Hannibal Returns in Fracture

 

I was looking forward to seeing Fracture because Anthony Hopkins is an excellent actor. The story was slick and had a lot of interesting twists, but I felt like I was watching Hannibal Lecter in another suit of clothes. Hopkins even sounded like Hannibal when he spoke to Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling), who was prosecuting him for the murder of his wife. Willy was too much like Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs, and the script smacked of a contrivance to recreate Hannibal in a new role. There was also a big hole (the murder weapon) in the endgame of the plot, but I can’t tell you because it would spoil the ending.

 

hi

i am  in  the uk  from many years.  and iam  always  looking  for some  people  like me    i  mean  thosewho  share the love for the7th  art.  especialy  talented  people  who  write  or  have the passion  for    writing    the stories  i  inspired the scripts  are   of  great importance.  but iam  always looking  for    proffessional way  of  the script  writing  then the  procedure  would  be  easier.  so  untill  i get  that help  my ideas  will    have  the same  diffilculties  to  find their  wright  way.

I have never in my life considered writing for the one thing I love to do most!  I am a writer of contemporary freestyle prose, erotic poetry, erotica, and researching a novel at present.  THEN I get a letter.  Why are you not writing screenplays?  and do you think you would have time to write a script?  um...I don't know how to write a script let alone a screenplay.  All the help I can get here is completely appreciated.  I have read scripts over the last week.  But then I see, first draft, final draft, script copy, and all of this other stuff and I am like "oh damn!"......so, where the heck do I actually begin, besides the idea & outline stage?

     After seeing the film, Little Children, I find myself thinking about how the screenwriter achieved such an interesting film with such a familiar plot. This is a story of adultery and the possible consequences of deception.

     Kate Winslet is superb as Sarah, an unhappy wife and mother in search of something more than she has in her life. Along comes, Brad (Patrick Wilson), a stay-at-home father bored with his life and avoiding adult responsibility. Thrown into the mix of a torrid love affair between Sarah and Brad is a convicted pedophile living in the neighborhood and adding suspense to the intrigue.  Interesting plot twists and an unexpected resolution made this film stand out from others in this genre.

I urge all screenwriters to go see The Last King of Scotland, the story of a young Scottish doctor who becomes the personal physician of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. This film is an example of screenwriting at its very best. The characters are extremely well developed and seem to live and breathe on their own.

Happy New Year, everyone.

Now that 2007 has begun, it's time for a new year of screenwriting.
Let me know how I can help you live your dream. I'm always open
to suggestions for new features on Scriptologist.com

The computer, a room, the window, a cellfone within reach, the guitar, the television, the remote control and some dirty glasses, some thrown clothes, here is where I spend hours of the day writing. The cellfone rings and emotions move... is a friend calling and inviting me to drink chocolate in the coffee - library from the other corner, what a happiness, I d´ont feel lonely anymore, my heart returns to beat, we talk, in the table infront of us some girls are laughing and talking loud, the waiter brings the chocolate with a cake, put the white paper napkins and the round glass ashtray in our table, the time is passing and with him my sadnesses. The dull computer delay in the empty room, the closed window, the opened door of where no longer music is heard, the keyboard does not make the noise of tiping of the fingers, the telephone bills still on the table, television is without images, the dirty glasses still there. The friend tell me of his plans, of his desires, that slowly are lightning and heating my soul, what a pretty present is to have a friend . Oh God you do not take away my friend, if I lose everything I still have the friend, the one who takes the sadnesses of my heart away and gives back hapiness. The old waiter retires the plates and the cups, we pay the bill, the girls are still watching but the friend must go away, we give us a strong hug. I return walking to the room with a full heart plenty of emotions and satifaction by having been with the friend. I again feel like in front of the computer now already writing, I open the window, put the cellfone within reach, I return but now very happy for such a beautiful day. Oh God Do not take me away the friend.

Author Antonio Gomes

   The Queen, a recently released British film, paints an eye-opening portrait of the Queen of England and the Royal Family in the days following the death of Princess Diana. Helen Mirren seamlessly and brilliantly portrays Queen Elizabeth, capturing every nuance of the real Queen. But most important, she depicts the personality of the Queen so deftly that we believe she is Elizabeth.

