Screenwriting News (September 21-September 27, 2015) Macon Blair writing drama thriller “Hold the Dark” for A24. Luke Davies rewriting drama “Beautiful Boy” for New Regency and Plan B Entertainment. Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara writing “The Favourite” for Scarlet Films and Element Pictures. Timothy Dowling rewriting science fiction thriller “Stealing Time” for DreamWorks. Michael Gunn sells
Classic 40s Movie: “Stray Dog” September is Classic 40s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Megaen Kelly. Movie Title: Stray Dog (Nora Inu) Year: 1949 Writers: Akira Kurosawa and Ryūzō Kikushima Lead Actors: Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura Director: Akira Kurosawa Plot Summary: In post-WWII Tokyo, war veteran but rookie cop Murakami
Video: “Science Goes to the Movies: ‘Ex Machina’ and ‘Blade Runner’” I have featured this new series before and decided to drop in to see this month’s episode. It’s a good one: In episode #108 of Science Goes to the Movies, Dr. Heather Berlin and Faith Salie are joined by Christof Koch, President and Chief Scientific Officer of the
Daily Dialogue — September 27, 2015 OLIVE: How did it happen? FRANK: How did what happen? OLIVE: Your accident… SHERYL: Honey… FRANK: No, it’s okay. Unless you object… SHERYL: No, I’m pro-honesty here. I just think, you know… It’s up to you. FRANK: Be my guest… SHERYL: Olive, Uncle Frank didn’t
Daily Dialogue theme for next week: Opening Lines The Daily Dialogue theme for next week: Opening Lines. “We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold.” Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) Ooh, memorable first lines. So many come to mind. Let’s pick out some great ones
Go Into The Story Script Reading & Analysis: Dallas Buyers Club This week, we have been reading, analyzing, and discussing the script and movie Dallas Buyers Club, written by Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack. IMDb plot summary: In 1985 Dallas, electrician and hustler Ron Woodroof works around the system to help AIDS patients get the medication they need after he is
Saturday Hot Links Time for the 205th installment of Saturday Hot Links. TIFF: The Best Of The 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. TIFF: At Age 40, Festival Unleashes a Fountain of Youth. TIFF: Brie Larson Drama ‘Room’ Wins Toronto Audience Award. TIFF: In Defense of the Conventional Movie, from ‘Spotlight’ to ‘The Man
Classic 40s Movie: “Act of Violence” September is Classic 40s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Eric Rodriguez. Movie Title: Act of Violence Year: 1948 Writers: Screenplay by Robert L. Richards, Story by Collier Young Lead Actors: Van Heflin, Robert Ryan, Janet Leigh, Mary Astor Director: Fred Zinneman IMDb Plot Summary: An embittered, vengeful
Features: Julia Hart (“The Keeping Room”) There is a movie coming out this weekend in select theaters here in North America I recommend you see. It’s called The Keeping Room, written by Julia Hart, directed by Daniel Barber, and starring Brit Marling and Hailee Steinfeld. I interviewed Julia back in February 2013 and will be
Daily Dialogue — September 26, 2015 Doctor: What are you doing here, honey? You’re not even old enough to know how bad life gets. Cecilia: Obviously, Doctor, you’ve never been a thirteen year-old girl. — The Virgin Suicides (1999), screenplay by Sofia Coppola, novel by Jeffrey Eugenides The Daily Dialogue theme for the week:
Go Into The Story Movie Analysis: “Casablanca” Starting Monday, I thought we’d try something different with our bi-weekly Go Into The Story Movie Analysis series: Dig into and analyze a classic movie. Since September is Classic 40s Movies month here at the blog, I figured why not review the 1941 movie Casablanca. What a great
Words of Wisdom from Franklin Leonard It’s been a delight getting to know and work with Franklin over the years, especially since we share the same professional North Star: Spotlighting great screenwriters, noteworthy scripts, and the craft of storytelling. For the last 4 years, Franklin has graciously agreed to do a Skype Q&A
Script Analysis: “Dallas Buyers Club” — Part 5: Takeaways Reading scripts. Absolutely critical to learn the craft of screenwriting. The focus of this weekly series is a deep structural and thematic analysis of each script we read. Our daily schedule: Monday: Scene-By-Scene Breakdown Tuesday: Major Plot Points Wednesday: Sequences Thursday: Themes Friday: Takeaways Today: Takeaways. This week,
