tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71020523613780072312024-02-02T07:35:58.774-08:00RICHARD FINNEYRichard Finney is a critically acclaimed amazon.com bestselling novelist, and an award winning filmmaker.
His screenwriting books include "19 Techniques for Professional Screenwriters" and "16 Secrets revealed by Professional Screenwriters."
His novels include the DEMON DAYS book series; the RELICT vampire book series; THE WIND RAIDER book series; and the BLACK MARIAH book series.
He lives in Southern California because that is where his three dogs have decided they want to live.Richard Finney's Pit and the Pendulumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01765651977112405374noreply@blogger.comBlogger203125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102052361378007231.post-50535547078545361742020-10-25T14:38:00.002-07:002020-10-25T14:51:03.139-07:00TRAILER for "THE WIND RAIDER" web series. <iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/471794316" width="640"></iframe><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In a dystopian world, Humanity is at the brink of Extermination. </span>The only hope for the future is Josh Bonner, given the gifts of life after death and the new power to control the wind that dominates the land. But getting his mysterious mentor, Tristan, to train him will prove to be a challenge. Tristan’s sole purpose is to reconcile his haunted past with an act of revenge.</p><p><span style="color: #f1c232;"><i><span style="font-family: Bangers; font-size: large;">THE WIND RAIDER</span> </i></span>is a fast moving, action adventure motion comic web series based on the graphic novel created by Richard Finney (originator of “<b><span style="font-size: medium;">ALIEN ZOO</span></b> - <span style="font-size: medium;"><b>the VR Experience</b></span>,” produced by Steven Spielberg); and illustrated by Gabriel Hardman, acclaimed comic book (“Planet of the Apes”) and storyboard artist for some of Hollywood’s top super hero franchise films (“The X-Men,” “Spiderman”).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rwqyyj7qwWM/X5XrKLL0i9I/AAAAAAAAL8g/bx394VHrA8sz3-GqFgb0SajBopcTqYCOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s988/The%2BWind%2BRaider%2Bpart%2B1%2Bposter%2BFINAL%2Bresized%2B640%2Bx%2B980%2B10-10-20.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="640" height="504" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rwqyyj7qwWM/X5XrKLL0i9I/AAAAAAAAL8g/bx394VHrA8sz3-GqFgb0SajBopcTqYCOgCLcBGAsYHQ/w326-h504/The%2BWind%2BRaider%2Bpart%2B1%2Bposter%2BFINAL%2Bresized%2B640%2Bx%2B980%2B10-10-20.png" width="326" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">For a<span style="font-size: large;"> <b>LIMITED TIME</b></span><b> </b>-- </p><p style="text-align: center;">Check Out the<span style="font-size: large;"> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRUDBRHzD0E&t=18s">First Episode</a></span> of <span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Bangers; font-size: x-large;">THE WIND RAIDER </span></p><p style="text-align: center;">for <span style="font-size: large;"><b>FREE!</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p>Richard Finney's Pit and the Pendulumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01765651977112405374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102052361378007231.post-75955402167836973802020-04-28T10:35:00.000-07:002020-04-28T10:42:09.806-07:00First Dog to Test positive for CV-19 causes what Kind of Panic?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cvHn82yLAV0/XqhouTFcenI/AAAAAAAALxQ/3ief62uB5m4pqwApgUo_J7My_KE1PqwvACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/ATMUTBU3WVCKXI2QNGXELNFH3I.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="167" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cvHn82yLAV0/XqhouTFcenI/AAAAAAAALxQ/3ief62uB5m4pqwApgUo_J7My_KE1PqwvACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/ATMUTBU3WVCKXI2QNGXELNFH3I.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiraWkzEpgAHw91Ujp3w1iwCu8sm9qHXktaDvydbmw99zQyYZHUorsNCKDoZ1iWNvz8uZTk-5UEPSIXJRkZrjTLyPfdT-OIagn7NzMNKxzMOkPmBtqhOY4u04xedCJ3unAGesYvU9-ata8/s1600/Chuck-Todd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiraWkzEpgAHw91Ujp3w1iwCu8sm9qHXktaDvydbmw99zQyYZHUorsNCKDoZ1iWNvz8uZTk-5UEPSIXJRkZrjTLyPfdT-OIagn7NzMNKxzMOkPmBtqhOY4u04xedCJ3unAGesYvU9-ata8/s200/Chuck-Todd.jpg" width="200" /></a>On MSNBC, Chuck Todd announced today that the first dog, a pug in North Carolina, has tested positive for CV-19. The dog had shown an “uncharacteristic loss of appetite.” The dog is much better now. Todd finished the announcement by saying, <span style="font-size: large;">“<span class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done" data-pwa-category="style" data-pwa-dictionary-word="obviously" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-hint="Readability may be enhanced by removing this" data-pwa-id="pwa-DB2BE0275214F2CF992A64E19BA4122A" data-pwa-rule-id="READABILITY_1820" data-pwa-suggestions="(omit)">obviously</span> considering the popularity of dogs during containment, <span class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done" data-pwa-category="style" data-pwa-dictionary-word="the idea " data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-hint="Readability may be enhanced by removing this" data-pwa-id="pwa-21A7B6C3328751476ED4E864C075ED53" data-pwa-rule-id="READABILITY_1592" data-pwa-suggestions="(omit)">the idea </span>that they could pass on the virus could really jolt the country.”</span> By “they” Todd was referring to dogs. Todd, probably not a dog owner/lover, might <span class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done" data-pwa-category="style" data-pwa-dictionary-word="be surprised" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-hint="Passive verbs make your writing less direct. Try to use an active verb instead." data-pwa-id="pwa-9E0B511A19FE5A45B3E077412D4D76D4" data-pwa-rule-id="PASSIVE_VOICE" data-pwa-suggestions="">be surprised</span> that <span style="font-size: large;">the jolt many people <span class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done" data-pwa-category="style" data-pwa-dictionary-word="in this country " data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-hint="Readability may be enhanced by removing this" data-pwa-id="pwa-614AB85951C9A45948C7BD6E20D0A944" data-pwa-rule-id="READABILITY_124" data-pwa-suggestions="(omit)">in this country </span>will feel is the concern that their beloved dogs could catch the virus from humans. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YrneZFOUjVw/XqhpLcV7y1I/AAAAAAAALxY/WMndLANjagIMHhKW_q5NHCEGLFh3aDzSACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Pug%2Band%2Bowner%2B-ca36-408f-b595-12e58f9a7b6a-medium16x9_vlcsnap2020042809h21m26s768.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="648" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YrneZFOUjVw/XqhpLcV7y1I/AAAAAAAALxY/WMndLANjagIMHhKW_q5NHCEGLFh3aDzSACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Pug%2Band%2Bowner%2B-ca36-408f-b595-12e58f9a7b6a-medium16x9_vlcsnap2020042809h21m26s768.png" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
Richard Finney's Pit and the Pendulumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01765651977112405374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102052361378007231.post-76222315084241315802020-04-22T17:16:00.000-07:002020-04-23T15:11:01.075-07:004 Reasons You should Re-consider Writing a Script about the Pandemic.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TLjfVgzafbc/XqDJtcjCCjI/AAAAAAAALwc/4jYdLR6HqzAvpOTq-wxzvJEhNziNpmehQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/going%2Bviral%2Bposter%2BPRE%2BFINAL%2B04-16-20.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1228" data-original-width="1600" height="306" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TLjfVgzafbc/XqDJtcjCCjI/AAAAAAAALwc/4jYdLR6HqzAvpOTq-wxzvJEhNziNpmehQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/going%2Bviral%2Bposter%2BPRE%2BFINAL%2B04-16-20.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">4</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> Reasons You should Re-consider Writing a Spec Script about
the Pandemic.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Write what you know</i> is one of the best pieces of advice a
professional screenwriter (or someone working to become one) will ever hear
about the craft. Which is why this pandemic turning our world upside down would
tempt any screenwriter to believe this could be the subject of their next writing
project. In one way or another, we've all been touched by this crisis,
therefore isn't the experience enough to begin writing?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I've been a professional screenwriter and producer for over
twenty years and have travelled down this road many times before working on
projects "ripped from the headlines." Though I admit, this present
crisis is like no other previous event in modern times, I still offer my caveat
to those thinking the pandemic might lead to writing a great script that will
change your career. At the very least, any writer contemplating going in this
direction should definitely manage their expectations. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here are 4 Reasons one should consider before writing a
script on the Virus Pandemic:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">1 </span> Sometimes an event in the media is so traumatic that it
takes many years before people become comfortable enough to experience it as
"entertainment."</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is no doubt that the Corona Virus Pandemic is a huge
event, impacting everyone in the United States and the world. One can also
assume that something so life changing will take an emotional toll on many
people. Consider this emotional impact when contemplating whether to write
about this subject, hoping your finished work will quickly become produced.
Will a sizeable audience be waiting to take in as "entertainment"
something that still might be raw after their 24/7 experience for months? It
might not even be the question of trauma; it might be more like - the last
thing I want to think about for a while is the Corona Virus. The question that
probably can't be answered right now is when will audiences be ready? It could
be years from now.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">2</span> To avoid a narrative that is creatively exploitative,
simplistic, even inaccurate, the writer on a current event may need
perspective, sometimes achieved only with the passing of time.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today's technology allows most of us to see stories on TV or
over the Internet about the pandemic. And the stories being shared showcase
people directly involved in this crisis. This media exposure and access has led
to the pandemic being covered in a way like no other event in history. The
Internet, smart TVs, mobile phones, and apps like zoom, have given so many
people across the nation the opportunity to feel connected with what's
happening all around them. Across the world, and down the street, it's now
possible to watch what's happening in a visceral and impactful way.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As a creative artist, how do you create entertainment about
this event that will somehow be better, more impactful than the experience
described above. How does one carve out a story that deserves to be told in a
screenplay or TV series that will be profoundly different from the daily
barrage of media covering the crisis? Can it be done?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-odUoWeSewF4/XqDKqWDBfJI/AAAAAAAALwo/gdDtvy9krckbNw8ssV-s-p6V7lKcSGnVwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/apocalypse-now-full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1055" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-odUoWeSewF4/XqDKqWDBfJI/AAAAAAAALwo/gdDtvy9krckbNw8ssV-s-p6V7lKcSGnVwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/apocalypse-now-full.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The initial reaction to writing a movie or TV series about
the Vietnam war suggests that perhaps it's a nearly impossible task to write
about a current event artfully while in the middle of the event itself.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our country's involvement in the Vietnam war began around
1964 and ended in 1975 with the final, chaotic evacuation of our troops from
Saigon. During these years, TV news came of age when their coverage of the war
helped sway public sentiment to demand the government end our involvement in
the conflict. During this same time, the few theatrical films dealing directly
with the Vietnam war failed to have a similar impact on the country. There were
a few war movies released that ended up being influential, but they were about
different wars, like "M*A*S*H" (set during the Korean War) and
"Patton," (set during World War Two), with their creative content
heavily influenced by the ongoing conflict in Vietnam.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It would take over four years after the official end of the
Vietnam war before the release of what is arguably the best movie about our
Vietnam experience. "Apocalypse Now" was critically acclaimed and
nominated for best picture in 1979, and its reputation as a masterpiece of
filmmaking has only increased with time. Though the film has moments of a
"documentary" look and feel, mostly Francis Ford Coppola's vision is
an artful approach, with scenes that are surreal, poetic, or a hyper version of
gritty reality. There is no question that if Coppola had somehow begun
production while the country was still in the middle of fighting the war, the
result would be a much different movie.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhToUgHor3lJypW4toGCPQsGYewDrrjJ7f01K87_tPp6PavoSi7So0CfkJCZ8vUzfCNEkbGOvJFOUgFfrNyozBDYiS_oGf8SSI80p02lDP5kile0IzRej0vvhlAo2Eg9zJ-jw7EGLK5tGo/s1600/kramer+one+sheet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhToUgHor3lJypW4toGCPQsGYewDrrjJ7f01K87_tPp6PavoSi7So0CfkJCZ8vUzfCNEkbGOvJFOUgFfrNyozBDYiS_oGf8SSI80p02lDP5kile0IzRej0vvhlAo2Eg9zJ-jw7EGLK5tGo/s1600/kramer+one+sheet.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Apocalypse Now" would go on to lose the best
picture Oscar to "Kramer vs. Kramer." The latter film was a
well-acted, solid production about the changing societal mores involving
divorce and child care. Unfortunately, when viewed today, "Kramer vs.
Kramer" comes off as trite and dated, an artifact from a specific place in
time, rather than the timeless masterpiece "Apocalypse Now" has
become. I believe part of the reason for my assessment is that "Kramer vs.
Kramer" was produced to be a cutting-edge examination of societal change
close to the time it was actually happening. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">3</span> The best narrative movie or TV series based on a
current event may take some time to emerge.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> </o:p> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This can occur for several reasons. Sometimes a more
"personal" aspect of a larger event emerges later. This will happen
when a real person (or group of people) and their experience finally surfaces,
and is shared with creative people, leading to a movie or TV production.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z35K7XSViv0/XqDLXhk-OnI/AAAAAAAALw0/YEFL04y7Tok0J0lEy0MXoRwHTRA7QFOGwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/52353f2f0828cb3296f24f0974eea090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z35K7XSViv0/XqDLXhk-OnI/AAAAAAAALw0/YEFL04y7Tok0J0lEy0MXoRwHTRA7QFOGwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/52353f2f0828cb3296f24f0974eea090.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes the story worth telling about an event can't be
told for various reasons, whether it's because of government secrecy or to
protect the people who would be in danger if the truth were to surface.
