Watching...

I watched the following films during my holiday vacation in Baltimore.

War Child – Imagine being six years old and handed a loaded AK-47. You are then instructed to kill the very families who helped raise you.

War Child is a documentary about a former Sudanese war child and his escape to freedom. This film chronicles his journey from boy soldier to globally recognized musician – a lifestyle choice aimed to raise awareness for change. More specifically, advocating for education.

Bonnie and Clyde – Bonnie and Clyde is an American classic; a timeless tale of a predominantly asexual criminal relationship. The plot is far from groundbreaking, but the dynamic of personalities makes this film. Consider it the Raging Bull of the western genre.

Avatar – Avatar is, without a doubt, the Star Wars of today’s generation. It is visually stunning, technologically groundbreaking, and yet strikingly cliché. The epic plot is a composite of countless films, spanning many generations and many genres. And despite being absurdly predictable the audience remains actively engaged for duration of the film. We have James Cameron’s commitment to perfection to thank for this.

Watching...

Bride Wars.

(Yeah, I watched it. So what.)

Before I begin, let me say the following: It was not my intention to watch Bride Wars. I don't consider it to be a good movie. But I watched it anyway. Why?

Because I believe it worked successfully as a movie . What do I mean by "worked successfully"? Well, look at the numbers. There's a reason why it grossed over $115 million worldwide and it only cost $30 million to produce. I explain below with my top three reasons of "Why this film works."

1) Clear Title: Bride Wars. By reading the title we know what the entire movie is about. We don't know why the brides battle, but we know they battle and we're immediately enticed to find out. Not to mention, the word "Bride" generally attracts the female demographic, while "War" attracts the male demographic.

"Ok, you have my attention..."

2) Wedding Theme: Again, the definitive title is also suggestive of the theme - weddings. People are always getting married, which means that a very large consumer demographic can relate (in one way or another) to the notion of a wedding. Don't believe me? Think about the success of these films: My Best Friend's Wedding, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, or even Wedding Crashers. Weddings are popular. Weddings attract an audience. And people will always pay to watch stories about weddings.

Now that the title has hooked us, what keeps us watching?

3) Structure: The story, though predictable, follows a structure well suited for the story, as two, life-long best friends are pitted against one another on their shared wedding days.

The structure (as diagrammed below) demonstrates how these two best friends (A and B) actually grow closer as they progress through their individual Bride War experiences.

Act 1 defines the pre-existing relationship. Life is perfect. However, this movie isn't worth watching unless we have a conflict, which is what the vertical line symbolizes. The perfect-world fantasy is over - both parties have hit a brick wall and will venture in separate directions.

Act 2 explores the "War." What will these characters do to get a leg up over the competition? As the conflict escalates the plot thickens. Stakes are raised and vicious truths are revealed. A simple question is asked, "Would my best friend really do this to me?"

Act 3 finds resolution. They've been best friends and they're meant to remain best friends. Once they set their differences aside they'll find themselves closer than they were before. Resolution.

Combine these three examples of "Why this film works" with the star power of Kate Hudson, Anne Hathaway, and Candace Bergen and you have a basic recipe for success (relatively speaking). But this is only a small portion of making movies. There are still countless variables (writing, directing, production value) that require professional attention in order to help contribute to this films' success.

As I said, these are my top three arguments for how and why this film worked. I liked the simple structure, but I wasn't keen on the story.



Author's Note:

If you're interested in screen writing - watch movies. The more movies you watch, the more you'll understand story structure. You'll come to understand the structures you like and the structures you don't like. As your taste for movies becomes more distinguished, write (authentically) to match your structure.

Watching...

Yeah, yeah...I've been slacking. If it's any consolation though, I've been reading more. Not just books, but also scripts, television treatments, and college course readers on documentary filmmaking. Truth is, the TV development world has been wearing me thin, even leaving me down at times. But we, as a team, push forward. There's light at the end of the tunnel.

