Wednesday, 9 March 2011
The 100 greatest movie insults
0’00 - Roxanne, Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Gleaming the Cube, The Princess Bride, A Fish Called Wanda, Star Wars, The Wizard of Oz, Casino, Three Amigos, A Clockwork Orange
1’05 - Dolemite, Glengarry Glen Ross, Bad Santa, The Witches of Eastwick, The Big Lebowski, In Bruges, Full Metal Jacket, There Will Be Blood
2’05 - Toy Story, Casablanca, Encino Man, The Women, Predator, Army of Darkness, They Live, Uncle Buck, Big Trouble in Little China, New Jack City, Billy Madison
3’00 - Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, The Departed, Carlito’s Way, In the Loop, Glengarry Glen Ross, Stand By Me, Grosse Pointe Blank, Duck Soup, Caddyshack, Planes Trains & Automobiles
4’00 - South Park, Napoleon Dynamite, Mean Girls, The Breakfast Club, As Good as It Gets, The 6th Day, Step Brothers, O Brother Where Art Thou?, Full Metal Jacket, City Slickers, Road House, True Grit, Shot Circuit
5’00 - Raging Bull, The Usual Suspects, Snatch, Caddyshack, The Last Boy Scout, Ghostbusters, The Sandlot, As Good as It Gets
6’00 - 48 Hrs, In Bruges, Silver Streak, Glengarry Glen Ross, A Fish Called Wanda, Goodfellas, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, The Mist, Trading Places
7’00 - The Warriors, Point Break, Gangs of New York, Reservoir Dogs, The Breakfast Club, The Cowboys, Full Metal Jacket, Dodgeball, Donnie Darko, Scarface, The Good the Bad and the Ugly
8’00 - Anchorman, Tropic Thunder, Sexy Beast, In the Loop, Get Shorty, Blazing Saddles, The Way of the Gun, Blade: Trinity, Clerks, The Boondock Saints, The Exorcist, What About Bob?, Weird Science
9’00 - Con Air, True Romance, In the Loop, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Lake Placid, The Front, Gone with the Wind
Monday, 7 March 2011
The Pub Game Presenter
I was having a little look on starnow for a potential presenter for the show, and found a couple of people, one of them is this gent, Brian Croucher - http://www.starnow.com/briancroucher. I would post a picture from his profile but i cant work out how to copy the thing! He has a lot of experience in acting roles, just have a look at his imdb page - http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0189468/
Another one i found, who has little experience is Barry Philpott - http://www.starnow.com/rustyford. I can imagine him playing a pub landlord which is good.
Another one i found, who has little experience is Barry Philpott - http://www.starnow.com/rustyford. I can imagine him playing a pub landlord which is good.
Help for adapting fiction
This is from the ehow on how to adapt a novel to feature length film, i know lamb to the slaughter is a short story, but the principle is still the same
1, Determine whether the novel you want to adapt contains enough stimulating visual content. For example, are there lots of action sequences in different locales or are the characters mostly engaged in long conversations/reminiscences around a kitchen table? Film is all about action, movement, and contrast - not about a succession of talking heads in a static setting.
2, Identify who the target audience would be if this book were turned into a movie. Does the subject matter have widespread commercial appeal or is it on a topic that has a fairly narrow focus? Consider movies you've already seen that are similar to the one you want to write and jot down notes of what made them so memorable.
3, Identify whether the book is plot-driven or character-driven. To be successful, a movie's storyline needs to be driven by the actions of characters who are forced to confront their internal fears/flaws and make choices in response to an external threat. In turn, the players undergo a character arc - the transformation from who they were at the start to who they become by the end. It's their own actions that push the story forward. In contrast, the characters in a story driven by plot are in a reactive - as opposed to proactive - mode. Natural disasters and war epics fall into this category because it's the event itself that is calling all the shots.
4, Identify the core conflict of the novel. This can be a challenge in a 400+ page novel and/or one that spans multiple generations. The reason is that the average length of a screenplay is 110 pages and must establish within its first 10 pages the central conflict that will drive the entire story. You also need to ask yourself what is original and filmworthy about the core premise. For instance, "Will Joe win Cynthia's heart?" isn't as unique as "Will paraplegic Dave overcome his fear of sharks and compete successfully in the surfing competition?"
5, Identify the protagonist and the antagonist in the novel. It is generally through the protagonist's point of view we learn what is at stake and what risks will need to be taken in the pursuit of reward, revenge, or escape. Equally important is an adversary who will stop at nothing to thwart the hero's attempts to reach his goal. If the novel is missing either of these elements, it may not be a good candidate for adaptation.
6, Break the novel down into a one page synopsis with a definitive first act, second act, and third act.