Government restrictions probably made the brilliant HBO mini-series,
"Chernobyl," an impossible story to tell in an unflinching and
truthful way until almost 40 years after the event.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">4 </span>A project about the pandemic is not what the studios or
networks are currently producing.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My final cautionary note is about the bottom line. And when
we're talking about the Entertainment Industry, one should always be aware of
the bottom line for those who green light projects - will it make money?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2kzo4haDrAA/XqDKhCQQL1I/AAAAAAAALwk/C-ia7HrfjCYWmIAa78xBWcNMpdOk_sC6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/outbreak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1122" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2kzo4haDrAA/XqDKhCQQL1I/AAAAAAAALwk/C-ia7HrfjCYWmIAa78xBWcNMpdOk_sC6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/outbreak.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the biggest causalities of this pandemic has been the
business of producing and distributing movies. But when the industry does come
back online, it's probably a safe bet that what they will be seeking to produce
will be pretty much where they left off. According to a recent Variety article,
the 1995 movie, "Outbreak," (a film depicting a fictional outbreak
similar to our present pandemic), is "the kind of movie that studios don't
make these days." The author of the article, Brent Lang, goes on to write,
"Even before the pandemic shuttered theaters last month, studios had
abandoned those kinds of brainy, modestly budgeted offerings in favor of comic
book adaptations designed for teenagers." So this final heads up to those
considering the pandemic spec script or TV series - know that you might be
writing a project that no one will actually be looking for when the industry
goes back to work. At least not immediately.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the record, here's how I'm spending all my hours in
quarantine - taking a lot of notes about what people are going through during
this crisis, hoping the details end up informing my work on a genre script and
a novel, neither of which has anything to do with the pandemic. If I do my job
right, what I end up writing won't remind the reader of any specific event
they've recently endured but seeks to play off the fear and anxiety that has
perhaps become a part of their permanent state of mind.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br /></div>
Richard Finney's Pit and the Pendulumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01765651977112405374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102052361378007231.post-64009365428070601422018-01-05T14:13:00.001-08:002018-01-05T14:13:32.002-08:00Favorite News Headline of the Day - Chase Ends with...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aHxOGrmKnEE/Wk_4PrrMtGI/AAAAAAAALM0/H8QFEJ_yt-YyiT7u-BmLqN_RvYNvqfXoACLcBGAs/s1600/Favorite%2BNews%2BHeadline%2BToday%2B-%2BChase%2BEnds....jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="1600" height="272" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aHxOGrmKnEE/Wk_4PrrMtGI/AAAAAAAALM0/H8QFEJ_yt-YyiT7u-BmLqN_RvYNvqfXoACLcBGAs/s640/Favorite%2BNews%2BHeadline%2BToday%2B-%2BChase%2BEnds....jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Richard Finney's Pit and the Pendulumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01765651977112405374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102052361378007231.post-67039099256317415882017-07-31T14:19:00.000-07:002017-07-31T14:19:13.865-07:00Sam Shepard - One of the Great Playwrights Dies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KFEtqRAti0o/WX-bFXAcGrI/AAAAAAAALIA/ddjSC_RtG-MhG-RXtSiWkKrNYVwMeRJLwCLcBGAs/s1600/samualshepard1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="476" data-original-width="425" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KFEtqRAti0o/WX-bFXAcGrI/AAAAAAAALIA/ddjSC_RtG-MhG-RXtSiWkKrNYVwMeRJLwCLcBGAs/s320/samualshepard1.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">His plays have had a huge impact on many writers and creative artists. He was also one of the rare artists able to make waves as a playwright, and as an actor. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I had to post something today to mark the death of Sam Shepard because his plays had such an impact on my career as a fledging writer. With this post, I was hoping to include a scene from </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-large; font-style: italic;">True West</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-large; font-style: italic;">, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">one of</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Sam</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>Shepard's groundbreaking works as a playwright. But alas, there isn't a really good digital transfer of the Steppenwolf Company's stage production of the play (starring Gary Sinise and John Malkovich) which aired on PBS in 1984. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FsBXcNBq88I/WX-auoi1mXI/AAAAAAAALH8/6g_ax7L3Tz0UZVNPvE5DM5h4vkZJctveACLcBGAs/s1600/The%2BRight%2BStuff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="740" height="302" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FsBXcNBq88I/WX-auoi1mXI/AAAAAAAALH8/6g_ax7L3Tz0UZVNPvE5DM5h4vkZJctveACLcBGAs/s400/The%2BRight%2BStuff.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">How about a scene from </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>The Right Stuff</b></i></span><span style="font-size: large;">, a movie that showcased Shepard's acting talent when he brought his outlier creative energy to his portrayal of hotshot pilot, Chuck Yeager, who made history by being the first flyer to break the sound barrier. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Shepard playing Yeager was the perfect match of thespian and real-life personality. One reason is that neither creative artist, nor the pilot were really appreciated by the masses upon achieving their breakthroughs. Sometimes the only ones who first appreciate the magnitude of a pioneer's accomplishment are those who endeavor to make their own mark in a similar field and fall short of those who came before. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8JuXTugwNR0/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8JuXTugwNR0?feature=player_embedded" width="560"></iframe></div>
<br /></div>
Richard Finney's Pit and the Pendulumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01765651977112405374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102052361378007231.post-58224070757520279662017-06-11T14:21:00.002-07:002017-06-11T14:21:16.614-07:0040 Years Later... A Thriller Classic has been Remade for a New Generation. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xzFWG3aua8o/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xzFWG3aua8o?feature=player_embedded" width="560"></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Democracy once again hangs in the balance…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">As reporters from the Washington Post work to uncover the
greatest scandal to rock the Free world. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Yeah, it feels like
Déjà vu all over again. I had chills when I read Trump on Twitter declaring he
had tapes. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">- John Dean<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Look at Trump, he's
totally Nixon… with an orange tan. Am I the only one seeing this?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">- Dan Rather<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I can't believe this
is happening again. Why didn’t anyone stop this from going forward? I’m not
talking about the movie remake, I’m talking about real life. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">- Hugh Sloan <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We couldn’t believe
our good fortune when casting the movie. We got Hal Holbrook to once again play
“Deep Throat.” And we were able to cast the same actor who played G. Gordon
Liddy in the original film to portray Michael Flynn in our remake. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">- Steven Soderbergh (Director of <i>All the President's Men - 2017</i>)</span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Richard Finney's Pit and the Pendulumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01765651977112405374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102052361378007231.post-31500745228402674742017-05-05T13:26:00.002-07:002017-05-05T13:38:06.268-07:00What are the Chances of Happy Days for Child Performers?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xWzxUY9SHfE/WP1FKgtPRYI/AAAAAAAALFY/AMBZ40qRMeoMjyFJAPFkCzlU5QYWLSsVQCLcB/s1600/erin%2Bmoran%2Bbefore%2Band%2Blater%2Bfinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xWzxUY9SHfE/WP1FKgtPRYI/AAAAAAAALFY/AMBZ40qRMeoMjyFJAPFkCzlU5QYWLSsVQCLcB/s400/erin%2Bmoran%2Bbefore%2Band%2Blater%2Bfinal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">News of the death of Erin Moran was upsetting, but not unsurprising. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">She was one of the original cast members of the show, </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><b><span style="color: #ea9999;">HAPPY </span><span style="color: #45818e;">DAYS</span></b></i></span><span style="font-size: large;">, a program I watched when I was a kid. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">For the last several years, Erin’s difficulty in meeting the challenge of living a “normal” life had been well documented in the media. My immediate response in hearing the news was to think once again of something that many would end up reading in Erin’s obituary — she began acting on </span><i style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: #ea9999;">HAPPY </span><span style="color: #45818e;">DAYS</span></b></i><span style="font-size: large;"> when she was only 14 years old. </span><br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qi1TkAFoERE/WP1IBwnp5pI/AAAAAAAALFk/lyxrdQivOcUAWERxC-mW3CSUNPXKVNz_ACLcB/s1600/happy%2Bdays%2Bpic%2Bcleaned%2Bup%2Bfinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qi1TkAFoERE/WP1IBwnp5pI/AAAAAAAALFk/lyxrdQivOcUAWERxC-mW3CSUNPXKVNz_ACLcB/s320/happy%2Bdays%2Bpic%2Bcleaned%2Bup%2Bfinal.jpg" width="225" /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;">The average 14-year-old in 1974 was very different than the average 14-year-old in 2017. The entertainment industry back then was different as well. Pushing children to become on-camera performers was something that had been part of show business tradition for decades. </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">The ramifications on the underage performer’s long term mental stability was not considered a problem worth investigating. </span><span style="font-size: large;">More than forty years later, we actually don’t have a lot more insight. What we do know comes off as pretty obvious — those who begin the process of entering the entertainment industry at an early age (16 years or younger), and end up with success as a celebrity, will be more mentally challenged throughout the rest of their life when compared to kids who never pursue a career in the performing arts. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The average human being goes through a maturation process that lasts beyond age 18. Specifically, aspects of the brain are still being worked out biologically/structurally, even after 18 years old. This probably means that any adult who attempts to achieve success in the entertainment business will be challenged mentally, but those with pre-adult brains are uniquely tested as they make their way through the industry as a performer. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I grew up with a father who worked in the Entertainment industry his entire life (behind the camera). This exposure probably made me sensitive to seeing the impact a career in front of the camera could have on an individual. Years later, when I began working as a professional screenwriter, I was also raising two daughters. They were nine and six years old when I signed a two picture contract with Walt Disney studio where I would go every day to an office to write the scripts for my projects. Occasionally I would bring my girls with me for part of the day. On one of those days, while walking across the lot, we encountered a casting director working for the studio. She spent several minutes engaged in a lively conversation with both my girls before moving on. The interaction was memorable enough that it led to this casting director calling my office later to ask if I’d be interested in letting both girls audition for parts in a movie she was currently casting for the studio. My reply was instantaneous and curt, as if I was talking to a pornographer asking about the availability of my girls for his latest project. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">“No. No interest at all in my girls auditioning for you. Please don’t raise this question ever again. To me, or to my daughters. Thank you. Good bye.” </span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pF7N9Yz7nw0/WP1SPygmYDI/AAAAAAAALF0/SxpMzkRBQToI4bvlKeGaxBfHvXvLmfSWACLcB/s1600/me%2Band%2Bthe%2Bgirls%2Bxmas%2Btime%2B1994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pF7N9Yz7nw0/WP1SPygmYDI/AAAAAAAALF0/SxpMzkRBQToI4bvlKeGaxBfHvXvLmfSWACLcB/s320/me%2Band%2Bthe%2Bgirls%2Bxmas%2Btime%2B1994.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pF7N9Yz7nw0/WP1SPygmYDI/AAAAAAAALF0/SxpMzkRBQToI4bvlKeGaxBfHvXvLmfSWACLcB/s1600/me%2Band%2Bthe%2Bgirls%2Bxmas%2Btime%2B1994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></a><span style="font-size: large;">My paranoia about the girls being seduced by the entertainment industry did not change with time. Years later, after I had produced my first movie, I was driving to a warehouse in Santa Monica with my daughters still gripped with the same paranoia that somehow the entertainment business was going to sneak in and steal the future happiness of my girls. We were on our way to take in the photo shoot for a magazine’s cover featuring three of the actresses who starred in the movie I had just produced. My fear was that my daughters would witness all the lux treatment during the photo shoot and it would end up being a siren call to lure them to pursue a career in front of the camera. The only way I could see actually following through with the field trip was to spend the entire time on the freeway prepping them with a realistic counter narrative to what they were about to witness. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“You’re going to watch three young women being treated like stars. They will be surrounded by people, waiting on them like they were royalty. There will be the most beautiful clothes to wear and fancy food to eat when they want it. So, yes, these women will be the center of attention, but what I’m asking you to do is see beyond the glamour and glitter. I want you to see the future that inevitably lies ahead, beyond the bright lights. Fame for an actress in the movie industry is fleeting at best. Shorter than a star linebacker in the NFL. Then it’s a mad scramble to figure out what you’re going to do with the rest of your life when everyone has been telling you for years that you’re a star. Understand?” </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">My oldest girl replied first. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">“Dad, we get it. You don’t want us to become actors.” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Then my youngest girl chimed in. “Can we go in now.” </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I happily unlocked the car doors, allowing my girls to leave the vehicle and attend the photo session. Neither of my daughters ended up pursuing careers as performers, or even in the entertainment industry. Except for my genes, consistently throwing up road blocks to a potential avenue of fame and fortune might be one of the most profoundly positive impacts I’ve had on my daughters’ lives. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
Richard Finney's Pit and the Pendulumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01765651977112405374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102052361378007231.post-70594489024216840892017-04-05T11:34:00.000-07:002017-04-05T11:34:29.745-07:00Six Rules to guide you in the question "What Should I Write Right Now?"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Anyone in the movie business who tells you they’re not scared stiff about the future is probably lying. There is mounting anxiety among theater owners, studio executives, filmmakers, and cinephiles that the lights may be starting to flicker. </i></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NZueTAVraLo/WOFl58CmnYI/AAAAAAAALD8/PkfBph1NGlk9yhYDrcanEyG2NNz_MgkfACLcB/s1600/cover%2Bof%2Bvariety.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NZueTAVraLo/WOFl58CmnYI/AAAAAAAALD8/PkfBph1NGlk9yhYDrcanEyG2NNz_MgkfACLcB/s320/cover%2Bof%2Bvariety.jpg" width="247" /></a></i></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">-- Brent Lang - <i><span style="color: lime;">Variety</span></i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">For the record, I don't disagree with the quote or the overall assessment in the article written by Brent Lang for <i>Variety</i>. I do wonder why his piece doesn't mention the huge factor of the aging population in the United States as one of the major causes for the decline of the domestic theatrical box office numbers. Perhaps this factor has been mentioned so many times </span><span style="font-size: large;">over the last decade</span><span style="font-size: large;">, it's no longer worth including as part of the summary. But setting that aside... </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: x-large;">I agree. There's a problem. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">The theatrical movie business is in big trouble.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The good news for screenwriters (professional and aspiring) is that breaking through and working in TV is a totally different matter.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In the near future, I will be specifically addressing this difference with my posts and an upcoming book.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">However, with the difficulties of an ever-changing marketplace, there are many writers out there who are confused and unsure about this one issue -- </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What Should I Write Right Now?</b></span><br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vMruMqbBxD4/WOU4bAPF3gI/AAAAAAAALEY/h5NEGqBSA04xv6dwaJf5jVe_irpui3iXgCLcB/s1600/road%2Bsigns%2Bfinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vMruMqbBxD4/WOU4bAPF3gI/AAAAAAAALEY/h5NEGqBSA04xv6dwaJf5jVe_irpui3iXgCLcB/s320/road%2Bsigns%2Bfinal.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I decided to put together a Core Checklist of what you should always consider before you begin your next writing effort. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This checklist doesn’t necessarily offer incredible insight or originality. Indeed, a few of the points are probably </span><span style="font-size: large;">a repeat of the same stuff most of you have read before over the years. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But I began writing the list by asking myself - what are the factors that have guided me over the years that has allowed me to maintain a professional screenwritering /filmmaking career for the last two decades?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">My answer ended up being a long list. </span><span style="font-size: large;">But here are Six Core Principals for Screenwriters to think about when making a decision about -- </span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">What to Write Right Now</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">1) </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Write</span><span style="font-size: large;"> something that is not just of an interest to you, or your family and friends.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The goal in anything you write for the industry is to actually pursue a project that would be of interest to people motivated enough to pay to read (or watch) what you’ve written.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">2)</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Write</span><span style="font-size: large;"> What You know.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Yeah, I know, obviously you've read this before. </span><span style="font-size: large;">So here is the next level to the phrase — write not only what you know about, but write in a way that the outside world will associate your subject/style/genre with you. It's one of the best ways if the goal is to get your work produced.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">3)</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Write</span><span style="font-size: large;"> what you are reasonably sure you can complete.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This is especially true when you have a history of uncompleted projects. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Writing and stopping after the first draft only works when writing in a diary. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">4)</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Write</span><span style="font-size: large;"> in a "timeless" way. Don't choose as subject or write in a way that attempts to be of the moment.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">What you write can be a period piece… a project set in the present-day… or a project set in the future. The setting doesn't matter as much as making your creative effort timeless rather than "gimmicky" or an attempt to be "cutting edge." Content over Flash is always the way to go. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Think of your content being about what lies below the surface, not on what happens to be floating at that moment across the water. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">5)</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Write</span><span style="font-size: large;"> something that will showcase what you're capable of achieving, even beyond the present work.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">We're talking about "calling card" here. Your script should be saying to those people in the industry who need a writer to work on their project -- <i>look what I can do</i>. <i>You should hire me to make your script as good as the one you're reading. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">6)</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Write</span><span style="font-size: large;"> something that challenges you in a different way creatively, invading your comfort zone as a writer. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The best lessons in my creative life have come from challenges that were beyond what I had done before. Even when we fail to gain “success” from attempting such a challenge, often times the work post-challenge becomes noticeably better. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
