Splendora – Top 15 Uploaded Scripts on The Black List

Hey gang, been a while since I updated this.  So what have I been doing with my time?  Writing, of course!

Thought I’d tell you about my latest spec script…

SPLENDORA.

Here’s the logline: For her 18th birthday, a sheltered teen just wants to kiss a boy. Instead, she gets supernatural powers, a kidnapped mom, five deadly sisters to battle, and the disturbing news that her dad is the Prince of Darkness.

The script was recently in the Top 15 Uploaded Scripts at The Black List and it’s enjoyed a lot of attention as a result.

What people have been saying:

“One of the best un-repped scripts I’ve ever read.”
- PDFScreenplays.com

“The script is a fun blend between action, fantasy, and comedy and has a very original premise.  A consistent string of comic and thrilling sequences, Splendora is a well-written script that isn’t too far from being production ready.”
- Blcklst.com

“[The] writing style is already industry standard.  Confident and strong.  Not too many Black List finalists give a reader this much old-timey rollicking good fun.”
- 10ptt.com

If you’re an agent, manager, producer, or executive and would like to give it a read, shoot me an email HERE.

Views from the Middle with Walter Kirn

“Just when you think you’ve reached the epicenter, the VIP room within the VIP room, a shift occurs, a reversal of perspective, and you find that you’re on the inside looking out with much the same sense of longing and displacement you felt when you were looking in. There’s always another, cooler party behind the next locked door.” – Walter Kirn on attending the Oscars after the film adaptation of his book, Up in the Air, was nominated for Best Picture.

Writing a Trailer for your Screenplay

So you’ve finished your first draft.  You probably started with an outline, but found that your characters took you to new places and new discoveries.  How can you tell if it all fits together coherently?

Try writing a trailer for your script. 

I adore movie trailers.  I probably watch at least one a day.  Either new movies coming out, or revisiting old ones.  The great thing about trailers is they get to the heart of the film.  From a good trailer you get an idea of tone, theme, characters, and story.

And while it might be hard to pick these things up from a 120 page screenplay, where the scale makes it all a little fuzzy, a trailer helps you focus in on those important moments.

So figure out those character introductions, those key scenes of dialogue, those big set pieces.  Put on your editors cap.  Figure out what beats are most important.  And write it all down in a three or four page document.  Pick out a few songs to set the tone.  Play it over in your head.

It’s a great way to figure out what beats you’re missing and/or what scenes need more clarity.  And if you can’t find those scenes or bits of dialogue that sum up your character journeys and themes, maybe that’s a good place to start on your rewrite.

Here’s a few of my favorite trailers to inspire you:

 

 

Views from the Middle with Josh Parkinson

Part nine in a series where I lazily ask the same five questions of professionals in the fields of comics, film, music, and more in order to get an idea of what success looks like (or doesn’t look like) in creative industries.

Josh Parkinson is a screenwriter and all-around amazing dude living in Los Angeles.  His screenplay Free Country made the Black List (of best unproduced screenplays) in 2010 and led to jobs at Warner Brothers, Paramount, Mandate and Media Rights Capital.  He most recently wrote on the third season of HBO’s Eastbound & Down.  I will be forever grateful to Josh for his kindess and for turning me on to Korean BBQ.

At what point did you consider yourself a success?

Depends on what you mean by success.  If you mean paying off 90% of my debt and not feeling guilty about eating out more than once a week, then I’d say maybe two years ago.

If you mean being rich and famous and showered with gimme-work, you’re talking to the wrong guy.

How long did it take you to get there?

See above.  I know a few dudes I’d call established but for the most part it’s a freelance hustle which means never really feeling like you’re “there.”  It’s more like lots of competition in a jittery, screwy market that’s often–if not always–impossible to read.  The dudes I know who are established would probably even tell you they’re not, and they’ve been doing it over a decade.

Who do you look at in the film industry as someone you respect, that is “doing it right?”

Dave Kajganich.  Jeff Nichols.  Craig Zobel.  David Green.  Jody Hill.  Robert Rodriguez.

What’s the biggest surprise for how you expected life to be at your level vs. how it actually is?

There’s not nearly as many hookers as I expected.  Just kiddin.

I don’t know really.  I wrote fiction for years before screenplays and that’ll breed in you a pretty good habit of never forming expectations of any kind, especially around recognition or compensation for your work.  I guess the fact that there’s an industry in America that does compensate appropriately (or at all) for creative work is still the biggest life surprise for me before and after my change in focus.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to break in to screenwriting?

This’ll sound like a broken record to people who know me but my biggest piece of advice is always to have something ready.  You can’t control when an opportunity is gonna come up but you sure as shit can control having a piece of product ready when one does.

Josh has a minimal (non-existent) internet presence, but you can keep up with his work via imdb.

Views from the Middle with Kevin Miller

This is the second part in an interview series I’m doing asking the same five questions of creative professionals.  The goal is hopefully to give young writers, filmmakers, artists, and musicians a more realistic view of what success (or ‘breaking in’) looks like in each of these industries.

Kevin Miller is a screenwriter and filmmaker from Abbotsford, BC.  His many credits include the feature films No Saints for Sinners and After… as well as the documentaries spOILed and Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. Kevin’s latest film is also his directorial debut, a feature-length documentary called Hellbound?, which takes on the traditional doctrine of hell.  He also teaches screenwriting at film schools and conferences around the world.  I’m privileged to call such a smart and talented guy my friend.  Even if he is Canadian.

At what point did you consider yourself a success?

I still haven’t reached that point, to be honest. I saw an interview with Conan O’Brien the other night where he admitted that even after nearly two decades on TV, he still worries it’s all going to end 30 minutes from now. I can certainly identify with that. I think every creative person’s deepest fear is that one day they will be revealed as a fraud.

Even though I’ve worked on a number of films, some of which have been well received and earned millions of dollars, I always feel like I have to put a footnote beneath each one explaining the parts that make me cringe.

On another level, with my current film, Hellbound?, I feel a huge step closer to feeling a bit more secure about my abilities. That’s because on this film, I have a much fuller sense of authorship than on any other. Typically, I’ve been a screenwriter, co-writer and/or associate producer. On this film, I raised the money, put the team together, wrote, directed and assisted in the editing of the film. And now I am helping to manage marketing and distribution as well. So while it’s far too early to tell if this film is a success, it is a tremendously satisfying creative experience. And the fact that our film has already earned the approval of so many of my friends and mentors helps me sleep a little better at night.

How long did it take you to get there?

