screenwriting, letters to the editor, Woolrich, Edwards 'n' such
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Okay, can I just say that I love people who send me music? I am so lame about getting to the store and all my friends have the best taste in the entire world. The mix CD that Kelly sent in a care package for the post-cold has become my new script music and Mr. McLaren sent an unbelievably great CD that arrived today by Buck 65 called Talkin' Honky Blues. This is what Jim White wishes he could hick hop, and it's not even hick hop. It's better than that and I can't really describe it yet. Just. Procure. It.
("Wicked and Weird" is my new theme song.)
New script? Four pages is now TEN pages. And, since this is a rom-com, that means only another 85-90 pages till the end. I had forgotten how much FUN it can be to work on a new script when the pages are flowing. When you're trying for funny instead of scary. (Scary's fun too, but it's a helluva lot darker.)
Any of you that are interested in following writing news in Hollywood and getting some exclusive content like interviews, columns and essays, should sign up for Creative Screenwriting's just launched CS Daily. They're putting up some content on that site weekly, but the handy thing about the daily version is that you get a Publisher's Lunch-esque overview of the big stories of the day, with links. Plus, free.
From today's essay by Wes Craven, in which he talks about LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT:
People who were educated and were watching the war in Vietnam, the way the government consistently lied, there were so many big time lies that were promoted during that government. "We're not bombing there. We don't have any troops here." One after another, it as revealed as lies, and people psychologically dropped out of any affiliation with the power system. I was involved in the protest movement, and we'd get a lot of raw footage from Vietnam. Various anti-war groups would literally send around un-edited 16mm footage that showed real violence. When we made Last House, my feeling was, "I'm going to do a film where I don't cut away, and I don't make violence look operatic and balletic like Peckinpah. Someone isn't going to get shot, clutch their chest, and fall down dead. They're gonna get shot and scream and crawl, because that's what I'd seen and that's when I realized that's what violence is." It's horrendously messy and it has a perverted sexual side to it, of the incredible power of one person over another. Most American cinema that I was familiar with showed violence that was really a lie. So I was like, "Okay, we're gonna put it in your face."
Interesting piece. I'm sure it'll be up on their site at the end of the week.
Also found via CS Daily, Tom Perrotta and Rob Greenberg are teaming up to co-write a comedy called BARRY AND STAN GO WILD for New Line about, as Variety puts it, "The Cooper-produced pic revolves around an uptight dermatologist and his newly divorced brother. For spring break they travel together to Daytona, where they must rescue the doc's son, who has been arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct."
The NYTimes has a piece about the ouster of Louisville native Bob Edwards from Morning Edition after over 20 years.
Excellent piece on a new Cornell Woolrich collection in the SF Chronicle (via The Elegant Variation). I love Woolrich.
And finally, I adore Letters to the Editor. The juxtaposition of extreme opinions, the rambling and nonsensical. Ah, I love it so. Today, the Lexington Herald-Leader had my favorite in a very long time:
STUPID For Bush
Students to Undermine Political In-dependence -- endorses the re-election of President Bush. We at STUPID, a newly formed semi-political action group, think Bush did not lie to us about weapons of mass destruction and that Vice President Dick Cheney and Halliburton are not robbing us blind in Iraq.
We believe Bush is extremely intelligent and honest, and we also believe that huge national deficits are great for our economy.
If you want to feel stupid, join us and vote four more years for Bush.
George Thomas
Paintsville
Night.
worm: "Wicked and Weird," Buck 65
today's fave post: Confederacy of Lads (Ignatius Reilly answers "Winnie Mandela's" plea for help) at Scam-O-Rama (via Maud)
namecheck: Peter "I cast Jack Black as the male lead in King Kong and whatchyoo gonna say about it?" Jackson
("Wicked and Weird" is my new theme song.)
New script? Four pages is now TEN pages. And, since this is a rom-com, that means only another 85-90 pages till the end. I had forgotten how much FUN it can be to work on a new script when the pages are flowing. When you're trying for funny instead of scary. (Scary's fun too, but it's a helluva lot darker.)
Any of you that are interested in following writing news in Hollywood and getting some exclusive content like interviews, columns and essays, should sign up for Creative Screenwriting's just launched CS Daily. They're putting up some content on that site weekly, but the handy thing about the daily version is that you get a Publisher's Lunch-esque overview of the big stories of the day, with links. Plus, free.
From today's essay by Wes Craven, in which he talks about LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT:
People who were educated and were watching the war in Vietnam, the way the government consistently lied, there were so many big time lies that were promoted during that government. "We're not bombing there. We don't have any troops here." One after another, it as revealed as lies, and people psychologically dropped out of any affiliation with the power system. I was involved in the protest movement, and we'd get a lot of raw footage from Vietnam. Various anti-war groups would literally send around un-edited 16mm footage that showed real violence. When we made Last House, my feeling was, "I'm going to do a film where I don't cut away, and I don't make violence look operatic and balletic like Peckinpah. Someone isn't going to get shot, clutch their chest, and fall down dead. They're gonna get shot and scream and crawl, because that's what I'd seen and that's when I realized that's what violence is." It's horrendously messy and it has a perverted sexual side to it, of the incredible power of one person over another. Most American cinema that I was familiar with showed violence that was really a lie. So I was like, "Okay, we're gonna put it in your face."
Interesting piece. I'm sure it'll be up on their site at the end of the week.
Also found via CS Daily, Tom Perrotta and Rob Greenberg are teaming up to co-write a comedy called BARRY AND STAN GO WILD for New Line about, as Variety puts it, "The Cooper-produced pic revolves around an uptight dermatologist and his newly divorced brother. For spring break they travel together to Daytona, where they must rescue the doc's son, who has been arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct."
The NYTimes has a piece about the ouster of Louisville native Bob Edwards from Morning Edition after over 20 years.
Excellent piece on a new Cornell Woolrich collection in the SF Chronicle (via The Elegant Variation). I love Woolrich.
And finally, I adore Letters to the Editor. The juxtaposition of extreme opinions, the rambling and nonsensical. Ah, I love it so. Today, the Lexington Herald-Leader had my favorite in a very long time:
STUPID For Bush
Students to Undermine Political In-dependence -- endorses the re-election of President Bush. We at STUPID, a newly formed semi-political action group, think Bush did not lie to us about weapons of mass destruction and that Vice President Dick Cheney and Halliburton are not robbing us blind in Iraq.
We believe Bush is extremely intelligent and honest, and we also believe that huge national deficits are great for our economy.
If you want to feel stupid, join us and vote four more years for Bush.
George Thomas
Paintsville
Night.
worm: "Wicked and Weird," Buck 65
today's fave post: Confederacy of Lads (Ignatius Reilly answers "Winnie Mandela's" plea for help) at Scam-O-Rama (via Maud)
namecheck: Peter "I cast Jack Black as the male lead in King Kong and whatchyoo gonna say about it?" Jackson
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