Apr/102
Clash of the Titans
CLASH OF THE TITANS asks the question, can you do a sword and sandals Greek myths movie and it not be corny. The answer is no. Now when it comes to corny movies, there is good and bad corn. The CLASH remake is somewhere in the middle. The CG animation is amazing, but the giant scorpions seem silly and the Kraken overdone. Despite all the money which is on the screen, any story with gods in shimmery white togas feels like a B movie. None of the characters’ experiences are grounded in reality which make the story feel silly, fun, but silly. As always, my mantra is that to be effective, action must be grounded in emotion. The screenwriters understood that, but they followed a kitchen sink approach. Perseus wants to kill Hades for killing his family. His anger spills over to all the gods. Then he finds out that Zeus is his father and that he is a demi-god. Perseus fights his place in the world – he doesn’t want to be a hero or a god, just avenge his family. All of this plays out against a backdrop of gods versus man. Men are turning their backs on the gods, but the gods need their prayers to survive. To teach them a lesson the gods attack. Finally Hades is trying to usurp his brother Zeus. Oh and there’s also a saintly princess in peril. Whew that is a lot going on.
I think that movie stays in B territory because of the gods versus man theme is too cerebral and not emotional. If the majority of the movie took place on Mount Olympus and we got to know and like all the gods, the danger Hades poses would feel more visceral. Perseus’ quest for vengeance is emotional, but it gets muddled with his discovery he is Zeus’ son. He goes from fisherman to hero too quickly. Even though he is fighting had his friends are dying, his victories feel too easy. He never questions what he is doing or doubts that he can accomplish his goal. Moments of doubt or seeing any emotions from him at all would go a long way to elevate the story. The most powerful moment in the movie is his grief when Io is dying. I wish we had seen more glimpses of what was going on beneath his steely exterior.
There’s nothing wrong with making a corny, campy movie if you know that’s what you’re doing. CLASH takes itself a bit too seriously and ends up being silly. The audience is not sure if the filmmakers are in on the joke. For my part, my favorite retelling of the Greek myths is the HERCULES television series from the ‘90s. It was self-aware, funny with great action. You can’t beat Aphrodite depicted as a California surfer girl.
Nov/093
New Moon: Depressed & Boring
I really wanted to like this movie. Young love is always romantic. You can’t get a better romantic obstacle than being in love with a vampire. He’s dead and he wants to eat you. And the conflict between vampires and werewolves is cool. I only read the first book of the TWILIGHT series. One of my friends I saw the movie with assured me that NEW MOON is the weakest of the books. The weakness of the source material was evident in the blandness of the movie. The filmmakers were in a bind. If they changed the story, even slightly to make it a better movie, they risked alienating the rabid fans. A book and a movie are two very different mediums for story. When adapting a book, the writer must balance staying true to the material with story choices that make an entertaining and compelling movie. Sometimes you can’t change much and you end up with a movie that has a book’s pacing. Things that are interesting in a book, like Bella being depressed, are boring in a movie. In a book we can spend pages with Bella’s innermost thoughts as she struggles with her heartache. In the movie Bella doesn’t crack a smile for two hours. I had compassion for Bella’s broken heart, but watching her mope around was boring. She was so shut down. I didn’t understand why Edward and Jacob were in love with her.
It is very difficult to build a movie around a depressed character, especially a mainstream movie. Dealing with the darkness of depression has a more indie feel like LEAVING LAS VEGAS. I’m not suggesting that characters can’t be sad and troubled – that’s what makes great conflict. But think twice about making your protagonist so depressed that she is almost non-functioning like Bella. Find a way to make the heartache interesting visually and to keep the tension going. The pacing was almost non-existent in NEW MOON, making for a very long two hours.
Despite these problems, judging by the screams in my theater and the boffo boxoffice, the Twilighters were ecstatic. The writer and director gave them just what they wanted – a faithful recreation of the book with all of its pitfalls.
Nov/091
Action: More Than Explosions
In action scripts a common mistake I see beginning writers make is writing wall to wall action and nothing else. Cool fights and car chases will fall flat if there is no emotion behind them. The audience’s response will be so what, if they don’t care about the characters. Action sequences have to further the emotional story – what the hero wants or needs. The plot is all window dressing to our guy’s evolution. I’m not suggesting that every action movie needs a tangled and dramatic character arc, but there has to be something going on besides spiffy hardware and explosions. Caring about the characters gives your story stakes and tension. You want the audience on the edge of their seats rooting for the good guys.
Let’s take a look at a few examples. In ALIENS Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is fighting to save a little girl. In the Bourne movies Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is figuring out who he is and why people want to kill him. In RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK Indy (Harrison Ford) is fighting the Nazis and reuniting with his lost love, Marion (Karen Allen). However, in THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL, the emotional story is less clear. Indy is fighting the Russians this time, who are not as scary as the Nazis. While he is once again reuniting with his lost love Marion, there is no romantic tension between them. His relationship with Mutt (Shia LaBeouf) is equally underdeveloped. Consequently, we don’t care when these three characters are in jeopardy.
In addition to engaging the characters, action sequences must further the plot. While this may seem like a no-brainer, I read lots of scripts full of action sequences where nothing happens. Bullets are flying, but the plot is not advancing. The hero is not gaining or losing ground. This was another problem in THE KINDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL. What exactly was going on in that long chase sequence in the jungle with the jeeps and vines? In the end the heroes escaped death, but were no better or worse off than they were before.
When writing action, make sure that something happens in each action sequence. In addition to cool effects and big explosions, action should advance the plot and have an emotional component. Compelling action will make your script stand out from the pack.