Classic 40’s Movie: “It’s a Wonderful Life” September is Classic 40s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from David Laudenslager. Movie Title: It’s a Wonderful Life Year: 1946 Writers: Frances Goodrich & Albert Hackett and Frank Capra (screenplay), Jo Swerling (additional scenes), Philip Van Doren Stern (story) Lead Actors: James “Jimmy” Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel
Great Scene: “Amadeus” This is one of my favorite all-time scenes, a brilliant inspiration for the viewer to hear what Mozart is ‘hearing’ in his own mind, but Solieri not to hear, both to give Solieri an actual taste of creative genius at work in the moment, and also to underscore to
Daily Dialogue — September 25, 2015 Charlie [on the phone]: Candice, I killed Aunt Helen, didn’t I? She died getting my birthday present, so I guess I killed her, right? I tried to stop thinking that, but I can’t. She keeps driving away and dying and I can’t stop her. Am I crazy,
Of Mystery and Monologues Earlier this week, I posted a recent tweet from writer-director Christopher McQuarrie (Edge of Tomorrow, Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation): That elicited this comment from Jeff Guenther: Mysteries are an odd genre. The conclusion (or “summation”) of a mystery raises hob with the Hero’s Journey and most other structures.
Spec Script Deal: “The Virginian” New Line acquires historical action thriller spec script “The Virginian” written by Michael Gunn. From Deadline: The script’s movie potential is best described as Last of the Mohicans meets Braveheart. A down-and-out, young George Washington — desperate to join the British Army — accepts a dangerous mission to conquer
Script Analysis: “Dallas Buyers Club” — Part 4: Themes Reading scripts. Absolutely critical to learn the craft of screenwriting. The focus of this weekly series is a deep structural and thematic analysis of each script we read. Our daily schedule: Monday: Scene-By-Scene Breakdown Tuesday: Major Plot Points Wednesday: Sequences Thursday: Themes Friday: Takeaways Today: Themes. I have
Classic 40s Movie: “The Best Years of Our Lives” September is Classic 40s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Shaun Parker. Title: The Best Years of Our Lives Year: 1946 Writer: Robert E. Sherwood’s screenplay was based on MacKinlay Kantor’s novel, Glory for Me Lead Actors: Myrna Loy, Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Harold Russell, Teresa
Writing and the Creative Life: Routine or Ritual? I am fascinated by creativity, in particular how creativity manifests itself in the wide variety of people I meet or learn about. That has been one of the more intriguing aspects of the many interviews with writers I’ve been fortunate enough to do this year. Those of you who
Daily Dialogue — September 24, 2015 MARVIN: I think you ought to know I’m feeling very depressed. TRILLIAN: Well, we have something that should take you rmind off things. MARVIN: It won’t work. I have an exceptionally large mind. TRILLIAN: Yeah, we know, but we need you to go down to the number two
Movies You Made: “Breaking Up When You’re Still In Love” For the last 8 years, one of the many professional hats I’ve worn has been as a visiting lecturer in the Writing for Screen and Stage program at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. And as a screenwriting teacher, one of the great joys is to watch
Script Analysis: “Dallas Buyers Club” — Part 3: Sequences Reading scripts. Absolutely critical to learn the craft of screenwriting. The focus of this weekly series is a deep structural and thematic analysis of each script we read. Our daily schedule: Monday: Scene-By-Scene Breakdown Tuesday: Major Plot Points Wednesday: Sequences Thursday: Themes Friday: Takeaways Today: Sequences. A sequence
Classic 40s Movie: “Key Largo” September is Classic 40s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Will King. Movie Title: Key Largo Year: 1948 Writers: Screenplay by Richard Brooks and John Huston; based on the play by Maxwell Anderson Lead Actors: Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Edward G. Robinson, Lionel Barrymore, Claire Trevor Director: John