I've been fortunate enough to be studying under the tutelage of an incredibly well-versed team of professionals from USC's prestigious Annenberg School for Communication. Though the documentary world is a vast departure from my undergrad film studies at Syracuse University, the first-hand, educational experience has been unmatched. The work environment is straight forward and very hands on. The best part, I'm learning how to tell stories.

That being said, let me segue into my movie consumption. Here are two of the three films I watched during the month of July. I decided to take a new approach when writing about each film. Rather than limit myself to writing reviews, I've decided to incorporate personal history into the equation. A sign of my investment in this business. Enjoy!

The Sting. A classic. Plain and simple. My Dad bought this movie as a Christmas present for my brother and I a few years back. He insisted it was another film for the Boardhead Brothers 'must see' collection. Truthfully, my brother and I scoffed at the notion. "This old film?" we thought. What we didn't realize was that a good story, no matter the year published (or produced), can withstand the scrutiny of time.

Now, as I revisit The Sting (for the first time in many years) I understand why my Dad insisted we add it to our collection. I can honestly say that, A) I was an asshole for not trusting my Dad and, B) this movie is now one of my all-time favorite movies. Why? Because it's got a kick ass story!


Next is...

Garbage Warrior. I watched this documentary as research for a project we were developing at work. Unfortunately for us, another production company was quicker than we were and was already in the process of turning Michael Reynolds and his work as a Biotecture Engineer into a TV series. Though a difficult truth, it's often the reality of how the television business works. Take it with a grain of salt and move forward.

Business aside though, Garbage Warrior explores the bizarre story of Michael Reynolds - a renegade architect - who turns automobile tires, soda cans, and beer bottles into fully-sustainable, off-the-grid housing. Earthships, as these unique homes are called, are capable of maintaining consistent internal temperatures (roughly 70-75 degrees) despite the vast temperature fluctuation of New Mexico's seasons. In the words of Dan Birman, "Way Cool!"

More information on Michael Reynolds and his Earthship society can be found here.

From Whoopee Cushions to Electronic Fart Machines: Why "The Hangover" Rocked!

The Hangover [Theatrical Release] by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Very rarely does a comedy have the ability to establish and sustain a consistent caliber of audience laughter for the duration of a film. Typically, these types of films come with high expectations, but are often fluffed with the magic, “Air of Potential.” Shortly after the head hits the pillow and dreams are condensed into reality, our minds wonder, 'What the fuck was that?'

The jokes are exhausted, the writing is lacking, or quite simply, the moral of the story is getting in the way of the comedy! Regardless, the funny is lost and audience expectations are deflated. For lack of a better term, let's call these films 'Whoopee Cushions.'

The Hangover, on the other hand, was far from a Whoopee Cushion. It was the Hansen 222 of electronic fart machines. In other words, the Grey Goose of the vodkas. The fart-kit came with a stealth black speaker (hide-able anywhere) and a WAY COOL remote control to ensure that a good fart-joke opportunity was never missed. Now anyone could, “Fire farts from afar!,” which is exactly what kids did. They took full advantage. They were always on the prowl to make at least one person laugh. The same concept holds true with The Hangover. The film was consistently funny. Every scene had at least one laugh. It might not have been the best laugh, but it was still a laugh. By the end of the film, I found myself, as well as the audience, laughing as hard, if not harder, at every joke than we were at the beginning of the movie. How often does that happen?

Beyond the laughs though, The Hangover exemplified fresh story telling through subtly employed techniques of film-trickery and through the palpable abundance of, “Attention to Detail”; a tone, which accurately depicts the secret to unlocking the ‘code’ of the story. But, what are you waiting on me for?

GO SEE THE MOVIE!!

You’ll LOVE it! Well, maybe not ‘LOVE it,’ but you’re guaranteed to laugh! If not, I’ll happily refund the expense of your ticket.

Enjoy!

Adam

Watching...

The Big Lebowski.