7, Research whether the subject matter has been done before in a movie. A good place to start is with the Internet Movie Database which allows you to conduct searches on plots (i.e., vampires) as well as appearances of historical figures (i.e., George Armstrong Custer) in previously produced movies.
8, Determine whether the rights are available to adapt an existing work to the medium of film. If, for example, it is someone's novel other than one you wrote yourself, you will need to contact the author, the author's agent, or the publisher and inquire about the film rights. For unpublished journals written by your own relatives or ancestors, you only need to ensure that the material in question won't harm or slander individuals close to the subject matter. Books that have long been out of circulation are easier properties to adapt to a new medium, but unfortunately, also beg the question, "So why hasn't anyone pounced on this already?"
9, Be prepared to pay a price for the right to adapt someone else's novel within a specified period of time. This is called an option agreement and basically means that the writer is "renting" the project to you with the mutual understanding that no one else will be given that privilege as long as you are working toward turning it into a polished script. An entertainment law attorney can walk you through the process or you can go to resource sites such as Canadian FIlm Maker and download the appropriate forms as Adobe Acrobat files.
10, Take a screenwriting class at your local college or invest in some screenwriting how-to books if this is new territory for you. Publishers such as Michael Wiese Productions offer a full array of reference books specifically targeted to film and television.
11, Purchase a screenwriting software program such as Final Draft. Screenwriting follows very strict formatting rules and you want your finished product to look as professional as possible.
12, Start your screenplay in the right place. The right place isn't necessarily going to be the very first scene in the book, especially if it's a book that's slow to get off the ground. Start your screenplay with an inciting incident that will immediately hook an audience's attention or tease them with a provocative question. Compared to the book itself, this particular scene may not happen until page 135, but that doesn't matter - what matters is a strong opening that sets everything in motion.
13, Think "minimalist" when writing. Unlike a novel that can spend pages and pages describing the details of a woodland vista, a screenplay is all about brevity. In other words: EXT. FOREST - MORNING. Everything else is left up to the discretion of the director, the cinematographer, the set designer, etc.
14, Write only that which is filmable. While a novel can go to great lengths telling us what a character is thinking, imagining, pondering, remembering, etc., we can only know these things in a movie if these thoughts are spoken out loud or conveyed through physical actions, facial expressions, and/or nuance.
15, Understand that dialogue in print is not always going to sound exactly the same as dialogue spoken out loud. Characters in novels tend to speak more eloquently, use less slang, and talk in complete sentences. Don't think for a minute you can simply lift all the conversations verbatin from a novel and use them in your screenplay as is. Recruit friends to read your lines out loud for you so you can evaluate whether it sounds natural or stilted.
16, Eliminate extraneous scenes from the novel that don't advance the plot or reveal new dimensions of character. In a 400+ page novel, this means that almost 300 pages of "stuff" won't make it to the silver screen.
1, Determine whether the novel you want to adapt contains enough stimulating visual content. For example, are there lots of action sequences in different locales or are the characters mostly engaged in long conversations/reminiscences around a kitchen table? Film is all about action, movement, and contrast - not about a succession of talking heads in a static setting.
2, Identify who the target audience would be if this book were turned into a movie. Does the subject matter have widespread commercial appeal or is it on a topic that has a fairly narrow focus? Consider movies you've already seen that are similar to the one you want to write and jot down notes of what made them so memorable.
3, Identify whether the book is plot-driven or character-driven. To be successful, a movie's storyline needs to be driven by the actions of characters who are forced to confront their internal fears/flaws and make choices in response to an external threat. In turn, the players undergo a character arc - the transformation from who they were at the start to who they become by the end. It's their own actions that push the story forward. In contrast, the characters in a story driven by plot are in a reactive - as opposed to proactive - mode. Natural disasters and war epics fall into this category because it's the event itself that is calling all the shots.
4, Identify the core conflict of the novel. This can be a challenge in a 400+ page novel and/or one that spans multiple generations. The reason is that the average length of a screenplay is 110 pages and must establish within its first 10 pages the central conflict that will drive the entire story. You also need to ask yourself what is original and filmworthy about the core premise. For instance, "Will Joe win Cynthia's heart?" isn't as unique as "Will paraplegic Dave overcome his fear of sharks and compete successfully in the surfing competition?"
5, Identify the protagonist and the antagonist in the novel. It is generally through the protagonist's point of view we learn what is at stake and what risks will need to be taken in the pursuit of reward, revenge, or escape. Equally important is an adversary who will stop at nothing to thwart the hero's attempts to reach his goal. If the novel is missing either of these elements, it may not be a good candidate for adaptation.
6, Break the novel down into a one page synopsis with a definitive first act, second act, and third act.