Richard Finney's Pit and the Pendulumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01765651977112405374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102052361378007231.post-15605820953861191562017-03-23T10:00:00.000-07:002017-03-23T10:00:20.183-07:00Shadow Speak -- Excerpt from The RELICT VAMPIRE Series Book Two<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 2.25pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JO3_qjyEQJg/WNMd-eGjsiI/AAAAAAAALBY/trgOMiWAu50Y9Mw0xvVq4GoWi3O-rw9zwCLcB/s1600/relict%2Bvampire%2Bbook%2Bseries%2Btowar%2Bv1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JO3_qjyEQJg/WNMd-eGjsiI/AAAAAAAALBY/trgOMiWAu50Y9Mw0xvVq4GoWi3O-rw9zwCLcB/s640/relict%2Bvampire%2Bbook%2Bseries%2Btowar%2Bv1.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<h2 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 2.25pt;">
<br /></h2>
<h2 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 2.25pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">SHADOWS IN THE LIGHT</span></span></h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Book Two</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">in </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">THE </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">RELICT </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Vampire</span> Series </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> is coming.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm going to be posting some content from the new book today. And there will be more posts in the days ahead for all the fans who can't wait. I really appreciate your patience for the next book to be finished. </span></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
</h3>
<h2 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 2.25pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Shadow Speak</span></h2>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 2.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "bodoni mt condensed" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Words, Phrases,
Idioms </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 2.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "bodoni mt condensed" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">from the </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 2.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "bodoni mt condensed" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">World of the Vampires </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 2.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "bodoni mt condensed" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Living Amongst Us</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A Shadow Affirmation </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Reminding Vampires to stay on a path </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Free from any viable Threat to their Amortality. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIwi5mmzxldgKWN-kQMgHI5HJxBDokHkgsxpDqXb_VDzHHcjFQ_jd1KPZJb3sNIM26XZhSJpG_nW47ocIwf7WPhTetfZAV_plyq4zBELp4NljshVAjgrzYwULwjaw1r_QxPa4w_ao6eg/s1600/girl+in+the+pink+with+saying.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIwi5mmzxldgKWN-kQMgHI5HJxBDokHkgsxpDqXb_VDzHHcjFQ_jd1KPZJb3sNIM26XZhSJpG_nW47ocIwf7WPhTetfZAV_plyq4zBELp4NljshVAjgrzYwULwjaw1r_QxPa4w_ao6eg/s320/girl+in+the+pink+with+saying.png" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>On the Road I Walk…</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>Death does not lurk on either side,</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>Nor shall it be Waiting for Me at the End.</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><a href="http://richardfinney.blogspot.com/p/vampires-have-emerged-from-shadows-and.html">MORE </a></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><a href="http://richardfinney.blogspot.com/p/vampires-have-emerged-from-shadows-and.html">at </a></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><a href="http://richardfinney.blogspot.com/p/vampires-have-emerged-from-shadows-and.html">The Official RELICT Book Series Page</a></i></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
Richard Finney's Pit and the Pendulumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01765651977112405374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102052361378007231.post-13807226792909921722017-03-17T10:00:00.000-07:002017-03-17T10:00:32.125-07:00My Bi-Polar Post for 03-2017<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK5qqE1WMemo6YieIPgUaLFqqe4ilIPIPJiQ-mazCdUMTCiGUPKiq4yViyiDsDFFhxEnTYqJ3TpF5KvwyywqXw97IPKffGbTYsTXjd_v8kXOivntnttMTnX3Wffhqma_ADe3r7PJmHjTQ/s1600/bipolar+post+key+art+for+03-16-17+FINAL.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK5qqE1WMemo6YieIPgUaLFqqe4ilIPIPJiQ-mazCdUMTCiGUPKiq4yViyiDsDFFhxEnTYqJ3TpF5KvwyywqXw97IPKffGbTYsTXjd_v8kXOivntnttMTnX3Wffhqma_ADe3r7PJmHjTQ/s640/bipolar+post+key+art+for+03-16-17+FINAL.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6j2I_3uVXrM/WHrPX1JLezI/AAAAAAAAKxg/-qV-kChBqsMjS4TZfsC4U2ia72xKW1vWQCPcB/s1600/pASSIONATE%2BOBSESSED%2BABOUT%2BBANNER%2B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="45" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6j2I_3uVXrM/WHrPX1JLezI/AAAAAAAAKxg/-qV-kChBqsMjS4TZfsC4U2ia72xKW1vWQCPcB/s320/pASSIONATE%2BOBSESSED%2BABOUT%2BBANNER%2B.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t7nmtfMSvU4/WMspsO0ibSI/AAAAAAAAK_g/XVxqmFdzbTMVc0XeClPt1BH3qImBmGO5wCLcB/s1600/2014-03-27-agata-marszalek-coen-bros.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t7nmtfMSvU4/WMspsO0ibSI/AAAAAAAAK_g/XVxqmFdzbTMVc0XeClPt1BH3qImBmGO5wCLcB/s320/2014-03-27-agata-marszalek-coen-bros.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">There’s now a long list of theatrical filmmakers who have crossed over to television to produce projects that could not be made… or were better served as TV shows. Add Joel and Ethan Coen to the list. The brothers are locked into to bringing one of their pet projects, a Western -</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">“The Ballad of Buster </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Scruggs”</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> to TV as a series. <i><span style="color: lime;">Variety</span></i> described the project as an innovative approach that could combine television and theatrical distribution. This makes sense since <i>Marvel</i> has seen success doing the exact same thing – having a franchise's universe co-exist both on TV and in the Theatres. The brothers wrote the script from an original idea and will direct the project. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">I’m excited to see their take and how much money they get to play with in realizing their vision.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> There hasn’t been a creatively great western series since </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Deadwood</i></b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">, and it would be coming in the wake of the SF-HBO hit <b><i>Westworld</i></b>, which had fun with the genre on its way to exploring the darker nature of Humanity and the March toward Manifest Destiny.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_gvpTtM_Sm8/WHrPM1k7hKI/AAAAAAAAKxY/hZVWke7LkEYVa72rQQkOGbJaN3nK0kzHwCPcB/s1600/dEPRESSED%2BOBSESSED%2BABOUT%2BBANNER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="44" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_gvpTtM_Sm8/WHrPM1k7hKI/AAAAAAAAKxY/hZVWke7LkEYVa72rQQkOGbJaN3nK0kzHwCPcB/s320/dEPRESSED%2BOBSESSED%2BABOUT%2BBANNER.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The Net Neutrality rules bar Internet service providers from offering speedier or more robust transmissions to programmers they like vs competitors. For example, they would outlaw AT&T from providing wireless customers with a better viewing experience for DirecTV (which it owns), rather than rivals such as Sling TV or Hulu. </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hMcwfRmREac/WMsrIhAuLvI/AAAAAAAAK_s/RU1K9Y9Cz44EYcEKnSZIuwDWCV-YVXq2wCLcB/s1600/wheeler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hMcwfRmREac/WMsrIhAuLvI/AAAAAAAAK_s/RU1K9Y9Cz44EYcEKnSZIuwDWCV-YVXq2wCLcB/s200/wheeler.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Tom Wheeler, an unexpected hero to consumer and open Internet advocates, was appointed by President Obama to head the FCC in 2013. He left his post this last January 20th. During his term, he angered the largest companies that the FCC regulates including Comcast and Verizon. There are people who grow/evolve when faced with the circumstances of their times and apparently, Wheeler ended up being such an individual. Unfortunately, Agency watchers believe that the Trump administration will try to overturn the Net </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QSGe06PK9VE/WMsrXJbkLII/AAAAAAAAK_w/yBRqaEMpjHg0yBXM3M3siLxAPoN7AP8RgCLcB/s1600/net-neutrality-op.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QSGe06PK9VE/WMsrXJbkLII/AAAAAAAAK_w/yBRqaEMpjHg0yBXM3M3siLxAPoN7AP8RgCLcB/s320/net-neutrality-op.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Neutrality rules that have been in place since the birth of the Internet. Looks like we’ll need another David to step up who is willing to take on not just one, but a Gang of Goliaths (all with single green eyes below their forehead) looking forward to using their huge footprints to change the Internet landscape. </span></div>
</div>
Richard Finney's Pit and the Pendulumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01765651977112405374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102052361378007231.post-63784073423510778112017-03-09T11:40:00.000-08:002017-03-09T11:49:11.103-08:00Alt. Lyrics to R.E.M.'s "It's the End of the World as We Know it"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xJOEHDyNnyM/WMGsCl4FjII/AAAAAAAAK4s/xI6ZTfyW4SYd2HCbxkOp9VMibcXcutptACLcB/s1600/oPENING%2BCARD.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xJOEHDyNnyM/WMGsCl4FjII/AAAAAAAAK4s/xI6ZTfyW4SYd2HCbxkOp9VMibcXcutptACLcB/s320/oPENING%2BCARD.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A song by R.E.M. kept echoing in my head these last three months. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I finally had to deal with it or go crazy. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It turns out the cure was to rework the lyrics to one of the band’s greatest songs. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My apologies to the original artists for taking such liberties. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>(The song’s original lyrics roll at the end of the video) </i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HFQfmJkM-gU/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="320" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HFQfmJkM-gU?feature=player_embedded" width="560"></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
Richard Finney's Pit and the Pendulumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01765651977112405374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102052361378007231.post-12365447908028277172017-02-26T17:54:00.000-08:002017-02-26T17:54:55.624-08:00On and Off the Screen - Bill Paxton Projected an Energy that was Palpable, Positive, and Infectious.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gnniuv-9_vg/WLOBQctDnjI/AAAAAAAAK3Q/LSfQjmhPg6E_4Y_ALRJuoJZWyVhxiAZdgCLcB/s1600/bill-paxton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gnniuv-9_vg/WLOBQctDnjI/AAAAAAAAK3Q/LSfQjmhPg6E_4Y_ALRJuoJZWyVhxiAZdgCLcB/s320/bill-paxton.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Such heartbreaking news about the death of Bill Paxton. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">He was a very talented and accomplished artist. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">He was also something special in Hollywood - a really nice guy. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">No surprise his transition to acting stardom was different than most – Bill started out working in film production as part of the crew (in the art department), and eventually made his way to performing in front of the camera. </span><br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZzWq3A5MFzA/WLOEdfbLGqI/AAAAAAAAK3o/f0YF4WU3DuIy7sAsu75c0O1-SjKJi2EfwCLcB/s1600/paxton%2Bin%2Balipsd%2Bcartoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZzWq3A5MFzA/WLOEdfbLGqI/AAAAAAAAK3o/f0YF4WU3DuIy7sAsu75c0O1-SjKJi2EfwCLcB/s320/paxton%2Bin%2Balipsd%2Bcartoon.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">When I first met him, I wasn’t yet working as a professional in the entertainment industry. I was covering the production of a movie for <i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fangoria</span></i>* magazine. Bill was acting in a little horror film, <i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Braindead</span></i>, to support the effort of the fledging director, Adam Simon. During my time with him, Bill could not have been more giving and enthusiastic about helping me. Indeed, what I experienced then, ended up being true for his entire career -- on and off the screen, Bill projected an energy that was palpable, </span><span style="font-size: large;">positive, and infectious. I believe it was one of the reasons everyone in the industry always wanted to work with him. Even if he had not been an extremely talented and creative artist, you’d want him on your set because he would make everyone else feel great. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NuClb5z3Eeg/WLOC7PE9ngI/AAAAAAAAK3c/RBZT8JJVRv8eu74at-kEh0sNed9ai_rBQCLcB/s1600/paxton-aliens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NuClb5z3Eeg/WLOC7PE9ngI/AAAAAAAAK3c/RBZT8JJVRv8eu74at-kEh0sNed9ai_rBQCLcB/s400/paxton-aliens.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I’ve been in and around this business almost my entire life. In all those years, the only time I shamelessly behaved like a total fanboy was with Bill. At one point I couldn’t resist and asked him to recite one of my favorite lines in one of my favorite films of all time, <i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Aliens</b></span></i>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Without missing a beat he did it for me. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It was so cool. I was beside myself hearing him say the words. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The thing I need to point out was how Bill seemed to be equally as high knowing he had made my day. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">“Game Over.” </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I can’t believe the news. A truly wonderful guy… is gone. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wU4SstIKEy0/WLOEpZgonxI/AAAAAAAAK3s/u2x4HKvoeYIm9hQ7OsUnMp32c_0I2LGtQCLcB/s1600/170226103633-02-bill-paxton-exlarge-169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wU4SstIKEy0/WLOEpZgonxI/AAAAAAAAK3s/u2x4HKvoeYIm9hQ7OsUnMp32c_0I2LGtQCLcB/s400/170226103633-02-bill-paxton-exlarge-169.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<b>*</b> I'm aware the news of Fangoria and it's future. I wanted to post my reaction last week, but working a project 24/7 has prevented me from sharing my thoughts.<br />
</div>
Richard Finney's Pit and the Pendulumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01765651977112405374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102052361378007231.post-72174929670087338752017-02-06T11:56:00.004-08:002017-02-06T12:57:25.539-08:00Conflict during the Women Celebration at Sundance <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFEm1Yhoj019wTB1oBQz2EXa1avYLSzXqB1pwfrHXO-v3LZM4oRunNdw7fKy8jzKE_wJ_S5vYiclvAiojf9e-vS0zj9OhKT204BJwiUWs8lTDiscckeCUWY1zUdTsKWoql9gomQu79zUI/s1600/What+was+said+title+with+cool+film+borders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFEm1Yhoj019wTB1oBQz2EXa1avYLSzXqB1pwfrHXO-v3LZM4oRunNdw7fKy8jzKE_wJ_S5vYiclvAiojf9e-vS0zj9OhKT204BJwiUWs8lTDiscckeCUWY1zUdTsKWoql9gomQu79zUI/s640/What+was+said+title+with+cool+film+borders.jpg" width="596" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="366" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/f-Msrxxq2x4?rel=0&showinfo=0" width="650"></iframe>
</div>
Richard Finney's Pit and the Pendulumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01765651977112405374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102052361378007231.post-10492924509186690472017-01-30T10:57:00.000-08:002017-01-30T11:40:43.473-08:00DEEPER, FASTER, BUT WITH SUBTLY <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">Communicating on a deep level, within the constricted confines of the feature screenplay format is where the art can be found when discussing the craft of screenwriting. </span></div>