Not sure if this question is relevant in light of my previous response. I’ll let you know when/if it happens. However, I can say there have been brief moments going all the way back to the first line of poetry I wrote in grade 5 where I’ve had a flash of insight that says, “Hey, I think I might be onto something here.”

There’s always this gap between what you envision and what you finally create in the end. I can say I think that gap is closing steadily. But I think it’ll always be there.

Hellbound? Official Theatrical Trailer HD from Kevin Miller on Vimeo.

Who do you look at in the movie industry as someone you respect, that is “doing it right?”

I’m a big fan of two types of filmmakers. The first are writer-directors like Paul Thomas Anderson, the Coen brothers and Darren Aronofsky who manage to retain their artistic integrity while employing the entire myth-making machinery of Hollywood to their advantage. These guys consistently produce beautiful, insightful and important films. I’m truly in awe of their work.

The other type of filmmaker I admire is exemplified by people like George Lucas and James Cameron. These guys aren’t content to simply make movies. They see so far beyond the curve that before they can even make their movies, they have to change the way movie-making is done. I can’t say I’m a huge fan of every film they’ve created. But I have a deep appreciation for their commitment to innovation and excellence. It’s also humbling to be reminded constantly of how small my mind is in comparison.

What’s the biggest surprise for how you expected life to be at your level vs. how it actually is?

The money! (Or lack thereof.) I think everyone enters this business thinking/hoping that one day they’ll win the lottery, so to speak. Not true. At least not in my case. I can’t complain–I live in a relatively new house on the edge of town, I’m able to treat my kids to nice presents at Christmas and so on. But I’ve been a freelancer for 12 years, and that doesn’t always equate to financial security. We have had many highs and lows over the years.

People also expect this line of work to be somewhat glamorous. I know I certainly did. However, you quickly learn that the glamorous moments–if they even happen–are fleeting at best. Most of the time I’m in the field, on a plane or in my office at home. I jokingly tell people that making movies is about long hours of self-torture and self-doubt punctuated by brief moments of elation. So celebrate those moments when you can.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to break in to screenwriting or filmmaking?

Two things:

1. There is no substitute for learning your craft. A few lucky people can fake it for a while. But if you want to have a long, fruitful career in this industry, you need to work, work, work. Educate yourself. If you’re a writer, write. If you’re a filmmaker, make films. I’ve learned more about making spoof movie trailers with my kids than I have on actual film sets.

2. You’re only as good as your network. Like any business, film making is based primarily on relationships. I’ve gotten most of my jobs through connections from previous projects. What you know–and are able to do–is important. But who you know is vital. The thing I would warn against is using networking as a form of procrastination. I know people who feel like they’re filmmakers or screenwriters just because they’re able to score meetings or because they’ve met someone famous. The only thing that makes you a screenwriter or a filmmaker is the credit on the screen.

You can keep up with Kevin and his new film Hellbound? at hellboundthemovie.com.  And you can now view the trailer on iTunes!

I want to hang out with you at ComicCon!

If you’re going to be at San Diego ComicCon this week, PLEASE come by and say hello.  Our short is screening on Friday at 3:15pm in Marriott Hall 2 and we’d love to hang out!

Also feel free to share any other events and awesomeness (read: parties) in the comments.

 

Reading / Watching / Listening – Machine Man / Safety Not Guaranteed / Knaves Grave

Reading - MACHINE MAN by Max Barry

Wow.  Just finished this book this morning and it’s just so perfect.  Everything I look for in a great story.  Grounded science fiction, a romance at it’s heart, laugh out loud, brought tears to my eyes, gasped audibly, asked deep questions about life without providing pat easy answers.  HIGHLY recommended.

Machine Man tells the story of Charles Neumann, a scientist who loses a leg in a lab accident and finds himself disappointed with the current limb-replacement technology.  So he builds himself a new leg.  A scientifically perfect leg.  But then Neumann finds himself disappointed with his remaining human limbs.

My previous experience with Barry was reading Jennifer Government, another book that I loved, and he’s quickly become one of my favorite authors.  Both books deal with the potential dangers of unregulated capitalism, but in a satirical way that is never at the forefront.  You almost get the feeling that Barry WANTS these unethical visions of capitalism to come true, just to see what’s possible.  There’s a curiosity there.  A trait of all great writers.  Max Barry is kind of like Kurt Vonnegut, had Vonnegut survived a marketing degree instead of World War II.

Darren Aronofsky is apparently attached to direct the film, and it’s ripe for adaptation.  Structured like a film.  Very visual.

Watching – Safety Not Guaranteed

I pretty much limit my TV viewing to two sitcoms and can safely say that Jake Johnson is what makes New Girl worth watching every week (sorry Zooey).  Aubrey Plaza is consistently great in everything she’s done – Parks & Rec (the only other sitcom I keep up with), Scott Pilgrim, Funny People.  The Duplass Brothers (producing here) are within my top ten filmmakers.  Mark Duplass as an actor continues to impress me, a rare, truly relatable leading man.  Producers Marc Turtletaub & Peter Saraf previously brought us Adaptation, Little Miss Sunshine, & Away We Go.

So pull all these pieces together with a creative and clever premise and a unique voice from first-time feature director (Colin Trevorrow) & writer (Derek Connolly), and this film was tailor-made for me.

Safety Not Guaranteed is based on an actual classified ad which reads:

WANTED: Someone to go back in time with me.  This is not a joke.  You’ll get paid after we get back.  Must bring your own weapons.  I have only done this one before.  Safety not Guaranteed.

The film follows Johnson and Plaza who, as journalists, track down the man who posted the ad (played by Duplass) in order to write an article poking fun at the ridiculousness of it.  Along the way Plaza develops feelings for Duplass, but what’s so refreshing about that film is how much it keeps you guessing from there.  A wonderful example of how you can take big ideas and make them on a budget.  A wonderful film full of surprises, humor, depth, and heart.

Listening – KNAVES GRAVE – Jake Ryan Maxi-Single

My friend Sunni told me she played in a band.  Normally when a friend tells me this I cross my fingers.  I want them to be good SO bad.  And honestly, I’m pleasantly surprised about 70% of the time.  But occasionally I’m completely blown away… and this was the case with Knaves Grave.

Knaves Grave is girl-fronted, straight-forward rock-n-roll.  They’ve got hints of the lo-fi riot grrrl thing, but without taking themselves too seriously  - at it’s heart, these are nostalgia-influenced pop songs, catchy sing-alongs.  There’s a Prince cover (I Would Die 4 U), an homage to the Ramones (Fuck Off Like Totally), and an instrumental clearly influenced by the Cure (Heartbreak #2).  The title track Jack Ryan is just my favorite thing ever – will get caught in your head for days and you’ll be happy about it.

