon:

Now, it’s not in my nature to tell people how to run their business, but I think Amazon might want to check their algorithms.

–Jeffrey Alan Schechter

Overall Impression – I felt guilty for enjoying this.  Kinda like after a Happy Meal.

THE FOUR QUESTIONS

Who’s your main character? – Robert Langdon.

What’s he trying to accomplish? – Professional: rescue four kidnapped ‘preferiti’ and find an anti-matter bomb before it destroys Vatican city. Personal: overcome the stigma resulting from his controversial religious discoveries. Private: figure out whether an academic like him can have faith in God.

Who’s trying to stop him? – An assassin, the Camerlengo, the chief of the Swiss Guard.

What happens if he fails? – Vatican City will be destroyed, thousands will die, and turmoil will sweep the religious world.

THE FOUR ARCHETYPES

Orphan – Langdon is brought to Vatican city, where his academic approach to religion puts him at odds with the locals.

Wanderer – Langdon is brought up to speed on the case, learning that four ‘preferiti’ (potential Popes) have been kidnapped, and that an anti-matter device has been stolen.  Langdon meets Vittoria, a scientist who explains that anti-matter contains what science believes to be the spark of creation.  Langdon deduces that the Illuminati are behind the kidnappings, and that they intend to destroy Vatican City by detonating an anti-matter bomb, demonstrating that science created the universe, not God.  By working with the Camerlengo (assistant to the late Pope) and the Chief of the Swiss Guard, Langon realizes that the Pope was murdered, and that the preferiti will be killed at the four alters of the Path of Illumination, only… nobody knows where they are.

Warrior – Langon demands access to the Vatican Archives, finding the first clue to the alters.  He races against time to find each alter and rescue the prefiriti, eventually discovering that the anti-matter bomb is beneath the Vatican itself!  Not only that, it seems the Chief of the Swiss Guard is Illuminati, and responsible for the Pope’s murder.

Martyr – The Camerlengo martyrs himself in order to save the city from the anti-matter bomb, becoming a hero of the people and being nominated as the next Pope when they learn he survived.  However, Langdon discovers that the Camerlengo is behind everything…

AND, IN THE END…

I preferred ANGELS AND DEMONS over its predecessor, if only because it was a tad more grounded in reality.  A tad. Everything from the clues they follow, the overarching conspiracy, Langdon’s hair, and the big twist at the end felt a touch more believable.

Speaking of the big twist, the movie’s interesting use of the martyr element went a long way toward helping it succeed.

The audience needed to believe that the Camerlengo was a good guy.  This belief was built on many elements, but one of the most important and (effective) was to have the Camerlengo selflessly martyr himself.  When the Camerlengo flew the bomb away in a chopper to save Vatican City (and survived!), he became the ultimate martyr.  This made him more than a good guy – it made him a hero.  Therefore it came as a shock when someone we believed in so much was revealed to be a fraud.

Whether or not this twist succeeded will vary from person to person, but ANGELS AND DEMONS illustrates how the martyr element can be used not only to bolster the audience’s support of a hero – it can be used to trick them, too.

– Dan Pilditch

Mark it down, my fellow New Yawkers; Monday, July 13 from 6pm to 9pm, somewhere in mid-town Manhattan (location TBD).  The “MY STORY CAN BEAT UP YOUR STORY!” Screenwriting Seminar is coming to the Big Apple!

Please go to www.mscbuys.com to learn more or to sign up!   Here’s a hint…enter the word ‘nyc_earlybird’ in the discount code box and get 15% off until June 15th.

Overall Impression – One of the smartest reboots of a franchise since BATMAN BEGINS.  Buckle up!

THE FOUR QUESTIONS

Who’s your main character? – Spock. (Whoa?!  WHAT?!  Not Kirk?!?!  Read on!)

What’s he trying to accomplish? – Professional: Protect the Enterprise as well as the principles of Starfleet and the Federation. Personal: Deal with the biggest thorn in the side of any Vulcan who has ever lived; James T Kirk! Private: Prove that he’s worthy, despite being both Vulcan and Human.

