I became intensely interested in movies right around 1980. It was the dawn of the video age. The rise of HBO. Viewing options were limited (comparatively). We had the Atari 8-bit console and home computers were just starting to show up. No internet. Making a 300 baud connection was a nightmare. But oh, what a [...]
co·in·ci·dence [ kō ínssidənss ] definition – happening without planning: the fact of happening by chance By that definition, everything in a screenplay IS NOT coincidence. Every word, shift of character, sneeze, side-step — not coincidence. Real-life, though, is (my opinion) really about 95% coincidence, 5% choice. Shit happens, the saying goes. Let’s look at … JAWS! (Side [...]
Is it important WHY something happens? For instance, in Friday the 13th (the original)… … could the kids just have been at the camp, getting it ready for summer, without the film makers showing the audience the kids were arriving? And then, WHY did the kids go to the camp? I guess because they needed [...]
LOOPER made many of the TOP X BEST MOVIES OF THE YEAR lists. I enjoyed it, but didn’t really think it was all that engaging. It certainly didn’t suck and had many clever touches that really made it stand out. I enjoyed the way the production didn’t force the future on you with sweeping sci-fi [...]
I’m smack-dab in the middle of another found footage flick (that I’ll call GLR for now…) and, truthfully, I’d rather not be. But oh well. First, no, I don’t think it’s played out and there are tons more on the way. So like ‘em or hate ‘em, they’ll be here for a while yet. They’re [...]
One of the greats. So much to see. Really pays off on repeat viewings. Here are three behind the scenes to make you smile.
Speaks for itself. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR6Cw_3q1Pg&feature=player_embedded Or maybe I should say, it YELLS for itself. See what I did there? M A R K
American Monster (click on the left side of the page to read about some detail…) is a TRUE story about a Wyoming man who rapes and kills his daughter for insurance money. He leaves the body on the side of the road, moves to Texas, and starts a new life. Eventually, he makes his way [...]
How long is ten thousand hours? Well… You would have to work about 5 years, putting in 8 hours a day, Monday through Friday (you get holidays and weekends off, though!). You could watch Jaws about five thousand times. You could play the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3′s five-hour single-player campaign about two thousand [...]
I love all of the alternate takes on one-sheets. The Hollywood versions are so plain, so mainstream. Here’s an alt on KILLER JOE, opening this weekend and wider the week after. M A R K