You can download the whole album for free here.

Rooney’s World – Awards & Reviews

Now that Rooney’s World is online and playing in festivals, we’re getting more and more positive feedback.  It’s such an encouraging thing to get reviews from people who aren’t friends or family, a great sense of accomplishment.  Really happy that it’s finding some kind of audience.

We also just won our first award!  Rooney’s World was voted People’s Choice for Best Short Film at AthFest Film Fest in Athens, GA this past weekend.  AthFest was our first film festival, so it was a big surprise to be coming home with an award, especially one voted on by the audience.

Here’s some of the positive reviews we’ve received so far:

“Rooney’s World shines as a funny and family-friendly short film. It is one of the few films to actually make me laugh out loud. I know it is very hard to do comedy in a short film but the lighthearted comedic touches in this film are just enough to make it appealing.” - Film Festval Judge

“Rooney’s World opens with a shot of a faded children’s TV show host (reminiscent of foxy Steve from Blue’s Clues) cheerlessly and messily cutting the crusts of a dismally soggy PB&J. What follows is a tale of fall from grace, reclaimed love and cartoon friendship — but trust me, it works. What works most is the host’s cartoon co-host, the titular Rooney, and his squeaky voice. It’s like the teacher from “Peanuts” but way cuter.” - Journalist

“A really cute film., it’s a well executed blend of live action and animation, and it’s a sweet story” - Writer / Film Festival Judge

“I like the script a lot. I like what it’s trying to say about life. Well-written and funny.”  - Actor / Writer / Director

“Took me totally by surprise.  Professional and weird and funny… all good things.”  - Television & Film Writer

“Great! Love the humor, the soul and the interesting questions the story raises.”  - Writer / Producer

“Funny, sincere and with a good dose of heart and goofiness.”  - Comic Book Writer / Filmmaker

“Wonderfully insane.” - Arts Center Owner

For those of you who haven’t seen the short yet, you can still catch it at rooneysworld.com or at Comic-Con on Friday, July 13th!

Top 5 Movies of 2012 (so far)

We’re coming up to the halfway mark on the year and I thought it’d be a good time to look back on the best films so far.  I think it’s actually been a pretty great year for film.  We haven’t really seen any Oscar-worthy flicks yet, but those always come in the last part of the year.  What we do have is a LOT of fun at the movies.  Here’s my top 5 so far…

1.The Avengers

The Avengers is not a perfect movie.  It’s got a slow, aimless first act, not much motivation for the antagonist, and Scarlett Johansson.  But these are just nitpicks really because OH MY GOD did I have a good time at this movie.  And not only that, but it won me over emotionally as well.  Joss Whedon is finally starting to get the praise he deserves with this film.  And once again, he earned it.  To pack a movie with this many characters and to make it work.  To be emotionally invested in them, to have them be so clearly defined.  It’s an achievement.  A GIANT, fun, character driven tale, I could watch those last 30 minutes on repeat.

2. 21 Jump Street

This is the year of Channing Tatum.  Between the massive success of 21 Jump Street, The Vow (which I also enjoyed), the upcoming Magic Mike, and they even apparently pushed back the release date of GI Joe 2 in order to un-kill his character!  But when you watch 21 Jump Street, you get it.  The guy is charming and hilarious.  This movie is smartly (and VERY funnily) written, playing up it’s premise perfectly with the occasional wink at the camera.  With an additional brilliant move of swapping the roles of the leads, with Jonah Hill becoming the popular kid, and Tatum becoming the nerdy one.  A refreshing throw-back to the great 80′s action-comedy flicks.

3. Brave

I went into this one expecting to be “meh” on it.  Reviews were so-so, it was coming on the heels of the only Pixar movie I skipped (Cars 2), and I usually enjoy the more outlandishly plotted Pixar films (Up, Wall-E).  But Brave is a wonderful original fairy tale.  It’s funny, adventurous, and emotionally gripping.  Pixar has created not only their first female lead, but in my opinion, their best character yet.  Merida is strong and independent while still being relatable.  This could be the greatest of the Disney Princesses, a great role model for young girls – heck, a great role model for me!  The movie also bravely chooses to not include a romance, instead putting all of it’s focus on Merida and the relationship with her mother.  And more surprisingly, I didn’t miss it.

4. Safety Not Guaranteed

I LOVE this movie.  Take two of my favorite actors from the only two sitcoms I watch (Jake Johnson from New Girl / Aubrey Plaza from Parks & Rec), add a 3rd star (and producer) from one of my favorite writer/director teams (the Duplass Brothers’ Mark Duplass), plus an amazing, funny borderline sci-fi premise, and you’ve got a film that is bound to be in my top 10 of the year.  This movie is laugh-out-loud hilarious, touching, romantic (I may or may not have fallen in love with Aubrey Plaza’s character), all the while asking some wonderful and deep questions about life.

5. MISC

Having a hard time picking a final spot, so I’m just gonna list the ones that come close.  And while I enjoyed all of these and recommend them, I doubt any will end up on my best-of-end-of-year list.

Prometheus – a wonderfully deep sci-fi movie.

John Carter – a lot of fun with a great ending.

This Means War – surprisingly funny and clever.

Cabin in the Woods – one of the most insane, risk-taking movies I’ve ever seen.

Reading / Watching / Listening – Slaughterhouse-Five / Contagion / Santigold

Reading – SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE

I’d read only one novel and a handful of essays and short stories by Vonnegut before and I’m a huge fan of his voice, so I figured I’d give his most well-known book a shot.

I didn’t know much about the book, besides its passing reference in Footloose.  And based on the description, I thought it was a traditional war book, so I kind of kept my distance from it, as that’s not really my thing.  But was happy to discover a book filled with aliens and time travel and that wonderful Vonnegut wit.

My one complaint is that the book seems all theme, and all voice.  He’s got one of the best voices out there, and I’d read anything the guy writes, but I would’ve liked to see a little more plot from him.

That isn’t to say the book doesn’t have plot.  And the themes it explores are deep.  Everyone calls it an anti-war book, but I think it’s deeper than that.  I’d call it a pro-life book.  It explores the idea that if timelines don’t really exist, if we never die, but instead just keep living the same moments over and over again… how would that change the way you live your life?