Who’s trying to stop him? – Nero, a crazed Romulan miner who blames Spock for the death of his wife and child…in the future.  (I told you to “buckle up,” didn’t I?)

What happens if he fails? – Earth will be destroyed.

THE FOUR ARCHETYPES

Orphan – Spock is a brilliant student, but never fully accepted by his peers or fellow Vulcans.  He leaves his planet and family to join Star Fleet.

Wanderer – He is constantly tested and prodded by Kirk, a wild recruit and loose cannon.  Eventually, Spock is given command of the Enterprise.

Warrior – Spock tries to save his home planet of Vulcan, and eventually can’t take anymore of Kirk’s interference.  He exiles Kirk to a desolate ice planet (like Hoth, but on steroids.)  Spock races the Enterprise back towards Earth to try to deal with the impending arrival of the crazed Romulan, Nero.  Kirk, with the help of Scotty, beams back onto the Enterprise and Spock faces off against him.

Martyr – Spock is emotionally compromised, and realizing that he has no choice but to follow the rules, he gives up command of the Enterprise and Kirk becomes captain.  Under Kirk’s command, they successfully destroy Nero and save Earth.  Spock realizes that he and Kirk can become friends, and offers to be First Officer under the newly minted Captain Kirk.

AND, IN THE END…

I can hear the comments already; “Spock is the main character?  Really?”  Yes, absolutely!  One of the tests for determining the main character is to see who changes the most from the beginning of the film to the end (check out the article “Who’s the Main Character in Titanic.”)    In STAR TREK, the character who changes the most from FADE IN to FADE OUT is Spock, hand down!  Kirk is the same rebellious wiseguy at the end of the movie as he is when we first meet him as a 12 year old.  He’s a traveling angel; not changing himself nearly as much as he changes those around him for the better (see the GLOSSARY.)

But STAR TREK is more than just Spock’s story; at it’s heart it’s a bro-mance.  It’s the story of how the two greatest friends in the galaxy become so.  Because of this, STAR TREK plays as a ‘two-hander’ between Spock’s story and Kirk’s story.   We see Kirk’s birth, the story of how he too is an orphan, wanderer, warrior, and martyr, and we see his growth from punk to captain.  So again, why isn’t he the main character?  Because he never does any soul-searching, he never changes.  He actually CHANGES Starfleet to suit himself.

In the writing, STAR TREK is something between an adaptation, a sequel, a prequel, and an invention.  It plays smartly and beautifully off of what the die hard Trekkers know and love (present company included) while gently and lovingly bringing a fresh set of eyes to old memories.  Hat’s off to the entire creative team.  This movie was so much fun, I hardly care that I have no idea what the heck was going on with Nero and his story.   Key word being “hardly.”  In spite of my admiration, there’s still a part of me that would have liked more clarity.

FANBOY TRIVIA CONTEST — One of the things I loved the most about the writing of STAR TREK were all of the winks to the fans.  From a deliberately forced William Shatner-esque line-delivery for one line, to the use of lines of dialog from previous movies, the writers definitely let the fans know that a beloved property was in loving hands.

One of the smartest winks occurs during Kirk’s successful attempt at winning the Kobiyashi Maru training exercise.  It’s not a line of dialog, but a specific action.  I’m not sure if it was in the shooting script, or if director J.J. Abrams came up with it during shooting.   A special Contour At The Movies Nerd Fanboy Gearhead Commendation will go to the first reader who identifies the specific action and explains the context behind it.

– Jeffrey Alan Schechter

A producer and friend of mine, Ilyssa Goodman, is conducting a pitching workshop in LA this coming Saturday, May 16th.  I’ve known Ilyssa for years, and she’s the real deal.  The seminar is short (3 hours) and won’t cost you an arm and a leg.  CLICK HERE to check out the workshop’s promo page.

