Scott Myers

Movie Trailer: “Jose e Pilar”

Received a nice email from Diogo Figuera: Portugal has just announced his contender for Best Foreign Picture, to be to the Academy’s consideration until the official announcement of the nominees in January 24th. The interesting thing about it is that this pick is a documentary. And it is a

Updated: TV commercials by famous film directors (Godard, Bergman, Fellini, Wenders, Lynch, Bay, Scott, Fincher…)

There’s that line I’ve heard attributed to Charlton Heston: “The problem with movies as art is they are commerce.” As Ted Hope points out, we all have to sell out sometimes — even Jean Luc Godard. UPDATE: It started out with Godard above, but here comes the onslaught. Teddy

Written Interview: Frank Pierson

Today’s written interview from WGA.org is with one of the great veteran Hollywood writer Frank Pierson. Many of you know Frank Pierson’s work as former President of the WGAW or his stint as the President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Others of you

Daily Dialogue — September 11, 2011

Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: [to Igor] Now that brain that you gave me. Was it Hans Delbruck’s? Igor: [pause, then] No. Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Ah! Very good. Would you mind telling me whose brain I DID put in? Igor: Then you won’t be angry? Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: I will

Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Screamfests!

So between a massive sinus infection and the antibiotics doing a number on me, I had a full-on delirium experience coming out of a nap which I will choose to consider a venture into the collective unconscious for this week’s Daily Dialogue theme: Screamfests! Scenes where characters are

Why Bill Murray made “Garfield”

And now the real truth about how Bill Murray ended up doing Garfield. Via Vulture from a GQ interview back in August 2010: Well, how about Garfield? Can you explain that to me? Did you just do it for the dough? No! I didn’t make that for the dough!

Movie Trailer: “The Raid”

Screened at TIFF to strong positive word-of-mouth at least on Twitter. Here’s the trailer of this movie from Indonesia: It’s ultra-violent… and ultra-good says THR. Comment Archive

Saturday Hot Links

Back with another edition of Saturday Hot Links. Today accompanied by a spicy bowl of black bean soup! We start with the salty tears of Julianne Moore: What Steven Soderbergh is up to next. THR with 12 of the most anticipated TV shows for this fall. Meryl Streep is being

Daily Dialogue — September 9, 2011

Doctor Arrington: She failed to respond. Her heart stopped and unfortunately, she did die. Mitch Emhoff: Right. Doctor Arrington: I’m sorry, Mr. Emhoff. Social Worker: I know this is hard to accept. Mitch Emhoff: Okay. Can I go talk to her. Doctor Arrington: Mr. Emhoff, I’m sorry, your

Time again for Reader Questions

I opened up the floor for another round of reader questions with this post here. In case you missed it from earlier this week, here’s another chance. I will begin answering this latest round of questions on Monday, September 12. Feel free to go into comments and post your

GITS Script Reading and Analysis Series: “Bridesmaids”

For those of you who may have missed this announcement, let me remind you about the GITS Script Reading and Analysis Series: As longtime GITS readers may remember, in the past we have done a variety of script reading and analysis series including 40 Days of Screenplays, 6 Days of

“Missed Opportunities and Second Chances”

On his blog John August has been posting some first person accounts by writers on how they have broken into the business. This week he featured a young woman who has not quite made it yet. From his blog: Melissa Rossi won a Student Academy Award for her university thesis

Why We Write: Bill Lawrence

During the last WGA strike, TV writers Charles “Charlie” Craig and Thania St. John started a blog called Why We Write. They posed that question to a number of writers and over a period of several months, posted their answers on the site. As far as I can tell, the

GITS Script Reading & Analysis: “Gladiator” — Dialogue

We wrap up our week long analysis of the script “Gladiator” by considering its use of dialogue. We should probably start with the fact it is a period piece and so a basic question: Did the dialogue feel real and sound authentic — at least in movie terms — for the Roman

Great Characters: Tony Montana (“Scarface”)

When you think ‘larger than life’ movie characters, this guy has to be on the list: Tony Montana as played by Al Pacino in the 1983 movie Scarface (screenplay by Oliver Stone). Here is an IMDB plot summary: When Fidel Castro opens the harbor at Mariel, Cuba, he sends 125,

Daily Dialogue — September 9, 2011

Duane: What’d the twins do? Karla: Julie posed for a naked Polaroid for some sixth grader, and Jack crawled up in the rafters of the shit-house and dropped a brick on the toilet, and the toilet broke which pretty much flooded things, they said they’d appreciate it

Question: How do you read scripts?

Since this week we’ve kicked off our weekly GITS Script Reading & Analysis series, I thought I’d ask a seemingly obvious question: How do you read scripts? But it may not be that simple. Sure, there is still the tried and true approach: Print out a hard copy,

“‘Dark Knight’ Producer Charles Roven Launching Indie Shingle”

In the around-and-around cycle that is Hollywood’s attitude toward low-budget movies, sometimes hot, sometimes cold, a major player makes a move. Per THR: One of hollywood’s most prolific blockbuster factories is thinking smaller. Charles Roven and his Atlas Entertainment, producers of such hits as The

Spec Script Sale: “The Leonardo Job”

Alcon Entertainment acquires action thriller spec script “The Leonardo Job” from writer-director David Twohy. Via THR: The action thriller concerns the search for a lost Leonardo da Vinci painting in Florence by two rival thieves, as well as others looking to get their hands on it. Twohy is repped

Why We Write: Damon Lindelof

During the last WGA strike, TV writers Charles “Charlie” Craig and Thania St. John started a blog called Why We Write. They posed that question to a number of writers and over a period of several months, posted their answers on the site. As far as I can tell, the

GITS Script Reading & Analysis: “Gladiator” — Themes

By way of introduction, let me say I think this subject — Theme — is one of the most misunderstood areas in relation to screenwriting and probably as a result of that one of the least discussed. Yet we all know in order to write a successful script, it is critical for

The Business of Screenwriting: The importance of a writer’s group

The Business of Screenwriting: The Importance of a Writer’s Group There’s that image of a writer. Sequestered in a room. Struggling over a blank piece of paper. Crumpled pages strewn about. A cup of booze nearby. Disconsolate, despairing, and down in the dumps like… this guy: The thing

Daily Dialogue — September 8, 2011

Harold: Professor Hilbert? Professor: Hi Harold. You look tired. Harold: No, no, just calm. Professor: Harold, I’m sorry. You have to die. Harold: What? Professor: It’s her masterpiece. It’s possibly the most important novel in her already stunning career and it’s absolutely no good unless you

Screenwriting Master Class: First Draft and Rewrite Courses

First off, some good news: Two Screenwriting Master Class writers have made it to the semifinal stage of the Austin Film Festival screenplay competition. I will provide more information when the finalists are announced toward the end of the month, but I’m sure we all have our virtual fingers

Telluride Film Festival summary

A few links for those of us poor souls who were unable to revel this past weekend in the splendor which is Telluride, Colorado and its wonderful Film Festival. First daily diaries from Meredith Brody reporting for Indie Wire: Day One Day Two Day Three Also from Indie Wire, Eugene