Watching – CONTAGION

This is one of two Steven Soderbergh films from last year that looked pretty unoriginal, so I skipped them.  But my brother highly recommended Contagion and I’m working on a story that deals with a virus, so I decided to give it a shot.  And man, I was reminding how much I love Soderbergh.  In fact, I’ve loved EVERYTHING I’ve seen of his, so why am I not rushing out to the theater every time he makes a movie?  The thing is, he’s so prolific (and often with super low budget films that get no wide release) that it’s easy to skip some.  Now I AM going to rush out and catch up on movies of his that I’ve missed.

Anyways, Contagion is more original than it looks.  A realistic take on the behind-the-scenes of a virus outbreak.  Masterfully edited, great score and impressively acted by the whole lot.  Really eye-opening and surprisingly touching.

Listening – SANTIGOLD – MASTER OF MY MAKE-BELIEVE

I was a huge fan of the first Santigold album, (self-titled Santogold – wait a second, is that a misprint or did she change the spelling of her name between the first and second album?) coming across it randomly on eMusic, it’s a mix of world music / reggae, hip-hop, & punk rock.  This album is more of the same, with a little more electronic influence.  The first track, GO! features Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and this fits right at home with their last album.

And like the first Sanitold/Santogold album, EVERY track is great.  And that’s a rare thing to find these days.  Check out the tracks GO! and This Isn’t Our Parade to get a good feel.  For fans of MIA or dance partys.  GO GET IT!

Top Five Screenwriting Resources

For the past 7 or 8 years I’ve been soaking up as much information on screenwriting as possible.  I’ve probably read dozens of books on writing, listened to hundreds of interviews, read thousands of articles.  This was my film-school.

These days I’m having less and less time for research, as I spend that time ACTUALLY WRITING, but I think it’s an important process for those starting out.

What follows is a list of my favorite resources, and the ones that I still revisit on a regular basis:

Writing Movies for Fun and Profit: How We Made a Billion Dollars at the Box Office and You Can, Too!

If you only track down one resources from this list, make it this one.  Written by the State alum Robert Ben Garant & Thomas Lennon, it’s one of the only screenwriting books you’ll find written by ACTUAL SCREENWRITERS.  It’s also incredibly funny.

The book is split into two parts.  Part One: Selling Your Movie takes you through the process of what it’s like to work as a writer in Hollywood – How to Pitch Your Movie, Our Lunch With Jackie Chan, and Why Does Almost Every Studio Movie SUCK Donkey Balls?  It’s pretty eye-opening to learn what the job of a screenwriter actually entails.

The second part, Part Two: Writing A Screenplay, tells you how to… write a screenplay.  Structure, characters, drinking too much, and it’s all fantastic advice from guys who do this stuff for a living.  All you need to write a movie is right here.

Don’t let the cover fool you.  It’s a very smart book.  And in a sea of boring screenwriting books, this is the one that stands out.

The Coffee Break Screenwriter: Writing Your Script Ten Minutes at a Time

Written by Pilar Alessandra, a speaker and script consultant, the book is cutely divided in to ten-minute chunks and filled with ten-minute exercises.  It walks you through the writing of a screenplay from beginning to end.  Extremely detailed, great content on structure and with a much-needed emphasis on rewriting.  And yeah, it literally tells you how to write a movie on your coffee breaks.  So no more complaining that you don’t have time.

This is the only book I still reference while I’m writing.  It helps me focus on specific areas of need when I get lost.  Like having my own little script consultant.

Wordplayer.com

52 essays on the craft and business of screenwriting.  This site has been around for a while and isn’t much to look at, but these essays are just wonderful.  Written by Pirates of the Caribbean writers, Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, you can tell that the articles were born out of real-life screenplay problem solving.  This is the only screenwriting website I recommend checking out.  Not because other’s aren’t any good, but because this puts them all to shame.

The Q&A / Creative Screenwriting Magazine Podcast

An amazing wealth of screenwriting knowledge, The Q&A is usually about an hour long and features interviews with screenwriters of new (and sometimes old) films.  Hosted by Jeff Goldsmith, who after a few listens, you’ll just be dying to make fun of, but he’s one of the best interviewers out there.  He consistently asks great questions and gets the information you wanna know.

You can find older interviews in the Creative Screenwriting Magazine Podcast.  Same guy, same format, just a different name.  You’ll probably find your favorite screenwriter in there somewhere.

Screenwriting Tips You Hack

Xander Bennett gives you short, daily screenwriting tips.  This is also a book.  And a website.  But since all these tips are pretty short, Twitter is the perfect spot for them.  Go back and read all of them – there’s over a 1000.

Honorable Mentions:

Website: ScriptShadow – Carson Reeves reviews unproduced screenplays.

Podcast: ScriptNotes – John August & Craig Mazin discuss the business of screenwriting.

Book: Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies – Blake Snyder walks you through hundreds of examples of structure used in popular movies.

Do you have any favorites that I missed?  Leave a comment and let me know!

My Fave Films of 2011

Well, this is late.  But I’ve caught up on a few films from last year, and now feel confident about my list.  I saw right around 60 films from 2011.  These are my top 10.  And to clarify how I choose my top ten: these may not be the best films, but they are the ones that I left the theater most excited about, that I will buy on DVD and watch over and over again (some of which I already have).  Generally these are the movies that made me FEEL the most.  And if I had to sum up this year, I’d have to say it’s the year of the great ending.  Some of the films below may be flawed, but all of them won me over by the end.

Feel free to disagree and sound off in the comments below.  Let me know any films you think I missed, and I might even get around to some honorable mentions.

Here goes:

10. REAL STEEL

Between this, Super 8, and Attack the Block, could this be the year of return to Amblin-style films?  Those films of our youth that leave cynicism at the door and embrace the magic of the movies?  Where robots and aliens and treasure maps all really exist and are embraced by emotionally genuine characters?  Real Steel is a great father & son story.  Is it Over the Top with robots?  Sure.  But you get more emotion from the deadest of these robots than you do from Sly Stallone.  Made me want to stand up and cheer AND evaluate my relationship with my son at the same time.

Unforgettable Scene: The first time the kid wins a fight, even after everyone telling him he’ll never make it out alive.  Who doesn’t love an underdog?

9. TAKE SHELTER

Take Shelter is like Field of Dreams’s goth little brother.  Not that the film itself is goth – it’s actually a refreshingly accurate portrait of middle-America – but it is dark.  And this plot ALWAYS works:  A man who gives up everything for a goal.  And in this film, the (possibly insane) protagonist sacrifices everything in order to build a shelter to protect his family from a coming apocalypse.  The greatest compliment I can give this movie is I had no idea where it was going.  Much like the main character, you’re not sure what is reality and what isn’t.  But underneath it all, it’s also a film about family.  About acceptance and unconditional love.  Brutal and beautiful.