7, Research whether the subject matter has been done before in a movie. A good place to start is with the Internet Movie Database which allows you to conduct searches on plots (i.e., vampires) as well as appearances of historical figures (i.e., George Armstrong Custer) in previously produced movies.
8, Determine whether the rights are available to adapt an existing work to the medium of film. If, for example, it is someone's novel other than one you wrote yourself, you will need to contact the author, the author's agent, or the publisher and inquire about the film rights. For unpublished journals written by your own relatives or ancestors, you only need to ensure that the material in question won't harm or slander individuals close to the subject matter. Books that have long been out of circulation are easier properties to adapt to a new medium, but unfortunately, also beg the question, "So why hasn't anyone pounced on this already?"
9, Be prepared to pay a price for the right to adapt someone else's novel within a specified period of time. This is called an option agreement and basically means that the writer is "renting" the project to you with the mutual understanding that no one else will be given that privilege as long as you are working toward turning it into a polished script. An entertainment law attorney can walk you through the process or you can go to resource sites such as Canadian FIlm Maker and download the appropriate forms as Adobe Acrobat files.
10, Take a screenwriting class at your local college or invest in some screenwriting how-to books if this is new territory for you. Publishers such as Michael Wiese Productions offer a full array of reference books specifically targeted to film and television.
11, Purchase a screenwriting software program such as Final Draft. Screenwriting follows very strict formatting rules and you want your finished product to look as professional as possible.
12, Start your screenplay in the right place. The right place isn't necessarily going to be the very first scene in the book, especially if it's a book that's slow to get off the ground. Start your screenplay with an inciting incident that will immediately hook an audience's attention or tease them with a provocative question. Compared to the book itself, this particular scene may not happen until page 135, but that doesn't matter - what matters is a strong opening that sets everything in motion.
13, Think "minimalist" when writing. Unlike a novel that can spend pages and pages describing the details of a woodland vista, a screenplay is all about brevity. In other words: EXT. FOREST - MORNING. Everything else is left up to the discretion of the director, the cinematographer, the set designer, etc.
14, Write only that which is filmable. While a novel can go to great lengths telling us what a character is thinking, imagining, pondering, remembering, etc., we can only know these things in a movie if these thoughts are spoken out loud or conveyed through physical actions, facial expressions, and/or nuance.
15, Understand that dialogue in print is not always going to sound exactly the same as dialogue spoken out loud. Characters in novels tend to speak more eloquently, use less slang, and talk in complete sentences. Don't think for a minute you can simply lift all the conversations verbatin from a novel and use them in your screenplay as is. Recruit friends to read your lines out loud for you so you can evaluate whether it sounds natural or stilted.
16, Eliminate extraneous scenes from the novel that don't advance the plot or reveal new dimensions of character. In a 400+ page novel, this means that almost 300 pages of "stuff" won't make it to the silver screen.
Thursday, 3 March 2011
Just Go With It
Adam Sandler seems to be getting back to his old best with his new romcom, combining slapstick with childish humour, and not forgetting of course the extremely attractive leading ladies in Jennifer Aniston and Brooklyn Decker. Sandler seems to have realised that he is at his best when acting like a child, as with Billy Madison.
Again teaming up with Dennis Dugan, the pair create another feel good movie, which anyone can enjoy, as long as they don’t mind watching a grown man doing silly voices and a barking hand, among other things. That being said, a film which includes a sheep receiving SheePR and the Heimlich manoeuvre can’t be all bad.
It’s nothing new in terms of formula from Sandler, following the premise of the majority of his other films. All in all, if you don’t like his films, you more than likely won’t like this. However, it does include Aniston in a bikini, so if you’re a fan of bikinis you might like to see it!
Again teaming up with Dennis Dugan, the pair create another feel good movie, which anyone can enjoy, as long as they don’t mind watching a grown man doing silly voices and a barking hand, among other things. That being said, a film which includes a sheep receiving SheePR and the Heimlich manoeuvre can’t be all bad.
It’s nothing new in terms of formula from Sandler, following the premise of the majority of his other films. All in all, if you don’t like his films, you more than likely won’t like this. However, it does include Aniston in a bikini, so if you’re a fan of bikinis you might like to see it!
Unstoppable
Interesting up to a point, but extremely dragged out and it feels it. I had relatively high hopes for this film, and maybe that proved to be its downfall. Ninety minutes of two men in a train talking and trying to stop another speeding train quickly becomes dull.
Other than the obvious tension of whether they will stop the train or not (which isn’t really tension as it seems fairly obvious what the outcome will be), they try to create some around the main character, played by Chris Pine, in that he has split from his girlfriend and she is applying for custody of his child. This tension is then completely ruined at the end of the film when he becomes the hero by stopping the train, and she forgives him.
