This summer…

One man…

One pool…

Two words…

“MARCOOOOO!!!!!”

“POLOOOOOO!!!!!”

I mean, COME ON Hollywood. Is this seriously the best you can do? Stretch Armstrong sucks. He’s NEVER been cool.

I don’t get it. I just don’t get it.

No, evidently, I don’t. I just don’t get it, do I…

Keep writing,
-Steve

EXT. ARCTIC TUNDRA – OIL-CAMP – NIGHT

Dark snow-scape, sheets of blizzard whip sideways, graceful, brutal…through the snow, in the distance: Lights glow, oil- derricks tower. A massive arctic oil-camp, pumps thumping, trucks grinding…

OTTWAY (V.O.)
…A job at the end of the world…

I read the script to ‘The Grey’ back in November. My initial thoughts on it were as follows:

This is an intense thriller with a several meaty characters, an ever present threat (both internal and external), a refreshing take on a tried movie premise, and solid balance of action and drama. If there’s one knock that I can think of, it’s that the script reads relatively slow, and felt much longer than the 120 pages I read. I have no idea how early this draft is, but it’s dated 2007, so it’s likely been revised since then.

Having seen it today, I can’t help but say I’m quite bitter about my experience.

‘The Grey’, written by Joe Carnahan and Ian Mackenzie Jeffers, based on the short story “Ghost Walkers” that Jeffers wrote, and staring Liam Neeson, follows the story of a group of plane crash survivors in the middle of the Alaska tundra/wilderness.

If simply surviving wasn’t enough, the group is slowly picked off one by one by a group of super-wolves. Evolved to be bigger, stronger, and tougher simply to deal with the extreme environment they live in, the wolves aren’t hunting the men for food, they’re hunting them because they view them as a threat.

I thought this was a nice touch. Wolves don’t hunt humans. At least normal wolves don’t. Sure, there’s an isolated incident now and then of an attack, but all in all it’s rare. And it’s sure as shit not going to happen to a group of people.

The characters are rich, luscious, and well fleshed out. You see them as real people, not cliched stereotypes. They’re just guys, with family and loved ones, and they want to get home. You care for them, and that’s why the script worked.

I sat down for the movie and watched, with baited breath, as each story beat ticked by. I was amazed how much more effective some of the thrills were on the screen than on the page. I liked many of the small script changes that I noticed. Some spots slowed down. Some skipped. Some more fleshed out. And as the movie slowly built toward it’s climax, I waited for what I knew was coming… the tension building with each passing minute.

So here’s why ‘The Grey’ works, even though I read the script I never felt like I was watching a story that was predictable. Yes, I knew what was going to happen, but I forgot all of it in a conscious sense. I was pulled into the visuals, the acting, and the intensity. It was nearly perfect.

Then it ended… and I left angry.

And this is why ‘The Grey’ doesn’t work. This is the one time I wish I hadn’t read the script. I’m not going to talk about it. I’m not going to say anything. But evidently you need to wait until after the credits to get the complete ending to the film. I left after sitting there for about two minutes, not realizing that I was going to miss something.

Fuck that.

The ending of a movie is not an easter egg. It is the ending. If you need to wait until AFTER the credits to see how a movie ends then the credits aren’t the credits, they’re simply a scene with scrolling text. And fuck you if you think that people can only blame themselves for not waiting until the end of the credits. We’ve been trained our whole lives that when the credits hit the movie is over. Shit, half the time theaters turn on the lights when the credits roll.

So when the ending of a film doesn’t occur until after the credits you’re robbing your viewers of part of the experience you’re trying to give them. If you want them to stay, them tell them they need to stay to see the end. This isn’t Iron Man. This isn’t The Hulk. These aren’t comic book bullshit movies. This was a serious drama.

And that’s why, ultimately, I think ‘The Grey’ fucking blew it. I left that theater thinking they cut to black with 7 pages of screenplay left. Then, when I got home, I found out I missed the ending because it occurred after the credits rolled. I don’t care if it was different than the script or not. A lot of things were different. This isn’t a fanboy being pissed. This is a consumer feeling ripped off. I gave you my money. I trusted you. And you screwed me over.

If you haven’t read the script, don’t until to see the movie. And if you see the movie, bring something to do while you sit through the credits and get to the actual ending of the film.

Keep writing,
-Steve

First, Suzi Barrett’s “I Hate L.A.”…

But not to be outdone, Darwyn Metzger decided to respond with his video “Sh*t People From Colorado Think But Don’t Say When They Live In Hollywood”…

For those that don’t know, both of these videos are poking fun at the current “Shit People [insert description here] Say.” The whole meme was funny when it started, but as with most memes burned out it’s welcome extremely fast.