Unforgettable Scene:  Don’t’ wanna ruin it, but it’s the last scene.  I had no idea how they were going to end it, but couldn’t ask for a more surprising, satisfying, and unforgettable ending.

8. THOR

Thor?  I couldn’t think of a less interesting comic book character.  Kenneth Branagh?  Not my thing.  Chris Hemsworth?  Never heard of him.  Natalie Portman?  Okay, I’ll watch her in anything.  But other than that, I wasn’t expecting much from this film.  And boy was I pleasantly surprised.  This is one that I really enjoyed in the theater and it got better each time I watched it, ultimately becoming my favorite super hero movie of the year (apologies to all the X-Men, Cap, and the Greens).  It was big and fun (and funny).  Lacking in cynicism.  And had a great heart.

Unforgettable Scene: They hit this same beat a number of times – “I’m Thor, how dare you challenge me?” followed by Thor getting tazzered or hit by a car or getting a tranquilizer to the butt.  But I belly laughed every time.

7. SUPER 8

A wonderful celebration of youth.  Not just all the moments that remind us of our own childhood, but the homages to the MOVIES the remind us of our own childhood.  On top of that, a very honest exploration of loss and new beginnings.  I lost my father at a young age, and this hit so close to home.  I’ll be honest, the monster parts of this movie were my least favorite.  It’s everything else that draws me to this film.

Unforgettable Scene: When Joe is applying zombie make-up on Alice and she shows off her acting skills, coming THIS CLOSE to biting his neck, leaving lipstick behind.  Such a cute and romantic moment.

6. THE ARTIST

A silent feel-good epic.  Such charm.  A nice companion piece to Midnight in Paris, except while that film told us to look forward instead of back, I sure am glad the Artist looked back.  Touches on our value in the creative world, how it can (and will) be swept away in an instant… and all that’s left are the relationships we cultivate along the way.

Unforgettable Scene:  The last “line” in the movie.  Such a unique twist that made the entire film before it a masterpiece.

5. MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

It took me a while to check this one out.  While I usually enjoy Woody Allen, the original previews mentioned nothing of time travel!  So once a friend explained to me what it was actually about, I had to check it out.  Such a feel-good little film with a great concept.  Great performances all around from Dignan, to Loki and Kim Pine playing the Fitzgeralds, to Bloom as Dali, to whoever played Hemingway, and that guy from Twilight being such a great non-blood sucking douchebag.  Another film defined largely by its score of classic swing tunes.

Unforgettable Scene: Anytime Hemingway is on screen.

4. ATTACK THE BLOCK

This one kind of came and went, praised inside the fanboy community, but not much outside of it.  It’s unfortunate because it’s a great, fun film.  Breakfast Club meets Die Hard with aliens is the most accurate way I could describe it.  And that’s pretty spot on.  And it wasn’t just good for laughs or scares, but a real in depth look at family and a generation growing up without one, and a great message of taking responsibility for your actions.  That might sound borderline after-school special, but Joe Cornish couldn’t have picked a more interesting and authentic world to tell his tale in.  Loved it.

Unforgettable Scene: “Moses!  Moses!  Moses!”

3. DRIVE

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of all things Gosling.  And yes, I do mean ALL things (*cough* Notebook).  He’s always a pleasure to watch and Drive was no exception.  So refreshing to watch an UNDERstated action movie.  And that soundtrack!  I recently watched Last of the Mohicans for the first time, and while it was a good movie, it’s soundtrack makes it UNFORGETTABLE.  Same thing here.  Such a refreshing choice to throw in the synth-pop soundtrack and it fit perfectly, like a musical with the songs filling in the blanks of what’s left unsaid.

Unforgettable Scene:  Come on… gotta be that elevator kiss.  This did not make me cry, but it did make me want to fall in love.  Bash a guys head in?  Not so much.

2. MONEYBALL

I don’t play sports.  I don’t watch sports.  But this movie made me love baseball, it made me love business, it made me love Brad Pitt (even more), it made me love my family (even more), and it made me love film (even more).  Brilliantly written by Aaron Sorkin & Steve Zaillian and equally directed by Bennet Miller.  One of the all-time great “guy who is good at his job overcomes obstacles” dramas, right up there with Jerry Maguire and Up in the Air.

Unforgettable Scene: Pitt driving off into the sunset listening to his daughter’s acoustic version of Lenka’s “The Show.”  Such a sweet and satisfying ending.  And yes, this made me cry.

1. HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART II

My love for the Harry Potter films, especially the last four is… how do I put this… RIDICULOUS.  So ridiculous that I feel like I can safely say that Deathly Hallows Part II is not only the best finale of any franchise, but a perfect finale to the greatest franchise ever.  An amazing emotional roller coaster that is completely satisfying.  David Yates and team pulled off a miracle.

Unforgettable Scene: That Snape back story montage will always bring me to tears.  SO beautiful.  This is why Snape is one of the top ten greatest characters ever put on screen.

Rooney’s World Update – Watch it now!

Hey guys, you can now watch the short film I wrote and produced over at rooneysworld.com.

Let me know what you think in the comments below!  Tell your friends!  Hope you enjoy!

• Rooney’s World Trailer!

So, I wrote and produced this short film last year and now it has a trailer!
Visit rooneysworld.com to find out more about screenings & festivals.

Rooney’s World (OFFICIAL TRAILER) from The Brothers Ray on Vimeo.

• Explosions Part II (in which I disagree with myself)

My last post talked essentially about the importance of selling out, slightly tongue in cheek, but still solid advice.  This time I’m gonna throw all that out the window.

I recently picked up the must-read book If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland.  I recommend it to anyone who works creatively.  The main theme of the book is “everybody is talented, original and has something important to say.”  Which I completely agree with.  Interestingly she says the ones without anything to say are the ones to whom writing comes easily.  Because they just blurt out without investing anything into it.  Remember – if it’s hard, you’re probably doing it right!

Ueland says it better than I do, so lets jump right into her words:

“It is our nasty twentieth-century materialism that makes us feel: what is the use of writing, painting, etc., unless one has an audience or gets cash for it?  Socrates and the men of the Renaissance did so much because the rewards were intrinsic, i.e., the enlargement of the soul.“

“Yes we are all thoroughly materialistic about such things. ‘What’s the use?’ we say, of doing anything unless you make money or get applause? for when a man is dead, he is dead.’  Socrates and the Greeks decided that a man’s life should be devoted to ‘the tendance of the Soul’ (Soul included intelligence, imagination, spirit, understanding, personality) for the soul lived eternally, in all probability.”