When you go, tell her I said “Hi!”  Also tell her no hard feelings about “HOUSE ARREST.”  She’ll know what I mean…

– Jeffrey Alan Schechter

It’s BAAAAAAAACK, and coming to TORONTO, NEW YORK, AND LOS ANGELES.  The Seminar Formerly Known As TotallyWrite is now bigger and better than ever before and it’s been renamed…

Overall Impression – Hilarious, smart and moving.  SEE IT!

THE FOUR QUESTIONS

Who’s your main character? – Miles.

What’s he trying to accomplish? – Professional: enjoy a fun weekend in wine country with his best (and soon to be hitched) friend Jack.  Personal: get over his divorce. Private: find true love again.

Who’s trying to stop him? – Miles is definitely his own worst enemy, but Jack contributes his share of obstacles, too.

What happens if he fails? – Miles will remain miserable and alone.

THE FOUR ARCHETYPES

Orphan – Miles’ divorce (2 years prior) has left him insecure and cynical about finding another woman.  His best friend Jack is also about to be married, so in a sense Miles is being left behind.

Wanderer – The guys travel to wine country, where Miles attempts to teach Jack the intricacies of wine tasting.  Jack also learns about Miles’ interest in a local waitress named Maya… and the extent of Miles’ insecurity around women. So, Jack takes it upon himself to get his best buddy laid.  The perfect plan, given that he also wants to sleep with Maya’s friend Stephanie before he gets married.

Warrior – As Jack befriends Stephanie, Miles works on opening up to Maya and putting his divorce behind him.  Jack and Miles also talk more candidly, each confronting the other about their respective problems.  Miles also pursues a book deal more aggressively.

Martyr – There are a few martyr elements.  The funniest is when Miles sneaks into the house of a random waitress that Jack slept with, in order to retrieve Jack’s wallet which holds his wedding rings.  However, Miles’ bravest moment comes at the end, when he finally puts himself out there and goes back for Maya.

AND, IN THE END…

There aren’t many movies I can watch over and over, but SIDEWAYS is one of them.  It’s gotta be up there with LOST IN TRANSLATION, another great dual-character study that’s just so… likable.

The thing is, whenever somebody told me about the movie before I’d seen it, it just sounded boring.  I got various versions of “Well… it’s about these two guys who go to wine country, they meet a waitress… and yeah, it’s hilarious.”

Well, it was hilarious, and much more.  The great thing is, you don’t even have to like wine to enjoy SIDEWAYS.

Oh, if I haven’t said it already… SEE IT!  SEE IT!  SEE IT!

- Dan Pilditch

Overall Impression – Why can’t we bust ghosts for real?  This is the coolest movie ever!

THE FOUR QUESTIONS

Who’s your main character? – Dr. Peter Venkman.

What’s he trying to accomplish? – Professional: catch all the ghosts in New York and stop Gozer, the god of destruction. Personal: win over Dana. Private: believe that ghosts are real.

Who’s trying to stop him? – Gozer the Gozerian, Zuul, ghosts, himself, EPA agent Walter Peck, and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

What happens if he fails? – New York will be destroyed by Gozer the Gozerian, god of destruction.

THE FOUR ARCHETYPES

Orphan – Peter’s a parapsychologist who doesn’t believe in the paranormal.  He’s also cast out into the real world after losing his grant at Columbia University.

Wanderer – Peter and his friends/colleagues Ray and Egon need to make some cash.  Upon learning that ghosts are real, they figure out how to capture them, store them, and market their services to the world as the Ghostbusters.  Peter meets and tries to woo Dana, a client whose fridge seems to be haunted.

Warrior – The Ghostbusters fight to build their business by fighting to catch ghosts.  While Peter works on winning over Dana, the team discovers that her building’s being haunted by Zuul, minion of Gozer.  When Zuul possesses Dana, and her neighbor Louis turns into a giant demon dog, the Ghostbusters have to stop them before they team up and unleash Gozer.

Martyr – The Ghostbusters risk life and limb to stop Gozer.