 

   The portrayal of the Royal Family and their behavior after Diana’s tragic death in 1997, or rather the absence of any emotional response, is contrasted with the country’s outpouring of grief. Are the Queen and the Royal Family so bound by tradition and privilege that they cannot and will not show emotion? Can nothing shake their everyday habits and customs? See for yourself how the Queen finally responds when the very existence of the British monarchy is threatened by public outrage.

 

   Personally, my view of Queen Elizabeth and the Royal Family has been forever changed after seeing this film, though it may be a fictional account.  Peter Morgan wrote the screenplay and recreated the character of the Queen so well that I won’t be surprised if he receives numerous awards this year. And my vote is in for an Academy Award for Helen Mirren.

It can be very easy to find something worth blogging about. I like to visit the publicity sites for the major film studios. New Line Cinema, Lions Gate Films and Warner Brothers offer online press kits for upcoming films.

Would you like to form a network of writing and filmmaking friends? You can do it. And the advantage to building such a network is that you'll be able to get frequent feedback on your writing and even form a crew to make an independent film.

Use the following steps to form your network:

1) Invite your friends to start a blog in the Scriptologist Blogs network.
    Do so by telling them to sign up on the following Web page:
    http://blogs.scriptologist.com/signup.php 

    The more people you invite, the more people you'll have in your network.

2) Put your friends on the mailing list for your Scriptologist Blog. To create your mailing
    list, use the instructions on the following blog page:
    http://blogs.scriptologist.com/filmboss/244/Build+A+Mailing+List+To+Promote+Your+Filmmaking+Blog.html

3) Tell your friends to recommend the Scriptologist Blogs network to people they know.
    Tell them to show people the blogs in our network:  
    http://blogs.scriptologist.com/portal.php

    Tell them to direct people to the sign-up page for Scriptologist Blogs:
    http://blogs.scriptologist.com/signup.php

Before you know it, you'll have a huge network of writing and filmmaking collaborators. With a network like that, you can make an independent film and live your dream of being a success in Hollywood.

 

If the best films are character driven, I can’t think of a better example than Capote. The screenplay, adapted from a book by Dan Futterman, didn’t win the Oscar, but it should have. It was a masterpiece of writing and character development.

 

Philip Seymour Hoffman, who played Capote, won the 2005 Oscar for Best Actor. He was so outstanding and mesmerizing that it was hard to believe he was acting. We never for a moment doubt that he’s the famous writer, Truman Capote.

 

The story develops the character of Truman Capote (Hoffman) as he does research for his book, “In Cold Blood,” a true account of the brutal murder of a Kansas family. As Capote establishes a close relationship with the imprisoned killers, two parallel dramas unfold—the story of the killers as they are brought to justice and the story of the complex character of Capote.

 

Capote’s character is so skillfully delineated that we understand why he lies and manipulates one of the killers emotionally so that he can expose the truth. He helps the killers in their legal defense so that he can ultimately witness their final demise and write the last chapter of his book, “In Cold Blood.”

 

I like to study this film because I always discover something new about great character development.

 

If your looking to showcase your talent to media professionals, Real2Reels.com is here to provide that for you.We bring everyone together in the media industry from Audio, Film, Fashion, Animation, Digital Media, Game Design, Performing Arts and Traditional Arts all on one site to network and collaborate. ITS FREE!

Film blogging doesn't have to be difficult. In fact, it can be downright easy. A blog is basically a daily diary. As such, it can be written in a conversational style that utilizes comments about storytelling techniques.

 

When writing a blog article about filmmaking or screenwriting, find a film you're familiar with and comment on the film's use of character development, plot structure, dialogue, or pacing.

When structuring your article, create a headline that acts as a statement and encapsulates the subject of your article. For the film, The Amityville Horror (2005), Scriptologist.com used the following headline: Filmmakers Revive Ghosts of Amityville. The subject of the article is the idea of being haunted by horrific events. The article discusses the way in which Screenwriter Scott Kosar structured the screenplay to revolve around psychologically horrifying experiences.  

To read the full article about The Amityville Horror, visit:

http://www.scriptologist.com/Magazine/News/Amityville/amityville.html

 

To write a great blog article, simply find a film that affected you emotionally and comment on the way in which the film creates tension, develops characters, and deals with plot structure.