“I think it is all right to work for money, to work to have things enjoyed by people, even very limited ones; but the mistake is to feel that the work, the effort, the search is not the important and the exciting thing.  One cannot strive to write a cheap, popular story without learning moe about cheapness.”

During his life, van Gough made a total of 109 dollars from all his paintings, yet his art transcends time because this is a man that believed “The world only concerns me in so far as I feel a certain debt and duty towards it and out of gratitude want to leave some souvenir  in the shape of drawings or pictures – not made to please a certain tendency in art, but to express sincere human feeling.”

Ueland goes on to say that if you write with “real love and imagination and intelligence” you may very well become famous and make a ton of money, BUT “if nothing is ever published at all and you never make a cent, just the same it will be good that you have worked.”

The reason I made this a part two is that I love the contradiction of working in Hollywood, where everything is about money and fame, while trying to make honest, transparent art that reveals beauty.  I believe the two CAN co-exist (though they rarely do) and this is my goal.

• Explosions!

So I went to see Drive a month or so ago, the Ryan Gosling flick.  It’s no secret that I’m a massive fan of his and I thought the film was fantastic, one of my favs from the year so far (Top 3 – along with Moneyball & Harry Potter 7 part II).  But there’s a bit of a controversy surrounding it because a lot of people went into the film expecting to see Transporter 4 (are there really THREE of these???), and instead got a love story.

Personally, I thought it was very much an action film, but apparently the guy sitting behind me in the theater disagreed as he turned to his date and said “This movie should be called ‘Talk’”.

And last week I saw this:

(Courtesy joblo.com)

What you see in this chart is the number of explosions per Michael Bay movie alongside the amount of money each movie made.  More explosions = more money!

And it made me wonder.  Do people really just want to go to movies to see explosions?  Was the success of Transformers: Dark of the Moon due simply to special effects?  Would Drive have been more of a success if it had a couple more car chases in it?

But I don’t think it’s so much explosions exactly as much as it is delivering on the promise of the premise, whether that be thrills in an action movie or laughs in a comedy.  People go to the movies with a certain expectation.  Apparently a LOT of people want to see people drive fast, blow stuff up, and hear guitar solos.  And, as a writer, if you can deliver on that expectation, you will probably make a lot of money.

Now, I didn’t get into writing to (only) make money.  It’s my desire to tell stories that challenge people to live better lives.  And Drive did this for me, challenged me, reminded me that unconditional love is real and that life is short.  It reached me with a level of honesty that is unfortunately rare in film.

I think it’s safe to say that not one person was challenged to live a better life by watching Transformers: Dark of the Moon.   But a HELL of a lot of people saw it.

Whether you like it or not, when you work on the canvas of massive, explosion-laded movies, you have a larger audience to reach.  Is it possible to deliver on what the mass-audience wants and still challenge them?  Of course it is.  Does it happen very often?  Unfortunately, no.  But that’s where you, the writer comes in.  The producers & directors may only care about delivering a visually stimulating movie, but it’s your job to write a film that reaches through those explosions to challenge brains and touch hearts.

So my challenge is to all creatives (not just writers): how can you make art that reaches the widest audience possible that still challenges them in a unique and life-changing ways?

• Thoughts on Stakes

I just got done watching Moneyball – completely blew me away.  Loved it.  And it got me thinking about sports movies and how I’m so thoroughly engrossed in them – and I don’t even like sports!  Yet, I love action movies, romantic comedies, science fiction – all genres with much bigger stakes than just playing a game.  So what is it about this magical genre?  A couple things occurred to me:

1. Everyone can relate to a dreamer.

And sports are all about dreams.  A little kid playing baseball with his dad.  All he wants to be when he grows up is a baseball player.  He works hard, finally gets his big shot.  You can replace “baseball” with acting or ballet or politics, but the dreams remain the same.  Everyone can relate to it.

For a lot of the world, they hang up on those dreams somewhere in or around college.  So when we see someone on screen, living out those dreams, we see ourselves living out those dreams.  It’s a “what if” scenario.  What if I had stuck with piano lessons?  What if I had written that novel?  What if I had traveled the world?  Everyone asks these questions, and it’s those questions we want to see lived out on the screen.

A hero who follows his dreams in the face of adversity is always a good story.  No genre does this as well as Sports, but it can be applied to every genre.

2. There’s always a clear goal (or basket or touchdown.)

In the Sports genre, there’s always a final hurdle.  And it’s clearly defined:  Win the state championship.  Go toe-to-toe with Apollo Creed.  Defeat Johnny and his Cobra Kai pals.  We usually know from very early on what that goal is and we’re along for the ride.

Almost always, our heroes are the underdogs.  They are the LEAST likely to win.  But they put that goal in site and don’t stop until they’ve arrived.  And that’s key to a great character.  We love someone who dreams big, and we love someone who doesn’t give up.

3. It doesn’t matter whether you win or lose, but how you play the game.

In writing classes, they always say raise the stakes.  Yet, the larger the stakes, I believe the less you relate to them.  The world is going to blow up?  First of all, no it isn’t.  Secondly, I have no frame of reference for that.  What does that mean to me?  I can’t relate to it.  I’ve never been put in that position.

So, then they say make it personal.  Your daughter is kidnapped?  Okay, I can relate to what it must be like to lose a loved one.  What if she dies?  Well, in this scenario, there is only one way for our hero to win: rescue his daughter.  And that’s boring, because we expect it.  Some gutsy filmmaker might have the daughter die in the end, but then our hero is destroyed.  He’s a failure.  There’s no satisfying arc in that, (at least not in the same way Sports movies are satisfying.)

How do Sports movies do it differently?  By creating a scenario where win or lose, the hero succeeds.

Two of my favorite Sports movies are Rocky & the Karate Kid – both referenced earlier.  Both are similar stories.  Guys who don’t stand a chance, up against insane odds.  They stick to their guns, no matter what obstacles come their way (and they face a lot of obstacles), and finally arrive at their goal.  Simply arriving at that goal is an accomplishment.  Enough to end the movie right there.  But there’s that last hurdle.  That final goal that’s been driving the film.  And as a result of everything that came before it, you pull for them to win even more.  You are invested.

At this point Rocky & Karate Kid have two different endings: One wins the big fight and one doesn’t.  (I won’t specify which one is which in case for some weird reason you haven’t seen them.)  But both are equally satisfying.  And I believe that they are so satisfying because they are unpredictable.