Nov/093
Couples Retreat: Not Dark Enough
COUPLES RETREAT is a romantic comedy about four couples – two are having martial troubles, one guy is newly divorced and dating a woman too young for him, and one couple is solid. Making this concept into a romantic comedy is problematic because a story about couples considering divorce isn’t romantic. We don’t have the beats of falling in love. While theoretically we could see the couples reconnect, that is not the structure of the movie. Instead, the events at the resort drive them further apart. Jason (Jason Bateman) can’t stop over-thinking and over-structuring everything, irritating Cynthia (Kristen Bell). Joey (Jon Favreau) and Lucy (Kristin Davis) aren’t focused on each other, but finding people to sleep with. Shane (Faizon Love) can’t keep up with his girlfriend Trudy (Kali Hawk). Even Dave (Vince Vaughn) and Ronnie (Malin Akerman) who love each other, start questioning their marriage. After spending the whole movie fighting without any romantic moments, in the third act everyone realizes that they still love each other. Even Shane miraculously reunites with his ex-wife, who declares her love for him. This happy ending feels forced and unearned. Other than Dave & Ronnie who are clearly still in love, the other couples do not seem to be meant for each other. Furthermore, the happy ending takes the bite out of the movie.
I think the movie would have been much stronger if not every couple finished the retreat successfully. COUPLES RETREAT wants to be a fun exploration of the pros and cons of marriage. Dave is the emotional heart of the movie. He has several wonderful speeches where he talks about how much he loves his wife and wants to be married. It would have been a more powerful movie if the humor were darker and more extreme as each couple explored their point of view of marriage, love, & fidelity. I think that COUPLES RETREAT is a dark comedy trying to be a romantic comedy. I enjoyed this movie, but it got mixed reviews. I think that the tonal shifts were the problem. Remember not every comedy about romance is a romantic comedy. When you have a great idea like a comedy set at a couples retreat, let the idea determine the genre instead of trying to force it into one.
Oct/095
Everyone’s a Critic: The Blogosphere
Your movie is being released. You’re in the clear from criticism, right. Wrong. Not only do you have to contend with the “official” critics of old media magazines and newspapers, every yahoo with a blog or a website (including this yahoo) is going to feel free to sound off about your movie. You must decide whether to read the reviews and internet chatter or ignore them. If you decide to read, it is imperative not to take it to heart. This criticism is not constructive. The movie is playing in theaters. There is nothing you can do to fix it. The most constructive thing you can take from people’s comments is to do better with your next project.
Reviews are arbitrary. It can be very frustrating if you feel that someone’s criticism was unfair. In our world of instant access, it’s easy to contact the author, either by email or post. Before you dash off a hurried, angry response, I urge you to stop and think. Hollywood is a small town. You have no idea who this person is connected to or where they will be working three months from now. Imagine walking into a pitch and finding out the exec is someone you had a nasty email exchange with months before. You’ve already shown her how you take criticism. There is no way she will want to work with you. Writing an email or a comment may feel safe and anonymous, but they’re not. Emails can be forwarded, quickly making the rounds. Comments are not unidentifiable either. You have to give your email (even though it’s not published) when you log in to comment. Also, if someone knows your internet handle, they can Google it and all the comments you have made all over the web will come up.
If you decide to reach out, instead of telling the reviewer how they are wrong or defending yourself, make the exchange about creating a relationship. Share an anecdote about writing the screenplay or shooting the movie. Reporters and bloggers are hungry for material. Contact with the screenwriter will give them a leg up on everybody else. Perhaps they will repost or ask you to write a guest post, giving you more positive exposure. Give them the scoop on your next project. Use them to create buzz. Now that you are having a conversation instead of haranguing, if you need them to correct something in one of their stories, they will be more likely to.
Oct/0918
Surviving Story Meetings
In my last post I discussed the importance of being flexible and cheerful when getting story notes. I want to talk a little more about the importance of attitude. I’m not saying agree with everything; I’m saying listen intently and respectfully. The people you’re working with need to feel like they are being heard, that you are considering their opinion. Then if you don’t agree, give a reasoned explanation of your position. Don’t be angry or condescending. If their ideas are the stupidest thing you’ve ever heard, don’t let on that’s what you think. Take best part of what they are pitching and build on it, even if it’s the smallest crumb of their idea. “I like your idea X. What if we took your X and then added Y?” If you need to, give the exec credit for one of your ideas. What do you care, if they let you write what you want. Another great technique is the recap. “What you’re saying is our main character is unlikeable?” Keep recapping until they say yes. In this way they feel heard and are now able to listen to your idea.
Some executives give you written notes before the meeting. This is ideal as you have time to digest them and craft a response. However, often writers hear the notes for the first time in the room. Resist the urge to counter everything. Spend more time listening and taking notes than talking. If you feel like you need time to process everything before you respond, ask for another meeting. Finally, to make sure that everyone is on the same page someone should write a memo stating what was agreed on. This prevents any miscommunications. Also, it is helpful to have as a reference when you turn in a new draft. You’d be surprised how often executives can’t remember what they asked the writer to do. If the exec or your producer doesn’t write the end of meeting memo, you should. Yes, you’re doing their job for them, but it’s to make your life easier. And they’ll love you for being so organized.
Managing your relationship with the execs and producers is important if you want to stay on the project. Writers are always the first to go when there are creative differences. If you don’t agree with the director and the studio’s vision, you’re gone. Again, it’s up to you. You must decide what story points are worth fighting for to the point of walking away. Often writers are proved right. The producer hires another writer. They go through a round of drafts and then end up hiring the original writer to write what he was pitching. This constant treadmill of notes and drafts can be exhausting. It is helpful for writers’ sanity if they are working on specs as well. Here they have complete control over their story, until they sell it and the whole process starts again.