 

To get ideas for blog articles, visit the screenwriting tips archive on Scriptologist.com:
http://www.scriptologist.com/Magazine/Tips_Archive/tips_archive.html

 

You can also read screenplays in the Scriptologist.com filmmaking directory:
http://www.scriptologist.com/Directory/Filmmaking/Screenplays/screenplays.html
 

And, here are links to the press kits for upcoming films:

http://www.lionsgatepublicity.com/index_flash.html

http://movies.warnerbros.com/pub/

http://www.moviepublicity.com/

 

       Some films have such a powerful social message that it just hits you in the gut. I recently saw Water, a Deepa Mehta Indian film, that's still haunting me.

      This beautifully filmed movie tells the story of an 8-year-old child, Chuyler, who is sent to live out her life in an ashram (a widows' house) after her husband dies. The story is set in 1938 and exposes the cruelty of a religious practice that ostracized women (and even children), condemning them to a life of social isolation and poverty simply because their husbands' died. Shockingly, this practice is still going on today, which we learn at the end of the film. Over 30 million women in India are still condemned to social isolation because they are widows.

      Water is a commentary on the cruelty of religious fundamentalism wherever it exists. We need more social protest films like this.

   I was very surpised by the quality of Ushpizin, an independent Israeli film produced on a low budget. I admired so many things in this film--the story, the character development, the acting, and the directing.

   The story was simple, but very interesting. Ushpizin (meaning "guests") tells the story of an Orthodox Jewish couple living in Jerusalem whose religious faith is tested when they welcome two escaped prisoners as their guests.

   It's always encouraging to see what is possible in independent filmmaking. You don't need buckets of money. Start with a good scipt and well-developed characters. If you can get a copy of this film on DVD, see it and judge for yourself.

  

   If you guessed Titanic (1997), you're right. It grossed over 600 million dollars in North America and more than one billion worldwide. That makes it the biggest box-office hit in film history.

   The combination of a true disaster tale and a love story that climaxed in a double tragedy left audiences breathless. Also, the script and direction (James Cameron), the star power of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, the hauntingly beautiful musical score (James Horner), the special effects, and a multitude of other elements made Titanic the highest grossing film in history. The film won 11 Oscars, including one for Best Picture.

   Sometimes films cost more to produce than they actually gross at the box office. Titanic cost $200 million to make. That's a healthy profit if you do the math. 

   But here's a bit of irony. The movie cost more to produce than the real Titanic cost to build in 1911.

One of the most recent film trends I've noticed is the remaking of old films. War of the Worlds, Cheaper by the Dozen, Poseidon, King Kong, and The Omen are all remakes of films that were box office successes in the past.

 

When one studio after another starts rushing to repackage old films, you see a trend. This doesn't necessarily guarantee that the studio will make money on it, considering that they often spend exorbitant amounts of money to remake a film that isn't as good as the original (which cost a lot less).

 

I often wonder why they do it. I suppose the studios think that they'll get a good return on their investments because audiences who liked the original films will rush to see the remakes. But this isn't necessarily true. And if the remake isn't as good as the oldie, word gets around fast and results in a flop. Personally, I'd rather see a new film with fresh ideas than a remake of an oldie.

 

Cinderella Man
Buy this Mini Poster at AllPosters.com

This is a sports drama based on a true story, Cinderella Man stars Russell Crowe as Depression-era boxer Jim Braddock. Married (to Renee Zellweger) with three kids, Braddock hits hard times when the stock market crashes and he breaks his hand. He can't box and he can barely work when his loyal manager (Paul Giamatti) gets him one last shot at glory. The result is predictable, but the scraps are thrilling.

   I've written many how-to articles that appear on Scriptologist.com, including How to Format a Screenplay, How to Create Real Life Dialogue, How to Find Time to Write, and many others. I hope you'll visit Scriptologist.com, read the articles, and post your comments.

   Before I wrote my first screenplay, I read many screenplays that I admired.  By reading and studying the techniques used by produced screenwriters, I learned how to create a tight, exciting plot; how to format scenes; how to write concise action descriptions; and how to create believable characters and punchy dialogue.

   I read and studied The Omen,  Kramer v. Kramer, The Shawshank Redemtion, and many others. The learning process is much like an artist studying the masters who came before him. With so many screenplays now available in published book format and online, it's easier than ever to access great scipts.