If your goal for your action hero is to save your daughter or she dies – they are probably going to save their daughter.  If your goal for your action hero is to keep the world from blowing up – they are probably going to keep the world from blowing up.  These are predictable endings.

Is it possible to take an action film or a romantic comedy or a sci-fi film and create an ending that is both unpredictable and satisfying no matter how it ends?  Sports movies do it all the time.

I had no idea how Moneyball was going to end.  Leading up to and even after the final hurdle.  Yet, had the movie gone in either direction, it would’ve been a satisfying ending.  I think that’s remarkable writing.

• So, you’ve written a screenplay? What to do next.

Wow… 10 months since my last post.  The thing is, I promised myself that when I started this site I would only post if I had something unique to say.  So, when I write an article for this site, it’s usually because I’m interested in something yet can’t find it already existing on the web.  I feel like I haven’t had much to say the past ten months, but I’d like to get back in the game when I have the time, starting with this one:

A friend of a friend told me he just completed a screenplay and wondered what he should do with it.  Good question, right?  I’ve had some MILD success in the area, so this is what I responded with.

1. Congratulations!
Writing a screenplay is hard work.  The fact that you finished one puts you ahead of the majority of “writers” out there.

2. Send queries (emails to people in the biz asking them to read your stuff).
I’ve heard some industry people say that this is useless and doesn’t work, but I can tell you it does because I’ve done it with some success.

I sent out about 100 emails when we finished Hourglass and got about 15 responses to read.   Of the 15 we sent to only about 5 actually read it.  All passed but it created some recognition with these reps so that when I finished my latest screenplay, I was able to use those same contacts.   The fact that we had already optioned something and that we had a lawyer probably helped.  Any contests you’ve won would also be a help, although ultimately it comes down to having an awesome idea.  If you’ve got a great logline, they’ll wanna read it.  Just be polite, professional, and brief.

Here is an article that mostly discusses writing loglines (which you’ll need when you send out the queries), but it also talks specifically about how to find emails for agents, managers, & producers and send them queries to read your script -

THEUNKNOWNSCREENWRITER.COM/THE-ELEVATOR-PITCH

3. Send your screenplay in for “coverage”.
Not only do you get honest feedback on your script, but if it’s good, they will forward your screenplay to agents/managers/producers.  Just be careful which coverage services you choose.  I would suggest these:

SCRIPT SHARK
SCRIPT XPERT

4. Enter your script into contests. If it’s good and it places, agents, managers, & producers will get ahold of it.  Here are links to ones I am aware of:

NICHOLL FELLOWSHIPS
AAA / CREATIVE SCREENWRITING
SCRIPTAPALOOZA
BIG BREAK / FINAL DRAFT

5. Collaborate. Be on the look-out for young, hungry directors.  With the advances in technology, directors are popping up everywhere online.  Many are looking for scripts to shoot in order to advance their own careers.  The same can be said for producers.  The best thing you can do is contact and network with others that are in a similar place as you.  The internet is your friend here.

6. Call in favors. Does your uncle’s dentist know a producer?  See if you can’t get the script to him.  It’s tacky and a little lame, but what’s it really gonna hurt?  Half of being a writer is being a salesman.

7. While you’re waiting on all that, write another script. Then another.  Then another.  You’re only as good as your next idea.  And every script gets better than the one before it.  It’s completely normal to write 5-10 screenplays before making your first sale, so the sooner you get to number 10, the better.  I sold my second script, yet I’m still struggling to ‘break in,’ and I’ve written three more since then.  According to Malcolm Gladwell, if you do anything for 10,000 hours (or approx. ten years) you become an expert, so give yourself time.

• 3 Ways to “Fix” Indiana Jones in the Script Stage (SPOILERS)

So, I watched Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull last night and I enjoyed it. No one has action scenes as fun as an Indiana Jones movie, and they captured that magic again in Crystal Skull.

I thought the cast was great. I’m a big fan of Shia Labeuf and he didn’t disappoint. Harrison Ford was spot on for the most part. He was different, but it fit. I felt like he was channeling Sean Connery a little bit, which didn’t feel like Indiana, but it made sense.

A lot of people complained about the alien angle, but to me it fit. The archeology behind the Mayan culture and Crystal Skulls is (in some theories) entwined with aliens. Every other Indiana Jones movie dealt with the supernatural… I don’t see why aliens are any different from the Biblical supernatural world surrounding the Arc and the Grail, or the Hindu supernatural world surrounding the Sankara stones. It might have something to do with the fact that I just watched a documentary about the Crystal Skulls so I understood the link they had to aliens and to archeology.

I liked the ending, was torn on the beginning, and was appalled by the Shia as Tarzan bit, but I enjoyed the movie as a whole… with reservation.

I felt there were some major flaws that could have made it great and it wouldn’t have taken much work to fix it in the script stage:

1. Higher Stakes
So, Irina Spalko wants to return the Skull from where it came in order to gain some sort of power where she wants to control every mind in the world? Very communist, it works. But Indy didn’t seem to care about this. In fact, after his experience with the skull, he wanted to return it (for no apparent personal reason), just as Irina did! So, where’s the conflict? The good guys and the bad guys want the same thing? It didn’t even have a “we’ve got to get there first” vibe that could have worked. I never got a sense that there was anything to lose by their returning it. They could have fixed this easily with my next point:

2. Make it Personal
The whole movie hinged on two characters we didn’t care about. Ox & Mac. We have this whole history of characters to pull from and they make up two disposable new ones. The whole journey takes place because of Ox being kidnapped and leaving clues. Why not make this someone we already know and care about? Apparently Sean Connery didn’t want to be involved, so Henry Jones Sr. out. Denholm Elliott died in 92, so Marcus Brody is out. What about Sallah? Or the more obvious suggestion: Abner Ravenwood! It was rumored that John Hurt was going to play the character of Abner – Marion’s Father and Indy’s Mentor who was thought to be dead in Raiders. This turned out not to be true, but it would have made the movie so much better if it was. It gave a reason for Marion to be there. It gave a PERSONAL stake for Indy being there. To go on this entire journey. You could make it a journey to save Abner’s life or maybe his soul. Something that would MATTER to Indy.

Secondly, Mac seemed to be the character that was morally questionable. We had the moment at the end of the movie where Indy tries to stop and save him, but he’d rather have the jewels. We’ve seen this kind of scene before, but who cared about Mac? We’ve got somewhat of a back story for Indy and him, but as an audience we weren’t connected. Why not make Mutt the one that’s obsessed with personal gain? It’s a lesson that Indy teaches him just as Indy learned the lesson in Temple of Doom.