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The canvas for writing a screenplay is finite, specifically the limit of time allowed for a writer to tell his story. This is the one aspect more challenging than what faces writers of novels who can take as long as they creatively want to tell their tale. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7eaMG4uVhTw/WI6Rvloj9zI/AAAAAAAAK1M/287mSKEsGPUKFReKQv6NG3grENV48DSuwCLcB/s1600/gilroy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7eaMG4uVhTw/WI6Rvloj9zI/AAAAAAAAK1M/287mSKEsGPUKFReKQv6NG3grENV48DSuwCLcB/s320/gilroy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Storytelling within the limits of a theatrical screenplay is about conveying a ton of information to the audience, communicated simultaneously on several different levels. In Professional screenwriting, one uses “shorthand,” usually by employing the ever-changing Film Language to convey information to the audience about the story. This is one of the most important and demanding features in the screenwriting craft. Those who have a great understanding of this aspect of writing, and do it well, are the writers who create work that is clearly identifiable on the page and up on the screen. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The basic screenwriting level is focused on the storytelling, utilizing the craft to allow the audience to orientate themselves to the main plot, and the characters they will be following. </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">The other levels of screenwriting communication are what expert writers operate in at the same time and in the same space as they reveal their basic plotline. These are the levels that creatively expand and deepen other aspects of their storytelling. </span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2cMMCRb0F81LoM1D4sEccMM8KwO_i6rPChCADSsBo4DmNBnyIkOOkjpoU4w6JlTcWdjHQmFFcu9WaRldpx7NQT_Gpuntkigbk85pbW93RNzM-zbNn6huLUuHpZMHVYJrBqp-C_fMAkiM/s1600/michael+Clayton+2+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2cMMCRb0F81LoM1D4sEccMM8KwO_i6rPChCADSsBo4DmNBnyIkOOkjpoU4w6JlTcWdjHQmFFcu9WaRldpx7NQT_Gpuntkigbk85pbW93RNzM-zbNn6huLUuHpZMHVYJrBqp-C_fMAkiM/s400/michael+Clayton+2+.jpg" width="268" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">One of my favorite films, </span><span style="color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>MICHAEL CLAYTON</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"> (Screenplay and Direction by Tony Gilroy) expertly displays the craft of multi-level storytelling. Especially noteworthy is how the introduction of the eponymous main character is handled at the beginning of the film, an opening sequence essentially comprised of two main scenes, and two shorter scenes of the main character walking/talking on the phone and then driving in his car. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I wanted to share some thoughts on the introductory scene/and adjoining scene with the main character walking and talking on his mobile phone. My goal is to highlight how the filmmaker considered every moment up on the screen as an opportunity to tell his story. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Before proceeding, y</span><span style="font-size: large;">ou can take a look at the scenes under discussion - </span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zuYotNtDG5o/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zuYotNtDG5o?feature=player_embedded" width="560"></iframe></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">A summary of the basic narrative of the scenes begins with the introduction of the lead character, Michael Clayton. He's playing (literally) in an underground poker game. We get an entertaining verbal back and forth between one of the card players and the main character which elicits a couple of laughs. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We cut to Michael Clayton checking out of the game, and then leaving the warehouse. He becomes aware for the first time that someone has been trying to call him. He tries to return the calls while riding the elevator to the street level, but is unsuccessful. The moment he steps out into the street a colleague at his law firm connects with him as he's walking to his car. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-__vWM8mIbXc/WI6QzjYczdI/AAAAAAAAK08/tktqWGt5mbQCu-VbIBkorw8_MCjLRvL5QCLcB/s1600/Michael-Clayton-film-images-ffaff4e7-7969-4937-b355-3b6e1d33f42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-__vWM8mIbXc/WI6QzjYczdI/AAAAAAAAK08/tktqWGt5mbQCu-VbIBkorw8_MCjLRvL5QCLcB/s320/Michael-Clayton-film-images-ffaff4e7-7969-4937-b355-3b6e1d33f42.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">And that's the basic beats of the sequence under examination. </span><span style="font-size: large;">However, along the way, the filmmaker throws in a ton of artistic elements, executed succinctly, and on the fly, each one operating on several different creative levels, a continuous stream of information to the audience about the world they are about to jump into. Here is a list of some of the important creative elements that operate below the basic level of revealing the main narrative to the audience --</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">- Michael Clayton not only gambles, he's obviously been indulging in this vice for a long time. We can see this in his demeanor during the game. And this point is confirmed when one of the other players in his dialogue refers to the last time they played, something that happened many months (or even years) ago. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">- We quickly learn that Clayton has not been successful at gambling. Apparently he was so bad, that he apparently quit for awhile. We know this because winners don't give it up, only losers. And it explains why the other character in the scene had not seen Clayton for awhile, during the time when our lead character tried to stop gambling. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">- We can deduce that Clayton has a gambling problem because he obviously quit, but has recently returned. (As he checks out of the game, the overseer of the game remarks, "Nice to see you again,") The fact that Clayton is now playing again makes us wonder if there is a specific reason to explain his addiction renewal. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">- Regardless of why and when, the fact that Clayton is gambling after he tried to get out shows that he’s behaving in a self-destructive way. </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Obviously this is a key character trait, maybe the whole point of these scenes is that our main character has a self-destructive personality and the filmmaker needs us to witness this. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Why? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">- During the scene’s dialogue, we discover Clayton was a partner in a restaurant that went belly up. We don’t know any details about what went wrong, but we’ll find out more later. The dialogue in this opening scene could be about anything, but note when the screenwriter is not letting any opportunity go by. In this case the filmmaker is planting into our heads the beginning of something significant, a very consequential plot beat. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">- Clayton works for a prestigious law firm. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We discover this as Michael speaks on the phone to a colleague, a lawyer on vacation in Burmuda attempting to service an important, rich client in the middle of a crisis. He needs our main character's help. He wants Clayton to do what he's been hired to do at the law firm.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">At this point, we don’t know for sure if Clayton is actually a lawyer himself. In the next scene w</span><span style="font-size: large;">e will discover that Clayton is indeed a lawyer, but one who doesn’t actually practice law, and there’s a big reason for that. This </span><span style="font-size: large;">intell will end up being </span><span style="font-size: large;">one of the missing pieces </span><span style="font-size: large;">to his character's jigsaw puzzle. </span><span style="font-size: large;">This scene introduces that concept because he’s being called out, not to provide legal advice, but to </span><i style="font-size: x-large;">clean up</i><span style="font-size: large;"> a mess made by one of the firm's important clients. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">- In these scenes, only one thread directly impacts the main plot moving forward — Michael needs to drive to Westchester and meet with this rich client involved in a hit-and-run incident. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I point this out to illustrate how everything in this sequence is truly about establishing aspects involved in storytelling other than advancing the basic plot of the movie. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">- There are symbolic aspects to the scenes operating on additional levels. For example - when he gets the call from his law firm, he tries to call back while riding in an old warehouse elevator, and when the steel cage is shut, we get the feeling that this represents where Michael is with his relationship to the firm he works for – at the beck and call of his cage keepers. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">More significantly is the symbolism in locating the poker game at the basement of a warehouse. This represents where Michael Clayton is in his life, apparently at the bottom. But things could get worse. He doesn’t know it yet, but in a few hours, Clayton will be in jeopardy of permanently winding up underground... six feet underground. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">- There’s a major factor in these scenes that involves the storytelling we’re about to take in (but the audience has no idea of knowing this upon the first viewing). The entire sequence (and the later scenes in Westchester) will be used to “time stamp” the narrative so the filmmakers can employ a non-linear plot line to tell their story. The time stamp will allow the audience to keep track of the when and where of the plot as it unfolds. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-01xDugsdYxY/WI6RFWNXDXI/AAAAAAAAK1A/RBvr9r66rrQcCteTGB-9uXTAFrDlG7APACEw/s1600/Michael%2BClayton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-01xDugsdYxY/WI6RFWNXDXI/AAAAAAAAK1A/RBvr9r66rrQcCteTGB-9uXTAFrDlG7APACEw/s400/Michael%2BClayton.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">There’s so many more elements communicated throughout this short sequence that I could go on and on with my list, but I hope the above will suffice to prove what great writers do when working on a script. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Let me close by citing something the opening scenes in Michael Clayton doesn't do – Spell out in an obvious way, all the points above. Accomplishing deeper, faster, and with subtlety means trusting your audience in the same way you trust your capabilities as an artist. </span></div>
Richard Finney's Pit and the Pendulumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01765651977112405374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102052361378007231.post-5085512674476319722017-01-29T11:57:00.000-08:002017-01-29T11:57:17.847-08:00How a Quote from Shakespeare continues to Resonate in our Modern World<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cp7lPpIz_M0/WI5Cup91RaI/AAAAAAAAK0c/WH2i0bzy_ocwQn3uh6nA0jmPpZ2RDd0swCLcB/s1600/attorney%2Bphoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="379" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cp7lPpIz_M0/WI5Cup91RaI/AAAAAAAAK0c/WH2i0bzy_ocwQn3uh6nA0jmPpZ2RDd0swCLcB/s640/attorney%2Bphoto.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YsyupJQh98A/WI5Depw41pI/AAAAAAAAK0k/v5oDiq70Q6QsH6mtQTl2O5frzwPrjpgKQCLcB/s1600/trump3.jpg.size.custom.crop.1086x731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YsyupJQh98A/WI5Depw41pI/AAAAAAAAK0k/v5oDiq70Q6QsH6mtQTl2O5frzwPrjpgKQCLcB/s200/trump3.jpg.size.custom.crop.1086x731.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">A federal judge in Brooklyn temporarily halted parts of President Donald Trump’s sweeping executive order</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">aimed to block the entry of refugees and impose a de-facto ban on travelers coming from several </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Muslim-majority countries. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">The American Civil </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uEHsqPVnJnw/WI5EibZK67I/AAAAAAAAK0s/YhD9HHIAH1QqDx2Zed3d-JJs-EawnewDQCLcB/s1600/170129030215-protest-travel-ban-jfk-large-169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uEHsqPVnJnw/WI5EibZK67I/AAAAAAAAK0s/YhD9HHIAH1QqDx2Zed3d-JJs-EawnewDQCLcB/s200/170129030215-protest-travel-ban-jfk-large-169.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Liberties Union had Filed the action in Federal court. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1ffju-xTMuE/WI4-wBVFdPI/AAAAAAAAK0Q/_0A5JSUQch0JamRVVe3z3j6TMkfcFg7tQCLcB/s1600/shakespeare%2Blawyer%2Bquote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1ffju-xTMuE/WI4-wBVFdPI/AAAAAAAAK0Q/_0A5JSUQch0JamRVVe3z3j6TMkfcFg7tQCLcB/s640/shakespeare%2Blawyer%2Bquote.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; text-align: justify;">The line of dialogue was written for Dick the Butcher, in ''Henry VI,'' Part II. Dick was a follower of the rebel, Jack Cade, who believed the best way to become powerful was to disrupt a society's law and order. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The passage has often been misinterpreted and misused over the years as a swipe at those in the law profession. </span><span style="font-size: large;">However, Shakespeare (who in his own life was very litigious) intended the dialogue as a compliment to </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">attorneys and judges who might be the only thing standing between justice and anarchy in a civilized society. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
Richard Finney's Pit and the Pendulumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01765651977112405374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102052361378007231.post-78240154783816117492017-01-21T17:55:00.005-08:002017-01-21T17:55:56.880-08:00Walking the Walk<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dHw5WIHi8gM/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dHw5WIHi8gM?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">At least 750,000 people were in downtown Los Angeles as part of a series of protests in cities nationwide collectively called the Women’s March. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">One of my daughters was one of them.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The Video above was created for my Wife's company.</span></div>
</div>
Richard Finney's Pit and the Pendulumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01765651977112405374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102052361378007231.post-76216915114083916302017-01-17T14:58:00.000-08:002017-01-17T14:58:56.744-08:00My Bi-Polar Post<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wrlby5hbsyE/WHrLe2lR7pI/AAAAAAAAKxE/VMvdHkbWEgEaOQTNk705UQc_jIdjJOBXQCLcB/s1600/Bi%2BPolar%2BMain%2BCard%2Bfor%2BRSF%2Bblog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wrlby5hbsyE/WHrLe2lR7pI/AAAAAAAAKxE/VMvdHkbWEgEaOQTNk705UQc_jIdjJOBXQCLcB/s640/Bi%2BPolar%2BMain%2BCard%2Bfor%2BRSF%2Bblog.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03mxzd5QqTb0yKNshauOnhh1FcW3-bwvbZW2BSzPvhwVP40q21S84EwTkYXQfu98XxYeby0HuScDqffzrl6UF8-INYEibJShPoIKGxfmtKlofzmzZ9ya_uQnin30K3SUaKhaTQ48QI4Y/s1600/pASSIONATE+OBSESSED+ABOUT+BANNER+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="55" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03mxzd5QqTb0yKNshauOnhh1FcW3-bwvbZW2BSzPvhwVP40q21S84EwTkYXQfu98XxYeby0HuScDqffzrl6UF8-INYEibJShPoIKGxfmtKlofzmzZ9ya_uQnin30K3SUaKhaTQ48QI4Y/s400/pASSIONATE+OBSESSED+ABOUT+BANNER+.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 15px; padding: 0px;">
<em><b><span name="ws-word-wrapper"><span class="word-border ws-token" name="ws-token" style="cursor: pointer !important;"><br /></span></span></b></em></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><em><b><span id="ws-word-wrapper-0" name="ws-word-wrapper"><span class="word-border ws-token" id="ws-token-0" name="ws-token" style="cursor: pointer !important;">New</span></span> <span id="ws-word-wrapper-1" name="ws-word-wrapper"><span class="word-border ws-token" id="ws-token-1" name="ws-token" style="cursor: pointer !important;">Yorker</span></span></b></em><b><i> </i></b><strong><span id="ws-word-wrapper-2" name="ws-word-wrapper"><span class="word-border ws-token" id="ws-token-2" name="ws-token" style="cursor: pointer !important;">unveils</span></span> <span id="ws-word-wrapper-3" name="ws-word-wrapper"><span class="word-border ws-token" id="ws-token-3" name="ws-token" style="cursor: pointer !important;">Trump</span></span> <span id="ws-word-wrapper-4" name="ws-word-wrapper"><span class="word-border ws-token" id="ws-token-4" name="ws-token" style="cursor: pointer !important;">inauguration</span></span> <span id="ws-word-wrapper-5" name="ws-word-wrapper"><span class="word-border ws-token" id="ws-token-5" name="ws-token" style="cursor: pointer !important;">cover</span></span> <span class="" id="ws-word-wrapper-6" name="ws-word-wrapper"><span class="word-border ws-token" id="ws-token-6" name="ws-token" style="cursor: pointer !important;" title="">early.</span></span></strong> </span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E9788m-qFzo/WHrFEYNHl_I/AAAAAAAAKwk/KBg-1QJM6DYh0vWMQxKge0oFr2XA1AK_gCLcB/s1600/blitt.car-final.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E9788m-qFzo/WHrFEYNHl_I/AAAAAAAAKwk/KBg-1QJM6DYh0vWMQxKge0oFr2XA1AK_gCLcB/s320/blitt.car-final.gif" width="231" /></a></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , "verdana"; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">2016</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> might have been the Best Year Ever for </span></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>THE </i></span><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">NEW YORKER</span></i><span style="font-size: large;"> Covers. </span></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Here are some great covers from the last 12 months - </span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , "verdana"; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-ZGOf0CN7ZE/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-ZGOf0CN7ZE?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , "verdana"; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , "verdana"; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BpBJ4ubGYv4/WHrGvZXf2OI/AAAAAAAAKww/Ct-UUyzVhgYPJZxStDB3r8MdJNVh-e4FACLcB/s1600/Hollyweed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BpBJ4ubGYv4/WHrGvZXf2OI/AAAAAAAAKww/Ct-UUyzVhgYPJZxStDB3r8MdJNVh-e4FACLcB/s320/Hollyweed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , "verdana"; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>High Times magazine is leaving New York for...</i></b></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , "verdana"; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Los Angeles. </i></b></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , "verdana"; font-size: x-large;">"'The center of the cannabis universe has moved to California,' said Matt Stang, chief officer at High Times. 'New York used to be a liberal bastion.'" </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , "verdana"; font-size: large;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SAVsN9GbPvE/WHrHRudPeqI/AAAAAAAAKw0/mqPyvfMlBb0DngNOxUyYcIgdgRAL4YeGQCLcB/s1600/03HIGH-mag6-custom1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SAVsN9GbPvE/WHrHRudPeqI/AAAAAAAAKw0/mqPyvfMlBb0DngNOxUyYcIgdgRAL4YeGQCLcB/s200/03HIGH-mag6-custom1.jpg" width="150" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , "verdana"; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Yeah, but I bet the actual move from East to West coast will take longer than planned -<i>You totally need to chill out, man. We’ll move your desks when it feels right. </i></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , "verdana"; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , "verdana"; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , "verdana"; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , "verdana"; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_gvpTtM_Sm8/WHrPM1k7hKI/AAAAAAAAKxY/iYMx4buWXVIKkIAOKSiUKYSaGnymcAPSwCEw/s1600/dEPRESSED%2BOBSESSED%2BABOUT%2BBANNER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="88" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_gvpTtM_Sm8/WHrPM1k7hKI/AAAAAAAAKxY/iYMx4buWXVIKkIAOKSiUKYSaGnymcAPSwCEw/s640/dEPRESSED%2BOBSESSED%2BABOUT%2BBANNER.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , "verdana"; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , "verdana"; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , "verdana"; font-size: large;"><b><i>Besides Hitting the Plastic Reset Button No One in the News Media appears to be Doing Anything Different</i></b></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; padding: 0px;">