I revisited The Big Lebowski this weekend for the um-teenth time, once again, confirming it as my all time favorite movie. The cast is incredible, the plot is ridiculous, and the subtleties are hilarious. The Coen brothers rock!

Watching...

Transsiberian.

Flaws, cliches, and poor acting. Not only was this film incredibly predictable, but it was also tacky. The script could have stood for more revisions and the casting department could have cast a wider net over the talent pool. Frankly, I don't understand how this movie made anyone's list for "Top 10 Movies of 2008," but apparently it did. Don't get me wrong, the director, Brad Anderson, has done some incredible work in the past (ie The Wire - Season 1 & Homicide: Life on the Street - Season 7), but Transsiberian was both literally and figuratively a train wreck.

Watching...

The Lives of Others.

A beautiful story of compassion during a time when socialism plagued a divided Berlin. Similar to The Class, this film will resonate with me for quite a while. A must see.

Thank you, P.A. Chodak for the recommendation.

Watching...

Iron Man. After hearing nothing but rave reviews for this comic book based film, I finally got a chance to sit down with Iron Man and judge for myself. Much to my surprise, I enjoyed it. It wasn't perfect, but it was certainly an enjoyable blockbuster. Robert Downey Jr. not only wrinkled the image of the dry cleaned super hero persona, but also he spiced things up with the sweet tarnish of arrogance, creating a character we would love to hate.

Watching...

The Class. It's been nearly two weeks since I saw this film in theaters and I must admit, it's still firmly resonating in my mind. The Class was hands down, one of the best films I've seen in months. Nominated for a Best Foreign Film Oscar, this unique drama/documentary hybrid film examines the French education system, addressing such issues as educational discipline, racism, and nationalism within the inner-city public school systems. Expect nothing more than a harsh dose of realism, a true wake up call, alarming us that the education system is flawed.

Watching...

My Kid Could Paint That. This particularly unique documentary explores the truth behind an adorable four-year-old painter's rise to fame and the controversy of authenticity surrounding her work, as sparked by a 60 Minutes news report. Beyond the art, this documentary raises important social questions regarding child exploitation and family values.

Watching...

Vicky Cristina Barcelona. A witty and quirky romantic dramedy embodying all that is Woody Allen, in other words sex. Vicky Christina Barcelona flirts with the temptation of pursuing lustful relationships at the expense of maintaining cautionary love. This film offers social commentary on a wide range of complex sexual relationships from stale marriage to forbidden love to hot and heavy threesomes. But most importantly though, this movie stars Penelope Cruz, my Hollywood crush whom I had the unexpected privilege of speaking to on the 2007 Oscars red carpet. She melted my heart with the sound of ther disgruntled response, “What? What am I wearing?” as delivered in her beautifully thick spanish accent. Only then did I realize I should be speaking with her publicist and not with her directly. Oops.

Watching...

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Shelter. In the spirit of yesterday's surf session, I decided to continue the positive energy by revisiting Shelter, a 16mm surf documentary from Woodshed Films. This beautifully shot film documents such surfers as Rob Machado, Mick Fanning, Jack Johnson, The Malloy Brothers & Kelly Slater as they travel through Australia.

Watching...

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Along Came Polly. Not gonna lie, I love this movie. Despite being cheesy, it's arguably one of my favorites. Why? I'll tell you. In order to appreciate the comedic magic of this movie, one must look past the two most obvious flaws: 1) Ben Stiller's pathetically cliche character type suffering from personal neurosis and 2) Jennifer Aniston's beautiful looks, but mundane acting ability. You see, the greatness of Along Came Polly exists solely in Philip Seymour Hoffman's character, an overweight, egotistical, selfish, has-been actor who's completely out of touch with reality, and that's just the beginning. I'll let you be the judge. Watch it for Philip and let me know what you think. In the meantime, I'll leave you with "I sharted" and "Let it rain."

* Commencing with this "Watching..." post, all future movie related posts on my blog will link to Netflix rather than Amazon.