3. More Conflict
Indiana and Marion see each other, have one squable and then they are perfect and happy together. Where’s the tension? Same thing with Mutt. From the very first moment, they are best buds, even when he finds out it’s his son, no tension whatsoever… everyone’s a happy family for the rest of the movie. The things that made the first movies so great was the tension between Indy and his leading ladies… the tension between Indy and his sidekicks. Where was it here? They had so much great opportunity to explore that here and went for happy family adventure instead.

Liked it? Hated it? Other ways to fix it? Comment below.

• Top 5 2008 Summer Blockbusters That WILL Live Up To The Hype.

With the release of Iron Man, the summer movie season is in full swing. Summer is my favorite time of the year for movies. It’s also the time where the most movies disappoint.

I can’t tell you how many years I’ve said “this will be the best summer ever for movies.” And then been let down… pretty much every summer for the past 10 years.

Yet here I am again… This will be the best summer ever for movies.

I love “event” movies. I love big tentpole action adventure popcorn movies. Ever since Spielberg & Lucas ushered in the “blockbuster” in the late 70′s, the world of cinema has changed. Star Wars, E.T., Back to the Future, Ghostbusters, Indiana Jones… these are the movies I loved as a kid. There’s magic in these films.

But somewhere along the way the blockbuster lost it’s luster. Movies began being put together by executives, and not filmmakers. So, year after year, you have these films that sound great on paper (Hugh Jackman fights Dracula, Wolf-man & Frankensteins monster), but lack that magic.

However, I feel like this time around I have more than just hype and excitement to back up my “best summer ever” theory. There is a pedigree of filmmakers behind this summer’s crop of films. We’re seeing a return to the auteur-driven blockbusters of the early 80′s.

1) Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Director Steven Spielberg, Producer George Lucas, & Screenwriter David Koepp. All legends in their fields. They have brought us some of the highest quality blockbusters of all time. No one creates magic like these three men do. Can they do it again here? Well, there’s a lot to live up to. Indiana Jones is one of the most successful franchises in movie history.

Am I expecting this to be better than the original trilogy? No. I’m expecting it to be different. Am I expecting this to be a good movie? Absolutely. If you can leave your expectations at the door, you will enjoy this movie. You don’t get three powerhouse filmmakers like that together and make a bad film. When Spielberg & Lucas make a film, for good or bad, it’s going to be the film they want to make. And while they’ve made some questionable movies over the years… this is their sweet spot.

2) The Happening
M. Night Shyamalan is my favorite filmmaker. His movies speak to me in a way no other filmmaker’s movies do. M. Night Shyamalan is another filmmaker who knows exactly what he’s doing. When he makes a movie, it’s going to be the movie he wants to make. Lot’s of people think he dropped off with the Village and went out of his mind with Lady in the Water. I disagree.

While the Lady in the Water is my least favorite of his films, he knew exactly what he was doing with it – pushing the boundaries of what a film can and should be. He knew going into it that people wouldn’t get it… although I know he hoped they would.

Even if you didn’t like Lady in the Water, you should give the Happening a chance. One thing the failure of Lady in the Water did was put Shyamalan’s ego in check. The Happening will be the movie Shyamalan set out to make, but it will also be a movie for the masses.

3) Wall•E
Does anyone have a better track record than Pixar? Nearly everything they’ve done has been a masterpiece. I felt like Cars was a sidestep, but Ratatouille made up for it. And after seeing the trailer for Wall•E, I have no doubt that this will be a great film. It might even unseat the Incredibles as my favorite Pixar film of all time… but I imagine it will come in a close second.

Pixar is the definition of auteur-driven filmmaking. If a creator at Pixar has a vision, they will see that vision through to the end, sending it along the way through a process that ensures that vision will be realized perfectly.

Wall•E is the vision of Andrew Stanton, who also brought us A Bug’s Life & Finding Nemo. These two movies were not my favorite, but I think it was more the subject matter than the stories. Wall•E however has a delicious sci-fi world, which we haven’t seen explored in a Pixar movie before, and I can’t wait to see what they do with it.

4) The Dark Knight
I’ll be honest… I’m not the biggest Batman Begins fan. I thought it was really well done, but I don’t think it broke any new ground. I guess I just felt that this is what they should’ve been doing with Batman all along.

Chris Nolan, is a great filmmaker and Batman is a great character. WB seems to have really let Nolan run with the character and do what he wants. Even more so this time around. Success buys power. If the first film was establishing the tone and the character, then this movie should get to just run free and play. And that’s why I’m looking forward to this film so much. This is how you make great films – find filmmakers that know what they are doing, and let them do what they do best.

Great marketing, great cast, great filmmakers… it just looks like a lot of quality fun.

5) Pineapple Express

There was a big fight for this number 5 spot… Hancock, Prince Caspian, Get Smart, Hellboy II, Tropic Thunder… all of which I’m very much looking forward to. All with a great pedigree of filmmakers behind them.

However, Pineapple Express wins out for three reasons:

A) All the Real Girls is one of my favorite movies.

David Gordon Green is the director of Pineapple Express. He also directed All the Real Girls, one of the most honest looks at love and small town life I’ve ever seen. It’s also very funny, but it’s not a comedy. David Gordon Green makes the type of films that engulf you. Every time I watch All the Real Girls, I just feel like I went through the ups and downs of a year-long relationship in the span of two hours. He’s a young filmmaker, but already a master of tone and pacing.

B) Freaks & Geeks is one of my favorite TV shows.

Pineapple Express is starring Seth Rogen & James Franco, written by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg and produced by Judd Apatow. Everyone knows who Judd Apatow & Seth Rogen are now. They are the faces of modern comedy. And while I think their movies are hit & miss, they’ve do make very original & honest comedies, including the amazing TV show, Freaks & Geeks (produced by Apatow, and starring Rogen & Franco). When I heard that they were making a “pot” action-comedy, I shrugged. Not my thing… then David Gordon Green got attached and my ears perked up… then they released the trailer and well…

C) Best trailer of the year.

I LOVE this trailer. It blends comedy, drama, & action into something as cool as it is emotional. It had me laughing out loud and really wanting to know what was going to happen to the characters. We got a look at Franco, Rogen & the supporting cast (including Darryl from the Office & the very funny Danny McBride from Hotrod, Heartbreak Kid, Drillbit Tailor, & All the Real Girls). We got a hint at the tone with the brilliant music choice of M.I.A.’s Paper Planes. Just a perfect, fun little trailer.