Anyway, it helps that both Suzi and Darwyn are actually funny.

Keep writing,
-Steve

After reading the book “Flourish,” by Martin E. P. Seligman, a catalyst of the positive-psychology movement, she began rewatching films through the lens of what Dr. Seligman identifies as the five essential elements of well-being: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning and accomplishment. (He refers to these elements collectively as perma.)

The results surprised her. And they inspired a stealth campaign to reverse the Hollywood superstitions that a “movie is only art if it ends badly, and that you’ll only win an Academy Award if you write or direct a movie about misery or play someone miserable,” as she put it.

Lindsay’s main argument is that, as a a veteran market researcher told her, “What makes an audience happy is not the moment of victory but the moment afterwards when the winners shares that victory with someone they love.”

Think about that for a moment. Think about your favorite movie. The one that makes you feel all giddy inside. The one you can watch over and over. Think of the next two or there down the list. How many of them have the protagonist sharing their victory with someone they love. And I don’t mean love in only the man/woman sense, I mean in an emotional sense. Think Red walking up the beach to see Andy Dufresne in “The Shawshank Redemption.” I realized, she’s totally right.

The article as a whole is a great, and fast, read. It helped give me some new perspective into how I look at my screenplays, and hopefully it will give you some additional insight as well.

Keep writing,
-Steve

Denzel, yes!

Reynolds, eh… if I have to deal with him to watch Denzel beat people up, so be it.

I’m checking out “The Grey” this weekend, but am already looking forward to catching “Safe House” next weekend.

Keep writing,
-Steve

I’ve been working on one such idea the last few weeks. It’s still early in the process, but it’s an idea I’ve had for a long time. Right now I’m in the process of gaming things out to see if this idea has enough meat to turn into a screenplay.

It’s a weird process. You take this idea and you start to throw a few darts at it. Maybe you have a strong idea for a character. Maybe you just have a strong hook. Maybe you just have this awesome scene you know has to be in the middle. Whatever it is, you’ve got something, and now you’re trying to see if you can stick anything else to it.

I have a bunch of exercises that I play around with. I’ll explore the various theories on the best ways to structure a screenplay. I’ll revisit the things I’ve read from Field, Snyder, and Gulino, each time learning a little bit more about the story I’m going to tell.

But sometimes, and unfortunately more often than not, I’ll hit a point where I realize I don’t have enough. I can’t make it work. There isn’t enough to turn this idea into a 100 page screenplay. And I walk away and try again with another idea.

It’s all part of the process. You need to know when to walk away as much as you need to know when to keep pushing through. I don’t believe in writing a script for the sake of writing. If I can’t put together a solid outline I’m excited about, I’m not going to be able to write something of any consequence.

Fortunately, I think with my current idea I’ve got something. I’m not there yet, but I can taste it. The signs are all there. The story beats are falling into place. The characters are coming along. But it’s still not quite ready. That’s going to take some more work.

But for those curious, here’s the title and logline:

The Time Tourist — When a meek computer programmer from the future travels back in time for vacation and gets stuck, she only has 72 hours to find a way to get home.

There’s far more to the idea than the log line, but the concept I want to get across is that in the future people use a form of time travel to go on short vacations. I think the title and logline both get this across pretty well.

The idea that hit me was as simple as “what if in the future people use time travel to go on vacation, and one of them gets stuck in the past.” It’s big. It’s broad. And it can basically go anywhere.

That’s as high level as many of my ideas start. From there I figure out characters, a narrative, a perspective, and whether or not I can evolve this idea into something broader. I’m almost there with this one, but I guess only time will tell*.

Keep writing,
-Steve

* Yes, that pun was as painful to write as it is to read.

The concept didn’t sound like anything new, and frankly it wasn’t. I mean, how many times have we seen the old “double cross/set-up” routine in thrillers. Even the concept of the Mallory Kane character was a bit cliche, an ex-marine working for a private contractor that offers mercenaries to do government dirty work. Nope, what interested me in this flick was Gina Carano.

How often have we seen an actin film with a female lead that we just couldn’t buy. Angelina Jolie beating people up? Please. Zoe Saldana shooting bad guys? Whatever. Keira Knightley as a bounty hunter? You’re killing me. I can’t buy any of them. All three weigh 100 pounds and would shatter on impact if punched hard enough. But Carano? She’s different. She’s legit. Why? Because she a professional fighter for Christ sake.