<span name="ws-word-wrapper"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">2017 was supposed to be different in the way the Media covered the Political arena.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">However, two weeks into the new year and it doesn’t look like anything has changed. </span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">There are so many things wrong in Journalism and the way they cover the world, that I don’t know </span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">where to begin. Let me start by mentioning two areas that should change, one at the Micro level and the other at the Macro Level. </span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vi2F4VOITBY/WHrQMZ3gSYI/AAAAAAAAKxc/8TwIkjcHNkscjJYKdnXiZip7Fdzyoi2RACLcB/s1600/Podium%2Bwith%2Ba%2Bmicrophone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vi2F4VOITBY/WHrQMZ3gSYI/AAAAAAAAKxc/8TwIkjcHNkscjJYKdnXiZip7Fdzyoi2RACLcB/s320/Podium%2Bwith%2Ba%2Bmicrophone.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">MICRO:</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> At press conferences, </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">if you are a reporter who continues to ask two questions when called upon, then you’ve learned nothing from the past. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Can you give me one instance when the person behind the microphone answered both questions? </span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">And when has the person at the podium ever tackled the tougher question of the two? </span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Asking two questions also opens up more opportunities for the person to find a place where they can verbally duck both questions. </span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">If your goal as a reporter is to have the answer to your question go viral, I strongly suggest the best strategy would be to ask one really good question. If your question doesn’t get answered, the verbal failure will end up being much more revealing. </span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C9KMrfWTaUY/WHrTTo4IWFI/AAAAAAAAKxw/TwRCR5_v76479TUPbr1P61J4lx2RWoRGACLcB/s1600/BUZZ%2BFEED%2BBANNER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C9KMrfWTaUY/WHrTTo4IWFI/AAAAAAAAKxw/TwRCR5_v76479TUPbr1P61J4lx2RWoRGACLcB/s1600/BUZZ%2BFEED%2BBANNER.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">MACRO: </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">There is a way to maintain journalistic ethics and still respond relevantly to the way things have radically changed in the world.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> The whole Trump/Russian Intel Dossier situation is a prime example of how out of touch the media is with the changing times. </span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-arxqkMeWBy0/WHrS9zXnrzI/AAAAAAAAKxs/qsLCNLly3EMR_c8pKrUqbFgFdul6cL8pwCLcB/s1600/dt%2BRUSSIAN%2BDOSSIER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-arxqkMeWBy0/WHrS9zXnrzI/AAAAAAAAKxs/qsLCNLly3EMR_c8pKrUqbFgFdul6cL8pwCLcB/s640/dt%2BRUSSIAN%2BDOSSIER.jpg" width="379" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I believe that </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Buzz Fee</span><span style="font-size: large;">D</span></b><span style="font-size: large;"> did the right thing in publishing the Trump/Russian Intel Dossier. And why I feel this way is the beginning of why I believe the rest of the media needs to update their standard of ethics regarding such situations as the Trump/Russian Intel Dossier. The rest of my answer is on the longish side so if you’re interested in reading more you’ll find it on my <a href="http://richardfinney.blogspot.com/p/addendum-page.html">Addendum Page</a>. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 15px; padding: 0px;">
<em><b><span name="ws-word-wrapper"><span class="word-border ws-token" name="ws-token" style="cursor: pointer !important;"><br /></span></span></b></em></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 15px; padding: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; padding: 0px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Richard Finney's Pit and the Pendulumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01765651977112405374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102052361378007231.post-88395967320645143762016-12-28T11:32:00.000-08:002016-12-28T11:32:16.114-08:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcAguBkjU4x4ILiBdHPORC9_qHAqTapQX-w96CfwY_J9-GlEf0mp4T_-tI3MjR2OYfS2OerzH1DdCU9RQAkJuxtJgramRQC48mNX7lpAa75rcsKE-vgg8KGBEdEVctVJzrrARwBf962YU/s1600/carrie+at+the+drivein+final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcAguBkjU4x4ILiBdHPORC9_qHAqTapQX-w96CfwY_J9-GlEf0mp4T_-tI3MjR2OYfS2OerzH1DdCU9RQAkJuxtJgramRQC48mNX7lpAa75rcsKE-vgg8KGBEdEVctVJzrrARwBf962YU/s640/carrie+at+the+drivein+final.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Richard Finney's Pit and the Pendulumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01765651977112405374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102052361378007231.post-52846203269484329172016-12-24T18:07:00.000-08:002016-12-24T18:07:00.505-08:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pQ71x4zaSCU/WF8pPH0t90I/AAAAAAAAKt0/662MjQYBllgLt5-oCPYvqNYeK0_GEiJ9gCLcB/s1600/Man%2Bin%2Bthe%2BHigh%2BCastle%2BFinal%2Bfinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="630" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pQ71x4zaSCU/WF8pPH0t90I/AAAAAAAAKt0/662MjQYBllgLt5-oCPYvqNYeK0_GEiJ9gCLcB/s640/Man%2Bin%2Bthe%2BHigh%2BCastle%2BFinal%2Bfinal.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">During the Holidays I've been enjoying the amazon series</span></b></div>
</div>
Richard Finney's Pit and the Pendulumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01765651977112405374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102052361378007231.post-33922644216815527482016-12-23T08:00:00.000-08:002016-12-23T08:00:16.600-08:00How Should I Proceed? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GBhvhqU5Y_8/WFyEV0brLfI/AAAAAAAAKso/itlOXYK3PpMTmjZWVYOiZVnOk55KP7ZJwCLcB/s1600/What%2Bis%2Bthe%2Bnext%2Bstep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GBhvhqU5Y_8/WFyEV0brLfI/AAAAAAAAKso/itlOXYK3PpMTmjZWVYOiZVnOk55KP7ZJwCLcB/s640/What%2Bis%2Bthe%2Bnext%2Bstep.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My Answer to an Online Question about Screenwriting </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bZxAYT3OFNs/WFx_T16t-eI/AAAAAAAAKsY/5tv7sXvln-o-Y1T13gbjOJFXnT6ev8kOwCLcB/s1600/c%2Bf%2Bpic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bZxAYT3OFNs/WFx_T16t-eI/AAAAAAAAKsY/5tv7sXvln-o-Y1T13gbjOJFXnT6ev8kOwCLcB/s1600/c%2Bf%2Bpic.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Charlie Frazier, a Screenwriter on Facebook asks me: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>I'd like to advance a script that I've written. I have one that has already attracted a director who loves the script and has worked with an A list actor who we both agree would be perfect for one of the lead roles. How should I proceed?</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rYU8kfEVap0/TchuKayQygI/AAAAAAAAAHA/8WFNZcSUXOslArsVodB4qGULXD7TGMDpgCPcB/s1600/017_14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rYU8kfEVap0/TchuKayQygI/AAAAAAAAAHA/8WFNZcSUXOslArsVodB4qGULXD7TGMDpgCPcB/s200/017_14.JPG" width="120" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Charlie, because I don’t know any other details than what you share with me in your question, the content of my response is general rather than any specific advice. I still hope my answer will contain some useful information.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Here are the First Five Things you should consider as you Proceed… </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">1 ) If you have an Agent and/or Manager and/or Lawyer get their advice. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">If you’ve done the above… great! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But perhaps at the moment this is not an option. You should use the interest in your project to get an agent/and/or manager /and/or lawyer. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">2) Evaluate your expectations for the project. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Write the answers down to this point so you can remind yourself what you were thinking when the process of setting up your project began. The process of getting a script professionally produced takes a long time, even under the best of circumstances. It’s easy to lose your compass along the way. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Hopefully, you can play the “long game” and not make any decisions that come from a place of… Fear. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Fear that if you don’t jump all over the situation being offered you will miss out. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Fear that if you don’t give in to everything that other parties ask of you, you’ll be making a mistake. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Fear as a source that drives any decision that overrides common sense, and smart long-term thinking. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The number-one reason screenwriters make bad decisions is because there is an emotional desperation to get to the next step in the process. Always be aware that one step forward, may wind up being several steps backwards if the move isn't smart. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">3) Check out the Director who has shown interest in your project. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Check him/her out in big way, as if the person is someone about to take over your house while you leave the country for several months. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">You especially want to know these major things – </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">3a </span><span style="font-size: large;">What the entertainment industry (production companies / studios / producers) thinks of the talent and marketability of the director’s work? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Who represents the director (agent/manager/lawyer)? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">3b</span><span style="font-size: large;"> What is the perception among talent and craft artisans that have previously worked with the director? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">3c</span><span style="font-size: large;"> What are the creative thoughts the director has about your project? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Many writers may ask why 3c isn’t more important than 3a and 3b. There are at least two important reasons why your main concern should not be on 3c. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">When a director can’t get your project made because no one believes in his/her talent and/or capabilities as a filmmaker this person is valueless as an asset when trying to set up your project with financiers, studios, production companies, a producer, or an actor. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">This is true even when you and the director feel like creative blood brothers about your project. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Secondly, in many ways seeking a perfect artistic match should not be the measuring stick for proceeding forward. This negates the inherent strength that often lies behind many great filmmaking ventures -- a gathering of singular, but different talents with the goal of creating something greater when working in unison. A director may see your script differently than what you originally intended, and that could be a good thing. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Different could be better, something many writers are unable to see clearly because of their myopic vision concerning their own work. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">4) Check out the Actor who is interested in working with the director on the project. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Follow through on points 3a, 3b above. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">People often assume that an “A” list actor can get almost any project produced, and of course that’s not true. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The less obvious point is this – </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Certain “B” List actors can get a greenlight on a certain type of project as long as it falls in a specific budget and genre. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">It's complicated. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This is why anyone thinking about attaching an “A” List Actor definitely needs to check out if the performer actually brings added cache to your project’s package. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And the above question is also what you would be asking yourself about the director as well – Is the director a real asset to a package that includes your script? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">5) Think about the Best Terms for a written agreement</span><span style="font-size: large;"> (“Best Terms” defined as “Reasonable and Customary” in regard to the other party you are dealing with, but the specifics and overall consideration of any agreement to be in your “Best Interests”) that would allow your project to be taken off the market if you were to go ahead and allow the director to become attached to your project. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">For instance, if you felt like the director was a value to your script, and his connection to the “A” list actor was potentially worth exploring, then work out an option agreement concerning your script that allows the director to explore the “A” list possibility. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But don’t think about working out any agreement if there are major red flags in carrying out the due diligence concerning points three and four. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">You would be wasting everyone’s time. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And you would potentially also cause your project to become compromised by going down an avenue that proves to be a waste of time because you haven’t squared away the issues in point number two. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">The number two reason screenwriters make bad business decisions is because they think with their heart rather than with their head. Don’t ignore the red flags. You won’t be sorry in the long run for choosing reason over misguided hope. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Richard Finney's Pit and the Pendulumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01765651977112405374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102052361378007231.post-89473263682008890592016-12-14T08:00:00.000-08:002016-12-14T16:06:25.889-08:00The Authentic Voices of "RECTIFY"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zbrNXx7maV4/WFCaO5siQjI/AAAAAAAAKlY/obydDDB4FxopIO9hebum9fhW9rad1Eh0gCLcB/s1600/RectifyS4_Gallery_Ens_014_RGB_V7.0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zbrNXx7maV4/WFCaO5siQjI/AAAAAAAAKlY/obydDDB4FxopIO9hebum9fhW9rad1Eh0gCLcB/s640/RectifyS4_Gallery_Ens_014_RGB_V7.0.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">The TV series, </span><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>RE</b></span></span><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>CTIFY</b></span><span style="font-size: large;">, ends its four-season run on the Sundance Channel tonight. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The show premiered on April 23, 2013, and those who have watched it from the beginning will be sad to see it depart. However, </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>RE</b></span></span><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>CTIFY</b></span><span style="font-size: large;">did pull off something rarely achieved by an excellent TV show – the series did not overstay its welcome. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Quite the feat for a show that began with the premise of a death row inmate released from prison after 19 years (for a crime he may or may not have committed) only to face the daunting challenge of picking up, and starting over while being surrounded by a family that as it turns out will face the exact same challenge in their lives as well. The series had a 30 episode run, which ended up being the perfect amount of time to tell its long-form story. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HUNF4VZOnaQ/WFCc-Gtc6MI/AAAAAAAAKlg/koLghuxb5ogackgSGzScbIEygD_pThfxQCLcB/s1600/sdc050_rtfys3_danielkeyart_7944_x11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HUNF4VZOnaQ/WFCc-Gtc6MI/AAAAAAAAKlg/koLghuxb5ogackgSGzScbIEygD_pThfxQCLcB/s320/sdc050_rtfys3_danielkeyart_7944_x11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>RE</b></span></span><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>CTIFY</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"> always maintained a high level of creative quality, especially in one specific area of the craft – Dialogue. For the Professional or Non-professional Writer, there is a lot one can learn from watching the series. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the most important Professional Screenwriting Rules about writing dialogue (especially in writing in the drama genre) is to begin from the notion that in real life, people seldom say what they really feel or are thinking. What is left unsaid by characters, or what is said in place of what is hidden is usually a great place to begin if you are a writer working on a script. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The wonderful thing about <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>RE</b></span></span><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>CTIFY</b></span>is that the whole series was essentially a study on the process of communication, or mostly non-communication, between people living in the modern world. From the very first episode, all the principal and supporting characters in the series struggle, scene after scene, with the basic goal of any inter-personal relationship – to communicate effectively with one another. In many ways, the entire run of the show was obsessed with depicting characters attempting to make life-changing breakthroughs in the way they connect with other people, whether they are family members, persons from their past, or members of the surrounding populace one encounters daily in a modern world. This is why, 30 episodes later, the series ends up being a remarkable master class for any fledging writer or Professional who wants to see how the craft of writing dialogue can be brought to the level of art. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JjusiORHq5Q/WFCjbUrUseI/AAAAAAAAKl0/jw1hiTftEeQMao3go621iLSzaKCdDTltwCLcB/s1600/RAY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JjusiORHq5Q/WFCjbUrUseI/AAAAAAAAKl0/jw1hiTftEeQMao3go621iLSzaKCdDTltwCLcB/s320/RAY.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I want to point out </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Three Key Areas</span><span style="font-size: large;"> in the way series creator/show runner, Ray McKinnon, (along with the other writers/writing staff that contributed creatively to the series throughout its run), managed to use dialogue as they focused their creative attention on a basic flaw most human beings suffer from — the ability to meaningfully communicate with one another. Before we begin, take a look at this scene from season one that depicts the main character, Daniel Holden, interacting with his sister-in-law, Tawney Talbot, shortly after he has been released from prison. Note how the filmmakers establish very early on the creative focus of the show when Tawney says, “I just didn’t know what to say exactly.” </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0EiQCeRc6gg/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0EiQCeRc6gg?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1</span> The Characters in <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>RE</b></span></span><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>CTIFY</b></span>speak with consistently Authentic Voices.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">One of the biggest challenges in writing for dramas is writing dialogue that comes off in the way real people actually speak. It’s a challenge so difficult that often a writer will just suspend the test and write dialogue that reflects a reality more consistent with the universe of their creation/story, not with real life. I actually take this approach with almost everything I write, which is probably why I appreciate writers who can create dialogue that is both authentic sounding and yet… entertaining. Throughout the series, the characters in Rectify exchange dialogue that might at times have a colorful phrase or two, but mostly is filled with banal or rote expressions, sprinkled with plenty of silent pauses. In other words, authentic sounding. Here is a typical scene from the series with the “authentic” dialogue on full display. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jNT1w5KAq4E/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jNT1w5KAq4E?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">2 - Like real life, often there is an undertow, a sub-text, that is working beneath the surface as people interact with each other.