Another pitfall for the plot in my opinion, is that when they stop the train, Chris Pine’s character jumps onto a truck which drives him to the front of the train, and he jumps back onto the train and pulls the brake. Why couldn’t they have got someone else to do that an hour before the end of the film!? I understand it wouldn’t have been much of a film in that case, but it would make more sense.
I wouldn’t recommend watching this, it isn’t worth the time or effort, and if I’m honest you’d probably get more satisfaction out of watching Eastenders.
Other than the obvious tension of whether they will stop the train or not (which isn’t really tension as it seems fairly obvious what the outcome will be), they try to create some around the main character, played by Chris Pine, in that he has split from his girlfriend and she is applying for custody of his child. This tension is then completely ruined at the end of the film when he becomes the hero by stopping the train, and she forgives him.
Another pitfall for the plot in my opinion, is that when they stop the train, Chris Pine’s character jumps onto a truck which drives him to the front of the train, and he jumps back onto the train and pulls the brake. Why couldn’t they have got someone else to do that an hour before the end of the film!? I understand it wouldn’t have been much of a film in that case, but it would make more sense.
I wouldn’t recommend watching this, it isn’t worth the time or effort, and if I’m honest you’d probably get more satisfaction out of watching Eastenders.
Monday, 21 February 2011
The Blind Side
This is the story of Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy who take in a homeless teenage African-American, Michael "Big Mike" Oher. Michael has no idea who his father is and his mother is a drug addict. Michael has had little formal education and few skills to help him learn. Leigh Anne soon takes charge however, as is her nature, ensuring that the young man has every opportunity to succeed. When he expresses an interest in football, she goes all out to help him, including giving the coach a few ideas on how best to use Michael's skills. They not only provide him with a loving home, but hire a tutor to help him improve his grades to the point where he would qualify for an NCAA Division I athletic scholarship. Oher was a first round NFL pick in 2009 for the Baltimore Ravens.
It only dawned on me halfway through the film that i recognised the name Michael Oher, and that this was infact a true story about how he came to play in the NFL, but i was already enjoying it, so the fact that it was true only served to enhance my interest!
Sandra Bullock and Quinton Aaron who play Leigh Anne Tuohy and Mike Oher respectively both played their roles very well, presumably why Bullock won an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
That aside, the movie really evokes the sense of lonliness that Mike Oher suffered as a teen in school, and the drastic change the Tuohy's had on his life.
It only dawned on me halfway through the film that i recognised the name Michael Oher, and that this was infact a true story about how he came to play in the NFL, but i was already enjoying it, so the fact that it was true only served to enhance my interest!
Sandra Bullock and Quinton Aaron who play Leigh Anne Tuohy and Mike Oher respectively both played their roles very well, presumably why Bullock won an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
That aside, the movie really evokes the sense of lonliness that Mike Oher suffered as a teen in school, and the drastic change the Tuohy's had on his life.
Friday, 4 February 2011
As live idea
Ive had an idea for the as live briefing.
It would be similar to mastermind, in that each contestant would pick a specialist subject. These specialist subjects are then put into a hat and drawn out at random by the contestant who's turn it is.
There would be three rounds, the first of which would be a general knowledge buzzer round, and at the end of the round "lifelines" (such as phone a friend, ask an expert.. i havent thought about all of them just yet) would be awarded to the players, with the person with the lowest score getting more.
Not really got an idea for the second round.
The third round would then be the "specialist round" where, one by one, contestants would answer questions to do with the specialist subject that they pulled from the hat, against the clock. If the contestant gets a question wrong, the clock stops and the question is handed over to the other contestants to answer on a buzzer. The lifelines that have been aquired throughout the show would be used in this round, ie, the contestant uld ask an expert if they do not know the answer.
As with all good quiz shows, the winner would be the person with the highest score at the end of the quiz.
It would be similar to mastermind, in that each contestant would pick a specialist subject. These specialist subjects are then put into a hat and drawn out at random by the contestant who's turn it is.
There would be three rounds, the first of which would be a general knowledge buzzer round, and at the end of the round "lifelines" (such as phone a friend, ask an expert.. i havent thought about all of them just yet) would be awarded to the players, with the person with the lowest score getting more.
Not really got an idea for the second round.
The third round would then be the "specialist round" where, one by one, contestants would answer questions to do with the specialist subject that they pulled from the hat, against the clock. If the contestant gets a question wrong, the clock stops and the question is handed over to the other contestants to answer on a buzzer. The lifelines that have been aquired throughout the show would be used in this round, ie, the contestant uld ask an expert if they do not know the answer.
As with all good quiz shows, the winner would be the person with the highest score at the end of the quiz.
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