This woman beats people up for real. That’s her job. When you see her punch someone, she actually knows what she’s doing. When you see her snap on a key lock submission hold, she didn’t need to be taught how to do that, SHE ALREADY KNOWS! Basically, it’s one less thing you need to suspend disbelief about.

But, can she act? That’s the big question.

The answer, she acts well enough to get the job done. The script, smartly, keeps her range limited to the traditional tough girl role. There’s not a lot of emotional variance. We see her walk about being tough, because that’s her character. Some lines of dialog are a bit rough, there’s a few awkward looks here and there, but otherwise I thought it was a perfectly fine performance. I’ll tell you, there was one scene I thought that stood out, where Gina showed she has some potential as an actress. While undercover, she has to act like “arm candy” for another male agent she’s with. In a tight spot, worried about her cover being blown, she plays the “ditzy drunk” seamlessly, to the point where it really stood out. It didn’t seem forced. It seemed natural. We knew her character was “acting,” but it worked. Little things, a slight change in her voice, a different smile, mannerisms that were a little sloppy, it’s weird but it was enough to show me that she’s can make a go of this action movie thing.

The supporting cast, Michael Fassbender (in too short a role), Channing Tatum, Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, Ewan McGregor, and BILL FUCKING PAXTON!!!!, was excellent, which is good because the script didn’t give them much to work with. Their characters were a little hollow and stereotyped, but not enough to bother me by any means. I actually liked Antonio Banderas quite a bit, and Ewan McGregor played a smarmy management type excellently.

The directing wasn’t really noticeable, at least in any manner that stood out. Soderbergh didn’t take any big risks, but didn’t do anything stupid either. The action was well done, and the camera kept back enough so you could actually watch and appreciate the fight choreography. None of this shaky cam bullshit where you can’t see anything. You could follow everything going on and know who was hitting who. The musical score was interesting, sounding at times like a classic spy film which seemed out of place on occasion, but otherwise got the job done. There were many moments where there was no score at all, and most if not all of the action sequences let the gunshots and punches provide all the soundtrack that was needed, which was a refreshing change.

Haywire is a fun film. You’re not going to get anything ground breaking, but at a running time of (before the credits) about an hour and twenty six minutes, even if you hate it you’re not going to be out a huge chunk of your day. I’m looking forward to seeing what Carano decides to do next, and whether or not this film does well at the box office. If you like action thrillers check it out.

Keep writing,
-Steve

You managed to sell a spec script. Double congrats!!

A production company actually gave your script the green light. Triple congrats!!!

But wait, you say they’re having someone else do a rewrite? What does that mean? Will you still get a writing credit? Is a bigger writing name going to push you out of the way for the sake of marketing? What will you do?!

Most of us will never reach any of these scenarios. I know, heartbreaking, right? However, that doesn’t mean none of us wonder what would happen. Fortunately, the nice folks at Scriptnotes (and by folks I mean John August and Craig Mazin) have us covered.

Their most recent entry goes pretty in-depth into how writing credits are determined, the history of writing credits, how arbitration works, who does the arbitrating, and a bunch of other details around the whole process. Craig really knows his stuff when it comes to this area, and John offers some fun commentary and personal experiences as well. If you’re lucky enough to sell a spec to a WGA signee studio or production company, this is all stuff that will eventually impact you.

You can check out the show here.

And if you don’t already, I’d encourage you to check out John’s blog and subscribe to the Scriptnotes podcast in iTunes. It’s a nice and informative resource for aspiring writers to listen to, if only to hear Craig rail on so called “script experts” from time to time.

Keep writing,
-Steve

I’m looking forward to watching Ms. Carano kick some ass.

The supporting cast looks good too: Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Michael Douglas, and Antonio Banderas? I hope Banderas is a bad guy. He just sounds so cool when he talks.

IS THAT BILL PAXTON!?! SHIT YEAH!

Keep writing,
-Steve

The prognosis for my father is excellent. He will be going in for surgery on the 24th to have the tumor and his thyroid removed. A few weeks later, he’ll undergo an special radioactive iodine treatment to remove any remaining cancer cells that might be left.

However, the best news was that the thyroid cancer was unrelated to his CLL, and the surgery and treatment shouldn’t aggravate it at all.

It’s weird though… as much as I’m glad that my father, for lack of a better term, will be fine, this whole scenario really brought home the reality that one day he won’t be there anymore. One day he will die. One day I won’t have a father anymore.

It’s a very unsettling feeling. All I can do is accept it, and do the things I want to do, so that when that enviable day comes, I’m not left saying, “I wish we’d just been able to…”

I don’t ever want to have that feeling.

Keep writing,
-Steve