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This second point is at the heart of any well-executed scene of dialogue between two or more characters. And this is one of the reasons <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>RE</b></span></span><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>CTIFY</b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span>was a wonderful series to invest in as a viewer. Below all the banal, rote phrases and silent pauses, there was a dynamic undertow that energized even the most straight-forward scenes of interaction between the show’s characters. The undertow currents flowing below and between the principal characters were set up from the outset, and then carefully modulated during the run of the series. This subtext running below the surface was even there when one of the main characters interacted with a supporting or walk-on character in the storyline - a neighbor, store customer, a supervisor, or apartment manager. All the scenes in <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>RE</b></span></span><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>CTIFY</b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span>seemed to be charged with the type of underlying issues - status, sexism, self-worth, fear, prejudice, etc. – that often inform anyone’s daily interpersonal interaction with another human being. This led to not only great storytelling, but also relatable human drama. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/pkcg29r2hmo/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pkcg29r2hmo?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">3 The dialogue in <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>RE</b></span></span><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>CTIFY</b></span> really shines when the characters end up using the same banal or superficial banter as a communication weapon.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This is the area where the writers of the series pay off their consistent authentic pitch, and rote verbal choices that inform most of the show's dialogue. These are the scenes that display a level of craft you usually only get from great playwrights or screenwriters who specialize in exploiting the nuances of human behavior through words. In <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>RE</b></span></span><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>CTIFY</b></span>, the verbal interaction between (emotionally locked down) familial characters is in the use of words with a sharp edge, rather than the blunt side of a hammer to make their point. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The setting for this scene is a quiet dinner between parents and son, interrupted when the other son drops by unannounced. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iPYoP4_C2SQ/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iPYoP4_C2SQ?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">As the series played out its final year, the episodes were still pre-occupied with the theme of interpersonal communication. The biggest change with the final episodes was that some of the characters, both main and supporting, were finally making profound personal connections. Not having seen the final show of the series yet, I’m betting that the characters who end up better off than when the show premiered are the ones who have become more comfortable speaking their mind rather than verbally hiding behind a mask. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/KpwN54y1lV8/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KpwN54y1lV8?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Throughout the four seasons of the show, the filmmakers behind </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>RE</b></span></span><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>CTIFY</b></span> used the dynamic interaction of dialogue to explore a theme that metaphorically informed the show’s premise — any of us can wind up in a prison with the only means of escape is to meaningfully connect with yourself… and with other people. </span></div>
Richard Finney's Pit and the Pendulumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01765651977112405374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102052361378007231.post-89421056548305275792016-12-12T10:00:00.000-08:002016-12-12T16:37:36.639-08:00Brave New Binge World<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QuuO4SAQGlI/WEyZXRpwZII/AAAAAAAAKjY/xzbYxGowses3FOBgy5_-6ZNLva9Pz1l1ACLcB/s1600/Brave%2BNew%2BBinge%2BWorld%2BPost%2Bkey%2Bart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QuuO4SAQGlI/WEyZXRpwZII/AAAAAAAAKjY/xzbYxGowses3FOBgy5_-6ZNLva9Pz1l1ACLcB/s640/Brave%2BNew%2BBinge%2BWorld%2BPost%2Bkey%2Bart.jpg" width="473" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I know I’m a few weeks early in making Predictions for the coming new year. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">However, I couldn't wait to share my thoughts on a trend that I believe will end up changing the way TV shows are produced and distributed not only next year, but for the forseeable future. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">This last week Netflix announced that the streaming service was in the process of doubling the amount of original series available to subscribers in 2017. Netflix aims to have a minimum of 1,000 </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PBndnwz0RTY/WEydBaW0nyI/AAAAAAAAKj4/_IZyyRxg3-U1otORJBGRWoMdy87254afwCLcB/s1600/netflixlogo.0.0.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PBndnwz0RTY/WEydBaW0nyI/AAAAAAAAKj4/_IZyyRxg3-U1otORJBGRWoMdy87254afwCLcB/s320/netflixlogo.0.0.png" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">hours of original content by the end of next year. The company is set to spend quite a bit of its $6 billion budget for TV series and films on creating and acquiring TV series/Movies with the goal to make at least half of the shows and films available to subscribers be Netflix originals. No doubt Amazon will attempt to keep up with their rival's plan for the domination of worldwide entertainment viewing.</span><br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cmi38JGjP8M/WEyaj3NNsfI/AAAAAAAAKjk/cnp3IpNOPO42bK8oDzKJWB3Ghne18qgpwCLcB/s1600/amazon%2Bimage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cmi38JGjP8M/WEyaj3NNsfI/AAAAAAAAKjk/cnp3IpNOPO42bK8oDzKJWB3Ghne18qgpwCLcB/s320/amazon%2Bimage.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Why this is significant is because each time Netflix and Amazon </span><span style="font-size: large;">premiere a new TV series, that show’s season run is available to their viewers. This has led to a trend in streaming audiences binging on TV shows when they have the choice to see an entire series all at once rather than waiting week after week to watch single episodes. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I highlight this because I honestly believe it will continue to have a huge impact on all levels of the entertainment business. On the production side, it's already begun. In the last two years, there have been more production companies/producers of TV series than ever before who are contractually obligated to shoot, post, and deliver the entire season's worth of episodes to a Network. For the longest time, the standard operating procedure was for production company/producers to shoot, post and deliver chunks of a season's episodes to the Network, then working to stay ahead by at least three or four episodes of what is broadcast on TV to audiences. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lC-FJd1XQtE/WE9CkHyEhVI/AAAAAAAAKkg/_MdNJkr5bSshDS5ehT0A5owZWcjGRm1JACLcB/s1600/OA%2Bon%2BNetflix%2Ball%2Bepisodes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lC-FJd1XQtE/WE9CkHyEhVI/AAAAAAAAKkg/_MdNJkr5bSshDS5ehT0A5owZWcjGRm1JACLcB/s200/OA%2Bon%2BNetflix%2Ball%2Bepisodes.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">This process led to the eventual success of many TV shows in the past. When the producers saw how early episodes were playing to audiences, they would then augment the future shows to highlight what was working, whether it was a storyline, or an actor in the cast who was resonating with audiences. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">All of that will become ancient history as Netflix and Amazon continue to finance a large bulk of TV series in the future. Audiences who subscribe to Netflix and Amazon (and for years, binging on DVD sets with a season or complete series run of a TV show) are becoming spoiled with the option to binge on a show at their own pace. </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">D</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">elaying the gratification of the modern TV viewer will become more and more of a challenge to those who continue to broadcast TV shows in the old-fashioned way. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_9G6YNWq93w/WEybS9J2c_I/AAAAAAAAKjo/6MNyJ35luykBkHibKRflOM4i23_j7E7KgCLcB/s1600/four%2Bmajor%2Bnetworks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_9G6YNWq93w/WEybS9J2c_I/AAAAAAAAKjo/6MNyJ35luykBkHibKRflOM4i23_j7E7KgCLcB/s320/four%2Bmajor%2Bnetworks.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I believe the first to suffer will be the major broadcast networks who continue to air episodes of TV shows on a nine-month schedule. Even shows that have 10-13 episodes might eventually suffer if the series run is spread out over four or five months. It’s not that viewers won’t watch if they are already fans of a particular show. The challenge will be getting a new series launched when audiences don’t have the patience to commit to watching four episodes spread over a month or more. </span><br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yaXXhpJCU_A/WEycJOcx3jI/AAAAAAAAKjw/8bXO2cl9iWUzmJUKXMGd5_P7Q5GDU3pOQCLcB/s1600/HBO%2BShowtime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yaXXhpJCU_A/WEycJOcx3jI/AAAAAAAAKjw/8bXO2cl9iWUzmJUKXMGd5_P7Q5GDU3pOQCLcB/s1600/HBO%2BShowtime.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I don’t believe the pay channels (HBO, Showtime, Starz, Epic), will sit still as this trend continues to change the viewing landscape. I see them spreading out the runs of their marquee shows in less, not more months. And it will be one of the pay networks above that make the initial move of having all the episodes of a TV series available on the same night the series is premiered. </span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p2qf5snDDmI/WEycRRaF0KI/AAAAAAAAKj0/E12inlm1DFUBWPIh5ZrBPKyGKaNWbSnJgCLcB/s1600/starz-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="105" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p2qf5snDDmI/WEycRRaF0KI/AAAAAAAAKj0/E12inlm1DFUBWPIh5ZrBPKyGKaNWbSnJgCLcB/s200/starz-logo.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">The longer-term ramifications will be that Sports programming will start to become more valuable as well as other “live” televised events. But with football and other network sporting events showing a recent drop in the ratings, that will not be the entire answer to what will continue to be a steady drop-off in ratings for prime time broadcast shows. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Having the complete arc of a quality TV Series at the audience’s beck and call will end up rewarding those who deliver. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Right now, Netflix and Amazon are positioning themselves to be the ones who reap those rewards. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">All of this change I hope will end up being great for professional creators. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But who really knows? We're talking about the entertainment industry. Only a fool believes he can predict where a single brick will land after a building is brought down by a series of explosions. </span> </div>
Richard Finney's Pit and the Pendulumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01765651977112405374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102052361378007231.post-90510626474923205652016-11-25T14:45:00.000-08:002016-11-25T14:53:37.260-08:00Is Adapting Literature Still a "Beast"? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y0HsZs_e2wk/WDi8EkzJwsI/AAAAAAAAKZk/xExjxPQhIrsoIFJnJZH7qPNpyw2EdUzXQCLcB/s1600/fantastic%2Bbook%2Bimagejpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y0HsZs_e2wk/WDi8EkzJwsI/AAAAAAAAKZk/xExjxPQhIrsoIFJnJZH7qPNpyw2EdUzXQCLcB/s400/fantastic%2Bbook%2Bimagejpg.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">For decades in the entertainment industry, there had been an unwritten rule concerning the adaptation of books into movies – </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Books written in commercial genres end up making the best movies. Books that are considered “literature,” often get adapted into mediocre movies. </i></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4l8Egk0GOHs/WDi8OzfgrwI/AAAAAAAAKZo/OLhNcWiS3zU2iYpIWmEiNKLpDlgiMWZowCLcB/s1600/Fantastic-Beasts-and-Where-to-Find-Them-poster-fan-1837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4l8Egk0GOHs/WDi8OzfgrwI/AAAAAAAAKZo/OLhNcWiS3zU2iYpIWmEiNKLpDlgiMWZowCLcB/s1600/Fantastic-Beasts-and-Where-to-Find-Them-poster-fan-1837.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I raise this issue because of the critical and box-office success of the “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” a movie from the screenplay and work of J.K. Rowling. There are few people who would disagree that Rowling’s artistic talent and success are certainly on par with Roald Dahl, now considered a literary giant even though his most influential work was in children’s books. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Whether the Harry Potter books should be considered “literature” or fine examples of wonderfully written books for main-stream audiences might still be debatable. However, the original </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xXt_CHa6oT8/WDi8cQXmvzI/AAAAAAAAKZs/VMrJkz1E4yATwppamNhTTsVkG57QJ3AswCLcB/s1600/o-NEW-HARRY-POTTER-COVER-facebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xXt_CHa6oT8/WDi8cQXmvzI/AAAAAAAAKZs/VMrJkz1E4yATwppamNhTTsVkG57QJ3AswCLcB/s320/o-NEW-HARRY-POTTER-COVER-facebook.jpg" width="221" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">publication of the Harry Potter books (the first one came out in 1997) led to a transcendent change in our pop culture - a new generation of young people, tempted to follow the siren of digital entertainment, instead discovered the passion of reading books. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">There was a lot of skepticism about whether it was truly possible to capture on film the dense, unique universe J.K. Rowling had created on the page. As it turns out, the filmmakers involved with the Potter movie franchise mostly got it right. But does the past success of the Potter books and the more recent success of “Beasts” mean that Hollywood has gotten better at handling well written books that are tough to translate to the screen? Or is it that the Potter books don’t necessarily qualify as “literature” in the traditional sense? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CidajC-QIro/WDi8odCcoOI/AAAAAAAAKZw/h3rSXy_ztJgxjOobDOdia6Q8p7HpgfZ7wCLcB/s1600/american%2Bpastoraljpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CidajC-QIro/WDi8odCcoOI/AAAAAAAAKZw/h3rSXy_ztJgxjOobDOdia6Q8p7HpgfZ7wCLcB/s320/american%2Bpastoraljpg.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Let’s consider two critically acclaimed books, both recognized as “great literature,” by a majority of critics and readers. “American Pastoral” is perhaps one of the greatest books written in the last two decades, and one of the many great books that author Phillip Roth has written over his long and distinguished career. The novel was recently adapted into a theatrical movie, which unfortunately falls short of capturing the quality of the source material. Written and directed by the wonderfully talented actor, Ewan McGregor, the adaptation fails in the way that many adaptations often fail, neither capturing the spirit and essence of the source material, while at the same time, failing to establish its own raison d'être as a film project.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yYlSA0Idjmo/WDi8xmsJXrI/AAAAAAAAKZ0/Q7UZYCo95h0vU77mIb_MckwcDFVqZK-HQCLcB/s1600/pastoral%2Bphoto%2Bewan%2Band%2Bdaughter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yYlSA0Idjmo/WDi8xmsJXrI/AAAAAAAAKZ0/Q7UZYCo95h0vU77mIb_MckwcDFVqZK-HQCLcB/s320/pastoral%2Bphoto%2Bewan%2Band%2Bdaughter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">In this Neo-Golden age of television, we might see TV as the natural place to host adaptations of challenging literary works. That's not always the case. I turn my attention to the adaptation of Jonathan Franzen’s brilliant book, "The Corrections,” adapted recently as a potential series to air on HBO.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xt8JzRRILb4/WDi89vF0fOI/AAAAAAAAKZ4/NjZx88P2U6A24GGAexjbGbNdaMIsLceeQCLcB/s1600/corrections_featured_photo_gallery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xt8JzRRILb4/WDi89vF0fOI/AAAAAAAAKZ4/NjZx88P2U6A24GGAexjbGbNdaMIsLceeQCLcB/s400/corrections_featured_photo_gallery.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Even though there were many talented creative people involved (including Producer Scott Rudin) in the development and shooting of the pilot episode for the project, HBO ended up not picking up the project as a series. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Why? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In an interview (with Kurt Anderson) about the failed HBO project, Noah Baumbach, the screenwriter (along with the novelist, Franzen)/and director of the pilot, attempted to share some insight into what happened — </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">“The real reason I think we didn’t go forward with (the project as a series) was that it was too complex, and it was really too expensive for the kind of show it was going to be.” </span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Baumbach goes on in the interview to define how adapting any great literary work is difficult, whether it is as a movie or a TV series - “I left (the failure of the TV pilot to get picked up by HBO) with a real appreciation for what is distinctly television and what is distinctly movies. Sometimes that gets conflated because we’re all talking about how we’re in a golden age of TV and TV is where more interesting stuff is going on. But I think what gets lost in that sometimes is that it’s really a different medium. For me, the challenge of looking at something over a long period of time, that was ongoing and had no end, where you’re just re-generating story for every episode.” </span><span style="font-size: large;">Noah’s comments suggest that any appearance of change in the rules of adaptation (even for TV) is a misnomer. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Perhaps there is a new appreciation for books written by authors like J.K. Rowling, John LeCarre, and Stephen King, all genre writers that have now achieved a higher status when considering their work as “literature.” </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But apparently what hasn’t changed is how literary authors and their efforts still challenge adapting their material as a Theatrical or TV series screenplay. </span></div>