AND, IN THE END…

I owe a lot to GHOSTBUSTERS.  Aside from being one of my favorite childhood movies, it was the first time I saw Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, a movie ghost, New York, LA, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, a geek turn into a devil dog, a haunted fridge, exploding eggs… and most importantly, the phrase “Back off, man.  I’m a scientist.”

Sigh… why are movies from the Eighties so cool?

Bit of trivia – did you know that the Ghostbusters song by Ray Parker Jr. was nominated for the Best Music Oscar?  People know awesome when they hear it.

Can’t wait for the upcoming GHOSTBUSTERS III.

- Dan Pilditch

Overall Impression – Hugh Jackman brings Wolverine to life like nobody else could.

THE FOUR QUESTIONS

Who’s your main character? – Logan, a.k.a. James, a.k.a. Wolverine.

What’s he trying to accomplish? – Professional: stop Sabertooth.  Personal: avenge Kayla’s murder. Private: embrace the animal inside.

Who’s trying to stop him? – Striker, Logan’s half-brother Victor (a.k.a. Sabretooth), plus a host of nasty mutants and regular humans.

What happens if he fails? – The future of mutant kind will be put in danger, and Logan will never find his place in the world.

THE FOUR ARCHETYPES

Orphan – In the 1800’s, a family tragedy causes James Howlett’s mutation to manifest itself, making him an outcast amongst normal people.

Wanderer – James and his half-brother Victor flee their families, trying for years to find their place in the world.  Eventually, they fall in with Striker – the head of a secret army unit comprised of mutants.  When Logan rebels against their questionable activities, he leaves Victor and the group behind, electing to live a normal life in the Canadian rockies with a school teacher named Kayla.

Warrior – Years later, it seems Victor is hunting members of the team.  When Logan finds Kayla dead, he accepts Striker’s offer to have Adamantium alloy bonded to his bones, giving him the tools he needs to defeat Victor. Unfortunately, it’s all a trick.  Striker’s using Victor to collect DNA from the most powerful mutants, intending to create the ultimate weapon to help quell the growing mutant presence… and Logan’s was the last power he needed.  Logan goes on the run, tracking down Wraith, The Blob and Gambit in order to find Striker and take his revenge.

Martyr – Logan learns that Kayla is alive, and was forced by Striker to manipulate him.  He’s willing to die to save both her and the captured mutants.

AND, IN THE END…

As a fan of pretty much all things Marvel and DC, I’ve got my own opinions on how comic book movies should be done.  Yeah, there were some things I didn’t like about X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE, but what else is new?

That being said, there are superhero movies, and then there are SUPERHERO MOVIES.  I  guess I separate them into three tiers:

First tier: Superman 1&2, Spiderman 2, Iron Man, X-Men 1&2, Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight.

Second tier: Daredevil, Punisher(s), Spiderman 3, Superman Returns, X-Men The Last Stand, Fantastic Four (and Silver Surfer), Batman and Robin, and more…

The elusive third tier is reserved solely for Elektra.

The first tier movies are my favorites.  I’ve got a bunch of reasons why, but generally it’s that the character is the star, rather than the action.  That’s my main quibble with those second tier movies, and with X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE.  I find Logan more interesting than his claws… not the other way around.

It’s cool to watch Superman lift a plane, then a car, then a giant piece of alien real estate (Superman Returns), but you lose the focus on Clark Kent, whose humor, plight and dynamic with Lois Lane is what made Superman 1 & 2 so special.

Iron Man’s suit is awesome, but not more awesome than Tony Stark.

By cramming THREE main villains into Spiderman 3, Peter Parker’s problems got sidelined by Spiderman’s.  As a result, Spidey 3 felt somewhat empty compared to Spidey 2.

Basically, I like the action to supplement the superhero and his/her story, not substitute for it.   I honestly think X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE made some effort toward this end, and both Hugh Jackman and Liev Schreiber’s performances certainly elevate the movie.  Still, the action and effects come first, which is a shame when you have such an interesting main character.

– Dan Pilditch