Richard Finney's Pit and the Pendulumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01765651977112405374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102052361378007231.post-29838550386419214852016-11-20T13:47:00.000-08:002016-11-20T14:02:13.923-08:00Here's a Professional Who's Forgotten about his Oath <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WgiAeSh6KKE/WDISpc2ndoI/AAAAAAAAKY4/Vhw41ogz-IgyXq2G1tCS5BcE3JPd_BK-wCLcB/s1600/Dr.%2BPhil%2Bwith%2BShrunken%2Bhead%2BFinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WgiAeSh6KKE/WDISpc2ndoI/AAAAAAAAKY4/Vhw41ogz-IgyXq2G1tCS5BcE3JPd_BK-wCLcB/s400/Dr.%2BPhil%2Bwith%2BShrunken%2Bhead%2BFinal.jpg" width="272" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Vivian Kubrick, the filmmaker and daughter of the great Director Stanley Kubrick, tweets that she </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">"recoils in disgust." </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I share her revulsion. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Last Wednesday, the "Dr. Phil " TV show teased a segment that would run on Friday's show. I'm posting this today because I didn't want to put up anything that would get more viewers to turn into the actual show. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Actress Shelly Duvall is not mentally well and</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Dr. Phil </span><span style="font-size: large;">decided to pay her a visit. He claims the purpose was to help her, but is there any doubt that the only one who will really benefit from the house call will be Dr. Phil and his TV show's ratings? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZikkXEryNZM/WDITndWYxKI/AAAAAAAAKY8/xo5ET83lgpM225dKnKr9rJiYh-YsFavKwCLcB/s1600/shelly%2Bduvall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZikkXEryNZM/WDITndWYxKI/AAAAAAAAKY8/xo5ET83lgpM225dKnKr9rJiYh-YsFavKwCLcB/s320/shelly%2Bduvall.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">There is a long history of performers in Hollywood being exploited when they hit hard times, from Bela Lugosi to Margot Kidder. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Unfortunately, it’s part of our species' biological nature to gossip, to pay close attention to the ups and downs of the people we know; and even show passionate interest in the personal lives of people we think we know through the media - actors, singers, or athletes. I believe Hollywood performers often suffer the most from this mental vice because of another species' wide pre-disposition -- a desire/dream to become rich and/or famous by performing in front of the camera. This is of course the hidden explanation that lies behind the popularity of reality shows. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">None of the above excuses the exploitation of Shelly Duvall. And Dr. Phil's video segment is especially nauseating because Mental Illness in this country still has not turned the corner to becoming a disease that is handled with compassion by the general populace and serious attention by the decision makers who deal with the health care in this country. </span><br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-unQmVW80AHI/WDIUtJnq95I/AAAAAAAAKZA/n-HCQXlCln0ynH-lZmHwIRBzNPP7pSbCwCLcB/s1600/Vivian%2Band%2BFather.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-unQmVW80AHI/WDIUtJnq95I/AAAAAAAAKZA/n-HCQXlCln0ynH-lZmHwIRBzNPP7pSbCwCLcB/s400/Vivian%2Band%2BFather.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8mbIxxhsSDLEuCnjJ01vj3lPgBQFRuRD1zr-GzfK_NxHN1mz61Ux5hnJULc5QKlKT_kspuGxy6qlqekOHlmUVse5QS6SJq08mQKZRZh9ZUvvEPm4N5DPcV6DnnPYiUr3nEzZDY1wP5IU/s1600/kubrick+tweet+with+border.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8mbIxxhsSDLEuCnjJ01vj3lPgBQFRuRD1zr-GzfK_NxHN1mz61Ux5hnJULc5QKlKT_kspuGxy6qlqekOHlmUVse5QS6SJq08mQKZRZh9ZUvvEPm4N5DPcV6DnnPYiUr3nEzZDY1wP5IU/s320/kubrick+tweet+with+border.jpg" width="248" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">During the production of the movie, </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>The Shining</i>,</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Vivian Kubrick <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o-n6vZvqjQ">shot an amazing production documentary</a> that ended up being a rare glimpse of her father at work. This is obviously where Vivian's connection with Shelly Duvall began. Forty years later, Vivian is not only crying foul on <a href="https://twitter.com/ViKu1111?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">twitter</a>, but also <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/shelley-duvall">raising money</a> to help pay for the real medical help Ms. Duvall desperately needs. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It’s easy to forget that Dr. Phil McGraw is a licensed doctor, not just the host of a popular TV show. Upon becoming a practicing physician, </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Dr. Phil swore not to violate the Hippocratic oath. </span><span style="font-size: large;">One of the sections in the modern version of the oath reads, “I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know.” And there’s a part in the ancient version of the oath that reads, “Practice two things in your dealings with disease: either help or do not harm the patient.” </span><br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KBSy3H4PDyc/WDIWY87Oo3I/AAAAAAAAKZI/SPU8HZfVsygtvyvBYvOrjK1ynIAm0uHWACLcB/s1600/640px-HippocraticOath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KBSy3H4PDyc/WDIWY87Oo3I/AAAAAAAAKZI/SPU8HZfVsygtvyvBYvOrjK1ynIAm0uHWACLcB/s320/640px-HippocraticOath.jpg" width="226" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;">Hey, Doc, interviewing a mentally ill person in front of cameras and a crew, then broadcasting your “treatment” of her to millions of TV viewers seems like it should be classified as “harm,” even if your actions are not specifically covered in the DSM. </span></div>
Richard Finney's Pit and the Pendulumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01765651977112405374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102052361378007231.post-58871020569081976872016-11-06T10:46:00.001-08:002016-11-06T13:44:31.849-08:00The Icon Status of John Wayne<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_RKIEy3nGIw/WB6AKhZDxQI/AAAAAAAAKS0/4IZcLg-TWrE05ECnB30FV51vkxpSGRNdACLcB/s1600/Marilyn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_RKIEy3nGIw/WB6AKhZDxQI/AAAAAAAAKS0/4IZcLg-TWrE05ECnB30FV51vkxpSGRNdACLcB/s320/Marilyn.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">STAR POWER is a phrase often used in the Industry. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Less heard is the phrase HOLLYWOOD ICON. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Which begs the question – <i><span style="font-size: large;">What actors in front of the camera today will end up being a Hollywood Icon in the future? </span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It’s a tough call because the nature of Movies, and the business of making films has radically changed over the last fifty years. </span><br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Sf_YcpUPX6Q/WB6Ad7Fr7FI/AAAAAAAAKS4/m8_pADDB3eEfJE5_-u1-PakxlDF8gCxzACLcB/s1600/james%2Bdean%2Bwith%2Bfx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Sf_YcpUPX6Q/WB6Ad7Fr7FI/AAAAAAAAKS4/m8_pADDB3eEfJE5_-u1-PakxlDF8gCxzACLcB/s320/james%2Bdean%2Bwith%2Bfx.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Even with all the cultural change, certain performers in the past have had no problem maintaining their status as Hollywood Icons. Marilyn Monroe continues to be on top of the Icon list. Her image is one of the first that comes to mind when the word "sexy" is mentioned. I also believe James Dean has maintained his lofty status as the poster boy of “Cool,” even among many younger filmgoers who have probably never seen one of his movies. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">However, not all of the classic Hollywood Icons have aged as well over the years.<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">John Wayne is a prime example. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgViuTOnWATvoXYgN8orBX4f1HN4nJwxb_NGeBRa-i9SM5do0g645WdV8vt7me9KOHNoiSs3RSabsUvxOJxkSZlz0U8OrBFvcvVriVmMk6BvKWWAJu088ycBWKEgGnfkQJzZR48SKY1Veg/s1600/John+Wayne+Footprints.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgViuTOnWATvoXYgN8orBX4f1HN4nJwxb_NGeBRa-i9SM5do0g645WdV8vt7me9KOHNoiSs3RSabsUvxOJxkSZlz0U8OrBFvcvVriVmMk6BvKWWAJu088ycBWKEgGnfkQJzZR48SKY1Veg/s400/John+Wayne+Footprints.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At one time, the “Duke” was the biggest star on the planet. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Indeed, his cultural persona became so huge, that what happened to John Wayne is what happens to many Hollywood Icons — they evolve to become... a metaphor. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Marilyn and Dean became metaphors for “sexy” and “cool.” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">However, something strange happened after Wayne became a metaphor for “Manly Hero.” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The transformation began as a generational thing - John Wayne was what your father (or grandfather) loved about movies. Not you. Or at least not those who were part of the generation that was staking a flag in the cultural landscape hoping to fight to make things different. And this generational shift ended up being the foundation for a deeper, more wide-ranging attack on John Wayne... his movies... and especially his gold framed, velvet icon image hanging on the living room walls all across middle America. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For many people who had grown up in a progressive culture, questioning everything that had gone on before they were born, John Wayne represented not only what had been gravely wrong with this nation’s history, but the Duke was the star in the establishment's attempt to white wash all the sins from our past using Hollywood as its propaganda machine. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">While the cultural legacies of Marilyn and Dean were poolside getting a nice tan, the status of John Wayne’s legacy was being scorched. His status as an Icon was not only being questioned, but condemned in the same way many people now wonder why we have a holiday that celebrates Christopher Columbus. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Once again we have the privilege of publishing an excerpt from <i>The DVD Laser Disc <a href="mailto:dpratt@dvdlaser.com">Newsletter</a></i>. F</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">ilm critic Doug Pratt shares his thoughts on John Wayne’s most famous Western films. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Pratt’s coverage of the Duke’s movies mostly stays within the boundaries of film history. There's no reference to John Wayne’s ranking on the Icon power list. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That's my excuse to offer my opinion as to why I believe </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> John Wayne's Hollywood Icon status deserves a higher place on Monument Mountain. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">After all these years, and all that has happened since the Duke’s films were first released, his star presence up on the screen still shines as bright as a super nova. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VrxlaH-V4vw/WB6ImAGwYxI/AAAAAAAAKTI/lSPagJ8vp18_d-ZmCEAFTMrFGFqmTZX1wCLcB/s1600/jw%2Bfinal%2Bfor%2Bpublication.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VrxlaH-V4vw/WB6ImAGwYxI/AAAAAAAAKTI/lSPagJ8vp18_d-ZmCEAFTMrFGFqmTZX1wCLcB/s640/jw%2Bfinal%2Bfor%2Bpublication.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Starting out with jet black hair</span><span style="font-size: large;"> and concluding with an entirely white mane, John Wayne’s character ages, becomes unglued, and then restores himself in Howard Hawks’ outstanding and </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t5-J0FEGHdY/WB4rk7zwWCI/AAAAAAAAKPo/dJ1wxgHmz0k43ea0H4i9k3wdKOMuTq0SgCLcB/s1600/Red%2BRiver%2Bdvd%2Bcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t5-J0FEGHdY/WB4rk7zwWCI/AAAAAAAAKPo/dJ1wxgHmz0k43ea0H4i9k3wdKOMuTq0SgCLcB/s320/Red%2BRiver%2Bdvd%2Bcover.jpg" width="257" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">captivating cattle drive drama, </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>RED RIVER</b></i></span><span style="font-size: large;">, which has been released in a combination four-platter Blu-ray + DVD set, along with the novel that inspired the film, by The Criterion Collection (UPC#715515117012, $50). Their first collaboration (and Hawks’ first complete western), Wayne adapted magnificently to Hawks’ breakneck staging in the 1948 production, seeming to react spontaneously to the world around him, even when things happen while his back is turned. Montgomery Clift co-stars as Wayne’s partner, the film dramatizing the first time a Texas </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N5_J9yjCi9Y/WB4sHBHsR_I/AAAAAAAAKPs/QbYpFs5IbRs8dlFDYqCaM7MhxUtRgv2oACLcB/s1600/Wayne%2Band%2BClift.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N5_J9yjCi9Y/WB4sHBHsR_I/AAAAAAAAKPs/QbYpFs5IbRs8dlFDYqCaM7MhxUtRgv2oACLcB/s400/Wayne%2Band%2BClift.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
cattleman took his herd from the south of Texas to Kansas. Not only does Wayne’s hair turn white (it was the first time he played a character substantially older than he actually was), but he adeptly and subtly conveys the pains of aging, having difficulty at times standing straight or mounting a horse. (It is so subtle that in one of the analytical interviews in the supplement, Molly Haskell misreads the intentions of his stance.) It was that maturity that truly defined Wayne’s super-stardom, in essence creating a father figure that has dogged America ever since. </span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO4-ztzZ2aPnYW7v1zCnWGziTVh_rDd-X7h0ixlnDpar-9j3NVkiVaaHh0i5GOQVWQa7RzDcCpHENtYO3x5xzTG7bdEllHpmvZzIzE3owbJr_1zEB2SEyRbSuJ6DH3eXofwW1OrS2BDh8/s1600/redriverFinalFight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="483" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO4-ztzZ2aPnYW7v1zCnWGziTVh_rDd-X7h0ixlnDpar-9j3NVkiVaaHh0i5GOQVWQa7RzDcCpHENtYO3x5xzTG7bdEllHpmvZzIzE3owbJr_1zEB2SEyRbSuJ6DH3eXofwW1OrS2BDh8/s640/redriverFinalFight.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Wayne’s character becomes obsessed with guiding the herd in a direction that will unquestionably lead to ruin, while Clift favors a different but unknown alternate route. The argument between them almost turns deadly. Walter Brennan, John Ireland and Joanne Dru co-star, with a whole litany of well known western character actors filling in behind them. The action scenes are breathtaking, and the production itself is impressive on a never-again scale, as hundreds of cattle were utilized during the shoot. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y2nC7fGTfJQ/WB4vDwuEH_I/AAAAAAAAKP4/jJkecYsUl-86y06l1ujpvDb0nt67Rn8DwCLcB/s1600/WALTER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y2nC7fGTfJQ/WB4vDwuEH_I/AAAAAAAAKP4/jJkecYsUl-86y06l1ujpvDb0nt67Rn8DwCLcB/s1600/WALTER.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">On the two BD platters and the two DVD platters, one platter contains the standard 127-minute theatrical version, and the other contains a ‘pre-release’ version that runs 133 minutes. Where the standard version has a chipper voiceover narration by Walter Brennan, the longer version has awkward fades to the pages of a journal, where you have to read for yourself what has happened during the transition. On the other hand, while the theatrical version is properly trimmed to the essential aspects of the story, the movie is so darn good that you don’t mind at all the extensions that stretch it out a little more, adding a bit of character detail and story, or sometimes just taking in more of the environment. The biggest change comes in the ending, which was trimmed for legal reasons rather than aesthetic ones, and therefore plays with greater satisfaction in its longer form. On the whole, despite losing Brennan’s narration, the longer version never feels bogged down or in anyway less brisk than the tightened version, and it is the version we will recommend to friends from now on.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The full screen black-and-white picture is mostly spotless. The </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t8MVww5Zk0M/WB4vOEceWhI/AAAAAAAAKP8/ZWkTfMllN4s2aoEmOjB3yRO9KYmkQCqFwCLcB/s1600/redriv%2B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t8MVww5Zk0M/WB4vOEceWhI/AAAAAAAAKP8/ZWkTfMllN4s2aoEmOjB3yRO9KYmkQCqFwCLcB/s400/redriv%2B.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">only flaw we could make out is that sometimes the left edge of the image is a little softer than the right edge, but that is a very minor quibble. The picture looks beautiful, and is rendered with a pristine clarity. The monophonic sound is also fairly clean and strong. There are optional English subtitles, and a trailer.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In something of a rarity, Wayne joins Dru and Brennan for the Lux Radio Theatre adaptation that was originally broadcast in 1949. Jeff Chandler gives a bland presentation of the Clift part. You may wonder how they got all those cattle into the studio, but the radio presentation on the whole is quite good, filling in at least one plot point that is left dangling by the film (the fate of the character played by Ireland) and otherwise condensing the tale without compromising its essence. Wayne’s performance is thrilling, and one moment, which has been altered slightly from the film for the abridgement, in which Wayne and Chandler’s characters discuss how a widow should be compensated when her husband is killed during the drive, gave us goosebumps. </span><br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-55G3EeHsgq8/WB4vWQtLW3I/AAAAAAAAKQA/o96UX9m9t_EI42C813ssqBUskxDLcdNCwCLcB/s1600/PETER%2BEwMjkyOTk5Njk0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-55G3EeHsgq8/WB4vWQtLW3I/AAAAAAAAKQA/o96UX9m9t_EI42C813ssqBUskxDLcdNCwCLcB/s200/PETER%2BEwMjkyOTk5Njk0.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Peter Bogdanovich provides a 17-minute analysis, delineating the differences between the two versions and why they occurred, explaining why the film is one of his favorites, deconstructing a very clever shot that made it look like there were three times as many cattle as Hawks really had to work with, and talking about the highlights of his interviews with Hawks and what they revealed about the film. There are also 16 minutes of audio-only excerpts from Bogdanovich’s interview with Hawks in 1972, in which they talk about the development of the film, the actors (he wasn’t impressed with Dru, though we can’t imagine why not), some of the film’s logistics, and his previous work on a western with Howard Hughes.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The Haskell interview runs 16 minutes and essentially summarizes all of the most common interpretations of the film’s dynamics. There is also a 13-minute interview with film historian Lee Clark Mitchell who gives a fairly good overview of the Western as a genre and how Red River upended a number of its conventions, as well as summarizing the background of novelist and screenwriter Borden Chase. An audio-only interview from 1969 with Chase runs 10 minutes, as he shares gossip about the production and talks about the research he did beforehand. The paperback reprint of Chase’s novel, Blazing Guns on the Chisolm Trail, runs 187 pages and differs at times from the narrative trail taken by the film, although the basic Mutiny on the Bounty plot remains.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ye9SntdINk0/WB4vrr-oMUI/AAAAAAAAKQE/CajtuETrL3wRODCo7HAXySUiacsHzYS-ACLcB/s1600/She%2Bwore%2Ba%2Byellow%2Bribbon%2Bold%2Bposter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ye9SntdINk0/WB4vrr-oMUI/AAAAAAAAKQE/CajtuETrL3wRODCo7HAXySUiacsHzYS-ACLcB/s640/She%2Bwore%2Ba%2Byellow%2Bribbon%2Bold%2Bposter.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the most beautiful Technicolor westerns to have a narrative that matches the quality of its images, John Ford’s 1949 </span><span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON</b></span><span style="font-size: large;">, has been released on Blu-ray as a Warner Home Video Archive Collection title (UPC#888574396039, $22). Wayne plays a cavalry officer on the verge of retirement who goes out on one last patrol that quickly becomes a chess game with a group of marauding Indians. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZ-m_uu-57FcLU69lswleRrlqQBPlPqzg-3yE51AF9BqS6rdfAvrdj88c6RLjSzD_jVpAoBdDLb_b-cLuQG_bsKp07AXdUk-Hjz4vfPccxN___jKn6leVeS8kqSCp_Ub20daFQ8PZ1RM/s1600/She+wore+a+yellow+ribbon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZ-m_uu-57FcLU69lswleRrlqQBPlPqzg-3yE51AF9BqS6rdfAvrdj88c6RLjSzD_jVpAoBdDLb_b-cLuQG_bsKp07AXdUk-Hjz4vfPccxN___jKn6leVeS8kqSCp_Ub20daFQ8PZ1RM/s320/She+wore+a+yellow+ribbon.jpg" width="243" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> Running 103 minutes, the film has the format of a standard action western, with the specific events of the patrol taking up most of the film’s running time, but instead of having some sort of innocuous or blandly efficient opening act, the entire film is tremendously enriched by introducing both the emotional stress the hero is stoically undergoing because of his retirement, and an intensely considered variety of historical details that not only ‘color’ the film’s period setting, but directly affect the direction and momentum of the plot. In other words, it is an artistic masterwork that readily conforms to the needs of the boxoffice. The ending sort of wraps things up too conveniently, for the sake of the bottom line, but by then, the film’s parallel portrait of America and the hero, giving way to newer political forces and fresher destinies, is thoroughly established. And Wayne’s performance rises to match the film’s aspirations. While he is </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wGgbDFSkvOE/WB4wHCGlRtI/AAAAAAAAKQM/_QXJxP_Teig4CKpZEqkXXK92hRzaSQZOQCLcB/s1600/she%2Bwore%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wGgbDFSkvOE/WB4wHCGlRtI/AAAAAAAAKQM/_QXJxP_Teig4CKpZEqkXXK92hRzaSQZOQCLcB/s320/she%2Bwore%2B2.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
given a few personality quirks to convey his aging reactions in relaxed social situations, when he is on the job, his steely concentration and informed analysis of his surroundings is unimpaired, and you see all of this in his eyes and in his manner.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Dru co-stars, with John Agar, Ben Johnson, Harey Carey, Jr., Victor McLaglen, George O’Brien and, delivering the one other magnificent, consummately felt performance in the film, hampered only by the limitation of her </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bP_HFloe9gg/WB4wzh3a6JI/AAAAAAAAKQU/fGGUoASzztUYF0dTd_ESQh6maxYnxXx2wCLcB/s1600/Ribbon-3294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bP_HFloe9gg/WB4wzh3a6JI/AAAAAAAAKQU/fGGUoASzztUYF0dTd_ESQh6maxYnxXx2wCLcB/s320/Ribbon-3294.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">screen time, Mildred Natwick. Johnson is also terrific, and his character develops great depth by the film’s conclusion, but he has the disadvantage of gender. Natwick, like Wayne, is given an emotional life right from the start, and every nuance in her bearing and reactions is not only highly moving, but conveys a profound historical sense of how women coped with pioneer life.</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D2ULaBI67RA/WB44_E7p8OI/AAAAAAAAKR0/B4tY6Qb4ZuQnLyvm_C1QiBPZWR2tOhrggCLcB/s1600/she-wore-a-yellow-monument%2Bshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D2ULaBI67RA/WB44_E7p8OI/AAAAAAAAKR0/B4tY6Qb4ZuQnLyvm_C1QiBPZWR2tOhrggCLcB/s640/she-wore-a-yellow-monument%2Bshot.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The previously issued DVD was stupendously beautiful, but the BD surpasses it in almost every frame. The colors are the same, technically, but they are crisper, better detailed and more stable. In shot after shot, what was already a gorgeous image becomes even more lyrical and thrilling. The presentation is in full screen format only. While the mono¬phonic sound has a more solid delivery, there is less to it that is distinctively better in comparison to the image. There are alternate French and Spanish audio tracks, optional English, French and two types of Spanish subtitles, a trailer, and the 4 minutes of silent ‘home movies’ from the DVD, showing Ford and Wayne vacationing (ostensibly scouting locations in Mexico).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L_GB_h2R2Ps/WB4xm4X-7SI/AAAAAAAAKQc/-ec4HOXsKacm_xHkucV5pNe7V-MmTilPACLcB/s1600/rIO%2BbRAVO%2BOLD%2BPOSTER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L_GB_h2R2Ps/WB4xm4X-7SI/AAAAAAAAKQc/-ec4HOXsKacm_xHkucV5pNe7V-MmTilPACLcB/s320/rIO%2BbRAVO%2BOLD%2BPOSTER.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b25vwUEreOE/WB4xtRz4EPI/AAAAAAAAKQg/3ObwkByaSxM18s2XV_O6NwDPlL23p3wNwCLcB/s1600/el%2Bdorado%2Bold%2Bposter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b25vwUEreOE/WB4xtRz4EPI/AAAAAAAAKQg/3ObwkByaSxM18s2XV_O6NwDPlL23p3wNwCLcB/s320/el%2Bdorado%2Bold%2Bposter.jpg" width="224" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Moving away from character growth, Hawks cast Wayne as a steadfast lawman in the 1959 </span><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">R</span><span style="font-size: large;">IO </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">B</span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><b>RAVO</b></span></span><span style="font-size: large;">, which is available on Blu-ray from Warner (UPC#883929472178, $15), and it worked out so well that he essentially made the same movie again with Wayne in 1967, </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>EL DORADO</b></span><span style="font-size: large;">, available on Blu-ray from Paramount (UPC#883929389360, $20). Hawks himself seems to age between the two films. Both movies are highly entertaining action features, but the action sequences in Rio Bravo have a balletic quality to them. Every movement erupts and flows in a captivating rhythm, while the action in </span><b style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EL DORADO</span></b><span style="font-size: large;">, while still exciting, is more static, more like the work of any other director. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HyP4nP-pW6w/WB4yPyPv7qI/AAAAAAAAKQk/WYB4zXWAz3k4zhoCz-0HfgSM8ghHlqenQCLcB/s1600/Rio%2BBravo%2BFront%2Bdvd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HyP4nP-pW6w/WB4yPyPv7qI/AAAAAAAAKQk/WYB4zXWAz3k4zhoCz-0HfgSM8ghHlqenQCLcB/s320/Rio%2BBravo%2BFront%2Bdvd.jpg" width="249" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Although the films are credited with different source works—Leigh Brackett, on the other hand, worked on both screenplays—the central aspects of the story are the same in both. Dean Martin stars with Wayne and Brennan in </span><b style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">R</span><span style="font-size: large;">IO </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">B</span></b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>RAVO</b></span><span style="font-size: large;">, playing a former lawman who has turned to alcoholism after, so it is explained, a woman dumped him. With the assistance of a young gunfighter, played by Ricky Nelson, the four undergo a siege in their jailhouse after arresting a powerful landowner, played by Claude Akins, while the landowner’s compatriots try to spring him. There is a lengthy prolog setting things up in </span><b style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EL DORADO</span></b><span style="font-size: large;">, but the narrative eventually settles into the exact same situation. Robert Mitchum is a lawman who has turned to alcoholism after, so it is explained, a woman dumped him. Arthur Hunnicutt has the Brennan part and James Caan has the Nelson role. Edward Asner is the prisoner. Wayne’s scenes with Angie Dickinson in </span><b style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">R</span><span style="font-size: large;">IO </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">B</span></b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>RAVO</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"> are the only instances where his character shows some development, as he is downright nervous around her at first, and just gradually becomes comfortable with her forwardness and confidence as the film proceeds. His character appears to have long since past that point with Charlene Holt in </span><b style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EL DORADO</span></b><span style="font-size: large;">. It is Martin and Mitchum who get to do the big ‘acting,’ sobering up once things become dicey. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ibyZ0TjpqhY/WB49T_R9W-I/AAAAAAAAKSE/UJNAwRC9MRYvdufbeAcu2YeHZ-RCemmJgCLcB/s1600/EL%2BDORADO%2Bdvd%2Bcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ibyZ0TjpqhY/WB49T_R9W-I/AAAAAAAAKSE/UJNAwRC9MRYvdufbeAcu2YeHZ-RCemmJgCLcB/s320/EL%2BDORADO%2Bdvd%2Bcover.jpg" width="242" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Of course, in both films, the men bond like crazy—Wayne even kisses Brennan in </span><b style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">R</span><span style="font-size: large;">IO </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">B</span></b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>RAVO</b></span><span style="font-size: large;">—and the women, although they help out in a pinch, remain on the periphery. In what was one of Hawks’ signature themes, the professionalism of both the heroes and the villains is so pronounced that it is integral to the entertainment—you’re excited, because the characters are doing exactly what is expected of them. This is especially true of the Nelson and Caan characters, who consistently earn praise from Wayne’s character, thereby delighting younger viewers who normally have to identify with more inept and unsure generational representatives. Although longer than standard westerns—<b style="color: red; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">EL DORADO</span></b> runs 127 minutes, and </span><b style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">R</span><span style="font-size: large;">IO </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">B</span></b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>RAVO</b></span><span style="font-size: large;">, which has a culturally important song sequence featuring both Martin and Nelson that doesn’t advance </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MsTWV-eI5nk/WB44oe1ULlI/AAAAAAAAKRw/e82jtC_LqGMa5mSMdHDMu9PmvUc9-PlBACLcB/s1600/hdd_riobravo_blu-ray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MsTWV-eI5nk/WB44oe1ULlI/AAAAAAAAKRw/e82jtC_LqGMa5mSMdHDMu9PmvUc9-PlBACLcB/s320/hdd_riobravo_blu-ray.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">the plot but critically reinforces the film’s marquee appeal, runs 143 minutes—both films are brisk, intense, and utterly transporting. While Mitchum and Caan are more accomplished and versatile actors, under Hawks that is almost irrelevant, as he is able to get exactly the performances he needs from Martin and Nelson. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Of course, </span><b style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">R</span><span style="font-size: large;">IO </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">B</span></b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>RAVO</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"> is technically the better film, but </span><b style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EL DORADO</span></b><span style="font-size: large;"> (except for one dated comedy sequence in which Caan briefly impersonates an Asian to distract a bad guy) is just as much fun. What both movies succeed in doing is to convey to the viewer the sense of what it means to be engaged by a ‘Western.’ The town is relatively small and the townspeople not involved in the action are generally irrelevant, so that there is the western setting—a pre-technological society where guns are used to both defy and uphold the law—and invigorating action (</span><b style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EL DORADO</span></b><span style="font-size: large;"> is noticeably more violent, in that the consequences of the action are more palpable), which is so masterfully doled out that the interludes of character interaction, isolated and magnified by the setting, have a heightened appeal. Add to all of that the basic histories that the actors themselves bring to the parts—the repartee between Wayne and Brennan is even more delightful if you’ve already sat through it in </span><i style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">RED RIVER</span></b></i><span style="font-size: large;">; conversely, Caan is thrilling because of what he </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YWG8AORZvHI/WB4_lQO0W8I/AAAAAAAAKSY/G6gu4j5ASC0ZsJSBWq8xY_-r0wKGSyeCQCLcB/s1600/James%2BCaan%2Bbingo%2Bbingo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YWG8AORZvHI/WB4_lQO0W8I/AAAAAAAAKSY/G6gu4j5ASC0ZsJSBWq8xY_-r0wKGSyeCQCLcB/s200/James%2BCaan%2Bbingo%2Bbingo.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">will </span><span style="font-size: large;">be doing in the movies he hadn’t made yet—and the films become entertainment not just because of the action and drama they contain, but because they represent a quintessential aspect of </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
motion picture entertainment, and to that end, it is the centrality of Wayne in both movies that make them definitive experiences.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Both films are letterboxed with an aspect ratio of about 1.85:1. <b style="color: #cc0000; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">R</span><span style="font-size: large;">IO </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">B</span></b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>RAVO</b></span> was one of the first Blu-rays Warner released, and could use a decent upgrade. The image is clean and the colors are generally tolerable, but fleshtones are a little too orange in the wrong light, and dark hair has a tendency to take on blue highlights. The monophonic sound is also a bit soft. Although there is no menu selection, there are alternate French and Spanish audio tracks and optional English subtitles. We reviewed a two-platter DVD release of </span><b style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">R</span><span style="font-size: large;">IO </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">B</span></b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>RAVO</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"> and the commentary from that release, featuring intercut enthusiasms from Richard Schickel and John Carpenter, is preserved, along with a 55-minute profile of Hawks, a 33-minute retrospective piece and a 9-minute profile of the ‘western town’ set. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5M_Lfx2fkL0/WB49-tG-V5I/AAAAAAAAKSM/mDeY7O6Ga7E-Q1DcoemJDodZ7W7fQCHdQCLcB/s1600/5872b-eldorado16.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5M_Lfx2fkL0/WB49-tG-V5I/AAAAAAAAKSM/mDeY7O6Ga7E-Q1DcoemJDodZ7W7fQCHdQCLcB/s400/5872b-eldorado16.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In contrast, </span><b style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EL DORADO </span></b><span style="font-size: large;">looks crisp and the colors are stable and precise. The monophonic sound is also stronger and clearer. There are alternate French and Spanish audio tracks, optional English, French and Spanish subtitles, a trailer, a 6-minute interview with Paramount producer A.C. Lyles who talks in a semi-promotional manner about the films Wayne made for Paramount, a decent 5-minute promotional featurette from 1967 focussing on the artist, Olaf Wieghorst, who made the evocative paintings of life in the West that accompany the opening credits (he also has a very nice bit part in the film), and a really good 42-minute retrospective documentary about Hawks and the film.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The BD also has two commentary tracks. One features Peter Bogdanovich, who had visited the set for a week and also famously spent quite a bit of time picking Hawks’ brain for posterity. As with Bogdanovich’s other commentaries, the talk is a mix of terrific insider stories (</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">“Duke didn’t like this horse. I remember he felt the horse wasn’t great. It couldn’t do things as quickly as he would have liked. He was irritated by having to ride this horse, I think mainly because Howard owned the horse and rented it to the picture.”</span><span style="font-size: large;">), knowledgeable insights about the movie’s thematic intricacies and Hawks’ filmmaking techniques, and, especially as the film advances, a less inspiring recitation of what is happening on the screen. Overall, however, like his other talks, the value of what he has to say outweighs the drawbacks.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1qBrw8tLXmM/WB4zwkuk0-I/AAAAAAAAKQ0/GyCLbyu8qh0XzUERUKucW7m_rwRwCE3vACLcB/s1600/richardschickel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1qBrw8tLXmM/WB4zwkuk0-I/AAAAAAAAKQ0/GyCLbyu8qh0XzUERUKucW7m_rwRwCE3vACLcB/s320/richardschickel.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The second track features film historian Richard Schickel, with briefer inserted reflections by film historian Todd McCarthy and by Asner. Asner shares a few tales about the excitement of having a decent role early in his career, and McCarthy sort of echoes Schickel, sharing the most established critical interpretations of Hawks’ work. Schickel is more focussed on how the film fits into cinema as a whole than Bogdanovich is, but he also spent substantial time with Hawks himself, and provides his interpretation of Hawks’ career, and the delicate downshifting that was occurring as age caught up to the director. “The notion of [the] somewhat comical drunk is so characteristic of movies of a</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EbTRu59dGZ0/WB43s1Z1YcI/AAAAAAAAKRk/aoqQGYmYM-MU3kDXcFPoWFIQkVwN79-YACLcB/s1600/Howard%2BHawks%2BPresents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EbTRu59dGZ0/WB43s1Z1YcI/AAAAAAAAKRk/aoqQGYmYM-MU3kDXcFPoWFIQkVwN79-YACLcB/s400/Howard%2BHawks%2BPresents.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">slightly earlier generation—after Lost Weekend, they didn’t do this so much—but the notion [of] the drunk as a comic, as opposed to a tragic figure, and one who was infinitely curable if you could get him to address whatever was the immediate problem that set him drinking was, it was not regarded as a complicated psychological state. It was not necessarily something that required Alcoholics Anonymous to be summoned. [It was] nearly always, in the movies, played for laughs, which I think says something about the waning power of the sensibility of older men like Hawks. We do not see very many comical drunks these days.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZJ0Qeg5ZLfY/WB4086s7V_I/AAAAAAAAKRE/2cIjM1Tup0cY1X4QhOhgh4DR9K3vtjeogCLcB/s1600/The_Man_Who_Shot_Liberty_Valance%2Bold%2Bposter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZJ0Qeg5ZLfY/WB4086s7V_I/AAAAAAAAKRE/2cIjM1Tup0cY1X4QhOhgh4DR9K3vtjeogCLcB/s400/The_Man_Who_Shot_Liberty_Valance%2Bold%2Bposter.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">One of Wayne’s greatest, most heart-wrenching performances is in what is actually a secondary role—and that is the whole point of the film—playing a retired gunslinger who is building up a ranch so he can get married in John Ford’s 1962 </span><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance</b></i></span><span style="font-size: large;">, only to lose his girl to a lawyer that he knows is just as good of a man, if much less adept with a firearm. Released on Blu-ray by Paramount (UPC#883929489824, $15), James Stewart plays the central character of the film, the lawyer; Vera Miles is the pioneer woman they both have affections for; and Lee Marvin is a vicious killer hired by wealthier landowners to suppress the</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTbPvtejVqdybsE2Q5ckvPYyLaOBsXxj5HH4DCHDgN7MlBmBUev-ojzzct-yAQj6OI-cku7gdngwMu5Dr8hXybF8vrXhFcjI_EwqPtPA3SroE-cytPwqDkdmtNJxmtT-m7mcIAM0g0mGw/s1600/Marvin+valance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTbPvtejVqdybsE2Q5ckvPYyLaOBsXxj5HH4DCHDgN7MlBmBUev-ojzzct-yAQj6OI-cku7gdngwMu5Dr8hXybF8vrXhFcjI_EwqPtPA3SroE-cytPwqDkdmtNJxmtT-m7mcIAM0g0mGw/s320/Marvin+valance.jpg" width="276" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">movement for statehood that Stewart’s character favors. Running 123 minutes, the film is suspenseful and entertaining, but it is also pointedly about the transition that the American West underwent. On the one hand, Wayne’s character is almost God himself, giving his blessing on the direction civilization is taking, while on the other hand he is wracked with grief over the world that he is losing by allowing this to happen—it’s the same process that anyone with a child feels by helping that child grow and go forth into the world. It is the way in which, </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2vGWApoQEGBtSjo7ipBYYZerHpwYUvRcS9Xofd-9s08rJ8SZ5LUG4BBla8QFDhlvvbjuZAfWoKhf4AP3DsGcJN73yS6lyYPNzxuKLCOhsFgzQaUgyST-EgyupCx_j5CeINbhOKP9vO8/s1600/JOHN+FORD+AND+VALANCE0.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2vGWApoQEGBtSjo7ipBYYZerHpwYUvRcS9Xofd-9s08rJ8SZ5LUG4BBla8QFDhlvvbjuZAfWoKhf4AP3DsGcJN73yS6lyYPNzxuKLCOhsFgzQaUgyST-EgyupCx_j5CeINbhOKP9vO8/s320/JOHN+FORD+AND+VALANCE0.png" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
very much aided by Ford’s framing, Wayne communicates this greater sense while delivering the story at hand that makes his relatively brief presence in the film so powerful and enduring. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Andy Devine also gives a surprisingly good performance, especially in his old age makeup scenes. Edmond O'Brien, Woody Strode, Denver Pyle, Strother Martin, Lee Van Cleef and other recognizable character actors are also featured. The black-and-white picture is letterboxed with an aspect ratio of about 1.85:1 and looks spotless in every shot, with finely </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mZWPYJ_0iro/WB42rEaXcSI/AAAAAAAAKRY/6yanvS1hfE0VdxwuxytawRTNCVotMyE1wCLcB/s1600/Valance%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mZWPYJ_0iro/WB42rEaXcSI/AAAAAAAAKRY/6yanvS1hfE0VdxwuxytawRTNCVotMyE1wCLcB/s400/Valance%2B1.jpg" width="281" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
detailed contrasts. The remastered 5.1-channel Dolby Digital soundtrack is great fun, with many directional effects and a subdued but viable surround presence. A mono track is also available. There are alternate French, Spanish, Italian and German audio tracks, and ten subtitling options, including English. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Richard Finney's Pit and the Pendulumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01765651977112405374noreply@blogger.com0